Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Warren Buffett typically spends his days at his desk doing just two things: reading financial reports and talking on the phone. So it was a little off-putting when the investment guru arrived at his midtown Berkshire Hathaway offices Monday the first day back after the weekend shareholders meeting to find the phones down. And as of Wednesday afternoon, they still werent working. We had this meeting that went over very well all weekend, and now to anybody who has phoned us in the last three days, they think we have gone out of business, Buffett quipped in an interview with The World-Herald on Wednesday. Buffett was obviously keeping his sense of humor about the local phone outage at Berkshire located at 35th and Farnam Streets in the Blackstone Plaza building. Despite Buffetts words at the meeting about the downside of artificial intelligence, it does not appear the phone outage was a case of technology getting its revenge. A spokesperson for Lumen, formerly CenturyLink, said technicians were working Wednesday to fix a phone outage affecting parts of Omaha. The company attributed the outage to wet cables due to rain but did not indicate how widespread it was or give a timetable for fixing the problem. Buffett said the outage was particularly problematic for him Monday, when he did not bring his cellphone to work. He said hes been working since with his iPhone, which he typically does not use for business. I dont know how to do much with it, but I do know how to answer calls, he said. Im glad we didnt sell all of our Apple. One of the disclosures during the weekend meeting was that Berkshire had sold off about 13% of its Apple stock, though the tech company remains Berkshires largest single stock holding. Buffett was still basking Wednesday in the aftermath of the weekend meeting, which again drew tens of thousands of shareholders to Omaha. Buffetts daughter has said the meeting is like oxygen for the 93-year-old Buffett. It was a huge success, he said. Everything went perfectly, and everybody in Omaha made them feel so welcome. We just get comment after comment after comment. Just not by phone, this time. Photos: 2024 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting NORTH PLATTE, Neb. North Platte community leaders expressed bitter disappointment Wednesday after the U.S. Postal Service confirmed it would downgrade the citys regional processing center and send local mail to Denver for sorting. A Postal Service press release confirmed the center at 1302 Industrial Ave., which has served much of western Nebraska since May 1993, will be converted to a local processing center despite public objections at a March 28 forum in North Platte. The business case supports transferring processing outgoing operations to the Denver Processing & Distribution Center, the press release said under a headline USPS to Improve Mail Operations at North Platte Processing Facility. Currently, a majority of mail and packages are destined outside the North Platte area to the rest of the world, it added. Once changes are implemented, business mail entry, post office, station and branch retail services are not expected to change and delivery services will be enhanced. The Postal Service statement said North Plattes changes, first signaled early this year, fit into its 10-year, $40 billion Delivering for America plan that has drawn fire for greatly delaying mail and package deliveries where it already has been implemented. It said the Postal Service will invest $4.4 million in the North Platte facility, which has served customers in Nebraskas ZIP codes beginning with 691. It also became North Plattes local retail post office in 2015. About $2 million will be spent on modernization efforts and deferred maintenance, including new lighting and renovated bathrooms and break rooms. Another $2.4 million will be spent to install a flex rover sorter dual machine at the center, the release said. When changes are complete, it added, the center will be able to mail and ship packages, manual letters and flats and offer express services and accept bulk and permit mail. The North Platte center will feature evolving USPS self-service tools and technology, including keyless Smart Lockers that let customers send and receive packages to and from them. The Postal Service statement said there will be no career employee layoffs, but it added that all career bargaining unit reassignments, as well as any reduction in any number of pre-career employees, will be made in accordance with respective collective bargaining agreements. But Mayor Brandon Kellihers reaction to the news reflected an understanding that the postal center will employ fewer people in North Platte. The recent decision by the USPS to remove 11 jobs and alter postal distribution systems at the North Platte Post Office has left our community disheartened, Kelliher said. The 31-year-old regional mail-sorting center has long been an essential hub for our region, connecting families, businesses and communities, he said. Any degradation in its operations diminishes our ability to stay connected and undermines the reliability of mail service. Now more than ever, dependable mail service is crucial for maintaining communication, commerce and connection in western Nebraska, he said. One more dagger American Postal Workers Union Local 619 President Lisa Watson said she disagrees with the decision to move mail processing to Denver. However, the fights not completely over. This is a nationwide issue according to her. Both Nebraska senators, Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts, signed on to a letter with more than 20 other senators Wednesday calling on the U.S. Postal Service to pause planned changes across the country. The USPS modernization plan not only fails to consider the impact on rural communities around the country, but it may even slow down the very mail service it purports to modernize, Fischer said in a press release. The disingenuous public comment period also failed to incorporate feedback from the towns most affected by this change, like North Platte. Along with more than 20 of my colleagues in the U.S. Senate, Im calling for the USPS to pause these planned changes until we know more about how they will affect critical services that rural Americans deserve. Gary Person, president and CEO of the North Platte Area Chamber & Development Corp., said he was thoroughly disappointed and disgusted with the lack of leadership at the highest level of the USPS in imposing its nationwide reorganization. This is one more dagger in the heart of rural America, Person said. They truly do not care about rural and small-town citizens across America. The Postal Services level of hypocrisy was on full display at the local public hearing when we heard about their game plan, he added. Everyone knows the standards they talked about will never be met, he said. The sad reality is that no one will hold them accountable for the obvious lies they spewed out about the improvement of service and time of mail delivery. North Platte-area residents fought the good fight, Person added, but it was obvious to many this decision was probably made months ago. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of May 2024 For the past 11 months, Pizzaman Chickenman, the nation's leading fast-food chain, found itself in a battle against a group of fraudsters who exploited its brand to deceive unsuspecting customers. However, the tables have turned as Pizzaman Chickenman takes decisive action against these criminals, teasing the release of an upcoming documentary that promises to illuminate their fight for justice. The fraudulent activities, where individuals masqueraded as representatives of Pizzaman Chickenman to swindle customers, posed a significant threat to the brand's integrity and the trust of its customers. Despite the challenges posed by these unscrupulous individuals, Pizzaman Chickenman remained resolute in its dedication to protecting its customers and upholding its esteemed reputation. The gravity of the situation deepened as distressing rumors began to circulate, suggesting that Pizzaman Chickenman, an emblem of trust and reliability for countless customers, might somehow be complicit in the scam. Through an unwavering pursuit of justice, Pizzaman Chickenman initiated a thorough investigation to identify and apprehend the masterminds behind these fraudulent schemes. Now, with the perpetrators brought to account, Among those brought to account were individuals picked up from SOGAKOPE in the Volta Region of Ghana. This documentary offers an exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpse into the hurdles faced by Pizzaman Chickenman and the measures taken to combat fraud. It serves not only as a testament to the brand's resilience but also as a cautionary tale for those who might contemplate exploiting reputable brands for illicit gain. As Pizzaman Chickenman gears up to share its saga with the world, it does so with a renewed determination to safeguard its legacy and uphold the trust bestowed upon it by millions of devoted customers nationwide. In the face of adversity, Pizzaman Chickenman emerges stronger than ever, reaffirming its status as a beacon of trust and dependability in the fast-food industry. This is more than just a story of triumphing over obstacles; it is a testament to the resilience, resolve, and unwavering commitment to doing what is right. Pizzaman Chickenman continues its fight against fraudsters, it's crucial to remain vigilant when conducting online transactions. For secure dealings, customers can contact the company through their verified hotline at 0302753430, Instagram handle, Chris b app, or by visiting any of their branches. Remember, Pizzaman Chickenman upholds its policy: No Food, No Payment, ensuring customer satisfaction and safety. Stay informed and cautious to protect against fraudulent activities. 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 swift action by members of the Anti-Cocoa Smuggling Task Force at dawn of Tuesdayhas resulted in the arrest of two persons for attempting to smuggle 130 bags of cocoa beans concealed under quarry stones from Ghana to neighbouring Togo. The suspects, Dennis Hodo, a driver and his mate, Kwesi Edem, were accosted at the River Crossing point near Adowso in the Kwahu South District of the Eastern Region by the Task Force at about 04:45hrs with the consignments which were hidden in a fully-loaded tipper-truck with registration number GE 6486-23. According to the Head of the Anti-Smuggling Task Force, Lawyer Charles Amenyaglo, the contrabands, packed in branded plastic sacks, originated from the Suhum District and were destined for Togo via Adowso, Ekye Amanfrom, Tease, Donkorkrom, Agordeke and Kpando Torkor routes. The Task Force, acting upon tip-off, intercepted the truck which were transporting the items under the guise of carting quarry stones. Upon further interrogations, the suspects revealed admitted that they were contracted to transport the items to neigbouring Togo. The two are expected to be arraigned before court by the Mpraeso District Police Command and charged with offences of Purchase of Cocoa without authority contrary to S4 of Ghana Cocoa Board Act, 1984(PNDCL81), attempting to smuggle cocoa beans contrary to S317 (i) of the Criminal and Other Offences Act 1960(Act29), and attempting to export cocoa beans which have not been inspected, graded and sealed by an Inspector of cocoa, contrary to S 3 of Cocoa Industry Regulations Act, 1968(NLCD278). The latest arrest is one of many such success stories recorded in the war against cocoa smuggling since the beginning of the 2023/24 cocoa season. In the past two weeks, the Krobo Odumase Circuit Court has sentenced two persons to a total of 14 years in prison in separate incidents of attempted smuggling of cocoa beans to neighbouring Togo. 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 Many Nigerians have condemned the introduction of a new levy on electronic banking transactions, with some saying it will push them back to using cash. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has told financial institutions the 0.5% levy intended to raise money to enhance cybersecurity will take effect in two weeks' time. Nigeria is experiencing its worst economic crisis in a generation and many people say the levy will cause further hardship as they struggle to afford basic items. Dr Abdulrazaq Fagge, who teaches economics at Yusuf Maitama University, tells the BBC this is a wrong move by the government that will have negative effects on Nigerias struggling economy. It is not only bad timing but a wrong move altogether as no government should put [an] additional burden on its citizens at a time they are struggling to get by, he says. He said it would also hurt small businesses. "If you transfer a million naira, five thousand naira gets deducted as cybersecurity levy, which is not fair to ordinary persons." The lecturer says the money should be paid by banks as they make huge profits. Bread seller Abubakar Sheka says he has already made up his mind to avoid electronic banking transactions by the time the levy starts on 20 May. There is no way I will agree to be giving 0.5 percent on my transfers when I earn very little, many people don't buy bread now and business is fragile. Why will this government further make us cry with this despite what we are already going through with high cost of food and fuel? The Nigeria Labour Congress, which represents the countrys workers, has released a statement rejecting the levy, while the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (Serap) lobby group has threatened to sue the government. The government has not yet commented on the reaction. Public affairs analyst Habu Sani believes the government has done a huge disservice to its cashless economy drive as more people will be dealing in cash now. Government pushed people to be using electronic transfers to reduce printing of cash which takes a toll on government finances and now this will further make people go back to cash to avoid paying the levy. I foresee a cash shortage soon if government doesn't reverse its decision. There was a major shortage of cash for much of 2023 after the CBN introduced currency reforms intended to cut fraud in last year's election. This pushed many people to start using mobile money. The shortages only eased at the end of last year. Only about eight percent of people aged between 16 and 64 have used mobile payment services in 2024. This was an decrease from the previous year. Digital penetration is low in Nigeria due to the lack of mobile signal in many rural areas, while many people cannot afford smartphones. 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 Residents of Manso-Tontokrom in the Amansie South district of the Ashanti Region, have tabled a condition on which peace could be returned to the area, following the gruesome killing of one of the youth during a clash between the community and a mining firm. According to the residents, the current tension in the town, can only be managed after government listen to their appeal to set up a Community Mining Scheme. They noted that it is the only way out for peace to prevail in the densely populated mining community which is full of youths. We want community mining to be set up here because when they came, they saw the number of people who make their living from this community. We are pleading with them; they should set up the mining scheme for peace to prevail, they stated. The Abusuapanin of Manso Tontonkrom, Opanin Kofi Manu, made this call at the burial of the slain youth, Rahman Mohammed, 35, who was shot during a clash between the residents and contracted private security personnel of Asanko Gold Mines. Donning red and black attire, the burial was marked with sorrow, grieve and anger, as they ask the government to investigate and prosecute the person(s) who killed Rahman for peace to prevail in the area. Opanin Kofi Manu, who spoke on behalf of the traditional leaders, accused Asanko Gold of being a bad neighbour, adding that they attempted to use foul means to take their lands from them, which ended in a chaotic situation. Opanin Manu, also called on President Akufo Addo, to direct for a thorough investigation into the circumstances which led to the clash. We want to tell the president that there must be a thorough investigation into what happened because Asanko did not treat us fairly. The clash between the two factions on Saturday, March 2, 2024, has led to the death of three people. The traditional leader, sent signals that the disputed piece of land does not belong to Asanko Gold, arguing that, if an opportunity emerges and it benefits the masses, it must be sustained to address the challenges of the masses, but it should not be given to few individuals to enjoy. Per what has happened, we do not need Asanko in this community again because if we do not take care, the next incident could be an untold story. The traditional leader further accused the mining firm of fermenting troubles in the area. Backing his claims, Opanin Kofi, told the media that the president of the Republic, Nana Akufo-Addo, has said if an organisation wants to operate in a community, they ought to go and speak with the people, but ASANKO is doing the opposite. The president is on record to have said if you are an organisation and wants to work in a community, go and meet the people and if the community agrees to your terms and conditions, then you can work. We have not had any agreement with ASANKO and before we could say jack, they opened fire on us which killed one of us and this is a painful loss which we are still mourning, he added. Admonishing the youth to be careful, Opanin Kofi Manu, urged the youth to be patient and disciplined. When an issue crops, come and inform us about it and we will take whatever actions for you to be okay. You are not bad people but life and its intricacies have compelled you to be miners, he said. On his part, the father of the late Rahman Mohammed, Hassan Adams, told the media, that his son died while protesting in the interest of the community, but he was gunned down in the middle of the protest. He has, therefore, asked the District Security Council and the Bekwai Police Command, to thoroughly investigate the matter. Mr Adams argued that one cannot lose his life just because the person was protesting. Demonstration is not a crime to warrant the death of someone; it has been almost two months since our brother was murdered. We want justice; we want investigation to establish who murdered our brother for the law to take its course, he demanded. The residents have since made a passionate appeal to the government through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Minerals Commission, to grant them a concession, on which they can peacefully mine for their survival. 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 Benin has prevented neighbouring Niger from using its port to export its first crude oil, as a border dispute rages between the two nations. President Patrice Talon's government is demanding that landlocked Niger reopens its side of the border if it wants to use Benin's ports. Mr Talon accused Niger of treating its neighbour like an enemy. Relations between the two nations soured after the military staged a coup in Niger last year. Benin and other West African nations imposed sanctions on Niger, including border closures, in a bid to force the military to hand back power to the elected government. The sanctions by the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) were eased in February, and were expected to normalise trade relations with Niger. But Niger refused to open its land border for goods coming from Benin. Mr Talon has accused Niger of not co-operating to restore ties. "If you want to load your oil in our waters, you must consider that Benin is not an enemy country and that [its] territory cannot be the subject of illicit trafficking or informal exchange," he said on Wednesday. "If tomorrow the Nigerien authorities decide to collaborate with Benin in a formal manner, the boats will be loaded," he added. Niger's junta has not yet responded to his comments. Benins move puts at risk Nigers plan to begin exporting oil - the landlocked country has been producing about 20,000 barrels per day primarily for domestic consumption due to the lack of an export route. Following the completion of a 2,000km-long (1,240 miles) Chinese-built pipeline through Benin, production was set to rise significantly to 110,000 barrels. The dispute is seen as undermining the project and affecting relations between two countries that were close trade partners before the coup in Niger. Herve Akinocho, the director of the Centre for Research and Opinion Polls in Benin, said the country would lose about $7m (5.6m) daily from oil transit fees that Niger would have paid. He told the BBC Newsday radio programme that Benin was suffering bigger losses from Niger's decision to keep the border shut. He said that most of Nigers imports and exports passed through Benin before the coup, but this was now happening through Togo. He said that Niger's refusal to open the border was "really hitting the economy of Benin [including] the transport sector. 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 running mate of the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has stressed the need to harness the potential of the 24-hour economy to generate employment opportunities and maximise benefits for a wide range of individuals in the country. She said the NDC had identified unemployment as a top priority and it believed that the 24-hour economy policy was crucial to addressing the issue. Misinformation Prof. Opoku-Agyemang made the remarks when she represented former President John Dramani Mahama at a symposium organised by the Centre for Ethical Governance and Administration (CEGA). The symposium brought together experts to discuss the business and economic impact of the 24-hour economy policy, with the goal of promoting understanding and paving the way for implementation under the next NDC administration. Other speakers at the symposium included labour expert and alternative dispute resolution practitioner, Austin Gamey; a Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School, Prof. Lord Mensah; a Financial Economist, Dr Bernard Tetteh Dumenya; a former Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Commissioner of Police (COP) Bright Oduro (retd), and the National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi. Flexible approach Prof. Opoku Agyemang cautioned against misinformation and emphasised the need for a flexible approach to address the country's challenges, as the current system was unsustainable. "It is important to note that this conversation is just starting, and we are in the era of all kinds of information, misinformation, so be careful not to be swayed to other things," she said. Other countries The Executive Director of CEGA, Prof. Ohene Adjei, highlighted the success of the 24-hour economy concept in countries such as the United States of America (USA), Germany and the United Kingdom (UK), and stressed the need to move beyond the traditional working arrangements of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Brothers at war For his part, Prof. Mensah cited the timeliness and potential of the 24-hour economy initiative to reduce reliance on foreign imports and increase household incomes. Not political promise The National Communications Officer of the NDC said the 24-hour economy strategy was an imperative for the country's development, and the time for its implementation was now. Mr Gyamfi said the 24-hour economy was not just a political promise but a well-thought-out plan that had been developed through various engagements with experts. He gave an assurance that the strategy was not a political campaign promise but a product of honest and deep thinking. Mr Gyamfi highlighted the benefits of the 24-hour economy to include the reduction of waiting times for government services such as passports and documents from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA). He also stressed that the strategy would triple job opportunities in institutions and ensure that the economy operates 24 hours around the clock. "The 24-hour economy is for everyone, and everyone will benefit from it," Mr Gyamfi emphasised. Mr Gyamfi expressed confidence in John Mahama, the NDC's flag bearer, to deliver on the 24-hour economy promise. Describing Mr Mahama as a nation builder, the Communication Officer of the NDC said he believed the former President had the vision and expertise to implement the strategy to transform Ghana's economy. Taking tough decisions Dr Tetteh-Demanya indicated that the 24-hour economy concept had the potential to improve resource utilisation, reduce waste and streamline the countrys debt burden. He indicated the need for the next government to take tough, unconventional economic decisions to implement the strategy. Security implications For COP Oduro, he stressed the need for adequate security measures to support the implementation of the 24-hour economy concept. The former CID boss highlighted the need for adequate resources, regular training and wider publicity to ensure police security and visibility. Source: graphiconline.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 Climate change and illegal mining, popularly known as Galamsey, are the greatest threats facing the production of cocoa, Ghanas leading foreign exchange earner. In a panel discussion hosted by Graphic Online on its YouTube social media network, dubbed Your Ghana, My Ghana', the experts said changes in rainfall patterns and global warming render planning in the cocoa sub-sector challenging, while indiscriminate prospecting for gold illegally by artisanal miners also affect the cultivation of the cash crop. The two-member panellists, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Joseph Boahen Aidoo, and the General Secretary of the Ghana Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), Edward Kareweh, discussed cocoa production in Ghana and its attendant issues on the theme: Will Cocoa be part of Ghanas future. Rainfall patterns Mr Aidoo lamented that even though the nations greenhouse emissions and carbon footprint were practically insignificant, global warming had adversely affected rainfall patterns making planning for the crop extremely difficult. At times when we dont expect rains, they come. When you want rains, they dont come. Thats for the cocoa. In 2020, the whole of June, July and August there was no rain at all. Then from October ending, November, December, January and February, it was raining. Can you imagine? January, February and it was raining as if we were in June, July, he recalled. Galamsey On the issue of galamsey, the COCOBOD CEO stressed that the emboldened activities of the perpetrators had rendered many water bodies surrounding cocoa farms unsafe for farmers. We commissioned the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) to do a pre-appraisal assessment for us and in the report they brought, almost all the rivers were contaminated, and you cannot use that milky muddy water to do anything with cocoa. You cannot use it for spraying. These days farmers have to transport water from their homes in tricycles making farming very expensive, Mr Aidoo stated. Explaining the science behind the process, he said the stomata of the leaves, which regulates gas exchange between the plant and environment, would be blocked by mud in the water leading to the eventual death of trees. He added that the issue of climate change could be tackled to a significant extent through irrigation but due illegal mining and the choking of rivers by silt, collecting water in the rivers surrounding cocoa farms would do more damage. Either that or youll have to be changing your filters more frequently and farming would be coming very expensive. And you cannot also use boreholes because they are not reliable. Any country depends on surface running waters. We cant do same here because of galamsey, Mr Aidoo added. Decision time The General Secretary of GAWU, Edward Kareweh, stated that the entire nation had a decision to make with regards to cocoa whether we still wanted to have the crop as the nations foreign exchange earner or we look to other sources. This country, once upon a time, was not a leading producer in cocoa. It was brought from somewhere. It was not even part of our environment. It was brought in, we planted, nurtured it and today, we are a major producer of cocoa, he said. Mr Kareweh intimated that the galamsey menace was not only destroying cocoa but the future of the country as a whole. He said although COCOBOD had a role to play in mitigating the issue, the external factors, which were beyond the regulators domain had to be addressed first. COCOBOD cannot stop galamsey. Theyll chase them away. COCOBOD doesnt own the rivers and dont have the authority or capacity to stop people from mining in the rivers. It is just outside their mandate, which is facilitating the production of cocoa so long as the right conditions are put in place for them, he said. The GAWU General Secretary called for the establishment of a bank, which would be financing and lending money to the cocoa production regular and the entire sub sector. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video In a significant crackdown on cybercrime, Ghanaian security agencies have arrested two young men, Abdul Latif Abubakar, 22, and Mahammudu Araafat Yasir, 24, for their involvement in a WhatsApp fraud scheme. The arrests took place in Langbensi and Gambaga in the North East Region, following an extensive intelligence-led operation. The operation was spurred by a report from a Ghanaian living in the US who fell victim to a WhatsApp Account Takeover, a sophisticated form of cyber fraud. Through this method, the perpetrators gained unauthorized access to WhatsApp accounts by manipulating the account verification process to obtain the required six-digit verification codes. Once they had access, the suspects contacted the victims friends and family to solicit funds under various guises, leading to substantial financial losses totaling more than GH200,000. The investigation revealed that the stolen funds were funneled through mobile money accounts linked to the suspects. Both suspects are currently in custody and are cooperating with the authorities, providing valuable information for ongoing investigations. This case highlights the growing trend of cyber-related crimes in Ghana and underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and public vigilance to combat these threats. The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) of Ghana has been active in alerting the public to the rise of such scams, emphasizing the need for heightened awareness and improved cybersecurity practices to prevent similar incidents. 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 Director of Legal Affairs of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Lawyer Edudzi Tamakloe has taken a swipe at President Akufo-Addo, for his comments over who he wants as his successor. Edudzi Tamakloe noted that the statements made by the President is a deliberate attempt to evade accountability when the NDC attains power, come December 7, 2024. It is recalled that on April 24, 2024, President Akufo-Addo told the Wa Naa that he cannot have the former President John Dramani Mahama as his successor. According to President Akufo-Addo, he displaced John Mahama from his seat as President and later defeated him again through another election. To Akufo-Addo, the former President should not be made to return to office because he is likely to destroy all the good works and developmental projects undertaken by the NPP government. While at the Wa Naas palace, President Akufo Addo said, "Wa Naa, as you know, this is an election year. On the 7th of December, 2024, the people of Ghana are going to elect a new President and a new House of Parliament. Before the election is held, I am going to come here and pay my proper goodbye to you and thank you for your cooperation that I received from you and your chiefs during my tenure as President. He added that, upon his next visit, he will bring Vice President Dr. Bawumia, who he wants to be his successor. Reacting to the Presidents comments, Lawyer Tamakloe said, "Ghanas Presidency is not a chieftaincy inheritance. The Presidency is about democracy as we have practiced all this while. The Presidency is not a monarch system, customary rite, nor a chieftaincy title where you would say that I am abdicating the stool, hence I want my son to take over. Ghanas presidency is not for Akufo-Addo. He went through an election and in the election he was voted for by Ghanaians. That is what is done, nothing more, nothing less." Edudzi, speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme on Wednesday May 8, added that it does not lie in the mouth of the President to determine who his successor would be or not be and accused him of being afraid of accountability for the rot that has engulfed his government. "Obviously, Akufo-Addo should not expect Mahama to continue with the looting. Is it the corruption, the naked thievery that is characteristic of this government? Certainly no. Mahama will never engage in this dangerous and nation wrecking activity," he said. To him, it is clear Nana Akufo-Addo wants to be succeeded by someone who will be able to sweep all the corrupt deals under the carpet. "He wants Bawumia to cover up for him that is why he is all over the place trying to preach the negative sermon about John Mahama but he should be rest assured that, when the NDC comes to power, we shall investigate every rotten deal and we shall deal with them according to the law. He knows that Bawumia will sweep all the looting, bribery and broad day light thievery and all illicit deals under the carpet hence his desperate calls for Ghanaians not to vote for Mahama," he added. Watch Video Below Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Director of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Serebour Quaicoe has refuted claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the Commission is depriving eligible persons in the partys strongholds the right to register their names in the ongoing voters limited registration exercise. The Eastern Regional Secretariat of the National Democratic Congress has expressed dissatisfaction with the EC over the technical issues that affected the registration exercise on its first day. The EC's approach to this year's Limited Registration Exercise in the Eastern Region is a lazy man's approach and must be a worry to all stakeholders. Almost all the constituencies were not able to start registration today 7th May, 2024 at the time given by the EC itself. As at 1pm on the first registration day, about 95% of constituencies in the Eastern Region had not started the exercise due to challenges best known to the EC alone. This is a clear sign of the incompetent technical team of the EC who are sub-standard and cant manage a transparent and incident free election process. It must be recalled how this same team managed our District Level elections last year with some districts having to postpone their elections to a later date, a statement by the NDC read. They have also translated these challenges as a lazy mans approach and some members accuse the EC of trying to disenfranchise their supporters. Responding to the allegations on Peace FMs Kokrokoo morning show with Kwami Sefa Kayi, Dr. Serebour Quaicoe explained that the glitches are not out of the ordinary. He noted that its never been their intention to send out faulty machines, however they have enough machines and back-ups replace any faulty machine and do their work effectively. He also argued that the EC and their officials never concern themselves with a registrants political affiliation, hence there is no way they can favor a political party against the other. As far as we are concerned, were registering Ghanaians; were not registering politicians, he responded. He also challenged the claims of the Commission depriving NDC faithfuls from partaking in the registration exercise which commenced on Tuesday, May 7 and will end on Monday, May 20 asserting theres no evidence anywhere to say were disenfranchising at one centerIt is not true. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, the Director of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission (EC), believes policy think-tank, IMANI, should have eaten an humble pie and apologized to the commission for false accusations. He was clarifying why he earlier said if IMANI fails to put its house in order, there's a huge possibility of the respected think-tank becoming a talk tank. IMANI has raised concerns over the Electoral Commissions disposal of election-related equipment it deems obsolete. The ECs recent disposal and auctioning of its equipment has compelled IMANI to petition Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate them. According to the Executive Director at IMANI, Franklin Cudjoe, the ECs actions constitute misappropriation, wastage, and misuse of resources. We do not believe that the EC and its commercial counterparties in these transactions complied with the highest standards of data handling and protection required in the transfer and/or disposal of such sensitive equipment. At any rate, none of them had the requisite certifications to be trusted with such a task, the think tank argued in a statement released on Monday, May 6. The organization added that the ECs most recent conduct has been necessitated by a need to curtail transparency and accountability, and thus was motivated by a collective conflict of interest and potential corruption. By its actions, it is attempting to erase inventory records and physical evidence of the blatant falsehoods it has told over the last four years regarding the purchase history of expensive electoral equipment. We asserted our longstanding claim that the ECs electoral equipment is a portfolio of multiple items, bought and refurbished at different intervals between 2011 and 2019. That portfolio does not uniformly date to 2011 or 2012 as the EC has falsely and persistently claimed, and could thus not be so uniformly obsolete as to warrant a firesale to mysterious bidders, who have kept the prime portions for themselves and discarded the rest to be used as scrap. Ghana cannot continue to be milked in this fashion, it emphasized. But Dr. Serebour Quaicoe has shot down the IMANIs arguments labeling their accusations as empty. He alluded to a similar position of the think tank on the EC registration exercise during the COVID era where the EC anticipated huge turnout of over 4 million people within the 40-day exercise but IMANI and their bosses doubted the possibility of the figures amidst other similar claims regarding their machinery. Dr. Serebour Quaicoe narrated how the EC shamed IMANI stating we ended up registering 17 million within 38 days, adding the best thing the think tank should have done after realizing this achievement by the electoral management body was admit they erred and say I am sorry; but the Commission didnt receive any such response from IMANI. Regarding the obsolete machines, the Commissioner explained that the manufacturers had served notice to them that the machines have end of life meaning they no longer produce them, hence recommended they get new ones and also upgrade their data center at an estimated cost of 15 million dollars. Data Centres But the Commission built two new data centers at a cost of 6 million dollars, this he said to buttress the point that the EC is saving cost and their decisions are geared towards building a robust electoral system. Dr. Serebour Quaicoe therefore cautioned IMANI stating they dont have any basis to crucify Electoral Commission. He noted that this is why I said if they dont take care, instead of people thinking they are think tank, they will be talk tank. Because if you keep talking without any basis, have you not then turned into a talk tank. If you pooh-pooh the Electoral Commission, youre destroying the image of the Commission, he further cautioned. The Electoral Commissioner made these submissions on Peace FMs Kokrokoo show. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Flagbearer of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has pledged to establish common-user processing facilities in various mining districts across the country if elected as President. The Vice President believes that this initiative will promote responsible and sustainable mining practices in Ghana. Speaking at the 3rd Annual Transformational Dialogue on Small Scale Mining organised by the University of Energy and Natural Resources in Sunyani on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, Dr. Bawumia emphasised the importance of ensuring that mining activities benefit the country as a whole. "I will establish common-user processing facilities to facilitate mining in the various districts in the country," Dr. Bawumia said. "Additionally, we shall establish Community Environmental Protection Assistants working under Minerals Commission/Environmental Protection Agency with River Wardens and local authorities to augment the safeguarding of our environment/water bodies," he added. The NPP Flagbearer further explained that common-user processing facilities would help achieve this goal by providing efficient and environmentally friendly processing options for miners. Dr. Bawumia also stressed that establishing these facilities would contribute to the fight against illegal mining activities, commonly known as "galamsey." He believes that by offering legal and sustainable processing options, illegal mining activities can be significantly reduced or eliminated. On the benefits of mining to the nation, Dr. Bawumia was of the view that mining should serve the collective good of the country and not just benefit a select few individuals, emphasizing the need for mining practices that prioritize environmental conservation and community well-being. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer and leader of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), has announced his intentions of establishing a Minerals Development Bank. According to Dr. Bawumia, the minerals bank will be established when he is elected President in the upcoming December Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Vice President Bawumia mentioned that the initiative is a Bawumia-led governmental project that is aimed at providing financial support for mining projects in the country. Dr. Bawumia made his intention known to patrons who graced the 3rd Annual Transformational Dialogue on Small Scale Mining in Ghana at the University of Energy and Natural Resources in the Bono Region. Dr. Bawumia underscored the need to establish a Minerals bank, noting that, it will prevent the practice of foreign mining companies exporting all their earnings. Dr. Bawumia said, We also want to, as I said, in collaboration with the relevant state institutions like MIIF, PMMC, the Bank of Ghana, the private sector and others, we want to establish a minerals development bank to finance viable local mineral projects and to mitigate foreign financing of local mining projects, which leads to heavy smuggling of the produce afterwards. The Vice President Dr. Bawumia noted that, Ghana loses so much financial resources to the foreign mining companies because the country does not have the requisite logistics to process all the minerals we have in Ghana. According to Dr. Bawumia, the establishment of the minerals bank will help to create more local based mining companies that will compete with the other international mining companies across the globe. Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Akosua Asaa Manu, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for the Adentan Constituency, has issued a firm rebuttal to the National Democratic Congress' (NDC) assertions regarding President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's alleged obsession with former President John Mahama. In a recent interview on Onua FM, Manu dismissed the NDC's claims as baseless and labelled them as a "non-starter. During the radio interview, Kozie Manu challenged the feasibility of the NDC discontinuing ongoing projects initiated by the Akufo-Addo administration should John Mahama be elected in 2024. Highlighting flagship programs like the "One District, One Factory" initiative and the Free Senior High School program, she explained that these interventions could cease, even as she underscored their significance in driving economic growth and providing access to basic education for young Ghanaians. Expressing concerns over the potential repercussions of a Mahama presidency, Kozie cited previous declines in the agriculture sector, trade deficits, and low GDP experienced during his tenure. In contrast, she emphasised the NPP government's achievements, including robust economic growth, thriving agricultural initiatives, infrastructure development projects, and social welfare programs. Comparing Vice President Dr Bawumia's track record to Mahama's presidency, Kozie asserted Dr Bawumia's strong candidacy for the upcoming presidential election, citing his proven leadership and transformative policies. She expressed confidence that Ghanaians will overwhelmingly support Dr Bawumia's bid for the presidency. Addressing energy challenges in parts of the country, Kozie acknowledged existing issues but noted improvements under the Akufo-Addo administration. She highlighted localised challenges, such as temporary disruptions due to infrastructure projects like the Dodowa road construction, while reaffirming the government's commitment to resolving such issues. Akosua Manu concluded by reiterating President Akufo-Addo's concerns about the potential dangers of a Mahama presidency to Ghana's progress. She emphasised that the NPP government has a proven track record of effective governance and is committed to advancing the welfare of all Ghanaians, making it the preferred choice for the nation's future. Kozie also explained that the opposition has consistently demonstrated their inability to build and develop the country. 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 Former President and flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has urged all eligible voters, especially, first-timers who encountered challenges on the first day of the nationwide limited voters registration exercise not to give up. It wasnt a good start to the registration exercise today, but be encouraged to register for change. Dont let the frustrations stop you from visiting the Electoral Commission (EC) office and the selected Electoral Areas again tomorrow to be registered, he said. Mr Mahama said this in a post on his Facebook wall to encourage all eligible voters who could not register at the start of the voter registration exercise, which started last Tuesday, due to technical challenges to do so. Ghana needs your vote on December 7. Get registered to vote Mahama and the NDC, he said. Recall The voter registration exercise took off after 12 noon last Tuesday following a system failure which thwarted the start of the exercise across the country. Many of the registration centres, primarily limited to the district offices of the EC, recorded minimal figures as many prospective registrants had left by the time the registration system was fixed. Before then, scenes of chaos and frustration had characterised the registration centres over the malfunctioning system, which prompted a high-level technical meeting of the EC to resolve the issue. Prospective registrants who were left frustrated by the situation had to leave the centres without going through the processes to get their names onto the voter register. EC A statement issued by the EC attributed the situation to technical challenges with internet connectivity in a number of our centres. It said the challenge was eventually resolved, and that the registration exercise is proceeding smoothly in almost all the registration centres nationwide. The Director of Electoral Services at the EC headquarters, Dr Serebour Quaicoe in an interview said the technical challenges had been resolved and the exercise was going on smoothly. He said the exercise is for 21 days and the commissions target is to register 623,000 eligible persons, reiterating that the exercise was meant for persons who have turned 18 and others who could not register the last time (2023). Visit Visits to some registration centres by the Daily Graphic, in the Greater Accra Region revealed that the exercise was going smoothly. The running mate of the flag bearer of the NDC, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, who visited the Ayawaso West Wuogon Centre and the University of Professional Studies, Accra, yesterday expressed satisfaction about the exercise. However, she bemoaned last Tuesdays technical challenges that nearly marred the start of the exercise. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The next New Patriotic Party (NPP) government will introduce new special policies and programmes in the agriculture and energy sectors to reduce the high cost of food and electricity in the country, the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has disclosed. He explained that the high cost of food and electricity which had become major concerns to many Ghanaians needed special innovations and interventions to address. Dr Bawumia, who is the flag bearer of the NPP, was speaking at a meeting with members of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs and the clergy in Sunyani on Wednesday as part of his campaign tour in the region. Agriculture "My government will invest more in commercial farming, mechanised and irrigation agriculture to reduce the high cost of food and boost the country's economy. "To me, food is critical, so I want to see a lot more commercial, mechanised and irrigated agriculture", he said. The NPP flag bearer said it was a fact that the government had improved the country's agriculture, industrialisation and infrastructure. Solar system Dr Bawumia said under his presidency, the country would move from liquid and gas in the generation of electricity to solar power to reduce the high cost of electricity. He was accompanied by the National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Stephen Ayensu Ntim, Chairman of the National Campaign Team, Dan Kwaku Botwe, some ministers of state, Members of Parliament (MPs) and some party faithful. "Let's move away from the constant increases in food and electricity prices that we don't have control over in the country and become independent in power generation. We have the technology and free sunlight to generate enough power," Dr Bawumia said. He said if he was elected in the December general election, he would work towards the production of 2,000 megawatts of solar power, which he said was half of the country's consumption. Dr Bawumia said it was possible to produce more than his proposal because two different private companies had shown interest in the investment. Performance Dr Bawumia said the NPP government had performed significantly better in the development of the country more than any other government in the history of the country. He explained that the party had more development packages to be executed, and urged the public to vote for the NPP to continue its unfinished business. Commendation The President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu, commended the government for completing the Sunyani Airport rehabilitation programme and the upgrading of the Sunyani Regional Hospital to a teaching hospital. However, he called on him to facilitate the construction of the second phase of the airport and invest more in the Sunyani Teaching Hospital to meet a teaching hospital status. Source: graphiconline.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 Political candidates in the 2024 general election have been advised to use election campaigns as a platform to foster unity among the public to consolidate the countrys democratic credentials. The President of the Ghana National Association of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Practitioners (GNAAP), Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, addressing the 11th annual general conference of the association in Accra last Saturday, explained that strengthening the culture of respect for all groups of people in the country would ensure inclusiveness and guarantee peace during and after the elections. If political candidates are desirous to serve the interests of the people they represent, they will not promote electoral violence, but would rather use the election campaigns to foster unity among the population to achieve national developmental goals, he said. The conference was on the theme: Strengthening Ghanas Democracy through Dialogue and Inclusiveness The Role of ADR. Up to 77 new members were inducted into the association. The Patron, Alex Nartey, led the new members to swear the oath of allegiance and membership. ADR Mr Owusu-Koranteng underscored the need to include ADR in the countrys electoral process ahead of the upcoming general election. In doing so, he said, it would help in addressing some of the conflicts that often occurred before, during, and after elections. There is no doubt that our people are still adjusting to the historical change in our social and political structure. It is our strong belief that ADR, which is premised on our historical principles of reconciliation and peace building, is a time-tested social cohesion instrument which must be promoted as of our electoral culture to avoid occurrences of conflicts that have become associated with our elections, Mr Owusu-Koranteng explained. He advised political activists and candidates to be united by the desire to ensure that this years elections united the citizenry and strengthened the countrys resolve to harness the national resources to promote national development. He said the association was ready to provide free conflict resolution services during and after this years elections for speedy resolution of conflicts and to collaborate with institutions such as the National Peace Council (NPC), the judicial service and electoral institutions. Peace The Executive Secretary of the NPC, George Amoh, noted that the mandate of the NPC was not different from that of GNAAP, which included conflict resolutions. He explained that the NPC, in its quest to ensure that this years general election was a peaceful one, had undertaken a number of proactive measures. The measures include an engagement with various stakeholders, including the Inspector General of Police, leadership of the various political parties, the Electoral Commission, and the owners of media houses. He indicated that the NPC had set up a committee to monitor political utterances and commentaries and planned to set up situation rooms in five locations in the country. The Chairperson for the occasion, the Adontenhene of Adomfe, Nana Barfi I, in his closing remarks, urged participants in the conference to be advocates of peaceful conflict resolutions. Source: graphiconline.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 With the increasing infusion of digitalization into the provision of Government services and everyday life, with plans to adopt the highest levels of data security in the provision of such services, Ghana is well on its way to becoming the first blockchain-powered government in Africa and one of the very few in the world, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has announced. We are going to adopt blockchain technology for government to ensure that all data and transactions in the Government space are transparent and tamper-proof, no one can change them, and so ours could well become the first blockchain-powered government in Africa the Vice President stated in Accra on Thursday, 9th May, 2024. Dr Bawumia gave the indication of a brighter, safer digital future for Ghana when he gave keynote remarks at the 14ths Commonwealth Regional Conference and Annual General Meeting of Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa being held in Accra. Representatives of 20 African countries, as well as global anti-corruption bodies are attending the conference, according to the organizers. About 99% of all government agencies (1507 out of 1517) have been onboarded onto the Government digital platform Ghana.gov, with the remaining 1% set to be completed by the end of the year Dr Bawumia said adding, Access to almost all Government services can be accessed electronically, with payment also made electronically, no cash. Ghana.Gov has collected GHC 201 billion for government so far. In the past, a portion of this revenue would have ended up in individual pockets, but computers do not demand or accept bribes. Digitalization has thus plugged leakages in Government revenue by eliminating the corruption involved in cash transactions. For Ghana, our next stage of the digitalization journey is to complete the integration of our databases through the X-Road Integration infrastructure as done in other countries such as Estonia. We will then apply blockchain technology to all of government, for the rapid and immutable identification of modifications in digital data and intelligent devices. We are moving towards blockchain because technology because blockchain technology makes it possible to discover any and all changes made to digital data, no matter how small, no matter by whom, we will find it immediately. So the blockchain practically blocks corruption, and this is where we are headed to, so that you can track and trace all transactions across the Government space and this is a very very effective tool. Our goal is to make Ghana the first blockchain-powered Government in Africa and one of the few in the world. We believe we can be the first in Africa to do so he declared. Vice President Bawumia bemoaned the devastating effect of corruption on Africa, with experts estimating that the continent has lost at least one trillion US Dollars ($1trn) over the past five years through corruption and illicit financial flows, while a significant percentage of persons of people who have contact with a public official will pay a bribe or will be asked to. Corruption is costing us a huge amount of money and depriving us of the lives we deserve, he noted, and called for more investment into the acquisition of digital tools to fight the corruption eco-system as a whole. While noting the huge strides made in Ghanas fight against corruption, including the issuance of a unique identity card and address for all Ghanaians and resident foreigners in Ghana, Vice President Bawumia called on African governments to make a deliberate effort to holistically invest in acquiring the necessary tools to fight crime and cross-border corruption. The next stage in fighting corruption in an age of sophisticated Artificial Intelligence-enabled cybercrime is for anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies to invest in digital forensics and tools that will enable our various countries to track, trace and disrupt the entire corruption value-chain. It is time that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies acquire customised security operation centres purposed towards fighting corruption networks. in Ghana, by digitalizing the processes for accessing public services and reducing to the barest minimum the human interface along the chain, we can and we are reducing the opportunities to demand for and collect bribes in the public sector. Again by digitalizing payments for public services, we can and we are reducing the incidence of revenue leakages. And finally by rolling out appropriate digital platforms and systems we can and we are beginning to disrupt the networks working in concert to facilitate acts of and distribute the proceeds of corruption. My charge to us all, is to leverage all these to track, and trace and disrupt the entire corruption value chain and to give our continent a fighting chance against poverty and under-development. It is my hope that together, we will continue to defeat corruption in Africa in all its forms. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Constructing links in Organized Crime Mobility Networks. Notes: This figure shows how links are built in the Organized Crime Mobility Network in Cambridgeshire. We observe Offender X committing three offenses in LSOA A (Panel (A)), one in LSOA B (Panel (B)) and one in LSOA C (Panel (C)). We can identify LSOA A as the focal community as it is the community in which Offender X commits the majority of their offenses. We then establish two directed links going from LSOA A to LSOA B and from LSOA A to LSOA C. Credit: Trends in Organized Crime (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s12117-024-09531-7 Communities with higher-than-average illegal market opportunities (proxied by drug-related activities) are more likely to be targeted by organized crime groups, a new study shows. Criminals in the gangs are also more likely to target urban communities, according to the analysis of police data. The study, by Paolo Campana from the University of Cambridge and Cecilia Meneghini from the University of Exeter, is published in the journal Trends in Organized Crime. Researchers reconstructed the movement of organized crime members using police data on 41 months' worth of recorded crime events. The anonymous crime incident data was recorded by Cambridgeshire Constabulary between May 2018 and October 2021. It includes information on all crime events in which organized crime members appear as either suspects or victims. Experts found slightly less than half of the communities in Cambridgeshire were impacted by the movement of organized crime. Researchers focused on 121 organized crime members who offended in multiple areas. They analyzed information on 1,073 crime events committed by these offenders: 22.4% were drug-related crime events, 16.3% concern thefts and burglaries, 6.2% robberies, 7.9% criminal damage, 13.2% relate to violent crime with injury, 7.4% to violent crime without injury and 14% to threats and harassment. Organized crime groups were more prevalent in urban rather than rural communities, and towns and cities had a higher level of criminality overall. Organized crime offenders were more likely to move into communities within close geographical distance, or alternatively, between the major urban areas of the county. Through analysis of these networks, the researchers found that some of the most active communities appear to act both as source and target locations of organized crime activities, receiving an inflow of organized crime offenders whose main area of operation is elsewhere and acting as turf communities for organized crime members who also offend elsewhere. Other communities had a clearer role as either a stronghold of organized crime activities or as a target of organized crime expansion. Dr. Meneghini said, "Our results suggest organized crime offenders have their turf in the most deprived and criminally active communities of the county, and they tend to move into areas where illegal market opportunities are present and with a similar socio-demographic profile. Such movement is also more likely to happen between urban communities." Dr. Campana added, "Organized crime group members appear to target communities that have higher-than-average illegal market opportunities. The presence of economic market opportunities makes a community attractive to organized crime. There is strong evidence that income deprivation increases the probability of a territory sending organized crime members while its impact on being a receiver of such movement is less clear. When moving, organized crime group members select territories that are similar to their own. Jumping into the 'unknown' may be seen as too difficult or too risky." Experts used network analysis to analyze movement. Their approach can be scaled up to study transnational, long-distance movement as well as scaled down, focusing on smaller geographical areas. This could allow law enforcement agencies and policymakers to map the movement of organized crime members across territories, andif repeated over timeto be able to pick up emerging trends. More information: Paolo Campana et al, Organised crime movement across local communities: A network approach, Trends in Organized Crime (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s12117-024-09531-7 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: 150-million-year-old Ostromia crassipes fossil (formerly known as a specimen of Archaeopteryx) from the Teylers Museum in the Netherlands getting ready for scanning at Diamond Light Source in a high security operation. Credit: Diamond Light Source The feathered limbs, sharp teeth and claws of the oldest known bird-like dinosaurs, the Archaeopteryx have fascinated naturalists and paleontologists including Charles Lyell and Charles Darwin who propelled the species to fame especially following publication of his theory of evolution. So, when a precious 150-million-year-old Ostromia crassipes fossilformerly known as a specimen of Archaeopteryxarrived at Diamond Light Source in a high security operation, it naturally caused a great deal of excitement. The rare fossil, which is usually housed at the renowned Teylers Museum in the Netherlands, was brought to Diamond so scientists could discover more about its features, including the color of its feathers. The specimen was studied on the I18 beamline, using a microfocus X-ray available at the U.K.'s leading science facility. The Archaeopteryx is called the "first true bird" and is about the same size as a magpie at around 20 inches from head to tail. This "Ostromia" fossil shows the knee region, part of the wing, claws, ribs, lower stomach bones, and feather imprints. These were examined at Diamond in more detail than ever before. This is the first time this specific fossil has been studied in such a way. Collection manager, Tim de Zeeuw, described it as the Mona Lisa of the museum's fossil collection. He explained that the Jurassic fossil was discovered at Jachenhausen, a village in southeastern Germany in 1855. The fossil was secretly brought to the U.K. by a special transport team and was kept under lock and key around the clock, even while on the beamline at Diamond. Research Team from the University of Utrecht and Teylers Museum at Diamond's microfocus spectroscopy beamline I18. Lead author, Edgar Mulder, a master's student at the university on right of picture. Credit: Diamond Light Source Ostromia reconstruction, previously known as the Haarlem Archaeopteryx specimen. Credit: Mariolanzas CC BY-SA 4.0 The new research undertaken will be the subject of a forthcoming paper and is a collaboration between the University of Utrecht and Teylers Museum. Lead author, Edgar Mulder, a master's student at the university explained that it was a bit of dream come true to get time to examine the fossil at Diamond and the team worked through the night to get as much information as possible. When this fossil was discovered, it was thought to be a pterosaur until 1970 when it was identified as an Archaeopteryx. Professor Dr. Anne S. Schulp at the University of Utrecht, said, "In 2017, it was concluded that this sample was more closely related to the Chinese Anchiornis and given the name Ostromia. "This new research at Diamond is helping to further determine its features. It is particularly important as the Archaeopteryx and other 'early birds' play a key role in the origin of birds." Mulder adds, "This is really exciting work as the Ostromia has the claws and teeth of a dinosaur but the feathers of a bird, which places this species 'in between' dinosaurs and birds. We hope the results will reveal the pattern in the feathers and identification of the melanin could suggest the color of the feathers. "Similarly, if the feathers and claws have been preserved and keratin is within the sheath on the bony claw, this will show that like humans, it had a terminal phalange, which grows on top a specialized nail made from keratin." Analysis was conducted using a combination of X-ray fluorescence imaging and absorption spectroscopy at Diamond's microfocus spectroscopy beamline I18. Principal Beamline Scientist on I18, Konstantin Ignatyev added, "This beamline has a super bright energy-tuneable X-ray microbeam that can be focused down to 2 micron, that can scan the widest range of elements on the periodic table. "This allows the study elemental and chemical composition of various samples at very high spatial resolution. In this case, it allowed us to look in detail at the chemical environment of sulfur at different locations on the fossil as well as pinpoint the distribution and concentration of other elements from phosphor to zinc. "Looking at the sulfur chemistry in this sample, for example, might reveal chemical signals of degradation products of soft tissues like tissues, feathers, skin, keratin, etc. This will reveal more detail about this fossil than what has been possible to see before." 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 powerful tornado near Waverly Road in the Lincoln, Nebraska, metro area on April 26, 2024. NOAA's National Weather Service in Omaha, Nebraska, issued 48 tornado warnings that daythe most the office has ever issued in a single day. Credit: NOAA National Weather Service Office Omaha, Nebraska, and Katie Wargowsky April continued the year's warm streak, with 2024 ranking as the fifth-warmest year on record for the nation so far. The month also saw a lot of active weather, with more than 100 tornadoes and a powerful winter storm hitting parts of the U.S., according to scientists from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. Below are more takeaways from NOAA's latest monthly U.S. climate report: Climate by the numbers April 2024 The average April temperature across the contiguous U.S. was 53.8F (2.7 above the 20th-century average), ranking as 12th-warmest in NOAA's 130-year climate record. Virginia and West Virginia had their fifth-warmest Aprils on record while Kentucky, Maryland and Ohio each saw their top-10 warmest Aprils on record. The average precipitation for the month was 2.77 inches0.25 of an inch above average, which places the month in the wettest third of the historical record. Indiana and Pennsylvania had their fifth-wettest April on record, with South Dakota seeing a top-10 wettest April. Year to date (January through April 2024) The average U.S. temperature for the year to date (YTD) was 43.0F (3.8 above average), ranking in the 5th-warmest such YTD in the climate record. Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and Wisconsin each saw their second-warmest JanuaryApril period. An additional 22 states had a JanuaryApril YTD that ranked in the top-10 warmest. The average precipitation for the first four months of 2024 was 10.95 inches (1.48 inches above normal), ranking as the 11th-wettest YTD on record. Pennsylvania saw its second-wettest such YTD period on record. Six additional states ranked among their top-10 wettest JanuaryApril on record for this year-to-date period. A map of the U.S. plotted with significant climate events that occurred during April 2024. Please see the story below as well as more details in the report summary from NOAA NCEI at http://bit.ly/USClimate202404 offsite link. Credit: NOAA/NCEI Other notable climate events An active severe weather month: A severe weather outbreak produced more than 100 tornadoes, including one EF-4, across the Midwest and Great Plains from April 25 to April 28. The outbreak caused significant damage, loss of life and became the worst tornado outbreak for the year so far. On April 26, the severe weather resulted in the National Weather Service in Omaha, Nebraska, issuing 48 tornado warningsthe most the office has ever issued in a single day. Heavy spring snow buried the Northeast: During early April, a spring snowstorm brought heavy snow and powerful winds to much of New England, downing trees and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands in the region. Seven separate billion-dollar disasters have struck this year: There were five new billion-dollar weather and climate disasters confirmed last month, including three severe storm events that impacted the central, southern and eastern U.S. in mid-February and early April. There were also two winter storms that impacted the northwest and central U.S. in mid-January. In total, there have been seven confirmed weather and climate disaster events this year, each with losses exceeding $1 billion. These disasters consisted of five severe storm events and two winter storms. 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: Costa Rica will ration electricity as water required for generation runs low. Costa Rica has become the latest Latin American country to introduce rationing due to drought, announcing Thursday it will limit access to electricity for which it relies heavily on hydro-generation. Dams that feed the country's hydro-electric plants were low due to the El Nino weather phenomenon, officials said. "This El Nino has really been the most complicated in the history of Costa Rica," Roberto Quiros, director of the country's ICE electricity institute, told reporters in San Jose. Rationing will start Monday for an undetermined period. About 99 percent of Costa Rica's electricity comes from renewable sourcesabout three-quarters from hydro-electric plants. "We have not seen a drought like this in 50 years," said Berny Fallas, a climate expert at the ICE, which is Costa Rica's main energy provider. On Wednesday, the World Meteorological Organization said in a report that Latin America and the Caribbean had their warmest year on record in 2023, as a "double-whammy" of El Nino and climate change caused major weather calamities. Much of Central America, it said, experienced intense drought, causing neighbor Panama to limit traffic in its eponymous canal. The ICE said this will be the Costa Rica's first electricity rationing since 2007, when El Nino also wreaked havoc with water levels. Hospitals, basic services and industry will not be affected by the cuts, it added. Further south, Ecuador has recently had to ration electricity due to a shortage of water for hydro-generation, while the capital of Colombia, Bogota, is rationing municipal water. 2024 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Transparent government practices and communication can enhance citizen trust and foster a positive relationship between the government and citizens. Credit: "Kyoto City Government - panoramio" by ccfarmer Image Link: https://openverse.org/image/dfb6a32f-4e13-45df-9929-1626fb7b5ad0?q=kyoto%20government Citizens are often deeply concerned about how the government manages public finances and taxes. However, understanding government fiscal policy can be complex, leaving citizens without a complete picture of the factors guiding budget decisions. Kyoto City, the ninth most populous city in Japan, has been facing financial difficulties due to declining tax revenues and rising government spending. This has caused citizens to hold negative views about government policies, even though they may not fully understand them. A study published in the journal International Review of Administrative Sciences on March 27, 2024, by Professor Yu Noda from the Faculty of Policy Studies at Doshisha University, identified the factors that affect citizens' perception of the government's fiscal policy decisions in Kyoto City. His investigation also explored whether opinions would change if citizens were better informed. "This study identifies the citizen evaluations of finances in Kyoto and can serve as an important reference for examining how information should be provided in financially distressed municipalities in other countries," explains Prof. Noda. Prof. Noda conducted an online survey from June 7 to June 12, 2023, involving 1109 participants between the ages of 20 and 79. The respondents were first asked to provide their own opinions on Kyoto City's financial situation without being given any actual information. After this initial assessment, the participants were provided with information about Kyoto's finances, the government's plans, and the city's achievement of a balanced budget in 2023 after 22 years. To analyze the effects of different information formats on financial evaluations, the respondents were divided into two groups: a treatment group, which received easy-to-understand information accompanied by figures, and a control group, which received only textual information. Following this, the respondents were asked to reassess Kyoto's financial status and provide feedback on their level of trust in the government. This research revealed that people's initial perceptions of government policy were positively influenced by their trust in the government, government performance, its transparency in providing information, its compliance with laws, and respect for citizen's rights. However, people's initial views changed significantly after obtaining additional information. Those who initially rated Kyoto's finances excessively low came to rate them higher, while those who rated them excessively high came to rate them lower. This learning effect was more noticeable among individuals dissatisfied with insufficient access to government information. "These findings indicate a need for a governmental response and a public relations strategy to communicate with citizens regarding how well services are being delivered, and to help citizens experience the benefits of respect for their rights and accessibility," says Prof. Noda. The study underscores the benefits for governments in fostering a transparent environment where citizens are well-informed about fiscal policies. Such efforts can promote civic engagement, improve citizen's trust, and cultivate a more positive relationship between the government and citizens. "A high level of transparency in government improves the degree of trust citizens have in their government. A government with an increased degree of trust provides more opportunities for citizens to participate and promotes civic engagement," summarizes Prof. Noda. More information: Yu Noda, Information on local financial reforms and cognitive processes of citizens, International Review of Administrative Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1177/00208523241240128 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 U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone flies in the skies above Nevada. Credit: U.S. Air Force photo/Haley Stevens Are drone strikes legitimate, meaning on sound moral and legal footing? How people perceive the legitimacy of U.S. drone strikesfiring missiles from remotely piloted aircraft at terrorist and insurgent leadersis central to whether and how the government can continue to use them. The American public tends not to question military action it perceives as rightful, and U.S. policymakers often reference the legitimacy of U.S. drone strikes. The U.S. military, responsible for conducting most drone strikes globally, has also adopted legitimacy as a principle of counterterrorism operations. Yet what shapes perceptions of legitimate drone warfare, how these perceptions vary across audiences, and the implications for the U.S. drone program are not well understood. This gap is surprising, given that "over-the-horizon" drone strikesfiring missiles at targets many miles awayhave defined U.S. counterterrorism policy in Afghanistan and elsewhere, despite being routinely criticized. Drone strikes differ from other uses of force in the remoteness of the operators firing the weapons. Drone operators are typically hundreds or thousands of miles away from their targets, which they view through drone- and satellite-based cameras and sensors. In the worst-case scenario, this can lead to target misidentification and civilian casualties. Part of the problem is that scholars disagree on what constitutes drone warfare, which has implications for how they understand variations in public perceptions of legitimacy. As military scholars who study the topic, we define drone warfare as a function of strike attributes, meaning how and why they are used abroad. Using this definition, we have found that how a country uses and constrains the use of drones shapes how people perceive their legitimacy. We've also found that perceptions of legitimacy differ between U.S. citizens and soldiers, particularly chaplains, who guide the moral use of force. We are scheduled to present our study of the attitudes of military chaplains on drone strikes at both the U.S. Army's Institute for Religious Leadership and the American Political Science Association's annual meeting in September 2024. A U.S. drone strike in Iraq killed members of an Iranian-backed militia. Uses and constraints Countries use drones for different purposes. Tactical strikes are designed to achieve battlefield objectives, such as destroying an enemy compound. Strategic strikes destroy terrorist organizations to achieve overall war aims. They are used to remove key terrorist leaders. The goal of such "decapitation operations" is to hasten a terrorist group's collapse. Countries also constrain drone use differently. Some use self-imposed constraints. These include targeting standards, which are calibrated to balance effectiveness against anticipated civilian casualties. Others use externally imposed constraints such as international approval for drone strikes. U.S. citizens' beliefs Drawing on our definition of drone warfare as a matter of varying uses and constraints of drones, we reviewed and analyzed public perceptions of the legitimacy of drone strikes. We found that U.S. citizens perceive over-the-horizon drone strikes, where drones are used strategically without external oversight, as most legitimate. This pattern of drone warfare characterizes the United States' approach globally. One of the authors gave a presentation about a book he co-wrote that examines public perceptions of the legitimacy of drone warfare. However, we also found that U.S. citizens' perceptions of legitimacy are affected by civilian casualties, which lead Americans to reconsider reliance on internal constraints such as targeting standards. Given civilian casualties, U.S. citizens' perceptions of legitimacy are shaped by international, rather than national, oversight, reflecting a belief that international approval is central to the appropriate use of force. U.S. Army chaplains' beliefs We compared these results with the beliefs of U.S. Army chaplains, offering the first evidence for how these key advisers to military commanders perceive the legitimacy of drone warfare. The U.S. Army conducts the most strikes of any service. Chaplains in the Army are "moral advocates" during conflict who "provide professional advice, counsel, and instruction on religious, moral, and ethical issues," according to regulations. Many commanders in the military have strong religious beliefs, suggesting they may draw on chaplains' counsel. Similarly, chaplains minister to drone operators, who are vulnerable to moral injury, meaning the emotional or psychological damage people suffer when they transgress their moral boundaries. Some experts suspect that chaplains' advisory role may be exaggerated. These scholars often study chaplains during interstate war, however. Our research sheds new light on chaplains' attitudes toward the use of drones against nonstate adversaries such as terrorist organizations. We found that, in contrast to the U.S. public, chaplains perceive over-the-horizon drone strikes as illegitimate. Rather, chaplains perceive tactical-level strikes on the battlefield as most legitimate, especially when they are tightly constrained by policy. Even then, chaplains voice less support for these drone strikes than their perceptions of legitimacy might suggest. Why would chaplains not support drone strikes they perceive as legitimate? We found that this "legitimacy paradox" reflects underlying concerns. Chaplains in our survey often questioned the legality of strikes, the veracity of intelligence, the territorial integrity of targeted countries and the implications for national security. A 2011 U.S. drone strike killed Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen, sparking debate about the legitimacy of the attack. The future of US drone warfare These findings have implications for policy, strategy and military readiness. In order to increase perceptions of legitimacy of the U.S. drone program among citizens and soldiers, our findings suggest that elected and military leaders would need to take several steps. First, elected officials would need to transparently discuss the program. Specifically, they would need to justify a transgression of a country's sovereignty, especially in terms of anticipated security gains. Second, military leaders would need to explain the intelligence driving drone operations, measures to protect civilians, and how strikes comply with international law. Finally, military leaders would need to research the potential for differences in perceptions of legitimacy held by other soldiers, especially with the emergence of fully autonomous drones that can identify, track and engage targets without human oversight. Military lawyers, for instance, also fulfill a key advisory role to commanders. Lawyers' training, shaped more by their understanding of the laws of armed conflict rather than moral considerations, suggests that it is possible they may interpret the legitimacy of drone strikes differently than chaplains. In our expert opinion, taking these steps would bring the necessary transparency and reflection to address questions of legitimacy that are fundamental to civilian and military support for the U.S. drone program. 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: Scratch arcs in Pleistocene aeolianites at Gericke's Point. Scale bar in a) is 15 cm; scale bar in b) is in cm. Note how in both cases the rings are not totally concentric and how in b) the arc does not form part of a perfect circle. Credit: Proceedings of the Geologists' Association (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.pgeola.2024.03.004 If you have walked on a dune surface after windy conditions have settled, you may have been privileged to recognize one of Nature's wonders: scratch circles. These are structures formed when the end of a tethered object is passively rotated into the surrounding sediment. In other words, a flimsy frond or blade of grass that is attached to the ground will blow in the wind, and its loose end will inscribe a perfect circle or perfect arc, with the point at which it is attached becoming the center of the circle or arc. The first formal description of scratch circles was in 1886. In 2018 a detailed summary of their occurrences in the global geological record was published. In our team's ongoing investigations of trace fossils on the Cape coast of South Africa we realized that the Pliocene and Pleistocene surfaces we were researching, dating back as much as 3 million years, provided substantial evidence of scratch circles and scratch arcs. This evidence included several phenomena that have not previously been observed. After further investigation we've published our findings. We're particularly excited about two key takeaways. Firstly, the time span in which scratch circles or scratch arcs have previously been identified ranges from about 600 million to 60 million years ago. The scratch circles we have found may be as little as 100,000 years old, making them the most recent examples yet identified in the geological record and substantially extending their age range. In one case we could even identify the probable type of plant (a kind of sedge) that was responsible for creating the circular feature. We also documented the first cases of scratch arcs occurring in vertical cliff faces, perpendicular to bedding plane surfaces, as shown in this video by Andre van Tonder. Secondly, there appear to be two possible explanations for circular patterns with central depressions in Pleistocene deposits on the Cape coast. One is the typical scratch circle or scratch arc as described above, made by a plant. The second is an ammoglyph, a pattern made by ancestral hominins in sand, that is now evident and interpretable in a rock type known as aeolianite. We speculate that the first type may have been the inspiration for the second, and that ancestral humans may have seen these perfect circular forms and found innovative ways to mimic them. If we are correct, then this would be among the oldest known evidence of palaeoart (really ancient, early forms of art). Circles in the sand We already know that the Cape south coast is one of the places in which some of the earliest known palaeoart was created, at sites like Blombos Cave, Pinnacle Point and through the ammoglyphs we have previously described. The oldest purported ammoglyph that we have dated through a technique called optically stimulated luminescence is approximately 139,000 years old. It seems likely that sand formed the original canvas for the earliest artists, as drawing on it would have been much quicker and easier than engraving or drawing on rock walls, trees, bones, or shells. There is a precedent for astute ancestral humans being acutely aware of their environment and mimicking what they encountered. It has been suggested that ochre (a pigmented type of earth) used in body decoration may have originated after people observed the bearded vulture (lammergeier) bathing in ochre and covering its feathers with red pigment. This would be an example of bio-mimicryhumans copying what they saw in the world around them. Scratch circles in sand, with clear evidence of how they were formed, would have been present on those Pleistocene dune surfaces on what is today the Cape south coast. We hypothesize that ancestral humans noted these perfect circular forms, inferred their origin, and realized they could try to replicate them in sand. This can be done by anchoring one end of a forked stick in the sand and then twirling it, thus inscribing a circle with the other end. It's a behavior we've written about in previous research about ammoglyphs. This natural curiosity about and replication of circles has recurred in art through the ages. A human origin Using sticks in the way we're describing is not the only method for drawing circles in sand. One can also kneel down, place one's elbow in the sand, and rotate one's forearm with one's finger inscribing an arc. This may not, however, result in a perfect arcflexing or extending one's wrist would affect the symmetry. We have found a pattern on the De Hoop Nature Reserve coastline (which we call the De Hoop ammoglyph) that suggests this mechanism of creation, subsequently bolstered by our team's experiments in sand. In fact, the arc being imperfect is one of the features that supports a human originscratch circles made by plants are much more perfect, as is the forked stick technique. We can estimate the length of the forearm of the artist of the De Hoop ammoglyph; it appears to be consistent with that of a child or adolescent (or very small adult) artist. It is extremely fortunate that an area in which humans began thinking and behaving as we do (and creating art in sand) happens to be exactly where the beaches and dunes they inhabited have become cemented and preserve this record of palaeoart in stone. This provides us with a window into the activities of our ancestors that we might not be able to discern in any other way. Scratch circles, it seems, are not just spectacular in their own right, but might have also set in motion a chain of events that led, for example to the splendors of Chauvet Cave in France 34,000 years ago and other subsequent masterpieces. The findings suggest that our capacity as a species for astute observation, followed by mimicking, perhaps allowed us to leap forward and develop the beginnings of what we now know as art. 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: EBSD images of interfaces at difference HCB temperatures: (a-b) 850C, (c) 950C, (d) 1,050C. Credit: Bai Yunfei China low activation martensitic (CLAM) steel, as a typical reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steel, is the main candidate structural material for fusion reactors due to its low activation, high mechanical properties, irradiation resistance and corrosion resistance. However, weld uniformity is difficult to achieve with a conventional welding method, which tends to coarsen the martensitic slat, and the performance of the joints is usually lower than that of the base material. In view of this, a research team led by Prof. Huang Qunying from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in collaboration with researchers from the Institute of Metal Research of CAS, has conducted a study on the evolution of interfacial microstructure and oxides in CLAM steel by hot compression bonding (HCB). The study is published in the journal Materials Characterization. They developed the HCB method to realize effective joining of components by promoting the interfacial grain boundary migration and recrystallization under the combined effect of thermal coupling. The results showed that the interfacial oxide and micro-voids could be eliminated after the HCB process. The atomic-scale interfacial bonding could be achieved so that the bonding interface would be completely healed. EDS results of oxides at the interfaces after different holding time at 1,100C: (a) 0.5 h, (b) 2 h, (c) 6 h. Credit: Bai Yunfei They also tested and observed the microstructure and oxides at the interfaces of the specimen via different conditions of HCB to see how they affected the properties. After a subsequent two-hour holding treatment at 1,100C, the tensile properties of the joint compressed with 20% deformation at the same temperature were able to match those of the matrix. These results suggest that the HCB technology removes the original CLAM-steel interface traces and prevents the weld seam from influencing the component properties. This study provides an important reference for the efficient bonding of CLAM steel and the production of large components without joints. More information: Yunfei Bai et al, Evolution of interfacial microstructure and oxides of CLAM steel by hot compression bonding, Materials Characterization (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.matchar.2024.113848 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Markus Spiske from Pexels The division between liberals and conservatives on both climate-change beliefs and related policy support is long-standing. However, the results of a newly released global experiment show that despite these differences, the two camps actually align when it comes to taking certain actions to combat climate change. The study, led by researchers at New York University, finds that when given the opportunity, liberals and conservatives take action to address climate change at roughly the same levelsand that this is due to conservatives choosing to take action despite their climate-change beliefs rather than liberals failing to act on theirs. "Our work shows a disconnect between beliefs and behaviors among conservatives when it comes to environmental matters while, at the same time, revealing common ground with liberals when it comes to taking action," explains Madalina Vlasceanu, an assistant professor in NYU's Department of Psychology who led the study, which is published in the journal Nature Communications. Additionally, the researchers identified which messagesor interventionscan be effective in boosting beliefs in climate change and policy support among both conservatives and liberals. "These results paint an optimistic picture for policymakers and climate activists in their efforts to influence public opinion on climate change and related policies," says Michael Berkebile-Weinberg, an NYU doctoral student and the paper's first author. "Several interventions were effective in altering beliefs and policy support across the ideological divide, in liberals and conservatives alike." However, the study's authors caution that the impact of interventions was not uniform. For instance, framing certain actions as a climate change solution can backfire and decrease conservatives' engagement. For example, informing conservatives that a majority of Americans are concerned about the climate crisis led to them planting fewer trees. "This suggests that interventions aimed at increasing conservatives' pro-environmental behaviors should not involve their climate-change beliefs," explains Danielle Goldwert, the study's co-lead author and an NYU doctoral student. "Instead, framing climate-change actions as beneficial for ideologically consistent reasons might be more effective in spurring action." The findings stem from an experiment involving 50,000 participants across 60 countries, including Algeria, China, Denmark, Germany, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Peru, and the United States. To capture the participants' views on climate change, the researchers asked a series of questions pertaining to beliefs in climate change (e.g., "Human activities are causing climate change.") and support for related policies (e.g., "I support increasing the number of charging stations for electric vehicles."). In these measures, the participants around the globe showed significant political polarization, with liberals expressing belief in climate change and supporting climate-change policies to a far greater extent than conservativesa finding consistent with previous surveys. The researchers then tested participants' engagement with actions aimed at addressing climate change. But prior to asking related questions, the researchers posed a series of messages, or interventions, to the participants in order to test their impact. These interventions included, among others, the following: Emphasizing scientific consensus on climate change (i.e., "Ninety-nine percent of expert climate change scientists agree that the Earth is warming, and climate change is happening, mainly because of human activity."). Touting the effectiveness of collective action in addressing climate change by providing examples of successful climate actions people took in the past. Asking participants to write a letter to a socially close child, as a member of the future generation. Asking participants to write a letter to a future generation member outlining what climate actions they are undertaking today to make the planet livable in 2055. To gauge the effectiveness of these interventions, the paper's authors tested participants' support for several climate-related views, policies, and actions (e.g., "Climate change poses a serious threat to humanity," "I support raising carbon taxes on gas/fossil fuels/coal," participation in a tree-planting initiative). Finally, the paper's authors gauged the desire of participants to share climate-mitigation information on social media, "Did you know that removing meat and dairy for only two out of three meals per day could decrease food-related carbon emissions by 60%?" The data were collected between July 2022 and May 2023. The researchers found that three interventionsemphasizing effective collective actions, writing a letter to a future generation member, and writing a letter from the future selfboosted the climate beliefs and policy support of both liberals and conservatives. Notably, emphasizing scientific consensus stimulated liberals' willingness to participate in a tree-planting initiative, but this message had no impact on conservatives. "Different interventions are more effective at increasing liberals' and conservatives' climate awareness and action, so practitioners and policy makers can use our results to administer the most effective intervention for their target audience," explains Vlasceanu. The study's other authors were Kimberly Doell, senior scientist at the University of Vienna, and Jay Van Bavel, an NYU professor of psychology. More information: Michael Berkebile-Weinberg et al, The differential impact of climate interventions along the political divide in 60 countries, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48112-8 Journal information: Nature Communications 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: This close-up view of the center of the Andromeda galaxy, taken by NASAs retired Spitzer Space Telescope, is annotated with blue dotted lines to highlight the path of two dust streams flowing toward the supermassive black hole at the galaxys center (indicated by a purple dot). Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech In images from NASA's retired Spitzer Space Telescope, streams of dust thousands of light-years long flow toward the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Andromeda galaxy. It turns out these streams can help explain how black holes billions of times the mass of our sun satiate their big appetites but remain "quiet" eaters. As supermassive black holes gobble up gas and dust, the material gets heated up just before it falls in, creating incredible light showssometimes brighter than an entire galaxy full of stars. When the material is consumed in clumps of different sizes, the brightness of the black hole fluctuates. But the black holes at the center of the Milky Way (Earth's home galaxy) and Andromeda (one of our nearest galactic neighbors) are among the quietest eaters in the universe. What little light they emit does not vary significantly in brightness, suggesting they are consuming a small but steady flow of food rather than large clumps. The streams approach the black hole little by little and in a spiral, similar to the way the water swirls down a drain. Hunting for Andromeda's food source A study published in The Astrophysical Journal took the hypothesis that a quiet supermassive black hole feeds on a steady stream of gas and applied it to the Andromeda galaxy. Using computer models, the authors simulated how gas and dust in proximity to Andromeda's supermassive black hole might behave over time. This image of the Andromeda galaxy uses data from NASAs retired Spitzer Space Telescope. Multiple wavelengths are shown, revealing stars, dust, and areas of star formation. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech The simulation demonstrated that a small disk of hot gas could form close to the supermassive black hole and feed it continuously. The disk could be replenished and maintained by numerous streams of gas and dust. However, the researchers also found that those streams have to stay within a particular size and flow rate; otherwise, the matter would fall into the black hole in irregular clumps, causing more light fluctuation. When the authors compared their findings to data from Spitzer and NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, they found spirals of dust previously identified by Spitzer that fit within these constraints. From this, the authors concluded that the spirals are feeding Andromeda's supermassive black hole. "This is a great example of scientists reexamining archival data to reveal more about galaxy dynamics by comparing it to the latest computer simulations," said Almudena Prieto, an astrophysicist at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands and the University Observatory Munich, and a co-author on the study published this year. "We have 20-year-old data telling us things we didn't recognize in it when we first collected it." In this image of the Andromeda galaxy, also made with data from NASAs retired Spitzer Space Telescope, only dust is visible, making it easier to see the galaxys underlying structure. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech A deeper look at Andromeda Launched in 2003 and managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Spitzer studied the universe in infrared light, which is invisible to human eyes. Different wavelengths reveal different features of Andromeda, including hotter sources of light, like stars, and cooler sources, like dust. By separating these wavelengths and looking at the dust alone, astronomers can see the galaxy's "skeleton"places where gas has coalesced and cooled, sometimes forming dust, creating conditions for stars to form. This view of Andromeda revealed a few surprises. For instance, although it is a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way, Andromeda is dominated by a large dust ring rather than distinct arms circling its center. The images also revealed a secondary hole in one portion of the ring where a dwarf galaxy passed through. Andromeda's proximity to the Milky Way means it looks larger than other galaxies from Earth: Seen with the naked eye, Andromeda would be about six times the width of the moon (about 3 degrees). Even with a field of view wider than Hubble's, Spitzer had to take 11,000 snapshots to create this comprehensive picture of Andromeda. More information: C. Alig et al, The Accretion Mode in Sub-Eddington Supermassive Black Holes: Getting into the Central Parsecs of Andromeda, The Astrophysical Journal (2023). DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ace2c3 Journal information: Astrophysical Journal Provided by NASA This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Marine management integrating knowledge of different elements of the ecosystem is critical to achieving the varied goals people have for coastal and ocean places, such as this marsh and mudflat adjacent to Darling Marine Center, the University of Maine's marine laboratory. Credit: Heather Leslie Marine ecosystem-based management (EBM) is a growing practice of ocean stewardship and conservation that offers benefits to the production of healthy, local food and the preservation of clean water, as well as recreation, habitation and storm protection in the Gulf of Maine and beyond. Despite its benefits and recognition as a keystone practice of ocean stewardship and conservation, adoption of EBM has been slow to take hold. The first mention of EBM was included in U.S. fisheries management guidance documents more than 20 years ago. Resource managers and policymakers need a proof-of-concept that this approach can occur incrementally with existing resources and tools. Previous management efforts have been implemented sector by sector focused on fisheries or navigation, but a transformation in ocean management to enable more ecosystem-based approaches is underway. To support this change in ocean management, a group of researchers and practitioners, including University of Maine marine sciences professor Heather Leslie, have investigated the global progress of marine EBM initiatives. By integrating connections among different elements of the ecosystem, including people, this approach enables managers to explicitly address tradeoffs among different human activities. Acknowledgment of these tradeoffs, whether in the context of fisheries management or the protection of endangered species like right whales, is critical to sustaining ecosystem services provided by coastal and ocean ecosystems in the Gulf of Maine and beyond. Led by Janne Haugen, a postdoctoral research associate affiliated with NOAA Fisheries, the research team conducted a poll of 157 EBM experts worldwide to evaluate progress on global implementation and to identify and address impediments to usage. In fall 2022, the research team convened more than 40 global experts to discuss areas of progress and challenges to this management effort. During the workshop, experts identified remaining impediments to implementation of EBM: governance; stakeholder engagement; support; uncertainty about and understanding of the approach; technology and data; and communication and marketing. The group also identified that achievable solutions exist for most of these challenges, including political will, persistence, capacity building, changing incentives and strategic marketing of the practice. "Even in the face of the challenges to coastal communities and ecosystems created by the climate and biodiversity crises, I am hopeful," said Leslie, a faculty member with UMaine's School of Marine Sciences and Darling Marine Center. "We have made tremendous progress in understanding marine ecosystems in recent decades, and that knowledge is helping to support implementation of marine ecosystem-based management throughout the world's oceans." The team shared their findings in an article published in npj Ocean Sustainability. Jason Link, senior scientist for ecosystem-based management at NOAA, said ecosystem-based approaches in the Gulf of Maine and globally have come a long way since he wrote one of the first actionable guidance documents on this approach for the agency. "Fortunately, we're mostly past the days of communities asking 'What is EBM again?'" Link said. "Yet there still remain challenges to its implementation, and hence the benefits we could see from adopting EBM more broadly. However, as the title of the paper implies, there are some well-founded and worked-out solutions to overcome these challenges, and they are being developed at a time when the need is ripe for more EBM." This study was initiated by the Marine Ecosystem-Based Management Progress Evaluation Group (MEBM-PEG). This group was formed by key EBM practitioners to track impediments to and progress on the practice. They also periodically gleaned key lessons to share with a broader suite of users. More information: J. B. Haugen et al, Marine ecosystem-based management: challenges remain, yet solutions exist, and progress is occurring, npj Ocean Sustainability (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s44183-024-00041-1 Journal information: npj Ocean Sustainability 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: To demonstrate the potential of artificial intelligence in space, ESA has been working with partners to develop -sat to enhance the FSSCat mission. The hyperspectral camera on one of the two CubeSats that make up the FSSCat mission will collect an enormous number of images of Earth, some of which will not be suitable for use because of cloud cover. To avoid downlinking these less than perfect images back to Earth, the -sat artificial intelligence chip will filter them out so that only usable data are returned. Credit: CERN/M. Brice The upcoming launch of the sat-2 mission is a prime example of the pioneering work that ESA does in the field of AI in Earth observation. But when it comes to AI, hopes and fears abound in equal measure. In this interview, ESA's Rochelle Schneider sets the record straight on how this transformational technology is improving access to crucial information on the state and future of our planet. The success of generative AI tools like ChatGPT has brought with it new questions of what awaits us if the power and capabilities of AI continue to grow. Fortunately, conferences such as AI For Good, in which ESA often participates, demonstrate that rather than causing harm, AI has a highly positive impact on society and sustainable development. As an expert in machine learning, ESA -lab AI Applications Lead Rochelle Schneider is well placed to explain why AI is a force for good in Earth observation. Rochelle has extensive experience in retrieving vital information from Earth observation data for the benefit of disease prevention and child development. Rochelle, how would you define the role of AI in society? AI leverages computers and machines to work for us in doing highly repetitive tasks or functions that can be automated. This allows us to work more efficiently and concentrate on those activities that require unreplaceable human roles, such as emotional intelligence, human relationships and intuition. What's your view of the idea that AI will result in a loss of jobs? Well, AI will undoubtedly transform society, but this will create untold opportunities for new careers. We should look at AI therefore as a tool to facilitate or enhance human abilities and tasks, rather than something that will replace us in the job market. We have to encourage the next generation of professionals to embrace the benefits of working with AI technologies. In Earth observation at ESA for example, we're teaching young scientists and engineers to adopt the tools of machine learning as part of their understanding of data and data processing. Can you explain how AI advances Earth observation? Earth observation is being helped enormously by AI. Several satellites now have AI computers onboard for filtering and processing data, and downstream there are many applications that use AI to create critical insight for end users. Computer vision amply illustrates the contribution AI makes. We extract many features from satellite images, like vegetation or coalmines, and although computers have been doing this for some time, they traditionally use fixed algorithms or models to spot the required objects. With AI, the model keeps evolving and learning as new data arrive, and that's a game changer in terms of our need for automatic detection. There are huge volumes of Earth observation data produced every day, and so automation from AI is a vital aid for monitoring Earth. In the Child Connectivity project that ESA is carrying out with Giga for instance, we are assessing young people's access to the internet. As part of this, we use AI algorithms to recognize school buildings from Copernicus Sentinel-2 data, and in Brazil alone we were able to identify 65,000 schools that were incorrectly located in the UNICEF database. The area of prediction is also becoming increasingly important. In another major initiative with UNICEF, our climate-data AI models were able to forecast dengue fever outbreaks one month in advance. When it comes to AI, hopes and fears abound in equal measure. In this video, ESA -lab AI Applications Lead, Rochelle Schneider, an expert in machine learning, explains why AI is a force for good in Earth observation. Credit: European Space Agency How does the rise of AI affect the commercial space sector? There's been an exponential growth in commercial Earth observation, and here too AI has a significant role. A large number of companies in Europe, many of them supported by the ESA InCubed program, have sprung up in recent years. These enterprises use AI-powered tailoring of satellite data for their customers, providing information in real time to government departments, disaster response agencies and industrial players like insurers. The soon-to-be-launched sat-2 features onboard AI processing of the images from its multispectral camera. It already includes AI applications on the satellite that will eliminate clouds from its images, create street maps and detect shipping, but sat-2 also has the possibility for commercial companies to upload and run their applications in space. We expect sat-2 and other satellites with onboard AI to generate a host of new business models and commercial opportunities, even for companies outside the space arena. A final thought on AI: How do you see its contribution to Earth observation developing in the future? I think in all walks of life we're going to see AI coming together with many other emerging technologies. In Earth observation for instance, we're currently working on Destination Earth, an AI-driven digital twin of the planet that will monitor the effects of natural and human activity and anticipate extreme events. If we think about a further step, we can envisage a digital twin of Earth in the metaverse, an immersive experience delivering enhanced interactions and simulations via Extended Realitya combination of Augmented and Virtual Reality. More generally, AI tools will increasingly enter the mainstream of ESA's operations and Earth observation activities, massively boosting our efforts towards a green and sustainable society by giving us more insightful information for decision making and the essential stewardship of the planet. 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: Queensland Museum DNA analysis by Queensland Museum scientists has unearthed the true identity of 15 species of land snails including four new-to-science species with one named in honor of Queensland wildlife warrior Robert Irwin. For the past four decades, taxonomists have been confused by the Figuladra group of snails, whose shells were used as the primary form of species identification and now Queensland Museum Honoraries Dr. Lorelle Stanisic and Dr. John Stanisic OAM have unlocked the mysteries of these species through DNA analysis alongside Australian Museum's Dr. Frank Kohler. Their findings are published in the journal Molluscan Research. Dr. John Stanisic said the Figuladra group of snails are highly variable in shell characters, such as color and banding pattern, making the species difficult to tell apart on their shells alone and why DNA was crucial. "Lorelle's study was primarily based on more than 270 dissections of reproductive structures and DNA analyses of animal tissue from which she was finally able to determine the true identity of 15 species," Dr. John Stanisic said. "Four of these were new-to-science species including Robert Irwin's Banded Snail, Figuladra robertirwini." The species of Figuladra are found in dry vine thicket from just north of the Mary River in South East Queensland to south of the O'Connell River near Proserpine in North Queensland. One of the species, the Bundaberg Banded Snail (Figuladra vidulus), is colloquially known as the "suitcase snail" due to the scientists finding large numbers in a discarded suitcase in vine thicket on the Hummock, west of Bargara, Queensland. Dr. Lorelle Stanisic said land snails are important environmental indicators and biodiversity predictors. "Land snails generally coexist with other invertebrates and the destruction of their habitat affects what I would consider the hidden engine room of our forests. Land snail conservation should be a high priority," Dr. Lorelle Stanisic said. Queensland Museum CEO Dr. Jim Thompson said the work of Queensland Museum scientists were wide and varied in the field of taxonomy. "The field and research of malacology in Australia is a crucial study as the research undertaken into these mollusks can provide insights in the management and conservation of forests," Dr. Thompson said. "I commend the work of Queensland Museum researchers such as John and Lorelle Stanisic, whose taxonomic research contributes to the overall understanding of Australia's fauna." Figuladra finlaysoni Etymology: Named for Hector Mackenzie Finlayson, an early settler of the Seaforth area. Preferred common name: Seaforth Banded Snail. Shell color and pattern variation: Shell tawny yellow to light brown with prominent broad subsutural and supra-peripheral bands, numerous narrower dark brown spiral bands continuous on base and a brown suffusion on last half of body whorl (most populations). Distribution and habitat: From Pine Mt via Nebo in the west, east to the northern part of the Connors Range west of Funnel Creek (Blue Mountains); coastally from south of Sarina to Mackay and north to Seaforth and St Helen's Beach, MEQ; in coastal semi-evergreen vine thicket and microphyll vine forest; living under timber, in hollow trees, palm fronds and under rocks and the bark of standing trees. Key localities: Pine Mt via Nebo, Blue Mountains, Eton, Slade Point, Finlayson Point, St Helens Beach. Figuladra robertirwini Etymology: Named for Robert Irwin, conservationist and wildlife photographer, Australia Zoo. Preferred common name: Robert Irwin's Banded Snail Shell color and pattern variation: Shell with variable color forms: tawny yellow with thin brown banding, prominent brown supra-peripheral and subsutural bands generally present, brown suffusion behind the lip and on lower half of body whorl and surrounding umbilicus. Monochrome brown to dark brown; shells at Eurimbula NP, SEQ with paler spire. Shells with a pale base occur at Bustard Head, SEQ. Based on 73 measured adult specimens. Distribution and habitat: North of the Kolan River to Rodds Peninsula and west to the Many Peaks Range (Bobby Range), SEQ. Key localities: Turkey Beach area, Rodds Peninsula, Granite Ck, Colosseum Ck, Eurimbula NP, Bulburin SF. Figuladra bromileyorum Etymology: Named for the Bromiley family, Lorelle Stanisic father's family who were early settlers in the nineteenth century in the Hervey Bay area and well known for farming coffee, sugar cane, pineapples and timber. Preferred common name: Dundowran Banded Snail Shell color and pattern variation: Shell light to dark brown with orange-brown banding and paler spire; prominent dark subsutural band and numerous thinner dark brown bands; brown suffusion behind the lip and surrounding the umbilicus; occasionally with extensive brown suffusion on body whorl; some specimens from Poona and Fraser Island, SEQ are monochrome dark brown without any trace of banding. Distribution and habitat: Hervey Bay region south of the Isis River to Inskip Point including Fraser Island, west to Aramara SF, SEQ; in vine thicket living under and inside logs, under rocks and under the bark of trees. Key localities: Dundowran Beach, Fraser Id, Aramara SF, Pialba and Poona. Figuladra vidulus Etymology: From the Latin vidulus = suitcase, noun in apposition referring to a community of these snails that were found surviving in large numbers in an old, abandoned suitcase in the vine thickets of The Hummock, SEQ. Preferred common name: Bundaberg Banded Snail. Shell color and pattern variation: Shell tawny yellow to brown with paler spire and darker brown banding; broad brown subsutural and narrower supra-peripheral bands; brown suffusion behind the lip and surrounding the umbilicus. Monochrome brown specimens occur at some localities. Distribution and habitat: Coastal and sub-coastal lowlands of the Bundaberg region between Kolan River and the Isis River, SEQ; in semi-evergreen vine thicket, living under and inside logs and under rocks. Key localities: The Hummock, Bagara, Norval Park, Woodgate NP. More information: Lorelle Stanisic et al, Systematic revision of the eastern Queensland land snail genus Figuladra Kohler and Bouchet, 2020 based on mitochondrial phylogenetics and comparative morpho-anatomy (Eupulmonata, Camaenidae), Molluscan Research (2024). DOI: 10.1080/13235818.2024.2321650 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: NTNU University Museum has recreated the Hitra man as he probably looked: approximately 169 cm tall, fair-haired and blue-eyed. The model of the Hitra man was created by Thomas Foldberg. Credit: Age Hojem / NTNU University Museum In 1916, a road up the hill to Fausland farm on the island of Hitra was being upgraded, using gravel from the shore along the innermost part of Barmfjorden. Suddenly, the workers noticed some human bones in between all the sand and stones. The bones belonged to a man who was approximately 25 years of age and who had died at the very end of the Stone Age4,000 years ago. "We think that he drowned. When he died, the sea level was 12.5 meters higher than it is today, and the discovery site would have been at a depth of 4 meters. Parts of the skeleton are well preserved, and must have been covered with shell sand on the seabed shortly after he died," says archaeologist Birgitte Skar from NTNU University Museum. A warrior? Along with the bone remains, a dagger and an arm guard were found. The arm guard is an oblong piece of bone with two holes in it that would have been attached to the wrist of the hand holding a bow. The guard would protect the wrist from the blow the bow string made when firing arrows. Archaeologists found this arm guard along with the bone remains. Credit: Jenny Kalseth "These pieces of equipment may indicate he was a warrior," says Skar. Skar adds that it is not possible to say whether the drowning occurred as a result of combat or whether it was an accident. What we do know is that the Hitra man lived in a very turbulent period. Up to that point, most people lived as huntergatherers, and it wasn't until the very end of the Stone Ageduring the time the Hitra man livedthat agriculture became fully established in Norway. "Elements of agriculture had been introduced in southern and eastern Norway earlier, but in central Norway, along the coast in the west and in northern Norway, agriculture was first established during this period. "We believe that agriculture was introduced by migrating people who arrived in Norway to get more landand they were willing to use weapons to do so. We must therefore expect that there were violent clashes between the people who already lived here and the newcomers," says Skar. The new people brought new knowledge to the country: about animal husbandry and agriculture, but also about a different way of organizing society. "They lived in hierarchical societies, had a different understanding of the world, another religion, and a large network of contacts down in Europe. This knowledge led to major changes, politically, economically and socially," says Skar. The Hitra man is being researched right now There is still much we don't know about this dramatic era in Scandinavian history, and research is ongoing. The Hitra man is part of this research, along with many other skeletal discoveries. Right now, his DNA is being analyzed at the Lundbeck Foundation Center for Geogenetics at the University of Copenhagen. Bone remains from the Hitra man. Credit: Ole Bjrn Pedersen "At NTNU University Museum, we have also been conducting isotope analysis. Among other things, this provides insight into what the Hitra man had eaten and information about whether it is likely that he migrated over large geographical distances during his life. "We already know that the vast majority of the food he ate came from the land. So even though he was found on Hitrain a place that was underwater at the timeit wasn't primarily seafood he ate," says Skar. The Hitra man's appearance has been recreated at NTNU University Museum based on several factors. Skeletal measurements tell us that he was approximately 169 cm tall and wear and tear on his teeth suggest he was around 25 years old when he died. The color of his hair, skin and eyes have been obtained from DNA analyses of a number of other individuals from the same period with similar DNA. It will be very exciting to see what else the researchers find out about the Hitra man and the society in which he lived. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The influence of strain on one- and two-component superconductors. a, An illustration of how two representative order parameterssingle-component s-wave and two-component p x + ip y respond to both compression and shear strain. Both gaps respond under compression (whether increasing or decreasing in magnitude depends on microscopic details). Only the two-component gap, however, couples to shear strainhere we illustrate the phase mode (see ref. 2 for more details). b, The expected changes in elastic moduli across T c for one- and two-component order parameters. All superconductors have a discontinuity in their compressional moduli across T c , but only two-component superconductors have discontinuities in their shear moduli. Credit: Nature Physics (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41567-024-02493-1 With pulses of sound through tiny speakers, Cornell physics researchers have clarified the basic nature of a new superconductor. Since it was found to be a superconductor about five years ago, uranium ditelluride has created a lot of buzz in the quantum materials communityand a lot of confusion, with more than a dozen theories about the true nature of its superconducting properties. Some suggested valuable possibilities for quantum computing. In an experiment, Brad Ramshaw, associate professor of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) and colleagues have used ultrasound to gather direct evidence that uranium ditelluride has a single-component superconducting order parameter, ruling out a more exotic type of superconductor that would have been exciting news for quantum computing. But setting a baseline of data for the material's intrinsic superconductivity still leaves the door open for discovering additional complex possibilities through further study. The experiment establishes that recent technical developments in the Ramshaw lab make pulse-echo ultrasound, which uses sound pulses to examine the mechanical stiffness of quantum materials, a trustworthy and desirable technique for examining superconducting materials. The research report, titled "Single-component Superconductivity in UTe 2 at Ambient Pressure," is published in Nature Physics. Ramshaw is corresponding author with doctoral student Florian Theuss as first author. Doctoral student Avi Shragai and former postdoctoral researcher Gael Grissonnanche, now faculty at the Institut Polytechnique in Paris, contributed, along with collaborators from the University of Maryland and the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. "All superconductors have zero resistance, but at a subtler level, there are different flavors of superconductors," Ramshaw said. "Researchers are interested in finding these different flavors because, one, we don't even know if they exist, even though we know in theory that they can exist. And two, they can be used in technologies like quantum computation. You need new types of superconductors for new technologies." A strange combination of properties in uranium ditelluride suggested at first that it could be this new type of superconductor. Its critical temperaturehow cold it has to get before transitioning into a superconducting stateis relatively low, about 2 Kelvin. But its low critical temperature is paired with a very high critical fieldthe measure of how much magnetic field it can withstand before the superconducting state collapses. "We would normally expect it to withstand one or two tesla, but it can withstand around 60," Ramshaw said. "It is nearly 100 times stronger than any magnetic field you'd encounter in everyday life. That tells us there's something weird, that maybe it's one of those new flavors of superconductivity." Ramshaw and his collaborators wanted to find whether the material hasas some theories and existing experiments had predicteda multi-component superconducting order parameter, entailing exotic effects; or single-component order parameter, still potentially exotic but much more constrained. Theuss led an experiment using pulse-echo ultrasound on a 1-millimeter by 1-millimeter sample to uncover the interplay between the structure and superconductivity in uranium ditelluride. The technique measures the speed of a sound pulse moving through a material, the same principle as medical ultrasound imaging. The difference is that instead of producing images, the researchers measured the sound speed to detect the change in stiffness of the material as it cooled down to and past the critical temperature. "We can measure the distance between the sound echoes with phenomenal precision. That's the real power of the experiment," Ramshaw said. Tiny speakers (transducers) attached to the sample pumped a sound pulse directly into the material in three different directions, measuring both three compression waves and three shear wavesthe side-to-side vibrations only present in solids. At the critical temperature, compression waves showed a sudden drop where the speed of sound plummeted, as expected for all superconductors. However, shear waves showed no such drop. "If it was one of the exotics types of superconductivity people were proposing, these shear waves would have also had a drop," Ramshaw said. The researchers provide direct evidence that this material has a single-component order parameter. This conclusion, however, does not quell the excitement about superconductivity in uranium ditelluride, which has many interesting aspects worth further study, including its extraordinarily strong repulsion to magnetism. Applying pressure or magnetic fields below the critical temperature could change the type of superconductivity, perhaps even creating the elusive two-component spin-triplet superconductivity, Ramshaw said. The current study provides a data-based place to begin. "Definitely there's more to come in this material. We've only just started," said Theuss, who has worked with uranium ditelluride for much of his Ph.D. candidacy. "But if you want to explain these complicated things, you have to start at the basic intrinsic facts of the superconductivity in UTe 2 ." More information: Florian Theuss et al, Single-component superconductivity in UTe 2 at ambient pressure, Nature Physics (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41567-024-02493-1 Journal information: Nature Physics This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Think about taking a walk: where you need to go, how fast you need to move to get there, and whether you need to bring something along to carry the results of your errand. Are you going on this walk with someone else? Does walking with a friend change your preparation? If you're walking with a child, do you remember to bring an extra sweater or a snack? You probably didbecause people intuitively vary their plan depending on their current needs and situations. In my research as an anthropologist, I've focused on the evolution of human walking and running because I love the flexibility people bring to these behaviors. Humans in all kinds of environments across space and time vary how far they go, when they go and what they go forwhether food, water or friendsbased on a multitude of factors, including season, daylight, rituals and family. Anthropologists split their studies of human activity into two broad categories: what people need to doincluding eat, keep their kids alive and so onand what solutions they come up with to accomplish these needs. How people keep their children alive is a key issue in my research because it has a direct impact on whether a population survives. It turns out that kids stay alive if they're with adults. To this end, it is a human universal that women carry heavy loads every day, including kids and their food. This needs-based behavior seems to have been an important part of our evolutionary history and explains quite a few aspects of human physiology and female morphology, such as women's lower center of mass. The solutions to other key problems, like specifically which food women will be carrying, vary across time and space. I suggest that these variations are as integral to explaining human biology and culture as the needs themselves. Impacts of uncommon activities Evolutionary scientists often focus on how beneficial heritable traits get passed on to offspring when they provide a survival advantage. Eventually a trait can become more common in a population when it provides a useful solution. For example, researchers have made big claims about how influential persistence hunting via endurance running has been on the way the human body evolved. This theory suggests that taking down prey by running them to exhaustion has led to humans' own abilities to run long distancesby increasing humans' ability to sweat, strengthening our head support and making sure our lower limbs are light and elastic. But persistence hunting occurs in fewer than 2% of the recorded instances of hunting in one major ethnographic database, making it an extremely rare solution to the need to find food. Could such a rare and unusual form of locomotion have had a strong enough impact to select for the suite of adaptive traits that make humans such excellent endurance athletes today? Maybe persistence hunting is actually a fallback strategy, providing a solution only at key moments when survivorship is on the edge. Or maybe these capabilities are just side effects of the loaded walking done every day. I think a better argument is that the ability to predict how to move between common and uncommon strategies has been the driver of human endurance capacity. Everyday life's influence on evolution Hunting itself, especially of large mammals, is hardly ubiquitous, despite how frequently it is discussed. For example, anthropologists tend to generalize that people who lived in the Arctic even up to a hundred years ago consumed only animal meat hunted by men. But actually, the original ethnographic work reveals a far more nuanced picture. Women and children were actively involved in hunting, and it was a strongly seasonal activity. Coastal fishing, berry picking and the use of plant materials were all vital to Arctic people's day-to-day sustenance. Small family groups used canoes for coastal foraging for part of the year. During other seasons, the whole community participated in hunting large mammals by herding them into dangerous situations where they were more easily killed. Sometimes family groups were together, and sometimes large communities were together. Sometimes women hunted with rifles, and sometimes children ran after caribou. The dynamic nature of daily life means that the relatively uncommon activity of hunting large terrestrial vertebrates is unlikely to be the main behavior that helps humans solve the key problems of food, water and keeping children alive. Anthropologist Rebecca Bliege Bird has investigated how predictable food is throughout the day and the year. She's noted that for most communities, big game is rarely caught, especially when a person is hunting alone. Even among the Hadza in Tanzania, generally considered a big-game hunting community, a hunter acquires 0.03 prey per day on averageessentially 11 animals a year for that person. Bird and others clearly argue that the planning and flexible coordination done by females is the crucial aspect of how humans survive on a daily basis. It's the daily efforts of females that allow people to be spontaneous a few times a year to accomplish high-risk activities such as huntingpersistence or otherwise. Therefore it is female flexibility that allows communities to survive between the rare big-game opportunities. Changing roles and contributions Some anthropologists argue that in some parts of the world, behavior varies more for cultural reasons, like what tools you make, than for environmental ones, such as how much daylight there is during winter. The importance of culture means that the solutions vary more than the needs. One of the aspects of culture that varies is the role assigned to specific genders. Varying gender roles are related to the distribution of labor and when people take on certain solution-based tasks. In most cultures, these roles change across a female's life span. In American culture, this would be like a grandparent going back to college to hone a childhood passion in order to take on a new job to send their grandchildren to college. In many places, females go from youth when they might carry their siblings and firewood, to early parenthood where they might go hunting with a baby on their back, to older parenthood where they might carry water on their head, a baby on their back and tools in their hands, to postmenopausal periods when they might carry giant loads of mangoes and firewood to and from camp. Even though always load carrying, our capacity to plan and change our behavior for diverse environments is part of what drives Homo sapiens' success, which means that the behavior of females across their different life stages has been a major driver of this capability. 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: Graphical abstract. Credit: Science of The Total Environment (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171853 The Canadian wildfires of June 2023 exposed a large portion of the Northeastern United States to unprecedented levels of smoke. A new model that combines wildfire smoke forecasts and data from ground-based sensors may help public health officials plan targeted interventions in areas most at risk for the negative health effects of unexpected smoke events and air pollution, according to a team led by Penn State scientists. The researchers reported their findings in the journal Science of the Total Environment. "Statistical analyses suggest that situations like last year's Canadian wildfires, where smoke travels long distances to affect the Eastern United States, may become the norm," said lead author Manzhu Yu, assistant professor of geography at Penn State. "Our research can help public health officials in urban and rural areas plan targeted interventions for communities at higher risk of harmful air pollution during wildfire smoke events." The researchers focused on the periods between June 68 and June 2830 2023, when weather conditions and a coastal storm pushed large amounts of smoke from Canada into the Northeastern United States. They used data from ground-based sensors and a form of artificial intelligence called deep learning to improve a weather forecasting model from the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The modelthe Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry, or WRF-Chemprovides hourly data on surface concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5). Found in wildfire smoke and other forms of air pollution, these tiny particles can reach the lungs and cause health issues. The scientists also studied anonymized mobility data from devices like smartphones to see how people changed their travel activities during the smoke events. Additionally, they conducted an environmental justice assessment using data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to see if certain environmental and demographic factors correlated to increased vulnerability to negative health outcomes from wildfire smoke. These factors included variables like percentage of the population with less than a high school education, minority status, heart attack and asthma hospitalization rates, and existing pollution burdens from sources like heavy traffic and power plants. They studied these factors at the county level, from Pennsylvania and New Jersey up through Maine, to see if certain communities shared a larger part of the pollution burden than others. The team found that the refined forecasting model better estimated the magnitude and timing of PM 2.5 spikes, measured in micrograms per cubic meter of air (g/m3), across the study area than the current forecasting model. When looking at how predicted data matches observed data, with 0 g/m3 of PM 2.5 signifying that the model exactly matches ground observations, the current forecasting model scored a -6.872 g/m3, marking a large underestimation of particulate levels. The refined model scored a 0.160 g/m3, marking a slight overestimation of particulate levels that aligned much closer to what the ground sensors measured. In addition, the researchers found that urban and rural communities already burdened by existing environmental pollution face higher air pollution levels during unexpected smoke events than other areas. "The good news, according to our findings, is that when people hear about wildfire smoke, they tend to reduce their mobility," Yu said. "But we found that during these smoke events New York City, Philadelphia and the surrounding counties still showed high mobility activities. We probably need to think about targeted interventions in urban areas because with so many people living in the area, exposure rates to unhealthy air are very high." Rural communities burdened by pollution from power plants and mines may have particular needs as well, she said. For example, she explained, Bennington County, Vermont, has few demographic factors that would make it more vulnerable to environmental pollution. However, it is home to multiple mines, heavy traffic, hazardous waste storage sites and more, which all contribute to higher environmental pollution scores. Those factors amplified air pollution levels during the smoky days. "Public health interventions are usually based on population concentrations, which are naturally higher in urban areas," Yu said. "Knowing these existing vulnerabilities in rural areas can help officials better serve these areas and protect the public's health." In the meantime, individuals can take steps now to protect their health during the upcoming wildfire season. "I would suggest that individuals have an air filter and indoor air pollution monitor in their homes," Yu said. "They can also enhance the insulation around their windows and doors if smoke levels are really high. I would recommend working from home if possible or getting a high-quality mask if you have to travel outdoors. "And I think in Pennsylvania, we need to talk about standards for organizations for how we respond to smoke days, whether that's working from home, having a day off or dismissing early. We're not used to smoke events, and we need some sort of policy or standard for protecting the public's health." In addition to Yu, contributors to this research from Penn State include Zhenlong Li, associate professor of geography, and doctoral students Shiyan Zhang and Huan Ning; and Kai Zhang, Empire Innovation Associate Professor at the University of Albany's School of Public Health. More information: Manzhu Yu et al, Assessing the 2023 Canadian wildfire smoke impact in Northeastern US: Air quality, exposure and environmental justice, Science of The Total Environment (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171853 Journal information: Science of the Total Environment A year after Gov. Kathy Hochul provided a historic $163 million increase in aid to SUNY colleges and universities, SUNY trustees Thursday approved double the amount that Hochul promised for the next fiscal year. Hochul had pledged to follow the biggest increase in state aid in decades with investments of another $54 million this year and $54 million next year. But the governor and legislators actually came up with $114 million for 2024-25, most of which will help cover raises and living wage increases negotiated last year. The additional funds will also help SUNY schools offer more student internship experiences, increase support for faculty and student researchers and reduce mandatory student fees for graduate student workers, SUNY said. But the extra money wont make a dent in structural deficits that are spurring cost-cutting measures at some SUNY schools, including Buffalo State University and SUNY Fredonia. SUNY has tasked those schools with solving their deficits by adjusting their operations to reflect declines in enrollment over the last decade. SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said the states investment of $277 million in the combined 2023-24 and 2024-25 budgets represents the largest two-year infusion of state aid to SUNY in at least five decades. He said the labor contract negotiated with the states faculty union, United University Professions, in the summer will cost a total of $148.5 million to fulfill this year, and $102 million of the $114 million in SUNY aid will go toward that. UUP represents more than 37,000 faculty at SUNYs 29 state-operated campuses, and the new contract includes a retroactive 2% raise for 2022, and 3% raises for 2023, 2024 and 2025. If we hadnt gotten this additional investment this year, we would be losing ground from last year to cover this contract, King said. Its a good contract and the raises are well-deserved, and we are grateful to have the states help in paying for it. For many years of austerity, there was no additional funding and even cuts for SUNY, so weve been very fortunate over two years with Gov. Hochuls commitment to SUNY. Last years $163 million investment provided double-digit aid increases to all of SUNYs state-operated campuses and more than $40 million for mental health services, support for students with disabilities, student internship experiences, expanding research and addressing food insecurity, King said. This years starting point for aid allocations was $54 million, but it ultimately grew to $114 million after conversations with legislators, the Governors Office and the division of budget over the last few months, King said. He said next years starting point of another $54 million demonstrates the governor and the Legislatures faith in public education, in making sure there is a place for every New Yorker at SUNY and that that place is high quality and affordable. But while state UUP members are happy with their new contract and Hochuls investments in SUNY, they are not satisfied with the new funding allocations. For the second year in a row, SUNY trustees approved an allocation plan that sends the lions share of funding to the financially secure university centers and doles out whats left to the rest of the campuses including those dealing with multimillion-dollar deficits, state UUP President Fred Kowal said. The allocations include a $2.8 million increase for Buffalo State and $1.4 million more for Fredonia, about 10% more for each over last year. The SUNY flagship universities, the University at Buffalo and SUNY Stony Brook, were allocated another $14.2 million and $13.6 million, respectively, also about 10% more than last year. While Buffalo State implemented a hiring freeze and is working on a deficit reduction plan to counter a $16 million structural deficit, Fredonia announced it would cut 13 low-performing programs to address its $10 million deficit. The Fredonia cuts have sparked several student and faculty protests, including a UUP rally on Monday that drew 200 people. Fredonia faculty, students and the state UUP urged SUNY trustees to allocate state aid based on need and to steer away from a plan by King to cut programs and faculty at financially distressed campuses, including Fredonia and SUNY Potsdam, Kowal said. We thank the governor and the Legislature for setting aside nearly $300 million in the newly approved state budget for SUNY campuses, Kowal said. Lets use these funds to erase deficits at Fredonia and our other cash-strapped campuses, which were caused by nearly two decades of severe state funding cuts and flat budget for SUNY. King said it would not be fiscally responsible to take state aid from other schools where faculty are teaching to full classrooms to bail out Fredonia, which is cutting 13 programs serving a total of 74 students, half of whom graduated this year. The programs being eliminated include bachelors degree programs in visual arts, art history, French, Spanish, sociology, philosophy and some education programs that have been targeted as low-performing since 2018, King said. The structural deficits at Potsdam, Fredonia and Buffalo State are the result of enrollment losses over the last decade a 42% loss for Buffalo State, 40% at Fredonia and 38% at Potsdam while they didnt adjust staffing and programs to align with those losses, King said. Every campus needs to consistently review its offerings to make sure there is a clear connection between the needs of students and the programs being offered, he added. These schools need to resolve their structural deficits by aligning enrollment with staffing and programs. King said redirecting state aid from other schools to resolve structural deficits amounts to paying faculty to teach to empty classrooms, rather than investing in support for faculty and students across all SUNY campuses. We know that the choices that the presidents at Fredonia, Buffalo State and Potsdam are having to make are difficult, but they are the right choice for long-term financial sustainability, he said. MAYS LANDING Democrats are criticizing Atlantic County Clerk Joe Giralo, a Republican, over what they call delays in getting mail-in ballots out for the June 7 primary, and for not posting sample vote-by-mail ballots to the web page. But Giralo said Thursday his office has done an amazing job of meeting every state deadline, even though a federal lawsuit challenging use of the county line on ballots wasnt settled until the last minute, leaving clerks unable to finalize layouts. The vote-by-mail ballots didnt hit (get delivered) until about 10 days after commencement date, said Atlantic County Democratic Chair Michael Suleiman on Thursday. We are one of the only counties without a vote-by-mail sample on the website. Giralo said he commenced the mailing a day before he was required to by law, dropping off 3,788 ballots to the Mays Landing post office himself. He posted photos April 19 of himself preparing the ballots for mailing to his Facebook page. Most of the rest of about 30,000 mail-in-ballots were mailed by the printer through a third-party mailer, Giralo said. We have met every statute, even with what we were up against we still managed to meet every deadline in this office, Giralo said. On April 17, a federal appeals court affirmed a lower courts decision ordering New Jersey Democrats to stop using the county line design. Clerks had just two days to finalize new ballots, get them printed and start mailing them. Vote-by-mail ballots are in the mail; here's what they look like in 'office block' The new "office block" format for vote-by-mail ballots is easy to read, according to Atlantic County Clerk Joe Giralo, and going out to voters on about 20,000 vote-by-mail ballots now. State law requires mailing begin by 45 days before the June 7 election, which was April 20. It does not require all mail-in ballots to go out by then, and does not require delivery by a specific date. Giralo said he is not posting sample vote-by-mail ballots to the web page because they are different than the regular sample ballots and may cause confusion. He and his staff are proofreading 60+ regular sample ballots for all municipalities, and those will be posted as soon as the proofing is done, he said. The office just got the proofs to examine Wednesday, Giralo said. He also will be posting the machine fronts online, to show voters exactly what they will see this year when they vote in the primary. The website does, however, now have a list of primary candidates. Other counties in South Jersey do have sample vote-by-mail ballots on their websites, including Cape May, Cumberland and Camden counties. Ocean County does not, but like Atlantic has a list of primary candidates. Suleiman, who said he didnt get his mail-in ballot until April 29, said his Open Public Records Act request for proof of the mailing of all of the ballots was denied. Giralo said he doesnt have that proof, as it is in the hands of a third party mailer contracted by the countys printer. People had already received them Saturday (April 21) in Buena, Giralo said. We have no control (over how long they take to be delivered) after they leave here. Suleiman also said there was a mistake on some mail-in ballots sent to Brigantine, with an unopposed Democratic City Council candidate in the 4th Ward mistakenly listed as a 1st Ward candidate. But Giralo said that was not his offices mistake. It was an unfortunate mistake made by the municipal clerk, Giralo said. She certified the candidate in the wrong ward. The Brigantine clerks office confirmed the mistake was theirs Thursday. Giralo called Lynn Sweeney a great clerk and said a mistake can happen to anybody. Space, morale issues challenge Atlantic County Board of Elections in presidential year The new Democratic chairman of the Atlantic County Board of Elections says he's facing space and manpower shortages that could threaten the security of the presidential election, while a Republican leader claims a hostile work environment is the real problem there. Rick DeLucry has been on council for well over 10 years. Someone in the clerks office ... could and should have caught that he was listed in the wrong ward, Suleiman countered. Corrected ballots have already gone out to about 160 voters in Brigantines 1st and 4th wards, Giralo said. If a voter returns both the original and the corrected ballot, the corrected one will be counted. If only the incorrect ballot is returned, it will be counted for all offices above the ward races, he said. Giralo is going out most nights to community groups explaining what this years ballots will look like and why the change was required. Since the vote-by-mails went out, we have fielded hundreds of phone calls. People are very confused, Giralo said. The office block format lists candidates under the office sought. They are listed in random order determined by a drawing. In the past, candidates were listed under slogans for groups supporting them. The county line advantage went to those supported by county organizations, so local candidates endorsed by the party were listed under leaders for president, national and state office, giving them what critics have called an unfair advantage. Giralo said he decided to scrap the county line for Republicans as well, to organize both parties ballots the same and save time and money for county taxpayers. Russian power is retreating from the Caucasus and Central Asia, most prominently with the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Nagorno-Karabakh and Washingtons concurrent decision to open discussions with Yerevan on military support. The same process is discernible in Central Asia in the lukewarm support for the war in Ukraine and Kazakhstans critique of that war. Other harbingers of the trend are the gradual erosion of Russian language use and Chinas dominance in regional finance, trade, and investment. Nevertheless, Moscow still deploys substantial leverage over Central Asia and individual states and can conduct purely domestic policies that negatively affect Central Asian governments and citizens. Moreover, recent indicators suggest that Russia is launching a campaign to restore its hegemonic position in Central Asia. Thus, despite the war in Ukraine and the burdens it has imposed, current Russian policies in Central Asia amount to a determined resistance to its equally observable retreat. BACKGROUND: Russias counterattack in Central Asia is multi-dimensional. In culture Moscow vigilantly defends the public use and privileged status of the Russian language in local laws and pressures local governments to retain that status despite rising public sentiment to exalt local, national or other foreign languages at the expense of Russian. Moscow is also pressuring Central Asian states on a range of other issues. For example, Russian spokespersons frequently raise the threat of annexing Northern Kazakhstan as constituting part of an alleged Russian territory. Moscow continues to pressure Central Asian governments to join the organizations it has established since 1991 to preserve its hegemony under a facade of multilateralism: the CSTO, the Eurasian Economic Union, and more recently a prospective gas union to ensure these states subordination to Russias energy interests. Russia also continues to strive with China, whose presence in the region is both indispensable and unavoidable. While China continues to extend its economic presence in Central Asia, it has largely left the hard security agenda to Russias control, not least due to its wariness about becoming tied down in a secondary if not tertiary theater. As a result, scholars discern a division of labor where China is the banker and Russia the sheriff. Yet this is not the whole picture because Russia seeks to maintain its power over the regional energy economy to buttress its position and deny Chinese leadership. Thus, Russia continues to come up with its own continental plans for trade with Central Asian states and continues to reject attempts by China and Central Asian states to weaken Russias dominance over energy flows. Since 2022, Russia has expanded its remit in this area to include uranium, thereby consolidating its position in the nuclear energy field both in Central Asia and abroad. Thus, Russia has become a major investor in Kazakhstans uranium sector apart from controlling the oil and gas pipelines from Central Asia to Europe. If realized, the gas union would represent another form of institutionalized regional dependence on Russia. IMPLICATIONS: These are not the only weapons in Russias arsenal of leverage over Central Asia. For instance, Moscow possesses the means to create, sustain, and deploy in every post-Soviet state a loyal pro-Muscovite party that it can employ to threaten the stability, sovereignty or territorial integrity of the targeted state. This is the case with the intensification of hostile Russian rhetoric directed at Tajikistan in the wake of the terrorist incident in Moscow on March 22, 2024. Central Asian leaders have seen many examples of Russia deploying those instruments to threaten their governments, Kazakhstan in particular. In the Duma and in Russian media, threats to invade Kazakhstan and punish it for its disloyalty are frequent and this could not happen without the governments direction and/or encouragement. In another example of Russias still potent capabilities and power, Russian forces operating at the behest of Kazakh President Tokayev intervened in Kazakhstan in 2022 to help quell large-scale disturbances apparently incited by loyalists to former President Nazarbayev. Russia, probably alone, retains the capability to bail out local rulers who might be threatened by domestic or foreign insurgents. No Central Asian ruler is ready to forego this insurance policy, a fact that ensures the continuity of Russian power in Central Asia. Moscow will undoubtedly use the recent terrorist attack on March 22 to drive home the terrorist threat as a collective concern that justifies still more coordination from Russia. At the same time Russia has, for several years, undertaken an offensive against Central Asias independent media to enforce and extend Russian leverage. As the Kazakh Novastan agency has reported, ever since Russia attacked Ukraine, the Kremlin has tested Central Asias independent press either through suggestions by local officials or Russias own agency Roskomnadzor, since those networks depend on Moscows infrastructure and the predominance of Russian sources in the distribution of content. Likewise Kyrgyzstan, which must constantly balance between Beijing and Moscow, has now passed a foreign agents law that emulates the recent Russian law, thereby underscoring Russias political power over legislation, especially concerning security issues. In this context, the media and police campaign against Tajikistan from where the terrorists originated serves many functions. Although Moscow first tried to use the attack for arousing the public against Ukraine, this appears to have failed. Moscow has shifted tactics to launch a media campaign in tandem with severe police repression against Central Asian migrants. Because many Central Asian states depend heavily on remittances from migrants in Russia to their families, any attack on Central Asian migrants threatens these states particularly Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan with serious economic repercussions. Moreover, Russian police has now deported hundreds of Tajik migrants, launched an overall crackdown on illegal immigrants and may now demand visas from them, a move that will possibly curtail future migration and inflict serious hardship on Central Asian countries even as it exacerbates Russias own labor shortage. While the threat of a visa may ultimately be hollow since it will rebound on Russia, Central Asian states must reckon seriously with such threats and have apparently gotten the message. For example, Uzbekistan is again cracking down on Islamic extremism. The message also caters for invoking an alleged Muslim terrorist threat as a pretext demanding strengthened military cooperation with Central Asia under Russian leadership. CONCLUSIONS: Russian policy in Central Asia originates in the conviction of Russias predestined hegemony over backward, inferior peoples and more practically in its need to dominate their energy economy and collect rents for the benefits of Russian elites. Yet the steady and apparently irreversible decline in Russias economic and other forms of power makes empire-building a steadily more insupportable burden in Central Asia and elsewhere. It is increasingly clear that Russia can neither meet its own, nor Central Asias increasing challenges, e.g. the severe environmental threats as recent floods in Russia and Kazakhstan illustrate. Neither can Moscow provide the economic-technological assistance that Central Asias states need, nor will it tolerate the ongoing moves towards greater autonomous regional cooperation that will provide welcome benefits to the regional governments. The consolidation of these states and their interest in economic cooperation and greater outreach to the world to meet severe economic-environmental and technological challenges does, however, provide an opening to other powers, particularly in the West. Turkiye is also competing with Russia in economics, seeking to connect Central Asia and the Caucasus in new trade routes like the Middle Corridor to Europe that bypass Russia, while attempting to refashion the Association of Turkic States as a vehicle for another kind of regional bloc. Turkiyes military is allied with Azerbaijan and projects power abroad. The EU is also now trying to upgrade its economic-political presence in Central Asia and Daniel Rosenblum, U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan, has even raised the issue of a presidential visit to Central Asia in 2025. Yet Turkiye lacks the means and necessary knowhow even if it has the requisite ambition. China certainly has the means to provide solutions but doing so contradicts its fundamental interests. The West alone is interested in promoting both the autonomy of these states and their cooperation, since this opens up vast new opportunities for productive U.S. and European investment. Russia increasingly cannot provide for itself as demonstrated by the war in Ukraine, given its increasing dependence on China for its war machine. Nevertheless, its present government has embraced a view of its tasks and strategies that was dysfunctional already in 1849 when it was proclaimed by Minister of Education Sergey Uvarov. Thus Russia, despite its continuing power, offers nothing to Central Asia other than attempts at imperial restoration and repression that could lead to war and stagnation. Because Russia cannot fulfill its self-anointed mission, Central Asia, if it plays its cards right, stands to move forward provided it gets meaningful Western assistance. This is an opportunity that must be grasped for our benefit, that of Central Asia, and of international security. AUTHOR'S BIO: Stephen Blank is a Senior Fellow with the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Soon to be 91, Dick Howard has spent more than two-thirds of his life pondering constitutional principles. Its a line of work thats allowed him to travel the nation and the world. Hes dispensed advice to foreign countries such as Hungary, which having escaped the orbit of the former Soviet Union embraced democracy but is now re-embracing authoritarianism. These days, some of the thorniest questions about fundamental rights are unfolding a short distance from Howards home in a sylvan section of Charlottesville. At the University of Virginia, where Howard is soon to retire as a law professor after 60 years, a school record, rights of speech, religion, property and safety principles advanced by its founder, Thomas Jefferson collided on its groomed grounds, where state, local and campus police last week battled with demonstrators, breaking up an encampment protesting the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Drawing a contrast with student protests at UVa more than a half-century ago against the Vietnam War a moment in which the university began shedding its image as a hotbed of social rest Howard said, This one is even more complex, fueled by the overlay of ethnic tension, social media and the air of antisemitism. Howard declined to grade President Jim Ryans handling of the controversy, which has further aggravated anti-woke, Gov. Glenn Youngkin-aligned individuals and interests already furious over UVas supposed drift left since the deadly unite-the-right disturbances that rocked gown and town in 2017. Howard did say, however, that were he attempting to manage this most recent crisis, he would rely on a certain amount of concourse and negotiation. Growing up in Ginter Park, then a streetcar neighborhood on Richmonds North Side; studying in Virginia and, as a Rhodes scholar, in England; counseling mature and emerging democracies on five continents on constitutional arcana; and working in Washington, D.C., as a clerk to Hugo Black a storied associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court known for his advocacy of civil rights Arthur Ellsworth Dick Howards journey has largely been one of the mind. Howard credits long-dead teachers from primary school through graduate school and whose names he easily reels off with inspiring him to a career in the classroom. At the intersection of his studies in history and government, Howard discovered another passion: constitutionalism. Said Howard, with a note of wonder in his voice, Can you think of any area of the law that raises so many questions about the human experience? And then there are those from whom Howard learned much, though they were not education professionals. Perhaps the most notable: Black, the Alabamian who during Howards clerkship wrote landmark Supreme Court decisions in 1963 and 1964, respectively, guaranteeing legal counsel for indigent criminal defendants and forcing Prince Edward County to reopen schools it had closed in defiance of the 1954 ruling outlawing racial segregation in public education. Growing up in the shadow of the Lost Cause, it was a form of expiation for me, said Howard. Id like to think I was on the right side of history. Sitting through his lectures at the UVa School of Law his alma mater and among the most selective in the nation were more than a few future hotshot litigators, state and federal judges, corporate executives, law professors, not to mention politicians whod serve at all levels of government. Among them: Democrat Chuck Robb, a governor-turned-U.S. senator, and Marshall Coleman, the Republican attorney general whom Robb defeated for governor in 1981 and, later, considered recommending for a federal judgeship. Also, former Gov. Jim Gilmore, a Republican, was a Howard student. So was Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III of the Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Hullie Moore, a Richmond lawyer who had an energy practice at one of the citys white-shoe firms and concluded his career as a member of the State Corporation Commission, the agency that polices businesses, large and small, remembers Howard as a teacher and colleague. Moore was Howards assistant at UVa and, as a newly minted lawyer, a deputy counsel to the 11-member commission that, beginning in 1968, would having hired Howard as its director draft the constitution Virginia has today. Moore said Howard was a patient proponent of consensus, working with an all-male group of legal, educational and political grandees that included Democrats and Republicans and had one Black member, the civil rights titan Oliver Hill. These were people with very different ideas about government and we saw them talk that through, said Moore. The rewritten constitution, a reflection of an increasingly suburban and diverse Virginia, would jettison the racist provisions of its 1902 predecessor that, through a poll tax and literacy tests, erased most Black people and many poor white people from the voter rolls, and erected obstacles to educational opportunity, particularly for minorities. Carried over from the early 20th century constitution was language creating the corporation commission on which Moore would serve for 12 years, beginning in 1992. The current constitution, approved by voters and enacted in 1971, includes what was considered a pioneering commitment to environmental protection that, more than 50 years later, Howard says should be strengthened, having been eroded by rulings of the Virginia Supreme Court. Howard also said that, in hindsight, he regrets the preservation of the provision requiring felons whove completed their penalties to petition the governor for restoration of voting and civil rights. Howard, who believes restoration should now be automatic, supported Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffes attempt in 2016 blocked by the state Supreme Court in an action brought by Republicans to restore en masse the rights of more than 200,000 felons. Automatic restoration would become the rule under a state constitutional amendment pending in the General Assembly. And Howard says language in the constitution sharply restricting local governments prerogatives, including taxation, should have been eliminated. The so-called Dillons Rule is widely considered an anachronism. Howard, who declined job opportunities beyond UVa and was occasionally mentioned for a judgeship, supported the constitutional amendment that largely stripped state lawmakers of their power to draw congressional and legislative boundaries, saying it was a much-needed antidote to hyper-partisan gerrymandering and the state Supreme Court decisions that perpetuated it. He opposed a separate amendment, since voided by the U.S. Supreme Court, prohibiting same-sex marriage in Virginia. Such positions have contributed to the perception that Howard, an unapologetic lowercase-d democrat, is actually an uppercase-D Democrat. Its been an occupational hazard, of sorts, since 1995, when after voters opted for an evenly divided Virginia Senate Howard told the committee responsible for the bodys day-to-day operations that the lieutenant governors tie-breaking vote could decide all issues on which the chamber knotted. Howard said he initially believed there were strict limits on the tie-breaking vote of the LG, as the Senates presiding officer. The Republican governor at the time, George Allen, disputed Howards recommendations and made clear that he would not approve certain measures decided on a tie broken by the lieutenant governor. That included seating judges, who must be elected by the legislature. Nearly 30 years on, Howard wont say whether hes a Democrat or Republican, noting that hes worked closely with both. The only label I attach to myself is constitutionalist with a capital-C. Gaza war protests ignite on US college campuses Cancun mainland traffic affected by Nichupte Bridge work Cancun, Q.R. Continued work on the Nichupte Bridge has affected Cancun city traffic. On Thursday, a part of Kabah Avenue was shut while workers worked on the mainland portion of the bridge. The roundabout was restricted to traffic but not completely closed. Cancun Transit were on site to direct cars around the busy area while construction workers moved forward with the bridge connection. Traffic officers gave right of way to drivers coming from Bonampak Avenue on a route where it is not possible to turn left at the roundabout. Motorists traveling Luis Donaldo Colosio Boulevard and Bonampak Avenue at the intersection of the Distribuidor Vial roundabout were most affected. In a brief note Thursday, Transito de Cancun posted we closed the Kabah Colosio Glorieta in the direction from north to south (Cancun Playa del Carmen) due to work on the Nichupte Bridge. It is the second such traffic closure in a month. Last month, the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) closed the Cancun road distributor while workers joined the roundabout of the Old Airport Tower with the mangrove area as part of the construction of the Nichupte Bridge. A Cancun Transit Officer is seen here directing traffic Thursday around a section of restricted road. Photo: Transito de Cancun May 9, 2024. The bridge is scheduled for completion in August of this year. Once finished, it will connect the Cancun Hotel Zone with the city mainland via an overpass over the Nichupte Lagoon. Government of Mexico addresses exceptional situation of power blackouts Riviera Maya, Q.R. Electric power failures continue around the country stressing state-owned CFE to keep up with demand. The high demand for electricity is being blamed on the countrys second intense heat wave of the year. Nearly a dozen states have recorded temperatures above 45C (113F). The Government of Mexico is responding to the exceptional interruption of electrical energy in 18 states as a result of the second heat wave, said President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. In a morning press conference, he explained that the National Energy Control Center (CENACE) established an alarm and that for a brief period, supply outages were reported that were immediately corrected. Fortunately, the entire electrical energy system was restored again, but we are going to be very attentive to this special situation that is being experienced. () Tell people that we have the capacity to generate energy even with this. I think it was something exceptional, that was not expected, he said Wednesday morning. Lopez Obrador said he was meeting with members of the federal government and representatives of private companies in order to jointly resolve the atypical electrical system event. AMLO refers to the blackouts as an exceptional situation. Photo: AMLO May 8, 2024. We have to avoid it. Thats what Im going to do now, to have a meeting so that we can come to an agreement because still, half of the generation of electrical energy is produced by private companies and we have to come to an agreement so that the plants are in good condition, he reported. However Wednesday night, some areas of Quintana Roo continued to report intermediate power failures. The Yucatan Peninsula was part of the 18-state grid supply that experienced the blackout Tuesday night. Mexicos CFE (Comision Federal de Electricidad) recently curtailed energy to the neighboring country of Belize in an attempt to keep up with its own demand. In an exciting fusion of Hollywood flair and Chinese martial arts tradition, the upcoming action comedy The Fall Guy, starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, pays homage to kung fu legends like Jackie Chan and Jet Li through its action choreography, as revealed by the movie's action choreographer Sun Nuo. The film recently premiered at a downtown Beijing cinema, with Sun, a Beijing native, participating in an online discussion following the exclusive screening. Directed by David Leitch, a former stuntman, the movie follows Gosling as a struggling stunt performer on a mission to locate a missing Hollywood star while navigating the complexities of rekindling a romance with his former girlfriend, portrayed by Blunt, who has transitioned from camerawoman to aspiring director. Sun shared insights into working with Gosling, highlighting the actor's meticulous attention to detail and impressive memory, particularly in mastering complex action sequences comprising over 50 movements. One standout scene involves Gosling's character being dragged across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, a heart-pounding moment that required the coordination of 50 stunt drivers during filming. Director Leitch describes the film as a heartfelt tribute to the often-overlooked heroes of cinema the stunt performers featuring demanding sequences. Notably, stunt driver Logan Holladay achieved a Guinness World Record by executing eight and a half cannon rolls in a modified Jeep Grand Cherokee on the beaches of Sydney while doubling for Gosling. During the premiere, a recorded message from Leitch underscored his admiration for martial arts icons like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, drawing inspiration from Chan's journey from stuntman to director and producer. Following a limited screening at the 14th Beijing International Film Festival, The Fall Guy is set for a widespread release across the Chinese mainland on May 17, promising audiences a thrilling blend of Hollywood spectacle and homage to Chinese martial arts heritage. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. SIOUX CITY A Sioux City man was wounded in a late-night shooting on the northeast side of town. At 10:50 p.m., Wednesday, local law enforcement officers responded to a "shots fired" call near 27th Street and Cheyenne Boulevard, according to the Sioux City Police Department. "When officers arrived on scene, they found an adult male suffering from a gunshot wound to his lower leg," a release from police said. Police say they later found the alleged shooter who lived nearby. The man who was shot was then transported to a local hospital and treated for his wound, police said. The case is still being investigated. You are here: Arts The 35th Tehran International Book Fair kicked off on Wednesday with an opening ceremony attended by several senior Iranian officials, the official news agency IRNA reported. Nearly 2,700 publishers took part in the exhibition, which will continue until May 18, said Iran's Deputy Culture Minister for Cultural Affairs Yaser Ahmadvand. About 100 foreign publishers from 25 countries displayed up to 50,000 books during the event, while Yemen was attending as a special guest, the IRNA reported. The fair is also being held virtually simultaneously, available to visitors round the clock, according to the IRNA. Several cultural events will be held during the exhibition, including special ones about Gaza and Palestinians, said the report. The previous edition of the exhibition attracted an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 visitors each day, said the IRNA. Tacking a fourth chapter onto a trilogy as strong as the 201117 run of Planet of the Apes movies poses a serious filmmaking challenge. That series departed from an entirely different premise than the Apes movies of the 1960s and early 70s (not to mention that of Tim Burtons best-forgotten 2001 remake), themselves based on a popular sci-fi novel by French author Pierre Boulle. Instead of envisioning a future when humankind lives under the rule of sentient primates, the 2010s reboot series imagined the present-day moment when the apes became sentient in the first place. Specifically, the trilogy told the life story of a single world-changing chimpanzee, Caesar (played in motion capture by the great Andy Serkis), the subject of an experiment that left him not only with increased intelligence and the capacity for spoken language but with wisdom, compassion, and leadership skills far beyond most members of our own species. At the end of the first and best film of the series, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Caesar is a triumphant revolutionary, having led the worlds primates in an uprising against the humans, who are rapidly devolving thanks to the same lab-grown virus that is making the apes evolve in fast motion. Over the course of the next two chapters, Caesar becomes a leader of a different kind: first a philosopher-king who resists the temptation of tyranny and, by the end of the last film, a kind of Moses who leads his followers to the Promised Land, only to die before he can enjoy any of its fruits. So strongly marked and memorable a character was Caesar that the new fourth chapter in the saga, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, begins at the scene of his funeral, then goes on to tell a story that revolves in large part around his place in ape history. After that solemn funeral scene, we skip ahead many generationsapes dont do calendars, apparentlyto a world that, while still dominated by simians, has lost its utopian character. Apes are divided into hermetic clans with no communication among them. Some groups live peaceful if fearful lives, while others raid and pillage, disregarding Caesars primary law Ape not kill ape. Meanwhile, humansat least as far as the apes knoware to them what wild animals now are to us, mute beasts who live in packs and are at best observed from afar and at worst, fought off. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After an ape-on-ape raid on his village, one young chimp, Noa (Owen Teague), sets out to find the members of his clan who have been kidnapped. On the way, he comes into contact with a wise orangutan, Raka (Peter Macon), who is keeping the tradition of Caesar alive by working toward the newest ape accomplishment, deciphering written language. (Raka is also, in a throwaway line thats easy to miss, established as the series first out queer ape, having lost his male partner in an attack by the same group of marauding apes.) The two primates set out together in search of Noas lost tribe, eventually accompanied by a tagalong human (Freya Allan) who reveals herself to be both more sentient and more useful than either ape expected. When they finally arrive at the oceanside compound ruled over by the tyrannical Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), the travelers are taken prisoner and conscripted into the rulers plan to break into a vault of weapons and destructive technology left behind long ago by humans, thereby enabling ape violence on a previously impossible scale. Advertisement The director Wes Ball, who made all three of the Maze Runner movies, demonstrates a flair for helming big set pieces so that the action is legible and (within the limits set by a movie about mass interspecies warfare) believable. I was especially impressed by an early scene in which a herd of loincloth-clad humans, along with our ape protagonists, is chased away from a watering hole by a pack of war-whooping apes on horseback. The recurring image of apes riding horses over vast stretches of land evokes the open landscapes of the Hollywood Western, a welcome departure from the visions of urban techno-dystopia that have dominated the apocalyptic blockbuster for decades. Advertisement Related From Slate The Thrilling, Thoughtful New Planet of the Apes Will Make a Monkey of Anti-Franchise Snobs Read More But despite its impressive attention to craftincluding exquisite motion-capture work by the groundbreaking digital-design studio WETAKingdom of the Planet of the Apes never fully establishes its reason for being. The screenplay, by Josh Friedman (War of the Worlds, The Black Dahlia), is a cut above the average blockbuster in its world building and character development, but its insights into ape politics (and by allegorical extension, our own) never rise to the height of the scripts created for the Apes movies of the 2010s. Those were written by an evolving creative team that included Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Mark Bomback, and Matt Reeves (who also directed the previous two installments), and they shared a fascination with the moral complexities of leadership. Advertisement Not unlike Shakespeares troubled monarchs (Prince Henry, Macbeth, King Lear), Serkis Caesar was repeatedly confronted by both external and internal challenges to his rule. Though the bad guys he faced down were at times thinly drawnIm thinking of Woody Harrelsons one-note Colonel Kurtz clone in the trilogys final chapterCaesar himself always showed the full range of human/ape response to the difficult position of being a beloved and powerful leader in a moment of violent upheaval. Questions about how best to wield his power, and how much force to use in the process of holding on to it, were the characters driving motivations. In this fourth chapter of the Apes saga, the threat of authoritarianism is entirely externalized: The antagonist, Proximus Caesar, holds fascist-style rallies to motivate his subjects to perform what is basically slave labor. Hes a worthy enough villain, played with sadistic glee by Durand and attended by a toadying human played by William H. Macy. But the Manichean opposition between the evil dictator and the gentle, bird-loving Noa is a far cry from the subtler exploration of powers corrupting influence that was at work in the past three Apes installments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The complexity of the original Caesar character came across mainly thanks to the performance of Serkis, the first (and really still only) motion-capture movie star. As Gollum in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies and the mournful mega-gorilla in Peter Jacksons otherwise unmemorable adaptation of King Kong, Serkis found ways of moving and speaking that made his digitally enhanced nonhuman characters more specific and relatable than plenty of the non-animated human actors around them. To watch a behind-the-scenes featurette on the creation of Gollum is to watch a new style of acting being invented before your eyes. Now that the process of motion capture has become both more widely used and more technologically advanced, there is less novelty in the simple knowledge that these expressive and remarkably differentiated nonhuman faces have been created by actors wearing microphone headsets and reflective stick-on dots. (Even in large crowd scenes, each individual ape in the background has its own unique features and physiognomy.) But although all of the human-as-ape performances here are solidTeague is touchingly vulnerable as the initially naive Noa, and Macon magisterial yet twinkling as the sage elder Rakathere is no one on screen, ape or human, who can match what Serkis achieved in his creation of Caesar. Its perhaps fitting that his performance is unrepeatable, given that the whole franchise departs from the notion that a single ape could change history forever via the technology-aided blending of human and nonhuman traits. Like the fictional apes in this new installment, the whole franchise exists in the shadow of its noble ancestor. Former States Attorney Marilyn Mosby became a national figure in 2015 when, a few months into office in Baltimore, she charged six police officers who were involved the death of Freddie Gray with serious crimes, including murder and manslaughter. Young, Black, and charismatic, she developed a reputation on the national stage as a progressive prosecutor. She appeared regularly in the national media as an expert on police accountability and earned headlines for progressive actions including ending the prosecution of marijuana possession and other low-level offenses. On May 1, nine years to the day after Mosby announced charges in the Gray case, she appealed to the public for sympathy for her own legal woes. Ive done absolutely nothing wrong, nothing illegal, nothing criminal, she insisted during an interview with MSNBCs Joy Reid. On May 23, Mosby will be sentenced on three federal charges for fraud and perjury related to the purchase of two homes in Florida. She also mentioned that she is seeking a pardon from President Joe Biden. The NAACP is supporting her request, and a petition is circulating online in support as well. Mosbys dramatic fall from grace is a familiar story in U.S. politics: The career of an otherwise seemingly laudable politician is ended by personal greed and/or issues unrelated to their leadership in office. Yet, the story of Mosbys career is told very differently among Baltimore insiders and close observers. Her progressive bona fides havent been broadly accepted in Baltimore, beginning with her handling of the Gray case. And she has been accused of malicious and vindictive prosecutions. Advertisement There is an ironic twist to Mosbys journey from prosecutor to defendant: She and her supporters, including Reid, have made similar accusations about the federal prosecutor, Leo Wise, who indicted her and who is currently prosecuting Hunter Biden. Wises anti-corruption efforts in Baltimore brought down a police squad known as the Gun Trace Task Force, a police commissioner, a mayor, a state senator, a prominent attorney, and Mosby. The local media portrayed Wise as cleaning house in the city, but he has his own controversial history. Mosbys case is a tale of two prosecutors, both of whom built their reputations on anti-corruption but faced similar accusations of political targeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wises backstory as a bulldog has been told in the media but largely in a way that minimizes Mosbys claims. In 2008, Wise was named as the first chief counsel of the Office of Congressional Ethics. Within two years, he resigned from the role after there were complaints about racial and political targeting. At one point, he had eight open investigations, all of them targeting Black Democratic members of the House. He was also criticized for selecting investigations on a whim; letting investigations become public news, sometimes before elections; and digging into personal finances. The Congressional Black Caucus drafted a resolution to limit Wises discretion. Wise moved to the U.S. Attorneys Office in Maryland in 2010, where he worked mostly on financial fraud and embezzlement cases for several years. Advertisement Meanwhile, in 2015, Mosby took over as the Baltimore States Attorney. Within four months, her office was consumed by the Freddie Gray case. She faced her first public accusations of a malicious prosecution from the officers in the case and their supporters. The officers filed a lawsuit that was ultimately thrown out by the Supreme Court, so it wasnt taken seriously. They did, however, have a point. Advertisement Mosby was widely praised for her seemingly bold and progressive charges in the Gray case. Yet, the fanfare around the case overshadowed the fact that Grays cause of death was left mysterious after four trials with no convictions. Prosecutors argued Gray suffered a broken neck from being thrown forward in the van while it was in motion because he wasnt wearing a seatbelt. The judge pointed out that there was no evidence to support that theory, and he faulted the prosecutors for legally unsound charges, like alleging assault while making claims about actions merely being negligent. Advertisement Advertisement As the author of an investigative book on the Gray case, I obtained unreleased evidence showing that officers used excessive and deadly force on Gray when they stopped the van around the corner from where they arrested him and took him out of the van to shackle his legs, as some witnesses had told the media. Case files show that prosecutors knew about this evidence from early on and didnt share it with the medical examiner or during the trials. Instead, they explicitly argued in court that the officers did not use force on Gray at all, aside from reckless driving. Advertisement Advertisement Case files and notes from Mosbys office further show that prosecutors rushed the charges before investigating most of the evidence and that politics was in play in their decisionmaking. Ultimately, the officers who cried malicious prosecution benefited from Mosbys office not pursuing the stronger brutality case. But they were not wrong that she put a politically expeditious narrative above the facts and law. Advertisement Not long after the officers were acquitted, Mosby was being publicly accused of a malicious prosecution again, but this time by Baltimore activists. Two months after Grays arrest, in June 2015, Keith Davis Jr. was shot at more than 30 times by police who believed he had committed a robbery.* Rather than prosecute the officers, Mosbys office prosecuted Davis, who survived, first for the robbery and then, when he was acquitted on those charges, for a murder charge filed days after his robbery acquittal. Police claimed that Davis had murdered someone on the same day of his arrest, despite no apparent motive or connection to the victim. For the next six years, Mosby would not stop prosecuting Davis for the murder, despite two hung juries and two overturned convictions, one resulting from a discredited jailhouse informant. While she appeared on cable news programs and in Op-Eds as an exemplar of a progressive prosecutor, her office turned Davis into the most aggressively prosecuted man in American history, according to legal scholar Colin Miller. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mosbys zeal against Davis is hard to reconcile with her approach in the Gray case. One factor seemed to be her antagonism towards Davis wife, Kelly Davis, who became a vocal opponent. In 2022, a judge accused Mosby of having a presumption of vindictiveness and personal animosity toward the Davis family and their supporters based on statements and actions. Accusations of vindictiveness continued to follow Mosby, including claims of retaliatory and politicized treatment of employees in lawsuits and affidavits. Still, Mosby remained popular and was reelected in 2018. Mosbys reelection took place during a period of intense corruption scandals in Baltimore. Wise was prosecuting a string of high-profile cases, including the Gun Trace Task Force and Mayor Catherine Pugh, who pleaded guilty to fraudulently selling copies of childrens books she had written to nonprofit organizations and other groups in exchange for money and political favor. In 2020, Wise took over as chief of the Fraud and Public Corruption Unit in Maryland. Advertisement Related From Slate The Horrible Truth About Shaken Baby Syndrome Cases Read More There was one major red flag in Wises Baltimore portfolio, though: His targets continued to be almost all Black. Shortly after he took office, he indicted police commissioner Darryl DeSousa, a Black man, for failure to pay taxes. He did not indict the white police commanders who oversaw the Gun Trace Task Force, one of whom was named in court as a conspirator. Wise did indict two white Gun Trace Task Force officers, but only because they ended up being heard on a wiretap that was tracking a drug crew. The officers had extraordinary records of complaints but were not under investigation until the wiretap. Advertisement Advertisement Wise seemed to approach his new role in Baltimore as he did his position in Congress. The Baltimore defense bar also became concerned with his apparent antagonism toward lawyers. He indicted and convicted Kenneth Ravenell, a prominent Black attorney, for money laundering. He then indicted Ravenells own attorney and defense investigator for obstruction of justice. He was unsuccessful in those additional cases. Wise even accused the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of taking laundered money from Ravenell at one point. Advertisement Advertisement Mosby was Wises last major corruption target in Baltimore. A year before her indictment, in March 2021, Wises office made it known to the press that Mosby and her husband, Nick Mosby, the City Council president, were under investigation. The Baltimore Office of the Inspector General had published a report showing that Marilyn Mosby was not properly reporting on her extensive travel and was running a questionable nonprofit. Nick Mosby seemed to retaliate against the OIG by seeking to limit its independence. There was a cloud of apparent impropriety around the Mosbys during 2021. Yet, Marilyn Mosby was never indicted for anything to do with the OIG report. Wise finally indicted her in January 2022 for making false statements on financial documents in 2020, which had allowed her to purchase two properties in Floridaarguably minor, victimless crimes. According to the indictment, she had falsely checked a box indicating a COVID-related hardship to access her retirement income, and she wasnt honest about her finances on mortgage applications. Advertisement Mosbys attorney spoke out, claiming that Wise was leading a racist and selective and vindictive prosecution. He cited examples of Wise making inflammatory statements about her office in the past. He also noted that, as it was an election year, Wise had previously donated to Mosbys two opponents. Sherrilyn Ifill, the former president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, spoke out on Twitter: There must be a federal prosecutor assigned just to Black mayors. The local support for Mosby was limited, though. Especially for activists and city residents who supported Keith Davis Jr., Mosby being prosecuted by an arguably vindictive prosecutor was her just deserts. In 2023, Wise was demoted and removed from his position as anti-corruption chief. He was also removed from prosecuting the Mosby case. His boss, U.S. Attorney Erek Barron, had taken over in 2021 and had put some checks on him. As in Congress, Wise had a brief but intense reign in Maryland that ended with a whimper. He transitioned to the DOJs public integrity section, where he has been attracting controversy during his prosecution of Hunter Biden for tax and gun offensesa case Bidens team claims is politically motivated. Ultimately, Wises impact in Baltimore was to indict a handful of police officers for racketeering and try a series of other financial cases with narrow targets. But the cultures of police brutality, cover-ups, prosecutorial misconduct, and even purchasing political influence in Baltimore largely remain unbothered, and both Mosby and Wise played important roles in limiting the fallout. Read our ongoing coverage of Donald Trumps first criminal trial here. Court is not normally like thisthis is a TV trial, one veteran court reporter said to me Thursday morning, during a 15-minute break in cross-examination. It was my first day in court for the Trump hush money trial, and it seemed everyone in the media had really shown up. Of course they hadtoday was the day that the defense would decide what to do with Stormy Daniels. I was here because my colleague, Jeremy Stahl, who has been covering the trial, suggested it might be a good day for me to come. Ive spent a lot of my time at Slate writing about women, gender, what men do to women, and how complicated it all can be. Stormy Daniels story has been fascinating to me for the same reasons its been fascinating to everyone. Shes a self-assured porn actor who admitted to an affair with the president while simultaneously expressing disgust with him. For a while, back in 2018, she was a main character for the resistance movement, as she embarked on a Make America Horny Again strip club tour across the U.S. More recently, she has been the subject of a devastating documentary that paints her tale in a darker light, documenting the awfulness of both her experience with attorney Michael Avenatti, who is in prison for stealing from his clients (including Daniels), and her relationship with Trump and its aftermath. Take the Make America Horny Again tour nameshe despised it, she said emphatically multiple times on the stand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How would the defense treat this witness? Remember, this isnt a case about sexual assault. This isnt even really a case about whether or not Stormy Daniels and Donald Trump had sexits a case about campaign finance misfiling, elevated to election fraud. And yet, the Trump defense team, led by Susan Necheles, a petite woman in a dusty-rose suit, interrogated Stormy Daniels as if this were a class on how the law has historically treated women speaking up about sexual assault. She attacked her for misremembering details that were so minor as to be absurd, accused Daniels of consistently changing her story, and tried to drag Daniels as both a slut and a money-grubber. It was almost impressive how she managed to be so pedantic and also bullying at the same time. Advertisement Daniels was much calmer and much more composed Thursday than she was on Tuesday, according to those who were there. Maybe part of that had to do with the fact that she had already gotten through the hard part of telling her story, sex and all, point by point, at least once. Necheles line of questioning was also astonishingly simplistic and, frankly, petty. There were a few minor details that Necheles kept pressing Daniels on, suggesting that she had changed those and therefore maybe her whole account was moot: who actually asked her to dinner and took her number, Trump himself or his bodyguard; whether or not they actually ate dinner; and whether Daniels arrived to the hotel by car or on foot. Advertisement Advertisement These discrepancies are so unbelievably minor that it was difficult to really understand what Necheles was even going for with thiswhether Daniels remembered if she walked to the hotel or took a car there doesnt seem like the kind of detail that would be seared in ones memory, even around a weird sexual encounter. More to the point, the examples of these discrepancies seemed to stem largely from other peoples write-ups of the story, not Daniels own. I dont control what parts they put in magazines, she said at one point, making the line of questioning seem both weak on the merits and a bit absurd. Advertisement More important is the question of whether the sex was something less than consensual. It is a bit absurd to me that Trumps defense team would even want to veer into the territory of asking anything along the lines of But actually maam, did our client rape you?and yet, that was the road Necheles ended up going down, again trying to catch Daniels in a lie. Advertisement The thing is, there actually is a discrepancy in how Daniels has reported the consensual nature of the encounter over time. When she first started telling her story to the media, which happened most officially in both 2016 (though it wasnt published then) and 2018 (when it eventually was), Daniels was adamant about the fact that this wasnt a story of rape. One of the people she told this story to both times was my former Slate colleague Jacob Weisberg, who wrote about it in 2018. She didnt allege any kind of abuse, insisting she was not a victim, Weisberg wrote. The worst Trump had done, she said, was break promises shed never believed he would fulfill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Remember, the winter of 2018 directly followed the fall of 2017, when the Harvey Weinstein story broke open #MeToo. Daniels wanted to be clear that her story wasnt one of those kinds of stories. As is her way, she seemed to make light of the situation, making fun of Trump for his obsession with sharks, expertly denigrating his sexual prowess, making clear that she did this not really because she liked him much, but because he could be useful to her. The story that shes toldmost clearly in her documentary, but also here in this courtroomis a little bit different. She never said no, but she was definitely not expecting the situation to turn sexual. She was shocked when she walked out of the bathroom to see him in his underwear. She felt lightheaded, and they ended up on the bed, and exactly how it happened was unclear. Advertisement Advertisement Related From Slate When Stormy Daniels Told Her Story in Court, the Absurd Horror of This Trial Finally Hit Home Read More Does this make Stormy Daniels a noncredible witness? That her story went from a slightly humorous and self-deprecating tale about an affair into something that she would never have initiated herself, and probably didnt want to happen at all? When Necheles asked Daniels, Did Trump do something that made you feel like you had to have sex with him? her answer was a slightly heartbreaking My own insecurities made me feel this way. In Daniels effort to dissociate her story from #MeToo, she seems to have missed that #MeToo aimed to unpack all of the different ways sexual encounters can end up being less consensual than they should beand yet, her story still perfectly illustrates those exact specifics. Advertisement Toward the end of her questioning, Necheles brought out the big guns, the line of questioning that everyone had been wondering if she would use. Youve acted in 200-ish movies, right? Daniels corrected the number slightly downward, to 150. But according to you, seeing a man sitting on a bed in a T-shirt and boxer shorts, you got lightheaded? Necheles prodded. The obvious implication here was that Stormy Daniels, a porn star, should essentially be a vending machine for whoever wants to have sex with her. Daniels was horrified at the implication, almost sputtering the obvious answer: that when youre not expecting it, its a different reaction. It was the second time Necheles had tried to throw Daniels porn career in her face. Earlier, she had suggested that Daniels experience writing porn movies had provided her with the experience she needed to make up her story about Trump entirely. So you have a lot of experience in making phony stories about sex appear to be real? Necheles had asked, in a moment that seemed to provoke a collective inhale throughout the courtroom. Daniels response was both a rebuttal and a burn: If the story wasnt true, I would have written it to be a lot better. Javorina used to be the largest Czechoslovak military area. Radovan Cerevka and his colleagues restore a wall painting in the former military area Javorina, eastern Slovakia. (Source: Erik Sikora) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, Slovak artist and sculptor Radovan Cerevka decided on an artistic intervention in the former Javorina military zone in eastern Slovakia. The final result? A short film and a reconstructed painting of the Tatra mountain peaks on a wall destroyed by gun shots. In the past, the wall use to serve soldiers. The Javorina area was once the largest Czechoslovak military district and a training area where Soviet soldiers also operated. Radovan Cerevka, who works at the Faculty of Arts of the Technical University in Kosice, calls his intervention in the former military zone a "healing" ritual, which he considers important during the war in Ukraine. The ritual consisted of several days of restoring the painting by an unknown soldier on the training wall. "Shooting a gun into the High Tatras could have given strange feelings to someone," Cerevka told the Korzar website. Visual aid According to the artist, few people know about this work of art on a dilapidated building. However, Cerevka said that at least the locals are aware of it. He restored the wall in the autumn of 2022, the final post-production of his film taking place in 2023 as part of the project. According to the artist, the unknown soldier must have painted the mountaintops on the wall in the 1980s or the early 1990s. "It might have been a visual aid for shooting," he mused. Detailed travel guide to the Tatras introduces you to the whole region around the Tatra mountains, including attractions on the Polish side. Cerevka sees the restoration of the work as a symbolic healing of the "wounds" after shooting at the building, despite the fact that the painting had to be created precisely for the purpose of being shot at. "We left some parts of the wall in their original form, which actually corresponds to the restoration concept, when some layers are left exposed." According to the artist, this happens, for example, in Western Europe, where some parts of buildings destroyed during the Second World War remain in their original form during restoration. Ecotourism During the preparation of the project, the artist walked around a considerable part of Javorina. He remains impressed by the area. "There are dilapidated buildings and the landscape is overgrown," he said. Logging was limited in Javorina. For many years, nature lived as it wanted, co-existing with occasional explosions or occasional fuel contamination of the soil, but otherwise undisturbed, Cerevka said. At the same time, the place bears signs of military nostalgia for him. According to the artist, Javorina could have been used for tourism. He mentions the Czech Republic, where ecotourism is developed in former military locations. For example, visitors can ride on a military transporter in these Czech locations. "Compared to this kind of entrepreneurship and the revitalisation of the territory in such a commercial way, I perceive that the use of Javorina has no concept," said the artist. However, he said that it is not his task to design the potential use of the site. "Instead, I reflect on the things that happen there." https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1PAh7MqZYSPZiaxPDW8XLWzBhWIuADAc&ehbc=2E312F&noprof=1 Spectacular Slovakia travel guides Freedom, not monuments, is the soul of Bratislava, says photographer Andrej Duricek. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Slovak version He says he does not understand his country, but he understands his city. He does not want to spend his life ranting about it. Photographer, journalist and author of the book "Bratislava, Moja Laska" (Bratislava, My Love), ANDREJ DURICEK, sheds light on controversies, unmasks legends, looks for connections in the history, politics and our nature. By doing this, he is aware of getting into disputes with people who like to hate the city they have moved to, as well as those who tell themselves they are real Bratislavans. He sees many things in the city as absurd, and he also provides examples when Bratislava residents cry over things that were not as valuable as they thought and when they reject changes without reason. Haters say that Bratislava is a village with traffic lights. What do you think of such an opinion? Say what you will about Bratislava, but it is the capital of the Slovak Republic, thus the capital of all its citizens. It is a shame when someone hates it. Of course, by European standards it is not a big city, but if I wanted to be mean, I would say that apart from Bratislava, there is only one city left - Kosice. The rest are villages. Bratislava's size is probably not what people mean by that. Yes, I know what you are saying. In recent years, 100,000 new people have come to the capital and its hinterland. They lived, started families, found work here. This is how it should be. But among them are those who, having spent 20 years in Bratislava, say that they are going home for the weekend. Although they have lived here for many years, they do not feel at home here, and this is also reflected in their relationship with the city. As if someone is forcing them to stay in disgusting Bratislava, as if someone is forcing them to live, have a job and start a family there. I would not enjoy feeling like a stranger somewhere, in a hated environment. Is there something characteristic of Bratislavans? Who is a Bratislavan? What I see around me is that a kind of new elite is emerging, which is proud of its origin. We are old residents, they say. I could say that too, but then I find out that both my great-grandmothers came here from Vienna after the First World War. So this kind of boasting of a genuine Bratislava family tree is foreign to me. They are probably proud of having experienced when Bratislava had three cultures: Slovak, Hungarian and German. Today, however, Bratislava has many more cultures. It is more colourful than it used to be. And why is it good to keep returning to the past? To some extent, I sometimes rant as well. I am not happy that the Stein brewery, Istropolis [the former House of the Trade Unions originally designed to host the congresses of the Communist Party ed.] were demolished. This is the disease of this city and the nation. I do not like that we always want to start from scratch. During the first republic we allowed the statue of Maria Theresa to be torn down, after the Velvet Revolution the statue of [Klement] Gottwald [the first leader of communist Czechoslovakia - ed.] on Namestie Slobody square was removed. We remove all symbols, as if to free ourselves from our past. But this does not free us in any way, we only lose awareness of our story. We remove, we forget and then we do not know. On the other hand, I understand that the city needs to change and develop. The photo of Bratislava from the book "Bratislava, My Love". (Source: Andrej Duricek) Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish whether a building has historical value, or whether a certain generation associates it with memories of its youth. Whenever Bratislava is mentioned, some controversy arises to the surface. It is common to say that the Jewish neighbourhood of Vydrica, and Zuckermandel were demolished to build Most SNP bridge. It sounds brutal. But the bridge, and the Bystrica restaurant on top is one of Bratislava's most iconic symbols. What communists demolished they also replaced with something new and, let's face it, of high quality. You just do not see something like that today. The PKO complex is a different case. How many years have passed since it was demolished? And nothing is there. The communists are not the only ones at fault. The system that followed has also caused damage. I document it on my Bratislava, My Love blog. What do you mean by the damage? We need to strengthen the EU's capacity for collective action. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share As citizens of Europe, we face massive challenges including climate change, migration, global competition and disrespect for the international order. Small players like most European countries, cannot solve these alone. We require united action with our European neighbours and partners. But current structures allow any single European Union Member State to block key legislation, sanctions packages or trade agreements that could be of vital importance to millions of European citizens. To better serve its citizens, it is time to transform the EU. "The 'ever closer Union among the peoples of Europe', which Robert Schuman envisioned in his famous speech of 9 May 1950, cannot be achieved unless we take ambitious steps towards a federal EU. The constitution of a democratic state is characterised by the separation of powers: with links of political accountability leading all the way to individual citizens, and without excessive concentration of power in any branch legislative, executive or judicial. The current EU does not embody such a model, which makes it incapable of democractically and effectively addressing the big challenges of the climate crisis, migration, securing common European defence, and respecting democratic values and human rights in the Member States. We need to strengthen the EU's capacity for collective action. This means individual states would not act in isolation, but work together within the EU context to achieve a better outcome than they could achieve individually. Central to this is strengthening the EU's democratic legitimacy. The current institutional framework prioritises the interests of Member States over those of citizens. It creates decision-making processes that are inefficient and heavily influenced by national interests. This limits the EU's ability to act quickly in the interests of the people. Bridging the gap between citizens and institutions will strengthen trust in the Union, create a European representative democracy, avoid damaging disillusionment with the political system, and give the EU the capacity to respond effectively to challenges at home and abroad. For the above reasons, Volt proposes: 1. Reform the European Commission into a European government We should enable the Members of the European Parliament who themselves are already directly elected by citizens to elect a Prime Minister from among themselves. This position would replace the current role of President of the European Commission. With their democratic mandate, the Prime Minister should then nominate ministers to be confirmed by the European Parliament. These ministers each heading a ministry instead of the current Directorates-General in the European Commission would constitute the government of Europe, directly accountable to more than 400 million European citizens. The number of Cabinet of Ministers should be determined not by the number of Member States but by the needs of the EU and its citizens. And to avoid concentration of power, no Member State should be represented by more than one minister. When necessary, it should be possible for any minister or the entire European government to be removed from office via a vote of no confidence by the European Parliament, further strengthening democratic accountability. These steps would begin to ensure that this executive branch is accountable to the electorate, subject to the confidence of the European Parliament and a newly-created European Senate. 2. Establish a European Senate We know that under the pressure of (geo)political crises, the EU is often forced to resort to insufficiently transparent decisions. The current system of meetings of the heads of government of the 27 EU states, known as the European Council, must be abolished. At the same time, the Council of Ministers of the EU must be transformed into the European Senate, which will serve as the second chamber of the EU. It would have an equal number of senators for each state, ensuring that all states have an equal say in the legislative process. They will be appointed by national parliaments. Decisions will be made by qualified majority instead of unanimity. This would particularly apply to topics that fall under the common foreign and security policy, such as sanctions or taxation. For decisions such as amending the founding treaties, deploying military forces or expanding the EU, the enhanced qualified majority voting format would apply. 3. Give the European Parliament the legislative initiative The role of the European Parliament must change from its current co-decision role to initiating new legislation a power to be shared with the Senate, EU citizens through the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI), and with the European government. New laws would be proposed by a political group or the equivalent minimum number of individual MEPs. Proposals would be consulted with the EU government, which could propose changes, although only the co-legislators the European Parliament and the European Senate would have the right to vote. 4. Turn the Court of Justice into a Constitutional Court To facilitate a uniform interpretation of EU law and confirm the primacy of EU legislation, a Constitutional Court would consolidate the legal and democratic foundations of the European Union. This would deepen democratic engagement by providing a structured platform for citizens and Member States to scrutinise and challenge EU decisions on constitutional and fundamental rights grounds. Lets ensure the universality of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, thereby achieving uniformity of human rights standards across the bloc, incentivising proactive compliance, and streamlining enforcement procedures. 5. Initiate a European Convention on reform of the European Treaties Already in the new legislative period, a convention of citizens' debates would engage in defining and shaping the values, competences, finances and institutional set-up of a federal Europe based on the European Parliament's proposal for EU reform. This will, in turn, build a legitimate basis for the declaration of a European federation and drafting a European Constitution that will create a federal Europe based on democratic accountability. The European Union faces the important task of completing its journey towards unity among the peoples of Europe. The problems we face today require coordinated and effective solutions that are not possible only at the level of individual states. The aim of these proposals is to create a federal Europe based on democratic principles and capable of responding effectively to today's challenges. In this way, it can continue to deliver tangible benefits to its citizens and strengthen its position on the international stage in the light of current challenges. Lucia Klestincova is Volt Slovakias Co-President and Lead Candidate for election to the European Parliament. Trust in the EU higher than in Slovak governments, according to an April 2024 survey. A man wears a suit in the EU colours as he walks outside the European Parliament during Europe Day celebrations in Brussels on May 4, 2024. (Source: SITA) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share The far-right LSNS party, which did not make it to parliament after last years parliamentary elections, is the only movement that wants Slovakia to leave the European Union. Withdrawal from the EU, withdrawal from NATO, the nationalisation of strategic enterprises, the party named its priorities in a survey for the TASR news agency back in September. According to a NMS Market Research Slovakia survey from April, most Slovaks - 60 percent - wish to be part of the EU. The country joined the Union 20 years ago. Slovexit is the least popular among voters of the opposition parties (KDH, PS, SaS and Slovensko). However, most voters of the major ruling party, Smer, want Slovexit. Forty-seven percent support this idea, while 39 percent are against it. Withdrawal from the EU is also very popular among voters represented by the minor ruling SNS party: 45 percent. Yet, 48 percent of SNS supporters do not want Slovakia to leave the European bloc. Four-time Prime Minister and Smer leader Robert Fico has repeatedly criticised the EU for supporting Ukraine militarily in Russias war in Ukraine, most recently on May 8 when he commemorated 79 years since the end of the Second World War at the Slavin war memorial in Bratislava. Instead, Fico believes the EU should push through a peace solution. But he often fails to stress that Russia refuses to voluntarily withdraw from the territory of Ukraine. That has been a great display of the EUs weakness, Fico said, as quoted by TASR. Paradoxically, Slovakia keeps supporting the war in Ukraine through commercial arms deals. Fico has also warned Brussels against abolishing the right to veto on foreign policy, security and budget issues. Otherwise, the EU will have huge problems, Fico emphasised last week. EU membership is, nevertheless, irreplaceable for Slovakia, he also said. Against Ukraine as EU member, split on the United States of Europe The NMS survey has also shown that only 28 percent of people support Ukraines efforts to join the EU. Fico himself has said that Ukraine belongs to the EU, but first has to meet all the criteria. Conversely, the majority of Smer voters - 79 percent - do not agree with Fico and oppose Ukraines membership in the EU. The polling agency also asked Slovak people if they would be open to the idea of the United States of Europe. Twenty-seven percent support this idea, 45 percent are against it, and up to 29 percent do not know how to respond to this question. The agency surveyed 1,010 respondents through the internet from April 18-21, 2024. Brussels trusted more than Bratislava Slovak people continue to trust the EU more than their national governments. But Eurobarometer surveys from the pat 20 years show that this trust has decreased if compared to the 2000s. A peak of Euro-optimism occurred in 2009 and 2010 after the adoption of the euro. At that time, 71 percent of respondents trusted the EU, the most of all member states, notes the Sme daily. What they like about the EU is the opportunity to move freely around the Union. At the same time, they blame the EU for their living standards. However, Slovakia would have been worse off had it not joined the Union. According to political analyst Grigorij Meseznikov, the bad economic policies of individual governments are to blame for the fact that the country has stopped catching up with the West in recent years. Thanks to membership, according to the Erste Group model, Slovakia has a 16.2 percent higher GDP per capita than if it had not joined the EU. The potential of the Slovak economy has also increased thanks to money from the EU. From 2004 to 2022, Slovakia received 36.2 billion from the EU budget. On the contrary, Slovakias contribution to the Union budget was 11.7 billion. Even though Slovaks believe in the EU, this fact is not reflected in the turnout of the European elections. The turnout in Slovakia has been the lowest for a long time. Last month, five Boston-area Blue Bottle Coffee locations announced their intention to unionize under the newly-formed Blue Bottle Independent Union (BBIU). After requesting the company voluntarily recognize the union, which they declined to do, pro-union workers staged a walk-out on April 8th and filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). That election took place last week, and we now knows the results. The BBIU won in a landslide victory by at vote of 38-4. The BBIU has in the past described the buy-in from workers as undeniable support for the union, and these results bear that out. We have once again demonstrated to management that Blue Bottle workers overwhelmingly are in favor of unionizing, the group says in a press release announcing the results. Among the reasons for the collective bargaining efforts, the BBIU states that Blue Bottle does not pay us enough to meet our basic needs, does not allow us any input into cafe operations, and shows continuous disdain for us as workers. They also allege that in the run up to the election, the company led a campaign to union-bust by attempting to install cameras in cafes, distributing anti-union flyers, and sending letters to workers homes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Blue Bottle Independent Union (@bbiunion) In a letter to employees, Blue Bottle states that once the union is certified as the representative of Boston-area cafe team members, Blue Bottle will negotiate with the union in good faith as we move forward. We hope that our obvious majority support will convince Blue Bottle that they need to pay their workers enough to live off of and allow them to have democratic ownership of their working conditions, the BBIU states in the press release. The bold, brash, and brave Blue Bottle baristas are proud of the steps they have taken to fight for and to win an equitable share of the value they produce and rightfully deserve. The next step for the union is to begin hammering out a contract with Blue Bottle, which can take anywhere from months to years, depending on their demands and the companys willingness to compromise. This story is developing https://sputnikglobe.com/20240508/china--serbia-form-partnership-after-depraved-cia-attack-in-belgrade-1118343031.html China & Serbia Form Partnership After Depraved CIA Attack in Belgrade China & Serbia Form Partnership After Depraved CIA Attack in Belgrade Sputnik International The two countries have grown closer after the twin tragedies of neoliberal deindustrialization and NATOs attack on the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. 2024-05-08T23:44+0000 2024-05-08T23:44+0000 2024-05-08T23:44+0000 analysis serbia china belgrade nato cia fault lines 1999 nato bombings natos 1999 military intervention in yugoslavia xi jinping https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/05/08/1118342669_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_d75a6cb2607ae28aba1b7b2130954e35.jpg May 7, 1999 is a date known across Serbia as the day the United States conducted a deadly bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade.The strike in the capital city, the only one planned in its totality by the US Central Intelligence Agency, killed three Chinese citizens sheltering there and injured at least 20. The United States apologized for the attack, claiming planners had consulted outdated and inaccurate maps of the location, but the excuse has been met with wide skepticism.The bombing occurred amidst NATOs 78-day assault on the former Yugoslavia, which killed hundreds. Decades later increased rates of cancer and birth defects are still observed in the country after the alliances use of radioactive depleted uranium during its operation.Serbian-American journalist Nebojsa Malic joined Sputniks Fault Lines program Wednesday as the 25th anniversary of the tragic incident is observed, an occasion acknowledged during Chinese President Xi Jinpings diplomatic visit to Serbia.The NATO bombing was super controversial, noted Malic. The people who were killed were Chinese journalists that had taken refuge in the embassy because a lot of journalists had previously been at Serbian television, but that was hit in April of '99 during the night, and NATO declared it a legitimate military target after the fact. And nobody prosecuted anybody for war crimes.NATOs attack on the former Yugoslavia, conducted after the UN Security Councils rejection of the proposal, was illegal under international law. The military alliance justified the assault under the pretense of humanitarian intervention amid ethnic strife in the region.The event, along with NATOs 1995 attack in Bosnia and Herzegovina, signaled the unmasking of NATO as an openly offensive alliance after the end of the Cold War. Previously, the organization had acted more covertly, supporting efforts such as the CIAs Operation Gladio which backed neo-Nazi paramilitary groups throughout Europe. Such organizations were ostensibly supported as a contingency in the event of a Soviet invasion, but the groups engaged in a decades-long campaign of terror designed to justify increased security spending and discredit the left.Such a clandestine network may have interfered illegally in the internal political affairs of member states [and] may still do so. Military secret services (or uncontrolled branches thereof) were involved in serious cases of terrorism and crime. These organizations operated completely outside the law."Modern observers draw parallels between Operation Gladio and NATO countries backing of jihadist organizations in the Middle East, demonstrating that Western powers are willing to covertly support violence and terrorism for political ends. But as the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s briefly left the United States as the worlds only superpower, the military alliance openly engaged in such acts of terror, leaving a deep impression upon those who remember 1999s criminal attack.When president Xi actually wrote about it in the oldest newspaper in the Balkans he named the three people who died [and] he said we will never forget and we will never allow this to happen again, Malic explained. The entire op-ed was basically saying, we have an ironclad friendship with Serbia, we agree on a lot of international issues, and we're going to work together for a more just, equitable and fair globalization in a multipolar world.The two countries partnership has resulted in a strong economic relationship, with China becoming Serbias largest foreign investor.The collapse of the Eastern Bloc enabled a flood of Western capital throughout Europe, with Western interests often buying and shutting down formerly state-owned industry. The phenomenon led to the loss of thousands of jobs and deindustrialization throughout Eastern Europe, with devastating consequences. A 2009 survey of people living in eastern Germany found 57% regretted the decline in their quality of life accompanying the fall of state socialism.Polling in Russia and many former Soviet republics reveals similar sentiments.In Serbia, partnership with China promises to restore the countrys industry and infrastructure, with a Chinese-built high-speed rail line linking Belgrade with the city of Novi Sad recently being unveiled. https://sputnikglobe.com/20220525/nato-claims-immunity-to-serbian-lawsuit-on-use-of-depleted-uranium-in-1999-bombings-1095778023.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240507/a-shot-across-the-bow-moscow-will-not-allow-nato-attacks-on-russian-civilians-1118300918.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20190508/china-yugoslavia-embassy-serbia-belgrade-1074830455.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230531/chomsky-europe-may-face-decline-deindustrialization-by-staying-in-us-dominated-system-1110807834.html serbia china belgrade Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg china serbia relations, xi jinping belgrade, chinese embassy attack, nato bombing of yugoslavia, nato terrorism, us terrorism, cia terrorism, nato illegal bombing, china serbia economic cooperation, china-serbia cooperation, china-serbia talks, belt and road, belt and road initiative, one belt, one road, serbia-china cooperation, serbia-china talks, vucic-xi talks, vucic-xi statement, xi-vucic talks, xi-vucic statement, xi-vucic negotiations, multipolar world, multipolar world order https://sputnikglobe.com/20240509/1118356188.html Photos: Russia's Glorious Victory Parade on Moscow's Red Square Photos: Russia's Glorious Victory Parade on Moscow's Red Square Sputnik International Moscows Red Square has hosted its annual May 9 parade commemorating the 79th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. 2024-05-09T12:30+0000 2024-05-09T12:30+0000 2024-05-09T12:30+0000 russia russia moscow wwii victory parade wwii red square russkiye vityazi sergei shoigu nazism https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/05/09/1118356550_0:0:3108:1748_1920x0_80_0_0_805ddf89ed11ea141dd2f00f1245eacc.jpg Moscows Red Square has hosted its annual May 9 parade commemorating the 79th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, fought by the USSR against Nazi Germany and its allies.Over 9,000 individuals and 70 military vehicles and weapon systems participated in the Victory Parade.This year, decorated officers and soldiers also arrived from the special military operation zone to participate. Russia's President Vladimir Putin addressed those gathered in a speech. russia moscow red square Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International wwii victory, 79th anniversary of the victory in the great patriotic war, victory day parade, victory parade in moscow, great patriotic war China's Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday accused the United States of "economic coercion" over the revocation of export licenses that permitted companies to supply chips to Chinese tech giant Huawei. The United States has generalized the concept of national security, politicized economic issues, and abused export control measures, repeatedly taking unreasonable sanctions and suppression measures against a specific Chinese enterprise, a spokesperson for the ministry said in response to media inquiry on the reported cancellation. The spokesperson highlighted that the U.S. restrictions on exporting purely civilian consumer chip products to China and the implementation of a supply cut-off to a specific Chinese company represent a clear case of economic coercion. This approach not only contravenes World Trade Organization (WTO) rules but also severely harms the interests of U.S. companies, said the spokesperson. Furthermore, the spokesperson pointed out that the U.S. actions have significantly breached the commitment of not seeking to decouple from China and not hindering China's development, adding that these actions are also in stark contrast to the U.S. claim of precisely defining national security. The spokesperson said that China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240509/boeings-setbacks-show-why-us-industries-lose-competitive-edge-1118365315.html Boeing's Setbacks Show Why US Industries Lose Competitive Edge Boeing's Setbacks Show Why US Industries Lose Competitive Edge Sputnik International Boeing's problems keep piling up. The company faces a new inquiry over B787 Dreamliner safety inspections and is feeling the blowback from sanctions on Russia. 2024-05-09T19:47+0000 2024-05-09T19:47+0000 2024-05-09T19:48+0000 us world russia china federal aviation administration (faa) united launch alliance (ula) congress starliner international space station (iss) boeing https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107619/76/1076197642_45:0:1602:876_1920x0_80_0_0_551adc0de4ba59a0726b4eedb8e28f9a.jpg Passengers and crew members have been evacuated from a Corendon Airlines Boeing 737-800 after one of the plane's tyres burst during landing in Turkey.The accident occurred on Thursday at Gazipasa, an airport near the Turkish town of Alanya. It was the third serious incident involving one of the aviation giant's aircraft in just two days, the Daily Mail noted.Bad news has dogged Boeing for the past few years, undermining its profits and driving down its share price.Earlier this week, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) opened a new probe into whether the Seattle-based corporation broke rules during inspections of its long-haul B787 Dreamliner passenger jet, and whether its employees falsified aircraft records.The FAA announced last month that Boeing had "voluntarily" revealed that some of its employees had not performed required tests to confirm adequate bonding and grounding of the fasteners connecting the wings to the fuselage, and had then falsely reported the checks had been completed.Quoting a source familiar with the issue, CBS News said as many as 450 aircraft could be affected, including around 60 airframes still on the production line. According to the FAA, the aircraft still in Boeing's possession are undergoing re-inspection, while the company maintains that the reported "misconduct" would not pose an "immediate safety-of-flight issue."Whistleblowers Raise Alarm Over Boeing Aircraft DefectsThe FAA's latest inquiry comes on the heels of a US Congressional investigation into the safety culture and manufacturing standards at Boeing. Sam Salehpour, a Boeing quality engineer, told Congress last month that the industrial giant was cutting corners to speed up production which is fraught with acute safety risks.The whistle-blower also complained that Boeing employees raising red flags over quality issues were "ignored, marginalized, threatened, sidelined and worse." He told Congress that he was afraid of being subjected to "physical violence" after exposing the aerospace corporation's flaws.Two other Boeing whistleblowers, Joshua Dean, former quality auditor at Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems, and John "Mitch" Barnett, a former Boeing employee, passed away in May and March, respectively. Dean died after a short illness, while Barnett was found dead in an apparent suicide.Barnett and Dean both raised the alarm over manufacturing defects in Boeing's 737 Max and other planes, after a series of crashes involving the aircraft.In January, all 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes were temporarily grounded by the FAA after a door panel blew out on an Alaska Airlines flight. The same month, an oxygen leak was discovered on board a Boeing 737. Remarkably, the aircraft was scheduled to carry US Secretary of State Antony Blinken from the Davos World Economic Forum.At least ten more whistle-blowers, including former and current employees, are ready to testify against the aerospace company, the Independent reported, quoting lawyers for both Dean and Barnett.US Russia Sanctions Backfired on BoeingEarlier this month, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Boeing is facing a new problem stemming from anti-Russia sanctions, imposed by the US over Moscow's special operation in Ukraine. As a result, the industrial giant cannot deliver enough B787 Dreamliners.According to the WSJ, the trouble was caused by a lack of heat exchangers temperature-regulating parts for the B787 which were previously produced in Russia. Even though the production was shifted to the US and the UK, new factories have proven incapable of keeping up with demand.Boeing's inability to obtain enough heat exchangers disrupted the pace of Dreamliner manufacturing. The company was forced to warn investors that it will not deliver as many planes as anticipated this year. American Airlines blamed Dreamliner delays for its decision to suspend some international and long-haul flights this year and next.Boeing also severed ties with a major Russian titanium supplier and halted selling spare parts and maintenance services to Russian airlines that operate its passenger planes.The WSJ admitted that US anti-Russia sanctions significantly backfired on Boeing and jet manufacturing in general, naming Russia "a big player in the global aerospace supply chain."Boeing's Starliner Launch ScrubbedBoeing's space mission also faced obstacles on May 7, with the first manned launch of the company's Starliner to the International Space Station (ISS) being postponed by US aerospace manufacturer United Launch Alliance (ULA).According to NASA, the reason for aborting the launch was the need "to complete data analysis on a pressure regulation valve on the liquid oxygen tank of the Atlas 54 rockets Centaur upper stage and determine whether it is necessary to replace the valve."NASA has reportedly re-scheduled the launch to May 17 at 6:16 p.m. ET to give time for technicians to replace the valve.Boeing Reflects US Manufacturing Industry FlawsCommenting on the scandals surrounding Boeing, Chinese daily newspaper Global Times alleged that the aerospace firm has suffered from "the loss of skilled engineering talent and the reckless outsourcing of production processes to cut costs" over the past few decades. However, the core problem lies in the industrial giant's shift it priorities from safety to profit, while cashing in on the reputation it had gained in previous decades, according to the daily.While the US is currently accusing China of disrupting its "re-industrialization" efforts, America's problems are homegrown, the newspaper pointed out. It added that Boeing is not the only American company to have compromised its standards for the sake of financial gains. The Chinese report advised US producers not to blame others for losing their competitive edge. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240506/boeing-locks-out-us-firefighter-union-amid-wage-battle-1118278469.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240502/strange-coincidence-another-boeing-whistleblower-dies-after-sudden-illness-1118221422.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240503/boeing-struggles-to-ramp-up-production-of-787-jets-due-to-us-sanctions-on-russia---reports-1118244916.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240507/first-manned-launch-of-starliner-spacecraft-to-iss-postponed---united-launch-alliance-1118300821.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240229/many-chances-for-human-error-embarrassing-boeing-report-reveals-lack-of-safety-and-mistrust--1117045147.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240406/outgoing-boeing-ceo-bags-33-million-pay-off-despite-b737-max-accidents-1117777062.html russia china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova b787, dreamliner, boeing 737 max, faa probe into boeing, congressional probe into boeing's safety and manufacturing standards, boeing whistleblowers, anti-russia sanctions backfired on boeing, boeing space mission delayed over technical issues https://sputnikglobe.com/20240509/hapless-president-biden-caught-between-unhappy-base-unrepentant-israel-1118344791.html Hapless President Biden Caught Between Unhappy Base, Unrepentant Israel Hapless President Biden Caught Between Unhappy Base, Unrepentant Israel Sputnik International The US president has suffered politically while trying to satisfy both the Israel lobby and its critics, solidifying perceptions of his weakness and impotence. 2024-05-09T02:56+0000 2024-05-09T02:56+0000 2024-05-09T02:56+0000 analysis middle east joe biden hasan unal benjamin netanyahu israel rafah palestine hamas israel defense forces (idf) https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/06/0b/1096227607_0:28:595:362_1920x0_80_0_0_ee018d7e7646b0aa655a6d19f9b2235f.jpg Six months out from Novembers election, US President Joe Biden continues to flounder on a key foreign policy issue.We've made clear our views about operations in Rafah that could potentially put more than a million innocent people at greater risk, said White House spokesman John Kirby Monday. [Biden] also made clear that 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.Days later, the IDFs operation in the southern Gazan city of Rafah continues with no apparent progress on a deal to bring it to an end.The incident is characteristic of the White Houses relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claimed analyst Hasan Unal, which leaves the US president with the impossible task of attempting to please both pro-Palestine elements in his party and Israels far-right leadership. The professor of political science and international relations at Bashkent University joined Sputniks Fault Lines program Wednesday to discuss these latest developments and their strategic and humanitarian implications.I think Israel would've wanted to see Hamas rejecting any deal on that, said Unal after reports emerged the Palestinian group had accepted a proposal negotiated with the help of the US, Egypt and Qatar. That would have cleared the way for Israel, particularly the Netanyahu government, to undertake that awful military operation in Rafah It has certainly placed Israel in a very difficult corner in that sense. So Hamas has won the tactical game.Unal recounted the United States efforts to rein in Israel in the past, such as during 1956s Suez Crisis in which the US, the Soviet Union, and international authorities ordered Israel to end its occupation of Egyptian territory in the Sinai Desert. The US again forced Israel into a compromise during the 1978 signing of the Camp David Accords and once again when former President Ronald Reagan ordered the country to end its bombing of Beirut in 1982.In 1991 US Secretary of State James Baker succeeded in delaying US loan guarantees to Israel until it agreed to pause illegal settlement building in Gaza and the West Bank. Baker and former President George H.W. Bush faced strident opposition for the move from AIPAC and other pro-Israel interests.Bush lost reelection the following year, and US leaders have shown little willingness to challenge Israel ever since.But host Jamarl Thomas claimed Bidens efforts to assuage Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have apparently won him little favor as the US president is caught between a dissatisfied base and an Israeli leadership that seems to regard him with contempt.He's not getting credit from Israel for all the support he's given, said Thomas. I mean that deranged speech that he gave yesterday as they are killing all these I was watching pictures of babies hanging out of buildings from that attack and Joe Biden, at the exact same time, goes out and gives a speech bringing up the Holocaust as if what happened 50, 60 years ago justifies a genocide that's happening now.He's trying to do two things at once and is accomplishing neither.He's not a good juggler, Unal agreed. He looks terribly confused as to what to do from the very beginning Israel doesn't take the Biden administration seriously.Beijing brokered a meeting of officials from Hamas and Fatah recently, attempting to achieve reconciliation between the two major groups representing Palestinian interests. Moscow hosted a similar summit in February, insisting on a solution to the long-running Palestine-Israel conflict with support from within the Arab world.When Israel and Iran traded strikes against each other in April, the United States reportedly called for China to use its influence to prevent Tehran from retaliating for the attack on its consulate in Damascus. Observers noted that the incident demonstrates the rising influence of Moscow and Beijing as the United States hapless leader struggles to project power globally. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240508/white-house-does-not-think-israel-crossed-red-line-with-rafah-operation--reports-1118326319.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240127/insanity-on-steroids-ex-us-official-describes-israel-neocon-nexus-driving-foreign-policy-1116423242.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240422/sponsor-of-tiktok-ban--iran-palestine-sanctions-gets-1400-bump-in-aipac-donations-1118047522.html israel rafah palestine egypt qatar china russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg biden palestine-israel conflict, biden caught between pro israel pro palestine, biden israel leadership, biden netanyahu relationship, biden struggling israel palestine issue, biden weakness israel, biden influence over israel, us influence over israel, israel influence in united states, civilian casualties, killings of civilians, rafah assault, attack on rafah, rafah strikes, weak president, weak biden, israel manipulates the us https://sputnikglobe.com/20240509/hard-times-for-us-soft-power-projection-in-africa-1118346857.html Hard Times for US Soft Power Projection in Africa Hard Times for US Soft Power Projection in Africa Sputnik International The United States heavy handed attempts to force African countries to cut ties with Russia may be backfiring, according to one observer. 2024-05-09T04:16+0000 2024-05-09T04:16+0000 2024-05-09T04:52+0000 analysis linwood tauheed joe biden patrice lumumba russia china gallup africa insight west africa sahel region https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/05/09/1118347282_0:199:2000:1324_1920x0_80_0_0_4a2a90cd50d51a3c46e7dc9de1ce7634.jpg New polling from Gallup suggests Beijing is increasingly gaining favor across Africa while perceptions of Washington fall.The data shows China pulling ahead of the US with 58% of respondents holding a positive view of the country. The figure was driven in large part by improvements in the perception of Beijing in Western African nations, where China has invested heavily in infrastructure projects as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. The countrys approval rating stands at a stellar 80% in Cote dIvoire, for example, 77% in Guinea and 67% in Benin.Russia also saw an improvement in perceptions of its leadership with its median approval rating rising above 75% in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Chad.Expert Linwood Tauheed suggested the decline in the United States favorability may be a response to heavy handed attempts by the Biden administration to convince countries to cut ties with Russia amid its campaign to liberate subjects of the Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics in the Donbass.Tauheed joined Sputniks The Critical Hour program Wednesday to discuss the development and Washingtons historical policy towards the African continent.A recent analysis by Responsible Statecraft found that 15 African military officers who received training in the United States took part in 12 recent coups across the continent. The US has been criticized for its role in overthrowing a number of prominent historical African leaders such as Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba.Niger and Burkina Faso and Mali the Sahel countries have forced the French out, he added, noting several West African countries expulsion of French troops in recent months. And now, the US is also being forced out.One wonders why the US mainstream media is surprised by the fact that the African countries want these countries, these exploiters, to leave, said Tauheed. Connecting it in a sense with soft power soft power is defined as the ability to co-opt someone else, that is to turn their interest into your interests. The idea of soft power, which is what the US is saying it is projecting, is simply another word for hard power in a soft shell.Host Garland Nixon suggested the US purported defense of democracy is cover for other motivations, quoting from a Politico article that noted, US officials have tried to maintain diplomatic relations with those countries many of which have vast natural resources in an effort to one day resume military and other financial support.I think if you dig below the surface, you can learn a lot from that, he suggested.The United States has increasingly found itself in a global battle for resources as it competes with China in the development of artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and other technologies. Rare-earth magnets are one particular component that has drawn attention in recent years as the United States bans the use of Chinese magnets in US military equipment. The race to develop Western replacements puts pressure on the United States to lock down supplies of various rare earth elements.The imperative of combating terrorism has represented another aspect of the United States soft power pitch in recent decades, with the country attempting to maintain a foothold in the Sahel under the pretense of fighting armed groups such as Boko Haram.Some African countries have instead opted to partner with Russias Wagner Group, a private mercenary organization. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240427/north-african-countries-expel-western-military-presence-1118136389.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240427/withdrawal-from-chad-and-niger-foreshadows-collapse-of-us-hegemony-1118139311.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230929/putin-instructs-wagner-groups-ex-chief-of-staff-to-form-volunteer-units-1113789215.html russia china west africa sahel region niger mali burkina faso cote d'ivoire guinea benin chad north africa Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg us africa ties, us africa soft power, africa perceptions of us, africa perception of china, africa perception of russia, russia wagner group, us africa counterterrorism, us africa natural resources, us africa resource extraction, us africa democracy, us africa coups, biden power is soft https://sputnikglobe.com/20240509/israeli-officials-claim-hamas-loves-biden-and-that-us-wants-tel-aviv-to-lose-amid-rafah-row-1118362863.html Israeli Officials Claim Hamas Loves Biden and That US Wants Tel Aviv to Lose Amid Rafah Row Israeli Officials Claim Hamas Loves Biden and That US Wants Tel Aviv to Lose Amid Rafah Row Sputnik International President Biden confirmed Wednesday that reports on US plans to halt heavy weapons deliveries to Israel if it proceeds with a full-scale invasion of the refugee-filled Gaza city of Rafah were true. The unprecedented step underscores US concerns that continued full-throated American support for Tel Aviv may cost Biden reelection in November. 2024-05-09T15:58+0000 2024-05-09T15:58+0000 2024-05-09T15:59+0000 world joe biden benjamin netanyahu itamar ben-gvir us israel tel aviv rafah hamas israel defense forces (idf) https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/04/14/1118027640_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_c97846ad0db3945d31ac3e48651e21b7.jpg Israeli officials have offered unusually frank, no-holds-barred assessments of what they really think of the United States and its officials now that the Biden administration has threatened to block the transfer of military aid to Tel Aviv over the IDFs plans to invade the Gaza city of Rafah.Brigadier General Amir Avivi, the chairman of the Israel Defense and Security Forum, echoed Ben-Gvirs cathartic approach, accusing Washington of wanting Israel to lose the war in Gaza.Urging Tel Aviv to ignore Washingtons concerns, and to achieve the goals of the war, Avivi said the current conflict is not just about Gaza, but Israels ability and readiness to stand strong against Lebanon, Hezbollah, Iran and Syria and Iraq-based militias.The generals comments were echoed by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who, without mentioning Biden or the US by name, vowed that Israel would achieve [its] goals in the north and south in a message both to Israels enemies and best friends.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered similar understated criticism of the US administration, posting an excerpt to X from a speech he gave earlier this week in which he said that Israel is confronting enemies bent on our destruction, and has told leaders of the world no amount of pressure, no decision from any international forum, will stop Israel from defending itself, even if Tel Aviv has to stand alone.Israels security and war cabinets are expected to meet Thursday evening to determine Israels response to Washingtons decision on weapons. An anonymous official told the Times of Israel that the response is likely to echo sentiments expressed by Netanyahu in a telephone call with Biden on Monday in which the Israeli leader said Israel would fight with our fingernails if we have to. Israel is also working through a number of channels to pressure the administration into reversing its decision, the official said, without elaborating on what these channels were or where they were located.The spate of criticism comes in the wake of President Bidens television interview Wednesday in which he confirmed that he has taken measures to stop the delivery of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel over the IDFs habit of using them against Gazas cities.Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers, Biden said in an interview with CNN.Israel began its advance into Rafah on Monday after rejecting a ceasefire proposed by Hamas. The city, situated in southern Gaza on the border with Egypt, is the strips main source of humanitarian aid, and hosts over a million Gazans, the vast majority of them refugees from other parts of the Strip. Israels 401st Brigade reported taking operational control of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing on Tuesday.Observers have expressed concerns that Israeli operations in the area threaten to dramatically escalate the death toll in Gaza, where over five percent of the pre-war population of 2.1 million people have been killed or wounded over the course of the seven-month war. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240509/launches-identified-from-area-of-rafah-toward-kerem-shalom-crossing---israel-defense-forces-1118348615.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240509/hapless-president-biden-caught-between-unhappy-base-unrepentant-israel-1118344791.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240509/its-indescribable-humanitarian-crisis-in-rafah-rapidly-unfolds-as-us-pauses-arms-shipment--1118343345.html israel tel aviv rafah Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov what's behind israel-us row, why are us and israel at odds https://sputnikglobe.com/20240509/may-9-parade-history-of-the-great-victory-1118339035.html May 9 Parade: History of the Great Victory May 9 Parade: History of the Great Victory Sputnik International On May 9, Moscow hosts an annual Victory Day Parade honoring the triumphant victory over the Nazi forces in the war that took over 20 million Soviet lives. 2024-05-09T06:00+0000 2024-05-09T06:00+0000 2024-05-09T06:00+0000 multimedia infographic great patriotic war wwii wwii victory day victory day victory day parade https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/05/08/1118340103_0:0:1280:720_1920x0_80_0_0_78d1af8b620d9fee014f24122a29db34.png For Russia and for the whole world, this solemn day is one of unparalleled tragedy and resounding victories. Over the four years of fierce battles within the Great Patriotic war (1941-1945), the Soviet Union's contribution to the final victory over the aggressors is hard to overestimate. The total victory in the bloodiest conflict in history culminated in the German Instrument of Surrender, signed on May 9. The immortal date that has been inscribed in Russian history and is widely celebrated with a spectacular military event. Victory Day is still very much alive in the memory of the Russian people, stretching across borders and down through the generations.Explore Sputniks infographic for more details. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International wwii victory, victory day parade, victory parade in moscow, great patriotic war https://sputnikglobe.com/20240509/russia-china-2024-trade-growth-overshadows-relevant-china-us-figures-1118348783.html Russia-China 2024 Trade Growth Overshadows Relevant China-US Figures Russia-China 2024 Trade Growth Overshadows Relevant China-US Figures Sputnik International Trade between China and Russia in January-April 2024 increased by 4.7% compared to the same period in 2023 and amounted to $75.581 billion, data from the Chinese General Administration of Customs showed on Thursday. 2024-05-09T06:32+0000 2024-05-09T06:32+0000 2024-05-09T06:32+0000 economy china russia us russia-china cooperation us-china relations us-china trade war https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0b/10/1115000361_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_6a4cabbeacaa576d99c5ee4f86e5b9c9.jpg In the said period, China exported goods to Russia worth $32.733 billion, a 1.9% decrease compared to the same period in 2023. Russia exported $43.847 billion worth of goods to China in January-April 2024, a 10.2% increase year-on-year. In April, Russia-China trade amounted to $19.764 billion, with China's exports to Russia amounting to $8.317 billion and China's imports from Russia amounting to $11.447 billion. China-US Trade in January-April 2024 Down 2.3% to $206.42BlnTrade between China and the United States in January-April 2024 decreased by 2.3% year-on-year and amounted to $206.42 billion, data from the Chinese General Administration of Customs showed on Thursday.In the said period, the US remained China's third largest trading partner, running behind the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union.China's exports to the US in the said period decreased by 1% and amounted to $151.928 billion, while the US exported $54.491 billion worth of goods to China, a 5.7% decrease compared to the same period in 2023.In April alone, China-US trade amounted to $56.403 billion, with the US exporting to China goods worth $14.583 billion and importing from China goods worth $41.819 billion.In 2023, China-US trade decreased by 11.6% year-on-year and amounted to $664.45 billion. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240507/china-working-to-mitigate-us-impact-on-trade-exchanges-with-russia---envoy-1118316417.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240507/us-assembles-squad-of-allies-to-counter-china-1118318135.html china russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia china trade, china us trade, russia china cooperation, russia china commercial ties https://sputnikglobe.com/20240509/russian-victory-day-fused-celebration-of-nazis-defeat-with-call-for-new-multipolar-world-order-1118362027.html Russian Victory Day Fused Celebration of Nazis Defeat With Call for New Multipolar World Order Russian Victory Day Fused Celebration of Nazis Defeat With Call for New Multipolar World Order Sputnik International The people of Russia and other former Soviet republics celebrated the sacred holiday of Victory Day on Thursday, complete with parades in major Russian cities and other solemn commemorations. Taking place against the backdrop of NATOs ongoing proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, this years festivities bore a special significance, analysts say. 2024-05-09T15:04+0000 2024-05-09T15:04+0000 2024-05-09T15:04+0000 analysis vladimir putin russia ukraine nazi red square nazism world war ii great patriotic war https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/05/09/1118355630_0:197:3072:1925_1920x0_80_0_0_577033e244d1f4478bf7c353f71346be.jpg We celebrate Victory Day in the context of the special military operation. All its members, those on the front line, along the line of contact, are our heroes, President Vladimir Putin said in a speech on Red Square in Moscow before columns of assembled troops and honored guests before the start of the parade dedicated to the 79th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.The Moscow parade was by far the largest in the country, with over 9,000 troops and 70 military vehicles taking part, but similar events took place across Russia, from Kamchatka in the Far East to Kaliningrad in the west. Troops from the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka garrison were already up and marching as Kaliningrad residents remained fast asleep, with the 10-hour difference between the territories highlighting Russias vast size. Overall, some 150,000 people and 2,500 pieces of military equipment paraded or held other Victory Day festivities to commemorate the common historical memory of the USSRs titanic struggle against Nazi Germany, its allies and the combined military and economic might of Nazi-occupied wartime Europe.We honor our fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers. They defended their native land and crushed Nazism, liberated the peoples of Europe, and reached the heights of military and labor valor, Putin said.Unfortunately, the Russian president added, part of the world today is witnessing efforts to rewrite history, distort the truth about World War II, forget the wars lessons, and the sacrifices made by the Soviet people, soldiers and partisans of the anti-Hitler coalition and those who fought Japanese militarism.Revanchism, the mockery of history, the desire to justify the modern followers of the Nazis are part of a general policy of Western elites to incite more and more regional conflicts, interethnic and interreligious hostility, and to restrain sovereign, independent centers of global development, Putin said, stressing that Russia fundamentally rejects claims of any state or alliance to exclusivity.Those Who Fail to Learn From History...Putin in his speech mentioned specifically the importance of remembering history and warned against the danger of those attempting to now rewrite that history, veteran geopolitical analyst and former US Marine Brian Berletic told Sputnik, commenting on the special significance of the Russian presidents words in light of the uncertain situation in the world today.The so-called US-led international order is predicated on Washingtons primacy over the globe and its assumption of impunity to do as it pleases wherever it pleases. It allows itself to uphold national security concerns on the other side of the planet, while denying other nations the ability to uphold national security concerns right along or even within their own borders, the former soldier said.The result of US elites vision of their country as an exclusive or exceptional nation in world affairs has created a lopsided global balance of power, in Berletics estimation, unleashing and fueling chaos and conflicts around the world, including on Russias borders.Staving Off Global Disaster of War and RenazificationWhile Western propaganda supports rearmament out of fear that Russia could trigger a conflict, even a nuclear one, President Putin emphasized the Russian military power as deterrence against such claims, Dr. Marco Marsili, a researcher at the Ca Foscari University of Venice and the Catholic University of Portugal, told Sputnik, highlighting what struck him about Thursdays Red Square speech.The Russian presidents comments about the dangers of Nazism returning to rear its ugly head are also vital, the Italian observer said, charactering Putins speech as a celebration of the heroes who fought against the Nazis in World War II to liberate the Motherland and Europe from this criminal scum.Clear Message to the WestThe military parade on Red Square sent an important message that the West shouldn't interfere in matters that Putin considers primarily Russian, Alexander Hill, a professor of military history at the University of Calgary in Canada, told Sputnik.The parade was obviously very symbolic. President Putin made a lot of links between the past and the present, the Canadian academic said. He talked a lot about being against Western exceptionalism and, of course, noted Western hypocrisy, although I thought it was a nice touch, actually, that he said quite recently that he's leaving the door open to negotiations as long as Russia is treated as an equal. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240509/full-video-putins-speech-at-the-victory-parade--1118355826.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240509/1118356188.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240109/china-to-promote-strategic-ties-with-russia-support-shift-towards-multipolarity--1116070993.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240506/nazi-forces-wanted-to-defeat-ussr-in-3-weeks-take-stalin-hostage-in-1941---documents-1118287707.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240509/victory-day-military-parade-full-video-1118355686.html russia ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov what is victory day, who won world war ii, why does russia hate nazism https://sputnikglobe.com/20240509/trade-turnover-between-russia--armenia-exceeds-record-7-billion---putin-1118342402.html Trade Turnover Between Russia & Armenia Exceeds Record $7 Billion - Putin Trade Turnover Between Russia & Armenia Exceeds Record $7 Billion - Putin Sputnik International Trade turnover between Russia and Armenia has exceeded a record $7 billion, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. 2024-05-09T00:05+0000 2024-05-09T00:05+0000 2024-05-09T03:59+0000 vladimir putin russia armenia russia trade cooperation nikol pashinyan eurasian economic union dmitry peskov kremlin https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/05/08/1118342242_0:0:3085:1736_1920x0_80_0_0_ecdf9f69fd6c3d9055d4d68539e5858b.jpg The trade turnover has reached more than $7 billion. There has never been such a volume in our trade and economic ties before, Putin said. Putin also claimed Moscow-Yerevan relations are developing very well, saying cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union is beneficial for both sides. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov highlighted that Russia is optimistic about its relations with Armenia. armenia russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia-armenia relations, russia-armenia ties, russia-armenia alliance, russia-armenia negotiations, russia-armenia friendship, russia-armenia talks, russia-armenia trade, putin-pashinyan talks, putin-pashinyan negotiations https://sputnikglobe.com/20240509/uae-investment-congress-marks-russias-eastward-shift-amid-brics-surge-1118361576.html UAE Investment Congress Marks Russia's Eastward Shift Amid BRICS Surge UAE Investment Congress Marks Russia's Eastward Shift Amid BRICS Surge Sputnik International The role of the newly-expanded BRICS is on course to grow in importance both economically and politically, Sergey Katyrin, President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Sputnik. 2024-05-09T14:11+0000 2024-05-09T14:11+0000 2024-05-09T14:11+0000 analysis russia brics russian chamber of commerce and industry western sanctions against russia https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/05/09/1118361260_0:107:3263:1942_1920x0_80_0_0_fc6ed7c481ca0da269a8019bb0d85b38.jpg The role of the newly-expanded BRICS is on course to grow in importance both economically and politically, Sergey Katyrin, president of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Sputnik.BRICS boasts a significant share of the global market in terms of population, territory size, economy, and production, Katyrin noted. He pointed out that one of the principal goals of the group is to foster integration processes, open up new opportunities in all areas, bring down administrative barriers and restrictions, and standardize production.Drawing attention to the fact that Western countries have "seriously limited" Russia's ability to do business with other countries, the official noted that there has been a marked "shift to the East."Because of the weaponized sanctions against it, Russia began to search for new partners and engage more actively with those with whom it had longstanding relations in Africa, the Arab world, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region.Currently, BRICS countries account for over 41% of Russia's foreign trade, while Asia-Pacific countries boast a share of over 70% of foreign trade turnover, Katyrin said, adding that the activity of Russian business in Arab countries is steadily increasing as well.This stance was echoed by chief executive officer of the Amman Stock Exchange, Mazen Wathaifi. The world is witnessing developments that, in one way or another, affect the field of investment in various countries, especially in the Arab countries. These circumstances are primarily related to the Ukrainian crisis, the war in Gaza and the escalation in the Red Sea, he told Sputnik on the sidelines of AIM 2024.The world is witnessing developments that, in one way or another, affect the field of investment in various countries, especially in the Arab countries. These circumstances are primarily related to the Ukrainian crisis, the war in Gaza and the escalation in the Red Sea, he told Sputnik.Some 12 thousand people from more than 170 countries are taking part in the 2024 AIM Congress. The businessmen, economists, investment experts, and government delegations had arrived to take part in business meetings, seminars and sessions from May 7 to 9. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240317/yemen-brics-cooperation-aims-to-disrupt-unipolar-world-houthi-official-says-1117382891.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240418/colombia-interested-in-joining-brics-as-soon-as-possible---statement-1117988423.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko brics, brics expansion, brics enlargement, bics development, multipolar world, russia's brics presidency, what countries are in brics, what does brics do, new brics members, brics economy, brics vs g7 https://sputnikglobe.com/20240509/us-has-no-right-to-criticize-israel-after-all-crimes-it-had-committed---milley-1118363558.html US Has No Right to Criticize Israel After All Crimes It Had Committed - Milley US Has No Right to Criticize Israel After All Crimes It Had Committed - Milley Sputnik International Ex-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said on Thursday that he believes the US has no right to criticize Israel for its brutality in the Gaza Strip given the long list of war crimes committed throughout its history 2024-05-09T16:27+0000 2024-05-09T16:27+0000 2024-05-09T16:56+0000 world mark milley palestinians benjamin netanyahu israel joint chiefs of staff gaza strip palestine-israel conflict https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/101520/64/1015206412_0:78:1503:923_1920x0_80_0_0_ddb1166514772e6974e3eb9ca49fa80f.jpg "Before we all get self-righteous about what Israel is doing we shouldn't forget that we United States killed a lot of innocent people in Mosul, in Raqqa, that we the United States killed 12,000 innocent French civilians," Milley said at the Ash Carter Exchange on Innovation and National Security on Wednesday. "We destroyed 69 Japanese cities, not including Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We slaughtered people in massive numbers, innocent people who had nothing to do with their government, men, women and children." Milleys attempt to justify Israeli brutality in Gaza, where some 35,000 civilians have so far been killed in Israeli strikes, most of them women and children, comes amid mass student protests and accusations that the Biden administration is supporting the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. The US State Department continues to claim that Israels actions in Gaza do not amount to genocide and that the International Criminal Court has no jurisdiction over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and therefore has no right to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and other senior officials. On Monday, Israel started a military operation in the eastern parts of Rafah and took control of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt. The Palestinian movement Hamas said that it had agreed to the terms of the ceasefire deal proposed by the Egypt and Qatar mediators, but Netanyahu called the truce deal unacceptable. Some 1.4 million Palestinians are believed to be sheltering in Rafah. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240509/israeli-officials-claim-hamas-loves-biden-and-that-us-wants-tel-aviv-to-lose-amid-rafah-row-1118362863.html israel gaza strip Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us support to israel, israel-us relations, israeli genocide in gaza You are here: Business An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 2, 2024 shows an international container terminal of Tianjin Port in north China's Tianjin. [Photo/Xinhua] China's total goods imports and exports expanded 5.7 percent year on year in yuan terms in the first four months of this year, official data showed Thursday. The country's exports rose 4.9 percent year on year in the January-April period, while imports climbed 6.8 percent, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC). From January to April, the country's foreign trade in goods stood at 13.81 trillion yuan (1.95 trillion U.S. dollars). Exports reached 7.81 trillion yuan, while imports hit 6 trillion yuan. In April alone, the foreign trade soared 8 percent to 3.64 trillion yuan. The growth rate of imports and exports in the first four months has accelerated compared to the first quarter, and the scale has reached a new high in the same period in history, said Lyu Daliang, director of the GAC's Department of Statistics and Analysis. The consignment deadline for the 2024 Goshen Yearling Sale is Monday, June 17. The sale will be held on Monday, Sept. 9 at the Mark Ford Training Center in Middletown, New York. This years sale catalogue is filling up quickly and already has an outstanding group of New York-bred yearlings that are certain to draw a lot of attention and in turn, customers looking to buy. There is still time to be a part of the biggest New York-bred yearling sale in the state; however, June 17 will be the final day to enter consignments. The sales facility is located at 90 Slaughter Road, Middletown, New York, which is within a 90-minute drive of many major racetracks and training centers in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, making it a very convenient location. Everything you need to know about this years Goshen Yearling Sale is available on the sale's website at goshenyearlingsale.com including consignment forms, a catalogue request portal and hotel information for local lodging. For any other inquiries, contact Mark Ford directly at 973-568-3253 or by email at [email protected]. (Goshen Standardbred Horse Sales) When Grace Christian Academy opened its doors on Sept. 8, 2022, 24 students were enrolled. Today, 100 students are learning in its classrooms, and the preschool through grade 12 academy has outgrown its space. On the grounds of Freedom Tabernacle Church, work was proceeding a few weeks ago to get a building permit for six new classrooms. The schools growth is just one of the reasons school leaders are celebrating. This spring, the non-profit Association of Christian Teachers & Schools accredited the academy. The school had to be open a year before it could begin the accreditation review, which included in-depth on- and off-site reviews. This month, Grace Christian will graduate its first student, a young woman from Rural Retreat who plans to attend Emory & Henry College. The academy was Lori Deels vision. Just about every day when I walk down the hall, its surreal. Its proof of what you can do when you just trust Him, she said. The schools commitment to Christ is evident in every classroom. Frequently, students would stand and recite their biblical verse of the week for a visitor. When asked their favorite aspects of the school, one student declared that we learn about Jesus, while others focused on the kindness they experience and the lack of bullying in addition to their favorite subjects. The academy has added a preschool, so its youngest attendee is four and its oldest is 18. One class that was reading about bees had just listened to Flight of the Bumblebee, a classical music composition written in 1899-1900. Another class was learning about writing and had put their skills to use writing letters to missionaries in the U.S. and countries around the globe. While theyre writing, the students are also working to improve their cursive writing skills a penmanship style they begin learning early. One teacher posted a 4-year-olds paper on which shed written her name in cursive. Lesia Harris is the academys principal, who also teaches there. She worked in the public school system for 22 years before helping found Grace Christian Academy. Additionally, she serves as an adjunct faculty member at Virginia Highlands Community College. Teaching is my passion, she said, but Harris was ready to step into administration when the academy was preparing to open. The school, she said, was something this community direly needs. A proponent of a quite structured program, Harris said that characteristic is part of what makes Grace Christian Academy special. As well, she said, students know expectations and parents are on board with those expectations. At the academy, she said, students dont get by with misbehavior and, while bullying happens everywhere, Harris said, staff try their best to control it. The academy, she said, should be a safe place where students know theyre loved. Deel reflected on the level of respect students show to staff and their peers. She believes a church setting encourages them to have respect for the space and each other. The students work focuses on more than standard lessons. Harris noted that students regularly clean the church and help set up special events. They also recently picked up sticks on the church grounds so that mowing would be easier and safer. In addition to service, she said, students are taught social skills and life skills such as balancing a checkbook. Deel considers the life skills a key. Fourth and fifth graders are assigned classroom jobs for which theyre paid. However, if they dont do the tasks, they dont get any money. They learn about necessities like paying for rent and food, but also are urged to consider purchases from the treasure box, which holds goodies with values from $2 to $50. To buy one of the $50 items, they learn about saving. Deel noted that the school uses the Abeka curriculum, which ties lessons to biblical explanations. For example, she said students may learn about the solar system and planets in a science class, but also recognize those features as part of Gods unique creation. Harris emphasized the educators flexibility in their work. We dont have to teach to the test, she said. She noted that some students were recently able to take a virtual tour of Monticello one day as it came up in a lesson. Beyond math, English, and other traditional lessons, Deel said that Abeka also addresses personal development, being a good person. Abeka takes a conservative Christian approach, believing that the Bible is the verbally inspired and infallible, authoritative Word of God and that God gave the words of Scripture by inspiration without error in the original autographs, that God created the heavens and the earth in six literal days, and that Christs blood, shed on Calvary, is the only Atonement for mans sin, according to the companys website. Deel and Freedom Tabernacle Pastor Mike Sage also celebrate that Sheffey College School of Christian Ministry has also been established on the churchs grounds. In its inaugural academic year, it is offering associate and bachelor level programs designed to train pastors, missionaries, and Christian school teachers among others. Students could foreseeably start at Grace and finish their education through Sheffey College. As the school needs additional teachers, Deel said, We can grow our own. Sage noted that Christian education is flourishing across the country and numerous opportunities exist. In Virginia, Deel said, Christian education grew 5% last year. Deel, who served as Smyth Countys economic development director and as a member of the Board of Supervisors, said shes ever aware of the need for a well-equipped workforce. As such, Grace is working with area community colleges to set up dual-enrollment classes, while also developing partnerships with local businesses to develop internships. She noted that Custom Air is working with the school to set up internships and apprenticeships. With those programs, Deel said, We can create a workforce pipeline. We want them to fulfill their purpose what God created them to do, she said. Sage reflected, Its all about the children and the next generation. It was in 2010 when she was working in youth ministry that the vision of establishing a Christian school came to Deel. She saw the need in the community and as she became a mother and her daughter was approaching kindergarten age, she knew it was time to start. The places where God put me helped build this, Deel said. Sage believes the academy will only continue to grow. Were touching lives for the good, he said, noting that the church is fixing up another area of its property for potential growth. Sage and Deel both praised Smyth County School Systems leaders. While those leaders are phenomenal, Deel said, I believe families want a choice. Sage expressed concern about bullying and discipline in public schools and philosophical differences about the approach to many cultural changes. While Smyth County isnt Northern Virginia, Sage some of the trends are sad and heart wrenching. The parents of Grace Christian students are still paying taxes that help fund public schools, Sage observed. An education, he said, is the greatest investment you will ever make in your children. He and Deel agreed that families make sacrifices to send their children to a private Christian school. Families choose between Christian education and a vacation or other larger expenses. It is a sacrifice for most of us, she said. When the school opened in 2022, tuition was $5,500 a year, covering teachers salaries, curriculum, books, supplies, and related costs. The academy benefits from its relationship with Freedom Tabernacle, which doesnt charge the school for the use of its space, Deel noted. That space includes a full-size gym, a softball field, a cafeteria, and the fellowship hall. The church also works with the academy to put on Easter and Christmas plays, which involve the students youngest to the oldest, with the arts, she said. Without the church, Deel said, the academy as it is wouldnt be possible. In addition, Kidz at Play Therapy brings its therapists to the academy to provide physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Deel said that partnership has great benefits for the students. Looking down the road, Harris also sees more growth ahead for the academy. God is leading, she said, and, Were passionate. Two months ago, a couple of shows popped up on my radar out of nowhere. Dethklok. BABYMETAL. Dragonforce. Nekrogoblikon. That's a lot of names, and they were all coming to San Francisco in some sort of unholy collision. This would be a new extension of the Babyklok tour that I finished last fall. I went to both of the finale shows at Los Angeles' YouTube Theater, and now we're back for more. Dethklok had already planned to wind their way across America accompanied by DragonForce and Nekrogoblikon. BABYMETAL announced that they would be at the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas. There was a distinct gap in the schedule and these two new Babyklok shows would fit that void with San Francisco's The Masonic as the venue. Previously, San Francisco was notably absent from the tour stops and I had just assumed it was another case of us being skipped in lieu of Los Angeles. Today's article is brought to you by an airplane and a hotel in Tokyo. On Friday morning after the second of the Babyklok concerts, I had to zip away to the airport and go back to Japan. Didn't I just come back from Japan? Correct. And here we are, because I have Ado to see. I actually did a lot of photo editing on the plane as I had to send off photos, eventually finishing up and getting them on their way after regaining my internet connection in Tokyo's Haneda Airport after clearing immigrations. I'll be doing more feelings than cold hard facts today, as I already did that on the previous show's coverage. A little different than my usual concert reports. Check out the previous concert report for a more in-depth article. The sound seemed better than it was at YouTube Theater last year. This might be for various reasons, but if I had to guess, it's because the Masonic was designed as an old-school theater with a focus on acoustics as opposed to a modern performance venue. Built in the 50s, it is used primarily as a concert venue but also serves as the annual meeting location of the California Freemasons. There was a bit of flip-flopping in the schedule. Much like the Los Angeles shows, BABYMETAL closed on one night, and Dethklok the other. The openers switched too, with DragonForce leading on the first night, and Nekrogoblikon the second. Night one was sold out and it felt like it. The place was packed. Night two still had a lot of people but there was noticeably more room to move (and the merch line was a lot less intimidating). On the first night, it went up the stairs and midway into the second floor. On night two, it only went halfway up the stairs. BABYMETAL had brought out a few new designs. They only had the two Masonic show dates and the Sick New World date on the back. This might be all we see of them in America for 2024 as they have a lot of European festival dates lined up. Let me go over the newcomers to the Babyklok tour: DragonForce is a band all about speed. Formed in Britain by Herman Li and Sam Totman back in 1999, they have a penchant for going as fast as possible. They've even described themselves as "video game music," and if you've never heard it, that descriptor matches perfectly. Li and Totman's turbo playing gets to the point where it sounds like bleeps and boops, much like what you would find from 8-bit video games. They really play into the "video game" aesthetic with arcade machine cabinet risers. Rounding out the band is bassist Alicia Vigil, drummer Gee Anzalione, and vocalist Marc Hudson. Vigil is the newest to the band and replaced longtime bassist Frederic Leclercq after his departure to thrash metal band Kreator. DragonForce actually has a total of four guitarists on stage with Li, Totman, and Vigil being joined by Billy Wilkins. Wilkins has traveled with DragonForce around the world as a touring member through Europe and America. He first caught their eye by covering some of their songs with his own brand of shredding. Due to the length of DragonForce's songs, they were only able to put up five for the set. They led off with "Fury of the Storm" from their second album, Sonic Firestorm, and "Cry Thunder" from The Power Within. For the band's third song they played the Legend of Zelda-based "Power of the Triforce" and had an inflatable chicken that bounced its way around the crowd. The fourth song, "Doomsday Party," is a fun little song that blends their music with a bit of 80s electronica flare. Both of these songs are from their newest album, 2024's Warp Speed Warriors. I'll have to catch them on a proper tour where they can have a full set. Half an hour barely scratches DragonForce's surface. Their most known song is by far 2005's "Through the Fire and the Flames," and they closed with that. This is basically the song that put DragonForce on the map and in everyone's minds. It's kind of hard to believe that it's almost twenty years old at this point. And did they play fast? Yes, they played damn fast. DragonForce is guaranteed to put on a show that makes you wonder why their fingers don't catch on fire. Li and Totman have perfected their craft. For night two we had Nekrogoblikon, who first formed in 2006. As the name might suggest, there's a big goblin theme going on, and we even have an onstage goblin in the form of John Goblikon. Strangely enough, the goblin handles the clean vocals. You would think otherwise, given that he's a goblin and all. I never thought I'd see a goblin running on stage humping things (he air-humped a drum kit at one point and the back of a security guard's head at another), but here we are. He also apparently eats his poop as part of theatrics and tells you about it. Tonight it "tasted like the streets of San Francisco," which makes sense, because we've got a lot of poop out there. It's bad enough that you have to walk around looking both forward and down so you don't step in something. Much of the set list came from their newer albums, 2022's The Fundamental Slimes and Humours and 2018's Welcome to Bonkers which count "Bones," "This is It," and "Darkness" amongst their tracks. The band did include older songs like "No One Survives" and "Powercore." "Dressed as Goblins" has a definite link to Metalocalypse as its music video was directed by Brendon Small himself. Seeing Nekrogoblikon was actually a lot of fun, all things considered. Dethklok played first on night one. Their setlist was more or less the same as on the previous leg of the Babyklok tour, with the exception being the addition of "Mutilation on a Saturday Night" and "Castratikron." "The Gears" is still one of my favorite Dethklok songs and I always love seeing it. Still absent is "Dethharmonic." One of my friends, who is quite a pit fiend, came across a little disappointed by last year's crowd in Los Angeles. He wanted a pit, and it was found lacking. I'm glad to report that San Francisco made up for that and then some. The San Francisco Bay Area is, after all, one of the homes of thrash metal, with Metallica, Testament, Death Angel, and Exodus, among many others, springing up during that time period. The pit was largely contained to the rear of the lowest floor in the venue and people were really getting into it. For safety purposes of those who don't want to take part, one should probably be on the raised tiers (where they also have convenient seating and drink service) or on the balcony. Even when you're not in the pit itself, you're still squashed against the sides as the pit needs room to exist, which I'm sure many a Babymetal fan learned the hard way if they have never been to a show with a proper pit before. Shout out to the Masonic for also allowing crowdsurfers. Not all venues are okay with that. No stage diving though. Brendon Small provides many of the voices for Dethklok and towards the end of the set he had a bit of back and forth using those voices. Something that Nathan Explosion said that really resonated with me was, "We both tip the same pizza into the same ranch dressing." You know what? He's right. "Those fuckers who came for Babymetal must be really confused right now." At the end of every Dethklok set, they play John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads," which the crowd sang along to with great aplomb. I'll be honest, I haven't been to West Virginia in a good 20 plus years, but it's still fun to participate, and almost everyone seems like they know it. BABYMETAL closed out night one. Like Dethklok, the set was also more or less the same as the previous leg with a few songs shuffled here and there. The leading three were "BABYMETAL DEATH," "Distortion," and "PA PA YA!!" "BABYMETAL DEATH" is the traditional live opening song for the band ever since their beginning. Pitch black, with a strong focus on red, makes for challenging shooting but a good live show. I don't remember "MAYA" going so hard the last time I saw BABYMETAL, but I'm all for it. The long electronica lead-in was a nice touch. Much the same with Dethklok, the pit went hard. I even saw a big guy get absolutely trucked in one of the circle pits after he unwisely stopped moving. Even if you're tired, get to safety. Don't just stop in the middle. He was helped up (such is pit etiquette), but I'm sure it wasn't the most welcome thing to have happen. The latter part of the set is "the throw back section." "Megitsune" is the song that got me into BABYMETAL so I'm glad it's still a part of their sets. "Gimme Chocolate," which is what a lot of others learned about BABYMETAL from, was naturally also part of the set. "Headbanger" is all about a young female student who goes and headbangs at rock and metal shows, and as someone who grew up doing just that, I can relate to it. Japan's abundant music venues, cheap youth tickets, and expansive train network means that even young teens can make their way to shows. I had to either take BART or get dropped off by my parents, haha. One thing that a lot of people were hoping for was a live performance of BABYMETAL and DragonForce for the song "Road of Resistance." The two groups collaborated on it many years ago and it's become a mainstay song of their sets. It's also one of the ones where you can definitely count on a pit. The long introduction lends itself well to a wall of death, and San Francisco was happy to oblige. The wall was a little small due to the tiered nature of the venue not lending itself well to a larger one, but we make do. Sadly, no Herman Li or the rest of DragonForce. I feel this was a missed opportunity because you had both DragonForce and BABYMETAL in the same venue on the same night, and as the last song, it would have really capped things off for an amazing finish. BABYMETAL has one more show on this trip and will perform at the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas. They then return home to Japan for FOX_FEST at Saitama Super Arena towards the end of May, which also happens to be during FanimeCon, so I will not be attending. They've got numerous festival appearances already queued up like ROCK AM RING, Greenfield Festival, Download Festival, Nova Rock Festival, Graspop, Pinkpop, Rock in Roma, HELLFEST, and Resurrection Fest, all in Europe. They'll also be making an appearance at SUMMER SONIC BANGKOK 2024. There are a couple of headline shows like at Netherlands' AFAS Live, Poland's Warsaw, and France's Zenith. Fingers crossed we might see them back in America for the latter portion of the year but they might also take some time to get back in the lab and create new music. Their latest album, "The Other One," was released in 2023 and they spent much of that year in support of it. Dethklok continues their Mutilation on a Spring Night tour with DragonForce and Nekrogoblikon. They'll be stopping by Washington, Montana, Idaho, and finally Oregon, so you still have a few more days to see them. The tour itself wraps up on May 3 in Portland. More Kelso students are eating school lunches thanks to a program that allows all students to receive free meals, as well as what district leaders say is tastier, healthier food. Kelso already focuses on local, fresh ingredients, while the federal government is planning to lower salt and sugar levels at schools across the country. The Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction receives federal funding that provide state school districts with free ingredients like bison, salmon, beef and raspberries sourced from Washington producers. Kelso joined the program for the first time this year. Fridays lunch options at Kelso High School included a meal of bison and lentil chili, cornbread topped with honey butter and unlimited servings of fresh fruit and vegetables. Although the new recipe caused some confusion a few students had questions like whats a bison? many still queued up to try it, rather than sticking with more familiar options like pizza and chicken burgers. Theyve been responding better than we even anticipated, Nutrition Services Supervisor Kaydee Harris said. More lunches served The district sources rolls from Kalama Sourdough Bakery, and works with produce vendors to ensure that fruits and vegetables come from local farmers whenever possible. New recipes developed using these ingredients include the bison chili, bison meatloaf and a teriyaki salmon bowl. The districts Nutritional Services team develops new recipes over the summer which are piloted with summer school students and staff, then added to the menu. Lunch menus rotate on a six-week cycle to provide variety, with the exception of nachos, which are offered every Thursday. And students take notice. They work so hard to make everyone happy, senior Soren Guttormsen said. Along with the rotating the main cafeteria line, students have the option of grab-and-go meals like wraps; a grill line that serves cheeseburgers and chicken burgers; a sandwich line where they can choose their own ingredients; and salads and pizza. But since the local options started, Harris said the district has seen a big increase in students choosing the main-line dishes over other options like burgers. Overall, more students are eating the schools meals, as opposed to packing. Over the last three years, the district reports seeing a 24% increase in total lunches served and a 105% increase in breakfast. The high school cafeteria has gone from serving around 600 meals each day to 800 or more, Harris said. Thats partly because the district has received free lunches for every student during that time thanks to COVID relief, then the federal Community Eligibility Provision, the latter of which allows districts with high percentages of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch to offer meals to all students free of cost. Guttormsen said he used to bring lunch from home and would sometimes supplement it with school lunches, but transitioned to mostly eating school lunches after they became free because it was more convenient and he enjoys the daily specials. You dont see people bringing home lunch much anymore, he said. The lunchroom has also switched from offering pre-cupped fruits to fruit and salad bars. Where the fruit cups had to be limited due to the labor involved in preparing them, students can now eat as many fruits and vegetables as they want. Serving sizes vary greatly between students, with some taking none and others preferring large helpings to bulk up their meals, but it averages out to about one cup per person, Harris said. National standards The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced upcoming changes to nutritional standards last month that would require schools to further reduce added sugars and sodium in their meals. The changes, which are set to be implemented gradually between fall 2025 and fall 2027, allow less added sugar in cereal, yogurt and milk. They also require schools to reduce sodium content in breakfast by 10% and in lunch by 15%. Many of these changes will need to happen at the manufacturing level rather than the school level, though schools will also have to re-examine their own recipes, Harris said. For example, issues like producers adding saline solution to chicken would affect how much salt the school is able to add later in the cooking process. Nutritional standards for school meals can be a careful balancing act between keeping food healthy and making it taste good. Its already difficult for school meals to compete with home lunches featuring things like Doritos, which are less healthy but more flavorful and appealing to children, especially younger ones, Harris said. School cooks can add other herbs and spices, but that cant always salvage an undersalted meal. Its a double-edged sword, because you need salt to bring out that flavor, Harris said. You are here: China A 10,000-tonne-class sea-going vessel arrived in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Wednesday, becoming the first ship of its size to sail into the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. The Innovation 5, carrying over 5,000 tonnes of food, departed from Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in the eastern coastal province of Zhejiang on April 24. It traveled via the Chongqing-Zhoushan river-sea direct route, which links directly the municipality in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River with the sea. During its voyage, the recently designed ship passed through the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydropower project, in the upper stream of the Yangtze. Due to draft requirements, it is difficult for 10,000-tonne-class ships to pass through the dam. Thanks to the Chongqing-Zhoushan river-sea direct route, the transportation time between harbors in Chongqing and Ningbo-Zhoushan Port has been shortened by about 20 days compared with traditional river-sea intermodal transportation. GalaxEye, a space-tech startup and the first Indian company having a focus on earth observation satellites, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), an autonomous agency under the Department of Space of the Government of India. This collaboration is formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in Ahmedabad. The MoU was signed on May 1st, 2024 in Ahmedabad at IN-SPACe facility, in the presence of Dr. Pawan Goenka (Chairman), Dr. PK Jain(Director), Dr. Rajeev Jyoti (Director), and Pranav Singh (Deputy Director) from IN-SPACe, Kishan Thakkar, Founding Member and VP Engineering, GalaxEye and Dr. Deb Jyoti Pal (Senior Vice President) and Raageshver Sood (Lead Spacecraft Systems Engineer) from GalaxEye. GalaxEye became the first beneficiary of IN-SPACes top-notch coworking as well as testing space based in Ahmedabad through the partnership. The partnership further facilitates the utilization of ISROs top-of-the-range laboratories and testing facilities. In 2023, GalaxEye built Indias first indigenous drone equipped with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and is now working on building Indias first private constellation of Earth Observation satellites. The company is looking at launching its first satellite to be called Drishti Mission within a year from now, which will be Indias first and the worlds highest-resolution multi-sensor imaging satellite. Further, GalaxEye brings to the table its innovative approach with multi-sensor earth observation satellites, equipped with the proprietary Drishti Sensor. This modern sensor technology helps with cloud cover which usually inhibits earlier methods of studying planet features. It provides such organizations an opportunity for discovering something new by giving them images of high quality regardless of any changes in weather and ensures they are always usable. Moreover, this technology allows security clients to have more knowledge on the scenes around them so that they can effectively watch any modification of terrains and the movements of objects effectively in any weather. The high-resolution, multi-sensor capability delivers detailed and timely data that is required for mission preparation, border patrols, and disaster management, where timely and accurate information is key to success. Speaking at the landmark occasion,said Suyash Singh, Co-founder and CEO of GalaxEye, This partnership marks a transformative chapter not only for GalaxEye but for the entire field of space exploration. By collaborating with IN-SPACe and leveraging their state-of-the-art facilities, we are poised to revolutionize the way we gather and analyze data from Earths orbit. This initiative will allow us to deploy Indias first privately-led cluster of Earth observation satellites, enhancing our capability to monitor climate patterns, urban development, and natural phenomena with unprecedented precision. Our efforts today are about paving the way for a future where space technology is integral to solving some of our planets most pressing challenges,This partnership is set to revolutionize decision-making for businesses and governments globally by improving the reliability and quality of satellite imagery, even under adverse weather conditions. It also supports the Make in India for the World initiative, strengthening Indias role as a global leader in space technology and its applications for societal benefit. With GalaxEyes innovative spirit and IN-SPACes resources, this partnership is poised to enhance the global technology landscape, ensuring the widespread benefits of space technology. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: An electric vehicle charger stands ready in Duluth, Minnesota. Credit: Lora Wedge, Ecolibrium3 Nearly 33 million electric vehicles (EVs) nationwidethat is the number of vehicles the United States should be prepared to support through a national charging network by the year 2030, researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) estimated in a recent study. Improving reliable, equitable, and widespread access to electric vehicle charging infrastructure in all communities will be critical to ensuring the continued success of the EV revolution. That is why NREL researchers enthusiastically stepped up to the challenge when the opportunity to collaborate with the community in Duluth, Minnesota, arose in an effort to expand their local EV infrastructure. "Attainable, local solutions to EV charging access will help us achieve expanded, nationwide impact," said NREL's Emily Kotz, transportation research project manager who led the Communities LEAP (Local Energy Action Program)-funded effort for the transportation related tasks. "Duluth presented a great opportunity to collaborate with both the city and community-based partners like Ecolibrium3 to work together to identify strategies to improve planning for EV charging access." Expanded charging infrastructure required in Duluth, Minnesota, to support projected EV adoption As part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Communities LEAP, NREL partnered with a multi-stakeholder coalition in Duluth representing residents, business, government, and utilities to develop a model to address building efficiency, beneficial electrification, clean transportation, and economic development for residents. Communities LEAP aims to facilitate community economic and environmental benefits through DOE's clean energy deployment work. Communities LEAP offers opportunities to low-income, energy-burdened communities that are also disadvantaged and/or experiencing direct economic impacts to get assistance in accelerating their local energy transition. Selected communities are matched with technical assistance providers to help them realize their clean energy goals. Following a successful first cohort, Communities LEAP recently announced a second cohort of communities. This partnership came about at just the right time, said Mindy Granley, sustainability officer for the city of Duluth. "I had been investigating the ways to start conversations with the community about EVs and needed the analysis to support those conversations," Granley said. One aspect of that effort was to analyze the current EV charging environment in Duluth and to project the city's charging infrastructure needs heading into 2030. "We helped Duluth identify a strategy for achieving its current EV infrastructure goals and then scaled the demand according to future projections so that the city can not only achieve its EV charging vision but provide greater mobility options for everyone in the community," Kotz said. NREL's analysis projected that 10%15% of privately owned light-duty vehicles in Duluth will be plug-in electric vehicles by 2030, based on modeling results for the city of Duluth and findings detailed in NREL's 2030 National Charging Network Study. That level of demand keeps pace with state and national trends and infrastructure needs, Kotz confirmed. "We built our analysis off of NREL's extensive nationwide EV infrastructure analysis, looking specifically at the city and then breaking it down further to the census track to understand where in the city charging infrastructure is anticipated to be needed," Kotz said. Those projections mean that 7585 EV charging ports are needed throughout Duluth to support multifamily housing, such as apartment complexes or townhouses, where two or more families can live at the same time. Duluth proposed and passed an ordinance that requires EV charging stations or EV-ready parking spaces for any new parking lot that supports multifamily housing. The city intends the ordinance to promote greater access and equity in EV charging infrastructure. The ordinance aims to incrementally increase infrastructure to meet growing demand as new multifamily residences are built. "NREL's analysis has helped us start informed conversations with the community," Granley said. "Data legitimizes having the conversation about where we need to go and how we can get there. A huge takeaway is that we now have a solid basis for outreach to businesses and local players to talk about potential needs and how we can support them in installing EV infrastructure. It has spurred policy changes and new partnerships. Knowing where to start is half the battle." That analysis led to Duluth focusing its EV charging infrastructure expansion efforts first within multifamily housing and places with long-term residents, Granley added. "By taking this approach, we hope to make it easier for people who are less likely to have ready access to EVs or EV charging. Everyone should have the opportunity to make a greener transportation choice without being hampered by where they live," she said. Considering equity issues and environmental justice across EV adoption Economic and accessibility factors are known challenges affecting EV adoption for disadvantaged and underserved communities, which is why NREL's analysis focused on neighborhoods in Duluth matching those criteria. Analysis focused on not only increasing EV adoption and meeting charging needs but also on ways to increase overall mobility access for neighborhood residents. "As the city thinks through where to place public charging stations, community involvement and input throughout the process will be key," Kotz said. "Many of these neighborhoods have low vehicle ownership among a population that has many renters who are low income. Residents living in single-family homes with off-street parking and access to power are more likely to be early adopters. "Where more resources and conversations are needed is how do you work with residents in multifamily housing to add EV charging stations, shared electric micromobility like e-bikes or e-scooters, and create mobility hubs to support electrification of buses and e-bikes and such." Under the White House's Justice40 Initiative, 40% of overall benefits of certain federal investments in clean transportation, energy efficiency, and similar areas must go to disadvantaged communities like those in Duluth. Health, air quality, economics, and community energy resilience are some noted benefits of EV adoption, charger investment, and environmental justice initiatives. "EV infrastructure is one way to bring new business to the community. Lighting and sidewalk improvements can be built in with the project, too," Kotz said. "Convenient charging infrastructure added to multifamily housing and workplaces will expand the EV market. EV car-share options are also a way to expand access in underserved areas." Further, Kotz added that NREL's modeling can help inform important policy and infrastructure development within Duluth's underserved and disadvantaged areas, providing important considerations for transportation projects like the rebuild of a Main Street business corridor. Better infrastructure and planning will help those experiencing barriers to EVs gain better access and mobility, said Jodi Slick, founder and CEO of Ecolibrium3, a Duluth-based organization focused on equitable and sustainable change in the city. "As an environmental justice organization, we are working with the city and other stakeholders to make the best choices for advancing an equitable energy transition," Slick said. "Having access to NREL's expertise through Communities LEAP ensures that our work is well informed and can meet future needs." 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: People try out iPhone products at an Apple Store in Beijing, Sept. 28, 2021. A federal judge on Wednesday questioned whether Apple has set up a gauntlet of exasperating hurdles to discourage the use of alternative payment options in iPhone apps, despite a court order seeking to create more ways for consumers to pay for digital services. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong, file A federal judge on Wednesday questioned whether Apple has set up a gauntlet of exasperating hurdles to discourage the use of alternative payment options in iPhone apps, despite a court order seeking to create more ways for consumers to pay for digital services. The verbal sparring between Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers and the head of Apple's app store kicked off a hearing focused on whether Apple is still steering U.S. consumers to its once-exclusive app payment system in defiance of an injunction aimed at promoting more choices that could help lower prices. Gonzalez Rogers' order requires Apple to allow app developers to display links to other options besides the company's own payment system in the U.S. Apple makes billions of dollars annually from that setup, which imposes commission ranging from 15% to 30% on digital transactions completed within the most popular iPhone apps. Apple's app store and its commission system also is being targeted in another antitrust case recently filed by the U.S. Justice Department in a case alleging the iPhone walls off competition in a variety of ways that stifle competition and innovation. Gonzalez Rogers often sounded frustrated and skeptical as she periodically chimed in during four hours of testimony from Matthew Fischer, the Apple executive in charge of the iPhone app store. The tone of the judge's questions indicated she is concerned Apple's efforts to comply with her order have been primarily designed to protect the company's profits instead of making it easier for iPhone users to switch to other in-app payment options, as she intended. Gonzalez Rogers was particularly pointed as she grilled Fischer about whether Apple had deliberately made it more cumbersome and confusing for consumers to make digital purchases through alternative services. "Other than to stifle competition, I can see no other answer," the judge said as she tried to dissect the rationale for Apple's design of alternative payment option system for iPhone apps. Fischer maintained Apple is complying with the judge's order while still trying to shield iPhone users from bad actors on the internet and enabling the Cupertino, California, company to reap a return on its investments in the app store and other mobile software. Toward that end, Apple has introduced a new commission structure ranging from 12% to 27% on digital transactions initiated from within an app and completed on an alternative payment option. After Gonzalez Rogers said it sounded like Apple was still collecting a "windfall," Fischer said the company expected its effective commission rate on digital transactions processed by alternative payment options to be about 18%. "We are running a business," Fischer said. Apple spent more than two years trying to overturn the order that Gonzalez Rogers issued as part of a broader antitrust battle that the company won. The injunction requiring Apple to allow links to alternative app payments took effect in January after U.S. Supreme Court refused to review the case. But Fischer disclosed Wednesday that Apple so far has only received and approved applications to display links to alternative payment systems from 38 apps so fara fraction of the roughly 2 million iPhone apps available in the U.S. Fischer couldn't specify how many of those apps engage in digital transactions when asked by Gonzalez Rogers, who ordered Apple to provide the number as the proceedings progress this month. Video game Epic Games cites the muted interest in applying for in-app links to alternative payment options as evidence that Apple was still rigging the system in its favor. Epic, maker of the popular Fortnite video game, is trying to force Apple to make more sweeping changes to accommodate alternative payment options after it unsuccessfully tried to persuade Gonzalez Rogers that the iPhone app store had turned into a price-gouging monopoly during a 2021 trial. The effort is being supported by Facebook and Instagram owner Meta Platforms, Elon Musk's X short-messaging service, music streaming service Spotify and long-time Apple rival Microsoft. Apple's current alternative payment formula "is guaranteed to continue extracting excessive commissions from developers" while also blocking them from steering consumers to other places where they could buy the same digital services for lower prices, Epic asserted in documents leading up to Wednesday's hearing. In its own pre-hearing briefs, Apple accused Epic of trying to get Gonzalez Rogers to micromanage its business in ways designed to boost the video game maker's profits. "Epic has repeatedly made clear that what it wants is access to and use of Apple's tools and technologies without having to pay for them," Apple argued. The court hearings are scheduled to resume Friday when another top Apple executive, Phil Schiller, is expected to testify. Gonzalez Rogers hopes to wrap up the hearings by May 17, but told lawyers Wednesday it might take longer than that. 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A robotic system developed by Cornell researchers feeds a student participant during a lab demonstration. Credit: Cornell University Cornell researchers have developed a robotic feeding system that uses computer vision, machine learning and multimodal sensing to safely feed people with severe mobility limitations, including those with spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis. "Feeding individuals with severe mobility limitations with a robot is difficult, as many cannot lean forward and require food to be placed directly inside their mouths," said Tapomayukh "Tapo" Bhattacharjee, assistant professor of computer science in the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science and senior developer behind the system. "The challenge intensifies when feeding individuals with additional complex medical conditions." A paper on the system, "Feel the Bite: Robot-Assisted Inside-Mouth Bite Transfer using Robust Mouth Perception and Physical Interaction-Aware Control," was presented at the Human Robot Interaction conference, held March 1114, in Boulder, Colorado. It received a Best Paper Honorable Mention recognition, while a demo of the research team's broader robotic feeding system received a Best Demo Award. A leader in assistive robotics, Bhattacharjee and his EmPRISE Lab have spent years teaching machines the complex process by which we humans feed ourselves. It's a complicated challenge to teach a machineeverything from identifying food items on a plate, picking them up and then transferring it inside the mouth of a care recipient. "This last 5 centimeters, from the utensil to inside the mouth, is extremely challenging," Bhattacharjee said. Some care recipients may have very limited mouth openings, measuring less than 2 centimeters, while others experience involuntary muscle spasms that can occur unexpectedly, even when the utensil is inside their mouth, Bhattacharjee said. Further, some can only bite food at specific locations inside their mouth, which they indicate by pushing the utensil using their tongue, he said. "Current technology only looks at a person's face once and assumes they will remain still, which is often not the case and can be very limiting for care recipients," said Rajat Kumar Jenamani, the paper's lead author and a doctoral student in the field of computer science. To address these challenges, researchers developed and outfitted their robot with two essential features: real-time mouth tracking that adjusts to users' movements, and a dynamic response mechanism that enables the robot to detect the nature of physical interactions as they occur, and react appropriately. This enables the system to distinguish between sudden spasms, intentional bites and user attempts to manipulate the utensil inside their mouth, researchers said. The robotic system successfully fed 13 individuals with diverse medical conditions in a user study spanning three locations: the EmPRISE Lab on the Cornell Ithaca campus, a medical center in New York City, and a care recipient's home in Connecticut. Users of the robot found it to be safe and comfortable, researchers said. "This is one of the most extensive real-world evaluations of any autonomous robot-assisted feeding system with end-users," Bhattacharjee said. The team's robot is a multi-jointed arm that holds a custom-built utensil at the end that can sense the forces being applied on it. The mouth tracking methodtrained on thousands of images featuring various participants' head poses and facial expressionscombines data from two cameras positioned above and below the utensil. This allows for precise detection of the mouth and overcomes any visual obstructions caused by the utensil itself, researchers said. This physical interaction-aware response mechanism uses both visual and force sensing to perceive how users are interacting with the robot, Jenamani said. "We're empowering individuals to control a 20-pound robot with just their tongue," he said. He cited the user studies as the most gratifying aspect of the project, noting the significant emotional impact of the robot on the care recipients and their caregivers. During one session, the parents of a daughter with schizencephaly quadriplegia, a rare birth defect, witnessed her successfully feed herself using the system. "It was a moment of real emotion; her father raised his cap in celebration, and her mother was almost in tears," Jenamani said. While further work is needed to explore the system's long-term usability, its promising results highlight the potential to improve care recipients' level of independence and quality of life, researchers said. "It's amazing," Bhattacharjee said, "and very, very fulfilling." More information: Rajat Kumar Jenamani et al, Feel the Bite: Robot-Assisted Inside-Mouth Bite Transfer using Robust Mouth Perception and Physical Interaction-Aware Control, Proceedings of the 2024 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (2024). DOI: 10.1145/3610977.3634975 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: 63.1% of GHSA security advisories are missing their patch link based on a snapshot taken through 2022. Credit: arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2311.01532 Researchers have demonstrated a new tool that analyzes open-source software updates to specify which sections of code are being modified to address recently identified security vulnerabilities. The tool, called VFCFinder, should make it faster and easier for programmers to determine which security updates are necessary to prevent vulnerabilities without having to make unnecessary changes. "Updates to open-source computer code often include changes designed to address security vulnerabilities," says William Enck, co-author of a paper on the work and a professor of computer science at North Carolina State University. "But many programs that use open-source code are not affected by any given vulnerabilityand accepting unnecessary updates can create programming challenges of its own. That makes it important for programmers to understand which vulnerability updates will actually make their programs more secure." Open-source software is software that is issued under a license that allows users to study and modify the software's code. It is used in a wide variety of applications by users ranging from individuals to large corporations. Existing processes for notifying the public about security vulnerabilities in open-source software let users know that a vulnerability exists and that users should adopt an updated version of the software which addresses the vulnerability. However, in modern coding, many developers create new programs that rely on a library of pieces of code, each of which performs a specific function. And if one of the pieces of code you're relying on needs to be updated, that could cause problems for the larger program. "This makes it important for programmers using open-source code libraries to understand the nature of each vulnerability, including which specific sections of computer code are responsible for the vulnerability," says Trevor Dunlap, first author of the paper and a Ph.D. student at NC State. "Depending on the nature of the vulnerability, many programmers may not need to perform the update. But most security advisories don't make clear exactly what the problem wasonly that a problem was identified, and an update would fix it." "To provide some context for the challenge here, there are tens to hundreds of security advisories announced each day; there were more than 29,000 in 2023," Enck says. "Every time software is updated, it includes lots of different software modifications, called commits, only some of which may be relevant to a program that uses that software. "Right now, most programmers make use of source composition analysis (SCA) services that employ coders to identify the nature of these updates and which pieces of code have been modified to address vulnerabilities," Enck says. "Programmers can then use that information to make decisions about whether to run relevant updates. In short, this requires a lot of people to spend a lot of time poring over code to identify exactly what section of code is responsible for each vulnerability and which types of programs likely need to run the update." "VFCFinder is used to identify the specific changes that are mostly likely to be responsible for fixing a given vulnerability," says Dunlap. "In other words, VFCFinder makes it much easier for SCA services to identify the affected sections of code. And that, in turn, helps programmers make decisions about whether to update the open-source code they're using in their programs." To test VFCFinder, the researchers ran it against thousands of vulnerabilities where the commits responsible for fixing each vulnerability were well established. "VFCFinder was able to identify the five most likely commits with 96.6% accuracy," Dunlap says. "And it had 80% accuracy at precisely identifying the commit that fixed the vulnerability. The previous state-of-the-art techniques had 44% accuracy at precisely identifying the relevant commit." The researchers then tested VFCFinder against several hundred security advisories for which the relevant commit had not been identified. "The numbers were pretty much the same when looking at these advisories," Dunlap says. "Actually, the results were even better, as VFCFinder was able to identify the relevant commit 81% of the time precisely. And our results were accepted into the GitHub Security Advisory database." "Ultimately, our goal is to reduce security risks associated with the widespread use of open-source software," says Enck. "We're optimistic that VFCFinder can help make SCA services more efficient, strengthening a critical piece of the software supply chain." VFCFinder is an open-source tool and can be found on GitHub. The study is published on the arXiv preprint server. The paper will be presented at the ACM ASIA Conference on Computer and Communications Security, being held July 1-5 in Singapore. The paper was co-authored by Elizabeth Lin, a Ph.D. student at NC State, and Brad Reaves, an associate professor of computer science at NC State. More information: Trevor Dunlap et al, VFCFinder: Seamlessly Pairing Security Advisories and Patches, arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2311.01532 GitHub: github.com/s3c2/vfcfinder Journal information: arXiv You are here: China Zhao Zhiyuan was appointed assistant minister of foreign affairs, China's State Council announced on Thursday. Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic hold talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] China and Serbia have decided on Wednesday to build a community with a shared future, an upgrade of their relations from the comprehensive strategic partnership established eight years ago. The decision was declared by visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic, during their meeting in the Serbian capital. Xi stressed that the ironclad friendship between China and Serbia has stood the test of the changing international landscape, saying that such friendship is characterized by profound historical roots, solid political foundation, extensive common interests and strong popular support. Over the past few years, Xi said, under the leadership of him and Vucic, the bilateral relationship has leapfrogged with historic progress, and since the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016, in particular, the bilateral relationship has been enriched in substance and expanded in scope, which has become an example for China's friendly relations with other European countries. Actions speak louder than words, Xi noted. He said China will stand shoulder to shoulder with Serbia, share weal and woe like passengers in the same boat, carry forward the spirit of the ironclad friendship, maintain and grow their friendship, and jointly safeguard fundamental and long-term interests of the two countries. As the two sides pursue their respective national development and revitalization, China will join hands with Serbia to advance the building of a community with a shared future in the new era, he added. Xi stressed that Serbia is China's first comprehensive strategic partner in Central and Eastern Europe, saying that their bilateral cooperation has injected strong impetus into their respective development and rejuvenation, and brought tangible benefits to the two peoples. Under the new circumstances, Serbia has become the first European country to build with China a community with a shared future, which speaks volumes about the strategic, special and high-level China-Serbia relations, he said. The China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, Xi said, is an upgrade of the ironclad friendship between China and Serbia, adding that it also represents their common values and objectives, namely, joint pursuit of development, win-win cooperation and mutual success. These are the common aspirations of China, Serbia, and all countries that are committed to independence, peace and development, he added. By building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, the two sides should keep deepening and expanding high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and collaboration between China and Central and Eastern European countries, thus contributing to their respective modernization, Xi said. The Chinese leader called on the two sides to highlight the strategic nature of the bilateral relationship and keep to its general direction, saying that China supports Serbia in upholding independence and pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions, and supports its efforts in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The two sides, Xi said, should continue to offer each other firm support, deepen strategic cooperation, and safeguard their respective political security and fundamental interests. He urged China and Serbia to stay committed to practical cooperation and deliver welfare for the two peoples, saying that high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Serbia has achieved remarkable results. The two sides should steadily advance cooperation in traditional areas such as transportation and energy infrastructure, make sure the entire Serbian section of the Belgrade-Budapest railway go into operation as scheduled, jointly operate well their major cooperation projects, create more small and beautiful livelihood projects, and continue to generate positive economic and social impacts, he said. With the China-Serbia Free Trade Agreement set to take effect on July 1 this year, the high-standard mutual opening up between China and Serbia will surely enter a new stage, Xi said, adding that China will continue to import more high-quality agricultural specialties from Serbia. The Chinese side will invite 300 young Serbians to China on study and exchange programs in the next three years, said Xi, adding that China welcomes the opening of direct flights from Belgrade to Shanghai by the Serbian side so as to comprehensively deepen people-to-people exchanges. Xi also called for opening up new prospects of cooperation with a focus on the innovation dimension in bilateral relations and making innovation cooperation a new growth driver in the relationship. China will support 50 young Serbian scientists in taking part in scientific research exchanges in China in the next three years, Xi said, adding that China is ready to work with Serbia to strengthen cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) and endeavor to ensure humanity properly develop and utilize AI. It is important for China and Serbia to jointly reject hegemonism and power politics, and oppose bloc politics or bloc confrontation, Xi said, adding that the two sides should join hands to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, practice true multilateralism, and promote international fairness and justice. In this combo photo, Chinese President Xi Jinping, accompanied by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic prior to their talks, is greeted by thousands of Serbians in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024. Xi and Vucic on Wednesday held talks here. [Photo/Xinhua] For his part, Vucic extended the warmest welcome to Xi and noted that China is Serbia's most sincere friend. Although Serbia is a small country, China always fully respects its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and provides valuable support for its economic and social development, he said. Vucic hailed Xi as a great world leader. He said that under Xi's strong leadership, China has made remarkable achievements, and it has become a beacon of development and progress of the world and is playing an increasingly important leading role in international affairs. The Communist Party of China seeks to enhance the well-being of not only the Chinese people, but also people across the world, he said, adding that the Serbian people are full of gratitude and respect for China, especially for President Xi, and feel truly proud to be an ironclad friend to such a great nation. Serbia firmly supports China's legitimate position on issues concerning its core interests including on Taiwan, he said, adding that there is but one China in the world, and that Serbia will, without hesitation, continue to unswervingly provide China with firm support. Vucic noted that China's investment in and cooperation with Serbia have greatly facilitated the latter's economic and social development and improved Serbian people's living standards, saying that since 2016, in particular, thanks to the personal commitment and support by Xi, the HBIS Smederevo steel plant has had immensely positive socioeconomic impacts. The transformative changes in the steel plant's development prospects have also boosted the confidence and raised the hope of the people, he added. Serbia's future is closely linked with China, he said, adding that Serbia looks forward to intensifying exchanges with China in all areas and at all levels, and to strengthening cooperation with China in various fields including infrastructure, new energy, innovation, artificial intelligence and people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Serbia will actively advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with China, and work to ensure that the Serbian sector of the Belgrade-Budapest railway will be completed as planned, he said. Vucic said Serbia welcomes investment cooperation from more Chinese businesses and looks forward to opening more direct flights, adding that building on the entry-into-force of the bilateral Free Trade Agreement, Serbia is ready to expand economic and trade cooperation with China. The announcement on deepening and elevating the comprehensive strategic partnership and building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era marks a new milestone in the history of this bilateral relationship, he noted. Serbia firmly supports and will actively participate in the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative put forth by Xi, he said, adding that his country will stay in close strategic coordination with China in multilateral fora, jointly oppose hegemonism and power politics, uphold the purposes of the UN Charter, and defend international fairness and justice. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic sign a joint statement on the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, after their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] After the talks, the two presidents signed the Joint Statement on Deepening and Elevating the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Building a China-Serbia Community with a Shared Future in the New Era. They also witnessed the exchange of multiple cooperation documents including on Belt and Road cooperation, green development, digital economy, e-commerce, infrastructure, economic and technical cooperation, information and communication, agri-food, and the media. Xi and Vucic also had a joint meeting with the press. Prior to their meeting, Vucic accompanied Xi to the platform of the Palace of Serbia. On the square in front of the Palace, some 15,000 Serbian people were waving national flags of China and Serbia to express the warmest welcome to Xi. The Chinese leader waved to the crowd, which burst into jubilant, prolonged applause and cheers. Later in his meeting with Vucic, Xi said that he was deeply touched when he was greeted at the airport by President Vucic together with many senior government officials who held a grand welcoming ceremony for his visit. He also said he was deeply moved by the genuine friendliness toward China from the Serbian people who are good friends of the Chinese people. A teacher lost his job and was arrested Tuesday after he brought a gun into a middle school in South Carolina, according to the Greenville County Sheriffs Office. Shavar Stephenson, a 25-year-old Greenville resident, was charged with possessing a firearm on school property, the sheriffs office said Wednesday in a news release. Stephenson did not have permission of the authorities in charge of that property to possess the firearm on school property, an arrest warrant said. The Greenville County School District teacher was terminated from Tanglewood Middle School, according to the release. An investigation began Tuesday after the school resource officer was told by administrators that students were talking about a teacher who had a gun in his bag, the sheriffs office said. A gun was found in Stephensons bag that was inside his classroom, according to the release. There was no word if the gun was loaded, and there was no indication from the sheriffs office that Stephenson had threatened anyone with the weapon. No injuries were reported. Stephenson was arrested and taken to the Greenville County Detention Center, the sheriffs office said. His bond was set at $5,000, and Stephenson remains locked up, jail records show. If convicted on the felony charge, Stephenson faces a maximum punishment of five years in prison and a $1,000 fine, according to South Carolina law. Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Budapest for a state visit to Hungary at the invitation of Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban, May 8, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived Wednesday for a state visit to Hungary. In a written speech upon his arrival, Xi said China and Hungary are good friends and good partners of mutual trust. "I am delighted to pay a state visit to the beautiful country of Hungary at the gracious invitation of President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban," he said, extending heartfelt greetings and best wishes to the Hungarian government and people on behalf of the government and people of China. Noting that Hungary is known for its time-honored history and profound cultural heritage, Xi said the Hungarian people are industrious, intelligent, open, inclusive, pioneering and creative. In recent years, the government and people of Hungary have been forging ahead with determination, making impressive progress in economic and social development, he said. "As a good friend and a comprehensive strategic partner, we in China, both the government and people, heartily rejoice over your achievements." In 1949, Hungary was one of the first countries to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. In 2004, the two countries decided to forge a friendly and cooperative partnership. In 2017, the bilateral relationship was elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership, upgrading and speeding up the mutually beneficial cooperation and strengthening the popular support for traditional China-Hungary friendship, Xi noted. In recent years, the two sides have seen frequent high-level exchanges, deepening mutual trust, fruitful outcomes in Belt and Road cooperation, vibrant people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and close coordination and collaboration in international and regional affairs, he said. "Together, we have set a fine example of building a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation," Xi said. This year marks the 75th anniversary of China-Hungary diplomatic ties, bringing an important opportunity for the growth of bilateral relations, he said. Xi said he looks forward to meeting with President Sulyok, Prime Minister Orban and other Hungarian leaders, and they will jointly outline a new blueprint for cooperation and development, with a view to steering the China-Hungary relationship forward in big strides and taking it to a higher level. "I believe that no matter how the international landscape evolves, China and Hungary will always view and approach the bilateral relationship from a broad perspective and a long-term view," he said. "Through vigorous and determined endeavors, we will work together toward the goal of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and make our due contribution to world peace, stability, development and prosperity," he added. "I am confident that, with the two sides' concerted efforts, this visit will be a complete success and usher in an even brighter future of the China-Hungary relationship," he said. Orban and his wife waited at Budapest Airport to welcome Xi. Hungarian Air Force sent fighter jets to escort Xi's plane after it entered the country's airspace for a state visit. (TBTCO) - Thi truong bat ong san, nhat la can ho tai cua ngo khu Tay TP. Ho Chi Minh ang tro thanh tam iem thu hut su quan tam cua nhieu nha au tu va nguoi mua o. Suc hut chinh la do ha tang giao thong trong iem ngay cang uoc chu trong nang cap va mo rong. Qua o, thi truong nay khong chi gop phan thuc ay giao thuong va phat trien kinh te trong khu vuc ma con giup gia tang gia tri bat ong san. You have reached a premium content area of Transitions. To read this entire article please login if you are already a Transitions subscriber. Not a subscriber? Subscribe today for access to: Full access to the website, including premium articles videos, country reports and searchable archives (containing over 25,000 articles). 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. You are here: World Flash The United Kingdom (UK) is set to expel the Russian defense attache as part of a series of measures against Moscow, UK Home Secretary James Cleverly announced Wednesday. Cleverly told the House of Commons, the lower house of the British parliament, that the Russian defense attache is an "undeclared military intelligence officer." "We will remove diplomatic premises status from several Russian-owned properties in the UK ... which we believe have been used for intelligence purposes," he said. "We are imposing new restrictions on Russian diplomatic visas, including capping the length of time Russian diplomats can spend in the UK," he added. A Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said that the Kremlin will respond appropriately following the expulsion, according to Russian media. The University of Arizonas joint council on Jewish life and antisemitism is appalled that Faculty Senate Chair Leila Hudson deferred publishing a resolution condemning antisemitism on campus. The group, which released the statement through the UAs Hillel chapter, wrote that Hudson should have gone through with her promised resolution during Mondays Faculty Senate meeting. Hudson, who is Palestinian, told the Faculty Senate earlier this week that she could not in good conscience submit it after UAs handling of a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus that was broken up by police last week. She said she was deferring the resolution to the senates diversity, equity and inclusion committee. Early on May 1, officers with the UA Police Department, the Tucson Police Department, the Pima County Sheriffs Department, the Arizona Department of Public Safety and SWAT descended on the encampment near the UA main gate. Protesters in the camp, which included pop-up tarps, stayed on campus past the 10:30 p.m. curfew for non-academic activity as they demonstrated against Israels actions in its war with Hamas in Gaza. UA President Robert C. Robbins, after an hours-long standoff that he said created a volatile and dangerous situation, told authorities to immediately enforce campus use policies and all corresponding laws. Officers fired rubber bullets and pepper balls at protesters. Every day is a day to call out antisemitism; one of these events has nothing to do with the other, the Jewish council wrote. The group includes students, professors, board members of Hillel and Rabbi Shmulie Sanowicz of the university Chabad. Since the horrific events of October 7, when Hamas attacked Israel, Jewish students at the University of Arizona and at campuses across the country have experienced antisemitic harassment and intimidation, the statement reads. Jewish students at the UA are afraid to walk to class. The group stated that Jewish students on the UA campus have been called horrific epithets and spit on as they walk through campus. It said the university has taken necessary and well-communicated steps to enforce its policies and code of conduct to ensure the safety of Jewish students. In a statement shared with the Arizona Daily Star after the publication of this initial article, Hudson wrote: "Not only do I reject antisemitism personally as a grieving Palestinian American and professionally as a critical historian, but I also feel more than confident enough in our shared values to do so as elected Chair of the Faculty on behalf of the entire Faculty Senate, on behalf of the entire Faculty of the University of Arizona, and even on behalf of the University of Arizona community itself. That includes our protestors of conscience." Hudson added, that "the powerful force of our collective loathing of antisemitism and its kindred prejudices and hatreds must not be used to chill legitimate speech, nor to justify disproportionate police and institutional violence against conscience-based civil disobedience." Hudson was initially called on by some faculty members to write a formal resolution on antisemitism after a Jewish fraternity on campus, Alpha Epsilon Pi, was graffitied last month. The graffiti, which fraternity leaders said was antisemitic, referenced the Israel-Hamas war. In her statement to the Faculty Senate earlier this week, Hudson said it is a critical moment for the principles of free speech and academic freedom, as the U.S. Congress is attempting, uniquely, to legislate the meaning of antisemitism in a way which many individual scholars, and many individual citizens, believe will limit free speech in the name of fighting hatred, which I personally oppose. She also said she was working to create an ad hoc faculty committee to investigate the police response to the encampment. Students and community members who peacefully breached university rules, in the long tradition of civil disobedience on college campuses, assembled peacefully to call attention to Israeli atrocities in Gaza, unconditional U.S. material support and the university ties to government and private sector contributors to the political economy of occupation, ethnic cleansing and the violation of humanitarian law, Hudson said about the encampment. You are here: World Flash The Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday extended the current martial law and general mobilization of troops for another 90 days, said parliamentarian Yaroslav Zheleznyak. The bills to prolong martial law and mobilization were backed by 339 and 336 lawmakers respectively, with a required minimum of 226, Zheleznyak wrote on Telegram. Both restrictive measures will be in place till Aug. 11. The Ukrainian parliament imposed martial law and declared military mobilization in the wake of the conflict with Russia in February 2022, and has extended the measures 11 times since then. A new mobilization law aimed at recruiting more troops for the country's armed forces will take effect on May 18. Kynslie Deiorio, Audrey Warner and Kinsley Deavours were in their element Wednesday. The trio from Cache High School in Comanche County were among the thousands of students, teachers, chaperones and vendors converging on downtown Tulsa for workshops, awards and the career fair at the Oklahoma State FFA Convention on Tuesday and Wednesday. For the three freshmen, that meant meeting other students who share their passion for agriculture with an added bonus of missing a few days of school. Im in ag because its where I found my thing, Warner said between sessions Wednesday morning. I have played sports. I did the academic competitions, and while it worked for me, it wasnt what I felt called to do. When I got to FFA, I found the speaking events, and I found career opportunities. 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. FFA stands for Future Farmers of America. Canaan Dobbs and Carson Crain are members of the chapter at Jenks High School, one of more than 20 chapters just in the immediate Tulsa metro area. Dobbs got involved with FFA in part due to his familys farm near Broken Arrow, while Crain said his favorite part has been getting to meet people from all over the state, including at least one community Tipton in southwestern Oklahomas Tillman County that he had never even heard of prior to the convention. I really like just seeing the state of Oklahoma coming together as one, Crain said. The State FFA Convention moved to Tulsa in 2022 after four decades in Oklahoma City and is slated to be in Tulsa through 2026. The two-day state convention held at the BOK Center and the Cox Business Convention Center includes individual award and degree recognition, chapter awards and state officer elections. Attendees also have access to career and leadership development workshops and an expo featuring college recruiters, potential employers and other agriculturally focused businesses. After traveling across Oklahoma for competitions, having the state convention close to home has been a welcome change of pace for Owasso sophomore A.J. Chaney. Although his chapter is staying in a local hotel to get the full convention experience, he said he was grateful not to have an early morning departure this week. Its a lot closer, and being able to drive home in 20 minutes if you forgot something makes it a lot easier, Chaney said. OKLAHOMA CITY An Oklahoma County judge halted the enforcement of a controversial state law Tuesday, a measure that places banks and financial companies on a blacklist if they invest in entities critical of the oil and gas industry. Under the law, those blacklisted companies are prevented from doing business with the state. Flash Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, on invitation visits the National Museum of Serbia with Tamara Vucic, wife of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, on invitation visited the National Museum of Serbia with Tamara Vucic, wife of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, in Belgrade on Wednesday morning. The two first ladies toured the museum's painting exhibition together. The museum boasts a long history and abundant collections, Peng remarked, noting that the classic paintings exhibited there feature delicate brushstrokes and rich emotions. Peng emphasized that museums serve not only as windows for preserving and displaying cultural relics but also as halls for promoting civilization. She also expressed hope for enhanced cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Serbia to build bridges for dialogue among civilizations. The two first ladies also watched demonstrations of traditional Serbian women's hand weaving and warmly interacted with the artisans. Peng praised the exquisite and distinctive craftsmanship of Serbian hand weaving, considering it an important intangible cultural heritage that has been well preserved and promoted. Highlighting the similarities between Chinese and Serbian embroidery cultures, she suggested mutual learning and encouragement for young people from both countries to actively engage in preserving traditional handicrafts from generation to generation. The two also enthusiastically participated in making Serbian wool felt balls. Established in 1844, the National Museum of Serbia houses over 400,000 artifacts, making it the largest and oldest museum in Serbia. Some 500 local and international brands in the paper and packaging industries are showcasing products at the 2024 Vietnam International Paper and Packaging Exhibition, which kicked off at the WTC Expo, a complex of conference and exhibition halls in Binh Duong Province, southern Vietnam, on Wednesday. The exhibition, scheduled to run until Friday, features over 250 booths from many countries and territories including Vietnam, Japan, China, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Sweden, Finland, Germany, and Italy. Among the participating brands are Andritz, Pulppy, Song Long, Valmet, Endress+Hauser, In7, Topbond, DN Pack, Thien Loc, Vina CHG, Rutherford, Mutoh, GTI, Triveni, Ulion, CNBM, Yekon Machine, Jinxuan, Hengtai Filtering, XinSheng, JP, Yunda Paper Machinery, and Jintian Paper. Apart from machinery, advanced technology, and paper pulp displays, the expo also features a wide range of green and eco-friendly products manufactured by several major brands such as Liksin and Pulppy Polar Bear. As part of the event, hosted by the Vietnam Pulp and Paper Association and other partners, an awards ceremony was organized on the first day of the expo to honor local packaging companies for their eco-friendly products. Also taking place at the WTC Expo, the third Vietnam International Electricity, Energy, Industrial Machinery and Automation (EMA VIETNAM 2024) exhibition has brought together 300 brands from around the world to exhibit their products at 200 booths. Seminars and discussions centering around the paper, packaging, energy, and sustainable development industries are being held within the framework of the two events. The two exhibitions are expected to attract over 10,000 visitors during their three-day run. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II, a facelifted version of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, a full-sized luxury SUV manufactured by British luxury automaker Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, is expected to hit the Vietnamese market in late 2024. According to a Rolls-Royce-authorized dealership in Vietnam, the price of the new version of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan remains unknown. The Cullinan is among the most sought-after vehicles for wealthy Vietnamese. The facelifted version of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Photo: Rolls-Royce The 2024 facelifted version was designed with a twin-turbocharged V12 engine, just as the original 2018 version had, according to Rolls-Royce. However, the new version has multiple changes to make it more attractive to customers in urban areas, including vertical headlights and daytime running lights that borrow inspiration from the towering skyscrapers of urban landscapes. The Cullinan Series II also boasts formidable 23-inch wheels, each milled from a billet of aluminum and featuring an imposing faceted seven-spoke design. The interior of the new version includes a Spirit of Ecstasy sculpture displayed beneath an analogue timepiece. The interior of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II. Photo: Rolls-Royce As for the Black Badge version of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II, it features a sportier look compared to the original with a black Spirit of Ecstasy sculpture, grille, window surrounds, and exhaust. Moreover, its interior is coated black. The exterior of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II Black Badge looks sportier. Photo: Rolls-Royce The interior of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II Black Badge is designed to be darkened. Photo: Rolls-Royce Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The U.S. Department of Commerce has heard arguments from both sides for and against the upgrade for Vietnam to a market economy status, as the start of a review due to be completed in late July. Reuters reported that the hearing to decide whether Vietnam would be designated as a 'market economy' took place virtually on Wednesday afternoon (local time) in Washington, D.C. Upon obtaining the market economy status, Vietnam will benefit from a reduction in punitive anti-dumping duties imposed on Vietnamese imports, a consequence of its current classification as a non-market economy with significant state influence. At present, products originating from non-market economies face elevated tariff rates during anti-dumping duty investigations, wherein third-country proxy prices are utilized to ascertain the fair market value of a product. This year, the U.S. International Trade Commission renewed anti-dumping duties of 25.76 percent on frozen farmed shrimp from Vietnam, Reuters reported, adding that duties on shrimp from Thailand, a market economy, are only 5.34 percent. The hearing occurred against the backdrop of opposition from American steelmakers and shrimpers in the Gulf of Mexico to the upgrade, while retailers and other business groups expressed support for it. According to Reuters, Eric Emerson, an attorney from U.S.-based Steptoe LLP representing Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade, argued that Vietnam should be upgraded to market economy status. He stated that Vietnam has fulfilled all the criteria set by the U.S. Department of Commerce for determining market economy status. The criteria encompass aspects such as the country's currency convertibility, wage rates determined through free bargaining between labor and management, permission for joint ventures and foreign investment, absence of government ownership or control over the means of production, lack of government control over resource allocation, price decisions, output decisions, and other relevant factors. Emerson asserted that Vietnam has demonstrated compliance with these criteria to a degree equivalent to or better than that of other countries already recognized as market economies. He pointed out that Vietnam exhibits less interference with state-owned enterprises compared to India, while simultaneously implementing more open policies for foreign investors than countries such as Indonesia, Canada, and the Philippines. Vietnams Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh shakes hands with U.S. Treasury Department Secretary Janet Yellen during his visit to the U.S. in September 2023. Photo: Vietnam News Agency Samsung Electronics, the tech giant from South Korea, is among the companies advocating for Vietnam to be granted market economy status. Scott Thompson, principal director and head public policy counsel at Samsung Electronics America, confirmed that the company has emerged as one of the largest employers in Vietnam, crediting Vietnam's market-oriented reforms for this achievement. He emphasized that Vietnam has established itself as a stable and reliable supply chain partner for the U.S., ultimately benefiting the U.S. economy. Vietnam is already a market economy, said Ted Osius, head of the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council and former U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam. The country has met the key criteria including currency convertibility and is ready for an accurate designation, Osius affirmed. Meanwhile, Jeffrey Gerrish, a trade official under former U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, representing American steelmaker Steel Dynamics Inc., said the upgrade would cause a flood of unfairly traded imports from Vietnam, which he said had become a platform for China to circumvent U.S. tariffs. Other opponents voiced concerns that Vietnam's industries heavily depend on Chinese investment and imported input products from China, many of which have already been subjected to U.S. anti-dumping duties. During his visit to the U.S. last year, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh urged U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to end the 'non-market economy' label on Vietnam and encouraged her to continue promoting economic and financial relations between the two countries. Secretary Yellen referred to Vietnam as a 'friend-shoring' destination, a term which denotes the relocation of investment and supply chains from the U.S. to friendly countries. Vietnam and the U.S. normalized their diplomatic relations in July 1995 and entered a comprehensive partnership in July 2013. On September 10, 2023, the two nations elevated their relationship directly to a comprehensive strategic partnership, bypassing the strategic partnership level, during an official visit to Vietnam by U.S. President Joe Biden. Currently, the U.S. remains Vietnam's largest export market, with an estimated total turnover of US$34.1 billion over the first four months of this year, according to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam. Like us on Facebook or follow us on X to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese electric vehicle (EV) maker VinFast on Wednesday announced it will officially enter the Philippine EV market at the end of this month with a series of diverse and green mobility solutions. This will be the third market in Southeast Asia that VinFast has ventured into during the first half of this year, following Indonesia and Thailand. VinFast EVs are also sold in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and India, the company said. The Philippines marks a new milestone for VinFast in its Southeast Asian expansion strategy, particularly as the country embraces government policies that promote the growth of EVs. Amongst the EVs on offer in the Philippines will be electric cars, motorcycles, and bicycles. VinFast will introduce its VF e34, VF 5, VF 7, and VF 9 electric cars, six electric motorcycle models, and the VF DrgnFly electric bike. In January this year, Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. held a private meeting with Pham Nhat Vuong, chairman of Vietnams largest private conglomerate Vingroup and founder of VinFast, to discuss cooperation opportunities. In related news, VinFast on Tuesday announced the price of its VinFast VF 3 mini electric cars at VND235 million (US$9,295) each without a battery and VND315 million ($12,438) with a battery included for customers who make their purchases between May 13 and 15. After May 15, the prices will be VND240 million ($9,480) and VND322 million ($12,736), respectively. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The German Embassy in Hanoi on Wednesday hosted the inaugural panel discussion titled Decarbonizing the Steel Industry: Challenges and Opportunities for Vietnam, marking the launch of 'Hanoi Climate Talks, a new series of events aimed at addressing various climate change-related topics in Vietnam. Hanoi Climate Talks provides a platform for exchanging experience, raising awareness, and fostering cooperation between policymakers, businesses, the scientific community, and the broader public, the embassy said in a press release on Wednesday. The panel discussion attracted the participation of many stakeholders from ministries, industry, and academia such as the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Vietnam Independent Directors Association, the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, members of the diplomatic community, and the private sector. In his opening speech, Dr. Guido Hildner, German Ambassador to Vietnam, emphasized, The decision to host Climate Talks here in Vietnam is a recognition of Vietnams climate ambitions and a testament to the close cooperation between Germany and Vietnam in the field of energy transition. We want to foster exchanges between academia, policymakers, industry and the broader public, and we would like to share our experiences and learn from others. Global steel production accounts for at least seven percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Its carbon footprint touches almost every industry. Germanys steel sector is one of the largest emitters of CO 2 . In Vietnam, the steelmaking industry, which ranks number one in Southeast Asia, remains one of the main contributors to the countrys carbon emissions, said Hildner. Europe and Germany aim to become frontrunners in the production of low-CO 2 steel. Our primary objective is to combine prosperity with decarbonization," he stressed. "We all know that the green transition of heavy industries is a global challenge. "Therefore, Germany launched the Climate Club during last years COP28. "One of its main objectives is to offer support for developing and emerging economies in their efforts to leapfrog into climate-friendly industrial development. In the panel discussion, international experts explored the technological, economic, and policy aspects of transitioning steel production to more sustainable practices. Steel is one of the worlds most-used materials and a central part of the global economy, thus making it a global priority for decarbonization. Decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors such as steel requires the adoption of a range of tools and technologies and mobilizing investment. Chu Hoang Duc Anh from the Vietnam Industry Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade emphasized the need for decarbonization and highlighted national strategies for sustainable transformation aligned with global climate goals. Prof. Dr. Bui Anh Hoa, lecturer and dead of the materials engineering department at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, shared insights about the production processes of the steel sector in Vietnam and his analysis of how to decrease carbon emissions in steelmaking under scientific aspects. Speaking at the discussion, Cecile Seguineaud, industry policy analyst at the OECD Clean Energy Finance and Investment Mobilization program, underscored that high investments are needed in low-carbon technologies to align industrys growth with countries net-zero emission targets. She spotlighted the importance of assisting emerging and developing economies in designing solutions for financing and improving the enabling conditions that can accelerate the steel industrys transition. The panel discussion played a crucial role in singling out the urgent need for decarbonization of heavy-emitting industries and reaffirmed the importance for global climate action. Considering the steel sector's pivotal role in numerous industries such as construction, manufacturing, mobility, and infrastructure, its projected growth underscores its enduring significance for economic and sustainable development. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Several metric tons of foul-smelling dead fish and garbage have been floating atop Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal in Ho Chi Minh City since Tuesday, following the first downpours of this rainy season. The situation is expected to worsen over the next few days. The number of dead fish, mostly red tilapias, carp, and tilapias in the canal rose significantly on Wednesday afternoon, emitting a foul smell through canal-side neighborhoods. Despite wearing face masks, many passers-by had to cover their noses due to the intense smell. The head of the canal in Tan Binh District appeared to be most affected, with a carpet of garbage and dead fish causing the water to turn black. Sanitation workers have so far managed to clear six metric tons of dead fish from the canal. Fish in the canal began showing signs of distress and swimming to the surface for air on Tuesday, a unit in charge of removing trash from the waterway told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Wednesday. The massive number of dead fish was caused by garbage flowing into the canal from sewers, as well as rainwater from the first downpours of the rainy season, said the unit, which is under Ho Chi Minh City Urban Environment Company. A floating carpet of garbage and dead fish in Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal in Ho Chi Minh City, May 8, 2024. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre Contaminated black water in Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal in Ho Chi Minh City, May 8, 2024. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre Sanitation workers have removed at least six metric tons of dead fish and garbage from Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre Sanitation workers have removed at least six metric tons of dead fish and garbage from Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre A unit in charge of removing trash from the canal collected a significantly large amount of trash and dead fish on May 8, 2024. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre The canal has seen a surging volume of garbage after the first downpours this rainy season. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre A floating carpet of dead fish and garbage has not only contaminated the water but also left a negative impact on the daily activities and businesses of local residents. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre The contamination of the canal's water has deterred individuals from seeking refuge from the heat or engaging in physical activities along its banks. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre A bird's-eye view of countless dead fish and garbage blanketing the head of the canal. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! 2022 Belgian drama series Lost Luggage gets a late night slot on SBS next week in a double episode premiere. After a terrorist attack on Brussels Airport, policewoman Samira Laroussa is missioned to handle and return all baggage and personal belongings that were left behind in the departure hall that day. Every new encounter with a victim or relative unbalances Samira, who is far from ready to deal with the pains of her own troubled past. Episode One: Ten days after the bombings of March 22, Samira, a police officer at Brussels Airport, is told to return all luggage and personal belongings to the victims and their families. Episode Two: While Tom is mourning their unborn child, Samira avoids her personal problems by fleeing to the gigantic hangar filled with abandoned belongings. Tuesday, 14 May at 11.35pm on SBS. L to R: Keely Cat-Wells, Tracey Corbin-Matchett OAM, Peter Tonagh. The first ever summit to explore disability employment in film, TV and commercial production, will be held at Bondi Beach in November. Bus Stop Films is hosting Driving Change: Disability Employment Summit which will explore the employment of people with disability across the screen content industries, on both sides of the camera and above and below the line. The summit will elevate and celebrate the people behind and purpose for driving change in policy, production, attitude and storytelling around disability. Stand-up comedian and disability advocate Madeline Stewart and body positivity advocate April Helene-Horton AKA The Bodzilla will serve as MC. Internationally renowned disability advocate Keely Cat-Wells, Founder & CEO Making Space, will deliver a keynote address. Her work in disrupting employment practices and policies in Hollywood is opening up employment pathways for people with disability with leading production companies including Hello Sunshine, Netflix and Universal NBC. Session topics include: First Nations & Disability, Casting and Disability, Disability and Advertising, Deaf Community and Culture and many more. More speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. Tracey Corbin-Matchett OAM CEO says: This year our commitment to inclusive practice has taken the Bus to the UN in New York and the Oscars in LA, and now were heading to Bondi Beach. Never before has the Australian screen and advertising sectors come together to celebrate the disability community and explore how the dynamic sectors can do better and be better around disability employment. I encourage policy makers, producers, creatives and commissioners to join us in Driving Change. Bus Stop Films is seed funding the summit through their own resources and is seeking sponsors. Sunday 17 Tuesday 19 November 2024 Bondi Pavilion, Bondi Beach, Sydney, drivingchangesummit.com Shriya Koul, TwoCircles.net New Delhi: Like every election, caste is the hot button of the 2024 Lok Sabha election as well. Political parties have already announced their nominees, keeping in mind their caste arithmetic. Addressing a rally in Jharkhands Ranchi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi remarked that if the INDIA bloc (an alliance of the Opposition Congress and other regional parties) is voted to power, the new government would conduct a caste census as well as remove the 50% cap on the reservation. On the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Opposition of dividing the country along caste lines when Bihar went ahead with the release of the caste census. Support TwoCircles The last caste census was conducted in 1931 the colonial era. Ninety-two years later, in 2023, Bihar emerged as the only Indian state to hold the caste census. Furthermore, that census revealed that the states 63% population was constituted by the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Extremely Backward Class (EBC). Ashish Dua, secretary of the All-India Congress Committee and in-charge of Maharashtra, said the politics of his party has been an inclusive one. He referred to the catchline jitni aabadi, utna haq (rights should be proportional to communities population) that Gandhi stressed on, almost making it the partys ringtone. We require a census for social identification and economic empowerment. This must work in tandem for any caste to realise their potential, he said. Dua said the Constitution expressly provides for affirmative action for the Schedule Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST). However, over the years, certain castes apart from the SC and ST communities have been identified. These social groups are also historically marginalised and need empowerment. The Congress carried out a Socio-Economic and Caste Census in 2011-12, but its data was never released. Dua commented that the caste census is a long process. We faced defeat in the 2014 general elections; and as a result, the data could not be released. However, the Congress utilised the socio-economic data for making budgets and for social empowerment, he said, stressing the need to hold a caste census, It is an X-ray of the society that will reveal marginalisation of different social groups. On the other hand, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has a completely different take on the caste census. Devang Dave, who is part of the saffron partys election management committee for Maharashtra, said, Politics is beyond caste now. He accused the Congress and regional parties of basing their politics on the division of people and preparing their vote banks along caste lines. Peoples welfare and development of the nation are on the BJPs agenda. For us, as emphasised by PM Modi, there are four castes farmers, youth, women and poor. Empowerment of backward classes is our top priority. Most of our schemes, such as building toilets or providing gas cylinders, are for the poor. The beneficiaries of these initiatives are majorly OBCs, he said. Dave claimed after a long time, India has done away with the caste divide. The BJP, he said, focuses now on development and the economy, while the Congress wants to take the nation back to what it was 50 years ago. We do not want to divide the nation, instead work for it. Our government is holistic. We want to benefit the poor, which also includes the OBCs. To bring them to the mainstream, we are working on reservations, he claimed. The lack of updated census data has had a significant impact on various welfare schemes, which are aimed at supporting marginalised communities. The Rohini Commission, which was constituted on October 2, 2017 and headed by former Delhi High Court Chief Justice G Rohini, was tasked with examining various socially backward classes and proposing criteria for sub-categorizing within the OBC community. However, the Commission faced a major setback due to the unavailability of the latest census report. Professor G. Mohan Gopal, an expert on constitutional law and social justice who previously served as the director of the National Judicial Academy, stated, Conducting a caste census would offer vital insights into our populations demographics. It would guide us towards effective measures for equitable representation in all sectors be it legislature, executive, judiciary or private. He said it is about ensuring fairness and inclusivity for all. In response to Gandhis remark on removing the 50% cap on reservation, he said Dr Ambedkar had pointed out that the criteria must be in place to ensure correction of the distortion of representation. The cap needs to be increased beyond 50% temporarily so that representation of different social groups in government jobs and educational institutions is also assured, he said. For 92 years, none of these communities have been counted in a census. Their population is estimated mainly through sample surveys, which are inadequate. The idea is to destroy their social identity. The BJP is willing to carry out a census, but only based on religion and not community, Gopal added. The OBC question The professor believes that the driving force behind the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is religious polarisation. The polarisation is done to weaken the social identity and community consciousness of the non-caste Hindus, he said, adding, this can be observed in a statement, which Modi made in November 2023, saying, For me, there are four biggest castes in the country. For me, the biggest caste is the poor. For me, the biggest caste is the youth, the biggest caste is women. For me, the biggest caste is farmers. Axis My India, a poll survey agency, in a detailed constituency-level survey for the India Today group showed that in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the BJP has an edge over the Congress in garnering the votes of the OBC. There appears to be a concerted effort within the Hindutva movement to cultivate a Hindu consciousness and identity among non-caste OBCs. And therefore, they do not talk about giving political reservations. If you give political reservation, it would strengthen the identity of non-caste Hindus, he explained. The Mandal Commission, he said, through its provision of reservations for various communities and its efforts to raise awareness about their underrepresentation, activated community identities. A counter movement was initiated during the Mandal era aimed at supplanting their identities with a singular Hindu identity. The strategy was to isolate Abrahamic minorities and unite backward classes, SCs and caste Hindus under the umbrella of Hindu identity. This is why it is called Kamandal politics, he continued. He further emphasised Hindutva forces aim at ensuring that Varna caste Hindus retain power. This, according to him, underscores the BJPs significant reliance on the votes of the upper caste. In the 2019 general elections, the BJP came up with the idea of Samagra Hindutva against the Mahagathbandhan. The idea to include the OBCs and Dalits in the larger Hindutva fold was introduced by the then BJP President Amit Shah at a meeting of the functionaries of his party and its ideological mentor the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Lucknow. According to the Mandal Commission report, most of the population is constituted by the Non-Varna OBC, ST and SC. Gopal said the party is wooing these communities for their votes by giving them some benefits and representation but not at decision-making levels. Irrespective of caste, anyone can climb to the highest position in the party, it is what BJP has proved. Around 27% of our MLAs across the country are from the OBC community. At least 40% of our Legislative Council members also belong to the same community, Dave explained. The jumlas around caste redressal measures are again surfacing in the ongoing election, but it is the marginalised who bear the brunt of the lack of caste surveys that deter their welfare. Caste census can be a political tool for the election, but Gopal said, It is a health check-up for India. Shriya Koul is a freelance journalist and first-year student at AJK MCRC Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi Flash Children play among the rubble of destroyed houses in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on April 30, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 34,844, the Gaza health authorities said in a press statement on Wednesday. During the past 24 hours, the Israeli army killed 55 Palestinians and wounded 200 others, bringing the total death toll to 34,844 and injuries to 78,404, since the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out last October, it said. The statement noted that some victims still remain under the rubble amid heavy bombardment and a lack of civil defense and ambulance crews. Meanwhile, at least 35 Palestinians were killed during overnight Israeli airstrikes on the southernmost Rafah city, medical sources told Xinhua. 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 around 250 were taken hostage. Sami Ahmad, TwoCircles.net Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar often claims that he never compromised on three Cs crime, corruption and communalism. But in recent times, a D (duplicity) has crept into his approach as he is completely ignoring unabated hate speeches being delivered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Support TwoCircles Earlier, Kumar used to refute and denounce such Muslim bashings but in this ongoing Lok Sabha elections, he is maintaining complete silence which many believe is his atrocious connivance. International media took notice of Modis controversial speech in Banswara, an Adivasi-dominated area of Rajasthan on April 21 during the second phase of campaigning for the general elections 2024. The prime minister brazenly labeled Muslims as ghuspaithiya (infiltrators) and zyada bachhe wale (those who produce more babies). What went unnoticed was Modi delivered the speech on April 16 in Bihars Purnia district before his Banswara hate speech during the first phase of the election. Purnia is one of the four districts of Seemanchal where the Muslim population is higher than other areas. Modi said, Seemanchal is a sensitive area. Those who do vote bank politics have compromised the security by facilitating infiltration. Those opposing the CAA for political gains should know that Modi will not back off. Political analysts wondered if Modi was attacking Kumar who has been at the helm of affairs of Bihar since 2005, barring a brief gap in 2014 when he had resigned after a dismal performance of his party (the Janata Dal-United or JD-U) in the Lok Sabha elections. Despite allegations of infiltration in Seemanchal and dehumanization of Muslims, Kumar has chosen not to denounce or refute them. There are four Lok Sabha seats in Seemanchal, and Kumar fielded three candidates supported by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) which has the JD(U) as its constituent. Those JD (U) candidates from Kishanganj, Purnia and Katihar had a very tough time replying to the charge of infiltration made by Modi. JD (U) MLC Khalid Anwar could not say that Modi was lying but he insisted that there was no infiltration in Seemanchal. He tried hard to dub the conspiracy theory as BJPs political agenda. What Modi said about infiltration in Seemanchal was echoed by other BJP leaders in their speeches in Bihar. Professor Abdul Qadir describes Kumars silence as a proof of a majboor (powerless) chief minister instead of a mazboot (powerful). Talking to TwoCircles.net, he said, Nobody takes Kumar seriously these days. While sharing power with the BJP, he has ignored or given silent approval to the likes of Modi, (Amit) Shah or Giriraj (Singh) who predicted celebrations in Pakistan, identified people with their dress or talked of the pink revolution (a reference to beef selling). Kumar switched sides and joined hands with the BJP earlier in January this year after dumping the Grand Alliance, comprising the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress and Left parties. On the issue of population, Kumar used to refute the BJPs claim. He was opposed to BJPs demand for a population control law as he was of the view that education has brought down population growth. He used to say that education was the best measure to control the population. Kumar is keeping mum on the hate speeches, but he makes sure to remind the Muslim community that he had worked for them. He mentions that 8,000 graveyards were walled during his regime. He also appeals to Muslims to vote for NDA candidates. However, he never addresses the concerns of the community regarding citizenship and their personal law. Noted journalist and author Nalin Verma says that Kumars silence on Modis Muslim bashing is a clear case of connivance. By maintaining silence on the prime ministers hate speeches, Nitish Kumar is endorsing Modis brand of politics. His role is not even ambiguous but a clear-cut case of connivance with Modi. He has lost his credibility, and he is totally dependent on Modi to get his partys candidates elected, he pointed out. Verma said Kumar was different when he adopted an anti-Modi plank from 2009 to 2014. He did not allow Modi to campaign for the 2010 Bihar Assembly polls. At that time too, it was not because of his secular ideas but because that was convenient for him, he said. He said the claim by Nitish Kumar to have worked for the Muslim community was well reciprocated by the minorities as they voted for him and his candidates. Senior journalist Soroor Ahmed said Kumars silence on Modis hate speeches is a clear sign of the chief ministers weakness. Nitish Kumars claim of no compromise to communalism has been proved hollow since the 2019 general elections. His party compromised on many controversial issues like CAA, triple talaq and the abrogation of Article 370, he told TwoCircles.net. He said as Kumar is at his weakest political position, he cannot afford to oppose what Modi is saying about Muslims. Professor Abdul Qadir said, In the past too when Kumar was not that weak, he did not take a stand on the divisive and apparently anti-Muslim rumblings of BJPs top leadership. By Anita Komuves and Boldizsar Gyori BUDAPEST (Reuters) -China and Hungary will embark on a "golden voyage" in bilateral relations, Chinese President Xi Jinping said after meeting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on the third and final stop of his first European tour in five years. Hungary under right-leaning Orban has become an important trade and investment partner for China, in contrast with some other EU nations that are considering becoming less dependent on the world's second-largest economy. Xi arrived in Budapest late on Wednesday after visiting France and Serbia. In Paris, President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen pressed him to ensure more balanced trade with Europe and use his influence on Russia to end the war in Ukraine. After their meeting, both Xi and Orban said that their two countries elevated ties to an "all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership." "We are willing to take this as a new starting point to push bilateral relations and pragmatic cooperation into a golden channel and move towards a higher level," Xi said. This, among others, means that the two countries expand their cooperation to the nuclear industry, Orban said. The two countries will also move forward in the construction of key projects including the reconstruction of the Budapest-Belgrade railway project, the Chinese president said. The $2.1 billion project, most of which is financed by a loan from China, is part of the Belt and Road Initiative, an ambitious plan launched by Xi a decade ago in the hope of building global infrastructure and energy networks connecting Asia with Africa and Europe. Hungary and China signed 18 agreements after the meeting of their leaders, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in a video on his Facebook page. The two countries will start preparing the construction of a railway line around Budapest that will help transport goods produced by Chinese factories in Eastern Hungary to markets in Western Europe, Szijjarto said. Hungary and China will also start preparing a high-speed railway connecting the centre of Budapest and its airport, the ministers said. The relationship between China and Hungary, which mark their 75th year of diplomatic relations, goes beyond trade and investment as China offered cooperation on public security and law enforcement issues to Hungary in February. Orban started bringing his country closer to Beijing after he came to power in 2010. Warm political relations turned into investments about a decade later when battery and electric vehicle makers started to bring production to Hungary. One of the biggest investors, CATL, is building a 7.3 billion euro ($7.86 billion) battery plant in Debrecen while Chinese EV maker BYD announced late last year that it was building its first European plant in southern Szeged. (Reporting by Anita Komuves and Boldizsar Gyori in Budapest, additional reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Nick Macfie and Jonathan Oatis) FILE PHOTO: The Old Bailey is seen in London, Britain, October 22, 2021. By Sam Tobin LONDON (Reuters) - The ringleader of an extreme body modification conspiracy who cut off men's genitals and uploaded videos to his "Eunuch Maker" website was jailed for a minimum of 22 years in a London court on Friday. Norwegian Marius Gustavson was involved in several highly dangerous procedures which included removing the penis or testicles of men who had consented, British prosecutors said. The practice is linked to a subculture of men seeking to become so-called "nullos", short for genital nullification, by having their penis or testicles removed. Some of the procedures were filmed and the footage uploaded to Gustavson's pay-per-view website, which had nearly 23,000 users and made more than $300,000 between 2017 and 2021. Gustavson pleaded guilty last year to 13 offences, including conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm, causing grievous bodily harm, and possessing criminal property relating to the money made from the website. Prosecutor Caroline Carberry said that all the men who were subjected to the operations had consented to the amputations. But, as a person cannot legally consent to the infliction of an injury causing bodily harm, the procedures amounted to a criminal offence even with consent. Carberry also said that many of the victims were vulnerable and had been put under pressure by Gustavson and his co-defendants. Gustavson himself willingly had his penis cut off at his London home in 2017 and later had his left leg amputated after deliberately submerging it in dry ice in 2019. Two men were jailed in January for their part in those procedures. Prosecutors said Gustavson kept some amputated body parts in his freezer and that messages suggested he had offered some for sale. Gustavson was "very much the mastermind behind this grisly and gruesome enterprise", Judge Mark Lucraft said, adding that some of the procedures were "little more than human butchery". He was sentenced at the Old Bailey court on Thursday alongside six other men, four of whom had also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm. (Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Mark Potter) By David Kirton and Brenda Goh SHENZHEN/SHANGHAI (Reuters) -Huawei's latest high-end phone features more Chinese suppliers, including a new flash memory storage chip and an improved chip processor, a teardown analysis showed, pointing to the progress China is making towards technology self-sufficiency. Online tech repair company iFixit and consultancy TechSearch International examined the inside of Huawei Technologies' Pura 70 Pro for Reuters, finding a NAND memory chip they said was likely packaged by the Chinese telecoms equipment maker's in-house chip unit HiSilicon and several other components made by Chinese suppliers. These findings have not been previously reported. Huawei's resurgence in the high-end smartphone market after four years of U.S. sanctions is being widely watched by both rivals and U.S. politicians as it has become a symbol of growing U.S.-China trade frictions and China's bid for technology self-sufficiency. The firms also found that the Pura 70 phones run on an advanced processing chipset made by Huawei called the Kirin 9010 that is likely only a slightly improved version of the Chinese-made advanced chip used by Huawei's Mate 60 series. "While we cannot provide an exact percentage, we'd say the domestic component usage is high, and definitely higher than in the Mate 60," said Shahram Mokhtari, iFixit's lead teardown technician. "This is about self-sufficiency, all of this, everything you see when you open up a smartphone and see whatever are made by Chinese manufacturers, this is all about self-sufficiency," Mokhtari said. Huawei declined to comment. Huawei launched the Pura 70's four smartphone models in late April and the series quickly sold out. Analysts say it will likely take more market share from iPhone manufacturer Apple, while policymakers in Washington are questioning the efficacy of U.S. curbs on the telecoms equipment giant. CHINA-MADE FLASH MEMORY CHIP Earlier analysis by teardown firms such as TechInsights of the Mate 60, launched in August last year, found the phone to be using DRAM and NAND memory chips made by South Korea's SK Hynix. SK Hynix said at the time it no longer did business with Huawei and analysts said the chips likely came from stockpiles. The Pura 70 still contains a DRAM chip made by SK Hynix, iFixit and TechSearch found, but the NAND flash memory chip was likely packaged by Huawei's HiSilicon unit this time around and was made up of NAND dies each with a capacity of 1 terabit. This is comparable to products made by major flash memory producers such as SK Hynix, Kioxia and Micron. Story continues However, the firms were unable to definitively identify the manufacturer of the wafer as the markings on the NAND die were unfamiliar, they added. But iFixit added that they believed that HiSilicon may have produced the memory controller as well. "In our teardown our chip ID expert has identified it as a particular HiSilicon chip," Mokhtari said. SK Hynix reiterated that it was "strictly complying with the relevant policies since the restrictions against Huawei were announced and has also suspended any transactions with the company since then". INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS IFixit and TechSearch's analysis of the processor used by the Pura 70 Pro also suggests Huawei may have only made incremental improvements in its ability to produce an advanced chip with Chinese partners in the months since it launched the Mate 60 series. The processor is similar to the one employed in the Mate 60 series that was produced for Huawei by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) using the Chinese chip foundry's 7 nanometer (nm) N+2 manufacturing process, they said. "This is significant because news of the 9000S on a 7nm node caused a bit of a panic last year when U.S. lawmakers were confronted with the possibility that the sanctions imposed on Chinese chipmakers might not slow their technological progress after all," iFixit said. "The fact that the 9010 is still a 7nm process chip, and that it's so close to the 9000S, might seem to suggest that Chinese chip manufacturing has indeed been slowed." Still, he cautioned against underestimating Huawei, saying that SMIC was still expected to make a leap to a 5nm manufacturing node before the end of the year. SMIC did not respond to a request for comment. (Additional reporting by Joyce Lee in Seoul; Editing by Jacqueline Wong) Demonstrators hold a rally to protest against a bill on "foreign agents", in Tbilisi By Felix Light TBILISI (Reuters) - Georgia's ambassador to France resigned on Thursday over his country's draft law on "foreign agents", becoming the first senior official to do so and saying it would draw the South Caucasus nation away from a path of integration with Europe. The bill, which would require organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence, has sparked huge street protests in Georgia by demonstrators who see it as authoritarian and Russian-inspired. "The current tensions and climate generated by the revived draft law in our relations with our foreign friends and partners make my mission...extremely difficult," the ambassador, Gotcha Javakhishvili, posted on social media. He said that while he did not personally know any Georgian officials or diplomats who were "openly pro-Russian", he believed the draft law "may be a kind of tactic to achieve a certain goal". "I no longer see my role and resources in this direction: the move towards Europe," he said. Street protests erupted in Tbilisi in mid-April after the ruling Georgian Dream party announced plans to bring back the foreign agent bill, which it had abandoned last year after mass rallies. Demonstrators have gathered almost nightly in Tblisi to show opposition to the bill and have been met by police firing water cannon, tear gas and stun grenades. Dozens of protesters have been arrested and over a dozen hospitalised. The government says the law is needed in order to ensure that foreign funding of NGOs is transparent. Lawmakers are expected to begin debate on a third and final reading of the bill on Monday. The interior ministry said on Thursday it had arrested six people for assaulting police officers and causing damage at previous protests. The European Union has condemned the bill, saying its passage may endanger Georgia's bid to join the bloc. The EU's special representative for the South Caucasus said on Thursday that his "heart aches" over the situation in Georgia. "Our relationship is supposed to be based on shared values and on support for a strong civil society where lists of 'enemies of the people' and anonymous phone calls have no place", Tovio Klaar wrote on X. A string of Georgian activists opposing the bill have reported being beaten by gangs of unknown men on the streets, Georgian media said this week. Unverified photographs circulating on social media show flyers denouncing protesters as "enemies of the people" papered on the walls of buildings around Tbilisi. Georgian officials have denied involvement. The demonstrations subsided over the Orthodox Easter holidays in the last week but activists have called for a fresh wave of rallies starting on Saturday. (This story has been corrected to say that the parliament will begin debates on the bill's reading on Monday, not vote on it, in the third bullet point and paragraph 8) (Reporting by Lucy Papachristou in London and Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Frances Kerry) TBILISI (Reuters) - A big crowd of protesters gathered in the Armenian capital Yerevan on Thursday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan over his decision to cede several border villages to neighbour and longtime rival Azerbaijan. Armenia said last month it would return the uninhabited villages in what both sides said was an important milestone as they edge towards a peace deal after fighting two wars since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The decision has angered many in Armenia. Almost 100 people protesting the move were detained last month in Yerevan after police said they refused to comply with their orders. Protesters led by a senior Armenian cleric reached Yerevan on Thursday after walking for several days from a village in the country's northeast, a distance of some 100 miles (160 km). Video posted by Armenian media on Thursday showed a crowd of thousands of people gathering in Yerevan's central Republic Square and waving Armenian flags. "Nikol Pashinyan, we are giving you an hour to resign", the cleric, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, was cited by Armenian media as saying. "You no longer have any authority in Armenia". Armenia is a treaty ally of Russia and traditionally Moscow's closest partner in the South Caucasus, but bilateral relations have sharply deteriorated in recent months as Yerevan has sought to build ties with the West, blaming Russia for failing to defend it from Azerbaijan. A Kremlin spokesman was quoted by Interfax news agency on Thursday as saying Moscow has agreed to withdraw Russian forces and border guards from various parts of Armenia at Yerevan's request. The announcement follows the departure of nearly 2,000 Russian peacekeepers from in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region which Azerbaijan returned by force in September last year, prompting an exodus of 100,000 ethnic Armenians who had enjoyed de facto independence since breaking away in the 1990s. (Writing by Lucy Papachristou; Editing by Mark Trevelyan) Flash U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 8, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] The United States has withheld one shipment of near-term weapons aid to Israel due to "serious concerns" that a looming large-scale military operation in Rafah by Israeli forces would cause significant loss of civilian lives, the State Department said on Wednesday. Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the State Department, confirmed the halt of security assistance to Israel at a press briefing, telling reporters that the administration of President Joe Biden is reviewing other shipments as the situation in Rafah unfolds. "We have very serious concerns about a potential Rafah operation. We have concerns about what that would mean for the civilian population," Miller said, adding that such concerns on the U.S. side stemmed from "the way Israel has conducted its operations in the past and what the impact on the civilian population has been." Miller's confirmation of the delay came days after multiple U.S. media outlets reported on the administration's move, with Axios - which first published such a report - citing a senior administration official as saying that weapons being put on hold included 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs. "We also have concerns about the impact of any potential operation on the delivery of humanitarian assistance," Miller said, urging Israel to open the Rafah crossing so that humanitarian assistance would continue flowing into Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement early Tuesday that its troops "managed to establish operational control of the Gazan side" of the Rafah crossing following a "precise counterterrorism operation" launched overnight against Hamas. Miller said the IDF's incursion into Rafah was conducted without U.S. approval, adding that Washington considered it to be the "first priority" that the Rafah crossing be kept open. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told senators on Capitol Hill as he testified on the Pentagon's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal that the Pentagon is "going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself." "But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah," he added. Zelenskiy says Ukraine needs more arms to stop Russian advances By Anastasiia Malenko KYIV (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday that Ukraine could stop Russian forces advancing in the east if allied countries increased the supply of arms. The Ukrainian leader made the comments at a joint news conference in Kyiv with the European Parliament's visiting President Roberta Metsola, more than two years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Russia has been making small but steady territorial gains in the east of the country since the start of the year, with Ukraine's forces depleted and weapons and ammunition running perilously low. "We are putting maximum pressure on our partners to increase weapon deliveries," Zelenskiy said at an open air briefing in the centre of the capital. "If the delivery of weapons is increased, we will be able to stop (Russian forces) in the east, where they have the initiative." As he spoke, air raid sirens started to blare, a reminder of the threat of Russian missile and drone attacks which have intensified across the country, causing power outages for hundreds of thousands of civilians. "This is their true attitude to peace," Zelenskiy said in reference to Russia, as officials began moving towards a shelter. Metsola was in Kyiv on Europe Day, which celebrates peace and unity across the continent. "How are you feeling Roberta?" he asked, turning to Metsola who was standing a few metres away. "I am alright but, as you say, it's Europe Day. Look at this, now I get an idea of what you live through every day," she replied. Ukrainian troops withdrew from three eastern villages in late April, and Ukraine's top commander has said the situation at the front had worsened. The U.S. decision to approve a huge military aid bill last month was welcomed by Kyiv, but many units have yet to receive new arms and warn that time is running out. Zelenskiy acknowledged Ukraine's need for more troops, saying that the lack of forces was creating a "difficult situation" near Avdiivka, a town Russia has captured, and Pokrovsk, which is still in Ukrainian hands. Additional brigades need to be equipped as they arrive to hold back Russian forces, Zelenskiy said, making aid that is "weeks and months away" more pressing. "Deliveries are taking place but not in the amounts that were ... voted for," he said. Zelenskiy added that increased domestic production of drones and artillery shells had helped Ukraine in its battle against Russia's continued onslaughts. (Reporting by Anastasiia Malenko; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise) Talk about a tough film to wade into! Since Ive mentioned before that I generally dislike biopics I also love Clint Eastwood movies, so American Sniper is something of a challenge. As the story of American Sniper and the veracity of its real-life subject Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) and his memoir have been dissected, discussed, and debated ad nauseam, Im going to forgo jumping into that particular line of fire. Instead, Im going to look at this film strictly as a film. Removing debate about certain facts of the source memoir or the typical Hollywood over-simplifying process to make a two-hour film more exciting, I feel like I can actually enjoy and appreciate what Eastwood did with this story. For those who somehow managed to live under a rock for ten-plus years, American Sniper is the story of legendary Navy SEAL Chris Kyle (played by Bradley Cooper). As one of the most lethal snipers in American combat history, Kyle proudly serves his country in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Leaving behind his new wife Taya (Sienna Miller), we watch as Kyles exploits behind the scope grow, but through four tours of duty, hes confounded again and again by a despot known as The Butcher (Mido Hamada) and targeted by and an Iraqi sniper and former-Olympian known as Mustafa (Sammy Shiek). While a hero in combat, Chris struggles to find reason and purpose at home with his wife and young family. His salvation wouldnt be found on the battlefield but among those like him who made it home alive. American Sniper was one of those projects that was either going to be a hit or be doomed to fail. Passed from one director and writing team to the next, it seemed like it was never going to get made. David ORussell who already made an exciting Gulf War epic with 1999s Three Kings felt like a natural choice as hed already worked with star and producer Bradley Cooper. When ORussell dropped out, Steven Spielberg stepped in - also a natural choice given his output. But when budget issues cropped up and Spielberg dropped out, one of the most notoriously efficient on-time and under-budget filmmakers stepped in, Clint Eastwood. It became a massive hit. Having already made his share of war pictures with the back-to-back productions of Flags of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima, Eastwood delivered one hell of a film. On top of expertly crafted action/suspense sequences, Clint never lost sight of the characters humanity. From Chris first confirmed kill to his tumultuous home life between tours, Cooper brilliantly manages that emotional toll. Eastwood deftly celebrates the man, his service, and his personal journey without turning him into the next Rambo shoot-em-up cartoon character. Like the recent Civil War, I felt this film was unfairly pushed into being some sort of political dog whistle. Sure, the film has its own brand of politics and as a biopic based on a source material with some questionable accounts for accuracy, folks can get lost in the minutia and fail to appreciate what this film does so well. As for Cooper, American Sniper is the film that made me truly appreciate his contributions as an actor. He was good before this film, but after I felt he had become a great actor capable of actually embodying a role. His earliest films he seemed stuck playing the handsome asshole you love to hate. Gradually he worked his way out of that hole expanding into better, juicer roles. Now hes a powerhouse performer building up his own directorial exploits. Sienna Miller as Taya is equally impressive as the emotional counterpoint. While her screentime may be limited, she's not reduced to a shrieking shew either. Chucky also delivers an effective performance as the newborn baby. In the long catalog of Eastwood films, American Sniper isnt my favorite, but its very good. Within the confines of his late-in-life output, its an impressive effort - especially when you consider he was well into his 80s when he made it. Ten years later the man is 93 years old and has another (potentially final) film on the horizon. Of his loose American Hero series of films based on real-life events and people, this one comes in second in my book. I liked Sully the best overall and Richard Jewel was a very good third spot. The three of those films easily outshine the unfortunately unimpressive 15:17 to Paris. Often tossed around as some kind of political beachball talking point, I genuinely feel American Sniper earns a spot as one of Eastwoods best efforts behind the camera. 4/5 For another take on the film here's our 2015 American Sniper Blu-ray Review Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Celebrating its 10th Anniversary, Clint Eastwoods American Sniper comes to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray as a single-disc 4K + Digital release. Pressed on a BD-100 disc, the disc is housed in a standard black case with an identical slipcover. The disc loads to a static image main menu with standard navigation options. [UPDATE 5/15] Review has been updated to include 4K-sourced images and video sample. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home CGBSE 10th result 2024 declared, Simran State Topper Chhattisgarh Class 10 result, Merit List and Toppers details of the year 2024 are available for download from Thursday May 09, 2024 at 12:30 pm on the official website cg.results.nic.in Thursday May 9, 2024 1:15 PM , ummid.com News Network Chhattisgarh 10th Topper 2024: Simran has emerged Class 10 topper of CGBSE 10th 2024 exam result of which was declared by the board official Thursday May 09, 2024. List of CGBSE 10th Toppers 2024 Simran Shabba - 597 marks Monisha - 593 marks Shreyansh Kumar Yadav - 590 marks A total of 117,519 students (boys: 43,940, girls: 73,579) passed the CGBSE Class 10 exams with First Division, 123,386 students (boys: 56,346, girls: 67,040) passed with Second Division and 16,165 students (boys: 9,719, girls: 6,446) passed the 10th board exams with Third Division. Overall Pass Percentage The overall pass percentage of Class 10 board exam is 75.61% whereas a total of 2,68,000 students passed the 12th exams in Chhattisgarh registering a pass percentage of 80.78%. The Pass percentage of girl students is 79.35% whereas that of boys is 71.12%, the board officials said. Simran, a girl student is state topper in Class 10. She bagged a total of 597 marks to emerge topper. The board announced the 10th and 12th results at a press conference addressed by the officials. No minister was present due to model code of conduct in effect due to 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Class 10 board exams in Chhattisgarh were held from March 2, 2024 to March 21, 2024. Around 3 lakh students from different districts of the state had appeared for the 10th board exams held in March 2024. Steps to Check CGBSE 10th Result 2024 Click here to go to the CGBSE result website: cg.results.nic.in . . Click on High School (10th) Exam Result 2024. Enter your Roll Number and Captcha code as seen in the box. Click on 'Submit' button to check your result. Students should note that the website response time could be a bit slow due to heavy rush of students checking their results all at once. Hence they should not get panic and waith for the smooth operation of the website. Chhattisgarh Board Exam Results of Last Few Years In 2023, the Chhattisgarh board exam results were announced on May 10, 2023. In 2023, the overall pass percentage for Class 10 was 75%, and for Class 12 it was 75.9%. Vidhi Bhonsle from Raigarh topped the Class 12 exam, while Rahul Yadav secured the top spot in Class 10 with 98.83%. Ritesh Kumar Sahu, Sajana Verma and Bimal Kumar have emerged joint toppers of CGBSE 12th 2022 exam results of which were declared on May 14, 2022 . Sonali Bala and Suman Patel were joint toppers of CGBSE 10th 2022 exam whereas Asifa Shah and Kahef Anjum were two Muslim students who figured in the list of Top 10 in 2022 Class 10 Merit List . In 2021, Chhattisgarh 10th and 12th exams were not conducted because of Covid-19 and the results of the students were prepared based on internal assessment. In 2020, the over all pass percentage of Class 10 exam conducted by the Chhattisgarh Board of Secondary Education (CGBSE) was 73.62%. Pragya Kashyap had topped the CGBSE Class 12 exam 2020 scoring 97.80% marks in 2020 . Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Ex-IPS officer reveals name of Police Inspector who killed Karkare Former IPS officer, SM Mushrif, Wednesday said slain ATS Chief Hemant Karkare was killed by Senior Police Inspector Sanjay Govilkar and not by 26/11 Mumbai Terror attack convicts. Friday May 10, 2024 0:03 AM , ummid.com News Network Mumbai/Kolhapur: Former IPS officer, SM Mushrif, Wednesday said slain ATS Chief Hemant Karkare was killed by Senior Police Inspector Sanjay Govilkar and not by 26/11 Mumbai Terror attack convicts. SM Mushrif was talking to reporters a day after Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Maharashtra Assembly and senior Congress leader, Vijay Wadettiwar, claimed that senior IPS officer Hemant Karkare was killed by the firearm of an RSS-linked police officer and not by bullets fired by Ajmal Kasab during the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai. Hindutva Terror Network Hemant Karkare is credited to have exposed the Hindutva terrorist network involved in multiple terrorist attacks in India, including 2008 Malegaon bomb blasts. The investigation into the Malegaon bomb blasts - which led to the exposure of saffron terror and the arrests of RSS linked Hindutva terrorists, had invited for then ATS Chief Hemant Karkare the ire of one of Indias largest organisation which is also the Bhartiya Janata Partys mentor. Hemant Karkare was later killed during the Mumbai terror attack on November 26, 2008. The RSS was so upset by the arrests of Hindutva terrorists that Narendra Modi, who was CM Gujarat at the time, along with other BJP leaders, were baying for Karkare's blood post the Malegaon investigations into the allegations of terrorist activities by the saffron brigade. Kavita Karkare declines Modi's reward Following Hemant Karkare's assassination, Modi as Gujarat CM, had announced 1 crore reward for the martyred officer's family. Karkare's wife, Kavita Karkare, however, refused to accept the 1 crore announced by then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi, according to India Today . The assassination of Karkare hit the media headlines four days ago once again after Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar while campaigning in Mumbai said the former Maharashtra ATS Chief was killed by an RSS linked police officer. Wadettiwar also said Ujjwal Nikam, BJP candidate in Mumbai North Central constituency, was a traitor. 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 the BJP has given an election ticket to a traitor like him, he said while talking to reporters Saturday May 04, 2024. "Who killed Karkare?" A day later, Wadettiwar said whatever he said was based on SM Mushrifs book Who killed Hemant Karkare? SM Mushrif, who retired as Inspector General (IG) of Police after over three decades of diligent policing, made an elaborate case out of nearly a dozen blasts, including the 2006 and 2008 Malegaon blasts , conducted by Hindutva terror groups of different stripes. Mushrif had not revealed the name of the police officer who had actually killed Hemant Karkare in his book. However, when reporters approached him after Congress leader Wadettiwar's statement, he revealed that Karkare was killed by then Assistant Police Inspector Sanjay Govilkar . "I came to this conclusion after 4 to 5 years of thorough investigation. I had also informed about this in writing to the state government and the high court", he said. He said Ujjwal Nikam also knew how Karkare was killed. "He however hid this fact from the court", he said. Interestingly, Sanjay Govilkar was suspended in 2019 for letting off Sohail Bhamla who had linked with underworld. He was however cleared of the charge . Sanjay Govilkar has so far not responded to SM Mushrif's latest claim. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. How AI is Reshaping Political Campaigning in India? The use of AI to resurrect deceased politicians and create synthetic media for campaign purposes raises critical ethical questions and underscores the need for robust regulatory frameworks. Thursday May 9, 2024 5:18 PM , Mohd Ziyaullah Khan Amid Indias vibrant election season, technology and politics converge at unprecedented levels, as AI transforms traditional campaign tactics. This article delves into the intersection of historical legacies and forward-looking aspirations, highlighting the impact of digital resurrection on modern electoral strategies. The use of AI to resurrect deceased politicians like H. Vasanth Kumar and M. Karunanidhi raises ethical questions about political manipulation and legacy ownership. Globally, controversies over AIs role in politics underscore the urgent need for regulatory frameworks. As AI blurs authenticity and manipulation, its impact on voter behaviour remains uncertain, prompting stakeholders to navigate uncharted ethical territories in the digital age. A Unique Campaign Strategy Movie star-turned-politician Vijay Vasanths recent campaign in Kanyakumari paints a vivid picture of modern electoral efforts. While traversing the town in an open jeep under the scorching sun, Vasanths campaign unfolds as a blend of classic outreach and cutting-edge innovation. Children clamour for sweets as he waves to onlookers, but behind the scenes, his campaign manager unveils a striking video featuring Vasanths deceased father, H. Vasanth Kumar. This video, leveraging AI, resurrects Kumars image and voice to lend support to his sons electoral bid, embodying a novel approach to engaging voters. Divyendra Singh Jadoun readily shares a catalogue of videos, audio recordings, and images from his computer whenever asked about his work. Among these, there is a video showing an Indian politician conversing fluently in multiple Indian languages about government projects. In an audio clip, a political party representative calls a voter to discuss local issues and gather suggestions. The remarkable aspect is that some of these visuals and audio recordings are incredibly realistic, created using artificial intelligence. To a casual observer, it would be difficult to discern that these materials, along with others in Jadouns collection, are AI-generated. Ethical Dilemmas of Soft Fakes The use of AI to recreate the presence of deceased politicians like H. Vasanth Kumar and M. Karunanidhi raises critical ethical questions. Digital rights activists express concerns about political manipulation boundaries and legacy ownership in the era of soft fakes. However, within Indias cultural context, eulogising the deceased is deeply ingrained, adding complexity to debates about AIs role in political campaigns and the ethical implications of synthetic media manipulation. These dilemmas highlight the need for robust ethical frameworks to navigate the evolving landscape of AI-driven political communication and legacy preservation. In other words, AI is being utilised to leverage deceased politicians across various political parties, including right-wing groups, who spare no effort to steer agendas in their preferred direction. Global Trends and Controversies Beyond Indias borders, similar controversies over AIs role in politics have emerged. From AI-generated robocalls impersonating world leaders to deepfake technologies altering public perceptions, countries worldwide grapple with the implications of synthetic media on democratic processes. The escalating manipulation facilitated by AI underscores the urgent need for regulatory frameworks and ethical guidelines to safeguard electoral integrity. Jadoun, the founder of Polymath Solution, established this synthetic media company to produce AI content for politicians starting in November of last year. In just six months, this nine-member company, operating from an office in the small western Indian town of Pushkar, has partnered with several prominent political parties for election campaigns, including the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the main opposition party, the Indian National Congress. AI as a Political Tool In Indias electoral arena, AI is not merely a technological novelty but a pivotal tool for politicians across party lines. Prime Minister Narendra Modi utilises AI to translate his speeches in real-time, while opposition leaders like Shashi Tharoor experiment with AI avatars for public engagement. The rapid adoption of AI in political communication signifies a paradigm shift akin to historical advancements such as newspapers, film, and television. AI content creators are in high demand among national and regional politicians in India during what is being heralded as the worlds largest election. According to several top AI content agencies, there is more demand than they can handle, with political parties across the country allocating over $50 million towards AI-generated campaign materials this year. Despite aiming to maximise their earnings, these AI content companies are actively filtering out unethical requests for fabricated content that could potentially spread misinformation. Challenges and Future Outlook As AI blurs the boundaries between authenticity and manipulation, its impact on voter behaviour remains a subject of speculation. The proliferation of deepfake technologies poses challenges far beyond traditional misinformation tactics, signalling a transformative shift in public discourse. In an age dominated by generative AI, the core principles of effective communication in politics undergo a profound reevaluation, prompting stakeholders to navigate uncharted ethical territories. Thus, the fusion of AI and politics in Indias electoral landscape illuminates a multifaceted narrative of innovation, controversy, and ethical reflection. As the boundaries between reality and simulation continue to blur, the enduring principles of democratic governance face unprecedented tests in the digital age. Conclusion The intersection of AI and politics in Indias electoral landscape presents a fascinating yet complex narrative. The use of AI to resurrect deceased politicians and create synthetic media for campaign purposes raises critical ethical questions and underscores the need for robust regulatory frameworks. While AI content companies like Polymath Solution capitalise on the surging demand from political parties, they are also committed to filtering out unethical requests to mitigate the spread of misinformation. As technology continues to evolve, the ethical implications of AI-driven political communication will remain a focal point of discussion. It is imperative for stakeholders, including policymakers, digital rights activists, and AI content creators, to collaborate in shaping ethical guidelines that uphold the integrity of democratic processes and protect societal values in an increasingly digital world. [The writer, Mohd Ziyauallah Khan, is a freelance content writer based in Nagpur. He is also an activist and social entrepreneur, co-founder of the group TruthScape, a team of digital activists fighting disinformation on social media.] Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home According to the officials, Karnataka SSLC 2024 result is available for download from Thursday May 09, 2024 at 10:30 am on the official website karresults.nic.in Thursday May 9, 2024 11:38 AM , ummid.com News Network Karnataka SSLC Result 2024: The evaluation work and assessment of the SSLC answer sheet was done from April 15 to 24, 2024. A total of 61,160 examiners at 237 evaluation centres in 35 educational districts of the state were involved in the process. A total of 859,967 students had appeared in the Karanataka SSLC exams 2024. Out of them 631,204 passed, according to the Karnataka SSLC result 2024 data. A total of 493,900 students from Urban areas appeared in the Class 10 Karnataka board exams. Out of them, 359,703 have passed with a pass percentage of 72.83%. In rural areas, 366,067 students appeared in the exam. Of them, 271,501 (74.17%) have been decleared passed. 11: 30 AM: Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) has announced the Class 10 SSLC result 2024 at 10:55 am Thursday. Pass Percentage Decline The board said the state registered an overall pass percentage of 73.40% in the 2024 SSLC exams held in the months of March and April. "A total of 631,204 students passed the examination, resulting in a pass percentage of 73.40%", the board said. This is 10% less than the 2023 board exam when the pass percentage was 83.89%. Girls again outperformed the boys registering a pass percentage of 81.11% (total 3,43,788 girl students). The pass percentage of boys is 65.90% (total 2,87,416 boys passed), according to the Karnataka Class 10 result data released today. Karnataka SSLC Topper 2024 Ankita Basappa Konnur from Bangalakote is the Karnataka SSLC 2024 Topper. She secured 100% i.e. 625 out of the total 625 marks. As many as 07 students came 2nd securing 624 marks. A total of 14 students attained 623 marks and jointly shared the 3rd rank in the SSLC Merit List. A total of 21 students got 622 marks and came 4th. Additionally, 44 students received 621 marks, and 64 students achieved a score of 620 marks and secured their position in SSLC Top 10 List. Udupi emerged as the top performing district with 94% result. South Kannada came second with a pass percentage of 92.12% and Shivamogga district came 3rd with a pass percentage of 88.67%. Karanataka SSLC result 2024 was declared today at a press conference jointly addressed by Chairperson Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board Manjushree B, Principal Secretary Department of School Education and Literacy Ritesh Kumar, and Director KSEAB Gopalkrishna. Ritesh Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary School Education Department said the reason for the decline in the pass percentage of the the Karnataka SSLC 2024 was due to webcasting which was introduced in order to reduce malpractice and ensure examination integrity. 10:00 AM: Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) is set to declare on its official website karresults.nic.in the results of the Senior School Leaving Certificate (Karnataka SSLC) 2024, also known as Pre University and Class 10 exams, today i.e. Thursday May 09, 2024. Karnataka SSLC 2024 Result Date and Time According to the officials, Karnataka SSLC 2024 result is declared and available for download from Thursday May 09, 2024 at 10:30 am on the official website karresults.nic.in. However a delay of few minutes here and there is expected. Candidates shoul also note that server response time could be slow soon after the result is declared. This is hence students are advised not to get panicked and wait for some time before retrying. Karnataka SSLC 10th Pre University Exam results are also accessible on kseeb.kar.nic.in, pue.kar.nic.in, indiaresults.com and results.nic.in. Direct link to check Karnataka SSLC 2024 Result Click here to go to the official website: karresults.nic.in . Click on SSLC Result 2024 Enter Reg Number Click on Submit button. More than 08 lakh students from different districts of Karnataka appeared for the SSLC examinations held between March 25 and April 6, 2024 . SSLC Karnataka result of last three years In 2023, KSEEB SSLC exam was held from March 31 to April 15, 2023. The Karnataka SSLC Result 2023 was declared on May 08, 2023. The overall pass percentage in 2023 was 83.89% with over 61,000 students securing A+ grade (90 to 100%) and 1,47,634 students passing with A grade (80 to 89%). The overall pass percentage in Karnataka 10th exam in the year 2022 was 90.29%. A total of 145 students scored 100% marks to emerge toppers in 2022. In 2021, nearly all students were declared passed with the Karnataka board registering a pass percentage of 99.99% for the first time in the history of SSLC 10th exams. Overall pass percentage in 2020 was 71.80%. The state board had not released the merit list and details of toppers in 2021 as the academic year was hit by the Pandemic. In 2020, the Class 10 exam result was announced on August 10 and the overall pass percentage recorded in the state was 71.80 per cent, which is nearly a two per cent drop from 2019. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home NASA to engage with Saudi Arabia for peaceful use of space Continuing his engagement to deepen international collaboration and the peaceful use of space, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson is on his way to Saudi Arabia to meet with key government and space officials. Thursday May 9, 2024 8:40 PM , ummid.com News Network Washington: Continuing his engagement to deepen international collaboration and the peaceful use of space, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson is on his way to Saudi Arabia to meet with key government and space officials. Bill Nelson will first travel to Italy and Vatican City followed by Saudi Arabia, beginning Thursday May 09, 2024. In Saudi Arabia, Nelson will meet with Saudi Space Agency and other senior officials to discuss future collaboration and underscore the importance of civil space cooperation for the broader United States and Saudi Arabia relationship. During his stay in the Kingdom, Nelson will also interact with students about the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education and their roles as members of the Artemis Generation. NASA, Italy collaboration Italy is a longstanding partner in human spaceflight and Earth science. While in Italy, Nelson will meet with President Teodoro Valente, Italian Space Agency (ASI) and other officials to discuss current and future collaboration, including the Artemis campaign to return to the Moon, partnership on the International Space Station, the exploration of Mars and Venus, and Earth science missions to study our home planet. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. HCM CITY With their complementary economies, Viet Nam and the United Arab Emirates boast huge potential to further foster investment and trade ties in future, a business forum heard in HCM City on May 9. Speaking at Doing Business with Vietnam, Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, highlighted the strong trade and investment opportunities for Dubai businesses in Viet Nam, saying: Viet Nam holds tremendous growth potential thanks to the countrys favourable economic policies, strong infrastructure, skilled workforce, and strategic location. Dubais non-oil bilateral trade with Viet Nam amounted to US$8.6 billion last year, a 12.2 per cent growth compared to the previous year, he said. Eisa Alhammadi, deputy head of mission at the UAE embassy in Viet Nam, said: The UAE stands as Viet Nam's largest trading partner in the Middle East. Both he and Lootah believed that the UAEs upcoming Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with Viet Nam would significantly strengthen bilateral trade relations. The agreement will enhance market access in Viet Nam for UAE businesses operating across diverse sectors, and unlock greater access to global markets for Vietnamese exporters thanks to the UAE's prominence as a global trading hub connecting the east and the west, Lootah said. Alhammadi said: Furthermore, and beyond trade and investment, we firmly believe in the importance of broadening the scope of our relationship and unlocking potential synergies across diverse sectors. Last year more than 50 delegations exchanged visits between our two nations, spanning politics, economics, sports, culture, sustainability, security, and expertise exchange. Nguyen Van Dung, deputy chairman of the HCM City Peoples Committee, said: We believe that the UAE Government's decision to open the Dubai International Chamber in HCM City in July 2023 and the chamber's decision to choose this city as the first location to organise the Doing Business with Viet Nam Forum affirm the UAEs recognition and desire to further explore cooperation potential with our city a leading economic hub and international integration pioneer of Viet Nam. For its part, the city administration has been and would continue to support and provide favourable conditions for foreign businesses, including UAE investors, to invest and do business in HCM City, he said. The UAE is currently ranked 42nd out of 120 countries and territories investing in the city with more than $ 12 million. Last year, despite global complexities, the citys exports to the UAE increased by over 4 per cent to nearly $ 340 million. Dung said: On the foundation of good bilateral relations, and given the complementary nature of our economies, Viet Nam, including HCM City, and the UAE have much potential for economic cooperation still untapped. Industries that are strong in the UAE, such as energy, including new and renewable energy, logistics, finance, banking, are those that Viet Nam is also mobilising more international resources in to develop. Conversely, the UAE has strong demand for imported goods to serve domestic needs, including in such products where Viet Nam has comparative advantages as agricultural and fishery products, processed foods, textile, garment, leather and footwear, electronics, machinery, equipment, and so on. Organised by the Dubai International Chamber, one of the three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, with the support of the UAE embassy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Investment & Trade Promotion Centre of HCM City, the forum also featured a panel discussion, which brought together expert speakers from key economic sectors in Viet Nam to discuss their experience in the local business environment. This was followed by a series of bilateral business meetings between representatives of companies from Viet Nam and Dubai from a range of sectors like food and beverage, construction, healthcare, information technology, environmental solutions, human resource management, and perfumes and cosmetics. The forum is among a series of activities organised during the chambers week-long trade mission to Southeast Asia. According to the Dubai International Chamber, it identified a range of sectors that offer potential export opportunities from Viet Nam to Dubai, including furniture, nuts, tropical fruits, and coffee. The most promising sectors in Viet Nam for Dubais investors are identified as sustainable agriculture, construction, tourism, and food. The trade mission is part of the New Horizons initiative spearheaded by the Dubai International Chamber to drive the international expansion of Dubai-based businesses and strengthen connections with promising global markets. VNS SEOUL CMC Technology Corporation opened its office in South Korea on Wednesday as part of the strategy to promote its global operations in the areas of automotive, finance and banking. The event was attended by representatives of 200 Korean enterprises who are CMCs partners, including IT service provider Samsung SDS and Kookmin Bank. CMC Chairman Nguyen Trung Chinh said this was a milestone in the company's drive to expand and its unceasing efforts to invest in and develop technology in the East Asian nation. Ambassador Vu Ho congratulated CMC on the inauguration which, he said, contributed to helping Vietnamese technology reach out to the world, as well as solidifying Viet Nam-South Korea relations. Director of Samsung SDSs Global Development Centre Chung Ju Hong praised CMCs technology and said he looked forward to enhanced cooperation. Alongside the event, CMC signed a Memoranda of Understanding with several partners including KPS Steel, RSupport and CoAsia Semi. Viet Nam and South Korea would like to see the value of trade between the two countries worth US$150 billion by 2030. South Korea, one of the leading economic partners of Viet Nam, plans to invest $1.35 billion in R&D activities for new technologies that serve its digital transformation targets. CMC is already involved in the SK market and has partnered with many corporations, including SK Telecom, CJ Olive Network and GS Retail. Established in 1993, CMC owns more than 20 core technologies and provided digital solutions and services in the areas of cloud computing, AI, NLP and voice processing. VNS Flash U.S. President Joe Biden is pictured during an event at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on April 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] The United States will not send weapons to Israel if they are to be used in a major military operation in Rafah, in southern Gaza Strip, U.S. President Joe Biden told CNN on Wednesday. The president's remarks were his first to address U.S. arms supply to Israel following the administration's decision last week to put the shipment of bombs on hold, a warning that Israel should not launch an invasion in Rafah absent credible protection of civilian lives. "Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers," Biden said, referring to 2,000-pound bombs whose delivery to Israel has been halted. U.S. media reported that also being delayed was the transfer of 500-pound bombs. "We're going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently," Biden said. "But it's, it's just wrong. We're not going to -- we're not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells." The Israel Defense Forces has now taken control of the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing linking Egypt and Gaza. Biden said Israel's actions so far have yet to cross a red line of entering heavily populated areas in Rafah. "They haven't gone into the population centers. What they did is right on the border. And it's causing problems with, right now, in terms of - with Egypt, which I've worked very hard to make sure we have a relationship and help," Biden said. "I've made it clear to (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) and the (Israeli) War Cabinet: They're not going to get our support, if in fact they go on these population centers," he said. Biden's words were interpreted by U.S. media as drawing a red line for the Israeli government. What's also significant is that the president acknowledged that bombs his nation sent to Israel had been used to kill civilians in the conflict in Gaza, indicating that the United States played a role in the slaughter. Earlier in the day, as he testified on the Pentagon's Fiscal Year 2025 budget proposal, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Senators on Capitol Hill that the Pentagon is "going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself. But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah." "We haven't made any decisions," Austin added. "We did pause as we reevaluated some of the security assistance we're providing." By Kieu Trinh In the middle of Ha Noi's bustling streets, renowned for their high energy, heavy traffic and noisy commerce, you can find hidden charms for a little piece of peace, if you are prepared to explore. Among the labyrinthine network of narrow, bustling lanes, explorers can uncover serene spots tucked away in tranquil corners hidden cafes offering a sanctuary from the city's frenetic pace. Located in the centre of the vibrant but hectic Old Quarter in Ha Noi, Nang Cafe embodies this secret worth sharing and a place to relax. To discover such hidden treasures requires more than just a keen eye. Visitors to the city will need to rely on modern tools like Google Maps and yet, even armed with technology, finding these elusive spots remains a challenge, their obscurity adding to their allure. Just arrived in Ha Noi and using his mobile to find good destinations, Luis Silva from Brazil recounted the thrill of stumbling upon such hidden gems. He said: We came here through an unthinkably small alley and it is funny because we didnt see any sign up there. I just asked for the lady and she said Oh, just right there, in the alley, so we came here. It was a big surprise. The balcony has an amazing view of the chaotic transit. We just amazing to see how busy the traffic is. The entrance to this tranquil oasis can easily go unnoticed by visitors, as it is concealed among the goods on sale at a retail store located at the corner of the intersection between ong Xuan Street and Hang Chieu Street. And if you are lucky enough to find the exact entrance and squeeze past the piles of wares and the grumpy shopkeeper, you will also wonder where this tiny one-person passage will lead. Guided by word of mouth, the two young Swedish visitors , Elin Anderson and Siri Dobers, echo this sentiment, relishing the sense of discovery as they navigate through narrow passages to find their hidden retreat. Its nice when you come along the street and then walk in the hidden alley. Its really hard to find, so we went to the wrong place at first, and then we found it! Elin Anderson said. It feels mysterious, and then coming up to this, its nice with the flowers, the lanterns and the great view to old streets of Ha Noi. We love this calming atmosphere in the middle of the chaotic city, Siri said. Owned by Pham Thuy Duong, the cafe exudes a homely ambience carefully crafted to emulate the warmth of a typical Hanoian household. Despite its humble facade, this hidden nostalgic haven attracts mainly foreign visitors, drawn by its authentic charm and unique locale. My idea is that this cafe will be like the home of a typical Hanoian family, " Duong said. "Before coming here, our foreign guests often thought that my cafe would be very formal or fancy, but I just want something authentic, simple so that guests can feel the most authentic features of the Old Quarter. Nang Cafe is just one facet of Hanoi's vibrant cafe culture. Tucked away in old neighbourhoods, these hidden gems serve as perfect hideaways for escape-seekers. From retro-themed spaces to minimalist hideouts, each cafe tells a unique story, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the city's rich tapestry. Nhu Duy Ngoc, owner of the Lach cafe at 36 Ha Hoi street, recalled how he himself discovered the place while exploring the city and decided it was THE place to start a business. He said: I accidentally discovered this place and I found the atmosphere here so peaceful, suitable for young people who love quiet spaces. It suits my taste and the preferences of young people today. The cafe is named Lach (meaning squeeze through) because the entrance is so tricky to find. Guests have to weave through narrow alleys and climb several stairs to reach the cafe. My customers are often amazed because the space up here is completely different from the space below - an old communal housing area, classical French architecture, while up here is quite new and strange, Ngoc said. These hidden coffee spots cater to a diverse clientele, from dynamic young artists to curious travellers seeking refuge from the chaos outside. Phan Minh and Ngoc Phu, drawn by the allure of these tucked-away cafes, savour not only the distinctive flavours of the drinks, but also the unique ambience. We often seek out hidden coffee spots because it's a trend now, "Phan Minh said. "I find it enjoyable because these cafes usually have unique spaces with their own distinct character. This cafe is beautifully decorated, with various corners and spaces, suitable for everyone's needs, whether it's for chatting with friends or working. His friend, Ngoc Phu, agreed: This cafe is tucked away in a tiny alley, resembling the old architecture of Hanoi. It has its own unique charm totally different from the larger cafes of previous trends. For many, the allure of these hidden coffee spots lies in their physical spaces and the sense of community they foster. As patrons sip on their beverages, conversations flow freely, friendships form and memories are made. Whether you're a local seeking solace or a traveller craving some authentic experiences, Ha Noi's hidden coffee spots beckon. VNS By Alex Reeves - @afreeves23 So, youve been here in our cherished capital for a month already. The trauma of the visa queue, or lack thereof, the face of the immigration officer staring into your soul and the unnerving memory of an overpriced and anxiety-ridden taxi from Noi Bai to Hang Buom (am I really doing this?) have begun to fade. Your stallion of a Yamaha Nouvo sits proudly outside your Tay Ho sharehouse - one month deposit bruh! Everyone you live with has started dating a, or is themselves a DJ, youre seriously considering it yourself, maybe you could start a collective? Yeah, the petrol light may be on, but who cares? Youve made it to paradise. Your Grab food order history is longer than your flight here, Bao Wow is definitely not considered local food anymore and that stencil tattoo of a woman in a conical hat on a bicycle isnt going to pay for itself. The sudden affordability of smashed avocado on toast without the side of aspirational working-class guilt has been a little too tempting recently. You begin to realise that owning a film camera is a rather expensive new personality and your I lost my wallet on Xuan Dieu post didnt yield the results you hoped for. Maybe you ended your night at Toms bar in Hoan Kiem only to wake up at dawn outside Cafe Thom by West Lake. Your precautionary visit to Dr Binhs wasnt as cheap as your mates promised. You need a job. That humanities degree and 120 hour TEFL have never felt like a better investment, you too can now have your documents lost by an inconsistent HR department as you attempt to cross the city at rush hour to make your next class. Perhaps youre even ready to try and go local, after all you did notice that the Vietnamese fella next to you gets charged 10k less for his bowl of 'Foh' (that's correct, yeah?) and it just isnt right! You learned 1-10 easily enough and can even order yourself a beer now. Its time to book a four-week intensive Vietnamese course that you attend twice before realising your teacher isnt actually into you, theyre just being nice. You feel a little silly because people laughed when you asked Hanoi Massive how those two dogs got stuck together. Its time to get out of the city and reflect. Unfortunately driving to Soc Son does not make you Tay Hos answer to Francis Drake but rest assured, Ninh Binh really is THAT good. Its been a hectic few months and you miss home. Thoughts of doubt swirl around your mind, your gran would probably help you out with a flight back. My advice? Not every Anh oi around Quang An is trying to poison everyone's dogs and yes, Bia Hoi glasses, Marou chocolate and silk scarves are all suitable gifts for home. Ha Noi has its ups and downs, the choice you make next will decide if in 12 months youll be sharing these jokes with your new friends or bemoaning them from the pub back home. See you in Phu Quoc for Christmas? *By Ambassador of the European Union to Viet Nam Julien Guerrier On May 9, the European Union is celebrating Europe Day, commemorating the visionary statement made on May 9, 1950 by Robert Schuman, then Foreign Minister of France. Only five years after the end of World War II, Robert Schuman was calling for the peaceful unification of Europe, so that such devastating wars amongst ourselves become a thing of the past. This has succeeded: the European Union has ensured peace for its citizens, but also prosperity and freedom. Principles such as individual rights and freedoms, democratic governance, rule of law and a decent standard of living for all citizens are all deeply anchored in our society. We are United in Diversity. There is peace in the EU, but there is war around us, in Ukraine, in Gaza and in other parts of the world. I see no better occasion than this day, to remember Robert Schumans own words: World peace cannot be safeguarded without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten it. On its part, as a global responsible player, the EU is committed to uphold the fundamental values and interests that we share with many people around the world. The challenges that we are facing today encourage us to work closely together with the international community to help stabilise the world and ensure the respect of international law. Europe Day is an opportunity for us to commemorate past achievements, but also to look ahead at how we can shape our European future together, and inspire partnerships to forge beyond the borders of Europe. More than ever, the EU is keen to pursue its "Strategic Autonomy" and shape its foreign policy on its own terms. We are reaching out to Asia with a strategy on connecting Europe and Asia, boosting connectivity that is sustainable, rules-based, and comprehensive. The EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific adopted in 2021 demonstrates the EUs recognition of the growing importance of the region and its commitment to reinforcing its presence and cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners. Viet Nam is a central partner in this strategy. In this sense, we are proud that our bilateral relationship has developed so strongly and vividly across all areas of cooperation over the past decades. The EU as an economic partner The EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has uplifted our commercial links to unprecedented heights, with an increase of our trade of some 40 per cent since its entry into force in 2020. The EVFTA has also contributed to improving Viet Nam's attractiveness for Foreign Direct Investment in the eyes of EU and non-EU investors. The EU has is the 6th biggest Foreign Direct Investment partner of Viet Nam among some 100 countries investing into the country. Data from the Ministry of Planning and Investment indicates that the EU has a total stock of investment of approximately 28 billion euro with around 2,450 projects. EU investors continued to invest an additional 800 million euro into Viet Nam in the period JanuarySeptember 2023 against a global trend of decreasing long-distance investments. The EU as a development partner The EU Global Gateway Strategy to invest in sustainable infrastructure is benefiting Viet Nam, with the EU and its Member States being a major ODA partner of Viet Nam, actually the biggest donor in grants. The EU alone has currently an ongoing project portfolio of close to EUR300 million in grants with another 160 million in the pipeline. Priorities are sustainable green growth, decent work and responsible business, as well as good governance, rule of law and human rights. To implement these projects, the EU is working closely with national authorities, including a number of strategic Ministries and other state partners at central, provincial, district and commune level, and with civil society and non-state actors. The EU attaches a profound importance to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in particular to civil and political rights, environmental rights, workers rights and childrens rights. This is why we are supporting Vietnam in the area of justice reform and access to justice, giving great importance to the role of national and international non-state actors. Their contribution to society and sustainability is invaluable and should be further recognized and encouraged. We welcome Viet Nam's encouraging progresses on women, children and LGBTQ+ rights, and hope for further advances in these and other Human Rights areas, especially during Viet Nam's tenure on the UN Human Rights Council. The current largest programme of the EU is to strengthen Viet Nam's energy transition process and provide technical assistance to Government counterparts with a total funding of 142 million. The EU as a climate action partner As part of the Global Gateway strategy and together with its Member States in a Team Europe spirit, the EU also actively supports the implementation of large-scale projects like the first hydro-pumped storage in Bac Ai in Ninh Thuan Province. This initiative stands for sustainable and trusted connections that work for the people and the planet while helping to tackle the most pressing climate change challenges. These projects contribute to the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JET-P) with Viet Nam, for which the International Partners Group coordinated by the EU together with the UK, has pledged 15 billion to support Viet Nam on its path towards net zero emissions in 2050. In the past months, Vietnam has successfully established the JET-P Secretariat and launched the JET-Ps Resource Mobilisation Plan together at COP28 in the presence of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Now we will continue to work hard in order to implement the Resource Mobilisation Plan, on specific projects and by addressing the development of regulatory frameworks and of infrastructure such as smart transmission grids, power storage, solar and offshore wind power. Climate action is at the centre of EU policy, both at home and abroad. The EU as a security and defence partner Security and Defence have been key priorities of the EUs engagement with our partners led by the EU High Representative and Vice President of the European Commission for foreign affairs, Josep Borrell. Regarding our cooperation in this domain, I am grateful that Viet Nam contributes with military personnel to the EU Training Mission in the Central African Republic, and with our discussions on maritime security. The EU presence and interest in the regions stability was underlined last month with the port call of a French frigate in a Nang. Europe Day reminds us that people that had fought against each other can decide to turn the page, embrace each other again, and build a shared future of peace, prosperity and freedom. Let us build on the achievements of the deep and broad partnerships that the EU and Viet Nam have developed so far, to engage further and build an even brighter future of cooperation for our mutual benefit. VNS HA NOI Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son on Wednesday awarded the For the cause of Viet Nam's foreign affairs insignia to outgoing Japanese Ambassador to Viet Nam Yamada Takio in recognition of his contributions to Viet Nam - Japan diplomatic relations. At their meeting, Son assessed that during the past 4-year term of Ambassador Yamada Takio, bilateral relations have grown well in all fields with outstanding achievements. The diplomat's efforts and contributions to strengthening the friendship and cooperation between the two nations, he said. The minister hoped that in the coming time, Ambassador Yamada Takio, with his experience, understanding, and affection for Viet Nam, will continue to contribute to the Viet Nam-Japan relations in such fields as economy, investment, human resources training, people-to-people and locality-to-locality exchanges, and tourism. For his part, Ambassador Yamada Takio thanked the ministry for supporting and closely coordinating with the Japanese Embassy over the past four years in the context of many new and complicated developments in the world and region, especially the COVID-19 pandemic. He affirmed that in any positions he holds in the coming time, he will continue to promote the bilateral friendship and cooperation. VNS ROME The 8th session of the Viet Nam-Italy Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation took place in Rome on Wednesday to summarise the collaboration so far and set out new tasks for the two sides. The event was co-chaired by Vu Thi Tu Quyen, Deputy Director of the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technologys Department of International Cooperation, and Giuseppe Pastorelli, Deputy Director of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperations economic promotion and innovation department. Both sides expressed satisfaction at the outcomes of the seven bilateral sci-tech cooperation programmes implemented since 1998. These programmes have fostered strong collaborative relationships between Vietnamese and Italian research institutes and universities, enabling joint research projects in Italy's areas of expertise to effectively address Vietnam's socio-economic development needs. Over 70 educational establishments and more than 250 experts of the two nations have participated in field surveys, study tours, exchange visits, and the training of over 50 Master and PHD students. Additionally, they have jointly published over 150 scientific papers on journals from Viet Nam, Italy, and around the world. The 8th session saw the sides concurring on their cooperation scheme for 2024-2026, focusing on the five priority areas of agricultural science and food technology, information technology and communication, climate change and sustainable development, space science and earth observation, and technology for conservation and restoration of cultural and natural heritage. They also finalised a list of joint research projects to be implemented in the near future. VNS ABYEI The Viet Nam Military Construction Engineering Contingent, who are taking on a UN peacekeeping mission in Abyei, between Sudan and South Sudan, held the inauguration of a smart camp at the Highway base, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the ien Bien Phu Victory on May 7. This is the first smart camp at the United Nations Mission (UN). The Smart Camp project began on March 28 last year, building a total of 30 buildings over a series of three phases. The camp consists of office systems, houses, cafeterias, kitchens, physical rooms, toilet systems and utility and auxiliary works such as water and solid waste treatment systems, a repair station, a generator area, a solar power station and a security monitoring system. Colonel Nguyen Viet Hung, Commander of the Vietnamese peacekeeping force at the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), and Captain of the Viet Nam Military Construction Engineering Contingent, expressed his honour and joy to have been trusted by the mission and assigned the task of implementing the Smart Camp Project. Hung said this was also the first project that the Viet Nam Contingent had implemented at the mission and the work demonstrated Viet Nams capacity and responsibility. The success of the Smart Camp project within the mission has created favourable conditions for United Nations officials and employees to contribute to the peace keeping, stability and development in Abyei, he said. "May 7 is also a day of great significance for the Vietnamese army and people, it is the day that 70 years ago, the Viet Nam People's Army and the Vietnamese people won the victory at ien Bien Phu, a brilliant milestone, marking the change of an era in the war, the colonel said. Inaugurating the smart camp at the mission was important to us, because in the period of peace building, integration and development, that success represents Viet Nams responsibility and political commitment towards the international community when sending forces to participate in UN peacekeeping, for the common goal of carrying out the tasks of humanitarian assistance, construction, stability and global development." The Viet Nam Military Construction Engineering Contingent plan on expanding their engineering work in the future and will also use their experience in the Abyei work to give them ideas for building barracks in isolated areas in Viet Nam. Abyei is a disputed area between Sudan and South Sudan. In 2011, the two countries signed an agreement committing to withdraw troops from the demilitarised zone in Abyei and establish a joint mechanism to resolve the issue. UNISFA was established in 2011 under Resolution 1990 of the United Nations Security Council with the mandate to protect civilians and promote peace in Abyei. The 2nd Engineering Team has 203 soldiers, including 19 women who have been in Abyei from August 2023. 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of Viet Nam deploying forces to participate in the United Nations peacekeeping mission. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam welcomes the United States Commerce Department's May 8 hearing on whether to upgrade the country to market economy status, Vietnamese foreign ministry's spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said on Thursday. This is an important step in the process of reviewing Viet Nam's application for market economy status recognition, the spokeswoman told reporters at the press briefing in Ha Noi. "During the hearing, the Vietnamese side clearly stated its arguments with information and data affirming that our economy completely meets the criteria of a market economy. Additionally, we also emphasised that the performance of Vietnamese economy is even better than many economies that the US have recognised as market economies," she remarked. The lifting of the non-market economy label would spare Viet Nam from US' anti-dumping duties against the imported goods. The final decision from the US Commerce Department is expected on July 26, 2024. The diplomat pointed out that currently, 72 countries recognise Viet Nam as having a market economy, including major economies such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Japan. Viet Nam has also participated in 16 bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements with over 60 partners across continents. "The early recognition of Viet Nam's market economy status by the United States will contribute to the realisation of the commitments of the two countries' high-level leaders, enhancing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Viet Nam and the US, thereby promoting economic and trade relations for the concrete benefits of businesses and people of both countries," Hang said. VNS HA NOI Spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang noted Viet Nam's attention to the BRICS membership expansion while addressing the ministrys regular press conference on Thursday. When asked about the possibility of Viet Nam's engagement in BRICS a group of major emerging economies and information that Viet Nam has submitted application to become a member, Hang said that as a responsible and active member of the international community and following the foreign policy of multilateralisation and diversification of foreign relations, independence and self-reliance, Viet Nam is always ready to take part in and actively contribute to global as well as regional multilateral mechanisms, organisations, and forums. Like many countries in the world, we pay attention to the process of the BRICS membership expansion, the spokeswoman added. BRICS was established in 2009 with 4 founding members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, with South Africa joining a year later. On January 1, 2024, five countries in the Middle East-Africa region, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iran, and Ethiopia, became official members of BRICS. Before admitting the new 5 members, BRICS accounted for approximately 30 per cent of the global economic scale, 26 per cent of the land area, and 43 per cent of the world's population, while producing over a third of the global grain output. VNS HA NOI Luong Ngoc Khue, general director of the Department of Medical Service Administration under the Ministry of Health, has said that people should not be worried about the side effects of COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca in response to concerns it may cause blood clots. AstraZeneca recently admitted that its vaccine can, in very rare cases, cause thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) which is known to cause blood clots and low blood platelet counts. "People had been notified about the potential side effects when we conducted the COVID-19 immunisation programme," Khue told Suc Khoe&oi Song (Health and Life) newspaper. The Ministry of Health has developed a strict vaccination process. The individual getting the shot needs to have their blood pressure checked, be examined prior to the shot, and have their health monitored following the shot after vaccination at the hospital or vaccination venue. The majority of patients had the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination several years ago, but the vaccine is no longer effective and there is no reason to be concerned about side effects, he said. Many people want to take the D-Dimer test to see if they have a blood clotting issue because they are overly concerned. Dr oan Du Manh, a member of the Vietnam Vascular Disease Association, said D-Dimer testing should not be performed due to its high cost and inappropriate use. Although AstraZeneca has said that certain uncommon side effects are possible with their vaccine, these are 'extremely rare' and only manifest a short while after injection. In the meantime, he said, our last injection was almost two years ago. According to experts, thrombosis issues, if present, often arise 28 days following injection. "Vaccination side effects don't last that long," Dr. Manh told Voice of Vietnam (VOV), cautioning that the misuse of pointless testing will cause public confusion. The D-Dimer test is indicated for people with symptoms of blood clotting disorders, such as deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. Symptoms of deep vein thrombosis include leg pain or swelling, redness, or red streaks on the leg. Symptoms of pulmonary embolism are shortness of breath, cough, chest tightness and irregular heartbeat, he said. The D-Dimer test is usually performed in an emergency room or other healthcare facility. Although it is common, patients should only have this test performed when a cardiologist recommends it, he said. Associate Professor o Van Dung, head of the Department of Public Health, HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, said at this moment, there is no need to perform tests to check for blood clots or monitor platelet count. Only a small percentage of recipients of the AstraZeneca vaccination during a one to two-month period experience blood clotting. People who have received the COVID-19 vaccination from AstraZeneca would no longer experience blood clots after repeated injections, he said. Currently, he feels that screening for other more prevalent diseases and routine health check-ups should be carried out instead of testing to detect blood clots, with an emphasis on treating underlying illnesses and enhancing quality of life. "The AstraZeneca vaccine's efficacy is undeniable. The pandemic has been contained and the number of deaths has decreased thanks to vaccination," he said, adding that AstraZeneca is still one of quality vaccines at the time the pandemic was at its worst. In the event that the pandemic recurs, this vaccine remains a wise option. Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of thrombocytopenia and thrombosis syndrome following COVID-19 vaccination were released by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health in April 2021. The ministry states that four to 28 days following injection, clinical signs of thrombocytopenia syndrome and thrombosis typically show. When these symptoms manifest, testing for basic blood coagulation and platelet count, D-Dimer (if present), ultrasound/Doppler pulse, X-ray, CT (if present), and other investigations to identify the reason are required, along with professional assistance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to the 30 million doses of vaccine ordered from AstraZeneca, Viet Nam also sporadically received the AstraZeneca vaccine through donor programmes. These vaccines have contributed to the success of the countrys COVID-19 vaccination in 2022. Hundreds of millions of people were vaccinated with two to four doses of vaccines including those from AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna. In the latest move, AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a "surplus of available updated vaccines" since the pandemic. "As multiple, variant COVID-19 vaccines have since been developed there is a surplus of available updated vaccines," AstraZeneca said. VNS HA NOI The Population Department under the Ministry of Health has advised citizens, especially those of childbearing age, to undergo health check-ups before marriage to give birth to children free of congenital Thalassemia. Nguyen Huy Thach, director of the Haematology and Blood Transfusion Centre under Thanh Hoa Provinces General Hospital, said young couples should take disease screening to have healthy offspring free from Thalassemia. Individuals carrying the Thalassemia gene should marry those who did not carry the gene. If both spouses carried the gene, pre-conception counselling and diagnosis were necessary to avoid giving birth to affected children, he said. Thalassemia is a genetic disease causing chronic anaemia, requiring lifelong blood transfusions. The inherited blood disorder causes your body to have less hemoglobin than normal, while hemoglobin enables red blood cells to carry oxygen. Statistics from the ministry showed that Viet Nam currently has nearly 10 million carriers of the Thalassemia gene, with over 20,000 affected individuals requiring treatment. Each year, approximately 8,000 newborns are diagnosed with the disease, including around 2,000 with severe cases necessitating lifelong treatment. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, director of the Thalassemia Centre at the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, said that each year the country needs at least VN2 trillion (US$79.1 million) and around 500,000 units of blood to treat affected individuals. Thalassemia, a genetic disorder, is passed from parents to children, so entirely hereditary. According to medical professionals, if both individuals carry the congenital Thalassemia gene, the risk of having affected children is 25 per cent, and the likelihood of offspring carrying the gene is 50 per cent. Vu uc Binh, deputy director of the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion said that blood cell tests could detect carriers of congenital Thalassemia. Adolescents or individuals planning marriage should actively undergo health check-ups and screening to prevent giving birth to affected children. "Before marriage, it is advisable to undergo health checks. If both individuals carry the Thalassemia gene, they should not marry, he said. If they still choose to marry, prenatal testing was necessary to determine if the foetuses were affected, enabling intervention to prevent the birth of affected children and choosing birth instances without affected offspring. Raising awareness In recent years, relevant agencies have organised information sessions to increase the awareness of couples of childbearing age, young men and women about to marry regarding the importance of premarital health counselling and check-ups; causes and consequences of congenital Thalassemia for the community and society. The northern mountainous province of Yen Bai is one of the few provinces with the highest rates of carriers and affected individuals with congenital Thalassemia nationwide, especially in the ethnic minority areas. In addition to information sessions about Thalassemia screening, the province has operated counselling services at the Obstetrics and Paediatrics Department of the Provincial General Hospital and the Provincial Maternity and Paediatrics Hospital. It has also deployed screening models, conducted training and improved the quality of medical services in screening, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease. As a result, thousands of couples carrying the disease gene have had the opportunity to give birth to healthy babies. In the meantime, in the Mekong Delta City of Can Tho, the prenatal and neonatal screening and diagnosis centre under Can Tho Obstetrics Hospital was established in 2013. The centres mission is to screen, diagnose and provide prenatal and neonatal treatment for residents of 12 provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta region. Between 2013 and 2023, a total of 83,626 pregnant women were screened at the centre, accounting for over 66 per cent of the total pregnant women in the region. Through screening, 2,461 abnormal cases were detected, accounting for 1.5-2.2 per cent of the total screened pregnant women. In terms of neonatal screening, 443,094 children were screened at the centre in the period of 2013-23, reaching 70 per cent of the total number of births in the region. Through neonatal screening, 3,486 affected children were identified. On May 29, 2020, the health ministry issued Decision No. 2235/Q-BYT approving the Action Plan to implement the Population Communication Programme until 2030. World Thalassemia Day is on May 8 and this year the theme is 'Enhancing information dissemination and access to services on congenital Thalassemia to contribute to improving the quality of the Vietnamese gene pool'. VNS Flash A dialogue was held in Paris on May 1 to promote exchange and mutual learning between civilizations, drawing over 60 experts and scholars from the political, business, academic, and cultural fields of China and France. The dialogue came as China and France celebrated the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. It was also a supplementary event organized by China International Communications Group (CICG) while participating in the Foire de Paris 2024. Yu Yunquan, vice president of China International Communications Group (CICG) and president of CICG's Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies, delivers a speech at a China-France dialogue held in Paris, France, on May 1, 2024. [Photo/CICG] Yu Yunquan, vice president of CICG and president of CICG's Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. He emphasized the importance of preserving traditions while fostering innovation to strengthen cultural and people-to-people exchange between China and France. He called for using new technologies including artificial intelligence and virtual reality to facilitate cooperation in fields such as publication, artifacts, and arts in order to open up new horizons for China-France exchange. Valerie Terranova, a special advisor to former French President Jacques Chirac, delivers a speech at a China-France dialogue held in Paris, France, on May 1, 2024. [Photo/CICG] Valerie Terranova, a special advisor to former French President Jacques Chirac, said that as the world grapples with crises brought by geopolitics, climate change, and trust deficit, different civilizations should carry out exchange and dialogue to address those crises. She added that Europe should promote cultural and people-to-people exchange so as to make concrete contributions to addressing common challenges and advancing the progress of human society. Marie Deketelaere-Hanna, general in spector of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion of France, delivers a speech at a China-France dialogue held in Paris, France, on May 1, 2024. [Photo/CICG] Marie Deketelaere-Hanna, general in spector of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion of France, said that amid more and more global crises and challenges, strengthening cultural exchange between China and France will help promote collaborative efforts between China and Europe to make a positive contribution to global development. She added that China and France should proactively use innovative technologies to build a network for dialogue and cooperation among civilizations. After the opening addresses, officials from several Chinese provinces and cities as well as executives from the cultural sector introduced their cultural exchange projects with France. Two panel discussions were later held on the themes of modernization, common development, cross-cultural communication, and integration of culture and tourism. HA NOI The indomitable spirit of the Vietnamese people in their struggle for national independence inspired peace-loving people around the world, including Indians, said visiting President of the World Peace Council (WPC) Pallab Sengupta, who is also General Secretary of the All India Peace and Solidarity Organisation (AIPSO). At a meeting with Vice President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Nguyen Ngoc Hung in Ha Noi on May 8, Sengupta said he was impressed by activities celebrating the 70th anniversary of the ien Bien Phu Victory (May 7, 1954) in Viet Nam. He also congratulated the Southeast Asian nation on its strong and impressive development, and expressed his delight at the great achievements in cooperation between Viet Nam and India. For his part, Hung thanked Sengupta for his sentiments and support to Viet Nam during the countrys past struggle for national independence, as well as its present cause of national construction and defence. Emphasising the significance of people-to-people diplomacy, he called on Sengupta and WPC members to continue their support to VUFO in activities aiming to promote peace and friendship. The two sides exchanged views on specific cooperation activities in the time ahead, especially 2025 when Viet Nam is scheduled to organise many important events, including the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification. VNS HA NOI Nguyen Van Binh, Director of the Legal Department under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, is being prosecuted for intentionally disclosing classified information. His arrest on Thursday is the result of a decision issued on April 24 by the Ha Noi City Police's Security Investigation Agency to press charges against the director. He was accused of violating Article 337 of the Criminal Code for disclosing classified information. The case is under further investigation. VNS HA NOI Seeing disaster preparedness as a strategic mission, the Viet Nam Red Cross Society (VRCS) has focused on early action to respond to disasters, VRCS Central Committee Vice President and General Secretary Nguyen Hai Anh said at a workshop held in the central city of a Nang on Thursday. This year, the VRCS continues to implement its coordination programmes with competent ministries, branches and sectors, improving the quality of the response forces, providing guidance on the application of the Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) for Disaster Response while making reports to relevant authorities in a timely manner and flexibly deploying rescue force, he said. Viet Nam is now home to more than 400,000 VRCS volunteers who are given regular training on natural disaster response and rescue skills, he highlighted. Anh said since the beginning of the year, the society has rolled out various activities to support locals hit by hail, thunderstorms and cyclones in the northern mountainous region, drought and saline intrusion in Mekong Delta, and serious incidents at production and business establishments across the nation. Since January 2023, disasters have left 166 dead and missing as well as caused damage worth some VN8.23 trillion (US$323.4 million). Last year, nearly VN149 billion in both cash and goods was granted for disaster and disease response work of the VRCS chapters. VNS HA NOI Relevant Vietnamese authorities are coordinating closely with the Chinese side to search for the fishermen from the central province of Quang Binh who went missing after their vessels got into distress at sea, spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said on Thursday. At the ministrys regular press conference, Hang cited reports from competent authorities which said on May 2 - 3, four fishing vessels from Quang Binh with 24 fishermen on board got into distress at sea. Authorities and fishing vessels of Vietnam have been working with the search and rescue force of China to actively search for the fishermen on the vessels. So far, 13 have been saved while one was found dead, and 10 are still missing, she noted. The spokeswoman said as soon as receiving the notification, the foreign ministry liaised with the Chinese Embassy in Ha Noi and instructed the Vietnamese Embassy in Beijing to inform Chinas search and rescue agency about the case and ask the Chinese side to send necessary forces and vehicles to search for and save the missing fishermen. Relevant agencies of China have deployed vehicles to coordinate with Viet Nam in the search, she went on, adding that authorities of Viet Nam are also working closely with the Chinese side to search for the fishermen, stay updated with the situation, and get citizen protection measures ready. VNS HA NOI Chairman of the Nagano prefectural council Nishizawa Masataka said on May 9 that the Japanese prefecture wants to receive more Vietnamese guest workers and apprentices in the coming time. Speaking at a meeting with Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Ba Hoan in Ha Noi, the Japanese official said that Nagano is a prefecture with the highest average life expectancy in Japan. Thus, the local authorities have paid much attention to health care for the public. He informed the host the locality is drafting several key projects on public health care that require additional human resources relating to nursing. More than 5,000 Vietnamese apprentices are living and working in Nagano, a modest number given the cooperation potential of the two sides, Masataka said, adding that in the coming time, he hoped Vietnam will create favourable conditions to send more Vietnamese guest workers to Nagano. For his part, Hoan said that the cooperation in labour between VIet Nam and Japan has received more and more attention and witnessed positive results in recent years. He said that in the last few years, the number of Vietnamese workers in Japan accounts for over 50% of the total Vietnamese labourers working abroad every year. In 2019, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and Nagano prefecture's administration signed a cooperation agreement on human resources development, Hoan said, suggesting the two sides review the agreement and find measures to boost their labour cooperation in the coming time. VNS ACV has confirmed that under a board-approved resolution signed by chairman Lai Xuan Thanh on May 6, Vietcombank, VietinBank, and BIDV will extend a syndicated loan of $1.8 billion to finance Component 3 of the Long Thanh International Airport project. The credit agreements were executed with Vietcombank, acting as the lead bank and asset management agent, alongside VietinBank and BIDV, who are participating as co-lenders. This funding aims to cover legitimate financing needs associated with the project's investment, with a repayment term from these state-owned banks set at 20 years. Security for the loan includes assets arising from the project, covering both existing and prospective collaterals. Phase 1 of Long Thanh International Airport is projected to require an overall investment of about VND110 trillion (over $4.6 billion), which includes four component projects. Component 3, managed by ACV, involves critical airport infrastructure. Thanh of ACV noted, "Despite three challenging pandemic years, the company maintained stable revenue and profits, aided by facilitated debt rescheduling." ACV has also adjusted its foreign currency borrowing strategy. Originally intending to secure $2.1 billion, the company recalibrated its funding plans, reducing its foreign debt intake to between $1.7 and $1.8 billion. Thanh affirmed ACV's confidence in its financing strategy, mentioning additional borrowing capacity if needed. He reassured stakeholders that the Long Thanh Airport project would proceed as planned, with operational commencement targeted for Q4 2026. Schedule set for Long Thanh and Tan Son Nhat airports Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has assigned contractors and investors of Long Thanh and Tan Son Nhat airports in an attempt to put the two projects ahead of schedule. Vietnam's semiconductor market predicted to reach $8.1 billion by 2028 Vietnam's semiconductor market is predicted to reach $8.1 billion by 2028, exhibiting a growth rate of 12.6 per cent over the 2023-2028 period, according to a report by IMARC Group released on December 21. With an increasing number of Apple suppliers establishing a presence in Vietnam, the country is poised to become a vital component of Apples production network. Nguyen Chi Trung, CEO and managing partner Grant Thornton Vietnam Vietnams strategic importance is evident through the growing number of Apple suppliers setting up operations in the country. Currently ranked fourth globally, Vietnam surpasses its Southeast Asian counterparts with 35 suppliers, trailing only manufacturing giants such as China, Taiwan, and Japan. This positioning reflects Vietnams potential to become a crucial cog in Apples global supply chain. Several major Apple suppliers, including Foxconn, Luxshare, Goertek, and Intel, have significantly expanded their operations in Vietnam in recent years. The expansion is attributed to several factors. Firstly, Vietnam offers attractive tax incentives and streamlined business processes, making it an appealing destination for foreign investors. Additionally, Vietnam boasts lower labour costs compared to other established manufacturing hubs like China, making it a cost-effective option for labour-intensive production. Vietnam has made substantial investments in education and training, resulting in a growing pool of skilled workers capable of meeting the demands of high-tech manufacturing. Moreover, Vietnams strategic location near major Asian markets and access to seaports facilitate efficient logistics and distribution. Analysts predict that from next year, Vietnam will significantly contribute to Apples production capacity, manufacturing one-fifth of all iPads and Apple Watches, 5 per cent of MacBooks, and 65 per cent of AirPods. This presents a tremendous opportunity for Vietnam to establish itself as a major manufacturing hub for Apple products. Apples recent visit to Vietnam by CEO Tim Cook signifies a significant commitment by the tech giant to the Southeast Asian nation, photo VNA However, Vietnam faces tough competition from countries like India and Indonesia, both vying for a larger share of Apples manufacturing pie. To solidify its position, Vietnam must focus on improving infrastructure, upgrading transportation networks, and enhancing power grids to support the growing manufacturing sector. The government should prioritise investments in roads, highways, and ports to ensure efficient transportation and logistics. In addition, upgrading power infrastructure and ensuring a stable energy supply will be crucial for sustaining manufacturing operations. Investing in skill development is another key aspect for Vietnams success as a manufacturing hub. The government should collaborate with educational institutions and industry experts to design specialised training programmes that cater to the needs of high-tech manufacturing. This will ensure a competent and adaptable workforce capable of meeting the evolving demands of Apple and other technology companies. Furthermore, fostering innovation and research and development (R&D) capabilities will be essential for Vietnam to move beyond being just a production centre. Encouraging local companies to participate in R&D initiatives and providing incentives for innovation will position Vietnam as a centre for technological advancement. This will not only strengthen its partnership with Apple but also attract other technology companies to establish their R&D centres in the country. Vietnams commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility will also play a crucial role in its long-term partnership with Apple. As the demand for eco-friendly products and manufacturing practices increases, Vietnam should continue to prioritise sustainable development and implement environmentally conscious policies. This will not only align with Apples own sustainability goals but also enhance Vietnams attractiveness as a manufacturing destination for environmentally conscious consumers and companies. Apple announces Vietnam spending boost as CEO visits Hanoi Tech giant Apple said Monday it would increase spending on suppliers in Vietnam, a key production hub, as CEO Tim Cook arrived in the country for a two-day visit. Vietnam asks Apple to make it global production base Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Apple CEO Tim Cook on April 16 and asked him to identify Vietnam as a manufacturing base to engage in the iPhone maker's global production chain. What are your expectations from this cooperation? Tran Hung, marketing manager of the joint venture As one of the top 10 multi-industry, reputable private corporations in Vietnam, with total assets of $3.6 billion at the end of 2023, Geleximco focuses on key industries including industrial production, infrastructure in real estate, finance and banking, and trade and services. The cooperation between OMODA&JAECOO and Geleximco is not only an important step for us in the development strategy of the automobile manufacturing business, catching up with the Industry 4.0 trend, but also contributes to promoting the development of the local vehicle industry, thus helping it achieve a leap forward. From a consumer perspective, products and services of the OMODA&JAECOO brand will be a top choice for car users in Vietnam, especially the trend of shifting to new-energy vehicles. In recent years, Chinas new-energy vehicle technology has reached its height globally, with the OMODA&JAECOO brand having also made breakthroughs in the worlds new energy vehicles. It has been present in 40 countries, and is becoming a new force in the global automobile market. What are your plans for the Vietnamese market in 2024 and beyond with the partnership? The construction process of our joint venture factory is divided into three phases with total capital of more than $800 million, with the first phase expected to be completed in early 2026. During the construction stage, OMODA&JAECOO will approach the Vietnamese market by importing complete vehicles, with a launch expected in the market by the end of 2024. As planned, the Omoda E5 pure electric smart crossover SUV and Jaecoo 7 technology cross-country vehicle will be the first to be launched. Opportunities and challenges remain in the Vietnamese e-car market. To enable future success, what is being focused on? The rate of people owning cars is relatively low compared to the region, while its rapid growth is among the top in the world. This opens up a huge opportunity for all auto manufacturers entering the Vietnamese market. According to many forecasts from reputable organisations, Vietnam will soon reach the milestone of one million vehicles sold each year before 2030. Vietnam has important roadmaps for the development of electric vehicles (EVs), gradually moving into use electric buses, electric taxis, and motorised means of transport using electricity and green energy. The Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association predicts that by 2028, Vietnam will reach about one million EVs, and 3.5 million in 2040. From a user perspective, electric cars are gradually proving their superior value compared to fossil-fuelled ones, with low usage and operating costs, a more enjoyable driving experience, and many smart features with a contribution to reducing environmental and noise pollution. Currently, many other big brands are participating in this exciting race, which signals a period of strong development of the e-car market in Vietnam. In spite of this, as a transportation solution different from traditional petrol cars, electric cars face challenges in its development path. For example, EVs need convenient charging station infrastructure, and we need many more models with more accessible prices. There are still numerous Vietnamese people who have not yet experienced EVs or are not familiar with them, and even have wrong ideas about them. To conquer users in Vietnam, the auto industry certainly needs a huge contribution from synchronised policies from ministries and agencies, while companies participating in this field must have the right approach from the early stages. The most important thing is to build solid trust in products and have enough investment resources to develop a green lifestyle towards long-term success. Geleximco Group and Chinese automaker OMODA&JAECOO, part of Chery, in April signed an agreement to set up a joint venture to build an automobile factory in Vietnam. With capacity of 200,000 units per year, the factory will produce Omoda and Jaecoo car models. The event marks the first time that a new Chinese electric car brand has built a factory in Vietnam. Geleximco has more than 30 years of experience in investing and developing large projects. Meanwhile, Chery Group, one of Chinas leading names in the automotive industry, has contributed to bringing the Chinese brand to the world and is present in more than 80 countries. Nissan, Honda explore partnership in electric vehicles Japanese arch-rivals Nissan and Honda said Friday they were exploring a strategic partnership in electric vehicles to face up to a "once-in-a-century" upheaval in the car industry. Hyundai to invest more than $50 bn in South Korea in major EV push Hyundai on Wednesday revealed plans to invest more than $50 billion in South Korea by 2026, with a huge chunk dedicated to boosting the development and production of electric vehicles. Geleximco Group and Chery International enter automobile joint venture Geleximco Group and Chery International on April 4 signed an agreement to set up a joint venture to build an automobile factory in Vietnam. Fortinet made the statement on May 8 while announcing it is building on the companys longstanding commitment to responsible radical transparency as an early signer of the Secure by Design pledge developed by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). This voluntary industry pledge complements and builds on existing Fortinet software security best practices, including those developed by CISA, NIST, other federal agencies, and international and industry partners. The pledge outlines seven goals, including responsible vulnerability disclosure policies, which are already an integral part of Fortinets product security development. Jim Richberg, head of Cyber Policy and Global Field CISO at Fortinet, said, At Fortinet, we have a longstanding commitment to being a role model in ethical and responsible product development and vulnerability disclosure. As part of this dedication, Fortinet has proactively aligned to international and industry best practices and upholds the highest security standards in every aspect of our business. We applaud CISAs continued call to the industry to follow suit and appreciate CISAs willingness to collaborate with Fortinet on the development of these important goals. We strongly encourage others in the technology community to join this effort to keep organisations secure. CISAs latest initiative strongly aligns with Fortinets existing product development processes, which are already based on secure-by-design and secure-by-default principles. Fortinet is committed to adhering to robust product security scrutiny at all stages of the product development lifecycle, helping to ensure that security is designed into each product from inception all the way through to end of life. Regarding Secure Product Development Lifecycle (SPDLC), Fortinet aligns its processes in accordance with leading standards, including NIST 800-53, NIST 800-161, NIST 800-218, US EO 14028, and the UK Telecom Security Act. In terms of testing, Fortinet leverages tools and techniques such as static application security testing and software composition analysis built into its build processes, dynamic application security testing, vulnerability scanning, and fuzzing prior to each release, as well as penetration testing and manual code audits. Another aspect is its trusted supplier programme. To ensure rigorous selection and qualification of its major manufacturing partners, Fortinet adheres to NIST 800-161: Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management Practices for Systems and Organisations. Fortinets commitment to data privacy and security is embedded in every part of the companys business and in every phase of the product development, manufacturing, and delivery processes. Concerning information security, the Fortinet's strategy is based on and aligned with industry-leading security standards and frameworks including ISO 27001/2, ISO 27017 and 27018 and NIST 800-53, as well as data privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA. When it comes to third-party certifications, Fortinet products are regularly certified to standard and validated through third-party product quality standards, including NIST FIPS 140-2 and NIAP Common Criteria NDcPP / EAL4+. Additionally, the Fortinet Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) is responsible for maintaining security standards for Fortinet products and operates one of the industrys most robust PSIRT programmes, including proactively and transparently disclosing vulnerabilities. Nearly 80 per cent of Fortinet vulnerabilities discovered in 2023 were identified internally through the companys rigorous auditing process. This proactive approach enables fixes to be developed and implemented before malicious exploitation can occur. Fortinet works with its customers, independent security researchers, consultants, industry organisations, and other vendors to accomplish the companys PSIRT mission. To further advance its dedication to a culture of responsible radical transparency, Fortinet has a longstanding commitment to public and private partnerships that align with its mission. As a founding member of the Network Resilience Coalition, Fortinet is helping deliver real-world solutions to protect networks and sensitive data, including addressing the issue of software and hardware updates and patches not being implemented. Through its membership with the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative, which was established by CISA in 2021, Fortinet works with public and private entities to gather, analyse, and share actionable information to more proactively protect and defend against cyberthreats. As a founding member of the Cyber Threat Alliance, Fortinet shares timely threat intelligence with other cybersecurity practitioners to better protect customers against adversaries. Working with global leaders as a founding member of the World Economic Forums Centre for Cybersecurity, Fortinet is helping to encourage intelligence sharing across the industry to reduce global cyberattacks and disrupt cybercrime. Fortinet shares ransomware prevention best practices Data is often the most valuable asset of a company and without proper protection against ransomware, employees and businesses alike are at risk of losing access to critical information. Therefore, it is essential to implement a ransomware protection strategy that includes cyber hygiene best practices. Fortinet expands its global SASE Points-of-Presence with Google Cloud Fortinet, the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security, on October 16 announced the expansion of its SASE Points-of-Presence (POPs) to new locations through a partnership with Google Cloud. This is the first biomass power project to be granted an investment approval after Vietnam's National Power Development Plan VIII was approved in April 2024. Representative of Yen Bai province approved the investment plan of Erex Group's biomass power plant. Photo by VNA The project has also received support from the Japanese Ministry of Environment and received a decision to grant financial support under the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) for the project's equipment items. It is expected that the plant will begin operating in early 2027, generating electricity with a capacity of 50MW, including about 45MW of stable renewable power source for Vietnam Electricity's (EVN) power transmission system. The fuel used at this power plant is about 500,000 tonnes/year of scraps and wood by-products. The Yen Bai 1 project will be the second commercial biomass power plant in Vietnam, and it is part of Erex's global biomass power development plan. According to Erex, the group is building the first commercial biomass power plant in Vietnam with a capacity of 20MW in the Mekong Delta of Hau Giang, expected to come into operation at the end of 2024. This is also a project that receives financial support under the JCM from the Japanese Ministry of Environment. An Erex representative said the group was planning more than 1,000MW of biomass power at 18 locations. Erex representatives believe that biomass power plants will contribute to promoting local and regional economic development, while also making a great contribution to technological development and promoting biomass energy in Vietnam and will also become projects that draw in attention from around the world. FPT Retail recorded positive pre-tax profit in the first quarter of 2024. This is deemed a great relief to its leaders, who are still concerned about the tough lessons suffered by a price war beginning last year, and which eroded FPT Retails gross profits to 8 per cent in the second quarter of 2023 and 11 per cent for last year. Some items in food and beverages as well as electronics retail have been subject to deep reductions, photo Le Toan Speaking at its AGM, CEO Hoang Trung Kien said, The price war amidst the electronics retail businesses selling mobile phones and laptops since March 2023 forced FPT Retail to close 30 stores last year. The price competition continues to linger this year, so the company plans to shut down another 50 inefficient stores. The price war was initially triggered by massive discounts from Mobile World Group (MWG) on TVs and household appliances. A slew of other retail chains like FPT Shop, CellphoneS, and Di Dong Viet then jumped on the bandwagon to offer discounts. However, the strategy came with a price. Mobile World posted a net profit of $7 million in 2023, a decrease of 96 per cent on-year, marking the lowest level since 2013. The companys stock has been removed from the VNDiamond index. Other investment funds have also reduced the proportion of MWG shares in their portfolios. Recognising the impact of the price war, FPT Retail turned its focus on expanding its product lines, like venturing into household appliances. The company will scale up this segment with a view that household appliances will contribute 10 per cent to FPT Shops revenue in the future. Meanwhile, at Masan Groups AGM, the companys leaders said that they are making efforts to change shoppers price perceptions through WinCommerce, which operates WinMart and WinMart+ supermarkets. Since the end of 2023, WinCommerce has started to rebuild its strategy by mobilising staff to introduce product prices to customers and stepping up marketing across digital channels. In rural areas, WinCommerce has stocked some products at competitive prices with other grocery stores. WinCommerces net revenue witnessed an 8.5 per cent on-year increase to $331.6 million in the first quarter of 2024. As the economic outlook remains uncertain, price competition is extending beyond the retail space to the food and beverage sector. Amidst the dampening demand, coffee and fast-food chains like Highlands Coffee, KFC, and McDonalds are further promoting affordable combos to target budget-conscious consumers. Dao The Vinh, CEO of Golden Gate, said, Every business must retain consumers. For our restaurant chains, the price war has turned into a value war, including customer care, service quality, and the customer experience. Likewise, Masan Consumer is focused on innovative products for the fast-moving consumer goods segment rather than pricing strategies to entice customers. It has rolled out a self-cook rice product into the market and aims to expand by entering the out-of-home market and providing premium products in home meal replacement and restaurant meal replacement. The company targets to expand the addressable market from $1 billion in instant noodles to $17 billion in restaurant meal replacement with the launch of the self-cooked rice product, said Nguyen Truong Kim Phuong, senior marketing director of the convenience foods category at Masan Consumer. Despite being more expensive than other instant noodle projects, we believe this product line will be successful, as we have experience premiumising the instant noodle experience. Experts give insight into Vietnam's retail sector Vietnam's specialised retail sector is witnessing transformative change driven by a burgeoning and increasingly digitalised middle class, along with the growing appetite of overseas investors with new sources and ways of financing. Christophe Peron, partner of Index Partners, and James Miles-Lambert, executive chairman of Maison Retail Management International (Maison RMI) outline how this sector is developing. Japanese retailer Takashimaya to advance project in Hanoi Japanese retailer Takashimaya is strengthening its foothold in Vietnam with a plan to launch a shopping centre in Hanoi by 2026. Vincom Retail retains brand name following Vingroup divestment Vincom Retail recorded its highest ever revenue in 2023, and signed a pivotal M&A deal in March 2024 that reshaped its ownership structure and set the stage for future growth. In the first quarter, Vietnam exported nearly 2.2 million tonnes of rice worth $1.4 billion, up 17.8 per cent in volume and 45.6 per cent in value compared to 2023, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs. Among these exports, rice shipments to key markets like the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia all saw significant double-digit growth. The average export price in the first quarter reached $654 per tonne, up 23.6 per cent from the same period in 2023. Trade counsellor Phung Van Thanh of the Vietnam Trade Office in the Philippines said, In February, the trade ministries of the Philippines and Vietnam signed an MoU on rice trading, with an annual quantity of 1.5-2 million tonnes of white rice. From this success, Vietnam is expected to maintain its position as the top rice exporter to the Philippines in 2024, with ample opportunities for businesses to further explore and expand the market, increasing rice export turnover. Similarly, Indonesia, the second-largest rice importer from Vietnam, raised imports to ensure food security. By February, Indonesia had experienced eight consecutive months of rice deficit due to insufficient domestic production compared to demand. Pham The Cuong of the Vietnam Trade Office in Indonesia said, Indonesia will soon open tenders to purchase more rice, in addition to the 500,000-tonne rice tender in January, in which Vietnamese rice exporters won contracts to supply over 300,000 tonnes. Therefore, Vietnamese rice exporters need to closely monitor market information, seize opportunities, and capitalise on early-year rice export opportunities to this market. The first quarter also marked Vietnams emergence as the largest rice exporter to the Singaporean market for the first time, capturing 32 per cent market share, surpassing India with 6.96 per cent and Thailand with 8.28 per cent. Vietnams rice exports to Singapore in the first quarter saw excellent growth, reaching approximately $26.6 million, up 80.46 per cent from the same period in 2023. Meanwhile, in the EU market, Vietnamese rice is gaining traction, with exports exceeding 100,000 tonnes in 2023. Currently, Vietnams rice mainly competes with Thailand and Cambodia, whereas Pakistan and India offer different rice varieties. Our main competitor in terms of rice quality is Thailand, but we benefit from a zero tax rate when exporting rice to the EU, giving us a much larger competitive advantage, said trade counsellor Nguyen Hoang Thuy of the Vietnam Trade Office in Sweden. The total quota allocated by the EU for us is 80,000 tonnes per year of milled rice. In the very near future, the EU will eliminate tariffs on both milled rice and rice product exports from Vietnam, Thuy added. According to its annual shareholders report in 2024 published, Vinafood II achieved exports of over 755,800 tonnes, surpassing the set target by 110 per cent. The company also outlined its 2024 plan to export 703,000 tonnes of rice, an increase of approximately 96 per cent compared to the target set in 2023. Binh Dinh Food JSC reported rice export turnover of $59.65 million in 2023, exceeding its target by 63.6 per cent. Meanwhile, in the 2023 annual report released last month by Trung An Rice Export JSC, the companys rice exports reached $35.09 million. Leading markets included South Korea, accounting for 75 per cent market share, followed by Malaysia, Singapore, and Germany. The export volume of over eight million tonnes in 2023 marks the highest achievement in the history of Vietnams rice industry since its entry into the export market in 1989, accounting for approximately 15 per cent of the total global rice exports, after India and Thailand. At a conference on rice exports chaired by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) on April 26, it along with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Can Tho Peoples Committee implemented several crucial solutions regarding export management and development. To balance supply and demand, stabilise prices, and ensure food security, the MoIT has requested local peoples committees to fulfill their responsibilities and direct market management forces to enhance coordination with authorised agencies to inspect and supervise rice production and consumption activities within their respective areas. Moreover, they are also tasked with maintaining the minimum reserve levels for rice traders engaged in rice export business activities. The National Assembly Standing Committee (NASC) last week convened the seventh extraordinary session of the 15th NA to work on personnel issues within the scope of its authority. An extraordinary session of the NA (Photo: VNA), photo VNA The NA adopted a resolution to remove 67-year-old Vuong Dinh Hue from the post of NA chairman for the 2021-2026 tenure and from the position as a member of the National Council of Defence and Security, as well as from the post as a NA deputy of the 15th NA. The NASC then assigned Tran Thanh Man, a Politburo member and Standing Vice Chairman of the NA, to manage all activities of the NASC and the NA until a new chairperson for the 15th NA has been elected. Under Resolution No.71/2022/QH15 on regulations for NA sessions, the state president and the NA chairperson are elected at a session via voting. It is scheduled that the voting will be conducted at the seventh session of the legislature, which will open on May 20 in Hanoi. The extraordinary session came days after the 13th Communist Party Central Committee (PCC) agreed that NA Chairman Hue should step down at his request. Hue was also relieved from his posts as member of the Politburo and member of the 13th PCC, the PCC decided at a meeting in Hanoi on April 26. According to a statement released after the meeting, Hue was a key leader of the Party and state, trusted and assigned to undertake several important positions. However, reports by the PCCs Inspection Commission and authorised agencies showed that his violations and flaws have negatively affected public perception and the reputation of the Party and state. Being aware of his responsibilities before the Party, the state, and the people, Hue submitted his resignation from his positions. Earlier in late March, the NASC assigned Vice State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan to hold the position of state president until the legislature elects a new state president. The assignment followed 54-year-old Vo Van Thuong stepping down as state president for his violations and flaws negatively affecting the public perception and the reputation of the Party and the state, according to a PCC statement released on March 20. At present, Vietnams top leadership for its state apparatus of the 2021-2026 tenure includes Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, acting State President Xuan, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. The 15th National Assembly (NA) is scheduled to take place in Hanoi within two phases, with the first lasting from May 20 to June 8, and the second held during June 17-28. It is expected that the NA will elect the new state president and its new chairperson. The National Assembly Standing Committee (NASC) has asked the NA to allow the adjustment of progress of one law, supplementation of the discussion of four draft laws, and two draft resolutions that have already been revised and supplemented by the NASC in the countrys programme on building laws and ordinances in 2024. Under the NASCs proposal, the Law on Amending and Supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Standards and Technical Regulations shall be adjusted from providing comment at the seventh session and adoption in the eighth session in November to carrying out both in May and June next year. The NASC has also proposed that the NA discuss in the seventh session and adopt in the eighth session the Law on Fire Prevention and Fighting, the Law on Rescue, the amended Law on Prevention and Combating of Human Trafficking, and the amended Law on Value-Added Tax. The amended Law on Management and Use of Weapons, Explosives, and Combat Gear is recommended to be advanced at the seventh session for discussion and approval. In addition, the seventh session is also expected to see the adoption of the draft of a resolution on piloting special mechanisms and policies for the development of the central province of Nghe An; the draft resolution of on amending and supplementing the NAs Resolution No.119 on piloting urban government model and several special mechanisms and policies for the development of the central city of Danang. National Assembly to start Q&A session next week A question and answer session will take place next week as part of the ongoing sixth meeting of the 15th National Assembly (NA). Shifting from film direction to stage didnt require much of a shift for Victor Hawks when he signed on to lead the Waco Civic Theatres production of The Sound of Music. Theater was where the Chicago native started his career, and he had been in several Broadway companies, such as for Urinetown, Les Miserables and The Producers, before moving west to work with film and television. It felt good putting the old theater hat back on, he said. For the last three years, Hawks and co-founder Malcolm Goodwin have run the Waco-area Vision Vehicle Studios, which aims to make feature films and nurture acting and production talent. With their next project not starting until June, Hawks agreed to step in and direct WCTs season finale when WCT director Kelly MacGregor asked. More than 110 people turned up for auditions for the musical and Hawks was impressed with what he saw and heard. Theres so much awesome talent in Waco, he said. That was enough to create a 30-person company and two sets of von Trapp children. That, in turn, was enough for a three-weekend run for the theater. Beloved by several generations of fans, The Sound of Music is one of the best-known musicals from the legendary team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. It follows (mostly) the true life story of Maria, a young (and musical) Austrian nun who becomes the governess of the seven children of widowed naval officer Capt. Georg von Trapp. The two eventually fall in love and marry. As Nazi Germany overtakes Austria in 1938 and threatens to enlist the naval officer, the von Trapps parlay a musical opportunity into a daring escape across the border. Hawks was involved in a Lincoln Center production of South Pacific, another Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, and the organizations attention to detail left him with insights for The Sound of Music. It showed me the importance of the story, he said. 1938 was on the precipice of a worldwide crisis. Music (in The Sound of Music) adds light to that darkness. That said, audiences are pretty clear what they want when they come to see the musical, and theyll get that in the WCT production. The Sound of Music is such a classic theres an expectation in how its staged, he said. Ashling DeGraaf as Maria and Chris Spendlove as the Captain will head the WCT cast, which will perform to recorded tracks. While the music and story are familiar, WCT audiences may see something different in the stage: The in-the-round stagings of past seasons will change to a thrust stage as the theater plans to return to its former proscenium stage in upcoming months. The adapted stage makes choreography and blocking a little easier as well as an ability to shift to different scenes and keep the action flowing, Hawks said. After working on the films The Great Wall of Warren and the more recent A Christmas in New Hope for Vision Vehicle Studios, Hawks was reminded that live acting in theater brings its own requirements: Actors have to speak and sing loudly enough to be heard, and theres no stopping for retakes after mistakes or flubs. Audience members who cant resist singing along quietly may want to take advantage of the May 25 matinee, which will be a singalong. The Sound of Music opens Friday with performances Friday through Sunday, May 16-19 and 23-26. WATERLOO Hickory Hills Park will replace its decades old tornado siren despite talks of switching to mobile only alerts. The Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 on Tuesday to replace the siren, which failed its last test. Supervisor Dan Trelka voted against it. Black Hawk County has six sirens. The one at Hickory Hills is the oldest estimated to be installed in the 1970s. The replacement would cost around $28,000. Mindy Benson, the countys emergency management coordinator, presented two ideas to the board: replace the siren or take it out of commission and have park goers receive mobile alerts on their phone. The idea to stop using tornado sirens is not unique to Black Hawk County. She said some counties, like Clinton County, are thinking of getting rid of their county-run sirens. She noted that most people already have mobile alerts on their phone for weather, either from news outlets or nationwide emergency alerts. Since the siren is currently out of commission, the park has signs with QR codes for people to download Alert Iowa, a state-run app that alerts users of weather, emergencies or public safety issues. Trelka was against the repair, stating that most people have phones and that many people ignore tornado sirens going off anyway. The other supervisors noted that people at the park could be away from their phone while fishing, kayaking or on the trails. Cell phone reception can also be spotty. Supervisor Linda Laylin wanted to hear more from park rangers before making a decision but Rory Geving, the countys maintenance supervisor, urged them to vote on something because camping season has started. No timeline was provided for the implementation of the new siren but, until then, park goers can use the Alert Iowa app. Photos: Search through damage underway after storms hit Barnsdall Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms The Tulsa World is where your story lives HIDE VERTICAL GALLERY ASSET TITLES Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Follow the path of the Barnsdall tornado Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Storms Barnsdall Barnsdall Barnsdall Barnsdall Barnsdall Barnsdall Barnsdall Barnsdall Barnsdall Barnsdall Barnsdall 051524-tul-nws-barnsdallphotos-p2 051524-tul-nws-barnsdallphotos-p1 Barnsdall Barnsdall Barnsdall Barnsdall English subtitles on first video *** Russia is now going through a difficult, milestone period. The fate of the Motherland, its future depends on each of us. Today, on Victory Day, we realize this even more acutely and clearly and invariably look up to the generation of winners brave, noble, wise, for their ability to cherish friendship and steadfastly endure adversity, to always be confident in themselves and in their country, sincerely and selflessly love the Motherland. We celebrate Victory Day in the context of a special military operation. All its participants those who are on the front line, on the line of combat contact are our heroes. We bow to your perseverance and self-sacrifice, dedication. All of Russia is with you. Our veterans believe in you and worry about you. Their spiritual involvement in your destinies and exploits inextricably binds generations of heroes of the Fatherland. <> In the West, they would like to forget the lessons of World War II, but we remember that the fate of humanity was decided in grandiose battles near Moscow and Leningrad, Rzhev, Stalingrad, Kursk and Kharkov, near Minsk, Smolensk and Kiev, in heavy, bloody battles from Murmansk to the Caucasus and Crimea. <> At the same time, I would like to emphasize: Russia has never belittled the importance of the second front and the help of the allies. We honor the courage of all the soldiers of the anti-Hitler coalition, members of the Resistance, underground fighters, partisans, the courage of the people of China, who fought for their independence against the aggression of militaristic Japan. We will always remember, we will never forget our common struggle and inspiring traditions of alliance. http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/73995 #79 WtR Reno Police need your help finding a man after he got away from a traffic stop driving a stolen Toyota RAV4 SUV. Police haven't release many details except for video surveillance stills showing the man walking into a business. If you have any information that can help authorities, call the Reno Police Department non-emergency line 775-334-2121, or call or text your anonymous tip to Secret Witness 775-322-4900. On Thursday morning, San Francisco's Vacant to Vibrantwhich aims to transform empty downtown retail spaces with dynamic pop-up installationsannounced its second lineup of activators set to open mid-June. Guess what? 7x7 is excited to be part of it! This summer, we're bringing 7x7 Social Club to you IRL, to a space in Jackson Square near the lovely Transamerica Redwood Park. The location and timing are fitting: Our iconic Transamerica Pyramid, like San Francisco itself, is currently experiencing a refresh: Its renovation is designed to help revitalize the city with new amenities intended to lure workers back to the office and locals back to downtown. Developer Michael Shvo says his goal for Transamerica is to "be the heart of San Francisco." That works for us. Since launching in 2001, 7x7 has always hung its hat in the heart of SF. For over 20 years our editors have mixed with the city's brightest creators and entrepreneurs, sharing their stories with you in our print magazine, online, and across our social channels. In this post-pandemic world, we are working to be part of the solution to sleepy streets and small business downturn. 7x7 Social Club takes aim at incentivizing you all to leave your hang-at-home ways and get back out in the world to support all things local. Our members are already taking advantage of great deals at local restaurants, bars, music and arts venues. Now with a brick-and-mortar space, we look forward to welcoming you all in to forge new connections and celebrate everything we all love about the SF Bay Area. 7x7's Social Club pop-up will be our magazine come to life, filled with curated art, books, and objects by the many local talents we love. By day, you can stop in to peruse goods by local makers, read a new release by a Bay Area author, or enjoy a cup of coffee while you get a bit of work done. In the evenings, you can expect an array of parties and events such as tastings and cooking classes with local celebrity chefs, creative workshops with insanely talented makers, live talks and readings with local luminaries, fashion shows with beloved Bay Area brands, and so much more. The space will be dynamically designed by SF interiors star Jon de la Cruz, with custom wall art by Caroline Lizarraga. Look out for more details and invitations in the coming weeks! 7x7 is joined by a host of terrific, small local businesses in this second cohort of Vacant to Vibrant: Alimentari Centro (East Cut): A petite San Francisco deli with a curious kitchen, offering eclectic cheeses, charcuterie, and more Hungry Crumbs (East Cut): SF's premier cookie bakery serving luscious cookies across the Bay Area Juma Ventures; Steep Boba (East Cut): Youth-run boba & ice cream shop focused on leadership training for underserved youth Koolfi Creamery (East Cut): Small-batch ice cream shop offering flavors made with the best local and imported ingredients Paper Son Coffee (East Cut): Quintessential SF coffee shop offering locally roasted coffee & adventurous new flavors Saint Flora (FiDi): Full-service floral shop specializing in unconventional flower experiences Public Glass (SoMa): Nonprofit arts org with SF's only public-access glass studio and school Thank you to SF New Deal which produces Vacant to Vibrant in partnership with Mayor London Breed and the SF Office of Economic and Workforce Development. A special shoutout to presenting sponsor Wells Fargo for their $1 million contribution towards the economic revitalization of SF. Their support will provide transformational funding to help many of these pop-ups transition to long-term leases in downtown SF. // Read more about 7x7 Social Club. Support local businesses and the arts, and keep up with our pop-up news when you join the club. Ive never seen a cooking show of any kind, admits actor Harry Hamlin, 72, who now finds himself the star of his own culinary show, In the Kitchen With Harry Hamlin, premiering May 15 on AMC+ and IFC. He and his niece, chef Renee Guilbault, 47, host the show, and Hamlin says we just did whatever came to mind. That whatever turns out to be an informal mix of Hamlin and Guibault sharing their favorite recipes, cooking tips and secrets for successful dinner parties, all while engaging in relaxed conversations with Hamlins wife, actress Lisa Rinna, 60, and their celebrity friends who pop by, including Ed Begley Jr., 74, Ted Danson, 76, and Mary Steenburgen, 71. Hamlin shares with AARP how he unexpectedly ended up with a cooking show, his thoughts on aging and the one way Lisa cheats on him. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Given youve never seen a cooking show, did the network give you any direction? No, we had no direction at all. When [the network] asked me to do a cooking show I said, Excuse me? Why? I guess one of the executives wives had seen me making some food for the girls on Lisas show [the Bravo reality show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills] and they liked it. Lisa thought it would be a good idea, and I guess happy wife, happy life. I said, Well, if Im going to do a cooking show, my niece is a world-class chef. She trained at Le Cordon Bleu. I will do it under one condition, and that is she can do it with me. And they said, OK. Hamlin and wife Lisa Rinna, seen here being interviewed on the "Today" show last February, have been married for 27 years. Nathan Congleton/Getty Images Who taught you how to cook? I learned it on the fly. No one taught me. Ive never taken a class or anything like that. Im the only cook in our family [Hamlin and Rinna have two daughters, Delilah, 25, and Amelia, 22], so if they were going to eat, it had to be me. I had to make something that tasted reasonably good so they would eat it. I was able to keep them alive. Did your mom or dad like to cook? My father ... was a barbecuer, and he liked to cook exotic things. I was born right after the Second World War, so the kind of food [my parents] ate was whatever they could make out of what had been rationed during the war. Every Sunday we would alternate between beef tongue and pickled beef tongue. It was like a potpourri of really weird food. People who want to improve their heart health and maybe even live longer should make a habit of taking the stairs, if they can, rather than the elevator or escalator, according to a new report from the United Kingdom. People who reported regularly climbing stairs had a 39 percent lower risk of death from heart disease and a 24 percent lower risk of dying from any cause, according to the analysis, which pooled the results of nine studies involving more than 480,000 patients. Regular stair-climbing was also associated with a lower risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure. Members only We would encourage people to take the stairs when they can, said study author Sophie Paddock, a clinical fellow in cardiology at the University of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust. Studies have shown that brief bursts of exercise throughout the day can still have beneficial health impacts. A short version of the analysis was presented April 26 at ESC Preventive Cardiology 2024, a medical conference in Athens, Greece, organized by the European Society of Cardiology. Paddock and her coauthors have not yet published the full report in a peer-reviewed journal. Experts say the studys findings are consistent with earlier studies that suggested stair-climbing was associated with lower cholesterol and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Research also suggests that short bursts of moderate exercise, such as stair-climbing, are linked to a longer life. One study found that climbing more than five flights of stairs, or approximately 50 steps, daily was associated with a lower risk of hardening of the arteries. Health benefits from regularly heading up the stairs happen relatively quickly. An analysis of stair-climbing studies earlier this year found improvements in heart disease risk happen in as little as four weeks. Another study presented at an American Heart Association conference in 2021 found that taking more of any type of steps per day, either all at once or in shorter spurts, may help people live longer. Can't Climb Stairs? Not everyone has the knees or stamina to take the stairs, but multiple studies have found that any kind of exercise is good for you. Research has found that walking is also linked to a longer life, as are water workouts, weight lifting, dancing and tai chi. Read more about 10 Exercises That Can Help You Live Longer. And check out our Staying Fit page with videos for everything from indoor walking and strength training to balance and yoga. The most important thing is to keep moving in whatever ways you can. Building muscle, improving balance Climbing stairs forces both the heart and muscles to work harder, said Tamara Horwich, a cardiologist and health sciences clinical professor of medicine and cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Climbing stairs can help build muscle mass, reduce fat mass, lower the risk of osteoporosis and improve balance, said Horwich, who was not involved in the new analysis. Continuous stair-climbing is considered moderate to strenuous exercise, Paddock said, and burns up to 10 times as many calories as sitting. This improves your cardiorespiratory fitness just like any other form of high intensity exercise, Paddock said. I love this study because it provides medical insights to what we instinctively know is true: Movement, all kinds of movement, at all times of the day, is good for heart health, said Suzanne Steinbaum, a cardiologist and spokeswoman for the American Heart Association. Stairs challenge us physically, so just by using them more often, we increase our stamina and strength for other focused exercise. Although the studies in the new review focused on people using the stairs at home or work, Paddock said that using stair-climbing equipment at the gym would likely provide the same benefit. Even a little stair-climbing is better than nothing. Those who cant climb all the stairs in a building could try taking the elevator part of the way, then climbing the rest, Paddock said. Theres so much for travelers to love about Europe, especially during the Olympics in Paris this summer. In 2024, experts predict 27 percent more Americans will travel internationally than the year before. But before you jet off, its important to learn about these common tourist scams. Keep in mind some overarching advice from former State Department official Chris Tuttle, who says the best way to stay safe is by employing the same commonsense tools and instincts one uses here in the United States. If something doesnt feel right, it probably isnt. Watchdog Alerts Sign up for biweekly updates on the latest scams. Get Alerts Here are 12 scams travelers may encounter overseas. 1. The spill thats not accidental. Pigeon poop real or fake ketchup, ice cream, coffee or something else is spilled on you. Or thrown at you. Someone will approach you and offer to help clean you up. Another person then picks your pocket while you are distracted, the State Department warns. 2. The panhandlers plastic cup. Beggars place a clear plastic cup in the path of pedestrians, hoping theyll inadvertently kick over the cup and send coins skittering. The goal: a guilt-tripped donation. Assume beggars are pickpockets, European travel expert and TV host Rick Steves has advised. 3. ATM scams. Travelers should use a well-lit machine during business hours at a reputable bank. Do not use an ATM that shows signs of tampering. Do not speak to others during your transaction. Put your hand over the PIN pad while entering the number. If your card is not returned, immediately alert bank employees. 4. The friendly local. Tourists have been offered tours, discounts and other enticements, then given spiked drinks and exploited financially while under the influence of intoxicants, according to the Overseas Security Advisory Council, a partnership between the State Department and the private-sector security community. Inflated credit card charges may be difficult to challenge because bars and clubs can show evidence of victims consent. Program will test three targets identified by geophysics and sampling as having strong similarities to the rich DeGrussa copper-gold deposit nearby Drilling Rig Mobilised for Fairbairn Copper Project in Western Australia Perth, May 9, 2024 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Great Western Exploration Limited ( ASX:GTE ) is pleased to announce that contractor DDH1 has started mobilising a drill rig and equipment in preparation for testing three DeGrussa-style copper-gold targets at its Fairbairn Copper Project in Western Australia. Key Points - Mobilisation of drill rig and associated equipment by drilling contractor DDH1 has commenced to the Fairbairn Copper Project - Permitting approval has been received which allows Great Western to commence drilling of three fixed-loop electromagnetic conductor copper targets defined at the Project - Geophysics, geological mapping, sampling, and modelling suggest the three compelling electromagnetic conductors represent potential DeGrussa Style copper-gold volcanic hosted massive sulphide deposits, with this style of mineralisation often occurring in clusters of deposits - Phase one of drilling comprises diamond holes drilled to depths ranging from 250 to 350m, with follow up drill-holes to be drilled based on success from the first phase of the programme. The Fairbairn Copper Project is located 900km north-east of Perth (Figure 1*) and 120km from Sandfire Resources' ( ASX:SFR ) DeGrussa copper-gold project. The drilling programme will test three compelling DeGrussa-style copper-gold targets, which were identified by both a fixed-loop electromagnetic (FLEM) ground survey and a heliborne EM survey (see ASX Announcement dated 26 September 2023). The FLEM survey identified three isolated and discrete bedrock conductors, which are interpreted to be related to sulphide mineralisation. The shallow depth conductors were modelled between 80m and 190m below surface, positioned along a contact between a siltstone-shale and boulder conglomerate sandstone units of the Yelma Formation within the Earaheedy Basin (Figure 2*). The copper target's prospectivity was significantly enhanced by geological mapping and modelling that suggests the conductors have potential to be blind DeGrussa-style volcanic-hosted massive sulphide targets (VHMS). Drilling will test three conductors, with VHMS style mineralisation often occurring in clusters of deposits. Phase 1 drilling will target the centre and upper portions of the conductors (Figures 3, 4, and 5*), which are interpreted as the most prospective position of the modelled conductors. Phase 1 will be completed utilising a diamond drill rig, with hole depths ranging from 250-350m. Follow-up drill-holes will be drilled based on successful mineralised intersections from the first phase of the programme (Figures 3 - 5*). *To view tables and figures, please visit: https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/20T6IE3Q About Great Western Exploration Limited Great Western Exploration (ASX:GTE) is an explorer with a world class, large land position in prolific regions of Western Australia. Great Western's tenements have been under or virtually unexplored. Numerous work programmes across multiple projects are underway and the Company is well-funded with a tight capital structure, providing leverage to exploration success. Related Companies ABP Ananda, West Bengal's premier 24-hour Bengali news channel, has reached a historic milestone by becoming the first Bengali news channel to surpass 10 million subscribers on YouTube. This achievement highlights the channel's innovative approach to content creation and distribution in an ever-evolving media landscape, where digital platforms play a pivotal role in news consumption. ABP Ananda's success on YouTube underscores its commitment to delivering high-quality and engaging news content to Bengali audiences worldwide. With its expansive reach and influence, ABP Ananda has established itself as the most trusted source of news and analysis in the Bengali language. Surpassing the subscriber count of all other Bengali channels on YouTube, ABP Ananda has demonstrated its dominance in the digital space. News18 Bangla follows with 8.22 million subscribers, Zee 24Ghanta with 5.38 million subscribers, Republic Bangla with 3.22 million subscribers, and TV9 Bangla with 3.08 million subscribers. ABP Anandas attainment of 10 million subscribers on YouTube is a testament to the collective effort and dedication of its team, as well as the unwavering support of its viewers. Since its establishment in 2005, ABP Ananda has been a frontrunner in news reporting, offering comprehensive coverage of local, national, and international events while upholding journalistic integrity and impartiality. This milestone symbolizes the trust and confidence bestowed upon ABP Ananda by millions of viewers. As the pioneering Bengali news channel to achieve this remarkable feat, ABP Ananda continues to set new benchmarks in the industry, inspiring others to strive for excellence in journalism and content creation. For further details about ABP Ananda and its groundbreaking achievements, please visit www.abpananda.com Ali Fazal, the versatile and acclaimed actor, embarks on his official debut in the South Indian film industry with the prestigious project "Thug Life," helmed by the legendary filmmaker Mani Ratnam. The film will be shot by Ravi.k.chandran and music to be composed by legendary AR rehman . This collaboration marks a significant milestone in Fazal's career, as he steps into the realm of Southern cinema alongside the iconic Kamal Hassan. "Thug Life," touted to be a magnum opus by Mani Ratnam, promises to be a cinematic extravaganza, showcasing Fazal in a leading role alongside the veteran actor Kamal Hassan and other . While the details of Fazal's character are being kept under wraps, the actor expresses his elation at being a part of this groundbreaking venture. Ali Fazal shares, "I am truly thrilled to be a part of Mani Sir's vision for 'Thug Life.' And i can only hope i bring somethin of significance to this canvas . It's also an honor to work alongside the Kamal Haasan sir and share notes with him on this. The opportunity to collaborate with two stalwarts of Indian cinema has been humbling. I am deeply grateful to Mani Sir for entrusting me with this role and am eager to bring it to life on screen. Production for "Thug Life" has officially commenced, with Ali Fazal diving into his role as filming begins in Delhi. After exploring Anurag Basus cinematic worlds , The actor is poised to bring depth and charisma to his new character, adding another feather to his cap in an already illustrious career. Emmy award-winning actress, Archie Panjabi, has teamed up with BBC Studios Kids & Family to develop the new comedic mystery series, Anisha Accidental Detective. Based on the successful book series of the same name, written by Serena Patel and illustrated by Emma McCann, the ten part live-action series follows strong-willed ten-year-old, Anisha Mistry, whose life is upended when her aunties fiance disappears a few days before their big Bollywood-style wedding. Anisha must use her super sleuthing skills to uncover whats happened to her Uncle Tony, and get him to the wedding on time. Utilising the framework of classic detective dramas, this is a bingeable whodunnit series for audiences aged 7+, bursting with intrigue, laughs, twists and turns. Anishas race for the truth is set against the backdrop of a lavish, glamourous Bollywood style wedding. Archie Panjabi, who was the first South Asian woman to win an Emmy award for acting and is best known for her work on The Good Wife, Blindspot, Bend It Like Beckham, and currently starring in Under The Bridge, has come on board as Executive Producer of the series. Archie said: BBC Studios Kids & Family have pulled together an amazing team to bring these utterly delightful books to life. With a British Indian family at the heart, its a wonderful celebration of British Indian culture. Anisha was the character I yearned to see on screen when I was a ten-year-old. The series is a refreshing comedy mystery about friendship, family and growing up, packed with vibrant characters. Its delightfully intriguing and will keep the whole family craving for more - just like Anishas grannys parathas! Stanley Fernandes, BBC Studios Vice President, Distribution South Asia commented: This announcement is really exciting news for our audiences in India who can already catch a fantastic variety of our BBC Kids and Family content on BBC Kids and BBC Player on Amazon Prime Video Channel. Were really looking forward to seeing more detail on this show as it develops. Serena Patel, author of the Anisha Accidental Detective books, which are published by Usborne and have been a success across countries including the UK, Australia and India, said: I was thrilled when I heard that Archie Panjabi was coming on board as Executive Producer for the series. I have huge admiration for her career as an actor and for her to be involved in bringing my books to the screen feels like a dream come true. The series is being developed by BBC Studios Kids & Family in a deal optioned by Emily Hayward-Whitlock at The Artist Partnership and Kate Shaw at The Shaw Agency, with up-and-coming screenwriter and childrens novelist Nikesh Shukla. Nikesh is the writer of the multi-award winning Two Dosas and the author of The Council of Good Friends and several YA novels. He is also co-founder of The Good Literary Agency, as well as working on a Spider-Man comic book miniseries for Marvel. BBC Studios Kids & Family VP of Development, Edward Barnieh, said: Were thrilled to be working with industry leaders like Archie Panjabi, alongside exciting new talent like Serena and Nikesh, to bring Anisha Accidental Detective to a global audience. The series will feature fresh, diverse characters and will be bursting with clues, suspects and hilarious mishaps and, with a ticking clock counting down to a big family wedding, its sure to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Digital ad impressions for the BFSI Sector significantly increased by 40% during Y 2023 over Y 2022, while ad volumes on Television and Radio increased by 13% each during the Y 2023 over Y 2022, as per RAM AdExs cross-media advertising for the BFSI Sector in 2023. Advertising growth of 15% was observed in Print in Y 2023 over Y 2022 for the BFSI Sector. Television Indexed Ad Volumes for the BFSI Sector on TV witnessed growth from Y 2020 to Y 2023, in which, Y 2023 had the highest growth of 39% over Y 2019. Also, when compared Y 2023 with Y 2022, there was growth of 13% in ad volumes for BFSI. Compared to 1st Quarter of Y 2023, 2nd , 3rd and 4th quarters observed de-growth of 43%, 19% and 33% for BFSI Sector on TV. Ad volumes for the BFSI Sector were the highest during Feb23 with 13% share of ad volumes, followed by Mar23 with 10%. There was a drastic decline in ad volumes of BFSI during Apr23 of 4.5%. The top 10 categories together added 84% share of ad volumes on TV, with Life Insurance leading the list. Also, Life Insurance and Mortgage Loans retained their 1st and 2nd positions in Y 2023 over Y 2022. In the top Categories, Housing/ Construction Loans and Retail Banking were the only new entrants in Y 2023 over Y 2022. Life Insurance Corporation of India was the top advertiser of BFSI Sector on TV with 12% share of ad volumes. Together, the top 10 advertisers covered 49% share of ad volumes on TV. Muthoot Finance Loan Against Gold remained the top brand of BFSI Sector on TV during Y 2023 over Y 2022 with 8% share of ad volumes. Piramal Finance Home Loan was an exclusive brand during Y 2023 over Y 2022. The Top 10 brands together accounted for 36% share of ad volumes. News was the most preferred Channel Genre by the BFSI Players with 65% share of ad volumes in Y 2023. News and Movies Channel Genres together contributed 81% share of ad volumes for BFSI on TV. News Bulletin was the most preferred program genre to promote brands under BFSI Sector on Television. The Top 2 program genres, that is, News Bulletin and Feature Films together added 60% of the sectors ad volumes. Prime Time garnered the highest advertising on TV, followed by Afternoon and Morning time-bands. Prime Time, Afternoon & Morning time bands together accounted for 73% share of the ad volumes. Advertisers of the BFSI Sector majorly preferred 20-40 seconds ad size on TV. 20-40 seconds and <20 seconds ads together covered 91% shares in the Y 2023. Print Ad Space in Print for the BFSI Sector observed consistent growth over the period from Y 2021 to Y 2023. There was growth of 26%, 46% and 69% in Y 2021, Y 2022 and Y 2023, respectively, over Y 2019. Whereas, Y 2020 was the only year in which ad space decreased by 24% over Y 2019. Additionally, compared to Y 2022, there was growth of 15% in ad space for the BFSI Sector during Y 2023. While analyzing Quarterly Trends of Y 2023, it was discovered that there was consistent growth in Q3 and Q4 of 8% and 26% compared to Q1. But, Q2 witnessed 29% of de-growth in ad space over Q1 of Y 2023. Sept23 and Mar23 both had the highest share of ad space of 11.2% and 11% in Y 2023 for BFSI Sector, whereas, Apr23, May23 and Feb23 had the lowest shares of 3.6%, 4.5% and 5.7%, respectively. Life Insurance retained its position as the top category in the BFSI Sector in Y 2023 over Y 2022 with 14% share of ad space. Also, the Top 10 categories together accounted for 48% share of the ad space. During Y 2023, Credit Cards and Bonds entered the top category list and secured 9th and 10th positions, compared to their 14th and 12th positions, respectively, in Y 2022. Together, the Top 10 advertisers covered 28% share of ad space with Life Insurance Corporation Of India leading the list. The top advertisers of the BFSI Sector included 5 new entrants during Y 2023 over Y 2022. LIC dominated the Top Brands list in the Y 2023. The Top 10 brands of the BFSI Sector contributed 16% share of the ad space. Out of the Top 10 brands present in Y 2023, 4 of them belonged to Life Insurance Corporation of India. HDFC Systematic Invest Plan was the only exclusive brand present during Y 2023 over Y 2022. During Y 2023, HDFC Bank-Corporate ascended to the 9th position compared to its 5035th position in Y 2022. English was the top Publication Language with 55% share of ad space in Y 2023. General Interest dominates ad space in General Newspaper with 54% share. South Zone was the leading territory for BFSI Sector advertising with 34% share of ad space in Y 2023. New Delhi and Mumbai were top cities in Pan India during Y 2023. Radio Ad volumes on Radio for the BFSI Sector registered growth from Y 2020 to Y 2023. Ad volumes of Y 2021, Y 2022 and Y 2023 increased significantly by 35%, 33% and 51%, respectively, over Y 2019. There was growth in ad volumes of 6% in Y 2020. Additionally, Y 2023 observed growth of 13% compared to Y 2022, whereas, BFSI Sectors Quarterly Trends of Y 2023 reflected de-growth of 67%, 49% and 16% in Q1, Q2 and Q3 compared to Q1. The BFSI Sectors ad volume on Radio was highest during Mar23 and Feb23 with 17% and 11%, respectively. But, it suddenly witnessed a major decline in Apr23 of 2.5% after reflecting the highest share of ad volumes in Mar23. From Jul23 to Nov23, ad volume share witnessed consistent growth. Life Insurance dominates the Category list with 25% of the total BFSI ad volumes. Top 10 categories added 88% share of sector ad volumes on Radio. Automobile General Insurance, Retail Banking and Securities/ Sharebroking Organization entered the top categories list in Y 2023 over Y 2022. Life Insurance Corporation of India remained the leading advertiser in Y 2023 over Y 2022 with 24% share of ad volumes. Also, the Top 10 advertisers covered 74% share of ad volumes. Among the top Advertisers, AU Small Finance Bank was the only exclusive advertiser present in Y 2023 over Y 2022. LIC Housing Finance was the top brand of BFSI Sector on Radio with 14% share of ad volumes. Four out of the Top 10 brands were from Life Insurance Corporation of India. The Top 10 brands together added 50% ad volume share in Y 2023. HDFC Ergo Health Insurance upheaved to 4th position in Y 2023 compared to its 398th position in Y 2022. The BFSI Sectors advertising share was highest in Maharashtra with 20% in Y 2023. Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu together accounted for 46% share of the ad volumes. Advertising for BFSI was preferred in the Evening, followed by Morning time-band on Radio. 88% share of the BFSI Ad Volumes was in the Evening and Morning time-bands in the Y 2023. Digital On Digital, ad impressions observed a massive surge of 3.3x and 2.3x in Y 2023 and Y 2022 over Y 2019. Also, ad impressions in Y 2021 increased by 61% over Y 2019, whereas Y 2020 reflected de-growth of 57% over Y 2019. Compared to Y 2022, there was growth of 40% in ad impressions in Y 2023. Both Q2 and Q4 of Y 2023 observed growth of 7% and 25% over Q1, but, ad impressions in Q3 were decreased by 43%. Both May23 and Nov23 had the highest share of ad impressions of 11% for the BFSI Sector and Sept23 observed the lowest share of 5.7%. On Digital, Mutual Funds ascended to the 1st position with 19% share of the ad impressions in Y 2023 over Y 2022. Life Insurance descended to the 5th position in Y 2023 compared to its 1st position in Y 2022. In the top Categories, Retail Banking was the only new entrant in Y 2023 over Y 2022. AMFI continued to be the leading advertiser on Digital with 9% share of ad impressions in Y 2023 over Y 2022. Together, the top 10 advertisers covered 41% share of ad impressions. Out of the Top 10 advertisers in Y 2023, there were 6 new entrants among them compared to Y 2022. The top brands of BFSI Sector on Digital collectively added 35% share of the ad impressions, with AMFI leading the list. Nippon India Mutual Fund ascended to the 4th position in Y 2023 compared to its 197th position in Y 2022. Among the Top 10 brands present in Y 2023, 4 of them were new entrants compared to Y 2022. Programmatic was the top transaction method for Digital advertising of the BFSI Sector in the Y 2023 with 68% of share. Programmatic and Programmatic/ Ad Network transaction methods together captured 83% share of the BFSI ad impressions on Digital. PubMatic, Inc., an independent technology company delivering digital advertisings supply chain of the future, has reported record financial results for the first quarter ending March 31, 2024. We delivered another quarter of outstanding results, with accelerated revenue growth of 20%, highlighting our strong customer relationships, our breadth of solutions and growth across all formats and channels, said Rajeev Goel, co-founder and CEO at PubMatic. The digital supply chain of the future we are building brings new opportunities that are best addressed on the sell-side of the ecosystem, which sits closest to the consumer. These opportunities, including the need for increased innovation and efficiency, changing privacy regulations, and an onslaught of new ad inventory from CTV and commerce media, require deep and specialized technology. Customers and partners like Instacart, Klarna, Roblox and GroupM are choosing to build their ad businesses on PubMatic technology. We have spent 17 years building differentiated solutions and we believe our competitive moat is widening while our logo list continues to grow. First Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights Revenue in the first quarter of 2024 was $66.7 million, up 20% compared to the same period of 2023; Net dollar-based retention1 was 106% for the trailing twelve-months ended March 31, 2024, compared to 105% in the comparable trailing twelve-month period a year ago; GAAP net loss was $(2.5) million with a margin of (4)%, or $(0.05) per diluted share in the first quarter, compared to GAAP net loss of $(5.9) million with a margin of (11)%, or $(0.11) per diluted share in the same period of 2023; Adjusted EBITDA was $15.1 million, or 23% margin, an increase over $7.4 million, or a 13% margin, in the same period of 2023; Non-GAAP net income was $4.8 million, or $0.09 per diluted share in the first quarter, compared to Non-GAAP net loss of $(0.1) million, or $0.00 per diluted share in the same period of 2023; Net cash provided by operating activities was $24.3 million, a 90% increase over $12.8 million in the same period of 2023; Total cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities of $174.1 million as of March 31, 2024 with no debt; From January 1, 2024 through April 30, 2024, used $20.1 million in cash to repurchase 1.1 million shares of Class A common stock. In 2023, 4.0 million shares were repurchased for a total of $59.3 million. We have $95.6 million remaining in the repurchase program through December 31, 2025. The section titled Non-GAAP Financial Measures below describes our usage of non-GAAP financial measures. Reconciliations between historical GAAP and non-GAAP information are contained at the end of this press release following the accompanying financial data. Business Highlights Revenue growth across all formats and channels Diversified across more than 20 advertiser verticals. The top 10 ad verticals, in aggregate, grew 20% year-over-year. Monetized impressions in Q1 2024 increased 17% over Q1 2023 Revenue from high value formats and channels, mobile display and omnichannel video2 grew 26% over Q1 2023 and represented 77% of total revenue in the quarter, up 6 percentage points over Q1 2023. Revenue from omnichannel video, which includes CTV, grew over 33% year-over-year in Q1 2024. Scaled access to premium inventory, audiences and data attracts increased buyer demand Supply Path Optimization represented 50% of total activity on our platform in Q1 2024, up from over 35% a year ago, driven by Activate and multi-year, strategic partnerships with top ad agencies and advertisers. PubMatics strength in SPO, private marketplace and programmatic guaranteed fueled new partnerships with marquee CTV streamers including DISH Media, Vevo and Virgin Media UK. Expanded into a new category of content creators and partnered with immersive platform Roblox to enable programmatic media buying of Robloxs video advertising inventory. The partnership will allow more brands to seamlessly reach Robloxs global community while enabling Roblox to gain scaled access to premium brand advertising demand. Recently announced a first-of-its-kind solution with GroupM in which together we are delivering AI generated cohort-based audience segments customized for each advertiser client. Through use of first party data and alternative data signals, buyers across the open internet are moving toward higher value impressions and away from third-party cookies. Increased buyer demand, adding Wpromote, a top independent advertising agency, as a preferred SPO partner to drive efficiency and maximize performance across the open internet. Partnered with Instacart to power and enhance offsite media buys across channels, including CTV and premium video. Through Convert, our commerce media platform, Instacart enables ad buyers to leverage their first-party retail media data to reach audiences offsite and drives sales. Recently partnered with Klarna, the global payments company, to bring PubMatics breadth of exclusive ad demand directly to their native mobile app inventory. 2024 operating priorities include investments for growth and continued efficiency gains Aligned with our growth investments, increased global headcount by 11% in Q1 2024 on a year-over-year basis, adding new team members across product management, engineering and go-to-market teams in order to accelerate long-term revenue growth. Infrastructure optimization initiatives combined with limited capex, drove nearly 57.9 trillion impressions processed in Q1 2024, an increase of 25% over Q1 2023. Cost of revenue per million impressions processed decreased 10% on a trailing twelve month period, as compared to the prior period. Continuing our momentum from Q4, in the first quarter, we accelerated revenue growth, while delivering strong margins and free cash flow. Excluding revenue from Yahoos owned and operated inventory, revenue grew an impressive 25% over last year. Monetized impressions continued to grow across all formats and channels as the need from publishers and ad buyers for our differentiated sell-side technology increases, said Steve Pantelick, CFO at PubMatic. He said: We are making steady progress on our 2024 key operating priorities which include increasing investment for revenue growth acceleration, delivering cost efficiencies, and generating strong free cash flow. As a result, we are raising our full year guidance. At the midpoints, we expect year-over-year revenue growth to be 12%, and adjusted EBITDA margin to be approximately 31%. China, Serbia decide to build community with shared future Xinhua) 08:07, May 09, 2024 Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic hold talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) BELGRADE, May 8 (Xinhua) -- China and Serbia have decided on Wednesday to build a community with a shared future, an upgrade of their relations from the comprehensive strategic partnership established eight years ago. The decision was declared by visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic, during their meeting in the Serbian capital. Xi stressed that the ironclad friendship between China and Serbia has stood the test of the changing international landscape, saying that such friendship is characterized by profound historical roots, solid political foundation, extensive common interests and strong popular support. Over the past few years, Xi said, under the leadership of him and Vucic, the bilateral relationship has leapfrogged with historic progress, and since the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016, in particular, the bilateral relationship has been enriched in substance and expanded in scope, which has become an example for China's friendly relations with other European countries. Actions speak louder than words, Xi noted. He said China will stand shoulder to shoulder with Serbia, share weal and woe like passengers in the same boat, carry forward the spirit of the ironclad friendship, maintain and grow their friendship, and jointly safeguard fundamental and long-term interests of the two countries. As the two sides pursue their respective national development and revitalization, China will join hands with Serbia to advance the building of a community with a shared future in the new era, he added. Xi stressed that Serbia is China's first comprehensive strategic partner in Central and Eastern Europe, saying that their bilateral cooperation has injected strong impetus into their respective development and rejuvenation, and brought tangible benefits to the two peoples. Under the new circumstances, Serbia has become the first European country to build with China a community with a shared future, which speaks volumes about the strategic, special and high-level China-Serbia relations, he said. The China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, Xi said, is an upgrade of the ironclad friendship between China and Serbia, adding that it also represents their common values and objectives, namely, joint pursuit of development, win-win cooperation and mutual success. These are the common aspirations of China, Serbia, and all countries that are committed to independence, peace and development, he added. By building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, the two sides should keep deepening and expanding high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and collaboration between China and Central and Eastern European countries, thus contributing to their respective modernization, Xi said. The Chinese leader called on the two sides to highlight the strategic nature of the bilateral relationship and keep to its general direction, saying that China supports Serbia in upholding independence and pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions, and supports its efforts in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The two sides, Xi said, should continue to offer each other firm support, deepen strategic cooperation, and safeguard their respective political security and fundamental interests. He urged China and Serbia to stay committed to practical cooperation and deliver welfare for the two peoples, saying that high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Serbia has achieved remarkable results. The two sides should steadily advance cooperation in traditional areas such as transportation and energy infrastructure, make sure the entire Serbian section of the Belgrade-Budapest railway go into operation as scheduled, jointly operate well their major cooperation projects, create more small and beautiful livelihood projects, and continue to generate positive economic and social impacts, he said. With the China-Serbia Free Trade Agreement set to take effect on July 1 this year, the high-standard mutual opening up between China and Serbia will surely enter a new stage, Xi said, adding that China will continue to import more high-quality agricultural specialties from Serbia. The Chinese side will invite 300 young Serbians to China on study and exchange programs in the next three years, said Xi, adding that China welcomes the opening of direct flights from Belgrade to Shanghai by the Serbian side so as to comprehensively deepen people-to-people exchanges. Xi also called for opening up new prospects of cooperation with a focus on the innovation dimension in bilateral relations and making innovation cooperation a new growth driver in the relationship. China will support 50 young Serbian scientists in taking part in scientific research exchanges in China in the next three years, Xi said, adding that China is ready to work with Serbia to strengthen cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) and endeavor to ensure humanity properly develop and utilize AI. It is important for China and Serbia to jointly reject hegemonism and power politics, and oppose bloc politics or bloc confrontation, Xi said, adding that the two sides should join hands to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, practice true multilateralism, and promote international fairness and justice. For his part, Vucic extended the warmest welcome to Xi and noted that China is Serbia's most sincere friend. Although Serbia is a small country, China always fully respects its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and provides valuable support for its economic and social development, he said. Vucic hailed Xi as a great world leader. He said that under Xi's strong leadership, China has made remarkable achievements, and it has become a beacon of development and progress of the world and is playing an increasingly important leading role in international affairs. The Communist Party of China seeks to enhance the well-being of not only the Chinese people, but also people across the world, he said, adding that the Serbian people are full of gratitude and respect for China, especially for President Xi, and feel truly proud to be an ironclad friend to such a great nation. Serbia firmly supports China's legitimate position on issues concerning its core interests including on Taiwan, he said, adding that there is but one China in the world, and that Serbia will, without hesitation, continue to unswervingly provide China with firm support. Vucic noted that China's investment in and cooperation with Serbia have greatly facilitated the latter's economic and social development and improved Serbian people's living standards, saying that since 2016, in particular, thanks to the personal commitment and support by Xi, the HBIS Smederevo steel plant has had immensely positive socioeconomic impacts. The transformative changes in the steel plant's development prospects have also boosted the confidence and raised the hope of the people, he added. Serbia's future is closely linked with China, he said, adding that Serbia looks forward to intensifying exchanges with China in all areas and at all levels, and to strengthening cooperation with China in various fields including infrastructure, new energy, innovation, artificial intelligence and people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Serbia will actively advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with China, and work to ensure that the Serbian sector of the Belgrade-Budapest railway will be completed as planned, he said. Vucic said Serbia welcomes investment cooperation from more Chinese businesses and looks forward to opening more direct flights, adding that building on the entry-into-force of the bilateral Free Trade Agreement, Serbia is ready to expand economic and trade cooperation with China. The announcement on deepening and elevating the comprehensive strategic partnership and building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era marks a new milestone in the history of this bilateral relationship, he noted. Serbia firmly supports and will actively participate in the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative put forth by Xi, he said, adding that his country will stay in close strategic coordination with China in multilateral fora, jointly oppose hegemonism and power politics, uphold the purposes of the UN Charter, and defend international fairness and justice. After the talks, the two presidents signed the Joint Statement on Deepening and Elevating the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Building a China-Serbia Community with a Shared Future in the New Era. They also witnessed the exchange of multiple cooperation documents including on Belt and Road cooperation, green development, digital economy, e-commerce, infrastructure, economic and technical cooperation, information and communication, agri-food, and the media. Xi and Vucic also had a joint meeting with the press. Prior to their meeting, Vucic accompanied Xi to the platform of the Palace of Serbia. On the square in front of the Palace, some 15,000 Serbian people were waving national flags of China and Serbia to express the warmest welcome to Xi. The Chinese leader waved to the crowd, which burst into jubilant, prolonged applause and cheers. Later in his meeting with Vucic, Xi said that he was deeply touched when he was greeted at the airport by President Vucic together with many senior government officials who held a grand welcoming ceremony for his visit. He also said he was deeply moved by the genuine friendliness toward China from the Serbian people who are good friends of the Chinese people. In this combo photo, Chinese President Xi Jinping, accompanied by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic prior to their talks, is greeted by thousands of Serbians in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024. Xi and Vucic on Wednesday held talks here. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen, Ding Haitao) Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony held by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic prior to their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. Xi and Vucic on Wednesday held talks here. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony held by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic prior to their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. Xi and Vucic on Wednesday held talks here. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony held by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic prior to their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. Xi and Vucic on Wednesday held talks here. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic hold talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic hold talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic sign a joint statement on the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, after their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024. In the joint statement, the two countries decided to deepen and elevate the China-Serbia comprehensive strategic partnership. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic jointly meet the press after their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic jointly meet the press after their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic jointly meet the press after their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Inspiration at new heights: Mumbai couple's triumph at Everest base camp 2 In a stirring display of resilience and determination, Mumbai resident Abhishek Mandvikar, despite being polio-affected in both legs since birth, has successfully trekked to Everest Base Camp with his wife Priyanka. The couples journey, organised by the Giripremi Adventure Foundation, spanned over 70 kilometers and culminated at the formidable altitude of 17,500 feet after a challenging nine-day trek. At 43, Abhisheks indomitable spirit shone brightly as he faced severe weather conditions, with snowfall and plummeting temperatures marking the final two days of their ascent. However, the couples unwavering resolve saw them through to the base of the worlds highest peak. The significance of their achievement was heightened just before reaching their destination at Everest Base Camp, when Abhishek drew inspiration from the statue of the revered Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Gorkshep, installed by the Giripremi team during their 2012 Everest expedition. Seeing the statue gave me a different energy, said Abhishek, moved by the historic symbol of perseverance and courage. Abhisheks journey was supported by veteran mountaineer Umesh Zirpe and young mountaineer Nikunj Shah of Giripremi, along with Dorchi Sherpa of Peak Promotion in Nepal, ensuring a well-guided and safe expedition. This remarkable feat not only celebrates the personal victory of Abhishek and Priyanka but also stands as a beacon of inspiration for all, proving that physical limitations are no barrier to achieving extraordinary goals. The climbing community, including fellow climbers, guides, and Sherpas, celebrated the Mandvikars successful ascent, offering congratulations and praise for their spirit and tenacity. Abhisheks story is a powerful testament to the human spirits capacity to overcome challenges and reach new heights, both literally and metaphorically. His dedication to fitness and sports, despite his disability, and his rigorous preparation for the trek underscore his commitment to not just facing challenges but conquering them. Before Tuscaloosa police showed up at the door, Jacoya Clark already knew. On that day last December, word spread quickly that a police officer in Tuscaloosa had shot and killed someone during a traffic stop, a young man wearing red shoes. Her 24-year-old son, Tristan, wasnt answering his phone. He dealt with a lot in his life, Clark said in a recent interview with AL.com at her home in Moundville. Came in fighting, and I felt like he left here, fighting, too. Hours before police delivered the news, Clark arrived home from work and found a gathering of friends and relatives in her front yard, there to offer comfort. Nearly five months later, Clark still hasnt been told the name of the officer who shot and killed her son, a father of three. She questions what happened, why two narcotics officers working undercover stopped the car, why one fired at Tristan in the back seat. Theres no body camera footage to answer her questions. In March, a grand jury declined to indict the officers who were involved with shooting Tristan. The Tuscaloosa County Sheriffs Office, which investigated the case, as well as the district attorneys office and the grand jury all found no evidence that the officers did anything criminal. My family is very disappointed that the officers were not indicted but we are not discouraged in seeking justice for my baby Tristan, Clark said. The truth will be revealed and those responsible will be held accountable. Tristan Clark, a 24-year-old Tuscaloosa resident, was shot and killed by Tuscaloosa police on Dec. 20, 2023.Clark family Reginald McDaniel, the Birmingham attorney representing Clarks family, said that his legal team and the family are waiting on autopsy reports before deciding whether to move forward with litigation. Police have said that Clark had outstanding warrants, and that he pulled out a gun during the traffic stop. McDaniel has disputed that, saying that two eyewitnesses who were in the car told his legal team that Clark never reached for a gun and his hands were raised when the officer shot him. McDaniel previously told AL.com that police told him and Clarks family that the undercover narcotics officers stopped the car for a window tint violation but didnt find any drugs. My grandmama always told us that we all have to leave here, but its how we leave that hurts the most, Clark said. I can only imagine what was going through my childs head in that car. I know one thing, he would say, If my mama was here, yall would not be doing this to me. I know he would say that, and I know he wanted his mama. In the days before he died, Tristan had been Christmas shopping for his three small children, his mother told AL.com. Clark said that the whole family had picked out matching pajamas. Tristan was especially looking forward to the holiday, his mother said, as it would be his newborn sons first Christmas. He was like, Mom, thank God I listened to you, Clark said, recalling one day when Tristan came in from shopping for gifts. He said, You taught me, always start early. We laughed about it, and he was so excited about Christmas with the kids. Clark said her son was also looking forward to Christmas at home because he missed out on the holidays when he was in jail a couple years earlier for a robbery, court records show. From his last experience being locked up, I think he learned a lot and it made him family-oriented, more, she said. In his last days, he was so happy. He was really becoming the man that we raised him to be, and God created him to be. The father that he knew he was supposed to be. A few weeks before Tristan died, police pulled him over while he was driving his mothers car near their neighborhood. In a Nov. 29 police report filed in court records, the officers said that they smelled marijuana and that Tristan failed to use a turn signal at an intersection. Clark was in the passenger seat and said she remembers multiple narcotics officers pulling Tristan out of the car. Though the officers found marijuana and pills in a backpack in the trunk and arrested her son, Clark said shes thankful to have been there that day to witness how the police behaved. She said they seized her gun even though she had a permit and didnt return it for several months. When I think about that night, I always get so angry, because I saw what yall were doing, she said. A bunch of yall just violated my child, and that just hurt my feelings, hurt my heart. Jacoya Clark still has questions about what happened the afternoon that her son was shot and killed by an undercover narcotics officer in Tuscaloosa. (Hannah Denham / AL.com)Hannah Denham Clark recalled greeting her son in the hallway each morning before she left for work. She started off her day around 3:45 a.m. and Tristan often felt sick in the morning because of diabetes. But she looked forward to checking on him, and said he always had a smile. But in the early morning of Dec. 20, Tristan was fast asleep in his room. She wanted to ask him to stay home with the younger kids until she returned from work. But it was so rare to see her son sleep through the night, so she let him rest. My baby was sick. And for them to take him from me Clark trailed off, crying, as Tristans 4-year-old daughter, Dreia, climbed into her lap and played games on a tablet. That hurt, she said, between sobs. That hurt. McDaniel, from his seat on the couch next to Clark, handed her a tissue. This is the part they dont see when they do stuff like that, he said. The aftermath. The suffering of the family. Tristan was one of five siblings, on his mothers side. When he was 13, Clarks family lived in Northport, after she moved them from the west side of Tuscaloosa. She was working a lot, and even though she clung to her faith, some Sunday mornings she was too tired to wake up for church. On those Sundays, Tristan would wake his younger brother up and get him ready without being asked. Hed take him across the street, climbing a fence to take the shortcut to the church, Clark said. Now, Tristans youngest brother, who is 3, wakes up many mornings pointing to the doorknob to his old room. His kids miss him, too, Clark said. They miss him. He really loved these kids and spending time with these kids, Clark said. Hed get on the floor and roll around with them. Thats how he was. Clark is no stranger to grief. Her grandmother, father and niece had all passed away within the last two years. But losing her oldest son was the worst kind of pain shes faced. Returning to life as normal has felt impossible, she said. When Clark was pregnant with Tristan, she was in a bad car accident in 1999. She rushed to the hospital, and gave birth to him prematurely, at six pounds. Shes always called him her gentle giant. He was the one that comes in and brings up the whole house. He was caring, had respect, works hard, very sensitive, too, she said. Hes the one that is just like me. He has a very big heart. He doesnt meet a stranger. The Alabama legislature passed a long awaited first-grade readiness bill Thursday, which would require students who did not complete kindergarten to take a test to enter the first grade. If signed by Gov. Kay Ivey, HB113 will go into effect in July. Starting in the 2025-26 school year, some first graders would need to take a test to make sure they are ready for school. Rep. Pebblin Warren, D-Tuskegee, the bills sponsor, said the bill was nearly seven years in the making. She said she brought the legislation to ensure younger children are better prepared for first grade and to reduce the number of students who might be at risk for retention later down the line. We needed a bill like this to try to help our kids so that we wouldnt have to wait until the third grade to tell them they cant read, Warren told AL.com Wednesday after the Senate vote. Kids need to have an earlier start to make sure we can introduce them to the educational system much earlier than weve been doing. Alabamas literacy law requires third graders to be proficient in reading to be able to advance to the next grade. But the state is one of few that does not require kindergarten, which can contribute to a range of learning needs in earlier grades. The first grade assessment would measure essential development and physical skills. It would be developed by the Alabama State Department of Education. Students who complete kindergarten would not have to take a test. After the pandemic, retention rates for all K-3 students increased dramatically, state data shows. About 3,500 children were held back in first grade for each of the past three years. Its unclear how many of those students did not complete kindergarten. State education officials said they already have a few efforts in place to ensure students are ready for the first grade. At a committee meeting in March, a legislative liaison for the Alabama State Department of Education cited improvements to early childhood education, and said that an assessment is currently in the works. Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, who has historically been opposed to the bill, offered an amendment Wednesday to give schools more time to adjust to the law. For the initial year of assessments, no student will be prevented from entering the first grade. If a student doesnt do well, schools will be required to provide them with additional support, the bill states. A retention provision would take effect in 2026-27. Warren said she was accepting of the change, but may come back next year with a proposal to speed up the process. When it comes to education in Alabama, we cant have delays, she said. We need to take action and take it now. The Senate passed a revised version of the bill on Wednesday and the House approved the changes Thursday morning on a 99-1 vote. The legislature also is working to finalize the states education budget, which includes $900,000 for a first grade readiness pilot program. For more than 90 years, folks have been going to the little cafe along the railroad tracks in Irondale, Ala., for a plate of humble-but-delicious fried green tomatoes. And for the past 37 years, since actress and author Fannie Flagg wrote about the delicacy in her bestselling novel, the Irondale Cafe has been an icon among fans and locals alike. The Irondale Cafe was the inspiration for Flaggs titular eatery in Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, and the subsequent hit film Fried Green Tomatoes. Although the movie was filmed in Georgia, Flagg, a Birmingham native, had her aunt Elizabeth Bess Fortenberry in mind when she wrote the book. Fortenberry, who died in 1976, ran the Irondale Cafe from 1932 until her retirement in 1972. Read More: You can eat in the Whistle Stop Cafe from the film Fried Green Tomatoes The cafe began as a hot dog stand in 1928 before Fortenberry bought it and began serving comfort foods, according to the restaurants website. Today, it still serves southern classics where patrons can choose a meat, vegetables and a dessert from the menu. The cafe serves lunch from 11 a.m. 2:30 p.m. Sundays-Fridays, closed Saturdays. Some historians credit Flaggs book and movie with making fried green tomatoes a southern staple. Read More: This small town is home to the Fried Green Tomatoes house and bridge The Irondale Cafe got its fair share of publicity when the movie debuted in 1991. The Birmingham News proclaimed: Seen the movie? Now taste the title. Before long, Fortenberry was buying more and more green tomatoes. Today, the owners fry 60 to 70 pounds of tomatoes per weekday and more on Sundays. The famous fried green tomatoes at the Irondale Cafe in Irondale, Ala. (The Birmingham News / Michelle Campbell)BN FTP Before you head over to 1906 1st Avenue North in Irondale, check out the highly favorable reviews on TripAdvisor.com, like this one: Id forgotten about the book/movie when I went to Irondale last week. My host insisted we go to the Irondale Cafe for lunch, just because. It was delicious! Catfish fried to perfection. Fried green tomatoes, wow. Collard greens rounded out the meal Oh and then there was the peach cobbler Ill sum up in two words: Go there! And this one: This is a really fun and delicious place to eat especially for fans of Fried Green Tomatoes (the movie, book, or food) right in the Whistle Stop District of Irondale Its right across from the train watching platform, so it would be fun for little ones as well. The food was fabulous, especially the fried green tomatoes. If you like Southern home cooked food, youll love it. I cant say enough good things about the Irondale Cafe, the original Whistle Stop Cafe. A 14-year-old runaway boy from Birmingham is in custody and three others are sought after police say they tried to carjack someone at gunpoint in West Virginia. Birmingham police on Tuesday announced the four boys had left an inpatient facility over the weekend. East Precinct officers responded shortly after 8 p.m. Sunday to a report of the juvenile runaways from the facility on the citys eastside. The name of the facility has not been disclosed. Police identified the runaways as: Romaine Lovins, a 14-year-old Black male, 5-feet,11-inches tall, weighing 150 pounds; Hayden Payne, a 16-year-old white male, 5-feet, 6-inches tall, weighing 200 pounds; Samuel Richey, a 16-year-old white male, 5-feet, 6-inches tall weighing 135 pounds and Breland Zainerrian, a 13-year-old Black male, 5-feet, 4-inches tall, weighing 135 pounds. Huntington police officials on Wednesday afternoon said the 14-year-old is in custody there for an attempted robbery that happened Tuesday. Police said they are still searching for Payne, Richey and Zainerrian. All three juveniles are wanted for first-degree robbery, and they are considered to be armed and dangerous, the police department said. At 5:25 p.m. Tuesday, Huntington police officers responded to an attempted robbery in the 1300 block of 6th Avenue. The victim reported she was removed from her vehicle by physical force and by gunpoint by four individuals. The individuals unsuccessfully attempted to steal the victims vehicle during the incident. The individuals fled the area when the victim called 911. Anyone with information regarding the suspects whereabouts is advised to call 911 or the Huntington Police Departments anonymous tip line at 304-696-4444. A 36-year-old Birmingham man is behind bars, accused in the sexual assaults of four different women. Christian Jerel Thomas is charged with first-degree kidnapping, four counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of first-degree rape and six counts of first-degree sodomy. The Birmingham Police Departments Crime Reduction Team arrested Thomas April 30, police announced Wednesday. He is being held without bond in Jefferson County Jail. Officer Truman Fitzgerald said the investigation began in February when a woman reported to police that she was robbed and sexually assaulted in west Birmingham. Then, in April, detectives investigated three separate cases involving three women who were sexually assaulted and/or robbed, also in west Birmingham. The Birmingham Police Department and the Jefferson County District Attorneys Office believe there may be other victims. Anyone who believes they were a victim of Thomas is asked to call the Special Victims Unit 205-297-8413 or contact the Jefferson County District Attorneys Office Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Unit at 205-325-1423 or DA_SAKI_group@jccal.org. The City of Birmingham is suing the owners and operators of a downtown lounge, asking a judge to temporarily close the business that has been used as a breeding ground for illegal activity. Both Cru Birmingham, LLC, and owner, PFS Birmingham II, LLC are named in the case. Efforts to reach them for comment were not immediately successful. The suit is brought by the city attorneys office. Earlier this week, a similar suit was filed against the Shell station and Boston Fish Supreme on Third Avenue West following a weekend shooting that left one man dead and six others injured. Cru Tuscaloosa was shut down earlier this year after a shooting there. The city cites continued problems at Cru for the past month including dangerous exhibition driving, lewd behavior and excessive noise violations at the 2300 First Ave. North location. Birmingham police, city officials said, have responded to calls related to a person shot following an altercation on the property, multiple traffic issues created by patrons and excessive numbers of people loitering at the property. The city contends Cru Birmingham, LLC has failed to take steps to stop or curtail the illegal activity. The court filing states the property is a haven for lewd and lascivious behavior by its patrons, excessive loiterers, and any other member of the public who might decide to enter with the intent to engage in criminal activity. The city is asking the court to issue an order requiring Cru Birmingham, LLC to take the necessary steps needed to eliminate any, and all, criminal activity and allow the city to prohibit Cru Birmingham, LLC, from continuing to operate if it fails to comply. The city has asked the court to grant an emergency hearing and grant a protective order related to the identities of residents who wish to testify on the matter. The Code of Alabama, 1975, Section 6-5-156.3 allows municipalities to seek a permanent injunction of a property preventing further use as a drug nuisance and to seek damages pursuant to Section 6-5-155.6 (d)(4). In the spring of 2020, City Attorney Nicole King created the Office of the City Attorneys Drug and Nuisance Abatement Team, also known as DNAT, which works through the courts to hold landowners accountable for keeping their properties clean and getting rid of crime and blight associated with nuisance issues. More than 120 properties have received demand for corrective action. DNAT continues to investigate other properties. DNAT works with the Birmingham Police Department to identify areas where landlords are not taking care of properties or providing inadequate security. Problems with drug and nuisance properties can be reported via email to problemproperty@birminghamal.gov or residents may call the internal Drug and Nuisance Abatement Team at 205-254-2369 during normal business hours. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama introduced a bill today that would require child support throughout pregnancy and create a clearinghouse of adoption and anti-abortion pregnancy crisis centers to combat decreasing birth rates. Britt introduced the More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed Act (MOMS Act) alongside co-sponsors Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.). Britt said the bill is an effort to strengthen support for pregnant women and new moms. This legislation is further evidence that you can absolutely be pro-life, pro-woman, and pro-family at the same time, Britt said. The MOMS Act advances a comprehensive culture of life, grows and strengthens families, and ensures moms have the opportunities and resources needed so they and their children can thrive and live their American Dreams. The bill comes amid a decline in birth rates in the United States. Only 3.6 million babies were born in 2023, the lowest number since 1979, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a press release, Britt said she introduced her bill to support pregnant women and moms to reverse that decline. One major component would require states to extend child support obligations during pregnancy. The bill would also boost support for pregnancy crisis centers by creating a clearinghouse called Pregnancy.gov with those centers and a list of adoption resources. These nonprofit clinics often offer free pregnancy tests and supplies for pregnant women. Critics have said they provide inaccurate medical information to dissuade women from seeking abortions. After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Alabama banned abortion except in cases where the mothers life was in danger. Two dozen states have now banned or restricted access to abortion following the ruling. Abortion restrictions have proved unpopular among many younger and female voters and the issue has emerged as a weak spot for GOP politicians. Britt has advocated anti-abortion positions and was endorsed by National Right to Life in her 2022 campaign. However, she has taken more moderate positions than some conservative lawmakers on issues such as IVF. After the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos had the same legal status as children, Britt pushed for continued access to fertility care. Britt joined Democratic Sen. Laphonza Butler of California in introducing legislation to increase federal support for research into maternal mortality. In Alabama, three hospitals closed labor and delivery units last year. Rural areas have been hit particularly hard by the loss of obstetrical services. Britts bill would create grants and other support for telehealth services geared toward pregnant women in rural areas. Robin Marty, an advocate for abortion access who also runs the West Alabama Womens Center in Tuscaloosa, said Britts constituents would benefit more from expansion of Medicaid than increasing support for crisis pregnancy centers. Alabama is one of 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid to cover low-income residents. Although the program pays for almost half the births in Alabama, women lose coverage one year after delivery and must reapply when they become pregnant again. Alabama lost three labor and delivery wards in the last 12 months, and dumping federal grant money into pregnancy resource centers so there is more funding for diapers and formula after birth isnt going to fix that medical gap, Marty said in an email. Legislation disqualifying someone from voting if they commit a felony against an election worker during an election day is headed to the governor for her signature two weeks after it almost died in a Senate committee. Its sponsor, state Rep. Adline Clarke, is crediting Republican Secretary of State Wes Allens Office for its revival and passage on the next-to-last-day of the spring legislative session. The Legislatures annual session concludes Thursday. It was indeed a rare moment, said Clarke, D-Mobile, who often has butted heads with current and past GOP secretaries of state over election-related policy including greater access to early mail-in voting, which she supports but Alabama Republicans have frowned on. I had no idea they would end up being a staunch advocate for the legislation, Clarke said. Really, as they should be. They are election officials. They are our states chief election officials and this bill protects them as much as the folks at the city and county levels. The Alabama Secretary of States Office was not immediately available for comment late Wednesday. Reviving legislation Alabama State Senator William Barfoot, R-Pike Road (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). The Alabama Senate passed HB100 unanimously on Wednesday. The vote came 14 days after the Senate Judiciary Committee, on a 4-4-3 vote, seemingly killed the legislation amid concerns about potentially levying harsh punishments on angry voters engaged in verbal spats with poll workers. The concerns expressed by Republicans during the committee meeting focused on punishing angry voters with a crime of moral turpitude if they are convicted of an assault for relatively minor offense such as aggressively pointing their finger in a poll workers chest. In Alabama, a crime of moral turpitude that disqualifies an individual from voting includes some of the most serious offense including murder, rape, kidnapping, sexual abuse and torture, human trafficking, terrorism, child sex abuse, etc. Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, opted to keep the legislation alive following the April 24 committee meeting in order to give lawmakers more time to review it. He also emphasized the legislation was not meant to create a new penalty under Alabama state law. Sen. Vivian Figures, D-Mobile, also urged her GOP colleagues to reconsider the bill by saying they know this is something that is needed. FILE - Alabama Secretary of State, Wes Allen speaks during the inauguration ceremony on the steps of the Alabama State Capital, Jan. 16, 2023, in Montgomery, Ala. A day after being sworn in last month, Allen sent a letter informing the Electronic Registration Information Center, a voluntary system known as ERIC, of the states exit after criticizing the program during his campaign. (AP Photo/Butch Dill, File)AP Clarke said over the past two weeks, she along with Mike Jones, general counsel within the Secretary of States Office and a former member of the Alabama House, met with senators to discuss the bill. It was a matter of explaining the bill to them, Clarke said. Disqualifying offenses Under HB100, if a felony is committed against the election official, which is motivated by an individuals role as an election official, then they would be disqualified from voting. The offense was added to a list of crimes that are part of the Felony Voter Disqualification Act. The legislation, amended in the Alabama House last month, also added a few more felonies to that list: Aggravated stalking, domestic violence in the first and second degree, domestic violence by strangulation, compelling street gang membership, and elder abuse. It was voted out of the Alabama House with a 95-0 vote on April 16. The legislation, if signed by Gov. Kay Ivey, will be effective on Oct. 1, and before the Nov. 5 general election. This sends a message, Clarke said. We have to make sure just like we want our election safe and secure in Alabama, we want our election officials safe and secure for the work they do in our state. Growing concerns A man gives the thumbs down to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors during their general election canvass meeting Monday in Phoenix. (Matt York, Associated Press) The passage of HB100 in Alabama comes as threats about poll worker safety intensifies ahead of the presidential election. Much of the threats have occurred in presidential swing states like Arizona where former President Donald Trump, the current GOP presidential nominee, and his supporters have aimed baseless claims about voter fraud during the 2020 elections. Following the 2020 election, more than 60 lawsuits brought by Trump and his allies were all thrown out of court. President Joe Biden, on Wednesday, said Trump will not accept the election result in November if he loses, calling it dangerous behavior from his opponent. Polling shows that threats and harassments are a concern among election workers. One-quarter of those polled in an Election & Voting Information Center survey in 2022 said they had experienced abuse, harassment, threats as part of their jobs as election workers. An overwhelming majority of the threats are politically-based. Thirteen states have enacted election worker protection laws since 2021, and a handful of others are weighing proposals this year to create felonies meant to protect election workers. There have been no known incidents of violence directed at a poll worker in Alabama in recent years. But the threats occurring elsewhere are hampering Alabama officials from recruiting enough poll workers on Election Day. Probate judges who administer elections on the county level say they are concerned over the lack of interest in working the election. Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis said in March that the county is experiencing difficulty in recruiting residents to work at the polls. The main reasoning for that, he and others have said, was fear of potential violence based on what someone is seeing in the media on TV or the Internet in other areas of the country. Felipe Henao didnt know that his phone call with his sister back in January would be the last one. She had seemed hopeful for the future, despite the pending divorce, and had plans to stay in Spain longer term, someday start a nonprofit for women in need. Then she disappeared. Henao and other family members of Ana Henao Knezevich, 40, gathered inside of their attorneys office in downtown Fort Lauderdale to address the public for the first time since her estranged husband David Knezevich was arrested on Saturday at Miami International Airport in relation to her disappearance. David Knezevich, 36, is accused in newly released federal court documents of plotting meticulously to make his wife disappear: renting a car that he drove from Serbia, where he was staying, to Madrid; spray-painting the surveillance cameras at her apartment building, then leaving with a suitcase; and having a different Colombian woman translate into English a text that he sent from his wifes cellphone to tell her friends she was fine, though it had the opposite effect. Its terrible, Henao said on Wednesday when asked how he was feeling in the days since his brother-in-laws arrest. We feel great betrayal. Were just shocked. Were traumatized. I dont wish this upon my worst enemy. Asked whether he thinks his sister is dead or alive, he replied, its not easy to talk about, so I just dont want to. Yet despite the many unanswered questions about David Knezevich, his role in Anas disappearance, and where she possibly could be, her family and their attorneys declined to speak much about him during the news conference at the law offices of Kelley Uustal Wednesday, saying they wanted to use the opportunity to tell Anas story instead. When they spoke of her, they included her maiden name, Henao. Also joining Felipe Henao was his and Anas older brother, Diego Henao, and their mother, Aura Ines Nino de Henao, who declined to speak, as well as the familys attorneys, Adam Ingber and Kelley Uustals Courtney Caprio and Amanda Suarez. The youngest child, Felipe Henao, recalled how Ana Knezevich and Diego Henao always used to pick on him growing up. But later in life, she helped him find work, a home and became the reason he moved to the U.S. She fed me, Felipe Henao said. Gave me a roof and a job. She carried me, and Im eternally grateful for her, thats why I fight for her. I just hope shes out there and we can find her soon. A successful businesswoman, Ana Knezevich had lived in Fort Lauderdale for 18 years. She and David Knezevich had spearheaded two businesses in real estate and IT, and owned several properties across Fort Lauderdale. She used her success to lift up her family. The siblings mother had also moved to the U.S. from Colombia and worked for Ana and David Knezevichs real estate company, cleaning and managing houses, according to a petition filed by her family in Broward County Circuit Court. In fact, her mother was living in a house that the couple had purchased before David Knezevich sold it to new owners three weeks after his wife disappeared. In the weeks prior to the arrest, Ana Knezevichs family had filed the petition for conservatorship, arguing that David Knezevich had been selling off her assets. On Thursday, four days before his arrest, a judge appointed a conservator over her estate. Felipe Henao described his older sister as very loved, with many friends, the kind of person who walks into a room and brightens it. She was so beautiful, he felt like she had stolen the good looks from the rest of the family. Her capacity to make friends is also something he believes contributed to the success of the investigation: It was Ana Knezevichs friends, both near and far, who almost immediately knew something was off that weekend of Feb. 2, who contacted the police and aided the investigation in Spain. One of those friends was Sanna Rameau, who had received the suspicious text and notified the police. Reading the criminal complaint unsealed on Monday was extremely painful, she said in a video posted on Facebook Wednesday. I feel like Im in shock all over again. When Felipe Henao first told his mother the news of his sisters disappearance, he said he almost had to take her to the hospital because he thought she was having a heart attack. Thankfully, his sister-in-law is a nurse. Its been just anguish and desperation for the family ever since, Felipe Henao said. For months, they waited for news, barely sleeping or eating. Diego Henao flew from Colombia to Florida, where he has remained. Last weekends arrest was a shock amid months of waiting, one that has brought the family some answers but also more questions. Caprio with Kelley Uustal said they had not known about the arrest until it happened. It remains unclear why David Knezevich had come to Miami. Its a bittersweet feeling, Henao said when asked if the arrest brought him any closure. Now were getting answers at least. David Knezevich will have a bond hearing in Miami federal court on Friday to determine if he will be released or remain in custody. Caprio said that the family believes he should be kept behind bars as he is a flight risk. She said the trial will likely be held in Miami federal court. Caprio declined to comment further on the investigation, deferring to the FBI and the U.S. Attorneys Office. _____ 2024 South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Visit sun-sentinel.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A deadly shooting inside a northeast Birmingham apartment has been ruled justifiable. Birmingham police on Thursday said no criminal charges will be filed in the March 10 slaying of 30-year-old Derrick Devell Keith II. Officer Truman Fitzgerald said detectives presented the case to the Jefferson County District Attorneys Office, which declined to issue warrants against the shooter. The shooting happened just before 9 a.m. that Sunday in the 2300 block of Seventh Way N.W. at Madison Park apartments. Sgt. LaQuitta Wade said Keith and the suspect were involved in a verbal dispute inside one of the units. Shots were then fired, hitting the victim. Keith ran outside of the apartment and collapsed on a sidewalk. Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service rushed him to UAB where he was pronounced dead at 9:38 a.m. There have been 47 homicides so far this year in Birmingham. Of those, Keiths is the fifth to be ruled justifiable. In all of Jefferson County, there have been 69 homicides, including the 47 in Birmingham. A post on X by Georgia Congressman Mike Collins where he appeared to compare recent news about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to his fathers and uncles untimely deaths drew swift and widespread criticism Wednesday. It was the second time in less than a week that a post on Collins feed on a social media site prompted a backlash. But it joins a growing list of problematic and controversial posts by the Jackson Republican who is in his first term in the U.S. House. The latest trouble for Collins came as he responded to reports by The New York Times about Kennedys testimony in a 2012 deposition about memory loss that he was experiencing at the time. Kennedy said that a doctor told him scans showed the issue was caused by a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died. Kennedy is running for president as an independent, and he is largely considered to be drawing support away from former President Donald Trump. His campaign is built in part on Kennedy presenting himself as a younger and fresher voice in politics compared with Trump and President Joe Biden. Collins, who is a Trump surrogate and known for sarcastic and biting social media posts, laid into Kennedy with a crass reference. You either die a Kennedy with a hole in the brain or live long enough to become a Kennedy with a hole in the brain, Collins wrote. John F. Kennedy Jr. was assassinated in 1963 after a gunman shot him in his head and back while he rode in a motorcade in Dallas. Robert F. Kennedy Sr. was killed in Los Angeles five years later while campaigning for president. He was shot several times, including in the back of his head; the bullet left fragments in his brain. Gun control activist Fred Guttenberg, whose son was killed in a 2018 shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school, lobbed an expletive at Collins in response. This was not even close to funny, Guttenberg wrote. I guess to a demented person like you, this might seem like a normal thing to say. However, for the rest of us, just a reminder to VOTE for people who dont joke about gun violence. A spokeswoman for Collins said the post is a reference to a famous line from the movie Batman: The Dark Knight: You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. The spokeswoman did not explain why Collins replaced the words in the quote with what appeared to be direct references to the deaths of the elder Kennedys. Over the weekend Collins faced widespread rebukes, including from the Georgia NAACP, after sharing a video of counterprotesters at the University of Mississippi shouting at a pro-Palestinian protester, a Black woman. One student in the video appeared to be making monkey sounds and gestures toward the woman. On Monday, Collins released a statement acknowledging the criticism and clarifying his objective in reposting the video. 2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Emergency management authorities are expected to sweep across parts of north Alabama Thursday morning to assess overnight damage by a round of severe storms and possible tornadoes Wednesday night. As a tornado emergency was declared late Wednesday night by the National Weather Service in Huntsville, the DeKalb County emergency management agency reported major damage along Alabama Highway 75 in Henagar. Shortly before 6 a.m., however, the EMA reported that the storm had primarily affected areas where there are few homes or other structures. A pregnant woman was taken to a hospital and another person suffered blunt force trauma. The extent of their injuries were not immediately known. Approximately five other people were checked out at the scene for minor injuries. At 10 a.m., Henagar town and DeKalb County authorities gathered for a news briefing at Henager Town Hall, where power was out. Officials estimated 25 to 30 homes in the town suffered major damage, particularly in the Lacy Road area. There was no flooding reported. Following the storm, about 5,800 were without power. Crews spent most of the morning attempting to clear roads. Around 11 p.m. Wednesday, the weather service reported there was a large and likely strong tornado moving into DeKalb County. After the first storm passed through, causing damage, another storm was being tracked into Henagar just before midnight. In nearby Jackson County, the EMA reported a mobile home was damaged on Highway 35 near County Road 11 in Lim Rock. No injuries were reported in Madison and Limestone counties overnight, according to EMA officials. Damage in Madison County was largely in the Five Points and Hampton Cove areas, with some houses stripped of their roofs, Jeff Birdwell, EMA Director said. In Limestone County, damage was reported at between 15 to 20 homes in the Brigadoon subdivision on the Tennessee River. Huntsville Public Works said early Thursday morning that numerous trees and power lines were down in downtown, the Five Points, Blossomwood and Hampton Cove communities. Crews were expected to work through the night to help clear storm debris. Drivers are asked to avoid affected areas. Intersections without power should be treated as four-way stops. Please use caution in areas where Public Works crews and first responders are present, a statement from the city of Huntsville read. Several schools are delaying opening on Thursday as a result of severe weather. ALEA is reporting trees on the roadways in the Sand Mountain, Henagar and Ider areas, and debris on the roadways in Jackson County. Drivers are asked to proceed with caution on roadways in Limestone and Madison County. Trees are reported in the roadway in the Five Points area. The Associated Press is reporting that storms on Wednesday killed two people in Tennessee and one person in North Carolina: A storm that rumbled across northeastern Tennessee brought high winds that knocked down powerlines and trees. Claiborne County Sheriff Bob Brooks said a 22-year-old man was in a car struck by one of the trees. Rita Thompson, Marketing & Communications director with Maury Regional Health in Columbia, Tenn., said the hospital had received five patients. One died, another was in serious condition and three had injuries that were not life-threatening. In North Carolina, a state of emergency was declared for Gaston County Wednesday evening following a large storm. First responders were working to clear roads of downed power lines and broken trees and were helping residents, officials said. The New Hope Fire Department responded to a tree down on a car. One person in the car was killed and another was taken to a hospital, officials said. AP contributed to this report. A man rode his bicycle to the Brighton Police Department seeking help after he was shot midday Wednesday. Just after noon, the victim showed up at police headquarters with a gunshot wound to the leg. The dispatcher called Assistant Fire Chief Kenneth Hooten who responded to the scene to treat the victim. The bullet entered and exited the mans leg, and he is expected to be OK. Hooten, also a police lieutenant, then took over the criminal investigation. He said it appears an argument over $20 broke out between the suspect and the victim in the 3900 block of Main Street. After the shooting, the suspect fled the scene also on a bicycle. Hooten said no arrests have been made. Anyone with information is asked to call Brighton police at 205-425-8934. Trussville police have charged a Jamaica, N.Y. woman with attempted murder and first degree robbery after a bloodied man was found in a hotel room with multiple stab wounds. According to police, officers were called to the Quality Inn, 4730 Norrell Drive, on Tuesday at about 8:18 p.m. about a woman in the hotel lobby in bloody clothes. When officers went to her room, they found a man, whose name has not been released, suffering from multiple stab wounds. Police secured the scene and Trussville Fire and Rescue treated and transported both people involved in the altercation to area hospitals. Raquel Antionette Hall, 31, was arrested on warrants after evidence was presented to the Jefferson County District Attorneys office. Hall was taken to the Jefferson County Jail where she is being held without bond. A Panera Bread spokesperson says the restaurant chain is phasing out its Charged Lemonade, a highly caffeinated beverage that has been blamed for two deaths in recent lawsuits, reports NBC News. In October, a lawsuit filed in Philadelphia alleged that Sarah Katz, a student at Penn University, died from cardiac arrest after drinking the charged lemonade from Panera Bread. A second lawsuit was filed in December by the family of Dennis Brown, a 46-year-old man who went into cardiac arrest and died after consuming a lemonade at the restaurant. READ MORE: Panera is discontinuing these menu items According to Paneras menu cited by the New York Post, a large Charged Lemonade has 390 milligrams of caffeine, 10 milligrams less than the FDAs 400-milligram daily maximum intake recommendation. According to NBC News, a spokesperson for Panera said earlier this week that the nationwide discontinuation of the Charged Lemonade comes after a recent menu transformation. We listened to more than 30,000 guests about what they wanted from Panera, and are focusing next on the broad array of beverages we know our guests desire ranging from exciting, on-trend flavors, to low sugar and low-caffeine options, the spokesperson told NBC News. Panera declined to say when the Charged Lemonade would be completely removed from menus. Prattville residents and library organizations filed a suit against the Autauga-Prattville Public Library board of trustees in federal court May 9 for its policies banning LGBTQ content for minors. The lawsuit asks the Middle District to stop the library board from using what they called harmful policies that have overwhelmingly restricted books with themes about and protagonists of diverse backgrounds, especially the LGBTQIA+ community, according to a statement. A public body has no power to restrict expression because of its message, its ideas, its subject matter, or its content, a filing from the plaintiffs states, quoting a 1972 Supreme Court case. The Autauga-Prattville Public Library Board of Trustees is doing so anyway. The plaintiffs are Samantha Diamond, Amber Frey, John Craig and Almut Haboeck, plus their children, the Alabama Library Association and anti-censorship group Read Freely Alabama, which began in Prattville last year. In the complaint, they say the librarys new policies, enacted in February, limit adult and childrens First Amendment rights by stopping them from accessing certain books. The librarys policy states, for the avoidance of doubt, the library shall not purchase or otherwise acquire any material advertised for consumers ages 17 and under which contain content including, but not limited to, obscenity, sexual conduct, sexual intercourse, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender discordance. Minors can no longer check out these books. The policy excludes biology, anatomy or religious texts. Prattville has been the epicenter of book challenges and bans that have spread statewide in the last year. A group, Clean Up Alabama, has targeted library books as being inappropriate for children. Angie Hayden, one of the co-founders of competing group Read Freely Alabama, told AL.com that when the board implemented the new policies, she knew our fears had been justified, and it is now to the point where we feel something must be done just to protect peoples rights in the library. We just see that the collection is going to be gutted of books that young adults and adults have a right to read, Hayden said. Besides a reversal of the policies, Hayden wants to see books returned to their original designated categories. Many of the books challenged in the Prattville library have mature themes, such as sex and graphic language, for young adults, but some non-sexually explicit books for children were challenged. Many of these books include LGBTQ characters or themes. Several books were moved to the adult section, and the fate of other books remains to be seen. The Alabama Political Reporter reported Tuesday that the Prattville library pulled 60 books for review, including titles previously challenged, which, according to board policy, should have remained on shelves for five years. Most of the Autauga-Prattville library board resigned last year in protest of county commission appointments to the board without board approval. The remaining board member left in February and refused to approve the new policies. Former library director Andrew Foster also is suing the board. Foster was fired for recording meetings and providing information to a reporter under the Alabama Open Records Act. The Elmore Autauga News reported Tuesday that the board is seeking a settlement. Alabama Library Association president Craig Scott said the Prattville library policy is the latest in a concerning trend of far-right efforts to suppress books that reflect perspectives they dont agree with in communities across the country. Scott referred to potential state legislation that would criminalize librarians for obscene material in libraries. As state legislators rush to expand on the policies put in place in Prattville, it is crucial that the courts make clear that in our democracy, you cannot discriminate or restrict the freedom to read, Scott said. According to the complaint, the Alabama Library Association lost revenue from its annual convention because it had to divert resources away from goals including planning for the event, resulting in less registrations. Senior counsel Will Bardwell of the nonprofit legal group Democracy Forward said the library boards policy is one of the very worst offenders that weve seen. Bardwell said the policy is particularly shocking when you start thinking of all the books that could fall within its scope. Bardwell named books like To Kill a Mockingbird, which discusses rape and 1984, which includes a sexual relationship integral to the plot, as potentially banned books under this policy. The introduction to the preliminary injunction motion begins with a quote from Scout Finch, one of the main characters from To Kill A Mockingbird: Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing. Democracy Forward is representing the plaintiffs along with local civil rights attorney Wiggins Childs. Bardwell and senior counsel Jessica Morton told AL.com the policy is shockingly overbroad in comparison to other cases theyve worked on in other states. Morton said the board policy is alarming and that the freedom to read is fundamental and foundational to a successful democracy. These are policies that are sledgehammers, Morton said. Theyre not aimed at targeting against obscenity. Theyre capturing essentially any book that features any person with gender of any sort. Bardwell said the government cant stamp out controversial ideas. Public libraries, maybe more than any public institution, are supposed to be places where people can go in their formative years and find new ideas about how to explain the world around them, Bardwell said. This column originally appeared in Whitmires newsletter, Alabamafication. Sign up here for free. Alabama ethics reform bill died in Senate committee this morning. Thats what I tweeted yesterday after the state Senate Judiciary Committee carried over the bill. However, there were two mistakes with that tweet, and I should clarify. First, I forgot to put air quotes around reform and might have left the impression this bill was a good thing. It was not. As Ive written before, this bill would have zombified the Alabama Ethics Commission. It would have loosened laws on gifts between lobbyists and lawmakers, and it would have gutted important disclosure requirements entirely. It was a monster bill and it deserved to die. Second, ethics reform bills are never dead. Only dead for now. Like Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th franchise, the rules of life and death do not apply here. Ethics reform never stays dead for long. Even now, with mere hours left in this legislative session, Im watching the loose dirt over this fresh grave. One day, ethics reform will be back. Some year in the future, ethics reform will make its way into law. Perhaps its time not to give up, but for people who care about policing public corruption to take the air quotes off of reform and do something real. Alabama needs to make changes to ethics enforcement that make Alabama better, not changes that make public officials and special interests richer. I can think of a few things Id like to see. First, the appointing authorities over the Ethics Commission the governor, lieutenant governor and Alabama House speaker are ignoring their duties, trying to kill the commission through neglect. Currently, there are two vacancies on the commission and one commissioner whose term has expired all because those officials havent made new appointments. This cant be allowed to continue, or soon the commission might not even have enough members for a quorum at meetings. Any elected official who fails to fill vacancies for a year, should forfeit their own office. Extreme, I know, but its the end of the legislative session and thats the mood it has left me in. Second, expand the commission. Five members has never felt like enough, and its too easy for the current appointing authorities to huddle up if they wanted to tilt the commission in corruptions favor. Lets grow the commission to at least seven members and give others appointing authority over the new seats. We can figure out who that might be later, but the attorney general and the Alabama Supreme Court seem like reasonable candidates. Third, and finally, give the commission more power, not less. We have a serious problem in Alabama with our Open Records Act. Public officials act as though it doesnt exist because they know theres nothing regular folks can do about it. They ignore requests and hide public documents from the public view. For years, civic-minded do-gooders (including the Alabama Press Association) have pushed to reform the open records law by creating an appeals process that doesnt involve thousands of dollars of out-of-pocket legal fees. Lets make the Ethics Commission that authority. And while were at it, lets put them in charge of Open Meetings Act violations, too. The Ethics Commission serves a purpose, and all the talk about ethics reform has ignored or undermined that purpose. District attorneys dont want to prosecute public officials in their jurisdictions. Its a political hazard for them, and most would rather focus on violent crime. The Attorney Generals Office has its hands full, too. Even when its not busy signing onto other states lawsuits against the Biden Administration, its too easy for the AGs office to say it has more important matters than citizens complaints about their shifty local water board. Alabama needs an agency dedicated to citizens complaints about corruption and illegal secrecy. The Alabama Ethics Commission seems a logical and appropriate entity to handle all of these issues. Thats the change Alabama needs. Before another ethics reform monster rises from the grave. Kyle Whitmire is the 2023 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for commentary. Subscribe to his weekly newsletter, Alabamafication. A woman shot and killed her boyfriend in Tampa on Wednesday morning before fleeing to Alabama and killing herself, deputies say. The incident started just before 7 a.m. Wednesday, the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office said in a news release. Deputies were called to the 9200 block of Shellgrove Court in Town N Country after a concerned family member called the sheriffs office communications center. When deputies arrived, they found Kelbys Avila, 50, dead from a gunshot wound. Detectives determined he was killed by his girlfriend, Maira Pacheco Nunez, 58, who fled in a vehicle. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Pacheco Nunez on a charge of second-degree murder with a firearm. Within an hour of the warrant being issued, deputies with the Baldwin County Sheriffs Office in Alabama spotted Pacheco Nunezs vehicle. When deputies made a traffic stop, Pacheco Nunez shot and killed herself. This is a tragic and heartbreaking situation. Our hearts ache for the family of this man whose life was tragically ended, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the news release. Violence is never an option. To anyone facing or anyone who suspects domestic violence, please remember: help is available, and you are not alone. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours. Domestic violence warning signs Abuser isolates victim from friends or family. Victim is encouraged or forced to stop participating in activities important to them. Abuser controls finances or puts victim on an allowance, asks for explanations of spending. Victim is blamed for their feelings, yelled at or made to feel small. Abuser criticizes and controls victims appearance, including what they can wear. Abuser abandons victim in places they dont know. Abuser keeps victim from eating, sleeping or getting medical care. Abuser throws or punches things around victim. 2024 Tampa Bay Times. Visit tampabay.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The health care system that operates St. Vincents Birmingham and five other facilities in the Birmingham metropolitan area reported Wednesday that it may have been the victim of a cybersecurity incident that has caused disruption to clinical operations. On Wednesday, May 8, we detected unusual activity on select technology network systems, which we now believe is due to a cybersecurity event, Ascension Health, which runs St. Vincents six facilities in the Birmingham metro - St. Vincents Birmingham, St. Vincents Blount, St. Vincents Chilton, St. Vincents East, St. Vincents St. Clair and St. Vincents One Nineteen.-, said in a statement. At this time we continue to investigate the situation. We responded immediately, initiated our investigation and activated our remediation efforts. Access to some systems have been interrupted as this process continues. Our care teams are trained for these kinds of disruptions and have initiated procedures to ensure patient care delivery continues to be safe and as minimally impacted as possible, the system went on to say. There has been a disruption to clinical operations, and we continue to assess the impact and duration of the disruption. Companies that do business with Ascension Health were recommended to temporarily suspend their connection to the Ascension environment. We will inform our partners when it is appropriate to reconnect into our environment. Ascension Health said a third-party expert, Mandiant, has been tasked with helping the investigation. The appropriate authorities have been notified of the incident, the health care system said. Together, we are working to fully investigate what information, if any, may have been affected by the situation, Ascension Health said. Should we determine that any sensitive information was affected, we will notify and support those individuals in accordance with all relevant regulatory and legal guidelines. A 14-year-old boy suspected of shooting another teen in Decatur is now facing manslaughter charges after the victim died of his injuries Sunday, police said Wednesday. The suspected gunman, whose name was not released because he is a minor, was among four arrested in connection with the Friday shooting in the 1100 block of 7th Ave. SE, police said. The 17-year-old victim was taken in a private vehicle to Huntsville Hospital, where he died of his injuries Sunday. The 14-year-old boy was initially charged with assault. The charge was upgraded to manslaughter on Monday. Further investigation revealed that the car that transported the victim to the hospital had been reported stolen in February. Officers executing a search warrant at a residence in southwest Decatur also found several stolen guns from a burglary at Bama Pawn on April 30. Police charged 18-year-old Kaleb Kirk with receiving stolen property and held him at the Morgan County Jail on $7,500 bond. Two 17-year-old suspects also were charged with receiving stolen property and transported to the Tennessee Valley Juvenile Detention Facility in Tuscumbia. Guntersville police have arrested an employee of a daycare that has closed following an investigation by the Marshall County District Attorneys Office. According to police, Erin Grace Miller was arrested Wednesday and bonded out of Guntersville City Jail for an undisclosed amount. Police said the arrest came following a report filed May 3 with Guntersville police against an employee of Kids Korner Daycare for harassment. On Tuesday, District Attorney Jennifer Bray said in a statement that her office had shared the findings of its investigation into allegations by a former daycare employee with the board of directors of First Methodist Church of Guntersville, where the daycare was located. The office said it found evidence that two current employees at the daycare were violating Alabama law in their interactions with children. After sharing the information with parents, a warrant for harassment had been issued against one worker. The investigation also revealed evidence of past violations of Alabamas mandatory reporter law, but the statute of limitations had passed, according to the office. Michael Wilder, the executive pastor and director of student ministries at Guntersville First Methodist Church, released a statement: We are shocked, devastated, grieved, and a wave of numerous other emotions over the situation. We are beyond grateful to District Attorney Bray and her entire team for the work that they did during this investigation, including doing so with speed. We fully understood the strain and difficulty of our decision to close at end of business Friday, but once we attained knowledge of the findings of the investigation, we knew the appropriate action in the best interest of the children was to close as soon as possible. Personally, I am furious that any child was ever treated in a way that is below the standards of Christ, much less below the standards of Alabama state law. My daughter is a child in the Crawler Room. While her teachers were and are amazing, had I known about the findings prior to the investigation I can assure you my daughter would not have attended. Even as a parent without a plan for my daughter on Monday, I thank the Board of Directors of our church for taking swift action regarding the District Attorneys findings. Any parents whose children attended Kids Korner who have questions or concerns were asked to call the DAs office at (256) 582-8113. A Huntsville man is facing charges after Madison police said his gun was used by one child to shoot another. The charges stem from an incident on May 3 at a gas station on 115 Graphics Drive in Madison. According to police, a child accidently shot another child, with both children less than five years old. According to police, the child who was shot has been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. Madison Police arrested Clarence Edward Turner of Huntsville on Wednesday, on warrants for reckless endangerment and certain persons prohibited to possess a firearm. The gun used in the shooting belonged to Turner, according to police. He was taken to the Madison County Jail with a bond of $3,000. Storms swept through north Alabama , destroying or damaging homes, knocking down power lines and uprooting trees near downtown Huntsville on Wednesday night. Emergency officials today said they are thankful the storms passed without injuries or fatalities. We feel very lucky, said Don Webster, community relations officer for Huntsville Emergency Medical Services, Inc. We are very blessed that there were no injuries that we transported. On Walker Avenue, a tree fell on Barbara Holbrooks apartment. It was a horrific sound, Holbrook told AL.com. I think Ill hear that sound in my mind forever. It could have been worse, she added But thank God it wasnt. Im thankful nobody was hurt. Police and emergency officials reported damage in downtown, Five Points and Blossomwood. Edgar Dalrymple said the roof was leaking after a tree fell on his house on Walker Avenue. I heard something brush up against the house. It just seemed like a light, small limb, and I told my wife, I said, Okay, lets go to our interior room where we ride these storms out, But this tree had already fallen, and we didnt even hear it hit the house, Dalrymple told AL.com. We looked out on the front of the street, and we saw our neighbors car had a tree on it. Jason Martins home wasnt damaged. But a tree fell on his rental property next door. It sounded like a tornado, so we took shelter, Martin told AL.com. Once the storms calmed, he said people in the neighborhood pitched in to help one another. On Highland Avenue near Maple Hill Cemetery, Chris Pape stood next to his untouched vehicle, looking at a tree top that fell onto his next door neighbors car. We got lucky, Pape said. Its a warning to me to be careful. The careful reference was about where to park from now on. It was boom and it was gone, said Kenneth Meeks of Wells Avenue pointing to an ancient giant pecan tree on its side across the street in historic Maple Hill Cemetery. We must have been on the outside of it. Meeks was out of town visiting family longer than planned and missed the storm. A new roof was supposed to be on our house last night but got delayed, he said with a smile. I just volunteered, Gary Meadows of Athens said simply when asked why he was there. Meadows was one of a crew of men wearing Premiere Surface Solutions that came to the tornado scene to help. A joint task force operation in south Alabama on Wednesday uncovered 16 gambling machines, authorities said. According to Enterprise police, the department, the Coffee County Sheriffs Office, and the 12th Judicial Circuit District Attorneys Office executed three search warrants on suspected illegal gambling facilities inside the city limits of Enterprise. In addition to the gambling machines, authorities also seized $16,000, and computer equipment used to operate the machines. Arrests are pending in this investigation, police said. Stories that will make you laugh, cry and question everything you thought you knew. Step into a portal where LGBTQ+ folks can live authentically, free from hate and where their contributions to art and culture are celebrated. Sign up for the QueerVerse newsletter today! Having been over 114 years since its inception, the Irving, Tx. based youth organization is one of the largest groups garnering character development and values-based leadership training for young people with various programs for 5-year-olds and up to 20-year-olds. Rebranding to Scouting Americaannounced on BSAs fifth anniversary since welcoming girls into the programsis a recent effort to welcome youths from all walks of life into the program, according to Tuesdays press release on behalf of BSA. Though our name will be new, our mission remains unchanged: we are committed to teaching young people to be Prepared. For Life, the statement said, referring to the organizations slogan. Meanwhile, girls were eligible for admission to join the Cub Scouts, BSAs program for seven to ten-year-olds in 2018. The next year, older girls aged 11 to 17 were welcomed to its flagship program Scouts BSA . Additionally, during a virtual news conference during its annual meeting in Florida on Tuesday, president and chief executive officer Roger A. Krone elaborated on the reasoning: to align BSAs qualifications with their mission to benefit all people. While this may be a surprise to some of you, for us this is a straightforward evolution and the next natural step in ensuring all American youth feel welcomed and recognized in an organization that is meant to serve all Americans, Krone said during the conference. Its time our name reflects that. Here is all the information you need to get up to speedfrom BSAs history of LGBTQ exclusion to its dark past of lawsuits on sexual abuse. A slow burn: a timeline of the exclusion of gay members Before the long battle to include girls in BSA, the organization firmly held policies for decades excluding openly gay individuals from being members, leaders and volunteers. Based on the interpretation of the Scout Oath and Scout Law , which includes the phrase morally straight, the refusal to admit gay individuals into BSA was justified by its very mission in 1978 . In April 2012, Jennifer Tyrrell, a lesbian mother from Ohio, was removed from her leadership position in her sons Cub Scout unit due to her sexual orientation. The following month, Zach Wahls , an Eagle Scoutthe highest rank in BSAand a son of a gay couple based in Iowa became known for his testimony to the states legislature . [EMBED https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSQQK2Vuf9Q ] If I was your son, Mr. Chairman, I believe Id make you very proud, he said in his testimony, alluding to being a child of two moms. Along with other Eagle Scouts, Wahls launched Scouts for Equality , an advocacy organization for LGBTQ Scouts. Although the BSA doubled down on their ban , it wasnt until Scouts for Equality successfully petitioned two Change.org campaigns , urging UPS and also Verizon to pull their sponsorships that BSA announced to reconsider the ban in January of 2013. In May, the BSA National Council voted 61% to 39% to remove the ban on gay members. Today, Wahls is on his second term as a senator in Iowa , representing District 43 since 2018, and it would take another two years until gay members can be Scout leaders, official in 2015 . An era of bathroom bans brought up trans members place in the Boy Scouts In 2016 North Carolina, lawmakers passed the countrys first bill that banned transgender people from using the bathrooms, with Republican lawmakers in Texas filing a similar bill the following year that would require people to use the bathroom or locker room according to the sex in their birth certificates. In December, the question on whether trans people belonged in certain spaces arrived at BSAs front steps when 8-year-old trans boy in New Jersey was requested to leave his Cub Scout troop after leaders and other parents found out about his trans identity. With Wahls help, Scouts of Equality returned to demand an expansion in BSAs inclusion of trans members. The battle was short-lived when chief Scout executive Michael Surbaugh released a statement on Jan. 30, 2017, announcing their policy change to include trans youth . After weeks of significant conversations at all levels of our organization, we realized that referring to birth certificates as the reference point is no longer sufficient, Surbaugh said in the statement. The change was brought in line alongside other youth organizations, including the Girl Scouts, that also created trans-friendly membership policies. Gender inclusion aside, a grim history amongst Scout members almost disbanded BSA entirely. A dark past embedded throughout BSAs existence seeks to find light In 2020, lawsuits over sexual abuse cost BSA nearly $150 million, which led to the organization filing for bankruptcy the same year. The epidemic of sexual abuse against minors was rampant, having been described as a magnet for sexual predators. Emerging out of bankruptcy last year, BSA set up a court-ordered Victims Compensation Trust that would pay out a total of $2.4 billion amongst 82,000 abuse survivors. Our hope is that our Plan of Reorganization will bring some measure of peace to survivors of past abuse in Scouting, whose bravery, patience and willingness to share their experiences has moved us beyond words, former CEO Roger Mosby said in a statement last year , before passing the torch to Krone, who described the future of BSA as safer today than it ever has been. BSAs official rebrand to Scouting America goes into effect Feb. 8, 2025, in honor of the organizations 115th anniversary. The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning at 9:34 p.m. on Wednesday valid until 10:15 p.m. for Madison County. The storms are expected to bring half-dollar-sized hail (1.25 inches) and wind gusts of up to 60 mph. "At 9:34 p.m., a severe thunderstorm was located near Ardmore, or 13 miles southwest of Fayetteville, moving east at 25 mph," according to the weather service. "Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees." Locations impacted by the warning include Fayetteville, Ardmore, Lincoln, Elkwood, Dellrose, Belleview, Cash Point, Skinem, Molino and Coldwater. The weather service comments, "Remain alert for a possible tornado! Tornadoes can develop quickly from severe thunderstorms. If you spot a tornado go at once into the basement or small central room in a sturdy structure. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Large hail, damaging wind, and continuous cloud to ground lightning are occurring with this storm. Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 11 p.m. for north central and northeastern Alabama and Middle Tennessee." Staying safe as lightning approaches: Expert advice Lightning strikes the United States approximately 25 million times each year, with the bulk of these electrical discharges occurring during the summer months. Tragically, lightning claims the lives of about 20 individuals annually, as reported by the weather service. The risk of lightning-related incidents escalates as thunderstorms draw near, reaching its peak when the storm directly looms overhead. However, it gradually recedes as the tempest moves away. To guarantee your safety in the midst of a thunderstorm, take into account the following recommendations: 1. Lightning safety plan: When venturing outdoors, it's vital to establish a clear plan for seeking shelter in case of lightning. Stay vigilant by monitoring the sky for ominous signs and listening for the telltale sound of thunder. If thunder is audible, it's a clear indication of nearby lightning. Seek shelter promptly in a safe location, preferably indoors. 2. Indoors safety measures: Once you've found shelter indoors, abstain from using corded phones, electrical appliances, or plumbing fixtures, and refrain from approaching windows and doors. These precautions help reduce the risk of electrical surges, as lightning can follow conductive pathways. 3. Wait for the all-clear: After the last lightning strike or thunderclap, wait at least 30 minutes before resuming outdoor activities. Lightning can strike even when a storm has seemingly passed, so exercise caution. When indoor shelter isn't available: If you find yourself outdoors without access to indoor shelter during a thunderstorm, take these steps to maximize your safety: Avoid open fields, hilltops, or ridge crests, which expose you to greater lightning risk. Steer clear of tall, isolated trees and other prominent objects. In forested areas, stay close to lower stands of trees. If you're in a group, ensure that individuals are spaced out to prevent lightning current from transferring between people. Camping in an open setting during a thunderstorm is strongly discouraged. If you have no alternative, set up camp in a valley, ravine, or other low-lying areas. It's crucial to note that a tent provides no protection against lightning. Do not approach water bodies, wet objects, or metal items. While water and metal don't attract lightning, they conduct electricity effectively and can pose significant risks. In summary, when facing the threat of lightning, preparedness and vigilance are your best allies. By following these guidelines, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of lightning-related incidents and prioritize your safety. Mastering wet roads: Safety tips for heavy rainfall Heavy rainfall may lead to flooding if prolonged or if there is excessive runoff. Excessive runoff can be a result of saturated ground and/or rainfall intensity. Follow these recommendations from the weather service to stay safe in heavy rain: Beware of swollen waterways: During heavy rain, avoid parking or walking near culverts or drainage ditches, where swift-moving water can pose a serious risk. Maintain safe driving distances: Use the two-second rule to maintain a safe distance from the car in front of you and allow an extra two seconds in heavy rain. Slow down and stay cautious: On wet roads, reducing your speed is crucial. Ease off the gas pedal gradually and avoid abrupt braking to prevent skidding. Choose your lane wisely: Stay toward the middle lanes - water tends to pool in the outside lanes. Visibility matters: Enhance your visibility in heavy rain by turning on your headlights. Watch out for vehicles in blind spots, as rain-smeared windows can obscure them. Watch out for slippery roads: The initial half-hour of rain is when roads are slickest due to a mixture of rain, grime, and oil. Exercise heightened caution during this period. Keep a safe distance from large vehicles: Large trucks and buses can reduce your visibility with tire spray. Avoid tailgating and pass them swiftly and safely. Mind your windshield wipers: Overloaded wiper blades can hinder visibility. If rain severely limits your sight, pull over and wait for conditions to improve. Seek refuge at rest areas or protected spots. If the roadside is your only option, pull off as far as possible, preferably past the end of a guard rail, and wait until the storm passes. Keep your headlights on and turn on emergency flashers to alert other drivers of your position. By following these safety measures, you can significantly reduce risks and ensure your well-being when heavy rain pours down. Stay informed about weather conditions and heed advice from local authorities to make your journey safe and sound. Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service. On Thursday at 12:30 a.m. the National Weather Service issued an updated tornado warning in effect until 1 a.m. for DeKalb County. Walnut-sized hail (1.5 inches) is expected with the incoming storm. "At 12:30 a.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 10 miles southeast of Ider, or 11 miles northeast of Fort Payne, moving east at 30 mph," says the weather service. "Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely." Locations impacted by the warning include Valley Head, Hammondville, Mentone and Desoto State Park. According to the weather service, "Take cover now! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. Tornadoes are extremely difficult to see and confirm at night. Do not wait to see or hear the tornado. Take cover now!" Tornado watches and warnings: Your safety guide When it comes to tornadoes, understanding the difference between a Tornado watch and a Tornado warning can be a matter of life and death. Let's break it down: Tornado watch: Be prepared! A Tornado watch serves as an early warning that conditions are conducive to tornado formation. It's your signal to review your emergency plans, ensure your supplies are in order, and identify your safe room. While it doesn't indicate an imminent tornado, it's a heads-up to be prepared to take swift action if a Tornado warning is issued or if you suspect a tornado is approaching. Tornado Watches are issued by the Storm Prediction Center and often encompass a broad area, potentially spanning multiple counties or even states. Tornado warning: Take action! A Tornado warning means a tornado has been spotted or detected by weather radar. This is the real deal there's an immediate danger to life and property. Your response should be quick: seek shelter in an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows. If you're in a mobile home, a vehicle, or caught outdoors, find the nearest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. Warnings are issued by your local forecast office and pinpoint a much smaller area, typically the size of a city or a small county, where a tornado has been identified, either by radar or by trained spotters and law enforcement. Knowing the difference between these two alerts is essential in staying safe during tornado season. Stay informed, have a plan, and act promptly when danger approaches. Get ready for tornadoes Be weather-ready: Keep an eye on the weather forecast to stay informed about tornado risks. Tune in to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio for updates on tornado watches and warnings Sign up for notifications: Familiarize yourself with your community's warning systems. Some places have outdoor sirens, while others rely on media and smartphone alerts for severe storm notifications. Create a communication plan: Have a family plan that includes an emergency meeting place and related information. If you live in a mobile home or home without a basement, identify a nearby safe building you can get to quickly, such as a church or family member. Choose a secure shelter: Pick a safe room in your home, such as a basement, storm cellar, or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows. Establish a communication plan: Conduct regular family drills for severe thunderstorms so everyone knows what to do when a tornado threat arises. Ensure that all family members are aware of the safe location to seek shelter, and don't forget about your pets if time permits. Prepare your home: Consider reinforcing your safe room for added protection. You can find plans for fortifying an interior room on the Federal Emergency Management Agency website. Extend a helping hand: Encourage your neighbors and loved ones to prepare for possible tornadoes. Consider taking CPR training to be of assistance in case of injuries. Tornado safety: What to do when the twister hits When a tornado strikes, taking swift action is crucial to ensuring your safety and minimizing potential harm. Follow these guidelines from the weather service: Stay informed: Stay vigilant and stay informed by tuning in to local news broadcasts or using a NOAA Weather Radio to receive updates on tornado watches and warnings. At home: If you find yourself under a tornado warning, immediately seek refuge in your basement, safe room, or an interior room without windows. If there's enough time, bring your pets with you. At work or school: If you are at your workplace or school, adhere to tornado drill procedures. Move promptly and calmly to your designated tornado shelter, avoiding large open areas like cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums, and steer clear of windows. Outdoors: If a tornado is on its way, seek shelter inside a solid building immediately. Sheds, storage facilities, mobile homes, and tents are not safe places to be. In a vehicle: Being in a vehicle during a tornado is highly unsafe. Your best option is to drive to the nearest shelter. If reaching shelter is not possible, either stay inside your car, covering your head, or abandon the vehicle and seek refuge in a low-lying area like a ditch or ravine. Remember, acting swiftly and following safety protocols are essential for your well-being when a tornado is imminent. Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service. On Thursday at 7:41 p.m. the National Weather Service issued an updated tornado watch in effect until 8 p.m. for Dale, Henry and Houston counties. Tornado watch vs. Tornado warning: Know the difference When it comes to tornadoes, understanding the difference between a Tornado watch and a Tornado warning can be a matter of life and death. Let's break it down: Tornado watch: Be prepared! A Tornado watch is your advance warning that conditions are ripe for tornado formation. It's your cue to review and discuss your emergency plans, check your supplies, and locate your safe room. While it doesn't indicate an imminent tornado, it's a heads-up to be prepared to take swift action if a Tornado warning is issued or if you suspect a tornado is approaching. Tornado Watches are issued by the Storm Prediction Center and often encompass a broad area, potentially spanning multiple counties or even states. Tornado warning: Take action! A Tornado warning means a tornado has been spotted or detected by weather radar. This is the real deal there's an immediate danger to life and property. Your response should be swift: move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows. If you're in a mobile home, a vehicle, or caught outdoors, find the nearest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. Warnings are issued by your local forecast office and pinpoint a much smaller area, typically the size of a city or a small county, where a tornado has been identified, either by radar or through reports from trained spotters and law enforcement. Knowing the difference between these two alerts is essential in staying safe during tornado season. Stay informed, have a plan, and act promptly when danger approaches. Prepare for a tornado Be weather-ready: Keep an eye on the weather forecast to stay informed about tornado risks. Tune in to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio for updates on tornado watches and warnings Sign up for alerts: Familiarize yourself with your community's warning systems. Some places have outdoor sirens, while others rely on media and smartphone alerts for severe storm notifications. Establish a communication plan: Have a family plan that includes an emergency meeting place and related information. If you live in a mobile home or home without a basement, identify a nearby safe building you can get to quickly, such as a church or family member. Choose a secure shelter: Pick a safe room within your home, such as a basement, storm cellar, or an interior room on the lowest floor without windows. Establish a communication plan: Conduct a family severe thunderstorm drill regularly so everyone knows what to do if a tornado is approaching. Make sure all members of your family know to go there when tornado warnings are issued. Don't forget pets if time allows. Prepare your home: Consider reinforcing your safe room for added protection. You can find plans for fortifying an interior room on the Federal Emergency Management Agency website. Extend a helping hand: Encourage your loved ones to prepare for the possibility of tornadoes. Take CPR training so you can help if someone is hurt. Staying safe during a tornado: Quick actions to take When a tornado strikes, taking swift action is crucial to ensuring your safety and minimizing potential harm. Follow these guidelines from the weather service: Stay informed: To ensure your safety during a tornado, remember that acting promptly is crucial, according to the weather service. Stay informed about tornado watches and warnings through regular updates on local news or a NOAA Weather Radio. At home: If you are at home and a tornado warning is issued, make your way to the basement, a designated safe room, or an interior space away from windows. Don't forget to ensure the safety of your pets if time allows. At work or school: Follow your tornado drill and proceed to your tornado shelter location quickly and calmly. Stay away from windows and do not go to large open rooms such as cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums. Outdoors: When you are outdoors and a tornado is approaching, seek immediate refuge inside a sturdy building. Remember that sheds, storage facilities, mobile homes, and tents are not safe options. If there is sufficient time, make your way to a secure structure. In a vehicle: It is not safe to be in a vehicle during a tornado. The recommended action is to drive to the nearest shelter. If reaching a safe shelter is not possible, either crouch down in your car and cover your head, or leave your vehicle and seek refuge in a low-lying area like a ditch or ravine. Remember, acting swiftly and following safety protocols are essential for your well-being when a tornado is imminent. Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service. On Thursday at 1:45 p.m. an updated tornado watch was issued by the National Weather Service in effect until 4 p.m. for Autauga, Barbour, Bullock, Elmore, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Montgomery, Pike and Russell counties. Tornado watches and warnings: Your safety guide When it comes to tornadoes, understanding the distinction between a Tornado watch and a Tornado warning can be a matter of life and death. Here's a breakdown: Tornado watch: Be prepared! A Tornado watch is your advance warning that conditions are ripe for tornado formation. It's your cue to review and discuss your emergency plans, check your supplies, and locate your safe room. While it doesn't mean a tornado is imminent, it's a heads-up that you should be ready to act quickly if a Tornado warning is issued or if you suspect a tornado is approaching. Tornado Watches are issued by the Storm Prediction Center and often encompass a broad area, potentially spanning multiple counties or even states. Tornado warning: Take action! A Tornado warning means a tornado has been spotted or detected by weather radar. This is the real deal there's an immediate danger to life and property. Your response should be quick: seek shelter in an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows. If you're in a mobile home, a vehicle, or caught outdoors, seek the nearest substantial shelter and shield yourself from flying debris. Warnings are issued by your local forecast office and pinpoint a much smaller area, typically the size of a city or a small county, where a tornado has been identified, either by radar or through reports from trained spotters and law enforcement. Knowing the distinction between these two alerts is paramount for staying safe during tornado season. Stay informed, have a plan, and act promptly when danger looms. Get ready for tornadoes Be weather-ready: Keep an eye on the weather forecast to stay informed about tornado risks. Tune in to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio for updates on tornado watches and warnings Sign up for notifications: Familiarize yourself with your community's warning systems. Some places have outdoor sirens, while others rely on media and smartphone alerts for severe storm notifications. Create a communication plan: Create a family emergency plan that includes a designated meeting place and important contact information. If your home lacks a basement, identify a nearby safe building, like a church or a relative's house, that you can reach quickly. Choose a secure shelter: Pick a safe room in your home, such as a basement, storm cellar, or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows. Establish a communication plan: Conduct a family severe thunderstorm drill regularly so everyone knows what to do if a tornado is approaching. Make sure all members of your family know to go there when tornado warnings are issued. Don't forget pets if time allows. Secure your home: Consider reinforcing your safe room for added protection. You can find plans for fortifying an interior room on the Federal Emergency Management Agency website. Extend a helping hand: Encourage your loved ones to prepare for the possibility of tornadoes. Take CPR training so you can help if someone is hurt. Tornado safety: What to do when the twister hits When a tornado strikes, taking swift action is crucial to ensuring your safety and minimizing potential harm. Follow these guidelines from the weather service: Stay informed: Stay vigilant and stay informed by tuning in to local news broadcasts or using a NOAA Weather Radio to receive updates on tornado watches and warnings. At home: If you find yourself under a tornado warning while at home, head to your basement, a designated safe room, or an interior space away from windows. Ensure your pets are safe if time permits. At work or school: In the workplace or at school, adhere to tornado drill procedures and proceed promptly and calmly to your designated tornado shelter. Avoid areas with large, open spaces like cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums, and stay away from windows. Outdoors: When you are outdoors and a tornado is approaching, seek immediate refuge inside a sturdy building. Remember that sheds, storage facilities, mobile homes, and tents are not safe options. If there is sufficient time, make your way to a secure structure. In a vehicle: Being inside a vehicle during a tornado is highly unsafe. Your best course of action is to drive to the nearest shelter. If reaching shelter is not possible, either stay inside your car while covering your head, or abandon the vehicle and seek safety in a low-lying area such as a ditch or ravine. Remember, acting swiftly and following safety protocols are essential for your well-being when a tornado is imminent. Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service. On Thursday at 8:51 a.m. a tornado watch was issued by the National Weather Service in effect until 4 p.m. for Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Bullock, Chambers, Chilton, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore, Hale, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Montgomery, Perry, Pike, Russell and Tallapoosa counties. Tornado watch vs. Tornado warning: Know the difference When it comes to tornadoes, understanding the distinction between a Tornado watch and a Tornado warning can be a matter of life and death. Here's a breakdown: Tornado watch: Be prepared! A Tornado watch is your advance warning that conditions are ripe for tornado formation. It's your signal to review your emergency plans, ensure your supplies are in order, and identify your safe room. While it doesn't mean a tornado is imminent, it's a heads-up that you should be ready to act quickly if a Tornado warning is issued or if you suspect a tornado is approaching. Watches come from the Storm Prediction Center and often cover a large area, potentially spanning multiple counties or even states. Tornado warning: Take action! A Tornado warning means a tornado has been spotted or detected by weather radar. This is the real deal there's an immediate danger to life and property. Your response should be quick: seek shelter in an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows. If you're in a mobile home, a vehicle, or caught outdoors, seek the nearest substantial shelter and shield yourself from flying debris. Warnings are issued by your local forecast office and pinpoint a much smaller area, typically the size of a city or a small county, where a tornado has been identified, either by radar or through reports from trained spotters and law enforcement. Knowing the distinction between these two alerts is paramount for staying safe during tornado season. Stay informed, have a plan, and act promptly when danger looms. Get ready for tornadoes Stay weather-ready: Check the forecast regularly to see if you're at risk for tornadoes. Listen to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio to stay informed about tornado watches and warnings. Sign up for alerts: Familiarize yourself with your community's warning systems. Some places have outdoor sirens, while others rely on media and smartphone alerts for severe storm notifications. Create a communication plan: Have a family plan that includes an emergency meeting place and related information. If you live in a mobile home or home without a basement, identify a nearby safe building you can get to quickly, such as a church or family member. Choose a secure shelter: Pick a safe room in your home, such as a basement, storm cellar, or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows. Practice your plan: Conduct regular family drills for severe thunderstorms so everyone knows what to do when a tornado threat arises. Ensure that all family members are aware of the safe location to seek shelter, and don't forget about your pets if time permits. Prepare your home: Consider reinforcing your safe room for added protection. You can find plans for fortifying an interior room on the Federal Emergency Management Agency website. Extend a helping hand: Encourage your loved ones to prepare for the possibility of tornadoes. Take CPR training so you can help if someone is hurt. Tornado survival guide: Immediate actions for your safety When a tornado strikes, taking swift action is crucial to ensuring your safety and minimizing potential harm. Follow these guidelines from the weather service: Stay informed: Remain vigilant and stay updated by listening to local news broadcasts or a NOAA Weather Radio for tornado watches and warnings. At home: If you find yourself under a tornado warning, immediately seek refuge in your basement, safe room, or an interior room without windows. If there's enough time, bring your pets with you. At work or school: If you are at your workplace or school, adhere to tornado drill procedures. Move promptly and calmly to your designated tornado shelter, avoiding large open areas like cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums, and steer clear of windows. Outdoors: If a tornado is on its way, seek shelter inside a solid building immediately. Sheds, storage facilities, mobile homes, and tents are not safe places to be. In a vehicle: It is not safe to be in a vehicle during a tornado. The recommended action is to drive to the nearest shelter. If reaching a safe shelter is not possible, either crouch down in your car and cover your head, or leave your vehicle and seek refuge in a low-lying area like a ditch or ravine. Always keep in mind that taking swift action and following established safety procedures are crucial for your well-being when a tornado threat is imminent. Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service. Independent investigative reporter Julie Kelly is unraveling the nuances of US vs. Donald J. Trump (FLSD 9:23-cr-80101-AMC), Special Counsel Jack Smiths espionage and unlawful possession of classified documents indictment against Donald Trump (here) (aka, the case about the DOJ and FBI Raid on Mar-a-Lago). New revelations about the raid on Mar-a-Lago are exposing the Deep States corruption. It appears that the Deep State is embroiled in an ongoing RICO criminal conspiracy that began with interference in the 2016 election to block Trump. It then became sabotage to unseat Trump and then to prevent his reelection (i.e., the false Russian Collusion narrative and the lies about Hunters laptop). Now, in 2024, its lawfare, whether in Florida, Georgia, or New York. The raid on Mar-a-Lago is only the tip of the iceberg of Deep State criminality. A cadre of domestic and foreign enemies engaged in, aided, and abetted this coup. The Biden and Clinton crime families have for decades conspired with both foreign and domestic enemies to gain wealth and power at the expense of Americas national security interests and the American peoples well-being and democratic rights. Now, to hide this criminality, the Biden administration, via the DOJ and FBI, is using lawfare, malicious and selective prosecution, and vexatious civil litigation to target Trump (see, e.g., here). Trumps criminal cases, in chief, lack merit, use convoluted stretches of the law, and are not based on legally wrongful acts. Image: Aileen Cannon. Public domain. US District Court Judge Aileen Cannon is standing in the breach against the Deep State. Cannon, whose mother escaped from Cuba, understands more than most the dangers of an unrestrained totalitarian government. That may explain why she is single-handedly holding the DOJ and FBI accountable to the people and the US Constitution after their reign of Stasi-style justice. The DOJ and FBI have run amok and gone full Stasi in support of the fascist Biden Administration. Daily, new revelations emerge about the improprieties of Special Counsel Jack Smith and his associates in the Mar-a-Lago case (e.g., most recently, manipulated evidence). This Mar-a-Lago case has all the hallmarks of a trial searching for a crime. This case and the other indictments were closely coordinated with the White House and have more to do with keeping Trump tied up in court until the 2024 election than any legitimate prosecution. IMO, also to conceal the nefarious actions of the coup. Julie Kelly reports that the Mar-a-Lago investigation was run out of the FBIs field office in DC and the J6 case against Trump. (I suspect that was where the brainstorming went on to entrap Trump and the J6 defendants, a treatment not meted out to Antifa and BLM rioters.) Steven DiAntuono, former head of the Detroit FBI Office that ran then Governor Whitmers kidnapping entrapment hoax, headed the D.C. field office. The FBI Agent who wrote the Mar-a-Lago search warrant affidavit is from the DC field office. Jay Bratt, who was originally in charge of Trumps classified documents investigation and now Jack Smiths lead counsel, was also the DOJs Departments chief for Counterintelligence and Export Control. Bratt was one of the original Crossfire Hurricane investigators (The Russian Collusion narrative). Special Counsel Jack Smith is no angel and has previously engaged in unethical conduct. Judge Cannon who has now taken the Mar-a-Lago trial entirely off the calendar, is pushing Smith out over his skis to expose all the nefarious things he and others did. I give her great credit for having the spine to buck the power of the inner circle of the Deep State. After all, the US Court of Appeals had already reversed her for ordering a special master to examine the materials the FBI seized from Mar-a-Lago. During my law enforcement career as a police detective in a large metropolitan Southern California city, I reviewed and filed hundreds of criminal cases. I also wrote hundreds of search warrant affidavits that were signed by superior court judges that I served and later assisted in prosecuting. If I were Smith and wanted to appear ethical, I would have sought an order for a special master to accompany the raid. Judge Cannon also recently ordered the DOJ to release the minimally redacted search warrant affidavit for the Mar-a-Lago raid, along with other documents, and she ordered defendants motions for dismissal by the defendants to be unsealed over Jack Smiths objections (docs here). Classification or sealing of documents cant be used to conceal or cover for illegal or embarrassing governmental acts. Based on newly released information, heres how I assess the Mar-a-Lago raid: (Here and here): Ron Wright is a retired detective, having served thirty-five years with Riverside PD, Calif. Ron earned a BA in political science from Cal State University, Fullerton, and a Master of Administration from the University of California, Riverside. Facebook at Ron T. Cop. In the film The Shawshank Redemption, inmate Ellis Boyd Redding (Morgan Freeman) says: Theres not a day goes by I dont feel regretI look back at the way I was then. A youngstupid kid who committed that terrible crime. I wanna talk to him. I wanna try and talk some sense to him. Tell him the way things are. But I cant. That kid is long gone. This old man is all thats left. I gotta live with that In Chicago a young stupid kid, just 22, is charged with the terrible crime of murdering a Chicago police officer as he returned home at 3 A.M. Four young stupid kids, aged 19, 19, 18, and 16, are in jail charged with the terrible crime of murdering a beautiful 24-year-old black policewoman in a carjacking, just hours after she got her Masters degree. These kids were said to be on a robbery spree to raise money for a girlfriends barbecue. All accused murderers are black. Black lives matter? Dexter Reed of Chicago showed just how much his life mattered to himself and his now-grieving mother when he opened fire on police during a routine traffic stop. As police legally instructed him to not roll his tinted windows up he defiantly began rolling his tinted windows up. He fired at police, emptying his magazine of 11 rounds. He received 96 in return. His mother is suing police. Social justice. In New York another young, stupid kid faces 25 years in prison for the terrible crime of viciously throwing a 68-year-old woman down the steps of a church, fracturing her skull. The 16-year-old black teen then rummaged through her still body, stealing $300 and car keys before running away while pulling his pants up. This young kids life began the year America made history by electing its first black president. Hope and change? There are countless more stories like this everywhere. Same make and model. All with long criminal histories of arrests, juvenile detention, parole, out on bail, no bail, due back in court. fleeing police. No fear. No respect for the law. No respect for human beings or decent society. And why should they? Since 2015 George Soros has poured millions into electing progressive Democrat DAs instructed to, reverse engineer and dismantle the criminal justice infrastructure. Results? In cities across America black teens routinely commit retail theft up to $1000 without penalty or deterrence. Shootings, homicides, car theft, and carjackings have all exploded. Many of the victims are black. Compassion? In 2000 George W. Bush called out the, soft bigotry of low expectations. Today we see the harsh bigotry of no expectations. How can black lives matter if those who claim to care about black lives are the ones destroying them? Every night prime-time race hustlers tell us, America is systemically racist. Yet they are the system that destroyed the black family and public education. Why do they blame every black failure on white supremacy but then go to such great lengths trying to prove black inferiority? Because, according to Obama, Sharpton, Joy Reid, Van Jones, Whoopie, Ibram X. Kendi, Micheal Eric Dyson, and many more, blacks are simply not capable of the very standards that made all of them successful. Makes no sense? It isnt supposed to. These grievance industry titans dont care about black uplift. They only care about the power and profit derived from producing black failure. Why else would they elect mayors, councils, DAs, and CRT/DEI school boards who change, lower and eliminate all standards of merit and achievement, guaranteeing more black failure and dysfunction? Why do they legislate against school choice when its proven to dramatically outperform public union schools and black parents overwhelmingly want it? And while theyre on TV every night trying to sell white racism, the rest of us are seeing the same viral videos of crime after crime committed by black criminals: Carjackings. Armed robberies. Mobs brawling in a restaurants, malls, and amusement parks. Kids fighting in schools, throwing punches and chairs at teachers. In every scene its the same cast and crew. Did the 15-year-old black girl in Missouri who viciously slammed a white girls head into the pavement repeatedly while screaming, bitch, miss all the successful blacks in TV commercials? Werent they supposed to groom her into accounting or architecture? Or was she groomed by the dehumanizing rap lyrics of nigga and bitch? The way things are Why are blacks free to hold hostile opinions towards police because of their experiences, real or exaggerated, yet the rest of us arent allowed to form opinions about blacks who are 12% of the population yet commit 50-70% of all violent crime? Profiling? Implicit bias? Americans know what black potential is and what black achievement looks like because weve seen it everywhere throughout our lives. Knowing this, how can so many white suburbanites, aching with woke compassion, demand that their kids study, finish homework, hand assignments in on time, behave in class and achieve good grades, but allow all these standards to be lowered or removed for blacks? Equality? And how are black kids supposed to succeed in school if theyre not even expected to show up to school? Because DEI and Disparate Impact now defines attendance as racist. Equity? This is the systemic racism, that whites aching with compassion, and 90% of blacks vote for. How many of these young, stupid kids groomed by democrat policies to commit crimes without consequences will eventually commit crimes with life ending consequences? How many will wake up one day, old and imprisoned, and echo the impassioned words of Shawshanks Ellis Boyd Redding? Rehabilitated? You know I dont have any idea what that word means. I know what you think it means, sonny. To me its just a made up word. Politicians word. So that young fellas like yourself can wear a suit and a tie and have a job Rehabilitated? Its just a bullshit word So you go ahead and stamp your forms and stop wasting my time because to tell you the truth, I dont give a s***. BLM? Its just a made-up phrase. A virtue-signaling phrase so that activists can feel better about themselves and fundraise $90 million so that Patrisse Cullors, the black lesbian Marxist who advocates against the nuclear family and school choice, can live in a $1.4-million-dollar home in Topanga Canyon. Black population: 1.4% Talk sense? Apparently DEI, reading about white fragility, unpacking whiteness seminars and shaming eight-year-old kids for being born white arent working. Youd think that the NAACP, which claims to stand for the advancement of colored people would take a long look at nearly 60 years of post civil rights and Great Society legislation and come to some obvious conclusions: Culture matters. Race does not. Black lives matter? Its just a bullsh*t phrase. So you go ahead and punch your Democrat ticket and stop wasting our time pretending to care about black lives because to tell the truth, you dont really care. Live with that. Doug MacGregor is a former trader, real estate broker, investor, writer, screenwriter and Uber driver in Chicago. Image: Erica Cherup As pro-Hamas protests sweep U.S. campuses across our nation, a curious phenomenon has surfaced: a large number of the protesters are wearing not only the keffiyeh, but also the COVID mask. Why is this, exactly? The keffiyeh-wearing is not much of a mystery. The protesters are clearly making a statement of solidarity with Islamic jihad in general and with Hamas terror in particular. But the COVID masks add an intriguing twist. Some of the mask-wearers themselves maintain that they are trying to stay safe in what they believe is the ongoing COVID pandemic. Other observers have postulated, however, that this is an effort by the protesters to hide their identity. There are possible elements of truth in both of these reasons, but beneath these layers, something much deeper is going on and it involves a powerful impulse that serves as the foundation of leftist utopianism itself. We would do well to reflect upon the manner in which the Maoist Cultural Revolution in China imposed unisex desexualized dress on its citizens. The tyranny perpetrated this as a ruthless war on gender differences and individuality in the name of equity. And this war involved a calculated assault on the possibilities of private attractions, affections, and desires. The central reality to gauge here is that unisex/desexualized dress satisfies leftists morbid pining for enforced sameness. It is crucial, in their world, to erase physical as well as emotional differences and attractions between people. In the utopian endgame, humans must all be replicas of one another and be devoted to the cause, the revolutionary state, and to its all-knowing administering of equality and social justice. It is no surprise, therefore, that Western leftists were enthralled with the Maoist social engineering experiment. I have documented this in my book United in Hate, where I show how fellow travelers who journeyed to worship at the altar of the Maoist killing fields flew into ecstasy upon witnessing the unisex clothing. Lets recall a few examples: American leftist academic Orville Schell adored Chinas enforced mode of dress the moment he witnessed it. In his book, In the Peoples Republic, he praised the baggy uniformlike tunics and wrote admiringly how the question of the shape of a persons body is a moot one in China. Schell was excited that physical attributes were subordinated in intimate relationships. He wrote that the Chinese had succeeded in fundamentally altering the notion of attractiveness by simply substituting some of these revolutionary attributes for the physical ones which play such an important role in Western courtship. Schell also noted approvingly that the notion of playing hard to get or exacerbating jealousies in order to win someones love does not appear to assume such a prominent role. American actress Shirley MacLaine joined Schell in being deeply enamored with Chinas totalitarian puritanism. Like all leftists, she would have surely viewed any restriction on womens attire or sexual impulses in her own society as patriarchal and capitalist oppression, but for the Chinese people, the suffocation of unregulated love and sex was a magnificent thing in her eyes. In her book, You Can Get There, she wrote: I could see for myself that in China you were able to forget about sex. There was no commercial exploitation of sex in order to sell soap, perfume, soft drinks, soda pop, or cars. The unisex uniforms also de-emphasized sexuality, and in an interesting way made you concentrate more on the individual character of the Chinese, regardless of his or her physical assets, or lack of them. . . . Women had little need or even desire for such superficial things as frilly clothes and make-up, children loved work and were self-reliant. Relationships seemed free of jealousy and infidelity because monogamy was the law of the land and hardly anyone strayed. . . . It was a quantum leap into the future. For French leftist Claudie Broyelle, meanwhile, one of the key accomplishments of the Maoist revolution was the cancellation of the privatization of love. In her book, Womens Liberation in China, she gleefully stressed how love in China was now to be expressed not through personal and selfish capitalist avenues, but only through revolutionary commitment. Broyelle noted with profound satisfaction that good looks were no longer important for Chinese women. Unlike the sexualized image of women in Western advertising, she boasted how, in China, there was a different image: On wall posters, in newspapers, on the stage, everywhere. It is the picture of a worker or a peasant, with a determined expression and dressed very simply. ... You can see her working, studying, taking part in a demonstration. Schell, MacLaine, and Broyelle never, of course, spoke of the brutal truths that stared them right in the face. They didnt dare to ask: How could jealousy possibly arise, or infidelity be practiced, in a society where privacy did not exist and infidelity would land you in a concentration camp at best, and get you executed at worst? What if a Chinese citizen chose not to forget about sex and made his lack of forgetfulness evident? And what if a man or a woman wore clothes that did not deemphasize his or her sexuality? What would happen to them? It is clear, of course, why these leftists never asked these questions and why they also never visited a Chinese concentration camp to investigate who was imprisoned there, how they were suffering, and why. The yearning for totalitarian puritanism that was witnessed among leftists in Maoist China does not mean, of course, that leftists are non-sexual. To the contrary, many of them are highly sexually promiscuous and also passionately active in promoting promiscuity. The issue here is what cause is being served. Womens sexual self-determination is, for instance, adamantly supported by leftists if it enables their war against their own host democratic-capitalist societies and if it can hurt the Judeo-Christian tradition. But if a totalitarian adversarial society is stifling womens rights in this context, then leftists vehemently support that oppression, since they typically worship the particular tyranny in question, and gleefully welcome the threat it poses to their own host society which they hate and want to destroy. It is important to remember how, some fifty years ago, the terrorist group Weather Underground not only waged war against American society through violence and mayhem, but also encouraged promiscuity while forbidding private love within its own ranks. This constituted an eerie replay of the sexual promiscuity that was enforced (while private love was outlawed) in dystopian novels such as We, 1984, and Brave New World. All of this is precisely why the radical left and Sharia supporters detest Valentines Day since it is a day devoted to the love between a man and a woman, a bond that dangerously threatens the totality. And so we begin to understand why, just as the devotion to totalitarian puritanism played a central role in the lefts solidarity with Maoist China (and with other vicious Communist regimes), so too it serves as a core component of the lefts current romance with Islam which at this very moment involves campus pro-Hamas protesters bowing to Allah. Indeed, Maoists unisex clothing rules find their parallel in Islams mandate for shapeless coverings to be worn by both males and females. The collective uniform symbolizes submission to a higher entity and cancels out individual expression, mutual physical attraction, and private connection and affection. And it becomes obvious how the COVID face-coverings fit this totalitarian matrix perfectly. Thus, just as Orville Schell, Claudie Broyelle, and Shirley MacLaine were enchanted with the enforced Maoist dress that attempted to desexualize Chinese citizens, so, too, the new generation of leftists solemnly genuflect before the Islamic hijab, niqab and burqa and also before the pandemic mask. The Islamic and COVID coverings, like the Maoist uniform, attract leftists by virtue of not only how they negate individuality and personal connection, but also how they reflect humans being mandated to wear them in a tyrannical setting. Longing to submerge themselves into a totality where even their own choices will be negated, leftists are always drawn to a totalitarian entity within which they can lose themselves. And it is in this twisted paradigm that these lost individuals who suffer from an immense feeling of alienation finally feel connected to something. They finally belong. As I document in United in Hate and in my work Jihadist Psychopath all of these forces explain why leftists today are on the side of the Sharia-enforcers who persecute and kill women who dare to not wear hijab. To be sure, it is transparently evident why leftist feminists in particular callously turn their backs on murdered Muslim girls such as Aqsa Parvez and Mahsa Amini and heartlessly ignore, for instance, the suffering Iranian women and girls who are today imprisoned, raped, and killed for Islamically covering themselves. And so, there is no real mystery about what is transpiring on U.S. campuses today. The left is simply continuing its Maoist cultural revolution and, therefore, just dutifully obeying the rules of Sharia and pandemic safety that it cherishes with such sacred devotion. Thus, the pro-Hamas protesters on campus today are not really wearing masks because they want to stay safe. It is, and always was, about something much deeper than that. They are bowing to the totality. Worshiping at the altars of Sharia and of the COVID cult is a magnificent blend for these true believers; its a delicacy to be savored. In their seething hatred for humans, and in their unquenchable lust to control who and what humans are, the self-appointed social redeemers of our time are waging war on what makes us human and on their own self-hating and self-reviling selves. The leftist enterprise has always been a death wish a suicidal odyssey to shed oneself of ones own unwanted self and in that process to blur oneself into a collective totalitarian whole. And it is in this despotic swamp that they find their purpose, meaning and sense of belonging. Today, what we are witnessing on university campuses is just the next logical chapter of the harrowing progressive tale. The pro-Hamas protesters are simply just fine-tuning their leftist journey, and their masks simply represent how successfully and hauntingly they are achieving their self-abhorring goal of self-annihilation. Jamie Glazov holds a Ph.D. in History with a specialty in Russian, U.S., and Canadian foreign policy. He is the editor of Frontpage Magazine, the author of the critically acclaimed and bestselling, United in Hate and Jihadist Psychopath, and the host of the web TV show The Glazov Gang. His new book is Barack Obamas True Legacy: How He Transformed America. Follow him on Twitter: @JamieGlazov and GETTR: @JGlazov - and contact him at jamieglazov11@gmail.com. Image via Pexels. I've been to Columbia. I was at student there at the graduate journalism school in the 1990s. I know what it is like. You will have a workload like nothing else you have ever had. You will think of nothing else. Weekends will be time to sit in bed and read a chapter of a history book on some distant era just to air out your mind for an hour, or else finding a classmate to go to church or synagogue with at the university chapel on Saturday or Sunday. You won't be in any position to work at a money-paying job and you will have to get cash to live on someplace else, sometimes selling your work to the press, sometimes from mom, and often not having much of any, using university events for your food supply. Stuff a bagel and some grapes in your pocket and get back to the computers. Seriously, there will be nothing there resembling 'life' at that school because you will be so busy doing your class work to keep up, writing and reporting this story for this class, reporting and writing this story for that class, often with travel, hoping like crazy you can get someone on the phone in time, and the printer doesn't go out on you, delaying your filing, oh, and there's the Master's Project and law class for First Amendment law to get to on time. You cannot get behind, you will get kicked out. You will look bedraggled from sleeplessness, and work like you've never worked. You will carefully plan ahead to manage your time so as to never fall behind. The idea of wasting one precious minute on a protest, no matter what the cause, is unthinkable. So now the news, which came out a few days ago, is that Columbia's law students are demanding that their final exams be cancelled based on all the "trauma" they've endured from recent campus protests. According to the New York Post: 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. Really? What violence? The cops scooped up protestors who were out taking custodians hostage, junking furniture in campus buildings, invading an undergraduate dorm, and camping out on the university's lawn against the university's orders to go home. That's not traumatizing, it's rectifying. Are they saying the screaming clown show on the lawn and custodians the held hostage needed to stay that way so they could study for their finals? The letter itself is hideous, insulting the very professional New York Police Department officers as "a crowd of people that proudly represent their membership in a white supremacist, neo-fascist, hate group were storming our campus." This, despite the fact that at least half of the cops in the videos were black. NEW: The student editors of the Columbia Law Review have issued a statement urging the law school to cancel exams in the wake of the police operation that cleared the university's encampment, saying the "violence" has left them "irrevocably shaken" and "unable to focus." pic.twitter.com/BOD87x5mwM Aaron Sibarium (@aaronsibarium) May 2, 2024 What were they doing that got themselves so 'traumatized'? Given the wokesterliness of university law classes seen at elite universities, it sounds like some of them were out protesting and not studying. That's really bad time management and decisionmaking in general, because law school is extremely rigorous. Who came up with the bright idea to skip classes and go protesting in keffiyehs for the television cameras instead of study for finals? Now it's time to pay the piper. Exams are on, hope you found time from your busy protest schedule to study for your law finals. As it does a lot these days, there was a partial cave-in from the administration to the protestors: May 2 (Reuters) - Columbia Law School resumed final exams on Thursday after canceling all tests on Wednesday due to ongoing pro-Palestinian protests and the closure of the university campus. All the law schools final exams are proceeding remotely instead of in-person, according to a Wednesday message to students from law dean Gillian Lester. Students may opt to have any or all of their exams graded on a pass or fail basis. Which is to say, 'C' or 'D' work will now be getting a papered-over 'pass.' But this at least is some kind of standard. These snowflakes were demanding unproven passing grades, good, bad and ugly. Legal scholar Jonathan Turley described the problem with this demand: Law students need to be able face such moments without shutting down due to the stress. Our profession is filled with stress and trauma. It is the environment in which we operate. In those moments, we do not have the option of being a no-show... https://t.co/qzfog6Prlv Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) May 3, 2024 And a retort, here. Lawyers are supposed to be calm under pressure. (President Trump's attorneys demonstrate that with alacrity every day.) These characters want to get a free pass on law exams because of their feelings. And more likely, because they nursed those feelings and didn't study ahead of exams, confident the university would cave on them as they did on everything else. Not surprisingly, the demand drew jaded responses on Twitter: Columbia Law Review demands the Law School cancel final exams cause the qviolence students witnessed on campus left them irrevocably shaken and unable to focus. The little terrorists are the ones who created the violence so BIG NO. FAFO kids. And they want to be attorneys! Patrick Hanrahan (@Hanrahan1949) May 6, 2024 Remember: They are at a law school where they are studying to be shark attorneys at six-figure starting salaries supposedly because of all the value they provide to their clients. The emotional self-nursing is about the stupidest thing any law student can ever do. They had one job: to study like hell to pass their exams and get their diploma and get the heck out. They didn't do that, and now it's consequence time. Already many corporate CEOs are stating that they will think twice before hiring Columbia's grads, including law grads. Does giving everyone a pass, or even going pass-fail, enhance that school's reputation? Or does it expose them as overcoddled crybabies unable to manage their time or deal with their stress? Image: logo, via Facebook // fair use If you have been following Conservative media recently on the subject of the Donald Trump/Stormy Daniels trial in New York City, you have probably heard numerous commentators express the opinion that, even though Alvin Braggs case against President Donald Trump is largely falling apart, the fact that he is being tried by a highly biased jury, he will be convicted nonetheless. I can only say that if you are a Democrat you should be crossing your fingers that this does not happen. Let me explain why. Its very clear that the initial Democrat strategy to take down Trump was to engage in a shock and awe lawfare campaign by utilizing Democrat state and federal prosecutors to file so many criminal charges against the former president that the GOP would have no choice but to abandon him. Their miscalculation however, was confusing the weak-kneed Republican ruling class with the hardcore conservative base that had long ago realized that the deep state would do anything to maintain powerthe voters consequently embraced Trump, despite the multiple charges, and handed him the partys nomination. Now, if Alvin Bragg had charged Trump with a single felony count of [blah, blah, blah] and a jury had convicted him, the judge in the case could have sentenced Trump to probation and a substantial fine, perhaps even requiring him not to leave the state or at least having him check-in in-person with his probation officer on a regular basis, which would have allowed Democrats to significantly impede the Trump campaign. Additionally, it would allow the Democrats to run advertisements claiming that Donald Trump was a convicted felon. But because TDS is real and the concept of nuance is completely lost on liberals, they instead charged ahead like a bull in a china shop with 34 felony indictments against the former president. This means if Trump is convicted, the judge will have no choice but to impose an incredibly harsh sentence. Consider, if Trump is convicted of 34 felonies, offering a lenient sentence such as probation would be prima facie evidence that the case were overcharged, especially if the judge postponed sentencing pending appeal. Find me another person convicted of 34 felonies in a single trial anywhere in the U.S. who wasnt immediately remanded to prison andwell, find that person first and well discuss it further. So if Trump is convicted, and keep in mind that the 34 indictments are carbon copies of the original charge meaning that if he is found guilty of one he will be found guilty of all of them, there would be no reason as to why he would not immediately be sent to prison. Even if he were to be given only six months per felony conviction, it would result in a sentence of 17 years, not a term that could be put off under normal court guidelines. If Democrats think that imprisoning their primary presidential rival for two decades or more right before the election based on an eight-year-old case about how payments to an attorney were labeled is a winning strategy, they are living in an alternate reality. Its certainly likely that the average American is tuned out to the current court proceedings, but if the leader of the Republican party were to be jailed just a few months before the election you can bet theyd start paying attention and asking questions. The reality is that charging Trump with 34 felonies leaves the court with no wiggle room whatsoever. If he is convicted, the court will have no choice but to impose a draconian sentence on him or be exposed as a totally fraudulent entity. Either Trump engaged in an activity that was so serious it required being charged with 34 felonies eight years after the events occurred, or the crime of which he will be convicted of is so unthreatening to the citizenry that he can continue to be allowed to walk the streets free to potentially re-offend. The reality is that the Democrats are like a dog chasing a car. They wont know what to do if they catch it. There is literally no way the already pathetic media could spin a conviction as anything other than a massive overreach of the law. The MSM is already struggling to explain the crime that is being charged. If Trump were to be convicted and given a lengthy prison sentence right before the election theres no plausible way they could justify his incarceration. At this point the best outcome that Democrats could hope for would be a hung jury where they could blame some juror as a Trump supporter, whether or not that claim had any basis in reality; but if Donald Trump is convicted, they are opening a Pandoras Box that may swallow them whole. Image generated by AI. While researching the etymology of the term Nazi, I found it originally meant a foolish person, clumsy or awkward person. The story popped up that Robert De Niro was projecting on all cylinders comparing President Trump to Adolf Hitler. Even though its the fascist far-left going full antisemitic on college campuses nationwide, wanting to confiscate guns and suppress civil liberties everywhere, these threats supposedly emanate from Trump and the pro-freedom right. Sure Robert, whatever you say, the original etymology of the words you project still works. But even though the nations socialist left has been projecting these pejoratives for years, somehow, they dont judge themselves as using Nazi language at all. Such is not the case for the pro-freedom side. Over the weekend, Trump dared to compare an authoritarian regime that persecuted its political enemies to another authoritarian regime that persecuted its political enemies. Even worse, he used the word Gestapoa term the left collectively decided is suddenly verboten in the last 5 minutes. Thus, they can caterwaul at length about a brand new controversy even though they talk Nazi all the time. If you closely look at how they phrase their questions and discussions, youll see the insidious and sinister reasons behind this constant barrage of BS that Trump is the second coming of Hitler and the pro-freedom right is a complete political inversion of itself. Consider how this question was posed in the De Niro interview: What do you say to those who say I dont like the guy, but Im going to vote for him? What is your message to them? You can tell from the phrasing of that question and message that it isnt for Trump supporters, Republicans, or people on the pro-freedom right in general. Its designed to shore up wavering support of the authoritarian left because of the deception over the Trump is Hitler threat. Thus, they carry on a constant cacophony of cra... commentary, pumping out their ever-absurd comparison of limited government and individual liberty-loving conservatives with authoritarian collectivist Nazis that are like the left, obsessed with centralized control and Common Good Before Individual Good. This is why we must defeat the lefts Nazi slurs, because they keep wavering leftists from moving to the right. And this is why we spend so much time researching and documenting all the ways the nations socialist left emulates the Nazis and eviscerates their ever-ridiculous assertions that the Third Reich was far-right. Because defeating the left means defeating their lieseven their lies that stretch back 100 years agobarely hanging on by a constant stream of propaganda. You can always tell when a particular group is trying to gaslight you because they will always come up with new lies when they are confronted with the truth. In the case of the fascist far-left, they simply spin up new versions of reality when their old are shown to not make any sense. The fact is that the simplest and most basic explanation usually works the best. In physics and engineering, you start with the basic equations and work from there to avoid ridiculous models of reality. The same holds for politicsyou start with the basic linear relationships to avoid leftist gaslighting into bizarre versions of reality. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines politics in part as competition between competing interest groups or individuals for power and leadership (as in a government). Therefore, the political spectrum is set by the metric of governmental power or control, with a linear change from minimal government on the right (anarchy) to maximum government on the left (authoritarianism). Each side of the political spectrum also has a specific set of characteristics. The left is based on the collectivist ideologies of unlimited government and limited individual liberty, while the right is based on individualistic ideologies of limited government and sweeping liberty (within the confines of respecting each and every persons unalienable rights). The transition is simply from collectivist, big government authoritarianism on the left down to individualist government non-existence anarchy on the right. So, as you move from left to right, you move down a slope towards diminished government size, power, and control over your life to a point where it becomes nonexistent on the right. But not so, according to the brain trust that is the far-left. To make their model work, there has to be a mysterious spike way up to collectivist, big-government authoritarianismthat is just like leftist ideologiesin the far-right area of the political spectrum of individualistic no-government anarchism. Were not sure how thats supposed to be arranged, as leftists are too busy trying to come up with something better than the tired old North Korea talking point. In real life, the common sense linear political spectrum would be like being in a car and coasting down the straight and flat slope of a hill until you reach the bottom. While the leftist bizarro version of reality would have you coast down that hill until you hit an unimaginable upslope at the bottom. No one but the most ardent leftist would ever believe that big load of BS, and only if they dont think about it too much. The problem is they keep on repeating the same lie over and over while using the same tired tactics of gaslighting articles with titles that push the big lie in one line and are always long on expert opinions and short on facts. This is why weve been working so hard in researching and documenting how the Democrats are like the Nazi party. If theyre going to violate their own silly rules about bringing up the subject and compare President Trump to Herr Schichlegruber and the pro-freedom right to leftist authoritarians, then were going to point out all the ways that Biden is acting like a dictator and how leftists are acting like Nazis. Maybe if Robert De Niro were to read a book once in a while or learn some history, he wouldnt be making such mistakes. D Parker is an engineer, inventor, wordsmith, and student of history, former director of communications for a civil rights organization, and a long-time contributor to conservative websites. Find him on Substack. Image: Public domain. According to the Oslo-based non-government organization Iran Human Rights, which opposes the death penalty in Iran, during the two weeks from April 16 to May 1, the Iranian regime executed one person every five hours. These killings represent stepped-up activity greater than what is normal for the Iranian religious dictatorship. How can one explain the relentless pace of this slaughter? Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, sheds light on this urgency and his profound concerns in his latest speech dated May 1, 2024. Announcing something akin to an intelligence department, specifically tailored for schools under the title of "educational organization, Khamenei addressed teachers, stating that students must "recognize demarcation lines between friends and foes of their country, understand fundamental issues needed for their country, and counter enemy propaganda. If our youth are inoculated in this regard, enemy propaganda will be neutralized." Khamenei's fears are warranted, as it is this very generation that has become known as Generation 2000 which led the uprising against the dictatorship in 2022, demonstrating their bravery in facing the Revolutionary Guards empty-handed. This rebellious generation knows what it wants and what it does not. They aspire to establish a democratic and secular republic based on gender equality among other things, which contradicts this regime. In the 2019 uprising, at least 1,500 individuals from this same generation were killed due to direct gunfire from the Guards. In the 2022 uprising, at least 750 individuals were killed and endured unspeakable and systematic torture yet remained unyielding. This generation has extracted truths from the virtual space and exposed many of the regime's dark secrets, such as the 1988 massacre of political prisoners, the massacre of a generation in Syria orchestrated by Qassem Soleimani, commander of IRGCs extraterritorial Quds force who was killed in a U.S. drone strike on Jan. 3, 2020 in Iraq, the downing of Ukrainian flight PS752 by the Revolutionary Guards in Tehran in January 2020, and many other atrocities. Primarily fearing another uprising led by this generation, Khamenei resorted to a well-known tactic by extensively supporting Hamas in the recent war to avoid another dangerous uprising, diverting public attention from Iran's internal turmoil. This time, however, the rebellious generation has been organized in thousands of resistance units dispersed throughout Iran, challenging the dictatorship. During the campaign against the regime's elections, these resistance units managed to execute 1,170 anti-repression and propaganda actions nationwide in a short period, leading to the boycott of the mullah regime elections. This occurred while the Iranian regime claimed that "more than 250,000 to 300,000 security personnel were busy guarding, defending, and providing security measures" during the elections. Additionally, they initiated action in 243 cities regarding the elections and demonstrated the significant defeat of Khamenei. Ali Khamenei is well aware of the devastating blow that nationwide resistance units can deliver. Middle East Conflict In the second part of his speech, Khamenei stated, "Today, the issue of Gaza is the world's foremost issue; we must not allow this issue to be removed from the general international perspective and its priority". The production of war and crisis is a part of Iran's survival strategy. Consequently, it vigorously seeks to perpetuate this crisis in the region. Although the Iranian opposition deeply believe that this conflagration will eventually engulf the regime. Hence, the regime vehemently opposes both cease-fire and peace in the region. Ali Khamenei has explicitly threatened that if Arab countries in the region normalize relations with Israel, they will face internal turmoil. He states: "Some think they can force regional countries to normalize their relations with the Zionist regime; the nations of those countries will jeopardize the lives of those governments." Ali Khamenei, certainly through his proxy forces, attempts to impose obstacles to ceasefire and ending the war in a bid to extract more concessions from the West and to divert attention from its domestic issues. Nuclear Negotiations Iran's theocracy has always utilized its nuclear project as a sword of Damocles over the heads of regional and European countries. From this regime's view, now is the best time to use this leverage to prevent the consequences of triggering war in the region, considering that the Biden administration is inclined to accommodate them, especially with the proximity of U.S. presidential elections, as the war has reached US universities and might influence the ballot boxes. Negotiations between the United States and Iran have been ongoing for two rounds. Indeed, the Iranian regime will show some flexibility in certain areas, including the Houthis' attacks on commercial ships and nuclear issues, etc. The regime has always employed such tactics to avoid catastrophe, as throughout its lifespan, it has not missed a moment to engage in terrorism, warmongering, and domestic oppression. But the West should consider that dialogue and concessions with this regime is a carte blanche for more terrorism, extortion, and regional and global peace violations. It's always Iran's young people the mullahs fear most. That is what is driving this activity. Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License According to a RAIR report by Amy Mek out this past Saturday, Muslim migrants from the Indian state of Bihar were caught red-handed burning down large swathes of forestland in the state of Uttarakhand, all as an act of jihad. Mek also iterated that the damage done to the environment has been a severe blow to the region, consuming thousands of trees and causing the destruction of over a thousands hectares of forest land which is roughly equivalent to 2,800 acres. Now Uttarakhand is very biodiverse, and is the home to many rare or threatened plant species and a number of highly endangered animal species (e.g. Asian elephant, snow leopard, tiger, King cobra, Himalayan monal, etc.), and one can only imagine how many different flora and fauna species perished in the flames and smoke. Heres a bit of the damage: Uttarakhand Police have arrested following people for starting fire in Pauri Garhwal forest of Uttarakhand: Mohammad Nurul Feroz Alam Shalem Nazefar Alam Mosar Alam All were working as labour in Uttarakhand. pic.twitter.com/ZDoAf7Zfef Incognito (@Incognito_qfs) May 3, 2024 And heres one of the suspected culprits, bragging about his handiwork: Migrants from Bihar burn forest in Uttarakhand and say "We will burn down entire forest, dont challenge Biharis" `` , #Uttrakhand #Bihar pic.twitter.com/5LuOY6q5jR Arvind Chandra (@ArvindChandra8) May 3, 2024 (What is it with people recording themselves while in commission of a crime? First it was Hunter Biden, now its these dopes.) Yet I havent heard a peep from the progressive left on these willful acts of destruction; why? Now to be fair, leftists themselves often resort to arson to make their point, and we see this all the timethey too light forests on fire, to prove that climate change is real. Perhaps the leftists saw this and thought it would fuel the hysteria and advance their agendabut I dont think so. To me, it obviously comes down to this: when youre embracing conflicting interests (Queers for Palestine), which basically sums up the collective left because theyre suffering from a superiority complex and theyre not thinking for themselves, the terrorist interest always triumphs. Theyre against the patriarchyuntil a designated terrorist group launches an attack against civilians and raping all the way because, free Palestine or something. Theyre friends of the gaysuntil practitioners of Sharia law toss them from rooftops, or crucify them in the public square. They love the environmentuntil Muslim arsonists burn down thousands of acres of forest, killing who knows how many endangered species in the process, because theyre virtuously tolerantand accepting. Theyre for the children (Nancy Pelosis go-to guilt trip line)until cross-dressing pedophiles embed themselves in elementary schools and kids museums because, visibility and acceptance. They champion the cause of the common man, being exploited by a powerful overlorduntil that common man is an American citizen and that powerful overlord is a tyrannical and thieving federal government. Theyre against the death penaltyunless the person slated for execution is a baby in the womb. They stand against the oil companiesby utterly destroying priceless works of art on display. Because, when it really comes down to it, theyre not beholden to virtue, morality, or progressivism, but terrorism, wickedness, and deathplain and simple. Image: Public domain. Could the campus intifada of our best and the brightest be a blessing in disguise, a klaxon klanging in the night? Let us first distinguish the campus intifada mob from the Vietnam War protestors of 1967. The agendas of these two groups of campus protestors are almost perfect reverse silhouettes of each other. The Vietnam War protestors demanded an end to a war; the intifada mob demands the annihilation of the Jewish race. The Vietnam War protestors mourned killing; the intifada mob celebrates killing and demands more of it. Viewed from this perspective, the fundamental stance of the Vietnam War protestors was pro-life; that of the campus intifada is pro-death, aligning as they do with Islam, which boasts, We love death more than you love life! But is it really true that many of our best and brightest have, in fact, been inducted into a culture of death or are they just acting out right now? Yes, it is true. Exhibit A of this induction is their support for abortion. The story is told of a reporter at a pro-abortion rally interviewing a twenty-something woman accompanied by her forty-something mother. The mother, who was gushing how proud she was of her daughter standing up for her beliefs, was dumbfounded into silence when the reporter asked whether she harbored any concerns for her own safety when, in her later years, her life became inconvenient for her daughter. Absent reverence for human life, we are no longer human. Exhibit B is the climate crazies hatred of carbon dioxide, notwithstanding that life requires oxygen, oxygen requires plants, and plants require carbon dioxide and sunlight! Our president even explores masking the sunlight!! These are plans of the cult of death for planetary suicide. But the puzzle that troubles many who try to wrap their minds around it is just how it could possibly happen that Americas adolescents and young adults in 2024 could align themselves with death and Islam? Indeed, what a puzzle. In The Outline of History, p. 895, H.G. Wells describes the engine of history: All the things that men and nations do are the outcome of instinctive motive reacting upon the ideas which talk and books and newspapers and schoolmasters and so forth have put into peoples heads. Yes, it is the schoolmasters, says Larry Sand. The schoolmasters of K-12, says Haley Strack. Look no further than K-12, says Keri D. Ingraham. So, what is the warning of the klaxon? It is simply this: The bureaucracies that administer the American institutions of education have become enemies of the American nation. Aristotle famously held that the purpose of education is to teach the young what to love and what to hate. But our entire educational system, both K-12 and higher education, has become devoted to leading American youth to love and hate the wrong things, as we see now demonstrated on our college campuses. The message is clear: We must take charge of raising our children, or our children will destroy us. Image of the Death Cult that is an American classroom (by AI). Google is one of the fastest-growing companies. Its growth rate is at its peak in two years, and the firms total market cap has surpassed $2 trillion. The brands share market value has grown by as much as 14% in just a few months. However, the employees seem not to be happy with the declining morale level. Employees are now confronting the higher administration about why their increasing performance isnt reflected in a higher pay scale. Google employees are frustrated over the decline in morale The top-level management staff of Google had a meeting last week during which the CEO Sundar Pichai and CFO Ruth Porat were also present. Employees are concerned about morale and questioned why rising performance isnt reflected in pay increases. They further highlighted the cost-cutting measures of the brand and when it will be in place. Googles parent company, Alphabet, is getting stricter and taking all possible measures to reduce its operating costs. To date, they have taken multiple measures in favor of cost-cutting, such as firing employees, signing cloud contracts with the military, and much more. Employees arent happy and are demanding a salary hike Ahead of the meeting, a comment sparked up on the internal forum which reads Weve noticed a significant decline in morale, increased distrust, and a disconnect between leadership and the workforce. How does leadership plan to address these concerns and regain the trust, morale, and cohesion that have been foundational to our companys success? This is not the end. The employees have also complained about working under pressure, having tight deadlines, lack of trust, and diminishing opportunities for advancement. One of Googles senior employees said, Despite the companys stellar performance and record earnings, many Googlers have not received meaningful compensation increases. When will employee compensation fairly reflect the companys success, and is there a conscious decision to keep wages lower due to a cooling employment market? One of the more interesting features of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro was the AI wallpaper generator, and its a feature that apparently wont be available on the Pixel 8a at launch. Google officially announced the Pixel 8a on May 7, and pre-orders for the device are already available from retailers like Best Buy. Despite having the same chipset as the two mainline phones, the Tensor G3, the Pixel 8a wont have the option to create these unique wallpaper options. The AI wallpaper generator lets you select a wallpaper category and then you plug in word combinations to have it come up with something based on those prompts. You end up with a handful of potential options to choose from, too, with some of them being quite good. Since none of this image generation actually happens on the phones themselves, you might think it would be available on the Pixel 8a from the start. But that wont be the case. The Pixel 8a is likely to get the AI wallpaper generator with its first update According to Mishaal Rahman, this feature is in fact coming to the Pixel 8a. While its exclusive to the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, for now, it wont stay that way. Rahman references a Verizon system update page for the Pixel 8a thats a build number the phone doesnt currently have. Which suggests its coming in the near future. The software version for this update is listed as UD2A.240505.001.B1. And one of the listed changes is AI wallpaper enablement. Once this goes live Pixel 8a users will be able to access the AI wallpaper generator the same way Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro users do. Theres no hardware constraints keeping this feature from the Pixel 8a As mentioned above there arent any hardware constraints that are keeping this feature from the Pixel 8a. Google is merely using it as a flagship feature for the two mainline phones. It often does this with its flagship Pixels, only to roll those features out to older Pixels down the road in feature drops. Its not clear when this update will arrive for the Pixel 8a, however. Additionally, since this is a Verizon update specifically, this particular update on other carriers could have different release timing. Climate activists and pro-Palestinian protesters have held a demonstration outside the Barclays AGM as they urged the bank to divest. The demonstrators claim Barclays has ties with companies supplying arms and military technology to Israel, and that it invests in fossil fuels. Two figures dressed as the Grim Reaper stood watch over lines of child sized coffins outside the AGM at the SEC in Glasgow on Thursday. The black-clad oil slick silent performers from Extinction Rebellion were among those taking part, along with the Gaza Genocide Emergency Committee, Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Christian Climate Action, Fuel Poverty Action, Scottish Friends of Palestine, and Biofuelwatch. Jen Newall, a former climate scientist and now eco-strategist from Extinction Rebellion (XR) Scotland, said: Im speaking at this demonstration today to remind people of their power and their agency encourage anyone who banks with or has shares with Barclays to look deep within and consider if they can really accept contributing to these issues by supporting Barclays and their awful track record. Protesters outside the Barclays AGM in Glasgow (PA) Protesters listened to speeches and chanted Barclays divest, we will not stop, we will not rest as well as the pro-Palestinian from the river to the sea chant. Ben Jamal, Palestine Solidarity Campaign director, said: The only way to get Barclays to do the right thing is by drawing public attention to their role in facilitating Israels genocide and hitting their profits. Barclays said it recognises the profound human suffering caused by the conflict in Gaza. In a statement on its website, it said: We have been asked why we invest in nine defence companies supplying Israel, but this mistakes what we do. We trade in shares of listed companies in response to client instruction or demand and that may result in us holding shares. We are not making investments for Barclays and Barclays is not a shareholder or investor in that sense in relation to these companies. An associated claim is that we invest in Elbit, an Israeli defence manufacturer which also supplies the UK armed forces with equipment and training. For the reasons mentioned, it is not true that we have made a decision to invest in Elbit. We may hold shares in relation to client-driven transactions, which is why we appear on the share register, but we are not investors. Barclays said it has policies on a range of issues including climate change, human rights and the defence and security sector, and it uses these policies to evaluate clients and transactions. On the issue of oil and gas, the bank said it believes the future energy system must offer clean, reliable and affordable energy for all, but the transition to that system cannot happen overnight. It said: For this changeover to be just and orderly, Barclays must play a dual role: financing the energy system of tomorrow, while continuing to finance companies that are meeting the worlds current energy needs. We are taking a thoughtful and carefully considered approach to support a changing energy sector, focusing our capital and resources on those energy companies investing in and scaling clean energy, with greater scrutiny on those developing new oil and gas projects which may represent greater transition risk as well as locking-in longer-term emissions. There is a fear that university campuses in the UK will become unsafe spaces for students and staff like in the US, the Education Secretary has said. Student encampments have been set up at more than a dozen universities in the UK against the war in Gaza, including Cambridge and Oxford. Tensions have continued to ratchet up in standoffs with pro-Palestine protesters at US university campuses- and thousands of demonstrators have been arrested since the protests began in America last month. Students speaking at an encampment on the grounds of Cambridge University, protesting against the war in Gaza (Joe Giddens/PA) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conducted a meeting in the state dining room of No 10 on Thursday morning with vice-chancellors from leading UK universities to discuss antisemitism on campuses and protecting Jewish students. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said vice-chancellors need to show leadership in response to protests against the war in Gaza. Speaking ahead of the roundtable, Ms Keegan told Sky News: What we dont want is our campuses becoming unsafe environments for students or staff and going down the route that you see in other places like the US. When asked whether there is a fear that events in the US will be replicated in the UK, Ms Keegan said: Theres always a fear of that. There is always a contagion fear and obviously there are some groups that are encouraging this as well. The Education Secretary told the broadcaster that there are rumours that people in the US are talking to student groups in the UK. She said the Government was most concerned about antisemitic abuse due to the nature of those protests and some of the things we have seen. Ms Keegan called on universities in the UK to be respectful and safe places for all students. Her comments came after more than 100 pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside the Cambridge Union on Wednesday evening to protest a talk by billionaire tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel, founder of company Palantir. In 2023, 182 university-related antisemitic incidents were recorded by the Jewish charity, the Community Security Trust (CST), compared with 60 incidents in 2022 a rise of 203%. Speaking ahead of the meeting at Downing Street, Ms Keegan told LBC that she has heard directly from Jewish students who feel intimidated on campus. She added: What we need to do is show real leadership and we need to de-escalate the situation. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan leaves No 10 Downing Street following a meeting to discuss efforts to tackle antisemitism on campus and protect Jewish students (Yui Mok/PA) Asked whether she thinks Mr Sunak is clear on the difference between antisemitism and legitimate protest against Israeli army action, Ms Keegan told Times Radio: Its not straightforward in every case. She added: The reality is you have to look at those situations and what is targeted, what is inciting hatred or is actually moving into harassment. And you know, those lines are lines that we need to be clear about. Representatives from the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) and the CST also attended the meeting on Thursday morning alongside vice-chancellors. Ahead of the meeting, Mr Sunak warned of students and academic staff being targeted, threatened, and assaulted simply for being Jewish. Writing for The Times, he said: We will always protect freedom of speech and the right to protest and our universities are a natural place for that expression, precisely because they are institutions of learning and exploration where challenging ideas are debated rigorously. But just as importantly, universities have a profound duty to remain bastions of tolerance, where such debate takes place with respect for others and where every student feels safe and at home, whatever their faith or background. Mark Gardner, chief executive of the CST, said: Everyone has the right to protest, but they do not have the right to disrupt other students learning, harass and threaten Jewish students, or spread hatred of Israel with calls for resistance and other extremist language. University authorities need to set out clear boundaries for the timing, location and content of these protests and ensure there are consequences for anyone who breaks them. A spokesman for the UJS said: Universities must act decisively to combat hate on campus. UJS stands ready to work with all stakeholders to tackle this urgent issue. China-donated tents were distributed to families affected by flooding in west Afghanistan's Herat Province a couple of days ago, offering a temporary refuge to those grappling with the aftermath of natural disasters. The All England Club has announced more of its planned expansion will be public parkland as it awaits a decision from the Greater London Authority. The controversial plans, which were submitted to local authorities nearly three years ago, would see the size of Wimbledons grounds almost triple in size if approved. They include a new 8,000-seat stadium and 38 other courts on land previously used by Wimbledon Golf Club, but there has been vocal opposition from some local residents and the areas two MPs. An image showing the new proposed public parkland (Allies & Morrison/AELTC) Merton Council eventually approved the proposal but Wandsworth Council, under whose jurisdiction a small part of the land sits, rejected it and in January the Mayor of Londons office took charge of the decision. Central to the All England Clubs efforts to win over local residents has been the inclusion of public parkland, and on Thursday it announced that an extra four acres has been added in the northern part of the site, increasing the total to 27 acres. Chair Debbie Jevans said: I am delighted that, following the many thousands of conversations we have had with local people about our plans, and working with the Greater London Authority, we are now able to propose even more green space for Londoners to enjoy, on land that has been inaccessible to the public for more than 100 years. A CGI image of the proposed new show court (Allies & Morrison/AELTC) We continue to be committed to delivering significant social and environmental improvements, as well as creating hundreds of jobs and generating millions of pounds in economic benefits. The news was met with derision by the Save Wimbledon Park group, with chair Iain Simpson saying in a statement: AELTCs proposed minor modifications are extremely disappointing and change nothing. The area will still become exactly what we said three years ago a huge industrial tennis complex. These tiny amendments are an insult to the community AELTC claim to be part of. Wimbledon organisers had initially hoped that the project, which would enable the qualifying competition to be held on site rather than at nearby Roehampton, could be completed by 2030, but the lengthy administrative process means that will now be pushed back. The clubs statement concluded: We look forward to confirmation of a date for a public hearing on our applications in the coming months. Germanys Eurovision Song Contest entrant Isaak Guderian has said fears at home of him coming last have shifted following his performance on Tuesday. The former busker, 29, who competed on the German X Factor, delivered a flame-filled staging of Always On The Run featuring powerful vocals during the semi-final at Malmo Arena in Sweden. He is already though to the final on Saturday, along with other countries in the big five including the UKs Olly Alexander who have been performing for the first time in the semi-finals to give them a chance to be seen twice by Eurovision audiences. Speaking about perceptions of him at home, Isaak told the PA news agency on Thursday: It was pretty tough in Germany like, a lot of people were like, Oh, were gonna end up in the bottom and (people are talking) some political stuff that everyones complaining about whatever, (on) German broadcasts or me as a musician, (people asked) why dont we send a pop star? Or I dont know, we could have sent them (another musician) or that would have been better and whatever. There were a lot of discussions but it changed immediately after my performance and I think thats fair. There has been a lot of controversy around Israel competing and Eurovision artists across Europe have faced calls to boycott the contest. Isaak, who tapped into his busking roots to surprise journalists in the media centre earlier in the week, also said it makes a difference that people are seeing him twice trying to be as authentic as possible. If I would break my leg or my arm or whatever, and I would lay in hospital and couldnt be part of the final show, I still say it was absolutely worth it because this is like a huge step for me in the absolute right direction, he also said. And yeah, no matter whats happening, even if I make it on the bottom five or something, theres still like millions of people watching me, being me, Im not playing any role. He began his career playing guitar as a child on the street when he was on holiday with his family and did not want to sightseeing. Isaak said: I also earned some money as a 12-year-old kid. I earned like, I dont really remember, it was something like 20 euros (17). But (that) was like, huge for me, it was huge. Like, wow, crazy, Im able to earn money as a 12-year-old kid, thats crazy cool. And all those things together, led to me doing my most free music the next few years, like always everywhere. Isaak says that it didnt take a long time to realise he wanted to do this for the rest of his life and he has evolved as a performer since taking part in the German X Factor at the age of 16. Nothing could could ever tear me apart from doing music, he said. And I dont know where it comes from but it has always been like that and thats why I became the musician I am right now. Rail passengers face a third consecutive day of disruption on Thursday because of a strike by train drivers which will again cripple services. Members of Aslef at LNER, TransPennine Express and Northern Trains will walk out for the day following similar action over the past two days at other operators. Aslef is embroiled in a near two year long dispute over pay and conditions, which is now the longest ever in the railway industry. TransPennine urged people not to attempt to travel as it will not be running any services on its routes. Disruption is also likely on the day after strike action and services may start later and finish earlier than usual. Northern said it will also not run any services on Thursday. LNER will run more than 40 services between London, Edinburgh and West Yorkshire, equivalent to around a quarter of its usual timetable. Aslef members at 16 train operators are continuing with a week-long ban on overtime which will also cause disruption to services until the weekend. The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) has invited Aslef to a meeting to try to find some common ground before negotiations can restart, raising tentative hopes of a breakthrough. Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan speaks to the media on a picket line at Euston train station in London (Jordan Pettitt/PA) The two sides have not met formally for over a year despite a wave of strikes which is causing huge damage to the economy, especially in the hospitality industry. Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, said pay deals at the 16 Train Operating Companies (TOCs) involved in the dispute ran out in 2019, adding: Train drivers at these TOCs have not had an increase in salary for five years. That is completely wrong. The employers and the Government think we are going to give up and run away. Theyre wrong. Pubs close to railway stations are suffering losses on strike days, often having to cancel music gigs and other events. None of the train companies involved in the dispute are using the new law aimed at ensuring a minimum level of service during strikes. Unions have warned that the law is unworkable and potentially dangerous if rail passengers believe a certain number of trains will run on strikes days. The RDG said the strikes were inflicting more damage to the rail industry, which it added was receiving up to an additional 54 million a week in taxpayer money. The Department for Transport said the Transport Secretary and Rail Minister had facilitated a pay offer that would take train drivers average salaries up to 65,000 a year, almost twice the UK average. Pro-Palestinian protesters who target defence industrial sites in the UK are misguided and naive, the Defence Secretary has said. Grant Shapps spoke as he visited the BAE shipyard in Glasgow, which demonstrators blocked earlier this month to protest against military arms being sent to Israel. A number of other factories also saw demonstrations. During his visit, the UK Government minister viewed progress on HMS Cardiff, the latest Type 26 frigate under construction at the shipyard, before touring the Royal Navy base at Faslane in Argyll and Bute. Speaking to journalists in Glasgow, Mr Shapps said the UK does not have defence exports to Israel in any meaningful number. He said: The protesters are misguided and their protests are misplaced. What goes on here protects Britain and it protects people around the world. Anyone who cares about democracy, anyone who cares about freedom of movement at sea, the ability to shift goods around the world, to feed people Ukraines defence. For all those reasons what goes on here is important not just to Britain but to the world. It is the height of naivety to turn up here and protest in a location which has absolutely nothing to do with the issue theyre concerned about and everything to do with protecting Britain. The Defence Secretary was also asked about the situation in the Gaza Strip and Israels offensive in the Rafah area. Mr Shapps said Israel had been savagely attacked by Hamas militants on October 7 last year but it had to respond within international humanitarian law. Asked if Israel is going out of its way to adhere to international law, he said: Id like to see them do more. Protesters formed a blockade outside BAE Systems in Glasgow earlier this month (PA) I have consistently argued for Kerem Shalom, which is one of the gates (to the Gaza Strip) to be open to get aid in. He said he had made this point to his counterparts in Israel. The Defence Secretary was also asked about reports Russia may be escalating espionage and sabotage operations in Western Europe. Sites like the Govan shipyard have elaborate security arrangements, he said. Mr Shapps said: We do not go to Moscow and do these things. We do not expect that kind of activity to happen in the UK. He referred to the Salisbury poisonings and the recent arrests in London around an alleged arson plot involving men said to be connected to the proscribed Wagner Group. Mr Shapps added: We are clear with Russia that that kind of activity absolutely has to cease. I cant go into further details but I can tell you we take it incredibly seriously when those types of arrests take place on our soil. As a result of those arrests you will have seen that we have made (diplomatic) expulsions. Gordon Ramsay is to expand his restaurant empire with five new openings in London, all in one building and including the capitals highest restaurant. The chef will open Lucky Cat on level 60 at 22 Bishopsgate, Londons tallest office building, offering an Asian-inspired menu with 360-degree views of the city, in February. The venue will extend to the Lucky Cat Roof Terrace for cocktails and entertainment on the rooftop until 3am. Gordon Ramsay said he could not wait to share this unique dining experience with guests (David Davies/PA) Level 60 will also feature a 14-seat chefs table, an extension of Chelsea flagship Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, to celebrate its 25th anniversary and its 22nd year maintaining three Michelin stars. They will take the title of Londons highest restaurant from Duck & Waffle on the 40th floor of the nearby Salesforce Tower, also on Bishopsgate. Below, on level 59, will be a branch of the chefs Bread Street Kitchen & Bar chain, serving afternoon tea and cocktails as part of the menu and also with panoramic views. The Gordon Ramsay Academy will also open in the same building, where customers can hone their skills in a range of experiences from pasta-making to mixing cocktails, planned to appeal as social or corporate events. Mr Ramsay said: This is more than just a new opening its a significant milestone for our business. Were not only launching the highest culinary experiences in London, but also creating a vibrant culinary hub at the incredible 22 Bishopsgate. Im incredibly grateful to Barclays and all our partners for their support and Im so proud of the hard work from our teams. I cannot wait to share this unique dining experience with our guests. Reservations for the new restaurants will open in September. The Government has halted plans for a pilot hydrogen town project to heat thousands of homes in one area with low carbon gas by the end of the decade. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said it would not progress with the hydrogen town pilot until after 2026, when strategic decisions on the role of hydrogen in decarbonising heat will be made. Proposals for a pilot town heated by hydrogen instead of polluting natural gas were first outlined as part of Boris Johnsons 10-point plan in 2020 for a green industrial revolution to cut climate emissions to zero overall, known as net zero. And in 2022 gas distribution networks were invited to put forward outline plans for a scheme involving at least 10,000 properties, for the Government to deliver plans by 2025 for a possible pilot hydrogen town by the end of the decade. But a number of studies and experts have said hydrogen which can be low carbon, depending on how it is produced, and potentially piped through the existing gas network into buildings for use in hydrogen boilers will only have a small role to play in heating homes and other buildings in the future. We have decided not to progress work on a hydrogen town pilot until after 2026 decisions on the role of hydrogen for heating. Heat pumps and heat networks will be the main route to cutting household emissions for the foreseeable future. https://t.co/ja45suoFQU Martin Callanan (@MartinCallanan) May 9, 2024 Last year, the National Infrastructure Commission recommended the Government should not support the rollout of hydrogen heating. The move to halt plans for a hydrogen town come after proposals for two hydrogen villages, in Redcar and Whitby, Ellesmere Port, which faced local opposition, were abandoned. The Government said low carbon hydrogen may have a role to play in heat decarbonisation, alongside heat pumps and heat networks, but in slower time in some locations. Energy efficiency minister Lord Callanan said: We have decided not to progress work on a hydrogen town pilot until after 2026 decisions on the role of hydrogen for heating. Heat pumps and heat networks will be the main route to cutting household emissions for the foreseeable future. Responding to the announcement, Juliet Phillips, from climate policy think tank E3G, said: Discussions on hydrogen for heating are an unhelpful distraction that muddy the waters on the future of how we heat our homes. Todays decision makes clear that all attention and investment should be focused on readily available clean heat solutions, like heat pumps and heat networks. She said green hydrogen a low carbon source of the gas made using renewable power was likely to be an expensive and scarce resource which needed to be reserved for niche applications in industry, power and transport. Widespread use of hydrogen for heating is widely understood to be an extremely expensive and inefficient way to meet net zero targets, which could exacerbate fuel poverty, she warned. Attention now needs to be turned to how we can ensure a fair and well-managed transition away from fossil gas considering how to support jobs and decommission parts of the network, she added. A spokesperson for the UK gas distribution networks said: We welcome the clarity which has been provided on a potential hydrogen heating town and continue to support the need to make use of a range of energy solutions if we are to reach net zero in a fair and affordable way for customers that maintains choice. As an industry, we will keep working closely with the Government to provide the evidence and expertise required to make an informed decision on the future decarbonisation of home heating. Greta Thunberg has joined pro-Palestine protests in Malmo against Israel competing in the Eurovision Song Contest. The climate activist, 21, was at the Stop Israel demonstration, between Stortorget and Molleplatsen in the centre of the city on Thursday ahead of Israel singer Eden Golan performing at the second semi-final of the competition on Thursday evening. She was wearing a keffiyeh, a material commonly used to show support for Palestine, around her body in the centre of the crowd. While marching, Thunberg refused to comment, and told the PA news agency that she was good while flanked by other young activists. During the demonstrations, smoke canisters in the colours of the Palestinian flag were set off and protesters, some of whom have dogs, young children and bicycles with them, were carrying signs displaying images of Gaza civilians who have been injured amid the Hamas-Israel conflict. At one point, the pro-Palestinian demonstrators were told to go back by police and, following shouts of free Palestine, returned to the main gathering. There was also a banner created with Eurovision-style branding with the words genocide on it, an accusation vigorously denied by Israel amid the war with Hamas. Protesters hold up a banner with the words in Swedish No To Genocide (Martin Meissner/AP) The sign was later taken to Malmo Arena, where activists handed out leaflets making similar allegations. During Eden Golans rehearsals of her song Hurricane, which was reworked from an early track October Rain, thought to be a reference to the attack by Hamas, she was booed and there were reportedly shouts of free Palestine on Wednesday. At the protests in Malmo, Rory Flynn, 27, from Kildare, told the PA he is from the Eurovision Irish fan club and has started a separate movement to protest against Israel, adding the countrys entry in Sweden is overshadowing the competition. Eden Golan of Israel will perform at the second Eurovision semi-final on Thursday (Martin Meissner/AP) He said: We feel that its important to make our voices heard in the competition in the arena. Others are doing a full boycott and full respect to people who are doing a full boycott but we think its important that our voices are heard in the arena and around Malmo. Mr Flynn also said his group booed during Golans dress rehearsals this week, adding: This song is a propaganda song. OK, it was originally called October Rain and now its called Hurricane, you can see there, its the same melody; the lyrics have been changed at the request of the EBU (European Broadcast Union), but it is the same song. And it is about justifying Israels genocide in Gaza, and I think that says it all really, you know, I think its quite appropriate to kind of boo that propaganda. Fellow Irishman Kieran OCasey, 71, from Dublin, said he was not a Eurovision fan, but was in Malmo to make a stance against the bombing in Gaza. Im not a hardliner that they (Ireland) should have totally boycotted, he added. I dont think Israel should have been allowed to participate, not in the face of Israels behaviour. People wave Palestinian flags during a Pro-Palestinian demonstration for excluding Israel from Eurovision (Martin Meissner/AP) Theres no way because in a way, its a kind of, its an acceptance you can do what you want, but were gonna be pals and sing songs and wear glittery clothes while the bombing was going on. You know, its obscene. The protest marched across the city to Molleplatsen park, and the crowd stretched around a mile-long with people carrying signs saying that they were also coming from nearby Copenhagen. People carry Israeli and Swedish flags during a pro-Israel demonstration to pay tribute to Israels Eurovision participant Eden Golan in Malmo, Sweden (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP) Malmo-born Adam, who would not give his surname, told PA that the demonstrators were not against Israelis but the countrys politics. He also said that there are protests against Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu taking place in the Middle Eastern country. A small gathering of pro-Israeli activists also held demonstrations in Malmo to show their support for Golan. The Duke of Sussex chatted and played games with bereaved military children as he made a surprise visit to a charity event. Harry spent the afternoon with 50 children and young people, aged between six and 22, who have experienced the death of a military parent. He took part in games including one which saw the duke use a straw to transport Smarties as quickly as possible and spoke to the youngsters as part of the fun-filled event hosted in London by Scottys Little Soldiers. The Duke of Sussex during a visit to an event hosted by Scottys Little Soldiers (Paul Tibbs/Scottys Little Soldiers/PA) Harry also spent time talking to nine members from Scottys Council, a group of young people who represent the charitys other members, who discussed their experiences of growing up without a parent. The duke, 39, completed two tours of Afghanistan between 2007 and 2013 as a forward air controller and an Apache helicopter pilot, having flown countless training missions in the UK, US and Australia. He said: It was an honour to meet so many of the wonderful families Scottys Little Soldiers supports. I have long believed in the mission of this charity, and I truly believe the work they do to foster community and create space for young people to connect, grieve, but also have fun together is life-changing. I am a huge supporter of their work, and very proud to be their first global ambassador. The charity for which the duke became a global ambassador in November was one of seven which had been nominated by Harry and Meghan to benefit from donations marking the couples wedding ceremony in 2018. Harry has been involved with the charity since 2017 and recorded a special video message in 2022 dressed as Spider-Man for its childrens Christmas party. Georgia Paterson, 16, said it was amazing to speak to the duke about the experience of losing a parent growing up. The Duke of Sussex has been involved with Scottys Little Soldiers since 2017 (Paul Tibbs/Scottys Little Soldiers/PA) She said: Prince Harry was the best person to share that experience with because hes been through it and understands better than anyone. It was really moving to see how vulnerable he was with us, which encouraged us to open up as well. Georgia added: It felt really connecting because when your parent served, they served for the country, and one of the most important things for the country is the royal family. Speaking with someone who is part of that made me feel more connected to my Dad. It was amazing to be connected to him in that moment. Nikki Scott, who founded the charity in 2010 following the death of her husband during a tour in Afghanistan, said: It was amazing to see all the smiles in the room when Prince Harry walked through the door. The Duke of Sussex has supported Scottys for a long time, which means a lot to our members because they know he understands what its like to experience the death of a parent and the challenges they face. The Duke of Sussex is a global ambassador for Scottys Little Soldiers (Paul Tibbs/Scottys Little Soldiers/PA) Its important to our members to maintain their connection to the military community, which Prince Harry is also passionate about. Events like these are so valuable to our members because it enables them to develop friendships with others in a similar situation, as well as have lots of fun. Scottys Little Soldiers currently supports more than 670 bereaved military children and young people up to the age of 25, offering one-to-one bereavement support, guidance to parents and carers, fun activities such as holidays and group events, and learning assistance. University leaders should ensure red lines are drawn between free speech and inciting violence in pro-Palestinian protests on campuses, the leader of a Jewish student group has said. Edward Isaacs, president of the Union of Jewish Students (UJS), urged universities to take swift and decisive action to protect Jewish students. Vice-chancellors from a number of leading UK universities were summoned to a meeting with the Prime Minister at No 10 on Thursday to discuss antisemitism on campuses and keeping Jewish students safe. Rishi Sunak called for universities to remain bastions of tolerance during the roundtable with vice-chancellors. It comes as student encampments against the war in Gaza have been set up at more than a dozen universities in the UK, including Cambridge and Oxford. Students speaking at an encampment in the grounds of Cambridge University, protesting against the war in Gaza (Joe Giddens/PA) A camp was also set up at the University of Birmingham on Thursday, which said it was monitoring the situation to ensure safety and minimise disruption. In a statement, the university said: A small group of tents has been set up on campus by individuals protesting in support of Palestine. The university is operating as normal with exams and other activity continuing as planned. Tensions have continued to ratchet up in standoffs with pro-Palestine protesters at US university campuses and thousands of demonstrators have been arrested since the protests began last month. Mr Isaacs, who attended the roundtable meeting at Downing Street on Thursday, said direct calls for violence have no place on campus. He told the PA news agency: The burden is now on vice-chancellors to ensure we dont see scenes in the US replicated in the UK. Mr Isaacs said: Fundamentally, red lines have to be drawn. We are seeing language emanating from these encampments and protest movements such as calls to globalise the intifada. These are not meaningless political statements, these are direct calls for violence and they have no place on campus. He added that Jewish students have faced a year like no other in terms of the volume of antisemitism on campus. Guy Dabby-Joory, head of campaigns at the UJS, said there had been discussions in the meeting on ensuring any criminal behaviour at protests would be met with an appropriate response. He said: We think actions will speak louder than words. Mr Dabby-Joory added: We hope the universities will take their duties far more seriously. We hope they will show zero tolerance to antisemitism of any form. At the meeting, Mr Sunak and leaders at 17 British universities discussed taking disciplinary action against students found guilty of antisemitism or glorification of terrorism, or any form of intimidation or violence. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said it was up to universities to deal with such investigations. Ahead of the roundtable with university leaders, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said vice-chancellors needed to show leadership in response to protests over Israeli military action in Gaza at UK universities. She told Sky News: What we dont want is our campuses becoming unsafe environments for students or staff and going down the route that you see in other places like the US. When asked whether there is a fear that events in the US will be replicated in the UK, Ms Keegan said: Theres always a fear of that. There is always a contagion fear and obviously there are some groups that are encouraging this as well. Her comments came after more than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the Cambridge Union on Wednesday evening to protest against a talk by billionaire tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel, who is founder of American software company Palantir. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan leaves No 10 Downing Street following a meeting to discuss efforts to tackle antisemitism on campus and protect Jewish students (Yui Mok/PA) On Wednesday, some students at Newcastle University where a pro-Palestinian encampment is in place missed their health and wellbeing appointments after protests meant they could not enter a university building. A spokesperson for Newcastle University said: Our attempts at constructive dialogue with protesters were not taken in the spirit intended and the protest escalated to a completely unacceptable level. Ms Keegan told BBCs Radio 4 Today programme that protests should not be targeted at individual Jewish students or lecturers. She said: They cant be harassing people. Nor should they also be stopping other students just going about their education. Asked whether she thinks Mr Sunak is clear on the difference between antisemitism and legitimate protest against Israeli army action, Ms Keegan told Times Radio: Its not straightforward in every case. She added: The reality is you have to look at those situations and what is targeted, what is inciting hatred or is actually moving into harassment. And you know, those lines are lines that we need to be clear about. Representatives from Jewish charity the Community Security Trust (CST) also attended the meeting alongside vice-chancellors from a number of leading universities where student protests are currently taking place. In 2023, 182 university-related antisemitic incidents were recorded by the CST compared with 60 incidents in 2022 a rise of 203%. Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK (UUK), said the meeting with ministers and the UJS had been positive and she welcomed the opportunity to have a discussion about how to avoid an escalation of campus tensions. She said: Universities have taken the rise in antisemitism on campuses since October 7 very seriously and will continue to work hard to ensure the safety of Jewish staff and students. The current conflict has raised tensions across many communities and we have been clear there is no place for intolerance on our campuses. In line with the sectors clear commitment to freedom of speech, it is important that universities allow and support students and staff to debate and discuss this crisis, and the challenging issues it raises, but within the law, and with respect and tolerance. In the autumn statement in November, the Chancellor announced that 7 million of extra support would be committed to tackle antisemitism in schools and universities. Of this, 500,000 will be dedicated to supporting the work of the University Jewish Chaplaincy, which helps students deal with incidents of antisemitism. Israels singer has insisted the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden remains safe for everyone amid protests against her participating as she made the final. Eden Golan, 20, whose emotional Hurricane was reworked from a previous track called October Rain, which was thought to reference the Hamas attacks on Israel, performed at the second semi-finals on Thursday evening in Malmo Arena. Earlier in the day, thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters walked across the streets of Malmo from Stortorget to Molleplatsen to show their support for Gaza and condemn Israel taking part in Eurovision amid the conflict. The Netherlands act Joost Klein told Golan, who is representing Israel, to answer a question on whether she is comprising the safety of other contestants at a press conference. A journalist asked: Have you ever thought that by being here you bring risk and danger for other participants and public? Golan was told she did not have to answer the question, but Klein chimed in saying: Why not? She said: I think were all here for one reason and one reason only and the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) is taking all safety precautions to make this a safe and and united place for everyone and so I think its safe for everyone and we wouldnt be here (if not). The Israeli act also said she was overwhelmed with emotions and that she was super excited to go on stage once more, and share that of my love with everyone. Earlier, when Klein was asked about if his song can unite people by music, he replied saying: I think thats a good question for the EBU. Golan opened with a back bend, before launching into her song and received claps and cheers from the audience while dressed in a flowing sand-coloured dress. Nemo of Switzerland, pictured, on Thursday. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) The events organisers had said they will not censor the audience after Golan was booed during rehearsals on Wednesday and there were reportedly shouts of free Palestine. Switzerlands Nemo, whose operatic-pop song The Code is seen as one of the favourites to win on Saturday, made the final along with Klein, with his irreverent and silly Europapa, and Norways Gate with the folkish Ulveham. Also making the final was Latvias Dons, Austrias Kaleen, Greeces Marina Satti, Estonias 5Miinust x Puuluup, Georgias Nutsa Buzaladze and Armenias Ladaniva. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), whose members approved Israeli broadcaster Kan, has taken a strong stance, as in previous years, against political messages at Eurovision and flags and symbols from non-competing countries. Despite the position, Tuesdays first semi-final saw former Swedish contestant and opening act Eric Saade wear a keffiyeh pattern material, commonly used by people who want to show they are pro-Palestinian, on his arm. UNITED NATIONS, May 8 (Xinhua) -- While wide-spread flooding challenges East Africa, UN humanitarians have launched an appeal for landlocked Zambia suffering from drought, a UN spokesman said on Wednesday. Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the appeal of 228 million U.S. dollars would assist 4.6 million people between now and December. "Zambia is experiencing its driest agricultural season in more than 40 years, resulting in crop losses, increased livestock deaths and worsening poverty," Dujarric said. "Nearly half of the 2 million hectares of maize planted in the country have been destroyed by the drought and, according to authorities, cereal production is forecasted to decline by nearly 50 percent this year," he said. The spokesman said the government reported that more than 9 million people -- nearly half the population -- are food insecure and need humanitarian assistance. The spokesman said Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths released 13.5 million dollars from the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) last month to shore up support to address the El Nino-induced drought in southern Africa. Zambia received 5.5 million dollars of the CERF allocation in April and an earlier 2.5 million U.S. dollar allocation. He said the government declared a national drought disaster back in February. As for the East Africa drought victims, Dujarric said the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is working with the governments and UN humanitarian partners in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. The spokesman said that in Burundi, IOM provides emergency shelter, blankets, dignity kits and other items to more than 5,000 people and supports relocating those affected to safer and less flood-prone areas. He said that in Kenya, IOM and partners reported delivering shelter and essential household items to support 39,000 people in the country's most severely flood-impacted parts. He said that IOM targets approximately 240,000 people in neighboring Somalia with shelter materials and other essential items and services. The spokesman said that in Ethiopia, IOM has supported over 70,000 people impacted by floods across the Somali and Oromia regions. "The agency says that at this critical moment, the call remains urgent for sustainable efforts to address human mobility spurred by a changing climate," Dujarric said. Natalie Elphicke has been made accountable for past comments she made defending her ex-husband after he was convicted for sexual assault, Labour Party chairwoman Anneliese Dodds has said. Ms Elphicke quit the Conservatives just moments before Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday, hitting out at Rishi Sunaks tired and chaotic government and accusing the Prime Minister of failing to deliver on his promise to stop the boats. But her debut as a Labour MP has not been welcomed by all of her new colleagues, with some raising concerns about her views and comments she made after her former husband and predecessor as MP for Dover Charlie Elphicke was convicted in 2020 of sexually assaulting two women and sentenced to two years in prison. Ms Elphicke ended the marriage after his conviction but supported his unsuccessful appeal, saying Elphicke had been attractive, and attracted to women and an easy target for dirty politics and false allegations. Asked about those comments, Ms Dodds told Times Radio on Thursday: Of course, this is an incredibly serious issue and there was a judicial process, quite rightly, around that sexual assault. There was accountability for Natalie Elphicke in the fact that there was a parliamentary process around this. Now, its quite right that there was a parliamentary process, as I say Natalie Elphicke has gone through that, and I believe that she has addressed this in Parliament and in public, and rightly so, because this is a very serious subject. Asked how Ms Elphicke could be admitted to Labour when MP Diane Abbott remains suspended over comments relating to antisemitism, Ms Dodds told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that the party has an independent process that operates without fear or favour. The Labour Party chairwoman was also asked on Today about Ms Elphickes past comment that footballer Marcus Rashford should have spent more time perfecting his game and less time on politics after England lost in the European Championship. Anneliese Dodds has been responding in the media to questions about comments previously made by new Labour MP Ms Elphicke (PA) My understanding is that Natalie, I think, rightly apologised for those unacceptable comments about Marcus Rashford, Ms Dodds said. Ms Elphicke had previously criticised Labours immigration policy but said on Wednesday that under Sir Keir Starmer, the party has changed. She said the key deciding factors in her defection were housing issues and the safety and security of our borders. Ms Dodds told BBC Breakfast that she believes Elphicke is a good fit for Labour and said that people can change their minds. Natalie Elphicke is taking the same decision as so many other former Conservative supporters up and down the country by switching her allegiance to Labour, Ms Dodds said. But former prime minister Lord David Cameron said her defection showed Labour stood for nothing. Answering questions after a speech in London, the Foreign Secretary said: What does this tell us about the party shes joining? In life, if you dont stand for something, you will fall for anything. I thought thats sort of what yesterday showed, that there isnt a policy about anything, its just been about clearing the decks to try and focus attention on the governing party. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan meanwhile said Natalie Elphicke was a very odd fit for the Labour Party considering the Dover MPs views on immigration. Natalie Elphicke supported her ex-husband Charlie Elphickes unsuccessful appeal (Dominic LipinskiPA) Asked if she feared other Tory MPs could follow and defect, Ms Keegan told Times Radio that she hoped most of her other colleagues were more principled than that. She said it was not clear what deal Ms Elphicke had made to cross the floor to Labour and there is all kinds of speculation as to why she would do so. So, I dont really know her very well but clearly she has had a massive 180 degree change in some of her views miraculously, I guess overnight, and Im not 100% sure how you can change your views and principles that quickly, Ms Keegan said. Ms Elphicke is standing down at the general election. Despite the backlash within the Labour Party, the defection was another blow for the Prime Minister, after MP Dan Poulters decision to leave the Tories for Labour in April and the dismal local election results for the Conservatives last week. Labour will crack down on sexual harassment of interns and volunteers to give women the best start at working life, Angela Rayner has pledged. In a speech to the Chartered Management Institutes (CMI) womens conference on Thursday, the Labour deputy leader said her party would legislate to make employers liable if they became aware of interns or volunteers being sexually harassed and failed to take action. She said: Starting a first job should be one of the most exciting and empowering moments in a womans life but instead, all too often its the first time they come up against sexual harassment. Sexual harassment remains rife in workplaces across Britain. For any employee, but especially interns and volunteers, experiencing sexual harassment can destroy confidence and ruin early careers. Labour has already promised to strengthen legal requirements for employers to tackle sexual harassment at work as part of its New Deal for Working People, a series of measures intended to overhaul workplace rights in the UK. On Thursday, Ms Rayner said the party would also extend that duty to ensure it applied to contracted interns and volunteers. She said: My message to working women is clear: with our New Deal for Working People, a Labour government will have your back. Ann Francke, chief executive of the CMI, welcomed the announcement, saying measures to strengthen employee wellbeing were always a good idea. She said: Good employers recognise that they need to move swiftly and decisively with clear policies in place when it comes to tackling these behaviours both for the sake of their teams and also to protect their reputation. Sexual harassment at work accounts for around a quarter of all sexual harassment, and is the second most common form after harassment in a public place, according to the Crime Survey of England and Wales. Research by the Trade Union Congress suggests two-thirds of young women have been sexually harassed at work. Business minister Kevin Hollinrake said: Keir Starmer has surrendered to Angela Rayner and the unions. Their new French-style laws will ban flexible working, make it harder for small businesses to hire new staff and make it much easier to strike. Thats why businesses are warning this risks costing jobs and damaging the economy. World number one Luke Humphries delighted the home crowd as he battled to victory over Michael van Gerwen to win night 15 of the Premier League in Leeds. Humphries decked out in a Leeds United themed shirt as he revelled in the support of the First Direct Arena crowd produced a string of impressive displays before edging out Van Gerwen in a last-leg decider. After breaking in the first leg of the final, Dutchman Van Gerwen who earlier beat Premier League leader Luke Littler had opened up a 3-1 lead before Humphries came roaring back to level at 3-3. A night to cherish for Luke Humphries #PLDarts pic.twitter.com/7eBn6fK7AF PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) May 9, 2024 There remained little between the two men with a run of lost throws before a missed out shot on 32 handed Humphries his first match darts. The world number one, though, could not take out 78 as Van Gerwen levelled up at 5-5. Both men then missed chances to clinch victory before Cool Hand Humphries edged it, landing double top with his last dart in hand to secure a fourth nightly win overall. When I walked in here, I did feel a little bit of pressure, I cant lie, Humphries said on Sky Sports. I knew it (pressure) was on me. This was a dream for me tonight to perform in front of a crowd that I dont do very often. New shirt New Walk-On Song Fair to say Luke Humphries enjoyed that one on his homecoming to Leeds pic.twitter.com/2e2QWP3FFP PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) May 9, 2024 Tonight was amazing. Going on to win was one of my greatest experiences in darts. Humphries, who walked out to I Predict A Riot by Kaiser Chiefs, added: The crowd were fantastic. It is what dreams are made of. I have played really well tonight, but it is how you peak on night 17 being Premier League champion is something that would mean a lot to me. Littler remains five points clear at the top of the table, with Humphries and Van Gerwen also having qualified for the O2, while Nathan Aspinall and Michael Smith look set to battle it out for the fourth play-off spot in Sheffield next week. Michael van Gerwen, left, had seen off Luke Littler in the semi-finals with a confident display (Mike Egerton/PA) In his semi-final win, Van Gerwen had just missed out on a nine-dart finish as he took the fourth leg to open up a 3-1 lead on Littler before claiming the next on double one as both men were off target. The Dutchman pressed home his advantage with a 74 checkout and then booked his place in the final on double six, having hit four maximums, as Littlers match average of 86.89 proved costly. Humphries landed four 180s in his 6-1 demolition of play-off hopeful Michael Smith, recording a match average of almost 103. Peter Wright has endured a miserable Premier League campaign so far (Mike Egerton/PA) Littler had earlier coasted past former world champion Peter Wright with a 6-1 win in their quarter-final. In Thursday nights the opening match, Van Gerwen came from behind to land five straight legs in a 6-3 victory over Gerwyn Price the Welshman having returning to Premier League action after missing last week because of a trapped nerve in his back. World number one Humphries beat Rob Cross 6-1, landing two 180s and finishing with match average of 109.48, while Smith recorded a 6-3 win over play-off rival Nathan Aspinall, who was made to pay for not landing his doubles. The mastermind of a lucrative extreme body modifications enterprise who cooked human testicles to eat in a salad has been jailed for life. Marius Gustavson and his acolytes carried out male castration, penis removal and other grisly procedures on an unprecedented scale, the Old Bailey heard. Procedures were videoed and posted on Gustavsons Eunuch Maker website which netted him more than 300,000 between 2017 and 2021. On one occasion when Gustavson cooked what appeared to be human testicles which are then plated to be eaten and kept other body parts as trophies, Judge Mark Lucraft KC said. Gustavson, 46, of Haringey, north London, admitted charges including conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. On Thursday Judge Lucraft sentenced him to life with a minimum term of 22 years. Six other men received jail terms of between four-and-a-half years and 12 years for their part in the plot. Judge Lucraft said: Gustavson, on the evidence you are very much the mastermind behind this grisly and gruesome enterprise. Like-minded individuals were recruited by you, Gustavson, to assist in what became a large-scale, dangerous, and extremely disturbing enterprise. The procedures were conducted in amateur and dangerous ways: in some instances it is little more than human butchery. Some procedures were overtly sexual or had clear sexual overtones. Many procedures clearly caused great distress and some resulted in the need for immediate emergency medical treatment. He added: I am entirely satisfied that the motivation of all those involved were a mix of sexual gratification as well as financial reward. Extreme body modification is linked to a subculture where men become nullos, short for genital nullification, by having their penis and testicles removed. A knife used by Damien Byrnes, 36, from Tottenham, north London, to remove the penis of Marius Gustavson (Met Police/PA) Previously, prosecutor Caroline Carberry KC said Gustavson was linked to at least 29 procedures. After one of them, Gustavson cooked severed testicles for lunch which he ate in a salad he had prepared for himself, she said. He had taken various pictures from raw ingredients to an artfully arranged salad platter, Ms Carberry told the court. She added: There is also, we say, clear evidence of cannibalism. The court heard Gustavson, who had two previous fraud convictions in Norway, offered to sell the severed penis of one of his victims for hundreds of pounds. According to court documents, body parts were put up for auction online with a buy it now button. Peter Wates, 67, of Purley, Surrey, a retired former member of the Royal Society of Chemists, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his part in a lucrative extreme body modifications enterprise (Metropolitan Police/PA) The other defendants had admitted their part in the conspiracy relating to 13 victims, the youngest of whom was 16 years old. Ms Carberry said the defendants used a wide variety of tools such as clamps used for animal castration. Gustavson was arrested after he used a red-hot iron to brand a mans calf with the letters EM for Eunuch Maker. In a victim impact statement, the man who complained to police, described Gustavson as a lunatic who had put together a slick, professional website. Some 22,000 subscribers paid to access videos on the Eunuch Maker website, with varying levels of membership from free to VIP which cost 100. The police investigation led to the arrest of 10 men in London, Scotland and South Wales. During raids, officers found Gustavsons penis in a drawer in his home four years after it had been amputated. Gustavson, a Norwegian national, also had to have his leg amputated in February 2019 after getting a man to freeze it and claimed 18,000 in disability payments up until 2021. Earlier in mitigation, Rashvinderjeet Panesar said the breakdown of Gustavsons marriage was the trigger for his offending. The defence barrister said: He had a desire to be the architect of his own body. His modification led him to feelings of empowerment. It appears at face value to be something thats become an addiction for him. Gustavson had pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit grievous bodily harm, five counts of grievous bodily harm with intent, making and distributing an indecent photograph of a child, and possession of criminal property. Janus Atkin, 38, of Newport, Gwent, had been completing a veterinary course and was jailed for 12 years (Metropolitan Police/PA) The other six defendants had admitted conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. Peter Wates, 67, of Purley, Surrey, a retired former member of the Royal Society of Chemists, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Janus Atkin, 38, of Newport, Gwent, who had been completing a veterinary course, was jailed for 12 years. Ion Ciucur, 30, of Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, received five years and eight months imprisonment, and Stefan Scharf, 61, of no fixed address, was sentenced to four and a half years in jail. David Carruthers 61, and Ashley Williams, 32, of Newport, Gwent, were jailed for 11 years and four years, six months respectively. David Carruthers, 61, of Newport, Gwent, who was jailed at the Old Bailey in London, for 11 years (Metropolitan Police/PA) In January, three men were sentenced after admitting causing grievous bodily harm to Gustavson. Damien Byrnes, 36, from north London, was jailed for five years for removing Marius Gustavsons penis with a kitchen knife on video at his home on February 18 2017. Jacob Crimi-Appleby, 23, from Epsom in Surrey, was jailed for three years and eight months for freezing Gustavsons leg leading to the need for it to be amputated in February 2019. Nurse Nathan Arnold, 48, from South Kensington, west London, received a two-year suspended sentence for the partial removal of Gustavsons nipple with a scalpel in the summer of 2019. Kate Mulholland, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: Marius Gustavson ignored the risks of performing unnecessary surgery on vulnerable men for sexual gratification and financial gain. He actively recruited participants through his website and was paid to stream the footage of these barbaric procedures. Whilst the victims in this case all seemingly consented to surgeries and amputations, the victim who bravely reported his assault to the police expressed serious regret regarding his procedure and the lasting impact it has had upon him. This clearly emphasises why such practices are unlawful. The severity of todays sentence should act as a warning to others that performing extreme body modifications is against the law and the CPS wont hesitate to prosecute these horrendous crimes. Detective Inspector Amanda Greig, from Scotland Yard, said: I would like to highlight the excellent work of the Mets investigation team, who have examined thousands of hours of horrific material seized from the suspects. Their diligence and professionalism have ensured no one else will suffer at the hands of these men. This lengthy and complex investigation demonstrates that we are determined to protect Londoners from harm and bring those that threaten the safety of our communities to justice. Consultant urological surgeon Chris Dawson, who was consulted on the case, said: The procedures performed in these cases have highlighted the dangers involved in back-street surgery. To become a highly qualified surgeon takes a number of years, and these procedures should not be carried out by anyone without the necessary experience or expertise as it risks serious complications such as significant bleeding, or sepsis. Penis removal is a complex procedure which is performed only by surgeons who have specialised in that area. If performed by an inexperienced person there would be a high likelihood of needing corrective surgery afterwards. The Coalition is proposing to expand its superannuation for housing policy, including to allow first home buyers to withdraw more than the $50,000 proposed before the 2022 election. Photograph: Glenn Hunt/AAP The Coalition has amped up its push to let Australians use superannuation to buy a home despite modelling showing the proposal could cost the government up to $2.5bn a year by the end of the decade. First home buyers would be able to withdraw their entire super balance for a deposit under a recommendation from a Coalition-dominated senate committee, with its interim report on Thursday also canvassing withdrawal caps of $100,000 or $150,000. Letting Australians buy their first home with superannuation-funded deposits would blow a hole of up to $2.5bn a year in the budget by the end of the decade, according to Deloitte modelling for the super industry. The modelling for the Super Members Council, released on Thursday, shows a mounting annual and cumulative cost to the budget primarily from more people relying on the aged pension due to lower super balances at retirement. Coalition senators further suggested letting buyers put up their super as collateral for a home loan, dismissing the risk that buyers would lose their entire balance if they failed to repay the loan. [Foreclosure] is a very rare occurrence in Australia [and] the age pension also remains available as a retirement safety net in this eventuality, the report said. Deloitte found a couple comprised of two 30-year-olds who withdrew $35,000 each from their super could retire with about $195,000 less in todays dollars. Such a couple could be expected to receive $3,270 more a year from the aged pension, costing $88,400 to the budget over their lifetime. The Coalition senators recommendations would allow even greater superannuation withdrawal than Deloittes modelled scenario. The proposals go further than the Coalitions 2022 policy of permitting withdrawals of up to $50,000 and are the clearest indication yet of the oppositions housing policy direction, after Guardian Australia in March revealed the proposed expansion of super for housing. This sets up a major policy fight with the Albanese government, which argues the policy will undermine the purpose of super and increase house prices. Labor members of the committee, in their dissenting response to Thursdays report, said an expanded super for housing policy would reduce Australians savings and lock younger workers out of the market. The policy fails by encouraging first home buyers to empty their super, lose compound returns, and retire with less savings, they wrote. Younger - and low and moderate income - first home buyers dont have enough superannuation to use for a deposit anyway. Deloitte modelled two scenarios: one in which first home buyers can withdraw the lower of 40% or $50,000 of their superannuation for a house deposit; and a second with no cap on the amount they can withdraw. It found that, under the capped scenario, access to super would cost the budget $320m a year in 2030, rising to more than $3bn a year in 2060, by which time the cumulative cost of the policy would be $40bn. Related: Draining entire superannuation savings wouldnt cover most young couples home deposits, research finds In the uncapped scenario, access to super would cost the budget $2.5bn a year by 2030, rising to $15bn a year by the mid-2060s, by which time the cumulative cost of the policy would be $200bn. The Coalition senators recommendations go further than even the uncapped scenario, also letting buyers use their withdrawal plus proceeds to move to a new house after their first purchase, rather than returning the withdrawal to their balance. The Deloitte model assumed that over the medium to long term 87% of first home buyers would access the scheme, a figure based on access to New Zealands KiwiSaver scheme to buy a house. It assumed a first home buying household (with an average of 1.7 people) would withdraw about $60,000 under the capped scenario and $140,000 under the uncapped scenario. Earlier Super Members Council modelling has claimed that letting first home buyers access up to $50,000 could cause price rises of between $69,000 to $86,000 in major capital cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. The Super Members Council chief executive, Misha Schubert, said the reports proposals for even deeper raids on super for housing were economically reckless. It sets a policy trap for young Australians because it hikes house prices and blows a budget blackhole in the decades ahead mostly by pushing up age pension costs which every taxpayer would pay, she said. Ideas to break the seal on super just leave people with less savings in retirement and a bigger bill for all taxpayers. In April Guardians Essential poll found majority support for a range of more radical solutions to housing unaffordability including super for housing, the Greens public sector property developer, Labors shared equity scheme, and tackling housing tax concessions. Kaimes School in Edinburgh A school for severely autistic children has signed up to a controversial LGBT charter pushing pseudoscientific transgender ideology. Experts accused Kaimes School in Edinburgh, which takes children from age five, of breathtaking recklessness over how it teaches concepts of biological sex and gender to vulnerable pupils. There is a strong, but as yet poorly understood link between autism and young people reporting gender identity issues. Studies suggest transgender and gender-diverse individuals are up to six times more likely to be autistic, as reported in the Cass Review. Documents show that Kaimes School has overhauled its curriculum to become trans inclusive in a bid to win charter status from activist charity LGBT Youth Scotland (LGBTYS). Examples include the Spanish language being adapted to become gender-neutral in lessons, to address what was seen as an unfortunate grammatical dependence on masculine and feminine terms. Dr Hilary Cass conducted the Independent Review of Gender Identity Services for Children and Young People (The Cass Review). The former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health was appointed to lead the report in 2020 - Yui Mok/PA Messages on school notice boards dedicated exclusively to LGBT issues tell pupils to come out for LGBT. Other slogans include: LGBT+ matters, be a part of us. Statements such as trans women are real women have also been put on display. Pupils have been shown an image of a gingerbread person in assemblies, designed to teach them about the difference between gender and sex, and are told it is fine and valid if they do not match. Reading materials in the school include a book titled Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl? written by the trans activists Sarah Fisher and Fox Fisher and endorsed by LGBTYS and Stonewall. Carolyn Brown, a retired former educational psychologist who helped the Scottish Government draw up a national autism strategy, described the approach taken by the school as grossly irresponsible. This is the opposite of what a specialist school in autism should be doing, she said. These youngsters will interpret things very literally and see the world in black and white. If you tell them they can be a member of the opposite sex, then they will really believe that. Showing them nonsense like the gingerbread person, which is highly regressive and misleading, is only going to make them very confused. You would expect schools, especially ones that specialise in autism, to respond very cautiously and with great care in this area. Instead, youngsters are being fed pseudoscience, presented as fact, and so are the staff. It is shocking and breathtaking. The Scottish Parliament at Holyrood debate Implementing the Cass Review in Scotland, on Wednesday - Colin Fisher/Alamy Live News While experts say they do not yet understand the link between autism and gender distress, materials produced by Kaimes School suggest it is explained as autistic people are willing to examine social constructs. It cites its source as an American YouTuber. Like other schools to join the LGBTYS scheme, Kaimes has set up an LGBT champions group of staff and pupils and runs a weekly LGBT lunchtime club. Ms Brown said she feared the difficulties autistic people had in social scenarios may mean they were attracted to the clubs as a way of fitting in. A lot of autistic young people worry because they find it difficult to read the room and do not understand social niceties, she added. So these clubs, where theyre selling themselves as inclusive and dressing them up to look really attractive, is potentially setting up a real safeguarding issue. Its leading these young people to believe, quite wrongly, that theres something wrong with their bodies, when they actually need support to help manage their autism. School has 100 complex needs pupils The documents show teachers at the school, which has around 100 pupils all of whom have complex needs linked to autism, are told to listen to our young people and respect their pronouns/name changes etc. The National Autistic Society has said the link between autism and gender dysphoria is not yet understood. Dr Hilary Cass told Holyroods health committee this week that children experiencing gender issues should be assessed for autism, as it may help explain their symptoms and avoid the need for a medical transition. She warned in her report that neurodiverse people were potentially vulnerable into their early 20s or longer because of their tendency to want black and white answers, and their difficulty in tolerating uncertainty. In a guide labelled please read, the school put forward the theory that autistic people may be more likely to be trans as they feel there is less need to fit societal norms and therefore feel more able to express and explore our authentic sexuality and gender identity. The guide emphasises that autistic people definitely have the ability to make decisions about their own gender identity and that to suggest otherwise is ableist and transphobic. An Edinburgh council spokesman said: We follow guidance set out in the Equality Act across all Council business and value the importance of inclusivity, tolerance and respect for all individuals. We understand that different people hold different views and aim to work with our diverse community to respect and support one another. This is done in a variety of ways and has included working with LGBT Youth Scotland. LGBTYS was approached for comment. Migrants with interviews are allowed to enter the United States at the Chaparral pedestrian border on May 16, 2023, in Tijuana, Mexico. The Biden administration on Thursday proposed a new rule that it said would streamline the asylum process by restricting access earlier for certain migrants deemed to pose a national security or public safety risk. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images The Biden administration on Thursday proposed a new rule that it said would streamline asylum processing at the southern border by quickly denying certain migrants deemed to pose a national security or public safety risk. The proposed rule would allow immigration officials to reject and deport migrants who are already ineligible for asylum at an earlier stage in the process, a change administration officials said would enhance national security and save taxpayer dollars. The rule targets migrants who have been convicted of a particularly serious crime, who have participated in the persecution of others, who are inadmissible on national security or terrorism-related grounds or for whom there are reasonable grounds to deem them a danger to the security of the United States, according to a memo distributed by the Department of Homeland Security. Related: Why doesnt anybody care? Texas-Mexico border devastated by anti-migrant operation Federal law already bars individuals who pose a national security or public safety threat from being granted asylum, but the new rule would allow asylum officers to consider their ineligibility during an initial screening for credible fear a criterion for establishing asylum which can take place just days after the individual is encountered at the border. The proposed rule we have published today is yet another step in our ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of the American public by more quickly identifying and removing those individuals who present a security risk and have no legal basis to remain here, Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of homeland security, said in a statement. We will continue to take action, but fundamentally it is only Congress that can fix what everyone agrees is a broken immigration system. A senior homeland security official, who spoke to reporters on Thursday on the condition of anonymity, said the number of migrants subject to asylum bars was small, but did not provide an estimate. The official added that the rule would save taxpayer money because many of the migrants subject to asylum bars are detained throughout the proceedings, which can take months. The move comes as Biden confronts bipartisan calls to take executive actions to stem the flow of people crossing the US-Mexico border. After reaching record highs last year, border crossings have steadily declined since December. But the issue continues to be one of the presidents biggest political vulnerabilities before the November election, and polls show widespread, albeit polarized, frustration with the presidents handling of the border. Republicans, led by the partys presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump, blame Biden for the unprecedented situation at the US-Mexico border. Progressive Democrats, Latino leaders and immigration rights advocates are pressing him to do more to protect immigrants already living and working in the United States. At the same time, swing-state and border-state Democrats are pushing Biden to use his executive authority to clamp down on border crossings. As the Biden administration considers executive actions on immigration, we must not return to failed Trump-era policies aimed at banning asylum and moving us backwards, senator Alex Padilla, a Democrat of California said at a press conference on Wednesday. I urge President Biden to embrace our values as a nation of immigrants and use this opportunity to instead provide relief for the long-term immigrants of this nation. Earlier this year, Congressional Republicans tanked a bipartisan border deal at the behest of Trump in order to deny Biden a political win. Congressional Republicans have since argued that Biden already has the executive authority to halt the flow of migrants. Biden has continued to call on Congress to act. Meanwhile, Trump has vowed to carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history should he win re-election in November, laying out a suite of legally questionable policies that include the deployment of military and police units and the creation of vast detention camps along the southern border. The changes announced on Thursday are limited in scope. But Biden has said his administration is exploring a broader set of executive actions, including whether he has the authority to shut down the southern border. Mr Biden explicitly conditioned the transfer of American weaponry for the first time - Bloomberg Joe Biden has warned he will stop supplying US weapons to Israel if it goes ahead with a planned ground invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza. It marked the first time the US president has explicitly conditioned the transfer of American weaponry on Israels military actions as he acknowledged that US bombs have been used to kill civilians in Gaza. Mr Biden was reported to have cautioned Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, against invading the southern Gazan city of Rafah during a phone call on Monday. In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Mr Biden was more explicit about his conversations with Israeli officials. He said: I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they havent gone in Rafah yet if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they [Israel] go after population centres, Mr Biden said. An injured child is taken to Al Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah - Shutterstock Rafah - the last major Hamas stronghold in Gaza - is also currently holding more than a million displaced civilians. Mr Biden said Washington was still committed to Israels defence and would supply Iron Dome rocket interceptors and other defensive arms. But he said that if Israel entered Rafah, were not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells used. Mr Bidens comments follow his decision last week to pause a shipment of heavy bombs to Israel, in a striking manifestation of the growing divide between his administration and Mr Netanyahus government. Palestinians leave with their belongings following an evacuation order issued by the Israeli army in Rafah - Shutterstock It comes as the US president faces growing pressure at home, particularly from members of his own party, to limit shipments of arms amid a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Until now, Mr Biden has resisted those calls and staunchly reiterated his support for Israels efforts to go after Hamas. But his administration has warned against a looming Israeli invasion of Rafah without a plan for the civilians sheltering in the border city. Mr Biden said Israels actions in Rafah had not yet crossed a red line of entering heavily populated zones, saying: Ive made it clear to Bibi and the war cabinet: Theyre not going to get our support, if in fact they go on these population centres. US President Joe Biden speaks about his Investing in America agenda Following the debacle of the American exit from Kabul, the former British ambassador to Washington, Robin Renwick, wrote in these pages about Joe Bidens approach to foreign affairs. As a long-standing member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden has always prided himself on his expertise in foreign policy, he said. But he has never yet proved to be very good at it. The three years since could hardly be said to have changed many minds. While Mr Biden has latterly been robust in his support for Ukraine albeit prevaricating on the provision of certain types of armaments he has been criticised for weakness towards Iran, inaction towards China, and confusion in his policy on Gaza. In the immediate aftermath of the October 7 pogrom, Mr Biden pledged solidarity with Jerusalem and announced a major military package for the Israel Defence Forces. The US military later participated in the defence of Israel against Iranian drone and missile strikes. Now, however, the presidents resolve seems to have deserted him. Speaking on American television on Wednesday, Mr Biden said that the US would not supply offensive weapons to Israel that could be used in an attack on Rafah, thought to be where the last remnants of Hamass forces are hiding out. A shipment of bombs has already been delayed. The president is under domestic pressure, with sections of his party now openly hostile to Israel. But Jerusalem believes that it will be impossible to meet its war aim of destroying Hamas without entering Rafah and eliminating the terrorists there. Some Republicans are now arguing that there is a case for impeaching Mr Biden, noting the parallels with Donald Trumps first impeachment, in which the former president was accused of threatening to withhold aid to Ukraine to help with his re-election. Mr Biden had already damaged Americas reputation as a steadfast ally through the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Indeed, it has been described as an element in the Kremlins thinking prior to Russias invasion of Ukraine, contributing to an (in this case misplaced) assumption that the United States would not ride to Kyivs aid. But it demonstrated the danger of showing weakness. A new axis of autocracies China, Russia and Iran is seeking to dismantle the Western-led international order, and even the US cant take on all three alone. Can Washington really afford to alienate another ally in the fight for freedom and democracy? Palestinians walk after returning to Khan Younis town, southern Gaza Strip - MOHAMMED SABER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Foreign Secretary David Cameron has asked Israel for a very clear plan for how civilians will be protected in its operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. On Rafah, we are clear that we would not support some major operation in Rafah unless there was a very clear plan for how to protect people and save lives, and all the rest of it, Lord Cameron said. We have not seen that plan, so in the circumstances we will not support a major operation in Rafah. It comes after Joe Biden threatened to halt weapon shipments to Israel if it launches an invasion of Britain. Lord Cameron said the scale of Britains arms exports to Israel is different to the US. Follow the latest updates below 03:02 PM BST Thanks for following todays live blog Todays live coverage has ended. Well be back soon with all the latest updates from the conflict. Here is a summary of the day: Israel has likened Joe Bidens threat to halt the shipment of weapons to Britains Munich Pact with Nazi Germany. Israeli defence minister has told his countrys enemies and friends that it would do whatever necessary to achieve its war aims in Gaza. Israel has massed tanks near populated areas of Rafah after US President Joe Biden warned he would halt weapon shipments if Benjamin Netanyahu greenlights a large-scale invasion of southern Gaza. A ship carrying aid to a pier built by the United States off Gaza left Cyprus on Thursday. Some 80,000 people have fled Rafah since Israeli tanks entered eastern areas of the city on Monday, said the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). Syrian air defences shot down Israeli missiles fired from the Golan Heights towards Damascus, Syrias defence ministry said Thursday. An adviser to Irans supreme leader has said that the Islamic Republic will not hesitate to send arms to Hamas. 02:33 PM BST Israel will achieve war aims, says defence minister Israeli defence minister has told his countrys enemies and friends that it would do whatever necessary to achieve its war aims in Gaza. I turn to Israels enemies as well as to our best of friends and say the State of Israel cannot be subdued, Yoav Gallant said on Thursday. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant standing with soldiers by a self-propelled artillery howitzer during a visit to a position along the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel near Rafah We will stand strong, we will achieve our goals we will hit Hamas, we will hit Hezbollah, and we will achieve security. We have no choice, we have no other country. We will do whatever is necessary, and I repeat whatever is necessary, in order to defend the citizens of Israel, to remove the evil threats against us, and to stand up to those who attempt to destroy us, Mr Gallant said. 02:09 PM BST Malmo braces for pro-Palestine protest as Eurovision heats up Police have ramped up their presence in Malmos central Stortorget square ahead of planned pro-Palestine demonstrations in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. Israels Eurovision contestant, Eden Golan, performing tonight at the Malmo Arena. Organisers of a pro-Palestine march scheduled for this afternoon have warned of potential traffic disruptions. Anti-Israel protesters carry a communist flag with the hammer and sickle as they move toward a pro-Palestine demonstration in Malmo, Sweden today. Israel's representative will sing in the Eurovision Song Contest tonight pic.twitter.com/F2XEPAJiNU Visegrad 24 (@visegrad24) May 9, 2024 01:51 PM BST Israel move on Rafah aims to obstruct ceasefire talks, say Hamas Israels military operations in Rafah and its border crossing aim to obstruct the efforts of the mediators, Hamas official Ezzat al-Rishq said. He added that Hamas had sent a delegation to the talks in Cairo and that it was still committed to accepting a ceasefire proposal presented by mediators. 01:40 PM BST Israeli tanks mass around Rafah following Biden arms threat Israel has massed tanks near populated areas of Rafah after US President Joe Biden warned he would halt weapon shipments if Benjamin Netanyahu greenlights a large-scale invasion of southern Gaza. Hamas and Islamic Jihad forces said their fighters struck Israeli forces on the outskirts of Rafah, firing anti-tank rockets and mortars at Israeli positions. Residents in the east of Rafah also reported the sound of explosions in battles between Palestinian fighters and approaching Israeli troops. Israeli tanks seized the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Tuesday, cutting off a vital aid route and forcing 80,000 people to flee the city this week. Mr Biden acknowledged that US bombs have killed Palestinian civilians in the seven-month-old offensive. He made it clear on Wednesday that if Israel go into Rafah, ... Im not supplying the weapons. 01:18 PM BST Gaza war continues to cause unimaginable suffering, says WHO The World Health Organization (WHO) said the war in Gaza continues to cause unimaginable suffering. The war in #Gaza continues to cause unimaginable suffering. This 7-year-old girl, Jana, has severe acute malnutrition and dehydration. @WHO and partners successfully transferred her and her caregivers from Kamal Adwan hospital in the north of Gaza to the @IMC_Worldwide field pic.twitter.com/KPS9Y1ABzL WHO in occupied Palestinian territory (@WHOoPt) May 9, 2024 After more than 200 days of conflict, 1.1 million people are experiencing catastrophic food insecurity. The lack of food and safe drinking water has increased the spread of diseases, WHO said on X. 12:59 PM BST Ship carrying aid to US-built pier off Gaza leaves Cyprus A ship carrying aid to a pier built by the United States off Gaza left Cyprus on Thursday. The US flagged Sagamore left the port of Larnaca this morning. US officials have said the ship will be used to offload supplies onto a floating pier built to expedite aid into the besieged enclave. 12:39 PM BST Israel must continue Rafah operation more vigorously, says Israeli official Israels war cabinet is in agreement on the need to intensify its operations in Rafah, a senior Israeli official said. Israel must continue the operation in Rafah more vigorously, expand it and occupy the city, the official quoted by Israel Hayom newspaper said. There is unanimity in the cabinet on this matter. The official added that Israel needs to send a message to both its allies and foes that it is not dependent on the US. Beyond the operational aspects, Israel must do this to show the Biden administration and the international community that we are not an American protectorate, but an independent state. The official added that the Rafah operation would demonstrate Israel can manage militarily without US assistance if needed. The main damage from Bidens decision will be suffered by the president himself politically within the US and to the US standing in the world due to harming its ally. 12:20 PM BST UK system of arm exports to Israel is different from US, says Cameron Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Britains system and scale of arms exports to Israel are different from those in the United States. He said the sales are relatively small and policed by strict procedures. Lord Cameron was responding to a question on whether Britain would follow the US after it warned that it would withhold weapons from Israel in case of a major invasion of Rafah. Theres a very fundamental difference between the US situation and the UK situation, Lord Cameron said. The US is a massive state supplier of weapons to Israel ... we do not have a UK Government supply of weapons to Israel, we have a number of licenses, and I think our defense exports to Israel are responsible for significantly less than 1 per cent of their total. 12:01 PM BST Pictured: Climate activists hold mock coffins in Glasgow Activists from climate groups and Palestine solidarity groups were pictured on Thursday holding coffins decorated with the national flag of Palestine. They were demonstrating outside the SEC Armadillo, the venue of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Barclays, in Glasgow. Activists from climate groups and Palestine solidarity groups hold mock coffins - Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images 11:53 AM BST Biden threat to halt weapon shipments likened to Munich Pact by Israel Israel has likened Joe Bidens threat to halt the shipment of weapons to Britains Munich Pact with Nazi Germany. Joe Biden can be [Winston] Churchill but he is choosing to be Chamberlain, he chooses dishonour and will get both dishonour and war, Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu wrote on X. Mr Eliyahu was quoting Sir Winston Churchills famous critique of former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. Last night, the US president publicly threatened for the first time that he will stop supplying US weapons if Israel goes ahead with a planned ground invasion of Rafah. Mr Biden explicitly conditioned the transfer of American weaponry on Israels military actions as he acknowledged that US bombs have been used to kill civilians in Gaza. Despite Mr Bidens warnings, AFP journalists reported heavy shelling in Rafah early on Thursday, and the Israeli military later said it was also striking Hamas positions further north in the centre of the Gaza Strip. 11:48 AM BST Israel to continue the war, says foreign minister Israeli foreign minister said his country will continue the war on Gaza until Hamas is destroyed. Israel will continue to fight Hamas until its destruction. There is no war more just than this. " Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) May 9, 2024 Israel will continue to fight Hamas until its destruction, said Israel Katz. There is no war more just than this. 11:35 AM BST Israeli officials criticise Bidens disappointing arms threat Two top Israeli officials voiced criticism of US President Joe Biden on Thursday for his threat to halt specific arms supplies to Israel. This is a difficult and very disappointing statement to hear from a president to whom we have been grateful since the beginning of the war, Israels ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, said. If Israel is restricted from entering an area as important and central as Rafah where there are thousands of terrorists, hostages and leaders of Hamas, how exactly are we supposed to achieve our goals? he added. Israels far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said his government would pursue its goals in Gaza despite the US threat. We will achieve complete victory in this war despite President Bidens push back and arms embargo, he said in a statement. 10:18 AM BST Pictured: Amsterdam student protests Students from the University of Amsterdam are protesting against the attacks on Gaza. Police forcefully intervene, arrest dozens and assaulting others in Pro-Palestinian protesters - Mouneb Taim/Anadolu via Getty Images Police officers try to remove a pro-Palestinian protester - REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw 10:01 AM BST Why did the US stop selling 2,000-pound bombs to Israel? The United States is reevaluating near-term security assistance, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told a Senate hearing on Wednesday, in the context of unfolding events in Rafah. Weve been very clear...from the very beginning that Israel shouldnt launch a major attack into Rafah without accounting for and protecting the civilians that are in that battlespace, Mr Austin said. The decision was taken due to concerns about the end-use of the 2,000-pound bombs and the impact they could have in dense urban settings as we have seen in other parts of Gaza, said a US official speaking on condition of anonymity. The delivery of weapons potentially destined for use in Rafah underwent thorough scrutiny by the US administration, the official added. US officials disclosed that the decision was reached last week, with US President Joe Biden directly engaged in the process. Mr Biden confirmed the pause personally in a CNN interview on Wednesday. 09:43 AM BST Gaza death toll surpasses 34,900 The latest report from the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza indicates that the number of people who lost their lives during the ongoing conflict has climbed to 34,904. 78,514 people have sustained injuries over this duration. 09:25 AM BST Riot squad, pro-Palestine students clash at Amsterdam University A Dutch riot squad clashed with pro-Palestinian protesters overnight as officers moved in to clear barricades at the University of Amsterdam. Police reported at around midnight that they had arrested 32 individuals for violence, destruction, assault, and incitement both at the university and on a major thoroughfare in the centre of the Dutch capital. Local television footage showed dozens of police officers dressed in riot gear engaging in physical confrontations with a group of protesters as they cleared an area in front of the Binnengasthuis building in Amsterdams city centre. The protests were fueled by students demanding that the University of Amsterdam sever ties with Israel over the conflict in Gaza. 09:08 AM BST 80,000 people fled Rafah since Monday Some 80,000 people have fled Rafah since Israeli tanks entered eastern areas of the city on Monday, said the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). Since Israeli Forces military operation intensified on 6 May, around 80,000 people have fled Rafah, seeking refuge elsewhere. The toll on these families is unbearable, said on Thursday. Nowhere is safe, the agency added. An estimated 1.5 million people had packed into the southern Gaza city of Rafah in search of refuge over the last several months of war. 08:49 AM BST Israeli opposition leader urges firing of security minister Israeli opposition Leader Yair Lapid has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fire national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir after he tweeted Hamas loves Biden. Hamas Biden (@itamarbengvir) May 9, 2024 If Netanyahu does not fire Ben Gvir today, he is endangering every soldier in the IDF and every citizen in the State of Israel, Mr Lapid said. Mr Ben Gvir was responding to the threat from US President Joe Biden to withhold arm safes to Israel if Israel invades the southern Gaza city of Rafah. 08:34 AM BST Israel strikes Iran-backed group in Damascus Syrian air defences shot down Israeli missiles fired from the Golan Heights towards Damascus, Syrias defence ministry said Thursday Al-Nujaba Movement, affiliated with Iran, said in a statement that the target was its cultural office in the Zainabiya area of Damascus. The attack resulted in material damage only, with no reported casualties, Irans Tasnim news agency reported. 08:15 AM BST Pictured: Police clear protestors in US Police cleared protestors from George Washington University early on Wednesday, hours after dozens marched to the home of the schools president. Pepper spray was used on demonstrators and dozens were arrested. Officers of the Metropolitan Police Department pepper spray demonstrators at George Washington University - Sage Russell, GW Hatchet via AP 07:58 AM BST Iran to change nuclear doctrine if existence threatened An adviser to Irans supreme leader has said that the Islamic Republic will not hesitate to send arms to Hamas. Iran has provided any possible support to Hamas. If it is possible to send weapons to Hamas now, we will not hesitate, but there is no way to support Hamas with weapons now, Kamal Kharrazi said. He also indicated that Iran may reconsider its nuclear doctrine if faced with existential threats from Israel. Kharrazi clarified that Iran currently has no plans to develop nuclear weapons, but if its survival were jeopardised, it might have to reassess its military strategy. We have no decision to build a nuclear bomb, but should Irans existence be threatened, there will be no choice but to change our military doctrine, he said. Regarding potential attacks on Irans nuclear facilities by Israel, Kharrazi warned that Irans deterrence measures would be altered in response. In the case of an attack on our nuclear facilities by the Zionist regime, our deterrence will change, he added. He emphasised that Iran has the capability to develop such weapons if necessary. 07:45 AM BST Houthis targeted ships in Gulf of Aden Yemens Iran-aligned Houthis targeted two ships, the MSC DEGO and the MSC GINA, in the Gulf of Aden using a number of ballistic missiles and drones, the groups military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a televised speech on Thursday. Sarea said the group also targeted the MSC VITTORIA in the Indian Ocean and again in the Gulf of Aden. 07:43 AM BST Israel says Biden threat to stop arms very disappointing Israels ambassador to the United Nations expressed disappointment on Thursday at US President Joe Bidens threat to stop certain arms supplies to Israel if it invades the crowded Gaza city of Rafah. This is a difficult and very disappointing statement to hear from a president to whom we have been grateful since the beginning of the war, Gilad Erdan told Israeli public broadcaster Kan radio, in Israels first reaction to Mr Bidens warning. Mr Erdan responded that Mr Bidens comments would be interpreted by Israels foes Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah as something that gives them hope to succeed. If Israel is restricted from entering an area as important and central as Rafah where there are thousands of terrorists, hostages and leaders of Hamas, how exactly are we supposed to achieve our goals? he added. This is not a defensive weapon. This is about certain offensive bombs. In the end the State of Israel will have to do what it thinks needs to be done for the security of its citizens. Two young women were slightly wounded when a mob of Muslims on Sunday (May 5) assaulted a group of 15 students engaged in a Catholic ritual prayer at a rented house in Banten Province, on the Indonesian island of Java, sources said. Enraged at the Catholic group praying the rosary in a home rather than in a church building, the local neighborhood head incited area Muslims to break up the meeting and injure the two female students in the Pamulang area of Babakan village, Setu Sub-District, a suburb of Jakarta in Tangerang Selatan Regency, at about 7:30 p.m., according to published reports. Some of the assailants were reportedly armed with a long machete, sickles, knives and blocks, and one of the young women suffered a slight wound near her nose while another sustained a minor wound in the stomach, in spite of efforts by local Muslims to protect them. A male Muslim student, Farhan Rizky Romadhon, also was reportedly attacked and suffered a cut on his head. The conflict began when the neighborhood head, identified as Diding, peeped into the house where the students were praying, and then intruded in, reviling the students for the prayer ritual and ultimately dispersing them, according to Barak.id. Catholic students of Pamulang University were beaten and hacked in Viktor [in Pamulang, Babakan village], just because they PRAYED, religious and human rights activist Permadi Arya, known in media as Abu Janda,posted on Instagram. The incident was started by the head of the neighborhood (Ketua RT) named Diding who provoked residents. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up Diding harassed, intimidated and beat the Catholic students and his fellow Muslims who were trying to prevent further chaos and harm, Permadi Arya stated. Citing statements of the unidentified two female students, Permadi Arya asserted that Diding said holding the rosary prayer in the area disrespected him as a local leader, and that such rituals should be held in a church building. I have told you not to hold worship here, Diding said, according to the students. If you want to hold the worship, do it in the church there, as we Muslims do worship in the mosque. How dare you disrespect me as the head of the neighborhood, [expletive deleted]. Besides calling on Indonesia Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas to take legal measures on behalf of the Catholic students, Permadi Arya also asked for firm action from the government. The attorney for the attacked students, Siprianus Edi Hardum, said in a press statement that a crowd started gathering around the site at 7:30 p.m. At 19:30, the crowd started to gather after hearing provocation from the RT head who shouted Hey, [expletive deleted], if you dont disperse, I will call the residents, Siprianus Edi said, according to Tirto.id. The masses came carrying sharp objects as long machetes, sickles, and even blocks. Siprianus Edi and members of the Association of Eastern Indonesia (Persatuan Indonesia Timur, PETIR), an association of religious groups, reported the case to the Metro Jaya Regional Police Chief. They demanded police immediately arrest the leader of the attack. Siprianus Edi said praying the rosary from house to house is traditionally held in May and October in Indonesia. Anyone is free to carry out their worship, Siprianus Edi said. People who disturb people who are praying are considered pests (destroyers) of the country, destroyers of Indonesia as a democratic country. The South Tangerang Police Resort arrested the RT head and three other residents as suspects, identified only as males under the initials D, 53 years old; I, age 30; S, 36; and A, 26. Evidence was also taken in the form of video recordings, one long machete, a sickle and two knives. Catholic students have routinely held worship and rosary prayer in one of the rented houses in the area, and uneasy residents had complained to the head of the Citizen Association (Rukun Warga, or RW), identified only as Marat, who had reprimanded and warned the students. Marat said they ignored his warning, triggering residents anger, according to Tempo. co. So far, residents have complained about it, and the RT took the action, Marat told reporters on Monday (May 6) in Babakan village. They gather regularly, and there are worship services, too. Marat said holding worship itself is okay, but that large numbers of students gathering loudly is a problem, according to Tempo.co. Asserting that the mob had been warned about using sharp weapons, he claimed that the situation got out of control because the Catholic students first struck the residents. Bonar Tigor Naipospos, deputy chairman of the Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy, indicated that intolerant people in Indonesia mistakenly believe that gathering for worship at a house is against the law. Private worship is legal in Indonesia, but many people consider the private sphere as only the five daily prayers in Islam, he said. Indonesia ranked 42nd on Open Doors 2024 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. Business will face far stricter regulations should Sir Keir Starmer get into power - OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images Of all the peculiarities of Natalie Elphickes defection to Labour, perhaps none is as curious as her insistence that Labour occupy the centre-ground. Though the received wisdom is that Keir Starmer is a harmless moderate, there is little evidence to back it up. As recently as 2020, the Labour leader promised to make the moral case for socialism. His shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, intends to rebalance between market forces and state control, tipping more power towards the latter, and believes Nigel Lawson was wrong not only in application but in theory. And his shadow climate secretary, Ed Miliband, believes we can power a nation of nearly 70 million people on energy which can disappear completely for days at a time. What we know of the agenda is no less terrifying than the views of those peddling it. Miliband last week confirmed that Labour will introduce new net zero laws forcing big companies and banks to limit their carbon footprint. Nevermind that Britains top businesses are already regulated to within an inch of their lives the financial sector in particular. Many businesses will have thousands of suppliers how can they ensure all are reporting accurately? Its a colossal task which will unproductively employ hundreds of people in big firms and countless more bureaucrats collating and checking data. And quite what Labour means when they say we need a proper windfall tax on oil and gas companies when they already face a marginal tax rate of 75pc is a mystery. Domestic investment has already been driven away, and thats before Labour imposes a ban on new drilling. This is the income stream on which the partys National Wealth Fund, to rebuild [our] industrial strength will in part be based. In what world wont bills go up? There will also be a boiler tax, even though the Tory experiment in the idea saw manufacturers raising prices to cover the fines they knew they would have to pay. And a 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, brought forward from 2035, that will have similar effects. Meanwhile, dismayed though Angela Rayner may be by reports her New Deal for Workers will be watered down, Labour still intends to bring in an avalanche of new entitlements, ranging from the impractical (flexible working from day one) to the absurd (a right to disconnect). Far from repealing the Equality Act legislation introduced in 2010 to stamp out discrimination in the workplace, but which has instead disincentivised hiring and undermined the concept of meritocracy Labour will double down with a Race Equality Act that will impose yet more monitoring requirements on businesses and expand the quasi-Marxist notion of equal pay. This plan, according to one estimate, could deliver up to 26bn in extra pay to ethnic minority workers a bill that would be paid by shareholders, other workers and taxpayers. And though Starmer has announced a war on Nimbyism, committing Labour to building 1.5 million homes over five years in office, his party voted against Tory plans to scrap the nutrient neutrality rules which have prevented the construction of tens of thousands of houses. Whats more, there can be little hope they will bring down net migration levels, which place significant pressure on the housing market. It wont stop there. Reeves has previously advocated an overhaul of council tax bands a move that could cost households an average of 1,200 a year and wants to make tech giants pay their fair share. Labour will end so-called no fault evictions, preventing landlords from, quite reasonably, reclaiming their property after an agreed period of time. Starmer will renationalise rail at great expense to the taxpayer yet has admitted there may be no reduction in fares. The nation will be repeatedly held to ransom by overmighty unions demanding pay rises that far outstrip those in the private sector in the name of fairness. The party might not have a shadow chancellor who will enthusiastically wield a well-thumbed copy of Maos Little Red Book anymore, but its key players appear to view success with suspicion and businesses as ethically dodgy. Employees will be indulged at all times, their wellbeing prioritised over customers and clients. Unions will reign supreme, with strikes easier to organise and minimum service levels banned. Our prosperity will be sacrificed on the altar of net zero. Labour have a point when they hammer the Reagan question after 14 years of Tory government, do you feel richer? But under red-green socialist Keir Starmer, Britain must prepare to be much poorer. It may not be long before voters regret their apathy or desire to punish Rishi Sunaks Tories for their ineptitude and clamour for the centre-ground they so relentlessly pursued. Refugees wait for a food distribution point to open at a camp in Adre, Chad, on 22 April. More than 8 million people have been displaced since fighting erupted between the RSF and Sudans military in April 2023. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Gruesome new testimony details one of the worst atrocities of the year-long Sudanese civil war the large-scale massacre of civilians as they desperately tried to flee an ethnic rampage in Darfur last summer. Witnesses describe children, still alive, being piled up and shot by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as they attempted to escape the regional capital of El Geneina in June last year during a bout of ethnic violence in which thousands of civilians were killed. Together, the 221 witness statements collated by Human Rights Watch offer the latest evidence that the Arab-led RSF has orchestrated a concerted 12-month campaign of ethnic cleansing against Sudans non-Arab Masalit tribe in West Darfur. The United Nations and African Union should, says HRW, urgently impose an arms embargo on Sudan and deploy a mission with a robust police force to Darfur, the sprawling region in the west of the country, to protect civilians. A HRW report published Wednesday calls for sanctions for those ultimately responsible for widespread war crimes, including the West Darfur RSF commander Abdel Rahman Jomaa Barakallah, along with the notorious commander of the RSF, Mohamed Hemedti Hamdan Dagalo, and his brother Abdel Raheem. Since fighting erupted between the RSF and Sudans military in April 2023, more than 8 million people have fled their homes amid a humanitarian crisis that the UN warns is one of the largest in decades. The current flashpoint, El Fasher, is the last city held by Sudans military in Darfur. The city is encircled by the RSF, and diplomats fear it is on the precipice of a large-scale massacre. Tirana Hassan, the executive director at Human Rights Watch, said: As the UN security council and governments wake up to looming disaster in El Fasher, the large-scale atrocities committed in El Geneina should be seen as a reminder of the atrocities that could come in the absence of concerted action. One of the worst episodes of Sudans civil war was in June when the RSF and its allies attacked a kilometres-long convoy of civilians as people tried to leave El Geneina, escorted by Masalit fighters. Witnesses told HRW researchers that the RSF had chased, rounded up and shot men, women and children who ran through streets or attempted to swim the fast-flowing seasonal Kaja River that cuts through the city. Many drowned. A 17-year-old boy described the killing of 12 children and five adults on 15 June, saying: Two RSF forces grab[bed] the children from their parents and, as the parents started screaming, two other RSF forces shot the parents, killing them. Then they piled up the children and shot them, he said. They threw their bodies into the river and their belongings in after them. For the rest of the day and subsequent days, the attacks continued on tens of thousands of civilians as they tried to reach the border with Chad. Related: Here, there is no future: ethnic cleansing and fresh atrocities drive exodus of thousands from Darfur Other attacks chronicled by HRW include another RSF attack on 15 June on a makeshift medical clinic in El Geneina, where 25 injured patients were seeking treatment. Ali, who had been shot in the leg during a previous attack, said: They started shooting at us and killed everyone except me and a woman [who was also wounded]. They shot me in the right arm. I slumped over, pretending I was dead. Surrounded by corpses for 10 hours, Ali and the woman stayed still as the RSF continued their assault on the city. At about 5pm, seven armed men in uniform came into the clinic, beating him and using racial slurs. One said, We wont kill you! We want to torture you, Nuba [an ethnic slur]! Ali was rescued by his family hours later after the gunmen left the clinic. Denbighshire Council has increased parking tariffs and extended chargeable hours amid 'budgetary pressures' - Alamy A parking row has erupted in north Wales after a council was accused of forcing residents to pay to see the sunset. Residents in seaside towns in Denbighshire such as Prestatyn and Rhyl often visit local beaches for an evening walk in the spring and summer months, where parking would be free after 5pm. This provision was withdrawn by Denbighshire Council amid budgetary pressures earlier this year however, with parking charges now levied until 11pm in the summer, which has prompted uproar in recent weeks as evening temperatures rise. When Denbighshire Council increased parking tariffs in March, it also extended chargeable hours. In most cases, fees are now payable from 8am until 11pm. In some car parks, such as Rhyl Harbour, charging hours start at 6am. In others, like Nova West, Prestatyn, fees are payable only until 8pm over winter. The local authority said it had researched what other councils were doing and had altered its charging structure accordingly, saying evening tariffs werent unusual. In the county, many now start from 1.50 for two hours in winter, rising to 2 for the rest of the year. A few are a little cheaper. People staying all evening are now charged up to 5 in summer or 3 in winter, when previously it was free. On social media a woman from Prestatyn, said: If you pay local council tax, it should include free parking passes. We live here why do we have to pay to see the sunset or sunrise in our own town? Another resident said: We used to like going down to the beach to sit in our van and watch the sunsets, he said. But with these ridiculous charges, especially for locals, we refuse to pay them, and now have to do without that pleasure. Utter disgrace that people should be forced to pay just to enjoy a sunset. Residents in seaside towns such as Rhyl often visit local beaches for an evening walk in the spring and summer months - Freelance Photos North Wales Beaches, when accessible, are also valued by dog owners. One woman said: Many of us locals used to go there after 5pm to walk our dogs, enjoy the evening, unwind and make the most of our area good for body and soul. Unfortunately, no more. Neighbouring Conwy Council has a similar policy, charging either 1.20 or 2 for post-6pm parking at most of its car parks. However, there are some seafront concessions, such as Colwyn Bay promenade and The Parade in Llandudno, which are free after 4pm. Abergele Town Council subsidises its coastal car park at Pensarn to enable free parking at all times. In Denbighshire, there are also concerns that nighttime parking will affect local businesses on the coast. The Nova Centre in Prestatyn opens until 9.30pm while Rhyl Pavilion Theatre is often later still. Showgoers using the official car park now face an extra 4-5 cost comparable with Venue Cymru, Llandudno, which charges a flat rate of 4.80 after 6pm. When Denbighshires new charging regime was introduced in March, it caused outrage among users of Marine Lake, Rhyl. Joggers and dog walkers labelled the move an exercise tax on the only saltwater lake in North Wales. The changes have prompted some residents to consider buying permits so they can continue visiting local beaches though Denbighshires beach permit does not cover all the countys coastal car parks, including Sky Tower in Rhyl. The annual cost of buying these also rose sharply in April, from 65 to 80. For concessions (aged 60-plus), beach permits increased from 35 to 50. Denbighshire Council has said parking permits can offer significant savings for regular pay-and-display users. Denbighshire Council was approached for a comment. An MSC Cruises ship. The boat involved was the Meraviglia, which is owned by Geneva-based company. Photograph: Hassan Ammar/AP A cruise ship has journeyed into New York Citys harbor bearing a gruesome cargo in the form of a huge, dead whale sprawled across its bow. The incident happened on Saturday, according to local US media reports, and the event is being held by some as further evidence of the unfortunate impact on sea life that large vessels can have. The 44ft-long whale corpse was an endangered sei whale and was caught on the ships bow when it arrived at the Port of Brooklyn, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries spokesperson, Andrea Gomez. The boat involved was the Meraviglia, which docked in New York before sailing on a journey to ports in New England and Canada. It is owned by Geneva-based MSC Cruises. We immediately notified the relevant authorities, who are now conducting an examination of the whale, officials with the cruise line said in a statement, who added that the company had regulations in place to avoid collisions with whales and other animals at sea. We are deeply saddened by the loss of any marine life, the statement said. The whale is now the subject of a necropsy to try and determine how it died, notably if it was already dead when hit by the cruise ship. Sei whales are one of the largest whales and are a protected species. David Cameron will call for the west to be tougher and more assertive to prove our adversaries wrong. Photograph: Neil Hall/EPA David Cameron is to warn that the west is not learning the lesson of Russias invasion of Ukraine, that authoritarian adversaries will only be spurred on if the west shows hesitation or caution. The foreign secretary will call for the west to be tougher and more assertive and realise it is locked in a battle of wills in which we all must prove our adversaries wrong Britain, and our allies and partners around the world. In his first set-piece speech as foreign secretary outside parliament and after a whirlwind six months in the job, Cameron will argue not enough allies have stepped up to the challenge of a more hard-edged world, whether by increasing defence spending, facing down Iranian proxy forces or championing womens rights in the Islamic world. He will say: We need to adopt a harder edge for a tougher world. If Putins illegal invasion teaches us anything, it must be that doing too little, too late, only spurs an aggressor on. I see too many examples in this job of this lesson not having been learned. He will cite the example of the Houthi attacks on freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, pointing out only two countries the UK and the US have taken action even though multiple ships have been attacked. While many countries have criticised the Houthi attacks, it is only the US and Britain that have been willing and able to step up and strike back at them, he will say. Other countries have joined the Operation Prosperity Guardian alliance, spearheaded by the US in response to the Red Sea attacks, but not in the same active military offensive way as the US and UK. EU countries have formed a separate alliance, Eunavfor Aspides, that is restricted to defending commercial shipping from Houthi attacks and has no mandate to launch assaults on Houthi missile sites inside Yemen. Cameron will also urge all Nato members to be on track to spend 2% of GDP on defence by the time of the alliances summit in Washington in July. He will say that some in Europe still seem unwilling to invest, even as war rages on our continent. He will say the urgent task is not just to reach the 2% target all Nato countries endorsed at a summit in Newport in 2014, but also to move to establish 2.5% as the new benchmark. Countries still well below the 2% target include Spain, Belgium and Canada. Cameron will also accuse some countries of being cowed by accusations of colonialism and holding back on womens rights, pointing to the example of countries ignoring calls by survivors of female genital mutilation for the practice to be eliminated. He will say this kind of hesitation cannot go on. We need to be tougher and more assertive. We need to out-compete, out-cooperate and out-innovate. There is little in the extracts of the speech to suggest Cameron believes the UK should soft-pedal on its values in a bid to woo the global south. Instead, he will claim Britains departure from the EU, something he strongly opposed as prime minister, provides a freedom to invest in alliances such as Aukus with the US and Australia. He will also claim there is a chance for the UK to weaken Russias grip in central Asia, saying it may be possible to strengthen bilateral relations with countries who see the destructive, reactionary policies of our adversaries as a threat to their security and prosperity. Camerons critics say he has given the appearance of a risk-taking foreign secretary without actually doing anything that shifts the UK outside its familiar role of aspiring to be the favoured private adviser to American policymakers, in return for acting as their public advocates. Opal Sandy listens as her mother Jo reads her a story - ANDREW MATTHEWS/PA WIRE A deaf toddler is now able to hear after becoming the first patient in the world to receive a new gene therapy. Opal Sandy, an 18-month-old girl from Oxfordshire, was born with a genetic form of a condition called auditory neuropathy, which disrupts nerve impulses travelling from the inner ear to the brain and prevents sound being processed. In September, she became the first person in the world to receive gene replacement treatment as part of a global trial, and experts are excited by the potential cure for the condition. Opal, like her five-year-old sister Nora, was born with a faulty version of the OTOF gene, which carries the instructions for a neurotransmitter to be produced that allows the ear to communicate with the brain. The malfunction causes severe hearing loss. Opal and her sister Nora, five, who also has the faulty gene, love to make noise, mother Jo says - ANDREW MATTHEWS/PA WIRE Noras diagnosis meant Opal was eligible for genetic testing on the NHS, which detected she also had the faulty gene. The condition had not been picked up by newborn screening tests in either child. While Nora has cochlear implants in both ears, which are the current gold-standard treatment, Opal was able to join the gene therapy trial, although she also has an implant in one ear as a safety measure. The gene therapy, called DB-OTO and manufactured by Regeneron, works by replacing the faulty gene with a working version. It is administered by a single injection of a modified and harmless virus carrying the new genetic material. The treatment means the ears sensory cells are able to produce a vital protein called otoferlin that is required for the tiny hair cells in the ear to transmit signals to the brain. Opals parents, Jo and James Sandy, noticed improvements after just three weeks and things have only improved since. Opals doctors say her hearing is now almost normal for her age although progress will become clearer as she learns to talk. Ms Sandy, a 33-year-old geography teacher, said it was bonkers how quickly her daughter became able to hear. She videoed her daughter responding to the sound for the first time. The parents had become accustom to trying to get Opals attention by making loud noise from behind her back but to little avail. Until one day she turned to the sound of her mother clapping as she played. We were in the routine of testing quite loud sounds like banging, clapping, wooden spoons on saucepans, that kind of really intermittent loud noise, she said. I was testing that with her implant on and hadnt realised that her implant had actually come off, and she turned to pretty loud clapping. When she first turned, I couldnt believe it. I thought it was a fluke or like a change in light or something that had caught her eye, but I repeated it a few times. I was absolutely gobsmacked. Opal, who had her surgery at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, is one of up to 18 children due to be enrolled on the trial, which is taking place in the UK, US and Spain. While Opal received a low dose to one ear, others will be given higher doses to the other ear, before some children receive the treatment in both ears once there is more evidence it is safe. Prof Manohar Bance, an ear surgeon at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Addenbrookes, and the trials chief investigator, said the results were better than I hoped or expected after 24 weeks. Opal also has a cochlear implant but it had come off when her mother noticed the breakthrough with her hearing - ANDREW MATTHEWS/PA WIRE We have results from [Opal] which are very spectacular so close to normal hearing restoration. So we do hope it could be a potential cure. In terms of being able to hear soft sounds (like a soft whisper), she can hear almost normal for her age, he said. We dont know that she can understand speech in the same way because shes too young, but certainly she can respond to soft sounds. A second child has also received the gene therapy treatment at Cambridge University Hospitals, with positive results seen recently, six weeks after surgery, while other gene therapies for deafness are being trialled in China and the US. Prof Bance estimates that around 20,000 people in the US, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK have auditory neuropathy resulting from OTOF mutations. Martin McLean, the senior policy adviser at the National Deaf Childrens Society, said: This trial will teach us more about the effectiveness of gene therapy in those cases where deafness has a specific genetic cause. We would like to emphasise that, with the right support from the start, deafness should never be a barrier to happiness or fulfilment. Sisters compete to make most noise Mrs Sandy said Opal had started to talk in the last six weeks and now both her daughters like seeing who can make the most noise. Shes good at all your common first baby words, so daddy is a favourite, uh oh, bye bye, she said. I always said Id never get annoyed with them making noise and I do get annoyed with them making noise, Mrs Sandy joked. Opal loves playing with her little musical instrument set ... playing the drums, playing her little piano, tapping some of her wooden blocks and things like that. Nora got into music quite recently and [Opal] likes to put her arms up and does little dances in the kitchen. So they like dancing together. Nora likes reading to her, they like fighting, they like jumping off the sofa. The results from the Chord trial were presented on Wednesday to the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy conference in Baltimore in the US. The hydraulic press in the Apple iPad ad before it crushes a collection of cultural objects and gadgets. Photograph: Apple Apple has apologised after an online backlash to an advert for its new iPad that features an industrial-sized hydraulic press crushing a collection of creative objects including musical instruments and books. The ad, launched by Apples chief executive, Tim Cook, on Tuesday, shows the machine squashing various items ranging from a piano and a metronome to tins of paint and an arcade game before a single iPad Pro then appears in their place. A voiceover then states: The most powerful iPad ever is also the thinnest. Meet the new iPad Pro: the thinnest product weve ever created, the most advanced display weve ever produced, with the incredible power of the M4 chip. Just imagine all the things itll be used to create. pic.twitter.com/6PeGXNoKgG Tim Cook (@tim_cook) May 7, 2024 The implication that an iPad can squeeze humanitys cultural prowess into an object with a depth of 5mm was viewed differently by commentators on social media. The actor Hugh Grant wrote on X that the advert represented the destruction of the human experience, courtesy of Silicon Valley. Justine Bateman, a US film-maker who has criticised the impact of artificial intelligence on her industry, wrote on X: Why did Apple do an ad that crushes the arts? Tech and AI means to destroy the arts and society in general. Apple later apologised and acknowledged that the advert was misjudged. Creativity is in our DNA at Apple, and its incredibly important to us to design products that empower creatives all over the world, said Tor Myhren, Apples vice-president of marketing communications, in a statement sent to the trade publication Ad Age. Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad of ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad. We missed the mark with this video, and were sorry. It was reported that although the advert remains online on Cooks X account and on YouTube, Apple has cancelled plans to show it on TV. Unfavourable comparisons were also made with Ridley Scotts 1984 Apple Macintosh ad, which portrayed an Orwellian future being challenged by a sledge hammer-wielding heroine and had the tagline youll see why 1984 wont be like 1984. Christopher Slevin, the creative director of the UK marketing agency Inkling Culture, wrote on LinkedIn: It looks like Apple has become Big Brother itself, subtly shaping our digital lives in ways we may not fully grasp or choose to ignore. The new iPad Pro ad, while stunning, hints at a future where our creativity is confined to digital screens, and all physicality is crushed beneath the relentless march of technology. Paul Graham, a Silicon Valley investor, wrote on X that the Apple co-founder Steve Jobs wouldnt have shipped that ad. He added: It would have pained him too much to watch. Apple has been contacted for comment. Cummings admitted that the 'first past the post' electoral system would make it difficult for a new party to break through - JOHN NGUYEN/THE TELEGRAPH Dominic Cummings has unveiled plans for a new Start-Up Party which he claims could replace the Conservatives. Speaking to the i paper in his first interview since leaving Downing Street in 2020, Boris Johnsons former chief adviser said the new party could capitalise on the expected collapse in the Tory vote at the next general election. The Vote Leave mastermind claimed a majority of the electorate would support a party that is completely different to Labour and the Tories. The Tories now obviously represent nothing except a continuation of the sh-- show; higher taxes, worse violent crime, more debt, anti-entrepreneurs, public services failing, immigration out of control, said Mr Cummings. But Labour I think will not alter the ultimate trajectory very much, theyll be continuity Treasury, continuity David Cameron, George Osborne, Sunak, so everything will keep failing and everyone will be even more miserable by 2026 than they are now. So, to change that you have to have two fundamental things: you have to have an entity which is ruthlessly focused on the voters, not on Westminster and the old media. And you have to have something which is friendly towards all the amazing talent in the country, people who build things in [the] private and public sector. There is no suggestion Mr Cummingss party would stand candidates in the next general election and he admitted that the first past the post electoral system would make it difficult for a new party to break through. But he insisted Nigel Farages expected return to frontline politics could irrevocably damage the Conservatives at the next election and pave the way for a new party to replace them. If Farage un-retires, the Tories could easily be driven down to double-digit seats and then discussions of a Start-Up Party and replacing them will go from a very fringe idea to being a very mainstream idea, he said, adding that the former Brexit Party leader would not be welcome in the new party. Mr Cummings revealed he hadn't spoken to Boris Johnson since November 2020, when he left office - DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS Mr Cummings also said a Keir Starmer-led Labour government would offer no meaningful change from the Tories. Theyve got a duff leader whos s--t at politics, cant communicate, doesnt actually have any picture of how he wants to be different, he just wants him to be in charge of the broken old institutions and then do what the Civil Service tell him to do all day, he said. He added that the quality of Labour MPs was not high and would make it harder for Mr Starmer to deliver what voters want. In the wide-ranging interview, Mr Cummings also revealed he has not spoken to Mr Johnson since he walked out of No 10 in November 2020. He claimed the Tory party has not taken advantage of Brexit opportunities since Britain left the European Union. Mr Cummings also took aim at the Governments support for Ukraine, describing the country as a corrupt mafia state and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraines president, as a pumpkin. We should have never got into the whole stupid situation, he said. This is not a replay of 1940 with the pumpkin Zelensky as the Churchillian underdog. This whole Ukrainian corrupt mafia state has basically conned us all and were all going to get f-----d as a consequence. We are getting f-----d now, right? Mr Cummings said the Wests support for Ukraine had prompted Russia closer to China and taught Vladimir Putin that were a bunch of total f-----g jokers. I mean Putin already knew that before the war, he said. But this has emphasised it and broadcast it to the entire world. File image of doctors walking in a corridor A total of 60 doctors have been reported to the medical watchdog for alleged anti-Semitic conduct in the wake of the Oct 7 attacks in Israel. The General Medical Council (GMC), which regulates doctors in the UK, said it was investigating and would take appropriate action where necessary. According to figures obtained by the BBC, from the start of 2023, the GMC received eight complaints about alleged anti-Semitism by doctors. However, in the four months following Oct 7 and the war in Gaza, a total of 60 medical professionals were reported for alleged anti-Semitic conduct or remarks against their colleagues. Of these 60 complaints, 22 are currently going through an internal process to determine whether or not they should proceed to a full investigation. Dr Dave Rich, head of policy at the Community Security Trust (CST), a charity which monitors anti-Semitic incidents in the UK, said: It is extremely alarming that so many medical professionals appear to have allegedly made anti-Semitic comments or expressed support for [a] terrorist organisation. We expect the GMC to urgently and thoroughly investigate every case and take action where appropriate. Truly unprecedented In February the CST warned in its annual report that there had been a hate explosion since the Oct 7 terror attacks. It reported a 589 per cent increase in the number of incidents compared with the same period in 2022 and described the rise as a watershed moment for anti-Semitism in the UK. The charity said the truly unprecedented total of 4,103 recorded cases was the highest it had ever recorded in a single calendar year. It said 66 per cent of those incidents occurred after Oct 7. Around 1,200 people were killed when Hamas militants stormed into Israel last year and took more than 250 others back to Gaza as hostages. In response, Israel launched an airstrike campaign in Gaza, followed by a ground invasion. More than 33,000 Palestinians have since been killed since the start of the war, according to Gazas Hamas-run health ministry. According to the most recently available figures from the GMC, 1,903 doctors identified as Jewish in 2023. This equates to roughly one per cent of registered doctors. In November 2021, the Government announced that Hamas had become a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK - meaning that its members or those who invite support for the group could be jailed for up to 14 years. Islamophobia complaints also up The figures obtained by the BBC, via a Freedom of Information request, also revealed a rise in complaints about Islamophobia by doctors, with 16 alleged cases reported between October and January - compared with just three in the preceding nine months. A GMC spokesman said: We recognise the significant impact the ongoing conflict has on members of the profession, patients, and all those affected. Since October 2023 we have received a high volume of complaints about doctors comments on social media related to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Doctors are entitled to personal beliefs, and there is nothing preventing doctors from exercising their right to speak about or campaign on issues, but this must not affect their relationship with patients or the treatment they provide or arrange. Our guidance is clear that discrimination is not compatible with the responsibilities and duties of a doctor. It's hard to tell whether the Manhattan case hurts or helps Trump - Angela Weiss /Reuters To call Donald Trump lucky at this point in his career seems like poor taste. Hes stuck in a Manhattan courtroom listening to a retired porn star claim that she spanked him with a magazine. Alas, were back in Russiagate land: sordid details conjured up by Trumps critics to confirm gossip all, he says, entirely untrue. Whats more, theyre not even about the subject at hand. The trial is about hush money and false business-records, not consensual sexiness, and the judge stands accused of allowing irrelevant questioning to humiliate the ex-president. But take a step back and things are going much better than expected. At the beginning of the cycle, Trump was hit with several criminal and civil cases at once almost as if coordinated placing major hurdles between him and re-election, for polls indicate that, if convicted, hes more likely to lose. But some of these hurdles have suddenly been lowered or pulled back, making it conceivable that Trump will reach election day without having to jump nearly as high as we thought. Its long been assumed that the most difficult case is Trumps alleged mishandling of classified documents, being heard down in Florida. But the presiding judge Aileen Cannon who just happens to be a Trump appointee has decided to postpone that trial indefinitely, so that people can do more spadework on it. Meanwhile, the case considered the most dangerous for election subversion held in the state of Georgia, where a president cannot pardon his way out of jail has been undermined by the revelation that local district attorney Fani Willis had a romantic relationship with a prosecutor. The courts have subsequently agreed to hear a Trump appeal to kick Fani off the case, with the judge saying that the attorney demonstrated poor judgement that gave proceedings an air of impropriety. The federal trial into Trumps role in the January 6 riot has been paused while the Supreme Court considers an ex-presidents claim to immunity. This leaves the Stormy case, which pundits have long warned is novel and riddled with obvious flaws. Will jurors find Daniels a credible witness (shes accused of hating Trump, changing her story and profiting from it)? Are they really going to be persuaded by the convicted criminal Michael Cohen? Here prosecutors are targeting Trump for something that isnt illegal, paying for silence, as a method of getting him for the greater sin of election interference because Stormy speaking out would surely have ruined his 2016 bid. This strategy is not just a stretch but, in the minds of some, offensive, for it diminishes the very serious charge of undermining democracy. Given that critics believe Trump literally tried to overthrow the government on January 6, forcing the New York jury to listen to details of alleged sex acts almost begs them to acquit out of a sense of proportion. If you cant nail Trump for a coup detat, please dont waste our time on this prurient nonsense. Then again, Trump remains his own worst enemy far better at the job than any of his opponents are capable of and his defiance of gag orders might put him in jail before the things he is accused of doing. Plus he still has to pay many, many millions to settle a New York fraud case, on top of damages owed to E Jean Carroll. So, hes not out of the woods. Rather the woods, like Birnam forest in Macbeth, have moved somewhere else to the other side of the election, where he will face delayed trials and, maybe, can pardon his way out of trouble. This makes the 2024 election extra special. Trump is fighting not just for the White House but for his freedom for victory is the best means to stay out of jail. The Democrats, having lost faith in voters in 2016, would have preferred Trump to be removed by judicial process. Instead it is the public that gets to play jury as it should have done, all along. Hundreds of Portuguese people responded to a gospel call to true life in Jesus Christ made by evangelist Will Graham, the grandson of the late Billy Graham. The Celebration of Hope with Will Graham (Celebracao da Esperanca com Will Graham) ran at the Super Bock Arena, Porto, Portugal on April 26. More than 140 local churches got involved in the event. Some 480 responded to an invitation to get to know Jesus personally, or to ask for prayer and ask further questions. An overflow audience of 6,170 people attended the celebration, which coincided with Portugals Freedom Day, marking 50 years since the country embraced democracy. The Rev. Pedro Costa, pastor president of the Brethren Church of North Portugal, said the event had a great professional quality in terms of music and technique. We have never had that before, Costa said, with TAYA and The Afters performing a variety of well-known and original songs, from the famous How Great Thou Art anthem to youthful songs that cheered the great presence of young people to jumping in a great celebration of praise to God. But the main thing was Will's message about King Manasseh and the call to repentance and salvation in Jesus Christ. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up We now have the task of accompanying them through the churches. Christian Daily International spoke to Will Graham just days before the occasion, to ask about his expectations for the country of Portugal. Graham said churches in Porto had invited the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) and he was thankful for the invitation. We are coming here to share the good news of Jesus, its been a number of years since my father Franklin visited and we are excited. It feels that the time is right and we are very grateful for the invitation from the pastors in this area to preach in Porto. Graham said his team, excited about the opportunity, wanted to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and make him known to a new generation and city that the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association hasnt been to before. The style of the evangelistic celebration echoed his grandaddys preaching events but with a different preacher. People from all walks of life have been invited. There has been predominantly work with the local churches, working in local neighborhoods to come and help gather people. Graham preached in English with the help of a Portuguese interpreter. We are going to invite people to come forward and make a decision about Jesus Christ and if they want to ask Jesus to come into their lives. We are also going to have some wonderful music but whats really going to matter is people putting their faith and hope in Jesus Christ and that is what I have been hoping for. Graham emphasized that he had met and prayed with local pastors, generating a lot of excitement about the gospel. A lot of them have been working together in this last year and its great to be with them and to see their hard work, he said. I am grateful for their involvement because this is their event and they just asked me to be the preacher. We will be proclaiming the greatest news there is that Jesus loves people, and if we repent of our sins, he forgives us freely. That is the greatest message to tell and these pastors standing next to me are very excited about it. Graham preached using the example of King Manassah from 2 Kings 21. He was one of the most wicked people but he asked for forgiveness and God forgave him, Graham explained. He was a wicked king who came out of exile and ruled as a good king because God changed his heart. It doesnt matter what you have done in life, God is always willing to give us a second chance. Manassah was one of the most wicked people who ever lived but he changed. Grahams assessment of faith in Portugal is that the Portuguese are a very religious people, with 80 percent of them Catholic. Sometimes people put their hope in religion instead of a personal relationship with God and think if they just go to church, whether thats Catholic or Protestant, or Presbyterian, whatever it is, that that will get them to heaven. A man in the Bible exemplifying that truth is Nicodemus in John 3, according to Graham. He pointed out that this very religious, devout, sincere and faithful man needed to be born again as Jesus told him. Nicodemus had a hard time understanding that and the Bible never says whether he did or didnt get born again. But we see him later at the empty tomb and I believe that he did come to know Jesus personally. I see the same thing in Portugal. It is very religious but putting hope and trust in religion is not the same as putting hope and trust personally in the person of Jesus Christ. Graham shared about his own journey to faith in Christ saying that as a boy he religiously attended Sunday School and did all the things you are supposed to do. My grandaddy was Billy Graham and I believed in God. But my dad Franklin explained to me when I was six years old that that was not enough. I had to ask Jesus Christ to come into my life. Despite being a youngster, Graham realized the answer lay in Jesus, not religion. Life did not change drastically but he then found a new direction in God. I realized that I was a sinner and had done things that disappointed God and I had never asked God to forgive me. I believed in him but I had never asked Jesus to personally come into my life, and thats the difference between religion and a personal relationship with God. A lot of religious people are sincere but you can be sincere but still go to hell, said Graham, adding: what is required is for us to put our faith in Jesus Christ and surrender our lives to him. After the celebration, Graham said local churches would disciple the new believers. He pointed out that the BGEA came by invitation only, so the follow-up is planned by local churches welcoming those people. We believe in the local church. Jesus Christ came to start his Church and that is where discipleship takes place. We proclaim the good news and get those people plugged into a local church. That is why we work with local churches. The most important thing is that we dont come and do it all by ourselves. Graham also challenged any cynicism about large events, telling Christian Daily International that 80 percent of people attending a crusade had been brought by another person. Friendship evangelism is the foremost method to complement such an evangelistic event. Big crusade events are a great way for evangelism but whether they are the best way depends on the people involved. Everyone has got to use their gift. When we go to a large crusade, even in my grandaddys [Billy Graham] time, it was always about one person. But 80 percent of people coming forward at a crusade had been brought by another person. In other words, someone reaching out to another person and bringing them with them. It is one-to-one evangelism but we do it on a massive scale, with people bringing loved ones, neighbors, and friends, and saying to them why not come to this event and hear about Jesus Christ. Any time we do something, we want to do it to the best of our ability. Christians really have the most to sing about. Peter Coshan worked at Fettes College between 1972 and 2005 as a biology teacher - POLICE SCOTLAND/PA MEDIA A retired teacher who worked for decades at one of Britains elite private schools was murdered after being lured to an Edinburgh property on a gay messaging app, a court has heard. Paul Black, 64, allegedly acted with another person to kill Peter Coshan at a house in the Leith area in August 2022, after making contact on the Gaydar dating site. Dr Coshan, who was 75, worked at Fettes College between 1972 and 2005 as a biology teacher. He also ran the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme at the school. On the first day of the trial on Thursday, the jury at the High Court in Edinburgh heard that Mr Black had contacted Dr Coshan on internet apps including Gaydar, pretending to be another person, in March 2022. Texts were being exchanged over WhatsApp. Is it alleged that Mr Black did this to induce Dr Coshan to come to the property where it is claimed he murdered him. Prosecutors allege that following his death, Dr Coshans body was kept in a place of concealment with Mr Black said to have purchased items such as cleaning products, air freshener and spades. Body allegedly put in suitcase He is accused of later moving the body, placing it in a suitcase and attempting to dig a grave near a junction in Capheaton, Northumberland, and attempting to conceal it. He is alleged to have stolen 18,000 from Dr Coshan by accessing his bank accounts and transferring money. Mr Black denied all 18 charges he faces which include murder, theft, fraud and attempting to defeat the ends of justice. Later, the trial heard from Ross Cook, a retired police inspector, who was taught by Dr Coshan at Fettes in the 1970s. The pair kept in touch over the years and Mr Cook said Dr Coshan had confided in him that he was gay in June 2020. He said he believed Dr Coshan had trusted a man he met on a website called SilverDaddies to transfer 8,000 he had inherited from his mother. He told me that the money was being moved from one account to another more accessible account, Mr Cook said. Im not sure if it was moved or if it was prepared to be stolen theft essentially. Special defence He added: I think I may have told him off and then gave him advice, telling him he should have nothing more to do with that individual. Mr Blacks lawyers have lodged a special defence stating that their client did not commit any of the alleged crimes. The special defence states that if the crimes had been committed, the person responsible for them was the man called Paul McNaughton, whose location was described as being care of HMP Edinburgh. The trial, before judge Lord Scott, continues. Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that Israel will stand alone and fight with our fingernails in defiance of US threats to further restrict arms deliveries if Israeli forces proceed with an offensive on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, was speaking on Thursday after Israeli and Hamas delegations left the ceasefire negotiations in Cairo. It was unclear whether the talks had broken down or simply paused. Hamas said early on Friday that the ball is now completely in Israels hands, while Israel has claimed that Hamas version of a deal fell far short of its requirements. The failure to reach an agreement in this weeks round of meetings raised fears of an imminent Israeli attack on Rafah. Netanyahu appeared to shrug off a public warning from the US president, Joe Biden, the previous night that if the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a major offensive on the city the US would not provide bombs and artillery shells to support the operation. If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails. But we have much more than fingernails, Netanyahu said. He noted that Israel was approaching the 76th anniversary of its independence, which it had to fight for. We did not have weapons, he said, referring to the 1948 war. There was an arms embargo on Israel, but with great strength of spirit, heroism and unity among us we were victorious. The prime minister sounded a more conciliatory note towards Biden in an hour-long interview with an American self-help guru and talkshow host, Phil McGraw, known as Dr Phil. We often had our agreements but weve had our disagreements. Weve been able to overcome them, Netanyahu said of the bilateral relations on the Dr Phil Primetime show. I hope we can overcome them now, but we will do what we have to do to protect our country, he said. Related: Does Israel need more US arms for a Rafah offensive? US officials had been hopeful that a diplomatic breakthrough could be achieved in hostages-for-ceasefire negotiations, following a Hamas announcement on Monday that it had accepted a deal. It remains unclear what specific terms it had accepted, and Israel, though sceptical, agreed to send a delegation to Cairo to find out. An unnamed senior Israeli official was quoted by Reuters on Thursday as saying that the Israeli delegation laid out its reservations to the Hamas position, and deemed the round of Cairo talks to have ended. The official said the Israeli delegation was returning from the Egyptian capital and Israel would proceed with its operation in Rafah and other parts of the Gaza Strip as planned. Hamas said its delegation had left Cairo after Israel rejected the proposal submitted by the mediators and raised objections to it on several central issues, in an account of the meeting provided to other Palestinian factions, according to Agence-France Presse, but the statement did not explain what the differences were between the sides. The White House confirmed that the CIA director, William Burns, was also leaving Cairo, but denied that the negotiations had broken down. Burns is departing the region as previously scheduled, but interlocutors from other delegations are still in discussions in Cairo, so those talks are still going on, John Kirby, the national security spokesperson, told reporters. Were going to stay engaged, in the hopes that we might be able to land something. Related: Does Israel need more US arms for a Rafah offensive? US officials however were privately pessimistic about being able to prevent an offensive into Rafah, which Biden said on Thursday would trigger more restrictions on the US arms supply, specifically regarding bombs and artillery shells. Last week, the administration paused the delivery of 1,800 2,000lb bombs and 1,700 500lb bombs in an indication it is prepared to take action to stop a Rafah offensive. The chief IDF spokesperson, R Adm Daniel Hagari, said the Israeli military could carry out its planned operations without US support. The army has armaments for the missions it plans, and for the missions in Rafah too. We have what we need. A major offensive on the city of Rafah would threaten the lives of more than 1 million Palestinians who have sought haven there and who have not received any significant provisions in terms of shelter, food, water and medical support from Israel. Kirby also said that the US was continuing to advise Israel on how it could defeat Hamas through more surgical operations: Our view is any kind of major Rafah ground operation would actually strengthen Hamas hands at the negotiating table, not Israels. He added that more civilian deaths in Rafah would give more ammunition to Hamas twisted narrative about Israel. The survival of civilians has already been made more precarious by the closing of the two crossings into southern Gaza, Rafah and Kerem Shalom, on Monday when the IDF began action to capture the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, to the east of the city. Rafah has run out of fuel and its hospitals are in danger of being overwhelmed, according to medical staff. Kerem Shalom reopened on Thursday, but aid trucks were unable to navigate the roads because of security concerns and battle damage. Meanwhile, very little aid is entering Gaza through the northern gate at Erez, close to where hundreds of thousands of people who have been cut off by the Israeli offensive are in imminent danger of starvation, according to the UN and aid agencies. Cyprus announced on Thursday that a first aid ship had left the island to go to a US-made floating pier, from where humanitarian assistance is supposed to be unloaded and distributed. The Pentagon said that the pier and a causeway that will ultimately be anchored to the Gaza coast were currently off the port of Ashdod. The Pentagon spokesperson, Maj Gen Pat Ryder said the floating structures were awaiting the right weather and security conditions to move them into position and beginning unloading aid. Rabih Torbay, the head of the Project Hope medical relief organisation which is active in Gaza, said that the plans involving the US pier remain a mystery to most of the aid groups. It is unclear where the pier is going to be attached and the entire logistics, who is going to receive the items and what the distribution plan is, is still very unclear, Torbay said. US officials said the capture of the Rafah crossing was a tactical operation with a low number of casualties. The UN, however, said intensified IDF attacks on the Rafah area had triggered the exodus of more than 100,000 people the largest population movement in Gaza for many months. The mass displacement of people in the event of a large-scale Rafah offensive would be far greater. In his remarks on Thursday, Kirby spelled out what sort of Israeli operations would trigger further US restrictions on arms. I think we all understand what a major ground operation looks like in terms of the size of the forces involved, the kinds of operations that would connote large forces, large movements, a lot of civilian casualties, a lot of damaged infrastructure as opposed to more precise, more targeted, more limited kinds of operations, like we are seeing right now down at the Rafah crossing. He added: A lot is going to depend on what we see Israel do in Rafah and in their planning for Rafah. Kirby said on Thursday that Israeli forces were still getting that [weaponry], the vast, vast majority of everything that they need to defend themselves. We could also in fact help them target the leaders, including Mr Sinwar, which we are frankly doing with the Israelis on an ongoing basis, Kirby added in what appeared to be the first US confirmation that the US had been providing help to the Israelis in targeting Hamas leaders including Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the 7 October attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 Israelis. Reena Barai, a pharmacist in south-west London, said the shortage of medicines was a really serious issue that needs solving. Photograph: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian A survey of thousands of pharmacists has found that patients health is being put at risk by record drug shortages in England, leaving patients and pharmacists frustrated they cannot get the medicines they need. I just feel like the government and the NHS arent taking this seriously enough, because were firefighting in the background silently, says Reena Barai, who owns and runs a pharmacy in south-west London. Theyre not realising the impact of this. Is it going to take patients to die without medication for them to start waking up and realising that this is a really serious issue that needs solving? Barai is far from alone. Ian Strachan, who owns four pharmacies in the north-west, says: If youre on an inhaler, you need that inhaler; if its insulin, then you need that insulin. If patients are going without medication now, they are at risk of exposing themselves to more complications. Ive had patients who have been hospitalised because of the anxiety and stress about the uncertainty of finding their medicines. We should not be putting patients under this stress, theyre already ill, agrees Fin McCaul, an independent community pharmacy owner in Prestwich, Greater Manchester. Worrying about whether their tablets are going to be there just doesnt help them get better. Anil Sharma, who co-owns and runs eight pharmacies in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk with his wife, says hes never known anything like it. Ive been a pharmacist 25 years, but Ive never ever experienced this level of shortage that Im seeing now. Any one day, we could have up to 10% of the drugs that were ordering not being available. The problem, says McCaul, is that patients are increasingly venting their frustration on pharmacies like his: In most cases, its shouting, swearing, thumping fists on to counters, throwing things about. More rarely, it spills over into physical assault. I had a patient the other day who was so aggressive that she nearly punched one of my pharmacy assistants, because we didnt have her medicine, says Sharma. The other people in the queue had to restrain her. The aggression can be very distressing for the staff trying to help them. McCaul says his staff had on occasion been spat at when patients medicine was not available. It leaves the team on edge all day: its like walking on eggshells, he said. I regularly have staff members in tears by the end of the day because of the sheer pressure of it all. Many pharmacists say the price the NHS is willing to pay for drugs is too low. A chunky KitKat costs around 85p in a convenience store, Sharma says. Twenty of the 100 most common drugs that are prescribed by GPs cost the NHS less than 85p. Other countries pay much more. Barai says whats needed is a dedicated taskforce to look into medicine shortages which would bring together manufacturers, wholesalers, pharmacists and doctors. Meanwhile, a short-term fix would be to make it easier for pharmacists to swap patients on to suitable alternative medication without having to get another prescription. At the moment, they have to get a new prescription to issue an identical drug in liquid form if the GP had requested tablets, or an ointment instead of a cream. Im a pharmacist, I should be able to just swap a product that I know is equal in concentration and strength and drug, she says. Its just the formulation thats slightly different. Why cant I change it myself? Why do I have to go back to a doctor to get a prescription? It just seems silly. In Prestwich, McCaul says 99.9% of patients are fantastic, and even the ones who are abusive realise pharmacists are not to blame. If somebody becomes violent or abusive, well bar them from the shop. A lot of the times when somebody is abusive, they will come back later and say, Im really sorry, and bring a box of chocolates or something. Because they know theyve done wrong. They know were trying to help them and that if theres a problem, its rarely down to us. Five babies die after whooping cough diagnosis Five babies have died of whooping cough amid a surge in the disease fuelled by lockdown. More than 2,700 whooping cough cases have been reported across England so far in 2024 more than three times the amount recorded in the whole of last year. Unvaccinated pregnant women and children who missed their jabs are being urged to come forward as outbreaks spread across Europe. The deaths the highest number for more than a decade follow warnings that cases could reach a 40-year high this year. Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, has been dubbed the 100-day cough because of how long it can take to recover from it. Experts warned that the disease spreads quickly, being as infectious as measles, and more infectious than Covid. Official figures show the vast majority of cases so far this year are in London and the South East amid a slump in vaccination rates since the pandemic. Health officials said suppression of the spread of normal disease during lockdown and other restrictions meant a peak year was now overdue amid reduced immunity in the population. The danger has been increased by a sharp fall in vaccination rates, particularly in areas now seeing the worst spread. Jabs are offered to pregnant women in order to protect their offspring from birth, with babies then given vaccinations against whooping cough as part of the 6-in-1 vaccine. But latest figures show just 37 per cent of pregnant women in London had been vaccinated by the end of last year, down from 61 per cent before the pandemic. Across the country, take-up fell among pregnant women by 19 per cent, while take-up among under-5s fell by 4 per cent. It follows concern about vaccine hesitancy and fatigue, as well as a struggle to access routine jabs at some points during the rollout of covid vaccines. Figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show the spread of cases across the country, with 1,297 cases in the South East between January 1 and April 21, followed by London (1,032) and the North West (784). Whooping cough is a cyclical disease which normally peaks every three to five years. Until this past winter, there had been no deaths since 2019. After the last major outbreak in 2012, which resulted in 14 deaths, the NHS introduced vaccinations for pregnant women. In the years since 2013, there have been 26 baby deaths in total. Just five involved mothers who had been vaccinated, in some cases too close to delivery to confer full protection. Health officials said the suppression of the disease during the pandemic because of lockdown, social distancing and other restrictions meant a peak year was now overdue. The UKHSA said: The impact of the pandemic also means there is reduced immunity in the population. The disease has spread across Europe during the start of the year after circulation plummeted during the Covid-19 pandemic. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said that the bloc had seen more cases in the first three months of 2024 than an average year between 2012 and 2019. It confirmed on Wednesday there had been 11 infant deaths and eight deaths among older adults on the continent. The NHS recommends all pregnant women are vaccinated against whooping cough between 16 and 32 weeks. Immunity from the jab passes through the placenta to protect newborn babies in their first weeks of life. When a baby is eight weeks old they can get the six-in-one vaccine, which includes immunisation against whooping cough. The second dose of the vaccine is offered at 12 weeks and the third at 16 weeks. When children are three years and four months they can get the four-in-one pre-school booster, which protects against pertussis. Health officials urged anyone eligible for vaccines who had missed them to come forward. Prof Sir Stephen Powis, the NHS national medical director, said: With cases of whooping cough continuing to rise sharply across the country, and todays figures sadly showing five infant deaths, it is vital that families come forward to get the protection they need. If you are pregnant and have not been vaccinated yet, or your child is not up to date with whooping cough or other routine vaccinations, please contact your GP as soon as possible, and if you or your child show symptoms ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111. Children can have the 6-in-1 jabs until the age of 10. While vaccines are normally offered in pregnancy, new mothers can also have the jabs in order to confer protection up to eight weeks. Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, consultant epidemiologist at the UKHSA, said: Vaccination remains the best defence against whooping cough and it is vital that pregnant women and young infants receive their vaccines at the right time. Pregnant women are offered a whooping cough vaccine in every pregnancy, ideally between 20 and 32 weeks. This passes protection to their baby in the womb so that they are protected from birth in the first months of their life when they are most vulnerable and before they can receive their own vaccines. All babies are given three doses of the 6-in-1 jab at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age to protect against whooping cough and other serious diseases such as diphtheria and polio, with a pre-school booster offered at three years four months. Whooping cough can affect people of all ages but for very young babies it can be extremely serious. Our thoughts and condolences are with those families who have so tragically lost their baby. Prof Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, said the fall in vaccine uptake and reduced population immunity as a result of social distancing were fuelling the trends. He said: This current year looks like we may see more cases than we have seen in any of the last 40 years. The infection can affect anyone who is not vaccinated and even some that are, Prof Hunter said. However, the main risk of death or severe long-term complications is seen in young children, especially those under three months old. It is this age group that are most at risk of death and developing longer-term problems such as brain damage. The problem is that this age group is too young for the vaccine in most circumstances. That is why we offer vaccines to pregnant women. Not to protect them but to protect their babies during the riskiest first months of life. I think it's fair to conclude that if the psychologist Maslow were around today, his Hierarchy of Needs would be very different Do you have a teenage daughter who freezes in horror if her phone rings? Is your son still living under your roof, aged 32? Do your student offspring now have so many unread emails clogging up their inbox (upwards of 40,000) that theyve decided to abandon it, like spooked song thrushes deserting a nest of eggs, because it feels less overwhelming to start all over again with a new one? Well if so, congratulations! Your brood of overgrown babies are perfectly normal. By todays standards. Scant consolation, I agree, but at least we all share the blame. Before I go much further, I would like to say in my defence that Im not what is pejoratively labelled a boomer. Im Generation X, born between 1965 and 1980. Were supposed to be the cool ones. And I do think Im pretty cool I inhaled, people! Nevertheless the nagging suspicion is starting to take hold that, somewhere along the line (heck, I even did one of those once, in a Hamburg hotel room of all places, and was horribly sick) we have gone very, very badly wrong in our attempts to hand-rear and house-train Generation Z, now aged between 12 and 27. In fact, Im beginning to think the Z stands for zero, as in zero expectations of life delivering any of the things they thought not unreasonably would be part and parcel of becoming a newly fledged grown up. So why strive for maturity if they can never follow in their parents footsteps? After university in Edinburgh, I rented a room in a flat then bought my own place by the age of 26. A year after, I exchanged a fistful of notes for a second-hand car. And so on. It wasnt a cakewalk. I couldnt afford furniture (or decent tyres), largely subsisted on Hula Hoop salad a dish I invented that involved excessive amounts of raw onion and Im not sure I had so much as clapped eyes on an avocado. But, in the Them vs Us mythology that fuels much of the current inter-generational resentment, I had it easy. And so Generation Rent is giving way to Generation Resentment. In an age of stratospheric rents, unobtainable deposits, a cost-of-living crisis and rising stress levels, a combination of poor mental health and strapped family wealth has trapped huge numbers of young people (and by definition, us) in a weird stasis. According to data just released by the Office for National Statistics, a third of all men under the age of 35 still live with their parents. The figure for women is less than a quarter. To be honest that only confirms a trend weve all noticed; social media and problem pages are awash with anguished parents wondering if they should broach the subject of money with their great big kids, who are living, eating and using up all the hot water rent-free, despite being in full-time employment. If we were Italian, of course, wed love having our sons to mollycoddle on an ongoing basis. But culturally its a very foreign form of arrested development. One friend of mine says she is sorely tempted to charge her son board if not lodgings, but then worries that, if she does, it will not just cause ill will but will take him longer to save up for a deposit and move out permanently. Another is mulling over the idea of turning militantly vegan in order to hasten her carnivorous 26-year-olds departure. It was back in 2008 that the US writer Kelly Williams Brown (then 24) neologised the tongue-in-cheek verb adulting to describe the everyday tasks such as laundry or grocery shopping that were the hallmarks of maturity. Millennials who are now aged between 28 and 43 embraced it wholeheartedly. Generation Z never use it, not even ironically. Its not in their vocabulary or their hopes and dreams. Instead their focus is inwards, so much so that a quarter of 18-to-34-year olds have never answered their phone. Why? Because apparently its too much pressure. The study, by comparison site U-Switch, also revealed that half of them regularly blanked calls from their own parents. And we are very often the ones paying for the damn thing. I think its fair to conclude that if the psychologist Maslow were around today, his Hierarchy of Needs would be very different. In the olden days, there were five tiers in the pyramid; physiological needs like food and water, safety, love and belonging, esteem and self-actualisation. These days they would be: an iPhone for the Just Eat deliveries, secure WiFi for the iPhone, Snapchat on the iPhone for belonging, Insta also on the iPhone for esteem (or lack of) and Be Real for that carefully curated candid photo posted on your iPhone showing the world how you are bussin it at a day spa. But the bitter truth is that none of these generation-defining activities qualifies as real life. Real life is (was) a vertical progression upwards, from child to adult, dependent to breadwinner, eagerly taking on more responsibility as you went, whether that was the satisfaction of taking your parents out for dinner with your first pay cheque or giddy pride at being entrusted with your very own council wheelie bin. But these days those vertical structures have crumbled away because nobody wants to grow up. Instead, young people rely on their horizontal peer group to normalise the extended adolescence of not picking up the phone and continuing to sleep in a single bed surrounded by Marvel posters at the age of 30. And, of course, if anyone dares bandy around the term adulting, their digital tribe will close ranks and reassure them that theres no such word. Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron with Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo Lord Cameron has been warned that his planned Gibraltar Brexit deal would erode UK sovereignty to the point of meaninglessness. The Foreign Secretary has been accused by the Commons European scrutiny committee of allowing the pendulum to swing too far in the direction of the EU in his negotiations over the post-Brexit future of the territory. They said they were worried that the Government was prepared to concede an arrangement that would leave Gibraltars frontier British in name only. In a letter to David Rutley, the UK minister for Gibraltar, the MPs called for negotiations to be halted until the Commons agreed a deal that would help retain the Rocks sovereignty. For months, discussions have been going on between the EU and Britain over the way Gibraltars border with Spain will be managed now Brexit has been finalised. Lord Cameron has been accused of trading sovereignty for business opportunities in the talks over Gibraltar - Benjamin Cremel/Pool via Reuters The Foreign Secretary met Fabian Picardo, the chief minister of Gibraltar, in Brussels last month - Kirsty O'Connor/FCDO It is believed a deal is close, but MPs on the committee expressed concern when, earlier this month, Mr Rutley appeared before them and admitted that European judges would be able to rule on disputes involving Gibraltar under the Brexit deal. The minister said the terms of the pact would mean Gibraltar had to follow some EU rules in return for a more open border with Spain. But Sir Bill Cash, the chairman of the committee, said he and the other members were concerned that Lord Cameron was trading away sovereignty in return for business opportunities. The letter, signed by Sir Bill, said the MPs had serious concerns regarding the conduct and progress of the UK Governments negotiations with the European Union in respect of a trade and border deal for Gibraltar. A deal must not be pursued irrespective of the cost, it said. Rather than being assured that you are pursuing a deal that strikes this balance and, most importantly, respects UK sovereignty, we are concerned that you are allowing the pendulum to swing too far in the direction of the EU. I will be frank. Your evidence on the border, alignment with the Schengen acquis, and the airport speaks to a serious diminution of UK sovereignty. We ask that you consider these points carefully and do not continue along a track that is deleterious to the UKs vital national interests, the people and businesses of Gibraltar, and the overseas territories more generally. The airport on Gibraltar is a key area of concern for the MPs - Oliver J Davis Photography The MPs said they were concerned about plans to move the Schengen border the border at which the EUs free movement rules operate to the airport, allowing European Frontex border guards to deal with travellers from Britain or Gibraltar. If agreed as you outlined to us, allowing current Schengen checks to be administered by Frontex border guards at the airport would erode UK sovereignty to the point of meaninglessness, the letter said. The practical implications of this are seismic. You were unable to reassure us that UK nationals and Gibraltarians, wishing only to enter Gibraltar, would not have to undergo Schengen checks. Sir Bill also expressed anger that the future of Gibraltar airport was being discussed as part of the negotiations, saying: Any role for Spain in the management of the airport or change to its status, no matter how seemingly small or innocuous, must be ruled out. The airport and the isthmus on which it sits are of significant strategic importance, and their future cannot be risked for an air service agreement for a handful of commercial flights per year to EU member states. The letter concluded: We advise you and your officials to stop and take stock after last weeks evidence session and come back to us with clear red lines on the UK Governments Gibraltar negotiations. Serious consideration should be given to pausing negotiations so that the opinions of all interlocutors can be canvassed, including members of this committee and the House. Joe Biden said he would halt additional shipments of weapons to Israel if the country launched a ground invasion of Rafah, decrying the potential loss of civilian life as 'just wrong' - Samuel Corum/Sipa Joe Biden has provoked fury from Republicans after announcing he will refuse to provide weapons to Israel that could be used by Benjamin Netanyahu to invade Rafah. The US president said on Wednesday that if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons, arguing that the humanitarian cost of the war has already been too high. Republicans immediately accused Mr Biden of breaking his pledge of iron clad support for Israels security, and some have called for his impeachment. They argue that Mr Biden has broken the same law as Donald Trump in 2019, when he was impeached by the US House of Representatives for withholding security assistance to Ukraine. At the time, Mr Trump had told Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, that he would hold back $400 million (319 million) of funding that had been authorised by Congress unless he announced an investigation into foreign interference to support Mr Bidens campaign. Republicans now argue that Mr Biden is guilty of the same crime of refusing to spend money that has already been allocated by lawmakers. Last month, both houses of Congress approved $17.6 billion in funding for Israel, including money for weapons and supplies for the Iron Dome missile system. Israeli soldiers with military vehicles near the Gaza Strip border in southern Israel, on Thursday - ABIR SULTAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, said on Thursday: The House has no choice but to impeach Biden based on the Trump-Ukraine precedent of withholding foreign aid to help with reelection. Only with Biden, its true. The claims are based on the Impoundment Control Act, a 1974 law passed at the height of the Watergate scandal, which restricted a presidents ability to block funding for projects Congress had approved. The law says that policy reasons, such as those of Mr Trump in 2019, are not a sufficient reason to block government spending that has already been set out in law. Under the law, the White House must spend the $17.6 billion on support for Israel by September 2025, or call a vote in Congress to cancel it. Without the support of lawmakers, or a legitimate reason under the Impoundment Act, it is illegal for the money to be withheld. House Republican sources say that representatives are now seriously considering taking up the argument in a fresh attempt to impeach Mr Biden, after launching an ill-fated inquiry on the presidents links to his sons business dealings last year. However, experts say Mr Biden has not broken the law yet and that any impeachment proceedings are unlikely to succeed. No money for Rafah munitions Unlike Mr Trump in 2019, Mr Biden has not said he will cancel all assistance to Israel just that he will not allow the money to be spent on munitions that could be used in Rafah. There is no requirement in the Israel supplemental last month that US funds should be spent on supporting a specific operation. The text of the legislation says the US will fund the procurement of ammunition, weapons and missiles, plus supplies for the Iron Dome missile system, but it does not specify that they must be the high-payload bombs that the Pentagon blocked this week. Alan Morrison, a constitutional law expert at George Washington University, said Mr Biden would only be in breach of the Nixon-era law if he refused to send any weapons before next September, without calling a vote in Congress. Biden wouldnt be violating the impoundment Control Act, simply by not sending particular items of weapons to Israel, he said. In the Ukraine case, Trump was withholding the money, and there was no claim that there was a basis for withholding it. The president may have a basis for not sending particular arms at a particular time, but thats different from not sending Israel the money. With Republicans outraged over the White Houses new red line on Rafah, it seems likely that Mr Bidens opponents in Congress will launch a challenge to his policy from the GOP-controlled House. Congress could still launch an inquiry into Mr Bidens decision in the hope of discrediting him before Novembers election, but the legal facts suggest he cannot be removed from office over this decision alone. David Cameron gave his first major foreign policy speech since returning to the Cabinet - Ben Dance/FCDO Lord Dave is presumably now very used to the atmosphere in the House of Lords. Red benches, good lunches, convivial etc. It was therefore slightly disconcerting to see him against the cold grey backdrop of the Orwellian-sounding National Cyber Security Centre. Not that there is anything cold or grey about the Foreign Secretarys complexion nowadays; a carroty hue that lands somewhere between Gemma Collins and a glass of Fanta. It is not only British trade interests that have benefited from Lord Daves round-the-world trips. Alas, the audio was less than world-beating. The Foreign Secretarys microphone kept cutting out, leaving him mouthing away like a silent movie star or a goldfish in a suit. Every time he sputtered out, a sort of clattering noise cut in, as if the sound engineer was putting the bins out. It sounded less like hed been hacked by China and more like hed hired Frank Spencer as an audio technician. Nothing says global Britain like a series of technological cock-ups. Even more reassuringly, reporters and civil servants arriving for Lord Daves first major foreign policy speech to a British audience were told that the security code for the doors was 1234. Perhaps China managed to hack the MoD database the other day by trying a few variations of password2024. When he was actually audible, we were treated to some classic Cameronisms. The story of him chipping off a bit of the Berlin Wall to take back to Chipping Norton got another airing. Also in Lord Daves memory-palace was his recollection of launching the 2010 manifesto in Battersea Power Station. It was a derelict building left crumbling for decades, he told us in an extended reverse metaphor for whats happened to the Conservative Party during that time. Again the microphone sputtered, but poor Dave trudged on. Some classic Cameronisms were given another airing - Ben Dance/FCDO He invoked some of his predecessors in the role: Entering my office, I pass portraits. As, inevitably, his term of office looks limited, this seemed an attempt to position himself among the greats. Bevin and Eden, Grey and Salisbury, Canning and Castlereagh were all mentioned. There was nothing for Liz Truss. Technical gaffes aside, what we could hear of the speech put the Foreign Secretary more in the tradition of Palmerston than the peaceniks: continuing arms sales to Israel, talk of a harder edge on defence and foreign policy. Of course, Palmerston actually had a few gunboats to send but that was merely a side issue to Lord Dave. Eventually we reached the lobby questions, and in true Palmerstonian style, Lord Dave deployed the gunboats and fixed them squarely on Dover. What does this tell us about the party shes joining? he asked, of Tory-turned-Labour MP Natalie Elphicke. In life, if you dont stand for something, you will fall for anything. It was a reminder that Lord Dave is one of the few frontbenchers left who can speak with any real conviction. With a nasal knight looking set to be our next prime minister, its not too much of a stretch to imagine the bronzed baron as leader of the opposition once again. Pensioners Mushrooms When David Christie paid a visit to his son and daughter-in-law in Sussex two years ago, he had a far more exciting trip than usual. The 78-year-old had begun to suffer from periods of low mood. These would come and go, but his family began to worry. I was depressed, and my son had read into it and decided to do something about it, he says. That something was magic mushrooms, and the outcome proved transformative for his mental health. The [acute] effects lasted for about a week, I felt much more cheerful and optimistic, he says. Crucially, while he still has down days, Christie has had no serious or long-lasting periods of depression. Magic mushrooms are a Class A drug. But a growing body of evidence suggests that psilocybin the main hallucinogenic compound could be a promising treatment for depression, anorexia and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), among other mental health conditions. It has also been suggested that the benefits of psilocybin therapy could be greater for pensioners than younger people. A recent meta-analysis of previous studies published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) found that the drug worked better for older people among patients taking psilocybin for depression, the benefits were more pronounced for every year older a patient was. Though a further review of the data is still pending. Professor Guy Goodwin, emeritus professor of psychiatry at the University of Oxford, says that while there is not sufficient evidence to suggest psilocybin therapy is more useful for older people in particular, it could be especially suitable for them for other reasons. Its certainly a safe drug and therefore it might be a good idea for the elderly, he says. [It] doesnt impair blood pressure, doesnt produce falls, and doesnt require continuing treatment with a sedative drug. Magic mushrooms are a Class A drug, making research difficult - Richard Vogel/AP Christies own experience with psychedelics unfolded in the darkened downstairs bedroom of a bearded man named Bill. He gulped down a concoction made from powdered magic mushrooms mixed with cranberry juice, lay down on a bed, and waited to see what would happen. You need some sweetener to get it down or its disgusting stuff, he says. It didnt occur to him to be nervous. Ive done some investigating now and know it can make you feel worse instead of better I wasnt aware of that, he says. I was relaxed right from the start. At the time, he felt safe with Bill, who had been vetted by his son and reminded me of Father Christmas. What followed was a totally joyous experience with wonderful lights and myriad colours The sound was amazing, as was the continuous stream of rivers of colour, constantly changing and reforming. For Christie, the effects lasted for around four hours a period in which he would wake up and come to, then slip back under again, several times. He is not the only retiree to have experimented with the drug. I took magic mushrooms at 64 and the fog Ive lived under my whole life lifted, one breathlessly told the Telegraph in 2022. Having suffered from depression since his 20s, he found psilocybin therapy as part of a clinical trial revelatory and said it opened up a new way of living. Psilocybin activates the serotonin system in the brain. One theory suggests the compound rewires the grey matter of those affected by mental health disorders, releasing patients from rigid and unhelpful thought patterns and functioning as a kind of neural reset button. Another is that the drug triggers some kind of biological change. What is clear is that its evangelists say it has long-lasting and life-changing effects. Christie is a convert, although it is important to distinguish between taking shrooms possession of which is illegal and controlled doses of psilocybin administered in an official clinical trial. I felt totally safe and loved, he says. As a card-carrying Christian, Christie had a strong sense of the divine. In the final hour of his trip, he saw a hand appear and rest on his chest. He experienced a feeling of love and connection with [God], he says. Everything quietened down and I was just left there in this sensational feeling of being in the palm of His hand. As he came down from his high, Christie was exhausted. He went back to his sons house, slept for 10 hours, and explained what had happened over breakfast. The experience left him feeling elated and secure. It goes without saying that experts would not recommend self-medicating. But research into psilocybin therapy appears promising some studies have found that it could offer more effective treatment than antidepressants. However, it is currently also a Schedule 1 drug classed as having no therapeutic value, which makes it difficult and expensive to conduct further testing. This is something that psychiatrists and mental health charities have campaigned to change. Politicians from across the house, from Crispin Blunt MP to former shadow minister for women and equalities Charlotte Nichols MP, have expressed support for its decriminalisation There is clear real-world evidence that psilocybin therapy can get people to a point where they no longer meet the diagnostic criteria for [PTSD], Nichols who has a diagnosis of PTSD herself told the Telegraph last month. I think this is something that I would very much like to see available on the NHS. Professor Goodwin has been conducting clinical trials into psilocybin as chief medical officer of a biotechnology company called Compass Pathways. In the UK, phase 2 trials for treatment-resistant depression showed that a single 25mg dose of psilocybin, alongside psychological support through talking therapy, significantly reduced depressive symptoms in almost a third of patients (although adverse effects were also reported). The trial, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that a fifth of the 233 participants given a 25mg dose of the drug reported continued benefits for up to 12 weeks. Goodwin is now conducting a much larger phase 3 trial. A recent trial also showed that psilocybin therapy is safe and could be effective in treating PTSD. Christies experience had a lasting impact. Even recalling it makes him feel wonderful. His wife of 53 years wouldnt touch it with a bargepole, he says, but shes happy to let him experiment. Thats why he plans to go back for another trip this summer. Palestinians flee Rafah after Israeli forces launched a ground and air operation in the eastern part of the city. Photograph: Mohammed Salem/Reuters More than 100,000 people have fled Rafah after Israel intensified its bombardment, UN officials have said, in the largest movement of population in Gaza for many months. Humanitarian officials are tracking the number of people fleeing Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza, where more than 1 million people displaced from elsewhere in the territory have been sheltering. The numbers are expected to rise, with deep concern among aid officials on Thursday that the newly displaced people will end up in makeshift encampments without any services, living in the rubble of their former homes without basic essentials necessary for life. One UN official in Rafah said: There is a lot of fear and trepidation. The roads are very congested with cars, donkey carts, trolleys, pickup trucks and people walking. Some have already been displaced multiple times and are trying to take material for shelter with them, which isnt easy; others are moving for the first time. We could be talking about 300,000 within a few days. The problem is there is basically nowhere that kind of number of people can go which is safe and equipped to provide basic essentials necessary for life. The attempts to evacuate came as a senior Israeli official told Reuters that the latest round of indirect negotiations in Cairo to halt hostilities had ended and Israel would proceed with its operation in Rafah and other parts of the Gaza Strip as planned. With no aid stockpiles after seven months of war, and supplies into southern parts of Gaza cut off after Israels seizure of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing on Tuesday, there was not a lot agencies could do to help, a second official said. There were reports of dozens of airstrikes and repeated bombardment by tanks on Thursday, with several rocket launches by Hamas at Israel or Israeli troops. The Israeli strikes were mainly concentrated on eastern neighbourhoods that have been evacuated after instructions to do so were issued on Monday by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), but many were also reported elsewhere in Rafah, causing casualties and widespread fear. Hamas and the allied militant group Islamic Jihad said their fighters struck Israeli forces on the eastern outskirts of Rafah, firing anti-tank rockets and mortars at Israeli positions. Israels attacks come despite explicit opposition from the US. They have prompted a fresh crisis in relations between Israel and its staunchest ally, with the US president, Joe Biden, saying he will cut off the supply of specific US munitions used by Israel to attack urban environments such as Rafah. Bidens decision prompted fury in Israel. On Thursday, Israels foreign minister, Israel Katz, said the country would continue to fight Hamas until its destruction, adding there is no war more just than this. Bezalel Smotrich, the far-right finance minister, called for Rafah to be conquered completely and the sooner the better. The Emirati hospital in Rafah was reported to be scaling back operations, while the Abu Yousef al-Najjar hospital in the citys east was completely evacuated on Tuesday. The UN was hoping to retrieve medicine and equipment with a high risk convoy in coming days. Other medical facilities in Rafah have been overwhelmed, with the director of the Kuwaiti hospital issuing a desperate call on social media in the small hours of Thursday for medical professionals to help treat casualties. The health ministry in Gaza on Thursday reported at least 60 more deaths over the previous 24 hours. Since Monday when Israel ordered residents of eastern Rafah be evacuated, the daily reported toll has been above 50, higher than a peak of 33 earlier in May. Residents described being terrified by drones flying through streets, hovering over potential targets before moving on, and the constant sound of large blasts. I cannot walk, my legs wont hold me up any longer. I have been scared for so long, said one 45-year-old man, who has not been able to leave because he lives with his sick and elderly parents. Aid officials say they are increasingly concerned by an acute shortage of fuel and food. None is coming in, and unless some does, we will be unable to move or run the generators which power the water pumps and our communication systems, said one UN official. A second UN official estimated remaining supplies were enough for 48 hours of normal operation. Though the IDF described the attack on the Rafah crossing as a limited military operation, not the long-threatened full-scale assault on the city, senior Israeli officials said the offensive would continue until Hamas was eliminated from Gaza. Israels government and military say remaining Hamas forces are based in Rafah and that top leaders are sheltering in tunnels there, using hostages held throughout the seven-month war as human shields. Related: Rafah hospitals in danger of being overwhelmed, say Gaza doctors Ali Barhoum, a medic who was evacuated from al-Najjar hospital on Tuesday, said mortuaries were full. Yesterday, we did not receive any dead because they were all transferred to Kuwait specialised hospital, because there are no mortuaries for the dead or even a morgue [anywhere else]. The death toll last night was about eight. According to internal UN memos, 22,000 people had left Rafah by Wednesday evening, heading to the coast, mainly families who moved in vehicles, trucks, motorbikes and donkey carts with their belongings including flour and food. Another almost 50,000 people were heading for Khan Younis, a city devastated by fighting earlier in the war. Many are using the last of their savings to pay transportation fees ranging from $200 (160) to $400. The IDF has designated Khan Younis and the coastal zone of al-Mawasi as a expanded humanitarian zone where those complying with its instructions to evacuate parts of Rafah will find shelter, food and other necessities. But aid officials and those already in these locations describe appalling overcrowding, inadequate food, limited and contaminated water supplies, and almost no sanitation. Heavy fighting has left unexploded ordnance in much of Khan Younis. Dr James Smith, a British medic in Rafah who has visited both locations, said: Al-Mawasi is very congested. People are pitching up trying to find some space, but there isnt anywhere. Parts of Khan Younis are just rubble. There is no functional system to sustain life there. Israeli authorities have denied restricting aid reaching Gaza, and said the Kerem Shalom border crossing just east of Rafah, the territorys main cargo entry point, is open despite repeatedly being targeted by Hamas rocket strikes. An Israeli government spokesperson on Wednesday described aid piling up on the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing and called on the UN to do better to ensure its distribution. Aid officials in Gaza said they could not reach Kerem Shalom because their staff had fled or been evacuated, and firing was continuing in the immediate vicinity of the crossing. One UN official said: We need security clearance, we need people and fuel. We dont have either so we cant get to the [aid]. The war in Gaza began with Hamass 7 October attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people, mostly civilians. During the attack militants seized Israeli and foreign hostages, of whom Israel estimates 128 remain in Gaza, including 36 who the military says are dead. The deaths of two were confirmed by the Israeli military, the Haaretz newspaper reported on Thursday. Israel, in response to the attack, vowed to crush Hamas and free the captives. It began a military offensive that has killed at least 34,904 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territorys health ministry. Xi Story: An exchange of Spring Festival letters with Hungarian students Xinhua) 08:11, May 09, 2024 This photo taken on Aug. 4, 2023 shows the Chain Bridge spanning the Danube River in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Hungarian students Bonita Varga and Tamara Imre were thrilled to hear from Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2023, soon after they wrote to him ahead of the Spring Festival in January of that year. "My wife and I were glad to receive your letter during the Spring Festival in the Year of the Rabbit. I still remember interacting with teachers and students at the Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual School in 2009," Xi said in his reply letter, referring to the school that Varga and Imre attended. In their letter to Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, Varga and Imre expressed their gratitude after winning the Chinese Ambassador Scholarship for a second time, and conveyed festive greetings on behalf of all the students at the school. The two Hungarians had been studying Chinese at the school for 12 years by that time. Varga, whose Chinese name is Hu Lingyue, describes learning the Chinese language as "a beautiful thing." And Imre, whose Chinese name is Song Zhixiao, says that she enjoys binge-watching Chinese video websites. They both have an appreciation for Chinese calligraphy. Varga and Imre both hope to work as translators in the future, and they said that Xi's reply had been a source of encouragement to continue studying the Chinese language. Their letter expressed their aspirations to study at Chinese universities and contribute to the Hungary-China friendship. Commending their goals, Xi said that they were welcome to study at Chinese universities after graduating from high school. The two Hungarians' hard work paid off. In September last year, they were admitted to Capital Normal University in Beijing. In his reply letter, Xi also expressed the hope that more young Hungarians will learn about contemporary China, as well as the country's history and culture, and strive to become envoys carrying forward and developing the China-Hungary friendship. Xi's ties with the bilingual school began in 2009 when he visited it during a trip to Hungary as China's vice president. It is the first full-time public school in Central and Eastern Europe that teaches through both its local language and Chinese. It has 20 classes and more than 500 students. Zsuzsanna Erdelyi, head of the school, remembers that Xi smiled throughout his visit, speaking with the students about Chinese poems and songs for children. "The temperature dropped suddenly that day," she said, noting that Xi had been aware of the change and urged the students to return inside as soon as possible. Xi brought presents of teaching materials and educational tools, and assured the school that he would support and help with its development, Erdelyi said. "I think he fulfilled this promise to the maximum and created many opportunities for the students studying here so that they could be taught well." When the bilingual school was founded in 2004, most of its students were native Chinese speakers or from multiracial families, she said. "Today, most of the students are native Hungarian speakers." The Chinese language has been incorporated into Hungary's national educational system and has become a college entrance exam subject in the country, she added. The school is a prime example of increased exchanges and cooperation between Hungary and China. Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, China and Hungary have in recent years maintained a high level of development in their relations. Quality agricultural products from Hungary, such as beef and wine, have entered households in China, and technologies that Hungarian companies have developed to empower interaction have been applied in Chinese museums and exhibition venues. New electric vehicles from Chinese brands NIO and BYD can also be seen frequently on the streets of Hungary. Hungary is the first European country to sign a Belt and Road cooperation document with China. And Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) for three consecutive times. "China is willing to continue working with Hungary to be good friends and partners who trust each other and pursue win-win cooperation, and to take the China-Hungary comprehensive strategic partnership to new levels," Xi said when he met with Orban during the BRF last year. As this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary, Xi's upcoming state visit to the European country is expected to elevate bilateral relations to a new level and yield more fruitful results. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Jeff Fountain, a journalist by trade, is the founder and director of the The Schuman Centre for European Studies. Originally from New Zealand and now living in Holland, he led Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in Europe for 20 years. He also helped create Hope for Europe, an umbrella initiative for evangelical groups on the continent. In a three-part series by Christian Daily International, Fountain shares his perspectives for evangelicals on the spiritual landscape driving Europe, both past, present and future. In this first of three articles, the former YWAM leader recalls the faith background to Europe Day celebrated today, on May 9. The celebration of Europe Day on May 9 marks 74 years and counting since French foreign minister Robert Schuman proposed a new European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), in anticipation of the future European Union. Schuman understood the personal terrors of war: as a French resistance fighter, the Nazis once captured and imprisoned him. In his subsequent postwar political role, he wanted to do something about the suffering of Europe in the 1950s when the continent came to terms with the aftermath of the bloody conflict. Stay informed with The Christian Daily Newsletter Sign up Schuman had the idea to unite coal and steel industries, particularly in France and West Germany, with the aim of prospering Europeans, so that another war would be impossible. Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan. It will be built through concrete achievements, which first create a de facto solidarity, read the original Schuman Declaration on May 9, 1950. The solidarity in production thus established will make it plain that any war between France and Germany becomes not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible. The setting up of this powerful productive unit, open to all countries willing to take part and bound ultimately to provide all the member countries with the basic elements of industrial production on the same terms, will lay a true foundation for their economic unification. Jeff Fountain calls the Schuman Declaration the defining moment in postwar Europe. He argues, however, that few people realize the powerful Christian history behind the politics after WWII came to an end and people started looking to the future of the continent. The day before Schumans declaration, there was no plan on the table. He put this plan on the table, Fountain told Christian Daily International. And ever since then we've had a movement underway. We haven't necessarily kept to his plan, but the story that we don't really realize is this was very much a Christian-initiated project. It started with Christian forgiveness and reconciliation, and therefore it's been recognized by the European Parliament as the real starting point of a movement that has continued on in all sorts of erratic and stumbling ways. Fountain recalled how he did not realize at first how significant the Christian faith had been to the launch of the postwar European movement. In 1991, he went to Brussels to find out whats happening with the development of European politics, telling his YWAM leadership team at the time they needed to know how to relate to it. An official in the European Commission met the YWAMers and invited them to pray together something that surprised Fountain. Well, that was the last thing I expected in the European Commission building. And it turned out this official was a leader of a prayer network of Christians in the whole commission there. And then he began to tell this story that was not in line with the story that I had been raised up with [about the creation of Europe]. Fountain had heard of the views of some evangelicals equating the ECSC, then the European Economic Community (EEC) and subsequently the European Union (EU) to the beast in the book of Revelation, but now came a whole different story. I'd never heard it before, about a small key bunch of people who were highly motivated by their Christian faith. These influential people included American Lutheran church minister, The Rev. Frank Buchman who founded the Oxford Group, a Christian revival movement, leading to the international Moral Re-Armament peace-seeking movement, striving for conflict-free dialogue between nations. Schuman asked Buchman whom to trust in the newly formed West Germany, after the war, according to Fountain. The influential church minister recommended Konrad Adenauer, the former Lord Mayor of Cologne who had opposed the Nazis to the point that he was sent to a concentration camp for some time. In 1933, Adenauer refused to receive Adolf Hitler when the dictator visited the city. Adenauers biography on the European Parliament website notes he had a Christian faith that guided him throughout his life. The former Lord Mayor subsequently became the first chancellor of the Federal Republic of West Germany. Konrad was a very devout believer, a Catholic, as was Schuman, Fountain recalled. Both these men had the same backgrounds of understanding of Catholic social teaching, which started off with an understanding of human beings created in the image of God, therefore there's only one human race. Both men, Fountain argues, therefore rejected the perverse Nazi ideal of the Aryan superior race and sought the common good for all mankind. And this was really the beginning of the Christian democratic movement that so dominated the first four decades after the war on the continent. Fountain realized weve got to take this seriously now after hearing about the spiritual background to the creation of modern Europe from the European Commission official. He started looking for mothers and fathers who had something of Gods heart for Europe amongst evangelicals. It was very hard to find evangelicals who even thought about Europe, said Fountain. We just didn't go there. The late Sir Fred Catherwood, former President of the Evangelical Alliance in the U.K., wrote a book called Pro-Europe, which helped Fountain form his own ideas on Europe at the time. He brought a lot of biblical thinking in his understanding why we need to work together in something like what became the EU. He greatly influenced my thinking. Fountain asked the European Commission official to help organize a consultation for evangelical leaders to hear the same story about the Christian influence on modern Europes creation, and examine the responsibility and attitudes needed by evangelicals engaging in Europe. This led, amongst other things, to the setting up of a permanent office in Brussels by the European Evangelical Alliance. Fountain felt so inspired by the story of Schuman that he set up The Schuman Centre for European Studies, after moving on from leading YWAM Europe after 20 years. According to its website, the centres virtual, interdisciplinary network strives to jog memories, stir consciences and awaken imaginations concerning Europe and her Christian heritage. Through courses, events, tours and publications, the centre promotes biblical perspectives on Europes past, present and future, informing effective social, cultural and spiritual engagement towards a society based on biblical values. Fountain notes that Europe Day this year (2024) is the same day as Ascension Day. Very few people could tell you what Ascension Day is, and very few people can tell you what Europe Day is, but even fewer people could see any connection between the two events. But there is a connection because Ascension Day is part of the Jesus story, which is the greatest story and the greatest factor actually in shaping Europes story. Mr Brightside has now spent a total of 408 weeks, or seven years, in the UK top 100 The Killers Mr Brightside has become the biggest-selling song in the UK top 100 charts never to have made it to the number one spot. The anthem has usurped Wonderwall by Oasis to take the top spot, with its 5.57 million combined sales and streams also makes it the UKs third biggest song of all time according to the Official Charts Company. The Las Vegas bands dancefloor favourite also surpasses sales and streams by Wham!s festive anthem, Last Christmas. It has now spent a total of 408 weeks, or seven years, in the UK top 100. The closest competitor is Lewis Capaldis Someone You Loved, which trails behind at 234 weeks in the top 100. Mr Brightside has a total of 530.3 million streams 100 paid streams or 600 free streams equal one sale and has sold 1.1 million copies in the more than 20 years since its initial release. Brandon Flowers, The Killers' lead singer, said he never gets tired of the song, which he performed at Glastonbury in 2019 where streams of the song reached a peak - JIM DYSON/GETTY IMAGES EUROPE Brandon Flowers, who wrote the track with bandmate Dave Keuning, said he no longer feels like he is part of the song after its monumental success. Its funny. I dont feel so much of it anymore. It just exists in the world, Flowers said. Its amazing that I had something to do with it but I almost feel a little bit removed from it because its so big, he told the Official Charts Company. The enduring track, a favourite for wedding party guests, is still being streamed 1.8 million times per week by Britons. It shows no sign of slowing either, with last year representing the tracks biggest year of streams, with 79.97 million plays. In 2024, Mr Brightside is accelerating further still with average combined weekly sales and streams up 23 per cent year-on-year. Dr Stephen Graham, the head of Arts and Humanities at Goldsmiths University, believes the songs popularity is mainly down to its lyrics and loud music being a perfect fit for Britains boisterous nightlife culture. UK nightlife culture was a perfect fit for Mr Brightside. Loud, boisterous nights out are de rigueur in that culture and uncomplicated songs that can be sung without much skill or concentration and that carry you along like a massive, joyous crowd have always been a hit here, he said. Mr Brightside has all of those qualities, almost to a Platonic ideal, and so really lends itself to settings where groups of people, many of them drunk, are looking for a sonic excuse to join together in collective joy. He added that the lyrics also suggest nights out, or at least the kinds of interpersonal stuff youd be thinking about on a night out (shes calling a cab, hes having a smoke, my stomach is sick etc). The songs biggest week to date in the UK was July 2019, when it clocked up 17,700 chart units following the bands headline Glastonbury set. Mr Brightsides biggest year of pure sales was 2012 when it was bought and downloaded 125,200 times. Flowers first indication of the songs impact was ahead of their 2004 Glastonbury performance. We played that song [and] something had obviously happened Something shifted in the way that the audience physically responded and it set us off on this path to become the live band that we are now. Flowers told Spin back in 2015 that he is proud that Mr Brightside has stood the test of time. I never get bored of singing it, he said. Martin Talbot, the chief executive of Official Charts, commented: The success of Mr Brightside is a triumph of extraordinary longevity, it is a song which has lived with so many of us throughout the recent decades of our lives and, for some, an entire lifetime. Ed Sheeran is absolutely right to describe it as the UKs alternative national anthem. And for this reason, among many others, it is a huge honour for us to have been able to present Brandon Flowers with one of our brand-new Top 10 Awards in tribute to its legacy and impact. Twenty years on from its first Official Singles Chart appearance, it is now the Top 10 hit that all other Top 10s can only aspire to be. Marius Gustavson's ex-husband said: 'He is far from a monster' - PA In his north London basement flat, Marius Gustavson castrated and sexually tortured dozens of men for the enjoyment of paying viewers on his Eunuch Maker website. Over four years, Gustavson made 300,000 from the 22,800 subscribers paying to watch the human butchery unfold on their screens. At the Old Bailey on Thursday, the 46-year-old Norwegian national was jailed for life with a minimum custodial sentence of 22 years. To his online followers, he instilled a cult-like atmosphere, recruiting like-minded backstreet surgeons to help run what a judge called the large-scale, dangerous and extremely disturbing enterprise. With the help of his six co-defendants, he was involved with at least 30 mutilations including on a 16-year-old boy using kitchen knives and agricultural tools normally used on livestock. Many victims were vulnerable men questioning their own identity, whose research into gender dysphoria or body dysmorphia had led them into Gustavsons spider web. One was Jacob Crimi-Appleby, a then 17-year-old who was later manipulated into helping amputate Gustavsons leg after falling down an internet rabbit hole while looking up gender dysphoria online. A screengrab of the Eunuch Maker website Caroline Carbery KC, prosecuting, said it was remarkable that the Eunuch Maker website operated in plain sight, not on the dark web, accessible to anyone who stumbled upon it and had the inclination and means to pay to view the gruesome footage. Users were offered a VIP yearly subscription of 100, along with free unlimited messaging. Gustavson sought to blame his sado-masochistic behaviour on the break-up of his marriage in 2016, which he claimed had awoken his previously dormant condition of body integrity dysphoria, a rare mental health condition in which a person feels a limb or healthy body part should not be part of their body. Neither Gustavson nor any of his co-defendants were formally diagnosed. Many of the amateur and dangerous surgeries had been carried out on those identifying as nullos, a term for people who do not wish to identify as male or female and, in Gustavsons words, want to look like a Ken doll, with nothing down there. Gustavson is wheelchair-bound after willingly having his penis, leg and nipple amputated, claiming 18,500 in benefits from the Department of Work and Pensions for his self-inflicted disability. Yet many of those who knew him in his past life, as an LGBT charity campaigner with a passion for the Eurovision Song Contest, think he has been unfairly vilified for his crimes. He is far from a monster, Gustavsons ex-husband told The Telegraph, speaking on condition of anonymity. I do want people to understand his background and who he is. He claimed Gustavson had done a lot of admirable work in his native Norway, and had been looked up to by his fellow charity workers. Friends and former colleagues described an isolated loner who dedicated all his spare time to gay activism in his home city of Drammen, a 45-minute drive south-west of Oslo. The Landfalltjern lake, an area near Marius Gustavson's home town. He spoke about spending time there before moving to England - Jeff Gilbert He served as the regional chairman of Norways National Association for Lesbian and Gay Liberation (LLH), once the countrys largest LGBT group, and campaigned for more sex education in schools. As the chairman of LLH Buskerud between 2003 and 2008, Gustavson hosted gay weekends in Drammen for four consecutive years and complained about school textbooks containing almost nothing about homosexuality. He regularly featured in his local paper, the Drammens Tidende, which he used to publicise LGBT events hosted by the LLH. In 2007, he was pictured hosting one such event, attended by headteachers and school staff, at a hotel in Drammen. He said at the time: These professional groups have contact with people who are gay or lesbian. It is important to know how to meet young people who have a different sexual orientation. Camilla Lochen, a former member of LLH and co-host of the event, described Gustavson as a big teddy bear. Ms Lochen, an assistant manager at a mining museum, told The Telegraph: He lived very much for that cause. My thought was maybe that he was a little miserable. He was a big boy. He had to have something to spend his time on. She said it was horrible to learn of Gustavsons crimes in the UK, because he was a nice guy. In April 2005, Gustavson hosted another LLH event at Drammens largest secondary school, calling for more gay sex education in the curriculum. He was a regular colleague Gustavson graduated from a business school in Drammen in 1996, and shortly afterwards studied at a language school in Hastings, East Sussex, receiving an English certificate. He moved between Norway and the UK for several years afterwards and did odd jobs, including as a receptionist at the three-star Abbey Lawn Hotel in Torquay in the year 2000. He had brushes with the law in his native country, committing several fraud offences but never being jailed. After a 2001 conviction, he worked for Norways postal service for a decade. A former colleague described him as a private man who was passionate about LGBT causes and Eurovision. The colleague, who wished to remain anonymous, said: We were just colleagues and did not see each other in spare time. He was a regular colleague, and I think most of us thought he was OK I dont think he was spending any free time with his colleagues. Around October 2011, Gustavson emigrated to Bournemouth, working for Xerox as a customer care service manager until 2015 and later moving to Finsbury Park, north London. Even at the peak of his offending, Gustavson volunteered to help coordinate Pride marches through central London, acting as a senior steward between 2016 and 2019 and helping to register other volunteers. The prosecution admitted it was impossible to know the full extent of his offending between 2017 and 2021. The court heard how Gustavson hoarded severed body parts in his freezer and auctioned them off online, with clear evidence of cannibalism as well as bodily mutilations. On one occasion, he grilled a pair of human testicles in a skillet as part of an artfully arranged lunchtime salad with potatoes, pistachios and cashew nuts. Inculcated cult-like atmosphere His crimes only came to light after one of his victims went to police, handing them a USB stick containing 5,000 WhatsApp messages between him, Gustavson and others, as well as a recorded interview. Gustavson was accused of using his coercive nature on the victim. In a victim impact statement read to the court, the man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said he was apoplectic with rage and wanted to kill Gustavson after realising the permanent damage done to his body. Gustavson had inculcated a cult-like atmosphere that mesmerised his followers, who considered him their unquestionable leader, he said. He added: After the barbaric encounters, if I think about them too long I can still feel the physical pain. Although Gustavsons victims had given their consent to the procedures and he in his lawyers words simply wished to put a smile on their faces, this could not be accepted as a legal defence. Under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, a person cannot legally consent to being seriously harmed for sexual gratification. Despite atempts by Gustavsons co-defendants to argue that many of the surgeries had been performed solely for the psychological benefit of the victims, this was rejected by Judge Mark Lucraft KC, who said: I am entirely satisfied that the motivations of all involved were a mix of sexual gratification as well as financial reward. Gustavson showed little reaction during the three-day sentencing hearing, spending most of his time making copious notes on pieces of paper from the confines of HMP Wandsworth as he watched proceedings via video link on Friday morning. His co-defendants David Carruthers, 61, Janus Atkin, 39, Peter Wates, 67, Ion Valentin Ciucur, 30, Ashley Williams, 32 and Stefan Scharf, 61 received jail sentences of between four and a half years and 12 years for their role in the plot. In January, Damien Byrnes, 36, and Crimi-Appleby, now 23, were jailed for amputating Gustavsons penis and leg. Nathan Arnold, a 48-year-old nurse, was spared jail for removing Gustavsons nipple with a scalpel. Gustavson, Carruthers, Atkin, Wates and Ciucur pleaded guilty to conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent. Gustavson pleaded guilty to a range of further offences, including five additional counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, making an indecent image of a child, four counts of distributing indecent images of a child, possessing extreme pornographic images and possessing criminal property. Williams and Scharf pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Kate Mulholland, a CPS specialist prosecutor within the London Complex Casework Unit, said: Marius Gustavson ignored the risks of performing unnecessary surgery on vulnerable men for sexual gratification and financial gain. He actively recruited participants through his website and was paid to stream the footage of these barbaric procedures. Whilst the victims in this case all seemingly consented to surgeries and amputations, the victim who bravely reported his assault to the police expressed serious regret regarding his procedure and the lasting impact it has had upon him. This clearly emphasises why such practices are unlawful. The severity of todays sentence should act as a warning to others that performing extreme body modifications is against the law, and the CPS wont hesitate to prosecute these horrendous crimes. Noelia Voigt became the first title holder in the pageant's 72-year history to voluntarily step down The reigning Miss USA and Miss Teen USA have both quit in the same week, with the older title holder hiding the message I am silenced in her resignation announcement. Miss USA Noelia Voigt became the first title holder in the pageants 72-year history to voluntarily step down on Monday. Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava followed suit and quit on Wednesday. Insiders believe the resignations are linked after both competition winners delivered carefully worded statements criticising the pageant. In her letter, Ms Voigt, 24, suggested that she had quit to prioritise her mental health. But coded within appeared to be a cry for help. In life, I strongly value the importance of making decisions that feel best for you and your mental health, wrote the Venezuelan-American in a post on Instagram. Internet sleuths said the first word of each sentence of the full version of her statement spelt out the words I am silenced. A source told the New York Post she appeared to be referring to harmful workplace conditions over which she had been forced by her contract to stay silent. On Wednesday, Ms Srivastava, 17, followed Ms Voigts lead and quit the junior version of the contest, claiming her personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organisation. The resignations came shortly after Claudia Michelle, the Miss USA social media manager, also quit her job. In an Instagram post, she wrote: I feel the way current management speaks about their titleholders is unprofessional and inappropriate; I disavow workplace toxicity and bullying of any kind. She added: I believe Noelia and Umas mental health and happiness has taken a toll and I cannot remain silent about that. One insider, who knows all three women, told the New York Post that they decided to quit together and strategically timed their resignations. The source cited a toxic atmosphere and suggested that the beauty queens had been afraid to speak out for fear of damaging their future career prospects. Ms Michelle told the New York Post: Noelias contract as in her salary was used against her. They would threaten her by saying If you dont do XYZ In this case, following social media guidelines from the Miss Universe Organization that, as a social media director, I still had yet to see. Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava said her personal values 'no longer fully align with the direction of the organisation' Miss USA and Miss Teen USA are run under licence from the Miss Universe Organization, which has been owned by Thailands JKN Global Group since 2022. JKN, which is run by Thai media investor Anne Jakkaphong, filed for bankruptcy in November and two months later announced the sale of a 50 per cent stake to Mexican entrepreneur Raul Rocha Cantus Legal Holding Group. In August 2023, Laylah Rose, previously a fashion designer, took over as president and chief executive of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA. The New York Posts source alleged Ms Rose had been secretly posting on social media under Ms Voigt and Ms Srivastavas names, much to the frustration of the two contest winners. The source also suggested the relationship with Ms Srivastava had deteriorated to such an extent that her parents recently refused to let Ms Rose speak to their daughter directly, insisting all correspondence was through them. In a statement, Ms Rose said: Our all-encompassing goal at Miss USA is to celebrate and empower women. Our participants make a real difference in this country and around the globe. All along, my personal goal as the head of this organization has been to inspire women to always create new dreams, have the courage to explore it all, and continue to preserve integrity along the way. I hold myself to these same high standards and I take these allegations seriously. Please be assured that the well-being of all individuals associated with Miss USA is my top priority. Greta Thunberg has joined a large pro-Palestinian protest in Sweden to demonstrate against Israels inclusion in the Eurovision Song Contest. The climate activist, 21, was among thousands of people marching through Malmo, the Eurovision host city, demanding that Israel be taken out of the competition amid the ongoing war in Gaza. The march comes ahead of the Israeli entrants first live performance in the competition on Thursday evening. Police vans were present outside the Malmo Arena ahead of the event. Eden Golan, who is 20, will perform the song Hurricane. She was booed during her dress rehearsal on Wednesday. In a statement following the rehearsal of her song, Golan said: I am proud to represent my country, particularly this year. I am receiving support and love and I am determined to give my best performance in the semi-final. and nothing will deter me from that goal. Among other slogans, the protesters chanted Boycott Israel, From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free and What is our mission? Israel out of Eurovision! A banner in the style of Eurovisions, reading genocide, was held aloft in the middle of the march. Climate activist Greta Thunberg joined the demonstration in Malmo - Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in Malmo ahead of Thursday's Eurovision performance - Leonhard Foeger/Reuters Police vans patrol the centre of Malmo - Martin Meissner/AP Protesters were stopped from heading down a road of Malmos square. They were told to go back by police and, following shouts of free Palestine, returned to the main gathering. Police officers from Sweden, Norway and Denmark have been regularly patrolling the Malmo Arena, the city centre and the Eurovision village amid the threat of protests and disruption. A pro-Palestinian march will take place on Thursday afternoon, which a spokesman for the force said would cause disturbance to traffic. The organisers of the march, which will end at Molleplatsen Park, said it would take place at 3pm. Police presence in Malmo has been stepped up - Martin Meissner/AP Photo Golan, 20, will compete against Norways Gate, San Marino band Megara, Switzerlands Nemo and Danish entrant Saba, who called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the safe return of Israeli hostages in a joint statement in March. The artists rejected calls from Palestinian groups to boycott the contest, saying they firmly believe in the unifying power of music. Golans track Hurricane was reworked from a previous song called October Rain and renamed after it was thought to reference the Oct 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. The contest has so far been plagued by rows over Israels participation amid the countrys ongoing military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, now in its seventh month. Officers keep watch as pro-Palestinian protesters gather in Malmo - Johan Nilsson/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock A pro-Palestinian march will take place on Thursday afternoon, which a police spokesman said would cause 'disturbance to traffic' - Johan Nilsson/TT/Shutterstock At the opening ceremony on Tuesday, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises the event, expressed regret that a Swedish star had taken to the stage wearing a keffiyeh to show his support for Palestinians. In an Instagram story, Eric Saade explained that the material was a way of showing a part of my origin and was a gift as a child from his father, who is of Palestinian origin. He also said: I just wanted to be inclusive and wear something that is authentic to me, but the EBU seems to think my ethnicity is controversial. It says nothing about me, but everything about them. Eurovision organisers expressed 'regret that Sweden's Eric Saade had taken to the stage wearing a keffiyeh on his wrist - Jessica Gow/TT It has been made clear to attendees and contestants that Eurovision is a non-political event and therefore no political statements are permitted. Bambie Thug, Irelands non-binary entrant, revealed after their performance on Tuesday night that they had been barred from writing ceasefire and freedom for Palestine on their body. The EBU also announced last week that it reserved the right to remove any Palestinian flags or pro-Palestine symbols at the contest. Ticket holders are only allowed to bring and display flags representing countries that are taking part in the event, as well as the rainbow-coloured flag. In April, the organisers hit out against the unacceptable and totally unfair abuse of competitors amid the backdrop of a terrible war in the Middle East. Israel, which performs towards the end of the night on Thursday, has been a strong contender at Eurovision in recent years, last winning with Nettas Toy in 2018 and qualifying for the final 12 times since 2003. In addition to talking to the children about grief, Prince Harry joined them in playing games - PAUL TIBBS The Duke of Sussex has said it is great to be back in Britain, as he made a flying visit ahead of joining his wife in Nigeria. The Duke, who was in London for three days for meetings planned around the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, invited the BBC to join him at a childrens party for one of his patronages. The event, for Scottys Little Soldiers, was amazing, he said. The charity supports the bereaved children of military personnel, and Prince Harry is its global ambassador. He spoke to children about their experiences of bereavement. What Scottys is doing with these kids is absolutely incredible and very needed as well, the Duke said. The more opportunity you get to do these kinds of events, the more the families and kids know this place exists which is really the most important thing. I have long believed in the mission of this charity, and I truly believe the work they do to foster community and create space for young people to connect, grieve, but also have fun together is life-changing. I am a huge supporter of their work and very proud to be their first global ambassador. The Duke said: 'It was an honour to meet so many of the wonderful families Scotty's Little Soldiers supports' - PAUL TIBBS The Duke joins in the fun at the charity event - PAUL TIBBS Children who spoke to the Duke at the event said he gave them advice on how to cope with grief. Joshua Kirkham, 19, was six years old when his dad Lance Corporal Christopher Bradshaw died in a road collision in 2011. Joshua said: The standout moment in our conversation with Prince Harry was around coping mechanisms for bereavement. We discussed being proud of the family member weve lost, celebrating their life, and understanding that its okay to be sad, to grieve, and to seek support in whatever way feels right. Georgia Paterson, 16, joined Scottys Little Soldiers in 2018. Her dad, Corporal Norman Stevenson, served in the Royal Regiment of Scotland and died by suicide in 2016. She said: Prince Harry was the best person to share that experience with because hes been through it and understands better than anyone. It was really moving to see how vulnerable he was with us, which encouraged us to open up as well. Georgia added: It felt really connecting because when your parent served, they served for the country, and one of the most important things for the country is the Royal family. Speaking with someone who is part of that made me feel more connected to my Dad. It was amazing to be connected to him in that moment. The Abu Yousef al-Najjar hospital was evacuated after the Israeli army took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images Hospitals in Rafah risk being overwhelmed by a wave of sick and injured people if the fighting there intensifies and routes into Gaza remain impassible, doctors and medical officials in the city say. Medics and patients hastily evacuated the Abu Yousef al-Najjar hospital, one of the few remaining functioning hospitals in Rafah, Gazas southernmost city, on Tuesday after the Israeli army seized the nearby border crossing with Egypt in a dawn raid. It was a bitter experience, and the situation now is catastrophic, said Marwan al-Hams, the general director of the Najjar hospital. The Rafah crossing, a vital supply route into Gaza in recent months, remained closed on Wednesday, cutting off much-needed supplies, including fuel. The Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel, Gazas main cargo terminal a mile east of Rafah, reopened after a 48-hour closure on Wednesday, but all traffic was stopped by continuing shelling by Israeli forces in the vicinity and further rocket barrages launched by Hamas. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they were investigating an incident of fire towards a vehicle with Palestinian workers who were on their way to work at the Gazan side of the Kerem Shalom crossing in which several people were injured. Continuing airstrikes have already strained medical facilities in Rafah, sending a new wave of casualties to be treated. There were sporadic explosions and gunfire in the area of the Rafah crossing overnight, including two large blasts early on Wednesday. At Kuwait hospital, the wounded arrived on hand-pulled carts. The Israeli military said it had hit dozens of terrorist targets overnight. With the seizure of Rafah, Israel now controls all of Gazas crossings for the first time since it withdrew troops and settlers from the territory nearly two decades ago, though for most of that time it has maintained a blockade with Egypts cooperation. The Rafah crossing is the only place where people can enter and exit. Gazas health ministry said dozens of patients and wounded people who had been scheduled to leave on Tuesday for medical treatment had been left stranded. Dr Subhi Sukeyk, the director general of cancer medicine in Gaza who is based in Rafah, said these included cancer patients. The situation is very bad. We are now trying to work from a very small field hospital with very limited resources We are getting no supplies of cancer drugs and so we have lost lots of patients. A lot of them must travel outside Gaza as soon as possible but they cannot because Rafah is closed. It is beyond words, Sukeyk said. There are also fears for increasing numbers suffering from widespread outbreaks of hepatitis and gastroenteritis, a consequence of overcrowding, insanitary conditions and rising temperatures as summer approaches, while the main maternity hospital in Rafah has now been forced to stop admitting patients. Only a third of Gazas 36 hospitals and primary health care centres are working and all face acute shortages of medicine, basic medical supplies, fuel and manpower. There was only enough fuel to run health services in the south of Gaza for three more days, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. Hams said the death rate among patients had more than doubled in recent months because of shortages of medicine, equipment and staff. He described chaotic scenes as the Najjar hospital was evacuated, with medical staff frantically seeking alternatives for seriously ill or injured patients. With no ambulances, some were moved to facilities elsewhere in Rafah or in the town of Khan Younis by donkey cart. Rafahs prewar population of 300,000 has grown to 1.2 million with an influx of those displaced from elsewhere in Gaza during the seven-month conflict. Muhammad Moein al-Hour Hakim, a doctor at Najjar hospital, said anaesthetics and oxygen were running very low. The situation was very difficult so we had to go, but that meant we left behind all medical supplies, equipment and medicines, he said. Many medical workers have been repeatedly displaced themselves, and struggle to feed and protect their families. Hams said many of his colleagues homes had been destroyed or were now full of relatives forced to flee from elsewhere in Gaza. Many of my relatives and friends have been killed I lost four of my cousins yesterday, and a while ago I also lost 10 of my cousins and dozens of injured from my family in Gaza. Our lives are difficult, he said. It is unclear whether the Israeli seizure of Rafah is the start of the full-scale assault on the city that Israel has often threatened. Senior officials said on Tuesday that the military offensive would not stop before the total elimination of Hamas in Gaza or the release of hostages held by the militant Islamist organisation. Israel has said Rafah is a stronghold for Hamas, and that its war aim of ensuring Hamas in Gaza no longer poses a threat can only be achieved by killing, capturing or dispersing the remaining Hamas fighters and leaders based there. Related: Netanyahus political survival in hands of far right ministers So far 34,700, mainly women and children, have been killed during the Israeli offensive, which was launched after Hamas killed about 1,200, mostly civilians, and took 250 hostages in a raid on southern Israel in October. Aid officials say that the prolonged closure of the crossings due to continued fighting could cause the collapse of aid operations and a humanitarian catastrophe. Dr Ali Barhoum, the deputy head of the emergency department at Najjar hospital, said he no longer knew how to keep his family safe. A month ago, I moved my wife and children to our relatives home and now that house is among the areas threatened by the [Israeli] army. Now I have no idea where I can go with them. rail strikes The service will always arrive on time. You may even get a seat. Fares will be simpler. There might even be a decent sandwich for less than a fiver, and of course, most of all the strikes will come to an end. When Sir Keir Starmer outlined his plans for Great British Rail last month he gave the impression that a return to state ownership would usher in a new golden age of travel. But hold on. It turns out that the bulk of the strikes that have thrown the system into chaos this week, and made commuting near-impossible, are against rail companies that have already been nationalised. In reality, switching Labours strategy to Get Britain Moving will make the network even worse. This weeks strikes are just a taste of the chaos under a Labour government. It has been yet another frustrating time for anyone struggling to get from one part of the UK to another. The union Aslef staged walkouts at 13 different rail companies including Great Northern, Southeastern, LNER, and Great Western. In a series of rolling strikes and overtime bans, some of these firms have brought parts of the network to a complete halt, preventing commuters from getting to work, students from getting back to university, and disrupting spring bank holiday travel. Rail has become a haphazard, unreliable form of transport. No one can be certain which trains were running on what days, and the strikes are fast approaching their second anniversary with no end in sight. Even if a pay settlement is eventually reached, the drivers may well find some fresh grievance to start them up again. Against this backdrop, you can see the temptation for Labour to argue its plans will alleviate the current woes. After all, with Great British Rail owned by the people, the drivers and other staff will no longer suffer exploitation by rapacious capitalist bosses. Instead, they will be working for the public good, while ministers plan the long-term investment needed to deliver the best possible rail system, and make sure the staff and passengers are treated fairly. With the private sector out of the way, everything will function as it should. There are a few small issues with this argument, however. The bulk of the strikes this week involve companies that have already been taken back into state ownership. Northern, Southeastern, Welsh Railways, the Transpennine and Northern are all now fully owned by the Government. Even ScotRail, which is not just publicly owned, but is run by the liberal and progressive SNP administration, has been plagued by strikes. In short, industrial relations are just as bad when ministers are in charge of the network as when private shareholders are. This shouldnt come as a surprise. In fact, walkouts are far more common under state ownership. In the early-1970s, more than 22 million days were lost to industrial action at a time when the state controlled whole swathes of British industry, including the mines, steel factories, telephone system, car industry, an airline, as well as the train network. The larger the role of the state, the more fractious the relationship between workers and management. Even now, trade unionism is largely concentrated in the public sector, with 48pc of state employees belonging to a union, compared with 12pc of private sector workers. Nationalised industries tend to have more powerful unions and let us not forget Labour intend to strengthen them further - which makes strike action more likely. Whats more, public sector strikes can often be more effective: while private sector bosses are typically motivated by delivering a profit to their shareholders, ministers are often preoccupied by bad headlines, and keeping the voters happy. Far easier, therefore, to simply give in to the strikers, get the network running again, and then let the chancellor worry about how to pay for it all down the line. And, of course, thats before you get to the cost of buying out the Rolling Stock Operating Companies, as would be required for full-scale renationalisation. The chaos we have witnessed over the last two years might be frustrating, but the conclusion that it is going to get a lot worse under a Labour government is hard to avoid. Most of the companies hit by industrial action this week have already been nationalised, and those that have not yet been taken back under state control are already tightly regulated, and are left with almost no freedom to make their own decisions. And they are already massively subsidised by the taxpayer (the same people, as it happens, who are also paying sky high fares as they struggle to commute into the office). Labour pretends that its plan for Great British Rail will solve all the networks problems, and exasperated voters might want to believe it. But lessons from the past and present ought to be heeded. When the Government offered 4pc pay rises two years in a row, Aslef described it as risible. Industrial action on the railways has a long history: the first recorded strike was in 1842. The Tories have failed to address union militancy, but does anyone think Labour will do any better? The unions will sense the weakness, and make more and more extravagant demands. A Starmer administration could simply give in, but money will be too tight to throw huge resources at the railways. In the end, its the passengers who will suffer. Ms Rayner announced her plans with minimal fanfare on Thursday - Jeremy Selwyn Labour would pass a new law to force firms to protect interns and volunteers from sexual harassment, Angela Rayner has announced. The partys deputy leader unveiled the plans as she warned that the culture of sexism against women in the workplace is still deep set. Addressing a business conference, she also defended her plans to strengthen workers rights after unions claimed they had been watered down. Ms Rayner said that almost two-thirds of young women had experienced sexual assault, harassment or bullying at work. She added that being a victim of harassment was especially damaging for women starting their careers and could put them off going for promotion. Despite the efforts of many good employers, the culture of sexism we face is still deep-set, she told a Chartered Management Institute conference. Ms Rayner in London on Thursday as she announced her new plans - Jeremy Selwyn Labour will introduce new laws to protect women starting out in the workplace from sexual harassment at the very place where they should be free to thrive. Employers will need to take steps to protect their newest and youngest workers from sexual harassment, ensuring that existing requirements apply to contracted interns and volunteers who have signed work agreements too. The changes would extend companies obligations under the 2010 Equalities Act, which enshrines womens rights, to explicitly cover interns and volunteers. Tory ministers looked at making such a change in 2021, though concerns were raised about the administrative burden on organisations like small charities. An unusually low-key announcement Ms Rayner made the announcement in an unusually low-key speech amid swirling questions over the sale of her ex-council house. No journalists were invited to attend the event and she did not put in any media appearances, as would be typical when announcing a new policy. In her address, she also defended her aim to overhaul workers rights amid suggestions she is at loggerheads with Sir Keir Starmer over the plans. Unions have accused the Labour leadership of bowing to business pressure over the proposals, in part by diluting a ban on zero-hour contracts. Leaked papers show the partys initial plans to outlaw fire and rehire tactics and introduce a right to switch off have also been watered down. A genuine living wage Ms Rayner insisted: We will make work pay by bringing in a genuine living wage and by strengthening sick pay for the lowest earners. We will make work more secure by banning exploitative zero-hour contracts and by ending fire and rehire. We will make work more family friendly by making sure flexible working is the genuine default and by bringing in a right to switch off. Ms Rayner first announced her New Deal for Workers at the Labour conference in 2021, outlining a series of sweeping reforms to labour rights. Since then, the package has been steadily watered down amid business warnings that it would damage Britains competitiveness. Unite, which is Labours largest union donor, has reacted with fury at what it called a betrayal and is urging Sir Keir to return to the original plan. 'Like all organised criminals the gangs behind this trade are motivated only by money' - Chris J Ratcliffe/Reuters Over the past six years, I have watched events in the English Channel with a mixture of despair and fury, as tens of thousands of men, women and children continue to make the perilous crossing from northern France. Crammed into rickety boats and dinghies, that are completely unsuited to crossing the worlds busiest shipping lane, these people are pawns and victims in a ruthless criminal trade. Like all organised criminals the gangs behind this trade are motivated only by money. They dont care that theyre placing people in danger. They dont care when people die. The tragedy highlighted last month by the death of seven-year-old Sarah Alhashimi proves this. She was one of five people who perished in icy waters after leaving the beach at Wimereux, near Boulogne. Their boat was carrying 112 people. More lives will be lost unless theres decisive action to dismantle the gangs and disrupt their evil operations. The National Crime Agency (NCA) has been working hard in collaboration with the French authorities, but the record number arriving on British shores this year almost 9,000 people already shows there is still far more to do. By the time the craft are in the water its nearly always too late, so intelligence gathering and law enforcement work must be focused further away from the coastline, stopping the boats and gangs at source and along the routes they take. There is no evidence whatsoever that the Rwanda scheme will stop the gangs and deter migrants from getting in their boats; it is a grossly expensive project, costing over 500 million, that will lead to the removal of only a fraction of asylum seekers who are in the UK. Thats a huge gamble with our money and vulnerable peoples lives. Instead, whats needed is a radical new law enforcement approach with stronger leadership, extra resources and a more coherent structure to protect our borders. I led Counter Terrorism Policing for over six years. Its a model of close partnership with intelligence agencies, government and multiple partners, all of whom have clear lines of responsibility and accountability for their single mission: to protect lives. It needed to be studied as a model response to this crisis. Thats why I am heartened to see Sir Keir Starmer putting forward practical policy proposals to turbocharge the work of the multiple agencies working on this most challenging of issues, and putting serious thought into how you break up the global business model of these evil criminal gangs profiting from human misery. Labours New Border Security Command will not only marshall assets already available under the leadership of a new commander, it also provides a direct accountability line to the Home Secretary and enhanced firepower, with hundreds of additional UK investigators, prosecutors and officers deployed to work with their counterparts across Europe and beyond. I do not underestimate the challenge of bringing those resources into alignment and increasing the number of investigators, but its necessary, and strong leadership can achieve it. I am surprised it has not been considered before. Sir Keir is right to draw parallels between our efforts to combat counter terrorism and the work needed to protect our borders. At its best, the former Office for Security and Counter Terrorism, on which the Border Security Command is based, provided central leadership, a shared set of objectives across agencies, and a strong basis through which to share intelligence and learning. Labour is also setting out new powers to be used by those working in immigration enforcement, which will be vital to both disrupting the gang networks and ensuring we can effectively build cases to increase prosecutions of these criminals. Too many are not facing justice for their appalling actions. For Sir Keirs plans to be most effective, the Border Security Commander he appoints will need all the resources promised, control of a dedicated budget, and the freedom to think creatively about how to get the best talent to recruit hundreds more specialist investigators, enforcement officers and specialist prosecutors the Party is committed to fund. It will be essential that all the agencies involved in securing our borders the NCA, Border Force, intelligence agencies and the police have the right systems in place to share information and that they are willing to do so. Well trained and well equipped, this model could provide a strong force to protect against any cross border national security threat in the future, once this desperate trade has been smashed. This wont be easy work. During a long policing career tackling organised crime and terrorism, I learned how criminal gangs switched tactics, adapted their methods and preyed on weaknesses to stay one step ahead. But with extra resources, a firmer grip from the centre and tougher powers, the new Border Security Command can make a huge difference. Neil Basu QPM is the former assistant commissioner and national lead for Counter Terrorism Policing Edward Wadsworth's Bright Intervals (1928) - Dan Brown Still-life painting is a staple of amateur art classes up and down the land. The curators of a splendid new exhibition, though, argue that its a less staid genre than people think and that theres far more to it than apples and grapes in a bowl. Featuring 150 works, the show focuses on still lifes made in Britain over the past three-and-a-half centuries. The genre dates back to Classical antiquity, but it truly came of age in the 17th-century Netherlands, emigres from where helped popularise it in Britain. Essentially, it comprises a group of inanimate objects depicted together, usually on a table. An early example on view is Vanitas Still Life (1694) by the London-based Dutchman, Edward Collier. It groups a globe, a book and some musical instruments: the point being that imperial power, learning and musical pleasure are all fleeting and fail to prevent the inevitability of death. This particular type of still-life painting the vanitas contrasted the transience of human endeavour with everlasting faith. The genre as a whole proved popular in Protestant lands because it lacked the overtly religious subject matter of much Catholic imagery, yet morals were still to be drawn. William Smiths mid-18th century paintings of overripe fruit symbolically suggest the brevity of life. Due to both secularisation and the edicts of the Royal Academy of Arts (which was founded in 1768 and demeaned still life for having no people in it), the genre fell from favour in the late-18th and 19th centuries. Ben Nicholson's 1943-45 (St Ives, Cornwall) - Nicholson, Ben, OM Still lifes by French Post-Impressionists, however, Cezanne above all, would prove a catalyst for myriad British painters. Modernists from the Bloomsbury Group to the Scottish Colourists all embraced the genre. The self-contained nature of a still-life scene allowed them to revel in texture, colour and composition, and not necessarily worry about narrative. Meredith Framptons Trial and Error (1939), in turn, shows Surrealist delight in combining unlikely objects: such as a pear on top of an urn, and flowers in a teapot. For his part, Ben Nicholson reduced the genre to a few flattened shapes of bottles and jugs, which verge on abstraction. The only downside of this show is the occasional inclusion of a work that is plainly not a still life such as David Hockneys Tea Painting in an Illusionistic Style (1961), which portrays a human figure within a box of Typhoo tea in a section devoted to Pop art. Gordon Cheung's Still Life with Goblet (after Pieter de Ring, 1640-1669) (2017) - Gordon Cheung/Courtesy artist and Cristea Roberts Gallery, London Overall, though, we encounter a genre of never-ending inspiration: offering a basic framework on which artists could express themselves as radically as they wished. Damien Hirsts Bognor Blue (2008), for example, consists of eight dead butterflies stuck on a monochrome blue canvas. In recent years, the still life has extended beyond painting into media such as textiles, ceramics and photography sometimes with a topical theme including overconsumption in the case of Maisie Cousinss gross series of photos of food waste from 2018. So far from being still, this is a genre that has forever proved itself dynamic. The Shapes of Things: Still Life in Britain at Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, May 11 to Oct 20; pallant.org.uk Coalition of Christian Leaders Calls on Churches to 'Pray For & Stand With Israel' on Sunday, May 19 NEWS PROVIDED BY Family Research Council May 8, 2024 WASHINGTON, May 8, 2024 /Christian Newswire/ -- Family Research Council, along with a coalition of organizations, is encouraging churches nationwide to Pray For & Stand With Israel. The event is meant as a call for the Christian community to unite in prayer and stand in unwavering support for Israel on Sunday, May 19, by dedicating a portion of their worship services to pray for Israel's peace, prosperity, and protection. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins commented: "During a recent visit to Israel, where I met with survivors of the October 7 attack and family members of the hostages, I also had the opportunity to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and engage in discussions regarding the current challenges facing the nation. Among the many topics discussed, Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed an urgent need for Americans who support Israel to visibly show their support. We discussed the importance of solidarity and prayer as powerful expressions of support that can make a meaningful difference in the relationship between the United States and Israel. "It is abundantly clear that in light of the challenges and complexities facing Israel--both politically and spiritually--it is imperative that we, as leaders within the Christian community, come together to demonstrate our unwavering support for Israel anchored in the word of God. With this goal in mind, I propose that we call upon Bible-believing churches nationwide to pray for and stand with Israel collectively on Sunday, May 19, by dedicating a portion of their Sunday services to pray for Israel's peace, prosperity, and protection," Perkins concluded. WHO: Tony Perkins, Family Research Council Michele Bachmann, Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast Mario Bramnick, Latino Coalition for Israel Dr. Tim Clinton, American Association of Christian Counselors Chad Connelly, Faith Wins Craig DeRoche, Family Policy Alliance Carlos Duran, National Hispanic Pastors Alliance Jentezen Franklin, Free Chapel Dr. Jack Graham, Prestonwood Baptist Church Gary Hamrick, Cornerstone Chapel Jack Hibbs, Calvary Chapel Chino Hills Skip Heitzig, Calvary Church Chris Hodges, Church of the Highlands Cindy Jacobs, Generals International Robert Morris, Gateway Church Tim Wildmon, American Family Association WHAT: Pray For & Stand With Israel WHEN: Sunday, May, 19, 2024 WHERE: To find out more and sign up to participate, please see: https://prayandstand.com/. SOURCE Family Research Council CONTACT: J.P. Duffy or Alice Chao, (866) FRC-NEWS or (866)-372-6397 Share Tweet Keir Starmers plan echoes recommendations handed to Priti Patel two years but will not satisfy all critics of Labours immigration policies. Photograph: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/PA Keir Starmers border plans, announced after a giddy week of political triumphs, attempt to address some of the deep structural problems within the Home Office. Paid for with 75m from the existing budget for the Rwanda scheme, the plans echo recommendations handed to Priti Patel two years ago: employ a single border security head who is given direct access to the home secretary. The border security commander would oversee a new body, with more investigators, which draws together the work of disparate agencies involved in disrupting people-smuggling gangs. Starmers announcement will not satisfy all critics of Labours immigration policies. The party has not yet answered the demands of refugee charities by offering new safe and legal routes for asylum seekers, leaving many people fleeing war and persecution with no alternative but to take small boats to cross the Channel. The Tories will continue to insist that Starmer offers little in the way of an eye-catching deterrent which is supposed to put asylum seekers off taking to the sea in dangerous small boats. Those with knowledge of the Home Office say investigators feed their information into the permanent secretary, Matthew Rycroft. The creation of a border security command under a border security commander would allow those agencies a voice with the cabinet minister in charge. One former insider said: It allows the system to work at speed and takes investigations out of the permanent secretarys power base, which can only be a good thing. The idea echoes plans drawn up by Alexander Downer, a former Australian foreign minister who was commissioned by Patel in 2022 to draw up plans for a rejigged Border Force. Downer suggested that the Home Office should give key figures a direct reporting route to the home secretary to ensure that the operational view is given equal representation to that of policy in departmental decisionmaking. The Labour plan has critics within the Home Office. One questioned whether another commander is needed in the department. It already has Stuart Skeates, a former general who is director general of strategic operations, recruited last year to oversee implementation of the illegal migration bill but Labour says his job is very different. Under Labours plans, the party would hire hundreds more specialist intelligence agents and cross-border police officers, who would support the border security command unit and work across the UK and Europe, split across multiple agencies, including the National Crime Agency, MI5, Border Force, CPS International and Immigration Enforcement. They would be bolstered with new counter-terrorism powers including stop and search powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and the use of serious crime prevention orders before conviction to restrict access to the internet, banking and travel for those suspected of being involved in smuggling people across the Channel in small boats. So far, so tough. But there is still no sign of Labours pledge to overhaul the much talked about safe and legal routes. Charities and respected Labour figures such as Lord Dubs have pointed out that the reason that so many people fleeing war and torture are coming to the UK by small boats including those from Syria, Sudan and Iran is because there are no viable alternatives. On Friday, Starmer will announce the plans in Dover the constituency of Labours new and controversial MP Natalie Elphicke in a message to Rishi Sunak that immigration can no longer be used by the Tories as a vote winner. The Tories, however, believe it will remain a key battleground that they can win. They say Starmers plan to scrap the Rwanda scheme, and process tens of thousands of asylum claims from people in line to be deported, will be shown to be a big mistake. Keir Starmer will pledge to divert funding from the Rwanda scheme to create a new border security command of specialist enforcement officers. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian Keir Starmer will promise to rip up the governments Rwanda scheme and divert 75m to fund hundreds of new specialist officers to tackle people-smuggling with new counter-terror powers. At a speech on Friday in Dover the home of Natalie Elphicke, who defected to Labour this week after criticising Tory failures on border security the Labour leader will call the governments plan an insult to anyones intelligence and say the gangs that run this sick trade are not easily fooled. Starmer will pledge to divert funding from the Rwanda scheme estimated to cost 541m over five years to create a new border security command of specialist enforcement officers and investigators. Labour will also pledge to: Create a new post of border security commander to oversee the unit, working across Europe and with multiple agencies on enforcement and intelligence. Recruit hundreds of additional special investigators, intelligence agents and cross-border police officers. Expand stop and search powers for use against those suspected of people-smuggling. Use Serious Crime Prevention Orders, enforced on terrorists pre-conviction, to shut off the bank accounts and internet access of suspected smugglers. Extend seizure warrant powers normally reserved for terrorism to include organised immigration crime. Elphicke, a rightwing Tory MP whose shock defection to Labour has caused significant discontent within the party, used her resignation statement to say the Tories had failed to keep our borders secure and cannot be trusted. Labour has a narrow lead over the Conservatives on most immigration issues but a majority say they do not trust either party. Last week almost 1,500 people arrived in the UK on small boats, with Channel crossings more than 35% higher than the same period last year. David Neal, the former immigration watchdog who was sacked after exposing flaws in UK border security, welcomed the proposals. Change is definitely needed in the Home Office, he said. My reports frequently identified poor leadership, lack of grip and a failure to align responsibility, accountability and authority. Direct reporting into the home secretary makes absolute sense to give a clear independent voice into the heart of government. Labour said its plan for a new border security commander would go further than the governments small boats commander role, with significantly more resources and a remit to work across Europe and coordinate across multiple agencies. Starmer will contrast Labours plan with the gimmick of the Rwanda scheme, which is estimated to cost 1.8m for every asylum seeker sent there though no deportation flights have yet taken off. Its not hard to see why the prime minister might want a path to deterrence without the hard graft, the boring graft maybe, of fixing the wider system, Starmer will say. Let me spell it out again a scheme that will only remove 1% of small boat crossings a year can not, and never will be, an effective deterrent. He will say the Rwanda scheme will lead to a perma-backlog of nearly 100,000 people and that refusing to process asylum claims will mean that even if they have absolutely no right to be here they cannot be removed, billing the taxpayer for expensive hotel accommodation. He will add: The government has achieved the complete opposite of what they claim a Travelodge amnesty, handed out by the Tory party that, if nothing else, is warmer and safer than spending winter under canvas near a beach in northern France. Labour said last week that it would let people who had crossed on small boats into the asylum system, contrary to the Illegal Migration Act, which effectively bars any individual who comes to the UK illegally from claiming asylum. The government has said those stuck in asylum limbo estimated at about 90,000 people will be removed to Rwanda. But Labour has said that will take almost 100 years at current rates, and it will instead get a grip on the asylum process, to clear the backlog with a fast track for safe countries and remove those with no right to be here. Starmer and the shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, have previously said that no deportation flights to Rwanda will take off if Labour takes power, despite speculation the party would let the scheme continue until a new system was in place. Starmer will say on Friday that Labours plan would restore integrity and rules to our asylum system and that hundreds of caseworkers would be hired for a new fast-track returns and enforcement unit. The Labour leader will pledge to make British beaches hostile territory for people smugglers with new investigative powers modelled on anti-terror laws. Its a vile trade that preys on the desperation and hope it finds in its victims, he will say. In a veiled criticism of the French operations, Starmer will say he will work harder with French police to stop the boats departing. The gangs now use dinghies that are on a scale way beyond anything you would see for legitimate recreational activity, he will say. We should turn over every stone and use every reasonable power that is my message to the smugglers: these shores will become hostile territory for you. The home secretary, James Cleverly, said Labours new plan was an amnesty for all illegal immigrants, scrapping our Rwanda plan even if its working. Donald Trump speaks to the media after a day of testimony in his trial at Manhattan criminal court on Thursday. Photograph: Victor J Blue/AP The judge overseeing Donald Trumps criminal case in Manhattan castigated the former presidents lawyers on Thursday and denied their second request for a mistrial this week. Judge Juan Merchan indicated that Trumps lawyers were to blame for allowing Stormy Daniels, an adult film star, to describe lurid details about her alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, including testimony that Daniels nearly blacked out and that Trump did not wear a condom. Related: Stormy Daniels stays consistent: Trump trial key takeaways, day 14 Trumps attorneys have now twice used the testimony to request a mistrial, saying it biases the jury and is irrelevant to whether Trump committed the felony of falsifying business records. Its a dog-whistle for rape, Trump attorney Todd Blanche said on Thursday. But Merchan said Blanche and Trumps legal team had invited the salacious details to be made public in the case. In his opening statement, Blanche had said the sexual affair never happened, effectively asking the jury to believe either Trump or Daniels, Merchan said. The details Daniels could offer, Merchan said, spoke to the credibility. Your denial puts the jury in a position of having to choose who they believe: Donald Trump, who denies there was an encounter, or Stormy Daniels, who says that there was, Merchan said. These details add a sense of credibility if the jury chooses to believe them. Merchan also criticized Trump attorney Susan Necheles for not objecting when Daniels was asked whether Trump used a condom. Why on earth she wouldnt object to the mention of a condom, I dont understand, he said. Merchan declined to modify a gag order that prohibits Trump from attacking witnesses, including Daniels, and jurors. Blanche said it was unfair that Trump was not going to be given a chance to respond to attacks against him. As weve said repeatedly, he needs an opportunity to respond to the American people, Blanche said. But Merchan denied that request, saying that even if he lifted the gag order with respect to Daniels, who has now finished testifying, he was concerned about the message it would send to other witnesses. Other witnesses, including not only Michael Cohen, will see your client doing whatever it is he intends to do, he said. The reason the gag order is in place to begin with is precisely because of the nature of these attacks. The nature, the vitriol your clients track record speaks for itself here. Trump fumed after court wrapped for the day, telling reporters the judge was corrupt. Merchans decision came at the end of a day in which Trumps lawyers spent hours seeking to undermine Danielss credibility, pressing on her motivations for agreeing to a hush-money payment as she continued critical testimony. Necheles asked Daniels to explain why she did not go public with her story in the waning days of the 2016 campaign and instead sought to get paid for it. Necheles also suggested Daniels wanted to hurt Trump because Trump opposed gay marriage and abortion. In rapid-fire questions, Necheles seemed to be trying to seed the idea that Daniels, dressed in a green blouse and black sweater, was more interested in receiving a payout than telling the truth. You wanted money, right? Necheles said. Daniels, who insisted she wanted to give a press conference in 2016, said, I wanted the truth to come out, adding that she wanted a paper trail. I never asked for money from anyone in particular; I asked for money to tell my story. Necheles laid out the ways Daniels had profited from her story including a book deal, a documentary and merchandise celebrating Trumps indictment. A large part of your livelihood, for a number of years now, has been making money off the story that you had sex with President Trump, and [that] you helped him get indicted, Necheles said. Daniels insisted she was not profiting, but doing her job to fund significant legal bills. Necheles tried to poke holes in Danielss story about the alleged encounter, highlighting instances in which she said Danielss recollection had changed over the years. Daniels testified on Tuesday that she never ate dinner with Trump in his Lake Tahoe hotel room, but during a 2011 interview with InTouch magazine, she said: We ended up having dinner in the room. I cannot remember what we ordered. Daniels also said it was Keith Schiller, Trumps bodyguard, who had invited her to have dinner with Trump, but in the 2011 interview she suggested it was Trump himself. Daniels had also given slightly different descriptions in the past of how Trump greeted her when she said she entered his hotel suite. Trumps criminal hush-money trial: what to know Daniels, who spoke quickly and appeared unfazed by Necheless questions, refused to concede any inconsistencies. Youre trying to make it say that it changed, but it hasnt changed, she said. Necheles also suggested Daniels could make up a good story about having sex with Trump because of her experience in the adult entertainment industry. You have a lot of experience in making phony stories about sex appear to be real, the lawyer said. If that story was untrue I would have written it to be a lot better, Daniels fired back. Necheles also forced Daniels to concede she had no direct knowledge of Trumps involvement in the $130,000 hush-money payment, but later acknowledged she became aware of it when Trumps lawyers conceded it in a court proceeding against her. In one striking exchange, Necheles sought to question Danielss testimony from earlier in the week, when she said she was scared and startled when she emerged from the bathroom in Trumps suite and found him in bed in his T-shirt and underwear. Necheles said Daniels had acted in hundreds of porn movies, and so according to you, seeing a man sitting on a bed in T-shirt and boxer shorts was so upsetting? Daniels said it was startling to see a much older man who she did not know well to be in such a revealing state. During redirect examination, prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked Daniels bluntly if she was telling the truth or lies about Trump. The truth. Seeking to undercut testimony that Daniels had come out ahead because of the story, Hoffinger also asked Daniels whether the whole episode had been a net positive or net negative on her life. Negative, Daniels said. Trump arrived in court on Thursday with the Florida senator Rick Scott among his entourage, part of a parade of supporters who have come to court to back the former president. Scott left the courtroom shortly before 11am and did not return to court. Trump has been charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with payments his lawyer Michael Cohen made to Daniels in 2016 to prevent her from speaking publicly about their alleged affair. The hush-money case is the first of four criminal cases to reach a jury against Trump but the other three have hit serious delays, which could perhaps prevent them from starting before Novembers presidential election. Police ended the student occupation at the University of Amsterdam by breaking through barricades. Photograph: Michael Currie/Sopa Images/Rex/Shutterstock Thirty-two people were arrested as Dutch police broke up a Gaza war protest at the University of Amsterdam, in a second day of unrest over the conflict. Police said the offences included public violence, vandalism and assault. Video captured by Reuters appeared to show officers in riot gear striking protesters and police knocking down makeshift barricades of desks, bricks and wooden pallets that seemingly had been used to set off fire extinguishers in hopes of pushing them back. The footage appeared to also show police dragging several students away as hundreds shouted: Shame on you! Related: Why have student protests against Israels war in Gaza gone global? The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, said events at the university had crossed a line. Demonstrations are allowed. Always. But using violence against the police and causing destruction is never allowed. Stop that! he wrote on social media. Rutte also asserted that more and more often, and with increasingly harsh words, the violence in Gaza is being blamed on Jewish Dutch people, describing this as unjustified and a form of antisemitism that we must continue to fight loudly and clearly. About 30 miles south, at Utrecht University, students occupied a building in protest while in Belgium, dozens of students have continued to occupy Ghent University in a three-day protest that has fused demands about Gaza and the climate crisis. Tensions over Gaza also spread to the Eurovision song contest in Malmo, Sweden, where the climate activist Greta Thunberg joined thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators to protest against Israels participation in the competition. Young people are leading the way and showing the world how we should react to this, said Thunberg, 21, wrapped in a keffiyeh, the traditional scarf that has become a symbol for Palestinian resistance. The protest came as Israeli contestant, Eden Golan, 20, prepared to perform her song Hurricane in the second semifinal on Thursday. In Spain, demonstrations and encampments continued at several campuses across the country. At the University of Valencia, where tents were set up 11 days ago, about 50 people are calling on Spain to sever ties with Israel. Related: Pro-Palestinian student protests around the world in pictures At Madrids Complutense University about 200 students crammed into 80 tents in an encampment launched this week. Similar initiatives have sprung up in Barcelona and the Basque Country. On Thursday, a non-profit association representing 77 universities across Spain, both public and private, said in a statement that its members would review and, where appropriate, suspend agreements with Israeli universities and research centres that had not expressed a firm commitment to peace and compliance with international humanitarian law. The protests in Spain received a boost from the countrys minister of science, innovation and universities, Diana Morant, who told reporters this week that she was proud of the students for mobilising. Spanish universities should not only be a place for academic formation, but also critical thinking, she added. Spain, along with Ireland, has for months been among the EUs sharpest critics of Israels response to the terrorist atrocities of 7 October. In a report published on Thursday, two sources told Irelands national broadcaster RTE that the two countries were prepared to recognise Palestinian statehood as early as 21 May. Another source told RTE that talks had intensified between Spain and Ireland, as well as Slovenia and Malta the four countries which signed on to a March statement declaring they were ready to recognise Palestinian statehood when the circumstances are right. This week Irelands prime minister, Simon Harris, said he had spoken to his Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sanchez, regarding their shared wish to push forward with Palestinian statehood. We are both eager to make progress on this very shortly and our governments remain in close contact, he said on social media. A spokesperson for the Irish government refused to confirm or deny the May date, as did Spains foreign minister. Whats really important is not the exact date, but the decision, Jose Manuel Albares told reporters at a Thursday event in Madrid. And the decision is made. In the run-up to plans to put forward a draft resolution that would recognise Palestine as qualified to become a full UN member at the UN general assembly on Friday, Albares said Spain was prepared to vote in favour. The commitment was echoed in Ireland, where Micheal Martin, Irelands tanaiste, told a meeting of the Green party that Ireland was set to vote in favour of Palestinian membership at the UN gathering. The potential acceleration of Palestinian recognition comes as EU leaders fend off growing pressure to respond to Israels operation in Rafah. At least 67 MEPs have signed a letter urging EU leaders to convene an urgent meeting to discuss the EU response to the events in Rafah. The MEPs Greens, Socialists, radical left and a few liberals called for EU sanctions against Israel as the only adequate response to this horrendous and reckless military campaign in Rafah and the rest of the Gaza Strip. EU governments, who have the power to impose sanctions by unanimity, are highly unlikely to impose sweeping sanctions against Israel. Instead, the letter offers a testament to the strength of feeling on the left of the parliament. Lord Houchen is congratulated by Rishi Sunak following his re-election as the Tees Valley mayor - Owen Humphreys/PA Ben Houchen, the Conservative Tees Valley mayor, has blamed Tory chaos on Rishi Sunak and urged MPs to stop fighting with each other like rats in a sack. Lord Houchen whose win was one of the few bright spots for the Conservatives in otherwise dismal local elections last week said the responsibility for the situation ultimately lies with Rishi, with the path to victory at the next election getting narrower by the day. But he said lots of people contributing to the Tories woes needed to stop messing about with internal spats and start talking to the public about what they can offer them if they want to stand a chance at the election. Speaking to BBC Radio Tees on Thursday, Lord Houchen told MPs to stop fighting like rats in a sack following Natalie Elphickes defection to Labour, and warned that people do not vote for parties that are not presenting a united front. Asked whether Mr Sunak was to blame for the current state of the Tory party, he told BBC Radio Tees: Ultimately it always rests on the shoulders of the leader. All responsibility goes back to the top, it is the same in my job as well. Ultimately, you are the one responsible for it. But there are lots of people who are involved in the problems with the Conservative Party. It is a bit of chaos at the minute, isnt it? Theres lots of people fighting with each other in the Conservative Party, there are defections going on and ultimately the public do not vote for parties who are not united and are not presenting a united front and also arent talking to the public. If they are fighting with each other like rats in a sack instead of saying to the public this is what we are going to do for you, that doesnt win elections. Obviously, it ultimately lies with Rishi but there are lots of people who need to get their act together, stop messing about and start talking to the public about what they can offer them, rather than just fighting with each other. Lord Houchen said he believes there is still a way through for the Conservatives, but the path to victory was getting narrower by the day. His re-election in Tees Valley was the Tories only mayoral win, with the West Midlands seat falling to Labour after a narrow defeat for Andy Street in what was a major blow to Mr Sunak. It comes as Anneliese Dodds insisted Ms Elphicke was a natural fit for Labour despite Wednesdays shock defection prompting a backlash within the party. The MP for Dover, who was on the pro-Brexit Right of the Conservative Party, crossed the floor of the House just before Prime Ministers Questions at noon. She said she had left the Tories because the country needed to move on from the broken promises of Rishi Sunaks tired and chaotic government. Sir Keir Starmer said he was delighted to welcome her to Labour, praising her strong track record on issues such as housing while goading Mr Sunak over Tory defections, but Left-wing Labour members and MPs expressed anger. The national security spokesperson, John Kirby, speaks beside images allegedly showing North Korean arms being transported to Russia, on 20 January 2023. Photograph: Michael Reynolds/EPA An increasingly common US tactic of declassifying intelligence with the aim of disrupting the plans of adversary powers can bring short-term gains, but risks creating long-term problems for the US intelligence agencies, two former CIA officials have warned. In a new article in the journal Foreign Affairs, David Gioe, a former CIA analyst and operations officer, and Michael Morell, who was CIA acting director and deputy director, argue that the most serious risk is the politicisation of intelligence, if it is routinely shaped before publication to suit the purposes of the administration of the day. Gioe and Morell say some strategic downgrades of intelligence material, allowing it to be published, are likely to have been effective, outmanoeuvring Russia and China on occasion. But they also list a variety of ways routine declassification could, over time, harm intelligence collection and the reputation of the agencies involved. They argue that, as the trend towards more regular declassification is probably irreversible, there should be more thought put into establishing guidelines to mitigate any damage. Related: US intelligence told to keep quiet over role in Ukraine military triumphs The point of no return has been passed, and intelligence is being released faster than norms can be created, Gioe and Morell write, adding that the US risks losing the qualitative advantage US intelligence has maintained over its rivals. In the most noteworthy recent example of strategic declassification, the Biden administration published intelligence material on the Russian buildup leading up to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and later revealed that the Kremlin was considering the use of chemical and biological weapons. In August the same year, the national security council shared declassified details of likely Chinese actions in response to the visit by the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, to Taiwan, and in February 2023 the administration disclosed how the US had been tracking a spy balloon that had overflown the US. The same month, the CIA director, William Burns, declared publicly that China was considering sending weapons to Russia but had yet to do so. Previous administrations have declassified material when they saw it was to their advantage, such as the spy plane photographs of Soviet missiles in Cuba presented to the UN in 1962, or the debacle of the Bush administrations presentation to the security council 41 years later, of spurious evidence of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. However, Morell argued that under Biden, strategic downgrades had become far more routine than in past eras. Without a doubt thats the significant change thats occurred with this administration from the one-off to the repeated declassifications on a single issue over an extended period of time, he said. Nobodys ever done that before. Morrell, who was deputy CIA director from 2010 to 2013, and acting director for four months in that period, acknowledged there was reasonable evidence to suggest that at least some instances of targeted declassification had a positive impact. Publicising Russian plans to engineer false-flag atrocities to serve as pretexts for invading Ukraine may have put off Moscow from carrying them out, and Burnss disclosures about possible Chinese arms supplies to Russia may have played a role in dissuading Beijing so far from following that path. However, Gioe and Morell list all the things that can go wrong. Declassification can accidentally provide adversaries with clues on US intelligence sources and methods, though there are ways to mitigate that. Less well understood, the authors argue, are indirect impacts, for example making human sources nervous about passing on secrets that could end up in the public domain and perhaps give away their identity. Some assets have even walked away in the aftermath of prominent leaks or disclosures, they said. Furthermore, when intelligence made public turns out to be wrong, it can damage the reputation of the intelligence agency in question. Gioe and Morell suggest the greatest risk is the politicisation of the intelligence that is made public, and they point as an example to Lyndon Johnsons manipulation of the details of a naval confrontation between US and North Vietnamese naval forces in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964, to persuade Congress to grant him boosted war powers. Gioe and Morell do not accuse the Biden administration of such manipulation in the Foreign Affairs piece, nor do they mention the possible return to the Oval Office of Donald Trump, who claimed when president to have total discretion over declassification. However, a former senior intelligence official said there were mounting concerns within the US intelligence community about how Trump could exploit the precedent Biden is setting. What matters here is the integrity of the people who are making the decisions about what to declassify, the former official said. You can either have an administration like this one who has handled it fairly well, or you can have another administration that doesnt have that kind of integrity, and theres a lot of people I talked to, who are concerned about that, as it relates to the Trump administration. Students have camped in the grounds of Trinity College Dublin in protest at the Gaza conflict - Niall Carson/PA Trinity College Dublin has yielded to demands by student protesters that it cut ties with Israeli companies active in occupied Palestinian territory. Pro-Palestinian students had been camped in the Irish university for nearly a week to demand their college divest amid the war in Gaza. The protests, similar to those at Oxford and Cambridge and in the US and Europe, resulted in the public being kept out of the campus and away from the Book of Kells exhibition. Trinity was forced to issue refunds for the exhibition, which brought in nearly 15 million in funding in 2022. It also waived a fine of more than 170,000 imposed on the students union for previous protests as part of the deal with the student-led Trinity Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) group struck on Wednesday afternoon. Tourists found the Book of Kells exhibition at Trinity College Dublin closed because of the protest by students - Damien Eagers/Reuters Laszlo Molnarfi, the students union president, told the Irish Independent: The agreement is that Trinity College Dublin will work towards complete divestment from Israel. The protesters had also demanded that Trinity cut all academic ties with Israel. Trinity confirmed the end of the blockade after successful talks between universitys senior management and the protesters. It said that by next month it would divest from three Israeli companies listed by the UN as being active in occupied Palestinian territory. For contractual reasons, it will keep ties with another Israeli company until March 2025. Trinity will also provide eight free places for students from Gaza to continue their education. We fully understand the driving force behind the encampment on our campus and we are in solidarity with the students in our horror at what is happening in Gaza, the college said. Trinity will continue to engage with all students and staff who are impacted by these issues. In other universities in the US and the Netherlands, protests have been ended by police in violent scenes. Lord Cameron's position on the war diverges from Washington's approach - Global The United Kingdom and the United States retain a special relationship. This relationship is especially close between the Royal Navy and the US Navy, and the two countries respective signals intelligence services, GCHQ and the National Security Agency. Still, disagreements between London and Washington are growing over strategy toward Ukraine. Since the February 2022 start of the war in Ukraine, the UK has always been more aggressive than the US in its support of Kyiv. British special forces have been operating in Ukraine far closer to the front lines than is commonly understood. This actionable presence and associated influence with the Ukrainian military is best evinced in the raids and drone attacks that Ukraine has carried out inside Russian territory. So-called deep strikes are a preeminent doctrine of the British Armys 22nd Special Air Service regiment. In contrast, US military and CIA special forces deployments to Ukraine have been far more restrictive in scale and operational flexibility. Ive heard CIA gripes in Washington that the British are doing cool stuff while CIA officers must repeatedly beg their headquarters even for highly restricted trips to areas far further from the front. Recent weeks have, however, shown a notable Russian escalation on the Ukrainian battlefield and beyond. The Russian intelligence services are now conducting a sustained covert action campaign to target facilities and persons in the West that are deemed to be providing support to Ukraine. The most striking example of this effort came with a March arson attack on a warehouse in London. Snap Russian tactical nuclear weapons exercises this week further underline Vladimir Putins interest in intimidating the West. Putin wants Western support for Ukraine greatly diminished in order to provide political and military space for a Russian summer offensive. But while the Biden Administration continues to prize careful management of the risks of escalation, the UK is meeting Russias escalation with its own. Consider Foreign Secretary Lord David Camerons announcement last week that Ukraine can use UK provided weapons to strike targets inside Russia. Until now, Ukraine has only been able to use UK weapons systems such as the Storm Shadow cruise missile to target Russian positions on its own territory. The change in British strategy presents significant new opportunities for Ukrainian commanders. It will allow Ukraine to target Russian positions around cities including Voronezh, Kursk, Bryansk and Orol. These areas beyond Ukraines northeastern border serve as key logistics nodes for Russian forces. Storm Shadow provides for accurate surprise attacks that are far harder for Russia to defend against than drone attacks. This means that even where Storm Shadow is not employed against targets on Russian soil, the very possibility of its employment will force Russian commanders to adapt to being held at risk. They will have to adopt time consuming and expensive efforts to hide and better protect forces within Storm Shadows range. If some commanders cannot be bothered to engage in such efforts, a likely possibility considering the spotty professionalism of the Russian armed forces, they will open themselves to devastating attacks. Ukraine will be watching for an opportunity to take advantage of any Russian security failure. As Russia gazes upon the Ukrainian northeastern bastion city of Kharkiv, the British weapons waiver adds a much undesired complicating factor. Hence Russias furious response to the UKs announcement. The Russian foreign ministry summoned the UK ambassador to Moscow on Monday. It warned that if Ukraine does indeed use UK weapons on Russian soil, Russia will view attacks on UK military targets in Ukraine and beyond as legitimate. This is peak Russian hypocrisy, of course, willfully ignoring as it is of the fact that Russia which first crossed the red line of striking British territory via its arson attack. But London isnt Moscows only audience. Russia is equally if not more infuriated with Frances Emmanuel Macron. Apparently abandoning his prior fulminating appeasement strategy toward Moscow, Macron now pledges that Ukraine will not be allowed to fall. Macron has also doubled down on a recent warning that he would consider deploying troops to fight alongside Ukrainian forces under certain conditions. These include a scenario in which Russian forces secured a major breakthrough that threatened Kyiv. These dynamics frustrate Putin. This Anglo-French resolve is, after all, the exact opposite response to that which Putins covert action/nuclear brinkmanship intends to secure. But Putin may feel greater hope that his threats will pay dividends further afield. Thats because the Biden Administration is growing more cautious. Desperate to restrain US petrol prices in advance of the November presidential election, the Biden Administration has pressured Ukraine to avoid targeting Russian energy facilities with its drones. This is a quite astonishing request being that these attacks offer Ukraine a key means of degrading the crown jewel of an otherwise decrepit Russian economy. Biden officials have also renewed their assertions that they do not support Ukrainian strikes inside Russia, let alone with US weapons. Russia senses the Biden Administrations caution. It recognises that Biden is attempting to chart a course between supporting Ukraine and avoiding playing into Donald Trumps hands as he warns of endless war. It also recognises that Germany and other Western European powers are always fearful of what might happen next. In turn, Russia will almost certainly escalate its intimidation-brinkmanship tactics as the US elections grow closer. The problem for Biden is that his current course of hesitation in face of Russian threats risks only encouraging Putins further escalation. This leaves a growing strategic gap between the US and its closest ally, and the US and its oldest ally. Britain and France believe Russia can be confronted and deterred on the same principles as that which underpinned Cold War deterrence. Namely, the willingness to meet Russian escalation with commensurate action while rejecting out of hand Russian nuclear blackmail. In contrast, the US appears to believe that signaling disinterest in escalation will earn Putins eventual favor. If nothing else, this disunity provides openings for Putin to divide Nato. Gillian Keegan, Education Secretary, and Rishi Sunak meet vice-chancellors in Downing Street - Carl Court/Pool via REUTERS Leading universities have raised concerns that non-student agitators are infiltrating on-campus protests over Gaza to stir division. Vice-chancellors sounded the alarm over the presence of extremist groups at the demonstrations in a meeting with Rishi Sunak. They were summoned to Downing Street by the Prime Minister on Thursday for talks on the spread of pro-Palestinian encampments. The meeting came after the University of Cambridge rejected calls to clear a pro-Gaza camp on the lawn outside Kings College. The US-style protests, which have seen students occupy the grounds of universities across the country, have been raging for five days. They have sparked concerns about rising anti-semitism and the intimidation of Jewish students, though the organisers insist their aims are peaceful. At the gathering Mr Sunak warned universities that they must root out protesters on their grounds who incite violence or glorify terrorism. Vice-chancellors in turn voiced concerns the demonstrations are being infiltrated by non-students to whip up hatred against Jewish people. Concerns were raised around non-student agitators infiltrating on-campus protests in order to stir division, Downing Street said after the talks. The heads of 17 top universities including Oxford and Cambridge, which have both been gripped by controversial protests, were at the meeting. Representatives from the Union of Jewish Students and the Community Security Trust, which monitors incidents of anti-semitism, were also present. But the scandal-hit National Union of Students was not invited after ministers suspended cooperation in 2022 over allegations of anti-semitism. Mr Sunak told the vice-chancellors they must take personal responsibility for protecting Jewish students and adopt a zero tolerance approach to anti-Semitism. He made the remarks after earlier telling his Cabinet that there had been an unacceptable rise in anti-Semitism on our university campuses in recent times. Tom Tugendhat, the security minister, warned university leaders that freedom of speech didnt extend to the right to abuse or intimidate. He added that he was personally committed to supporting institutions that needed help managing the protests and rooting out extremists. Cambridge rebuke His remarks appeared to be a rebuke to Cambridge, which justified its decision not to clear the Kings College camp on free-speech grounds. Mr Sunak also urged vice-chancellors to discipline student protesters who crossed the line and said they should call in the police if necessary. He was clear they should take disciplinary action if students are found to have been guilty of anti-Semitism or glorification of terrorism or any form of intimidation or violence, the Prime Ministers spokesman said. The police already have powers such as if people are engaging in illegal activity or acting on behalf of a proscribed group, they have legal powers to take action. Universities themselves would want to identify if there are non-student agitators engaging on university premises. He added that the demonstrations must happen in a way that does not intimidate Jewish students and does not incite violence or glorify terrorism, and clearly universities should be held to account for dealing with these protests appropriately. The encampment at Newcastle University as protesters enjoy a morning lie-in - Raoul Dixon / NNP Vice-chancellors told Mr Sunak they were ready to use eviction orders to clear out protesters where they were in clear breach of university rules. The meeting came as Prof Dame Sally Mapstone, the head of Universities UK, said institutions may need to take action if the protests interfere with campus life. She said there should not be an automatic presumption that the camps should be cleared and that decisions should be made based on the behaviour of the protesters. Where there is clear evidence that encampments are interfering with good university business and with the rights of students and staff to go about their business to take exams, to do their degree shows, to graduate - then universities may need to take action, she said. Lisa Fithian Meanwhile, the mayor of New York Eric Adams warned that outside agitators were infiltrating the pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University and released a video of protest consultant Lisa Fithian. She has been arrested between 80 and 100 times having supported everything from anti-Iraq War demos to Occupy Wall Street. The president of Columbia University said the protests were made worse by external forces and those from outside our community. Baroness Shafik, a British-American peer and former civil servant, called for universities to heal and unify after weeks of protests and encampments that have often ended in clashes with the police. She said the protests had been exacerbated by people from outside the university that had whipped up hate speech and anti-Semitism and held separate demonstrations outside Columbias gates in New York. It would be a mistake to think that a small group of students with connections to the Arab world drove these protests, she wrote in an article for the Financial Times. What I saw was a broad representation of young people of every ethnic and religious background passionate, intelligent and committed. Unfortunately, the actions and anti-Semitic comments of some especially among those from outside our community stirred fear and discomfort. David Lloyd George, painted by William Orpen in 1927 - Alamy Why do we need another book on David Lloyd George? It takes a persistently charitable or wilfully blind interpreter of his life and career to find something convincingly appealing to say about him. Damian Collins tries, but one senses he has written this book for his own satisfaction rather than to add to the sum of knowledge of his disagreeable subject. Collins writes about Lloyd Georges premiership from 1916 to 1922, how he achieved and lost it. He has done some archival work, but the book is mostly based on secondary sources, explored exhaustively. The authors main mistake is to treat Lloyd Georges War Memoirs as an honest and reliable account: they are often a work of fiction. Much of the material is familiar. This might not matter if Collins had penetrating insights, but he hasnt: its the same old Lloyd George, lovable rogue and impersonator of a man of action, so familiar from almost every other indulgent book about him. Collins does quote various disobliging opinions about the last Liberal prime minister, so any novice will be under no illusions about his slipperiness, dishonesty, lack of attention to detail and moral cowardice. But the author expresses no judgment: to him, Lloyd George appears to remain an obstinately romantic figure, the Welsh wizard and, apparently (in the title of a chapter in the book), the man who won the war. The phrase is lifted from the 1918 coupon election campaign, and was as mendacious then as it is now; I had rather hoped Collins was using the phrase ironically, but he wasnt. Lloyd George was not the man who won the war; he nearly lost it. His judgment on military matters was no better than Asquiths, whom he removed in a coup detat in 1916. He swore after the Somme (for which he was not responsible) that there would be no more butchering of British soldiery. He then, because of his misjudgment of the French general Robert Nivelle, sanctioned the offensive that bore his name and caused the slaughter of the Battle of Arras in April 1917. Lloyd George correctly judged Douglas Haig to be a dismal general, but nonetheless allowed him to launch the disaster of Passchendaele three months later. Haig deserved blame for that catastrophe, but Lloyd George did so equally for allowing him to launch it however he always, in war and peace, had someone else to blame (something Collins seems not to notice). By the spring of 1918 Lloyd George had had enough of Haig. Unable to remove him partly because of there being no suitable replacement, and partly because of Haigs private back channel to King George V, Lloyd George refused to send reinforcements to the Western Front when intelligence warned of a coming offensive. This was the great German push of March 21 1918; and a failing of Collinss book is his understatement of the sheer panic in London when that was launched, using troops from the former Eastern Front. Nor does he emphasise how rapidly Lloyd George looked, as always, for someone else to blame. This was when he almost lost the war, for he had no-one to blame for the British Armys weakness but himself. The author also holds back moral judgment on Lloyd Georges disgraceful response to the accusations (entirely truthful) by Major-General Frederick Maurice, that the prime minister had lied about troop numbers in France. Collins is a Conservative MP and, perhaps having experienced the Johnson regime at close hand, finds the lying and blame-shifting by Lloyd George par for the course. It is, by contrast, a serious scar on an increasingly battered historical reputation. The author lets Lloyd George off lightly for the lies of 1918 election campaign, the making of promises that simply could not be kept, and the scapegoating of the decent and misguided Christopher Addison in 1921 for utter failure of the building of the homes fit for heroes. A responsible leader would have scaled down the promise in the first place, and would have blamed himself. Lloyd George was not an estimable leader: he was an ambitious charlatan who established a template for the politics to come. Collins could have found a more deserving, and enlightening, subject for his talents. Simon Heffers books include Sing As We Go: Britain Between the Wars. Rivals in the Storm: How Lloyd George Seized Power, Won the War and Lost his Government is published by Bloomsbury at 25. To order your copy for 18.99 call 0808 196 6794 or visit Telegraph Books Rio de Janeiro's centuries-old National Museum has received an extensive donation of 1,104 animal and plant fossils nearly six years after being engulfed by a devastating fire that inflicted incalculable damage on Brazil's cultural heritage. The 200-year-old museum in a park to the north of Rio de Janeiro's city center was sparked by an electrical short-circuit on the evening of September 2, 2018, destroying about 85% of its archive of 20 million artifacts. Losses included priceless documents detailing Indigenous life and culture before colonization, a gigantic dinosaur known as Dinoprata, and Egyptian and Greco-Roman artifacts belonging to the Brazilian imperial family. The collection is being rebuilt in expectation of the museum's planned reopening in April 2026. St. Christopher's Palace's reconstruction was underway in 2021. The front courtyard and renovated facade were reopened a year later, but the building's interior renovations are still ongoing. UFRJ paleontologists and students are participating in excavation trips in Wyoming and Montana to find dinosaurs that might one day be on display in Brazil as part of a partnership between the museum and Pohl's Swiss-based Interprospekt Group. Arts patron Frances Reynolds arranged the fossil donation and led the drive to encourage collectors and enthusiasts to join the public and private sectors to help reconstruct the National Museum's vast archive. Alexander Kellner, the institution's director, told reporters on Tuesday, celebrating this magical moment of the fossil donation, that it was an enormous tragedy. He noted they need to look ahead and rebuild the institution as Brazil needs its national museum back. He added that it is the most important donation of fossils received by the museum in recent history and of vital scientific significance. The Araripe Basin, which spans the states of Ceara, Pernambuco, and Piaui in northeastern Brazil, is the source of the 1,104 fossils donated by the Swiss-German collector Burkhard Pohl. There are two geological strata, including palaeontological material from the Early Cretaceous period. Furthermore, two distinct dinosaur fossils, two unexamined pterosaur skulls, and a Tetrapodophis, possibly the oldest snake fossil, are among the donated items. They will be displayed in future paleontology exhibitions and used for scientific research at the museum, which is part of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). Previous SNP leaders and the new First Minister John Swinney make Humza Yousafs record look stellar, Penny Mordaunt told MPs. The Commons Leader jibed that the former first minister is not Scotlands worst leader of all time because he has not been arrested. Meanwhile, SNP Commons leader Deirdre Brock said Ms Mordaunt is an extraordinary recruiting sergeant for independence in Scotland. During business questions, Ms Brock said she was delighted to see the Leader still in her place after her partys catastrophic results in last weeks local elections in England, adding: Not catastrophic enough to mobilise her PM for PM rebels apparently. Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt (Stefan Rousseau/PA) With her weekly ill-informed comments about Scotland, she is an extraordinary recruiting sergeant for independence, and Im sure she wont disappoint today. Can I also welcome, warmly, the launch by the Leader this week of the guide to recognising conspiracy theories such as those around 5G masts and 15-minute cities. Itll be useful reading for some of the members on her own benches, and perhaps those on Labours increasingly busy right-wing. Given her personal interest in whats supposed to be a central role of this House in protecting democracy and protecting us, will she be pressing for a wider debate on disinformation and the malign influence of secretive social media groups that perpetuate these damaging myths? Im thinking, for example, of the 36 so-called grassroots Facebook groups I raised with the Prime Minister last week, forums full of vile racism, conspiracy theories, and Islamophobic of Sadiq Khan all with links to Conservative Party HQ staff, activists and even politicians. John Swinney became Scotlands new First Minister this week (Andrew Milligan/PA) Now, theres reason to suspect similar groups are quietly spreading their poison across the UK including in Scotland, wouldnt the Leader agree this needs to be investigated and brought to light? Not laughed off as the Prime Minister did. Ms Mordaunt replied: First of all, can I rejoice at the news that the Scottish Government no longer has a minister for independence? I was waiting this morning to discover why this would be my fault, but (Ms Brock) didnt raise it. But I want to place on record my thanks to the former first minister for his service, I know there are many that would kick a man when he is down, but I will not, he has done his best. Some say he has been the worst SNP leader of all time, I say no not only has he not managed to be arrested but other SNP leaders make his record look pretty stellar, the new First Minister for example, and I welcome him to his place. Can I, in all seriousness, welcome (Ms Brock)s support for the education pamphlet on conspiracy theories, it is very important, it is a real threat, not just to democracy but also to the wellbeing of our constituents. Its a form of radicalisation and it is spreading and we must do everything we can to combat it. Later in the session, Labour former minister Sir Chris Bryant called for a debate on ministerial transparency. The Rhondda MP said: Ordinary MPs have to register any hospitality that they receive from others parties within 28 days in considerable detail with the House. But under the scheme that she still favours, ministers have an exemption and they dont have to publish anything for several months, and they dont have to provide any details at all. She has said repeatedly in this House she would by last summer have made sure that there was a parallel system for ministers, so ministers werent being treated differently from MPs, that still hasnt happened, so when is it going to happen? In the past, for instance, we learnt that the (former) home secretary (Dame Priti Patel) registered through the department that shed gone to a Bond premiere, apparently because Bond exercises executive functions. Sir Chris also questioned a lunch Ms Mordaunt had with the Saints and Sinners Club, which she had listed in her register of interest. Ms Mordaunt replied: I have actually been reporting my return monthly, since the start of this year, and theyre not very exciting, but they are reported monthly and I think other departments are also being able to do that. The Saints and Sinners Club, I did a speech for charity, two charities benefited from it and they are in my Parliamentary register for interests. I know (Sir Chris) is keen on this and has campaigned on this issue for a long time, of course people do make mistakes, he himself was adrift two years on registering an overseas visit. But I am in favour of parity between ministerial reporting and Parliament. A statement by Queens University Belfast on the conflict in the Middle East is not good enough, a group has contended. The university issued a statement after meeting with stakeholders earlier in the week to hear the views of the community. The Palestine Assembly at Queens staged a sit-in on campus at the same time as the meeting on Tuesday, and urged the university to end all ties with universities in Israel, to condemn Israels mass killing of Palestinians and deliberate destruction of Gazas educational infrastructure and offer sanctuary status to Palestinian academics and students. Members of the Queens University Belfast Palestine Assembly hold a sit in in the main Lanyon building of the campus in Belfast on Tuesday (Niall Carson/PA) On Thursday, the university released a lengthy statement. It outlined a commitment to freedom of expression, the right to hold a range of views and right to protest. It also pointed out that on March 17, the president and vice-chancellor, Professor Sir Ian Greer, publicly called for an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian territory of Gaza, and he has repeated that plea. The university also said it recently announced support for both academics at risk and Palestinian students through fellowship and scholarship programmes, and will strongly support a programme to restore educational structures in Gaza as soon as this is possible. This is to include an offer to establish a partnership with a university in Palestine. The university went on to say it is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, good relations and respect for diversity and inclusion on campus. We are a hugely diverse community comprising of approximately 25,000 students and staff of many faiths and religious beliefs, representing over 100 different nationalities, they said. In line with our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, the university is opposed to all forms of unlawful discrimination which includes antisemitism and islamophobia and will seek to ensure that all staff and students are treated fairly and with dignity and respect. As stated in our policy, there is a zero tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination, bullying and harassment, particularly where it arises as a result of any protected characteristic. Responding, the Palestine Assembly at Queens said it welcomed elements of the universitys statement, but it falls short of what is needed. The group referred to a statement made by Trinity College Dublin earlier this week as going further. Trinity has agreed, by comparison, to end all relationships with Israeli suppliers and to divest from all Israeli companies as well as those operating in the occupied Palestinian territories, they said. It has created a task force to review ties with all Israeli institutions, including academic and student exchanges, with the intention of ending them. The tax-paying public here demands full disclosure of the nature of collaborations with Israel happening on its doorstep complete transparency, and nothing less, is now required. QUBs Palestine Assembly insists that the university must begin with the question, What are our responsibilities in the face of genocide? We want our vice chancellor and chancellor to clearly condemn the onslaught happening before our eyes, and to take a firm and unequivocal stand against Israeli occupation, which is incompatible with academic freedom. In an institution that values learning as an essential element in democratic culture, neutrality cannot be used as cover for equivocating in the face of genocide. At the very least, the immense suffering in Gaza demands of academic institutions worldwide complete transparency; unequivocal condemnation of genocide; unwavering solidarity with those experiencing scholasticide. Only by doing so can this university place itself on the right side of history. The Liberty County Sheriffs Office in Hinesville, Georgia, posted in a statement on May 6 that a K9 deputy was abandoned at a shelter in Georgia by her handler just five months after she retired. An investigation is underway. The Current GA claims that since the sheriff's office released the original press release on Facebook, there has been a lot of misinformation spread about not only Kona's former handler, but the sheriff's office K9 unit as well. Here's that press release: The press release reads, in part, "The Sheriffs Office became aware of K-9 Kona being dropped off at the shelter late afternoon on Monday, April 29, 2024, by K-9 Sergeant Jessy Kilgore and through social media posts. No notification was received from Liberty County Animal Control about the status of the retired canine. Sheriff Bowman would not agree to, and had no prior knowledge of, the retired canine being treated in this manner. The well-being and proper care of all canines, both active and retired, is of the utmost importance to the Liberty County Sheriffs Office, and any allegations of mistreatment or neglect are taken very seriously." Related: Police Called After Dog Gets Head Stuck in Dryer Vent at SC Home The sheriffs department said it is investigating the circumstances around Deputy Travon Tolsons surrender of Kona at the shelter. According to the above news report, Liberty County Animal Services Director Steve Marrero said that Tolson came to the shelter on April 29 to try to find other options to re-home Kona to another law enforcement agency or to a nonprofit that takes in retired law enforcement dogs. He was very distraught. He was in here bawling and crying because he didnt want to get rid of Kona, Marrero said. This entire situation is so sad and it does sound like Tolson really wanted the best outcome for Kona. Now the good news about this entire situation is that Kona was at the animal shelter for less than a day before being picked up by other members of the Liberty County Sheriffs Office. Kona has since been adopted by an ex-police dog trainer. We are so happy that this heroic police K9 is now going to get the retirement she deserves in a safe and loving home. This should never happen to any police K9, and we hope an investigation gives the public some answers. These dogs are such heroes and deserve all the love they can handle. What Is Involved in Training a Police Dog The US Department of Justice reports that the total average cost of a successful canine police program is $55,672.42. Not only do these incredible dogs have to be trained for drug detection, but also how to perform search and rescue and how to help apprehend criminals. Police dogs able to search through rubble after a devastating explosion, earthquake, or other disaster. They find people lost in avalanches. These dogs search for explosives and illegal drugs, they canvas large events to look for explosives, and help search civilian vehicles that have been pulled over. Basic training for the patrol dogs takes approximately 4 months of full-time work, sometimes longer. In addition to that, these amazing pups are like family both to the officers who work with them and their relatives. 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. Rishi Sunak has condemned extremists at the National Union of Students (NUS) who he says opposed the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) support for the principle of a Jewish state. Ahead of a meeting with the UJS and Jewish charity the Community Security Trust (CST) to listen and learn from their experiences on Thursday, the Prime Minister warned of students and academic staff being targeted, threatened, and assaulted simply for being Jewish. Writing for The Times, he said: Only last month, the UJS were themselves subject to a shameful attempt to get their organisation kicked out of the NUS purely because of their support for the principle of a Jewish state. He dubbed such opposition to the UJS as the work of extremists at the NUS. Mr Sunak will also host a meeting at Downing Street with vice-chancellors from leading British universities, with talks designed to keep Jewish students safe on campus. Mr Sunak wrote: I understand the strength of feeling over recent events in Israel and Gaza. No one is saying that students should not be able to express the very human angst that many of us feel about the terrible suffering of war. We will always protect freedom of speech and the right to protest and our universities are a natural place for that expression, precisely because they are institutions of learning and exploration where challenging ideas are debated rigorously. Students in the UK, including in Leeds, Newcastle and Bristol, have set up tents outside university buildings, replicating the nationwide campus demonstrations which began in the US last month (Aaron Chown/PA) But just as importantly, universities have a profound duty to remain bastions of tolerance, where such debate takes place with respect for others and where every student feels safe and at home, whatever their faith or background. Mr Sunaks comments come in the wake of calls from the Education Secretary, who has said universities must crack down on antisemitic abuse on campuses and ensure protests do not disrupt university life. Ministers will call on university leaders to take immediate disciplinary action if any student is found to be inciting racial hatred or violence and to contact the police if a criminal act has been committed. Pro-Palestine encampments have been set up by students at more than a dozen universities across the UK against the war in Gaza, including Cambridge and Oxford. Vice-chancellors from some of the leading universities in the UK will meet at Number 10 on Thursday to discuss action to address the rise in antisemitic abuse on campuses and disruption to students learning. Mr Sunak, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, Communities Secretary Michael Gove and Security Minister Tom Tugendhat will call for a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitic abuse at universities. Ahead of the meeting, Ms Keegan said: I have made it absolutely clear that universities must crack down on antisemitic abuse and ensure that protests do not unduly disrupt university life. She said she hoped it would help ensure that there are steps in place to protect Jewish students. In the autumn statement in November, the Chancellor announced that 7 million of extra support would be committed to tackle antisemitism in schools and universities. Of this, 500,000 will be dedicated to supporting the work of the University Jewish Chaplaincy, which helps students deal with incidents of antisemitism and intimidation. Students at UCL in London protest against the war in Gaza (Victoria Jones/PA) The UJS has criticised encampment protests for creating a hostile and toxic atmosphere on campus for Jewish students. On Tuesday, Edward Isaacs, president of the UJS, said university inaction against hateful language from protests only serves to alienate Jewish students from campus. In 2023, 182 university-related antisemitic incidents were recorded by the CST compared with 60 incidents in 2022 a rise of 203%. Mark Gardner, chief executive of the CST, said: The growth of antisemitism on British campuses is appalling and an affront to the fundamental principles and values of university life. Everyone has the right to protest, but they do not have the right to disrupt other students learning, harass and threaten Jewish students, or spread hatred of Israel with calls for resistance and other extremist language. University authorities need to set out clear boundaries for the timing, location and content of these protests and ensure there are consequences for anyone who breaks them. A spokesman for the UJS said: Government and university leaders must acknowledge the surge in antisemitic incidents since October 7, UJSs increased support efforts, and the resilience of Jewish students. Universities must act decisively to combat hate on campus. UJS stands ready to work with all stakeholders to tackle this urgent issue. The Office for Students (OfS) has committed to publishing the response to its consultation on a new condition of registration, which could give OfS the power to impose sanctions where there is clear evidence that universities are failing to take action to tackle harassment, including antisemitic abuse. Eurovision host Rylan Clark has said people have the right to take part in protests over Israels participation in the competition but the song contest is just about the music. The TV presenter addressed the ongoing controversy over Eden Golans inclusion in the contest amid calls for the country to be excluded over the ongoing war in Gaza. Clark, who is hosting the BBCs coverage of the competition alongside Graham Norton and Scott Mills, told ITVs Good Morning Britain: Malmo is doing an amazing job of hosting Eurovision. 'It's all about the music and that's what we're here for.'@RichardAArnold catches up with @Rylan and @scott_mills ahead of the #Eurovision semi-finals tonight and the final on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/Rr3AyIFjW7 Good Morning Britain (@GMB) May 9, 2024 The climate in the world at the minute isnt great and you know were not silly to not understand that theres a lot going on in the world, but I think in the Eurovision bubble its a song contest, its all about the music and thats what were here for. The city has done an amazing job, theres a lot of demonstrations happening and people have got the right to do that and but its just about the music. Mills added: It does feel a little different but its about the music and the joy that we have every single year at Eurovision. Singer Eden Golan of Israel (Martin Meissner/AP) Golan, 20, will take part in the semi-final in Malmo, Sweden on Thursday with her emotional track Hurricane, which was reworked from a previous track called October Rain, which was thought to reference the Hamas attacks on Israel. Thousands of people are expected at a pro-Palestinian march on Thursday, which the Swedish Police Authority said would cause disturbance to traffic. There have been continued demonstrations in Sweden over Israels participation, and the week of Eurovision has already seen small gatherings in Malmo and at the Eurovision village when Austrian 2014 winner Conchita Wurst was on stage. Labour will use new counter-terrorism powers to tackle people-smuggling gangs bringing migrants across the Channel in small boats, Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce on Friday. In a speech on the Kent coast, the Labour leader will set out his partys plans to tackle the small boats crisis if it wins the general election. Sir Keir is expected to say Labour will replace gimmicks with graft, scrapping the Governments Rwanda scheme and using some of the money saved to fund a new elite Border Security Command led by a former police, military or intelligence chief. Attacking the Governments approach as rank incompetence, he is expected to dismiss the Rwanda scheme as being unable to provide an effective deterrent and accuse the Conservatives of operating a Travelodge amnesty by housing migrants in hotels rather than processing their claims. Sir Keir will also stress his experience as the former head of the Crown Prosecution Service and pledge to make Britain hostile territory for people smugglers. He will say: Lets be clear at the start, these are criminal enterprises we are dealing with. A business that pits nation against nation, thrives in the grey areas of our rules, the cracks between our institutions, where, they believe, they can exploit some of the most vulnerable people in the world with impunity. Its a vile trade that preys on the desperation and hope it finds in its victims. Among the measures set to be proposed by Sir Keir are new border control stop and searches, building on powers created in 2000 by the Terrorism Act, along with new financial investigation powers and search and seizure warrants targeting organised immigration crime. The new Border Security Command would bring together agencies including the National Crime Agency, Immigration Enforcement and MI5, while Labour will also pledge to hire hundreds of new specialist investigators to work across the UK and Europe to tackle people smuggling. Sir Keir will say: Rebuilding our asylum system has become a test of political strength, a trial of leadership to resist the voices who fundamentally do not want to rebuild a functioning asylum system. Dover MP Natalie Elphicke defected from the Conservatives to Labour, claiming Rishi Sunak had failed to deliver on his pledge to stop the boats (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Its become a question of whether you can prioritise, at all times, the politics of practical solutions, and reject the politics of performative symbols, the gimmicks and gestures. The speech comes after the defection of Dover MP Natalie Elphicke, who joined Labour from the Conservatives on Wednesday, accusing the Prime Minister of failing to deliver on his promise to stop the boats. Welcoming Ms Elphicke to the Labour Party, Sir Keir said: What is the point of this failed Government staggering on when the Tory MP for Dover, on the front line of the small boats crisis, says the Prime Minister cannot be trusted with our borders and joins Labour? Ms Elphickes defection was greeted with surprise by Conservatives, with Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron saying it showed Labour stood for nothing and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan saying she was a very odd fit for the opposition. Some 8,826 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel so far this year, provisional Home Office figures show. This is up 32% on this time last year, when 6,691 migrants were recorded, and a 14% rise compared with the same period in 2022 (7,750), according to PA news agency analysis of the data. Campaigners warned that the current asylum system is in meltdown and is only going to get worse unless urgent changes are made. Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said whoever is in government must focus on ensuring fairness in the system above anything else, adding: The Illegal Migration Act must be scrapped immediately, along with plans to ship people off on a one-way ticket to Rwanda. Instead of wasting time on legislation that bans the right to asylum and dehumanises people who simply need safety, there must be a fair, efficient and humane asylum system. A watchdog has called for scandal-hit Wandsworth prison to be put into emergency measures amid concerns over failings in security and severe problems with overcrowding, drugs, violence and self-harm. Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor wrote to Justice Secretary Alex Chalk to issue an urgent notification for improvement at the category B Victorian jail in south-west London after deeply concerning inspection findings. Mr Taylor who previously suggested the jail should be closed told Mr Chalk the prison was still reeling from a very high-profile alleged escape in September last year. Daniel Khalife is accused of fleeing custody while being held on remand over spy charges. He allegedly strapped himself underneath a food delivery lorry and was arrested a few days later. The former soldier denies all the charges against him and is due to stand trial in October. Security remained a serious concern at the prison, with chaotic wings and staff across most units unable to accurately account for their prisoners during the working day, Mr Taylor warned as he described it as unfathomable that bosses had not focused their attention on this area. The Prison Governors Association (PGA) said the move will be of no surprise to the Government, in the wake of the prisons boss Katie Price resigning during the inspection. Mr Taylor said: The poor outcomes we found at Wandsworth are systemic and cultural failures and stemmed from poor leadership at every level of the prison, from HMPPS (His Majestys Prison and Probation Service) and the Ministry of Justice. Many well-meaning and hard-working leaders and staff persevered but they were often fighting against a tide of cross-cutting, intractable problems that require comprehensive, long-term solutions. The troubled prison needs permanent experienced leaders at all levels to begin to recover, he said, warning: Until this happens, the risk of a further catastrophe, a self-inflicted death or escape from lawful custody, is ever present. The PGA said staff at the jail were in an almost impossible situation, the governor at Wandsworth decided to leave earlier this year and resigned during the inspection, adding that this was undoubtedly due in part to the personal toll that running a prison like Wandsworth in current times takes. The prison was not reducing the risk of men reoffending, the watchdogs inspection carried out between April 22 and May 2 found. Relationships between staff and prisoners were poor or non-existent. Most staff at every level were very inexperienced, and, despite being fully staffed on paper, more than a third of staff were not available for work each day, leading to additional restrictions on prisoners and burnt-out prison officers struggling to keep things going. Inspectors highlighted how some staff did not understand their role and they lacked direction, training, and consistent support from leaders, many of whom were themselves inexperienced and temporarily promoted. Seven prisoners had taken their own lives in the past year, Mr Taylor said. Some 80% of the 1,513 men held there were sharing cells designed for one person and most inmates spent more than 22 hours confined to the cramped, squalid conditions with no idea if or when they would leave them or have any access to fresh air, according to the findings. Many inmates were in despair, he said as he highlighted how prisoners on one wing had not been able to shower for five days. Self-harm was high, with inspectors finding men in clear distress and without support and 40% of emergency cell bells not being answered within the required five minutes. Pia Sinha, chief executive of the Prison Reform Trust, said the damning findings reveal a failure of leadership from top to bottom, adding: Ministers cannot be exempt from the criticism levelled against the prison by the chief inspector. Prisons minister Edward Argar said the deeply concerning report shows the jail continues to face significant challenges and it was clear that on top of the additional support weve already provided since September to improve safety and security, including nearly 1 million of upgrades, we need to go further still. Extra experienced staff will be added to the prisons management team in the coming weeks to provide the leadership, culture change and training needed to turn Wandsworth around, he said, adding: In the interim we are deploying more staff, including prison officers, to the prison and will set out further action shortly. Wandsworth is the sixth prison to be issued with an urgent notification since November 2022, joining Exeter, Woodhill, Bristol and Bedford jails as well as Cookham Wood young offender institution. The notice effectively places the jail in special measures and means the Justice Secretary has to urgently produce an action plan for improvement before the watchdog carries out another inspection. The full findings of the latest inspection which prompted the urgent notification will be published at a later date. Better vodka, rum, tequila, bourbon, and gin to mix up thousands of classic cocktails. Food & Wine / ROBBY LOZANO Bottles like Beefeater and Ketel One are cocktail stalwarts, no question. Theyre safe, dependable, and easy to find anywhere. But if youre looking to build out your home bar with more variety, it may be time to explore alternatives that allow you to keep things classic while adding a little extra excitement. When stocking a home bar, youll need the basic spirits vodka, rum, gin, bourbon, and tequila. In professional settings, bartenders place their most frequently used bottles from each of these categories in the rail, a narrow shelf at waist-height in the front of a bar. This allows for each bottle to be within arm's reach at any moment. At home, this would be the equivalent of the go-to bottles stored on the top shelf of your bar cart, rather than the dusty ones tucked away in the back corners of far-away cabinets. These classic spirits are the base of most well drinks, simple cocktails that rely on bottles typically found in a bartenders rail. Add a splash of club soda to vodka, bourbon, or tequila and you have a highball. Throw in a big squeeze of lime, a dash of simple syrup plus rum or gin to make a Daiquiri or a Gimlet. Classic cocktails are classics for a reason theyre simple to create and a small change in ingredients open up endless variations. But using high quality spirits can make them something truly worth savoring. If youre looking for an easy way to increase the quality of your cocktails at home, think of stocking your home bar (or rail, if you will) like your pantry: choose well-made, delicious, and interesting basics. Here are five great brands you might not be as familiar with a vodka, rum, tequila, whiskey, and gin to add inspiration to your drinks. Haku Vodka Food & Wine / ROBBY LOZANO This Japanese vodka from spirits brand The House of Suntory is distilled from white rice and filtered through bamboo charcoal. The bottle gets its name from the Japanese word for white or pure, reflecting the vodkas gentle flavor and its pristine quality from the polished white rice and charcoal filtration. Its soft, round mouthfeel, clean flavors, and subtle sweetness make it ideal for anything from a Moscow Mule to a simple Vodka Soda with a spritz of grapefruit. Haku Vodka By the Numbers Price: $28 ABV: 40% First released: 2018 Grains: 100% Japanese white rice Ten To One Dark Rum Food & Wine / ROBBY LOZANO Marc Farrell founded Ten To One to shift peoples perception of rum away from pirates and Panama hats, and redirect it toward the real history of the Caribbean. His excellent dark rum has baking-spice and tropical-fruit notes making it a standout in cocktails, but also a versatile ingredient for both sweet and savory dishes. Its perfect in a classic Rum Punch or a tart and sweet dark rum Daiquiri. Ten to One Dark Rum By the Numbers Price: $45 ABV: 40% Age: Blend of 8 year rums from Barbados and Dominican Republic, alongside Jamaican and Trinidadian rum Cask type: American white oak ex-bourbon casks Lalo Tequila Blanco Food & Wine / ROBBY LOZANO Third-generation tequila maker Eduardo Lalo Gonzalez uses agave from the Jalisco Highlands for this lightly herbal, elegant blanco. For Gonzalez and his co-founder David Carbadillo, tequila is meant to be enjoyed. Its equally at home sipped on its own, shaken up with lime in a Margarita, paired with grapefruit in a Paloma, or mixed into something as simple as a Ranch Water. Lalo Tequila Blanco By the Numbers Price: $50 ABV: 40% Agave: 100% blue Weber agave, average age 67 years old Age: None NOM: 1468 Michters US 1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Food & Wine / ROBBY LOZANO This small-batch bottling from one of bourbons most acclaimed distillers is a fantastic introduction to Michters, a brand whose 25-year aged rye whiskey can sell for north of $20,000. The much more modestly priced US 1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon has everything you could want in a whiskey: rich caramel notes, a touch of oak, and a smooth, lingering finish. Try it in a classic Old Fashioned or, if youre feeling springtime-y, a Mint Julep. Michter's US 1 By the Numbers Price: $50 ABV: 45.7% Age: At least two years Cask type: Charred American new white oak Fords Gin Food & Wine / ROBBY LOZANO Beloved by bartenders, Fords Gin is expressly intended for using in cocktails its ergonomically shaped bottle is even designed for ease of pouring, and an emphasis on botanicals like grapefruit peel and coriander seed help it work with a range of mixers. Thanks to its versatility, Fords is ideal for both professional use and at your home bar. A splash of dry vermouth, a stir on ice, and a lemon twist, and youve got one of our favorite Dry Martinis. Fords Gin By the Numbers Price: $30 ABV: 45% First released: 2013 Style: London Dry Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, lemon, bitter orange, grapefruit, angelica, cassia, jasmine, orris root For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Food & Wine. "If you love somebody, serve them rigatoni pasta carbonara. Simply Recipes / Photo Illustration by Wanda Abraham / Getty Images My 10-year-old son Phil is a foodie, and he loves pasta carbonara. Im always on the lookout for new ways to impress him with my cooking skills while expanding my culinary repertoire. One rainy Seattle Sunday while browsing for new pasta carbonara recipes on YouTube, I stumbled upon Andrew Zimmerns channel. Ive always been a big fan of Zimmern, especially after I read that hes afraid to try chicken McNuggets. This little nugget of information makes him feel like a relatable uncle. In one of his videos, Zimmern proclaims, In my opinion, if you love somebody, serve them rigatoni pasta carbonara. Well, I definitely love Phil, and so I put my trust in the celebrity chef and tested his recipe. And boy, was Zimmern right! Once you've tasted his simple yet elegant five-ingredient rigatoni pasta carbonara, you'll never go back to the spaghetti version. Rigatoni's structure, with its large surface area and holes, makes it the perfect vessel to carry all the delicious carbonara sauce and crispy pancetta or guanciale. Each bite is hearty, deeply soul-satisfying, and never dry. You may think youd have to raid half your pantry to make this Italian restaurant-worthy dish at home, but you only need five ingredients: rigatoni, pancetta or guanciale, Pecorino Romano cheese (not parmesan cheese), olive oil, and eggs. How To Make Andrew Zimmerns Rigatoni Pasta Carbonara First, cook a pound of rigatoni in, as Zimmern puts it, a large pot of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. For the pasta cooking time, refer to the instructions on the packaging. Al dente is how I cook all my pasta and noodles. Its a matter of personal preference, but I love that extra bite and bounce of noodles cooked this way. Before you drain the pasta water, Zimmern says to reserve one cup and set it aside. Dice six ounces pancetta or guanciale, or use a mix of both like Zimmern does, and cook the meat in a skillet over medium-low heat to render all the fat. Zimmern adds a teaspoon of olive oil to help the meat along. He also adds a scant teaspoon of chili flakes to the skillet to spice things up with a little heat, but I left that out. After about 10 minutes, the sizzling meat should be tender and golden brown. Simply Recipes / Karishma Pradhan If pancetta and guanciale are not accessible to you, use thick slabs of fatty bacon instead. Just never reveal this substitution to an Italian nonna, who might school you for not using guanciale to make authentic Roman carbonara. Were just home cooks doing what we can with what we have and thats OK! Add the drained pasta and one cup of freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese to the skillet and stir so the fat and cheese coat the rigatoni. Anyone walking into your kitchen now would salivate and think theyve entered a Roman trattoria. Turn off the heat and add the whisked eggs (a mix of five egg yolks and a whole egg) to the skillet. Stir and toss to thoroughly coat the rigatoni, and thicken the sauce by mixing in a quarter cup of the reserved pasta water. The sauce should be creamy and cling to the pasta by now; however, as needed, stir in more pasta water a little at a time until the sauce is the consistency you want it to be. Simply Recipes / Getty Images How To Serve Andrew Zimmern's Rigatoni Carbonara Zimmern suggests you use a ladle or spoon to dish up all the sauce and rigatoni into shallow serving bowls. I recommend you eat this dish with a spoon to scoop extra sauce with each bite. Finally, season the pasta with salt and pepper to taste, and top with more grated Pecorino Romano. Spice lovers, try drizzling some chili crisp, like Lao Gan Ma, over the pasta. The first time I made this dish, I watched as Phils eyes lit up when I placed a bowl before him. My kid likes to talk but this dish left him speechless. You can bet Zimmerns rigatoni pasta carbonara is on rotation in my house, a new family favorite. Get Recipe with Title: Andrew Zimmern's Rigatoni Carbonara Recipe Read the original article on Simply Recipes. The New Hampshire man convicted of murdering his 5-year-old daughter Harmony Montgomery was sentenced Thursday to 45 years to life in prison in a case that spurred an investigation into the actions of the child protective services system and rattled relations between Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Adam Montgomery was found guilty in February of second-degree murder in the 2019 death of his daughter Harmony, who was reported missing in 2021. He was also found guilty of second-degree assault, witness tampering, falsifying physical evidence and abuse of a corpse, according to court documents. He was sentenced to 45 years to life for the murder charge, 4 to 8 years for assault, 3.5 to 7 years for witness tampering, and 3.5 to 7 years for falsifying evidence. He also received a 12-month suspended sentence for abuse of a corpse. The charges will be served consecutively, meaning one after the other, for a total minimum of 56 years in prison, the judge ruled. The sentencing comes five years after a Massachusetts judge placed Harmony, who had cycled in and out of foster care as a child, in Montgomerys custody in New Hampshire a decision that has come under intense scrutiny. Her mother last spoke to Harmony in spring of 2019 in a FaceTime call but then was unable to reach her. According to the prosecutions sentencing memo, Montgomery beat Harmony to death on December 7, 2019, and then engaged in the transportation and consolidation of her body over three months before disposing of her corpse on March 4, 2020. He then lied about her whereabouts for more than two years, according to prosecutors. In 2022, the Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate wrote a 101-page report on Harmonys case and found state officials prioritized Harmonys parents rights over the girls well-being. By not putting her and her needs first, our system ultimately failed her, OCA director Maria Mossaides said. We owe it to her to make the changes necessary to allow our system to do better in the future. Harmonys remains still have not been found, though a judge declared her legally dead in March at the request of her mother, Crystal Sorey, CNN affiliate WMUR reported. I love Harmony. I miss her. In court Thursday, several people spoke to provide victim impact statements. Harmonys mother, Crystal Sorey, talked about her love for her daughter and hatred for the monster and coward who killed her. She lit up a room when she walked in, she made a mark wherever she went, and you couldnt stand it, she said to Montgomery. The couple who adopted Harmonys younger brother read a moving statement from the 7-year-old boy. I love Harmony. I miss her. I hope I get to see her again, Johnathan Bobbitt-Miller read on the boys behalf. My sister had beautiful blue eyes and we smile alike. I liked having fun with her on the playground. She gave me a broken Elmo toy that was hers. I still have that, but I have the Minnie Mouse pillow and a new Elmo thats not broken. I keep it in my closet for her. Im really sad shes an angel. I miss her. She was my best friend. I hope she can see me playing basketball, being silly with my brothers, and I wish I could bring Harmony to my school to meet my friends and my teacher, he read. In a sentencing memo, prosecutors had asked that Montgomery be sentenced to 56 years to life in prison for all of the crimes. Senior Assistant Attorney General Ben Agati said in court they would lower their sentencing recommendations to the minimum if Montgomery told them where Harmonys body is buried. The prosecutor then paused for a period, and Montgomery stayed silent. Time and time again and about 30 seconds ago the defendant chose to be heartless, immoral, selfish and unapologetic, the prosecutor said. Meanwhile, the defense requested he receive a sentence less than the states recommendation and that the charges be served concurrently. Defense attorney Caroline Smith called the prosecutions offer of a lower sentence a stunt. They were seeking a reaction today from Adam Montgomery in the courtroom by their stunt, she said. Montgomery did not speak, but Smith said he maintained his innocence on the murder charge. Adam Montgomery did not kill his daughter, but when he discovered his daughters death he broke and he did inexplicable things, she said. Even he cant explain his actions, but eventually he pulled it together and was able to say goodbye to his daughter, and thats what he did. A life in and out of foster care Harmony Montgomery was reported missing in 2021, but authorities determined she was killed in 2019. - Jim Davis/Pool/The Boston Globe/AP The 101-page report by the Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate detailed Harmonys time bouncing between her mothers care and foster care before a judge decided to award custody to Montgomery in 2019. Harmony was born in June 2014 and was blind in one eye and had other medical concerns, according to the report. That summer, a Department of Children and Families office received reports of neglect while the baby was living with her mother, who was struggling with substance abuse, according to the report. Her father was incarcerated at the time of her birth and not involved in Harmonys life, the report said. Harmony was legally removed from her mothers care and placed in a foster home, the report said, and she cycled between her mothers care and the care of the Department of Children and Families over several years. Montgomery had inconsistent contact and supervised visits with his daughter over the next couple of years, but in October 2018 he asked for Harmony to be placed in his care, according to the report. In February 2019, a judge awarded him full custody and ruled a home study about Montgomery under the Interstate Compact of the Placement of Children (ICPS) an agreement between all states governing the placement of children across borders did not apply for constitutional reasons because he had been found to be a fit parent. Montgomery then took his daughter to New Hampshire roughly a week after the hearing and the Department of Children and Families involvement ended, the report said. Sorey reported Harmony missing in November 2021, saying she hadnt seen her daughter since a FaceTime call in the spring of 2019. Manchester Police then announced a search for her whereabouts, leading to Montgomerys arrest in early 2022. The judges decision to place Harmony with her father has come under intense scrutiny. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu wrote a scathing letter to the chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court about the decision. Sentencing memo describes beatings In the prosecutions sentencing memo, prosecutors said some of the charges stemmed from an episode in 2019, in which Montgomery struck Harmony with such force that he altered the profile of her face. Montgomery attacked Harmony several times on December 7 after she had a bathroom accident, ultimately killing her, the memo states. The defendant struck Harmony numerous times while driving, stopping at lights several times to continue the attack. He only stopped striking Harmony when he felt something different and acknowledged out loud that he believed he really hurt her this time, the sentencing memo reads. Its possible that Montgomery could have spared Harmony some pain, or even saved her, by getting her help after the attacks, prosecutors said. The fact that he chose not to, they argued, displayed a level of cruelty and depravity that warrants more than just the minimum sentence. In the two years after murdering Harmony, prosecutors said Montgomery told others, including law enforcement officers, that his daughter was alive and well with her mother in Massachusetts. Montgomery then embarked on a strategy of blaming others for Harmonys injuries and death, the sentencing memo states. Prosecutors said he made up a lie about what happened to Harmony and beat her stepmother, Kayla Montgomery, ordering her to stick to the story. Kayla Montgomery pleaded guilty in 2022 to lying to a grand jury about her whereabouts the last time her stepdaughter was seen, according to a parole hearing and court records. She testified against her estranged husband in February and was granted parole in March. In the sentencing memo, prosecutors argued that Montgomerys extensive criminal history, which includes threatening a teenager with a knife and shooting a person in the face during a robbery, should be considered in his sentencing. CNNs Nicki Brown, Melissa Alonso, Christina Maxouris, Nic F. Anderson and Zenebou Sylla contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A Florida sheriff publicly released bodycam footage from a deputy who fatally shot a Black airman in his home last week and disputed claims from the victims family that the deputy had gone to the wrong apartment. Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden showed the video during a Thursday news conference, shortly after an attorney for the 23-year-old airmans family called for its public release, saying the victims girlfriend was FaceTiming with him and believes the deputy was at the wrong unit. The victim was identified by his family as Roger Fortson, an active-duty senior airman, according to attorney Ben Crump, who held a news conference earlier Thursday. Crump and Fortsons mother described him as a patriot who respected authority and hoped to buy his mother and younger siblings a house. The sheriff, who met with Fortsons family shortly before his news conference, said he asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Division to handle the criminal investigation, as is required. While that probe is ongoing, he said, no determination has been made as to whether the deputys actions were justified or not. The deputy has been placed on administrative leave. The State Attorneys Office in Okaloosa County will wait for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to finish its investigation before it decides whether to pursue charges in the fatal shooting, the office told CNN. There is no expected timeline for when the investigation will be completed, a spokesperson said. What we do know at this time is that the deputy did announce himself, not once but twice, Aden said. Mr. Fortsons comments indicate that he did acknowledge it was law enforcement at the door and he arrived at the door with a firearm in his hand. The deputy knocked on the correct door, he did not cover the peephole or otherwise obscured its view in any way. But Fortsons family reiterated their belief that authorities went to the wrong door. We remain adamant that the police had the wrong apartment as Roger was on the phone with his girlfriend for a substantial amount of time leading up to the shooting, and no one else was in the apartment, Fortsons family said in a statement following the release of the footage. Okaloosa Sheriff Eric Aden speaks during a press conference in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, on May 9, 2024. - WEAR What the bodycam footage shows Deputies responded last Friday to an apartment after receiving a call for a disturbance in progress, Aden said in a previous statement. Hearing sounds of a disturbance, (a deputy) reacted in self-defense after he encountered a 23-year-old man armed with a gun and after the deputy had identified himself as law enforcement, the sheriff said. The deputy shot the man, who later succumbed to his injuries, said the sheriff. The deputy involved in the shooting has not been identified by officials. The bodycam footage, dated May 3, begins at roughly 4:28 p.m. with a deputy arriving at what appears to be an apartment complex. A woman at the complex is heard telling the deputy there was a disturbance in apartment 1401 and that it was getting out of hand. The same woman tells the deputy she previously walked by the apartment and heard yells and a slap, but added she wasnt sure where it came from. The deputy takes the elevator to the fourth floor and knocks on a door three times. The apartment number 1401 is visible in the footage. He announces himself twice, saying, Sheriffs office, open the door. There is nothing heard on the footage from inside the apartment. Within seconds of the apartments door opening, the deputy says step back and is then seen firing his weapon. Fortson is seen standing at the door with his hands down and what appears to be a lowered firearm in his right hand. He immediately falls to the floor as the deputy fires. At least five shots are heard. While Fortson is on the floor, the deputy yells drop the gun twice. Fortson is heard saying, Its over there, and then, I dont have it. The deputy continues to point his weapon at Fortson and tells him not to move, while Fortson remains on the floor. The deputy continues pointing his weapon at Fortson while calling for EMS. Deputies communicated with dispatch that Fortson had been shot six times with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest with one exit wound, according to police dispatch calls, obtained by CNN affiliate WEAR. Fortsons family said after the videos release, It is very troubling that the deputy gave no verbal commands and shot multiple times within a split second of the door being opened, killing Roger. As the officer didnt tell Roger to drop the weapon before shooting, was the officer trained to give verbal warnings? Did the officer try to initiate life-saving measures? Was the officer trained to deal with law-abiding citizens who are registered gun owners? their statement added. Footage released from FaceTime call during shooting Later Thursday, Crump also released nearly four minutes of the FaceTime call he says Fortson was on with his girlfriend when he was shot. The video shows what appears to be the ceiling of an apartment as a man presumably Fortson can be heard groaning and saying, I cant breathe. Another man presumably the deputy tells him: Do not move. Stop movin. The deputy can then be heard saying, Hang on man, weve got an ambulance comin for you. Dont move. Presumably speaking to others, the deputy then says, Were good. He had a gun since he opened the door. The deputy is heard shouting but much of it is inaudible. Another person can later be heard detailing Fortsons wounds saying, Weve got three gunshot wounds, one exit, before another voice says, Yeah, hes shot up. Eventually, someone is heard saying Fortson has six gunshot wounds. Fortson was pronounced dead at a hospital. Police dispatch audio obtained by CNN on Friday adds some additional perspective to the events surrounding the shooting. In the audio, a deputy can be heard saying he is responding to a disturbance, physical, in progress at 319 Racetrack, Unit 1401. It is the same address where Fortson was shot, according to the sheriffs department. Dont have anything further than a male and female. Its all fourth party information through the front desk at the leasing office, the responding officer says. About four minutes later, the deputy is heard saying shots fired, suspect down. He asks for emergency services and then says, multiple gunshots wounds to the chest, black male. A dispatcher is then heard asking for medical units before saying, they are asking that you step it up. Fortson was playing video games, family attorney says In their earlier news conference Thursday, Crump and Fortsons mother described him as a responsible young man and a patriot who had long dreamed of serving in the US Air Force. To the sheriffs department that took my gift I need you guys to tell the truth about my son. I need you to get his reputation right, Fortsons mother said. I know my son did not do anything to you guys. If he scared you, or if you guys wasnt trained properly, I apologize, she said. But please clean my babys reputation. Fortson entered active duty in November 2019 and was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron, according to a statement from the Air Force, which noted the shooting occurred at the airmans off-base residence. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is closely following the reports of the shooting, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Thursday. Crump said the 23-year-old had been home for about 30 minutes and playing video games prior to the shooting. Fortson heard two separate knocks at the door and when no one could be seen through the peephole, he retrieved his gun, Crump said, citing Fortsons girlfriend. Crump said Fortsons gun was legally owned. The girlfriend said law enforcement responded to the wrong apartment, and there was no disturbance there at the time, Crump said. Fortson was alone at the time, Crump said, citing Fortsons girlfriend. (Fortson) was on the phone with his girlfriend in the apartment by himself with his dog, Crump told CNNs Jake Tapper Thursday evening. They had the wrong apartment. Shooting calls to mind past incidents While details about the shooting remain murky, the incident echoes other shootings in recent years, in which a Black man or woman was killed by law enforcement in their home. In 2019, a former Dallas police officer was sentenced to 10 years in prison after fatally shooting Botham Jean in his apartment the year prior. The officer off duty but still in uniform lived on the floor below Jeans and said she approached what she believed to be her own apartment when she saw Jean inside. Atatiana Jefferson was killed that same year when a Fort Worth officer, responding to what police believed to be a burglary, shot her through her bedroom window. The former Fort Worth officer was sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison in 2022. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com WASHINGTON The Biden administration is proposing changes in the asylum process, which will allow immigration officials to reject migrants with criminal records sooner. The Department of Homeland Security revealed details of the proposed new rule on Thursday. Under current law, a migrant who arrives at the border and undergoes an initial "credible fear" screening is allowed to continue with the process even if they have a criminal background. They are detained in such cases. "This is really intended to be a national security and public safety measure," the senior official said. "Its intended to ensure that the people we are most concerned about can be removed as early as possible in the process." Individuals "who pose a national security or public safety risk" would be subject to the new rule, "specifically those who have been convicted of a particularly serious crime, participated in the persecution of others, are inadmissible on national security or terrorism-related grounds, or for whom there are reasonable grounds to deem them a danger to the security of the United States," according to a DHS statement. Compared to the vast majority of cases, "the number of migrants who are subject to these bars is small," DHS said. The Homeland Security official refused to quantify the potential asylum seekers it would affect. Immigration experts say asylum eligibility is complicated and questioned whether migrants applying for asylum will have access to legal representation that early in the process. The main issue here which we have found repeatedly is that when cases move quickly, people cant get attorneys, said Austin Kocher, assistant professor at Syracuse University who studies federal immigration enforcement. An attorney might be able, on the clients behalf, to make interventions and provide some balance. But the way the policy is being proposed, they want to move this part of the process so fast, its going to be almost impossible for people to get attorneys, Kocher said. Texas National Guard soldiers prevent an asylum seeker from further entering the U.S. on the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas, on March 6, 2024. In an election year, the president is under significant pressure to keep unlawful crossings down. "Congress hasnt done anything meaningful on immigration in the lifetimes of most migrants, Kocher said. I can completely understand why the Biden campaign and the president himself would want to show theyre doing things to make it tougher at the border to balance out what is an extremely hardline position from the other side. President Joe Biden had been considering new executive actions to crack down on record migration at the southern border after congressional Republicans in February blocked border legislation backed by the White House. The legislation, which was killed in the Senate, would have given the Department of Homeland Security the power to shut down the border to migrants crossing illegally when daily crossings exceed a daily average of 4,000 in any one-week period. And if migrant border encounters surpass an average of 5,000 a day a threshold now met DHS would have been required to close the border to migrants seeking to cross without prior authorization between ports of entry. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @SwapnaVenugopal This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Asylum seekers with criminal records will be turned away sooner The Biden administration on Thursday proposed a rule that would allow immigration officials to rapidly reject migrants who are ineligible for asylum, casting the new regulation as a measure to enhance border security. The proposed rule, which is narrow in scope, doesnt change asylum eligibility but would allow immigration officials to more quickly remove migrants who are ineligible for asylum earlier in the asylum process. The proposed rule we have published today is yet another step in our ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of the American public by more quickly identifying and removing those individuals who present a security risk and have no legal basis to remain here, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement Thursday. The move comes as the White House has tried to toughen its position on the US-Mexico border and flip the script on Republicans who continue to hammer President Joe Biden on immigration ahead of the November election. Asylum officers, under the proposed rule, would be able to reject asylum claims within days of a migrant being encountered when there is evidence that they pose a national security or public safety risk. Under current procedures, that often happens later in the process. The department also announced Thursday that asylum officers would need to consider whether an asylum seeker could reasonably relocate to another part of the country of feared persecution when assessing claims under revised guidance. Weve taken a series of measures to expand our use of executive authority and resources in order to address what we are seeing on our border and really, throughout the whole hemisphere, a senior Homeland Security official told reporters, citing congressional inaction. The rule, which will be published Monday, still needs to go through a public comment period before taking effect later this year, according to the senior DHS official. Politico first reported on the proposed changes. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut acknowledged ahead of the announcement that the administration was pursuing asylum changes, but noted that without legislation, making full scale changes to the asylum system is incredibly difficult. Murphy told reporters Wednesday hes been engaged with the administration on the policies under review, but noted fuller scale changes that Republicans want Biden to make risk being challenged in court. Senate Democrats are going to keep pushing for the failed bipartisan immigration bill to get more GOP support, Murphy said, adding that at this point, its not clear the measure would get another vote. This story and headline been updated with additional developments. CNNs Lauren Fox contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com President Joe Biden said Wednesday the U.S. would not supply Israel with certain weapons and artillery shells if its military invades Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where more than 1 million people are sheltering. If the Israeli military launches a ground offensive in Rafah, the administration will not supply the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, Biden said in an interview on CNN. Were not going to supply the weapons and the artillery shells used, Biden said. The move would mark a shift in U.S. policy toward the war, though Biden said the U.S. would "continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks." Biden also said Israel has used the 2,000-pound bombs the type his administration halted in a planned shipment last week to kill Palestinian civilians. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers, he said when he was asked about the paused shipment of U.S. weapons to Israel. NBC News has reported that the White House halted a shipment of offensive weapons last week that included 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, according to a senior administration official. An Israeli official told NBC News there was deep frustration in the Israeli government over the decision as Israel's military prepares to launch an expected ground offensive in Rafah. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the military would enter the city "with or without" a deal with Hamas. Israel demands that Rafah be walled off from a cease-fire deal, according to four current and one former U.S. officials familiar with the discussions. Netanyahus government refuses to agree to a deal unless it can move forward with military operations in Rafah, even during a cease-fire, the officials said. An Israeli official denied that characterization, citing recent remarks by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who said, "This operation will continue until we eliminate Hamas in the Rafah area and the entire Gaza Strip or until the first hostage returns." Biden has reiterated his opposition to the Rafah offensive in calls with Netanyahu, according to White House readouts of their ' conversations. Biden also touched on his administration's work with Arab states regarding the Israel-Hamas war, saying in the CNN interview that "five leaders in the Arab community were prepared to help rebuild Gaza, prepared to help transition to a two-state solution." Asked for clarity about whether the leaders would help govern the area, Biden said they would work to "maintain the security and peace while they're working out a Palestinian Authority that's real and not corrupt." President Biden on Wednesday expressed deep skepticism that former President Trump would accept Novembers election results if he loses, calling it dangerous behavior from his opponent. The guy is not a democrat with a small d,' Biden told CNNs Erin Burnett. This is Trump and he may not accept the outcome of the election? I promise you he wont, Biden added. He wont, which is dangerous. Look, I travel around the world with other world leaders. You know what they all say? Not a joke, 80 percent of them after you have a major meeting go, Youve gotta win. My democracy is at stake.' Biden cited Trumps rhetoric on the campaign trail suggesting he would prosecute his political opponents and his vow to repeal major Democratic legislation that lowered the cost of certain prescription drugs, as well as a pledge to implement a 10 percent tariff on imports. Trump has continued to push the false claim that the 2020 election was fraudulent and rigged against him, despite numerous court cases on the matter being dismissed and election officials at the federal and state level rebutting his claims. Rioters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to try to stop the certification of Bidens victory after Trump had called for supporters to rally in Washington, D.C., that day. Last week, the former president indicated he would be reluctant to accept the results if he loses. If everythings honest, Id gladly accept the results, Trump told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in an interview Wednesday. If its not, you have to fight for the right of the country. One of the core pillars of Bidens reelection campaign has been warning voters that Trump poses a grave threat to democracy. But Trump leads Biden in battleground state polling, and the two are neck and neck in national polls. Biden told CNN on Wednesday that he felt good about the state of his campaign, pointing to the strong organization his operation has compared to Trump, who has yet to open field offices in battleground states and has lagged behind in staffing. Were doing the block and tackling. Were going out and making sure we knock on doors, get folks out the old-fashioned way, Biden said. I think Im feeling good about the trajectory of the campaign. And you know as well as I do, most people dont really focus and make up their minds until the fall. Theres a lot going on. Well see what happens. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Martin Gruenberg, the chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, is facing a barrage of calls from lawmakers to resign after a scathing 234-page report released Tuesday detailed pervasive sexual harassment, discrimination and bullying at the agency. If he heeds the calls, there could be significant ramifications for banks across the country. The report, undertaken by the law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and commissioned by the FDIC, confirmed the findings of a November Wall Street Journal investigation revealing a long-standing problematic culture. It did not find that Gruenberg alone was responsible for the issues described in depth in the report based on interviews with over 500 employees. We do recognize that, as a number of FDIC employees put it in talking about Chairman Gruenberg, culture starts at the top, the report said. It also documented several instances where he lashed out at subordinates particularly when being delivered bad news or conveyed views with which he disagrees. Thats caused staffers to delay delivering news they fear would upset him. Gruenbergs temperament may hinder his ability to establish trust and confidence in leading meaningful culture change, the report added. Gruenberg did not respond to a request for a comment. An FDIC spokesperson told CNN Gruenberg is already implementing the recommendations in the report and that at his direction the agency is working to identify and appoint a transformation monitor as well as an independent third-party expert to support these efforts. The majority of lawmakers calling on Gruenberg, a Democrat who was appointed by President Joe Biden, are Republicans. Aside from Democratic Rep. Bill Foster, Democrats have stopped short of calling on Gruenberg to resign. Thats likely because if Gruenberg were to resign, Vice Chair Travis Hill, a Republican appointee, would automatically become chair until a replacement is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. In the interim, that would leave the agency deadlocked with one other Republican and two Democratic members on the FDICs board of directors. Rulemaking would come to a screeching halt, Dennis Kelleher, president and CEO of Better Markets, a group that advocates for oversight of the financial sector, told CNN. With Hill at the FDICs helm, there would also likely be little appetite to work with the Federal Reserve and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to pass any kind of regulations that beefs up bank capital requirements, he said. Last year, the three agencies approved a preliminary step to finalizing the rules known as Basel III Endgame which would require the nations largest banks to set aside more capital, limiting the amount of funds they have to lend to customers. The agencies are in the process of evaluating the initial proposal, which Hill voted against, and may propose new rules based on the comments they received. Thats why Jaret Seiberg, a policy analyst at TD Cowen, said in a Tuesday note, Gruenbergs departure would be a positive for the bigger banks. Seiberg doesnt think its likely Gruenberg will resign, however, especially since progressive Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren arent calling for his resignation. Similarly, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre didnt convey that Biden has any reservations about Gruenbergs abilities to lead the FDIC. Kelleher also expressed concerns that Hill would not react fast enough if there was a banking crisis like last years, which the FDIC played a key role in mitigating. Even though Hill did not lead the agency at the time, he was second-in-command, and theres no evidence he would prolong or exacerbate a banking failure. Hill, through an adviser, declined to comment. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com JERUSALEM (AP) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that a U.S. threat to withhold some arms would not prevent Israel from continuing its offensive in Gaza, indicating it might proceed with an invasion of the packed city of Rafah against the wishes of its closest ally. President Joe Biden has urged Israel not to go ahead with such an operation over fears it would exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophe in the Palestinian enclave. On Wednesday, he said the United States would not provide offensive weapons for a Rafah offensive, raising pressure on Netanyahu. But in a statement released Thursday, Netanyahu said if we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails. But we have much more than fingernails. Israels top military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, also appeared to downplay the practical impact of any arms holdup. The army has munitions for the missions it plans, and for the missions in Rafah, too -- we have what we need, he said in response to a question at a news conference. Israel has repeatedly threatened to invade Rafah, where some 1.3 million Palestinians over half the population have sought refuge. The city in southern Gaza is also the main hub for humanitarian operations, which have been severely hindered by the closure of Gaza's two main crossings this week. Israel says Rafah is the last stronghold of Hamas and that the army must go in if it hopes to dismantle the group and return scores of hostages captured in the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war. In an earlier response to Biden's decision, Israels far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote a post on the platform X with a heart between the words Hamas and Biden. He and other ultra-nationalist members of Netanyahus coalition support a large-scale Rafah operation and have threatened to bring down his government if it doesnt happen. Aid groups say a Rafah invasion would be catastrophic. The U.N. says most of the territorys 2.3 million Palestinians suffer from hunger and that northern Gaza is already experiencing full-blown famine. Even the limited operation Israel launched earlier this week, in which a tank brigade captured the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, has thrown humanitarian operations into crisis. It also complicated what had been months of efforts by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt to broker a cease-fire and the release of hostages. Hamas this week said it had accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal, but Israel says the plan does not meet its core demands. Several days of follow-up talks appeared to end inconclusively on Thursday. Some analysts said Biden's tough line against Israel, and the rift between the allies, threatened to weaken Israel's negotiating position and harden Hamas' stances. Hamas has demanded guarantees for an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as part of any deal steps Israel has ruled out. It sends a discordant message at a time when Hamas is holding out on a hostage deal in the hopes that pressure will grow on Israel and it will gain a cease-fire without having to give anything in return, said the Israel Policy Forum, a pro-Israel organization based in New York. The war began with Hamas surprise attack into southern Israel, in which it killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 250 hostage. The militants are still holding some 100 captives and the remains of more than 30 after most of the rest were released during a cease-fire last year. The war has killed over 34,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Israels offensive, waged with U.S.-supplied munitions, has caused widespread devastation and forced some 80% of Gazas population to flee their homes. Israel's capture of the Rafah crossing Tuesday forced the closure of a key entry point for fuel, and it's unclear when it will reopen. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, said it only has enough stocks to maintain operations for a few days and has started rationing. Israel reopened its side of the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing Gazas main cargo terminal after a rocket attack over the weekend, but UNRWA, the main provider of aid in Gaza, says aid cannot be brought in on the Palestinian side because of the security situation. A recently reopened route in the north is still functioning, but only 60 trucks entered on Tuesday, far below the 500 that entered Gaza each day before the war. The first aid ship bound for an American-built floating pier to be installed in Gaza departed early Thursday. But it's unclear when that corridor will be up and running, and even then it won't be able to handle as much aid as Gazas two main land crossings. Maj. Pete Nguyen, a Pentagon spokesman, said Thursday that parts of the pier are still in the Israeli port of Ashdod awaiting more favorable seas before being moved into position off Gaza. He said the U.S. vessel Sagamore, which left Cyprus, would transport aid to another ship, the Roy P. Benavidez, which is off the coast of Gaza. In the coming days, the U.S. will commence an international community-backed effort to expand the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza using a floating pier, he said. ___ Associated Press writers Sam Mednick in Jerusalem, Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus, Ellen Knickmeyer and Lolita Baldor in Washington contributed to this report. Hyundai and Kia's American financing arm repossessed more than two dozen vehicles leased by U.S. military service members without first getting court orders, as legally required, federal prosecutors alleged on Wednesday. Irving, Calif.-based Hyundai Capital America, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hyundai Motor America and Kia America, violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) between 2015 and 2023 by reclaiming 26 vehicles owned by service members who began paying off their loans before starting active duty, according to a lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice in federal court in Los Angeles. The company has agreed to pay $333,941 to resolve the allegations, the agency announced in a news release late Wednesday. Hyundai Capital did not admit any fault or wrongdoing in reaching the settlement. "We have already taken steps to further enhance our compliance with all SCRA requirements as well as provide further proactive outreach," a spokesperson for the company stated in an email. Auto finance and leasing companies are barred by federal law from repossessing a service member's vehicle without a court order, so long as the service member made at least one payment before entering military service. "We are fully committed to protecting the rights of service members, who give so much to protecting our country," U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California said in a statement. "Something as simple as a vehicle repossession can have a significant impact on a service member's peace of mind as he or she deploys in defense of the United States." In 2017, for instance, Hyundai Capital seized and sold a a three-year-old Hyundai Elantra belonging to Navy Airman Jessica Johnson after determining that she was on active duty but "not deployed," according to legal documents. Johnson still owed $13,769 on the car, which Hyundai sold for $7,400, according to the legal complaint. Between April 15, 2015, and May 21, 2023, Hyundai unlawfully repossessed 25 additional motor vehicles owned or leased by SCRA-protected service members, the government alleged. Hyundai Capital provides indirect vehicle financing for retail and lease customers of Hyundai, Genesis and Kia dealerships nationwide, and is among the nation's 10 biggest captive auto lenders, which serve as the financing arms of auto manufacturers, offering loans and leases for the brands they sell. The government in recent years has settled similar claims against the finance arms of General Motors, Nissan and Wells Fargo. Key takeaways from Stormy Daniels' testimony in Trump trial What we learned from Stormy Daniels' testimony in Trump trial Violence erupts amid Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud Tens of thousands of displaced and exhausted Palestinians have packed up their tents and other belongings and fled the southern city of Rafah for other parts of Gaza. Israel has repeatedly threatened to invade Rafah, where some 1.3 million Palestinians over half Gaza's population have sought refuge. Where are we supposed to go? Where is the world, thats just watching us? said Ahmad Abed, who has an 8-month-old daughter. Its like were sheep. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said Thursday that a U.S. threat to withhold some arms would not prevent Israel from continuing its offensive in Gaza. Israel launched a limited operation earlier this week that captured the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, blocking the entry of humanitarian aid. The U.N. says northern Gaza is already in a state of full-blown famine. Israel says Rafah is the last stronghold of Hamas and that the army must go in if it hopes to dismantle the group and return scores of hostages captured in by militants on Oct. 7. That attack killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and about 250 others were abducted. Israel says militants still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others. The war in Gaza has driven around 80% of the territory's population of 2.3 million from their homes and caused vast destruction to apartments, hospitals, mosques and schools across several cities. The death toll in Gaza has soared to more than 34,500 people, according to local health officials. Currently: What are the latest obstacles to bringing aid into Gaza, where hunger is worsening? Biden says U.S. wont supply weapons for Israel to attack Rafah, in warning to ally. Israel says it reopened a key Gaza crossing after a rocket attack. The U.N. says no aid has entered. Has Israel followed the law in its war in Gaza? The U.S. is due to render a first-of-its-kind verdict. Follow APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war Here's the latest: UNRWA WILL CLOSE ITS JERUSALEM OFFICE AFTER ISRAELI PROTESTERS SET FIRE TO PERIMITER TWICE JERUSALEM The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees is closing its Jerusalem compound after Israeli protesters twice set fire to its perimeter. Philipe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of UNRWA, said no one was injured but that staff had to put the fires out themselves because firefighters and police were slow to arrive. He shared video of Thursdays protest, in which the crowd can be heard chanting Burn the U.N. in Hebrew. In a post on the platform X, Lazzarini called it an outrageous development, saying once again, the lives of UN staff were at a serious risk. He said that in light of the appalling incident he had taken the decision to shut down the compound. On Tuesday, protesters damaged the gate of the compound, prompting the U.N. to lodge a protest with Israeli authorities. Israel has accused UNRWA, which is the largest provider of humanitarian aid to Gaza, of having links to Hamas and other Palestinian militants, some of whom allegedly took part in the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war in Gaza. UNRWA denies any links to such groups. It immediately fired the employees when it was informed about the allegations pertaining to Oct. 7 and launched an internal investigation. An independent review last month found that UNRWA had submitted full lists of its thousands of staffers to Israel every year since 2011, without Israel expressing concern about any of them. The review said the agency has robust procedures to uphold the U.N. principle of neutrality but cited gaps in implementation. NETANYAHU VOWS TO FIGHT WITH OUR FINGERNAILS AS U.S. SAYS IT WON'T SEND WEAPONS FOR RAFAH ASSAULT JERUSALEM Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu minister said Thursday that his country will stand alone if it has to in its war against Hamas after President Joe Biden said the U.S. would not provide offensive weapons for Israels long-promised assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails, he said. But we have much more than fingernails. Netanyahu's comments come amid a deepening crisis in relations with the United States. Israel says that Rafah is Hamas last stronghold in Gaza, and Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to invade the city despite widespread international opposition due to concerns over the more than 1 million Palestinian civilians huddled in the city. Bidens comments about providing weapons were the latest sign of steadily deteriorating relations between Israel and its closest and most important ally after seven months of Israels war against Hamas. ISRAELI ACTIVISTS OPPOSED TO HUMANITARIAN AID FOR GAZA BLOCK MAJOR HIGHWAY TEL AVIV, Israel Israeli activists opposed to sending humanitarian aid to Gaza have blocked a major highway in southern Israel, snarling traffic and leading to at least a dozen arrests, according to a protest group leading the efforts. Over the past week, activists with the Tzav 9 organization have blocked trucks that arrived from Jordan bound for Gaza. These trucks are taking food to Hamas, and Hamas are murderers, rapists and terrible, terrible people, said Ruben Frankenburg, as he placed himself in front of a truck bound for Gaza near the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel. He added that Israel was being forced by the Americans to give them this food. Another protester claimed the humanitarian aid was allowing Hamas to continue to fight. Theres no other place in the world that one side gives the supplies to the other side, its crazy, its nuts, said protester Yonatan Godalis, as he stood blocking an 18-wheeler and holding an Israeli flag. The protests have caused traffic jams across the country, including shutting down parts of the countrys main highways. On Thursday, activists also blocked the road near the town of Mitzpe Ramon, halting traffic up Israels iconic desert highway and a main artery toward the south and the Gaza Strip. The protests have caused delays and headaches for drivers but no aid has been halted from reaching the crossings, according to COGAT, the Israeli military branch responsible for handling the humanitarian aid. ISRAEL RAIDS NAZARETH OFFICES OF AL JAZEERA TEL AVIV Israel raided the Nazareth offices of the Qatar-based Al Jazeera satellite news network, days after the government shuttered the network's offices in Israel. On Thursday, the Ministry of Communications said forces confiscated equipment from the office in northern Israel that had been used to transmit live broadcasts of Al Jazeera on Wednesday. Israel wont let Hamas broadcast from here, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi wrote on X. Al Jazeeras headquarters in Doha, Qatar, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Israel ordered the local offices of Al Jazeera to close Sunday, escalating a long-running feud between the broadcaster and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus hard-line government as Doha-mediated cease-fire negotiations with Hamas hang in the balance. Since the order, the broadcaster has moved many of its English-language service correspondents operating in Israel to Amman, Jordan. Others still operate from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. 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. FIRST SHIPMENT OF AID TO THE U.S.-BUILT FLOATING PIER IN GAZA LEAVES CYPRUS NICOSIA, Cyprus A shipment of humanitarian aid has left a port in Cyprus and is on its way to a U.S-built pier in Gaza, the first delivery to the newly built ramp, Cyprus foreign minister said Thursday. The U.S. vessel, loaded with much-needed humanitarian assistance, departed from the Larnaca port with the aim of transferring as much aid to Gaza as possible through the maritime corridor, said Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos. The trip comes about two months after U.S. President Joe Biden gave the order to build the large floating platform several miles (kilometers) off the Gaza coast that will be the launching pad for deliveries. ISRAELI DRONE STRIKE ON CAR IN LEBANON KILLS 4, GROUP SAYS BEIRUT Lebanons Civil Defense paramedic group says an Israeli drone strike on a car in a Lebanese village near the border with Israel killed four people. Hezbollah announced hours later that three of its fighters were killed Thursday adding that in retaliation for their death in the strike in the village of Bafliyeh it attacked Israeli military posts in Kfar Giladi, northern Israel, with explosive drones. Hezbollah claimed in a statement that it struck an operations room and inflicted casualties among the troops. Hezbollah started attacking Israeli army posts along the Lebanon-Israel border a day after the Israel-Hamas war broke out on Oct. 7. Since then, more than 350 people have been killed in Lebanon, including 275 Hezbollah members and more than 70 civilians and non-combatants. In Israel, 15 soldiers and 10 civilians have been killed. Foreign officials have been visiting Lebanon over the past month in attempts to bring calm to the border, but Hezbollah has repeatedly said it will not stop fighting until there is a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. ISRAEL'S NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER IMPLIES THAT HAMAS LOVES BIDEN TEL AVIV Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir implied in a post on the social platform X that Hamas loves Biden, using a heart emoji a day after U.S. President Joe Biden said he would not supply offensive weapons that Israel could use to launch an all-out assault on Rafah. Biden, in an interview with CNN on Wednesday, said the U.S. was still committed to Israels defense and would supply Iron Dome rocket interceptors and other defensive arms, but that if Israel goes into Rafah, were not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells used. There is widespread concern over the well-being of the more than 1 million civilians sheltering in Rafah. Ben Gvir, who used a heart emoji in his tweet regarding Biden and Hamas, has pushed for a punishing military response and has threatened to leave the government if Israel does not carry out a wide-ranging military operation in Rafah. Hamas exercises and games have only one answer: an immediate order to occupy Rafah! he wrote on X on Monday. ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE KILLS 8 PEOPLE, INCLUDING 4 CHILDREN CAIRO An Israeli airstrike on a residential building killed eight people including four children late Wednesday, according to hospital records. The strike hit a residential building in Tel al-Sultan in western Rafah. Israels military took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing early Tuesday after issuing evacuation orders for eastern parts of the city, home to some 100,000. It then sent tanks to seize the nearby Rafah crossing with Egypt, shutting it down. Associated Press journalists heard sporadic explosions and gunfire in the area of the Rafah crossing overnight Tuesday, including two large blasts early Wednesday. On Wednesday afternoon, hospital records showed at least 25 people were wounded when Israeli artillery fire struck part of central Rafah, an area that Israel did not tell Palestinians to evacuate ahead of its operation. The military had no immediate comment. ISRAELI SOLDIER KILLED BY MORTAR LAUNCHED FROM LEBANON AS TENSIONS RISE TEL AVIV An Israeli soldier was killed by a mortar launched from Lebanon, as tensions between Israel and Lebanon continue to rise during the war in Gaza. The soldier was killed on Wednesday and the army announced the death on Thursday. It was the third fatality in a week in Israel on the northern border from launches from Lebanon. The Israeli army said fighter jets struck Hezbollah military structures in southern Lebanon on Wednesday in response. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also toured Israels northern border on Wednesday and warned that a war with Hezbollah would have a heavy cost for Israel and a catastrophic one for Hezbollah and Lebanon. He added that while Israel was open to a diplomatic solution on the northern border, the army was also preparing for a possible military operation to allow citizens to return to their homes. Tens of thousands of civilians have been evacuated from Israel and southern Lebanon since the war began. A total of 15 soldiers and 10 civilians have been killed in Israel by Lebanese launches. In Lebanon, more than 370 people have been killed by Israeli strikes, including more than 70 civilians and non-combatants. ISRAELI STRIKE HITS BUILDING IN DAMASCUS SUBURB, SYRIAN MEDIA SAY DAMASCUS, Syria Syrian state media say an Israeli strike on a building in a suburb of the capital Damascus caused damage but no casualties. Iraqs al-Nujaba Movement, which is backed by Iran, said one of its cultural centers in the Damascus area was struck and vowed a forceful and effective retaliation. Al-Nujaba is one of many Iran-backed groups that sent fighters to Syria over the past years to help President Bashar Assads forces during the countrys 13-year conflict. State news agency SANA cited a military official as saying that Syrian air defenses shot down some of the Israeli missiles before they reached their targets early Thursday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said the strike targeted Iran-backed fighters in the southern Damascus suburb of Sayida Zeinab. It did not report any casualties. There was no comment from Israels military on the strike. Israel rarely acknowledges such strikes, although it has carried out hundreds over the past years, mainly targeting Iran-backed fighters such as Lebanons Hezbollah group. The strike was the second on Syria since an April 1 attack blamed on Israel blew up the Iranian Consulate in Damascus, killing seven people, including two Iranian generals. Iran responded days later by launching hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel. Most were shot down, Israel said. YEMEN'S HOUTHI REBELS CLAIM 2 ATTACKS IN GULF OF ADEN Yemens Houthi rebels on Thursday claimed two missile attacks in the Gulf of Aden on two Panama-flagged container ships that caused no damage, while also saying they targeted a ship in the Indian Ocean in a previously unreported assault. The claims by Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree come as the tempo of the rebel attacks have waned in recent weeks as theyve been targeted by repeated airstrikes launched by a U.S.-led coalition warship in waterways crucial to international trade. The Houthis insist their assaults will continue as long as Israels war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip goes on. Saree in a prerecorded statement claimed attacks on the MSC Diego and MSC Gina. The Joint Maritime Information Center, a U.S.-led coalition of nations operating in the Mideast, said those two missile attacks happened early Tuesday. BIDEN SAYS U.S. WON'T SUPPLY WEAPONS FOR ISRAEL TO ATTACK RAFAH President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he would not supply offensive weapons that Israel could use to launch an all-out assault on Rafah the last major Hamas stronghold in Gaza over concern for the well-being of the more than 1 million civilians sheltering there. Biden, in an interview with CNN, said the U.S. was still committed to Israels defense and would supply Iron Dome rocket interceptors and other defensive arms, but that if Israel goes into Rafah, were not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells used, that have been used. The interview marked Bidens toughest public comments yet about the potential Israeli military operation and followed his decision to pause a shipment of heavy bombs to Israel last week over concerns that the U.S. ally was moving closer to an attack on Rafah despite public and private warnings from his administration. U.N. IS NEGOTIATING WITH ISRAEL AND EGYPT TO RESUME FUEL SHIPMENTS INTO GAZA UNITED NATIONS The United Nations is engaged in intensive discussions with Israeli and Egyptian authorities to restart fuel shipments to Gaza as soon as possible in order keep providing humanitarian operations. U.N. humanitarian staff in Gaza are rationing fuel to stretch whats available for as long as possible, but it is clear that it is a matter of hours, if not days, where we will have no more fuel, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Wednesday Between May 1 and May 5, a daily average of 48 trucks carrying more than 160,000 liters of fuel entered Gaza through the now-closed Rafah crossing with Egypt, Dujarric said. The U.N. spokesman confirmed that nothing has entered Gaza from the Kerem Shalom crossing, which Israel said it reopened Wednesday, because fighting is still ongoing. With rockets falling and other military activities, there is an issue of safety of humanitarian personnel, he said. A THIRD MASS GRAVE IS FOUND AT SHIFA HOSPITAL, GAZA'S HEALTH MINISTRY SAYS JERUSALEM Dozens of bodies were buried in a mass grave on the grounds of Shifa hospital in northern Gaza, where Israeli forces staged two major operations during the war, the Health Ministry in Gaza said Wednesday. It is unclear who was buried in the grave or how they died. The Health Ministry says it was the third mass grave found at Shifa since the war began. A two-week Israeli raid in March left Gaza's largest medical complex in ruins. Mass graves have also been uncovered at other hospitals Israel raided. In some cases hospital officials said they had been dug purposely to bury the dead until it was safe to move the bodies to a final resting place. Israel says it has nothing to do with the mass graves, claiming the people buried there either died in battle or were patients who died in the hospital. The United Nations has called for a clear, transparent and credible investigation of the mass graves. CIA DIRECTOR IN ISRAEL AS MEDIATORS PUSH FOR A CEASE-FIRE WASHINGTON -- A U.S. official says that CIA Director William Burns is in Israel as international mediators push for a cease-fire. The official said Burns arrived on Wednesday and was meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door negotiations. The official gave no details on the discussions. But Burns has been in the region meeting with Egyptian and Qatari officials in recent days. He had been scheduled to travel to Israel from Qatar earlier this week, but that meeting was postponed without explanation. All three countries have been involved in months of talks aimed at halting the seven-month war between Israel and Hamas. Hamas announced on Sunday that it had accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire plan. But Israel says the proposal does not meet its core demands. By ELLEN KNICKMEYER Megyn Kelly said Wednesday that former President Trump should pick an establishment Republican like former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to be his running mate in the 2024 presidential election. In an interview on NewsNations Elizabeth Vargas Reports, Kelly noted that Trump is not that popular among a significant share of the Republican base, pointing to his recent poor showing in the Indiana GOP presidential primary, where he got 78 percent of the vote, despite being the only candidate left in the race. Haley ended her campaign two months ago, but still got 22 percent. Well, you may not have heard that Trump is not that popular with a core segment of the Republican Party, Kelly said, responding to the results of the Indiana primary returns. She recognized Trump is unlikely to pick Haley or DeSantis his chief opponents in the 2024 primary race but she encouraged the former president to pick a vice presidential candidate with similar appeal. He should pick a running mate that will represent that faction of the party, that is not core MAGA, thats a little bit more establishment, Kelly said. Thats the truth about most Republicans now, she continued. While they would still vote for Trump, most are not core MAGA. Kelly said Trump should get a DeSantis type of candidate, adding, I realize he is probably not going to pick Haley, but he should get somebody like that for his VP pick. The race to be Trumps running mate has been heating up in recent weeks, as Trump has used the audition process to launch an army of surrogates flooding the airwaves to defend him and echo his talking points as he remains tied up in a Manhattan courtroom. Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee for president, has maintained a growing shortlist of potential vice presidential candidates that includes Sens. Tim Scott (S.C.), Marco Rubio (Fla.) and JD Vance (Ohio); North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders; and Reps. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.) and Byron Donalds (Fla.). Haley and DeSantis are both absent from the list after a bitter primary battle. Haley did not endorse Trump when she suspended her campaign for president, and DeSantis gave a lukewarm endorsement of the former president. Its clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance, the governor said in his speech ending his campaign. While I have had disagreements with Donald Trump such as on the coronavirus pandemic and his elevation of Anthony Fauci, Trump is superior to the current incumbent Joe Biden. That is clear. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown. In an Instagram post Wednesday, Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava said her personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization. After months of grappling with this decision, I have made the choice to resign from the title of Miss Teen USA 2023, wrote Srivastava in a statement on her personal account. The high school teen from New Jersey won the pageant back in September and had expressed her pride at being the first Mexican-Indian American to hold the role. I look forward to the rest of the year as I finish 11th grade as part of the National Honor Society and start the college application process, knowing that my academic career has been defined by my hard work, and my hard work alone, she added. She said she would continue her advocacy for education and acceptance alongside work with the Lotus Petal and Bridge of Books foundations. The pageant responded with an Instagram post, writing that it respected Srivastavas decision, considered the well-being of titleholders a top priority, and that a successor would be named soon. Srivastava and the Miss Universe and Miss USA organizations did not immediately respond to CNNs requests for comment. Noelia Voigt onstage during the 72nd Miss Universe competition in El Salvador last November. Voigt recently resigned from her Miss USA title. - Hector Vivas/Getty Images Her resignation comes on the heels of another queen relinquishing her title earlier this week. On Monday, Noelia Voigt stepped down from her Miss USA title, citing her mental health. When she took the crown in November, Voigt, who is Venezuelan American and from Utah, said she would work to connect with diverse communities across the United States. Deep down I know that this is just the beginning of a new chapter for me, and my hope is that I continue to inspire others to remain steadfast, prioritize your mental health, advocate for yourself and others by using your voice, and never be afraid of what the future holds, even if it feels uncertain, she posted on Instagram. Never compromise your physical and mental well-being. Our health is our wealth, she wrote. Her post drew speculation from fans that Voigt was sending a hidden message about a non-disclosure agreement, with the first letter of the first 11 sentences of her statement spelling out I am silenced. A spokesperson for the Miss USA Organization told CNN in a statement on Monday that they supported Voigts decision to step down from her duties and that the well-being of our titleholders is a top priority, and we understand her need to prioritize herself at this time. The organization added they are reviewing plans for the transition of responsibilities to a successor and that they will announce the new Miss USA soon. The resignations, along with the organizations social media director Claudia Michelle also stepping down last week, have raised questions among fans around the culture of beauty pageants and whether aspects are in need of an overhaul. Michelle has been more candid about alleged problems at the organization. In an Instagram post she wrote she disavows workplace toxicity and bullying of any kind. Miss Universe and Miss USA did not immediately respond to CNNs requests for comment. Some of Voigts fellow Miss USA contestants shared a post claiming that the majority of the 2023 class supported her decision to leave and asked the Miss USA Organization to release Voigt from her NDA clause so that she is free to speak on her experiences. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Health insurance doesnt necessarily protect patients from medical debt: A survey from the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network published Thursday found that almost all cancer patients burdened with debt also had insurance coverage. The findings underscore the exorbitant cost of cancer care in the United States. The results were based on survey responses taken from nearly 1,300 cancer patients and survivors from March 18 through April 14. Overall, 47% of patients reported medical debt related to their cancer treatment, with half carrying debt that exceeded $5,000. More than two-thirds carried their debt for more than a year; about a third carried the debt for over three years. Virtually all 98% had health insurance at the time the debt was incurred. While it is terrific that 98% had some form of coverage, what this tells us is thats clearly not enough, said Karen Knudsen, the CEO of the American Cancer Society. Cancer care is really devastating to peoples financial position. Medical debt can have serious implications for health, Knudsen said. Patients are more likely to be behind on their recommended cancer screenings or skip or delay medication. They may also go without essentials such as food, clothing and transportation. It can also harm one's credit score, making it hard to qualify for loans or an apartment. That propelled the nation's biggest credit reporting bureaus Equifax, TransUnion and Experia in 2022 to change how medical debt is reported to agencies. The Biden administration has since announced other proposals aimed at protecting credit scores. The survey also found that Black and Hispanic patients with medical debt were about twice as likely as white respondents to report being denied care due to their debt. Its very disturbing, Knudsen said. Black people in the country are more likely to owe more and more likely to carry the debt for longer. The financial strain often skewed younger, with nearly three-quarters of cancer patients ages 35 to 44 carrying medical debt. We were really dismayed to see that, Knudsen said. That strain has been shown to be durable in their lifetime, impacting their choices, their ability to take jobs and of their choice to have a life that they would like. Dr. Fumiko Chino, a radiation oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, is deeply familiar with the high cost of cancer care. In 2007, her husband, Andrew, died from a rare form of endocrine cancer. His insurance, which had a lifetime limit of $500,000, was insufficient to cover the total cost of his cancer treatments, and after his death, debt collectors turned to her to demand payments. It wasnt until a decade later that Chino learned she wasnt responsible for the debt. It is a pervasive problem. We really have an affordability gap, Chino said. Were talking hundreds of thousands, up to millions of patients every single year that are really facing excruciating decisions between their life and their life savings. Arthur Caplan, the head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, noted that many of the people with medical debt had so-called high deductible health plans, which likely contributed to the financial burden. High-deductible plans usually have lower monthly premiums, but require the patient to pay much more out-of-pocket before coverage kicks in. While people are insured, sometimes they dont have very good insurance, he said. Still, the high cost of cancer care can cause financial strain for people with good health insurance, too, he added. These cancer treatments can go on and on, he said. They can also cost a lot of money for diagnostic testing, genetic testing, and pretty soon you say, Well, I have a policy of a million dollars and its gone. Knudsen said the findings highlight the importance of finding cancers in people earlier. We know that not only is there a better outcome when cancers are caught earlier, but its the case that there is a significant reduction in cost, she said. Read the latest on the northern lights this weekend: Saturday's forecast says parts of U.S. could see auroras. A geomagnetic storm that's now hurtling into the Earth has been classified as "extreme," or a G5 storm, the highest level, the Space Weather Prediction Center said Friday evening. It's the first G5 storm to hit our planet since 2003. Due to the extreme storm, power grid irregularities are possible, along with potential impacts to HF/VHF/UHF communications, GPS, satellite navigation, and other technologies, the prediction center said. Critical infrastructure operators have been notified. The last extreme (G5) event occurred in October 2003, which resulted in power outages in Sweden and damaged transformers in South Africa. See the amazing photos: The northern lights were on full display across US, Europe on Friday Aurora borealis might be seen over much of the U.S. Skywatchers get ready: Thanks to the unusually strong solar activity, the aurora borealis should be coming to the skies above a large portion of the United States this weekend, space weather forecasters said Friday. Federal forecasters from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center said that during previous solar activity of this magnitude, the "aurora has been seen as low as Alabama and northern California." NOAA experts said the aurora might be visible Friday, Saturday or Sunday nights. "This is an unusual and potentially historic event," said Clinton Wallace, director of the Space Weather Prediction Center, in a statement. Coronal mass ejections coming from the sun The spectacle would be courtesy of a series of at least seven coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the sun, which are forecast to reach the Earth early this weekend and produce the geomagnetic storms that trigger auroras. A rare G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm watch remained in effect for Saturday, May 11, NOAA said. Friday afternoon, G4 conditions were observed by the Space Weather Prediction Center, and "significant to severe geomagnetic storming is likely to continue," the center said. More details will be known about the severity of the event and the possible extent of the aurora later Friday evening as the first CME approaches the Earth, Shawn Dahl, a space weather forecaster at SWPC, told reporters Friday morning during a news briefing. The northern lights are the most benign result of solar activity. Strong solar storms including G4s can also disrupt some radio communications, harm satellites and even knock out power systems, forecasters warned. A 30 second exposure captures the sudden flash of a fireball meteor from the Geminids amid the shimmering glow of the northern lights, or aurora borealis, in Norway. Storm watch upgraded to rare G4 the first since 2005 "This weekend's geomagnetic storm watch has been upgraded from G2 (Moderate) to G4 (Severe)," according to astronomer Tony Phillips, writing on SpaceWeather.com. "Why? Because giant sunspot AR3664 keeps hurling CMEs toward Earth. Following today's X2.2 solar flare, there are now at least 4 storm clouds heading our way," Phillips said. The Space Weather Prediction Center only rarely issues "severe" storm watches. The last time such an alert was issued was January 2005. "Watches at this level are very rare," the center said. The colorful aurora forms when particles flowing from the sun get caught up in Earth's magnetic field. The particles interact with molecules of atmospheric gases to cause the famed glowing green and reddish colors of the aurora. More details: When could you see the northern lights? Aurora forecast for over a dozen states this weekend Auroras are notoriously a fickle forecast The aurora can be fickle to forecast, so some caution is warranted before adjusting your weekend plans. Unlike terrestrial weather, scientists who forecast space weather which includes the aurora must rely on observations of the 93-million-miles-away sun to make their predictions. "There are so many uncertainties, it makes it difficult to predict," Bill Murtagh, the program coordinator at the Space Weather Prediction Center, told USA TODAY last year. And as hard as it is to forecast weather here on Earth, "we are decades behind the forecast capabilities of our colleagues in meteorology," he admitted, referring to space weather. Solar maximum is here The northern lights, aka the aurora borealis, have been appearing more frequently in the night sky over the United States recently. In April 2023, for example, a stunning aurora display was seen as far south as Arkansas in the South and Arizona in the West. So why the uptick in aurora sightings? And is this expected to continue? Well, if you love the aurora, you're in luck, as it may be coming to a sky near you more often over the next few years thanks to the "solar maximum," which is expected to peak this year. "There have been an increase in aurora seen in general on Earth," Shannon Schmoll, the director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University told USA TODAY last year. "The sun has been more active, resulting in more solar storms that cause solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CME). Tips for viewing the northern lights "Go out at night," NOAA said. "And get away from city lights." The best aurora is usually within an hour or two of midnight (between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. local time). These hours expand towards evening and morning as the level of geomagnetic activity increases. There may be aurora in the evening and morning, but it is usually not as active and therefore, not as visually appealing, NOAA said. Where will the weather cooperate for aurora viewing? The best viewing conditions for the aurora are expected across the northern Plains and the Pacific Northwest, where mainly cloud-free conditions will lead to great views of the night sky, AccuWeather meteorologist Brian Lada said. "Clouds will be a bigger issue for folks across the Northeast and part of the Midwest, although there could be a pocket around the Ohio Valley where breaks in the clouds will allow some views of the aurora," he said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Geomagnetic storm threatens power grids, GPS, radio waves across Earth The first shark bit him in the knee. The second shark bit him in the shoulder. But somehow, Marlin Deere Wakeman was able to pull himself out of the water and into a boat. And two weeks later, the 24-year-old Florida native remains amazed that he survived his brush with death in one piece. "Thankfully, I'm here to tell the story," Wakeman said Thursday at a news conference at St. Marys Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. "But, pretty crazy experience." Speaking for the first time since the April 26 ordeal at a marina in the Bahamas, Wakeman unspooled the kind of fish tale that his famous fisherman father, Rufus Wakeman, might tell his rapt audience on his "Mill House" podcast. Wakeman said it happened at the Flying Fish Marina, where there are always lots of sharks around feeding on the carcasses that the fishermen dump in the water. In fact, he said, that water is so crowded with 5 to 7-foot Caribbean Reef Sharks that at times "you can walk on their heads almost." "Man if you fell in here, like youre done," he recalled his buddies telling him. "Youre not even going to have a second to really react." How true those words nearly turned out to be. Wakeman, who lives in Stuart, Florida, said he was doing some maintenance work on a boat when he suddenly slipped and fell in. When I ended up in the water, I pretty much knew what was going to happen," he said. "And when he bit me, I knew what was going on. There wasnt a second of doubt in my mind. Wakeman said there wasn't time for his life to flash before his eyes. "So it wasnt like I was really scared at that moment," he said. "I was just, I knew what was happening. So in my head I just I knew how to get out as quick as possible." Wakeman said the first shark pulled him under before letting go. "I got really lucky he didnt head shake or hold on for a while," he said. "And then thats when I was able to get back up to the surface." That was when the second shark moved in and bit him on the shoulder. Wakeman said he did not feel pain at first, put he did feel "a lot of pressure." The one on my shoulder felt like a punch," he said. "You really dont feel the teeth going in. Despite his injuries, Wakeman was able to drag himself back into the boat. "I had so much adrenaline going through my body that it was like a fight or flight kind of thing," he said. "I got back into the boat and kind of assessed what happened and looked at my leg. It wasnt really bleeding yet. It was kind of, you know, all mangled. " And right about then, Wakeman said, he started screaming for help. He said his captain ran over, applied a tourniquet, and elevated his leg. The pain, he said, didn't kick in until they started rolling him in a wheelbarrow to the van to get him to a clinic. "It was bleeding a lot at that point and adrenaline sort of wearing off a little bit and then we got into the van," he said. "And when I was in the van, they took gauze. And I remember my captain, he looked at me and he was like, 'Hey, man, this is gonna hurt really bad.' And I was like, 'You know, whatever.'" That, Wakeman said, was when he blacked out from the pain. Wakeman was flown to Florida after the medics in the Bahamas "sewed him up, you know, damage-control style," said Dr. Robert Borrego, who is the trauma medical director at St. Marys. Judging by the size of the leg wound, Borrego said the young man was bitten by "at least a seven-footer or an eight-foot shark." "Ive been dealing with this a lot and Ive seen some people that have not done as well," said Borrego, who said he has treated numerous shark bite victims over the past three decades. "And from hearing the story It shocks me that he was able to get out of that water." The fact that Wakeman didn't lose a leg is "amazing," Borrego added. Wakeman is still on crutches and will need to do some rehab but should make a complete recovery, the doctor said. His father, Rufus Wakeman, said he is especially grateful to the captain who applied the tourniquet and the fast work of the Bahamian medics who prevented his son from bleeding to death and saved his life. "I have several friends who have been bitten and its a shocking revelation when you see that," he said. "Some of the wounds these people have had to endure. And now its my son. Its our son. And its just scary." For his part, Wakeman said he's eager to get back out on the water and doesn't think he'll be haunted for long by his near-death experience. "Maybe Ill have some nightmares here and there, but I think Ill be all right," he said. The Senate on Thursday cleared a procedural hurdle as it moved closer to reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ahead of Fridays midnight deadline. Senators voted 84 to 13 to open debate on the five-year reauthorization, putting them within shouting distance of clearing the complex package. We hope to get this done today to keep the FAA funded and operational before tomorrows deadline, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on the floor. The work were doing on FAA is going to have practical consequences for millions of Americans that travel by air every single day, so senators have every reason in the world to continue working on a bipartisan basis to get this done. However, lawmakers have a number of troublesome items they are trying to navigate in order to avoid a lapse, with questions surrounding when the Senate can wrap up its work. Headlining that is the ongoing push by senators from the greater Washington, D.C., area to secure an amendment vote to overturn a provision in the final package that adds five new slots (or 10 round-trip flights) out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Negotiators and top lawmakers have been trying to get the final bill across the finish line without allowing members additional amendment votes. But senators from Maryland and Virginia have continued to cry foul about the possibility that they will not get a crack at overturning the DCA provision, which they have opposed for the past year. They argue it is unsafe and will cause myriad delays at the airport in order to accommodate a few more long-haul flights. All four senators voted no on opening debate. Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) said in a new statement Thursday that they will not greenlight a plan to collapse time in order for the chamber to complete its work in swift fashion. Last months near-miss at DCA is a flashing red warning light that this airport is overburdened and that cramming more flights onto the busiest runway in America is a terrible idea, they said, referring to an incident in mid-April. We cant in good conscience greenlight that plan until we have a commitment that there will be an opportunity to put our amendment to a vote, and to persuade our colleagues to prioritize the safety of millions of passengers over a few senators desire for a direct flight home, the pair said. The Maryland and Virginia senators are also objecting to the possibility of a one-week FAA extension over complaints that it would only give senators more of a chance to run out the clock without an amendment vote. Managers of the bill were buoyed by the strong vote, even though the Maryland-Virginia Senate contingent voted against moving toward final passage. I think our colleagues want to get this done, Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) told reporters. This is a body where people can object, and so my guess is there are still objections to adding other things, but maybe there is something we can work out, and were still trying. Cantwell and Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas), the top Republican on the Commerce Committee who is managing the bill for the GOP, both told reporters that if the Maryland-Virginia senators were to win an amendment vote, and it succeeded, it could unravel the entire bill. Senate GOP amused with Cruzs FAA reversal DCA has long been concentrated on short-haul flights under 1,250 miles, with less than a dozen exceptions. Most long-haul flights use Dulles International Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Dulles is a hub for United Airlines, which has heavily lobbied against the push to add DCA flights over the past year. Top members have also tried to keep all unrelated amendments out of the FAA package over fears that the inclusion of one item over another would spur a series of holds and complicate final passage. Clearly, we have a number of objections on our side, which are probably not going to go away, Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) said Wednesday. Its hard to envision a scenario where you get one nongermane amendment over the objections of all the other people who have nongermane amendments they want to get considered. The House will need to pass the bill next week in order for it to reach President Bidens desk. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. If you use a points-and-rewards credit card offered by an airline in partnership with a big bank, how much are the points youve accrued worth in dollars? And how much do you need to spend to get the best rewards? If youre not sure, youre probably not alone. The terms and conditions of such card programs can be confusing and in some instances they can be changed at any time. Those were two of the issues discussed at a joint hearing held Thursday by the Department of Transportation and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, in an effort to examine ways to improve consumers experience with and financial return from the popular programs that can generate huge revenue for large airlines. For many families looking to finance a trip or a vacation, those [credit card] benefits are really valuable. Its almost seen as savings something in the bank that you will be able to spend, said Rohit Chopra, CFPBs director. [But] our review of all the fine print suggests that credit card companies and airlines have the power to quickly and dramatically devalue those points by making it more challenging to redeem them. This creates confusion over the true value of the points and raises some questions about fairness. In some instances, Chopra added, consumers may pay fees for rewards cards without a clear option to get a refund when benefits get stripped away. Also raised at the hearing was concern for consumers who use rewards cards to carry revolving debt. Consumers with revolving debts on average pay far more in interest and fees than they get back in rewards, according to a CFPB report released Thursday. The hearing featured Chopra and Secretary of Transportation Peter Buttigieg, as well as a panel of consumer advocates and representatives from a few small airlines, a small credit union and a small bank. No one from the major airlines or the top 10 credit card issuing banks was present, although many had been invited, according to CFPB and DOT officials. Before the hearing started, however, Rob Nichols, president and CEO of the American Bankers Association, put out a statement. The credit card market in the U.S. is highly competitive, and consumers have hundreds of card issuers and thousands of card reward programs to choose from Nichols said, citing a Morning Consult survey that indicated 80% of credit card users have at least one credit card offering rewards and that the vast majority say they value them. Nichols also cited a bill in Congress that has been strongly opposed by banks, which aims to lower so-called interchange fees, which is revenue that banks make on credit card transactions. Such a drop in revenue, banks argue, could jeopardize the availability of rewards programs. After the hearing, Jaret Seiberg, a financial services analyst for TD Cowen Washington Research Group, said in a note that he expects the reason for the event is building the foundation for the CFPB to force changes to airline reward credit cards by ensuring already earned miles cannot be devalued and by preventing airline miles from expiring. But, Seiberg added, Our expectation remains that the ultimate outcome here is likely tied to the election. We see the CFPB and DOT moving forward if President Biden wins while it is less likely that Trump-controlled agencies would act. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com By mid-afternoon Australia time Thursday, members will be able to login to their accounts; however, account balances will not be updated yet, though investment and trading has continued as normal throughout the outage and peoples funds were not affected. UniSupers CEO Peter Chun also sent an email to clients Wednesday that was posted online to assure them of the safety of their accounts and the continuity of investment activity during the outage. This usual investment activity will be reflected in your balance once our systems are fully restored, according to his email. As investments have been unaffected by the outage, we have up-to-date investment options performance information on our website for members. Calling the problem an isolated incident, Google also assured UniSuper members that the outage was not due to a cyber-attack and thus their sensitive data was not exposed to unauthorized entities. What happened? The provisioning issue caused a deletion of UniSupers Private Cloud subscription, which deleted the cloud in two geographies, one of which was aimed at providing protection against outages and loss, according to Google. Restoring UniSupers Private Cloud instance has called for an incredible amount of focus, effort, and partnership between our teams to enable an extensive recovery of all the core systems, according to the email. UniSuper also had backups in place with an additional service provider, which minimised the loss and is helping the companies during the restoration process. Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday dismissed petitions challenging notifications issued by the government officially renaming Aurangabad and Osmanabad cities as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv. The court held that notifications issued by the state government do not suffer from any illegality and petitions were dismissed as bereft of merit. A division bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Arif Doctor said, We have no hesitation to hold that the notification issued by the state government renaming Aurangabad and Osmanabad does not suffer from any illegality or any legal vice. While rejecting the petitions, the bench also quoted William Shakespeares play Romeo and Juliet and said, Whats in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. At least 15 pleas were filed in the high court challenging the renaming of cities as well as revenue areas (District, Sub-Division, Taluka, Villages). The pleas argued that the decision disregarded public sentiments and violated constitutional provisions. The decision to rename Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar and Osmanabad as Dharashiv was taken during the last Cabinet meeting of the then MVA government on June 29, 2022, hours before Thackeray stepped down as the chief minister. The Eknath Shinde government reaffirmed it on July 16, 2022. Mr Shinde welcomed the high court ruling and said those opposing the move were linked to the MVA. He said the renaming of Aurangabad and Osmanabad approved in June 2022 by the then-Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was illegal as the coalition had already lost its majority and the governor has asked Mr. Thackeray to face a trust vote in the Assembly. The Bombay High Court has given recognition to the renaming of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv. The dream of late Balasaheb Thackeray has been fulfilled. Some of the people who opposed this decision and went to the court were from the MVA, Mr. Shinde said. HYDERABAD, BHONGIR: Union home minister Amit Shah hit out at the Congress and the BRS, alleging that they were trying to implement the Sharia law and hoping to revive triple talaq, which would be a great injustice to Muslim women. Likening the Congress, BRS and the AIMIM to the three angles of a triangle, Shah charged that these parties were engaged in appeasement politics. Can Congress and the BRS go against Asaduddin Owaisi? These people have opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act, Hyderabad Liberation Day and did not allow Sri Rama Navami celebrations in Hyderabad. These three parties are one and same and stand as ABC A for Asaduddin, B for BRS and C for Congress, Shah said. Addressing a public meeting in Bhongir, he said that the Congress was in power for 70 years and never tried to resolve the Ram temple issue. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi resolved the legal disputes, did bhumi puja and constructed a grand Lord Rama temple in Ayodhya, he pointed out. Referring to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharges comment that the people of Rajasthan and Telangana state were no way concerned with the affairs of Kashmir and abrogation of Article 370, the Union minister asked the people of Bhuvanagiri if they were ready to sacrifice their lives to protect the motherland and Kashmir, they responded almost in unison with a yes. He said that Modi had made the country proud by removing Article 370 and today the national flag is unfurled in the valley with noticeable pride. The Modi government crushed cross-border terrorism and naxalism has been curbed with an iron hand, he said. Terming the coming Lok Sabha elections as a fight between vote for jihad, vote for vikas, parivar kalyaan vs desh kalyaan, Rahul Gandhi vs Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhis childish guarantees vs Modis pucca guarantees, Shah claimed that the BJP had already crossed the 200-seats mark in the first three phases of the Lok Sabha elections. Asking Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to listen, Shah said that the BJP in Telangana is winning more than 10 seats, which will help the party cross 400 seats this time. The BJP-led government will remove four per cent reservations to Muslims and restore them to BCs, SCs and STs after the party wins over 10 Lok Sabha seats in the State, he said. Asking the people to vote for party candidate Boora Narsaiah Goud with a good majority, Shah said that the Congress party is in such a bad state that they struggled to get candidates. The Congress candidate from Bhuvanagiri Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy had forged the signature of his friend Rahul Gandhi and was suspended from the party. As they are not getting any candidate, Kiran Kumar Reddy was given the ticket. This shows the party's desperation for getting right candidates, Shah pointed out. Charging the Congress of not honouring its poll promises, Shah listed out how the Revanth Reddy government had ditched people by not waiving farm loans; not giving Rs 500 additional bonus on paddy; Rs 5 lakh education loan to college students; establishing an international school at every tehsil and failure to enhance Rythu Bandhu from Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000, among others. On the other hand, the BJP government had taken up a new textile park at Pachampally with Rs 14,000 crore; the Bhongir-Bhoopalapatnam national highway at a cost of Rs 140 crore; modernisation of railway stations at Jangaon and Bhongir; constructing a modern railway station at Komaravelli; NH between Suryapet and Siddipet apart from bringing a new textile policy that is benefitting eight lakh handloom weavers in the state. Charging that BRS had looted the state by promising people more water, funds and jobs, Shah said that the Congress came to power seeking one chance but had made the state its ATM in corruption. Give one chance to BJP by helping us win more than 10 Lok Sabha seats, and we will make Telangana the No. 1 state in the country, he said. Mumbai: A day after the polling in the much-hyped Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, which was marred by several allegations of malpractices, Sharad Pawar (SP) candidate Supriya Sule on Wednesday said the image of Baramati has been tarnished by the events that took place during the voting. The daughter of the NCP founder said that the voting percentage also dropped as the people have lost hope due to the current political situation. Never since independence, such things have happened in Baramati, she said. The contest in Baramati Lok Sabha constituency has caught the eyes of the entire country, where Supriya Sule and Ajit Pawar-led NCPs Sunetra Pawar are locked in a fierce battle. Sule is the daughter of NCP founder Sharad Pawar, whereas Ajit Pawar is his cousin. However, the polling in Baramati was marred by the allegations of coercion and voter intimidation, distribution of money to voters, booth capturing and physical altercations on Tuesday. The NCP (SP) has lodged more than 200 complaints against the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP for allegedly indulging in malpractices. Commenting on it, Sule said, All these things happened in Baramati like distribution of money, intimidation, threatening caused immense agony and pain. It does not bode well for democracy. This has never happened in the history of Baramati, which is a prestigious constituency, since independence. Just like the country, dirty politics is also going on in Maharashtra. It is unfortunate that power is misused by those in power. People were disgusted by the current state of affairs, so thats why the voter turnout went down, said Sule. NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar had shared a video that showed the Ajit Pawar-supporter MLA Dattatray Bharne purportedly hurling abusive threats at individuals aligned with Sule in Indapur assembly segment on the voting day. Sule reached Indapur and spoke to her party workers on the incident involving Bharnes alleged intimidation and enquired about their well-being. I felt sad after seeing that video of Datta Bharane, who was threatening and abusing a poor worker. I was in a lot of pain. Because Dattamama and I have worked together for many years. I met the worker and his wife who were both very upset, she said. Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar refuted the allegations of NCP (SP) and said he has seen Bharnes explanation over the incident, in which he said that the MLA tried to pacify those involved in a dispute. The Baramati Lok Sabha constituency saw a mere 56 per cent voter turnout. While Baramati Assembly segment recorded 64.50 per cent voting, less than 50 per cent eligible voters voted in two assembly segments Khadakwasla and Purandar. A journey of 10,000 kilometres extolled by Beijing as an opportunity for development (and revenge on Italy's exit from the Belt and Road Initiative). But cotton and tomatoes from Xinjang are at the heart of the policy of poverty alleviation through the transfer of labour, which according to numerous reports is a form of forced labour. Milan (AsiaNews/Agencies) - A train loaded with agricultural products set off from Urumqi, in the troubled Chinese autonomous region of Xinjiang, and destined after a 10,000-kilometre journey by rail and sea to reach Salerno, Italy. The new flagship voyage of the China-Europe Railway Express left China on 29 April, with extensive media coverage by the official press in Beijing, which extolled its benefits for the Xinjiang economy. In addition to relaunching the potential of that Belt and Road Initiative - Xi Jinping's new Silk Road - from whose agreements even the Italian government last year allegedly withdrew, cancelling the memorandum signed by Rome and Beijing in 2019 but without closing to other forms of trade cooperation. Remaining in the background, however, is the issue of respect for human rights in Xinjiang, a region where abuses against Uyghurs often also take the form of forced labour used in agriculture. This is highlighted by a public stance launched in the last few hours by three of the most active groups on safeguarding the rights of the Muslim population of Xinjiang: Uyghur Human Rights Project, Uyghur American Association and Safeguard Defenders. Together they wrote an open letter to the Italian ambassador in Washington, Mariangela Zappia, expressing concern about the initiative and calling for a thorough investigation into the origin of the products transported on that train. The modern slavery of the Uyghur people and the ongoing crimes against humanity, the document reads, have been widely documented by international organisations, independent media and government bodies. The use of forced labour in any form violates fundamental human rights principles, including the right to freedom from slavery and forced labour, as enshrined in various international conventions and treaties to which Italy is a party. The China-Europe Railway Express initiative is also relevant because of the weight of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China's agricultural production: it grows 85 per cent of the country's cotton, over 70 per cent of its tomatoes (producing up to 90 per cent of tomato paste for export), 50 per cent of its nuts and 28 per cent of its grapes. There are also significant crops of wheat, maize and other cereals in the region. Significant evidence, write the Uyghur Human Rights Project, Uyghur American Association and Safeguard Defenders, citing specific reports on agriculture in Xinjiang, reveals that labour transfers in the Uyghur region take place in a context of unprecedented coercion, with the constant threat of re-education and internment. Many indigenous workers are unable to refuse or voluntarily leave agricultural work, and thus the programmes amount to forced population transfer, forced labour, human trafficking and enslavement. One of the faces of this exploitation today is also what Beijing calls the policy of poverty alleviation through labour transfer (). Concretely: thousands of people are trained and transferred to seasonal agricultural work, such as picking cotton or tomatoes. As part of Xi Jinping's broader programme for targeted poverty reduction, it is a system tailor-made for pervasively coercive social contexts characterised by a lack of civic freedoms, such as that of Xinjiang. As a member of the international community, Uyghur Human Rights Project, Uyghur American Association and Safeguard Defenders conclude their appeal, Italy has a responsibility to ensure that its trade practices are in line with its commitment to human rights and ethical standards. Allowing goods produced through forced labour to enter its borders not only condones these serious human rights violations, but also undermines the credibility of Italy's position on the promotion and enforcement of human rights. We urge the Italian government to take immediate action to investigate the origin of the goods arriving in Salerno and to put in place measures to prevent the importation of products obtained through forced labour. RED LANTERNS IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO CHINA. TO RECEIVE A WEEKLY UPDATE EVERY THURSDAY, CLICK HERE. About 50 homes in a village in the Negev have been razed to the ground, leaving hundreds of people homeless in one of the largest mass demolitions in recent years. For Ben Gvir, the homes were illegal and destroying them an important step. For the community, We've sought a solution for years, hoping for a fair resolution. Jerusalem (AsiaNews) Israeli authorities ordered the demolition of scores of houses, one of the largest in recent years. At least 50 homes owned by members of a Bedouin community in the Negev desert were torn down because they were branded as "illegal" by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a a staunch supporter of Israelin settlements and outposts in the occupied territories. Bulldozers razed buildings Wadi al-Khalil, triggering anger and frustration among residents of the village of some 500 people. Some of the people who lost their homes have relatives who died in the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October that triggered the brutal war in Gaza. Moreover, the one person who was seriously hurt from Irans missile and drone attack against the Jewish state is a Bedouin girl, seven-year-old Amina al-Hasoni, a case that quickly fell off the radar of foreign government and media. The demolition highlights how some Israeli citizens have more rights than others. Indeed, the countrys Bedouin community like migrants from Asia are largely invisible and forgotten victims of the devastating conflict that is taking place in the Middle East. The demolitions, near Umm Butin village, targeted the houses of members of the same family, Abu Asa, leaving hundreds of them without a home. The Israeli authorities demolished the houses on the grounds that they did not have the proper building permits, which are very rarely granted to Palestinian Bedouins in the Negev desert, known as Naqab in Arabic. Several Abu Asa family members chose to set fire to their own homes rather than watch helplessly Israeli buldozers demolish them. Another, Ahmed Abu Asa, was arrested for trying to stop the bulldozers. Kayed Abu Latif, a farmer and agricultural studies researcher, said the demolition order was "surprising," especially since local Israeli-Palestinians helped Israelis during Hamass attack on southern Israel in October. There are more than 500 people here. (Now) the children and the women have nowhere else to go," lamented one resident, Sleiman Abu Asa. They are demolishing our homes, leaving us stranded outside," he added as police were deployed to monitor the operation. We don't deserve this. We've sought a solution for years, hoping for a fair resolution, yet the state has obstructed all our options. However, for Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a right-wing extremist who is pushing hard to expand Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands, the Wadi al-Khalil homes are "illegal constructions. Warning anyone who "violates the law in the Negev", he noted that the demolition was "an important step", a sign that the government would not tolerate any challenge to its authority. The police will fight anyone who seizes land and tries to build another reality on the ground, Ben Gvir added. Before Israel's creation in 1948, the Negev Desert was home to about 92,000 Bedouins, but only 11,000 remained within Israel's borders after the first Arab-Israeli War (1948-1949). Among those who stayed behind, many live in unrecognised settlements, without planning and basic services such as running water, sewage, and electricity. Very few have access to bomb or missile shelters, and most refuse to be resettled and therefore face great hardships in Israeli society. Today they number around 300,000, half of whom living in cities and half in informal villages not recognised by the state. The government left children and women homeless, said Arab Israeli activist Taleb el-Sana. "An entire village was wiped out just because its inhabitants are Arab" and "under the pretext of unlicensed construction", he said. For Sana, Israel doesn't allow (Bedouin) citizens to obtain building permits; yet, it demolishes their homes under the pretext of a lack of permits. For Abu Asa, We don't deserve this. On the Solemnity of the Ascension, Pope Francis this evening released the bull "Spes non confundit", announcing the Holy Year in 2025, delivering the document to Churches around the world. Reiterating his call for the guns to fall silent, he calls that the debt of poor countries be forgiven, a question of justice. He also expressed hope that the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea will offer a visible path on the ecumenical journey, beginning with the date of Easter. Vatican City (AsiaNews) Pope Francis outlined this evening the main traits of the Jubilee of the Year 2025 in his Bull of Indiction Spes non confundit (Hope does not disappoint: Rom 5:5) in Rome during the Second Vespers of the Solemnity of the Ascension. Often, he said, we come across people who are discouraged, pessimistic and cynical about the future, as if nothing could possibly bring them happiness. For all of us, may the Jubilee be an opportunity to be renewed in hope. Gods word helps us find reasons for that hope. During the celebration, held in the atrium of St Peter's Basilica, Francis in front of the still closed Holy Door officially proclaimed the Ordinary Jubilee the Church celebrates every 25 years, which will start with the opening of the doors on Christmas Eve 2024. He did so by symbolically handing over the document that contains everything the Church wants to put at the centre of this event to bishops and cardinals representing the worlds Churches. Card Luis Antonio Tagle, from the Philippines, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation, received it on behalf of Asian bishops. The bull indicates the schedule of the Jubilees celebration. Like in the last Holy Years of the Catholic Church, the event can also be celebrated in individual dioceses by pilgrims unable to travel to Rome. In cathedrals around the world, the Jubilee will begin on Sunday, 29 December 2024, and end on Sunday, 28 December 2025, a few days before the solemn conclusion in Rome on 6 January, 2026, on the Solemnity of the Epiphany. The document explains above all that hope, the topic Francis chose for this Jubilee as a guide, should not be an ethereal inspiration, but ought to take shape through a series of signs. In the pages of Spes non confundit, Pope Francis already announces that, for this Holy Year, there will be one Holy Door in a prison, which he will solemnly open, that it may be a sign inviting prisoners to look to the future with hope and a renewed sense of confidence. This sign is meant to be also associated with "initiatives aimed at restoring hope to those in prison. As John Paul II did in 2000, Pope Francis will ask for "acts of clemency" such as an amnesty or pardon," but also a strong commitment on the part of believers to demand dignified conditions for those in prison, respect for their human rights and above all the abolition of the death penalty, a provision at odds with Christian faith. Along with prison, Pope Francis sees many other signs of the times in Spes non confundit, inviting the faithful to recognise them to confront themselves in order to help the world, lest we be tempted to think ourselves overwhelmed by evil and violence. The first sign can only be peace in a world tragically plunged into war. Filled with sorrow, the pontiff notes that many peoples are prey to brutality and violence. What does the future hold for those peoples, who have already endured so much? For this reason, the Jubilee of Hope should be an opportunity to remind everyone that those who are peacemakers will be called children of God. For the Holy Father, the world today is also strongly marked by another sign that is short in hope, namely the loss of the desire to transmit life, exemplified by a demographic winter caused by a decline in the birth rate. This, the pope insists, calls for urgent legislative action by governments to promote social practices that are open to having children. The community of believers is also tasked to bear witness that the desire of young people to give birth to new sons and daughters as a sign of the fruitfulness of their love ensures a future for every society. This is a matter of hope: it is born of hope and it generates hope. In this regard, Francis calls for "a social covenant to support and foster hope against the temptation of getting along one day at a time, settling for the here and now and seeking fulfilment in material realities alone. In addition, the pontiff calls for signs of hope for the sick, the young, the elderly living alone, urging openness to migrants, and listening to the cry of the poor who are the majority of the planets population, billions of people. For the latter, he asks that in the Jubilee Year the richest nations show courage and forgive the debts of countries that will never be able to repay them. More than a question of generosity, this is a matter of justice, he insisted. In the Bull of Indiction, the pontiff also notes that the upcoming jubilee falls on the 1,700th anniversary of the first great ecumenical Council at Nicaea, the one that defined the Creed that we still profess today. May this "milestone in the Churchs history, said the pontiff, become a summons to all Churches and Ecclesial Communities to persevere on the path to visible unity, starting with the definition of a common date for the celebration of Easter, which providentially overlaps in 2025 in both Gregorian and Julian calendars. In all of this, Francis hopes that the Holy Year be a time to anchor ourselves in the reason for our hope, that is the certainty that the history of humanity and our own individual history are not doomed to a dead end or a dark abyss, but directed to an encounter with the Lord of glory. The Jubilee Year, the pope explained, is also a time to ask questions about death, which cannot be mitigated by empty rhetoric," but only rediscovered through the new life that we have received in Baptism, a life capable of transfiguring deaths drama. In this regard, the pontiff cites the testimony of the martyrs who, as confessors of the life that knows no end, are present and numerous in every age, and perhaps even more so in our own day. Ultimately, the goal of life is to aspire to a happiness that is definitively found in the one thing that can bring us fulfilment, which is love. This is also the deepest meaning of the Jubilee indulgence. Forgiveness does not change the past; it cannot change what happened in the past, yet it can allow us to change the future and to live different lives, free of anger, animosity and vindictiveness. The coming Jubilee will thus be a Holy Year marked by the hope that does not fade, our hope in God. May it help us to recover the confident trust that we require, in the Church and in society, in our interpersonal relationships, in international relations, and in our task of promoting the dignity of all persons and respect for Gods gift of creation. Finally, May the witness of believers be for our world a leaven of authentic hope, a harbinger of new heavens and a new earth, where men and women will dwell in justice and harmony, in joyful expectation of the fulfilment of the Lords promises. The governments latest education figures highlight the problem. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif yesterday opened a conference to address the nation-wide problem. According to UNICEF, 70 per cent of 10-year-olds are unable to read or understand texts. Teachers note that children are forced to work to help their families. Islamabad (AsiaNews) Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wants to promote education and literacy for about 26 million children who are not enrolled in school. Today, with iron conviction, and the support of provinces, we will handle the challenge of 26 m[illion] out-of-school children. We will bring them back to school, he told the National Conference on Education Emergency. I will personally supervise the programme, he went on to day. To this end, Sharif wants provincial chief ministers to march in unison so that Pakistan will emerge as one of the most educated societies one day. But the real challenge is the will to do. Earlier this year, after receiving the latest statistics, the government announced plans to declare a four-year national emergency to address problems related to the education sector. According to a report for 2021-22, 26.21 million children are not in school (out of a population of over 245 million); this represents 39 per cent of all Pakistani children: 11.73 million in Punjab, 7.63 million in Sindh, 3.63 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 3.13 million in Balochistan, and 0.08 million in Islamabad. Despite a series of government campaigns, these numbers have kept rising in recent years. Hence, the education sector needs immediate action and urgent responses, says Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. The statistics of education in Pakistan are disturbing, alarming, and disheartening. More than 26 million children are out of school. This number is greater than the population of 150 countries in the world, he explained. Pakistan spends only 1.7 per cent of its GDP on education. According to some sources, the government should allocate at least 4 per cent to improve education. UNICEF representative in Pakistan, Abdullah A. Fadil, said that more than 70 per cent of children aged 10 could not read or understand texts. Despite the provisions of the constitution, education in Pakistan is still neither compulsory nor free, he added. In most of the cases, the kids work to help their families, said a teacher in Islamabad, speaking anonymously with The Dawn. The children will not be able to join schools till this issue is resolved, they added. During yesterdays conference, several experts explained that children's food security and education go hand in hand. School meals are one of the best ways to invest in future generations, said in a video message Coco Ushiyam, the World Food Programme Country Director. As World Bank Vice-President Martin Raiser pointed out, 40 per cent of children in Pakistan have growth problems, a percentage that rises to 60 per cent in the poorest and most disadvantaged districts. Uzbekistans Employment Minister Behzod Musaev was in Seoul to discuss with South Korean officials opening new sectors for Uzbek workers. South Korean businesses have called for the unprofessional worker visa to be extended to more areas. Since President Yoon took office, foreign work permits have jumped considerably. Seoul (AsiaNews) As job opportunities for Uzbek migrants shrink in Russia, new ones are opening up in South Korea. This week, the Uzbek Minister of Employment and Poverty Alleviation, Behzod Musaev, travelled to Seoul to discuss with South Korean officials expanding the sectors in which Uzbek workers can be employed. Uzbekistan is one of 16 countries[I] whose citizens can apply for an E-9 work visa for non-professional employment. Until a few months ago, E-9 visa holders could work in agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing, and construction. Since April, the South Korean government has agreed to requests from the business community to let foreign workers in a broader range of industries, including catering, tourism, forestry and mining. After a meeting two days ago with his South Korean counterpart, Minister of Labour and Employment Lee Jung-sik, Musaev announced on Telegram that Uzbek nationals will be able to work in the additional sectors. During his visit, Musaev also met with Kwak Young-cheol, chairman of the Automotive Industry Association of the Republic of Korea, who said that the industry needs some 3,000 additional workers annually. These are skilled workers, who come under a different visa, the E-7, but all migrants can apply. Although no specific agreement was announced, the Uzbek minister quoted Kwak Young-cheol on Telegram, saying that South Koreans want to cooperate with Uzbekistan in this regard. South Koreas demographic problems explain such a development, as the country grapples with a rapidly aging population and a shortage of young workers. According to The Diplomat, a magazine covering the Asia-Pacific region, some 50,000 and 60,000 work permits were issued annually in past years. After President Yoon Suk-yeol took office, the ceiling for E-9 visas rose to 110,000 in 2023, and could reach 165,000 this year. Some study shows that that 2.49 million foreign migrants lived in South Korea as of October last year, up from 1.45 million in 2012. Most are from China, employed in the manufacturing and mining sectors, with only 4 per cent from Uzbekistan. [I] Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, East Timor, Vietnam. Sebastian Garzon, executive director of San Antonio-based Alamo Angels, signs paperwork Tuesday to establish the groups new chapter in the Rio Grande Valley. Courtesy Daniela Loera, BCIC Sebastian Garzon, center, executive director of San Antonio-based Alamo Angels, speaks Tuesday with Nathan Burkhart of the Brownsville Community Improvement Corp. at the launch of the early-stage investor groups Rio Grande Valley chapter. Courtesy Daniela Loera, BCIC Nathan Burkhart, vice president of the Brownsville Community Improvement Corp., speaks Tuesday during RGV Startup Week in Brownsville. Courtesy Daniela Loera, BCIC David Robinson Jr., a former board member of Alamo Angels, sits in Legacy Park in downtown San Antonio last month. Hes credited with helping to shape the organizations regional vision. Sam Owens /Staff photographer A San Antonio-based network of early-stage investors is opening an office in Brownsville, seeking to spur business and entrepreneurship on both sides of the border in the Rio Grande Valley. Alamo Angels, whose members invest in early-stage businesses, announced the expansion and creation of its first satellite chapter Tuesday during RGV Startup Week in Brownsville. The organization wants to capitalize on the economic potential of the so-called South Texas Triangle, which includes the area between San Antonio, Laredo, Corpus Christi, the Rio Grande Valley and Monterrey, Mexico. Advertisement Article continues below this ad David Robinson Jr., an Alamo Angels board member until a couple months ago, helped instill a regional vision into the networks strategy, said Sebastian Garzon, its executive director. Through him, you know, that concept was very much important to the way that we wanted to strategically position Alamo Angels, Garzon said. The network has invested more than $5 million in 48 businesses across the U.S. and Mexico since launching in 2016. Each month, Alamo Angels members meet to hear about at least three companies from San Antonio and around the U.S., typically investing in at least one, Garzon said. Its investments range from $50,000 to $300,000 and average about $150,000. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Alamo Angels growth comes on the heels of it entering a memorandum of understanding with the Asociacion de Empresarios Mexicanos in San Antonio, a trade group of more than 125 Mexican business owners looking to establish a presence in the U.S. Alamo Angels RGV chapter will be at the eBridge Center for Business and Commercialization in Brownsville. The group, which has 140 founding San Antonio members, is looking for founding members for the new chapter thats slated to launch around August, Garzon said. Additional support for the chapter will come from the Brownsville Community Improvement Corp. Nathan Burkhart, vice president of the Brownsville Community Improvement Corp., said that access to angel investment will complement the considerable work thats been done to foster entrepreneurship across the Rio Grande Valley. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Weve done a really great job in creating our own accelerator programs, creating our own seed fund, but we were always missing that crucial, crucial mix of having an angel investment group within our ecosystem, he said, noting that talks between his organization and Alamo Angels began about two and a half years ago. We envisioned always having a chapter of theirs at a point when we were ready. For years, Burkhart said, talented people and startups have left the Rio Grande Valley in search of investors and resources. Hes confident that Alamo Angels investors can help stem that tide. Weve been trying to reverse that brain drain, create those opportunities (to) allow people to utilize their degrees, build their own careers and also just kind of raise capital and start their own ventures down here, Burkhart said. The border region has seen growth in the automotive, aerospace, biomedical and energy sectors. SpaceXs development at Starbase outside Brownsville, for instance, has generated about 2,500 jobs, and there are opportunities for startups related to that operation. Theres a niche of tech that used to always kind of leave this area start here and then move out to Austin or San Antonio, Burkhart said. But now theyre able to kind of still remain in the Valley, where their roots are. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In 2020, Alamo Angels, which began as the San Antonio Angel Network, became part of the Texas Research and Technology Foundation, also based in San Antonio. Russia first sent them to Armenias southeastern Syunik province during and after the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh. The move requested by Pashinians government was aimed at helping the Armenian military defend the strategic region against possible Azerbaijani attacks. Russian military personnel were subsequently deployed to four other Armenian provinces bordering Azerbaijan. Hayk Konjorian, the parliamentary leader of Armenias ruling Civil Contract party, said all of them will be withdrawn from the border areas under a Russian-Armenian agreement reached at the highest level. In a Facebook post, he said the agreement also confirmed the impending removal of a small number of Russian border guards from Yerevans Zvartnots international airport. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin and Pashinian reached such an agreement when they met in Moscow on Wednesday night to discuss unprecedented tensions between their nations. "In the fall of 2020, at the request of the Armenian side, our military and border guards were deployed in a number of Armenian regions, Peskov told Russian news agencies. Pashinian said that there is no such need anymore due to the changed conditions. President Putin therefore agreed, and the withdrawal of our military and border guards was agreed." Citing another request of the Armenian side, Peskov also said that Russian border guards will remain stationed along Armenias borders with Turkey and Iran. Pashinian announced on March 12 that his government has given Moscow until August 1 to withdraw the border guards from Zvartnots. Armenia, he said, has the capacity to carry out border controls at the airport without the help of the Russian side. The Russian Foreign Ministry criticized the move, saying that Yerevan risks inflicting irreparable damage on Russian-Armenian relations and jeopardizing Armenias security and economic development. Russia also has a military base in the South Caucasus country. Earlier in March, a senior Russian lawmaker said he would not recommend that the Armenian authorities even think about demanding an end to the Russian military presence. 9 May 2024 08:30 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more Trade relations between Azerbaijan and China have seen significant growth in recent years, reflecting the strengthening economic ties between the two countries. The first quarter of 2024 witnessed a substantial increase in trade turnover. During this period, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and China reached a noteworthy sum of $748,8 million. This figure represents a considerable surge compared to the same period in 2023, with an impressive increase of $123,8 million, marking a notable rise of 19.8%. Against the background of the economic relation between the two countries, Dr Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan, an expert on China, and Executive Director of the Center for South & International Studies (CSAIS) Islamabad shared his opinions with Azernews. Azernews presents the interview: Q. Dr. Hassan Khan, as a Chinese trade expert, what factors do you believe have contributed to the significant growth in trade relations between Azerbaijan and China in recent years? A. It seems that better political understanding; economic cooperation, enhanced inflows of FDIs, joint ventures, and energy cooperation between Azerbaijan and China have trigged volumes of bilateral trade and economic ties. The consolidation of relations between China and Azerbaijan in recent years demonstrates mutual benefit and strategic partnership. Trade growth, the enhancement of investment cooperation, the development of transport infrastructure, and joint projects in green energy are the cornerstones of this cooperation. Historically, China and Azerbaijan enjoy close exchanges at all levels, solid political mutual trust, solid progress in high-quality BRI, and effective international coordination. Both countries are ready to work to earnestly follow through on the common understandings reached between the two heads of state, push for steady, deep, and solid bilateral cooperation in all fields from a strategic perspective, and constantly upgrade the level of China-Azerbaijan relations. Additionally, Azerbaijan attaches great importance to developing Azerbaijan-China relations, supports the one-China principle, and is willing to firmly support each other with China on issues concerning each other's core interests, expand cooperation with China in such fields as economy, trade, transportation, and new energy, and achieve common development and prosperity. According to official data, from January to October 2023, the volume of China-Azerbaijan trade reached an impressive 2.57 billion dollars, marking a 47.5 percent increase compared to the previous year which clearly demonstrates the growing significance of the economic relationship between the two countries. China, emerging as the largest source of imports, has become Azerbaijan's fourth-largest trading partner, reflecting the strategic importance of this cooperation. Critical analysis reveals that exports from China to Azerbaijan predominantly consist of high-tech products which account for over 50 percent of the total export volume. This focus on advanced technologies significantly impacts Azerbaijan's socio-economic development, opening new prospects for local businesses. Greater socio-economic cooperation, banking & financial integration, high qualitative industrialization, trans-regional connectivity, digitalization, e-commerce, AI, and last but not least, green technologies cooperation is gearing bilateral relations towards a greater sphere of cooperation, coordination, and collaboration between two countries. Moreover, geo-politically Azerbaijans strategic status as a Middle Corridor and essential connecting hub in the greater Eurasian region, the formation of alternative routes having seaports and integrated railways systems are also important factors in increasing the trade relations between the two countries. Geo-strategically Azerbaijans positive and productive role in regional peace, stability, connectivity, and potential membership in the SCO and BRICS makes it one of the most important countries in the region for Chinas BRI connections in the Black Sea and Eastern Europe and beyond. Q. With Azerbaijan's imports from China experiencing a notable surge, what do you see as the primary drivers behind this increased demand for Chinese goods within the Azerbaijani market? A. The emerging economic trends in the region and at the international level have forced the government of Azerbaijan to increase trade and economic ties with China being the global stimulator of industrial growth and supply chains. Chinas EVs, superiority in renewables mainly solar & wind apparatus, comparatively cheap but qualitative products, regional proximity, and last but not least infrastructure development of the newly liberated areas provide a window of opportunity for Azerbaijan and its private companies to foster bilateral relations. Furthermore, Azerbaijans green transformation, COP29 ownership, booming services sector, tourism, cultural cooperation, and last but not least economic liberalization stimulate bilateral trade cooperation between the two countries. Last but not least, Chinas new productive drivers, qualitative industrialization, and openness remained the key drivers of greater economic ties and trade cooperation between the two nations. Q. How do you interpret the upward trajectory in trade activities between Azerbaijan and China, particularly considering the notable rise in trade turnover compared to the same period in 2023? A. It is positive, productive, and participatory with bright prospects. It is a good omen that the pace of their bilateral trade and economic ties remained upward providing a new window of opportunities for both countries. Energy cooperation in terms of oil & gas, chemical industries, agricultural cooperation, and green energy is one the main drivers of booming trade ties. Bilateral relations between China and Azerbaijan have been further strengthened after the meeting of two heads of state in SCO-2022. Azerbaijan is an important economic and trade partner for China. China sees Azerbaijan as a single investment market. It has a keen interest in cooperating with Azerbaijan in the financial and agricultural sectors. China attaches great importance to the development of mutually beneficial and close cooperation with Azerbaijan and has implemented several large-scale infrastructure and industrial projects that have played an active role in the socio-economic development of Azerbaijan. It is a good omen for both countries to view and plan for bilateral relations from a strategic height, increase strategic mutual trust, strengthen mutual support, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and work for steady, in-depth, and practical cooperation in various fields between the two countries. Xi also said China welcomes Azerbaijan to join China in implementing the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Security Initiative (GSI). Q. In your opinion, what measures can both Azerbaijan and China take to sustain and enhance the momentum of their economic partnership in the face of global economic uncertainties and challenges? A. Both countries should also expand trade, improve the trade mix, increase the number of China-Europe Express freight train services, and ensure unimpeded international supply chains. Xi also expressed confidence that the Belt and Road cooperation between China and Azerbaijan enjoys broad prospects. For his part, Aliyev said that Azerbaijan and China are true strategic partners, that the two sides maintain close communication in international affairs, and that bilateral cooperation is advancing steadily. Q. How do you see the role of bilateral agreements and initiatives in facilitating and fostering closer economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and China, particularly in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative? A. It is estimated that BRI has a great impact on Azerbaijans macro-economy through Azerbaijans connectivity and trade with the BRI economies. BRI projects have further improved its transport, power, and ICT infrastructure. Azerbaijan is a BRI partner country in the South Caucasus strategically located between Asia and Europe. It can play the role of a strategic partner, middle corridor, and hub connecting China with the Middle East and Europe. In this regard, Azerbaijan perceives BRI as a promising initiative. The Azerbaijani government has a strong political will, economic ability, and the infrastructural capacity to contribute a win-win proposition for both countries. Q. Are there any specific areas or opportunities for collaboration that you would recommend exploring to further strengthen trade and investment ties between Azerbaijan and China? A.For further strengthening of bilateral relations and widening of scope, utility and strategic importance of mutual ties and BRI, China, and Azerbaijan should closely work to strengthen the BRIs influence in Central Asia and South Caucasus and prioritise the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) passing through Azerbaijan. The TITR, known as the Middle Corridor, had been in development as part of Chinas BRI for several years. The 6,500-kilometer network of roads, railroads, and ports spanning Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, then into Turkiye and/or the Black Sea is intended to reduce shipping times from 60 days by ocean to a fortnight. It is backed by billions of dollars in loans and grants from the Chinese government. Q. Looking ahead, what strategies or steps do you believe both countries should prioritize to capitalize on the current momentum and maximize the potential benefits of their growing economic relationship? A. Both countries have already inked several agreements including an investment of US$ 300 million by China National Electric Engineering Company (CNEEC) into a tire factory in Azerbaijan. It will create 800 new jobs and boost the plants production potential to 3.3 million tires per year. Another multimillion-dollar agreement would see investments into the agriculture sector. In 2018-2019, imports from China increased by 40 percent and trade turnover reached $1.3 billion. Azerbaijan has become Chinas number one trading partner in the South Caucasus compared to Armenia and Georgia. On the other hand, Azerbaijans investments in Chinas economy reached $1.7 billion, while Chinas investments in Azerbaijans economy came close to $800 million. About 119 companies relying on Chinese capital are operating in Azerbaijan which is indeed a good omen. Energy cooperation between China and Azerbaijan holds a significant place in their bilateral relations, especially in the context of transitioning towards sustainable and renewable energy sources. In 2023, a substantial memorandum of understanding was signed between the energy departments of both countries, aimed at developing cooperation in the field of renewable energy. The Chinese company Dongfang is currently involved in constructing the 230 MW "Garadagh" solar power plants in Azerbaijan. This project is a crucial step towards increasing the share of green energy in the country's energy balance. Furthermore, cooperation with China Gezhouba Group Overseas Investment opens new prospects for implementing renewable energy projects. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 9 May 2024 10:35 (UTC+04:00) Jeyhun Bayramov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, met with Aliza Bin Noun, Political Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel, to discuss various aspects of bilateral and multilateral relations, Azernews reports. During the meeting, the sides explored the current state and prospects of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel across economic, security, high-tech, and other areas. Minister Bayramov also provided insights into the regional dynamics during the post-conflict period. During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on issues of significant international and regional concern. As part of the Israeli delegation's visit to Azerbaijan, political consultations were held between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and Israel, with Fariz Rzayev, Deputy Foreign Minister, leading the Azerbaijani delegation and Aliza Bin Noun heading the Israeli delegation. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 9 May 2024 14:59 (UTC+04:00) Ambassador Mark Libby toured the Baker Hughes facilities and met with the Country Representative, Zaur Allahverdizade and the management team, Azernews reports, citing the post shared by US Embassy in Baku on its official "X" account. "The Ambassador heard about Baker Hughes green energy initiatives and diversity and inclusion policy. He noted the importance of a regulatory framework for green energy and highlighted U.S. companies interest in Azerbaijans renewable energy sector, including their participation in COP29, " post reads. Ambassador Mark Libby toured the Baker Hughes facilities and met with the Country Representative, Zaur Allahverdizade and the management team. Baker Hughes, a U.S. company and major supplier of oil and gas equipment and services, employs over 300 people in Azerbaijan and pic.twitter.com/GxQTlts8t9 U.S. Embassy Baku (@USEmbassyBaku) May 9, 2024 --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 9 May 2024 15:59 (UTC+04:00) Ulviyya Shahin Read more Energy cooperation between Bulgaria and Azerbaijan is developing at an increasing pace, and already in 2024, Azerbaijan will cover 55 natural gas needs of this Balkan state, Azernews reports. The foundation of gas cooperation between the two states was laid on September 13, 2013, when Bulgarian holding Bulgargaz EAD signed a 25-year contract with the Shah Deniz consortium for the purchase of gas from this Azerbaijani gas condensate field in the Caspian Sea in the amount of one billion cubic meters of gas per year. "Bulgargaz EAD was among the nine European companies and holdings that signed long-term agreements for the purchase and sale of Shahdeniz gas in the fall of 2013, thanks to which the final investment decision on the full-scale development of this field was approved in Baku on December 17, 2013, which launched the process of creating the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) and allowed Azerbaijan to enter the European market with its gas from December 2020. The SGC project influenced Bulgaria's decision to build a connection to this gas corridor, the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB), as well as to consider the possibility of transiting Azerbaijani gas through Bulgaria to other European countries. SOCAR and Bulgartransgaz signed a Memorandum of Understanding on July 18, 2017, which reflected the opportunities for cooperation between the two companies on the prospects of creating additional natural gas supply routes through Bulgaria to other markets in Southeast Europe, SOCAR's participation in the Balkan Gas Hub, as well as the transit of additional volumes of natural gas from the South Gas Complex beyond the volumes agreed in 2013 with the Shah Deniz consortium. All the set tasks have been realized, and Azerbaijan has fulfilled and is fulfilling all its commitments. Particularly, despite the delay in the construction of the IGB (the foundation of this gas pipeline was laid on May 22, 2019, and the pipeline was commissioned in the summer of 2022), Azerbaijan ensured gas supplies to Bulgaria already from the beginning of 2021 through the Kulata-Sidirokastro delivery point on the existing gas pipeline from Bulgaria to Greece with a capacity of 10 million cubic meters of gas per day. Thanks to this, Bulgaria received more than 300 million cubic meters of gas in 2021. The combination of this route and the commissioning of the IGB gas pipeline on October 1, 2022, allowed Azerbaijan to supply a total of 600 million cubic meters of gas to Bulgaria in 2022. Following the negotiations between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Bulgarian President Rumen Radev in Baku on May 8, 2024, the results of gas supplies from Azerbaijan to Bulgaria in 2023 and plans for 2024 were announced in a press statement. President Ilham Aliyev stated in his speech that "1 billion, 250 million cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas was transported to the Bulgarian market last year." "Our calculations indicate that by the end of this year, the volume of export supplies of Azerbaijani gas to Bulgaria will amount to 1.5 bcm. That is, expressing the language of the European Commission, Azerbaijan is expanding its activities in the European space as a pan-European gas supplier and spares no effort to support the solution of issues related to energy security," the head of state noted. According to him, Bulgaria has become an important transit country for gas transportation. "Azerbaijani gas is currently exported from the territory of Bulgaria to its neighboring countries, and undoubtedly, the number of these countries will grow in the future. That is, this is a concrete result of our cooperation, a logical outcome of our very strong bilateral relations, as our cooperation should have concrete results. That is, the main goal of cooperation is to achieve better results. We see it both in the growth of trade turnover and cooperation in the energy sector," the press statement of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said. Meanwhile, through the territory of Bulgaria, Azerbaijani gas goes to Romania and Serbia. Bulgarian President Rumen Radev stressed after negotiations in Baku on May 8 that Azerbaijan has become an important and decisive partner for Bulgaria in the energy sector and plays an important role in diversifying Bulgaria's gas supply. "In the fall of 2022, with the participation of President Ilham Aliyev in the city of Sofia, we started using the IGB gas network and thus the Southern Gas Corridor connected to Central and Eastern Europe," the Bulgarian President said. SOCAR representative office has been operating in Sofia since April 25, 2023, which not only deals with projects in Bulgaria but also covers the entire Balkan region. Viewing Azerbaijan as a reliable strategic partner, Bulgaria expressed interest in SOCAR's assistance in the gasification of its small towns, and this initiative was reflected in the Memorandum of Understanding signed on May 8, 2024, between the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and the Bulgarian holding Asarel (one of the largest industrial holdings in the Balkan region). The project of laying a "green" energy cable for future energy supplies from Azerbaijan's renewable energy sources facilities through Georgia and the Black Sea to Europe was also discussed during the negotiations in Baku. "Azerbaijan is working very actively in this direction with partner countries, including Bulgaria. We believe that the feasibility study of this project, which will be ready in a few months, will be an excellent basis for the start of work. Thus, Azerbaijan will prove itself as a supplier to Europe not only of oil and gas but also of "green" energy," President Ilham Aliyev emphasized on May 8. The Head of State also stated that he invited President Radev to Azerbaijan to participate in the COP29 conference. According to President Ilham Aliyev, the potential for cooperation between the two countries is wide. Besides, Bulgarian companies will take part in "Baku Energy Week" in June, and the regular meeting of the Commission for Cooperation between the governments of Azerbaijan and Bulgaria will be held in early July. Therefore, the interaction between the two countries is progressive and important not only for bilateral but also for multilateral cooperation. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 9 May 2024 17:15 (UTC+04:00) Vilayat Guliyev, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Bosnia and Herzegovina, met with Zeljko Komsic, the Croatian member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to deliver a letter of invitation from President Ilham Aliyev to attend the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Azernews reports. During the meeting, the ambassador provided detailed insights into Azerbaijans preparations for COP29 and highlighted large-scale projects aimed at transitioning to green energy. Komsic expressed interest in the reconstruction efforts in Azerbaijans liberated territories and conveyed his keen observation of the country's developments and reforms under President Ilham Aliyev's leadership, despite not having yet visited Azerbaijan. They also exchanged views on a wide range of aspects of Azerbaijan-Bosnia and Herzegovina relations. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz An assortment of Mother's Day cards are available at Pullman Market. Pullman Market Pullman Market's Bath Basket includes Wildflowers Honey Lavender Caramel or Salted Caramel, Dilos Hinoki Sesame Candle or Palo Santo Candle and Ollie Blossoms New Moon Bath Soak or Serene Bath Soak. Pullman Market The Tea & Honey Box at Pullman Market features a jar of Holdman Honeys Williamson County Wildflower, a honey dipper from J. Brody Co., Juniper Ridges Botanical Tea and Slow Norths Eucalyptus + Lavender Natural Bar Soap. Pullman Market Pullman Market's Wine Basket ($95) includes a bottle of il Monticello (Serasuolo Rose), Lieu Dit (Sauvignon Blanc) and a can of Una Lou (California Rose). Pullman Market Chocolatl's is offering Mother's Day Gift Totes, a handbag with a headband-wrapped handle filled with assorted bon bons and more. Chocolatl Warm cookies from Tiff's Treats, available with Mother's Day packaging, a balloon, even a pint of ice cream, can be delivered right to your Mom's door. Tiff's Treats The Mothers Day Cookies & Cupcakes Package from Tiff's Treats includes one dozen cookies, a Baked by Melissa spring bite-size cupcake six-pack, Mothers Day packaging and balloon. Tiff's Treats Celebrate Mom and her love for Whataburger at the same time with a James Avery Whataburger charm in sterling silver. Whataburger Are you looking for last-minute gifts for Mothers Day that look like you planned ahead? Or maybe youre a Mom looking for a free cup of coffee or free meal. This list has you covered. Pullman Market's Wine Basket ($95) with a bottle of il Monticello (Serasuolo Rose), Lieu Dit (Sauvignon Blanc) and a can of Una Lou (California Rose). Pullman Market Mothers Day Baskets at Pullman Market: The new culinary market in San Antonios Pearl District has a selection of Mothers Day gift boxes and baskets, $32-$65, a wine basket, $95, and an assortment of Mothers Day cards available for purchase in store, 221 Newell Ave. Tea & Honey Box: Jar of Holdman Honeys Williamson County Wildflower, a honey dipper from J. Brody Co., Juniper Ridges Botanical Tea and Slow Norths Eucalyptus + Lavender Natural Bar Soap Rest & Reset Tea Box: Wiley Bodys Everything Lotion, Relyts the one for sleep tea and Dilos Sage Smudge Stick and Tea Ball Bath Basket: Wildflowers Honey Lavender Caramel or Salted Caramel, Dilos Hinoki Sesame Candle or Palo Santo Candle and Ollie Blossoms New Moon Bath Soak or Serene Bath Soak Wine Basket: Bottle of il Monticello (Serasuolo Rose), Lieu Dit (Sauvignon Blanc) and a can of Una Lou (California Rose) Advertisement Article continues below this ad PULLMAN MARKET: Foodie haven impresses in Pearl debut Chocolatl offers six- or 12-count boxes of bonbons, with pick-up options available through Saturday. Chocolatl Chocolate from Chocolatl: Mothers Day Celebration Boxes are back from local chocolatier and pastry chef Alessia Benavides of Chocolatl Chocolates & Confections. The last date to place orders is May 8 to ensure delivery by Mothers Day. The online chocolatier is based in San Antonio, which means San Antonians can not only have hand-crafted confections shipped nationwide, but they also can pick up their orders in person through Saturday. Order online at chefalessb.com. I have two kids of my own, so Mothers Day is one of my favorite holidays, and I just love making joyful treats so other moms get something extra special to celebrate all of the wonderful things they do for their families each and every day, Benavides stated in a news release. Besides our customers' favorite Mothers Day Celebration Boxes, this year we have some new choices, including our Cheesecake Lovers Gift Box. The lip-shaped bonbons are just so fun! Advertisement Article continues below this ad Mothers Day Celebration Box No. 1: Handbag with a headband-wrapped handle filled with confections, including a small box of five bonbons in an assortment of flavors, chocolate covered pecans and chocolate covered shortbread sticks, $59.50 Mothers Day Celebration Box No. 2: Handbag with a headband-wrapped handle filled with confections, including a large box of 30 bonbons in an assortment of flavors, chocolate covered pecans and chocolate covered shortbread sticks, $106 Mothers Day Celebration Box No. 3: Handbag with a headband-wrapped handle filled with confections, including a box of 15 bonbons in an assortment of flavors and chocolate covered pecans, $74 Cheesecake Lovers Gift Box: Four playful lip-shaped bonbons in the following flavors: guava cheesecake, turtle cheesecake, strawberry cheesecake and lemon cheesecake Mothers Day Gift Totes: Chic totes with two or four bonbons in assorted flavors Bonbon Boxes: Assortment of bonbons in a 6-count or 12-count box The Mothers Day Juliette Sugar & Sparkle at Tiff's Treats includes one dozen cookies, a Kendra Scott Juliette Pendant Necklace, Mothers Day packaging and a balloon. Tiff's Treats Sweets from Tiffs Treats: Get warm cookies delivered right to Moms door. Tiffs Treats is offering special Mothers Day packages with options including a mix of cookies, bite-size cupcakes, truffles, Mothers Day balloons and even a Kendra Scott pendant. Mothers Day Cookies & Cupcakes Package: One dozen cookies, Baked by Melissa spring bite-size cupcake six-pack, Mothers Day packaging and balloon Mothers Day Decadence Package: One dozen cookies, Tiffs Trio, pint of ice cream, Mothers Day packaging and balloon Mothers Day Juliette Sugar & Sparkle: One dozen cookies, Kendra Scott Juliette Pendant Necklace, Mothers Day packaging and balloon Bakery Lorraine is offering a petite bouquet with a box of six Parisian macarons to celebrate Mothers Day. Bakery Lorraine Specials from Bakery Lorraine: Bakery Lorraine is offering a petite bouquet along with a floral box of six Parisian macarons in the following flavors: triple vanilla, pistachio and raspberry. This special can be purchased for $50 online through the Bakery Lorraine website or in store (all stores except the Doseum location in San Antonio). May 9 is the last day to order. Each order is available for pickup at the Bakery Lorraine location of choice between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday or Sunday. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In addition to pre-orders, Bakery Lorraine is hosting a free make your own Mothers Day Card event at all locations (except Doseum location) from 2 p.m. to close on May 9 or while supplies last. Guests also can visit the Pearl location on Saturday for a flower shop pop-up to purchase locally made bouquets. Give a gift Mom can celebrate with the whole family Mother's Day weekend with the Children's Ballet of San Antonio's production of "Cinderella." Alexander Devora Tickets to 'Cinderella': Give a gift Mom can celebrate with the whole family Mothers Day weekend with tickets to the Childrens Ballet of San Antonios production of Cinderella. Performances are Friday and Saturday at The Majestic Theatre, where guests are encouraged to dress up in attire such as princess dresses. Cinderella audiences will have the chance to see rising stars in action. William Bessler, 19, and Sophia Leune, 17, were both recently named finalists for the Joci Awards, the performing arts scholarship program that gave away a record $150,000 on Sunday. Inez Dunne, 11, won the Jury Encouragement award at the 2024 International Ballet Competition in recognition of her memorable performances. She and several other CBSA dancers recently placed in the finals for the prestigious Youth American Grand Prix. This teal WhataMom tee was designed in collaboration with Tumbleweed TexStyles. Whataburger Whataburger merch: And what Texas Mom doesnt love Whataburger? From T-shirts to tumblers, theres something for every fan of the burger joint at the WhataStore. Items are available for purchase online through May 12. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Whataburger 40 oz. tumbler paired with a french fry or flying W straw topper To Go backpack, designed to look like one of Whataburgers take-out bags, made with a tear-resistant TYVEK shell, a durable inside liner, a snap closure and adjustable backpack straps Tumbleweed TexStyles teal WhataMom or pink WhataMama tee shirt along with a new James Avery fancy or spicy ketchup charm Mothers Day deals, freebies Bar Louie: Participating Bar Louie locations will be giving moms a free entree with the purchase of an additional adult entree for dine-in guests only all day on May 12. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Kolache Factory: Buy one muffin and get one free (for Mom) on May 12 while supplies last. Coupon available on all social channels, @kolachefactory. PJs Coffee: Get a free 12-ounce hot coffee or cold brew on May 12. 9 May 2024 09:00 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more Baku will host the II ICESCO Ministerial Conference on PISA on 13-14 May, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijan's Science and Education Ministry. The international conference dedicated to the topic "Overview of PISA 2022 results: global and regional trends" will be organized in partnership with the Ministry of Science and Education, the Institute of Education, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Representatives from over 30 countries and more than 50 participants are expected to attend. The conference aims to identify key points and best practices that can be used to adapt countries' assessment frameworks to their unique educational landscapes and to develop more effective, relevant assessment systems. The conference format will include presentations and interactive discussions. During the conference, participants will explore areas of convergence and divergence between contexts and priorities of ICESCO member states, assessed skills and areas, assessment methodologies, and contextual data collection instruments of international assessments. It is important to note that the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is the largest international study of education, involving the OECD and its partner countries. PISA assesses the knowledge and skills of 15-year-old students in mathematics, reading, and science. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 9 May 2024 13:14 (UTC+04:00) Fatima Latifova Read more Aliza Bin Noun, political director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, George Deek, the ambassador of Israel to Azerbaijan, and Mukhtar Mammadov, the ambassador of Azerbaijan to Israel, visited the monument of the hero of the Soviet Union Hazi Aslanov in Baku, Azernews reports, citing the post shared by Aliza Bin Noun on her official "X" account. "On this Day of Victory Against Fascism, I recall my visit yesterday to the Baku WW2 Heroes' Memorial. Their courage against evil stands as a beacon of freedom and tolerance," she added. On this Day of Victory Against Fascism, I recall my visit yesterday to the Baku WW2 Heroes' Memorial. Their courage against evil stands as a beacon of freedom and tolerance. Today, the world confronts new threats from forces of terror and hate, from Hamas to Iran, seeking the pic.twitter.com/LbRmx65LWj Aliza Bin Noun (@AlizaBinNoun) May 9, 2024 --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 9 May 2024 14:00 (UTC+04:00) Employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) held a tree-planting action in connection with the 101st anniversary of the Great Leader's birth, Azernews reports. It was reported that as part of the 101st anniversary of the birth of the architect and founder of independent Azerbaijan, National Leader Heydar Aliyev, as a result of the joint organization of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the next tree-planting action was held in Mushfigabad settlement of Garadagh district of the capital. Executives of both institutions, police officers and military personnel of the ministry took part in the event. At the event dedicated to the memory of Heydar Aliyev, about a thousand Eldar pine trees were planted in accordance with the local climate, the plants in the area were cared for, and cleaning work was carried out in the green area. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 9 May 2024 14:25 (UTC+04:00) For the first time in history, the 2024 UN Civil Society Conference is being held in the Global South - in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, Azernews reports. More than 2,000 participants gathered at the event, which was held with the participation of official delegations of UN member states, leading NGOs, think tanks, media organizations, and private companies. The global conference was organized in preparation for the "Future Summit" which will be held on September 22-23 this year at the UN headquarters in New York with the participation of world leaders. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is also expected to arrive in Kenya to attend the UN Civil Society Conference. One of the main topics of the 2-day conference is global climate change. From this point of view, the topic as a country that will host COP29 is of special importance for Azerbaijan. At the conference, the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Kenya Sultan Hajiyev, the head of the NGO work sector of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Tural Aliyev, the member of the COP29 Organizing Committee, the executive director of the State Support Agency for NGOs Aygun Aliyeva, the head of the Media Development Agency Nigar Huseynova participates. Azerbaijani NGOs also participated in the Civil Society Conference. Member of the COP29 Organizing Committee, executive director of the Public Union "Service to Health" Parvana Valiyeva, Chairman of the Public Council under the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Deputy Chairman of the Public Union "Experts in the Field of Water Use" Amin Mammadov, Deputy Chairman of the "Azerbaijan Campaign Against Landmines" Public Union Roza Safikhanli represents Azerbaijani NGOs at the global event. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 9 May 2024 11:23 (UTC+04:00) May 9 marks the 79th anniversary of the historic Victory over fascism, Azernews reports. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Victorious Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva visited the grave of Major General of Tank Troops Hazi Aslanov, who was twice awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The head of state and the First Lady placed flowers at his statue and paid tribute to all Azerbaijanis killed during the war. The people of Azerbaijan made a significant contribution to the historic Victory over fascism. Azerbaijani citizens played a tremendous role in achieving this Victory, with 600,000 sons and daughters sent to the frontline. More than 300,000 of them heroically died in battles. Over 130 representatives of Azerbaijan were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for their bravery during the war, and more than 170,000 soldiers and officers received various orders and medals. Azerbaijani divisions covered a glorious battle road from the Caucasus to Berlin, with hundreds of our compatriots fighting as part of guerrilla groups. Azerbaijani oil played a crucial role in this Victory. Azerbaijan was a major supplier of fuel and lubricants to the Soviet army, supplying 90 percent of engine oil, 80 percent of gasoline and 70 percent of oil. The historic heroism of the sons of Azerbaijan has always been treated with utmost respect. National Leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev paid special attention and took great care of war veterans during his time in power, describing them as the golden fund of our people. President Ilham Aliyev has also focused on resolving the social problems of war veterans, providing them with financial assistance on the eve of 9 May, Victory Day. By an Order of the President of Azerbaijan dated May 2, 2024, veterans of the 1941-1945 war were provided with 2,000 manats, while widows of soldiers killed during or after World War II, individuals who selflessly worked in the rear at the time, employees of special forces who performed tasks for the benefit of the army and navy within the operational boundaries of the frontlines or combat navies during World War II, persons awarded medals and badges for the defense of Leningrad during World War II, as well as persons involved in the defense of the besieged city of Leningrad received one-time financial assistance amounting to 1,000 manats. This demonstrates once again that comprehensive attention and care for war veterans is one of the top priorities of state policy in Azerbaijan. For the fourth consecutive year, the people of Azerbaijan are celebrating the Victory over fascism in the 1941-1945 war with even greater pride, following our Victory in the 44-day Patriotic War. The justice that our people had aspired to for 30 years has finally prevailed, and Azerbaijan has restored its territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders under the leadership of President and Victorious Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev. The memory of all our sons and daughters who died in the struggle for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, as well as during the 1941-1945 war, will forever live in the hearts of the people. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 9 May 2024 13:35 (UTC+04:00) President Ilham Aliyev has issued an order to confer the Azerbaijani Republic President's Award upon art figures, Azernews reports. According to the order, 150 leading art figures have been honored with awards from the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 9 May 2024 14:33 (UTC+04:00) President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order awarding individual scholarships from the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan to culture figures, Azernews reports. According to the order, seven culture figures have been awarded individual scholarships from the President of Republic of Azerbaijan for their contributions to the development of Azerbaijani culture. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 9 May 2024 17:33 (UTC+04:00) Vice President of Turkiye Cevdet Yilmaz called on the investors in his country to make new investments in the economy of Azerbaijan. Azernews reports, citing Azertag that Cevdet Yilmaz addressed the participants of the Turkey-Azerbaijani business forum in Ankara and drew attention to the opportunities of the Azerbaijani market. "I call on Turkish business circles to implement new projects in Azerbaijan, especially in the fields of energy, electronics, mining industry, construction, and information technologies," said the vice president. According to him, a similar call should be addressed to Azerbaijani companies that are ready to use the potential of the Turkish economy. "According to the results of last year, Turkey's GDP exceeded 1.1 trillion dollars for the first time. Today, our country has the 17th largest economy in the world," said Cevdet Yilmaz. The vice president of Turkey also spoke about the successful economic policy of the Azerbaijani government, which directs the revenues from the oil and gas sector to the development of non-oil sectors of the country's economy. "A very correct and well-thought-out strategy aimed at diversifying Azerbaijan's economic opportunities is obvious. I am sure that Turkish companies can also contribute to the formation of the future model of Azerbaijan's economy," said the politician. Cevdet Yilmaz stressed that the Turkish side is ready to make the maximum contribution to the restoration of the lands freed from the occupation of Azerbaijan. He expressed his hope that the successful interaction between Turkey and Azerbaijan will be an example of cooperation for other Turkish states. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 9 May 2024 18:41 (UTC+04:00) Joint military exercises will be held in Azerbaijan on May 13-19 with the participation of Azerbaijan, Turkiye, and Georgia, Turkish Ministry of National Defense said in a statement, Azernews reports. According to the ministry, maneuvers related to search and rescue operations during natural disasters will be carried out in the exercises. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 9 May 2024 20:58 (UTC+04:00) China and Serbia signed 28 cooperation documents on Wednesday following a meeting between visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his host counterpart Aleksandar Vucic, who described the countries' cooperation as reaching a new high level, Azernews reports, citing the Anadolu Agency. Vucic and Xi signed a Joint Declaration of the two countries on expanding their comprehensive strategic partnership and building a Serbian-Chinese community with a shared future in the new era. Following a delegation-level meeting at the Palace of Serbia in the capital Belgrade, representatives from both countries signed 28 documents of cooperation in the presence of Vucic and Xi, who arrived in Serbia on Tuesday evening. "We signed a joint statement today. That joint statement is a strategically important direction for the development of our bilateral relations, as well as our worldview," Vucic said at a joint press conference with Xi. The Republic of Serbia and the People's Republic of China are progressing from strategic relations to bilateral relations, he said, adding, "We are moving on to the community that talks about the common future of our two countries." Addressing Xi as a "dear friend," Vucic said "the statement on deepening and raising the comprehensive strategic partnership and building the community of Serbia and China with a common future in the new era" is the highest level of cooperation between the two countries. Vucic said that Serbia supports the principle of one China, and any question that someone would ask the People's Republic of China about it is their internal question. He said Serbia supports the principle of one China. "Taiwan and Hong Kong are issues for the People's Republic of China. As long as China wants to, these issues will be resolved. And it will always have the Republic of Serbia's support because that is the foundation of the United Nations charter and international public law," Vucic said. The Serbian president thanked his Chinese counterpart for his unequivocal position on Kosovo and Metohija, as well as the Republic of Serbia's territorial integrity. On Tuesday evening, Vucic and his wife Tamara Vucic welcomed Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan to Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport with a Serbian Army guard of honor. Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, Foreign Minister Marko Djuric, and Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic were also present at the airport. Xi, for his part, said Serbia will be the first European country with which Beijing will form a community with a shared future. "We jointly announced that we will create a community between China and Serbia with a shared future in the new era, ushering in a new chapter in Chinese-Serbian relations. Eight years ago, Serbia became China's first Comprehensive Strategic Partner in Central and Eastern Europe. Today, Serbia is becoming the first European country where we will create a community with a shared future," he said. He added that his meeting with Vucic, whom he described as an exceptional statesman, had left him deeply impressed. "Under your leadership, Serbia maintained stability, achieved rapid economic development, and people's living conditions improved. You are an exceptional statesman with a strategic vision," he said. A large crowd gathered on the plateau in front of the Palace of Serbia to welcome Xi, waving Chinese and Serbian flags. Vucic and Xi took a moment between the meeting to greet the citizens. MiG-29 fighters escorted Chinese leader Xi's plane in Serbian airspace. Xi's first official visit in eight years coincides with the 25th anniversary of the bombing of China's Embassy in Belgrade. Serbia is one of three stops on the Chinese president's European tour, which started in France and will end in Hungary. Due to the visit, strict security measures are in place in Belgrade, and a large number of uniformed police officers are on the streets. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Rabies cases among wild animals are on the rise in the Texas Hill Country this year. The most recent confirmed case was in a fox in Kerr County. Jouko van der Kruijssen/Getty Images/Image Source More cases of rabies cases are popping up in the Texas Hill Country, and officials are warning residents to be wary when interacting with wild animals. Kerr County officials say they have confirmed the countys 11th rabies infection of the year, this one in a fox found in a residential area of Kerrville. Theres no indication the animal came in contact with people or domestic pets, said Reagan Givens, director of Kerr County Animal Services. Kerr County had just four confirmed rabies cases for all of 2023. County officials have said they are concerned about the increase theyve seen in infections this year. Advertisement Article continues below this ad READ MORE: Surge in Hill Country rabies cases stirs concern The high number of cases this year just underlines the importance for everyone to make sure their family pets are vaccinated against this deadly, viral disease, Givens said in a social media post. Other counties in the region have also seen an uptick in rabies infections. Comal County has had six confirmed cases, Kendall County five and Bexar and Guadalupe counties four each, according to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services. Travis County, home to Austin, has had the most confirmed cases with 12, according to state data. Texas as a whole had 123 confirmed rabies infections as of Monday, according to state data, but that total didnt include the two most recent cases in Kerr County. TEXAS BIRD FLU: This Texas veterinarian helped crack the mystery of bird flu in cows Advertisement Article continues below this ad Rabies is a viral disease that affects mammals. It can be transferred to humans through the bite of a rabid animal, entering the nervous system via infected saliva in a wound, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus infects the central nervous system, causing disease in the brain. It can be fatal if not treated, according to the CDC. A state health official last month said the statewide number of rabies cases doesnt suggest a major outbreak of the deadly virus is likely. From past experience, we dont generally see one statewide trend in rabies, Douglas Loveday, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services, told the Express-News in April. Different areas tend to move in different directions based on local conditions. Most of the Hill Country rabies infections this year have involved wild animals, largely skunks and foxes. One Kerr County case involved a familys dog that bit a jogger. The dog was euthanized and its remains werent able to be tested, which under state law is considered a positive rabies test. Advertisement Article continues below this ad 9 May 2024 21:58 (UTC+04:00) Trade turnover volume between Uzbekistan and Iraq amounted to $22.1 million in 2023, Azernews reports. This was announced at a meeting between Deputy Chairman of Uzbekistans Chamber of Commerce and Industry Umidjon Safarov and Charge d'Affaires of Iraq in Astana Jaber al-Tamimi. The sides noted that Uzbekistan's trade turnover with Iraq amounted to $12.1 million in 2022. The parties discussed signing a Memorandum of Cooperation between the two countries' Chambers of Commerce and Industry to improve cooperation. They also agreed on joint events, business forums, and B2B meetings with Uzbek and Iraqi business circles. The attendees also addressed logistics, commerce, and economic relations, and given Iraq's high demand for Uzbek products, a proposal was made to start buying textile, food, and agricultural items. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan's foreign trade turnover volume amounted to $62.6 billion in 2023. The exports reached $24.4 billion, while the imports totaled $38.1 billion. The largest volume of foreign trade turnover was recorded with China (21.9 percent), Russia (15.8 percent), Kazakhstan (7 percent), Turkiye (5 percent), and Korea (3.7 percent). --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 9 May 2024 23:03 (UTC+04:00) A Japanese startup said Tuesday it aims to use artificial intelligence to help translate manga comics into English five times faster and 90% cheaper than at present,Azernews reports, citing The Japan Times. Manga series such as "One Piece" and "Dragon Ball" are a huge success story for Japan, with the market projected to be worth $42.2 billion by 2030, according to the startup, Orange. But it said only about 2% of Japan's annual output of 700,000 manga volumes are released in English, "partly due to the difficult and lengthy translation process and the limited number of translators." But with its technology, Orange aims to produce 500 English-language manga per month, five times more than the industry's current capacity, and 50,000 volumes in five years. Other languages will come later. "Compared to translation of a book, translating Japanese used in manga, which uses very short sentences of conversational language often full of slang, is extremely difficult," said Orange's marketing vice president Tatsuhiro Sato. "It is also difficult to figure out if a particular quote was actually said at a scene, or if the line was a murmur inside one's heart describing a mental landscape," Sato said. Other challenges include the original text often being written vertically and finding equivalents for Japan's many onomatopoeic words. The firm announced that it had raised \2.92 billion ($19 million) in funding from major publisher Shogakukan and nine venture capital groups including the government-backed JIC Venture Growth Investments. It said that its tool will also help the industry fight piracy in the industry, which is estimated to be worth $5.5 billion annually according to the Content Overseas Distribution Association. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Xi says he enjoys Yugoslav films, songs when young Xinhua) 08:13, May 09, 2024 Chinese President Xi Jinping makes a toast during a welcoming banquet held by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Madame Tamara Vucic in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan attended the welcoming banquet on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) BELGRADE, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping shared his special bond with the Serbian people on Wednesday, saying he enjoyed Yugoslav films and songs when he was young. "The Yugoslav film The Bridge and the song Bella Ciao, which evoke strong patriotic and anti-Fascism sentiments, have been immensely popular in China through the years and became my companion in my youthful days," Xi said when attending a welcome banquet held by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. The Chinese people have always cherished a special bond of friendship with Serbia, he said, adding that Serbian athletes Novak Djokovic and Nikola Jokic, and movie director Emir Kusturica are household names in China. Xi pointed out that Serbia, located on "the west of the East, and east of the West," has long been known as "the gateway to the Balkans." For centuries, this land has been a meeting place of diverse civilizations on the Eurasian continent, which in many ways shaped the diligent, kind, and unyielding character of the Serbian people, he said. During a joint press conference with Vucic on Wednesday afternoon, Xi mentioned the warm greetings he had received in the country. On Tuesday evening, upon Xi's arrival, Vucic and his wife, leading a delegation of senior Serbian officials, went to the airport to greet him and his wife in person, which was very touching, Xi said. Prior to their meeting, Vucic accompanied Xi to the platform of the Palace of Serbia. On the square in front of the Palace, some 15,000 Serbian people were waving national flags of China and Serbia to express the warmest welcome to Xi. The Chinese leader waved to the crowd, which burst into jubilant, prolonged applause and cheers. Later in his meeting with Vucic, Xi said that he was deeply touched when he was greeted at the airport by President Vucic together with many senior government officials who held a grand welcoming ceremony for his visit. He also said he was deeply moved by the genuine friendliness toward China from the Serbian people who are good friends of the Chinese people. In a signed article published prior to his arrival in Serbia, he said "There has always been an affinity between Chinese and Serbian peoples despite the long distance between us." "During the bitter Anti-Fascist War and our respective nation-building in the last century, the Chinese and Serbian peoples forged a strong friendship that extends through time and space," said the article. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Elizabeth Zavala covers county and state courts on the Express-News Crime Team. She can be reached at ezavala@express-news.net. Born and reared in San Antonio, she graduated from Fox Tech High School in 1981 and has been a newspaper journalist since she graduated from Texas Womans University at Denton in 1985. She has worked at five daily newspapers in Texas, including The Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the Denton Record-Chronicle. The Associated Press is reporting: By Jamie Stengle, The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history. The Texas-based organization is announcing at its annual meeting in Florida on Tuesday that it will become Scouting America. (AP Video: Kendria LaFleur) IRVING, Texas (AP) The Boy Scouts of America announced after 114 years that it will change its name and will become Scouting America in an effort to emphasize inclusion as it works to move past the turmoil of bankruptcy and a flood of sexual abuse claims. The rebrand is another seismic shift for an organization steeped in tradition that did not allow gay youths or girls to begin joining its ranks until relatively recently. Seeking to boost flagging membership numbers, the Irving, Texas-based organization announced the name change Tuesday at its annual meeting in Florida. In the next 100 years we want any youth in America to feel very, very welcome to come into our programs, Roger Krone, who took over last fall as president and chief executive officer, told The Associated Press in an interview before the announcement. The change will officially take effect on Feb. 8, 2025, timed to the organizations 115th birthday. The organization began allowing gay youth in 2013 and ended a blanket ban on gay adult leaders in 2015. In 2017, it made the historic announcement that girls would be accepted as Cub Scouts as of 2018 and into the flagship Boy Scout program renamed Scouts BSA in 2019. Over 6,000 girls have now achieved the vaunted Eagle Scout rank. The Girl Scouts of the USA, a separate organization, has clashed with the Boy Scouts in recent years over its recruitment of girls. The Girl Scouts did not respond to requests seeking comment Tuesday. A wave of reaction to the change on social media included criticism that the word boy will no longer appear in the name, including from Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. Like other organizations, the Boy Scouts of America lost members during the pandemic, when participation was difficult. After a high point over the last decade of over 2 million members in 2018, the organization currently serves just over 1 million youths, including more than 176,000 girls and young women. Membership peaked in 1972 at almost 5 million. Generations of scouts have included eventual presidents (among them Bill Clinton and Gerald Ford), astronauts (Buzz Aldrin) and celebrities (actor Harrison Ford, filmmaker Steven Spielberg). Krone said the organization must continue to attract newcomers. Part of my job is to reduce all the barriers I possibly can for people to accept us as an organization and to join, he said. There were nearly 1,000 young women in the inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts in 2021, including Selby Chipman. The all-girls troop she was a founding member of in her hometown of Oak Ridge, North Carolina, has grown from five girls to nearly 50, and she thinks the name change will encourage even more girls to join. Girls were like: You can join Boy Scouts of America? said Chipman, now a 20-year-old college student and assistant scoutmaster of her troop. Rebranding can risk alienating supporters who think the change is unnecessary, said David Aaker, vice chairman of the national branding and marketing firm Prophet. But he described the Boy Scouts rebranding as savvy, saying it kickstarts a new conversation about the organization while not being so drastic that it strays too far from its original scouting mission. Its a one-time chance to tell a new story, said Aaker, who also is a professor emeritus at the University of California-Berkeley Haas business school. The move to accept girls throughout the Boy Scout ranks strained a bond with the Girl Scouts of the USA, which sued, saying it created marketplace confusion and damaged its recruitment efforts. They reached a settlement agreement after a judge rejected those claims, saying both groups are free to use words like scouts and scouting. Past pressure to allow girls into the Boy Scouts had come from those including the National Organization for Women, which applauded Tuesdays announcement. Much of the online criticism invoked the word woke, including Rep. Andrew Clyde, a Georgia Republican, who said on X: Wokeness destroys everything it touches. But Lois Alvar, a 20-year-old Eagle Scout and assistant scoutmaster from the Dallas area, said the new name helps all scouts feel accepted. Having it nationally recognized that girls are being welcomed and included in scouting allows it to be a more safe space, just in general, she said. The Boy Scouts $2.4 billion bankruptcy reorganization plan took effect last year, allowing the organization to keep operating while compensating the more than 80,000 men who say they were sexually abused as children while in scouting. Although the organization wont officially become Scouting America until next year, Krone said he expects people will start immediately using the name. It sends this really strong message to everyone in America that they can come to this program, they can bring their authentic self, they can be who they are and they will be welcomed here, Krone said. Jack Phillips, writing at the Epoch Times reports: Governors from 50 states, as well as several territories, said they oppose a Department of Defense (DOD) plan to move state National Guard units to the U.S. Space Force, with a separate governor alleging Monday the plan is a power grab. In March, the DOD sent Congress a proposal that would allow the federal department to send some state guardsmen to the U.S. Space Force. It would require Congress to pass a new law that requires governors to allow changes to National Guard units under Title 32 and Title 10 of the U.S. Code. But a coalition of bipartisan governors said in a letter sent to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin that the move would undermine their authority and circumvent federal laws. Governors must maintain full authority as Commanders in Chief of these assets to effectively protect operational readiness and Americas communities, their letter, signed by 48 governors, stated. The letter argued that the measure would impact governors capacities to use the Guard in case of an emergency, natural disaster, or other crises. Legislation that sidesteps, eliminates or otherwise reduces Governors authority within their states and territories undermines longstanding partnerships, precedence, military readiness and operational efficacy, the letter said. This action also negatively affects the important relationships between Governors and DOD at a time when we need to have full trust and confidence between the two to meet the growing threats posed by the era of strategic competition as well as natural disasters. The only governors who didnt sign the letter are Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. However, both sent their own respective letters opposing the move. On Monday, Abbott sent a letter on Monday that he opposed the proposal and claimed that the DOD directive is tantamount to a power grab for the National Guard to give U.S. military secretaries unilateral authority to dismantle National Guard units on a whim. The U.S. Department of the Air Force should retract Legislative Proposal 480. Instead of attempting such a power grab in Congress, the U.S. Department of the Air Force should work with the affected governors to build up the Space Force in a way that is consistent with federal law, his letter stated, adding that governors should remain the commanders-in-chief of their National Guard units. Mr. DeSantis issued his own letter that opposed the measure, arguing that Florida needs its National Guard units to deal with natural disasters such as hurricanes. As a low-lying, storm-prone state, Florida is uniquely vulnerable to hurricanes and flooding that require significant, operationally ready logistics and disaster support, including from our National Guard units, he wrote in the letter dated May 3. This legislative proposal weakens that guarantee and sidesteps the authority of the Governor to ensure Floridians are prepared and protected to address whatever domestic emergencies may arise, especially as we approach another hurricane season. Other than the governors, the National Guard Association of the United States asserts that the plan would strip states of their own space capabilities and proposes the creation of the Space National Guard. During a Senate hearing last month, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told lawmakers that 500-plus people would be shifted to the Space Force from National Guard units, claiming that the reaction to the proposal is overboard. The change would have a small impact on around 1,000 National Guard members who are performing space duties across about seven states. He also told the Space Symposium event last month that weve had much, much more political attention over this issue than it deserves, in my mind. Were talking about a few hundred people. The numbers for any state are less than I think 2 percent at most of their Guard people, and theyre only a handful of states that are affected, Mr. Kendall remarked. People should look very carefully at this before they make a snap judgment about whether theyre comfortable with the change or not, he added. According to the bill, Air National Guardsman with space-connected missions would be moved to federal control and would be under the U.S. Air Forces Space Force. It noted that Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, New York, and Ohio have their Guard members perform space-related missions. The Epoch Times contacted the DOD and White House for comment Tuesday. Trumps trial is a stupendous legal catastrophe By: Alan Dershowitz Every American should be appalled at this selective prosecution. Today the target is Trump. Tomorrow it may be a Democrat. Some had asked whether a jury selected in Manhattan, which voted overwhelmingly against Trump, could be fair in judging the former president. But now that we have moved beyond this point, the real problem Trump has is that his best arguments are legal in nature: prosecutors appeared to cobble together misdemeanours and felonies in order to find something with which to get Trump. The underlying crime is seemingly a minor misdemeanour falsifying business records which long ago expired under the statute of limitations. In order to turn it into a felony within the statute of limitations, prosecutors will have to show that Trump falsified the records in order to impact his election, thus constituting a federal election felony. The problem is, however, that federal authorities have not prosecuted Trump for this federal election crime. Moreover, state prosecutors have no jurisdiction over federal election law. Finally, we were not even clear, when the trial began, as to precisely which federal election laws the District Attorney was relying on. I have been teaching, practising and writing about criminal law for 60 years. In all those years, I have never seen or heard of a case in which the defendant has been criminally prosecuted for failing to disclose the payment of what prosecutors call hush money. Alexander Hamilton paid hush money to cover up an affair with a married woman. Many others have paid hush money since. If the legislature wanted to criminalise such conduct they could easily enact the statute prohibiting the payment of hush money or requiring its disclosure. They have declined to do so. Prosecutors cannot simply make up new crimes by jerry-rigging a concoction of existing crimes, some of which are barred by the statute of limitations others of which are beyond the jurisdiction of state prosecutors. Appellate courts should be able to see through this ruse and reverse any conviction resulting from it. But that would likely occur after the election. In the meantime, however, a conviction prior to the election that might influence independent voters to cast their ballot against a convicted felon. In addition to the legal problems with the prosecutions case, there are also some factual weaknesses. Prosecutors are relying on witnesses who have previously lied and whose credibility is very questionable. They should have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump authorised the statement in business records that the alleged hush money payments were legal expenses and that this statement was knowingly false. They might also have to prove that the reason he authorised the statements was to help him get elected, not to avoid embarrassment to his wife and children or losses to his business. If the defendant were not Donald Trump and the venue were not Manhattan, this ought to be a slam dunk win for the defendant. Indeed, this extraordinarily weak case would never have been bought. I am not a Trump political supporter. I voted for Joe Biden in the last election and I have an open mind about the coming election. But I want it to be fair. Whoever loses the election should not be able to complain about election interference by the weaponisation of the criminal justice system for partisan advantage. All Americans, regardless of political affiliation, should be appalled at this selective prosecution. Today the target is Trump. Tomorrow it may be a Democrat. After that, you and me. The criminal justice system is on trial in New York. If Trump is convicted based on the distortion of law and facts that were seeing, the system will have failed us all. Commentary We still have enough confidence in our judicial system to believe all this will be cleaned up by the appellant courts. But the problem with counting on that is that much harm is being done as we speak. If ever there was a better example of kangaroo courts these prosecutions are sure to top the list. They are a gross abuse of the justice system. It will take years for the integrity of the courts, specifically the trial courts, to recover from this debacle. Thus, while the "wheels of justice may indeed grinder exceedingly slow..." the fact that the end result may be the correct one, that fact does not eliminate the harm done in the meantime. After all, who among us would have ever envisioned a bonafide candidate for President being gagged by a trial court judge in an obviously unfair venue and prevented from campaigning, not for just days, but indeed for weeks and even months. This kangaroo system of injustice will extract a cost far beyond the election, which is exactly where these issues should be debated, and the decision ultimately rendered by the voters. Perhaps the time has come for us to make the Supreme Court the court of original jurisdiction in such matters, notwithstanding the dangers of eliminating the prohibition of Bills of Attainder. On balance, the current abuses exceed the potential abuses of suppressing bills of attainder in this situation. Some remedy must be made available. The Hamas leadership that orchestrated the murder, and often rape and torture of 1,200 Israeli civilians on October 7 in a terrorist rampage, is holed up and surrounded in the town of Rafah in Gaza. The only way for Israel to cut off the head of the vicious terrorist Hamas snake is to go into Rafah and take them out. Now Joe Biden is trying to save the Hamas leadership by demanding that Israel stay our of Rafah. Biden says Israel going in after the terrorist leadership crosses a "red line" for him, and has cut off ammunition supplies to Israel to try to force their hand. Ironically, most of what Biden has cut off are precision munitions, which would reduce civilian collateral damage. The cowards of Hamas have a long history of trying to hide behind civilians. Biden's action, thus, will increase civilian casualties in Gaza when Israel has to go in with the weapons it has. The morally repugnant Biden is doing this cynically to try to get Muslim votes in Michigan. Without these precison munitions, there will be more civilians killed in the operaton and more Israeli soliders as well. But hopefully, this will wake up even more Jewish voters to vote for Trump. The Hamas terrorists still hold five American citizens as hostages and Biden has done nothing to get them back. Instead, he is siding with the hostage takers. https://redstate.com/joesquire/2024/05/09/joe-bidens-betrayal-and-mike-johnsons-fury-n2173962 https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/05/09/taking-the-side-of-these-terrorists-trump-slams-crooked-bidens-threat-to-withhold-military-support-from-israel/ https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/jewish-dems-slam-bidens-dangerous-decision-to-withhold-weapons-from-israel/ https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense/2997498/israel-will-stand-alone-netanyahu-signals-what-he-thinks-of-bidens-rafah-redline/ 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. James Aronovitz, DO, and his practice agreed to pay more than $2 million to resolve allegations they charged Medicare and Medicaid programs for services purportedly provided by a physician, but were rendered by physician assistants. Dr. Aronovitz did not properly supervise these PA services, which were provided in nursing facilities and home health settings, the Justice Department said in a May 8 news release. Of the $2 million provided by Dr. Aronovitz and Farmington Hills-based Michigan Ear Care, the state of Michigan will receive nearly $66,000 of the settlement Cape Girardeau, Mo.-based Saint Francis Healthcare System is closing a Missouri surgery center. The health system is closing Physicians Alliance Surgery Center in Cape Girardeau effective May 31, according to a May 8 news release. All surgeries that are scheduled at the center will be transitioned to Saint Francis Medical Center. Saint Francis Healthcare System is working with providers to identify other employment opportunities within the health system, the release said. Ramon Najera Jr., 81, of Leon Valley, was killed by two pit bulls that escaped from their yard in the 2800 block of Depla Street on San Antonio's West Side on Feb. 24, 2023. The dogs killed Najera when he stepped out of his car to help his wife as the animals were mauling her. The attack was unprovoked. Courtesy photo/Raymond Najera Texas State Senator Jose Menendez, left, and District 7 San Antonio City Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito, right, talk with Max and Beatrice De Los Santos following a press conference Wednesday. Max De Los Santos, 77, suffered the amputation of both his legs and numerous other injuries after two dogs attacked him without provocation in his own yard last year. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News District 7 San Antonio City Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito answers questions Wednesday about her proposals to address loose and dangerous dogs wandering in the city. In the background is Raymond Najera, whose father, Ramon Najera Jr., 81, was attacked and killed by two pit bulls that escaped from their yard on San Antonio's West Side last year. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News District 7 San Antonio City Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito answers questions Wednesday about her proposals to address loose and dangerous dogs wandering in the city. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Victims of two vicious dog attacks joined a San Antonio city council member to show support for her proposal calling for tougher penalties for owners of dogs that repeatedly escape their property. Council Member Marina Alderete Gavito, who represents District 7 on the West Side, also is asking San Antonio Animal Care Services to sterilize all dogs taken into custody by the agency before allowing owners to reclaim those animals. And she wants ACS to allow people to use pseudonyms to protect their names from public disclosure when they file sworn affidavits complaining about dangerous or aggressive dogs. Among those joining her to signal approval of the measures were Max De Los Santos, now 77, who suffered the amputation of both his legs and spent seven months in various hospitals after two dogs trespassed into his yard and mauled him last year in the 7400 block of Fieldgate. His wife, Beatrice, who is his full-time caretaker, also spoke out in support of Alderete Gavitos proposals. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Air Force veteran Ramon Najera Jr., 81, of Leon Valley, was killed by two pit bulls that escaped from their yard in the 2800 block of Depla Street on San Antonio's West Side on Feb. 24, 2023. The dogs killed Najera when he stepped out of his car to help his wife as the animals were mauling her. The attack was unprovoked. Courtesy photo/Raymond Najera Air Force veteran Ramon Najera Jr., 81, of Leon Valley, was killed last year by two pit bulls that escaped their yard and attacked him and his wife in the 2800 block of Depla Street on the West Side on Feb. 24, 2023. Najeras son, Raymond, 62, a District 7 resident, also stood with the council member Wednesday to call for tougher enforcement against irresponsible dog owners. Najera wasnt the only man killed by dogs in San Antonio last year. Paul Anthony Striegl Jr., 47, was mortally injured when he was attacked by his next-door neighbors American Staffordshire terrier while sitting in his yard, smoking a cigarette, in a Northeast Side trailer park on Sept. 5. Doctors had to amputate his left forearm. Striegl died Oct. 1 at Brooke Army Medical Center. Advertisement Article continues below this ad At times, the victims became emotional Wednesday. Max De Los Santos' eyes welled up with tears as he described the support and care he has received from his wife and family throughout his ordeal during the past nine months. Raymond Najera also paused and became tearful as he discussed his fathers death. Ramon Najera Jr. (second from left), 81, of Leon Valley, was killed by two pit bulls that escaped from their yard in the 2800 block of Depla Street on San Antonio's West Side on Feb. 24, 2023. Pictured with him, left to right, are his wife Juanita "Janie" Najera, now 75; his mother, Genevieve Najera, now 99; and son, Raymond Najera, 62. Courtesy photo/Raymond Najera Alderete Gavito, a first-term council member, described loose and dangerous dogs as an ongoing crisis in the community. Many residents have called her to express frustration about the dangers posed by such pets. The council member said she wants to hold irresponsible dog owners accountable for their negligence. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We must act now to reduce the chance of further attacks, Alderete Gavito said. When irresponsible owners do not keep their dogs contained, attacks occur. LUCKY TO BE ALIVE: San Antonio woman mourns babys death after dog attack led to crash For dogs that repeatedly escape their property, she is proposing a minimum fine of $500 for a second offense and at least $750 for a third offense and each subsequent infraction. The current fines range from $100 to $2,000 for a first offense. A second conviction carries a minimum fine of $200, while a third calls for at least $300. Max De Los Santos, 77, of San Antonio, answers questions about an unprovoked dog attack that resulted in both of his legs being amputated last year. He and his wife, Beatrice De Los Santos (left), discussed their ordeal after San Antonio District 7 City Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito discussed her proposals to crack down on irresponsible dog owners. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Sterilizing loose dogs that escape their yards would be a huge shift in ACS' operations, Alderete Gavito said. Currently, ACS doesnt spay or neuter owned animals. Advertisement Article continues below this ad ACS is continuing to work with District 7, as well as other local and state lawmakers to make San Antonio a safer, more humane place for people and pets, the agency said Wednesday. The agency is following up on past departmental recommendations to strengthen dangerous dog laws and bolster the investigative process, ACS spokeswoman Lisa Norwood said in a statement Wednesday. Objectives aimed at increasing public safety and strengthening investigative process are key components of the departments comprehensive strategic plan, which was endorsed by City Council last year. Max and Beatrice De Los Santos arrive at a press conference hosted by District 7 Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito on Wednesday. Max De Los Santos, 77, suffered the amputation of both his legs and survived numerous other injuries after two dogs attacked him in his own yard on San Antonio's West Side last year. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News Dog owners have a responsibility to their neighbors and the community to create a safer environment, said Raymond Najera, who is a pet owner himself. I just encourage everyone to keep reporting to ACS if you see loose dogs, if you see aggressive dogs, Najera said. If your voice is not heard I know sometimes its cumbersome continue to report and go through with those affidavits, if you care to do so. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Beatrice De Los Santos urged everyone to support councilwomans proposals, which she described as reasonable changes. Anything that we can do to keep our families safe, our community safe, deserves our 100 percent backing, she said. Wherever we live in San Antonio, we need to support this because we dont want to experience another fatality, another injury or any of these horrible consequences that happen. Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare is one of the largest operators of surgery centers through its ASC business Surgery Ventures. Here are 12 major moves from HCA to know in 2024: 1. Kathryn Torres, HCA's senior vice president of payer contracting and alignment, sold 1,863 shares of the company's stock on May 2 and May 3. 2. In May, HCA was sued because its N.C.-based Mission Health allegedly illegally kept pay from at least 1,000 employees 3. HCA posted $1.8 billion in income and $17 billion in revenue in the first quarter of 2024. The company ended the first quarter with 121 ASCs, down from 126 in the same quarter last year. 4. In April, HCA and healthcare real estate development company NexCore Group partnered to build an ASC in Orem, Utah. 5. In April, HCA sold Los Angeles-based West Hills Hospital and Medical Center, which includes a freestanding ASC, to UCLA Health. 6. In April, HCA inked a deal with Talkiatry that allows physician practices and urgent care centers to refer patients to psychiatric care through their EHR system. 7. In March, more than half a dozen surgeries at HCA Florida North Florida Hospital in Gainesville were reportedly canceled and rescheduled due to issues related to surgical instruments not being properly reprocessed. 8. In March, CMS sent a letter to HCA Healthcare's Mission Hospital in Asheville, N.C., to notify leadership that the hospital was found in violation of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. 9. In February and March, three HCA Florida Healthcare hospitals opened a freestanding emergency department as the health system continues to expand its freestanding ED footprint. 10. In February, Surgery Ventures, through a joint venture with more than 50 physicians, announced the opening of Silicon Valley Surgery Center in Campbell, Calif. 11. In February, HCA's 252-bed Regional Medical Center announced it will close its trauma center and ST-elevation myocardial infarction program Aug. 12 12. In January, Surgery Ventures announced that it acquired a majority interest in two Texas ASCs in the fall of 2023. The company now manages the day-to-day operations of each ASC. A Pennsylvania woman charged with working as an unlicensed dental assistant could be facing additional charges after violating bail conditions, according to a May 9 report by Bucks County Courier Times. Rose Horne was arrested in April after she worked at three dental practices in Pennsylvania without the required certifications. During a preliminary hearing May 8, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office revealed that Ms. Horne may have been working for a fourth dentist, which would violate the conditions of her bail. The bail conditions included barring Ms. Horne from working in a dental office until after the case was closed. The AG prosecutor said that the office is investigating a tip that Ms. Horne was working for a dentist in Philadelphia. Two dentists and an office manager testified that Ms. Horne represented herself as certified to perform X-rays as an expanded function dental assistant. Neither the Pennsylvania Board of Dentistry nor the Dental Assisting National Board have any records that Ms. Horne is a licensed EFDA. Ms. Horne currently is charged with five felony counts of prohibited use of radiation source, the report said. The majority of adults 20 and older meet criteria for cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome, putting them at risk of developing full-blown heart disease, according to new research. Last year, the American Heart Association recognized cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic, or CKM syndrome, as a "health disorder due to connections among heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes and obesity leading to poor health outcomes." The syndrome is categorized into four stages, the first being excess fat buildup in the body and the fourth heart disease, with or without kidney disease. In the study, published May 8 in JAMA Network, researchers set out to determine how prevalent the condition is. They evaluated data from a national survey from 2011 to 2020 to determine individuals' CKM syndrome stage. Nearly 11,000 adults 20 and older were included. Overall, nearly 90% of adults met criteria for some stage of CKM syndrome, including 15% for advanced stages. "We absolutely were surprised that almost 90% of people met the criteria," Rahul Aggarwal, MD, study co-author and fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, both based in Boston, told NBC News. "It was much higher than we anticipated in a database that included younger adults." Nearly half of adults were in stage 2, meaning they had a moderate risk for heart disease because they either had high blood pressure, high triglycerides, kidney disease or type 2 diabetes. The findings point to the need for more recognition of the connection between cardiac, metabolic and kidney health, and the need for earlier diagnosis of condition that increase the risk for heart disease, experts told NBC News in response to the study "The main message from this study should be that many common behaviors are leading to an accumulation of diseases over one's lifetime, which will impact quality of life and survival," Robert Rosenson, MD, director of lipids and metabolism at New York City-based Mount SInai Health System, told the news outlet. Emplify Health, a $2.6 billion health system based in Wisconsin, got its new name after searching the most popular words from staff and community member suggestions, executives told Becker's. The former Bellin and Gundersen Health System, which has dual headquarters in Green Bay and La Crosse, revealed its new brand April 30, a year and a half after the merger of Bellin Health and Gundersen Health System. "We came to Emplify as a great brand for us that brings the two words of empathy and amplify together," said Chris Woleske, president of the Bellin region for Emplify Health. "We both were known as empathetic organizations. And we believe that, together, we can amplify that and do even more." The health system had temporarily gone as Bellin and Gundersen Health System but noticed that it often confused patients who didn't recognize it as one entity. So the organization worked with consulting firm Finch Brands to find a new name. The company surveyed employees and community members on possible monikers, and then analyzed their answers for common words. "Empathy" came up multiple times, so Finch Brands came up with a few dozen ideas that derived from that word. "It's 'empathy' and 'amplify' mashed together to form a neologism, and it really speaks to us," said Heather Schimmers, president of the Gundersen region for Emplify Health. "It's at the core of who we are. That's what we do." The two health system presidents said they've learned a lot about branding and marketing through this process, including the terms "brand architecture" and "brand migration." "Brand architecture" refers to the structure of brands within an organization. Thus the health system will be known as Emplify Health by Bellin and Emplify Health by Gundersen in their respective regions. "The loyalty to those brands is very strong, and we need to really respect the heritage and the legacy that those brands represent," Ms. Schimmers said. This will ease the "brand migration" to where Emplify Health eventually becomes the sole name, a process that could take years. "Brand isn't a word. Brand is how you act out your values, how you act out what you believe as an organization," Ms. Schimmers said. "So brand, to me, is really more of the people inside your organization than any word and definition of what it means." The health system is starting with the current "introduction" to the new name before launching a full-scale branding campaign this summer. It's not always easy to demonstrate a return on investment for marketing, but the leaders say the results will manifest over time. They said they aren't exactly sure of the price tag for the rebrand as it is still evolving. "It will cost some money to rebrand, but will it impact the way we perform, the way we do business, our ability to negotiate contracts, etc.?" Ms. Schimmers said. "Over the next however many years it's going to make life a little simpler for all of us, our back office functions are going to be more streamlined. So we are looking at this as an investment for the future of our health system." Ms. Woleske said there's been "positivity and excitement" over the new name but also a sense of sadness and loss among some employees who have only known the previous brands. Both health systems were named after their founders. "People really identify with those legacy brands that are more than 100 years old," she said. "That's just very normal to feel that way but also at the same time be excited about the potential for the new brand to bring us together as an enterprise and really reflect what we stand for." Ms. Schimmers said she hopes that five years down the road Emplify Health will be the "brand of choice for people who need our care." "Because truly, when you look at the performance of these two health systems that have joined, we are truly better together," she said. "We were really good alone, both of us. But we are really strong together." Dallas-based Steward Health Care led losses again for Medical Properties Trust, one of the world's largest hospital real estate owners, in the first quarter of 2024, ended March 31, according to MPT's recent financial reports. The company's net loss saw around $693 million in impairments mostly attributed to non-real estate adjustments related to Steward, including MPT's $360 million loan to Steward, its Steward equity investment, and its International Joint Venture loan. Steward filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy May 6. The health system also shared that it was $9 billion in debt and hopes to sell its 31 hospitals. During a May 9 earnings call, MPT shared that it's plan is to replace Steward with "better qualified operators" at many of its hospitals leased to Steward. Here are nine findings from the report: 1. Steward paid $9 million in cash rent and $2 million cash interest on multiple working capital and additional loans to MPT in the first quarter of 2024. 2. MPT provided Steward with a $60 million bridge loan in January. MPT and Steward's asset-backed creditors also previously provided Steward with $75 million each in additional loans to help the for-profit health system with "re-tenanting and business divestiture efforts," according to the report. 3. Most recently, the company approved $75 million in debtor-in-possession financing for Steward after it filed for bankruptcy. MPT has not committed to any additional funding and expects Steward to use the funds to maintain patient care while it searches for new hospital operators. 4. "Regarding Steward's recent filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, we expect this process may facilitate an orderly transition of Stewards operations to new operators," Edward Aldag, chairman, president and CEO of Medical Properties Trust, said in the release. "As Steward continues these efforts, MPT has agreed to provide $75 million in DIP funding to ensure continued operations and continuity of patient care. 5. Normalized funds from operations was $142 million in the first quarter ended March 31, a 36% decrease from $222 million during the same time period in 2023. MPT blamed the "significant decrease in revenue related to Steward" for the NFFO decrease. 6. MPT offloaded 75% interest in five Steward-operated Utah hospitals to Englewood, Colo.-based Catholic Health Initiatives Colorado, part of Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health, for around $1.1 billion in April. It also sold five hospitals in California and New Jersey for $350 million to Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare in April. 7. Los Angeles-based Prospect Medical Holdings paid $7 million in cash rent and interest to MPT in the first quarter of 2024. MPT's estimated fair market value investment in PHP Holdings decreased by around $60 million in the first quarter of 2024 "as the result of changes in independent third party appraisals," the release said. 8. "Looking ahead, we remain confident in the valuable role MPT serves in the healthcare ecosystem providing operators with necessary financing solutions to optimize their capital stack and redirect resources towards caring for patients. We have constructed a highly diversified portfolio across geographies, operators, and facility types with significant long-term cash flow potential," Mr. Aldag said in the release. 9. MPT's net loss for the first quarter hit $735.4 million, a significant decrease from the $33 million increase reported in the same period in 2023. Editor's note: this story has been updated as of May 10 at 11:14 a.m. CT. Paul Kempinski plans to retire as president and CEO of Children's Mercy Kansas City (Mo.) after more than 40 years in healthcare leadership. Mr. Kempinski has helmed Children's Mercy since November 2018. "Under Pauls leadership, our central focus on providing world-class care to children has remained steadfast," Bill Krueger, chairman of the Children's Mercy board, said in a May 9 news release. "Paul led our organization through the pandemic, launched the Berry Institute with a vision of developing high performing leaders from within Childrens Mercy and advanced our research strategy. He pushed our organization to new heights and maintained an unwavering focus on providing extraordinary care to every child we serve." Before joining Children's Mercy, Mr. Kempinski served as president of Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del. He also served as enterprise vice president for the Nemours Children's Health System. Mr. Kempinski will remain at the helm of Children's Mercy until the naming and onboarding of the next leader, according to the release. A last-minute bill drawn up by the Minnesota House Finance and Policy Committee could create another roadblock for ongoing efforts to dissolve the Hennepin Healthcare System board of directors' oversight of Minneapolis-based Hennepin County Medical Center, the Star Tribune reported May 8. The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners was asked to help remove the system board on April 2 by nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association, healthcare workers from the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, and the Hennepin County Association of Paramedics and EMTs. The request pointed to unimproved working conditions and issues like change to employee benefits that increased employee out-of-pocket costs, which would make it more difficult to recruit and retain workers. However, not everyone is on board with the push to dissolve. "What is happening at Hennepin is happening everywhere in healthcare," Meghan Walsh, MD, chief academic and research officer for HCMC, told lawmakers Tuesday, according to the Star Tribune. "Dismantling our leadership structure or removing the people in it will not erase these challenges." A two-thirds majority vote from the Hennepin County board, which oversees Hennepin Healthcare's budget, would be needed to dissolve the system board and take back both HCMC and other associated health clinics. While Hennepin County Board Chair Irene Fernando supports the purpose of the Minnesota Legislature's drawn-up bill to help exercise the county board's "longstanding reserved power," she asked that it be completed in collaboration with the county. "In order to ensure the vitality and sustainability of this critical regional and statewide healthcare asset, the County Board needs to be able to take timely action to address the corporation's performance with respect to its public mission, its finances, or its workforce not only when there is criminal conduct or malfeasance," Ms. Fernando said in a statement shared with Becker's. The county board has not publically shared if it wants to take back HCMC control, the Star Tribune reported. A financial analysis of HCMC was shared with the board from consultants in April. The board has since scheduled meetings with hospital leaders to better understand the organization's challenges. The meetings will run through June. Suggested changes to dissolve the system board would need approval prior to the Minnesota Legislature adjourning May 20, the publication said. Paid sick leave has expanded across the U.S. as more states pass laws related to the issue. Here are six notes about the efforts: 1. The U.S. is one of nearly a dozen countries that does not guarantee paid sick leave, according to the World Policy Analysis Center. 2. In early 2020, the Labor Department implemented the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act, both part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The FFCRA, signed in response to the pandemic, required covered employers to provide eligible employees up to two weeks of paid sick leave when the individual couldn't work because of reasons related to COVID-19. These provisions have since expired. 3. However, at the state level, paid sick leave has stuck, KFF Health News reported May 9. Pre-pandemic, 10 states and Washington, D.C., had paid sick leave laws, according to the media outlet. Colorado, New York, New Mexico, Illinois, and Minnesota have since passed such laws, and Oregon and California expanded previous paid leave laws. Advocates in Missouri, Alaska and Nebraska seek to have the issue on the ballot this fall, KFF Health News reported. 4. A recent Economic Policy Institute report found that the share of the lowest-wage workers with access to paid sick time increased from 20% in 2010 to 39% in 2023. Still, the report also found that 61% of these workers do not have access to the benefit. 5. An article published in September 2022 from the Pew Charitable Trusts highlighted four studies pointing to the benefits of paid sick leave, including a study in Preventive Medicine showing workers with paid sick leave seek preventive care more often. 6. But the National Federation of Independent Business is against mandates in states. Tim Goodrich, NFIB vice president of state government relations, wrote in a 2022 article: "The vast majority of small business owners provide flexibility for employees to pick up kids from school, attend tee ball games, and attend to family emergencies. A one-size-fits-all government mandate is both financially and administratively burdensome. NFIB opposes these unnecessary mandates." Almost 1 in 10 Mass General Brigham attending physicians are experimenting with generative AI that listens to patient visits and uploads notes to EHRs, The Wall Street Journal reported May 8. Amy Wheeler, MD, a primary care physician in Revere, Mass., told the newspaper the artificial intelligence is "incredibly accurate" in its note-taking, and that patients are caught off guard when she doesn't sit down to type on a computer during appointments. "Now we're going back to the point where doctors can give actual medical care and not be an IT specialist and a writer," she told the Journal. "You want to give that person who's been waiting to see you your undivided attention." The Somerville, Mass.-based health system has been one of the earliest, and most aggressive, adopters of generative AI, while also carefully researching its efficacy and safety. Chief Medical Information Officer Rebecca Mishuris, MD, told the news outlet the organization is studying the ambient listening technology's effects on patient experience and physician retention. "The feedback is impressive," she told the Journal. "I have quotes from people saying, 'I'm no longer leaving medicine.'" Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems is the latest health system to sue MultiPlan over allegations the data analytics firm conspired with major payers to underpay providers by tens of billions annually. The lawsuit, filed May 8 in New York federal court, is the third from a health system in less than a year accusing MultiPlan of price fixing. Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth filed a lawsuit in August and Shreveport, La.-based Allegiance Health Management filed a lawsuit in April. The for-profit health system alleges that by 2017, MultiPlan reached agreements with nearly every other significant payer to use its repricing tools to collectively suppress out-of-network reimbursements paid to healthcare providers. "MultiPlan knows that, by bombarding healthcare providers with a constant stream of 'repriced' reimbursement demands, it is practically impossible for healthcare providers to meaningfully negotiate or pursue dispute resolution with respect to individual claims," CHS alleged in the lawsuit. "Accordingly, any 'negotiation' with MultiPlan starts from the position of MultiPlans collusive offer to radically underpay healthcare providers for their services, and invariably ends with MultiPlan forcing the healthcare provider to capitulate to an extreme underpayment." CHS alleged the money MultiPlan and other payers withhold from providers "does not go to patients; it goes to insurance companies, their investors, and their executives." "MultiPlan has created, and continues to orchestrate, an ongoing cartel agreement with competing health insurance companies throughout the United States to bilk healthcare providers out of billions of dollars per year," CHS' lawsuit alleges. A MultiPlan spokesperson told Becker's, "we believe this lawsuit has no merit, and we look forward to disproving these baseless allegations." "MultiPlan plays a vital role in helping to reduce healthcare costs across the entire healthcare ecosystem, benefiting payors, providers, employers, and patients," the spokesperson said. Aetna, Elevance, Centene, Cigna, Health Care Service Corp., UnitedHealth, and Humana are named as "co-conspirators" in the lawsuit, but are not listed as defendants. The lawsuit comes after The New York Times reported April 7 that major insurers made millions in fees by using MultiPlan to determine how much to pay providers for out-of-network claims. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar has also called on the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate potentially anticompetitive conduct by MultiPlan. Dennis Rudner is a producer for the Express-News. He can be reached at dennis.rudner@express-news.net. An Ohio native, Rudner is a graduate of The Ohio State University. He joined the Express-News in May 2021. Survey data trends suggest fewer nurses intend to leave the field compared to last year. AMN Healthcare's Nurses in 2024 report, a survey of 1,155 nurses, found that only 35% of nurses plan to change jobs and about 20% said they are optimistic that their work will improve this year. A February report by AMN also found 31% of nursing leaders are considering leaving their jobs. These numbers are significantly lower than what was reported last year. In January 2023, an AMN Healthcare report found 85% of nurses intended to leave their hospital jobs in the next 12 months. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, a large amount of research and surveys suggested the potential for a mass exodus of nurses and providers, and many have taken it as a warning to improve retention. To meet nurses' needs, hospitals have poured resources into retention efforts, ranging from knowledge assessment tools to utilizing artificial intelligence to virtual nursing and more. These initiatives appeared to have contributed to reducing the number of nurses intending to leave their job or the field. This trend comes as many studies show the workforce is stabilizing. A JAMA Health Forum study found the nursing workforce was 6% larger in 2023 than in 2019. The Health Resources and Services Administration and U.S. Census Bureau released a report that found about 5% of the workforce, or 195,000 nurses, left the workforce during COVID-19. Forty-three percent of those who left plan to return, while 19% said they do not intend to come back. Now, some systems are honing in on the next area of concern for nurses: workplace violence. A February report from National Nurses United found 60% of nurses said workplace violence has led them to change jobs, leave jobs or at least consider leaving the job or even the profession entirely. New research, which has not been peer-reviewed yet, found colorectal cancer rates have risen between 45% and 500% for people too young for routine screenings, though the overall cancer incidences are still low, NBC News reported May 9. Routine screening is recommended every 10 years starting at age 45; however, the rates of colorectal cancer have been rising steadily for people ages 10 to 44 in the last two decades. The study found diagnoses in children 10 to 14 years old jumped from 0.1 cases per 100,000 in 1999 to 0.6 per 100,000 in 2020 a 500% increase. Among people 15 to 19 years old, cases increased by 300% 0.3 per 100,000 to 1.3 per 100,000 people. In people 20 to 24 years old, cases increased by 185% from 0.7 to 2 per 100,000 people. For people over 25 years old, the increases were smaller, with those aged 40 to 44 seeing the smallest increase of 45% (from 15 cases per 100,000 people to about 21 per 100,000). "It means that there is a trend," Islam Mohamed, MD, an internal medicine resident physician at the University of Missouri-Kansas City who led the research, told NBC. "We don't know what to make of it yet, it could be lifestyle factors or genetics, but there is a trend." The study will be presented later this month at the Digestive Disease Week conference in Washington, D.C. Surgeons' co-pilots are in shortage. Surgical technologists have a keen attention to detail. Responsible for preparing operating rooms, strategically arranging equipment and assisting during procedures, surgeries which account for at least half of many hospitals' revenue could not run safely without them. On average, about 8,600 job openings are projected each year across the next decade for surgical technologists and assistants, according to estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data from surveys and reports that demonstrate the extent to which health systems' surgical operations are affected by the scarcity of surgical techs are hard to come by, but the topic arises often in conversations with executives. At Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine, the surgical tech shortage is on par with the nursing shortage, Kevin Mahoney, CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, recently told Becker's. So far this year, there have been open positions for more than 25 out of approximately 240 surgical tech roles across the system. Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health is also grappling with the shortage. "We went from about six or seven orthopedic specific scrub techs to three," Blake Miller, DO, orthopedic trauma surgeon Trinity Health, told ABC affiliate WZZM in a report from May 2023. "Now we have four. It significantly impacts the ability to do our work." By and large, there is a lack of awareness about the profession relative to other career paths in healthcare, which is one such factor contributing to the shortage, those in the industry say. Additionally, there has been a decrease in the number of accredited surgical technology programs in recent years, according to the Association of Surgical Technologists. In recent years, there were around 430 accredited programs, down from more than 500 several years earlier. "Not surprisingly, the decrease in the number of programs has resulted in fewer graduates taking the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting Certified Technologist certifying examination," Kevin Craycraft wrote to members during his time as president of the AST (July 2021 to March 2023). Training, advancement, bonuses More than one-fourth of inpatient stays in the U.S. involve at least one operating room procedure, according to data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Whether inpatient or outpatient, demand for surgical services is poised to increase as the nation's population ages, and health systems are getting creative to entice more people to enter the profession and retain them once they join their respective organizations. Penn Medicine is piloting a surgical technologist trainee program in which the system will hire participants as employees and pay for them to get certified in exchange for a work commitment. Three cohorts have been outlined, with the first slated to begin May 19. Twelve enrollees were selected out of more than 500 internal applicants, a spokesperson for the health system told Becker's. After the pilot period, the system anticipates expanding the program to include more than 12 spots and to design similar programs to train certified medical assistants and nursing assistants. Over the years, healthcare has leaned more into earn-to-learn style educational programs to attract people to the field. Mr. Mahoney said the models are critical in addressing staffing shortages across the industry and mark a shift away from long-held norms in healthcare in which individuals are on their own to navigate the path to certification for technical roles. "It's a little backwards, so we think this earn-to-learn is proving to be a big success, and I think it will continue to be a big success as we move forward," Mr. Mahoney said. On job listings for surgical techs, Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Corewell Health is offering up to $10,000 in sign-on incentives. Trinity Health has an apprenticeship program funded by both the health system and other community sources so graduates complete it with no student debt. Career development is another key area of focus as health systems look to strengthen the surgical tech pipeline. "We are investing in our current surgical technicians growth and development by offering a career ladder at some of our sites for ongoing professional advancement, ultimately leading to retention," a spokesperson for Trinity Health previously told WZZM. "Cross-training is another strategy we are implementing to address some of the shortfalls of the pipeline. We are retooling for the future as we anticipate the shortage will be here for many years." Some nurses are pushing for federal agencies to recognize the vocation as a STEM profession, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported April 30. Marion Leary, PhD, RN, director of innovation at University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in Philadelphia, and Rebecca Love, MSN, RN, commissioner of the Commission for Nurse Reimbursement, who co-chair the Nursing is STEM Coalition, are leading the efforts, which include a petition letter advocating for the inclusion of nursing as a STEM-designated field on the Department of Homeland Security STEM Designated Program List. "Nursing integrates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics andaligns with the Department of Homeland Security definition of a STEM field, one that 'engages students in research, innovation or development of new technologies using engineering, mathematics, computer science or natural sciences (including physical, biological, and agricultural sciences,'" the petition letter said. The Labor Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs currently recognize nursing as a STEM field, but the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies such as the National Science Foundation do not, according to the coalition website. Coalition members argue that amid a projected national nursing shortage, designating nursing as STEM would make available millions of dollars for Americans to pursue nursing as a career. This includes grants for STEM-specific research as well as opportunities such as the White House's $1.2 billion investment in STEM in 2022, according to the Inquirer. Coalition members also argue that designating nursing a STEM field helps "rectify a long-standing perception that women are not pursuing rigorous math and science fields." Additionally, Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, RN, president of the American Nurses Association, advocated for the designation in an interview with Becker's Erica Carbajal last year. "I think that is a lost opportunity from a branding perspective because of the enormous amount of science that does go into nursing and care," she said. The Department of Homeland Security is expected to announce a decision in late summer, according to the Inquirer. Dr. Leary and Ms. Love told the newspaper that more than 100 nursing organizations and leaders in the field signed the petition. Read more about the coalition here. The exterior of Cafe Parisien in Belfast city centre, which has been hit with a rent increase of nearly 70% From left, Israel Robb, Galgorm Collection director and Colin Johnston, Galgorm Collection managing director, on the terrace of Cafe Parisien in 2019 Belfast city centre restaurant Parisien, part of the Galgorm Collection, is facing an almost 70% backdated increase in annual rent to 100,000. Its huge rent hike comes at a time of growing pressures on the hospitality industry from rising operating costs, including the price of produce, and an increase to the minimum wage. A letter seen by the Belfast Telegraph was received by Parisiens law firm at the end of last month from commercial property agents Osborne King, informing them of the increase. Its understood the restaurant had been paying rent of around 60,000 but that a rent review which was due in July 2023 would now be applied, and backdated. "I hereby give you notice of the landlords intention to review the rent to a sum of 100,000 per annum with effect from the review date exclusive or rates and other charges," the letter says. Its understood arbitration between the parties could be an option to resolve any issues. Osborne King did not respond to a request for comment. The Galgorm Collection announced the purchase of the unit on Donegall Square at the side of Belfast City Hall in 2017, opening Cafe Parisien, now Parisien, later that year. The venue closed at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic but reopened in 2021. Colin Johnston, managing director of the Galgorm Collection, which owns Parisien, told the Belfast Telegraph: Were absolutely taken aback by what amounts to an alarming annual rent hike of 66%, which will be backdated by almost a year. In an inflationary environment, we would have expected an upward increase but the magnitude of this has come without warning. "Since Covid-19, weve worked hard to build a sustainable recovery in the face of soaring overheads including energy, rates, food and labour and this is another huge additional cost. Trade body Hospitality Ulster posted about the rent increase on X last night, saying: Cafe Parisien hit with a whopping 66% rent increase backdated a year "Our restaurants are at breaking point and this... just adds to the further demise of our amazing restaurant offer. The Galgorm Collection, which files its accounts as Tullymore House Ltd, saw revenues double from 22.7m in 2021 to 45.1m in 2022. Pre-tax profits also rose during that period, from 3.2m to 7.75m. The Collection has been expanding in recent years though it's best-known as the owner of the Galgorm Resort outside Ballymena. In 2019 it acquired the former Templeton Hotel in Templepatrick, which was relaunched after a 10m refurbishment as the Rabbit Hotel and Retreat two years later. The Old Inn in Crawfordsburn was added to the Collection in 2021 and was reopened after a revamp later that year. Parisiens rising rent comes as a string of restaurants announced their closure over recent weeks, all in response to rising costs. The Windrose in Carrickfergus announced it was shutting with immediate effect last week, following hot on the heels of Belfasts Blank. A spokesperson said existing customers do not need to take any action and will be contacted in due course Electric Ireland has not provided a timescale for the process (Stock image - Getty) Electric Ireland has sought to reassure domestic customers after it announced its withdrawal from the Northern Ireland domestic electricity market to focus on businesses. The company is the third largest supplier in Northern Ireland, with over 50,000 domestic customers. In a statement, the Irish-owned company said: Electric Ireland has completed a strategic review of our residential business in Northern Ireland. As a result of this review, we will be focusing exclusively on the business market and, over time, our intention is to no longer serve the residential market. Electric Ireland will continue to supply and support our residential customers during this transition. The company has not provided a timescale for the process, although a spokesman for the firm, which is owned by ESB Group, said: Electric Ireland will engage directly with customers in the coming weeks and months. He said the firm would be working with other parties including the Utility Regulator, and with its residential customers, to take a managed approach. "During the process, Electric Ireland will continue to supply our c53,000 residential customers, equating to c6% of the market. We understand and appreciate that this news may be unsettling for some customers and so it is important to stress that there is no immediate change. "There will be no interruption in supply to Electric Ireland customers and they do not need to take any action. Electric Ireland will contact them directly in due course. Electric Ireland accounts for around 35% of the business market in Northern Ireland. The spokesman added: Electric Irelands staff supporting residential customers in Northern Ireland have been briefed and there are no immediate job losses planned. "We will continue to engage with and support staff and customers throughout this transition. Power NI and SSE Airtricity are the first and second-biggest suppliers of electricity respectively to the domestic market here. A spokesperson for the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland said: The Consumer Council will continue to work with Electric Ireland and the Utility Regulator to ensure that its customers are not negatively impacted and that a smooth exit process occurs. Electric Ireland customers will not be impacted at this time. Customers will continue to receive their electricity supply as normal, and they will remain Electric Ireland customers until further notice. There is no need for customers to contact Electric Ireland at this stage. Electric Ireland will engage with their customers directly to inform them of their decision to stop supplying domestic electricity in Northern Ireland, and explain what options are available to impacted customers. Barbara Cantley, interim director of consumer protection and enforcement at the Utility Regulator, confirmed it was working with Electric Ireland following its commercial decision. There will be no interruption to customers electricity supply, and we will continue to ensure that they are protected, she said. Electric Ireland customers do not need to take any action at present. The company will be engaging with them directly to guide them through the next steps of the process. Electric Ireland is the first supplier to leave part or all of the Northern Ireland supply market since 2021, when Bright Energy made its exit in response to rising energy prices. Speaking at the time, the Utility Regulator said a process known as supplier of last resort was in place to ensure customers do not lose supply if a company leaves the market. Under that process, all customers were transferred to Power NI, the main supplier here. SONI chief executive Alan Campbell says infrastructure will improve security of supply of electricity The North South Interconnector is due to complete in late 2027, the NI Assembly economy committee has heard The North-South Interconnector intended to improve security of electricity supply on the island of Ireland is due to complete in late 2027, Northern Ireland energy bosses have said. Alan Campbell of SONI and John French of the Utility Regulator were quizzed about the interconnector and issues affecting security of electricity supply by the NI Assembly Economy Committee yesterday. The interconnector would improve security of supply by connecting the electricity grids in the Republic and NI via a 400kV overhead cable. There would be 35km of electricity line in Armagh and Tyrone and 103km crossing Meath, Cavan and Monaghan, supported by pylons. The project has won planning permission but has been bitterly opposed by campaigners in the areas affected. Mr Campbell, chief executive of System Operator for NI, which ensures the flow of electricity around the network to meet demand, said assets like the interconnector were necessary to improve security of supply and help decarbonisation. Asked by DUP Upper Bann MLA Jonathan Buckley if Northern Ireland had ever risked losing power, Mr Campbell said it had not come close to a blackout in his time. Mr Campbell joined the organisation in 2017. In my time, I dont recall any time where we have been anywhere close to that type of event, he said. He said there were system alerts to flag when the margin between generation available and demand gets a bit tighter than we would like. We had one alert in the winter just gone by, the previous winter there were none and the winter before that there were three or four. Thats only when the margin is tighter than we would like, it doesnt mean theres an imminent blackout. We have robust steps in place where if that margin is eroded to the point where it is too tight. But he said there could never be guarantees that there would not be blackouts. Its a challenge that we need to manage. Theres risks involved. If the generation available to use in NI and the Republic is available, there is sufficient margin there. But if there were large-scale unforeseen events then theres always that risk. No system operator can guarantee that there wont be a blackout, but we have good mitigation plans in place to deal with scenarios that we can limit the impact. SONI is owned by EirGrid in the Republic, with the Utility Regulator three years ago claiming that it was not sufficiently independent from its parent. Mr Buckley asked Mr Campbell about SONIs independence. How does a board operate independently from an organisation which owns it, particularly when it comes to managing conflict? Id be very keen to hear how that works, in particular that Northern Ireland isnt the poor cousin when it comes to certain decision-making which inevitably has conflict Republic of Ireland/NI. Mr Campbell said SONI now had an independent board, with one member from EirGrid. Without going into detail, there are sometimes decisions which put us in conflict with decisions EirGrid would be looking to make, but when we look at it from an NI perspective, the board forms its own views which it brings forward. In addition, an all-island single electricity market committee made decisions on matters affecting both sides of the border, said Mr Campbell. But he added that decisions on what power stations would be turned on were made in Belfast. Mr Campbell said the interconnector would improve security of supply, and was due to be finished in late 2027. In an update, he said: Were at the phase of looking to finalise all the land owners consent for the project and we can be looking at handing it over to construction to the two network companies, ESB Networks and NI Networks. We estimate its a three-year build-out for the interconnector so that takes us into late 2027 for the completion of construction. Mr French, chief executive of the Utility Regulator, told the committee that the interconnector would also create a route to market for NI wind farms to export their power, as well as increasing security of supply. He added: We are very confident that NI portion can be built but its the two-thirds of it in the south that are the concern. Theyre a bit behind where we are. Thanks to Brian Cox for educating me in a way school failed to and House of the Year for encouraging viewers to pour scorn on people you dont even know San Antonio police say a fifth person was injured during a shooting at Market Square last month. Theo Esquivel San Antonio police say a fifth person was shot during last months shooting at Market Square that killed two and injured four others. Police said they were initially made aware of four women who were injured during the shooting but were contacted the next day by a fifth person. That person has yet to provide a statement to police, they said. A report from KSAT identified the fifth victim as Adam Jaramillo, who said he was shot in the thigh during the shooting. Jaramillos attorney, George LeGrand, said Jaramillo was taken to the hospital by his friends. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Albert Cisneros, 20, and Mikey Valdez, 18, were identified by police as the two gunmen who opened fire on each other at Market Square just as the Fiesta event was wrapping up. The Bexar County Medical Examiners Office also identified them as the two people killed. The shooting sent a crowd of Fiesta attendees screaming and running for cover. Two women, 36 and 20 years old, were taken to local hospitals with gunshot wounds. Two other women, 24 and 23, were treated and released at the scene. A preliminary police report states that Valdez shot at Cisneros, striking him. Police officers who were working near the stage at Conch Alley in Market Square heard a gunshot and saw Valdez start running, according to the report. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The shooting led to concerns surrounding safety at Market Square during Fiesta. During last years Fiesta event, one man was left critically injured after he was shot in the chest during an argument. LeGrand told KSAT that he sent a letter to the city of San Antonio saying they should have warned the public about the danger at Market Square. The city has two weeks before they file a lawsuit, he said. Police Chief William McManus said people can expect tighter security during next years Fiesta event at Market Square. You can be assured that you will be checked for weapons as you walk into Market Square, and if youre carrying backpacks or bags, theyll be checked as well, McManus said in a Facebook video after the shooting. Bruce Springsteen has promised to rock Belfast into the ground ahead of his gig in the city on Thursday night. Around 40,000 fans are expected to descend on Boucher Road playing fields as The Boss and the E Street Band perform in Belfast for the first time in 11 years. It will be the second show of the European leg of their 2024 world tour after playing in Cardiffs Principality Stadium on Sunday. Read more Bruce Springsteen superfan tracks down The Boss for a selfie ahead of Belfast gig In a video on his Instagram entitled Belfast, were coming your way!, Springsteen, who was walking off the stage after his Cardiff gig, said: Were coming to get you now first show in Wales and were going to rock you into the ground! Waving a small dragon teddy he had in his back pocket for the Welsh gig, The Boss added: This little dinosaur is going to help me. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The video then follows the 74-year-old rocker onto the runway before his flight to Belfast. Still holding the dragon, he said: This is the morning after our first show in Cardiff, Wales. I met this dragon there and we had a great show, the crowd was great. But I do have two questions. One, why am I up in the day time? And two, Belfast were coming your way. "Youre the home of my mother-in-law who was born there, so I dont have to tell you that me, this dragon and the E Street Band are coming to rock you into the ground. See you soon. Springsteen is set to take the stage at Boucher Road playing fields tonight at 7pm. Bruce Springsteen has the crowd eating from his hand as he puts on rocking three-hour show James Nesbitt was among the fans at Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's gig on Boucher Road, Belfast on May 9th 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform on Boucher Road, Belfast on May 9th 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform on Boucher Road, Belfast on May 9th 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform on Boucher Road, Belfast on May 9th 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform on Boucher Road, Belfast on May 9th 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform on Boucher Road, Belfast on May 9th 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform on Boucher Road, Belfast on May 9th 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform on Boucher Road, Belfast on May 9th 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott) At 74 years of age Bruce Springsteen showed no signs of slowing down as he rocked Belfast with a three-hour set even those half his age would struggle to match. The Boss return to the city his first gig here in 11 years is part of his 2024 world tour. Dates include Thursday nights Belfast Boucher Road Playing Fields gig and upcoming shows in Kilkenny, Cork and Dublin, before performances in destinations such as France, Spain and Holland. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform on Boucher Road, Belfast on May 9th 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott) After the unexpected Belfast announcement in October just months after his European tour the previous summer excitement had been building among his loyal fans in Northern Ireland. For the 40,000 that forked out 120 a ticket to see their hero, they will feel it was money well spent as The Boss promised to rock Belfast into the ground. While Springsteen and the all-important E Street Band banished any rumours of retirement, based on their typically energetic and non-stop performance, realistically there may not be many more opportunities to see them perform in Belfast in future. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform on Boucher Road, Belfast on May 9th 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott) They still have another 39 shows across Europe and the US to see out this year and will be deserving of a well-earned break after two years of performing at the highest of levels. Making sure Springsteen was left in no doubt of their adoration, fans roared as he took to stage albeit 30 minutes late and shouted: Belfast! Fans held aloft posters, with one reading: Ive waited since God was a boy for your harmonica! Others begged for birthday wishes, while another cheekily said: Bruce, can I dance in the dark with you? Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform on Boucher Road, Belfast Following on from their opening European leg of their world tour in Cardiffs Principality Stadium on Sunday, The Boss and The E Street Band set the tone for the Belfast show by launching straight into No Surrender, Lonesome Day, Prove It All Night and Letter To You. Performing The Promised Land, Springsteen was at his best as he directed The E Street Band, played harmonica and interacted with those fortunate enough to reach the front row. One lucky fan even got a hug and a kiss on the cheek from The Boss as he signed her shirt. But the luckiest of all was the young teenage girl who was handed his harmonica, much to her delight. Watch: Heartfelt moment as Bruce Springsteen hugs young fan at Belfast concert When he finally addressed the raucous Belfast crowd, Springsteen said: Now if youre out there tonight theres just one thing I want to know. Can you feel it? Can you feel it, feel it now? Can you feel the spirit? If you can feel the spirit I want you to answer me a mighty yeah yeah! One female fan made sure she didnt pass up the opportunity of meeting Springsteen as she held on and wouldnt let go of the star. The Boss even had the crowd singing Hungry Heart as he again stepped off the stage and hugged and high fived his adoring fans. One lady had a night she wouldnt forget as she even got to dance with the rock star. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform on Boucher Road, Belfast Seeing out the gig, Springsteen and The E Street Band made it an encore to remember as fans sang along to Born to Run. Heres hoping The Boss does make a Belfast return in the years to come because it could be quite some time before the city sees another performance quite like this. Next stop Kilkenny. David Tennant as Tony Baddingham in the upcoming Disney+ adaptation of Jilly Coopers Rivals (Disney+/PA) Scottish actor David Tennant is seen donning tweed and a flat cap with a rifle slung over his shoulder, while British actor Alex Hassell shows off a bare chest in an unbuttoned shirt while walking six dogs in first-look pictures from the TV adaptation of Dame Jilly Coopers Rivals novel. Published in 1988, Rivals is part of Coopers Rutshire Chronicles series and has been adapted into an eight-part series of the same name to debut on streaming service Hulu in the US and on Disney+ in other countries later this year. It will explore the cutthroat world of independent British television in 1986 as a long-standing rivalry between two of fictional Rutshire countys most powerful men is on the cusp of boiling over. Alex Hassell stars as Rupert Campbell-Black in the Disney+ series adaptation of Jilly Coopers Rivals (Disney+/PA) The Boys star Hassell plays notorious lothario Rupert Campbell-Black as the former Olympian, MP and womaniser locks horns with neighbour Tony Baddingham, controller of the independent Corinium Television franchise, who is played by Doctor Who star Tennant. As the rivalry intensifies, secrets, alliances and snatched liaisons see wives, lovers, colleagues, friends and families drawn into their battle. Poldark star Aidan Turner will play TV presenter Declan OHara, who vows to wage revenge against Tony, and is also seen in character for the first time in the pictures. Aidan Turner seen in character for the first time as Declan OHara (Disney+/PA) The adaptation will also feature Victoria Smurfit as Declans fickle wife and former actress Maud OHara; while Sex Educations Bella Maclean will play their strong-willed elder daughter Taggie, who keeps an eye on her wilder sister Caitlin played by Catriona Chandler. Taggie, who is also described as being an unexpected temptation for Rupert, is pictured sitting on a couch with a dog next to her. Bella Maclean will play Taggie OHara in Disney+s Rivals series (Disney+/PA) The new images show US actress Nafessa Williams, who plays American TV executive Cameron Cook who is brought in to produce Declans new prime-time talk show, in a red suit. Nafessa Williams in character as Cameron Cook (Disney+/PA) Also among the pictures released is Humans star Katherine Parkinson, who plays romantic novelist Lizzie Vereker, a woman suffering from a distinct lack of romance in her life. Other names in the Rivals cast include Emily Atack, Danny Dyer, Rufus Jones, Luke Pasqualino, Claire Rushbrook, Lisa McGrillis and Oliver Chris. We were cruel to ban people from mourning the dead during Covid, says emotional Edwin Poots Former DUP minister gives deeply personal testimony to the Covid Inquiry, saying he believes Stormont was wrong to follow London so closely and should have locked down earlier but then relaxed certain restrictions Edwin Poots giving evidence to the Covid Inquiry in Belfast today Sam McBride Thu 9 May 2024 at 15:23 A deeply emotional Edwin Poots has said the Executive was "cruel" to ban the public from visiting graveyards during Covid, as he recalled his own father's lonely death and burial. Solicitor Michael Madden (right) and Lee Williamson who is currently in court appealing his conviction as one of the sub-post masters caught up in the Horizon IT Scandal. Picture: Aodhan Roberts/Belfast Telegraph. A former Portstewart sub-postmaster has said he was hospitalised for his own safety following a breakdown caused by the toll of being falsely labelled a thief as a result of the Horizon IT scandal. Lee Williamson (49), who was born in Castlederg, is one of 28 known postmasters in Northern Ireland to be wrongly convicted as a result of the scandal which is referred to as the biggest miscarriage of justice in UK history. Recommendations of Gillen report have not yet been fully implemented Five years after a groundbreaking review into how sexual offences are dealt with here, a watchdog says the judicial system is still badly failing victims. The Gillen Review was commissioned following the so-called rugby rape trial in March 2018, at the end of which Ulster and Ireland players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding were found not guilty of raping a 19-year-old woman in 2016. Co-accused Blane McIlroy was found not guilty of indecent exposure, and Rory Harrison not guilty of perverting the course of justice and withholding information. Despite the verdicts, there was a public outcry over the trial, the treatment of the complainant, the behaviour of spectators in the public gallery, and social media commentary that at one stage almost collapsed proceedings. Retired judge Sir John Gillen was tasked with reviewing every aspect of the system. He made 250 recommendations. Commissioner designate for Victims of Crime Geraldine Hanna said: Victims of sexual crime have been failed by the fact that, five years after Sir Johns report was published, many of his recommendations are still outstanding. There have been positive changes, including the introduction of sexual offences legal advisers and the establishment of remote evidence centres (REC). But there is no doubt that this has taken too long. An underfunded system, stagnation and dysfunction at Stormont have all added to the delay. While it is encouraging to see more victims coming forward to report sexual crimes, we must ensure that the system they then engage with is fit for purpose. I would like to see a renewed focus from the Criminal Justice Board on this, and the publication of an updated plan on how the rest of these recommendations will be implemented. The implementation of all these recommendations is crucial, but will not be the final measure of achievement. True success will lie in their delivery and impact on victims experiences. The pace of change remains too slow and the voices of victims engaging with my office underscores the urgency for continued pressure to ensure Gillens vision for a better justice system is fully realised. We cannot afford to wait another five years to fully implement the reports recommendations. Commissioner designate for Victims of Crime Geraldine Hanna Ms Hanna said one victim of child sex abuse told her the report was like her Bible, and held so much hope. The Department of Justice said: Good progress has been made and over 70% of recommendations are implemented to some degree. The full current position is as follows: 135 recommendations (53% of the total) are fully completed, 48 (19%) are partially completed, which means that provision is in place to deliver meaningful improvements in terms of outcomes for victims (eg through piloting a service) but further work is required to establish mainstream services. Scoping or preparatory work has commenced against 63 recommendations (25%), but a tangible measure or service has yet to be introduced. Some of these recommendations (around 25) require legislative change that will not be taken forward in the current shortened mandate. Seven recommendations (3%) were not accepted either because a suitable alternative is in place, or it is simply not possible to implement the recommendation at the current time. However, it would be misleading to measure progress simply in terms of the proportion of recommendations that have been implemented. It added the publicly-funded sexual offences legal adviser scheme was launched in April 2021, providing help to adult complainants in serious sexual offence cases, and preparatory work towards an equivalent scheme for child victims was well advanced. A judge-led voluntary protocol to expedite serious sexual offence cases involving child witnesses under 13 continues to operate in Belfast and Antrim Crown Courts. The department also pointed to the establishment of remote evidence centres in Belfast and Craigavon, in addition to the existing NSPCC facility in Derry. These allow vulnerable witnesses to give evidence via video-link. Attending the RECs also ensures that the witness will not encounter the defendant or the defendants family or supporters in or around the court building, the department added. And it said important improvements had been delivered in relation to achieving best evidence, disclosure and training for frontline criminal justice organisations, which are again intended to reduce trauma for complainants. Mr Lawlor was shot in north Belfast four years ago A 32-year-old man arrested in Liverpool by Merseyside Police on suspicion of murdering Irish gangland suspect Robbie Lawlor in 2020 has been released on bail. Mr Lawlor was shot dead outside a house in Etna Drive in north Belfast at around 11.50am on April 4 2020. The suspect had been taken to Musgrave Police Station for questioning on Thursday, but was on Friday released on bail to allow for further police enquiries. Two Belfast men have already appeared in court in January charged with Mr Lawlors murder. Patrick Teer (48) and Adrian Holland (40) have denied the charge, as well as a further charge of conspiracy to murder. Mr Lawlor believed to be involved in organised crime in the Republic was shot and killed outside Hollands house. After the pair entered not guilty pleas to all three charges levelled against them, Mr Justice O'Hara was told that a trial is expected to last up to eight weeks. The senior Judge said he anticipated the hearing would be held in the autumn. Following the arraignment, both Holland and Teer were released on continuing bail. The road was closed for several hours but has now reopened The A2 between Belfast and Bangor has been closed following the crash. Pic: Press Eye A man in his 60s has died following a one-vehicle crash on the main A2 Belfast to Bangor Road, police have confirmed. The crash, close to the Ulster Folk Museum in Cultra, outside Holywood and involving a black Hyundai i30, was reported to police shortly after 2pm on Thursday afternoon. The PSNI attended the incident alongside the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, Air Ambulance and Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service. Inspector Adair of the Police Service of Northern Irelands Collision Investigation Unit said: A man aged in his 60s, the driver of the Hyundai, was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. "The A2 Bangor to Belfast dual carriageway was closed for a number of hours but has since re-opened. An investigation is ongoing and officers would ask anyone with any information, or who may have dash-cam or mobile phone footage available, to get in contact with them at the Collision Investigation Unit in Sprucefield on 101, quoting reference number 994 09/05/24. Earlier NIAS said no patients had been taken from the scene. "The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service received a 999 call following reports of a single vehicle RTC on A2 near Holywood, said a spokesperson. NIAS despatched a Rapid Response Paramedic and an Emergency Crew to the incident. The Charity Air Ambulance with HEMS crew on board was also tasked to attend by ambulance control. No patients were taken from the scene to hospital. Police have confirmed the road has now fully reopened to traffic. North Down DUP MLA Stephen Dunne expressed his sadness at the news. This is a real tragedy and I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family and friends of the gentleman who has sadly lost his life, he said. The A2 Belfast to Bangor Dual Carriageway is a very busy section of road with over 35,000 daily vehicle movements, and this tragic news is a reminder to us all of the dangers on our roads. An investigation is ongoing, and I would encourage anyone with any information to contact the PSNI immediately to assist with their enquires. City Attorney Andy Segovia attends the City Councils Governance Committee at City Hall on Wednesday morning, Oct. 18, 2023, in San Antonio, Texas. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News Half of the San Antonio City Council may be looking to force out City Attorney Andy Segovia, citing concerns with his performance and lack of transparency. Five members sent a memo to City Manager Erik Walsh asking him to meet with council by next Wednesday morning to discuss potentially finding a new top attorney for the city. "Despite the City Council's clear and repeated requests on key issues, it has become evident that the City Attorney has consistently failed to follow through," the members' memo states. "Additionally, there have been significant inconsistencies and a demonstrated lack of transparency in his legal opinions which have caused delays and unpredictability which affect the Council's ability to make timely and well-informed plans and decisions." Advertisement Article continues below this ad Council is made up of 10 members and Mayor Ron Nirenberg. Members Melissa Cabello Havrda, Marina Alderete Gavito, Teri Castillo, Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and Marc Whyte signed the memo to Walsh. It says council's confidence in Segovia "has been compromised." "It is our belief that consideration of a change in leadership within the Office of the City Attorney is necessary to ensure that the interests of the Council and the residents of San Antonio are adequately represented and protected," the memo says. Cabello Havrda said at a Thursday news conference that "an increasing list of inconsistencies" in Segovia's legal advice has frustrated council members. The breaking point for the five members was Segovia's role in a spat this week over when council could discuss ongoing negotiations with the fire union. Under San Antonio's charter, the city manager is responsible for hiring and firing the city attorney, not council and Segovia has defenders. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I have complete confidence in Andy Segovia, and frankly the entire city attorneys office, but we will be meeting with those council members to hear what their concerns are, Walsh said. Segovia, a onetime corporate lawyer, was hired eight years ago by then-City Manager Sheryl Sculley. District 8 Council Member Manny Pelaez said Segovia is a consummate professional who has always acted in the organization's best interest. My colleagues temper tantrum is an abuse of their power, Pelaez said. With this showboating, they are creating a hostile work environment for an employee who gives them advice they don't want to hear. If they succeed in sacrificing this mans career to score political points, then the next lawyer to come after him will have to always worry if he or she will be fired for giving advice that council members find inconvenient or unpalatable. Two of the council members on opposing sides, Pelaez and Cabello Havrda, are likely to face off in the 2025 mayoral election. Pelaez has already announced his candidacy, and Cabello Havrda is expected to follow suit. District 9 Council Member John Courage, who was the first to announce a 2025 run for mayor, came out Friday in support of Segovia in a post on X. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Cabello Havrda said the five members' goal was to have a public discussion to evaluate Segovia and to consider his dismissal. At the news conference in front of City Hall, she said she was ready to see a new city attorney take the reins. McKee-Rodriguez and Whyte said they would be willing to give Segovia another chance if he addresses their concerns with his performance. Castillo said she is looking to learn how Segovia makes decisions on when to allow closed-door discussions. Split council The Thursday push came after the same group of council members clashed with Segovia and Nirenberg over when to dig into the details of contract negotiations between the city and its firefighters union. Advertisement Article continues below this ad After two months of bargaining, the city and the union are still far apart on pay for firefighters. During a meeting Wednesday, several council members asked to go into a closed-door session to speak unguardedly about the contract talks. But Nirenberg shot down the request. Nirenberg told the San Antonio Express-News he believes the discussions should be held in public, though Cabello Havrda and Whyte said that contradicts direction they'd previously received from Segovia. Late Wednesday afternoon, five council members filed a formal request with the city clerk to force a meeting about the negotiations behind closed doors, but Cabello Havrda said Segovia told her it wouldn't be scheduled. "There's a feeling amongst council that Andy is not always committed to transparency," Whyte said. "I think that really came to a head here as we've been talking about fire." Advertisement Article continues below this ad Cabello Havrda said the union negotiations is one on a long list of problems with Segovia. Last year, she noted, Segovia told council that roaming dogs and cats picked up by Animal Care Services could not be spayed and neutered if they had an owner because that would violate state property rights but this week he told a council member that it was acceptable. "We have to just figure out, why are we getting conflicting legal advice? Why are the stories changing?" Cabello Havrda said. "And we want to have that open, public discussion." McKee-Rodriguez has long pushed for a permanent cite-and-release program in which police issue citations to those suspected of low-level misdemeanor crimes instead of arresting them but said Segovia changed his advice on the issue several times. "Over the course of several months, the goalpost changes," McKee-Rodriguez said. Nirenberg chided the five members' effort to pressure Walsh to replace the city attorney. We wont solve budget issues on the City Hall steps or by attacking City officials," the mayor said in a statement. "Andy Segovia has exhibited nothing but professionalism, candor, and judiciousness in his time as our City Attorney. He has my support. Segovia was a General Motors lawyer for 26 years before becoming city attorney. "As City Attorney, I have an ethical duty to maintain the confidentiality of our executive sessions," he said in a statement. "Based on information that was relayed to me, I have no confidence that what is said there with respect to the collective bargaining agreement the Citys second largest contract will remain confidential." PSNI are investigating the crash in Co Fermanagh on Wednesday (Niall Carson/PA) A man has died in a road crash in Co Fermanagh. Police are investigating the two-vehicle collision in Newtownbutler on Wednesday evening. The PSNI said a report was received shortly after 6pm of a collision involving a white Ford Connect van and a white Peugeot Partner van on the Clones Road. The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service also attended the scene. A PSNI spokesperson said: A man aged in his 30s, the driver of the Ford van, was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. A man in his 20s was taken to hospital for treatment to his injuries, which are not thought to be life-threatening. The Clones Road was closed for a number of hours but has since reopened. PSNI and vice-principal hail scheme linking officers with specialist teachers Police have notified schools of more than 23,000 domestic abuse incidents since the launch of a new initiative. Operation Encompass was officially rolled out to all educational settings following a pilot scheme in Downpatrick in 2021. Detective Chief Superintendent Lindsay Fisher, from the PSNIs Public Protection Branch, said the serve allowed the police to share information with schools within 24 hours of a domestic abuse incident. She added: (After attending a report), the police get information about all children of school age and share that with a designated teacher in a school. It provides an opportunity for the staff to check in on that child, to make sure theyre okay and understand if theyre feeling a bit unsettled or if they havent got everything that they need for the school day. Detective Chief Superintendent Lindsay Fisher Since the start of the 2021 school year, which coincided with the launch of the pilot scheme, the police have received an average of 2,750 domestic abuse report a month. This resulted in the police making 23,448 referrals to designated teachers over the last three years, or 740 a month. DCI Fisher said: We respond to an incident of domestic abuse, on average, every 17 minutes, and children are often present. The effects on children who are exposed to abuse cannot be under estimated. We see first-hand every day the impact of the trauma children experience from seeing, overhearing or coming back into a house where there has been domestic abuse. DCI Fisher said while rolling the scheme out had been a huge job, she believed it was having a positive impact. She stressed that making the service as efficient as possible was a priority, with the PSNI looking into automating reporting and expanding the scheme to non-education settings. There were more than 33,000 domestic abuse incidents in Northern Ireland last year, many with children present. While the police and courts have been criticised for the low prosecution rate in such cases, DCI Fisher pointed to victim attrition where people choose not to engage with investigations as another explanation. Part of that is the fear of what the perpetrator has put them through, but there is also a fear of the court process itself, she said. It is daunting for people that havent been involved in it and dont understand it, but we work very closely with the Public Prosecution Service and other agencies to make sure that we support victims as much as we can. She also praised new legislation introduced over the past 24 months as having had an impact on the numbers. Dunluce School in Bushmills joined Operation Encompass in February last year. Since then a number of children have received support. Dunluce School vice-principal Darren Parker Vice-principal and safeguarding officer Darren Parker said the scheme had been really useful because it is providing us with information we previously wouldnt have had. He added: After a report from the police), you might not do anything with that information, but youre watching to see if that young person is presenting as normal, that theyre not anxious or worried or upset. A lot of the time it is just a watching brief to make sure theyre having a safe and sensible school day. Previously, if you didnt have that information and the pupil came in annoyed or anxious, you wouldnt know why and you might be prying when they dont want to share that information. This allows you to support [pupils] from a distance, without making them feel uncomfortable. Police are investigating an incident where offensive graffiti has been daubed on a number of business premises in Newtownabbey. They say it happened sometime overnight between Tuesday 7 May and Wednesday 8 May. Sergeant Culbert said: At approximately 6.20am we received the first report that offensive graffiti had been daubed on the windows and walls of businesses in the vicinity of the Antrim Road in Glengormley. This is being investigated as a sectarian hate crime and we would appeal to anyone with information to call 101, quoting reference number 173 of 08/05/24. Elsewhere, sectarian graffiti was daubed on the side of one of the Northern Ireland Hospice charity shops in Co Antrim yesterday. Graffiti with the phrase Brits out of Ireland was sprayed on the side of the shop in Glengormley. The charity said removing the graffiti from the building will require time and money that would have instead been used for their work in the community. In a social media post, the Northern Ireland Hospice wrote: Unfortunately, our Hospice Shop in Glengormley was recently defaced. The damage will require both time and money to repair, resources that would be better spent supporting the vital care provided by our amazing nursing teams to communities across Belfast and beyond. The graffiti on the Hospice building As a local charity, we are facing challenges with rising costs, and we cannot afford the additional expense that this vandalism has caused. Every penny we receive is crucial for providing specialist care to local babies, children, and adults with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses. The people in the Glengormley area have generously supported us for many years, and we sincerely hope that this incident will not be repeated. Thank you for your ongoing support. The PSNI confirmed they are investigating the incident. Police are investigating reports of criminal damage caused to a number of business premises in Newtownabbey at some time overnight between Tuesday May 7 and Wednesday May 8, said a spokesperson. Sergeant Culbert said: At approximately 6.20am we received the first report that offensive graffiti had been daubed on the windows and walls of businesses in the vicinity of the Antrim Road in Glengormley. This is being investigated as a sectarian hate crime and we would appeal to anyone with information to call 101, quoting reference number 173 of 08/05/24. You can also make a report online via https://www.psni.police.uk/report or Crimestoppers, which can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111. Court documents yesterday revealed eight NI journalists were under routine PSNI surveillance Journalists Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney speaking outside London's Royal Courts of Justice on Wednesday. Pic: Victoria Jones/PA Wire The NI Policing Board has requested an urgent meeting with the PSNI amid revelations a number of NI-based journalists were subject to routine surveillance by the organisation. Details of the surveillance were revealed in documents released as part of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), sitting at the Royal Court of Justice on Wednesday. The court heard that the PSNI was engaging in six-monthly trawls of phone data belonging to eight journalists in NI. Now the Policing Board has requested a meeting with PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher to discuss the revelations. "Following discussions around yesterdays Investigatory Powers Tribunal, the Chair and the Vice Chair of the Board have requested an urgent meeting with the Chief Constable to seek further clarification and assurance around whether surveillance powers have been used lawfully, proportionately and appropriately in the past, said a spokesperson. Read more PSNI accused of acting like Stasi after documents reveal eight troublemaker journalists were under surveillance "At the June Board meeting, the Boards Human Rights Advisor John Wadham will also provide Members with an assessment on whether authorisation policies and procedures were correctly adhered to. The IPT is examining allegations that two investigative reporters in Northern Ireland were subject to unlawful covert intelligence by the police as part of Operation Yurta. Evidence presented to the tribunal on Wednesday suggested that the PSNI spying operation extended to several other reporters operating in Northern Ireland. The documents show the surveillance started in 2007/8 and went on for a decade, involving a small group of journalists who were, in the words of one detective, always looking for a story. Documents seen by the Belfast Telegraph show eight redacted names of those under surveillance by the PSNI. Documentary makers Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney were controversially arrested in 2018 by police investigating the alleged leaking of confidential documents that appeared in a film they made about the Loughinisland Massacre. PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher. Pic: Liam McBurney/PA Wire The PSNI was later forced to apologise and agreed to pay 875,000 in damages to the journalists and the film company behind the documentary No Stone Unturned. In 2019, Mr Birney and Mr McCaffrey lodged a complaint with the IPT asking it to establish whether there had been any unlawful surveillance of them. The PSNI had asked Durham Constabulary to take the lead in the investigation into the leaked Police Ombudsman document that appeared in the documentary on the 1994 loyalist paramilitary gun attack. Meanwhile, Sinn Fein Policing Board member Gerry Kelly said the party would also be seeking a meeting with Mr Boutcher. "Disclosure from this tribunal has now also pointed to extensive covert surveillance and the harvesting on an industrial scale of the phone data of journalists by the police, he said. Its becoming increasingly clear that police and British state bodies have gone to extreme lengths to monitor and silence journalists rather than deal with the allegations of collusion and police corruption which journalists have shone a light on. We are deeply concerned about this weeks revelations and we will be pressing the Chief Constable for answers on the PSNIs involvement in these tactics. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has called for the PSNI to be honest about the surveillance. Spokesperson Ian McGuinness said: Journalists exist to hold power to account and that includes writing stories about the PSNI which that force may not like. Writing a story about the PSNI and protecting your confidential sources whilst doing so is not a crime. "The NUJ is calling, yet again, for the PSNI to come clean. In particular, the force needs to state when it started spying on multiple journalists phone data, who the journalists were, and how many times each journalist was spied upon and must give a commitment that it will desist from doing this ever again, simply to uncover legitimate sources for stories." Queens University to divest from companies 'listed' by UN over Palestine Protest group that staged a sit-in on Tuesday have said the Belfast university has not gone far enough Students at Tuesday's sit in protest at Queen's University (Photo: PA) Liam Tunney Thu 9 May 2024 at 18:30 Queens University, Belfast is to divest from companies named by the UN Human Rights Council for carrying out listed activities in relation to Palestine following a student protest. Taoiseach Simon Harris (second right) with Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh OBrien (left), Minister for Environment, Climate, Communications and Transport Eamon Ryan (right) and chairman of the Dublin City Taskforce An Post CEO David McRedmond (Brian Lawless/PA) The head of the Governments newly established Dublin city taskforce has said that while the city could be better, he rejected suggestions it is unsafe. An Post chief executive David McRedmond, the CEO of the new taskforce, said that it is clear the city has not fully recovered since the pandemic, and it is not where we want it to be. Mr McRedmond said the group will create better public spaces for the city centre. The group will make recommendations on improving the city centres public realm, safety and experience within 12 weeks. Taoiseach Simon Harris (second left) with Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh OBrien (left), Minister for Environment, Climate, Communications and Transport Eamon Ryan (right) and Chair of the Dublin City Taskfroce An Post CEO David McRedmond (PA) It will include 12 members, including gardai, trade union representatives as well as community and cultural representatives. Mr McRedmond said the taskforce will look at areas running from Parnell Square in north Dublin to Stephens Green in the south of the city. Its about putting together all the great work that is being done at the moment, and putting together all those initiatives, Mr McRedmond said. Theres a lot of pieces that are happening around the city but what we actually need to do is develop this cohesive, design-led plan that will come up with a set of really remarkably, short number of initiatives that are big enough to have a real impact. Asked if he thought the city was unsafe, Mr McRedmond said he wouldnt say that. He added: I think we all know how the city has been and certainly since Covid, the city hasnt fully recovered. I think thats clear to everybody. Theres no great surprise that the city needs a taskforce and to make sure that we can actually accelerate to a position whereby we restore what was there and then hopefully plan better for the future and for all different citizens in the city and indeed visitors that weve got public space. But its very clear to everybody that the city is not as we would want it to be at the moment otherwise yes, this wouldnt be set up. I think the city could be better and have a much better public space. Launching the taskforce plan, Taoiseach Simon Harris said it was time to start restoring pride in our capital city. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content We need to look at what action needs to be taken across a whole variety of different areas to restore that sense of pride and that sense of hope in Dublin City Centre, Mr Harris said. A new taskforce will look at ways to make Dublin City Centre a more thriving, attractive and safe cityscape and a desirable location in which to live, to work, to do business and to visit. Dublin City Centre has always been a very popular destination for locals, for visitors, for tourists to come here and enjoy all of the wonderful amenities that the city has to offer. However, recently, and Dublin isnt alone in this post-Covid, the social and cultural character of the city centre has changed. We have seen increased concerns for public safety, and weve seen a diminished overall experience on our streets. In response to these concerns this week, the Government approved the establishment of a new taskforce to look at a variety of issues that have been raised. Mr Harris said: Weve asked this taskforce to work for the next three months and weve asked it to interrogate and harness the existing efforts and initiatives that are already under way to inform their work. Theyre not necessarily starting with a blank sheet of paper. Theres lots of examples of good initiatives, good practice, good ideas, but they need to all be pulled together into what can effectively be an action plan for Dublin. An early morning operation to remove tents which have been pitched by asylum seekers along a stretch of the Grand Canal gets under way (Brian Lawless/PA) A multi-agency operation is under way to remove asylum seekers and tents from a makeshift encampment along Dublins Grand Canal. More than 100 tents had been erected along the waterway as the Irish Government continues to fail to provide accommodation to all male asylum seekers. By shortly after 8am almost all the tents had been removed using a truck with a crane arm. The asylum seekers who had been living in the makeshift encampment were bussed away from the area. Fences have now been erected around the stretch of the Grand Canal where the tents had been pitched. The Grand Canal encampment emerged shortly after more than 200 asylum seekers were cleared from a similar makeshift camp at the nearby International Protection Office on Mount Street last week. The Irish Government said Thursday mornings operation involves the Irish police service, Dublin City Council, the national health service, the Department of Integration and a waterway authority. A statement from the Government said: The purpose of the operation is to ensure the safe movement of people seeking international protection from the tents on the Grand Canal to International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS)-designated accommodation. Asylum claimants remove their belongings during the operation (Brian Lawless/PA) The IPAS-designated accommodation has toilets and showers; health services; indoor areas where food is provided; facilities to charge phones and personal devices; access to transport to and from Dublin City Centre; and 24-hour onsite security. Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, Irish premier Simon Harris said the similar operation last week had a very positive impact and averted a public health near-emergency. He said: I continue to believe that it was the right action to take. I became Taoiseach four weeks ago, I took charge of this situation. There had been, in my view, a tacit acceptance by many State agencies that the situation on Mount Street could just continue and was just the new norm. That was not right. He added: We will deal with the Grand Canal. Action will be taken. Labour leader Ivana Bacik, who is a TD for the area, said she hopes the alternative accommodation is appropriate and secure. I have been calling on the Taoiseach to address this situation. Its clearly inhumane and unsustainable to see individuals with no option but to sleep in tents with no sanitation facilities, no security, she said. I am glad to see alternative accommodation has been made and we will be pressing the Government to ensure that it is safe and secure accommodation. I want to commend all the local residents and volunteers who gave such support to the individuals here. It was a very calm presence along the canal. It couldnt have been allowed to continue because it was inhumane to the individuals. Civil rights campaigner Bernadette McAliskey has said that working class people are carrying the burden of guilt for the Republics rise in right-wing politics. The 76-year-old activist said that politics in Dublin is moving to the right and the working class are being pilloried for it. At the moment, particularly within Irish politics, we are seeing a move to the right, she said. Civil rights campaigner Bernadette McAliskey (Niall Carson/PA) But the people who are carrying the burden of guilt for it are working class and unemployed people. They are the people who are being pilloried for being right wing. They are the people who are suffering from the problems of right-wing gutless government. Thats not an anti-southern position. If you want to really see cowardness, gutlessness and incompetence, have a look at what we have to put up with in the north (of the border). I think we have that local, national and international need like we never did before to protect and hold the line for human rights, for the broad left against neoliberal. Were looking at that drift to the right. Were looking at shameless greed being held up, were looking at governments that havent even in the wake of homelessness everywhere and crisis everywhere the courage to cap the private sector rents. Havent even the courage to do the minimal act. The veteran civil rights campaigner made the comments as she backed Clare Dalys European re-election campaign. The former TD was first elected to the European Parliament in 2019. Ms McAliskey described Ms Daly as a thorn in the side of Europe. Former TD for Dublin Central Maureen OSullivan, TD for Galway West Catherine Connolly, MEP Clare Daly and civil rights campaigner Bernadette Devlin McAliskey as Ms Daly launched her European re-election campaign in Dublin (Cate McCurry/PA) A thorn from Ireland in the side of Europe is needed to hold to account our Irish politicians who wont stand up, she added. We see increasingly fragmentation on the left and we see greed on the could-be left. In a crowded field, particularly in this constituency (Dublin), I think it is crucial that people know what needs to be done. I think for Ireland at a crucial point to lose that voice would not simply be a disaster for the constituency, it would be a disaster for a generation of people who look to this voice which is a thorn in the side of Europe. Ms Daly said: When I stood for election, I said I was going to be a thorn in the side of the establishment. My slogan was Daly is Different and now its Still Different, Still Daly. In the course of the mandate, its actually become a sort of bad thing to be different, if you were to read a lot in the papers. They want everybody to be the same, to be the yes men and women of Europe, but for us to be Euro-critical is very clearly pro-European because citizens all over Europe are highly critical of the policies that Europe are implementing. None clearer than the fact that they have sided with the genocidal Israeli attack on Gaza, not only being silent in the face of that but actually supporting and enabling that complicity. We have been able to use the parliament to be a beacon for international law, for humanity in calling those to account. Independent TD Catherine Connolly also spoke at the campaign launch. I absolutely support Clare. Her honesty, her integrity, her workload. I wish there were more like her, she said. I wish I could canvass every day for her on the streets of Dublin and I will do my best in the limited time that I have. We need that thorn to be recognised as the new establishment. Lubbock voters rejected Proposition A, which would have decriminalized small amounts of marijuana in the city. Nearly 65% of voters rejected the proposal. Jason Fochtman/Associated Press LUBBOCK The green wave some Lubbock residents hoped for didnt materialize last weekend as voters rejected Proposition A, which would have decriminalized small amounts of marijuana in the city. Nearly 65% of voters rejected the proposal. The ordinance would have instructed Lubbock police to stop arresting adults for possession of marijuana if they have 4 ounces or less. Adam Hernandez, spokesperson for Lubbock Compact, the organization behind the decriminalization efforts, said low voter turnout hurt the proposition. Advertisement Article continues below this ad We worked hard on it; we had a lot of volunteers, Hernandez said. We just werent able to get the voter turnout high enough. When asked if they will revisit the issue in the future, he said, before anything else can move forward, were going to have to focus on voter education and voter turnout. The movement to end some low-level pot arrests was started by Lubbock Compact, a local advocacy group. When the proposal was unanimously rejected by the City Council, it kicked off a grassroots campaign to get the issue on the ballot for voters to decide. What followed was weeks of political strife. Megachurches, state leaders and law enforcement spoke out against the ballot initiative, calling it an effort to undermine public safety. Early voting numbers showed a higher interest in this years elections, as 26,103 ballots were cast early, significantly more than Lubbocks last municipal election. With Saturdays numbers, about 35,216 people voted this year. More than 190,000 people are registered to vote in Lubbock County. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Texas has long resisted efforts to legalize recreational marijuana or lower penalties for low-level possession. Since 2015, state lawmakers have allowed medical marijuana use through the Compassionate Use Program which has about 69,000 Texans enrolled. Aside from the program, lawmakers have drawn a line in the sand when it comes to recreational marijuana use and possession in Texas. Similar ordinances have passed by voter approval in San Marcos, Austin, Killeen, Denton and Elgin. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued all five cities as a result. City leaders in Harker Heights, another city that passed a similar policy, refused to reform their enforcement guidelines. John Swinneys Cabinet has been approved in a vote at Holyrood (PA) John Swinneys new ministerial team, which includes Kate Forbes as Deputy First Minister, has officially been appointed following a Holyrood vote. But the First Minister faced his first challenge leading a minority Government with Ms Forbess appointment only narrowly backed after the Conservatives, Labour and the Greens voted against. Three Scottish Liberal Democrats abstained, meaning the appointment passed by 63 votes the number of SNP MSPs to 57 against, while six MSPs did not vote. The Holyrood vote also saw Ivan McKee appointed as public finance minister, passing with 63 votes to 47, with 10 abstentions. Opposition to Ms Forbess Government post follows comments she made on her social views, particularly those on gay marriage and abortion rights, during the 2023 SNP leadership contest. First Minister John Swinney chose Kate Forbes as his Deputy First Minister (Lesley Martin/PA) Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer told the First Minister prior to the vote: John Swinney knows the esteem that I hold him in. But today he is asking me, and other members of this Parliament who are LGBT, to appoint to the second highest office in this country an individual who believes it was wrong that Parliament granted us the same legal rights as everyone else 10 years ago. I cannot, the Scottish Greens cannot, support the appointment of someone who fundamentally does not believe that everyone in Scotland is equal, worthy of equal rights and respect under the law. We cannot support the appointment of someone who believes that equal marriage is wrong, but also that being born out of marriage, so we will oppose the appointment of Kate Forbes for Deputy First Minister. Mr Greer also quoted Mr Swinney, who said he did not hold the same views as Ms Forbes despite being a man of deep faith. Green MSP Ross Greer said his party cannot support the appointment of someone who believes that equal marriage is wrong (PA) Responding, Mr Swinney said he wants everyone in Scotland to feel represented by the Scottish Government. He said: I come to these conclusions from a very deep Christian faith. I believe that we are equal in the eyes of God. Every one of us. I hope those comments, which are more forthright about faith than I have ever uttered in my 45 years in politics, will perhaps illustrate to Parliament the magnitude of the seriousness with which I take the issues that Mr Greer puts to me. Scottish Tory deputy leader Meghan Gallacher said her party does not support the ministerial appointments. She said: Instead, we are putting down a marker that this Government must change its approach. The Scottish Conservatives will take every opportunity to oppose this SNP Government and its obsession with independence, but this does not mean that we are not above working with other parties across Parliament to deliver on the real priorities of the Scottish people. Scottish Labours Martin Whitfield said: I fear the ambition to work in Scotlands best interests is lacking in this Government. Holyrood narrowly approved of Kate Forbess appointment as Deputy First Minister (Lesley Martin/PA) After 17 years of failure, every single institution in Scotland is weaker and those responsible still remain at the heart of Government. Our country needs effective leadership. While I wish genuinely all the ministers who are appointed today well, I feel the task ahead is beyond them. However, Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie said his party would not block the appointments. He said: We may have a difference of views on equalities, but Kate Forbes does deserve a chance to govern putting those views to one side. The rest of Mr Swinneys Cabinet is largely unchanged from that under his predecessor Humza Yousaf, with former deputy first minister Shona Robison remaining in the finance brief. The minister for independence role has been dropped, with Jamie Hepburn who held the post moved to minister for parliamentary business. The ministerial reshuffle saw George Adam, Emma Roddick and Joe Fitzpatrick step down from their roles. Consisting of 11 Cabinet secretaries, including the First Minister, the Scottish Cabinet is supported by 14 ministers, reducing the size of the Scottish Government by four since the start of the year. Natalie Elphickes defection to Labour has slightly improved the Conservatives odds of retaining the Dover constituency, according to Penny Mordaunt. The Commons Leader said it was a personal tragedy for Ms Elphicke to switch from the Government benches to those of the Opposition just moments before Prime Ministers Questions, although she claimed it also exposed a pattern of behaviour from Sir Keir Starmer. She compared the Labour leader to a crab that selects sedentary creatures and seaweed to help disguise its true form, as she accused him of running Operation Radish in a bid to appear red on the outside to voters. In a typically punchy Commons response to her Labour counterpart, Ms Mordaunt concluded: The British people can see what is going on: they like their radishes in salads, not Number 10. Ms Mordaunt later joked: I am not about to defect to the opposition benches. They wouldnt be interested in me, Im too left wing. Shadow Commons leader Lucy Powell had earlier welcomed Chris Webb to the Labour benches following his by-election victory in Blackpool South before welcoming the two Tory defectors, which also included former minister Dr Dan Poulter (Central Suffolk and North Ipswich). To laughter, she said: Our reach into previously undiscovered support is really much broader and deeper than I ever imagined. Ms Powell said she understood Tory MPs had been given a briefing about how they didnt really lose the local elections after all, adding: Perhaps we could have a debate on what the local election results are telling us; it might help inject a bit of reality into their thinking because you cant cure something if youre in complete denial about it. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer with former Conservative MP Natalie Elphicke (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The Labour frontbencher said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has his fingers in his ears and is ploughing on as if everything is fine, telling MPs: People are crying out for change. But the only thing that doesnt seem to ever change is that every time he faces the electorate he loses. Thats not going to change, is it? Ms Mordaunt, in a nod to criticism among the Labour movement over Ms Elphickes defection, said: I do hope the honourable member for Dover is being made to feel very welcome indeed in her new party. Whilst Im buoyed up at the news that our odds on retaining Dover have actually slightly improved since yesterday true I think it is a personal tragedy for the honourable lady for Dover, as it was for the honourable member for Central Suffolk last week. But what it has exposed is a pattern of behaviour from the leader of the Opposition. It is a shame we are not due an update to Peter Brookes Nature Notes, for the decorator crab is a species which covers its surface area with materials to disguise its true form, usually selecting sedentary creatures and seaweed. The leader of the Opposition is the decorator crab of these benches, desperate to show that hes not really leading the Labour Party at all. Hes channelled Margaret Thatcher, his deputy has praised Boris (Johnson), hes expelled the Member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn) with great fanfare a man he was campaigning to be prime minister only moments before. His exterior shell is stuck over with St Georges flags, his Gunners season ticket and several programmes from the Last Night of the Proms. What next: a photo op with a bulldog? A lecture on how misunderstood Enoch Powell was? Should I ask the whip on duty on the front bench if he has checked in recently with the honourable member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mark Francois)? This is Operation Radish: the concerted effort to convince the British public that while the Labour Party might look red on the outside, at its heart it isnt really at all. However, even the defection from our benches of one Labours most sternest critics cannot disguise the fact that Operation Radish is not going well. Ms Mordaunt said newly-elected Labour mayors had opted to raise issues connected to Israel and Gaza rather than local matters, adding the politics of the PLP (parliamentary Labour Party) is more the politics of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organisation). Former US president Donald Trumps youngest son, Barron Trump, has been chosen to serve as a Florida delegate to the Republican National Convention, the state party chairman said. Republican Party of Florida chairman Evan Power said the 18-year-old high school student will serve as one of 41 at-large delegates from Florida to the national gathering, where the Republican Party is set to officially nominate his father as its presidential candidate for the November general election. NBC News first reported the choice of Barron Trump as a delegate. Barron is Donald Trumps youngest son (Angela Weiss/Pool Photo via AP) Barron Trump has been largely kept out of the public eye, but he turned 18 on March and is graduating from high school next week. The judge overseeing Donald Trumps hush money trial in New York said there would be no court on May 17 so that Mr Trump could attend his sons graduation. Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump and Mr Trumps youngest daughter, Tiffany, are also part of the Florida delegation to the convention taking place in Milwaukee from July 15 to July 18. We are fortunate to have a great group of grassroots leaders, elected officials, and members of the Trump family working together as part of the Florida delegation to the 2024 Republican National Convention, Mr Power said. Harvey Weinsteins next appearance is set for August 7 (Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP) Harvey Weinstein will remain locked up in New York as a court works out whether he should stay in a city jail while he awaits a retrial in a rape case, or be sent back to California to continue serving a prison sentence. The fallen movie mogul denied his consent for an extradition request from California related to a separate rape conviction during a brief court hearing on Thursday. Weinstein will continue to be held in New York as the extradition process plays out. Weinstein, released from a city hospital days ago, showed up for the hearing in a wheelchair and wearing a dark suit. Defence attorney Diana Fabi Samson said later outside court that their main concern was making sure Weinstein gets the required medical care while he remains in custody in New York. Weinsteins 2020 rape conviction was overturned by an appeals court (Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP) Hes holding up the best he can, she said. Ms Samson described the court appearance on Thursday as normal procedure and said California first needs to produce a warrant signed by the governor. They are not in a position to extradite Mr Weinstein because they have not done what they need to do, she said outside court. His next appearance is set for August 7. The 16-year sentence Weinstein received in 2023 for raping a woman at a 2013 Los Angeles film festival had been on ice while he served time behind bars in New York after being found guilty of rape in Manhattan in 2020. New Yorks highest court found that the trial judge prejudiced Weinstein with improper rulings (Etienne Laurent/Pool Photo via AP) But the New York conviction was overturned late last month, negating its 23-year sentence. The 72-year-old has nevertheless remained in New York custody while Manhattans district attorney works to retry him. At a hearing last week, prosecutors said they could be ready as soon as September, and that at least one of two alleged victims was willing to testify again. In that case, the once powerful former movie executive is accused of raping an aspiring actor in 2013 and sexually assaulting a TV and film production assistant in 2006. He denies the charges. In vacating the conviction, New Yorks highest court found that the trial judge prejudiced Weinstein with improper rulings, including by letting other women testify about allegations he was not charged with. The 2020 conviction was heralded at the time as a milestone in the MeToo movement, an era that began in 2017 with a flood of allegations against Weinstein. Weinstein was sent to serve his sentence in an upstate New York state prison. After being transferred to city custody following the appeals court decision, he was sent to Manhattans Bellevue Hospital, where his publicist says he was treated for pneumonia and other medical issues. He was moved to the citys Rikers Island jail complex on Monday. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his countrys army is facing a really difficult situation in eastern regions where troops are battling to hold at bay an intense Russian push along parts of the front line. Russia has sought to exploit Ukraines shortages of ammunition and manpower as the flow of western supplies since the outbreak of the war petered out, assembling large troop concentrations in the east as well as in the north and gaining an edge on the battlefield, Mr Zelensky said. But a massive new US military aid package is coming, and it will turn the tide, he said at a news conference in Kyiv with visiting president of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola. With an increase in the supply of weapons, we will be able to stop them in the east. As of now, they seized the initiative there, Mr Zelensky said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky talks during a joint press conference with European Parliament president Roberta Metsola in Kyiv (Efrem Lukatsky/AP) Russia is pressing hard in parts of eastern Ukraine in an effort to drive deeper into the Donetsk region, which it partly occupies. The Ukrainian army is on the back foot, scrambling to build fortified defensive lines, and engaged in intense combat. Ukraines forces are outnumbered in infantry, armour and ammunition against Russias bigger army and are trying to limit the Kremlins forces to incremental gains. A Ukrainian brigade recently deployed near Pokrovsk, a town of around 60,000 people before the war, to help stop the creeping Russian advance. Pokrovsk was until recently a two-hour drive from the front line. Now it is less than half that. Soldiers said the Russians usually shelled Ukrainian positions around dawn before sending in waves of small infantry units. The attackers seek to gain footholds and quickly dig in to consolidate their limited advance. They constantly try to breach our lines with their personnel to get through somewhere, to crawl in, to hold any positions for at least a minute, said one soldier. But we are trying to inflict fire damage while they are still approaching our positions. Once they reach our positions, our personnel inflict maximum damage on them with small arms fire. Volodymyr Zelensky with European Parliament president Roberta Metsola (Efrem Lukatsky/AP) Associated Press video from the area shows Ukrainian infantry bodycam footage of troops attacking through trees and thick undergrowth, aiming to deny the advancing Russians a foothold. Both attackers and defenders take advantage of tree lines for cover. The Russian goal, according to Ukrainian intelligence, is to secure the battered small town of Ocheretyne and reach the main Pokrovsk-Kostiantynivka road, severing a key Ukrainian line of communication with other frontline towns. Ocheretyne lies north-west of Avdiivka, a city whose capture opened a door for the Kremlins troops to push westwards, deeper into Donetsk. Russia annexed Donetsk and three other regions illegally in 2022 shortly after it invaded Ukraine, and taking control of all of Donetsk is one of the Kremlins main war goals. After Avdiivkas fall at the end of February, Russia took other local villages as the countrys army chief warned of a worsening battlefield situation. Russian troops have stepped up their efforts to advance in areas near Ocheretyne, launching 45 ground attacks over the previous 24 hours, Ukraines General Staff said on Thursday. On most recent days, they have conducted 20-35 attacks a day. Russian attacks in eastern Ukraine increased by 17% from March to April, the UK Ministry of Defence said on Thursday. Despite the attacking effort, the Kremlins forces have made only minor gains and sustained heavy losses, it added. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content In other developments, Ukraines parliament has approved a bill that offers parole for convicts who enlist for military service, as the country seeks to replenish its depleted ranks. The bill approved on Wednesday covers only certain categories of convicts. It will be subject to further discussion in parliament before going to the president who decides whether to sign it into law. Russia has also used prisoners to make up a manpower shortage. Meanwhile, Mr Zelensky formally appointed Ukraines former army chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the countrys ambassador to Britain. Mr Zelensky replaced Mr Zaluzhnyi in February in an apparent effort to give new momentum to Ukraines fight. Also, the governor of Russias Bashkortostan region said a drone strike in the city of Salavat caused a fire at a petrochemical facility. Salavat lies about 750 miles from the nearest point of the Ukraine border, making it possibly the deepest Ukrainian strike yet into Russia. Kyiv officials made no comment about the strike. Shutterstock.com As Mothers Day approaches, we recognize the complexity surrounding the holiday. While some people have much to celebrate on that day, others find it shrouded in pain. No matter where you fall on that spectrum, one thing remains the same: the character of God. Gods Word reveals who He is, consistently and faithfully, throughout generations. In the Bible, we see His promises worked out in the lives of His people including moms. Lets take a look at Gods character revealed in the lives of five mothers in Scripture. Sarah: Gods Timing is Perfect Throughout the Bible, Gods people are often told to wait on His timing. For example, God tells Habakkuk, For the vision is yet for the appointed time though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay. (Hab. 2:3) And Daniel was told that Gods detailed prophesy would indeed happen at the appointed time. (Dan. 11:35) Thats usually a comforting thought, right? That all things happen in Gods time? We write songs about God making all things beautiful in His time. We quote verses about a season for everything. But in the middle of a waiting season, sometimes it feels like God is taking that one day is like a thousand years thing way too literally. (2 Pet. 3:8) No one knows about waiting on Gods timing better than Sarah. In Genesis 12 we first see Gods promise of descendants to 75-year-old Abram; by the time Isaac is born in Genesis 21, Abraham is 100 years old. That means Sarah waited for a son for 25 years. Twenty-five years is a long time to wait. (And Scripture shows us that Sarah didnt always wait well.) Were never told why God made Sarah wait so long. But we are told that Isaac arrived at the appointed time. And when that time came, Sarah laughed out loud at the goodness of God. (Gen. 21:2-6) Sounds like perfect timing to me. Celebrate: Psalm 31:15 My times are in Your hands Jochebed: Gods Plan Prevails Jeremiah 29:11 is a Christian greeting card staple; we all want to claim Gods plan to give us a future and a hope. And I think we can rightfully do that in light of the hope we have in Jesus. Yet, its easy to forget the context of that favorite verse in Jeremiah. God gave Israel this promise in light of telling them their exile would go on for decades. His plans for welfare would come, but that didnt change their current difficult circumstances. The life of Jochebed, Mosess mom, illustrates this truth. Jochebed was a slave with no future or hope in sight. In fact, life had taken a turn for the worst, with Egyptians killing all Hebrew baby boys. Im pretty sure it was hard for Jochebed to see Gods plan as she laid her baby boy in the Nile. Current circumstances seemed pretty bleak. Little did Jochebed know that God was at work fulfilling His plans for rescue. Her sons life was spared, and God used him to one day set his people free from slavery. Though it would take several decades probably longer than Jochebed was alive Gods plan prevailed despite her difficult circumstances. Celebrate: Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a persons heart, but it is the Lords purpose that prevails. Naomi: God Works All Things for Good Some Christians love to throw around Romans 8:28 like its some kind of magical confetti: All things work together for good. But for someone who is suffering, that spiritual pat on the back can feel more like a slap in the face. If something like that was said to Naomi, I think she wouldve rolled her eyes. Famine at home forced her to live in a foreign land where she lost not only her husband, but her two sons as well. Her name means pleasant, but she was so distressed that she couldnt even bear for people to use it anymore. How could God work good out of this? But He did. You may remember the story of Ruth, Naomis Moabite daughter-in-law who returned to Bethlehem with her. Through Ruth, God provided provision and family and purpose for Naomi. And not only Naomi Ruths son would one day be the grandpa of King David, the earthly lineage of Jesus. We dont know why Gods plan for Naomi included such suffering, just like we dont know why Gods plan for us includes suffering. But in Naomis story we definitely see evidence of God working all those bitter things for good. (Still, lets be careful with the confetti when someones in the middle of despair.) Celebrate: Psalm 119:68 You are good and do good" Shunammite Woman: God Does the Unexpected God always seems to be doing the unexpected in the Bible. In events like the parting of the Red Sea, its easy to acknowledge that God is obviously in the business of big unexpected miracles. But then again, centuries of slavery in Egypt werent exactly expected either. In Habakkuk 1:5, God says, I am doing something in your days you would not believe if you were told. What was that? The destruction of wicked Judah by even more wicked Babylon. Reading through the rest of the chapter, we can see that Habakkuk did not expect that. But what else was it? The ultimate destruction of Babylon so that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. (Hab. 2:14) God doesnt work in tidy ways that we expect. Just ask the woman of Shunem. After being barren for a lifetime, God unexpectedly made her a mom, then God unexpectedly took her son, only to unexpectedly raise him back to life. Whew, bet she didnt see any of that coming. Though this mom had a hard time understanding all the twists that God put in her path, she trusted Him through the unexpected good and the unexpected bad. And she said, It will be well. (2 Kings 4:23) Celebrate: Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord." Hannah: God Answers Prayer The Bible is filled with hundreds of references to prayer, both in the Old and New Testaments. One of my favorites is the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8. Jesus told this story to illustrate the importance of coming to God consistently and persistently. Hundreds of years before Jesus gave this illustration, Hannah was living it out. Were told that year after year she would go to the house of the Lord to pray for a son. For years, she didnt receive an answer to her request, but she kept asking anyway, pouring out her soul before the Lord. Eventually, God answered in the form of a baby named Samuel. In 1 Samuel 1:27 Hannah says, For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. God answers prayer. Some may argue that we walk a precarious line when we look to stories like Hannahs and expect God to answer our prayer. After all, sometimes God answers with a no, they say. And that may be true. But it doesnt change the fact that Jesus encourages our persistent prayer. It doesnt change the fact that God wants us to boldly approach His throne. (Heb. 4:16) It doesnt change the fact that God hears and answers prayer, in Hannahs life as well as in ours. Celebrate: 1 John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. These moms werent perfect no mom on earth is. The good news is, Gods work in their lives had nothing to do with them and everything to do with Him. His character was faithful despite their failures, and therefore we can trust Him to be faithful in our lives as well. Thats worth celebrating, on Mothers Day and every day. Melissa Richeson is a freelance writer and editor based in Central Florida. Her work has been featured in places like The Washington Post, Florida Today, Sunlight Press, BiggerPockets Wealth Magazine, WDW Magazine, and many other outlets. As a Medi-Share member, she shares regularly about her positive CCM experience over the past decade. Melissa can often be found in real life at the beach, or virtually on her freelance website. In response to American allegations that Malaysian entities are funding terrorism, Kuala Lumpur says it firmly opposes militant financing. Malaysias Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (left) welcomes Brian Nelson, U.S. Department of the Treasurys under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, before their official meeting. Malaysia said Thursday it nicely told visiting American officials that it would not kowtow to sanctions the United States or any other country imposes on Iran or elsewhere, for terror financing or other issues. Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, during a meeting with U.S. Treasury officials in Kuala Lumpur, said his country was firm about combating terror funding. The officials were in town from Washington to discuss the issue of U.S.-sanctioned Iran allegedly using Malaysian entities to finance militant groups. A little more than two months after the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel, killing around 1,100 people, the U.S., the Jewish states staunch ally, has focused on severing the money flow to groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, which are backed and funded by Iran. The Treasury officials visit to Malaysia and Singapore this week was part of that effort. And Brian Nelson, the visiting U.S. Treasury under secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, told a local news source, Malaysiakini, that there had been an increase in funds flowing to Iran and its so-called proxies including Hamas via the Malaysian financial system. Iran has managed to keep selling its oil by secretive ship-to-ship transfers to disguise the petroleums provenance, thanks to countries that either dont follow U.S. sanctions or look the other way when their waters are used for this activity, Western news and research firms have alleged for many years. The U.S. says Malaysia is one of those countries being used for oil transfers as well as fundraising for groups such as Hamas, which Kuala Lumpur supports, to Washingtons consternation. Still, Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin said he had a good and cordial meeting on Thursday morning with Nelson and his delegation, when they discussed what Washington calls the illicit transfers of Iranian oil off Malaysia. What I would like to highlight here first is, I managed to convey nicely to the U.S. delegates when it comes to the issue of sanctions, our position is that we only recognize sanctions imposed by the [United Nations] Security Council, Saifuddin said. We dont recognize any sanctions imposed by an individual country. The U.S. delegation respected our stance, he said, when asked by reporters at an awards function. Iranian oil tanker Fortune is anchored at the dock of El Palito refinery near Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, as both countries defy U.S. sanctions, May 25, 2020. [Juan Carlos Hernandez/AP] Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country, has consistently advocated for a two-state solution as Israel has occupied the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank. And amid the latest crisis, with Israeli ground and air strikes killing more than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza, Malaysia has denounced the Jewish state in no uncertain terms. Malaysia has taken a stance supporting Iran, which launched drones and fired missiles at Israel on April 13. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim described Irans actions as a legitimate act in response to Israels barbarous attack on Irans consulate in Damascus. Saifuddin also said that the U.S. delegation had asked him about Malaysian efforts to combat terror funding. We reiterated Malaysias commitment [to counter terrorism financing] at the ASEAN and global level, he said. Malaysia is scheduled to chair the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year. Malaysia is a country that upholds the rule of law, and we have clear legislation to manage the issues raised. The U.S. delegations have taken note of this and they know precisely what are the steps taken by the Malaysian government on the issue of terrorism, extremism, and all those, he added. Still, Saifuddin said the Malaysian Home Ministry understood the U.S. Treasurys concerns. In December, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on four Malaysia-based companies it accused of helping Irans production of drones. Washington accuses Iran of supplying deadly drones to what it says are terrorist proxies in the Middle East, and to Russia for use in Ukraine. Environmental and safety risks Meanwhile, in an interview with local news site Malaysiakini, Treasury official Nelson said the main method that Iran used to raise money was through the sale of oil to buyers in East Asia, the Associated Press news agency reported. Many of these shipments traverse the waters around Malaysia and are loaded onto vessels of questionable legitimacy that may also pose major environmental and safety risks, he said according to the report. He also said the U.S. was trying to prevent Malaysia from becoming an area where Hamas could raise and transfer funds. Earlier this week, on Monday, the U.S. envoy to Malaysia had said that the Southeast Asian government understands the potential impact of allowing the transshipment of U.S-sanctioned oil. Envoy Edgard Kagan did not elaborate on what potential impact meant and it could refer to anything from sanctions on Malaysia to a sharp spike in oil revenue for Iran. Shailaja Neelakantan in Washington and Iman Muttaqin Yusof in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report. Federal agents search the home of U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar in Laredo on Jan. 19, 2022. Photo by: Valerie Gonzalez/Associated Press Valerie Gonzalez/Associated Press Two political strategists close to Henry Cuellar have agreed to plead guilty to conspiring with the South Texas congressman to launder more than $200,000 in bribes. The Department of Justice struck plea deals with Colin Strother, of Buda, and Florencio "Lencho" Rendon, of San Antonio, ensuring their cooperation in the investigation of Cuellar, a Laredo Democrat, according to court documents unsealed this week in Houston federal court. A federal indictment unsealed last Friday accuses Cuellar, 68, and his wife, Imelda, 67, of collecting nearly $600,000 in payoffs from a Mexico City bank and Azerbaijan government officials from 2014 to 2021. The alleged payoffs passed through Strother's consulting business to a shell company set up by Imelda Cuellar. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Prosecutors filed criminal information documents in February against Rendon and Strother, a high-profile campaign manager known in San Antonio for his outspoken, aggressive style. They signed plea deals in secret in March. The two men agreed to plead guilty to money laundering conspiracy, with each facing up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. They also agreed to cooperate with the Department of Justice in its case against Henry Cuellar, a member of Congress since 2005 who sits on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. Like other cooperating defendants in public corruption cases, they could end up with lighter sentences than the ones spelled out in their plea agreements. Chris Flood, one of Henry Cuellar's defense attorneys, denied the congressman had committed any wrongdoing, saying, There was no bribery in this case. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He also cautioned against a rush to judgment based on the word of Rendon or Strother. We are not afraid of the truth, said Flood, who is also vice president of the Texas Ethics Commission. We know in a trial, the judge will warn everyone about the credibility of those two witnesses. The Cuellars pleaded not guilty to the charges at a court appearance last Friday in Houston. He and his wife were each released on unsecured $100,000 bonds. What Rendon, Strother allege Rendon, 73, runs two consulting companies and is a former chief of staff for then-U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz. The Democrat represented the Corpus Christi area in Congress from 1983 to 2010, and Rendon worked for him for 23 years. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He currently lives in the gated community of Oakwell Farms in Northeast San Antonio. In October 2015, Rendon went to a conference in Mexico City, which Henry Cuellar also attended. The scheme was hatched over breakfast, according to Rendon's plea documents. Henry Cuellar told him about an opportunity to enter a consulting agreement with a Mexican bank. (News reports this week identified the bank as Banco Azteca.) Rendon signed on, and Henry Cuellar helped arrange meetings between his longtime associate and bank executives later in October. Because of U.S. regulations, the Mexican bank was having trouble finding a partner U.S. bank to process remittances, the transfer of money from Mexicans working in the U.S. to their relatives in Mexico. Rendon again met with bank officials in Mexico City on Dec. 17, 2015, to sign a sham contract for consulting services to be provided by Imelda Cuellar, prosecutors said. Imelda Cuellar, a retired tax enforcement officer at the Texas comptrollers office, performed little or no legitimate work in exchange for the payments, according to the Cuellars' 54-page indictment. The contract was backdated to June 2015, according to Rendon's plea deal. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In February 2016, Henry Cuellar allegedly directed Strother, 50, to meet with Rendon. At a San Antonio restaurant, Rendon asked Strother to work with a Mexican company that was looking to test and certify a fuel additive it wanted to sell in the U.S., according to Strother's plea deal. Rendon told Strother he would pay him $11,000 a month, but that he had to hand over $10,000 to Imelda Cuellar's company, the plea deal said. Rendon then sent him a contract to sign for consulting services. Strother initially believed the work was legitimate and "made some efforts to advance the project," his plea agreement said. But he eventually stopped working on it, realizing it was a part of an alleged scheme to funnel money to the Cuellars. Rendon paid Strother $11,000 a month from March 2016 to December 2017, for a total of $242,000. Strother forwarded $214,890 in payments to Imelda Cuellar over those 22 months, according to his plea deal. At one point, however, the Cuellars came to believe Strother was withholding money from Imelda Cuellar. The congressman directed Rendon to stop paying his longtime campaign manager. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But Henry Cuellar soon told Rendon to start paying Strother again. Rendon sent three more payments to Strother two for $7,000 and one for $5,000. Henry Cuellar then told Rendon to "cut it off," said Rendon's plea agreement. Strother's plea deal said he talked with Henry Cuellar about his suspicion that Strother was failing to send payments to his wife in the parking lot of a Laredo restaurant after dinner in October 2018. After Strother showed him a spreadsheet of payments he'd made to her shell company, satisfying Henry Cuellar, Strother continued sending money to Imelda Cuellar through 2019, according to his plea deal. In late 2021, Henry Cuellar asked Rendon to hire the Cuellars' adult child under the contract. Rendon agreed and paid that person $2,000 at a meeting at a restaurant in Laredo in November 2021. In January 2022, however, a federal grand jury issued Rendon a subpoena for documents related to the contract, and he stopped paying the Cuellars' child, according to his plea deal. Fundamental issues remain over the question to be put to parliament and the voting majority needed. People queue to vote at a polling station in Bougainvilles capital Buka during the referendum on independence from Papua New Guinea on Nov. 25, 2019. The leaders of Papua New Guinea and the independence-seeking Bougainville region will appoint an outside moderator to help agree the terms of a parliamentary vote on the semi-autonomous islands future. Bougainvilles government wants to achieve independence by 2027 but has faced opposition from Papua New Guineas leaders, who fear it could encourage secessionist movements in other regions of the volatile Pacific island country. An estimated 10,000-15,000 people died in a decade-long civil war between Bougainville and Papua New Guinea that ended with a peace agreement in 2001. A joint statement Wednesday from Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape and Autonomous Bougainville Government President Ishmael Toroama said they reaffirmed their commitment to following a peaceful process as both governments prepare to walk through the final leg of [their] political journey. Bougainville is home to about 300,000 people, who are ethnically closer to the Solomon Islands than Papua New Guinea, and voted 97.7% for independence in a 2019 referendum. Papua New Guineas government missed the agreed 2023 deadline for parliament to debate the result and decide on the semi-autonomous regions independence aspirations. The two sides are far apart on fundamental issues such as the question to be considered by parliament and the voting majority to approve or reject independence. The moderator is expected to help bridge those differences. They also will be involved before a vote to raise lawmakers awareness of the history of the Bougainville crisis, the peace agreement and the referendum. The leaders and other officials met throughout Wednesday and announced their joint statement in the evening, without taking questions from reporters. They had outlined their positions in speeches earlier in the day. Toroama said he preferred a U.N. figure for moderator while Marape had argued appointing a moderator would only further delay a vote on Bougainvilles future. Toroama said there is no point asking parliament to vote if its members dont fully understand the historical context. Parliaments decision will be a blessing or a curse forever, he said. Marape has said a two-thirds majority would be needed for independence because changing the borders of Papua New Guinea requires an amendment to the countrys constitution. Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape [left] and Autonomous Bougainville Government President Ishmael Toroama [center] are pictured at APEC Haus in Port Moresby on May 8, 2024 following a meeting on processes for PNGs parliament to consider Bougainvilles 2019 referendum result in favor of independence. [Harlyne Joku/BenarNews] Papua New Guinea, the most populous Pacific island country with an estimated 12 million people, is a focus of intensifying U.S.-China rivalry for influence in the Pacific. Some analysts have said Bougainville would add a new dimension to the great power competition in the region if it were an independent nation. Earlier this month, Bougainvilles government said it is exploring ventures with Chinese state companies such as construction conglomerate China Railway 25th Bureau Group for key development projects. Bougainvilles vice president and economic development minister Patrick Nisira said concerns about Chinese projects are based on information from western media sources which clouds independent and informed decision making by the government to pursue development initiatives. The dearth of options from traditional donors over the past 20 years, the rapidly shortening timeframe for self-governance of Bougainville and Chinese approaches to invest in Bougainville make such opportunities worth considering for the benefit of the people, he said in a statement on the weekend. Bougainville, which makes up the easternmost islands of Papua New Guinea and borders the Solomon Islands, is the site of the long-inactive Panguna copper and gold mine. It sparked the conflict with the central government that spiraled into civil war as Bougainville people suffered the environmental costs but got little of its substantial earnings. The Bougainville government in February renewed the exploration license of Bougainville Copper, a company in which Bougainville and Papua New Guinea each have 36% shareholdings. The renewal paves the way for redevelopment of the mine, which has among the worlds largest copper deposits, and offers a potential windfall for impoverished Bougainville. Marape and Toroamas statement said officials from both governments will draft the mandate and terms of reference for a moderator within a week. The joint body overseeing the post-referendum process will meet again in August, they said. Stephen Wright contributed to this report from Brisbane. As prime minister he took the oath of allegiance and his actions were a breach of public trust, the High Court judge said. Fijis former Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama is escorted to prison from a Suva court after being sentenced on May 9, 2024 to one year in prison for obstructing justice. Fijis former strongman prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, left a Suva court house in handcuffs Thursday after being sentenced to one year in prison for obstructing justice a ruling that bars him from seeking public office for nearly a decade. Acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo also sentenced suspended Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho to two years prison for abuse of office. The pair were found guilty in March after facing trial for their roles in halting a 2020 police investigation into alleged financial mismanagement at the University of the South Pacific. Temo said Bainimaramas sentencing and the conditions of his imprisonment had taken into account his health problems. Although he will be in the state's custody, he is to be treated humanely, he said. Bainimarama and Qiliho were escorted in handcuffs from the Suva court house for transport to prison minutes after the sentencing, anxiety visible on their faces. The former leader used a handkerchief to conceal the cuffs holding his wrists together. Fijis suspended police commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho is escorted to prison from a Suva court after being sentenced on May 9, 2024 to two years in prison for abuse of office. [BenarNews] Ahead of his sentencing, there was a heavy security presence in the capital and around the High Court. Defence lawyer Devanesh Sharma said Bainimaramas legal team had hoped for a suspended sentence and an appeal is on the table. However, we have to be practical about this. The sentence falls on the lower scale but we will go back and look at our options, he said. Bainimarama, who came to power in a 2006 coup that he argued was needed to preserve racial harmony in Fiji, held sway over the Pacific island country for 16 years with a combination of military force, legal harassment of political opponents and a draconian media law that stifled the press. He moved Fiji closer to China after the United States, Australia, France and New Zealand imposed sanctions after the coup and he later became known as a Pacific islands advocate for action to limit climate change. Fijis Crimes Act allows a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment for conspiring to defeat justice. Under Fijis constitution, Bainimaramas conviction makes him ineligible to run for public office for eight years. Temo in his ruling said Bainimarama had taken an oath of allegiance as prime minister and his actions were a breach of the publics trust. Qiliho had clearly abused his role as the countrys top police officer, he said. Fijis former Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama arrives at Suva court to be sentenced on May 9, 2024 for obstructing justice. [BenarNews] Bainimaramas years in power ended in December 2022 after his Fiji First Party dropped below 50% of the vote in national elections, allowing opposition parties to form a coalition government led by Sitiveni Rabuka. Both men are former coup leaders Rabuka in the late 1980s with two coups that sought to reassert indigenous Fijian political power. A purge of Bainimarama appointees from important public positions followed the change in government along with the removal of restrictions on the media and a slew of investigations into alleged abuses of office. Bainimarama still commands a significant following in Fiji, a country of nearly 1 million people. The initial enthusiasm for Rabukas coalition government has faded amid cost-of-living increases, slowing economic growth and scandals involving government ministers. Former Fiji Times editor-in-chief Netani Rika, who was forced out of the newspaper by the Bainimarama government, said the country could have gone down a better path if a quarter century ago it had openly addressed tensions between iTaukei indigenous Fijians and Fijians of Indian descent I think its a sad day, it should not have come to this, he told BenarNews. I feel sad especially for the families of both men. I feel sad because this is a waste of a year for Bainimarama and two years for Qiliho. Their families will suffer the most, he said. It is high time they do something about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We need to take issues out once and for all. Had we done that, we would have never seen a day like this. Hours before the sentencing, Bainimarama tweeted his dismay at the latest scientific report to predict the world would not achieve its goal of limiting average temperature rise to 1.5C. He did not mention his legal woes. Put another way: the worlds experts expect the erasure of low-lying island nations, he wrote. The Bexar County Sheriff's Office released video of Wednesday night's shooting at a home on the Northeast side of San Antonio that killed a 4-year-old and injured four others. San Antonio Express-News The day after a 4-year-old girl was killed and four others injured in a brazen shooting at a Northeast Side duplex, neighbors questioned whether the community was safe for their own children. Two kids and two adults were in critical condition after two people got out of a car and shot about 30 rounds into the home using semiautomatic rifles late Wednesday night. The children were 7 and 8 years old and the adults were 25 and 27, according to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar. Salazar said Thursday all were in stable condition. He believes the adults were the parents of the 4-year-old girl, but he couldn't confirm if the two other children were theirs as well. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Timothy Palacios, who lives across the street from the home, said the neighborhood once was a hot spot for the sheriffs office due to its history of crime, but it had cleaned up recently. It was getting better, and next thing I know, this happens, Palacios said. Its been a thing weve learned to adapt to. ALSO READ: SAPD says a fifth person was injured during deadly Market Square shooting Salazar said the house looked like Swiss cheese from all the bullet holes. Nobody in the neighboring unit was injured. My intent here is to go after a capital murder charge, plain and simple, said the sheriff, who suggested there may have been other people in the car. He plans to charge anyone who helped the two gunmen with capital murder as well. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Bexar County medical examiner confirmed that one person is dead after a shooting Wednesday night on the Northeast Side. Gabriella Ybarra Law enforcement responded to reports of a shooting around 7:40 p.m. in the 6700 block of Windsor Hollow Drive, where they discovered five people inside a duplex home with gunshot wounds. The shooters used Dracos, short-barreled rifles that look like small AK-47s, Salazar said. He believes the people in the house were the intended targets due to text messages exchanged between one of the injured persons and a suspect before the shooting. Deputies believe the shooters were in an Infiniti Q50 or something that looks similar. Salazar said deputies have some persons of interest theyre investigating. Im working on the premise that whoever shot into the house knew there were kids, the sheriff said Wednesday night. If God forbid, one of those children should come to pass, that charge is easily going to be upgraded to capital murder. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A certified nurse assistant who lived next door was administering first aid to the 4-year-old girl when first responders arrived, but the Bexar County medical examiner confirmed Thursday that the girl later died of her injuries. She has not been identified. The neighborhood off Walzem Road east of Loop 410 was quiet Thursday afternoon, though neighbors said it was filled with families and children who often played outside. A few residents expressed concerns about their children or other children visiting their homes. Yolanda Brown, who wasnt home during the time of the shooting, recalled seeing children play outside the duplex every weekend. She said she was shocked to hear about the shooting because her son recently moved to San Antonio. My grandkids come over here, and I dont want to be outside in the front when someone decides to retaliate, Brown said. Rosa, a neighbor who declined to provide her last name, said she thought the sounds of the gunshots were fireworks. As a mother with kids who play outdoors, she is concerned about the safety of the community moving forward, especially as many of the properties in the area are duplexes where multiple people live. Advertisement Article continues below this ad These are duplex homes, so if something bad happens to my neighbor, I can get hit too, she said. Salazar said the sheriffs office is looking into multiple leads and he is confident they will be making some arrests soon. BENNINGTON They were both set for their arraignments on Wednesday afternoon. Megan Sherwood, charged with misdemeanor domestic assault, went first, followed immediately by her long-time domestic partner Robert Ferris. Ferris was charged with felony aggravated domestic assault after he allegedly punched Sherwood in the face, breaking her nose. Sherwood, according to the police affidavit, allegedly hit Ferris twice while drinking, something she was prohibited from doing after a conviction in 2023. About 24-hours later, a weight of evidence hearing was set to begin in a third case with the same felony charge aggravated domestic assault against William Constantino. According to an affidavit in that case, while under an abuse prevention order, Constantino allegedly put the female victim in a choke hold until she couldnt breathe and lost consciousness. In two of the three cases, both Ferris and Constantino face possible life sentences as habitual offenders because both had been convicted of prior felonies. Sherwood was under conditions of release from a previous incident involving alcohol when she allegedly slapped him across the face. The back-to-back cases highlight an ongoing battle across Vermont. How do we keep victims of domestic violence safe while helping to reduce the number of intimate partners caught in a seemingly endless cycle of physical abuse, harassment, and emotional violence? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, domestic abuse or intimate partner violence (IPV) is aggression that occurs in a romantic relationship. An intimate partner can be a current or former spouse or a dating partner. The abuse might happen once or many times over a period of years. IPV can vary in frequency and severity. IPV includes physical or sexual violence, stalking, psychological aggression, as well as the use of verbal and non-verbal communication with the intent to harm a partner mentally or emotionally and to exert control over a partner. Here in Vermont, domestic violence with intimate partners increased by 21.5 percent during 2022. Bennington County filed 385 relief from abuse orders (RFAs) in 2022, behind only Chittenden and Rutland Counties and disproportionate to the population numbers. Forty percent of all calls to Vermont law enforcement for violent crime were situations of domestic violence. The Attorney Generals 2023 Domestic Violence Fatality Review cited nearly half of all the homicides in the state between 1994 and 2022, 45 percent, involved domestic violence. Intimate partner violence is a serious public health issue, said Lindsay Brillon, Executive Director at PAVE (Project Against Violent Encounters) in Bennington. Lack of available community support and lack of economic opportunity...these are things that create an environment where that type of violence flourishes. According to the CDC, risk factors for domestic violence can include low self-esteem, low level of education, young age, alcohol or drug use, economic stress, and a history of physical or emotional abuse in childhood. Relationship issues including jealousy, possessiveness, and witnessing dominance can also contribute. Community factors include high rates of poverty, limited educational and economic opportunities, low community involvement, and cultural norms that support aggression toward others. There can also be a history of witnessing domestic violence that gets ingrained from an early age. We know that this is a behavior pattern, Brillon said. So, if you are raised amongst violence, that is going to be your way of interacting with the world. It is definitely a learned behavior that can be passed on from generation to generation. Bennington is not unique in that. Besides the coordination of resources and services, decent education, stable housing, and economic support, access to medical and mental health services can also go a long way toward helping. Unfortunately, that can be a tall order in most of Vermont. Bennington County, in particular, struggles with access issues pertaining to mental health support, substance abuse treatment, in-patient services, and meaningful aid in the types of programs that can add stability before winding up in the criminal justice system. Prevention Programs, opportunities for people to, you know, move beyond their circumstances, those are the things that really help to combat violence, Brillon said. Our viewpoint is kind of that we don't care who started it; we just want to end the cycle. One of the initiatives PAVE is working on involves programming for those causing the harm. We are helping those causing harm to relearn new patterns, Brillon said. One thing that we try to do is have a supervised visitation program, so those are families that have been impacted directly by domestic violence can have a safe place for the parent who caused harm and the child to still visit and have a relationship. Often, people don't see how that's tied to prevention services, but allowing that child to have a positive interaction with their parent can help them develop better relationship patterns than what they saw as a child. So, in that way, it's kind of preventative. PAVE also helps to empower the survivor, something that is desperately needed. Sometimes people come to us, and they're not ready to leave, Brillon said, So we safely plan with them. We try to minimize harm. If they are at a point where they're ready to leave, then yes, we will help them with a plan. We provide shelter. I think that is the main service that our community sees us providing is that we have a small-capacity shelter. We also run a 24/7 hotline. So that's utilized a lot. We also have a program with the law enforcement agencies that we're trying to expand where there's a direct referral process. So, whenever they have a domestic violence-related call, we get a referral within 48 hours, then we follow up. "I think that it works for our community. And it's a collaborative relationship that's been working. Legislation is also on the way to help expand protection orders. According to Brillon, thats going to be really helpful. Right now, a lot of people can't even get in front of a judge because their abuse doesn't meet that level. By the time it does meet that level, all hell's broken loose. So that's the first thing, and I think we have to look at how people are being served their protection orders. If you don't show up to the court and you have no address, and if the police can't serve the order, they can't help anyone. I know law enforcement is really understaffed. After-hours in those outlying towns, there's not much support. We would love to have a shelter outside of Bennington so people don't have to leave their community, but it's hard to find real estate. Its always a matter of funding. Hopefully, one day, we will get there. In the meantime, the cases keep piling up. A preliminary search of court documents revealed dozens of domestic assault cases still pending in Bennington County. What would be good advice right now for someone who might be being abused by an intimate partner? I think I would tell them that there is a whole better life out there, Brillon said, That it's scary, but it gets so much better. I think a lot of times, as a survivor, you get locked into thinking that this is what the world has to offer. Thats not true. There's a quote out there that if you're if you're born in a fire, you think the whole world is on fire. You don't know what is out there until you open the door. If you or someone you know is suffering from domestic violence, please reach out to the Bennington Police Department at 802-442-1030, or contact PAVE at their 24-hour, confidential hotline at 802-442-2111 or 802-228-7395, or in an emergency, dial 911 LENOX The legacy of BSO Music Director Seiji Ozawa, who died on Feb. 6 at the age of 88, will be celebrated at the annual Tanglewood on Parade concert this summer. The perennial daylong festival on Aug. 6, Tanglewood on Parade: Celebrating Seiji! will be dedicated to Ozawa, a Tanglewood presence as a student in 1960 and during his tenure from 1973 to 2002, the orchestra announced on Thursday. Sign up for the In The Berkshires This Week newsletter Sign up Tanglewood Artist-in-Residence and Boston Pops Conductor Laureate John Williams, current Pops conductor Keith Lockhart and guest conductors Alan Gilbert and Anna Rakitina will share the podium for the 8 p.m. gala concert. Soprano Christine Goerke, a favorite Ozawa collaborator, will be featured in songs by Richard Strauss. The program will include guest speakers and video tributes to Ozawa. The Marcus Roberts Trio will perform a jazz-inflected Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin, and the evening will conclude as usual with Tchaikovskys 1812 Overture and a fireworks display. Ozawa conducted the audience favorite 16 times during his years at Tanglewood. The annual festivities, beginning at 2 p.m., include a brass fanfare by musicians from the Boston University Tanglewood Institute at 2 p.m. Lawn tickets are free for children ages 17 and younger, and family-friendly activities include lawn games, a scavenger hunt, kids yoga with Kripalu, face painting, magic shows, an instrument playground and hot air balloon rides (weather permitting). Ozawa, who had a summer home as a family retreat on Lenox Branch Road in West Stockbridge for many years, was the BSOs longest-serving conductor. He conducted hundreds of concerts at Tanglewood, and dedicated Seiji Ozawa Hall in 1994, named in his honor by chief fundraiser Norio Ohga, former president/CEO of the Sony Corporation. Tanglewood on Parade is the oldest tradition at the orchestras summer home founded by Music Director Serge Koussevitzky, who served the BSO from 1925 to 1949. The annual gala originated in 1940 as an Allied Relief Fund Benefit on the eve of World War II. When we lost Seiji Ozawa last February, we immediately started planning a tribute, and we all agreed that Tanglewood would be the most fitting place to hold it, said BSO President and CEO Chad Smith in a prepared statement. Seiji began his decades-long relationship with the BSO in 1960 as a student at the Tanglewood Music Center, and he especially loved being at Tanglewood during the 29 summers that he was our music director. Lockhart called Ozawa my mentor, colleague, and friend. I am honored to celebrate his extraordinary musical legacy and irrepressible spirit, in a place he loved so much. Season announcements The BSO announced details of its Tanglewood Learning Institute Spotlight Series held at Ozawa Hall at 5 p.m.: poet and librettist Tracy K. Smith, the 22nd U.S. Poet Laureate and professor of English and African American Studies at Harvard University (July 20); filmmaker, journalist, author, literary scholar, PBS host of Finding Your Roots and cultural critic Henry Louis Gates Jr. (Aug. 10); and technology writer, PBS Nova host and CBS Sunday Morning correspondent David Pogue (Aug. 17). Each one is a thought leader who will help us better understand ourselves, each other, and our world, and how music connects us all, Smith commented. The BSO also announced program details for celebrity pianist Yuja Wangs performance with Andris Nelsons and the BSO on July 13. Wang will play Beethovens Piano Concerto No. 4, her first time performing the work with the BSO, on a program that also includes Warmth from Other Suns, for string orchestra by BSO Composer Chair Carlos Simon, and two pieces by Duke Ellington, Three Black Kings and A Tone Parallel to Harlem, in honor of the 50th anniversary of his death. Wang will give a solo recital in Ozawa Hall on July 17 with repertoire to be announced at a future date. Several community programs aimed at Berkshires residents include Tanglewood in the City, a free concert on The Common in Pittsfield (July 6, 3 to 9 p.m.) with activities and performances by MASS MoCA, Kids 4 Harmony, Kripalu, Barrington Stage Company, Katunemo and the Funky Dawgz Brass Band; Berkshire Day (July 28), with free Shed tickets to the 2:30 p.m. BSO concert for residents and property owners of Berkshire County; and a Days in the Arts camp for middle school students (June 2428 and July 812). The 11-week season opens June 20 with John Fogerty and George Thorogood, the first of 14 Popular Artist shows, and ends on Aug. 31 with Dispatch and the Boston Pops conducted by Lockhart. GREAT BARRINGTON Sam Kassow, a leading historian of Polish Jewry and the Holocaust, will be joined by Stockbridge resident Aaron Lansky, the founder and director of the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, in a special talkback event benefiting the Triplex Cinema, 6:30 p.m. May 14. If You Go 'Who Will Write Our History' What: Benefit screening with author Sam Kassow and the Yiddish Book Center's Aaron Lansky. This documentary film is based on Kassow's book of the same name. Lansky will join Kassow for a conversation following the film. When: 6:30 p.m., May 14 Tickets: $100 Information and reservations: 413-528-8886, thetriplex.org The conversation between Kassow and Lansky will follow a screening of the 2018 documentary film "Who Will Write Our History," based on Kassow's 2007 book of the same name. Kassow will also be signing books. Tickets are $100 per person and available at thetriplex.org Sign up for the In The Berkshires This Week newsletter Sign up "Having Sam Kassow and Aaron Lansky at the Triplex is a tremendous gift to us and the community, and we are deeply honored that they will be here to discuss the important work each of them have devoted their lives to," Nicki Wilson, president of the Triplex Board of Directors, said in a news release. "When we reopened the Triplex late in 2023, we never envisioned having such an important event like this one, which will enrich our community in countless ways. In the book and film, Kassow writes and speaks about the critical importance of preserving historical documents. He details historical events in Poland leading up to and including World War II that affected and eventually eliminated the Warsaw Ghetto. Academy Award-winner Adrian Brody and three-time Academy Award nominee Joan Allen provide voiceovers for the two critical figures in the film. The documentary is directed by Roberta Grossman and produced by Nancy Spielberg, Ori Eisen, Al Berg and Ronald Lauder. Established in 1940 by the German authorities, the Warsaw Ghetto housed 460,000 Jews in an area of 1.3 square miles; fewer than 60,000 Jews are thought to have survived after the majority were transferred to concentration camps and killed. Half of all Jewish Holocaust victims, around 3 million, were from Poland. The longtime Charles Northam Professor of History at Trinity College, Kassow was a key consultant to the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, which opened on the site of the Warsaw Ghetto and has been the author of numerous books on the Holocaust. Kassow was on the team of scholars chosen by Yad Vashem, Israels official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, to write a one-volume history of the Holocaust in Poland. "Who Will Write Our History" recounts the story of Nazi resistance from within the Ghetto. After the establishment of the Warsaw Ghetto, a band of writers and scholars named Oyneg Shabes the Joys of Shabbat began to smuggle reports of atrocities to the outside world and to document the life and culture within the Ghetto in the hope that they would be remembered. Many of these documents were buried and only found after the conclusion of the war. Only three members of the Oyneg Shabes survived the war. "Who will write our history? Sam Kassow! A brilliant historian, he recounts the riveting and largely forgotten tale of Oyneg Shabes, a surreptitious band of writers and scholars who joined together in the Warsaw Ghetto to chronicle daily life under Nazi occupation," Lansky said in a release. "As liquidation neared, they buried their papers in milk cans and tin boxes. Only three members of the original group survived the war, and it took them more than a year to persuade fellow survivors to start digging. Through meticulous research, Professor Kassow has excavated those papers for a second time, and, through her powerful documentary, filmmaker Roberta Grossman shares them once again. Lansky is the founder and director of the Yiddish Book Center, an organization formed in 1980 to help salvage Yiddish Language publications. Starting with a small number of books, the Center has grown into the world's largest collection of Yiddish books, with more than 1.5 million titles. IF YOU GO 'Who Will Write Our History' What: Benefit screening with author Sam Kassow and the Yiddish Book Center's Aaron Lansky. This documentary film is based on Kassow's book of the same name. Lansky will join Kassow for a conversation following the film. When: 6:30 p.m., May 14 Tickets: $100 Information and reservations: 413-528-8886, thetriplex.org The question I am asking myself is now that we are above yearly highs on several indexes, are we jumping the gun here? Do you think the Fed is going to abruptly change its stance on one cooler inflation number? Jane Kaufman is Community Voices Editor at The Berkshire Eagle. She can be reached at jkaufman@berkshireeagle.com or 413-496-6125. The Aviary, a two-floor suite at Wheatleigh, was once used as a real aviary by its original owners, Carlos and Georgie de Heredia. The Gilded Age estate was built for them in 1893. The property is now on the market for $15 million, offered as a hotel, family compound, corporate retreat or private club. This Story in History is selected from the archives by Jeannie Maschino, The Berkshire Eagle. Nearly 380 law enforcement officers from 23 agencies responded to the May 24, 2022, shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Official investigations have described the police response as an egregious failure. Courtesy of the State of Texas San Antonio Express-News reporter Guillermo Contreras has been recognized by the Best of the West journalism contest for exposing missteps in the U.S. Border Patrols response to the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde. Contreras, who covers federal courts and law enforcement for the paper, was awarded first place in the news writing category for what the judge described as an impressive and thorough dismantling of the official narrative around this tragic event. There has been a lot of coverage of police inaction that day, but the work that went into finding yet another shortcoming shines through, wrote the category judge, Agnel Philip of the nonprofit newsroom ProPublica. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Best of the West recognizes outstanding journalism in 14 Western states, including Texas. In recent weeks, it has been announcing winners in various categories for work published in 2023. Contreras' award was made public Thursday. His winning entry, one of 72 submitted in the news writing category, was a detailed narrative of the Border Patrols role in ending the siege at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, where a teenage gunman killed 19 fourth-graders and two teachers on May 24, 2022. Law enforcement officers evacuate students and staff from Robb Elementary School in Uvalde after a gunman entered a classroom and began shooting on May 24, 2022. Pete Luna /Uvalde Leader-News Official investigations into the massacre have depicted the police response as an egregious failure. Nearly 380 officers from 23 law enforcement agencies stood by for more than an hour while the victims were trapped in a classroom with the gunman. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Border Patrol was seen as an exception to this picture of futility. Members of the agencys elite tactical team, called BORTAC, ended the stalemate by storming the classroom and killing the shooter, albeit too late to prevent the carnage. Contreras' story, published April 8, 2023, revealed that three Border Patrol agents were decorated for valor for their actions that day. The article went on to puncture the official story line and demonstrate that the federal agency had succumbed to the same confusion and irresolution that crippled the broader police response. Drawing on body camera footage and previously undisclosed statements from agents, Contreras reported that Border Patrol officers waited in a hallway outside the classroom, seemingly unsure what to do, and that they continued to wait after learning children in the room were calling 911, begging to be rescued. They waited even after hearing a renewed burst of gunfire from inside. The first member of BORTAC arrived at Robb Elementary at 12:12 p.m. Thirty-eight minutes passed before agents breached the classroom and killed the gunman, Contreras reported. His story closed by quoting an agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations unit. The agent arrived at Robb late in the standoff and told investigators afterward that he was struck by the inertia of many law enforcement officers on the scene. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Asked whether they displayed urgency, the agent replied: No. None at all. And thats what really, really, really got to me. I was like, This is what we sign up to do. I had to grab a couple of BP agents by their vests and (say), 'Look, just do what you can take a deep breath. We all got kids.' Thats why we do what we do, you know. AMHERST Campus police arrested 135 pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Massachusetts Amherst late Tuesday night, hours after students established their second encampment this semester to demand the university divest from organizations connected to the defense industry and Israel. UMass Chancellor Javier Reyes and other university officials met with a handful of protest organizers Tuesday afternoon to discuss the students demands and to ask them to dismantle the encampment, but participating students left the meeting saying they would not remove their tents and surrounding barriers until the university agreed to their proposed divestment strategy. In an email to students and UMass families Tuesday evening, Reyes wrote that after repeated warnings about an "unauthorized encampment on the South Lawn of the Student Union," he asked the UMass Police Department to begin dispersing the crowd and dismantling the encampment as "the absolute last resort." "We have provided many paths forward for a resolution, including in our discussions today with protest representatives," Reyes wrote. "While we have told demonstrators that failure to remove the tents and barriers may result in arrests, this is not the outcome we had hoped for." About 8 p.m., police officers wearing riot gear surrounded the barricaded tents that students had set up earlier in the afternoon and began arresting a small group of faculty shielding the structure, before moving to detain those inside the encampment as hundreds of people looked on. As the night progressed, other students entered the encampment and barricaded themselves with signs before additional officers and state police troopers arrived and took them into custody. In videos posted on the UMass chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine Instagram account, police were seen tackling students who surrounded the encampment while shouting obscenities at the officers. In one video, officers tackled a protester running toward someone who students on the scene said appeared to be being tased on the ground, pushing down on the neck and head of the student who interfered. UMass said Wednesday that its police reported that no tasers were used Tuesday night and that what observers saw was a strobe flashlight being used. Police zip tied the hands of arrested protesters behind their backs and took them via bus to the campus police station or the Mullins Center for holding. They were released early Wednesday morning on $40 bail, which UMass SJP paid for using a bail fund they encouraged their social media followers to support. In October, campus police arrested 57 UMass students and faculty members for trespassing during a sit-in at the Whitmore Administration Building. As part of the students demands Thursday, they asked the Student Code of Conduct Office to drop any sanctions or charges against those 57 protesters. Reyes said in his email that hes "actively reviewing" the cases and that there are no criminal cases pending against students arrested in October, and all infractions have been reduced to civil penalties. Reyes also noted that in June, the UMass board of trustees plans to consider a proposal developed by UMass Amherst Student Trustee Chris Brady to divest from defense firms. He noted the UMass Amherst Foundation Board, which manages the universitys endowment, received a similar request to consider divesting from the defense industry. Student protesters attempted to set up a similar encampment on April 29 but dismantled it the next morning based on concerns they would face arrest or academic sanctions. Organizers said they were motivated to reestablish the encampment Tuesday as Israel began operations in Rafah, a city where more than 1 million Palestinian refugees have retreated throughout the war, according to the United Nations. "Our encampment has been re-established in light of our demands not being met and in light of the horrifying invasion of Rafah," protesters wrote in an open letter posted to the SJP Instagram account. "Join us at the encampment to sustain the pressure the fight is only getting started." Earlier this week, Massachusetts Institute of Technology students received word from MIT President Sally Kornbluth that their encampment was deemed "no longer safely sustainable," and they could face suspension for refusing to dismantle their tents. Harvard students received a similar message, weeks into an ongoing movement at college campuses across the country in support of a ceasefire in Gaza. A Williams College encampment established last week had grown to about 30-40 tents as of Tuesday. Some 1,200 Israelis were killed in Hamas's invasion on Oct. 7, and about 250 people were taken hostage into Gaza. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have since been killed in the ongoing conflict. More than 2,000 American students have been arrested as part of these protests, the Associated Press reports, and multiple schools have reconfigured their spring commencement ceremonies to mitigate the risk of potential disruptions. The Pro-Palestine encampment at Williams College is expanding. Will it impact commencement? Student activists are in discussions with administrators about their demands. Commencement is planned for June 2 on the same spot where students are currently camped. Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, responded to the arrests in Amherst by saying in a statement that "other campuses across the country have engaged demonstrators in productive dialogue." Last night in Amherst, and events on campuses across the country, make clear: When universities choose to involve police in nonviolent demonstrations, it escalates tensions and creates unacceptable safety risks for all students, faculty, and community members," Rose said. "Campus administrators have an obligation to protect students safety on campus; at the same time, they must take all necessary measures to protect students right to protest. Calling heavily armed police on student political expression is an inherently dangerous choice." In his email, Reyes wrote: "While we may not agree to all the demands presented to us today, including those which would violate the universitys founding values of the free and open exchange of ideas, todays meeting could have been a significant step forward in in establishing a meaningful dialogue. I asked the students to help UMass Amherst set a model for how civil discourse can progress by dismantling their encampment and engaging with us in constructive discussions not further confrontations and outright violations of university policy and the law." BillOReilly.com is not available in this country. We apologize for any inconvenience. Students from Yellowstone School are photographed on Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Houston. A private Christian school is on the first floor, and a publicly funded charter school is on the second floor. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Students from Yellowstone School are photographed on Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Houston . Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Students from charter school, Yellowstone School, are photographed on Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Houston . Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer At Yellowstone Schools, the separation of church and state is a staircase. In the first-floor classrooms of a refurbished historical schoolhouse in Houstons Third Ward, kindergarten-through-fifth-graders pray before going to lunch and gather each day for Bible study. A large, green banner saying He Is Risen is posted on the hallway wall. That all changes in sixth grade, when they move one floor up and into a publicly funded charter school. Advertisement Article continues below this ad THE LANDSCAPE: Supreme Court prayer ruling has Texas GOP eyeing separation of church and state in schools Upstairs, the Bible study classes and lunch prayers abruptly end. In place of religious messages, there are posters with inspirational quotes from Malcolm X and Oprah Winfrey, and information about state standardized tests, school tutoring and goal-setting. At other schools around the state, separation of church and state could be a walk across the street, a short bus ride, or the sound of the school bell that signals the taxpayer-funded lessons are over and its time for the religious after-school program. When it comes to public education, most people think of church and state as being separated by a clear and bright legal line: Private schools may endorse a particular religion or expose their students to religious teachings or programs, but publicly funded institutions may not. Yet a survey of the Texas educational landscape shows that, in many ways, the separation is a legal technicality easily sidestepped, rendering clear distinctions between public secular and religious education difficult to discern. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The line between church and state is becoming much more blurred in the public school setting, said David Brockman, author of a report released last month by Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy about the Texas Legislatures efforts to introduce religion into public schools. Recent decisions by a more conservative U.S. Supreme Court have fueled the trend, experts said. Gov. Greg Abbotts aggressive push for Texas to adopt private school vouchers, which would allow parents to use taxpayer money to pay for religious education, threatens to further close the gap. A reboot for religious education? Charter schools, in particular, have wandered into legal gray areas. Occupying a unique niche as publicly funded schools operated by private organizations, some schools have pushed the limits of mixing religion and schooling. Blurring the boundaries is more likely to occur in a charter school than a traditional public school, said Alex Luchenitser, interim legal director for Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Luchenitser said when public schools endorse a particular religion, it can exclude or discriminate against some students, or steer others who may be impressionable toward a particular belief system. It also uses money from taxpayers who may not share those beliefs. Even if religious programming is labeled optional, he said, children often cant tell the difference. If a school is operated in a way that students are going to feel significant pressure, such as pressure from administrators or teachers or even just peer pressure because many kids are taking these after-school religious classes, these raise serious concerns about our kids being coerced to take part in religious activity, Luchenitser said. At Beta Academy, a highly rated charter in south Houston, students may attend before- and after-school free Bible study on-campus. Superintendent Latisha Andrews said the activity was no different than any other extracurricular club. But Crash Ministries, led by her husband, promotes its classroom connection. We bring Jesus to kids right where they are, its website said. At school. (The site was recently taken down.) In its pitch to parents, LifeWise Academy, an Ohio-based charter aiming to expand into Houston, explains the law only prohibits religious instruction during classroom hours on public school property meaning there is no barrier to taking students off-campus between their regular classes to study the Bible. Thanks to the increased legal cover, LifeWise Academy is reinstalling religious education into the public school day! A Texas contact did not return calls. In the Rio Grande Valley, the newly opened Brillante Academy is operated by Seton Education Partners, a New York-based charter management organization whose advertised goal is to replace the nations shrinking system of Catholic schools with religious-leaning charters. According to its planning documents and website, Brillante teams with El Camino Faith Formation, a Catholic faith program (that) helps children, their families, and their teachers to know, love, and serve Christ and His Church. Advertisement Article continues below this ad School officials did not return calls. But in a published interview, Brillante Superintendent Aaron Brenner described brainstorming how you could take a public charter school with funding from the state, and pair it with a Catholic wraparound program that respects the separation of church and state. Ethically, morally, legally, and of course spiritually, it would be an awesome option if we could pull it off. 'Schools are not God-free zones' On paper, there are plenty of rules designed to maintain the public-school church-state divide. State law says charter schools all must operate as public schools, and are not allowed to discriminate against any student on the basis of religion. The Texas Education Agency prohibits churches and other faith-based organizations from holding public school charters. A spokesperson noted a federal grant received by many Texas charter schools bars recipients from schools from displaying religious imagery. As a group, Texas charter schools have long denied that they operate as religious schools, describing this as a myth. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Regulators say they typically discover a school breaking or bending the rules only if parents complain or sue. But for charters tilting religious, the programming is part of the pitch, tending to attract families who approve of the philosophy and so are unlikely to cause a fuss. A public records request to the Texas Education Agency for religion-related complaints into charter schools over the last decade returned only a small handful. In its promotional materials, Brillante cites the strong Catholic tradition in Mission and the Rio Grande Valley. At Yellowstone, Superintendent James Mosley said the lower schools Christian foundation is absolutely a part of what makes it attractive to the Third Ward parents it serves. Even the paper guardrails keeping religion and public classrooms separate may disappear if advocacy groups have their way if they havent already. Emboldened by recent court decisions, some have begun to argue that religious-oriented charter schools are already entirely legal. The schools could transition into religious schools immediately if they wanted to, said Hiram Sasser, executive general counsel for the First Liberty Institute, which litigated several of the landmark Supreme Court cases. Because charters dont force anyone to attend, the organization argues, they cant be coercing religious expression. Theres really nothing that stops a charter school, today, in Texas, from adopting certain faith-based practices, Sasser said. First Liberty currently represents an Oklahoma-based Catholic organization seeking to become the nations first openly religious public charter school. It already has received a state charter, and is fighting in court to keep it. On separate floors Back at Yellowstone, officials stressed their secular and religious schools were entirely separate. The Academy, the private Christian elementary school, occupies the first floor. College Prep is the publicly funded charter on the second serving middle-through-high schoolers. Yet the schools also share a superintendent and a central office. The main school cafeteria serves as the chapel for the elementary schoolers each Monday. The schools curricula are aligned, with the intent for students to continue from pre-K through high school graduation. Although the public school upstairs does not have religious classes or chapel, theres an afterschool program that many students choose to attend, especially because administrators say theyve formed religious routines in the lower school. Walking through an upper-floor classroom on a recent school day, Superintendent Mosley leaned down and smiled at one sixth-grade student seated at his desk, offering him some encouraging words. Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province and elsewhere in Saudi Arabia Spanish retailers introduce WeChat Pay, Alipay for Chinese tourists Xinhua) 08:34, May 09, 2024 People visit the facade of Casa Batllo, a renowned building designed by architect Antoni Gaudi, in Barcelona, Spain, April 23, 2023. (Photo by Joan Gosa/Xinhua) Previously, it was only possible to use WeChat Pay and Alipay in large shopping malls. BARCELONA, Spain, May 8 (Xinhua) -- A new initiative aimed at making shopping easier for Chinese tourists in Spain will allow them to use digital payment methods popular in Asia, such as WeChat Pay and Alipay. Chinese visitors to the city of Barcelona, a tourist hotspot, can now use the mobile payment systems they use at home in over 80 shops, thanks to a deal between the Barcelona Commerce retailers' association and the Starpay digital payment platform. "Our goal is to help ensure that the tools and applications that are widely used by consumers on the Chinese market are also available in our local stores," Alfons Barti, director of the Barcelona Commerce retailers' association, told Xinhua on Tuesday. "We display the logos of both WeChat and Alipay, which Chinese tourists can easily see and so feel more comfortable about entering the shop," said Ivan Munoz, manager of El Petit Gaudi Eixample, a gift shop selling handcrafted products. Two Chinese tourists who were browsing in the shop told Xinhua that it made shopping in small independent stores easier because "the payment process is so familiar to us." Previously, they said, it was only possible to use WeChat Pay and Alipay in large shopping malls. People visit the Alipay booth during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, Feb. 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Gao Jing) More than 1.2 billion users in Asia use the apps available on the Starpay platform to shop, transfer funds and receive cultural and gastronomic recommendations. "I don't know if Chinese tourists will spend more but it makes shopping for them less of a hassle, and makes them feel more confident because it's a method they already know," said Juanca Gomez, manager of the Barrabes ski and mountain clothing store. Gil Pujades, who runs the Vinya Celler Masia wine shop, added that the growth of the Chinese tourist market in Spain makes the payment initiative very welcome. "Everything that helps people have a more complete experience when they come here, and learn about our products, is a good thing," he told Xinhua. The Barcelona initiative is the first of its kind in Spain, although Starpay says it is currently developing a similar project for shops in the Spanish capital of Madrid. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Jose Garza Courtesy Last year, Republican lawmakers boasted about removing politics from local criminal prosecutions when they passed a law that makes it easier to remove elected district attorneys who refuse to try certain crimes. But the laws first real test a push to remove Austins Democratic district attorney shows their attempts have only injected more politics into the process. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The petition against Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza, which a local resident submitted last month, was written by Garza's former Republican opponent. The judge overseeing the case was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott, an outspoken critic of Garza. And the Republican prosecutor assigned to the case has challenged one Texas citys move to decriminalize low-level marijuana possession, a policy championed by Garza and many other reform-oriented prosecutors. Garza, who easily won his recent Democratic primary for reelection, has blasted the petition as flawed and politically motivated. In March, a few billionaires and MAGA Republicans and their dark PAC money failed to stop our progress at the ballot box, he said in a statement. Now, their allies are wasting taxpayer money trying to undermine the voters' decision of Travis County. They failed once, and they'll fail again." House Bill 17 was part of a larger conservative effort to clamp down on progressive criminal justice policies in Texas big cities. It came after several district attorneys announced publicly that they would not prosecute low-level drug possession, abortion-related crimes and child abuse allegations against parents of transgender children receiving transition care. Texas law had already spelled out a process for removing elected officials on the basis of incompetency, official misconduct or intoxication. A local judge could preside over the case, and a local prosecutor could present it, though county officials had the option to appoint someone else. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Under HB17, local residents can now petition to remove prosecutors if they have a policy of refusing to prosecute a class or type of criminal offense. And the case must be presented and presided over by outside judges and prosecutors. Critics say the legislation was strategically written so that Republican judges would always oversee attempts to remove Democratic district attorneys. Abbott appoints all the presiding judges who assign the new removal cases. In Garzas case, the presiding judge was Dib Waldrip, a vocal conservative. State Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, said local judges often recuse themselves from removal cases anyway and that the new law just makes it official. He added that the law has already proved effective as a deterrent. Cook pointed to Dallas County DA John Creuzot, who has quietly rescinded his 2022 policy against prosecuting low-level theft. Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales similarly walked back his earlier vow not to prosecute abortion-related and other offenses, so theres no question that we are following the law. My goal in HB17 was simply to have prosecutors exercise prosecutorial discretion but not make blanket statements, Cook said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The petition against Garza cites two such statements, among other claims. In 2022, he and several other Democratic district attorneys pledged not to criminalize personal health care decisions after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. And in a 2021 policy document, the petition says, Garza indicated he would not prosecute low-level drug possession cases. Last August, however, Garzas office distributed new internal guidelines and told employees to disregard all past statements, policies or direction you have received. The reversal could make it more difficult to remove him because HB17 applies only to statements prosecutors made after it took effect in September 2023. The case is now in the hands of Bell County Attorney James Nichols, the prosecutor assigned to it. He asked the court this week for more time to investigate the matter before deciding whether to proceed. Nichols did not respond to a request for comment. Outsourcing judges, prosecutors Its rare for Texans to file petitions to remove local officials and even rarer for the petitions to succeed. In the past, though, locally elected judges and prosecutors have been involved in the process. Advertisement Article continues below this ad After a petition was filed against former Travis County DA Rosemary Lehmberg in 2013, after her arrest on a drunken driving charge, the local county attorney acted as the prosecutor. More recently, when local residents sought to remove El Paso District Attorney Yvonne Rosales, the local county attorney also pledged to present the case. The judge presiding over Lehmbergs case allowed her to stay in office. Rosales resigned before the trial began. Judges in both cases were from outside counties but were appointed only after local judges recused themselves. Nichols previously tried and won a removal case in 2017 against a Killeen justice of the peace who had set a controversial bail amount for a man accused of murder and arraigned her own son on DWI charges. In that case, he was the locally elected prosecutor in the county, and a visiting judge presided over the trial after the recusals of local judges. Garzas case went straight to Waldrip, a Republican who normally handles cases in Comal County, where he was first elected to the bench in 2007. In 2022, Abbott appointed Waldrip to the additional role of presiding judge in the administrative region that includes Travis County. Waldrip could have chosen to assign the petition to a different judge but chose to handle the case himself. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Waldrip declined to comment while the case is ongoing. He has previously shown support for some of the criminal justice reforms Garza backs, such as the use of drug courts or specialized court programs that allow drug users to receive treatment and supervision in lieu of jail time. But he also self-identifies as a staunch conservative and a proponent of sticking to Judeo-Christian values. Hes shared content from Sen. John Cornyn and former President Donald Trump when the Republican was a candidate in 2016. Mary Betsy Dupuis, the Travis County resident who filed the petition against Garza, said her actions have nothing to do with politics. I am not a Republican, and certainly not MAGA, Dupuis said in a statement, referring to Trumps Make America Great Again campaign slogan. I have not been paid by anyone and filed this petition. Martin Harry, the author of the petition Dupuis submitted, said he didnt write it with political motivations, either though he ran against Garza as a Republican in 2020 and now lives in Florida. Last fall, he posted on social media that hed written a petition that was ready for filing and encouraged Austin-area residents to reach out to him if they were interested. Harry said in an interview that this lawsuit is not personal against Mr. Garza. He added that he still owns property in Travis County and left specifically because of Garzas policies. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. A horrifying eruption of infections has his the midwestern state of South Dakota. South Dakota is facing a serious and unchecked syphilis outbreak, in newborns specifically. In 2022, pediatrician Tom Herr uncovered just how many babies on the Rosebud reservation in South Dakota were already infected with the disease upon their first breath. Many patients spent their first weeks tied up in tubes that injected antibiotics into their tiny bodies, while some died in the womb. The syphilis rate among Indigenous people in the Great Plains is higher than at any point in 80 years of records, and by 2023, more than 3% of all Native American babies born in South Dakota were infected, according to ProPublica. Health officials, along with Herr, warned of the growing statistics, calling for bosses at the federal Indian Health Service and tribal health authorities, writing op-eds, and speaking to reporters on their findings. In February of this year, four tribal leaders from the Great Plains took to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to officially declare a state of emergency. The leaders requested emergency funding for the tribes to enhance their proficiency in immediate response situations. However, more than 10 weeks have passed, and Beccera has not responded. Meghan Curry O'Connell, chief public health officer for the tribal health board, told the media outlet, "We need to free up resources so we can take extraordinary measures to respond to these extraordinary circumstances." Syphilis is usually transmitted through sexual intercourse and is easily treatable as well as preventable. But it can be life-threatening when left unchecked, especially in infants that are infected in the womb, as they can be born in excruciating pain with deformed bones, brain damage, or, in some cases, death. In regard to Becerra's lack of response, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a statement saying, "HHS has received the request and will respond directly" to the Great Plains tribes, though no timeframe was given. Adding that it was "taking action to slow the spread with a focus on those most significantly impacted," HHS highlighted that it had organized a workshop for tribes and created a national task force to "leverage federal resources." The STD has soared nationwide for years, with a shortage of penicillin, the medication used to treat it. Alarm bells have been going off for over a decade, largely due to the neglect from multiple branches of the federal government, including chronic underfunding from Congress for the health care system for Native Americans. The United States government is mandated to provide health care to many tribes, including several in the Great Plains, under a variety of treaties. Other Native American reservations were impacted as well. In Montana, within a community of under 10,000 people, a dozen patients had been diagnosed with the disease in just one week. Three of them included stillborn babies. Jessica Leston, then a director for the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, said, "People always say we care about babies." "Now we aren't even caring about babies." A carpenter who claims he was allegedly exposed to a toxic and noxious chemical while working on a job at the Intel Ireland plant has launched a High Court action. Mark Callan, his counsel Barney Quirke SC told the court, has been left with a very significant, lasting and disabling chronic asthmatic condition. Advertisement Opening the case, Mr Quirke instructed by Tiernan Solicitors told the court that it was their case that there was an alleged cluster of 17 people who had worked on the pop out crew on a job at the Intel plant in Leixlip, Co Kildare around 10 years ago who had displayed symptoms including asthma and headaches and vomiting which he said were the classic symptoms of exposure to the chemical, Penatron. Mr Quirke said it was also their contention that at the time the method used to mix the dangerous chemical Penatron in a regular bucket was primitive and Dickensian. Counsel said this was changed to another system using jugs and a trolley after the alleged cluster appeared and a third pump system similar to that used in the US was brought in on December 2014, where Counsel said the chemical was mixed in a machine which was a far more satisfactory manner, but it was too late for Mark Callan. He said concerns among the crew working on the pop out at the Intel plant became greater in January 2014 when the carpenter was hospitalised for an unknown reason" but with symptoms including headaches and vomiting. Advertisement Counsel said the evidence would also be that a chemical alarm system went off on a regular basis and particularly as the pop out crew work intensified. Mr Quirke said the appropriate thing to do once it was known about the alleged cluster would have been to close down the factory. Mark Callan (50) from Ballyoran, Dundalk, Co Louth has sued his employer Ardmac Ltd with registered offices at Swords Business Campus, Balheary Road, Swords, Co Dublin and Intel Ltd with registered offices at Collinstown Industrial Park, Leixllip Co Kildare and Intel Ireland Ltd with registered offices at Simmonscourt House, Simmonscourt Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin. The works were being carried out by Ardmac at the Intel, Leixlip, Co Kildare plant. Advertisement Mr Callan has claimed he was allegedly exposed to toxic and noxious chemicals including Penatron /ASTC 3003c over a period of 13 months from July 2013 to August 2014 allegedly while carrying out work at the Intel manufacturing plant in Leixlip. It is further claimed there was an alleged failure to have regard to the fact that the system of work devised allegedly involved Mr Callan and his co-employees allegedly being exposed to a sensitising agent over a protracted period and that they developed symptoms allegedly consistent with being exposed to noxious fumes or toxic chemical agents. It is further claimed that the alleged symptoms of Mr Callan and his co employees tended to improve when away from work. All the claims are denied by Ardmac and Intel and full defences have been filed, Ms Justice Denise Brett was told. The case which is expected to last three weeks continues. The Florida man suspected in the disappearance of his estranged American wife in Spain allegedly had his Colombian girlfriend translate text messages in an effort to impersonate her. David Knezevich, 36, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has been charged with kidnapping in connection with the vanishing of his wife, Ana Knezevich, 40, according to authorities. Knezevich was arrested Saturday at the Miami International Airport. The investigation into Ana's whereabouts began three months ago when loved ones reported last hearing from her Feb. 2, after a suspicious text was sent from her phone the same day she was last captured on surveillance footage entering her apartment in Madrid, Spain, where she was living amid her separation from Knezevich. Family members described the couple's split as "contentious" due to the substantial amount of assets acquired during their 13-year marriage. "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. There is barely any signal though. I'll call you when I come back. Kisses," the text message written in Colombian Spanish and sent to a friend from Ana's phone read, according to the affidavit reviewed by Headlines & Global News. "Yesterday I went for a walk after leaving therapy and a man approached me to flirt and we had an incredible connection," another message read. Investigators allege Knezevich met a Colombian woman through a dating app in October 2023. In February, around the time of Ana's disappearance, Knezevich allegedly messaged the woman and asked her to translate a message into "perfect Colombian" for a friend in Serbia who he claimed was writing a script about a Colombian character, according to the affidavit. The girlfriend later told her mother about meeting Knezevich online. Wanting to learn more about her daughter's boyfriend, the mother Googled "Knezevich" and learned that his wife was missing in Madrid. The girlfriend then came across a news article that contained the message she translated for him, prompting her to contact authorities, the affidavit read. The day Ana vanished, investigators discovered someone resembling her husband gained access to her Madrid apartment building while other individuals were leaving. He then spray-painted a security camera unknowingly with a transparent layer of spray paint the affidavit stated. About an hour later, the same man was seen through the spray-painted security camera lens leaving the building with a suitcase. Ana was never captured on camera walking out of her apartment. Spanish firefighters responding to a welfare check at her unit Feb. 4 discovered her cell phone and laptop were also missing. Investigators have not disclosed where they think Ana may be or if she is in fact still alive. A member of the well-known Hutch family has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for attempting to rob 100 from a woman in Dublin city centre. Alan Hutch (41) pleaded guilty to attempted robbery outside Tesco on Talbot Street on March 3rd last year. Advertisement At a sitting of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday, the court heard a woman had just withdrawn 100 from an ATM when Hutch approached from behind and tried, unsuccessfully, to grab it off her. Multiple CCTV cameras placed in the area identified him, which was part of extra Garda operations in light of feuds concerning the Hutch family. Alan is the son of Eddie Hutch (59), who was murdered at his home on February 8th, 2016, three days after the gangland killing of David Byrne (33) at the Regency Hotel in Whitehall. Counsel for Alan Hutch said his client's mental health took a downward spiral after his father was shot dead in 2016 and the subsequent media interest. Advertisement Derek Cooney BL, defending, said Hutch was in a very dark place at the time of this offence and had been suffering from schizophrenia, psychosis and auditory hallucinations. He has the name of Hutch, which puts a card on him and his siblings, said counsel. This poor woman was only getting money out of the machine, and for Hutch to do this in full-blown view of all the cameras clearly shows the desperation he had at the time, said Mr Cooney. There was no thought or planning put into this. He has very little recollection of the event. He was clearly suffering from mental health difficulties on the day, counsel added. Advertisement Mr Cooney said Hutch had come from traumatic and chaotic family circumstances and had come upon his mother after she passed away in January 2023. One of his brothers died from an overdose, and another brother suffers from cerebral palsy, the court heard. Everyone seems to him to want to do him harm, said Mr Cooney, adding that Hutch himself had been hospitalised several times after he overdosed in custody. 'Multitude of drugs' Hutch tested positive for a multitude of drugs on his arrest and is currently on methadone, as well as antipsychotic medications, the court heard. Advertisement Garda Cathy Giblin told Simon Matthews BL, prosecuting, that the woman was very shaken after the incident but had managed to hold on to her 100. Her hands were sore after she struggled with Hutch, the court heard. CCTV CCTV was used to identify Hutch and addresses for him in Portland Row and also at a Peter McVerry Hostel on the New Cabra Road were searched. The woman did not wish to make a victim impact statement. Hutch has 80 previous convictions, of which 34 are for Circuit Court offences, including assault causing harm. The court heard that he was on bail for other offences at the time of this incident. Hutch has been in custody since April 28th, 2023, on this matter. Judge Martin Nolan said Hutch had mental health problems and his family has suffered many tragedies. He expressed the hope that medication would help Hutch and accepted that he had not meant to do the woman any harm. Judge Nolan sentenced him to 21 months in prison. A total of 163 people have been moved to State-provided accommodation following the dismantling of a makeshift migrant camp along Dublin's Grand Canal. Taoiseach Simon Harris described the multi-agency operation as a Team Ireland response. Advertisement More than 100 tents had been erected along the Grand Canal as the Government continues to fail to provide accommodation to all male asylum seekers. The multi-agency operation to clear the tents began at approximately 6.30am on Thursday. Tents being cleared from the canal (Brian Lawless/PA) Advertisement By approximately 8am, all the tents had been removed using a truck with a crane arm. The asylum seekers who had been living in the makeshift encampment were told it was an offence to stay on the canal and that they would be taken by bus to official accommodation. Advertisement Many of the men lined up for the buses while their tents were marked before being disposed of for health and safety reasons. Fifteen of the international-protection applicants were moved to the site of the former Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, while 163 were accommodated at the Crooksling site. The Government said both sites have robust, weather-proof tents and other services including toilets, showers and 24-hour onsite security. Advertisement A view of the tents prior to the operation (Niall Carson/PA) Volunteers and a Safetynet mobile health unit also assisted the operation. Fences were erected around the stretch of the Grand Canal where the tents had been pitched to prevent another encampment. Advertisement The encampment on the waterway emerged shortly after more than 200 asylum seekers were cleared from a similar makeshift camp at the nearby International Protection Office in Mount Street last week. The Government said Thursday mornings operation involved An Garda Siochana, Dublin City Council, the HSE, the Departments of Integration and Justice as well as a waterway authority. Tents being removed (Brian Lawless/PA) Speaking at a press conference a short time after the operation, Mr Harris thanked the agencies involved in both operations. He said: It was not acceptable to me or to Government that there would be any source of tacit acceptance that what was happening at Mount Street was just okay, because it never was. And it became very close and closer than many people may even realise to becoming a real public health emergency. He said he had no doubt other issues would arise in future but added that the multi-agency response would continue. The days of people saying, thats not my issue, thats for that department, thats for that agency I dont want to hear it. This is Government. This is Ireland. This is Team Ireland. Fences being erected along the canal (Brian Lawless/PA) Mr Harris said there would be a continued comprehensive response to the refugee accommodation crisis. He said there would not be a situation where another camp would be allowed to stay for weeks or months, adding: Those days are gone. Those days are over. Thats not gonna happen and the Government is absolutely united in relation to this. Labour leader Ivana Bacik at the scene (Brian Lawless/PA) Asked if the Government would continue to block off public spaces with fences, Mr Harris said: The multi agency response involves a number of different actions happening. It doesnt involve the long-term erection of barriering off parts of our city, but in the short term that can be a requirement. He would not define what he considered to be short term but said he would not expect it to be months. Noting there was a range of public order offences that applied to the encampment, Integration Minister Roderic OGorman said An Garda Siochana took a humane approach to the encampment given that the asylum seekers had not yet received an offer of accommodation. A statement from the Government said: The purpose of the operation is to ensure the safe movement of people seeking international protection from the tents on the Grand Canal to International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS)-designated accommodation. Asylum claimants remove their belongings during the operation (Brian Lawless/PA) The site was later cleaned by Waterways Ireland. Labour leader Ivana Bacik, who is a TD for the area, said she hopes the alternative accommodation is appropriate and secure. I have been calling on the Taoiseach to address this situation. Its clearly inhumane and unsustainable to see individuals with no option but to sleep in tents with no sanitation facilities, no security, she said. I am glad to see alternative accommodation has been made and we will be pressing the Government to ensure that it is safe and secure accommodation. I want to commend all the local residents and volunteers who gave such support to the individuals here. It was a very calm presence along the canal. It couldnt have been allowed to continue because it was inhumane to the individuals. Ireland is moving closer to formally recognising the state of Palestine but the Taoiseach has refused to confirm the date this will take place. Simon Harris said he has spoken to his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez this week and they have formed a clear plan to recognise Palestinian statehood. Advertisement The two leaders have been in regular contact about appealing to other European states to sign up to their plan for a joint declaration recognising Palestine. Mr Harris said they have a clear plan. Taoiseach Simon Harris, left, and Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez (Brian Lawless/PA) Advertisement We spoke again at the weekend. Were in regular contact in relation to this, Mr Harris said. Im in regular contact with the Tanaiste (Micheal Martin) and the leader of the Green Party, Minister (Eamon) Ryan. There is never a wrong time to do the right thing. The right thing to do right now is to recognise the state of Palestine. Why do we do that? We do that because we must keep the hope and the destination of a two-state solution firmly to the fore. That is how you resolve this conflict in the Middle East and that is how you bring stability to the region. Advertisement You cannot say you believe in a two-state solution and not recognise that there are two states. Advertisement Ireland recognises the state of Israel, its right to security, peace and Ireland wishes to recognise the state of Palestine and wishes to see those two states live side by side. Myself and Prime Minister Sanchez have an understanding that we wont put into the public domain a specific date and thats for a very straightforward reason because theres still conversations ongoing with other leaders of other countries and I intend to have further conversations with other leaders of other European countries. But as Ive said, as the Tanaiste says, as Mr Ryan says, the time is coming closer to do the right thing, for Ireland to show leadership with a number of other countries in terms of taking forward the two-state solution proposal which has to recognise the existence of two states. Social Democrats TD Cian OCallaghan said that more than 14,000 children have been killed in Gaza by Israeli authorities. Advertisement Israel is slaughtering people in their tens of thousands and still the world sits idly by, entirely absent from implementing any sanctions, or even threat of sanctions from the European Union, the Dublin Bay North TD said. From the outset, the EU has not just acquiesced the carnage, it has been complicit, there has yet to be a joint statement from EU leaders in which Israels barbarism is even mildly criticised. I acknowledge and welcome that Ireland (and) a minority of other EU member states, have been calling for action. But its now three months since the former Taoiseach (Leo Varadkar) and the Spanish prime minister wrote to the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to request an urgent review of the EU-Israel trade deal. As far as we know, von der Leyen has not even bothered to reply to that letter, never mind review or suspend the deal. Tanaiste Micheal Martin said the death toll and the horrors unfolding in the Gaza Strip are quite shocking. He told the Dail there are currently 17,000 unaccompanied children in Gaza. He added: When I visited Rafah, we saw CT scanners that were denied access which were being donated, a lot of other hospital equipment being denied access by the Israeli authorities on the grounds of dual use. A green sleeping bag denied because it could be used as a camouflage, a childrens education pack denied because it included small scissors, croissants with chocolate, orange juice denied because they were considered luxury items. It is unbelievable what has been denied to the people of Palestine in Gaza by the Israeli authorities, given the enormity of the starvation and hunger that people are experiencing. Im clear that the people of Gaza are being collectively punished. Israeli has obligations in terms of facilitating full, safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian aid into and throughout the Gaza. We have been clear that all restrictions of the work of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) and other humanitarian groups must be immediately lifted. A man who got off a bus and involved himself in an attack on gardai outside a funeral has been jailed. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that two gardai were surrounded, threatened and had objects thrown at them by a large group of people on the Kylemore Road on February 20th, 2023, after a funeral had taken place. Advertisement Lee McDonnell (32) got off a bus and became involved, lunging towards the two gardai and attempting to punch them. His then-partner dragged him away from the area. After hearing the facts on Thursday, Judge Pauline Codd remarked this incident occurred in the context of a funeral, adding: There was a time in this country when people respected the dead and respected themselves. McDonnell of Kilmartin Green, Fettercairn, Tallaght Dublin 24, pleaded guilty to a charge of affray. The judge noted that McDonnell was not present when the trouble started but had got himself involved, becoming part and parcel of attacking the gardai and putting them under pressure. Advertisement He could have got off the bus and minded his own business, she said, handing him a two-and-a-half-year sentence. Detective Garda Caroline Staunton said gardai had received information that a large number of unregistered scramblers and motorbikes would be in the area and there could be trouble. Two gardai were stationed in an unmarked car on Kylemore Road, but left the vehicle after they saw a moped almost crashing into a woman pushing a buggy. The gardai attempted to seize the moped, but were approached and encircled by a large group, some of whom had left the nearby church following the funeral mass. Advertisement This group started to threaten and throw objects at the two officers. The court heard an unknown man struck one Garda on the side of the head with a glass bottle during the incident. The moped's driver then returned, took it and drove away. Det Gda Staunton told Brian Storan BL, prosecuting, that the two gardai retreated as the situation was too dangerous and called for back-up. Footage of 'thuggery' Footage of the incident was played to the court, prompting Judge Codd to remark: the ubiquitous mobile phones were out recording thuggery. Advertisement McDonnell was interviewed twice following his arrest, but made no comment. He has 133 previous convictions, including for robbery, aggravated burglary and road traffic offences. He was on bail at the time of this incident and has been in custody since March 2023. No victim impact statements were provided to the court. Det Gda Staunton agreed with Nicola Cox BL, defending, that her client's guilty plea was of assistance to the prosecution and there is no evidence he was there to attend the funeral. CCTV It was accepted that attempts to retrieve CCTV from the bus McDonnell travelled on were unsuccessful. Advertisement Ms Cox said her client apologises for his behaviour on the day and has no explanation why he got off the bus and involved himself. She said the gardai found themselves in a frightening and difficult situation during this incident. Defence counsel outlined her client's personal circumstances and asked the court for as much leniency as possible. Judge Codd said the two gardai in full uniform found themselves in a very frightening and challenging situation while they were trying to protect the public in the area. She said McDonnell is at an age now where he needs to take responsibility for himself and deal with his issues and directed that he be given credit for any time served in custody on this matter alone. A makeshift migrant encampment has been cleared from the Grand Canal following a multi-agency operation. More than 100 tents had been erected along the waterway as the Government continues to fail to provide accommodation to all male asylum seekers. Advertisement By shortly after 8am almost all the tents had been removed using a truck with a crane arm. The asylum seekers who had been living in the makeshift encampment were bussed away from the area. Fences have now been erected around the stretch of the Grand Canal where the tents had been pitched. The Grand Canal encampment emerged shortly after more than 200 asylum seekers were cleared from a similar makeshift camp at the nearby International Protection Office on Mount Street last week. Advertisement The Government said Thursday mornings operation involves the gardai, Dublin City Council, the HSE, the Department of Integration and a waterway authority. Advertisement A statement from the Government said: The purpose of the operation is to ensure the safe movement of people seeking international protection from the tents on the Grand Canal to International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS)-designated accommodation. The IPAS-designated accommodation has toilets and showers; health services; indoor areas where food is provided; facilities to charge phones and personal devices; access to transport to and from Dublin City Centre; and 24-hour onsite security. "Some 163 individuals have now been safely moved to Crooksling and the former Central Mental Hospital (CMH) in Dundrum (148 individuals were moved to Crooksling; 15 individuals were moved to Dundrum). "Both sites have robust, weather-proof tents. They have toilets and showers; health services; indoor areas where food is provided; facilities to charge phones and personal devices; access to transport to and from Dublin City Centre; and 24-hour onsite security. Advertisement "While accommodated at the sites in Crooksling and Dundrum, residents will receive the same supports as at other IPAS locations. This includes access to medical care via the HSE social inclusion outreach teams and medical card provision; IPAS customer services team clinics; onsite support from the providers staff; and psycho-social and integration support from NGO partners." Speaking in the Dail on Wednesday, Taoiseach Simon Harris said the similar operation last week had a very positive impact and averted a public health near-emergency. Ireland UK agency trafficking migrants to Ireland, Dail... Read More He said: I continue to believe that it was the right action to take. I became Taoiseach four weeks ago, I took charge of this situation. There had been, in my view, a tacit acceptance by many State agencies that the situation on Mount Street could just continue and was just the new norm. That was not right. Advertisement He added: We will deal with the Grand Canal. Action will be taken. Police in Northern Ireland are facing heavy criticism following court claims that intelligence officers routinely accessed the phone data of journalists in the region. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) accused the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) of shocking and despicable behaviour. Advertisement Ian McGuinness, organiser of the NUJ who attended Wednesdays hearing of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) in London, voiced his concern at the revelations aired in court. It is the type of behaviour we would expect in an authoritarian state and not a modern democracy, he said. Journalists exist to hold power to account and that includes writing stories about the PSNI which that force may not like. Writing a story about the PSNI and protecting your confidential sources whilst doing so is not a crime. Advertisement The NUJ is calling, yet again, for the PSNI to come clean. As it emerged Police Service of Northern Ireland regularly spied on journalists, NUJ Irish Organiser Ian McGuinness said: This is shocking and despicable behaviour by the PSNI. It is the type of behaviour we would expect in an authoritarian state and https://t.co/Ik4KCvCqMi NUJ (@NUJofficial) May 8, 2024 Advertisement In particular, the force needs to state when it started spying on multiple journalists phone data, who the journalists were, how many times each journalist was spied upon, and must give a commitment that it will desist from doing this ever again, simply to uncover legitimate sources for stories. Amnesty International also raised serious concerns about the disclosures. Advertisement Patrick Corrigan, Amnestys Northern Ireland programme director, said it appeared there had been industrial-scale spying operations against journalists. Todays evidence is explosive, he said after attending Wednesdays hearing. The Investigatory Powers Tribunal has received written evidence from Durham Constabulary which points to the PSNI undertaking routine, six-monthly, industrial-scale spying operations against those it considered to be trouble-making journalists. This is a chilling revelation that has only emerged through lengthy court proceedings. Advertisement That such clearly unlawful acts appear to have been custom and practice in the PSNI would demonstrate a complete contempt for the principle of press freedom. There must now be full accountability. Patrick Corrigan of Amnesty International condemned the chilling revelation Photo: PA. It is time for the chief constable (Jon Boutcher) to come clean about the extent of police spying operations against journalists, lawyers and others. Meanwhile, we would urge all journalists in Northern Ireland who suspect they may have been among those targeted by the PSNI for covert surveillance to lodge complaints with the Investigatory Powers Tribunal urgently. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has branded the revelations a scandal and called for full disclosure of the truth from the police and intelligence services involved. Mr Eastwood, who joined reporters Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney at the Royal Courts of Justice for the latest hearing in the IPT case, said: The widespread, systemic and routine surveillance of journalists and others undertaking public interest investigations in Northern Ireland has been nothing short of a scandal. Surveillance by police and intelligence services has been used as a form of summary punishment against those seeking to shine a light on injustice or wrongdoing and it is absolutely unacceptable. The process of this hearing itself has underscored the approach from state agencies, which has been to frustrate the administration of justice with late disclosures and obfuscation. We stand with Trevor, Barry and all those who have undertaken public interest journalism in the north they have challenged authority and the use of power in the interests of people who often feel powerless. Cohesion within the Stormont Executive was lost following the attendance of senior Sinn Fein members at the funeral of republican Bobby Storey when lockdown restrictions were in place, the UK Covid-19 Inquiry has heard. Justice Minister Naomi Long told the inquiry that her former ministerial colleague, Edwin Poots, who lost his own father during the pandemic, openly expressed the pain and hurt the events had caused him. Advertisement The funeral in June 2020 sparked political controversy after then deputy first minister Michelle ONeill and other Sinn Fein ministers attended. The gathering was criticised at the time as being in breach of Covid rules. Naomi Long arrives at the Clayton Hotel in Belfast to give evidence to the inquiry (Liam McBurney/PA) Advertisement Earlier this week, Sinn Feins former communities minister Caral Ni Chuilin told the inquiry she accepted that she should not have attended the funeral. Giving his own evidence to the inquiry on Thursday, Mr Poots said he commended Ms Ni Chuilin for apologising. Ms Long was questioned about political tensions within the Stormont Executive during efforts to control the spread of the virus. The Alliance Party leader said there had been cohesion in the early months with former First Minister Arlene Foster and deputy First Minister Ms ONeill taking part in joint press conferences. Advertisement She said: I think with the Bobby Storey funeral and others that (cohesion) was lost and I think it was never fully regained. I think tensions increased quite significantly as we moved out of the restrictions. Some ministers took those tensions public and made it very difficult for the public to have full confidence in the Executive. Different ministers seemed to take a very different approach and yet claimed it was based on the same advice. Advertisement Ms Long was asked about the stopping of joint press conferences following the Storey funeral. Advertisement She said: I think those joint press conferences were very powerful given what weve talked about in terms of the divisions between parties, that sense of unity of purpose was quite important in terms of maintaining public adherence. I also think it undermined peoples confidence at another more fundamental level in that if the people who were making the rules did not themselves adhere to the rules, it raised the question whether they truly believed what they were trying to achieve. Ms Long said that Ms ONeill did not accept any criticism of her actions in the immediate aftermath of her funeral. She added: It also created significant tension within the Executive. Minister Poots lost his father during Covid and only six members of his family were able to attend the grave. His father had been a longstanding political representative and would otherwise probably have had a considerable funeral. I think at a personal level, Edwin openly expressed the pain and hurt it had caused him and his family, that was replicated right throughout the community. Edwin Poots arrives to give evidence to the UK Covid-19 inquiry hearing (Liam McBurney/PA) One of my constituents was the family who immediately preceded at the crematorium Bobby Storeys cremation and they had to leave, they had to turn at the gate and watch the hearse drive away with their loved one inside and go home for the next cremation. To have people present on the grounds of the graveyard was incredibly distressing for them and that was multiplied right across the community. Mr Poots told the inquiry that the scenes at the funeral had caused an awful lot of pain. He added: It diminished the role of the deputy first minister and the Sinn Fein ministers. I recognise the apology that was offered by Ms Ni Chuilin yesterday for that. I think that has been the first significant recognition by somebody from that political party to do that and I commend her for making that apology. Civil rights campaigner Bernadette McAliskey has said that working class people are carrying the burden of guilt for the Republics rise in right-wing politics. The 76-year-old activist said that politics in Dublin is moving to the right and the working class are being pilloried for it. Advertisement At the moment, particularly within Irish politics, we are seeing a move to the right, she said. Civil rights campaigner Bernadette McAliskey (Niall Carson/PA) But the people who are carrying the burden of guilt for it are working class and unemployed people. They are the people who are being pilloried for being right wing. Advertisement They are the people who are suffering from the problems of right-wing gutless government. Thats not an anti-southern position. If you want to really see cowardness, gutlessness and incompetence, have a look at what we have to put up with in the north (of the border). I think we have that local, national and international need like we never did before to protect and hold the line for human rights, for the broad left against neoliberal. Were looking at that drift to the right. Were looking at shameless greed being held up, were looking at governments that havent even in the wake of homelessness everywhere and crisis everywhere the courage to cap the private sector rents. Havent even the courage to do the minimal act. Advertisement The veteran civil rights campaigner made the comments as she backed Clare Dalys European re-election campaign. The former TD was first elected to the European Parliament in 2019. Ms McAliskey described Ms Daly as a thorn in the side of Europe. Advertisement Former TD for Dublin Central Maureen OSullivan, TD for Galway West Catherine Connolly, MEP Clare Daly and civil rights campaigner Bernadette Devlin McAliskey as Ms Daly launched her European re-election campaign in Dublin (Cate McCurry/PA) A thorn from Ireland in the side of Europe is needed to hold to account our Irish politicians who wont stand up, she added. We see increasing fragmentation on the left and we see greed on the could-be left. In a crowded field, particularly in this constituency (Dublin), I think it is crucial that people know what needs to be done. Advertisement I think for Ireland at a crucial point to lose that voice would not simply be a disaster for the constituency, it would be a disaster for a generation of people who look to this voice which is a thorn in the side of Europe. Ms Daly said: When I stood for election, I said I was going to be a thorn in the side of the establishment. My slogan was Daly is Different and now its Still Different, Still Daly. In the course of the mandate, its actually become a sort of bad thing to be different, if you were to read a lot in the papers. They want everybody to be the same, to be the yes men and women of Europe, but for us to be Euro-critical is very clearly pro-European because citizens all over Europe are highly critical of the policies that Europe are implementing. None clearer than the fact that they have sided with the genocidal Israeli attack on Gaza, not only being silent in the face of that but actually supporting and enabling that complicity. We have been able to use the parliament to be a beacon for international law, for humanity in calling those to account. Independent TD Catherine Connolly also spoke at the campaign launch. I absolutely support Clare. Her honesty, her integrity, her workload. I wish there were more like her, she said. I wish I could canvass every day for her on the streets of Dublin and I will do my best in the limited time that I have. We need that thorn to be recognised as the new establishment. Fred Sirieix says air fryers have ushered in a cooking revolution. The First Dates maitre d is fairly new to air fryer cooking he first started using the gadget only a few months ago but safe to say hes a complete convert. Advertisement The air fryer, for me, is a revolution, he says. Im talking to you as a Frenchman whos been brought up in a very traditional household, where my mum would cook a three-course meal every single day for lunch and dinner, and Ive been to catering college. (Fred Sirieix for Ninja Double Stacked Air Fryer Restaurant/PA) For Sirieix, who has lived in the UK for over three decades, air fryers arent just another new gadget to be used once, then popped into the back of your cupboard to gather dust. Advertisement Instead, he compares them to the new inventions of the 1960s. My mum is a woman of the Sixties, and shes always telling me about the Sixties and how her life changed when the washing machine appeared, when the dryer appeared, when the dishwasher appeared, he recounts. Shes very traditional, but she embraced that kind of modernism of the kitchen. She keeps talking about it now, and shes 77. I think with the air fryer, Im experiencing my own change in the kitchen, which I havent seen anything like since I [started] cooking. So why has cooking with the air fryer captured Sirieixs attention quite so much? The beauty about the air fryer is you can cook fresh, seasonal produce, and you can do it in a very relaxed way, he says really emphasising how it helps anybody cook fresh produce. Advertisement Advertisement I think its particularly important nowadays, you want to eat healthier, you want to be sustainable there is also a cost-of-living crisis. But when you have equipment like this, you can buy fresh produce which doesnt cost the Earth you can buy some potatoes, you can buy some chicken and you can create a delicious recipe. And Sirieix, 52, might have gone to catering college, but he appreciates how easy it is to whip something up in the air fryer its just about grabbing the ingredients, Washing them and cutting them and you stack them in the air fryer and its done. He would teach his teenage son, Lucien if he could get him off the PlayStation, he jokes. The TV personality uses a Ninja model that has two baskets stacked on top of each other, helping him create dishes from his childhood. Advertisement Yesterday, for example, I was cooking my grandmothers potatoes. My grandmother unfortunately passed away about 10 years ago, but she did these beautiful potatoes when I was a kid small potatoes cut very thinly, a touch of oil, a bit of salt and pepper, some herbs. I did exactly the same potatoes youve got to cut them very thin and then on top I stacked some chicken. (John Nguyen/PA) The chicken was very simple: a bit of paprika, a lot of cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and mixed herbs, and you cook it and because of the way its cooking, the fat is melting on top of the potato and adds extra flavour. Because you dont put a lot of oil in the potatoes in the first place, you end up with these really lovely, moreish potatoes which are soft inside, but really crispy on the outside. I was eating them yesterday, and it was just like being at my grandmas back in the day. If you are new to an air fryer, Sirieix urges you to do a bit of trial and error. You need to get used to it, he says. But I think you just follow the same principle of what you would normally do [when cooking]. The best thing you can do is mix and match things trying different mains and side dishes together, while focusing on simple ingredients and recipes, without trying to overcomplicate anything. Basically let the air fryer do all the work for you, he adds. Ultimately, mastering the air fryer will give you meals as good as restaurant food, Sirieix suggests. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Fred Sirieix (@fred_sirieix) While some professional chefs might have a bit of snobbery around air fryers, the tides could soon be changing. Sirieix even hints that restaurant kitchens might not be too far off using air fryers during service. One of the reasons why is because of the consistency you get in an air fryer Its very difficult to get it wrong, he notes. Its also very difficult to find chefs nowadays, because of the issue we have with labour. In restaurants especially, theres a chronic staff shortage, which is huge. But with equipment like that, as long as you know what youre doing, youve got a recipe, its very easy to show people what to do. While restaurants might need bigger bits of kit or perhaps they only use them for certain elements of service Sirieix adds: I think its only a matter of time, and possibly some people have already done it. Fred Sirieix has collaborated with Ninja to launch the Double Stacked Air Fryer pop-up restaurant opening this month. Keep an eye out on Eventbrite for tickets. Hungary and China have signed a number of new agreements to deepen their economic and cultural co-operation during a visit to the Central European country by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The trip is meant to solidify Chinas economic footprint in the region. Advertisement Mr Xi and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban held talks in the capital Budapest as part of the Chinese leaders final stop on a five-day European tour that also took in Serbia and France. During a press briefing following the talks, Mr Orban praised the continuous, uninterrupted friendship between the two countries since his tenure began in 2010, and promised that Hungary would continue to host further Chinese investments. I would like to assure the president that Hungary will continue to provide fair conditions for Chinese companies investing in our country, and that we will create the opportunity for the most modern western and the most modern eastern technologies to meet and build co-operation in Hungary, Mr Orban said. Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok receives Chinese President Xi Jinping with military honours (Zoltan Mathe/MTI via AP) Advertisement Beijing has invested billions in Hungary and sees the European Union member as an important foothold inside the 27-member trading bloc. In December, Hungary announced that one of the worlds largest EV manufacturers, Chinas BYD, will open its first European EV production factory in the south of the country an inroad that could upend the competitiveness of the continents auto industry. Hungary is also hosting several Chinese EV battery plants and hopes to become a global hub of lithium ion battery manufacturing, and has undertaken a railway project part of Mr Xis Belt and Road Initiative to connect the country with the Chinese-controlled port of Piraeus in Greece as an entry point for Chinese goods to Central and Eastern Europe. Advertisement On Thursday, Mr Xi said he and Mr Orban agreed the Belt and Road Initiative is highly consistent with Hungarys strategy of opening to the east, and that China supports Hungary in playing a greater role within the EU on promoting China-EU relations. Hungarian and Chinese officials concluded a strategic partnership agreement and signed 18 other agreements and memoranda of understanding, but no major investments were announced at the news briefing. However, Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto later said in a video on Facebook that initial discussions had begun on China developing a freight railway bypass of Budapest and a rail link between the capital and Budapest Ferihegy Airport. People wave Chinese and Hungarian flags for the Chinese President Xi Jinping outside the Buda Castle in Budapest, Hungary (Denes Erdos/AP) Advertisement Mr Orban, a nationalist populist leader who has pursued deeper ties with Beijing while distancing himself from his more mainstream partners in the EU, noted during the news conference that three quarters of investments in Hungary last year came from China, and spoke of Beijings role in the worlds shifting balance of power. Looking back at the world economy and commerce of 20 years ago, it doesnt resemble at all what were living in today, Mr Orban said. Then, we lived in a single polar world, and now we live in a multi-polar world order, and one of the main columns of this new world order is China. He added that Hungary would seek to expand economic co-operation with China to the field of nuclear energy. Hungary is currently working with Russia on adding a new reactor to its Paks nuclear facility, which is expected to go online by the end of the decade. Advertisement Budapest residents faced road closures and increased security during Mr Xis visit as groups of his supporters and critics gathered at various points of the city to demonstrate. Hundreds of people gathered near Budapests Buda Castle waving Chinese and Hungarian flags, hoping to catch a glimpse of Mr Xis motorcade. In a wide-ranging CNN interview, President Biden confirmed that he would halt shipments of some weapons to Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an invasion of the Gaza city of Rafah. "If they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities - that deal with that problem," Biden told CNN. He admitted that U.S. bombs had been used to kill civilians in Gaza. "Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers," Biden said. Members of Netanyahu's government are reacting with anger to Biden's threat. "Israel will continue to fight Hamas until its destruction," Israel Katz, the foreign minister, wrote on X. "There is no war more just than this." Biden has publicly come out against a full Israeli assault on Rafah over concerns about the fate of refugees. He did say the U.S. would continue to provide defensive weapons to Israel. Biden touched on other topics in the CNN interview, including the economy and Donald Trump. On Trump, he warned the former president was unlikely to accept the results if he loses the election. "I promise you he won't," Biden said, "which is dangerous." And despite polls that show many Americans are pessimistic about the economy, Biden says things are improving. "We've already turned it around," Biden said. Britain's King Charles has apologised to the British Army for making a visit at the last moment but said that he had wanted to come as soon as he had been allowed out of my cage. Charles made his comments during a visit to the 3 Royal School of Military Engineering (3RSME) at Gibraltar Barracks, Minley, Surrey. Advertisement Charles, who is Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Engineers, was met by the Lord Lieutenant Nigel Atkinson and Major General Eldon Millar before he received a salute from a Quarter Guard comprising officers from the school. As he was led into the officers mess by Lieutenant Colonel Robert Grant, commanding officer of 3RSME, Charles said to him: I do apologise for taking you by surprise, when this opportunity appeared and I had been allowed out of my cage, I wanted to come to have a look. Britain's King Charles with Lieutenant Colonel Robert Grant during the visit (Jonathan Buckmaster/Daily Express/PA) Advertisement Lt Col Grant told the PA news agency: We only had six days to pull this together but the only answer from us was yes. There was a palpable sense of excitement as you saw the units spark into life for the visit. Charles then met with groups of engineers and their families where he learnt about their experiences training at the school and the support they receive from their loved ones. He shared a joke with Natalie Newman, the wife of Corporal Joseph Newman, when she told him that they had three children. Advertisement Charles told her: Nothing a strong drink wont help. When Cpl Newman told him that his role was as an electrician, he said to Mrs Newman: Terribly helpful to have an electrician around. She replied jokingly: Well, you say that! Speaking afterwards, Mrs Newman, 34, from Poole, Dorset, said: It was amazing, nerve-wracking, but amazing. Advertisement I just said how many children I had, I said I had three children, and he said It was nothing a strong drink wont help. Charles receives gifts of flowers and Royal Engineer china mugs from the children of some of the barracks serving soldiers (Jonathan Buckmaster/Daily Express/PA) He was really funny, he appeared absolutely fine and upbeat. Advertisement Cpl Newman, 32, said: He is a really lovely person, he liked to engage with you, it wasnt a fleeting chat, it was an in-depth conversation. Charles also met officers from the 8 Engineer Brigade HQ, which provides engineering support to military operations and, before he left, Charles signed the regiments visitors book and was presented with gifts of flowers and Royal Engineer china mugs from the children of some of the barracks serving soldiers. He also took the chance to meet families and staff members who waited outside to see him leave and the King told them: Arent you all meant to be having lunch? Charles was then presented with a portrait of himself drawn by six-year-old Louie Bacon, son of Warrant Officer 2 Mark Bacon. Louie said it was good to meet Charles and he was very excited. Mother Kim Lewis, of Fleet, said: It was really exciting, a once-in-a-lifetime chance, definitely worth half a day off. The 3RSME was formed in September 1939 as the Combat Engineer Centre of Excellence. All Royal Engineer soldiers and officers pass through 3 RSME to receive combat engineer initial trade training. The school is responsible for providing command courses at the junior and senior level, as well as combat engineer courses, teaching skills such as bridging, demolitions and water supply. A heavy police presence has arrived at Malmos main square ahead of protests against Israels inclusion in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. Officers in more than five vans arrived in Stortorget ahead of Eden Golan, representing Israel, taking to the stage on Thursday evening in Malmo Arena. Advertisement The Swedish Police Authority positioned themselves at various entrance points to the square as tourists walked around taking pictures of the fountain and the town hall. A pro-Palestinian march will take place in the afternoon, which a spokesman for the force said would cause disturbance to traffic. The organisers of the march say the demonstration will take place at 3pm, with it ending at Molleplatsen park. Advertisement Officers from Sweden, along with Norway and Denmark, have been regularly patrolling Malmo Arena, the city centre and the Eurovision village amid Israel facing calls to be excluded from the contest because of the war in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry, run by the proscribed terrorist organisation Hamas, puts the Palestinian death toll at more than 34,000 people. Advertisement Golans emotional Hurricane was reworked from a previous track called October Rain, which was thought to reference the Hamas attacks on Israel. There have been continued demonstrations in Sweden over Israels participation, and the week of Eurovision has already seen small gatherings in Malmo and at the Eurovision village when Austrian 2014 winner Conchita Wurst was on stage. Advertisement Golan, 20, will compete against Norways Gate, San Marinos band Megara, Switzerlands Nemo and Danish entrant Saba, who called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the safe return of Israeli hostages in a joint statement in March. The artists rejected calls from Palestinian groups to boycott the music contest, saying that they firmly believe in the unifying power of music. Golan, who has been singing and dancing on stage since she was a child, told ITV News this week that she could not have asked for a better year to be representing my country. Advertisement Joost Klein of the Netherlands performs the song Europapa (Martin Meissner/AP) Organisers of Eurovision, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), hit out in April against the unacceptable and totally unfair abuse of competitors amid the backdrop of a terrible war in the Middle East. The group, whose members approved Israeli broadcaster Kan, has taken a strong stance, as in previous years, against political messages at Eurovision and flags and symbols from non-competing countries. Despite the position, Tuesdays first semi-final saw former Swedish contestant and opening act Eric Saade wear a keffiyeh pattern material, commonly used by people who want to show they are pro-Palestinian, on his arm. The EBU said that he chose to compromise the non-political nature of the event and it regrets the broadcast. In an Instagram story, Saade said that the material was a way of showing a part of my origin and was a gift as a child from his father, who is of Palestinian origin. He also said: I just wanted to be inclusive and wear something that is authentic to me but the EBU seems to think my ethnicity is controversial. It says nothing about me, but everything about them. It also told Irish finalist Bambie Thug to change their body paint, which referenced the artists call for a ceasefire, before going on stage as the EBU maintains this could have broken the rules that are designed to protect the non-political nature of the event. A man holds a Palestinian flag as he protests ahead of the first semi-final at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden (Martin Meissner/AP) Israel, which performs towards the end of the night, has been a strong contender at Eurovision in recent years, last winning with Nettas Toy in 2018 and qualifying for the final 12 times since 2003. It has won a total of four times, and will face tough competition this year from Switzerlands Nemo, whose operatic-pop music The Code has been seen as one of the favourites to win on Saturday. The rehearsals have already shown Golan back bending in a white dress before emerging in a circle flanked by dancers as well as being bathed with yellow light as the song reaches its crescendo. There were shouts at the rehearsals on Wednesday, which reportedly included boos and people saying free Palestine. Netherlands act Joost Klein, with the irreverent and silly Europapa, and Norways Gate with folkish Ulveham are also seen as likely to progress to the final. Frances Slimane with the soulful Mon Amour will also perform on Thursday, alongside Italys Angelina Mango with La Noia and Spains Nebulossa with Zorra, but is already through to the final as one of the big EBU donators alongside the UK with Olly Alexander and Germany with Isaak. The 2024 hosts of Eurovision are Swedish comedian Petra Mede and Hollywood actress Malin Akerman. Russia wrapped itself in patriotic pageantry on Thursday for Victory Day, a celebration of its defeat of Nazi Germany in the Second World War that President Vladimir Putin has turned into a pillar of his nearly quarter of a century in power and a justification for his move into Ukraine. Even though few veterans of what Russia calls the Great Patriotic War are still alive 79 years after Berlin fell to the Red Army, the victory over Nazi Germany remains the most important and widely revered symbol of the countrys prowess and a key element of national identity. Advertisement Thursdays festivities across Russia, led by Mr Putin who this week began his fifth term in office, recall that wartime sacrifice in what has become its most important secular holiday. Advertisement The Victory Day unites all generations, Mr Putin said in a speech at the Red Square parade. We are going forward relying on our centuries-old traditions and feel confident that together we will ensure a free and secure future of Russia. As battalions marched by and military hardware both old and new rumbled over the cobblestones, the sky cleared briefly to allow a flyby of warplanes, some of which trailed smoke in the white, red and blue of the Russian flag. Mr Putin hailed the troops fighting in Ukraine as our heroes for their courage, resilience and self-denial, adding that all of Russia is with you. He accused the West of fuelling regional conflicts, inter-ethnic and inter-religious strife and trying to contain sovereign and independent centres of global development. Advertisement Amid tensions with Washington over Ukraine soaring to their highest level since the Cold War, Mr Putin issued another stark reminder of Moscows nuclear might. Russian Air Force Su-25 jets fly over Red Square leaving trails of smoke in the colours of the national flag (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) Russia will do everything to prevent global confrontation, but will not allow anyone to threaten us, he said. Advertisement Our strategic forces are in combat readiness. Nuclear-capable Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles were pulled across Red Square, underscoring his message. The Soviet Union lost about 27 million people in the war, an estimate that many historians consider conservative, scarring virtually every family. Victory Day is one of the most important events in the Russian calendar (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) Advertisement Nazi troops overran much of the western Soviet Union when they invaded in June 1941, before being driven back all the way to Berlin, where the USSRs hammer and sickle flag was raised above the ruined capital. The UK, US, France and other allies mark the end of the war in Europe on May 8. The immense suffering and sacrifice in cities like Stalingrad, Kursk and Mr Putins native Leningrad now St Petersburg still serve as a powerful symbol of the countrys ability to prevail against seemingly overwhelming challenges. Columns of tanks and missiles roll across Red Square as Russia shows off its military might (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) Since coming to power on the last day of 1999, Mr Putin has made May 9 an important part of his political agenda, featuring displays of military might. Columns of tanks and missiles roll across Red Square and squadrons of fighter jets roar overhead as medal-bedecked veterans join him to review the parade. Many wear the black-and-orange St Georges ribbon that is traditionally associated with Victory Day. Thousands of troops take part in the parade (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) About 9,000 troops, including some 1,000 who fought in Ukraine, took part in Thursdays parade. Mr Putin, 71, talks frequently about his family history, sharing memories of his father, who fought on the front during the Nazi siege of the city and was badly wounded. As Mr Putin tells it, his father, also named Vladimir, came home from a military hospital during the war to see workers trying to take away his wife, Maria, who had been declared dead of starvation. But the elder Mr Putin did not believe she had died saying she had only lost consciousness, weak with hunger. Russias Emergency Situations Ministry female cadets attend the Victory Day military parade (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) Their first child, Viktor, died during the siege when he was three, one of more than one million Leningrad residents who died in the 872-day blockade, most of them from starvation. For several years, Mr Putin carried a photo of his father in Victory Day marches as did others honouring relatives who were war veterans in what was called the Immortal Regiment. Those demonstrations were suspended during the coronavirus pandemic and then again amid security concerns after the start of the fighting in Ukraine. Putin cited the denazification of Ukraine as a main goal of Moscow, falsely describing the government of President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust, as neo-Nazis (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP) As part of his efforts to burnish the Soviet legacy and trample on any attempts to question it, Russia has introduced laws that criminalised the rehabilitation of Nazism that include punishing the desecration of memorials or challenging Kremlin versions of Second World War history. When he sent troops into Ukraine on February 24 2022, Mr Putin evoked the Second World War in seeking to justify his actions that Kyiv and its Western allies denounced as an unprovoked war of aggression. Mr Putin cited the denazification of Ukraine as a main goal of Moscow, falsely describing the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust, as neo-Nazis. Stepan Bandera was killed by a Soviet spy in Munich in 1959 (AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov, File) Mr Putin tried to cast Ukraines veneration of some of its nationalist leaders who co-operated with the Nazis in the Second World War as a sign of Kyivs purported Nazi sympathies. He regularly made unfounded references to Ukrainian nationalist figures such as Stepan Bandera, who was killed by a Soviet spy in Munich in 1959, as an underlying justification for the Russian military action in Ukraine. Many observers see Mr Putins focus on the Second World War as part of his efforts to revive the USSRs clout and prestige and his reliance on Soviet practices. Its the continuous self-identification with the USSR as the victor of Nazism and the lack of any other strong legitimacy that forced the Kremlin to declare denazification as the goal of the war, Nikolay Epplee said in a commentary for Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre. The Russian leadership, he said, has locked itself up in a worldview limited by the Soviet past. Scentre Group has increased its security and is working with local police across its 42 Westfield shopping malls following the attack at its Bondi Junction centre on April 13. Company chief executive Elliott Rusanow said a new set of security measures were being rolled out across all its centres in Australia and New Zealand, through an increased visible presence of security staff wearing high-visibility vests. Scentre chief executive Elliott Rusanow at Westfield Bondi Junction. Credit: Rhett Wyman Our decision to increase security across the portfolio and provide financial support to our business partners following the tragedy at Westfield Bondi [Junction] will result in an increase in operating expenses in 2024, Rusanow said at the groups quarterly update. We are pleased that the NSW Premier [Chris] Minns has announced a review into a whole raft of things, he said, adding that Scentre would be active participants in the review, and we welcome that conversation, with the view of how do we avoid these acts of violence unprovoked on innocent people ever happening again. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Upmarket Double Bay restaurant Lotus is ditching dine-in and will switch to takeaway-only service, while neighbouring venues continue to thrive. In a brutal year for Sydney restaurant casualties, a new term has crept into the citys hospitality lexicon: semi-closure. The upmarket Lotus restaurant on Cross Street in Double Bay served its last dine-in customers on the weekend, but will pivot and remain open for takeaway. May is shaping as a tough month for Sydneys high-end Asian restaurants, with Crown Sydneys Chinese restaurant Silks described in a 2022 Sydney Morning Herald review as completely over the top in its opulence, use of luxury ingredients and expense closing on Friday, May 10. Lotus also offers a luxe setting, showering Double Bay diners with an interior of colonial and Chinoiserie decor. Lotus in Double Bay has switched to a takeaway-only operation. Anna Kucera Our style of service requires quite a lot of staff, and were in a difficult moment for hospitality, a spokesperson for Lotus Double Bay explains. A takeaway-only operation lowers overheads and still enables Lotus to retain ties with its eastern suburbs clientele. Lotus is located in the retail space adjoining Double Bays InterContinental hotel, a site which sold in March for more than $215 million with plans for a mixed-use revamp that will still include a hotel. A Sydney school was sent into lockdown after a student took a knife onto the campus, with a teacher injured when they tried to confiscate the blade. Chifley College Dunheved went into lockdown on Thursday afternoon after reports of a student with a knife at the Maple Road campus at North St Marys, police said in a statement. Chifley College, in North St Marys, was sent into lockdown after reports of a student with a knife on Thursday. Credit: Google Maps A staff member sustained a small laceration while reportedly trying to confiscate the knife, prior to police arrival, police said. NSW Ambulance paramedics treated the staff member while the child was taken to hospital for assessment. A government push for new gas projects will make climate change worse according to teal independents and Greens who will target Labors support for the fossil fuel at the next election after doing the same to defeat the former Morrison government. The governments future gas strategy, released on Thursday, claims new projects are needed to ensure affordable gas is available beyond 2050 to underpin the switch to renewable energy. But the announcement has also alarmed some Labor MPs, who said the government should not be prolonging the use of fossil fuels. Teal independent MPs Allegra Spender, Kylea Tink, Zali Steggall and Sophie Scamps have each criticised the governments future gas strategy. Credit: Oscar Colman New sources of gas were needed to bolster supply beyond 2050 from projects like Woodsides offshore Scarborough gasfield and the Narrabri project in NSW, according to the new strategy, which warns that gas shortfalls will hit the eastern states by 2028 and Western Australia in 2030. The most recent poll from the Resolve Political Monitor showed Labor losing ground in resource-rich states Queensland and WA, and month-on-month voter trends suggest the government could lose its three-seat majority at the next election, requiring it to negotiate with the crossbench. Home Affairs officials only began drafting emergency legislation to monitor criminals released from detention two days after a High Court judgment freed them, even though officials met Immigration Minister Andrew Giles office several times in the lead-up to the November 8 ruling. Departmental documents released under freedom-of-information laws show legislation for curfews and ankle monitors was being developed at rapid pace from November 10, a day after the opposition urged the government to act immediately. The governments response to the release of 153 former detainees many with serious criminal convictions, including murder and rape has been marked by a series of attempts to ram through laws under tight time frames while having to rely on the opposition to pass them. Labor is also facing continued questions about the decision of a departmental delegate to remove the ankle monitor of a former detainee after he allegedly breached his curfew conditions and before he allegedly became involved in a violent home invasion on April 16. Bubbletent Australia, Capertee Valley, NSW The pitch Gaze out across the worlds widest canyon by day then up to the stars at night from this trio of off-grid domes on the edge of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. Heavenly aspect: Bubbletent, Capertree Valley. Credit: Hit the hut Marvel at the Milky Way from the comfort of your queen bed in an inflatable bubbletent overlooking the immense Capertee Valley, under three hours drive from Sydney. Each named after a star sign, three transparent domes sitting on a 400-hectare working farm offer ensuites, outdoor wood-fired hot tubs, outdoor gas-powered camp kitchens and a telescope each for peering deep into the night sky. Virgo also has ducted air-con to take the edge off summer nights. Spend a quiet day relaxing in the hammock with your book, or take a drive to the wineries of nearby Mudgee. Savour a luxuriously long soak in your tub as the sun goes down, then whip up an alfresco meal. Simply bring food, drinking water and your favourite person. Dont miss Spend a quiet day relaxing in the hammock with your book, or take a drive to the wineries of nearby Mudgee. The essentials This is a year-round stay. It is best accessed by car and costs $1430 for two nights, twin share. See bubbletentaustralia.com Larnook, Dandenong Ranges, Victoria The pitch A solo or couples retreat in an off-grid hideaway with luxury and day-trip options galore. Larnook, Dandenong Ranges. Credit: Hit the hut Take a nature-based break on a huge flower farm only an hour from Melbourne at Larnook, the name taken from the Boon Wurrung word for habitat. It comprises two adjoining modified off-grid shipping containers, decorated with designer flair. Larnook offers a long list of luxe additions indoor gas-log fireplace, Nespresso coffee machine, Bose Bluetooth speakers, top-shelf bathroom products, plus a bottle of complimentary local wine and chocolate. And thats on top of the views from the deck. Theres plenty of bushwalking to keep you connected to nature, and you are also close to the Puffing Billy Railway and, for gourmet touring, the Yarra Valley. But a stay at Larnook is likely to have you ignoring the outside worlds day-trip offerings in blissful comfort. Dont miss An hour-long walk through Sherbrooke Forest brings you to Grants Picnic Ground, known for its crimson rosellas and rainbow lorikeets, while quaint mountain villages such as Tecoma, Kallista and Olinda have their own charms. The essentials Good for staying year-round. Best accessed by car. $790 for two nights. See larnook.co Hideaway Litchfield, Rakula, Northern Territory The pitch The Northern Territorys only modern wilderness cabin accommodation offers an elegant nature-based stay for a more affordable price tag than a high-end glamping retreat. Shipping container ingenuity: Hideaway Litchfield. Credit: Hit the hut On a private property just outside Litchfield National Park, Hideaways three one-bedroom cabins are made from 12-metre shipping containers sliced in half producing two double-storey spaces (Tolmer and Wangi) and one single-level pavilion (Cascade), ideal for guests with less mobility. Each of the villas has a lounge area, fully equipped kitchen, bathrooms with rain showers and a deck with a barbecue, perfect for frying up the breakfast provisions supplied in your fridge. With their huge bedroom windows inviting the outside in (minus the critters), the cabins, situated 70 metres apart, offer a nature immersion of their own. Newer to the property are a trio of cosy queen-bed huts, with cheaper rates but less privacy, as they are clustered together. Dont miss Just eight kilometres from Wangi Falls, Hideaway Litchfield is ideally situated for exploring its eponymous national park. The essentials The best period for staying is May-October. Best accessed by car. From $420 a night a cabin. See hideawaylitchfield.com Cortes Stays, Ovens Valley, North-East Victoria The pitch Enjoy private bush views and river access at this small-house-design triumph in the epicurean hub of Victorias Ovens Valley. Hit the hut In the mid-20th century, Italian immigrants moved into the Ovens Valley, leaving a legacy of wine-making, olive groves and tobacco production. Cortes is located on a walnut farm, where accommodation includes a historic tobacco kiln restored and transformed into a house with a minimalist aesthetic as well as a modern off-grid cabin overlooking the Ovens River. The vibe is simple and rustic, but there are luxe touches like Aesop bathroom products, linen sheets, and, of course, plunger coffee (or coffee machine pods if you prefer). Nearby youll find vineyards, nut groves, berry and fruit farms drawing culinary tourists by bike, car and on foot to sample the valleys la dolce vita. Come evening, relax in the private outdoor bath, or take a dip in the alpine snow-melt flowing by your doorstep. Dont miss The Great Alpine Road leads to outdoor adventure hub Bright in one direction, and the produce-rich hamlets of Milawa, Stanley and Beechworth in the other. The essentials This is an all-season, year-round stay. Its best accessed by car. From $300 a night. See cortes-stays.com.au Farmers Hut, Bathurst, NSW Farmers Hut, Bathurst. Credit: The pitch This secluded couples retreat puts a unique luxury spin on classic Australian farm stay, with local goodies and plenty of wide open spaces included. Hit the hut Wilga Station, just outside Bathurst in the NSW Central Tablelands, includes the secluded hut with a roof of grass in perfect harmony with the lush green hill it sits atop on a 105-hectare working sheep station. It features a king-size bed, wood fireplace, bathroom and kitchenette for prepping breakfast with local produce from a complimentary hamper. Savour a bottle of premium local wine (included in your hamper) beside the outdoor firepit as the sinking sun sets the rolling hills aglow, then snuggle up beside the indoor fireplace after dark. Aside from the owners, the only other people youre likely to cross paths with on your stay are guests of the farms Shearers Hall accommodation. Dont miss Follow the winding Wilga Sheep Trail to willow-lined Wilga Creek and spend a relaxing day lazing on its banks. The essentials This is a year-round stay. It is best accessed by car. $900 for two nights. See wilgastation.com.au Eyre Way, Sleaford, Eyre Peninsula, SA Raw beauty: Eyre Way, Sleaford, SA. Credit: The pitch Take in the raw beauty of the Eyre Peninsula while staying warm and cosy in this twin set of tiny abodes nestled on a remote stretch of private coastal farmland. Hit the hut First, in 2021, came Yambara, an architecturally designed, off-grid tiny abode on a secluded stretch of the Eyre Peninsula between Sleaford Bay and the dramatic cliffs of the Whalers Way. Then, in 2022, came its sibling Maldhi, located on the same private farm, just a 30-minute drive from Port Lincoln. While Yambara is light and bright with sunset tones, Maldhi is furnished in earthier olive hues. But both have the same layout, offering a front-row seat to the natural beauty of the Eyre Peninsula, and a private oasis to relax and recharge in supreme comfort, with a double shower and well-appointed kitchen at your disposal. Both cabins have a double bed and an additional bed in a mezzanine space ideal for kids. Dont miss In the winter months, the sun-drenched deck is perfect for watching whales cruise across Sleaford Bay. The essentials This is a year-round stay. It is best accessed by car. From $1100, for a two-night minimum stay. See eyreway.com Kimo Estate Eco Huts, Gundagai, NSW The pitch Unplug in style at one of these three designer A-frame huts in the rolling hills of country NSW, each with an alfresco tub. Kimo Estate Eco Hut. Credit: Hit the hut Get a taste of minimalist luxury in Kimo Estates architect-designed, adults-only eco huts, each privately positioned on the 2833-hectare farm just outside the south-eastern NSW country town of Gundagai. Enjoy a lie-in as the sun streams in through the large windows of your off-grid hut, perched on its own hill overlooking the Murrumbidgee River flats. Prepare a feast in the alfresco kitchen to enjoy on your private deck, and light the wood-fired heater inside on chilly nights. The solar-powered huts dont come with a fridge, but theres an Esky to keep your food cold, including local produce for breakfast. In summer, the hot tub transforms into a refreshing plunge pool. There is accommodation in another two cottages and converted shearers quarters on the same property. Dont miss Cap off the day with a leisurely soak in the wood-fired outdoor hot tub. The essentials This is a year-round stay. It is best accessed by car. $600 a night. See kimoestate.com Sierra Escape, Mudgee, NSW The pitch When you want to be close to nature as well as wineries, this string of glamping stays gives you both, along with a little luxury. Stargaze stays: Sierra Escape, Mudgee. Credit: Hit the hut Rouse yourself to admire the rolling hills of the Mudgee region, north-west of Sydney, bathed in golden light at Sierra Escape, a collection of five adults-only glamping tents and one tiny house on a private property just 20 minutes from town. With a generous 54-square-metre footprint, the four premium tents, each furnished with a king-size bed, give you all the space you need to unwind in the countryside. While the Carinya tent is more compact, this newer addition to the Sierra family features the same luxe amenities including an indoor fireplace and a standalone bathtub on the outdoor deck with another tub indoors. Meticulously crafted from a shipping container, Elouera, the propertys first tiny house, follows suit, with even larger windows drawing the eye across the rippling landscape. Opt to add a local-produce platter, in-room massage or even a private yoga class. Dont miss Venture out to sip your way around Mudgees cool-climate wineries and dine at its award-winning restaurants. The essentials This is a year-round stay. Its best accessed by car. From $1280 for two nights. See sierraescape.com.au Domescapes Tasmania, Tamar Valley, Tasmania Dome away from home: Domescapes, Tamar Valley, Tasmania. Credit: The pitch Glamping domes inside a Tamar Valley vineyard with grapes growing almost to the front step, and a short stroll to the cellar door. Hit the hut Domescapes Tasmanias geodesic domes are all about the viner things in life. This trio of glamping domes sit directly beside the vines of Swinging Gate Vineyard, and just a few minutes stroll from the cellar door no designated driver needed on this stay. The large domes, spaced about 70 metres apart, each feature a king bed with ensuite and shower. About 25 per cent of the domes surface is a transparent sky window, allowing for stargazing from bed and the embrace of sun-lit Tamar Valley days. Warmth is guaranteed, with insulated walls and underfloor heating, and each dome has its own firepit. Two of the domes also have a clawfoot bath on the deck in which to perhaps enjoy a glass of bubbles in the bubbles. Each booking receives a bottle of Tamar Valley wine and a local cheese platter. The bulk of the Tamar Valleys vineyards, as well as Launceston and Narawntapu National Park, are within a 45-minute drive. A fourth dome large enough for families is coming later this year. Dont miss Swinging Gates quirky, farmhouse-rustic cellar door always beckons. Enjoy a tasting with Nellie, the winerys attention-stealing Staffy, who once featured in the book Wine Dogs of Australia. The essentials October until April are the best months to visit. Best accessed by car. $295 a night. See domescapes.com.au Nook On The Hill, Halls Gap, Victoria Nook On The Hill a tiny house that makes a big statement. The pitch If the term tiny-mod-Scandi-chic existed it would describe this inspired owner-built dwelling at the foothills of the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park. Hit the Hut All the materials used to create this luxurious self-contained cabin have been salvaged and reclaimed: the 130-year-old bricks from a local bakery, oak from an Otways shearing shed, ironbark gates its modern yet steeped in history. Every remote tiny house has to make space and comfort tradeoffs, but its hard to see what the Nook is missing. Youll find polished concrete benchtops, a full-sized oven and hob, cleverly concealed dishwasher and handmade crockery that make cooking here a pleasure. And the tall roof and floor-to-ceiling windows not only give the cabin a sense of space, but also mean you can dine with views of the Grampians in the distance. Theres a complimentary food hamper that includes wine from Pomonal Estate. Sip while relaxing in the outdoor cast-iron bath under the stars. The essentials This is a year-round stay. Its best accessed by car. $650 a night; two-night minimum. See nookonthehill.com.au Five more star huts New Pelion Hot, Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania Midway along Australias most famous mountain trail, the Overland Track, New Pelion Hut is akin to a crossroads inn. Its the perfect pause along the track, surrounded by attainable summits and historic sites with room to sleep 36 hikers. The cost is included in the Overland Track Pass. See parks.tas.gov.au CABN, various locations, South Australia Born in South Australia and now expanding across the country, CABNs self-contained, off-grid tiny stays are designed to tread ultra-gently on the surrounding environment. All are powered by the sun, built to conserve water, and furnished with eco-friendly amenities. From $229. See cabn.life Red Hill Boat, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria Stay on the Mornington Peninsula at its most unusually nautical accommodation on a working farm, kilometres from the sea. This dry-docked B&B once a wartime rescue boat keeps the home fires burning (in the outside firepit, that is) with a cosy mid-century feel. From $300 a night. See redhillboat.au Nightfall Camp, Lamington National Park, South-East Queensland I think its important to be aware of the energy youre sending out toward other people, said David Coggins, author of the New York Times bestseller Men and Manners. Using headphones contains us into our own noise-cancellation utopia, but it allows us to ignore other people, he said. We still want to engage and connect. Watching something on your tablet or laptop? Then its definitely time to have your headphones on. Credit: iStock So when you approach someone, or vice versa, its headphones out, not on my phone, sunglasses off, Leighton said. Thats when youre handing over your ID to a border security agent, scanning your boarding pass, greeting the flight attendant whos greeting you or acknowledging the existence of your row-mates. When someone sits next to me on a plane, I look at them and smile and say hello to greet them, Coggins said. But then I look back away. None of the dreaded worst thing on Earth: So, wheres home? Just being no-headphones nice acknowledges that youll be crammed within proximity to each other, often for hours, and that I would rather start off on the right foot, Coggins said. One bud out is a reasonable compromise Loading If youre working with big over-the-ear, noise-cancelling headphones, its best to remove them or rest them around your neck when engaging with someone. For ear bud-style headphones, Coggins said, removing just one bud sends a message that youre being courteous. When I get to the front of the line, I usually take one ear out so they know that Im focused on them, and I say thank you, he said. Removing one bud is enough of an effort to show that, hey, Im going to pay attention and engage, said Lane, who often does the same on her personal travels. Removing both would be great, but, you know, removing one is okay. Thats acceptable. Keep phone calls and videos to yourself Whats never acceptable is to allow any sound to project from your phone. Headphone use is essential if youre going to be taking a phone or FaceTime call, watching videos, playing noisy phone games or listening to voice notes from your gossipy best friend. While wearing your headphones at an ill-advised time may be rude to a few people you ignore, blaring a Zoom meeting to your neighbours is a crime against everybody, Coggins said. The recent uptick in public speakerphone calls is particularly obnoxious. A lot of people love to talk on their phone as if its a walkie-talkie, Coggins said. Do everybody a favour and put your phone to your ear the old-fashioned way, or plug in those headphones. Dont tune out the safety briefing Loading Even if youve heard the spiel a thousand times, if a flight attendant is standing in the aisle giving a safety demonstration before takeoff, you should listen to them. That is a courtesy, and also just for safety, Leighton said. It would be nice that everybody did pay attention, because every aircraft is a little different. Getting off a plane in 90 seconds or less does actually require team effort. Your flight crew will appreciate the gesture. It does take a toll throughout the day when I have to do that multiple times and I get ignored several times, Lane said. Its frustrating because Im there primarily for their safety. Loading While flight attendants are in charge of helping you in case of emergency, airlines safety briefings are designed to help you help yourself. Plus, you dont want to be in a situation where youve completely ignored them you dont even make eye contact with them and then, heaven forbid, you need something while on the flight, said Jules Hirst, an etiquette expert and co-author of the book Power of Civility. Be mindful of exceptions Warning: This story contains graphic details that some readers may find extremely disturbing. A Pennsylvania couple faces attempted homicide and other charges in connection with the horrific child abuse death of a 12-year-old girl. Rendell Hoagland, 52, and Cindy Warren, 45, of West Caln Township, are charged in Malinda Hoagland's death. Hoagland is Malinda's father and Warren is his girlfriend. They were arrested on May 6 and charged with attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault, kidnapping and other charges. Chester County District Attorney Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe said, "Malinda was subjected to evil and torment that no child should ever have to endure." The criminal complaint stated that police were called to a home on May 4 for a report of an unconscious 12-year-old girl. Hoagland reported that his daughter was not responsive. Officers were alerted by medics that something was gravely wrong with Malinda. She was transported to Paoli Hospital Trauma Center. Medical staff there noticed the girl was emaciated. She weighed 50 pounds and was covered in bruises. She had at least a half-dozen broken bones and her organs were failing. She died within hours. West Caln Police Chief Curt Martinez said it was a "horrific case of child abuse." An investigation found that Malinda had been pulled out of public school in late November and early December and shifted to a home cyber school. They reviewed the phones used by the couple. They allegedly found dozens of videos from their home camera system. The videos allegedly showed that Malinda was ankle-cuffed to furniture and verbally berated by the couple through an in-camera speaker system. The videos showed that they would punish Malinda by demanding strenuous physical exercise, such as squats and running in place while still shackled. The videos also allegedly showed that Malinda would be punished for perceived slights by being denied meals. Authorities said there were months' worth of the videos. The Chester County Detectives say if anyone has concerns about the safety of a child, they should call 911 or Childline at 1-800-932-0313. Childline reports can be anonymous. Bail for the couple is set at $1 million and they are being held at the Chester County Prison. They are due back in court on May 13. A decision on whether to charge them with murder will be made after more medical evidence is fully available. The decision means Biden has decided to use his only real form of leverage over Bibi withholding weapons, said Cliff Kupchan, chair of the Eurasia Group, who had just returned from a trip to the Middle East. Its a low point for US-Israel relations, as it begins to put Israeli security in play. Biden had no choice. The war is a drag on his election campaign, on Democratic Party unity and on US standing in the world. The administration was hoping the pause would send a quiet message and did not announce it publicly at first, but the Israelis leaked it. In the days since the decision, Israel ordered the evacuation of 110,000 civilians in Rafah, conducted airstrikes against targets on the edges of the city, sent in tanks and seized the crossing with Egypt. Although these moves were characterised as limited and not the beginning of the promised assault, they touched off alarms in the White House. The Israeli actions, which came in part in response to Hamas rocket attacks that killed four Israeli soldiers last weekend, seem to be intended to keep the pressure on Hamas to agree to a temporary ceasefire in exchange for the release of some of the hostages taken on October 7. Whether such a deal is possible remains uncertain. CIA director William Burns, who has been deeply involved in the negotiations, met on Wednesday with Netanyahu in Jerusalem even as other officials conferred in Cairo about competing offers from the two sides. Reaching such a deal may be the only way to avoid a more serious rupture between Israel and the Biden administration, analysts said. What theyre asking for is for Israel not to go into Rafah in a significant way, said Elliott Abrams, a Middle East specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations who served in multiple Republican administrations. Barring a hostage deal, I think the Israelis are going to go into Rafah, and it is going to cause a great deal of tension. The relationship between the US and Israel has been a singular one since the Jewish state declared its independence in 1948 and President Harry S. Truman just 11 minutes later made the United States the first nation in the world to recognise it. But the relationship has also long been marked by moments of deep stress. Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli strike on a residential building in Rafah. Credit: AP At first, under both Truman and president Dwight D. Eisenhower, the US refused to sell Israel weapons at all. President John F. Kennedy became the first to open up the arsenal by providing Hawk antiaircraft missiles. President Lyndon B. Johnson expanded ties by sending M-48 tanks, A-4 Skyhawk planes and F-4 Phantom planes. Presidents have held back aid to Israel before to indicate displeasure or influence policy. President Ronald Reagan more than once delayed shipments of warplanes and other munitions out of dissatisfaction with Israeli intervention in Lebanon. President George H.W. Bush postponed $US10 billion in housing loan guarantees to keep American money from being used to finance settlement construction in the West Bank. Overall, since World War II, the United States has given more aid to Israel than any other country in the world. As of last year, the US had provided $US158.7 billion to Israel since its founding, the vast bulk of it, or $US124.3 billion, for its military and its missile defences, according to the Congressional Research Service. Under a 10-year memorandum of understanding sealed by President Barack Obama, Washington currently provides $US3.8 billion a year in military aid, not counting the $US15 billion in additional help approved last month by Congress and signed into law by Biden. Loading Republicans quickly criticised Biden on Wednesday after Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin publicly confirmed reports of the delayed bomb shipment at a Senate hearing. This is obscene. It is absurd, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told the defence secretary. Give Israel what they need to fight the war they cant afford to lose. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the partys leader in the Senate, said he had called Jake Sullivan, the presidents national security adviser, on Wednesday morning to express my concern to the administration that the delay of shipment of weapons to Israel is just another way of trying to tell an ally how to conduct the war. He and House Speaker Mike Johnson later sent a letter to Biden protesting against the decision. On the other hand, Democrats and progressives who have been pressing Biden to limit or cut off arms to curtail Israels war said the presidents action was long overdue and still not enough after more than 34,000 have died in Gaza, including both combatants and civilians. Senator Bernie Sanders, the democratic socialist from Vermont, said Bidens decision was absolutely right but should only be the start. Our leverage is clear, he said. Over the years, the United States has provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Israel. We can no longer be complicit in Netanyahus horrific war against the Palestinian people. Loading The decision got the attention of Netanyahu and his war cabinet. Shalom Lipner, a longtime adviser to multiple Israeli prime ministers, said it struck a deep chord of concern within Israel, where people are wondering how limiting Israels access to weaponry a move that is certain to embolden Hamas might be reconciled with Bidens oft-repeated ironclad commitment to its security. But he added that it would be to Israels strategic detriment for the Netanyahu government to ignore the loud pushback from its main provider of military and diplomatic support. The 3500 bombs held back last week include both 2000-pound (900 kilogram) and 500-pound munitions. Will I ever walk again? The question caught me off-guard, and I glanced at our nurse Becky for her reaction, desperately hoping her answer would be yes. The question came from 13-year-old Solave*, who was hit with a large piece of shrapnel when an airstrike destroyed her aunts house in the Gaza Strip. Solaves mother found her. They attempted to carry her down the stairs, but the stairs had been blown away. Thirteen-year-old Solave* being treated in a makeshift hospital in Gaza. She lost her leg when a bomb hit her aunts house while she was sheltering there. Her two brothers died in the attack. *Not her real name. Credit: Save The Children When they eventually made it to the hospital, the doctors tried to treat Solaves horrific injuries with the limited medical supplies they had, but they couldnt save both her legs. She lost her right leg. She also lost two of her brothers that day, and any essence of childhood that was left in her life. I heard many stories like Solaves when I was in the Gaza Strip, where I completed a mission as an aid worker with Save the Children last week. Those stories included children whod had amputations and operations with very little pain relief, leaving them fearful about any medical procedures, even dressing changes. ASICs announcement comes after unveiling an initiative to target financial abuse in First Nations communities, releasing a document to identify consumers who are at risk of or experiencing financial abuse. Israeli government officials blasted President Joe Biden after he said the United States would halt shipments of weapons to Israel if it launches a military offensive in Rafah, with the national security minister saying "Hamas (loves) Biden," according to reports. Despite Biden's threat, officials said they would continue to prosecute the war against Hamas, which invaded Israel on Oct. 7. "Israel will continue to fight Hamas until its destruction," Foreign Minister Israel Katz said, according to the Times of Israel, adding: "There is no war more just than this." But National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's reaction was blunt. "Hamas Biden," he posted on his X account. The president in an interview on CNN Wednesday evening said he would halt shipments of some weapons if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu carried through with his plan to attack the city in Gaza, noting that U.S.-supplied bombs have been used to kill civilians. "If they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities - that deal with that problem," Biden told CNN. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers," Biden said. Israeli President Isaac Herzog tried to mediate the outrage. "Even when there are disagreements and moments of disappointment between friends and allies, there is a way to clarify the disputes," Herzog said, the New York Times reported. In an apparent reference to Ben-Gvir's statement, he called on Israel's leaders to "avoid baseless, irresponsible and insulting statements and tweets that harm the national security and the interests of the state of Israel." BJP wants to abolish reservations while Congress wants to increase them beyond 50%, said Rahul Gandhi in Telangana rally. After an incident at the Parthampur polling station in Santrampur, where booth capturing occurred, instructions have been issued by the Election Commission for a repoll. The poll body has scheduled the repoll for May 11. Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale on Thursday stated that he has filed a complaint with the Election Commission, objecting to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's frequent claim that the BJP would change the country's Constitution. Over 85 per cent voter turnout was registered in the repolling held on Wednesday at a polling station in Dudhwa Khurd in Rajasthan's Barmer Lok Sabha constituency. The Election Commission has ordered the repolling following complaints of a breach of confidentiality after some videos showing bogus voting and voters being denied their right to franchise surfaced on social media. Two BJP members were on Wednesday taken into custody in Gujarats Mahisagar district over alleged bogus voting after the act was live-streamed on social media and the video went viral. The Congress has claimed that the accused had visited 25 polling stations and indulged in bogus voting in the Gothib taluka panchayat in Santrampur as well. INDIA bloc leaders will meet the Election Commission of India (ECI) today over their demand to promptly release the absolute voter turnout figures in the ongoing General Elections after each phase, according to a report by news agency PTI. The leaders from the Opposition bloc will meet the full bench of the Election Commission of India on Thursday afternoon, submit a memorandum and also discuss the issues with the poll panel. Airing their concerns over the alleged "delay" in the release of the voter turnout data in the first two phases, the Congress, Trinamool Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), have written to the poll panel separately so far. ECI has stated that booth-wise data of the "actual number of votes polled" is available with the candidates soon after the voting ends. The LYCRA Company, a global leader in developing innovative, sustainable solutions for the apparel and personal care industries, announced today that it has signed a letter of intent with Dairen Chemical Corporation (DCC) to convert QIRAthe next generation of 1,4 butanediol (BDO)into low-impact PTMEG, the main ingredient in patented bio-derived LYCRA fiber. Dairen will be the first company in the world to mass produce this low-impact bio-PTMEG at scale. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240509462079/en/ Left to Right: Steve Stewart, chief brand and innovation officer, The LYCRA Company, and Shean-Tung Lin, Chairman, Dairen Chemical Corporation (DCC), sign a letter of intent for DCC to convert QIRA into low-impact PTMEG for bio-derived LYCRA fiber. (Photo: Business Wire) In September 2022, The LYCRA Company and Qore announced they were joining forces to enable the production of bio-derived LYCRA fiber made with QIRA. Now, DCC joins this distinctive collaboration, converting QIRA into bio-PTMEG. This unique PTMEG will make up the renewable portion of LYCRA fiber, accounting for 70% of the fibers content. It is being made exclusively for The LYCRA Company to its stringent specifications. With its low-impact allyl alcohol process, DCC has pioneered a technology that creates the lowest-impact PTMEG available, which is cleaner and has a lower carbon footprint than product produced with natural gas or coal.1 The LYCRA Company, Qore, and DCC are united by a shared commitment to R&D, health and safety, sustainability, and conservation. To mark this event, Steve Stewart, The LYCRA Companys chief brand and innovation officer, presented DCC with a Green Partner Award. The award acknowledges DCCs ongoing sustainability efforts and commitment to creating low-impact products. Our collaboration heralds a brand-new era of environmentally conscious production activities, fueled by our shared commitment to reducing carbon footprints and developing world-leading eco-friendly solutions, said DCCs chairman, Lin Shean-Tung. Sustainability is not merely a trend, but an imperative for the future of our planet. We are honored to receive the Green Partner Award and embark on this journey alongside The LYCRA Company, advancing sustainable practices in the industry. Available in early 2025, patented bio-derived LYCRA fiber made with QIRA will be the worlds first renewable spandex available on a large scale. By using annually renewable dent corn, an initial screening calculation indicates that the carbon footprint of LYCRA fiber potentially could be reduced by up to 44 percent2 compared to LYCRA fiber without bio-derived materials. Further, the fiber will offer equivalent performance to traditional LYCRA fiber, making it an easy replacement for mills, brands and retailers. We are excited to collaborate with DCC to bring bio-derived LYCRA fiber made with QIRA to market and realize our shared vision for a more sustainable value chain, said Stewart. Given the combination of using bio-derived input from corn, plus conversion at a state-of-the-art QORE facility run on wind power, and transformation to PTMEG using DCCs low-impact process, we anticipate the potential for additional reductions as we go into production. For many years, Dairen has demonstrated its sustainability efforts in raw materials management, waste elimination, process enhancement, innovations, and more. It has also achieved significantly lower carbon emissions in its product offerings than its competition. Sustainability has evolved from fulfilling requirements to being a competitive advantage, said Simon Chuang, vice president of global sourcing and procurement at The LYCRA Company. Were committed to selecting, promoting, and expanding our business with supply partners like DCC who embrace and drive meaningful sustainability efforts. Visit lycra.com/qira to learn more about bio-derived LYCRA fiber made with QIRA. 1Estimate from Cradle-to-Gate Screening PCF for a representative DAIREN PTMEG manufacturing facility, year 2023, prepared by DNV Business Assurance Co., Ltd. 2Estimate from Cradle-to-Gate Screening LCA for a representative LYCRA fiber manufacturing facility, June 2022, prepared by Ramboll Americas Engineering Solutions, Inc. About The LYCRA Company The LYCRA Company innovates and produces fiber and technology solutions for the apparel and personal care industries and owns the leading consumer brands: LYCRA, LYCRA HyFit, LYCRA T400, COOLMAX, THERMOLITE, ELASPAN, SUPPLEX and TACTEL. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., The LYCRA Company is recognized worldwide for its sustainable products, technical expertise, and marketing support. The LYCRA Company focuses on adding value to its customers products by developing unique innovations designed to meet the consumers need for comfort and lasting performance. For more information, visit lycra.com. About Qore LLC Formed through a joint venture by Cargill and HELM AG, Qore helps leading brands replace fossil-based chemistries with bio-derived intermediates. At the heart of the joint venture is the production of QIRA, the next-generation bio-derived 1,4-butanediol (BDO). Made biologically through the fermentation of plant-based sugars, QIRA can save up to 86% of greenhouse gas emissions when replacing todays widely used chemical intermediates made from traditional fossil sources. Bio-derived QIRA can be used the same way as its fossil counterpart but with significantly better environmental performance. Qore and QIRA are trademarks of Qore LLC. For more information and inquiries visit https://www.myqira.com/. About Dairen Chemical Corporation (DCC) Founded in 1979, DCC is a leading maker of acetyl and allyl chemicals. The company board has been chaired by Mr. Lin Shean-Tung since June 2019. DCC operates seven production sites in Asia and serves customers in more than one hundred countries. Major products include Vinyl Acetate Monomer, Vinyl Acetate Ethylene (VAE) Emulsion, VAE Redispersible Powder, Allyl Alcohol, 1,4-Butanediol and PTMEG. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, its productions sites are in Taiwan, China, Singapore and Malaysia. Under the leadership of Chairman Lin, DCC is expanding its international activities and enhancing its global presence. LYCRA is a trademark of The LYCRA Company. QIRA is a trademark of Qore. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240509462079/en/ ACEN Australia and Energy Vault to collaborate on battery energy storage system (BESS) deployments, with 200 MW/400 MWh system, at ACEN Australias 720 MW New England Solar The 50 MW/100 MWh and 150 MW/300 MWh New England Solar BESS deployments will begin construction in the second half of 2024 with the start of commercial operations expected in 2025 Agreement with one of Australias largest renewable energy producers represents execution of Energy Vaults long term strategy and investment commitments to energy storage for the Australian market Energy Vault Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: NRGV) ("Energy Vault"), a leader in sustainable, grid-scale energy storage solutions, and ACEN Australia, today announced the main contractual agreements for two battery energy storage system (BESS) deployments totaling 400 MWh in Australia. Construction on both deployments is expected to begin in the second half of 2024, with commercial operations expected in 2025 and 2026. The agreements are under final contract procedural preparation, and expected to be executed and closed formally within the first half of May 2024. Under the agreement, Energy Vault will deploy both a 50 MW/100 MWh BESS and a 150 MW/300 MWh BESS at ACEN Australias 720 MW New England Solar, one of the largest solar projects to participate in Australias National Electricity Market (NEM). The BESS will be charged and discharged on a daily basis and designed to dispatch stored renewable energy at peak consumption hours to help meet the high demand during New South Wales peak load hours while reducing the regions reliance on coal-fired power generation. Currently supported by the NSW Governments Emerging Energy Program, the New England BESS project is a part of ACENs broader strategy in Australia, where they are actively developing over 1 GW of projects. ACEN Australias New England Solar, located near Uralla, completed Stage 1 of construction in 2023, when 400MW of solar generation was officially brought online. Upon completion of Stage 2, the site will generate a total of 1,800 GWh of renewable electricity annually. In 2023, ACEN Australia secured a 20 year Long Term Energy Service Agreement (LTESA) for New England Solar in the NSW Governments first renewable energy and storage auction. The LTESA is a risk management mechanism that will support the project in the future if the National Electricity Market moves into a sustained period of low prices. ACEN Australias New England Solar is a critical source of renewable energy for the NSW region, and we are proud to play a role in ensuring its ability to reliably provide the region with clean power in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible, said Robert Piconi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Energy Vault. These deployments, and the tight timelines under which they will be delivered, stand as a testament to Energy Vaults commitment to a customer-centric approach to energy storage as well as evidence of the growing global demand for reliable and effective energy storage solutions. We see todays agreement as just the first step in a long and fruitful relationship with ACEN and their renewable power generation projects moving forward. Energy Vault was selected for these projects due to their impressive track record and we are thrilled to leverage their depth of expertise in design, engineering, construction and procurement, said ACEN Australia Managing Director David Pollington. Energy Vaults ability to work with our Siemens S120 converters will be particularly valuable as we optimize our battery storage systems for maximum efficiency and impact. The BESS deployments, developed under Energy Vaults B-VAULT suite of fully integrated battery energy storage solutions, will be coupled with a Siemens S120 inverter, which enables advanced grid support functionalities such as voltage and frequency ride-through, grid support during disturbances, and reactive power control. The use of the Siemens S120 inverter, combined with Energy Vaults proprietary X-Vault integration platform and Vault-OS Energy Management System to control, manage and optimize the BESS operations, will allow for superior energy management capabilities. About Energy Vault Energy Vault develops and deploys utility-scale energy storage solutions designed to transform the world's approach to sustainable energy storage. The Company's comprehensive offerings include proprietary gravity-based storage, battery storage, and green hydrogen energy storage technologies. Each storage solution is supported by the Companys hardware technology-agnostic energy management system software and integration platform. Unique to the industry, Energy Vaults innovative technology portfolio delivers customized short-and-long-duration energy storage solutions to help utilities, independent power producers, and large industrial energy users significantly reduce levelized energy costs while maintaining power reliability. Utilizing eco-friendly materials with the ability to integrate waste materials for beneficial reuse, Energy Vaults EVx gravity-based energy storage technology is facilitating the shift to a circular economy while accelerating the global clean energy transition for its customers. Please visit www.energyvault.com for more information. About ACEN Australia ACEN Australia is the platform representing ACENs renewable energy assets in Australia. With more than 1 gigawatt (GW) capacity of large scale renewable energy generation in construction and operations, and more than 13GW capacity in the development pipeline, its portfolio includes several solar, wind, battery and pumped hydro projects across Australia. New England Solar (Stage 1) in NSW is ACEN Australias first operational project. It is one of Australias largest solar projects participating in the National Electricity Market (NEM) and is the largest solar project in Australia to be financed on a fully merchant basis. Stubbo Solar in the NSW Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone is ACEN Australias second project, which commenced construction in late 2022. With 90+ employees and growing, our people are based in Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. www.acenrenewables.com.au Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements that reflect the Companys current views with respect to, among other things, the Companys operations and financial performance. Forward-looking statements include information concerning possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of our business plan and strategies. These statements often include words such as anticipate, expect, suggest, plan, believe, intend, project, forecast, estimates, targets, projections, should, could, would, may, might, will and other similar expressions. We base these forward-looking statements or projections on our current expectations, plans, and assumptions, which we have made in light of our experience in our industry, as well as our perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances at the time. These forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions, and expectations of future performance, taking into account the information currently available to us. These forward-looking statements are only predictions based upon our current expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including changes in our strategy, expansion plans, customer opportunities, future operations, future financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects and plans; the uncertainly of our awards, bookings and backlogs equating to future revenue; the lack of assurance that non-binding letters of intent and other indication of interest can result in binding orders or sales; the possibility of our products to be or alleged to be defective or experience other failures; the implementation, market acceptance and success of our business model and growth strategy; our ability to develop and maintain our brand and reputation; developments and projections relating to our business, our competitors, and industry; the ability of our suppliers to deliver necessary components or raw materials for construction of our energy storage systems in a timely manner; the impact of health epidemics, on our business and the actions we may take in response thereto; our expectations regarding our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection and not infringe on the rights of others; expectations regarding the time during which we will be an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act; our future capital requirements and sources and uses of cash; the international nature of our operations and the impact of war or other hostilities on our business and global markets; our ability to obtain funding for our operations and future growth; our business, expansion plans and opportunities and other important factors discussed under the caption Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the SEC on March 13, 2024, as such factors may be updated from time to time in its other filings with the SEC, accessible on the SECs website at www.sec.gov. New risks emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release speaks only as of the date of this press release and is expressly qualified in its entirety by the cautionary statements included in this press release. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by any applicable laws. You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240509063232/en/ The Big As Texas festival lineup includes, clockwise from top left, Thomas Rhett, Maddie & Tae, Dierks Bentley, Dwight Yoakam, Breland and Morgan Wade. The festival is Friday through Sunday at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Houston Chronicle file photo / courtesy Organizers of the Big As Texas music festival are expecting more than 20,000 fans for the debut event this weekend at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. The three-day event kicks off Friday and continues through Sunday at the fairgrounds at 9333 Airport Road northeast of the city center. Here's what to know as the final preparations are made for the event: Advertisement Article continues below this ad Inspiration for festival Festival co-founder Trey Diller's mission is to make an impact and save lives with the event. Suicide prevention and mental health is at the heart of the festival. A portion of ticket proceeds will help nonprofits supporting suicide prevention initiatives both in Montgomery County and across the nation. Diller said he lost his brother (to mental health disease). "Unfortunately Montgomery County sits at the top of the country in the suicide rate per capita," he said. The festival has been in the works since September 2022. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Music and art brings people together and nothing of this magnitude like this has been done in Montgomery County," he said. "We're looking to create a staple and make an impact." A festival map for the Big As Texas music festival coming Friday through Sunday at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Photo courtesy Big As Texas Artists and activities Country music performers including Dwight Yoakum, Thomas Rhett, Clay Walker, Los Lobos, the trio Midland, Warren Zeiders, Maddie & Tae, Tracy Byrd, Dierks Bentley and others are set to take the stage. Diller said more than 20,000 people are expected overall with hopes of drawing 10,000 each day. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In the city of Conroe, hotels and restaurants are preparing for extra visitors to town this weekend. Honor Cafe and 202 Main will have extra staff on hand this weekend for not only festivalgoers but for Mother's Day weekend diners. Sherry Morgan, director of Visit Conroe, the city's convention and visitors' bureau, called this a major event for the city. "These are top-tier entertainers that they're bringing in and we expect the crowds to be consistent from day to day," she said. Security and safety Diller said the festival's safety team has been working with the Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and local law enforcement, fire department officials, city of Conroe officials and the Montgomery County Hospital District to ensure a safe experience. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He said to expect a bag check at each entrance point and a law enforcement presence at the park. He also encouraged patrons to stay hydrated and drink lots of water during the event as a warm weekend is expected. Traffic impact Traffic impact will be at Airport Road and Loop 336 and Airport Road and FM 3083. Heavy traffic may build also at FM 1484 and FM 3083, along FM 1484 and at Technology Parkway and Airport Road. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Ride share pick up and drop off is on Carl Pickering Memorial Drive. How to go The Internal Revenue Service released a final reminder for all taxpayers that they have until May 17 to claim $1 billion from 2020 tax returns before they expire. Mark Lennihan/Associated Press The Internal Revenue Service has released a final reminder for all taxpayers that they have until May 17 to claim $1 billion from 2020 tax returns before they expire. The statement from the IRS says 1 million people did not file for tax returns in 2020. Texas tops the list of states with the most unclaimed tax return funds, with $107.1 million of unclaimed funds in total for an estimated 93,400 taxpayers. The average refund amount is $960 for Texan taxpayers. HOUSTON BARS: The top 23 bars in Houston right now Advertisement Article continues below this ad Taxpayers can claim the funds until May 17, an extension to the usual three years usually allowed to file after the due date due to COVID-19. While there is no penalty for not filing if a refund is due to the taxpayer, the funds will not be available to claim after the deadline. In order to file taxes for 2020, taxpayers can request the required tax documents such as transcripts or W-2 forms from their employer or from the IRS. Prior tax year forms are required to file taxes for 2020-2023. For more information visit irs.gov. CEMEX has been recognised as the industrys top-scoring company in the World Benchmarking Alliances 2024 Climate and Energy Benchmark. According to the company, this recognition demonstrates CEMEXs commitment to transitioning to a lower-carbon cement industry, with the aim of becoming a net-zero CO 2 company by 2050. The World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) measured and ranked 91 of the worlds most influential aluminum, cement and steel companies for the first time based on their emission targets and transition to a lower-carbon future. CEMEX achieved the highest score in the overall cement ranking after the WBA assessed the companys climate performance using industry specific Accelerate Climate Transition (ACT) methodologies, as well as social and just transition indicators. We are proud to achieve the highest score in the 2024 Climate and Energy Benchmark ranking, demonstrating CEMEXs leadership in climate action and social impact, said Fernando A. Gonzalez, CEO of CEMEX. "We are committed to achieving our ambitious 2030 decarbonization goals on the path to becoming a net-zero company by 2050 while making a positive and lasting difference in our communities. House of Representatives summons Nigerian producers Suzanne Starbuck By 09 May 2024 Dangote Cement and BUA Cement are among a number of cement producers that have been given 14 days to appear before the House of Representatives in Nigeria. The companies were initially summoned by the House to appear in early May as part of an investigation into the hike in cement prices across the country but failed to show, reports Premium Times. Jonathan Gbefwi, chair of the House of Representatives committee, took the opportunity to lament the high cost of buildings materials in Nigeria, which be believes is adding to the countrys ongoing homelessness issues. We are trying to see to the development of our country. Just as it was emphasised in the opening remarks, cement is to building what air is to every human being, said Mr Gbefwi. The cement price crisis is seen as central to Nigerias housing deficit which currently stands at around 16.9m units, according to data from the African Development Bank. Ben Kalu, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, pointed out that Lagos, Ibadan, Kano and Abuja are all seeing a 20 per cent increase in their housing needs every year. The current total output in the formal housing sector is estimated at not more than 100,000 units, he added. Mr Kalu stated that bridging this gap requires affordable and accessible cement prices for both the government and the private sector. Published under Hana Ikramuddin is a Hearst Fellow in Connecticut. She spent the first part of her fellowship at the Houston Chronicle. Raised in the Twin Cities, Hana majored in journalism and political science at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. She has held internships with the Star Tribune, APM Reports and Sahan Journal. In her free time, she loves to cook, make chai and take care of her houseplants. Mayor John Whitmire hasn't yet outlined his plans to hire a new, permanent police chief to take the place of former Chief Troy Finner. But that hasn't stopped some names from being floated as potential replacements to lead the state's largest police force. Whitmire on Wednesday said he wasn't ruling out an "internal or external chief," and that he plans to use his personal network to find candidates and lead the search himself. Here are some of the names that have been floated to be the next Houston chief. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia Courtesy/Dallas Police Department Eddie Garcia Garcia, the chief of the Dallas Police Department, emerged as a rumored candidate for the Houston job less than a day after Finner's departure. Dallas TV station WFAA reported that Houston and Austin were "showing interest in potentially hiring" Garcia, who's been in his position since 2021. Garcia is an at-will employee and can leave at any time, the station reported. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In response to the rumors, Dallas' city manager released a statement saying he and the city council "want to keep him in Dallas doing a good job" "To the cities shopping in Dallas for a new chief, I have one message for you: turn around and go back home,'" interim Dallas City Manager Kim Tolbert said. In response to the rumors about Houston's interest in Garcia, Whitmire's office said it was "too soon to discuss the next steps in finding a new police chief. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo speaks during a press conference at HPD headquarters on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, in Houston. Jon Shapley/AP Art Acevedo Acevedo was Houston's police chief from 2016 until 2021. Previously the leader of the Austin Police Department from 2007 until 2016, he left Houston to become the chief in Miami. His time in Florida lasted just 7 months. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Acevedo's time in Houston ended on a sour note amid a spike in crime associated with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fallout of the Harding Street raid and deterioration with officers and police reformers. Acevedo was also chief during the time police investigators were using the "SL" code to suspend cases citing lack of personnel, and was a recipient of the 2018 email about suspended cases that appeared to play a central part in Finner's departure. Speculation about his return to Houston emerged months before Finner retired -- and the suspended case scandal became public -- after Acevedo left his position as the interim chief of the Aurora, Colo., Police Department. On leaving Colorado, Acevedo was set to become an interim assistant city manager in Austin, with oversight of the police department. Just days after he was offered that job however, Acevedo announced he wouldn't take the job and said he didn't want to be a "distraction" in the city. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Whitmire is a longtime friend of Acevedo, but after the false start in Austin, a senior City Hall official told the Chronicle there were no "imminent plans" to ask him to return to Houston. Acting Chief of Police Larry Satterwhite speaks to the media during a news conference after he was appointed to take over the Houston Police Department on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Larry Satterwhite Satterwhite was made the acting chief of police the night of Finner's retirement. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A 34-year veteran of the department, Satterwhite came up as a patrol officer, SWAT team member and special operations commander, before being appointed as executive assistant chief of field operations in 2021 by Finner. In that position, Satterwhite supervised some 3,000 HPD employees who work in the department's patrol divisions. As executive assistant chief, he reported directly to Finner. The latest class of EPBs ArtSpark Goes to School now has their creations displayed on 12 utility boxes across Chattanooga and Hamilton County. This is the sixth group of Hamilton County School students to be selected out of a competitive submission and judging process. Students whose artwork was selected for this years ArtSpark Goes to School are part of what makes Chattanooga so special, said Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. Beyond their clear talent, winners arent just making Chattanooga a more beautiful place they represent the future leaders of our community who are better prepared because of programs like this. Its inspiring to see the sheer creativity and talent flow from our public school students who are developing their gifts in ways that will assist them in whatever they pursue beyond the classroom, said Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp. Hands-on programs like ArtSpark provide essential pathways for young minds to hone in on their passions and thrive. EPB received an impressive number of submissions, each showcasing creativity illustrating the theme What Energizes You? This years selected works were created by: Brainerd High School Leaann Finch Chattanooga High School Center for Creative Arts Faith Daan, Sara Jackson, Drew Runyan Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts Naomi Bissell Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences Kaylee Moore Hixson High School Mia Medlin Sale Creek High School Alanna Jones-Newman Signal Mountain High School Addison Klapper, Grace Martin Soddy-Daisy High School Sharon Cheng The Howard School Elisabet Ramirez Morales Newly selected ArtSpark Goes to School selections will be permanently displayed on utility boxes in the following areas: Northgate Mall, St. Elmo, Alton Park, Highland Park, Montague Park, Hamilton County Election Commission, Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence High, East Lake Academy of Fine Arts, Bonny Oaks Drive near Jersey Pike, Publix on Gunbarrel Road, the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, Volkswagen Drive and Hamilton Place. With the completion of this years ArtSpark Goes to School program, student artwork will be displayed on 58 utility boxes. The city and LDG Development joined as partners this year, contributing boxes on their property to the program. LDG is the programs first private developer to join the program. LDG Development leapt at the opportunity to feature student artwork in our newest development in Chattanooga, The Reserve at Mountain Pass, because including community is what transforms neighborhoods, said LDG Development Vice President of Strategic Engagement Nancy VanReece. The Reserve at Mountain Pass is an affordable housing development preleasing units in the Alton Park area. Were proud to support ArtSpark Goes to School and enjoy the talents of Hamilton County students. The program engages high school students through STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) curriculum during which they learn about electricity while creating artwork for public spaces. Students interpretations on the theme of What Energizes You? represent a wide spectrum of viewpoints, each of which are as unique as the students who created artwork, said Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Dr. Justin Robertson. Hamilton County Schools works closely with EPB to prepare students through programs like ArtSpark, Future Ready Institutes and HCS EdConnect, and each of these programs recognize and promote readiness for the world beyond K-12 education. Students used a combination of traditional two-dimensional methods, digital cameras and professional graphic design and photography software to create their artwork with the help of their art teachers and design experts. ArtSpark is a wonderful learning opportunity for the young, aspiring artists who participate in the program, said Lyndhurst Chair of Excellence in Arts Education at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Laurie Allen, who also works with schools on the curriculum for the ArtSpark Goes to School program. All ArtSpark student participants learn how their passion for visual arts can translate into careers by participating in a real-world submission process. Led by EPB, ArtSpark Goes to School is a community initiative dedicated to fostering and providing a platform for young artists to showcase their talents and contribute to the city's vibrant cultural landscape. Art transforms everyday objects like utility boxes into a focal point, and it is a special point of pride to have student works join Chattanoogas artistic community, said River City Company President and CEO Emily Mack. Congratulations to all students whose work was selected on their outstanding talent. EPBs ArtSpark Goes to School partners include Hamilton County Schools, UTC Arts Based Collaborative, River City Company, ArtsBuild, Public Art Chattanooga and LDG Development. EPB is committed to fostering a vibrant and creative community, said EPB Director of Residential Energy and Environmental Solutions Elizabeth Hammitt. The ArtSpark Goes to School program is an example of our dedication to empowering students and enhancing quality of life in our community. EPB works with a third party to create and apply vinyl wraps from the winning student designs. The Salvation Army of Chattanooga kicks off National Salvation Army Week on Monday, May 13."This week-long celebration (May 13-19) highlights the organizations history, services and impact in the community, and provides an opportunity to thanks volunteers, donors and other stakeholders who support us throughout the year," officials said. "National Salvation Army Week has been observed annually since 1954, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower declared the first National Salvation Army Week.In his proclamation, President Eisenhower recognized the important role that The Salvation Army plays in our nation and called on all Americans to support the organizations mission of helping those in need."Among Americans, The Salvation Army has long been a symbol of wholehearted dedication to the cause of human brotherhood. In time of war, the men and women of this organization have brough to those serving their country far from home, friendliness and warm concern. In the quieter days of peace, their work has been a constant reminder to us all that each of us is neighbor and kin to all Americans. Giving freely of themselves, the men and women of The Salvation Army have won the respect of us all, said President Eisenhower in his 1954 proclamation."The Salvation Army of Chattanooga is proud to be a part of this great organization, and we are committed to making a difference in our community. Over the past year, we have served 3,909 individuals and families through our programs and services. Our emergency assistance program provided 1,289 people with utility and housing assistance. We also provided 5,600 children with Christmas toys and gifts through our Angel Tree program," officials said.We are excited to kick off National Salvation Army Week and celebrate the organizations rich history, services, and impact in our community, said Major Douglas McClure, area commander of The Salvation Army in Chattanooga. We want to thank our volunteers, donors, and stakeholders for their support throughout the year. Without them, we would not be able to serve those in need and make a difference in our community.During National Salvation Army Week, The Salvation Army of Chattanooga will host a series of events and activities to celebrate the organizations work and mission, including a Lunch and Learn event on Tuesday, May 14, at 11:30 a.m. at 1019 N. Moore Road in Chattanooga."This will be a one-hour lunch and presentation of The Salvation Army's programs to serve our unhoused and underserved neighbors. We invite the community to join us and learn more about the services we provide and how they can get involved. Please RSVP to Kendall Hudson at 423-693-3920, or by email at kendall.hudson@uss.salvationarmy.org," officials said. Edward was born to Christian parents, Edward and Bonnie Lundwall, Sr. in Fort Worth, Texas, on June 18, 1930. He placed his faith in Jesus Christ and was born again spiritually when he was thirteen. He had a love for Gods Word and a deep desire to grow spiritually. He attributed his dad with teaching him to think deep. While growing up, his dad always had questions he would pose that never could be answered without deep thought, and even then, rarely answered outside of his added explanation. His dad was greatly admired and loved by him. Edward attended the University of Houston, Tx. and graduated in 1952 with a BS in psychology, and minors in government and chemistry. Soon after graduating, he entered the army as a Lieutenant. During this time, God led him in a miraculous meeting with our mom, Marionette Shufford (passed 7/13/2007), they were married in Washington, D.C. on April 16, 1954. After serving a term in the Korean war, he left the army to attend Los Angeles Baptist Theological Seminary where he earned a Masters of Divinity degree. Dad and mom went into church planting, starting their first church in Escondido, Ca. While there, the three of us children, Paul, Debbie and Lora were born. In 1963, God led them to start their second church in Hatfield, Massachusetts. While in Massachusetts, during the Vietnam War, there was a great need for Military Chaplains. Dad decided to reenlist back in the army as a Chaplain to go to Vietnam. Stationed at Fort Dix, New Jersey in preparation for the chaplaincy, he graduated top of his class of 189 with honors. While at Fort Dix he had an army chapel, where he served as chaplain as well. In 1968, dad was deployed to Vietnam, for a year. During this time, the family lived in Escondido, Ca., and were able to attend the church that our parents started years earlier. We remember many letters he wrote home that included Polaroid photos and the phone calls he made with so much static on the lines we could hardly hear him. He had the privilege of ministering to so many men that desperately needed hope carrying the daily burden of the high risk of dying on the field. As his children, we remember servicemen lined around the block to attend and hundreds coming to faith in Jesus Christ. From this, Dad was burdened with the fact, he couldnt help them with growing in their newly found faith, as their time together was short. After his service in Vietnam, he was deployed to Germany where we were all able to live together for three years. Again, God blessed his ministry there. After returning from Germany to the states, he was stationed in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The Vietnam War had come to an end. While still stationed at Fort Bragg, dad started brushing up on his Greek. In an intense study of Matthew 28:18-20, he realized that the true interpretation of these verses led to focus on discipling, not going. So, here began the agenda for the rest of his life's ministry. He made the difficult decision to leave the army when so many wanted him to continue to instead follow a calling to return to seminary and earn his Masters of Religious Education degree at Temple Theological Seminary in Chattanooga. After obtaining his degree, he started a small home church to put into practice what he had studied regarding discipling. Dad sought to write a book on discipleship and the local church as well as develop materials and curriculum for churches to use. He had a non-stop desire to share with pastors and teachers. He was an amazing short-term counselor. He loved to share his faith in Christ. After mother passed away in 2007, he never ceased doing what he felt God had called him to. His writings he sent to countries around the world that were thirsty for how to help Christians come to a mature walk in Christ. Just a few weeks before his passing, Lora asked him if she could clean up a large stack of mail. He said he wasnt finished with the return envelopes. She asked why? He said, I like to pray over them and return them with a verse or gospel track. He was 93 and still found a way to share! That story was an inspiration to us all! One of the verses we remember learning under him in our youth was, John 8:31-32. So, Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, if you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. Our dad will be known as a man of great passion and drive in helping others grow in the full knowledge of God. In gratefulness for our Dad, love Paul, Debbie and Lora. Survivors include his son, Paul Lundwall; daughter, Deborah (Michael) Slaney and Lora (David) Miller; sister, Joy McLearn; granddaughter, Julie Moya; Grandsons, Joey Miller, Ben, David and Caleb Slaney; six great-grandchildren; other relatives and friends. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, May 14, from 5-6:30 p.m. at Advantage Funeral & Cremation Services, Franklin-Strickland Chapel. Funeral service will follow at 6:30 p.m. in the funeral home chapel with Chaplain Chris Linderman officiating. A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, May 15, at 10:30 a.m. at Chattanooga National Cemetery with military honors. Memorial contributions can be made to Israel project with Samaritans Purse. Arrangements are entrusted to Advantage Funeral & Cremation Services Franklin -Strickland Chapel, 1724 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga, Tn. 37404, 423 265-4414. Please visit our website to share your memories: www.advantagefranklin-strickland.com Our elections should not be partisan. A partisan election is one in which the ballot indicates party endorsement. In Hamilton County this is accomplished by writing the title (Democratic Party Nominee), (Republican Nominee), or (Independent Candidate) next to candidates names on a ballot. They create unnecessary drama on top of the usual electoral turmoil. The conflict following the 2022 county mayoral primary and the current troubles in Fort Oglethorpe are but the most recent iteration. Partisan elections provide misleading labels, over-simplify elections, obligate primaries, expose the state to legal liabilities, and elevates political parties relative to other agencies. Partisan elections provide labels which can be misleading. Labels represent neither philosophy or belief, allegiance or loyalty, past or future action. After election, the elected are free to go along with their endorsing party, disaffiliate, or even change affiliation. The average voter might interpret (Independent Candidate) to mean without party affiliation; in truth, it means without party endorsement. Partisan elections overly-simplify contests. Voters lose incentive to draw their own conclusions about candidate belief, viability, and executive capacity. Candidates lose ability to hold individual causes as all are lumped into party affiliation. Candidates also lose ability to hold beliefs that go against the party line; there are pro-life Democrats and pro-union Republicans, but they face an up-hill battle attempting to get party endorsement, much less winning. Partisan elections obligate primaries. Primaries bloat the election cycle; even if a candidate is not running on party endorsement, they must still run in the primaries, and the primaries can entail their own run-off. Primaries increase partisanship; having candidates out Republican and out Democrat each other makes for candidate pools low on moderates. Primaries force candidates to make good with the local party establishment. Primaries confuse voters; they get confused when asked if theyll be filling out a Republican, Democratic, or general ballot, and get confused at which elections are decisive. Even more confusing were the signs put up in recent Tennessee elections which reminded that it was against the law to vote in a political party primary if they are not a bona fide member of that party. Partisan elections put state electoral agencies into legal liabilities. Every election cycle, lawsuits and lawyers fight over titles and party nominations. We saw it in 2022s primaries. We are seeing it now in Fort Oglethorpe. Across Tennessee there have been multiple legal actions pertaining to partisan elections and primaries. Lastly, partisan elections elevate private corporations (which is what political parties are) over private agencies. If a ballot can denote the endorsement of a political party, why not the NRA, Planned Parenthood, or National Wildlife Federation? All this so that political parties can give an air of legitimacy via state imprimatur on what are private decisions, as parties may (and have) gone against the results of the primary. There is no right way of doing the wrong thing. The state should not be doing partisan elections. Let candidates run without titles, parties decide endorsements without assistance from the state, and voters make up their own minds. Continuing to do things as we have done them will only serve to generate additional drama, legal conflict, partisanship, and awkward family gatherings. Timothy Born Chattanooga State Community Colleges TCAT was recognized for its dedication to technical excellence in April when it was named a SkillsUSA National Models of Excellence chapter.Chattanooga State was one of 24 colleges nationwide to receive the recognition in 2024.Officials said, "This is the highest honor bestowed on chapters by SkillsUSA, the No. 1 workforce development organization working to empower students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders, and responsible community members."The Models of Excellence program promotes the intentional learning of Personal, Workplace, and Technical Skills as outlined in the SkillsUSA Framework for student development.Specific characteristics defined within each skill area benchmark student achievement and chapter programming."The hands-on approach of SkillsUSA actualizes its mission as students take the lead on all activities and practice the skills that employers seek including communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. Their SkillsUSA instructors guide thembut never do the work for themelevating their learning from classroom instruction to the successful application of skills.""Our SkillsUSA top 24 Models of Excellence schools represent the best in chapter achievement and community involvement, said Chelle Travis, executive director of SkillsUSA. These students are Americas future skilled workforce and future leaders in their local communities. It is a tremendous honor for these schools and their recognition validates these outstanding SkillsUSA programs.Student members of ChattStates SkillsUSA chapter will be interviewed in June at the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta. Judges will evaluate each of the 24 chapters on their respective goals, student-led plan of action, results, final evaluation, and integration of the SkillsUSA framework.While all Models of Excellence chapters will be honored during the NLSC, three winners will be announced at the SkillsUSA Awards Session. The three winners will represent each of the three tenets of the SkillsUSA Framework: Personal Skills, Workplace Skills, and Technical Skills.The three victors will receive national recognition and the opportunity to share stories in SkillsUSAs publications and trainings.College President Dr. Rebecca Ashford said Chattanooga States SkillsUSA was named a Model of Excellence chapter only because of the hard work of advisors and students.The Chattanooga State TCAT chapter of SkillsUSA has a strong record of student engagement and achievement at the state and national competitions, Dr. Ashford said. Our students and their advisors have taken our chapter to even greater levels of achievement, and because of their hard work, SkillsUSA named them a Model of Excellence. I am incredibly proud of our students and their advisors, and I am grateful that their achievement has been recognized by SkillsUSA.Bo Drake, Vice President of ChattStates TCAT and Economic and Workforce Division, said the recognition underscores the hard work of the college's staff to ensure students thrive after graduation."At ChattState, we empower our students to become skilled professionals and responsible community members, Drake said. This honor reaffirms our commitment to providing hands-on learning experiences that give students the tools to succeed in their future careers."TCAT Dean Jessica Green said, Being named a National Model of Excellence by SkillsUSA is a significant achievement for TCAT at ChattState. It reflects our dedication to providing students with comprehensive skill development and preparing them for success in their chosen fields. This recognition serves as inspiration for us to continue innovating and providing high-quality education that meets the needs of our students and industry partners.The top 24 SkillsUSA Models of Excellence for 2024 are:Personal Skills Cesar Chavez High School (California) Cross Keys High School (Georgia) Greater Lowell Technical High School (Massachusetts) Kofa High School (Arizona) Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES (New York) Scott Regional Technology Center (Missouri) Temple College (Texas) Upper Valley Career Center (Ohio)Workplace Skills Alliance Academy for Innovation (Georgia) Center of Applied Technologies North (Maryland) Dinuba High School (California) Douglas High School (Arizona) Gloucester County Institute of Technology (New Jersey) Lynn Vocational Technical Institute (Massachusetts) Norwalk High School (California) Robert H. Gibson Technical School (New York)Technical Skills Cape Cod Regional Technical High School (Massachusetts) Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School (Massachusetts) Morton High School (Illinois) Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Chattanooga (Tennessee) Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Pulaski (Tennessee) Valley Academy for Career and Technology Education (Arizona) Waverly-Shell Rock High School (Iowa) Willow Canyon High School (Arizona) Blood Assurance is in urgent need of donors following the severe storms that swept through parts of Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia on Wednesday. The non-profit saw a number of appointments and blood drives canceled over the last 24 hours because of the weather. To replenish the supply, Blood Assurance is requesting donations from all donors in our service areas, including Middle and Eastern Tennessee, as well as Northwest Georgia. All Blood Assurance locations are up and running, including our center in Columbia, Tn., where a confirmed tornado hit on Wednesday evening. Officials said, "Our hearts are with all of those affected by the storms. We are keeping in close contact with our hospital partners, and stand ready to help should they need it." You can visit www.bloodassurance.org/schedule, call 800-962-0628, or text BAGIVE to 999777, to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins will be accepted. To be eligible to donate blood, you must be at least 17 years old (16 years old with parental consent), weigh 110 pounds or more and be in good health. Donors are asked to drink plenty of fluids avoiding caffeine and eat a meal that is rich in iron prior to donating. A 44-year-old Lookout Mountain, Ga., man was sentenced on Thursday to 20 years in federal prison after he earlier pleaded guilty in connection with a planned excursion for child sex that was also to involve a dog. Eric Lee Bagley appeared before Judge Charles Atchley. Following his incarceration, Bagley will be on a term of supervised release for 10 years, and he will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions. In addition, he was ordered not to own, possess, or have access to animals. As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Bagley agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography, as well as one count of distribution of a crush video. In the plea agreement, Bagley admitted that in February 2023, he contacted an undercover officer on an online platform known as Kik, believing the officer was an adult female who had access to her eight-year-old niece. The defendant wrote that he was interested in sexual contact with both the notional adult female, the notional eight-year-old, and wanted to include a dog in the sexual contact with them both. While communicating with the person he believed was an adult female, and, to entice her and the notional eight-year-old, the defendant distributed several videos depicting minors and dogs engaging in sexually explicit conduct. A sexually explicit image of a non-human animal is defined as a crush video. Prosecutors said last July 27, Bagley traveled to Athens, Tn., intending to engage in sexual contact with the notional adult female and the notional eight-year-old, and he was arrested. U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) made the announcement. This case arose out of a crimes against children undercover operation which was part of the FBIs annual Operation Cross Country. Law enforcement agencies participating in the joint investigation included the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Shelbyville Police Department, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Red Bank Police Department, Chattanooga Police Department, and the McMinn County Sheriffs Office. Assistant United States Attorney James T. Brooks and Special Assistant United States Attorney Charles D. Minor represented the United States. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. At least 30 killed during Israel's continuing ground assault in Gaza's Rafah Xinhua) 08:37, May 09, 2024 An injured boy is treated at a temporary clinic in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) JERUSALEM, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. The army said that a tank division and an armored brigade have been operating on the ground in eastern Rafah, while attack drones carried out strikes from the air. They attacked about 100 "targets" in the region, including militant infrastructure and "suspicious buildings" from which Hamas fighters fired at Israeli soldiers, the army said. Israel launched the ground assault on Rafah overnight between Monday and Tuesday, citing its aim to eliminate four Hamas battalions that remain in the southern city. Troops gained "operational control" over the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing on Tuesday, a key entry point for humanitarian aid from Egypt to the famine-stricken Gaza, and shut it down. An injured man is treated at a temporary clinic in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) An injured boy is treated at a temporary clinic in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) An injured boy is treated at a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) An injured girl is treated at a temporary clinic in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) A man carries an injured girl on a street in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) A man carries an injured girl on a street in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) An injured boy is treated at a temporary clinic in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) An injured child is treated at a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) An injured girl is transferred into an ambulance in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) People leave their home in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) People leave their home in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) People leave their home in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) People leave their home in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) People leave their home in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) People leave their home in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) People leave their home in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) An Israeli self-propelled howitzer fires a shell to the Gaza Strip near the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) Israeli troops are deployed near the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) An Israeli self-propelled howitzer is deployed near the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) An Israeli soldier prepares to launch an unmanned aerial vehicle near the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua) Israeli armored vehicles are deployed near the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua) Israeli armored vehicles are deployed near the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua) Israeli armored vehicles are deployed near the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua) Israeli armored vehicles are deployed near the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Chuck Simmons, 79, poses for a portrait in Huntsville. Simmons, a retired law enforcement officer who served in the Houston Police Department for 25 years, is set to graduate in May from A&M-Central Texas with a degree in criminal justice. It took me 50 years to do this, said Simmons, who decided to go back to college during the COVID-19 pandemic. After graduation, he plans to start graduate courses at Texas A&M. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Chuck Simmons, 79, shows off his class ring. It took me 50 years to do this, said Simmons, who decided to go back to college during the COVID-19 pandemic. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Chuck Simmons, 79, poses for a portrait in the home office that he calls his classroom on Friday, April 26, 2024, in Huntsville. Simmons, a retired law enforcement officer who served in the Houston Police Department for 25 years, is set to graduate in May from A&M-Central Texas with a degree in criminal justice. It took me 50 years to do this, said Simmons, who decided to go back to college during the COVID-19 pandemic. After graduation, he plans to start graduate courses at Texas A&M. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Chuck Simmons, 79, poses for a portrait. He is set to graduate in May. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Chuck Simmons will take a walk on the second Saturday in May. The entirety of the walk will take about 20 seconds. Thirty, if he walks slowly. Forty-five, if he shuffles. He will not drag it out that long. Those 20 seconds will hold 50 years. Advertisement Article continues below this ad STRESSFUL TIME: Teen mental health in crosshairs of college application season The story of Chuck Simmons starts in 1944. He is born to a bus driver father and a mother who raises her four children. They live in northwest Houston in a two-bedroom wood-frame house. Its the kind of neighborhood where, if you go out of town, you close your front screen door with a metal hook-and-eye and exit through the back and know no one will break in. He is the first in his family to graduate high school. College beckons. He has always liked learning. But no one where Chuck lives goes to college straight out of high school, if at all. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A pretty girl smiles when he receives his high school degree. Its a casual affair: no cap, no gown, no pomp, no circumstance. Hes 18. He doesnt know what his life will look like, but he knows he wants to share it with her. He marries that girl, his junior high sweetheart, in a preachers house. He likes to introduce her as, My first wife, Linda. He chuckles at himself. Life happens. He finds a job as a messenger at the Houston National Bank downtown at the corner of Main and Franklin. At a human resource vice presidents urging, he sits for an aptitude test. Hes so successful that hes sent to IBM to learn how to use those fancy new accounting machines. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He knows: Accounting machines or not, he will only go so far. Unlike the assistant cashiers, he does not have a degree to lean on as he climbs. Life happens. He becomes a father at 19. He finds a better-paying job with the Houston Police Department and starts the Houston Police Academy when he is 20. Life: Becoming a father again at 21, again at 25. Three little boys running around. A promotion to sergeant. Chuck Simmons, 79, poses for a portrait in the home office that he calls his classroom. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Hes 28 when he gets to talking with a group of guys on the force. They enroll in Sam Houston State University and pursue degrees in criminal justice. Three days a week, they drive an unmarked police car up the newly forged Interstate 45 to Huntsville and take classes from 8 a.m. to noon. They drive home through the pine trees, change into their police uniforms, make 1:40 roll call and work for eight more hours. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Chuck likes learning. Hes always liked learning. Chuck doesnt finish. Life, it seems, keeps happening. Life: Arresting a belligerent drunken man who turns to him ruefully in an elevator and says, That is the stupidest thing I have ever done in my life. College dances at the back of Chucks mind. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He tries the University of Houston. But theres police work, growing boys, second jobs. He tries again. A mail-in course from Louisiana State University. The solitary nature of the process is not for him. He works security for the Summit. Elvis Presley stumbles off the 6-foot-high stage after a concert right onto Chuck and his partner. They grab Elvis. Elvis says, Thank you, thank you very much. Elvis leaves the building. Chucks boys go to high school. He travels with the security detail of a Saudi Arabian princess and her family. He carries thousands of the royal familys American dollars. Once, in a watch store in Switzerland, the prince points at a Rolex and instructs him to buy it. Later, another member of the princes household tells him the shop clerks were saying: I know that one man in there is a prince of Saudi Arabia. But whos that rich Texan buying him things? His boys graduate. Chuck retires from the police department. His boys get married. He likes to tell people his boys are all at the prison up in Huntsville. Then he clarifies: Theyre working there. Two of his boys go to college. He retires at 62. The doctors at MD Anderson tell him his wife has bladder cancer. They tell them theres nothing to be done. Life: Losing his wife of 54 years in 2017. They never once spent a night apart in anger. Life: The pandemic. Living alone. Reading. Horror, science fiction. Stephen King. Dean Koontz. Finishing just about every novel on his list. He sits on his back porch, contemplating how hed like to read more, when he thinks College. It has been almost half a century since he started, but he could finish. He enrolls at A&M-Central Texas in spring 2022. His classes are online, but he goes to see the campus in Killeen first. Tall, sleek buildings. Greenery. Friendly faces in the library asking what he needs. Something tangible. There are challenges. The computers, the science classes. He has never experienced anything like this in his life. Hes older than most of the other students. He decides it doesnt matter. He takes his classes. He connects with his professors. He sharpens his writing. This time, Chuck Simmons will finish. He likes learning; there is still so much to know. And there is still time. He will graduate at 79 the oldest graduate in the schools history. On Saturday, he will walk across the stage at The Cadence Bank Center in a black robe, shake hands with school officials. He will, officially, have his degree in criminal justice. That short walk will traverse 50 years. Stops and starts and triumphs and frustrations. Travels to Europe and a beat cops grunt work; quiet nights with his wife and milestones with his boys and the joys of his grandchildren. Loss. Learning. Coming to believe that most all you need to know about life can be found on the back of a Splenda packet, summed up in a curlicue saying about the sweetness of life. That the best way to get there is to start. Chuck Simmons will finish college. He will enroll in graduate school. Pictured, left to right, are Emily Corker, Erin & Jeb Hart and Dr. Neha Shah 12 South Band Pictured, left to right, are Swayze & Sara Morgan Bowman, Ross & Taylor Vinson and Cindy & Less Lee (Erlanger Foundation board chair) Pictured, left to right, are 2024 Co-Chairs Guru & Dr. Neha Shah and Shelly & Bob Elliott Pictured, left to right, are 2025 Co-Chairs Amy & Jim Coleman (president & CEO of Erlanger) and Sheila (chair of Erlanger board of directors) & Dane Boyington Previous Next The Erlanger Foundation announces the eighth annual Believe Bash smashed previous records by raising over one million dollars for Childrens Hospital at Erlanger.Officials said, "The April fundraising gala, hosted by co-chairs Shelly and Bob Elliott and Dr. Neha and Guru Shah, transported guests, community leaders and hospital staff to an unforgettable night in Paris. During the cocktail hour, guests enjoyed a street scene sipping on French 75s while gazing at the Eiffel Tower.They wrote heartfelt messages for patients at Childrens Hospital at Erlanger and placed them on the Locks of Hope fence, inspired by the Love Locks Bridge. The evening featured a Parisian mime duet and an art gallery showcasing local children, including a fashionista, a pastry chef, Madeline, a mime, a ballerina and an artist."Following the cocktail hour, guests enjoyed a French-inspired dinner while listening to compelling stories from our 2024 Miracle Champion Stone and co-chair Bob Elliott. Guests also enjoyed a live auction followed by the after-party featuring the 12 South Band, where guests danced the night away celebrating the record-breaking night."We are deeply moved and profoundly grateful by our communitys continued outpouring of support for Childrens Hospital at Erlanger through their generous donations, said President and Chief Development Officer of Erlanger Foundation Julie Taylor. It is through the generosity of so many that we are able to further our mission as the regions only childrens hospital.Officials said, "Erlanger Foundation would like to say a special thank you to our sponsors, including the presenting sponsor First Horizon. Event sponsors who helped make the event a success include Delta Dental, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, Virtual Procurement Services, Noon Development, LLC, What Chefs Want!, Beam Pediatric Dental Studio, Linda Brock Homes, McGriff, MedTrans, Mountain City Construction, Riley & Jacobson, PLC, USA Senior Care Network, Acura of Chattanooga, DeRoyal, Erlanger Medical Staff Office, Lee Smith/Idealease, PEMA, Revival, Shah Logistics/Hamilton Plastics, Sheilds Health Solutions, Spice Trail, Vincit Group, Vizient, Walden Security, Bob & Shelly Elliott, Drs. Chirag & Manisha Patel, Dr. Haresh & Sumi Patel, Dr. Jesse Doty, ACE Anesthesiology, Adventure Pediatric Dentistry, AM Investment Strategies, Artech, Associates in Pediatric Dentistry, Baker Donelson, The Barn Nursery, BerryHutton Construction, Bridge Public Affairs, Buckeye Corrugated, Cannon Oral Surgery, Carepayment, Chattanooga Allergy Care, Coca Cola, Cognizant, Cortina Health, Decosimo Corporate Financing, DePuy Synthes, EPB, Erlanger Neurology & Spine, Food City, Forvis, Four Bridges Dermatology & Cosmetics, HHM, Husch Blackwell, Journey Health Foundation, L Squared Construction, Labcorp, Legacy Dental Group, Lync Logistics, MBI, McKenzie Foundation, Miller & Martin, OnPoint, Pinnacle, Playcore, Point Property Group, Pointer, Regional Obstetrical Consultants, Reliance Partners, Renewal, Rise Partners, River Gorge Ranch, Robinson Team, Rock City, Rock Point Bank, RSS Insurance, RTG, Scenic City Orthodontics, SVN, Siskin Children's Institute, Siskin Hospital, STERIS, Surgicor, Tennessee Interventional and Imaging Associates, Tennessee Oncology, Trimble Homes, True North Advisors | Raymond James, TVA, TVFCU, UT College of Medicine, University Surgical Associates, Unum, Wakefield, Wealth Preservation Advisors, WesBanco and Yates & Wheland."At the conclusion of the special program, Erlanger Foundation announced the co-chairs for the ninth annual Believe Bash, scheduled for Saturday, April 26, 2025, are Sheila and Dane Boyington and Amy and Jim Coleman.Less Lee, Erlanger Foundation board chair, said, We are overwhelmed by the generosity of our community. On behalf of the Foundation, thank you to everyone who supported the 2024 Believe Bash. Weve continued to raise the bar and our goals after last years success. This years event was the Foundations most successful event ever, raising over $1 million in support of Childrens Hospital at Erlanger. This extraordinary philanthropic support will have a profound impact on the children of our community and the region. Please mark your calendar now for next years Believe Bash."As a not-for-profit hospital, Erlanger and Childrens Hospital at Erlanger depend on philanthropic support to provide the remarkable care experienced here as well as to advance pediatric services in the future. The communitys partnership to make the Kennedy Outpatient Center a reality truly showcases what is possible when our mission to compassionately care for people is met by a community compassionately caring for us," officials said.To stay up to date on the 2025 Believe Bash, join the Erlanger Foundation Believe Bash Facebook group or visit erlangerfoundation.org/believe-bash. The Chattanooga Area Food Bank hosted its 2024 Hunger Relief Conference in Chattanooga. The Hunger Relief conference is an annual event for all of the organizations who, together with the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, create the hunger relief network addressing food insecurity across the same 20-county region in Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia. This conference was an exceptional opportunity for all of us to gather under one roof, reflect on our progress, and plan for our continued work in the future, said Chattanooga Area Food Bank Chief Communications Officer Jeannine Carpenter. The conference theme was Growing Together, and I cant think of anything more fitting. Sure, we want to grow together to end hunger in our region, but of equal importance, we want to grow together in the most thoughtful and equitable ways. More than 175 hunger relief agency leaders, allied organizations, and food bank employees gathered at the Brainerd Crossroads BX conference center for a day of education, networking, and sharing. The conference featured keynote addresses by Katie Martin, founder of More than Food Consulting and Mya Price, director of the Food Security Equity Impact Fund at Feeding America. Consistent among their messages were that the local trend of increasing food insecurity is, in fact, a national trend and that only by working with and listening to our neighbors can we best help our neighbors, said officials. One hunger relief partner shared, I am motivated to use the info and bring it to our organization. Across the 20 counties served by this network, approximately 1 in 8 residents is food insecure, meaning that they consistently wonder if theyll have their next meal. With the persistent increases in the cost of food, officials anticipate that the number of food insecure families and individuals in the region has increased since this data was released by Feeding America last year. For more information, to volunteer, or to find a food pantry or distribution in the area, please visit www.chattfoodbank.org. The YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga welcomes Jordan Pierce as the organizations new chief financial officer and Marissa Bell as the new chief marketing officer. Jordan and Marissa are great additions to our leadership team who will help achieve our vision to serve 25,000 more people by 2028, said Baron Herdelin-Doherty, president and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga. Their extensive experience and dedication to our community align perfectly with our mission of promoting youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. We look forward to their contributions as we continue to serve our region. Mr. Pierce joins the Y with a background in financial management and strategic planning. With nearly seven years of experience at the Electric Power Board, he served in various capacities, including manager of financial reporting and rates, assistant controller and corporate accountant. During his tenure at EPB, Mr. Pierce played a role in overseeing the budget process and financial reporting for a $1 billion balance sheet. His contributions extended to designing and implementing innovative rate and pricing mechanisms for both electric and fiber optic customer bases. Prior to his work at EPB, Mr. Pierce was an accountant at Mauldin & Jenkins. He holds a bachelors degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting and finance from UTC as well as an MBA from Mississippi State University. He is a certified public accountant and a graduate of the UTC Executive Leadership Program. Additionally, Mr. Pierce contributes his expertise to the EPB Employee Credit Union Audit Committee and the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants. Ms. Bell brings more than 13 years of diverse communication experience to her role as CMO at the Y. Her background spans public relations, marketing, digital media, broadcasting and crisis communications. Previously, she led a team at Waterhouse PR, focusing on strategy, business development, PR and marketing across various industries. Her prior work experience also includes marketing and communications roles at the Chattanooga Tourism Co. and the Chattanooga Mayors Office. Ms. Bells commitment to community engagement is evident through her involvement with various organizations such as Girls on the Run of Southeast Tennessee and as a Chattanooga Chamber board member. She is chair-elect of the Public Relations Society of America Lookout Chapter and is accredited in public relations from PRSA. Ms. Bell holds a bachelors degree in communications from the University of Tennessee and a masters in corporate and organizational communication from Northeastern University. In the bustling world of real estate, where transactions fly as fast as the ever-changing market dynamics, it's refreshing to work with such an amazing group of people from the Greater Chattanooga Realtors Board of Directors. As you will read below, Connie Powell Brewer is one of these wonderful people who brings a genuine passion for community and personal service to the table. What did you do before transitioning into this profession? I spent several years working in various positions with a major insurance company. I ended my insurance career by traveling to different offices and developing policy documents and procedure manuals based on regulatory compliance and medical product benefits. The documents would serve as evidence in court proceedings. Also, I was elected to pilot the first work-at-home program before COVID. Why did you choose to serve in a leadership capacity? I have always been a "get involved" type of person and help to find solutions when needed. I like to learn and gain a better understanding, hoping to make a difference and contribute to the future. I want to be a conduit for my colleagues to assist in making changes and continuing to improve our industry. I knew nothing about real estate when I began my real estate career, and I am still learning. What would you like your fellow realtor/members to know that our Association offers to its members? The Association provides a security app, FOREWARN, that enables us to gain some insight into prospective clients; otherwise, we may not be able to gain insight from social media. Another handy service the Association provides is a Notary Service to members at no charge. I also cant forget the amazing support provided to us by the staff. What is your favorite part of being a realtor? Helping my clients obtain the next chapter in their lives by selling or purchasing their homes. I listen and get to know their stories and lives. Every one of us has a story. And I can't forget about the friendships that are made in this industry through clients and real estate partnersalso networking with other realtors throughout the states. There is so much to learn as a realtor. I do enjoy attending educational classes. What is something your fellow realtors/members/Association do in the community that you love and want others to know about? I have learned that realtors are generous in both heart and spirit. They give back to our community not only financial support but also their time. There is a Realtor Relief Fund Committee that realtors donate money to this fund. It helps people (non-realtors, too) when disaster strikes any time throughout the year, and 100 percent of all funds collected go to disaster relief causes. Last year, RRF provided aid to almost 4,000 families when the disaster occurred. There were a lot of tornadoes and floods last year. Also, there is another excellent committee called Placemaking, and this is my first year serving on it. I'm already loving this committee because realtors, through NAR, can provide a grant to help beautify a specific area in our community. Have you read any recent books you want to share with others and why? I have read EntreLeadership twice and continue to find more nuggets. This book offers entrepreneurial insight and leadership principles. I like to think this read has helped me be a better leader by building my leadership skills and striving to be a better person overall. Currently, I'm reading The 12-Week Year. This book focuses on the importance of accountability partners. It helps you achieve greater productivity, focus, and results by setting short goals more frequently instead of lumping them all together at the end of the year. With these articles, I want to demonstrate that our leadership is not only dedicated to shaping the future of the association but also deeply invested in their communities. Connies journey illustrates the profound impact of combining professional expertise with a heart for service, creating not just sales, but lasting societal contributions. Who We R. State Rep. Dan Howell, R-Ocoee, has secured $350,000 in state funding for the Tennessee Association of Business Foundation to benefit the Smart Factory Institute located in the Partnerships in Industry and Education Innovation Center in Cleveland. The funding will allow the organization to provide research and support for small and large manufacturers across Tennessee. From family-owned businesses to global automobile companies, manufacturers have an impressive impact on Tennessees economy, Rep. Howell said. These funds will provide the necessary support for companies across the state to continue providing quality jobs, improving local economies and ensuring Tennessee stays on the frontlines of innovation and success. I thank my colleagues for recognizing the vital need to support the Volunteer States manufacturing industry. The Smart Factory Institute works to improve manufacturing processes through innovation and workforce training. The organization seeks to foster connections with other industry experts, increase collaborative academic and trade relationships and offer certifications using emerging technology. The appropriated funds are part of a $52.8 billion zero-debt balanced budget that was passed by the General Assembly in April. Long before anyone had heard of Queen Elsa, Madonna took the world by storm with "Frozen." It's a haunting ballad thats emotionally provocative rather than sexually provocative. Long before Queen Elsa, Madonna took the world by storm with Frozen. Its a haunting ballad and stands apart from much of her work by because its emotionally provocative rather than sexually provocative. While nothing about the songs lyrics is controversial the tune was still banned in Belgium for years. Heres a look at why that happened and why the band was eventually lifted. Madonnas Frozen was the subject of 2 legal cases with 2 different results Whenever a song gets too big, it seems like plagiarism cases lie just around the corner. According to MuuMuse, Belgian songwriter Salvatore Acquaviva claimed Madonnas Frozen plagiarized the opening bars of his song Ma Vie Fout Lcamp. Acquaviva won a copyright case against the Material Girl in 2005. For that reason, Frozen was banned in Belgium, halting all sales and radio play of the song. Subsequently, Italian composer Edouard Scotto Di Suoccio said Frozen and Ma Vie Fout Lcamp plagiarized his tune Bloodnight. A French court determined neither song was derived from Bloodnight and the Belgian ban on Frozen was lifted in 2014. After years, Madonnas Belgian fans could hear Frozen legally. Madonnas song isnt all that similar to Ma Vie Fout Lcamp Comparing Frozen and Ma Vie Fout Lcamp feels odd. There is an obvious similarity. However, it only lasts a few seconds. The two songs arent any more similar than any two pop songs on the radio right now. Vague similarities are inevitable in music. There are only so many tempos, chord changes, and instruments out there. Even Madonna drew inspiration for Frozen from an earlier song, it would have to be a close copy before it was worthy of legal action. George Harrisons My Sweet Lord and Katy Perrys Dark Horse got caught up in similar disputes. Frozen was supposed to sound like Nine Inch Nails Frozen was co-written by frequent Madonna collaborator Patrick Leonard. He also co-wrote other Madonna classics such as Like a Prayer, Live to Tell, and La Isla Bonita. During a 2017 interview with Boy Culture, he said another artist inspired Frozen, but it was not Acquaviva or Di Suoccio. She did give me some direction early on, Leonard recalled. For Frozen, she said, I would like something thats The English Patient meets Nine Inch Nails. Wed done the demos in Florida, which were quite different than what the record ended up because of [producer] William Orbit who did genius work but it was exotic, maybe not electronic necessarily, but maybe more exotic. We had chant samples and were really planning on going for it in some crazy way, and then William came along and she wrote me and then we spoke and she was very generous about saying, Is it OK if I do this, because I think hes brilliant and I think its a good idea,' he added. In the way these things go, all I could do was be supportive and as it turns out, Im very glad I was. Frozen draws some inspiration from Trent Reznors style. However, it doesnt sound much like any one of his songs in particular. Regardless of the controversy surrounding Frozen, its widely considered one of the best electronic songs ever. Lifeguard Izzy Glover signs in patrons at the Memorial Park pool on June 28, 2023, in Houston. City parks department officials said they hope to open 37 of Houston's 38 pools this summer, provided they can hire enough lifeguards. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Eli Stout, 9, left, watches as his sister, Emmy Stout, 13, jumps into the Memorial Park pool, on June 28, 2023, in Houston. City parks department officials said they hope to open 37 of Houston's 38 pools this summer, provided they can hire enough lifeguards. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer TC Jester Park pool is shown on June 28, 2023, in Houston. City parks department officials said they hope to open 37 of Houston's 38 pools this summer, provided they can hire enough lifeguards. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Usually more hot water is a bad thing for city leaders, but a plan to open nearly all municipal pools this summer went over swimmingly this week with some members of City Council. The Houston Parks and Recreation Department just needs the young people to do it. We need lifeguards is the thing, said Matt Musil, spokesman for the citys parks department. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As in past years, the days and locations of public pools will be determined by how many lifeguards Houston can attract. For the past two summers, a lack of staff has shuttered pools and forced even the open ones to operate on a staggered basis. That lack of a short trip to free public pools and only on certain days was felt acutely in some parts of the city, where community leaders lamented the loss for children unable to afford trips to private pools and water parks. As a result, the announcement that officials were hoping to open them all was welcomed by many, including Houston District B Council Member Tarsha Jackson. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It is going to be a great summer for our kids, Jackson said Wednesday during the councils end-of-meeting comment period. She joked after advocating for the openings and swim lessons in the community, she would have to dive in just to show her support. Parks officials just need to follow through with the staffing plans. The magic number of lifeguards needed is 187, officials said. With that many lifeguards, and some ongoing retention, parks staff said they can proceed with their plans. Houston parks feature 38 outdoor pools, along with one indoor pool at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center on West Gray that is open year-round but only open to those with a disability for adaptive exercise use. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Among the outdoor pools, two are undergoing maintenance. The pool at Memorial Park is expected to open by the third week of June, according to officials. The pool in Tidwell Park will be closed all summer. Swimming season starts May 25, when all pools will be open on weekends through June 9. Staffing is already prepared for that, Musil said. Whats uncertain is how many pools and on what days Houstonians can beat the heat starting June 11. The day, which follows Houston schools letting out on June 5, is when the pools that can will be open six days per week. All Houston pools are closed on Mondays. Since a larger number of lifeguards are high school and college students, the end of classes assists in filling open positions. Anyone, however, can be a lifeguard in Houston if they are 16 or older, satisfy typical city worker screenings such as a background check and drug test, pass the swim test proctored by the city and attend a certification course taught by the parks department staff. Recruiting lifeguards, however, is a challenging task. Nationally, since the COVID-19 pandemic, cities across the nation have struggled to recruit and retain lifeguards. As a result, many have lowered their criteria, sometimes allowing lifeguards to be as young as 15, raising hourly pay and starting recruitment even earlier in the year. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In Houston, to lure applicants, officials have offered bonuses simply for passing the swim test to become a lifeguard and completing the training. Lifeguard pay has increased slightly to between $16 and $20 per hour, depending on experience. And, this year, officials are also offering a second bonus for completing the entire summer of service. Parks officials still have a bit more time to assess just how many pools will open on June 11. They are training lifeguards, and welcoming more, and want to bring as many in before making a final call on opening the gates. Even if all pools are not open by mid-June, more could open later in the summer if staffing allows, Musil said. In some neighborhoods, including many in Jacksons council district, the pools are critical summer attractions for children between school years. If you dont have that, a lot of people work, and there is nowhere for young people to go, she said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In past years, parks officials have committed to opening pools in all the council districts. Jackson questioned whether neighborhoods with fewer resources should get more attention. We dont have the backyard pools and other options, she said. I want to see them be equitable, but not equal, with how they decide. If pools can only open certain days, Jackson said she would like to see the city even within her own council staff find other groups or nonprofits to fill in days when pools are closed. We just need to make sure there is something available, she said. Prison breaks have long captured peoples imaginations. Tales of daring escapes, meticulously crafted plans, and the bravery that comes with such a risky move are thrilling to hear about. But no other narrative detailing the pursuit of freedom is quite like this one. Two men, who were prisoners of war, were able to use a Ouija board to help them escape. In 1917, during the midst of World War I, two British officers named Harry Jones and Cedric Hill were being held captive at a prisoner-of-war (POW) camp located in a remote area of Turkey. Jones was a lawyer and the son of a lord. After a five-month siege at Kut, he was captured and forced to trek over 2,000 miles to a POW camp in Yozgad. That was where he met Hill, a mechanic from an Australian sheep farm. Hill had joined the Royal Flying Corps and was in Kantara, Egypt when he was shot down by Ottoman forces and sent to Yozgad. While there, Jones wrote letters back and forth with his family members. The Ottoman government had relaxed the restrictions on letters. Prisoners were finally able to fill both sides of a single piece of paper. However, they were not allowed to receive war news, and their mail was always inspected by Ottoman officials. Through coded messages from his family, Jones learned that the British had seized Kut in February 1917 and that Baghdad fell the next month. He used specific words to let his family know he was speaking in code, such as Tighnabruaich, Argyllshire, Scotland England. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. Illustration by Mallory Rentsch Tlapek / Source Images: Unsplash / Getty / Pexels Youre young. You can try again, the phlebotomist says as he sticks a needle in my arm. Hes drawing blood for tests that will confirm what ultrasounds are already saying: I am miscarrying. I recognize the young mans attempt to offer comfort and receive it as such. What I do not say is, Its not that I just want a baby. Before this third pregnancy, Id told my husband I was done. Any additional members added to our family of four would not be coming from my body. So it is with two young children at home and in the middle of waiting for our first foster care placement that we find out we are pregnant again. My body tells me early on that I am mothering my third child, affirming in intimate ways the hidden presence of the little one being formed in my womb. The all-day queasiness of morning sickness. The fatigue. The slow tightening of pants around my waistline. In these ways, in the giving of myself, I am getting to know this baby just as I did his or her older sisters. Sign up for The Daily Briefing Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. Email* Sign Up This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thanks for signing up. Please click here to see all our newsletters. Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again. When I begin spotting and having cramps, I get to knowto lovethis baby another way, through anguished pleading with God. Id prayed similar prayers once before. That time, a doctors I dont see a heartbeat was followed by the relief of seeing the tiny, flickering heart of my now 10-year-old. This time, there is no flicker. The heaviness settling deep in me is not because I want a baby. I want this baby, my baby. I want my child to live. My baby dies in my womb early in my first trimester, and I am unprepared for the grief that rocks me. I am also unprepared for the ways I will struggle to feel that this grief is permissible, even as sobs seize my body unexpectedly throughout the day, even as a mild depression settles in for months, even despite the news that I am pregnant again. Eventually, Ill come to find this is common, that those who miscarry often seek permission to grieve. Although 1020 percent of all known pregnancies end in miscarriage, it can feel like an invisible loss, often occurring before family and friends even know about the pregnancy. Medical trauma, involuntary childlessness, societal stigma, and guilt or self-blame can converge to make this suffering complicated. But theres something else that can make grieving hardand thats wondering whether or not our heartache is justified; about what, or more precisely, who were grieving. In the weeks following my miscarriage, I feel a dissonance. Even as I mourn, a part of me casts suspicion on my sadness. My pain tells me that I have indeed lost a child. But is that really true? A few things contribute to this question. Ive been influenced more than I realize by the cultural milieu, which frames any affirmation of the personhood of unborn babies as ignorant at best and harmful to women at worst. Given how common miscarriage is, some argue, its absurd to believe each loss is the death of a person. Someone once casually remarked to me that she didnt believe heaven would be filled with fetuses. Ive also spent my life in Asian American churches and ministries, where topics like sex, abortion, and miscarriage are rarely explicitly addressed. Outside of church, most of the arguments Id seen from the pro-life movement appealed to later stages of fetal development. But my baby never looked like the ones pictured on posters at rallies and, to my knowledge, he or she never had a heartbeat. Is it appropriate for me, then, to grieve the death of a baby who I have only known in positive pregnancy tests and nausea and a slightly swelling belly? Some would argue that it doesnt matter whether my baby was a person with a soul. Theyd reassure me that its ultimately my conception of the pregnancy and personal attachment to the fetus that matters, not any objective claim about fetal value. But for me, there is no escaping the question of personhood. The claim and comfort of my faith is far more wide-reaching than subjective experience and emotional relief. The Christian hope is based on the person of Christ, broken not in my imagination but truly, bodily, for me. Jesus heart really did begin to beat again in that tomb on the third day, so our bodies really will be raised imperishable on the last (1 Cor. 15:5154). Christianity acknowledges that one implication of paradise lost is the physical reality of death reaching inside me, so that I know it in cramps and bleeding and cries of My baby, my baby. It also assures me that insofar as my grief corresponds to reality, my hopethat the Creator truly has my baby in his hands, that he sees and cares, that he will bring this child beyond the veil into eternityis real too. In the end, it is through the sorrow and comfort of others that I find full permission to grieve. My husband says, I miss Paxthe name we end up giving our baby. My father-in-law weeps for our loss. My mom tells me that Pax will always be her grandchild. Church members whod hoped with us for better news now drop off pigs trotters in black vinegar, chicken and ginger soup, and sweet red bean porridgeChinese postpartum foodat our door. In doing so, they are honoring the toll pregnancy has taken on me. As they tend to my body, they are tending to my heart. Each person who acknowledges our loss is saying, Youre right. Your sadness is justified. If each human life can invariably be traced back to its very beginnings, and if every person is made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27; James 3:9), then we who have lost babies in the womb are right to grieve. But even in a church that affirms life from conception, there are subtle ways in which the narratives we absorb prevent us from mourning with those who miscarry. We are tempted to give false assurances about the future (Youll get pregnant again) or reasons the miscarriage might have been good (Its better than if the baby had been born with a genetic disorder). Sometimes blame is harmfully placed on parents (You disobeyed God or You didnt take care of your body). These responses fail to acknowledge the reality and weight of our loss, and the personhood of the babies we grieve. If the babies we lost were truly babies, then Christianstenderly and in ways sensitive to each person sufferingmust weep with those who weep (Rom. 12:15). The church must be solidly pro-life here. We must acknowledge the personhood of children from the womb not merely by teaching against abortion but through entering into the grief of those who suffer pregnancy loss in all its forms. Many in our pews have lost babies to miscarriage and stillbirth. Others are brokenhearted over babies lost to abortions, those they could not prevent or once chose and now regret. In a culture that extends sympathy for pregnancy loss but stops short of acknowledging the fullness of what that loss implies, Christians have a unique opportunity to make space for this suffering. We of all people have solid ground from which to offer comfort, hope, and healing. In the weeks and months following my miscarriage, I have conversations with other women who have miscarried. Some are older women who had no pro-life movements in their countries of origin. Many have never had anyone affirm to them the personhood of the babies they lost. So it is healing for me and for them to speak openly about these children now. I also have a child in heaven, one mother tells me. Another woman wants to know, Do you really believe that your child is with God? She is asking me about Pax, but she is thinking of her own sorrow, the babies she will later tell me shes lost too. Do I believe my baby is with God? Yes, I tell her without hesitation. I do. Faith Chang is the author of Peace over Perfection: Enjoying a Good God When You Feel Youre Never Good Enough. She serves at Grace Christian Church of Staten Island and on the editorial board of SOLA Network. 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. Sign up for The Daily Briefing Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. Email* Sign Up This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thanks for signing up. Please click here to see all our newsletters. Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again. 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. Voters in Spain cast their ballots. The European Parliament elections will take place in June. Long-shot campaign needs 15,000 signatures for the chance to get on the ballot. Zowy Voeten/Getty Images Eye-catching election placards are popping up across the European Union. They appear overnight in public squares and in front of train stations, along the Autobahn and the Champs-Elysees and many lesser-known rues, strassen, and calles. With bright colors and bold slogans, each promises to make a difference in the European Parliament, if only passersby will vote for their party in the upcoming election. Make Europe strong, says one. Sign up for The Daily Briefing Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. Email* Sign Up This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thanks for signing up. Please click here to see all our newsletters. Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again. Make it happen, urges another. And theres a new slogan for a new party in Spain: United in values, guided by faith. The sign asks people to vote for Fe, Infancia, Educacion, y Libertad (Faith, Childhood, Education, and Liberty) or FIEL, a new, explicitly evangelical Christian party. The partys candidate for the European Parliament may not actually appear on ballots in June, though. Before Juan Jose Cortes can stand for election, FIEL needs 15,000 signatures by May 12. We are at a crucial moment, party president Salvador Marti wrote in a recent campaign letter. Your signature is essential so that we can continue in the battle, and so that together we can work for a better future for all. Marti acknowledges this is an uphill battle. Many experts say its basically impossible to build a new party from scratch out of a tiny religious minority. Evangelicals make up about 2 percent of the Spanish population. There are fewer than 5,000 evangelical congregations in the whole country, even with the recent increase in evangelical immigrants. We do not want to settle for the obstacles that say that it is not possible to build a party built by citizens like you and me in Spain, Marti wrote in April. The once-every-five-year election presents a strategic opportunity for evangelicals seeking to have more influence on European politics. The European Unions 447 million citizens in 27 countries have the chance to vote from June 6 to 9, electing 720 politicians to the parliament in Brussels. Those leaders, sitting in the EUs only directly elected legislative body, will provide democratic oversight to the European government. They will pass laws and approve budgets, together with the council of appointed representatives of member countries, and steer the EU into the future. Evangelical parties like FIEL may have a chance in 2024 to make some gains, due to general discontent with the long-established ruling parties. But they will have to cut through disinformation, reach generally disinterested voters, and jockey for position amid a range of parties hoping to capitalize on that discontent. At the moment, polls suggest Europes far-right partiesincluding Alternative for Germany in Germany, National Rally in France, and Vox in Spainare winning over voters dissatisfied with the status quo. The center-left and center-right parties that have historically dominated since World War II will probably win enough seats to form a governing coalition. But the current president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen of Germany, said her party in Brussels might have to consider working with these far-right groups. Left-leaning members of the current coalition say that would be unacceptable. Amid the fray, Christian candidatesevangelicals among themare trying to join multi-party groups and to win seats so that they can have an impact. In the last election in 2019, for example, three members of the European Christian Political Movement (ECPM) won seats: Bert-Jan Ruissen, from a conservative Calvinist party in the Netherlands; Peter van Dalen from the centrist Christian Union in the Netherlands; and Helmut Geuking, a Greek Catholic, who is part of the social conservative Family Party of Germany. Cristian Terjes, from the Christian Democratic National Peasants Party in Romania, became the ECPMs fourth representative in the European Parliament the following year. The ECPMs general director, Maarten van de Fliert, said the 22 separate parties that make up the ECPM all want to promote their Christian values in EU politics. What that looks like, though, can vary a lot from country to country, party to party, and denomination to denomination. All these different denominations and all the different interpretations of doing Christian politics also reflects the colorful diversity of the Christian faith and of the Lord God, Van de Fliert told CT. How the parties want to implement those Christian views varies very much, along the line of church denominations. Van de Fliert could not say whether any of the ECPM politicians are evangelicals, though. The distinction did not make sense to him. It does not work like that in Europe, he said. Arie de Pater, who represents the European Evangelical Alliance (EEA) in Brussels, said there are about 20 million evangelicals in Europe, but they dont have a single political identity and arent unified, in all their different political contexts, around any one-party program. The EEA is non-partisan but lobbies to advance biblical beliefs and values at the European level. De Pater said the organization has traditionally focused on freedom of belief, freedom of expression, policies that strengthen families, and politics that protect life by limiting abortion and assisted suicide. In this election, de Pater said, many evangelicals represented by the EEA have also expressed concerns about humanitarian aid for asylum seekers and the possible future dangers of artificial intelligence. The EEA also does a lot of work encouraging evangelical involvement in EU politics. We want to show people the importance of the parliament and the upcoming elections, de Pater said. The parliament will shape the future of the European Union for the next five years, if not longer. Its important we engage the debate. In other words, de Pater said the EEA wants to draw people into Europe. FIEL, however, wants to change the way Europe works. Similar to other populist parties, FIEL hopes to draw support from Spaniards frustrated with politics as usual in Brussels. Europe is at a key moment in a fierce battle where policies based on lies are confronted with policies based on truth, Marti told CT, and where attempts are being made to bury the Christian principles of Europe. Marti is a police officer in the northern city of Logrono who achieved some media notoriety a few years ago as a result of his educational project, Alexia Ensenanos, which seeks to protect children from possible abuses, and the other leaders of FIEL have gathered educators, lawyers, political scientists, social workers, and pastors with deep Christian convictions, who all share common concerns. Some of the concerns are familiar evangelical issues, like protecting the sanctity of human life and religious freedom. But the leaders are also talking about uncontrolled immigration, poverty, and social disintegration, according to a FIEL party statement. The issue that galvanized Marti and others to found the party is public schools. FIEL proposes granting parents the ability to set limits to schools and guaranteeing them the right to be informed and consulted on the activities in which their children will participate. They would also like to eliminate the promotion of inclusive language in school material and to change sex education so that it does not destroy innocence. FIEL shares some agenda items with the rising right-wing party Vox, which supports traditional values and opposes what it calls Spains progressive dictatorship. Vox wants parents to be able to opt their children out of mandatory classes if the instruction goes against their values. Marti said he agrees with some of what Vox wants and that there are evangelical brothers in that party doing their bit to bring change to Spain, but he also said FIEL is different. Its distinctly religious and distinctly evangelical. Our first responsibility is to be faithful to God and to the principles of the Bible, not to partisan interests, not even our own, Marti said. As of mid-May, however, the party only had about half the signatures necessary to get on the ballot. And some of the nations evangelicals havent even heard of FIEL and its slogan, United in values, guided by faith. Diego Huelva, a 41-year-old evangelical living on the outskirts of Seville, said he was surprised to hear that a Spanish evangelical party would even attempt to stand for elections. Huelva said evangelicals in Spain have generally not been interested in working in politics because of their experience of repression under the Francisco Franco dictatorship. Recently, however, Huelva has seen an increase in more outspoken evangelicals from Latin America who are interested in joining the political fray. They come with different perspectives on politics, and feel called to participate more actively, he said. The more they become integrated here in Europe, the more they will try and shape European politics. Thats the future, though. In 2024, the prospects for an explicitly evangelical party in Spain seem very thin. Getting those signatures would be a huge success, Huelva said. Getting someone elected to parliament would be a miracle. Home News Bear Grylls assists in baptism of Russell Brand in River Thames: 'Privilege' 'Friendships when we go through tough times are worth so much' TV host and author Bear Grylls assisted in the recent baptism of comedian and actor Russell Brand in the River Thames last week. Brand, 48, posted an image on Instagram of himself embracing 49-year-old Grylls and another friend after his baptism, writing, "Me, Bear Grylls, The River Thames and of course, The Holy Spirit." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Russell Brand (@russellbrand) 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 Brand made headlines last month for announcing his decision to be baptized after publicly wrestling with the tenets of Christianity and reading Christian authors such as C.S. Lewis and Rick Warren for months. Brand was baptized on April 28 in the River Thames near his home in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. Brand subsequently described his baptism as an "incredible and profound experience" that has left him feeling "changed" and "surrendered in Christ." "Week one as a Christian has been amazing," Brand said in another video. "The ceremony itself was incredible. 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." One of the United Kingdom's most prominent Christian celebrities, Grylls starred in Discovery Channel's "Man vs. Wild" and hosted "Running Wild with Bear Grylls" on National Geographic. He has described himself as an "unconventional Christian" and has promoted the Alpha course, which claims to have introduced approximately 29 million people to the faith. Grylls confirmed to The Daily Mail that he helped baptize Brand, an act he described as a "privilege" after his friend's "tough time" following multiple sexual assault allegations. "Faith and spiritual moments in our lives are really personal," he told the outlet. "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." Brand and Grylls became friends through their work in television, according to The Daily Mail. Brand's baptism came less than a year after a joint investigation by The Times, The Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches reported on allegations from four women who accused Brand of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse. Brand has denied the "very serious criminal allegations" and acknowledged that while he was "very, very promiscuous" in the past, his sexual encounters were "always consensual." Brand said during an interview with Tucker Carlson last year that he realized his need for God after coming to realize the futility of fame and fortune. "Like many desperate people, I need spirituality," the former Buddhist said. "I need God, or I cannot cope in this world. I need to believe in the best in people." Acknowledging he "didn't have enough self-discipline to resist the allure of stardom," he said he "fell face-first into the glitter, and I'm only just pulling myself out now." During the video announcing his baptism, Brand joked that he might also be getting baptized in toxoplasmosis and E. coli in the heavily polluted Thames. "I may be leaving behind the sins, but I might be picking up some pretty serious viruses," he said. Brand risked contracting "bloody diarrhea" and long-term gut issues for being baptized in the river, according to a doctor who spoke to The Daily Express. Members of the Houston Police Dept. Cadet Class #253 take the oath after graduating on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer Lately, Grant Farley feels like he won some sort of lottery. Back in 2021, Farley reported hed been stabbed by a coworker and was dismayed when Houston police didnt follow up with him, saying they were inundated with reports. Now, almost three years later, the man accused of doing it has been charged with aggravated assault. Farleys case is one of the more than 264,000 incident reports filed with the Houston Police Department since 2016 that were suspended using an internal code citing a lack of personnel, Farleys is one of just a select handful that have been revisited and led to new charges. Advertisement Article continues below this ad What are the odds? he said. When Farley first reached out to police about what had happened in December 2021, he said detectives told him they wanted to help, but that they received somewhere around 1,500 reports per month and only had 40 detectives to investigate them. At first, I basically felt like it was a lost cause, he said. I was in a real mood of depression, I figured I just needed to move on. But since I got my second opportunity for justice, I seized it. It was on Dec. 19 that he met Joshua Naras, 25, at a bar on North Shepherd, according to court records. Farley had worked for Naras parents since 2016 and with their son since 2021. But Farley planned to quit to return to school. Naras allegedly didnt take it well, flying into a drunken rage and breaking a beer bottle, which he is accused of breaking and using to stab at him, according to court records. Farley says he threw up his hands to stop Naras from stabbing him in the face and his hands were sliced instead. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Farley visited a hospital and then called police immediately afterward, he said. After that initial call, it was radio silence. He couldnt even get a detective to help him when he realized the bar had security video of his stabbing,but wouldnt turn it over to anyone but a police officer, Farley said. I did all I could, Farley said. I was proactive, because I know the squeaky wheel gets the grease. I called and called and called. Farley said its been a completely different experience since a detective reached back out to him in March to say they were reexamining his case as part of the ongoing review into the suspended cases. All the guys Ive worked with have been fantastic, he said. I dont want to dwell on the negative. Its a horrible situation, Im not saying its not. But moving forward, Im very impressed. I feel they do care and are working hard to get justice in my case. Naras has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the stabbing. His attorney did not respond to a request for comment about the matter as of Thursday morning. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As of May 1, HPD officers had made 22 arrests in cases that were initially suspended for lack of personnel, after a department review. Former Chief Troy Finner has called it unacceptable to suspend cases for that reason and said the department will no longer do it, especially not in cases of violent crime. As once-suspended cases are reviewed, other defendants arrested include: Abelardo Vasquez: A man first reported that Abelardo Vasquez, 33, had stabbed him while trying to steal his vehicle in January 2022, court records show. The victim at the time told investigators he knew Vasquez and could identify him. Police reopened the case as part of the ongoing review. In the years since, the victim had even turned Facebook sleuth to track down Vasquezs address. Using that information, combined with what they learned back in 2022, prosecutors filed an aggravated robbery charge against Vasquez in April, court records show. Pablo Esteban Martinez: Multiple witnesses and the mans wife reported Martinez, 43, to police in October 2023 after he allegedly beat his wife, attacked a bystander who tried to intervene on her behalf and nearly hit his wife and a second good Samaritan with his vehicle. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Court records show detectives reopened the case and brought charges after reviewing body camera footage from responding officers and contacting both Martinez and the second bystander, who provided her phone number to police back in 2023. Eddie Cliffton Ball: In October 2022, a woman reported that her stepson had assaulted and threatened to kill her when she confronted him about stealing her dress and cell phone. It wasnt the first time she had reported an assault, according to court documents. Home News Benny Hinn reveals his '2 biggest regrets' from ministry, apologizes for false prophecy Controversial televangelist Benny Hinn said his two biggest regrets in his decades-long ministry include promoting prophecies he now admits were not accurate or from the Lord and pushing prosperity theology." The two things I regret most in ministry: I was not too wise a number of times with prophecy, the 71-year-old charismatic preacher told Stephen Strang, host of The Strang Report, in a recent interview. I had guests come to the crusades that I think brought harm to not only peoples lives but also to my reputation because their prophecies were not really prophecy. They went outside the borders of redemption. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe And then there were times when I thought God had showed me something that He wasnt showing me. And I spoke it out, Hinn said. But in 1 Corinthians 13, we clearly see that we all prophesy in part. That means we dont see the full picture. And sadly and I wish I could go back and fix it but sadly, there were some prophecies I gave that were not accurate or from the Lord. But whos perfect? he added. And for that, of course, I ask people to forgive me, Hinn said. Im just human and made mistakes like that. And Ill probably make them again, I suppose, down the road, because Im not perfect. But you know, its sad when people focus on the times you missed it. But thats just, you know, the way it is. Yet there were times when I did not miss it, Hinn claimed. Hinn said his other greatest regret in ministry is his teachings on prosperity theology. Since the 1980s, the Israeli-born American-Canadian has been one of the most notorious purveyors of the prosperity gospel, which teaches that God rewards active faith and faithful payments of tithes and offerings with health and wealth. And thats been a very difficult one for me, he said. When I started in ministry, it was simple. And then the ministry grew. I think thats when my troubles began. I dont blame anyone, but sadly you get kind of in a place [where] it becomes difficult. You dont know what to do and how to get out of it. So I came to the conclusion in 2019 that I dont want to be part of the gimmickry of it, and I still stand by that. But sadly, I let pressure get to me, and because of that pressure, I said things and did things that I should not have done, Hinn said. And for that, really, I am sorry, and I ask the dear people watching us to really forgive me for that. And Im striving with all my heart to be as biblical as possible with that. Right now, my focus is the Lord and only the Lord, Hinn said. And if, of course, there will be the time when I may have to raise funds for our ministry, I will do it as biblically as I know how and balanced. This is not the first time Hinn has claimed to publicly renounce his past teachings; in September 2019, he admitted his teachings on prosperity got out of hand and damaged a lot of people and said he wants the remaining years of his ministry to focus on evangelism and the Gospel not the health and wealth theology that made him millions. How long do I have on this Earth? What am I going to do in the next 20 years? That is for me to decide, he said at the time. I want to make sure that for the next 15-20 years of my life, that my message is the Cross. The real call on my life. I want to be known for that, Hinn continued. I dont want to be known as the prosperity teacher. Prosperity is one thing in the Bible, theres a whole lot more in the Word of God than prosperity, but its become a major issue now because of the gimmickry involved in it. That needs to stop. At the time, Hinn also hit back at reports of his tremendous wealth, including a net worth of $60 million and multiple private jets, stating, If I had that kind of money, I would give it to God. Its madness ... thats ludicrous. I dont know how, even, that started. Biblical prosperity, he said, is God blessing His people, taking care of His people. Jesus made it very clear, if God cares for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, will He not care for us? Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all the things you need will not only come, but theyll also be added to you. Hinns nephew, Costi Hinn, who has openly criticized his uncle and the prosperity gospel, told Christian News that he hopes for genuine repentance not simply remorse on his uncles part. However, he pointed out that Hinn has previously expressed regret for his past teachings only to resume his behavior. Genuine repentance in the Bible is always accompanied by actions that prove that its really repentance, he stated, explaining that repentance would look similar to that of the account of Zacchaeus, a corrupt tax collector who returned money to those he had swindled out of his love for Jesus. Jesus saves him and goes to his house that day and is willing to eat a meal with him and show him love and grace in the midst of his past and his sin, he recalled. And Zacchaeus is jumping for joy, excited to pay people back, excited to do whatever it takes to follow Jesus and show his genuine repentance through his actions. My desire is that Uncle Bennys statement is not merely public remorse to save face or protect his ministry from decline, he stated, but rather that it is genuine repentance and that he would be willing to forsake everything if it means gaining Christ and the full Gospel." Home News Berkeley schools turn 'blind eye' to antisemitism in classroom, harassment of Jewish students: complaint Jewish students in the Berkeley Unified School District of California no longer feel safe expressing their identities as teachers have been accused of promoting negative narratives about Israel and the Jewish people, according to a complaint that has sparked a U.S. Department of Education investigation. On Monday, the civil rights groups Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and the Anti-Defamation League filed a supplement to their February Title VI complaint outlining a series of reported violations of the Civil Rights Act. The two groups highlighted violations such as antisemitic graffiti, cyberbullying and anti-Israel lesson plans. On Tuesday, the ADL stated that the U.S. Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights annnounced that it opened a formal investigation into the complaint. 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 "Although parents continue to report anti-Semitic incidents, the District continues to turn a blind eye, refusing to discipline the perpetrators or take steps to protect the victims," the supplement stated. "In the absence of District leadership, Jew hatred is escalating at an alarming level." The organizations allege that the "already-hostile environment" for Jews in the school district has only worsened since they filed the Title VI complaint. Kenneth L. Marcus, founder and chairman of the Brandeis Center, referred to the reports of antisemitism at BUSD as "disgusting and shameful" in a statement provided to The Christian Post. Marcus asserted that if the incidents described in the complaint happened to any other minority group aside from Jews, then it would be "promptly addressed." The Berkeley Unified School District did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment. In a congressional hearing Wednesday, Berkeley Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel denied that antisemitism has become pervasive" in her school district. We take action to teach, correct and redirect our students, she said, according to The Associated Press. We do not publish our actions because student information is private and legally protected under federal and state law. As a result, some believe we do nothing. This is not true. Days after the complaint was filed, according to the supplement, a Jewish student discovered "Kill Jews" scrawled in a bathroom at Berkeley High School. BUSD did not issue a statement condemning antisemitism or promising a "zero-tolerance policy" of threats against the Jews. According to the complaint, BUSD was "widely aware" of the graffiti due to media coverage. A ninth-grader also faced bullying after his parents reported antisemitic incidents to BHS and the school district, according to the expanded complaint. An upperclassman wrote in a public social media post that the student is a "dumbass" who is "blatantly lying cuz he loves genocide that much." The accusation that Israel is committing genocide comes amid the country's ongoing war with Hamas, the terrorist group that has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. On Oct. 7, Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing at least 1,200 people, primarily civilians, prompting Israel to launch an offensive in Gaza to eradicate Hamas and secure the release of the over 240 individuals the terrorists took hostage. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry claims that over 34,000 people have been killed since the beginning of the war. However, the data does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, and Hamas has been accused of embedding itself within civilian populations. Additionally, Hamas admitted last month to having "incomplete data" on more than 11,000 of the deaths in its tally, sparking further questions about the reliability of the numbers. After the Brandeis Center and the ADL filed their February Title VI complaint, a group of BUSD teachers wrote a letter to the school board, describing parents who raised civil rights concerns as "extreme" community members with a "pro-Israel agenda." The educators also claimed in their letter that the ADL is "known as Israel's attack dogs in the US" and that they stand with their "fellow educators who speak truth to power." Immediately after the filing of the Title VI complaint, ethnic studies teachers at BHS also began presenting what ADL and the Brandeis Center described as unapproved, biased and anti-Semitic propaganda in the classroom. A vocabulary list provided to students defined Hamas as an "Islamic Resistance Movement" and its actions as "armed resistance." Students at BHS also displayed posters demanding the reinstatement of an art teacher placed on leave after he "created a hostile environment for Jewish students," according to the expanded complaint. The document stated that the principal did not address the posters after a concerned parent sent him an email; instead, he sent "shoutouts" to students and faculty that praised the teacher. The art teacher had displayed a projection of a fist holding a Palestinian flag and punching through a Star of David following Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre, as detailed in the February Title VI complaint. During class time, the teacher would reportedly play "violent pro-Hamas videos" in addition to "projecting anti-Israel and anti-Semitic images." He was eventually placed on leave after numerous media outlets reported on his behavior. During a cooking lesson on Palestinian food, a seventh-grade teacher at King Middle School forced her students to listen to a podcast that accused Israelis of "stealing" land and "appropriating" Palestinian recipes, which the expanded complaint noted "demonized Israel and the Jews." In March, a BHS teacher posted a QR code in her classroom for a Gaza Genocide Action Toolkit that told readers to "make sure everyone knows that Israel is mass murdering Palestinian families with our tax dollars." "The blatant disregard by BUSD of this continuing anti-Semitic harassment, bullying and rhetoric is inexcusable," ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a Monday statement provided to CP. "Jewish students are hiding their identities and are afraid to go to school this is outrageous, unacceptable, and should not be happening in 2024," Greenblatt continued. "The Berkeley School District must be held accountable for their inaction and seeming indifference to addressing this hostile school environment and must do more to ensure the safety of Jewish students." Home News Catholic school can legally fire teacher in same-sex marriage, appeals court rules A Catholic school in North Carolina was within its legal rights to dismiss a substitute teacher because he was in a same-sex marriage, a federal appeals court ruled. A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Wednesday that Charlotte Catholic High School could fire Lonnie Billard for marrying a man. Circuit Judge Pamela Harris, an Obama appointee, authored the majority opinion, concluding that the Catholic school was protected by the "ministerial exception," noting that Billard's employment involved an inherently religious element. 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 "We conclude that the school entrusted Billard with 'vital religious duties,' making him a 'messenger' of its faith and placing him within the ministerial exception," wrote Harris. "Billard was expected to and did begin each class with prayer and attend Mass with his students, where he regularly opted to receive communion. All of this indicates the performance of 'vital religious duties' that implicate the ministerial exception." The panel reversed a lower court ruling in favor of Billard and remanded the case back to the district court, with instructions to enter a judgment in favor of the Catholic high school. Circuit Judge Robert B. King, a Clinton appointee, authored an opinion in which he concurred with the judgment but dissented in part. He believes the case could have been decided on the religious exemption provided in the federal Title VII civil rights law. Luke Goodrich, vice president and senior counsel at the religious freedom legal group Becket, who helped represent the Catholic school, released a statement celebrating the ruling. "The Supreme Court has been crystal clear on this issue: Catholic schools have the freedom to choose teachers who fully support Catholic teaching," Goodrich said. "This is a victory for people of all faiths who cherish the freedom to pass on their faith to the next generation." The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of North Carolina and Tin Fulton Walker & Owen, which represented Billard, released a joint statement denouncing the panel ruling. "This is a heartbreaking decision for our client who wanted nothing more than the freedom to perform his duties as an educator without hiding who he is or who he loves," they stated. "While today's decision is narrowly tailored to Mr. Billard and the facts of his employment, it nonetheless threatens to encroach on that principle by widening the loopholes employers may use to fire people like Mr. Billard for openly discriminatory reasons." In 2014, shortly after gay marriage was legalized by judicial fiat in North Carolina, Billard announced on Facebook that he and his longtime male partner were getting married. In response, CCHS dismissed Billard for being in violation of the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte's policy prohibiting staff from engaging in actions contrary to Catholic moral teaching. With the help of the ACLU, Billard filed a lawsuit in 2017 against the CCHS, the diocese, and Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools, accusing them of violating his rights under Title VII. In 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that two Catholic schools in California were within their rights to dismiss two teachers on the basis of classifying them as "ministers" rather than secular professionals. "The religious education and formation of students is the very reason for the existence of most private religious schools, and therefore the selection and supervision of the teachers upon whom the schools rely to do this work lie at the core of their mission," wrote Justice Samuel Alito in the majority opinion. "Judicial review of the way in which religious schools discharge those responsibilities would undermine the independence of religious institutions in a way that the First Amendment does not tolerate." A dissent authored by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, argues that the court's decision "strips thousands of schoolteachers of their legal protections." "[T]he Court's apparent deference here threatens to make nearly anyone whom the schools might hire 'ministers' unprotected from discrimination in the hiring process," wrote Sotomayor. Home News Elementary school will allow prayer club after pressure from legal group A Washington state public elementary school will allow an interfaith prayer club to meet after initially refusing a request by two students to start the organization. Last month, Issaquah School District 411 garnered controversy when its Creekside Elementary School rejected an application for an interfaith prayer club while allowing an LGBT pride group. The First Liberty Institute, which had sent a complaint letter on behalf of two students who wanted to start the club, announced Wednesday that the school district has changed course. 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 We are very pleased that the Issaquah School District is allowing our clients to start a prayer club at their school this spring, said FLI Associate Counsel Kayla Toney. Schools should always respect the religious beliefs of their students. This is a victory for students of all faiths and a reminder that people of faith have a constitutional right to express their religious beliefs and pray, even in a public school setting. A spokesperson for the Issaquah School District told The Christian Post in an emailed statement that the decision was in regards to more than just the prayer club. In the spirit of receiving feedback and responding to our community, we offered a compromise allowing the student to establish an interfaith prayer club at Creekside for the remainder of the school year if a staff member volunteered to supervise the club, read the statement. We are offering the same compromise to all other clubs that, like the interfaith prayer club, were similarly proposed outside the co-curricular process this year. On April 9, the FLI sent the Issaquah School District Board of Directors a complaint letter on behalf of two students, identified in the correspondence as L.A.W. and J.W. The letter addressed Creeksides decision not to allow an interfaith prayer club to form, even though several other non-religious student clubs operated on campus. Toney told CP last month that public schools have often excluded religious activity because of a phantom fear of violating the Establishment Clause [of the First Amendment] due to misguided theories. The Supreme Court held in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District that the long-criticized Lemon Test was officially overruled and must no longer be used to erase religion from public life, particularly in public schools, Toney said. Even before Kennedy, the Supreme Court consistently upheld the long tradition of voluntary student-led religious activity in public schools. For example, in Good News Club v. Milford Central School in 2001, the Court found that a public school violated the First Amendment when it excluded a Christian club from an elementary school while allowing other non-curricular clubs. Toney noted that the tradition of allowing religious activity on public school property means that L.A.W. and J.W. have a constitutionally protected right to start an interfaith prayer club, with the same recognition and benefits that other clubs enjoy. In response to the allegations, Issaquah School District spokesperson Lesha Engels said the club was one of multiple groups rejected because their applications were late. Engels told CP in an earlier interview that Creekside Elementary had a schedule for approving student clubs, which included a student club interest survey last October and approval, budgeting, and distribution of student group advisor time in November. A handful of advisor-led clubs were requested after this process concluded in the winter of 2024; these requests were all denied, Engels explained in April. The interfaith prayer club was requested in February 2024, after the deadline shared above. In response to an allegation of a First Amendment violation in April 2024, the district initiated an investigation, and will include feedback from the community and students in our process review. Home News Ex-Latin Kings gang member says prison, drug overdose led him to Jesus A former Latin Kings gang member-turned-pastor said he came to faith in Jesus Christ only after he did time behind bars and nearly died from a heroin overdose. Andy "Rebirth" Pellerano, a pastor at One Accord Ministries in Avondale, Louisiana, told Fox News opinion host Jesse Waters that he was once an active participant in drug trafficking, robbery, and other crimes before he found Christ. "It was just the wrong influences, listening to the wrong voices, just gravitating to the wrong things and being out there," Pellerano told Watters. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe "I was around 14, 15 years old, and I let five grown men jump me so I could be their friend, as I like to put it," Pellerano said. "So what would I have to do to keep that friendship? And it led to [charges of] first-degree attempted murder, three counts of aggravated assault, one count of aggravated criminal damage. It was gang-related. I was 16, I made 17. I was charged as an adult." After he went to prison, Pellerano helped start a gang called "King Blood Nation," which was a fusion of the Latin Kings and the Bloods, with him as the leader. Pellerano said he started to feel remorse for his actions when his daughter, who was 5 or 6 years old, visited him while he was behind bars, and he had to explain why he was in prison. "Watching my kids grow up in pictures; watching my kids, you know, not being able to come visit me because I'm going to maximum security," Pellerano said. "It killed me because my daughter didn't know her identity because her father wasn't in her life. And that's what I look at going on in society today. People do not know their identity because they're not in their father's life." Pellerano said after he suffered a near-fatal overdose, he decided that church needed to be part of his life because it was God that brought me back. "The Bible says, In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God,'" Pellerano added, quoting John 1:1. "This is my life, my story, so I have to tell it. I have to share it. And if God could do this in my life, what could He do in your life?" According to the website the Gang Enforcement Company, the Latin Kings are "one of the most violent gangs in the United States today, with leaders unafraid to order 'hits' on law enforcement and correctional officers with followers unashamed to obey their orders." "Founded in the 1940s by a small group of Hispanics in the Chicago, Illinois area, the purpose of the organization was to help the Hispanic community achieve a better way of life by preserving the Hispanic culture and promoting education," explained GEC. "However, the Latin Kings have evolved into a nationwide criminal organization with chapters in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Florida, California and Illinois." Earlier this year, Latin Kings member Jason Wagner, aka King Ace, was sentenced to 31 years in prison after being found guilty by a grand jury in Miami, Florida, of sex-trafficking two women. According to authorities, the sex-trafficking was not apparently tied to his gang affiliation. Home News John Piper on Satans power: Why is the devil allowed to blind people to the Gospel? Pastor and bestselling author John Piper recently explained why Satan can wield such immense power over the spiritual world, especially when it comes to blinding people to the Gospel. In a recent episode of his Ask Pastor John podcast, Piper, the 78-year-old chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota, said he receives more questions about Satan than any other biblical topic. Piper acknowledged the mysterious nature of these questions, noting that though the Bible hints at Satans fall from grace as a rebellious angel, the exact motives remain elusive. 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 There are hints that hes a fallen angel and that there was rebellion in Heaven, he said. "But thats not a full explanation for where he comes from, because its very difficult to explain why a personal, rational being an angel who is created perfect, would ever find a motive to rebel in a perfect universe." "Thats not easy to explain. I dont think we have a sufficient explanation for that. Thats one of those things thats cloaked in mystery for now." Satans influence is palpable from Genesis to Revelation, Piper said, adding that Scripture is clear the devil is a ubiquitous presence, tempting, deceiving and obstructing humanity's spiritual journey. This phenomenon leaves believers grappling with questions about why a benevolent and omnipotent God would allow such malevolent influence to persist. Piper pointed to several biblical accounts where Satan's destructive power is evident, such as in the parable of the sower, where seeds representing God's Word are snatched from hearts by Satan, leaving people spiritually barren. Furthermore, the Apostle Paul warns of the "god of this age" blinding the minds of unbelievers to prevent them from recognizing the light of Christ's Gospel. Why does God allow that blinding, that word-stealing power? Piper said. I think the key lies in the fact that if God had eliminated Satan so that the only enemy to be defeated is our own human depravity, part of the glory of the triumph of salvation would be missing. According to Piper, by allowing Satan's presence to persist, God's triumph in overcoming both the blindness of human depravity and the deception of Satan is magnified. God is showing us the double prison we are in, Piper said. We are doubly dark: the darkness of our own shackles around our wrists and ankles, and the darkness of Satans locked doors like Peter in prison, had to have the hands freed, then he had to have the gates freed and the doors freed." "There was layers of bondage: the darkness of our own delusions about God thats one level of bondage and blindness and then the added darkness of Satans lies and deceptions all around us. The theologian contended that if Satan had been vanquished earlier, God's power would have been glorified, but not His superior beauty. The true miracle of conversion lies in the clarity it brings, revealing Christ's worth as incomparable to anything Satan offers. If he obliterated Satan earlier, his power would be glorified. But if Satan remains, and we are able to defeat his deceptions by seeing the superior beauties of Christ, then not only is the superior power of Christ glorified, but also the superior beauty of Christ is glorified, Piper said. We are so corrupt, we cannot see that Christ is a superior beauty, a superior worth, a superior greatness, and therefore a superior satisfaction over everything else. In our depravity, we are blind to all of that. The pastor closed with a rallying cry to "take up arms and be glad in the Son of God, telling listeners that the joy found in Christ overpowers all else, dispelling darkness and defeating the enemy's lies. According to a 2015 Gallup Poll, while about 9 in 10 Americans say they believe in God (89%), only about 61% of the same sample believe Satan exists. Similarly, the Pew Research Center's 2014 Religious Landscape Study found that roughly 7 in 10 (72%) Americans say they believe in Heaven defined as a place "where people who have led good lives are eternally rewarded." But at the same time, Pew found that only 58% of U.S. adults believe in Hell defined as a place "where people who have led bad lives and die without being sorry are eternally punished." In an episode from 2019, Piper explained that while Satan has tremendous power in this world, all of his power is subordinate to the authority that is vested in Christ. But he doesnt have ultimate power, he said. Were not dualists. We dont think theres God and Satan duking it out for power in the universe. God is God, not Satan. Satans not God. All Satans power is by permission. He has no autonomy to do anything God does not permit for infinitely wise purposes. However, in every battle with the devil, those who believe in Christ can have total confidence of final victory, Piper said, citing Romans 8:3889, which reads, I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers [satanic power included], nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. He has been decisively defeated, he concluded. Home News NYC schools chancellor pressed over 'lack of accountability' for antisemitism in K-12 schools Probe found no evidence students chanted 'death to jews,' chancellor says WASHINGTON New York City Department of Education Chancellor David Banks was pressed during a congressional hearing Wednesday on why the former principal of a high school where hundreds of students led a riot against a Jewish teacher was reassigned to a senior position within the department. The exchange occurred at a U.S. House of Representatives education subcommittee hearing focused on combating antisemitism in K-12 education as multiple reports surface of Jewish students facing harassment and intimidation in the aftermath of Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre and Israel's ensuing offensive in Gaza. In addition to Banks, Berkeley Unified School District Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel of California and Montgomery County School Board President Karla Silvestre of Maryland testified about their respective districts' response to antisemitism. Emerson Sykes, a senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, also testified at the hearing. 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 Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York questioned Banks about former Hillcrest High School Principal Scott Milczewski. The principal was removed from his position following a November incident in which hundreds of students rampaged through the halls for around two hours and forced a Jewish teacher to take refuge in a locked office. The students staged a protest after learning that the teacher attended a pro-Israel rally. Banks told Stefanik that he could not confirm the former principal's current position and that he would have to double-check. The congresswoman asked Banks to confirm whether Milczewski is currently the director of teacher development and evaluation, to which the chancellor responded that he did not know the former principal's official title. "That's concerning to me that you have him in a senior position," Stefanik said. "And what's very concerning about these hearings is that we're getting lip service but a lack of enforcement and a lack of accountability." Stefanik, who called for the resignation of various university leaders in the wake of anti-Israel protests on college campuses throughout the country, questioned Banks about allegations of an incident at Origins High School in Brooklyn in which students chanted "Death to the Jews" during a protest march. Banks said an investigation couldn't find evidence of students making those remarks. However, Banks confirmed an investigation into the school uncovered things that he said were "deeply troubling." He also disclosed that several students had been suspended. Before Stefanik questioned Banks, Republican Rep. Kevin Kilney of California highlighted the civil rights complaint submitted against the Berkeley Unified School District in California by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and the Anti-Defamation League. In an updated complaint, the two groups stated, "Jew hatred is escalating at an alarming level." On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights announced a formal investigation into the complaint accusing the district of failing to address antisemitic harassment against Jewish students since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. Kilney asked Morthel if she approved a curriculum that taught students that the slogan "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" is a "call for freedom and peace" for some Palestinians. The slide presented as part of the curriculum also included a quote from Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, who was censured for using the same slogan. The slogan is considered antisemitic, as critics say it calls for the destruction of the Jewish state and the genocide of Jews. The California representative asked Morthel if she thought the slide seemed appropriate to show to students, and the superintendent responded that the district believes it's "important to expose students to a diversity of ideas and perspectives." "If it was presented as a perspective, then I do think it's appropriate," Morthel said about the slogan. Earlier during the hearing, Republican Rep. Aaron Bean, who chairs the House Education and Workforce subcommittee on elementary and secondary education, asked all the witnesses if "Free the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" is antisemitic. Morthel replied that the phrase has a "different meaning" for some people. During her opening statement, the BUSD superintendent told members of the subcommittee that "antisemitism is not pervasive in Berkeley Unified." She also said that the district tries to ensure every child is "seen, valued and educated," adding that she often describes the students as "our babies." "You can be confident that I am there at my schools every day, in the classrooms with the babies," Morthel told Kilney. "There have been instances of antisemitism in Berkeley Unified School District, and every single time that we are aware of such an instance, we take action." The antisemitic incidents outlined in the civil rights organizations' complaint against BUSD range from bullying to people reportedly shouting things like "dirty Jews" to Jewish parents at school board meetings. Students at Berkeley High School also displayed posters expressing solidarity with an art teacher who would reportedly play "violent pro-Hamas videos" in addition to "projecting anti-Israel and anti-Semitic images." The teacher was placed on leave after several media outlets reported on his behavior. According to the complaint, BUSD is "unabashedly shirking its legal duty under Title VI." One reason for this, according to the two civil rights groups, is because the BUSD official tasked with investigating antisemitism has also expressed a bias against Israel. The complaint highlighted a photo of the BUSD employee liking a social media post that condemned Israel and accused Jews of "McCarthyism." The civil rights groups alleged that complaints of antisemitic harassment sent to the employee for review "have gone unanswered or ignored for months." Home Books Matt Chandler on reclaiming Revelation's 'hijacked' message of hope 'for such a time as this' Matt Chandler, the lead pastor of The Village Church, believes that over the last 150 years, the book of Revelation has been hijacked, read solely as a prophecy for End Times events and shaped by modern circumstances like conflicts and natural phenomena. This isn't going to make me a lot of friends, the 49-year-old pastor told The Christian Post. But [Revelation] actually got hijacked in the '70s, in particular, and it became this really scary, terrifying thing. It's always been a bit confusing because it's apocalyptic. While John Nelson Darbys dispensationalist influence shifted the narrative of Revelation several decades ago, according to Chandler, the book must be understood within its original context to understand its power. 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 Though written around A.D. 96 as a message to the seven churches in Asia Minor to help them withstand their struggles with the Roman Empire and local imperial cults, he contended that Revelation offers timeless encouragement for Christians to live boldly in faith. For 2,000 years, [Revelation] put steel in the spines of Christians, empowered and encouraged them to live boldly as overcomers, he said. I'm taking that phrase straight from the letters to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3, where Jesus says, To he who overcomes. To each one of the churches, He has this promise that if you'll overcome, here's the reward. While reading through Revelation, Chandler said he was struck by the parallels between the struggles of the early Church and the modern day, particularly regarding the spiritual and emotional challenges he witnessed in his congregation post-COVID-19. Man, I just had fresh eyes for that book, he said. I was like, this is a book that speaks so perfectly into this moment of history. After COVID, it seemed like, both spiritually and emotionally, people were stuck on their couches. I was just watching the congregation not get back to those rhythms that made me love pastoring this church. So, Chandler did what he does best: he preached a sermon series on Revelation and its little-acknowledged message of hope and encouragement, and the response was overwhelming. I don't think I've ever preached anything that resonated quite like that, he said. You could feel it at The Village. But then, on top of that, [the sermons were] getting downloaded like a million times. It just blew up. As I considered how I might help broader Evangelicals in this moment, I thought, Let me write some of this out. In his new book The Overcomers: God's Vision for You to Thrive in an Age of Anxiety and Outrage, Chandler draws on Revelation to impress upon Christians that no matter how daunting the world may seem, they are uniquely wired, uniquely gifted and uniquely placed for this moment for all of God's purposes. Not just the blue-checks-celebrity-charismatic type, but stay-at-home moms, the welder, the businessman, the dentist, he said. Everyday Christians have a significant role to play in this moment." Ive got this burning belief that however disorienting these times are, theyre times Gods placed us here. Nobodys coming to bail us out. C.S. Lewis isnt coming, G.K. Chesterton isnt coming to assess the political climate. And God's not panicked about that; God's actually pretty excited. He thinks He's got the right team on the field. For all the hand-wringing and acquiescing or remaining silent in this moment of history, I just thought, 'Wait, no. This is perfect for the Gospel.' People are so anxious; what an opportunity to introduce them to the One that can take their anxiety." In his book, Chandler elaborates on three essential principles: recognizing every individuals inherent dignity as an image-bearer of God, embracing one's primary identity as a child of God and understanding one's unique gifts and calling. I think these are the three things that start to pull us out of anxiety, the navel-gazing kind of moral betterment moralistic deism, he said. That grid of Christianity creates more anxiety and fear and makes us shrink back more than we should. We've got to get back to understanding primary identity, my enemies are not humankind, and God has a significant and uniquely-mined ministry given to me. Chandlers advocacy for a mission-oriented, engaged faith aligns with his experience in ministry and church planting. As the Executive Chairman of the Acts 29 Network, a large church planting community that trains and equips church planters across the globe, he urges new church communities to enter the fray with the biblical compassion and empathy of the Kingdom. Simple faithfulness, the pastor said, is the key to impacting society positively. He recounted examples of ministry from The Village Church, including a dentist and his wife providing temporary shelter for a womans children while she worked to overcome addiction, a restaurant owner hosting monthly worship services, and church members hosting neighborhood prayer walks to bless homes and open doors to spiritual conversations: All of a sudden, we're doing real ministry on our street, Chandler said. These arent elders and deacons and small group leaders. These are just families walking around their neighborhood, doing the work of the Kingdom. In an age defined by outrage and anxiety, Chandler said he hopes his book will inspire everyday Christians to realize their pivotal role exactly where they are. Simple faithfulness, he reiterated, can create a ripple effect that transforms communities. If you could extrapolate that across evangelicalism stay-at-home moms, welders, businessmen, and entrepreneurs engaging with the world around them with the love of Christ I think we could see a real renewal and outpouring of the Spirit in our day, Chandler said. I'm writing the book trying to blow wind into the sails of everyday, average people the Church has grown across the world, thanks to the everyday, simple faithfulness of normal men and women. Thats what I'm hoping comes from this book. The Overcomers is now available. Home News Sneak peek: New doc 'Multiplied' highlights Christianity's huge growth despite persecution Chris Worthington, a Gen Z filmmaker and founder of Every Nation Will Bow, has unveiled his latest documentary, Multiplied, offering a stirring glimpse into what he describes as a "modern-day Jesus Revolution." The film, in theaters through Fathom Events on May 20-21, follows the 24-year-old filmmaker as he travels across Brazil, Ghana and Nigeria, documenting the vibrant, multifaceted expressions of Christianity around the globe. This groundbreaking film brings viewers behind the scenes to witness the spiritual fervor of evangelistic events worldwide, led by renowned evangelist Daniel Kolenda. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe From a 140,000-strong Gen Z gathering in Brazil to a 400,000-person Gospel event in Nigeria, Multiplied captures Kolenda's mission to reach every corner of the globe, dispelling misconceptions about waning interest in faith while offering an inspiring message of hope. "Christianity is exploding, especially in Africa," Worthington told The Christian Post. "I saw it for myself and got it all on camera. It's about showing the reality that it's not just about a few famous evangelists anymore but about an entire generation preaching the Gospel. It's about you and me; it's about the normal person. I think that's how Jesus wanted it from the beginning." Watch a sneak peek of "Multiplied" below: Kolenda is the successor to Reinhard Bonnke, the legendary preacher known for drawing vast crowds during his ministry's campaigns. Kolenda, as head of Christ for All Nations (CfaN), continues Bonnke's legacy, presiding over some of the world's largest evangelistic events and cultivating a global movement that Multiplied seeks to document. Filming the events didnt come without challenges. Worthington shared how while Christianity is popular in Brazil everybody wants to be on a massive stage and preach to 80,000 people his experience in Nigeria was much different. "In Nigeria, it's the exact opposite ... we went from flying on private jets to actually getting shot at in Nigeria. My life flashed before my eyes. I didn't realize [there was] persecution over there. It was insane, he said. One week before we got to Nigeria, we were informed that a terrorist organization had killed a pastor and his entire family, and we were doing a 500,000-person Gospel event right there," he said. "On the way, we got trapped in a dust storm, so we couldn't fly and had to go on a really dangerous highway. We met a guy ... who pulled out a silver Glock. I'll never forget it. He knew who we were; he pointed straight at us, right at my head. I saw the evil in his eyes, and at that moment, I thought, I guess this is where it ends. Despite the dangers and challenges faced during filming, Worthington said he and his team were driven by a deeper purpose. The more you get attacked, the more things that try to go wrong, things that are obviously spiritual warfare, the better you're doing. So just keep pushing through it, because you're going to change the world that way, he said. The film also includes exclusive musical performances from Kim Walker-Smith and Alexander Pappas of Hillsong, as well as candid testimonials by Korn guitarist Brian "Head" Welch and social media influencer Scott McNamara. Worthington, best known for This Is Living, had his own spiritual awakening in 2013 at a worship concert in Tampa, Florida, which he told CP sent him on a mission to document faith in its rawest form. Multiplied, he said, emerges as the culmination of this vision. "All of these films that I make, it's just an endeavor to point people to Jesus Christ. If it's not doing that, it's all in vain," he said. It has no meaning if it's not pointing people to Christ, if its not for that, itll be burned with the chaff, because the fire comes to everything, to every ministry, he said. The fire is going to come, and it's either going to just be burned or it's going to withstand the fire. And the ministries that are going to withstand the fire are the ones who have pure motives that are actually doing it to point people not to themselves, but to Jesus Christ. And that's why any film that I make, I make it to point people to Jesus Christ. Amid reports of faith's declining influence, Worthington said he hopes Multiplied offers an eye-opening perspective that reveals the profound impact of evangelistic work. "Film is a huge tool for evangelism. The new crusade field is the living room," Worthington said, citing the success of films and shows like "The Chosen" and "Jesus Revolution" in reaching hearts and minds across America. I think that a Christian film Renaissance is happening right now, and I think that's how God wants to reach America because you are going to reach America with your phone, with your Smart TV. Home News Pro-Israel Christian refugee faces renewed deaths threats, nearly $500K bounty A Pakistani Christian forced to flee his home country due to blasphemy charges says he is facing renewed death threats and a bounty of nearly $500,000 after he expressed support for Israel online. Faraz Pervaiz is a Christian refugee who fled Pakistan in 2014 after he and his father posted videos online that were critical of the Pakistani government and Islamic teachings. He currently resides in Thailand, but he says renewed death threats against him have made him fearful that he and his family face a "grave risk of harm." During a Twitter Space discussion on April 14 named "Jihadi Muhammad," Pervaiz, his younger brother and his father expressed their religious conviction to support Israel, which is at war right now with the terror group Hamas in Gaza. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe The Pakistani Christian "extremist Jihadis" accused him and his family of inciting hatred against Islam. In an interview with The Christian Post, Pervaiz said that the current bounty on his head is the equivalent of around $478,000. He already had a bounty of about $400,000, but this recent incident led to an increase. He said the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, the Islamic political party in Pakistan, issued a "Death Fatwa" proclamation, placing a bounty on the heads of each of the three family members. Pervaiz said that he has also received death threats through applications such as Telegram and WhatsApp. In addition to the bounty, he said that radical extremist groups are facilitating these threats by offering to provide visas and pay for the tickets of anyone willing to kill him and his family members. On the same day as the interview with CP, Pervaiz said that he attempted to speak with someone at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He said he has been contacting the agency for help since April 26. "They said in a very dismissive way that they would pass on the concern," Pervaiz said. Pervaiz is of the opinion that the agency does not like him because he has publicly criticized Islam. He contends the U.N. has an anti-Israel bias, pointing to reports about United Nations Relief and Works Agency employees aiding in Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre. In an X post last week, Pervaiz stated that "allegations of systematic discrimination and betrayal" by the UNHCR in Thailand cast a "dark shadow" over Pakistani Christian refugees' "hopes for safety and protection." "Since 2014, the Pakistani Christian community seeking asylum in Bangkok has faced a relentless onslaught of persecution and despair," he wrote. "For years, Pakistani Christians have pleaded with UNHCR Bangkok for fair and impartial treatment, in accordance with the organization's own principles and mandates. Yet, their appeals have fallen on deaf ears, leaving them disillusioned and abandoned in their darkest hours." In the past, the U.N. has acknowledged Pervaiz's plight, calling on the Thai government to "protect Pakistani Christian asylum seekers from danger." A 2021 U.N. Human Rights Council periodic review stated that "one radical Pakistani civilian released a video calling upon 'every Muslim in this world' to travel to Bangkok, locate, and kill Pervaiz." Pervaiz said he has supported Israel since his childhood, stating that the Holy Bible instructs him to do so as part of his Christian faith. He highlighted various Bible verses, including Romans 11:25-28, which illustrate God's plan for Israel. Pervaiz said a Christian friend, whom he could not name due to privacy reasons, asked him recently how God could love a "sinful" nation like Israel. Pervaiz said that, to him, the answer is "simple." "By the same unconditional love the Lord has toward the Church," Pervaiz said. "Indeed, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. So, there is a simple rule for all believers: We should love what Jesus loves. How is your love for Israel? Just ask God to give you his love for the Jewish people." On college campuses throughout the United States, students and activists have organized anti-Israel encampments, with demonstrators accusing the Jewish state of committing "genocide" and demanding that university administrators cease support of Israel. Other activists have coordinated anti-Israel protests at hospitals and Jewish-owned businesses. "Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East," Pervaiz said. "On U.S. college campuses, they're holding rallies in support of Hamas," he added. "They have no idea who they are because they are following a radical Islamic ideology. Send them to Gaza, and they will understand within a few seconds who they are supporting." Pervaiz urged the United States to discover the source of the funding behind the series of anti-Israel protests and to identify the demonstrators and where they are from. The wave of anti-Israel protests arose following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack against Israel, which resulted in the deaths of at least 1,200 people, primarily civilians, and the abduction of over 240 others. Reports have also surfaced that Hamas terrorists committed a wave of sexual violence against women on Oct. 7. Amit Soussana, a former hostage, recently came forward and recounted the sexual abuse she endured after she was taken captive during Hamas' Oct. 7 surprise attack. Hamas is a terrorist group that has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. Israel launched an offensive in Gaza in response to the Oct. 7 attack, which the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says has resulted in the deaths of over 34,000 people. The exact numbers are difficult to verify, however, as the data does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Hamas is also known for embedding itself within civilian populations. Last month, former Fox News Host Tucker Carlson was criticized for interviewing Munther Isaac, the pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem. The interview expressed a critical view of the way Israel allegedly treats Christians. The pastor that Carlson interviewed has been accused of being sympathetic to Hamas, and during one of his sermons after Oct. 7, Isaac said that he was "shocked by the strength of the Palestinian man who defied his siege." "We need to understand that Israel is fighting with Palestinians; Israel is not fighting with the Christians," Pervaiz said. "We need to understand this. Of course, the Palestinian Christian is going to support Palestine, not Israel." He concluded that Christians have a "moral and spiritual obligation to support Israel," asserting that those who do not are on "the wrong side of God." 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. Home News Regent launches Institute for Israel Studies to help Christians fight anti-Israel propaganda Regent University has announced that it will be launching a new academic program known as the Institute for Israel Studies, which seeks to help students fight "anti-Israel propaganda." The institute will be within the Robertson School of Government and is scheduled to begin offering courses at the Virginia Beach, Virginia-based Christian school in the fall. A.J. Nolte, assistant professor of government at the Robertson School and chair of the institute, told The Christian Post that the program's launch was driven by a gap in Israel education for biblically-faithful Christians. 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 While there are some programs that focus on the biblical and theological aspects of Israel, there are a lot fewer academic programs geared toward educating Christians about the history, politics, society and culture of the modern state of Israel, Nolte said. Nolte has been working alongside Robertson School Dean and former Congresswoman Michele Bachmann on the program since she first came to Regent, and a donor who agreed to fund the institute for its first five years of operation. Our institutional commitment to supporting Israel is as old and strong as the university itself, Nolte told CP. I would say that past efforts have focused on biblical and theological aspects of Israel which is vital work that I hope and believe will continue and advance. Our institute will supplement that with a robust, scholarly engagement with the history and contemporary realities of the modern state of Israel which a school of government is well-positioned to provide. According to Nolte, the institute has three main lines of effort, which are scholarship, education and public engagement, with the hope that they will increase Regents formal Israel-related course offerings over time. Within year one, were looking at some additional non-degree course offerings as a pilot program, he said. More immediately, expect on campus and virtual events, reading groups for interested students, robust social media engagement including a podcast, and facilitation of opportunities to visit Israel through well-established organizations. Nolte told CP that he hoped the new academic program would, first of all, equip students and the public with fact-based responses to the anti-Israel propaganda that has poured out of academia, particularly since the Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, triggering the latest major outbreak of violence in the region. Second, we hope to foster biblically-faithful scholarship on contemporary Israel, he continued. Third, we hope to help Regent emerge as a destination of choice for those who want to deepen their passion for Israel with understanding of Israel. This institute is a partial response, born out of a conviction that Christian support for Israel will increase, not decrease, with an accurate understanding of Israels contemporary realities. Home News Steve Deace, Abby Johnson warn against feminism of the Church, rise of Karen Jezebels and weak men Popular conservative talk show host Steve Deace recently warned about the harms of the feminization of the Church, the rise of "Karen Jezebels" and "weak men." In a discussion with Abby Johnson on her Politely Rude podcast last month, Deace said that, in his opinion, the number one thing that is killing us more than anything in this culture is the condition of the men." "The average 25-year-old man in America, for the first time ever, is more likely to still be living at home with a parent than in another home married with a wife and a child. That's never happened before in American history, he told Johnson. 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 Listen to Steve Deace on Abby Johnson's "Politely Rude" podcast Deace said that many issues, including abortion, all rest at the foot of the men, because they are failing at their responsibility to deliver godly relational headship. Creation operates on the principle of headship. And headship is not authority. We already have an authority: God. Headship is responsibility. Meaning that the primary conduit of responsibility for what happens in that home and happens in that family, the one that God's going to hold accountable first is the man, Deace said. Regarding man being held accountable first, Deace cited Genesis 3, when Adam was punished for listening to Eve when she offered him the forbidden fruit and he accepted. Wherever the men abdicate their responsibility, there is holy Hell, literally, to be unleashed afterwards," he said. Deace also believes that the feminist movement "has been the greatest thing that's ever happened to men," as it helped release men from family responsibilities. Johnson agreed, adding that female pastors have been a hindrance to men's ministry. Deace concurred, noting that young men being taught by female church leadership has led to many men being taught feminine qualities instead of manly attributes. He said men need to be taught in the Church how to be spiritual leaders, because men and women's relationships within the family are different. Deace highlighted the account of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel from 1 Kings in the Old Testament, saying that Ahab demonstrates the worst form of human political leadership as a king, behaving passively as a husband and a ruler. He takes the initiative for almost nothing. It's his pagan wife, Jezebel. Kind of the Philistine Karen. She basically is the Alpha. She leads on everything, Deace said. Deace cited 1 Kings 21, which recounts Ahab trying to convince one of his subjects to sell him a vineyard. His subject, however, would not sell it to him. Ahab returns to his palace, tells Jezebel, who in response tells Ahab to murder the subject and take what he wants, because he is king. I mean that is kind of a metaphor for that entire era; that weak men lead to hard times is what you're saying there, Deace explained. "And so, where does this passivity come from? And why has the Church accepted feminization? A lot of churches nowadays don't have very strong men's ministries." Deace surmised that this is because men and women have fundamental differences on how they do ministry and community, with men needing male church leaders. Women have strength and courage, but their primary driver is relational. Men care greatly about relationship, but our primary driver is result-oriented and that's often where our strength and courage comes from, he said. Deace said men differ from women because men typically only share their feelings to quickly get to solution, repent, be held accountable and then they don't re-hash the issue. Whereas women put more value in someone else identifying and empathizing with them in challenging moments. According to Deace, the role of men in leadership positions has been nearly lost in the American Church to women who aren't making decisions based on practical leadership solutions, but based on relational emotionality. What we have done is created men who are safe, so they're of no good to anybody at all. And that's why Karen Jezebel that's why she reigns supreme, unchallenged. Because we're either passive aggressive like Ahab, or we're actually even in on encouraging it, which is worse, he said. Home Opinion Christians, read your ballot initiatives carefully The morally bankrupt Arizona legislature passed a bill repealing their abortion ban attempting to disparage it with the label, Civil War Era. Apparently, contemporary Americans are so much more morally enlightened than those in 1864 who were then engaged in fighting for the personhood status of all, including black people. But then if the secular moral snobbery of the left believes Civil War-era morality is bad, where does that leave the Emancipation Proclamation or the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery? We need not wonder too long when we see Americas abortion capital New York aborting 74 black babies for every 100 born compared to their white counterparts 11 for every 100. According to one of Americas founding documents, our Declaration of Independence, all people, without qualification, are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. The first of those rights, life, is first in order and importance because it is the cornerstone upon which the house of all rights is built. At the risk of stating the obvious, without the right to life, it is impossible to exercise any other. But Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signed the repeal on May 2 which amounts to robbing preborn boys and girls of their Civil War era 14th Amendment equal protection rights. It amounts to signing away their Revolutionary War-era Fifth Amendment rights that no person should be denied life without due process of law. In proudly signing this repeal, Hobbs, along with the Arizona legislature, relegated their state back to the barbaric American plantation. In the name of enlightened liberty, as if the simple passage of time makes humanity wiser and nobler, Hobbs signed the death warrant of 13,000 preborn Arizonians. Congratulations. 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 And it does not stop there. In November, voters in at least 13 states including Arizona, will be asked to undermine the personhood status of all preborn boys and girls by making it a fundamental right that a mother can abort her childs life. Abortion advocates tested this as a get-out-the-vote concept in November 2023 in what many view to be a pro-life state, Ohio. And it worked! Why would voters who just one year earlier, in a post-Dobbs 2022 political environment, elect a pro-life governor then completely reverse course, enshrining abortion as a right in their constitution? Many have argued that the pro-abortion lobby simply outspent the anti-abortion lobby by as much as 6 to 1. True. But shouldnt it be a little disconcerting that millions of that money streamed in from Americas abortion headquarters, New York? And what was their message to voters? Was it the unpopular truth that abortion will become a right? No. It was the lie that without a constitutional amendment, women would die for lack of emergency miscarriage treatment. Lets set the record straight. Abortion is the intentional separation of a healthy preborn baby from his mother for the purpose of killing the baby. There are both surgical and chemical processes for that. On the other hand, miscarriage treatment is the separation of a preborn baby who died naturally for the purpose of preventing complications to the mother such as infection. The procedures for extracting the baby may be similar but confusing the procedure with the purpose is the Democrat propaganda play. After all, what compassionate human would want to harm a woman in her hour of need? Yet, helping a woman with emergent complications during a miscarriage is not and never has been considered abortion by any self-respecting medical professional not on the payroll of big abortion or Democrat political campaigns. Voters beware. The super majority believe abortion should be restricted. Be careful not to be lulled into believing Democrats want anything less than abortion-on-demand through all nine months of pregnancy. Read your ballot initiatives. But the real play here in making abortion a fundamental right in a state constitution is not about the Democrat stated goal of enshrine[ing] into the law Roe v. Wade as Nancy Pelosi recently admitted. When abortion rights are shoe-horned into the civil rights sections of state constitutions, it immediately pits the religious and speech rights of pro-life people against the government-fabricated right to abortion. The goal of abortion extremists like Janes Revenge, Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden and his DOJ, and other blue-state bad actors, is to shut down all pro-life activity. Crazy? Compare the current disparity: Nearly 500 attacks on pro-life organizations with hardly any arrests with over 40 peaceful anti-abortion protestors suddenly indicted by Bidens DOJ, many of whom already convicted of FACE Act violations and conspiracy against rights. One mother of five faced 22 days of solitary confinement while awaiting a prison sentence of up to 50 years and $1M in fines. And for what? For exercising their First Amendment right, speaking on behalf of the voiceless orphan about to suffer the injustice of what even Bill Maher admits is murder. Hes just Okay with that. Scripture summarizes Americas political and judicial system succinctly: Can a throne of destruction be allied with [God], one which devises mischief by decree? They band themselves together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death (Ps. 94:20-21). There are only two things in this world that are sacred: God and people. America has forgotten that core truth and we wonder at the raging lawlessness swamping civilized order. A cancer of wickedness is spreading through the body politic that cannot be stopped by a new president, a better economy, or more police. Christians must repent of our silence and be vigilant to walk out the truth of the inherent dignity of man as made just a little lower than God among our friends, families, co-workers, and the public square. Home Opinion Communism isnt cool, its deadly Over the last few decades, there has been a resurgence of interest in and support for communism among Americas younger generations. In 2019, the Independent reported that More than a third of millennials in the US now approve of communism, while the popularity of capitalism has plummeted since 2018, according to YouGov polling. The survey found just 57% of 23 to 38-year-olds believe the Declaration of Independence better guarantees freedom and equality than the Communist Manifesto, with only 50 percent viewing capitalism favorably. How could this happen? How could the deadliest political ideology of the 20th century, and one of the deadliest political ideologies in human history, be garnering this much support from younger Americans? 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 Or, as Glenn Beck asked in 2010, How did communism become cool? Theres no doubt that communism has been given a facelift over the last few decades. But behind the glamorized red mask is the same hammer and sickle and mountains of skeletons. In this article, I want to consider how communism became cool, remind readers of the truth about communisms failures, and encourage college students to reject communism because when you know the truth, you know its not cool, its deadly. How communism became cool For much of the 20th century, communism was rightly recognized as the antithesis of American values. The Cold War pitted the capitalist and Christian West against the communist and atheistic East, and anti-communist sentiment was deeply ingrained in American society. However, with the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the direct opposition to communist ideology began to wane, particularly among those who did not live through the era. Also to blame are the public education system and mainstream media for not adequately educating young people about the historical and moral failings of communism. A report by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation highlights a lack of understanding among young Americans about the atrocities committed under communist regimes. This lack of history contributes to the romanticized view of communism as a fairer system than capitalism. Compounding their failure to teach the truth about communism, the American public education system and our institutions of higher education have instead brainwashed students into seeing all of life through a critical theory and cultural Marxist lens of the oppressors vs. the oppressed. This is drawn directly from Karl Marxs teaching and is the philosophical basis of communism in all of its forms, both economic and ideological. Other cultural and political influences have helped popularize this disastrous system. Icons like Che Guevara, with his revolutionary spirit and iconic image, have been romanticized and turned into fashionable symbols on T-shirts and posters. The Occupy Wall Street movement, which protested corporate greed and income inequality, also drew attention to the flaws of capitalist systems, leading some to seek alternatives like communism. Moreover, political figures like Bernie Sanders, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, have gained popularity among young voters by advocating for progressive (i.e. communist) policies such as free healthcare and education. While Sanders platform may not be strictly communist, his socialist-leaning ideas have sparked conversations about wealth redistribution and social welfare programs, which are core tenets of communist ideology. Feel the Bern? You definitely will when the famine hits. Finally, there is a direct link between communism and the growing radical climate change agenda, which has captured youth across the world. Climate alarmists have convinced the newest generations that the world is dying (it isnt) or that its overpopulated (its not), and the false perception that capitalism is responsible for these issues has driven many Millennials and Zoomers to consider communism as a viable alternative (its not). To dispel the myth of communism as some utopian, hip, climate-friendly alternative to free-market capitalism, its critically important to distinguish between the idealized version of communism presented in popular culture and the harsh reality of its implementation in real life. The truth about communisms death toll One of the most chilling aspects of communism is its staggering death toll. From the Soviet Union under Stalin to Mao Zedongs China, communist regimes have been responsible for the deaths of millions of people through forced labor camps, political purges, and mass starvation. The oppressive nature of these regimes, which sought to control every aspect of society, led to widespread suffering and loss of life on an unprecedented scale. Stalins Great Purge in the 1930s resulted in the deaths of an estimated 700,000 to 1.5 million people, including political opponents, intellectuals, and ordinary citizens deemed disloyal to the regime. The forced collectivization of agriculture in the Soviet Union under Stalins rule also led to the man-made famine known as the Holodomor, which claimed the lives of millions of Ukrainians. Similarly, Mao Zedongs Great Leap Forward in China, aimed at rapidly industrializing the country, resulted in a catastrophic famine that killed an estimated 15 to 45 million people between 1959 and 1961. The brutal tactics used by the Chinese Communist Party to maintain control and suppress dissent led to widespread human rights abuses and a climate of fear and distrust among the population. This eventually led to the Cultural Revolution, an effort by Mao to purify the ranks by manipulating indoctrinated students to inflict a red terror on the populace through struggle sessions, violence, chaos, and mass killings. As many as two million people died as a result, and society gained nothing but grave disorder, damage, and retrogression. The death toll of communism extends beyond these infamous examples to include many other countries that have experienced the devastating consequences of communist rule. From Yugoslavia under Tito to Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge to North Koreas oppressive regime, the legacy of communism is stained with bloodshed and tyranny. It is vital for college students, who are shaping their political beliefs and values, to be aware of these historical atrocities and reject any romanticized notions of communism. Why communism should be rejected by college kids Do you like freedom? Affordable food? Good infrastructure? Do you like being alive? Then you should reject communism. Do you want to be able to raise a family in freedom and prosperity? Own a home? Run a business? Then you should reject communism. Do you want to be able to speak your mind freely, without fear of being sent to the Gulags? Then reject communism. As you embark on your academic and professional journey as a college student, you have a unique opportunity to critically engage with different ideologies and worldviews. While its good to explore diverse perspectives and challenge conventional wisdom (while never rejecting biblical truth), communism is not something to flirt with. Or seriously consider. Or celebrate with an edgy T-shirt. Communisms commitment to total state control, central planning, and atheistic philosophy is antithetical to the principles of Christianity, individual freedom, innovation, and personal responsibility all things that are essential for a thriving society. By concentrating power in the hands of a select few, communism invariably stifles freedom of religion, creativity, entrepreneurship, and independent thought, leading to stagnation, economic hardship, purges, and death. Furthermore, the utopian promises of communism, such as the elimination of social classes and the creation of a classless society, have proven to be unattainable in practice. Instead, communist regimes have perpetuated inequality, corruption, and oppression, creating a privileged ruling class that benefits at the expense of the general population. As you sit in your university lecture halls, immersed in intellectual discourse, I urge you to consider the weight of the ideas that are being presented to you. If youre at a strong, conservative, Christian university, like Liberty, Im confident that your professors wont be glorifying communism. But some of your classmates might. And the world around you TikTok, Instagram, the news media definitely will. They will try to sell you false gods and fake saviors, wrapped in the form of new ideas. And one of those ideas will be communism, a system that has been responsible for the suffering and death of millions. Communism, in theory, promises equality and prosperity for all. In practice, however, it has consistently led to the opposite: oppression, poverty, and death. The history of communist regimes is riddled with stories of people who were stripped of their freedom, denied their basic rights, and even executed for daring to think differently. Young minds, do not be seduced by the allure of communisms promises. Instead, embrace the values of Christianity, a biblical worldview, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness. These ideas are what have made our society great. The Berlin Wall fell for a reason. It would be foolish to consider trying to rebuild it and all it represents today. Communism may promise equality, but it does so at the cost of faith and freedom. So do not let the siren song of utopian ideals lure you into a system that has caused so much pain and suffering no matter how cool the confused world manages to make it look. Originally published at the Standing for Freedom Center. Home Opinion Rwanda genocide: 3 lessons for American Christians on division and faith Known as the heart of Africa and the land of a thousand hills, Rwanda is a country of astonishing beauty. It's home to some of the world's best coffee and a population known for their friendliness and hospitality. Yet tragically, most Americans know Rwanda from the news headlines or the Hollywood film about the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994. In a roughly 100-day period between April and July of that year, neighbor turned against neighbor, leaving as many as 1 million people dead. Rwandan society was shattered. Nearly every citizen had been a victim of the genocide, a perpetrator, or an eyewitness to the bloodshed. With that history, the transformation I saw when I visited recently left me inspired and awe-struck. People have found reconciliation and a path forward from the unthinkable. And the country has made incredible progress in areas like education and access to basic services. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe What the people of Rwanda have achieved in the last 30 years is much more than a feel-good story. Its a master class for us as American Christians offering both warnings and inspiration about division, unity, and the role of faith. Lesson 1: Our words matter During my trip, I visited the genocide memorial and museum and took from it a stark warning of how easy it is for our word choices to sow disunity and division. Today people in Rwanda no longer even refer to each other as Hutu or Tutsi; everyone is simply Rwandan. But years prior to the genocide, the Hutu began referring to the Tutsi as cockroaches a first step in painting them not as neighbors or friends, but as the other. This sort of shift may happen little by little, but the outcome can be atrocious. In the age of social media, it is increasingly common to see ugly, hurtful words exchanged online. The temptation is to categorize people as either part of us or them. For me, Rwanda offers a warning and a reminder that words are a powerful tool for either healing or hurting. How are we using ours? Lesson 2: Faith is a critical ingredient for healing and unity During the genocide, some churches normally considered a safe haven became places of slaughter. People including women and children sought sanctuary in church buildings, but instead they were corralled there and killed in greater numbers. It was difficult to look at the photos of these scenes at the memorial and listen to video accounts from survivors. But I was encouraged by how faith has helped bring reconciliation in Rwanda. Today, after all the violence and trauma, Rwandans have been able to forgive their neighbors and live together in a country the size of Maryland, but with more than twice as many people. And faith played a critical role. Thirty years ago, during the horror of the genocide, a woman named Alice lost her baby, and her right hand, when a crowd of Hutus descended on her with machetes and clubs covered in nails. In the violence, she recognized one man, Emmanuel, because they had gone to the same school growing up. On that day he was wielding a machete. Because of reconciliation efforts initiated across the country by World Vision through church partners including the church Emmanuel attended he decided to confront his past and ask Alice for forgiveness. Eventually, she was able to forgive him. Today they consider themselves friends. They visit each others houses and their kids enjoy spending time with each other. The way people have forgiven such atrocities is a testament to the miraculous power of God. There is no earthly way most of us could live next to, attend church with, or work side by side with someone who had attacked us or killed members of our family. I believe this is Holy Spirit work. And in it, you can feel Gods presence in the midst of unimaginable pain. Today, World Vision continues to partner with churches and communities throughout Rwanda to equip children and families to thrive through sustainable access to clean water, improved livelihoods, spiritual nurture, and more. Learning 3: Real progress is possible, even in the most challenging circumstances It is tempting to label some places in our world lost causes. Every day, news headlines are filled with examples of crisis, conflict, and extreme poverty. Providing help can feel like trying to stop a tsunami by pouring a few extra grains of sand onto the beach hopeless. Not even worth the effort. But the progress Ive witnessed in Rwanda counters that mindset. Last year I was there to mark World Visions accomplishment, in partnership with the Rwandan government and people, of establishing clean water access for more than 1 million people in just five years everyone, everywhere we worked in the country at the time we set this goal in 2018! And its not just progress in access to clean water. Rwanda aspires to be a middle-income country by 2035 and reach high-income status by 2050, as defined by the World Bank. The government is working toward universal access to electricity for its citizens its a future that would have been hard to imagine from the state of the country 30 years ago. And they have made significant progress. Today, as we remember the horrors of this genocide, I hope we look back with an eye to what we can learn, but also with inspiration and awe for what is possible through cooperation and faith. Home Opinion Self-defense what does the Bible say? With recent shootings in public places and churches, the question of self-defense has been coming up lately. But first, let's be clear: What we are seeing today is not a gun problem; its a moral problem called sin. Vengeance is not self-defense One Scripture often used to support pacifism and banning weapons is found in Proverbs 20:22, Do not say, I will recompense evil; wait for the Lord, and He will save you. But this scripture verse is dealing with vigilantism, not self-defense. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe According to Romans 13:4, one of the purposes of the authorities is to execute wrath on him who practices evil. They are Gods avengers, but we can be defenders. Seek peace when possible As Christians, I believe that we are to seek peace at every turn and not drape the cross with the flag. But what about self-defense as a last resort and biblical mandates to protect? The Old Testament offers many examples, but what about the New Testament? It does as well. In Matthew 26:52 Jesus says to Peter, Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Jesus didnt denounce the sword but clarified its place. When we take premature emotionally charged action, it may cost us our life. Buy a sword Later Jesus adds, Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? If He had been a thief and a robber, the clubs and swords would have been justified. In my opinion, these Scripture verses imply that weapons do have a place in society, although we must be careful. Additionally, in Luke 22:36 Jesus said, But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. What is the context? First, again I would err on the side of peace, but this isnt always an option. One thing is certain: A sword was for defense. Earlier, Jesus had sent them on a peaceful mission trip where they did not need these items, but now Jesus may be implying that self-defense might become necessary. He wants them to use wisdom and be prepared. Love your enemies doesnt mean hate your family Some may argue, Didnt Jesus say to love our enemies, and bless those who curse us, and do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who spitefully use and persecute us? (cf. Matthew 5:43-48.) Yes, but these references refer to personal assaults, offenses, and character assassinations, not to self-defense or the protection of others. It is taking a quantum leap to believe that Jesus is saying, Do good to those who are trying to maim or destroy you or your family. Jesus didnt turn the other cheek Paul tells Timothy that if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever (1 Tim. 5:8). But if I protect my family, which is often a greater responsibility (if not equal), then Im labeled a war-monger and accused of misapplying the Scriptures. The Scriptures must be read in their appropriate context. For example, when Jesus was slapped, He didnt turn the other cheek. He said, If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me? (John 18:23). Although we are to err on the side of grace and peace, there is a time and a place for confrontation and protection. Forgiveness is not passivity I want to make it clear that Im not advocating violence or aggression; Im advocating scriptural consistency and continuity. Context is the key factor here. Forgiving is not being passive, and granting grace is not being gullible. Are we called to guard our families spiritually, emotionally, and financially but not physically? This makes no sense. However, my concern with the current gun debate is that we are buying into the fear narrative. A minimizing of sovereignty is directly related to a magnifying of worry. Most Christians salute the sovereignty of God but believe in the sovereignty of man (R.C. Sproul). A Glock for the flock Many are prepared militarily but not spiritually, instilling unhealthy fear in their families. They are motivated by the fear of man rather than the fear of God. I hear much about GLOCK, Smith and Wesson, and Remington, but little about brokenness, surrender, and humility. Every time Gods people trusted in their weapons and armies, He called them to repentance. Our protection is in daily submission to Him. Psalm 121:2 adds, Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and earth. Our current trend beckons us to be very careful about who, or what, we worship, and who, or what, we place our trust in. Before we get a Glock for the flock and become pistol-packing preachers, we must be watchmen battling in the courts of Heaven with prayer and fasting. Home Opinion Why we need to train our children from a young age Whether we believe it or not, every Christian parent is presently in a battle with the devil over the souls of his or her children. The devil has come in full force to attack Christian homes to take our children captive. The culture and social media influences are now playing more significant roles in shaping our children's character than parents. We need to ensure that our children are rooted in the things of God. Praying that the devil does not take advantage of our children is needed but teaching them to become zealous for the things of God is imperative. Just bringing our children to church is no longer enough. We need to take the battle to the gate of the devil by recruiting our children into God's workforce. In 2020, I was tasked with recruiting children into Young Missionaries Club in Nigeria. My initial objective was to train them to carry out missionary work when they grow up. I now realize that this club, like any other club, can influence and shape the character of these children. My ministry, Afri-mission and Evangelism Network, has partnered with schools and communities to recruit children into YMC, teaching them about missionary heroes, and aiding them to become better witnesses for Christ and His Gospel. If the devil has vowed to destroy our children, we must be ready to go the extra mile to help our children, as early as possible, to do damage to the kingdom of darkness. 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 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). Christian parents should be determined to help their children fulfill their God-given destiny on earth by teaching and directing them early enough to become instruments in the hands of God. It is important to note that missionary work is not an option to be chosen among other professions by Christians and their children; it is an invitation that God has given to every Christian to partner with Him in the mandate of the Great Commission. Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). This mandate is a call to duty to be Gods ambassador wherever we find ourselves. Children taking missionary responsibility at an early age can stand firm and not bow to peer pressure. Some of our young missionaries are attempting great things for God in evangelism and missions. This is not just time to pray for our children we must keep them busy with the service of God lest the enemy destroys them. In this map from AirNow, a partnership of federal agencies that monitors air quality, the locations in red and orange were reporting unhealthy levels of particulate matter around 5 p.m. Monday. AirNow If youve been wondering why it has been so hazy in Texas lately or why Houston skies seemed a bit smoky on Monday, youre not alone. But its also something that happens often this time of year in southern parts of Texas. Smoke from agricultural fires in Mexico and Central America has been moving north into Texas over the past several weeks, worsening our air quality, sometimes with a brownish haze and often aggravating allergies. This time of year, farmers south of the border burn old crops to prepare their fields for the growing season. The fires clear the land for new crops and add nutrients to the soil. You can expect smoke from the fires to make its way north through early summer. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In its air quality forecast for Monday, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which monitors air quality around the state, noted that Decreasing impacts from the residual smoke associated with the widespread seasonal burning activities throughout central-southern Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula and Central America, along with aerosols from industrial sources in Mexico are forecast for the beginning of next week as the fine particulate matter disperses." But the TCEQ warned that elevated humidity levels will likely continue contributing towards increasing particulate-matter concentrations for the eastern two-thirds of the state. Only the silhouettes of buildings are visible as a blanket of haze settles over downtown Houston Monday, May 27, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Looking north from Interstate 45 Gulf Freeway, only the silhouettes of buildings are visible as a blanket of haze settles over downtown Houston Monday, May 27, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer The Pleasure Pier is difficult to see because of hazy skies on Monday May 27, 2024 in Galveston, TX. Jill Karnicki/Staff photographer The skyline is difficult to see because of hazy skies on Monday May 27, 2024 in Galveston, TX. Jill Karnicki/Staff photographer The distant horizon is difficult to see because of hazy skies on Monday May 27, 2024 in Galveston, TX. Jill Karnicki/Staff photographer WATCH OUT FOR WILDLIFE: Leave flood-displaced critters alone, Texas wildlife experts say The daily air quality index for particulate matter was in the "unhealthy for sensitive groups" range in the Houston area, where an Ozone Action Day was declared, and in the moderate range in the Beaumont-Port Arthur and Bryan-College Station areas. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Unhealthy for sensitive groups means if you are sensitive to air pollutants, you could experience health problems, but the larger public is less likely to be affected, according to the TCEQ. Moderate means air quality is acceptable but those unusually sensitive to air pollution could face health risks. Light winds, warm to hot temperatures, abundant afternoon sunshine, and/or elevated incoming background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the middle to upper end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Waco-Killeen areas; the middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Big Bend, El Paso, and Laredo areas; and the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Amarillo, Lubbock, and Midland-Odessa areas. The TCEQ's forecast models suggest that Tuesday could see more of the fine particulate matter linked to the residual smoke from the agricultural fires along with high humidity levels. Particulate matter in Houston can come from a variety of sources: including but not limited to grains of pollen, ground-level ozone, smoke from wildfires, dust blown in by dry winds from West Texas, and dust blown in from the ocean from as far away as the Sahara Desert in North Africa. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The TCEQ posts a daily air quality forecast that explains which particulates are being detected and where they might be coming from. Aboneaza-te la rubricile dorite si primeste zilnic notificari pe email cu link-uri la articolele care au fost adaugate in ultimele 24 de ore. Notificarile vor fi expediate la adresa indicata mai jos. Daca doresti sa schimbi adresa - o poti modifica editand informatia de profil aici. Three insurance companies have rejected Chevrons claim over the seizure last year of an oil cargo by Iran, according to a complaint filed on Tuesday in a U.S. court in California. The Chevron-chartered tanker Advantage Sweet was boarded by Iranian military in the Gulf of Oman in April 2023 and its crude oil cargo confiscated and later transferred to an Iranian vessel. Zurich American Insurance, Liberty Mutual Insurance and Great American Insurance asked a U.S. District Court in San Francisco to uphold their rejection of Chevrons $57 million claim under both marine cargo and war risks policies the company held. The seizure of the crude oil and its later expropriation by Iran do not constitute warlike operations,' the companies said of their denial of war risks coverage. Chevrons marine cargo policy also did not cover a seizure or confiscation, they told the court. A Chevron spokesperson said the company contests the denial of insurance coverage. The military seizure by the Islamic Republic of Iran of the Advantage Sweet in international waters with Chevrons cargo aboard was a hostile act plainly covered by our insurance policies. We look forward to proving this in court, said Chevron spokesperson Christine Dobbyn. Chevron chartered the Advantage Sweet to transport crude oil to Houston from the Neutral Zone area shared by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, the complaint said. Chevron has oil production operations in the zone. Iranian Navy commandos boarded the Advantage Sweet while the vessel was in international waters in the Gulf of Oman on or about April 27, 2023 and seized control of the vessel and its cargo of crude oil, according to the complaint. (Reporting by Gary McWilliams; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Diane Craft) Louisiana governor Jeff Landry signed a package of insurance reform bills Tuesday aimed at encouraging insurers to write more business in the states property market. The legislation, endorsed by Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple, will give property insurers more flexibility over policy cancellations, replace a prior approval rating method for a a file-and-use system, and establish a tighter process for insurers to initiate loss adjustments. Louisiana is not healthy and its certainly not competitive, Temple said at a news conference. These bills were all designed to restore confidence back in the Louisiana marketplace. The most controversial of the bills passed by lawmakers this session is House Bill 611, which repeals a law unique to Louisiana that prevents carriers from canceling, nonrenewing or raising deductibles on policies that have been in effect for more than three years, except under certain condition. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with such a law. House Bill 611, authored by Rep. Gabe Firment, removes the three-year rule for new policies and allows insurers to nonrenew up to 5% of their three-year policies each year. Temple has said that repealing the three-year-rule is a necessary step in attracting insurers back to the state. Some of these bills arent popular but they bring Louisiana back into the mainstream, Temple said on Tuesday. Temple said that a greater availability of insurers will ultimately bring more affordability to Louisiana. Senate Bill 295, authored by Sen. Heather Cloud, increases speed-to-market for insurance products and rate changes by updating the Louisiana Department of Insurances rate and form filing approval process from a prior approval method to a file-and-use system. Insurers will be able to immediately start selling policies as long as they meet current benchmarks. Senate Bill 323 establishes that insurers will have 14 days to initiate loss adjustments for non-catastrophic claims and 30 days for post-catastrophe. The bill, authored by Senate Insurance Committee Chairman Kirk Talbot, creates a cure period to give parties more time to resolve disputes before turning to litigation. Talbot said the legislation will make the claims process very streamlined for the consumer. The final bill of the package, House Bill 120, authored by Rep. Matthew Willard, extends the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program, which offers grants of up to $10,000 to homeowners to retrofit their roofs to the Fortified standard set by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program was introduced in 2023 under former commissioner Jim Donelon. State lawmakers allocated $30 million of funding for the first year of the program. Legislators still need to secure funding for the next round of grants. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner speaks during a media conference Thursday, April 11, 2024, in Houston. Finner abruptly retired from HPD after a 2018 email revealed he knew about the department's suspended cases scandal years before he initially said he discovered it. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer When Troy Finner was introduced as Houstons new police chief in March 2021, he laid out three priorities: preventing homicides, reducing violent crime and building trust with the community. Three years later, in the wake of Finners surprising retirement announcement Tuesday night, he can reasonably argue albeit with significant caveats that he accomplished the first two. Violent crime has steadily declined in Houston since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, mirroring a nationwide trend in major cities. As recently as last week, the Houston Police Department reported year-to-year declines in homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Finners failure to accomplish the third objective muddies his otherwise strong legacy and has now brought an early end to his 34-year HPD career. For a time, it looked as though Finner, who was widely liked and respected among leaders and rank and file alike, might survive the Houston Police Departments mushrooming scandal involving homicides, rapes and other cases that went uninvestigated for years. Mayor John Whitmire had stood by Finner even after revelations that more than 264,000 HPD cases were improperly suspended over the course of eight years using a lack of personnel code. But the new mayor had enough this week after an email emerged indicating that Finner may have known about the problem earlier than he claimed. It was not one thing, Whitmire told the editorial board Wednesday. But I would honestly say the email was the final straw. Morale within HPD was already suffering due to the disruption of the scandal, Whitmire said, but Finners departure came quickly after a Tuesday report from ABC13 revealing a 2018 email in which Finner acknowledged a wrongly suspended case years before he previously claimed he became aware of the improper lack of personnel code in 2021. In the email, which Finner wrote as assistant chief under then-Chief Art Acevedo, he wrote it was unacceptable for a road rage case to have been suspended due to a lack of personnel even through there were investigative leads including a witness. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In response, Finner said he hadnt recalled the 2018 email until he saw it this week and insisted he was truthful about not learning until 2021 that there was an actual code being used to wrongly suspend cases. That revelation came on the heels of a KPRC report that a member of Finners executive team made misleading statements about the suspended cases scandal to internal affairs, forcing them to reopen the case after Finner had announced it had been completed. Whitmire declined to say whom he would consider to replace Finner Larry Satterwhite, the assistant police chief, will take over on an interim basis the mayor implied he wanted someone not directly tied to the scandal. Police officers want to fight crime, he said. They dont want to hear about investigations of their superiors. Indeed, Houstonians certainly prefer to have our police on the front page for solving major crimes, not unwittingly enabling new ones, which is what happened when police failed to investigate offenders who went on to offend again. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Satterwhite will now be tasked with picking up the pieces of HPDs internal review of the suspended cases and rebuilding the publics trust. We dont envy his position. When Mayor Sylvester Turner tapped Finner to take over for Acevedo, he already had inherited a department under the microscope for strained police-community relations. There was the botched, no-knock drug raid stemming from a fake 911 call in 2019 that ended with residents Rhogena Nicholas and Dennis Tuttle dead and a rogue police officer charged with murder. Then there was the murder of George Floyd a former Houston resident at the hands of police officers in Minnesota, that compounded the calls for police reform. Finner was tasked with accomplishing what Acevedo failed to do not just talking a good game on improving police accountability, but actually implementing significant changes. Finner, a native Houstonian who rose up through the ranks, known for his authenticity and straight-forward approach, seemed to be the perfect pick. When he took over, Turners handpicked Task Force on Policing Reform had issued 104 proposals for improving transparency and police oversight. By last year, 90% of the recommendations had been implemented, including releasing officers' body-camera footage within 30 days of a police shooting, which Acevedo notably declined to do. NEW ACTING CHIEF: What to know about Larry Satterwhite Once the public became aware of the spike in crime across the nation during the pandemic, attention shifted to making Houston safer. On that front, Finner implemented a data-based approach to target parts of the city rife with violence and drugs and pushed Turner to earmark additional funds for overtime pay and new officers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Those strategies appeared to pay off with a sharp decline in homicides and violent crime. With Finners retirement, Houston has lost a dedicated public servant with a strong record on reducing crime and we wish his time as chief did not have to end this way. Yet Finner acknowledged the thousands of suspended cases have raised serious questions about HPDs clearance rates. Even criminologists and crime data experts say it may take months or years to ascertain whether HPDs statistics are trustworthy. With so many lingering questions, Finner stepping down was the right call. There are simply too many inconsistencies about his own involvement in the scandal for him to continue to be the face of the department. Even if Finner simply got his dates mixed up on when he first discovered the lack of personnel classification or simply focused on when he knew of its widespread use, it is still unclear why his raising the alarm didnt stop that practice immediately. The Chronicles own investigation makes clear that, even after Finners verbal directive, investigators started applying the code even more than they had previously. Its unclear whether this code was being used because of managerial incompetence or laziness. And its still unclear how many new crimes were committed because of old cases that couldve been resolved if they hadnt been shelved. We still believe all of these open questions warrant an investigation from an outside agency such as the Texas Rangers or FBI. Removing Finner doesnt resolve the need for Whitmire to push for it. Rebuilding trust in the department starts with holding every individual administrator, commander and officer accountable for using the faulty code to shove off cases that should have been pursued. Yes, the department is understaffed, but theres no excuse for a practice that compromises public safety further. Finners departure doesnt absolve the HPD for its apparent negligence that began years before he became chief. And it doesnt lessen the urgency with which Whitmire and HPD leaders need to identify what went wrong and ensure it never happens again. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Beachwood police are investigating a matter in which a Shaker Heights man, 81, fell victim to a scam that cost him $5,000. CLEVELAND, Ohio More than 65 artists are participating in the Little Italy Summer ArtWalk May 31 to June 2. The show is more than doubling in size as it combines forces with the Cleveland Bazaar, Northeast Ohios longest-running indie craft show producer. Artists will set up in the historic Murray Hill Schoolhouse and Alchemy Studio. Some artists, retailers and restaurants will doing something special. For example Fine art painter John Allston Sargent III will be the guest artist at McDowell Real Estate, 2191 Murray Hill Road, throughout the ArtWalk. Tara Seibel will be hosting an Opening Reception at her art gallery from 5 to 7 p.m., June 1. The opening will include work from four artists. The gallery is above Prestis Bakery, 12101 Mayfield Road. Mount Granita Italian Ice will be hosting Lost Thread Vintage pop-up all three days. Lost Thread Vintage sells vintage clothing and accessories at Main Street Modern. Main Street Modern is a Canton-based warehouse that specializes in mid-century modern furniture and more. Parking will be available from 5 to 8:30 p.m., May 31 and June 1, at the Holy Rosary Church Yard. 12021 Mayfield Road. Valet parking will be available at various locations on Mayfield Road. 5 to 9 p.m. May 31 Noon to 9 p.m., June 1 Noon to 5 p.m., June 2 As a bonus, from 1 to 7 p.m., June 1, the Little Italy Artisan and Farmers Market will be in Tony Brush Park. RELATED: Mount Granita opens Little Italy storefront to offer traditional Sicilian dessert Cent Anni brings Italian amaro bar to Little Italy Send dining, drinking and culture story ideas to Paris Wolfe at pwolfe@cleveland.com. Review her previous stories here. Follow Paris Wolfe on Instagram @pariswolfe. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg talks with the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board about her changes to the intake unit on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024, in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer The Harris County District Attorneys Office has offered overtime to veteran prosecutors to fill staffing holes in the embattled intake unit, according to county emails. The unit, tasked with vetting potential charges, underwent a massive restructuring after District Attorney Kim Ogg took office in 2017. Reversing years of precedent, Ogg switched the intakes mandatory rotation, which guaranteed overtime to experienced prosecutors picking up eight-hour shifts on nights and weekends, to staffing the unit with more than two dozen full-time employees with mixed courtroom know-how a move that opened her up to steady criticism during her unsuccessful reelection campaign. The changes, outlined in emails, appear contrary to her overhaul. Advertisement Article continues below this ad An intake division chief warned that an influx of prosecutors calling out sick and leaving the office has left her team at a disadvantage. We are about to have quite the staffing crisis at Intake, wrote Jennifer Keith in a May 1 email obtained by the Chronicle. INTAKE INVESTIGATION: Thousands of Houstonians are sent to jail with no legal basis under DA Ogg, judges say She characterized the staffing problem as an urgent matter, promising time-and-a-half pay for prosecutors who worked prior to Oggs administration, particularly those with specialized training such as financial and vehicular crimes. The district attorneys office, Keith included, did not respond to requests for comment elaborating on her remarks. Advertisement Article continues below this ad More than two dozen prosecutors volunteered within hours of Keiths request, according to her emails. Intakes staffing woes follow a Chronicle investigation surrounding the effectiveness of the unit intended to review hundreds of calls from police officers daily to weed out cases without probable cause, or facts and circumstances required to merit a criminal charge. The investigation found mounting issues ranging from inexperienced staff and a growing number of criminal charges made without a legal basis, leading to unnecessary arrests. Oggs changes took on criticism during her second term as more cases made it past review only for Harris County magistrates and elected judges to find the charges lacked probable cause to begin with. The district attorney said her revised unit has led to fewer criminal case filings overall, since police officers now speak to a consistent set of specifically-trained prosecutors operating within uniform policies. But of those cases that are brought, judges are tossing more than ever before. In 2022, judges found that more than 4,500 cases lacked probable cause doubling the number of cases of that nature from 2016, before Ogg took office, according to the Chronicle investigation. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The email announcement does not mean a return to pre-Ogg operations, Keith continued in her email, but prosecutors could expect the rotation to last through the end of the year. Ogg, who lost to Democratic primary challenger Sean Teare, will leave office Dec. 31. Teare, a former prosecutor, criticized Oggs handling of intake and hiring of unqualified attorneys to work the unit early on the campaign trail. In one instance, an employee wound up in intake after a courtroom blunder. The prosecutor, whom a judge booted from a sexual assault case, joined the units ranks recently from the Crimes Against Children Division, according to county records. Teare said, if elected, he will staff the intake division as previously done before Oggs administration. The District Attorneys Office should not have waited for a crisis to change intake operations, he continued, noting that the pool of prosecutors whose employment predates Ogg may be relatively small. PRIMARY LOSS: What led to Kim Ogg's blowout loss in bid to remain Harris County DA His Republican opponent, Dan Simons, shied from a similar return. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He recommended training law enforcement and prosecutors on legal procedures, case prioritization and data management, while ensuring victims of crimes have a voice during the intake process. Keith previously defended the intake prosecutors and countered that the increase in tossed cases aligned with the election of new Democratic judges, many of whom have much less experience than their predecessors. Experience, however, was at the top of her requirements for intake in her recent emails. She requested prosecutors who already know what to do. Younger lawyers would not be permitted to volunteer for intake, she continued. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Jasper Scherer covered Texas politics and government for the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News. He joined the Hearst Austin bureau in 2021 after nearly three years as a City Hall reporter for the Chronicle and a prior stint covering Bexar County for the Express-News. He has also reported on local politics for both papers. A native of San Francisco, he graduated from Northwestern University in 2017 with degrees in journalism and political science, and has interned for the Tampa Bay Times, Washington Post and Fortune magazine. (Photo : Unsplash/Mika Baumeister) According to a senior US cyber official, US officials confronted the Chinese government in Beijing last month regarding a wide-ranging cyber espionage campaign in which Chinese hackers infiltrated dozens of American critical infrastructure organizations. American officials assert that under the campaign named Volt Typhoon, China aims to exploit the access it has obtained within US organizations in the event of a war or conflict, reflecting increasing tensions between the US and China over Taiwan, which the Chinese government has previously dismissed as groundless. The US-China Confrontation Nathaniel Fick, US ambassador at large for cyberspace and digital policy, stated in an interview at the RSA Conference in San Francisco on Tuesday that they brought it up directly with the Chinese government at high levels, conveying that such behavior is "dangerous, escalatory, and unacceptable." Fick mentioned that he discussed the issue with Chinese officials alongside US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who visited China from April 24 to 26. When asked about the Chinese response, Fick stated that they have said before that it is a ploy by various US agencies to get more budget dollars the same way they had with previous attributions. READ ALSO: US Diplomat Who Served as Cuba's Secret Agent for Decades Pleads Guilty in a "Win-Win" Agreement While the exact number of compromised US organizations by the hackers remains unclear, Brandon Wales, the executive director of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, mentioned during a separate media briefing at the same conference that any number is likely an underestimate as the Chinese targeting their critical infrastructure is broad-based, extending across a wide range of small and medium-sized companies, which could be critical within specific supply chains or capable of inciting societal panic in various locations around the country. Volt Typhoon: The Chinese Hacking Group China is building the capability to cause significant damage to US critical infrastructure, with hackers ready to strike at a moment's notice, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned last month. The FBI reports that the group targeted a wide range of critical infrastructure in the country, including water treatment systems, the power grid, transportation systems, oil and gas pipelines, and telecommunication networks. Wray stated that the state-sponsored group from China had succeeded in installing malware and gaining control of hundreds of old and outdated routers linked to these infrastructure assets. Cybercrime Allegations Towards China Speaking to the US congressional committee on the US-China competition, Wray explained that the Volt Typhoon malware allowed China to conduct pre-operational reconnaissance and network exploitation against critical infrastructure as it gears up to cause chaos and real-world harm to the Americans. He further noted that if and when China decides to strike, their targets are not limited to political or military entities. Cybersecurity experts in the US have previously cautioned that China is targeting infrastructure as a potential strategy to disrupt communications in the event of a conflict. During a hearing of the Select Committee on Competition, the chairman likened this tactic to placing bombs on American bridges and power plants in cyberspace. Beijing has criticized the committee and denied all allegations of cybercrime, urging them to abandon their ideological bias and Cold War mentality. While the Chinese government has not yet responded to the accusations, it has consistently denied allegations of engaging in state-sponsored cyber warfare against other nations and has long accused the US of being the largest hacking empire and cyberthief in the world. RELATED ARTICLE: Ex-Google Engineer Busted Working with Chinese Companies, Faces Four Theft Counts for Stealing AI Trade Secrets 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Veteran actor makes series debut after 3 decades By Lee Gyu-lee Veteran actor Song Kang-ho has taken on his first TV series role in 35 years of his career with Disney+s new original series Uncle Samsik, slated to premiere on May 15. Directed and scripted by filmmaker Shin Yeon-shick, who scripted the 2016 historical film Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet, the 16-part series takes viewers back to 1960s Korea, a time of rebuilding after the 1950-53 Korean War. It follows the life of Park Doo-chill (Song), who goes by the name Uncle Samsik equivalent to the Korean word for three meals. As the country is going through difficult times, Parks priority has always been providing his family with three meals a day. But when he meets Kim San (Byun Yo-han), an elite idealist who is ambitious to reshape the countrys fortunes, Park convinces him to work together for the countrys prosperity. This is a very Korean title. Since (the series) is set against the era when people were desperate for food, it captures a lot of unique sentiments of Korea, Song said during a press conference for the series at Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Gangnam District, Seoul, Wednesday. Although the historical setting isn't the main focus of the series, it reflects the lives we are living through fictional characters. So I have high hopes (for the series) as I think it can be a thought-provoking piece. The director shared that the series will delve deeper into the roots of Korean society, which rebuilt itself completely after the war. I think Korea is the only country that asks if one has eaten as a greeting. (The series) portrays the difficult times right after the Korean War, when it was truly challenging to have even one meal a day, Shin said. Ive been living in Korea for over 40 years but I find it unfamiliar and difficult to adapt. I've always been curious about the society I live in and the people making up that society. I also wanted to explore the origins of the people who formed present-day Korea and this was the perfect timing. Some may see Uncle Samsik as a historical drama and others might see it as film noir, but to me, it's a romance story. Song expressed excitement about his series debut, eager to challenge himself with different cinematic formats. With an impressive film career spanning over 40 titles, Song has achieved significant milestones, including starring in four films that each drew over 10 million viewers and holding the distinction of being the first Korean male to win Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival. I engage with many fans and audiences through my work, sharing and enjoying the values of the work with them. As many would know, we live in such a diverse era. And on that note, I believe the most important thing is communicating with the fans. I wanted to try various approaches through different channels, the actor said. So I came to join this series naturally. Ive talked about this with the director, but Uncle Samsik is different from many streaming service series that are trending now. So, it could feel more adventurous and refreshing. That triggered my curiosity and enthusiasm, which led me to this point. Uncle Samsik will release five episodes on May 15 and two episodes every Wednesday afterward. U.S. withholds arms shipment to Israel over "serious concerns" about Rafah offensive: State Dept Xinhua) 08:44, May 09, 2024 U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 8, 2024. The United States has withheld one shipment of near-term weapons aid to Israel due to "serious concerns" that a looming large-scale military operation in Rafah by Israeli forces would cause significant loss of civilian lives, the State Department said on Wednesday. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told senators on Capitol Hill as he testified on the Pentagon's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal that the Pentagon is "going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself." "But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah," he added. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) WASHINGTON, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The United States has withheld one shipment of near-term weapons aid to Israel due to "serious concerns" that a looming large-scale military operation in Rafah by Israeli forces would cause significant loss of civilian lives, the State Department said on Wednesday. Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the State Department, confirmed the halt of security assistance to Israel at a press briefing, telling reporters that the administration of President Joe Biden is reviewing other shipments as the situation in Rafah unfolds. "We have very serious concerns about a potential Rafah operation. We have concerns about what that would mean for the civilian population," Miller said, adding that such concerns on the U.S. side stemmed from "the way Israel has conducted its operations in the past and what the impact on the civilian population has been." Miller's confirmation of the delay came days after multiple U.S. media outlets reported on the administration's move, with Axios - which first published such a report - citing a senior administration official as saying that weapons being put on hold included 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs. "We also have concerns about the impact of any potential operation on the delivery of humanitarian assistance," Miller said, urging Israel to open the Rafah crossing so that humanitarian assistance would continue flowing into Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement early Tuesday that its troops "managed to establish operational control of the Gazan side" of the Rafah crossing following a "precise counterterrorism operation" launched overnight against Hamas. Miller said the IDF's incursion into Rafah was conducted without U.S. approval, adding that Washington considered it to be the "first priority" that the Rafah crossing be kept open. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told senators on Capitol Hill as he testified on the Pentagon's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal that the Pentagon is "going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself." "But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah," he added. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 8, 2024. The United States has withheld one shipment of near-term weapons aid to Israel due to "serious concerns" that a looming large-scale military operation in Rafah by Israeli forces would cause significant loss of civilian lives, the State Department said on Wednesday. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told senators on Capitol Hill as he testified on the Pentagon's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal that the Pentagon is "going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself." "But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah," he added. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 8, 2024. The United States has withheld one shipment of near-term weapons aid to Israel due to "serious concerns" that a looming large-scale military operation in Rafah by Israeli forces would cause significant loss of civilian lives, the State Department said on Wednesday. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told senators on Capitol Hill as he testified on the Pentagon's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal that the Pentagon is "going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself." "But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah," he added. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 8, 2024. The United States has withheld one shipment of near-term weapons aid to Israel due to "serious concerns" that a looming large-scale military operation in Rafah by Israeli forces would cause significant loss of civilian lives, the State Department said on Wednesday. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told senators on Capitol Hill as he testified on the Pentagon's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal that the Pentagon is "going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself." "But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah," he added. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (Front) testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 8, 2024. The United States has withheld one shipment of near-term weapons aid to Israel due to "serious concerns" that a looming large-scale military operation in Rafah by Israeli forces would cause significant loss of civilian lives, the State Department said on Wednesday. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told senators on Capitol Hill as he testified on the Pentagon's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal that the Pentagon is "going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself." "But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah," he added. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 8, 2024. The United States has withheld one shipment of near-term weapons aid to Israel due to "serious concerns" that a looming large-scale military operation in Rafah by Israeli forces would cause significant loss of civilian lives, the State Department said on Wednesday. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told senators on Capitol Hill as he testified on the Pentagon's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal that the Pentagon is "going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself." "But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah," he added. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Many recent films and TV series have portrayed a future enhanced by highly advanced artificial intelligence technologies. This hot topic returns to the Korean cinema with "Wonderland," a Korean sci-fi fantasy drama slated for release next month. The film tells the story of people who use an innovative AI service called "Wonderland," which allows them to communicate with their deceased loved ones through video calls. Written and directed by Kim Tae-yong, best known for "Late Autumn" (2011), the new flick boasts a star-studded cast, featuring Bae Suzy, Park Bo-gum, Jung Yu-mi, Choi Woo-shik and Tang Wei. "I make video calls often. But after hanging up, I would wonder if that was really a real person I was talking to," Kim said during a press conference in Seoul on Thursday to promote "Wonderland." "When I meet them again, it feels like a long time has passed, yet also like I just saw them yesterday. It feels like the boundaries of relationships are becoming increasingly blurred," he continued. "This led me to consider the possibility that, unlike the past, there could be a time when even deceased people can communicate and not be truly gone," he said, explaining his motivation for making the film. He set the movie in the near future using technologies available today, hoping to make the story resonate with the audience. To further enhance realism, he consulted with a prominent AI expert at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), a national research university in Daejeon. In "Wonderland," Bae Suzy takes on the role of a young flight attendant who uses the service to communicate with her boyfriend (played by Park Bo-gum) after he falls into a coma from an accident. Tang Wei plays a mother who subscribes to the service before her death to allow herself to communicate with her young daughter. Jung Yu-mi and Choi Woo-shik portray a team of coordinators of the service. The director admitted the actors were so captivating that he found himself constantly moving the camera closer while filming them. "So I had to make a conscious effort to step back," he said, with a smile. Park Bo-gum said he was drawn to the film's unique concept. "When I first read the screenplay," he said, "I found the subject matter incredibly interesting. But most of all, I wanted to work with the director." The actor said it was a "pleasure" to constantly exchange ideas with the director about the characters and their stories throughout filming. Bae Suzy agreed, saying: "The most fascinating aspect of working with the director was his ability to help me express complex emotions. It was also fun to exchange thoughts with him throughout the filming process." The upcoming film marks Kim's first feature film in 13 years after "Late Autumn" and his second collaboration with Tang Wei, who is now his wife, after the 2011 romance movie. When asked about working again with the Chinese actress, Kim described it as "an amazing experience." "I'd see her on set all day, and then I'd go home, and there she was again," he said. Choi Woo-shik then chimed in, asking, "So, was it good?" Kim chuckled and replied: "Absolutely. We could talk about things at home that we couldn't on set. It felt like I was working 24 hours a day." Tang added, "This is our second project together, and the biggest difference is that I became more comfortable than before. "The director is a workaholic, and I'm also a detail-oriented and meticulous person. I'm lucky to be able to work with him. I think it would have been quite difficult with someone else," she said, drawing laughter from reporters. The film will open in local theaters nationwide June 5. (Yonhap) Politan Capital's Quentin Koffey sent a letter to Masimo CEO Joe Kiani on Wednesday, demanding information about the health-tech company's proposed spinoff of its consumer business. Koffey, who won a seat on Masimo's board last year through a proxy fight, said that, despite his "repeated requests," he has "not received information as basic and fundamental as even the name of the contemplated JV partner," weeks after the company first announced it was exploring a split. Masimo acquired consumer audio company Sound United in 2022 for $1 billion, a deal that led to a 37% drop in its stock price the day of the announcement. The purchase was a catalyst for Politan's first proxy fight at the company. Last month, Masimo said it would spin off its consumer business, spurring a rally in the stock. Koffey said in his letter that Masimo management has asked "that directors sign a non-disclosure agreement" to get access to information around the deal. Koffey, who's gearing up for a second proxy fight to get full control of Masimo's board, warned Kiani that if the company delayed or denied his request, he would pursue legal action. The activist is also seeking information on any financial and leadership opportunities Kiani has been promised at the spinout. The business units Masimo is proposing to spin off are expected to generate between $700 million and $780 million this year, according to the company's most recent guidance. Masimo CFO Micah Young said on a call with analysts on Tuesday that executives are working "diligently" and will present their findings on the deal structure and joint venture partner to the full board in the coming months. A spokesperson for Politan declined to comment beyond the content of the letter. Representatives for Masimo weren't immediately available for comment. Politan is Masimo's second-biggest shareholder, with about 9% ownership, trailing only Fidelity. Kiani is the largest individual investor, with a 7.5% stake in the company. Masimo shares are up 2.4% this year, closing Wednesday at $120.02. They plummeted 49% in 2022 and another 21% last year. WATCH: Masimo CEO on potential split and proxy battle Elon Musk's startup Neuralink on Wednesday said part of its brain implant malfunctioned after it put the system in a human patient for the first time. Neuralink has built a brain-computer interface, or a BCI, that could eventually help patients with paralysis control external technology using only their minds. The company's system, called the Link, records neural signals using 1,024 electrodes across 64 "threads" that are thinner than a human hair, according to its website. In January, Neuralink implanted the device in a 29-year-old patient named Noland Arbaugh as part of a study to test its safety. The company streamed a live video with Arbaugh as he used the BCI in March, and Neuralink said in an April blog post that the surgery went "extremely well." But in the weeks afterward, a number of threads have retracted from Arbaugh's brain, Neuralink said in a blog post Wednesday. This meant there were fewer effective electrodes, which inhibited the company's ability to measure the Link's speed and accuracy. Neuralink did not disclose how many threads retracted from the tissue. The company did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. As a workaround, Neuralink said it modified the recording algorithm, enhanced the user interface and worked to improve techniques for translating signals into cursor movements, the blog post said. Neuralink reportedly considered removing the implant, but the problem hasn't posed a direct risk to Arbaugh's safety, according to The Wall Street Journal, who earlier reported on the problem. Neuralink shared its blog post after the Journal asked the company about the issue, according to the report. Though some threads retracted from Arbaugh's brain tissue, Neuralink said he is using the company's BCI system for around eight hours a day during the week, and often as many as 10 hours a day on the weekends. Arbaugh said the Link is like a "luxury overload," and it has helped him to "reconnect with the world," according to the blog post. Neuralink is not the only company that is building a BCI system, and the technology has been explored in academic settings for decades. Neuralink has a long road of safety and efficacy testing ahead before it can be eligible for approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to commercialize the technology. By Lee Gyu-lee Theres nothing funny about murder and stalking. But the upcoming thriller film Following manages to put a touch of humor in its suspenseful mystery story. Our movie has a very fast-paced and captivating story, along with a lot of humor, the films director Kim Se-hwi told The Korea Times during an interview at a cafe in Jongno District, Seoul, Wednesday. The mystery thriller, set for release on May 15, follows realtor Jeong-tae (Byun Yo-han) who has a perverted hobby. He enjoys peeping into other peoples lives, sneaking into their homes using the keys his clients left for him. One day, a social media influencer, So-ra (Shin Hye-sun), catches his interest after seeing her posting a vegan salad as her meal on Instagram while eating a sausage. When she visits his office as a client, he takes the chance to make frequent secret visits to her home until one time when he finds her dead inside. He realizes he must uncover the true culprit to exonerate himself. Byun noted this film sets itself apart from other thriller genre works as it also has a light-hearted sense throughout. The film is both easygoing and also brings laughter. Its a heavy topic but has a light sense to it, which makes it different from other thrillers, he said. This film is the directorial debut for newcomer Kim Se-hwi, who took part in co-scripting the 2016 war action film Operation Chromite. The director shared she wanted to explore the human nature of self-rationalizing through two extreme characters a stalker and an attention-seeker while delving into the very platform of social media that magnifies such nature. The theme I wanted to talk about was how humans tend to rationalize or justify their actions. Everyone tends to justify their behavior in some way for their own reasons. But illustrating that with someone unethical rather than ethical people felt like I could portray such instinct, the director said. Social media didnt trigger (such nature) but helped bring it to the surface Since social media came out, weve been in a world where others look at us more favorably when we create a better version of ourselves (on social media). So I think the gap between the self I know and the one others see is getting bigger. And to fill in that gap, people tend to rationalize and justify themselves. Jeong-tae breaks into other peoples homes but doesnt commit any malicious acts. He rather helps those hes stalking by doing chores like fixing pipes. Byun said he was drawn to such a unique character. I thought that the character of Jeong-tae was interesting because he claims he's just observing and helping, asserting he does no harm. And in the end, he admits he acted out of a sense of superiority. I was curious where that feeling came from, he said. The story develops from Jeong-taes perspective with his narration for the majority of the part. Byun said it was challenging to balance the character to be favorable enough as the protagonist, while not downplaying his wrongdoings. He convinces himself that hes a good man with a nice reputation. So I had to look at the script in two different ways, for the narration and his action I cant make him completely abnormal and psycho from the start, so finding the balance was quite difficult, he said. I put a lot of effort to portray this character smartly, consulting with the director a lot (With So-ra,) he mightve felt like it was fate, or thought she was his type or was interested because her home was harder to break into. I actually analyzed a lot of backstories. So I prepared with various layers (of these backstories) and threw myself on the set to let it come out naturally when I saw So-ra. The director, who revealed she has been a huge fan of Byun, expressed her satisfaction with the actor's portrayal of the tricky character. Jeong-tae secretly does bad things but believes he never crosses his own moral boundary. So it required exceptional acting skills to portray such a character, she said. "When you just look at the script, there's a lot of blanks to the character, but Byun did a perfect job filling in those parts. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey addresses the media during the central bank's Monetary Policy Report press conference at the Bank of England, in London, Britain, on February 1, 2024. LONDON Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey on Thursday played down any political pressure received by his institution, confirming that a rate cut immediately before a general election wouldn't be out of the question. Traditionally, central banks have born the brunt of political rhetoric across the globe. This is especially true in election cycles if citizens are dealing with an economic downturn or a cost-of-living squeeze. Incumbent lawmakers would often call for looser policy, for example, to stimulate the economy and peoples' wallets in the hope that it could influence how they vote. Opposition politicians would undoubtedly protest strongly if a favorable rate move occurs beforehand. The Bank of England, which became officially independent in 1998, is no stranger to this pressure with elections expected before the end of this year. The bank is nearing its first rate cut since 2020, despite holding steady on Thursday. When asked whether he would think twice about a rate reduction just weeks before an election, Bailey told CNBC's Steve Sedgwick: "If the evidence and all the assessment and deliberation we do lead to the conclusion [of a rate cut] then actually it's our duty, it's not just a 'shall we, shan't we?'" A general view of a FedEx Airlines Boeing 767 BA.N cargo plane, that landed at Istanbul Airport on Wednesday without deploying its front landing gear but managed to stay on the runway and avoid casualties, on a runway in Istanbul, Turkey, May 8, 2024. An investigation is underway after a FedEx Airlines Boeing 767 cargo plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Istanbul Airport after the aircraft's nose gear failed to deploy. The jet used its back landing gear as it skidded onto the runway on Wednesday, and a video of the incident showed sparks flying and smoke as the nose and front fuselage of the plane hit the ground where the front landing wheels should have been. The plane managed to stay on the runway, and there were no casualties, according to Turkey's Ministry of Transport. The ministry said the cargo jet, flying from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, alerted the Istanbul Airport control tower that its landing gear was not opening. The plane was able to land with guidance from the tower, according to Reuters. The ministry also said that its teams were carrying out examinations at the scene, while the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board announced that it would send investigators to Istanbul. Carter Osborne spent two months agonizing over whether to leave his full-time job for his tutoring side hustle. He did both jobs simultaneously for five years. But in August 2023, he was promoted to director at his public relations firm, giving him more responsibility. At the same time, his side hustle editing high school seniors' college admissions essays had grown large enough that between the two gigs, he was working 70 hours per week, he says. The side gig netted him more than $114,000 last year, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It effectively doubling his salary, he says. By that November, he was looking for a new full-time job and realized none of his options had "that deep, passionate, resonate feeling that education has,'" says Osborne, 29. DON'T MISS: The ultimate guide to earning passive income online Then, one of his tutoring students was accepted to his first-choice school: Pitzer College, a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Osborne was so elated that he paced around his living room for several minutes, frantically texting the student his congratulations, he says. Decision made: Tutoring would become his full-time job. Osborne left the PR firm in January, and is already finding that with more availability, he can take on more clients. Despite spring being a slow season for college admission tutoring, he already has 24 clients on his roster, he says. This time last year, he had just nine. "I've found more success, and frankly, more love for the craft," says Osborne. Transitioning a side hustle into a full-time business Osborne started his side hustle as a graduate student in 2017, hoping to make a little extra money. He had a mentor someone he'd consulted when applying to schools himself, four years prior who referred him some clients. The business "snowballed" from there, growing almost exclusively by word of mouth, Osborne told Make It in August. Currently, he's working three hours per week, he says researching essay trends, admissions stats and developing new tutoring services. That could ramp up to at least 40 hours per week by the end of the summer, and possibly more this coming fall. That's because demand for tutors is high: Last year, Osborne worked with 52 clients and had to turn others away, he says. More people are applying to college than ever before, and students are struggling with their essays more post-Covid than they used to. Even for the most well-equipped applicants, applying for college is an "extraordinary workload," Osborne says. When he applied for college in 2013, he wrote five or six essays. Now, many students applying to multiple schools are required to write upwards of 20, he says. If demand rises enough, Osborne might hire another tutor possibly a part-time contractor to help with the workload, he says. He could also expand his business' services: Other types of students also write admissions essays, from transfers and graduate school applicants to children hoping to get into their middle school or high school of choice. Navigating financial unknowns Containers sit at the Yangshan Port in Shanghai, China, Aug. 6, 2019. Aly Song | Reuters BEIJING China's customs agency released data Thursday that showed exports rose in-line with expectations in April, while imports surged ahead of forecasts. Chinese imports from the U.S., European Union and Russia rose last month, despite a drop in exports to all three, according to CNBC calculations of official data. Worldwide, China's exports rose by 1.5% year-on-year in April in U.S. dollar terms, while imports climbed by 8.4%, the data showed. Exports were expected to have grown by 1.5% year-on-year, and imports up by 4.8% from a year ago, according to a Reuters poll. In March, exports and imports both fell year-on-year. watch now China's imports from the U.S. climbed by 9% in April from a year ago, while exports dropped by nearly 3%. The U.S. remains China's largest trading partner on a single-country basis, while the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is China's largest trading partner on a regional basis. China's exports to ASEAN rose by 8% in April from a year ago, while imports rose by 5%. China's exports to the EU fell by about 3.5% while imports rose by nearly 2.5% The data showed an increase in exports and imports to Vietnam, but did not break out such data for Mexico. In April, China's imports and exports of integrated circuits rose from a year ago, the data showed. By volume, China's exports of cars, LCD panel displays and home appliances rose, while exports of cellphones fell slightly. Exports of ships also dropped. China's imports of crude oil and natural gas rose, as did that of steel, plastics, medicines and automatic data processing machines and parts. Imports of cosmetics dropped. Supply chain diversification BEIJING Chinese electric car company Nio said Thursday it will launch its lower-priced brand called Onvo on May 15. The announcement comes amid a price war in China's highly competitive electric car market that's forced Tesla to cut prices. Xpeng , another EV startup, also plans to release a sub-brand called Mona in the next two or three months. Nio said the first Onvo model, the L60, will be a "family-centric smart BEV priced around RMB 250,000, in the same segment as Tesla Model Y." That's about $34,600. In contrast, Nio's SUVs and sedans currently sell for nearly 300,000 yuan or far more. Nio delivered 15,620 electric cars in April, up from 11,866 cars the prior month. The company's CEO William Li previously told CNBC that the first Onvo car will be an SUV cheaper than the Model Y. Nio said Onvo stands for "On Voyage," and that that the Chinese name of the brand, "Le Dao," means "Path to Happiness." The company sells cars to Europe, but didn't specify whether Onvo would be available outside China. "Von der Leyen has a lot of support from European heads of state," one of the three sources told CNBC via telephone. Von der Leyen was catapulted to the top of European policymaking back in 2019, when French President Emmanuel Macron threw her name into the ring to unlock an impasse over an overall "top jobs" package that included Christine Lagarde as the new European Central Bank president. Three top officials, who did not want to be named due to the sensitivity of the talks, told CNBC that the most likely scenario is that Ursula von der Leyen, the current president of the European Commission, which is the executive arm of the EU, will remain in the job. Diplomats within the EU are already trying to figure out who will be leading the three big institutions in the coming years: The European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament. Voters across the 27-member EU are heading to the polls between June 6 and 9 to choose the next set of representatives in the European Parliament. The very top EU jobs, which aren't directly elected, then get dished out in the weeks following. They hold sway over central policymaking and Brussels ultimately impacts the livelihoods of 450 million people across the region. BRUSSELS, Belgium European diplomats have already started key negotiations on who will take the main jobs at the European Union following elections next month. The same source added, however, that Macron, the mastermind behind the previous round of negotiations, has not yet shown his support for another Von der Leyen mandate and the source suggested that he is keeping some room to maneuver when the official talks commence after the election. In fact, Bloomberg has reported that Macron has been floating the idea of having the previous ECB President, Mario Draghi, return to EU politics and lead the commission. One senior EU diplomat told CNBC that Macron is using the silence to put pressure on Von der Leyen. The third source said that Draghi probably wouldn't take the job, but agreed that it was a way to pressure on Von der Leyen. CNBC has reached out to the Elysee Palace but it was not immediately available for comment. Current opinion polls suggest that Von der Leyen's party, the conservative European People's Party at the EU Parliament, is likely to win EU-wide elections, however, she might have to forge some compromises with far-right politicians as they are gearing up to increase the number of seats within the parliamentary chamber. The three sources also told CNBC that if Von der Leyen does continue as president of the European Commission, then the expectation is that a member of the European socialist grouping will lead the European Council, the institution that brings together the heads of state from across the EU nations. Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen are the two names currently being discussed in Brussels. In typical Brussels fashion of trying to split the top jobs among the most voted parties, this selection would leave the role of High Representative, which is the EU's top diplomat who is in charge of foreign relations, to the liberal group Renew. Here, Kaja Kallas, the Estonian prime minister, is seen as the most likely candidate. With only a month to go before voters head to the polls, talks over the distribution of the next top jobs are intensifying. However, the final decision will only be taken once the results are in. Regardless of who leads the EU, the next five years of policymaking in Brussels are expected to be a lot more focused on defense and on how to cut certain dependencies from China and, to some extent, from the U.S. 2024 is set up to be the biggest global election year in history. It coincides with the rapid rise in deepfakes. In APAC alone, there was a surge in deepfakes by 1530% from 2022 to 2023, according to a Sumsub report. Cybersecurity experts fear artificial intelligence-generated content has the potential to distort our perception of reality a concern that is more troubling in a year filled with critical elections. But one top expert is going against the grain, suggesting instead that the threat deep fakes pose to democracy may be "overblown." Martin Lee, technical lead for Cisco's Talos security intelligence and research group, told CNBC he thinks that deepfakes though a powerful technology in their own right aren't as impactful as fake news is. However, new generative AI tools do "threaten to make the generation of fake content easier," he added. AI-generated material can often contain commonly identifiable indicators to suggest that it's not been produced by a real person. Visual content, in particular, has proven vulnerable to flaws. For example, AI-generated images can contain visual anomalies, such as a person with more than two hands, or a limb that's merged into the background of the image. It can be tougher to decipher between synthetically-generated voice audio and voice clips of real people. But AI is still only as good as its training data, experts say. "Nevertheless, machine generated content can often be detected as such when viewed objectively. In any case, it is unlikely that the generation of content is limiting attackers," Lee said. Experts have previously told CNBC that they expect AI-generated disinformation to be a key risk in upcoming elections around the world. GM President Mark Reuss announces a $2.2 billion investment in the automaker's Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant in Michigan for new all-electric trucks and autonomous vehicles on Jan. 27, 2020. Reuss also touted the competitiveness of GM's Chinese joint venture partners such as Wuling Motors. GM first established operations in China in 1997. 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. The longtime GM executive said new all-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, as well as the redesign of its Buick brand , will help the automaker turn around operations in the region. DETROIT General Motors believes it can regain market share in China after hitting a roughly 20-year low last year amid changing market conditions and increased domestic competition, GM President Mark Reuss said Thursday. "You can look at it any way you want from a larger geopolitical standpoint, but for us in China, this has been a great advantage for us to be partnered so deeply for so many years with our JV partners there," Reuss said during the Financial Times Future of the Car Summit. "We have an advantage there with Buick and Wuling, and it goes both ways." GM's market share declines in China are the 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. The company, along with other American-based automakers, is managing geopolitical tensions between China and the U.S. GM's U.S.-based brands such as Buick and Chevrolet have seen Chinese sales drop more than those of its joint venture. The joint venture models accounted for about 60% of GM's 2.1 million vehicles sold last year in China. The market declines have spurred questions on whether GM would exit China, as it has other underperforming markets in recent years. Reuss said Thursday that GM plans to remain in China "for the foreseeable future." GM CEO Mary 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 on Tuesday announced a "leadership transition" in China. The automaker said Steve Hill, currently GM's vice president of global commercial operations, would succeed GM China President Julian Blissett, effective June 1. Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, arrives for a closed deposition with members of the Republican-led House Oversight Committee conducting an impeachment inquiry into the president, at the O'Neill House Office Building in Washington, U.S., February 28, 2024. A federal appeals court on Thursday rejected a request by Hunter Biden to toss the pending criminal gun case against him, saying his appeal was premature. The ruling clears the way for Hunter Biden's trial in the case to start on June 3 in U.S. District Court in Delaware. Biden is the son of President Joe Biden. In its ruling Thursday, a three-judge panel on the 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals said Hunter Biden failed to show that the trial judge's decision in April allowing the gun case to proceed were appealable before any final judgment, which could include his sentencing. The appeals panel, whose decision was unanimous, did not rule on the merits of Biden's arguments that the indictment should be dismissed. If Biden is convicted at trial, he could renew the arguments for dismissal with the same appeals court that it declined to consider in its order Thursday. Hunter Biden's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, suggested that he will ask a full panel of judges on the 3rd Circuit to reconsider Biden's appeal, and could even ask the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the case. "In reviewing the panel's decision, we believe the issues involved are too important and further review of our request is appropriate," Lowell said. Biden is charged with three criminal counts related to his purchase of a handgun while he was addicted to illegal drugs. He has pleaded not guilty. In late 2023, Biden's lawyers asked U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika to dismiss the indictment against him on three separate grounds. The first was that the indictment violated a non-prosecution provision in a pretrial diversion agreement that Biden and prosecutors signed before a planned deal in the case to avoid an indictment blew up last year. In their second motion to dismiss, Biden's lawyers claimed he was vindictively and selectively prosecuted because his father is the president. Under this line of argument, the indictment violates the separation-of-power provision in the U.S. Constitution because it was improperly motivated by Republicans in Congress who have made him a political whipping boy to attack the president. Copper has been on fire, touching $10,000 per ton this week . Will McDonough, CEO of merchant bank Corestone Capital, says he has "not seen this level of interest and conversation on copper." "Copper is going through some serious spikes and prices are likely to be much higher in the future. I think it is the biggest investment opportunity right now and a large contributor to demand is the transition towards carbon neutral and net zero goals," he told CNBC Pro on April 25. Copper is used in data centers, wind turbines and electric vehicles, among other things. "Any population growth or industrial growth leads to growth in copper demand. So it's almost like the world needs copper, no matter which way it goes. So, having copper in your portfolio as a long-term asset is a no brainer to me," McDonough said. He suggests that investors have around 5%-10% of their portfolio invested in "stores of value," which includes copper and other commodities like gold, silver, platinum and lithium. 'A great company' Among the stocks with an exposure to copper that McDonough is bullish on is the New York Stock Exchange-listed Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA (SQM). The Chilean chemicals company is a "massive producer of lithium and copper. And with the whole battery and electrification movement, there is going to be so much demand for lithium and copper that the company can benefit from," the investment manager said. McDonough's optimism on SQM comes despite a 31.2% dip in its shares in the last 12 months. "It is a great company and we track it very closely," he said. FactSet data shows that 12 analysts have a buy or overweight rating on SQM, four give it a hold rating, and one is underweight. Analysts' average price target for the stock is $64.07, giving it around 34.9% potential upside. 'Well diversified company' Another stock on McDonough's radar is Australian miner BHP , thanks to its exposure not just to copper, but also to gold and iron ore. "It is a really well-diversified company, so it is going to be tough to beat them," he said. Shares in BHP have been down by 3% in the last 12 months. According to FactSet data, of 21 analysts covering the stock, seven give it a buy or overweight rating, 13 have hold ratings and one is underweight. The average price target is 46.14 Australian dollars ($30.36), giving it potential upside of 6.4%. Copper futures Aside from stocks, McDonough suggests buying copper futures as a good way to play the opportunities in the copper market and the rising demand for the metal. "I think that the price of copper is way under-appreciated. So, it is very interesting to gain exposure to the precious metal through copper futures," he said. American artist in dialogue with dansaekhwa master Chung Sang-hwa at Meier Partners-designed Sorol Art Museum By Park Han-sol GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province Like many abstract paintings, American icon Agnes Martins (19122004) canvas works populated by meticulously penciled grids and horizontal bands of translucent, pale colors may not immediately pull in crowds of viewers when presented in isolation. After all, in todays world oversaturated with visual stimuli, it takes conscious effort to gaze upon such a largely empty surface and resist becoming bored of its apparent monotony. When these paintings are displayed in company with each other, however, something magical happens. The serene allure of their hazily colored surfaces suddenly becomes palpable and begins to reverberate throughout the entire space. It becomes almost a spiritual experience to get lost in Martins forest of sublime abstractions. My paintings have neither object nor space nor line nor anything no forms. They are light, lightness, about merging, about formlessness, breaking down form, the artist once remarked. You wouldnt think of form by the ocean It is to accept the necessity of going into a field of vision as you would cross an empty beach to look at the ocean. Bearing this in mind, no other venue could be a more fitting backdrop for Martins first-ever solo exhibition in Korea than the new Sorol Art Museum in the eastern coastal city of Gangneung, Gangwon Province. Designed by the New York-based firm Meier Partners, the building encapsulates all the signature vocabulary of its Pritzker Prize-winning founder, Richard Meier, from the blindingly all-white, minimalist architecture to the gleaming glass-fronted facade. The show, titled Moments of Perfection, reveals itself to visitors as they step into the second-floor gallery after traversing hallways flooded with sunlight streaming through vast expanses of windows. [Being invited to] introduce her work here for the first time to the general public was a really interesting proposition, recalled Frances Morris, the director emerita of the Tate Modern who co-curated the Agnes Martin retrospective at the London museum in 2015. The idea behind this project was not to do a survey show, because Martin had an incredibly long career and made many hundreds of paintings, but rather to identify and show the essence of her practice by focusing on key moments. Hence the shows title. The exhibitions chronological journey begins in the mid-1950s New York, exploring what Morris describes as the origins of Martins works in informal abstraction, characterized by biomorphic, geometric shapes, before she settled on her iconic grid. The first section culminates with one of the artists best-known grid paintings, The Tree (1964). When I first made a grid, I happened to be thinking of the innocence of trees, and then this grid came into my mind, and I thought it represented innocence, and I still do. So I painted it, and then I was satisfied, the artist later recalled. For her, the grid, which privileged no particular space over another, exemplified the ideal virtue of egolessness. Although Martins pursuit of visual simplicity and repetition has often been associated with Minimalism, she herself shied away from such a label. Rather, her practice was tethered to spiritual meditation and intuition, drawing from a mix of Zen Buddhist and Taoist ideas. In 1967, she abruptly set down her brush and left New York to travel alone across the country. It wasnt until seven years later that she, now retreated to the relative solitude of New Mexico, stood in front of the canvas again. Her series of post-1974 paintings marking the artists most representative creative era form the highlight of the show. Eight gray monochrome canvases, produced between 1977 and 1992, evoke the myriad formal, tonal and textual variations Martin achieved within her self-imposed restrictions, according to the museum. In contrast, eight luminously translucent color paintings created in the final decade of her life exude a more uplifting and liberating air. Overall, the charm of her art lies in the mesmerizing harmony created between diluted colors and faint pencil lines elements that are indeed difficult to convey fully in photographs. Its all the more reason to plan a trip to the museum for an intimate, in-person viewing experience. And the museum certainly has more to offer. In conversation with Martins meditative abstractions on-site are the white monochrome paintings of Koreas dansaekhwa master Chung Sang-hwa. Presented in the first-floor gallery, In Dialog: Chung Sang-hwa features 13 works produced since the 1970s, all showcasing his signature technique. The nonagenarian artists practice begins by coating the canvas with a mixture of kaolin clay and water. Once the thick liquid dries, he draws grid patterns on the back of the fabric and starts folding the whole canvas along these horizontal, vertical and diagonal axes. As cracks appear on the surface, the dried clay is peeled off, and the spaces are filled in with layers of acrylic paint. This labor-intensive process of ripping off and filling in is repeated until he achieves what he believes to be perfect harmony, with nothing more to add or take away. Following a studio visit to Chung, I was fascinated to find many points of connection to his and Martins processes of work, in particular, the relationship between hard work and very rigorous planning combined with intuition and gesture. In art history, normally, you see these things as incompatible, but both artists brought them together in interesting ways, Morris noted. Moments of Perfection and In Dialog: Chung Sang-hwa run through Aug. 25 at the Sorol Art Museum. Upon the conclusion of these two exhibitions, museum management will transition from the current Korean Research Institute of Contemporary Art (KoRICA) to the municipality of Gangneung, as part of the agreed-upon gratuitous transfer of property, which includes the museums building constructed on government-owned land, to the state. However, uncertainties loom over the Sorol Art Museums future. Its incumbent director Kim Suk-mo revealed that the city government has yet to allocate any budget for the institutions future operations or exhibition programming, nor has it appointed his successor. Such circumstances leave the museums envisioned role as Gangneungs new cultural landmark heavily in question. My top 10 things to watch Thursday, May 9 1. Airbnb throws cold water on this quarter even as it raves about the next one. The vacation rental company reported first-quarter beats on the top and bottom lines on Wednesday but said sales for the second quarter will come in between $2.68 billion and $2.74 billion. Analysts expected $2.74 billion. Shares dropped 6% in extended trading. 2. Arm also left investors disappointed with its forward guidance, sending shares of the British chip designer down 8%. For the 2025 fiscal year, management said it expects revenue between $3.8 billion and $4.1 billion. Analysts were expecting revenue of $3.99 billion for the full year, according to LSEG data. But the company said it still expects to post revenue growth of at least 20%. 3. Brokerage firm Robinhood reported good quarterly numbers: Revenue was $618 million vs. consensus $548.6 million. Transaction-based sales rose 59% year over year to $329 million, driven by crypto revenue of $126 million (up 232%). Q2 is off to a strong start, with April the highest month of the year for net deposits and gold subscribers, the company said. EPS was 18 cents vs. consensus 5 cents. Multiple price target raises. Everyone else is losing? Schwab ? 4. Tesla's head of product launches Rich Otto quit on Wednesday, citing the recent layoffs that are "rocking the company and its morale," according to his post on LinkedIn. His resignation comes as CEO Elon Musk said he expects to reveal Tesla's robotaxi design on Aug. 8. Musk has promised a self-driving taxi for years but has yet to deliver it. Now we are hearing about his AI plans. What is going on? 5. Baird lowered its price target for Azek by a couple of bucks to $58 but kept its buy rating. There are lots of these kinds of calls take PT down but reiterate buy because of rate cuts coming. 6. Wynn Resorts' price target was raised to $128 from $124 at Barclays. Wynn reported a great quarter on Tuesday and went down anyway. It shouldn't have and analysts who raised their price targets will ultimately be right. We reiterated our 1 rating and $125 price target. 7. Instacart is an unlikely success: The company posted first-quarter revenue of $820 million (vs. $794.5 million expected). Multiple price target boosts. 8. Trade Desk is much better, reported Q1 revenue of $491 million vs. consensus $480 million, EPS of 26 cents vs. consensus 21 cents. Citi raised its price target on shares to $112 from $110. Connected TV ads have reached an inflection point, strong guidance, and connected TV performance is very strong. 9. Affirm upgraded to buy from hold at JPMorgan. The stock is down too much, a baffling decline as the gross merchandise volume outlook was better than feared and it posted an operating margin beat. 10. Duolingo disappointment. The language-learning app showed user growth slowed most since 2022. Guidance was softer than expected. Shares dropped 14% in the aftermarket. Still, 54% year-over-year growth of daily active users is not too shabby. Sign up for my Top 10 Morning Thoughts on the Market email newsletter for free (See here for a full list of the stocks at Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.) 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. Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb Inc., at the Hope Global Forums annual meeting in Atlanta on Dec. 12, 2023. Dustin Chambers | Bloomberg | Getty Images My top 10 things to watch Thursday, May 9 1. Airbnb throws cold water on this quarter even as it raves about the next one. The vacation rental company reported first-quarter beats on the top and bottom lines on Wednesday but said sales for the second quarter will come in between $2.68 billion and $2.74 billion. Analysts expected $2.74 billion. Shares dropped 6% in extended trading. 2. Arm also left investors disappointed with its forward guidance, sending shares of the British chip designer down 8%. For the 2025 fiscal year, management said it expects revenue between $3.8 billion and $4.1 billion. Analysts were expecting revenue of $3.99 billion for the full year, according to LSEG data. But the company said it still expects to post revenue growth of at least 20%. 3. Brokerage firm Robinhood reported good quarterly numbers: Revenue was $618 million vs. consensus $548.6 million. Transaction-based sales rose 59% year over year to $329 million, driven by crypto revenue of $126 million (up 232%). Q2 is off to a strong start, with April the highest month of the year for net deposits and gold subscribers, the company said. EPS was 18 cents vs. consensus 5 cents. Multiple price target raises. Everyone else is losing? Schwab ? 4. Tesla's head of product launches Rich Otto quit on Wednesday, citing the recent layoffs that are "rocking the company and its morale," according to his post on LinkedIn. His resignation comes as CEO Elon Musk said he expects to reveal Tesla's robotaxi design on Aug. 8. Musk has promised a self-driving taxi for years but has yet to deliver it. Now we are hearing about his AI plans. What is going on? 5. Baird lowered its price target for Azek by a couple of bucks to $58 but kept its buy rating. There are lots of these kinds of calls take PT down but reiterate buy because of rate cuts coming. 6. Wynn Resorts' price target was raised to $128 from $124 at Barclays. Wynn reported a great quarter on Tuesday and went down anyway. It shouldn't have and analysts who raised their price targets will ultimately be right. We reiterated our 1 rating and $125 price target. 7. Instacart is an unlikely success: The company posted first-quarter revenue of $820 million (vs. $794.5 million expected). Multiple price target boosts. 8. Trade Desk is much better, reported Q1 revenue of $491 million vs. consensus $480 million, EPS of 26 cents vs. consensus 21 cents. Citi raised its price target on shares to $112 from $110. Connected TV ads have reached an inflection point, strong guidance, and connected TV performance is very strong. 9. Affirm upgraded to buy from hold at JPMorgan. The stock is down too much, a baffling decline as the gross merchandise volume outlook was better than feared and it posted an operating margin beat. 10. Duolingo disappointment. The language-learning app showed user growth slowed most since 2022. Guidance was softer than expected. Shares dropped 14% in the aftermarket. Still, 54% year-over-year growth of daily active users is not too shabby. Sign up for my Top 10 Morning Thoughts on the Market email newsletter for free (See here for a full list of the stocks at Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.) Boeing 737 of Transair en route to Bamako skids off runway at Dakar International Airport in Senegal on May 09, 2024. A plane with dozens of passengers skidded off a runway before takeoff at Senegal's main airport on Thursday, injuring at least 10 people and bringing the facility temporarily to a halt, the airport and Senegalese transport ministry said. The Blaise Diagne airport said an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the accident, which occurred around 0100 GMT as the Transair-owned Boeing 737-300 chartered by Air Senegal was preparing to fly to Mali. Night-time videos shared on social media showed passengers running away from a plane whose left wing appeared to be on fire. The aircraft was at a standstill in long grass and had deployed its emergency slides as smoke billowed into the sky. Reuters was not immediately able to verify the videos, but Reuters reporters at the airport later on Thursday saw a plane with the Transair logo in the grass by the runway, cordoned off with red and white tape. The airport said 78 passengers were on board and 11 people were wounded in the accident, including four serious injuries. The transport ministry said the plane was carrying 79 passengers and reported 10 people were wounded, including one of the plane's two pilots. The airport was closed immediately after the accident, but had reopened as of around 1100 GMT, the airport said in an online post. Russian military vehicles, including Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launchers, roll on Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 9, 2024. Alexander Nemenov | Afp | Getty Images Russia kicked off its 79th "Victory Day" military parade on Thursday, in a show of Russian military might and patriotism as the war with Ukraine rumbles on into a third year. The annual event on May 9 commemorates the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II and sees thousands of Russian troops and pieces of military hardware paraded through Red Square in Moscow, with other events held throughout Russia. The parade is an opportunity for not only pomp, pride and ceremony, but also propaganda, with the Kremlin keen to cast parallels between the Red Army's victory in 1945 and the current conflict in Ukraine that is now well into its third year. Russian President Vladimir Putin, commander-in-chief of Russia's armed forces, is inspecting the parade for the 21st time as more than 9,000 people and 70 pieces of equipment go on display, although the event has been pared down in recent years due to the war. Ceremonial soldiers attend a parade during 79th anniversary of the Victory Day in Red Square in Moscow, Russia on May 09, 2024. Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images "The foot column includes regiments, battalions and companies by types and branches of troops, crews from Suvorov [military school], Nakhimov [naval school], cadet and music schools, Youth Army men, women military personnel, Cossacks [cadets] and a combined military orchestra," Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told Russian news agencies last week. He said participants in the "special military operation" code for the Russian war against Ukraine are also marching this year. The parade ended with a flyover of the Russian Air Force's aerobatics teams. Other cities across Russia are also holding ceremonies and celebrations, the defense minister said, with an estimated 150,000 people and 2,500 types of weapons and military equipment involved. In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during the Victory Day military parade at Red Square in central Moscow on May 9, 2024. Mikhail Klimentyev | Afp | Getty Images Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko and the leaders of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Cuba, among officials from other allied countries, are reportedly on the guest list. Russia's Foreign Ministry said "unfriendly countries" were not invited to the parade. Addressing the troops, guests and crowds at the parade, President Putin said Russia would do everything to avoid a global confrontation but would "not allow anyone to threaten us." He reiterated that the country's strategic nuclear forces were always combat-ready. Worsening relations with the West Russia's relations with the West were deteriorating well before its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 but the fractures have deepened since. As a result of the war, international sanctions on Russia have multiplied and more entrenched and divided global alliances have emerged, pitting NATO countries against Russia and its allies, such as North Korea, Iran and China. A woman looks through the rubble of a building destroyed by bombing in the town of Kostyantynivka, Donetsk region, on April 11, 2024, amid the Russian invassion in Ukraine. (Photo by Anatolii STEPANOV / AFP) (Photo by ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images) Anatolii Stepanov | Afp | Getty Images Moscow claims that the West wants to inflict a "strategic defeat" on Moscow, but Ukraine's allies reject that claim, saying they are helping Kyiv to defend itself against Russia's unprovoked aggression and territory grab that has left at least 30,000 Ukrainian civilians dead or injured (the figure is likely a conservative one) and created more than six million refugees, according to U.N. data. Russian gains This year's parade comes amid incremental gains for Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, with another expected large-scale offensive on the horizon in early summer, according to military officials. In the last few weeks, Ukrainian forces have been forced to retreat in some areas, opening up the way for Russian forces to advance in areas around Avdiivka in Donetsk, a city captured in February in a significant victory for Russia. On Wednesday, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that another two villages were seized (Russia uses the term "liberated") in Donetsk and its neighboring region to the north, Kharkiv. Ahead of Victory Day, Ukrainian military officials claimed Russian forces were aiming to seize the strategic town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk by May 9, but that hasn't happened yet. Seizing the city on high ground could help Russian forces to launch offensives on other key targets, including the so-called "fortress cities" of Kostiantynivka, Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. Time is of the essence for Russian forces as they look to occupy more territory before Ukrainian forces can replenish diminished artillery and ammunition supplies after the approval in April of a long-awaited $61 billion U.S. aid package. Ukraine continues to remind Russia that it is not immune from attack on its own soil, however, with an increasing number of drone and missile attacks targeting Russia's own energy infrastructure, particularly in its border regions. But manpower remains an issue for Ukraine, while Russia has been able to mobilize hundreds of thousand of men to fight in Ukraine, ranging from convicts to conscripts. When asked in his annual December phone-in whether there would be another wave of mobilization, Putin was dismissive, claiming that 480,000 had already voluntarily signed up to fight. Russian servicemen involved in the country's military action in Ukraine, march on Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 9, 2024. Alexander Nemenov | Afp | Getty Images The headquarters of the Spanish bank BBVA are seen in Madrid, Spain. Spanish bank BBVA on Thursday presented a 12.23 billion euro ($13.11 billion) takeover bid for rival Sabadell directly to shareholders, even though Sabadell's board this week already rejected the proposal on the same terms. BBVA's decision follows Sabadell's board on Monday saying the unsolicited bid significantly undervalued the bank's potential and growth prospects. The board repeated that position on Thursday. "We are presenting to Banco Sabadell's shareholders an extraordinarily attractive offer to create a bank with greater scale in one of our most important markets," said BBVA's Executive Chairman Carlos Torres Vila. Hostile takeover bids are rare in European banking. A recent example is Intesa's successful takeover of UBI Banca in 2020. BBVA, Spain's second-biggest bank by market value after Santander, offered an exchange ratio of 1 newly issued BBVA share for every 4.83 Sabadell shares, a premium of 30% over April 29 closing prices. Spanish banks have been looking for ways to increase revenue as a boost from high interest rates begins to fade. A logo outside the Banco Sabadell SA offices at the Banc Sabadell Tower in Barcelona, Spain, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Spanish bank BBVA caught markets by surprise on Thursday after it announced a rare hostile takeover bid for domestic rival Banco Sabadell, with one investment firm describing the situation as "very strange." The move comes shortly after a separate 12 billion euro ($12.87 billion) takeover offer from BBVA to Sabadell's board was rejected earlier in the week. The board said Monday that BBVA's initial bid "significantly undervalues" the bank's growth prospects, adding that its standalone strategy will create superior value. It reiterated this position on Thursday as BBVA took its all-share offer directly to the bank's shareholders. BBVA said its takeover offer has the same financial terms as the merger offered to Sabadell's board. It characterized the proposal which would create Spain's second-largest financial institution if successful as "extraordinarily attractive." "We are presenting to Banco Sabadell's shareholders an extraordinarily attractive offer to create a bank with greater scale in one of our most important markets," BBVA Chair Carlos Torres Vila said in a statement. "Together we will have a greater positive impact in the geographies where we operate, with an additional 5 billion loan capacity per year in Spain." Shares of BBVA fell 6% at around midday London time on Thursday, while Sabadell's stock price rose more than 3%. Childhood friends Jeremy Brewer and Sam Levac-Levey started their first clean energy startup in 2018. Six years later, they're launching a new venture fund to invest in climate tech companies overlooked by their peers. Brewer, who's worked at Google and Facebook , and Levac-Levey, who did mechanical engineering at Tesla and SpaceX, are co-founders of Starshot Capital. The firm just raised $35 million to invest in early-stage startups that the two friends believe have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in polluting industries beyond energy and transportation. "What really catalyzed us into starting the fund was seeing a lot of data coming out about the climate crisis and gaps in funding," Brewer said in an interview. Starshot intends to back startups working in food and agriculture, industrials, manufacturing and buildings. According to PwC's 2023 study on the state of climate tech, more than 70% of investment went into energy and mobility. Those two sectors include wind and solar energy, as well as electric cars, planes and other vehicles. But Brewer said these sectors account for only about 27% of global carbon emissions. Starshot sees opportunities to invest in industries that emit massive amounts of greenhouse gases and consume an abundance of natural resources. Gaps also remain within certain industries that have attracted funding. For example, in food and agriculture, about 40% of climate tech funding over the last two years went into "alternative proteins," while less than 5% went into solutions to reduce or replace nitrogen-based fertilizers, Brewer said. Overuse of nitrogen-based synthetic fertilizers in agriculture leads to emissions of nitrous oxide and can cause water pollution at both surface and ground levels. It can also spike the amount of algae that grows on the surface of natural water resources. That may lead to a reduction of oxygen in the water, killing fish or other marine life and organisms. Brewer said Starshot is looking to invest in companies that offer "gigaton-scale solutions, that can increase their customers' profitability and revenue." Brewer and Levac-Levey attended high school together in Montreal. They joined forces in 2018 to begin work on a clean energy startup called H2Ohm, which aimed to capture and make use of energy generated by excess pressure from water moving through gravity-fed pipes. They entered a climate tech accelerator in Canada called Creative Destruction Lab, where they worked for months to perfect their plan. As they got deeper into market and product research, however, they realized that the business wasn't going to work. The duo still had to present something at their demo day in front of prominent early-stage investors. "We ended up giving a presentation to more than 100 investors about why they shouldn't invest in our business," Levac-Levey told CNBC. The response was surprising. Bruce Garelick walks following a hearing at the Manhattan Federal Court, in New York City, July 20, 2023. A federal jury in New York on Thursday convicted an investor of insider trading in the stock of a shell company ahead of its announcement in October 2021 that it would merge with Trump Media . The investor, Bruce Garelick, had been on the board of directors of the publicly traded company, Digital World Acquisition Corp., at the time he was accused of sharing and exploiting non--public information with others about its plans to merge with then-privately held Trump Media, the owner of the Truth Social app. Trump Media's majority shareholder is former President Donald Trump, who was not accused of any wrongdoing in the case against Garelick in U.S. District Court in Manhattan. But Garelick's trial, which began on April 30, took place just blocks away from where Trump is on trial in Manhattan Supreme Court on criminal charges related to a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Two co-defendants of Garelick, the brothers Michael and Gerald Shvartsman, pleaded guilty to insider trading charges on April 3. Jurors in Garelick's case began deliberating on Wednesday afternoon after hearing closing arguments from prosecutors and a defense lawyer. After several hours of deliberation Thursday, jurors returned guilty verdicts on the five counts of securities fraud and conspiracy that the 54-year-old Garelick faced. Garelick, who testified at his trial, is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 12. Garelick was an investment advisor to Michael Shvartsman's venture capital firm, Rocket One Capital. Prosecutors said Garelick shared non-public material information about DWAC's merger plans with Trump Media with the Shvartsman brothers in 2021 after joining DWAC's board. All three men then bought up DWAC stock based on that non-public information and then sold their shares after the price soared following the announcement of the deal to combine with Trump Media, prosecutors said. Garelick made a profit of just $49,000 on the illicit trades, but the Shvartsmans earned a whopping $23 million, according to prosecutors. "Bruce Garelick was part of a sophisticated group of individuals invited to invest in Digital World Acquisition Corporation ..., a special purpose acquisition company that had raised funds with the intention of later investing in a target company, Trump Media & Technology Group, not yet known to the public," said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams in a statement Thursday. "When he was given that opportunity, Garelick promised to keep the information about DWAC's interest in acquiring Trump Media secret and not use it to trade in the stock market. Garelick was also given a seat on DWAC's board, which gave him direct access to additional non-public information regarding the acquisition," Williams said. "As a unanimous jury has just found, Garelick blatantly violated the law by using the information that he obtained as an insider at DWAC to trade and tip others," the top prosecutor said. "Garelick's federal conviction is yet another stark reminder that insider trading is always a losing bet." DWAC and Trump Media completed their merger in late March. Public trading of the company's stock under the new ticker DJT began a day later. Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged Trump Media's auditor with what the regulator said was "massive fraud" involving the auditor's accounting work for hundreds of publicly traded companies, affecting 1,500 SEC filings. The auditor, BF Borgers CPA, and its owner, Benjamin Borgers, agreed to be permanently suspended from practicing as accountants before the SEC, and to pay a combined $14 million in civil penalties. Trump Media hired a new auditor, Semple, Marchal & Cooper LLP last weekend to replace BF Borgers. This is breaking news. Please check back for updates. The global semiconductor industry is set for a "transformation" thanks to artificial intelligence PCs loaded with chips developed by British chip designer Arm , according to Morgan Stanley. That's because more powerful PCs are needed to run AI applications. Morgan Stanley noted that Microsoft requires new AI PCs to have a computing capability of 45 tera operations per second to properly run its Copilot its AI tool in its laptops. "Running generative AI apps in the background will be a key challenge for future laptop PCs' battery life and thermal design," the bank's analysts wrote in a May 7 report. Arm-based central processing units are known for energy conservation and thermal control, which lead to longer battery life and more compact designs, Morgan Stanley noted, adding that they "exhibit a notable edge in power efficiency." The bank therefore expects Arm-based AI PCs to "start a transformation that will affect the global semis industry." Currently, normal Windows PCs are running on processors such as those made by Intel , AMD and Qualcomm . Morgan Stanley added it believes that Apple may expand its Arm-based CPU to AI servers as well. The bank estimates that AI PCs will reach a penetration rate of 95% by 2027 up from 8% in 2024. On the assumption that Nvidia and fabless semiconductor firm MediaTek takes 50% market share in Windows on Arm (WOA) PCs in 2028, total shipments of WOA PC chips should reach 65 million in 2028. Shipments for such chips in 2024 are at 2 million. Windows on Arm is the term for AI PCs working on Arm chips. Stocks What stocks will benefit from Arm's foray into AI PCs? Morgan Stanley named TSMC , MediaTek , Nvidia , Qualcomm , Microsoft and Arm itself. It said PC original equipment manufacturers that "commit resources" to WOA devices should benefit as well. It says the expected partnership between Nvidia and Taiwan's MediaTek to launch their first WOA PC CPU chip is an "interesting story." Both companies are already in a partnership to develop chips and software for automobiles. It raised its price target for MediaTek by 8% to 1,388 New Taiwan dollars ($42.81), implying nearly 27% upside. As for TSMC, Morgan Stanley says its foundry market share with the "x86" CPU market will grow. The x86 is a widely used architecture for CPUs. That's thanks to Intel's outsourcing of its CPU production and AMD's market share gain, which will bode well for TSMC, given that it's AMD's major foundry partner. "However, TSMC's foundry market share for Arm-based CPU is much higher than that for x86, as Intel still produces most of its own x86 CPU products," Morgan Stanley said . "We therefore view Arm's share gain over x86-based CPUs as positive for TSMC, and think Arm CPU proliferation could bring more incremental revenue to TSMC than x86 in the coming years." The bank raised its price target for TSMC by 8% to NT$928, representing a potential 16% upside. CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report. UBC brings Shakespeares classic to mark 40th anniversary By Park Jin-hai The Universal Ballet Company (UBC), marking its 40th anniversary this year, will present Kenneth MacMillan's iconic ballet "Romeo & Juliet" from Friday to Sunday. The performance will be particularly special as Seo Hee, principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT), returns to the Korean stage after 11 years to dance Juliet. Seo first debuted as Juliet in 2009 at ABT and has since become a beloved interpreter of the role. "When I first danced Juliet, I thought this was the dance for me. I thought I did it so well back then. But even after 15 years, it keeps getting harder and feeling more burdensome," she said, expressing the increasing weight she feels in portraying such an iconic character during a press conference at the Universal Art Center in Seoul's Gwangjin District, Wednesday. "It seems that while I used to think about the text when performing the work, now I think about the individual words. I do this in order to create an impact on the audience when I perform each scene," Seo added. She danced MacMillan's Juliet numerous times, but the upcoming performance holds more significance as it marks her first portrayal of Juliet on home soil. The 38-year-old, who made history as ABT's first Asian principal dancer, will share the stage with Daniel Camargo, another principal from ABT, as Romeo. Premiered in 1965, MacMillan's "Romeo & Juliet" has garnered critical acclaim and established itself as the British choreographer's magnum opus, elevating him to the ranks of a master of dramatic ballet. It has been praised for capturing the essence of Shakespeare's original work with emotional depth and theatrical brilliance. Seo's favorite and most challenging scene is the famous "Balcony Pas de Deux," where the young couple expresses their fiery love through intricate choreography on the balcony. The ABT dancer dedicated particular focus on encapsulating the sentiment of first love, which is the essence of the scene. "I strived to avoid replicating my past performances, constantly pursuing new depths and dimensions in my portrayal," Seo said. In Korea, the UBC premiered the piece in 2012 and restaged it in 2016. Now, eight years after its last performance, the UBC chose "Romeo & Juliet" to congratulate the company's 40th anniversary. Julia H. Moon, general director of UBC, expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the company's patrons and supporters. "On this special occasion, we wanted to showcase a grand masterpiece that we haven't often had the opportunity to present as a token of our deepest appreciation for our audiences," Moon noted, reflecting on the four decades that the UBC has spent traversing the landscape of the Korean ballet scene. Along with Seo, Kang Mi-sun, UBC principal dancer who won the prestigious Prix Benois de la Danse in 2023, and soloist Lee Yoo-lim, who joined the ballet company last year after a successful career with the Hungarian National Ballet, will each bring their unique interpretation to the role of Juliet. Romeo & Juliet will be staged at the Seoul Arts Center's Opera Theater in southern Seoul. By Pyo Kyung-min K-pop band Stray Kids encountered discrimination and derogatory treatment from photographers at the Met Gala, shedding light on deeper issues of racism at one of America's largest fashion events. The eight-piece act graced the red carpet of the 2024 Met Gala at the New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art, Monday, serving as global ambassadors for the fashion brand Tommy Hilfiger. Footage from the event surfaced online, revealing interactions between Stray Kids and certain photographers. In the video, photographers could be heard directing the group with comments like "Stand straight," "You all look crooked," and "Move back." Tensions escalated when photographers began mocking the members' expressions and making overtly discriminatory remarks. One photographer criticized the group, saying, "Ive never seen so many unemotional faces in my life," while others made rude comments such as, "Looks like theyre going to start performing," and "Everybody jump." The disrespectful atmosphere intensified when one photographer shouted "arigato" (thanks in Japanese), mistakenly using Japanese with a Korean group, further contributing to the disrespectful tone of the interactions. In the video, Stray Kids' leader Bangchan is seen clapping his hands to guide the group off the carpet following the disrespectful remarks. Both Bangchan and fellow member Felix are Australian, with English being their native language. The incident sparked immediate backlash online, with many condemning the racist undertones and the photographers' disrespectful demands on the group. Comments like "The racism was so loud," "The boys deserved better," and "No other American celebrity gets disrespected like this when they pose with their straight serious model face" reflected the outrage and support for Stray Kids. Comparisons were drawn to previous racist encounters experienced by other K-pop groups, including BTS, underscoring a recurring issue with how K-pop artists are treated by the international media. "I don't follow Stray Kids, but I'm taken aback by the paparazzi behavior I've seen toward BTS. The same racism. The same mockery. The same demands that they 'perform' like circus animals ...," a user commented on X, formerly Twitter. Amid the controversy, Stray Kids is gearing up for the release ofa digital single titled "Lose My Breath," in collaboration with American pop star Charlie Puth, scheduled for Friday. The group is also preparing for a new album slated for July 19, after an eight-month hiatus. Mandatory return-to-office policies appear to be pushing workers at major tech companies away from their employers, with measurable effects on how willing people are to stay at companies that require in-person attendance. A study released this week by researchers at the University of Michigan and University of Chicago found that three large US tech companies Microsoft, Apple and SpaceX saw substantially increased attrition, particularly of their more senior personnel, when they implemented strict return-to-work policies in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. While many efforts to study remote work and its effects on the economy have been based on survey data, the authors of this study used publicly available resume data, rather than self-reported preferences, to track the actual effects of back-to-work policies A young woman from New Zealand, Charlotte Gilmour, has sparked awareness after enduring a rare and severe reaction to medication prescribed for depression. At 23, Gilmour shared her harrowing experience, describing it as "terrifying" and stating that the medication "burned me from inside out." Gilmour developed Steven-Johnson syndrome (SJS), an uncommon condition characterized by painful blisters on the skin, mouth and oesophagus, local news outlet Stuff reported. Having a 10% fatality rate, SJS typically manifests as flu-like symptoms and progresses to a blistering rash as per the Mayo Clinic, the New York Post cited. Medical professionals attribute Gilmour's reaction to lamotrigine, an antiepileptic drug also prescribed for depression, which is known to have SJS as a rare side effect. She had been battling a chest infection for several weeks before waking up with a painful rash, though it remains unclear if SJS caused the chest infection, according to NDTV. "I looked in the mirror, and I just burst into tears. I think I subconsciously knew it was something quite serious," Gilmour reportedly said. While rushing to the hospital, she encountered Filipino nurses who swiftly identified her condition, drawing from their experiences with similar cases in the Philippines. However, she recounted feeling apprehensive when the medical staff expressed uncertainty, stating, "It was scary, I guess, hearing ... 'OK, no one really knows a lot about this'." "The scariest part about it is that it burned me from the inside out. So all the burns on the outside were because my insides were so burned that it started to manifest on the outside of my skin." Beyond affecting her skin and mouth, the reaction caused painful blisters throughout her digestive system, rendering normal eating impossible. Consequently, doctors resorted to inserting a feeding tube to sustain her with essential nutrients, yet her condition persisted despite steroid treatment. "So they stopped them ... and then it just got worse and worse until there was one night it got so bad I pretty much lost my vision," she explained. Gilmour was latersreintroduced to steroids which eventually provided relief. Despite a month-long hospitalization and significant progress, she continues to endure lingering after-effects, with recurrent blisters and rash flare-ups. By Dynne C. | Update Date: May 09, 2024 02:14 AM EDT In today's fast-paced life, people find themselves bombarded with stressors from various fronts including at work, highlighting the importance of having a mental health day to recuperate. The Need for a Mental Health Day Before exploring the signs suggesting the need for a mental health day, it is crucial to grasp its essence. A personal mental health day serves as a designated break aimed at alleviating stress, rejuvenating the mind, and fostering a sense of well-being. Experts, like psychologist Rosenna Bakari, Ph.D., emphasize the significance of prioritizing such days to prevent burnout. Signs to Watch Out For Various signals may indicate that individuals could significantly benefit from taking a mental health day to recharge and restore balance. These signs encompass a range of experiences, including: Fatigue or Difficulty Staying Awake During Work Hours Persistent tiredness or struggling to remain alert throughout the workday can signify the need for a break to replenish energy levels. Increased Irritability Uncharacteristic irritability and a short fuse in interactions with colleagues or loved ones may suggest underlying stress or emotional strain. Feelings of Cynicism or Apathy Towards Work Tasks A sense of detachment or indifference towards work responsibilities, coupled with negative attitudes, could indicate burnout or emotional exhaustion. Reluctance to Engage in Activities Previously Enjoyed Finding oneself avoiding hobbies or activities that usually bring joy or fulfillment may signal emotional fatigue or mental overwhelm. Consistently Arriving Late to Work Chronic lateness despite efforts towards punctuality may reflect underlying stressors or difficulties coping with work demands. Heightened Levels of Sadness, Stress, or Anxiety Experiencing intensified emotions, such as sadness, stress, or anxiety, that persistently disrupt daily functioning may necessitate a day off for emotional replenishment. Decreased Productivity A noticeable decline in work output or productivity levels, despite efforts to maintain performance, may indicate mental fatigue or burnout. Physical Symptoms Physical manifestations of stress, such as headaches, gastrointestinal issues, or muscle tension, can serve as tangible reminders of the toll that stress is taking on the body. Difficulty Concentrating on Tasks Struggling to concentrate or maintain focus on work tasks, despite previous capabilities, may signal cognitive fatigue or mental exhaustion. Approaching the Supervisor About Time Off Broaching the topic of taking a mental health day with one's supervisor requires tact and consideration. While some workplaces foster a supportive environment for mental health, others may not be as accommodating. Vanessa Kelly, a labor and employment attorney, advises employees to gauge their workplace culture and use discretion when discussing time off for mental health reasons. Utilizing Time Off for Self-Care Regardless of whether the workplace offers designated mental health days, prioritizing self-care is essential. Taking time off to de-stress doesn't always necessitate disclosing personal reasons to the employer. Kelly suggests using personal or vacation days for such purposes, especially in workplaces where mental health support may be lacking. There was surge in domestic tourism, with Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Chengdu being among the most popular locations. Dispersed among many well-known tourist destinations, the majority of these vacation spots mostly serve affluent clientele. The increase in tourism led to a rise in demand for a number of goods and services, such as retail and hospitality, which has opened up economic prospects. China is well-positioned to take advantage of this trend as high-end customers search for travel alternatives among its many picturesque locations and beyond. It will do Chinese third- and fourth-tier cities , such as Tianshui, Lishui, and Jinhua, saw a 40% year-over-year increase in travel bookings; county-level regions saw a 64% surge in hotel reservations and a 200 percent spike in ticket bookings. The holidays contributed to the growing desire of Chinese people to travel.There was surge in domestic tourism, with Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Chengdu being among the most popular locations. Dispersed among many well-known tourist destinations, the majority of these vacation spots mostly serve affluent clientele. The increase in tourism led to a rise in demand for a number of goods and services, such as retail and hospitality, which has opened up economic prospects.Outbound tourism also picked up.For example, during the five-day vacation, the airports expectedly processed over 5,800 aircraft and handled over 918,000 passenger journeys, representing a year-over-year growth of almost 21 percent. On May 5, approximately 207,000 passenger trips returned to the airports. Seoul and Tokyo are two popular locations for outbound tourism. On May Day alone, China had a record-breaking 20% rise in foreign ticket purchases when compared to 2019. More than three times as many reservations were made for Middle Eastern travel destinations like Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as for European travel destinations including the UK, Hungary, Ireland, Spain, and Croatia. --- *Freelance writer and columnist, with Honors and Masters degrees in International Affairs The Chinese authorities insist, this demonstrates China's openness and acceptability to the outside world. They believe, China's burgeoning tourist and transportation industry -- which includes highways, trains, and airplanes -- showcase the country's dedication to progress and innovation and its capacity to adapt to the needs of a changing population. People's lively movement is a testament to China's ongoing social and economic growth.--- The vacation sees people seeking to get involved in high-quality consumption of goods produced by variety of industries, tourism, and participate in cultural events. This May Day holidays are unique in that there is a surge in both inbound and outgoing travel, which boosts the steady stream of consumption.The economic significance of the May Day holiday may be appreciated if we closely examine the Ministry of Transport's data that an average of 280 million journeys were made using private and public transportation on the first day, surpassing levels in 2023 and pre-COVID 2019. The estimated cross-regional trips via highways, waterways, and airways exceeded 257 million, 900,000, and 2.11 million, respectively, while the railway passenger traffic volume reached 20.4 million trips. It exceeds the 270 million travels that were anticipated throughout the five-day holiday.This segment of the nation's tourism and transportation industry were found to be doing brisk business this May Day vacation due to an increase in the number of travelers using this mode of transportation. Take a look at how the desire for luxury travel caused the Chinese railway industry to soar: According to national railway operator China State Railway Group (CSRG), on the first day of the vacation, China's railway network handled 20.69 million passenger trips, a record single-day high. By Lee Yeon-woo HD Hyundai Marine Solution is considered as being the biggest IPO of the first half of this year. It made a significant debut on the stock market, landing at 53rd in terms of market capitalization. According to the Korea Exchange, Wednesday, HD Hyundai Marine Solution closed at 163,900 won ($120.12), a 96.52 percent increase from the offering price of 83,400 won. Its market cap reached over 7 trillion won. Its stock price saw a 40 percent increase during the morning session and gained even more in the afternoon. At one point, it soared to 166,100 won, nearly doubling from the initial public offering price. However, it ultimately failed to double or quadruple, contrary to market expectations, which had been heightened by strong demand from institutional investors and the public. During its public offering on April 25-26, the company achieved a record competition ratio of 255.8:1, attracting approximately 25 trillion won in subscription deposits. This set the highest record for this year's IPO market. It is questionable whether the stock price will continue its bullish trend. Of the 4,417,880 shares available for trading, 44.8 percent are owned by institutional investors who did not enter into a lock-up agreement, which would have restricted them from selling their shares for a specified period. Notably, 99.9 percent of the shares held by foreign institutional investors, totaling 1,957,267 shares, are not subject to a mandatory holding agreement. This means they could be sold at any time, potentially dragging down the stock price. Established by spinning off from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in November 2016, the company offers comprehensive services across the entire lifecycle of ships. In 2023, it reported revenues of 1.4 trillion won. "I feel grave responsibility as we stand at the starting point for a new leap," HD Hyundai Marine Solution CEO Lee Ki-dong said. "We aim to develop the company into a leader that explores the infinite possibilities of the sea, as envisioned by HD Hyundai." I made a movie that bombed in 1988, Dana Carvey told Jerry Seinfeld on this weeks Fly on the Wall podcast. The movie, Opportunity Knocks, was indeed a flop. Critics punished the comic with reviews like Carvey's a really blank lead, and Carvey is no Michael J. Fox. His presence is droopy. Bill Murray must have seen what was coming. In the days before the movie opened, he very seriously gave Carvey some advice: Can you get out of the country? Could you go to the woods? He's assuming the reviews will literally destroy me, said Carvey, remembering Murrays recommendation to hike somewhere remote where he couldnt access electronics. But yeah, I got some bad ones. Don't Miss Who cares, responded Seinfeld, who professed that, I love bad reviews. I love them. Addressing a hypothetical critic who panned his Pop-Tart movie Unfrosted, Seinfeld practically giggled with delight: Why wouldnt you hate it? It makes sense! Of course. I didnt make it for you particularly. Seinfeld said comics have a built-in advantage over actors when it comes to bad reviews. As comedians, its not fair because we have Iron Man suits that we wear in show business, he explained. In fact, that was Seinfelds biggest revelation from directing Unfrosted how different the lives of comedians are from those of actors. To have a house like you have, he told Carvey, actors are sweating out each gig. I have to kill in this, this has to work! Or there could be a downturn. You and I, we dont think like that. Yes, we want our stuff to work. But youve got this metal Iron Man suit that nobody can get off of you. You can go out and work. You can go out whenever you want. Advertisement The difference between acting and stand-up was revolutionary to Jon Lovitz when I convinced him to try it. He loves it, agreed Carvey. Lovitz complains that when he does movies, they edit his lines and cut his part down to nothing. But when he goes to the comedy club, (insert Lovitz voice here), I do my time, and they give me a check. Carvey said Lovitz couldnt believe the arithmetic thing that stand-up is. Seinfeld said the most interesting thing about their collective comedy careers is that they lived through what stand-up was in the 1980s and 1990s to what it is now: It changed underneath us. And I give Ted Sarandos (the head of Netflix) a tremendous amount of credit for this. He changed who comedians are in the culture. He changed it. Advertisement In fact, Iron Man, er, Seinfeld was totally floored by the good fortune of comics in the Age of Netflix. Or as he exclaimed, God bless America! The Eurovision Song Contest is mostly known as a mecca for the musically mediocre of Europe and also Australia for some reason or, in America, as a surprisingly good Will Ferrell movie so you wouldnt expect it to be mired in political controversy. With that many countries all coming together and Eurovisions ironically staunch insistence on staying out of their disputes, however, its bound to happen. The current criticism of Israels involvement is only the tip of a very weird iceberg covered in sequins and loaded with pyrotechnics. 4 Armenia and Azerbaijan Armenia and Azerbaijan both entered Eurovision in the late 90s, which was awkward because theyve been at war for several decades. Right off the bat, Azerbaijan got pissed that the broadcast depicted a monument in disputed territory as belonging to Armenia, censored it in their country, and invited some citizens who had voted for Armenias song to have a little chat at the Ministry of National Security. When Azerbaijan won in 2011, meaning theyd host the next years contest, Armenia boycotted, and in 2015, they entered a song called Dont Deny about denial of the Armenian genocide, whose title they were forced to change because Azerbaijan, you know, does that and Eurovision didnt want no fights. They got them anyway: In 2016, Armenia got in hot water for waving a controversial flag, and in 2021, Azerbaijan did for entering a performer whod made some, uh, very patriotic statements in the past. 3 Georgia Its hard to have a song contest, especially a multicultural one, that forbids political messages. Otherwise, youre just discoing into the void. But Eurovision has a rule that "No lyrics, speeches, gestures of a political or similar nature shall be permitted," and Georgia ran afoul of that rule in 2009 with the song We Dont Wanna Put In, which appear(ed) to poke fun at Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Yeah, you cant even criticize the man whose name has become synonymous with cartoonish evil. Eurovision demanded they change the lyrics, so they chose instead to peace out on the competition, which happened to have been held in Moscow. They might have literally dodged a bullet. 2 Ukraine While were on their side here, Eurovision has a bizarre history of bending the rules for Ukraine. The 2016 winner was a song by a Ukrainian artist about the deportation of her family from Crimea by Josef Stain, so its apparently okay to criticize guys we all recognize as bad as long as theyre dead, though she came right out and said the song was also connected to the contemporary seizure of Crimea by Russia. In 2022, Eurovision finally bowed to the pressure to ban Russia from the competition in light of the unprecedented crisis in Ukraine. They denied Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyys request to address the audience during the event, though, on the grounds that he might say something political. He probably just wanted to demand Jaja Ding Dong, but whatever. Are there any non-celebrities in this movie? Its been almost a week since the release of Jerry Seinfelds Pop-Tart movie Unfrosted, which critics are hailing as an embarrassment and one of the worst films of the decade so far. But because we live in Hell, millions of people have still been watching it. That being said, Unfrosted does boast one of the most impressive comedic casts in movie history, even though many of the recognizable actors come and go in a matter of seconds. Don't Miss So in case you were staring at your phone, or busy rethinking all the life choices that led you to the point of watching Unfrosted, here are some of the notable celebrity cameos you easily could have missed, such as Kyle Mooney and Mikey Day Filmmaker and former Saturday Night Live star Kyle Mooney plays Snap and current SNL cast member Mikey Day plays Crackle. Someone whos definitely not from SNL plays Pop. Netflix Bill Burr When it came time to cast JFK, Seinfeld thought to himself Whos Boston? Whos funny? And after two to three seconds of careful consideration, he decided on Bill Burr. Advertisement Dean Norris Dean Norris, who played Hank Schrader on Breaking Bad was tapped to play Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev. Sure, why not? Maria Bakalova Meanwhile, Khrushchevs translator is played by Maria Bakalova, who was Oscar nominated for her work in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, and has since starred in acclaimed movies like Bodies Bodies Bodies, but for some reason was relegated to this minuscule role. Advertisement Christian Slater Unfrosted has an elaborate subplot about an evil milk syndicate that feels threatened by the existence of the Pop-Tart. Christian Slater plays a menacing milkman in a few scenes. It just is what it is, Slater explained on The Tonight Show. Advertisement Advertisement Peter Dinklage And the head of the milk syndicate is played by Peter Dinklage! Patrick Warburton Puddy himself, Patrick Warburton, plays announcer Tom Terranova, who shows up at the Bowl and Spoon Awards. Cedric the Entertainer Also at the Bowl and Spoon Awards: Cedric the Entertainer as host and presenter Stu Smiley. Netflix Andy Daly The very funny Andy Daly gets a few scenes as a character named Isaiah Lamb, who is just the Quaker Oats guy? Follow-up question: Why wasnt this whole movie about Andy Daly as the Quaker Oats guy? Sebastian Maniscalco About My Father star Sebastian Maniscalco is Chester Slink, Kelloggs head of security, a character I genuinely dont remember, because there are roughly 5,000 characters in this movie. Tony Hale Tony Hale as a ventriloquist who randomly performs at the mansion of a Puerto Rican sugar kingpin? Are we sure this movie really exists and isnt some kind of global mass hallucination? Netflix Earthquake Earthquake was in this movie? He played a character named Cookie Rojas? Oh, wait hes the guy who directs Seinfelds character to a dumpster full of children scrounging for goo. Beck Bennett Former SNL cast member Beck Bennett pitches an idea for Frui-dines (pureed fruit in a sardine tin) and is never seen again. Aparna Nancherla The hilarious Aparna Nancherla pops up as an IBM computer scientist who offloads a creepy machine on Kelloggs. Jack McBrayer, Thomas Lennon, Bobby Moynihan and James Marsden Early in the film and by film we mean, 90-minute waking nightmare Kelloggs assembles a team of the most unconventional minds of the 1960s, including fitness guru Jack LaLanne, Sea-Monkeys creator Harold von Braunhut, bicycle magnate Steve Schwinn and canned food gourmet Chef Boyardee, played by James Marsden, Thomas Lennon, Jack McBrayer and Bobby Moynihan, respectively. Sasheer Zamata Sasheer Zamatas role as a reporter lasts for roughly 30 seconds, and finds her grilling von Braunhut over his whereabouts in the 1940s seemingly a reference to the fact that he was a neo-Nazi in real life. Netflix Ronny Chieng The Daily Shows Ronny Chieng gets one of the movies few big laughs as Chuck the technician, who casually observes the brutal death of Steve Schwinn. Dan Levy and Darrell Hammond If you didnt angrily turn off the movie before the last few minutes, you likely saw Dan Levy as a murderous Andy Warhol and heard Darrell Hammond dubbing the voice of Ed McMahon. Fyre Festival was a glorious 24 hours of watching the young and glamorous forced to eat cheese sandwiches in FEMA tents stranded in the Bahamas waiting for musical acts that would never show up. It seems that, since then, everyone else has forgotten how to throw a festival, too, even for groups that are much less fun to laugh at. 4 The Wicked Worlds Fair Youd think steampunk fans would be better at planning than most you cant just run out and buy a vest covered in gears but the Wicked Worlds Fair that took place in Pennsylvania in February was marred by reports of overbooked vendors, who were crowded so thickly into hallways, concert halls and even coat closets that attendees (especially those with disabilities) barely had room to pass by them. They also described water and tiles falling from the ceilings, tech crews walking off due to nonpayment and refund refusals. The event organizer has since transferred ownership of the event to another group thats presumably more capable. Maybe those spider things from Wild Wild West. 3 Readers Take Denver A convention for romance readers in April called Readers Take Denver promised that its lineup of hundreds of authors would be totally accessible due to a WhatsApp-based messaging system that would allow attendees to sign up for a time slot and never wait in a line. When that system failed immediately, 3,000 people were left waiting for hours in lines just to register, let alone get their books signed by any authors. Many didnt even get the books theyd pre-ordered, the paltry number of employees ran out of swag bags and even bottled water in a hurry, and security corralled the masses so aggressively that at least one attendee posted evidence of a black eye resulting from getting shoved around. Author Rebecca Yarros condemned the event on Facebook, which would have been the wildly bestselling nail in its coffin if it hadnt already been canceled for 2025. 2 Willys Chocolate Experience If you used social media during the last week of February, it was hard to escape images of a starkly lit concrete warehouse sparsely decorated with a handful of candy canes and a half-inflated bouncy castle and forlorn Oompa Loompas carefully rationing out jelly beans. Willys Chocolate Experience in Glasgow was advertised with A.I. images of a magical candyland that didnt at all match the facility children showed up to see, and actors claimed the script was unintelligible and sometimes physically impossible nonsense that seemed to be written by A.I., too. The events organizer claimed they were last minute let down by suppliers, as if this was a Tinder date and not an event people paid $44 to attend. In the original scripts of Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Deandra Sweet Dee Reynolds didnt get nearly as many punchlines as the rest of Paddys Pub its like they didnt even know she does impressions. Before Kaitlin Olson was the most beloved and embattled bird on television, she was an accomplished improv comic with a handful of credits that would pique the interest of most comedy snobs. In her early career, Olson appeared in 12 episodes of The Drew Carey Show, she had a recurring role on Curb Your Enthusiasm as Cheryls chaotic sister Becky and she even assisted on a couple Punkd pranks. So, when Olson rolled up to her audition for a new and barely funded FX sitcom called Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, she was surprised to find that the part she was asked to play was thinner than an ostrichs neck. Don't Miss Today, Olson is the most Emmy-snubbed actress in all of TV comedy, and none of Its Always Sunny in Philadelphias millions of fans could possibly imagine a world where Paddys Pub doesnt have its double-dropping, scoliosis-beating waitress to provide her brother, his friends and her not-father with unwanted comic relief. But, as Olson explained during a recent interview for Vanity Fair, when her future husband Rob McElhenney first offered her the part of Sweet Dee, she turned it down, due to the fact that he and his buddies Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton hogged all the funny lines to themselves as if zingers were shares in Paddys Pub. Sunny was a really happy accident, Olson explained of her first big break in Bob Rossian terms following a particularly Dee-like episode of her current show Hacks, in which her character, DJ Vance, struggles but eventually succeeds in getting laughs during the celebrity roast of her comedian mother. Said Olson of her first taste of Its Always Sunny, That audition was incredible, because the sides werent for Dee. Advertisement Today, that screen test is the stuff of Always Sunny legend, but, back in the early aughts, McElhenney and his collaborators had to scramble to find lines for their prospective Dee in the script of their short-film-turned-episode Charlie Has Cancer that would give her a proper opportunity to flex her humor muscles. They changed a scene that was between Dennis and Charlie because they didnt have any funny Dee scenes, so they gave me that, Olson recalled. But I didnt know that. So obviously for the audition, they changed the name. And it was funny! I loved it, I did it, and then Rob said, Go ahead and put the sides down and were going to do the same scene, but say whatever you want. Same scene, but say whatever you want, Olson recounted. The Groundlings veteran was all-too-eager to try out what would become Always Sunnys signature half-improvised style, telling Vanity Fair, No one had ever done that before, and I was like, What? It was the most fun audition I ever had. I got in the car and was like, I mean, thats my role. I believe I got that. Advertisement Later, however, Olson learned the truth about the scene she thought was between Dee and Charlie, and the spectacular audition seemed to be shaping up into a disappointment for both sides. It was only later after they asked me to do it on the phone, I didnt have to talk to their faces. I just told my agent when they were like, Oh, that wouldnt be your character. Here are five scripts that are written, and heres the Dee character. And it wasnt good. So I passed, Olson explained. Then Rob called me and was like, Thats not what we meant. We do want you to be you. Advertisement If I had gotten an audition and they had literally just pulled a Dee scene out of the scripts that they had already written, I probably wouldve passed on the audition, Olson admitted. I was coming off of a show that was shot in England where I had a bad experience, and I said, Okay, for the rest of my life, I will never take a job for money or just because I want to be on TV. I wouldve missed out on the whole thing if I got an actual Dee script. Advertisement Thankfully, McElhenney and his writers rewrote their first-season scripts in order to allow their new star to stretch her wings, and, 20 years later, shes still flying. Reports of NK soldiers in Ukraine may show Russia's 'profound' desperation: US official But by the time Shapps made his statement to Parliament hours later, China was no longer being mentioned by name. Instead, Shapps focused on the third-party company that managed the payroll system. This was operated by a contractor and there is evidence of potential failings by them which may have made it easier for the malign actor to gain entry, Shapps said. No confirmed connection to a nation-state Although Shapps didnt explicitly blame the contractor, the government has started a review of the company and its operations, he said. Although we can see a malign actor was involved, we have yet to make the connection to a state. Although we cant rule out that that might be the conclusion, we have no evidence to conclude that way yet, he said. The incident reveals a knot of issues, starting with the political problem of attribution. The government clearly believes that China was behind the hack but doesnt want to say that publicly to avoid getting into a diplomatic slanging match. Details of NEXTRADE unveiled By Anna J. Park The new stock exchange, intended to challenge the monopoly of the Korea Exchange (KRX), will extend the operating hours of the Korean stock market by introducing pre-market and after-market sessions, allowing stock trading for 12 hours every day, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. In addition, new order types like a mid-price order and stop-limit order will be introduced, along with plans to allow competition for commissions to achieve cost reduction benefits. These details are part of the operational plan for "NEXTRADE," an alternative trading system (ATS) that involves dozens of brokerages. This plan was revealed at a seminar jointly hosted by the Financial Services Commission (FSC), KRX, NEXTRADE, and the Financial Investment Association in Seoul on Thursday. "Once the ATS is officially launched, stock trading hours will be extended, allowing investors who are full-time employees to conveniently invest in stocks after their working hours. Additionally, the introduction of new order types will enable investors be able to easily utilize various trading strategies," FSC Vice Chairman Kim So-young said at the seminar. Kim said the country's stock markets are on the verge of transitioning to a model where multiple bourses operate and expressed hopes for a more efficient and convenient market through increased competition. He also urged authorities to prioritize stable and fair market management. NEXTRADE aims to apply for a license by the end of this year and launch in March 2025. The exchange also plans to obtain additional licenses to enable trading of listed ETFs and ETNs, which are in high demand among investors due to their market liquidity. The financial authorities note that laws or regulations that need to be revised for the operation of the ATS will be finalized within this year. By Lee Yeon-woo Korea's household debt-to-GDP ratio fell below 100 percent for the first time in three and a half years, influenced by monetary tightening that began in 2021. A ratio exceeding 100 percent indicates that total household debt surpasses the country's entire economic output. According to the Institute of International Finance's recent report, titled "Global Debt Monitor: Navigating the New Normal," Korea's household debt-to-GDP ratio was the highest among the 34 countries studied as of the first quarter of 2024, at 98.9 percent. The eurozone was calculated as a single economy. The ratio was followed by Hong Kong at 92.5 percent, Thailand at 91.8 percent, Britain at 78.1 percent and the United States at 71.8 percent. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Korea has maintained its status as the country with the highest household debt-to-GDP ratio. It reached its peak at 105.5 percent in the first quarter of 2022. However, this time, the ratio has dropped into the 90 percent range. Compared to a year ago, the country's decrease in household debt was the fourth-largest at 2.6 percentage points, following Hong Kong at 3.8 percentage points, Britain at 3.5 percentage points and the U.S. at 2.8 percentage points. This indicates that the Bank of Korea (BOK) has succeeded in its initial goal of reducing the debt ratio. "When the household debt-to-GDP ratio surpasses 80 percent, it can potentially hinder economic growth and financial stability. Consequently, the goal is to gradually reduce this ratio, currently above 100 percent, down to 90 percent, and ultimately to 80 percent," BOK Gov. Rhee Chang-yong said last August. Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Global credit appraiser Moody's Investors Service said Thursday it has affirmed its credit rating on South Korea at "Aa2," with a stable outlook. Moody's has maintained the country's sovereign credit rating at "Aa2," the third-highest level on the company's table, since December 2015, when the agency upgraded it from "Aa3." "The affirmation of the rating is supported by (South) Korea's very high degree of economic diversity and competitiveness, its still-strong fiscal buffers, and vigilant institutional management around key challenges," the agency said in a report. The stable rating outlook reflects "limited risks" to the country's credit profile, as its credit fundamentals will remain exposed to material and long-lasting impediments to global trade, the agency said. It also noted that longer-term credit constraints for the sovereign are centered mostly on the government's ability to implement structural reform in the face of rapid population aging. (Yonhap) Viewed well over a million times on social media since Tuesday, the recording of a stand-off between an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian father is bone-chilling. The Israeli Defence Forces officer pleads with the man to evacuate his family and other civilians from their building, apparently in Rafah, but the Arab refuses. Dont try to convince me. I wont leave, he says. Everyone wants to die from our side. We love death the way you love life. I want you and your children to live in peace, pleads the soldier, whose name is Ramy. Hamas triumphantly announced it had informed Qatari and Egyptian mediators that it has accepted their proposal for a ceasefire. Videos spread online of Palestinians wildly celebrating the news God forbid, you want to become a martyr. Is that it? We dont want the peace that comes from you, retorts the Palestinian, Abu Younes. The film fits in with the IDFs warning to civilians to leave eastern parts of Rafah and make their way to safety in an unoccupied sector of the strip that is not under IDF control. This is standard Israeli procedure: broadcasting warning messages from loudhailers and dropping leaflets from planes, in a concerted effort to avoid innocent casualties. Yet the prevailing narrative, both in Arab countries and in the West, is that Israel is unleashing indiscriminate death and destruction on Gaza. Of course, everyone wants to see a lasting peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. For a brief moment on Monday, there was a glimmer of hope. Hamas triumphantly announced it had informed Qatari and Egyptian mediators that it has accepted their proposal for a ceasefire. Videos spread online of Palestinians wildly celebrating the news. But an unnamed Israeli official swiftly clarified that this was a softened version of an Egyptian proposal that included far-reaching conclusions which Israel could not accept. This included a clause which stated Hamas would release all those who were kidnapped during their bloody onslaught on October 7 or their bodies. The inclusion of this sinister phrase suggests that the majority are dead some intelligence suggests that of the 132 people unaccounted for, barely 30 are still alive. Israel has every right to refuse to accept a ceasefire without knowing how many of its own hostages Hamas has slaughtered. Yet Mondays debacle was a propaganda masterstroke for the terrorists, meticulously crafted to convince Western onlookers that Hamas wants peace while Israel is bent on wholesale slaughter. Too many people here, understandably deeply worried about the suffering of Palestinian civilians, take this propaganda at face value. Hamas is aware of the desperation of the Palestinian people squeezed into Rafah in southern Gaza. Their subjects premature celebrations of the ceasefire was evidence of their desperate desire for peace but fear of Hamas gunmen and their snitches has until now kept Gazans from openly expressing it. These terrorists know they are losing the war, but by painting it as a sadistic anti-civilian campaign by Israel, Hamas has conned well-intentioned people into backing a ceasefire, which would only give it time to regroup and fight back stronger and harder. Its a case of loser takes all in the propaganda war. That is why a ceasefire would not be right and why Israel must finish the task it has set itself. It has been clear in its objectives from the start. A ceasefire would not be right and why Israel must finish the task it has set itself As a government spokesman, Avi Hyman, told Radio 4s World At One on Tuesday: The objective of our war is to destroy Hamas and bring home the hostages, and to ensure that Gaza doesnt pose a threat to Israel again. The Rafah offensive is a key part of this: despite its own losses falsely presented as civilian deaths in many cases Hamas boasts organised units and key commanders in the region and underneath it in tunnels. Benjamin Netanyahus coalition war cabinet includes key political rivals: they too are united in rejecting any compromise with Hamas. They know that if a ceasefire is agreed now, it will not be a genuine peace. There is a sharp contrast with the situation between Israel and Egypt in the late 1970s. Then it was clear that Cairo would not renew hostilities as long as Israel returned its lost Sinai territory. There has been no real peace between Gaza and Israel for 17 years since Hamas took control. Instead, we have seen an endless carousel of rocket attacks, reprisals, ceasefires and more attacks. Most Israelis now say: enough is enough. But will this commendable single-mindedness last in the increasingly hysterical climate in the West? Both Joe Biden and Keir Starmer have dropped their total support for Israel as Muslim voters and student activists have threatened their voter base over Gaza. Meanwhile, Joe Bidens administration is devoting more effort to urging Israel to make concessions than putting pressure on Hamas or its rich Arab backers such as Qatar. Pausing the supply of American precision munitions to Israel, as Biden has done, lets the ailing U.S. president pose as a concerned peace-bringer. The truth is, he is putting more Palestinian civilians at risk of becoming collateral damage to less advanced weaponry. Worse still, Admiral John Kirby, Bidens National Security spokesman, seemed on Monday to have given up on the objective of the total erasure of Hamas. Youre not going to eliminate an ideology by military operations, he said. He could not be more wrong. Just think of the Nazis. What put paid to their hate-filled, murderous ideas was utter defeat. Imagine if Hitler had been allowed to surface from his bunker after a ceasefire in March 1945. Its only natural that people in Britain and the U.S. want to see peace in Gaza. The prospect of Rafah being pounded to dust, as Gaza City already has been, is unsettling. But a comprehensive Israeli victory is the best and quickest guarantee of long-term salvation for innocent civilians. Debris at a school belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Nuseirat Camp in Deir Al Balah Hamas is no Palestinian nationalist movement it doesnt truly care about Gazan lives. It is the self-declared vanguard of a globalist radical Islamist movement. The luckless Palestinians are merely pawns to their wider ambitions of targeting the Middle East and even the West. That means until the skulking warlords of Hamas are captured or eliminated, there can be no lasting peace for Palestine, Israel or the world. Israel must deploy its soldiers to flush them out as soon as possible. A ceasefire without their surrender would not end the horrific bloodshed. It would let Hamas decide when to start it flowing all over again. U.S. House votes to kill motion to remove Speaker Mike Johnson Xinhua) 08:45, May 09, 2024 WASHINGTON, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted to kill a resolution to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson. The House voted 359-43 on a motion by Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia to oust Johnson from his post, with seven Democrats voting "present." Greene called up her resolution to remove fellow Republican and House Speaker Johnson on the House floor Wednesday evening. But House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, immediately motioned to table the measure. "A remarkable number of House Republicans joined with Democrats to rescue the speaker, who has only been in the job for a little over six months," reported The Washington Post, adding that Johnson earned grudging respect from more traditional Republicans for ensuring the government didn't run out of funding and sending aid to U.S. allies and Israel and Ukraine, but he only did so with Democratic support, infuriating members like Greene. Johnson has also been emboldened by the backing of former U.S. president Donald Trump, who reiterated his support for the Louisiana Republican over the weekend, said the report. It's the second time in less than a year that Republicans have sought to remove their own party's speaker. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California was voted out of the job in October through a motion filed by a fellow member of the Republican Party. Greene has called for Johnson's removal in recent weeks, mostly over U.S. aid package for Ukraine. It's the latest sign of continued Republican infighting. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) By Lee Yeon-woo A woman who goes by the English name Emma said she recently took her husband to Seongsu-dong in Seoul to have his iris scanned after Worldcoin resumed its service in Korea. "Worldcoin is not a meaningless coin. It was developed by Open AI CEO Sam Altman. There's a high possibility that the coin's value will increase in the future. If it happens, you can transfer the coins accumulated in your app to a crypto exchange account and convert them into cash for a tidy profit," she said. Since having her irises scan in February, she has monetized 280,000 won ($204.48) from the coin. Including Emma, an increasing number of Koreans are looking to register their irises for Worldcoin to receive free coins. Under the slogan "For Every Human," Worldcoin uses a device called the Orb to scan people's irises as "proof of personhood." After verification, it links the data to its blockchain system and creates a personal ID and digital wallet. In exchange for signing up to the protocol, participants receive 10 Worldcoin tokens in one swoop. Every two weeks, three additional Worldcoin tokens are continuously credited to each individual's wallet. Since the start of this month, Worldcoin has resumed its iris registration services for the public in six key locations in Seoul, including COEX in Samseong-dong, Yeoksam-dong, Seongsu-dong, Euljiro, Yongsan and Yeouido. The resumption comes two months after the service was suspended in Korea following allegations of illegal use of personal information. According to one orb operator in Seoul, although their branch accepts reservations for up to 100 people per day, all slots are filled for the foreseeable future on both weekdays and weekends. Worldcoin reports that the information of 5.1 million people from 36 countries has been collected. Despite its popularity, the resumption of the service in Korea raises concerns as it faces increasing global sanctions due to potential risks of misuse of personal information. The United States has banned Worldcoin transactions and iris registrations, citing the unpredictability of how registered iris data might be used and the potential risk of hacking. France, India, Hong Kong and Brazil also prohibited the registration service for similar reasons. Worldcoin maintains that there is no possibility of data leakage, as the captured iris images are encrypted and then immediately deleted. While Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission began an investigation on Feb. 29, it has not yet imposed regulations on its iris registration services within the country. Transactions are still being conducted on domestic crypto exchanges like Bithumb and Coinone. "Although the exact timeline for the investigation cannot be confirmed, efforts are underway to complete it as soon as possible," an official of the commission said. There are also scam allegations associated with the project, which aims to "provide a universal basic income to authorized humans in anticipation of AI replacing human labor." However, details on the business strategy or funding methods haven't been disclosed. Some market insiders describe it as a potential Ponzi scheme, arguing that the basic income would be funded by reselling the coin at higher prices to new investors amid increased demand. In his counter-cultural opus Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, American journalist Hunter S Thompson observed: 'When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.' He was saying that at times of uncertainty and weak leadership, eccentric minorities move in to fill the vacuum. When normality breaks down, the abnormal can become mainstream. There was plenty of evidence of this phenomenon in last week's local elections, as scores of candidates driven by events in the Middle East rather than middle England won council seats. As the victors shouted Allahu Akbar, denounced Israel and waved Palestinian banners in town halls around the country, it was clear sectarianism has come back to haunt British politics. We know from bitter experience in Northern Ireland and elsewhere how dangerous and corrosive that can be, yet none of the major parties on the Left has uttered so much as a peep of concern. Fury grows over the Green Party's refusal to suspend under-fire Leeds city councillor Mothin Ali Indeed, the Green Party has ushered anti-Zionism and thinly veiled anti-Semitism into its ranks. Some of the most extreme local candidates stood on its ticket and have not been disciplined. As usual, the Liberal Democrats have nothing to say, while Sir Keir Starmer pledges to 'win back the trust' of pro-Palestine voters. This is a dangerous promise to make. Even if he wore a 'River to the Sea' T-shirt and called for a trade embargo against Israel, would the zealots be appeased? Or would they raise the stakes by demanding recognition of Hamas and/or Israeli withdrawal from the 'occupied' West Bank and Golan Heights? As to their immediate demand that Labour back a permanent Israeli ceasefire, it has a superficial allure. No one could fail to be moved by the suffering and destruction in Gaza or want it to go on. But to blame Israel for this war is nothing less than victim-shaming. On October 7, Hamas massacred 1,200 innocent Israelis and took more than 250 hostages. And far from rowing back after that hideous slaughter, the Iranian-backed terrorist group says it will endeavour to carry out similar atrocities in the future. So, any peace agreement which leaves them in power and doesn't include the return of all the hostages believed to be alive and the remains of those who have been killed would be unthinkable to Israel. Any nation whose citizens had been murdered, raped, tortured, and taken captive in such barbaric fashion would surely react in a similar way. Yet in London, mayor Sadiq Khan seeks to draw some equivalence between Hamas terror and Israeli self-defence. The newly re-elected Labour Party Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, makes a speech at his swearing in ceremony in London Jewish students are intimidated on campus, and there has even been a sharp increase in Jewish doctors being subjected to anti-Semitism by fellow NHS staff. Just yesterday, Sir Keir restored the whip to Corbynite MP Kate Osamor, who on the eve of Holocaust Memorial Day accused Israel of committing modern-day genocide. So much for his 'changed' Labour Party. Britain is one of the most tolerant, diverse countries in the world, which is why so many migrants including many from the Middle East want to be here. We cannot let bigots trash our values or corrupt our democracy. Instead of cowering before them all, political leaders must challenge them head on. Writing in the Mail today, Tory chairman Richard Holden says that if we indulge this dangerous dogma, 'we will be turning our backs on decades of progress'. His words are stark but telling. She revealed her biggest 'practice question hack' that got her top grades A star pupil who got 'all 8s and 9s' in her GCSEs has revealed her biggest revision hack, ahead of the 2024 exam season. British influencer, Bibi, who posts on TikTok under the handle @bibim7, regularly shares her study tips and tricks with her 123,000 followers. The student sat her own GCSE exams last year, and shared her impressive list of results afterwards - now she wants to help other youngsters achieve the same success. From how to prepare the night before an exam, to how to do past papers effectively, she has shared a variety of helpful videos aimed at this year's cohort. In one recent clip, which has already been seen by more than 239,000 people, the TikToker reveals her 'biggest practice question hack' that she believes helped her get a high grade in every subject. British influencer, Bibi, who posts on TikTok under the handle @bibim7, regularly shares her study tips and tricks with her 123,000 followers She told viewers: 'This is my biggest practice question hack that I think helped me get all 8s and 9s in my GCSEs and I don't think you would have heard of it before. 'So you probably know by now that doing practice questions is the best thing for literally all of the subjects - STEM and humanities. 'You have Physics and Maths Tutor and Maths Genie, where you can get your science ones and your maths ones, even like English and history. 'The issues with English, poetry, history, R.E, all of those types of subjects, is that there have only been so many years of GCSEs so you can only complete so many past paper questions on those kind of websites.' The influencer explains: 'Which means once you've done seven, you haven't covered all of the questions that could come up and obviously they're not going to come up if they have already come up before. 'So, this is the best thing you can do, which honestly saved me so much. I'm gonna do history as my example.' Showing her own computer screen on the camera, she advises: 'What you're going to do is search up the exam and then add 'every possible question'. As an example, Bibi searched for 'GCSE Edexcel History Medicine Through Time every possible question'. Showing her own computer screen on camera, she advises: 'What you're going to do is search up the exam and then add 'every possible question' She continues: 'There will be multiple websites that will have every single question that could come up based on the specification. 'So this is literally every topic on medicine through time, Edexcel. Every 20-marker, every four-marker that could come up.' Providing another example, she continued: 'Here is the same for R.E, just by typing the same thing. 'Like for Christian beliefs, every five-mark question, every four-mark question, every twelve-mark, and it literally goes through all of that for every single sub-topic. 'For power and conflict poetry I've literally found 15 here which covers every poem. I did this for history and one of the questions that wasn't in a past paper but was on one of these websites came up in the exam. 'Because I had already planned it in my revision, I didn't have to plan it in my exam and I could just write it.' She encouraged students that this is the 'perfect thing' to do because 'no past exam question for these kinds of subjects is ever gonna come up again in the future'. Adding: 'Also, sometimes there are not enough practice questions if you want to cover all of the poems for example. Current GCSE students flocked to the comments to thank the study pro for her 'useful advice' 'This is literally the best thing you can do and it's worked with everything I've tried. Every time I've put 'every possible question' in there has always been a website with every possible question. 'So I really recommend this, you don't have to write them all out, you just have to plan them or at least look at them and know whether you'd be able to answer them or not.' Current GCSE students flocked to the comments to thank the study pro for her 'useful advice'. One joked: 'This girl she might just save my life' and a second added: 'Thats such a good idea omg'. A third penned: 'Thank you so much oml' and a fourth wrote: 'One of the best tips ever'. Others chimed in with: 'Ahhh this is so good' and 'This is such a useful tip thank you'. However, one student argued: 'But there's not enough time to plan all of them,' to which Bibi encouragingly responded that there is. It comes just after a study found that pupils who attend schools where mobile phones are forbidden end up attaining higher grades in exams. The GCSE results of teenagers whose phones are stored or locked away all day are one or two grades higher than those at schools with relaxed rules on mobile phones, a report published today shows. Schools with an 'effective ban' on mobile phones were also more than twice as likely to be rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted. The think-tank Policy Exchange sent 800 Freedom of Information requests to primary and secondary schools across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 407 schools responded fully or in part to questions asked about mobile phones. Only 11 per cent of secondary schools were found to have an 'effective ban' on mobile phones - where they are not allowed on site or were stored away in lockers at the start of the school day. Beth Reeks from south Wales is the author behind Netflix hit The Kissing Booth An author popular on BookTok - a subsection of TikTok - has come under fire for saying she's written three books in as many months. Beth Reeks from south Wales is the author of The Kissing Booth and its sequels - now a huge success on Netflix, sparking three film adaptations featuring the likes of Jacob Elordi and Joey King. Beth, 28, who has written 14 books under her pen name Beth Reekles, posted a video on TikTok with the caption: 'When it's only April but you've already finished writing three books this year.' She posted the video using a viral clip from Taylor Swift's I Can Do It With A Broken Heart, with the lyrics: 'I cry a lot but I am so productive.' Even though Beth has now said her original video was a joke and lacked context (two out of the three books were already nearly complete), it has sparked debate on the platform about how long it actually takes to write a good quality novel. Author Beth Reekles (pictured) was met with criticism after she said she'd finished writing three books so far this year YouTube star Jack Edwards from Brighton, who describes himself as the 'internet's resident librarian', wrote in a now-deleted video: 'I just saw an author post on TikTok that she has written three books so far in 2024. 'It's April! And I just think, I don't know if that's the flex you think it is.' Jack, who recently went on a writing retreat for his own novel, added his caption: 'If you're writing three books in four months... I will not be reading them.' Another commenter said: 'If you write bad romance books then 3 is possible.' But others have defended Beth by arguing that male authors such as Stephen King and Brandon Sanderson write just as quickly - but as soon as a female romance author does the same she is criticised. Jack did not name Beth in his original video and took the video down after the comments began to get 'nasty'. However, he later confirmed in subsequent comments that the video had been about her - and Beth herself directly replied to his video to clear up some misunderstandings. Beth said: 'That's me, I'm the author who posted that she wrote three books in three months, which I am very proud of and I just thought I would add some context, as that seemed to be missing from the original video.' Beth took to her TikTok account to clarify she hadn't written the books from scratch and that other authors write just as quickly YouTuber Jack Edwards posted a video on TikTok saying writing three books in as many months wasn't a 'flex' - though he didn't name Beth and has now deleted the video She clarified that the books weren't finished and they were just first drafts, which she would be editing for the rest of the year. She also added that the 'three books' mentioned hadn't been written from scratch either. One book just needed to be finished, one deadline was moved forward from August to April and she said she'd 'procrastinated' writing the third. The successful author said her natural writing method is to be 'fast' and it's not uncommon for her to produce 10,000 words in a day - often for multiple days in a row. On several occasions, she said she has written more than 50,000 words of fan-fiction within a week. Her tight deadlines had also meant she had written faster than usual - but even then she had just completed the first draft and the 'hard work' of editing was still to come. Many commenters pointed out that fantasy author Brandon Sanderson and IT novelist Stephen King are also known to write at a fast pace. Beth continued: 'There were some very interesting comments in the problematic sense that they said: "This is a red flag if you're not Brandon Sanderson...". 'Like we're really in a post Barbie movie world essentially saying it's OK if it's the fantasy genre or it's OK if it's a man doing it. But it's not OK when it's romcoms and romance and women. That's really the stance that you wanna take? 'My books aren't for everyone. But they are easy going lighthearted fun romcoms that hopefully people enjoy reading and make them happy. That's all I'm intending to do.' Beth's fans rushed to TikTok to defend her, saying it was 'motivating' to see someone finish books so quickly Beth's response has racked up more than 300,000 views and many of her fans leapt to her defence, with one writing: 'Brandon Sanderson has probably written 3 books since you posted this video. Everyone writes at different paces. 'Let people read what they want to read!! Reading is supposed to be fun and for enjoying there seems to be this: "If it's not classics it's not good" kinda vibe and I'm not here for it'; 'What's frustrating is that this writer is getting slated for it but Stephen king and Brandon Sanderson do the same thing and get applause for it.' A fellow fan wrote: 'It IS such a flex doing first drafts that fast! Its very motivating.' 'I wish all authors would write this quick,' another added. 'I hate waiting for sequels.' Meanwhile, fellow author Hazel McBride said: 'Coming from a very fast writer... when the story is in your head sometimes you just need to get it out!! I can write a book in two weeks but editing takes me months.' In his book On Writing, Stephen King revealed that he writes on six days a week, for three to four hours at a time. Meanwhile American author Brandon Sanderson has written more than 45 novels, short stories and graphic novels - and it is not common for him to release more than one each year. Beth wrote The Kissing Booth when she was just 15 years old, publishing sections of the book to story-sharing platform Wattpad at a time. She was then discovered by Penguin Random House, while Netflix made three successful films out of the series. The Kissing Booth, starring Joey King and Jacob Elordi, was released in 2018 and was the streaming giant's most rewatched film of the year. In 2013 Beth was even hailed by Time Magazine as one of the world's 'most influential teens' in a list that also included Justin Bieber, Malala and Malia Obama Her new romance book The Reunion is coming out this summer. Love is love. Two men with a 46-year age gap, with the younger in his 50s and the other a nonagenarian, found true love after meeting online seven years ago. Musician Evan, 52, fell head over heels for 98-year-old veteran Bill after the two met through a senior citizen dating website called Silver Daddies. And the feeling was mutual. The couple now live together in a house in the Bay Area, California, and Evan claims they have a 'very good' sex life, doing the act at least once 'daily' to completion. Musician Evan, 52, fell head over heels for 98-year-old veteran Bill after the two met through a senior citizen dating website called Silver Daddies The couple now live together in a house in the Bay Area, California, and Evan claims they have a 'very good' sex life, doing the act at least once 'daily' to completion The pair recently sat down with YouTube star Matt Cullen for his Our Queer Life series, where they opened up about their unusual - but undeniably strong - romantic bond. Evan had been on Silver Daddies for decades before Bill reached out to him to ask him on a date. The two arranged to meet at Bill's condo at noon at grab lunch. Of the moment he first laid eyes on Evan, Bill recalled: 'When I saw him walk towards me, I was just overwhelmed with his male beauty. I just couldn't get over it. 'When we went up to my apartment, he leaned over and kissed me, and I was just in seventh heaven. 'I just felt, this is the man that I've always wanted. And I still feel that way. I just adore him.' Evan shared his memory of that initial meeting: 'I must say, the word that came to my head He kind of waddled out of his building in his little man walk, came out the door. And I'm pulling in the carriage, and I said, "Oh my god he's gorgeous." I felt he was gorgeous.' Once they'd kissed within the first moments of meeting in person, Evan admitted, his impulse was to skip lunch altogether. After grabbing lunch on their first date, the pair returned to Bill's condo where they had sex four times Bill said of having sex with Evan: 'It was just gorgeous. I knew I was in love with him and I enjoyed the experience, the feeling, that I could let go and be myself' 'He was the wise one. Because when I kissed him, I didn't need to go to lunch. I was going to stay. But he said, "Well, let's hurry up and go to lunch so we can come back." 'He was kind of being responsible. And I thought, "Honor the elder, be responsible. "Yes, we came here to go to lunch, let's go to lunch, okay."' On returning together to Bill's condo after their lunch date, the lovebirds had sex four times. '91 and four times making love!' Bill boasted. Bill added of having sex with Evan: 'It was just gorgeous. I knew I was in love with him and I enjoyed the experience, the feeling, that I could let go and be myself.' His younger boyfriend is 'fantabulous' in bed, Bill added. Of his enduring libido, Bill speculated, 'I take after my father. I came from a family with 10 children, I was number nine.' Bill figured out he was gay after enlisting in the the Navy during World War II. Stationed in Guam, he found a lover. But, before long, the man he'd been sleeping with was shipped back to the States. 'And I never heard from him again,' said Bill. 'So I figured, "What's the use of being gay when your lover leaves you?" I thought being gay is not a way of life that I can handle.' Bill originally realized he was gay after he enlisted in the Navy during World War II After his service, Bill went to conversion therapy and ended up married to a woman for 53 years Once Bill's wife passed away, he began to realize that he'd never not been gay Back in the US, he went to conversation therapy. After his treatment, he was required to get up in front of '50 or 60 doctors' and pledge he'd been 'cured' of his sexual preference for men. Not long after that, he met a woman who he'd stay married to for 53 years, up until her death. 'After she died and I started grief therapy, it all came back to me that I wasn't really straight,' Bill recalled. His therapist encouraged him to explore his sexuality, recommending that he try to find a partner through Silver Daddies. At first, Bill was disappointed to find a lot of younger men seemed interested in him primarily for his financial stability. 'I was actually a very, very good investor considering the size of my portfolio. I was very well off financially and I was handing out money to some of these men that I dated,' he explained. But everything clicked in just the right way once he connected with Evan through the dating site. Meanwhile, Evan recalled that he first realized he was attracted to 'much older' men when he was four years old, emphasizing his interest is in septuagenarians and older. It so happened that Evan's father had abandoned the family the same year Evan began to notice his sexual preferences. When Matt asked Evan about the timing of his dad leaving coinciding with revelations about his sexuality, Evan shot back that he does not have a 'daddy complex' so much as a 'grandpa complex' when it comes to the objects of his desires. Evan realized he was attracted to 'much older men' when he was four years old Without Evan, Bill said that his life 'would have been an empty life. Like in a desert area. 'It wouldn't have been anything like it is now' Later on, as a student at City College of San Francisco, Evan admitted he 'started screwing all the staff.' Over the years he'd spent perusing Silver Daddies, Evan admitted he used to be firm in sticking to the age range of 70 to 90. 'Once in a while there will be an old-looking 68-year-old that I might be attracted to. But generally, if they're under 70, I just won't be attracted. And over 90, okay, I might think you're hot... but I'm not going to start something with someone already over 90.' Evan also described how Silver Daddies is teeming with married men in the closet who 'want to suck your d**k.' In any case, he was intrigued when Bill reached out to him - and the rest his history. But the implications of taking lovers who are nearing the end of their lives is far from lost on Evan. Evan had previously been in a long-term relationship for around a decade with an elderly man named Jack, who eventually passed away. During that relationship, Jack still was able to help around the house, Evan explained. But, thanks to his advanced age, Bill is unable to do much at all. 'Bill does literally zero,' Evan admitted. 'I literally clear his plates from the table. I do absolutely everything for him, which is cool. And I love it, and I'm a people pleaser,' Evan elaborated of their dynamic. 'My favorite job I've ever had is waiting tables. I love taking care of people.' As for his side of things, Bill believes that his finding love has been a major factor in his continuing to thrive while nearing 100 years old. 'I've told Evan, I owe you my life. Because I wouldn't be alive if I hadn't met you, and become your love. 'I'd say to any other gay person, find your boyfriend. Even if you have to go to Silver Daddies!' Without Evan, he added, his life 'would have been an empty life. Like in a desert area. 'It wouldn't have been anything like it is now.' Allison has now opened up about her two halfsiblings marrying each other They were both part of the Kingston Group but had different fathers A woman who grew up in a polygamist cult has lifted the lid on the incestuous relationships that take place inside the extreme religious organization. YouTube host Amanda Rae talked to her cousin Allison Eames about what it was like to grow up surrounded by incest and the complicated dynamics between families. Both Amanda and Allison grew up in the Kingston Group - a Mormon cult based in Salt Lake City, Utah, which practices polygamy and is also known as The Order. Allison's father Daniel had 200 children and her mom was his fifth wife. YouTube host Amanda Rae talked to her cousin Allison Eames about what it was like to grow up surrounded by incest and the complicated dynamics between families Both Amanda (left) and Allison (right) grew up in the Kingston Group - a Mormon cult based in Salt Lake City, Utah, which practices polygamy In the video, she explained how Daniel was the brother of Paul Kingston - the church's leader - and had 14 wives including some of his own half sisters. 'I really think it's because Daniel is just the most wild, off the rails [man] there is,' Amanda explained. 'Daniel also is the man who forced his daughter Maryanne to marry her uncle David,' she continued. 'David went to prison for raping his underage niece.' Daniel himself also served 28 weeks in a Box Elder County jail after forcing his then 16-year-old child into the marriage and beating her when she tried to escape. Allison, who is now married with two sons of her own, shared that as a result there was a lot of prejudice against all of Daniel's children which often meant they were treated with disdain. '[Kids at school] would distance themselves from me [and say] "I'm not allowed to be friends with Daniel's kids,"' Allison, who left the religious sect in 2016 when she was only 16, recalled. '[It was always because] a lot of Daniel's kids leave The Order and when they do leave The Order, they always put someone in prison and that Daniel's kids don't listen even when they're in The Order,' she shared. Allison also divulged that the children in her family had to undergo blood tests to see if they are compatible to procreate with another relative. Allison, who is now married with two sons of her own (pictured), shared that as a result there was a lot of prejudice against all of Daniel's children Daniel Kingston (pictured front and center) had 14 wives as well as 200 children, according to Amanda Amanda, who is now 28, left The Order in 2013 becoming her father Paul's first child to leave the cult 'Its not because this person is not compatible to marry any of their relatives, it was like "oh this person is not compatible to marry [a particular] relative,"' Allison explained. She added that Daniel married his half-sister, and when they had healthy children, went on to marry her sisters, who were also his half sisters. While she was always aware that incestuous marriages took place, it was still shocking for Allison to eventually see her own siblings marry each other. 'I went to my half sister's wedding who married our half brother, and it was so weird but I remember it was like taboo,' Allison recalled. 'Almost like you couldn't talk about how grossed out you were about it but everyone was like, "okay I guess this is what they're doing,"' she added. Allison, who was a teenager at the time, said no one was allowed to watch the actual ceremony - as it is not legal - so it was only Daniel and the bride and groom's moms who were present. Previously, Amanda spoke with fellow cult member Joe Robinson, whose parents were half-siblings, as he shared the unbelievable truth about growing up as members of the Kingston Group She said her sister never appeared to be upset about marrying her brother, although did admit it's difficult to know what genuine love feels like. Amanda agreed, saying: 'We couldn't have our first kiss till our wedding day, we couldn't even know what crushes were because that was bad - so maybe your mind is just set up for "I'm just marrying who I'm going to marry I'll learn to love them later."' Amanda, who is now 28, left the Order in 2013, becoming her father Paul's first child to leave the cult. Previously, she spoke with fellow cult member Joe Robinson, whose parents were half-siblings, as he shared the unbelievable truth about growing up as members of the Kingston Group. As first published in The Spectator The Jilly Cooper Book Club was set up about a decade ago by two friends whod had enough of book groups where someone would insist, We really must do Dostoevsky this year. Members of the JCBC, in a co-founders words, just wanted to get together to drink champagne and shriek about Jilly. For some time, I stalked key members on Twitter (now X) before managing to wangle an invitation. My first meeting was at a large townhouse in Clapham, south west London, to discuss bestseller Rivals. There was a lot of champagne and a gaggle of smart, entertaining women. One was wearing a Vivienne Westwood corset dress; another had flown in from California. It was far more glamorous and fun than the usual cheap-wine-and-crisps affairs. Dame Jilly got to hear of it and invited us to lunch at her house in Gloucestershire, twice. We were featured in a womens magazine. We did all the blockbusters, Class and The Common Years. Dame Jilly got to hear of it and invited us to lunch at her house in Gloucestershire, twice. We were featured in a womens magazine We went to each others 40th birthday parties and babies baptisms. I asked a fellow member to be my daughters godmother. The JCBC WhatsApp group, meanwhile, was a lovely thing to have in your pocket, as one friend put it. We supported fellow members through divorce, miscarriage, bereavement, infertility and how to deal with ghastly in-laws. It was all wonderful. Until it wasnt. Fault lines began to emerge before the lockdowns. A separate splinter WhatsApp group was set up for the mothers (called, rather wittily, I thought, Rupert Campbell-Brats). We were told only to mention our children on there henceforth. Then the pandemic happened, and the meetings never properly got going again. There was a bit of half-hearted chat about doing the new book, Tackle! But increasingly, the WhatsApp group was where everything happened for the JCBC. I had moved to the country by now and increasingly found the chats to be about things in which I had no interest: vegan recipes; sexy fairy tale romances. Members of the JCBC, in a co-founders words, just wanted to get together to drink champagne and shriek about Jilly Worse, the group was becoming an uncomfortable place to be if you didnt share the groupthink on, variously, the efficacy of the Covid vaccinations, abortion rights and gender. Id mostly scroll past these discussions or just drop off them for a while. However, one member became ever more strident in her radical trans views. And gradually the group ceased to be a fun, supportive haven. Eventually, I got fed up. The other day, in an unedifying spat on another platform with one of the groups members, I took issue with being labelled hateful and on the wrong side of history. Told that I should examine my own heart and what you would wish for your friends and children, I retorted that Id like a future that wasnt Orwellian adding (though I knew it was inflammatory): Its women who go through the menopause. I woke the next morning to find myself defenestrated by the Jilly Cooper Book Club. It was a horrible shock. The final message I saw on the WhatsApp group was someone saying it gave them great pleasure to tell me to f*** *** from us for good. Bye!. There are thousands of book clubs in Britain. During the pandemic they proliferated on Zoom and in the #BookTok corner of TikTok. Dakota Johnson is the latest female celebrity to launch her own book club, joining Oprah, Reece Witherspoon, the pop star Dua Lipa and even Queen Camilla, who has her own Reading Room on Instagram. Then the pandemic happened, and the meetings never properly got going again. There was a bit of half-hearted chat about doing the new book, Tackle! Book clubs are largely run by women for women. But far from being safe, sisterly spaces, go online and youll find hundreds of threads about the toxicity of the female book group: the false sense of belonging, the bashing of anyone who doesnt share the same opinions. We have a problem in our book club, reads one of many Mumsnet posts. One of our members is not as literary as us. Even Gen Z-ers are tearing themselves apart over their #BookTok clubs. Some worry the clubs are more concerned with a lifestyle aesthetic than providing a space to focus on actual reading. Book clubs are basically Mean Girls for middle-class women, sighs a contemporary who was kicked out of her book group for failing to be sufficiently engaged. Another left her book group because they refused to read feminist writers who werent sufficiently inclusive. One woman was labelled a bit mad and weird after suggesting her book group read Michel Houellebecqs Platform. Every book club has its ayatollah, usually the founder. The role brings out despotic tendencies. Stories flood in from friends about their own cancellations. One club founder would complain if others hadnt finished the book. Never mind that she didnt work and that most of the members did. How hard can it be to just sit down for an afternoon and finish it? she asked when the group met. There are ways of making a book club work harmoniously. My new club uses its WhatsApp group purely for admin. It is not a place for pseudo group therapy or political discussions. When we do meet up, the wine and food are excellent. This group has been a good way to meet women in a part of the country where I arrived knowing very few people. If I dont like a book, or havent finished it, no one seems to mind. But I miss the Jilly Cooper Book Club of old. Re-reading Rivals alone ahead of the Disney+ TV series isnt the same. But it has made me realise that some may find Coopers work distinctly problematic by todays standards. The publication of Tackle! was reportedly held up by sensitivity readers. I cant help but wonder how long it will be before the Jilly Cooper Book Club turns on the author herself. Although neither King Charles nor Prince William attended Prince Harry's Invictus event in St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday due to other commitments, the Duke wasn't short of supportive family members in the crowd. There to support him were his aunt, Lady Jane Fellowes, and uncle Earl Spencer - the sister and brother of Harry's late mother Princess Diana. Harry has remained close to his mother's side of the family despite his move to the US in 2020, and the Spencers have supported the Duke on many occasions while his rift with the Windsors continued to deepen. But to seasoned royal watchers, it is perhaps no surprise that Harry's frosty relationship with his father's side of the family has drawn him closer to the Spencers - as they don't enjoy a particularly warm friendship with the royals either. It is a feud dating back decades to Princess Diana's time in the royal family, and it has continued to rear its head several times since her death. Earl Spencer and his sister Lady Jane Fellowes attended Prince Harry's Invictus Games event at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday in a show of support for their nephew The closeness between Prince Harry and his uncle Charles was obvious as they warmly embraced inside the Cathedral while the Duke beamed Perhaps the first time the Spencers' hostility towards the royals became apparent was at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997 in his eviscerating speech which paid tribute to her, but made his feelings towards the royal family and the press very much known. After taking swipes at the British media for how his late sister was treated, Earl Spencer then made digs at the royal family as he vowed to protect William and Harry, just 15 and 12 years old at the time. Speaking to Diana, he said: 'Beyond that, on behalf of your mother and sisters, I pledge that we, your blood family, will do all we can to continue the imaginative way in which you were steering these two exceptional young men so that their souls are not simply immersed by duty and tradition but can sing openly as you planned. The Spencer family has remained close to, and supportive of, Prince Harry, in the years since Diana's death. Charles Spencer and Lady Sarah McCorquodale with their nephew at a Service to remember Princess Diana in 2007 Earl Spencer made an eviscerating speech at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997 vowing to protect his nephews despite their 'duty' and referring to himself as her 'blood family' Pictured: Earl Spencer, Princess Diana, King Charles, Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale at Earl Spencer's 21st birthday party 'We fully respect the heritage into which they have both been born and will always respect and encourage them in their royal role but we, like you, recognise the need for them to experience as many different aspects of life as possible to arm them spiritually and emotionally for the years ahead. 'I know you would have expected nothing less from us.' As he made mention of 'duty and tradition' and stressed that he, Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale were Diana's 'blood family', Earl Spencer made it clear that he and his siblings were close to the late Princess, in comparison to the family into which she married. It was an inflammatory speech perhaps further fuelled by the fact Princess Diana had named Earl Spencer the guardian of William and Harry in her will. An ITV documentary, Diana: The Day Britain Cried, which aired in 2017, revealed Earl Spencer's eviscerating speech was, unsurprisingly, received poorly by the Royal Family , who did not even applaud at the end. Martin Neary, Westminster Abbey's musical director, told the documentary: 'I felt a great sympathy for what she had suffered but at the same time I was shocked by some of things which were said. 'The princes actually applauded at the end, although the senior members of the Royal Family did not.' Earl Spencer has previously claimed he was 'lied to' about William and Harry wanting to walk behind Princess Diana's coffin at her funeral procession - which he says they did not Sir Malcom Ross, one of the Queen's right-hand men who was responsible for the funeral arrangement, added: 'It grated to me on the day because I thought he was actually having a little bit of a go at the Royal Family. 'It was my mistake to leave the doors of the Abbey open. What that meant was that when Lord Spencer made his remarks the audience outside applauded, which, in fact, started the audience inside applauding.' He added, rather unconvincingly: 'Fine. I don't think anybody took offence.' Earl Spencer has continued to speak out against the royal family in the years following her death and has claimed he was lied to about his sister's funeral procession. In 2017, he claimed he had been told by royal officials that his nephews wanted to walk behind Diana's coffin in the funeral procession, after he had raised concerns about it. Describing the moment as the 'most horrifying half hour of my life', he revealed he still has nightmares about the 'harrowing' experience. However he acknowledged that the walk would have been 'a million times worse' for William and Harry. Speaking on Radio 4's Today Programme, he slammed the decision for the boys to follow the coffin as a 'very bizarre and cruel thing'. Earl Spencer and his sisters attended the unveiling of a memorial fountain for Princess Diana in Hyde Park Speaking to the BBC earlier this year, the Earl said he believed the treatment Princess Diana suffered was worse than that of Catherine, Princess of Wales He added: 'Eventually I was lied to and told they wanted to do it, which of course they didn't but I didn't realise that.' Addressing his funeral speech, he added: 'I don't feel I said many pointed things. I believe that every word I said was true and it was important for me to be honest. 'I wasn't looking to make any jabs at anyone actually. I was trying to celebrate Diana and if by doing that it showed up particularly the press, I think, in a bad way, well, they had that coming.' Speaking to the Guardian in 2002, Earl Spencer took further swipes at the royal family over the frequency in which he saw his nephews. He did not reveal how often he saw William and Harry but said: 'What I can say is that they may not be encouraged to stay in touch with their mother's side of the family.' At the time, a spokesperson for St James's Palace declined to comment on what was a 'private family matter'. In line with the royal family's 'never complain, never explain' motto, the feud has been somewhat more muted - however, there have been signs of hostility towards the Spencers on the royal side as well. For example, neither Earl Spencer, nor his sisters, were invited to King Charles's Coronation last May, in a snub for the uncle of the King's sons. At the time, a friend of the Earl told the Independent: 'What's galling is that Earl Spencer may well have turned down the invitation for obvious historic reasons, but this brutal exclusion left no option for any elegant diplomacy.' Over the last few months, Earl Spencer has undertaken several interviews in light of the release of his memoir, A Very Private School, in which he detailed horrific experiences of abuse he suffered while attending boarding school in Northamptonshire. At the time of the interviews, conspiracy theories were raging online about the Princess of Wales, who had been taking time out from royal duties as a result of an abdominal operation. It was later revealed that the Princess had been undergoing chemotherapy due to the presence of cancer cells which were discovered after her surgery, however this was not publicly known at the time, leading to wild theories circulating online about her wellbeing. Speaking to the BBC, Earl Spencer addressed the conspiracy theories surrounding Kate's health, while the Palace kept quiet about her condition. He told Laura Kuenssberg the situation had been worse for his late sister, saying: 'I think it was more dangerous back in the day.' As Earl Spencer, Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale have continued to support Prince Harry since his move to the US, they have filled a void left by the rift that has continued to deepen between the Duke and the royals. Yesterday, as Harry proudly attended his Invictus Games event at St Paul's Cathedral, he was pictured warmly embracing his uncle with a beaming smile on his face. The presence of the Spencers at the event follows support they have offered to him many times since he moved to the US - with his aunts among the few of Harry's family members to have attended Princess Lilibet's christening. While there are glimmers of hope that Harry's frosty relationship with his father's side of the family is beginning to thaw, he has the firm support of his mother's side of the family until that day comes. Exam season begins this week for hundreds of thousands of students across UK For hundreds of thousands of students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, exam season begins this week. GCSE exams are starting in England and Wales, with students in England receiving extra help in Maths and Science in accordance with the disruption they experienced during Covid lockdowns. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan announced last year that students in England would get formulae and equation sheets for a final time this year in maths, physics and combined science, with normal exam arrangements in 2025. She said: 'Young people taking GCSEs next year will be the last who experienced two years of national closures during secondary school and its right that we recognise that with some additional support.' While Year 11 and 12 pupils prepare to tackle both GCSE and BTec exams this week, FEMAIL have put together a range of GCSE questions from a variety of subjects to test your knowledge. Can you answer these tricky GCSE questions? Read on to find out if you can remember your exams like they were yesterday. For hundreds of thousands of students across the UK, exam season begins this week - but can you solve some of the tricky questions they may be required to answer? (stock image) Maths What is equal to x + x + x x + x? A. x B. 2x C. 3x D. 4x English Each of the following is a metaphor except: A. He has the heart of a lion B. To succeed you must pull your socks up C. It all went pear shaped D. You are the light of my life Physics Which equation links energy transferred (E), power (P) and time (t)? A. energy transferred = power / time B. energy transferred = power x time C. energy transferred = power^2 time D. energy transferred = time / power History During the Vietnam War, what was the main aim of the Viet Cong? A. To split Vietnam into two countries, one Capitalist and one Communist B. To improve the living conditions of Vietnamese farmers C. They wanted a unified Communist Vietnam Biology Most water enters a plant through A. Root hairs B. Phloem stomata C. Villi xylem D. Alveoli Where does water enter a plant through? You can find out the answer below! (stock image) Geography Which of the following statements correctly defines biodiversity? A. How plants and animals are adapted to their habitats B. Energy flows between living things when they eat or are eaten C. The number and types of plants and animals that live in an area D. How living things affect each other and the environment Chemistry What is the name of the elements in Group 0 of the periodic table? A. Alkali metals B. Halogens C. Transition metals D. Noble gases Sociology What term is commonly used by sociologists to describe the amount of crime that goes unreported to the police? A. Dark figure B. Estimated figure C. Official figure D. Recorded figure Physical Education Which one of these is the correct pathway of the blood in the cardiac cycle as it returns to the heart from the vena cava? A. Left atrium right atrium right ventricle left ventricle B. Left ventricle left atrium right ventricle right atrium C. Right atrium right ventricle left atrium left ventricle D. Right ventricle right atrium left ventricle left atrium Which one of these is the correct pathway of the blood in the cardiac cycle as it returns to the heart from the vena cava? (stock image) Religious Studies In Buddhism, what is meant by "ahimsa"? A. The belief that everything we do has a consequence, either in this life or the next B. A spiritual state in which there is no suffering or desire C. Respecting all living things and acting with compassion and love Correct answers The coffee market in the UK is booming, with more cafes opening up than ever before and a cup of joe taking over tea as the most popular drink with Brits. But as the 5 latte takes over the high street it appears some people are heading to get their caffeine boost - from the pub. Wetherspoon has seen boost in sales of Lavazza coffee in their pubs - which are particularly popular with retirees. 'Sales of Lavazza coffee are increasing,'founder Tim Martin said. 'Free refills are thought to be responsible for spontaneous exhibitions of breakdancing among retired customers,' he joked. JD Wetherspoon pubs across the country sell unlimited Lavazza coffees for between 1 and 2 - depending on the location - while customers can also get their hands on Flat Whites, Cappuccinos and Lattes for the same price. Wetherspoon has seen boost in sales of Lavazza coffee in their pubs - which are particularly popular with retirees. Pictured: People heading into pubs for coffees Customers serve their own coffee in the shop The trend of going to your local for a coffee has picked up on TikTok too - with the deal particularly popular with older people and students. One hack advises people their on a winter day, as they can have unlimited coffee for as little as 1.20 - while staying warm and not having to put the heating on at home. Students are also heading to the pubs to study, with dozen sharing videos of their unlimited drinks online. 'This is your sign to study in Spoons. 1.20 unlimited hot drinks,' one TikTok says. Another customer said he got nine coffees for the price of one, while others Wetherspoon, which runs 809 pubs across the UK, said like-for-like sales increased by 5.2 per cent over the 13 weeks to April 28 compared with a year earlier, with total sales up 3.3 per cent. It represented a slight slowdown in growth and means the company has seen a 6.5 per cent sales increase over the financial year-to-date. They've also sold 18 pubs, resulting in a cash inflow of 6.8million. The trend of going to your local for a coffee has picked up on TikTok too - with the deal particularly popular with older people and students. Brian, 78, is pictured in his local It comes as the price of coffee on the high street has soared. At Starbucks, the price of a large latte is 5.20 when ordered for collection on Uber Eats in London, while Queens of Mayfair, in one of the British capital's swankiest postcodes, charges an eye-watering 13 for its latte. Danish juice and coffee brand Joe & the Juice, which has more than 50 branches in London alone, and outlets across the UK including Liverpool, Brighton, Birmingham and Oxford, currently charges 4.70 for a large (16oz) latte with regular milk. Add in a syrup, say vanilla, and you'll get charged an additional 50 pence, although unlike many other outlets, you won't be charged extra for an additional milk. It comes after it emerged that Britain's most expensive coffee using topica beans shipped in from Japan's 'island of eternal youth' is being sold for a whopping 265 a cup. Coffee lovers who have a few hundred pounds to spare can find the pricey brew at Shot - a darkly-lit coffee shop based in Mayfair and Marylebone in London. The coffee is made from typica beans, a higher quality version of the arabica beans, and have been shipped in from the Nakayama estate based on the Okinawa Island in Japan. Not much change from a fiver! Danish brand Joe & the Juice, which specialises in healthy juices and hot drinks, currently charges 4.70 for a large latte Black Sheep Coffee, which started in London's Camden Market and is fast expanding across the globe, charges 5.29 for a regular cup of its Black Hoof coffee Regional pricing comes into play; a large latte with a shot of syrup costs 4.95 at Costa Coffee's Birmingham Airport outlet In the North East Lincolnshire town of Grimsby, the same drink is 20 pence cheaper At Shot, the high priced beverage can be made into any form of coffee that would be found in a high street coffee shop. It is available as an espresso, macchiato, flat white, americano, cappuccino or latte. But while the price of the drink has raised eyebrows, even the modest latte is seemingly becoming more expensive, with many coffee lovers saying they're already paying more than 5 by adding extra shots, dairy alternatives and flavoured syrups. High-end fashion label Prada's London coffee shop in Harrods department store, launched in 2023, charges 6.50 for a latte. Caffe Nero's is priced at 4.40 for a large latte, the same as Costa Coffee. Pret A Manger and Patisserie Valerie come in slightly cheaper at 4.05. But this is before any additions are made - for instance, adding coconut and oat milk to your Caffe Nero beverage will set you back up to 50p. Syrups such as caramel, vanilla and hazelnut at Costa Coffee, meanwhile, will cost up to 55p. At trendy Black Sheep Coffee, which has more than 80 branches across the UK and is expanding fast both here and overseas, a regular Black Hoof coffee will set you back 5.29. Add an extra shot (69p), a syrup (69p) and make it almond milk (59p) and your pimped up coffee is a whopping 7.26. Britain's oldest worker has no plans to stop working any time soon after one day in retirement sent him 'nuts'. Ivor Ward, 98, from Rothley, Leicestershire, did attempt to retire when he was 79 but was 'so bored' after one day that he started job-hunting and landed a new role at East Midlands Pharma near his home in Leicestershire. He now works a four day week as a production operative for EM Pharma and says carrying out his job is 'like being at home with the family'. Ivor's role has opened up his social life, too, and the 98-year-old now enjoys partying at the weekend with his younger colleagues where they 'drink, dance and create mayhem'. Ivor said: 'I had one day in retirement and it sent me nuts so I went back to work almost immediately.' Britain's oldest worker Ivor Ward, 98, only lasted one day in retirement before landing a role as a production operative for EM Pharma in Rothley The pensioner celebrated his 98th birthday last month and celebrated alongside colleagues The 98-year-old went on to explain how 'sitting at home all day' can be 'deadly'. He continued: 'A lot of older people who are just on their pensions, have a hobby. 'For the lonely ones it's the biggest killer. I know so many people who just end up sitting at home all day. 'Then that's deadly because you just end up getting up at 10am and sit all day in your pyjamas. Ivor began his career in the Army as a Royal Engineer in 1943, before rising to the rank of Lance Corporal 'Now at the weekends we have parties with the younger people. We drink, dance and create mayhem. I play poker and have a quiz. 'It's like being at home with the family when I'm working.' Despite only working four days a week, Ivor is still clocking up 32-hour week with a 7am start Monday to Friday. But he insists his days pass by at 'lightning' speed. He continued: ''I do four days a week now. I do longer days on the four days. I work from 7am until 3pm Monday to Thursday. 'The day just goes by like lightning. It just generally keeps your mind busy and active.' Ivor, who has four great-great-grandchildren, began his career in the Army as a Royal Engineer in 1943. He rose to the rank of Lance Corporal before leaving the military at the end of the war and getting a job as a civil engineer. Ivor then moved to another firm as an operations manager, before trying his hand as a professional poker player. 'I worked pretty much non-stop until I was 79,' the 98-year-old added. Ivor said that the day flies by when he's working. He starts his shift at 7am and works a 32-hour week from Monday to Thursday Ivor's social life has been booming since he took on the role, enjoying parties with his younger colleagues at the weekend The production operative says his working day keeps his mind busy and active during his four-day working week Ivor starts his day at EM Pharma at 7am and works a full eight-hour day Monday-Thursday 'Then the company I was operations manager for sold up and that was that.' However, after working for pretty much non-stop for his entire adult life, Ivor is planning to take a gap year - when he reaches 100. After the milestone birthday Ivor plans to travel around the world playing poker. He said: 'I'm happy here. In two years when I'm 100 I'll have a gap year. Then I'll come back. 'I have been gambling around the world gambling so I'd like to visit the popular casinos again. 'End up skint or end up rich. Either is fine with me.' But for now, the sprightly pensioner, who has lived alone for 30 years since his wife Joyce died aged 63, is happy to continue his working week. He continued: 'It's great, in a way coming to work is like coming home. I know everyone here. I know the families, there's always someone to talk to. 'The only alternative is to sit, there's no one about in the daytime. It's like purgatory. 'It's a pleasure to come into work, otherwise I'd just be at home sitting on my own doing nothing, ageing fast. In here, we have a laugh.' North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a congratulatory message to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the 79th anniversary of the end of World War II, expressing his "firm support and solidarity" with Moscow, state media reported Thursday. Kim extended his "warm congratulations and comradely greetings" to Putin in the message celebrating Russia's Victory Day, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Victory Day, which falls on Thursday, celebrates the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during World War II, which Russia calls the Great Patriotic War. Kim touted Putin as leading efforts to defend Russia's sovereignty against "vicious challenges and threats of the hostile forces," apparently pointing to Moscow's war with Ukraine. "I express firm support and solidarity with the sacred cause of Russia, hoping that you and the brave Russian army and people would win fresh victory in the struggle to defeat the imperialists' hegemonic policy," Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA. Earlier this week, the North Korean leader sent a congratulatory message to Putin for formally starting his fifth term as Moscow's leader. Putin began his fifth term Tuesday, extending his 24-year rule for another six years after a landslide victory in the March election. North Korea and Russia have been deepening military cooperation and bolstering bilateral ties after Kim and Putin held the summit in September last year. Seoul's unification ministry said Kim has sent a Victory Day congratulatory message to Putin for the third straight year since Russia's war with Ukraine in 2022. Previously, the North did so only on Russia's anniversaries whose final numbers end in a five or zero. "North Korea appears to be trying to show off its close ties with Russia and creating the atmosphere (to prepare for) Putin's trip to North Korea," a ministry official told reporters on condition of anonymity. The Kremlin earlier said Putin had accepted Kim's invitation to visit North Korea during the summit held at Russia's Vostochny spaceport. (Yonhap) In the realm of skincare, a new star is born - leaving beauty enthusiasts buzzing with excitement as they rave over a 'magic' moisturiser that 'packs a punch with hydration.' The Avene Hydrance Aqua Gel has set the beauty world abuzz with its lightweight formula, winning dozens of five star ratings online from impressed reviewers. The gel-based cream has even won the Silver (Joint) Award in the 2023 Beauty Bible Awards after being shortlisted alongside twelve other products in the Day Moisturiser category. Packed in a modest 50ml container and priced at 25.25, the latest creation from the cult French pharmacy brand is proving to be worth every penny among its following. What sets this moisturiser apart is its unique gel-in-cream formula that breaks into water upon contact with the skin, leaving skin intensely hydrated, dewy and smooth. The Avene Hydrance Aqua Gel has set the beauty world abuzz with its lightweight formula, winning dozens of five star ratings online from impressed reviewers The key ingredients in the 90 per cent natural formulation are antioxidant provitamin E, brightening myrtle extract and cucurbito pepo, which helps to reduce shine and make pores less visible. According to Avene, it can be used as a day cream and also overnight mask and for eye contours, which can essentially cut down on the number of different products applied each day. The Hydrance Aqua Gel's popularity has also been amplified due to its ability to cater to a spectrum of skin types across a variety of ages. From oily and dry to sensitive and combination, its formula appears to work its enchantment on a diverse range of skin concerns, winning hearts and complexions alike. The moisturiser has garnered an impressive reputation on the Escentual website - with a staggering 92 per cent of reviewers - 22 out of 24 - singing its praises and eagerly recommending it to friends and fellow skincare aficionados. Rowen, 40, who has combination skin, said: 'At 40, my skin needs more, however, leading brands have so many chemicals that cause redness. Avene, this magic little pot of lightweight gel cream, gives moisture where it is needed.' Harriet, who is aged between 19 and 29 and also has combination skin, said: 'This gel is such a lightweight gel/water texture but packs such a punch with hydration. Such an all rounder for AM, PM or use a thicker layer as an overnight mask.' One anonymous reviewer, who is aged over 40 and suffers from eczema, wrote: 'Without a moisturiser my skin cracks and bleeds. This aqua gel is uncomplicated and surprisingly hydrating. My friend who has rosacea swears by the gel too.' The moisturiser has garnered an impressive reputation on the Escentual website - with a staggering 92 per cent of reviewers - 22 out of 24 - singing its praises Avene has also released its Hyaluron Activ B3 Cell Renewal Aqua Cream-in-Gel, available in a 50ml refillable glass jar for 38.00 Another anonymous reviewer, who is aged between 30 and 39 and has oily skin, said: 'I can't use most moisturisers as they're too greasy for my skin. This is just perfect - the texture is really light but moisturising, my skin already feels smoother.' Kass, who is aged over 40 and suffers with dry skin, gave the product four out of five stars and appeared to shy away from giving it top marks due to its lack of scent. She wrote: 'A French dermatologist recommended this range to me as it is highly unlikely to cause any negative reaction. For this reason it is non perfumed so don't expect a scent.' Avene has also released its Hyaluron Activ B3 Cell Renewal Aqua Cream-in-Gel, available in a 50ml refillable glass jar for 38.00, and is said to create a 'glass skin effect,' according to Ceryn from the Escentual Beauty Team. Meanwhile, beauty aficionados have been going crazy for a 39 sold out tinted moisturiser from Charlotte Tilbury, claiming it gives them a 'filtered appearance' and feels 'like you're wearing nothing on your skin.' Princess Diana's brother Earl Spencer paid a sweet tribute to his father by wearing his cufflinks to Prince Harry's Invictus Games launch yesterday. Charles Spencer, 59, wore the Royal Scots Greys regimental cufflinks and said he hoped his late father 'would have approved'. Taking to Instagram, he shared a shot of the gold jewellery, which had an eagle embossed on it and read 'Waterloo' across the bottom. 'I hope my father would have approved of my wearing his Royal Scots Greys regimental cufflinks at the @weareinvictusgames celebration at @stpaulscathedrallondon yesterday,' he wrote. John Spencer, who died in 1992, was the father of Princess Diana and Charles as well as her sisters Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Baroness Jane Fellowes. Princess Diana's brother Earl Spencer paid a sweet tribute to his father by wearing his cufflinks to Prince Harry's Invictus Games launch yesterday Sarah, Jane and Charles were all on hand to support their nephew Prince Harry as he celebrated the Invictus Games' 10th anniversary, culminating with a ceremony at St Paul's Cathedral yesterday. John Spencer was an equerry - a senior adviser and attendant - to George VI and, later, Queen Elizabeth. A celebrated war general, he won the hearts of the nation when he walked Princess Diana down the aisle. Just three years earlier the Earl had suffered a stroke that left him unsteady on his feet. When his father died in 1992, Charles inherited the family seat of Althorp in Northamptonshire, where he now lives with his third wife, Karen, and their daughter Lady Charlotte Diana. Reflecting on his father's life, the Earl paid tribute to his father's 'gentle', kind nature, whose 'hallmark' personality trait was his 'approachability'. John Spencer was an extremely accomplished man by the time of his death but one role of which he was 'immensely proud' was being the father of Diana. Charles Spencer hugs Prince Harry at the Invictus Games 10 year celebration John Spencer, who died in 1992, was the father of Princess Diana and Charles as well as her sisters Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Baroness Jane Fellowes Although neither King Charles nor Prince William attended Prince Harry's Invictus event in St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday due to other commitments, the Duke wasn't short of supportive family members in the crowd. Harry has remained close to his mother's side of the family despite his move to the US in 2020, and the Spencers have supported the Duke on many occasions while his rift with the Windsors continued to deepen. Harry joined a congregation of around a thousand inside the London landmark where he is due to give a bible reading. Joining the Spencer siblings was former Army officer Mark Dyer, a lifelong friend and mentor of Harry,. Other stars within the crowd included former Olympic champion triple jumper Jonathan Edwards. The Duke was warmly greeted by the Dean of St Paul's, the Very Reverend Andrew Tremlett, before being escorted to his seat under the cathedral's great dome. To seasoned royal watchers, it is perhaps no surprise that Harry's frosty relationship with his father's side of the family has drawn him closer to the Spencers - as they don't enjoy a particularly warm friendship with the royals either. It is a feud dating back decades to Princess Diana's time in the royal family, and it has continued to rear its head several times since her death. Earl Spencer and his sister Lady Jane Fellowes attended Prince Harry's Invictus Games event at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday in a show of support for their nephew The closeness between Prince Harry and his uncle Charles was obvious as they warmly embraced inside the Cathedral while the Duke beamed Perhaps the first time the Spencers' hostility towards the royals became apparent was at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997 in his eviscerating speech which paid tribute to her, but made his feelings towards the royal family and the press very much known. After taking swipes at the British media for how his late sister was treated, Earl Spencer then made digs at the royal family as he vowed to protect William and Harry, just 15 and 12 years old at the time. Speaking to Diana, he said: 'Beyond that, on behalf of your mother and sisters, I pledge that we, your blood family, will do all we can to continue the imaginative way in which you were steering these two exceptional young men so that their souls are not simply immersed by duty and tradition but can sing openly as you planned. The Spencer family has remained close to, and supportive of, Prince Harry, in the years since Diana's death. Charles Spencer and Lady Sarah McCorquodale with their nephew at a Service to remember Princess Diana in 2007 Earl Spencer made an eviscerating speech at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997 vowing to protect his nephews despite their 'duty' and referring to himself as her 'blood family' Pictured: Earl Spencer, Princess Diana, King Charles, Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale at Earl Spencer's 21st birthday party 'We fully respect the heritage into which they have both been born and will always respect and encourage them in their royal role but we, like you, recognise the need for them to experience as many different aspects of life as possible to arm them spiritually and emotionally for the years ahead. 'I know you would have expected nothing less from us.' As he made mention of 'duty and tradition' and stressed that he, Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale were Diana's 'blood family', Earl Spencer made it clear that he and his siblings were close to the late Princess, in comparison to the family into which she married. It was an inflammatory speech perhaps further fuelled by the fact Princess Diana had named Earl Spencer the guardian of William and Harry in her will. An ITV documentary, Diana: The Day Britain Cried, which aired in 2017, revealed Earl Spencer's eviscerating speech was, unsurprisingly, received poorly by the Royal Family , who did not even applaud at the end. Martin Neary, Westminster Abbey's musical director, told the documentary: 'I felt a great sympathy for what she had suffered but at the same time I was shocked by some of things which were said. 'The princes actually applauded at the end, although the senior members of the Royal Family did not.' Earl Spencer has previously claimed he was 'lied to' about William and Harry wanting to walk behind Princess Diana's coffin at her funeral procession - which he says they did not Sir Malcom Ross, one of the Queen's right-hand men who was responsible for the funeral arrangement, added: 'It grated to me on the day because I thought he was actually having a little bit of a go at the Royal Family. 'It was my mistake to leave the doors of the Abbey open. What that meant was that when Lord Spencer made his remarks the audience outside applauded, which, in fact, started the audience inside applauding.' He added, rather unconvincingly: 'Fine. I don't think anybody took offence.' Earl Spencer has continued to speak out against the royal family in the years following her death and has claimed he was lied to about his sister's funeral procession. In 2017, he claimed he had been told by royal officials that his nephews wanted to walk behind Diana's coffin in the funeral procession, after he had raised concerns about it. Describing the moment as the 'most horrifying half hour of my life', he revealed he still has nightmares about the 'harrowing' experience. However he acknowledged that the walk would have been 'a million times worse' for William and Harry. Speaking on Radio 4's Today Programme, he slammed the decision for the boys to follow the coffin as a 'very bizarre and cruel thing'. Earl Spencer and his sisters attended the unveiling of a memorial fountain for Princess Diana in Hyde Park Speaking to the BBC earlier this year, the Earl said he believed the treatment Princess Diana suffered was worse than that of Catherine, Princess of Wales He added: 'Eventually I was lied to and told they wanted to do it, which of course they didn't but I didn't realise that.' Addressing his funeral speech, he added: 'I don't feel I said many pointed things. I believe that every word I said was true and it was important for me to be honest. 'I wasn't looking to make any jabs at anyone actually. I was trying to celebrate Diana and if by doing that it showed up particularly the press, I think, in a bad way, well, they had that coming.' Speaking to the Guardian in 2002, Earl Spencer took further swipes at the royal family over the frequency in which he saw his nephews. He did not reveal how often he saw William and Harry but said: 'What I can say is that they may not be encouraged to stay in touch with their mother's side of the family.' At the time, a spokesperson for St James's Palace declined to comment on what was a 'private family matter'. In line with the royal family's 'never complain, never explain' motto, the feud has been somewhat more muted - however, there have been signs of hostility towards the Spencers on the royal side as well. For example, neither Earl Spencer, nor his sisters, were invited to King Charles's Coronation last May, in a snub for the uncle of the King's sons. At the time, a friend of the Earl told the Independent: 'What's galling is that Earl Spencer may well have turned down the invitation for obvious historic reasons, but this brutal exclusion left no option for any elegant diplomacy.' Over the last few months, Earl Spencer has undertaken several interviews in light of the release of his memoir, A Very Private School, in which he detailed horrific experiences of abuse he suffered while attending boarding school in Northamptonshire. At the time of the interviews, conspiracy theories were raging online about the Princess of Wales, who had been taking time out from royal duties as a result of an abdominal operation. It was later revealed that the Princess had been undergoing chemotherapy due to the presence of cancer cells which were discovered after her surgery, however this was not publicly known at the time, leading to wild theories circulating online about her wellbeing. Speaking to the BBC, Earl Spencer addressed the conspiracy theories surrounding Kate's health, while the Palace kept quiet about her condition. He told Laura Kuenssberg the situation had been worse for his late sister, saying: 'I think it was more dangerous back in the day.' As Earl Spencer, Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale have continued to support Prince Harry since his move to the US, they have filled a void left by the rift that has continued to deepen between the Duke and the royals. Yesterday, as Harry proudly attended his Invictus Games event at St Paul's Cathedral, he was pictured warmly embracing his uncle with a beaming smile on his face. The presence of the Spencers at the event follows support they have offered to him many times since he moved to the US - with his aunts among the few of Harry's family members to have attended Princess Lilibet's christening. While there are glimmers of hope that Harry's frosty relationship with his father's side of the family is beginning to thaw, he has the firm support of his mother's side of the family until that day comes. Prince Harry and Prince William have endured a famously frosty relationship in recent years - with William this week not seeing his younger brother on a whirlwind trip to the UK. In his book, Spare, Harry went as far to call William his 'archnemesis' and said the pair have always 'competed' and detailed physical altercations between the pair. But the brothers were once close, as a newly resurfaced clip has shown Harry saying how the pair can 'talk about anything'. In the clip, filmed for Harry's 21st birthday he gushes: 'He is the one person on this earth who, I can actually really, you know, we can talk about anything and we understand each other and give each other support and everything's fine.' The pair are believed to have formed a very close bond, united in adversity after the death of their mother Princess Diana in 1997, when Harry was just 12 and William was 15. In a sweet unearthed interview it's clear to see just how close the Duke of Sussex and the Prince of Wales were as Harry revealed they 'understand each other' and they can 'talk about anything' Elsewhere in the interview Harry added: 'Every year we get closer. We've even resorted to hugging each other now after not seeing each other for long periods of time. 'And yes, he does ring me when I'm away, and vice versa'. He added that as they've got older, Harry has began to give William advice. 'Both privately and publicly we talk to each other about everything. If he has problems that he wants to talk about, then he comes to me. And apparently I give him quite good advice.' Elsewhere in the interview Harry revealed their special bond grew stronger following their mother's tragic death. The touching words are a stark contrast to the stormy relations between the royal brothers today. Prince William was noticeably absent from Harry's Invictus Games service at St Paul's Cathedral yesterday. No senior members of the Royal Family arrived at the event. His father King Charles, and sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, are both undergoing cancer treatment. As the Duke of Sussex , 39, cut a lonely figure in London for the Invictus Games services yesterday at St.Paul's Cathedral it became more evident than ever of the royal family rift Prince William and Prince Harry look serious as they leave the service in celebration of the Queen's Golden Jubilee at St. Paul's Cathedral in 2002 The pair didn't always have a fractured relationship as the two princes once had a very close bond, united in adversity after the death of their mother Princess Diana in 1997, when Harry was just 12 and William was 15 years old No senior members of the Royal Family arrived at the Invictus Games 10 year anniversary event yesterday (Charles posed with his sons Prince William (R) and Prince Harry (L) during the Royal Family's ski break at Klosters in 2005) The rift between the brothers first came to light in 2020, when Biographer Robert Lacey, a historical consultant for Netflix's The Crown as well as the author of Majesty, a 1977 study of Queen Elizabeth, penned Battle of Brothers: William and Harry - the Friendship and the Feuds. He told how he was 'astonished' and 'sometimes moved to tears' by the fresh details of the rift that emerged while he was researching the conflict. The book explored conflicts that emerge as a result of the heir and the spare dynamic that permeates British aristocracy, and claims that the 'seeds of damage were sown' when William and Harry's parents' marriage unravelled. It will also delve into how the relationship between the two brothers has been impacted by their wives - Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, - and claims to offer more detail on why the Sussexes chose to quit as senior members of the Royal Family and move to Los Angeles with their son Archie. 'These two brothers - once inseparable and now separated by much more than mere distance - have been acting out the contradictions that go back into their childhoods and even before that: into their parents' ill-fated marriage. 'We have seen conflicts between heir and spare in every recent generation of the royal family but nothing so profound as this.' He added that writing the book was both 'painful and enthralling', admitting: 'I have been astonished and sometimes moved to tears by the fresh details and insights I have discovered in researching this story of family conflict. The 'once unbreakable' bond between Prince William and Prince Harry has suffered a 'devastating breakdown' Relations became so sour that they reportedly didn't talk for weeks after Harry's wedding, where William was best man 'It has been both enthralling and painful to trace this drama through the memories of close witnesses and some of the people most intimately involved.' The book's synopsis tells how Lacey investigates the 'untold reality' of the brothers' relationship. 'Much reported on but little understood, Diana's boys have lived under constant scrutiny since birth,' it reads. 'Raised to be the closest of brothers, the last 18 months has seen a devastating breakdown of their once unbreakable bond. 'With an unrivalled knowledge of court life and access to impeccable sources, Robert Lacey investigated the untold reality of the brothers' relationship, explaining what happened when two sons were raised for vastly different futures and showing how the seeds of damage were sown as their parents' marriage unravelled.' It is believed the trigger that caused the rift to develop between William and Harry was when the then Duke of Cambridge, advised his younger sibling to 'take things slow' when he first began dating Meghan Markle in 2017. Relations became so sour that they reportedly didn't talk for weeks after Harry's wedding, where William was best man. Then Megxit, and the way it was handled, left William and Charles devastated. In the documentary - Harry & Meghan: An African Journey - the Duke of Sussex, admitted he and William are 'certainly on different paths at the moment'. He told ITV's Tom Bradby: 'Inevitably stuff happens. But we're brothers, we'll always be brothers.' A source previously told People that the brothers' relationship is 'forever changed' and they 'won't get back to the way they were'. Harry is looking straight ahead at his future with his family,' they added. A frugal mom-of-two has sparked fierce debate after revealing that she charges other parents for playdates with her children. Brianna Weimar, from Monroe, Washington, took to TikTok to detail the demands that had landed her in hot water after she insisted on being reimbursed for snacks, soap and even electricity. The 33-year-old shared screenshots of the resulting exchange with another mom in which her actions were branded as a 'price-gouging scheme.' Viewers were left stunned by the admission - but what do you think? Brianna Weimar, from Monroe, Washington, took to TikTok to detail the demands that had landed her in hot water after insisting on reimbursement for snacks, soap and even electricity costs The 33-year-old shared screenshots of the resulting exchange with another mom in which her actions were branded as a 'price-gouging scheme' In the clip, which Briana originally shared with her 683,000 followers, she began: 'I sent a Venmo request for $36 to my son's friend's mom after they came to our house for a playdate - and she sent me the rudest response. 'I do not think I was in the wrong here but read these text messages and let me know what you think.' Cutting to show the written exchange, she elaborated: 'So I sent over my Venmo request and it just said: "Hey, I had a great playdate. I sent you a Venmo for $36 for food and supplies." 'But this other mom said: "Thanks for the hospitality but this is like a price-gouging scheme to make money," and they called it a "bill."' Briana doubled down though as she stated: 'While her son was over, I just kept on my notes a running tab of everything that her son used during the playdate. 'I made sure to put all the food her son ate. I counted the number of pumps that they used of soap when he washed his hands. 'They played video games for 45 minutes, so I calculated how much that electricity cost was, and then divided it by two, so for my son and her son. 'And then he did spill his juice on the carpet so I charged a clean-up fee.' Her prices included - but were not limited to - two juice boxes for $4, a bag of goldfish for $3, Gogurt for $2 and three squirts of soap during hand washing for $1 In the screengrab of her text, Briana listed out nine items that she had charged for. Her prices included - but were not limited to - two juice boxes for $4, a bag of goldfish for $3, Gogurt for $2 and three squirts of soap during hand washing for $1. The clip was flooded with comments with most disagreeing with her financial demands. One person wrote: 'Playdates foster friendships. Friendships aren't transactional. This was uncalled for.' A second person commented: 'Perfect way to end all friendships for your son.' Another added: 'I was under the assumption if I have people over, it's on me - dinner, wine, movie, kids snacks, toys, etc. I would hope the same if my child or myself was invited over.' However, some followers were on board with Bri's idea as one person wrote: 'I would gladly pay. But would like to know ahead of time, the cost.' A second person commented: 'Go mama! I believe that you should have charged more, but you do you,' and Bri responded: 'I gave them a deal!' Someone else added: '1,000 per cent yes.' The clip was flooded with comments with most disagreeing with her financial demands Bri has since shared: 'Parents have been shocked, confused, angry, saying that they will not send their kids over to our house anymore. 'People have been very critical, they do not agree with this method at all.' The mum-of-two, started considering charging people for the things their children consume at her house when prices start to rise, and she found herself being affected by the cost-of-living increase. To prepare, she told how she created her own spreadsheet to make sure her prices were fair and even. Although she found herself in a disagreement with one mum, she confirmed that the Venmo request was actually paid. She said: 'Food is getting so expensive now, I was constantly refilling my kids snacks from all of their friends being over to play at our house. 'I have a very detailed spreadsheet of all of the snacks my kids eat on a regular basis and supplies they use. I calculate how much each individual piece of food or pump of soap cost. 'For example, I weighed out how many ounces each pump of soap is. Then I took the cost of the bottle of soap and divided by the ounces. 'I've been charged myself one time, my son broke a very valuable base at someone's house and they charged me for it.' A sweet video shows the adorable moment the Queen feeds carrots to a donkey and mini pony. Camilla, 76, hosted a reception to mark the 90th Anniversary of Brooke, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of working horses, donkeys, and mules at Buckingham Palace today. The UK-based international charity, which was founded in the early 1930s, is a legacy of the First World War. Its work is described as 'bringing hope to working horses, donkeys, and mules'. Brooke, founded in the early 1930s, is a UK-based international working horse and donkey charity, which is also a legacy of the First World War. After Dorothy Brooke established the Old War Horse Memorial Hospital in Cairo in 1934, the organisation continued to grow, until it became the global organisation it is today, having helped 1.4 million working horses, donkeys, and mules directly, and 4.2 million through its advocacy work. The Queen (pictured) pets a mini pony while hosting a reception for Brooke, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of working horses, donkeys, and mules SWEET: The Queen feeds a carrot to an adorable donkey during a reception at Buckingham Palace Ahead of the reception, Camilla took to the Quadrangle of Buckingham Palace, where she took photos with guests and mini ponies. There, she was filmed feeding the carrots to two adorable mini ponies, who seemed to enjoy their snack and a tickle under the chin from the Queen. The Queen looked typically stylish as she attended the event, wearing a blue midi dress featuring an abstract print. She paired the long sleeved frock with simple nude pumps with an almond toe. Camilla wore she blonde bob in a loose, waved style, and kept her make-up look simple and natural. After feeding the animals in Buckingham Palace's Quadrangle, the reception continued inside, where Her Majesty met with Brooke staff and supporters, who last year, reached over 10,000 worldwide communities. During the reception, the Queen spent time speaking with celebrity guests, which included broadcaster Alastair Stewart, TV vet Dr Scott Miller, actress Annette Badland and Rory Bremner - who she enjoyed a lively exchange with, and Brooke staff and supporters. She acknowledged newsreader Angela Rippon with a slight bow of the head before the pair enjoyed a warm conversation together, chatting about their shared love of horses. After giving a carrot to the donkey, the royal (pictured) then offered the treat to a mini pony, who seemed to enjoy the snack The Queen appeared to be delighted to be meeting the animals as she marked the 90th anniversary of Brooke Speaking afterwards, the former Strictly contestant said: 'If you love horses it brings you together, it's the glue that brings people together and Her Majesty does.' Explaining why she became involved with the charity to 'put your money where your mouth is'. 'I just think that if you care about animals you have to sometimes stand up and be counted and do something for their welfare,' she said. 'Being associated with Brooke means that I can do that for donkeys, horses and mules.' The Queen listened intently to CEO Chris Wainwright as he gave a speech to guests in the Bow Room, who thanked her for supporting the charity for so many years. She then cut an anniversary cake and was presented with a collage of pictures in the shame of a horse to thank the Queen for her continued support. 'I can spot myself in it,' she said, pointing to a picture of herself before giving a spontaneous short speech. Queen Camilla (pictured, centre) posed for snaps as she petted the mini pony and donkey in Buckingham Palace's Quadrangle She said: 'Can I thank you all for your support. As most of you have seen for yourself it is the most remarkable charity. 'I got completely hooked when I went to Caira to visit the headquarters there and saw this immaculate place with vets doing a fantastic job making these animals better. 'I first heard about it from my father who was in Cairo during the war and he used to tell me what a wonderful charity it was. 'I would never believe it today that I'm here as its President. 'So thank you all very much indeed.' Mr Stewart, the charity's Patron, heaped praise on the Queen for her active role with Brooke. 'She's a hands-on President and she knows an awful lot about what we do,' he said afterwards. 'Her understanding of the work that we do for all working equids (horses, donkeys and mules) really matters for the animals. The royal has had a long standing relationship with the charity, and has been its president since 2006 'To give them the kind of quality of life that people like us, and she and her husband, who are involved in the horse world as owners would give to our own horses.' Mr Wainwright said 'it means everything' to have the Queen's continued support. He added: 'It means everything to our staff, the communities that we work with, all our partners. 'Having the support of someone as high profile as Her Majesty gives us the opportunity to engage with a whole different and wider audience - and it shows that actually our cause is important. 'Her support has allowed us to take that message of what we're trying to do much further than we would otherwise be able to be.' Camilla has a longstanding relationship with the charity, and has been its president since 2006. Last November, while on a state visit to Kenya with her husband King Charles, 75, she visited a Donkey Care Club. The club teaches local children how to look after their donkeys. While in Kenya, Camilla learnt about how Brooke is promoting equine welfare as part of its East Africa Programme. After feeding the animals outside, the reception moved inside, where Camilla (pictured, right) mingled with guests before cutting a cake According to Brooke, for some 600 million people in some of the poorest places, these working animals 'are the backbone of communities and their best means of making a living'. The charity aims to improve the lives of these animals, as well as give people in the developing world the opportunity to gain employment. Brooke was founded by Dorothy Brooke, the wife of a British cavalry officer, who sought out the former war horses that had been put to work in Cairo and beyond when the conflict ended in 1918. Her pleas in a letter to the editor of the then Morning Post (now The Telegraph) in 1931 were heard, and with help from the British public, Dorothy raised enough money to buy back 5,000 of the horses. Following this, Dorothy established a veterinary clinic in Cairo, which has now grown into the global organisation that Brooke is today. This is the hilarious moment a woman was unexpectedly pulled into a river by her excited pup as they enjoyed a walk along the bank. Steph Cousins, 35, was enjoying an idyllic stroll in the Peak District, with her dog Winnie - but was plunged into the water while playing with her pet. She was throwing sticks for the German Shorthaired Pointer when the pooch pulled its lead taut - and dragged Steph in. Footage of the amusing accident captured a laughing Steph hauling herself out of the water as she waved to the camera. 'Did you get that on video?' she asked her friend, who was filming. This is the hilarious moment a woman was unexpectedly pulled into a river by her excited pup as they enjoyed a walk along the bank Just moments before, she captured scenic footage of Steph watching her dog playfully paddle in and out of the water. The owner, a teaching assistant from Derbyshire, said five-year-old Winnie 'loves it' when she throws sticks in the river. 'This is the first time she's taken me in with her,' she joked. Steph revealed that while her slip down the bank appeared swift and sudden, it dragged on in her head. "It honestly felt like slow motion,' she admitted. 'It didn't happen as fast in my head as it did on the video.' She though that she 'might be able to save this' when her foot slipped through - to no avail. 'It was too late,' Steph continued. 'And I just thought I'm going in!' Steph Cousins, 35, was enjoying an idyllic stroll with her dog Winnie - but was plunged into the water while playing with her pet The adorable moment captured Steph's playful accident with five-year-old Winnie while they were out walking She was throwing sticks for the German Shorthaired Pointer when the pooch pulled its lead taut - and dragged Steph in Footage of the amusing accident captured a laughing Steph hauling herself out of the water as she waved to the camera Just moments before, she captured scenic footage of Steph watching her dog playfully paddle in and out of the water The owner, a teaching assistant from Derbyshire, said five-year-old Winnie 'loves it' when she throws sticks in the river Steph, pictured, was enjoying a sunny stroll with her dog Winnie when she was plunged into the water Later in the clip, her friend asked Steph if she's cold - as she sat there, soaking wet on the grass - but she brushed any concerns off by saying she'd dry off in the car. It comes as researchers have found that interacting with dogs generates electrical activity in the part of the brain associated with relaxation, concentration, creativity and attention. The team, from Konkuk University in South Korea, recruited 30 adult participants for their study. She couldn't help but laugh as she hauled herself out of the water, after Winnie's enthusiasm dragged her in Five-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer Winnie couldn't contain her excitement in the hilarious video They were asked to perform eight different activities with a well-trained four-year-old poodle, including playing with a handheld toy, giving her treats and taking pictures with her. Analysis revealed the strength of alpha brainwaves increased when participants played with and walked the dog, reflecting a state of relaxation. Meanwhile grooming or gently massaging the poodle saw an increase in beta brainwaves a boost typically linked to heightened concentration. Those taking part in the study also reported feeling significantly less fatigued, depressed and stressed after all dog-related activities. The team said that although 'fondness' for the animal may have played a role in generating these feelings, the findings add to evidence that canine therapy often used in hospitals, schools and prisons can help reduce anxiety and stress. Writing in the journal Plos One, the authors said: 'This study demonstrated that specific dog activities could activate stronger relaxation, emotional stability, attention, concentration and creativity by facilitating increased brain activity.' Princess Anne 's ex-husband Captain Mark Phillips was joined by his rumoured girlfriend Florence Standaert as they cheered on his daughter Zara Tindall at the Badminton Horse Trials today. The former Olympic gold medal winner, 75, was pictured walking alongside the Belgian equestrian, who is thought to be almost the same age as 42-year-old Zara. They were first linked to one another in 2022 after attending the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials together, where Mark and The Princess Royal's daughter was competing. Shes his new girlfriend, a source at the event in Lincolnshire told The Daily Mail, with the pair apparently 'inseparable' at the occasion. At today's event in Gloucestershire, the King's niece was not only supported by her father and his girlfriend Florence, but also her husband Mike Tindall, a former I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! contestant and England rugby star. Captain Mark Phillips and rumoured girlfriend Florence Standaert attend the Badminton Horse Trials Florences long-term boyfriend, Thomas Ryckewaert, ran the Waregem horse trials in Belgium until his death in 2019. A year later, Mark designed a cross country-course at Waregem, run by Florence. The pair looked casual as they cheered on Zara today; Mark opted for jeans and a navy jumper teamed with a white shirt, while Florence sported white trousers, a striped shirt and a cream cardigan. Zara seemed delighted to have her father Mark by her side, with the two chatting to each other and sharing a smile while at the Badminton Estate. Mark divorced Princess Anne, 73, in 1992 after 19 years of marriage. The couple got married at Westminster Abbey on November 14, 1973 as an estimated 500million people watched on. Four years later, they welcomed their son, Peter Phillips, before Princess Anne gave birth to their youngest child, Zara. Following their divorce, the Olympic gold medal winner - a highly accomplished equestrian - married American dressage rider Sandy Pflueger in 1997, but it was confirmed in 2012 that they had separated. Mark, who has a reputed fortune of up to 20 million, had already become involved with another woman, Lauren Hough, then 45, an American showjumper. Friends speculated in 2015 that he and Hough would soon get engaged, but the announcement never came. Zara Tindall chats to her father as he cheers her on at the event in Gloucestershire today Joining Mark in the crowd was Belgian equestrian Florence Standaert, believed to be in her 40s Zara Tindall (pictured sharing a hug with her husband Mike) was once again back in the saddle today as she competed at day two of the Badminton Horse Trials in Gloucestershire Dressed in her typical navy blue riding attire, Zara looked focused as she warmed up ahead of the competition at Badminton Estate, which started yesterday and runs until Sunday Wearing white jodhpurs covered by her long, double-breasted coat, the royal finished off her look with a matching navy and white hat as she put her beloved gelding Class Affair through his paces at the event Mark won gold with the British three-day eventing team at the Munich Olympics in 1972. A year later, in May 1973, Princess Anne and Mark announced their engagement and were married that November - but storm clouds soon came to gather round the marriage. In 1985, Phillips fathered a love child, Felicity, with New Zealand art teacher, Heather Tonkin. She was reportedly conceived after a brief liaison in 1984 - while Mark was still married to the Princess. Anne and Mark then officially separated in 1989, with Mark continuing to live on the royal's sprawling Gatcombe Park estate. They divorced in 1993, and just a few months later Anne married her second husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence. Mark would remarry too, to American Olympian dressage rider, Sandy Pflueger, and have a daughter, Stephanie, born in 1997. Gabby, 22, was murdered by her boyfriend Brian Laundrie on a 2021 road trip Gabby Petito's mother has revealed her heartbreaking intuition that her daughter was dead from the moment she went missing. Travel blogger Gabby, 22, was murdered by her boyfriend Brian Laundrie, 23, in 2021, with whom she was travelling across America in a renovated white van. Their life together had seemed perfect - they were high school sweethearts seeking to explore the USA on a four-month adventure. When Gabby went missing, a hunt was launched to find her, captivating the attention of millions across the world. Now members of Gabby's family have spoken out about the devastating torment they faced when she went missing in a new ITV documentary, The Disappearance Of Gabby Petito. Gabby Petito's relatives speak out in ITV documentary The Disappearance of Gabby Petito (Gabby pictured with boyfriend Brian Laundrie) Her heartbroken mother Nichole Schmidt said that from the moment Gabby was officially declared missing on September 11, 2021, she knew that her daughter was 'gone'. Nichole said, as reported in The Mirror: 'Gabby was officially a missing person on September 11, 2021. 'That night a detective showed up at my door and from that moment on, I knew in my heart that my daughter was gone but I kept strong for everyone else. 'It was a mothers instinct. I just knew. Her dad Joe asked what I thought and I said, I dont know but we need to find her.' A nationwide hunt for the blogger turned into a social media obsession, with internet sleuths finding clues about what had happened. It was eventually discovered that Gabby was strangled and was left in a forest by Laundrie, her high school friend-turned-boyfriend, who she had met at school in 2019. After another hunt, Laundrie would eventually die by suicide from a single gunshot to the head, after admitting to killing Gabby in a notebook - finally bringing her friends and family the closure they needed. Gabby and Laundrie were making a road trip across America in a renovated van in what was to be a four-month adventure. In the documentary, Gabby's mother Nichole Schmidt reveals her intuition that her daughter had gone Joe Petito, Gabby's father, said of his daughter: 'That was my baby, you know. That was my angel' Gabby was officially reported missing on September 11, 2021 - and a viral social media hunt began Bodycam footage from August showed Gabby had been found shaking and crying after being pulled over by police near the entrance to Arches National Park Laundrie himself always seemed 'nice' and 'kind', Nichole said, and Gabby seemed to completely trust him. On July 2, 2021, they set off from Blue Point, Long Island, stopping off at national parks along the way. Their first stop was Monument Rocks in Kansas on July 4. From there, they went to Colorado Springs. Gabby documented the whole trip on her YouTube channel and social media, hoping she would become a social media star through her videos about #vanlife. In one video titled 'Beginning Our Van Life Journey, posted on August 19, she filmed Laundrie doing some yoga by the van, and demonstrated her own cheery disposition. Describing her daughter, Nichole said: 'Gabby was a spitfire. She knew what she wanted from early on. I knew she was going to go for it and be successful.' Meanwhile her father Joe added in the documentary: 'That was my baby, you know. That was my angel.' Nichole continued: 'I think she wanted to become a famous vlogger. She was really focused on enjoying the travel and putting it out there for everyone to see.' Gabby, 22, had documented her travels on her YouTube channel and social media accounts She and Brian Laundrie were high school sweethearts, though they were initially just friends At first, Gabby kept in touch with her parents, who are separated, almost every day. She had a folder she shared with her mother where she uploaded photographs so she could see what was happening. They would call and text often - and Gabby would even sent postcards to Laundrie's family detailing their travels. When Gabby arrived at Mystic Hot Springs in Utah, Nichole admitted she had 'never seen' her daughter as happy as she looked in the photograph. But soon, things grew odd. Gabby began to post on social media less and less. Where her earlier posts had included lengthy captions about where she was going, soon they were only accompanied by vague quotes. Her last post, on August 25, 2021, showed her holding a crocheted pumpkin, with the caption 'Happy Halloween' - despite the holiday being more than a month away. This was around the time she FaceTimed her parents for the final time - and little did they know, this would be the last time they ever saw her. Then came unusual messages. The first one that seemed 'weird' read: 'Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls'. It seemed to be about her grandfather, but was a name she'd never used for him. Joseph Petito, father of Gabby Petito, speaks at a news conference after Gabby's death Gabby was described as 'artistic', 'fun' and 'creative' by members of her family Nichole received a text message on August 30 that they were in Yosemite and had no service. But Gabby was supposed to be in Wyoming - and from there, all communication stopped. After her family grew increasingly concerned, Gabby was officially reported as missing on September 11. Afterwards, several disturbing facts came to light. On September 1, Laundrie had returned to his parents' house alone with the van - and without Gabby. On August 12, police had received a 911 call from a witness who had seen the couple - and saw Gabby being 'slapped'. It was the first time the public had seen a new side to their relationship and outside the idyllic life they had portrayed on social media. Public attention ramped up even more when body-cam footage from that day showed Brian and Gabby had been pulled over by the police after the 911 call near the entrance to Arches National Park. Gabby was clearly shaken and in tears, while Laundrie had scratches over his body. 'We've just been fighting this morning, some personal issues', Gabby told the cops, adding that she had been stressed. Laundrie brushed off the 'scratches', calling Gabby 'crazy'. Despite the incriminating 911 call, police declared him a victim of domestic assault and gave him a hotel room for the night - afterwards letting them go on their way. Gabby's final Instagram post (pictured) showed her holding crocheted pumpkins and saying 'Happy Halloween', despite it being August Pictured: The white van that Gabby had renovated for use on their trip It was a frustrating moment - that Gabby had been within reach of protection, but would be left alone and vulnerable once more. YouTubers posted a video showing Gabby's van at Wyoming in late August - and on September 19, 2021, her body was finally found. The search then turned to finding Laurie, whose remains were eventually discovered in Florida's Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on October 20. Gabby's family has since set up the Gabby Petito Foundation, which provides support to finding missing people and those suffering from domestic violence. The Disappearance of Gabby Petito is on ITV at 9pm on Thursday and is available to stream now on ITVX. Prince Harry made a surprise visit to a charity event in London today - as his father King Charles and brother Prince William undertook official royal visits elsewhere. The Duke of Sussex, 39, was pictured chatting and playing games with bereaved military children as he made an unexpected visit to Scotty's Little Soldiers in London. Harry - who is no longer a working royal after he left the role in 2020 and moved to America with Meghan - spent the afternoon taking part in games and speaking to youngsters. Dressed in a casual navy polo top, loafers and a pair of blue jeans, the father-of-two said it was an 'honour' to meet the many families the charity supports during the visit, which looked like a royal visit, despite Harry stepping away from The Firm several year ago. Around 50 children and young people, aged between six and 22, who have experienced the death of a military parent were at the event. The Duke of Sussex, 39, was pictured chatting and playing games with bereaved military children as he made an unexpected visit to Scotty's Little Soldiers in London At one point the Duke was snapped using a straw to transport Smarties as quickly as possible during a task Harry - a non-working royal - was snapped interacting with children and young adults from the charity on an unofficial visit Harry also spent time talking to nine members from Scotty's Council, a group of young people who represent the charity's other members, who discussed their experiences of growing up without a parent. The Duke said: 'It was an honour to meet so many of the wonderful families Scotty's Little Soldiers supports. 'I have long believed in the mission of this charity, and I truly believe the work they do to foster community and create space for young people to connect, grieve, but also have fun together is life-changing. 'I am a huge supporter of their work, and very proud to be their first global ambassador.' This comes as Prince William viewed for the first time a plot of land in Cornwall which he hopes will change the face of the homeless crisis in the UK. The heir, who took over the 1.2 billion Duchy of Cornwall estate when his father became King and made him Prince of Wales, is in the process of building its first ever housing project to help address homelessness in Nansledan. Meanwhile, Harry's father King Charles - who is currently undergoing treatment for cancer - met military staff and their families at a training base for the Army's Royal Engineers in Surrey. His wife, Queen Camilla was also on an official engagement, posing for photographs with guests and mini ponies as she hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace to mark the 90th anniversary of Brooke, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of working horses, donkeys, and mules. Harry looked in high spirits as he posed for selfies with people from the event The former senior royal was snapped listening to children and young adults speak about their experiences Harry posed for pictures with those at the event as he made a surprise visit to the charity in London today The Duke dropped by the charity and play games with children at Scotty's Little Soldiers, a patron which he was been involved with since 2017. Elsewhere Prince William travelled to Cornwall today to meet representatives from local organisations who are working to promote safety in the sea Harry is back in the UK for an Invictus event and had hoped to meet his estranged father the King during his trip, which follows a previous quick visit in February after Charles's cancer diagnosis. But Harry's spokesman said yesterday: 'In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not The Duke will meet with his father while in the UK this week, it unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty's full programme. 'The Duke of course is understanding of his father's diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.' Harry's event yesterday was just three miles away from where Charles was at Clarence House at the Honourable Artillery Company. But the Duke dropped by the charity and play games with children at Scotty's Little Soldiers, a patron which he was been involved with since 2017. At one point the Duke was snapped using a straw to transport Smarties as quickly as possible during a task. The charity - for which the duke became a global ambassador in November - was one of seven which had been nominated by Harry and Meghan to benefit from donations marking the couple's wedding ceremony in 2018. In 2022, Harry even recorded a special video message dressed as Spider-Man for its children's Christmas party. During the video message the ex-senior royal said: 'Christmas is a time where we missed our loved ones really really badly. 'And that's okay but at the same time it can be possible to feel guilty for having fun without our parents. But I'm here to assure you that our parents always want us to have fun.' A young girl presents the Duke with something at the event in London today The charity - for which the duke became a global ambassador in November - was one of seven which had been nominated by Harry and Meghan to benefit from donations marking the couple's wedding ceremony in 2018 King Charles III during a visit to Gibraltar Barracks in Minley, Hampshire, this afternoon as his son Prince Harry remained in London The Duke laughs at one of the girls trying to get a piece of chocolate off her face Harry applauds people at the event who are taking part in games and fun activities Just before Remembrance Day last year, he also wrote a letter to the children at the charity and said that 'grief is nothing to be ashamed of.' He wrote: 'Growing up, having lost a parent, is immensely difficult. But being part of a strong and resilient community like Scotty's can really help. 'Grief is nothing to be ashamed of; it's normal to feel sadness from loss. But don't forget that you also deserve to feel happiness - your parent would want that, trust me.' Georgia Paterson, 16, said it was 'amazing' to speak to Harry about the experience of losing a parent growing up. She said: 'Prince Harry was the best person to share that experience with because he's been through it and understands better than anyone. 'It was really moving to see how vulnerable he was with us, which encouraged us to open up as well.' Georgia added: 'It felt really connecting because when your parent served, they served for the country, and one of the most important things for the country is the royal family. 'Speaking with someone who is part of that made me feel more connected to my Dad. It was amazing to be connected to him in that moment.' Prince William, the Duke of Cornwall, holds a volleyball on his visit to Cornwall today in an official visit as a senior royal Nikki Scott, who founded the charity in 2010 following the death of her husband during a tour in Afghanistan, said: 'It was amazing to see all the smiles in the room when Prince Harry walked through the door. 'The Duke of Sussex has supported Scotty's for a long time, which means a lot to our members because they know he understands what it's like to experience the death of a parent and the challenges they face. 'It's important to our members to maintain their connection to the military community, which Prince Harry is also passionate about. 'Events like these are so valuable to our members because it enables them to develop friendships with others in a similar situation, as well as have lots of fun.' Scotty's Little Soldiers currently supports more than 670 bereaved military children and young people up to the age of 25, offering one-to-one bereavement support, guidance to parents and carers, fun activities such as holidays and group events, and learning assistance. The royal was on a state visit in Sweden with King Frederik Queen Mary of Denmark hid a touching message in an easy-to-miss detail on her outfit while on a state visit to Sweden. The Australian-born royal donned a stunning brooch with both Swedish and Danish roots while attending a day of formalities in Stockholm. Mary was gifted the brooch from her mother-in-law Queen Margrethe after the birth of her eldest child Prince Christian, 18, who was unable to make the visit with his parents. The sparkling brooch has been handed down generations as Margrethe got it from her mother Queen Ingrid who was born in Sweden. Queen Ingrid inherited the heirloom from her mother Crown Princess Margareta of Sweden. Queen Mary of Denmark donned a stunning brooch with both Swedish and Danish roots while the attended a welcoming ceremony in Stockholm Mary was gifted the brooch from her mother-in-law Queen Margrethe after the birth of her eldest child Prince Christian, 18, who was unable to make the visit with his parents Set in gold and silver the historical pin has a large sapphire surrounded by diamonds and pearls. As the brooch was a maternity gift, Mary has worn it on multiple occasions celebrating her son including his baptism and confirmation. Pinned next to the sentimental jewel was a small rosette which was awarded to Mary during her visit. The rosette dates back to the 19th century and represents the Seraphim Order, which is Sweden's most distinguished order. As the brooch was a maternity gift, Mary has worn it on multiple occasions celebrating her son including his baptism and confirmation Pinned next to the sentimental jewel was a small rosette that represents the Seraphim Order, which is Sweden's most distinguished order and was awarded to Mary on Monday For the morning's formalities, Mary kept warm with a navy shawl, gloves and hat and in the afternoon pinned her hair back on one side and paired her dress with a blue belt and pumps Mary received the title of a Knight of the Seraphim Order which Frederik was given back in 1993. The 52-year-old attached the two pins to a stylish white dress by Copenhagen designer Mark Kenly Domino Tan. She and Frederik arrived aboard the Royal Yacht Dannebrog and kept warm with a navy shawl and gloves and had her hair back with a matching hat. For the afternoon formalities, Mary pinned her hair back on one side with a barrette and paired her woven dress with a dark blue belt and chic pumps. Mary and Frederik were in Sweden for their first royal visit together as King and Queen from May 6-7. Personal details of suspect spread online By KTimes A 25-year-old medical student, identified only by pseudonym A, is suspected of having brutally killing his girlfriend on the rooftop of a 15-story building in Seocho-dong, Seoul. The crime occurred around 4 p.m. on May 6, with the police swiftly apprehending the suspect following an emergency call about a potential suicide attempt at the scene. According to police reports, A repeatedly stabbed his girlfriend, 25, leading to fatal injuries. The distressing event unfolded when authorities received a tip-off at approximately 5:20 p.m. that a man was threatening to jump from the building's rooftop. Upon arrival, they managed to rescue A before immediately placing him under custody. During his court appearance for a pre-trial detention hearing, the suspect faced a barrage of questions from the press, but remained silent. However, when asked if he had anything to say to the victim's family, he briefly responded, "I'm sorry." As the case has gained significant media attention, various details about the suspect, including his name, educational background, the medical school he attends, and his photograph, have been circulated online. The suspect, a student at a prestigious medical school in Seoul, had previously achieved a perfect score on the national college entrance exam. The rapid spread of A's personal information is raising questions about privacy and the impact of public disclosure on legal proceedings. The local community and online observers are now grappling with the complexities of this tragic event, as they await further developments in the investigation. Complex fallout of murder The murder case has not only shocked the nation, it has also sparked a reevaluation of the assailant's past public persona. Prior interviews where A was celebrated for his academic achievements have resurfaced, including those conducted by local government bodies and appearances on YouTube channels while he was in medical school. These also featured comments from his parents and posts A authored for a university mentoring program, alongside activity on his personal social media accounts. Notably, his social media profile picture included the victim, which has fueled considerable public outrage, particularly as these accounts are now private. On anonymous university forums, fellow students have come forward with claims that A struggled to adapt to medical school life, with allegations of inappropriate behavior during his clinical rotations last year. This has led to a broader denunciation of medical students, with online comments harshly critiquing the perceived apathy of future doctors towards human life, tarnishing the reputation of the medical student community at large. In response to the escalating situation, police applied for an arrest warrant on May 7. Investigations revealed that A had premeditated the murder, purchasing the weapon at a large supermarket in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, just hours before committing the act. During police interrogations, A reportedly stated that the murder was spurred by his girlfriend's suggestion that they break up. This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, was translated by generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times. I am a disaster when it comes to men. I didn't get my first boyfriend until I was in my 30s, lost my virginity at 32 and was famously disastrously married for five years to a man 15 years my junior. Throughout it all I harboured a crush on a man I'd met at a party in 1983 something I wouldn't get over for 40 largely unrequited years. To make matters worse, I went on to date The Crush on and off for a decade he'd got in touch in 2013, by then divorced and broken, after seeing me in the newspaper and I proposed to him on this year's Leap Day... only to retract my offer of marriage weeks later when I got cold feet, picturing him smoking, wriggling in bed and making crumbs. For me, a relationship has always been a fantasy that never lived up to the nuts and bolts of living with a man. I'd have to wear make-up each day, get dressed, be waxed, be cheerful. It was all so exhausting. But could Femail turn the tide and find me a blind date to change all that? I have reached a point where I feel I need support from someone who will share the load. A grown up, who won't want anything from me. Liz, 65 VITAL STATISTICS Divorced, recently single. CURRENT ROLE Journalist and author. WOULD LIKE TO MEET A man who is solvent, handsome and helpful. For me, a relationship has always been a fantasy that never lived up to the nuts and bolts of living with a man I have always gone for men who are inferior, not just in earnings but in status, personality, drive, ambition, looks. I have manipulated men with gifts so they like me, and I retain the power. I think Femail might have more chance of success choosing me a man, as I readily admit the relationships I've chosen have always exhausted me and never, ever worked. Unfortunately, arriving at the Ivy restaurant in West London, I realise the key problem when going on a date: we take ourselves along. I have deliberately kept on the borrowed pink Zara dress worn for the photoshoot, a desperate attempt to be less me by not wearing my own clothes. As someone who has been anorexic from the age of 11, continued to starve myself into my 30s, was even sectioned, close to death, I still feel too hideous to look in a mirror, or to be naked, ever, in front of a man. I feel sorry for my blind date, Jeremy, because even before he has opened his mouth the odds are stacked against him. Jeremy is certainly great on paper. I had read, many times, his crib sheet emailed to me the day before: 6ft 1in, solvent, lives in North London (my spiritual home), grown-up children, well travelled, went to public school, used to play rugby, owns a dog, and is a widower. As he greets me, I notice he isn't unattractive, with a full head of salt and pepper hair, nice build, open face. A catch for the 99 per cent of women who don't have Steve McQueen as a benchmark. Jeremy stands as I arrive, which is a good sign. Even his posture tells me he likes to wear the trousers. I have so many insecurities, am so damaged, I find the prospect of a burly piece of manhood frightening. I know within milliseconds he would not tolerate me keeping my top on during sex in order to hide my cosmetic surgery scars. He wouldn't accept my insane work ethic (he's about to retire), or my devotion to my dogs and horses, who always, always come first. Within moments, he is telling me that a relationship without sex is not what he wants. 'If you don't feel that way about a guy it's never going to work... I want to be cuddled. I miss love. I'm lonely.' Oh God, the pressure to perform, to be attractive, to have sex again... I tell him everyone in my life has taken advantage of my largesse: siblings, friends, partners, employees. He says he doesn't want or need this at all. And despite a successful career as a marketing director, he isn't into material things. 'All I want is a home with a woman in it, no arguments, and someone to go travelling with.' (I'm thinking, 'I can't leave Mini Puppy! She's 15!') He talks movingly about his second wife, who was a nurse. She died of ovarian cancer in 2017 when their twins were just 15, and he hasn't been in a relationship since. He is close to his four children, and on good terms with his first wife, whom he married aged 23. They divorced when he was 30. You see? Empathetic! He's a proper grown-up. But my nose is a little out of joint because he has no idea who I am, or what I do, which is spill my guts for money. Though he had been warned that he was going on a date with a Daily Mail journalist, I had apparently not featured on his radar. Now, most people would think this a good thing. A clean slate. But me turning up for a date without the man knowing I was a glossy magazine editor, award-winning columnist and former war correspondent is like showing up without make-up, or designer clothes. I am naked, ordinary, judged only on what happens now. It's a conundrum, though, as when a man has done his homework, I accuse them of being a stalker. They can't win. I don't want them to have seen my before and after facelift photos. Then there are all the confessions the articles about being declared bankrupt, for example. Back in 2011, I admitted stealing my ex-boyfriend's sperm in a desperate attempt to conceive in my early 40s. If a man has read my articles and books, he always assumes any reviews he himself gets in print will be glowing. This is rarely the case. He will also assure me he has a sense of humour, which is only until I criticise his car, height, conversation. Another thing I have found is that these men all believe they can 'tame' me, not understanding my job as a writer comes first. As for Jeremy, he doesn't stop talking, and when I do manage to interrupt, he doesn't listen (the noisy restaurant doesn't help). I have told him that I'm deaf, but no questions are forthcoming, and he doesn't slow down. He has a slight lisp, too, which makes it hard for me to understand him. I tell him I'm completing on a house purchase in the Yorkshire Dales in a few days and show him a photo but again zero interest. He doesn't seem to get my jokes either. Or maybe I'm not that funny. I begin to get depressed, to drift off and picture my pyjamas. A couple more teeny red flags. We go to order, and I mention I'm vegan. 'That's OK,' he says, as if I need permission. He only eats fish and vegetables due to a health issue. I meanly ask if he has seen My Octopus Teacher, a poignant documentary in which an octopus forges a friendship with a filmmaker; he hasn't. We head back, after two hours, to the Mail studios to shoot our video. He is asked if he wants to see me again, and replies: 'Distance could be a problem' When I tell him I used to be anorexic, he looks me up and down and says: 'Your body looks OK.' Does he think I'm fat? And when I talk about losing my pony, Benji, just before Christmas, he says that I really shouldn't get another horse, as, 'What will happen when you're 80?' No woman wants to be reminded how old she is. All my hopes and imaginings and tummy flutters are snuffed out. I'm gutted. Why on earth had I Hollywood waxed? There is lots that's great, though. He has just been to Edinburgh for a wedding, and is about to head to Barcelona with his daughter where he will 'walk everywhere'. The world holds no fears for him; unlike my last boyfriend, The Crush. I made Jeremy completely aware that this previous relationship was a disaster. I instantly regretted proposing on Leap Day; I'm too bruised by marriage to ever want to be financially entangled again. But the thing is, while The Crush often told me I am beautiful, Jeremy doesn't pay me a single compliment, not even noticing my lovely hands (even my ghastly ex-husband agreed my feet and hands are perfect). When I ask for his type, though, he says foxily, 'tall brunettes'. He touches my arm, once. Touch is a sign. He doesn't ask what my type is. We head back, after two hours, to the Mail studios to shoot our video. He is asked if he wants to see me again, and replies: 'Distance could be a problem.' Come on, if A-Ha's Morten Harket asked me out, I wouldn't say: 'Hmm. Norway's a bit cold, and far.' Asked if he sees a future, he replies: 'It is more Yes than No', at which I snap: 'That's a bit negative!' Even though I am unsure about him, about myself, I know, deep down, I am a catch... if only a man would snuffle hard enough. I have so many anecdotes, have led such an interesting life, am so passionate about so many things: animals, film, music. Perhaps, as they say so often on Married At First Sight Australia, there's just no 'spaaark'. As we leave, I moan to the video team that he hadn't even asked for my number, but apparently he did I just hadn't heard him! I realise my deafness, as well as my body dysmorphia, has been a huge factor in my singleton status over the years. I miss what has been said, and am nervous I've said the wrong thing. Even the one man who really loves me (The Crush) will roll his eyes if I ask for something to be repeated. I wager Jeremy wouldn't tolerate my peccadillos for long. But on the train home, Jeremy has already texted twice, sending photos of his little dog. He later sends a WhatsApp picture of his bedside reading: The Story Of Jews (he's Jewish), The Intelligent Investor and We Danced On Our Desks, by Philip Norman. Now, that last one is a puzzle, as it's a funny memoir about working at The Sunday Times Magazine in its heyday. During our date, I had told Jeremy that's where I worked for many years but he didn't allow me to regale him with anecdotes. He could have had the real-life book, right there! And then he sends this text: 'When are you back in London so we can date?' Bingo! I have to admit a smile creases my face, thinking perhaps I'm not too old, it's not too late. That a normal, solvent, interesting man might like me. This small win comforts me hugely. I am tempted to see Jeremy again; perhaps I really should date an adult I can't boss. After all, no man can ever live up to what we build in our heads, seduced as we are by Sex And The City, billboards, wedding websites. Not The Crush, not Jeremy, not anyone. I've just asked Jeremy to Google me before he submits his verdict. I imagine he has already run a country mile... LIZ'S VERDICT: 7/10 Jeremy, 65 VITAL STATISTICS Widower, married twice. Two children from first marriage, 39 and 35, and twins aged 21. CURRENT ROLE Marketing Director. WOULD LIKE TO MEET I prefer slim brunettes. I've been so disappointed using websites, apps or being set up by friends. So far, those helping me have always got it wrong I am shallow looks-wise; I prefer beautiful women first and then their wisdom. Liz is a tall, slim woman who does not look her age. But I can't say there was that 'wow I want to have sex with her!' feeling. Even so, I'm a gentleman, so of course I stood up to greet her and gave her a hug, telling her how lovely she looked. Her first words were 'I need a drink' and she ordered a glass of champagne. I rarely drink I ordered a sparkling water but I don't worry about what other people like to indulge in. Liz immediately struck me as an intelligent and well-read woman. We talked about the situation in Gaza; my son is serving in the Israeli army, so we had a thoughtful conversation about it. She told me about her life as a journalist and the famous people she has met. Even though I live in London that sort of lifestyle isn't really of interest to me. While she isn't particularly funny, she's a very good conversationalist. I can talk forever, and Liz is the same. It wasn't awkward at all. I told her about my late wife. I was madly in love with her maybe she was too perfect for me. Everyone said I would be ready to date after two to three years, but I wasn't. It took me another year to contemplate having another relationship. I've been using a matchmaking service, but the women I'm attracted to aren't interested in me and vice versa. I've been so disappointed using websites, apps or being set up by friends. So far, those helping me have always got it wrong. There is an insistence on matching me with women my age, when age is just one factor to consider. Men see compatibility differently from women. So I was happy to let Femail have a go and was open to dating a Daily Mail columnist. I like to keep my news intake broad, reading the Daily Mail and The Guardian online. I didn't think too much about who I would be matched with. When Liz explained she is newly single after having proposed earlier this year, I gently said that it was an error for her to have done that. I'm a bit old-fashioned; it's not something for women to do. She didn't say so outright, but it sounds like it was a judgment error on her part. Liz is a fascinating woman to spend time with, however she is set in her ways. She lives in the north of England and has dogs and horses. While there is nothing wrong with that, it means she will find it difficult to be spontaneous and travel. I would be open to visiting her and she did stress she does spend three days a week in London. Could we be more than friends? I don't think Liz flirted with me, unless I missed the signals sometimes I haven't got a clue when women come on to me. Younger women do and they make it very obvious they're interested (and that's probably because they assume I'm rich and will look after them). Liz asked me to Google her. While I only read one or two articles about her house purchase and proposal, I did come to the conclusion she's not ready to enter into another relationship so fresh out of her recent long-term one. When we parted, I definitely thought she would make a brilliant friend. But I'm afraid Liz isn't my cup of tea. I did ask for her number at the end of the date, and we texted a few times while she was on her way home to Yorkshire. Since then, though, I have messaged her twice but not heard back from her. JEREMY'S VERDICT: 9/10 Interviews: SAMANTHA BRICK Thousands of life-extending drugs could be denied to patients under new guidelines which do not always class terminal cancer as 'severe', drugs bosses have warned. A recent decision by watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) to block breast cancer wonder drug Enhertu is just the 'tip of the iceberg'. Leading pharmaceutical companies say around 2,000 new cancer drugs are in the pipeline, but warned changes to how they are assessed by regulators mean many are set to be rejected for use on the NHS. Haran Maheson, of manufacturer Daiichi Sankyo UK, which developed Enhertu, said: 'In many ways, trastuzumab deruxtecan - or Enhertu - is just the tip of the iceberg. 'This goes way beyond one company's individual pipeline for one particular product. It's an industry-wide issue.' Thousands of life-extending drugs could be denied to patients under new guidelines, drugs bosses have warned (stock image) Breast cancer wonder drug Enhertu is given as an intravenous (IV) infusion (stock image) Nice introduced new guidelines to determine the cost-effectiveness of medicines for use on the NHS following a review in 2021. Whereas previous criteria focused on end-of-life treatment for cancer, a new measure - known as a severity modifier rating - was introduced to give more equal weighting for all severe disease. It led to Enhertu being refused on cost grounds earlier this year and effectively meant metastatic breast cancer - which has spread with a short life expectancy - was downgraded from being a disease of high to medium severity. Trials of the drug had found it boosted the time the cancer was held at bay from seven months to over two years - results that were called 'mind-blowing' by experts. The drug is available in Scotland as well as 13 other European countries, the US and Canada. Baroness Delyth Morgan, of Breast Cancer Now, which has appealed the decision to block Enhertu, warned: 'For some women it will mean that they will lose their life.' Dr Sam Roberts, chief executive of Nice, said it was 'a regrettable case that we hope to resolve'. France, a nation so famous for its lovers that it has a kiss named after it, needs help making babies. That's according to President Emmanuel Macron, who has announced a sweeping series of measures to address what he called a 'scourge' of infertility in his country. These include an offer of a free 'fertility check-up' to all 18 to 25-year-olds, both male and female. In an interview with magazine Elle, he also mentioned a 'campaign' to help women preserve their fertility if they want to have children later in life, like egg freezing, as well as a national research project into infertility. Mr Macron's campaign, which he hinted at in January when he called for a 'demographic rearmament', comes despite France having one of the highest birth rates in Western Europe. French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a sweeping series of measures to address what he called a 'scourge' of infertility in his country Your browser does not support iframes. Mr Macron hinted people would be reimbursed by state health insurance, so they could get a 'establish a complete assessment'. This is thought to include semen analysis and ovarian reserve. He said: 'We are going to organise campaigns in favour of oocyte self-preservation for women who want to have children later in life.' France's fertility rate, a national measure of the average number of live births per woman, stands at 1.8, significantly above the UK's which sits at 1.5, according to the latest UN-backed data. Both figures are below what scientists call the 'fertility replacement level' of 2.1 the amount needed for a population to replace one generation with the next. Mr Macron hasn't set a specific goal for his plan to boost France's birth rates, instead stating he wanted the nation to have a 'dynamic birth rate'. He also told Elle that if French people were able to have as many children as they wanted, the nation's birth rate would 2.3, but he didn't state this was the objective of his campaign. France's fertility rate of 1.8 is the lowest the country has recorded since shortly after the end of WWII. In 1950 the figure stood at an average of three live births per woman. Experts, and even celebrities like Elon Musk, have been warning about the global threat of underpopulation for years. Earlier this year scientists warned 75 per cent of countries would face this demographic problem by 2050. They warned the problem is particularly dire in developed Western nations and countries like the UK could become reliant on immigration to keep their societies and economies running. Three in four countries face the threat of 'underpopulation' by 2050 because of the world's plummeting birth rates, shock research warned today. By 2100 this could rise to 97 per cent of all nations, in what experts have described as a 'staggering social change'. Powerhouses such as Britain and the US will have to become reliant on immigration to avoid the 'immense' consequences the situation threatens, the study in the respected medical journal The Lancet concluded. Elon Musk (pictured), who boasts of 'always banging the baby drum', has been warning about a decline in births for years Your browser does not support iframes. Without replenishment of an ageing population, scientists claim public services and economic growth are at risk. Ever-declining birth rates will also pile extra pressure on the NHS and social care. The reasons why people are, on average, having less children in countries like France and the UK are complex. For example, some women are simply enjoying the independence modern society brings compared to a century ago and are choosing not to have children. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Others are only choosing to have children later in life and instead focus on their careers during their younger years. As fertility is linked to age, this can lead to some women never having children or having fewer than they planned even with technologies like in vitro fertilisation. For men, lifestyle factors like the rising prevalence of obesity in many countries is also thought to be having a downward impact on fertility. Rising cost-of-living pressures, especially the price of childcare and housing, is another factor that puts a dampener on couples having children or deciding to have multiple. Sign language resources now exists for the menopause thanks to a game-changing new initiative. Until now, there was no universally agreed guidance to translate terms such as hot flushes for deaf women. This is despite 190,000 deaf Brits half of which being women using British Sign Language (BSL) to communicate. Deaf women going through the menopause were therefore left to struggle through the change with little help or support, the creators of the new BSL glossary say. Until now, there was no universally agreed guidance to translate terms such as hot flushes for deaf women. This is despite 190,000 deaf Brits half of which being women using British Sign Language (BSL) to communicate. A women signs anxiety, a common complaint of women going through the menopause The scheme was created by Holland & Barrett, alongside deaf charity BID Services and a health clinic, My Menopause Centre. It comes after surveys showed 60 per cent of deaf women dont have access to menopause information in BSL. Ninety per cent are unaware about treatment options. Information online, until now, only included secondary interpreted content, minus explainers of signs and terms associated with the change, which usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55. All of the BSL glossary, including a suite of advice videos, are now available on Holland & Barretts website. Debbie Lang, of BID Services, said: Many women told us that when they were given medical leaflets and websites to look at, they reported difficulty in understanding them. WHAT IS THE MENOPAUSE? Menopause is when a woman stops having periods naturally and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally. It is a normal part of ageing and usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55 when a woman's levels of the sex hormone oestrogen drop. Eight in ten women will experience menopausal symptoms including hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, difficulty sleeping, low mood or anxiety and problems with memory. Women are advised to see their GP if their symptoms are difficult to manage. Treatments doctors can provide include hormone replacement therapy, such as tablets, skin patches and gels that replace oestrogen. Source: NHS Advertisement English terminology used to describe menopause and its symptoms doesnt always have corresponding signs and words are spelt out using individual letters, where there are signs, these can vary from region to region or even person to person, meaning it is a difficult landscape to navigate. She said the resources, created in collaboration with the deaf community, will empower deaf women by bringing together commonly used signs and their meanings. Helen Normoyle, co-founder My Menopause Centre, said: The menopause transition can be a positive but also challenging time even more so if youre deaf or hard of hearing. Lina Chan, director of womens health, Holland & Barrett, said: One of our key missions is to support women and their individual health journeys. Through our recently launched Womens Wellness Commitment we are committed to increasing equity of access to information and services to all women. After focus groups with deaf women it was clear that it wasnt enough to have interpreted content and there needed to be a deeper and tailored glossary of BSL signs around menopause that explain the signs and meaning. Menopause is when a woman stops having periods and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally. It is a normal part of ageing and caused by levels of the sex hormone oestrogen dropping. Some women go through this time with few, if any, symptoms. Others suffer from hot flushes, sleeping difficulties, mood swings and brain fog, which can last for months or years and might change over time. HRT replaces the hormones and is the main treatment used to treat symptoms which can be severe and disrupt day-to-day life. The British doctor whose landmark report got puberty blockers restricted in the UK has urged similar caution be taken in the US, in her first American interview. Dr Hilary Cass' 400-page report, which took more than three years to complete, found the evidence for using the drugs on transgender children was of 'poor quality' and 'not reliable.' The findings resulted in the UK's National Health Service (NHS) restricting hormone drugs for people under 18, an outcome that has made Dr Cass the subject of viscous bullying - leaving her too scared to use public transportation. Now, in her first discussion of the report on an American platform, Dr Cass is urging doctors to allow transgender children to go through their natural puberty to 'leave their options open.' Dr Cass received major backlash, previously saying she has been the recipient of online bullying and threats, adding she cannot even use public transportation anymore because she is being threatened over her report She highlighted the irreversible effects of puberty blockers in some patients, suggested other stressors could be causing children's gender anxiety and highlighted the many unknown side effects of starting the drugs too young. Speaking on the On Point podcast, Dr Cass said: 'The more we can let young people go through their typical puberty, and work out their identity and leave their options open as long as possible, the more likely it is that they will make the best possible decision.' Because a wrong decision could mean permanent change, especially for young girls taking male hormones, which can cause irreversible voice dropping and facial hair growth within months. However, Dr Cass added: 'It's really important to say that there may be a group of young people who do have early gender incongruence for whom this might be the right treatment,' such as young boys who would experience irreversible changes of male puberty. America has been accused of falling behind other countries when it comes to gender-affirming care. In the UK, Sweden, France, Australia and the Netherlands, puberty blockers are restricted from use in minors, but in the US there are no age limits. Puberty blockers were originally developed to suppress the hormones of minors who started puberty too early, but in the US they are prescribed off-label for people who seek to transition genders. Dr Cass, former president of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health, Britain's premier body for pediatricians, was commissioned by the NHS in 2020 to investigate whether it is medically sound to provide gender-confused children with puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones Advocates say they are life-saving for a suicide-prone group, but critics say puberty blockers taken too young are dangerous, and suggest therapy and counseling instead. Dr Cass said: 'Just giving hormones without supporting people is not helpful. An adult trans person said to me the other day, "If you just get the hormones, that does not make years of dysphoria go away, and you need some therapeutic support, as well."' She continued: 'Somehow, we've got locked into puberty blockers as the totemic treatment that young people feel that if they don't get on that pathway, if they don't get onto puberty blockers, they're not going to get onto a medical pathway [to transition].' While there are many different ways in which doctors can address gender anxiety in children that don't involve drugs, Dr Cass said 'we've somehow stopped short of trying those just because puberty blockers have become so widely believed to be effective.' She added she has spoken with people in the trans community who said they wish they knew when they were younger there are more options and more ways of expressing identity than just taking a medical approach. 'So a lot of what the focus of our review has been on is saying what do we do to help these young people to thrive, and how do we give them the widest range of options that also don't foreclose for them,' the doctor said. Keeping options open is a major point Dr Cass stressed. She gave an example of adolescent girls, who are more at risk for self harm, depression and suicidal ideation. While going through puberty, they may feel distress over the changes in their bodies, leading them to question their identity: 'And then you go on puberty blockers. 'That may absolutely be the right decision, but conversely, you have very little experience of your own puberty and probably very little basis on which you might change your mind because you feel good on your testosterone. 'We have absolutely no way of knowing whether we have changed the trajectory for those young people. It's a huge unknown.' The hormones may ease gender distress to a degree the girls are able to discuss other issues that may be causing anxiety. Over time, they may identify as trans, but they may determine their anxiety was about another issue entirely and not want to transition anymore. GOT A HEALTH-RELATED STORY? EMAIL: Health@dailymail.com Advertisement Dr Cass, former president of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health, Britain's premier body for pediatricians, was commissioned by the NHS in 2020 to investigate whether it is medically sound to provide gender-confused children with puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. Her report was a systematic review, considered the 'gold standard' in research, of 300 scientific papers and surveys encompassing studies of more than 113,000 kids from 18 countries. Systematic reviews find every relevant study on a particular topic and then re examine the study methodology, type and duration of research and scrutinize the validity of the studies' results. It is the world's largest systematic review on the topic to date. Dr Cass said the review found the support for using a medicalized approach for gender-confused children 'was disappointingly poor' because the studies 'didn't follow up for long enough, particularly for young people who were taking masculinizing and feminizing hormones, because it's not enough to just follow up for a couple of years.' Overall, the review recommended children and adolescents dont go on a medicalized approach to gender discomfort because their sense of self is constantly evolving and the decision for drugs may be premature. Dr Cass said during the podcast: 'We've not taken a position that any form of care is best, but what we have said is that it is important that all young people get access to evidence based, non-medical interventions that address the full range of their difficulties. This group of young people, if they are depressed, if they're anxious, if they need an autism diagnosis, all of those things should be put in place. 'We don't know which young people may benefit from medical care, and we have proposed that every young person who walks through [a clinic] door should be included in some kind of proper research protocol, so that we can follow them up and we can get those answers over time.' Along with unconvincing evidence, a major flaw in the studies was lack of long-term follow up and diverse set of subjects that didn't represent different ages or varying types of gender dysphoria presentations, and didn't include enough people with mental health conditions or trauma. Dr Cass said this was a problem because people who are presenting their gender confusion differently respond to medications differently. She said: 'You can't put all of these young people into the same treatment group and say they're all going to respond in exactly the same way to this kind of approach.' The NHS requested the review after a former patient of a UK gender clinic sued a facility, the Gender Identity Development Services (GIDS), in 2020, claiming she had not been challenged enough before being prescribed puberty blockers at 16 years old. The UK's highest court then ruled children, specifically under 16 years old, could not always realize the long-term consequences of taking puberty blocks. The NHS requested the review after a former patient of a UK gender clinic sued a facility, the Gender Identity Development Services (GIDS), in 2020, claiming she had not been challenged enough before being prescribed puberty blockers at 16 years old Practices at the UK's only clinic for minors experiencing gender distress, GIDS, were coming under increasing scrutiny just before the lawsuit after former patients and whistleblowing staff claimed children were being rushed onto medications like puberty blockers despite concerns over their use. An internal report found one-fourth of the clinic's doctors had concerns over whether they could provide safe, evidence-based care for young people as patients at the clinic skyrocketed - increasing from a few dozen in 2010 to more than 3,000 in 2021. One of Dr Cass' main takeaways is that children should 'keep their options open' as young people are constantly evolving. She added: 'I think all we can recommend is caution and keeping options open.' And just as the sweeping review was being published, a separate study found the majority of gender-confused children grow out of that feeling by the time they are fully grown adults.' Results from that study showed at the start of the research, around one-in-10 children (11 percent) expressed being distressed about their gender to varying degrees. But by age 25, just one-in-25 (4 percent) said they 'often' or 'sometimes' were discontent with their gender. Citing the study, Dr Cass said: It's not about saying there shouldn't be gender-affirming care. It's just, when is the right time to embark on that gender-affirming care? And most particularly, when is it safe to embark on the components of that care that might be hardest to reverse? Days later his foot became swollen and he was in excruciating pain A South Carolina man was infected with a flesh-eating bacteria after walking on seashells - as scientists warn increasing numbers of similar cases could be linked to climate change. Brent Norman was strolling along the shores of Sullivan's Island and the Isle of Palms near Charleston, South Carolina. in his effort to get 15,000 to 20,000 steps every day when he stepped on some shells in late April. Days later, the health-conscious man was in excruciating pain and said his foot became swollen and he could no longer walk. He went to the emergency room, where a doctor informed him he had contracted Vibrio, a deadly flesh-eating bacteria that lurks in seawater and estuaries. 'It's maybe as if someone had driven a I don't know, a nail through my foot,' Norman told WCIV. Brent Norman (pictured) was infected with a flesh-eating bacteria after stepping on seashells while walking along a South Carolina beach Days later, the health-conscious man was in excruciating pain and said his foot (pictured) became swollen and he could no longer walk The flesh around his heel appeared blistered, red and swollen, which led him to go to the doctor, who informed him he had contracted Vibrio, a deadly flesh-eating bacteria The flesh around his heel appeared blistered, red and swollen, which led him to go to the doctor. 'Everyone behind the check-in counter, their eyes were about double the size they normally were. I could tell people were uncomfortable sitting around me looking at it,' Norman said. 'She lanced it, removed the debris from there. And then gave me an antibiotic shot and then also pills that I'm taking for two weeks.' Vibrio vulnificus, which proliferates in warm temperatures, is infecting twice as many East Coasters compared to 2022, new data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. Scientists say its increase in prevalence is due to gradually rising water temperatures near the US. The gruesome bug enters the body through cuts and grazes in the skin, and begins to eat human flesh within 24-hours. Without treatment, the disease can cause necrosis tissue death and the deadly blood infection septicemia. Estimates suggest about one in three infections are fatal. Experts warned in the CDC report that 'Vibrio vulnificus infections are expected to become more common' due to 'coastal water rising temperatures.' Norman was strolling along the shores of Sullivan's Island (pictured) and the Isle of Palms near Charleston, South Carolina, in his effort to get 15,000 to 20,000 steps every day when he step on some shells in late April Norman said once his infection is healed, he plans on getting back into his routine of walking on the beach. 'I've grown up on beaches all my life and stepped on probably over ten thousand shells,' Norman said. 'My reward is living at the beach and I intend to continue to do that. Go as soon as my foot is healed. I will be back on the beach.' Millions of Americans were warned to be careful at the beach over the Labor Day weekend last year due to the risk of catching Vibrio bacteria. Experts told DailyMail.com that anyone with an open wound should avoid swimming in waters where Vibrio had been identified. Dr. Luis Ostrosky an infectious disease expert at UTHealth Houston in Texas said this was a 'very, very aggressive bacteria'. He told DailyMail.com: 'If you have any cuts, don't go in the water. 'You should be very aware of cuts and not go in seawater if you have any of those. 'If you are immunocompromised, diabetic, or have liver cirrhosis, it is really not a great idea right now to go swimming [in the ocean].' That really awful hacking cough that's now doing the rounds? It's pertussis whooping cough, or the 100-day cough as it's become known and cases are surging in the UK. While it's a very nasty infection if you get it as child or an adult as I know from my own experience after ending up in A&E for very small babies, it can be lethal. Earlier this week, I wrote in the Mail that some paediatric colleagues had told me babies were dying as a result, although the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) had reported just one death (at the end of 2023). But today, the agency has released data saying that five babies have died from whooping cough between the beginning of January and the end of March this year. This brings the total to six baby deaths in this current cycle of whooping cough (which started last summer). 'There are still no indications that cases have peaked in England and Wales, therefore the risk of infections is expected to remain elevated in the coming weeks,' Airfinity, a disease forecasting company, tells me. Catherine Hughes, from Perth, Australia, described how her otherwise healthy baby son Riley contracted whooping cough The month-old died in hospital in 2015 after catching whooping cough Catherine Hughes said of her baby son: 'You never 'get over' losing your child in this way and you never forget the terrifying sound of the cough that took your child's life' There is, inevitably, a lag between deaths and official reported figures, so already, by mid-May, the number of deaths is thought to be higher. And with paediatric intensive care units now on 'surge capacity' because of both pertussis, and measles which means in essence there are many cases that number may well, tragically, rise. In my article for the Mail, I reported the harrowing words of Catherine Hughes, describing the death of her month-old son Riley after the otherwise healthy baby had contracted whooping cough. 'You never 'get over' losing your child in this way, and you never forget the terrifying sound of the cough that took your child's life,' the mother of two, from Perth, Australia, told me.' Babies should not be dying of this disease because there is a vaccine, offered to women who are between 16 and 32 weeks' pregnant, as the antibodies pass across the placenta and protect the baby in the first few months of life. This maternal vaccine is 92 per cent effective in protecting newborn babies up until two months old, according to UKHSA. After this age, they're old enough to get the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine (DTP) as part of their vaccination programme. 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. In parts of London it's as low as 36 per cent. And shockingly we're heading towards the same kind of annual deaths we used to have before the maternal jab was introduced. 'We are seeing case numbers at levels similar to what we saw in 2012, and this was at a time before we had a vaccination programme for pregnant women,' warns Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, a consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA. To put this into perspective, in the 12 years prior to the introduction in 2012 of the maternal pertussis vaccination, every year there were around 63 deaths in babies aged under one year with confirmed pertussis. Jill Cunningham, 53, from Sunderland, became incontinent with the disease and the cough was so severe that it would make her vomit Dr Saleyha Ahsan thought she was safe from the disease because she'd had the vaccine - but was proved wrong Then, for the whole 11-year period from 2013 to the end of March 2024, there were 26 of these tragic deaths in babies too young to be fully protected by infant vaccination. But nearly a fifth of the deaths six of them have occurred in this current surge, up until March this year. 'We now have a life-saving intervention the maternal vaccine, and it's important that mothers take this and at the right time,' says Dr Amirthalingam. Whooping cough is considered so serious that, since 1940, it's been classed as a 'notifiable' disease one of 34 diseases, mainly highly infectious ones, that need to be notified to official bodies, such as UKHSA (others include anthrax, leprosy and rabies). According to the latest available figures until April 28 there are 2,041 laboratory confirmed pertussis cases since the start of the year in England and Wales, compared to 30 last year in the same period with over 8,000 notifications from doctors in England and Wales (that figure was just 207 in the same period for 2023). These numbers will not be the whole picture because lots of people affected will not realise they or their children have it and continue to socialise at work or school, spreading it further. And not all of those affected, including babies make the characteristic 'whoop' sound between coughs. Vaccination remains the best defence against whooping cough, and it is 'vital that pregnant women and young infants receive their vaccines at the right time,' Dr Amirthalingam says. All babies are given three doses of the 6-in-1 jab at eight, 12 and 16 weeks to protect against whooping cough and other serious diseases such as diphtheria and polio, with a pre-school booster offered at 3 years 4 months. But the vaccine rate in children is also dropping. In September 2023, the number of two-year-olds who'd completed the schedule of routine 6-in-1 vaccinations was 92.9 per cent, compared with 96.3 per cent in March 2014. Why is vaccination declining? There are many reasons: vaccine hesitancy that started with the 'Wakefield controversy' over MMR in the late 1990s, and that increased during the pandemic as the attempts of anti-vaccine campaigners cut through. But it is also down to convenience when it comes to the maternity vaccine, pregnant mothers often have other young children needing their attention and getting to an appointment can be problematic. There may also be a lack of awareness about why it is so important. Whooping cough is a cyclical disease that peaks every three to five years. The last cyclical increase occurred in 2016. 'A peak year is therefore overdue. The impact of the [Covid] pandemic also means there is reduced immunity in the population', states the UKHSA. Which makes both maternal and childhood vaccine more important than ever, says Dr Whittaker. But should the rest of us consider getting a booster? It is a highly infectious disease and anyone who's had it will testify to how awful it is, even for adults. Jill Cunningham, 53, from Sunderland, started coughing on January 16. She remembers that date because she was at a dermatology appointment for psoriasis and the nurse was worried she'd picked something up. She's on methotrexate, a drug that suppresses her immune system and makes her vulnerable to infections. Her daughter, Isla, 11, was coughing, too. But her GP had said children can get up to eight coughs a year, so Jill assumed it was one of those. While Isla's cough was worse than previous coughs, Jill's was becoming more problematic. She was up all night with it and had to take time off work she is a self-employed cleaner; the cough was so severe it would make her vomit and lose bladder control. In February, Jill saw a different GP. She told them she'd heard there was whooping cough going around her daughter's school. 'The GP laughed and said this wasn't whooping cough, that it was a chest infection and gave me antibiotics. I now know they weren't the ones needed to treat it,' Jill says. 'By that point I'd had to go back to work.' As the cough was worse in March, Jill saw her own GP, who diagnosed whooping cough. 'When I tell people about it they don't believe me or take it seriously because there's no news about it there's no information. I found out because I started to look it up and then I put it on Facebook. Other parents from Isla's school got in touch because their children were coughing and they turned out to have it. We've had to find out for ourselves.' 'People were saying: 'It's just the 100-day cough, it's not serious and doesn't matter', not realising how serious it is if babies get it.' Jill cannot understand the lack of awareness about this not when it is so deadly to babies. 'Why isn't more being done to make people aware? I would have kept my daughter off school if I had known it was whooping cough,' she adds. Those of you who were vaccinated as a child against whooping cough might think they have nothing to fear. That's what I thought. And even when I went to A&E because I was having laryngospasms my airway was blocking; I couldn't breathe in, and it was terrifying the A&E consultant, who was excellent, assumed it couldn't be whooping cough because I'd had the vaccine. Protection typically wanes within ten years. When it comes to vaccination, pregnant women are a priority and should ensure they get the maternal vaccine. 'While the optimal time for receiving the vaccine is between 20-32 weeks, if you are further along in your pregnancy and not yet had your vaccine, it's not too late,' says Dr Amirthalingam. 'Please speak to your midwife or GP practice today.' Healthcare workers are often offered a booster because there is evidence that a significant amount of transmission can occur between hospital staff and patients. You can also pay privately for the jab it is offered in travel clinics, but only following a consultation and only if travelling to certain countries, at a cost of around 100. For the rest of us, unfortunately, there is no single booster jab for pertussis. Vaccination of pregnant women and young children remains the best line of defence for us all. In January, I went on holiday to Mauritius with a friend. We flew with Air Mauritius from Gatwick Airport. When we arrived we were checked in by the Air Mauritius agents, Red Handling. We boarded the plane, but shortly after were called to the door. A gate agent asked for our details saying there was a problem with our luggage. I asked if our bags were on board and was told they were. When we arrived in Mauritius, though, my bag wasn't there. I waited for an hour to speak to lost luggage and filled out a property irregularity form. Where's my bag? Our reader was left with only the clothes he was wearing after his suitcase was never loaded on to his flight to Mauritius I headed to the hotel with only the clothes I was wearing, a few personal items and medication which I had thankfully packed in my hand luggage. The next day I bought a t-shirt and swimming trunks from the hotel gift shop, and a couple of days later took a 75 minute bus into the nearest town to buy extra clothing and toiletries. After a week, my bag still hadn't arrived so I had to make a second round trip to a supermarket to buy more clothes. In total, I spent 75 on clothes and toiletries, as well as a phone charger and the time spent trekking around to buy them took away from the enjoyment of my holiday. The suitcase finally arrived at the hotel 10 days into the holiday. I was told it had been stuck at Gatwick for all that time. When I arrived home, I tried to make an Air Mauritius baggage claim online but the form would not send. I haven't been able to reach it by phone or email. I think I deserve compensation for the items I had to buy, the inconvenience and the airline's poor communication. Can you help? G.P, Dorset Helen Crane of This is Money replies: Airlines' propensity to play fast and loose with our luggage means that many of us have endured the pain of paying eye-watering sums for gift shop sun cream or rinsing out our underwear in a hotel sink. In your case, you had paid 4,000 for you and a friend to visit the tropical island paradise of Mauritius, and were looking forward to spending long days on the beach and by the pool. Unfortunately, your things arrived ten days later than you did. Not knowing where in the world your stuff is is stressful, and traipsing around an unfamiliar place to pick up essential items can put a real dampener on a relaxing holiday. Unfortunately, airlines don't tend to pay out much money when it happens. CRANE ON THE CASE Our weekly column sees This is Money consumer expert Helen Crane tackle reader problems and shine the light on companies doing both good and bad. Want her to investigate a problem, or do you want to praise a firm for going that extra mile? Get in touch: helen.crane@thisismoney.co.uk When you contacted me you mentioned that you thought you'd be covered by the Montreal Convention, an agreement forged in 1999 between the majority of countries across the world, which (among other things) sets out what airlines must do when baggage is delayed, lost or damaged. Airlines are liable for baggage delays if it was their fault, and can pay up to 1,288 special drawing rights (the International Monetary Fund's unit of accounting). That is approximately 1,360 at the time of writing). However, this is a maximum, there is no minimum, and so airlines usually pay far less. Next time, it may be worth taking out travel insurance which includes lost baggage cover. This would be much more likely to repay the cost of buying essential items than the airline's compensation scheme. That said, I do think the communication you've had from both Air Mauritius and its agent, Red Handling, has been exceptionally poor, and for this you do deserve some money back. Clearly customer service at the airline is as dead as the island's famous Dodo. First, you were told on the plane that your bag was there, when it was not. And after you arrived in Mauritius, the next time someone contacted you about the lost bag was on day six of your holiday, when a company called World Tracer employed by airlines to track down lost baggage sent a text message asking you to describe the bag. Nervous wait: Our reader's baggage never turned up on the carousel when he arrived Six days is a long time when you are continually washing your few items of clothing in the hotel sink. You told me: 'I wasted two beach days alone, hunting out a place for a couple of bits and pieces to wear and bathroom supplies in a town an hour away on ropey bus. 'I had to do this trip twice to another town as the previous supermarket had very little my size, I had to use coloured underpants as shorts. 'I didn't want to buy lots of clothes as I have enough as a 76-year-old to last my life.' No one from Air Mauritius or Red Handling - the firms responsible for losing your luggage in the first place - ever called to check whether the bag had arrived. Four days later, it did finally turn up at your hotel just a few days before you headed home. But when you got home and tried to make a lost baggage claim, you found it hard to get a response out of Air Mauritius. The online form didn't work, and you spent hours on hold on the phone to no avail. Red Handling simply directed you back to the airline. You are far from alone in this experience, if reviews are anything to go by. Beautiful beaches: But our reader's relaxation was interrupted by hour-long trips to the supermarket to buy clothes, as he only had what he travelled in A whopping 87 per cent of the airline's 146 reviews on Trustpilot are one-star. Many say it's impossible to get through on the phone, and that sometimes the line is engaged or they are hung up on. Others say that they have not been informed of flight delays or cancellations until they arrived at the airport. The firm's automated email says customers can expect to wait 22 days for a response. And that is if they get through at all, as some Trustpilot reviewers say their emails have bounced back because the inbox is full. Air Mauritius has been bad at getting back to me, too - in fact I have been completely ignored, both by the airline and Red Handling. If I can't persuade it to answer the phone, what hope do its customers have? Over a period of several weeks I called Air Mauritius, emailed many times and even tweeted, none of which got any response - unless you count the scam accounts on Twitter spoofing airline employees and trying to get me to send my personal details. I do worry that desperate customers might be fooled by these. By not picking up the phone or answering emails, Air Mauritius is forcing them to vent their frustration on social media - and putting at significant risk. Gone shopping: G.P had to buy replacement swimming gear and toiletries for his holiday Red Handling doesn't make its phone number public, so I have resorted to repeated emails which I know were received but again were ignored. That said, since I emailed it outlining your situation, Air Mauritius has approached you with several compensation offers. They began with 68, but the latest and 'final' offer is 143. You aren't happy with this and I can understand why. It is nowhere near the 1,360 maximum they could pay, but it does at least cover your losses for the clothes and toiletries you bought in Mauritius - and a bit extra. The next step is to try complaining to the Civil Aviation Authority, which you are able to do as Air Mauritius is not a member of an alternative dispute resolution scheme. If that doesn't work, you could take it to the small claims court though the costs of this would almost definitely outweigh those you incurred due to the delayed suitcase. I'm glad you contacted me as I could warn other holidaymakers about the firm's shoddy practices - and wish you good luck if you do decide to take this further. Abby Glennie, deputy head of smaller companies at fund manager Abrdn Opportunities are there and British business is doing its bit to keep the UK growth engine going. But supportive measures to boost share ownership and IPOs could add some much-needed oil to the machine. The growing awareness that action needs to be taken to boost UK economic growth and reignite IPOs has been striking. The excellent recent report from Peel Hunt on the headwinds for the FTSE SmallCap index is a case in point. Despite clear challenges, the long-term opportunities for UK smaller companies remain and if we scratch under the surface, there are some strong stories to tell. Some of our key holdings, in fact, such as, 4imprint and Jet2, have shown good growth over a turbulent couple of years for markets, with Jet2 trading particularly well through tough consumer times. Ashtead Technology, Volution, Hollywood Bowl are other success stories. The key is to look at robust earnings growth and earnings resilience. Its why I find that the 'recession' thats been spoken about over the past 24 months or so has been a bit of a non-event, and more recent data has challenged the narrative. Interestingly, a key highlight for me would be that while the UK's GDP growth tends to compare unfavourably with other regions, there are plenty of high-quality UK-based companies still reporting strong results. And when looking at UK funds more broadly, it is noteworthy that if you look at fund earnings growth, plus dividend income, total returns can take an altogether more interesting shape. Recession or not, if you dont have any investments in the UK space and were to enter now, tempting valuations are there for long term stock pickers, but theyre not enough by themselves. Jet2 is an example of a small UK-listed firm 'trading particularly well through tough consumer times' Policy reforms have at least signalled positive intentions, with the proposed UK Isa a clear example, but I wonder whether the extra 5,000 allowance would actually be enough to move the dial. What we really need to see more action on would be at the regulatory level, to make the UK more competitive. Stamp Duty on UK shares is a case in point. We believe that removing stamp duty on UK shares and UK domiciled investment trusts could be the single biggest boost to UK share ownership in decades. Private investors seem to agree. Research from interactive investor last month amongst 2,000 of its website visitors found that 82 per cent of those polled thought that stopping the stamp on UK shares would encourage more investment in UK listed companies. The impact of a reduction, or removal, in stamp duty on transaction volumes could be significant. And with stamp duty factored in, investment projects for which the expected rate of return is below the cost of capital in the presence of stamp duty wouldnt go ahead. The investment wouldnt occur even though it would have been worthwhile without the distortionary tax. Stamp duty has a distorting impact in other ways, too. Take UK domiciled closed-end funds, otherwise known as investment trusts. Retail investors pay a double stamp duty tax, once when they buy the investment trust shares, and again when the fund manager places a UK buy within the fund. As a manager who is privileged to manage both closed and open-ended funds, I find this as baffling as it is unfair on investment trust investors. More broadly, UK smaller companies should be a valid component of a well-constructed portfolio the opportunities are there. While patience, as ever, is key, if we really want to move the dial, we also need support to keep the UK competitive. British business is doing its bit to keep the UK growth engine going, but measures to support share ownership and IPOs could add some much-needed oil to the machine. Abby Glennie is deputy head of smaller companies at Abrdn. BAE Systems expects 'further positive momentum' driven by the recent US military aid package for Ukraine and the UK Government's commitment to raise defence spending. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said last month the UK would hike defence expenditure to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030, thereby helping the country combat an 'axis of authoritarian states,' such as Russia, Iran, and China. At the same time, the US approved $61billion (49billion) of assistance to Ukraine, including missiles and ammunition, as part of a larger deal that also gave weapons to Israel and Taiwan. Flying away: BAE Systems, which manufactures the Eurofighter Typhoon jets (pictured), has received a significant bump in orders from countries raising defence spending Global defence spending has ramped up in the past few years, reaching an all-time high of $2.44trillion in 2023, amid escalating tensions in Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Consequently, companies like BAE Systems, which manufactures the Eurofighter Typhoon jets, have received a significant bump in orders. In March, the Australian Government chose the FTSE 100 firm and naval shipbuilder ASC Pty to build and operate nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS agreement. BAE also recently won deals worth $754million to produce armoured multi-purpose vehicles for the US Army, over $690million to upgrade the Danish CV90 infantry vehicle fleet, and up to $182million from the US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. To meet this output, the group plans to hire a record 2,700 apprentices, graduates and undergraduates in the UK this year. Charles Woodburn, chief executive of BAE Systems, said: 'We're continuing to deliver on mission-critical requirements for our customers, and progress our long-term strategic programmes within the elevated threat environment. 'Our global presence and diverse portfolio of products and services provide high visibility for top-line growth, margin expansion and cash generation in the coming years.' For the full year, BAE expects revenues will increase by 10 to 12 per cent on the 25.3billion made in 2023, while underlying earnings will grow by 11 to 13 per cent. The company also announced that its Space & Mission Systems business, formerly Ball Aerospace, had a 'good start' to 2024 after multiple contract wins. BAE completed the 4.4billion acquisition of Ball Corporation's aerospace division in February, giving it a greater presence across the civil space, missiles and munitions sectors. BAE Systems shares were 0.6 per cent higher at 13.90 on Thursday morning and have climbed by around 172 per cent over the last three years. Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong on Thursday renewed his commitment to carrying out a hike of the number of medical students, by holding public discussions on the medical reform. Cho made the remarks shortly after President Yoon Suk Yeol told reporters that his administration would push ahead with the planned hike in medical school admissions to address the country's shortage of doctors. "Medical reform, including an increase of doctors, is the first step to correct the long-stalled distortion of the medical system," Cho said at a government response meeting. 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. During a press conference marking the second anniversary of his presidency, Yoon said, "The medical reform plan, including the hike in the number of medical school students, is a task that can no longer be delayed." Some doctors, however, condemned Yoon's remarks. "It is frustrating that the government has not provided the grounds behind the 2,000-seat increase," said Choi Chang-min, who heads an emergency committee of the nation's medical professors. (Yonhap) Watches of Switzerland Group has acquired Italian jewellery firm Roberto Coin Inc for $130million, or around 104million. Watches of Switzerland told investors on Thursday that $10million of the purchase price was going to be deferred for one year and 'contingent on the future profitability of the acquired business'. The London-listed watchmaker said it secured the deal in a bid to expand further into the lucrative luxury jewellery market. Deal: Watches of Switzerland Group has acquired Italian jewellery firm Roberto Coin for $130m Watches of Switzerland has worked with Roberto Coin in a partner capacity for over a decade. Roberto Coin will continue to operate as an independent, standalone business within the Watches of Switzerland stable. The founding Coin family will retain a seat on the firms board. Peter Webster, who co-founded and led the brand for nearly three decades, will retain his role as president. The deal was financed by a new $115million loan, upping the groups leverage to 0.8x net debt, which will leave the firm at the mid-point of its full year leverage guidance, the group said. Watches of Switzerland shares were up 3.45 per cent or 11.2p to 336.20p on Thursday afternoon, having risen over 50 per cent in the last year. An associate company of Italy's Roberto Coin SPA, Roberto Coin has exclusive perpetual rights to import and distribute the Italian firm's jewellery across the US, Canada, Caribbean and Central America. For the year ending 31 December 2022, Roberto Coin's annual revenue was $146.2million, while its pre-tax profit stood at $30.1million. Brian Duffy, chief executive of Watches of Switzerland, said: 'We have partnered with Roberto Coin for over a decade in the US, retailing its elegant jewellery in a number of our Mayors' showrooms. It is a hugely popular, growing brand, occupying a strong position in the market, underpinned by product quality, design creativity and imagination. 'We believe there is significant opportunity to leverage our proven retail expertise in luxury branded jewellery. 'The luxury branded jewellery category has consistently outperformed the wider jewellery sector, and we see further strategic and operational opportunities for the business within the broader Group. We are committed to our new wholesale partners and excited to work with them and help them grow with Roberto Coin.' He added: 'Today's strategically and financially attractive acquisition is indicative of our ambition and the momentum we are building in this exciting category. 'It will allow us to take one of the fastest growing jewellery brands in the US and use our retail and operational expertise to accelerate growth and further elevate the Roberto Coin proposition in North and Central America.' Takeover target: Oil industry engineer Wood Group turned down a takeover 1.4bn offer from Dubai rival Sidara Takeover target Wood Groups profit margins grew in the first quarter of 2024 even as revenues fell 6 per cent, the oil industry engineer said. The Aberdeen business updated the market on its performance just a day after it revealed it had turned down a takeover 1.4billion offer from Dubai rival Sidara. Wood is the latest London-listed firm to be eyed by overseas predators. To bolster its defences yesterday, Wood said it is making progress with a restructuring to save up to 48million a year from 2025 after cutting about 200 jobs. Profit margins grew in the first three months of 2024 even as revenues dropped 6 per cent, the FTSE 250 firm said. But City experts said that more could be done as Londons stock market is gripped by crisis, with bidders hunting for undervalued companies. Packager DS Smith, haulier Wincanton and housebuilder Redrow have all agreed to be bought this year. Wood said on Wednesday that Sidaras offer fundamentally undervalued the company. Shares rose 0.6 per cent, or 1.1p, to 194p yesterday, having jumped nearly 17 per cent in the previous session. The bid came a year after private equity giant Apollo abandoned a 1.7billion offer. Merger: Vodafone's 15bn tie-up with Three UK has been given the green light Vodafone has been told to set up a national security committee to oversee sensitive work after its merger with Three UK. The 15billion deal has been backed by ministers after a review under national security laws. The review was triggered by concerns over Threes links to China, given it is owned by Hong Kong group CK Hutchison. Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden said the firms must create a special committee to update the Government about sensitive work. The venture will be 51 per cent-owned by Vodafone and 49 per cent by CK Hutchison, which said it was pleased by the green light. However, the tie-up still needs approval from competition regulators. Last month the Competition and Markets Authority launched a probe into the merger after a formal investigation in January. There are concerns that a tie-up could lead to higher prices for all UK customers. If the merger goes ahead, the combined group will have more than 27m subscribers. The two firms say a deal would result in an additional investment of 11billion in the UK. Yet another little-known policy implemented by President Joe Biden last year allows migrants in the U.S. on parole to serve as sponsors for other parolees and border hawks are not happy with the revelation. While the number of migrants in the country who are only allowed in because they are being supported by other parolees is unknown, it's thought at least hundreds of thousands could be utilizing this policy. Any migrants on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or in the U.S. on asylum claims, as well as parolees, refugees and recipients of deferred action, Deferred Enforced Departure or DACA are all able to serve as the support for other migrant parolees, according to policies implemented in January 2023. This creates a 'chain parolee' system where parolees are able to bring into the U.S. other parolees by promising to financially support and sponsor them. House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green told DailyMail.com that the policy 'makes a mockery' of immigration laws as well as national and border security in the U.S. The policy is part of a push by the Biden administration to prevent former President Donald Trump from removing illegal immigrants if he gets back in the White House next year, NumbersUSA Director of Research Eric Ruark claimed in an interview with DailyMail.com Under Biden's policies, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has apprehended more than 7.63 million migrants illegally crossing into the U.S. at the southern border. There are several instances since Biden's tenure began in January 2021 that have set record highs for the numbers of crossings per month. Trump has promised if he wins in 2024 that he will begin a mass deportation operation of the millions of migrants living in the U.S. illegally. He has said he would use law enforcement, National Guard and other military personnel if needed to round-up undocumented immigrants. President Joe Biden's immigration policies allows for migrants on parole to serve as sponsors for other parolees Under Biden's policies for Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela protocols, migrants in this category are able to be financially supported and brought into the country by asylum-seekers, parolees, refugees and DACA recipients Estimates claim at least 11.5 million people are living in the U.S. without legal status, but some immigration hawks think the number is north of 22 million. Republican lawmakers are demanding Biden's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reveal the true number of illegal immigrants living in the U.S. The little-known parole policy, first exposed last month by the Center for Immigration Studies, makes it even easier for migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV) to enter the U.S. and was implemented as part of Biden's massive expansion of the CHNV program in January 2023. Biden's policies regarding CHNV parolees allows 30,000 migrants from those countries to enter the U.S. every month if they first apply on the CBP One app and are approved to enter the U.S. while awaiting rulings on asylum claims. Bombshell reports earlier this year revealed that in the first year of its existence more than 320,000 migrants were flown from foreign airports into the U.S. on this program. '[DHS] Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas is doing a terrible job, but he's very good at what he's doing,' Ruark told DailyMail.com. 'If you think his job is to protect the homeland under the Department of Homeland Security, to prevent illegal immigration and to enforce the law he's not doing those things' 'But what he is doing, again, is setting up the system to get people in and doing it in such a way that it's going to present challenges for a different administration who wants to actually combat illegal immigration,' he continued. 'He's doing it in a very smart way. He knows what he's doing. This isn't incompetence. This is deliberate and willful.' Chairman Green said the parolee supporter policy further proves the 'absurdities' of Biden administration 'mass-parole' protocols for CHNV migrants. 'As documents we recently obtained from DHS showdocuments we secured only after taking legal actioneven DHS admits that every single parolee is an inadmissible alien,' Rep. Green (R-Tenn.) told DailyMail.com. 'That's bad enough.' 'What's worse,' he continued. 'is that DHS has crafted this program in such a way that one inadmissible parolee can sponsor another.' 'This chain created by President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas makes a mockery of the laws they swore to uphold, and exposes the CHNV program as just another attempt to process and release as many inadmissible individuals into our country as quickly as possible - regardless of the consequences.' An analysis last month revealed the U.S. cities where those arriving on President Joe Biden's program flying up to 30,000 undocumented migrants each month to be released into the U.S. Migrants return to the Texas side of the Rio Grande Valley on April 20 after Texas National Guard conducts an operation to disperse those in the Rio Grande Valley attempting to claim asylum 'Chain paroling' also means that, if a migrant is at some point removed from the country during the parole process, it leaves open the possibility that those being financially supported by that individual could be abandoned without a sponsor. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) lists in its policies the requirements for anyone who wants to 'serve as a supporter' for CHNV parolees. Supporters, USCIS notes, must 'pass security and background vetting, including for public safety, national security, human trafficking, and exploitation concerns.' Additionally, they need to 'demonstrate sufficient financial resources to receive, maintain, and support the individual(s) they are agreeing to support for the duration of their parole period.' Finally, the supporters must 'be a U.S. citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident; hold a lawful status in the United States such as Temporary Protected Status or asylum; or be a parolee or recipient of deferred action or Deferred Enforced Departure.' Essentially, as Rep. Green notes, 'inadmissible aliens' are given the authority to be able to financially support and sponsor a migrant also allowed into the U.S. because they are on parole. The NumbersUSA Director of Research claims the policy contributes to Biden's 'shadow immigration system' and creates a system where there is less accountability for undocumented migrants released into the country on parole. He questioned 'what's gonna happen to [migrants on parole] if they don't show up' for their court date or to renew this parole status after the two years is up? 'DHS has also effectively dismantled interior enforcement,' Ruark lamented. 'And so they've said, 'If you overstay a visa, you're not a priority, and we're not going to do anything to find you and remove you.; The same is going to be with people who are coming in on parole.' 'I think the obvious objective for the Biden administration is to get as many foreign nationals into the U.S. as quickly as possible, through any means possible. And to allow them to remain here permanently,' he added. In the case of traditional applications for humanitarian parole, there is no requirement regarding the financial supporter's immigration status meaning that other parolees could also sponsor migrants in this case. CHNV parolee supporters are unique in that they are required to file a Declaration of Financial Support and demonstrate they have the financial resources to support the beneficiary. NumbersUSA Director of Research Eric Ruark told DailyMail.com that DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (left) 'is doing a terrible job, but he's very good at what he's doing. If you think his job is to protect the homeland under the Department of Homeland Security, to prevent illegal immigration and to enforce the law he's not doing those things' Eligibility requirements for CHNV supporters were established in Federal Register notices for each country in October 2022 and were implemented on January 6, 2023. 'The CHNV supporter requirements are consistent with those created for the Uniting for Ukraine program. Each supporter must pass a background check and demonstrate sufficient financial resources to receive, maintain, and support the individual whom they commit to supporting for the duration of their stay in the United States,' a representative with USCIS told DailyMail.com. A person familiar with the CHNV parole program told DailyMail.com that most times DHS is unable to obtain 'good enough information to vet people' that are requesting asylum or parole in the U.S. from these countries. They claim the CHNV parole and expansion of humanitarian parole in general is meant to 'get people in' the U.S. and 'avoid what people see at the border.' Up to 170 more detainees who refuse to return to their home countries could soon be released into Australia as the High Court prepares to hand down its judgement on another landmark case today. This case relates to an Iranian citizen known as ASF17, who refuses to go back to Iran because he could face the death penalty for being a bisexual man. Labor attempted to push far-reaching new migration laws though Parliament in March, but the government was blocked in the Senate by the Coalition, Greens and crossbenchers. Under the proposed legislation, tourists from at least five countries could be banned from travelling to Australia. As a result, the latest legal challenge could now set a new precedent that allows even more detainees to be released into the community. Tourists from at least five countries could be banned from travelling to Australia if Labor's tough proposed migration laws pass Parliament. The legislation was created ahead of the potential release of 170 more detainees It comes on the back of the controversial NZYQ decision from November, which saw 154 detainees - including murderers and rapists - released into the community. As of February 2024, the AFP had received at least 27 reports of crimes committed by some of those released detainees. In late April, 73-year-old Ninette Simons was beaten until she was unconscious at Girrawheen in Perth's north. Released detainee Majid Jamshidi Doukoshkan was charged over the incident. Jamshidi Doukoshkan and two other attackers allegedly beat 73-year-old Ninette Simons (above) unconscious at Girrawheen in Perth's north on April 16 Who is ASF17? ASF17 has been fighting deportation efforts since late 2018 after he arrived by boat more than a decade ago. ASF17's lawyers argue the government has detained him in a 'punitive' manner and that the onus is on the Commonwealth to 'show a real prospect of removal from Australia becoming practicable in the reasonably foreseeable future'. His counsel Lisa De Ferrari SC, told the High Court her client had repeatedly asked federal officials to try to find another country to take him in. She cited testimony from ASF17 where he said: 'Even take me back to where you picked me up in the high seas,' and: 'Even take me to Gaza I'd have a better chance there of not being killed [than if I was sent to Iran.]' But the Commonwealth argued that is a moot point because Iran is the only possible country he can be deported to. It claims his ongoing detention is a legally allowable consequence of his refusal to cooperate with efforts to send him back to Iran. Iran also has a policy of refusing to accept people who are forcibly returned. Recently released immigration detainee Majid Jamshidi Doukoshkan (above), who is accused of bashing an elderly woman in her own home, has been in and out of court this year The government's lawyers argue this matter is entirely separate from the NZYQ matter, in which detainees had no possible way of returning to their home country. In this case - and for the 170 detainees in a similar position - the only barrier to their deportation is their own unwillingness to assist, they said. Immigration detention laws cause headache for government As part of the government's efforts to stop detainees being released, they proposed introducing a jail sentence of up to five years for failed asylum seekers who refuse to cooperate with their deportation. There was also a clause which would allow the government to ban any and all visitors from designated countries which do not facilitate unwilling deportations. That could result in citizens of Iran, Iraq, Zimbabwe, Russia and South Sudan being banned from travelling to Australia altogether, even for a holiday - although some exceptions would apply. But the Coalition teamed up with the Greens to block Labor's bill from passing the Senate swiftly. Instead, it was referred to a formal Senate inquiry, which delivered its findings on Tuesday. While the committee recommended the bill pass the Senate, the Coalition have made several amendments in order to shield from 'potential unintended consequences'. Immigration Minister Andrew Giles is keen to avoid another NZYQ High Court fiasco It comes on the back of the controversial NZYQ decision from November, which saw 154 detainees released into the community These amendments include a requirement that the minister inform parliament if they are going to exercise the power to issue a removal pathway direction to a person. The Greens want the bill rejected in full, arguing it is 'divisive and cruel'. Human rights lawyers have described it as 'the pure definition of discrimination,' and 'Trumpian', while others have questioned whether Labor would have ever supported the Coalition if roles were reversed. The proposal caused a diplomatic headache for the government. Poll Do you support Labor's proposed 'Trump-style' travel ban? YES NO IT'S DESPERATION Do you support Labor's proposed 'Trump-style' travel ban? YES 2712 votes NO 526 votes IT'S DESPERATION 624 votes Now share your opinion A spokesperson for the Russian Embassy in Canberra told Daily Mail Australia the inclusion of Russia in this proposed legislation 'is quite far-fetched'. 'We are struggling to remember a single occasion where the Australian Government expressed concerns about the removal of a Russian national not having a valid reason to remain or asked us for cooperation with such removal,' the spokesperson fumed. The Russian embassy was not approached or briefed by the Australian government about the legislation or its potential effects, the spokesman added. When contacted by Daily Mail Australia, the Iraqi embassy in Canberra appeared caught off-guard, asking for information about the proposal. Embattled Immigration Minister Andrew Giles said of the proposal: 'What we're doing with this piece of legislation, this important piece of legislation, is to fill a very significant loophole. '[It is] a loophole that a small cohort of people who have no basis upon which to remain in Australia who are refusing to co-operate with efforts to effect their removal. 'Importantly... these people are not refugees.' A new show titled The Disappearance Of Gabby Petito will air on ITVX today, and explore the investigation her disappearance. A vlogger who was killed at the age of 22 by her fiance, Brian Laundrie, Gabby was one of the most recognisable names across the United States after her death. The new documentary series follows the twists and turns of the investigation, telling the story of a mysterious killing. So, who exactly was Gabby Petito's boyfriend Brian Laundrie and what happened to him? Read on below for everything you need to know about Brian Laundrie. A new show titled The Disappearance Of Gabby Petito will air on ITVX on Thursday May 9 Who was Gabby Petito's boyfriend Brian Laundrie? Brian Laundrie was the fiance of Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old vlogger, whose death was ruled as a homicide, with Mr Laundrie the killer. He was travelling with Ms Petito on a road trip from coast to coast across the United States from New York to Oregon when she went missing in August 2021. Mr Laundrie returned to his family's home in Florida alone on September 1 in the white Ford transit van the couple had been living in before disappearing himself on September 13. He used the alibi of stating that he was going for a hike in the nearby Carlton Reserve, a 25,000-acre wilderness near the Laundrie family home in North Port. His parents say he headed to the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, which connects with the reserve, for a hike on 13 September (they originally gave the date of his disappearance a day later but subsequently revised their statement). What happened to Brian Laundrie? He was said to have left with just a rucksack and was known to have driven in a silver Mustang, which the family since collected. After Mr Laundrie went missing and became the subject of a nationwide search, several people reported seeing him around the time of the couple's road trip. One couple said they had an argument with him while he was said to have been drinking at a bar and 'angry at the world' in West Yellowstone. Another woman took to TikTok to share her bizarre story of picking up a hitchhiker who resembled Mr Laundrie and said his name was Brian. A vlogger who was killed at the age of 22 by her fiance, Brian Laundrie , Gabby was one of the most recognisable names across the United States after her death She recounted how the man was acting strange and 'freaking out' when he realised he was heading south. There were also several reported sightings of Brian once he disappeared, as he was rumoured to be in Canada, Mexico, and at least four states across the US. One Appalachian Trial hiker said he was '99.99 per cent sure' he met Mr Laundrie while he was hiking after reporting the encounter to the FBI. Petito's remains were found at Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest in September 2021 and her death was ruled a homicide by manual strangulation. On October 20 2021, Brian Laundrie's remains were found and he was later concluded to have shot himself. The FBI were subsequently able to find that he had written in a notebook he was responsible for the death of Ms Petito. The real-life 'Martha' from Baby Reindeer claims she has been bombarded with calls since Richard Gadd's Netflix drama became a global sensation. The woman, who MailOnline is not naming, has claimed that since the release of the show, she has been inundated with calls from 'foul-mouthed' publicists or agents trying to book her. The Scot is set to break her silence in her first ever TV interview with journalist Piers Morgan tonight. But before the tete-a-tete with the celebrity interviewer has even aired, the woman has already gone on the offensive, saying she is 'not happy' and felt she was being 'set up'. Describing the 30-minute grilling as a 'sparring match', the alleged female stalker has accused Morgan of trying to 'trip her up' with his questions. Baby Reindeer, the extraordinary hit Netflix drama which has taken the television world by storm, has been viewed more than 60 million times in the past month The chilling real-life drama was inspired by the ordeal suffered by Scottish creator and leading man Richard Gadd at the hands of 'Martha' (played by Jessica Gunning, right) 'Piers kept saying to me "are you sure you haven't sent this guy 41,000 emails and phone calls?". A lot of the interview, for a good 10 minutes, he kept coming back to this,' she told the Daily Record. 'I said, "Look, even if I had sent some emails, it doesn't mean I'm guilty of the rest of the stuff". As I said, in order to bill something as a "true story", it's got to be pretty much 100 per cent true.' She added: 'It seemed to me that I was set up. I feel a bit used.' The Piers Morgan Uncensored special will air on the broadcaster's YouTube channel, which has 2.58million subscribers, at 8pm. The woman will be looking to 'set the record straight' as she breaks her silence following Baby Reindeer's global success, the preview said. Before her big interview, she paid a visit to celebrity hairdresser John Hala - who has styled the barnets of A-listers Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sigourney Weaver, Elle MacPherson and Kate Moss - at his salon in Londons Canary Wharf. Speaking to the Daily Record, she claimed she was paid 250 for the interview and had turned down requests from the likes of This Morning to talk about Baby Reindeer. The chilling real-life drama was inspired by the ordeal suffered by Scottish creator and leading man Richard Gadd - who is presented in the show as Donny Dunn. She will be quizzed tonight over allegations that she became obsessed with the Fife-born comedian over a period of years. Working as a struggling stand-up comic, Gadd first meets his stalker after he offered 'a crying stranger a cup of tea' while he was working at a bar in London. Baby Reindeer delves into Richard's harrowing real-life stalking ordeal and brutal sexual abuse as he plays a fictionalised version of himself called Donny Dunn (pictured) Things rapidly turn sinister, with the series claiming 'Martha' bombarded the 34-year-old from Fife with more than 41,000 emails She also sent him hundreds of tweets and and flooded his phone with hours of voicemails over an alleged four-year campaign of terror. Posting ahead of the show, Morgan said: 'The real-life Martha from Baby Reindeer breaks cover and gives me her first TV interview about the smash hit Netflix show.' He added: 'Is she a psycho stalker? Find out on Piers Morgan Uncensored.' Baby Reindeer has proven a surprise smash for Netflix, having been viewed more than 60 million times in the first month. Riding on the show's phenomenal success, the cast were pictured attending a swanky screening in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning - who plays Martha - beamed as they posed arm in arm and joined Nava Mau and others for a Q and A on stage. Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning continued to ride the wave of Baby Reindeer being a huge Netflix hit as they attended the photo call for the screening in LA on Tuesday The actress looked worlds away from her role as Martha and had a glamorous Hollywood makeover as they took to the stage Over four and a half years, Gadd says he received 41,071 emails, 744 tweets, letters totalling 106 pages and 350 hours of voicemail messages from the older woman, whom he calls Martha in the show However, the show's runaway success has been far from a joy for the 'real-life' Martha, who claimed she had been left a 'victim' by its surprise popularity. Speaking exclusively to Mail+ last month, the woman insisted she was not a stalker and said: 'He's using Baby Reindeer to stalk me now. I'm the victim. He's written a bloody show about me.' She accused Gadd of having 'main character syndrome' and claimed she had faced 'bullying' as a result of the show and was now considering legal action against him. 'He always thinks he's at the centre of things. I'm not writing shows about him or promoting them in the media, am I? If he wanted me to be properly anonymous, he could have done so. Gadd should leave me alone,' she added. Gadd claimed he went to great lengths to conceal the identity of the woman who stalked him in real life. Despite the comic begging fans not to search for the real 'Martha', internet sleuths went on to claim she was the inspiration for the character. In the series, after Gadd meets his stalker at the bar, things soon descend into chaos. It sees him being regularly followed at home and work, and tracked on Facebook using three fake accounts. Fans of Netflix series Baby Reindeer claimed they revealed Martha's true identity (played by Jessica Gunning in the show) Richard Gadd was a struggling stand-up comic working behind the bar at a pub in London He told The Times: 'At first everyone at the pub thought it was funny that I had an admirer. Then she started to invade my life, following me, turning up at my gigs, waiting outside my house, sending thousands of voicemails and emails.' It developed to terrifying lengths as the crazed fan got closer to her obsession - including her turning up at his gigs, his workplace and bombarding him with messages. The actor and comedian was subjected to a campaign of obsession by the woman, known as Martha, that manifested in 41,071 emails, 744 tweets, 106 pages of letters and a staggering 350 hours of voicemail. He says it was 'years' before the police eventually took his complaints seriously - and six years before they finally intervened - something which prolonged the agony for everyone involved including his relatives. The police told him at the time that unless his stalker became physically violent, there was little they could do to resolve the issue. He has said he still finds it hard to trust people and has had 'every therapy going'. He added that the years of being stalked have left him with something 'like PTSD'. For the Netflix role, he lost weight to match his 10-and-a-half stone 'neurotic' self at the height of his own stalking nightmare. Gadd has revealed he first encountered 'Martha' when he was working in a pub and offered her a cup of tea because she was crying Gadd says he's currently single and 'is more cautious' of people because of the campaign of terror that Martha inflicted, saying: 'It takes me a long time to trust them. Before, I entered situations with such abandonment and I got burnt.' However, performing a version of what happened to him has enabled him to have 'ownership' of the trauma. Gadd earned a Fringe award for his show, also called Baby Reindeer, in 2019. Speaking to the Telegraph in 2019 about the one-man show that he wrote after the ordeal, which is currently on at London's Bush theatre, he said: 'It was debilitating beyond belief. 'I'd listen to her voicemails and just feel my eyes welling up. They were tears of frustration. Proper brain-heavy stress.' He added that the years of being stalked have left him with something 'like PTSD'. For the Netflix role, he lost weight to match his 10-and-a-half stone 'neurotic' self at the height of his own stalking nightmare. Gadd says he's currently single and 'is more cautious' of people because of the campaign of terror that Martha inflicted, saying: 'It takes me a long time to trust them. Before, I entered situations with such abandonment and I got burnt.' However, performing a version of what happened to him has enabled him to have 'ownership' of the trauma. Gadd earned a Fringe award for his show, also called Baby Reindeer, in 2019. Speaking to the Telegraph in 2019 about the one-man show that he wrote after the ordeal, which is currently on at London's Bush theatre, he said: 'It was debilitating beyond belief. 'I'd listen to her voicemails and just feel my eyes welling up. They were tears of frustration. Proper brain-heavy stress.' MailOnline has approached Piers Morgan and Gadd for comment. The right thing isnt always obvious at the time, although it glows brightly in retrospect, indelible in hindsight. It was only afterwards that I realised I should have returned home sooner. Having left London in the aftermath of a break-up, setting out on a Greek myth-inspired adventure, I knew, of course, that my father had cancer. Although his kind of neuroendocrine cancer was terminal something he understood only too well as a former GP at this point, five years on from his diagnosis, there was the promise of many more good years, if the treatments kept working. Over time, I had learned to live with this slow unease behind everything; my father was in peril, but there wasnt anything I could do other than spend time with him, and try to make him laugh. I was reading The Odyssey at the time my relationship ended, an unlikely choice. I had chosen a contemporary version that was easy to read, and swiftly became hooked on this 3,000-year-old travel story. Although his kind of neuroendocrine cancer was terminal, five years on from his diagnosis, there was the promise of many more good years, if the treatments kept working Simply put, it is about a man called Odysseus who is attempting to get back home but the gods are angry with him and hes forced to go island-hopping for a very long time along the way. My heart was broken in various ways, including by my fathers illness, and this dusty old myth spoke to me. I was in my 30s and longed for a solo quest of my own, to set out for the Aeolian islands in Sicily, supposedly the kingdom of the god of the winds. Luckily my job allowed me to work remotely. But what about my father? He told me to go; to have adventures and share them with him along the way. What a gift that became. Leaving home at the end of autumn, I travelled first to Sicily, the island of Helios, the god of the sun. There I discovered the sea was a balm for me as I grappled with the anticipatory grief of impending loss. When I sank into it for the first time, felt the weight of it, the waves touching my body, I seemed to come back to myself. I snapped a photograph of me eating a particularly delicious meal and sent it to my father. He called me back. You should write about this. My friends all think its great, you travelling around Sicily. I dont know how, I told him. There are so many blogs. No one would care. Still, the thought lodged somewhere at the back of my mind as I journeyed on. After the ethereal beauties of the sunlit Italian islands, Split, the busy main port halfway up Croatia, was a shock: cold, dark and crowded. From there, I headed to Calypso on the island of Korcula as autumn turned to winter. I called my father but he sounded distracted. I tried to make him laugh. Dont be annoying, he said softly, Im struggling a bit today. This was his code for a difficult day, full of pain and nausea and slamming tiredness. Okay, Dad, I said. I love you. Your fathers terribly proud of you, he loves telling his friends about your islands, said my mother when she came on the line. When I put the phone down I thought about pain and all the different forms it can take. The Adriatic waters were green and deliciously icy and I became addicted to cold water swimming. I made good friends here women who swam in the sea with me, invited me to eat with them, and showed me around the island they called home. It was mid-winter now and I thought back to how, when Id last seen my father, hed slipped one of his cashmere jumpers into my bag as a present. I wished Id brought it with me. I could have used it against this Croatian cold. The storms got worse and, worried about being trapped on the island, I took a ferry back to the mainland. I wanted to make my way to the Spanish island thought to be where the Cyclops once lived. As the boat made its slow way across the dark sea I thought about the grief I kept pushing away every time I talked to my father; the way I modulated my voice when we spoke so he couldnt tell how sad I was. Five years before, just after he was diagnosed, my father had major surgery. It was November and the roads were icy. Id just driven back to my parents house from the hospital when he called to ask me to turn around again and bring him more clothes. I snapped a photograph of me eating a particularly delicious meal and sent it to my father What he really wanted, I think, was control, and he was projecting it onto a pair of pyjamas. I asked, could it wait until tomorrow? No, it really cant, he snapped. I got his car back out of the garage and drove back down the slippery roads. Crossing a roundabout, a car drove into the side of me. Luckily no one was hurt. I called my father. Im okay but your car isnt. He cheered up immediately, telling me what I needed to do. Im sorry about your clothes, Dad. Dont worry about it! he said happily. This was far better than new pyjamas this had turned him back into a father instead of a post-operative patient. Now, in early December, sitting in a tapas bar in Menorca, I was sharing this story with the bartender, explaining how I was more cautious about driving now. I didnt want to hire a car. I wanted a bicycle. Oh, you can borrow my bike, said a woman sitting on the stool at the end of the bar. Ill bring it tomorrow. Island generosity, my father marvelled when I told him. People obviously like you, he said. Youre good at meeting people and they give you bikes and invite you for meals. I puffed a little, he rarely gave praise. Our currency was jokes, never emotions. He grew up in the 1950s and never really talked about his feelings, but he had a brilliant sense of humour. We tried to make each other laugh every time we spoke. I just wish youd be more like that with the family, we rarely see that side of you, he added. Critical and loving all mixed up together. Clearly, having terminal cancer doesnt automatically make you into a saint. Equally, him having it didnt turn me into one either. In Menorca, happiness was a bicycle, a turquoise sea cradled by a rocky cove and a notebook in which I could try and write something about the scent of sandy pinewoods, or the shape of the sculptures of the sea. One bright December day I forgot to check the sea for jellyfish, jumped straight in and was horribly stung. Back at the house, I was examining my red hot and blistering leg when my father called. The latest treatment hasnt worked as well as wed hoped, he said, employing his best bedside manner on himself. The cancer had become more aggressive. The drugs werent holding the line any more. Can I do anything? It sounded awkward when I said it. Cancer makes you feel useless, helpless. I dont think so. You call and we have these little chats and thats nice. When are you coming home, sweetheart? Maybe in March. There was a pause. I found there was a coastal path that runs all the way around the island called the Cami de Cavalls. I hiked sections every chance I got Well, sweetheart, your mother would love to see you before March. Ive returned to this moment many times since. I didnt pay enough attention to that pause, the repetition of sweetheart. Was this code for him wanting me home? I told him how I got lashed by a jellyfish and a massive area around my thigh was raised and blistered, turning him into a doctor and my adviser again. He made me wait on the line while he researched. Its probably an allergic reaction. Go to the chemist and get some hydrocortisone cream. Okay, Dad, I said. It was a way of prescribing love, of him looking after me, even as he was dealing with something far worse. A few days later, another call, but during this one, things went awry. I didnt know how wed ended up here, fallen into the grooves of the old resentments, caught in the beats of the argument that was never about what it was really about, my father demanding gratitude for a private education at a school where I became unhappy. You cant just tell a person to feel the emotions you want them to feel, I was yelling back. Wed always been equally matched, he and I. Im sick of your cancer. Theres no space for me, Im scared about the future and its all cancer, cancer, cancer. Rage hot on my face, I knew I should be a better daughter but he should be a better father. You cant have a fair fight with a cancer patient, I told him and immediately felt guilty. I shouldnt have said that. Thats true darling. I can see that. I am very sorry about that. He said it sadly, softly. I cried as I hung up, got into bed wearing all my clothes, weeping like one of those stupid girls in the fairy stories. When I woke up, I saw hed sent a big red heart over WhatsApp, the huge one, the one that beats. I sent one back. I found there was a coastal path that runs all the way around the island called the Cami de Cavalls. I hiked sections every chance I got. On the wild north coast, I passed what looked a bit like English countryside, verdant green fields and leafy trees. Wood pigeons cooed from the trees and it made me think of Oxfordshire, of home. My father called as I walked to tell me about his port insert, a medical device that meant they could give him medicine more easily. Something swelled in my chest and burst. I willed him here, wanted to airlift him out, wanted more than anything for him to be walking next to me, well again. All I could do was describe it for him. He suggested again that I write. People would be interested to read about your islands, he said. My brilliant daughter. I told him Id look into it. We didnt talk for long, he was feeling tired. I love you, I said every time now when I called him, and he said it back readily, which he never used to. It was one of the changes the cancer had wrought. When he said it, it made him feel closer and further away from me all at once. My brother sent me a photograph of my father with my new baby niece. The baby was rosy-cheeked as my father held her up. The contrast between them made me see what Id been avoiding. The truth was there, in the thinning of his cheeks. Something had changed now in his voice, too. It was more effortful, the fluidity of the words stilted. I kept returning to the same cove to swim. The sea was brutal, and the cold stilled my mind, stopping me worrying about my father. A week later, I was walking down the road towards the house I was staying in, carrying a bag of oranges to juice for breakfast the next day. The back of my hair was still wet from my swim when my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was my brother. Get home as fast as you can. As a GP, my fathers responsibilities included end-of-life care for his patients, so perhaps he knew better than anyone how the last days would go. And he died how he wanted to, at home, surrounded by love. I was lucky to make it back in time. Many people dont get that chance. Grief affects people in different ways. For me it was like being under snow. I didnt know what to do. I felt splintered, heavy, exhausted with the weight of the sadness. But eventually, I picked up my pen. And I started to write, like my father asked me to. My first book, Enchanted Islands, is an adventure story. Its about love and loss and the consolation of wild islands and travel and finding joy. I wish I could put my book into my fathers hands. He would have been proud. A renter has launched legal action against his landlord after he was evicted when he asked for a discount because his apartment's two balconies were deemed unusable. Pius Binder, co-founder of Subscribed.fyi, revealed that he and his housemates had asked for a rent reduction on their flat in North Bondi in Sydney's eastern suburbs. Their request came after the balcony came away from the wall of their apartment block in October and was deemed unusable along with the second one. Mr Binder asked for a 40 per cent cut - which amounted to $364 a week - to his rent but received a reduction of only $50 a week. Just days later, he and two other tenants were slapped with immediate lease termination notices under the Residential Tenancies Act's 'frustration' clause. Pius Binder, the co-founder of Subscribed.fyu, says his landlord slapped him and two other tenants with 'retaliatory eviction' after he asked for a 40 per cent rent reduction The frustrated businessman has since taken up the issue with the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Mr Binder claimed in court documents he had only made the request for a rent reduction after the incident on the balcony last year. 'Two people were on it the night before and could have been harmed,' he said in the documents. 'Thankfully nothing happened.' The balcony and a second one at the unit were deemed unusable by Christmas. Tenants at the same apartment block were also unable to use their balconies as a result. Mr Binder was one of several tenants who asked their landlord for a rent reduction under the Act. He claimed in documents that the landlord sent an eviction notice to him and two other tenants within days of making the request. The termination notice stated that because the balconies had been deemed unsafe it made the North Bondi property 'partially uninhabitable'. Mr Binder and the other tenant who invoked their legal right for a rent reduction claimed they were targeted with retaliatory eviction. Tenants Union CEO Leo Patterson Ross said landlords were able to use safety risk to argue their property was uninhabitable. Businessman Pius Binder claims he was evicted from his North Bondi unit after he invoked his legal right for a rent reduction over two broken balconies (pictured is the block of units) However, this argument is void if the safety risk is caused by a breach in contract by either party, which includes adequate repairs to the property. Mr Binder's case will be heard at NCAT later this month. He will need to prove his landlord was motivated at least in part to issue the termination notice after he asked for a rent reduction. The action is being defended by the other party. Sydney has topped a list of the best places to live in Australia for wellbeing, despite its stratospheric real estate prices. The SGS Cities & Regions Wellbeing Index released on Tuesday found eight of the ten best spots are located in Sydney, with Greater Sydney's Northern Beaches ranking first. The report examined seven factors across 518 local government areas, including the economy, housing, and health. The index also considered environment, income and wealth, employment, knowledge and skills, equality, community and work-life balance factors. SGS principal partner and lead author of the report Julian Szafraniec said Sydney's Northern Beaches and locations around it performed well across many areas. Greater Sydney's Northern Beaches (pictured) has been ranked number one in the country for wellbeing according to a report released on Tuesday Northern Beach (pictured Manly Beach) had high levels of community members volunteering and small gender pay gaps, putting them in front 'They have high levels of income and wealth, and have higher levels of education and health outcomes within those communities,' he told news.com.au. 'What tipped the Northern Beaches and some of those areas over the edge was they had more equitable communities. 'They had higher rates of volunteerism within the community, fewer people with extreme work hours and smaller gender pay gaps than other parts of the nation.' Brisbane was ranked tenth, while Melbourne came in at 15th. 'Any of the places that scored highly in the wellbeing index really had to score high across multiple metrics, and Brisbane was one of those. 'It has a large and diverse economy and it has also scored highly around health outcomes with good access to health care and a healthy community,' Mr Szafraniec said. The ACT was ranked second on the list, making it the country's top-performing region for the second year in a row. The capital scored highly across the economy, environment and work-life balance factors. Mr Szafraniec said the index had captured a snapshot of each LGA area and hopes it will be a 'powerful tool' for decision-makers. 'We're at a time in history when traditional measures of growth and success, such as GDP, don't make sense anymore. You can have a high-paying job, but you may still not be able to afford a home,' he said. ACT was second on the list, scoring highly in economic, work-life balance and environmental factors This is the first year the index considered gender pay differential. The largest, which could be up to $500 per week, were in regional Western Australia, followed by Greater Perth and regional Queensland. Mr Szafraniec said this was often because the economies of rural and regional areas are based around blue collar industries such as mining and agriculture, which tend to be dominated by men. It wasn't all bad news for areas outside of Sydney, with Yarra in Melbourne being one of the areas that scored highly in work-life balance. The regional areas of Streaky Bay and Kangaroo Island, both in South Australia, also high ranked highly for their focus on lifestyle. Overall, the regions also out-performed their city counterparts when it came to housing affordability, with Lockhart and Bogan in NSW, and Esperance in Western Australia all performing highly on the Rental Affordability Index. The worst in the housing category was Perth, and the remote Queensland communities of Palm Island and Yarrabah, with the index also considering homelessness and overcrowding in addition to affordability. The report found life expectancies were lower in rural and regional areas compared to cities (pictured Little Manly Beach) The regions were worst for health, with the report finding life expectancy in the capital cities to be higher, with a person living in Greater Sydney expected to live until 84.3 years, compared to 81.7 years in regional NSW. SGS senior associate and lead author of the report Michelle Tjondro said on SGS's website the next important step is what 'policymakers, businesses and communities' do with the findings. 'As a nation, we must use these findings to inform how we prioritise investment, budget for socio-economic outcomes and advance equitable community wellbeing,' she said. TOP PERFORMING LGAs: 1. Northern Beaches, Greater Sydney 2. Australian Capital Territory 3. North Sydney, Greater Sydney 4. Ku-ring-gai, Greater Sydney 5. Hornsby, Greater Sydney 6. Lane Cove Greater Sydney 7. Mosman, Greater Sydney 8. Sutherland, Greater Sydney 9. Sydney 10. Brisbane A monument marking Germany's support for Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War was unveiled in Berlin earlier this week, the veterans ministry said Thursday, marking the first one of its kind in the European country. The unveiling ceremony for the pair of bronze sculptures, commemorating West Germany's dispatch of medical staff to Korea after the conflict, took place Wednesday (local time) at the headquarters of the German Red Cross in the capital, according to the ministry. The ceremony coincided with World Red Cross Day. In April 1953, just three months before the war ended in an armistice, West Germany announced its intent to dispatch civilian medical personnel to Korea. From 1954 to 1959, Germany sent a total of 117 medical personnel, with the German Red Cross Hospital in Korea's southeastern port city of Busan treating nearly 300,000 U.N. soldiers and Korean civilians over the five years, the ministry said. Korea belatedly recognized Germany as a nation that provided support to Korea in the war in 2018, making Berlin the most recent member of the current 22-nation group. The ministry said the sculptures are a modern reinterpretation of Korean traditional totem poles, called "jangseung," and themed "War and Peace" to commemorate the German Red Cross's medical support activities. "Korea will never forget the German medical staff who helped heal the wounds of the Korean War," Veterans Minister Kang Jung-ai said at the ceremony, according to her office. "We hope to strengthen the friendship and cooperation between Korea and Germany, allowing our friendship to be passed down to future generations." (Yonhap) A man has been charged with the attempted shooting murder of an ex-UFC fighter, with police alleging he posed as a food delivery driver to get close enough to fire shots. Noah Touma, 20, was arrested at 4am on Wednesday and slapped with ten charges, including shoot at with intent to murder. He was refused bail and is set to appear before Bankstown Local Court on Thursday. Police will allege Touma disguised himself as a delivery driver before firing at ex-UFC fighter Suman Mokhtarian outside a gym. Noah Touma, 20, was arrested at 4am on Wednesday and slapped with ten charges, including shoot at with intent to murder Police will allege Touma disguised himself as a delivery driver before firing on the gym at ex-UFC fighter Suman Mokhtarian The bullets missed, with Mokhtarian and the other 30 gym-goers uninjured. CCTV of the man was released in February by police as they probed the incident at Top Team Gym on Wentworthville Avenue in Wentworthville, western Sydney. Officers were called to the premises on February 20 after gunshots were reported. Shortly after, a burning motor scooter was found on Fulton Ave near Westmead Hospital, located five minutes from the site of the shooting. The blaze was extinguished and the bike was taken into evidence. No one was reported injured in either event. Both crime scenes were examined by Parramatta City Police and State Crime Command's Raptor Squad, a 19-year-old was originally charged in relation to the alleged shooting and remains before the court. CCTV of the man was released in February by police as they probed the incident at Top Team Gym on Wentworthville Avenue in Wentworthville, western Sydney Touma is facing charges of shoot at with intent to murder and discharge firearm intend cause grievous bodily harm The 20-year-old man is facing charges of shoot at with intent to murder and discharge firearm intend cause grievous bodily harm. More offences include fire firearm in or near public place, possess ammunition without holding licence/permit/authority and possess unauthorised pistol. Other charges includde: face blackened or disguised with intent to commit indictable offence, drive conveyance taken without consent of owner, unlawfully possess thing resembles number plate and two counts of drive motor vehicle during disqualification period. A magistrate was left stunned after a sex offender on a $500,000 disability package had a support worker bring a female friend to hospital so they could shower together. Magistrate Ross Mack was told this week that Adam Thomas Storch breached his supervision order by not informing Corrective Services of his friendship with the woman, who is also on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The court was told the woman's government-funded support worker brought her to Storch in hospital and the pair showered together, had a cigarette, and then Storch gave the friend some of his clothes to wash and $100 cash. 'What?... they're both on the NDIS and the NDIS worker fronts them up to the hospital so they can have a shower?' Mr Mack said, reports The Courier Mail. 'What sort of package is he on!?' A court was told Adam Thomas Storch, who is on a $500,000 government funded NDIS package, breached his supervision order Police prosecutor Jordan Theed said the woman returned to the Queensland hospital the following day and the pair had another cigarette together. When officers found out about the breach, Storch was taken into custody in January and he appeared in court via video-link. Storch's defence lawyer Derek Finch said his client was on the NDIS for issues linked to morbid obesity, though Storch interrupted to say he also sees a psychiatrist for mental health issues. Mr Mack asked what particular mental health condition and Storch replied that he didn't know but claimed he was taking 70 tablets a day and had an injection once a week. The magistrate then quizzed him on how much his NDIS package was worth, to which he replied $500,000. A gobsmacked Mr Mack asked if this was per year to which Storch replied that the hefty sum was for two years. 'Oh that's a relief,' Mr Mack said, adding that the situation was 'madness'. Storch was sentenced to six months jail suspended for 12 months Mr Finch said his client had a previous diagnosis of borderline intellectual function, mild intellectual disability and had a traumatic upbringing. Storch then interrupted again and said he had been been put on Ozempic and had lost a considerable amount of weight. Storch pleaded guilty to one count of breaching a supervision order under the Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders) legislation. He was was sentenced to six months jail suspended for 12 months. A spokesperson for the National Disability Insurance Agency, which administers the NDIS, said: 'The NDIS is designed to fund the disability-related supports a participant requires. 'Criminal matters remain a matter for state judicial systems. 'The agency works across government and with relevant authorities (such as police) to take action against any identified threat.' The girlfriend of the Mexican bandit accused of murdering two Australian brothers and their American friend during a dream surfing trip is a cockfighting enthusiast and young mum. Ari Gisell, 23, has been arrested along with her partner Jesus Gerardo, 36, and his brother Cristian Alejandro after the three tourists went missing in the Baja California region on April 27. Mexican authorities will allege Jesus, who is also known as 'El Kekas', murdered Aussie brothers Callum, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, and US citizen Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, during a botched robbery. The trio's burnt out truck was discovered on May 3 at a property in the Santo Tomas area, near their last known camp site. Their bodies were found later that day dumped down a nearby well, each with a single gunshot wound to the head. Ari, who has been charged with drug possession and was allegedly found with a phone belonging to one of the dead brothers, is now a key prosecution witness against her boyfriend. Ari Gisell, 23, (pictured) was arrested after being found in the possession of the phone of one of the murdered surfers Daily Mail Australia can reveal Ari (above) is a cockfighter and young mother Brothers Jesus Gerardo and Cristian Alejandro were two of the three suspects arrested. It is unclear which brother is which in their mugshots In court on Wednesday, where the three Mexican suspects' surnames were suppressed, she claimed Jesus had confessed to her that he had 'f***ed up three gringos' and stolen tyres from the men's ute. Ari's turn against her boyfriend comes as Daily Mail Australia can reveal she has a penchant for bad boys. Just six months ago, she was dating another man, who was one of six men arrested in a major drug and weapons bust by Mexican police in September 2023. In December, she pledged she would forever stay by that man's side - however, she appears to have broken her promise just months later and shacked up with Jesus Gerardo, 36. Ari frequently posts about her daily life in Mexico, including her love for bad boys and cockfighting In a video posted online, she can be seen catching a bus with a female relative to visit her ex-boyfriend in December - who was in prison at the time. 'I will wait for you until the end,' she wrote, alongside emojis of chains, a woman and a man. However, her vow was short-lived, with Ari appearing to have turned her attention to a new love, Jesus Gerardo, while her ex-partner was behind bars. Over the past two months - and as recently as May 1 - she has made several social media posts featuring adoring references to her latest boyfriend including referring to him as her 'husband' and sharing memes joking that she was the dominant partner in their relationship. Ari, who has a four-year-old son, also frequently jokes about their life as bandits and boasts online about her love of bad boys. In late April, she shared a meme showing a person sitting in a car while being followed closely by police, alongside a laughing emoji. A day later, she shared a photo of Al Pacino with Michelle Pfeiffer in a scene from iconic crime movie Scarface, with the blurb 'pretty girls don't hang out with handsome, they hang out with crazy people!' She captioned the post 'Mi mero mole', which translates to 'this is my thing,' alongside a drooling and laughing emoji. On May 1 - just four days after the alleged murders - she shared a meme of a man standing with his mouth agape staring at someone off camera, with the description: 'Me watching my buddy being slapped who said he was the boss in his relationship.' 'Me with El Kekas haha,' she wrote. 'I'm still telling him.' Aside from her self-proclaimed penchant for criminals, Ari is also a cockfighter, with photos posted online showing her posing alongside roosters and trophies. Ari shared gushing posts about El Kekas - who she described as her 'husband' - online Ari, who is a mum, boasted about being the 'boss' in the couple's relationship in posts online. However, she has told police she was a domestic violence victim behind closed doors. She frequently documents her daily life online, sharing images of herself playing with her roosters, spending time with with her friends and young son, and riding cows and horses on a rural property. Jesus, the accused ringleader in the execution-style murders of the Robinson brothers and Mr Rhoad, has been charged with forced kidnapping and faced a court hearing on Wednesday. In court, Ari, appearing as a prosecution witness, told authorities Jesus came home on April 27 and admitted he had killed the three men. Ari said he then took her outside and showed her that her car had been fitted with tyres allegedly stolen from the trio's ute. She said she fled to her mother's home with her son after learning about what happened. She was arrested by police later that day. Ari told officers she was a victim of domestic violence and was willing to cooperate in their investigation. Jesus has not entered a plea and it is expected his charges may still be upgraded to murder. Callum Robinson. 33. (left) and his 30-year-old brother Jake (right) were travelling with their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad , 30, in the Baja California region when they disappeared on April 27. Their bodies were found dumped in a well on Saturday Jack Carter Rhoad (pictured) was travelling with the brothers. All three were found with a single gunshot wound to the head The Robinson brothers, who are originally from Perth, and Mr Rhoad were on a road trip around the west coast of northern Mexico when they failed to check into their pre-arranged Airbnb on 27 April. They were reported missing two days later, sparking a desperate search by authorities who became alarmed when they went to their last known location and discovered their campsite covered in blood. Days later, authorities located their burnt out car and bodies at the bottom of a four-metre well. A fourth body, believed to belong to the property owner, was also found inside the well. Police believe he was murdered at an earlier date. Police allege El Kekas, who has a criminal record of drug dealing, vehicle theft and domestic violence, shot the men after they resisted when he was stealing their tyres. His brother, who was also arrested, has been charged with drug possession. El Kekas is next due before court in November. A former high-flying real estate agent turned to selling drugs after a business opportunity and his marriage both collapsed. The downfall of Peter John Yeh, 60, was cemented after he sold 2g of ice to an undercover cop for $800, Queensland's Supreme Court heard on Wednesday. The court heard Yeh had worked for real estate agents in some of Brisbane's most expensive suburbs including Ray White Paddington, Harcourts in Bulimba and LJ Hooker in Coorparoo. Justice Michael Copley said the father-of-two had a good work history up until 2017 when his father-in-law backflipped on a deal to give him control of the LJ Hooker Cooparoo business. Following this, Yeh's marriage to his second wife broke down and his former recreational drug use spiralled into a full-blown addiction, which he then fuelled by selling drugs at a street-level. 'It is a tragedy to see a man in his mid-50s possessing small quantities of these drugs ... who decided because of the effects of addiction that the way to solve his problem is to buy and sell drugs as a business,' Justice Copley said. The downfall of Peter John Yeh, 60, was cemented after he sold 2g of ice to an undercover cop for $800, Queensland's Supreme Court heard on Wednesday Yeh pleaded guilty to trafficking the drugs ice and gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) between September 3, 2021 and June 23, 2022. Some of the drug trafficking offences occurred while he was on parole, the Courier Mail reported. The court heard Yeh had about 70 customers around Brisbane's inner city and that he used the encrypted messaging app Signal and regular text messages to arrange the sale of drugs and follow up on debts. A typical deal would involve 3.5g of ice sold for $1,100 and he sold up to 200ml of GHB in a single exchange. The prosecutor said they did not have an exact amount he had made selling the drugs, but he collected $174,562 in 'unexplained income' while on Jobseeker. His defence lawyer Elliot Boddice said Yeh had since beaten his drug addiction. He said psychologist Peter Stoker confirmed Yeh was suffering depression and methamphetamine dependency disorder when he sold the drugs. 'He understood that the father promised to sell him the (LJ Hooker Coorparoo) business, that did not happen.' he said. He then went to work for Harcourts in Bulimba and fighting with his wife increased leading to the collapse of the marriage, he said. The court heard Yeh had worked for real estate agents in some of Brisbane 's most expensive suburbs including Ray White Paddington, Harcourts in Bulimba and LJ Hooker in Coorparoo 'Previously he would use drugs recreationally, and then from 2017 following those personal stresses, his drug use just spiralled out of control.' Yeh pleaded guilty to several drug charges including trafficking, two counts of supply and possession of 1-4-butanediol, a precursor chemical of GHB. He was jailed for four years on the trafficking charge and received another month for possession of drug paraphernalia. Justice Copley said the 505 days he had already served would be counted towards his sentence and he would be eligible to apply for parole from Wednesday. Complaints about doctors subjecting Jewish colleagues to anti-Semitic abuse have soared since the October 7 attacks, figures show. The General Medical Council said it received eight such grievances in the first nine months of 2023, prior to the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. But 60 doctors were reported to the doctors' regulator for alleged anti-Semitic conduct or remarks against colleagues in the four months that followed. Of these 60 complaints, 22 are undergoing 'triage', a process where officials determine whether a complaint should proceed to a full investigation. According to the GMC, 1,903 doctors identified as Jewish in 2023, the most recent data available. This is equal to around 1 per cent of licensed doctors in the UK. The General Medical Council said it received eight such grievances in the first nine months of 2023, prior to the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel (Stock Image) Data obtained by the BBC under Freedom of Information laws also show a rise in complaints about Islamophobia by doctors since October 7, with 16 cases from October through to January but just three in the preceding nine months There are 53,359 doctors in the UK who identify as Muslim 17 per cent of doctors according to latest figures. Of the 16 complaints made after October 7, 12 are in triage and four have been closed. One senior Jewish doctor, who works at a London hospital, told the BBC he had been subjected to a vicious anti-Semitic outburst by a colleague a few days after the deadly attacks when Israel launched its own air strikes on the Gaza Strip. He said: 'This doctor knew I was Jewish, and just days after October 7 he started expressing support for Hamas, repeatedly shouting, 'You're a baby-killer', in my face.' The doctor said he was 'extremely upset, horrified and shaken' by the harassment. It is understood the hospital concerned is investigating all aspects of the case. Data obtained by the BBC under Freedom of Information laws also show a rise in complaints about Islamophobia by doctors since October 7, with 16 cases from October through to January but just three in the preceding nine months (Stock Image) Dr Salman Waqar, of the British Islamic Medical Association, said the figures are likely to underestimate the number of Islamophobic attacks as people are reluctant to report them or are worried if they were to complain, they would lose their visas. 'These figures are creating a system of 'us and them' and shouldn't come across like we're in the 'racism Olympics',' Dr Waqar said. Dr Dave Rich, of the Community Security Trust, a charity that monitors anti-Semitism, said: 'It is shocking to see this happening within the medical profession where we expect everybody to behave with neutrality.' Health Secretary Victoria Atkins has previously warned the Professional Standards Authority, which oversees the GMC, that it is 'vital for public confidence' that 'any instances of extremism, discrimination or hate speech are dealt with in a thorough and timely manner'. A GMC spokesman said: 'Doctors are entitled to personal beliefs but our guidance is clear that discrimination is not compatible with the responsibilities and duties of a doctor.' Britain's Muslim school children must be allowed to champion the Palestinian cause, a petition demanded last night. Presented to an east London council, it criticised the Governments anti-terrorism programme Prevent for restricting free speech on the Israeli-Gaza conflict in Tower Hamlets. Four in ten people are Muslim in the borough, the largest proportion in any part of England and Wales. The petition goes on to allege that Prevent is racist and Islamophobic, stating: Muslim parents are worried that a childs innocent comment [on Gaza] could lead to them being hauled before Prevent. Many have demonstrated their support and sympathy for the Palestinian people, but are fearful of the consequences. Presented to an east London council, the petition criticised the Governments anti-terrorism programme Prevent for restricting free speech on the Israeli-Gaza conflict in Tower Hamlets (pictured) Security was tightened around the Tower Hamlets civic centre in preparation for the hearing last night. Entitled Defend Free Speech and Democracy, it was handed to the boroughs mayor Lutfur Rahman and the councils cabinet. Prevent, using Home Office and police teams, aims to combat all forms of terrorism, whether religious or political, to stop individuals being radicalised. But the Islamic community has long been wary of the programme, claiming it places Muslims and their mosques unfairly under suspicion of sowing seeds of terrorism. Liberal Democrats in east Londons Waltham Forest, where one in five are Muslim, have condemned officers for seizing laptops, phones, and questioning young people as though they are criminal suspects before releasing them without charge. And while teachers and social workers have a duty to report a young persons extreme behaviour to local Prevent officers, although the guidelines on what is extreme have been criticised as unclear, the petition says these staff feel unhappy about reporting children. It adds: The situation is acute because the UK Government is giving political and material support to the Israeli government in a conflict that is inflicting death and suffering on the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank. Last night, Abu Chowdhury, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said councillors fully understood the concerns within the community but he insisted the implementation of the Prevent programme replicated best practices seen in several boroughs across the city. He added that those with concerns were welcome to raise them with the council directly. One local councillor expressed fears about the petition and its timing. They warned it might inflame an already tense situation in the borough over the Gaza-Israeli conflict and anti-Semitic feeling. A former Colorado Sheriff's Deputy led a double life that saw him fake a bout with cancer to solicit cash from family and friends, it is claimed. Now-fired and being held in jail, ex-El Paso County deputy Kevin Sypher, 57, was arrested in March over the alleged offense, after wedding a second wife in March 2023 while still married to his first. He was reported missing twice last year, as cops say he mercilessly conned friends, family members and coworkers into giving him thousands of dollars in donations. He instead spent the money on jewelry, vacations, and food, an arrest affidavit alleged - purchasing his second wife an engagement ring after already wedding another woman in California. Sypher is facing charges of theft, charitable fraud, and official misconduct, as his ex-colleagues continue to probe the extent of his alleged crimes. He was fired in August 2023. Scroll down for video: ex-El Paso County deputy Kevin Sypher, 57, was arrested in March over the alleged offense, after wedding a second wife in March 2023 while still married to his first. He was reported missing twice last year, as cops say he mercilessly conned friends, family members and coworkers into giving him thousands of dollars in donations 'while living a double life' 'This is an active ongoing investigation and further details will not be disclosed at this time,' a statement from the El Paso County Sheriff's this week read, as Sypher remained at the Teller County Jail. An arrest affidavit tells the rest of the story - and how Sypher, who began working Sheriff's Office in 2009 as a volunteer, allegedly duped colleagues and close friends alike to get what he wanted. The documents describe how he allegedly defrauded his co-workers of $20,300 between March 2022 and March 2023, when he told at least seven of them that he had stomach cancer and was in the midst of a messy divorce. His wife, he claimed, was jealous of a new relationship he had, and served him divorce papers while freezing his assets as a result. The documents go on to allege that told colleagues he was unable to afford housing, food, or gas, before being terminated when he did not show up for work and ran out of paid time off in August 2023. Most recently, he worked in the office's Criminal Investigations Division, for a force that has some 541 sworn officers. He primarily worked at the county jail until a month before his abrupt departure. On March 7, Sypher began a planned leave from work for a medical procedure that investigators later learned had nothing to do with his non-existent cancer. He instead spent the money on jewelry, vacations, and food, an arrest affidavit alleged - purchasing his second wife an engagement ring after already wedding another woman in California . Sypher had worked in the office's Criminal Investigations Division, for a force that has some 541 sworn officers. He primarily worked at the county jail (pictured) until a month before his abrupt departure, after which he was fired for not turning up to work Before they discerned that, however, Sypher asked for additional leave to recover, spurring staff to reach out to his doctor, officers wrote. The doctor responded by telling them that he had not seen Sypher since a checkup scheduled for two weeks after the procedure the deputy described, while revealing he made no restrictions for him to return to work. Not long after, on April 27, 2023, Sypher's newly minted second wife, fellow Colorado cop Sara Clay, reported him missing from their Parker home, the affidavit states. She reported he had walked away from the home carrying trash bags , spurring a search where the only lead was grainy surveillance footage of the deputy doing just that. She told investigators he left his wallet on the bed and had signed his car's title over to her daughter, a month after marrying in March. The day before his approved leave, another colleague of Sypher's filed a formal complaint about him to Internal Affairs - after Sypher allegedly emailed and texted him to ask for help with a crisis negotiation training scenario. The documents allege the man agreed - since Sypher was a deputy sheriff and taught classes on the subject of crisis negotiation. on April 27, 2023, Sypher's then newly minted second wife, fellow Colorado cop Sara Clay, reported him missing from their Parker home, the affidavit states. She reported he had walked away from the home carrying trash bags This a search where the only lead was grainy surveillance footage above, after which officers honed in on his alleged antics The colleague recalled to investigators how on March 6, 2023, Sypher emailed him a script, disclaiming that he'd be getting a call from a woman named Sara who would be playing the role of his wife. During the ensuing phone call, Sypher allegedly had the colleague tell his wife he had 'five stromal tumors localized near the pancreas,' and was scheduled for surgery tomorrow. The colleague said he reported the incident because Sypher used his official capacity to 'mislead him', believing he was participating in a legitimate crisis call scenario. The unnamed officer also claimed the call could 'potentially compromise his physician licensing and integrity' as a Colorado law enforcement officer, leading Internal Affairs began investigating Sypher. Meanwhile, Sypher was already married to another woman in California - a Jody Sypher, according to the official court documents. The affidavit described how he had his paycheck deposited into their joint account each month, and how one colleague who thought the two were divorced called her out of respect when Sypher went missing last April. Sypher is facing charges of theft, charitable fraud, and official misconduct, as his ex-colleagues continue to probe the extent of his alleged crimes. He was fired in August 2023 Investigators found that the former sheriff's deputy used the donations from falsely claiming he had cancer to pay for a trip to Florida, go out to dinner, buy items at Amazon and Home Depot This led him learn the two were still married, and that she was planning to come to Colorado to search for him, the document states. Investigators soon found that the former sheriff's deputy used the donations to 'live a double life,' paying for a trip to Florida, going out to dinner, buying items at Amazon and Home Depot and even purchasing his second wife an engagement ring. When interviewed, his second wife - who worked with Sypher - told investigators she believed Sypher had persuaded her to marry him as one of his 'last dying wishes'. She later filed to have the marriage invalidated. Sypher married her just one month before disappearing, during which the deputy swore under oath that he was not married, cops wrote. He also told colleagues he didn't know how he'd afford the wedding, investigators claimed - in what they alleged was fishing expedition for more money. They go on to recall that Clay told investigators she paid for the wedding herself and that Sypher took an envelope of money full of cash the two received as wedding gifts right before he disappeared from their Parker home last April. He turned up days later at a hotel in Greenwood, Colorado. The affidavit described how he had his paycheck deposited into their joint account each month, and how one colleague who thought the two were divorced called her out of respect when Sypher went missing last April. He turned up days later at a hotel in Greenwood, CO The internal affairs (IA) investigation into Sypher began a month earlier, in March 2023, after the doctor call. Between March 2022 and March 2023, Sypher allegedly stole more than $20,000 in cash - None of which went to pay for cancer treatments or living expenses. His next court date is slated for June. DailyMail.com has reached out to Clay for comment. China says it was Australia's intrusion into military training exercises that triggered an incident in which flares were dropped in front of a Navy helicopter, forcing it to take evasive action. The Australian government has said the Chinese J-10 jet launched the flares directly ahead of the Seahawk helicopter, slamming the actions as unprofessional and unsafe. But China's Ministry of National Defence spokesman Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang said HMAS Hobart sent the helicopter up three times to conduct 'close-in reconnaissance and disturb the normal training activities of the Chinese side'. China responded with a 'vocal warning' before taking 'legitimate, reasonable, professional, and safe operations to expel it', he added in a statement late on Tuesday Beijing time. China's Ministry of National Defence spokesman Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang (pictured) said the Australian naval helicopter was there to spy on China and disturb their 'normal training activities' The HMAS Hobart (pictured at its home port in Sydney) was in the Yellow Sea enforcing United Nations sanctions against North Korea 'We urge the Australian side to truly respect China's sovereignty and security concerns, cease spreading false narratives, strictly constrain the operations of its naval and air forces, stop all dangerous provocations, and avoid undermining the overall relationship between the two countries and the two militaries,' he said. But Australian naval expert Jennifer Parker disputed the claim, saying defence was unlikely to send a helicopter to monitor drills when satellite-based capabilities would be more effective. 'It would be highly unlikely for an Australian ship helicopter to provoke China like this during a naval exercise for limited to no benefits,' she told the ABC. The flares were dropped about 300 metres in front of the chopper and about 60 metres above it. The helicopter was unaffected and all the crew were safe after it took evasive action. China's foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian initially condemned Australia's actions as a 'provocative move' before the defence spokesman made his statement. After the incident took place, China's foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian called Australia's actions a 'provocative move' There is 'no evidence' to support China's claims, opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said. 'Even if we were in - hypothetically - China's exclusive economic zone, this would still be an utterly unacceptable, intimidatory and coercive thing to do and we would never accept it,' he told Sky News on Thursday. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has not directly responded to the spying claims, but has said there was 'no question' that defence was operating in international waters and airspace. Australia has also said the navy aircraft was taking a routine flight and operating from HMAS Hobart in the Yellow Sea, as part of an international effort to enforce United Nations sanctions on North Korea, when the incident took place about 7.30pm on Saturday. HMAS Hobart is a guided missile destroyer and carries a helicopter for surveillance and to support key warfare areas, according to the Navy website. In November, Australian navy divers from HMAS Toowoomba were injured after a Chinese warship issued sonar pulses. Two young owners of a small business who went door-knocking to find new customers were later shocked to discover they had been falsely accused of robbing a home. Blake Hammersley, 20 and Cade Conroy, 21 were canvassing locals in Newport, north of Brisbane, on Wednesday afternoon to drum up interest in their solar power business. The entrepreneurs run SolarShield Australia, a tier 1 solar provider who install solar panels on homes, which they set up in October last year. They were stunned when images of them door-knocking were posted on a Facebook page on which they were labelled as thieves. Young businessman Cade Conroy (left) and Blake Hammersley (right) who went door-knocking in Newport last week in a bid to find new customers, were falsely accused of robbing a home The footage showed Mr Hammersley wearing a dark coloured t-shirt, black shorts and a pair of Birkenstock sandals. Mr Conroy was dressed in a long-sleeve shirt, black shorts and a pair of brown work boots as the pair were captured walking up a driveway to greet a homeowner. Those images were posted along with unrelated security footage of a home invasion which happened around two kilometers away on Friday, that showed a group of hooded men entering a property and peering into cars parked on the driveway. Mr Hammersley told Daily Mail Australia that they were told about the images by an ex-manager from their apprenticeship days and some friends who spotted the pictures online. 'It was pretty shocking,' he said. 'It went up on the major crime ones (Facebook pages). It's pretty crazy how it spread like wildfire.' Images of Mr Hammersley and Mr Conroy (pictured) quickly circulated on Facebook, with social media users falsely accusing the pair of allegedly committing a home invasion The young entrepreneurs (pictured) run a small business called SolarShield Australia, that specialises in installing solar panels for homes The colleagues were linked to the robbery by social media amateur 'detectives' because the Birkenstocks worn by Mr Hammersley were similar to a pair of slides worn by one of the alleged thieves. Soon, the images of the businessman were reposted onto several other Facebook groups. 'We know these guys did it,' one person wrote. 'We need to get and ID on them. I'd like my car back.' Mr Hammersley and Mr Conroy quickly visited a police station to let the cops know they had nothing to do with the break and enter. 'The [officer] advised us to message the [Facebook] groups and told us to tell them to take the pictures down as well,' Mr Hammersley. Officers were able to verify their activities by tracing their exact location using a navigation mobile app called Waze. Mr Hammersley said he wasn't sure why the victim of the alleged home invasion, didn't try to identify the young business owners if he believed they were responsible for the alleged robbery. 'It's just crazy that we were in a completely different location and he's happened to match us over a pair of shoes, he said. Social media users incorrectly connected a pair of Birkenstocks worn by Mr Hammersley to a pair of slides worn by one of the alleged thieves (pictured) Mr Hammersley said the false accusations could have affected their business if they went unchallenged. 'We're definitely not going back to Redcliffe (to go door-knocking) for a while,' he said. 'It's definitely made it a bit murky waters because now when we're going out and testing our pitches, it just makes it a bit harder because in the back of [the minds of people] they've still got a subconscious image of us being painted to that action.' Peter Olsen, the victim of the robbery, expressed his remorse after Mr Conroy and Mr Hammersley were incorrectly identified as the alleged thieves. 'Pretty unfortunate coincidence,' he told 7 news. University chiefs will be told in an emergency meeting with Rishi Sunak today that they must report illegal harassment of Jewish students to police. The Prime Minister will tell vice-chancellors they must fulfil their duty of care as pro-Palestine protests intensify on campuses. It comes after footage emerged of protesters tearing an Israeli flag from a Jewish student and shoving him at a Cambridge University rally. And yesterday there were calls for Oxford University's head of equality to stand down for openly supporting protesters at his university. The Prime Minister will tell vice-chancellors they must fulfil their duty of care as pro-Palestine protests intensify on campuses Yesterday there were calls for Oxford University's head of equality to stand down for openly supporting protesters at his university. Pictured: a passerby wearing a kippa pushes his bicycle past a banner at the Oxford University protest Universities will be told that while they have a duty to allow free speech, they must ensure a 'zero-tolerance approach' to anti-semitic abuse. It is understood ministers are increasingly worried the largely peaceful protests in the UK could turn violent, as in the US. Mr Sunak said: 'Universities should be places of rigorous debate but also bastions of tolerance and respect for every member of their community. 'A vocal minority on our campuses are disrupting the lives and studies of their fellow students and, in some cases, propagating outright harassment and anti-semitic abuse. That has to stop.' Former security adviser expects Trump to visit Pyongyang to leave political legacy By Lee Hyo-jin The U.S. presidential election is six months away. U.S. allies worldwide, including South Korea, are closely monitoring the race, which appears to be a tight contest between the incumbent President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump. The potential return of Trump, who perceives many U.S. allies as "free-riding" on its military power, adds an extra layer of concern for South Korea. In particular, given the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's focus on strengthening its alliance with Washington and extended deterrence against North Korean threats, the return of Trump could force South Korea to recalibrate its diplomatic strategies. In light of these pressing issues, The Korea Times sat down with Moon Chung-in, former special adviser for foreign affairs and national security during the previous Moon Jae-in government, Tuesday, to discuss the implications of the U.S. presidential election and foreign policy of the Yoon administration. Below are excerpts from the interview. It has been edited for brevity and clarity. Q: If Trump were to be re-elected, what would his approach be toward North Korea? Would we witness another Trump-Kim bromance? A: In a potential second term, Trump will prioritize solidifying his political legacy. His foreign policies would be greatly influenced by media attention and personal ego, as he values how history will remember him. Striking a "big deal" with Pyongyang and contributing to peace on the Korean Peninsula could serve as a pathway to fulfilling such an ambition, potentially earning him a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. While resolving the war in Ukraine or the Gaza crisis could also enhance his Nobel Prize prospects, negotiations with North Korea are likely to be a key agenda for Trump. In that sense, Trump will actively engage North Korea, potentially even considering a visit to Pyongyang for a summit with Kim Jong-un, where Trump could present surprising offers. However, the success of such endeavors ultimately depends on Kim's response. Q: What would Kim want from Trump? And considering that their previous attempts did not yield favorable results, does that mean they will have to start from square one? A: Kim has little to lose by fostering a close relationship with Trump, as showcasing friendship with a global leader sends a powerful message both domestically and internationally. However, the problem is that Kim's trust in Trump was shattered when the former president did not keep his promise made during the Panmunjeom summit in June 2019. To mend that fractured trust, Trump would need to extend significant overtures this time. This could include pledges on immediate sanctions relief that would visibly improve North Korea's economy, followed by the normalization of bilateral relations between Pyongyang and Washington. Additionally, Trump might propose halting joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, or even reducing the number of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) troops. In exchange, he could seek commitments from North Korea to cease nuclear and missile activities, along with a gradual reduction of its nuclear arsenal. Q: There are concerns here that the potential return of Trump could result in a weakened South Korea-U.S. alliance. Would his return be a curse or a blessing for South Korea? A: It would be both. It could prove to be a curse for the conservatives in Seoul, while progressives might see it as a chance for blessing. For conservatives, there are concerns that Trump could use the presence of USFK as a bargaining chip in negotiations over a defense cost-sharing deal. Such a move could potentially weaken the longstanding South Korea-U.S. alliance. Also, under Trump, there's a significant possibility of decreased trilateral cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo, along with a weakened U.S. security commitment to South Korea. This scenario could create a power vacuum on the Korean Peninsula, heightening the risks of war in the region. On the other hand, progressives could leverage Trump's eagerness to engage North Korea, if they play their cards right. His desire to establish a political legacy might open the door to unexpected breakthroughs in inter-Korean relations. Trump's potential initiatives, such as pursuing a reduction of USFK forces and halting the deployment of U.S. strategic assets, could become useful cards for progressives in agendas such as an end-of-war declaration. This could potentially pave the way for them to form a new security architecture in the North Asian region led by South Korea. Q. There is a lot of talk about the scenario of Trump's re-election. But what if Biden wins the race? Do you think he might readjust North Korea policies? A. I don't foresee any significant changes coming from Team Biden. His security advisers maintain a traditional approach toward North Korea, focusing on status-quo management. Their aim is to avoid provoking Pyongyang, while also refraining from pursuing major diplomatic negotiations. So their strategy involves maintaining deterrence, while keeping the door open for dialogue. However, in response to criticism that the Biden administration has placed the North Korean issue on the back burner, some U.S. officials have recently floated the idea of so-called "interim steps" to revive dialogue with the North. But this suggestion was apparently rejected by the South Korean government. Nevertheless, if Biden secures another term, this agenda may be pushed further by his administration. But it would still be difficult to get a positive response from the North, especially considering the virtual absence of direct communication channels between Washington and Pyongyang. There may be a need for assistance from either Russia or China, but the likelihood of this is very low. Q. How would you evaluate the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's North Korea policies? How about the Biden administration? A. The Yoon government views North Korea as a weak nation, even though it possesses nuclear weapons, and sees it as a regime on the brink of collapse. Consequently, they believe that applying maximum pressure both militarily and economically would compel North Korea to either surrender or collapse. However, such a belief is flawed. There is no reason to anticipate North Korea's immediate collapse. The ineffectiveness of economic sanctions have been proven. North Korea's economy, thanks to support from China and Russia, is not as weak as we think. Specifically, we should consider the strengthening partnership between North Korea and Russia. For Russia, providing food and energy to support 20 million North Koreans is a relatively minor effort. Q. What do you think about the deterrence strategy employed by South Korea and the U.S.? Has it proven to be effective? A. The deterrence strategy employed by South Korea and the U.S., ostensibly aimed at altering North Korea's behavior, has instead provoked further aggression from the North, escalating the risk of war. The U.S. treatment of China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran as an axis of evil has solidified their relationships on the contrary. Such development will help North Korea find ways to survive more easily. For example, crises in Ukraine or the Middle East could unexpectedly provide North Korea with a lifeline. In that sense, the current North Korea policies adopted by the government are not achieving anything; they are only making things worse. I believe the South Korean government should consider various aspects of the rapidly changing international environment, where its policies may not always be effective. Q. Let's talk about another important neighbor of South Korea Russia. Diplomatic relations with Russia remain tense. Moscow has warned Seoul not to cross certain redlines. What do you think these redlines are? A. From Russia's perspective, providing lethal weapons to Ukraine would certainly cross the red line. If South Korea were to do so, it would be considered an enemy state by Russia. Additionally, with President Vladimir Putin expected to visit Pyongyang soon, any interference regarding Moscow's partnership with North Korea would also be viewed unfavorably. Russia's official stance is clear: exchanges with North Korea should focus on providing daily necessities and support for the energy sector, not transferring technology that could threaten South Korea's security. Russia is also concerned about Seouls unilateral and multilateral sanctions. Q. What about China? Do you believe that an upcoming trilateral summit between South Korea, China and Japan can serve as a breakthrough in strained Seoul-Beijing ties? A. China has two expilict redlines. One is the Taiwan issue, and the other trilateral military cooperation with Japan and the U.S. that threatens Chinas core interests. The trilateral summit is likely to take place soon, but it's doubtful that China would see significant benefits from the trilateral talks. Instead, it may perceive South Korea and Japan as forming a united front against it. For instance, discussions on environmental issues might involve China's discontent about Japan's release of wastewater from Fukushima, which South Korea has found little problem with. In the economic security realm, both South Korea and Japan have joined the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), a U.S.-led initiative that excludes China from the global supply chain. Regarding people-to-people exchanges, the scale of interaction between South Korea and Japan is much larger than that between Seoul and Beijing or Tokyo and Beijing. The publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday has filed a 'trenchant defence of its journalism' against claims of phone hacking brought by Prince Harry, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sir Simon Hughes and others. In papers submitted to the High Court, Associated Newspapers denied under oath that its journalists had commissioned or obtained information derived from phone hacking, phone tapping, bugging, computer or email hacking or burglary to order. Associated Newspapers vowed to contest the 'preposterous' and unfounded allegations made by the group, which also includes Sir Elton John, his husband David Furnish, and actresses Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost. Their cases were all lodged in October 2022 and remain at an early stage. The Duke of Sussex and Baroness Lawrence the mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence allege they were targeted by private investigators. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex departs The Invictus Games Foundation 10th Anniversary Service at St Paul's Cathedral yesterday The publisher has now submitted its defences to the claims to the High Court, and said in a statement: 'Associated Newspapers has filed a trenchant defence of its journalism against claims of phone-hacking brought by Prince Harry, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Sir Simon Hughes and a number of showbusiness celebrities. 'In papers submitted to the High Court, the publisher of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday denied under oath that its journalists had commissioned or obtained information derived from phone hacking, phone tapping, bugging, computer or email hacking or burglary to order. 'Associated also denied claims made by Prince Harry and Baroness Lawrence that it commissioned private investigators Gavin Burrows and Jonathan Rees, as well as claims by Sir Simon Hughes that it commissioned convicted phone hacker Glenn Mulcaire. 'Indeed, it is highly significant that Gavin Burrows has retracted a statement he allegedly gave to the claimants, on which their case appears to be based. 'The publisher stands by its previous statements that the claims are preposterous and without foundation, and says in its defence submission that the case brought by the prince and others is 'an affront to the hard-working journalists whose reputations and integrity, as well as those of Associated itself, are wrongly traduced'. 'It says that the stories concerned, many of which were published 20 or more years ago, and not subject to any complaint at the time, were the product of responsible journalism based on legitimate sources.' The sudden resignation of Miss Teen USA has prompted calls from former contestants to release former Utah representative Noelia Voigt of her NDA with the organization. In response to both resignations, former Miss USA titleholders released a joint statement, which was posted by Miss Wisconsin USA 2023 Alexis Loomans on her Instagram, demanding that Voigt be released from her non-disclosure agreement 'so that she is free to speak on her experiences and time as Miss USA.' The statement, which claimed to speak on behalf of 'the majority of the members of the Miss USA class of 2023,' spoke in support of Voigt's decision to leave the organization for the sake of her wellbeing. 'Our goal is to give Noelia her voice back. We are asking for full transparency for contestants in the class of 2024 and beyond.' The statement also demanded a response from the Miss USA organization within 24 hours. The sudden resignation of Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava (pictured) has prompted calls from former contestants to release former Utah representative Noelia Voigt of her NDA with the organization The joint statement from the Miss USA 2023 contestants demanded that Voigt (far right) be released from the confidentiality NDA clause of her contract 'so that she is free to speak on her experiences and time as Miss USA' (Pictured: Srivastava (left) and Voigt (right) celebrating the nonprofit Smile Train at Kendra Scott in NYC) The joint statement (picture) demanded a response from the Miss USA organization within 24 hours Just two days after Noigt gave up her title as the Miss USA representative, Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava announced her resignation in an Instagram post, which looked eerily similar to Noigt's. 'After careful consideration, I've decided to resign as I find that my personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization,' her statement read. The caption of the statement read, 'While this was certainly not how I saw my reign coming to a close, I am excited to continue my advocacy for education and acceptance, start applying to colleges, and share some exciting new projects Noigt announced her departure from the organization in an Instagram post Monday, citing her decision to prioritize her mental and physical wellbeing. 'In life, I strongly value the importance of making decisions that feel best for you and your mental health,' she wrote. 'My journey as Miss USA has been incredibly meaningful, representing Utah with pride, and later the USA at Miss Universe. Sadly, I have made the very tough decision to resign from the title of Miss USA 2023.' Users in the comments were quick to point out that the first letter of each sentence in Voigt's message spelled out 'I AM SILENCED,' insinuating that there was more to the story than the former pageant queen was allowed to say. Voigt was awarded the title last September after campaigning on messages of anti-bullying, dating violence awareness and immigration reform. She was the first Venezuelan-American woman to win the pageant. 'I realize this may come as a large shock to many,' Voigt captioned the post. 'Never compromise your physical and mental well-being.' Her announcement came just days after she appeared at the Kentucky Derby wearing a dress from Sherri Hill, a brand she has worked with extensively in the past. Miss USA is a national beauty pageant that selects the entrant from the United States in the Miss Universe pageant. It has been held every year since 1952. Shortly after Voigt's announcement, the Miss USA Organization released its own statement on social media. 'After careful consideration, I've decided to resign as I find that my personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization,' Srivastava's statement (pictured) read Voigt (pictured) announced her departure from the organization in an Instagram post Monday, citing her decision to prioritize her mental and physical wellbeing Users in the comments of were quick to point out that the first letter of each sentence in Voigt's (pictured) message spelled out 'I AM SILENCED,' insinuating that there was more to the story than the former pageant queen was allowed to say 'Thank you, Noelia, for your service as Miss USA. We wish you the best in this next chapter,' the statement began. 'We respect and support former Miss USA Noelia Voigt's 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.' The organization added it has begun the process of transferring Voigt's responsibilities to a successor. TfL staff have been criticised for their inaction when a tube train filled with smoke - causing panicked passengers to smash their way out of the carriages themselves. Builders with hammers smashed a tube carriage's windows on Friday, May 5, last year, after the train filled with smoke and passengers were left trapped after the 'doors wouldn't open'. A report released on Wednesday by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) also said lessons had not been learned from a similar incident a decade earlier at Holland Park in 2013. During the incident last year, around 500 people had escaped the train by the time firefighters arrived and confirmed there was not a fire. At the time, British Transport Police said the issue with the train was caused by 'brake dust, which can often be confused with burning'. Footage from Clapham Common underground station showed passengers rammed against the doors as people on the outside tried to pry them open at around 5.50pm. Tech sales worker Jake Sharp, 32, was on his way to see friends in central London when he saw the carnage unfold and told MailOnline at the time that TfL staff's response was 'horrific'. The RAIB's report found that passengers 'perceived a significant risk from fire' and started to get 'increasingly alarmed when the doors remained closed'. Trapped commuters on a London tube smashed the glass to escape a train at Clapham Common tube station this evening Footage from Clapham Common tube station showed passengers rammed against the doors as people on the outside tried to pry them open A workman smashed the window of the tube carriage from the outside to help people escape Footage showed the moment a sheet of glass collapsed as passengers made a desperate bid to escape It added that commuters 'did not receive suitable information or see any effective action from London Underground staff'. TfL workers, it said, had not been given 'procedures or training needed to effectively identify and manage incidents where passenger behaviour can rapidly escalate'. Last year, Mr Sharp told MailOnline: 'There was a smell of smoke on the train, the train went down about five carriages into the tunnel and stopped, the train on the opposite side pulled in and people were running to get off the platform. 'The whole time the carriages were filling with smoke and the doors did not or would not open and when we tried to open them they only opened maybe 10cm. 'Thanks to the workman on the platform on their way home they had hammers and other tools to smash all the windows for everyone to get out. '[There was] no response from station staff at all even with everyone's screams for help.' He added: 'TfL should be ashamed! The response from station staff was horrific!' After the chaos, the carriages were seen with pieces hanging out of the smashed windows and dust on the side A mangled sheet of glass was strewn on the floor and pieces of shattered glass scattered the floor Andrew Hall, the RAIB's chief inspector of rail accidents, said: 'Out-of-course events can rapidly escalate into emergencies if not responded to promptly and effectively. 'During this incident staff didn't fully appreciate the emerging safety risk when passengers' behaviour began to escalate as they became increasingly anxious. 'When passengers did not receive suitable information about the nature of the incident and the actions they should take, nor see action they would have expected to be taken, they turned to desperate measures to self-evacuate. 'RAIB investigated a similar incident at Holland Park in 2013... However, it was subsequently removed from the training syllabus and since then knowledge of the lessons learnt may well have begun to fade.' Nick Dent, London Underground's director of customer operations, said: 'I would like to apologise again for the distress this incident caused to customers at Clapham Common and would like to reassure Londoners that we are continuing to do all we can to ensure the safety of everyone on the Tube. 'Our commitment to safety is at the heart of everything we do, and our staff work hard to keep our customers safe in sometimes challenging circumstances. 'We welcome any opportunities to learn lessons from incidents on our network and, following our own investigation last year, we are already making good progress on the recommendations from the RAIB. This includes changes to our training, which will be in place in the coming weeks.' A man has been found dead behind a church on the Gold Coast. The 45-year-old was discovered at The River Church in Broadbeach at 9am on Thursday. Emergency services were called to the scene and declared the man dead on arrival. He is understood to have been homeless. A Queensland Police spokeswoman said officers were investigating the incident. A man has been found dead at the back of a church on the Gold Coast (stock image) The death is not being treated as suspicious. 'Police are at the scene of an incident at Monaco St in Broadbeach,' the spokeswoman said. 'At approximately 9am an unconscious man was found at the back of a business premises. 'Emergency services attended and he was declared deceased at the scene. 'Investigations are continuing however it is being treated as a non suspicious death.' Former rugby league star and convicted wife killer Chris Dawson will begin an appeal against his conviction when he faces the NSW Supreme Court on Monday. Dawson has been jailed since August 2022 when he was found guilty of murdering his wife Lynette, who vanished from their Bayview home on Sydney's northern beaches in January 1982. The former Newtown Jets rugby league player and school teacher was sentenced to 24 years in prison after Supreme Court judge Ian Harrison found him guilty of murdering his wife in order to have a relationship with a young student, known as JC. Lynette Simms' body has never been found and she has never contacted her friends or family, including her two children, but Dawson was convicted on the circumstantial evidence. Former rugby league star and convicted wife killer Chris Dawson will appear in the state's highest court on Monday in a bid to be freed from jail Dawson has been in jail since August 2022 when he was found guilty of murdering his wife Lynette, who vanished without a trace from their Bayview home on Sydney 's northern beaches in January 1982 Dawson, now 75, has launched an appeal against his conviction, with his lawyers describing the verdict as 'unreasonable' and 'unable to be supported' by the evidence. Ms Simms was last seen on Friday, January 8, 1982 and her last known contact came when she spoke to her mother Helena Simms on a phone call that evening. During a 1991 police interview, which was played during his trial, Dawson told detectives that he dropped off his wife at a Mona Vale bus stop and she was supposed to meet him later that afternoon at the Northbridge Baths, where he worked as a part-time lifeguard. However she never arrived. Dawson told police that while at work he received an STD phone call (interstate call) from his wife saying that she needed time away and during subsequent phone conversations told him she would not return to their family home. The case was scheduled to be briefly mentioned in court on Thursday before it was vacated, however it will still be the subject of a three-day hearing before the Court of Criminal Appeal starting at 10.15am on Monday morning. Mr Dawson, now 75, has launched an appeal against his conviction, with his lawyers describing the verdict as 'unreasonable' and 'unable to be supported' by the evidence In a Ground of Appeal filed with the court, Dawson's lawyers argue that he was subject to a 'significant forensic disadvantage' because of the four decades between Lynette's disappearance and the trial, meaning evidence had been lost and key witnesses were no longer available. Several witnesses, including Phillip Day, had died in the nearly four decades between Ms Simms' disappearance and the Dawson trial. Mr Day was present at the Northbridge Baths on the afternoon Ms Simms did not arrive to meet her family. Justice Harrison found that Dawson told several lies which evidenced his 'consciousness of guilt'. Justice Harrison, in his judgment, said that Dawson had lied about his relationship with JC, about wanting to resume his relationship with his wife and about receiving phone calls from her after her disappearance. Dawson's lawyers argue that Justice Harrison erred in his finding that the ex-teacher's alleged lies supported a finding of a 'consciousness of guilt'. During his judgment, Justice Harrison said the case against Dawson was circumstantial, however noted a guilty verdict was the only 'rational inference' he could draw As well, they argue that the verdict was 'unreasonable' and not supported by the evidence. They say that there was 'inadequate' evidence to prove that Ms Dawson was not alive after January 9, 1982. During his judgment, Justice Harrison acknowledged the case against Dawson was circumstantial but a guilty verdict was the only 'rational inference' he could draw. Justice Harrison found that Dawson had a 'possessive infatuation' with the family's babysitter JC, who moved into his Bayview home after Lynette disappeared. Dawson was found to have killed his wife just weeks after he had unsuccessfully attempted to run off with the teenage babysitter to start a new life in Queensland. Dawson was sentenced to 24 years in jail with an 18-year non-parole period. Last year, Dawson was also convicted of one count of carnal knowledge after a judge found he engaged in sexual activities with one of his 16-year-old students at a Sydney high school in 1980. He was sentenced by Judge Sarah Huggett to three years in jail and had one year added onto his non-parole period. A tradesman has been accused of stealing packs of meat worth $12,000 from supermarket shelves on more than two dozen occasions - but some say the big chains have brought rising theft levels on themselves. The alleged thief was recently captured on CCTV taking cuts of premium meat, including Wagyu beef, at a Drakes supermarket in South Australia. The CCTV footage captured the moment the man - wearing a bright orange hi-vis jacket - placed the meat packs inside his cooler bag. A man wearing a high-vis jacket (pictured) is alleged to have stolen expensive cuts of meat to the value of $12,000 more than 27 times He later slowly walked past the supermarket checkout without paying. The alleged thief has been accused of carrying out such thefts a whopping 27 times from the supermarket. Director of Drakes Supermarkets, John Paul Drake, said the company has installed GPS trackers onto its meat products to discourage people stealing the expensive items. 'We know these products aren't going to people in need, people in need don't need Wagyu or Angus pure beef to have on their tables,' he told A Current Affair. A spokesperson for South Australia Police told Daily Mail Australia that officers are currently investigating the alleged theft. The man has allegedly stolen dozens of packs of expensive meat (pictured) before walking out without paying, as captured on CCTV Director of Drakes Supermarkets John Paul Drake (pictured, centre) said the company has been forced to install GPS trackers to curb meat theft Data by Auror, a platform that provides retailers with technology solutions to reduce the number of products that are stolen, found that more than 67,000 incidents of stolen meat were recorded last year. Beef is the most commonly stolen item followed by chicken, lamb, and pork. 'Meat is the number one choice that the [thieves] are going after,' Mr Drake said. While some are stealing for themselves, there have been reports of people selling on the premium meat cuts to restaurants. Mr Drake has uploaded several videos on social media identifying alleged thieves who have been caught on CCTV cameras stealing meat. He confronted one man in a Drakes supermarket store in Adelaide who attempted to allegedly walk out of the store without paying. 'I said, look mate I know things are tough out there but this is not the place to walk out with products like this.' Mr Drake said he confronted one man who allegedly trying to steal packets of meat at a store in Adelaide. Beef is the most popular meat item stolen from supermarkets (pictured) However online reaction to footage of the stealing tradie indicated many thought the supermarkets had contributed to the impetus for theft. 'Lot's of people struggle to feed themselves while places like ww (Woolworths) pay their CEOs around $10million a year,' one shopper said. 'I don't even consider a freebie here and there as stealing.' 'Stop charging ridiculous amounts of money. If that stock wasn't [allegedly] stolen it would be thrown out like everything else,' another person wrote. 'Woolworths $1.74billion in profit last year! Who's ripping off who in these situations?' While much of the anger was directed at Coles and Woolworths, one commenter claimed Drakes - where the CCTV was captured - 'are the same... just on a smaller scale'. Mr Drake said stolen packs of Wagyu beef costs the supermarket chain up to $12million a year. Two Drakes South Australian stores installed GPS trackers on their meat products last month - the first supermarkets in Australia to utilise the technology. The GPS tracks the items once they leave the store and provides retailers with data they can share with police. Drakes is understood to be considering a move to use the technology across all of 67 of its stores across South Australia and Queensland. Earlier this year he Albanese government initiated an ACCC inquiry into the sector to review supermarket prices. The review was ordered following allegations of price gouging by the major supermarket chains. This week a Greens-led Senate Select Committee on Supermarket Prices also recommended making price gouging illegal, as well as introducing new laws allowing the break up of Australias supermarket duopoly. Instagram bully Katherine Asplundh has shut down her account as users join forces to claim every available variation of her desired username. The influencer, whose maiden name was Driscoll, married Cabot Asplundh, 27, of the Pennsylvania billionaire tree trimming family at a reception in Palm Beach, Florida, two weeks ago. She went viral after aggressively messaging a stranger who shares her married name, demanding she hand over her Instagram handle - @katherineasplundh. The exchange has prompted netizens to take the other Katherine's side, creating dozens of fake accounts with various spellings of the billionaire's wife's name, claiming every possible username option that includes either her maiden or married name. After her threatening DM conversation was leaked, Katherine deactivated her Instagram amid the backlash. She had 14,600 followers. The internet has trolled a billionaire's new wife Katherine Asplundh, formerly Driscoll, by claiming nearly every available variation of her desired username after she tried bullying a stranger into selling her Instagram handle The exchange has prompted netizens to take the other Katherine's side, creating dozens of fake accounts with various spellings of the billionaire's wife's name, ultimately taking away every possible username option that includes either her maiden or married name Despite the negative attention, Katherine has continued to post on her TikTok account @lostetiquette - a username that has nothing to do with her maiden or married name but everything to do with her sense of entitlement. Her most recent video was a throwback to her last wedding dress fitting before her lavish ceremony in April. As luck would have it, internet users dug up an old TikTok posted by Katherine, mocking new wives who can't wait to update their name on social media. 'Something that low key bothers me is when girls get married and it's not even like 10 minutes after they do their vows and they're like "Oh! going on my Instagram! Let me change my last name already,' Katherine said in a now-deleted TikTok. She then says she's 'probably going to wait a couple of months' to change her name. The wanna-be influencer has gone viral after she aggressively messaged a stranger who shares her married name and demanded she hand over her Instagram handle - @katherineasplundh. Pictured: One of the fake accounts made to Katherine could not claim a username, the bio quoting her text conversation in which she says, 'Don't you know who I am?' Pictured: One of the fake accounts taking another username so Katherine can't use it 'I just think it's a little bit a lot when I see girls change it before I even knew they were f***ing married, like chill,' Katherine ironically explained. Despite her rant about new wives, Katherine contacted Kate, owner of her desired IG handle asking if she could buy it, which is actually a violation of the platform's terms of service. Kate refused and explained how she feared selling the username would get her 'banned from Instagram'. This prompted Katherine to launch a tirade against her. Kate claims she was initially open to changing her username but decided against doing so after Katherine 'came off snarky,' later shared the exchange online. In the now-viral exchange, Katherine starts by asking if she can buy the Instagram handle. Despite the negative attention, Katherine (pictured) has continued to post on her TikTok account @lostetiquette - a username that has nothing to do with her maiden or married name Her most recent video was a throwback to her last wedding dress fitting before her ceremony in April After the happy couple exchanged vows, the new Asplundh reached out another woman of the same name in hopes of purchasing a new Instagram account name 'Hi I was wondering if I could purchase your username from you,' she wrote. 'Just got married and this in my new name!' Kate replied: 'That's my name too. I just googled and it said selling my username would get me banned from Instagram.' But Katherine pushes back, saying: 'I purchased my username in the past actually that's not true. Celebrities do it all the time that's how they all have their handles as their full names. 'So weird, I didn't know there was another Asplundh's family out there. There [are] no Katherine Asplundh in our family.' She then adds: 'I see that you're not that active on here but started Instagram in 2018 but changed your username three times? 'Is there anyway I can get you to change your username one more time?' In reaching out to the woman known only as Kate, who has since shared the messages on social media, the newlywed has unintentionally gone viral In reaching out to the woman known only as Kate, who has since shared the messages on social media, the newlywed has unintentionally gone viral Asplundh then continues to question the legitimacy of her name, who confirms she is not American Kate responds, explaining that the @katherineasplundh account is her so-called 'finsta', a term that refers to a 'fake' or secondary account that users create to share content just with close friends and family. The conversation then turns sour, with Katherine questioning Kate's identity. 'I actually don't believe that your name is Katherine Asplundh who would make their finsta their actual name?' Katherine wrote. 'I reported you to Instagram and they're actually able to tell me your real name I really hope I don't know you because that's gonna be really embarrassing for you.' Kate asks the influencer to report her, but Katherine confirms that she and her new husband have already done so. Just a few months ago, Katherine shared a TikTok where she mocked new wives who can't wait to update their name on social media Kate refused and explained how she feared selling the username would get her 'banned from Instagram' Katherine then continues to question the legitimacy of Kate's name, alleging that her husband's family are the only Asplundhs in the US. Kate confirms she is not American, to which Katherine replies: 'Do you have proof that this is your name? Would love to see that.' Kate then tells Katherine that if she had been nice about it, she would have considered giving her the account name for free. She hits back at the influencer, saying: 'But you weren't. I reported you for asking me to sell my account and another for harassing me. Have a good day.' Speaking to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Kate told the outlet: 'I was open to giving her my username. 'I just didnt want to sell it because that would get me banned. After I replied to her, her messages came off snarky so I told myself, "OK, this isnt worth it".' According to her social media pages, Katherine is originally from New Vernon, New Jersey, having studied at College of Charleston. Her TikTok page, named Lost Etiquette, has more than 80,000 followers with over 5.5 million likes on her profile. The family that she married into founded Asplundh Tree Expert, which in 2021 reported revenue of over $5.4 billion dollars. The tree trimming company was founded by three brothers from Sweden - Lester, Griffith and Cabot's great grandfather Carl Asplundh. Kate eventually tells Asplundh that if she had been nice about it, she would have considered giving her the account name for free Katherine is seen with her wedding party at her recent nuptials in Florida Cabot proposed to her in Mantoloking, New Jersey two years after they met The family that she married into founded Asplundh Tree Expert, which in 2021 reported revenue of over $5.4 billion dollars Cabot's father Chris Asplundh is currently the company's CEO. Katherine and Cabot met in Prague while Katherine was studying aboard and connected over growing up at the Jersey Shore, according to their wedding website. Two years later, Cabot proposed to her in Mantoloking, New Jersey. Cabot's father Chris Asplundh is the company's CEO Their extravagant wedding registry included a $600 blender and cash donations for their St Bart's honeymoon, as well as for furnishing their home. Former Senate candidate and celebrity surgeon Dr Mehmet Oz is part of the family by marriage, with his wife Lisa's grandfather cofounding the family business in 1928 with his two brothers. Celebrity fitness expert Tracy Anderson is also married into the family after she wed Chris Asplundh in 2015. The company, which maintains trees for electric utilities, municipalities and others, is run by the third generation of Asplundhs and owned by nearly 200 family members, who are collectively worth at least $3 billion, according to Forbes. Kate, who only told The Inquirer that her name was Katherine J. Asplundh, shared the exchange onto Reddit, telling the outlet: 'The whole thing just seemed silly and ridiculous to me. I thought theyd have a laugh and that would be it.' One user commented: 'Legitimately insane behavior "I don't believe that's your name" HUH?!?!.' Another posted: 'The pivot from hey girly to let me see your birth certificate gave me whiplash.' While another said: 'Omg this is crazy- she married into a billionaire family and is acting like theyre the only ones allowed to have that last name wtf.' The tree trimming company was founded by three brothers from Sweden - Lester, Griffith and Cabot's great grandfather Carl Asplundh Former Senate candidate and celebrity Dr Mehmet Oz is part of the family by marriage, with his wife Lisa's grandfather cofounding the family business in 1928 In posts about the wedding, Katherine described it as the 'best day' of her life, sharing pictures of the her in her dress. According to Instagram, users are forbidden from buying, selling, or transferring 'any aspect of your account'. Despite Instagram forbidding the buying, selling or transferring of 'any aspect of your account, an investigation by Vox found dedicated online marketplaces where it takes place. Social media handles are supposed to be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis but in some cases celebs have used their influence to pass these rules. In 2019, Kevin Keiley of West Sussex claimed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took his @sussexroyal handle. Instagram said that the account name being reassigned was due to Keiley's being inactive. The victim said he 'did not believe any of the other kids would see (the abuse)' The Wisconsin teacher accused of preying on an 11-year-old student allegedly moved his desk out of sight so she could rub his legs during class. Madison Bergmann, 24, was charged with first-degree sexual assault of a child under 13 after the victim's father reported her to River Crest Elementary School administrators and police. The fifth grader told investigators that Bergmann would rub his thigh and calves during independent reading time, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday in St. Croix District Court. Due to the position of his desk in her classroom, the boy 'did not believe any of the other kids would see it happening,' according to the complaint. The pre-teen told police that Bergmann kissed him several times in her classroom, either after school or while the other students were at lunch. Madison Bergmann, 24, faces one count of first-degree sexual assault of a child under 13. She is accused of abusing a student in her fifth-grade class Bergmann, pictured with her fiance, would allegedly rub the victim's thigh and calves during independent reading time The boy told police that due to the position of his desk in Bergmann's classroom at River Crest Elementary School, he did not believe other students could see the abuse Alarm was raised on April 29, when the boys mother overheard a phone call between Bergmann and the victim. His father confiscated his phone and discovered sexually charged text messages. In one text, Bergmann told the boy that she 'wanted to just grab (his) face and push (him) to the floor and make out with (him),' the complaint states. In another text, she allegedly wrote, 'I almost kissed you when you were on the ground today, but I got distracted by your stomach.' The complaint shows the child's father met with police and handed over copies of the text messages. Bergmann was no stranger to the victim's family, as they had gone on a ski trip together over winter break in 2023. She told police that she got the boys cell phone number at the time 'in case they somehow got separated in the ski hills,' and alleged he called her several times 'for no particular reason.' When police asked about the text messages, Bergmann 'asserted her right to counsel and the interview stopped,' according to the complaint. She was then arrested. The 11-year-old's father uncovered text messages between the teacher and his son, in which Bergmann said she 'wanted to just grab (his) face and push (him) to the floor and make out with (him)' The 24-year-old obtained the boy's cellphone number when she accompanied his family on a ski trip over winter break 2023 Bergmann was set to marry her fiance Sam Hickman in July, but the wedding has been postponed and their registry taken offline Investigators searched her backpack and discovered a folder emblazoned with the victims name that contained several handwritten letters. 'In her notes she tells him that she loves him, wants to kiss him, he turns her on, and that she is obsessed with him,' the complaint states. In one letter, Bergmann allegedly wrote, 'One of my cousins is in the 5th grade and I can't imagine a man talking to her how we talk. I know we have a special relationship and I do love you more than anyone in the world but I have to be the adult here and stop.' Police also spoke to the little boy, who 'made comments about really liking her, trusting her, feeling weird but also liking it,' according to the complaint. Following Bergmann's arrest, Hudson School District Superintendent Nick Oullette issued a statement to families. 'No Superintendent ever imagines standing before a group of parents with this news. As a leader of this school community, as a parent, this is gut-wrenching,' he wrote. 'I want you to know the School District is taking this very seriously. We care about each of you and your children.' He urged parents to be patient and 'please understand that there are things we simply cannot say given that the investigation is still ongoing'. The district also shared a timeline with the parents of fifth-grade students detailing how the administration responded once informed of the allegations on May 1. Around noon that day, the district learned that a parent was concerned about Bergmann's conduct. She was removed from the classroom at 12:37 pm, with the district contacting law enforcement roughly 10 minutes later. Bergmann was taken into custody the same day. By the end of the week she had been placed on unpaid administrative leave. The 24-year-old appeared in court and was released on an unsecured $25,000 bond ahead of a May 30 court date. Under the terms of her release, Bergmann can have no contact with anyone under 18 years of age. She is barred from school property and must wear an electronic monitoring device. Bergmann, originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, had been teaching at River View since August 2022 following her graduation from the University of Wisconsin River Falls. The 24-year-old was set to marry her fiance, Sam Hickman, in July, but the wedding has been indefinitely postponed. The couple's registry was also taken offline. Hickman works in operations at Little Free Library, a Minnesota-based nonprofit that manages book exchange boxes. His LinkedIn page was removed amid the fallout surrounding his soon-to-be bride. Two 'veteran substitute teachers' will oversee Bergmann's classroom for the remainder of the school year, according to the district. Hudson Schools is also conducting its own investigation to determine whether actions should be taken involving employee discipline and whether district policies should be reevaluated. Australia's former health minister has slammed state and territory leaders who implemented their own rules during Covid outside of national cabinet agreements. Greg Hunt, in a submission to the government's inquiry into the Covid-19 response, has called for a new national code that would require premiers and chief ministers to publish the medical advice they are acting on when making public health mandates. Mr Hunt urged the states to reaffirm their commitment to personal freedoms by agreeing to not make 'unilateral decisions made against national cabinet decisions unless there is signed medical advice'. The retired politician called out Victoria's former premier Dan Andrews in particular for going it alone with tough rules as it battled the brunt of Australia's Covid waves. 'Unilateral decisions of some states outside of the national cabinet framework, such as Victoria's curfews or 5km movement restrictions, were not the subject of Commonwealth advice,' he said in his submission, reports The Australian. He added that: 'Nor to the best of my knowledge had the medical advice for such restrictions been released or affirmed at state level'. Mr Hunt, in a submission to the government's inquiry into the Covid-19 response, singled out former Victorian premier Dan Andrews' tough rules during lockdowns, like curfews and 5km travel restrictions Former Health Minister Greg Hunt (pictured) said states and territories should have to publish the health advice they are using when making public health mandates The Labor government announced its inquiry into the response to the Covid-19 pandemic last year. It is helmed by top bureaucrat Roby Kruk AO, Deakin University's Epidemiology chair Professor Catherine Bennett and leading health economist Dr Angela Jackson. The inquiry's report is to be delivered by September 30. The inquiry itself was slammed after it was announced because of its narrow terms of reference The decisions of State and Territory leaders and advice of their chief medical officers is not under scrutiny. Rather the inquiry will focus on broader public health issues such as quarantine and vaccine responses, economic impacts and the Morrison government's actions. It will, however, look at the general effectiveness of the government response - including division of responsibilities between state and federal governments, how national cabinet functioned and the role of advisory bodies. Mr Hunt said publication of medical advice underpinning policy was standard in his government but was not a requirement - with many state leaders forgoing this step. He is urging the inquiry to pursue a regulatory framework to standardise how public health mandates are decided upon. A police officer in a mask checks a woman's identification on Bondi beach in 2021 Also of concern to Mr Hunt is the falling level of booster vaccinations, particularly in Indigenous communities, and a 164 per cent surge in Covid deaths in aged care facilities since 2022. 'This indicates the need for support in the form of PPE, infection control and training, workforce support and vaccination support for staff and residents,' he said. Mr Hunt said the Coalition's decision to close the country's border with China in early February, more than a month before it closed to other countries, was arguably the most important peacetime decision that has been made by an Australian government. Only a handful of other countries had already done so - against the advice of the World Health Organisation (WHO) who recommended increased border screening. 'No country escaped unharmed; however, very few countries emerged with a lower loss of life and less economic damage than Australia,' he said. Air Vanuatu has collapsed with 22 flights cancelled or delayed and hundreds of passengers left stranded. The airline based in Port Vila, Vanuatu's capital, is now set to enter voluntary administration. Air Vanuatu cancelled 20 flights across the Pacific from Wednesday to Saturday, including services to and from Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland. Two flights arriving from and departing to Noumea have also had their times changed. Air Vanuatu has reportedly collapsed with several flights cancelled and hundreds of passengers stranded The airline blamed 'extended maintenance requirements' on its aircraft for the disruptions. 'We are working with our partner carriers to minimise the disruption to our guests,' the airline said on its website. Air Vanuatu said in a statement on Thursday the Vanuatu government was 'considering' placing the national carrier into voluntary administration. 'The international firm Ernst & Young has been appointed to assist the Vanuatu Government in reviewing available options and put forward recommendations to the Vanuatu Government,' the statement read. 'Ernst & Young representatives arrived in Port Vila today to begin an assessment of Air Vanuatu's financials and are being assisted by the Vanuatu government and the Air Vanuatu team. 'Air Vanuatu has confirmed all international flights from Thursday 9 May 2024 through Sunday 12 May 2024 inclusive, are cancelled. All future flights after Sunday 12 May 2024 are currently under review.' One traveller from New Zealand said he and his wife had been stranded on the Vanuatuan island Espiritu Santo with other Air Vanuatu passengers. 'We've heard nothing at all, except [the flights] have all been cancelled,' he told the NZ Herald. The Vanuatu Tourism Office said it was aware of the situation and was in contact with the airline and the government. 'We are conscious of the impact this situation has on travellers, ticket holders and the industry and on behalf of the Vanuatu tourism industry extend our apologies to anyone affected,' a spokesperson said. 'Virgin Australia continues to fly to Vanuatu directly between Brisbane-Port Vila. 'This is an evolving situation and we will continue to post updates.' It comes after the collapse of Australian budget airline Bonza, which entered voluntary administration last Tuesday. Happier times for Bonza crew when Pink fans flew into Townsville from all across Queensland for the singer's shows in March The company has appointed external administrators Hall Chadwick, who say the move will allow 'an independent insolvency practitioner to take control of the company', during which creditors' claims will be put on hold. Federal Transport Minister Catherine King said a hotline had been set up for affected passengers but admitted the chances of Bonza resuming operations was small. The airline claimed that refunds would be processed within 21 days. In a statement, Bonza revealed the leases to its planes had been unexpectedly terminated because it had defaulted on its loans the previous month. By Oh Young-jin "It is not the end of the world." Professor Moon Chung-in made that comment during a recent interview when asked whether a second Trump presidency would spell disaster. If those words were not spoken by the progressive political scientist who has laid the foundation of Korea's current liberal North Korea policy architecture, I might have interpreted the response as an expression of hopelessness, suggesting an inability to change what seems inevitable. During his first term from 2017 to 2021, Trump demonstrated a disruptive force that completely upended the global status quo with his "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) mantra. Now, the Republican candidate, who is leading in some polls over the incumbent President Joe Biden, whom he will likely face in the upcoming Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election, is back with a vengeance and vowing to disrupt the global order. The world appears to be collectively concerned about the increasing possibility of a Trump re-election and is in a state of denial about the potential disruption to the existing world order. So I combed through a three-hour conversation I previously had with Moon for clues that might shed light on why he made those remarks. (Disclaimer: We have known each other for more than 10 years and have mostly maintained a friendly relationship.) If he saw the potential viability of a new Trump presidency, even dyed-in-the-wool skeptics like us might adopt his reasoning and feel somewhat less despondent. Then, I remembered Moon's remark that the Biden administration had been a disappointment for lacking its own policy and for being influenced by advocates of maximum pressure from within the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. Clearly, he anticipates a repeat of the three unprecedented summits between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who are the leaders of two old adversaries dating back to the 1950-53 Korean War. These summits took place during the previous liberal Moon Jae-in government. During the period from the start of the Moon government in 2017 to 2022, the escalating tensions and exchanges between Trump and Kim became so intense that a second Korean War seemed imminent. That standoff was alleviated as Trump circumvented bureaucratic red tape and resistance to directly engage with the North Korean leader in an attempt to resolve the Korean problem. This effort culminated in their summit at the truce village of Panmunjeom, where the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed seven decades ago. During this time, Korea seemed on the verge of achieving previously elusive and sustainable peace, as inter-Korean relations also improved. The professor, who was a special adviser to former President Moon, played a key role in Seoul's intensified policy of reconciliation with Pyongyang. He took credit for orchestrating the Panmunjeom summit, revealing that he had proposed the idea to Ivanka Trump, Trump's daughter and trusted adviser, through an intermediary. This intermediary cleverly created a composite photo of Trump and Kim together at the truce village to enhance the appeal to the publicity-conscious former TV personality turned U.S. president. So, is he confident that Trump 2.0 and Kim can return to their previous friendly relationship? Moon believes that a return to their previous relationship could happen, but it would not be as straightforward as before. Five years ago, Kim Jong-un was a young leader who believed in the doctrine that North Korea's survival depended on maintaining a relationship with the United States, a principle upheld by his father Kim Jong-il and grandfather Kim Il-sung, the founder of the Kim dynasty. The younger Kim had the opportunity to interact with Trump on the world stage, a feat that his ancestors could only have dreamed of. However, Kim has also learned important lessons from his experience, including the realization that he cannot fully trust the U.S., particularly after the "no-deal" outcome with Trump. However, Kim can afford to apply these lessons differently now, especially as China and Russia compete to court him. China, in particular, has come to appreciate North Korea as a crucial buffer against the U.S., especially amid rising tensions between the two superpowers. Additionally, Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly befriending Kim with the aim of supplying weapons for his war against Ukraine. What about Trump? His problem is his short attention span and eagerness to attain the spotlight. Now, the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars are sure to be higher priorities than North Korea. Moon suggests that Trump may prioritize intervening in global conflicts based on which ones offer him the best chance of achieving a Nobel Peace Prize through a successful resolution. "He would be anxious to have a legacy to show off," said Moon. It seems that Moon has concluded that South Korea can now adapt to and cope with the consequences, regardless of whether Trump or Biden becomes the next U.S. president. This represents a notable departure from South Korea of 20 years ago when the late President Roh Moo-hyun adopted the professor's proposition that the South should serve as a balancing force between the great powers in the region. Roh's policy of seeking to play an active role in international rule-setting was seen as ahead of its time and too ambitious for South Korea. His direction faced fierce opposition and appeared to be at risk of being derailed. The professor's "not-the-end-of-the-world" comment has allowed me to reflect and compare the past with the present. My conclusion is that Moon's proposition has been largely fulfilled, thanks to his tireless efforts to promote it. A body has been pulled from the Yarra River in Melbourne's CBD. The corpse was found floating near shops and restaurants at Convention Centre Place at South Wharf about 9.30am on Thursday. A Victoria Police spokesman said: 'The death is not being treated as suspicious at this stage.' A report will be prepared for the coroner. Police-worn body camera footage shows the moment a Utah woman was arrested days after she yanked on a teenager's skirt in a trendy restaurant in an apparent attempt to make the 19-year-old cover up. The sequence of new clips show 48-year-old Ida Ann Lorenzo being interrogated and eventually cuffed on one charge of sexual battery over the April 20 skirt-pulling incident in the lobby of Sakura Japanese Steakhouse. Lorenzo had allegedly approached a group of teenage girls before telling one that if she has to watch her 'a** cheeks hanging out again' and see her pubic hair, she would call Child Protective Services. The woman, dubbed 'Karen' for her gall, reportedly came up behind the girl and tugged her skirt down to cover her modesty - with the incident filmed by one of the unnamed victim's friends and posted on TikTok where it went viral. The 19-year-old victim is seen in a different section of the new clips telling cops how she felt 'violated' by the unsanctioned display. In another part of the new footage, which shows her April 24 arrest, Lorenzo expresses shock when an officer tells her she is now being taken into custody. Scroll down for video: Police-worn body camera footage shows the moment a Utah woman was arrested days after she yanked on a teenager's skirt. This clip shows 48-year-old Ida Ann Lorenzo being interrogated, just before she was cuffed and charged with a single count of sexual battery A Class A misdemeanor, the charge stems from the skirt-pulling incident April 20 in the lobby of Sakura Japanese Steakhouse (pictured). A TikTok of the altercation later went viral, after it filmed by one of the unnamed victim's friends 'You are going to arrest me?' she says in the clip, during which she reenacted how she 'harmlessly' tugged at the girl's skirt. 'I should have called the police at that time. I should have reported it,' she adds, in footage filmed from the St George Police Department on April 22. 'You would do whatever you needed to do, but that wasn't going to resolve the issue,' she goes on to claim. 'It would have taken you probably forever to get there.' She then addresses the accusation against her, recalling how the victim and her friends accused her 'of sexually inappropriately touching one of them.' 'Did you touch her?' an officer asks - to which Lorenzo replies: 'No, I didn't.' The assertion appears to perplex the eventual arresting officer, who proceeds to point out how moments before, she seemingly admitted to the opposite. 'I thought you said you pulled her skirt down,' the off-screen officer asks. 'I touched her skirt, but I didn't touch her.' When asked why she took the matter into her own hands, she responds: '[I was] protecting the kids by covering the private parts.' The officer, in turn, replies: 'Correct, but that's not your job to do.' 'Did you touch her?' an officer asks at one point in the clip - to which Lorenzo replies: 'No, I didn't.' When asked why she took the matter into her own hands, she responds: '[I was] protecting the kids by covering the private parts'. She goes on to insist her intervention garnered a 'standing ovation' from those in attendance. The officer lets her go - before questioning two of the teens Lorenzo, meanwhile, continues to insist she did the right thing, as the cop continues to press her. 'I'm trying to understand why you went up and you touched her,' he asks, two days before her arrest in the same building. 'You can see how that looks right?' 'I didn't touch her as a person,' she again insists, before haphazardly reenacting the offense. She goes on to insist her intervention garnered a 'standing ovation' from those in attendance. The officer eventually lets her go - before questioning two of the teens about exactly what happened. The section of the footage, provided to ABC4.com, was filmed at the sheriff's office the following day, with both of the girl's faces censored to protect their privacy. In it, she tells the officer she was waiting in the restaurants lobby when Lorenzo came up behind her - yanking her skirt and eventually pulling it downward. The 19-year-old (left) is seen in a different section of the newly released footage, where she tells cops she felt 'violated' by the display - which led to Lorenzo's arrest and her being slammed online as a 'Karen' The teenager added the incident - which was recorded by friend CC Snow (pictured) - made her feel insecure about her body Snow has since shared several updates to TikTok recounting the incident and how Lorenzo now faces charges @ccsnowwww Last one got taken down, Heres the storytime until i can get original renewed. Report has been filed original sound - cc snow The legal adult tells the officer how she could feel 'someones cold hands against my skin' before turning around - coming face to face with her accoster. The teen recalled how she initially thought it was one of her friends having fun, and how stunned she was to see it was a middle-aged woman whom she did not know. 'Not even the physical side of things, but mentally,' she said of the lasting impact left by the ordeal. 'I'm struggling so much with weight problems.' Others who filled out witness statements shared a similar account of what happened, cops said - paving the way for Lorenzo's arrest the next day. The teenager added the incident - which was recorded by friend CC Snow - made her feel insecure about her body. 'It's outrageous to me,' she says in the clip. Lorenzo, meanwhile, was booked into the Purgatory Correctional Facility in Hurricane the following day, and released after posting bail. Further footage shared by the St. George Police shows her continuing to deny touching the teen's skin - just before she is led out of the police house in cuffs. Lorenzo, meanwhile, was booked into the Purgatory Correctional Facility in Hurricane the following day, and released after posting bail. She is seen here second before her arrest Further footage shared by the St. George Police shows her continuing to deny touching the teen's skin - just before she is led out of the police house in cuffs Seconds before, she insisted she thought the teen was nude underneath her skirt - a claim the teen denied to police during her questioning. According to cops, Lorenzo said the teen had her skirt 'hiked above her vagina and butt' with her pubic hair was exposed During her interactions with the St. George police force, Lorenzo was repeatedly told how what she did was potentially criminal, even if she only touched the teen's clothing. She was charged with a single count of sexual battery, and is set to to appear in court next month The incident took place in Sakura Japanese Steakhouse in St. George on April 20 Snow shared footage of the incident to her TikTok, garnering more than 12million views - and a stream of hate toward the so-called 'Karen' Seconds before, she insisted she thought the teen was nude underneath her skirt - a claim the teen denied to police during her questioning. Videos on social media relating to the incident, moreover, suggested that Lorenzo worked for Utah Attorney General John Reyes, with footage showing how she repeatedly claimed to employed by the state. His office, however, has yet to specify whether she ever did, as her next court appearance is slated for June. According to cops, Lorenzo said the teen had her skirt 'hiked above her vagina and butt' with her pubic hair was exposed. But the victim on April 23 gave police a video of her wearing the skirt during the night in question, while claiming she was wearing underwear that night, making it unlikely her genitalia was exposed at any time. During her interactions with the St. George police force, Lorenzo was repeatedly told how what she did was potentially criminal, even if she only touched the teen's clothing. 'There was no incident. You created it,' the investigator told her at a point in the newly shared footage. 'The consequences of your actions have been all of this.' She was charged in 5th District Court with a single count of sexual battery, a Class A misdemeanor, and is set to to appear in court next month. In the interim, she is out on bail. DailyMail.com has reached out to the St. George Police for comment. A 'boomer' cyclist has been caught on CCTV keying cars on an inner-city street. Brisbane resident Mick Brown told The Courier Mail the same cars have been 'targeted' since September last year on Hubert Street in Woolloongabba. The serial offender was described as a 'regular, well-dressed elderly man'. The first incident occurred on September 29 and was caught on security cameras, 'This act cost myself and the owner of the other two vehicles in excess of $10,000 in repairs,' Mr Brown said. The 'well-dressed' cyclist can be seen casually walking his bike past cars that he returns to key. His red lanyard has a sharp object attached to vandalise the cars The cyclist has was caught on CCTV riding slowly past parked cars in Brisbane - and has been to the same street three times and targeting the same cars In the CCTV footage, the cyclist can be seen riding slowly alongside the cars. His right arm was extended towards the vehicles, holding a red lanyard with a sharp object attached to it. The cyclist swiftly departed when he noticed a car approaching from behind. Mr Brown told the The Courier Mail that the same cyclist 'struck again' months later, on December 30. This occurred after all three cars originally keyed in September had been repaired. According to the resident, two out of the three cars were targeted once more, resulting in 'thousands and thousands of dollars in damage'. The 'boomer' can be seen holding out his right arm as he goes past cars - he only left the scene when a car was approaching from behind Mr Brown also claims the same cyclist came back a third time on May 5 and once again keyed the cars. 'While these appear to be targeted attacks neither myself nor the other victim know or recognise this person,' he said. 'It is becoming quite distressing and this individual needs to be stopped.' Keying is categorised as a form of vandalism, which can attract both fines and imprisonment, depending on the severity and the state it is conducted in. It is when someone uses a sharp object, like a key, to damage paintwork on a vehicle - which can be expensive to repair. A Queensland Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia they are investigating. 'Several vehicles were damaged in recent weeks in Woolloongabba and Kangaroo Point,' they said. 'Police are currently reviewing CCTV to identify suspects.' Police have urged anyone with vehicle damage or those with any relevant vision to contact them. A single Perth resident was responsible for more than 21,000 complaints about aircraft noise over the Western Australian capital last year. The serial whinger's 21,716 quiet protests made up 40 per cent of the 51,589 aircraft noise complaints made across the country in 2023. That equates to lodging one objection every 25 minutes, or about 59 a day, for an entire year. The unidentified whiner topped a list of five individuals who made 30,543 complaints over the period - about 60 per cent of the national figure. His or her contacts with the Noise Complaint and Information Service were revealed in a submission by Airservices Australia to a federal inquiry into aircraft noise. Filling out the top five were four people who complained a total of 9,827 times about noise at Brisbane and Archerfield, the Queensland capital's secondary airport. A single Perth resident was responsible for more than 20,000 complaints about aircraft noise over the Western Australian capital last year. Stock image The angriest Sydneysider made 852 objections and another made 672. Hobart was next on the list with one person reaching their wit's end 527 times. Brisbane's biggest total was 500, while no one in Melbourne made the top 10. Airservices Australia monitors noise at Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Essendon, Adelaide and Perth airports. Its Noise and Flight Path Monitoring System (NFPMS) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, collecting data from every plan flying in and out of each facility. There were more than twice as many complaints last year compared with 2022 - 51,589 against 25,178. But there was a relatively small difference in the numbers of complainants, which were 5,035 and 4,768 respectively. The inquiry has received more than 80 submissions from interested parties including airports, airlines, tourism forums and environmental groups. One Brisbane resident who penned a submission said the 'casual acceptance' by aviation policy makers that aircraft noise was a necessary inconvenience was 'depressing'. A serial whinger's 21,716 quiet protests made up 40 per cent of the 51,589 aircraft noise complaints made across the country in 2023. Stock image 'These are people who do not suffer the consequences of their policies, who have never lived under a busy flight path, who do not know the extreme distress and hurt caused, and who do not acknowledge the research on the harms caused by aircraft noise,' they wrote. 'For me, the issue is not just about the multiple flights every night which prevent proper sleep, but about the unfairness and stonewalling I have encountered in trying to make my voice heard by those who treat citizens as statistics. 'There is something intensely irritating and deeply offensive about the intrusiveness of the rumbling whining roaring crescendo of aircraft noise that interrupts your life.' NFPMS uses long-term noise monitors located within communities and according to Airservices Australia is the world's largest, most geographically-spread system of its type. Some monitors have been in place for more than 20 years. The aircraft noise inquiry is being conducted by parliament's Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee. The inquiry is examining the impact and mitigation of aircraft noise noise on residents and business in capital cities and regional towns. The committee is due to report in October. A new Boeing whistleblower has bravely spoken in public about problems he noticed while working for a supplier of the airplane manufacturing giant after two former quality managers wound up dead. Boeing has had a torrid start to 2024 including two whistleblowers who were raising issues about the company dying suddenly. The first of those, John Barnett, took his own life just days after testifying against the aircraft giant, while Joshua Dean died in hospital on Tuesday after a sudden illness following his firing from Spirit AeroSystems in April 2023 and subsequent claims that 'if you are too loud, [Boeing] will silence you.' Santiago Paredes, who also worked for Spirit AeroSystems - where the troubled 737 Max is built - at their factory in Kansas, is the latest to speak out, saying he was asked to hide defects on 737 fuselages. 'If quality mattered, I would still be at Spirit,' he said. 'It was very rare for us to look at a job and not find any defects.' Santiago Paredes, who worked for Spirit AeroSystems - where the troubled 737 Max is built - at their factory in Kansas, is the latest to speak out, saying he was asked to hide defects on 737 fuselages Joshua Dean died in hospital on Tuesday after a sudden illness following his firing from Spirit AeroSystems in April 2023 He said that he even found a problem with an aircraft door panel that replicated one that flew off during a January flight by Alaska Airlines. 'Why'd that happen? Because Spirit let go of a defect that they overlooked because of the pressure that they put on the inspectors,' Paredes told CBS News. Paredes said he was known as the 'Showstopper,' because his continued insistence on pointing out defects delayed deliveries and that he was constantly pressured to keep his reports to a minimum. 'If the culture was good, those issues would be addressed, but the culture is not good.' Boeing has given Alaska Airlines $61million in supplier credit memos for the disaster which temporarily grounded the fleet of 737 MAX 9 jets. Paredes left the company midway through 2022 after the company had changed his entire outlook on air travel. 'Working at Spirit, I almost grew a fear of flying,' said Paredes. 'Knowing what I know about the 737, it makes me very uncomfortable when I fly on one of them.' Spirit spokesperson Joe Buccino said that their company is supportive of whistleblowers like Paredes. John Barnett, took his own life just days after testifying against the aircraft giant Joshua Dean died in hospital on Tuesday after a sudden illness following his firing from Spirit AeroSystems in April 2023 and subsequent claims that 'if you are too loud, [Boeing] will silence you' Boeing engineer, Sam Salehpour testifies before the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Investigations during a hearing on 'Examining Boeing's Broken Safety Culture: Firsthand Accounts,' at Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on April 17 'We encourage all Spirit employees with concerns to come forward, safe in knowing they will be protected,' he said. 'We remain committed to addressing concerns and continuously improving workplace safety standards.' However, Paredes was more critical of Boeing, which he said has been ignoring problems at Spirit for years. 'It's a recipe for disaster,' he said. 'I said it was just a matter of time before something bad happened. ' He added that being the 'Showstopper' went against what he felt the ultimate goal of Boeing and Spirit was. Paredes - an Air Force veteran who ended up working 12 years at Spirit - said that things got worse as his time went on, as in 2018 Spirit increased production. 'They always said they didn't have time to fix the mistakes,' said Paredes. 'They needed to get the planes out.' In February of 2022, his bosses asked him to do his inspections faster and become less specific about the defaults, which Paredes described as 'unethical.' Paredes said that even found a problem with an aircraft door panel that replicated one that flew off during a January flight by Alaska Airlines Paredes worked for Spirit AeroSystems - where the troubled 737 Max is built - at their factory in Kansas 'I was put in a place where I had, if I say, no, I was gonna get fired,' Paredes recalled. 'If I say yes, I was admitting that I was gonna do something wrong.' That very summer, he quit after temporarily losing his leadership, which he got back after filing an HR ethics complaint that determined he was improperly demoted. 'It takes a toll on you and I was tired of fighting,' said Paredes. 'I was tired of trying to do the right thing.' Paredes now works for a different Boeing supplier, but he was cited as 'Former Employee 1' in a shareholder lawsuit against Spirit after he blew the whistle. Buccino says Paredes' allegation are 'unfounded' and the company has asked a judge to dismiss the suit. Brian Knowles and Robert Turkewitz, Paredes' lawyers who are working with 10 other current and former Boeing and Spirit workers who have blown the whistle, applauded his courage. 'Santiago Paredes is one of these brave whistleblowers who chose to come forward and speak publicly. His powerful story points to the need for accountability and responsibility in the aviation industry,' they said. 'It is time for profits over safety, quality, and people to come to an end. Actions speak louder than words.' 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 There were no serious injuries from the terrifying Alaska Airlines failure, but passenger's belongings including phones flew out of the aircraft Paredes says that he's not worried about the repercussions in the wake of the two former employees' deaths. 'In a way I think before, if something happens to me, I'd rather them hear it from me than not hear it at all,' he said. 'My cry out is not a cry out to get somebody in trouble. My cry out is to highlight the defects that they well known are in their factory, but they need to fix them. So their business can be successful.' The past year for Boeing has seen consistently damning allegations and behavior at the corporate level. Boeing's 737 Max program chief, Ed Clark, was reportedly fired in February in a structural shakeup at the company. Clark was also general manager at the company's Renton, Washington, facility and had been at Boeing for 18 years. He was replaced by Katie Ringgold, while a 'senior vice president of quality' role was created too. In March, Boeing whistleblower John Barnett, 62 - a former quality control manager and employee of 32 years - was found dead in his truck outside a South Carolina hotel days after testifying against the company in a lawsuit. 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 The coroner put it down to a 'self-inflicted' gunshot wound in the head, though the police confirmed that they would investigate further. Barnett had made a string of complaints to his higher-ups in his time as a quality control manager before leaving the company on health grounds in 2017. In January 2024, he appeared on TMZ to say that the 737 Max 9 aircraft were being launched back into the air too soon in the wake of the accident, suggesting corners had been cut. The news came three days after he head of the National Transportation Safety Board accused Boeing of 'not cooperating' with its investigation into the January incident. Several other incidents with Boeing parts occurred throughout February and March. In April, another whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, came forward to Boeing of taking shortcuts when building its 777 and 787 Dreamliner jets and added that the company had retaliated against him when he raised concerns. He doubled down on the claims a week later, adding on NBC that 787s should be grounded fearing 'fatal flaws' which could case them to fall apart mid-air. In a 1,500 word statement, Boeing said it was 'fully confident' in the 787 and called concerns about structural integrity 'inaccurate.' Boeing has had a torrid 2024 starting with a door plug blowing out on an Alaska Airlines flight in early January (stock image above) A Boeing 737 MAX airplane lands after a test flight at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, U.S. June 29, 2020 Later that month, United Airlines indicated it will reduce reliance on Boeing after announcing a $124m loss in the first quarter of 2024, which it blamed on the scandal-laden manufacturer. On April 30, a second whistleblower, Joshua Dean, died suddenly aged 45 having raised the alarm about supposed defects in 737 Max jets. The former Spirit employee previously said he was fired from his quality auditing role for questioning standards at the supplier's plant in Wichita, Kansas, in October 2022. His family said on social media that Dean died in hospital after a sudden illness. Earlier in 2024, 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. On Monday, the FAA 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.' A Silicon Valley insider has revealed that a majority of the jobs at Big Tech companies aren't doing 'real work.' David Ulevitch, a general partner at venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, said a 'bunch of people' at the behemoth tech giants are working 'BS jobs.' In fact, it's not new news that Big Tech over-hires talent to have them at their disposal for future project, a practice individuals have referred to as being 'talent penned.' More often than not, Ulevitch told Fortune that most of the workers retained don't intend on helping the company move forward and are just in it for the six figure paychecks. Google, he said, is an 'amazing example' of this. David Ulevitch, a general partner at venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, said a 'bunch of people' at the behemoth tech giants are working 'BS jobs' Ulevitch said Google is an 'amazing example' of a company that takes part in a practice where Big Tech companies over hire talent to have them at their disposal for future project, a practice individuals have referred to as being 'talent penned' (Pictured: CEO of Google Sundar Pichai) Although the number of layoffs peaked in 2023, it is continuing into 2024 as Google embarks on 'large scale' restructuring 'Anyone who works in a 10,000+ person or larger white-collar job company knows that a bunch of the people can probably be let go tomorrow and the company wouldn't really feel the difference, maybe it'd even improve with less people inserting themselves into things,' he said. He went on to explain how the overflow of workers who are not contributing to the company is actually detracting from the workforce's retirement programs. 'Google is an amazing example of this. I don't think it's crazy to believe that half the white-collar staff at Google probably does no real work,' he said. 'The company has spent billions and billions of dollars per year on projects that go nowhere for over a decade, and all that money could have been returned to shareholders who have retirement accounts. So real people actually lose out when BS jobs exist.' But Google, with its extensive overhead, has been able to quickly adapt to technological advancements, and even mimic them. As AI chatbots grew in popularity in 2023, Google hopped on the bandwagon, merging its chatbot, Bard, with their new service, Gemini - an AI model similar to ChatGPT that responds to questions with a human-like cadence. Although Ulevitch has not been impressed by Google's projects, the shares of their parent company, Alphabet, have gone up 22% from last year and 57% in the past 12 months. A consequence of Ulevitch's theory of 'BS jobs' is that the U.S. is struggling to develop the workforce needed to manufacture goods for its own future industry. 'We have outsourced much of their work overseas, increasingly to countries we are getting less and less friendly with (China) but also because we've just made those jobs seem less desirable,' he said. However, while Ulevitch acknowledges the potential risks of relying on economic competitors, he also sees this as an opportunity for innovative startups to step in and fill the manufacturing void. The 'tech wreck' sweeping Silicon Valley has wiped out tens of thousands of jobs paying a combined $12 billion annually, an analysis of the largest recent cuts shows. Recently Google laid off around 200 of its core team in California and will fill some of the positions in India and Mexico as tech companies in Silicon Valley continue to shed employees en masse. Although Ulevitch has not been impressed by Google's projects, the shares of their parent company, Alphabet, have gone up 22% from last year and 57% in the past 12 months Ulevitch said the overflow of workers who are not contributing to the company is actually detracting from the workforce's retirement programs Back In January, Alphabet became the latest tech giant to announce layoffs, saying it will cut 12,000 employees, or about 6 percent of its workforce. The recent wave of steep job cuts has hit highly paid skilled workers the hardest, as companies that soared during the pandemic now slash costs to brace for an economic slowdown. At just seven large tech firms, the job cuts announced in recent months total nearly 70,000: Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, Salesforce, HP and Twitter. Chifley College in Sydney's west was put into lockdown when a student arrived on campus armed with a knife on Thursday. NSW Police said a teacher was injured when trying to take the knife from the student, but no children were hurt. 'Emergency services attended a school on Maple Road, North St Marys about 1.20pm today following reports a student had a knife,' the statement read. 'A staff member sustained a small laceration while reportedly trying to confiscate the knife, prior to police arrival. 'NSW Ambulance paramedics treated the staff member and have taken the child to hospital for assessment. Chifley College (pictured) in Sydney's west is in lockdown after a student arrived on campus armed with a knife 'No students were injured during the incident. Inquiries continue into the incident.' The school issued a statement shortly after it went into lockdown. 'To our school community, we are currently in lockdown.' 'Please be assured all students and staff are safe. More information will be provided shortly. Thank you.' The latest knife-related incident follows a spate of knife crimes in recent weeks, such as the stabbing murders of six people in the Westfield shopping centre in Bondi Junction. There was also an assault on an Assyrian Christian bishop during a livestreamed church service. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was preaching at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley in Sydney's west on April 15 when a teenager wearing a hoodie walked up to the altar and allegedly stabbed him multiple times. NSW Police said while no children were hurt in the incident, a teacher was injured as they tried to take the knife from the student. Police crime scene tape Horrifying footage of the incident, which was being broadcast live on the church's YouTube page, showed Bishop Emmanuel look up in astonishment as the attacker suddenly rains down blows on his face and head. In Torquay, Victoria, a man who was allegedly threatened with a knife by ex-soldier Travis Johnston while holding his 19-month-old son said he immediately thought of the tragedy in Bondi Junction. Earlier this month, surfer Kye Schaefer, 22, was stabbed in Park Beach in Coffs Harbour, NSW while still wearing his wetsuit at about 6.40am. Chifley College previously made headlines in March 2011 when pupil Casey Heynes, then aged 16, turned the tables on a bully, a video of which went viral. Thousands of Aussies who freely enjoyed cannabis while holidaying in a popular tourist hotspot are set to be disappointed as the drug is re-banned. Thailand will officially ban the drug from being used for non-medicinal purposes by the end of this year, backtracking on its decision to allowed people to buy and sell marijuana for recreational purposes in 2022. The stunning backflip by authorities will mean the substance will be placed back on the narcotics list. Aussie visitors to Thailand will no longer be able to buy and use cannabis for recreational purposes with the drug set to be outlawed unless it is for a health reason (pictured, people buying Cannabis popsicles in Thailand) Thailand's Prime Minister Strettha Thavisin took to X on Wednesday to announce the major change. 'I would like to ask the Ministry of Public Health to amend the ministry announcement by bringing marijuana back to being a category 5 drug... allowing its use for medical and health purposes only,' he said. 'Drugs are a problem that destroys the future of the nation. Youth are all stuck together. Everyone must hurry to work.' Mr Thavisin said a 90-day target has been set for major narcotic agencies in the country to reduce illicit drug use across Thailand. He said the goal is to completely eradicate the use of illicit substances. The announcement from the prime minister comes as sales of marijuana began to grow rapidly across Thailand. The new laws will mean shops and other retailers in the country (pictured) will no longer be able to sell the drug for recreational use Thailand's Prime Minister Strettha Thavisin (pictured centre), took to social media to announce the stunning backflip on the cannabis policy the government introduced just two years earlier Thousands of shops and businesses began to sell the drug in the wake of the 2022 change, creating an industry that was set to be worth $1.25billion by 2025. The revised rule will mean that around 800,000 Aussies who visit Thailand every year will no longer be able to buy and use marijuana recreationally while they are in the country. Cannabis was decriminalised in 2018 across Thailand before changes were made four years later to permit recreational use. Those who opposed the decision said the move was rushed through parliament and caused confusion about the rules on how the drug would be consumed. The Thai government intends to pass a cannabis law by the end of 2024, with the aim of creating stronger regulations around the use of the drug. Prasitchai Nunula, the secretary general of Thailand's Cannabis Future Network, slammed the move to ban the sale of marijuana. 'If scientific results show that cannabis is worse than alcohol and cigarettes then they can re-list it as a narcotic,' he said. 'If cannabis is less harmful, they should list cigarettes and alcohol as narcotics too.' Irish authorities have dismantled another 'tent city' in Dublin as the country continues to face an influx of migrants, many of whom have arrived from the UK. Asylum seekers had pitched more than 100 tents in a makeshift camp along Dublin's Grand Canal, a short walk from the International Protection Office, as the government struggles to provide them with accommodation. Pictures show the early morning operation, which involved crews checking tents were empty before they were spray-painted with an 'X' and cleared onto a truck by a 'grabber' machine. The encampment sprung up along the waterway just days after more than 200 asylum seekers were cleared from a similar makeshift camp on nearby Mount Street. The removal comes amid an ongoing row with the UK government over asylum seekers crossing the border from Northern Ireland, with claims that they are doing so to avoid deportation to Rwanda. Tents were spray-painted with an 'X' before being cleared onto a truck by a 'grabber' machine Men living in the tents were seen leaving the area ahead of the removal operation this morning Gardai were seen searching the area ahead of the removal as the road was closed to traffic A large number of asylum seekers reportedly boarded buses by 7.30am this morning The Irish Government said Thursday morning's operation involved the Irish police service, Dublin City Council, the national health service, the Department of Integration and a waterway authority. It was conducted more quickly than the previous operation last week, which removed people who had been living in the roadside camp for months. A large number of asylum seekers reportedly boarded buses by 7.30am today, with the operation wrapped up by 7.45am. The Irish government said that all asylum seekers were moved to accommodation in County Dublin, with a total of 186 applicants accommodated in the suburb of Citywest, and 99 at Crooksling, an hour from the city centre in the Dublin mountains. A statement from the Government said: 'The purpose of the operation is to ensure the safe movement of people seeking international protection from the tents on the Grand Canal to International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS)-designated accommodation. 'The IPAS-designated accommodation has toilets and showers; health services; indoor areas where food is provided; facilities to charge phones and personal devices; access to transport to and from Dublin City Centre; and 24-hour onsite security.' Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, Irish premier Simon Harris said the similar operation last week had a 'very positive impact' and averted a 'public health near-emergency'. A crane operator removes the tents from the waterside area, lifting them into a lorry to be taken away The operation involved the Irish police service, Dublin City Council, the national health service, the Department of Integration and a waterway authority He said: 'I continue to believe that it was the right action to take. I became Taoiseach four weeks ago, I took charge of this situation. 'There had been, in my view, a tacit acceptance by many State agencies that the situation on Mount Street could just continue and was just the new norm. That was not right.' He added: 'We will deal with the Grand Canal. Action will be taken.' Justice Minister Helen McEntee, who recently alleged that more than 80 per cent of migrants in Ireland are coming in via Northern Ireland to avoid deportation to Rwanda, said that the government must ensure a tent city does not return. 'Once people are moved, measures will be put in place to ensure that it doesn't happen again. Crews hauled pop-up tents away from the area, which was closed to pedestrians and cyclists during the operation Asylum claimants leave with their belongings during an early morning operation by Irish authorities to remove tents The asylum claimants moved into the area after another makeshift migrant camp surrounding the International Protection Office (IPO) on Mount Street, Dublin, was dismantled last week 'When they are provided with that accommodation, it's also really important that we don't see scenes like we're seeing now at Mount Street again, that it cannot re-emerge, that we have hundreds of tents not just outside the international protection office but outside people's homes, outside people's businesses.' Tensions between London and Dublin over migration have been mounting in recent weeks, with each blaming the other for their immigration problems. Rishi Sunak declared last month that he is 'not interested' in taking back migrants from Ireland given that the EU refuses to take back Channel migrants who arrived from France. His comments were a sharp response to senior Irish ministers who warned they would draft emergency laws to force refugees back to the UK. Taoiseach Simon Harris vowed in to pass new laws to facilitate returns of migrants after the country's courts declared the UK cannot be classed as 'safe' due to its pact with Rwanda. But the UK Government said it would ignore any law passed by Ireland, with a No 10 spokesperson declaring: 'Even if Ireland was to pass legislation, it is up to the UK Government to decide who it does or does not accept into the country. 'We are not going to start accepting returns from the EU, just as France doesn't accept returns from the UK.' Amid domestic pressure to get asylum seekers off the streets and into accommodation, Harris defended his Government's handling of the issue last Friday. A truck-mounted crane was even deployed to tear the canvas structures away from the pavement and deposit them into a skip on May 1 Tents cluster near Dublin's Office of International Protection, serving as temporary homes for asylum seekers on April 30, 2024 He said 'makeshift encampments' on public roads and footpaths were illegal, and 'never the solution'. 'It's also not in the interest of the people who are sleeping in those tents, people who don't have access to proper sanitation,' he said. Mr Harris added: 'We work at this every single day but I need to be clear and honest with people coming to our country, we are doing our very best in very difficult and challenging circumstances to provide accommodation. 'But accommodation isn't always readily available but we are keeping working at it day by day. 'The conversation about migration can't just be one about accommodation, because no matter how much accommodation you have, if it's just a conversation about accommodation, accommodation will fill. 'It also has to be a conversation about faster processing times, about efficient and effective systems.' A British tourist has drowned while swimming in the sea during a day trip to a Greek island with his wife, according to local reports. The 76-year-old man is said to have been visiting Kalymnos, one of Greece's Dodecanese Islands that sit in the Mediterranean close to the Turkish mainland, when the incident occurred on Tuesday. According to local news site palmoskalymnou, the man and his wife had travelled by boat from the nearby island Kos, to the south of Kalymnos, and were swimming in the ocean near the island's Vathi port. It was not immediately clear what caused the man to drown. He was pulled from the water and taken by boat to the port of Vathi, but despite Coast Guard workers and other emergency responders rushing to the man's aid, he was pronounced dead. A British tourist has drowned while swimming in the sea during a day trip to a Greek island with his wife. Pictured: A view of Kalymnos island (file photo) where the incident took place The 76-year-old man is reported to have been visiting Kalymnos, one of Greece's Dodecanese Islands that sit in the Mediterranean close to the Turkish mainland, on Tuesday The man's identity has not been released or reported in Greek media. The Kalymnos port authority has launched an investigation into the incident. A spokesperson for the Foreign Office told MailOnline: 'We are supporting the family of a British national who died in Greece and are in contact with the local authorities.' Kalymnos is only around 70 miles from the Turkish Mediterranean resort town of Marmaris where last month a British pensioner also drowned. The 73-year-old had been on a coastal tour in Mugla Province with friends when he jumped into the Mediterranean as temperatures reached 25 degrees. But when he struggled to get back into the boat his friends called emergency services, local media reported on April 16. A team of coastguards, police and divers in two boats pulled him from the water and rushed him to paramedics waiting on the beach. However, they were unable to save him and he was declared dead at the scene. Diplomat-turned-lawmaker lauds Yoon's decision to improve ties with Japan Editors note This article is the second in a series by The Korea Times featuring interviews with lawmakers-elect who are well-versed in diplomacy and national security. ED. By Kwak Yeon-soo Kim Gunn, a first-term lawmaker-elect from the ruling People Power Party, emphasized the importance of the international community working together to unanimously condemn North Koreas military provocations. Kim, a seasoned diplomat who served as the special representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration before earning a proportional representative seat in the 22nd National Assembly, said Pyongyangs goal is to routinize its missile tests in an attempt to move on to bigger provocations. North Korea believes its continued violation of the U.N. Security Council Resolutions will trigger indifference in South Korea and the international community. However, we should work tirelessly with our allies and like-minded countries to send a strong message to North Korea that its provocative acts cannot be tolerated, he said during a recent interview with The Korea Times. Also, we should impose sanctions on North Koreas illegal cyber activities, particularly those intended to finance its weapons and missile development. The lawmaker-elect expressed his intention to advance bills related to developing a sanctions clause and supporting the enhancement of subnational diplomacy in the Assembly, where he is expected to serve on the foreign affairs committee. Compared with other countries that have an applicable law when imposing sanctions, South Korea implements sanctions based on the guidelines held by relevant ministries, he said. While working as a career diplomat, I realized the importance of subnational diplomacy. I wish there is a framework, in which a central government can support diplomatic activities by local governments. Kim helped shape Yoons audacious initiative that laid out the foundation of the current administrations approach to North Korea. Regarding criticism that it's a failed strategy, given Pyongyang's apparent escalation of bellicose rhetoric and activities, Kim expressed disappointment that North Korea refused to even come to the negotiating table. Critics misunderstand the characteristics of the audacious initiative. It is premised on the idea of a comprehensive, step-by-step denuclearization of North Korea and the normalization of inter-Korean relations in exchange for corresponding political and military measures such as providing diplomatic assistance for normalizing U.S.-North Korea bilateral relations in addition to economic assistance and infrastructure investment, he explained. We should continue to move forward with the 3D principle, consisting of taking a holistic approach that deters North Koreas nuclear threats, dissuades Pyongyangs nuclear development, and pursues dialogue. The diplomat-turned-lawmaker believes that the complete denuclearization of North Korea is still attainable. The complete denuclearization of North Korea is a goal that cannot and should not be given up. For the past 30 years, under both conservative and progressive administrations, South Korea has pursued a common goal of peacefully achieving the denuclearization of North Korea. It takes time, but if we consistently push for it with principles, we will eventually be able to reach denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, he said. Kim asserted that North Koreas recent "two states" narrative suggests that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un perceives his regime as threatened by South Korean influences such as K-pop and K-dramas. Its absurd to suddenly claim that the North doesn't share the same ethnic background with the South and wont seek unification. It suggests that Kim is being pushed into the corner to the point that he is making irrational decisions, he said. As a member of the Assembly, Kim said he would continue efforts to enhance South Koreas diplomatic presence. That includes reaffirming its commitment to a strong alliance with the United States and Japan. Asked about Seouls chilled relations with Beijing and Moscow, Kim said South Korea faces a critical choice that needs to be made. Strategic ambiguity is the worst form of diplomacy for South Korea to follow. As a buffer state, we need to pursue our national interests and principles that are fundamental to our survival. Since South Korea is a liberal democratic country, we must strengthen solidarity with like-minded countries that share the same values, he said, referring to the Yoon administration's diplomatic strategy based on the democracy versus authoritarianism narrative. However, he remained optimistic about improving ties with China and Russia. As neighboring countries, there are areas where we can seek mutual benefits. In other words, we could create mutually beneficial partnerships. Kim identified improving ties with Japan as a significant diplomatic milestone for the Yoon administration. Without the normalization of South Korea-Japan bilateral ties, there can be no trilateral security cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan. President Yoon made a bold decision on Japan policy and the general public embraced the idea, paving the way for future-oriented relations, he said. Kim said he doesnt think the result of the U.S. presidential election would pose a challenge to Seoul, adding that the South Korea-U.S. alliance will remain resilient. Looking back at history, we have had challenging moments but we overcame them. We may have to make adjustments to our foreign policy based on continue t remainthe upcoming U.S. presidential election, but I'm confident that our alliance with the U.S. will continue remain strong in the future, he said. A thug who was caught on CCTV inflicting sickening violence onto two dogs has avoided jail. Distressing footage shows Thomas Hardy, 32, punching his Cockapoo five times before strangling her, compressing her chest between his legs and swinging her around by the neck. In one clip, he was caught throwing the terrified Cockapoo into a lift, before kicking her and then smashing the security camera. The security footage was taken from Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees, in County Durham on July 18 last year. In a separate incident on July 28, 2023, Hardy was seen grabbing another dog by the neck before violently putting him on a lead, dropping him to the floor and yanking him off his front feet. The heartbreaking footage, which MailOnline has seen and decided not to show in full, was passed to the RSPCA by the police and an investigation by the animal welfare charity followed. Thomas Hardy (pictured) was captured on CCTV on July 18, 2023 throwing a Cockapoo into the lift before kicking her under the chin and blocking the security camera Hardy (pictured) holding the tan coloured cockapoo as he puts her in a strangle-hold and swings her around by the neck on July 18, 2023 Hardy, 32, admitted two charges of unnecessary suffering by inflicting blunt force trauma, physical violence and intimidatory behaviour. He was given a 12 week prison sentence for each offence suspended for 24 months when he was sentenced at Teesside Magistrates Court on Tuesday, April 30. He was also banned from keeping animals for 12 years. Police, accompanied by an RSPCA inspector, visited the flat on August 2 last year and entry was forced due to concerns after there was no reply. In written evidence to the court, the RSPCA inspector said: 'Inside the property was a light brown Cockapoo type dog, she was very nervous and cowering down. 'The flat the dog was living in was very unkempt and smelt of excrement and had faeces littered around. 'The dog was seized by the police and placed into the care of the RSPCA and I put her in my vehicle.' The other dog, who didn't belong to Hardy, was not seen at the flat and the animal's whereabouts is unknown. Distressing CCTV footage shows vile abuser Thomas Hardy, 32, throwing a Cockapoo into a lift before kicking her and then smashing the security camera (pictured) on July 18, 2023 The female cockapoo (pictured) was looked after at a private boarding facility on behalf of the RSPCA and has since been happily rehomed In written evidence to the court the vet who examined the female Cockapoo and viewed the CCTV footage, said: 'The individual in the videos is clearly seen to hit, choke, kick and throw the tan cockapoo. There is no reason to treat any animal in this way. 'The dog will have suffered physical pain and in addition showed clear signs of emotional distress.' The vet said Hardy had inflicted pain and fear on both dogs and they had suffered unnecessarily as a result. Magistrates heard that on August 6 Hardy was due to be interviewed by an RSPCA inspector at a police station about what had happened, but he failed to turn up. On September 1, during another visit to Prior Court the charity's inspector was told he had left the property, and further attempts to make contact with him were unsuccessful. The other dog, who didn't belong to Hardy, (pictured), in a separate incident on July 28, where Hardy yanked the dog off his front feet Hardy, who will not be able to contest his ban for 10 years, was also given 10 rehabilitation days and told to attend a thinking skills programme and pay costs of 600. Speaking after the conclusion of the case, RSPCA Chief Inspector Mark Gent said: 'The video footage of these dogs being abused by Hardy multiple times was very difficult to watch. 'It's hard to understand how someone can treat animals with such contempt and cruelty, and we will never know, as the defendant refused to be interviewed about it. We'd sincerely like to thank the police and the security staff for their assistance in this case which has been upsetting for everyone involved.' The female Cockapoo was looked after at a private boarding facility on behalf of the RSPCA and has since been happily rehomed. Biden's video also said 'I hate the way that you sneak diss on Truth Social' Joe Biden has embraced the diss track trend in his latest attempt to hurl jabs at election rival Donald Trump. The Democrat's campaign has flipped Kendrick Lamar's viral diss track slamming rap rival Drake to slam the presumptive GOP nominee. In a TikTok soundtracked by Lamar's scathing new song Euphoria, Biden's campaign criticizes Trump's stance on immigration, women's rights, and how he 'sneaks diss' on social media. As the rapper's lyrics play out over a collection of images of Trump, written commentary states reasons why Biden is the billionaire's 'biggest hater'. It comes just days after Trump accused Biden of running a 'Gestapo administration' in an address at a donor retreat at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Joe Biden, pictured in Wisconsin on Wednesday, has embraced the diss track trend in his latest attempt to hurl jabs at election rival Donald Trump In a TikTok soundtracked by rapper Kendrick Lamar's scathing new song Euphoria , Biden's campaign criticizes Donald Trump's stance on immigration, women's rights , and how the former president 'sneaks diss' on social media. Trump is pictured outside Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on Tuesday Biden's campaign used subtext in the 13-second clip, published online three days ago, to tweak lyrics of the popular song to be more fitting for dissing Trump. 'It's always been about love and hate, now let me say I'm the biggest hater,' the subtext reads. 'I hate the way that you walk over women's rights, the way that you talk about immigrants. 'I hate the way that you dress, I hate the way that you sneak diss on Truth Social.' Lamar's original lyrics, which about three minutes into the more than six minute song are: 'It's always been about love and hate, now let me say I'm the biggest hater. 'I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress, I hate the way that you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it's gon' be direct.' Lamar dropped Euphoria last week in response to Drake's fiery diss track Push Ups, which was released in April. The song saw Drake take aim at the rapper's small feet in the track's promo art, which featured only a size 7 shoe tag. 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. Kendrick Lamar (left) and Drake (right), arguably two of the world's biggest hip-hop voices, have been embroiled in a furious rivalry for years. Their feud has exploded in recent weeks with the release of a slew of diss tracks READ MORE: Trump widens his lead over Biden to 6% with just six months left to Election Day Advertisement In Euphoria, Lamar directly hit out at Drake, calling him a 'manipulator and habitual liar', and he criticizes his parenting skills. He also accused the star of commercially selling out, saying he only makes music to 'pacify' his fans. Drake and Lamar, arguably two of the world's biggest hip-hop voices, have been embroiled in a furious rivalry for years. The feud exploded over the weekend when five additional diss tracks were exchanged between the pair. While the rappers have ignited their war of words, Biden and Trump continue to slam each other on the campaign trial. Trump at a private event on Saturday compared the Biden Administration to the Nazi police in Germany's World War Two regime. 'These people are running a Gestapo administration,' Trump said, according to an audio recording heard by the New York Times and the Washington Post. '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.' President Joe Biden held a campaign event at a community center in Racine County, Wisconsin on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 Former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally on May 1, 2024 in Waukesha, Wisconsin He also attacked the prosecutors involved in his criminal indictments, according to the recording, and reprised his complaint that the multiple indictments against him were politically motivated. The former president, who held office from 2017 to 2021, faces an array of legal troubles in criminal and civil cases while he seeks to regain the presidency in the November 5 election. He denies wrongdoing in all the cases. Trump has made a series of inflammatory statements on the campaign trail, using violent imagery to criticize immigrants and opponents. Last November, Biden attacked Trump for using the word 'vermin' to refer to his political enemies, saying it echoed the language of Nazi Germany. The Biden campaign said the reported comments underscored the Republican candidate's anger and desire for revenge. Meanwhile, Trump continues to maintain a slight edge over Biden in polls for the 2024 election, with the latest showing him increasing his lead to 6 percent. With just over six months until the November general elections, Trump is ahead with 49 percent to Biden's 43 percent, according to a new CNN/SSRS poll conducted April 18-23 and released last week. This is a steadily widening gap from head-to-head results of the same survey conducted in the last year. The latest polling also shows that with more time passed from Trump's White House days, more voters are viewing his time in office positively. Kendrick Lamar's original Euphoria lyrics Its always been about love and hate, now let me say Im the biggest hater. I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk. I hate the way that you dress. I hate the way that you sneak diss, if I catch flight, its gon be direct. Advertisement Joe Biden's version of Lamar's viral diss track Its always been about love and hate, now let me say Im the biggest hater. I hate the way that you walk over womens rights, the way that you talk about immigrants. I hate the way that you dress. I hate the way that you sneak diss on Truth Social. Advertisement CNN/SSRS polling shows Donald Trump widening his lead with President Joe Biden with a 6 percent split heading into the six-month countdown to Election Day Meanwhile, a new Gallup poll released on April 26 shows that compared to other presidents at this point in his term, Biden, 81, is the least popular commander-in-chief in the last seven decades. Ranking below even Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter who were wildly unpopular when rounding out their fourth year in office, Biden ranks at 38.7 percent job approval through the first quarter of 2024. Trump in contrast had a 46.8 percent approval rating at this point in his presidency. Nixon and Carter had higher ratings than Biden at this point in their respective presidencies, with 53.7 percent and 47.7 percent approval. The CNN/SSRS poll released on April 29 shows that among 1,212 Americans surveyed, 60 percent disapprove of Biden's job as president. In results from two other polls conducted in January 2024 and October 2023 surveys through CNN/SSRS, Trump maintained his support among registered voters at 49 percent compared to the president's 45 percent. The hypothetical general election matchup in August 2023 more than a year before November's Election Day showed Trump and Biden separated by just 1 percentage point (47 percent to 46 percent). Advertisement Vladimir Putin this morning declared his nuclear forces were at full combat readiness in preparation for a global war in an unsettling speech amid Victory Day celebrations in Moscow's snowy Red Square. Addressing top officials, members of the armed forces - and millions of Russians watching at home - the Russian President said the Kremlin would do everything to avoid global confrontation, but warned that his military was ready to meet any threat to his nation's security. After calling for a minute of silence, Putin ended his monologue with the words: 'For Russia! For victory! Hurrah!', providing the cue for thousands of troops to answer with three loud cheers. Thousands of servicemen paraded through Red Square to salute their leader, followed by a fearsome Yars nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launcher in a classic display of nuclear prowess. But more than two years into the war in Ukraine, this year's procession was lacking in military hardware compared to recent parades - one solitary World War II-era tank trundled through the centre of Moscow, accompanied by little more than a few mobile rocket launchers. Previous years have seen entire divisions of tanks, armoured vehicles and all manner of heavy machinery descend on Red Square. Russian 'Yars' intercontinental ballistic missile launcher takes part in the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, 09 May 2024 A solitary Soviet era T-34 tank with a red flag atop rolls during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, May 9, 2024 Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Victory Day military parade on Red Square in Moscow, Russia, 09 May 2024 Russian servicemen march during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, May 9, 2024, marking the 79th anniversary of the end of World War II Russian servicemen take part in the Victory Day military parade on the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, 09 May 2024 Russian servicemen march during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, May 9, 2024, marking the 79th anniversary of the end of World War II Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a military parade on Victory Day, which marks the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2024 Mobile missile launchers roll through Red Square during today's parade The procession concluded with a small flyover from a few Russian warplanes Red Square is seen from above during today's Victory Day celebrations in Moscow Victory Day, celebrated each year on May 9, is a celebration of Russia's defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II - an integral part of the national identity that Putin has turned into a pillar of his quarter-century in power - and a justification of his move into Ukraine. 'The Victory Day unites all generations,' Putin said in his speech this morning. 'We are going forward relying on our centuries-old traditions and feel confident that together we will ensure a free and secure future of Russia.' He hailed the troops fighting in Ukraine for their courage and also blasted what Russia calls the 'collective West', accusing it of 'fuelling regional conflicts, inter-ethnic and inter-religious strife and trying to contain sovereign and independent centers of global development'. Amid Russia-West tensions that have soared to the highest level since the Cold War, Putin also issued another stark reminder about Russia's nuclear might. 'Russia will do everything to prevent global confrontation, but will not allow anyone to threaten us,' he said. 'Our strategic forces are in combat readiness. The celebrations have typically gone to great lengths to display Moscow's militaristic prowess - recent years have seen all manner of heavy weaponry, including various intercontinental ballistic missiles, and tank divisions being paraded past the Kremlin. And though today's procession was comparatively lacking in military hardware, legions of Russian servicemen still marched in unison through Red Square under a grey, sleeting sky as Putin, alongside the likes of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, looked on. The parade concluded with a brief flyover from a small contingent of Su-30SM, MiG-29 and Su-25 warplanes trailing the colours of the Russian tricolour through the sky. Processions were held across the nation, with street parties and processions seen as far east as Vladivostok, which is almost 4,000 miles away from Moscow. Even though few veterans of what Russia calls the Great Patriotic War are still alive 79 years after Berlin fell to the Red Army, the victory over Nazi Germany remains the most important and widely revered symbol of the country's prowess. Today's festivities across Russia, led by Putin who this week began his fifth term in office, recall that wartime sacrifice in what has become its most important secular holiday. The Soviet Union lost about 27 million people in the war, an estimate that many historians consider conservative, scarring virtually every family. Nazi troops overran much of the western Soviet Union when they invaded in June 1941, before being driven back all the way to Berlin, where the USSR's hammer and sickle flag was raised above the ruined capital. The US, UK, France and other allies mark the end of the war in Europe on May 8. Russian servicemen take part in the Victory Day military parade on the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, 09 May 2024. Russia marks the 79th anniversary of the victory in World War II over Nazi Germany and its allies A Soviet era T-34 tank rolls on Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 9, 2024. Russia celebrates the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II Russian servicemen take part in the Victory Day military parade on the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, 09 May 2024 Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends the Victory Day military parade at Red Square in central Moscow on May 9, 2024 Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu rides on an Aurus cabriolet during a military parade on Victory Day, which marks the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2024 A Navy officer adjusts the cadet's cap prior to the Victory Day military parade at the Palace Square in St. Petersburg, Russia, Thursday, May 9, 2024 Russian Sukhoi SU-25 fighter jets release smoke in the colours of the Russian flag as they fly over Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 9, 2024 Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu rides on an Aurus cabriolet during a military parade on Victory Day, which marks the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2024 Participants march on Dvortsovaya Square during the Victory Day military parade in central Saint Petersburg on May 9, 2024. Russia celebrates the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II Russian President Vladimir Putin greets highest ranked officers during the Victory Day parade at Red Square on May 9, 2024 Russian MiG-29 fighter jets fly over Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 9, 2024. Russia celebrates the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II The immense suffering and sacrifice in cities like Stalingrad, Kursk and Putin's native Leningrad - now St. Petersburg - still serve as a powerful symbol of the country's ability to prevail against seemingly overwhelming challenges. Since coming to power on the last day of 1999, Putin has made May 9 an important part of his political agenda, featuring displays of military might. Columns of tanks and missiles roll across Red Square and squadrons of fighter jets roar overhead as medal-bedecked veterans join him to review the parade. Many wear the black-and-orange St. George's ribbon that is traditionally associated with Victory Day. Putin, 71, talks frequently about his family history, sharing memories of his father, who fought on the front during the Nazi siege of the city and was badly wounded. As Putin tells it, his father, also named Vladimir, came home from a military hospital during the war to see workers trying to take away his wife, Maria, who had been declared dead of starvation. But the elder Putin did not believe she had died - saying she had only lost consciousness, weak with hunger. Their first child, Viktor, died during the siege when he was 3, one of more than 1 million Leningrad residents who died in the 872-day blockade, most of them from starvation. For several years, Putin carried a photo of his father in Victory Day marches - as did others honouring relatives who were war veterans - in what was called the 'Immortal Regiment.' Those demonstrations were suspended during the coronavirus pandemic and then again amid security concerns after the start of the fighting in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Guinea-Bissaun President Umaro Sissoco Embalo attend a military parade on Victory Day, which marks the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two Participants march on Dvortsovaya Square during the Victory Day military parade in central Saint Petersburg on May 9, 2024. Russia celebrates the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II A Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry female cadet touches up her friend's lips prior to the Victory Day military parade at the Palace Square in St. Petersburg, Russia, Thursday, May 9, 2024 Russian servicewomen march during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia Russian servicemen parade on Red Square Russian Sukhoi SU-25 fighter jets release smoke in the colours of the Russian flag as they fly over Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 9, 2024 Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu salutes servicemen on Red Square A World War II-era tank trundles through Red Square Legions of servicemen parade through Red Square as they look toward Putin sitting in the crowd A military band serenades Putin on Red Square during Victory Day celebrations Addressing top officials, members of the armed forces - and millions of Russians watching at home - the Russian President said the Kremlin would do everything to avoid global confrontation, but warned that any threat would be met with a strong response Mobile missile launchers are seen in Red Square Suited and booted servicewomen are seen standing in Red Square Red Square parades are seen on Victory Day in Russia, May 9, 2024 Russian military vehicles drive along a road before a military parade on Victory Day, which marks the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2024 People, including veterans, take part in the celebrations of Victory Day, which marks the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Vladivostok, Russia, May 9, 2024 Russian service members take part in a military parade on Victory Day, which marks the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Vladivostok, Russia, May 9 Russian service members take part in a military parade on Victory Day, which marks the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Vladivostok, Russia, May 9, 2024 Russian service members march in columns before a military parade on Victory Day, which marks the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in central Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2024 Russian service members take part in a military parade on Victory Day, which marks the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Vladivostok, Russia, May 9, 2024 As part of his efforts to burnish the Soviet legacy and trample on any attempts to question it, Russia has introduced laws that criminalised the 'rehabilitation of Nazism' that include punishing the 'desecration' of memorials or challenging Kremlin versions of World War II history. When he sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Putin evoked World War II in seeking to justify his actions that Kyiv and its Western allies denounced as an unprovoked war of aggression. Putin cited the 'denazification' of Ukraine as a main goal of Moscow, falsely describing the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust, as neo-Nazis. Putin tried to cast Ukraine's veneration of some of its nationalist leaders who cooperated with the Nazis in World War II as a sign of Kyiv's purported Nazi sympathies. Many observers see Putin's focus on World War II as part of his efforts to revive the USSR's clout and prestige and his reliance on Soviet practices. 'It's the continuous self-identification with the USSR as the victor of Nazism and the lack of any other strong legitimacy that forced the Kremlin to declare `denazification' as the goal of the war,' Nikolay Epplee said in a commentary for Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. The Russian leadership, he said, has 'locked itself up in a worldview limited by the Soviet past.' A massive fire with smoke seen as far as 20 miles away has erupted at an industrial estate, with the fire services ordering an urgent evacuation this morning. Eyewitnesses claimed there were 'explosions' heard in the moments before the 'very large scale blaze' at the parcel centre in Cannock, Staffordshire - near Birmingham. Those living nearby described a sound like 'a bomb going off' just after 6am. Footage posted on social media shows a ginormous plume of black smoke interspersed with flames spewing into the sky. Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service rushed to the scene of the inferno this morning and told nearby residents to shut their windows, with businesses ordered to evacuate. A spokesperson for the service told MailOnline they first received reports of the fire at 6.14am, with 10 fire trucks attending. No one was in the building at the time. The large Cannock Orbital shopping centre has been evacuated, which contains a great number of shops including Sainsbury's, Boots and PureGym. The fire originated at the logistics firm Super Smart Service in the Kingswood Lakeside Employment Park, a distribution warehouse 'which contains a variety of different materials for delivery' - up to 70,000 parcels a day. Residents told of how they were woken by a series of loud explosions before the area was engulfed by 'ominous' and 'frightening' black smoke, with one local declaring it's 'like something we've never seen.' Did YOU see the fire? Email emily.davies@mailonline.co.uk Aerial views show the massive scale of the inferno at the parcel centre this morning A huge blaze has ripped through Orbital Business Park in Cannock, Staffordshire Aerial photos show the massive plume of smoke which can be seen for miles around A massive fire with smoke seen for miles has broken out at an industrial estate Eyewitnesses claimed there were 'explosions' heard in the moments before the 'very large scale blaze' at the site in Cannock, Staffordshire - near Birmingham Flames tore through buildings in the Orbital area, with massive disruption caused to traffic Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service crews pictured at the fire at Super Smart Services The Deputy Chief fire officer told the BBC operations have been scaled back this afternoon but they expect to handle the situation for 'up to two days'. Glynn Luznyj, Deputy Chief Fire Officer for Staffordshire Fire and Rescue, said the blaze had spread across the 38,000 sq m site - which was the size of two football pitches. He added nobody is believed to be unaccounted for inside the facility which stores a variety of goods, similar to an Amazon warehouse. Super Smart Service distributes parcels for eBay, Amazon and other platforms. It also works with Royal Mail, Yodel, Hermes and DPD. Terry Knowlson, 57, who lives Cannock, said: 'It woke me up this morning - I heard a loud bang and thought a plane had crashed nearby of something. 'The next thing these thick black clouds of ominous looking smoke were looming over the entire town. It was like something from a film. 'Fire crews were here quick and have been working all morning. 'After all the chaos and commotion of the sirens and the original explosions, there's been a weird quiet around the place. 'People are just shocked as the scale of it, is just like something we've never seen.' Another local Andre Vezo, 32, added: 'It sounded like a bomb going off, it was quite the wake up call this morning. 'I'm just praying everybody is safe in there as it looks really bad. The smoke was stretching as far as the eye could see. It's just enormous and quite frightening.' Flames tore through buildings in the Orbital area, with massive disruption caused to traffic in the town. Huge plumes of thick black smoke can be seen above the M6 and across the town in footage and photos posted on social media. People from across the West Midlands from as far as Great Wyrley, Hednesford and Burntwood said they could see the wall of smoke from their homes. Glynn Luznyj, Deputy Chief Fire Officer for Staffordshire Fire and Rescue, said the blaze had spread across the 38,000 sq m site - which was the size of two football pitches A wall of smoke can be seen at the industrial estate, with fire crews in attendance People from across the West Midlands from as far as Great Wyrley, Hednesford and Burntwood said they could see the wall of smoke from their homes Huge plumes of thick black smoke can be seen above the M6 and across the town in footage Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service posted on X: 'We have a very large scale incident close to the orbital islands in Cannock. 'We have 10 fire engines in attendance supported by specialist equipment and officers. Some roads closures are in place.' One commuter told BirminghamLive they could see the smoke 'stretching back to Tamworth', which is 18 miles away. Sam Winter, a 32-year-old scaffolder who caught footage of the fire, said: 'I drove out of Cannock Chase to a plume of smoke, so I drove all the way following it to get a video as my mum works across the road from there.' Rob Humphries, who lives in Abbots Bromley, noticed smoke while out walking his dog. The 36-year-old said: 'I was out on the morning dog walk and spotted a huge plume of smoke in the distance. 'It appeared to be coming from the other side of Cannock Chase, in the direction of Cannock.' Posting on X, one eyewitness claimed there were several blasts heard before the fire broke out. 'It's the Smart Service warehouse just up the road from Sainsbury's on Cannock Orbital. Series of explosions before the fire,' they said. Speaking from the scene, the Deputy Chief Fire Officer said: 'Our firefighters are making good progress with this large incident here at Cannock today. 'It was a really challenging first hour or two of operations. A view taken from a drone of the fire at Super Smart Services today after a fire broke out The Deputy Chief fire officer told the BBC operations have been scaled back this afternoon but they expect to handle the situation for 'up to two days'. Pictured is the scene this morning 'I'm pleased to say that our crews from Staffordshire are being supported by colleagues from West Midlands and Shropshire and have really made good progress surrounding the fire and bringing it under control and stopping the spread. 'In terms of the cause we are looking into that today. It's too early to determine that with any accuracy, but it is a thread that we are working on effectively. 'Unfortunately, with something of this size, we're talking a building that is the size of two football pitches fully involved in fire, it does mean there is a significant smoke plume coming off from the site. 'We're working to try and mitigate the impact of that smoke plume on residents, businesses, the infrastructure and of course our responding firefighters, too. 'That's going to be there for some time, but with the warm weather we've got it does mean that smoke plume is going high into the atmosphere and dissipating which is really helpful. 'Initially we've sent around 60 of our firefighters with officers and specialist appliances to deal with the initial attack and control of the fire. 'We can't operate alone due to the circumstances, we're supported by a multi-agency team from other emergency responders from blue light services and from people like the council, the highways, to make sure that we do everything we can to try and limit the impact on this local area. 'We have information that the site itself was fully evacuated upon the discovery of the fire, which is great, so there's no information to suggest any persons are involved.' Worried social media users posted on X, with one saying: 'Looks bad - hope no one is hurt'. One commuter told the news site they could see the smoke 'stretching back to Tamworth' Fire and smoke can be seen above the town from miles away in photos posted on social media One local said: 'Just checked through my doorbell and it had started just before my partner left for work. Hope everyone is doing okay. And everyone is safe.' 'Enormous fire, keep safe' another said. One praised the efforts of the emergency services, posting: 'Fair play to these hard workers. It always amazes me how they deal with incidents on this scale and calmly go set about doing their job. 'Awesome and I hope all go home intact and no one gets hurt.' One eyewitness posted: 'I can see the smoke in the sky, looks pretty bad. Hope everyone is OK and the firefighters are safe.' BirminghamLive reported local roads are shut while firefighters battle the flames, with disruption in the area expected to worsen. Buses are being diverted due to the incident, with operator Chaserider posting on social media: 'Due to the incident at the Orbital Retail Park we are having to divert service 3 via Lichfield Road, Cannock Road, Hednesford Road and Walsall Road. 'We are also unable to serve Jerome Road, meaning we will using Bettys Lanes and Red Lion Lane.' A spokesperson from the West Midlands Ambulance service told MailOnline they were called to the Kingswood Lakeside Employment Park by the fire service at 6.36am. 'Prior to our arrival, we were told our assistance was no longer needed,' they said. A Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: 'We are at the scene of a large warehouse fire in Cannock. 'Crews got a call just before 6.15am this morning to an address on Cley Road. A view of the smoke from the Cannock fire this morning, taken from the town of Burntwood The UK Health Security Agency has issued advice on X to those living locally Footage posted on social media shows a plume of black smoke interspersed with flames 'We've currently got lots of firefighters down there alongside other colleagues from West Midlands Fire Service and Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service to help bring the fire under control. 'We're advising the public to avoid the area where possible whilst we work to bring the incident to a safe and swift conclusion. 'If you live nearby and feel you are affected, we recommend closing your windows and doors as a precaution due to heavy amounts of smoke coming from the building.' The UK Health Security Agency has issued advice to those living locally. Posting a thread on X, they said: 'People in areas affected by smoke from the fire in Cannock, Staffordshire should stay indoors, keep doors/windows closed and check local radio/online info/advice. 'Motorists should keep windows closed, turn off air con and keep air vents closed. 'Smoke can irritate airways, skin, eyes and cause coughing, wheezing, breathlessness and chest pain. 'If you have been affected by smoke from the fire in the Cannock area of Staffordshire or are concerned for your health - contact NHS111 or your GP. 'Only call 999 if urgent.' Did YOU see the fire? Email emily.davies@mailonline.co.uk Keir Starmer is struggling to contain mounting Labour fury over the defection of Natalie Elphicke today. A jubilant Sir Keir unveiled Ms Elphicke as his latest recruit in a moment of high drama at PMQs yesterday, insisting it showed Rishi Sunak's government was crumbling. But the stunt immediately threatened to backfire as Labour figures expressed outrage that the Dover MP - previously regarded as on the hardline end of the Conservatives - did not share the party's 'values'. One NEC member complained about becoming a 'dustbin' for Tory right-wingers, while even Lord Kinnock, normally a staunch supporter of Sir Keir, warned he must be 'choosy' and 'there are limits'. Birkenhead MP Mick Whitley said it was 'outrageous' Ms Elphicke was allowed to join Labour when Diane Abbott and Jeremy Corbyn remain suspended. Ms Elphicke has said she does not intend to stand for election again in Dover, but a Labour spokesman said she could be given an unpaid role advising the party on housing. It was the second Tory defection to Labour in a fortnight, following the switch by former minister Dan Poulter last week. Labour chair Anneliese Dodds struggled in interviews this morning as she was asked how Ms Elphicke can be a Labour MP when Ms Abbott is still in the cold amid an investigation into comments relating to anti-semitism. Keir Starmer is struggling to contain mounting Labour fury over the defection of Natalie Elphicke (pictured together yesterday) Birkenhead MP Mick Whitley said it was 'outrageous' Ms Elphicke was allowed to join Labour when Diane Abbott and Jeremy Corbyn remain suspended A jubilant Sir Keir unveiled Ms Elphicke as his latest recruit in a moment of high drama at PMQs yesterday, insisting it showed Rishi Sunak's government was crumbling Ms Dodds told BBC's Radio 4 Today programme: 'Look, I have enormous respect for Diane Abbott, she was an absolute trailblazer, and of course we set out those proposals for a new race equality act some weeks ago when I was really privileged to have been able to discuss those with her. 'But, as I have said before, we have got a process, there is an independent one that does operate without fear or favour, and that is quite right. 'It is not one that is subject to political influence, nor indeed should it be.' She refused to 'go into detail' about why Ms Abbott's complaint process has taken more than year, but Ms Elphicke has been admitted into the Labour Party. Ms Elphicke was condemned by former colleagues on the Tory benches, with rail minister Huw Merriman branding her a 'shameless opportunist'. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said this morning that it was a 'very odd fit' and played down fears of more defections, saying she believed most of her colleagues were 'more principled than that'. However, Sir Keir also faced a backlash over his decision to embrace an MP who had branded him 'Sir Softie' over his stance on immigration and who defended her former MP husband when he was convicted of sexual assault. One Labour MP said: 'I think it's utterly disgraceful. 'She's totally right-wing and supported her husband when he sexually assaulted women. 'There are Labour MPs still suspended and we're welcoming MPs who have voted to push people into poverty. I despair.' Jess Phillips, a former shadow minister, said Ms Elphicke should 'account for her actions'. She told ITV's Peston: 'I'm all for forgiveness but I do think that that needs some explaining.' The branch of the GMB union that represents MPs' staff said it had requested a meeting with Labour whips 'regarding vetting of sitting MPs and candidates', with branch chairwoman Jenny Symmons describing the decision as 'really, really poor and disappointing'. Another MP said she had been left in tears by the news of Ms Elphicke's defection. Former Labour leader Lord Kinnock warned Sir Keir he should be 'choosy' when deciding whether to accept defectors known to have hardline Right-wing views. He told the BBC: 'As far the party is concerned more generally, I think we have got to be choosy to a degree about who we allow to join our party because it's a very broad church but churches have walls and there are limits.' Jess Phillips, a former shadow minister, said Ms Elphicke should 'account for her actions' At least one female Labour MP is reported to have made a formal complaint to party whips about the decision. Labour MPs privately voiced fears about Sir Keir's decision to welcome Ms Elphicke. One said: 'There is a lot of concern about whether we have done our due diligence on this one.' Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell branded the move a 'political stunt' and warned it could backfire as Ms Elphicke has held views on issues like immigration 'which I don't think the party should be associated with'. He told LBC Radio: 'I'm a great believer in the powers of conversion, but I think even this one would have strained the generosity of spirit of John the Baptist.' Mish Rahman, a member of Labour's ruling National Executive Committee, said: 'From Starmer's decision today, he wants Labour to be a dustbin for (right-wing) Tory politicians who have inflicted colossal damage on our country. I'd rather beat every Tory... instead Starmer wants them in his Parliamentary party.' In a lengthy statement, Ms Elphicke said Labour had undergone 'dramatic' change and was now the party of the centre ground while the Conservatives had become 'a byword for incompetence and division'. She also accused the Government of failing to stop the boats, adding: 'It's clear they have failed to keep our borders secure and cannot be trusted.' Dover MP on the frontline of Channel migrant crisis who replaced jailed 'naughty Tory' ex-husband Charlie in Commons and criticised Marcus Rashford over free school meals campaign during Euros Natalie Elphicke shocked Westminster as she crossed the floor to join Labour with a broadside at her former Tory colleagues over border security. The 53-year-old has been in the firing line of the migrant crisis as the MP for Dover in Kent, where many of those crossing the Channel in small boats come ashore. She was elected in the seat in 2019, replacing her then husband Charlie, who was jailed the following year for sexually assaulting two women. Despite the trial hearing about his infidelities during their marriage, she backed him before and after the trial, supporting his appeal and saying her 'attractive' spouse had been an 'easy target' for false claims because he was 'charming, wealthy, charismatic and successful'. With a majority of 12,278 her seat was firmly in Labour's sights against the backdrop of the ongoing issue of arrivals - although it is changing size and being renamed Dover and Deal at the next election. Labour has confirmed that she is standing down at the next election. She has also been a critic of the plan to send Channel migrants to Rwanda. But she has also been highly critical of Labour. Just two years ago, when Keir Starmer was already leader, she accused the party of backing 'fewer and weaker border controls when it comes to illegal arrivals on our shores.' Her defection prompted anger from Tory MPs, with former minister Dame Andrea Jenkyns tweeting: 'You were a centre right Conservative, Labour want to give asylum to 50,000 plus people. 'I thought you had more conviction than to join the lefty Labour lot you despised so much!' Her post contains a screenshot of a headline saying: 'Don't trust Labour on immigration they really want open borders, warns Natalie Elphicke.' The 53-year-old has been in the firing line of the migrant crisis as the MP for Dover in Kent, where many of those crossing the Channel in small boats come ashore. She was elected in the seat in 2019, replacing her then husband Charlie, who was jailed the following year for sexually assaulting two women. Ms Elphicke clashed with protesters gathered in support of sacked P&O Ferry workers at Dover in Kent -after arriving to support them. She hit the headlines in 2020 after she dumped her self-proclaimed 'naughty Tory' husband on Twitter after 25 years of marriage. Charlie was convicted of three counts of sexual assault in 2020 and admitted to cheating on his wife during his trial. He was freed on licence after serving half of his two-year prison sentence and after his release the former couple were forced to navigate the difficulties of bringing up their teenage son together. In January 2022 he was pictured driving a 4x4 with a stony-faced Mrs Elphicke in the passenger seat near her 1.6million home in Fulham, west London. It is the first time the pair had been pictured together since they arrived hand-in-hand at court throughout his trial, which culminated in Mrs Elphicke storming out after the verdict. She later backed a failed appeal against his prison sentence, saying she wanted him to 'co-parent their teenage son while he was growing up'. A court heard she also loaned him 100,000 to cover legal costs. Writing in the Sun after he was jailed she said: 'Charlie is charming, wealthy, charismatic and successful attractive, and attracted to, women. All things that in today's climate made him an easy target for dirty politics and false allegations. 'So I resolved to stand by him while he fought off these allegations in court and decided that I would leave him after that. It didn't quite work out that way. 'Following an unfair trial during the Covid-19 pandemic, I believe that Charlie was convicted in a terrible miscarriage of justice. 'It was obvious to me from reading the evidence during lockdown that the criminal allegations against him were complete nonsense, and I still believe they are.' In 2021 she and four other backbenchers were suspended for trying to influence the judge sentencing her ex. The Commons Standards Committee recommended that MsElphicke, Sir Roger Gale and Theresa Villiers should be suspended for one day for their actions at the hearing the previous year. The three, along with fellow Tories Adam Holloway and Bob Stewart, breached the code of conduct through a letters to senior judges that were 'an attempt improperly to influence judicial proceedings,' the committee said. All five wrote to senior members of the judiciary raising concerns that the trial judge was considering publishing positive character references provided for Mr Elphicke by Conservatives politicians. The former Dover MP was jailed in September 2021, but it was not revealed until the following November that a quintet had provided positive references to the judge at Southwark Crown Court - MPs Gale, Stewart, Holloway and Villiers, plus peer Lord Freud. That year she was also forced to backtrack after an horrific own goal attack on England star Marcus Rashford over his missed Euro 2020 penalty. Ms Elphicke suggested the Manchester United star should have practised spot kicks instead of campaigning for free meals for deprived schoolchildren during lockdown. She made the remark in a Tory MP WhatsApp group after the Three Lions' Euro 2020 defeat on penalties to Italy at Wembley in the delayed tournament. In a message first revealed by GB News, Mrs Elphicke told other Tories: 'They lost - would it be ungenerous to suggest Rashford should have spent more time perfecting his game and less time playing politics.(sic)' Rashford was made an MBE in October 2020 in recognition of his work in feeding underprivileged children, which included forcing Boris Johnson into a U-turn over providing free school meal vouchers for 1.3million kids during the summer holidays. After her comments were leaked and widely criticised she took to Twitter to heap praise on the team. Manchester United striker Rashford was one of three England players to miss in the deciding shoot-out in the Three Lions' first major final in 55 years. In a message first revealed by GB News, Mrs Elphicke told other Tories: 'They lost - would it be ungenerous to suggest Rashford should have spent more time perfecting his game and less time playing politics.(sic)' But today, after her comments were leaked and widely criticised she took to Twitter to heap praise on the team. 'Last night I shared the frustration and heartbreak of millions of England fans,' she said. 'The team gave their all. Congratulations and onwards to the World Cup!' Ms Elphicke crossed the floor in the Commons just moments before Prime Minister's Questions. It allowed Sir Keir to ask Mr Sunak 'what is the point of this failed Government staggering on' when 'the Tory MP for Dover on the front line of small boats crisis says the Prime Minister cannot be trusted with our borders and joins Labour?'. In a statement announcing her defection she said: 'When I was elected in 2019, the Conservative Party occupied the centre ground of British politics. The party was about building the future and making the most of the opportunities that lay ahead for our country. 'Since then, many things have changed. The elected Prime Minister was ousted in a coup led by the unelected Rishi Sunak. Under Rishi Sunak, the Conservatives have become a byword for incompetence and division. 'The centre ground has been abandoned and key pledges of the 2019 manifesto have been ditched. 'Meanwhile the Labour Party has changed out of all recognition. Since 2019, it has moved on from Jeremy Corbyn and now, under Keir Starmer, occupies the centre ground of British politics. 'It has accepted Brexit and its economic policies and defence policies are responsible and can be trusted. 'Most significantly for me, the modern Labour Party looks to the future - to building a Britain of hope, optimism, opportunity and fairness. A Britain everyone can be part of.' Dozens of flights have been delayed at Gatwick airport after a fire alarm triggered an evacuation of the South terminal. One holidaymaker claimed they were 'stuck on the runway waiting to take off' for over 45 minutes. Social media posts showed chaotic scenes from the UK's second busiest airport as thousands of confused passengers waited outside the terminal. Once the situation was resolved, passengers faced further heartache today as the chaos meant they faced delays waiting to take off to their holiday destinations. According to Flight Radar, the backlog of flights led to dozens of flights being delayed with some flights waiting an hour and a half to take off. With one flight to Malta leaving Gatwick two hours later than it was suppose to. Social media posts showed chaotic scenes from the UK's second busiest airport as thousands of confused passengers waited outside the terminal Once the situation was resolved, passengers faced further heartache today as the chaos meant they faced delays waiting to take off to their holiday destinations Keven Edgar on his delayed flight to Antigua waiting to take off. The BA flight was delayed for an hour and 26 minutes before it eventually took off One passenger who was stuck on the runway was Kevin Edgar, whose BA flight to Antigua was delayed for an hour and 26 minutes before it eventually took off. Mr Edgar, spoke to MailOnline while he was waiting to takeoff. He said: 'There's been no confirmation yet when we'll leave. We've been sat on the plane for 40 minutes now.' He added: 'I need a drink!' The holidaymaker also claimed some passengers had to travel through airport security again after the evacuation after leaving the terminal. Mr Edgar posted on X, formerly twitter, a video from inside the departure lounge shows the moment the fire alarm went off with an announcement saying 'attention, the fire alarm has been activated.' Passengers can be seen leaving the departure lounge en masse to make their way outside. Other passengers also took to social media to post about the evacuation. On X one user wrote: 'Fire alarm at Gatwick South terminal. Evacuated all passengers from Airside, no staff know what's going on. No coordination from anyone at the airport. Fun day.' Another social media user said: 'More chaos at @Gatwick_Airport following fire alarm activation, and pre-security ques building. Guess I'll be missing my flight then....' A person commented: 'A fire alarm at @Gatwick_Airport and staff are as clueless as guests as to the procedures on how to safely exit. No fire Marshalls, signage pointing the wrong way. Eventually found a way out. Awful.' Inside the terminal passengers have took to social media to share images of large queues of people making their way out of the airport. Inside the terminal passengers have took to social media to share images of large queues of people making their way out of the airport A London Gatwick spokesperson told MailOnline that the situation had since been resolved and passengers are returning to departures. They also said that any delays were due to flights being held were to ensure any passengers did not miss their flights. In a statement they said: 'London Gatwick's South Terminal Departure Lounge was evacuated for a short time this morning due to a fire alarm activation. Our dedicated Airport Fire Service swiftly attended and confirmed there was no fire. Passengers are being allowed back into the Departure Lounge. Safety and security are our top priority and we resolved the situation as quickly as possible.' A man has been charged a day after he allegedly stabbed his former girlfriend in a domestic violence 'targeted' attack outside a busy gym- as more chilling details emerged. Anthony Monteleone, 45, was arrested after he presented himself to Dee Why police station on Sydney's northern beaches on Thursday morning after he allegedly spent 19 hours on the run. He was taken to Manly police station, where he was charged with cause wounding/grievous bodily harm to person with intent to murder (DV) and contravene prohibition/restriction in AVO (domestic). He was refused bail to appear in Manly Local Court on Friday. Emergency services rushed to the Crunch Fitness gym in Alexandria in the city's inner-south about 12.30pm on Wednesday after a man allegedly stabbed a 39-year-old woman inside the carpark before fleeing in a vehicle. The woman, who was rushed to hospital in a serious but stable condition, suffered wounds to her neck, upper body and head during the attack. It's since been revealed that the woman was allegedly 'followed' by her former boyfriend Monteleone in the weeks leading up to alleged attack. Anthony Monteleone was charged with grievous bodily harm with intent to murder and breaching a domestic violence AVO It's understood the pair had brief eight week relationship that ended recently. The woman had reportedly cut off all communication with Monteleone after she noticed 'a few red flags'. 'They were not talking for that long, [only] a short time ... they were not in a relationship,' a source close to the woman told The Daily Telegraph. 'Once she cut him off, there was some sort of stalking and numerous phone calls. 'She blocked him and that's when he started following her.' The source said that the woman was 'okay' but felt 'scared' following the alleged attack and remains in hospital. An AVO had been put in place for the woman's safety on April 20 against Monteleone - who then allegedly breached the orders twice over the next two weeks. The order prohibited him from contacting, finding, assaulting, stalking, harassing or intimidating the woman, or destroying her property. It also prevented him from going within 100m of her home or place of work. On April 29, he was arrested for breaching the order and was refused bail. Monteleone immediately pleaded guilty and was given an 18-month intensive correction order to be served in the community. Nine days later, he allegedly attacked the woman in broad daylight. It's alleged that Monteleone laid in wait for the woman for two hours outside the gym before the alleged attack. The 45-year-old (pictured) handed himself into police on Thursday morning Emergency services rushed to Crunch Fitness in Alexandria around midday on Wednesday to treat a 39-year-old woman with wounds to her neck, upper body and head Crunch Fitness released a statement on behalf of chief executive Selena Afeaki on Thursday night. 'We want to address the incident that occurred yesterday at Crunch Fitness Alexandria. Unfortunately, a member was attacked and sustained injuries,' it read.' 'Thankfully, she is now recovering ok.' 'Grateful for our team at Alexandria for their help and brave efforts throughout the day. 'The police and paramedics were incredible in their response and we are reminded of what an honour it is to serve others in times of need.' The gym also vowed to make more of an effort to raise awareness and stand against any kind of violence. 'This has prompted Crunch Fitness to stand up and do more,' the statement ended. A witness told Nine News that he saw the woman was bleeding from her neck and ears. Another witness named Claire, told the ABC that she was about to enter the gym when she heard 'a scream' and said she saw the man on top of the woman. 'Because of the distance, I wasn't sure what he was trying to do to her. It looked like he was attacking her or he was trying to rob her,' she said. One witness, named Claire, told the ABC that she was about to enter the gym when she heard 'a scream' and claimed she saw the man on top of the woman. Pictured are strewn belongings after the alleged incident Crunch Fitness vowed to do more to raise awareness and stand against any kind of violence in a statement from chief executive Selena Afeaki on Thursday night NSW Premier Chris Minns described the alleged incident as a 'horrifying and shocking' attack. 'It would be every woman's worst nightmare to be in that situation, particularly somebody that has taken out an apprehended domestic violence order,' he said. 'It's important to say that these events are not rare, either. They are common, and the number and frequency of domestic violence offences in NSW represents an absolute emergency in the state.' His comments come as the government is set to introduce bail reform in domestic violence cases, with the Premier flagging on Thursday that he was open to further reform on how AVOs are monitored. The attack comes one day after the NSW government flagged the introduction of increased police powers that would allow authorities to 'wand' people for knives in areas such as shopping centres and transport hubs. The laws, which will likely be introduced into NSW parliament next week, will be made available in circumstances where a relevant weapons offence/knife crime have occurred within the past six months and be available to police for 12 hours, with the option to extend. If you or someone you know has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault call 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) for 24 hour national sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line. A teenage girl was 'loaned out' by her 'lover boy' boyfriend to be sexually abused by his friends in Belgium who filmed the attack on their phones and shared images on social media, according to reports, in a case that has shocked the country. The 14-year-old girl was abused by ten minors on up to three occasions between April 2 and April 6 over the Easter holidays, prosecutors say. The main suspect - the girl's 14-year-old boyfriend - is alleged to have taken the girl with him to a wooded area called Kabouterbos in Kortrijk, West Flanders. The spot is popular with mountain bikers and sits close to a highway. Once there, the boyfriend is said to have attacked his young partner before allegedly allowing several other boys to sexually assault her as well. Reports said the group filmed the attack on their smartphones and posted clips to social media. Prosecutors arrested ten suspects aged between 11 and 16 - all reported by local outlets to be boys of 'immigrant origin' - and hauled them in for interrogation. Since then, more details have emerged about the suspects. Citing 'well placed sources', Belgian outlet Nieuwsblad described the boyfriend as a 'loverboy boy' type who deliberately allowed his friends to abuse his young partner. The 14-year-old girl was abused by ten minors on up to three occasions between April 2 and April 6 over the Easter holidays in a wooded area in Kortrijk (pictured), prosecutors say 'Lover boy' in this case is a term used to describe human traffickers who typically operate by trying to make their young victims fall in love with them. Nieuwsblad said prosecutors turned up 'reprehensible behaviour' on the part of the suspects and 'revenge-mongering facts', citing the sources close to the investigation who said the alleged perpetrators showed 'a complete lack of sense of norms'. The girl is thought to have spent at least two days in the forest where she was raped, tormented and abused by the gang of minors. She also returned a third time, reports say, but was not raped on that occasion. The group took turns abusing the victim, and all participated 'to a greater or lesser extent,' Nieuwsblad said in its report. The girl is understood to have been raped by several of the boys while others filmed the attacks on their smart phones, before sharing the clips with others. Images were also shared on social media, reportedly over Snapchat - an instant messaging app that allows users to easily share pictures and videos. The youngest of the boys, an 11-year-old, is said to have been used as lookout. None of the group urged their friends to stop the abuse, sources said. The investigation has been conducted in the utmost secrecy by the West Flanders prosecutor's office to avoid any chance of family members of the victim or members of the public learning the identities of those involved. Although the alleged attack took place in early April, the girl didn't come forward for several days out of fear of telling her parents and the police. It wasn't until April 25 that the police were able to arrest the suspects. In total, ten boys were detained. Six of the suspects were placed in a closed institution, while the other four were placed under house arrest. They have since been questioned - all simultaneously and separately, so that investigators can compare all statements. Citing its sources, Nieuwsblad said many of the statements given by the boys were contradictory, a number of the suspects blaming each other. Some of the six minors placed in the institution appeared in juvenile court on Wednesday afternoon. It was reported that two were released on conditions. Nieuwsblad reported that four more minors are now in custody - including the 14-year-old boyfriend who, it is understood, has been made the main suspect. Prosecutors are now working to establish what extent each suspect was involved in the assault on the 14-year-old girl, or if any were bystanders. Tom Janssens of the Public Prosecutor's Office said that on account of the age of all those involved, little is being said publicly on their identity. He did confirm that ten suspects had been identified and arrested, and that all were minors. 'Because the perpetrators are so young, we are not releasing much information about their identity,' Janssens told The Brussels Times. The main suspect - the girl's 14-year-old boyfriend - is alleged to have taken the girl with him to the wooded area called Kabouterbos in Kortrijk, West Flanders where she was assaulted by up to 10 boys who are reported to have shared footage of the attack on social media According to the boyfriend's lawyer, her client has disputed the events as they have been reported. 'My client also wants the truth to come to light and for the matter to be thoroughly investigated,' lawyer Nur Demirtas told Nieuwsblad. 'He understands that he is now locked up, but this is also traumatising for him. This is also very difficult for his parents, wealthy people who have tried to give their son a good upbringing. They don't understand how this could happen,' Demirtas said. 'It also strikes me that suspects of such crimes are becoming younger and younger. That is very disturbing.' Lawyer Kelly De Caluwe, who is defending a 16-year-old suspect of Somali origin, said the minors had 'all been interrogated simultaneously and the investigators will now test the statements to find out the truth'. 'These are horrible facts,' she said. 'The question is how it is possible that these children have lost all sense of norms. What should we do with this? 'How are we going to solve this? It is a question that should be asked not only to the juvenile judge but also to society as a whole. I have not yet experienced such facts in my fifteen-year career.' Caluwe said her client said things he did not mean during the questioning and has asked for a re-examination. 'I asked for a re-examination because due to the language barrier he said things that did not match what he meant,' she said, according to Nieuwsblad. 'To me he is not a rapist. Although he realises that something very wrong has happened. That realisation comes gradually.' Kortrijk mayor Vincent Van Quickenborne said he was shocked when he first learned about the case that he has known about behind closed doors 'for some time'. 'The public prosecutor's office does not allow me to say anything about the facts themselves, but I had been aware of the investigation for some time,' he said. 'These are cra*py acts for which there are no words. I say that not only as a politician, but also as a father of 3 young children.' The criminal age of responsibility in Belgium is 18, meaning the suspected sexual abusers were sent before a juvenile judge and are likely to have been placed into a personal rehabilitation programme in youth facilities. But it is possible the 16-year-old in question could be dealt with under adult criminal law, given the exceptional nature of the case. The victim, meanwhile, is receiving specialist guidance following her ordeal. The case in Belgium comes three years after another, similarly horrific incident shocked the country when a 14-year-old girl was raped by a group of young men in a cemetery in Ghent, in East Flanders. Aged between 14 and 19, the group filmed the attack and circulated the footage on social media. The victim later took her own life. The case sparked debate in Belgium about the country's juvenile delinquency laws, as well as around increasing the minimum penalty for sexual offences. Belgium eventually tightened the juvenile delinquency laws. This made it possible to lock up children as young as 12 for longer periods if they are found guilty of rape and gang rape, and since 2022, offenders aged 16 and over who committed such crimes can be tried as adults. Commenting on the recent case, East Flanders's Justice Minister Zuhal Demir - who advocated for the tightening of such laws - said parents of children who commit such crimes 'must be held accountable'. 'You simply cannot deal with this kind of violence with lower [sentences],' she said, according to The Brussels Times. 'Such [perpetrators] must be taken off the streets and their parents must be held accountable. Juvenile judges should make more and full use of the recent tightening of juvenile delinquency law.' On why it likely took the 14-year-old girl time to come forward after the early April incident, professor of forensic psychology Frederic Declercq told De Morgen: There is always under-reporting of sexual crimes, whether it concerns a gang rape or an individual case. It is a well-known fact that victims usually feel more guilty than the perpetrators.' 'In addition, there is a lot of shame in reporting crime. What also plays a role, for both female and male victims, is stigmatisation. You are no longer who you always were. If you come out, you are a rape victim.' John Swinney has ditched the 'minister for independence' post from his new Cabinet as he scrambles to stem SNP chaos. The new SNP leader has appointed his team as he tries to stabilise the separatists after the shock collapse of Humza Yousaf's premiership. In the most eye-catching move, Mr Swinney has made Kate Forbes his deputy despite previous clashes about her devout Christian views on issues like gay marriage. However, the First Minister - slated by critics as a 'continuity candidate' and 'Sturgeon apologist' - has also quietly dropped the controversial job Mr Humza had created explicitly to help break up the UK. John Swinney has appointed his team as he tries to stabilise the separatists after the shock collapse of Humza Yousaf's premiership. In the most eye-catching move, Mr Swinney has made Kate Forbes his deputy despite previous clashes about her devout Christian views on issues like gay marriage Jamie Hepburn was minister for independence, but has now become minister for parliamentary business in the Scottish Government. The 14-strong ministerial team was finalised last night after Mr Swinney was sworn in and conducted his reshuffle. He announced a largely unchanged Cabinet team, though Ms Forbes replaces Shona Robison as Deputy First Minister, with Ms Robison remaining Finance Secretary. Earlier this week Mr Swinney said he would 'seek, with respect and courtesy, to persuade people of the case for independence'. Mr Swinney will make his debut taking First Minister's Questions as leader at Holyrood later. In his junior ministerial team, Ivan McKee has returned to Government as minister for public finance, while minister for equalities, migration and refugees Emma Roddick and minister for local government empowerment and planning Joe Fitzpatrick have stepped down from their previous roles. Consisting of 11 Cabinet secretaries, including the First Minister, the Scottish Cabinet is supported by 14 ministers, reducing the size of the Scottish Government by four since the start of the year. Richard Lochhead is minister for business while Tom Arthur is minister for employment and investment, and Natalie Don is minister for children, young people and The Promise and Graeme Dey is minister for higher and further education. Siobhian Brown is minister for victims and community safety and Gillian Martin is minister for climate action, while Jim Fairlie is minister for agriculture and connectivity. The minister for public health and women's health is Jenni Minto while Maree Todd is minister for social care, mental wellbeing and sport, Christina McKelvie is minister for drugs and alcohol policy, the minister for equalities is Kaukab Stewart and Paul McLennan is minister for housing. Mr Yousaf delivered an emotional valedictory speech earlier in the week before handing over to Mr Swinney Do YOU have further information? Do YOU have further information? Police have cordoned off a semi-detached home in Greater Manchester after three men were arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences. The trio, aged 35, 36 and 51, were captured during a series of dramatic overnight raids across the city yesterday. Properties in Bolton, Great Lever, Abram and Hindley were stormed by specialist cops, who detained the three suspects on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism. They were all taken into custody to be quizzed by detectives. Last night's arrests were a 'preventative move', newly re-elected Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham revealed this morning. Do YOU have further information? Please email tom.cotterill@mailonline.co.uk This morning, a number of police scenes are in place across four locations where warrants were executed overnight (pictured is the scene at Crankwood Road, Abram) Asked about the raids, he told BBC Radio Manchester: 'Obviously people will read that and it's a worrying development, but on the other hand, we have our police force, GMP, taking action to apprehend people. 'I can't really say more than that. 'This has been a preventative move. 'Obviously we will be able to say more in due course.' This morning, a number of police scenes are in place across four locations where warrants were executed overnight. Forensic officers and a tactical aid unit have been spotted scouring an address in Crankwood Road, Abram. A second scene is in Fairclough Street, Hindley. Two further police cordons are in place in Great Lever and Bolton, though the specific streets have not yet been disclosed. The scenes are expected to remain in place for a number of days. Greater Manchester Police added there is no wider threat to the public. Three men, aged 35, 36 and 51, were detained during a series of dramatic overnight raids across the city. Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts, who holds responsibility for counter terrorism policing in the north west, said: 'This evening we have executed a number of planned warrants as part of an ongoing counter terrorism investigation. 'Three men have been taken into custody for questioning and scenes remain in place as we conduct further enquiries. 'Today's activity has been the culmination of much detailed planning and we have put measures in place to minimise disruption to local residents as much as possible. 'I understand that any time arrests of this nature are made it will cause concerns and people will naturally have questions. 'Although we can't go into specific details of the investigation at this stage, I want to reassure members of the public that we do not currently believe there to be any wider threat linked to today's activity. 'Further detail will be released where appropriate as the investigation progresses.' Do YOU have further information? Please email tom.cotterill@mailonline.co.uk By Jon Dunbar American linguist and writer Robert Fouser's semi-regular visits to Korea have become a high point for the Korean studies academic community. The independent academic, known for his advocacy of traditional architecture preservation, urban history and Korean language pedagogy, tends to visit Korea at least a couple times a year, during which he participates in various events such as lectures, book talks and walking tours, which may be held in either English or Korean. For this visit, Fouser will be active with Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) Korea, giving one lecture and leading two walking tours. Fouser's first walking tour, to be held on Saturday, is titled "Four Historic Houses in Hyehwa-dong and Seongbuk-dong." "Seongbuk-dong is most famous for large houses of the rich and famous, but parts of it closer to the Seoul City Wall still have a number of hanok that reflect the growth of the area in the early 20th century," he said in an online invitation. "In the 1920s, Seoul's population began to grow rapidly, and by the 1930s, growth from Hyehwa-dong inside the wall had spilled over to outside areas nearby. The four houses on our walk were all built in this wave of early 20th-century growth. We will look at each house in detail to learn about the various styles of residential architecture that emerged at this time with a focus on hanok." The first house visited belonged to former Prime Minister Chang Myon, who was in office between the fall of Syngman Rhee in 1960 and Park Chung-hee's military coup in 1961. The other houses had been lived in by art historian Choi Sunu, novelist Yi Tae-jun and Buddhist monk-poet Han Yong-un. The tour starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Joining costs 40,000 won or 30,000 won for RAS Korea members. On Tuesday, Fouser will give a lecture titled "Searching for the Perfect Writing System: Hangeul Reform Proposals in the 20th Century." "In this lecture, I examine various attempts to reform Hangeul that were attempted during the 20th century," Fouser said in an online invitation. "Reforms focused on three aspects: linear writing, revised graphemes and new typography design." These attempts were intended to modernize the Korean writing system, Hangeul, touted for its many advantages, including ease of learning and scientific basis. But advocates of change wanted to reform it, bringing it more in line with alphabetic Western languages and also making it more adaptable to new technology, such as typewriters and later computers. "The reform proposals, in their search for perfection, drew heavily on various, often conflicting, perceptions of Hangeul's position among writing systems of the world," he said. The lecture starts at 7:30 p.m. Entry costs 10,000 won or 5,000 won for students and is free for RAS Korea members. Attending online via Zoom is also available. Visit raskb.com for more information. Fouser's final tour for this visit is titled "Exploring Seoul's Industrial Heritage and High-Tech, Multicultural Present." On June 8, he will lead a walk through Gasan Digital Complex and Daerim-dong. Gasan Digital Complex was once part of the Guro Industrial Complex, but most of the factories disappeared in the late 1980s and early 1990s. "Adjacent to the former industrial complex, some areas reveal the factory-town cityscape that developed during the period of rapid industrialization," Fouser said in an online invitation. "These areas now have a high concentration of foreign laborers who work in small factories and service industries throughout Seoul." The area also houses G Valley Industrial Museum dedicated to the area's history. The walk will go through nearby Garibong Market, where Fouser will analyze the services provided to the foreign workers living in the area. He will lead the way through Guro Digital Complex to Daerim-dong, which is home to the largest Chinatown in Seoul. The tour starts at 1 p.m. Joining costs 40,000 won or 30,000 won for RAS Korea members. Fouser first came to Korea in the 1980s to study the Korean language at Seoul National University. He lived in Japan from 1995 to 2008, where he taught foreign language education at Kyoto University and developed the Korean language program at Kagoshima University. From 2008 to 2014, he returned to Seoul to teach Korean as a second/foreign language education at Seoul National University. He is currently an independent scholar based in Providence, Rhode Island. He is the author of six books in Korean, including "The Spread of Foreign Languages," "Exploring Cities with Robert Fouser," "Thoughts on Learning Foreign Languages and "Why Do Cities Preserve History?" He is also the translator of "Understanding Korean Literature" (1997) by Kim Heung-gyu and a co-author of "Hanok: The Korean House" (2015). He writes regular columns for various media outlets in Korea and serves as deputy editor of Koreana. Visit raskb.com for more information. Ex-Labour frontbencher Jess Phillips has warned she is at risk of losing her seat at the next election over the fighting in Gaza. The former shadow domestic violence minister admitted that a concerted campaign by a pro-Palestinian independent could defeat her in her Birmingham Yardley constituency. Ms Phillips, who quit the Labour frontbench in November over the party's refusal to back a total ceasefire in Gaza, spoke on ITV's Peston days after the local elections, which included choosing a new mayor in the West Midlands. It saw Labour's Richard Parker pip Tory Andy Street, but independent Akhmed Yakoob, who ran a pro-Palestinian campaign, came third after taking 69,621 votes, almost 12 per cent of those cast. The Lamborghini-driving criminal lawyer was endorsed by Workers' Party of Britain leader George Galloway. He now intends to stand in Birmingham's Ladywood constituency, which is held by Labour MP Shabana Mahmood. Asked about what a similar swing to a pro-Palestinian candidate in her seat would mean, Ms Phillips said: 'I would lose my seat. It's [the war in Gaza] undoubtedly an issue in my constituency, undoubtedly one I speak to my constituents about all the time - I did throughout the mayoral race. 'It's a massive issue, make no bones about it.' The former shadow domestic violence minister admitted that a concerted campaign by a pro-Palestinian independent could defeat her in her Birmingham Yardley constituency. Independent Akhmed Yakoob, who ran a pro-Palestinian campaign, came third in the West Midlands mayoral election after taking 69,621 votes, almost 12 per cent of those cast. The Lamborghini-driving criminal lawyer was endorsed by Workers' Party of Britain leader George Galloway. He now intends to stand in Birmingham's Ladywood constituency, which is held by Labour MP Shabana Mahmood. Ms Phillips was one of 10 frontbenchers who broke ranks with their party leader and disregarded a three-line whip he had imposed on a vote about Gaza. The Labour leader saw vast swathes of his parliamentary party ignore his orders and vote in favour of an SNP-led demand for an 'immediate ceasefire' in the Middle East. Ms Phillips also used her appearance on Peston to say her new Labour colleagueNatalie Elphicke needs to 'show some contrition' for her previous comments about the victims of her husband's sexual assaults. Ms Elphicke quit the Conservatives just moments before Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, hitting out at Rishi Sunak's 'tired and chaotic government' and accusing the Prime Minister of failing to deliver on his promise to 'stop the boats'. But her debut as a Labour MP has not been welcomed by all of her new colleagues, with some raising concerns about her views and comments she made after her former husband and predecessor as MP for Dover Charlie Elphicke was convicted in 2020 of sexually assaulting two women and sentenced to two years in prison. Ms Elphicke ended the marriage after his conviction but supported his unsuccessful appeal, saying Mr Elphicke had been 'attractive, and attracted to women' and 'an easy target for dirty politics and false allegations'. 'I think she needs to explain it, and there is some apologising to be done to victims of those crimes who at the moment perceive her as somebody who thinks, I think she made some comment about he's an attractive man and he's attracted to women and making out like these were vexatious claims,' Ms Phillips said. 'It's very painful because that's the way that victims experience the criminal justice system. Look, I'm all for forgiveness like I say, but not without contrition.' Spanish police have shared dramatic footage of the moment cops took down an 'extremely violent' British fugitive at a Benidorm hotel in front of screaming tourists. Plain clothes cops nabbed Paul Brown and wrestled him to the ground as he left his holiday accommodation for a stroll in typical tourist attire of a T-shirt, green shorts and flip-flops. Brown has been wanted since 2020 for selling drugs in Manchester, with police saying he used encrypted messaging technology to deal Class A drugs including cocaine and ketamine. Police tracked him to the Costa Blanca, with footage of his arrest last month showing him being tackled by two cops, before another two join in as they work to restrain and cuff him. Brown's footwear came off in the struggle before his flip-flops were given back to him and he was escorted to a waiting car to be taken to a Benidorm police station for fingerprinting and processing. Dramatic footage shows the moment a suspected drug dealer is arrested in Benidorm, Spain A horrified woman can be heard shrieking in the background as the man is jumped on by officers A plain clothed cop works to restrain the man, who puts up a fight as he is arrested A European Arrest Warrant was issued for the wanted Brit, a 50-year-old from Manchester, in 2022 two years after an appeal to trace him was first launched. Brown is now believed to be in prison in Spain awaiting extradition. In footage of his arrest released today, a horrified woman can be heard shrieking in the background and shouting 'what the hell'. The female holidaymaker is overheard screaming: 'He's run away, why?' after appearing to get half an answer from police about what was going on before a detective told one of the officers in Spanish: 'Tell them why' as the fugitive was led away. A panic-stricken British pensioner caught unawares yelled: 'What's going on? I'm 72 years old.' Detective Inspector Rick Castley from Greater Manchester Police's Serious Organised Crime Group said after his arrest: 'Brown stands accused of a significant drugs supply conspiracy, and our determination to locate him has not faltered over the years. 'I would like to thank our colleagues at the National Crime Agency and Spanish law enforcement for supporting us in our relentless pursuit to find Brown. In footage of his arrest released today, a horrified woman can be heard shrieking in the background and shouting 'what the hell' The video clip, shared by Policia Nacional, shows the man being led into a police station by two officers 'Brown may have been outstanding for four years now, but we didn't forget about him. Working with specialist resources and our international partners, we will continue to make sure wanted suspects live life always looking over their shoulder.' A spokesman for Spain's National Police said today: 'He allegedly used encrypted systems of communication to sell drugs. 'He had been on the run since 2020 and was allegedly involved in the distribution of cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines and ketamine in Manchester.' They added: 'He is facing a possible life sentence in the UK if convicted of the crimes he is accused of.' Brown's arrest comes after a series of high profile drugs busts on British criminals in Spain in recent months. In February, an ex-pat was arrested after armed police raided his Costa home and found nearly 10,000lbs of cannabis resin. The raid, which was one of Andalucia's 'largest ever' drugs busts, took place in La Linea, near Spain's border with Gibraltar, which is famed as a drugs gateway to Europe. The large parcels containing the cannabis appeared to have the names of their recipients on them Drugs traffickers use vessels including high-powered speedboats to smuggle mainly hashish into Spain from Morocco through La Linea. It is a popular drop-off point due to its proximity to the African continent. In January, three British men were arrested on the Costa Blanca after a police chase that led to the seizure of more than 10 million of cocaine. The haul is believed to have been smuggled into Europe from Ecuador. The trio were held after one of the suspects rammed two police cars during a high-speed pursuit after the Brits took charge of a van containing 300 kilos of the class-A drug from two Albanian men who were also arrested. Two of the Brits were in the van and a third in a look-out car driven ahead of them to alert them about police roadblocks and other potential problems. A man accused of driving Kelly Wilkinson's convicted killer to her Queensland home will stand trial for murder after allegedly knowing about her estranged husband's brutal plan. Bradley Bell was charged with the murder of the Gold Coast mum three months after she was killed by her estranged husband Brian Earl Johnston on April 20, 2021. Johnston has since been sentenced to life imprisonment after pleading guilty to the murder of Ms Wilkinson. Kelly Wilkinson was killed by her estranged husband Brian Earl Johnston in 2021 Queensland Police charged Bradley Bell with murder months after the death of Ms Wilkinson The former US-Marine had doused the mother of his children in petrol and set her alight when he ambushed her at the back of her home. On Thursday, Mr Bell's matter was mentioned in the Brisbane Supreme Court. His defence barrister Edwin Whitton told the court he was seeking to delist the original July trial date to have his client undergo psychiatrist testing in June. The court was told Mr Bell had raised concerns with his legal team 'retrospectively' about whether his police interviews would be admissible in court. Mr Whitton said he couldn't 'say for sure' whether the psychiatric report would 'challenge' these police interviews ahead of the trial. Crown Prosecutor Philip McCarthy told the court he was ready to proceed to trial with the police interviews, which are expected to be used as part of the prosecution's evidence. Brian Johnston has been sentenced for the murder of Kelly Wilkinson Mr McCarthy said Mr Bell had allegedly told police during the series of interviews he had 'prior knowledge' about what Mr Johnston intended to do when he arrived at Ms Wilkinson's home. 'He has (allegedly) admitted to driving Mr Johnston to the home, being (allegedly) told by Mr Johnston he intended to kill his wife and he's captured on CCTV, which he (allegedly) admits that he filled the metal container with petrol having that information,' Mr McCarthy said. Under Queensland law, a person can be held culpable for murder for having knowledge about the alleged circumstances leading up to a person's death. Justice Peter Callaghan set the new trial date for July 29, and ordered the defence application be heard on July 8. Mr Bell is yet to enter a formal plea. Two incidents in two days will only compound the aerospace company's woes Shocking footage has emerged of the moment terrified passengers fled a burning Boeing jet that skidded off the runway and caught fire in Senegal early this morning. The Boeing 737-300 carrying 78 passengers suffered serious damage when a failed takeoff attempt sent it careening off the tarmac and into the bush at Blaise Diagne airport near the capital city Dakar. A clip taken by one horrified traveller showed a female customer sprinting away from the scene of the wreckage as flames poured from the 737's left engine, lighting up the night sky. More images later showed the plane, operated by Senegalese carrier Transair, nestled in the dirt with a gaping hole in the left engine that was covered in firefighting foam in the aftermath of the blaze. Emergency crews rushed to evacuate the passengers, eleven of whom were injured, four seriously so - though no deaths have been reported - as flights from the airport were suspended. Authorities are now trying to establish the cause of the incident that comes just one day after another Boeing aircraft - a 767 cargo plane operated by American postal service FedEx - performed an emergency landing in Turkey after its landing gear failed. The crashes will only compound woes for the company which is already facing intense scrutiny amid a string of mishaps and controversy over safety concerns - not to mention the deaths of two whistleblowers just two months apart. Shocking footage has emerged of the moment terrified passengers fled a burning Boeing jet that skidded off the runway and caught fire in Senegal early this morning A clip taken by one horrified passenger showed a female customer sprinting away from the scene of the wreckage as flames poured from the 737's left engine, lighting up the night sky The passengers could be seen leaping from the door and sliding down emergency evacuation slides away from the flames Emergency crews rushed to evacuate the passengers, eleven of whom were injured, four seriously so Shocking images revealed the plane operated by Senegalese carrier Transair nestled in the dirt with a gaping hole in the left engine that was covered in firefighting foam in the aftermath of the blaze The Boeing 737 jet carrying 73 passengers caught on fire and suffered serious damage when a failed takeoff attempt sent it skidding off the runway early this morning Shocking footage showed the moment the plane attempted an emergency landing, smashing down into the runway and scraping its nose along the concrete That flight took off from Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport early yesterday and was headed for Istanbul when the pilot realised the landing gear was malfunctioning. Unsettling footage showed the moment the plane attempted an emergency landing, touching down into the runway and scraping its nose along the concrete. Sparks flew from the plane's tattered fuselage as it crunched along the tarmac with smoke billowing from behind. Fortunately, firefighters and rescue teams were already waiting at the scene, with Turkey's transport ministry having dispatched emergency teams as soon as it learned that the pilot's landing gear was not working. The first responders flocked to surround the plane as it ground to a halt and immediately doused it with firefighting foam to prevent any potential fire from sparking. No one was injured in today's incident and the crew safely evacuated the aircraft, said Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Turkey's transportation and infrastructure minister. The runway where the plane landed was closed off while the aircraft was being removed, he said. 'IGA Istanbul Airport Rescue and ARFF continues its efforts to move the aircraft to a safe area and open the runway to flight traffic. Flight traffic and operations continue smoothly on all other runways, including the spare runways,' a statement read. Boeing is already under the microscope amid mounting controversy over safety problems, suspected quality control issues and the deaths of whistleblowers. Sparks flew from the plane's tattered fuselage as it crunched along the tarmac with smoke billowing from behind The plane was doused with firefighting foam as it ground to a halt The aftermath of the crash is seen with firefighting foam coating the runway Efforts are underway to tow the plane off the runway, while investigations into the accident continue at Istanbul Airport in Istanbul, Turkiye on May 08, 2024 The nose of the plane is seen resting on the runway as emergency workers and inspectors look on This is the moment the nose touched down on the runway in Turkey The US' Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it has opened an investigation into the company after workers at a South Carolina plant falsified inspection records on certain 787 planes. In an email to Boeing's South Carolina employees on April 29, Scott Stocker, who leads the 787 program, said a worker observed an 'irregularity' in a required test of the wing-to-body join and reported it to his manager. 'After receiving the report, we quickly reviewed the matter and learned that several people had been violating Company policies by not performing a required test, but recording the work as having been completed,' Stocker wrote. No planes have been taken out of service, but having to perform the test out of order on planes will slow the delivery of jets still being built at the final assembly plant in North Charleston, South Carolina. Boeing must also create a plan to address planes that are already flying, the FAA said. 'The FAA is investigating whether Boeing completed the inspections and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records,' a statement read. The plane screeched along the tarmac and was received by several firetrucks FedEx plane makes emergency landing at Istanbul Airport in Turkey Flight tracking data shows how the plane came in to land once before abandoning the attempt and lining up for a second pass 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 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 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 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 In April, a Boeing whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, also testified at a congressional hearing that the company had taken manufacturing shortcuts to turn out 787s as quickly as possible. The company was already under intense pressure since a door plug blew out of a Boeing 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight in January, leaving a gaping hole in the plane. The accident halted progress that Boeing seemed to be making while recovering from two deadly crashes of Max jets in 2018 and 2019. Those crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, which killed 346 people, are back in the spotlight, too. The families of some of the victims have pushed the Justice Department to revive a criminal fraud charge against the company by determining that Boeing's continued lapses violated the terms of a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement. Meanwhile, two whistleblowers embroiled in a dispute with Boeing died just months apart from each other earlier this year, only increasing speculation over the aerospace company's dealings. 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, said that his clients were 'heroes.' 'They loved the company and wanted to help the company do better,' Knowles said. 'They didn't speak out to be aggravating or for fame. They're raising concerns because people's lives are at stake.' John Barnett, 62, died in March by suicide in the midst of a legal action against Boeing Former quality auditor at Spirit AeroSystems, Joshua Dean died last week from an infection Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour testifies before the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Investigations 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. 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, I've never dealt with someone who did [commit suicide[. So maybe you don't see the signs. I don't 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. 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'. Cabinet Office minister John Glen today vowed to end Whitehall's 'merry go round of mediocrity' as he outlined plans to tackle underperformance in the civil service. In a speech to the Reform think tank, Mr Glen unveiled a new pilot scheme to link senior officials' pay to the successful delivery of pre-agreed projects. He also set out his intent to attract the best talent from the private sector to Government departments, and to allow civil servants to root out poor work. Mr Glen announced the Government would introduce 'clear operational frameworks' on how to deal with underperforming staff. He said the difference between Whitehall and the private sector was the ability to 'move on those people that fall short of expectations'. The Cabinet Office minister insisted departments should be able to 'take swift action when performance falls below expected standards'. Cabinet Office minister John Glen vowed to end Whitehall's 'merry go round of mediocrity' as he outlined plans to tackle underperformance in the civil service Mr Glen said the difference between Whitehall and the private sector was the ability to 'move on those people that fall short of expectations' Speaking at Reform's annual conference at the BT Tower in London, Mr Glen said: 'To build a world-class civil service that truly delivers for the public, we must start with the people. 'We need to recruit the brightest minds, ensure they have the tools and skills to succeed, and take swift action when performance falls below expected standards. 'The measures I've set out today will help to meet today's productivity challenge head on, building a resilient and high performing civil service that is fit for the future.' He added: 'It cannot be the case that we allow a culture to develop which incentivises poor performance and shuffling of poor performers sideways or even upwards. 'Instead of tackling problems head on this just perpetuates them creating a merry-go-round of mediocrity.' A new pilot scheme, due to begin this summer, will test 'milestone-based pay' for senior civil servants. This will see them rewarded for the delivery of pre-agreed milestones for projects they manage. The Cabinet Office said this would ensure that pay and reward is more closely aligned to how staff are performing and delivering for the public. By focusing on performance-related pay, ministers also hope to make reward packages more attractive to potential new hires, without increasing basic salaries. They also see it as a means of tackling 'Whitehall churn' where senior staff leave their roles before projects are completed, and to ensure there is full accountability for long-term results. Mr Glen used his speech today to announce that work to improve the performance management system for senior officials would conclude next month. He also said there would be a review to ensure the external-by-default recruitment policy for top Whitehall roles - which ensures all senior roles are open to external applicants - is being properly implemented. Mr Glen's work is part of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's push to boost Government efficiency by capping civil service headcount and reducing staffing numbers to pre-pandemic levels by the end of the next spending review. At a separate conference today, a top union leader was expected to urge the Government to stop 'trashing' the civil service. Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA, which represents senior civil servants, was due to attack Government plans to cut 70,000 jobs from Whitehall. 'Like Stalin announcing tractor production in a five-year plan, ministers have decided on a number, for political purposes,' he was expected to tell his union's annual conference. A Harry Potter super-fan is attempting to break her own world record for the biggest collection of items from JK Rowling's wizarding world. Tracey Nicol-Lewis said her hobby has taken over her home despite her husband 'not being a fan' of her pursuit. The 49-year-old has well over 6,300 wizarding items - including wands, special edition books, LEGO sets and artwork - spread across every room in her house. The family moved to a larger property in 2019 to accommodate the collection, and now have three rooms dedicated to it. Her husband, Martin, 47, a security officer, claims it's not his thing - but supports his wife's passion. Their wedding cake was even topped with a Golden Snitch and magic wand, as well as the words 'Martin found a keeper' - referring to the Quidditch position. Mrs Nicol-Lewis is gearing up to beat her previous world record - which she set in April 2021 - but hasn't counted them all officially yet. She's never had her collection valued but she estimates she spends on average 100 every month on new items which comes to roughly 22,000 over the last eighteen years. Tracey Nicol-Lewis with her Guinness World Record certificate. Mrs Nicol-Lewis said her hobby has taken over her home despite her husband 'not being a fan' . Meet the Harry Potter superfan with the world's largest collection of wizarding memorabilia She has wands, special edition books, LEGO sets and artwork - spread across every room This is Mrs Nicol-Lewis' collection of Harry Potter lego in her house A Harry Potter super-fan is attempting to break her own world record for the biggest collection of items from JK Rowling's (pictured) wizarding world Mrs Nicol-Lewis first watched Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 2002 just after the birth of her son and fell in love with the characters straight away. It wasn't long before she acquired her first Harry Potter collectable - a chocolate frog from her local corner shop. She had 6,300 items in 2021 but since then her collection has significantly grown and taken over her house - including her bathroom, spare rooms and son's bedroom. Mrs Nicol-Lewis, a housewife from Bargoed, Wales, said: 'I didn't even think I had that much in my collection but Martin said that I should go for the world record. 'I couldn't believe it when I found out I had the record for Wizarding World and Harry Potter - I couldn't believe it. 'I was friends with the man who was the previous Harry Potter record holder and I just didn't think I would beat him.' Little by little, the odd eBay bid and trades with friends grew her collection, and Mrs Nicol-Lewis hit her first 100 items in about 2006. .Tracey first watched Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 2002 just after the birth of her son and fell in love with the characters straight away She had 6,300 items in 2021 but since then her collection has significantly grown The shoes Mrs Nicol-Lewis wore at her Harry Potter-themed wedding Mrs Nichol-Lewis beams as she holds one of her Dumbledore statues Her hoard now includes special editions of the books and their spin offs, and at least 127 action figures. Her largest item is her cardboard book display for 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' which stands at five feet tall. The mother-of-one said: 'Everything I like in my collection is just amazing, I love it. 'They have memories attached to them as well because I can remember the bits from the films or the books.' Mrs Nicol-Lewis also enjoys Harry Potter cosplay, and attends events to meet other fanatics while dressed in her clobber. She says that her favourite items change over time, but her currents are her collection of 47 wands. But when she met her now-husband Martin, he wasn't immediately taken by her hobby. Her hoard includes special editions of the books and their spin offs, and at least 127 figures Pictured is a collection of Mrs Nicol-Lewis's Harry Potter board games Pictured are miniature statues of the golden egg seen in the Goblet of Fire film She says her favourite items change over time, but her currents are her collection of wands Her husband, Martin, 47, a security officer, claims it's not his thing - but supports his wife She said: 'He knew about my collection so it was accept it or run. 'First of all I said I like Harry Potter and I collect Harry Potter, and he was kind of shocked when he came around and saw the collection. 'But in my last house he decorated it red and yellow because of Gryffindor and he put up shelves for me and made it more Harry Potter themed. 'Martin is amazing, he puts up with my collection and even buys me things for it.' Mrs Nicol-Lewis said: 'We need a lot of work doing on the house so I can't have any more at the moment - but I'm working on it! 'I've had people say they want me to open the house and start a B&B.' Mr and Mrs Nicol-Lewis married after four years together on February 2, 2020, in a lavish Potter-themed ceremony in Discovery Cove in Orlando, Florida, US. Mrs Nicol-Lewis's Gryffindor-inspired wedding dress and shoes were made for her by her friends in the Harry Potter community. She said: 'I wanted a dress I could have for my wedding but could wear to other occasions. She's never had her collection valued but she estimates she spends on average 100 every month on new items which comes to roughly 22,000 over the last eighteen years While her husband doesn't share her passion for the Wizarding World, it was his idea to count her collection for Guinness World Records Pictured are some of the figurines in Mrs Nicol-Lewis's massive collection 'Martin let me pick what I wanted for the big day - so the tunes going in and when you came out were Harry Potter. 'My friends in Florida were there in robes.' While her husband doesn't share her passion for the Wizarding World, it was his idea to count her collection for Guinness World Records. He said: 'The films are good but it is not something I would watch again. 'She calls herself a collector but I call her a hoarder - some of the items are cool but it is not my thing.' The married couple are currently putting her collection in boxes for counting for when she attempts to beat her own world record. Mrs Nicol-Lewis said: 'You have to have photos of every single item, you have to have a full itemised list of everything you own. 'As well as having two independent people counting the items. 'The whole process needs to be recorded and even if you stop for a break you need to keep the camera rolling. 'Once we have it all boxed up I will then lay it all out into groups ready for counting.' Senior Tory MPs and surveillance experts have criticised police forces for using body-cameras made in China - despite rising fears of the spying and hacking threat posed by Beijing. Reveal Media, a company based in London, provides at least 12 British police forces with the cameras - which are used to record encounters between officers and the public. At least three of the forces all use its live facial recognition (LFR) technology, which scans the faces of members of the public in real-time to identify suspects. The cameras are manufactured by a Chinese subsidiary, while others are made by Shenzhen Eeyelog Technology Ltd - which also supplies bodycams to the Chinese government, the i reports. Iain Duncan Smith told MailOnline: 'I don't think any government department, or anyone involved in security, should be using devices made in China. Reveal Media, a company based in London , provides at least 12 British police forces with bodycams - which are used to record encounters between officers and the public. File pic 'They have been engaged in hacking and pose a threat - not least due to their involvement with Iran and Russia. 'Ministers have got to put a stop to this straight away, because otherwise there's a risk of these devices gathering data that they could use for their own purposes. 'We should only be sourcing security equipment from responsible countries.' Ministers ordered government departments to stop using Chinese-made CCTV cameras in November 2022 over security concerns, but no such ban has been placed on bodycams. Experts warned that officers' use of Chinese-made bodycams risks the public's privacy and cited concerns over spying and hacking. Just days ago the Chinese government was accused of being responsible for a hack on Ministry of Defence payroll data - a claim it denied. Conservative MP Alicia Kearns said: 'The Chinese Community Party is seeking to build a tech totalitarian state using data from around the world, and our dependence on this equipment is enabling that. 'We cannot continue to provide hostile states with a back door into our security.' Marc Schuilenburg, a professor in digital surveillance at Erasmus University and author of Making Surveillance Public, warned of the risk that 'personal and often confidential data' could be stored and exploited by Chinese officials. A total of 12 UK police forces use bodycams provided by Reveal Media, according to government research. It supplies live facial recognition cameras to British Transport Police, Leicestershire Police South Wales Police and Leicestershire Police, although all three forces have previously said they do not use the LFR function. Reveal Media has also won contracts to supply bodycams to Devon and Cornwall Police, Sussex Police, South Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Police. Reveal Media told the i it would not comment on the use of its cameras by British police forces 'due to both the confidentiality provisions and the commercially sensitive elements of the contracts in place between us and those customers'. Experts warned that officers' use of Chinese-made bodycams risks the public's privacy and cited concerns over spying and hacking. Pictured is China's President Xi 'Shenzhen Eeyelog Technology is the manufacturer of one of our cameras and that camera is one that does not have facial recognition capability. They are not involved in the manufacture or production (partly or fully) of any facial recognition cameras or software for Reveal Media or any of its affiliated companies'. MailOnline has contacted the company for comment. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'The procurement and use of technology such as body worn cameras are operational matters for each police force. We are continuing to ensure that future procurement is both secure and ethical. 'We are committed to making sure the police have the tools and technology they need to deter and detect crimes, bring offenders to justice, and keep people safe.' News of the hack on the Ministry of Defence emerged on Tuesday and led to immediate claims China was responsible. No10 refused to openly blame Beijing for the hack, which potentially compromised the bank details of all serving military personnel and some veterans - and may have also released some home addresses. News of the hack on the Ministry of Defence emerged on Tuesday and led to immediate claims China was responsible Speaking to broadcasters in south-east London, Rishi Sunak said there were 'indications that a malign actor' had compromised the database, but declined to attribute the attack to a specific state or 'actor'. But politicians and experts said the attack, via a third-party contractor used by 22 government departments, bore all the hallmarks of Chinese origin. The cyber-attack mirrored China's assault on the Electoral Commission's computers and its recent targeting of Members of Parliament and Peers. In 2021, Beijing's hackers accessed the personal details of millions of voters by breaking into the Commission's internal email system. Details of the attack only emerged earlier this year. The European Union has lost 'a big bunch of common sense' since Britain left, with its Brexit departure a huge loss to supporters of national sovereignty in the bloc, Hungrary's foreign minister has said. Peter Szijjarto used a speech at in London yesterday to attack what he called a federalist push for a 'United States of Europe', arguing in favour of maintaining 'national competences'. He said his country, which is led by pro-Putin prime minister Viktor Orban, is on the same side as the UK in EU discussions over issues including sovereignty and migration. Mr Szijjarto slammed EU leaders, including commissioners and the president Ursula von der Leyen, saying they have a 'very poor' track record and that they should step down after crunch parliamentary elections next month. 'Europe is in a worse shape than it used to be when this European administration entered into force in 2019,' Mr Szijjarto claimed, adding that his government would therefore 'not like to see any of these top officials continue in their positions after the elections.' Hungary's foreign minister met with his British counterpart Lord Cameron for talks during his visit to London yesterday Speaking at Royal Institute of International Affairs or Chatham House, Mr Szijjarto told the audience that Budapest 'really did regret Brexit a lot.' 'Not because of your internal issues because we respect that. But because when the UK left the European Union, a big bunch of common sense left the European Union as well,' he explained. Hungary's right-wing prime minister has praised Britain's decision to leave the EU in the past, describing it as a 'brave' call that demonstrated the country's 'greatness'. But, Orban said in the 2020 interview, Hungary was not an island and was too closely economically integrated with the EU to follow Britain out. His government recently resisted joining the bloc in negotiations around coronavirus vaccines, which Mr Szijjarto said yesterday proved how national governments were more effective than Brussels. The foreign minister met with his British counterpart Lord Cameron for talks during his visit to London. At the meeting, he is reported to have lamented the UK's departure from the EU, claiming the debate is now unbalanced between sovereigntists and federalists. Peter Szijjarto used a speech at in London yesterday to attack what he called a federalist push for a 'United States of Europe' His comments come ahead of crunch elections, which Eurosceptic parties across the continent are expected to perform well in. The pair also discussed Russia's war in Ukraine, which they did not see eye to eye on - with Hungary calling for a ceasefire and peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow while the UK believes Ukraine must prevail. Budapest has consistently opposed weapons deliveries to Ukraine and sanctions on Moscow, which Mr Szijjarto said had failed to stop the war. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Budapest, Hungary, May 8, 2024 In a warning to Western countries supporting Kyiv yesterday, he said: 'If you think about beating Russia, then the only way to win the war is to escalate and risk a global world war.' Mr Szijjarto also said that Hungary was 'crossing fingers' for Donald Trump to win the US presidential elections later this year. This is despite the former president's calls to slash funding of NATO, of which Hungary is a member. The foreign minister also defended his country's ties with China ahead of a visit by President Xi to Budapest. A millionaire has told how he was forced to leave London because he 'feared for his life' after hammer-wielding thugs smashed up his Lamborghini in a bid to steal his 200,000 watch. Djordje Novakovic, a 25-year-old entrepreneur and influencer, fled crime-ridden London for Dubai last year after the 'terrifying' assault in Edgware Road, north-west London. The self-proclaimed 'James Bond of crypto', who is worth a 35million, revealed how two masked teenagers rolled up to his 250,000 Lamborghini Hurricane Evo on mopeds before smashing up his windows with hammers, leaving him with bloodied hands. Mr Novakovic, who used to live at the luxurious St George's Wharf in Vauxhall, told MailOnline: 'It was terrifying to be honest, thank god I'm still here and I didn't get stabbed. It was a lesson and a warning to leave the country and be more careful about my life.' Djordje Novakovic, a 25-year-old entrepreneur and influencer, flashing the cash (pictured) Masked teenagers rolled up to Mr Novakovic's Lamborghini Hurricane Evo on mopeds before smashing up his windows with hammers Djordje Novakovic (pictured) in his Lamborghini with his pet orangutan Djordje Novakovic (left front) with UK with DMO Deejay, Digga D (middle) and YouTuber Yung Filly (right) Djordje Novakovic (pictured) at the wheel of his Lamborghini with heaps of cash on his lap He added: 'That's why I wanted to move from London. I also had a friend who got kidnapped, one got stabbed in the legs after a nightclub in Mayfair, for me it wasn't the place to stay. Am I going to lose my life for a 200k watch? I think life is priceless, that's why I moved. I didn't feel safe at all.' Recalling the evening attack on December 19, 2022, he said: 'That day I was wearing a Richard Mille watch which was 200,000. I was stuck in traffic [on Edgware Road]. 'My car is from Switzerland so the driving side is on the left. Suddenly, I just see something going between cars and I see two guys with masks and a hammer in their hands. 'I'm not stupid, I knew what they were coming for so I put my watch in my underwear straight away. 'They stopped by my window and they had their hammers. They were about to smash my window. 'I was so scared, I was s***ting myself honestly.' Djordje Novakovic, a 25-year-old entrepreneur and influencer (pictured), fled crime-ridden London for Dubai last year after the 'terrifying' assault in Edgware Road Damage caused to the wheel arch of Mr Novakovic's Lamborghini which is worth 250,000 Djordje Novakovic (pictured) is worth a staggering 35million and labels himself as the 'James Bond of crypto' Mr Novakovic (right) with his celebrity YouTuber Yung Filly in central London Djordje Novakovic (left) sitting in the audience at Le Dome de Paris Mr Novakovic (right) who is originally from Geneva, Switzerland, stood next to British rapper Digga D Mr Novakovic, who is originally from Geneva, Switzerland, but moved to London for university, attempted to get away but the two lanes were completely blocked with traffic. He added: 'My car was totally smashed. It was crazy. I couldn't move further, so I had to stop. They came with the hammers and smashed my windows and they were saying: 'Where's your watch? We followed you.' 'I was like 'bro, I have no watch look at my wrist.' 'But it was scary because at the same time I was on the phone with my girlfriend. They took my phone and it was still online. They told me to leave the car so my girlfriend thought I had been kidnapped.' She called the police. She then called my parents who live in Switzerland to say she thought I had been kidnapped. So my parents were s****ing themselves too. 'I left the car, they had knives and they asked for the key so I just threw the key at them. 'They jumped in the car, drove it one mile further and dropped it because they couldn't find anything. They smashed even more of my car, they smashed the windows, the back window, inside, and tried to open everything to see if the watch was hidden. Djordje Novakovic (right) stood outside a plane next to British rapper Digga D, who rose to fame in 2017 Djordje Novakovic (right) stood next to YouTuber Deji Olatunji, KSI's brother 'When they smashed the window, I was bleeding because the window exploded. My hands were bleeding so one guy stopped and I jumped into the car and he drove me to the nearest police station.' Mr Novakovic, who owns several luxury cars, private jets and even a pet orangutan, said he did not 'feel safe at all' in London after the incident. He continued: 'You always think it's going to happen to others until it happens to you. 'When it happens to you, your life changes, you are thinking differently. When I go home, I am checking no one is following me. You don't live the same life after that. 'I was fearing for my life, I would have tried to punch them, if they managed to stab and kill me, what's the point? A watch isn't worth my life. 'I was just scared, I think they were very young. They were two guys on a motorbike. When I said I have no watch, one of the guys asked the other what should we do? Millionaire Djordje Novakovic (pictured) who has made his fortune through Crypto and real estate projects Mr Novakovic (left) with YouTuber Yung Filly in central London 'The other one said 'I don't know, let's jump in the car'. They were not experienced - probably 16 or 17-year-old kids that don't really care. 'They knew they probably wouldn't face jail or face something big. If they manage to steal a 200k watch and sell it on for half price, 100k, they have won the lottery - they are delusional about the risks they are taking and killing someone. 'Police were able to locate the stolen car after it had been abandoned by the thugs. Mr Novakovic moved to Dubai permanently last September to start 'a normal life without being scared'. When asked if he would ever return to London, he said: 'Honestly, I don't know. I feel like the situation is getting worse and worse. I hope in the next few years I will be a dad, I don't want my child to be in a country where people get robbed.' Mr Novakocic has made most of his wealth through crypto trading and also runs various tech companies, a marketing agency and owns real estate. He is friends with a number of celebrities, including UK rappers Fredo, Notes and Digga D and YouTubers Yung Filly and Deji - the younger brother of KSI. The Metropolitan Police has been approached for comment. Pro-Palestine student protesters disrupted a talk by a US tech billionaire at Cambridge university over accusations he is profiting from a genocide in Gaza. Peter Thiel, the founder of US software company Palantir, was delivering a talk to students at the Cambridge Union on Wednesday evening when a pair of activists stood up and accused him of profiting off genocide through the defence contracts his firm has with Israel. The duo, brandashing a Palestinian flag, were quickly removed from the event by security guards, but were supported by around 200 further protestors outside the event trying the 'drown out' Mr Thiel's talk. Pro-Palestinian campaign group, Youth Demand claimed responsibility for the disruption, stating that Mr Thiel was 'assisting Israel in bombing hospitals'. Peter Thiel, the founder of Palantir, was delivering a talk to students on campus on Wednesday evening when a pair of activists stood up and accused him of profiting off genocide The duo, brandashing Palestinian flag, were quicklky removed from the event by security guards Pro-Palestinian group Youth Demand claimed responsibility for disrupting the talk and put out a press release accusing Mr Thiel of 'profiting millions off the back of dead people' Ahead of the event the group distributed phamphlets with described Mr Thiel as a 'far-Right campaigner' and a 'genocide profiteer'. During the talk campaigner outside could be heard chanting 'we charge you with genocide' and 'your hands are red'. Palantir supplies the Israel Defence Force (IDF) with intelligence and surveillance services to assist its 'war-related missions'. This comes just two days after protesters at the university 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 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. 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. But the demonstrations have sparked concern from the Jewish communities in Oxford and Cambridge, who now fear further 'intimidation' and 'harassment' by pro-Palestine protesters amid claims Jews are being 'vilified'. Ahead of the event the group distributed phamphlets with described Mr Thiel as a 'far-Right campaigner' and a 'genocide profiteer'. Pictured: Protestors outside The Cambridge Union as Peter Thiel arrived to speak This comes just two days after protesters at the university 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 ' As around 200 protestors held a rally chanting anti-Israel slogans on Monday, as student Ari Vladimir, 19, unfurled an Israel flag and shouted support for the country. In a shocking outburst, one protestor is seen ripping the flag from him and tossing it to the ground as the lone Jewish student was pushed and jostled by other activists. '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 he was alone because many of his fellow Jewish students feel 'intimidated,' and were too scared to join him. In another shocking move the Students' Union (SU) at the University of East Anglia has also announced they will not be showing the Israel entry as part of their planned festivities this weekend. Eden Golans song, Hurricane, was inspired by the trauma of the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas. Eden Golan, the Israeli eurovision candidate pictured performing her song Hurricane during rehearsal at the Malmo Arena yesterday Ms Golan (pictured here during her second dress rehearsal) has been targeted by death threats for taking part in the show An SU statement explained: 'We believe that Eurovision has the power to connect our diverse community of students at the UEA. 'However, in light of the actions of the Israeli government and the controversy surrounding Israel's performance at this year's Eurovision, we have decided that we will not be airing Israel's Eurovision act during our Eurovision party. 'We feel that promoting Israel's entry would be wrong given the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people. 'We hope this decision allows everyone to enjoy the festivities without causing further divide.' The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) decided earlier this year that Israel would still be allowed to enter the competition despite calls to block the country amid the war in Gaza. David Thomas, Conservative parliamentary candidate for Norwich South, is unimpressed by the move 'Eurovision is an apolitical competition,' said the former Jane Austen College headteacher. 'It is an opportunity for people to hear others sing and vote for their favourite act. 'Israel has met all of the entry criteria for the competition and the EBU are the best judges of the situation. 'I strongly doubt that Eurovision will be upset about people turning off part of the competition.' Justice Minister Park Sung-jae granted parole Thursday to President Yoon Suk Yeol's mother-in-law, who has been serving a one-year prison term for forgery, ministry officials said. The decision came a day after the ministry's parole review board unanimously determined Choi Eun-soon, the 77-year-old mother of first lady Kim Keon Hee, to be fit for parole. Upon the parole grant, Choi will be discharged from prison Tuesday, about two months ahead of the expiration of her one-year prison term. She has been serving the sentence at the Dongbu Detention Center in southeastern Seoul since an appellate court convicted her in July last year of forging bank balance statements to falsely show bank deposits of 34.9 billion won ($25.4 million) for a land purchase deal in 2013. (Yonhap) A huge lifeboat and helicopter search launched today in the English Channel has been called off after it emerged the debris was from a crashed boat which ran aground three weeks ago. The discovery at 8.45am today in the waters near Hastings, East Sussex, sparked a huge search led by the HM Coastguard. The RNLI all-weather lifeboat, Border Force vessel Seeker, and the coastguard helicopter were all deployed. The Finnish navy's minelayer FNS Uusimaa, which was on its way to Cadiz, in Spain, also helped with the search. But after more than three hours of scouring the waters it emerged the debris was from a sailing boat that ran aground on April 19. It later emerged the debris was from a sailing boat which had ran aground three weeks ago, pictured here on April 19 The map above shows the location of where the debris was reportedly found which sparked a huge search in the Channel near Hastings The Hastings Lifeboat returns to the beech in East Sussex after the operation involving the Navy, RNLI and Coastguard A passerby described the scene at the time (left and right) in which 'loads of emergency services' responded consisting of 15 coastguard team members and six border force officers A HM Coastguard spokesperson told MailOnline: 'HM Coastguard responded to a report of parts of a pleasure vessel found in waters south of Hastings. 'The alarm was raised at about 8.45am. 'An HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft were sent, as well as the RNLI's all-weather lifeboat from Hastings. Nearby vessels also assisted. 'The operation was stood down after investigations found the parts were from a sailing vessel that went aground at Seaford Head, East Sussex, on 19 April. Both people on board made it to land safe and well.' A passerby described the scene at the time (left and right) in which 'loads of emergency services' responded consisting of 15 coastguard team members and six border force officers The two people in life jackets had to be pulled from the waters during the rescue mission in April. A passerby described the scene to The Argus at the time in which 'loads of emergency services' responded consisting of 15 coastguard team members and six border force officers. 'All you could see at first was a mast rocking in the water,' he said 'Eventually the tide went out so there was lots of flotsam. It grounded ashore under the rocks. It was an amazing sight from above. It was a spectacular sight but so sad to see somebody's pride and joy like that.' Rishi Sunak has ordered university bosses to clampdown on anti-Semitism linked to the fighting in Gaza amid fears the UK could import violent protests like those seen on US campuses. The Prime Minister and senior ministers met with more than a dozen vice-chancellors and Jewish groups in Downing Street today as institutions came under pressure to act against pro-Palestinian protests. Student encampments have been set up at more than a dozen universities in the UK against the war in Gaza, including Cambridge and Oxford. Tensions have continued to ratchet up in standoffs with pro-Palestine protesters at US university campuses- and thousands of demonstrators have been arrested since the protests began in America last month. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan today said there was a 'fear' that university campuses in the UK will become unsafe spaces for students and staff like in the US. Mr Sunak said in the discussion with vice-chancellors from leading UK universities that he expected university leaders to take a zero-tolerance approach to anti-Semitic incidents and to take responsibility for protecting Jewish students, his spokesman said. 'He called on universities to remain bastions of tolerance where debate takes place with respect for others and where every student feels safe,' the spokesman added. The Prime Minister and senior ministers met with more than a dozen vice-chancellors and Jewish groups in Downing Street today as institutions came under pressure to act against pro-Palestinian protests. Students at an encampment at the Old College at the University of Edinburgh, protesting against the war in Gaza yesterday It came after more than 100 pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside the Cambridge Union on Wednesday evening to protest a talk by billionaire tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel, founder of company Palantir. In 2023, 182 university-related anti-Semitic incidents were recorded by the Jewish charity, the Community Security Trust (CST), compared with 60 incidents in 2022 - a rise of 203 per cent. Speaking outside No10 following the meeting, Guy Dabby-Joory, head of campaigns at the Union of Jewish Students, said comments made by vice-chancellors at the meeting had been well-received. He said: 'Every vice-chancellor understood there is a huge issue of anti-Semitism on campus, that Jewish students have been struggling for the last seven months. 'We hope the universities will take their duties far more seriously, we hope they will show zero tolerance to antisemitism of any form.' Mr Dabby-Joory said there had been discussions on ensuring any 'criminal behaviour' at protests would be met with an appropriate response, adding: 'We think actions will speak louder than words.' Student encampments have been set up at more than a dozen universities in the UK against the war in Gaza, including Cambridge, Oxford and London (pictured) Ms Keegan had earlier said vice-chancellors need to show leadership in response to protests against the war in Gaza. Speaking ahead of the roundtable, Ms Keegan told Sky News: 'What we don't want is our campuses becoming unsafe environments for students or staff and going down the route that you see in other places like the US.' When asked whether there is a fear that events in the US will be replicated in the UK, Ms Keegan said: 'There's always a fear of that. 'There is always a contagion fear and obviously there are some groups that are encouraging this as well.' The Education Secretary told the broadcaster that there are 'rumours' that people in the US are talking to student groups in the UK. She said the Government was 'most concerned' about antisemitic abuse due to 'the nature of those protests and some of the things we have seen.' Ms Keegan called on universities in the UK to be 'respectful and safe places' for all students. Speaking ahead of the meeting at Downing Street, Ms Keegan told LBC that she has heard directly from Jewish students who feel intimidated on campus. She added: 'What we need to do is show real leadership and we need to de-escalate the situation.' Asked whether she thinks Mr Sunak is clear on the difference between antisemitism and legitimate protest against Israeli army action, Ms Keegan told Times Radio: 'It's not straightforward in every case.' She added: 'The reality is you have to look at those situations and what is targeted, what is inciting hatred or is actually moving into harassment. 'And you know, those lines are lines that we need to be clear about.' Representatives from the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) and the CST also attended the meeting on Thursday morning alongside vice-chancellors. Ahead of the meeting, Mr Sunak warned of 'students and academic staff being targeted, threatened, and assaulted simply for being Jewish'. Writing for The Times, he said: 'We will always protect freedom of speech and the right to protest - and our universities are a natural place for that expression, precisely because they are institutions of learning and exploration where challenging ideas are debated rigorously. 'But just as importantly, universities have a profound duty to remain bastions of tolerance, where such debate takes place with respect for others - and where every student feels safe and at home, whatever their faith or background.' Mark Gardner, chief executive of the CST, said: 'Everyone has the right to protest, but they do not have the right to disrupt other students' learning, harass and threaten Jewish students, or spread hatred of Israel with calls for 'resistance' and other extremist language. 'University authorities need to set out clear boundaries for the timing, location and content of these protests and ensure there are consequences for anyone who breaks them.' A spokesman for the UJS said: 'Universities must act decisively to combat hate on campus. UJS stands ready to work with all stakeholders to tackle this urgent issue.' Harmony Montgomery's father will be sentenced on Thursday for the five-year-old's brutal murder. Adam Montgomery, 34, faces life in prison after being convicted of the 2019 murder in February in New Hampshire. He punched Harmony to death for soiling herself. He was also convicted of witness tampering, falsifying physical evidence and abuse of a corpse A judge ordered the killer to attend his sentencing after he refused to appear in his trial. Prosecutors have asked that Montgomery be sentenced to 56 years to life. Hes currently serving a minimum sentence of 32 1/2 years in prison on unrelated gun charges. Adam Montgomery, 34, could be sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of the 2019 murder in February in New Hampshire. He is seen in February Police believe that Harmony Montgomery was killed nearly two years before she was reported missing in 2021 Harmony was only reported missing in 2021 when her mother, Crystal Sorey, who did not have custody of the child, discovered she had never been enrolled in school In a sentencing memo, prosecutors cited testimony by Harmony's stepmother Kayla, who said the father hit his daughter several times after she had a bathroom accident in the car. Harmony Montgomery's dad is a 'career criminal' The violent felon, who had previously been jailed for shooting a drug dealer in the face, is currently serving a 32-and-a-half year sentence for an unrelated fire arms case Advertisement The memo reads: 'The defendant robbed Harmony and her family of the person she was going to become... He killed all potential she held and eradicated the potential good she could do for her family and the community. 'Harmony left behind young siblings, one who was 1 year old when he last saw her, and another born later who will never know her.' Montgomery had attended his first day of jury selection in February, but did not come to court during his two-week trial. Police believe that Harmony Montgomery was killed nearly two years before she was reported missing in 2021. Her body was never found but a judge declared her legally dead in March at the request of her mother Crustal Sorey. Montgomerys lawyer recently asked for him to be excused from his scheduled May 9 sentencing in Manchester, saying Montgomery has maintained his innocence on charges of second-degree murder, second-degree assault and witness tampering. He had admitted to abuse of a corpse and falsifying evidence. State law says that in second-degree murder cases, 'The defendant shall personally appear in court when the victim or victims next of kin addresses the judge, unless excused by the court.' Kayla confessed to placing the tote bag containing Harmony's body in between her own young children in a stroller and brought it to her husband's workplace Harmony's mother, Crystal Sorey, who did not have custody of her daughter, called Montgomery a 'coward' following the verdict The attorney generals office said in March that Harmonys next of kin and others would be addressing the judge at the sentencing, so it was mandatory for Adam Montgomery to show up. The Montgomery case spurred a bill in the state Legislature requiring people charged with serious crimes to be present for the reading of verdicts and at sentencing hearings. The bill passed in the House and awaits action in the Senate. Last year, Montgomery proclaimed his innocence in the death of his daughter, saying in court he loved Harmony Montgomery 'unconditionally.' His lawyers suggested that the girl died while she was with her stepmother. Montgomery's estranged wife Kayla is currently serving 18 months in prison for perjury and provided key testimony against her husband Montgomery repeatedly punched the helpless child in the face after she had a bathroom accident while sleeping in the car in December 2019 Harmony's stepmother, Kayla Montgomery, is expected to be released on parole in May after serving an 18-month sentence for perjury. She testified that her husband killed Harmony Montgomery on December 7, 2019, while the family lived in their car. Kayla Montgomery said he was driving to a fast food restaurant when he turned around and repeatedly punched Harmony in the face and head because he was angry that she was having bathroom accidents in the car. She said he then hid the body in the trunk of a car, in a ceiling vent of a homeless shelter and in the walk-in freezer at his workplace before disposing of it in March 2020. The ringleader of an extreme body modification cult who made 300,000 from livestreaming videos of penises, testicles and legs being removed was today jailed for a minimum of 22 years. Marius Gustavson, 46, carried out at least 30 of the vile procedures on men who had been pressured and manipulated into having their bodies mangled while others watched on a website called 'The Eunuch Maker'. The group - which included a nurse, 48-year-old Nathan Arnold, had 22,000 paying subscribers and conducted their sick trade completely in the open, with a public website accessible to anyone who stumbled upon it. Gustavson headed the business and was described as an 'arch manipulator' who collected a group of 'acolytes' attracted to the deviant business, according to prosecutors, by 'the sexual element of the offending and financial gain'. The Norwegian kept a freezer full of men's body parts and cooked himself a testicle salad for lunch. He froze his own leg off and had his penis removed before claiming 18,000 in disability benefits while living in north London. Marius Gustavson and other members of his 'cult' cut off men's genitals, nipples and other limbs while streaming the footage online The operations were filmed and uploaded to Gustavson's 'Eunuch Maker' website which subscribers would pay to watch Gustavson was handed a life sentence at the Old Bailey today and must serve at least 22 years before he can be released. Six other members of the body modifications cult were also sentenced. Retired chemist Peter Wates, 67, who was involved in nine procedures, was jailed for 12 years. Former surgical assistant David Carruthers, 61, who kept his own testicles in his chest freezer, was jailed for 11 years while his husband Ashley Williams, 32, was jailed for four years and six months for helping him removing a testicle from Janus Atkin, 39. Atkin, who studied veterinary science and was involved in eight procedures, was jailed for 12 years. German Stefan Scharf, 61, was jailed for four years and six months for removing one testicle from a man in Gustavson's Camden flat while Romanian Ion Ciucur, 30, was jailed for five years and eight months. Gustavson, who previously worked in Norway as a postman, received 18,500 in disability benefit after forcing the NHS to amputate his left leg by putting it in dry ice for two hours. He sold four penises online for 700. The practice is linked to a subculture where men become 'nullos' - short for genital nullification, by having their penis and testicles removed. The men claimed they identified as Eunuchs and had to do the operations on each other because they were not available on the NHS. Gustavson electrocuted the genitals of a 16-year-old and possessed indecent images of children and beastiality porn. In one message he claimed to have castrated and had sex with an eight-year-old. Gustavson made 300,000 in four years from the 'lucrative' business Some of the vile messages Gustavson exchanged with site users Nathan Arnold, 48, a nurse from South Kensington, west London, admitted removing part of Gustavson's nipple Judge Mark Lucraft, KC, the Recorder of London, said: 'Gustavson you are very much the mastermind behind this grisly and gruesome enterprise. 'It was a business which was both busy and lucrative. 'You came to the UK from Norway around 2012 and through your Eunuch Maker website began to advertise so-called body modification procedures. 'Many of the procedures carried out were filmed and over time the films were produced to an increasingly professional standard. 'The website operated between 14 January 2018 and 1 March 2021. By March 2021 there were over 22,800 users from across the globe. 'The footage uploaded was extremely explicit and made available to paying subscribers no doubt so they could watch it for their sexual gratification. 'It was a large scale, dangerous and extremely disturbing enterprise.' Mr Lucraft accepted that the victims apparently consented to the procedures, but added: 'The law in this country makes clear consent is not a defence to what took place. 'It may be some mitigation- but the performing of such medical processes by the unqualified is eminently dangerous and many may face lifelong issues. 'All the procedures were carried out by the medically unqualified in environments far from sterile. 'They were conducted in amateurish and dangerous ways. In some instances it is little more than human butchery. 'In some cases medical equipment is used, in others normal household implements were used. In some equipment was used which is usually used to castrate livestock. 'Many videos were overtly sexual or had clear sexual overtones, many caused great distress and some resulted in the need for immediate emergency medical treatment. 'I am entirely satisfied the motivations of all involved was a mix of sexual gratification as well as sexual reward. 'In many of the filmed procedures the consequence is severe blood loss and many are in clear and acute pain. One is heard on film saying he does not want to die. 'To many of those looking at this case the activity at the very least will appear to be disgusting and abhorrent.' The judge said Gustavson was dangerous and there was a significant risk of him causing serious harm through further offences. He commended the police team for viewing thousands of images and 400 hours of disturbing footage to identify the defendants and said the investigation had been 'four times the size of a typical murder investigation.' Janus Atkin has admitted conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm and is seen arriving in court Ashley Williams - seen outside court - has admitted to performing the castrations Atkin and Williams pictured in mugshots released today by the Metropolitan Police Gustavson appeared in court via video link from HMP Wandsworth as the Old Bailey cannot accommodate defendants in wheelchair's. Prosecutor Caroline Carberry, KC, said: 'It is an incredible feature of this case that that website operated in plain sight, not on the dark web, but accessible to anyone who stumbled upon it and had the inclination to view the gruesome footage. 'This footage, which is extremely explicit, was uploaded to eunuchmaker.com. Users could pay to subscribe or buy individual videos. 'There is evidence that the victims were promised a sum of money from the video revenue. 'Gustavson recruited like-minded individuals to assist him in his large scale, dangerous and disturbing enterprise. He was a manipulator of victims, who were themselves vulnerable. 'It is impossible to know how many procedures took place in the years when the Eunuch Maker website was active. 'Those which have been prosecuted are those which have been identified from footage found on hard drives in Gustavson's flat. 'All of these offenders were active in the extreme body modification scene and the consensual removal or mutilation of male genitalia. Gustavson was involved in a minimum of 30 procedures.' After one of his operations, Gustavson cooked severed testicles for lunch which he ate in a salad he had prepared for himself, she said. He had taken various pictures from 'raw ingredients to an artfully arranged salad platter', Ms Carberry told the court. She added: 'There is also, we say, clear evidence of cannibalism.' Damien Byrnes, a male prostitute, was sentenced at the Old Bailey to five years in prison for causing GBH with intent Gustavson's boyfriend Jacob Crimi-Appleby, 23, was jailed for three years Peter Wates, 67, a retired former member of the Royal Society of Chemists, and David Carruthers, a 61-year-old retired hospital porter Gustavson would hold auctions to sell body parts and men would be sent a penis along with the video of it being cut off. Men were commonly strapped down by their wrists and ankles to have the operations often carried out on top of Gustavson's London Underground map bedding. The website had basic, premium and VIP membership options for up to 100 a year. Within the website users could chat to other users with one chat named 'gambling for c**k.' Police found a 'wide variety' of tools including clamps, forceps, electrodes, catheters scalpels. The clamps purchased were ones commonly used to castrate livestock. In one incident in Gustavson's home he and a man were seen playing a 'staged dice game' to determine what body parts are removed. Gustavson then removed his penis using the same red vegetable knife used to remove his own penis. Gustavson tells him the wound 'looked awesome'. The procedure went wrong and Gustavson called 999 and repeatedly told the operator there had been an 'accident'. In November 2020, a victim came forward and told the police what had happened to him sparking the investigation. A knife that was used during one of the castrations He is the only victim who has assisted the police with their enquiries. That man told how Gustavson had branded him with an iron imprinting 'EM' on his leg. Gustavson's claims he hash Body Integrity Dysphoria characterised by 'an intent and persistent desire to become physically disabled in a significant way.' His barrister Rashvinderjeet Panesar said: 'His desire to be the architect of his own body stemmed from a condition that was unknown at the time that it started. 'From the young age of puberty he had ideation and intentions towards his legs and when he came to the slightly older age of sexual maturity he had a desire to harm his own penis. 'That was nearly 30 years ago before the condition of BID had even been identified.' Gustavson's marriage with his husband ended in 2016 after 11 years. Mr Panesar said: 'Before then there had been no body modifications. That was a relationship which kept him stable and when it came to an end sent him into a spiral. 'From puberty to the end of his marriage the psychiatrist has reported the pressures and symptoms of BID have remained dormant within him and after that marriage broke up he was on his own left to his own devices and his modification began. 'His modification led him to feelings of empowerment and greater acceptance of himself and feelings of contentment with his own body and it's from there the Eunuch Maker website begins.' Mr Panesar said that at a young age Gustavson had struck his own penis with a hammer and poured boiling water on it. He would bend his leg and put a stocking over it to imagine not having a lower leg. 'He is somebody who performed modifications on himself before anybody else and found empowerment and from his account given he wished to put a smile on other people's faces,' his barrister said. 'He was someone stuck in a body he wanted to make changes to and he understood there were more people out there who wished to do the same. 'We are fully aware of transgender operations, males wanting to become females, females wanting to become males, but this case surrounds people who want to be known as 'nullos' or a neutral gender- for which there is little research. 'There is masses of text evidence of people being happier, and whether or not there was sexual gratification, these procedures have led to a number of people being able to better identify with who they are and who they felt they were. 'It happened in circumstances where legal medical procedures had not caught up with what was sought to be achieved with some of these procedures with regard to neutrality.' Atkin's barrister Andrew Taylor: 'These procedures are denied to them at present by both the NHS and the law. 'They know that if they want these procedures done in UK they have to resort to means such as those described by the prosecution. 'One of the things that has to happen in any society is for parliament to catch up with social trends and sexual trends and perhaps for parliament to legislate that if for example there are people, not just a handful, not jut those mentioned, there are people in this country who at the moment feel as if they are born into bodies they do not like, do not want and they seek assistance. 'And sometimes society needs to catch up with people and the sexual attitudes at the time. 'This is an epoch-making case. Never before in the history of the courts of England and Wales has a case like this ever come before the court. 'We are left with quite a sizeable cohort of people who are born into bodies that they don't want that they don't enjoy and they want to do something about it.' Gustavson admitted conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm, five counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, possessing criminal property, namely money, and making and distributing two indecent videos of a child between January 2017 and January 2020. He also admitted, possessing extreme pornographic images, and three counts of possessing pseudo-photographs of a child. Romanian man Ion Ciucur Ciucur (left) admitted conspiracy to cause GBH with intent in relation to two modifications. Stefan Scharf (right), a German, was sentenced to four and a half years in jail Wates admitted conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm. Ciucur, who worked in a hotel in Gretna Green, Scotland, when he was arrested, admitted conspiracy to cause GBH with intent in relation to two modifications. Williams admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Atkin at his home in Newport, south Wales, on 7 November 2017. Carruthers and Atkin admitted conspiracy to commit bodily harm. Williams and Carruthers both worked at the passport office in Wales and live in Newport, South Wales along with Atkin. Scharf admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent by taking part in a single procedure by removing a testicle in an apartment in Camden in July 2019. Former nurse Nathaniel Arnold, 49, Jacob Crimi-Appleby, 23, and male prostitute Damien Byrnes, 36, all admitted removing body parts from Gustavson and were jailed last year. Gustavson in a social media photo taken before he was arrested Crimi-Appleby, who had a sexual relationship with Gustavson after meeting him aged 17, froze his leg causing it to require amputation, Byrnes removed his penis with a vegetable knife while Arnold partially removed his nipple with a scalpel. Byrnes was earlier jailed for five years, Crimi-Appleby for three years and eight months while Arnold was given a two year suspended sentence. Kate Mulholland, CPS Specialist Prosecutor within the London Complex Casework Unit, said: 'Marius Gustavson ignored the risks of performing unnecessary surgery on vulnerable men for sexual gratification and financial gain. 'He actively recruited participants through his website and was paid to stream the footage of these barbaric procedures. 'Whilst the victims in this case all seemingly consented to surgeries and amputations, the victim who bravely reported his assault to the police expressed serious regret regarding his procedure and the lasting impact it has had upon him. 'This clearly emphasises why such practices are unlawful. 'The severity of today's sentence should act as a warning to others that performing extreme body modifications is against the law and the CPS won't hesitate to prosecute these horrendous crimes.' A confiscation hearing against Gustavson will take place on January 24 next year. David Cameron today played down the prospect of Britain copying US President Joe Biden's threat to halt arms supplies to Israel. The Foreign Secretary, speaking in central London, stressed there was a 'fundamental difference' between America's military links with Israel and the UK's. Mr Biden has warned the US will stop supplying Israel with weapons if the country's PM Benjamin Netanyahu pushes ahead with a major invasion of Rafah. There are fears of a devastating humanitarian crisis in the southern Gaza city - where one million Palestinians have sought refuge - should Israel launch a full-scale assault. The prospect of Mr Netanyahu extending Israel's military activities in Rafah has brought fresh tensions with its allies. Following a speech at the National Cyber Security Centre this morning, Lord Cameron said Britain would not support a major offensive in Rafah without seeing Israel's plan to protect Gaza civilians. But he suggested the UK would not follow the US in threatening to stop the supply of weapons. David Cameron today played down the prospect of Britain copying US President Joe Biden's threat to halt arms supplies to Israel The Foreign Secretary, speaking in central London, stressed there was a 'fundamental difference' between America's military links with Israel and the UK's Following a speech at the National Cyber Security Centre, Lord Cameron said Britain would not support a major offensive in Rafah without seeing Israel's plan to protect Gaza civilians 'There's a very fundamental difference between the US situation and the UK situation,' the Foreign Secretary said. 'The US is massive state supplier of weapons to Israel. We do not have a UK Government supply of weapons to Israel, we have a number of licences. 'And I think our defence exports to Israel are responsible for significantly less than one per cent of their total. So I think that is a big difference. 'On Rafah, we are clear that we would not support some major operation in Rafah unless there was a very clear plan to how to protect people, save lives and all the rest of it. 'We have not seen that plan so, in these circumstances, we would not support a major operation in Rafah.' The Foreign Secretary said Britain had 'some of the toughest and most rigorous' arms export licensing procedures in the world. 'We follow those through very closely and that's what we are doing and will continue to do in the period ahead,' he added. Lord Cameron reiterated that Israel 'has a right to defend itself' in the wake of the October 7 terror atrocities by Hamas, including the capture of 252 hostages, and continued rocket attacks by the extremist group. 'It's important to think of that context... that's what they are actually facing as a nation and they should have our support in trying to deal with that situation,' he said. Mr Biden has warned the US will stop supplying Israel with weapons if the country's PM Benjamin Netanyahu pushes ahead with a major invasion of Rafah There are fears of a devastating humanitarian crisis in the southern Gaza city - where one million Palestinians have sought refuge - should Israel launch a full-scale assault Asked if Mr Biden was wrong to threaten Israel with a halt to weapons supply, 'The Americans are in a different situation to us. They are big government to government suppliers of weapons. 'They are involved deeply in strategic, tactical conversations that the Israelis are having about how they prosecute this conflict. 'We have influence, we have agency, we have very frank conversations with the Israelis. But we are not in that same position. 'Certainly the conversations we are having now are very much around the aid picture, where the Israelis made a lot of promises about 500 trucks a day, switching on the water, turning back on some of the fuel deliveries.' The Foreign Secretary said 'progress' was being made on boosting humanitarian supplies to Gaza. 'We're in a different position, it doesn't mean we have no influence but it means we use our influence in two ways. 'One, hammering on about aid because we've got to hold the Israelis to their promise to flood Gaza with aid. 'But also say, when it comes to the conflict and the way they're fighting the conflict, they must align with international humanitarian law.' Lord Cameron warned Britain would be put into a 'different situation' on arms exports if Israel was found to be breaching international law. A Boeing plane's tyre burst during landing in Turkey today, the third passenger aircraft built by the manufacturing giant to suffer a technical problem or crash in just two days. A total of 190 people were evacuated from the aircraft after the Boeing 737-800, belonging to Turkey-based Corendon Airlines, stopped on the runway after landing at Gazipasa airport near the Mediterranean coastal town of Alanya. Pictures from the scene today showed the stationary aircraft on the tarmac flanked by emergency vehicles - its front wheels and landing gear crumpled underneath. Corendon Airlines denied Turkish reports that the aircraft had landed on its nose. While none of the 184 passengers and six crew members on the flight from Cologne, Germany to Turkey were injured, the dramatic landing was just the latest in a string of hair-raising incidents involving Boeing planes over the last two days. On Wednesday, a Boeing 767 cargo plane operated by FedEx made an emergency landing at Istanbul Airport after its front landing gear failed. Dramatic video showed the nose of the plane skidding across the runway as it came to a halt. And just this morning, shocking footage emerged showing the moment terrified passengers fled a burning Boeing 737-300 jet carrying 78 passengers that skidded off the runway and caught fire during take-off in Senegal. There is no suggestion Boeing are to blame for the crashes, and the cause of the Senegal crash is not yet known. But the incidents will only compound woes for the company which is already facing intense scrutiny amid a string of mishaps and controversy over safety concerns - as well as the deaths of two whistleblowers just two months apart. Have you cancelled a Boeing flight? Email P.Thirunimalan@dailymail.co.uk Shocking footage emerged of the moment terrified passengers fled a burning Boeing jet that skidded off the runway and caught fire in Senegal early this morning A clip taken by one horrified passenger showed a female customer sprinting away from the scene of the wreckage as flames poured from the 737's left engine, lighting up the night sky The passengers could be seen leaping from the door and sliding down emergency evacuation slides away from the flames Emergency crews rushed to evacuate the passengers, eleven of whom were injured, four seriously so A Boeing 738 plane of Corendon Airlines that operated Cologne-Antalya flight gets stuck on runway due to a burst tire in Antalya, Turkiye on May 9, 2024 Pictures from the scene in Turkey today showed the stationary aircraft on the tarmac flanked by emergency vehicles - its front wheels and landing gear crumpled underneath. Corendon Airlines denied Turkish reports that the aircraft had landed on its nose Boeing has also been accused of letting safety lapse as it obsesses over 'woke' diversity targets in staffing, as well as over-paying executives working from home. Current CEO Dave Calhoun announced in March he would be stepping down at the end of this year in a management overhaul, with share prices plunging. And passengers are said to be deliberately changing flights to avoid Boeing's fleet or travelling with anti-anxiety medication. In the case of the crash landing in Senegal, the plane suffered serious damage when a failed takeoff attempt sent it careening off the tarmac and into the bush at Blaise Diagne airport near the capital city Dakar. A clip taken by one horrified traveller showed a female customer fleeing the scene of the wreckage as flames poured from the 737's left engine, lighting up the night sky. Emergency crews rushed to evacuate the passengers, eleven of whom were injured, four seriously so - though no deaths have been reported. Authorities are now trying to establish the cause of the incident. 'Our plane just caught fire,' wrote Malian musician Cheick Siriman Sissoko in a post on Facebook that showed passengers jumping down the emergency slides at night. Transport Minister El Malick Ndiaye said the Air Senegal flight operated by TransAir was headed to Bamako, in neighbouring Mali, late Wednesday with 79 passengers, two pilots and four cabin crew. The injured were being treated at a hospital, while the others were taken to a hotel. No other details were immediately available. Boeing did not respond to a request for comment by the Associated Press, the news outlet reported. Meanwhile, questions were also being raised over the incident in Turkey. Ankara's Transport and Infrastructure Ministry reported damage to the plane's front gear but did not provide further details. The runway was not damaged but flights were diverted to the nearby Antalya airport while the aircraft was being removed. The ministry said the incident occurred at around 11am. 'The evacuation of the 190 people on board, consisting of 184 passengers and 6 crew members, has been completed,' a statement said. 'There were no injuries reported among the passengers, and initial assessments indicate no damage on the runway.' Shocking images revealed the plane operated by Senegalese carrier Transair nestled in the dirt with a gaping hole in the left engine that was covered in firefighting foam in the aftermath of the blaze The Boeing 737 jet carrying 73 passengers caught on fire and suffered serious damage when a failed takeoff attempt sent it skidding off the runway early this morning Shocking footage showed the moment the plane attempted an emergency landing, smashing down into the runway and scraping its nose along the concrete In the case of the FedEx plane on Wednesday, the flight had taken off from Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport early on Wednesday and was bound for Istanbul when the pilot realised the landing gear was malfunctioning. Unsettling footage showed the moment the plane attempted an emergency landing, touching down into the runway and scraping its nose along the concrete. Sparks flew from the plane's tattered fuselage as it crunched along the tarmac with smoke billowing from behind. Fortunately, firefighters and rescue teams were already waiting at the scene, with Turkey's transport ministry having dispatched emergency teams as soon as it learned that the pilot's landing gear was not working. The first responders flocked to surround the plane as it ground to a halt and immediately doused it with firefighting foam to prevent any potential fire from sparking. No one was injured in the incident and the crew safely evacuated the aircraft, said Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Turkey's transportation and infrastructure minister. The runway where the plane landed was closed off while the aircraft was being removed, he said. 'IGA Istanbul Airport Rescue and ARFF continues its efforts to move the aircraft to a safe area and open the runway to flight traffic. Flight traffic and operations continue smoothly on all other runways, including the spare runways,' a statement read. Boeing is already under the microscope amid mounting controversy over safety problems, suspected quality control issues and the deaths of whistleblowers. Sparks flew from the plane's tattered fuselage as it crunched along the tarmac with smoke billowing from behind The plane was doused with firefighting foam as it ground to a halt The aftermath of the crash is seen with firefighting foam coating the runway Efforts are underway to tow the plane off the runway, while investigations into the accident continue at Istanbul Airport in Istanbul, Turkiye on May 08, 2024 The nose of the plane is seen resting on the runway as emergency workers and inspectors look on This is the moment the nose touched down on the runway in Turkey The US' Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it has opened an investigation into the company after workers at a South Carolina plant falsified inspection records on certain 787 planes. In an email to Boeing's South Carolina employees on April 29, Scott Stocker, who leads the 787 program, said a worker observed an 'irregularity' in a required test of the wing-to-body join and reported it to his manager. 'After receiving the report, we quickly reviewed the matter and learned that several people had been violating Company policies by not performing a required test, but recording the work as having been completed,' Stocker wrote. No planes have been taken out of service, but having to perform the test out of order on planes will slow the delivery of jets still being built at the final assembly plant in North Charleston, South Carolina. Boeing must also create a plan to address planes that are already flying, the FAA said. 'The FAA is investigating whether Boeing completed the inspections and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records,' a statement read. The plane screeched along the tarmac and was received by several firetrucks FedEx plane makes emergency landing at Istanbul Airport in Turkey Flight tracking data shows how the plane came in to land once before abandoning the attempt and lining up for a second pass 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 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 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 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 Incidents including the January 5 Alaska Airlines debacle have intensified scrutiny on Boeing Boeing has faced criticisms over its 737 MAX jets in recent years, with disasters including a 2018 crash of a Lion Air flight in Indonesia which killed 189 people In April, a Boeing whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, also testified at a congressional hearing that the company had taken manufacturing shortcuts to turn out 787s as quickly as possible. The company was already under intense pressure since a door plug blew out of a Boeing 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight in January, leaving a gaping hole in the plane. Then in March, a slew of serious mishaps occurred. A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner over New Zealand plummetted 300ft, with more than 50 people hurt, days before a Boeing 737 MAX-8 operated by United Airlines veered off the runway after landing in Houston, Texas, on March 8. The aircraft, which arrived from Memphis, was said to have suffered gear collapse as it exited the runway at George Bush Airport, although the 160 passengers and six crew were not injured. Earlier that same week there were two other incidents, one involving a 737 engine which caught fire after taking off from George Bush Airport bound for Fort Myers in Florida on March 4. The second saw a 256lb wheel drop from a United Airlines plane, a Boeing 777-200, shortly after take-off in San Francisco that crushed cars parked below as it plummeted to the ground. The United Airlines flight 35 was barely off the runway on its way to Osaka in Japan when it happened, prompting the plane carrying 235 passengers and 14 crew to be diverted to Los Angeles Airport. Even more safety failures have followed, including when a Boeing jet had to make an emergency landing in LAX due to hydraulic issues, after taking off from San Francisco on March 9. The list continues with a United Airlines Boeing 777 en route to Japan from San Francisco that was forced into an emergency landing in at LAX when it lost a tyre on March 11. Another Boeing jet was forced to make an emergency landing in LAX after taking off from San Francisco due to hydraulic issues on March 9. The 737 MAX (pictured) is one aircraft at the centre of Boeing's current crisis over safety The Federal Aviation Administration capped production of the 737 MAX due to concerns while 171 of Boeing's fleet were grounded, causing a huge financial headache for the company The Alaska Airlines incident in January was followed by 24billion of Boeing's market value being wiped off as share prices plunged That same day, passengers on board a Latam Airlines from Sydney to Auckland were left traumatised after 50 were injured when their Boeing 787-9 plunged, throwing passengers against the ceiling, before landing safely. An American Airlines Boeing 777 carrying 249 people was forced to make an emergency landing at LAX after a 'mechanical problem' on March 13. Flight AA 345 was arriving from Dallas Fort Worth and landed in Los Angeles around 8:45 p.m. The aircraft taxied along the runway and all passengers and crew onboard were able to disembark using a jet bridge, with initial reports suggesting the issue was a blown-out tyre. And on March 29 another Alaska Airlines plane, flying from from Hawaii to Alaska, was forced to turn around after a bathroom flooded filling the aisles of the Boeing 737 MAX-9 jet with water. The flight from Honolulu to Anchorage was 90 minutes into its flight when the forward bathroom of the aircraft suddenly began to malfunction, prompting the captain to turn back to Hawaii for the problem to be fixed. But the descent into disaster for Boeing began back in 2018 when a total of 346 people died in two crashes involving Boeing's flagship 737 MAX aircraft, on a Lion Air flight in Indonesia in October 2018 and one operated by Ethiopian Airlines the following March. Those prompted the grounding of all Boeing 737 airlines for 21 months and hazardous glitches have continued to affect journeys on a regular basis. Meanwhile, families of some of the victims of the 2018 and 2019 crashes have pushed the Justice Department to revive a criminal fraud charge against the company by determining that Boeing's continued lapses violated the terms of a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement. And two whistleblowers embroiled in a dispute with Boeing died just months apart from each other earlier this year, only increasing speculation over the aerospace company's dealings. 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, said that his clients were 'heroes.' 'They loved the company and wanted to help the company do better,' Knowles said. 'They didn't speak out to be aggravating or for fame. They're raising concerns because people's lives are at stake.' John Barnett, 62, died in March by suicide in the midst of a legal action against Boeing Former quality auditor at Spirit AeroSystems, Joshua Dean died last week from an infection Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour testifies before the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Investigations 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. 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, I've never dealt with someone who did [commit suicide[. So maybe you don't see the signs. I don't 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. 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'. Jewish singles say they are being targeted for on dating apps as they are grilled on the Israel-Palestine conflict by matches who demand to know if they're Zionists and mock their ethnicity. Itamar Edelman, 34, told The Free Press that when he messaged a woman on Hinge, her first response was: 'Hey! This is unfair because I dont throw this question to everyone on Hinge but. . . thoughts on IDF?' Jake Williams, 32, had a similar experience on Grindr after he matched with a guy named Eric. When Williams sent his match a selfie that showed his Star of David necklace, Eric shifted the conversation to Palestine. 'Do a lot of people ask you about Palestine?' Eric said. 'Whats your opinion?' Harry Markham, 24, describes himself as a 'charming Jewish boy' on the dating apps, and says that since the October 7 Hamas' attacks, about half his matches have asked him about Israel. Itamar Edelman, 34, says that when he messaged a woman on Hinge, her first response was: 'This is unfair because I dont throw this question to everyone but. . . thoughts on IDF?' Daniela Aguinsky was shocked at one match's reply, which read: 'Horrified by the genocide in Gaza. And how are you doing?' 'They say, "Before we go any furtherare you a Zionist?"' Harry claimed. Meanwhile a student in New York told The Free Press that he was targeted over a Star of David he added on Grindr next to his name. A guy he matched with messaged him: 'Get that dumbass flag out my messages pls.' When the student asked what flag, since there was no flag on his profile, the match replied: 'The Israeli flag since ur too dumb to figure it out. So pls be on your way.' Other Jewish singles told the outlet that they feel they have to answer for Israel's actions as matches demand they denounce Zionism. Daniela Aguinsky, a 30-year-old who lives in Argentina, says she sent a message to a cute boy that read, 'What's up, kid?' She was shocked at the reply, which read: 'Horrified by the genocide in Gaza. And how are you doing?' Since Israel launched its counterattack against Hamas in Gaza, the conflict has been a significant source of division for Americans. University campuses across the country have become ripe terrain for the Israel-Palestine debate, as Jewish students say they feel unsafe amid controversial protests. Since Israel launched its counterattack against Hamas in Gaza, the conflict has been a significant source of division for Americans Campuses across the country have become ripe terrain for the Israel-Palestine debate Tensions have continued to ratchet up in standoffs with protesters on campuses across the U.S. and increasingly, in Europe nearly three weeks into a movement launched by a protest at Columbia University. Some colleges have cracked down immediately on protests against the Israel-Hamas war. Among those that have tolerated the tent encampments, some have begun to lose patience and call in police over concerns about disruptions to campus life, safety and the involvement of nonstudents. Since April 18, just over 2,600 people have been arrested on the campuses of 50 colleges and universities, according to figures based on AP reporting and statements from universities and law enforcement agencies. The confrontations come as campuses try tactics from appeasement to threats of disciplinary action to resolve the protests against the Israel-Hamas war and clear the way for commencements. Maggie Goodlander, the wife of National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and a former aide to President Joe Biden, shared the heartbreaking story of losing her baby boy as she announced she's running for Congress. 'My husband Jake and I, we've been trying to start a family. But when I was almost 20 weeks pregnant, we found out that we had lost our little boy,' she says in her announcement video. 'I went into labor and I delivered my baby myself,' she added. 'He died on Easter.' Maggie Goodlander is married to Jake Sullivan, who serves as President Joe Biden's National Security Adviser; she also served in Biden's White House Goodlander, 37, has left her job as a top adviser to President Biden and moved to Nashua, N.H., to run her political campaign. She is one of several Democrats vying to replace Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster, who is retiring. The New Hampshire House seat is one of the most competitive races in the nation this year and the winner could help decide which party controls Congress. Goodlander said her experience made the Supreme Court's decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case - which overturned Roe v. Wade - 'very, very real for me.' 'I want to fight for those freedoms every day for as long as I can,' she says. Abortion-rights has proven a strong issue for Democrats on the campaign trail. The party did better than expected in the 2022 midterm election due to high turnout among women who were angry about the Supreme Court's decision. Biden is also using the issue to rally voters as he campaigns for re-election. Given Goodlander and Sullivan's ties to national Democrats and the competitive nature of the seat, the race is likely to garner national attention. But the Democratic primary is competitive. Colin Van Ostern, a former gubernatorial nominee and Kuster's former campaign manager, announced he's running for the seat. State Senator Becky Whitley is also running. Kuster has endorsed Van Ostern. Operatives in the state are expected to raise questions about how long Goodlander has lived and voted in New Hampshire. Maggie Goodlander is one of several Democrats vying to replace Rep. Annie Kuster Maggie Goodlander and Jake Sullivan with President Joe Biden Maggie Goodlander, a Naval Reservist, worked for Senators Joe Lieberman (right) and John McCain (left) Goodlander and Sullivan own a $2.2 million home in a tony neighborhood in Portsmouth, N.H. It has been their primary residence since 2018 although they have a home in Washington D.C. due to their jobs. It is also in the state's other congressional district. Goodlander, who was born in Nashua, is renting a home there while she campaigns for Congress. She and Sullivan married in 2015 in a ceremony on Yale's campus that was attended by Bill and Hillary Clinton, future Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, and Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. Clinton did a reading at the wedding. Sullivan served in Clinton's campaign and now is Biden's National Security Adviser, the top White House official on all foreign issues, including Israel's war with Hamas and the war in the Ukraine. Goodlander is not as well-known as Sullivan, who has become the face of Biden's foreign policy, but she is from a famous New Hampshire family and has an impressive resume of her own. Her grandfather, Samuel Tamposi, was the son of Romanian immigrants and a real-estate developer who brought many Fortune 500 companies to the state, including Fidelity Investments, Anheuser Busch, and Coca-Cola. He was also a part owner of the Boston Red Sox and was friends with legendary player Ted Williams. Goodlander highlighted those roots in her announcement video. She introduces herself as 'Maggie Tamposi Goodlander' and starts her pitch to voters with a conversation with her and her mother Betty, who is a well-known political figure in the state. In it, Betty describes going into labor on Election Day but insisting on stopping at the polling place on her way to the hospital so she can vote. 'I have to vote. I'm in New Hampshire girl. This is what we do,' Betty Tamposi says in the video. Sam Tamposi also became a huge player in Republican politics, raising millions and becoming a power broker among the GOP. Goodlander's mother, Betty Tamposi, actually ran for Congress in the second congressional district in 1988 but lost in the Republican primary. Betty Tamposi is close to the Bush and Sununu families and was appointed as Assistant Secretary of State under President George H.W. Bush. Tamposi was fired from that job during the 1992 election over a controversy involving Bill Clinton's passport records. During the 1992 election, when Clinton was running against her boss President George H.W. Bush, Tamposi had Clinton's passport records sent to her home in Virginia, claiming that she was protecting them from being tampered with. At the time, Clinton's travels as a student and his draft records from the Vietnam War were huge political issues. While not classified, passport information is protected by the Privacy Act and access is restricted to individuals who need them for official government business. Bush ultimately fired her because Tamposi's deputies had also searched the passport files of Independent presidential candidate Ross Perot during the campaign, prompting Perot to accuse the Bush administration of a 'gross abuse of federal power.' Maggie Goodlander is from a famous New Hampshire political family and highlighted those roots in her announcement video Goodlander's grandfather Sam Tamposi (left) was a part owner of the Boston Red Sox and friends with legendary player Ted Williams (right) Goodlander's mother Betty Tamposi was a top State Department official under President George H.W. Bush Goodlander's father, Theodore Goodlander, is also a real estate developer and businessman. Her parents divorce in 2009 was splashed across the New Hampshire newspapers as the couple had a bitter fight over the family's financial assets. Despite the Tamposi ties to Republicans, Goodlander would run in the Democratic Party. In many ways her story parallels Annie Kuster, the woman she would be trying to replace in Congress. Kuster's parents were prominent Republican officials in New Hampshire but she became a Democrat. A Yale Law graduate, Goodlander worked for Senators Joe Lieberman and John McCain, clerked for the Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, and taught constitutional law at the University of New Hampshire Law School and Dartmouth. She is a Navy reservist and spent 11 years as an intelligence officer. She also serves on the board of the New Hampshire Women's Foundation. She and Sullivan met at a security conference in Munich when she worked for Lieberman. Furious animal charities have blasted primary schools for teaching children about nature by hatching chicks - after an ex-teaching assistant claimed the practice carried out by her former employer is 'immoral'. A raft of activists have called for an end to the activity which sees schools rear baby chickens from eggs within the classroom. The groups say that the chicks become 'novelties' for children in the 'cruel' practice - and warn that classroom environments are 'noisy and frightening' for the little animals. And welfare organisations have raised fears over the fates of the hens that come out of these systems - as rehoming charities are overwhelmed by birds teachers are 'guilt-tripping' volunteers into taking. It comes as protesters called on the 'outstanding' rated Hamilton Primary School in Colchester, Essex, to halt their upcoming hatching scheme. Staff had told parents the activity was above board, but a former midday assistant at the school, Kate Baines, 36, felt they had overlooked a series of 'moral' concerns. But Madeline Buchanan, of The Happy Chick Company, who were set to provide the chick hatching services to the school in an ethical way, said her organisation actually helps children to learn to love animals in environments where they may not have been exposed to them before. A raft of activists have called for an end to the activity which sees schools rear baby chickens from eggs within the classroom Staff had told parents the activity was above board, but a former midday assistant at the school, Kate Baines, 36, (pictured) felt they had overlooked a raft of 'moral' concerns She said: 'Morally we know that we don't need to be using these animals as commodities, so we know better and should do better. 'You can take children to sanctuaries, and there are internet resources. In 2024, there is no such need for live animals.' 'They are not realising that these are sentient beings and we shouldn't be using them as live classroom education tools. She added: 'It's not that I have anything against the school - only that they have outdated views.' Schools that participate in hatching schemes are usually supplied with 'embryo eggs' and incubators from private firms, which specialise in offering the service. And over a period of roughly two weeks, young primary school students get to see the chicks hatch from their shells and briefly develop. The activity usually takes place at a time when the kids are learning about biological processes in the national curriculum. But Kate said it was wrong for the baby chicks to be kept 'in a little box, in a very loud classroom' while outside their natural environment. Animal groups say that the chicks become 'novelties' for children in the 'cruel' practice - and warn that classroom environments are 'noisy and frightening' for the little animals Jane Howorth, the founder of the British Hen Welfare Trust, (pictured) said that her charity receive calls from teachers trying to 'guilt-trip' them into taking their hens and cockerels once they had hatched And while she acknowledged that assessments were carried out, she said there was still 'a health risk' to children while using chick hatcheries. Kate said she had spoken with Hamilton Primary School's head teacher, Nick Hutchings, and submitted letters alongside other locals who were also opposed to the practice. Jane Howorth, the founder of the British Hen Welfare Trust, said that her charity receive calls from teachers trying to 'guilt-trip' them into taking their hens and cockerels once they had hatched. And she said that the process teaches children that animals are disposable - and that you can discard them when you have finished with them. She told MailOnline: 'The main issue for us is that once the chicks are hatched, and the children have gone through the the fun and the excitement of watching it happen and having little chicks stand on their hands, those chicks are sent away. 'Whilst a lot of the companies that do this will say that they deal with them in a humane manner we think that that sends a terrible message to children today - that it's okay to enjoy the bits of animals that you want to enjoy, but when it gets a bit dull and hatching has happened, it's okay to just discard them. 'If this was puppies or kittens you'd have a class full of children probably in floods of tears.' Hamilton Primary School say that what happens to the chicks after they have hatched has clearly been stated to parents and they are using an external company to run the project. Welfare organisations have raised fears over the fates of the hens that come out of these systems - as rehoming charities are overwhelmed by birds teachers are 'guilt-tripping' volunteers into taking Some companies providing this service insist that they 'genuinely rehome the chicks' with people who have similar values for animal welfare. Ms Buchanan, whose Happy Chick Company provides such a service, says that the argument against hatching in schools does not take into account the 'joy' her animals bring. She said: 'Unfortunately, every year, this crops up. There are hatching companies out there that I am aware of - there is negativity and I get very frustrated by it. 'Because we do things very differently here. We're very ethical - we rehome every single chick that we hatch. 'It's such a shame that something so wonderful, so positive - certain people out there want to concentrate just on a very small negative aspect of things without really giving credit to the amount of joy, learning and just wonderful caring, and how much love and joy it brings into the world. 'I really do believe that we're offering and providing a wonderful service where we are encouraging the next generation of animal lovers. 'I have to deal with this every year. And for someone like me who is a passionate animal lover, I wouldn't even harm an ant, I do find it very frustrating, constantly having to justify what I do. 'I would not do this job if I thought for one moment there would be any welfare issues with our chicks.' Speaking about Hamilton Primary School, she added: 'I have a school, bless them, who's booked me for next week - they've been so looking forward to it for such a long time. 'And there's a there was a certain individual who just really was creating quite a lot of negativity about it, even before we've arrived, which is such a shame. 'If more people spend time with animals then we would have less animal cruelty and we'd have more animal lovers in this world.' But Ms Howorth says that for some schools this is not the case - and unwanted cockerels are often palmed off to charities. She continued: 'My two colleagues take calls from teachers who slip into emotional blackmail. My staff care about anything that's got feathers and they're emotionally blackmailing them to try and take on either chicks or unwanted cockerels as they've got older. 'It's a really increasing problem, as teachers seem to think it's a fun thing for the children to do. 'Every week we get phone calls from not just from teachers, from members of the public, who have thought it'd be fun thing to do. And they've hatched six eggs, and they've got five cockerels. 'I recently myself went for a dog walk in the middle of nowhere to beauty spot, and I picked up three abandoned cockerels. They didn't know where they were, they had no food, no water, they were just left out of baskets to fend for themselves. 'If this was happening to puppies and kittens there would be a national outrage. There's nowhere for all these unwanted birds to go.' And her views were backed up by the RSPCA, which said classrooms could be 'frightening' places for animals to be reared and called for an end to the practice. It comes as protesters called on the 'outstanding' rated Hamilton Primary School (pictured) in Colchester, Essex, to halt their upcoming hatching scheme Their spokesperson said: 'We think it's really important for children to learn about animals and understand why schools and nurseries may look to hatching chicks or ducks to help young people understand compassion and learn about the natural world. 'But schools can be noisy and frightening for animals, and because the school day is relatively short and the eggs may hatch at any time, it could be difficult to monitor the welfare of the animals, and seek veterinary advice if they fall ill. 'It's also not as easy as people may think to find an appropriate home for the animals once they are fully grown... We believe that animal welfare can be taught in other ways. 'When you've got people that are really not understanding the birds and the bees, and you've got teachers that think it's a good ethic to teach children that - let's do the fun bit, and then let's just forget about it. I'm really not impressed by that.' The charity now have learning workshop PETA's vice president of programmes, Elisa Allen, went further, saying it was 'misleading' to brand the much-loved activity as 'educational'. She said: 'Teaching kids that chicks are novelties to be watched in an artificial environment for a short time and then disposed of as if they were yesterday's newspaper is a lesson in insensitivity to which no thoughtful educator should expose children. 'In nature, these sensitive, delicate animals are incubated by their mother - who rotates her eggs up to 30 times a day to maintain the proper temperature, moisture level, and positioning and communicates with her babies in the shell so that they know her voice when they emerge. 'Hatched in an incubator, chicks can become deformed because their organs often stick to the sides of their shells when the eggs are not turned properly. 'And are the children told honestly that, after the stress of being hatched amid bright lights and concrete, these chicks will be summarily dispatched to a farm and slaughtered a few weeks later? 'Such displays are ignorant, archaic, and cruel, and it's misleading for them to be presented as educational.' And animal action charity Viva!'s head of communications, Faye Lewis, added: 'It is absolutely appalling that in 2024, schools are still hatching chicks in classrooms. 'Chickens are intelligent creatures who can count to five from birth and can talk to their mothers before hatching; a noisy classroom is simply not the place for them to thrive. 'Not only is the environment incredibly stressful for the birds, but it also teaches children the wrong message: that animals can be used as objects. 'The question of what happens to the chicks once they are grown also causes concern. Will they become just another one of the billion chickens we slaughter here in the UK every year for meat? 'If so, the schools are simply participating in animal agriculture, which is a leading cause of the climate crisis. Schools should be taking the climate emergency seriously, given that the children who attend their institutions will be the ones dealing with its consequences. 'Our society needs a radical overhaul towards treating animals with compassion. There are better ways of teaching children about biology that don't involve bringing a life into this world and subjecting the bird to stress. 'Viva! urges all schools to stop hatching chicks in classrooms and instead visit sanctuaries where they can see animals flourishing in their natural environments.' However, Hamilton Primary School said it would continue with its proposed hatching scheme, understood to start next week, in defiance of the warnings. Its statement read: 'Hamilton Primary School is aware that some of its community would prefer that we did not host a chick-hatching programme to help our children learn about looking after animals. 'The school has provided notification of the project to enable the community to understand why we plan to undertake this activity. 'We are using a company who clearly state what happens to the chicks after the project is completed and all children will be supervised during the time that the chicks are in the class. 'All health and safety concerns are covered through an appropriate risk assessment.' Scotland's new First Minister John Swinney clashed with the SNP's former Green allies today as he desperately tried to draw a line under the chaos engulfing his party. Mr Swinney was accused of backing a return to the 'repressive values of the 1950s' after appointing Kate Forbes as his deputy to avoid a power struggle. Ms Forbes, a member of the Free Church of Scotland, has previously faced criticism for her socially conservative views on gay marriage and abortion rights. The remarks by Green leader Patrick Harvie - who was until recently a junior coalition minister - came as Mr Swinney faced First Minister's Questions for the first time since being sworn in. He told Holyrood he would bring 'fresh leadership' - despite having spent nine years as deputy first minister under Nicola Sturgeon until she quit last year. He is also under fire for ditching the 'minister for independence' post from his new Cabinet . The new SNP leader has appointed his team as he tries to stabilise the separatists after the shock collapse of Humza Yousaf's premiership. John Swinney told Holyrood he would bring 'fresh leadership' - despite having spent nine years as deputy first minister under Nicola Sturgeon until she quit last year. Mr Swinney was accused of backing a return to the 'repressive values of the 1950s' after appointing gay marriage opponent Kate Forbes as his deputy to avoid a power struggle at the top of the party. In the most eye-catching move, Mr Swinney has made Ms Forbes his deputy despite previous clashes about her devout Christian views on issues like gay marriage. It prompted Mr Harvie to claim he had given 'the second most powerful job in Government ... to someone who has opposed LGBT people's legal equality, who has expressed judgemental attitudes to abortion, and who has even expressed the view that people who have families without being married are doing something wrong'. He added: 'Is this the Scottish Government's vision for the future of Scotland - taking us back to the repressive values of the 1950s?' Speaking after FMQs Ms Forbes vowed to 'progress' the rights of all communities in Scotland. 'I am here to support the First Minister and together we serve all communities in Scotland as we further and progress the rights of every community in Scotland, and I look forward to doing my part in achieving the Government's aims in that regard,' she said. 'Not just that, but when I joined Government yesterday in a clear role to support the First Minister, I signed up to collective responsibility, so I stand by the Government's decisions and agenda to improve and progress the rights of all of Scotland's communities.' The First Minister also said it is 'absolutely legitimate' for people to 'seek reassurance'. He said: 'If people are feeling uneasy or anxious, we're better airing that. Speaking after FMQs Ms Forbes vowed to 'progress' the rights of all communities in Scotland. 'So that I can say on the record, and the Deputy First Minister can say on the record in front of you all, that we give that reassurance and we give that comfort to people in our society, because that's what we believe.' The First Minister - slated by critics as a 'continuity candidate' and 'Sturgeon apologist' - has also quietly dropped the controversial job Mr Humza had created explicitly to help break up the UK. Jamie Hepburn was minister for independence, but has now become minister for parliamentary business in the Scottish Government. The 14-strong ministerial team was finalised last night after Mr Swinney was sworn in and conducted his reshuffle. He announced a largely unchanged Cabinet team, though Ms Forbes replaces Shona Robison as Deputy First Minister, with Ms Robison remaining Finance Secretary. Earlier this week Mr Swinney said he would 'seek, with respect and courtesy, to persuade people of the case for independence'. Mr Swinney will make his debut taking First Minister's Questions as leader at Holyrood later. Mr Yousaf delivered an emotional valedictory speech earlier in the week before handing over to Mr Swinney Mr Swinney was officially sworn in as First Minister yesterday In his junior ministerial team, Ivan McKee has returned to Government as minister for public finance, while minister for equalities, migration and refugees Emma Roddick and minister for local government empowerment and planning Joe Fitzpatrick have stepped down from their previous roles. Consisting of 11 Cabinet secretaries, including the First Minister, the Scottish Cabinet is supported by 14 ministers, reducing the size of the Scottish Government by four since the start of the year. Richard Lochhead is minister for business while Tom Arthur is minister for employment and investment, and Natalie Don is minister for children, young people and The Promise and Graeme Dey is minister for higher and further education. Siobhian Brown is minister for victims and community safety and Gillian Martin is minister for climate action, while Jim Fairlie is minister for agriculture and connectivity. The minister for public health and women's health is Jenni Minto while Maree Todd is minister for social care, mental wellbeing and sport, Christina McKelvie is minister for drugs and alcohol policy, the minister for equalities is Kaukab Stewart and Paul McLennan is minister for housing. 11 tornadoes hit western Michigan Xinhua) 08:52, May 09, 2024 CHICAGO, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Eleven tornadoes hit western part of U.S. Midwestern state of Michigan Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. The tornadoes downed trees and power lines and scattered debris from buildings and homes. Up to 20 people reportedly were hospitalized for injuries from blown glass and debris, no fatalities were reported, the Detroit News reported Wednesday. Consumers Energy reported early Wednesday that about 23,400 of its customers were left without power after the sweep of the tornadoes. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for affected areas, namely Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Branch and Cass counties. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy on Wednesday urged residents to follow cleanup guidelines set by the state. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) By Jung Da-hyun Korean and foreign residents of Seoul hold differing views on the city's symbolic landmarks. Korean residents view the Han River as a symbolic place representing the city, whereas foreigners residing in Seoul chose Gwanghwamun Square as the city's main landmark. Both groups picked convenient transportation, a variety of cuisines and shopping as the city's main appeals. The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced the results of its survey, Thursday, after interviewing 20,000 households. The city has been conducting the survey since 2003 as part of its efforts to find necessary policies for Seoul and improve the quality of life for residents and the city's urban competitiveness. Of the respondents, 48.3 percent picked the Han River as the city's symbolic landmark, followed by Gwanghwamun Square at 36.1 percent, old palaces at 32.3 percent and N Seoul Tower at 17.2 percent. In the previous survey done in 2010, the Han River ranked fourth, but it has ascended to the top spot after 13 years. Conversely, the palaces, which previously held the top place, have slipped down by two slots. Among 2,500 foreigners residing in Seoul for over 91 days, Gwanghwamun Square emerged as the top choice in the survey, garnering 45.9 percent of the respondents' preference. Following were the palaces with 41.4 percent, Dongdaemun Design Plaza with 25.6 percent and the Han River with 23.1 percent. With regard to the city's charms, both groups appreciated Seoul's convenient transportation, diverse culinary scene and shopping options. Safety also earned praise as a standout feature of the city's urban environment. Moreover, a significant 88.5 percent of respondents said they had visited parks in the past six months. According to the survey, 42.8 percent of Seoul residents visit parks for relaxation. Leisure activities, health promotion and enjoying nature were other purposes for visiting parks in the city. Two-thirds of residents, or 68.6 percent of the respondents, said they prefer spending their leisure hours by the riverside, often for social gatherings and friendly interactions. "We will analyze the survey results in various sectors to reflect the practical lives and thoughts of the city's residents in policies and urban projects," a city government official said. A woman who owns a consulting firm aimed to assist workers changing careers has briefly explained the secret to a successful job interview. Kendal Lindstrom, 25, submitted an as-told-to essay to Business Insider earlier this year after she posted a viral TikTok video about her tips on March 11. According to Lindstrom, she has always been successful in landing a job that she's interviewed for. Her best advice to impressing in interviews, which she briefly explained in her video and essay, is to come prepared to ask five specific questions to the employee that's conducting the interview. 'Questions that I come prepared with to ask the interview panel after my interview is what sets me apart and keeps me memorable,' she said in her video. Kendal Lindstrom, 25, posted a TikTok video on March 11 and listed the top 5 questions she would ask an employee while being interviewed for a job Lindstrom claimed in her video and an essay she submitted to Business Insider that she's never not been offered a job that she was interviewed for Lindstrom, who lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, founded Doux in October 2023. She described Doux on her LinkedIn as 'a Career Change Management consulting firm with the development of personal job portfolios and the guidance to enter into new markets, otherwise unattainable.' Lindstrom explained in her essay that she started Doux because she didn't like to be put in a box when it came to her career. She originally wanted to be known as 'the girl in fashion' after she graduated from college, which ended up not being the case. While she worked in fashion, she's also had positions in medical sales, and as a tech consultant. Lindstrom followed a formula before applying to her jobs - mapping out a resume based on the career choice - and not the previous job. She advises her clients to contact their hiring manager and that when it comes to an interview, 'it's about follow-ups.' Lindstrom, who lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, founded Doux in October 2023. Doux is a career-change consulting firm that has Lindstrom founded after working multiple jobs Prior to founding Doux, Lindstrom worked in fashion, medical sales, and as a tech consultant. Lindstrom originally wanted to be known as 'the girl in fashion' after she graduated from college Lindstrom purposely pushed herself to do well at her job while she worked as a tech consultant. She explained in her essay that it's primarily about how one presents themselves professionally rather than what answers they give to the questions that are asked. According to the consulting firm founder, she had the drive the company was looking for in an applicant. Lindstrom would spend 30 minutes reading a training book that her company gave her after every work day, and she would try to apply what she learned. She would then find time to go to her boss the next day and say: 'This is what I learned yesterday. Tell me how you have seen this applied in scenarios with a client.' Her hard work over the years in all her career choices led her to participate in 10 or 11 interviews. Lindstrom added that she believes that she's never not been offered a job after her interview because her goal was to make an employer feel like she had their best interests at heart and that she wanted to be part of their company. Her questions that she would always ask an employer after her interview may have also pointed her in the right direction in the minds of a superior at a workplace. Lindstrom pushed herself to do well while she was working as a tech consultant. She would spend 30 minutes reading a training book that her company gave her everyday In her opinion, one of the make-it-or-break-it questions she always asks at a job interview is: 'What is the company culture like, and what do you guys do to actively keep it a positive environment?' Lindstrom's essay read that she wanted her audience to know that the question is important because it's part of what makes someone enjoy their job. She believes that employees who accept a job that makes them miserable will set themselves up to fail. Once an applicant has an idea about the work culture, they can move on and ask: 'What did the person in this role before me do that was appreciated but not required based on the job description.' Lindstrom suggested the question so that applicants can imagine themselves working in the position they applied for. She has used the 'assumptive selling tactic' more than once and she even changed it up once and asked and employer: 'What are you going to miss most about this person?' That interviewer told Lindstrom that their previous employee always bought Starbucks for their co-workers, to which she responded: 'Great, I guess we'll be getting Starbucks for the office all the time.' This answer may have helped her get an idea of what the team would be like, which in part deals with work culture and the third question: 'How can I best suit the needs of my direct counterparts.' Lindstrom believes that a make-it-or-break-it question is, 'What is the company culture like, and what do you guys do to actively keep it a positive environment' Lindstrom suggested that applicants imagine themselves working in the position they applied for after asking the interviewer about a previous employee that worked in the job role Lindstrom revealed in her essay that the question came from wanting to understand the team of colleagues that could turn into co-workers. This fact would help in understanding and identifying how one would best fit into the team. Lindstrom admitted that she's seen unhappy teams before in a workplace. However, she added that no one truly knows what it's like until their first day at work, and if it's not good, they will have to decide if they should leave or stick with their job until they find another one. Relationships could impact the success of a team, which could be a partial reason as to why Lindstrom would ask 'what is the current state of this department and how are they performing in reference to the bottom line.' This question, which she said concerns sales, also led her to ask questions like, 'Am I walking into a failing department' or 'Are you expecting me to just take the blame for something that's already failing.' It could impact the company's future, and before one's interview is finished , Lindstrom suggests that the applicant ask, 'What's the company's three-year, five-year, and 10-year plan.' The Doux CEO admitted in her essay that she loves that final question because she's never walked into a job and thought, 'I'm only going to be here for one year,' or 'I'm only doing this to collect a paycheck.' Lindstrom advised readers to ask about the suiting the needs of ones counterparts in a workplace and that she has experience in working somewhere with an unhappy team Despite these being her top 5 questions, Lindstrom clarified that all one needs or has time to do is ask one of them. She reviewed the comments on her TikTok video from users who wrote that those were 'too many questions' and one person even called her 'high maintenance.' Lindstrom wrote in her comment section that asking just one of those questions will leave an interviewer 'blown away.' The questions are based on Lindstrom's personal opinions, but she hopes that others will take her advice to ace their job interviews. The son of a beloved California kindergarten teacher was charged with her murder after she was found dead inside her home. Around 10 pm Tuesday, police responded to the home on the 800 block of North Avon Street in Burbank and discovered Karyn Lombardo, 57, unconscious. Paramedics attempted to save her but she was pronounced dead at the scene. It is unclear how she died. Her son, Kyle Lombardo, 25, was arrested and charged with murder after police found the mother and son got into an altercation. It is unclear what sparked the confrontation. 'We texted and everything was fine. I expected to see her today and then I got the call,' Karyn's husband and Kyle's father, Vince Lombardo, told KTLA5. Karyn Lombardo (left middle), 57, was found dead on Tuesday in her home in Burbank, California. Her son, Kyle Lombardo (far left), 25, was arrested and charged with her murder Vince Lombardo, Karyn's husband and Kyle's father, said their son had a mental condition and that police were called to the family's home in the past Vince was not home the night of the murder as he stayed overnight in Lake Arrowhead. He said he spoke to his wife just before 10pm that night. Vince added Kyle has a mental condition and police were called to the family's home in the past. It is unclear what condition the son reportedly suffers from. 'Its a reactionary system and thats basically what I was told,' Vince said about his son. 'Until something happens, you cant do anything. That theres not enough help to help these people, especially when they become adults.' 'She loved him more than anything and tried to help him,' Vince said about his late wife. Kyle is being held on $2million bail and his first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday. DailyMail.com has contacted the Burbank Police Department for more information about the case. Karyn worked in the Burbank Unified School District for three decades. She was a bilingual teacher at Joaquin Miller Elementary before she moved on to Bret Harte Elementary School. Vince was not home the night of the murder as he stayed overnight in Lake Arrowhead. He said he spoke to his wife just before 10pm that night On Wednesday, a growing memorial was set up outside of the school as family, friends, parents, co-workers and students honored the late teacher Karyn worked in the Burbank Unified School District for three decades. Before she worked at Bret Harte Elementary School (pictured), she was a bilingual teacher at Joaquin Miller Elementary On Wednesday, a growing memorial was set up outside of the school as family, friends, parents, co-workers and students honored the late teacher. An array of flowers, candles, pictures of Karyn, signs and stuffed animals surrounded the building. 'She was like the nicest teacher in kindergarten. She is the best teacher and everyone should come over here and give her some flowers,' one of her student's told KNBC. Natalie Talamantes, the schools incoming PTA President, told KTLA: 'She was the heart and soul of Bret Harte, an outstanding teacher.' 'You would always see her in her bee costume. What a big loss for Bret Harte School.' One of Karyn's former student's, Zoe Bautista, said: 'She would make us feel like we were the luckiest kids in the world.' Following her tragic death, John Paramo, the superintendent of the Burbank Unified School District, released a statement. Her husband said she was loved by all of her students. 'Coming through the system here, there were students who became teachers because of her' Police said Karyn and Kyle got into an altercation but it is unclear what sparked it. Kyle (far left) is being held on $2million bail and his first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday 'Over the course of her highly accomplished career, Ms. Lombardo touched the lives of thousands of students, parents, and colleagues, who will be mourning this loss in the days to come,' it read. 'Her dedication, warmth, and passion for teaching touched many students and colleagues lives. Her profound impact and loss on this community will be deeply felt throughout the City of Burbank,' Paramo said. Her husband said she was loved by all of her students. 'Coming through the system here, there were students who became teachers because of her,' he said. 'Shes a very magnificent person and I think if you ask anybody, I think shes too kind and that she loves to a fault.' Another former student, Megan Valdivia took to Facebook to honor her first-grade teacher. 'Mrs. Lombardo was my anchor and rock growing up as I was experiencing some difficult times in my childhood and needed extra support,' she said. Karyn's friend Krysti Strobl who often volunteered in her classroom, said: 'She cared so deeply about her students and they came first, but not before her own children.' 'She loved her children, she loved her husband, and the world is missing out on such a great human,' Strobl said. An Australian man remains behind bars in Bali after police allegedly found methamphetamine stashed hidden in a toothpaste tube mailed from Cairns in his hotel villa. South Australian father-of-two Troy Smith was arrested at a four-star hotel in the beach resort village of Legian near Kuta last Thursday, where Indonesian Police allegedly seized 3.14g of methamphetamines. Smith, who arrived in Bali last week with his wife of four months Tracey, has been charged with drug possession, which carries a maximum 12-year jail sentence as well as a fine of about $756,000 (8 billion rupiah). Smith, who comes from the South Australian fishing town of Port Lincoln, remains in police custody in Bali's capital city of Denpasar. Australian father-of-two Troy Smith (pictured right with wife Tracey) has been charged with drug possession in Bali His lawyer Ida Bagus Gumilang Galih Sakti has since revealed that a package sent to Smith from Cairns aroused the suspicion of police. This is despite the package being labelled as only containing private paperwork, photos and lubricant. However, when police searched Smith's room in the Champlung Mas Hotel, they allegedly found 3.10g of crystal meth hidden in a toothpaste tube from the package. They also allegedly found a further .04g of meth that Smith had bought in Bali, along with a bong and lighter. Police alleged that Smith purchased the methamphetamine in Bali. Bali Police narcotic director Iwan Eka Putra said that investigations are ongoing. Indonesian police allege they found crystal meth in Troy Smith's four-star beach resort hotel room in Bali Mr Sakti told Nine News that his client admitted to being in possession of the drugs because he was an addict. 'He's admitted, as well, that his friend was sending that one because he's a user,' Mr Sati said. Smith's legal team indicated they will argue that he has been addicted to drugs for four years and should be sent to be rehabilitation rather than jailed. 'We'll do everything we can do as a lawyer ... use our knowledge and everything to prove he's actually a user,' Mr Sakti said. 'We are trying to get him rehab, we will do whatever we can to prove it was for his use. 'He's a little bit shocked with the situation of course because of what's happening ... very intense interview from the police.' His wife Tracey was also arrested but was later released without charge. She has remained in Bali to support her husband. Adelaide Crows AFL fan Troy Smith comes from the South Australian town of Port Lincoln where he has worked as a fisherman and for the local council Troy Smith and has his partner Tracey married in Kenya on December 30 It's understood Smith's relatives flew to Bali on Wednesday night. 'There is family over there, supporting him in any way they can,' a source told the Adelaide Advertiser. 'They don't know what's going on. They're just in shock.' The source described drug use as 'out-of-character' Smith who was 'just a pretty regular kind of guy' who would not normally (allegedly) do something stupid like that,' they said. Smith has worked as a fisherman and for the local council in Port Lincoln. His Instagram account shows him and Tracey holidaying in Bali several times last year. Other social media posts by the couple show them at their recent wedding day in December. Ms Smith uploaded several photos of the pair in wedding clothes alongside captions 'eternity' and 'the perfect day'. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs is providing consular assistance to Smith. Australian government website Smart Traveller warns of the strict penalties drug use can attract in Indonesia. 'Penalties for drug offences include heavy fines, long prison sentences and the death penalty. Police target tourist destinations,' the website states. 'You may face heavy fines or jail for possessing even small amounts of drugs, including marijuana.' A painting contractor hired to paint over pro-Palestine graffiti on a college campus sprayed a group of protestors refusing to move as he covered up their vandalism. The incident took place at Case Western Reserve University, a private research university in Cleveland, Ohio. American author Andy Ngo shared video online captioned: 'A contractor hired to paint over a vandalized wall by pro-Gaza activists is met by protesters who want to stop him. He proceeds to paint over them too.' Video shows a white wall in an outdoor area of the university that has been vandalized with pro-Gaza symbols, scribbles and phrases. A painting contractor hired to paint over pro-Palestine graffiti on a college campus sprayed a group of protestors refusing to move as he covered up their vandalism Video shows a white wall in an outdoor area of the university that has been vandalized with pro-Gaza symbols, scribbles and phrases The contractor nonchalantly sprays the protestors propped up against the graffiti as he attempts to cover the mess up - but is faced with the activists who are refusing to leave. As it becomes clear that the contractor will not be stopping the despite the activists lack of movement, the first of the protestors pulls down a plastic protective mask to shield their face from the paint as the rest of the squad put on the same gear. According to Ngo, the protesters are now trying to claim they were assaulted with paint by the contractor - who was doing his job. Users on X disagree with assault claims. 'No one made them stand there, they had free will to walk away- this trophy generation is killing me,' one said. 'Yes, and after the first guy got painted, they should have known to leave. They wanted to be painted. I saw nothing,' another agreed. DailyMail.com has reached out to Cape Western Reserve University for comment and a spokesperson for the university said: 'None of this behavior is acceptable, nor does it contribute to the safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for which Case Western Reserve is known,' speaking about recent activities on campus. It comes as college campuses nationwide are seeing protests arise on both sides of the conflict in the Middle East following Hamas' terror attack on Israel on October 7. As it becomes clear that the contractor will not be stopping the despite the activists lack of movement, the first of the protestors pulls down a plastic protective mask to shield their face from the paint as the rest of the squad put on the same gear Pro-Palestine activists at the prestigious Columbia University pitched tents and wreaked havoc on campus at the end of April - causing other colleges, like UCLA and NYU, to follow suit. Columbia descended into chaos as leaders and officials at the Ivy League involved NYPD officers as the situation intensified. There were more than 700 arrests in April by police breaking up the protests, which spread like wildfire across the US to at least 76 other universities and rising. Many say America is witnessing a crisis in academia that has been years in the making - and have even spread to the UK. In an embarrassing attempt at a protest exposed by rapper Macklemore in his new music video, student protesters at the University of Ottawa misspelled Palestine while defacing a campus building. In one scene, 'Free Palastine' is incorrectly spray painted across the stairs of Tabaret Hall at the University of Ottawa. The contractor nonchalantly sprays the protestors propped up against the graffiti as he attempts to cover the mess up - but is faced with the activists who are refusing to leave Protests are getting messy nationwide as supporters of both sides of the conflict stand off against each other. At the University of Mississippi, a student was expelled by his fraternity after he taunted a black pro-Palestine protestor with monkey noises. Finance major James 'JP' Staples was named by the college chapter of the NAACP as the student who was filmed hopping from foot to foot and grunting like an ape at Jaylin Smith during an ugly clash on the college's Oxford campus. Staples, 21, was expelled from a college fraternity on Friday as it condemned 'racist actions antithetical to the values of Phi Delta Theta and the Mississippi Alpha chapter'. He chanted 'Lizzo' and 'lock her up' after stepping forward to film the counter-protest as police tried to keep the sides apart. A North Carolina Catholic school had the right to fire a gay teacher who announced his same-sex marriage on social media 10 years ago, an appeals court has ruled. Attorneys for longtime English teacher at Charlotte Catholic High School Lonnie Billard described the ruling as a 'heartbreaking decision for our client who wanted nothing more than the freedom to perform his duties without hiding who he is.' Billard, now 75, taught English and drama full time at the school for more than a decade, earning its Teacher of the Year award in 2012. He was fired from a substitute teaching position in 2014 after announcing his plans on Facebook to marry his longtime partner Richard Donham. On Wednesday, a 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel in Richmond, Virginia, ruled that the school's First Amendment rights protect some decisions made by religious institutions. A North Carolina Catholic school had the right to fire a gay teacher who announced his same-sex marriage on social media 10 years ago, an appeals court has ruled. (Pictured: fired teacher Lonnie Billard (left) with his longtime partner Richard Donham) Charlotte Catholic High School said Billard wasn't invited back as a teacher because of his 'advocacy in favor of a position that is opposed to what the church teaches about marriage,' per court documents The rights apply to the treatment of employees 'who perform tasks so central to their religious missions - even if the tasks themselves do not advertise their religious nature', according to the majority opinion written by Judge Pamela Harris. That includes Billard - who primarily taught English as a substitute and who previously taught drama when working full-time - because Charlotte Catholic expected instructors to integrate faith throughout the curriculum, Harris wrote. Charlotte Catholic High School said Billard wasn't invited back as a teacher because of his 'advocacy in favor of a position that is opposed to what the church teaches about marriage,' per court documents. The decision reversed a 2021 ruling which deemed that the school, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, had violated Billard's federal employment protections against sex discrimination. In this earlier ruling, U.S. District Judge Max Cogburn determined Billard - a full-time teacher for a decade until 2012 - was a lay employee for the limited purpose of teaching secular classes. Cogburn said a trial would still have to be held to determine appropriate relief for him. A 2020 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court declared Title VII also protected workers who were fired for being gay or transgender. But Circuit Judge Pamela Harris, writing Wednesdays prevailing opinion, said that Billard fell under a 'ministerial exception' to Title VII that courts have derived from the First Amendment. 'The record makes clear that (Charlotte Catholic) considered it 'vital' to its religious mission that its teachers bring a Catholic perspective to bear on Shakespeare as well as on the Bible,' wrote Harris, who was nominated to the bench by then-President Barack Obama. 'Our court has recognized before that seemingly secular tasks like the teaching of English and drama may be so imbued with religious significance that they implicate the ministerial exception.' Lonnie Brillard (left) and husband Richard married in May 2015 Judge Harris' decision reversed a 2021 ruling which deemed that the school, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, had violated Billard's federal employment protections against sex discrimination Billard's son Ian posted this photo of Billard (right) and Donham (second from right), after their May 2015 wedding, which Ian officiated. Also pictured are Ian's mother (second from left) and her new partner (left). Ian captioned the photo 'the real Modern Family' Billard, who sued in 2017, began working at the school in 2001. He met his now-husband in 2000, and announced their decision to get married shortly after same-sex marriage was made legal in North Carolina in 2014. In a news release, the American Civil Liberties Union and a Charlotte law firm that helped Billard file his lawsuit lamented Wednesday's reversal as 'a heartbreaking decision for our client who wanted nothing more than the freedom to perform his duties as an educator without hiding who he is or who he loves.' The decision threatens to encroach on the rights of LGBTQ+ workers 'by widening the loopholes employers may use to fire people like Mr. Billard for openly discriminatory reasons,' the joint statement read. An attorney for a group that defended the Charlotte diocese praised the decision as 'a victory for people of all faiths who cherish the freedom to pass on their faith to the next generation.' The diocese operates 20 schools across western North Carolina. 'The Supreme Court has been crystal clear on this issue: Catholic schools have the freedom to choose teachers who fully support Catholic teaching,' said Luke Goodrich with The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. Attorneys general from nearly 20 liberal-leaning states as well as lawyers from Christian denominations and schools and other organizations filed briefs in the case. Circuit Judge Paul Niemeyer, an appointee of former President George H.W. Bush, joined Harris' opinion. Circuit Judge Robert King, a nominee of former President Bill Clinton, wrote a separate opinion, saying he agreed with the reversal while also questioning the use of the ministerial exemption. Rather, he wrote, that Charlotte Catholic fell under a separate exemption in Title VII for religious education institutions dismissing an employee. Eyewitness testimonies describing how screaming children were piled up and shot amid a genocidal campaign by paramilitary forces in Sudan have emerged as part of a horrifying Human Rights Watch report published today. Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), along with allied militias, have been widely accused of ethnic cleansing and committing crimes against humanity since war between the RSF and the regular army broke out in April 2023. The bitter civil war has killed tens of thousands, including up to 15,000 in the West Darfur town of El-Geneina, according to UN experts, and seen various atrocities including mass torture and rape. Reporting of the harrowing conflict was limited late last year after journalists were driven out of the region, persecuted and in some cases murdered. But now the HRW report has shed new light on the abhorrent crimes conducted by the RSF against the Massalit community in the west of the country, along with other non-Arab groups. In one passage, a 17-year-old boy described the killing of 12 children and five adults from several families: 'Two RSF forces grabbed the children from their parents and, as the parents started screaming, two other RSF forces shot the parents, killing them. 'Then they piled up the children and shot them. They threw their bodies into the river and their belongings in after them.' A man stands by as a fire rages in a livestock market area in al-Fasher, the capital of Sudan's North Darfur state, on September 1, 2023, in the aftermath of bombardment by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) People walk among scattered objects in the market of El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, as fighting continues in Sudan between the forces of two rival generals, on April 29, 2023 A boy holds bullet cartridges as clashes between Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the army continue, in Khartoum North, Sudan, May 13, 2023 Sudanese Children suffering from malnutrition are treated at an MSF clinic in Metche Camp, Chad, near the Sudanese border, Saturday, April 6, 2024. Many people here fled the fighting in Sudan's vast western region of Darfur Sudanese Children suffering from malnutrition are treated at an MSF clinic in Metche Camp, Chad, near the Sudanese border, Sunday, April 7, 2024 A damaged army tank is seen on the street, almost one year into the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in Omdurman, Sudan, April 7, 2024 A 15-year-old victim of sexual violence in El Geneina, West Darfur, is seen outside a makeshift shelter in Adre, Chad, August 1, 2023 For more than a year, Sudan has suffered a war between the army, headed by the country's de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The country 'is experiencing a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions' as a result, with famine threatening and more than 8.7 million people uprooted, according to the UN. Both sides have been accused of war crimes, but the RSF is believed to have conducted a programme of ethnic cleansing of non-Arab communities, particularly the ethnic Massalit group, in the west of the country. Descriptions of the heinous crimes were part of a 186-page HRW report called 'Ethnic Cleansing and Crimes Against Humanity in El-Geneina, West Darfur, Sudan', which painstakingly charts 'an ethnic cleansing campaign against the ethnic Massalit and other non-Arab populations'. From late April until early November of last year, the RSF and allied militias 'conducted a systematic campaign to remove, including by killing, ethnic Massalit residents', according to HRW. Local human rights lawyers said they had tracked a pattern where fighters targeted 'prominent members of the Massalit community', including doctors, human rights defenders, local leaders and government officials. HRW added that the attackers 'methodically destroyed critical civilian infrastructure', primarily in communities consisting of displaced Massalit. Satellite imagery showed that since June, predominantly Massalit neighbourhoods in El-Geneina have been 'systematically dismantled, many with bulldozers, preventing civilians who fled from returning to their homes', HRW reported. HRW said the attacks constitute 'ethnic cleansing' as they appeared to be geared towards 'at least having them permanently leave the region'. The context of the killings further 'raises the possibility that the RSF and their allies have the intent to destroy in whole or in part the Massalit in at least West Darfur, which would indicate that genocide has been and/or is being committed there', it added. HRW called for an investigation into genocidal intent, targeted sanctions on those responsible and urged the United Nations to 'widen the existing arms embargo on Darfur to cover all of Sudan'. Yunis Ali Ishag, 60 from Geneina in West Sudan whose leg was amputated after he was shot by RSF soldiers, poses for a portrait on April 20, 2024 Abdel Azim Khater, 32, who said he was shot multiple times as he tried to make his way on foot from El Geneina to Chad in mid-June, shows one of his wounds, in Adre, Chad July 29, 2023 A view shows the damaged Omdurman National bank, almost one year into the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in Omdurman, Sudan, April 7, 2024 Women from El Geneina, West Darfur, weep after receiving news of their missing relatives in Ardamata, as they waited for them in Adre, Chad, November 7, 2023 A view of a street in the city of Omdurman damaged in the year-long civil war in Sudan, April 7, 2024 The International Criminal Court, currently investigating ethnic-based killings in Darfur, says it has 'grounds to believe' that both the paramilitaries and the army are committing 'Rome Statute crimes', which include war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. And in December, the United States said that Sudan's rival forces have both committed war crimes in their brutal conflict, accusing the RSF of ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. Over half a million Sudanese have fled the violence from Darfur into Chad, according to the latest UN figures. By late October, 75 percent of those crossing the border were from El-Geneina, HRW said. Around 250 miles east of El-Geneina, all eyes are currently on El-Fasher in North Darfur, the only state capital not under RSF control. The United States has warned of a disaster of 'epic proportions' if the RSF proceeds with an expected attack, as residents fear the same fate of El-Geneina will befall them. 'As the UN Security Council and governments wake up to the looming disaster in El-Fasher, the large-scale atrocities committed in El-Geneina should be seen as a reminder of the atrocities that could come in the absence of concerted action,' said HRW executive director Tirana Hassan. Sinaloa cartel members have claimed they handed over the killers of an American surfer and his two Australian friends after their bodies were dumped down a well in Mexico. US national Jack Carter Rhoad and brothers Callum and Jake Robinson were found murdered on Monday near the city of Ensenada. The area is currently under the control of the vicious Sinaloa cartel, headed by brothers Rene and Aquiles Arzate. But a representative from the organization denied any connection to the crime and stated they had turned over the culprits to the police after becoming afraid of 'unwanted attention'. However, Mexican authorities have since claimed they arrested three suspects after tracking the location of one of the victims' phones. Sinaloa cartel members have claimed they handed over the killers of American surfer Jack Carter Rhoad and his two Australian friends after their bodies were dumped down a well in Mexico Australian brothers Jake, 30, (right) and Callum Robinson, 33, (centre left; pictured with their parents) vanished without a trace in the Baja California region in Mexico Brothers Jesus Gerardo Garcia Cota and Cristian Alejandro Garcia have since been arrested. It is unclear which brother is which in their mugshots Ari Gisel Garcia Cota, 23, is one of three suspects arrested. She is reportedly the partner of Jesus Gerardo Garcia Cota, who was also arrested 'They were low-level robbers acting alone. But we handed them over,' the Sinaloa member told the Daily Beast. 'We learned that the cops were looking for the gringos and also began looking for those who were responsible. We called the authorities to let them know where to find them.' Baja California investigators said the trio were killed after their pickup truck was set upon by thieves. 'The tourists refused and tried to fight back, but the robbers were armed.,' an investigator said. 'When the criminals took out their guns the three [tourists] tried to de-escalate things, but it was too late, they beat the three of them and then shot them in the head.' The police said they contacted US authorities to obtain the victims' cell phone numbers and were able to use this to track down Rhoad's phone which was in the possession of a woman, Ari Gisel Garcia Cota. Cota and her partner Jesus Gerardo Garcia Cota, alias El Kekas, have since been charged. Cristian Alejandro Garcia, the brother of Kekas, was also charged. The area where the murders took place is currently under the control of the vicious Sinaloa cartel, headed by brothers Aquiles and Rene Arzate (pictured L-R), which said it helped police identify the killers The suspects were arrested during two police operations on Wednesday, May 1 - with Ms Garcia Cota reportedly found in possession of one of the missing men's phones as well as illegal drugs 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) Mexican authorities said bandits attacked the three to steal the tires off their truck before killing them all and dumping their bodies in a disused well All three of the suspects were in possession of an assortment of methamphetamines and other illegal drugs at the time of their arrest, according to Zeta. The three tourists were just a few days into their vacation when they disappeared on April 27. The brothers' mother issued a desperate plea on social media after the group failed to turn up at an Airbnb they had booked in Rosarito. Their remains were found in a well more than 15 meters (49ft) deep next to a cliff at Punta San Jose in Santo Tomas, in the municipality of Ensenada, near a remote surfing spot known as Lighthouse, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune. It took rescuers about 20 hours to pull the bodies out of the well. Before the discovery of the bodies, local police had suspected foul play as Jack Rhoad's burned-out truck was found as well as an abandoned campsite with traces of blood and 'dental parts'. The recruitment worker from San Diego was due to marry his fiancee Natalie Wiertz this summer - and had joined Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson for the road trip down the Pacific coast before his big day. A 15-year-old schoolboy who was allegedly 'groomed' by his maths teacher told his mother that claims the pair had sex were 'just a stupid conversation' on a group chat that 'got out of control', a court heard. Rebecca Joynes, 30, is accused of having a sexual relationship with two pupils, including one who got her pregnant while she was on bail awaiting trial. One schoolboy - known as Boy A - claims Joynes took him to Selfridges at the Trafford Centre and bought him a 345 belt before taking him back to her flat. The prosecution allege that the pair then had sex twice after the teenager had lied to his mother about staying over at a friend's house. Joynes is on trial at Manchester Crown Court, and today Boy A denied claims that he 'made up' the allegations against Joynes because she had rejected his advances. It is the third day in a row she has turned up to court wearing a baby's bonnet tucked into the waistband of her trousers. Rebecca Joynes, 30, pictured arriving at Manchester Crown Court with her father on Thursday Rebecca Joynes pictured in 2018, years before she is alleged to have groomed a schoolboy In a video cross-examination, Katy Appleton, defending, asked the teenager: 'Were you concerned what your friends would say if they found out she had turned you down.' 'No,' he replied. Ms Appleton, who suggested the boy's claims about Joynes had boosted his 'status' at school, asked whether he had felt 'embarrassed' and 'angry' that Joynes had 'rejected' him, which he also denied. She then asked: 'Did you feel you became more important or more popular as a result of what you say happened between you and Rebecca Joynes?' 'No,' the boy the replied. Earlier, the court heard how the boy had attended 'booster' Maths lessons with Joynes and he admitted that he had joked with friends and his mother that she was 'fit'. Joynes is on trial accused of six counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child, including two while being a person in a position of trust Under further questions from Ms Appleton, the boy agreed that he had gone to Joynes flat because 'he wanted something sexual to happen between them'. But he denied asking her how many people she had slept with, and Joynes responding by saying 'probably not as many as you have'. It's claimed the boy then said: 'So, not many then - three.' Ms Appleton asked the boy whether he had felt 'embarrassed' about lying about having sex with Joynes after she had 'reluctantly' allowed him to stay the night at her flat as long as he slept on the couch. But the boy denied this. Maths teacher Rebecca Joynes, 30, allegedly had sex with two schoolboys. She is pictured arriving at her trial in Manchester on Wednesday Joynes is pictured arriving at court with her father, right, yesterday It's alleged she 'brazenly' pursued the relationship while on bail awaiting trial in relation to Boy A Ms Appleton said it was the defence's case that 'at no point' did Joynes engage in sexual activity with the boy. The boy's friend, the court heard, had initially covered for him by going along with the story that he was staying with him. But he later became concerned and asked his mother to drive them to collect the boy from Joynes' flat. He told the boy that Joynes had 'groomed' him, but he replied: 'No I haven't I was loving it.' The friend's mother then called the boy's 'hysterical' mother to tell her what had happened and she had contacted the school. The police were also informed, although the boy initially told his mum that it was 'just a stupid conversation' on a group chat that had 'got out of control'. Police launched an investigation in October 2021 and Joynes was subsequently charged over Boy A and suspended by her school. Joynes pictured outside Manchester Crown Court alongside her father on Tuesday Joynes was released on bail and told not to contact any child under 18 She appeared at court and was bailed on condition she did not contact any child under 18, but the prosecution claim it then emerged she'd been in a long-term sexual relationship with a second pupil, Boy B. It's alleged she 'brazenly' pursued the relationship while on bail awaiting trial in relation to Boy A and had sex with Boy B at around 30 times and she became pregnant and had his child. Joynes denies two counts of sexual activity with Boy A, two counts of sexual activity with Boy B, and two counts of sexual activity with Boy B while being a person in a position of trust. The trial, expected to last two weeks, continues. Donald Trump's defense lawyer's strategy was clear as she cross-examined adult movie actor and director Stormy Daniels on Thursday: Paint the witness as a money-grabbing huckster who made a career out of inventing sex scenes. Lawyers call it a 'nuts and sluts' defense. It was a tussle that Danielsall shrugs and steely outragewas up for. 'You have a lot of experience of making phony stories about sex appear to be real,' said Trump's lawyer Susan Necheles, referencing the 150 movies that Daniels has written and directed and comparing them with the night she said she had sex with the future president at a Nevada hotel. 'Wow,' said Daniels quietly. 'That's not how I would put it. 'The sex in the films is very much real ... just like what happened to me in that room.' 'You have a lot of experience of making phony stories about sex appear to be real,' said Donald Trump's lawyer Susan Necheles, as she cross-examined Stormy Daniels on Thursday Trump looked delighted with the way the cross-examination went down. He patted Necheles on the back of the elbow as if to say, 'Good job' once it was over Trump, 77, denies with 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 payment to Daniels, 45, for her silence ahead of the 2016 election. On Tuesday, the court had heard Daniels' unflattering account of her 2006 encounter with Trump. There were satin pajamas, a spanking and the word 'brief' was used to describe the act of intercourse. During the cross-examination later that day and on Wednesday morning, Necheles embarked on a high-wire act, rooting out inconsistencies in Daniels' oft told tale and deploying her career against her. It made for a risky line of attack. Every time Necheles suggested Daniels had simply invented a sex scene as part of a ruse to extort Trump, she was reminding the jury that her client moved in circles that brought him into contact with porn stars and strippers. And anyway, the veteran writer of porn movies had a cheeky response to the idea that her tale was invented. 'If that story was untrue, I would have written it to be a lot better,' she said, to laughter in the public gallery. The jury, including five women, sat rapt throughout. No one was taking notes as they had done earlier in the week. One female juror leant forward as Necheles went on the attack, suggesting that Daniels she had used her notoriety to sell herself during a 'Making America Horny Again' tour of strip clubs. Any hint of slut shaming or victim blaming could backfire with a metropolitan jury like this. Not that Daniels needs any protection. She, as ever, had a sharp retort. 'I was not selling myself to anyone. I was performing at clubs and whoever wanted to pay admission,' she said. Daniels' lawyer Clark Brewster posted an image of him and his client after proceedings ended. 'Couldn't be prouder of my client,' he said on X, formerly known as Twitter Daniels is seen leaving Manhattan criminal court after he cross-examination ended Necheles accused Daniels of trying to profit from her notoriety with a 'Making America Horny Again' tour after details of her alleged tryst with Trump came out She was a picture of poised defiance throughout, with her right elbow on the armrest of her seat, chin angled towards the defense lawyer and her head tilted slightly back. After more than six hours, her testimony was over. Trump looked delighted with what he had heard from the cross-examination. He patted Necheles on the back of the elbow, as if to say: 'Good job.' And as he left for the lunch interval, he grinned while pointing at friend and Newsmax TV host Greg Kelly, who sat among the ranks of journalists. Aides have worried that long days without friendly faces are taking their toll on Trump's moods. In contrast to previous days, the former president arrived for the morning session entouraged up, as an added defense against the lewd and embarrassing details tumbling into evidence. Republican Sen. Rick Scott sat on the bench directly behind Trump, with lawyer Alina Habba, wrapped in her coat, to one side and three secret service agents on the other. Trump arrived with supporters on Thursday morning, including Florida Sen. Rick Scott (center) and lawyer John Coale (right), who is Newsmax anchor Greta Van Susteren's husband Scott stepped out after an hour and a hald to talk to news media outside the courthouse Behind them were lawyer John Coale, who is also Greta van Susteren's husband, and real estate investor Steve Witkoff, alongside regular attendees Boris Epshteyn, Trump's legal adviser, and aide Natalie Harp (whose role is to print out media stories for her boss.) Scott ducked out after an hour and half. It was not for a toilet break but for a press conference outside the courthouse. 'This is just a bunch of Democrats saying we want to make sure Donald Trump can't talk,' he said, listing familiar complaints that prosecutors had made political donations and that the judge's daughter is a political operative. 'Now they've got a gag order so they can't campaign. They've got him holed up in a courtroom.' That is one way of getting around a court order that bars Trump from attacking the judge's family (among others)get political allies to do it for you. Daniels' story of the encounter has been public since 2018. She has given umpteen interviews, allowing Trump's defense to parse each account for inconsistencies. There was a long back and forth about whether she had eaten dinner with Trump, examining her claim that there was no sign of food (despite being invited for a meal) and her stomach had 'growled' at times. Daniels arrived in court on Thursday morning for a second day of testimony Daniels said she was not happy with the title of her tour and she did not use the name Daniels gave as good as she got during the cross-examination. Pushing back at assumptions about how she made her money and how the adult movie industry works Yet in 2011 she told In Touch magazine a different story. 'We ended up having dinner in the room. I cannot remember what we ordered,' she said then. Daniels tried to defend herself: 'My story's the same.' 'I've maintained that I didn't see any food,' she said. 'It was dinner but we never got food.' At another moment, Necheles tried to use her prolific history in porn moviesappearing in 200 and writing or directing another 150to undermine the part of her testimony when she had said she was 'startled' to find Trump lounging on the bed in just underwear after she used the bathroom. She described the room spinning. Necheles asked: Was she not used to seeing men in states of undress? 'If I came out of the bathroom and saw an older man in his underwear that I wasn't expecting to see there, yeah,' she said. While Daniels' testimony has held the attention of the world's media, the felony business fraud case really comes down to invoices, ledger entries and checks Again, in trying to undermine Daniels story, the jury was simply once again picturing the then star of The Apprentice in his boxer shorts and T-shirt. At other times, Necheles hammered her with questions about her career and whether she was simply looking for a payday, with book deals, lucrative tours and merchandise. Examples shown to the jury include a 'Stormy Saint of Indictments' candle bearing her image on it and a comic book titled, 'Political Power: Stormy Daniels.' It was all riproaring fun as the defense worked to undermine her credibility, with tweets in which she nicknamed Trump 'tiny' or an 'orange turd,' and details of her new TV role apparently speaking to dead people. But it was largely tangential to the alleged crime of falsifying business records ... until Necheles got to her final round of questions and tried to paint all of Daniel's testimony as a red herring. Did she know anything about the Trump's business records? 'I know nothing about his business records,' she said. 'No. Why would I?' Daniel Rodimer, the former pro-wrestler-turned-Republican-congressional-candidate who now stands accused of murder, has been pictured in a video taken hours before the alleged killing dressed as Ken from last summer's Barbie blockbuster. On Wednesday, Rodimer, 45, entered a not-guilty plea in a Las Vegas court. Last month, he was indicted by a grand jury on murder charges, which he denies. David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfled, who are defending Rodimer, told local Channel 13 they plan to file a petition to challenge the indictment. Rodimer's been accused of killing Christopher Tapp, an Idaho man who was a sponsor of the Halloween party, where he ultimately met his end. Daniel Rodimer, 45, is shown here dressed as Ken last October on the night he allegedly killed a cocaine supplier at a Halloween party The party, last October, was hosted at Resorts World in Vegas and attended by Rodimer, as well as his wife and stepdaughter. John Odom, a racecar driver, was another sponsor of the party. In the cell phone video footage, Rodimer is seen dressed as Ken, and his wife as Barbie. In March, a witness named Dani Lyons, a model friend of Rodimer's stepdaughter, testified that she and the stepdaughter were drinking and taking cocaine at the party when Tapp offered them more cocaine. She said the pair turned him down, but when Rodimer saw a rolled-up $100 bill on the table, he became violent and tackled Tapp to the floor. Lyons told the grand jury she 'vividly remember(s) him saying "if you give my daughter any of that I will [expletive] kill you."' A security manager at the venue said that Odom initially reported Tapp falling after he slipped on a pair of sneakers. The metro police department opened an investigation into Tapp's death about a month later after the victim's friends and family lobbied for someone to look into his suspicious death. A Clark County medical examiner ruled Tapp's death a homicide after determining he died from blunt force trauma to the head. Daniel Rodimer is seen in court during his arraignment at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas on May 8 The retired professional wrestler and former congressional candidate in Nevada and Texas has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge in the death of a man last year at a Las Vegas Strip hotel David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfled, who are defending Rodimer, say they plan to file a petition to challenge the indictment Rodimer had a career as a wrestler after winning the WWE's 'Tough Enough' contest in 2004 He briefly attempted a political career, when he ran as a Republican for Congress. He's pictured here with his wife and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy At Rodimer's initial arraignment, Tapp's family and attorney John Thomas made the trip from Idaho to represent their passed loved one. Thomas, at the time, said that the 'public needs to know Chris has a voice.' 'We're here to support Chris and carry on his legacy.' Rodimer, who is out on bail, is currently slated to return to court on August 8 for a status check. His trial is currently scheduled to begin February 3. Before issuing an indictment, the grand jury reviewed heaps of evidence, including some rather damning texts between Rodimer and his wife. Sarah, who left the party after her husband, went off on him hours later via text. accusing him of murder and vowing never to speak with him again, records show. She also discussed terms for a divorce, demanding child and spousal support, and seemingly alluding to past domestic violence. 'I'm going to do extensive discovery, murderous behavior and all of the horrible photos of the bruise marks that you put on me,' she wrote during the rant. 'Ok well I'm sorry you feel this way,' Rodimer finally replies. 'I will always have love in my heart for you. I'm sorry it did not work out.' Rodimer remains a married father-of-six, pictured here with his wife Sarah. But investigators found some brutal text messages between the pair following the alleged murder. She reportedly told him: 'I watched you murder somebody like let that sink in you psychopath' But the scorned wife wasn't done. 'You know none of this matters because as soon as I talk to the cops you'll be in prison,' she texts. 'I watched you nearly murder somebody and I had to take your f**king hands off from his neck as he laid there and you ran away,' she continues. 'And I spent the next two hours trying to take care of him. 'Nobody should have to watch their husband murder somebody. 'I watched you murder somebody like, let that sink in you psychopath,' she continued. By Jung Da-hyun The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) and Startup Junkie, a U.S.-based entrepreneurial support organization, signed a business agreement, Thursday, to bolster projects testing the viability of ideas, products, services and technologies within the tourism sector. Through this partnership, the focus will extend to addressing specific system requirements in hotels and tourism sectors of various countries. The goal is to identify and match Korean companies possessing technologies that cater to these demands. Startup Junkie will play a pivotal role in supporting testing and evaluation processes, ensuring the practical effectiveness of these technologies when implemented within the intricate operational processes of the overseas tourism industry. Established in 2011 by the Sam Walton family, the founders of U.S. retail giant Walmart, Startup Junkie has been dedicated to nurturing U.S. startups and fostering an enabling environment for their growth. This has involved conducting accelerations in technology and high-growth sectors, along with managing venture capital funds. It is recently focusing on expanding partnerships with tourism sectors such as hotels, convention centers and travel agencies across Asia. Through the business agreement, both parties pledged to cooperate in information exchange for the global expansion of tourism companies. They will actively support overseas demonstrations of domestic tourism companies' innovative technologies and services, aiming for global growth and impact. Additionally, a joint project focusing on digital transformation and environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) aspects within the global tourism industry is on the agenda. This initiative can contribute to addressing issues like overtourism, which arises when destinations face an influx of visitors beyond sustainable levels. "Indonesia will be our inaugural overseas country that will be supported with tourism technologies through this agreement," said Kim Dong-il, executive vice president of the KTO. "The KTO will diligently pursue opportunities for business collaboration with government agencies and enterprises within the global tourism sector, aiming to establish a service export blueprint for our domestic tourism companies." Since 2020, the KTO has supported over 110 startups in global expansion through the Tourism Global Challenge Program and support centers in Singapore and Tokyo. Its efforts paid off last year with a total of 80 impressive achievements, including establishing overseas subsidiaries, forging partnerships and attracting investments. A Londoner whose car was stolen was allegedly told by the Met Police to recover the vehicle himself as they didn't have the manpower. George Nicolas had his Maserati Levante stolen from outside his home yesterday after the thieves removed his steering lock with an angle grinder. Luckily the classic car fan had installed a tracking device in the car - which costs more than 93,000 when new - and he rang up the Met to inform them of the motor's location. But Mr Nicolas claims he was subsequently told that the force 'didn't have anyone available' and instead recommended that he recover the vehicle himself since he knew where it was. It comes after shocking figures revealed that not one car thief was caught in more than 100 neighbourhoods in England and Wales last year. Without any further options, Mr Nicolas hopped in a taxi to the location in South London, coughing up 70 and asking the taxi driver to hang around just in case anything went wrong. George Nicolas had his Maserati Levante (pictured) stolen from outside his home yesterday after the thieves removed his steering lock with an angle grinder Shocking pictures show his steering lock bar cut clean in two and dumped in the back of the car along with several interior carpet panels being ripped up and scratches on the exterior Luckily the classic car fan had installed a tracking device in the car - which costs more than 93,000 when new - and he rang up the Met to inform them of the motor's location Thankfully, he managed to recover the vehicle without help from the Met and with minimal damage done to his motor. Shocking pictures show his steering lock bar cut clean in two and dumped in the back of the car along with several interior carpet panels being ripped up and scratches on the exterior. After Mr Nicolas safely brought the vehicle home yesterday, he posted the images to social media with the caption: 'In other news the car was stolen this morning early hours. 'Dirty thieving b******s used an angle grinder to release the steering lock and had a go at disabling the factory tracker, but they didn't find my other lines of defence and I tracked it down to South London.' He later added: 'Informed the Met Police where it was located and that it had been stolen. 'They said they didn't have anyone available and that I should go and get it back while I still had a live location. '70 taxi later and thankfully very little damage done. The taxi driver waited just in case.' Mr Nicolas left social media users outraged, as they fumed that he was forced to recover the vehicle on his own. Mr Nicolas claims he was told that the force 'didn't have anyone available' and instead recommended that he recover the vehicle himself since he knew where it was One user said: 'So utterly shocking. But sadly, not surprising. The Met would have been right on it if you'd have put a St George's flag in it or Israel flag. Glad you got it back.' Another added: 'Good job you had a tracker fitted...Otherwise your car would be on a cargo ship. Thieves normally dump the car to see if it's got a tracking device fitted.' A third wrote: 'Jesus you could have got hurt doing that. I wonder what would have happened if you had injured somebody that tried to stop you taking it back.' Another replied: 'Done you a favour. If they'd picked it up, would charge you the cost and storage fee - more than your 70 taxi ride.' Mr Nicolas' anguish comes as figures show no car thieves at all were collared 100 neighbourhoods across England and Wales last year - with less than two per cent being solved with a suspect caught or charged in a further 558 neighbourhoods, where there was one vehicle crime every week. Shockingly, officers shut down some cases in less than 24 hours of them being opened, while about 85 per cent of around 336,000 vehicle crimes were closed without the thief being identified. The data, published in The Observer, showed Blyth in Bassetlaw, Nottinghamshire, had the highest rate of offences which were closed without prosecution in the year to September 2023. The Met Police have been contacted for comment. Martin Freeman has revealed he won't be campaigning for Labour under Sir Keir Starmer - despite having backed the party under Jeremy Corbyn and Ed Miliband. The actor, who is currently back on TV screens in BBC police drama The Responder, admitted he was giving politics 'a bit of a swerve at the moment'. He acknowledged he had been 'quite gobby about stuff' in the past, but said he no longer felt 'a great need to wear the badge'. 'I'm still working out what I think about stuff, is the truth,' the 52-year-old told Times Radio, as he suggested political campaigning was best left to experts. Freeman, who previously starred as Dr Watson in TV's Sherlock and as Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit film triology, endorsed Mr Corbyn when he was Labour leader. The actor also appeared in a party election broadcast for Labour ahead of the 2015 general election when Mr Miliband was the party's leader. But asked whether he would be happy to stand alongside Sir Keir ahead of the upcoming general election, Freeman said: ' To be honest, I'm giving it a bit of a swerve at the moment. Martin Freeman, who is currently back on TV screens in BBC police drama The Responder, told Times Radio he was giving politics 'a bit of a swerve at the moment' The 52-year-old revealed he won't be campaigning for Labour under Sir Keir Starmer (pictured today) despite having backed the party under Jeremy Corbyn and Ed Miliband Freeman, who previously starred in Dr Watson in TV's Sherlock and as Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit film triology, endorsed Mr Corbyn when he was Labour leader The actor also appeared in a party election broadcast for Labour ahead of the 2015 general election when Mr Miliband was the party's leader Freeman added: 'And that's not because of my opinion of Keir Starmer, it's just because of my opinion of my own understanding of the world. 'The best thing I can do for myself and for people is to probably stay out of it more. 'Previously, I've been quite gobby about stuff... we all have a right to say stuff about politics - I think it's fair enough. 'To a certain degree I'm still a political person. But I don't any longer, to be honest, feel a great need to wear the badge. 'I'm still working out what I think about stuff, is the truth. And I think while I'm working out what I feel about stuff it feels a little bit disingenuous for me to start slinging mud at other people when I think, well hang on a minute, why do I think I know what I think I know? 'How do I think I know that? I mean, what am I basing that on? Is that habit? Is it through having posters up and t-shirts on? Or is it because I've really thought through all of these issues really, really well? 'And the truth is that's not always clear for me. That becomes grey and not black and white. I don't mind you asking me about my politics - the truth is I don't always know the answer these days. That's the truth.' Freeman revealed he is not on social media 'partly' due to online wrangling about politics. He added: 'The way I feel about politics is honestly the way I feel about art, which is the interesting bits are the bits in between; the grey. 'Not the hard black not the hard white or the hard left or the hard right. 'I think the interesting bit is when we actually talk to each other and go, oh yeah, I might not know the answer to this. I genuinely don't know the answer to this. 'And the older I get the more I think to myself, I really don't know the answer. I definitely don't know the answer to that, you know? 'When I first nailed my colours to the mast many years ago, I'd be asked to be on political shows and I knew I was never going to go on Question Time ever; because guess what? There's other people on the panel who do this s*** for a living but they're doing it 24 hours a day. 'They're thinking about that trade agreement or this subsection of that law or whatever and I'm just an actor who comes in and reckons some stuff, which I don't think is a very edifying sight sometimes.' Mica Miller accused her pastor husband of posting nude images of her online just two weeks before she shot herself in the head, DailyMail.com can reveal. The 30-year-old contacted Myrtle Beach Police Department on April 8 after spotting an indecent image of herself on Facebook, which she claimed was shared online by her estranged husband John-Paul Miller, 44. Miller, an outspoken pastor at the South Carolina town's Solid Rock Church, allegedly posted the image to a group called 'big boobs and nice curves', and even tagged an old account for Mica which she had no access to. A police report obtained by DailyMail.com shows that Mica told authorities that she had sent the image to her husband six months prior. She was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound at Lumber River State Park over the state border in North Carolina, days after serving Miller with divorce papers. Pastor John-Paul Miller was seen leaving his lawyer's office on Wednesday after being released from his duties at Solid Rock at Market Common Church in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina A police report obtained by DailyMail.com has since revealed that Mica Miller had accused her husband of sharing a nude photo of herself on a Facebook group, weeks before her death Mica who was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on April 27 previously shared a video speaking about abuse within marriage to pastor John-Paul Miller, 44, as claims emerge she was being harassed The document states: 'Complainant advised her soon-to-be ex-husband posted a nude photo of her and tagged her old Facebook account that he has access to. 'The complainant further advised that he is the only person she has ever sent that type of photo to. Although the complainants' breasts are exposed the nipple is blurred out, not meeting the SC Code of Law for nudity.' Officers also advised Mica that the photo was posted anonymously, and there was 'no way to prove he was the one who actually posted the photo'. Shockingly, authorities even told the distressed woman that 'once a photo is sent the person who the photo was sent to is now the owner of the photo.' It is one of several police reports that Mica and her husband have logged in their names, with the pair contacting authorities' on multiple occasions before her death on April 27. A month prior, Miller complained that Mica and her family were 'harassing him' on social media moaning that a post his wife had made regarding 'abuse' would harm his reputation. Officers dismissed his claims, advising him to contact them again if he was being harassed, as he had 'no texts or proof' of the allegations. Speaking in a video on Facebook on March 22 Mica said: 'You don't have to stay in an abusive relationship. Miller was seen breaking cover on Wednesday morning, in the wake of his wife's suicide which came just 48 hours after he was served with divorce papers Miller, who has a criminal record including multiple counts of aggravated assault and battery to which he pleaded guilty, told his congregation that her death was 'self-induced' Police reports show that she had previously accused her husband of grooming and fraudulently having her committed to hospital so he could steal her car 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 '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. '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?' He also claimed that Mica had transferred funds from a church account that had been raised for a mission trip in Kenya to her own account on February 14. The report confirmed an investigation was underway. Later on March 14 and March 26 Mica reported that she had found a tracking device on her car, after discovering it attached by magnets under the chassis. She made several other bombshell allegations against her husband, claiming that he 'groomed' her from the age of 10. Another police report over the alleged theft of her silver Honda Accord shows the breakdown of their marriage dating back to February 2023. 'When the complainant was discharged from the hospital, hospital staff informed her that her husband picked up her purse and her keys,' the report states. 'The complainant believed that her husband fraudulently initiated her involuntary hospitalization and "stole" her care while she was in the hospital.' Mica met with the cops at Coastal Grand Mall and told them she and her husband had been separated since January of that year. 'The complainant stated that she has known her husband since she was ten-years-old and that he 'groomed' her while she worked for him at Solid Rock Church until they were married,' the report adds. Weeks prior, she shared a video speaking about abuse within marriage and her family claimed her husband had harassed her and she was 'afraid for her life' In an emotional Facebook video shared on March 22 (pictured) Mica offered her support to victims of abuse, reminding them that they 'don't have to stay' She urged her friends and followers to share her message with anyone struggling to reconcile their faith with their abusive relationships When investigators contacted her husband, he told them that his wife had been suffering from a 'reckless episode' due to poor mental health. He said the incidents were annual crises which would flare up around Christmas and result in Miller spending excessively. The former pastor told the officer he had seized the vehicle to prevent it being sold and would not give it back for a month to allow the episode to pass. As both parties stated they were legally married, the investigator had to consider the car as marital property and therefore 'could not establish a criminal offense'. Mica's death came just 48 hours after her husband, from whom she had been separated for one month, was served with divorce papers. Miller announced his wife's passing at the end of a Sunday service on April 28, during which he described her death as 'self-induced', leaving his congregation stunned. In the days after her death, Miller's friends and family held a rally calling for 'justice for Mica' outside the church where her husband previously worked. Mica Miller killed herself at Lumber River State Park, North Carolina weeks after speaking about abuse within her marriage to John-Paul Miller Chilling new CCTV video has also emerged showing the pastor's wife purchasing a firearm at Dick's Pawn Shop iin Myrtle Beach just three hours before she used it to end her life Miller's black Honda is observed traveling on Highway 501 near Four Mile Road, Conway, South Carolina on April 27 hours before her death 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. It has since emerged that her estranged husband was pursuing at least one other woman whilst still legally married. A waitress named Christiana revealed that he had exchanged flirty messages with her and even appeared to make light of his wife's suicide. Police released images and audio of Miller in the lead up to her death amid conjecture about the circumstances. The speculation was partly fueled by a bizarre video of Miller's husband casually informing his congregants of her suicide at the end of a service. However, evidence released by Robeson County, North Carolina, Sheriff's Office as part of their investigation conclusively shows Miller plotting to end her life. If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts or actions, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) A prestigious university has launched an internal investigation after disturbing footage emerged of pro-Palestine students allegedly performing Nazi salutes and Hitler impersonations during a union meeting over Zoom. The alleged salutes, which are illegal in public places, allegedly occurred in front of Jewish students at the student union annual general meeting at Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra on Wednesday night. One student was seen twice raising their arm in what appeared to be a Nazi salute. Another student was filmed allegedly pretending to have a Hitler moustache. Australian National University students allegedly saw the Nazi-style salutes (pictured) during a Zoom meeting The university's chancellor, former foreign minister Julie Bishop, declined to answer questions put to her by Sky News about the incident. However, the ANU's media team responded to say the incident will be investigated in 'accordance with the universitys existing processes' and 'appropriate action would be taken as required'. Australian Federal Police told Sky News that they were unaware of the incident, despite several students reportedly vowing to report it to authorities. Sky News anchor Sharri Markson said Jewish students have communicated their distress and anxiety Students alleged harassment has escalated in the wake of worldwide protests on university campuses against Israel's invasion of Gaza. ANU like many campuses worldwide has seen pro-Palestinian students set up tents in permanent protest against Israel's invasion of Gaza The alleged Nazi salutes and Hitler impersonation were performed as the meeting debated a motion that stated: 'Jewish students have a right to belong to the ANU community'. The motion also called for the student union to condemn Hamas for the October 7 terror attacks conducted on Israel and also 'hateful slogans and anti-semitic hate speech' being chanted on campus. The motion proposed that the student union support a two-state-solution to end the conflict in the Middle East but all points were voted down. It is a criminal offence to perform the Nazi salute in a public place in Australia. Daily Mail Australia contacted Australian Federal Police for comment. A former sales chief is suing IBM's Red Hat for being sacked alongside 20 other white men during the software subsidiary's aggressive diversity push to hire more women and African Americans. Allan Kingsley Wood, a white man, says he faced race and gender discrimination because of the company's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) scheme, which set hiring targets for women and minorities. The case was filed by America First Legal (AFL), which is headed by former Trump administration official Stephen Miller, as part of a broader assault against DEI in businesses, colleges, and the military. Miller's conservative action group highlights a leaked video recording from 2021 in which IBM CEO Arvind Krishna vowed to punish executives who failed to meet diversity-hiring quotas. Allan Kingsley Wood says he was kicked out of Red Hat for being a white man who spoke out against DEI Red Hat is an open-source software subsidiary of IBM that's headquartered in North Carolina Miller says 'Americans were shocked and horrified' to learn about 'illegal race-based discrimination' at IBM when Krishna's video was leaked and made public in December. 'We are taking action on behalf of a courageous plaintiff against his former employer, filing a lawsuit in federal court to get justice for our client and to stop this flagrantly lawless and bigoted conduct,' Miller added. Wood, who worked at Red Hat from 2015-2023, seeks financial damages and for an end to the firm's DEI program. The North Carolina-headquartered company, which has some 19,000 employees across more than 35 countries, did not answer DailyMail.com's request for comment. The 37-page lawsuit was filed at the US District Court in Idaho this week. It says Red Hat hired a DEI tsar in 2021, when Black Lives Matter activists led protests over the police killing of George Floyd, and embarked on an aggressive diversity hiring push. It introduced 'quotas' aiming 'to remake its workforce demographic, seeking to reach 30 percent women globally and 30 percent associates of color in the United States by 2028,' papers show. Wood made it clear that he opposed the firm's DEI policies due to his religious and political views. He 'advocated for hiring based on merit and skill rather than other immutable characteristics,' the complaint says. Two weeks later, Wood was told his job was being axed along with 21 other staffers. A controversial video emerged last year in which IBM CEO Arvind Krishna vowed to punish executives who failed to meet diversity-hiring quotas Former Trump administration official Stephen Miller says he's fighting 'illegal race-based discrimination' at IBM BREAKING LEAKED VIDEO: CEO of IBM @ArvindKrishna admits to using coercion to fire people and take away their bonuses unless they discriminate in the hiring process. You got to move both forward by a percentage that leads to a plus on your bonus," Krishna said about hiring pic.twitter.com/UUK26HX8IP James O'Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) December 12, 2023 All but one of the employees being culled were white men, says the suit. The complaint says Wood was retaliated against for expressing his beliefs, by cutting short his approved paid family leave. AFL has already taken action against IBM, complaining about the firm to the federal government's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in December. Poll Should all public universities scrap DEI? Yes No Not sure Should all public universities scrap DEI? Yes 2649 votes No 66 votes Not sure 34 votes Now share your opinion The group cited video footage of CEO Krishna and Red Hat CEO Paul Cormier discussing diversity. Krishna says in the video that corporate executives' bonuses can be affected if they don't meet DEI goals. A whistleblower leaked the video to 'guerilla journalist' James O'Keefe. Tech boss Elon Musk at the time posted that the quotas were: 'Extremely concerning and obviously illegal.' The complaints against Red Hat are part of growing number of suits and filings against DEI practices since the US Supreme Court's landmark June 2023 ruling to end affirmative action in college admissions. AFL has filed more than 30 complaints to the EEOC, a top US civil rights agency. Lawsuits have claimed that hiring and recruitment decisions made around both jobs and fellowships at large companies are biased against white workers. Advocates of DEI schemes say they bring more black, brown, female, and queer talent into offices and colleges and raise morale across the board. But critics say they're a 'woke' virtue-signaling exercise that fosters backlash discrimination against straight, white men. Angelina Jolie has been accused of trying to poison her children's relationship with Brad Pitt by telling them to shun the actor during custody visits, DailyMail.com can reveal. The Hollywood actress is accused of trying to drive a wedge between her estranged husband and their six kids in the aftermath of their split, according to court filings lodged at LA Superior Court. In an explosive declaration seen by DailyMail.com, a former bodyguard for the couple was informed by his own contractors that Jolie was pushing for her children to avoid Pitt when she had custody of them. Documents detailing the explosive claims were made public as part of the ongoing 'War of the Roses', with the A-List couple stuck in an acrimonious battle over her rights to sell their French vineyard and home. The Tomb Raider star sold her $62million stake to Russian billionaire Yuri Shefler in 2021, which Pitt argues went against their agreement to offer the other the right of first refusal. Angelina Jolie is accused in court documents of trying to poison her children's relationship with Brad Pitt, DailyMail.com can reveal Documents filed today show that a former bodyguard was told by his contractors that Jolie was pushing for her children to shun Pitt when she had custody of them Pitt, 60, and Jolie, 48, have been locked in a long-running bitter battle over the Chateau Miraval estate, which produces an award-winning sparkling rose. Former British SAS solider Tony Webb worked for the family for more than 20 years, starting in 2000, but claims that Jolie fired him after two of his security personnel sided with Pitt after the split. According to documents lodged by Pitt's lawyers today, Webb claims that the two colleagues were told by Jolie's personal assistant that she 'would sue' after it emerged that they might give evidence in the couple's custody battle. Documents submitted to the court, seen by DailyMail.com, state Webb's colleague told him he overheard Jolie 'encouraging the children to avoid spending time with Pitt during custody visits.' His comments make up part of the motion lodged by Pitt, where Jolie is called a 'hypocrite' for claiming he wanted to use an NDA in the sale of their French vineyard to 'control' her despite regularly gagging her own staff with similar contracts. In his statement, Webb claims that two of his contractors were subpoenaed to give evidence at the estranged couple's custody hearings exposing conversations between Jolie and the children. He claims in the document that he typically took orders from Jolie's personal assistant Michael Vieira and became aware that the relationship between Pitt and Jolie broke down in 2016. According to Webb, the papers read, 'After their divorce SRS Global and I continue to provide security for Ms. Jolie, Mr. Pitt and their children. 'Shortly before two SRS global contractors testified in a court case that I understood was related to Ms Jolie and Mr Pitt's divorce and the custody of their children Mr. Vieira called me on my cell phone. 'He told me that he had heard that two contractors who provided personal security for Ms. Jolie through SRS Global might be testifying in the family court case. 'Mr. Vieira then asked me to stop the two individuals from testifying. I understood that Mr. Vieira was making this request on the behalf of Ms. Jolie,' Webb alleges in his declaration. Webb went on to say in the document that he had 'no power' to stop the two individuals from testifying because they were 'independent contractors' rather than his direct employees. The couple and their brood are pictured in 2011. The bodyguards' explosive claims are the latest chapter in the couple's ongoing legal battle Pax Jolie-Pitt accused his dad of making his life 'hell' in an extraordinary social media rant in 2020 Back in 2020, Pax called Brad a 'world class a**hole' and 'despicable person' who made his four youngest children 'tremble in fear' on his Instagram account The filings claim that Vieira then warned Webb that both men had 'entered into NDA's' with Jolie, and if they 'testified in the family law case, Jolie would sue them.' Webb added: 'I communicated this message to the two individuals over the phone and they both told me they planned to testify. 'One of the two individuals, Ross Foster, specified that he intended to testify regardless of the NDA if he received a court subpoena. 'When Mr. Foster told me this he told me also that if asked he would testify about statements he overheard that Ms. Jolie making to the children, encouraging them to avoid spending time with Mr. Pitt during custody visits'. Webb, from England, retired from military service to set up SRS Global Security Ltd before working for Pitt and Jolie. He spent more than a decade with the famous SAS service, and the Falklands veteran now works for Pitt following the pair's acrimonious split. His statement added that the work began with Jolie as 'individual assignments on movie sets', before running her security for the family in 2012 when they left the US. His declaration accuses Jolie of repeating her threat to sue the bodyguards in a follow up email, with Pitts lawyers using the claims as part of their motion to force the actress to reveal her use of NDAs. NDAs are not typically used to gag witnesses coming forward to testify in court proceedings, though despite the threats Webb told the hearing that both his colleagues testified under subpoena. This led to Jolie terminating SRS in June 2021, with Webb writing to Jolie to thank her for the work, adding: 'I also wrote that I was sad that we had become distant over the past few years and that I knew she blamed me for what my independent contractors had done. 'But that because they were self-employed, I could not control what they did or said as they were not employed directly by SRS Global'. 'Ms Jolie responded take good care as ever, Angie,' according to Webb's declaration. Pitt's team argues that Jolie is 'using NDA's in an 'improper manner'. In a separate previous legal filing, Pitt's attorney John Berlinski argued that Webb's evidence shows that Jolie has 'weaponized' NDAs in a bid to keep the couple's 'family issues' under wraps. He added: 'The very thing that Jolie claims was so sacred to her that Pitt's proposed NDA caused her to renege on her deal to sell to him. 'Jolies use of NDAs to silence her security detail and attempt to prevent them from testifying truthfully in court about what actually happened behind closed doors bears a striking resemblance to Jolies (false) allegations in this case that Pitt improperly used an NDA to silence her. 'The only reason this motion is even before the Court is because of Jolies ploy to turn this business dispute into a sideshow about family court matters. 'In short, establishing that NDAs are a commonplace feature of Jolies personal and professional life, and entirely routine for her, goes directly to the credibility of her defense regardless of the precise terms or subject matter of any one particular NDA.' Since they split, the two stars have also been fighting in court over the vineyard (seen) that they once owned together Brad has since moved on with girlfriend Ines De Ramon and were pictured on a romantic stroll on the beach He went on to accuse Jolie of using the NDA proposal to 'introduce into this case the unfortunate circumstances related to the dissolution of the couples marriage, claiming that the proposal engendered an emotionally devastating reaction in her.' Berlinski added that her timeline 'does not work', claiming that the confidentiality agreement suggested by Pitt was provided after she 'opened negotiations' with the Russian billionaire. The bodyguards' explosive claims are the latest chapter in the court battle, as Pitt is asking LA Superior court to unwind Jolie's October 2021 sale of her stake over claims she breached and agreement the pair had to offer the other first refusal on a sale if either wanted out. Jolie claims she backed out of selling to Pitt because he asked her to sign an NDA as part of the deal, which she found 'unconscionable'. But Pitts lawyers insist this is a smokescreen to rationalize her betrayal of the Oscar winner, with her proposing her ex-husband sign an NDA just six months later as part of her divorce talks. Part of their motion asks for Jolie to disclose any other NDA's that she entered with third parties including her own personal staff. They argue that it could 'undermine her defense' and that disclosure of her NDAs will ultimately discredit Jolie's arguments over why she abandoned the talks with her estranged husband. Webb added in his statement that Vieira 'often asked' his company to 'provide hotel staff with NDA's and get signatures from them' on behalf of Jolie. Legal documents obtained by DailyMail.com in April revealed Pitt had branded Jolie a hypocrite for claiming he wanted to use the NDA to 'control' her. The arguments come after Pitt has landed several legal victories in the battle for the winery including a key judgement in Luxembourg which handed him back control of the award-winning vineyard pending further hearings. In March LA Superior court rejected the allegations that his suit was 'frivolous, malicious, and part of a problematic pattern.' A hearing on Pitt's NDA motion is to be decided during a hearing on May 16, while full trial over the issues is not expected this year. Johnnie Jacobs says he found the 30-year-old mother's fanny pack with her ID A fisherman has claimed he heard sobbing and a gunshot from the spot where Mica Miller killed herself after suffering alleged abuse by her pastor husband. Johnnie Jacobs told News Nation affiliate WBTW he found the 30-year-old mother's fanny pack containing her ID inside before hearing crying and a gun go off. Jacobs recalled: 'Maybe five minutes after getting into the slew, I heard a cry - a faint cry. Heard it for about two or three minutes, then the crying stopped. He added: 'If it would have been a person out there crying where I could see them, Id have checked on them all day long.' Miller died from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head on April 27 at Lumber State Park in Lumberton, North Carolina, according to officials. Mica previously shared a video speaking about abuse within marriage to pastor John-Paul Miller, 44 (pictured), as claims emerge she was allegedly being harassed The pastor's wife was seen on CCTV purchasing a firearm at a pawn shop, she later used the weapon to end her life Her body was found just days after her husband John Paul Miller with divorce papers. The 44-year-old pastor has been accused of grooming her for years before they wed and of committing her to a hospital in order to steal her car. 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 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.' 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. 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.' 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.' Millers black Honda is observed traveling on Highway 501 near Four Mile Rd., Conway, South Carolina on April 27 hours before her death Miller is observed on store surveillance walking into Dicks Pawn Shop in Myrtle Beach, SC Miller was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound at at Lumber River State Park in North Carolina days after serving her husband with divorce papers. 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. 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.' 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 to DailyMail.com last week, Mica's sister Sierra Brown said: '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.' Her friends Kenn and Allicia Young have also now insisted on NewsNation that Mica did not take her own life. However, evidence released by Robeson County Sheriff's Office as part of their investigation conclusively shows Miller plotting to end her life. A still from a Ring doorbell shows her on her front porch at 11am on the day of her death. Just over an hour later, a surveillance image shows her entering Dick's Pawn Shop where she purchases a fire arm. 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 The waitress told how the pastor had been sending her flirty messages, including calling her 'super hot' and asking for 'bikini pics' while still married. Shortly after, Miller's black Honda was observed traveling on Highway 501 near Four Mile Rd., Conway, South Carolina on the way to the state park. Once there she called 911 to provide instructions to a dispatcher on where her body could be found. Distressing audio from the call was also released by the police. 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. Meanwhile a waitress claims Pastor Miller was sending her flirty messages while his wife planned to kill herself, including calling her 'super hot' and asking for 'bikini pics.' Pastor Miller has since been released of his ministerial functions at Solid Rock at Market Common Church in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Sickly Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov has published a video he claims shows him pulling a pickup truck in his latest bid to prove that he is healthy, as rumours of his poor health grow. An aide of the ruthless Putin ally shared the video, claiming it showed that he 'pushed and pulled a Toyota Land Cruiser SUV.' Kadyrov was seen squaring up to a two-tonne Toyota Land Cruiser twin cab pick-up truck, and strained through gritted teeth to push it, before trying to pull the truck by its bullbars towards him. This time the SUV appears to inch forward. But critics were skeptical of the video, given that only the left side of the truck is visible in the video. The clip comes just days after Kadyrov was seen apparently struggling to walk up a flight of stairs at Putin's fifth swearing-in ceremony. He is reportedly suffering from 'pancreatic necrosis' following years of heavy drinking. An aide of the ruthless Putin ally shared the video, claiming it showed that he 'pushed and pulled a Toyota Land Cruiser SUV' Kadyrov is reportedly suffering from 'pancreatic necrosis' The Chechen warlord is a close ally of Vladimir Putin (pictured) The Head of the Chechen Republic appeared to struggle up the stairs into the hall as he arrived flanked by his aides, who helped him to pull off his jacket when they reached the top. Last month he released a series of clips as he seeks to prove his clean bill of health. The Head of the Chechen Republic posted videos of himself at a gym along with his acolytes, while another clip showed him chairing a meeting of his top commanders and officials. But the scenes only deepened suspicions that the 47-year-old autocrat - key Putin ally and backer of his war against Ukraine - is seriously ill as critics said he looked like a 'clown or a weakling'. Novaya Gazeta Europe had reported Kadyrov is suffering from 'pancreatic necrosis'. Putin 'must now decide operationally how to maintain stability when the tough Chechen dictator is no more,' the report read. He was seen speaking in a confused manner, with his underlings apparently embarrassed to witness the ramblings of their boss. 'It doesn't matter whether you are a policeman, emergency worker, justice, judge - every person must own a weapon,' he said. Kadyrov was seen apparently struggling to walk up a flight of stairs at Putin's fifth swearing-in ceremony . The Head of the Chechen Republic appeared to struggle up the stairs into the hall as he arrived flanked by his aides, who helped him to pull off his jacket when they reached the top Rumours of his ill health have swirled around for months Head of Russia's Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov 'He must know that at any time he must go to combat positions, to defend the Motherland. 'When the Motherland calls, everyone must stand guard over our state.' His puzzling gibberish went on: 'There is the Prosecutor's Office, there is the Investigative Committee, so that they train their own, to work together with the headquarters. 'The Supreme Commander-in-Chief [dictator Vladimir Putin], commanders, defence ministers know this HQ. And they thank us for putting such a system in [Chechnya]. 'We support our men who fight for the truth, for religion, for the people, for human values. 'I ask once again that you not only deal with internal, Chechen issues, but also deal with new territories [invaded Ukraine], as instructed by the President.' A man accused of murdering his former wife by running her car off a country road at high speed has been ordered to appear in court for the first time since the crash, which left him disabled. Troy Armstrong, 36, is charged with murdering his former wife, Kristy Armstrong, when he allegedly drove his ute towards her sedan at 140kmh in Molong in central-west NSW on June 9 last year. He also faces two attempted murder charges related to passengers in the sedan who were left with minor injuries and three counts of breaching apprehended violence orders. Armstrong has not entered pleas and is due to face a committal hearing in July. Troy Armstrong (right) is accused of murdering his former wife Kristy(left) Magistrate David Day asked on Thursday whether Armstrong, who is being held in Long Bay jail's hospital on remand, would be fit to attend the hearing via audio-visual link. 'He is fit to appear,' Armstrong's lawyer Drew Hamilton told Orange Local Court during the brief mention. 'It does take some work to get him in the AVL suite but he can appear.' Day set the hearing date and asked that Armstrong appear from custody. It will be the first time he has faced court after being critically injured in the crash. 'It does take some work to get him in the AVL suite, but he can appear,' he said. It is alleged that Armstrong ran his former partner's car off a country road by driving his ute towards her sedan at 140km/h Mr Day set the hearing date and asked that Armstrong appear from custody in what will be his first court appearance since he was critically injured. It will be the first time he has faced court, having been critically injured in the June 9 crash. Armstrong was under 24-hour guard in the intensive care unit at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney in the months afterwards with serious brain and spinal injuries. During an unsuccessful bail application last year, Hamilton told the court Armstrong posed little risk to the community as he had part of his skull removed and could no longer walk. Police prosecutor Carl Smith described Armstrong as 'an extremely dangerous person' who left the surviving victims in fear, despite his injuries. '(They) were terrified before this incident, they're even more terrified now,' Sergeant Smith told the earlier hearing. 'He knew driving 140km/h into a car of the likelihood that he'd be killing his wife, but (also) anyone else in that motor vehicle.' Troy Armstrong (pictured right with his former wife Kristy) will face a committal hearing in July The case has taken a year to reach the committal stage in part because the cars were sent to the US for specialist forensic testing. Ms Armstrong was one of many women remembered at an gendered violence rally in Orange last month. Her family and friends have attended each court appearance since Armstrong's arrest, wearing purple in her honour. Armstrong's case will return to court on July 11. An airman was killed at his home after police allegedly forced their way into the wrong apartment and shot him as his horrified friend watched on FaceTime. US Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, was identified as the young man shot dead in a shooting last Friday afternoon. It took place at Fortson's off-base residence - an apartment complex on 319 Racetrack Road in Okaloosa County, Florida. A Okaloosa County deputy was responding to report of a disturbance and 'reacted in self-defense after he encountered a 23-year-old man armed with a gun,' cops say. A witness, who was on FaceTime with Fortson during the time of the shooting, claimed Fortson heard a knock at the door and asked who was there. U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, was identified as the young man shot dead in a shooting last Friday afternoon The black airman (pictured) was killed in his Florida apartment after police forced their way into the wrong apartment and shot him as his horrified friend watched on FaceTime When he did not receive a response but heard another 'very aggressive knock,' Fortson peered through the peephole - but did not see anyone and grew concerned. Out of concern, Fortson retrieved a gun - which he owned legally, according to the witness. When he returned to his living room with the gun, authorities allegedly pushed through his door and shot him six times. The traumatized witness, who remained on the FaceTime call for the duration of the horrifying shooting, recalled that Fortson said 'I can't breathe,' after the shots were fired. Fortson later died at the hospital. The deputy involved in the incident has since been placed on administrative leave while the shooting continues to be investigated. The 23-year old was based at the Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida. He entered active duty on Nov. 19, 2019 He was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron as a special missions aviator, where one of his roles as a member of the squadron's AC-130J Ghostrider aircrew was to load the gunship's 30mm and 105mm cannons during missions. The terrible incident took place at Fortson's off-base residence - an apartment complex on 319 Racetrack Road in Okaloosa County, Florida Fortson (pictured on the left) was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron as a special missions aviator after entering active duty on Nov. 19, 2019 The Air Force's 1st Special Operations Wing said its priorities are 'providing casualty affairs service to the family, supporting the squadron during this tragic time, and ensuring resources are available for all who are impacted.' Fortson's mother, Meka Fortson, said that it had always been a dream of her son to service his country and that he had wanted to become a pilot. 'It's a disbelief. Every day, I try to go to sleep early to wake up like it's a dream,' she told Military.com. 'He just came back from deployment from fighting for us. With everything we got going on in our country, he's fighting for us and he came back to be murdered, slain like that so violently.' 'He was my gift, and they took my gift away,' Roger's mother said. 'And they didn't give it to me. God gave me that gift ... and they took my gift away.' A similar incident happened involving the same sheriff's office back in November - in which the officer shot an unarmed and handcuffed man after he mistook the sound of a falling acorn for a gunshot, according to The Washington Post. The Washington Post's database of fatal police shootings from 2015 to April this year found that police killed the highest number of people on record in 2023. Black Americans are killed by police at more than twice the rate of White Americans. President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to hold a press conference Thursday to mark the second anniversary of his presidency, the first such session in 21 months. The press conference will be held at the presidential office in two parts first, an address on his administration's past achievements and future plans, followed by a question and answer session with reporters. Yoon is expected to field a wide range of questions, including his thoughts on the opposition's push for a special counsel investigation into the military's response to a Marine's death last year. He could also be asked to further address allegations first lady Kim Keon Hee illegally accepted a luxury bag as a gift in 2022, which the prosecution has launched an investigation into. Other topics that could be raised include his decision to revive the position of senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, an ongoing standoff between the government and doctors over a medical school admissions hike plan, and potential candidates for the next prime minister. The press conference, which will be broadcast live, is seen as a demonstration of Yoon's commitment to improving his communication style after the ruling party suffered a crushing defeat in the April 10 parliamentary elections. The president last held a press conference in August 2022 to mark his first 100 days in office. In the early months of his presidency, he held daily Q&A sessions with reporters as he arrived at work, but those sessions were suspended in November 2022 following a clash between a reporter and a presidential official. Yoon's two-year anniversary falls on Friday. (Yonhap) Wildlife campaigners have urged beachgoers to allow seals to rest peacefully after crowds surrounded one of the mammals. Beachgoers are being asked to keep their distance following reports of people gathering too close to the mammals sunbathing. The warning comes after Weymouth Powerboat Training shared images showing a 'ridiculous' number of people crowded around a lonesome seal at Durdle Door in Dorset. It follows an incident last month where a police officer was seen posing with a seal on the same beach after the area was cordoned off and visitors told to stay away. A spokesperson for Dorset Wildlife Trust said: 'In recent weeks there have been several reports of seals resting on beaches along the Dorset coast. A plea to leave resting seals alone has been made after a shocking picture showed large crowds swarming around one 'Seals are very mobile marine mammals and travel hundreds of kilometres, but it is completely normal for them to come ashore to rest so they can recover lost energy, digest their food and they will also haul out for longer periods during their moulting season. 'It's important that they are given plenty of space to rest without being disturbed.' Both species of seal native to UK waters, grey seals and common seals, can be encountered in Dorset. Just last month, police had to cordon off a section of Durdle Door beach to allow a seal to rest undisturbed. The charity are sharing reminders of how to 'watch seals responsibly' if you encounter them now the weather is improving - after the latest image of crowds surrounding a seal was captured on Saturday. These include keeping well away from seals so that they can't see, hear or smell you, using a camera zoom or binoculars for a better view and keeping dogs on a lead if seals are known to be in the area. The charity added: 'Never feed seals, take all litter home and do not seek out encounters with seals in the water.' The latest plea to the public comes after police came in for heavy criticism last month after an officer posed for a photo with a huge seal, having cordoned off a beach to 'protect' it from civilians. Officers attended the picturesque Durdle Door after reports that a seal was nesting on the beach at the popular beach spot and attracting a crowd of onlookers. To safeguard the adult seal, they set up a cordon around the nesting mammal, with one officer taking the opportunity to snap a photo in front of the sea creature. The latest plea to the public comes after police came in for heavy criticism last month after an officer posed for a photo with a huge seal, having cordoned off a beach to 'protect' it from civilians The police officer can be seen standing some feet away from the seal, and smiling as the famous limestone arch is visible in the background. However, the image sparked a response from locals who questioned whether it was the best use of police resources. Dorset Police posted on their Facebook page: 'Wareham Police were called to Durdle Door this afternoon to put a seal on crime. 'Police were called to cordon a section of beach off to keep a safe distance between the public and the seal. 'This also provided the Seal with enough space to feel comfortable and avoid him getting stressed. As you can see, he did just that!' While some people applauded the officers for protecting wildlife, others were left less than impressed - accusing the force of splashing around and wasting valuable time and resources. Angered local residents have accused the police of hypocrisy, as authorities allegedly people not to go to the beach to look at or photograph the seal - but the officer is pictured doing just that. Below the post, Jack Lee said: 'Aren't there more pressing things to deal with than a day at the beach? I'm still waiting for someone to turn up to my robbery that happened last year.' Other residents leapt to the defence of the officers and praised them for protecting the seal from 'idiot visitors' in April Dave Poultney wrote: 'An animal in its natural habitat needs police attendance yet you wont investigate a burglary and theft from a vehicle.' However, others leapt to the defence of the officers and praised them for protecting the seal from 'idiot visitors.' Micky Scara said: 'Given how idiotically "visitors" behave in this very location, I am not at all surprised that the poor seal is in need of police protection. Keep up the good work Dorset Police Rural Crime Team.' Julie-Anne Houldey said: 'Good. Saw the hideous video of hoards of people gathering around the seal.' GCSE and A-Level students have been warned of serious repercussions if they are caught attempting to obtain exam papers that are said to have 'leaked' on social media. England's exams regulator warned that teenagers could face disqualification if they search for exam papers on social media or bring their phones into the exam hall. The chief regulator advised students to report any accounts claiming to sell this year's exam papers - which are 'almost always scams' - to their teachers. With exam season fast approaching, Ofqual has encouraged students to arrange a secure place to leave their mobile devices during exams. This comes after instances of students being caught with mobile devices in exams nearly doubled since 2018. GCSE and A-Level students have been warned of serious repercussions if they are caught cheating are exam papers were said to have 'leaked' on social media According to figures from the exams regulator, there were 2,180 cases with penalties for this type of offence in 2023, having risen from 1,825 in 2022. In response to reports of leaked exam papers, TikTok and Instagram have said they do not allow the sale of exam papers on their platforms. The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), which represents the UK's eight largest exam boards, says it is highly unlikely real papers are being leaked online. Students at The Commonweal School in Swindon said the fraudulent accounts can be found extremely easily. 'They're everywhere,' said Oscar. 'I found them very easily on TikTok,' he told BBC News. Another pupil at the school, Shreya, said that the accounts she has seen on Instagram were 'psychologically manipulative' for students who could be conned into paying for false questions, answers or information. 'The kind of language they use is all very positive,' she said. 'It's so misleading for people who are so stressed. It's messing with them.' The school's head teacher, Chas Drew, said the 'reprehensible and unacceptable' actions of scammers meant the school was seeking to tackle the issue proactively. England's exams regulator warned that teenagers could face disqualification if they search for exam papers on social media or bring their phones into the exam hall 'There's nothing we do that's more important than teaching them [students] how to keep themselves safe,' Mr Drew said. 'A lot of that is keeping themselves safe in the virtual world as well as the real world.' Research conducted by Ofqual last year suggested that, while the majority of students do not plan to use their phones to cheat, they are hesitant to leave them elsewhere due to fears the devices may get lost, damaged or stolen. Ofqual data released in December 2022 showed that there were 4,895 cases of malpractice during GCSEs, AS and A-level examinations, including students in 2023, up from 4,105 in 2022. Sir Ian Bauckham, chief regulator at Ofqual, stated: 'Students should also be aware of the risks of exam papers on social media. Accounts claiming to sell this year's exam papers are almost always scams. Students should report these accounts to teachers. 'Students risk losing the qualification they've been studying for if they search for or communicate with social media accounts claiming to sell leaked exam papers. Sanctions can still apply even if the papers turn out to be fake. Buying papers is never worth the risk.' Sir Ian said: 'Students have been working hard to prepare for their exams, and nobody wants them to miss out on their grades and qualifications. 'Thankfully, most students are aware of the risks of malpractice and comply with the rules. It's important that the rules are followed so that grades reflect what a student knows, understands and can do.' The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) added that 'a very small number of students' were able to access some of its exam papers after they were shared online. With exam season fast approaching, Ofqual has encouraged students to arrange a secure place to leave their mobile devices during exams Over 150,000 students between the ages of 16 to 19 study for the International Baccalaureates in 143 countries, including the UK. Some students have claimed papers were leaked on social media sites Reddit and Telegram. An IBO spokesperson confirmed there have been instances of 'time zone' cheating. This saw students who had completed their exams in certain countries share information with others who had not yet sat them. However, the IBO did point that such activity was on the 'fringes' and added there is 'no evidence of widespread cheating' among students sitting their exams. The head of Britain's armed forces has declared the world is becoming 'much more dangerous' as tensions between major powers in several key regions are 'coming to the boil'. Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the overall commander of the British military, described the past six months as 'the most eventful and unsettling in global affairs since the end of the Cold War - with none of the optimism or hope that came with the fall of the Berlin Wall'. The chief of the defence staff cited Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel and the ever more assertive posture of China and Iran as just some examples of how the world is edging toward disaster. Delivering the grave outlook during a speech in Washington yesterday, Sir Tony said: 'In Europe, we have a war with no end in sight... In the Middle East, last October's barbaric attacks in Israel have, as we feared, served to inflame regional tensions... North Korea remains as belligerent as ever (and) China's posture is becoming even more assertive. 'All around the world long-simmering tensions feel like they are coming to the boil,' he warned - but went on to say Western nations could navigate the turbulent times provided they 'stay strong, stick together, and see it through'. Ukrainian soldiers operate a 2S1 Gvozdika ("Carnation") self-propelled howitzer on April 27, 2024 in Kherson region, Ukraine Launch of a Hwasongpho-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at an undisclosed location in North Korea This picture taken on May 9, 2024 shows a view of destroyed and heavily damaged buildings in the Zaytoun neighbourhood of Gaza City Tanks and military vehicles of NATO stand together ahead of large scale exercises British Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Tony Radakin Speaking at the Ash Carter Exchange for national security, named after the late US Secretary of Defense, Sir Tony explained his perspective that today's problems are more complex than ever before, with the West's rivals conspiring to challenge the international order. 'These challenges are becoming increasingly blended and blurred - whether it's the ''no limits'' partnership between Putin and Xi Russia's use of Iranian drones and North Korean ammunition in Ukraine Or the willingness of Moscow, Beijing and Tehran to collude in subverting oil sanctions the so-called Axis of Evasion. 'And then much more quietly, the architecture that governs our security is decaying as arms control treaties lapse, regional fora slip into abeyance and hotlines that once spanned the divide fall silent,' he continued. 'In the Middle East, last October's barbaric attacks in Israel have, as we feared, served to inflame regional tensions... Meanwhile, North Korea remains as belligerent as ever.' But he went on to encourage his audience that Britain and her Western allies have the capability and strategic advantages to overcome these difficulties, provided they can work together, both in a military and a broader policy sense. He called for 'the return of Statecraft' and committing to maximising the benefits of key security partnerships like NATO and AUKUS, and international treaties and accords. 'Western governments can leverage enormous collective power when they wish, which presents the greatest strategic advantage of all - choice,' he said. 'In the United Kingdom, on the back of an improving economic outlook, the Government has chosen to invest 2.5% of our national wealth in Defence. 'It means we can continue supporting Ukraine... see through the modernisation of our Armed Forces... renewing our nuclear deterrent... Realise the ambition of AUKUS. 'But it also means we can learn the lessons from the war in Ukraine and address our shortfalls.' Israeli army main battle tanks are positioned in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip on May 9, 2024 A photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows missiles launched during a simulated nuclear counterattack drill at an undisclosed location, North Korea, 22 April 2024 Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shake hands Sir Tony concluded his speech by harking back to D-Day, when Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy and ultimately managed to bring about the downfall of the Nazis and end World War II. He called on Western partners to 'demonstrate enormous courage and a clear sense of purpose' to uphold an 'international system that is open and free'. 'In all the great conflicts of the twentieth century, the West prevailed because we understood what was at stake. 'That was true in the Second World War. It was certainly true in the Cold War. And it is no less important a precondition for success in the 21st century,' he declared. 'Our greatest strength in the task that we face are the very things we seek to preserve and protect. 'Our willingness to trade and cooperate with one another. The strength and connectivity of our economies. Our unity and cohesion, and the resolve to uphold the rules and values we share. 'The task now is to stay strong, stick together, and see it through,' he concluded. A woman in her 60s was allegedly stabbed to death by a thief who 'tried to steal her handbag' as she waited for a bus in Burnt Oak this morning - as police arrest a 22-year-old man on suspicion of murder. Horrified locals described seeing 'a lot of blood' and hearing 'a lot of shouting' as the attack unfolded in north London at 11.50am today. Jess Bloom, 24, who was working at the hair salon opposite, told MailOnline that the woman was attacked after she tried to resist being robbed. She said: 'It happened at the bus stop and the woman ended up in the middle of the road. 'The guy was trying to get her handbag but she said no and fought back. I saw her pull the handbag twice. He pulled her into the road and stabbed her three times. A woman was allegedly stabbed to death by a man who 'tried to steal her handbag' as she waited for a bus in Burnt Oak this morning. Pictured: Forensice officers at the scene Police and forensics at the scene in Burnt Oak this morning where a woman was stabbed to death A heavy police presence at the scene in north London this morning 'He let go of her and she dropped to the ground. She was covered in blood and his hand was red. 'He ran off and everyone ran to the woman to help her. I heard the scream.' 'Burnt Oak is always a rough area but I've lived here for 17 years and have never seen someone do that in broad daylight. The first paramedic arrived at the scene in Burnt Oak Broadway, Edgware, within two minutes, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Local resident Mohamed Ble, 47, said: 'I saw the woman. She was stabbed in her throat, in her chin, and twice in her chest. 'There was a lot of blood, too much blood. I heard a lot of shouting, I did not know what. 'Then I heard the woman say: "Help me, help me." It was in a high-pitched voice. 'People started shouting: 'Stop! Stop!' at the boys. They ran away. 'Then the ambulance came but it seemed like 30 minutes. People were trying to help her. No arrests have been made at this time and a police cordon remains in place The first paramedic arrived at the scene in Burnt Oak Broadway, Edgware, within two minutes, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene Jess Bloom, 24, who was working at the hair salon opposite, told MailOnline that the woman was attacked after she tried to resist being robbed 'Everybody was scared and shocked. Everybody is scared.' A beautician, who asked not to be named, also told MailOnline: 'The first thing I knew something serious had happened was when I saw all the police. I later spoke to a lady whose mother had witnessed what happened. 'She said that a woman had been standing at the bus stop across the road from us and someone had tried to steal her bag. 'The thief then stabbed her a few times and ran off. 'It's a horrific thing to happen, this is normally a peaceful area.' A hairdresser who also works nearby and asked to remain anonymous added: 'I went to see what was going on and the police had taped the road off but I could see there was a body lying under sheets in the middle of the road. 'I overheard a man give an eyewitness statement to police and tell them how he saw a man approach a woman standing at the bus stop. 'He told the officer that he thought initially they were a couple but the man then tried to grab the woman's bag. 'She apparently struggled and was dragged into the road where the man stabbed her. Pictured: A GV of Burnt Oak Broadway, Edgware Police and forensices officers at the scene where a woman was stabbed to death this morning A police car parked outside the police cordon that was set up near the bus stop 'When I got to the scene a medium sized brown handbag was still lying on the road near to the victim. The police were taking some interest in it.' Local resident Fawaz Hussain said: 'I heard a loud scream and saw a man running along the middle of the road. 'There was a woman lying on the road by the bus stop and her handbag was nearby. 'There was blood everywhere. We heard that it was a mugging gone wrong which is very worrying because it was the middle of the day.' Fatima Khan, who said she was on her way to the bus stop close to where the attack took place, added: 'I heard a very loud scream and then this man ran past me very fast. It was around mid day. 'I didn't know what had happened but then people were crowded around a woman who was lying on the road. 'Her bag was nearby and there was a lot of commotion. The police and ambulance got here quite quickly.' Police are working to identify the woman's next of kin and a murder probe has been launched. Detective Superintendent Tony Bellis from the North West Command Unit, responsible for policing Edgware, said: 'This is a significant development in this investigation and comes as a result of fast-time work from specialist detectives working alongside local officers. 'The investigation remains in its early stages, and we continue to work to establish why this incident took place, including whether the person responsible was known to the woman who died. 'I would urge people to refrain from speculating about the circumstances while this work is ongoing. 'A family has been left devastated by this shocking attack and my thoughts are with them at this unimaginabley difficult time.' Frequent flyers are not pleased with Southwest Airlines' aggravating pre-boarding process. According to the New York Post, travelers who fly with Southwest called out passengers who take advantage of the airline's relaxed attitude for those who 'need a little extra time' to board a plane. Passengers also discussed the issue on Reddit, leading to a Southwest Airlines subreddit moderator writing in November 2023 that 'posts regarding pre-boarding' will be scrutinized. 'It seems very little information or helpful perspectives are being shared on this topic, and we have no interest in this sub being used as a sounding board for ill-informed, unsympathetic Redditors,' the moderator wrote. Steve Maziarka shared his unfortunate Southwest experience with the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) earlier this month. Frequent flyers have been complaining about the amount of Southwest Airlines passengers that could be taking advantage of its relaxed attitude about assigned seating Reddit users complained about pre-boarding and it led to Southwest Airlines creating a post in November 2023 to indicate that comments about the issues would be scrutinized Maziarka, an account manager from Illinois, noticed about 30 pre-boarders in line on his Southwest flight from Denver to Chicago on Thanksgiving weekend. He noticed just as many pre-boarders were in line while he was flying back to Chicago from Philadelphia in February. Pre-boarders had an advantage in getting on their Southwest flight early since the airline does not have an assigned seat policy. However, this didn't work in Maziarka's favor, and he was left with little seat choices on both of his flights. 'People are taking advantage of the system,' says Maziarka, who has a top frequent-flyer status with Southwest. 'Its just gotten out of control.' He 'wasted plenty of time' trying to solve the pre-boarding problem, but he has since reached a dead end. Several Reddit users wrote similar opinions on Southwest's pre-boarding post, and one person referred to the abuse as 'a real issue.' 'Stifling the attention & discussion around this issue because of a few bad actors who dont recognize hidden disabilities as a real thing detracts from legit Redditor discussion,' they added. Passenger Steve Maziarka described his bad experiences with the Airline in November 2023 and February 2024 Reddit users shared similar stories and opinions based on Maziarka's experiences on the post that was created by Southwest Airlines in response to the pre-boarding complaints Mike Worley discussed with the WSJ how Southwest's mayhem had led him to fly more with Delta Airlines. Regarding Delta, Worthley said: 'You just never see pre-boarders go up to the counter en masse to get on.' Worley has managed to be part of a Southwest flight's first boarding group, but it sometimes still leads him to the back of the plane. 'Ten or 12 rows back is 10 minutes to get off the plane. That's crucial time to me,' said Worley. Chris Perry, a Southwest spokesperson, shared a brief statement with the Wall Street Journal about the matter. Perry emphasized that all airlines must allow passengers with a disability who 'self-identify' at the gate to pre-board flights. Chris Perry, a Southwest spokesperson, emphasized that all airlines must allow a traveler who identifies as a person with a disability be allowed to pre-board an aircraft Southwest officials responded to at least three pre-boarding complaints made by X users this week with a word-for-word response Depending on the disability or medical issue, passengers could take a while to board the aircraft. Southwest Airlines officials have also responded to pre-boarding complaints made by their travelers on X this week. 'Pre-boarding is offered to customers needing assistance for various reasons,' they wrote. 'We work hard to maintain the integrity of the boarding process while providing appropriate accommodations for all who fly.' Southwest officials added another tweet in their pre-boarding statement that the airlines is not able to question if one of their flyers truly has a disability since many of them 'aren't visible.' These two tweets have been word-for-word responses to complaints made by at least three X users. A billionaire's ex-wife has slammed a 'humiliating and demeaning' divorce offer of hundreds of millions of dollars. Jenny Paulson, former spouse of hedge fund manager John Paulson, insists she deserves half of her ex's $4.7 billion fortune. In an email obtained by Page Six, Paulson wrote that her former partner's offer after 24 years of marriage was 'too demeaning' and slammed plans to award her daughters more than her. 'In my heart and my spirit I feel I deserve a 50/50 split' she wrote, '60/40 is OK because there have been other similar divorce arrangements.' Much of Paulson's ire stems from the fact she would stand to gain much less than the couple's two children through the arrangement. Jenny Paulson, ex-wife of billionaire John Paulson (pictured together pre split) has slammed a 'humiliating and demeaning' divorce offer of hundreds of millions of dollars Much of Paulson's ire stems from the fact she would stand to gain much less than the couple's two daughters through the arrangement. Pictured: The family in August 2021 Paulson, 68, is currently engaged to new fiancee Alina de Almeida, 35, following his split with the mother of his children 'The idea that I should receive less than the children is humiliating and demeaning because this is the message that it gives to the world and to my own daughters,' she said. 'You don't give the person the dignity of being your partner.' She claimed her ex was only offering five percent of the wealth accrued during their marriage. However, he countered that his offer would still make her one of the richest women in America. The investor made his money by betting against the housing market prior to the 2008 collapse. Sources told Page Six his offer would provide Paulson with hundreds of millions of dollars up front, plus more over time. They would then split their property and assets, including their vast property portfolio, which include estates in Aspen and the Hamptons. The couple split in 2021 and began private divorce proceedings which collapsed, as the email from 2022 shows. In the messages, Paulson referred to a 'secretive web' of trusts set up as a 'gimmick' used to 'control' her. Jenny Paulson, former spouse of hedge fund manager John Paulson, says she deserves half of her ex's $4.7 billion fortune Almeida became engaged to Paulson amid the ongoing acrimonious divorce battle Paulson has two homes in Manhattan, a 28,500 sq. ft. townhouse on the Upper East Side and a 26th floor condo on Fifth Avenue She fumed that the proposed deal would see her ex-husband, 'stay in control of the trusts and the money. It's demeaning, and I feel sick to my stomach with humiliation.' Slamming the 'disrespectful, shameful and humiliation' offers, she vowed to take the matter to court. 'A litigation might take years and be very expensive, but I'm doing this for my daughters, who look up to me, and one day they will be wives and mothers just like me,' Paulson said. The billionaire's team previously hit back stating the trusts were set up two decades ago to protect the kids but that Paulson is trying to claw the assets for herself. They claim breaking the trusts would cost the children an eye-watering $1 billion in taxes. 'Jenny was not only offered hundreds of millions of dollars in a divorce settlement, but John previously offered to request that the trustees remove future spouses and children as trust beneficiaries,' one of his attorneys said. 'She outright rejected the offer. Thus, her argument that she is opening the trusts to protect her children is absolutely false.' Robert S. Cohen, Paulson's counsel, shot back: 'This is typical of Mr. Paulson. He appears to prefer using the children in the media, with false accusations against Mrs. Paulson, as a weapon to bully her to give up her right to her day in court under the rule of law. Paulson announced his engagement around the same time the couple hosted a fundraiser at his Palm Beach mansion attended by Donald Trump and his wife Melania The Palm Beach mansion where the Trump fundraiser was held is the crown jewel in Paulson's massive real estate portfolio 'He knows that New York State law provides Mrs. Paulson to a right to equitable distribution of the assets accumulated during their marriage. Yet, in fact, all Mr. Paulson has offered Mrs. Paulson is an "allowance". That is a fact.' He jibed that the billionaire might be 'short on cash as a result of his staking so much of his money on expensive parties and big donations to help Mr. Trump's presidential ambitions' in reference to a recent fundraiser he held for the White House hopeful at his Florida home. The event was hosted by Paulson, 68, and his new fiancee Alina de Almeida, 35. The couple got engaged while he was still caught up in the acrimonious divorce proceedings. Dashcam footage captures a rogue swan waddling on a busy road moments before it caused a fireball crash - as the driver blames police 'negligence' for the smash. The bizarre motorway collision occurred when a vehicle crashed into a fellow motorist on a busy A road in Poole, Dorset to avoid hitting the swan on Tuesday. In dramatic scenes, the motorist was then forced to leap from his vehicle after it burst into flames. The swan had been spotted wandering along the road by a passersby 90 minutes before the crash - who notified the police. Wildlife experts say swans often mistake roads for a river, especially when it has been raining. Although two police cars arrived and parked with their hazard lights on to alert motorists of the swan's presence, it is alleged the officers then left with it still on the loose. Dashcam footage showed the swan waddling around before the bird caused a major crash on the busy A road in Poole In dramatic scenes a vehicle had to slam on their brakes to avoid the swan which caused a Vauxhall Corsa behind to swerve into the central barrier. The car then burst into flame with the driver managing to get out just in time Then, 25 minutes later, the crash happened when one driver slammed on their brakes to avoid hitting the bird which caused a Vauxhall Corsa behind to swerve into the central barrier. The Corsa then burst into flames. Thankfully, with the driver out of the car. The driver of the Corsa, who wishes not to be named, has claimed if the police remained to make sure the swan was properly removed it would not have happened. He said: 'I had no idea the swan was there, I couldn't see it. Two cars slammed on their brakes in front of me so I slammed mine on but I couldn't slow down quick enough. 'I realised I was going to hit her so swerved out of the way. I clipped her bumper and went into the barrier. I saw the smoke and jumped straight out of the car. 'I was lucky, I wasn't hurt, just in shock, but it could have been much worse. 'If I hadn't swerved out of the way I would have gone straight under her and I would be in a hospital bed, we probably both would've been hurt. 'I agree with what everyone has been saying, I don't think the police have handled it well. 'It comes down to police negligence because their duty of care is to clear a hazard out of the road and their job is to make that road safe. Dorset Police responding to call to assist with a swan on the A338 in Bournemouth in April 2023. In the incident this week, although two police cars arrived and parked with their hazard lights on to alert motorists of the swan's presence, it is alleged the officers then left with it still on the loose The rogue swan with the fireball wreckage of the car behind it. A volunteer from charity Wildlife in Need said the bird may have confused the wet road with a river The bird (pictured) was oblivious to the carnage that had been created behind. After the crash, the swan flew off oblivious to the chaos it had caused 'There were two police cars on the scene earlier that morning, one of them could have stayed with it and waited for someone to come to rescue it.' A volunteer from charity Wildlife in Need was called to the scene after the crash but the bird then flew off, seemingly uninjured and oblivious to the chaos it had caused. The charity said the bird may have confused the wet road with a river. The Wildlife in Need volunteer said: 'They are always landing on the dual carriageway. When the roads are wet they glisten and look like a river from the sky. They're not the brightest animals. Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Rescue initially reported a 'two vehicle road traffic collision caused by a swan in the carriageway' but later amended their statement to remove mention of the swan 'following a conversation with Dorset Police'. A spokeswoman for Dorset Police said: 'Dorset Police received a report at 6.23am on Tuesday 7 May 2024 of a swan on the side of the carriageway on the A3049 in Poole. 'Officers attended and the swan was off the road and on the pavement. They left the area at around 7.25am. The swan was not injured or in distress and officers do not have the appropriate capabilities to safely remove an animal from a location. 'The RSPCA was notified as they are trained to safely deal with wild animals.' But the RSPCA confirmed they received a call at 8.04am - 14 minutes after the crash. A wildlife volunteer from a local charity also attended having seen a post on social media about the swan, also arriving after the collision. However, the swan flew away unharmed before it could be captured. Last year pictures were posted on social media showing Dorset Police officers helping to rescue a swan alongside the A338 near Bournemouth. Harvey Weinstein has refused to be extradited to Los Angeles to serve a prison sentence for a rape he was convicted of in California in 2022. The disgraced film producer, 72, dressed in a navy suit, white shirt and blue tie, appeared in Queens County Supreme Court on Thursday where he was wheeled out without handcuffs. He looked tired and pale as he waived his right to voluntarily return to California during the hearing meaning prosecutors now need to get a governor's warrant to forcefully extradite him. Judge Joanne Watters adjourned the case until August 7 and remanded him in custody on a fugitive warrant. It comes after the New York Court of Appeals threw out his 2020 rape conviction on April 25 after ruling he did not receive a fair trial - effectively erasing his 23-year prison sentence and ordering a retrial. But he remains in prison in New York as he was found guilty of the rape and sexual assault of Italian actress and model Evgeniya Chernyshova in Los Angeles and was sentenced to 16 years in prison. A sickly-looking Harvey Weinstein was wheeled into a New York City courtroom on Thursday The case is adjourned until August 7 and the disgraced media mogul was remanded back into custody. The hearing was over California's extradition request, according to prosecutors and defense attorneys His defense attorney, Diana Samson, said: 'He's not a fugitive in the colloquialism of the word, that's just the language they used' Thursday's hearing in Queens criminal court took place days after Weinstein left a city hospital where he was treated for pneumonia and other illnesses. His defense attorney, Diana Samson, said: 'He's not a fugitive in the colloquialism of the word, that's just the language they used. 'They are not in a position to extradite Weinstein right now because they have not done what they needed to do. 'Our main concern is that Mr Weinstein is here in New York so that we can prepare for the trial.' Weinstein is still in custody in Rikers Island in New York City following the quashed conviction and Manhattan Judge Curtis Farber set a tentative trial date for after Labor day, meaning it could take place in September. The New York Court of Appeals ruled that the movie producer did not receive a fair trial when he was convicted - effectively erasing his 23-year New York prison sentence and ordering a retrial. They concluded that a trial judge had permitted jurors to see and hear too much evidence not directly related to the charges he faced. Prosecutors said they intend to retry him on charges that he forcibly performed oral sex on a TV and film production assistant in 2006 and raped an aspiring actor in 2013. After his New York conviction was overturned he cried tears of joy and insisted he wasn't a rapist, his spokesman has said. Thursday's hearing in Queens criminal court on took place days after Weinstein left a city hospital where he was treated for pneumonia and other illnesses Weinstein has been held in the Riker's Island jail complex since Monday Weinstein has been serving 23 years in a New York jail for the two sex attacks against aspiring actress Jessica Mann and production assistant Mimi Haleyi. Prosecutors told the court at the time: 'We believe in this case and will be trying this case.' 'Jessica Mann is here in court. She's here to show she's not backing down and is committed to seeing justice is served again. 'The defendant may have power and privilege but she has the truth. We have every belief the defendant will be convicted again after trial.' Prosecutors said that they wanted the trial to happen in the fall, possibly September. Weinstein's lawyer Arthur Aidala told the court: 'We're not asking for bail. Mr Weinstein has very very serious medical issues'. He praised the Department of Corrections for taking care of Weinstein's needs. He said: 'He's sharp as a tack. He's as smart as he ever was. He's read hundreds and hundreds of books. I have no issue whatsoever about his mental abilities.' The disgraced film mogul, 72, had his hands cuffed as he was pushed in a wheelchair out of a prison van and into a courthouse in Manhattan at his previous court appearance His 2020 conviction was overturned by a state appeal court During his four years in jail since his 2020 conviction, Weinstein has been beset by health issues including heart problems, mobility issues and diabetes. Last month he was taken to Bellevue Hospital in New York where doctors conducted a slew of tests on him. His attorney Aidala said: 'They examined him and sent him to Bellevue. It seems like he needs a lot of help, physically. He's got a lot of problems. He's getting all kinds of tests. He's somewhat of a train wreck health wise.' 'He was not treated well. They refused to give him even a sip of water, no food, no bathroom break,' Aidala said. 'He's a 72-year-old sickly man.' Weinstein was once the most powerful man in Hollywood who made hits like Pulp Fiction and Shakespeare in Love with his film companies Miramax and The Weinstein Co. He dominated Hollywood in the 1990s and won 81 Oscars as he became part of the world elite and grew especially close to Bill and Hillary Clinton. More than 80 women came forward to accuse the Oscar-winning producer of sexual assault and harassment. The allegations first surfaced publicly in a New York Times story in 2017 detailing decades of alleged abuse. Actresses Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd were among those who were named in the piece as accusers. The allegations sparked a sea change in attitudes towards sexual misconduct in the workplace. Now The Weinstein Co. is bankrupt, his wife Georgina Chapman has divorced him and his empire is in ruins. The mastermind of the 'Eunuch Maker' extreme body modification ring recruited a gang who included a retired chemist, a veterinary science student and a hospital porter to mutilate men and stream the footage to 22,000 paying subscribers. Marius Gustavson, 46, was jailed today for a minimum of 22 years for running the vile enterprise, which saw him make 300,000 from videos of penises, testicles and legs being severed from victims who had been pressured into taking part. He conducted the businesses alongside accomplices such as his 'right-hand man' Peter Wates, 67, a retired former member of the Royal Society of Chemists from Surrey; and Janus Atkin, a 38-year-old trainee vet from Newport. David Carruthers, a 61-year-old retired hospital porter, was involved in six procedures including four testicle removals. He worked for Ceredigion and Mid Wales NHS trust from 1991 to 2002 but had no medical qualifications. His boyfriend, 32-year-old Ashley Williams, also formed part of the butchery ring. Marius Gustavson and other members of his 'cult' cut off men's genitals, nipples and other limbs while streaming the footage online Peter Wates, 67, a retired former member of the Royal Society of Chemists, and David Carruthers, a 61-year-old retired hospital porter The operations were filmed and uploaded to Gustavson's 'Eunuch Maker' website which subscribers would pay to watch Gustavson's boyfriend, Jacob Crimi-Appleby, a 23-year-old from Epsom, froze off Gustavson's leg in February 2019 - forcing it to be amputated. The Norwegian would go on to claim 18,000 in disability payments up until 2021. Also involved were Damien Byrnes, a 36-year-old male escort from north London, who removed Gustavson's penis with a kitchen knife at his home on February 18, 2017; Ion Ciucur, a 30-year-old Romanian; and 61-year-old German Stefan Scharf. Nurse Nathan Arnold, 48, from South Kensington, west London, received a two-year suspended sentence for the partial removal of Gustavson's nipple with a scalpel in the summer of 2019. Gustavson and his acolytes carried out male castration, penis removal and other 'grisly' procedures on an unprecedented scale, the Old Bailey heard. Procedures were videoed and posted on Gustavson's Eunuch Maker website which netted him more than 300,000 between 2017 and 2021. On one occasion when Gustavson cooked 'what appeared to be human testicles which are then plated to be eaten' and kept other body parts as 'trophies', Judge Mark Lucraft KC said. A former friend of Gustavson's who gave his name as Andrew was once an administrator of the 'Eunuch Maker' website and went into the Norwegian's flat. 'It was a nice flat,' he told the Guardian. 'It wasn't seedy, although he did subsequently build this little dungeon thing under the stairs. 'Aside from that, it was just like a normal flat. His bedroom was normal, clean, the wall was smothered with porn.' 'Andrew' described a picture frame about Gustavson's bed where he displayed his severed testicles. It was in his bedroom that he carried out several of the extreme body modifications, including a 'sub-incision' procedure on Andrew's penis in July 2020. Gustavson, who lived in Haringey, north London, and has been involved in LGBT activism, admitted charges including conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. Today, Judge Lucraft sentenced him to life with a minimum term of 22 years. He said Gustavson had been the mastermind of the 'gruesome and grisly', 'large scale' and 'extremely dangerous' enterprise. Six other men received jail terms of between four and a half years and 12 years for their part in the plot. Judge Lucraft said: 'I am entirely satisfied that the motivation of all those involved were a mix of sexual gratification as well as financial reward.' Some of what happened was 'little short of human butchery', he said. Extreme body modification is linked to a subculture where men become 'nullos', short for genital nullification, by having their penis and testicles removed. Previously, prosecutor Caroline Carberry KC said Gustavson was linked to at least 29 procedures. Damien Byrnes, a male prostitute, was sentenced at the Old Bailey to five years in prison for causing GBH with intent Atkin and Williams pictured in mugshots released today by the Metropolitan Police Some of the vile messages Gustavson exchanged with site users After one of them, Gustavson cooked severed testicles for lunch which he ate in a salad he had prepared for himself, she said. He had taken various pictures from 'raw ingredients to an artfully arranged salad platter', Ms Carberry told the court. She added: 'There is also, we say, clear evidence of cannibalism.' The court heard Gustavson, who had two previous fraud convictions in Norway, offered to sell the severed penis of one of his victims for hundreds of pounds. According to court documents, body parts were put up for auction online with a 'buy it now' button. The other defendants had admitted their part in the conspiracy relating to 13 victims, the youngest of whom was 16 years old. Ms Carberry said the defendants used a wide variety of tools such as clamps used for animal castration. Some 22,000 subscribers paid to access videos on the Eunuch Maker website, with varying levels of membership from 'free' to 'VIP' which cost 100. Gustavson was arrested after he used a red hot iron to brand a man's calf with the letters EM - for eunach maker. Gustavson's boyfriend Jacob Crimi-Appleby, 23, was jailed for three years Romanian man Ion Ciucur Ciucur (left) admitted conspiracy to cause GBH with intent in relation to two modifications. Stefan Scharf (right), a German, was sentenced to four and a half years in jail In a victim impact statement, the man who complained to police, described Gustavson as a 'lunatic' who had put together a 'slick, professional website'. The police investigation led to the arrest of 10 men in London, Scotland and South Wales. During raids, officers found Gustavson's penis in a drawer in his home four years after it had been amputated. Earlier in mitigation, Rashvinderjeet Panesar said the breakdown of Gustavson's marriage was the 'trigger' for his offending. The defence barrister said: 'He had a desire to be the architect of his own body. 'His modification led him to feelings of empowerment. 'It appears at face value to be something that's become an addiction for him.' Gustavson had pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit grievous bodily harm, five counts of grievous bodily harm with intent, making and distributing an indecent photograph of a child, and possession of criminal property. The other six defendants had admitted conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. Wates was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Atkin, of Newport, Gwent, was jailed for 12 years. Ciucur, 30, of Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, received five years and eight months imprisonment, and Scharf, of no fixed address, was sentenced to four and a half years in jail. Nathan Arnold, 48, from South Kensington, west London, admitted removing part of Gustavson's nipple Carruthers 61, and Williams, 32, of Newport, Gwent, were jailed for 11 years and four years, six months respectively. In January, three men were sentenced after admitting causing grievous bodily harm to Gustavson. Byrnes, 36, from north London, was jailed for five years for removing Marius Gustavson's penis with a kitchen knife. Crimi-Appleby was jailed for three years and eight months for freezing Gustavson's leg leading to the need for it to be amputated in February 2019. Arnold received a two-year suspended sentence for the partial removal of Gustavson's nipple with a scalpel in the summer of 2019. Kate Mulholland, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'Marius Gustavson ignored the risks of performing unnecessary surgery on vulnerable men for sexual gratification and financial gain. He actively recruited participants through his website and was paid to stream the footage of these barbaric procedures. 'Whilst the victims in this case all seemingly consented to surgeries and amputations, the victim who bravely reported his assault to the police expressed serious regret regarding his procedure and the lasting impact it has had upon him. This clearly emphasises why such practices are unlawful. 'The severity of today's sentence should act as a warning to others that performing extreme body modifications is against the law and the CPS won't hesitate to prosecute these horrendous crimes.' Before Roger Stone advised Donald Trump the presidential candidate, he pulled a number of levers for Donald Trump the businessman early in his lobbying career. In fact, he even got Atlantic City's harbor to be dug deeper so that Trump's mega-yacht could park there. In their new book The Wolves of K Street, journalist brothers Brody and Luke Mullins write about the expansive growth of the lobbying industry. They look at the creation of Black, Manafort & Stone - the GOP lobbying firm helmed by Charles Black and two well-known Trump associates: Paul Manafort and Stone. Trump, then a real estate tycoon in his mid-30s, was one of the firm's first big-name clients on the heels of President Ronald Reagan's 1980 election win. Donald Trump (right) and his then-wife Ivana Trump (left) pose in front of their new luxury yacht The Trump Princess on July 4, 1988 after it arrived to New York from the Azores Trump wished to park The Trump Princess at the Farley State Marina but it was initially too shallow to handle the 285-foot yacht Trump purchased in 1987 Trump enlisted the help of Roger Stone (right) a GOP lobbyist who was a devotee of President Richard Nixon (left) even after Watergate, who would later advise his presidential campaign The Trump Princess is photographed on July 9, 1988 off the coast of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Trump wanted to dock it in Atlantic City to appeal to his casino clients Stone, who stayed devout to President Richard Nixon even after Watergate, had met Trump during the 1980 presidential campaign through Roy Cohn. Cohn became known after his death as Trump's right-hand man but was best known at the time for being Sen. Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel during the anti-Communist hearings of the 1950s. Stone was looking to build up support for Reagan in New York. 'So, Roy set up a meeting for me with Donald,' Stone recalled in an interview. 'Donald said, "OK, give me the pitch," and I told him why Reagan would win.' That was enough to convince Trump to become a Reagan backer, providing the campaign staff with the use of his plane, office space and phones, the book said. After Reagan's election win, Stone convinced Trump to sign on as a client with his firm. He said the new lobbying firm could serve as his 'eyes and ears' in Washington, D.C. The super-yacht included flashing photos of Donald and Ivana Trump projected onto the mirrored ceiling of ones of its many rooms The Trump Princess had a number of themed staterooms including the red and white striped Ruby Suite Chamois leather paneled walls in a yellow sitting room, designed by Luigi Sturchio, on board Donald Trump's yacht, The Trump Princess A photo of Paul Manafort (left), Roger Stone (center), and Lee Atwater (right) - a top adviser to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush - in the early days of their lobbying career Enter the Trump Princess - a 285-foot yacht purchased for around $30 million by Trump in 1987 from billionaire Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, the uncle of murdered Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The authors describe the yacht as have a 'distinctly Trumpian aesthetic' with 'onyx floors, mahogany walls, gold-plated pillars, a private elevator, and an on-board disco.' Photos from that time period show that pictures of Ivana and Donald Trump were flashed on a mirrored ceiling in one of the cabins. That room came equipped with purple couches with large gold pillows. And that one of the staterooms, the Ruby Suite, was filled with Candyland-like furniture featuring red and white stripes. The boat, however, was too big for Atlantic City's Farley State Marina, where Trump wanted to dock it. The future president poses in one of the gilded bathrooms on the luxury yacht, The Trump Princess, in 1988 One of the staterooms on Trump's luxury yacht, The Trump Princess, which initially was too big to park near his Atlantic City casinos The Trump Princess even included a theater room. A swimming pool on one of the decks of The Trump Princess, the luxury yacht the then-real estate developer bought for around $30 million from Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi That's when Stone stopped in. He worked his political contacts and secured the necessary permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to have Atlantic City's harbor dredged deep enough for the yacht to pull through. 'Those permits can take years,' Stone recalled, according to the authors. 'I got it done in months.' In a 1989 spread for Boat International, Trump said that he made the boat available for 'very high rollers who spend millions of dollars a year in the casinos.' 'There is a whole market there,' Trump said of Atlantic City - where he once held three of the casino hotels. 'While I was building Farley Marina, I was trying to get the boat, because I knew that she would blow everybody's mind. She would become a spectacle.' Trump sold the yacht just a year later in 1990. President Yoon Suk Yeol's rare press conference on Thursday was marked by his apology over allegations involving first lady Kim Keon Hee and his government's botched efforts to improve people's livelihoods. The press conference, his first since August 2022, came as Yoon's image and communication style are in great need of a makeover after the ruling People Power Party suffered a crushing defeat in the April 10 parliamentary elections. Clad in a red necktie at his office desk, Yoon delivered opening remarks for 22 minutes, largely focusing on his administration's achievements and plans for the next three years. On his desk was a replica of former U.S. President Harry Truman's "The Buck Stops Here" plaque, which U.S. President Joe Biden gave Yoon during their summit talks in May 2023. A question-and-answer session followed at the briefing room, with reporters raising more sensitive issues, including the ruling party's defeat in the general elections and allegations the first lady illegally accepted a luxury bag as a gift in 2022. "I apologize for causing concern to the people with the unwise conduct of my wife," he said, declining to comment further on the issue, saying his remarks could influence the ongoing prosecution investigation. Yoon, however, maintained a more firm stance on the opposition's calls for a special counsel investigation into separate allegations that the first lady was involved in stock price manipulation, stressing such probes should be launched only after the prosecution and other agencies are determined inadequate. He also expressed his regret regarding Cpl. Chae Su-geun, who died in July last year while on a search mission amid heavy downpours, when asked about the push for a special counsel investigation into the military's response to the Marine's death. The press conference, attended by over 100 journalists from local and foreign news outlets, is seen as a demonstration of Yoon's commitment to improving his communication skills after the general elections. In the early months of his presidency, which began in May 2022, Yoon held daily "doorstepping" sessions with reporters as he arrived at work for better communication with the press. That stopped in November 2022, after a reporter got into a shouting match with one of Yoon's aides. The president last held a press conference in August 2022 to mark his first 100 days in office. (Yonhap) The billionaire family embroiled in a scandal over their wannabe influencer new in-law was once fined $95million for hiring undocumented migrants. The Asplundh family has gone viral after their new member Katherine tried to bully an Instagram user who shared her married name into handing over her handle. It has since emerged that the family agreed to pay what was the largest civil fine in of its kind in 2017 after admitting to a scheme to unlawfully employ undocumented migrants from 2010 to 2014. Prosecutors said at the time: 'The highest levels of Asplundh management remained willfully blind while lower level managers hired and rehired employees they knew to be ineligible to work in the United States' Katherine, whose maiden name was Driscoll, married Cabot Asplundh, 27, of the Pennsylvania billionaire tree trimming family at a reception in Palm Beach, Florida, two weeks ago. The Asplundh family has gone viral after their new member Katherine tried to bully an Instagram user who shared her married name into handing over her handle The 95-year-old company, which maintains trees for electric utilities, municipalities and others, is run by the third generation of Asplundhs She went viral after aggressively messaging a stranger who shares her married name, demanding she hand over her Instagram handle - @katherineasplundh. Her new father in law Matt Asplundh has been serving as CEO of the family business since 2021. Cabot's father Chris Asplundh is the company's CEO The 95-year-old company, which maintains trees for electric utilities, municipalities and others, is run by the third generation of Asplundhs and owned by nearly 200 family members, who are collectively worth at least $3 billion, according to Forbes. It is described as one of the largest private companies in the country. After her threatening DM conversation was leaked, Katherine deactivated her Instagram amid the backlash. She had 14,600 followers. Since the story has gone viral, netizens have taken it upon themselves to create fake accounts with every possible username option that includes either her maiden or married name. DailyMail.com has repeatedly tried to contact Katherine and Cabot. Katherine has continued to post on her TikTok account @lostetiquette - a username that has nothing to do with her maiden or married name. Her most recent video was a throwback to her last wedding dress fitting before her lavish ceremony in April. The internet has trolled a billionaire's new wife Katherine Asplundh, formerly Driscoll, by claiming nearly every available variation of her desired username after she tried bullying a stranger into selling her Instagram handle In reaching out to the woman known only as Kate, who has since shared the messages on social media, the newlywed has unintentionally gone viral In reaching out to the woman known only as Kate, who has since shared the messages on social media, the newlywed has unintentionally gone viral Asplundh then continues to question the legitimacy of her name, who confirms she is not American However, then internet users dug up an old TikTok posted by Katherine, mocking new wives who can't wait to update their name on social media. 'Something that low key bothers me is when girls get married and it's not even like 10 minutes after they do their vows and they're like "Oh! going on my Instagram! Let me change my last name already,' Katherine said in a now-deleted TikTok. She then says she's 'probably going to wait a couple of months' to change her name. 'I just think it's a little bit a lot when I see girls change it before I even knew they were f***ing married, like chill,' Katherine ironically explained. Despite her rant about new wives, Katherine contacted Kate, owner of her desired IG handle asking if she could buy it, which is actually a violation of the platform's terms of service. Kate refused and explained how she feared selling the username would get her 'banned from Instagram'. The wanna-be influencer has gone viral after she messaged a stranger who shares her married name and demanded she hand over her Instagram handle - @katherineasplundh. Despite the negative attention, Katherine (pictured) has continued to post on her TikTok account @lostetiquette - a username that has nothing to do with her maiden or married name Her most recent video was a throwback to her last wedding dress fitting before her ceremony in April This prompted Katherine to launch a tirade against her. Kate claims she was initially open to changing her username but decided against doing so after Katherine 'came off snarky,' later shared the exchange online. In the now-viral exchange, Katherine starts by asking if she can buy the Instagram handle. 'Hi I was wondering if I could purchase your username from you,' she wrote. 'Just got married and this in my new name!' Kate replied: 'That's my name too. I just googled and it said selling my username would get me banned from Instagram.' But Katherine pushes back, saying: 'I purchased my username in the past actually that's not true. Celebrities do it all the time that's how they all have their handles as their full names. 'So weird, I didn't know there was another Asplundh's family out there. There [are] no Katherine Asplundh in our family.' She then adds: 'I see that you're not that active on here but started Instagram in 2018 but changed your username three times? After the happy couple exchanged vows, the new Asplundh reached out another woman of the same name in hopes of purchasing a new Instagram account name 'Is there anyway I can get you to change your username one more time?' Kate responds, explaining that the @katherineasplundh account is her so-called 'finsta', a term that refers to a 'fake' or secondary account that users create to share content just with close friends and family. The conversation then turns sour, with Katherine questioning Kate's identity. 'I actually don't believe that your name is Katherine Asplundh who would make their finsta their actual name?' Katherine wrote. 'I reported you to Instagram and they're actually able to tell me your real name I really hope I don't know you because that's gonna be really embarrassing for you.' Kate asks the influencer to report her, but Katherine confirms that she and her new husband have already done so. Just a few months ago, Katherine shared a TikTok where she mocked new wives who can't wait to update their name on social media Kate refused and explained how she feared selling the username would get her 'banned from Instagram' Katherine then continues to question the legitimacy of Kate's name, alleging that her husband's family are the only Asplundhs in the US. Kate confirms she is not American, to which Katherine replies: 'Do you have proof that this is your name? Would love to see that.' Kate then tells Katherine that if she had been nice about it, she would have considered giving her the account name for free. She hits back at the influencer, saying: 'But you weren't. I reported you for asking me to sell my account and another for harassing me. Have a good day.' Speaking to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Kate told the outlet: 'I was open to giving her my username. 'I just didnt want to sell it because that would get me banned. After I replied to her, her messages came off snarky so I told myself, "OK, this isnt worth it".' According to her social media pages, Katherine is originally from New Vernon, New Jersey, having studied at College of Charleston. Her TikTok page, named Lost Etiquette, has more than 80,000 followers with over 5.5 million likes on her profile. The family that she married into founded Asplundh Tree Expert, which in 2021 reported revenue of over $5.4 billion dollars. The tree trimming company was founded by three brothers from Sweden - Lester, Griffith and Cabot's great grandfather Carl Asplundh. Kate eventually tells Asplundh that if she had been nice about it, she would have considered giving her the account name for free Katherine is seen with her wedding party at her recent nuptials in Florida Cabot proposed to her in Mantoloking, New Jersey two years after they met The family that she married into founded Asplundh Tree Expert, which in 2021 reported revenue of over $5.4 billion dollars Cabot's father Chris Asplundh is currently the company's CEO. Katherine and Cabot met in Prague while Katherine was studying aboard and connected over growing up at the Jersey Shore, according to their wedding website. Two years later, Cabot proposed to her in Mantoloking, New Jersey. Their extravagant wedding registry included a $600 blender and cash donations for their St Bart's honeymoon, as well as for furnishing their home. Former Senate candidate and celebrity surgeon Dr Mehmet Oz is part of the family by marriage, with his wife Lisa's grandfather cofounding the family business in 1928 with his two brothers. Celebrity fitness expert Tracy Anderson is also married into the family after she wed Chris Asplundh in 2015. Kate, who only told The Inquirer that her name was Katherine J. Asplundh, shared the exchange onto Reddit, telling the outlet: 'The whole thing just seemed silly and ridiculous to me. I thought theyd have a laugh and that would be it.' One user commented: 'Legitimately insane behavior "I don't believe that's your name" HUH?!?!.' Another posted: 'The pivot from hey girly to let me see your birth certificate gave me whiplash.' While another said: 'Omg this is crazy- she married into a billionaire family and is acting like theyre the only ones allowed to have that last name wtf.' The tree trimming company was founded by three brothers from Sweden - Lester, Griffith and Cabot's great grandfather Carl Asplundh Former Senate candidate and celebrity Dr Mehmet Oz is part of the family by marriage, with his wife Lisa's grandfather cofounding the family business in 1928 In posts about the wedding, Katherine described it as the 'best day' of her life, sharing pictures of the her in her dress. According to Instagram, users are forbidden from buying, selling, or transferring 'any aspect of your account'. Despite Instagram forbidding the buying, selling or transferring of 'any aspect of your account, an investigation by Vox found dedicated online marketplaces where it takes place. Social media handles are supposed to be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis but in some cases celebs have used their influence to pass these rules. In 2019, Kevin Keiley of West Sussex claimed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took his @sussexroyal handle. Instagram said that the account name being reassigned was due to Keiley's being inactive. A high school student is suing his school for putting him on a three-day suspension last month when he used the phrase 'illegal aliens' in class. The 16-year-old's mother, Leah McGhee, said the lawsuit is necessary because the North Carolina school was essentially calling her son a racist, and she doesn't want his chances of getting accepted into colleges ruined over a misunderstanding. 'This label that was so unfairly placed on his record is going to hinder him,' she told NewsNation. On April 9, Central Davidson High School sophomore Christian McGhee asked for clarification when his English teacher said the word 'alien' during a lesson. Christian asked whether she was referring to 'space aliens or illegal aliens who need green cards,' according to the lawsuit. Christian McGhee, 16, was suspended for three days from Central Davidson High School, after using the term during a classroom discussion about word meanings Christian questioned the term 'alien' in an assignment, asking if it referred to 'space aliens or illegal aliens without green cards (pictured, center) In initial reports, Christian's comment apparently offended another student who then physically threatened Christian. The lawsuit claims the other student wasn't offended and joked that he was going to kick Christian's a**, which led to the involvement of school authorities at Central Davidson High School in Lexington, North Carolina (pictured) That's when a Hispanic student in Christian's class 'joked' that he was going to 'kick Christian's a**', per the suit. Christian and the student were then sent to the office of Assistant Principal Eric Anderson, who suspended Christian for three days for 'making a racially insensitive remark that caused a class disturbance,' according to a written suspension notice. The Liberty Justice Center filed the complaint against the Davidson County Board of Education and the assistant principal on behalf of the McGhee family. The nonprofit's educational freedom attorney, Dean McGee, told Fox News Digital that the student wasn't actually offended by Christian's remark in class, and it was the school administration that decided to take this as seriously as it did. 'It's the assistant principal, the administrator, who elevated this to a racial incident where one did not exist. The boy who responded to our client said, "hold on, I wasn't really offended. This isn't a big deal."' Leah McGee, pictured standing in front Christian, told NewsNation that her son 'has zero racism in his heart.' Leah McGhee (pictured) has taken Christian out of his old high school and recently attended a school board meeting where she slammed unnamed administrators for allegedly launching a smear campaign against her after she tried to defend her son Dean McGee, Christian's lawyer, said the assistant principal who suspended Christian in early April was essentially 'branding him racist on his permanent record' McGee also said that Leah McGhee, suggested sitting down with the other student's family to discuss what happened to better decide if her son should be punished. 'And the assistant principal said no,' McGee alleged. 'Harsh punishment. Three days out of school suspension. That was his solution. Not empathy, not understanding, just punishing this child and branding him racist on his permanent record.' At a recent school board meeting, Leah McGhee slammed administrators for suspending her son over saying the phrase which she said the school board's policies doesn't prevent students from saying. After finding out she wasn't able to appeal her son's suspension, she said she emailed Davidson County School Board members Alan Beck and Nick Jarvis. 'These emails remain unanswered to this day four weeks later,' McGhee said. Christian's suspension letter, which was attached as an exhibit to the lawsuit filed by the Liberty Justice Center Leah McGhee's main concern is that her son's 'illegal aliens' comment doesn't harm his college prospects when the lawsuit claims that the supposedly offended student wasn't actually offended McGhee went on to claim that two board members whom she didn't name attempted to spread her arrest record from 14 years ago for possession of pain medication. 'Through your reckless attempt to slander my name, you have successfully retraumatized my family,' McGhee said, also advocating that those two board members be removed from their seats. DailyMail.com reached out to the Davidson County School Board for comment on these allegations. Christian is no longer enrolled at the school that punished him because he faced ostracization, bullying and threats, according to his mom. Christian is now enrolled in a homeschooling program to finish out his academic year. The lawsuit, filed with a US District Court in North Carolina, demands a jury trial. The McGhee family's lawyers plan to appeal if the district court doesn't rule in their favor. 'Our organization has appealed in the past and won a case at the Supreme Court. We would be willing to do that here if it's necessary. We're in it for the long haul for this family,' McGee told Fox News Digital. Anti-Israel protestors at Princeton University are being teased online after screaming about the pains of the hunger strike they've embarked upon as part of their ongoing solidarity movement with the people of Gaza. One young woman, in a clip circulating online, yells into a megaphone that she and her peers are 'starving.' 'I am quite literally shaking right now, as you can see,' the masked protestor on the Ivy League campus says, adding that based on her assessment of recent meetings with the university, administrators are not in any rush to give the protestors what they're after. The clip was mocked online by countless social media users who pointed out the absurdity of the students complaining about their condition on a self-imposed hunger strike. 'Are we SURE that this isnt a fantastic SNL skit?' one user wrote. The strike, which is nearing its seven-day mark, began last Friday as part of an effort to coerce the school into meeting with them to discuss Princeton's divestment from Israel, as well as dropping the criminal and disciplinary charges against two students who were arrested last month. Several Princeton students convey via megaphone how they're feeling amid their ongoing hunger strike for Gaza As has been the case at many prestigious US schools, students at Princeton erected last month a Gaza solidarity encampment The alleged criminal protestors were charged for setting up more than a dozen tents and trespassing into an academic building as part of their ongoing anti-Israel effort. The speaker went on to describe the current self-imposed symptoms the group on strike is experiencing: 'We are both hot and cold at the same time. 'We are all immunocompromised and based on the university's meeting yesterday with some of our bargaining team, they would love to continue physically weakening us because they can't stand to say no to unjust murder,' she proclaimed. The student then took a degree of ownership for her participation in strike, while also letting everyone know that it's her birthday. 'I truly do not feel like I am doing anything special, this is my choice, and I would not spend my birthday doing anything other than being here and standing in solidarity with you all and standing in solidarity with our siblings and innocent people in Gaza,' she said down the megaphone before starting to chant again. Reports from the school's campus suggest that about 15 students were taking part in the hunger strike on Sunday - it is not clear how many remaining holdouts are still opting to go without food. School authorities, including the president, told students earlier this week that they were actively meeting with the protestors in an attempt to move forward. 'My colleagues and I are now in direct conversation with the protestors. I have told them that we can consider their concerns through appropriate processes that respect the interests of multiple parties and viewpoints, but we cannot allow any group to circumvent those processes or exert special leverage,' wrote president Christopher Eisgruber. A small handful of students were arrested last week after trespassing and setting up more than a dozen tents on the school's field Lawrence Hamm (center) of Montclair, who was one of 210 students who participated in the takeover of Nassau Hall at Princeton University on April 14, 1978, speaks with Princeton University students and community members participating in a hunger strike, which started last Friday, inside the Gaza Solidarity Encampment behind Nassau Hall Social media users were not impressed by the pleas of the students on the self-imposed hunger strike. 'Poor kid. No one told her that a possible side effect of a hunger strike was being hungry,' user Mike Runner wrote on X. 'Considering that theyre at Princeton, youd think theyd know that a hunger strike would cause.hunger,' fellow X user odloceangirl noted. Others took to offering suggestions on how the university should handle the strike. 'The university should donate their meal cards to actual hungry homeless people who would love a hot meal,' TV anchor Jessamyn Dodd wrote. 'Are they continuing attending class and doing homework?' X user Miles Penn asked. Some pointed out how the students were being mocked across social media for their whines. 'I hope they get to know how much they were laughed at for this on WORLD social media!' one user wrote. The administrations of many schools across the US have begun stepping up to shut down the student protestors illegally camped on various lawns The school's president said he is willing to speak with protestors and hear their position, but will not give their views any special consideration just because they are using coercive means Data suggests that most Americans are at their wits' end with regard to the protestors who have been seriously disturbing campus life across the country A recent DailyMail.com/Tipp survey suggests Americans have long since grown tired of the outrageous demonstrations against Israel taking place on college campuses across the country. In the poll, which surveyed 1,435 adults, six-in-ten respondents said students should be kicked out of schools for making anti-Semitic commends, and some half of respondents said anti-Israel protestors should lose out on student loan forgiveness opportunities. Protestors are largely attempting to get their schools to divest from firms that do business with Israel, or any business they themselves do with Israel - a significant ask given the small country's relevance in the global economy. As the academic school year draws to a close at most institutions, administrations have gotten serious about shutting their radical students down. Hundreds of students at Columbia University were arrested last week after a Passover takeover of Hamilton Hall. Harvard University's interim president, Alan Garber, warned students that those in an encampment in Harvard Yard could face 'involuntary leave.' They would not be allowed on campus, could lose their student housing and might not be able to take exams. At the University of California, San Diego, police cleared an encampment and arrested more than 64 people, including 40 students. The University of California, Los Angeles, moved classes online for the week because of disruptions after the dismantling of an encampment last week that resulted in 44 reported arrests. Barron Trump is joining his siblings in nominating their father for president this summer but one famous family member has been left off the Florida delegate list. Ivanka Trump, a Florida resident, is not one of the 125 delegates the state is sending to the Republican National Convention to formally nominate Donald Trump as the GOP presidential nominee. The former first daughter has stepped away from politics and it's unclear if she'll even attend the event, which takes place in Milwaukee from Monday, July 15 to Thursday, July 18. However, Don Jr. and his fiancee Kimberly Guilfoyle, Eric Trump, Tiffany Trump and her husband Michael Boulos are all delegates at large along with younger brother. Barron Trump will be a delegate to nominate his father Donald Trump for president Barron Trump was rarely seen during the Trump White House years, mainly at the request of his mother Melania who is known to be protective of her son Lara Trump - Eric's wife - is vice chair of the Republican National Committee and will be at the convention in her official capacity. The Republican Party of Florida on Wednesday night picked Barron to join his older siblings for the event. The only requirement to be a delegate is to live and vote in the state. Barron, who turned 18 in March, will be eligible to cast his first votes in the August primary and in the November election. But his first vote will be at the convention when he casts a vote for his father to be the party's nominee. Barron graduates from Oxbridge Academy in suburban West Palm Beach next week. That day - May 17th - will be a busy one for Donald Trump. He's also scheduled to be the keynote speaker at Minnesota's Lincoln Reagan dinner. Barron's graduation ceremony is in the morning so it's feasible Trump could attend both events. During Trump's White House years Barron was rarely seen, mainly at the request of his mother Melania who is known to be protective of her son. He was at his father's 2016 presidential announcement and attended the Republican National Conventions in both 2016 and 2020. But sources told DailyMail.com that the 6ft 7in teen, who has never uttered a word in public, is a steadfast supporter of the Trump 2024 campaign behind the scenes. Delegates from a state typically sit on the convention floor together during the roll call of the states, where they vote for the party's nominee for president. Eric Trump will serve as the Florida delegation chair, which means he will formally place his father's name in for the nomination for the state. 'We have a great delegation of grassroots leaders, elected officials and even Trump family members,' Florida GOP chairman Evan Power said. 'Florida is continuing to have a great convention team, but more importantly we are preparing to win Florida and win it big.' Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr.'s then-wife Vanessa Trump, Tiffany Trump, Eric Trump, Jared Kushner and Lara Trump at the first presidential debate in September of the 2016 election Barron Trump (center) with mom Melania (left) and siblings Ivanka, Eric and Tiffany as Donald Trump is sworn in as president in January 2017 Don Trump, Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle (left) will be delegates as will Tiffany Trump and husband Michael Boulos (right) In Trump's last two White House campaigns, Don Jr., Eric and Ivanka were heavily involved - speaking at their father's rallies and campaigning for him. Tiffany joined her siblings in the 2020 campaign but Barron stayed out of sight. He was only 10 when his father became president. Ivanka, who served as a senior adviser to her father in his White House, made it clear she was out of politics when Donald Trump announced he was running for president again. 'I love my father very much,' she said at the time. 'This time around, I am choosing to prioritize my young children and the private life we are creating as a family. I do not plan to be involved in politics.' Barron, who turned 18 last month, returned to the spotlight with Donald Trump's hush-money trial when the former president argued he should be allowed a break from trial to attend Barron Trump's May 17 high school graduation. Judge Juan Merchan agreed to allow the break in the trial. It's unclear what Barron's plans are after high school. He's lived in Florida since his father left the White House. Donald Trump won Florida twice - in the 2016 and 2020 elections. But Republicans in the state were in a tough spot in the 2020 GOP contest because Gov. Ron DeSantis was making a bid. Ultimately DeSantis dropped out and endorsed Trump. Eric Trump, who has been attending his father's hush-money trail in New York (above) will lead Florida's delegation to the Republican National Convention Lara Trump, Tiffany Trump and Barron Trump at the 2016 Republican convention (From right) Barron Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, President Donald Trump, Tiffany Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle, Lara Trump, Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner and Michael Boulos at the 2020 Republican convention Now the slate of delegates to the Republican convention is filled with Trump loyalists: former state Attorney General Pam Bondi, longtime Trump adviser Sergio Gor, top Trump donors and loyalists who endorsed Trump over DeSantis. Nine corpses were abandoned on a street in the central Mexican state of Zacatecas, which has been plagued by an ongoing battle between rival criminal organizations. The bodies of nine men were left lying next to each other in Morelos on Wednesday while another nine bodies were found in the city of Fresnillo, according to CBS News. The Zacatecas State Attorney General's Office did not reveal the identities of the 18 victims. 'In the municipality of Morelos, Zacatecas, the report of the discovery of 9 lifeless bodies was attended to, which correspond to males,' the prosecutor's office said in a statement. 'A corresponding investigation was immediately initiated, and actions and procedures were implemented in a coordinated manner with the aim of finding those responsible for said homicides.' Nine bodies were found Wednesday dumped on a street in Morelos, a municipality in the central Mexico state of Zacatecas that has been plagued by a turf war between the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel Alleged members of the Sinaloa Cartel were seen on a surveillance video abandoning four of the nine bodies that were strewn across two main avenues in Fresnillo, a city in the central Mexico state of Zacatecas The gruesome findings came a day after authorities discovered nine bodies across two main avenues in the Zacatecas town of Fresnillo, 29 miles north of Morelos. Surveillance footage showed a group of men removing four bodies from a pickup truck and dumping them in the middle of the street before they took off. The Sinaloa Cartel claimed responsibility for the killings by leaving behind messages next to the corpses. Five of the victims were identified and turned over to their families, according to the Zacatecas state prosecutor's office. Mexican cops guard the scene were five bodies were left wrapped in blankets and covered with duct tape in Fresnillo on Tuesday. An additional four bodies were also dumped on another avenue in the city. Five of the nine victims were identified, according to the Zacatecas State Attorney General's Office Mexican authorities direct traffic in Fresnillo, Zacatecas following the discovery of corpses that had been abandoned on a road The recent rash of violence, according to authorities, may be linked to the arrest of 26 members of the Sinaloa Cartel over the weekend Sunday. At least one of the suspects was identified as a minor from North Carolina. Despite the killings, Governor David Monreal declared that he was pleased with security in the state while announcing the deployment of 1,000 National Guard and army troops in different points of Zacatecas. At least 203 murders have been registered through the first quarter of 2024. The state reported 979 homicides last year, a decrease of 357 in 2022 and a drop of 642 in 2021. 'We are doing well, we have already managed to advance Fresnillo in an important, transcendent way,' Monreal said. 'After almost two decades, three six-year terms, since 2005, when an increase in violence began and, until the arrival of our mandate, began a downward reversal process.' Conservative commentator Ann Coulter praised former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy but then said she would not vote for him because of his ethnicity. The hedge fund multi-millionaire had a conversation with the conservative pundit on an episode of his show, The Truth Podcast, to discuss nationalism. Ramaswamy warmly welcomed Coulter to the show where she returned with praise, calling the Republican rising star 'bright and articulate.' Coulter said she agrees with Ramaswamy on many subjects, but shocked listeners with her reason for admitting she will not vote for him. 'I agreed with many, many things you said, in fact probably more than most other candidates when you were running for president, but I still would not have voted for you because you're an Indian,' Coulter said. Ann Coulter (right) told former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy then said she would not vote for him because of his ethnicity and said presidents should be WASPs Ramaswamy is the 38-year-old son of Indian immigrants who was born in Cincinnati. Pictured with his wife Apoorva Tewari Ramaswamy their two sons Ramaswamy is a 38-year-old father-of-two who campaigned on wanting to fix America's national identity crisis by ending the 'secular religion' of 'woke-ism.' He has also been floated as a potential vice president pick for Donald Trump after dropping out of the Republican presidential primary in January. Ramaswamy and Coulter agreed they both oppose the idea of dual citizenship, with the former candidate saying the 'essence of citizenship is which nation to whom you had your undivided loyalty.' 'You and I agree on so much there, but where II wouldn't say "lose you"but I may fail to fully understand you is, on that axis of citizenship, what does ethnicity have to do with the matter,' Ramaswamy said. Coulter explained she will only vote for presidential candidates who are WASPs White Anglo-Saxon Protestants. 'There is a core national identity that is the identity of the WASP, and that doesn't mean we can't take anyone else ina Sri Lankan, a Japanese, or an Indianbut the core around which the nation's values are formed is the WASP,' she said. 'We've never had a president who didn't have at least partial English ancestry, never.' The constitutional requirements to run for president in the United States are to be a natural-born citizen, be at least 35 years old and have resided in the country for 14 years. Ramaswamy, the son of Indian immigrants, was born in Cincinnati. He graduated summa cum laude from Harvard in 2007 with a degree in biology. He went on to receive a JD from Yale Law School in 2013. Listeners praised Ramaswamy for how he handled the conversation and slammed Coulter for her comments, calling them 'racists.' 'This interview, the way Vivek handled himself and continued the interview, shows the magnanimous man he is,' said Kim Carrico-Stephens on X. 'Ann Coulter you're an abhorrent racist! Vivek is America First, will not be bullied, strong class act of a human.' 'Vivek showed extreme class when Coulter stated flat out because of his race she would not vote for him,' said Eric Pistey. 'He kept the conversation going and never fell into an offended or victim mentality. Well done by him.' Others commented that Coulters views are outdated and said it damages her reputation. 'She is a typical boomer-mentality-lady, you just listen to them, nod and go on with your life,' said Mayra Smith. 'Why does she continue to fly into the reputation bug zapper,' said Eric Stoner. A Tennessee boy is fighting for his life after being sucked down a drain while playing in tornado and storm debris. Asher Sullivan, 9, was involved in the tragic accident on Wednesday evening in Murfreesboro, as he was 'swept under the neighborhood streets.' His father, Rutherford County school superintendent Jimmy Sullivan, said on Facebook that 'CPR was administered for quite some time', which restored his heartbeat but left the boy in critical condition. Jimmy said his son is hospitalized at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, where his 'lungs are severely damaged, and he is not showing much brain activity outside of muscle jerks.' Asher Sullivan, 9, is fighting for his life after being sucked down a drain while playing in tornado and storm debris on Wednesday evening The boy's father Rutherford County school superintendent Jimmy Sullivan (right), said his son's 'lungs are severely damaged, and he is not showing much brain activity outside of muscle jerks' The Murfreesboro, Tennessee area saw severe flooding after a storm and tornado ripped through the area, and Asher was playing in debris before the tragedy unfolded The horror unfolded as the nine-year-old was playing with other neighborhood kids in the aftermath of a tornado and severe storm that ripped through the Tennessee area earlier this week, killing three. While neighbors banded together to clear the damage, Asher's father said that 'somehow, (he) got caught in the storm drain and was swept under the neighborhood streets.' Asher 'eventually' emerged in a drainage ditch, he said, alongside another boy who also lives on his street, eighth-grader Madden Moltz. While Madden is expected to recover, according to social media post by the local Priest Lake Presbyterian Church, Asher has been left fighting for his life. Amid the outpouring of support for the family, locals said family's struggle comes as Asher's older brother, Declan, had been battling leukemia for four years before beating the disease in 2022. A local mother also shared patches made by a friend of Asher's to hand to local kids, signaling their support for the boy, reading 'Sullivan Strong.' In an email to parents in the school district shared online, an official said that all Rutherford County schools were to be closed on Thursday due to the extent of the damage. 'You will also hear that our director of school's son was involved in an accident tonight during the storm,' the email continued. 'He is stable but critical, and is receiving medical treatment tonight. We ask that you please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers.' Locals have sent an outpouring of support to Asher's family following the accident, and said their suffering comes as Asher's older brother, Declan, (pictured together with their family) had been battling leukemia for four years before beating the disease in 2022 A local mother also shared patches made by a friend of Asher's to hand to local kids, signaling their support for the boy, reading 'Sullivan Strong' Storm damage was seen across Tennessee on Thursday after a weather system ripped through the state earlier in the week Tennessee resident John Bernhardt searches for his belongings outside his stormed damaged home Thursday The damage that Asher was playing in was caused by a tornado and huge storm that tore through Tennessee, North Carolina and Michigan this week. Three people were killed as the twister and severe storm blew through the area, flattening homes and bringing down power to millions. One video showed large hailstones battering vehicles and homes in the vicinity of Fire Station 1 in downtown Clarksville, which lies on Tennessee's border with Kentucky. Other videos showed trees toppled by heavy winds, and cars wading through inches of water that had collected on roads. The sheriff in Claiborne County, which lies about an hour north of Knoxville, said one of the victims was a 22-year-old man in a car who was fatally struck by one of the trees. A second person was killed in the city of Columbia in Maury County, also in Tennessee, and the weather front is expected to bring further damage on Thursday. The National Weather Service continued issuing tornado warnings that stretch past midnight in North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri and Kentucky, and parts of Arkansas and Mississippi. Mysterious wooden boxes with important notes attached to them have washed up on beaches in Texas. At least four of the neon pink and neon green devices were found across coastlines such as Galveston over the last few days. They are meant to replicate sea turtle carcasses and are equipped with vital tracking devices for a study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. At least four of the neon pink and neon green devices were found across coastlines such as Galveston over the last few days They are meant to replicate sea turtle carcasses and are equipped with vital tracking devices for a study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association Scientists from Gulf Center for Sea Turtles (GCSTR) released the 'effigy drifters' off the Chandeleur Island, Louisiana into the northern Gulf of Mexico to help track the movements of the critically endangered species. But at least four have since washed up, with the public asked to take photos and contact the sea turtle hotline at 1-866-TURTLE-5. If a beachgoer sees the box in the waters they are instructed not to touch them unless told to do so by the NOAA, Chrom.com reported. The Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research project was posted on their social media There are approximately, 6.5 million sea turtles that live in the wild. Climate change and human activity may contribute to the decrease in population, as per Earth.org. According to the NOAA, every year, dead sea turtles wash up, or strand, on U.S. beaches. 'In an effort to understand how weather patterns and ocean currents influence sea turtle stranding, NOAA Fisheries scientists have deployed wooden [effigies] to replicate carcasses,' the GCSTR wrote in a Facebook post. Sacramento police said he left his granddaughter with a stranger for four hours A grandfather has been arrested for allegedly paying a homeless woman $20 to look after his seven-year-old granddaughter while he got drunk in a bar for four hours. Jason Warren, 54, was charged with child endangerment and other charges over the incident on May 4. Police said he was 'highly intoxicated' when he left the girl with a stranger outside of The Cinders Bar in Sacramento. 'I could tell by her character she seemed like a decent person, I trusted her like I would trust my sister or my cousin,' Warren told Fox40 from jail. The cops were called to the scene after a distressed Warren began asking people for help, alleging his granddaughter had been kidnapped. A grandfather has been arrested for allegedly paying a homeless woman $20 to look after his seven-year-old granddaughter while he got drunk in a bar for four hours Jason Warren, 54, was charged with child endangerment and other charges over the incident on May 4 He left the girl with Lauren Jope, 34, an local, unhoused woman who immediately sprang into action to keep the child safe. On arrival at around 7.45pm, they said he told them he had paid the woman, later identified as Lauren Jope, 34, to take the girl to a thrift store. The sheriff's office deployed a helicopter and K9 units to help search for the child. When Jope heard the PA announcement she returned to the parking lot near the bar and explained what happened. 'I just wanted to make sure she was safe and that she's okay,' Jope told KCRA. 'This guy asked me, 'Hey, can you go into the store with my [granddaughter] to buy a pair of shorts and I was like, 'Okay, no problem.' He was like you know buy yourself a few things and I'll give you some money or whatever, so I said okay. 'The guy is just totally belligerently drunk and just kind of scary. He turned into a totally different person, and so I got his granddaughter away until things kind of simmered down, because I didn't know what was really going on.' Jope explained that she took the child back to her encampment to get some food and play with her dog. 'All of a sudden, the helicopters going around and saying, 'Attention on the ground,'' and it says her name and it describes me and I'm like, 'Oh okay, what's going on now.' So we just went right around the corner and we were like, 'Hey we're right here,''' Jope said. Warren remained defiant about his actions when asked if he would do the same again from jail The cops were called to the scene after a distressed Warren began asking people for help, alleging his granddaughter had been kidnapped On arrival at to the bar at around 7.45pm, they said he told them he had paid the woman, later identified as Lauren Jope to take the girl to a thrift store Warren remained defiant about his actions when asked if he would do the same again. 'Yes I would. I didn't do anything wrong. Everything I did I told God about and I said, "It's your will God, not my will. Let your will be done." Jope's actions meanwhile were praised by law enforcement officers. 'For lack of a better term, she's a guardian angel,' Sacramento County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Amar Gandhi said. 'I can't recognize this woman enough, Lauren. I can't sing her praises high enough for again just having the wherewithal to see that this girl is in danger, I'm going to do everything I can to protect her.' The child was not in distress and was medically cleared by Fire Department personnel at the scene as a precaution, according to officers. It later emerged that she is in the custody of her aunt who had asked Warren to watch her while she went to work. Warren was arrested and held on $75,000 bail until a court date on Wednesday. A former California prison guard says 'predatory' male detainees are 'champing at the bit' to fake sex changes and get locked up with women. Hector Bravo Ferrel oversaw transfers of biological males to women's lockups and says they acted 'like kids in a candy store.' The 2020 California law that let trans inmates opt for prisons matching their gender identity is 'immoral' and 'dangerous,' he says. 'Some of them are in there for sex crimes,' Ferrel, 39, says in an interview with the Independent Women's Forum. 'That's unethical, that's immoral, that's dangerous.' Hector Bravo Ferrel, 39, says letting biological males in women's prisons is 'dangerous' Male-to-female detainees in women's prisons are 'like kids in a candy store,' he says Ferrel is among the first prison guard to blow the whistle on how trans policies put women detainees in peril. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation did not answer DailyMail.com's request for comment. State facilities have some 1,983 trans and non-binary detainees among a total prison population of 96,000. Poll Should trans women convicts be allowed to serve their sentences in women's prisons? Yes No Not sure Should trans women convicts be allowed to serve their sentences in women's prisons? Yes 262 votes No 12514 votes Not sure 159 votes Now share your opinion Some 344 detainees in male prisons have requested transfers to women's lockups. Of them, 44 were approved and 59 were denied. Others are under review. Just 15 inmates of women's prisons have requested transfers; three have been approved. The department says it vets requests carefully and only approves them when it's 'safe to do so.' The way Ferrel tells it, the guardrails are off. The Army veteran was a lieutenant at the high-security Diego Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility for men in southern San Diego. California's Democratic Gov Gavin Newsom signed the transgender prison bill into law in September 2020. When it came into effect in 2021, the lockup's 'males started by the numbers identifying themselves as females,' he says. Guards had to refer to them by their preferred pronouns, he says, when they should have been focussed on tackling violence. Trans detainees could ask for strip searches to be carried out by female guards, he says. An inmate at Central California Women's Facility, in Chowchilla, where allegations of rape by a trans inmate caused alarm Ferrel says some fakers pretended to be trans just to get moved to a women's lockup 'You have females looking at the male body parts and the inmates are demanding it,' Ferrel says. It was effectively a green light to 'exploit their sexual predatory behaviors,' he adds. 'You had everybody jump on that program,' he says. 'Non-authentic' trans detainees were gaming the system, he says. 'It was obvious,' he adds. They were 'champing at the bit' to get moved to a women's lockup, he says. During one transfer, he said the detainees were 'excited' and 'like kids in a candy store.' In reality, they were 'monsters' who were caged for heinous crimes, he adds. After a transfer, male-to-female inmates were a threat to the biological women they shared a cell with. Many remain attracted to women and do not undergo surgery. Cases of rape, sexual assault, harassment, and unwanted pregnancies have been reported. But 'every time a female inmate will try to voice their complaints or their concerns for the victimization, they will be retaliated against,' says Ferrel. He was so disturbed by the changes that he quit his $157,000-a-year job in December 2022. California's Democratic Gov Gavin Newsom signed the transgender prison bill into law in September 2020 Demi Minor, a trans woman jailed for murdering her foster father, got two women inmates pregnant in a New Jersey women's prison in 2022, raising troubling questions about where trans inmates should reside He now shares his experiences on social media, known as That Prison Guard. 'If you're purposely putting a predator amongst prey you know what's going to happen,' he says. The Transgender Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California and other groups say trans detainees are most often victims of abuse and all of them deserve protection. Letting them serve their sentences in lockups matching their gender identity makes them safer. But women's rights groups warn of rising incidents of rape and other horrors in what were once women-only cellblocks. A former prisoner in the women's jail on Rikers Island in January opened a case against New York City, saying a trans male-to-female predator raped her after lying his way into the facility. The Women's Liberation Front (WOLF), a feminist group, says about a third of California state's male-to-female trans inmates were convicted of sexual offenses. Such 'men' should never be let inside a women's facility, WOLF says. Women prisoners, they add, should never be forced into cells with biological males because they are too vulnerable 84 percent suffered sexual violence on the outside, according to the Vera Institute of Justice, a research group. They also point to a 2011 Swedish study, which found that man-to-woman transitioners retain a 'male level of criminality', meaning they are more prone to crime, including violent offenses, than women, even after hormones. The public is apparently against letting trans women into women's prisons. A WOLF-commissioned survey of 3,500 voters in March 2021 found that 48 percent opposed trans women sharing cells with natal females, while 34 percent approved. By Kwak Yeon-soo Ruling and opposition parties showed mixed responses, Thursday, to President Yoon Suk Yeols press conference marking his second year in office. This was Yoons first press conference since August 2022, when he marked his first 100 days in office. During a 70-minute press conference, the president set out a new course for his government and presented his stance on politically contentious issues, including allegations that first lady Kim Keon Hee illegally accepted a luxury handbag in September 2022 and the oppositions push for a special counsel investigation into the government's suspected inteference in the military's investigation into a Marines death during a search-and-rescue operation in a flooded area in July 2023. Yoon also vowed to increase communication channels with political parties following the ruling partys crushing defeat in the general elections last month. The ruling People Power Party (PPP) defended Yoons remarks, saying it will work closely with the government to better heed public concerns and focus on improving peoples livelihoods. President Yoon expressed regret over limited progress in resolving urgent matters related to peoples livelihoods. He honestly acknowledged that there had been shortcomings in efforts to enhance the peoples livelihoods and pledged to humbly accept public sentiment and strive to reform his administration, PPP spokesperson Rep. Jung Hee-yong said in a statement. The president, the government and the ruling party will communicate and cooperate by prioritizing the issue of enhancing peoples livelihoods. However, the main opposition Democratic People of Korea (DPK) criticized Yoon for using the press conference to praise himself and his governments response to controversial issues. Yoon has fallen short of our expectations for government reform. At todays press conference, we saw a president who remained stubborn despite hitting a new low in public opinion, said Rep. Park Chan-dae, the DPKs floor leader. He pointed out that Yoon's rejection of a special counsel probe into the government's alleged interference in the military's investigation into the Marine's death suggests that the president has no will to care for or protect the lives of the people. Last week, the DPK railroaded a contentious bill, calling for a special counsel probe into allegations surrounding the Marine's case despite fierce protests from the ruling party. According to recent public surveys, nearly 70 percent of the public support the special counsel probe. We urge Yoon to accept the bill on a special counsel to investigate the Marines death. If the president vetoes the bill now, he will be solely responsible for everything that happens once the bill is passed in the Assembly. We also ask PPP lawmakers to stand on the side of the people, not on the side of power, Park said. Other opposition parties also said that the presidents speech and Q&A fell short of showing his commitment to taking a flexible approach toward state affairs. The New Reform Party slammed Yoon, saying that he still lacks self-awareness given that there was no change in the presidents stance on issues like the medical school quota expansion and the special counsel probe into the case of the Marine's death in 2023. The Government has scrapped plans for a pilot 'hydrogen town' with thousands of homes heated by low carbon gas amid a wave of protests and questions over the technology. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said it was halting work until at least 2026, when 'strategic decisions' on the role of hydrogen in decarbonising heat will be made. Proposals for a pilot town heated by hydrogen instead of polluting natural gas were first outlined as part of Boris Johnson's 10-point plan in 2020 for a 'green industrial revolution' to cut climate emissions to zero overall, known as Net Zero. But proposals for two hydrogen villages, in Redcar and Whitby, near Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, were abandoned after locals protested at being treated as who feared being 'lab rats'. Proposals for two hydrogen villages, in Redcar (pictured) and Whitby, near Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, were abandoned after locals protested at being treated as who feared being 'lab rats'. In 2022 gas distribution networks were invited to put forward outline plans for a scheme involving at least 10,000 properties, for the Government to deliver plans by 2025 for a possible pilot hydrogen town by the end of the decade. But a number of studies and experts have said hydrogen - which can be low carbon, depending on how it is produced, and potentially piped through the existing gas network into buildings for use in hydrogen boilers - will only have a small role to play in heating homes and other buildings in the future. Last year, the National Infrastructure Commission recommended the Government should not support the rollout of hydrogen heating. Energy efficiency minister Lord Callanan said: 'We have decided not to progress work on a hydrogen town pilot until after 2026 decisions on the role of hydrogen for heating. 'Heat pumps and heat networks will be the main route to cutting household emissions for the foreseeable future.' As hydrogen is easier to ignite and is more prone to leaking than natural gas, homes would have had to undergo some changes in order for the system to be installed. The experiment was seen as the last chance to prove whether hydrogen heating can work in the UK. Laast year Northern Gas Networks (NGN) was criticised over safety measures relating to plans to supply 2,000 homes in Redcar. Early safety assessments recommended that homes should have holes drilled in their walls in order to prevent the gas leaking and setting alight, according to The Telegraph. NGN said that this was unnecessary and instead proposed using high-tech sensors to find leaks. Responding to today's announcement, Juliet Phillips, from climate policy think tank E3G, said: 'Discussions on hydrogen for heating are an unhelpful distraction that muddy the waters on the future of how we heat our homes. 'Today's decision makes clear that all attention and investment should be focused on readily available clean heat solutions, like heat pumps and heat networks.' She said green hydrogen - a low carbon source of the gas made using renewable power - was likely to be an 'expensive and scarce resource' which needed to be reserved for niche applications in industry, power and transport. 'Widespread use of hydrogen for heating is widely understood to be an extremely expensive and inefficient way to meet net zero targets, which could exacerbate fuel poverty,' she warned. 'Attention now needs to be turned to how we can ensure a fair and well-managed transition away from fossil gas - considering how to support jobs and decommission parts of the network,' she added. A spokesperson for the UK gas distribution networks said: 'We welcome the clarity which has been provided on a potential hydrogen heating town and continue to support the need to make use of a range of energy solutions if we are to reach net zero in a fair and affordable way for customers that maintains choice. 'As an industry, we will keep working closely with the Government to provide the evidence and expertise required to make an informed decision on the future decarbonisation of home heating.' A juror who had researched the law on Mumsnet and told other members of the jury 'I know we are not supposed to Google, but', has been spared jail. Suzanne Asquith had been serving on a jury in a child cruelty case in September 2022 when she became 'frustrated' with the other members of the jury during heated deliberations, a court heard. The 56-year-old foster carer for guide dogs decided to do online research to arm herself for the debates, as the jury deliberated in a case concerning offences of harm to a child and child cruelty. She had also looked up on the forum site Mumsnet searches about children being taken into care and, separately, information about the defence counsel in the case, the court heard. Another member of the jury subsequently became concerned with Asquith's 'bullying attitude', Reading Crown Court heard on Thursday. Matthew Knight, prosecuting, said: 'The juror noted Ms Asquith had made some comments about having found something out or words to the effect, 'I know we are not supposed to Google but'.' Juror Suzanne Asquith searched up a law on Mumsnet while serving in a case at Reading Crown Court (pictured), but was spared a prison sentence Police had later arrested Asquith and examined her devices. They discovered search terms such as the word 'cretin', 'how do jurors reach a verdict?', 'does a jury have to be unanimous?' and information about the defence counsel in the case. Mr Knight added: 'There was no direct searching for that case or those within it. How that impacted on deliberations, no one can really say.' The court heard the 11 jurors had reached a majority decision the defendants should be cleared of two charges they faced, with Asquith being the sole juror feeling the defendants were guilty. Verdicts could not be reached for two other charges against the defendants and they were sent for trial with a separate jury. The court heard Asquith has worked for 15 years in regulation with a US organisation involved in geocaching, which had required regular travel to America. Since her conviction she had been working as an invigilator with young children and also as a foster carer, providing a respite service for guide dogs. Hassan Baig said the defendant had expressed the 'frustrations she felt during the deliberations' as she started 'feeling isolated'. 'She felt at times that she found it difficult to communicate with other members of the jury and she felt at times that they wre not following the directions. 'Where she erred is rather than making a note and putting that before the court so that counsel can see it and the judge will be able to give any clear directions.' Mr Baig said Asquith had not wanted to hand a note to the judge after taking part in deliberations where there were 'personality clashes within that jury room' and 'people talking over people'. 'If she had sent the note, everybody else would know that it would be her sending that note', he explained. Asquith, of Battalion Way in Thatcham, Berkshire, had admitted one count of carrying out research while a member of the jury during the trial period. Judge Amjad Nawaz said the judge in the September 2022 trial at Reading Crown Court had given clear directions to the jury about not doing their own research. 'This is not a case where she has researched any evidence, such as bad character', Judge Nawaz said. Asquith told other members of the jury 'I know we're not supposed to Google' 'But these directions are give so to ensue the trial process is undertaken fairly, that it is open justice on the basis that everybody else involved in the trial process clearly understands that they are all working from the same page of the book. This defendant decided to break ranks.' The judge commented there was an 'unexplained delay' in bringing the case after Asquith was arrested on September 18 2022. He also said he had considered 'the prison population and the pressures on the system so far as prison population are concerned'. Judge Nawaz sentenced Asquith to 22 weeks imprisonment, suspended for a period of 12 months, involving a requirement to carry out 20 days Rehabilitation Activity Requirement. The Tories could be left with fewer than 100 MPs after the general election if Nigel Farage returns to frontline politics, according to Dominic Cummings. The ex-No10 adviser suggested the Conservatives could 'easily be driven down to double digit seats' should Mr Farage take on the leadership of his Reform UK outfit. The controversial former aide also hailed how - if Rishi Sunak's Tories were to suffer an electoral wipeout - it would boost his plans to create a new party to replace them. 'Discussions of a startup party and replacing them will go from a very fringe idea to being a very mainstream idea,' Mr Cummings told the i newspaper. The fresh warning of a general election meltdown for the Conservatives came as the scale of the difficulties facing Mr Sunak was underlined by a new YouGov poll. It showed Labour on 48 per cent and the Tories on 18 per cent - just five points ahead of Reform. The poll, which surveyed 2,072 people between May 7 and 8, gave Labour its biggest lead since Liz Truss was in office in October 2022. The Tories could be left with fewer than 100 MPs after the general election if Nigel Farage returns to frontline politics, according to Dominic Cummings The ex-No10 adviser suggested Rishi Sunak's Conservatives could 'easily be driven down to double digit seats' should Mr Farage take on the leadership of his Reform UK outfit There are intense fears within Tory ranks that Mr Farage could turbocharge Reform's popularity by returning to frontline politics to spearhead their election campaign There are intense fears within Tory ranks that Mr Farage could turbocharge Reform's popularity by returning to frontline politics to spearhead their election campaign. It has been suggested this would hand Labour a massive majority in the House of Commons - and fatally damage the Tories - by splitting the right-wing vote. Asked about the likelihood of the Conservatives suffering oblivion following their recent local elections drubbing, Mr Cummings said: 'Depends on what Farage does. 'If Farage un-retires the Tories could easily be driven down to double digit seats. 'And then discussions of a startup party and replacing them will go from a very fringe idea to being a very mainstream idea.' Mr Cummings, who served in No10 as Boris Johnson's chief adviser between July 2019 and November 2020, outlined his wish to create a 'completely different' political party. 'The Tories now obviously represent nothing except a continuation of the s***show; higher taxes, worse violent crime, more debt, anti-entrepreneurs, public services failing, immigration out of control,' he said. 'But Labour I think will not alter the ultimate trajectory very much, they'll be continuity Treasury, continuity David Cameron, George Osborne, Sunak, so everything will keep failing and everyone will be even more miserable by 2026 than they are now. 'So, to change that you have to have two fundamental things: you have to have an entity which is ruthlessly focused on the voters not on Westminster and the old media. 'And you have to have something which is friendly towards all the amazing talent in the country, people who build things in private and public sector. 'If you can bring those two things together then you have something very powerful and very attractive that most people in the country would get behind.' A new YouGov poll put Labour 30 points ahead of the Tories - their biggest advantage since Liz Truss was in power and enough for a huge landslide at a general election Mr Cummings had a turbulent relationship with Mr Johnson in Downing Street - including a major row over his lockdown trips to Barnard Castle - and was ultimately sacked from his No10 role. The pair had previously teamed up as part of the Vote Leave campaign at the EU referendum in 2016. But the key Brexiteer berated the Tory Government for its management of Britain's exit from the EU. 'The Government has almost entirely not taken advantage of anything, not actually done anything differently,' he added. 'It doesn't make any sense to do Brexit and then sit the way the Tories have done doing f*** all and basically leaving in place a whole bunch of stupid EU things.' Mr Farage recently signalled he won't return to the political frontline ahead of the general election in a major boost for Mr 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. 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 Speaking to the Telegraph from America this week, 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. Villagers are claiming victory in their campaign against Russia after an embassy building in the heart of the English countryside was stripped of its diplomatic status. Seacox Heath in East Sussex - once dubbed the Little Kremlin - was stripped of its special status by the the British government. Home secretary James Cleverly yesterday announced the move saying they believed Seacox Heath and other premises in the UK had been 'used for intelligence purposes'. The move has led to jubilation in the villages surrounding the 50-room mansion in East Sussex. They have long suspected the huge building was used by Russian spies and secret service agents. An aerial view of Seacox Heath in East Sussex on May 08, 2024 near Ticehurst, England As well as stripping the embassy building of its diplomatic status the Government says it will expel Russian defence attache, named as Colonel Maxim Elovik (pictured), over allegations of spying Home secretary James Cleverly yesterday announced the move saying they believed Seacox Heath and other premises in the UK had been 'used for intelligence purposes' After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 some plucky villagers launched a protest outside the building. The Ukraine colours were spray-painted at the entrance and tiny Ukraine flags were planted around the entrance perimeter. Last year residents were left angry and upset after large surveillance drones from Seacox Heath began flying over the villages of Hawkhurst and Flimwell. They believed the drones were being flown in retaliation against locals who had staged anti-war and anti-Putin protests outside the gates. As well as stripping the embassy building of its diplomatic status the Government says it will expel Russian defence attache, named as Colonel Maxim Elovik, over allegations of spying. Campaigner and writer, Rebecca de Saintonge, who planted dozens of Ukrainian flags outside the property today said she was delighted by the development. 'At last we've finally got our little patch of land back and it no longer has diplomatic status. I'm really pleased this step has been taken; it's symbolic. 'However I do think it's too little too late. I wish this Government could do more to help the situation in Ukraine as it all seems so inevitable.' She said: 'I felt compelled to protest outside it and attract attention to its existence. After my protest I had a visit from two policemen. 'I think they were worried for the safety of the elderly Russian couple who looks after the house. We took our flags away to help defuse the situation. 'Obviously the protest was an emotional response to the invasion but it wasn't right to put the elderly couple in any danger.' She added: 'It feels cleaner not having a piece of enemy territory in the neighbourhood. 'It was always disturbing not knowing who the people were who visited and what they might be using the place for. 'As recent hostilities with Russian intensified, so did the sense of outrage at their presence intensify for many of us. We were never convinced it was just a 'holiday retreat' for the ambassador.' Philippa Reid, 45, a resident who also protested outside the embassy building in Hawkhurst, said: 'I'm absolutely delighted. Given what it is doing in Ukraine and its general international conduct, Russia has no business having a diplomatic building in the heart of Sussex. 'All this stuff about them flying drones over the Flimwell and Hawkhurst was hugely infuriating at the time as the police seemed powerless to stop it. 'It's really pleasing Seacox Heath no longer has diplomatic status and I think, in a small part, our protest helped bring that about.' The mansion was built in 1871 and owned by First Viscount Goschen who enjoyed a long political career. His son George - the 2nd Viscount - gave the family home to the Soviet Union in 1946, allegedly as a gift after Russian sailors saved his son during the Second World War. It was initially used as a home for families of trade delegation staff but in the 1990s, the mansion became the country retreat of the Russian ambassador. Lindsay Barrow, who runs a florist in the village, said: 'I have known about it for some time and if you look closely you can see multiple CCTV cameras and barbed wire surrounding the place. 'I've also seen long, black Mercedes cars going in and out of the front gates and then we had the protests. 'I do think it's rather strange the Russian government has a building here in the heart of Kent.' The White House cleaned up President Joe Biden's threat to stop sending weapons to Israel, saying the shipments are continuing. 'Everybody keeps talking about pausing weapons shipments. Weapons shipments are still going to Israel. And they're still getting the vast, vast majority of everything that they need to defend themselves,' National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Thursday. Biden told CNN on Wednesday that he would pause more arms shipments to Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launches a full-scale invasion of Rafah. Israelis reacted with fury and ceasefire negotiations have stalled. Netanyahu didn't respond directly to Biden's comment, but he posted a video on social media of a defiant speech he delivered this week in which he said 'no amount of pressure' will 'stop Israel from defending itself.' The White House cleaned up President Joe Biden's (left) threat to with hold arms from Israel as Prime Minister Benjamin Netayahu (right) reacted with fury The president, last week, delayed the delivery of 3,500 bombs to the U.S.'s Middle East ally. It was the first time he used his executive power to influence Israel's approach to its war with Hamas. But his words of warning on Wednesday was the most direct threat Biden has made to Israel during the seven-month war. 'Civilians have been killed in Rafah as a result of those bombs and other ways they go after population centers. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they haven't gone into Raffa yet - I'm not supplying the weapons,' Biden said. Kirby, however, appeared to be clarifying the president's stance. 'As the President said, Israel has not yet launched such an operation. So he was talking about what would happen in the future, if they did. That's a choice that Israel will have to make. And it's one we hope they don't,' he noted. The Biden administration has been trying to stop Israel from launching a full-scale attack in Rafah, where more than a million Palestinian refugees have gathered. But Kriby said Biden is 'going to continue to provide Israel with the capabilities that it needs, all of them. But he does not want certain categories of American weapons used in a particular type of operation in a particular place.' He noted the administration is 'doing everything we can to help Israel.' However, he also reiterated the White House argument that Israel should not move further into Rafah. 'We hope they don't make those kinds of decisions to go into Rafah. But I think the President was crystal clear last night, that if they do smash into Rafah ... that he's going to have to make future decisions, but again, we hope we hope it doesn't come to that,' Kirby said. Israeli soldiers with military vehicles gather at an undisclosed position near the border fence with the Gaza Strip An Israeli self-propelled howitzer fires a shell to the Gaza Strip near the Kerem Shalom crossing in Southern Israel Israel heavily relies on the U.S. to stock its military. Many of the drones used last month to ward off Iranian missiles were American-made and U.S. forces helped counter the bombing. On Monday, Israel's military warned about 110,000 civilians to leave Rafah, and hours later its tanks moved in. It was not a full-scale invasion but some worry that one is imminent. Israel has threatened a major assault on area to defeat thousands of Hamas fighters it says are holed up there. Republicans blasted the administration's decision to delay the bomb delivery. Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell demanded answers on why the bomb shipment was delayed and said they had to learn about it from media reports and not the administration. 'We were alarmed by media reports that your Administration had delayed the delivery of a variety of weapons shipments bound for Israel. This news flies in the face of assurances provided regarding the timely delivery of security assistance to Israel,' they wrote to Biden in a joint letter. Senator Mitt Romney blasted Biden for his policy. 'We stand by allies, we dont second guess them. Bidens dithering on Israel weapons is bad policy and a terrible message to Israel, our allies, and the world,' he wrote on X. Senator Lindsey Graham rebuked the administration. 'This is obscene. It is absurd. Give Israel what they need,' Graham said, noting it wasn't for Washington to second-guess how Israel fought a war against Hamas militants bent on Israel's destruction. Senator Deb Fischer, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called on Biden to drop 'his politically-motivated hold'. 'American support for Israel cannot be in doubt, especially now,' she said. And Representatives Mike Rogers, the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Michael McCaul, the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released a joint statement calling on the bombs to be delivered. 'We are appalled that the administration paused crucial arms shipments to Israel. Withholding arms to Israel weakens Israel's deterrence against Iran and its proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah,' they said. A group of Israeli soldiers holds an Israeli flag as they gather with military vehicles at an undisclosed position near the border fence with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel Meanwhile, U.S. officials are worried that Israel now controls the Gaza side of a crossing to Egypt that is a major conduit for humanitarian aid. Gaza is experiencing a humanitarian crisis and famine-like conditions. The seizure and the closing of the Kerem Shalom crossing, the only two major entry points in the south for food, medicine and other supplies, has prompted worries the crisis could worsen. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration has reassurance the crossing has been reopened. 'We have been told by Israel that that has been opened. It is important to get those trucks in. It is important to get that aid into Gaza. So, that's what we want to see,' she said Wednesday. 'We know how dire the situation is in Gaza. We want to continue to get that humanitarian aid, and we want a ceasefire. We want a ceasefire,' she noted. Hamas' Oct. 7 attack killed about 1,200 people with about 250 others abducted, of whom 133 are believed to remain in captivity in Gaza, according to Israel. Israel's campaign to destroy Hamas has so far killed a total of 34,789 Palestinians, mostly civilians, the Gaza Health Ministry said. Terrified flyers are taking to TikTok to say they will be changing their flights from Boeing airplanes and travelling with anti-anxiety medication as the aircraft manufacturer battles an ongoing safety crisis. Aviation giant Boeing has suffered a third crash in just two days as it seems the aviation firm has been plagued by daily mechanical failures. As the embattled firm finds itself under harsh scrutiny over a string of safety disasters, people are taking to social media to tell of how they will be avoiding the aircraft or be travelling with medication to calm their anxiety. One TikToker posted a video of himself onboard a Boeing flight at Heathrow Airport, with the caption 'About to hop on a Boeing flight drunk, wish me luck'. Meanwhile, one person tweeted: 'Might miss my flight for the first time ever. Not tripping though cos it's a Boeing. Might be dodging a bullet here.' The Boeing 737 jet carrying 73 passengers caught on fire and suffered serious damage when a failed takeoff attempt sent it skidding off the runway early this morning Shocking footage showed the moment the plane attempted an emergency landing, smashing down into the runway and scraping its nose along the concrete Earlier today, a Boeing 737-800 had its tyre burst during a landing at Gazipasa airport, near the Mediterranean coastal town of Alanya in Turkey. A total of 190 people were evacuated from the aircraft, with pictures showing the stationary aircraft on the tarmac flanked by emergency vehicles - its front wheels and landing gear crumpled underneath. And just this morning, terrifying footage emerged of passengers fleeing as a burning Boeing 737-300 jet with 78 travelers skidded off the runway and caught fire during a take-off in Senegal. On Wednesday, a Boeing 767 cargo plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Istanbul Airport in Turkey after its front landing gear failed. A dramatic clip of the moment the cargo plane - which was operated by FedEx - skidded across the runway widely circulated on social media. It comes as Boeing has already been suffering multiple safety incidents, with a near-catastrophic incident in January when a fuselage panel on a 737 MAX 9 Alaska Airlines jet blew off mid-flight. A second terrified TikToker took to the app in March to post a video on 'how to avoid flying on the Boeing 737 Max' as she told of how she 'immediately' cancelled and changed her flight after realising it was a Boeing 737 MAX 9. A third offered a two minute explanation in a TikTok video as to why she 'refuses' to fly the Boeing 737 MAX. The person said: 'I think the MAX has major, major problems... I'm not an aviation expert and I'm not going to claim to be, but that does not sit well with me. It's not a plane I want to be on.' Travel expert Jane Hawkes, at ladyjaney.co.uk, has warned that while it is unlikely the crashes will lead to people avoiding Boeing aircraft specifically, it could deter anxious flyers from flying more generally. The nose of the plane is seen resting on the runway as emergency workers and inspectors look on She said: 'Customer consumers will be keeping an eye on this. But most people don't look out for what aircraft they are flying on so I doubt they will be avoiding flying with Boeing. 'What I do fear is that instead, some flyers may fear flying generally. For anxious flyers, it makes their decision over whether to fly much harder in general. 'You could find that people will be more wary of flying.' READ MORE: FAA opens new Boeing safety investigation into 'missed' 787 Dreamliner inspections Advertisement She added: 'However, there are safety measures in place, there are procedures in place and safety is paramount.' In March, an aviation expert said Boeing needed to 'bulldoze their entire board' as he warned its flaw-plagued planes are 10 years behind rival Airbus' offerings. Speaking to The Free Press about Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft, airplane expert Mike Boyd said: 'Instead of building airplanes, all they cared about was building the bottom line. They threw the MAX together at the last minute. The aviation expert added that safety issues are only part of the problem, and that Airbus, their main competitor, are now ten years ahead of them. He said: '[Boeing] has nothing on the drawing boards. Firing a few executives isnt going to change Boeing. What they need to do is take a bulldozer to the entire board of directors.' Meanwhile, Paul Charles, of global luxury travel consultancy The PC Agency, assured passengers that Boeing aircraft is still safe to fly on. He said: 'While there may be some travellers who are a little nervous, there is still a very strong safety record considering the thousands of flights taking off and departing each day using Boeing aircraft. 'If anything, the heightened awareness will ensure that maintenance teams at each airline are on higher alert with any Boeing aircraft that may be in their fleets. 'And Boeings safety processes will now be at their most rigorous in light of the changes in their senior leadership team, so as to fix their issues.' The mother of a New Jersey 'deadbeat dad' whose son died of alleged abuse broke down in court as she revealed the furious phone call she received from him at the hospital following the little boy's death. Christopher Gregor 31, is accused of forcing his six-year-old son, Corey Micciolo, to run on a treadmill because he was 'too fat'. The little boy died soon after from injuries sustained from the alleged abuse. On the sixth day of Gregor's trial his mother Carol Gregor took the stand to recall the moment she learned of Corey's death from her son. Carol broke down as she described a phone call she received from Gregor at the hospital where her grandson had died. 'Chris is hysterical,' she said - adding that he was furiously screaming 'what did she do to him' about the little boy's mother, Breanna Micciolo. Gregor's mother then chokes back tears as she describes the exact moment Gregor told her 'Corey passed'. On the sixth day of Christopher Gregor's trial his mother Carol Gregor (pictured) took the stand to recall the moment she learned of Corey's death from her son Carol broke down as she described a phone call she received from Gregor at the hospital where her grandson had died Christopher Gregor 31, is accused of forcing his six-year-old son, Corey Micciolo, to run on a treadmill because he was 'too fat'. The little boy died soon after from injuries sustained from the alleged abuse Gregor is seen as he breaks down in tears from where he sat in court. He wiped his tears away with a handkerchief as he cried 'So I call my husband I'm flipping out at the house,' she said, adding that she was hysterically screaming after receiving the devastating news of her grandson's death As Carol recounts her shock reaction to Corey's death from the stand, Gregor is seen as he breaks down in tears from where he sat in court. He wiped his tears away with a handkerchief as he cried. 'I was so worried,' she said. 'He was so adamant that something happened when he (Corey) was with his mother.' Carol then revealed how her younger son, Danny, was receiving threatening phone calls on their home phone as she and her husband drove to the hospital following the 'devastating' news. Later on in the trial, the prosecution fired at Gregor's mother for not recalling the timeline of the day when asked. She hit back 'I wasn't looking at a clock. I was hysterical that my grandson had just passed - I wasn't timing things.' On the fifth day Christopher Gregor's murder trial, the New Jersey father spent much of testimony glaring at forensic pathologist Dr. Thomas Andrew, appearing emotional at times as he described the fatal injuries inflicted on his son Corey. Andrew said that Corey, who died in April 2021, lost his life due to blunt force injuries to his chest and abdominals, lacerations and contusions on his liver, and a laceration to his heart. The pathologist ruled Corey had signs of 'stress cardiomyopathy', a heart condition caused by ongoing stress that he testified 'suggests there was ongoing physiological stress most likely due to mistreatment or abuse.' Christopher Gregor, 31, is facing murder charges over the death of his son, and appeared emotional as jurors heard harrowing testimony over the extent of his injuries Corey Micciolo, 6, died in 2021 after a year of alleged abuse, with a forensic pathologist ruling he died due to blunt force trauma In sickening CCTV video shown in Gregor's ongoing trial, Corey was seen continuously falling off the treadmill, while Gregor keeps lifting him up and putting him back on the machine Earlier in the trial, the court was shown shocking footage of Gregor forcing his son to run on a treadmill, and picking him up off the floor several times when he falls off the machine. The footage was taken in a New Jersey gym less than two weeks before Corey died, where he was rushed to hospital dazed and unconscious hours after he was dropped at his father's home by his mother. Corey's mother Breanna Micciolo - who also testified against Gregor last week - alleged that he had never even met his son until a year before his death, and Corey would routinely return home from his father's home with fresh cuts and bruises. Prosecutors alleged that Gregor showed a pattern of abuse for months before Corey was killed, with the forensic pathologist ruling that his cause of death was blunt force injuries that were administered 'by another person.' Andrew, who did not perform the autopsy but was enlisted to give his verdict soon after the 2021 death, offered horrific new details of the manner of the six-year-old's demise. Micciolo was the first to take the stand as a witness in court last Tuesday. She sobbed and wiped her eyes as she watched the disturbing treadmill video Corey's mother shared sickening images of the abuse she claims was inflicted by the father to social media, including black eyes and bruises across his body Corey would allegedly often return from his father's home with new bruises and injuries Beginning with a contusion below Corey's diaphragm, he said the boy suffered two significant injuries to his liver, including a laceration to the liver tissue that caused blood to pool on his pelvis. Andrew testified that Corey's body was also found to have a 'pulmonary contusion' to his lung causing internal bleeding, and several scalp contusions. Notably, Corey also suffered a fatal laceration 'near the tip' of his heart, Andrew said, which was exacerbated by 'chronic ongoing stress' in his life. 'The immediate cause of death was blunt force injuries on the day he died,' the pathologist said. 'But stress cardiomyopathy suggests there was ongoing physiological stress, most likely due to mistreatment or abuse.' A healthy 28-year-old man who died after being wrongly given the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine was told to 'count yourself lucky' when he was given it. Alex Reid, an operations controller from Leeds, 'did not understand why' he was invited to get the vaccination early in March 2021 as a man in his late 20s who was otherwise healthy. But he was given the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine just weeks before the government warned that people under the age of 30 should be given an alternative jab because the AZ shot was linked with an increased risk of blood clots. Tragically, he died three months later. A coroner's inquest has since concluded he was mistakenly invited forward for the inoculation because his GP records from 2004 - when he was just 11 - listed him as having a BMI of 68.97. Now, it has been revealed that Mr Reid was told to count himself lucky when he queried why he was being invited for an early vaccine. Alex Reid died of a blood clot after receiving the AstraZeneca jab early. He was erroneously flagged as being a vulnerable person because of an error in his GP records A medic prepares a dose of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine during the pandemic. The jab was later linked to a greater risk of blood clots in the under-30s His mother, Halina Reid, told the BBC: 'Surely this one call from Alex should have raised alarm bells since most of the calls the surgery was getting were from people asking why they had not been called. 'The person who took the call said she did not know, made no attempt to find out and just said, 'count yourself lucky'.' She continued: 'After Alex's death, we knew something was not right - it has taken two years and five months to get answers.' Coroner Oliver Longstaff has recommended adding 'validation rules' to GP record-keeping systems to stop 'obviously erroneous' information from being filed. The error was caused by a clinician recording Mr Reid's height at the age of 11 as being 145cm (4ft 9ins). His weight was then also entered as 145kg (319lbs). The coroner ruled that if Mr Reid's BMI had been recorded properly, he would not have been flagged for early immunisation and would not have been put forward for the vaccine before its risk factors for the under-30s were known. He wrote: 'When Alex was invited to receive his vaccination early, he did not understand why, and no one was able to tell him. 'If the obviously erroneous BMI had not been recorded or had been challenged at the point of entry by the relevant IT system, Alex... would not have died when he did.' The inquest heard that designing a system to flag such errors in BMI 'would not have been feasible' at the time of the pandemic. But the coroner has challenged healthcare technology companies to incorporate checks for obvious errors into their software in future. The AstraZeneca jab was the most widely used in the UK during the initial rollout of the vaccination programme - before it was linked to a risk in blood clots Researchers believe the rare side effect occurs due to the modified cold virus lurking in the jab having an adverse effect on platelets in the blood, triggering clotting A copy of his report has been sent to the chief medical officers of health technology firms EMIS, TPP and Cegedim, each of which provide record-keeping software for GP practices, as well as to top bosses in NHS England and doctors' unions. Addressing them directly in his report, the coroner added: 'In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you or organisation have the power to take such action.' Each organisation has 56 days to respond to his recommendations. The UK began rolling out its vaccination programme in December 2020, with the government boasting of the 'unprecedented speed' with which it was implemented. Vaccines were initially targeted at those most vulnerable to Covid-19's effects: particularly the elderly, disabled and those with pre-existing health conditions. Mr Reid was vaccinated on March 21 because of his seemingly vulnerable status - though medical staff could not tell him why he had been put forward early. And he received his jab just weeks before official advice was issued stating that people under the age of 30 should not receive the British-developed vaccine as their first dose due to the risk patients might suffer clots. The UK's joint committee on vaccines and immunisation (JCVI) said in April 2021 that the AZ vaccine - then the most widely used in the country - had been linked to 79 blood clots out of 20million jabs administered. A nursery worker accused of killing a nine-month-old girl has denied she 'persecuted' the baby who suffocated after 'being left face down on a bean bag' Kate Roughley, 37, found nine-month-old Genevieve Meehan unresponsive and blue while she was in her care at Tiny Toes Nursery in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport. Staff and then paramedics attempted to revive Genevieve, known to her family as Gigi, but her condition was irreversible and she was pronounced dead later the same afternoon in hospital. The prosecution at Manchester Crown Court say the youngster died from a combination of asphyxia and pathophysiological stress after the defendant placed her face down, tightly swaddled and strapped to a bean bag. It is alleged she then ignored the cries and distress of Genevieve, and showed 'sporadic' and 'fleeting' interest in her wellbeing, for one hours and 37 minutes until she made the grim discovery. Deputy manager Kate Roughley (pictured) is on trial at Manchester Crown Court accused of causing baby Genevieve's death through her ill-treatment Nurse Kate Roughley is seen leaving Manchester Crown Court after Genevieve's death Roughley, of Heaton Norris, Stockport, denies manslaughter by ill-treatment and an alternative count of child cruelty. On Thursday, Genevieve's parents, John Meehan and Katie Wheeler, sat in court behind Roughley as she gave evidence on the second anniversary of their daughter's death on May 9 2022. The events of the day in the baby room were captured on the nursery's CCTV and have been shown to the jury, along with footage from May 5 and 6. The Crown says the lack of affection shown to Genevieve by the defendant was 'not merely visible but palpable' and that she was the subject of 'illogical and disturbing hostility'. Peter Wright KC, cross-examining, said to the defendant: 'I am going to suggest that the contents of that CCTV demonstrated that you persecuted that child, Genevieve?' Roughley replied: 'That's not true.' Mr Wright said: 'And whatever she did or didn't do was never going to be satisfactory to you?' Roughley repeated: 'That's not true.' Mr Wright said: 'And I'm going to suggest that you allowed your dislike of a nine-month-old child to manifest itself in ill-treatment that you meted out to her?' Roughley said: 'I would never not like a nine-month-old baby. So to say I disliked her is far from the truth.' The defendant said she did not see Genevieve in 'discomfort and distress' on the bean bag. Mr Wright said: 'Miss Roughley, we have all seen the video, the CCTV, in which there are both visual signs of her movements - and we can hear - and distress, can't we?' The defendant said: 'This was not distress. This is how Genevieve went to sleep in previous times at the nursery.' Genevieve Meehan died after she was found unresponsive at the Tiny Toes Children's Day Nursery (pictured) in Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester Mr Wright went on: 'What we can also see, I suggest, is that they coincide with one another. She is moving violently and at the same time you can hear her in distress, can't you?' Roughley said: 'Again these noises and movements were no different as to how Genevieve previously went to sleep.' Mr Wright said: 'You put her face down on the bean bag, didn't you?' Roughley said: 'No I did not. Genevieve was on her side.' Mr Wright said: 'From the moment that you discovered that child's lifeless form you have sought to conceal what you did, haven't you?' The defendant replied: 'That's not true.' Mr Wright said: 'Do you consider that Genevieve's death was avoidable?' Roughley said: 'I feel that if I had checked on her a couple of seconds or minutes earlier it may have been different. However she was sleeping in the bean bag like many children had done before. 'It was common practice for children to sleep in the bean bag bed. There were no actions taken differently this day.' Mr Wright said: 'So do you accept any responsibility for her death?' Roughley said: 'I feel responsible in the fact that Genevieve was in my care that day. However, I don't feel my actions were the reason for the death.' Genevieve was initially put to sleep in a cot on the morning of May 9, the court heard. Mr Wright said: 'How did Genevieve suffer asphyxiation?' Roughley replied: 'I'm not sure. All I know is when checked Genevieve each and every time. Even the last time, her face was always visible and never face down.' The defence says Genevieve died as a result of a 'tragic and unavoidable accident'. The trial continues. One of the Arizona young men accused of beating 16-year-old Preston Lord to death has asked that cameras be excluded from court as his lawyer compared them to a weapon. Talan Renner, 17, appeared in a Queen Creek courtroom on Thursday alongside five of the other six suspects in Lord's murder: Dominic Turner, 20, Taylor Sherman, 19, Jacob Meisner, 17, William 'Owen' Hines, 18, and Treston Billey, 18. Talyn Vigil, 17, is the only suspect to be bailed out of pre-trial detention, and was not physically in court, as reported by The Arizona Republic, who was present in the hearing. Renner's attorney argued against the outlet's cameras in the room, saying they were akin to 'a weapon.' Each of the other defense attorneys also requested the cameras be removed. Talan Renner, 17, is one of seven young men accused of beating Lord, 16, to death outside a Halloween party last year in Queen Creek, a suburb of Phoenix. He is seen in March It's billed as one of America's best places to raise children, but the killing of Preston Lord, 16, has highlighted a concerning issue of teen violence in Arizona suburbs The seven suspects of Preston Lord's death, from top left to bottom right: Jacob Meisner, Talan Renner, Taylor Sherman, Treston Billey, Talyn Vigil, Dominic Turner, William Owen The judge allowed the cameras in the end, but asked that they do not capture the suspects' faces. A target trial date was set for July, 21, 2025, after defense attorneys said they did not think they could go to trial within a year. One attorney said his computer crashed over the huge volume of video evidence in the case. Lord died two days after he was allegedly attacked outside a Halloween party last October by the seven young men, several of whom have ties to a violent group who calls themselves the 'Gilbert Goons.' The Goons, officially designated a street gang by the Gilbert police department last week, have terrorized Phoenix suburbs since as far back as 2022. Police were investigating Lord's murder for months before they finally made arrests in March. One Gilbert father, Rick Kuehner, claims he had been trying to get Gilbert police and school officials to protect his son from the Goons since last summer, when his child was first threatened and then brutally beaten up at an In-N-Out parking lot which was a go-to spot for the teen delinquents. After Lord's brutal beating and subsequent alleged attempted cover ups were detailed by The Arizona Republic, authorities reopened multiple cases believed to have been conducted by a larger group of assailants. Renner allegedly couldn't help but brag after Lord was killed, texting fellow suspect Sherman to say: 'I might have hospitalized that kid. I hit him pretty hard.' He is also said to have shown a video of the fatal beating he'd recorded on his phone to friends while declaring: 'Oh, I put this kid on life support.' Renner is accused of being the bully who delivered the devastating 'hammer punches' that ended the young athlete's life. The Goons' reign of terror: DailyMail.com can reveal how the gang of youngsters ran amok in the Arizona town before Preston Lord's death in October His father, millionaire business owner Travis Renner, has been accused of trying to cover up his son's involvement in the killing by taking him out of town while his hands healed from the beating he allegedly handed out. Witnesses told police Renner punched Lord at least four times as the victim was knocked to the ground, before kicking him at least once. Renner then stepped away and allowed the other alleged teen delinquents, who call themselves the 'Gilbert Goons,' to each take a turn assaulting Lord. The other six murder suspects then took turns stomping, punching and even humping Lord as he laid on the ground, according to a police report and as reported by The Arizona Republic. Repeat offenders William 'Owen' Hines, 18, and Dominic Turner, 20, were seen kicking Lord. Jacob Meisner, 17, charged in other Goon assaults, was also seen hitting Lord multiple times. Treston Billey, 18, another Goon previously accused in various assaults, was allegedly the last to attack, jumping on Lord's head as he yelled: 'F*** you, pu***!' All seven suspects have pled not guilty to Lord's murder, and all but Vigil, who posted bail, remain in jail awaiting trial. Yoon hints at presidential veto on special counsel probe into Marines death By Nam Hyun-woo President Yoon Suk Yeol apologized to the public for his wife Kim Keon Hees acceptance of a Christian Dior bag from a pastor in 2022, during a press conference to commemorate the second anniversary of his presidency, Thursday. This was the first time he publicly apologized for the issue, as he had previously expressed regret rather than offering a formal apology. However, the president objected the opposition's push to launch a special counsel probe on the issue and a separate allegation about Kim's involvement in a stock manipulation scandal, describing it as "political maneuvering to conceal the truth." It was Yoon's first press conference in 631 days, following his last meeting with reporters on August 17, 2022, to commemorate his first 100 days in office. Since then, Yoon had refrained from engaging with the press, but decided to hold one after promising to improve communication with the public following the ruling People Power Party's (PPP) crushing defeat in the April 10 general elections. After reviewing the past two years of his presidency and outlining new policy pledges in his opening remarks, Yoon took 20 queries from reporters during a 70-minute question and answer session. He addressed a wide range of topics including politics, foreign policy, economy, and society, as well as controversies surrounding his wife. I apologize for causing concern to the people because of the imprudent conduct of my wife, Yoon said, referring to the handbag scandal, which has exacerbated public sentiment against the administration for more than half a year. But he refrained from commenting further, stating that additional remarks could potentially impact the prosecution's ongoing investigation into the case. However, Yoon maintained a firm stance against the opposition's efforts to initiate a special counsel probe into Kim's acceptance of the bag and the stock manipulation scandal. In January, he vetoed a special counsel probe bill related to the scandal. Despite this, the opposition bloc intends to propose another bill addressing the allegations. The president said a special counsel probe should be launched only if the prosecution's investigation appears insufficient. During the previous administration, the prosecution had already conducted a scrutiny for two and a half years targeting me, and I have to ask: did the prosecution go easy on me and were the investigations insufficient? the president said. Launching a special investigation after already conducting enough investigations seems to deviate from the essence and purpose of the special counsel system, and I believe this, at some point, is a political maneuver to conceal the truth. Yoon also expressed opposition to a separate special counsel probe bill regarding the government's alleged interference in the military's investigation into the death of a Marine during a rescue operation in July last year. The case gained further attention after Yoon appointed then-Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup as ambassador to Australia, even though he was under investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO). This raised suspicions that the president was aiding the minister to avoid accusations, and the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) unilaterally pushed the special counsel bill through the National Assembly on May 2, leveraging its majority. The police and the CIO are already investigating the case, and it will be handed over to the prosecution for indictment and trials of those involved, Yoon said. If these processes are completed, the investigative authorities will brief the public on the results. If the public deems the investigations unacceptable, I will be the first to call for a special counsel probe. The president emphasized that he appointed the former defense minister to the ambassador position due to his expertise in arms exports to Australia. He expressed the view that disqualifying someone from public office solely because they were accused by the CIO would make it extremely challenging to appoint qualified individuals to such roles. The press conference was anticipated to be a barometer predicting whether the Yoon administration would change its approach to handling state affairs and cooperate with the DPK following the election defeat. Although Yoon met with DPK Chairman Lee Jae-myung for the first time on April 29, partisan conflicts persist as the Yoon administration has rejected most of the demands proposed by Lee. Yoon said, cooperation with the opposition does not come immediately after the meeting, but he will leave the door open for communication with opposition politicians. He also emphasized the necessity of a Cabinet reshuffle to rejuvenate government organizations, but he added that he would not rush to appoint new faces. Regarding foreign policy, the president fielded questions exclusively from foreign press correspondents. Regarding the potential for conflict between Seoul and Washington over defense cost-sharing for American troops under a new U.S. administration, Yoon said, "Negotiations will proceed smoothly if both sides approach the issue based on their strong alliance." He also reiterated that relations between Korea and Japan will be future-oriented and will overcome obstacles stemming from historical issues. Yoon added that he and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have trust in each other. Regarding the war between Russia and Ukraine, Yoon emphasized that it is "an attempt to change the status quo by force and an illegal invasion." He also reaffirmed that "Korea does not provide lethal weapons to any other country." When asked about Seoul's strained relations with Moscow, Yoon said Korea will manage its relations with Russia in a manner that fosters partnerships in potential areas of cooperation, while expressing opposition to issues that Korea stands against. Our goal is maintaining a harmonious relationship with Russia and pursuing economic cooperation or common interests together whenever possible, Yoon said. The couple who own the house where Marilyn Monroe lived and then died have filed suit against Los Angeles, claiming that collusion to landmark the historic property is preventing them from razing the house later this summer. Attorneys for Brinah Milstein and Roy Bank filed a suit earlier this week that accused the city of violating codes and plotting with third parties to rush through the landmarking process for the house whose current owners want to demolish it. A demolition permit was initially issued for the single-family home, but now the owners claim a 'spasm of activity' among city staffers has led to the beginning of the landmark designation process, which prevents them from forging ahead with their plan. Monroe, then the most recognizable woman on the face of the planet, lived in the Brentwood house for less than six months before her untimely death in 1962 from a drug overdose at the age of 36. Marilyn Monroe's villa, which she bought and died in in 1962, is up for landmark consideration just as its current owners move to demolish it Brinah Milstein and Roy Bank purchased the home last summer, hoping to destroy it and expand their current Brentwood property next door. Last year, they were awarded the demolition permit Though the house is not visible from the street - Fifth Helena Drive - fans of the late icon often swing by anyway to deposit flowers and attempt to peer past the hedges to see the Spanish Colonial-style home. The property has been altered many times over the decades. It is believed to have first been erected in 1929, but was already a very different house by the time Monroe purchased it for $75,000 in the early sixties. The home's current owners - Milstein, heir to a real estate fortune, and Bank, a reality television producer - purchased it for $8.35million last summer and hoped to demolish it in order to expand their current home, which sits on the plot next door. The pair argue the house has gone through another near-total transformation since the time Monroe occupied it. 'There is not a single piece of the house that includes any physical evidence that Ms. Monroe ever spent a day at the house, not a piece of furniture, not a paint chip, not a carpet, nothing,' reads the suit, according to the New York Times. The house has changed hands at least 14 times since Monroe's death, and undergone numerous remodels about which the city has 'taken no action regarding the now alleged historic or cultural status of the house,' the suit claims. 'All of these backroom machinations were in the name of preserving a house which in no way meets any of the criteria for an 'Historic Cultural Monument,'' it reads. Milstein and Bank are seeking a court order to stop the home from receiving the historic and cultural monument designation. The council is expected to take a final vote on the nomination of the house for historic landmark designation in June. The couple have now filed suit against Los Angeles, claiming that a series of backroom deals are working against them Monroe, then the most famous woman in the world, moved into the house in March of 1962, just about five months before she overdosed on barbiturates inside The Brentwood home is part of a small, private enclave of houses, which became a stunning and sophisticated area in part because of Monroe's decision to move there The current owners are arguing that the house, which has been owned by 14 separate entities since her passing, has been remodeled to the point that there remains no essence of Marilyn left to preserve Monroe poses outside her home in 1962, it was the only property she ever purchased and owned by herself The bed in which Monroe overdosed on August 4, 1962 The house cannot be seen from the street, which does not stop curious visitors from attempting to peer over the fence or gain access to other nearby properties in order to get a peak The ambulance that Monroe's dead body was loaded into on August 5, 1962 Milstein has previously complained about the Marilyn fans who wander the streets of the tony community, ringing her doorbell, asking to be let in so that they may see the late film star's one-time house. The couple, as well as some other residents of the neighborhood are, maybe correctly, convinced that designating the home a landmark will only make their tourist problem worse. Since 2013, the famed house has been flagged by the city's survey program as being 'potentially historic,' but at no time in these last 11 years has it merited the upgrade. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals refused to throw out a federal gun case against Hunter Biden, rejecting the president's son's claim that he is being prosecuted for political purposes. The decision clears the way for Hunter to face a jury trial in the case on June 3 in Delaware, during his father's re-election campaign. The president's son, 54, has pleaded not guilty to three felony charges related to him lying about his drug use when purchasing a gun in 2018. He faces up to 25 years in prison if he is convicted after the trial that could last up to nine days. His efforts to scuttle the other criminal case he faces in California involving tax allegations have also failed. Hunter's lawyers have argued the case was politically motivated and asserted that an immunity provision from an original plea deal that fell apart still holds. Hunter Biden is the first child of a sitting president to be indicted Hunter faces more than 20 years in prison if convicted on the gun charges They had also challenged the appointment of Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss as special counsel to lead the prosecution. 'This appeal is dismissed because the defendant has not shown the District Courts orders are appealable before final judgment,' the three-panel appeals court wrote in the judgement Thursday. Last month, District Judge Maryellen Noreika also rejected Hunter's attempt to throw out the case. The president's son has acknowledged struggling with an addiction to crack cocaine during that period in 2018, but his lawyers have said he didn't break the law. The investigation had looked ready to wrap up with a plea deal last year, but the agreement imploded after a judge raised questions about it. Under the deal, he would have gotten a plea deal in which he would have gotten two years probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanor tax charges. He also would have avoided prosecution on the gun charge if he stayed out of trouble. He was subsequently indicted. Biden's attorneys have argued that prosecutors bowed to political pressure to indict the him amid heavy criticism of the plea deal from Trump and other Republicans. Prosecutors countered the evidence against him was 'overwhelming,' including cocaine residue found in the pouch where he stored his gun. A picture from Hunter Biden's laptop showed the now 53-year-old first son posing nude with a firearm The president's son has acknowledged struggling with an addiction to crack cocaine during that period in 2018, but his lawyers have said he didn't break the law The above form shows Hunter Biden checked 'no' when asked if he is 'an unlawful user of, or addicted to' a controlled substance. But the president's son detailed in his own book that he relapsed in 2018 the same year he purchased the firearm Special Counsel David Weiss brought the gun charges in September, when Biden became the first child of a sitting president to be indicted. He faces more than 20 years in prison if convicted on the gun charges. Biden's attorneys argued the gun charges should be dismissed for a variety of reasons including that the law under which he was charged was likely unconstitutional after the U.S. Supreme Court expanded gun rights in a 2022 ruling. His legal team also had argued that Weiss was not appropriately appointed, that Biden was being selectively prosecuted and that he had a binding agreement that shielded him from prosecution. Biden also has pleaded not guilty to federal tax crimes in a separate case brought by Weiss in California, facing up to 17 years in prison if convicted. That trial is scheduled to start on June 20. The special counsel accused Biden of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019 while spending millions of dollars on drugs, escorts, exotic cars and other high-ticket items. U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi in Los Angeles on April 1 rejected Biden's motions to dismiss the tax indictment. The Justice Department says Hunter faces up to 17 years in prison for the tax charges. At least one Republican has suggested Joe Biden should be impeached over withholding U.S. weapons from Israel and even the president's top Senate ally has gone against him to say the IDF should 'finish the job' in Rafah. Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, is a top surrogate for Biden on the global stage. His public break from Biden's policy is nearly unprecedented. Coons recounted a call last night with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the Senate floor on Thursday. 'You don't just have right to defend the Israeli people against Hamas, you have the obligation,' Coons said he told Netanyahu. 'You have go after them. You have to finish the job. You have to go into Rafah.' Still, he called on Israel to allow Palestinian civilians a pathway out of Rafah. 'There are a million civilian refugees who've flown down to the very bottom of Gaza and now are up against the hard border with Egypt. And given that Egypt will not let any of them into Egypt, you have to provide a pathway for civilians to leave Rafah before you go in at scale, with a bombing campaign, a ground campaign to minimize civilian injuries and deaths.' Speaker Mike Johnson called the move a 'betrayal' after he agreed to risk his job and put a $95 billion foreign aid package on the House floor that included $26 billion for Israel. That package passed only after six months of delay as both sides of the aisle could not come together on Ukraine aid or border security provisions. Sen. Tom Cotton demanded the House impeach President Joe Biden. 'Some people say Joe Biden is doing this for his reelection, which would be bad enough,' the Arkansas Republican said. 'It would also, I have to add, be grounds for impeachment. Graham turned up the heat on Biden to broker diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel. 'I believe a Democratic president is best positioned to build on the Abraham accords went to Saudi Arabia. That would be a major accomplishment,' he said Sen. Tom Cotton demanded the House impeach President Joe Biden . 'Some people say Joe Biden is doing this for his reelection, which would be bad enough,' the Arkansas Republican said. 'It would also, I have to add, be grounds for impeachment' He harkened back to 2019 when former President Donald Trump was impeached for what his critics said was withholding aid to Ukraine for political campaign purposes. Other Senate Republicans, having successfully avoided the half-year fray of the House impeachment inquiry, were hesitant to make such a call, even as they deemed Biden a 'propaganda tool' and a 'mouthpiece for Hamas. 'I didn't come here to talk about that but given what they did to president trump, i think you could make that argument,' Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told DailyMail.com in a news conference. 'It does put the hostages more at risk, it makes the war go on longer. It Emboldens Iran in time they need to be contained,' he said, adding it could also squander the U.S.'s 'last best chance for structural changes in the Mid East.' Coons later told DailyMail.com the call to impeach Biden over withholding arms to Israel is 'ridiculous.' 'President Biden's goal is to continue to support Israel security and to avoid needless civilian deaths,' Coons continued. 'Former President Trump's goal was to extract a personal political benefits from the head of a partner country so I don't see the parallel.' 'Don't go in and do that dumb s---,' Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said of Cotton's impeachment idea. The difference between Republicans and progressive Democrats's view of Biden's handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict could not be more stark - as if they're talking about two different presidents. Last month 56 House Democrats, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, urged the pause in a letter to Biden. Progressives have taken to calling Biden 'genocide Joe' and saying he has 'blood on his hands' for allowing the war to go on seven months before he threatened to withhold aid. Republicans, meanwhile, insist that Israel could do no more to avoid civilian casualties if it is to take out Hamas. 'Israel does not want to kill even a single civilian,' Cruz said. 'There is no military on the face of earth that does more to protect civilians.' Before the passing of the $26 billion aid package last month, the U.S. had given Israel $216 billion in aid since 1946. Most of that came from the $3.3 billion the U.S. offers each year as grants under the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program. It's estimated that U.S. funding accounts for some 15 percent of the Israeli defense budget. The White House reined in Biden's remarks on withholding foreign aid on Thursday. 'Everybody keeps talking about pausing weapons shipments. Weapons shipments are still going to Israel. And they're still getting the vast, vast majority of everything that they need to defend themselves,' National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. Biden told CNN on Wednesday that he would pause more arms shipments to Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launches a full-scale invasion of Rafah. Israelis reacted with fury and ceasefire negotiations have stalled. Netanyahu didn't respond directly to Biden's comment, but he posted a video on social media of a defiant speech he delivered this week in which he said 'no amount of pressure' will 'stop Israel from defending itself.' The president, last week, delayed the delivery of 3,500 bombs to the U.S.'s Middle East ally. It was the first time he used his executive power to influence Israel's approach to its war with Hamas - after progressives for months begged him to do just that. His words of warning on Wednesday were the most direct threat Biden has made to Israel during the seven-month war. 'Civilians have been killed in Rafah as a result of those bombs and other ways. They go after population centers. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they haven't gone into Rafah yet - I'm not supplying the weapons,' Biden said. But Kirby appeared to be clarifying the president's stance. 'As the President said, Israel has not yet launched such an operation. So he was talking about what would happen in the future, if they did. That's a choice that Israel will have to make. And it's one we hope they don't,' he noted. As a result, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, called Biden a 'mouthpiece for Hamas' and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, accused him of being 'the most anti-Israel president this nation has ever seen. Cruz said Biden has been 'undermining Israel at every step of the way.' Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, noted it was Biden who put together the supplemental funding request for Israel. 'Without any consultation, the administration over the weekend halted delivery of essential weapons. It did not inform Appropriations, Foreign Relations or Armed Services commitees. It was a unilateral decision.' Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kans., accused Biden of having a 'schizophrenic national security policy.' 'He says he wants to help Israel but he's scared to lose a handful of votes in Michigan.' Just as Israel and Saudi Arabia were on the precipice of normalizing relations, Hamas launched its October 7 attack on Israel, which killed some 1,200 Israelis and has subsequently led to the death of over 35,000 Palestinians in Israel's counteroffensive. Graham turned up the heat on Biden to broker diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Israeli soldiers with military vehicles gather at an undisclosed position near the border fence with the Gaza Strip 'I believe a Democratic president is best positioned to build on the Abraham accords went to Saudi Arabia. That would be a major accomplishment,' he said. The Abraham Accords, brokered during the Trump administration, led to normalization between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain. On Monday, Israel's military warned about 110,000 civilians to leave Rafah, and hours later its tanks moved in. It was not a full-scale invasion but some worry that one is imminent. Israel has threatened a major assault on area to defeat thousands of Hamas fighters it says are holed up there. Baby Reindeer's 'Martha' tonight revealed her real name was Fiona Harvey - but furiously denied stalking comic Richard Gadd and said she would take Netflix to court over the drama. In a bombshell interview Ms Harvey, 58, said she had only met the comedian three times and when quizzed on the content of some of the messages she admitted sending him called them 'jokey banter' The Scottish woman went on to say she wanted to 'set the record straight' following the Netflix show's phenomenal global success and trolls contacting her online after it began streaming. However, she denied sending him 41,000 emails and scores of tweets and claimed instead it was more like just ten messages and one letter sent by post. In the wide-ranging interview with Piers Morgan, she revealed details of her 'impoverished' upbringing and that she was in a five-year relationship with a male lawyer. Baby Reindeer's 'Martha' has said her real name is Fiona Harvey in a bombshell Piers Morgan interview about Richard Gadd's Netflix stalking drama The 58-year-old alleged stalker is pictured on Morgan's programme The show has been a global success and follows 'Martha' (played by Jessica Gunning) as she stalks aspiring comedian Richard Gadd - who is called Donny Dunn in the show Piers Morgan has dropped the first trailer ahead of his interview with the 'real-life Martha' from Baby Reindeer, which is set to air on Thursday evening at 8pm Baby Reindeer, the extraordinary hit Netflix drama, has been viewed more than 60 million times in the past month The chilling real-life drama was inspired by the ordeal suffered by Scottish creator and leading man Richard Gadd at the hands of 'Martha' (played by Jessica Gunning, right) The clip of the interview sees Morgan grilling the alleged stalker on everything from her views on Richard Gadd to whether she has ever been to prison However, she also admitted she uses four phones as 'I like keeping people on separate phones'. MailOnline had until now chosen not to name and picture her. But following her appearance with Piers Morgan we have decided to publish her picture. The Scottish woman broke her silence in her first ever TV interview with Piers tonight at 8pm. She said she met Mr Gadd 'two or three times' and said she did call him a 'baby reindeer'. On being 'outed' within hours as the 'real-life Martha' online, she said: 'On the internet, sleuths tracked me down and hounded me and gave me death threats. So it wasn't really a choice. I was forced into this situation.' She said: 'I think he [Mr Gadd] always wanted this to come out. 'I don't think I sent him anything. There may have been a couple of emails, jokey banter, but that is it.' Asked if she had a message for Richard Gadd if he was watching, she said: 'Leave me alone, please. Get a life, get a proper job. I am horrified at what you've done.' She said she would 'absolutely' be taking legal action against him and Netflix. She admitted tweeting him 18 times, sending fewer than ten emails and sending him one letter but denied messaging him on Facebook. She said she would happily open up her accounts to prove this. She also refused leaving him voicemails. She denied ever being charged with an offence or going to jail, as the show suggests the character Martha does. She added: 'I think he's probably made it up himself.' 'Why now, why didn't he go to the police at the time?' She said: 'I think anyone going along and doing this to anybody - I find the behaviour outrageous.' Asked if she had watched the drama, she replied: 'Not at all. I've heard about the court scene, about the jail sentences and all this sort of stuff I haven't watched any of it.' 'You're not curious, too?' Morgan asked. She replied: 'No, I think I'd be sick. It's taken over enough of my life. I find it quite obscene. I find it horrifying, misogynistic. 'Some of the death threats have been really terrible online. People phoning me up. You know, it's been absolutely horrendous. I wouldn't give credence to something like that and it's not really my kind of drama.' She said the interest in her was 'absolutely horrendous'. She said: 'I couldn't believe he'd done that. And so long after the first meeting, you know, we're talking 10, 12 years ago, really horrendous.' Speaking about her childhood, she said it was a 'standard Scottish upbringing' in the 'countryside'. She said she was 'impoverished' but had a 'middle class upbringing' along with her sister. Ms Harvey said: 'My mother worked incredibly hard. My parents got divorced when I was nine but she worked like a Trojan.' The 58-year-old also revealed she was in a five-year relationship with a male lawyer. Baby Reindeer delves into Richard's harrowing real-life stalking ordeal and brutal sexual abuse as he plays a fictionalised version of himself called Donny Dunn (pictured) Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning attended a photo call for a screening in LA on Tuesday Morgan has already faced a backlash from mental health campaigners and survivors of stalking over his 'irresponsible' decision to interview the woman. Fiona Harvey's denials Piers asked if it was true Gadd had offered her a free cup of tea after she walked into the pub where he was working, she replied: 'No, that's not correct.' On whether she said he looked like a 'baby reindeer' toy she had as a child, she added: 'I had a toy reindeer and he'd shaved his head, that bit is true, and there were reindeers in the shops because it was Christmas time or something. It was a joke.' She confirmed she banter in the pub had been common, like talking about hanging curtains. 'This was a Hawley Arms joke about about curtains and a lot of sexual innuendo,' she said. Fiona denied Gadd had ever been caught peeping in her window, adding: 'False I didn't see him at my house. I think it would be impossible to look through a window That categorically didn't happen.' Pressed on the 41,000 emails, 350 hours of voice messages, 744 tweets, 48 Facebook messages, and 106 letters she is alleged to have sent him, she retorted: 'That's simply not true. There may have been a couple of emails exchanging, but that was it. Just jokey banter emails.' She denied sending texts or Facebook messages but admitted sending hom 'about 18 tweets'. She said she had sent him 'less than ten' emails. On whether she ever heckled Gadd at a comedy show, she said: 'No.' On whether she ever attacked one of the comedian's girlfriends during a jealous rage, she said: 'No, I don't think he had a girlfriend. But no, I have never been to his house or attacked any girlfriend or anything like that.' Asked about the scenes showing Martha sitting for hours at a bus stop and whether she ever did that, she replied: 'No. Absolutely no This is a fictional character. Hyperbole, exaggeration. This is a fiction. It's based on his imagination.' Fiona also denied ever contacting his parents. After watching a clip of the series, showing Martha pleading guilty to intimidating Richard's character Donny and being sentenced to nine months prison time, Piers asked if she had ever been to prison or been charged, she replied 'no' to both questions. Asked again if the nine month prison sentence in the drama is based on reality, she said: 'That's completely untrue. Very, very defamatory to me, very career damaging. And I wanted to rebut that completely on this show. I'm not a stalker. I've not been to jail, I've not got injunctions, interdicts. This is just complete nonsense.' On whether Netflix had ever contacted her, she said: 'No. No one's contacted me. Never.' On whether she believes the comedian 'felt sorry for her', she replied: 'No, I never got that impression at all. I got the impression that he was all out for himself.' Asked about previous 'inappropriate behaviour' when working for a legal firm in Scotland, she said she had been headhunted due to her employment law credentials. She said no order or hearing was made against her in the aftermath. Pushed again on whether she had left voicemails or sent strings of messages, she said the only explanation for the voice messages must be that she had been taped in the pub while speaking. On whether she was ever in love with him, she said 'no, I don't fancy little boys without jobs'. Advertisement Today, the alleged stalker hit out at Morgan, saying she felt she had been 'set up' during her appearance on his show. Before the tete-a-tete with the celebrity interviewer even aired, the woman went on the offensive, saying she is 'not happy' and felt she was being 'set up' by the interviewer. Describing the 30-minute grilling as a 'sparring match', the alleged female stalker has accused Morgan of trying to 'trip her up' with his questions. 'Piers kept saying to me ''are you sure you haven't sent this guy 41,000 emails and phone calls?''. 'A lot of the interview, for a good 10 minutes, he kept coming back to this,' she told the Daily Record. 'I said, ''Look, even if I had sent some emails, it doesn't mean I'm guilty of the rest of the stuff''. 'As I said, in order to bill something as a ''true story'', it's got to be pretty much 100 per cent true.' She added: 'It seemed to me that I was set up. I feel a bit used.' The Piers Morgan Uncensored special is airing on the broadcaster's YouTube channel, which has 2.58million subscribers. The woman will be looking to 'set the record straight' as she breaks her silence following Baby Reindeer's global success, the preview said. Before her big interview, she paid a visit to celebrity hairdresser John Hala - who has styled the barnets of A-listers Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sigourney Weaver, Elle MacPherson and Kate Moss - at his salon in London's Canary Wharf. Speaking to the Daily Record, she claimed she was paid 250 for the interview and had turned down requests from the likes of This Morning to talk about Baby Reindeer. The chilling real-life drama was inspired by the ordeal suffered by Scottish creator and leading man Richard Gadd - who is called Donny Dunn in the show. Working as a struggling stand-up comic, Dunn first meets his stalker after he offered 'a crying stranger a cup of tea' while he was working at a bar in London. Things rapidly turn sinister, with the series claiming 'Martha' bombarded the 34-year-old from Fife with more than 41,000 emails. She also sent him hundreds of tweets and and flooded his phone with hours of voicemails over an alleged four-year campaign of terror. Posting ahead of the show, Morgan said: 'The real-life Martha from Baby Reindeer breaks cover and gives me her first TV interview about the smash hit Netflix show.' He added: 'Is she a psycho stalker? Find out on Piers Morgan Uncensored.' Baby Reindeer has proven a surprise smash for Netflix, having been viewed more than 60 million times in the first month. Riding on the show's phenomenal success, the cast were pictured attending a swanky screening in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning - who plays Martha - beamed as they posed arm in arm and joined Nava Mau and others for a Q and A on stage. However, the show's runaway success has been far from a joy for the 'real-life' Martha, who claimed she had been left a 'victim' by its surprise popularity. Speaking exclusively to Mail+ last month, the woman insisted she was not a stalker and said: 'He's using Baby Reindeer to stalk me now. 'I'm the victim. He's written a bloody show about me.' She accused Gadd of having 'main character syndrome' and claimed she had faced 'bullying' as a result of the show and was now considering legal action against him. 'He always thinks he's at the centre of things. 'I'm not writing shows about him or promoting them in the media, am I? 'If he wanted me to be properly anonymous, he could have done so. Gadd should leave me alone,' she added. The actress looked worlds away from her role as Martha and had a glamorous Hollywood makeover as they took to the stage Over four and a half years, Gadd says he received 41,071 emails, 744 tweets, letters totalling 106 pages and 350 hours of voicemail messages from the older woman, whom he calls Martha in the show Gadd claimed he went to great lengths to conceal the identity of the woman who stalked him in real life. Despite the comic begging fans not to search for the real 'Martha', internet sleuths went on to claim she was the inspiration for the character. In the series, after Gadd meets his stalker at the bar, things soon descend into chaos. It sees him being regularly followed at home and work, and tracked on Facebook using three fake accounts. Richard Gadd was a struggling stand-up comic working behind the bar at a pub in London He told The Times: 'At first everyone at the pub thought it was funny that I had an admirer. Then she started to invade my life, following me, turning up at my gigs, waiting outside my house, sending thousands of voicemails and emails.' It developed to terrifying lengths as the crazed fan got closer to her obsession - including her turning up at his gigs, his workplace and bombarding him with messages. The actor and comedian was subjected to a campaign of obsession by the woman, known as Martha, that manifested in 41,071 emails, 744 tweets, 106 pages of letters and a staggering 350 hours of voicemail. He says it was 'years' before the police eventually took his complaints seriously - and six years before they finally intervened - something which prolonged the agony for everyone involved including his relatives. The police told him at the time that unless his stalker became physically violent, there was little they could do to resolve the issue. He has said he still finds it hard to trust people and has had 'every therapy going'. He added that the years of being stalked have left him with something 'like PTSD'. For the Netflix role, he lost weight to match his 10-and-a-half stone 'neurotic' self at the height of his own stalking nightmare. Gadd has revealed he first encountered 'Martha' when he was working in a pub and offered her a cup of tea because she was crying Gadd says he's currently single and 'is more cautious' of people because of the campaign of terror that Martha inflicted, saying: 'It takes me a long time to trust them. Before, I entered situations with such abandonment and I got burnt.' However, performing a version of what happened to him has enabled him to have 'ownership' of the trauma. Gadd earned a Fringe award for his show, also called Baby Reindeer, in 2019. Speaking to the Telegraph in 2019 about the one-man show that he wrote after the ordeal, which is currently on at London's Bush theatre, he said: 'It was debilitating beyond belief. 'I'd listen to her voicemails and just feel my eyes welling up. They were tears of frustration. Proper brain-heavy stress.' MailOnline has approached Piers Morgan, Gadd and Netflix for comment. A Costco worker has advised shoppers to buy 10 specific items this month at any of the retail chain's stores. Writer and Costco employee Veronica Thatcher talked to Business Insider today about a variety of must-get products for this month. Thatcher wrote that Costco is a leading retailer in customer satisfaction and that it has a 'rotating inventory' and 'competitive pricing'. 'As someone who's worked at for over 18 years, I'm always on the lookout for the best-value items at the wholesale retailer,' she wrote. The best items to purchase during the final month of spring include delicious food, an activity for warm weather, and a chip substitute. A longtime Costco employee and writer named Veronica Thatcher is advising customers to purchase 10 specific items this month at any of the chain's locations Thatcher wrote that Costco is a leading retailer in customer satisfaction and that it has a 'rotating inventory' and 'competitive pricing' The best items to purchase during the final month of spring include delicious food, an activity for warm weather, and a chip substitute Kirkland Signature Tuscan Chicken Wrap The Kirkland Signature Tuscan Chicken Wrap has been available to purchase at the Costco deli since April. It costs $7 per pound, which comes to about $16 or $17 in total The Kirkland Signature Tuscan Chicken Wrap is a new item that's available only at the deli in all Costco locations. The deli item first arrived at Costco in April, and it received positive reviews from Reddit users after its release. The wrap is filled with rotisserie chicken, spinach, bell peppers, red pepper pesto, black olives, and cream cheese. It also comes with a container full of a sun-dried tomato spread that consumers can put inside or outside the wrap. Costco customers can get this precut wrap today for $7 per pound, which is about $16 or $17 in total. Happy Hop Crocodile Cave Adventure Water Slide The Happy Hop Crocodile Cave Adventure Water Slide is suitable for children ages three and up. The water slide costs $400 online and in store A fun activity for kids which helps with staying cool outside this summer is a Happy Hop Crocodile Cave Adventure Water Slide. Costco refers to the product as an 'exciting and entertaining inflatable water slide' that is easy to inflate, deflate, and store. The slide is perfect for children ages three and up and it can carry a maximum of three children that weigh around 100 pounds each. Thatcher likes that the slide is easy to store and bring outside on warm days despite it having a $400 price tag. Bloomington Cascading Cup Fountain The product comes in at more than five feet tall and it's a modern decorative that can be put in any room of one's house. It costs $300 in the store that Thatcher works at The unique and decorative fountain, with amber-colored glass beads and copper-colored bowls, is more than five feet tall. It is a fountain that Costco says 'commands your attention' with a 'melodic waterfall sound.' The product is not meant to be a desk decoration, but it can be a great feature for any room in one's house, including a living room or bedroom. Thatcher wrote that the fountain also comes with an Allen wrench and its worth $300 at the store in which she works at. However, the price could be different in other locations, and as of now, the total cost of the fountain when purchasing it online is unclear. Kirkland Signature Dipped & Chewy Granola Bars Kirkland Signature Dipped & Chewy Granola Bars are sold in other retail chains besides Costco. Thatcher claimed that she bought a box at her workplace for $11 Consumers can find these tasty granola bars in various store chains and online. However, Thatcher was excited to try on the Kirkland Signature Dipped & Chewy Granola Bars that she decided to snag them from the Costco store where she works. 'The chocolate-and-caramel combination immediately hooked me,' she wrote. The scrumptious granola bar includes a milk chocolate coating and a caramel center with no artificial colors or flavors. Every box comes with 48 granola bars, which Thatcher was able to purchase at her workplace for $11. The longtime Costco employee may have gotten lucky with the price since one box of 48 granola bars costs $23.99 on Amazon. Blackstone 6 Piece Griddle Toolkit The Blackstone 6 Piece Griddle Toolkit is a great buy for anyone that is hoping to keep their outdoor grill in top shape For anyone hoping to purchase top-notch tools at Costco, the Blackstone 6 Piece Griddle Toolkit may be the best item to buy. Thatcher wrote that the toolset is currently 'a hot seller' at her work, and it comes with everything someone needs to work on an outdoor grill. The set includes a griddle scraper, spatulas, and two 16-ounce squirt bottles. Currently, the Costco store where Thatcher works is selling this product for $20. This could possibly be a fantastic deal, especially since more than one similar Blackstone griddle tool kit can be worth around $50. Woozoo Five-Speed Globe Fan The Woozoo Five-Speed Globe Fan is a great product for consumers that need to stay cool for the summer. It is currently available to purchase at Costco for $47 Temperatures are increasing and everyone who needs to stay cool in the summertime can purchase a Woozoo Five-Speed Globe Fan at Costco. The product is a compact, remote-controlled fan with five speeds, a timer and an LED turn-off function. 'The modern Vortex grille design not only adds to the charm of its new home, but also delivers efficient airflow, making it an investment in both comfort and sophistication,' read Costco's product description. The breeze can also stretch to 82 feet, which is perfect for a small room or work area. Thatcher wrote that the fan costs $47 at her store, which is the same price as the product on Costco's website. Costco's Lemon-Meringue Cheesecake Costco's Lemon-Meringue Cheesecake has arrived at Thatcher's workplace despite the treat having been available for purchase at some locations since last year The Costco bakery has added another baked good to their delicious dessert choices. Thatcher had nothing but good things to say about her store's lemon-meringue cheesecake, which is 'a toasted-meringue topping, and a sweet graham-cracker crust.' The cheesecake may not be available at all Costco locations and a Reddit user even wrote that their nearest store location had this desert available last year. Other Reddit users gave the cheesecake good reviews, but more than one person wrote that the desert was 'too sweet.' The Costco desserts can vary, but the store where Thatcher works is currently selling this treat for $22. Hurley Ladies' Swimsuits Hurley is a popular company that sells bathing suits and wetsuits for men and women. These suits are expensive, but Costco is selling some of them for only $22 Summer is the time to take a dip in the pool, so a bathing suit may be a great purchase to make this month at Costco. Thatcher's Costco has a variety of choices available at its store, a famous brand being Hurley. Hurley is a famous company focusing on swimwear like bathing suits and board shorts. The product's 'stretchy fabric and adjustable shoulder straps' is why Thatcher loves the bathing suits. Swimsuits on the official Hurley website are not cheap, but they are available to buy at Costco for $22 at Thatcher's store. Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Milk Chocolate Almond Ice Cream Bars A box of Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Milk Chocolate Almond Ice Cream Bars is a popular dessert product at retail stores worldwide Ice cream trucks may be overrated in Thatcher's mind, especially since she praised Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Milk Chocolate Almond Ice Cream Bars. She called the sweet treats 'a delicious warm-weather desert,' which includes vanilla ice cream, milk chocolate, and almonds. Haagen-Dazs is a well-known ice cream brand that is sold in several retail chains worldwide. Each box sold at Costco contains 15 bars and the product has been rated more than four stars on various online stores. The prices for these ice cream bars vary, but they are worth $13.90 per box at Thatcher's store. 4505 Chicharrones Chile-Limon Party Mix An 11-ounce tub of 4505 Chicharrones Chile-Limon Party Mix is going for $8 at more than one Costco location. Consumers can purchase a 7-ounce bag for nearly $16 on Amazon Consumers who love potato chips may enjoy a zesty bag of 4505 Chicharrones Chile-Limon Party Mix. It is a bag or container full of seasoned fried pork rinds in Tajin, chile, and lemon flavors. Pork rind lovers that are hoping to purchase these snacks for a party may want to get an 11-ounce tub at Costco. Thatcher's workplace is currently selling those tubs for only $8. Interestingly enough, the price for a 7-ounce bag of this snack is nearly double the cost of a tub on Amazon. Longtime Palm Beach residents are fighting to preserve the island's little remaining middle to upper middle class character as rich developers seek to tear down the current standings to build luxury condos. At the center of the feud between locals and developers is the Ambassador Hotel. Cain International and OKO Group bought the Ambassador and an apartment building across the street for $147 million in 2022 with the intent to demolish the hotel. Their plan is to replace dated building with 'the most ultra-luxury multifamily project likely that the town will ever see,' Bloomberg reported. The three-star Ambassador is already besieged by condos to its north, south and west, and residents feel that a new building that exclusively caters to the uber-wealthy is unwarranted. Complaints have been filed about what the developers wanted to do with the property in an attempt to grind the process to a halt. The Ambassador Hotel, a three-star property in Palm Beach that was bought by two developers in 2022. They plan to demolish the Ambassador outfit the new luxury multifamily complex with rooftop decks, fountains and at least 10 swimming pools An aerial view of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate is seen Aug. 10, 2022, in Palm Beach, Florida Billionaire investor Paul Tudor Jones' sprawling $71 million estate in Palm Beach The coast of Palm Beach, Florida in May 2021 And residents have Palm Beach's strict building codes on their side, which locals are unsurprisingly against loosening. Cain and OKO Group initially planned three buildings to replace the Ambassador, each of which would be five stories high. They failed to change the pesky zoning laws though, and now they're altering their blueprint and asking the Palm Beach Town Council for individual exceptions. The homeowner's association next door to the Ambassador is against the increased square footage and the 'intensity' of the proposals by Cain and OKO Group. The new property would have rooftop decks, fountains and at least 10 swimming pools, according to renderings. Bobbie Lindsay, the town council president, said most people who actually live in the area 'could never afford to buy a unit like this, not even remotely,' adding that the developers should engage with the community more. Though, its not clear that the community would support anything Cain and OKO want to do. Aerial footage of Downtown West Palm Beach in May 2021. Its an area that one Palm Beach resident said he doesn't want his more low-key community to transform into as new money developers descend onto prime beachfront real estate The Flagler Museum, also known as Whitehall a 75-room mansion, built by Henry Flagler as a wedding present for his wife, Mary Lily Kenan Flagler, completed in 1902 on Friday, Sept. 25, 2020 in Palm Beach A 1984 picture of a pool area adjacent to a magnificent Palm Beach mansion Palm trees stand on the grounds of a mansion designed by architect Addison Mizner in Palm Beach At a recent town meeting, an apartment owner nearby said he and others 'dont want to become West Palm Beach,' which in recent years has been transformed into a glittering row of skyscrapers, complete with sleek office buildings and luxury condo complexes. Of course, Palm Beach itself is already filled with obvious signs of wealth and excess, with superyachts parked in the marina and the streets being clogged with Lamborghinis and Rolls Royces. Plus, Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort is there, along with billionaire Paul Tudor Jones' giant $71 million mansion. Another resident at the meeting took issue with the proposed rooftop pools, saying she didn't want to see 'dancing girls on bars'. Paul Holland, who has owned a condo next door to the Ambassador for 15 years and mostly supports the new project, gave a frank assessment of how locals think and how if the developers want to be successful, they might just have to steamroll residents' concerns. 'Getting things through the pipeline here - you're going to have lots of people who will argue with you about everything,' Holland told Bloomberg. 'The Ambassador is not an attractive place, so it can only get better.' Holland still noted that if his neighborhood were to ever become a haven for billionaires, he'd 'have to move out'. Bloomberg reports that developers, although they're getting a lot of upfront resistance, may eventually win in the end by simply playing the waiting game. Picture of the Champlain Towers in Surfside, Florida. The south building collapsed in seconds, killing 98 people The disaster prompted Florida's legislature to pass a law requiring all condos that are older than 30 years and have more than three stories to undergo assessments. In Palm Beach, these assessements could force current condo owners to do costly repairs, making them more likely to sell to big time developers with deep pockets That's because all 30-year-old plus Florida condo buildings with more than three stories are facing mandatory assessments at the end of the year that more than likely will force the owners to do expensive repairs. The devastating 2021 Surfside condo collapse in Miami, which killed 98 people, prompted the Florida state legislature to pass a law mandating these assessments of older buildings. A member of the Citizens Association of Palm Beach told Bloomberg there are at least five buildings in the area that are negotiating with developers over buyout deals to avoid being on the hook for the impending assessments. The Ambassador, for example, was built in 1947, and the all the buildings around it are at least 30 years old with most of them being much older. 'The world is different in the post-Surfside world,' said Harvey Oyer, the lawyer representing the Ambassador developers, during a public meeting. 'Theres also the fact that were at the greatest demand for waterfront real estate in the history of Florida in this post-Covid real estate boom.' The Labour-controlled Welsh Government has bought luxury office chairs costing almost 900 each - despite the majority of desks being mostly unused due to working from home. Since March 2019, officials have spent 33,959 on 46 Famiglia high back large chairs with an orbital worksurface, figures released under Freedom of Information laws revealed today - 14 of them purchased after the first national Covid lockdown in 2020. Since the pandemic, the Cardiff government has encouraged working from home. Last year it was revealed that Welsh Government offices in Cardiff had 2,967 desks - but only 14 per cent were used by civil servants on average. At its Bedwas office complex, the 206 desks were occupied just eight per cent of the time. Since March 2019, officials have spent 33,959 on 46 Famiglia high back large chairs with an orbital worksurface (pictured) According to the Cardiff administration, some of the chairs were to replace furniture damaged by Storm Dennis in February 2020 Tory MS Janet Finch-Saunders said: The public sector should not be replacing furniture, even if damaged during floods, with designer goods According to the Cardiff administration, some of the chairs were to replace furniture damaged by Storm Dennis in February 2020. The price has steadily increased since 2019 to nearly 900 today. But Tory MS Janet Finch-Saunders said: The public sector should not be replacing furniture, even if damaged during floods, with designer goods. She added: A quarter of a century on since the founding of devolution, we are still with the same Welsh Labour Government and they are behaving like champagne socialists with taxpayers money. How ridiculous to buy luxury chairs at a time when staff are working from home, and people are struggling with daily costs. A Welsh Government spokeswoman said it operated a policy of flexible working including working from the office, remotely from other locations, and from home. The purchases outlined in the FOI response include those made both before and during the Covid-19 pandemic as part of incremental refurbishment activity, and to replace items damaged following flooding during Storm Dennis, she added. We proactively look to repurpose our furniture across our estate before making any new purchases. Details about the gruesome Victorian terrace house of the 'Eunuch Maker', who ran an extreme body modification ring, have been revealed including testicles being hung in a frame above the bed. Marius Gustavson, 46, was jailed today for a minimum of 22 years for running the vile enterprise, which saw him make 300,000 from videos of penises, testicles and legs being severed from victims who had been pressured into taking part. He conducted the businesses alongside accomplices such as his 'right-hand man' Peter Wates, 67, a retired former member of the Royal Society of Chemists from Surrey; and Janus Atkin, a 38-year-old trainee vet from Newport. Now, details have been released detailing how a two-bedroom rental flat in a Victorian conversion in Harringay, north London, hid the Eunuch Maker's dungeon of horrors. Andrew, an IT worker in his 30s whose name has been changed, told the Guardian: 'It was a nice flat. It wasn't seedy, although he did subsequently build this little dungeon thing under the stairs. The two-bedroom rental flat in a Victorian conversion in Harringay, north London, where Marius Gustavson carried out extreme body modifications Marius Gustavson and other members of his 'cult' cut off men's genitals, nipples and other limbs while streaming the footage online Peter Wates, 67, a retired former member of the Royal Society of Chemists, and David Carruthers, a 61-year-old retired hospital porter The operations were filmed and uploaded to Gustavson's 'Eunuch Maker' website which subscribers would pay to watch 'Aside from that, it was just like a normal flat. His bedroom was normal, clean, the wall was smothered with porn.' Andrew went on to explain how there was a picture frame above the bed which Gustavson displayed his removed testicles. It also had a sign on the door saying: 'Theo's playroom, open 24 hours, seven days.' Rigged with cameras, it was where extreme body modifications were carried out by Gustavson such as a 'sub-incision' procedure on Andrew's penis in July 2020. David Carruthers, a 61-year-old retired hospital porter, was involved in six procedures including four testicle removals. He worked for Ceredigion and Mid Wales NHS trust from 1991 to 2002 but had no medical qualifications. His boyfriend, 32-year-old Ashley Williams, also formed part of the butchery ring. Gustavson's boyfriend, Jacob Crimi-Appleby, a 23-year-old from Epsom, froze off Gustavson's leg in February 2019 - forcing it to be amputated. The Norwegian would go on to claim 18,000 in disability payments up until 2021. Also involved were Damien Byrnes, a 36-year-old male escort from north London, who removed Gustavson's penis with a kitchen knife at his home on February 18, 2017; Ion Ciucur, a 30-year-old Romanian; and 61-year-old German Stefan Scharf. Nurse Nathan Arnold, 48, from South Kensington, west London, received a two-year suspended sentence for the partial removal of Gustavson's nipple with a scalpel in the summer of 2019. Gustavson and his acolytes carried out male castration, penis removal and other 'grisly' procedures on an unprecedented scale, the Old Bailey heard. Procedures were videoed and posted on Gustavson's Eunuch Maker website which netted him more than 300,000 between 2017 and 2021. On one occasion when Gustavson cooked 'what appeared to be human testicles which are then plated to be eaten' and kept other body parts as 'trophies', Judge Mark Lucraft KC said. A former friend of Gustavson's who gave his name as Andrew was once an administrator of the 'Eunuch Maker' website and went into the Norwegian's flat. 'It was a nice flat,' he told the Guardian. 'It wasn't seedy, although he did subsequently build this little dungeon thing under the stairs. 'Aside from that, it was just like a normal flat. His bedroom was normal, clean, the wall was smothered with porn.' 'Andrew' described a picture frame about Gustavson's bed where he displayed his severed testicles. It was in his bedroom that he carried out several of the extreme body modifications, including a 'sub-incision' procedure on Andrew's penis in July 2020. Gustavson, who lived in Haringey, north London, and has been involved in LGBT activism, admitted charges including conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. Today, Judge Lucraft sentenced him to life with a minimum term of 22 years. He said Gustavson had been the mastermind of the 'gruesome and grisly', 'large scale' and 'extremely dangerous' enterprise. Damien Byrnes, a male prostitute, was sentenced at the Old Bailey to five years in prison for causing GBH with intent Atkin and Williams pictured in mugshots released today by the Metropolitan Police Some of the vile messages Gustavson exchanged with site users Six other men received jail terms of between four and a half years and 12 years for their part in the plot. Judge Lucraft said: 'I am entirely satisfied that the motivation of all those involved were a mix of sexual gratification as well as financial reward.' Some of what happened was 'little short of human butchery', he said. Extreme body modification is linked to a subculture where men become 'nullos', short for genital nullification, by having their penis and testicles removed. Previously, prosecutor Caroline Carberry KC said Gustavson was linked to at least 29 procedures. After one of them, Gustavson cooked severed testicles for lunch which he ate in a salad he had prepared for himself, she said. He had taken various pictures from 'raw ingredients to an artfully arranged salad platter', Ms Carberry told the court. She added: 'There is also, we say, clear evidence of cannibalism.' The court heard Gustavson, who had two previous fraud convictions in Norway, offered to sell the severed penis of one of his victims for hundreds of pounds. According to court documents, body parts were put up for auction online with a 'buy it now' button. The other defendants had admitted their part in the conspiracy relating to 13 victims, the youngest of whom was 16 years old. Ms Carberry said the defendants used a wide variety of tools such as clamps used for animal castration. Some 22,000 subscribers paid to access videos on the Eunuch Maker website, with varying levels of membership from 'free' to 'VIP' which cost 100. Gustavson was arrested after he used a red hot iron to brand a man's calf with the letters EM - for eunach maker. Gustavson's boyfriend Jacob Crimi-Appleby, 23, was jailed for three years Romanian man Ion Ciucur Ciucur (left) admitted conspiracy to cause GBH with intent in relation to two modifications. Stefan Scharf (right), a German, was sentenced to four and a half years in jail In a victim impact statement, the man who complained to police, described Gustavson as a 'lunatic' who had put together a 'slick, professional website'. The police investigation led to the arrest of 10 men in London, Scotland and South Wales. During raids, officers found Gustavson's penis in a drawer in his home four years after it had been amputated. Earlier in mitigation, Rashvinderjeet Panesar said the breakdown of Gustavson's marriage was the 'trigger' for his offending. The defence barrister said: 'He had a desire to be the architect of his own body. 'His modification led him to feelings of empowerment. 'It appears at face value to be something that's become an addiction for him.' Gustavson had pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit grievous bodily harm, five counts of grievous bodily harm with intent, making and distributing an indecent photograph of a child, and possession of criminal property. The other six defendants had admitted conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. Wates was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Atkin, of Newport, Gwent, was jailed for 12 years. Ciucur, 30, of Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, received five years and eight months imprisonment, and Scharf, of no fixed address, was sentenced to four and a half years in jail. Nathan Arnold, 48, from South Kensington, west London, admitted removing part of Gustavson's nipple Carruthers 61, and Williams, 32, of Newport, Gwent, were jailed for 11 years and four years, six months respectively. In January, three men were sentenced after admitting causing grievous bodily harm to Gustavson. Byrnes, 36, from north London, was jailed for five years for removing Marius Gustavson's penis with a kitchen knife. Crimi-Appleby was jailed for three years and eight months for freezing Gustavson's leg leading to the need for it to be amputated in February 2019. Arnold received a two-year suspended sentence for the partial removal of Gustavson's nipple with a scalpel in the summer of 2019. Kate Mulholland, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'Marius Gustavson ignored the risks of performing unnecessary surgery on vulnerable men for sexual gratification and financial gain. He actively recruited participants through his website and was paid to stream the footage of these barbaric procedures. 'Whilst the victims in this case all seemingly consented to surgeries and amputations, the victim who bravely reported his assault to the police expressed serious regret regarding his procedure and the lasting impact it has had upon him. This clearly emphasises why such practices are unlawful. 'The severity of today's sentence should act as a warning to others that performing extreme body modifications is against the law and the CPS won't hesitate to prosecute these horrendous crimes.' A TikToker who lost her best friend in a car accident has undergone another brain surgery just weeks after being taken off the ventilator. Camryn Herriage, 23, suffered severe injuries in a hit-and-run that killed her best friend, Sara House, in February. Their vehicle was waiting at a red light when a Ford pickup driven by an 'extremely intoxicated woman' smashed into them, causing a chain reaction crash. That landed her in the hospital where doctors gave her a less than two percent chance of surviving. After weeks of recovery and being taken off the ventilator, her uncle Tim Herriage, posted a new Facebook update detailing her health, revealing that her recovery has hit a setback. Camryn Herriage, 23, was riding in a car alongside her college roommate and three other friends on February 11, when their vehicle was smashed into by a Ford pickup After weeks of recovery and being taken off the ventilator, her uncle Tim Herriage told supporters she will have to undergo another brain surgery Tim told his niece's supporters that due to increasing pressure on her skull, she will have to undergo another brain surgery to relieve the pressure and fluid buildup. 'It's been tough as the pressure in her skull has been increasing. After a CT scan yesterday, the doctors decided she needs another brain surgery to relieve the pressure and fluid buildup,' the concerned uncle wrote. The next day, he said that the surgery 'went as planned' and she is being sent 'fluids for testing to see if there is an infection'. The young adult has already had brain surgery, heart surgery and several other operations since the tragic crash. In mid April, Tim shared that she is attentive and engages with her surroundings in the limited way that she can. The young adult has already had brain surgery, heart surgery and several other operations since the tragic crash Their vehicle was waiting at a red light on Beckley Avenue, in Dallas, when a Ford pickup truck slammed into them, causing a chain reaction car crash that left five injured and one dead Tim previously said that while she is in the process of retraining her cognitive functions, she is still experiencing pain from her injuries 'Her eyes track movements, and she enjoys watching friends and Disney movies, showing signs of engagement with her surroundings. Notably, she was able to grab a ball, hold it, and drop it on command multiple times, demonstrating progress in her physical abilities.' He said that while she is in the process of retraining her cognitive functions, she is still experiencing pain from her injuries. 'Camryn is actively retraining herself physically, showing determination and resilience in her recovery journey. Mentally and cognitively aware, she mouths words like "hi" and demonstrates conscious control of her bodily functions. Despite her progress, she continues to experience pain from her injuries.' While Camryn has ways to go in terms of her recovery, her family member said he and the rest of her friends and family remain hopeful. Her best friend and college roommate from Texas Tech University, Sara House, (pictured) tragically died in the hit-and-run Over the past few months, her mother, Shirley Campanello, said she feared the worst when she watched her daughter be wheeled into a six-hour surgery that wound up taking just 90 minutes 'We understand that Camryn's recovery will require ongoing physical, speech and other therapies. While we recognize that there's still a long road ahead, we remain hopeful for her continued improvement. Your love and support have been invaluable throughout this challenging time, and we're grateful for every gesture of kindness and encouragement.' He ended his post with the hope that Camryn will regain her speaking abilities soon. 'Though we're not yet out of the woods, we hold onto hope that Camryn will regain her ability to speak in the coming weeks. Thank you for standing by us on this journey of healing and recovery.' Over the past few months, her mother, Shirley Campanello, said she feared the worst when she watched her daughter be wheeled into a six-hour surgery that wound up taking just 90 minutes. 'I knew she was gone. I just knew it because he (the doctor) was out to fast ... but it was good news, not bad,' she recalled, speaking with Fox 4 News. The outlet reported that doctors at Methodist Dallas Medical Center haven't expected her to do as well as she has throughout her harrowing experience post-crash. 'Ninety-eight percent of people wouldn't have made it, but she did,' said her mother. As Camryn continues her recovery, she has yet to be made aware that her friend didn't make it. In mid April, Tim shared that she is attentive and engages with her surrounding is the limited way that she can Herriage, pictured here being wheeled around the hospital, has undergone several intense surgeries since the crash Camryn is expected to spend at least two more months at the hospital before she's moved to a rehab center Friends have stopped by and visited and her mother says she wonders why they come without Sara. She said she 'sees the doubt in her eyes.' But the family feel 'like Sara is pushing her along' through the intense recovery. Camryn may be required to relearn even simple motions. But her family is holding on to hope that she will one day make it home. 'We were told by several people this is the best we could do. They were pretty set that she would be dependent on a ventilator. It was hope. That was all we had,' said her mother. Camryn is expected to spend at least two more months at the hospital before she's moved to a rehab center. The suspect in the crash, 27-year-old Carmen Guerrero, remains locked up in the Dallas County Jail. The woman who allegedly ran after the crash was identified by police as 27-year-old Carmen Guerrero Her dad confirmed in a Facebook post that she worked as a social media management and branding company based in Lubbock, Texas Following the deadly wreck, witnesses say they saw Guerrero running from the scene. She is now facing a handful of charges, including manslaughter. She was arrested 11 days after the collision, and after detectives found her wallet in the car. The crash occurred just two blocks from the apartment Herriage shared with House in a 35-mph zone. House worked at Ralph Lauren after graduating from Texas Tech, having studied business, management and marketing and also competed in bikini competitions. A hotel owner has died in Brazil as a result of complications she experienced from plastic surgery. Fabia Portilho underwent a mammoplasty and liposuction at Unique Hospital Hospital in Goiania on Saturday and died from pulmonary fatty thromboembolism and obstructive shock, her family said. The 52-year-old was released from the hospital Sunday, according to a Civil Police report. She was admitted to the medical facility on Tuesday after complaining of discomfort on her abdomen and died hours later. Her family is now accusing the hospital and the surgeon, Dr. Nelson Fernandes, of medical malpractice. 'She was hospitalized and had blood tests done. The family asked for a CT scan, but doctors said she was anemic and didn't need a CT scan,' Portilho's cousin, Mariana Batista, told Brazilian news outlet G1. Fabia Portilho underwent mammoplasty and liposuction at Unique Hospital Hospital in Goiania last Saturday and died from pulmonary fatty thromboembolism and obstructive shock on Tuesday, her family said Portilho had plastic surgery at a hospital in Goiania, Brazil on Saturday and returned the following day because she was experiencing abdominal pain Doctors who were on shift as well as Fernandes did not place a request for X-rays while she sat at the hospital crying in agony. 'She just took the blood bags, and when the shift changed, the doctor saw it was a serious infection and said Fabia needed an Intensive Care Unit,' Batista said. Doctors recommended that Portilho be transferred to another hospital where she could receive proper care, but her family had her moved to a medical facility they were more comfortable with. 'She arrived at the hospital in shock and received excellent care, however, her lungs were already compromised by an embolism and septicemia,' Batista said. Brazilian authorities are investigating Portilho's death Portilho's family has said they are holding the hospital liable for her death because it took them more than 10 hours until they decided she had to be transferred to another facility Fabia Portilho owned the Planaltos Palace Hotel in Goiania, a city in the central Brazilian state of Goias The family has said they are holding the hospital liable for Portilho's death because it took them more than 10 hours until they decided she had to be transferred to another facility. 'The doctor didn't accompany Fabia to the other hospital,' Batista said. Unique Hospital said in a statement that it informed the family that Portilho needed to be 'stabilized' before proceeding with the transfer. 'The hospital advised relatives not to transfer her to another unit due to the patient's unstable condition. However, the family decided to transfer, arguing that there was a family doctor working in another institution,' the family said. 'To do this, they hired ambulance services, even though they were expendable. 'The hospital advised relatives not to transfer her to another unit due to the patient's unstable condition. However, the family decided to transfer, arguing that there was a family doctor working in another institution,' the hospital said. 'To do this, they hired ambulance services, even though they were expendable. The surgeon who performed the mammoplasty and liposuction on Portilho said that she 'did not express any complaints at her post-operative return appointment' 'The hospital advised relatives not to transfer her to another unit due to the patient's unstable condition. However, the family decided to transfer, arguing that there was a family doctor working in another institution,' the hospital said 'The hospital advised relatives not to transfer her to another unit due to the patient's unstable condition. However, the family decided to transfer, arguing that there was a family doctor working in another institution,' the hospital said. 'To do this, they hired ambulance services, even though they were expendable. The hospital added that reviewed the 'risks involved' and warned the Portilho's family to wait until her condition improved. 'The critical condition was communicated to relatives, explaining the risks involved and the need to wait for the patient to stabilize before undergoing a CT scan," the statement said. "Even so, the relatives decided to proceed with the transfer, taking full responsibility for the decision." In a statement, Dr. Fernandes revealed that Portilho didn't report report any issues following the two surgeries. 'The patient did not express any complaints at her post-operative return appointment, and her recovery was proceeding as expected,' he said. 'On Tuesday, however, the patient attended the hospital, presenting complaints that were immediately investigated. However, despite the instability presented, the family chose to transfer to another hospital.' Dr. Fernandes added that he continued to monitor Portilho's health. 'I emphasize that, at no time, did I stop providing assistance to the patient, always following the appropriate protocols and medical practices recommended by the Regional Council of Medicine and the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery,' he said. 'Detailed information about the patient's medical records cannot be shared publicly, due to medical confidentiality and the General Personal Data Protection Law, but I am available to the family for any clarifications,' he indicated. 'Valuing the health and recovery of my patients is an absolute priority in my medical work, and Mrs. Fabia's death saddens me deeply.' President says medical reform cannot be postponed any longer By Jun Ji-hye President Yoon Suk Yeol said, Thursday, that he will create a new ministry dedicated to addressing the country's low birthrate and aging population, vowing to focus all possible capabilities on overcoming drastic changes in the demographic picture. He said a deputy prime minister will lead the new ministry to set the unprecedentedly low birthrate as a state priority and formulate policies encompassing all related matters such as education, labor and welfare. I will mobilize all possible measures to overcome the low birthrate, as the issue amounts to a state of national emergency, Yoon said during a press conference marking the second anniversary of his presidency. The government will work to let people take maternity and child care leave more freely and sufficiently. We will expand support for companies to reduce their financial burden caused by these employees leave. Yoon asked the opposition parties, which control the National Assembly, to cooperate in revising the Government Organization Act for the establishment of the new ministry. So far, matters involving the low birthrate have been handled by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy. However, neither of them has managed to achieve a breakthrough in alleviating the country's demographic crisis. Korea is battling the worlds lowest birthrate, being the only country to have its total fertility rate below 1 among the 38 OECD members as of 2021. Data by Statistics Korea showed that Koreas total fertility rate, which means the average number of expected births from a woman in her lifetime, hit 0.72 in 2023, down from the previous record low of 0.78 in the previous year. In the October-December period in 2023, the rate fell to an all-time quarterly low of 0.65. Amid the falling birthrate, Statistics Korea estimated that the countrys population would decrease to 36.22 million in 2072 from 51.44 million in 2023, and that more than half of the population would be aged 60 or older. Rival parties appeared to both recognize the need to establish the new ministry overseeing the demographic crisis, as both the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea presented similar pledges during the lead-up to the April 10 general elections. During his press conference, President Yoon stressed that his administrations medical reform initiatives, which include the controversial plan to increase the medical school admissions quota starting next year, was another effort to cope with the low birthrate. The medical reform plans, including the medical school quota hike, cannot be postponed any longer, considering an explosive increase in demand for health care services, Yoon said. The country needs better systems for essential medical treatment fields as well as for underserved areas, as many parents face difficulties seeing doctors when their children are sick. The president made it clear, once again, that the government will continue to push for the medical reform policies despite fierce protests from doctors. Since February, over 90 percent of the countrys 13,000 trainee doctors have been protesting the governments plan to increase the number of medical school seats by 2,000 for next year, claiming such a drastic hike will compromise medical education and training. The Yoon administration has asked the doctors community to present their unified measure regarding the range of the hike and engage in dialogue, but doctors have stuck to a position that the government should withdraw the plan and go back to square one. The refusal of the doctors community to produce the unified measure has been a key sticking point for the dialogue to proceed, Yoon said. Consulting with doctors has been very difficult, but we cannot postpone it forever. Many are worried they will not be able to receive care if they can't pay upfront Increasing numbers of Americans are sharing they are getting asked to pay medicals bills in advanced in order to receive vital health treatments. Hospitals have resorted to requiring patients to pay for services in order to receive them, in an effort to battle debt as costs of operations rise. In the past, hospital would typically bill patients after a procedure. U.S. hospitals have provided more than $620 billion in uncompensated patient care over the last 20 years, the American Hospital Association reported in 2020. To combat the growing number of care that goes unpaid for, social media users are saying hospitals are increasingly asking them to pay in advance. 'Yo MedStar Health what's with this b******t pay before a surgery? My options are either scramble for $6k in two weeks and not pay bills after or not walk and be in pain? Cool cool,' said Robert Crews on X. Hospitals have resorted to requiring patients to pay for services in order to receive them, in an effort to battle debt as costs of operations rise 'My partner has to have hip surgery on April 11. We've already sunk $1k+ into the pre-surgery costs and set up payment plans for after,' said Morgan Lee. 'The doc called 20 minutes ago saying that if we can't pay $554.89 before April 9, the surgery won't happen.' 'We're already barely making rent and bills as it as it is, with things just getting tighter without partner's income during recovery,' Lee said. 'My 2nd grader developed appendicitis overnight. The hospital required a $1,463.93 pre-payment in the ER before they would take him for an emergency surgery but no one could tell us how they calculated that amount. Our ER copay is $250 and it's waived if you are admitted,' Dr. Emily Porter on X. 'This seems to be a new thing for hospitals. I had a scheduled knee surgery last month and the hospital called me at least 5 times in the few days before asking me how much of my estimated costs I wanted to pay up front. Asked again on admission too. My answer? Bill me,' said a user named Andy. Approximately 23 percent of what patients owe is collected by hospitals before treatment, according to an analysis of first-quarter data this year from 1,850 hospitals by healthcare consulting and software company Kodiak Solutions, reported The Wall Street Journal. 'No one would say "pay up or we won't treat you," but we're saying you have a large out-of-pocket cost and we want to know how are you going to pay for it,' Jonathan Wiik, a principal at TransUnion Healthcare, told Consumer Reports. However, a KFF Health Care Debt Survey found that 41 percent of adults in 2022 had some debt caused by medical or dental bills. Three in ten of those who do not currently have health care debt are vulnerable to falling into debt, according to the survey. They said they would be unable to pay a $500 unexpected medical bill without borrowing money. The trend of hospitals asking for payment in advance has many worrying they will not be able to receive care until they pay up - even delaying necessary treatment. 'I have an echocardiogram in 2 weeks, and now I've just received notice that I will owe $1445.50 at check-in based on my estimated insurance coverage,' said one Reddit user. 'This appointment was made months in advance, and this entire time I've been planning to negotiate a fair monthly payment after the appointment. There is absolutely zero chance I will have that much to give them now with two-weeks notice.' 'Has anyone else been expected to pay at check-in and not been able to? Will they really turn me away,' the user asked. Federal law requires hospitals to treat patients in emergency medical conditions regardless of if they can pay for it. After her request was denied, she contacted the ACLU of Nevada A student has claimed that her high school is breaking the law by preventing her from wearing a homemade graduation robe to her upcoming graduation ceremony. Jocelynne Zepeda, a senior at El Dorado High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, said that she wanted to wear the custom-made regalia for her May 31 graduation but said the school initially denied her request. The high school graduate wanted to wear a Guatemalan flag, which she said represents her mothers side of the family, and flag of Mexico, as a tribute to her father who died earlier this year. 'My dad passed this past year. I want to show him, and I want him to be proud,' she said, in part. 'Im proud of who I am because thats who he is.' Zepeda's mother Katie Franco told local Fox5 News that she submitted photos on April 2nd, and followed the school's instructions to obtain approval, but never got a response until weeks later. On May 6, Franco said she received an email response from the school administration informing her to 'only wear things received by Eldorado during the ceremony.' She then contacted the ACLU of Nevada. Jocelynne Zepeda, a senior at Eldorado High School is pictured with her mother The high school graduate shared that her father passed away earlier this year, and she wanted to wear the flag of Mexico as part of her graduation attire The special regalia the young woman was barred from wearing Guatemalan and Mexican flags The non-profit organization had sent a letter in April to the Clark County School District. In the letter they urged them to repeal their graduation participation agreement that outlines the ceremony dress code. They also cited a bill that was passed in 2023, which allows students to wear cultural and religious items at graduation. Athar Haseebullah, Executive Director of ACLU of Nevada, told the news outlet: 'Students are being told that they cant wear stoles representing their national origin, and that is a total insult and violation of AB73.' The Clark County School District issued a statement to DailyMail.com stating that the school district rescinded the graduation participation agreement, as of April 19, 2024. Athar Haseebullah, Executive Director of ACLU of Nevada, said: 'Students are being told that they cant wear stoles representing their national origin, and that is a total insult and violation of AB73' The high school graduation ceremony at El Dorado High School is slated for May 31 'Students are permitted to wear traditional tribal regalia or recognized objects of religious or cultural significance as an adornment to their cap and gown in accordance with AB73,' the Clark County SD media relations department said. 'CCSD encourages all students and families to be mindful of the occasion and respectful of their fellow graduates so that everyone can enjoy the ceremony equally. A Catholic school teacher in Washington state says she will not be returning to the school where she has taught for years for the next academic school year because she is marrying a woman. Parents of students at St. Luke School in Shoreline are upset by the school's decision to let go of a talented kindergarten educator who has been with the school for four years. Karen Pala's contract was not renewed by the school's head pastor, Father Brad Hagelin, due to her plans to marry a woman over the summer. In the text of a letter sent to parents, Hagelin says Pala serves in her role not just as a teacher but as a minister. He said if her personal life choices do not align with the teachings of the Catholic church, then she will no longer be considered a good role model for students. Kindergarten teacher Karen Pala's contract was not renewed by the Catholic school at which she's worked for four years, because she is set to wed a woman this summer Parents are deeply upset that the Catholic school to which they send their children is abiding by the church's doctrine Hagelin, who is due to leave the school at the end of the current academic year after more than a decade in his position, wrote: 'In these difficult situations, a pastor might find himself unable to sign a new yearly covenant (contract) in good conscience.' A former teacher at St. Luke, Tracy Rathke, who worked in the classroom for a quarter of a century, said she was incredibly 'disappointed' about Hagelin's decision. 'It's a really sad way for him to leave 11 years at this parish,' she told Fox 13 Seattle. 'No matter how you wrap it, its hate, and its not something that I want my former students to live in, its not something that I want the kids that are going through this school right now to live in. Its not the message that we should be sending,' she added. Just across the street from the school hangs a banner expressing love for Ms. Pala. A heart filled in with rainbow colors (a sign of the LGBTQ community) stands in for the word 'love,' on a sign that reads: We [heart] Ms. Pala. The sign is not the only action being taken related to the school's decision. More than 1,100 people have signed a petition to reinstate the elementary school teacher in her role. Parents of students at the institution have created a group they are calling LUKE, the Saint after whom the school is named, but also an acronym for 'Love, Unity, Kindness and Equity.' The group is attempting to demand Pala be given her job back. They are hoping to make lasting change as well by amending the church school's employee handbook to include language that would protect individuals from being discriminated against due to their marital status. Supporters of Pala told Fox 13 they are planning to rally outside the Catholic school this weekend. Father Brad Hagelin, who has worked at the school for 11 years and is leaving at the end of this one, made the decision to not renew Pala's contract Hagelin said Pala's personal choices no longer align with the teachings of the church and she is therefore not a good role model for Catholic students Alex Hagel, an attorney for Pala, told the outlet they plan to appeal Hagelin's decision to Archbishop Paul Etienne, who has served as the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Seattle since 2019. The Archdiocese, when prompted for comment, released a statement on behalf of Etienne: 'As with all employment-related matters we do not share details to respectfully protect the privacy of everyone involved. However, details around this situation have clearly emerged, maybe leading to some rumors, and cannot be ignored. 'The reality is that we live in a tension. After more than a year of study in 2020-2021, the covenant taskforce concluded that there is no clear, consensus for how to apply the covenant clause. 'Some people may place a greater emphasis on our moral teachings, while others may place greater emphasis on our social teachings. Both applications are legitimate, and yet, each is incomplete. Therein lies the expression of our human experience - we are incomplete. 'Because there isnt a single defined answer, we must dialog like Jesus did. This is why the application of our covenant clause is handled at the local level to allow for this dialog and discussion to provide a deeper understanding of our teachings and expectations.' This is the moment two men robbed a mail carrier in broad daylight and pointed a gun to her head in a brazen robbery on a sun-drenched street. The frightening incident took place around 4:30pm Monday in Dublin, California, as two masked robbers ran up to a postal worker as she placed items in a mailbox. One of the unidentified thieves pointed a gun at her head as they snatched the mail out of her hand before they ran away with her keys to mailboxes and her phone. The mail employee, 63, who wished to remain anonymous, told KTVU she is scared to return to work because of the incident. 'I thought he was going to shoot me when he was done, but I'm thinking in my mind just stay calm, stay calm, stay calm,' she said. Two men robbed a U.S. Postal worker around 4.30pm Monday in Dublin, California. (pictured: one of the suspects pointing a gun at her head) The suspects then forced into her truck and made her grab her phone and keys to mailboxes before they fled Video of the traumatic encounter shows the unsuspecting female employee placing mail in a mailbox while her truck is parked behind her. The two suspects then sneak up behind the truck and approach her. One of them grabs her by her waist as she screams, while the other walks up behind him. A man holds a gun to her head and starts rifling through the mail in her hand, while the other stands close by. She then passes her keys to the man with the gun before the three of them make their way to the truck as they make her give them her phone. One of the robbers puts his head inside the truck to watch her as the other stands behind him and looks around the area. Seconds later, the armed robber pushes her out of the truck before he goes back in, grabs her keys and runs off with his accomplice. The video ends with the employee standing by herself, holding her face in shock as she tries to understand what happened. 'Somebody came behind and boom, just hit me and put a gun to the back of my head,' she said. 'And he said, "Gimme your keys, you don't wanna die, do you?"' The employee said the robbers gave her two minutes to grab her phone and keys for them. After the robbery, the employee went to a neighbor's house for help and called 911. The employee said the robbers gave her two minutes to grab her phone and keys for them After the robbery, the unidentified 63-year-old employee went to a neighbor for help and called 911 Though she did not suffer any physical injuries, she was left scared emotionally and mentally. 'It's been really hard, I mean it's like I can't sleep, I can't think, I mean it's like, my heart's pounding,' she said. The employee said that she has gotten help from a psychiatrist to deal with the trauma. She told KTVU she has worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 33 years and that she planned to retire in about a year-and-a-half. The employee said she wants to go back to work and believes her love of the job will inspire her to return. 'I love my customers, I like to serve them,' she added. A neighbor captured video of a blue sedan driving to and from the scene of the crime that could belong to the suspects. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $150,000 for any information that could lead to the arrest of the two robbers. It is considered a federal crime to rob a mail carrier in the U.S. There is a possibility that they could face state and federal charges. The federal agency said at least six mail carriers have been robbed in the Bay Area since April. A four-year-old boy 'miraculously' survived after his heart stopped beating for 19 hours and his family gathered to say goodbye. Cartier McDaniel, from Denver, fell ill on April 8 and was rushed to the Children's Hospital Colorado after his condition worsened. Doctors told his family that he had gone into cardiac arrest and his heart had stopped, and he was placed on life support. For 19 hours, doctors tried everything to bring him back, but they told his parents the outlook wasn't good and the extended family gathered to say goodbye. Then, his heart started beating again. Doctors reportedly said they had no medical explanation for how it happened, but Cartier's father, Dominique, told NBC News: 'It was God.' Cartier McDaniel, from Denver, fell ill on April 8 and was rushed to hospital after his condition worsened Doctors told his family that he had gone into cardiac arrest and his heart had stopped, so they placed him on life support Cartier's mother, Destiny Anderson, told NBC News the moment doctors told her the prognosis was bad was 'the worst moment of my life.' She added: 'The whole hospital room was spinning. I was shaking. I couldn't believe it was happening.' Doctors frantically tried CPR and when that didn't work, they placed him on a form of life support where blood is pumped through and oxygenated by an artificial lung. For 19 hours, they assessed how badly damaged his other organs would be by the lack of oxygen and tried to restart his heart. Anderson said, 'At that point, we're just praying for the best. He was on life support but it was only a matter of time before the machine stopped working.' His family gathered at the hospital to pray and say goodbye, sleeping outside of his room. Anderson said, 'I'm not going to lie, I did have doubts that everything was going to be OK. I'm human. I'm thinking, "How am I going to tell my kids I'm not bringing their brother home?" 'I was trying to make peace that this may be what God wants.' For 19 hours, Cartier's family assessed how badly damaged his other organs would be by the lack of oxygen and tried to restart his heart Anderson said, 'I'm not going to lie, I did have doubts that everything was going to be OK. I'm human. I'm thinking, "How am I going to tell my kids I'm not bringing their brother home?" Then - apparently for no foreseeable reason - his heart started beating again. His long term prognosis is unclear as he was without oxygen for so long and he suffers from unknown brain damage. It is not yet known how long he will need to be in hospital, or what the long term health effects may be. His family said the cardiac arrest was triggered by a group A Streptococcus infection, which then led to sepsis. The details of his infection are not yet known. Prince Harry has been pictured at the airport flying out of the UK before his Nigeria tour with Meghan Markle. The Duke of Sussex was seen arriving at the Windsor suite at Heathrow Airport after he attended St Paul's Cathedral yesterday to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. The estranged royal has been in London since Tuesday, attending various events relating to the competition. Both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will now begin their tour to Nigeria tomorrow as they visit the country's military headquarters and promote the Invictus Games. They are set to arrive in the morning before their first engagement. Officials in Nigeria said the couple's trip will be in a 'private' capacity and run until Monday, also including a visit to Lagos. Prince Harry seen arriving at the Windsor suite at Heathrow Airport as he leaves the UK Prince Harry and Meghan, pictured in South Africa in 2019, will be visiting Nigeria this week Harry pictured playing games with bereaved military children as he made a surprise visit to a charity event The 39-year-old spent the afternoon with 50 children and young people who have experienced the death of a military parent He took part in games and spoke to the youngsters as part of the fun-filled event hosted in London by Scotty's Little Soldiers Earlier today, Harry chatted and played games with bereaved military children as he made a surprise visit to a charity event. The 39-year-old spent the afternoon with 50 children and young people, aged between six and 22, who have experienced the death of a military parent. He took part in games - including one which saw the duke use a straw to transport Smarties as quickly as possible - and spoke to the youngsters as part of the fun-filled event hosted in London by Scotty's Little Soldiers. Harry also spent time talking to nine members from Scotty's Council, a group of young people who represent the charity's other members, who discussed their experiences of growing up without a parent. The Duke completed two tours of Afghanistan between 2007 and 2013 as a forward air controller and an Apache helicopter pilot, having flown countless training missions in the UK, US and Australia. He said: 'It was an honour to meet so many of the wonderful families Scotty's Little Soldiers supports. 'I have long believed in the mission of this charity, and I truly believe the work they do to foster community and create space for young people to connect, grieve, but also have fun together is life-changing. 'I am a huge supporter of their work, and very proud to be their first global ambassador.' The Prince said: 'It was an honour to meet so many of the wonderful families Scotty's Little Soldiers supports' Harry also spent time talking to nine members from Scotty's Council Prince Harry put on a brave face yesterday as he left St Paul's Cathedral alone following a service to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games The estranged royal, who was met with cheers from the crowd, beamed as he shook hands and joked around with dozens of people who had lined up to greet him The charity - for which he became a global ambassador in November - was one of seven which had been nominated by Harry and Meghan to benefit from donations marking the couple's wedding ceremony in 2018. Harry has been involved with the charity since 2017 and recorded a special video message in 2022 dressed as Spider-Man for its children's Christmas party. READ MORE: Clean-cut Prince Harry dons his medals for video from the back door of his Montecito mansion Advertisement Georgia Paterson, 16, said it was 'amazing' to speak to the duke about the experience of losing a parent growing up. She said: 'Prince Harry was the best person to share that experience with because he's been through it and understands better than anyone. 'It was really moving to see how vulnerable he was with us, which encouraged us to open up as well.' Georgia added: 'It felt really connecting because when your parent served, they served for the country, and one of the most important things for the country is the royal family. 'Speaking with someone who is part of that made me feel more connected to my Dad. It was amazing to be connected to him in that moment.' Nikki Scott, who founded the charity in 2010 following the death of her husband during a tour in Afghanistan, said: 'It was amazing to see all the smiles in the room when Prince Harry walked through the door. The Duke joked around with one enthusiastic royal fan who had her arms outstretched with two phones to try and get the best shot of Harry Harry arriving at St Paul's Cathedral for a service to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his Invictus Games The Duke of Sussex remains estranged from many family members after a string of attacks on the Royal Family in recent years Prince Harry speaks to guests and members of the clergy as he arrives for the event at St Paul's to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games King Charles III during a visit to Gibraltar Barracks in Minley, Hampshire 'The Duke of Sussex has supported Scotty's for a long time, which means a lot to our members because they know he understands what it's like to experience the death of a parent and the challenges they face. 'It's important to our members to maintain their connection to the military community, which Prince Harry is also passionate about. 'Events like these are so valuable to our members because it enables them to develop friendships with others in a similar situation, as well as have lots of fun.' Scotty's Little Soldiers currently supports more than 670 bereaved military children and young people up to the age of 25, offering one-to-one bereavement support, guidance to parents and carers, fun activities such as holidays and group events, and learning assistance. This is the harrowing moment a 23-year-old airman was shot dead by a cop at his home while on FaceTime after a neighbor reported hearing someone being slapped. Bodycam footage shows the moments leading up to US Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, being killed last Friday afternoon. A neighbor describes a disturbance to the officer as she leads him through the apartment building. She tells the sheriff's office cop a fight had gotten 'out of hand' in one of the apartments - and described hearing a slap. When asked what room the alleged fight took place in, the woman responded '1401'. The law enforcement officer confirmed with the woman that he was going to the fourth floor before riding the elevator up to Fortson's off-base residence at an apartment complex on 319 Racetrack Road in Okaloosa County, Florida. Upon arriving at the the door of an apartment, the officer knocked once - and then again, saying 'Sheriff's office. Open the door' twice. As the door opened, the sheriff ordered 'step back' and 'do not move.' The officer then fired six rapid shots that sent the 23-year-old stumbling to the ground. Bodycam footage of the moment a 23-year-old airman was killed at his home after police allegedly forced their way into the wrong apartment and shot him has now been released U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, was identified as the young man shot dead in a shooting last Friday afternoon A witness, who was on FaceTime with Fortson during the time of the shooting, claimed Fortson heard a knock at the door and asked who was there. According to the witness, when he did not receive a response but heard another 'very aggressive knock,' Fortson peered through the peephole - but did not see anyone and grew concerned. Out of concern, Fortson retrieved a gun - which he owned legally, according to the witness. When he returned to his living room with the gun, authorities allegedly pushed through his door and shot him six times. The traumatized witness, who remained on the FaceTime call for the duration of the horrifying shooting, recalled that Fortson said 'I can't breathe,' after the shots were fired. Fortson later died at the hospital. The deputy involved in the incident has since been placed on administrative leave while the shooting continues to be investigated. The 23-year old was based at the Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida. He entered active duty on Nov. 19, 2019 He was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron as a special missions aviator, where one of his roles as a member of the squadron's AC-130J Ghostrider aircrew was to load the gunship's 30mm and 105mm cannons during missions. As the door opened, the sheriff ordered 'step back' and 'do not move.' The officer then fired six rapid shots that sent the 23-year-old stumbling to the ground The black airman (pictured) was killed in his Florida apartment after police forced their way into the wrong apartment and shot him as his horrified friend watched on FaceTime The terrible incident took place at Fortson's off-base residence - an apartment complex on 319 Racetrack Road in Okaloosa County, Florida Fortson (pictured on the left) was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron as a special missions aviator after entering active duty on Nov. 19, 2019 The Air Force's 1st Special Operations Wing said its priorities are 'providing casualty affairs service to the family, supporting the squadron during this tragic time, and ensuring resources are available for all who are impacted.' Fortson's mother, Meka Fortson, said that it had always been a dream of her son to service his country and that he had wanted to become a pilot. 'It's a disbelief. Every day, I try to go to sleep early to wake up like it's a dream,' she told Military.com. 'He just came back from deployment from fighting for us. With everything we got going on in our country, he's fighting for us and he came back to be murdered, slain like that so violently.' 'He was my gift, and they took my gift away,' Roger's mother said. 'And they didn't give it to me. God gave me that gift ... and they took my gift away.' A similar incident happened involving the same sheriff's office back in November - in which the officer shot an unarmed and handcuffed man after he mistook the sound of a falling acorn for a gunshot, according to The Washington Post. The Washington Post's database of fatal police shootings from 2015 to April this year found that police killed the highest number of people on record in 2023. Black Americans are killed by police at more than twice the rate of White Americans. Is Graeme McCormick still available? The veteran SNP activist stood aside and let John Swinney become leader without a contest, but on the strength of the First Ministers first parliamentary outing, Mr McCormick was robbed. Swinney choked. It was his debut First Ministers Questions and he was at turns hesitant, rambling, underbriefed and trying too hard. Was it an unmitigated disaster? No, in the sense that he didnt set himself on fire or accidentally declare war on Norway, but it was bad. Sitting to his right no jokes, please was Kate Forbes, reminiscent of the heres what you could have won segment in old game shows. Douglas Ross raked over the embers of Swinneys time as education secretary, reminding him of his promise to raise teacher numbers by 3,500 by the end of this parliament. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes listens as John Swinney attends his inaugural First Minister's Questions Would he be sticking to his word? Back came a halting reply about Westminster funding, but no answer. The excuses are the same as weve had before, Ross spat, before repeating the question. Ive just come back into office, the First Minister protested. Ive not been on this front bench in 12 months. His mewling was pitiful. The bloke was effectively co-leader of Scotland for 16 of the past 17 years. He didnt just walk in off the street, despite the impression his performance gave. Ross levelled his query a third time. Bloodlessly, Swinney stated: Ive nothing really to add to what Ive said to Douglas Ross about the financial position we face. After years spent cultivating the image of a provincial bank manager, he sounded like he was turning the Tory leader down for a fixed-term mortgage. The evasiveness drew barracking from the Conservative benches, led by Craig Hoy, an MSP who speaks more often than he has something to say. Ross entered Jeremy Paxman territory by asking his teacher-numbers question a fourth time in a row, as Swinney grimaced silently. I am going to be straight with the public of Scotland, he announced. No doubt hell start any day now. Things did not improve when Anas Sarwar stepped up, scolding the SNP for fixating on themselves and not the hundreds of teachers about to be made redundant by their colleagues at Glasgow City Council. Events of the past two weeks had been frankly traumatic for my party, Swinney said. Being part of a mass lay-off is frankly pretty traumatic, too. The First Minister refused to intervene, but acknowledged challenges, prompting Sarwar to remind the former finance and education secretary who created the challenges. The Labour chief urged for fresh leadership. I have good news for Anas Sarwar, Swinney piped up. Fresh leadership has just arrived and I am here to deliver it. A gale of laughter tore across the chamber, interspersed with applause on the Nationalist benches. Labour MSPs pointed out that some of those chuckling were SNP members. They are laughing because they are delighted that I am here to do it, Swinney protested. That is why they are laughing. They are over the moon that I am here. Lord knows Humza Yousaf was hopeless but the SNP appears to have replaced Mr Bean with Alan Partridge. Scottish Green Party Leader Patrick Harvie today at First Minister's Questions Patrick Harvie, the angriest little cabbage in all the land, seethed over the appointment of Kate Forbes and accused Swinney of taking us back to the repressive values of the 1950s. It makes a change from trying to take us back to the 1310s. Swinney objected that his government would be led from the moderate left-of-centre and rhymed off the lefty policies Forbes had helped deliver. Harvie was unplacated. The strongest turn of the day came from Labour firebrand Pauline McNeill, who demanded the Crown Office be held fully accountable for wrongful Horizon convictions in Scotland because it did not provide the checks and balances that it should have. She wants to haul the Lord Advocate before the parliament. Its a call Dorothy Bain, KC, can no longer refuse. Planet Fitness increased its membership prices for the first time since 1998, weeks after the struggling company banned a gymgoer for reporting a transgender woman shaving in the female locker room. The woke gym is hiking the price of its base-level membership from $10 per month to $15 per month starting this summer. Current members are grandfathered in at the $10 per month price point 'for the duration of their membership,' the company revealed in its Thursday earnings report. Planet Fitness also said it will start testing higher prices this summer for the Black Card, its top-tier membership. Customers with the Black Card can access any Planet Fitness location, as well as to digital content and other benefits, for a starting price of $24.99 per month. Planet Fitness missed revenue expectations for the first quarter, following its valuation being cut by a whopping $400 million over a mere five day period in March. Planet Fitness is increasing the price of its base-level membership from $10 per month to $15 per month starting this summer. Patricia Silva, pictured, was banned from Planet Fitness after taking a picture of a person claiming to be a transgender woman in the female locker room Patricia Silva spotted this alleged male-to-female transgender individual shaving in front of a young girl at the Planet Fitness in Fairbanks, Alaska, and complained. Planet Fitness refused to reverse her ban The massive wipeout in its market cap - from $5.3 billion on March 14 to $4.9 billion on March 19 - came after Patricia Silva was barred from an Alaska Planet Fitness for sharing on Facebook that a trans woman was in the women's locker room. Silva described the person as 'a man with a penis,' adding that the person was working out in front of a 12-year-old girl. She took a photo of the person and shared it. 'There is a man shaving in the women's bathroom. I love him in Christ. He is a spiritual being having a human experience,' Silva said. 'He doesn't like his gender so he wants to be a woman, but I'm not comfortable with him shaving in my bathroom. I just thought I'd say it out loud.' She recounted her experience in the locker room in a written Facebook post. She apparently cut the person off before they could say they were LGBT, and said, 'You're a MAN and you're invading my space!' A stunning graph depicts the tumble Planet Fitness' market cap underwent following the social media backlash to Silva getting banned from the gym. Its market cap rebounded since and is currently larger than $5.5 billion Former Planet Fitness gym goer Patricia Silva has defended her reaction in a series of Facebook postings Pictured: Planet Fitness CEO Craig Benson Planet Fitness has hired progressive new CEO Colleen Keating who is known for pushing DEI-based hiring. She's due to take over in June Planet Fitness - headed by interim CEO Craig Benson - revoked Silva's membership and filed a police report against her, citing her violation of gym policy by taking photos and/or videos in the locker room. Even when the backlash hit a fever pitch and its stock was going into freefall, Planet Fitness refused to reverse their decision to ban Silva. Shares have rebounded more than 15 percent since March 19. Planet Fitness continued to have controversies as a result of its ultra-inclusive philosophy. In early April, a man allegedly entered the women's locker room of a North Carolina Planet Fitness and paraded around naked in front of women. Christopher Allan Miller, 38, was arrested for doing this. He claimed to be a woman to gain access to the female facilities. There was no indication that he identified as a transgender woman prior to the incident, and his Planet Fitness membership listed him as a male. He also had a beard. Planet Fitness hired a new CEO in April, Colleen Keating, who's known for pushing diverse hiring practices. Keating will take over as chief executive on June 10, following a seven-month search to find a successor after former CEO Chris Rondeau stepped down. Cambridge has been accused of pandering to 'mad Americans' after its university press ditched the term from the title of a world-leading journal. Anglo-Saxon England, which has been running since the 1970s, was renamed Early Medieval England and its Neighbours by Cambridge University Press during a relaunch earlier this week. The university said the title change represented the 'international, interdisciplinary and rapidly evolving nature of research in this field'. But author and historian Dominic Sandbrook criticised it, saying it was made because the publisher 'didn't have the courage to say no to a handful of mad Americans'. The term Ango-Saxon is often thought to have a different meaning in the United States as it has been used by white-supremacists to describe white people of British origin. Cambridge has been accused of pandering to 'mad Americans' after its university press ditched the term from the title of a world-leading journal The university said the title change represented the 'international, interdisciplinary and rapidly evolving nature of research in this field' And in 2019 the International Society of Anglo-Saxonist voted to change its name to the International Society for the Study of Early Medieval England due to the 'problematic connotations' associated with the term. David Abulafia, Professor Emeritus of Mediterranean History at Cambridge University today joined criticism of the change. He told the Telegraph: 'The journal should glory in its distinguished reputation rather than trying to reinvent itself under a bland new name dictated by a passing fashion for dropping the term Anglo-Saxon.' Wanjiru Njoya, a former lecturer at Oxford and Exeter, has also criticised it on social media. She posted 'now Cambridge has changed the name of their journal from 'Anglo-Saxon' to 'Early Medieval' while sharing a news story on how the term was being changed to make teaching at Cambridge anti-racist. The previous title: Anglo-Saxon England which has now been changed by Cambridge University Press The new title: Early Medieval England and its Neighbours Early Medieval England and its Neighbours is a world-leading journal that includes a variety of works by academics in Cambridge's Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic. The department previously tried to 'dismantle the basis of myths of nationalism' by teaching students that Anglo-Saxons were not a distinct ethnic group. The term has typically reffered to a cultural group of people who emerged in the period between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Norman Conquest. A spokesperson for Cambridge University Press said: 'The journal will continue to welcome and use the term 'Anglo-Saxon' as it publishes a broad range of high-quality scholarly research on England, its closest geographic and intellectual neighbours, and their wider cultural contacts from the 5th to the 11th century. 'The new title reflects the breadth of that scholarly work, and is one part of a broader relaunch of the journal, which is now Open Access, will have more regular publications, and take on an expanded scope, with the aim to solidify the journal's position as the foremost in this rich field.' Rep. Choo Kyung-ho, a two-term lawmaker who served as the first finance minister under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, was elected as new floor leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) on Thursday. Choo, who was elected to a third term in last month's parliamentary elections, beat two other contenders Reps. Lee Jong-bae and Song Seog-jun in a vote held during a general meeting of party lawmakers at the National Assembly. Choo is tasked with leading the party in the incoming 22nd National Assembly set to open later this month. Last week, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) elected Rep. Park Chan-dae, a lawmaker closely aligned with DPK leader Lee Jae-myung, as its new floor leader. Choo served as finance minister and deputy minister for economic affairs from May 2022, before resigning in December to run for the April 10 general elections. With more than 30 years of his career as a technocrat in the fields of real economy and financial policy, he is known for his "hybrid" expertise in macroeconomic policy, as well as international economics and domestic finance. Yoon's ruling PPP suffered a crushing defeat in last month's parliamentary elections, winning only 108 seats in the 300-member National Assembly while the DPK secured 192 seats. (Yonhap) A visibly jubilant Stormy Daniels was spotted returning to her New York City residence after her final day of testimony at Donald Trump's criminal trial. The adult film star, 45, was snapped pulling up to her hotel in Manhattan on Thursday afternoon where she was affectionately greeted by her husband, fellow porn star Barret Blade, with a smooch. Daniels appeared giddy and excited to be reuniting with her hubby, as the happy couple can now put the trial behind them and head back home to Florida. Exclusive DailyMail.com photos show the glammed up porn actress arriving outside her hotel with NYPD officers who escorted her from Manhattan Criminal Court after her two-day testimony concluded. Stormy Daniels affectionately greeted her husband, fellow porn star Barrett Blade, with a smooch as she returned from another day of court testimony on Thursday Daniels appeared giddy and excited to be reuniting with her hubby, as the happy couple can now put the trial behind them and head back home to Florida The porn actress, 45, was embraced by her hubby after being escorted back home from court by NYPD officers The adult film star has spent that last two days testifying on the witness stand at Trump's criminal trial in Manhattan She wore a black overcoat draped over a green dress and black stiletto sandals, and had her long blonde locks loose. Blade was dressed much more casually, in a black hoodie, distressed jeans, sneakers, and black Dallas Cowboys cap. Daniels whose $130,000 hush money payment from Trump's team before the 2016 election is at the center of the case has spent the last two days on the witness stand in the ongoing trial. She was grilled during cross examination about her porn career as the former president's attorney tried to portray her as someone who wanted to get rich off selling the story of her alleged affair with Trump. Thursday's proceedings concluded with Trump's defense attorney Todd Blanche is arguing for a mistrial, calling Daniels' testimony 'extraordinarily prejudicial.' It was just over a year ago that DailyMail.com revealed that Daniels had quietly tied the knot with her fourth husband. Stormy had previously gushed over her husband in a racy Instagram post last year captioned: 'Barrett found this pic of us in a scrapbook in his office. This was over 20 years ago.A lot has changed. The way I look at him has not' While Stormy was dressed for court on Thursday, her husband was much more casual in a black hoodie, distressed jeans, sneakers, and black Dallas Cowboys cap, exclusive DailyMail.com photos show She wore a black overcoat draped over a green dress and black stiletto sandals, and had her long blonde locks loose Stormy Daniels' lawyer Clark Brewster praised his client as she left the witness stand following six hours of testimony over nearly two days in the Manhattan trial The two have known each other for 25 years. They originally met in a bar but it was only in recent years that their friendship became romantic. The $130,000 payment she received to keep quiet about her alleged affair with Trump before the 2016 election is at the center of the case The pair was also reported to have been working on a porn movie together called Lawless last year, and Daniels moved to a horse farm in Florida from her home base in Texas to be with Blade. Daniels, an avid equestrian, often talks about her love of horses on her Twitter feed. 'I can't believe I wake up next to this every morning,' she wrote on Instagram next to a picture of Blade smoldering in a cowboy hat. 'My man is hot AF.' The following day it was his turn to post a picture of Daniels staring lovingly at him. 'I love when my wife looks at me like that,' he wrote. Daniels did not reveal where she and Blade, who turned 50 in March, got married. As well as acting in porn movies, Blade is a businessman, running a company called Alienwerxs which sells alien-themed clothing as well as Stormy Daniels merchandise such as T-shirts and calendars Stormy Daniels secretly married fellow porn star and director Barrett Blade in December 2022, DailyMail.com can confirm. He is husband No. 4 Stormy Daniels's estranged husband Glendon Crain was working shifts as a dishwasher at Chili's Grill & Bar in Forney, Texas, when DailyMail.com caught up with him in 2020. He also worked as a porn star under the alias 'Brandon Miller' Both of them use their stage names. Daniels' real name is Stephanie Clifford while Blade's is Russell Barrett. As well as acting in porn movies, California-born Blade is a businessman, running a company called Alienwerxs which sells alien-themed clothing as well as Stormy Daniels merchandise such as T-shirts and calendars. 'When you marry your best friend, life is always going to be goodeven on days it's hard,' Daniels wrote shortly after their marriage. 'Thank you @barrettblade777 for giving me my dream home, life and family,' she wrote on Instagram shortly after their wedding. 'The diamonds and amazing sex are awesome too!' she added in parentheses. Daniels who was born Stephanie Gregory in Baton Rouge, Louisiana first married porn star Pat Myne in 2003. His real last name is Clifford, and she has used that name ever since. They divorced in 2005 and she married Mike Moz real name Michael Mosny two years later. Again the marriage was short-lived and they divorced in 2009. Her third marriage was to Glendon Crain another one-time porn star who acted under the name Brendon Miller and has also played drums in several rock bands. They were wed from 2015 to 2018. Former First Lady Michelle Obama went on another 'secret mission' yesterday, this time in Salt Lake City, Utah. Obama stopped by King's English Bookshop yesterday to pick up a copy of her 2022 book The Light We Carry - a New York Times and USA Today Bestseller. The author walked into the store wearing a dark hat that looked like the item she wore during her Missouri Target store adventure. This time, she wore a matching black jacket and sunglasses in her Instagram video, hoping that no one would recognize her. Her disguise did not work, as customers began to take pictures and record videos right after she finished autographing some of her 2022 books. Obama's disguise may not have mattered, especially since the store's co-owner Anne Holman already knew she was coming. Michelle Obama decided to go on another 'secret mission' in Salt Lake City, Utah. The former First Lady was in town for the Qualtrics annual X4 Summit Obama decided to walk into King's English Bookshop and sign more copies of her 2022 book The Light We Carry. The book was a New York Times Bestseller King's English Bookshop co-owner Anne Holman revealed that she had known about Obama's planned visit since the week before she walked in According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Holman found out that Obama would be visiting the store a week before she came due to security preparations. 'When she actually gets there, its really happening, its just so cool because shes Michelle Obama, but shes also someone that you could really be friends with,' said Holman. Obama did not tell viewers how she chose to enter this bookshelf, but she was excited to wear her 'trusty dusty disguise' and 'stunner shades.' She began to sign copies of The Light We Carry almost immediately and praised another book called Our Hidden Conversations: What Americans Really Think About Race and Identity by Michele Norris. Customers in the background were staring at her and whispering while she was looking through the book, but Obama didn't seem to notice. She and the camerawoman also looked at clothing inside the bookstore, and the former First Lady found a framed photo of her husband, Barack Obama, hanging under a shelf. She purchased more than one item from the bookstore, much to the happiness of its employees. 'I got some great reading for my upcoming trips, a beautiful robe - consider that a very successful adventure,' said Obama. Obama had hoped that her disguise would be enough for customers to not recognize her. However, more than one shopper couldn't stop staring at her Obama purchased more than one item at the bookshop, including a beautifully designed robe. She has since considered her trip 'a very successful adventure' Obama completed the 'secret mission' in Salt Lake City just weeks after she made a special trip to a Target store in Saint Louis, Missouri Obama's first mission took place in Saint Louis after she spoke at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Walking into a Target, the acclaimed author signed copies of The Light We Carry while wearing a neon yellow sweatshirt and shades. She then took a basket and bought a variety of items, including a t-shirt, and matching pajama set, and a pet toy. The Target employee appeared to be very calm around Obama, but she seemed not to recognize her. However, she complimented her hair as Obama was ready to walk away. Obama's video King's English Bookshop flooded with comments after she posted it on Instagram, one comment being from the store itself. The author signed copies of The Light We Carry while at the Missouri Target and went on a quick shopping spree shortly afterward Instagram users flooded her video taken in Salt Lake City with comments. One of the commenters was written by someone who controls the bookshop's Instagram 'Thank you so much for visiting us! We are honored and so appreciate your incredible support of bookshops and literacy,' the bookshop commented. Others have praised the bookshop itself and one person thanked Obama for visiting Salt Lake City. 'I love you... Best first lady ever in my opinion and youre so fun and real and exciting and adventurous and kind and compassionate,' a Instagram user wrote. A few Instagrammers wrote how excited they were to purchase the book, one person hoping to get their 'hands on a signed copy.' Thousands of tourists who previously shopped tax-free in Britain are now heading to Paris, Milan and Madrid instead, a study shows. The revelation comes after Selfridges announced a new round of redundancies, blaming the hated 'tourist tax' for falling sales at its stores. Analysis shows 162,000 visitors from outside the European Union sought refunds on VAT exclusively in the UK in 2019, a year before the scheme was ended. A fifth of these visitors now claim rebates in EU countries, where the tax break still applies. France and Italy are the biggest beneficiaries, accounting for more than two-thirds of the swing. Thousands of tourists who previously shopped tax-free in Britain are now heading to Paris and Madrid instead, a study shows (Stock image) Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt visits a Morrisons store in London on April 29, 2024 Tourists are also flocking to Milan to shop tax-free, with historic malls, such as the one pictured, attracting hundreds of visitors Spain has also benefited, according to the research by Swiss tax rebate provider Global Blue. The figures will put more pressure on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to bring back the refund scheme, which was abandoned in a post-Brexit bonfire. Marks & Spencer, Harrods and Heathrow are among more than 500 major businesses backing the Daily Mail's campaign for the Government to Scrap the Tourist Tax. In 2020, then chancellor Rishi Sunak abolished rules which let tourists from outside the EU claim back VAT on purchases making them 20 per cent more expensive. Research last year suggested scrapping the tourist tax could make the UK 10billion a year better off. Ministers have tried to dismiss business leaders' fears by arguing tax-free shopping benefits only luxury brands and the wealthiest tourists. But retailers argue tourist spending supports jobs across the country. Selfridges boss Andrew Keith this week blamed 70 redundancies on the end of VAT-free shopping, telling staff it 'has significantly impacted international sales'. Russell Nathan, of accountants HW Fisher, said: 'It's time for the Chancellor to bring back VAT-free shopping and put the UK back on the map as one of the world's go-to shopping destinations.' Donald Trump's former executive assistant has revealed that Melania Trump was 'definitely the one in charge' in her marriage to Donald Trump. In dramatic testimony to Trump's hush money trial Madeleine Westerhout said the former first couple had a 'special relationship' founded on 'mutual respect'. When he was president Trump would call his wife from the Oval Office and ask her to look down from a window in the White House residence. And when he was leaving on a helicopter he would call her to 'check in'. Madeleine Westerhout watches as President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with North Korean defectors in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC on Friday, Feb. 02, 2018 Madeleine Westerhout is seen with President Donald Trump in one of her Twitter photos Westerhout gave evidence in a Manhattan courtroom soon after Stormy Daniels, the former porn star who was paid $130,000 by Trump's former 'fixer' Michael Cohen. Trump denies 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up an alleged affair with Daniels. Westerhout broke down in tears on the witness stand as she also recounted how making indiscreet comments at a dinner with journalists had led to her leaving her job in the White House. Former U.S. President Donald Trump watches as Former Director of Oval Office Operations Madeleine Westerhout testifies during his 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 9, 2024 in this courtroom sketch Melania Trump listens as her husband outgoing US President Donald Trump addresses guests at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on January 20, 2021 The cover of Madeleine Westerhout's book 'Off the Record' about her time working for Trump at the White House As Trump looked on from the defense table she answered questions about the former first couple's marriage and how it had been impacted by Daniels' claims. She said nothing appeared to have changed in the Trumps' relationship. Westerhout said: 'I believe they have a relationship of mutual respect. I just found their relationship really special. He cares a lot about her opinion There was no one else who could put him in his place. 'He was my boss but she was definitely the one in charge I remember thinking their relationship was really special. They laughed a lot when she came into the Oval Office.' She went on: 'He once in a while would tell me to call her and let her know was running late, just like any other marriage. 'Shed text me 'Its past dinner time, whens my husband coming home?'.' President Donald Trump and first Lady Melania Trump participate in an event on the South Lawn of the White House on July 04, 2020 in Washington, DC Former President Donald Trump, right, stands with his wife, Melania Trump, as they arrive for a GOP fundraiser, Saturday, April 6, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla Madeleine Westerhout is seen with the Thanksgiving turkey in one of her Twitter photos, posted November 21, 2017 Westerhout told the court she would sometimes look into the Oval Office and see Trump on the phone. She said: 'I could figure out he was on the phone with Mrs Trump. He would say (to Mrs Trump) honey come over to the window (in the residence). He would say come to the window and (they would) wave to each other. 'When he was boarding Marine One on the South Lawn he would call Mrs Trump and say honey Im about to board. I thought it was funny, of course she knows his schedule but he wanted to check in.' Westerhout said working for Trump was 'amazing'. She told the court: 'He never once made me feel like I didn't deserve that job, especially in an office filled with older men. 'He was a really good boss who respected me and my job. I found him very enjoyable to work for.' Madeleine Westerhout became tearful on the stand Stormy Daniels testifies 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 9, 2024 in this courtroom sketch Stormy Daniels with lawyer Clark Brewster at the Trump hush money trial She described how she had to leave her job at the White House after attending what she thought was am off-record dinner. 'I said some things I should not have said,' Westerhout told the court. 'Ultimately, it cost me my job and Im very regretful of my youthful indiscretion. But Ive learned a lot from my experience and Ive grown a lot since then.' She wiped away tears as she recounted the experience, and told how she had written a book to 'process what Id been through'. 'I wanted to document for myself and my family the incredible experience I had working in the White House,' she said. 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 Donald Trump's personal secretary Madeleine Westerhout, left, and White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders at the White House in 2018, Stormy Daniels leaves Manhattan Criminal Court after testifying at former US President Donald Trump's trial She wanted to share with the American people 'the man I got to know'. She said of Trump: 'II don't think hes treated fairly and I wanted to tell that story.' Westerhout also walked jurors through Trump's contact list from early 2017. It included entries for Cohen and David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer who prosecutors have said helped the Trump campaign pay off people with potentially damaging stories to remain quiet before the 2016 election. A husband who 'broke the internet' with a picture of a dress bought for his wedding has admitted brutally assaulting his wife. Keir Johnston turned on terrified Grace Johnston. pinned her to the floor and brandished a knife at their home on the Isle of Colonsay in the Inner Hebrides. She desperately sent messages to friends begging for help as she knew it would take police too long to get to their home. Ms Johnston eventually dialled 999, telling an operator: 'My husband is trying to kill me.' The attack, on March 6, 2022, came seven years after the couple gained worldwide fame for the dress the mother of the bride wore at their wedding. It sparked a global debate over its colours, with people left unable to decide whether it was black and blue or white and gold. Keir Johnston (right) pinned Grace Johnston (left) to the floor and brandished a knife at their home The dress (pictured) shot to worldwide fame after internet users were split over whether the dress was black or blue It was nicknamed 'The Dress That Broke the Internet' because of the extraordinary reaction it garnered online. The couple even appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show in the US, where they were handed $10,000 (8,000) and a luxury trip to Grenada. But a judge heard yesterday that there had been a history of 'domestic abuse' from Johnston, 38, towards his wife. The petrol station attendant pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting Ms Johnston to her injury and the danger of life. Johnston, of Moffat, Dumfries-shire, had been on bail, but he was remanded in custody by Lady Drummond pending sentencing next month. Prosecutor Chris Macintosh said Ms Johnston had suffered previous domestic violence including her husband trying to strangle her before the attack in 2022. Mr Macintosh said: 'There is no permanent police presence on the island and she was in a situation where she felt trapped.' Days before the assault, Grace had gone to the mainland for a job - but Johnston had not wanted her to. In the hours prior to him turning on his wife, Johnston had been drinking at a pub quiz. Grace had been elsewhere. She got 'strange texts' including him stating: 'You should support me, but you do not.' This left her 'worried and anxious', but she returned home where her husband already was. Mr Macintosh said: 'Johnston woke up and said that he was going to leave her. She went outside the property to stop him leaving. 'He followed her and pinned her to the ground. He placed both knees on her arms, so she was unable to move. He then began strangling her with both his hands. 'She was initially able to scream. She feared for her life and believed Johnston intended to kil her. He was very forceful.' The couple appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show in the US where they were handed a 8,000 luxury tip to Grenada A witness heard the screams and tried to pull Johnston away. He initially stopped and went back inside - but stormed back out threatening to 'finish' his wife 'off'. Johnston again choked her. The husband was seen clutching a knife - frightened Grace managed to 'keep her distance' as she believed he would stab her. After Grace got no reply from friends, she dialled 999. The harrowing call was played in court. A witness also raced to get her help. Grace was soon discovered 'crying and hyperventilating'. She was so upset she could only partially explain her ordeal. Johnston in the meantime was found hiding under a desk in his cottage still clutching a knife. He briefly put the blade to his throat at one stage, but the weapon was grabbed from him. Grace suffered 'visible' bruising and marks to her neck as a result of the assault, but luckily needed no medical treatment. The court heard Johnston later 'alluded to previous episodes of marital violence' when talking to a doctor. He also described bouts of 'emotional distress' since he was a child. Mr Guarino yesterday said Johnston had always accepted responsibility for assaulting his wife that night. He urged Lady Drummond to continue bail for the first offender. The judge told Johnston: 'I have no need to tell you that this is a serious and violent offence. 'You repeatedly strangled her, injured her and put her life in danger in what must have been absolutely terrifying circumstances for her. 'I am afraid, Mr Johnston, that your status has now changed, you have been convicted of a very serious crime and you will be remanded meantime.' Speaker Mike Johnson has insisted he's not holding any 'grudges' against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for trying to have him fired, but other Republicans are done with the chaos she and her rabble-rousing cohorts have brought on this Congress. 'I don't hold grudges. I've got to work with everybody. I told her last night before she left the floor, let's move on, Marjorie,' Johnson told 'Fox and Friends' on Thursday. Johnson told Politico he told Greene on the House floor after the vote: 'Im not angry about this. We have to work together. And I want to work with you guys and those ideas we were talking about. Im still working on them, so I hope we can put this behind us and move forward.' Johnson said Greene signaled a willingness to work with him. Other Republicans have not been so kind to the Georgia firebrand - and some have quietly suggested she be removed from committees. Speaker Mike Johnson has insisted he's not holding any 'grudges' against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for trying to have him fired, but other Republicans are done with the chaos she and her rabble-rousing cohorts have brought on this Congress 'I don't hold grudges. I've got to work with everybody. I told her last night before she left the floor, let's move on, Marjorie,' Johnson told 'Fox and Friends' on Thursday Johnson, however, has already signaled that removing members from committees as retribution could have consequences, and is unlikely to heed such calls. 'They probably want to kick me off committees. They probably want a primary,' Greene acknowledged after the failed vote on Wednesday. 'I say, go ahead.' Ideas that have been floated include allowing the GOP conference to vote on removing a member from committees or even from the conference itself if they force a motion to vacate. The biggest change less troublesome Republicans have demanded is to the rule former Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed to allowing a single member to file a motion to vacate and force a vote on the House floor. That rule change led to his ultimate demise - Democrats did not swoop in to help the way they did with Johnson. It's unlikely they could do this before next Congress. With a one-vote margin and right-wing conservatives opposed to it, they'd need Democratic help to change the rules. That is almost certain to be further than Democrats are willing to go to help the speaker. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said the ones who voted to table, or kill, the motion to oust Johnson would be the ones who faced consequences, predicting they would 'take an ass-whooping from their base.' In addition to two movements to oust speakers, Republicans have thwarted the leadership agenda by opposing typically mundane procedural votes that set up a final vote on legislation. Members have already proposed removing Republicans who oppose the speaker's priority legislation on the Rules Committee, through which nearly all bills pass. 'Members who refuse to support the Speakers agenda should resign from the Rules Committee immediately. If they refuse, they should be removed immediately. They are there on behalf of the conference, not themselves,' Rep. Mike Lawler wrote on X weeks ago. He reignited those calls after the Wednesday vote. Just 10 Republican colleagues joined the Greene in voting to advance the motion to vacate that would kick the speaker out of office. It took just 30 minutes for her effort to collapse in scenes reminiscent of the circus that led to the vote to get rid of Kevin McCarthy. Only 43 House members voted to move Greene's motion forward. A vote to 'table' or kill, the motion succeeded 359 to 43. The typically reserved Johnson let loose after the vote: 'Hopefully, this is the end of the personality politics and the frivolous character assassination that has defined the 118th Congress.' Even former President Donald Trump came out against the motion. Trump defended Greene but said now is 'not the time' for her motion, and said it is 'his request' that Republicans vote to table the motion - even though the post was after the vote to table had passed. 'I absolutely love Marjorie Taylor Greene. Shes got Spirit, shes got Fight, and I believe shell be around, and on our side, for a long time to come,' he wrote. 'With a Majority of One, shortly growing to three or four, were not in a position of voting on a Motion to Vacate. At some point, we may very well be, but this is not the time.' Trump went on: 'If we show DISUNITY, which will be portrayed as CHAOS, it will negatively affect everything!' He called Mike Johnson a 'good man who is trying very hard.' Only thirty-two Democrats voted against the effort to kill the motion, a spectacular reversal from months ago when all Democrats voted with eight Republicans to kick out McCarthy. More Republicans - 11 - voted to oust Johnson than McCarthy - eight - even as the Louisiana Republican had at one time been pitched as the conservative alternative to his California counterpart. Greene had been met with boos and eye rolls as she called up her motion during votes on Wednesday. Members of the GOP accused her of throwing a 'tantrum' and attention-seeking as she brought her motion to vacate to the House floor on Wednesday night. 'Its times like this you need a bar in this place,' Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, muttered as he came off the House floor. 'Youre not the Republican Party!' Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., heckled Greene as she gaggled with reporters after the vote. 'Moscow Marjorie has clearly gone off the deep end maybe the result of a space laser,' said Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y. Asked if he thought Greene should be punished, Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., said: 'One dumpster fire at a time.' Meanwhile on the House floor, Greene railed against the two-part spending bill that funded the government for fiscal year 2024, a bill that reauthorized spy tool FISA without warrants and a foreign aid package that did not include border security. President Joe Biden gave the strongest indicator yet on Thursday that he planned to debate former President Donald Trump. Biden was hosting the Las Vegas Aces in the East Room Thursday afternoon, the team that won the WNBA Finals in October. As he marched out, he was asked when he would debate Trump. 'Set it up,' the president instructed as he left the room. Earlier Thursday, Trump himself had demanded that Biden 'set it up right now' in a pre-taped video he shared to Truth Social, which went live as he sat in court listening to day No. 2 of porn star Stormy Daniels' testimony in the hush money case. President Joe Biden said Thursday 'set it up' when asked when he might debate former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee Earlier Thursday Trump posted to Truth Social that he was ready to debate President Joe Biden 'anywhere that you are' 'We could do it in D.C., even pinpoint the White House, or in New York when your radical left fascists are finished with the election interference against your political opponent, me,' Trump said in the pre-taped video, posted to Truth Social while he was in court 'I'm ready to go anywhere that you are,' Trump said of a debate. 'We could do it in D.C., even pinpoint the White House, or in New York when your radical left fascists are finished with the election interference against your political opponent, me.' Trump has long claimed his litany of legal troubles are politically motivated against him. The ex-president called attention to comments Biden made on what Trump called the 'ratings-challenged Howard Stern show.' During a surprise sit-down with Stern late last month, Biden indicated that he would debate Trump. 'I am, somewhere. I don't know when,' the president said. 'But I'm happy to debate him.' Asked Thursday evening on board Air Force One if Biden was serious about his intention to debate Trump, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre indicated she couldn't really answer due to the Hatch Act. 'All I can do is send you to the president's statement and also the president's campaign, I just I don't want to even step - dip my toe in that, I've gotta be super mindful,' Jean-Pierre said. The Commission on Presidential Debate announced in November the dates and locales of the three planned presidential debates and the vice presidential debate, which kick off in mid-September Trump has said he wants them earlier. And last week, his campaign managers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles made that complaint official saying that the 'schedule does not begin until after millions of Americans will have already cast their ballots.' 'This is unacceptable, and by refusing to move up the debates, they are doing a grave disservice to the American public who deserve to hear from both candidates before voting begins,' LaCivita and Wiles said. The CPD pushed back in a statement pointing out that the September 16 debate 'will be the earliest televised general election debate ever held.' The committee said that only in North Carolina and Pennsylvania will voters be allowed to request and then mail back absentee ballots by this point. The CPD also argued that it needed to schedule the first debate after September 6, which is the deadline for three states to certify whether an independent candidate can appear on the ballot. The bipartisan group had laid out criteria in November that said third-party candidates would only be considered if they appeared on a sufficient amount of state ballots to win the Electoral College. This has been the biggest challenge for independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy's campaign, as he's only currently satisifed the requirements to appear on a handful of state general election ballots. Trump and Biden faced off twice during the 2020 election cycle. The second debate was scrapped after Trump caught COVID-19 and refused to participate in it virtually. Britain's security will be 'on the ballot paper' at the election David Cameron said yesterday as he warned that Labour cannot be trusted on defence. In his first major speech as Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron said the rise of an 'axis of authoritarian states' such as Russia, Iran, North Korea and China meant that security now had to be the UK's 'top priority'. Lord Cameron urged EU countries to match Rishi Sunak's recent commitment to spend at least 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2030 and said Labour also had questions to answer about its failure to commit to the target. 'Labour have not matched the 2.5 per cent, so there's going to be a very clear choice at the election,' he said. 'If you are worried about the dangerous world, if you want Britain to have strong defences, if you want a government that's absolutely committed to it and has set out a timetable: here are the guys with a plan. David Cameron warned Britain's security will be 'on the ballot paper' at the election as he claimed that Labour cannot be trusted on defence Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy acknowledged this week that it was 'reasonable' for the US to expect Nato allies to commit to increasing defence spending by 2.5 per cent 'And if you want a bunch of people who've got no plan, who have got no idea, then it's a very different case from the Labour Party.' Labour has accepted that defence spending should rise to 2.5 per cent, but has refused to commit to a timetable for doing so, saying it wants to hold a new defence review if it wins power. Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy acknowledged this week that it was 'reasonable' for the US to expect Nato allies to commit to spending 2.5 per cent, adding: 'We need to get serious about that.' But he added: 'We're not in office, we haven't been able to look at the books. What we've said is that we will have a strategic defence review on day one.' Lord Cameron said security 'is definitely on the ballot paper' at the election. He added: 'If you ask me "what's the most important thing we can do right now as a country?", it is to enhance our security that is to spend more on defence, to build up our alliances, to work with our partners, to seek out allies, to harden defences at home, to protect ourselves against cyber (attacks), to invest in our intelligence services. 'All of these things are about recognising the world's changed fundamentally compared with a decade ago...' Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a bilateral meeting after the Victory Day parade at Red Square in Moscow on May 9, 2024 The former prime minister's decision to turn the screw on Labour over defence followed a wide-ranging speech in which he said that the West had to demonstrate 'the courage to act' to protect its interests and values. Recalling the end of the Cold War, Lord Cameron warned that 'a chill has once more descended across the European continent'. 'Those nations closest to Russia seeing what is happening in Ukraine and wondering if they will be next,' he said. He said the West had to show it was willing to 'outlast' Vladimir Putin in Ukraine and 'adopt a harder edge for a tougher world'. 'Our adversaries... believe that it is they who are more determined to succeed,' he added. 'That they can outlast us, can endure more pain, make more sacrifices. We are in a battle of wills. 'We all must prove our adversaries wrong Britain, and our allies and partners around the world. We need to out-compete.' Labour will today unveil plans for a new quango to make Britain's shores 'hostile territory' for people smugglers. In a speech on the Kent coast, Keir Starmer will announce plans to create a 'Border Security Command' to tackle the small boats crisis. The body will bring together key agencies including MI5, the National Crime Agency, Immigration Enforcement and the Crown Prosecution Service. It will be bolstered by new counter- terror powers to smash the smuggling gangs, Labour said. A border security commander a former police, military or intelligence chief will be appointed to lead the body and report to the Home Secretary. Keir Starmer (pictured) will announce plans to create a 'Border Security Command' to tackle the small boats crisis Officers escort migrants picked up by the RNLI whilst attempting to cross the English Channel on December 9, 2022 Labour also said it would hire hundreds of specialist investigators, intelligence agents and cross-border police officers to work across the UK and Europe to protect the border. The plans will be paid for by redirecting 75million of the allocated costs for the Rwanda scheme, which Labour has repeatedly vowed to scrap even if it is working. Sir Keir is expected to be joined for the speech by his party's newest MP, Natalie Elphicke, who defected from the Tories on Wednesday. She accused Rishi Sunak of failing to deliver on his promise to stop the boats, but her shock move caused a major backlash in opposition circles. The Labour leader will say his plan replaces 'gimmicks with graft', and he will accuse the Tories of overseeing a 'talk tough, do nothing culture' that has led to record numbers of small boat arrivals. But last night Home Secretary James Cleverly said Sir Keir's 'big new idea is an amnesty'. Labour has previously said it will overturn the Government's asylum ban by considering the claims of all those who have entered the UK illegally since March last year. Mr Cleverly said: 'Rather than starting the flights and stopping the boats, Sir Keir Starmer's big new idea is an amnesty for all illegal immigrants.' A smuggler jumps into the water after embarking migrants on the beach of Gravelines, near Dunkirk, northern France on October 12, 2022 Graph showing the number of migrants that have arrived in the UK by crossing the Channel since 2019 A source close to the Home Secretary likened the plans to a 'rearranging official deck chairs to create a quango directed to do work they've already been doing under this Government'. The source added: 'He's setting himself up as a Labour King Canute claiming his hollow words can stop the waves. Meanwhile this Government will continue working to stop the boats.' Sir Keir will declare it is his 'firm belief' that 'we also need new and stronger powers to enforce the law and bring these smugglers to justice'. He will say: 'I know we use the term small boats, but these boats are not, for the most part, that small. 'The gangs now use dinghies on a scale way beyond anything you would see for legitimate recreational activity. We should be working with our European partners to seize those boats, and seize material here in the UK to collect further evidence. 'We should turn over every stone and use every reasonable power that is my message to the smugglers: these shores will become hostile territory for you.' A total of 8,826 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel so far this year, provisional Home Office figures show. This is up 32 per cent on this time last year, when 6,691 migrants were recorded, and a 14 per cent rise compared with the same period in 2022 (7,750). The American tourist facing a decade behind bars in Turks and Caicos after ammunition was found in his luggage as he got on a cruise ship has finally spoken out. Tyler Wenrich, 31, was charged on April 23 after the bullets were discovered at a security checkpoint, leading to his arrest by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. Wenrich - the second American arrested for this offense in recent weeks after Oklahoma father-of-two Ryan Watson was charged - has found the predicament as awful as one might expect. 'I can almost not wrap my head around it still, and I'm living in it. You know, it's hard to. It's hard to believe that it's happening. And it's definitely a nightmare,' he said. Wenrich - a paramedic from Virginia with a wife and year-and-a-half-old son - has remained on Grand Turk Island for the past two weeks after two 9mm rounds were found in his bag as he tried to get back on the cruise following a beach day. Tyler Wenrich, 31, was charged on April 23 after the bullets were discovered at a security checkpoint, leading to his arrest by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force Wenrich - a paramedic from Virginia with a wife and year-and-a-half-old son - has remained on Grand Turk Island for the past two weeks after two 9mm rounds were found in his bag as he tried to get back on the cruise following a beach day He claims it was just an honest mistake, one he thought he'd prepared enough to avoid. 'I've used that bag to go to the shooting range with friends and to carry my firearm in the past,' Wenrich told NBC Boston. 'So it was, you know, I checked it before I left, and it was just a complete oversight on me, TSA, and the port security, you know. Three groups missed that ammunition,' he added. He posted bail last week ahead of a court hearing after being turned over to authorities in Turks and Caicos. Wenrich then spent three nights in jail before being moved to a prison for nine more. 'It was extremely difficult,' he said. 'The conditions were difficult but the people were more phenomenal, which helped.' Royal Caribbean has not commented on the incident. 'It was still a very it was a very hard situation to be in,' Wenrich said. 'It's definitely the hardest thing I've ever had to go through.' Wenrich claims it was just an honest mistake, one he thought he'd prepared enough to avoid Wenrich then spent three nights in jail before being moved to a prison for nine more Wenrich said that he, his wife Jeriann, a dental hygienist and son are struggling being apart. 'They're not doing great. You know, my son's having trouble sleeping that night something's wrong,' shared Wenrich. 'He's old enough to know there's something wrong and my wife is trying to do the best she can.' Wenrich's father has joined him on the island while he remains stuck in the legal system, which has cost him, in his words, tens of thousands of dollars. The family is attempting to raise $100,000 on Gofundme to cover all the bills. His case appears to have been triggered by similar circumstances to Watson's arrest. Watson was arrested on April 11 after a dream 40th birthday vacation with friends quickly turned into a nightmare as four loose hunting bullets were found on his carry-on luggage on his departing flight. The crime used to only carry a small fine, however Turks and Caicos lawmakers escalated the penalties in 2022 to mandate a 12-year minimum sentence. Wenrich said that he, his wife Jeriann, a dental hygienist and son are struggling being apart 'They're not doing great. You know, my son's having trouble sleeping that night something's wrong,' shared Wenrich The surge in recent arrests also comes despite a warning sent out by US travel officials in 2023 in response to the updated law, alerting Americans to double check their luggage for loose bullets or firearms. In an interview with the Today Show, Ryan said he 'can't set any kind of expectations on when I can be home to those kids', as he described his ordeal as 'the most awful thing I have ever lived through.' He said getting back to his children is 'and always will be, my ultimate goal.' Ryan said officials brushed off his pleas that it was a 'complete innocent mistake', amid questions as to how the bullets slipped past TSA on his departing flight from Oklahoma's Will Rogers World Airport. Officials said they have launched a 'review' of the airport's screeners in response. 'TSA is conducting a review at OKC, which was the originating airport,' TSA said in a statement, adding that it is 'aware' of the slip-up. However, several investigations in recent years have uncovered a shocking lapse in TSA screening effectiveness, with undercover agents from Homeland Security easily slipping banned objects past screeners. In 2017, ABC News reported that undercover agents found safety equipment or procedures failed over half the time, with a source revealing that the 'ballpark' failure rate was more like 80 percent. Ryan Watson (pictured with his wife Valerie and their two young children) is facing 12 years in prison in Turks and Caicos after a handful of deer hunting bullets were found in his luggage A previous investigation in 2006 also found that fake bombs slipped past TSA screeners 75 percent of the time at Los Angeles International Airport and 60 percent of the time at Chicago O'Hare, reported USA Today. Despite their insistence that the ammunition was accidentally left from a previous hunting trip, Turks and Caicos prosecutors maintained that the crime is a serious offense in the nation. A GoFundMe has been set up to help the couple with the costs, which at the time of writing had exceeded $226,000. Proactively pursue urgent policy agenda President Yoon Suk Yeol's press conference at the presidential office on Thursday, commemorating the second anniversary of his inauguration, fell short of expectations. Despite being anticipated as a pivotal moment to address pressing issues and set the tone for the remainder of his term, the conference left many disappointed. It lacked the decisive action and humility sought by the public. Yoon was widely expected to demonstrate sincere accountability in response to significant recent controversies, including allegations about his wife Kim Keon Hee receiving a luxury gift and demands for special probes into her family's financial irregularities. Regrettably, Yoon's acknowledgment of public concerns regarding his wife's actions felt insufficient, lacking the depth of remorse needed to appease public discontent. Making matters worse, Yoon's reluctance to fully accept the demands for special counsel probes into the allegations further aggravated disappointment. Although he conceded to conditional acceptance, emphasizing the requirement for specific allegations to justify such actions, many were hoping for a more sincere approach to addressing allegations of misconduct. The expectations, however, fell flat as Yoon stopped short of offering a comprehensive apology. His remark, "I apologize for causing concerns due to my wife's unwise behavior," was seen as a step forward compared to his previous statements. Yet, Yoon blatantly refused to accept the opposition's demands to initiate a special counsel investigation into possible irregularities involving his wife. "A special attorney may be necessary only to address suspicions surrounding the investigations by law enforcement authorities, such as prosecutors and the police," he said. He also declined to comply with demands for a special investigation into the death of a Marine, claiming that it was necessary to wait and see the outcome of an ongoing probe. "I would consider special investigations if there are suspicions raised by the public about the investigation results," Yoon said. Looking back over the past two years, the Yoon administration has prioritized shifting policy directions from those pursued under the previous Moon Jae-in administration. Notable successes include stabilizing real estate prices, implementing prudent fiscal policies, and fostering improved relations with Japan and the United States in the realm of security. However, these achievements have been largely overshadowed by missteps, particularly in media regulation attempts, coupled with failures in addressing major economic and social issues, such as the proposed expansion of enrollment quotas for medical colleges. Yoon's admission of his failure to communicate with the public and implementing tangible changes highlights the necessity of recalibrating governance strategies. Yoon should remember that his uncommunicative and erratic approach contributed to his ruling People Power Party's crushing defeat in the April 10 general elections. Notably, Yoon himself acknowledged his shortcomings in this regard. "The election defeat means that the people have critically assessed my administration. We failed to achieve tangible changes that people could feel, and we lacked efforts to fully explain and communicate with the public." Yoon now faces daunting tasks in carrying out state policies for the remaining three years of his term. A significant challenge arises from the sizable opposition Democratic Party of Korea, which holds 175 seats in the 300-seat 22nd National Assembly. These political challenges further underscore Yoon's task of effectively advancing state policies and maximizing national interests. Yoon vowed to "enhance communication with political parties and strengthen cooperation to improve the people's livelihoods." As he moves into the next phase of his presidency, Yoon unveiled a plan to establish a new ministry dedicated to addressing the challenges of a low birth rate and an aging society, with its leader assuming the role of deputy prime minister. The issue of low fertility has emerged as the most pressing problem facing the nation. The ruling and opposition parties should engage in dialogue and work closely together to navigate the challenges ahead. They must prioritize the revision of laws related to government structure at the earliest possible date. A 24-year old has been found lying in the middle of a road with stab wounds in Melbourne. The man was found injured on Main St in Pakenham at about 11.30pm on Thursday. He was rushed to hospital in a serious condition. Victoria Police are investigating the incident and have urged anyone with information to come forward. Judge Juan Merchan gave a brutal dressing down of Donald Trump's defense lawyers in front of the former president as he denied their motion for a mistrial in the hush money case Thursday afternoon. It was the second motion for a mistrial from the defense this week after scandalous testimony from porn star Stormy Daniels about her alleged sexual encounter with Trump. In his call for a mistrial, lawyer Todd Blanche called Stormy Daniels' testimony extraordinarily prejudicial' and noted that even the judge had agreed some of the testimony was 'unnecessary.' 'It almost defies belief that were here about a records case and the government is asking about an incident that happened in 2006,' Blanche argued referring to Daniels' testimony on Tuesday about rolling up a magazine and spanking Trump with it nearly 20 years ago. Donald Trump speaking after court on Thursday, May 9, with his lawyer Todd Blanche Stormy Daniels departing the Manhattan criminal court after her second day of testimony A sketch of Judge Juan Merchan in court on May 9 watching Susan Necheles cross-examine Stormy Daniels Blanche also said that prosecutors asking Daniels about the porn company where she worked requiring condoms for all of its performers, and Daniels testifying that Trump did not wear a condom during their encounter was 'a dog whistle for rape.' Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass rejected the argument that Daniels had changed her story, claiming it was well documented. He also argued the defense had a chance to probe for inconsistencies with their cross-examination by lawyer Susan Necheles. Steinglass maintained that details of Daniels' testimony were essential for the jury to analyze her credibility. Stormy Daniels with her lawyer in the witness room. She testified for two days in the Trump hush money case Judge Merchan tore into the defense lawyers while delivering his decision to deny the motion for a mistrial. He said he had gone back through the testimony transcript and made sure no one had violated his guidelines for questioning the witness. He said he was satisfied with his review but he did not stop there. Merchan pointed out that Blanche had denied there had ever been a sexual encounter between Trump and Daniels in his opening statement, and by bringing it up, Blanche had put the jury in position to have to choose who they would believe. The judge basically blamed the defense, saying the more Daniels could provide specific details about the encounter, the more the jury could weigh whether to give her credit. Merchan agreed some of the details of the testimony by Daniels did not need to come out and specifically referenced her claim Trump did not wear a condom, but he slammed Trump's lawyers for not objecting. 'Why on earth she wouldn't object to the mention of a condom, I dont understand,' Merchan said of Necheles. Donald Trump with his lawyer Susan Necheles returning from a break at the courthouse Susan Necheles cross-examining Stormy Daniels on the witness stand on May 9 Sketch of Trump looking on as Necheles cross-examines Daniels Before denying the mistrial motion, Merchan also rejected the defense's motion for the gag order to be modified. Blanche had argued against the gag order in light of Daniels' testimony stating Trump 'needs an opportunity to respond to the American people.' He noted Daniels was no longer a witness. But prosecutor Chris Conroy argued that modifying the gag order mid-trial would signal to future witnesses that they could 'be at risk as well.' Merchan dismissed the gag order request that Trump be allowed to talk about Daniels. My concern is not just protecting Ms. Daniels,' the judge said. 'My concern is protecting the integrity of these proceedings as a whole.' He pointed out that everyone sees what happens and would see how witnesses who have testified 'are going to be treated.' 'I cant take your word for it that this is not going to be an attack. Thats just not the track record,' Merchan told Blanche. He said Trump's track record 'speaks for itself.' Merchan said the reason why there was a gag order preventing Trump from speaking about witnesses in the case to begin with was 'because of the nature of these attacks, the vitriol.' He said there were real, very threatening attacks on potential witnesses. The judge noted there were other people on Trump's team who were allowed to speak publicly on the ex-president's behalf. Sunrise host Natalie Barr has confessed she misses her sons 'so much' after she and her husband became empty nesters this year. The Channel Seven presenter, 56, shares two sons - Hunter, 18, and Andrew, 22, with her husband Andrew Thompson. Barr said she would drive down to Canberra to visit her youngest son on Mother's Day after he moved there for university. 'I'm going to Canberra (for the day) - just spending time with your kids (is gift enough),' she told Sunrise on Friday morning. 'I miss them so much. I'm going to see my little boy. Sunrise host Natalie Barr (pictured) has confessed she misses her sons 'so much' after she and her husband became empty nesters this year The Channel Seven presenter, 56, shares two sons with her husband Andrew Thompson; Hunter 18, and Andrew, 22 (the family are pictured on holiday) 'I'm also going to Coffee Club with a bunch of other mums, which is fantastic.' Barr spoke candidly about becoming an empty nester earlier this year. 'I'm not feeling the new chapter yet,' she told Stellar Magazine in March. 'The first one left several years ago and he's at uni in Melbourne and the second one left a few weeks ago, He went to uni in Canberra. 'We packed up the car, drove him down, said goodbye and drove back bawling our eyes out. I think we were mourning the period of our lives that is now gone forever because it's their childhood (that's over). 'You say all the right things: You have all this freedom, you can do what you want, it's a new beginning for you'. But I don't feel that yet. I honestly just feel sad. 'That's the honest truth.' In February, Barr wrote that that her house had become quiet after years of 'noise and sweat and boy smell' in a piece on motherhood for 7News. Barr said she missed her two sons 'so much' after they moved out of the family home to study 'Our 18-year-old, our youngest, is packing to move away to university, and I feel like I've been hit by a truck. Did I do enough and be enough for them because 'Phase 1' is over, and we will never get it back?' she wrote. 'I have loved it with every bone in my body. But now what? 'And then I'm reminded about another saying from the parents who've been here before your children are only on loan to you. 'Hopefully, our best is enough, they are ready for 'Phase 2', and we can hang on for the next part of the ride.' Natalie joined Seven's breakfast show as a newsreader in 2003, and was promoted to co-anchor in 2021 after the departure of Sam Armytage. Her husband Andrew is an Oscar-nominated film and TV editor best known for his short film The Eleven O'Clock. The couple married in 1995. Plans to cut the civil service workforce are like 'Stalin announcing tractor production in a five-year plan', a union boss has claimed. Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA for senior civil servants, accused ministers of deciding on a headcount number 'for political purposes' with 'no focus on outcomes'. Last year the Chancellor announced plans to reduce the size of the civil service by around 66,000 people down to pre-pandemic levels in a bid to save up to 1billion. But Mr Penman, in a speech to the FDA's annual conference in London yesterday, said: 'What are we to make of a government that has apparently decided that the demands of the civil service in 2029 will exactly match the number of civil servants employed in 2019? Dave Penman (pictured) is the general secretary of the FDA for senior civil servants 'The Chancellor has said he wants to cut the size of the civil service by 70,000 by the end of the next parliament. 'Like Stalin announcing tractor production in a five-year plan, ministers have decided on a number, for political purposes. No focus on outcomes, no recognition of what the civil service is expected to achieve and absolutely no logic.' He also criticised the target for civil servants to work in the office three days a week, calling it 'top down, evidence-free micromanagement'. But Downing Street defended the plans to cut the workforce, saying it grew 'during a once-in-a-century pandemic'. 'I think it is right that we now focus on bringing headcount back to the level that is needed to deliver high quality public services,' the Prime Minister's official spokesman said. 'But also focused on increasing the productivity of the civil service such that per person output is increased back to levels that we saw pre-pandemic.' His comments came as Cabinet Office minister John Glen announced plans to trial performance-linked pay for specialist senior civil servants. Minister for the Cabinet Office John Glen (pictured) announced plans to trial performance-linked pay for specialist senior civil servants He said: 'We need to recruit the brightest minds and take swift action when performance falls.' Meanwhile a second union announced it has been given the go-ahead to bring a legal challenge against legislation on minimum service levels during strikes. The Public and Commercial Services union, representing 185,000 civil service workers, argues that the new law infringes on rights protected under the European Convention on Human Rights. The Government has stopped publishing the number of migrants prevented from crossing the Channel in small boats just days after the policy was introduced. The Home Office began issuing the number of migrants who had been blocked from making the crossing over the weekend alongside its daily update on Channel arrivals. But, in a late update on Wednesday evening, the department said it had paused publishing the statistics on prevention 'until further notice'. It followed 'consultation with the French', the update said, and the department would 'provide further updates on the publication of prevention data as soon as possible'. Exact reasons for the U-turn have not been disclosed. But the Home Office said the statistics were 'estimates' and prone to 'measurement error'. The Government has stopped publishing the number of migrants prevented from crossing the Channel in small boats just days after the policy was introduced. Pictured: An inflatable dinghy carrying around 65 migrants crosses the English Channel on March 06, 2024 A group of people thought to be migrants were brought in to Dover, Kent, from a Border Force vessel following a small boat incident in the Channel on April 29, 2024 Migrants walk in the sea to board a smuggler's boat in an attempt to cross the English Channel, on the beach of Gravelines, near Dunkirk, northern France on April 26, 2024. Prior to their removal from the Government's website, prevention figures suggested 1,048 people had been stopped from crossing the Channel since April 29. Critics have said the figures were misleading because those categorised as 'prevented' are not detained in France and are simply able to try again until they successfully cross the Channel. So far this year 8,790 small boat migrants have reached Britain, up 34 per cent on the same point last year. The Government this month launched a crucial first stage of its plan to deter Channel crossings. A series of migrants, including women, were detained for removal to Rwanda under the long-delayed flagship scheme. More than 100 people are now understood to have been held ahead of the first flight to Kigali, under a programme code-named 'Operation Vector'. The migrants are being held in the Home Office's seven immigration removal centres for processing. A group of people thought to be migrants including young children are brought in to Dover, Kent, from a Border Force vessel following a small boat incident in the Channel on May 7, 2024 Migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, onboard the RNLI Dover Lifeboat following a small boat incident in the Channel on April 30, 2024 They will go through an induction process, medical checks, and have legal aid and an interpreter provided. Home Office caseworkers will assess evidence to determine whether asylum claim is 'inadmissible' under immigration law, and deal with human rights and modern slavery issues. A decision will then be served on detainee, who will have an opportunity to launch legal challenges. A trade union and a pro-migrant group have already announced new plans to challenge the Rwanda scheme as a whole. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said the inaugural Rwanda flight is due to take off by mid-July. A Home Office spokesman said the UK continued 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'. Britain looks set to cave into Brussels over proposed new post-Brexit rules governing Gibraltar in a 'serious diminution of UK sovereignty', MPs warned yesterday. A letter to ministers from the Commons' European Scrutiny Committee raised 'serious concerns' that British negotiators have failed to stand up to Eurocrats during talks. Of particular concern is apparent plans to carry out Schengen border checks required by the EU on British soil at the peninsula's airport rather than at the border with Spain. It means Britons face intrusive checks to enter their own territory, which the committee branded 'seismic' and a move which would render 'Gibraltar's frontier British in all but name'. MPs fear the agreement about to be struck could even mean some Britons being turned away. Britain looks set to cave into Brussels over proposed new post-Brexit rules governing Gibraltar in a 'serious diminution of UK sovereignty'. Pictured: An aerial view of the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar on the Iberian Peninsula Committee chairman Sir Bill Cash pictured in Westminster, London, in 2019 New rules for arrivals from non-member countries being introduced by the EU across the bloc in October mean Britons returning to Gibraltar or travelling there for work could be forced to undergo further biometric checks, supplying fingerprints and a photograph. In a letter to Foreign Office minister David Rutley, committee chairman Sir Bill Cash wrote: 'If agreed as you outlined to us, allowing current Schengen checks to be administered by [EU] Frontex border guards at the airport would erode UK sovereignty to the point of meaninglessness. 'From your evidence, we suspect that the UK Government is prepared to concede an arrangement that will leave Gibraltar's frontier British in all but name. 'The practical implications of this are seismic. You were unable to reassure us that UK nationals and Gibraltarians, wishing only to enter Gibraltar, would not have to undergo Schengen checks.' Mr Rutley appeared before the committee last week, where he admitted that the Rock territory had to follow some EU rules in return for a more open border with Spain. The first of the five planes once in Bonza's fleet has made its way overseas following the company's failure to renegotiate its forced grounding. The Boeing 737, known as Bruce, left Sunshine Coast airport for Honolulu at 9am on Thursday under the flight tag of Canadian budget airline Flair, the aircraft's co-owner. According to online flight tracking data, Bruce is set to refuel in Hawaii, but its next port is not yet listed. Bruce was the newest addition to the Bonza fleet. The four remaining Bonza planes, nicknamed Shazza, Malc, Sheila and Bazza, remain parked at Sunshine Coast airport, Gold Coast airport and Melbourne airport. Bonza did not immediately reply to comment on what would happen to the remainder of the fleet. The first of the five planes once in Bonza's fleet has made its way overseas following the company's failure to renegotiate its forced grounding. Bonza flight crew and a plane are pictured As a co-owned plane split between Flair and Bonza, Bruce sported an unorthodox dual paint job that spotlighted both carriers. Barrister James Hutton SC, who is acting for the administrators, on Thursday told a hastily convened sitting of the Federal Court that as of Wednesday afternoon, 6,242 people had responded to an email address set up for Bonza's creditors. Another 1,160 replied to an email address set up for out-of-pocket customers. A further 1,444 emails had been received after 4pm on Wednesday, the court was told. Of those, 1,888 creditors had provided a proof of debt, Justice Elizabeth Cheeseman was told. Mr Hutton said a 'significantly lower' number of creditors would be admitted into Friday's meeting to vote. The court was previously told the company had more than 60,000 creditors, including 323 employees who were owed wages and annual leave, 120 trade creditors and 57,933 customers with bookings. Mr Hutton noted that creditors would still be allowed to submit proofs of debt in the future to become eligible to vote at later meetings. On Tuesday, Bonza announced all flights from May 8 to 14 would be cancelled and staff would remain stood down in the period. In the same statement, the carrier said its lenders were seeking to reposition the fleet elsewhere. Bonza does not own any of the planes in its fleet, instead leasing them. These agreements were terminated on April 30 after the airline had defaulted on its loans the previous month. A court hearing previously revealed that almost 60,000 customers had been left without compensation for ticket purchases by the airline. 'The administrators confirm that they are not in a position to process or issue refunds on behalf of (Bonza) at this time,' Tuesday's statement said. On Tuesday, Bonza announced all flights from May 8 to 14 would be cancelled and staff would remain stood down in the period. A Bonza plane in pictured 'Customers who have had their flights cancelled should contact their financial institution to discuss available options.' Former Virgin Blue pilot Jeremy de Lore has been tasked with transitioning the aircraft between operators. The entry into administration for the airline has driven a surge of activity in the Facebook group Scum of the Air, established in January for those seeking to troubleshoot complaints against Bonza. 'By sharing your experiences and stories, we can collectively raise awareness and hold Bonza Airlines accountable for their actions,' the group's About page reads. A Texas mom who is accused of beating her three-month-old baby daughters has been thrown back in jail after DailyMail.com exposed how she had been controversially released on a $250 bond. Brittney Bailey, 31, was arrested in March for allegedly abusing one of her twin babies. She is also under investigation for her role in the death of the infant's sister and could face charges when the autopsy is complete. Austin cops were furious when magistrate Judge Tania Jeffers granted Bailey a $250 bond, allowing her to walk free from jail in April. 'Our criminal justice system is broken. Maybe one day we can find judges that actually care about protecting victims instead of coddling criminals,' police association president Michael Bullock blasted Jeffers online. But after DailyMail.com reported on the case, a second judge, Brandy Mueller, has revoked Bailey's $250 bond. Brittney Bailey, 31, is charged with the physical abuse of her three-month-old infant baby and is under investigation for the death of a second baby, according to Austin police Judge Tania Jeffers declined to speak to DailyMail.com about why she lowered Bailey's bond to $250. Jeffers was elected to her post in March Mueller has issued a $500,000 bond and included in the order that Bailey was not to have contact with the twin who is still alive. Paramedics had been called to an apartment where Bailey was staying with her newborn twins on March 10. One of the twin girls was not breathing after Bailey claimed the baby rolled off the bed, reported local station KVUE. The baby who allegedly fell off the bed also had cuts and bruises to her face. Bailey blamed her 17-year-old daughter for the injures, telling police she saw the teenager play rough with the newborn and throw a cellphone at her. The Honorable Brandy Mueller, who presides over the 403rd Criminal District Court in Travis County, revoked the $250 bond that allowed Bailey to be set free The twin was taken to the hospital where she died five days later. When that baby was examined at the hospital, doctors found injuries to her lips, cheeks and nostrils and bruising to her forehead and neck. There were also numerous fractures to both legs and possible fractures to her ribs. Doctors didn't buy Bailey's version of events, writing in their report to police that the wounds on the baby were 'attributable to forces generated by someone with the strength and coordination of an adult.' The father of the twins told investigators he witnessed Bailey being rough with the infant on several occasions, but claimed she would beat on him when he tried to intervene. While investigating the death of the baby, police noticed signs of abuse on her sister. Bailey was charged with injury to a child, a first-degree felony, for the twin who is still alive. No one has yet been in charged in the death of the baby who died while police await the results of an autopsy. 'There is potential for further charges,' the Austin Police Department told DailyMail.com Despite the on-going homicide investigation, Bailey's lawyer submitted a request to lower her bond from the original $40,000 at the time of her arrest, claiming she was 'indigent,' court records show. On April 23, Jeffers reduced Bailey's bond to $250. The mom walked out of the jail the next day. As part of bond granted by Jeffers, Bailey was forced to wear a GPS monitor for 90 and abide by a curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Bailey was originally given a $40,000 bond, however, her lawyer submitted a request to lower it on ground she is indigent, and Judge Tania Jeffers agreed to lower it to $250 on April 23. Bailey bonded out the next day Jeffers did not respond to a request for comment for DailyMail.com. Additionally, there was no order in Jeffers' bond to keep Bailey from seeing the child is she was accused of abusing. 'Incredibly grateful that common sense prevailed after shining the light on this poor decision, Bullock posted online after Bailey went back to jail. 'Hopefully accountability and justice will win the day when this is all said and done.' A huge asteroid almost the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza will skim past Earth today, NASA has warned. The 120m (394ft) asteroid, scientifically named 2024 JZ, will pass the planet at a staggering speed of 56,000 mph (90,123) - 65 times faster than a bullet. But there is no need to head for the doomsday bunker just yet since this asteroid will safely past Earth at a distance of 2.6 million miles (4.2 million km). While this might sound far away, the asteroid is still classed as a 'near-Earth object' (NEO) by NASA. Dr Edward Bloomer, senior astronomer at Royal Greenwich Observatory, told MailOnline: 'Today's passing is not a concern at all, this is not the kind of thing we should be worrying about.' An asteroid almost as big as the Great Pyramid of Giza is set to pass the Earth on a close approach today, although experts say that this is perfectly safe The asteroid 2024 JZ will skim past Earth today at a speed of 56,000 mph (90,123) - 65 times faster than a bullet (artist's impression) NASA writes: 'NEOs are comets and asteroids that have been nudged by the gravitational attraction of nearby planets into orbits that allow them to enter the Earth's neighbourhood. 'Composed mostly of water ice with embedded dust particles, comets originally formed in the cold outer planetary system while most of the rocky asteroids formed in the warmer inner solar system between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.' A NEO is defined as any object that comes within 1.3 astronomical units (AU) (120.8 million miles) of the sun and hence within 0.3 AU (27.8 million miles) of Earth's orbit. Asteroids are defined as 'potentially hazardous' if they comes within 0.05 astronomical units (4.65 million miles) of Earth and are larger than 140 meters (459 feet) in diameter. Even though 2024 JZ will be at a perfectly safe distance at just 0.028 AU from Earth, this is considered relatively close in astronomical terms. At 120m (394ft) in diameter this asteroid is nearly as big as the Great Pyramid of Giza (pictured) and is larger than Big Ben and the Statue of Liberty (file photo) What is a near-Earth object? A near-Earth object (NEO) is a space rock - usually an asteroid - that passes close to the Earth. A NEO is defined as such when it comes within 1.3 astronomical units (AU) (120.8million miles) of the sun and hence within 0.3 AU (27.8million miles) of Earth's orbit. Almost all NEOs are near-Earth asteroids (NEAs), although there are such things as near-Earth comets (NECs) too. Advertisement There will also be an even closer miss happening this evening as a small asteroid named 2024 JT3 passes within just 12,000 miles (19,300 km) of Earth. However Juan Luis Cano, of the ESA's Planetary Defence Office, reassured MailOnline that Earth is 'absolutely' safe. Mr Cano says there is 'no possibility of hitting the Earth.' He adds: 'In any case, a 5-10 m object would typically disintegrate in the atmosphere just releasing some small meteorites to ground.' NEOs are monitored by a network of professional and volunteer astronomers who detect objects passing through the solar system. Through their efforts, dozens of NEOs are spotted each month and their paths are predicted with a high degree of accuracy. In fact, large objects such as 2024 JZ passing through Earth's orbit are so routine that the ESA lists this asteroid as a 'very frequent event'. The overwhelming majority of these objects burn up in the planet's atmosphere and are seen by us as shooting stars, rather than hitting the ground. Each year the Earth even passes through several dense clouds of debris left by comets which create meteor showers like this month's Eta Aquariids. What makes NEOs different from these meteors is that they are large enough to potentially pass through the atmosphere undestroyed. And while today's close encounter is not a concern, Dr Bloomer says that there is a risk of an impact at some point in the future. 'We're kind of gambling every day,' he said. 'If 2024 JZ were on a threat intercept course, that would be a big problem because it's a big old chunk of rock moving pretty quickly.' During the 1908 Tunguska Event, an asteroid less than half the size of 2024 JZ exploded over an area of Siberian forest, flattening 830 square miles of trees. Likewise, Dr Bloomer points out that the Chelyabinsk meteor which damaged 7,200 buildings and injured 1,491 people in Russia was only 20m (65 feet) in diameter. Most worrying was the fact that the Chelyabinsk meteor was previously undetected when it collided with Earth. As Mr Cano explains, while there is currently no relevant threat, 'the actual problem resides on the fact that there are still many NEOs to be found.' According to NASA, there are 34,914 known NEOs in our solar system (data correct as of May 9) Luckily, NASA has already invested in methods to protect the planet from oncoming asteroids. In November 2021, the space agency launched the DART mission which sent a satellite ploughing into the side of Dimorphos, an asteroid around 6.8 million miles (10.9 million km) from Earth. This test showed that by hitting an asteroid with a small satellite early enough, the small impact could push it into a safe orbit by the time it reaches Earth. Dr Bloomer says: 'If you can get to it faster and further in advance then you actually need to make a smaller impact to make a bigger deflection over time. 'Whereas if you've got something that you don't detect until particularly late, then you've got to make more efforts to deflect it in time.' While this mission may have only been a rehearsal, it proved that the planet could be saved with enough prior warning. READ MORE: Gadget fans question why Apple is still churning out new iPads As one of the world's most profitable companies, there's no doubt Apple has a lot of money to spend on adverts. And nowhere is this more apparent than in its latest advert, plugging the new 1,299 iPad Pro. The one-minute clip shows a collection of artistic objects including paints, books and musical instruments being crushed by an industrial press. But the 'tasteless' and 'insulting' ad has been widely slammed online, including by English actor Hugh Grant. The Love Actually star posted on X (formerly Twitter): 'The destruction of the human experience. Courtesy of Silicon Valley.' On X, English actor Hugh Grant posted: 'The destruction of the human experience. Courtesy of Silicon Valley' Someone replied to Grant adding 'And the destruction of childhood', to which the actor replied, 'Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. I could go on' Someone replied to Grant, adding 'And the destruction of childhood', to which the actor replied, 'Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. I could go on.' In the ad which was originally posted to X by Apple CEO Tim Cook the artistic objects are slowly turned to bits by the metal press as 'All I Ever Need is You' by Sonny and Cher plays. When the press lifts up again, the pulverized remains have vanished and the new iPad Pro appears instead. It seems the collection of objects is supposed to represent everything that the new iPad is capable of from sketching art to playing music and displaying documents. It's also meant to highlight the tablet as the thinnest product Apple has ever made although, ironically, at 5.1mm (0.2 inch), it would be destroyed by the industrial press too. Unfortunately, artists are considering the suggestion that an Apple product could replace all of their tools as 'insulting'. Objects being crushed include a guitar, piano, trumpet, books, metronome, sculpted clay, vinyl player and a TV It's unclear how much Apple spent on the advert; MailOnline has contacted the tech giant for more information Unfortunately, artists are considering the suggestion that an Apple product could replace all of their tools as 'insulting' One furious X user called it 'an absolutely tone-deaf and insulting ad'. He said: 'The visual messaging is terrible Like who thought literally CRUSHING THE ARTS AND THEIR TOOLS was the move to make to market this towards creatives?' Another X user posted: 'With all the Apple tech knowhow, if you really insisted on producing such a tasteless advert, you could have used cgi [computer generated imagery]. 'The fact that you chose to destroy things that could have been used by properly talented people speaks volumes about you, your company, and the state of things.' Another posted: 'Ah, Apple providing the perfect metaphor for whats happening to the creative arts & humanities, and then mistakenly thinking its a good look for an advert.' In the ad, the objects are slowly turned to bits by the metal press as 'All I Ever Need is You' by Sonny and Cher plays It's likely the controversy generated by the advert would simply help Apple sell its products Someone else called it 'the perfect metaphor' for the creative industries being decimated by wealthy companies Another X user posted: 'With all the Apple tech knowhow, if you really insisted on producing such a tasteless advert, you could have used cgi [computer generated imagery]' How much do the new iPads cost? iPad Pro 11 inch - 999 ($999) 13 inch - 1,299 ($1,299) iPad Air 11 inch - 599 ($599) 13 inch - 799 ($799) Advertisement Someone else reversed the advert, showing the iPad being crushed and the objects appearing in its place, saying they'd 'fixed it'. Other users figured that the controversy generated by the advert would simply help Apple sell its products. Forty years ago, Apple was responsible for what's been described as one of the greatest commercials, called '1984', directed by Ridley Scott. The ad plugging the original Apple Macintosh computer portrays a dystopian setting influenced by George Orwell's famous book where humanity is saved from 'conformity'. Christopher Slevin, creative director for marketing agency Inkling Culture, said the message of the new ad is effectively the opposite. 'Apples new iPad spot is essentially them turning into the thing they said they were out to destroy in the 1984 ad,' he wrote on LinkedIn. James Bore, tech expert at consultancy Bores Group, said Apple 'completely missed the mark'. 'I think they may have alienated a not-insignificant part of their target market by thinking like technologists rather than creatives,' he told MailOnline. 'It kind of shows how disconnected they are from actual creative efforts. 'There were much better ways to create the same message, without destroying things that their customers will feel sentimental about for a publicity stunt. 'Unless of course they were going deliberately for the controversy sells angle, which I can't rule out entirely.' It's unclear how much Apple spent on the advert; MailOnline has contacted the tech giant for more information. Apple has launched a new 'Ozempic iPad Pro' on Tuesday, declaring the tablet its thinnest device yet. The latest iPad Pro stole the show when Apple said it measures just 5.1 millimeters thick - thinner than the iPod Nano (left) Apple unveiled the iPad Pro along with a slightly cheaper iPad Air and an Apple Pencil at an unveiling event on Tuesday. However, people were left asking 'who still buys iPads', as the line only makes up around 6 per cent of the company's sales. Aside from its extra-thin profile, the new iPad Pro is fasters due to a new AI-focused M4 chip with a larger 'neural engine' that can complete 38 trillion tasks per second. The 799 iPad Air is equipped with the less-capable M2 chip, but both iPads come in two screen sizes 11 inches and 13 inches. The Magic Pencil, Apple's 129 ($129) stylus, also gets haptic controls in the form of a 'squeeze function' and the ability to roll the pencil to change brush shapes. By Kim Sang-woo The fragmented global response to the war in Ukraine shows that while the U.S. and its allies see policies as rooted in efforts to preserve the liberal international order (LIO), many emerging countries see them differently. The emerging countries see it as part of an effort by a small number of countries to preserve their own decades-old advantages at the expense of a large part of the worlds population. Indias Foreign Minister S. Jalshankar said that, Europe has to grow out of the mindset that Europes problems are the worlds problems but the worlds problems are not Europes problem. Leaders of many of these emerging countries believe that too little attention is paid to the fact that many former colonies have become increasingly powerful nations in their own right. We refuse to be the pawn in a new Cold War, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said in November 2022. His views are shared in some form or another by many leaders of these emerging countries. In the next two decades, these emerging countries will climb the ranks of the worlds largest economies and populations, reshaping the structure of world politics in the process. Washington and its allies should accept that not only are these countries emerging, but also that as they grow, they will not align with Washington on many international issues. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, many of these countries declined to support Ukraine, refusing to take concrete action with regard to sanctions on Russia or weapons for Kyiv. On a visit to Beijing in 2023, Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva pledged to work with China to balance world geopolitics a phrase that implied upending American global primacy. Even India, which sees China as an adversary and has grown much closer to the United States in recent years, is unlikely to back the U.S. militarily in the event of a war over Taiwan. In the main, the grievances of emerging countries revolve around their perception that they are being excluded from the main decision-making structures and the global international institutions which make up the LIO. Thus, there needs to be more emphasis on joint problem-solving and reform of institutional structures which allows more space for diplomatic cooperation with the emerging countries. The emphasis needs to be on solving problems together, finding new roads into the future which include the emerging countries rather than telling them to simply follow the rules of the LIO. Above all, it is important to earn the trust of the emerging countries and to make them feel that they are truly part of the LIO. Fortunately, emerging countries dont want to be vassals of China anymore than they want to be vassals of America. They are not swing states ready to pick sides in a new Cold War. In fact, they actively seek a more fluid and multipolar world, one in which they believe they will have more leverage and freedom to maneuver. Many maintain closer ties with the United States than China. But even when progress on common interests are made, the emerging countries will also maintain relationships with U.S. adversaries. And particularly concerning is the rise of the so-called Axis of Four China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. All four countries see the United States as the primary obstacle to establishing their spheres of influence, and they want Washingtons minimal presence in their respective regions. They reject the principle of universal values and interpret the West's championing of its brand of democracy as an attempt to undermine their legitimacy and promote domestic instability. They insist that individual states have the right to define their own democracy. They do not believe that the West will accept their rise to power on the world stage. They oppose outside meddling in their internal affairs, the expansion of U.S. alliances and the use of coercive sanctions. The Axis of Four does not need a coherent plan for an alternative international order to upset the existing system. The shared opposition to the present orders core principles and their determination to bring about change are a powerful foundation for collective action. Strong relations among the Axis of Four have emboldened Pyongyang. North Koreas leader Kim Jong-un, who now enjoys strong backing from both China and Russia, abandoned his country's traditional policy of peaceful unification with South Korea and stepped up its threats against Seoul, engaging in nuclear blackmail and missile tests, expressing it has no interest in dialogue. The Axis represents a new center of gravity, where other countries dissatisfied with the existing order can turn. Wars arise from certain conditions, such as territorial disputes, the need to protect national interests or the interests of an ally, or a threat to regime survival. And the likelihood of war increases when there are competing orders. The United States will need to address the destabilizing effects of revisionist countries acting in concert, and it should try to disrupt their coordinated efforts to subvert important international rules and institutions. Washington, furthermore, should actively promote the attractions of the existing LIO and persuade the emerging countries how it can be made better. The Axis nations are united in their opposition to the LIO and its U.S. leadership, and is determined to change the way the world has worked since the end of the Cold War. The United States and its partners must acknowledge this Axis as the most dangerous challenge to the LIO. They must reinforce and improve the foundations of the existing international order and push back against those attempting to undermine it. It may be impossible to stop the emergence of the new Axis, but keeping it from upending the current LIO is an achievable goal. Kim Sang-woo (swkim54@hotmail.com), a former lawmaker, is chairman of the East Asia Cultural Project and a member of the board of directors at the Kim Dae-jung Peace Foundation. There is a hidden feature in users' Google accounts that lets the tech giant quietly record their voices that it stores for other uses. Google saves the audio recordings from web and app activity, along with verbal interactions with Search, Assistant and Maps, which it uses 'to develop and improve its audio recognition technologies.' However, A tech expert recently shared a 'cheat code' that he claimed will stop Google from recording your smartphone activity. Users need to manage their Google account and unselect options in 'Data and Privacy,' which a digital expert has claimed will block the tech company from accessing your microphone and camera. Google saves the audio recordings from web and app activity, along with verbal interactions with Search, Assistant and Maps, which it uses 'to develop and improve its audio recognition technologies' Users need to manage their Google account. Then select Data & Privacy at the top and then Web & Activity Tech entrepreneur Jeffrey Castillo posted a video on Instagram, explaining that users can turn off this function by going to the Google app and clicking on 'Manage your Google account.' From there, select the 'Data and Privacy' tab and scroll down to 'History setting' and select the 'Web and App activity' section, which you'll see has a blue checkmark. Once you click in and scroll down, you should notice that the voice and audio activity setting has a blue checkmark- uncheck that to put a stop to Google listening in. The way Google continues to pick up on conversations is a verbal version of a search engine, and each time it receives a 'Hey Google' command, it's creates the same effect as opening a browser window. 'When this voice and audio activity setting is off, audio recordings from voice interactions with Google Search, Assistant, and Maps won't be saved to your Google Account on Google servers, even if you're signed in,' Google has shared. 'If you turn this voice and audio activity setting off, previously saved audio is not deleted. 'You can delete your audio recordings at any time.' Google has claimed it only listens in to snippets of conversations to pick up 'wake words' that it was programmed to recognize, allowing it to respond to voice commands. 'Google never tailors ads to people based on what they say over the phone,' a Google spokesperson told DailyMail.com. 'People are always in control of how information they share with Google is used for advertising, and can change their settings any time.' Although Google and other companies like Amazon and Apple argue that their assistant devices including Alexa and Siri only listen for commands and marketing efforts, the reality is that it still poses a major privacy concern. Once you click in and scroll down, you should notice that the voice and audio activity setting has a blue checkmark- uncheck that to put a stop to Google listening in If cybercriminals access your account or tap in to your smart devices, they could listen to phone recordings and steal information from Google's stored data. Other steps you can take to protect yourself include verifying the apps you download to make sure they are from official stores rather than third-parties that could contain malware and review app permissions to turn off access to your phone's microphone. Norton, a cybersecurity application, suggested that people delete their voice request history to there isn't a memory bank of your conversations, use a VPN to encrypt your information so it can't be accessed by third parties and keep your software up-to-date. READ MORE: Vaping may cause gum disease by changing bacteria in the mouth Vape users are inhaling 'acutely toxic' compounds that could cause 'a new wave of chronic diseases' in the next couple of decades, a new study warns. Researchers in Ireland have used artificial intelligence (AI) to simulate the chemical reactions that take place inside flavoured vapes, also known as e-cigarettes. They found that e-liquids the liquid inside that gives vapes their flavour contain a 'cocktail' of chemicals that produce 'toxic' compounds when heated. Vaping has a 'significantly different profile of chemical hazards' compared with traditional tobacco smoking', the study authors report. While they don't say vaping is more harmful than smoking tobacco, they're concerned that new health issues will result from the vaping craze. A new AI study uncovered the potentially harmful substances that are produced when e-liquids in vaping devices are heated for inhalation (file photo) How does vaping work? Vaping works by heating liquid in a small device so you can breathe it into your lungs. The liquid, called an e-liquid, typically contains nicotine, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine and flavourings. E-cigarettes do not burn tobacco and do not produce tar or carbon monoxide, two of the most damaging elements in tobacco smoke. Source: Cleveland Clinic/NHS Advertisement Based on the chemical compounds predicted by the AI, these could include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease and cancers. Already, research has linked vaping with heart failure, lung disease and gum disease, although according to the NHS and health experts, evidence shows that vaping is much less harmful than smoking. Vaping has become widely adopted as an alternative to traditional smoking with around 4.5 million people in the UK regularly using e-cigarettes. The new study has been published by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), based in Dublin. 'We wanted to understand, before it's too late, the likely impact flavored vapes are having,' said lead author Professor Donal O'Shea at RCSI. 'Our findings indicate a significantly different profile of chemical hazards compared to what we are familiar with from traditional tobacco smoking. 'It is plausible that we are on the cusp of a new wave of chronic diseases that will emerge 15 to 20 years from now due to these exposures.' From menthol to vanilla custard and sour strawberry, there's an estimated 40,000 vape flavours on the market today worldwide. But according to the researchers there are just 180 known e-liquid flavour chemicals from which these flavours are derived, blended in various amounts. This liquid flavouring in e-cigarettes is heated to high temperatures, so that it forms vapour which is then inhaled. Left, a 3D representation of the chemical space occupied by 180 e-liquid compounds (red circles) and their chemical products when heated (grey circles) From menthol to vanilla custard and sour strawberry, there's an estimated 40,000 vape flavours on the market today worldwide The original source for the flavourings comes from the food industry, where they have a good safety record for specific uses in flavoured drinks, pastries and sweets. However, they were not intended to be heated to high temperatures and inhaled, the researchers warn. The experts used an AI neural network model a method that teaches computers to process data in a similar way to the human brain to simulate the effects of heating e-liquid flavour chemicals found in vapes. By examining all 180 known e-liquid flavour chemicals, the AI was able to predict which new compounds are being formed when these substances are heated. Worryingly, the results showed the formation of many hazardous chemicals including 127 classified as 'acute toxic', 153 as 'health hazards' and 225 as 'irritants'. Among these, volatile carbonyls (VCs) chemicals known for their negative health effects were predicted to form in the fruit, candy and dessert-flavoured products, which tend to be most popular with younger vapers. These VCs were found across all three classifications acute toxic, health hazards and irritants. Vape packaging and flavours have become more and more attractive to young users. Pictured, vape flavours on sale in Lodnon 'Our findings indicate a significantly different profile of chemical hazards compared with traditional tobacco smoking,' said Professor O'Shea in a piece for The Conversation. 'The huge array of flavours available in vaping products made up of over 180 different chemicals blended in various amounts is what makes their chemistry so challenging compared with traditional cigarette smoke.' He added that the issues are found across all vape flavours, meaning there's no 'safe' option that vapers can opt for. Earlier this year the UK government introduced the tobacco and vapes bill, which would give ministers power to restrict the flavours and promotion of vapes to reduce the appeal of vapes to children. However, according to Professor O'Shea, his findings indicate there's a 'need for even tighter regulation fast'. 'Our study has uncovered something that, until now, has received limited attention the potentially harmful substances produced when e-liquids in vaping devices are heated for inhalation,' he said. The experts think vaping appeals to the younger generations that have never smoked tobacco before, largely due to colourful packaging and little awareness over vaping's health risks. Flavoured vapes are an 'attractive and common entry point' and can even lead to a transition to smoking tobacco, research suggests. Vaping is the inhaling of an aerosol (mist) created by an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) Jacob George, professor of cardiovascular medicine and therapeutics at the University of Dundee, who was not involved in the study, welcomed the use of AI in this way. 'There are close to 40,000 different flavours in the market worldwide today and making sense of their effects will require a combination of techniques including automated mapping algorithms and creation of neural networks such as this,' said Professor George. 'While this study cannot give us definitive answers of the risks of flavoured vapes on human health, this study may be a helpful early step to identifying signals that could then lead to further, more in depth research into heat-induced breakdown of chemicals used in flavourings. 'This study has combined artificial intelligence with previously known published information to predict that when heating a combination of chemicals in flavoured vapes there might result in a harmful toxicant being produced, and these predictions can then be tested with further studies. 'There is, as yet, very little good-quality evidence of either safety or harm of these flavourings and so I welcome novel strategies as employed by these researchers.' The new study has been published in the journal Scientific Reports. The US is suffering a worse tornado season than usual this year with 670 so far already. That is about 100 higher than average, which has led many commentators to blame climate change. But a top meteorologist told DailyMail.com that the surge is due to a simple, natural phenomenon. Every seven or so years a pattern known as El Nino forms, which is caused by a shift in the distribution of warm water in the Pacific Ocean around the equator, bringing an atmospheric wave through the US. That weather pattern combines with the warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, changing wind speeds and directions that form tornados. The US is experiencing an upswing of deadly tornadoes as 670 cyclones have swept the nation in 2024 - but it could be a record year depending on hurricane season. Experts have said this year could surpass the record if the US has an above average hurricane season As of now, experts have predicted between 1,250 and 1,375 tornadoes in total this year Pictured: Tornado sweeping through Mendon, Michigan The historical average for January through May 8 is about 599 tornadoes, according to the Storm Prediction Center. The only years when there were more tornadoes through May 8 were 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2017. Senior meteorologist Paul Pastelok with weather forecasting AccuWeather told DailyMail.com that the the US is predicted to experience between 1,250 and 1,375 tornadoes in total this year - but the estimates could increase if the US has an above average hurricane season. Hurricane season runs from June until November, and has all the makings for tornadoes. The storms carry multiple supercell thunderstorms with both warm and cold air, and create wind shear, an abrupt change in wind speed and direction which can create swirling vortices of air - tornadoes. Meteorologists reported that 2024 would shape up to be a big year for tornadoes in early January, and predicted that the US would see a 'significant increase in tornadoes' in April and May. That is because El Nino tends to bring increased moisture and instability to the atmosphere, creating conditions favorable for tornadoes. More than 600 tornadoes have struck the US already this year, reaching Texas, Iowa, Michigan and Louisiana. Pictured: A mobile home destroyed by a tornado in Kalamazoo, Michigan Tornado Alley extends from Texas up through South Dakota and extends outward to Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and some areas of Louisiana, Iowa, Nebraska and eastern Colorado. Pictured: House destroyed by tornado that hit Barnsdall, Oklahoma The combination of upper-level wind patterns coming from the West Coast into the Rockies and the warming waters in the Gulf and Caribbean 'contributed to unstable conditions in Tornado Alley.' Pictured: Damage from tornado in Barnsdall, Oklahoma Warm water from the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean have also contributed to the moisture content of the air, which has encountered cooler, drier air that developed thunderstorms and supercells - types of storms that often produce tornadoes. There have been 129 preliminary reports of tornadoes so far in May, following 378 in April. Tornado Alley extends from Texas up through South Dakota and extends outward to Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and some areas of Louisiana, Iowa, Nebraska and eastern Colorado. 'Tornado alley has been on the radar since spring forecast was issued,' said Pastelok. So far this year, Texas has been overrun by 68 tornadoes, while Iowa is closing in with 63 cyclones touching down in the state. 'I don't know if climate change has directly impacted the number of tornadoes,' Pastelok said, adding that the 'Gulf has been warm consistently over the last several years' so the increase is more likely due to the weather pattern setup. 'El Nino is not very supportive for tornadoes in the center of the country, and it was weakening very quickly this year,' he continued. The number of tornadoes in the US has remained largely consistent over the past few decades, but are happening in collective bursts over a few days. 'Now when tornadoes happen, they often happen in an outbreak environment,' Tyler Fricker, an assistant professor of geography at the University of Louisiana Monroe told the New York Times. Yet even as the number of tornadoes has increased, it still hasn't reached the same amount as 2004, which marked the most reported in recorded history. Two decades ago, 1,817 tornadoes touched down in the US, with May largely contributing with more than 500. But what boosted the numbers above average was the three major hurricanes that hit in September, causing more than 200 tornadoes. Pastelok said he won't have a better idea of the final number until August when peak tornado season hits and it depends on whether a similar occurrence of major hurricanes will cause a significant amount of tornadoes to develop. 'Could it happen again? It could,' he said, but clarified that he and his team aren't forecasting the same numbers as 2004, adding: 'It's tough to make that kind of prediction.' The author behind the famed books Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events has lashed out at the Hollywood executives behind the movie adaptation of his iconic tomes, branding them 'utter, gallivanting, wide-grinned, swerving lunatics.' Two decades after the Jim Carrey and Catherine O'Hara-led film was released, writer Daniel Handler is now accusing movie executives of chewing him up and spitting him out, denying him his fee, and laying bare his accounts of bitter behind-the-scenes tensions on the big-screen hit. In his upcoming memoir, And Then? And Then? What Else?, the author talks for the first time about being fired and rehired, while accusing producers of cheating him out of a fee as Paramount Pictures worked so desperately to adapt the bestselling books for the big screen. The 2004 movie, starring Carrey, O'Hara, Billy Connolly, Jennifer Coolidge, and Meryl Streep, with Jude Law narrating as Lemony Snicket - grossed $211 million worldwide and even won an Oscar for Best Makeup. But the friction behind the scenes, especially Handler's fury over the handling of the production, was largely kept secret - until now. The man behind Lemony Snicket has hit out at Hollywood execs who adapted his Series of Unfortunate Events books (pictured Jim Carrey in character as Count Olaf) The 2004 film featured an all-star cast including (L-R) Emily Browning, Meryl Streep, Carrey and Liam Aiken (pictured at the Los Angeles premiere in December 2004) Author Daniel Handler (seen in 2014) described the movie's executives as 'utter, gallivanting, wide-grinned, swerving lunatics' The film is based on the first three novels in a 13-book series, following the misadventures of the orphaned Baudelaire children, and their evil relative Count Olaf, played by Carrey. 'After writing nine drafts of a screenplay I'd been fired, and they'd filmed a script written largely by someone else,' writes Handler, explaining how he was replaced by screenwriter Robert Gordon in May 2003. However, after filming, the makers were still unhappy with some aspects of the movie and called Handler in to 'tell them what was wrong.' Handler was 'on the last day of a grueling book tour' and ready to fly home to his wife so he refused, but the desperate execs offered him 'a pile of money' to change his plans. The sum was not insignificant, he says, describing it as 'enough that if you found it in cash in a briefcase in a train station, you'd turn it in, otherwise criminals would be chasing you.' He called his wife, the illustrator and author Lisa Brown, who said he should go. 'So I got on an airplane and then into an automobile, and as the automobile approached my ugly destination, my film agent called me and said that my financial offer had been reduced, while I was in the air, to the amount of zero dollars. 'I went into the building anyway wondering what I was doing.' The movie grossed $211 million worldwide - but the friction behind the scenes, especially author Handler's fury over the handling of the production, was largely kept secret - until now 'After writing nine drafts of a screenplay I'd been fired, and they'd filmed a script written largely by someone else,' writes Handler in his new memoir He goes on to describe a 'terrible afternoon' of arguments, interspersed by surreal scenes as one female executive - claiming to be cold - piled sofa cushions on top of herself until just her head popped out. 'As we continued to argue, she took cushions off the sofa, first the decorative ones, and then the structural ones - the ones you lean against, the ones you sit on - and piled them up on her lap and limbs, for presumptive warmth,' writes Handler. 'Eventually only her head was visible on the top of the pile of cushions, the argument continuing all the while.' Finally, someone told Handler he had no idea what he was talking about - and the author agreed - 'then as now, I had no idea how to edit or improve an already-filmed film' - but he demanded to know why he'd been flown all the way to sit in that room for nothing. 'The woman sighed on the sofa,' writes Handler. 'She looked like an igloo, or maybe a ziggurat, with her face at the top where people get sacrificed in offensive adventure movies. 'I understood then that I was among raving lunatics. Previously I had considered these people innocent, and then maybe dumb, and then maybe a pack of vicious demons. I understood, too, that they were, at least obliquely, the reason I owned a house. Bill Corso and Valli O'Reilly won an Oscar for Best Makeup for their work on the movie The film follows the misadventures of the orphaned Baudelaire children and their evil relative Count Olaf 'But now I saw that to argue with them, to talk with them, to spend time with them, was to spend time with utter, gallivanting, wide-grinned, swerving lunatics, and I was a lunatic, too. It was my own lunatic story they had filmed wrong, and I had entered this windowless room, of my own free will and for no money, to listen to lunatics tell me I was wrong.' As he left, the disembodied head on top of the cushions said: 'Daniel, you have to trust our process.' Handler is on record as having approved the changes made to his original screenplay. And Then? And Then? What Else? by Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) is out May 21 'I was offered credit on the film for screenwriting by the Writers Guild of America, but I didn't take it because I didn't write it. I felt like it would be an insult to the guy who did,' he said at the time. However, there were hints of his dissatisfaction in the commentary track he provided for the DVD version of the film, in which he describes the Lemony Snicket character as an imposter, and implies that he has been kidnapped. Barry Sonnenfeld, who was originally hired to direct the movie, talked previously about tensions over the budget, which led to him vacating the director's chair. 'I was working with producer Scott Rudin, who had done the Addams Family films with me, and Paramount decided they needed more money, so they brought in another studio, DreamWorks,' Sonnenfeld said in a 2017 interview. 'But the DreamWorks producer who had done the Men in Black films with me and I don't really get along. So when they came on board, Daniel and I were let go. 'I'd been very involved with it for a long time. I'd already hired a crew, sets were all designed, and it was very disappointing as I loved the books.' Sonnenfeld went on to direct Netflix's series based on the books, with Handler as executive producer. It starred Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf and ran for three seasons from 2017. DailyMail.com has contacted Paramount Pictures for comment. And Then? And Then? What Else? by Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) is published by Liveright, May 21 The Eurovision 2024 final will air in Malmo in Sweden with a new presenter on Saturday. Petra Mede is returning to host the contest for the third time and is joined this year Malin Akerman, 45. The 2024 contest also coincides with the 50th anniversary of Abba's momentous win in 1974 which catapulted the group to worldwide fame. Malin, who was born in Stockholm but raised near Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada is famed for numerous Hollywood films. The Swedish-Canadian actress has also dabbled in music, having fronted the alternative rock band The Petalstones prior to her thriving acting career. Here, MailOnline gives you everything you need to know about the Eurovision's newest presenter. Malin Akerman, 45, is hosting the Eurovision 2024 final alongside Petra Mede, 54. The actress boasts impressive credits to her name, and has worked with Hollywood giants like Lisa Kudrow She appears in 2006 film The Heartbreak Kid alongside Ben Stiller Malin was born in Stockholm, Sweden on May 12, 1978 to a model mother and insurance broker father, who raised the actress as Buddhist. At the tender aged of five her family took the plunge and moved to Canada, although she can still speak Swedish, later helping in her first Swedish-speaking film role A Piece of My Heart in 2019. Malin was even briefly signed to renowned American agency Ford Models, after being scouted in a local shopping centre. She got her name out on the Hollywood scene in 2005, when she was cast as Juna on the HBO television series The Comeback alongside Lisa Kudrow in the lead. But her first big break was starring in the 2006 comedy film The Heartbreak Kid with Ben Stiller. The film chronicles a couple's honeymoon in Mexico fall apart as Ben's character Eddie falls in love with another woman that isn't Lila, his wife, played by Malin. Two years later in 2009, Malin starred on the superhero film Watchmen as Silk Spectre II. The feature film is set in 1985 where a group of retired vigilantes investigate an apparent conspiracy against them. Malin had a significant role in HBO series The Comeback, working alongside Friends' actress Lisa Kudrow Malin starred as Silk Spectre II in action adventure Watchmen (2009). She sported raven locks, a far cry from her usual platinum blonde look The talented actress has also done her time as a musician, and was the lead vocalist of alternative rock band The Petalstones before she got into acting. Malin also appeared in 2009 romcom The Proposal, playing Gertrude, Andrew's ex-girlfriend. Andrew was played by Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock also as a main character. She has also guest-starred in sitcom How I Met Your Mother and played Alex Altman in ABC show Suburgatory. Opening up about her presenting gig, Malin told Eurovision.tv: I cant really describe my feelings about this. I am very excited and a little nervous, but in a positive way. I have always liked Eurovision and to be a part of this fantastic show together with Petra is a dream come true. Additionally, Petra is one of the funniest women Ive ever met'. Malin said of hosting Eurovision: 'I have always liked Eurovision and to be a part of this fantastic show together with Petra is a dream come true' Malin recently told how she is currently 'reinventing' herself as she continues to live in her 'best era of her life'. The actress gushed that she 'feels most herself' now she is in her 40s and is hoping to 'not get stuck' in a certain era. Malin, who moved to California from Stockholm in 2001, gushed that living in Los Angeles has been like being on a 'vacation' every day. The star told Vogue Scandinavia: 'I'm in a moment right now of reinventing myself, my 40s have been the best era of my life so far. I feel the most myself, the most authentic to who I am. 'I look at some people older than myself, some in their 60s or so, and I think they get stuck in a certain era. I dont want to get stuck. I want to dress in a way that has an edge, but is still elegant.' She went on to gush how much she 'loves' LA and how she makes time to spend 'quality time' with her family. Malin added: 'The hiking, the canyons. It feels like living in a vacation. When Im in the midst of a project, its 24/7. Long days, coming home to learn your lines for the next day, trying to spend some quality time with family over the weekend.' Inside No. 9 (BBC2) Rating: Roll up, roll up! For Britain's character actors, the type who value quirky and often unflattering roles over star billing, this is a last chance. Inside No. 9, the series of half-hour playlets created by the demonically inventive Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, is ending after a ten-year run. And as the show returned for the final time, enough big names were crammed into the opening episode to fill a railway carriage. In the first shot, we glimpsed Mark Bonnar and Siobhan Finneran, both familiar faces in everything from sitcoms (Catastrophe and Benidorm) to hard-bitten dramas (Line Of Duty and Happy Valley). Inside No. 9 is a series of half-hour playlets created by the demonically inventive Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith Shearsmith and Pemberton honed their craft in the sketch show about a forgotten English village, The League Of Gentlemen In short order followed Joel Fry (Game Of Thrones), Susan Wokoma (Cheaters), Philippa Dunne (Motherland), Charlie Cooper (This Country) and wasn't that Matthew Kelly, once the host of Game For A Laugh! and Stars In Their Eyes? Yes, it was. I've seen full seasons at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre with less megawattage than that. Half the fun of Inside No. 9's bitter little treats laced with poison is guessing what sort of people the guest stars are playing. Shearsmith and Pemberton, who honed their craft in the sketch show about a forgotten English village, The League Of Gentlemen, relish stereotypes, the more twisted the better. Finneran was a buttoned-up, hopelessly sad housewife, the sort Victoria Wood did so ruthlessly well, stuck with the world's most boring husband (Shearsmith). Bonnar was a sadistic teacher, all frustrated fury and bulging eyes, who appeared to model himself on the schoolmaster in a Pink Floyd video. Even when he was silent, his face seemed to scream, 'Wrong, laddie! Do it again!' Sadistic teacher Bonnar was understated, compared to Pemberton's turn as an acid-tongued drag queen parading under the stage name of Wilma Dixshow Wasn't that Matthew Kelly, once the host of Game For A Laugh! and Stars In Their Eyes? Yes, it was This was understated, compared to Pemberton's turn as an acid-tongued drag queen parading under the stage name of Wilma Dixshow. He/she (pronoun police, please advise) started by popping out a fake boob from his/her decolletage, and it all got more outrageous from there. All of them were trapped on an underground train on the Mersey railway when the lights went out. This, as any fan of Inside No. 9 could immediately guess, was no random incident. Cooper and Kelly both appeared to be homeless, Kelly and Fry both seemed to have a whole bagful of screws loose, and when someone stole Dunne's purse in the darkness, some people were trying to avoid any drama while others were eager to stir it. The Orwellian twist, that 'the Authorities' are always watching and 'They' don't like people who make a fuss, teetered on the edge of gauche student preachiness. This jejune flavour was heightened by the fact that none of the characters seemed to have a life outside the railway carriage there was no mention of anybody's children, or a spouse waiting at home. Still, when you've got Matthew Kelly beaming in a performance from Planet WooWoo, who cares? And Charlie Cooper's pitifully polite beggar was so convincing, I wanted to give him a quid myself. Kelly Rowland, Olivia Wilde and Ciara looked red carpet ready as they hit up the Baby2Baby maternal health press conference on Wednesday. The three starlets announced the expansion of Baby2Baby's Maternal Health & Newborn Supply Kits sponsored by Huggies at the company's warehouse in Los Angeles. Rowland stunned in a red dress shirt and matching shorts with a rose accent on her shoulder, showing off her fresh pink manicure. The mother-of-two, 43, paired the ensemble with bright red heels. She let her roots slightly peek out as she wore her hair in a silver bob that complimented her earrings and layered necklaces. Kelly Rowland, Ciara and Olivia Wilde looked red carpet ready as they hit up the Baby2Baby maternal health press conference on Wednesday They assembled and carried the Newborn Supply Kits that contained diapers, hygiene products, breastfeeding supplies and postpartum care resources They assembled and carried the Newborn Supply Kits that contained diapers, hygiene products, breastfeeding supplies and postpartum care resources. Ciara rocked a black jumpsuit and matching boots which contrasted against her long honey-brown locks. The 38-year-old mum-of-four accessorized with a silver choker and stacked gold bracelets. She donned a full face of glam that made her gorgeous smile stand out as the three beauties posed up a storm. Olivia opted for a slightly more casual look donned a white baby tee and bell bottom jeans with zipper pockets. The 40-year-old mum-of-two let her dirty blonde locks loose complimenting her gold chain necklace. She tied the look together with a tan pair of cowboy boots and opted for a very light makeup look sporting just eyeliner. Wilde then took to her Instagram story to share how important the cause is and how 'proud' she was to have helped the companies. 'Mother's day always makes me feel connected to other Mothers, and this year all I'm thinking about all the new mom who are struggling. It's fu**ing hard. And you're not alone,' she wrote behind a snap of herself after giving birth. She also penned a shoutout to Kelly and Ciara for packing the kits and launching the program alongside her. The three starlets announced the expansion of Baby2Baby's Maternal Health & Newborn Supply Kits sponsored by Huggies at the company's warehouse in Los Angeles The ladies posed up for photos during the press conference Rowland stunned in a red dress shirt and matching shorts Ciara rocked a black jumpsuit and matching boots which contrasted against her long honey-brown locks Olivia opted for a slightly more casual look donned a white baby tee and bell bottom jeans with zipper pockets Baby2Baby launched their partnership with Huggies maker Kimberly-Clark back in March as they aided in providing 'millions of diapers and wipes to mothers in need' The brands are collaborating to triple women's maternal health and offs them newborn supply kits They have jointly distributed over 3,000 maternal health materials and newborn supply kits through hospitals in Arkansas alone Over additional 10,000 kits are expected to be distributed across ten more states as the year progresses Baby2Baby launched their partnership with Huggies maker Kimberly-Clark back in March as they aided in providing 'millions of diapers and wipes to mothers in need.' The brands are collaborating to triple women's maternal health and offs them newborn supply kits. They have jointly distributed over 3,000 maternal health materials and newborn supply kits through hospitals in Arkansas alone. Over additional 10,000 kits are expected to be distributed across ten more states as the year progresses. 'Nearly half of all families in this country who need diapers cannot afford them,' Baby2Baby Co-CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof told AccessWire. 'Not being able to afford the items their babies need takes a profound toll on a mother's mental health. We've listened to moms across the country and understand their unique challenges after giving birth,' they said of the initiative. 'The partnership with Baby2Baby provides much-needed supplies and educational information to mothers and their newborns. Expanding the program allows us to help more families in more states and close gaps in maternal health care that exist across the country,' said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. 'Every mother should have access to the support they need for their family to be healthy. The Biden-Harris Administration will continue to use every lever available to support these women and their families until they do,' he finished. Wilde then took to her Instagram story to share how important the cause is and how 'proud' she was to have helped the companies 'Mother's day always makes me feel connected to other Mothers, and this year all I'm thinking about all the new mom who are struggling,' she wrote behind a snap of herself after giving birth She also penned a shoutout to Kelly and Ciara for packing the kits and launching the program alongside her 'Kimberly-Clark believes in supporting changemakers like Baby2Baby to uplift communities and address grassroots needs. With this new partnership, Huggies will continue its mission to provide a healthy start for many more babies in America 'We are delighted to have this opportunity to strengthen and support the work being done by the U.S. Department of Human and Health Services and Baby2Baby to support mothers and children,' said Russ Torres, president of Kimberly-Clark. While the brand have already distributed 170,000 diapers in the past twelve years, they are working to donate up to 300 million more to those in need. Andy Cohen got candid about how producing the Real Housewives franchise has dramatically shifted over the years. The 55-year-old Bravo boss who has been named in a bombshell lawsuit against the network by RHONY alum Leah McSweeney said that since launching the franchise over 15 years ago, the creators have had to swiftly adapt to the evolving cultural landscape. 'Producing a show about politically incorrect women in 2024 is different than producing a show about politically incorrect women in 2009,' the TV host told The Hollywood Reporter in a wide-ranging interview published on Wednesday. 'We are living in an outrage culture now, and everyone has had to adapt to that,' he continued. Cohen added that viewers' 'sensitivity' has grown more acute, attributing this shift to the pervasive influence of social media. Andy Cohen got candid about how producing the Real Housewives franchise has dramatically shifted over the years; seen in 2022 The 55-year-old Bravo boss said that since launching the franchise over 15 years ago, the creators have had to swiftly adapt to the evolving cultural landscape; seen with Housewives in 2018 'Sensitivities have changed over the years. Social media has a huge impact. There's not a lot of room for nuance these days,' he added. When asked about the criticism that Bravo has been 'slow to adapt', such as diversifying their casts, Andy expressed his pride in the network's efforts to ensure that the shows accurately reflect the demographics of the country. He even acknowledged the 2020 death of George Floyd as a catalyst for change. 'George Floyd was an important cultural shift that forced us to look at all of our programming,' he stated, noting that he is no longer in charge of programming. 'Bravo made it a mandate to diversify its shows. I mean, they had a show, Summer House, that was like a bunch of white people in the Hamptons. Southern Charm was a bunch of white people tomcatting in Charleston. They thought, 'Why are a lot of the shows so segregated?' 'They decided that there needed to be more representation across the dial. And they did it.' Cohen was also asked about McSweeney's lawsuit that alleges he and the entire network fostered a 'rotted' workplace culture and that he and other producers constantly encouraged them to imbibe alcohol while filming. A rep for Cohen previously told Dailymail.com that 'the claims against Andy are completely false.' 'Producing a show about politically incorrect women in 2024 is different than producing a show about politically incorrect women in 2009,' the TV host told The Hollywood Reporter in a wide-ranging interview published on Wednesday; seen in 2009 'We are living in an outrage culture now, and everyone has had to adapt to that,' he continued; seen in 2016 'Sensitivities have changed over the years. Social media has a huge impact. There's not a lot of room for nuance these days,' he added; seen on RHOBH reunion in 2023 In his interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Andy said that he was advised by his lawyers not to respond to certain allegations. However, he emphasized that no one is compelled to consume alcohol during production. 'What I'll say about the alcohol is that we have so many sober people and people who have gotten sober on the show, like Countess Luann [de Lesseps],' he explained. 'We have people who've never had a drink during the entire run of the show. Jill Zarin. Kandi Burris. Heather Dubrow will just have an occasional glass of champagne. So sure, there are people who drink. There are many people who never drink. 'We don't force anyone to do anything. But no one is secretly hiding liquor bottles on set. That's ridiculous. We've been very supportive of people's sobriety.' Amidst these recent allegations against Bravo, including sexual harassment accusations from former Housewives Brandi Glanville and Caroline Manzo, Bethenny Frankel continues to slam the network for fostering a toxic environment for women. Leah McSweeney's lawsuit alleges Andy and the entire network fostered a 'rotted' workplace culture and that he and other producers constantly encouraged them to imbibe alcohol while filming; Leah and Andy seen in 2021 Andy called the criticisms, including being slammed by Bethenny Frankel (pictured), 'hurtful' and stated that he has no regrets about the way he has handled himself during his tenure at Bravo Andy called the criticisms 'hurtful' and stated that he has no regrets about the way he has handled himself during his years at Bravo. 'I'm incredibly proud of the close relationships I've built in my 20 years at the network. I'm super proud of what we've built and of everybody who's been a part of it. I think most people involved with these shows have been very grateful for the platform, but there will always be a few with complaints,' he stated. 'Obviously, it's no fun to be a target. So, yes, it's hurtful. But I have no regrets about the way I've handled anything. I think everything that happens in your life informs the next thing that happens in your life. 'That's the way I look at all this. I know what the truth is and I know how I've conducted myself, and I walk tall every day on that.' The Irwin family have taken the Big Apple by storm. Bindi Irwin was in New York City over the past week to receive an award at the 12th Annual Blossom Ball for her advocacy around endometriosis. On Wednesday, the 25-year-old Wildlife Warrior shared a picture of herself to Instagram on a city street at night with the caption 'Grateful for this time in New York for The Blossom Ball.' Mother Terri Irwin and Robert Irwin also revealed on Instagram that they were in the metropolis to support Bindi. Robert shared an adorable snap with himself, mother Terri, and Bindi's husband Chandler Powell. Bindi Irwin was in New York this week to receive an award for her advocacy around endometriosis. The 25-year-old shared a picture of herself to Instagram on a city street at night with the caption 'Grateful for this time in New York for The Blossom Ball.' Pictured Mother Terri Irwin and Robert Irwin also revealed on Instagram that they were in the metropolis to support Bindi. Robert shared an adorable snap with himself, mother Terri, and Bindi's husband Chandler Powell. All pictured All three sat on a beam overlooking the New York skyline, in an optical illusion that made them appear as if they were floating high above the streets below. Meanwhile, Terri posted a photo to Instagram atop one of the city's skyscrapers while wearing a T-shirt from Queensland fashion brand Risky. Joined by Robert and Terri last Friday, Bindi was the recipient of the 2024 Endometriosis Foundation of America's Blossom Award at the black-tie charity event held at Gotham Hall in Manhattan. Meanwhile, Terri posted a photo to Instagram atop one of the city's skyscrapers while wearing a T-shirt from Queensland fashion brand Risky. Pictured The honour was for her advocacy work around endometriosis, after coming forward about battling the disease Last year, Bindi addressed her 10-year battle with endometriosis. Bindi, who shares daughter Grace Warrior, one, with her husband Chandler, revealed there were moments the pain was so unbearable that she thought she was going through a pregnancy loss. Joined by her family - brother Robert Irwin and mum Terri Irwin - the wildlife warrior was the recipient of the 2024 Endometriosis Foundation of America's Blossom Award at the black-tie charity event held at Gotham Hall in Manhattan. All pictured 'Along my pregnancy journey. I would often have times where I thought I was miscarrying because I would have severe unexplained pain,' she told Good Morning America in October. 'I would think that I was losing our beautiful daughter.' In March, the daughter of the late Steve 'the Crocodile Hunter' Irwin spoke for the first time about her battle with the disease in a lengthy Instagram post. Last year, Bindi addressed her 10-year battle with endometriosis. Bindi, who shares daughter Grace Warrior, one, with her husband Chandler Powell, revealed there were moments the pain was so unbearable that she thought she was going through a pregnancy loss The Crikey! It's the Irwins star said she had spent ten years 'torn apart [by] the pain' and knew she had to have surgery because she 'couldn't live like I was'. She explained how the surgeon from the Seckin Endometriosis Center in New York City had removed a total of thirty-seven lesions and a 'chocolate cyst' - a term for a cyst filled with menstrual blood. Endometriosis is an often painful condition in which the tissue that lines the uterus also grows outside the uterus. There are a wide variety of symptoms: pain can affect areas ranging from the abdomen and lower back to the pelvis and vagina. Christine Quinn's estranged husband Christian Richard has been charged with three misdemeanors over the domestic violence incidents that took place in March, the Los Angeles City Attorney's office confirmed to DailyMail.com on Wednesday. On March 19, the 44-year-old tech founder (real name Christian Dumontet) was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly throwing a bag with a glass bottle in it at Quinn, which instead hit their son Christian, two, who was then transported to hospital. Despite Quinn's emergency protective order against him, Richard who has since filed for divorce from the Selling Sunset star allegedly returned to their Hollywood Hills home the next night and he was arrested for a second time. He is now facing three misdemeanors for child abuse/endangerment, assault and violation of a protective order. The arraignment date is set for June 4, 2024. In a statement to DailyMail.com, Quinn's attorney Jacqueline Sparagna said that they are 'extremely satisfied with the decision' and believe it to be 'a crucial step toward' protecting both Christine and baby Christian. Christine Quinn 's estranged husband Christian Richard has been charged with three misdemeanors over the domestic violence incidents that took place in March, the Los Angeles City Attorney's office confirmed to DailyMail.com on Wednesday; seen in 2021 On March 19, the 44-year-old tech founder was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly throwing a bag with a glass bottle in it at Quinn, which instead hit their son Christian, two, who was transported to hospital 'We are extremely satisfied with the decision of the Los Angeles City Attorneys office to file three separate charges against Mr. Dumontet,' Sparagna writes. 'He has now been formally charged with child abuse against his 2-year-old toddler, assault against Christine Quinn, and for violating a restraining order. 'We believe this development is a crucial step toward safeguarding the legal and personal interests of both victims and trust that that the matter will continue to be handled with the utmost seriousness it deserves,' the statement concludes. TMZ reported that the City Attorney took on the case after the Los Angeles County District Attorney determined that it did not meet felony requirements. The latest development comes weeks after Quinn accused her estranged spouse of purposely evading being served a temporary restraining order. She filed a request for alternate service of the restraining order on Monday, April 22, according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly. She alleges in the documents that Richard who has not publicly responded is in hiding and has been avoiding service of the order. Quinn's request, if granted, would offer her ways to prove that she has made enough of an effort to serve her estranged husband after he was arrested in March. 'Respondent should be permitted to serve petitioner via an alternative method of service due to petitioners evasion of service of the domestic violence restraining order documents,' Quinn's request reads. Normal procedure requires that the person being restrained be served the documents informing them of the restraining order before it can go into effect, but Quinn's inability to find or serve Richard means that her order is essentially useless for now. Persons filing restraining orders usually have to prove that they have tried to serve the target of the order multiple times, and that they believe the restrained person is attempting to evade service. If the option for alternative service is granted by the judge, Quinn may be allowed to send copies to various work and home addresses that Richard has to show that she has made an attempt to contact him, or she could even publish notification of a restraining order in a newspaper. Restrained persons can also be contacted electronically, but only if they consent to have the order served via email, according to the Judicial Branch of Californa. However, that option is unlikely to work in Richard's case due to his alleged lack of communication with his estranged wife. According to Quinn's filing, it was an unfortunate 'two-day delay' that gave Richard 'sufficient time and notice to successfully evade service of the order,' therefore preventing it from being enforced for the time being. She adds that he would be able to 'violate [the restraining order] repeatedly without legal repercussions. Despite Quinn's emergency protective order against him, Richard allegedly returned to their LA home the next night and he was arrested for a second time; seen in 2023 He is now facing misdemeanors for child abuse/endangerment, assault and violation of a protective order. The arraignment date is set for June 4, 2024; seen in 2022 According to Quinn, she has not seen Richard since March 20, and he has not been seen at all in public since March 27, though she believes he is currently staying at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills under an assumed name. Richard has a history of doing so publicly, as his real name is Christian Dumontet, but during appearances on Selling Sunset and in public with Quinn he has used the name Christian Richard. 'Due to my public image, [he] and I have taken additional security precautions when staying at hotels previously, such as checking in under pseudonyms or booking blocks of rooms to evade detection,' Quinn writes in her filing. 'I believe [Christian] could be employing these methods, or even paying the hotel, to conceal his location.' Since Richard has allegedly evaded service, she has turned to a process server to help, but they have so far been unable to find the tech founder. Once the temporary restraining order goes into effect, Richard will not be allowed to have contact with their son, two-year-old Christian Richard Dumontet, and he will be required to steer clear of their home. Quinn is requesting that the judge allow her to serve the temporary restraining order via Richard's attorney, who she said has previously claimed she is unable to receive the documents and 'refused' to share details about where her client had been staying. 'Although I was very grateful my request for protection was granted, I was extremely concerned that he would make every attempt to evade service,' Quinn adds. 'My counsel assisted me in retaining a private investigator to have [him] personally served promptly, although I feared locating him would already be an impossible task.' The reality star claims that Richards attorneys have stymied her efforts to find and serve her estranged husband by 'continually barr[ing]' her from contact him. She even alleges that one of Richard's attorneys alleged prevented her from entering her own home. 'As I approached the property, Mr. Villicana insisted he was hired and permitted to surveil and occupy the property as directed by [Christian], in direct violation of the TRO,' she claimed in her filing. After a 'confrontation' allegedly lasting 'seven minutes,' two of Quinn's employees allegedly arrived at the property to assist her in getting Richard's attorney to vacate the premises. 'Mr. Villicana made several threatening remarks while lurking around including, "I will be seeing you again" and "Im not going anywhere,"' she alleges. Back in March, Richard was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon after he allegedly threw a bag containing a glass bottle at his wife, which missed her and instead hit their two-year-old son Christian. The two had allegedly been having an argument over their dogs beforehand, per TMZ. Richard has denied throwing the bag at Christine, and has claimed that it also did not contain any glass, which he claims was a story Christine fed to police. Richard's bond was set at $30,000, and he subsequently made bail, before he was shockingly arrested a second time the day after the initial arrest when violated the initial emergency restraining by returning to the family home. The latest development comes weeks after Quinn, 35, filed a request to have alternative service on her restraining order against her estranged husband as she accused him of purposely evading being served; seen in 2022 Quinn is best known as a breakout star on Netflix's reality series Selling Sunset, in which she sold luxury homes for the Oppenheim Group for five seasons. Her final season on the show featured allegations that she had tried to bribe a client Although Quinn and her son were reportedly not home at the time, Police arrived with guns drawn and did a search of the home before taking Richard into custody. An eyewitness on the scene alleged that police could be heard shouting for Richard to 'Come out with your hands up.' LA County Sheriff's records indicate that he posted another $30,000 bond and was released hours after the second arrest. A source told Page Six that Quinn and her son were staying at a separate 'safe' location, and that someone else had allegedly called the police on Richard. Richard was reported to have filed to divorce Quinn on April 5. The two were originally introduced via a mutual friend, and the tech founder proposed to her on Valentine's Day of 2019. They were wed in December of that year in a ceremony with a winter wonderland theme featuring an unusual gothic twist, including Quinn's black wedding dress. The couple welcomed their son Christian in 2021. The blonde beauty is best known as a breakout star on Netflix's reality series Selling Sunset, in which she sold luxury homes for the Oppenheim Group for five seasons. Her final season on the show featured allegations that she had tried to bribe a client. Commemorative postage stamps issued in Belgrade witnessing China-Serbia friendship Global Times) 08:58, May 09, 2024 The commemorative postage stamps Friends from afar, are issued by China Cultural Center in Belgrade, in collaboration with China Media Group and the Post of Serbia in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 7 local time. Photo: Courtesy of China Cultural Center in Belgrade The commemorative postage stamps Friends from afar were first issued by China Cultural Center in Belgrade, in collaboration with China Media Group and the Post of Serbia in Belgrade, Serbia, on Tuesday afternoon local time, witnessing China-Serbia ironclad friendship. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Li Ming sent video congratulatory messages to the issuing ceremony. More than 100 officials from both China and Serbia attended the event. The commemorative stamps are a set of three stamps, showcasing the dialogue between the Hemudu culture and the Vinca culture, highlighting the deep historical connections between the two countries. The stamps also feature the Hungary-Serbia railway project, showing the fruitful results of the Belt and Road Initiative. Also, they depict the establishment of cultural centers in both countries, playing the roles of bridges for cultural exchange and mutual learning between China and Serbia. The issuance of the stamps commemorates and symbolizes the unbreakable friendship and partnership between the two countries, said Zoran Djordjevic, director of the Post of Serbia. Before the launch ceremony, the issuing authorities presented a commemorative postal souvenir numbered 577 to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic himself as a memento. This is the fourth set of stamps issued in collaboration between the China Cultural Center in Belgrade and the Post of Serbia, following the issuing of special postage stamps celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinas World Cultural and Natural Heritage and stamps celebrating the Chinese Year of the Dragon, according to the issuers. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) Companies rush to invest in reclaimed land to produce secondary batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, other high-tech products By Ko Dong-hwan GUNSAN, North Jeolla Province Saemangeum is shaping itself as the country's key industrial hub, taking advantage of its vast 397 million square meter-large landfilled region next to the West Sea to attract companies, harness renewable energies and build a new residential town for workers and families, according to Saemangeum Development and Investment Agency (SDIA), Thursday. The national industrial complex in the northern part of Saemangeum a landfilled region two-thirds the size of Seoul on the country's west coast with jurisdiction across North Jeolla Province's Gunsan and Buan County has finished allotting 90 percent of its entire lots to 49 companies. Twenty-eight of them have already begun running their factories, while the rest are currently building plants there. Since President Yoon Suk Yeol's inauguration in May 2022, the industrial complex has attracted investments worth 10.1 trillion won ($7.4 billion). Prior to the Yoon administration, since the agency's establishment in 2013, the complex had received investments totaling just 1.5 trillion won. In 2023 alone, a group of secondary battery companies and material-part-equipment developers announced they will invest 6.6 trillion won in the complex. LG Chem and SK on plan to invest 1.2 trillion won with their Chinese partners, while LS Group said it plans to invest 1.8 trillion won. Ronbay Korea New Energy Materials also said it will invest 1.2 trillion won. The SDIA is still busy reclaiming land from the sea in the region. Companies that have an urgent need to move in are demanding the agency expedite the process, according to SDIA Administrator and Vice Minister Kim Kyung-ahn. "We've never expected Saemangeum would see such a rush of companies wanting to move in," Kim said. Saemangeum will house companies in the rechargeable battery, car, food and MICE (meetings, incentive travel, conventions and exhibitions) industries. Doosan Fuel Cell, which completed a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) plant with a 50-megawatt capacity at the complex last July, is now producing SOFC samples using the plant's fully automated, 250-meter-long assembly line until the scheduled start of mass production next April. "We looked at five national industrial complexes in the country, including those in Changwon, Yongin and Iksan, before deciding to build our latest SOFC plant in Saemangeum," the company's Global Chief Manufacturing Officer Bang Won-jo said. "We found Saemangeum most company-friendly as to conditions of site and incentives." Kim meets with heads of companies, either already in the complex or planning to move in, on a regular basis to exchange opinions. On Wednesday, 11 companies to move in met Kim at SDIA's office to file requests or complaints. A chemical and biotech company requested an additional rear entrance to its planned factory, while an energy materials developing firm asked if it can help with hiring locally. Kim gave promising answers to both of them. Kim is equipping the complex with all he can to cater to its companies, including power supply, social overhead capital and incentives. To facilitate future exports that will stringently monitor carbon footprints, particularly in Europe and the United States, the complex is working on supplying renewable energy sources to require the companies to minimize their carbon emissions. The companies are exempted from corporate tax and income tax for a start, with more incentives to come, according to Kim, while the government will provide free buses for commuting workers. A new harbor, one of the most urgent demands from the companies, will be completed next year with a government budget of 160 million won, in addition to new highways, roads and an international airport. South of the industrial complex, Saemangeum Development Corp. (SDCO) is currently building a new oceanside residential town for the complex workers and their families. Built over 6.6 square kilometers the size of Seoul's Yeouido with over 1.3 trillion won, the town will be completed in 2026 and comprise parks, schools and even a casino. "Until now, Saemangeum has been adrift," SDCO President Na Kyung-gyun said at the town's construction site, where a subterranean foundation block for apartment buildings was going under petrification. "The new high-rise apartment buildings will endure strong sea winds and introduce various smart features for residents. With a cruise currently touring across dozens of islands and oceanside parks to be launched, Saemangeum is Korea's new future." Married At First Sight's Jade Pywell is back on Instagram with a bang. After a four-month hiatus from the social media platform, Jade, 26, celebrated her comeback with a saucy snap. The bombshell showed off her ample cleavage in a plunging gown which featured intricate beading and a thigh-high split. The light blue colour complemented her skin beautifully. The Gold Coast-based mother-of-one expressed her gratitude towards her followers for their support during her absence. Married At First Sight's Jade Pywell is back on Instagram with a bang. After a four-month hiatus from the social media platform, Jade, 26, celebrated her comeback with a photo that showcased her in an eye-catching plunging gown 'After a long four months, I finally have access to my Instagram,' she wrote. 'Thank you to everyone who has messaged over the past few months; I have seen the messages. I just suck at replying but I will do my best. 'If I've missed anything important. Pls message again, just in case. Last few months have been crazy, but I am excited for what's to come.' Jade then revealed her and partner Ridge Barredo were going strong, by sharing a loved-up photo of them posing for a mirror selfie Jade then revealed her and partner Ridge Barredo were going strong by sharing a loved-up photo of them posing for a mirror selfie. In the snap, Jade wore a racy shimmering, form-fitting, metallic purple mini dress with a halter neckline that left little to the imagination. The post comes after Ridge and Jade revealed their plans to start a family last month. The lovebirds said they hope to have twin babies in the near future so they can give Jade's eight-year-old daughter Victoria some siblings to play with. 'Boy and girl twins! I'll definitely be waiting for another ring before we have any kiddies,' Jade told New Idea magazine. 'The show doesn't count. I'd like a proper engagement, instead of me just being handed to him.' It comes after Ridge and Jade revealed their plans to start a family last month Ridge added he was committed to having children with Jade so their family could be complete. Their pairing on MAFS was initially questioned during their wedding ceremony after Ridge cracked several immature jokes while delivering his vows. He also repeatedly used a made-up catchphrase 'deece' and described himself as 'gorgeous', leaving Jade's sister very unimpressed. Ridge also promised to provide 'safety and security' in their relationship, before bizarrely adding, 'because I know you girls love that stuff'. Jeremy Renner looked great as he stepped out in New York City on Wednesday wearing all black. The 53-year-old actor whose show Mayor of Kingstown returns in June flashed a smile while exiting a building. He was dressed in a long-sleeved button-up shirt and matching pants, rounding out the look with shiny black dress shoes. His light brown hair was neatly cut above his ears and he had a shadow of a beard. It comes a year-and-a-half after the star's life-threatening snow plow accident. Jeremy Renner looked great as he stepped out in New York City on Wednesday wearing all black The 53-year-old actor whose show Mayor of Kingstown returns in June flashed a smile while exiting a building In the upcoming season of Renner's Paramount+ show, 'A series of explosions rock Kingstown and its citizens as a new face of the Russian mob sets up shop in the city, and a drug war rages inside and outside prison walls.' The official logline continued, 'The pressure is on McLusky to end the war but things get complicated when a familiar face from his incarcerated past threatens to undermine the Mayor's attempts to keep the peace among all factions.' The Modesto, California native is joined in the cast of the series by costars Hugh Dillon, Tobi Bamtefa, Taylor Handley, Emma Laird, Derek Webster, Hamish Allan-Headley, Aidan Gillen, Dianne Wiest and Nishi Munshi. The actor is more than a year removed from a January 1, 2023 snow plow accident in which he was run over by his seven-ton Pistenbully snow groomer near Lake Tahoe in Nevada, leaving him in critical condition at first. Renner suffered more than 38 broken bones in the incident and had to undergo surgeries to repair his rib cage, face and legs amid a multitude of injures. Renner spoke with The Hollywood Reporter in February about his return to work. 'All I can focus on is this,' Renner said. 'Doing television is quite arduous. It's long hours and a lot of heavy lifting.' He added that he 'will see how [he comes] out at the end of it.' He was dressed in a long-sleeved button-up shirt and matching pants, rounding out the look with shiny black dress shoes The latest season of his Paramount+ crime drama Mayor of Kingstown premieres June 2 Elsewhere in the interview the actor said his 'number one priority' remains his 'recovery and strengthening and just getting better, internally and externally.' His goal, he explained, is 'to be able to go to work and participate in life in the world again.' Renner noted he was allowing his 'body always to dictate' what he 'can and cannot do.' He also shared with People that his friend and fellow actor Robert Downey Jr. regularly checked in with him amid his recovery in the ICU. Exactly one month after The Bear star Jeremy Allen White was confirmed to play Bruce Springsteen in an upcoming biopic, his on-screen manager has been found. Succession star Jeremy Strong has signed on to play Jon Landau in the film entitled Deliver Me From Nowhere, according to Variety. Both Springsteen, 74, and Landau, 76, who is no relation to Avatar producer Jon Landau, are said to be actively involved in the project. The film will be adapted from Warren Zanes' 2023 book of the same name, which chronicles the making of Springsteen's 1982 album Nebraska. The album was expected to be another album with his E Street Band, with Springsteen writing all 10 songs and recording them himself on a 4-track recorder. Exactly one month after The Bear star Jeremy Allen White was confirmed to play Bruce Springsteen in an upcoming biopic, his on-screen manager has been found Succession star Jeremy Strong has signed on to play Jon Landau in the film entitled Deliver Me From Nowhere, according to Variety Both Springsteen, 74, and Landau, 76, (both seen above in 2019) who is no relation to Avatar producer Jon Landau, are said to be actively involved in the project The songs utilized acoustic and electric guitar, along with other instruments such as the organ, harmonica, glockenspiel, tambourine and a synthesizer. Springsteen and Landau had originally intended to use those recordings as demos, taking them into the studio to work with the E Street Band. These April 1982 sessions would come to be known as the 'Electric Nebraska Sessions,' though they would not be used to make up the songs on Nebraska. Both Springsteen and Landau decided that 10 of the songs could not be replicated with the band, and were more powerful in the raw, demo version, which ultimately became the 1982 album Nebraska. While not as commercially successful as his preceding hits Born to Run and his double-album The River, Nebraska is still considered one of Springsteen's most important albums in his iconic library. The album was ranked #150 on Rolling Stone's 2020 edition of its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. The Electric Nebraska Sessions would prove to be quite important, since eight of those songs would be included on Springsteen's blockbuster 1984 album Born in the U.S.A., including the title track, Glory Days and Working On the Highway. As for Landau, he started his career as a music critic, who claimed in a 1974 article that Springsteen was 'rock and roll's future.' Springsteen and Landau had originally intended to use those recordings as demos, taking them into the studio to work with the E Street Band As for Landau, he started his career as a music critic, who claimed in a 1974 article that Springsteen was 'rock and roll's future' Strong wrapped up his run on HBO's highly-successful drama series Succession, and now he's heading back to the big screen. He started working with Springsteen shortly thereafter and was credited as a producer on many of his studio albums starting with 1975's Born to Run. Deliver Me From Nowhere will start production this fall, with Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart) directing from his own adapted screenplay. Strong wrapped up his run on HBO's highly-successful drama series Succession, and now he's heading back to the big screen. He is set to play lawyer Roy Cohn, who represented Donald Trump and helped him start his real estate business in the 1970s and 1980s, in The Apprentice, alongside Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump and Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump. Gwyneth Paltrow joined forces with fellow actress-turned-entrepreneur Tracee Ellis Ross to shoot a Target commercial at a store in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The Goop founder, 51, who launched her lifestyle brand in 2017, struck a deal with the retailer last year to carry items from her skincare line, Good. Clean. Goop. Meanwhile, Ross, 51, and her hair company Pattern Beauty partnered with Target in 2021. During Wednesday's shoot, the two ladies scoured the aisles with Gwyneth pushing a bright red Target cart. They made their way through the makeup department, womenswear and then the checkout counter as cameras rolled. Gwyneth Paltrow joined forces with fellow actress-turned-entrepreneur Tracee Ellis Ross to shoot a Target commercial at a store in Los Angeles on Wednesday Gwyneth looked incredible while rocking a chic double denim outfit that included a cropped jacket and flares. The mother-of-two paraded around the popular store in brown suede heels. Rounding out her overall look, the Academy Award-winning actress had her blonde tresses styled long and straight. After checking out blazers in the women's section, the Shakespeare in Love star could seen pushing a shopping cart full of items through the store as Ross followed closely behind. Ross (born Tracee Joy Silberstein) showed off her sense of style in a long white blouse, which came down past her waistline, a matching full-length skirt and big black boots. For the advert, the former Black-ish leading lady had her long dark locks styled in thick braids that hugged her head and then flowed down past her shoulders. Ultimately, the ladies were filmed making their way towards the register with Paltrow leading the way still pushing a cart and Ross right behind her, as they both projected a fun and lighthearted vibe with plenty of smiles and laughs. Paltrow's road from A-list actress to successful businesswoman Goop began when she founded the company in September 2008, initially as a weekly e-mail newsletter that provided things like new age advice and an editor's note from the actress who offered up insight into her daily life. Goop went on to expand into e-commerce, collaborating with fashion brands, launching pop-up shops, holding a "wellness summit, launching a print magazine, a podcast, that would be showcased in a docuseries for Netflix. While the company has faced criticism for marketing products and treatments that were deemed harmful and false advertising of products, Goop grew substantially to be valued at about $250 million by early 2020, which has been attributed, in part, to Paltrow's star power. During Wednesday's shoot, the two ladies scoured the aisles with Gwyneth pushing a bright red Target cart They made their way through the makeup department, womenswear and then the checkout counter as cameras rolled After checking out blazers in the women's section, the Shakespeare in Love star could seen pushing a shopping cart full of items through the store as Ross followed closely behind The deal with Target to expand her company's reach to people with a lower price point included 14 products all under $40 That includes skin, body, and haircare, plus wellness gummies, as reported by People. Ross founded Pattern Beauty in 2019, which has been known to be a Black-owned, Black-centered haircare brand for people with textured, curly hair, according to Fast Company. Initially, the company started with four people, seven products, and one retail partner, which has since been upgraded to 30 employees, more than 50 products and 10 retail partners, including Target. The Goop founder, 51, who launched her lifestyle brand in 2017, struck a deal with the retailer last year to carry items from her skincare line, Good. Clean. Goop; seen in 2019 Meanwhile, Ross, 51, and her hair company Pattern Beauty partnered with Target in 2021; seen in June 2022 'I wanted to create a line of products that gave our hair the support it needed to be its true self,' Ross is quoted on previous advertisements. Pattern Beauty 'focuses on healthy hair & encourages each hair texture to take up as much space as it desires. We search the globe for the best ingredients & review thousands of formulas with our chemists until we create the solutions to help you achieve your happiest hair,' it reads on the company's website. Ross maintains she got the idea for Pattern Beauty while in the middle of shooting her hit sitcom Girlfriends, which ran for eight seasons on UPN and then The CW. Known more for her roles on television her Hollywood resume includes Reed Between The Lines (2011) to go along with Black-ish (2014-2022), she branched out to shoot three films in 2023, including Cold Copy, American Fiction and Candy Cane Lane. Spider-Man filmmaker Sam Raimi's wife Gillian Greene has filed for divorce from the director after 31 years of marriage in Los Angeles. Greene, 56, filed papers for the split from Raimi, 64, on Wednesday, TMZ reported after reviewing court docs, saying they had 'irreconcilable differences.' The pair, who initially exchanged vows on September 17, 1993, share five adult children: Lorne Raimi, Henry Raimi, Emma Raimi, Dashiell Raimi and Oliver Raimi. Greene requested spousal support in her filing with the court, and asked it to prevent Raimi from getting alimony. The court papers did not indicate a prenuptial agreement in place, according to the outlet. Spider-Man filmmaker Sam Raimi's wife Gillian Greene has filed for divorce from the director after 31 years of marriage in LA. Pictured in 2013 at the Oz premiere in LA The director has a net worth of $60 million, according to the website Celebrity Net Worth. Greene told the court that she and Raimi would have to delineate and divide their assets and property moving forward. The outlet noted that the split of the longtime show business couple was 'pretty stunning,' and there had been 'no signs of trouble' ahead of Wednesday's news. The Royal Oak, Michigan-born Raimi has worked for decades in Hollywood as a director, producer and writer. He's directed three films in the Spider-Man franchise: 2002's Spider-Man, 2004's Spider-Man 2 and 2007's Spider-Man 3, all with Tobey Maguire in the titular role. He also boasts prominent credits such as 1981's The Evil Dead, 1990's Darkman, 1999's For Love of the Game, 2013's Oz the Great and Powerful and 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Speaking with CBR last month, the filmmaker spoke about rumors he would be making a fourth Spider-Man with Maguire, 48. 'Well, I haven't heard about that yet,' he told the outlet. 'I did read that, but I'm not actually working on it yet. The pair, who initially exchanged vows on September 17, 1993 share five adult children Raimi and Greene were pictured with one of their children on February 9, 1995 at the Mann National Theatre in Westwood, California The then-couple was pictured in Century City, California in September of 1999 He added, 'I mean, Marvel and Columbia are so successful with current Spider-Man [films], and the track there, and I don't know that they're going to go back to me, and say, "Well, folks, we can also tell that story!"' Raimi added, 'I'm not sure, but I love all the new Spider-Man movies. I loved Spider-Man: No Way Home. It was really, super powerful seeing Tobey again in it.' Raimi told the outlet that he hasn't yet been in touch with Maguire about reprising his role as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, but anything is possible moving forward. 'I haven't talked to Tobey about it, but maybe Marvel has, or Columbia Pictures,' Raimi told the outlet. 'But, I just worked with Marvel on a movie called Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 'So, I'm on great terms with them. I'm sure I would hear about it if it was in the works. I think so. I don't know.' Raimi was snapped on June 28, 2017 at an event in Burbank, California The veteran filmmaker was pictured in May of 2022 in Hollywood, California Raimi's directed three films in the Spider-Man franchise: 2002's Spider-Man, 2004's Spider-Man 2 and 2007's Spider-Man 3, all with Tobey Maguire in the titular role. Pictured in Paris in 2004 Greene also works in the entertainment industry, and has experience in front of and behind the camera. She has directed two feature films: 2014's Murder of a Cat starring Fran Kranz, Blythe Danner, Greg Kinnear and J.K. Simmons; and 2019's Fanboy featuring Kranz, Simmons and Raimi. The Los Angeles native had acting roles in the 1988 TV film Bonanza: The Next Generation and a 1979 episode of Battlestar Galactica. She is known for her numerous cosmetic procedures and top ups of lip filler. And Katie Price herself poked fun at her surgically enhanced bottom on Wednesday night as she posed in a tiny leather mini skirt. Accentuating her curvaceous figure, the former glamour model turned round to reveal the words: 'Does my bum look big in this' printed across her perky posterior. The star, 45, underwent her latest 'bum lift' in March as she shared the results in a tiny pink thong after visiting @lift.aesthetics to have 500ml injected into her bottom. Katie looked more loved-up than ever as she enjoyed a date night with boyfriend JJ Slater, 31, at a PrettyLittleThing event in London. Katie Price, 45, poked fun at her surgically enhanced bottom in a TINY leather mini skirt as she enjoyed a date night with boyfriend JJ Slater, 31, at a PrettyLittleThing event in London on Wednesday evening Katie looked more loved-up than ever as she enjoyed a date night with Married At First Sight boyfriend JJ Slater Pairing the shorts with a black crop top, she showed off her array of tattoos including her large angle wings that cover her back and her eye catching thong tattoo on her lower back. Katie, who's daughter Princess, 16, made her modeling debut for the fast fashion brand earlier this year, covered her large assets in the off the shoulder long-sleeved top. She added inches to her frame in a pair of knee high boots and accessorised with a gold chain necklace. Meanwhile JJ seemed in good spirits as he rocked a yellow T-shirt with a pair of grey jeans and a Gucci bag. Katie has spent over 130k on cosmetic surgery and it seems she doesn't plan or slowing down and has already had two bum procedures this year. Sharing the results of her latest lift with fans she said: 'Here I am guys @lift.aesthetics, just had 500ml put in my bum. I absolutely love it, look at that. Love it, didn't hurt and literally took one hour. I'm so happy.' Katie visited Lift Aesthetics in January after admitting she wanted a 'new bum' in the New Year because of her 'awful cellulite'. On the 130k Katie has spent on transforming her looks, 84,000 of that has been spent on boob jobs alone. Katie Price looked more loved-up than ever as she enjoyed a date night with boyfriend JJ Slater at a PrettyLittleThing event in London on Wednesday night The former glamour model, 45, turned heads in a black crop top and mini skirt as she posed with the Married At First Sight UK star, 31 Katie, who's daughter Princess, 16, made her modeling debut for the fast fashion brand earlier this year, rocked a stylish off the shoulder crop top She showed off her array of tattoos including her large angle wings that cover her back and her eye catching thong tattoo on her lower back Meanwhile JJ seemed in good spirits as he rocked a yellow T-shirt with a pair of grey jeans and a Gucci bag The TV personality added inches to her frame in a pair of knee high boots and accessorised with a gold chain necklace Katie has always been candid about going under the knife and during an interview with the Go Love Yourself podcast in October she divulged her concerns over suffering body dysmorphia, due to her resistance to accept her image. She said: 'I know sometimes when I have gone too far. I have been there done it with all the fillers. I don't have fillers now. 'I do in my lips and I have Botox because it got to the point where my face just looked like a balloon. Like really shiny. 'I am starting to look alien. It is purely for me, that's the difference.' Guests at the event on Wednesday, which was a surprise birthday party for Joe Baggs, were treated to a performance by Sugababes star Mutya Buena. She looked incredible, styling in a denim bralette which she teamed with a pair of matching jeans and a denim jacket. Elsewhere Love Island's Abi Moore looked sensational in a silver glittering minidress which she teamed with black knee highs. The pair linked arms as they were seen leaving the party together The star beamed as she got into the car Katie looked slightly windswept in one shot as her ponytail blew in the wind Katie has spent over 130k on cosmetic surgery and it seems she doesn't plan or slowing down and has already had two bum procedures this year The lovebirds appeared in great spirits at the end of the night JJ drove the pair home The couple appear to be going strong in their relationship Guests at the event, which was a surprise birthday party for Joe Baggs, were treated to a performance by Sugababes star Mutya Buena She looked incredibly styling in a denim bralette which she teamed with a pair of matching jeans and a denim jacket Elsewhere Love Island's Abi Moore looked sensational in a silver glittering minidress which she teamed with black knee highs Joe seemed to be in high spirits during the party as he was joined by his brother George and mum Lisa. He rocked a cool grey glittering bomber with a pair of matching trousers and silver metallic trainers. Former Gogglebox star Lisa looked incredible in a navy midi dress which she teamed with a white cowgirl hat. While George opted for a grey metallic sport jacket with a white T-shirt and jeans. It comes after Katie and JJ got matching tattoos last week during their romantic trip to Ayia Napa, Cyprus. Just five months into their whirlwind romance, the couple took their relationship to the next step and got similar inks on each other's arm. In an exclusive pictured obtained by The Sun, Katie and JJ showed off their new tattoos on the top of their left wrist. The smitten couple got a permanent ink of their pet names for one another, with the writing 'baby darling'. GK Barry, whose real name is Grace Keeling, stunned in a pink strapless maxi dress which featured large cut outs displaying her toned midriff Joe seemed to be in high spirits during the party as he was joined by his brother George and mum Lisa He rocked a cool grey glittering bomber with a pair of matching trousers and silver metallic trainers Former Gogglebox star Lisa looked incredible in a navy midi dress which she teamed with a white cowgirl hat While George opted for a grey metallic sport jacket with a white T-shirt and jeans Rebel Wilson has revealed she was living on just $60 a day in Los Angeles before her breakout role on Bridesmaids. On the Diary of a CEO podcast, the 44-year-old Australian actress shared, 'that was a really skint year where I was living on $60 a week in LA. Once I'd paid my rent and my car hire.' The Pitch Perfect star said she wasn't wasting any of her meagre budget going out to parties, instead she focused on her career. 'I wasn't partying or living this [movie star] life. It was basically having that focus, trying to write for myself, going to auditions,' she explained. Rebel also revealed that even though Bridesmaids was her first big break, she made very little money from the film. Rebel Wilson has revealed that she was living on just $60 a day in Los Angeles before her breakout role on Bridesmaids. On the Diary of a CEO podcast, the 44-year-old Australian actress shared, 'that was a really skint year where I was living on $60 a week in L.A.' Pictured Rebel also revealed that even though Bridesmaids was her first big break, she made very little money from the film. Pictured at the Bridesmaids premiere in 2011 The actress starred alongside the likes of Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Ellie Kemper and Melissa McCarthy in the 2011 comedy film, but Rebel claimed she made just $3500 from the movie. 'It was my first job in America. I mean, it was very lucky to get it But to be paid that little...' she said. Wilson then shared that the $3500 she made went on necessary expenses for her career, making the big budget comedy film an unprofitable experience for her. The actress starred alongside the likes of Maya Rudolph , Rose Byrne , Ellie Kemper and Melissa McCarthy in the 2011 comedy film, but Rebel claimed she made just $3500 from the movie 'It was my first job in America. I mean, it was very lucky to get itBut to be paid that little...' she said 'That $3500 I then had to pay to the union to join the union. So I basically made no money,' she shared. 'I lost money, because I had to pay to go to the premiere, like to buy my dress and everything. So, I lost money doing Bridesmaids,' she added. Rebel previously claimed that actresses in Hollywood are required to be 'two or three times as good as the guys.' The movie star told ELLE magazine: 'How I see it is, I do two types of job: dream jobs like female-driven comedies and the other job which is basically the boys' club. 'You aren't being paid much and you start at a disadvantage with the script. Usually, you don't have any cool jokes and youre there to support the male actor. 'Those male roles are 90 percent written and formed by the time the filming starts but the female roles are only 20 percent there.' Below Deck Mediterranean star Aesha Scott is engaged to boyfriend Scott 'Scotty' Dobson. The reality star, 31, said yes after her partner got down on one knee during a romantic proposal near her hometown of New Zealand earlier this month, after four years of dating, as per Us Weekly. 'Homunga Bay was my dream place to get engaged, but I had no idea it was coming and was totally surprised,' Aesha shared about the proposal. Scott created a unique ring for Aesha who opened up about being sexually assaulted in a resurfaced clip last year with her favorite jewelry designer, Layla Kaisi. The round-cut diamond center set with accent diamonds honored her family, with the champagne stone meant to represent her brother, who died when Aesha was 20. Below Deck Mediterranean star Aesha Scott, 31, is engaged to boyfriend Scott 'Scotty' Dobson after four years of dating 'Scott was so thoughtful and cared deeply about creating a piece that truly symbolized Aesha and his love for her,' the jewelry designer told the publication. Aesha and Scott first met in high school, before reconnecting in 2020. In March she revealed that the pair have bought a house together. 'GAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH GUESS WHAAAAAAT!!!!! SOLD!!!!! TO US!!!!!!!! WE HAVE FINALLY GONE UNCONDITIONAL ON A HOUSE. After five months of offers and hopes going up and then down, having been conditional three times, and still living out of suitcases on the floor we have finally gone unconditional on a place we both ADORE!!!!!!' she wrote on Instagram. 'We both felt at home the moment we walked in the door!!! Low-key, open, light, wooden floors, big deck, very happy. Feeling chuffed all of our hard work and savings have given us a place to call home (Or Base Camp because we will still be travelling and in the US a lot).' In 2020 she gushed about her other half in a sweet Instagram post. 'This guy though. I'll go ahead and address the elephant in the room. Yes he is the blatantly more attractive/photogenic/talentedatEVERYTHING side of this duo, but I feel like what I bring is a certain mysterious spice, especially when I do things like cry over two-minute noodles for no reason when Im on my period,' she wrote. 'So basically a power couple,' the star added. The reality star said yes after her partner got down on one knee during a romantic proposal near her hometown of New Zealand earlier this month as per Us Weekly; seen in a 2023 snap 'Homunga Bay was my dream place to get engaged, but I had no idea it was coming and was totally surprised,' Aesha shared about the proposal Aesha and Scott first met in high school, before reconnecting in 2020. In March she revealed that the pair have bought a house together Aesha joined Below Deck Mediterranean in 2019 as a Chief Stew. She will make her return on season nine, which will begin airing starting June 3; seen in a promotional snap And in an interview with BravoTV she gushed about their travels together. 'I'm so in love with him. Were coming up on three years now and I just still adore every single part of him. So, I feel very lucky.' 'We went to Ecuador for a couple of weeks, which was cool and then I went back to New Zealand and Scott actually came a month early and surprised me for my birthday.' Aesha joined Below Deck Mediterranean in 2019 as a Chief Stew. This role involves managing the interior crew of a luxury yacht and overseeing guest service. She will make her Below Deck Mediterranean return for season 9, which will begin airing starting June 3. Liev Schreiber and his wife of nearly one year, Taylor Niesen, attended the 2024 Public Theater Gala in New York City on Wednesday evening. The 56-year-old actor who received a Tony nomination for best lead actor in a play for Doubt: A Parable looked handsome in a dark gray suit. Meanwhile, 32-year-old Niesen was clad in a strapless pink dress with black polka dots. The former pageant queen wore her shoulder-length blonde locks in a center part and ironed straight. Her look was rounded out with a pair of cream-colored, peep-toe heels. Liev Schreiber and his wife of nearly one year, Taylor Niesen, attended the 2024 Public Theater Gala in New York City on Wednesday evening The 56-year-old actor who received a Tony nomination for best lead actor in a play for Doubt: A Parable looked handsome in a dark gray suit She wore a light face of makeup that complemented her features, including a soft blush and matching lip color. The star, who welcomed her and Liev's first child last August, carried a small, black, leather clutch. Her ultra-feminine dress boasted a front slit that teased her toned legs. Liev layered a light gray shirt underneath his double-breasted blazer. He added a black tie, shiny black dress shoes, and black-framed eyeglasses. His hair was cut short and he sported a very light, graying beard. Also at the event was longtime actress Marisa Tomei, 59. The Hollywood siren was fashion-forward in a pale blue dress that included a cropped, double-breasted vest and feather skirt. lso at the event was longtime actress Marisa Tomei, 59 The Hollywood siren was fashion-forward in a pale blue dress that included a cropped, double-breasted vest and feather skirt Actor Corey Stoll, 48, also made an appearance at Wednesday's affair She complemented the fun look with a pair of pointy-toe, shiny turquoise heels with stone-covered ankle straps. The My Cousin Vinny star's long, sandy-blonde hair was parted down the middle and styled in loose waves. Actor Corey Stoll, 48, also made an appearance at Wednesday's affair. He wore a dark blue suit and patterned, multi-color shirt underneath, finishing the look with beige sneakers. Robert Irwin has taken to social media to share an unwelcome guest in his hotel room while filming I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in South Africa. On Thursday, the wildlife warrior shared a video of the moment he discovered that a vervet monkey was causing a ruckus at this Jungle-side accomodation. The video shows a curious monkey cheekily making itself at home in Robert's bathroom. The young wildlife enthusiast found humor in the situation, narrating the unexpected encounter with his usual charm. 'I'm sitting in my room, and I hear a noise. Okay, that'll be what it is,' he recounted, just before revealing the adorable source of the commotion. Robert Irwin has taken to social media to share an unwelcome guest in his hotel room while filming I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in South Africa Robert attempted to coax the monkey out of his room, saying, 'Alright, could you please exit the premises? I don't need you in my bathroom, mate.' Fortunately, the monkey promptly leaped out of an open window. Reflecting on the encounter with a smile, Robert admitted to a minor oversight in security: 'I really thought that door was locked. Clearly not.' On Thursday, the wildlife warrior shared a video of the moment he discovered that a vervet monkey was causing a ruckus at this Jungle-side accomodation He waved off his unexpected guest with a friendly, 'Have a good one. See ya, mate.' It comes after Channel 10 have confirmed that Irwin will be returning as co-host for the 2025 season of the reality show. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, a Channel 10 spokesperson vehemently denied reports that suggested Irwin's tenure at the network might be ending. It comes after Channel 10 have confirmed that Irwin will be returning as co-host for the 2025 season of the reality show. (Pictured with co-host Julia Morris) 'What a load of croc! We've heard a lot of furphys over the past 10 seasons, but media reports about Robert no longer hosting I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! take the cake and are completely fake,' they said in a statement. 'We've just wrapped an excellent season and can't wait to do it all again next year.' The Woman's Day's report, which hinted at a potential move back to rival network Seven, was quickly quashed by our source within Channel 10. It comes as an insider at the network praised the wildlife warrior for his recent hosting gig. 'Robert's easygoing and faultless live TV skills have won over the nation. But contrary to reports, his career at Ten is far from over; Robert is definitely staying with us,' they said. 'Robert has been an absolute treasure on the show. 'His wildlife expertise, and genuine charm has resonated well with viewers, and we're thrilled to have him back.' By Park Jae-hyuk HD Hyundai and Palantir Technologies unveiled the design of the Tenebris, an unmanned surface vessel (USV) under their joint development, during the first-ever Artificial Intelligence Expo for National Competitiveness held on Tuesday and Wednesday (local time) in Washington, D.C., the Korean company said Thursday. The naval ships miniature was on display at the exhibition booth of Palantir, the largest sponsor of the event hosted by the Special Competitive Studies Project to enhance competitiveness of the U.S. and its allies. Amid the attendance of decision-makers in the national security and defense sectors of the Five Eyes the U.S, the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Cho Hyun-dong visited Palantirs exhibition booth to learn about technologies for unmanned warships. Tenebris, which means darkness in Latin, aims for reconnaissance near enemy lines. HD Hyundai and Palantir plan to finish the development of the 14-ton and 17-meter-long vessel by 2026. They also seek to make the ship capable of enduring severe marine environments and traveling longer distances. In addition, the developers are set to apply the worlds most advanced AI technology to the ship by integrating HD Hyundais autonomous navigation system and Palantirs AI-based mission autonomy system. We will take the lead in the USV industry in collaboration with Palantir, the top-tier company in AI technologies for defense systems, an HD Hyundai official said. Last month, the two companies announced their cooperation to develop the USV, which is considered to be a game-changer of the future naval warfare. HD Hyundai also won an order from the Republic of Korea Navy to design a USV that can be loaded onto a bigger naval vessel. Aoki Lee Simmons made a splash on the red carpet as she was joined by her mother and sister for the 25th Anniversary Smile Train Gala on Wednesday evening. The 21-year-old model looked effortlessly chic at the New York City event with her youthful-looking mother Kimora Lee Simmons, 49, and her older sister Ming Lee Simmons, 24, at her side. Aoki's public appearance marked the first time she had been spotted since her shock split from her much-older boyfriend, the 65-year-old restaurateur Vittorio Assaf. The two reportedly ended their MayDecember romance in early April, just days after they were revealed to be a couple when they were seen kissing on the beach during a holiday to St. Barts. The rising model and her family arrived at Cipriani 42nd Street to show their support for Smile Train, a nonprofit organization that works to provide surgeries to repair cleft lips and palates, while also training local doctors across the globe to perform the surgeries. Aoki Lee Simmons, 21, was joined by her mother Kimora Lee Simmons (L) and sister Ming Lee Simmons (center) at Smile Train's 25th Anniversary Gala on Wednesday in NYC The family appearance marked the first time Aoki has been seen since she was reported to have split from her much older boyfriend, the 65-year-old restaurateur Vittorio Assaf; pictured April 2 in St. Barts Aoki showcased her slender figure with her little black dress, which featured long long sleeves and a floppy black satin bow over her chest. The look stopped at the top of her thighs, putting the spotlight on the 5ft11in model's long legs. She covered them with black tights and wore classic black pumps with slightly pointed toes and straps that wrapped around her ankles. Although she had been rocking gorgeous voluminous curls in recent days, Aoki opted for a reserved look by tying her hair back tightly while parting it down the middle, which highlighted her tastefully made-up face. She completed her ensemble with a thick, shimmering diamond-encrusted bracelet. The magazine star was joined by her mother Kimora, who shares Aoki and Ming with her ex-husband Russell Simmons, whom she divorced in 2009. Kimora flashed her fit arms in her dress' sleeveless black bodice. The top featured a slanted waistline and connected to a glittering silver skirt that lit up the red carpet and featured a sky-high slit to prominently feature her toned legs. Aoki showcased her slender figure with her little black dress, which featured long long sleeves and a floppy black satin bow over her chest The look stopped at the top of her thighs, putting the spotlight on the 5ft11in model's long legs She wore black tights and classic black pumps with pointed toes and straps around her ankles. Her mother Kimora wore a dress with a sleeveless black bodice and a glittering silver skirt with a sky-high slit Ming was the spitting image of her mother, and she stunned in a sleek black dress that hugged her curves The look featured a slim cutout over her chest which showcased her cleavage Smile Train and its mission to help those suffering from cleft lips and palates has been a major issue close to Kimora's heart Kimora wore matching silver open-toe heels and wore her lustrous raven tresses down over her chest in thick waves. Ming was the spitting image of her mother, and she stunned in a sleek black dress that hugged her curves. The look featured a slim cutout over her chest which showcased her cleavage, and the dress featured crisscrossing black straps that wrapped around her torso and allowed her to adjust the size of the cutout. She styled her hair straight like her mother's, and she complemented her outfit with a pair of strappy black open-toe heels. Inside Cipriani 42nd Street, Aoki was spotted catching up with fellow model Brooks Nader. Smile Train and its mission to help those suffering from cleft lips and palates has been a major issue close to Kimora's heart. Last year, she traveled to Lima, Peru, to support the organization's efforts and to meet some of the patients who had benefited from the surgeries. Cleft palates occur when the roof of the mouth opens up into the nose, while individuals with a cleft lip have an opening on their upper lip that reaches into the nose. The conditions can occur in conjunction or separately, and they can be life threatening. Last year, Kimora traveled to Lima, Peru, to support the organization's efforts and to meet some of the patients who had benefited from the surgeries Kimora, who is a Smile Train Ambassador, was honored at the organizations 25th anniversary gala with the Goodwill Ambassador Award, so it was fitting that her daughters would honor her Aoki and Ming were both pictured grinning ear to ear as they took to the stage to sing Kimora's praises at the podium before presenting her with her award Kimora pictured with Brooks Nader at the gala Cleft palates and lips can be dangerous for affected child and older individuals as it can make feeding difficult. Affected individuals may also have difficult speaking, and they can develop frequent ear infections and have hearing problems. Kimora, who is a Smile Train Ambassador, was honored at the organizations 25th anniversary gala with the Goodwill Ambassador Award, so it was fitting that her daughters would join in the festivities to honor her. Aoki and Ming were both pictured grinning ear to ear as they took to the stage to sing Kimora's praises at the podium before presenting her with her award. Last month, Aoki and her boyfriend Vittorio Assaf were reported to be '100 percent done' not long after thy seemingly confirmed their shock romance during a getaway to St. Barts in early April. The news of the separation came after both her mother Kimora and father Russell gave their reactions to Aoki sharing a kiss with the 65-year-old restaurateur during the relaxing trip. A source told Page Six of the pair's romance: 'It's 100 percent done. They're absolutely not dating.' However, had referred to Assaf as her 'boyfriend' in Instagram Live reels while in St. Barts. The insider, who is close to Aoki, stated that she said on Monday: '"Of course, I'm not with him. I was never with him."' Aoki split from Vittorio Assaf, 65, in early April, just days after they confirmed their relationship with a kiss in St. Barts. An insider who is close to Aoki claimed that she said: 'Of course, I'm not with him. I was never with him'; seen in November 2023 in NYC They also informed the outlet that the beauty is not materialistic and such claims were 'absurd.' 'She's not even like that. She doesn't care about jewelry. She doesn't have Hermes. It's not even her. She doesn't even care about expensive things like that. She's like more of a geek,' they said. A separate insider explained that Vittorio is an 'older man with little boy charm.' 'He's always loved younger beautiful women. He's gotten older, but his taste hasn't changed,' they claimed. 'I wouldn't be surprised if he's out with another young girl tonight!' During the tropical vacation, Aoki had filmed herself while inside Assaf's home on the island and gushed, per Page Six, 'I'm the happiest person to ever happy right now.' She also gave a glimpse of the restaurateur's shoes and said, 'Look at how huge his shoes are. That makes me really happy. He's [6-foot-4].' Earlier in April, Aoki and Vittorio were spotted spending time on a beach together and at one point, shared a kiss on the sandy shore. The pair also enjoyed a picnic together and Assaf was seen taking a few photos of the model as she struck poses for the camera. The two seemingly confirming their romance sparked a fierce viral debate about age gaps in relationships and how much is too much as Aoki is young enough to be Vittorio's granddaughter. A separate insider explained that Vittorio is an 'older man with little boy charm' Earlier in April, Aoki and Vittorio were spotted spending time on a beach together and at one point, shared a kiss on the sandy shore Her father, Russell Simmons, soon broke his silence on his dating Vittorio. 'I'm not gonna kick and scream about her choices,' said the Def Jam mogul to TMZ on Monday. The former husband of Aoki's mother, model and designer Kimora Lee Simmons, added: 'All I can do is offer my advice and unconditional love.' Russell also said his daughter warned him of her romance a day before the photos surfaced. Russell and Kimora were wed from 1998 until 2009. Aoki is Kimora's youngest daughter she shares with her first husband. She also shares daughter Ming, 24, with Russell. She has other kids, too: The fashion designer shares sons Kenzo, 14, and Wolfe, nearly nine, with exes Djimon Hounsou and Tim Leissner, respectively. With Leissner, she adopted her son Gary, 14, in 2020. Kimora notably reposted a since-deleted video of a mother panda furiously pulling away her baby cub with her teeth and wrote: 'On my last nerve right now!' Assaf is a known New York City personality. He owns the Serafina Restaurant Group. He grew up in Milan, Italy where he studied hard: first with a degree in Political Science then he studied Law at the University of Urbino. Assaf spent eight years on the floor of Milan's Stock Exchange then came to New York in the eighties. He also opened Cafe Candiotti in 1985, which became a hot spot and now runs the Serafina Restaurant Group. It is not known how long she and the restauranteur have been romantically involved, but a source close to the model revealed to People that the pair had met while vacationing in St. Barts. 'Aoki and Vittorio are spending time together and enjoying each others' company,' the insider told the outlet. The couple both took to Instagram to share snaps from their vacation but did not post any photos of each other. Last week Aoki talked exclusively to DailyMail.com but did not mention her new lover. Simmons was modeling for BCBG New York, bringing her all to the visuals for the Spring Summer 2024 capsule for BCBG Group. Her father, Russell Simmons, soon broke his silence on his dating Vittorio. 'I'm not gonna kick and scream about her choices,' said the Def Jam mogul to TMZ Kimora notably reposted a since-deleted video of a mother panda furiously pulling away her baby cub with her teeth and wrote: 'On my last nerve right now!' Russell and Kimora were wed from 1998 until 2009. Aoki is Kimora's youngest daughter she shares with her first husband. She also shares daughter Ming, 24, with Russell; Kimora and Aoki seen in November 2023 in L.A. In regards to modeling, Aoki said, 'My goal is to learn and grow as I navigate my own path through this business, and have a lot of fun doing it' In regards to modeling, Aoki said, 'My goal is to learn and grow as I navigate my own path through this business, and have a lot of fun doing it.' When asked how mom has inspired her, she answered: 'Let me count the ways! Honestly, there are so many things that I look up to her for, but if I had to pick one it might be her ability of self-reliance. 'She has a confidence that even if she doesn't know the answer to something right now, she knows how to figure it out. That's inspiring.' As far as plans to design one day she said: 'Never say never, but perhaps just not yet.' Jodie Turner-Smith opened up about her 'deliberately bridal' look at the 2024 MET Gala earlier on Monday - which referenced to her split from ex-husband Joshua Jackson. The Queen & Slim actress, 37 - who stole the spotlight in a custom Burberry gown on the red carpet - took to her main Instagram page on Wednesday to discuss the inspirations behind the dress. She notably wore a sleeveless ensemble that contained 150,000 faux pearls as well as a sheer, floral overlay that flowed down into a long train, per Vogue. The beauty wore a long, cross-shaped necklace and dazzling bracelet while holding a floral piece in her hand. Jodie additionally debuted short, blonde locks at the star-studded event. 'This met gala was a very special one for me my first stepping out on my own,' Turner-Smith penned in the lengthy caption. Just two years earlier in 2022, she attended the MET Gala for the first time alongside ex Joshua Jackson. However, she notably filed for divorce from the actor last year in October 2023. Jodie Turner-Smith, 37, opened up about her 'deliberately bridal' look at the 2024 MET Gala earlier on Monday (seen above), revealing the look referenced her split from ex-husband Joshua Jackson Just two years earlier in 2022, she attended the MET Gala for the first time alongside ex Joshua Jackson (seen above). However, she notably filed for divorce from the actor last year in October 2023 She continued, 'i had many thoughts after reading the short story that the theme was based on but what i took away from it was a desire to represent both the power of nature and the delicacy of it.' 'In nature, death is both an ending *and* a beginning. when you prune away that which is dead, new buds are free to grow.' Jodie gave a shout out to designer, Daniel Lee, and wrote, 'fitting, then, that the dress #DanielLee designed for me, full of english flowers, was deliberately bridal. white, representing a rebirth. a clean start.' 'A recommitment to the most important relationship i will ever have, the relationship from which all others grow: my relationship with myself.' The Anne Boleyn star added, 'it is through loving and honouring myself that i am able to love and honour my daughter, and teach her to do the same.' She positively expressed, 'i am ever changing, ever growing, always beginning and FREE, to love better, stronger, more fiercely and fearlessly than i ever have.' 'THANK YOU ENDLESSLY, @burberry, for your support and your creativity and your love. can't wait to see what's next!!!!!' The British-born actress included a variety of photos that had been taken during the special night, including snaps of her posing up a storm on the red carpet. 'This met gala was a very special one for me my first stepping out on my own,' Turner-Smith penned in the lengthy caption Jodie gave a shout out to designer, Daniel Lee, and wrote, 'fitting, then, that the dress #DanielLee designed for me, full of english flowers, was deliberately bridal. white, representing a rebirth. a clean start' She positively expressed, 'i am ever changing, ever growing, always beginning and FREE, to love better, stronger, more fiercely and fearlessly than i ever have' The British-born actress included a variety of photos that had been taken during the special night, including snaps of her posing up a storm on the red carpet The beauty flashed an excited smile as she paused for a picture with fellow actress, Taylor Russell, who was also in attendance at the MET Gala earlier this week The mother-of-one also uploaded a selfie that she quickly took on the red carpet as she gave a close-up look at her dress. The beauty flashed an excited smile as she paused for a picture with fellow actress, Taylor Russell, who was also in attendance at the MET Gala earlier this week. Turner-Smith also took a few photos while inside the venue, and was seen taking a selfie with designer and CCO of Burberry, Daniel Lee. After the event, Jodie had a quick outfit change and showcased her toned figure in a cropped yellow top as well as a matching miniskirt. She joined Daniel Lee, Naomi Campbell and also Chioma Nandi to host an after party at Caviar Kaspia in the Big Apple. Late last year in October, Jodie filed for divorce from Joshua Jackson after four years of marriage, citing 'irreconcilable differences.' At the time, the split had reportedly left the Fringe actor 'heartbroken.' The former couple tied the knot in 2019, and welcomed their first and only child together in April 2020. Amid their divorce, the two stars agreed to join custody of their daughter named Juno. Shortly after her divorce filing, a source told People that Jodie made the decision to do so because, 'She decided that she is done,' and added that, 'They are on very different paths in life.' Turner-Smith also took a few photos while inside the venue, and was seen taking a selfie with designer and CCO of Burberry, Daniel Lee She notably wore a sleeveless ensemble that contained 150,000 faux pearls as well as a sheer, floral overlay that flowed down into a long train, per Vogue Late last year in October, Jodie filed for divorce from Joshua Jackson after four years of marriage, citing 'irreconcilable differences.' At the time, the split had reportedly left the Fringe actor 'heartbroken'; former couple seen in March 2023 in Beverly Hills The insider said, 'It turned into an unhealthy marriage that made her unhappy,' but explained the pair would still focus on co-parenting their daughter. 'They want her to continue to thrive.' Earlier this year in February, Turner-Smith broke her silence on the divorce during an interview with Sunday Times Style. 'Sometimes things we really want to work just don't end up working.' 'And that's OK. The most important thing is that you choose what's healthiest for you and your family and definitely your children.' 'There are so many different moments in our life where we look at ourselves and say, "Who am I and am I being true to that?"' The actress later told the outlet that, 'The bravest thing in the world is to recognize when something's not working and to make a move, and I always want to set that kind of example for my daughter.' 'The big takeaway is that this is about just as much love and joy as it has always been. This is only about taking a step forward into a better life for everybody involved.' Jackson has since moved on with Black Panther actress, Lupita Nyong'o - with the pair first being linked in October while at a Janelle Monae concert in L.A. Two months later in December, it was confirmed that they were officially. Back in March, Joshua and Lupita were spotted sharing a passionate kiss during a getaway to Mexico. Earlier this year in February, Turner-Smith broke her silence on the divorce during an interview with Sunday Times Style. 'Sometimes things we really want to work just don't end up working'; seen in February 2023 in London Jodie made her MET Gala debut back in 2022, and was accompanied by then-husband, Joshua Jackson. While talking to Elle UK last year in March, she reflected on making an appearance at the event Jodie made her MET Gala debut back in 2022, and was accompanied by then-husband, Joshua Jackson. While talking to Elle UK last year in March, she reflected on making an appearance at the event. 'When I was doing the MET Gala for the first time, I remember thinking, "Oh my God, I don't ever want to do this." I didn't feel good. I was not feeling the vibe.' She continued, 'I remember there was this moment where my husband just took me by the hand and said, "You deserve to be here."' Alexander Skarsgard will play a motorcycle club chief who takes a submissive gay lover in the upcoming movie called Pillion. The Queen's Gambit actor Harry Melling stars as shy Colin, whose humdrum life in the suburbs is blown apart when he meets Alexander's character Ray. Ray strikes up a sexual relationship with Colin and integrates him into his queer biker milieu, injecting his life with a fresh dose of excitement and mystique. However Colin eventually starts to feel stifled by the fact that he always has to occupy the submissive role in his dynamic with Ray. BAFTA-nominated short film director Harry Lighton is making his feature debut with Pillion, which has been called a 'fun and filthy romance with heart' to Variety. Alexander Skarsgard will play a motorcycle club chief who takes a submissive gay lover in the upcoming movie called Pillion; pictured last March The Queen's Gambit actor Harry Melling, pictured last October, stars as shy Colin, whose humdrum life in the suburbs is blown apart when he meets Alexander's character Ray Pillion is scheduled to be shot in the United Kingdom over the summer, but a release date has not officially been disclosed at present. Alexander has spoken freely in the past about how comfortable he is playing nude scenes, quipping to uInterview: 'I'm Scandinavian, godda***it! We love to be naked.' The Swedish hunk is also no stranger to gay sex scenes, having played multiple during his star-making turn on the vampire show True Blood. One of the scenes was with heterosexual actor Theo Alexander, whose anxiety Alexander had to help assuage before they shot the sequence. 'He's also a straight guy and he was nervous; he had never kissed a guy before,' Alexander explained in an interview with PrideSource. He said to Theo: 'Look at the scene. It's this nemesis and he comes in and then it gets seductive and you think they're gonna make love and it gets into that and then suddenly my character stabs him in the back and he explodes.' He added: 'In two minutes, look at this emotional rollercoaster we're taking the audience on. If we commit to this, it's going to be an amazing scene and we're going to be very happy with it forever. If we hold back, that's when it gets awkward.' Alexander is himself heterosexual and is in a long-term relationship with Swedish actress Tuva Novotny, with whom he welcomed a baby in 2022. The Swedish hunk is no stranger to gay sex scenes, having played multiple during his star-making turn on the vampire show True Blood (pictured) One of the scenes was with heterosexual actor Theo Alexander, whose anxiety Alexander had to help assuage before they shot the sequence 'He's also a straight guy and he was nervous; he had never kissed a guy before,' Alexander explained in an interview with PrideSource However he remarked that homosexuality has 'always been the most natural thing to me because my uncle and godfather is a gay man and so growing up, even as a little toddler, it was just as natural as being straight.' Alexander, whose father is the Swedish movie star Stellan Skarsgard, recalled: 'My aunt would show up with her husband and my uncle would show up with his husband. 'He was, by far, out of my father's four siblings, the most fashionable and the most trendy, cool guy. So, when I was a kid, he was the one I looked up to.' The Stockholm-born heartthrob noted: 'I thought he was really bada**: fit and awesome and cool, and obviously not because he was gay.' He remembered: 'When I became a teenager and the kids made fun of other teenagers who were gay, I never really understood that.' Said he: 'It just baffled me because my idol, my godfather, was gay, and he was the coolest guy I knew. I just couldn't understand how that could be an insult.' Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth made an entrance fans won't soon forget to Jimmy Kimmel Live! The duo arrived to the studio on a chariot driven by motorcycle as they continued promoting their post-apocalyptic film Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. A masked man who looked straight out of the Mad Max universe guided the metallic chariot down the boulevard as Anya and Chris remained inside the vehicle. Anya, 28, wowed in an edgy leather dress with a front zip that showcased plenty of leg. Her blonde hair was slicked back into a sleek ponytail and her look was finished off with a bold red lip. Chris, 40, was looking smart in a slick black suit with aviator sunglasses shielding his eyes. Anya-Taylor Joy and Chris Hemsworth made an entrance fans won't soon forget to Jimmy Kimmel Live! as they headed to the studio via chariot on Wednesday In order to achieve the spectacle, parts of Hollywood Boulevard were shut down to allow for Anya and Chris' grand entrance. Their edgy chariot wasn't the only prop on display, as various other vehicles and characters who looked straight out of the film were also paraded down the boulevard. Once they were done, the stars chatted with Jimmy Kimmel Live star Guillermo Rodriguez. Fans watched enthusiastically from the sidelines as Guillermo, standing in front of a desk, chatted with the A-listers. While the full reviews won't be in until closer to the May 24 release date, early reactions to Furiosa from a wide swath of film critics is quite strong. The new film from director George Miller is a prequel to his lauded 2015 blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road, providing an origin story for the title character, played by Charlize Theron in the previous film. Anya takes over as the younger Furiosa, which is set between 15 and 20 years before the events of Mad Max: Fury Road. Early reactions from critics on X (formerly Twitter) shell out universal praise for both Anya and her co-star Chris following the Australian premiere. Anya looked stunning as she travelled down Hollywood Boulevard to promote the new movie She wore a subtle, yet flawless base of make-up The beauty upped up the ante with a swipe of ruby red lipstick She flashed her incredibly long legs in the black leather mini dress Anya elevated her frame with exceptionally high court heels She joined her co-star Chris to chat to publications about the upcoming movie The duo couldn't wipe the smile off their faces The actors had huge smiles on their faces Anya looked invested in a conversation while Chris sipped on a glass of drink A masked man drove the chariot down the iconic boulevard Anya wowed in a black leather dress with front zip The dress displayed ample amounts of leg She wore her hair up into a sleek high ponytail and rocked a bold red lip The film follows Furiosa as she's snatched by a ruthless biker gang headed up by Dr. Dementus (Hemsworth) as she tries to make her way back home to the Wastelands. Nick's Flix Fix tweeted, '#Furiosa is EPIC in every sense of the word! The world building and lore expansion of the Mad Max universe is front and centre to a bombastic film that has some explosive, exciting action.' The critic added, 'Taylor-Joy is great, but Hemsworth truly shines in a way he hasnt before!' MTV's Josh Horowitz added, 'FURIOSA is not FURY ROAD and thats ok. Its not trying to be. What it is is something uniquely gnarly and yes, epic.' Chris donned a smart black suit and aviator style sunglasses Their chariot was driven by motorcycle Anya commanded attention as she and her co-star made their very grand entrance Their driver looked like a character straight out of their movie Hemsworth plays Dr. Dementus in the upcoming action film He added, 'I cant wait to see it again and again and really dig in. All hail George Miller. As for performances, Anya and Hemsworth are fantastic. Tom Burke impresses.' CinemaBlend's Sean O'Connell made it clear that this is not just a carbon copy of Mad Max: Fury Road. 'Set expectations. FURIOSA is not FURY ROAD. It's wildly different. More focus and emphasis on story, world-building, and connecting of threads to FURY ROAD without trying to replicate that rush. When the action arrives, it delivers. Miller, as usual, paints with his own brush,' he said. Den of Geek's David Crow also mentioned that this was nothing like Fury Road, in fact he said it was, 'an antithesis' to the 2015 film. 'WITNESS ME: Furiosa is a visual feast and spectacular marvel, an antithesis to Fury Road in that where that film is sparse this is verbose and epic, and where once was a nigh silent film is now a massive canvas of dystopia, despair, and glory,' he tweeted. A part of Hollywood Boulevard was shut down for the elaborate spectacle Actors were dressed to resemble characters from the movie as part of the stunt The A-listers eventually met with Jimmy Kimmel Live! star Guillermo Rodriguez While the full reviews won't be in until closer to the May 24 release date, early reactions to Furiosa from a wide swath of film critics is quite strong IndieWire's David Ehrich said, 'brings me great joy to report that Furiosa is really, *really* f***ing good.' He added the film, 'operates in an extremely different gear than Fury Road (in ways that i suspect will frustrate some people), but also manages to make that movie even richer while carving its own legend in the wasteland.' Fandango's Erik Davis added, 'George Millers #Furiosa is powerhouse action filmmaking at its absolute best! A ferocious & relentlessly paced epic that expands the story of Furiosa and the Wasteland while delivering the craziest chases, the most bombastic characters & just plain stunning cinematography. Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth equally dive all the way into the Wasteland, and both deliver some incredible stuff. Theres one War Rig sequence that blew my mind - an instant classic. I love the #MadMax movies and I loved this film. Start your engines.' A rustic bus carrying actors drove down the boulevard The duo both had microphones as they chatted with Guillermo Anya departed the chariot alongside her co-star Guillermo interviewed the guests from a desk Anya takes over as the younger Furiosa in the film, which is set between 15 and 20 years before the events of Mad Max: Fury Road The new film from director George Miller is a prequel to his lauded 2015 blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road, providing an origin story for the title character, played by Charlize Theron in the previous film Fans enthusiastically watched the spectacle from the sidelines While the full reviews won't be in until closer to the May 24 release date, early reactions to Furiosa from a wide swath of film critics is quite strong The whole stunt took over the exterior of Kimmel's studio Furiosa is the fifth movie in the long-running Mad Max series The Mary Sue's Rachel Leishman said, '#Furiosa is epic, beautiful, and everything I wanted for my queen. (This is a Scorpio's dream movie).' Slashfilm's BJ Colangelo added, 'Great news, #Furiosa is a masterful examination of one of the greatest characters of the last 20 years. A phenomenal, powerful shift in approach from FURY ROAD that continues to prove Miller is the master of the modern myth. Hemsworth was born to play bad guys. LET HIM!!' Australian critic Peter Gray added, 'Now that I can say so, #Furiosa is a BLAST! Made in the spirit of Fury Road, it's still its own beast that thrives on exaggerated action and characters. Anya Taylor-Joy makes the character her own, but this is Chris Hemsworthy's chance to prove his worth as a character actor.' Jackie 'O' Henderson has revealed the bizarre item she had in the apartment she shared with her first husband 'Ugly' Phil O'Neil. The 49-year-old revealed on KIIS FM's The Kyle and Jackie O show on Thursday, she had a mannequin in the lounge room. 'We both came from the Gold Coast and he [Ugly Phil] got transferred to Canberra for radio. We ended up in this apartment,' she explained. 'Then one day there was just a mannequin in the lounge room. I never even asked why. It was like a grey marble, grey speckled mannequin.' Jackie admitted she didn't know where the mannequin came from and never asked Phil about it. Jackie 'O' Henderson has revealed the bizarre item she had in the apartment she shared with her first husband 'Ugly' Phil O'Neil 'I have no memory of asking because I don't remember where it came from or why it was even there,' she continued. 'But it just was like in the same way a lamp might be there or a statue.' Jackie was also sharing details about her first marriage, when KIIS FM newsreader Brooklyn Ross asked her who ended the union. 'When I was married to Ugly Phil, he was a big radio star and I was working 9 to 5 at a real estate agency,' Jackie explained. Brooklyn then asked: 'I know this is ancient history but did you leave him or did he leave you?' 'How dare you Brooklyn. My own friend,' a shocked Jackie responded. The 49-year-old revealed on KIIS FM's The Kyle and Jackie O show, she had a mannequin in the lounge room. Pictured Jackie and Phil with a Michael Jackson impersonator Jackie was also sharing details about her first marriage, when KIIS FM newsreader Brooklyn Ross asked her who ended the union Phil and Jackie previously worked together co-hosting the Hot30 Countdown in the 1990s. They met when an 18-year-old Jackie called into the radio show Phil was hosting at the time to enter a competition, and were married just a year later. Their split in 1999 led to their radio show ending and Phil returning to the UK. Jackie went on to marry Lee Henderson with whom she shares daughter, Kitty, 12. The Hendersons separated in 2018 after 15 years of marriage. Jackie has not publicly dated anyone since the split, but British photographer Lee has moved on with jujitsu instructor Gabriella Motta. David Walliams and Kate Ritchie have revealed the truth about rumours of on-set flirting while they starred together on the 2022 season of Australia's Got Talent. The UK comedian, 52, and Australian radio star, 45, reunited on Nova 96.9s Fitzy & Wippa this Thursday, with Kate Ritchie to discuss the rumours, and Kate couldn't resist heaping praise on her co-star. 'When I sat next to David we bonded over so many things... we bonded about his wardrobe,' she gushed. 'Like, I mean, move over Chris Hemsworth wearing Tom Ford at the Met Gala, the other day.' 'I was hoping that the next time you're going to be in Australia we would be alongside each other on the desk sharing stories and talking fashion!' she added. David Walliams, 52, and Kate Ritchie, 45, reunited on Thursday after appearing as judges together on Australia's Got Talent Season 10 in 2022. (L-R: David Walliams, Kate Ritchie, Alesha Dixon, Shane Jacobson) Walliams reciprocated the feelings, while also fueling rumours of a 'mystery' man on set. 'Kate and I got to know each other quite a lot, and just to say Jim sends his love,' he said. 'Whose Jim?' Kate's co-hosts were quick to ask. 'No-one...you think you're so clever right now. David Walliams. There's so many things I could be saying about you right now and you have opened a can of worms!' she claimed. The pair reunited on Nova 96.9s Fitzy & Wippa this Thursday, with Kate Ritchie to discuss the rumours, and Kate couldn't resist heaping praise on her co-star. Walliams joked 'Jim' was the 'love of her life'. The pair addressed the future of AGT, confirming there have been no conversations about a return. 'It's all gone very quiet,' Walliams revealed. DJ Paul Fisher has cancelled his scheduled concerts in New York over the weekend after his pregnant wife Chloe was taken to the hospital with possible pre-term labour. The Australian music producer, 37, who in December announced the couple were expecting their first child, shared the news to Instagram on Thursday. 'Our baby is due in June. However, last week my wife Chloe was admitted to hospital in Australia with possible pre-term labour on the horizon,' he explained. 'Chloe and the baby are in good health and are being monitored. However, I need to be with her in Australia until we know further details.' The Gold Coast-born star said he had to reschedule his upcoming New York shows so he could be by his wife's side. DJ Paul Fisher has cancelled his scheduled concerts in New York over the weekend after his pregnant wife Chloe was rushed to the hospital with possible pre-term labour 'The shows will be moved to July 5 and 6. All tickets previously purchased will be honoured for these new dates. Appreciate everyone's support and understanding,' he added. In December, it was reported that Fisher was expecting his first child with wife Chloe Chapman. The house DJ, who performs under the moniker DJ Fisher, and his wife of three years shared the good news to Instagram on Christmas Eve. 'The greatest gift of all. I've waited my whole life for you,' Chloe wrote on Instagram alongside an image in which her husband cradled her bump. 'The most wanted and loved baby Fisher will be joining the tour in 2024, we are still pinching ourselves that we've finally been chosen to become parents. 'WE DID IT @followthefishtv. I love you so so much!' Chloe added, saying it was 'the single most happiest moment in my life'. The Australian music producer, 37, who in December announced the couple were expecting their first child , shared the news to Instagram on Thursday Chloe, who has previously had four miscarriages, took a moment to share her empathy for those struggling with infertility and revealed she had battled for several years to conceive via IVF. 'After 4 years of trying to convince, 1000s of needles, eight rounds of IVF, multiple surgeries, I've lived this nightmare and I know this pain and suffering all too well,' she said. 'NO ONE deserves to endure this feeling. I feel you all, I see you all and completely understand the disappointment and sadness you are all feeling. Please stay positive and manifest your healthy baby I pray you hold your miracle in your arms soon'. Chloe is a model and swimwear designer and the founder of Australian brand Aloe Swimwear. Kate Langbroek has opened up about the hardest thing she faced during her 20 years working in radio. Appearing on KIIS Networks Will & Woody Share My Mood podcast, the broadcaster, 58, said she struggled to discuss her son Lewis cancer battle while co-hosting Hit network's Hughesy & Kate. Lewis, now 20, was diagnosed with leukaemia when he was just six years old and still has regular check-ups at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne after undergoing years of treatment. 'There was a period in my life when I was nothing but a mum which is when Lewis, our eldest son had leukemia... I didnt have a square to spare for anything but hospitals,' she told the podcast. 'There were a lot of shows, particularly those first six months that I wasnt at and we never explained on-air. Hughesy knew, the whole team knew.' Kate Langbroek, 58, (pictured) has opened up about the hardest thing she faced during her 20 years of radio 'Sometimes when I would go into the show, it would be the only 2-3 hours of the day that wasnt about cancer,' she added. In August 2013, Langbroek opened up Lewis' harrowing health battle for the first time on-air. 'On his birthday when he finished treatment, so he mustve been 10, I came in and I just said, "I'm going to talk about it",' she explained. 'I had to believe that everything was all right, so now I could share it. And also, it was Lewis's story when he was sick.' Appearing on The KIIS Networks Will & Woody Share My Mood podcast, the broadcaster, 58, said that discussing her son Lewis, 20, (left) cancer battle was one of the hardest thing's she experienced while co-hosting Hit network's Hughesy & Kate She continued: 'I also could not have borne it to be with him publicly, which I was with a bald child but for people to be coming up, I just didn't have that for those conversations either. 'Then I was like, you know what? It's time and also because of our relationship with our listeners, I didn't want to have that as a secret.' Langbroek co-hosted the long-running Hughesy and Kate show, which ran from 2001 until 2019, on the Hit network. Dave remains on the air as co-host of 2Day FM's Hughesy, Ed and Erin breakfast show. Langbroek has been off the radio since October 2022, after her The 3pm Pick Up drive show was axed from KIIS FM. 'There were a lot of shows, particularly those first six months that I wasnt at and we never explained on-air. Hughesy knew, the whole team knew,' she told the podcast Farmer Wants A Wife star Todd Melbourne has broken his silence after his mates told him Daisy was not right for him during Tuesday night's shock episode. The 33-year-old cattle farmer from Baan Baa, NSW, officially joined the series as a new candidate looking for love of the reality dating show on Sunday. Earlier this week, he was seen forming a connection with Daisy, only for his friends to bluntly tell him he should look elsewhere for love. 'I think she might be fun for right now, but not long term,' one mate told the lovesick farmer, adding she was not a good match because she had recently gotten divorced. 'I don't feel like she's the right pick for you as a wife and as a mother to your children. I just find her very strong, feisty, clash heads with kind of girl, has that masculine vibe.' Farmer Wants A Wife star Todd Melbourne has broken his silence after his mates told him Daisy was not right for him during Tuesday night's shock episode On Thursday, a devastated Todd told Yahoo his mate's feedback was particularly difficult to hear as he really liked Daisy. 'It wasn't the nicest thing to hear. They're just looking out for me. They saw how much I've been hurt before, and they just don't want to see me hurt again. It was coming from a good spot,' he said. Todd added while he respected their opinions, the decision about whether he would continue to romantically pursue Daisy was ultimately up to him. Earlier this week, he was seen forming a connection with Daisy, only for his friends to bluntly tell him he should look elsewhere for love 'At the end of the day, you've got to be happy with what you do and make your own decisions. People can always tell you how they're feeling and what their opinion is, but you've got to follow your own heart,' he said. It follows a shock report earlier this week that Farmer Todd looks set to propose already after only just arriving on the show. The farmer seeking love may have already found it, according to New Idea. 'I think she might be fun for right now, but not long term,' one mate told the lovesick farmer, adding she was not a good match because she had recently gotten divorced. 'I don't feel like she's the right pick for you as a wife and as a mother to your children. I just find her very strong, feisty, clash heads with kind of girl, has that masculine vibe' A source told the magazine that Todd is already 'extremely loved-up' on the show and 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 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. Todd now has to find a compatible partner from his five matches: Daisy, Iyesha, Grace, Jacinta and Ellen. Anya Taylor-Joy dazzled in a stunning new shoot for Variety Magazine - where she wowed in elegant style in a series of incredible shots. The actress, 28, who tied the knot in an idyllic ceremony in 2022, was back in a white dress for the shoot, in which she discussed her engagement and subsequent 'magical' wedding to musician Malcolm McRae. Oozing high fashion sophistication, the Miami-born beauty flaunted her tiny waist and lithe figure in an avant-garde structured gown. Her trademark white blonde hair was pulled into an elegant chignon to make the most of the dress in its entirety for the ethereal shoot. In her chat, she discussed her new movie Furiosa, for which she is currently blazing the promo trail, with a series of glamorous appearances around the globe. Anya Taylor-Joy dazzled in a stunning new shoot for Variety Magazine - where she wowed in elegant style in a series of incredible shots The blonde beauty looked sophisticated in the shots, which helped show off her ethereal look and kooky style to perfection The actress, 28, who tied the knot in an idyllic ceremony in 2022, was back in a white dress for the shoot, in which she discussed her engagement and subsequent 'magical' wedding to musician Malcolm McRae Anya looked breathtaking in the shots for Variety, as she posed in a slew of elegant looks while showing off her incredible figure in all its glory. The blonde beauty looked sophisticated in the shots, which helped show off her ethereal look and kooky style to perfection. In the accompanying interview, she gave a rare insight into her romance. Anya and Malcolm, who is the frontman of American rock group More, got married in 2022, before hosting a wildly lavish bash in Venice in front of just over 150 guests including Cara Delevingne and Julia Garner in October last year. Speaking of their small wedding ceremony prior to the big day, she said: 'It was magicalWe were together not very long 'When you know, you know. Malcolm FaceTimed his family from the church. We were like, 'Hiii!' But they knewwe were engaged for a little while... 'We got engaged while I was shooting 'The Menu.' We kept it a secret from our friends until some newspaper blew it up.' Ahead of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga's release, Anya revealed that Australian filmmaker George Miller, who was at the helm of a number of other movies in the Mad Max franchise, would demand she 'kept her mouth shut' 'When you know, you know. Malcolm FaceTimed his family from the church. We were like, 'Hiii!' But they knewwe were engaged for a little while' (pictured in March) Ahead of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga's release, Anya revealed that Australian filmmaker George Miller, who was at the helm of a number of other movies in the Mad Max franchise, would demand she 'kept her mouth shut'. She explained: 'We'd do takes where he'd be like, 'Do it again with your mouth closed.' He has a thing about my mouth. He thinks when my mouth is open, I look too young. This is the wasteland, and any outbreak of emotion is punished by death.... 'Any empathy is punished by deathany kindness, really. It all made sense to me. I think the restrictions that were placed on me by George did create a radiation off the character, because she is being suppressed continuously throughout the film.' She also shed light on her first reaction to the film as a whole, saying: 'Within the first three minutes, I'm crying. And afterward, I cannot speak. I found it very traumatizing to watch.' Anya also detailed how she snagged the role as Timothee Chalamet's character Paul Atreides' younger sister, Alia, in Dune: Part Two. She revealed she met with Dune director Denis Villeneuve for the role in the Dune: Part Two before she left for Australia to shoot Furiosa, but Villeneuve told her that director George's shooting schedule wouldn't allow her to partake. She said: 'Before I even sat down, he was like, 'I want you to be in 'Dune,' but you can't do it! I was like, "Please!" I skipped all the stages of grief and went straight to begging. I was like, "I can do this... She looked stunning in the shoot, many images of which were taken in black and white In a reimagining of The Birth Of Venus, she posed inside a shell '"I can be in Australia and Abu Dhabi at the same time". He wanted me to be part of the universe. We kept in touch. I just had this feeling that it wasn't over.' While filming Furiosa, Anya kept asking her agents about Dune, but they told her that the production had begun without her. Denis the called her. She went on: 'He said, "I made a deal with the studio: If I was on budget and on time, I could do this"... 'I told my husband and my parents, 'and I took my mum. I asked Denis to tell the cast beforehand. I said, 'I can't just show up. Please don't do that to me.' Following the shoot, she headed for an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel The U.S. could take "extreme action" and ban Chinese connected vehicles or impose restrictions on them, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on Wednesday, in the first indication a ban could be on the table after a national security investigation. The Commerce Department is reviewing public comments that were due by April 30, Raimondo told Reuters, on a probe the Biden administration launched in February into whether Chinese vehicle imports pose national security risks. "We have to digest all the data and then figure out what action that we want to take," Raimondo said without detailing a timeline. "We could take extreme action, which is to say no Chinese connected vehicles in the United States or look for mitigation" including safeguards, guardrails or other requirements. The White House said in February the Commerce probe was being opened because vehicles "collect large amounts of sensitive data on their drivers and passengers (and) regularly use their cameras and sensors to record detailed information on U.S. infrastructure." White House officials told reporters in February it was too early to say what action might be taken on connected Chinese vehicles. Raimondo said at a U.S. House of Representatives hearing she was concerned about Chinese connected vehicles that "could be collecting massive amounts of data on Americans, who they are, what they say in their car, where they go to, their patterns of driving." She added the United States needs "to take the threat much more seriously" of Chinese connected vehicles and other tech issues. President Joe Biden has repeatedly said he will take action to prevent a flood of Chinese vehicle imports. There are relatively few Chinese-made light duty vehicles being imported into the United States. In comments to the Commerce Department, automakers highlighted it may be difficult to overhaul their technology systems to ease national security concerns. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group representing General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen and nearly all major automakers, said in an April 30 filing automakers are committed to developing a framework for information and communications technology and services systems in connected vehicles that appropriately mitigates the risks associated with Chinese designed systems. But they warned vehicle systems "including their hardware and software components, undergo extensive pre-production engineering, testing, and validation processes and, in general, cannot be easily swapped with systems or components from a different supplier." The government of Korea in a separate filing said the Korean automotive industry "expresses concerns about the broad scope of the investigation into connected vehicle supply chains, uncertainties surrounding the scope of potential regulatory targets and the timing of the implementation, all of which may lead to significant burdens on the industry." Senate Banking Committee Sherrod Brown said on Wednesday he had urged Commerce in a filing "to ban all Chinese internet-connected vehicles and smart vehicle technology that is designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied from China." The Biden administration is separately considering imposing new tariffs on Chinese-made vehicles and officials face new pressure to restrict Chinese electric vehicle imports from Mexico. The Chinese foreign ministry in March said Chinese cars were popular globally not because of "so-called unfair practices" but because they had emerged out of fierce market competition and were technologically innovative. In November, a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers raised alarms about Chinese companies collecting and handling sensitive data while testing autonomous vehicles in the United States. (Reuters) The cast of Baby Reindeer continued to ride the wave of the show being a huge Netflix hit as they attended the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations at Linwood Dunn Theater in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Jessica Gunning, 38, who blew fans away with her controversial role in the Netflix series, was pictured reenacting her pose on the series poster. She attended the event alongside co-stars Richard Gadd and Nava Mau, before another Q and A on stage. In the show, Richard's stalker is revealed as a Scottish woman in her 40s called Martha Scott living in Camden, played by actress Jessica, 38. The actress had a glamorous Hollywood makeover for the trip and looked worlds away from Martha. Jessica Gunning, 38, who blew fans away with her controversial role in the Netflix series, was pictured reenacting her pose on the Netflix's Baby Reindeer poster She attended the event alongside co-stars Richard Gadd and Nava Mau, before another Q and A on stage Jessica looked lovely in a black velvet jumpsuit, while Richard, who plays show lead Donny Dunn in the real life story, rocked a beige shirt and black trousers. The programme shows Martha's obsession developing as she emails Donny hundreds of times a day, turning up outside his house and harassing his family and friends. It is based on Richard's real life experience. The trip comes after Richard says he has banned his parents from watching his unexpected Netflix smash hit. He said he struggled to have his concerns about the woman, named Martha in the show, taken seriously by police because, he says, the idea of a man being stalked by a female admirer can be 'trivialised'. But while 14 million people have pored over every detail of the show, Richard's parents in his native Fife are not among them - as the comedian has banned them from watching it and pays for their Netflix, so will know if they do. But he says making the show with Netflix, based on two critically acclaimed shows he wrote and performed at the Edinburgh Fringe festival, was cathartic and helped him come to terms with what happened earlier in his life. 'If people see it they will know almost everything about me. They might judge, they might not agree, and that innately comes with some degree of anxiety, but that's what I signed up for,' he told The Times. He pitched the show to Netflix after combining two critically acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe shows, Baby Reindeer and Monkey See, Monkey Do, which addressed his stalking and sexual assault respectively. The actress had a glamorous Hollywood makeover for the trip and looked worlds away from Martha Jessica looked lovely in a black velvet jumpsuit Richard, who plays show lead Donny Dunn in the real life story, rocked a beige shirt and black trousers The trip comes after Richard says he has banned his parents from watching his unexpected Netflix smash hit The programme shows Martha's obsession developing as she emails Donny hundreds of times a day, turning up outside his house and harassing his family and friends He pitched the show to Netflix after combining two critically acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe shows, Baby Reindeer and Monkey See, Monkey Do, which addressed his stalking and sexual assault respectively Over a period of four-and-a-half years, the actor said he received 41,071 emails , 744 tweets, letters totalling 106 pages and 350 hours of voicemail messages.Richard told the Times police did not take his concerns seriously despite his worries about how far the real-life Martha might go in her twisted pursuits. 'When a man gets stalked it can be portrayed in films and television as a sexy thing, like a femme fatale who gradually becomes more sinister. It doesn't carry as much threat of physical violence, is less common and can be trivialised,' he said. He now says he is less likely to trust people after his adverse experiences with both men and women. Richard concluded: 'I used to enter situations with such abandonment, never thinking ahead and throwing my trust into people, and I got burnt. Now getting close to people can be hard.' Polly Brindle sent pulses racing as she posed in an array of sexy bikinis to celebrate the launch of Selling The OC's third series. The TV personality, 38, looked incredible as she modelled a range of different swimwear looks by British brand Bluebella while soaking up the sun at Doheny State Beach in California. For one look, Polly put on a busty display as she flaunted her toned physique in a plunging red swimming costume. The former model turned estate agent radiated beauty as she posed in a Orta Multi-Way one piece which featured a stylish cross back design. Polly showcased her six-pack and slender build as she basked in the sun wearing the brand's black Lucerne Plunge bikini. Polly Brindle, 38, sent pulses racing as she posed in an array of sexy bikinis and celebrated the launch of Selling The OC's third series The TV personality, 38, looked incredible as she modelled a range of different swimwear looks by Bluebella while soaking up the sun at Doheny State Beach in California Sharing a promotional video of the swimwear to her Instagram on Wednesday, Polly penned: 'My ultimate fave lingerie brand @bluebella has just launched their first collection of swim and I'm SMITTEN. 'Sexy, fun and flattering I'll be in these beauts all summer long! Which look is your fave? Go check out the entire collection now before it sells out!" Polly shot to fame on Selling the OC, where she is an estate agent for the Oppenheimer Group, selling homes in Orange County, one of the most luxurious neighbourhoods in the USA. Series three of the show launched on Netflix on May 3 and Polly will be seen on the programme closing deals on multi-million dollar homes. Despite Polly's rise to fame with the estate agent group, other stars, such as Alexandra Jarvis, have called it quits. Alexandra, 33, parted ways with the cast earlier this year along with fellow stars Tyler Stanaland and Sean Palmieri. Although it remains unclear what prompted Alexandra's departure from the company, the teaser for the new series appears to show her forming an alliance with Sean, who looks to be ousted by the group for allegedly 'starting rumours'. In a brief teaser clip ahead of the series dropping, she quipped 'it's like they have a full time job trying to manipulate and twist things.' Series three of the show launched on Netflix on May 3 and viewers can watch Polly as she closes deals on multi-million dollar homes and getting involved in all the usual drama The TV personality put on a busty display as she flaunted her toned physique in a plunging yellow swimming costume designed by Bluebella Polly showcased her six-pack and slender build as she basked in the sun wearing the brand's black Lucerne Plunge bikini But despite Polly's rise to fame with the estate agent group, other stars, such as Alexandra Jarvis, have called it quits Trained employment lawyer Alexandra has been part of the Selling The OC cast since the show premiered in 2022 Trained employment lawyer Alexandra has been part of the Selling The OC cast since the show premiered in 2022. In season two, she dramatically fell out with her colleague Alexandra Rose after growing increasingly uncomfortable with her former friend flirting with prospective clients. Tensions reached fever pitch after Rose, 29, discovered Alexandra had a meeting with one of their joint clients without her. Speaking about their rift in an interview with People in September, Alexandra said she wasn't surprised that their friendship turned sour. She said: 'Our relationship was very superficial, but we worked well together for a time. Then things changed. 'Things happen, and some of that's not going to obviously ever be on camera, but it needed to happen.' She added: 'It wasn't a surprise, because of all of the events that happened. 'I think everything was meant to be, and I just don't think we're meant to work together.' DailyMail.com contacted a rep for Alexandra and the Oppenheim Group to comment at the time. Lorraine Kelly has revealed a TV boss told her she would never make it in the industry due to her 'working-class Glasgow accent' - but now she is set to receive a BAFTA Special Award. The award-winning presenter, journalist and author Lorraine, 64, will be honoured with a BAFTA Special Award at the forthcoming BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at the Royal Festival Hall in London on May 12. The BAFTA Special Award is one of BAFTAs highest honours, recognising an outstanding contribution to film, games or television. Previous BAFTA Television Special Award recipients include David Olusoga, Nicola Shindler, Clare Balding, Idris Elba, John Motson, Henry Normal, Nick Fraser, Lenny Henry, Delia Smith and Cilla Black. Speaking on the struggles she faced when starting out in the industry, Lorraine explained: 'I was given opportunities that, sadly, have become almost non-existent. I went straight to my local newspaper from school and then to the BBC (after acquiring a bottom drawer full of rejection letters). Lorraine Kelly has revealed a TV boss told her she would never make it in the industry due to her 'working-class Glasgow accent' Speaking on the struggles she faced when starting out in the industry, Lorraine explained: 'In fact, I was told by the boss of BBC Scotland that I would never make it in TV because of my working-class Glasgow accent.' 'In fact, I was told by the boss of BBC Scotland that I would never make it in TV because of my working-class Glasgow accent. 'It was actually the best thing that could have happened: that comment spurred me to phone the boss of the relatively new breakfast TV station TV- am, who asked me to come down for an interview and then hired me as Scottish correspondent (Bruce Gyngell was Australian so didn't have the same class prejudices reporter!) She added: 'The high cost of living and working now makes it almost impossible for working class kids from the rest of the country to accept a job in London. That has to change. There also needs to be more opportunities outside of London. 'We quite rightly have stressed the importance of diversity in recent years, but that also has to include young working-class people who understand and can relate to the vast majority of our viewers. It is in all of our interests to make sure they have the opportunity to have their voices heard.' On receiving the award, Lorraine said: 'It really is an extra special award as it is coming from BAFTA and I feel very honoured. It will be such an incredible evening and I am really looking forward to it.' Hilary Rosen, Chair of BAFTA's Television Committee, said: 'Lorraine Kelly has been a sparkling presence on our screens for over 40 years and is one of the most well-known and adored stars of Television. 'On ITV's Lorraine she displays a mastery of disarming guests with her warmth and relaxed approach and always manages to make the daily demands of live broadcasting look easy. Lorraine was lost for words on Monday after being presented with a TV BAFTA Special Award while hosting her daily breakfast show The presenter was surprised by Good Morning Britain anchor Susanna Reid , who interrupted the show to gift her with the award in acknowledgement of a 40-year career in broadcasting 'She combines quick intelligence with genuine empathy, tackling tricky subjects with skill and sensitivity and uses her platform to raise awareness of things that really matter. 'Lorraine has a deep and genuine connection with her audience and her longevity speaks to the unique importance of daytime television and its staying power. We are honoured to present Lorraine the BAFTA Special Award at our forthcoming BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises on 12th May.' Lorraine was lost for words on Monday after being presented with a TV BAFTA Special Award while hosting her daily breakfast show. The presenter was surprised by Good Morning Britain anchor Susanna Reid , who interrupted the show to gift her with the award in acknowledgement of a 40-year career in broadcasting. Kelly, 64, looked visibly surprised as ITV colleague Reid, 53, made her entrance shortly after she kicked off the week. 'Good morning Lorraine, this has come as an enormous surprise,' said Reid. 'I have a very special announcement for you, Lorraine Kelly. 'It doesnt get much bigger or more deserved than this. I am here for a very special reason this morning.' Brandishing an envelope, she added: 'BAFTA will be celebrating your 40 years in broadcasting. Your programme is nominated in the daytime category, but I have something unique and special to you. 'This is the first time something like this has been announced on air. This is the special gold envelope. 'On behalf of the BAFTA board of trustees, we are delighted to offer you Lorraine Kelly the Academy Special award to be presented at this years BAFTA Television Awards.' 'This is nuts! Wheres Ant and Dec?' replied Kelly. 'It cant be a prank because its Susanna!' Kelly looked visibly surprised as ITV colleague Reid, 53, made her entrance shortly after she kicked off the week 'Good morning Lorraine, this has come as an enormous surprise,' said Reid. 'I have a very special announcement for you, Lorraine Kelly' On her milestone 40-years in broadcasting, the Scots presenter recalled: 'Its crazy. I joined TVAM in 1984. 'I was a baby, I got my chance in breakfast television because they were willing to take a risk on someone who was told Id never make it to TV because of the way I speak. 'The boss of TV-am was Australian and heard a Scottish accent and it was one of those things where it was like "Give her a go."' Susanna added: 'Youre an inspiration to me and women in broadcasting.' Asa well as TV-am and her own daily breakfast show, Kelly has worked on Daybreak, GMTV, The New Paul O'Grady Show and Have I Got News For You. She has also worked as host of Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards and previously hosted her own show on Talk Radio. Kelly was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to charity in 2012 before being named Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 202 for services broadcasting, journalism and charity. She is never shy of showing off her figure on social media. And Katherine Ryan was ensuring she put on a steamy display as she enjoyed an idyllic break with husband Bobby Kootstra in Lake Como on Thursday. The comedian, 40, looked red hot as she posed in a hot tub while rocking a mismatched bikini, which flaunted every inch of her figure. She highlighted her surgically-enhanced cleavage with a frilled floral bikini top while making the most of her taut abs in low-slung burgundy bottoms. The blonde beauty, who is mother to Violet, 14, from with ex Alex Edelman, and Fred, two, and Fenna, 17 months, with Bobby, added a caption reading: 'We already flew my mom over and booked the babysitter so' Katherine Ryan was ensuring she put on a steamy display as she enjoyed an idyllic break with husband Bobby Kootstra in Lake Como on Thursday The comedian, 40, looked red hot as she posed in a hot tub while rocking a mismatched bikini, which flaunted every inch of her figure She highlighted her surgically-enhanced cleavage with a frilled floral bikini top while making the most of her taut abs in low-slung burgundy bottoms Katherine revealed the trip was shaping up to be a boozy one, as she shared a slew of videos - while clothed - showing her enjoying wine from the area. Her latest holiday, comes just weeks after Katherine candidly detailed how her three children have 'ruined the life she had before' she became a mother. The comedian, admitted since having her children, she has not been able to continue doing all the things that she had been able to do before. Speaking to Woman magazine, she said: 'My children have enriched my life, they're such a blessing and I would never trade them for anything. But I would be lying if I said they didn't ruin the life I had before. But I rebuilt a better one and that's fine... 'I would be pretending if I said that I could still do all the things that I could before and I think we're selling this fantasy of what motherhood means if we aren't honest about that.' Katherine also recently admitted that her 'marriage has taken a backseat' as she opened up about her relationship with Bobby, who she married in 2019. She said her children come first and she likes to spend as much time as possible with them, which includes co-sleeping. Speaking on the ITV daytime show, ahead of the release of her new docu-series, Katherine Ryan: Parental Guidance, she said she is still 'navigating' parenthood and struggles with mum guilt. Her latest holiday, comes just weeks after Katherine candidly detailed how her three children have 'ruined the life she had before' she became a mother Katherine revealed the trip was shaping up to be a boozy one, as she shared a slew of videos - while clothed - showing her enjoying wine from the area Speaking on the ITV daytime show, ahead of the release of her new docu-series, Katherine Ryan: Parental Guidance, she said she is still 'navigating' parenthood and struggles with mum guilt She told Lorraine Kelly: 'I have a wonderful life because I do exactly what is right for family and I welcome the haters. The series is about doing it your way and my way isn't the way for every family. I personally co-sleep... 'I spend so much time with my kids and I'm an attachment parent. I potty-trained them really really young which was controversial, I carry them everywhere. Maybe my marriage takes a back seat because of the co-sleeping... 'It is a struggle, and I'm so privileged with a stay at home dad and I have resources and a nanny but that doesn't stop my children from screaming so I'm torn... 'Like how do I go to work, my job is so fun and it's not like I'm on the front line saving lives I am greedy my job is fun.' The docu-series examines the ways Katherine and her partner Bobby differ on their parenting strategies and how they reconcile those differences. During a preview clip, Bobby said: 'We have different styles of parenting. Katherine and I now co-sleep with the children separately because the babies kept waking each other up. Honestly two more years of this unless we have more children.' Katherine added: 'I wish we could have another one, no one says on their death bed I wish I had less children.' Beau Ryan revealed what it's really like working with Survivor star Jonathan LaPaglia on Thursday as the duo talked Top Gear Australia ahead of its release next week. Gearing up for the reboot of the motoring reality series, The Amazing Race host, 38, poked fun at his elder co-host, 54. While he had plenty of praise for the Channel 10 star, Beau said he needed to lighten up because he was always 'very intense', reported Herald Sun. 'He's very patient, very intense, mature and all that, but boring and needs to cheer up a bit,' the former rugby star told the publication. Jonathan didn't take the criticism lying down, as he hit back by saying working with Beau and their third co-star Blair Joscelyne was like working with children. Beau Ryan, 38, (left) revealed what it's really like working with Survivor star Jonathan LaPaglia, 54, (right) on Thursday as the duo talked Top Gear Australia ahead of its release next week 'It was like being with two 12-year-olds, who have eaten too much sugar. It was a lot,' he said, joking that it was difficult to get a word in when they started bantering. However, Blair, 45, chimed in and said: 'I think the role of children is to try to keep the older people young... we have got to try to keep him zesty.' It comes after the reboot of Top Gear Australia released its first official trailer ahead of the new season's highly anticipated premiere. Gearing up for the reboot of the motoring reality series, the Amazing Race host poked fun at his elder co-host and his severe character The new eight-part series will stream on May 17 on Paramount+ with new hosts Beau Ryan, Jonathan LaPaglia and Blair Joscelyne. Based on the famed BBC reality series of the same name, Top Gear gives fans a chance to get an up close look at the latest in car tech. Paramount+ released an exciting trailer last month, teasing entertaining adventures and challenges for car enthusiasts. While he had plenty of praise for the Channel 10 star, Beau said he needed to lighten up because he was always 'very intense', reported Herald Sun. Pictured: Beau and Jonathan with their third co-star Blair Joscelyne, 45 Top Gear Australia debuted on SBS in 2008 before it moved over to Channel Nine in 2010 where it ran until 2012. Filming begun earlier this year in Rome. The fresh line-up of stars were spotted getting along famously in the Italian capital in February as they filmed scenes for the globally acclaimed series. The reboot will see the hosts travel to a range of overseas locations including the French Alps, Rome, St Tropez and Colombia. Kendall Jenner revealed she's had a 'tough two months' as she detailed her 20 year anxiety battle in a candid new interview. The model, 28, opened up about her ongoing anxiety battle and the unique way she's tackling mental health anguish in a new shoot with Vogue. Kendall oozed confidence in a slew of stunning snaps for Vogue's Summer 2024 issue, but admitted in reality, she has been 'more sad' than usual. She explained: 'I don't see why I shouldn't be honest about it. In my career right now I feel really stable, really hopeful. But I've had a tough two months. 'I haven't been myself, and my friends see it. I'm more sad than usual. I'm way more anxious than usual. So I'm not going to sit here and act like everything's perfect. That's lifeI'm always going to be in and out of those feelings.' Kendall Jenner revealed she's had a 'tough two months' as she detailed her 20 year anxiety battle in a candid new interview The model, 28, opened up about her ongoing anxiety battle and the unique way she's tackling mental health anguish in a new shoot with Vogue 'In past interviews, when someones asked me about my mental state, its always been, "Im great right now, but this is what Ive dealt with." Well, right now Im actually in it.' She went on to share: 'For me, getting out of bed in the morning and putting one foot in front of the other is so helpful for me. Moving, getting my blood flowing. 'When I say Im struggling right now, Im not doing those helpful things. Choosing to sit in my bed and mope all day is setting myself up for failure.' The supermodel has been an advocate for mental health and has been very open about her struggles with anxiety on Keeping Up With The Kardashians and her social media platforms for several years. Along with depression, anxiety is among the most common mental-health condition in the UK, affecting 8.2million people in 2013 alone. Around 40million adults suffer from the condition in the US every year. Kendall's main goal when discussing how anxiety has affected her life is to help de-stigmatize the negative correlation mental health issues and anxiety have in the world. The model has been balancing her modeling career as well as launching her own business, 818 Tequila. But despite all of her recent success, Kendall said: 'I do have that impostor syndrome of, like, Wait, this is all happening to me? What did I do to deserve it?' Kendall oozed confidence in a slew of stunning snaps for Vogue's Summer 2024 issue, but admitted in reality, she has been 'more sad' than usual She explained: 'I don't see why I shouldn't be honest about it. In my career right now I feel really stable, really hopeful. But I've had a tough two months.' As the only Kardashian sister without children, Kendall Jenner has spoken out about feeling pressured to settle down by her family in the past. But the model, 28, who thought she would have kids by 27, admitted there is no rush as she's still 'so young' and enjoying her 'kidless freedom'. Kendall is currently single after her split from Bad Bunny in December, following a year of dating. Meanwhile, her sisters - Kim, Kourtney, Khloe and Kylie - have 13 children between them, ranging from four months old to 14 years old. During a stunning new photoshoot with Vogue, Kendall explained: 'There are days when I look at what they have and think, That's really special. I do like being a little bit removed, but one day I'll make my way, probably. 'When I was young I used to say that by 27 I'd love to have kids. Now I'm past that and I feel like I'm still so young. I'm enjoying my kidless freedom.' It comes just days after Kendall attended the star-studded Met Gala in New York City. Kendall has come under fire from online fashionistas over her claim that she was the 'first human' to wear her 1999 Givenchy by Alexander McQueen gown Met Gala gown. Kardashian naysayers were then quick to point out that actress Winona Ryder had worn the dress in a 1999 pictorial for Flaunt magazine. As the only Kardashian sister without children, Kendall Jenner has spoken out about feeling pressured to settle down by her family in the past The model, who thought she would have kids by 27, admitted there is no rush as she's still 'so young' and enjoying her 'kidless freedom' Her sisters - Kim, Kourtney, Khloe and Kylie - have 13 children between them, ranging from four months old to 14 years old 'What a scam, turns out Kendall Jenner is not the first person to wear this Givenchy by McQueen gown!' raged one fashion fan on X. 'Not sure why Kendall said she's the first person to wear it, she may not have known it was worn before unless Winona's version isn't the original,' wrote another. The supermodel donned the vintage garment at Monday's Met Gala and boasted about being the first person to ever wear it during a red carpet interview with Vogue. 'This is Givenchy, it's archival McQueen from 1999,' she explained to La La Anthony. 'I am so, so incredibly honored to wear it. I'm the first human to wear it. It showed on a mannequin,' she continued. 'It was a miracle that it fit, it was a miracle that we found it and it just feels meant to be and I'm so happy.' While some fans online suggested that Jenner may be wearing a replica of the original dress, the model seemed to imply that it was the original frock. 'The chances that they had it available was really slim and the chances that it fit me were also pretty slim, and I couldn't do any tailoring, I couldn't do anything, and it just fit perfectly,' she gushed. However, one fan suggested that it may have been Winona who wore a replica, not Jenner. Kendall came under fire from online fashionistas over her claim that she was the 'first human' to wear her 1999 Givenchy by Alexander McQueen gown Met Gala gown 'If Winona's is a custom replica that's insane because the amount of beading and work it would have taken,' they wrote. Givenchy has backed Jenner's comments up, releasing an official statement declaring that the reality star is indeed the first person to wear the archival garment. 'Look 14 HC FW99 was not worn in the past, and was only presented on a bust form,' the luxury fashion house said. 'Since then, the dress has been preserved in the Givenchy Archives until the MET Gala. It has never presented before, and it will go back to the Givenchy Archives.' They added, '500 hours were required to hand-embroider the dress, with more than 100,000 beads and sequins.' Vogue's Summer 2024 issue is available on newsstands nationwide on May 21st. Julie Bishop looked every inch the fashion icon this week as she was awarded Japan's highest honour, the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun. The former Minister for Foreign Affairs, 67, looked a vision of beauty in a deep purple satin gown as she stepped out at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Thursday. With her new beau Stephen Gray on her arm in a series of Instagram photos, the politician received the award from Prime Minister Kishida Fumio during a very exclusive ceremony. 'Honoured to receive Japan's highest award, Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, at an investiture ceremony with His Majesty the Emperor and Prime Minister Kishida at the Imperial Palace Tokyo today,' Julie captioned her post. Julie's stunning frock featured a conservative cape and paired perfectly with her purple pumps as she accessorised with a chunky diamond bracelet. Julie Bishop, 67, looked every inch the fashion icon this week as she was awarded Japan's highest honour, the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun. Pictured with new boyfriend Stephen Gray Fans of the 'Minister of Fashion' flocked to her Instagram page to congratulate Julie on the honour and her impeccable fashion sense. 'Congratulations,' one person wrote simply, while another commented: 'Oh, how incredibly wonderful, Julie. Congratulations.' A third wrote: 'Love this and the outfit. Congratulations, beautiful.' With her new beau Stephen Gray on her arm in a series of Instagram photos, the politician received the award from Prime Minister Kishida Fumio during a very exclusive ceremony 'Brilliant brilliant, Julie. What an honour,' yet another said alongside three trophy emojis. The Order of the Rising Sun is a Japanese decoration of honour awarded by the country's government in April each year. It is handed out to individuals from both Japan and abroad who have made distinguished contributions to the advancement of Japan. Fans of the 'Minister of Fashion' flocked to her Instagram page to congratulate Julie on the honour and her impeccable fashion sense According to a post made by Ambassador Suzuki Kazuhiro on X, Julie received the order 'for her contribution to promoting friendly relations and mutual understanding between Japan and Australia'. Julie attended the investiture ceremony with her new partner, Perth man Stephen, by her side after she debuted their romance back in July 2023. While little is known about Stephen, his Facebook profile shows him proudly standing behind a cafe racer style motorcycle, clad in a black leather jacket. The pair have been spotted in several happy snaps on Julie's social accounts since their relationship announcement, and even recently travelled to South Australia for a 'fabulous outback adventure'. Benjamin Bratt sure looked like one proud husband on Wednesday evening in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. The ex-partner of Julia Roberts beamed as he posed next to his siren wife Talisa Soto whom he wed in 2002 in San Francisco. The 60-year-old Law & Order veteran put his arm around the beauty, who is best known for starring with Timothy Dalton as Bond girl Lupe Lamora in the 1989 James Bond film Licence to Kill. Together they have two children: Mateo Bravery and Sophia Rosalinda. Bratt is costarring with Brooke Shields in the Netflix film Mother Of The Bride about a woman whose daughter is tying the knot with the son of the man who broke her heart. Benjamin Bratt sure looked like one proud husband on Wednesday evening in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. The ex-partner of Julia Roberts beamed as he posed next to his siren wife Talisa Soto whom he wed in 2002 in San Francisco The Law & Order veteran put his arm around the beauty, who is best known for starring with Timothy Dalton as Bond girl Lupe Lamora in the 1989 James Bond film Licence to Kill Benjamin looked handsome in a pale blue suit with a white shirt and beige loafers. His wife was springtime chic as she modeled highlighted hair. The runway veteran modeled a bias-cut white dress with strappy nude heels and a white clutch purse in her hand. Bratt and Soto are rarely seen together. The two stay out of the Hollywood limelight as they live in San Francisco, where he grew up. Bratt is still very active in Hollywood, however, as he appeared on the TV series Modern Family and Star. Two decades ago he was a tabloid sensation for his romance with America's sweetheart Roberts. They were so close, she even guest starred on his series Law & Order. Together they have two children: Mateo Bravery and Sophia Rosalinda Benjamin looked handsome in a pale blue suit with a white shirt and beige loafers. His wife was springtime chic as she modeled highlighted hair The runway veteran modeled a bias-cut white dress with strappy nude heels and a white clutch purse under her arm Talisa, far right, with Carey Lowell, Timothy Dalton in Licence To Kill in 1989 Bratt helped girlfriend-at-the-time Julia Roberts celebrate her big Oscar win for Best Actress for her work in Erin Brockovich in year 2000 When Julia won an Oscar in 2000 for her drama Erin Brockovich, Bratt was right by her side. She even acknowledged him in her acceptance speech and they kissed on the red carpet. But they broke up the next year after three years together. He wed Soto in 2002 - just one year after leaving Roberts. Soto was a top model in the 1990s, working for Vogue and Versace. Their cute family: Talisa and Ben with one of their children in New York in 2004 They also made the cover of Vanity Fair in 2002 The Brooklyn native also ventured into movies, playing a Bond girl in 1989's Licence To Kill. Later she was seen in 1995's Mortal Kombat and 2002's Ballistic. In 2008 Benjamin told Latina magazine that Talisa is 'heart and soul personified.' He also said, 'She makes me a better man. That sounds like a line from a movie. It is, right? No, its hard not to speak in cliches about her, really, because so much has been made of my wifes outer beauty and she is otherworldly beautiful but as Ive come to know her, her heart and who she is as a person is even more beautiful.' The hunk added: 'What I dig about her is that she loves me. Even though she knows everything about me, she accepts me anyway, which is a pretty calming influence to have in your life and a great deal of support.' Bratt looked dapper in Etro at the 90th Academy Awards in 2018. The Miss Congeniality actor brought as his date Soto as he supported his film Coco He's in love: The San Francisco native has said that she has a great heart After party! Later they were seen at the Vanity Fair bash in 2018 Brooke Shields posed with her real daughter Rowan Henchy and her movie daughter Miranda Cosgrove at a Los Angeles screening of her new film Mother Of The Bride. The romantic comedy stars Brooke, 58, as a woman who learns to her horror that her ex-boyfriend's son is engaged to her daughter. Miranda, 30, who first became a star on the Nickelodeon sitcom iCarly, features in the movie as the soon-to-be-married daughter. During a red carpet portion for the screening, Brooke posed cheerfully with Miranda and Rachael Harris, who plays the sister of Brooke's character. At another stage Brooke was also seen enjoying a bit of quality time with Rowan, 20, whom she shares with her filmmaker husband Chris Henchy. Brooke Shields posed with her real daughter Rowan Henchy (left) and her movie daughter Miranda Cosgrove (right) at a Los Angeles screening of her new film Mother Of The Bride Miranda, 30, who first became a sensation on the Nickelodeon sitcom iCarly, strutted her stuff at the premiere in a hot pink cocktail dress During a red carpet portion for the screening, Brooke posed cheerfully with Miranda and Rachael Harris, who plays the sister of Brooke's character Shot last year on location in the tourist hot spot of Phuket, Thailand, Heidi's new movie is slated for release on Netflix this Thursday Bratt and Shields face to face in the new romantic comedy Brooke and Rowan were the image of familial joy at the screening, which they both attending in matching sleeveless red cocktail dresses. They made sure to show off their matching ladybug tattoos, which they acquired nearly three years ago to celebrate Rowan's high school graduation. Brooke also stood for the photographers with her silver fox co-star Benjamin Bratt, who plays her co-star's detested former flame and the father of the bride. She first found fame on Channel 4's The Undateables. But now Fats Timbo has found Mr Right as she announced her engagement to her boyfriend of four years Alan Laszczak. Photographer Alan - whom she did not meet on the show - popped the question during the couple's romantic trip to Thailand and Fats took to Instagram on Tuesday to share the news. The TikTok star showed off her huge diamond ring in an artsy video of the proposal and wrote in the caption: 'Alan proposed! And I said yes!!! 'From the day we met I knew you were my person. Over the last 4 years you have changed my life for the better. I cant wait to be your wife.' Fats Timbo first found fame on Channel 4's The Undateables and now she is engaged to Alan Laszczak - whom she did not meet on the show - after a four-year courtship Photographer Alan popped the question during the couple's romantic trip to Thailand and Fats took to Instagram on Tuesday to share the news Fats shared an artsy video of the proposal and wrote a sweet caption telling how she new Alan was The One from the day they met Alan shared the same video to his Instagram and wrote: 'Only gone and popped the question and she said yess!! 'I love you with all my heart you are my soulmate, Ive known it for a while now and just had to take action, this day turned out perfectly Im gassed I can wait for the wedding and our bright future together!' Comedian Fats was born with dwarfism but does not like the term 'dwarf', preferring, as many do, 'little person'. The star has amassed a gargantuan 2.9 million followers on TikTok and over 300,000 followers on Instagram. She specialises in hilarious skits and is not afraid to make fun of herself. Her fiance Alan is also fond of social media and is detailing his fitness journey as someone with cerebral palsy. In 2018, she shot to fame on the controversial dating show The Undateables, described as a 'documentary series following people with challenging conditions who are looking for love.' The show has come under fire in the past for its title and Fats revealed she initially turned down appearing on the show for the same reason. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline in 2023, Fats confessed: 'I didn't like the name whatsoever, that's why I declined initially. 'But then I thought about the bigger picture. I was very young, I was 20 and I thought I could find love.' Fats shot to fame in 2018 when she appeared on controversial dating show The Undateables, 'a documentary series following people with challenging conditions who are looking for love' Fats initially declined to participate in the show because she was offended by its title but acquiesced when she thought about the Black little people she could inspire The couple began their journey on The Undateables which led Fats to the 'amazing' Alan who often appears in her ' social media videos Fats continued: 'Also, the first time I ever saw a Black little person was on The Undateables and I thought: "What if I do that for other people?" So, I changed my mind and I messaged them. 'It was a great experience to be honest with you. Although a lot of people say "you're not undateable" and I know it! 'But I'm glad I went on there and showed people my personality and that's where I started my journey. I'm proud to say I did.' The journey led to the 'amazing' Alan who often appears in Fats' social media videos. Fats previously said of their relationship: 'We are the best team.' In 2023, Fats took part in the Stand Up To Cancer series, Don't Look Down. The show followed a group of celebrities, led by Paddy McGuinness, as they took on TV's scariest challenge show, training for a world first high wire walk, 100ft over the London Stadium. Paddy was joined in the Austrian Alps by Beverley Callard, Anton Ferdinand, Kimberly Wyatt, Chris Hughes, David Ginola, Charley Boorman, GK Barry and Victoria Pendleton for training, where they were taught by high-wire walker extraordinaire, Jade Kindar-Martin. Speaking about training for the show, Fats confessed: 'It was probably one of the scariest things I've ever done in my life. I've had a few panic attacks because of it!' Yet she credited the programme with 'changing her life', explaining: 'It's taught me to be more resilient in life. 'It's taught me that whatever you set your mind to, you can do it because at the beginning I really wanted to quit. I really felt like I couldn't do it whatsoever.' She continued: 'I felt like because of my disability, it was going to hinder me, but I was one of the people that was doing really well! I was better than the sportsmen! 'I was very proud of myself and we raised a lot of money.' Yes I did fall but if you fall you have to get back up and that's a metaphor for life, isn't it?' Alan also shines on his own platforms, detailing his fitness journey as someone with cerebral palsy Fats took part in Stand Up To Cancer series Don't Look Down with the likes of Chris Hughes, Victoria Pendleton, Kimberley Wyatt and Paddy McGuinness and said it changed her life The comedian has amassed a gargantuan 2.9 million followers on TikTok and over 300,000 followers on Instagram. She specialises in hilarious skits and is not afraid to make fun of herself As for signing up for the show as the only contestant with dwarfism, she mused: 'Whatever I can't do, I find a way around it, so this was no different. 'I thought it might take me longer, it might hurt more, but I can't let that stop me because what message is that sending to other people with disabilities? 'And I wanted to represent as much as possible to people with disabilities. I'm glad I did because I got so many messages saying: "Oh my God, I felt your pain. Life wasn't easy for a lot of us. And you proved that and you actually smashed it." 'So, it was so heartwarming to see those kind of messages and that was the reason why I did it.' At the end of 2023, Fats appeared on Good Morning Britain as she joined their 1 Million Minutes campaign, which aims to encourage viewers to pledge their time to charities that tackle the issue of loneliness. Speaking about why she felt compelled to get involved, Fats said: 'I think it's really important to spread awareness about loneliness and making sure that mental health is spoken about. 'Personally I've gone through it and luckily I've gone through the other side so I just want to inspire other people to do that and show that it's ok to feel like that and you'll get through it.' As well as supporting ITV's Britain Get Talking campaign, charities involved in the 1 Million Minutes campaign this year include Alzheimers Research UK, Grief Encounter, Re-engage, Royal Voluntary Service, Home-Start and The Chatty Cafe Scheme. Drake has shared an extremely cryptic post about death amid his ongoing messy feud with Kendrick Lamar - and days after a dramatic shooting took place outside his house. The Canadian rapper, 37, and the American musician, 36, arguably two of the world's biggest hip-hop voices, have been embroiled in a furious rivalry for years - which heated up recently after the two released a slew of shocking diss tracks about one another. Now, Drake may have shared a subtle message to Kendrick by posting a very interesting video to his Instagram Stories. He uploaded a clip of a scene from the Netflix series A Man in Full that showed Jeff Daniels' character, Charlie Croker, laying on the floor seemingly deceased, while a voiceover reflected on how people will remember him after he dies. Drake (left) has shared an extremely cryptic post about death amid his ongoing messy feud with Kendrick Lamar (right) - and days after a dramatic shooting took place outside his house He uploaded a clip of a scene from the Netflix series A Man in Full that showed Jeff Daniels' character reflecting on how people will remember him after he dies 'When you die, will people notice?' Jeff said in the clip. 'When I go, there are gonna be a lot of memories of me by a lot of people, many who hate me' Drake's post also comes only days after one of his security guards got shot in the arm outside of his mansion (seen) The unnamed guard was lured outside by a car that was blaring loud music shortly after 2am on Tuesday, and is now fighting for his life. Police are seen outside Drake's house 'I dont mean this as a criticism. Maybe I do. But when you die, will people notice?' Jeff said as a video of his character lying on the ground flashed across the screen. 'When I go, there are gonna be a lot of memories of me by a lot of people, many who hate me. Even so, a person needs to live with vigor. Otherwise, whats the point?' Drake's post also comes only days after one of his security guards was gunned down during a drive-by shooting outside of his $100 million Toronto mansion. According to the Toronto Sun, the unnamed guard was lured outside by a car that was blaring loud music shortly after 2am on Tuesday, and is now fighting for his life. Suspects inside the car reportedly opened fire after the guard came outside, and hit him in the 'upper body, possibly the right arm.' The guard remains hospitalized with serious life-threatening injuries. Toronto Police told DailyMail.com that they could not confirm if the rapper was home at the time of the shooting. Despite Drake's ongoing feud with Kendrick, officials have not indicated any early link to the shooting. Drake and Kendrick started off as friends, and even collaborated on each other's records in their early careers. Drake (seen in 2019) and Kendrick started off as friends, and even collaborated on each other's records in their early careers, but things seemed to turn sour in 2013 It died down until October, when Drake and J. Cole released their song First Person Shooter, in which they referred to themselves and Kendrick as 'the big three' - and Kendrick took issue The rap rivals even happily toured together in 2012 during Drake's $42.6M-grossing, 65-date Club Paradise Tour. But things seemed to turn sour in 2013, when Kendrick named dropped Drake in his song Control. He sang, '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.' After that, the two made a few subtle jibes towards one another over the years, but 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, in which they referred to themselves and Kendrick as 'the big three.' Kendrick 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. He threw in multiple lyrical jabs at both Drake and J Cole, furiously rapping: 'Motherf**k the big three, n***a, it's just big me.' Then, in April, Drake released a Kendrick diss track, entitled Push Ups, in which he called him a 'pipsqueak' and said he 'got wiped down' by other musicians like SZA, Travis Scott and 21 Savage. The track's promo art also seemed to take aim at the rapper's small feet, since it featured only a size seven shoe tag. Since then, the two have been releasing a slew of diss tracks about one another - including one in which Kendrick (seen in 2017) suggested that Drake had a secret daughter In response, Drake shared a selfie to his Instagram Story and wrote, 'Nah hold on can someone find my hidden daughter please and send her to me... These guys are in shambles' Kendrick responded with his song Euphoria - a six minute diss track filled with numerous shots at his rival. In the shock lyrics, he addresses Drake directly and asks whether he 'feels black enough;' he also brands him an absent father to his son Adonis, six, and a 'master manipulator.' '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?' he raps. 'Know you a master manipulator and habitual liar, too / But dont tell no lie bout me, and I wont tell truths bout you. 'I got a son to raise, but I can see you know nothin' 'bout that,' he adds in another part of the song. In response to Kendrick raising the subject of Drake's parenting, he went on to drop another song called Family Matters. During it he says, 'You mentioned my seed, now deal with his dad / I gotta go bad, I gotta go bad.' Plus, while announcing the song in Instagram, Drake wrote, 'Stop trying to piece together what I know and go pick up the pieces of your broken home.' Mere minutes after Drake released the track, Kendrick fired back with a song called Meet the Grahams. On his quick-witted rebuttal, Kendrick suggested that Drake had a secret daughter and points to the rapper's alleged battle with gambling and alcohol. '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,' the lyrics read. In response, Drake shared a selfie to his Instagram Story and wrote, 'Nah hold on can someone find my hidden daughter please and send her to me... These guys are in shambles,' with crying laughing emoji. 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 - and in the lyrics, he appeared to accuse Drake of being a pedophile. 'Say Drake, I hear you like 'em young,' he raps, encouraging others to 'hide your little sister from him.' Drake responded with one more song, called The Heart Part 6, which came out on May 5. '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,' reads the lyrics. 'If I was f***ing young girls, I promise Id have been arrested / Im way too famous for this s*** you just suggested / Drake is not a name that you gon see on no sex offender list.' U.S. President Joe Biden for the first time publicly vowed to withhold weapons from Israel if its forces make a major invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza while negotiations in Cairo on a ceasefire plan for the enclave were due to continue on Thursday. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah ..., Im not supplying the weapons," Biden, whose administration has repeatedly asked Israel for its plan to protect civilians in Rafah, said on Wednesday in an interview with CNN. Biden acknowledged that U.S. bombs provided to Israel have killed Gaza civilians in the seven-month-old offensive aimed at annihilating Hamas. Biden's comments, his starkest to date, increase the pressure on Israel to refrain from a full-scale assault on Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have sought refuge after fleeing combat farther north in Gaza. There was no immediate comment from Israel on Biden's remarks, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the Rafah operation would go ahead. Israel says it must hit Rafah to defeat thousands of Hamas fighters it says are there. Israel, meanwhile, continued tank and aerial strikes on southern Gaza after moving in via the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Tuesday, cutting off a vital aid route. Biden has been under pressure from his fellow Democrats and growing campus protests to deter Israel from invading Rafah. His support of Israel has become a political liability as the president runs for re-election. The United States is by far the biggest supplier of weapons to Israel, and it accelerated deliveries after the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7 that triggered Israel's offensive in Gaza. Biden said U.S. weapons for Israel's defense, such as for its Iron Dome anti-missile system, would continue. U.S. officials confirmed on Wednesday that Washington paused delivery of a shipment of bombs to Israel because of the risk to civilians in Gaza. Israel's U.N. ambassador, Gilad Erdan, called that decision "very disappointing" but said he did not believe the U.S. would stop supplying arms to Israel. Talks in Cairo Palestinian militant group Hamas said late on Wednesday it would not make more concessions to Israel in the truce talks. In Cairo, delegations from Hamas, Israel, the U.S., Egypt and Qatar have been meeting since Tuesday. Citing a source familiar with the matter, Egypt's state-affiliated Al Qahera TV reported early on Thursday that areas of disagreement were being resolved and there were signs that an agreement will be reached, without giving details. But Izzat El-Reshiq, a member of Hamas' political office in Qatar, said in a statement late on Wednesday that the group would not go beyond a ceasefire proposal it accepted on Monday. It would also entail the release of some Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinian women and children detained in Israel. Israel isnt serious about reaching an agreement and it is using the negotiation as a cover to invade Rafah and occupy the crossing, said Reshiq. Israel on Monday declared that the three-phase truce proposal approved by Hamas was unacceptable because terms had been watered down. It did not respond immediately to the Hamas statement. The U.S. said on Tuesday that Hamas had revised its ceasefire proposal and the revision could overcome an impasse in negotiations. Just a few hours before Hamas' latest statement, Washington continued to say the two sides were not far apart. "We believe there is a pathway to a deal ... The two sides are close enough they should do what they can to get to a deal," U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters. The war began when Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and abducting 252 others, of whom 128 remain hostage in Gaza and 36 have been declared dead, according to the latest Israeli figures. 'Humanitarian catastrophe' looms Hamas said its fighters on Wednesday were battling Israeli forces in Rafah's east and Islamic Jihad's fighters attacked Israeli soldiers and military vehicles with heavy artillery near the city's long abandoned airport. Israeli tank shells landed in the middle of Rafah wounding at least 25 people on Wednesday, medics said. Residents said an Israeli air strike killed four people and wounded 16 others in western Rafah. The Israeli military said it troops had discovered Hamas infrastructure in several places in eastern Rafah and were conducting targeted raids in Rafah and airstrikes across the Gaza Strip. The U.N., Gaza residents and humanitarian groups say further Israeli incursion into Rafah will result in a humanitarian catastrophe. A U.N. official said no fuel or aid had entered the Gaza Strip due to the military operation, a situation "disastrous for the humanitarian response" in Gaza where more than half the population is suffering catastrophic hunger. Palestinians have crammed into tented camps and makeshift shelters, suffering from shortages of food, water and medicine. "The streets of the city echo with the cries of innocent lives lost, families torn apart, and homes reduced to rubble," Rafah Mayor Ahmed Al-Sofi said, appealing to the international community to intervene. (Reuters) Ahead of her return to the Teen Mom franchise, Jenelle Evans is seriously considering moving from her native North Carolina to Florida with her 14-year-old son Jace, nine-year-old son Kaiser, and seven-year-old daughter Ensley. Earlier this month, the 32-year-old reality TV veteran was in the Sunshine State 'touring two or three homes in the Central Florida area' not far from where her co-star Briana Dejesus lives - according to TMZ. The 29-year-old 16 and Pregnant alum currently owns a $350K four-bedroom home in Kissimmee, FL. On Wednesday, Briana Instastoried a snap of herself with Jenelle captioned: 'I am SO EXCITED to welcome Jenelle back to #TeenMom!' MTV just dropped the first teaser for season two of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter - premiering May 30 - in which Evans makes a 'special appearance' as she declares: 'I think it'll be good to have a fresh start.' Ahead of her return to the Teen Mom franchise, Jenelle Evans is seriously considering moving from her native North Carolina to Florida with her 14-year-old son Jace, nine-year-old son Kaiser, and seven-year-old daughter Ensley (pictured July 20) Earlier this month, the 32-year-old reality TV veteran was in the Sunshine State 'touring two or three homes in the Central Florida area' not far from where her co-star Briana Dejesus (L, pictured in 2022) lives Season two also stars Amber Portwood, Ashley Jones Siren, Catelynn Lowell Baltierra, Cheyenne Floyd, Jade Cline, Leah Messer, Maci Bookout McKinney, and Mackenzie McKee Taylor. The former medical assistant - who made a cameo last season - could move to Florida 'as soon as 90 days' or she might be waiting for divorce from estranged second husband David Eason 'to finalize in nine months' (divorces take a full year in North Carolina). In legal docs, Jenelle claimed the 35-year-old Black River Metal and Wood designer - who just got 'homesick' tattooed on his knuckles - 'refuses to work' and is living on her docked boat 'spending his days drinking liquor at a bar near the marina.' David is currently facing one count of misdemeanor child abuse and one count of felony assault by strangulation against Evans' son Jace (with ex Andrew Lewis) on September 28. The content creator and Eason - whose separation date was February 16 - welcomed daughter Ensley during their troubled six-year marriage. MTV fired David in 2018 over homophobic and transphobic tweets, and the cable network fired Jenelle in 2019 after nine seasons of Teen Mom 2 shortly after he shot and killed their French Bulldog Nugget. Last month, Evans cryptically revealed she pulled all three of her 'stressed' children out of public school until summer break for their 'safety' but 'wouldn't go into detail about that' other than 'we're going to do homeschooling.' Aside from TV gigs, the hot-tempered brunette - who was arrested four times between 2010-2012 -commands $250/video on Cameo and $20/month on the XXX platform OnlyFans. Audiences were first introduced to Jenelle back in 2010 when she appeared in the second season of MTV reality show, 16 and Pregnant. The 29-year-old 16 and Pregnant alum currently owns a $350K four-bedroom home in Kissimmee, FL (pictured April 30) On Wednesday, Briana Instastoried a snap of herself with Jenelle captioned: 'I am SO EXCITED to welcome Jenelle back to #TeenMom!' MTV just dropped the first teaser for season two of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter - premiering May 30 - in which Evans makes a 'special appearance' as she declares: 'I think it'll be good to have a fresh start' The former medical assistant - who made a cameo last season - could move to Florida 'as soon as 90 days' or she might be waiting for divorce from estranged second husband David Eason 'to finalize in nine months' (divorces take a full year in North Carolina) In legal docs, Jenelle claimed the 35-year-old Black River Metal and Wood designer - who just got 'homesick' tattooed on his knuckles - 'refuses to work' and is living on her docked boat 'spending his days drinking liquor at a bar near the marina' (pictured March 31) David is facing one count of misdemeanor child abuse and one count of felony assault by strangulation against Evans' son Jace (2-R, pictured September 28) on September 28 The content creator and Eason - whose separation date was February 16 - welcomed daughter Ensley during their troubled six-year marriage (pictured last Friday) MTV fired David in 2018 over homophobic and transphobic tweets, and the cable network fired Jenelle in 2019 after nine seasons of Teen Mom 2 shortly after he shot and killed their French Bulldog Nugget (R, pictured in 2019) She's one of the most glamorous and best dressed A-listers when it comes to red carpet style. But Jennifer Lawrence decided to keep things casual while running errands in New York City on Thursday morning. The 33-year-old looked comfortable in a pair of baggy blue jeans and flat sneakers. She added an oversized lavender dress shirt and hid her eyes behind tortoiseshell sunglasses. The American Hustle actress left her hair messy and untamed, and had AirPods in her ears. Jennifer Lawrence decided to keep things casual while running some errands in New York on Thursday morning The 33-year-old looked comfortable in a pair of baggy blue jeans and flat sneakers The outing took place shortly after it was revealed that Apple Original Films had obtained the global rights to the documentary feature Bread & Roses, which Lawrence produced. According to Deadline, the Sahra Mani-directed feature made its official debut during the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. The documentary was centered on a trio of Afghan women resisting the rule of the Taliban. In addition to Lawrence and her producing partner Justine Ciarrocchi, the feature was produced by Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. The feature received positive reviews upon its debut, and it currently holds a score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Bread & Roses is currently set to premiere on the Apple TV+ streaming service on June 21. The actress spoke about the feature during an interview with Deadline and recalled that she first developed an interest in the plight of Afghan women while monitoring the end of the War in Afghanistan. She added an oversized lavender dress shirt and hid her eyes behind tortoiseshell sunglasses Lawrence at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills in March 'I was watching the fall of Kabul on the news in 2021 and I told Justine, you know, we need to find somebody on the ground, that can get a camera in there,' she said. Lawrence went on to praise Mani and opened up about why she wanted the filmmaker to helm the feature. 'She's the perfect person to do it...I think her point of view, not to mention her camera abilities are remarkable,' she stated. The performer then spoke about her production company, Excellent Cadaver, which she founded in 2018. 'What we want to do is just keep making things that we respond to, that we care about. We're right at the genesis of the company so it's hard to say what it is, or what it will be,' she stated. 'We'll just keep following what's important to us and what we want to make,' she added. Jaime King put on a stylish display at the One Humanity Foundation's Global Launch Event on Tuesday. The 45-year-old actress looked effortlessly chic while modeling a patterned, long-sleeved top with a black, mock-neck collar and matching pants for the soiree in Bel Air, California. Teamed with the black details in her coordinated look, she wore satin ballet flats and accessorized with tassel statement earrings. She appeared to be in high spirits as she arrived at the event, which she hosted alongside Howie Mandel and Mario Lopez. This comes after she was seen breaking down in tears in her car this past weekend. Jaime King, 45, put on a stylish display at the One Humanity Foundation's Global Launch Event on Tuesday While posing on the red carpet for the event, which dedicated an evening to catalyze global innovation in mental health, she styled her blonde hair in a tight updo fastened with a black bow. At one point, the Hart of Dixie star was also seen wearing a quilted, leather jacket off of her shoulders. The model looked radiant in a glowing makeup look featuring a sultry, bronze cat-eye paired with bold pink blush and a matching glossy lip. She posed with a bright, contagious smile on the red carpet. Just days earlier, King was pictured crying in her car while sitting in Los Angeles traffic on Sunset Boulevard. Her emotional moment came just weeks after she filed an emergency request to change her child and spousal support agreement with ex-husband Kyle Newman. The former couple who were married for 13 years before their split in 2020 share sons James Knight, 10, and Leo Thames, eight. The lawsuit between the exes was previously filed in Los Angeles on April 15 and King stated in legal documents that she 'lacks the ability to pay the support.' The actress looked effortlessly chic while modeling a patterned, long-sleeved top with a black, mock-neck collar and matching pants for the soiree in Bel Air, California Teamed with the black details in her coordinated look, she wore satin ballet flats and accessorized with tassel statement earrings. While posing on the red carpet for the event, which dedicated an evening to catalyze global innovation in mental health, she styled her blonde hair in a tight updo fastened with a black bow At one point, the Hart of Dixie star was also seen wearing a quilted, leather jacket, which she later removed to showcase her look in its entirety The model looked radiant in a glowing makeup look featuring a sultry, bronze cat-eye paired with bold pink blush and a matching glossy lip. She posed with a bright, contagious smile on the red carpet Just days earlier, King was pictured crying in her car while sitting in Los Angeles traffic on Sunset Boulevard. Her emotional moment came just weeks after she filed an emergency request to change her child and spousal support agreement with ex-husband Kyle Newman; seen in June 2019 The lawsuit between the exes was previously filed in Los Angeles on April 15 and King stated in legal documents that she 'lacks the ability to pay the support'; seen in December 2019 In her filing, the White Chicks alum asked the court to end the spousal agreement, which was previously filed two years earlier in April 2022. She also included social media posts of her ex's wedding to his current wife, musician Cynthia 'Cyn' Nabozny, and examples of his success as a filmmaker and actor. In response to her petition, Newman filed a response, claiming that she had 'been out of compliance with the court's child and spousal support orders for well over a year.' According to a statement issued by his attorney on the same day, the couple were previously entered into a binding agreement and for that reason, the court 'denied her motion in full.' While settling their divorce, King was previously ordered to pay Newman $429 per month in child support. In addition, King was required to pay Newman $1,000 a month in spousal support. The custody agreement also called for a percentage of any of her income above $175,344 per year to be paid quarterly to her ex. Gwyneth Paltrow had some very kind things to say about her 19-year-old daughter Apple Martin, whose father is Coldplay rocker Chris Martin. The 51-year-old Oscar-winning actress told E! News that the teen influences her. 'Apple is an adult woman now, so we relate to each other like that,' said the actress. 'Of course, I'm always her mama, and she comes to me for those things too. But it's very interesting to really watch her step into herself as a grown woman.' And Apple helps with GOOP. 'She influences everything I do,' Gwyneth shared. 'I run everything by her. I value her opinion so much, and she's also such a product personespecially with makeup, much more so than I am. 'I'm very minimal. So as we go more into color, she's the person I rely on the most.' Gwyneth Paltrow had some very kind things to say about her 19-year-old daughter Apple Martin, whose father is Coldplay rocker Chris Martin The 51-year-old Oscar-winning actress told E! News that the teen influences her 'Apple is an adult woman now, so we relate to each other like that,' said the actress 'Of course, I'm always her mama, and she comes to me for those things too,' the Emma star added The teen has inherited her mom's passion for wellness. 'In this case, the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree,' the Shakespeare in Love star noted. 'My daughter has gotten so into clean, non-toxic beauty, vegan. She doesn't want to touch anything that's cruel to animals. 'So, she has really strong values running. It's so nice that it aligns with the products that we already make.' And it looks like Moses has, too. 'He really cares,' she added. 'It's amazing. He knows all about ingredients. Like if I ever hand him something, he looks at the ingredients panel and he's like, "Oh wow, this has niacinamide in it." 'I'm like, "Wow, how do you know all this stuff?" He's very learned in the in the realm of skin care.' She also talked her kids' future. 'Whatever they want to do in life, I want to support,' she noted. 'I think there are challenges in any careercertainly there are challenges in being an artist, for sure. 'But should they choose that path, I will of course support them.' 'But it's very interesting to really watch her step into herself as a grown woman,' said Paltrow; seen here visiting Apple in Nashville near her college And Apple helps with GOOP. 'She influences everything I do,' Gwyneth shared Last year Gwyneth told People that Apple is a lot of fun to hang out with and she is grateful the college student is in her life. 'I mean, she's just so much fun to be with,' the cover girl shared. 'It's so wonderful having a daughter because you have this amazing best friend and we like to do the same stuff, and she's so funny and she's so smart. It's amazing.' And she also looks up to her mini-me, who has already worked as a sales girl in a Los Angeles shop. 'I'm kind of in awe of this woman that she's become and with all of her points of view that are really differentiated. She's really strong and it's amazing,' shared the wife of TV producer Brad Falchuk, 52. 'I run everything by her. I value her opinion so much, and she's also such a product personespecially with makeup, much more so than I am,' she said The icon added: 'I'm very minimal. So as we go more into color, she's the person I rely on the most' 'My children are similar in the ways that they're both incredibly sensitive and empathetic. They really can feel people's stuff very permeable in that way,' said the Emma actress. 'They're both tall and they both have very interesting ways of seeing the world, and they're different in the ways that they are. 'My daughter's very much of an extrovert. My son is an introvert. They like to do very different things, but then I don't know, then they both love to snowboard and they both love music, and they love their friends.' But Apple is more like her father. 'I think Moses and I are more, we're happy kind of being home and being more internal. 'But I think they've both gotten, hopefully, the best of both of us, and hopefully we've been able to minimize our s***** traits having passed those down,' she continued. And both Apple and Moses are interested in fashion. 'I mean, she's just so much fun to be with,' the star said to People. 'It's so wonderful having a daughter because you have this amazing best friend and we like to do the same stuff, and she's so funny and she's so smart. It's amazing' 'I'm kind of in awe of this woman that she's become and with all of her points of view that are really differentiated. She's really strong and it's amazing,' shared the wife of TV producer Brad Falchuk, 52 Her little ones: She also has son Moses 'They're actually both very intrigued by fashion and into fashion,' Paltrow said. 'They are both very intrigued. They both really like fashion as an art form and as a form of expression. It's really interesting to see them both choose that. My son, really it's kind of how he tells the world who he is through his cool style.' And she has stolen from Apple's closet: 'More random stuff, like a tank top or something like that. She's more going through my closet for special event stuff.' And she also said in the same People interview that Martin is a great father. 'He has this sweet child-like spirit, and I love that he will be like, 'Let's go jump in the ocean,' when it's 58 degrees, or, 'Let's go to this weird guitar store.' He always wants to do these fun adventures with them and activities.' The blonde told the magazine that dealing with her blended family with second husband of five years, TV producer Brad Falchuk, is not a walk in the park. While the Iron Man actress has Apple and Moses, Brad has two with his ex-wife, Suzanne Bukinik whom he was wed to from 1994 to 2013: Isabella, 19, and Brody, 17. 'It's hard, and it's not intuitive, and nobody tells you how to do it. You just stick with it,' she shared. 'Now it's one of the things that brings me the most happiness in my life.' All four: Brad has two with his ex-wife, Suzanne Bukinik whom he was wed to from 1994 to 2013: Isabella, 19, and Brody, 17. 'It's hard, and it's not intuitive, and nobody tells you how to do it. You just stick with it,' she shared. 'Now it's one of the things that brings me the most happiness in my life' A bird: Paltrow dislikes the term empty nester and prefers to call her teen kids 'free birds,' she told People. Seen with his son Paltrow dislikes the term empty nester and prefers to call her teen kids 'free birds,' she told People. 'I'm trying to reframe it so that I can at least try to convince myself there's some kind of a silver lining,' she says. 'Empty nest sounds so sad and lonely.' She talked to the magazine to promote her new skincare line called good.clean.goop which is being sold at Target and on Amazon. Unlike its higher-priced sibling, which features $58 eye cream, $100 cleanser and $350 serums the new line is all priced under $40. Richard Gadd has revealed there were tears shed on the set of Baby Reindeer during filming of some of the show's most harrowing scenes. The Netflix show, which follows Richard's character Donny as he is stalked by a woman named Martha, played by Jessica Gunning, has become a global hit since its release. It shows Martha's obsession developing as she emails Donny hundreds of times a day, turning up outside his house and harassing his family and friends. It is based on Richard's real life experience. Richard has opened up about filming episode four, in which his character is sexually assaulted by a male TV writer who takes struggling comedian Donny under his wing. He told Variety: 'We did close the set, but I was looking over and you'd see the props guys wiping tears from their eyes as they would be putting the props back how they should be.' Richard Gadd has revealed there were tears shed on the set of Baby Reindeer during filming of some of the show's most harrowing scenes Richard has opened up about filming episode four, in which his character is sexually assaulted 'The show was based in such a trauma that everyone on set felt at times it was a huge, weighty thing. And it's why I think everyone had such respect for everything. I was blessed with this amazing team who kind of felt it with me in a lot of ways.' In the same interview, Jessica told how Richard works with We Are Survivors, a non-profit organisation that supports male victims of rape and sexual abuse. The organisation has reportedly experienced a 200% increase in people looking for support, with 60% of them citing Baby Reindeer as the reason they reached out. Jessica said of the show: 'It's not an easy, buttoned-up story. Everything doesn't get tied up at the end. I think it's messy, like life is. Their dynamic is complicated and he's really honest about that. That's so refreshing to see.' Richard said making the show with Netflix, based on two critically acclaimed shows he wrote and performed at the Edinburgh Fringe festival, was cathartic and helped him come to terms with what happened earlier in his life. 'If people see it they will know almost everything about me. They might judge, they might not agree, and that innately comes with some degree of anxiety, but that's what I signed up for,' he told The Times. He pitched the show to Netflix after combining two critically acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe shows, Baby Reindeer and Monkey See, Monkey Do, which addressed his stalking and sexual assault respectively. Over a period of four-and-a-half years, the actor said he received 41,071 emails , 744 tweets, letters totalling 106 pages and 350 hours of voicemail messages. Richard told the Times police did not take his concerns seriously despite his worries about how far the real-life Martha might go in her twisted pursuits. He said: 'We did close the set, but I was looking over and you'd see the props guys wiping tears from their eyes as they would be putting the props back how they should be' The Netflix show, which follows Richard's character Donny as he is stalked by a woman named Martha, played by Jessica Gunning, has become a global hit since its release He now says he is less likely to trust people after his adverse experiences with both men and women. Richard concluded: 'I used to enter situations with such abandonment, never thinking ahead and throwing my trust into people, and I got burnt. Now getting close to people can be hard.' Baby Reindeer has proven a surprise smash for Netflix, having been viewed more than 60 million times in the first month. Richard claimed he went to great lengths to conceal the identity of the woman who stalked him in real life. In the series, after Richard meets his stalker at the bar, things soon descend into chaos. The chilling real-life drama was inspired by the ordeal suffered by Scottish creator and leading man Richard Gadd at the hands of 'Martha' (played by Jessica Gunning, right) Richard was a struggling stand-up comic working behind the bar at a pub in London It sees him being regularly followed at home and work, and tracked on Facebook using three fake accounts. He told The Times: 'At first everyone at the pub thought it was funny that I had an admirer. Then she started to invade my life, following me, turning up at my gigs, waiting outside my house, sending thousands of voicemails and emails.' He said it was 'years' before the police eventually took his complaints seriously - and six years before they finally intervened - something which prolonged the agony for everyone involved including his relatives. The police told him at the time that unless his stalker became physically violent, there was little they could do to resolve the issue. He has said he still finds it hard to trust people and has had 'every therapy going'. He added that the years of being stalked have left him with something 'like PTSD'. For the Netflix role, he lost weight to match his 10-and-a-half stone 'neurotic' self at the height of his own stalking nightmare. Gadd has revealed he first encountered 'Martha' when he was working in a pub and offered her a cup of tea because she was crying Richard said he's currently single and 'is more cautious' of people because of the campaign of terror that Martha inflicted, saying: 'It takes me a long time to trust them. Before, I entered situations with such abandonment and I got burnt.' However, performing a version of what happened to him has enabled him to have 'ownership' of the trauma. Gadd earned a Fringe award for his stage show, also called Baby Reindeer, in 2019. Speaking to the Telegraph in 2019 about the one-man show that he wrote after the ordeal, which is currently on at London's Bush theatre, he said: 'It was debilitating beyond belief. 'I'd listen to her voicemails and just feel my eyes welling up. They were tears of frustration. Proper brain-heavy stress.' Brooke Shields showed off her matching ladybug tattoo with daughter Rowan Henchy, 20, while at the Mother of the Bride screening in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The actress, 58, and her mini me posed on the carpet with their matching tats on full display. Brooke has the ladybug on the inside of her wrist and Rowan has hers on the outside of her ankle. The mother-daughter duo also coordinated in their looks - with both of them wearing red dresses. Their red carpet outing comes just days after Brooke got another tattoo - this time matching with her youngest daughter Grier. Brooke Shields showed off her matching ladybug tattoo with daughter Rowan Henchy, 20, while at the Mother of the Bride screening in Los Angeles The actress, 58, and her mini me posed on the carpet with their matching tats on full display Brooke and Rowan showing off their matching ladybug tattoos on Wednesday night Brooke and Rowan got the matching tattoos back in 2021 in honor of Rowan's high school graduation and also their close bond. At the time, Brooke had revealed the tats on her instagram, writing: 'A special graduation gift and memory with my girl. I'm so proud of you, I love you more than words can say.' They got their tattoos at Stefano's Tattoo Studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Brooke has two daughters with husband Chris Henchy, 60: daughters Rowan and Grier, 18. Chris and Brooke wed on April 4, 2001. Earlier this week, Brooke debuted a new tattoo she got with daughter Grier, who turned 18 last month. Brooke and Grier got matching tattoos of two pairs of high heels facing each other. The tattoo symbolizes 'Grier literally growing into Brooke's shoes,' Brooke and Grier documented getting their tattoo on celebrity tattoo artist Scott Campbell's Stupid Things for Love podcast, which drops May 13. Scott did the tattoos on Brooke and Grier. Grier is pursuing a modeling career and has a penchant for swiping her mom's designer pieces. Brooke and Rowan got the matching tattoos back in 2021 in honor of Rowan's high school graduation and also their close bond Brooke had revealed the tats on her instagram, writing: 'A special graduation gift and memory with my girl. I'm so proud of you, I love you more than words can say.' They got their tattoos at Stefano's Tattoo Studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; pictured with the tattoo artist at Stefano's Tattoo Studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn Brooke and Grier documented getting their tattoo on celebrity tattoo artist Scott Campbell's Stupid Things for Love podcast , which drops May 13; seen with Scott The tattoo symbolizes 'Grier literally growing into Brooke's shoes' The design for their tattoos pictured Brooke pictured with her daughter Grier Brooke also showed off her new tattoo on the red carpet at the Mother of the Bride screening. Brooke posed with Rowan and her movie daughter Miranda Cosgrove at a Los Angeles screening of her new film Mother Of The Bride. The romantic comedy stars Brooke as a woman who learns to her horror that her ex-boyfriend's son is engaged to her daughter. Miranda, 30, who first became a star on the Nickelodeon sitcom iCarly, features in the movie as the soon-to-be-married daughter. Brooke also showed off her new tattoo on the red carpet at the Mother of the Bride screening on Wednesday Brooke posed with her daughter Rowan (left) and her movie daughter Miranda Cosgrove (right) at a Los Angeles screening of her new film Mother Of The Bride Shot last year on location in the tourist hot spot of Phuket, Thailand, Heidi's new movie is slated for release on Netflix this Thursday During a red carpet portion for the screening, Brooke posed cheerfully with Miranda. Shot last year on location in the tourist hot spot of Phuket, Thailand, Mother Of The Bride is slated for release on Netflix this Thursday. Mother of the Bride released on Thursday, May 9 on streaming platform Netflix. Advertisement Former hellraiser and Jackass icon Steve-O shocked fans recently when he revealed he was leaving Hollywood behind for a simple and rustic life in Tennessee. The reality star, 49, who in 2022, announced he was having a 'mid-life crisis on steroids', listed his three-bedroom, three-bathroom Hollywood Hills home for $1.799 million and has already moved into a $2.1million ranch in Portland. Steve-O, who was born Stephen Glover, has traded in his high-octane TV pranks which included firing explosives into his face and getting a lobster to pinch his tongue, for a cozy ranch life complete with an animal sanctuary he has dubbed 'Radical Ranch.' 'I got this ranch in Tennessee, which I love so much. I just had to say Hollywood, it's been cool, but I'm out,' he said in a YouTube video that he posted on May 2. Steve-O's new Nashville home has more space that's fit for an outdoorsman and animal lover. Former hellraiser and Jackass icon Steve-O shocked fans recently when he revealed he was leaving Hollywood behind for a simple and rustic life in Tennessee Steve-O, who was born Stephen Glover, has traded in his high-octane TV pranks which included firing explosives into his face and getting a lobster to pinch his tongue, for a cozy ranch life complete with an animal sanctuary The former addict - who has been sober for almost 16 years (left 2008)- revealed a newfound love for driving tractors, chopping wood and watching 'cave man television' - a fire burning. Steve-O had a big smile on his face almost the entire time he showed off his new Tennessee retreat. 'Everything is an upgrade. Our goats have a brand new barn, a dope new pen, and we decided to let them out of the pen and just hang out on the property,' he said. Other than their four goats, Steve-O and fiancee Lux Wright own two pigs, two dogs and four cats. Their animal caretaker, Daniel, also moved with the couple, who according to Steve-O, 'gets things done quickly.' 'I love our life on the ranch so much that I never want to leave,' he added. In a video posted in October 2023, a proud Steve-O showed off his 40 acre ranch and declared: 'I love it so much, I've become full-on country boy.' The former addict - who has been sober for almost 16 years - revealed a newfound love for driving tractors, chopping wood and watching 'cave man television' - a fire burning. The star said: 'We already have two pigs, Fonzarelli and Lulu and a ranch cat named Rocky, who follows me around the one mile trail around the ranch.' The reality star, 49, who in 2022, announced he was having a 'mid-life crisis on steroids', listed his three-bedroom, three-bathroom Hollywood Hills home for $1.799 million (pictured) and has already moved into a ranch in the Southeast Other than their four goats, Steve-O and fiancee Lux Wright own two pigs, two dogs and four cats Steve-O and Lux are devoting their lives to rescuing animals on their ranch The home features a stunning parcel of land and swimming pool Steve-O first announced that the Hollywood house would be going up for sale during a house tour video he posted on April 4. His former three-bedroom, three-bathroom home included a skate ramp and goat barn. However, before it was put on the market, nearly every room in the house got a makeover, including the backyard The star has been showing off his new life to fans on Instagram Steve-O has been sharing fun updates from his ranch, including posing in a cowboy hat as he chopped wood and posing with fiancee Lux and their rescue animals on a seven foot bed The star is pictured with one of his rescue pigs at his 'Radical Ranch' The couple are seen posing with their rescue animals after chopping some wood Steve-O has been enjoying the simpler life as he prepares to ditch California for good The couple are enjoying quiet nights in compared to his previous party lifestyle In 2022 he said: 'Instead of having kids, we want to just pour ourselves into helping animals.' In contrast to his previous revelry, he was also filmed having a chilled night in a hot tub with his pals while watching co-star Johnny Knoxville's film, The Ringer, on a 30 foot inflatable screen. Steve-O has been sharing fun recent updates from his ranch, including posing in a cowboy hat as he chopped wood and posing with fiancee Lux and their rescue animals on a seven foot bed. He has hinted that one of the biggest reasons for the move is to stop paying California taxes. Listing agent Cesar Melendrez from Jason Mitchell Real Estate is in charge of selling the 2,398-square-foot property that's listed for $1.799 million. Steve-O first announced that he planned to sell the property in the description of his California house video tour on YouTube. 'I worked on this video for years, and only stopped because I decided to sell the house,' he wrote. He showed off his open floor plan on the first floor with a chef's kitchen and living room. He also displayed his former game room, which he said was 'reimagined masterfully' to use as an extra storage space. In contrast to his previous revelry, he was also filmed having a chilled night in a hot tub with his pals while watching co-star Johnny Knoxville's film, The Ringer, on a 30 foot inflatable screen Steve-O was seen chilling with his goats during a relaxed evening Steve-O carried his ranch cat Rocky around the 40 acre property The reality star proudly posed with his logs for the fire The star's home features a new log cabin on the property 'It's just about unrecognizable... Everything's painted, they cleaned out my goat barn, the ramp's gone, and it will be listed within the next week,' he confirmed. However, the prankster decided to keep the deer print wallpaper at the stairwell. Steve-O was sad about the move and told the cameraman that it was 'bittersweet' right before he left. He and Wright, had their belongings placed into moving trucks, and despite the partial struggle to get their goats together, the pair left California. 'Its been an honor to see Steve-Os growth as a person, this move represents him starting a new life with his fiance and his passion for creating an animal sanctuary,' Melendrez told TMZ. The entertainer and Lux decided to celebrate their move with an updated bedroom, which includes a new mattress and bed set. However, he did bring all the furniture and decor from the California bedroom to Tennessee and placed it into the couple's guest bedroom. 'The only thing about the radical ranch which has not been upgraded is our video production room,' said Steve-O. Actor Dean Cain, pictured left in 2022, is among the latest Hollywood star to flee the state - joining the likes of Rod Stewart, pictured right in 2023, who are turning their backs on Tinseltown Mark Wahlberg, pictured in 2023, has also ditched California 'Now, we transfer all of footage to our top secret new location in California.' In the past few years, a slew of Hollywood stars have ditched California and moved their families elsewhere in the U.S. and across the world amid the increase in taxes and high crime rates in the Golden State. Superman actor Dean Cain became the latest Hollywood star to flee California as he joined the likes of Rod Stewart, Mark Wahlberg and more turning their back on Tinseltown. According to the LA Times, the state of California has lost more than 500,000 residents between 2020 and 2022. It's the fourth largest decrease in the country in that time, behind New York, Illinois and Louisiana. Not only are California lawmakers pushing legislation that would impose a new tax on the state's wealthiest residents, there's also a rising crime and homeless problem which has led celebs to flee. Stewart has decided to quit his life in Los Angeles once and for all in order to settle down back in England, DailyMail.com learned earlier this month. The 78-year-old, who was born in the UK, severed a major tie to California when he put his sprawling Beverly Hills home on the market for $70 million - and sources revealed that he has no plans to set up another family base in the city. According to two well-placed insiders, Stewart grew tired of what he sees as the 'toxic' culture in Los Angeles - where he feels that he has 'no privacy' - and has chosen to return full-time to his home in the UK to support his wife Penny Lancaster and their sons, who no longer want to deal with the 'nuisance' of traveling. Matt Damon has now moved to New York City with his wife, Luciana, and their four children In April 2022, Mark Wahlberg put his astonishing 12-bedroom, 20-bathroom Beverly Hills mansion on the market for $87.5 million. Nearly a year later, it was confirmed in February that the 52-year-old sold the property for $55 million in the hopes of giving his children a 'better life' in income tax-free Nevada. In 2021, Hilary Swank put her $10.5 million Los Angeles home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on the market after moving to Colorado with her family during the pandemic. Jennifer Lopez is being accused of being rude and dismissive toward a reporter at Mondays Met Gala, where she served as one of the annual fashion event's co-chair. On Wednesday, USA Today Senior News Editor Anika Reed shared a TikTok video of the 54-year-old giving her a very curt response to her question, 'Who are you wearing tonight?' 'Schiaparelli,' she answered as she walked up the famous Met Gala steps, where she was being shouted at by more than 20 journalists on both sides of the carpet. Social media users were quick to call out the Let's Get Loud hitmaker for speaking to the reporter like she was 'a peasant.' Jennifer Lopez is being accused of being rude and dismissive toward a reporter at Mondays Met Gala, where she served as one of the annual fashion event's co-chair (seen in 2024) 'The up & down stare is crazyyyy,' one TikTok user wrote under the video. Another sarcastically remarked: 'Social media users were quick to call out the Let's Get Loud hitmaker for speaking to the reporter like she was 'peasant.' 'Her kindness radiates through the screen. Im deaddd,' a third joked. 'Eww why she have the attitude,' a fourth asked. Other joked Lopez seemed like a 'ray of sunshine' and 'bundle of joy.' 'That's our humble Jenny from the Block,' another cracked, nodding the mother-of-two's 2002 hit track, in which she sings about how she will never forget her roots despite her fame and wealth. Reed, the reporter, poked fun at the fleeting interaction in her caption as she wrote that Lopez 'briefly told' her about her custom Schiaparelli Haute Couture gown, designed by Daniel Roseberry. Lopez's short reply may have been factored by her focus on trying to climb up the stairs in her restrictive gown, which 'took more than 2.5 million silver-foil bugle beads and 800 hours of hand embroidery to make,' according to Glamour. USA Today senior new editor Anika Reed shared a TikTok video of the 54-year-old giving her a very curt response to her question, 'Who are you wearing tonight?' 'Schiaparelli,' she answered, before breaking her brief eye contact with the journalist, as she walked up the famous Met Gala steps with an exasperated expression across her face Social media users were quick to call out the Let's Get Loud hitmaker for speaking to the reporter like she was 'a peasant' She completed a silver, statement necklace with a matching diamond bracelet and massive ring all from Tiffany & Co. For the occasion, Lopez threw her brunette tresses into a chic topknot to showcase her flashy diamond earrings. Additionally, the star, who rocked a pair of strappy platform stilettos, carried a Tyler Ellis gold clutch. For makeup, the Marry Me star opted for a flattering, monochromatic brown makeup look with dramatic, full lashes. 'That's our humble Jenny from the Block,' on TikToker commented, nodding the mother-of-two's 2002 hit track, in which she sings about how she will never forget her roots She topped it all off with sheeny pink blush and a glossy nude lip. Lopez served as co-chair for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Benefit, along with Zendaya, Bad Bunny and Chris Hemsworth, as well as Vogue's Anna Wintour. Her husband did not attend the Met Gala as he was busy filming The Accountant 2, a a sequel to his 2016 action thriller, in Los Angeles. Following the Met Gala, she embarked on a trip to Paris with her pal Loren Ridinger. Molly-Mae Hague showed off her toned abs as she jetted off for a getaway in Dubai on Thursday, after 'snubbing' her fiance Tommy Fury's birthday. The influencer, 24, boosted her incredible figure as she recorded herself in a mirror video, sporting a black halterneck bikini and cargo trousers. 'Windyyyy,' she simply captioned the clip. The former PrettyLittleThing creative director is staying at the luxury hotel and beach resort Atlantis The Royal, sharing a glimpse of her amazing resort in snaps. Molly-Mae Hague showed off her toned abs as she jetted off for a getaway in Duba i on Thursday, after 'snubbing' her fiance Tommy Fury's birthday This week she sparked concerned among fans after 'snubbing' her fiance Tommy Fury's birthday She gave followers an insight into the incredibly swanky suite with clips and snaps, but her daughter Bambi and fiance Tommy didn't appear, suggesting it is a solo trip for the star. Taking to her stories, she shared a snap of two delicious sweet treats and wrote: 'Sweet tooth always.' The fashion star later told her followers about her evening plans, revealing she was 'locked in' as she posted a picture watching Piers Morgan's interview with Baby Reindeer's real-life Martha, Fiona Harvey. The former Love Islander has sparked concern among fans after she failed to share a birthday tribute for her pro boxer fiance Tommy, 25. The influencer is known for documenting her life on social media including content with Tommy and their daughter Bambi, 14 months. But the former Love Island star seemed to 'snub' Tommy's special day on May 7 after not sharing a post. The couple met on the hit ITV dating show in 2019 and quickly became an item, with the pro boxer proposing to Molly in a lavish location in Ibiza. Tommy also didn't share anything with his beloved fiance, but was captured in a very sweet clip with Bambi as father and daughter enjoyed a slice of cake. The influencer, 24, boosted her incredible figure as she recorded herself in a mirror video, sporting a black halterneck bikini and cargo trousers The former PrettyLittleThing creative director is staying at the luxury hotel and beach resort Atlantis The Royal In another mirror in the bathroom, Molly sported a white top and black trousers Molly-Mae shared a clip of the incredibly swanky location on her stories She gave followers an insight into the stunning suite, but her daughter Bambi and fiance Tommy were nowhere to be seen Taking to her stories, she shared a snap of two delicious sweet treats and wrote: 'Sweet tooth always' The fashion star told her followers she was 'locked in' as she posted a picture watching Piers Morgan interview with Baby Reindeer's real-life Martha, Fiona Harvey 'My absolute world,' he captioned the video, where he sweetly doted on his daughter. It comes just a few weeks after the couple enjoyed a family getaway at Four Seasons Hampshire Hotel. In one snap Molly visited the pool at the hotel and looked gorgeous in a swimsuit as she played with Bambi. Elsewhere she shared a sweet snap of Tommy in a fluffy white robe as he held their daughter. Molly-Mae sparked concern among fans after she failed to share a birthday tribute for her fiance Tommy, 25, earlier this week Tommy also didn't share anything with his beloved fiance, but was captured in a very sweet clip with Bambi as father and daughter enjoyed a slice of cake Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen has been renewed at Bravo. The late night talk show is returning following a handful of allegations that were made against host Cohen by two former stars of the Real Housewives franchise. In a statement, NBC confirmed that an investigation into Cohen's conduct had been completed prior to the renewal of WWHL. 'The outside investigation into the recent allegations made by Brandi Glanville and Leah McSweeney against Andy Cohen has now been completed, and the claims were found to be unsubstantiated,' the network said. Watch What Happens Live joins a slew of other programs that have been renewed at the network, including The Valley, Summer House, Married to Medicine, Southern Charm, Southern Hospitality, and Below Deck. Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen has been renewed at Bravo and the host has been cleared by the network of misconduct following an official investigation NBC said that an 'outside investigation' into Cohen had been completed and that claims made against him were 'unsubstantiated' The Real Housewives of Potomac, Atlanta, New York City, Miami, Orange County, and Beverly Hills have all been renewed. Bravo will also launch two brand new reality shows: Making It in Manhattan, about a young group of friends in New York, and On Safari, which follows tour guides in South Africa as they create luxury experiences for thrill-seeking clients. In February, Glanville accused Bravo bigwig Cohen of sexual harassment in an explosive legal letter that was sent by her attorneys to NBC, Shed Media and Warner Bros. Glanville, 51, claimed that an 'obviously inebriated' Cohen sent her a video of himself saying that he wanted to have sex with another Bravo star and invited her to watch the act over FaceTime in 2022. 'In a video sent by Mr. Cohen to Ms. Glanville in 2022, Mr. Cohenappearing obviously inebriatedboasted of his intention to sleep with another Bravo star that night while thinking of her and invited her to watch via Facetime,' her attorney Bryan Freedman wrote. In February, Brandi Glanville accused Bravo bigwig Cohen of sexual harassment in an explosive legal letter that was sent by her attorneys to NBC, Shed Media and Warner Bros Glanville said that she was sent an inappropriate video from Cohen and another Bravo star, who was later revealed to be Kate Chastain The identity of the 'Bravo star' was not disclosed in the letter but Cohen later revealed it to be Below Deck alum Kate Chastain as he responded to Glanville's accusations on X (formerly Twitter) Wednesday. Cohen said that he an openly gay man and Chastain were 'joking' about hooking up but acknowledged it was 'inappropriate.' 'The video shows Kate Chastain and I very clearly joking to Brandi. It was absolutely meant in jest, and Brandi's response clearly communicated she was in on the joke. That said, it was totally inappropriate and I apologize,' the WWHL host wrote. In the legal letter, Freedman notes that Cohen was Glanville's superior at the time the alleged video was sent as she was working on the second season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, a Real Housewives spin-off for NBC's streaming service Peacock. She'd also worked closely with Cohen for over 10 years after landing a spot on the hit Bravo series Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills back in 2011. Meanwhile, McSweeney filed the lawsuit against Andy and Bravo and alleged cocaine use is rampant at the the network, with the producer and on-air personality both using the illegal drug and providing it to employees. The Bravo producer 'engages in cocaine use with Housewives that he employs,' according to the suit filed in New York's Southern District by McSweeney. Former Real Housewives of New York City star Leah McSweeney also filed a lawsuit against Cohen and Bravo, and accused Cohen of using cocaine in a legal letter A rep for Cohen told Dailymail.com that 'the claims against Andy are completely false' She said in court docs reviewed by Page Six that Cohen 'tends to provide the Housewives with whom he uses cocaine with more favorable treatment' and strategic editing to make them look better. Andy 'intentionally uses cocaine with his employees to further promote a workplace culture that thrives off drug and alcohol use, which leads to a failure to accommodate employees who are disabled and trying to stay substance free,' McSweeney said in court docs. A rep for Cohen told Dailymail.com that 'the claims against Andy are completely false.' Leah, 41, appeared on two seasons of The Real Housewives of New York City in 2020-2021, and on a season of Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip, which aired last year. McSweeney said in the legal docs that Bravo 'thrives off drug and alcohol use,' without naming any further parties past Cohen. The designer said in court docs that she informed Bravo producers prior to her casting on the series, that she had been focused on staying sober, and had a 30-day streak of sobriety going into the show. She told the court that producers failed to make a 'reasonable accommodation' for her addiction-related disability - but instead provided her 'with unlimited, free-of charge alcoholic beverages,' and 'encouraged her to consume those alcoholic beverages.' McSweeney's legal team said that 'this environment caused Ms. McSweeney to relapse into alcohol addiction shortly after joining RHONY season 12.' In her suit - which is for unspecified damages - named Cohen, Bravo, Shed Media and Shed's parent company Warner Media. Andy responded by threatening McSweeney with legal action, calling her accusations 'categorically false.' A letter from his attorneys obtained by TMZ asked Leah to 'retract' the allegations. '[We] demand that you immediately retract and withdraw all allegations relating to Mr. Cohen's purported "cocaine use."' 'To be clear: these allegations are categorically false. Mr. Cohen never used cocaine with any cast member on any Real Housewives show or with any other Bravo employee.' 'The absence of any reasonable basis to make such allegations is confirmed by your pleading itself,' the letter continued. Andy's attorneys claimed that the lawsuit was 'just to get headlines and a quick payday.' McSweeney said in legal docs that Bravo 'thrives off drug and alcohol use,' without naming any further parties past Cohen Andy's attorneys claimed that the lawsuit was 'just to get headlines and a quick payday' The letter concluded with his lawyers stating that the 'truth matters' and once again asked Leah to 'retract' the lawsuit and 'apologize to Mr. Cohen. Every day you fail to do so only increases the damages suffered by Mr. Cohen.' However, Leah's lawyer, Gary Adelman, told Us Weekly that 'there are more lawsuits coming and there are more people who are going to speak out.' 'It doesn't matter what people say or think - that Andy's a good guy, or that you should expect to drink, or that you should expect this behavior...' 'What's going to matter is what the law thinks of it. And we believe the law thinks this is wrong.' In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter this week, Cohen was asked about McSweeney's lawsuit. He said that he was advised by his lawyers not to respond to certain allegations. However, he emphasized that no one is compelled to consume alcohol during production. 'What I'll say about the alcohol is that we have so many sober people and people who have gotten sober on the show, like Countess Luann [de Lesseps],' he explained. 'We have people who've never had a drink during the entire run of the show. Jill Zarin. Kandi Burris. Heather Dubrow will just have an occasional glass of champagne. So sure, there are people who drink. There are many people who never drink. 'We don't force anyone to do anything. But no one is secretly hiding liquor bottles on set. That's ridiculous. We've been very supportive of people's sobriety.' Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to meet Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday, with the war in Ukraine and infrastructure projects high on the agenda, as he makes his third stop on his first European tour in five years. Xi, who arrived in Budapest late on Wednesday, can expect a warm welcome in a country that is an important partner in trade and investment, in contrast with other EU nations that are considering diversifying from China and becoming less dependent on the world's second-largest economy. Xi has "developed deep friendships" with Hungarian politicians and Hungary was "the number one target in the central eastern European region for Chinese investment," Xi wrote in pro-government daily Magyar Nemzet on Wednesday. Xi arrived in Hungary after visiting France and Serbia. In Paris, President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen pressed him to ensure more balanced trade with Europe and use his influence on Russia to end the war in Ukraine. Ukraine will be high on the agenda during the talks in Budapest as well, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said at a briefing earlier in the week. Hungary and China, which mark their 75th year of diplomatic relations, are also expected to sign 16 to 18 new cooperation agreements, one of which could be a large-scale infrastructure project within China's huge Belt and Road project, the minister added. Similarly to Serbia, Hungary is a supporter of China's Belt and Road Initiative, an ambitious plan launched by Xi a decade ago in the hope of building global infrastructure and energy networks connecting Asia with Africa and Europe. The relationship goes beyond trade and investment as China offered cooperation on public security and law enforcement issues to Hungary in February. Orban started working on bringing his country closer to Beijing right after he came into power in 2010. Warm political relations turned into investments about a decade later when battery and electric vehicle makers started to bring production to Hungary. One of the biggest investors, CATL, is building a 7.3 billion euro ($7.86 billion) battery plant in Debrecen while Chinese EV maker BYD announced late last year that it was building its first European plant in southern Szeged. China brought battery production into Europe first to save on shipping costs, as they were so heavy that it made sense to move production next to car factories of companies such as Daimler and BMW, Tamas Matura, assistant professor at Corvinus University, said. The next step is producing Chinese electric vehicles in Hungary as the EU's protectionist plans are threatening their expansion more and more, he added. "These could affect them much less if they are already established and produce inside the EU."(Reuters) Matt Damon and his wife Luciana Barroso headed for lunch in New York after the actor missed the UK premiere of his latest film IF, after partying into the early hours at a Met Gala afterparty. Matt, 53, flexed his biceps in a black T-shirt which he paired with smart black trousers and shoes. He finished off his look with orange sunglasses. Luciana, 47, also wore sunglasses but with a navy suit jacket, a black net skirt, and a white crop top with white trainers. She adjusted the purse which hung from her shoulder as she confidently walked a step ahead of Matt. It comes after the UK premiere of the live-action animated film IF went on without Matt on Tuesday night. Matt Damon, 53 and his wife Luciana Barroso, 47, headed for lunch in NYC after the actor missed the UK premiere of IF in which he stars Matt flexed his biceps in a black T-shirt which he paired with smart black trousers and shoes, finishing his look with orange sunglasses Luciana also wore sunglasses but with a navy suit jacket, a black net skirt, and a white crop top with white trainers IF was directed, written, and produced by John Krasinski, who also stars. The film follows a young girl named Bea (Cailey Fleming), who has been going through a troubling experience in her life, unexpectedly gains the ability to see people's imaginary friends, or 'IFs'. Matt voices Sunny, a flower IF, and joins a whole host of celebrity IFs including George Clooney, Emily Blunt, Brad Pitt, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The actor and his wife were in NYC for the star-studded Met Gala. Luciana wore a very busty white gown with a backwards scarf and Matt a classic black tuxedo. The couple have been married since 2005 and share three children together, all daughters. Matt is also stepfather to Luciana's daughter from a previous relationship. Matt recently revealed that U2 was initially hesitant to take part in his 2023 documentary Kiss the Future. The documentary, which premiered on Paramount+ in May, details the war in Bosnia, and the impact the band had on the area's citizens. Matt told People: 'I went to them right away and told them about this project and asked if they'd participate and they were reluctant at first.' IF follows Bea (Cailey Fleming) who gains the ability to see people's imaginary friends or 'IFs' (pictured with co-star Ryan Reynolds and one of several IFs voiced by Matt and other celebs) The actor and his wife were in NYC for the Met Gala to which Luciana wore a very busty white gown with a backwards scarf and Matt a classic black tuxedo The Saving Private Ryan star said the band informed him that they did not want to be the focal point in the project. He said: 'I talked to them and realized why - they didn't want the movie to be about them. They were like: "We don't want to be centered in this story."' Damon and friend Ben Affleck, 51, are producers on the doc, which is directed by Nenad Cicin-Sain. Matt has one more film airing this year: American heist thriller film The Instigators with Casey Affleck, American rapper Jack Harlow, and Brit Alfred Molina. Boeing has announced it is laying off more than 100 employees as the company sinks deeper into crisis. Boeing filed a WARN notice, a legal announcement of planned mass layoffs, with the Alabama department of commerce. Overall 128 job will be cut at the company's Huntsville plant beginning on June 28. Boeing says the job losses are linked to delays in a contrac with Nasa in its space division. It comes as the company's commerical planes division battles multiple allegations of safety failures, lawsuits and three planes with technical issues in just two days. 'We have notified some team members in Huntsville of a potential layoff, as programs are affected by decisions external to Boeing,' the beleaguered company said in a statement. Overall 128 job will be cut at the company's Huntsville plant in Alabama Shocking footage emerged of the moment terrified passengers fled a burning Boeing jet that skidded off the runway and caught fire in Senegal early Thursday morning Boeing added that it will explore alternative jobs within the corporation for workers affected. The notice was filed on on April 30. Boeing employs more than 3,000 people at its Huntsville plant and says it has been affected by the delay of NASA's Artemis II and III missions which has contracts with the company's Space & Security division. On Thursday, a Boeing plane's tire burst during landing in Turkey, the third passenger aircraft built by the manufacturing giant to suffer a technical problem or crash in just two days. A total of 190 people were evacuated from the aircraft after the Boeing 737-800, belonging to Turkey-based Corendon Airlines, stopped on the runway after landing at Gazipasa airport near the Mediterranean coastal town of Alanya. Pictures from the scene today showed the stationary aircraft on the tarmac flanked by emergency vehicles - its front wheels and landing gear crumpled underneath. While none of the 184 passengers and six crew members on the flight from Cologne, Germany to Turkey were injured, the dramatic landing was just the latest in a string of hair-raising incidents involving Boeing planes over the last two days. On Wednesday, a Boeing 767 cargo plane operated by FedEx made an emergency landing at Istanbul Airport after its front landing gear failed. Dramatic video showed the nose of the plane skidding across the runway as it came to a halt. Furthermore on Thursday morning, shocking footage emerged showing the moment terrified passengers fled a burning Boeing 737-300 jet carrying 78 passengers that skidded off the runway and caught fire during take-off in Senegal. A clip taken by one horrified passenger showed a female customer sprinting away from the scene of the wreckage as flames poured from the 737's left engine, lighting up the night sky Emergency crews rushed to evacuate the passengers, eleven of whom were injured, four seriously so A Boeing 738 plane of Corendon Airlines that operated Cologne-Antalya flight gets stuck on runway due to a burst tire in Antalya, Turkiye on May 9, 2024 There is no suggestion Boeing are to blame for the crashes, and the cause of the Senegal crash is not yet known. But the incidents will only compound woes for the company which is already facing intense scrutiny amid a string of mishaps and controversy over safety concerns - as well as the deaths of two whistleblowers just two months apart. Current CEO Dave Calhoun announced in March he would be stepping down at the end of this year in a management overhaul, with share prices plunging. And passengers are said to be deliberately changing flights to avoid Boeing's fleet or travelling with anti-anxiety medication. We tolerated terrorist violence for many years but when we could no longer tolerate it, we went to Parliament to do away with Article 370. But we did not resort to violence Dear Vazir-e-Azam Shehbaz Sharif Sahab, I have taken the privilege of writing to the Prime Minister of our neighbouring country, which, till 76 years ago, was part of us, but separated in acrimonious circumstances. Im sure that youre aware, as a lot of in India are, that this separation and the aftermath it gave rise to continues to not only cast its shadow over the subcontinent but also torment relations between various communities. This open letter to you is a humble attempt, not to hark back to the events of those decades and apportion blame, but to address the contentiousness of modern-day issues that continue to trail in their wake. Whenever the issue of Ayodhya, the Gyan Vapi temple (Varanasi) or the Krishna Janmabhoomi (Mathura) comes up, my mind travels to Lahore and the Gurudwara Shaheed Gunj at the Naulakha Bazar locality of your splendid city. The ownership of the place was disputed by the local Muslims who claimed that the place had originally been a mosque. It had been converted into a gurudwara by the local Sikhs during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. When opportune in the 19th century, the people of the city, led by some Muslim Leaguers, went to court over this. They did not win their case for the re-conversion of the gurudwara into a mosque. Legal counsel argued that an appeal could be filed if necessary, right up to the Privy Council. However, the then premier of Punjab Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan advised against any further action as it might open a Pandoras Box across the subcontinent, which was then undivided. Sikandar Hayat also advised against any further litigation. Any use of the argument of adverse possession might cause the return of many of the temples that had come into Muslim possession. What was then perhaps overlooked was that a Hindu temple is a residence of the divine and not merely a prayer hall. The pratimas (icons) are the first step in the quest for spirituality. Ultimately, spirituality can be active by having a darshan of the avatar of the divine. In Sikhism, they do not have an icon nor the scope of spirituality in the same way as in a Hindu temple. Prophet Moses, the founding prophet of Judaism, the first of the three Semitic religions-also called Religions of the Book-known in Islam as Hazrat Moosa, had expressly forbidden any idol worship by the second of his Ten Commandments; Thee shall not make any gravel image of thy lord the god. Your faith has rigidly adhered to this particular Commandment. However, it does pain me no end to state that you have carried this adherence way too far. In your country, over 75 temples have been desecrated or pulled down after independence in 1947, a sordid trend that is continuing. From my Urdu teacher who was a scholar, I have learnt that it is your bounden duty as a momin (believer) to desecrate buts (idols) installed by kafirs (infidels). But for the sake of friendly relations between us two neighbours, your people should desist from such desecrations. I am saying this after accepting the fact that Islam detests parasti (idol worship) and insists on majahab parasti (adherence to the faith) alone. But we live in a world where adherents of other religions too have equal rights to profess and practice their faith, without hurting others. I appeal to you to care for our sentiments and not target the temples and idols that still survive. Political leaders of your generation might still find comfort in the notion that Indians are a peaceful, and also dormant, lot and therefore wont react much. That might indeed have been the case till a couple of decades ago but is no longer so. India and Indians are changing. Real change in our civilizational journey was heralded in December 1992, of which I was fortunate to be a humble part. In India, we have begun a movement to restore the temples that were casualties of the medieval age. I shall shortly be writing to Madam Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of our eastern neighbouring country. Dozens of temples continue to be desecrated in her country every year. You would agree that good neighbours do not hurt each other. Kindly, remember that there are thousands upon thousands of mosques built upon the ruins of ancient temples. So far, we have preferred to approach the courts of law and minimize unilateral action. I appeal to you to also eschew violence. In Kashmir too, over 130 temples were attacked and desecrated even as India continued to hold control over the states territory. I am aware that Pakistan took great umbrage when we abrogated Article 370, but is it any wonder that we had to do so? We tolerated terrorist violence for many years, but when we could tolerate it no longer, we went to Parliament to do away with Article 370. But you would certainly appreciate that we did not resort to violence even on this issue. Our Muslim compatriots are cooperating to a moderate degree, even in the state of Kashmir. This is a trend which we hope continues. (The writer is a well-known columnist, an author and a former member of the Rajya Sabha; views are personal) As the Turkey-Azerbaijan-Pakistan axis looms, the growing Indo-Armenia partnership emerges as a vital defence against destabilising forces In recent years, the strategic partnership between India and Armenia has undergone a remarkable transformation- fired by their shared commitment to fortify defence capabilities and confront regional security challenges head-on. Against the backdrop of Armenias enduring struggle with Azerbaijan and Turkeys support for Azerbaijans advantages, the precipitating connection between Armenia and India stands for recognition. Armenias proximity to India and both agreeing to diversify their strategic alignment, deserves special attention on the global stage. Military Cooperation: Armenias imperative to diversify its security alliances and bolster its military capabilities, particularly amidst the enduring conflict with Azerbaijan, is evident through heightened defense spending and collaborations with nations such as India and France. Indias involvement with Armenias military not only strengthens its defensive capabilities but also serves to counterbalance external-internal influences like Turkey and Pakistan in the South Asian region. The expanding Indo-Armenian partnership encompasses various facets, including the exchange of weaponry, joint military exercises, and strategic consultations, all aimed at enhancing defense readiness and security in their respective regions. Advanced Weaponry and Joint Exercises: The acquisition of state-of-the-art weaponry highlights the growing defense cooperation between India and Armenia. Reports indicate ongoing provision of military hardware from India to Armenia, including multiple-launch rocket systems, anti-tank missiles, and radar systems. Additionally, joint military exercises and training programs are underway to enhance preparedness and interoperability between their armed forces. These collaborative efforts facilitate the exchange of expertise and tactics, fostering effective coordination for potential future operations, from joint exercises to intelligence sharing, both nations are committed to showcasing their military capabilities and strengthening their strategic partnership. Geopolitical Determinations: Armenias pivotal role in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) offers India diversified trade routes and enhanced access to Eurasian markets, bolstering strategic interests in economic resilience and geopolitical balancing. Conversely, Indias military support for Armenia underscores its commitment to preserving regional peace and countering aggressive manoeuvres by the Turkey-Azerbaijan-Pakistan axis. Through the realisation of mutual interests, India and Armenia can reshape security dynamics in the South Caucasus region by challenging the dominance of larger geopolitical actors and their support for rogue powers. Turkey-Azerbaijan-Pakistan Axis: The Turkey-Azerbaijan-Pakistan axis poses a substantial threat to respective regional stability, with Turkeys unwavering support for Azerbaijan during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict then raising concerns about potential escalations. The longstanding military partnership between Turkey and Pakistan, characterised by defence production, joint training exercises, and high-level military dialogues, underscores their concerted efforts to advance mutual geopolitical goals and exert influence in the regions. This axis represents a significant challenge to the security and stability of the South Caucasus and South Asian regions, as that axis seeks to consolidate its power and undermine the influence of other regional stakeholders. Responses and Ongoing Efforts: In response to the burgeoning influence of the Turkey-Azerbaijan-Pakistan axis, Indias steadfast support for Armenia signifies a resolute stance against their aggressive manoeuvres in the region. Aimed at preserving a delicate balance of power, India and Armenia are all set to intensify their collaboration to address these threats. While Turkeys stance on Kashmir validates the burgeoning Indo-Armenia defence cooperation, the nexus between Turkeys involvement in the Kashmir issue and Pakistans alignment with Azerbaijans agenda cannot be seen as a mere happenstance, rather a meticulously orchestrated strategy with far-reaching intention. In this backdrop, the urgent need for a meticulously planned multilateral defence partnership underscored. This becomes essential to counter the unholy Turkey-Pakistan-Azerbaijan axis- thereby ensuring stability in both the Caucasus and South Asian regions. The Promising Prospects: The emerging strategic cooperation between India and Armenia holds immense promise for enhancing regional security and advancing shared interests. Both nations are poised to deepen their partnership and address prevailing challenges through concerted efforts in military collaboration and strategic alignments. Indias steadfast support for Armenia underscores its dedication to maintaining peace and stability in the Caucasus region. With far-reaching implications for global geopolitical outcomes, the Indo-Armenia partnership has the potential to redefine the regional balance of power and contribute significantly to the stability and prosperity of both the Caucasus and South Asian regions. (The writer is working with an Independent Think Tank, views are personal) A total of 695 candidates are in the fray across 49 constituencies spread over eight states and Union territories in the upcoming fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 20, the Election Commission (EC) said on Wednesday. The figure emerged after the scrutiny of 1,586 nomination forms filed for the fifth phase of the ongoing polls. Of the nominations, 749 were found to be valid after the deadline for filing papers closed on May 3, according to a statement issued by the EC. The statement said 695 candidates will contest the polls from eight states and Union territories in the fifth phase. Maharashtra topped the list with 512 nominations, resulting in 301 valid candidates contesting across 13 constituencies, while Uttar Pradesh followed closely with 466 nominations, leading to 147 valid candidates across 14 constituencies. The highest number of nominations in a single constituency was seen in Maharashtras Chatra, which received 69 candidatures, followed by Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh with 67 nominations. Each constituency in the fifth phase is expected to witness an average of 14 contesting candidates, reflecting a diverse range of political options for the voters. The state-wise breakdown of the nominations and valid candidates after the scrutiny showcases the dynamic electoral landscape across the country. Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal together form the crux of the fifth phase, encompassing a significant portion of the countrys electorate, the statement said. Three phases of polling have so far been held in the seven-phase election. Just a few days ahead of the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections in Haryana, the BJP-led Nayab Singh Saini Government has been trying to keep its flock together, while there has been a demand for a floor test by JJP leader Dushyant Chautala, who not very long ago was a partner with the BJP in the Manohar Lal Khattar Government. While Dushyant wrote to Governor Bandaru Dattatreya seeking a floor-test for the present Haryana Government to prove its majority on floor of the House, the Congress, which had earlier demanded the imposition of President's rule and early Assembly elections in the State, also sought time from the Governor for a meeting with a party delegation. This comes days after three Independent MLAs withdrew support from the BJP Government, extending support to the Congress. However, Saini maintained that his Government is not in trouble. He told reporters in Karnal that his Government won a confidence vote in March and "if it comes to seeking the trust vote, I will do it again when the time comes". The BJP currently has 40 MLAs in the Assembly, shy of the majority mark of 45 in the now 88-member House. Technically, the BJP Government has the support of 43 MLAs (including Independents) now, though it claimed on Tuesday that four JJP MLAs too may offer "tactical assistance to the Government if needed", taking its strength to 47. The JJP had pulled out of the BJP coalition Government in March 2024. Of the JJP's 10 MLAs, at least six have distanced themselves from Chautala. The Congress has 30 MLAs in the House. The support of the three Independents takes its tally to 33. Chautala drew Dattatreya's attention to the "current political turmoil in the State" and urged him to direct the appropriate authority to immediately call for a floor test. The JJP said it is ready to help the Congress topple the Government. Independent MLAs Sombir Sangwan (Dadri), Randhir Singh Gollen (Pundri) and Dharampal Gonder (Nilokheri) withdrew support to the ruling BJP in Haryana on Tuesday. Saini's predecessor ML Khattar claimed that many MLAs are in touch with the BJP and there is "nothing to worry about". Chautala wrote that after the Saini Government demonstrated its majority in the Vidhan Sabha with the support of several Independent MLAs, Independent legislator Ranjit Singh Chautala resigned. Given these developments, including the withdrawal of support by the three Independents, it is evident that the incumbent Government no longer commands a majority in the Assembly, Chautala said. Referring to Article 174 of the Constitution, the JJP leader said the article "confers upon the Governor the authority to summon, prorogue, and dissolve the legislative Assembly". Chautala mentioned the landmark case S R Bommai case and said the Supreme Court had clarified the "Governor's discretion in determining the majority of a Government". "The court emphasised that a Governor has a constitutional obligation to act judiciously and impartially in such matters and can call for a floor test to determine a Government's majority," he said in the letter. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Thursday, campaigned for Bharatiya Janata Party candidates in Kheri, Dhaurahra, and Sitapur Lok Sabha constituencies. He said that while the public and devotees of Lord Ram were asserting themselves to support those who brought Lord Ram, Ramdrohis were arguing against the necessity of the Ram temples construction, questioning its relevance within India. In a biting remark, he raised the question of whether the temple would be erected in Kabul, Kandahar, Lahore or Karachi if not in Ayodhya. He directly accused the Samajwadi Party of providing shelter to mafias and criminals, referring to them as shagird (disciples) of the SP. Alleging SPs involvement in violent incidents, Yogi claimed they targeted Ram devotees and shielded those responsible for terrorist attacks. Chief Minister Yogi highlighted the emergence of a new India under Prime Minister Narendra Modis leadership. He emphasised that those who attempt security breaches now face swift consequences Aaj suraksha mein sendh lagane walon ko yah pata hai ki aisa karne se pehle Yamraj jeevan ki dor kaat ke le jaenge. Furthermore, he urged voters to support BJP candidates: Ajay Mishra Teni for the Kheri Lok Sabha seat, Rekha Verma for the Dhaurahra Lok Sabha seat and Rajesh Verma for the Sitapur Lok Sabha seat. Addressing an election rally for Kheri Lok Sabha seat at Gola in Lakhimpur Kheri, the chief minister said that the SP would not even be able to open its account in the UP Lok Sabha elections of 2024 and all the five members of the partys first family were set to lose. The chief minister highlighted the completion of three phases of elections, stating, There is only one voice resounding throughout the country Phir Ek Baar, Modi Sarkar. Taking a dig at opposition, the chief minister remarked: The Congress and SP are now claiming that the construction of Ram temple was unnecessary. As the elections unfold, it is evident that it is a battle between Ram devotees committed to Indias progress and the well-being of the underprivileged, and Ramdrohis who jeopardise Indias security, disparage the nation on global stages, and toy with the principles of Sanatan faith. He further mentioned that Congress and SP were conspiring to divide the country. In the Congress era, the nation faced insecure borders and witnessed a peak of terrorism and Naxalism. Similarly, the SP regime used to open fire at devotees of Shri Ram and withdrew cases against terrorists, he said. Addressing the election rally in support of Dhaurahra candidate at Mohammadi in Lakhimpur Kheri, the chief minister said that as the ongoing Lok Sabha elections reach a critical juncture with half of the constituencies having completed voting in three phases, the populace was echoing the sentiment, Jo Ram ko laye hain, hum unko layenge. Yogi remarked, For the first time in the country, we are witnessing a government completing a 10-year tenure, yet the public is resolutely electing BJP candidates to form the Modi government for the third time, brimming with enthusiasm and determination. He continued, The people of India are expressing their gratitude because the Modi government has tirelessly worked towards the development, welfare and dignity of the nation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated himself to illuminating the future of both the current and forthcoming generations by sculpting a new India. Addressing a public gathering in Biswan, Sitapur, Chief Minister Yogi emphasised that the entire election revolves around Rambhakts and Ramdrohis. He added, The public and Ram devotees are saying that we will bring those who have brought Ram, whereas Ramdrohis are saying that the temple is useless, there was no need to construct it. What was the need for a temple inside India. In a taunting remark, Yogi questioned whether, if not in Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram in Uttar Pradesh, the temple would be constructed in Kabul, Kandahar, Lahore, or Karachi. He reiterated Ayodhyas sacred status as the birthplace of Shri Ram and a revered pilgrimage site for millions of followers of Sanatan dharma. He affirmed, Ayodhya holds deep religious significance for us. Todays Ayodhya invokes the spirit of the Ramayana period from Tretayuga, while Kashi embodies the essence of Satyug. The chief minister highlighted the governments ambitious development plan for Naimisharanya, including the initiation of four-lane connectivity projects, the construction of guest houses, and the enhancement of the Gomti riverfront. Additionally, efforts are underway to renovate and beautify temples, support local businessmen, and introduce new hotels and restaurants. The introduction of an electric bus service to Lucknow and plans for helicopter connectivity are also in progress. Furthermore, there are plans to extend the metro network from Lucknow to Naimisharanya, he added. Chief Minister Yogi praised the regions robust security environment and cited the example of Radico Khaitans investment of Rs 1000 crore, which has created job opportunities for hundreds of local youth. He also acknowledged the contribution of an Enforcement Directorate officer who left his job to facilitate the establishment of a promising campus for the regions youth, ensuring a bright future for them. Haryana Chief Electoral officer Anurag Agarwal on Thursday said that after the process of withdrawal of nomination papers, a total of 223 candidates are now contesting for the Lok Sabha-2024 elections in the state, including 207 male and 16 female candidates. Additionally, there will be a by-election for the Karnal Assembly seat, for which a total of 9 candidates are now in the electoral arena. Giving more information in this regard, Agarwal mentioned that there are a total of 14 candidates in the Ambala Lok Sabha constituency, including 12 male and 2 female candidates. Similarly, in the Kurukshetra Lok Sabha constituency, there are a total of 31 candidates, comprising 30 male and 1 female candidates. In the Sirsa Lok Sabha constituency, there are 19 candidates (18 male and 1 female candidate), in the Hisar Lok Sabha constituency, there are 28 candidates (25 male and 3 female), in the Karnal Lok Sabha constituency, there are a total of 19 candidates (17 male and 2 female), and in the Sonipat Lok Sabha constituency, there are 22 candidates (male). He further stated that in the Rohtak Lok Sabha constituency, there are a total of 26 candidates (24 male and 2 female), in the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh Lok Sabha constituency, there are 17 candidates (15 male and 2 female), in the Gurugram Lok Sabha constituency, there are 23 candidates (22 male and 1 female), and in the Faridabad Lok Sabha constituency, there are a total of 24 candidates (22 male and 2 female). Additionally, there are 9 candidates (male) for the Karnal Assembly seat. Agarwal stated that polling for the Lok Sabha seats in Haryana and the Karnal Assembly by-election will take place on May 25th. He appealed to all voters in the state to cast their votes on that day and exercise their voting rights. Every vote counts in a democracy, so ensure your participation in democracy by casting your vote as much as possible. Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan has said that the Model Code of Conduct is in force from March 16 for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 in the state. Complaints of violation of Model Code of Conduct are being received from citizens on C-Vigil App. From March 16 to May 9, 4 thousand 555 complaints of violation of the code of conduct have been received on the C-Vigil app. All these complaints have been resolved promptly. Rajan said that mostly 525 complaints have been received in Gwalior, 349 in Sagar, 306 in Damoh, 273 in Ujjain, 239 in Morena, 198 in Rajgarh, 211 in Indore, 168 in Rewa, 152 in Katni, 127 in Khargone, 120 in Sehore, 135 in Bhopal, 114 in Chhatarpur, 110 in Narsinghpur, and 105 complaints have been received in Satna district. Similar complaints have been received from other districts of the state also. Rajan has urged the citizens of the state that if they want to make any direct complaint related to violation of Model Code of Conduct in elections, then they can do so through C-Vigil App. For this, the concerned citizen will have to go to Google Play Store and download C-Vigil App. Action will be taken within 100 minutes. Rajan said that if a citizen has information about any incident related to violation of the code of conduct, he will have to upload the photo or video on the C-Vigil App. On receiving the complaint, action will be taken within the next 100 minutes. It is noteworthy that "C-Vigil App" has been prepared by the Election Commission of India for redressal of complaints regarding violation of Model Code of Conduct. Through this app, people can prevent political parties or candidates from distributing money, goods, clothes, jewellery, etc. in any way to woo voters, threatening voters to vote in their favour, transporting voters in their own vehicle and can make other types of complaints including pasting or putting up election campaign material on the building or walls or premises of any building owner or getting election advertisements written on the walls without the permission of the building owner. The conflict surrounding Punjab cadre IAS officer Parampal Kaur Sidhus resignation, amid her bid for Bathindas Lok Sabha seat with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), took a riveting turn on Wednesday as the Central Government stepped in, demanding Punjab Government to promptly accept her voluntary retirement. The move comes hot on the heels of the Punjab Governments rejection of her voluntary retirement plea, coupled with a stern notice instructing her to either return to duty or face disciplinary action. Sidhu, the daughter-in-law of former Minister and senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sikander Singh Maluka, has been embroiled in controversy ever since she resigned and sought Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) on April 3, almost seven months before her retirement. Her decision to join the BJP on April 11, and subsequently contest from Bathinda added fuel to the fire. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led Punjab Government, however, refused to accept her resignation, accusing her of providing false grounds for seeking retirement while engaging in political activities. In fact, the Government had asked the IAS officer to resume duty immediately, saying that she cannot be treated as retired or relieved from service. Moreover, the day she joined the BJP, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, in his post on X, had reminded Sidhu that there was a procedure to resign and how her lifelong earnings could be jeopardized. Despite the State Governments notice instructing her to resume duty, Sidhu remained defiant, asserting that she would not comply and that her retirement had been accepted by the Central Government. A 2011-batch IAS officer, Sidhu has been campaigning vigorously in Bathinda for almost a month now. Undeterred, she expressed her determination to contest the enduing elections and file her nomination papers, dismissing the Government's notice as an attempt to disrupt her campaign. The State Governments Department of Personnel, in its letter to Sidhu, had stated that the IAS officers three-month notice period for leaving the job had not been waived. Besides, the Government had also not passed any order for acceptance of her voluntary retirement from the service. The Governments letter also highlighted the staff shortage as a ground to reject her resignation. against the sanctioned strength of 231, only 192 IAS officers are currently on the Punjab cadreThus the state is suffering a huge shortage of officers as the result of which a number of officers have been given multiple charges. Responding, Sidhu highlighted the irony of the situation, pointing out that several officers had been left without postings for months. She questioned the Government's justification for rejecting her resignation while citing staff shortage as the reason. The government talks about the shortage of IAS officers whereas many officers are sitting idle without any department or work for the past yearsI can do whatever I want to do after my retirement. I have entered politics now to serve the people and my only goal is to work for Bathinda development, she asserted. Sidhu emphasized that she provided clear reasons for seeking VRS. I highlighted my mother's illness and my intention to relocate to Bathinda to support her. Already being in Bathinda, I also mentioned personal plans for my future. I felt no need to delve into every detail, she added. The conflict between Sidhu and the Punjab Government underscored larger issues within the bureaucratic and political landscape of the State. Sidhus association with the BJP, coupled with her familial ties to senior SAD leadership, added a political dimension to the controversy. As Sidhu remains steadfast in her decision not to resume duty, the political ramifications of her resignation and subsequent candidacy in Bathinda continue to unfold. The clash between the Central and Punjab Governments over her retirement further exacerbated tensions, underscoring the complex interplay between bureaucracy and politics in Punjab. While the Punjab Government stood firm on its decision, labeling Sidhus retirement as invalid, the BJP maintained that her resignation was accepted by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) of the Government of India before she joined the party. As the electoral battle heats up in Bathinda, Sidhus refusal to back down signaled a fierce contest ahead. In Bathindas battleground, the political greenhorn Sidhu is facing SADs three-time MP and former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, AAP MLA from Lambi and Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, and Congress former MLA Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu. Govt can take whatever action it wants to takeIll not resume now: Sidhu Reacting strongly to Punjab Governments notice to resume duty, BJP candidate from Bathinda Parampal Kaur Sidhu on Wednesday said that Punjab Government is just wasting time by sending such notices. Punjab Government can take whatever action it wants to take, but I will not resume again now, she declared. The Central Government has accepted my resignation and I will contest the election from Bathinda, she maintained. Meanwhile, Punjab Government has made the notice period the basis and issued an order stating that she cannot be considered as retired or exempted from service. On the other hand, the BJP claimed that Parampals resignation was accepted by the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPD) of the Government of India on April 10 before she joined the BJP. I have been retired by the Central Government and will not resume under any circumstances and as far as the elections are concerned, I will contest the elections and file my nomination soon, Sidhu added. What the rules say? According to the guidelines from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), when an IAS officer wishes to resign while serving in their cadre, they must submit their resignation to the Chief Secretary of the state. The Central Government, serving as the competent authority, is responsible for accepting the resignation. Prior to forwarding the resignation to the Central Government, the state cadre must take into account any outstanding dues and the officer's vigilance status. The resignation submitted by the member of service will be reviewed by the competent authority, that is, the Central Government, only after receiving the recommendation from the concerned cadre, stated the guidelines issued by the DoPT. Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Wednesday reacted strongly to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadavs comments on removing her nephew Akash Anand from the partys national coordinator post. She advised the SP chief to worry about his own family members contesting parliamentary elections instead of taking interest in others. It would be better if the extremely anti-Dalit SP does not comment or worry about what is going on in the BSP organisation. Instead, the SP leadership should only worry about the condition of their own family and the candidates of the Yadav community fielded in the elections because all of them are in a bad state, Mayawati commented on social media platform `X. The conduct, character and face of the SP, as always, is that of a party which is strongly opposed to the rights of Dalits, extremely backward classes and reservations given to them in the Constitution. Ending reservation in promotions and tearing the bill in this regard in Parliament are such acts of theirs which are difficult to forgive, the former chief minister of UP stated. Along with this, changing the names of districts, parks, universities etc. named in UP in the name of great saints, gurus and great men born in the Bahujan samaj by the BSP government in honour of them due to casteist thinking are such acts of the SP government which are recorded in history as black deeds, she added while reacting strongly to SP chiefs comments. It may be mentioned that though the opposition targets Mayawati over removing her nephew Akash Anand from all posts and accuses her of taking this action at behest of Bharatiya Janata Party, sources say that Mayawati has killed the proverbial two birds with one stone she has refuted all charges of nepotism and also pacified Dalits, who did not appreciate her diatribe against the BJP. Now whatever criticism Mayawati faces from rivals for promoting nepotism in the BSP by bringing in Akash Anand, has been washed away by her decision to punish him for his immaturity. Parties like Congress, Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal that thrive on nepotism can no longer accuse the BSP of following in their footsteps. The BSP supremo is not dependent on her family and does not promote nepotism, unlike the Gandhis and Yadavs. Behenji (Mayawati) has proved it, said a BSP functionary. By removing her nephew from the key party post, Mayawati has ensured that she does not burn her bridges with the ruling BJP. Earlier, Mayawati had moved swiftly to control the damage done by her protege and cancelled Akash Anands rallies and asked him to avoid public appearances. When public anger did not subside, Mayawati finally removed her political heir from all posts of the party on Tuesday night. Chhattisgarh Congress chief Deepak Baij said on Wednesday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won't win more than 150 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. Addressing the media in Jagdalpur, he claimed that by observing the polling in the third phase, it had become clear that the Congress would win more seats than the BJP. In the last five months, no other government has become as unpopular as the Modi government, he said. When Ravneet Singh Bittu, sitting MP and the BJP candidate, gears up to file his nomination papers from the Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat on Friday, he plans to embark on a unique journey, one steeped in nostalgia and political legacy. Accompanied by senior BJP leader and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Bittu will travel in an old Ambassador car a cherished relic once owned by his late grandfather and former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. Beant Singh, a towering figure in Punjab politics, met an untimely demise in a bomb blast outside the Punjab and Haryana Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh in August 1995. For Bittu, this Ambassador car is not merely a mode of transportation but a vessel of cherished memories and familial legacy. I have the legacy of a great political personality of his times, Bittu remarked with evident pride. This car holds immense emotional value for my family. Whenever we seek the blessings of my grandfather Beant Singh, we turn to this cherished vehicle, he added. As Bittu makes his way to the Deputy Commissioner's office in Ludhiana, he plans to pay homage at Gurdwara Dukhniwaran Sahib and Durga Mata Mandir, invoking the spirits of faith and tradition before stepping into the realm of politics. Bittu's political journey is as intriguing as his mode of transport. A three-time MP, he made headlines in March when he parted ways with the Congress to join the BJP. His decision adds an extra layer of intrigue to the upcoming elections, especially in Ludhiana, traditionally considered a Congress bastion. Political Showdown in Jalandhar: Channi, Tinu, Rinku, Kaypee to File nominations Today Jalandhar gears up for a political spectacle on Friday as key candidates from all the major political parties prepare to file their nominations for June 1 elections. The lineup includes heavyweight contenders such as former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi from the Congress, former MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), sitting MP Sushil Kumar Rinku from the BJP, and former MP Mohinder Singh KP from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Supporters of these candidates have been mobilizing in full force, ensuring all necessary arrangements are in place for the nomination filing process. Excitement and anticipation are running high as the candidates, accompanied by a multitude of supporters, are set to converge at the deputy commissioner's office to formalize their candidacy. Thursday witnessed a total of 28 candidates filing their nomination papers across the state. Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C reported single nominations from Fatehgarh Sahib and Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha constituencies. Meanwhile, Sangrur, Amritsar, Bathinda, and Ferozepur saw two candidates each filing their nominations. Patiala had three candidates filing nominations, while Anandpur Sahib saw three, Khadoor Sahib four, and Ludhiana five candidates filing their nomination papers. However, Gurdaspur and Jalandhar Lok Sabha seats remained vacant as no candidate filed nominations on Thursday. Since the commencement of the nomination process on May 7 for the June 1 Lok Sabha polls in Punjab, a total of 61 candidates have submitted their nomination papers. The process will continue till May 14, followed by scrutiny on May 15, and the last date for withdrawal of nominations on May 17. Scores of party leaders and workers of the BJP held a protest over former chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda's controversial 'racist' remarks near the Congress headquarters at Akbar Road in the national capital on Thursday, demanding an apology from the leaders of the party, including Rahul Gandhi. Party workers were seen holding posters saying "Racist remarks won't work, won't work" and "Rahul Gandhi apologise, apologise" during the protest. Stating that diversity is India's biggest strength and it is held through the common thread of unity, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva remarked, "But the racist statement of the Congress leader abuses our unity and integrity. This statement by Pitroda is not spontaneous. After seeing the ground shifting from under their feet after three phases of the Lok Sabha polls, Congress leaders are now resorting to racist remarks." The protesters demanded an apology from Congress leaders, including former party chief Gandhi, for insulting the people of the country and Indians living abroad. Pitroda resigned as the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress on Wednesday after his controversial remarks spurred the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to label the Congress "racist". He stoked a major controversy with his remarks during a podcast where he cited ethnic and racial identities like Chinese, Africans, Arabs and Whites to describe the physical appearance of Indians from different parts of the country. BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri, who was also present at the protest, said that Sam Pitroda's statement is an insult to the country and no countryman will tolerate it. "The Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that abusing BJP, abusing me will be tolerated but if 140 crore people of the country are abused then it will not be tolerated. Sam Pitroda's statement is not just a statement but an insult to the country and every nationalist is on the streets against this statement," Bidhuri said. The veteran leader Pitroda was an advisor to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and has been closely associated with Rahul Gandhi, accompanying him during his foreign visits. As the BJP has made Pitroda's comments a poll issue, the Congress has distanced itself from his remarks, describing those as "most unfortunate and unacceptable". Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said Bahujan Samaj Party would not win even a single parliamentary seat in Uttar Pradesh which sends the largest contingent of 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. Akhilesh said on Wednesday in a post on X that the traditional voters of the BSP had drifted away from the party and aligned with the INDIA bloc as it was fighting for the protection of the Constitution and caste-based reservation. The SP chiefs comment on the BSP was prompted by the reshuffle in the BSP in which Akash Anand, nephew of party chief Mayawati, was divested of all organisational responsibilities following a provocative speech made by him recently at Sitapur. The reshuffle in a party organisation is an internal affair of a political party. The actual reason behind the change is the imminent rout of the BSP in the 2024 Lok sabha elections, Akhilesh Yadav said and added, The BSP is losing the Lok Sabha elections as its traditional vote bank has shifted its support to oppositions INDIA bloc which s fighting for the protection of the Constitution and reservation. He claimed that sensing its defeat, the BSP was taking pre emptive measures of change in organisation. It is too little and too late for the BSP to indulge in organisational reshuffle as the party has lost the battle, Akhilesh Yadav said and added, The BSP is not winning a single seat in the first three phases of the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh in which polling for 26 seats has so far been completed. There is no prospect for the BSP in the remaining four phases of Lok Sabha elections in UP as it is likely to draw a blank in the first three phases of elections, rw SP chief said. I appeal to the supporters of the BSP not to waste their vote for the party of Dalits and vote for the INDIA bloc which is fighting for the protection and preservation of Constitution and reservation given by Dr BR Ambedkar. He urged the electorate to vote for SP/INDIA bloc for protecting the dignity and honour of the disadvantaged sections of society. All appropriate arrangements should be made so that citizens come to the polling stations to vote. Strict adherence to Zero Tolerance for Violence is must. Carry out special monitoring in the last 48 hours. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar reviewed the preparations for voting by discussing with the central observers appointed in all the Lok Sabha constituencies conducting polls in the fourth phase through video conferencing on Wednesday. Rajiv Kumar congratulated Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan on the peaceful completion of the third phase of voting in Madhya Pradesh. In VC, Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Dr. S.S. Sandhu was also present. Chief Election Commissioner Kumar said that observers should make frequent visits. Ensure arrangements for tents, drinking water and ORS etc. for the voters in the polling station. Collective efforts by the returning officers, observers, SVEEP nodal officers and the entire election team should be ensured to increase voting turnout. The Chief Election Commissioner said that the Commission is ready to help you round the clock. If there is any problem, please inform immediately. Your problem will be resolved immediately. It may be noted that voting will be held on May 13 in the fourth phase in Madhya Pradesh in the Lok Sabha parliamentary constituencies number-21 Dewas (SC), number-22 Ujjain (SC), number-23 Mandsaur, number-24 Ratlam (ST), number-25 Dhar (ST), number- 26 Indore, number 27 Khargone (ST) and number 28 Khandwa. Additional Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Kumar Kaul, Joint Chief Electoral Officer Basant Kurre and Tarun Rathi and Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Pramod Kumar Shukla and other officers were present in the video conferencing. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath once again rallied in the election battleground on Wednesday, urging for the re-election of Devendra Singh Bhole from Akbarpur Lok Sabha constituency, Mukesh Rajput from Farrukhabad and Arun Sagar from Shahjahanpur. Simultaneously, he called for support for Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Arvind Singh in the by-election to Dadraul assembly seat in Shahjahanpur district. While expressing gratitude to the crowds gathered at the public meetings, the chief minister criticised the Samajwadi Party-Congress tie-up in the state. He told the people that this election represents a choice between Rambhakts and Ramdrohis, asserting that those who are Rambhakts are also rashtrabhakts. He said the public should reject Ramdrohis in these elections. Lashing out at the SP, Chief Minister Yogi declared that the Saifai family is destined to lose three seats in the elections held on May 7, with Kannauj following on May 13 and Azamgarh on May 25. In the first public meeting, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the name of Akbarpur was such that one felt hesitant to say it again and again. All this will change, he added. The chief minister stated that it is an eternal truth that Ramdrohis have always met their downfall and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections will confirm this truth. He emphasized, This is not merely an election to form a government. On one hand, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country is being established as a new Aatmanirbhar Bharat, while on the other hand, Ramdrohis are working to divide us on caste and regional identities. Terrorists are being glorified, and mafias are encouraged. The chief minister continued, Congress has consistently engaged in divisive politics, fostering division within the nation and actively promoting terrorism and separatism in various regions. Congress has once again promised to give such reservations in its manifesto this time, he added. Chief Minister Yogi mentioned that the government is currently conducting a survey to assess the potential for cultivating sugarcane in the area. If viable, plans are underway to establish a sugar and ethanol complex in the region, he added. During the SP regime, only guns were manufactured here, but under the Kanpur Defence Industrial Corridor, cannons for the nation will be produced. When the cannons will kill terrorists at the border, the names of Kanpur and UP will resonate in everyones minds, he added. Chief Minister Yogi further said that presently the ammunition being produced here was reaching the entire world. During the campaign for Farrukhabad Lok Sabha seat in Etah, Chief Minister Yogi raised a question among the public, How will Ram Gopal Yadav like the Ram temple as these people release terrorists from jail? He said, During the SP government from 2004 to 2007, terrorists attacked the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya, the Sankat Mochan Temple in Varanasi, courts in Lucknow, Ayodhya and Varanasi, and a CRPF camp in Rampur. Chief Minister Yogi further mentioned that when the SP government came to power in 2012, the then chief minister first ordered the withdrawal of cases against terrorists as he was not worried about the security of the state, the honour of the country, the youth, daughters, businessmen, but about the terrorists. It will be a sin to vote for those who oppose Lord Ram and the Ram temple in India. Those who vote for them are harming this world and will also harm the afterlife, Yogi remarked. The chief minister said; We have invented bulldozer for Ramdrohis. The alliance between Congress and SP is one that compromises security, engages in corruption, encourages Naxalism and terrorism, and opposes the construction of the Ram temple, Yogi added. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, addressing a gathering in Shahjahanpur, highlighted that half of the Lok Sabha seats have already undergone voting in the ongoing elections. We have reached halfway towards achieving our goal of 'Abki baar, 400 paar.... The 2024 elections appear poised to create a new chapter in history. The setback faced by Congress and SP indicates they have conceded defeat halfway through. Our history bears witness: no matter how mighty or influential, a Ramdrohi is destined to fall. There is no point discussing the respect for heritage with those who disown their ancestors. Detailing the developmental and welfare accomplishments under BJPs governance, the chief minister mentioned the construction of a medical college in Shahjahanpur. Here there was a demand to build a pontoon bridge on the Ganga which would connect Thakur Roshan Singhs village, but we provided a concrete bridge there. This government is actively ensuring and delivering developmental benefits. Additionally, plans are underway to install a ropeway at Hanumat Dham in Shahjahanpur. A grand museum has been made in honour of the great heroes of the Kakori train action, he said. DAV Public School in Sector-4 commemorated the 163rd birth anniversary of the visionary Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, paying tribute to his monumental contributions to Indian literature and culture. Born in 1861 in Jorasanko, Kolkata, Tagore's influence extended far beyond his time, earning him the distinction of being the first non-European and Indian to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913, for his acclaimed collection of poems, "Gitanjali." In a heartfelt tribute to Tagore's enduring legacy, a special assembly was organized within the school premises. Principal S.S. Kar, alongside teachers and students, adorned Tagore's statue with floral tributes, symbolizing their deep reverence for the literary luminary. Students from various grades showcased their talents through a diverse range of cultural and literary programs. Snigdha from the ninth grade delivered a soul-stirring rendition of a melodious Bengali song, while Deepika and Ayush from the tenth grade delivered a poignant speech, reflecting on Tagore's remarkable life journey and multifaceted contributions to society. The highlight of the event was a captivating dance performance by the school's students, choreographed to Tagore's iconic composition, "Ekla Chalo Re," which encapsulated the spirit of resilience and determination epitomized by Tagore. Principal S.S. Kar, in his address, reverently referred to Tagore as 'Gurudev,' 'Kaviguru,' and 'Biswakabi,' highlighting his global acclaim and profound impact on literature, music, and art. Tagore's enduring legacy continues to transcend borders, leaving an indelible mark not only on India but on the world stage, ensuring his remembrance for generations to come. Former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan is continuously touring the entire state and campaigning for the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections. On Thursday, the former CM held election meetings in three assembly constituencies Mandhata, Pandhana and Nepanagar in support of Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Dnyaneshwar Patil from Khandwa Lok Sabha. During this, the former CM said that for me, service to the public is worship of God. I never ask God for wealth, strength, intelligence, knowledge, salvation or heaven, I ask God to reborn me among the people again and again after my death so that I can serve the people. If we hold any position through politics, it is only to serve the public. We are in Bharatiya Janata Party with only two objectives, first to serve the country and second to serve the people. I will continue to serve the public as long as I breathe. The former Chief Minister said that I don't know what Sam Pitroda, a Congress leader, is saying every day. It was once said that there should be inheritance tax. Inheritance tax means that after the death of parents, 55 percent of their property will go to the government's account and only 45 percent will go to their children. In our India, even the poor and laborers are able to save something for their children by working hard for their livelihood, and Congress wants to snatch this from them. Now Congress and Sam Pitroda are saying, "People of North East look like Chinese. People of South look like South Africans." Different language, different guise, still a country of our own. He said that Congress wants to destroy the idea of India, the land of India, the soil of India, the traditions of India, the values of life of India, because Rahul Gandhi's roots are not linked to India but to Italy, he does not even know India. Chouhan said that the Bharatiya Janata Party is certain that after winning, Mr. Narendra Modi will become the Prime Minister, but the Congress and Indi alliance should tell who is their Prime Minister. Sometimes they say that they will decide later, sometimes they say that they will be made one by one. Tell me some name, it will be Dhannu, Kallu, Panna or Jumman. Now in summer, when we go to the market to buy matka, we check whether it has burst somewhere or not. We also check the vegetables to see if they are spoiled anywhere. So when we choose the Prime Minister, we will choose care. This Congress and Indi alliance can never do any good to the country and the people. They have nothing to do with the development of the country and the welfare of the people. Therefore, BJP has to win with record votes and make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister of the country for the third time. Chouhan further said that, in my childhood, I had seen discrimination between sons and daughters, had seen the pain and suffering of sisters, at that time I felt a lot of pain in my heart. Therefore, as soon as he became the Chief Minister, the first thing he did was to create Ladli Lakshmi Yojana and work on making daughters millionaires from birth. I am proud to say that today there are more than 50 lakh Ladli Lakshmiyas on the land of Madhya Pradesh. Then lakhs of daughters got married under the Kanya Vivah Yojana. Gave 50 percent reservation to sisters in local bodies. Then came Ladli Brahmin Yojana, this scheme changed the lives of sisters. Respect and confidence increased for the sisters but this journey is not going to stop here. Now the journey of Lakhpati Brahmin has to be completed. Lakhpati sister means that the annual income of each sister while doing household work is more than Rs 1 lakh. Currently, 15 lakh sisters in Madhya Pradesh have become millionaires through self-help groups and Modi ji has set a target of 3 crore millionaire sisters.While communicating with the public, the former Chief Minister said, I am yours and the public is my God. As long as I breathe, I will breathe for you. EX-MLA Khangura returns to Cong after two years Chandigarh: Senior Congress leader and former party MLA from Qila Raipur Jasbir Singh Jassi Khangura on Wednesday returned to the party after staying with AAP for about two years. Khangura, a prominent leader and a former NRI from UK, had left the Congress in 2022 and joined AAP, and resigned from the party sometime ago to return to the Congress. Welcoming Khangura back into the party, the state party affairs in-charge Devendra Yadav said that not only will his rejoining the Congress strengthen the party in Ludhiana but also in the entire state. Khangura is known for his fierce and firebrand oratorical skills and is also quite popular among the NRI community, Yadav said. SAD expels Harjinder Kaur for sabotaging party in Chd, supporting BJPs Tandon Chandigarh: SAD on Wednesday expelled SGPC member from Chandigarh Harjinder Kaur from the primary membership of the party for indulging in anti-party activities with immediate effect. The decision was taken by the partys secretary general Balwinder Singh Bhundur following a number of complaints from SADs Chandigarh unit that Harjinder Kaur was willfully sabotaging the party in the Union Territory by unilaterally supporting the candidature of BJP candidate Sanjay Tandon. Bhundur said that he had received video evidence of Harjinder Kaurs anti-party activities and was compelled to take this drastic step to send out a clear signal that SAD would not tolerate such unethical conduct on the part of the SGPC member. This is not the first time that the SGPC member had gone against the principles of the party. Earlier also, we had received complaints that Bibi Harjinder had compromised with the BJP and had even received important posts in lieu of extending support to the saffron party. However, we gave her a long rope in the hope that she would realize her mistakes and conduct and return to the panthic fold wholeheartedly. However, this time, the SGPC member has crossed a line by openly campaigning for the BJP candidate in Chandigarh, he said. AAP got a boost in Doaba, BSP candidate from Hoshiarpur joins AAP Chandigarh: AAP got a boost in the Doaba region on Wednesday. Giving BSP a setback, its well-known Dalit leader and party candidate from Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seat Rakesh Soman joined AAP. He was formally inducted into the party by AAP Punjab President and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Soman was a senior leader of BSP, and has also been the general secretary of the Punjab Congress Committee. He has a good hold and popularity among the Dalit people of Hoshiarpur and surrounding areas. Him leaving the party is a jolt to the BSP and his presence is going to be very helpful to AAP in Hoshiarpur. Soman, after joining AAP, said that the Chief Minister Mann is doing a lot of good work for the poor, Dalits and marginalized communities. Impressed by his work of the last two years, I decided to join AAP. In a surprising turn of events, it has come to light that Soman, a candidate in the ongoing elections, was disqualified from contesting due to an alleged error in the deletion of his vote. According to available information, his vote was mistakenly removed from the records, rendering him ineligible to participate in the electoral process. Despite efforts by the candidate and party leaders, including an application submitted to the CEO Punjab just a day before, no resolution has been reached. The BSP has leveled accusations against AAP, claiming that the deletion of Somans vote was a deliberate tactic orchestrated by the opposing party. Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan has instructed the concerned Collectors and District Election Officers to continuously conduct voter awareness activities for voting to be held on May 13 for the fourth phase of Lok Sabha Elections-2024. He said that they should directly contact the voters, communicate with them, resolve their doubts and in view of the heat, also tell them about the facilities available at the polling stations. He said that all necessary arrangements should be made so that citizens come to the polling booth to vote. Rajan was addressing the collectors and district election officers of 8 Lok Sabha parliamentary constituencies going for the fourth phase of voting through video conferencing on Wednesday. Rajan said that for voter awareness, an action plan should be made at the local level and voters should be contacted door to door. Make elaborate arrangements to conduct smooth, seamless, fair and peaceful voting without any hindrance. In view of the heat, all other necessary arrangements including shade, cool water, seating arrangements, coolers, fans, medicines should be available at the polling stations. Rajan said that utmost caution and vigilance should be exercised during the elections. All officers should maintain their level of alertness to conduct elections in a free, fair, uninterrupted and peaceful manner. Rajan directed to make additional security arrangements in polling stations in vulnerable areas. Special security arrangements should be made in buildings where there are five or more polling stations. Deploy additional polling personnel in polling stations where the number of voters is high. Rajan said that in the fourth phase, voting will be held on May 13 in a total of 18 thousand 7 polling stations of 8 Lok Sabha parliamentary constituencies. Out of these, webcasting will be done in 12 thousand 180 polling stations. He asked the Collectors and District Election Officers to install CCTV cameras inside and outside the critical polling stations to keep an eye on the elements creating obstruction in the voting. Also, make effective arrangements for monitoring of webcasting, so that if irregularities are seen in voting at any centre, immediate action can be taken. Rajan laid emphasized on conducting voter awareness activities on a large scale at every polling station to boost the voting turnout. He said that for this, Chalein Booth Ki Ore campaign should be launched. This message should reach every house and every voter connected to every polling station that everyone must exercise their franchise on May 13. All District Election Officers should form local teams for each polling station to go door-to-door to motivate citizens to cast their votes. With the assistance of this party encourage people to participate in voting on voting day as well. Rajan said that model polling centres should be established in all the districts, not only in rural areas but also in urban areas. The facilities of these centres should be such that more and more voters are motivated to cast their votes. Welcome the voters with refreshments. He said that all appropriate arrangements should be made at the polling stations as well as at the polling material distribution sites. Arrangements like mini hospital, mini ICU can be made at the material distribution site. Provide cool refreshments to the polling parties. Rajan said that distribution of voter information slips is very important in increasing the voting percentage. Special attention should be paid to the distribution of voter slips. No voter should be deprived of getting the slip. It should be ensured that the slips reach cent percent voters. He said that voters should be made to understand that voter slip alone is not sufficient for voting. Along with the voter slip, they will have to bring alternative identity documents prescribed by the Election Commission of India. An FIR has been registered against Bhopal District Panchayat member Vinay Mehar, who took his minor son with him while voting. Meanwhile, booth presiding officer Sandeep Saini, his assistants CR Batham, Manoj Kumar Maurya and Madan Gopal Patel have been suspended and Head Constable Santosh posted at the booth has been attached with DPR police lines. On May 7, the day of voting for Bhopal parliamentary seat, Mehar took his minor son along with him while voting at polling station number 71 Khitwas of Berasia tehsil. Its video was also posted on social media. After going viral it was also deleted. However, Congress raised the issue. Congress leader Piyush Babile made a post on social media. It was written in it BJP has made the Election Commission a child's play. In Bhopal, BJP's District Panchayat member Vinay Mehar got his minor son to cast his vote. Vinay Mehar also made a video while casting his vote, along with his son standing nearby. Vinay Mehar posted the video on Facebook. Will there be any action? After this tweet came to light, District Election Officer Bhopal Collector Kaushlendra Vikram Singh handed over the investigation to Berasia SDM Ashutosh Goswami at 12.15 pm today. The investigation was completed within about three hours and an FIR was lodged against Mehar at Berasia police station. In this matter, Mehar told Dainik Bhaskar that his son was insistent, hence he took him to the polling booth. Made a video by mistake and uploaded it on social media. I had no evil intentions. Action has also been taken in another case in Bhopal. A young man named Sunil Kumar Sharma posted the video on social media after casting his vote. After this, Katara Hills Police took suo motu cognizance of the matter and took action. A case has been registered against Sunil under section 188. Sunil had reached polling station number 281/83 to cast his vote. Bharatiya Janata Party State President and MP Vishnudutt Sharma said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has changed the condition and direction of politics. Following the mantra of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, the Prime Minister is bringing happiness in everyone's life. He was addressing the workers' conference of Ujjain North, Ujjain South and Ghattia Assembly of Ujjain Lok Sabha, He further said that class against which Congress does appeasement politics, today that class has also started realizing that if any Prime Minister has worked for them in the 75 years after independence, it is Narendra Modi ji. < Today, without any discrimination, people of every section are getting Prime Minister's residence and free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh. People of this class also want to work under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But Congress is spreading confusion among them. Therefore, party workers should without hesitation go to the homes of minority brothers, meet them and win their trust. Modi ji says that we have to win everyone's trust. Therefore, this election is not just to elect MPs, but to win the trust of every section. BJP State President Vishnudutt Sharma said that no one was able to claim anything in the 2023 assembly elections. In such a situation, our Home Minister Amit Shah discussed with the workers of all divisions. After this he said that now I am confident that we are winning the assembly elections with a huge majority and indeed you people have created history in the assembly elections. This is the strength of the workers. It is the workers who make the party's strategy. In every election the same candidate contests and wins. Sharma said that today a grand Ram temple has been constructed in the country, Article 370 has been removed from Jammu and Kashmir, big works are being done in front of our eyes. We have governments in 17 states of the country. All this has been possible only because of the workers. For the next three days, every worker has to focus only on his booth and make a strategy to make lotus bloom at every booth. We have to create history of victory in Ujjain and achieve such a big victory that it can give strength to the Prime Minister. Even the opposition agrees that BJP will form the government.BJP State President Vishnudutt Sharma said that in this election the people of the entire country have decided that Narendra Modi should be made the Prime Minister for the third time. Our Prime Minister says that this slogan of Rs. 400 has been given by the opposition only. Congress leaders are also now accepting that the government will be formed by BJP only. In such a situation, Congress is now just fulfilling the formality in the name of elections. Sharma said that even today the genes of the British are in the blood of Congress. That's why Congress is doing appeasement politics, trying to create division among people on the basis of caste. Therefore, be cautious of Congress. Sharma said that India has shown the path of spirituality to the whole world and India's spiritual power has increased since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister. Be it Lord Mahakaal or Ramlala, by prostrating before him our Prime Minister asks for the strength to serve the nation. On the other hand, the ruler of a Muslim country calls Prime Minister Modi ji to inaugurate the temple being built there. Sharma said that the Prime Minister has resolved to make India a developed nation by 2047 and take it to the position of world leader, which was said by Swami Vivekananda. But no worker should sit peacefully till this resolution is fulfilled. Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Gian Chand Gupta on Wednesday said that he has not received any official information regarding the withdrawal of support to the State Government by three Independent MLAs so far, adding that he cannot take a decision based on media reports. He said there is no threat to the Nayab Singh Saini-led Government as it has a majority, adding that technically, the situation is the same as it was about two months ago in March when Saini had secured the majority in the Assembly after assuming power. Even today, BJP has 40 MLAs, Congress has 30 MLAs, 10 are of JJP, six are independent, and one MLA is of HLP and one MLA from INLD, he added. The Speaker said the Governor can summon the House and call for a floor test to prove whether the government has the numbers or not. Gupta pointed out that when the House is in session, it is the Speaker who can call for a floor test. Once the Governor's communication comes to the Speaker office, the decision will be taken as per the situation, he added. In an interview with The Pioneer, the Speaker talks about current political situations arising in the State in the aftermath of withdrawal of support to the BJP-led Government by three independent legislators. After the withdrawal of support to the Government by three independent MLAs, do you think, Nayab Singh Saini led Government in Haryana is in the minority? Through newspapers, I learned that three independent MLAs have withdrawn their support to the Government. But I cannot comment on media reports on whether the Nayab Singh Saini-led Government has lost the majority or not. I have not received any official information regarding withdrawal of support to the government by three independent MLAs. Technically, the situation is the same as it was about two months ago in March 2024 when Saini had secured the majority in the Vidhan Sabha Assembly after assuming power. After three independent MLAs withdrew support to the Government, CM Saini -led Govt now has support of only 43 out of 88 MLAs. What is your role as a speaker now? I cant comment on who has numberswho does not have numbers, which parties support whom...; who supports whom Only the CM can say. As no official information has been received regarding the withdrawal of support to the government so far so I cant say anything now. Only the Vidhan Sabha Assembly decides whether the current Government has majority or not. Moreover, as per rule, the Governor can summon the House and call for a floor test to prove whether the government has the numbers. Once the Governor's communication comes to us, the decision will be taken as per the situation. When the House is in session, it is the Speaker who can call for a floor test. But when the Assembly is not in session, the Governors residuary powers under Article 163 allow him to call for a floor test. According to information, three MLAs have sent letters withdrawing their support from the government to the Governor. Have they sent such letters to you (Speaker)? They may have sent such letters to the Governor. But I have not received any such letter so far. The opposition says the Government has lost majority and either the Chief Minister should prove majority or resign on moral grounds. What would you say? It is wrong to say that the Nayab Singh Saini led Government is in the minority. As per the latest information, the current government is in majority. The current situation is the same as it was two months ago in March when Saini had secured a majority in the House. A decision cannot be taken only on the oppositions demand. Jannayak Janata Party has announced its support to the Congress if it takes steps to bring down Nayab Saini Government. What would you say? Parties may claim anything. But when issues come to the Assembly, I will take action accordingly. As a Panchkula MLA, I would like to say that Senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda seems to be in a hurry. The Lok Sabha election is on. One should wait till the results are declared. I am confident that the BJP will perform exceptionally well in this election. In Himachal Pradesh, three Independent MLAs had resigned but the speaker has not accepted their resignation yet. Your comment I cannot comment on the Himachal Pradesh issue. The Speaker can examine whether a resignation was by free will. In Haryana, after Independent MLA and Haryana Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala resigned, I gave him adequate time to explain whether the resignation was given by free will or not. Finally, I have made a decision regarding his resignation within 40 days. In an effort to ensure voter participation in the Lok Sabha elections through augmented last mile connectivity for the electors of Delhi, Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi P Krishnamurthy on Thursday announced a strategic partnership with Rapido, a bike ride-sharing company for free ride from the polling booths to their homes. Elections in Delhi will take place on May 25. As per the arrangement with Rapido, eligible voters in Delhi will be provided with an option to avail a free of charge ride from the polling booths to their home on the day of voting. As Delhi prepares for the Lok Sabha polling day, this collaboration aims to address transportation barriers and encourage citizens to exercise their democratic right to vote. Recognizing the importance of maximizing voter turnout, the Chief Electoral Officer Delhi has taken proactive measures to ensure comfortable commute from polling stations for all eligible voters. Welcoming this initiative Krishnamurthy stated, "By offering option of free bike rides on the polling day, we aim to ensure ease of voting experience and to encourage citizens to exercise their vote and contribute to the democratic process. Every vote counts and it is essential to ensure that every eligible voter can cast their vote without hindrance." Rapido has a Pool of 08 Lakhs (Eight Lakhs only) bike captains in Delhi with subscriber base of 80 Lakhs (Eighty Lakhs only). The availability of bike riders at Polling Stations across NCT of Delhi will be facilitated and ensured at the nearby designated polling booths. On the day of voting, voters in Delhi, after casting their vote, can conveniently book and avail a complimentary bike ride from the polling station through Rapido app. A dedicated rider will pick up the elector from the polling station and ensure their safe return to home. In a significant move towards enhancing employee welfare, ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation) has forged a strategic alliance with The Mission Hospital of Durgapur. This collaboration aims to extend top-notch medical facilities to ONGC employees, their dependents, as well as retired personnel and their family members. The formalization of this partnership witnessed the presence of key representatives from both entities. Dr. Aswini Kumar, Senior Medical Officer, and Dr. Shashank Sekhar, Medical Officer, represented ONGC, while The Mission Hospital was represented by Moloy Bhattacharya, Senior General Manager Marketing, Debasish Sen, Regional Business Manager, and Rajiv Singh, Senior Business Development Executive. This initiative underscores ONGC's commitment to prioritizing the health and well-being of its workforce and their loved ones. By aligning with The Mission Hospital, renowned for its excellence in healthcare services, ONGC ensures access to comprehensive medical treatments, including specialized care and advanced diagnostics. Moloy Bhattacharya, expressing his views on the partnership, highlighted the hospital's dedication to delivering high-quality healthcare services. He emphasized the importance of providing ONGC employees and their families with access to state-of-the-art medical facilities conveniently located in Durgapur. This collaboration sets a benchmark in corporate healthcare partnerships, reflecting ONGC's proactive approach towards employee welfare and community engagement. The Prestige Institute of Engineering Management and Research (PIEMR) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the BITS Pilani Dubai campus, opening doors for exciting academic collaborations. This MoU will pave the way for the student exchange program, faculty development, and joint research initiatives between the two institutions. Under the MOU, students from both institutes can participate in exchange programs, including short-term immersions (1-2 weeks), semester-long courses with credit transfer, and potentially even full-semester exchanges. The agreement will facilitate faculty development initiatives, including workshops on pedagogy, evaluation processes, and best practices in teaching. The PIEMR and BITS Pilani Dubai will collaborate on joint research projects in the fields of technology and management, fostering knowledge creation and innovation. Dr. Manojkumar Deshpande, Senior Director of PIEMR, and Prof. Shriniwasan Mandapusi, Senior Professor and Director of the BITS Pilani Dubai Campus, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective institutions. The signing ceremony was held in the presence of Himanshu Jain, Director of Prestige Education Foundation, Prof. Vincent Shantha Kumar, and Prof. Piyush Choudhary, respectively. Expressing his enthusiasm over the MOU, Himanshu Jain highlighted the significant benefits for both students and faculty at PIEMR. `This MoU will help our students gain valuable knowledge and expertise from BITS Pilani Dubai's strengths in research & development, engineering courses, and industry-academia collaborations," Jaid added. Amidst the bustling atmosphere of election campaigns and the ongoing farmers agitation, Punjab Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sibin C on Thursday issued a plea to the farmers unions, urging them to refrain from disrupting election campaigns of Lok Sabha candidates in the State. The call for cooperation comes in the wake of escalating tensions and opposition against BJP candidates and leaders in the rural areas. Notably, BJP candidates and leaders have encountered protests and been greeted with black flags during their campaign outings, particularly in rural regions. Moreover, the entry of BJP leaders has also been barred in several villages, adversely affecting their election activities. The CEOs request to the farm unions came days after he, in an interview with The Pioneer, had described the ongoing farmers agitation as a significant challenge in ensuring free, fair, and peaceful elections while safeguarding the security of candidates, especially the BJP. In fact, the Punjab BJP unit had also submitted a formal complaint with the CEO office regarding the same. The CEO has sought a detailed action taken report from the state police chief. On the other hand, a farmers delegation, led by the heads of different factions Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Balbir Singh (Rajewal), Harinder Singh (Lakhowal), and Harmeet Singh (Kadian) submitted a memorandum to the CEO outlining their demands for fair electoral practices. The memorandum demanded that political leaders, candidates, and security forces refrain from employing high-handed tactics towards the citizens questioning them during election campaigns. They also warned that any undue interference or intimidation by government machinery or the Election Commission would bear consequences for the integrity of the electoral process. The delegation emphasized the necessity for candidates to address citizens queries in a peaceful manner, highlighting a growing trend of active civic engagement among voters in Punjab. Citizens, emboldened by recent historic protests, are asserting their right to scrutinize candidates promises and records, marking a significant shift in democratic engagement. This newfound assertiveness is particularly evident in Punjab, where the farming community, having played a pivotal role in recent historic protests, has become a symbol of peaceful resistance. The experiences garnered during these protests have instilled a sense of empowerment among farmers and labourers, urging them to participate actively in the electoral process, read the memorandum. The farmers memorandum also underscored the challenges posed by traditional one-sided electoral affairs, where candidates monopolize discourse. As India celebrates 76 years of Independence, citizens are increasingly vocal about their concerns, demanding accountability and transparency from political leaders, it added. However, the surge in civic engagement has faced resistance from some politicians accustomed to unilateral control. Instances of peaceful questioners being detained or harassed have sparked outrage, prompting calls for electoral fairness and respect for constitutional rights, said the memorandum, with the BKU denouncing such tactics, vowing to uphold peace while demanding accountability from candidates and law enforcement agencies. The delegation emphasized its dedication to peaceful engagement and urged the Election Commission to facilitate open dialogue between candidates and voters. It also cautioned against violations of citizens rights and held the government and law enforcement accountable for any transgressions of democratic principles. Ensure level playing field, security of all candidates during campaign period: CEO to all DCs, CPs, SSPs Punjab CEO, in a circular issued to all the all Deputy Commissioners-cum-District Election Officers, Commissioners of Police, and Senior Superintendents of Police on Thursday, instructed them to ensure a level playing field for all candidates and their security. The CEO stressed that ensuring the security of candidates is one of the primary responsibilities of the district election machinery and the Election Commission of India is serious about this matter. He said that it has come to his attention that numerous incidents have been reported from various parts of the state, and these were highlighted through various complaints and reports in the media, involving political party candidates being obstructed by agitating farmers, thereby impeding the candidates' democratic right to campaign and convey their manifesto to the citizens of the State. Such actions go against the directions and guidelines of the ECI, he added. It has been observed that gatherings by protesting farmers are often held without permissions, despite orders by the District Magistrates under Section 144 of CrPC and loudspeakers are also used without permission, he added. As outlined by the ECI, the CEO said that ensuring the security of candidates and adhering to its guidelines is essential to providing a level playing field for all candidates through fair campaigning. It is the duty of all district election machinery to follow these guidelines and ensure their implementation in the field. No one should be allowed to take the law into their hands, he said. The CEO directed all officers to implement these directions in letter and spirit and if any such incidence notice will be viewed seriously and brought to the notice of ECI. Out of Rs 9.50 crore transferred from the account of Bhopal's Rajiv Gandhi Technological University (RGPV) to the account of Dalit Sangh Sohagpur, about Rs 1.25 crore was distributed to businessmen. Dalit Sangh Secretary Ratan Umre has delivered this amount to the traders. This disclosure has been made by the Gandhi Nagar Police of Bhopal, which is investigating the case of transfer of Rs 9.50 crore from the account of RGPV to the account of Dalit Sangh. Also, the police have made union secretary Ratan Umre and treasurer Ashok Chaurasia accused in this case. It is noteworthy that this amount was deposited by the students in the university account as fees for examination, enrolment, registration and other processes. According to the investigation report of Gandhinagar Police, Rs 9 crore 50 lakh was transferred from the account of the University to the account of Dalit Sangh Sohagpur on January 23, 2023. A few hours after the money was credited to the account, Dalit Sangh Secretary Ratan Umre withdrew Rs 3.2 crore. Whereas Rs 55.73 lakh 73 were withdrawn through cheque. Apart from this, Secretary Ratan Umre had transferred Rs 25.65 lakh to his own State Bank of India account. Out of Rs 9.50 crore deposited from the account of RGPV to the account of Dalit Sangh, Rs 3 crore 75 lakh were withdrawn through separate checks by Secretary Ratan Umre and Treasurer Ashok Chaurasia. This has been confirmed by Pipariya-based branch manager of ICICI Bank Sumit Jharia and Axis Bank manager Vinay Verma in their statements given to Gandhi Nagar Police. Ratan Umre had transferred a huge amount to his own account. Bank managers Sumit Jharia and Vijay Verma told the police that Dalit Union Secretary Ratan Umre had transferred a large part of the money in the university's account to his own account operated in a private bank. Ratan Umre had given this amount of Rs 1 crore 34 lakh 48 thousand to many businessmen from ICICI Bank account. However, why this money was given to the traders has not been revealed. The bail plea of Ratan Umre, secretary of Dalit Sangh Sohagpur and accused in the RGPV corruption case, was rejected by Special Judge (Prevention of Corruption Act) Rampratap Mishra. Umre had filed a petition for anticipatory bail in the RGPV case on May 1 in the court of Judge Rampratap Mishra. The court heard this on May 2 and rejected the anticipatory bail petition on May 6. In the anticipatory bail petition filed in Bhopal court, Dalit Sangh Secretary Ratan Umre wrote in his application There is a lot of respect in the society. Honored by the President for social service. If the police arrest, social respect will be lost. The investigation of the case is likely to take a lot of time. The police want to arrest him even though he is innocent. If bail is granted, I will fully cooperate in the investigation of the case. 8 accused including Vice Chancellor, Registrar and Finance Controller Sunil Kumar, then Vice Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi Technological University RS Rajput, then Registrar, Rajiv Gandhi Technological University Hrishikesh Verma, Retd., Finance Controller, Rajiv Gandhi Technological University Kumar Mayank, then Manager, RBL Bank Private Limited Seema Verma, wife Hrishikesh Verma, retired, finance controller Ram Kumar Raghuvanshi, then Branch Manager, Axis Bank Pipariya Sunil Raghuvanshi, Co-Secretary, Dalit Union Sohagpur Ratan Umre, Secretary, Dalit Union Sohagpur. The perseverance and dedication of underprivileged students from Ghatshila subdivision, enrolled in the Faculty of Science, have borne fruit as all five candidates of the third batch 2022 of Veer Shaheed Ganesh Hansda Fellowship successfully passed their 12th examinations. This remarkable achievement was celebrated and honored during a ceremony held at the martyr memorial in Kosafalia village, where Sugda Hansda, the father of the late martyr Ganesh Hansda, expressed his heartfelt appreciation for the students' accomplishments. The Veer Shaheed Ganesh Hansda Fellowship serves as a beacon of hope for rural children and youth, offering continuous support and guidance in their academic pursuits. The fellowship, launched in 2020 to commemorate the valor of Ganesh Hansda, who sacrificed his life at the age of 20 while defending the nation in the Galwan Valley clash with China, aims to inspire and empower children from disadvantaged backgrounds. In the recently announced Jharkhand Intermediate 2024 results, all five students from the third batch of the fellowship excelled in the science stream, with four achieving first division and one securing second division. Kalyani Thayal of Badiya village and Amrit Mahato of Sonahatu village emerged as joint toppers, scoring 405 marks each. During the felicitation ceremony, the students were honored by Sugda Hansda, who presented them with symbolic gifts including a corset, a map of India, and a competitive magazine. Reflecting on the success of the students, Sugda Hansda expressed his pride and satisfaction, emphasizing his joy in witnessing the progress of children studying in memory of his son, Ganesh. Tarun Kumar, the founder of Nishchay, commended the students for their outstanding performance and encouraged them to continue their academic journey with dedication and focus. He emphasized the importance of pursuing higher education and advised the students to develop essential skills such as personality development and time management. Following the ceremony, the fellowship team visited the homes of the students to provide information and guidance on various academic and career opportunities in science-related fields. Parents expressed gratitude for the support and financial assistance provided through the fellowship, which enabled their children to pursue their studies smoothly. The event was attended by prominent figures including the martyr's elder brother Dinesh Hansda, Roopnarayan Bera, Sudam Hembram, Baidyanath Hansda, Gaurav Krantiguru, and Bhavanand, among others. The program was skillfully conducted by Tarun Kumar, highlighting the collaborative efforts of the community in nurturing the educational aspirations of its youth. Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati launched a scathing attack on the Samajwadi Party, saying it did not field a Muslim candidate from Kannauj as it cannot see beyond SP president Akhilesh Yadavs family. The BSP chief asked the deprived sections, including the Dalits and Muslims, not to cast a single vote for Akhilesh Yadavs party in the Lok Sabha elections. Mayawati, who campaigned for the party candidates in Kannauj against SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and other adjoining constituencies, said her party was clean. She was referring to the electoral bonds controversy. Referring to the electoral bonds given to Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress, she affirmed that the BSP never takes money from rich people and this has been made clear by the Supreme Courts observation that BSP runs its activities only with the financial support received from its workers and candidates. The BSP chief, who addressed a joint election meeting for partys Kannauj, Farrukhabad and Etawah candidates, made several political attacks on the BJP, Congress and SP. She said that earlier the Congress governments adopted wrong policies, due to which it was out of the Central and state governments and now the BJP was also walking on the same path. She said Dalits, exploited and deprived people, Muslims, religious, minorities were suffering in the BJP rule but the government was not paying attention to them and this had caused resentment among the people. There is a difference between their words and actions. Therefore, the BJP is not going to return to power at the Centre easily. Under the leadership of BSP, attention will be given to all sections on the lines of Sarvajan Hitay-Sarvajan Sukhaya. No one will be exploited. The welfare work done by BSP in UP four times is now being copied by the governments of other states. If we get a chance at the Centre, we will run the government at the Centre on the lines of BSP's UP model, she said. Mayawati said during the SP government, there was discrimination against Dalits and the underprivileged class in the state. The SP government changed the names of districts, institutions and parks built in the name of Dalit icons. Therefore, they no longer have any right to ask for votes from this class, she said. Attacking the BJP government at the Centre, the BSP chief said the saffron partys promise of achhe din (good days) turned out to be a hoax, and its guarantee was also a sham. Mayawati said one should not be fooled by the words of these parties. These people have released manifestos full of empty promises. Later the promises made in their manifestos. The BSP never issues a manifesto. The government has been formed in the state four times without a manifesto. The BSP has done more work than any other party. The public still remembers the work done during the BSP government, she added. Two migrant labourers belonging to Janjgir Champa district in Chhattisgarh and their child were killed when a wall of an under-construction apartment collapsed on them on Tuesday night at Bachupally of Hyderabad. As per reports, the incident took place following heavy rains on Tuesday evening. Those killed include Ram Yadav, his wife Gitabai and their four-year-old child Himanshu. Four others who died were from Odisha. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai condoled the deaths and has urged the district administration of Janjgir Champa to coordinate with Hyderabad authorities and provide necessary assistance to the kin of the deceased. State President of Bharatiya Janata Party and Khajuraho MP Vishnudutt Sharma, while addressing the workers conference in Nepanagar, Burhanpur of Burhanpur district and Khandwa of Khandwa district on Wednesday, said that this Lok Sabha election is not an ordinary election, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi For the third time, there is an election to make the Prime Minister with a historic majority. Today, the entire amount of schemes like Kisan Samman Nidhi and Ladli Brahmin comes into the accounts of the beneficiaries, not even a single rupee goes to brokers or middlemen. There are no terrorist incidents anywhere in the country and India's respect has increased all over the world. Congress will not be allowed to plunder the property of the people of the country. To make the country a developed and free India from terrorism and corruption, it is necessary for Narendra Modi to become the Prime Minister for the third time. Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda was specially present in the workers conference organized in Khandwa.BJP State President Sharma said that now in Madhya Pradesh even the State President of Congress is saying that only BJP is winning the elections. Regarding withdrawal of nomination by the Congress candidate from Indore, the State Congress President has said that anyway BJP is winning the elections. This means it is completely clear that Congress is also accepting that BJP is winning this Lok Sabha election with historic votes and Narendra Modi is becoming the Prime Minister for the third time.BJP State President Sharma said that there is inheritance tax in the Congress manifesto, whereas our manifesto has the complete blueprint for the welfare of the poor, development of the country, empowerment of the poor, youth, farmers and women. People across the country have unwavering faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This time lotus is going to bloom in Hyderabad also. Now only three days are left for the election campaign, in such a situation, all the workers should take a pledge to bloom lotus at every booth and get involved in the party work with all their heart. State President Vishnudutt Sharma said that wherever you go these days, the same voice is heard in every direction - East, West, North and South. That voice is that Narendra Modi ji has to become the Prime Minister of India for the third time. The reason for this is that the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working to change the life of every poor without any discrimination and is bringing happiness on the face of every poor.Prime Minister brought happiness in the lives of Muslim sisters by removing triple talaq.BJP State President Vishnudutt Sharma said that Prime Minister's residence is being given to even those people who do not vote for BJP. Modi ji freed 13 crore mothers and sisters from smoke by giving them free gas connections under the Ujjwala scheme and these also include those sisters who do not vote for BJP. 3.62 crore Ayushman cards have been made in Madhya Pradesh and free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh is being provided even to those families who do not vote for BJP. Sharma said that even in many Muslim countries of the world, there was no practice of triple talaq, but in our country it was maintained due to appeasement. Modi ji also filled the lives of Muslim sisters with happiness by removing triple talaq. All of you workers should also contact these people and enumerate the achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and appeal to them to vote for making Modi the Prime Minister.BJP State President Shri Sharma said that such forces are also active in this election, who want to break the country, want to defame them and want to do appeasement politics. Sam Pitroda of Congress says that if a person is of this colour, then he has come from such and such country. According to them, everyone has come from outside, no one is from India. On the other hand, Congress party is talking about inheritance tax. A25-year-old woman committed suicide by jumping in front of speeding train on the Rachna Nagar railway track in Bhopal. The exact reasons for suicide have not been revealed. The police took the body into custody and sent it to the PM. The young womans family reached the spot and identified the body. The incident was reported at 11 am on Thursday. ASI Rakesh Singh of MP Nagar police station said that at 11.30 am, information was received about the suicide of a girl on the railway track above Rachna Nagar under bridge. After the information, the police reached the spot and took the body into custody. She was identified on the basis of the bag and documents found at the incident site. The family members came to the spot and identified the girl. At present no suicide note has been found. The exact reasons for suicide have not been revealed. The victim has been identified as Gayatri Patel (25), resident of Subhash Nagar. Her father Rajesh Patel said that the daughter had done MBA. She used to work in a media house located in Zone 1 of MP Nagar. Like every day, I left home in the morning. The police had called and informed about her death. When we reached the spot, we saw our daughter's dead body. Her bag was read nearby, in which mobile phone was not found. Tiffin, diary and scarf kept in the bag were found on the track. Eyewitnesses told the police that the woman parked her scooter near the under bridge. After this, she quickly climbed the unpaved path over the bridge. The track stood on the side for a few minutes. Meanwhile, he jumped in front of the train coming from the front. This was the reason of her death. The girl's father Rajesh Patel told that Gayatri was her younger daughter. The elder daughter is married. He has only one son, who works with private firm. Gayatri never mentioned any problem. Even this morning, while leaving the house, there was no tension visible on his face. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched a scathing attack on the Congress over its manifesto and said that it was like a new version of the Muslim League. The chief minister stated, This is not a Nyay Patra, but Anyay Patra for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and Sanatan Dharma. A new version of the Muslim League has come. Nothing can be more shameful than the manifesto of the countrys oldest political party, Congress, representing the Muslim League. The chief minister was addressing the media in the Gorakhnath temple premises before leaving for the election campaign in Akbarpur, Farrukhabad and Shahjahanpur Lok Sabha constituencies on Wednesday. When asked about Sonia Gandhis accusation that Bharatiya Janata Party was promoting hatred politics, Chief Minister Yogi said that instead of telling white lies, Sonia Gandhi should at least develop a habit of speaking the truth. During the elections, these people wont be able to deceive the public anymore because under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the entire nation has come together in the vision of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat, he added. Continuing his attack, Yogi said, Everyone knows that Congress has inherited the policy of divide and rule. In 1947, Congress allowed the cunning tactics of the British to succeed and divided the country. After independence, Congress fueled class struggles within the country based on caste, region and language due to political selfishness. Terrorism, Naxalism and separatism, all of these are contributions of the Congress. Raising a question, Chief Minister Yogi asked, Who doesnt know what Sonia Gandhi did as the chairperson of the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) from 2004 to 2014? He said that they formed the Justice Ranganath Mishra Committee to undermine OBC reservation. The committee even suggested allocating 6 per cent of the OBC reservation to Muslims. The BJP and the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) opposed it at the time, and Congress plans could not materialize, he added. He said that Congress and its allies also attempted to encroach upon the rights of SC, ST communities. During the Congress government, there were attempts, as mentioned in the Sachar Committee report, to include some Muslim communities in the Scheduled Caste category. However, due to opposition from the NDA and the BJP, the Congress plans could not be fulfilled. The chief minister criticised the track record of Congress, accusing it of implementing Article 370 in Kashmir and undermining OBC reservation in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The people of India will never allow the intention of Congress to be fulfilled because divisive politics is not in anyones interest, Yogi added. Continuing his criticism of the Congress manifesto, the chief minister emphasised its divisive nature, warning that it could lead India towards class conflicts and encroach upon the rights of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes. However, he expressed confidence that the people of the nation would resist these Congress plans. He noted the current unity across the country under Prime Minister Narendra Modis leadership, striving to achieve the vision of a self-reliant and developed India. He said that the people of the entire country were determined to support the BJP and the NDA under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi for a developed India. India on Thursday said Canada has informed it about the arrest of three Indian citizens in the case of killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar but it has not provided any "specific" evidence or information in the matter yet. "Let me first make it clear that no specific or relevant evidence or information has been shared by the Canadian authorities till date," external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. "You will therefore understand our view that the matter is being pre-judged," he said at his weekly media briefing. Last week, Canadian authorities charged three Indian nationals with the murder of Nijjar. It is reported that they entered Canada on student visas. "Obviously, there are political interests at work. We have long maintained that separatists, extremists and those advocating violence have been given political space in Canada," Jaiswal said. "Our diplomats have been threatened with impunity and obstructed in their performance of duties," he said. "We have also pointed to the Canadian authorities that figures associated with organized crime with links with India have been allowed entry and residency in Canada," he said. Jaiswal said the two countries are currently engaged in discussions on issues such as the activities of pro-Khalistan elements and threats against Indian diplomats in Canada. He said many of India's extradition requests are pending with Canada. "We are having discussions at the diplomatic level on all these matters," he said. India Tuesday hit out at Canada for providing "safe haven" and political space to criminal and "secessionist" elements, in a sharp reaction to pro-Khalistan elements displaying an effigy of the Indian prime minister in an offensive manner at a parade in Ontario's Malton area. India also accused Canada of allowing "celebration and glorification" of violence and expressed concerns over the security of Indian diplomats in that country and that it expects Ottawa to ensure that they are able to carry out their responsibilities without fear. India's strong reaction came two days after the 'Nagar Kirtan' parade in Malton displayed a "float" that contained an effigy of the Indian prime minister reportedly within a cage. The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September last year of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar. New Delhi rejected Trudeau's charges as "absurd". Last week, Canadian authorities arrested Karan Brar (22), Kamalpreet Singh (22) and Karanpreet Singh (28). Days after Trudeau's allegations in September last, India asked Ottawa to downsize its diplomatic presence in the country to ensure parity. Subsequently, Canada withdrew 41 diplomats and their family members from India. India has been asserting that its "core issue" with Canada remained that of the space given to separatists, terrorists and anti-India elements in that country. Development of India-Maldives ties is based on "mutual interests" and "reciprocal sensitivity", External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday during his talks with his Maldivian counterpart Moosa Zameer. Zameer is New Delhi in the first high-level trip from Male after the Maldives' pro-China president Mohamed Muizzu assumed office six months ago. "As close and proximate neighbours, the development of our ties is obviously based on mutual interests and reciprocal sensitivity," Jaishankar said in his opening remarks in his meeting with Zameer. "As far as India is concerned, these are articulated in terms of our Neighbourhood First policy and SAGAR (Security and Growth for all in the Region) vision. I hope that our meeting today will enable us to strengthen the convergence of our perspectives in various domains," he said. The ties between the two countries came under severe strain in view of Muizzu insisting on withdrawal of Indian military personnel operating three military platforms in the island nation. India has already withdrawn most of its military personnel. Muizzu had set May 10 as the deadline for withdrawal of the Indian military troops from his country. "India has been a key provider of development assistance to the Maldives. Our projects have benefited the people of your country; contributed to the quality of life. They range from infrastructure projects and social initiatives to medical evacuation and health facilities," Jaishankar said. "We have also extended financial support on favourable terms in the past. India has been a First Responder on numerous occasions for Maldives," he said. "Our cooperation has also enhanced the security and well-being of your country through shared activities, equipment provisioning, capacity building and training," Jaishankar added. The AAP on Thursday targeted the BJP saying its only job is to defame Arvind Kejriwal and alleged that it is behind the Enforcement Directorate's charge sheet which is likely to be filed soon in a city court. The ED is expected to soon file a fresh charge sheet in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case and it may name Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, BRS leader K Kavitha and some others as accused, the official sources said. The Aam Aadmi Party sources alleged that the ED charge sheet is in fact the BJP's charge sheet. The BJP's only work remains to defame Kejriwal, they said. Kejriwal, who is also the national convener of the AAP, was arrested on March 21 by the ED and is currently lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody in the money laundering case. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the case is sub judice and any comments can be made only after the agency files the charges sheet. Earlier in the day, the ED also filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court opposing the grant of interim bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case, saying the right to campaign in the polls is neither fundamental nor constitutional. The Supreme Court has reserved its order on interim bail to Kejriwal and is likely to give the verdict on Friday. Senior AAP leader and Delhi government minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, in a post on X, alleged that Kejriwal is neither convicted nor any trial has begun. China-Serbia community with shared future in the new era is promising 09:38, May 09, 2024 By Global Times editorial ( Global Times Children welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping in Belgrade, Serbia, May 7, 2024. Xi arrived in Belgrade on Tuesday to pay a state visit to Serbia. Photo: Xinhua On Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic at the Palace of Serbia in Belgrade. The two leaders decided to deepen and elevate the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Serbia, and build a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era. For the two countries and peoples, this is a significant event. Over the past few decades, the two countries have understood, trusted, supported, and helped each other in times of adversity, becoming true friends and close brothers. The upgrading of the two countries' political relationship has come naturally, opening a new chapter in history. President Xi visited Serbia again after eight years, receiving a grand and warm welcome. The national flags of China and Serbia flew along the highway from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport all the way to the city center of Belgrade. Banners showing "Welcome President Xi" and "Warm welcome to endeared Chinese friends" were prominently displayed. Thousands of Serbian people shouted "China" and "Serbia" in front of the Palace of Serbia, showing their genuine emotions, which deeply touched and moved the Chinese society. China and Serbia enjoy "ironclad friendship," which is extraordinary in the ever-changing international relations. The ironclad friendship between China and Serbia has been tempered by blood and fire. In 1999, NATO bombed the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; in 2008, China experienced a major earthquake in Wenchuan, Southwest China's Sichuan Province; in 2014, Serbia suffered severe floods; and in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. The two countries and their peoples always extend a helping hand without hesitation when the other is in need, and this true friendship of mutual assistance cannot be eroded by time. The fundamental reason lies in the mutual respect, equal treatment, and high mutual trust between the two countries. The interaction between China and Serbia is phenomenal and should be a subject of research in international relations. For those obsessed with "great power competition" and "clash of civilizations," it should especially stimulate their thinking and reflection. Despite the vast distance, different social systems, and diverse cultural backgrounds, China and Serbia are able to resonate and reach consensus on international affairs, national development, and national sentiments. They have formed a close interdependence on the basis of independence, which is a breath of fresh air in the current international community plagued by a "trust deficit," setting an example for state-to-state relations. Observing the relationship between China and Serbia, two characteristics can be discerned. First, the interactions and cooperation between the two countries serve the well-being of both nations and their peoples. China and Serbia firmly support each other's core interests and major concerns. China supports Serbia's efforts to uphold national sovereignty and territorial integrity, opposing any interference in Serbia's internal affairs by external forces. Serbia steadfastly adheres to the one-China principle and supports China in safeguarding its own sovereignty and territorial integrity. On the core issue of safeguarding national unity and opposing territorial separatism, the two countries share a high degree of consensus. Meanwhile, cooperation between the two countries is deeply rooted at the grassroots level. Within just a few months of investment by a Chinese company, the Smederevo Steel Plant has turned losses into profits, ensuring job security for over 5,000 employees and now standing as Serbia's third-largest exporting enterprise. The municipal sewage treatment project "Clean Serbia," undertaken by China Road and Bridge Corporation, will benefit 2.3 million Serbian citizens. As a key project under the framework of China's cooperation with Central and Eastern European countries in building the Belt and Road Initiative, the Belgrade-Novi Sad section of the Hungary-Serbia Railway in Serbia is bringing about "revolutionary changes" in Serbia's transportation sector. For the people of both countries, the cooperation is not empty talk but tangible win-win outcomes. Second, China-Serbia cooperation, whether for the region or the globe, is a positive force. As ironclad friends and upholders of world peace, the two countries share similar positions on many significant international and regional issues. In international organizations such as the United Nations and various major multilateral events, they cooperate closely, jointly advocating for a fair and orderly multipolar world, and inclusive and equitable economic globalization. They practice genuine multilateralism. Confronted with the complex and tumultuous international landscape, both nations join hands to oppose hegemonism and power politics, striving to safeguard global peace, stability, and international fairness and justice. What sustains the development of relations between China and Serbia is a high degree of political mutual trust. Both countries do not allow ideological differences and value systems to create rifts, nor do they engage in "de-risking" or pan-politicization. Instead, they listen to each other's concerns, respect and support each other's development paths and national rejuvenation. It is on this foundation that mutual trust can continue to accumulate, mutual understanding can be cultivated, and the space and willingness for cooperation can grow. From politics, economics, to culture and society, the abundant fruits of China-Serbia exchanges are rooted in the political mutual trust. President Xi Jinping announced six measures to support the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future, as he jointly met the press with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Wednesday. This signifies the comprehensive expansion of the long-standing friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Serbia. A Chinese axiom goes, "Friends are those who are like-minded"; and Serbians would say, "Friends are the greatest asset in life." Under the strategic guidance of the two countries' leaders, the ironclad friendship between China and Serbia will continue to flourish, benefiting the peoples of both nations, promoting world peace and development, and jointly advancing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) The Tower Museum is encouraging people all over the city and district to pick up a pen or pencil and get involved with National Drawing Day this month. Together with dozens of museums, galleries, libraries and cultural organisations all over the island of Ireland, The Tower Museum will celebrate National Drawing Day on the 18th May 2024. This year the museum will be one of the co-hosts, alongside the National Gallery of Ireland, and will be opening its doors from 10:30am until 4pm on the day to everyone from artists, aspiring artists as well as individuals who just want to try a new hobby. Betty Doherty, Education & Access Assistant of the Tower Museum, said: Were really excited to get involved with this years National Drawing Day and we are encouraging everyone of all ages and abilities to pick up their pencils or paintbrushes on Saturday 18th May and get creative in our Education Space. This is a day for everyone to enjoy and let their creative side out. There is such a positive connection between art and mental health artistic activities such as drawing are therapeutic, lower stress levels and promote mental calmness. We are encouraging people of all ages and abilities to call into the Museum and take part in this one-day event. There will also be activities for the younger budding artists with arts and crafts for children, making it an event for all the family to get involved with. This is a free drop-in event, so no need to book. Doors will be open from 10:30am until 4pm. Visitors are encouraged to use the hashtag #NationalDrawingDay when posting on social media and get inspired by other budding artists. Visit www.towermuseumcollections.com/ or call the Tower Museum on 028 7137 2411 for more information. A young woman has been remanded in custody at Derry Magistrate's Court today accused of cutting off her electronic tag after a judge said she had been given a chance. Cheyenne Campbell (18) of Mount Street in Derry appeared charged with breaching her bail and a charge of criminal damage relating to her tag. Campbell admitted the criminal damage charge but a police officer opposed bail on the grounds she was likely to commit further offences. The officer said that Campbell had failed to comply with bail conditions and had breached bail several times since the start of April. Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley said that his client had taken a drink and decided 'it was a good idea to cut off her tag.' He said that the defendant realised that she was 'close to custody'. The solicitor said that the defendant's offending was linked to her bail conditions. He said that she was unlikely to receive a custodial sentence in this case. Deputy District Judge Alan White said he had given Campbell a chance last week and revoked her bail and remanded her in custody to appear again on June 6. Two brothers have appeared in court charged with a knifepoint robbery. Patrick Myers (22) of Clon Elagh and Christopher Myers (30) of Beraghvale both in Derry appeared at the local Magistrate's Court charged with robbing a man of 600. Patrick Myers was further charged with possessing Xanax and possessing a flick knife. All of the offences were said to have occurred on May 7. A police officer connected the accused to the charges and opposed bail. He told the court that the alleged victim in the case was at Waterside train station going to Belfast. The man had withdrawn a sum of money, believed to be 600, as he was planning a shopping trip. At 1.50pm the man was approached by a man police claim was Patrick Myers who demanded the alleged victim hand over his wallet who produced a knife. The man said he did not have a wallet but the man demanded the cash. At this point another man allegedly Christopher Myers approached and both men were said to have made off in a car which the alleged victim's partner managed to get the registration number. Police went to an address at Beraghvale and as they approached Patrick Myers came out and told police 'it is me you are after I was driving.' He was searched and drugs and a knife was found on him. Christopher Myers was in the house. CCTV footage from the scene was checked but it was found the robbery took place 'off camera'. The officer opposed bail and said that while neither man had a record 'the confidence' that the alleged robbery was carried out suggested that these were not the first offences but simply had not been caught. Defence solicitor Paddy MacDermott for Patrick Myers said his client denied the offences. He said that the CCTV was 'inconclusive' but wondered how they would have known the alleged victim had 600 on him. The solicitor said that this was not a normal street robbery and said his client could be released with conditions. Seamus Quigley defence solicitor for Christopher Myers said his client had no record whatsoever. He said that the defendant had given a version of events and it was clear further inquiries had to be made. Deputy District Judge Alan White said it was 'a serious offence involving a knife'. He remanded Patrick Myers in custody and released Christopher Myers on bail on condition he does not enter the Waterside and reports to police three times a week. Both men will appear again on June 6. A judge at Derry Magistrate's Court today said he had 'no hesitation' in refusing bail to a man with an 'atrocious record' charged with a series of aggravated burglaries at various addresses in the city. Josh Parker (30) with an address in the Antrim Road in Belfast appeared charged with a series of offences. He was charged with wounding with intent and possessing a knife on December 27 2022. He was further charged with aggravated burglary with the theft of cash, criminal damage and assault on March 21. Parker also faced another series of charges including threats to kill, possessing an offensive weapon, criminal damage and two assaults that were said to have occurred on May 6. Finally Parker was charged with another aggravated burglary in Derry, possessing an offensive weapon, making a threat to kill and possessing Diazepam on May 7. A police officer connected the accused to the charges and opposed bail. Deputy District Judge Alan White asked 'in what circumstances would I grant bail?' Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley said that the defendant had an address in Belfast while the offences were said to have occurred in Derry. He said that in relation to one of the charges the defendant would claim he had been attacked and suffered injuries. Judge White refused bail due to the defendant's record and the seriousness of the offences. Parker will appear again on June 6. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Former Northern Ireland secretary Sir Brandon Lewis said he feared the Stormont Executive could collapse in autumn 2020, as tensions rose between ministers about whether to extend Covid restrictions. Giving evidence to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, Sir Brandon also said he had been surprised when the Irish Government shut schools in the early months of the pandemic, just a day after he had had a conversation with the countrys deputy premier about the need for consistent messaging across the island. The Stormont powersharing institutions were restored in January 2020 following a three-year collapse. But the new Executive found itself immediately faced with the challenge of coping with the Covid pandemic, introducing a series of restrictions to attempt to limit the virus spread. In November, during a series of Executive meetings, Stormont ministers struggled to agree on extensions to lockdown measures as the second wave of the virus spread. Sir Brandon, who was secretary of state at the time, said ministers had become frustrated with each other. He told the inquiry: I do remember during that period being concerned that I could see the Executive collapsing again. One of the ministers had been talking about resigning, just out of frustration at how things were happening. It wasnt about so much the decisions per se, it was about the process, papers coming late or inappropriate, people leaking things during the meeting. There was a real frustration with each other. It was a very, very difficult period. Sir Brandon said tensions in the Executive had spilled over into the public following the attendance of Sinn Fein members at the funeral of republican Bobby Storey in June 2020. He also pointed out that Sir David Sterling had retired as head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service in August 2020 but then-first minister Arlene Foster and then-deputy first minister Michelle ONeill had been unable to agree on a replacement. The inquiry was also shown a readout from a telephone conversation between Sir Brandon and then-tanaiste Simon Coveney on March 11 2020. The conversation had focused on the need for consistent messaging between the two jurisdictions in the fight against Covid. But the following day, the Irish Government announced it was going to close schools. Lead counsel for the inquiry Clair Dobbin KC asked if this had become a cause of some difficulty for ministers in the Stormont powersharing Executive. Sir Brandon said: Absolutely right, yes. It certainly did cause an issue. Only days before, myself and Simon Coveney were discussing how we work together, keep each other informed, if there are going to be differences, which there are likely to be with two sovereign governments making decisions and the Northern Ireland Executive with their powers, so that we at least understand what they are so we can manage them. And then we were all taken by surprise. I was actually in Washington DC when the taoiseach (Irish premier) went out in Washington and made that announcement. It was a complete surprise to everybody and that was surprising, bearing in mind we had all just been talking about working together. He added: It immediately put a question mark, if the Irish Government have got a reason to do this, why is not everybody else doing this? For the wider UK Government it created an issue, but it was a particular issue in Northern Ireland because of the lack of notice, lack of understanding of why they were doing it. Stormonts Department of Health was the greatest superspreader of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland during the early months of the pandemic, a former minister has claimed. Edwin Poots, formerly the DUPs agriculture minister, told the UK Covid-19 Inquiry that moving elderly people from hospitals to care homes with no form of quarantine or testing had caused the deaths of many people needlessly. Mr Poots, who is now the speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, also became emotional giving evidence to the inquiry as he recalled the death of his own father during the pandemic. Charlie Poots died at the age of 90 in April 2020. Mr Poots said: I went through that personal experience of my father becoming unwell, calling the ambulance, having him taken to hospital. We followed the ambulance down to the Ulster Hospital and my father went in on the trolley. I wasnt allowed to see him again until he was close to dying. That is the experience that thousands of families had. It was an awful experience and it was imposed as a result of the Covid-19 regulations. Thousands of families across the province werent able to be there with their loved ones whenever they needed them most. Mr Poots was asked if his own personal experiences had afected the way he perceived the political response to the pandemic. He said: Very much so. I would have seen things like banning people from going to graveyards as being wholly ineffective in terms of saving lives, but utterly cruel in how they affected the relatives of the deceased, particularly recently deceased. It is something that is important to many people to be able to go to the grave of a loved one but we, the government, banned people from doing that and I didnt see any benefits whatsoever in terms of the fight against Covid in doing that. The inquiry, which is sitting in Belfast for three weeks, is scrutinising the Northern Ireland Executives handling of the pandemic. Mr Poots was asked to comment on health regulations introduced in Northern Ireland in March 2020 to combat the spread of the virus. Counsel for the inquiry Nick Scott read an extract from a written statement Mr Poots had provided. The extract said: It transpired the greatest superspreader of Covid-19 was, in fact, the Department of Health with devastating consequences. Asked to explain this, the former minister said: I think the Department of Health (at Stormont) followed the Department of Health in England and took the decision that we needed to have hospital beds ready for potentially an awful lot of people coming in. In order to do that we needed to empty the hospitals. Mr Poots said it was a reckless act to move elderly people from hospitals to residential or nursing care homes without any form of quarantine or testing. He added: A little foresight involved would have said we should not be putting people from hospitals into a care facility where there are other vulnerable elderly people without having some form of quarantine in place. He said when he was allowed to visit his own father before he died in April 2020, there were very few people in the hospital. Mr Poots said: The urgency that was created to get all these elderly people out of hospital and have these beds available, that didnt materialise, but what did materialise was that the nursing homes were left in an absolutely perilous state. It was a horrendous experience for all of those people who were working in nursing homes and they were losing patient after patient after patient. Mr Scott asked Mr Poots what he believed should have happened in March 2020. He said: The scientific advice should have been if we need beds in hospitals, then we need to empty these beds in a manner which doesnt cause further issues, further problems. Therefore, the removal of the people from the beds should have been done in a much more structured way as opposed to just divest them all to the nursing and residential homes without any form of testing or quarantine. The former minister told the inquiry the measures were introduced by the Department of Health without consulting with the wider powersharing Executive. He added: That was a major decision which caused the deaths of many people needlessly. A convicted scammer who claimed to be an Irish heiress and who is accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from several alleged victims should be extradited to the UK, a federal court in the US has ruled. Marianne Smyth, who accusers say has also fashioned herself as a witch, a psychic and a friend to Hollywood stars, has been in a Maine jail waiting to learn if she will be extradited. She faces allegations that she stole more than 170,000 dollars (135,000) from people from 2008 to 2010 in Northern Ireland. US magistrate judge John Nivison ruled on Thursday that there is sufficient evidence to certify her extradition to the UK to face charges. Judge Nivison wrote that she will be in custody of the US Marshals Service pending a decision on extradition by US secretary of state Antony Blinken. A lawyer for Smyth, who has declined to comment in the past, did not respond to phone calls and emails on Thursday. The judges ruling that she should be extradited could help bring about the end of a bizarre saga in which alleged victims have painted Smyth as a master of disguise and a veteran travelling grifter. Smyth faces four counts of fraud by abuse of position under the UK Fraud Act of 2006, and four counts of theft in violation of Northern Irelands Theft Act of 1969, Judge Nivison wrote. Authorities overseas have said Smyth stole money that she had promised to invest and arranged to sell an alleged victim a home but took the money. A court in Northern Ireland issued arrest warrants for her earlier this decade. The evidence presented regarding Ms Smyths interactions with and transactions involving the individuals is sufficient to sustain the four fraud charges and the four theft charges that are the subject of the extradition request, Judge Nivison wrote. Smyths victims included Johnathan Walton, a podcaster who warned others about her. Smyth was found guilty of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from Mr Walton and spent about two years in jail. The two had grown close in Los Angeles, and Smyth told Mr Walton she was due an inheritance of seven million dollars from her wealthy Irish family, but Smyths story began to fall apart when Mr Walton learned she was jailed for stealing 200,000 dollars from a travel agency she worked for. Walton used his podcast to gather tips from Smyths other accusers. Some of those accusers said Smyth started a fake charity and others said she posed as everything from a cancer patient to Jennifer Anistons best friend. Smyth, who is in fact American, was found and arrested in Maine in February. Last weekend, from 3-6 May, saw 600 workers and youth gathering in London for the launch of the Revolutionary Communist Party in Britain. This landmark congress represents a historic milestone. Join us today, get organised, and help build the RCP. [Originally published at communist.red] While Netanyahu was making his final preparations to invade Rafah, and as student protestors were setting up their tents on campuses across the country, a momentous event in the history of the British communist movement was taking place in London: the launch of the Revolutionary Communist Party. This landmark gathering saw around 600 communists in attendance from all across Britain, along with international visitors from Canada, Ireland, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and more. While the rest of the so-called left wallows in pessimism and despair, the RCP founding congress was an island of revolutionary optimism. In the words of one attendee, a communist who joined the party only two months ago: This congress has completely inspired me. Ive never been so convinced of anything. The Marxists have every reason to be optimistic. This congress, vividly reflecting the explosive growth of our organisation over the past year, was a declaration that a powerful revolutionary force is being forged in Britain. Already, over 1,150 communists are organised under our banner. But this is only the beginning. The message coming out of this congress was clear. We are recruiting for revolution; on the hunt for every genuine class fighter on these isles, to help us reach our next milestone: the 10,000 membership mark. So if you want to overthrow this entire wretched system, we say: join the communists and get organised! World revolution This is a historic congress, taking place amidst a turning point. So stated Alan Woods, a leading theoretician of the soon-to-be Revolutionary Communist International (RCI), in his opening words to the assembled audience on Friday night. We have entered into a new period, which will be the most turbulent, violent, and disturbed in the whole of human history. As Alan explained, the profound instability in the world today is rooted in the deep, organic crisis of capitalism. Totally unable to take society forwards, this decrepit system is bursting with contradictions. One clear manifestation of this crisis are the widening fissures in world relations. As Jorge Martin, another leading member of the RCI, put it, discussing the growing tensions between the major imperialist powers: a gang of pirates and thieves find it easier to share when their pile of loot is growing; but when it begins to shrink, they enter into a fierce struggle between themselves. In Ukraine, NATO is on the verge of a humiliating defeat. In Israel, Netanyahus reckless regime is threatening to spark a wider conflagration across the entire Middle East. These conflicts, combined with all manner of other economic and political factors, are pouring petrol on the fire of capitalist crisis, dragging the whole planet deeper into chaos and catastrophe. Turmoil and struggle In Britain, the fabric of society is being torn asunder, as a century of decline takes its toll. In turn, political turmoil is heightening across the UK, and the class struggle is intensifying. From its former dominant position as the wave-ruling workshop of the world, British capitalism today is a pathetic sight, presided over by a circus of clowns. The Tories are living off borrowed time, as their humiliating drubbing in the recent local elections attests. But a number of delegates emphasised how Starmers Labour wont fix anything. Scotland has not been spared from the tumult. The SNP used to boast about the relative political stability seen north of the border. But now Holyrood has been plunged into crisis also, with another new First Minister John Swinney residing in Bute House. As leading Scottish RCP member Shaun Morris put it, discussing workers sentiments towards the SNP leaders: What is the point of you, if all you do is get careers and carry out Tory policies? Crisis of leadership Rob Sewell political editor of The Communist introduced this discussion on the perspectives for the coming British revolution, highlighting the bitterness, discontent, and misery amongst the working class, which is rapidly crystallising into an enraged anti-establishment mood. As Alan Woods later summarised: This isnt apathy; its a total collapse of confidence with the system. Such anger is a harbinger of future revolutionary events. The whole situation is like a powder keg. As Alan put it: This is a living recipe for an explosion of the class struggle, unlike anything seen since WW2. Unfortunately, there is a complete lack of leadership to channel this anger into action. There is an absolute chasm, explained Adam Booth, editor of communist.red, between what is demanded by the situation and what is on offer from the lefts. At every step, the left reformists have sought the path of class compromise, appealing to the capitalists and their agents to make their exploitative profit system nicer and kinder. But as Rob warned: You can peel an onion layer by layer, but you cant skin a tiger claw by claw. And capitalism isnt a bloody onion! Millions of ordinary people are yearning for answers. But they find no solutions from these supposed lefts. The result is a complete political vacuum, with the accumulated indignation in society instead finding an expression through all sorts of explosive movements and other avenues. This presents enormous opportunities for the communists to grow, in order to play a decisive role in the titanic events that impend. And that is where we come in. Blast off The RCP is being founded to resolve this crisis of leadership. As Rob asserted: There has never been a more opportune time to launch a Revolutionary Communist Party. Under these heated conditions, our party aims to be a bright red magnet for revolutionary workers and youth. As was reported at congress, the communists in Britain are already making great strides in this direction. Since the last national congress, thanks to our bold are you a communist? campaign, the membership of our organisation has grown by 41 percent. We now have around 1,150 members, organised in 120 branches and cells across the country. And we have a presence on 55 campuses, and in 17 schools. This pattern of success is being replicated across the planet, as Hamid Alizadeh, another leading RCI member, reported to congress on Sunday evening. Our international has grown by 46 percent in the past twelve months. In North America we are blasting off. The newly-launched Revolutionary Communists of America have grown by 118 percent in the last year. Our comrades in Canada have recruited 100 new members in the last month alone. As Hamid summarised, we are starting to become a focal point for communism on a world scale. As the crisis of capitalism deepens, we are taking off. We must learn to think big. This process will be crowned at our world school of communism in June, where the Revolutionary Communist International will be officially inaugurated. Revolutionary road We are on the right road, stated Ben Gliniecki, national organiser of the RCP, but we are only at the beginning. As Ben continued, introducing Sundays organisational discussions: Think about what is coming in Britain, and what role our party could play. That party will not just fall from the sky. It has to be built. And this congress is to announce that we are doing that. Above all, our task is to grow. We are striving to make ourselves as visible as possible to a new generation of communists, with the aim of turning every school, campus, and workplace into a fortress of communism. The goal is wide open. As Alan said: These young layers are looking for an organisation. They are looking for us! Why should we hide? New recruits do not join us to be mollycoddled, but to fight. We are aiming to train Marxist cadres who can build for themselves, and spread clear revolutionary ideas. As one delegate put it: We are giving new comrades the opportunity to change the world. At the same time, huge opportunities for connecting communist ideas with real, living struggles are opening up every day. In particular, the discussions at congress focused on arming the comrades for the wave of university encampments that is now sweeping across Britain, modelled on the protests taking place in the USA. As RCP campaigns organiser Fiona Lali explained, our role in these movements is to patiently explain. The task of the communists is to work out who we are talking to; work out where they are at; and build a bridge from their ideas to ours. Towards a weekly paper In all our activity, our main weapon is our paper: The Communist. As Adam Booth from the editorial board explained, in a discussion on the revolutionary press, our paper is our uniform, transforming us into walking, talking recruitment posters for communism. In this session, on the final day of congress, Adam reported on the immense success of The Communist, including a 40 percent increase in sales compared to the same period last year. We now have our sights set on a weekly paper by next years congress an essential step for keeping up with the frenetic pace of events, and a powerful lever for the further growth of the forces of communism in Britain. Contributions in this discussion emphasised the leap from being a paper for workers to becoming a workers paper. Instead of commenting from the sidelines, we are increasingly participating in struggles, amplifying the voices of militant workers, and drawing out the necessary political conclusions for the movement. Training communist cadres The bedrock of our organisation, and of all our work, are the granite foundations of Marxist theory. As Fred Weston, a leading comrade of the RCI, pointed out in the session on Learning from Lenin: An organisation is first of all ideas, traditions and methods; and only after this, an apparatus to carry these out. With the growth of our organisation, our ideas are starting to take on flesh. With hundreds of new, young communists joining our ranks, Marxist education has become even more important. We pride ourselves as a party on our efforts to transform each raw recruit through a diligent study of Marxist theory into a revolutionary cadre: someone who can size up the battlefield; work out the appropriate slogans and tactics for the given moment; and act, as a communist, to build up a solid group around them. Every comrade in this room, Fred emphasised, has a responsibility to raise their political level to match the tasks posed by history. This was clearly taken on board by those in the audience, as reflected in the over 6,500 raised through sales of Marxist theory a 150 percent increase compared to last years congress. This included a large number of purchases of Wellred Books new edition of Left-Wing Communism: An Infantile Disorder, a vital read for any new recruit, which Lenin wrote to train a new generation of revolutionaries in communist strategy and tactics. Planting the red flag The founding congress of the Revolutionary Communist Party was no talking shop. RCP members inspired by the weekends discussions, and confident in the ideas were more than willing to put their money where their money is. Were aiming to overthrow the capitalist order, stated Niklas Albin Svensson, a leading RCI member. This isnt something you do in your spare time, or with spare change. It requires serious sacrifice. Funnelling this enthusiasm, dedication, and fighting spirit into the financial collection, comrades pulled together to raise a groundbreaking 160,000 smashing our pre-congress target. Attendees heard about the incredible sacrifices and fundraising efforts that RCP members have made. One veteran comrade donated 6000 from their retirement fund. A recently-married couple asked their wedding guests to donate to the founding of the party. 1000 was donated on behalf of lifelong revolutionary Steve Jones, who sadly passed away two years ago. These tremendous sacrifices put us in good stead for the next stage in our development: to plant the red flag, and put ourselves on the map as the genuine party of communism in Britain. Huge events lie on the horizon, which will shake society from top to bottom. And we are preparing ourselves for these storms and struggles getting straight to work in building the revolutionary leadership required. As Rob Sewell concluded, to rapturous applause: Let our enemies scoff. We understand that a small organisation armed with the right ideas and the right apparatus can connect with the working class and grow very rapidly. That is the perspective of the RCP. HIGHLIGHTS As our reliance on smartphones grows, so does our reliance on AI chatbots. Amidst the global giants in AI, theres a rising star from India that might have slipped under your radar: Olas Krutrim AI assistant. I asked Krutrim, ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot to explain the concept of NPU in processors. In our rapidly evolving technological landscape, the demand for fast, readily available information is more crucial than ever. As our reliance on smartphones grows, so does our reliance on AI chatbots. Amidst the global giants in AI, theres a rising star from India that might have slipped under your radar: Olas Krutrim AI assistant. In this article, I have compared Indias Krutrim AI with popular chatbots like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot. Also read: I asked AI to help me with advice on toothache, heres what I got I asked Krutrim, ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot to: Explain concept of NPU in processors. Lets see how they responded. Krutrim A Neural Processing Unit (NPU) is a specialised hardware accelerator designed to optimise the performance of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning tasks. Unlike traditional Central Processing Units (CPUs) and Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), NPUs are specifically designed to handle the complex mathematical computations required by deep learning algorithms. They are highly efficient at processing AI tasks such as natural language processing, image analysis, and more. NPUs are embedded within chipset processors to enhance the performance of neural network applications, freeing up the CPU and providing power efficiency. The integration of NPUs into larger SoCs enables the acceleration of AI tasks and the efficient execution of artificial neural network operations. Also read: Meta AI vs Microsoft Copilot: Who generates better AI images? Check results ChatGPT An NPU, or Neural Processing Unit, is a specialised processing unit designed to efficiently perform tasks related to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Traditional processors, like CPUs (Central Processing Units) and GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), are general-purpose and can handle a wide range of tasks, but they might not be optimised for the specific demands of AI and ML computations. NPUs are tailored to accelerate the types of calculations involved in neural network operations, such as matrix multiplications and convolutions, which are fundamental to deep learning algorithms. These units are typically optimised for high parallelism and low precision arithmetic, which are common characteristics of neural network computations. NPUs can significantly speed up AI and ML workloads compared to running them on general-purpose processors. They are commonly found in various devices such as smartphones, smart cameras, autonomous vehicles, and data centres, where AI and ML tasks are increasingly important. By offloading these tasks to dedicated NPUs, overall system performance can be improved while also reducing power consumption, making them especially valuable for edge computing and mobile applications where energy efficiency is crucial. Microsoft Copilot An NPU (Neural Processing Unit) is a specialised processor designed explicitly for executing machine learning algorithms. Unlike traditional CPUs and GPUs, NPUs are optimised for handling complex mathematical computations integral to artificial neural networks. Here are some key points about NPUs: Dedicated Acceleration: An NPU is specifically designed to accelerate neural network operations and AI tasks. It focuses on data-driven parallel computing, making it highly efficient at processing massive multimedia data like videos and images, as well as handling AI-related tasks such as speech recognition, background blurring in video calls, and photo or video editing processes like object detection. Integration: For most consumer products, the NPU is integrated into the main CPU, as seen in Intel Core and Core Ultra series or the new AMD Ryzen 8040-series laptop processors. However, in larger data centres or specialised industrial operations, the NPU might be a separate discrete processor on the motherboard, independent of other processing units. Difference from GPUs: While many AI and machine learning workloads are run on GPUs, theres an important distinction between GPUs and NPUs. GPUs are known for their parallel computing capabilities, but not all GPUs are equally effective at processing machine learning workloads. NPUs, on the other hand, are purpose-built for neural network computations, making them more efficient for AI tasks. In summary, NPUs play a crucial role in accelerating AI workloads, enhancing performance, and enabling a new era of AI-accelerated tasks across various domains. If you have any more questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask! Gemini CPUs are the workhorses of computers, handling a wide range of tasks. GPUs excel at rendering graphics and complex calculations. But for tasks specifically involving artificial intelligence (AI), theres a new player on the team: the NPU, or Neural Processing Unit. Heres the breakdown: Focus on AI: Unlike CPUs and GPUs, NPUs are built specifically for accelerating AI applications. Theyre designed to mimic the structure and function of the human neural network, making them super efficient at tasks like image recognition, speech recognition, and machine learning. Power of Parallel Processing: NPUs are essentially manycore processors, meaning they can crunch through massive amounts of data simultaneously. This parallel processing muscle is ideal for the complex calculations involved in AI algorithms. Efficiency Matters: NPUs are optimised for low-power operation. This is crucial for battery-powered devices like smartphones where extended AI use shouldnt drain the battery quickly. Working Together: CPUs, GPUs, and NPUs dont compete, they complement each other. The CPU handles general tasks, the GPU tackles graphics and heavy calculations, and the NPU speeds up AI workloads. This division of labour keeps everything running smoothly. Overall, NPUs are a powerful addition to the processing team, accelerating AI tasks and making devices more efficient for an increasingly AI-powered world. Verdict In my opinion, Gemini provided the clearest and most straightforward explanation of NPUs (Neural Processing Units) among the compared AI chatbots. Geminis explanation was easy to understand, avoiding technical jargon. Alat fund of Saudi Arabia poised to cut China ties for US chips and AI Saudi Arabia's Alat Fund is prepared to sever ties with China if requested by the United States, following a similar move by UAE's G42. Speaking to Bloomberg, Alat CEO Amit Midha affirmed that requests received so far center on maintaining a complete separation of manufacturing and supply chains from China. If collaboration with China raises concerns in the US, Alat will terminate those relations. Taking a side The fund, backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), specializes in semiconductor and AI investments. Midha emphasized the US as the preferred partner and market for Alat in these industries. Anticipating an announcement of partnerships with two US tech firms by the end of June, Midha remained tight-lipped on specifics, including whether these ventures will focus on AI or semiconductors. Saudi Arabia aims to build its semiconductor manufacturing industry and develop successful AI enterprises, but US concerns persist over Middle Eastern ties to China potentially enabling technology access that bypasses US sanctions. The price of chips and AI Besides Saudi Arabia, the UAE's G42 has reportedly scaled back its Chinese operations to comply with US agreements, facing possible sanctions otherwise. G42's concessions include removing certain Chinese technologies from its systems in exchange for maintaining access to US technology such as the Nvidia chips. Geopolitical factors drove G42's decision to reduce Chinese ties, aiming to collaborate with leading US and European AI tech firms instead. Microsoft previously announced a US$1.5 billion investment in G42, with the latter planning to utilize Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform as the backbone for its AI product development and deployment. Additionally, G42 has close partnerships with US companies such as OpenAI and AI processor design firm Cerebras Systems. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are both vying for dominance in the AI sector in the Middle East. A report by PwC cited by the National suggests substantial economic benefits for GCC countries, with expected annual gains reaching US$23.5 billion collectively by 2030, largely driven by investments in GenAI technology. Backed by robust profit, Toyota to invest JPY2 trillion in supply chain, EV, SDV Toyota Motor reported hefty profit growth for the past fiscal year ending March 2024, thanks to booming hybrid EV sales and a weaker Japanese Yen. The automaker said it plans to invest JPY2 trillion (US$13.79 billion) in its suppliers, growing the EV lineup and developing Software-Defined Vehicles (SDV). Highlights of Toyota FY2024 financial results Item Result (JPY b) YoY change (%) Sales revenues 45,095.3 21.4 Operating income 5352.9 96.4 Operating margin (%) 11.9 Income before taxes 6,965 89.8 Net income 4,944.9 101.7 Net income margin (%) 11 Source: Toyota, compiled by DIGITIMES Asia, May 2024 According to Toyota's FY2024 financial report released on May 8, growing demand for HEVs and price revisions in North American and European markets favored the company's operating income. A weak yen also benefited its earnings outside Japan. Toyota and Lexus sold over 10 million cars in fiscal 2024 ending in March, up 7.3% from the previous year. The carmaker said sales volume increased worldwide except Japan, where Daihatsu Motor and Toyota Industries Corporation suspended deliveries due to scandals. Electrified vehicles accounted for 37.4% of Toyota's total sales in the past fiscal year, with HEV contributing 3,594,000 cars. For fiscal 2025 ending in March 2025, vehicle sales of Toyota and Lexus are expected to remain at a similar level to the previous year. However, the portion of electrified vehicles will likely rise to 46.4%. Toyota said it plans to spend JPY2 trillion in fiscal 2025 on "human resources" and investment in transforming into a mobility company. Therefore, its operating income is expected to decline to JPY4.3 trillion. According to Toyota, JPY380 billion of the investment will help suppliers reduce labor costs and improve their working environment. At a press conference following the release of financial results, Toyota President Koji Sato said the company's performance was backed by a strong supply chain, which Toyota is determined to protect and develop, Nikkei Asia reported. The automaker will spend JPY1.7 trillion in capital expenditure and R&D expenses to develop battery EVs, hydrogen vehicles, and SDVs. Similar to many legacy carmakers, Toyota has faced fierce competition in China. The company managed to sell more than 1.9 million cars in fiscal 2024, a comparable level to the previous year. Toyota said steady demand for HEVs drove its sales. According to Nikkei Asia, Yoichi Miyazaki, Toyota's chief financial officer, said on Wednesday that the automaker will try to distance itself from the price war in the world's largest car market. He added that China is seeing an oversupplied market with cheap BEVs. 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe In April 1917, Lenin returned to Russia, arriving into Petrograds famous Finland Station. This was the beginning of his one-man struggle to politically reorient the Bolshevik Party a vital stepping stone towards the October Revolution. Lenins famous April Theses represented his fight to politically re-arm the Bolshevik Party, who had been swept off course by the February Revolution in 1917. These theses were read out by Lenin at two meetings of the All-Russia Conference of Soviets of Workers and Soldiers Deputies, on 4 April 1917 (in the old Russian calendar), and were published on 7 April in issue 26 of the Bolshevik paper Pravda. They were nothing short of a political bombshell. At a time when the overwhelming public mood was of jubilation at the overthrow of Tsarism, Lenin soberly and systematically analysed the stage that the Russian Revolution was passing through, and declared the necessary steps to carry out a genuine and complete socialist revolution. The April Theses called for revolutionaries to decisively break with the bourgeois Provisional Government, installed following the February Revolution, and to instead demand all power to the soviets the councils of workers and peasants that represented the embryo of workers power. The response of the other Bolsheviks towards this declaration was utter shock. Lenin found himself in a minority of one amongst the Bolshevik Central Committee. But such was Lenins political authority and genius, that he single-handedly managed to win over the Bolshevik Party to his political line. In doing so, he prepared the party to lead the working class to power in October of that year. Were it not for Lenins intervention, the October Revolution would never have taken place. The entire course of history would have been altered. It was at this historical juncture where a great individual like Lenin could play a decisive role in history. Dual power On 23 February 1917, a spontaneous strike of women textile workers in Petrograd initiated a wave of revolt. This would result in the overthrow of the detested Tsar Nicholas II within five days. Protesting against the disastrous war campaign, the high cost of living, and terrible working conditions, the proletarian women of Petrograd mobilised the factory workers at a speed that surprised even the social democratic (which at the time meant Marxist) activists. This was accompanied by mass meetings and demonstrations. By 27 February, most of the city was in the hands of workers and soldiers. The masses, having learned from their experience of the 1905 revolution, immediately set up soviets: councils of workers and peasants. In reality, the soviets held power in their hands. The leadership of the soviets, however, was in the hands of the Mensheviks and Social Revolutionaries, who had no intention of taking power on behalf of the masses. Instead, these leaders handed power to the bourgeois provisional government, consisting of liberals who ultimately represented the old regime of landlords and capitalists. On 23 February 1917, a spontaneous strike of women textile workers in Petrograd initiated a wave of revolt, resulting in the overthrow of the tsar / Image: public domain The intention of the Provisional Government from the start was to shipwreck the revolution. They merely made cosmetic changes at the top, without fundamentally changing society. At one point, it was even revealed that the Provisional Government intended to re-invite the recently deposed Tsar back into power! The lawyer and vice chairman of the Petrograd Soviet, Alexander Kerensky, was appointed as chairman of the new Provisional Government. Ironically, Kerensky would have been considered far too radical for the Tsarist government in the preceding period. But as is often the case during revolutionary movements, out of desperation, the Russian bourgeoisie sought to incorporate this leader into their ranks, in order to restrain and placate the masses. The Provisional Government made all the same arguments that the reformist leaders do today. They used their authority to hold back the masses, in the name of unity and defence of democracy. They argued that it would be impossible for the working class to change society on its own, and that pressure must be put on the bourgeois to make it act in the interests of workers. A contradictory situation known as dual power emerged in Russia. Two diametrically-opposed forms of government existed simultaneously: one representing the workers; one representing the capitalists. Such a situation could not and cannot last indefinitely. Dual power is unstable and transitory, by its very nature, and can only ever be resolved by the complete victory of one of the mutually antagonistic classes over the other. The longer this situation continued, therefore, the graver the threat to the revolution. The Bolsheviks and 1917 The February Revolution took all of the workers organisations by surprise. It had taken place whilst Lenin was in exile in Zurich Switzerland. In fact, all the main Bolshevik leaders were outside Petrograd at this point too. Stalin and Kamenev were in exile in Siberia, for example. Upon hearing of the news of the revolution, Lenin immediately set about finding a way to return to Russia. In the country itself, meanwhile, the February Revolution freed political prisoners. And Stalin and Kamenev subsequently returned from Siberia. Ironically, this pushed the Bolsheviks further to the right. The leadership represented by Stalin and Kamenev, whilst Lenin was still in exile, succumbed to the pressure of public opinion / Image: public domain The rank and file of the Bolshevik Party had a healthy, instinctive distrust of the Provisional Government. The leadership, however, represented by Stalin and Kamenev, whilst Lenin was still in exile, succumbed to the pressure of public opinion and the wave of naive optimism that swept the country. Pravda, the Bolshevik paper, refused to criticise the Provisional Government or its continuation of the imperialist war. As is the case with every revolutionary movement, there was overwhelming pressure from the liberals for unity, which intoxicated the unprepared Bolshevik Party. This even reached a point where, at the March Congress of the Bolsheviks, a fusion of the Bolshevik and Menshevik parties was actively considered by those present. Letters from Afar Lenin was shocked to hear of the Bolshevik response to the February Revolution. He demanded that workers break with the liberals and take power for themselves. Notably, Leon Trotsky, who was in exile in New York at the time, had independently come to the exact same conclusion as Lenin. It was in March 1917 that Lenin sent his letters from afar: the opening salvo in the struggle to re-arm the Bolsheviks, and the prelude to the April Theses. In his letters to Pravda at the time, Lenin tried to bring the comrades to their senses as to the real situation that lay behind the euphoria over the Tsars overthrow. He hammered home that the imperialist war could not be ended by the bourgeois Provisional Government, since the bourgeoisie were themselves tied by a thousand threads to the British and French imperialists, and had their own imperialist designs. Lenin was shocked to hear of the Bolshevik response to the February Revolution / Image: public domain A lasting democratic peace and not an imperialist, unjust one, which would merely pave the way for another war could only be achieved with proletarian revolution abroad, as well as in Russia. The Provisional Government was working towards the restoration of bourgeois power, he stated. No support should be given to it or the liberals. No unification should take place with opposing political parties like the Mensheviks. The soviets represented the embryo of workers power, Lenin explained. But the majority of workers and peasants had to be united under a concrete programme, in order to carry out the practical tasks of the Russian Revolution, such as the nationalisation of the land and the banks. And power would have to be transferred from the old state machinery, which was to be smashed, and handed to a new proletarian state. The content of these letters could not have been more different to the official Bolshevik line. The official Bolshevik leadership was so embarrassed by Lenins position, and its difference to theirs, that Pravda only published his first letter following heavy censorship to remove all passages where Lenin opposed agreement and unification with the Mensheviks. The second, third, and fourth letters were not even published! Lenin rearms the Bolsheviks After many negotiations, and a long journey back to Russia via Germany, Lenin finally arrived at the Finland station in Petrograd, where he was received with an enormous welcome by the Russian masses. Upon his arrival, Lenin immediately turned his backs on the soviet leaders, who had turned up with flowers for him, and launched into a thunderous tirade against the Provisional Government. From here, Lenin began a one-man struggle to turn the course of the Bolshevik Party around, under the famous slogan all power to the soviets. This was a struggle to prepare the Bolsheviks for power. But what does the slogan mean? The soviets were under the control of the Mensheviks and Social Revolutionaries at this point. The Bolsheviks were a minority. None of the soviet leaders believed that the working class should be in power. Even the left Mensheviks, like Sukhanov, were of the same opinion. The role of these leaders was to prop up the Provisional Government, behind which the forces of reaction were gathering strength and preparing for an offensive against the working class. The essence of Lenins slogan was to argue that the liberal soviet leaders should in fact take power on behalf of the working class, despite the Bolsheviks minority position. Had the Soviets done this, it would have been a completely peaceful transition of power to the working class, without the later violence of the July Days and the Kornilov coup. Lenin knew, however, that this was the last thing that the soviet leaders were prepared to do. The slogan was therefore intended to help win the masses over to the Bolshevik position not by simply denouncing the leaders, who many workers still looked towards, but by showing the workers what their leaders could do but were refusing to do with the power of the soviets. This both exposed these leaders, and showed to the workers that supported them that the Bolsheviks were not sectarian and only wanted the workers to have power. April Theses As Lenin explained: The basic question of every revolution is that of state power. Lenin knew from the moment of its inception that the bourgeois Provisional Government was incapable of completing the Russian Revolution. It therefore had to be overthrown. Lenin attended the April Conference and outlined his theses in full / Image: public domain But he also understood that the Provisional Government only existed through the support of the soviets, which represented the will of the majority of the masses. The task of the Bolsheviks, therefore, was to win a decisive majority of support amongst the masses and within the soviets. But first, the Bolshevik Party had to be steered onto the correct course. Lenins ideas shocked the Bolshevik leaders, who were unable to assess the situation themselves. Disunity and confusion reigned within the party. There was no clear position being provided by the leadership. Zinoviev, Kamenev, Stalin all opposed his ideas. At a meeting of all the social democratic parties, Bogdanov declared Lenins one hour speech to be the ravings of a madman. Lenin was similarly denounced by Plekhanov, Milyukov, and all the social democrat leaders. Lenin was, in practice, completely isolated. Undeterred, however, he attended the April Conference the next day, and outlined his theses in full. The following points were made: The Provisional Government, like the Tsarist one, is imperialist. The war being fought is therefore still an imperialist war. A revolutionary war could only be supported once the working class is in power. And without overthrowing capitalism, a truly democratic peace is impossible. The Russian Revolution is in transition from the first stage, where power was handed to the bourgeois class, to the second stage, where power must be placed into the hands of the proletariat and the poorest peasants. No support for the bourgeois Provisional Government. It must be exposed as a government of capitalists. The Bolsheviks are at this point a minority in the soviets. It is therefore necessary for a patient, systematic, and persistent explanation of the errors of the other parties, and of the need to transfer power completely to the soviets, which the masses will realise through experience. Not a parliamentary republic, but a republic of soviets of workers, agricultural labourers, and peasants deputies. No standing army but an armed people. Elected officials subject to recall and paid an average workers wage. Confiscation of all landed estates and nationalisation of all lands in the country, to be allocated by the soviets. Banks to be amalgamated into a single nationalised bank, under the control of the soviets. Bring social production and distribution of products under the control of the soviets. Call a party congress. Change the party programme on the imperialist war, the state, and the minimum programme, and change the name to the Communist Party. Lenin, seeing that the majority of social democrats had betrayed the proletarian revolution, understood the need to discard the soiled shirt of socialism, and adopt the clean linen of communism. A new revolutionary international. The Russian Revolution was never just a national event for Lenin it was the beginning of the world proletarian revolution, which would be the only way of guaranteeing success in Russia. Rigidity vs revolutionary As Lenin points out, the masses are always more revolutionary than any revolutionary organisation. He therefore saved his fiercest remarks for the vacillating leadership of the Bolshevik Party. Lenin threatened to take his criticisms directly to the ranks of the Bolshevik Party, if he remained in a minority in the leadership. The April Theses was published in Pravda three days later, bearing only Lenins signature. The old Bolsheviks responded by quoting Lenins old formulas by rote formulas that had already been made redundant by events. Kamenev replied to Lenin in Pravda, relying on the outdated formulation of a democratic dictatorship of the proletariat and peasantry. Lenin answered back decisively, stating that it was necessary to break with ideological routinism and face up to the reality of the situation. Dual power in Russia meant quite literally that the bourgeois democratic revolution had been completed with the handing of power back to the capitalists, through the Provisional Government; whilst at the same time, the embryonic workers state had emerged through the soviets, but had chained itself back to the bourgeois class. The only possible outcomes were either complete counter-revolution under the Provisional Government, or a full transition to workers power, a soviet government, and the carrying out of the socialist revolution. The old Bolshevik leaders treated Marxism as a rigid dogma, and a set of iron laws. They bent reality to fit the formulas, rather than the other way round. Time and time again, old formulas and perspectives that have outlived their use must be changed or done away with, depending on the situation. As Lenin said: Theory, my friend, is grey, but green is the eternal tree of life. Preparing for power As the old Bolsheviks moved further and further away from him, Lenins ideas organically unified with that of Trotsky. Some of the Bolsheviks even accused Lenin of Trotskyism in this period! Completely independently of Lenin, Trotsky argued for the same thing as him: for the working class to take power in a second revolution. Arriving back in Russia in May 1917, Trotsky spoke and acted in complete solidarity with the Bolsheviks, joining them formally later in the year, delaying only to win over the 4,000-strong Mezhraiontsy group (with Lenins agreement) to the Bolsheviks. Lenins appeal to the Bolshevik masses in the factories and the workplaces found an immediate echo. From there, his ideas reached the soldiers in the barracks. Lenins ideas were endorsed at a Petrograd conference of the Bolsheviks. And after three weeks of short but sharp struggle, Lenin from a position of complete isolation had won over a majority of the Bolshevik Party to his position. The April Theses and Lenins intervention to reorient the Bolshevik Party proved to be one of the decisive moments in Russian and world history. Through his political genius and authority, Lenin saved the Russian Revolution from almost certain disaster. The Bolsheviks emerged from the April Conference as a unified and strengthened whole. From here, hundreds of thousands of workers joined the ranks of the party. The stage was set for the conquest of power. The inaction and vacillation of the Menshevik and SR soviet leaders, however, led to the pendulum swinging towards the counter-revolution. Arch-reactionary general Kornlilov organised a coup or rather, attempted to. It was left to the Bolshevik workers to lead the successful struggle against the Kornilov coup. In the process, they won the support of a majority of the working class. One by one the Bolsheviks gained majorities in every major soviet in the country, on the basis of their slogan all power to the soviets. It was this that laid the foundations of the October Revolution, and the establishment of the first genuine workers state in history. From next year, customers of online retailer Amazon will be able to access a dedicated Irish website Amazon.ie, which promises faster delivery and returns while avoiding customs charges or currency conversion fees. The retail giant already employs 6,500 people in Cork, Dublin and Drogheda, and the site launch is expected to cause this number to grow. "While many people in Ireland already shop on Amazon stores in other countries, the new Ireland store will offer a localised shopping experience offering customers what they value most - a wide selection of over 100 million products, including even more from Irish businesses, low prices, and fast and convenient deliveries and returns," the company said. Over 1,000 small and medium-sized Irish enterprises (SMEs) already sell on the platform with these SMEs generating over 150 million in export sales in 2022. The new store will also be supported by the new five-year agreement that An Post and Amazon announced last year, which will lead to more convenient and faster deliveries and returns. "The launch of Amazon.ie will be great news for Irish customers and were looking forward to opening its virtual doors in 2025, said John Boumphrey, Ireland & UK country manager at Amazon. This underscores our continued commitment to Ireland, and will bring a wide selection of great value products with fast delivery to Irish customers, as well as provide great opportunities for small- and medium-sized Irish businesses to reach a bigger audience at home and abroad. Amazon says it has invested more than 17 billion in Ireland since 2020. The company first opened an office here back in September 2004, and this was followed in April 2006 with a Customer Service Centre in Cork. In November 2007, Amazon Web Services (AWS) launched its first infrastructure region outside of the US in Ireland. An official launch date for the new online store has not been announced yet, but more details about the new site, as well as ways for Irish brands to register, will be announced in the coming months. Thousands of people across Ireland could be eligible for a grant of up to 1000 for dental, optical, and other treatment services. The Treatment Benefit is a scheme run by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) to provide a limited financial contribution towards dental, optical and aural services. The Treatment Benefit Scheme is available to insured workers, the self-employed and retired people who have the required number of PRSI contributions. Under the Treatment Benefit Scheme, you may qualify for: Dental benefit Optical benefit Hearing aids Hair piece or wig You should contact your treatment provider to check your eligibility before proceeding with any treatment. Treatment Benefit in the EU If you choose to have treatment in another EU member state, the DSP will pay an amount equivalent to the rate paid for similar treatments carried out in Ireland or the amount actually paid for the treatment - whichever is the lower. You must still have the qualifying PRSI contributions. Check before you travel to get an application form and details of the amounts the DSP will pay. Dental Benefit Under this scheme, the DSP pays the full cost of an oral examination once a calendar year. Rodent and cockroach activity are among the reasons for 21 food business closures in April. According to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), it is the highest rate of enforcement orders since November 2019, when the same number were also issued. Fifteen Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998, on: Ginger Lillies Chinese Restaurant, 18 Mulgrave Street, Limerick Ginger Lillies Chinese Restaurant, 18 Mulgrave Street, Limerick Medina Kebab (Lets Eat) (Take away), 329 Blarney Street, Cork Medina Kebab (Lets Eat) (Take away), 329 Blarney Street, Cork Georgian Delight (service sector), Kitchen 3, 58-66 Parnell Street, Moore Street Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1 Georgian Delight (service sector), Kitchen 3, 58-66 Parnell Street, Moore Street Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1 Sabor Nordestino (restaurant/cafe), 58-66 Parnell Street, Moore Street Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1 Sabor Nordestino (restaurant/cafe), 58-66 Parnell Street, Moore Street Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1 Spicy Bite (restaurant/cafe), Unit 1, Moore Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1 Spicy Bite (restaurant/cafe), Unit 1, Moore Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1 Mroz (retailer), Moore Street Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1 Mroz (retailer), Moore Street Mall, Moore Street, Dublin 1 Smaczne.Go! (restaurant/cafe), Moore Street Mall, 58/66 Parnell Street, North City, Dublin 1 Smaczne.Go! (restaurant/cafe), Moore Street Mall, 58/66 Parnell Street, North City, Dublin 1 D Candy (retailer), Main Street, Roscommon D Candy (retailer), Main Street, Roscommon Uptown Restaurant, Old Milk Market Lane, Killarney, Kerry Uptown Restaurant, Old Milk Market Lane, Killarney, Kerry Payless Grocery & Meat, 46 Port Road, Letterkenny, Donegal Payless Grocery & Meat, 46 Port Road, Letterkenny, Donegal Bites By Kwanghi (restaurant/cafe), Capital Dock, 83 Sir John Rogersons Quay, Dublin 2 Bites By Kwanghi (restaurant/cafe), Capital Dock, 83 Sir John Rogersons Quay, Dublin 2 Fresh (restaurant/cafe), Capital Dock, 4-5 Stephens Walk, Dublin 2 Fresh (restaurant/cafe), Capital Dock, 4-5 Stephens Walk, Dublin 2 Musashi Noodles and Sushi (restaurant/cafe), 15 Capel Street, Dublin 1 Musashi Noodles and Sushi (restaurant/cafe), 15 Capel Street, Dublin 1 All Bar Chicken (Closed area: the kitchen and storage areas) (restaurant/cafe), 47 Nassau Street, Dublin 2 All Bar Chicken (Closed area: the kitchen and storage areas) (restaurant/cafe), 47 Nassau Street, Dublin 2 Fortune Terrace (restaurant/cafe), 46-49 OConnell Street Upper, Dublin 1 Six Closure Orders was served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on: Chicking (restaurant/cafe), Unit 3, OBoyces Corner, Port Road, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal Chicking (restaurant/cafe), Unit 3, OBoyces Corner, Port Road, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel (Closed areas: the operations from Albert & Behan Kitchen, PJs Kitchen and Mapas Kitchen the serving of beverages from the bar area is not affected by this closure order), Killiney Hill Road, Killiney, Co. Dublin Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel (Closed areas: the operations from Albert & Behan Kitchen, PJs Kitchen and Mapas Kitchen the serving of beverages from the bar area is not affected by this closure order), Killiney Hill Road, Killiney, Co. Dublin Cafe Brazil (retailer), 63 Thomas Street, Dublin 8 Cafe Brazil (retailer), 63 Thomas Street, Dublin 8 The Ballsy Baker (Closed activity: preparation production and sale of food product with the claim Nut Free and Gluten Free, and internet sites or social media sites it operates promoting and advertising the sale of food with these claims) (retailer), 10 Saint Mochtas Lawn, Clonsilla, Dublin 15 The Ballsy Baker (Closed activity: preparation production and sale of food product with the claim Nut Free and Gluten Free, and internet sites or social media sites it operates promoting and advertising the sale of food with these claims) (retailer), 10 Saint Mochtas Lawn, Clonsilla, Dublin 15 Oriental Pantry (retailer), 22-23 Moore Street, Dublin 1 Oriental Pantry (retailer), 22-23 Moore Street, Dublin 1 Pastel King (restaurant/cafe), 22-23 Moore Street, Dublin 1 Health inspectors found evidence of rodent infestation at some of the businesses, as well as significant amounts of rodent droppings, ongoing cockroach infestation, mouse droppings in multiple food areas, heavy rodent and cockroach activity. They also discovered the sale of food with the claim nut free or gluten free in a premises that contains tree nuts and peanuts, as well as premises not kept in a sufficiently hygienic condition, and evidence of altering the use by dates and batch numbers on food and providing false labels on food. Additionally, walls of an establishment were in a poor state of structural repair with extensive dampness, mould growth and flaking, food handlers were not supervised or instructed and/or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work activity, and there was failure to establish, maintain and provide evidence of a food safety culture. Chief Executive of the FSAI, Dr Pamela Byrne, said that the high number of Closure Orders needing to be served in April is alarming. She said, "Twenty one Closure Orders served in one month is the highest number since November 2019, when the same number were also issued. Amongst the reasons for the Closure Orders in April, a lack of adequate procedures to control pests was frequently cited. This resulted in evidence of widespread mice and cockroach activity, which leads to a serious risk of food being contaminated and poses a grave and immediate danger to public health. "Food businesses must ensure that their food business is properly pest proofed, and that they take effective action if there is a pest infestation. "Each month, we issue the list of Enforcement Orders as a deterrent, but it seems that last month, food safety fell off the list of priorities for quite a number of food businesses. "Consumers have a right to safe food and food safety must always be a top priority for food businesses. There are no excuses. Food safety is a legal requirement for all food businesses." Two men have been jailed after they were found in possession of almost 330,000 of cannabis herb for sale or supply at various locations in Dublin and Louth a year and a half ago. Sean Boland (41) of Carlinn Drive, Mullaharlin Rd, Dundalk, Co Louth, was sentenced to five years in prison after he admitted possessing about 12kg of cannabis valued at 240,000 at three locations on October 17, 2022. Co-accused Jeffrey Reynolds (34) of Corke Abbey, Bray, Co Wicklow was sentenced to three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to possessing about 88,000 worth of cannabis herb on the same day. Passing sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday (Wednesday), Judge Martin Nolan described Boland as being reasonably high level in the drugs operation, as he had been distributing cannabis to third parties. Judge Nolan said both Boland and Reynolds had embarked on this enterprise for profit and alleviation of their own drug debts, but that Reynolds had been in possession of a lesser quantity of drugs. Garda Peter Morris told John Moher BL, prosecuting, that gardai had received confidential information on the day in question to the effect that there would be a transaction of suspected cannabis. Gardai travelled to the carpark of Tesco at Holywell, Link Road in Swords where they observed two vans leaving, driven by Boland and Reynolds. The van driven by Reynolds was searched and found to contain a box of cannabis weighing 4.4kg, with a street value of 88,000. Gardai obtained further warrants and searched Boland's apartment in Dundalk, where they found a bag of cannabis herb wrapped inside a bag of tools. Gardai also seized a vacuum sealer device, weighing scales and a ticklist. Another apartment in the same complex was also searched and over 7kg of cannabis was found in black bin bags in the utility room. The court heard that when arrested, Boland made full and frank admissions and said he wanted to put his hands up and that there was no point in dragging it on. He agreed with gardai that he had taken a box of cannabis herb out of a van and handed it to Reynolds. He told gardai had run up a debt from taking cannabis. Boland has ten previous convictions from the District Court including drugs and public order offences and unauthorised carriage of an MPV. Dominic McGinn SC, defending Reynolds, said his client was also taking cannabis and had incurred a debt. Garda Morris agreed that Reynolds was not somebody who's higher up in the drug world and had been operating at street level. Counsel said Reynolds worked on a farm in the West of Ireland to allow himself to become drug free. Judge Nolan accepted that both accused had good work histories, good mitigation and were unlikely to reoffend in the future. Garda killer Aaron Brady orchestrated a campaign of witness intimidation during his 2020 trial for the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, while his alleged conspirator was an "enthusiastic cheerleader" for attempts to stop those he termed "rats" from giving evidence, a prosecuting barrister has told the Special Criminal Court. Lorcan Staines SC told the three-judge, non-jury court that the alleged conspiracy to persuade a witness not to give evidence at Brady's trial was a "criminal act of the most insidious kind". In his closing speech yesterday (Wednesday) Mr Staines said that Dean Byrne, who is on trial accused of conspiring with Brady to pervert the course of justice, was housed with Brady on the D-wing of Mountjoy prison during the 2020 trial. Counsel said Mr Byrne shared photographs of the statement of Daniel Cahill, a key witness in Brady's trial, with relatives of Mr Cahill - which he said was part of a conspiracy to persuade the witness not to give evidence. Mr Staines alleged that Mr Byrne was acting as an "agent" for Brady and that the conspiracy between them included the use of improper means to persuade Mr Cahill not to give evidence. Padraig Dwyer SC, for Mr Byrne, said it is "pretty staggering" that the prosecution has been unable to produce any evidence that his client ever met with Brady in Mountjoy. He said there is also no evidence of contacts between them on a phone that was found in Mr Byrne's cell. While the prosecution had pointed to the campaign of intimidation by Brady, Mr Dwyer said there was "not one scintilla of evidence to show that Dean Byrne was aware that there was such a campaign." Mr Dwyer said the charge against his client is novel and vague and there is no evidence of any agreement between his client and Brady or of how Daniel Cahill was to be persuaded not to give evidence. He said the court should not convict if Mr Byrne had a "benign" intention and genuinely believed Mr Cahill was going to give false evidence at Brady's trial. Persuasion, counsel said, is a "vague word" and he urged the court not to convict Mr Byrne of a serious crime when the prosecution cannot even say what was unlawful in the sharing of Daniel Cahill's statement. Dean Byrne (30) from Cabra Park, Phibsborough, Dublin is on trial accused of conspiring with Aaron Brady in Mountjoy Prison between April 8, 2020 and June 22, 2020 to persuade prosecution witness Daniel Cahill not to give evidence at Brady's murder trial, a course of conduct which had a tendency to and which was intended to pervert the course of justice. In August 2020, Brady (33) formerly of New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh was convicted by a jury of the murder of Det Gda Adrian Donohoe during a credit union robbery at Lordship, Bellurgan, Co Louth on January 25, 2013. Mr Staines yesterday (Wednesday) told the court that Aaron Brady went on trial for the murder of Det Gda Donohoe in January 2020. A key element of the prosecution case was the testimony of various witnesses, including Daniel Cahill, who said they heard Brady admit that he had shot a garda. Mr Staines said all the evidence proves that Brady and Dean Byrne were in contact with one another and agreed to put in place a course of conduct whereby Daniel Cahill would be prevailed upon in an effort to persuade him not to give evidence. To further that end, counsel said, Brady provided Dean Byrne with photographs of Mr Cahill's statement so that the statement could be further shared with members of Mr Cahill's family and other associates. Mr Staines said that the sharing of Mr Cahill's statement was in itself unlawful. As a result of an earlier ruling by the court, counsel said that any use of improper or unlawful means to obstruct, interfere with or change the course of justice amounts to the offence of perverting the course of justice being made out. Mr Staines said it is also clear that Dean Byrne had no legitimate interest in Aaron Brady's trial and there is no evidence that he was a confidante or advisor to Daniel Cahill. As a resourceful prisoner, Mr Staines said Mr Byrne is the "sort of inmate" who would be recruited by Aaron Brady in his campaign. Mr Staines added that the accused's true feelings towards Daniel Cahill can be seen in one audio message in which he referred to the witness as a "rat c**t" and a "dirtbird, filthbag, rat bastard of a thing." Mr Staines concluded: "The prosecution contend and submit to the court that this was a criminal act of the most insidious kind. There was a campaign of witness intimidation in the case of the Director of Public Prosecutions versus Aaron Brady and it was a campaign to stop, using the accused's own word, "rats" from giving evidence." Mr Staines said that while Aaron Brady was the conductor of the campaign, Dean Byrne was "one of his enthusiastic cheerleaders". Mr Dwyer said the height of the prosecution case is that Mr Byrne was furthering a plan or intention of Brady's, but not that he did anything legally or morally wrong. He said there is no evidence of him sitting down with Brady to agree on a course of conduct. Mr Dwyer said there is evidence that when sharing Daniel Cahill's statement, Mr Byrne asked that it not be shown to Daniel Cahill. Mr Dwyer said this could be interpreted as Mr Byrne not wanting to put pressure on Mr Cahill or to "spook" him. He said the evidence of association between Brady and Mr Byrne is "scant" and there was no evidence of Aaron Brady's activities in relation to the alleged conspiracy with Mr Byrne. Opportunities for them to communicate would have been limited by the covid lockdown in place in the prison in 2020. Counsel further described as "not well founded" the prosecution claim that Mr Byrne could only have received Mr Cahill's statements from Brady. He said those statements appear to have been in circulation for some period of time. Mr Dwyer said the prosecution had alleged that Mr Byrne tried to set up a meeting between Aaron Brady's dad and Mr Cahill's dad. Counsel said the evidence shows only that Mr Byrne was aware that such a meeting had been suggested. Any such plan was made independently of Mr Byrne, he said, and the most the prosecution can say is that Mr Byrne was "passing on a message" or "updating interested parties". He said there is no independent evidence that the person who received Mr Cahill's statements from Dean Byrne ever spoke to or contacted Daniel Cahill. Mr Justice Paul Burns, presiding, adjourned the case until May 29 when Aaron Brady is due to be sentenced for his role in perverting the course of justice during his trial. Mr Justice Burns said the court may have its verdict ready on that date. Dundalk Chamber of Commerce in association with Cross Border Partnership Employment Services held a free Business Seminar on Employment Incentives and Supports available for SMEs in the Cross Border Region on Wednesday the 8th May in the Fairways Hotel. The event was a huge success with over 70 in attendance. The event gave employers in the border areas information on how they can be assisted with their recruitment needs. There were several speakers at the event including the Department of Social Protection, Cross Border Partnership Employment Services, the Dept. for Communities, Intertrade Ireland and the Local Enterprise Office Louth. There was also a case study with guest speaker David Minto of Moran CCTV and MC for the event was Michael Gaynor of Dundalk Chamber. Dundalk Chamber President Pat McCormick was delighted that the chamber ran this event as it helps increase the awareness of what supports are out there for SMEs in the Cross Border Region. For more information on the Cross Border Partnership Employment Services and how it can assist you log on to www.cbpes.com A multi-agency operation is under way to remove asylum seekers and tents from a makeshift encampment along Dublins Grand Canal. More than 100 tents had been erected along the waterway as the Irish Government continues to fail to provide accommodation to all male asylum seekers. By shortly after 8am almost all the tents had been removed using a truck with a crane arm. The asylum seekers who had been living in the makeshift encampment were bussed away from the area. Fences have now been erected around the stretch of the Grand Canal where the tents had been pitched. The Grand Canal encampment emerged shortly after more than 200 asylum seekers were cleared from a similar makeshift camp at the nearby International Protection Office on Mount Street last week. The Irish Government said Thursday mornings operation involves the Irish police service, Dublin City Council, the national health service, the Department of Integration and a waterway authority. A statement from the Government said: The purpose of the operation is to ensure the safe movement of people seeking international protection from the tents on the Grand Canal to International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS)-designated accommodation. The IPAS-designated accommodation has toilets and showers; health services; indoor areas where food is provided; facilities to charge phones and personal devices; access to transport to and from Dublin City Centre; and 24-hour onsite security. Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, Irish premier Simon Harris said the similar operation last week had a very positive impact and averted a public health near-emergency. He said: I continue to believe that it was the right action to take. I became Taoiseach four weeks ago, I took charge of this situation. There had been, in my view, a tacit acceptance by many State agencies that the situation on Mount Street could just continue and was just the new norm. That was not right. He added: We will deal with the Grand Canal. Action will be taken. Labour leader Ivana Bacik, who is a TD for the area, said she hopes the alternative accommodation is appropriate and secure. I have been calling on the Taoiseach to address this situation. Its clearly inhumane and unsustainable to see individuals with no option but to sleep in tents with no sanitation facilities, no security, she said. I am glad to see alternative accommodation has been made and we will be pressing the Government to ensure that it is safe and secure accommodation. I want to commend all the local residents and volunteers who gave such support to the individuals here. It was a very calm presence along the canal. It couldnt have been allowed to continue because it was inhumane to the individuals. By BOB MARTIN Eagle Times Correspondent CLAREMONT, N.H. Gubernatorial Democratic candidate Cinde Warmington was in Claremont to tour the city and speak with local officials, and she also took the time to drop by The Eagle Times this week to discuss her bid for governor. For the last four years, Warmington has represented the City of Claremont in the District 2 Executive Council, and now she is throwing her hat in the ring for the top spot in the states government after working with the Executive Branch as a councilor. Reproductive freedom in our state is really under assault, she said, adding that this is a major part of her platform on running for governor. Womens health care is under assault. Ive been very clear about my objections to the governors abortion ban, and it is a top priority of mine to make sure women can access reproductive services in our state, including access to safe and legal abortion services. Warmingtons platform also focuses on education in public schools. She said the state needs a commissioner who actually believes in public education. She said Education Commissioner Frank Edelbut currently has a plan that diverts dollars to private and religious schools, and she feels taxpayer money belongs in public schools. Public education is the bedrock of our democracy, she said. We need to protect it to make sure every single child in New Hampshire gets their shot at the future. Another part of her platform is costs, as she said the cost for hardworking families is primarily being driven by the lack of housing. She said the state needs to work closely with developers to get housing built through using incentives. She also said zoning ordinances often need to be changed to accommodate the density of housing that is needed in New Hampshire. We really have nobody in our state who is fundamentally accountable for the number of housing units we have, she said. We are way behind. Were predicted to be 60,000 units behind by 2030. Thats a huge number. Theres only one way out of this problem, and that is to build, build, build. Warmington originally hails from Massachusetts, but she likes to tell people she got to the Granite State as quickly as she could. When she was young, her father worked in a shipyard and her mother waited tables to make ends meet. They had four kids in five years, and she was the second. Warmington said she had a great public school education and was the first person in her family to attend college. She worked 30 hours a week while going to college full-time, and then took her first job out of college as a lab tech at Lakes Region General Hospital. I worked in the lab there, but I did travel around the country for a while, she said. I did all kinds of things in hospitals. I was a lab manager, a blood bank supervisor, a business office manager all sorts of things in health care. Warmington later went to law school at what is now UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law, and became the chair of the health law section at Shaheen and Gordon, P.A. She ended up moving to Gilford and raised two children who are now grown, and she has four grandchildren ranging from one to six years old. She has also been involved in volunteer work throughout her life, mostly in the areas of substance use disorder and mental health. The Executive Council that she serves on oversees everything in the Executive Branch and Warmington said she works closely with the governors office and other councilors to make sure they are benefiting the people of their state. One of the hallmarks of my time on the council, being the only Democrat on the council during my entire four years there, is that I have been able to reach across the table and work with other councilors on things where we can agree, she said. Some areas she spoke of in bipartisan efforts were ensuring broadband connectivity around the state, and funding for the countys nursing home. She said most of the issues in New Hampshire are ones where they can roll up their sleeves and get to work. Aside from stopping by the Eagle Times, Warmington met with Mayor Dale Girard and City Manager Yoshi Manale for a walking tour around the city, to talk about the issues and potential for Claremont. They were able to stop by local businesses and community service organizations, discuss issues impacting the citys economy, housing needs, concerns and also successes that are coming into the city. I have really been working for the city for a long time now, she said. Like when the sex education program for Claremont was defunded when there was an actual real need for it here. I worked with the congressional delegation to get that money back, and Ive worked on a number of projects for the city to ensure they are getting funding to move the city forward. Im excited about what Im seeing here in Claremont. I think we have the leaders here to help move the city forward, and I want to work hand in hand with them to make it happen. Warmington said she feels there is a real opportunity in this election to make sure that we live in a state where everyone can make their own reproductive health care decisions, love who they love, and get a great education. She added that we can live in a state where there is clean water to drink and clean air to breathe. Also, where every single family like the one I came from can afford to put a roof over their kids heads, Warmington said. And feed them, and clothe them, and give them a great education and still retire with dignity. To learn more about Warmington or get involved in her campaign, log onto cindewarmington.com. Many people with an addiction today opt for an outpatient program rather than residential treatment. The person can live at home and continue normal activities while getting the necessary care. Women often benefit from this type of program as they face different challenges than men during recovery. However, the right program must be selected for treatment to be successful. What should a person look for when choosing an outpatient program for women? Womens Issues Women and men differ in countless ways, including in how they use and abuse drugs. For example, differences are seen in the drugs of choice, how they use these drugs, and the effects of the drugs on their minds and bodies. There are also challenges males and females face when recovering from substances, and these challenges differ by the addicts sex. Women are more likely to be affected by trauma, and this can play a role in their substance abuse and recovery. Staff members at a womens outpatient program in Orange County, CA, must recognize these differences to provide effective treatment. For example, co-ed outpatient programs often dont work because they cannot meet the needs of both men and women. A well-designed program for women will consider their gender-specific needs. Treatment Options Eighty percent of women undergoing substance abuse treatment have been exposed to significant trauma. If this trauma remains unaddressed during substance abuse recovery, the women cannot completely recover from their addictions. A high-quality outpatient treatment program will address the trauma. Women may be exposed to many different types of trauma. Childhood sexual abuse or neglect can lead to problems with drugs. Any woman who is a victim of sexual assault or rape may turn to drugs to cope with the trauma. Mental, emotional, sexual, physical, and emotional abuse are all types of trauma, as is bullying. Women who suffer a major illness or accident and those who are going through a separation or divorce might turn to drugs and alcohol for relief from the pain they are experiencing. Many females in the military begin abusing drugs or alcohol after a combat or service-related trauma. Treatment Delivery Women often need more than what is offered through a standard outpatient program. They may need an intensive outpatient program. Standard programs typically offer eight or fewer hours of treatment each week. The women receive care nine to 19 hours per week with an intensive outpatient program. The extra hours allow the women to receive comprehensive care. They can be treated for substance abuse, any unresolved trauma from their past, and help for diagnosable mental health conditions that may play a role in the substance abuse. Intensive outpatient programs reduce the risk of relapse. Without the additional services, the woman might find she begins using again when she faces a trigger related to the trauma she experienced or when her mental health symptoms worsen. Treating the separate conditions simultaneously gives her the coping skills needed to handle these situations when they arise without turning to drugs or alcohol. Women face many challenges today. When help is needed, these challenges that are unique to their sex must be addressed to resolve the issue. If they arent, complete recovery from the addiction is difficult, if not impossible. Learn more today about intensive outpatient programs for women to see why they are the best choice for females with substance abuse disorders. WEST Corks beauty is unparalleled, yet it remains a hidden gem in the world of film and television. No longer. This untouched beauty is set to captivate a global audience as the new dark comedy thriller Bodkin debuts on Netflix this week. With actors Siobhan Cullen and Will Forte in the lead, much of the cast comprises local actors, including The Young Offenders star Chris Walley, who plays Sean, a young man with plenty of secrets to hide. Sean isnt the only one with secrets; everyone from the local garda to an entrepreneur has a skeleton or two, which is what leads a group of podcasters to the town of Bodkin in the hope of solving the mysterious disappearance of some locals more than 20 years ago. Union Hall is the location for the fictionalised Bodkin, and Cullen, who plays a hard-as-nails journalist, Dove, says locals were so welcoming when the Bodkin crew came to town. We took over Union Hall. They were so kind and welcoming, said Cullen. Im sure it was slightly inconvenient when wed have to ask people to stop driving down a road because we were shooting a scene, but they were all so good about it. It was such a treat to get to shoot down there. It is so stunning. It felt like we were on our holidays. It was magical. U.S actor Will Forte is a regular on Irish shores - Bodkin is his third Irish production. In 2013, he appeared in the Irish-based Run & Jump, and in 2019, he starred in the paranormal comedy Extra Ordinary with Cobh comedian and writer Maeve Higgins. While we were shooting in Union Hall, we stayed in Glandore, said Forte, We did a little filming in Dublin, and at the end of the day, everyone went home and did their thing, but in Union Hall and Glandore, everyone was away from home, staying in the same vicinity and meeting up for dinner. It was a really wonderful experience. A scene from new Netflix series Bodkin. The cast had fun in Union Hall and Glandore during the shoot. The duo are in sync as they reminisce about the many West Cork dining spots where they spent time with the cast and crew, notably The Dock Wall in Union Hall and Hayes Bar in Glandore. Forte plays Gilbert, an American who had a hit podcast and hopes to strike it lucky again with this latest true crime venture. The more he investigates the missing people in West Cork, the stranger and more dangerous things get for him, yet Gilbert remains eternally optimistic. Forte says this optimism was part of the draw. There were a million draws to do this. One was that the scripts were so fun and well written; I really enjoyed the character and felt connected to him. In my real life, Im overly optimistic, so I felt hooked into that. I got to come to Ireland again. Ive worked here three times now, and it was the millionth time I had come over to bum around Ireland on holiday. Everything was screaming, go do this. Cullen, who recently won an IFTA Rising Star Award, was drawn in by the chance to play a layered character. Dove is a tricky person, but there is more to her than her prickly outward approach to life. On the page, especially in the first few episodes, shes not the most likeable or warm character, but you get a greater understanding of her as the series goes on, and you get an insight into why she is the way she is, said Cullen. It is fun to play a person who has layers. I hope [audiences] begin to empathise with her. The show, which is executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama through their production company, Higher Ground, isnt afraid to go to dark places, but it is always through a comedic lens. By intention or happenstance, Cullen is becoming the Irish queen of dark comedy, having starred in both The Dry and playing the lead in the hit RTE dark comedy Obituary. What is about the Irish knack for making things dark and twisted, yet very funny? Cullen thinks it comes naturally. I think the Irish do particularly well with dark humour. Irish writers have a natural tendency towards the genre, and Irish performers just get it. It is a universal thing, but theres something specific about the Irish delivery of dark humour. Meanwhile, Forte, a long-time comedy actor, says he was excited to try the dark comedy genre. I love watching dark comedies and it was really fun to be a part of this because it didnt seem so far away from what I had done before, but it was also this new thing that I was getting to try out. Bodkin is set in the days before Halloween, and the town is gearing up for the Samhain festival. Forte admits that while he was familiar with Halloween, Samhain was a new concept. I was the person who would have said Sam Hain when I saw the word, he said. The script contains a considerable amount of cursing, particularly by Cullens character, Dove. However, as Cullen points out, cursing is part of how we communicate as Irish people, and it was liberating just to let go and curse freely on set. Its really freeing. Its part of how we communicate. I dont want to go around cursing children or anything, but theres freedom in how Dove says what she wants. That was really fun to play. Bodkin landed on Netflix on May 9. The bravery of a girl who made a complaint of being raped at the age of 10 by her uncle was commended as the 44-year-old culprit was jailed for seven years. Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford imposed a sentence of eight and a half years with the last 18 months suspended at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork. I have to commend her bravery and her mother for the swift action she took in this case, Judge Lankford said. Investigated by Detective Garda Martin Bohane, the accused man first cooperated with the investigation telling Tusla from the outset that he did rape his niece but then when interviewed formally by gardai two years later he made no admissions across four interviews on the advice of his solicitor. Ultimately, he pleaded guilty to raping his niece on two occasions and one related count of sexual assault. Ms Justice Lankford imposed two concurrent seven-year sentences on the rape counts and took the sexual assault into consideration. She was ten years old when she was talking to her mother on August 29 2018 about changes that occur in the body at puberty. During that conversation she disclosed that her uncle had come into her bedroom when he was staying overnight at their home. She told her mother that he touched her private parts and in her own words he put his in hers, and she pointed to her private parts, the judge said. The dates identified for two such events when the accused came into the childs bedroom and raped her, were between July 19 and 22, 2018, and then again between August 2 and 3, 2018. Interviewed The matter was referred to Tusla and the defendant was interviewed and he was described as frank in the replies that he made in November 2019, accepting the allegations and that what the child said, had happened. He said he was blind drunk at the time. However, the judge said that after stating that he was blind drunk the first time he raped his niece, he then went back on an occasion shortly afterwards and raped her again. In making these admissions in November 2019 he said he did not want the family to go through this any further. But almost two years later in September 2021 when gardai interviewed him on four separate occasions, he made no admissions on the advice of his solicitor, Ms Justice Lankford said in sentencing. On April 10 this year he pleaded guilty to the rapes and sexual assault. Victim impact statement The injured party who is now 16 said in her victim impact statement that before this she was a quiet and shy girl but afterwards she withdrew into herself and found it really hard to trust people, especially men. Every time she enters her bedroom she gets flashbacks of the terrible things done to her by her uncle and she would have to live with this burden. Ray Boland defence senior counsel said the accused had a good work history, did have a partner but has lost contact with her. Ms Justice Lankford said mitigating factors which also included the pleas of guilty which spared the victim the distress of a trial, and his letter expressing his apology and remorse, reduced the headline sentence from twelve and a half years to eight and a half years, with the last 18 months suspended. The accused cannot be named as it would identify the victim. Housing charity Threshold helped to prevent 337 adults and 252 children in Cork from being made homeless in the first three months of this year. In January, February, and March 2024, Threshold supported 1,726 households, including 2,286 adults and 1,587 children, in Cork. They worked with 1,008 households across Cork city and county who were at risk of homelessness, and prevented 228 households from entering homelessness. The charity, which released its Quarterly Impact Report yesterday, shared its Cork statistics exclusively with The Echo. Of the renters it helped in Cork city and county during this period, 46% of these needed assistance with tenancy termination and 10% with housing standards or repairs of their rental properties. Smaller percentages of renters required assistance with accessing social housing, deposit retention, rent reviews or increases, arrears, and landlord or agent breaches. Reasons Threshold also shared the reasons landlords gave for terminating a tenancy in Q1, which showed 66% said they were planning to sell the property, and in 14% cases, the landlord said he/she or a family member were moving in. In 4% of the cases, the landlord cited section 34(b), which enables a landlord to give notice with no reason, while the remaining reasons: rent arrears, to carry out renovations, a tenant breach, or that the property was no longer suitable, were reported in 3% or less of all cases. Thirty-four of the households Threshold worked with in Cork city and county had rent arrears, with rent affordability being the cause in 38% of cases, followed by payment delays (18%), reduction in earnings (15%), and change in household circumstances (9%). Nationally, Threshold prevented more than 900 households from entering homelessness, including 1,235 adults and 983 children, and supported more than 9,300 households during the period. Advisors answered 11,572 calls and responded to over 1,600 webchats from across Ireland, with tenancy termination the biggest issue, representing 37% of all queries received. Concerns Threshold CEO John-Mark McCafferty said: We are continuing to see a high number of households in the private rental sector have concerns over the security of tenancy, with termination queries topping the list of questions that Threshold received in Q1 of this year. Threshold kept 900 households, who were at risk of homelessness, in their homes or supported them to find alternative housing. This figure alone highlights the impact of our work in supporting renters to stay in their homes, and we strongly urge anyone who is facing challenges in their tenancy to contact our advisors for support. The future of the Before 5 community and childcare facility in Churchfield remains uncertain, as a Cork TD raised the centres need for funding in the Dail. Cork North Central People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Mick Barry questioned Taoiseach Simon Harris in the Dail on the Governments action to ensure the reopening of the facility. Northside Community Enterprises have been asked to take over the running of a new facility at the site, but they have identified the need for an investment of 366,000 to make a new facility operational. Ahead of speaking in the Dail, Mr Barry said: There needs to be a breakthrough on the funding front if there is to be any hope of having childcare services up and running again in Churchfield this year. Problems This issue has been on ministers desks now for three months. The long delay is disgraceful, and is causing a lot of problems for parents in the area. Im hoping the Taoiseach can provide some good news this afternoon. If he cant, Im hoping that he can give a clear indication as to when some clarity can be brought to the situation. Speaking in the Dail yesterday, Mr Barry asked for clarity on whether the full amount required to reopen the service will be provided, explaining: More than 150 children lost out when Before 5 closed suddenly last August. He asked Mr Harris if the full amount which would allow reopening will be provided, saying: There are parents on the northside counting on that facility reopening. Mr Harris said that there has been significant funding provided for works to increase capacity of existing services, and that there will be a further scheme later this year to fund more significant expansions such as the one needed in Before 5. Disappointing After the exchange, Mr Barry told The Echo: For eight months now, parents who desperately need childcare and preschool for their kids have been looking at closed gates and an empty building. Three months ago, Northside Community Enterprises wrote to Government ministers seeking the funding necessary to reopen the facility. Three months on, thats a very disappointing answer from the Taoiseach, and the Government are going to have to do better than that. The exchange came in the wake of comments from Finance Minister Michael McGrath on Monday that he has held a number of discussions with Childrens Minister Roderic OGorman and that the issue is now under examination by that department. Wayne ODonnell, from Northside Community Enterprises, told The Echo: We have had good communication from the department and we are meeting with Pobal representatives before the end of month, as they are currently putting together a proposal for funding for us. All in Northside Community Enterprises are looking forward to this and collaborating with Pobal. A DECISION on the proposed surgical hub on the campus of Cork University Hospital (CUH) is expected shortly, with the new facility to be operational in 2025, if approved. The update was provided by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, who also briefed Cabinet on the latest developments regarding the elective hospitals. We are making significant progress in reducing waiting lists, and the development of surgical hubs and elective hospitals will really help to drive a further reduction in the number of patients waiting for treatment in 2024 and beyond, he said. These new facilities will deliver a step change in the way we deliver elective care in this country. Better delivery of elective care will also free up capacity for our emergency departments and critical care facilities. Elective hospital The Department of Health said the HSE is managing the development and delivery of the elective hospitals, and has been developing detailed plans for the workstreams required, including workforce, digital/ICT, clinical and operational, public engagement, and consultation. Procurement of an architect-led integrated design team and project controls team, to lead the next stage of work and take forward the design to pre-tender stage readiness, is in the final stages with appointments expected over the summer, the department added. The four elective hospitals are set to be delivered at two sites in Dublin, in Galway, and on the grounds of St Stephens Hospital, Sarsfield Court, Glanmire. Surgical hub In advance of the hospitals, six surgical hubs are proposed to be delivered including one at CUH. The delivery of new hubs are expected to open to patients this year and next year across the country to deliver more day-case elective care. Cork City Council is due to make a decision on the planning application for the Cork hub shortly. The local authority had requested some further information on the plans, the responses to which were furnished to the council in March. A planning report submitted with the application said the provision of the surgical hubs is an important and urgent healthcare infrastructure, that is required to address both the national and local healthcare surgery provision and capacity needs for scheduled day surgeries across the southwestern region. The surgical hub would comprise of four operating theatres, plus two minor procedure rooms. It is envisaged, the report said, that there will be approximately 143 patients accessing the facility per day by appointment, with a maximum of 100 staff members working per day. CORK City Council has said the tendering process for work on 24 houses in Knocknaheeny, part of a major regeneration project stalled for four years, will be treated with the utmost priority. Work on the 24 houses, which are located on Kilmore Rd close to the water tower, had begun in March 2020 under Phase 2c of the Cork City Northwest Quarter Regeneration programme, but had stalled in what was described by the council as a complex contractual dispute. In an announcement on Tuesday, the council said it had concluded its contractual arrangements with the initial building contractor and would immediately reset the project. The council said it was making immediate arrangements to secure the site and to undertake any urgent or necessary works. Asked by The Echo about the timeline for the completion of the tendering process to appoint a new contractor, a council spokesperson said: The tendering process will be treated with the utmost priority, with the scope of tender to be determined by our onsite surveys and works detailing, which is commencing immediately. Cork City Council will therefore have a timeline for the procurement process in the coming weeks, subject to completion of all necessary surveys. Fianna Fail councillor Tony Fitzgerald said he welcomed the news that the long-running dispute had been settled. I want to thank city council officials for their professionalism during this dispute, and look forward to construction recommencing in a timely manner, as soon as possible, he said. Sinn Fein councillor Mick Nugent said he welcomed the council saying it would make completing the tendering process a priority, and was hopeful that work could begin as soon as possible to complete the 24 houses in Phase 2c. My expectation is that there will be a new contractor on site as soon as possible, and the work finished out and people moved in, said Mr Nugent. Sinn Fein councillor Kenneth Collins claimed that it was only thanks to constant pressing from his party in the council and in the Dail that the local authority had been moved to resolve the matter. Socialist Party councillor Brian McCarthy said the dispute had proven the need for a dedicated construction department working under the aegis of Cork City Council. The programmes masterplan was adopted by the council in November 201, and involves the demolition of over 450 houses and the design and construction of 650 new homes. In the Dail last week, Housing Minister Darragh OBrien told Sinn Fein TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould that, to date, 121 houses have been completed under the programme. Mr OBrien added that a further 103 are scheduled for completion under Phase 1c and Phase 2b by the end of this year. EXCITEMENT is mounting in Cork ahead of the Eurovision final this weekend. Macrooms Bambie Thug secured a spot in the final with a witchy-infused staging of Doomsday Blue at the semi-finals on Tuesday night in Malmo, Sweden. Following the show at the Malmo Arena, Cork-based couple Darren OConnell and Julie McDonnell who have attended previous Eurovision events gave their reaction on how they felt the night had gone. Its amazing, because the last couple of years everyone was like, you deserved it and theyre giving me condolences in the bathroom, Ms McDonnell said. But this year, it was amazing to go into the arena knowing we had a great chance Bambie Thug was incredible. The 29-year-old said that Bambie succeeded as they are unique and different for Ireland as an alternative music performer, and that they performed in such a unique way. Mr OConnell said that the last time Ireland qualified in 2018, with Ryan OShaughnessy, he was at the live show. The 32-year-old attended the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool in 2023, when Swedens Loreen succeeded with Tattoo and Turin, after Ukraines Kalush Orchestra took home the trophy in 2022. When asked if Ireland might exceed Swedens wins by getting to eight Eurovision trophies on Saturday, Mr OConnell said: Hopefully. Theres a lot of competition this year from Croatia, Switzerland, Italy, but its their best chance in a long time so I really do hope so. Irelands Bambie Thug performing "Doomsday Blue" at the Eurovision 2024 Semi-Final 1 at the Malmo Arena, Sweden. Picture Andres Poveda He also said seeing the king of Eurovision and Irishman Johnny Logan paying tribute to his fellow double-winner Loreen by singing Euphoria was great. Mr OConnell said that he has tickets to see Bambie Thug in the rehearsals on Friday, and will pounce on getting into the final on Saturday if more passes become available. What the people on the streets of Cork said The Echo took to the streets of Cork city yesterday to hear the thoughts of those who watched the enchanting performance from the comfort of their homes, with many rooting for a definite win. Young, old, and everyone in between shared the sentiment that it was great to see Ireland back in the running for a win at the song competition. While passers-by admitted opting to not watch this year, there were others among the crowd supporting Bambie Thug in their pursuit for the crown. It was the first performance in a few years where Ireland was in the running for the win, so it was cool to see that we did really well this year, University College Cork student Ella Dalton said. It was definitely out there, a bit weird, but it was fun to watch and definitely got our name out there. Id like to say well win, and it would be good for tourism, Ms Dalton added. I think theyll place first. Lydia Murphy, from Carrigtwohill, said she believes Ireland will place in the top five. Our entry is good, its catchy, very Eurovision-y. Theyll do well Id say. It would be great to win, thered be a great buzz about the place, she added. Further in agreement, Ann McGrath, from Dungarvan, said: I dont know much about them [Bambie Thug], but I think its fantastic they have made it through. Their act is a little bit scary, but it makes it more interesting. Id love a win, and fair play to them for getting through, because its been so long since weve had an entry in the final, she added. Go for it Bambie! Vox-pops Cian Warrington, Gurranabraher. Picture Dan Linehan Cian Warrington, Gurranabraher: To be honest, its up for speculation. A lot of people thought it was a good performance, but a lot of people thought it was a bad one too. I feel proud as a Cork man, but we definitely wont win this year. I do think well come up far, probably be in the top 10. Id like if it was done in a different way, because it was definitely a controversial act. Eileen Madden, Crosshaven. Picture Dan Linehan Eileen Madden, Crosshaven: Im very interested in music, and from the get-go I thought it was a spectacular show. For the first time in years the standard of performance and song has gone up. It was a really good show from start to finish and Id say theyll place high, maybe third or fourth. I dont know if Im rooting for a win, because Im not sure if the country can afford it. Jacinta Bracken, Douglas. Picture Dan Linehan Jacinta Bracken, Douglas: When Bambie Thug first emerged I thought, wow. Theres no doubting theyre very professional, it was a great performance. Its the first time in many years that Ireland has had something that really stands out and is of a high standard. Its a bonus too that Bambie is from Cork, the Rebel County is a go! Im wishing Bambie the best of luck, and Im hopeful for a high placing. Mary Pat Barrett, Glanmire. Picture Dan Linehan Mary-Pat Barrett, Glanmire: I thought it was quite good, and Im delighted Ireland has been put through. Its been a long time since Ireland was represented in the Eurovision, and our song its with the times. I thought it was great. Hopefully now theyll go ahead and win it but if not, maybe well place eighth or ninth. They were my favourite entry, and Im delighted Cork got a foot in. Ellen Kelleher, Dublin Hill. Picture Dan Linehan. Ellen Kelleher, Dublin Hill: It was a very good semi-final show, and its brilliant that Bambi Thug got through to the final. I think that they have a great chance at winning it, anything for Cork is better than nothing. The performance they gave was amazing, and the atmosphere over there looked fantastic. It would be great now for us to get a place in the top 10. Fionnuala Roche, Ballyvolane. Picture Dan Linehan Fionnuala Roche, Ballyvolane: Ive seen snippets of Bambie Thug, and Im all about doing your own thing. Youll always back your own no matter what, even though I dont like the song. I havent watched the full lot, being honest, I flicked it over. Its not like it was years ago, everyone would be watching, the streets were emptied, but now half of people dont even know its on. A FINGERPRINT for a prisoner at Cork Prison whose identity is unknown to authorities proved to be a match for 27 different names across England and France after it was crosschecked through Interpol. Sergeant John Kelleher said at Cork District Court that the 29-year-old mans identity was checked through a fingerprint taken from him, and it was a match for six names in France, as well as 21 identities in England. He has not provided any information on his identity in Ireland, Sgt Kelleher said. We dont know who he is. So how can we deal with it? This man has not given any information documents or anything. Judge Mary Dorgan said to the accused, who appeared in court by video link from prison: You are in custody, your identity cannot be established. That needs to be done quickly. Defence solicitor Eddie Burke said the accused gave his name as Yousoof Angelina, adding: I would have thought a fingerprint would have been conclusive. Sgt Kelleher said: I have fingerprints as well, I can say I am Joe Bloggs. Mr Burke said the accused came from Syria and arrived in Cork by ferry at Ringaskiddy, adding that the accused no longer had travel documents. Judge Dorgan said it was a most unusual matter where a person before the court had 27 different identities. The judge added he should arrange through friends or family to get his passport or identifying documentation. The defendant spoke up on the video link from Cork prison to say: I dont have family. I dont have no one. Judge Dorgan said: He is not being forthcoming. He would need to be thinking about his situation. The judge adjourned the case until May 21, with the accused remanded in continuing custody. He faces a number of burglary charges at Cork District Court. The charges against him refer to a burglary at Marine Villas, Monkstown, Co Cork, on January 25, and burglary at Shamrock Place, Ringaskiddy, the following day. He is charged with stealing a bicycle at Ensign Bar, Monkstown, on January 26, stealing another bicycle at another location in Monkstown, and stealing one at Ringaskiddy on the same date. He is also charged with having cannabis for his own use. Finally, he is charged with failing to produce a valid passport or equivalent document at Togher Garda Station on January 26. A Cork primary school has paid tribute to Canon Michael Riordan following his passing. He was a man of honour, who was held in the highest esteem by pupils and staff alike, the school said. Togher Boys National School, where Canon Riordan served as chairman of the board of management for many years, said the school was saddened to learn of his passing, and offered condolences to his family and the clergy of the Diocese of Cork and Ross. He was a man of honour and was always a great support to us all in Togher Boys School, where his wise counsel was often sought and appreciated, the school stated. He was held in the highest esteem by pupils and staff alike, a man of great intelligence and wit, and we were honoured to have him as chairperson of our board of management for many years. His dedication to the children was phenomenal, where he took a great interest in passing on the Catholic faith and value system, especially to the boys receiving First Communion and Confirmation," the school said. Deputy principal Sinead Moynihan told The Echo that a number of pupils would attend Canon Riordans funeral at 12pm today, in the Church of the Way of the Cross in Togher, and would form a guard of honour. A native of Kilmichael parish, Canon Riordan was ordained to the priesthood on May 23, 1959, in the Church of the Resurrection, Farranree, and began his ministry on temporary mission in the archdiocese of Calabar, in Nigeria, for two years. On returning to the diocese, he ministered as assistant curate in Ballingeary, curate in Muintir Bhaire and Passage West. He then served in the Cork and Ross South American mission in El Porvenir, Trujillo, Peru, from 1965 until 1971. On his return home, he ministered as curate in Watergrasshill, Carrigaline, and St Patricks parish. Canon Michael returned to Peru to again serve with the Cork and Ross South American mission, this time in La Esperenza, Trujillo, from 1985 until 1991. He then ministered as parish priest in Togher, from 1991 until 2011. Fr Tom Hayes, a West Cork parish priest, said Canon Riordan will be remembered for his kindness to people everywhere he ministered. He was also very much a missionary at heart. His first experience as a priest was in Africa and that formed his faith very much. It also inspired him to serve two terms in Peru in parishes of the Cork and Ross Diocesan Mission. He loved the people of Togher Parish in Cork where he spent 20 happy years and it was his wish to be laid to rest there. THE man accused of carrying out arson of a house in Cork city on Christmas Day as four people were inside is planning to appeal the refusal of bail to the High Court. Judge Mary Dorgan remanded the accused in custody on the application of Sergeant Gearoid Davis until June 5 to allow time for directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions. The accused man Shane Caseys solicitor, Diarmuid Kelleher, indicated that Mr Caseys application to the High Court for bail was expected to be heard before that adjournment date. Judge Dorgan told the accused that if he was successful in getting High Court bail he should appear in Cork District Court in person. In relation to the arson charge it was alleged that he set fire to the house and stood outside swinging a blade when the first person ran from the burning building, telling him: You are going to die here tonight. These were the allegations made by Detective Garda Brian Barron in the case. It was alleged by Det. Garda Barron that 32-year-old Shane Casey, of 168 Shanowen, Rathcormac, Co Cork, turned up outside the house on Dyke Parade, Cork, just after 6pm on December 25, 2023. Four people were present in the house. At 6.05pm, he exits and stands looking in the open front door at the fire taking hold. At 6.06pm, it is alleged that he closes the front door and attempts to barricade the front door from the outside, using a piece of timber to jam to the side and then under the door. It is alleged he takes a blade from his pocket and holds it out in front of him and waits outside. At 6.08pm, the front door bursts open and [one of the men] attempts to escape the now blazing house. It was alleged he said (to one injured party), My name is Shane Casey and you remember me from two days ago you are going to die here tonight. It was further alleged that one woman had to be rescued from the roof and that it took six units of the fire service more than six hours to bring the fire under control and make the building safe and the fire caused thousands of euro in damage, the detective said. FIRE brigade crews in Cork will soon be trained in the administration of naloxone, a medication used to temporarily reverse the effects of opioid drugs if someone overdoses. Second officer at Cork City Fire Brigade, Victor Shine, said there is a protocol crews must adhere to in order to be permitted to hold and administer the drug. We have to register with the HPRA [Health Products Regulatory Authority], which is the drug regulatory body for the country really, to hold and then to be able to prescribe medication to somebody, he said. Theres a protocol you have to go through. Were sorted there now so well be commencing training with the crews now very shortly. Speaking to The Echo, the minister of state with responsibility for public health, wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Colm Burke, welcomed that fire crews will soon be able to administer the drug. In fairness to the Fire Brigade, any time they take on a task they deliver it very well, and I think once theyre trained up and everyone is happy with the training thats provided to them, then I think its a welcome development, said the Fine Gael TD for Cork North Central. Earlier this year, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris signed off on plans to equip frontline gardai with naloxone. A Garda spokesperson said An Garda Siochana continues to work closely with the Health Service Executive National Social Inclusion Office to highlight the use of naloxone and its role in saving lives. The matter of the provision of training in the administering of naloxone by members of An Garda Siochana has been sanctioned by the Garda Commissioner, and work is currently ongoing towards progressing pilot training for frontline gardai to carry and administer naloxone in 2024, the spokesperson added. Naloxone works by displacing opioid molecules from their receptors in the patients body and brain, and it can help to keep a person alive up until an ambulance can arrive. THE body of a man that was discovered in an apartment in Castletownbere, West Cork on Wednesday may have been there for several months according to gardai. The deceased has been confirmed as Mark Watters, 61 who was originally from west Dublin but had been living on the Beara Peninsula for several years. Mr Watters body was discovered in the hallway of his flat at the Courtyard apartment building by maintenance workers on Wednesday afternoon. Gardai were called and sealed off the scene to carry out a preliminary investigation. There was no indication of forced entry to the apartment and Mr Watters body showed no signs of injury or trauma. The body was removed to Cork University Hospital where a postmortem will be carried out which it is hoped will be able to provide an estimate of when he died. Investigating gardai are carrying out local enquiries as well as examining mobile phone data, CCTV footage and looking at Mr Watters financial and social media accounts to try to establish when he was last seen alive. His former partner and adult son live abroad and he is understood to also have a sister living in the UK. A Garda spokesperson told The Echo that foul play is not suspected at the moment. Social Democrats councillor for West Cork Chris Heinhold told The Echo, While its sad to hear of the death of anyone in our community, the thought of someone passing away and remaining undiscovered is especially heartbreaking. It is so important that we look out for one another; the elderly of course, but also everyone else. Check in on your neighbours if you can. Often youre the only person in a position to do so. Independent councillor Karen Coakley said, Such a sad scenario, deepest condolences to his family and friends. I fear for communities and society when such a tragedy can happen in one of the most beautiful and tranquil parts of the country. She called for people to be more vigilant and look out for one another, saying, Its so important to link in with neighbours and this awful situation highlights the importance of communication. Local people in Castletownbere were shocked to hear that Mr Watters body may have lain undiscovered in his apartment since December. In one local pub the bartender told The Echo that the discovery was all that customers were talking about. She said: I hadnt heard the news but when I came in to start my shift its what everybody was taking about. Nobody seems to have known him, he seems to have kept himself to himself. Its very sad to think he wasnt missed. Another local woman added, There are so many strangers here now that you just dont know everyone the way you used to. Its very sad that a man could just disappear like that. Local councillor Danny Collins said: Its a sad way to go if you knew him or not, may he rest in peace. WHATEVER happened to John Arnold? Well its a story - no... a mystery really - that Ive tried to solve over the years without success, and still the wonder grows. Back in the year 1910, he was hoping to start a new life far away in Australia and was eagerly anticipating the adventure to come - if God spares my health and strength and luck for my future days to come, I think I ought to get on well in Australia, for without health and luck in this world one cannot get on. Hopes and aspirations to better himself must have been foremost in the mind of the 24-year old when he penned those lines at Ballinaglanna, Glanmire. That John Arnold was the son of another John Arnold, from Carrigtwohill in East Cork. My father had no brother and just one sister. She was Johanna, born in 1911, we always simply called her Auntie Jo. She never married and lived here with us until her death in the 1970s. It was Auntie Jo told me about the Arnold cousins in East Cork. I think she never actually knew or met them herself -not certain about that - but her knowledge came down from her father, my grandfather, Batt Arnold. He was born in 1877 and used recall as a young man going to visit the Arnold cousins in Longstown in Carrigtwohill. Auntie Jo remembered him telling her that those cousins who were farmers would always have the early spuds in June or July and hed always bring a codgel of new spuds home after a visit there. John seemed to be a prominent name in the Carrigtwohill Arnolds and there were also John Arnolds in the Rathcormac and Conna families. Our own family featured Daniel and Bartholomew more frequently - my own name comes from my maternal grandfather on the Twomey side. Luckily, I wrote down Auntie Jos memory of the Carrigtwohill connection. After she died I knew very little about the extended clan as I grew up but always retained an interest in the Family Tree -branches, roots and all! Maybe 30 years ago, or more, I started doing bits of research from time to time and established without doubt that the Arnolds were indeed farming in the townland of Longstown in the parish of Carrigtwohill. One Sunday, I got in the car and drove to this place - only about six miles from here, where my grandfather got the early potatoes each year. A south-facing farm, yes indeed, theyd have more sun and less frost there and have a crop of earlies long before the folk in Bartlemy. I found out the general story of the Arnolds there - with a lot of gaps and unanswered questions, some of which I may never get answers for. Then came letters from faraway in Australia and, lo and behold, around the year 2003 John Arnold from Australia met yours truly. Johns sister Chris had been to Ireland in 1995 and started the ball rolling on making the connections. John died a few years back but his wife Joy and sisters Chris and Annette are still in contact with me. Annette is a Sister in the Josephite Order founded by Saint Mary McKillop, who was born in Melbourne of Scottish ancestry. By a beautiful coincidence, two girls, Geraldine and Mary Leahy, who were in National School with me in the 1960s, both joined the Josephites and are working in Australia with many years. In that country Down Under aeroplanes seem like cars to us because of the vastness of the landmass, so flying doctors and flying teachers are the norm. Well, Annette Arnold could well be described as a flying nun! She was in Ireland visiting some of her Sisters last week en route to Spain, and then shes having an audience with the Pope in late May! She called here for a brief visit on Sunday morning and we went to Bartlemy Mass together. We had only about two hours talking but we covered a fair bit of Arnold history Home and Away! On February 12, 1876, John Arnold, then farming at Woodstock in Carrigtwohill, married Anne Murphy at her home in Ballinvriskig in Whites Cross. Two years later, their first son Patrick was born at Woodstock. Shortly after this, John Arnold took the tenancy of a farm in Longstown. A son John Arnold was born there in 1886. The other children in the family were Anne, George and Mary. Whilst John and Anne and family farmed their land, at least one brother of Johns, James, had left Ireland. He may have gone to England first then onto Australia. He married Bridget Ryan and eventually the family settled in Rockhampton in Queensland. Back in Carrigtwohill, John Arnold died at a young age, leaving his wife Anne to rear the family and carry on the farm. This proved impossible and the Arnolds lost tenancy of the farm. The words eviction and evicted are emotional in Irish history and exactly how the Arnolds were dispossessed I havent established. One way or another, the widow Anne Arnold never gave up the fight to get the farm back. They went to live in a house at Ballinaglanna, near Glanmire. Though efforts to get back the tenancy of he land at Longstown continued, the family accepted a gratuity of 600 from the new owners. The relations in Australia presumably kept in contact with home and James Arnold made the decision to offer his nephew John the opportunity to come over and make a new start for himself. He wrote to John, offering to pay for his ticket to Australia. Then aged 24, this was a chance in life that offered hope and a bright future. John was delighted and wrote a 14 page reply to his uncle James. The poignant letter began: My Dear Uncle, I received your fond and welcomed letter, was very pleased with it, was glad to see it that I am going to Australia this year. So you say in your letter to me that I will have my ticket in a few months as I am anxiously waiting for that same, which I expect very soon and I am thinking of making preparations for to go. My Mother, Brothers and Sisters are all anxious for the time to come for me to go and I know myself and everyone else as well. Me, I need no one to tell me what is in Ireland for anyone, for there is not much to be got here, so I bless the day I will sail from here. I will never forget it for you and your family as I know it is the best offer I ever expect to get in my life. I am now in the prime of life and indeed I am very studious and sensible and that is the reason they all like to have me go so. John goes on to outline the efforts his mother is making to get the farm back and praises Captain Donelan (Cork MP at the time) and Mr Engledow (member of Cork County Council) who were both supportive. He mentions the League (United Irish League) in Carrigtwohill all fighting for our rights, and condemns two renegades they are only like dirt. The letter is sad and happy, sad at what has happened, but happy with his prospects in Australia. John finishes with so I will think of Australia from this day forward from your affectionate nephew, John Arnold. Unfortunately, the ticket for Australia never came as Johns uncle James died in an accident at work in January, 1910. Maybe John went to England or America - we just dont know. His mother Anne died in 1926, his brothers Patrick and George died in 1959 and 1961 respectively - all are buried in Caherlag cemetery. Yes indeed, Annette and myself had much to ponder on as we chatted last Sunday. THE Opera House has revealed details of its upcoming premiere of Summer Revels! which will be a big attraction in July and August. Yes, excitement is certainly building now, says CEO, Eibhlin Gleeson. This will be a vibrant, colourful show full of comedy, music, dance and laughter - all that you would expect from us! With a nod to the legendary Summer Revels that lit up the theatre in the 70s and 80s, this new script will follow the hilarious and haphazard characters as they perform their show-within-a-show against all the odds. We will keep you well posted in the weeks ahead on this big one, but for now, take note that previews will begin on July 24, with the opening night July 27, and a run right through to August 11. In the meantime, its the last chance for smallies to enjoy Peppa Pigs Fun Day Out at the Opera House - 10am, 1pm and 4pm today. On Saturday, May 11) its Rebecca OConnor with her Tina Turner tribute show, Simply The Best. Camilla Griehsel is at the Opera House on Sunday. Sunday next, May 12, brings a 5pm concert as Camilla Griehsel performs a wonderful selection of songs from distant lands in Mamasongue. On Monday, its Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance 2024, the big end-of-year show from the Performers Academy. Directed by Irene Warren and Cian Griffin, and choreography by Jen ODonovan, Aideen McCarthy, Chloe Riordan, and Roman Postolatiy, with the choir directed by Michele DeFoubert. 6.30pm start, note. Next Tuesday and Wednesday, Prof Brian Cox brings Horizons: A 21st Century Space Odyssey, but thats already sold out. Call 021 427 0022 or see www.corkoperahouse.ie for all Opera House shows. At Everyman, its the last night of the Banff Mountain Film Festival. Tomorrow (Friday, May 10), its My Leonard Cohen, a tribute to the masters great songs, performed by Stewart DArrietta and his band. Last years show sold out almost immediately, so dont delay. On Sunday at noon and 5pm, Studio Wolfe presents its 25 year Drama Jubilee, with performers aged 4-18. On Monday and Tuesday next week, The Magic Of Motown, seen by over a million people and now in its 18th year touring the UK and Ireland. You might still get tickets for Tuesday if youre quick. Call 021 450 1673 or see www.everymancork.com. The Cork International Poetry Festival runs from Wednesday to Saturday next week (May 15 to 18) at the Cork Arts Theatre. Irelands biggest annual poetry festival celebrates our city and county as a vibrant poetry scene with international connections with readings, discussions, workshops and film. All the info on https://corkartstheatre.com/event/cipf-2024/. Flook is at the Triskel tonight at 8pm as well as Baltimore Fiddle fair tomorrow at 8.30pm. For this tour, they have expanded their line-up, inviting Scottish fiddle and viola player Patsy Reid to bring her creative genius to the mix. Taking inspiration from their roots in the Irish and English traditions, Flook have an enviable trademark sound, weaving and spinning traditionally rooted tunes over precise acoustic grooves, with a rare blend of fiery technical brilliance, delicate ensemble interaction and a bold, adventurous musical imagination. Their most recent album. Ancora, released in 2019 to critical acclaim and nominated for BBC Folk Album of the Year, demonstrates that Flook still hold fast to their reputation as major musical innovators. Dont miss this opportunity to hear their ground-breaking, energetic and electrifying music. At Triskel too, this Saturday afternoon, more innovation from that amazing group, Stone Drawn Circles. A lunchtime performance includes works by Canadian composer Nicole Lizee, and Northern Irish composers Una Monaghan and Brian Irvine. 1pm start. All Triskel bookings on 021 427 2022. Young people bridge cultural ties as China-Hungary bonds deepen People's Daily Online) 09:43, May 09, 2024 Tihanyi Istvan, a Hungarian national, is the founder of a wine and coffee shop in Heping district of north China's Tianjin Municipality. A graduate of Tianjin University, he also manages an import and export company along with the store. Apart from his work, Istvan is also married into a local Tianjin family. Having lived in China for over a decade, he has fully adapted to life in the country and has even learned to speak Tianjin's local dialect. "When people find out that I'm from Hungary and learn about where Hungary is and what it's like, they are actually very happy. They would say, 'Hungarian people, they are good.' It feels good to have these kinds of expressions in China," Istvan said. When talking about his future work and life in China, Istvan said, "I hope I can be the bridge between Hungary and China. I hope I can help people in China to know Hungary better. Our relationship will become closer, closer, and closer." At Beijing International Studies University (BISU), about 100 kilometers away, a growing number of young people are dedicated to promoting China-Hungary friendship. Duan Shuangxi, a Hungarian language instructor at BISU, previously spent eight years in Budapest, Hungary's capital. His teaching approach encompasses reading, news analysis, and exploring China-Hungary relations. Despite the language's complexity, Duan finds Hungarian to be a captivating and charming language. "The number of Chinese companies investing in Hungary has been increasing. The rapid progress in bilateral ties creates a significant demand for language talents proficient in Hungarian and who understand Hungary well," said Duan. So far, Duan has mentored more than 120 students, including Nie Yuan, who has been studying Hungarian at BISU for two years. "I am deeply interested in Hungary. Through my Hungarian studies, I hope to visit Hungary one day and see what it really looks like, get to know its people, and experience its culture," Nie said. Over the past two years, Nie has observed a surge of renowned Chinese companies making significant investments in Hungary and establishing local operations. "If given the opportunity after graduation, I aspire to work at these Chinese companies' branch offices in Hungary. This would allow me to facilitate further contact and cooperation between China and Hungary," Nie expressed. With the increasing people-to-people exchanges between China and Hungary, the sophomore has also witnessed the deepening friendship between the two nations. Nie stated, "In the future, I see myself not only as a participant in cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries, but also as a bridge for helping Chinese and foreigners communicate with each other. (Web editor: Hongyu, Wu Chengliang) Jinko Solar has established a vertically integrated production line in Saudi Arabia and is actively expanding its production capacity and solutions for battery energy storage products. It is expected that the energy storage market in this region will experience substantial growth as relevant infrastructure and regulations improve. Arthur Sedan, senior sales manager for Jinko Solar Middle East, noted that Saudi Arabia's large-scale energy storage market is expected to grow at an unprecedented rate in the next few years. As of 2024, Jinko Solar has established a vertically integrated production line in the Middle East from sales to complete production of battery products, Saidan said. Jinko Solar's cell operating production line in the Middle East currently has a capacity of 6 GWh, which is expected to increase to 12 GWh by the end of 2024 and 24 GWh by early 2026. In addition, Jinko Solar's in-house capacity plan for battery solutions in the Middle East region will reach 28 GWh by early 2026. Jinko Solar Middle East is highly committed to energy storage tenders in the region to promote their energy storage solutions. Saidan said they are looking at multiple medium-scale storage tenders ranging from 3 MWh to 40 MWh, as well as other utility-scale energy tenders. Jinko Solar believes that the Middle East and North Africa market has huge potential for energy storage. Saidan noted that energy storage is a necessity for Saudi Arabia, not a luxury. The same applies to other Middle Eastern countries in the region, such as Yemen, Lebanon, and other neighboring countries. As the power grids of many Middle Eastern countries still need to be strengthened, energy storage technology can reduce the cost of electricity while ensuring the security of power supply in these countries. Jinko Solar believes that although low electricity prices in the Middle East and North Africa region may be one of the obstacles to the development of battery energy storage, there is still great potential for development in the industrial and commercial storage sector. Especially in the Iraqi market, Jinko Solar pointed out that the demand potential for energy storage systems in the region is huge due to the region's poor grid infrastructure construction and high dependence on private energy sources such as diesel generators for power generation. In addition, Jinko Solar is also focusing on the energy storage market in Egypt. They argue that the agricultural energy storage market in Egypt is particularly critical because many rural farms in Egypt lack grid supply and the use of DC pumped storage systems has continued for many years, and it is necessary to install ESS to extend the pumping time. It is worth noting that the Middle East and North Africa region has become the mainstream market for photovoltaic installations, and there is still huge market potential. In 2023, the installed solar capacity in the MENA region increased by 23% year-on-year, and Egypt led the way. The Middle East solar industry's Solar Outlook 2024 report says the region is increasingly focusing on renewable energy, particularly photovoltaics. "Solar energy has become an important part of the energy strategies of MENA countries," the report said. "In addition, the region has one of the highest solar energy potentials in the world. The region has an average annual solar irradiance of more than 2,000 kWh per square meter, with prominent countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Egypt. Growing along with the demand for PV capacity are battery energy storage systems, the deployment of which is critical to further improve the reliability and economy of the grid. Jinko Solar also noted that Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Palestine are adopting energy storage solutions to address infrastructure challenges, such as peak demand for C&I and utilities, demand management and frequency regulation. Saidan revealed that Jordan is likely to issue regulations on energy storage installations in the coming months. Regarding battery prices, Saidan noted that due to technological advancements, increased downstream demand and increased upstream production, battery costs have fallen significantly, by 50% in the last five years and by 30% in the past year alone, with the current utility-scale battery price of around US$150 - 200/kWh. According to Bloomberg NEF, the MENA region is expected to have 2.1 to 3 GWh of installed capacity annually by 2026. Saidan believes this forecast underestimates the potential of the MENA market. Many utility-scale projects have significant potential over the next two years and are expected to drive the growth of the energy storage market in the region. Cuba Gooding Jr. is speaking out against the groping allegations made against him in a recently filed lawsuit against Sean "Diddy" Combs. In March, the Oscar winner was named a co-defendant in a lawsuit brought against Combs by music producer Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones, who accused Gooding of groping him while on the hip-hop mogul's yacht in January 2023. During an interview on the "PBD Podcast" Wednesday, Gooding -- who separately pleaded guilty in 2022 to forcible touching and settled a rape lawsuit last year -- denied imposing himself on Jones and accused him of filing the lawsuit due to money. He also claimed that Combs was just an acquaintance. "It's funny because my lawyers said, y'know, 'Every outlet in the world wants to talk to you,' and again, I'm like, 'I'm not defining myself from some headline in the press,' so I stay quiet," the actor told host Patrick Bet-David. Gooding claimed Jones created a false narrative using the photos of the actor that were included in the lawsuit. One image showed the "Jerry Maguire" actor with his arm wrapped around Jones as he sat close to him. Gooding was also seen talking to Combs on the yacht in other pictures. Gooding explained on the podcast that the encounter took place at Combs' yacht party on New Year's Eve. According to the actor, he was invited to listen to one of Combs' new songs, and did so with Jones, who was working on Diddy's most recent record, "The Love Album: Off the Grid," at the time. Gooding said he left the room shortly after the song finished playing. He claimed that the photo captured him tossing an arm around Jones' shoulder as they talked, but nothing untoward happened. The actor showed the host a photo from that night that he claimed proves there is no truth to Jones' claims. However, it is unclear what the picture showed as he did not reveal it to the camera. Gooding alleged that the music producer was just after Combs' money before seemingly distancing himself from Combs. "This guy who's suing him [is] going after the money, man. I'm sure," Gooding claimed. "And by the way, I don't know P. Diddy's life. I don't know what he's going through... We were acquaintances, just like I just showed you. Two-three times I've seen him." Gooding also addressed the March raids on Combs' homes that were reportedly part of a sex trafficking probe. "I think whatever [Diddy's] dealing with, he's on his journey, man," the actor said. "I think that God has got him on a path where... I can't imagine that he's stupid enough to do whatever he's doing and keep it on his premises. I think that the raid and all of that stuff, only time will tell -- who was involved, who had been a frequent guest in these places and areas." In his lawsuit, Jones accused Combs of repeatedly sexually assaulting and harassing him while he was working on his album from September 2022 to November 2023. The music producer said in his lawsuit that he believed Combs "was grooming him to pass him off to his friends" and that "fear became reality" when the rapper introduced him to Gooding on his yacht. Jones accused Gooding of fondling his "legs, upper inner thighs near his groin, the small of his back near his buttocks, and his shoulders." The lawsuit alleged that the producer rejected his advances, but Gooding did not stop until Jones "forcibly pushed him away." Combs has denied any wrongdoing. US prosecutors are examining whether Tesla committed securities or wire fraud by misleading investors and consumers about its electric vehicles self-driving capabilities, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters. To hold our tongues when everyone is gossiping, to smile without hostility at people and institutions, to compensate for the shortage of love in the world with more love in small, private matters; to be more faithful in our work, to show greater patience, to forgo the cheap revenge obtainable from mockery and criticism: all these are things we can do. Hermann Hesse I have been known to say, like a broken record, I wish we could turn the clocks and the calendars back to about 1950. There was, obviously, still a whole lot wrong in the world during those times, but at the core of the rural America I was born into in 1959, people reached out to one another with compassion in offering a helping hand. So much in our world has slowly shifted to a more introverted way of living out a life. Its sort of a quiet existence, an unspoken motto of dont bother me and I wont bother you in much of society. My husband is one that has always refused to live that way, and it shows nearly every day in one way or another. This past week, while I finished a chore, I heard him say, Ill be back! I saw him get on the John Deere tractor and buzz off down our lane. It turned out our neighbors from over the hill had pulled into our lane to attempt to fix an issue with their corn planter. Doug figured having a bucket on the front end of our tractor might be of help in bearing some of the weight while a problem was solved, and it turned out his hunch was right. He was in a great mood the rest of the day. I just love this community, he said. Neighbors helping each other is what a farm community used to be, and it feels great knowing it still can be exactly that way today. We can travel several states away, and still someone will recognize him. Even if we are following a tight schedule, he will never walk away from a greeting and a conversation. Part of this comes from his work in the agricultural world, but some comes from his lifetime hobby of coon hunting, serving within United Kennel Club, UKC, leadership for many years. A couple of years ago, while vacationing with our daughter and her family in southern North Carolina, we had just gotten ice cream at a lovely outdoor place when we heard a man say, Arent you Doug Sutherland? My daughter grinned and said, Brings back memories of going to the county fair with Dad, and never quite making it to the rides! That fellow was connected through the training of hunting dogs and coon hunts. The two chatted while his ice cream melted, but the person in front of him took priority. We jokingly told him he could never make it in the witness protection program, and he grinned while trying to enjoy a rapidly melting cone. If his phone rings, even while on vacation, he will always answer and try to help solve a problem for someone. It is his strong suit, truly enjoying connections to people, seeing the best in everyone he meets, offering a helping hand in any possible way he can, and we wouldnt want it any other way. As spring arrives, farms are bustling with planting activities, but my mind is already focused on hay quality, especially for the upcoming hay show at the fair. The fair is a vibrant event with attractions for everyone, from animals and rides to games, competitions, educational programs and auctions. For years, the Medina Soil and Water Conservation District has assisted during the Medina Fair hay show. If youve ever glanced at a bale of hay and found it indistinguishable from countless others, let me shed some light on the criteria used to assess their quality. Stage of maturity When evaluating a bale one category, that which receives the most consideration is the maturity stage. A bale will score higher in this category if there is evidence the hay was cut at an early enough stage to ensure adequate nutritional value remains in the leaf material and pre-emerged seeds. This, in turn, transfers to more nutrition for the animals. A hay stand cut at the proper maturity level has softer stems, more leaf surface area and nearly no evidence of seed head or bloom emergence. Hay made past this maturity level is usually lower in nutritional value, do to the plant transferring nutrients out of leaf production into seed head and bloom production. Grass stems also stiffen up and are less pliable therefore less palatable for the animals. Leafiness Leafiness is crucial due to the nutrient value found in the leaf as stated above. When preparing the hay for baling, the moister content must be considered. Hay that is too wet will not keep and will likely mold. In some cases, wet bales can heat up enough to start a fire. Hay that is too dry does not have the potential for such a hazard, but it will have potential to degrade the quality of the product. Overly dry and crispy hay can cause leaf shatter. When this occurs, the majority of the leaf material stays out in the field and does not end up in the bale. This is likely to occur if the hay is too dry when raking. Leaf shatter causes unnecessary loss in nutrients and quality. Color Color receives a lesser consideration when evaluating hay due to the fact that it is not necessarily an indicator of nutrient quality. A uniform and greener color is more appealing and often more marketable, but a sun bleached bale may have the same maturity level and nutrient content, it just laid in the sun for a longer period of time. For these reasons, it is a consideration, but of lesser influence when grading. Free of weeds and foreign matter. This one is self-explanatory: look for plants that should not be in your field, therefore not in your bales. This becomes a larger issue when the weed percentage increases and the weeds found are possibly toxic to certain animals. Weeds are not the only thing that can be found, chances are there is more than one or two little critters that unfortunately were hiding in the windrow when baling. There is also a chance that trash, blown by the wind, can get caught in the window and baled up. Condition Are bales uniformly cut, square, tightly packed and the correct length for your purposes? More or less it is a handsome looking bale that will stack easy and keep well. This category tends to speak more to the quality of the machinery used to bale the hay. Regular maintenance and upkeep can ensure machinery that has seen many seasons is still in working order. Things that are worn out may result in loosely packed bales that do not stay square and will be more difficult to store and handle. By adhering to these criteria, farmers can produce top-quality hay for the fair, ensuring both the health of their animals and their success in the show. Long before it became a cliche, there were many heroes who never wore capes. I met one: the rail-thin, then-86-year-old Theodore W. Schultz, in his sun-filled University of Chicago office on a cold, January day in 1989 a decade after he had been awarded a Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. As I noted in the resulting Top Producer magazine profile, Schultz was perhaps the worlds most pre-eminent agricultural economist having spent a lifetime disproving the simpleness most other economists attached to farming and farmers. What that meant, Paul Burnett, a Canadian economist, explained in an article on Schultzs bitter 1940s fight with the then-named Iowa State College (now Iowa State University), was Schultz understood that markets are made, not born, and that subtle arguments need to be advanced to increase the scope of liberty and decrease the monopoly power of collective organizations. Subtlety, however, wasnt a Schultz trait. Intellectual honesty and personal integrity were hallmarks of more than seven decades of his research and teaching. He died two months shy of age 96 in 1998. Born to a South Dakota farming family, Schultz never finished grade school or even attended high school; his father kept him on the farm after war came to Europe in 1914 because, he explained, every hand was needed to meet the demands it generated. After the inevitable post-war bust, Schultz accompanied his father to evening meetings of the Non-Partisan League where speakers told them that the big grain companies in Minneapolis were in cahoots with the railroads to cheat farmers. Schultz hoped to attend college, but without so much as a diploma from grade school, what institution would admit him? A letter to the president of South Dakota State College (now South Dakota State University) in 1921 got him in the door and by 1928 he had a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from the University of Wisconsin. By 1935 and not yet 33 years old Schultz was chair of Iowa State Colleges Department of Economics and Sociology. There he quickly built an ag econ juggernaut that one of his students, D. Gale Johnson, later described as first rank that produced four presidents of the American Economic Association, four members of the National Academy of Sciences and one Nobel laureate other than himself. But his brilliance couldnt protect him when he and his staff came under attack in 1943 by Iowa farm groups over of all things oleomargarine. The fight began when Schultz defended a young colleague who, due to World War II shortages, postulated that vegetable-based oleo could entirely displace butter in Iowa with one-half of the crop land and one-eighth of the labor required of dairy. The study was an academic exercise no one at Iowa State was advocating the switch but statewide farm groups, led by the powerful Iowa Farm Bureau, saw it as heresy. Schultz and his staff came under withering attack from farmers, farm groups and even Iowa States weak-kneed leaders. Schultz shot back; he said he understood the farmers anger because, after all, they had expectations that the college was theirs to pressure regardless of the effects of what was done upon the welfare of the public generally. The retort hit its mark but Schultz knew his science would never defeat their politics. He resigned and headed east to the University of Chicago with his integrity intact and his reputation enhanced. Once there, the Great Plains farm boy, who never finished grade school or even attended high school, became a cornerstone in todays Chicago School of Economics, the intellectual home to 13 Nobel laureates in economics. And it was all greased by a political brawl over oleomargarine that, incidentally, went on sale in Iowa just 10 years after Schultz left for Chicago and decades before he won his Nobel Prize. Lidl has become the first retailer to sign a contract to sell 'fully' Welsh milk, as the product will be both produced and bottled solely in Wales. A Wales-first deal has been made between the supermarket and Pembrokeshire Creamery, a new processor which eliminates the need for transporting milk to England for processing. Welsh milk had previously been bottled in factories in England before being transported back to Wales to be sold in stores. Pembrokeshire Creamery has invested 20m to build the countrys only bottling facility certified to supply supermarkets, initially creating up to 80 jobs for the community. Lidl's announcement means that from June, consumers will be able to pick up the Welsh milk products, with the retailer confirming that cream will follow soon after. Richard Bourns, chief commercial officer at Lidl GB, said: "Our partnership with Pembrokeshire Creamery is testament to our commitment to offer Welsh shoppers the very best in homegrown food and drink. "At Lidl we take pride in championing local producers, and this contract marks a significant milestone for the Welsh dairy sector, whilst also supporting the local economy in Pembrokeshire. Mark McQuade, managing director at the creamery said: We are very excited to have partnered with Lidl to supply their stores across Wales with milk from Welsh dairy cows, that has been bottled right here in Wales. "The partnership will deliver products from farm to shelf in a more efficient way, removing the need for Welsh milk to be sent to England for bottling, before coming back to Wales. In March, Pembrokeshire Creamery announced it first ever milk price, which was 38.5 pence per litre for April. Historical changes in pig farming led to the global spread of salmonella, resistant to antibiotics, a new international study led by UK researchers suggests. The research provides evidence that intensive farming practices over the last century has enabled the salmonella bacteria to spread internationally. The overreliance on antibiotics also led to the bacteria evolving to be resistant to antibiotics, according to the study, which was led by the University of Warwick. Salmonella enterica is a type of bacteria responsible for millions of illnesses annually, that can contaminate food, water, and food processing facilities. It can enter the food supply chain, with pork being a major source of infections. The pathogen can jump from pigs to humans, causing severe, potentially fatal, illnesses. Until now, the impact of intensive farming practices and global trade on salmonella prevalence around the world and the spread of antibiotic resistance remained unclear. In the study, DNA was analysed from 362,931 strains of bacteria, leading to the detection of nine salmonella populations that are abundant in pigs. The scientists linked the expansion of the bacteria with two historical events in the 20th Century: the first was the development of intensive pig farming in the early 20th Century. The second was due to the overuse of antibiotics after the 1960s, with Europe and the United States contributing the most to international transmissions of the bacteria. Professor Sascha Ott, of University of Warwick, said the study showed how the global trade of pork played a key role in the evolution of salmonella "posing direct threats to food safety worldwide". Dr Zhemin Zhou, honorary research fellow at the university added that the majority of salmonella genomes included were from developed countries, with limited data from developing countries, especially those in South America and Africa. As the majority of salmonella genomes included were from developed countries, with limited data from developing countries, especially those in South America and Africa, further research should look at these understudied regions. "This should improve knowledge of salmonella evolution and aid efforts to prevent illnesses caused by this pathogen." A Scottish farming family has put three former Royal Marines through their paces as part of a mental health first aid training initiative. The former Marines, with 86 years of service between them, faced the lambing shed on the Jackson family farm at Southtown of Melgund near Brechin, Angus. During their visit to the farm they fed sheep and lambs, shifted straw bales and heard all about the farm business from three generations of Jacksons Johnny, Billy and Glenn. Farming charity RSABI has been working with former Royal Marine Ian Clar and Major Hugh Jones for the past two years as part of its mental health first aid initiative. The certified training is aimed at encouraging people to talk more freely about mental health, reducing stigma and improving understanding about what to look out for and how to respond when someone may be struggling. Over the past two years more than 600 people working in the frontline with farmers have been trained through the initiative around the country. Those trained have ranged from vets, Scottish SPCA inspectors and quality assurance assessors to agronomists, consultants and bankers. In response to demand for the training, two additional retired Royal Marines, Major Neil Foreman and Ross Wilson, will help deliver the training in the year ahead. The aim of it is to provide individuals with the knowledge to identify the early signs and symptoms of mental ill health. The training also provides advice on how to facilitate a supportive conversation with people who may be experiencing a mental health problem. Carol McLaren, chief executive of RSABI, said the initiative was already making an encouraging difference in the Scottish agricultural community. She said: "We are looking forward to continuing to deliver a very strong training programme in the coming year, involving two more former marines. Working with the excellent team of former Royal Marines is resonating really well with those taking part in the training and our thanks go to everyone for the outstanding feedback we have received. Organisations or individuals working with farmers or crofters on a daily basis can request the training by emailing mentalhealthtraining@rsabi.org.uk The Scottish Barncluth herd has been awarded the highly acclaimed British Friesian Herd of the Year Award, which aims to recognise top performing herds. As a result of a combination of classification and production, the award recognises the most productive British Friesian herd from across the UK. The Dunbar family have been milking cows at Cromlet Farm, Airdrie, North Lanarkshire since Roberta's great-great grandfather took on a tenancy in 1899. The farm was subsequently purchased by Roberta's grandfather in 1960. She returned to the farm in 1987, having been away to study at college, and she undertook the task of grading the herd up to pedigree. In 1995, Roberta took over from her father and today, she farms with her partner Gordon Smith. The farm comprises 100 acres, with a further 85 acres rented, and is home to 85 pedigree British Friesians who give an average yield of 7,800kg; the herd also has 50 followers. British Friesians are particularly well suited to the type of land and climate in North Lanarkshire and they have served the Dunbar's well over the years. Today's herd is influenced by the bull Terling Prophet who Roberta's father introduced to the herd, along with Barncluth Arrival leaving his stamp on the herd, a great homebred bull. Prominent cow families include Daisy, Annabel, Daphne and Rose. Issuing the award, Holstein UK said: "It is a fantastic achievement in recognition of their hard work and dedication to the British Friesian breed. The British Friesian Herd of the Year Award recognises the most outstanding British Friesian herd based on a combination of both classification and production." Scottish farm leaders have urged John Swinney, Scotland's new first minister, to deliver policies which boost the prospects of the country's farming industry. Mr Swinney was legally sworn in as Scotland's seventh first minister at the Court of Session in Edinburgh this week, replacing Humza Yousaf. He unveiled a largely unchanged cabinet after becoming first minister, with Mairi Gougeon remaining as cabinet secretary for rural affairs. NFU Scotland has written to Mr Swinney, outlining priorities for the Scottish farming industry to boost profitability and sustainability. In its letter, the union raised issues related to economic growth and the "shared ambition to avoid a cliff edge for the sector". Future multiannual funding and funding allocations, as well as the issue of the Scottish agricultural budget, were also highlighted. The union's president, Martin Kennedy congratulated Mr Swinney on his appointment. "He is a politician that NFU Scotland has worked well with both nationally and locally over many years," he said. The First Minister, coming from a rural constituency, is well aware that agriculture underpins rural communities across Scotland and is at the heart of flourishing environments." Mr Kennedy warned, however, that the Scottish farming industry faced "many challenges". We have set out some of these in our letter to the First Minister, alongside solutions, which will help our sector to continue to contribute to the countrys economic growth. "We also need Scottish government to work with us as we seek to support and incentivise the next generation of Scotlands farmers and crofters. "We hope to discuss these issues in person with Mr Swinney in the near future. Officers responding to reports of a crocodile in floodwater near an English village only to find a replica. Residents called police over a 'crocodile' sighting Members of Thames Valley Police's South Buckinghamshire time rushed to the scene after receiving concerned calls about a reptile's head poking above the surface in waters near the village of Cholesbury. However, when officers arrived on the scene they realised worried residents had actually been fooled by a replica or decoy crocodile's head. The authorities were able to take the mixup in good spirits, and even began their post with a reference to late 'Crocodile Hunter' legend Steve Irwin's famous catchphrase. They wrote on Facebook: Crikey! It's not every day that you get sent to reports of a crocodile in flood water near Cholesbury. "Do not be alarmed, the croc is now with us at the police station." They couldn't resist another pun, as they clearly enjoyed the amusing situation. The team quipped: "Did you know that it is not that difficult to tell alligators and crocodiles apart? One will see you later whereas the other will see you in a while. #BadDadJokes." A pet goat helped capture a runaway sheep in Ireland. Goat helps sheep rescue Animal rescuers had noticed the animal running loose near a motorway, and charity group My Lovely Horse Rescue - a reference to a classic episode of 'Father Ted' - dispatched a search party to bring it in. The organisation wrote on Facebook: "We had reports about this little sheep running around the roads and heading for the N4 "We found him but he ran so we went back out with an MLHR search party including Lilly goat!" In the end, they found the escaped sheep - which they have now named Philip - and realised he was suffering with an infection. They continued: "We finally found the poor little man in a ditch, we got him out and to the MLHR FARM. He has no tags and an infection." Now in the care of My Lovely Horse Resecue, they confirmed that Philip won't have to worry, with plenty of friends around him. They added: "Hes safe, hell have sheep friends and never have to worry." On its website, the charity desrcibes itself as "an animal welfare organisation that rescues, rehabilitate and rehomes unwanted, neglected and abused animals". The organisation aims to give the rescued animals "a life worth living". There are more female prison officers now than there ever has been. Its music to my ears and this is why. Author Gen Glaister I was 23 when I became a prison officer and one of the first questions people would always ask me was in a womens prison, right? It always confused me. I was raised by my mum and my sisters and there was no such thing as red jobs and blue jobs in my house - so I never knew anything other than women being capable of everything from running businesses to fixing the sink. Perhaps even more surprising to people than a 23 year old woman working in an adult men's prison though, was the fact that I was a 15 year old public school girl when I set my heart on joining the service. I was the type of teenager who relentlessly sought out trouble too, but as I battled to change my ways I found myself entangled in a revolving door, where teachers expected me to misbehave and so I made a point of living up to my reputation. So even at a young age, I felt drawn to people in prison, other people who were trapped by a label which acted as a self-fulfilling prophecy. In hindsight, it was a very female instinct which drove me to use my own rehabilitation into a fully functioning adult to support one of the most discriminated against populations there are, but until I became an officer I never really considered how my gender was relevant to my chosen career. Little did I know just how much my womanhood would interact with my role as a prison officer. It first struck me in training. As we wrestled with learning to restrain our 16 stone instructors, it became clear that us women were going to have to rely on technique rather than strength when it came to restraining prisoners. An advantage, our thick necked instructors assured us, restraining someone with strength alone results in broken bones and lawsuits but if you learn these techniques, youre just as capable as someone twice the size of you. It was a wildly empowering thought, but as I looked at the bruises up and down my arms from a week of rolling around on gym mats, I wasnt yet convinced. In reality, it took me a while to discover the strength of being a female officer. In the early days, I could tell that both officers and prisoners would take one look at my scrawny self and assume I wouldnt put up a fight, but that was ultimately what became my biggest strength. I began to notice how my larger male colleagues arriving on the scene of an agitated prisoner could quickly escalate the situation into a physical one, whereas my female colleagues were much better equipped to calm an incident down. Its not to say that female officers dont find themselves in their fair share of brawls - in fact that was something else which gave me huge strength. Once you know that you can be flung into a wall trying to break up a clash between two gangs, trampled on and still get back up to keep fighting, you gain this ability to maintain a serene calmness even in some of the hairiest circumstances. I found it to be a feeling of empowerment like nothing else when I got to the stage where I could stand just feet in front of a man who was practically beating his chest with rage and feel a calm assurance that my words would get him back into his cell rather than my fists. In fact, its a quality which prisons all over the country are coming to recognise. Whilst spots in the segregation units used to be reserved only for the burliest of male officers, they are now being swapped out for slight female officers with excellent negotiation skills and high levels of compassion. Determined to tell the story about the side to prison which no one else was talking about, I set out to write a book about what it was really like being a female officer in a mens jail. The Prison Officer, is the story of my journey getting to know, and so often, coming to like and respect a group of men which we are encouraged to fear and avoid. Ultimately, I wanted to share with the world the privilege I had of getting to know the men I met inside. Because from the most impressive man I met to the most frightening, I am a stronger and more compassionate woman for having met them. Gen Glaisters latest book The Prison Officer (The Inside Story Of Life Behind Bars) is out today on Penguin Paperback priced at 8.99 by Matt Shine for www.femalefirst.co.uk find me on and follow me on Heart wrenching, well-humoured, and at times horrifying, The Prison Officer is the brutally honest, no-holds-barred account of a young woman thrust into the midst of a dangerous men's prison, working amongst gangsters, murderers and traffickers. With an ever-growing drug problem, a mental health system on the brink of collapse, and a team of officers that have already given up. This powerful, eye-opening memoir delves into tumultuous realities of the UK prison system in a compelling, unique and comprehensible way. THE BOOK: Life as a prison officer was Gen's calling. But when she took her first job in a mens prison at only 23, she was thrown in at the deep end. From the wing kingpin who delivers his threats with a smile and a pat on the back, to the famous drill artist causing a stir on the wing, and from the frequent flyer' for whom prison is the only home he's known, to the young offender who gets a second chance, Gen reveals the incredible cast of characters behind the prison walls. In this searing account of her time behind bars, discover how Gen learned how to use her heart, her humour and sheer bloody-mindedness to make a difference. Gen Glaister THE AUTHOR: Gen Glaister had her heart set on being a prison officer since she was fifteen. Just three months after leaving university she finally got the keys to one of Londons largest male prisons, where she learned more about humans than she could ever have imagined. Since leaving the prison service, Gen has remained determined to change the publics approach to people in prison and to get the UK excited about justice reform. by Matt Shine for www.femalefirst.co.uk find me on and follow me on Retail trade volumes in March 2024 saw an increase of 0.8 per cent in the euro area and 1.2 per cent in the EU compared to February 2024, according to the latest data from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. This positive shift comes after a decrease in February, where volumes fell by 0.3 per cent in the euro area and by 0.1 per cent in the EU. On a year-over-year basis, March 2024 showed an encouraging trend with the calendar-adjusted retail sales index rising by 0.7 per cent in the euro area and by 2 per cent in the EU. Sector-specific performance indicated stability in the euro area for non-food products (excluding automotive fuel) during March 2024. In contrast, the EU saw an increase across non-food products (except automotive fuel) by 0.5 per cent, as per Eurostat. Euro area retail trade volumes increased by 0.8 per cent and by 1.2 per cent in EU in March 2024, per Eurostat. YoY, volumes rose by 0.7 per cent in the euro area and 2 per cent in the EU. Poland led with a 7.3 per cent monthly rise, while Sweden saw the largest decline at 1.8 per cent. Annually, Poland also topped with a 14.8 per cent rise in trade volumes. Among the member states, Poland registered the highest monthly increase in total retail trade volume with a significant surge of 7.3 per cent, followed by Cyprus at 4.8 per cent, and Hungary at 2 per cent. Conversely, Sweden experienced the largest monthly decrease, with retail volumes falling by 1.8 per cent, followed by Malta and Austria, which saw declines of 1 per cent and 0.8 per cent, respectively. Looking at annual changes, the euro area saw a 0.8 per cent increase in the volume of retail trade for non-food products (excluding automotive fuel), while the broader EU reported a more substantial growth of 3 per cent for the same category. Notable yearly increases among member states included Poland, which saw a dramatic 14.8 per cent rise, Luxembourg with a 10.3 per cent increase, and Croatia at 8.9 per cent. On the other hand, Belgium, Estonia, and Austria faced the steepest declines at minus 4.6 per cent, minus 2.3 per cent, and minus 2 per cent respectively. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DP) LAUNCH INITIATED IN SWEDEN FIRST QUARTER (JAN-MAR 2024) Net revenue SEK 0.8 million (0) EBITDA SEK -7.6 million (-6.1) Operating profit (EBIT) SEK -7.9 million (-6.7) Profit after tax SEK -6.5 million (-5.0) Diluted earnings per share SEK -0.23 (-0.51) Cash and cash equivalents amounted to 38.6 million (84.5) SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN THE FIRST QUARTER The sale of MOB-015 in Sweden under the brand name Terclara has begun in collaboration with the company's partner Allderma and the majority of pharmacies around the country have decided to sell the product. In February, the Nomination Committee presented its proposal to the Annual General Meeting 2024, where Jonas Ekblom was proposed for election as a new board member. SIGNIFICANT EVENTS AFTER THE QUARTER National approvals have been received in the following countries: Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands. In all three countries MOB-015 has been approved for OTC sales and with this, national approvals have been received for all countries included in the decentralized procedure. An application to include the intended terbinafine supplier in the company's registration file for MOB-015 has been submitted. Approval is expected before the end of the year. TV marketing started on April 1 and a majority of Swedish pharmacies have the product available on the shelf. STATEMENT FROM THE CEO The launch to pharmacies was initiated in February. A majority of ~1,400 Swedish pharmacies now have MOB-015 available on the shelf under the brand name Terclara and interest is exceeding the chains' forecasts. The pharmacy chains are increasing their orders after consumer marketing began around the end of March due to the fact that the product occasionally has sold out at several of the pharmacy chains. However, there is a well-stocked wholesale warehouse. We have now received national approvals in all 13 countries in the decentralized procedure. The three countries added since last report - Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands - all decided to approve the product for over-the-counter (OTC) sales right from the start. It is important for us to obtain approval as an OTC pharmaceutical in as many markets as possible, since the largest sales volumes in Europe are expected to come from markets where the product has OTC status. It is therefore gratifying that 7 of the 13 countries have granted OTC approval. In the North American study, half of the patients have now completed their treatment. After patient enrollment was finalized in October 2023, cash flow has improved through lower expenditure as we are now nearing the end of the study. The North American study is a double-blind, randomized, vehicle-controlled, multicenter Phase 3 study being conducted at 33 study centers in the U.S. and Canada. The study will be unblinded after the fungal sample from the last patient's last visit has been analyzed, with topline results expected in January 2025. Ahead of this data, we are intensifying our business development activities and have entered into a collaboration with Back Bay Life Science Advisors, which has conducted in-depth interviews with U.S. payer representatives and is organizing our process to find the best partner for targeting U.S. dermatologists. The in-depth interviews indicate a strong willingness on the part of insurance companies to pay per completed treatment cycle, which in combination with the medical need makes the U.S. a very attractive market for a new nail fungus medication. To capture the full potential in the U.S. and capitalize on the knowledge we gained from our first-generation product Kerasal Nail, we want to build our own footprint in the U.S. market vis-a-vis podiatrists, while also collaborating with a company with an established sales force targeting dermatologists. Our intent is to enter into such a collaboration after the topline data has been made public. During the quarter, we together with our partner Allderma worked to ensure that the preconditions for a successful launch are in place and Terclara started to appear on shelves at Swedish pharmacies in February of this year. In parallel with the pharmacies filling up the shelves, work was ongoing in February and March to inform physicians and pharmacists about the unique benefits of Terclara. The focus has now shifted to end consumers, with TV marketing started on April 1 as planned. This means that MOB-015 is available to Swedish patients ahead of high season for those who want to begin the journey towards attractive, fungus-free nails before sandal season and the summer holiday. Sales in the quarter mainly reflect the initial pharmacy orders. It is not until consumer marketing begins that demand from patients will affect the sales figures. Sweden is initially the priority market for Moberg Pharma as we have limited access to terbinafine (the active substance in Terclara) in the near term. We continue to deliver on our plan to secure a long-term supply of terbinafine ahead of the planned pan-European rollout. In April, we submitted an application to add a terbinafine manufacturer for MOB-015 with approval expected before the end of the year. In addition, we are actively working to secure another terbinafine supplier and thus have two parallel tracks to ensure a stable supply of terbinafine. Preparations ahead of the pan-European rollout and commercialization in the U.S. are the company's biggest value drivers. During the quarter, we continued to deliver according to plan for all key activities: the North American study, long-term terbinafine access and the rollout of Terclara in Sweden. The Swedish launch is an important springboard to realize our vision - to make MOB-015 the leading nail fungus treatment worldwide. Anna Ljung, CEO of Moberg Pharma ABOUT THIS INFORMATION This information is information that Moberg Pharma is Obliged to make public persuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out below, at 8.00 a.m. CET on May 7th, 2024. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Anna Ljung, CEO, Phone: +46 70 766 60 30, e-mail: anna.ljung@mobergpharma.se Mark Beveridge, VP Finance, Phone: +46 76 805 82 88, e-mail: mark.beveridge@mobergpharma.se New funds received remain steady, resulting in the highest historical level for the second year running, according to the 2022-23 CASE Insights on Philanthropy (United Kingdom and Ireland) survey results LONDON, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The CASE Insights on Philanthropy (United Kingdom and Ireland) 2022-23 report, released today by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), finds that funds (cash) received by 92 participating higher education institutions in the UK and Ireland hit an all-time high of 1.37?billion in the survey year ending 31 July 2023. New funds committed for university use totalled 1.43 billion, fractionally down (3.5%) from the previous year. These giving totals demonstrate continued and significant philanthropic support to the higher education sector. "It is heartening to see such a significant level of philanthropic support for higher education in the UK and Ireland despite uncertain and challenging times," says Sue Cunningham, President and CEO of CASE. "The ongoing fundraising successes in the region can be attributed to the thoughtful partnership between academic leaders, advancement professionals and philanthropists who share a common vision and passion for advancing education to transform lives and society." "Philanthropy provides welcome funding - and outstanding potential for growing income - to a sector which is facing rising cost bases and flattening income streams," adds TJ Rawlinson, member of the Editorial Committee for the CASE Insights on Philanthropy (United Kingdom and Ireland), and Director of Development and Alumni Relations, Cardiff University. "A rising tide has the potential to float many boats, even the smallest ones." The report's data insights include: New funds committed: Organisations, such as trusts and foundations, companies, and lottery, are the primary sources of philanthropic support to the sector, accounting for 73.0% per cent of committed funds reported in 2023. Gifts from individuals, including alumni and non-alumni, contributed 27.0% of new funds. While individuals (both alumni and non-alumni) accounted for 94.4% of total donors, the number of alumni donors has continued to decline, down 1.3% compared to the previous year. The number of institutions raising more than 20 million each in new funds committed has remained the same as the 2021-22 reporting period, an all-time high of 12 institutions. Ten institutions received funds ranging from 10 to 19.9 million, and 14 institutions received between 5 and 9.9 million. Amongst 66 institutions that provided data, 232 donors made gifts or pledges of 500,000 or more during 2022-23 (excluding Oxbridge institutions). Funds received: The average funds received increased by 25.1% from the previous year. For 2022-23, 40.0% of the average funds received were given by individuals, and 60.0% originated from organisations. The majority (59.8%) of the total funds received were for restricted current use, followed by 17.2% for capital purposes (including property, buildings, and equipment), 15.1% for endowments, and the remaining 7.8% for unrestricted current use.?The total funds received from legacy donations totalled 134 million in 2022-23. "These outcomes reflect deep engagement and a commitment to long-term institutional investment in delivering advancement programmes that are professional and accountable. continues Cunningham. "All of our CASE Insights research demonstrates that the institutions that are most successful in philanthropic engagement are those where there is a consistency of leadership and an innovative and tailored approach to genuine stakeholder engagement." "It is pleasing to see the Survey participation rise this year. Contributions from both newcomers and returning institutions are warmly welcomed," says Rawlinson, "Participation matters hugely: using a comprehensive data set from across the sector, CASE Insights can best analyse and understand sector trends, and identify best practice. We learn from each other, and we better understand how to bring the impact of university research and education to life for our donors and friends."? The CASE InsightsSM on Philanthropy (United Kingdom and Ireland) survey , formerly the CASE-Ross survey, is the definitive source of data about philanthropic support for nonprofit and public higher education institutions in the U.K. and Ireland. CASE, now in its 50th year of supporting advancement professionals, is dedicated to building recognition of the importance of philanthropic support and demonstrating strategic impact, and the difference such support makes to recipient institutions and the many thousands of lives touched by them.? About CASE? CASE-the Council for Advancement and Support of Education-is a global, not-for-profit membership association with a vision to advance education to transform lives and society.? CASE is the home for advancement professionals, inspiring, challenging, and equipping them to act effectively and with integrity to champion the success of their institutions. CASE defines the competencies and standards for the profession of advancement, leading and championing their dissemination and application with more than 97,000 advancement professionals at over 3,000 member institutions in more than 80 countries.? Broad and growing communities of professionals gather under the global CASE umbrella. Currently, these include alumni relations, advancement services, communications, fundraising, government relations, and marketing. These professionals are at all stages of their careers and may be working in universities, schools, colleges, cultural institutions, or other not-for-profits. CASE uses the intellectual capital and professional talents of a community of international volunteers to advance its work, and its membership includes many educational partners who work closely with the educational sector.? CASE InsightsSM is CASE's global resource for educational advancement-related metrics, benchmarks and analytics. Specialised CASE InsightsSM data, standards, and research enable members to make data-informed decisions, demonstrate strategic impact, and highlight success stories, whilst adhering to the ethical practices of the advancement profession. For more information, visit www.case.org/case-insights .? The CASE InsightsSM on Philanthropy (United Kingdom and Ireland) survey collects detailed information about gift revenue, fundraising costs, and donors to measure the philanthropic performance of universities. In 2023, CASE and More Partnership joined forces to analyse a decade of fundraising trends within the UK higher education sector and offer recommendations for the future. Among a range of sources, the CASE-More UK Philanthropy Report was informed by ten years of data from the annual CASE-Ross survey, the previous name of the CASE Insights on Philanthropy (United Kingdom and Ireland) survey, alongside interviews with leading practitioners, influencers and philanthropists. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., CASE works across all continents from its regional offices in London, Singapore, and Mexico City to achieve a seamless experience for all of its stakeholders, particularly its members, volunteers, and staff. For more information, visit www.case.org. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/giving-to-universities-in-the-uk-and-ireland-reaches-an-all-time-high-of-1-37-billion-in-funds-received-in-2022-23--302140522.html TSX and OTC: MPVD TORONTO, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. ("Mountain Province", the "Company") (TSX: MPVD) (OTC: MPVD) today announces financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024 ("the Quarter" or "Q1 2024") from the Gahcho Kue Diamond Mine ("GK Mine"). All figures are expressed in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted. Financial Highlights for First Quarter 2024 938,000 carats sold, with total proceeds of $89.4 million (US$66.1 million) at an average realised value of $95 per carat (US$70). Adjusted EBITDA 1 of $50.0 million. of $50.0 million. Earnings from mine operations of $30.4 million. Net income of $6.8 million or $0.03 basic and diluted earnings per share2. 1Cash costs of production, including capitalized stripping costs, and adjusted EBITDA are non-IFRS measures with no standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS. See "Reconciliation of non-IFRS measures" at the end of the news release for explanation and reconciliation. Operational Highlights for First Quarter 2024 (all figures reported on a 100% basis unless otherwise stated) 805,557 ore tonnes treated, a 5% increase relative to Q1 2023, (Q1 2023: 766,786 tonnes treated;) 1,264,887 carats recovered, 4% lower than the comparable quarter (Q1 2023: 1,319,603 carats) Average grade of 1.57 carats per tonne, a 9% decrease relative to Q1 2023 (1.72 carats per tonne) Cost per carat recovered, including capitalized stripping of $56/carat, and cost per tonne processed, including capitalized stripping of $88/tonne. Sales Highlights for First Quarter 2024 As previously released, during the first quarter 938,000 carats were sold for total proceeds of $89.4 million (US$66.1 million), resulting in an average value of $95 per carat (US$70 per carat). These results compare to Q1 2023 when 961,024 carats were sold for total proceeds of $128.7 million (US$95.0 million), resulting in an average price of $134 per carat (US$99 per carat). Mark Wall, the Company's President, and Chief Executive Officer, commented: "Despite a softer rough diamond market than this time last year, the Company continued to show sustained profitability at current prices, recording and Adjusted EBITDA of $50 million, as well as Net Income of $6.8 million. I look forward to sharing the results of our upcoming revised technical report on the GK mine, which will bring the market up to date on the latest mine plan at GK, as well as bring to light some net-positive pit design changes which we believe should bring incremental carats into the mine plan. We expect to be able to share the results of this updated technical report near the end of Q2 2024." Gahcho Kue Mine Operations The following table summarizes key operating statistics for the Gahcho Kue Mine in the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023. Three months ended Three months ended March 31, 2024 March 31, 2023 GK operating data Mining *Ore tonnes mined kilo tonnes 1,947 428 *Waste tonnes mined kilo tonnes 5,938 8,507 *Total tonnes mined kilo tonnes 7,885 8,935 *Ore in stockpile kilo tonnes 3,458 1,420 Processing *Ore tonnes processed kilo tonnes 806 767 *Average plant throughput tonnes per day 8,857 8,247 *Average diamond recovery carats per tonne 1.57 1.72 *Diamonds recovered 000's carats 1,265 1,320 Approximate diamonds recovered - Mountain Province 000's carats 620 647 Cash costs of production per tonne of ore, net of capitalized stripping ** $ 51 99 Cash costs of production per tonne of ore, including capitalized stripping** $ 88 155 Cash costs of production per carat recovered, net of capitalized stripping** $ 33 58 Cash costs of production per carat recovered, including capitalized stripping** $ 56 90 Sales Approximate diamonds sold - Mountain Province*** 000's carats 938 961 Average diamond sales price per carat US $ 70 $ 99 * at 100% interest in the Gahcho Kue Mine **See "Reconciliation of non-IFRS measures" at the end of the news release for explanation and reconciliation. ***Includes the sales directly to De Beers for fancies and specials acquired by De Beers through the production split bidding process Financial Performance Three months ended Three months ended (in thousands of Canadian dollars, except where otherwise noted) March 31, 2024 March 31, 2023 Sales $ 89,438 128,657 Carats sold 000's carats 938 961 Average price per carat sold $/carat 95 134 Cost of sales per carat* $/carat 63 85 Earnings from mine operations per carat $ 32 49 Earnings from mine operations % 34 % 37 % Selling, general and administrative expenses $ 3,542 4,007 Operating income $ 26,760 41,091 Net income for the period $ 6,864 28,224 Basic earnings per share $ 0.03 0.13 Diluted earnings per share $ 0.03 0.13 Conference Call The Company will host its quarterly conference call on Thursday, May 9th, 2024 at 11:00am ET. Title: Mountain Province Diamonds Inc Q1 2024 Earnings Conference Call Conference ID: 63370213 Date of call: 05/09/2024 Time of call: 11:00 Eastern Time Expected Duration: 60 minutes Webcast Link: https://emportal.ink/3xw1s6L Participant Toll-Free Dial-In Number: (+1) 888-390-0546 Participant International Dial-In Number: (+1) 416-764-8668 A replay of the webcast and audio call will be available on the Company's website. Reconciliation of Non-IFRS measures This news release refers to the terms "Cash costs of production per tonne of ore processed" and "Cash costs of production per carat recovered", both including and net of capitalized stripping costs and "Adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Taxes Depreciation and Amortization (Adjusted EBITDA)" and "Adjusted EBITDA Margin". Each of these is a non-IFRS performance measure and is referenced in order to provide investors with information about the measures used by management to monitor performance. These measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. They do not have any standardized meaning under IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Cash costs of production per tonne of ore processed and cash costs of production per carat recovered are used by management to analyze the actual cash costs associated with processing the ore, and for each recovered carat. Differences from production costs reported within cost of sales are attributed to the amount of production cost included in ore stockpile and rough diamond inventories. Adjusted EBITDA is used by management to analyze the operational cash flows of the Company, as compared to the net income for accounting purposes. It is also a measure which is defined in the Notes documents. Adjusted EBITDA margin is used by management to analyze the operational margin % on cash flows of the Company. The following table provides a reconciliation of the Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin with the net income on the condensed consolidated interim statements of comprehensive income: Three months ended Three months ended March 31, 2024 March 31, 2023 Net income for the period $ 6,864 $ 28,224 Add/deduct: Non-cash depreciation and depletion 22,104 25,318 Share-based payment expense 242 340 Fair value gain of warrants (541) (146) Gain on lease (55) - Finance expenses 10,337 10,161 Derivative losses 2,340 1,065 Deferred income taxes 2,325 1,820 Current income taxes 150 750 Unrealized foreign exchange losses 6,187 645 Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and depletion (Adjusted EBITDA) $ 49,953 $ 68,177 Sales 89,438 128,657 Adjusted EBITDA margin 56 % 53 % The following table provides a reconciliation of the cash costs of production per tonne of ore processed and per carat recovered and the production costs reported within cost of sales on the condensed consolidated interim statements of comprehensive income: Three months ended Three months ended (in thousands of Canadian dollars, except where otherwise noted) March 31, 2024 March 31, 2023 Cost of sales production costs $ 32,728 49,116 Timing differences due to inventory and other non-cash adjustments $ (12,393) (11,835) Cash cost of production of ore processed, net of capitalized stripping $ 20,335 37,281 Cash costs of production of ore processed, including capitalized stripping $ 34,927 58,241 Tonnes processed kilo tonnes 395 376 Carats recovered 000's carats 620 647 Cash costs of production per tonne of ore, net of capitalized stripping $ 51 99 Cash costs of production per tonne of ore, including capitalized stripping $ 88 155 Cash costs of production per carat recovered, net of capitalized stripping $ 33 58 Cash costs of production per carat recovered, including capitalized stripping $ 56 90 About Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. Mountain Province Diamonds is a 49% participant with De Beers Canada in the Gahcho Kue diamond mine located in Canada's Northwest Territories. The Gahcho Kue Joint Venture property consists of several kimberlites that are actively being mined, developed, and explored for future development. The Company also controls more than 113,000 hectares of highly prospective mineral claims and leases surrounding the Gahcho Kue Mine that include an Indicated mineral resource for the Kelvin kimberlite and Inferred mineral resources for the Faraday kimberlites. Kelvin is estimated to contain 13.62 million carats (Mct) in 8.50 million tonnes (Mt) at a grade of 1.60 carats/tonne and value of US$63/carat, at February 2019. Faraday 2 is estimated to contain 5.45Mct in 2.07Mt at a grade of 2.63 carats/tonne and value of US$140/ct, at February 2019. Faraday 1-3 is estimated to contain 1.90Mct in 1.87Mt at a grade of 1.04 carats/tonne and value of US$75/carat, at February 2019. All resource estimations are based on a 1mm diamond size bottom cut-off. Qualified Person The disclosure in this news release of scientific and technical information regarding Mountain Province's mineral properties has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Dan Johnson, P.Eng., a director of Mountain Province Diamonds and Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Caution Regarding Forward Looking Information This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian and United States securities laws concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to operational hazards, including possible disruption due to pandemic such as COVID-19, its impact on travel, self-isolation protocols and business and operations, estimated production and mine life of the project of Mountain Province; the realization of mineral reserve estimates; the timing and amount of estimated future production; costs of production; the future price of diamonds; the estimation of mineral reserves and resources; the ability to manage debt; capital expenditures; the ability to obtain permits for operations; liquidity; tax rates; and currency exchange rate fluctuations. Except for statements of historical fact relating to Mountain Province, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "anticipates," "may," "can," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "projects," "targets," "intends," "likely," "will," "should," "to be", "potential" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "should" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are based on a number of assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of Mountain Province and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from results anticipated by such forward-looking statements include the development of operation hazards which could arise in relation to COVID-19, including, but not limited to protocols which may be adopted to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and any impact of such protocols on Mountain Province's business and operations, variations in ore grade or recovery rates, changes in market conditions, changes in project parameters, mine sequencing; production rates; cash flow; risks relating to the availability and timeliness of permitting and governmental approvals; supply of, and demand for, diamonds; fluctuating commodity prices and currency exchange rates, the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated. These factors are discussed in greater detail in Mountain Province's most recent Annual Information Form and in the most recent MD&A filed on SEDAR, which also provide additional general assumptions in connection with these statements. Mountain Province cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. Investors and others who base themselves on forward-looking statements should carefully consider the above factors as well as the uncertainties they represent and the risk they entail. Mountain Province believes that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Although Mountain Province has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Mountain Province undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Statements concerning mineral reserve and resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements to the extent they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered as the property is developed. Further, Mountain Province may make changes to its business plans that could affect its results. The principal assets of Mountain Province are administered pursuant to a joint venture under which Mountain Province is not the operator. Mountain Province is exposed to actions taken or omissions made by the operator within its prerogative and/or determinations made by the joint venture under its terms. Such actions or omissions may impact the future performance of Mountain Province. Under its current note and revolving credit facilities Mountain Province is subject to certain limitations on its ability to pay dividends on common stock. The declaration of dividends is at the discretion of Mountain Province's Board of Directors, subject to the limitations under the Company's debt facilities, and will depend on Mountain Province's financial results, cash requirements, future prospects, and other factors deemed relevant by the Board. CONTACT: Mark Wall, President, and CEO, 161 Bay Street, Suite 1410, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2S1, Phone: (416) 361-3562, E-mail: info@mountainprovince.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/mountain-province-diamonds-announces-first-quarter-financial-results-for-2024-302140582.html Kunstliche Intelligenz hat spatestens nach dem Raketenstart von Chat GPT das Leben aller verandert. Doch der Superzyklus steht nach Meinungen von Experten erst am Anfang. Wahrend Aktien wie Nvidia von der ersten Aufwartsentwicklung stark profitieren konnten, versprechen aussichtsreiche Player aus der zweiten Reihe noch enormes Aufwartspotenzial. Im kostenlosen, exklusiven Spezialreport prasentieren wir ihnen 5 innovative KI-Unternehmen, die bahnbrechende Entwicklungen in diesem Sektor pragen konnten. Warum sollten Sie dabei sein? Trotz der jungsten Erfolge steht die Entwicklung der kunstlichen Intelligenz noch am Beginn eines neuen Superzyklus. Experten gehen davon aus, dass der Sektor bis 2032 global auf 1,3 Billionen US-Dollar explodieren wird, wobei ein groer Teil auf Hardware und Infrastruktur entfallen wird. Nutzen Sie die Chance! Fordern Sie sofort unseren brandneuen Spezialreport an und erfahren Sie, welche 5 KI-Aktien das grote Potenzial zur Vervielfachung besitzen. Dieser Report ist komplett kostenlos und zeigt Ihnen die aussichtsreichsten Investments im KI-Sektor. Handeln Sie jetzt und sichern Sie sich Ihren kostenfreien Report! NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES TUCSON, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / May 8, 2024 / Western Alaska Minerals (the "Company" or "WAM") (TSXV:WAM) is pleased to announce that, further to its news releases dated April 18, 2024, April 22, 2024, April 26, 2024, and May 3, 2024, the Company has closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") for aggregate gross proceeds of C$2,478,437.65. Under the upsized Offering, the Company issued 3,812,981 units of the Company ("Units") at a price of $0.65 per Unit (the "Offering Price"). Each Unit is comprised of one subordinate voting share in the authorized share structure of the Company (a "Share") and one Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Share (a "Warrant Share") at an exercise price of $0.90 per Warrant Share for 36 months from the date of issuance. The Company is pleased to report that pursuant to the Offering, when combined with the brokered offering of Units via prospectus supplement which closed on April 26, 2024, it has raised aggregate gross proceeds of C$8,590,616.45 and issued 13,216,333 Units. The net proceeds of the Offering will be used to fund the Company's 2024 exploration program, including step-out drilling at the LH and Warm Springs target zones that are new targets identified by the 2023-completed geophysical program, and for general corporate purposes. In connection with the Offering, the Company issued an aggregate of 174,154 finder's warrants (the "Finder's Warrants") and paid finder's commissions of an aggregate of $113,199.80 to certain qualified finders. Each Finder's Warrant is exercisable for a period of 36 months from the date of issuance into one Share of the Company at a price of C$0.90. All securities issued pursuant to the Offering, including the Finder's Warrants, are subject to a hold period expiring on September 9, 2024, in addition to such other restrictions as may apply under applicable securities laws of jurisdictions outside Canada. Certain related parties of the Company ("Interested Parties") purchased or acquired direction or control over a total of 1,153,846 Units as part of the Offering. The placement to those persons constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the directors of the Company have determined that the Interested Parties' participation in the Offering will be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 in reliance on the exemptions set forth in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(b) of MI 61-101. The Company did not file a material change report 21 days prior to the closing of the Offering as the details of the participation of Interested Parties had not been confirmed at that time. The securities being offered have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States, or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons or persons in the United States, absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About WAM Our mission is to advance a mineable and scalable CRD, ultimately reshaping the mineral landscape of western Alaska and establishing a new CRD district. WAM's 100% owned claims cover 73,120 acres (114.25 square miles or 29,591 hectares), approximately 45 km east of an ocean barge-compatible section of the Yukon River. WAM's intact mineralized CRD system encompasses the (past producing) Illinois Creek gold-silver mine, the Waterpump Creek high-grade silver-lead-zinc deposit, open to the north, and the Honker gold prospect. Twenty-five kilometers northeast of the Illinois Creek CRD lies the Round Top copper and the TG North CRD prospects. All prospects were originally discovered by Anaconda Minerals Co. in the early 1980's. Since 2010, WAM, along with its precursor company, Western Alaska Copper & Gold, reassembled the Anaconda land package and has been engaged in exploring the district. Headquartered in both Alaska and Arizona, WAM brings together a team of seasoned professionals with a shared vision of pioneering new frontiers in mineral exploration. Our strategic approach is underpinned by cutting-edge technology, innovative techniques, and a deep understanding of the geological intricacies of the region. On behalf of the Company "Kit Marrs" Kit Marrs President & CEO Phone: 520-200-1667 For further information please contact: Vanessa Bogaert, Director of Corporate Communications/IR at vanessa@westernalaskaminerals.com Or visit our website at: www.westernalaskaminerals.com Forward Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. These forward-looking statements or information relate to, among other things, the intended use of proceeds from the Offering. Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the Company will be able to utilize the proceeds of the Offering in the manner intended. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's plans or expectations include market conditions, metal prices, and other risks relating to the Company being able to utilize the proceeds of the Offering in the manner intended. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Western Alaska Minerals Corp View the original press release on accesswire.com Allied Universal Holdco LLC and Allied Universal Finance Corporation (collectively, "Allied Universal") previously announced the commencement of a tender offer (the "Tender Offer") to purchase for cash up to $500,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of its outstanding 6.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2026 (the "Notes"). Allied Universal hereby amends the Tender Offer to purchase for cash up to $739,000,000 in aggregate consideration (exclusive of accrued and unpaid interest (the "Accrued Interest"), and as such aggregate consideration may be increased or decreased by Allied Universal, the "Maximum Tender Amount") of its outstanding Notes. The Tender Offer is being made in connection with a concurrent offering by Allied Universal of $500.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 7.875% Senior Secured Notes due 2031 (the "Additional Notes") to be issued as additional notes under the Indenture, dated as of February 16, 2024, among Allied Universal, the guarantors party thereto and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee and collateral agent, to be sold in an offering exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. On May 8, 2024, Allied Universal priced such offering for $500.0 million of Additional Notes, which offering is expected to close on May 22, 2024, subject to customary conditions (the "New Offering"). In addition, on May 8, 2024, Allied Universal priced $1,100 million aggregate principal amount of incremental term loans, which it intends to incur under an amendment (the "Bank Amendment") to its existing US dollar-denominated term loan facility. The Tender Offer will be financed by the amounts raised in the New Offering (net of transaction fees and expenses), and a portion of the incremental term loans raised pursuant to the Bank Amendment, together with cash on hand. The Tender Offer is being made pursuant to an Offer to Purchase, dated May 7, 2024, as amended by the terms set forth herein (the "Offer to Purchase"). The Tender Offer is also hereby amended to be conditioned on the closing of Bank Amendment, in addition to the other conditions to the Tender Offer, including the closing of the New Offering. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the meaning given to them in the Offer to Purchase. The following table sets forth the Tender Offer Consideration, the Early Tender Payment and the Total Consideration for the Tender Offer: Title of Note CUSIP /ISIN (144A)(1) CUSIP /ISIN (Reg S)(1) Principal Amount Outstanding Maximum Tender Amount (2) Tender Offer Consideration (3)(4) Early Tender Payment (4)(5) Total Consideration (4)(6) 6.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2026 019576 AA5 / US019576AA51 U0201T AA8 / USU0201TAA89 $944,976,000 $739,000,000 $971.25 $30.00 $1,001.25 (1) No representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of such CUSIP or ISIN numbers; such numbers are provided solely for the convenience of the Holders (as defined below). (2) Excludes Accrued Interest. (3) Per $1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Expiration Date. (4) Excludes Accrued Interest, which will be paid in addition to the Tender Offer Consideration or the Total Consideration, as applicable. (5) For each $1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Date. (6) For each $1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Date. Total Consideration includes the Early Tender Payment. The Tender Offer will expire at one minute after 11:59 p.m. New York City time, on June 4, 2024 unless extended or earlier terminated (such date and time, as it may be extended or earlier terminated, the "Expiration Date"). Registered holders (each, a "Holder" and collectively, the "Holders") of the Notes must validly tender their Notes at or before 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on May 20, 2024 (such date and time, as it may be extended or earlier terminated, the "Early Tender Date") in order to be eligible to receive the Early Tender Payment in addition to the Tender Offer Consideration. Tenders of the Notes may be withdrawn at any time at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on May 20, 2024, unless extended or earlier terminated by Allied Universal, and not thereafter, except in certain limited circumstances where withdrawal rights are required by applicable law. Subject to the Maximum Tender Amount and the other terms and conditions of the Tender Offer, possible proration of the Notes on the Early Settlement Date or the Final Settlement Date will be determined in accordance with the terms of the Tender Offer. If the aggregate total purchase price payable (including the Early Tender Payment, but excluding Accrued Interest) for the Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Date and accepted for purchase by Allied Universal equals or exceeds the Maximum Tender Amount, then Holders who validly tender their Notes after the Early Tender Date will not have any such Notes accepted for payment (unless the terms of the Tender Offer are amended by Allied Universal in its sole and absolute discretion). If on the Early Settlement Date or Final Settlement Date, as applicable, only a portion of the tendered Notes may be accepted for purchase, due to the consideration for the Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Date or the Expiration Date, as applicable, exceeding the Maximum Tender Amount (excluding Accrued Interest), then the aggregate principal amount of Notes accepted for purchase will be prorated (subject to adjustment to maintain the authorized denomination of the Notes) based upon the aggregate principal amount of Notes that have been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn and not yet accepted for purchase in the Tender Offer, such that the Maximum Tender Amount will not be exceeded. If the Tender Offer is not fully subscribed as of the Early Tender Date, Holders who validly tender Notes after the Early Tender Date may be subject to proration, whereas Holders who validly tender Notes at or prior to the Early Tender Date will not be subject to proration. The Total Consideration includes the Early Tender Payment of $30.00 for each $1,000 principal amount of the Notes, which Early Tender Payment is in addition to the Tender Offer Consideration. Subject to purchase in accordance with the Maximum Tender Amount and possible proration, Holders validly tendering Notes that have not been validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Date will be eligible to receive the applicable Total Consideration listed in the table above, which includes the Early Tender Payment, on the "Early Settlement Date," which is expected to be May 22, 2024 (the second business day after the Early Tender Date), but that may change without notice. Holders validly tendering Notes after the Early Tender Date but at or prior to the Expiration Date will only be eligible to receive the "Tender Offer Consideration" listed in the table on the "Final Settlement Date." The Final Settlement Date is expected to be June 6, 2024 (the second business day after the Expiration Date), but that may change without notice. In addition to the Total Consideration or Tender Offer Consideration, Holders whose Notes are accepted for purchase will also receive Accrued Interest from the last interest payment date up to, but not including, the applicable settlement date. The obligation of Allied Universal to accept for purchase, and to pay for, Notes validly tendered pursuant to the Tender Offer is subject to, and conditioned upon, the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions as set forth in the Offer to Purchase, in the sole and absolute discretion of Allied Universal, including Allied Universal's completion of the New Offering and Bank Amendment, on terms satisfactory to Allied Universal, the proceeds of which New Offering (net of transaction fees and expenses), together with a portion of the incremental loans raised pursuant to Bank Amendment and cash on hand, will be used to finance its purchase of Notes pursuant to the Tender Offer. For avoidance of doubt, references in the Offer to Purchase to "completion" of the New Offering and Bank Amendment shall mean completion of the closing of the New Offering and Bank Amendment, as applicable, at which closing Allied Universal receives the anticipated proceeds from such financing. No assurance can be given that the New Offering and Bank Amendment will be completed on the terms currently envisioned or at all. If such conditions shall not have been satisfied (or waived by Allied Universal), no payments will be made to tendering Holders on the Early Settlement Date or Final Settlement Date, as applicable. The Tender Offer is not conditioned on any minimum principal amount of Notes being tendered. The Tender Offer and its provisions may be amended, extended, terminated, waived or withdrawn by Allied Universal in its sole and absolute discretion. None of Allied Universal, the trustee for the Notes, any paying agent, transfer agent or listing agent under the Notes, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, as the dealer manager, the information and tender agent, any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates or any of their respective directors, officers, employees or representatives makes any recommendation to Holders as to whether or not to tender all or any portion of their Notes, and none of the foregoing has authorized any person to make any such recommendation. Holders must decide whether to tender Notes, and if tendering, the amount of Notes to tender. Holders are urged to evaluate carefully all information in the Offer to Purchase, consult their own investment, legal and tax advisors and make their own decisions whether to tender Notes and, if so, the principal amount of Notes to tender. All of the Notes are held in book-entry form. If you hold Notes through a broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee, you must contact such broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee if you wish to tender Notes pursuant to the Tender Offer. You should check with such broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee to determine whether they will charge you a fee for tendering Notes on your behalf. You should also confirm with the broker, dealer, bank, trust company or other nominee any deadlines by which you must provide your tender instructions, because the relevant deadline set by such nominee may be earlier than the deadlines set forth herein. Allied Universal has retained Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC to serve as the sole dealer manager for the Tender Offer. Allied Universal has retained Global Bondholder Services Corporation to act as the information and tender agent in respect of the Tender Offer. This press release amends the terms of the Offer to Purchase. To the extent that any terms in the Offer to Purchase are inconsistent with terms in this press release, the terms of this press release shall control. Other than as set forth herein, no other terms of the Tender Offer are being amended and there are no other changes to the terms of the Tender Offer set forth in the Offer to Purchase. For additional information regarding the terms of the Tender Offer, please contact Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC at its telephone number set forth on the back cover page of the Offer to Purchase. Copies of the Offer to Purchase may be obtained at https://www.gbsc-usa.com/allieduniversal or by contacting Global Bondholder Services Corporation at (855) 654-2014 or by email at contact@gbsc-usa.com. This press release does not constitute or form part of any offer or invitation to purchase or sell, or any solicitation of any offer to sell or purchase, the Notes or any other securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction, and neither this press release nor any part of it, nor the fact of its release, shall form the basis of, or be relied on or in connection with, any contract therefor. The Tender Offer is made only by and pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Offer to Purchase and the information in this press release is qualified by reference to the Offer to Purchase. This press release does not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in any jurisdiction or in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. In those jurisdictions where the securities, blue sky or other laws require the Tender Offer to be made by a licensed broker or dealer, the Tender Offer will be deemed to be made by the dealer manager or one or more registered brokers or dealers licensed under the laws of such jurisdiction. About Allied Universal The world's leading security and facility services provider and trusted partner to more than 400 of the FORTUNE 500, Allied Universal delivers unparalleled customer relationships, innovative solutions, cutting-edge smart technologies and tailored services that enable clients to focus on their core businesses. With operations in over 100 countries, Allied Universal is the third-largest private employer in North America and seventh in the world. Annual revenue is more than $20 billion. There is no greater purpose and responsibility than serving and safeguarding customers, communities and people. For more information, visit www.aus.com. Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements based on current expectations. The words "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "appears," "intends," "may," "plans," "projects," "would," "could," "should," "targets" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. By their nature, forward-looking statements require Allied Universal to make assumptions and are subject to important known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause Allied Universal's actual results in future periods to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. For additional information regarding these risks and uncertainties, and the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements, please refer to the Offer to Purchase. The forward-looking statements set forth herein reflect management's expectations as at the date the statements are made and are subject to change after such date. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Allied Universal expressly disclaims any intention, and assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. # # # Media Contact: Kari Garcia Director of Public Relations Allied Universal Phone: 949-826-3560 Email: investors@aus.com SOURCE: Allied Universal View the original press release on accesswire.com Aark Developers, based in Dubai, with over 25 years of experience in crafting residential and hospitality properties, has announced the launch of its latest project SORA Beach Residences. The iconic property situated on the pristine shores of Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah, is valued at US$ 1.2 billion This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240508335120/en/ Senior officials present at the Sora Beach Residences launch event in Dubai (Photo: AETOSWire) Arch. Abdulla Al Abdouli, CEO of Marjan, said, "We are delighted to welcome SORA Beach Residences by Aark Developers on Al Marjan Island. A project of this stature truly reflects our commitment to creating unparalleled living experiences for residents and guests on this iconic island that reflects Ras Al Khaimah's unique natural beauty. With its sophisticated design, sprawling beach front and world-class amenities, SORA Beach Residences will further elevate the appeal of Al Marjan Island and offer an exceptional opportunity to invest in ultra-premium waterfront living. This further reinstates Ras Al Khaimah as a fast-growing investment and lifestyle destination." Rahul Kumar Gupta, Chairman of Aark Developers, said,"We have curated SORA Beach Residences as a one-of-its-kind, resort-style residences for discerning families looking for a well-balanced, luxe lifestyle. Our latest project is slated to be one of the largest properties by a private developer therefore marking a significant milestone for Aark Developers. This solidifies our commitment to UAE and we are thankful to the leadership for fueling economic growth, lifestyle upgrades, and the allure of waterfront living leading to unprecedented demand for luxury living." SORA Beach Residences with a built-up area of 1.8M sqft and unparalleled beach access spanning 1,000 ft, will be an architectural marvel with alarger-than-life lobby atrium and a 140-feet arch making it one of the grandest atriums in the region. With 18 floors of panoramic sea views from every residence, it will be the first of its kind high-rise in Al Marjan Island. Residents will enjoy exclusive access to over 50 world-class amenities, including a private beach club, five-star dining options, a sky bar and infinity pool. The architectural designis conceptualized by Japanese firm Nikken Sekkei, the creatives behind iconic landmarks in Asia, Middle East and most recently the One Za'beel in Dubai. The timeless interiors will be done by Shalini Misra Design, an award-winning interior design practice, with offices in London, New York, Delhi and Dubai. *Source: AETOSWire View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240508335120/en/ Contacts: Debanjana Chaudhuri deb@pixl.ae The Asian Productivity Organization (APO) reaffirmed its commitment to addressing pressing productivity challenges with the announcement of several strategic initiatives and partnerships. These endeavors leverage global expertise and collaborative efforts in enhancing productivity and driving sustainable growth across the Asia-Pacific region. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240508862556/en/ OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann (L) and APO Secretary-General Dr. Indra (R) (Photo: Business Wire) In a recent milestone collaboration, the APO joined forces with the prestigious Institut Europeen d'Administration des Affaires (INSEAD) to inaugurate an intensive executive leadership program tailored for National Productivity Organizations (NPOs). Held from 29 April to 3 May 2024 at INSEAD's Europe campus in Fontainebleau, France, this program was attended by 12 executive officers who lead respective NPOs under the guidance of eight global thought leaders and practitioners. Notable figures included Alexandra Roulet, former adviser to France's President Emmanuel Macron, and Phillipe Aghion, a founder of the new growth theory, who addressed emerging productivity challenges and strategic methodologies for their resolution, with a focus on prosperity through technological innovation. APO Secretary-General Dr. Indra Pradana Singawinata's inaugural remarks at the program's start underscored the critical need for the Asia-Pacific to tackle productivity challenges with resilience and innovation. The leadership framework adopts a business-centric perspective to formulate initiatives for sustainable productivity and inclusive growth. Participating NPO leaders will finalize their productivity initiative proposals within three months under the guidance and facilitation of Professor Philip Parker of INSEAD. A strategic meeting between APO Secretary-General Dr. Indra and Secretary-General Mathias Cormann of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was held on 1 May in Paris. The discussion was also attended by other OECD officials such as Andreas Schaal, Director, Global Relations and Cooperation Directorate; Paul Schreyer, Director, Statistics and Data Directorate; and Thomas Schnoll, Deputy Chief of Staff centered on deeper collaboration on productivity enhancement, sustainability, and innovation. This marked a significant step in renewing cooperation between the APO and OECD, particularly in continuing joint projects on productivity measurement and statistics. Building upon its membership in the OECD's Global Forum on Productivity (GFP) since 2020, the APO solidified commitment with GFP management on 2 May aimed at enhancing the capacity of APO members in productivity analysis and policy formulation. Both parties reaffirmed commitment to utilizing the GFP as a platform for policy exchanges and research collaborations. The series of high-level engagements culminated in a productive discussion between Secretary-General Dr. Indra and General Rapporteur of France's National Council of Productivity Alain Durre, on 3 May. They explored avenues for collaboration, including bolstering policy consultancy projects and facilitating exchanges on productivity research. These strategic initiatives and partnerships underscore the APO's dedication to equipping its members with the tools and expertise to address complex productivity challenges, driving sustainable development and prosperity across the Asia-Pacific region. About the APO The Asian Productivity Organization (APO) is a regional intergovernmental organization dedicated to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region through mutual cooperation. It is nonpolitical, nonprofit, and nondiscriminatory. Established in 1961 with eight founding members, the APO currently comprises 21 member economies: Bangladesh; Cambodia; the ROC; Fiji; Hong Kong; India; Indonesia; I.R. Iran; Japan; the ROK; Lao PDR; Malaysia; Mongolia; Nepal; Pakistan; the Philippines; Singapore; Sri Lanka; Thailand; Turkiye; and Vietnam. The APO is shaping the future of the region by fostering the socioeconomic development of its members through national policy advisory services, acting as a think tank, institutional capacity-building initiatives, and knowledge sharing to increase productivity. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240508862556/en/ Contacts: For details contact: Digital Information Unit, APO: pr@apo-tokyo.org Phone: +81-3-3830-0411 Website: https://www.apo-tokyo.org Figure 1: Converting Data from Different Formats into a Common Graph Format TOKYO, May 9, 2024 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu today announced the development of explainable AI technology that automatically draws on data in multiple formats, including text, images, and numerical data, to create knowledge graphs that will help users to more easily draw meaning from large-scale data sets with high accuracy for areas including medicine.To confirm the effectiveness of this technology, Fujitsu tested it on several key benchmarks from the medical field, including for lung cancer type classification and breast cancer patient survival prediction. These tests confirmed that Fujitsu's technology can accurately support the identification of two main types of lung cancer, for example, by illuminating the factors behind the pathological classification based on key visual cues.Fujitsu has also developed a technology to extract and train algorithms on the distinct features of images with completely different depictions of objects and to make highly accurate judgments. It is anticipated that this technology can be applied to train AI to support highly accurate assessments from pathological images for which sufficient training data cannot be prepared.Going forward, Fujitsu will continue to develop these multimodal technologies (1) for general use in a range of different fields and disciplines. By the end of fiscal 2024, Fujitsu also plans to offer the newly developed technologies via the Fujitsu Research Portal (2), an environment that gives users the ability to quickly test Fujitsu's advanced technologies.About the newly developed technologyFujitsu has been conducting research and development on multimodal technologies that handle data from different fields and in a variety of formats, and has developed the following two AI technologies that combine multiple different data formats and images with completely different depictions of objects to train algorithms and make conclusions from various perspectives.1. AI technology that is trained by combining image data with completely different drawing methods, such as line drawings and photographsFujitsu has developed a technology that combines data from images in which objects are drawn in completely different ways, such as picture, line drawings, Illustration and photographs, to learn how to accurately differentiate images (for example, to determine what the subject is). With this method, the unique and common feature values of each image type are extracted and used for training, and these unique or common feature values are used for differentiation. This way, even when objects are drawn in different ways the combination of multiple types of data can be used to train the algorithm to make appropriate decisions.Fujitsu evaluated this technology using three standard benchmarks in this research field (PACS, Office-Home, DomainNet), that consist of datasets of multiple types of images including art, manga images, and photographs. As a result of the benchmark tests, Fujitsu confirmed that with the new technology accuracy of object identification could be improved by about 2% compared with conventional technologies, where objects were identified using image data with completely different drawing methods. This result was recorded in ICLR 2024 of the renowned conference The International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR) (3), and Fujitsu has presented it on May 8, 2024.2. Explainable AI technology that integrates data from different formats and transforms it into a common knowledge graph for trainingTo integrate different data formats such as not only images but also text and images, Fujitsu has developed a new technology that converts different data into a common knowledge graph regardless of the original format by applying the above technology. This is automatically integrated with AI to create a large-scale integrated knowledge graph, which can be used to allow AI to make decisions in an explainable manner.By applying this technology to the following medical fields, Fujitsu anticipates outcomes that could exceed the performance of conventional technologies.In combination with the newly developed technology to extract and train algorithms on the distinct features of images with completely different depictions of objects, the technology is also expected to improve the accuracy of the identification of pathological images for which sufficient training data cannot be prepared.1) Classification of lung cancerTreatments are currently being introduced for different types of lung cancer, such as adenocarcinoma (4) and squamous cell carcinoma (5), and accurate classification of cancer types is important to ensure the correct treatment. In the past, a doctor would visually refer to multiple pieces of information and perform a painstaking medical examination. The new technology however offers the potential to significantly streamline this process, as it uses AI to automatically integrate pathological images and genomic information (copy number abnormality information) of lung cancer patients to identify cancer types. As a result, when evaluated using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), a global standard benchmark, the technology achieved the world's highest accuracy of 92.1% for lung cancer typing, compared with the previous highest accuracy of 87.1%. For these types of classification, the basis of the judgment can be shown by going back to the pathology image data.2) Determining survival prediction for breast cancer patientsBeing able to accurately predict the duration of survival for each treatment when a person chooses a treatment method increases the likelihood that the appropriate treatment will be chosen. In this study, by automatically integrating and reviewing breast cancer patient image data as well as RNA data (6) and medical care data using AI, Fujitsu evaluated using benchmark data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). In the task of predicting the survival time of breast cancer patients, Fujitsu's technology achieved 71.8%, compared with the previous best accuracy of 66.8%. Imaging data can be used to provide evidence when predicting these survival times.Future PlansThe technology will be offered to users via the Fujitsu Research Portal in fiscal 2024.In 2023, Fujitsu began collaborating with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputacion (BSC-CNS) (7), the Spanish national supercomputing center, a leading research organization, in the field of personalized medicine. The AI technology developed using this multi-modal technology will also be utilized in joint research with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center to further improve accuracy and gain global recognition. Fujitsu will further develop this technology with a view to utilizing it not only in the medical field, but also in various fields such as data center failure prediction and fraud detection.[1] Multimodal technology :A technology that handles multiple data in different formats such as text, images, and numerical values. In the medical field, it is a technology that can uniformly handle patient information in electronic medical records, test results, CT images, and genomic databases.[2] Fujitsu Research Portal :Portal site that has been open to the public since June 2023 to provide registered users access to trial versions of Fujitsu's advanced technologies.[3] The International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR) :World's top international conference on representation learning[4] Adenocarcinoma :A type of lung cancer that begins in epithelial tissue called glandular tissue. It is the most common type of lung cancer and accounts for about half of the total.[5] Squamous cell carcinoma :A type of lung cancer that begins in the mucosal tissues of the body called squamous epithelium. It is the second most common type of lung cancer after adenocarcinoma, accounting for about 20 to 30% of the total.[6] RNA Data :RNA is the source material of proteins that make up an organism, and RNA data is data that can be processed computationally by a sequencer.[7] Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputacion (BSC-CNS) :Location Barcelona, Spain. Director Mateo ValeroAbout FujitsuFujitsu's purpose is to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation. As the digital transformation partner of choice for customers in over 100 countries, our 124,000 employees work to resolve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Our range of services and solutions draw on five key technologies: Computing, Networks, AI, Data & Security, and Converging Technologies, which we bring together to deliver sustainability transformation. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.7 trillion yen (US$26 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 and remains the top digital services company in Japan by market share. Find out more: www.fujitsu.com.Press ContactsFujitsu LimitedPublic and Investor Relations DivisionInquiries (https://bit.ly/3rrQ4mB)Source: Fujitsu LtdCopyright 2024 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. ABU DHABI, UAE, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- From May 6 to May 20, 2024, the vibrant culture and iconic landmarks of Shanghai are being showcased at Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport. The "Meet Me in Shanghai" pop-up event invites travelers to immerse themselves in a captivating interactive experience, offering a slice of Shanghai without the need to leave the terminal. This unique event features the Shanghai Immersive Parallax Photo Booth, where visitors can immerse themselves in a dynamic 3D representation of Shanghai's famous skyline and historic streets. Complete with themed areas such as a Shanghai Coffee Shop and Xiaolongbao Shop (Xiaolongbao is a local Shanghai delicacy), the pop-up offers an interactive taste of Shanghai life and cuisine. Adding to the excitement, visitors can participate in an Instagram contest to win spectacular prizes, including round-trip flights to Shanghai and a luxury two-night stay at the J Hotel in the iconic Shanghai Tower. Located on floors 86 through 98, these rooms offer breathtaking views of Shanghai's skyline. In the event of inclement weather, guests might even witness the mesmerizing cloud sea that occasionally envelops the city. To enter the contest, guests simply need to share their themed photos with the tags @meetinshanghai and shanghaidreamtrip. Highlights of the event include: Art Deco Campaign Logo : The unveiling of a new Shanghai-themed art deco-style campaign logo. : The unveiling of a new Shanghai-themed art deco-style campaign logo. Polaroid Photos & Shanghai Style Postcards : Guests can take home unique memories with instant Polaroid photos and collectible postcards. : Guests can take home unique memories with instant Polaroid photos and collectible postcards. Interactive Speech Bubbles: Engaging prompts such as "Meet me in Shanghai", alongside a brand-new campaign to be unveiled at the airport, encourage visitors to capture and share their experiences. Zayed International Airport serves as a global hub, hosting over 30 airlines and connecting travelers from Europe, Asia, and beyond. Renowned for its world-class facilities and strategic location, the airport is an ideal venue for showcasing Shanghai's rich cultural tapestry to an international audience. As a major hub for European travelers looking to explore new destinations, this event offers a unique opportunity for passengers to immerse themselves in the enchanting modern metropolis of Shanghai, even during their transit. The event aims to not only show Shanghai as a top tourist destination but also to enhance cultural exchange and excitement about travel. "Shanghai is a city of contrast, where the past meets the future. We invite everyone to explore this dynamic through our immersive pop-up experience," said an official from Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism. For more details on the event and the Instagram contest rules, visit the Meet in Shanghai website. About Shanghai Tourism Shanghai is a bustling metropolis known for its stunning skyline, rich history, and vibrant cultural scene. From ancient temples and historic landmarks like The Bund to modern attractions such as Shanghai Disneyland, the city offers endless opportunities for exploration and enjoyment. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2408516/webwxgetmsgimg.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/meet-me-in-shanghai-pop-up-event-invites-travelers-at-zayed-international-airport-to-experience-the-wonders-of-shanghai-302140730.html VICTORIA, Seychelles, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading cryptocurrency exchange, Bitrue has today announced that it has completed the integration of USD Coin (USDC) and Tether (USDT) on the NEAR Protocol Network. Deposits and withdrawals will be opened at 8:00 UTC, May 10, 2024. NEAR Protocol has integrated native support for USDC and USDT, enhancing its utility and appeal to developers, traders, and institutional players. This strategic move facilitates faster transactions, boosts security, and simplifies the user experience, eliminating reliance on third-party bridges. The integration is expected to attract institutional investors, foster economic growth, and position NEAR Protocol as a leader in blockchain technology and decentralized finance (DeFi). To commemorate the occasion, Bitrue will be hosting an "Ask Me Anything" session on their Twitter account , with questions taken directly from their user base. A call for questions from the community has already been put out, and the most popular or incisive questions will be asked to Altan Tutar, a Core Contributor of NEAR Protocol on May 9, 2024 at 13:00 UTC. Additional flexible staking campaigns on Power Piggy will also be launched thereafter. NEAR protocol is an established cryptocurrency organization that has already entered into partnerships with major web3 firms including Polygon and EigenLayer, as well as with tech giants such as Alibaba and Google. Their revolutionary technology enables extreme abstraction of interchain operability in the web3 space, allowing developers to easily leverage the most powerful aspects of all blockchains, and for consumers to interface with their technology without even realizing that they are using blockchain at all. "It's always a great pleasure to welcome a new member into Bitrue, and with NEAR we're thrilled to list a project that already boasts such a robust infrastructure and enthusiastic community." said Robert Quartly-Janeiro, Chief Strategy Officer and Spokesperson for Bitrue, before adding, "More news of upcoming partnerships will be shared very soon." NEAR has had a very successful Q1 in 2024, with its price outpacing many stalwarts in the space such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, and its adoption growing by 42% as measured by daily active addresses. Bitrue has planned for a very aggressive 2024, identifying and listing coins at a rapid pace that it believes will be of value to its traders. New projects wishing to list on the exchange can contact Bitrue directly, or find company representatives at all major cryptocurrency conferences around the globe. About Bitrue Launched in July 2018, Bitrue is a diversified digital asset exchange that supports trading, loans and investments. Bitrue aims to utilize blockchain technology to bring financial opportunities to everybody regardless of their location or financial position. It has offices in Asia and Europe, and continues to develop new features at a rapid speed to fully service the new wave of the digital economy. More information is available at Bitrue's website . Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2385358/Bitrue_BitrueOfficial_Bitrue_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bitrue-enhances-user-experience-with-usdc--usdt-integration-on-near-protocol-network-302140941.html JERICHO, N.Y., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Global consulting firm J.S. Held, proudly celebrating 50 transformative years, welcomes London-based marine engineering & investigations expert Chris Gascoigne, CEng, CMarEng, expanding expertise in Forensic Engineering. Chris Gascoigne oversees Marine Engineering & Investigations for J.S. Held. Chris brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having served as a marine engineer on various vessel types, including cruise ships, ferries, and tugs. He has applied this maritime experience to commissioning engine control systems and the environmental aspects of ship operations and design. Since 2008, his work has focused on investigating marine casualties, incidents, equipment failures and disputes, including those related to: Slow, Medium & High-Speed Engines Propulsion & Steering Systems Auxiliary Machinery & Equipment Bunker Quality Disputes Pollution & Environmental Compliance, Including MARPOL Grounding, Collision & Allision Damages Fires & Explosions He has been appointed by stakeholders including law firms, insurers, shipyards, vessel owners and charterers, cargo interests, and oil majors. Chris' clients now benefit from the support of over 1,500 colleagues with material science, political risk, cyber, technical, scientific, financial, construction, and human factors, expertise. "We are thrilled to welcome Chris to our team," said Emily Wohlfarth, Executive Vice President and Forensic Architecture & Engineering Practice Lead at J.S. Held. "His expertise in marine engineering and casualty investigation will be invaluable as we continue to grow our global presence and enhance our capabilities in the marine and cargo sector." In the area of marine disputes, the J.S. Held client base is evenly balanced between plaintiffs and defendants. Our team has significant experience providing expert witness testimony. We are known for our "teaching" - as opposed to "telling" - approach of testimony. Rather than only providing a judge, jury, or tribunal with an opinion, we communicate the key facts and relevant theories in a clear and logical manner. J.S. Held's Marine Engineering & Investigation services complement specialized expertise in marine and cargo damages which includes stock throughput, business interruption, extra expense, subrogation, insurance disputes and other global marine supply chain issues. The firm's services encompass analysis of extra expenses, business interruption and delay analysis, market valuation of agriculture commodities costs, quantum of cargo loss, subrogation, and time element impact on repair and rework to insured property for hull and marine liability. Learn more about the dedicated and entrepreneurial experts who help transform J.S. Held, explore our story, and celebrate this momentous milestone, our 50 & Forward celebration, with us at jsheld.com. About J.S. Held J.S. Held is a global consulting firm providing technical, scientific, financial, and strategic expertise across all assets and value at risk. Our professionals serve as trusted advisors to organizations facing high-stakes matters demanding urgent attention, staunch integrity, proven experience, clear-cut analysis, and an understanding of both tangible and intangible assets. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of services, products, and data that enable clients to navigate complex, contentious, and often catastrophic situations. More than 1,500 professionals serve organizations across six continents, including 81% of the Global 200 Law Firms, 70% of the Forbes Top 20 Insurance Companies (85% of the NAIC Top 50 Property & Casualty Insurers), and 65% of the Fortune 100 Companies. J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not certified public accounting firm(s) and do not provide audit, attest, or any other public accounting services. J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not law firms and do not provide legal advice. Securities offered through PM Securities, LLC, d/b/a Phoenix IB, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC or Ocean Tomo Investment Group, LLC, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC. All rights reserved. Kristi L. Stathis | Global Public Relations | +1 786 833 4864 | Kristi.Stathis@jsheld.com Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK3qMIDPEFQ Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1824221/4696377/JS_Held_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/js-held-strengthens-forensic-engineering-expertise-with-addition-of-london-based-marine-engineering--investigation-services-expert-302140652.html Der Goldpreis haussiert und schwingt sich von Hoch zu Hoch. Getrieben von geopolitischen Unsicherheiten sowie der Aussicht auf eine lockere Geldpolitik der FED gehen Experten aktuell von weiter steigenden Notierungen bis sogar in den Bereich von 3.000 US-Dollar je Unze Gold aus. Im Schatten des Basispreises notieren Goldproduzenten aus der zweiten Reihe sowie Explorationsunternehmen noch weit weg von ihren historischen Hochststanden entfernt und bieten dadurch erhebliches Aufholpotential. In diesem kostenlosen Report geben wir Ihnen Favoriten an die Hand, die aufgrund von Sondersituation die Chance auf eine Kursvervielfachung besitzen. Handeln Sie Jetzt! Fordern Sie jetzt den brandneuen Spezialreport an und profitieren Sie von dem weiter steigenden Kurs des Edelmetalls. Sichern Sie sich jetzt Ihren kostenfreien Report. REYKJAVIK, Iceland, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Verne, a leading sustainable data center operator and developer joins VAXA's Impact Nutrition Program with a mutual commitment to sustainability and an appetite for ACTION. VAXA and our partners can leverage our collective resources to drive meaningful change and pave the way for a more sustainable and resilient world. www.vaxaimpact.com VAXA Technologies, a global climate and food tech company, is committed to sustainable partnerships that benefit the planet and people through the VAXA ACTION Impact Nutrition Program. The Program delivers nutrition by fortifying the traditional foods of malnourished people holistically and in partnership with stakeholders eager to collaborate to achieve the collective goal of greater environmental and social impact through impactful ACTION. We are delighted to welcome Verne to VAXA's pioneering group of innovative partners. Verne delivers sustainable data center solutions that enable organizations to cost-effectively scale their digital infrastructure while reducing their environmental impact. Its Icelandic campus is 100% powered by renewable geothermal and hydroelectric energy. VAXA ACTION Impact Nutrition emission reduction program The VAXA ACTION Impact Nutrition Program provides a wonderful opportunity for stakeholders to advocate for people and the planet through the VAXA Carbon Project, which supports several of the United Nations Sustainability Goals (SDGs) with a focus on SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 4 (Quality Education). VAXA developed a new scientific approach for sustainable production of microalgae with meaningful CO2 offset impact through its microalgae called Icelandic Ultra Spirulina (IUS). IUS is equivalent to beef in terms of essential amino acids, iron, and natural active bioavailable vitamin B12, meaning IUS can effectively be used as an ingredient to fortify foods for people across the globe without the GHG emissions attributed to conventional food production. Sustainable microalgae VAXA's location in Iceland, adjacent to one of the world's largest geothermal plants, allows for a carbon-negative production process that utilizes non-arable land and a fraction of the water and energy resources of conventional farming. Verne Verne's CEO Dominic Ward says, "We are incredibly excited to be partnering with VAXA, an innovative company that closely complements our mission and values. VAXA has created a technology-based project that not only enables us to offset our carbon emissions, it provides full traceability with a digital audit trail, which is very important to us. The project is based on the principles of the circular economy in Iceland, with a focus on environmentally friendly, sustainable practices that, like our own facilities, utilize the country's natural geothermal power. "This partnership will ensure Verne reaches its own ambitious sustainability goals." VAXA's Partners "We are happy to welcome Verne to our ACTION program. Our partners are all committed to a robust and transparent net zero strategy in which steps have been taken to reduce emissions and only then compensate residual emissions. Successful sustainability partnerships such as this one, can bring greater attention to important environmental issues, and advocate for others to become involved in meaningful ACTION with durable co-benefits that support improved nutrition," said Crystal Riedemann, VAXA's VP of Business Development Carbon Impact. Join the VAXA ACTION movement and reach out to us at info@vaxaimpact.com About VAXA VAXA (www.vaxaimpact. com ), a global food & climate tech company has developed a new scientific approach for the sustainable production of microalgae produced at the VAXA Technology facility in Iceland where the carbon-negative production process is supported by the resources provided by the adjacent geothermal plant. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/vaxa-technologies-iceland/r/verne-joins-vaxa-technologies--action-impact-nutrition-carbon-emission-and-sustainability-program,c3975955 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/23159/3975955/2786467.pdf Press release (PDF) https://news.cision.com/vaxa-technologies-iceland/i/action-program-stakeholder-consultation-in-tanzania---vaxa-takes-partnerships-seriously,c3297970 ACTION Program stakeholder consultation in Tanzania - VAXA takes partnerships seriously View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/verne-joins-vaxa-technologies-action-impact-nutrition-carbon-emission-and-sustainability-program-302140972.html Kupfer wird oft als das Gold der Energiewende bezeichnet, weil es aufgrund seiner hervorragenden elektrischen Leitfahigkeit eine zentrale Rolle in vielen Technologien spielt, die fur nachhaltige Energiesysteme entscheidend sind. Experten gehen aufgrund der Angebotsknappheit von einem Superzyklus aus. Korrektur als Einstiegschance Nach Hochststanden im Mai korrigierte das rote Metall stark. Die Abwartsspirale verstarkte sich in den vergangenen Tagen aufgrund schwacher Konjunkturdaten aus den USA und China. Langfristig konnte sich die aktuell laufende Korrektur als exzellente Einstiegsmoglichkeit herausstellen. 3 Kupferaktien mit hohem Potential Im neuen, kostenlosen Spezialreport stellen wir drei aussichtsreiche Unternehmen vor, die bei einem weiteren Anstieg uberproportional profitieren konnten. Handeln Sie jetzt und sichern Sie sich Ihren kostenfreien Report! AMSTERDAM, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- New Amsterdam Invest N.V. (the "Company", or "New Amsterdam Invest", or "NAI"), a commercial real estate company listed on Euronext Amsterdam (Euronext: NAI) , announces its annual results and report 2023, today. Aren van Dam, ceo New Amsterdam Invest commented: "It is with modest pride we report on New Amsterdam Invest 2023 results. Results for 2023 are in line with expectations, be it significantly impacted by one-off costs in connection with the transition from SPAC to operational company and non-cash revaluations of investment property, resulting in a reported 2023 IFRS-based net loss. From a commercial and operational perspective 2023 marks a milestone achievement for NAI. After the acquisition of five investment properties via a Business Combination in June 2023, in the second half year of 2023 focus changed to setting up the organization and supporting the operating performance of the group. In addition, the Company added a sixth investment property, located in the UK, to its portfolio in September. The total investment in our properties amounts to 83 million (market value 77 million), funded by our shareholders and leverage resulting in a sound Loan to Value of our portfolio of 46 percent against market value. As management we are confident to build NAI further and to be well on track to realize the financial objectives the Company has set out at listing." Financial Highlights[1] Rental Income 2023: 4.6 million Net Rental Income 2023: 3.7 million Result for 2023 after non-controlling interest -4.8 million One-off costs included in the result, approximately 5.7 million Earning per share -0.97 Total investment property 2023YE 77.4 million Total Equity 2023YE: 44.3 million Cash generated from operation 2023: 1.4 million Solvency 2023YE: 52.4% [1] All operational activities are as of start of the Business Combination on 2 June 2023, so figures do not represent full year operations. As in 2022 NAI had no operations, no comparable figures for 2022 are presented here. Strategic Highlights On 2 June 2023, the Company's shareholders approved the proposed Somerset Group Business Combination changing New Amsterdam Invest from a Special Purpose Acquisition Company ("SPAC") into a commercial real estate company listed on Euronext Amsterdam. On 2 June 2023, NAI acquired four properties in the UK and one in the USA via various subsidiaries. In line with its strategy NAI acquired another investment property in the UK via one of its subsidiaries on 25 September 2023. Outlook 2024 For 2024 NAI expects to be profitable and well on track to realize the financial objectives the Company has set out at listing. More specific NAI reiterates that its current portfolio should enable it to realise a 2024 a net rental income of approximately 7.0 million and a result before tax of 2.5 million excluding potential impact of revaluation of investment property and or the results from the acquisition of new investment property. Naturally, operating expenses will be stable, though the Company expects to realize significant savings as a large portion of the costs in 2023 were on the account of one-off items. Business Combination On 2 June 2023, the Company's shareholders approved the proposed Somerset Group Business Combination changing New Amsterdam Invest from a Special Purpose Acquisition Company ("SPAC") in a commercial real estate company listed on Euronext Amsterdam. The Business Combination provided NAI shareholders with an important strategic opportunity enabling NAI to pursue a growth strategy for commercial real estate investments in the UK and in the USA as well as the potential for further investments, meeting the principles set out at the 2021 IPO. The total one-off listing costs to realize the Business Combination was 545k and are fully recognized in the 2023 results. Business overview 2023 The results from group companies have been included and consolidated within the Company's results for the period from 2 June 2023 to 31 December 2023. The net rental income including service expenses charged amounts to 4.6 million. The result before taxation for 2023 amounts to a loss of 5.4 million. Included in this loss are one-off items of approximately 5.7 million in total, of which the adjustment to market value of the investment property is the most significant one. This regards mainly transaction costs related to the acquisition of investment property. Furthermore, this regards expenses in relation to the Circular expenses of 0.5 million which are mitigated by interest received on the Escrow account of the same amount. Property portfolio On 2 June 2023, the Company acquired the following properties via various subsidiaries: Somerset House, Birmingham Interra One Park Ten, Houston Travelodge, Edinburgh Sutherland House, Glasgow Blythswood Square, Glasgow On 25 September 2023, the company acquired the property Forthstone, South Gyle Business Park, Edinburgh ("Forthstone") in the UK via one of its subsidiaries, bringing the total investment properties in portfolio to six; five properties in the United Kingdom and one property in the United States of America, all held by local group companies. In 1,000 2023 2022 Somerset House, Birmingham 16,841 0 Interra One Park Ten, Houston 17,948 0 Travelodge, Edinburgh 11,569 0 Sutherland House, Glasgow 10,475 0 Blythswood Square, Glasgow 10,360 0 Forthstone, Edinburgh 10,222 0 Total investments at fair value 77,416 0 The breakdown of the investments per property at Year-End is as follows: Of the total 2023 rental and service charge income of 4.6 million, 57% was generated in the UK and 43% in the US. Cash flow, cash position and Escrow account At listing of NAI as a Special Purpose Acquisition Company the Company received a total of 48.6 million deposited in an escrow account until Business Combination. Up to year-end 2022 0,2 million negative interest had to be paid on the amount in Escrow resulting in a balance of 48.4 million at the start of 2023. The Escrow amount, and 0.5 million positive interest received in 2023 was released and further classified as cash and cash equivalents at the time of the Business Combination on 2 June 2023. The release is presented as a cash flow from investing activities in the cash flow statement. The cash position at 31 December 2023 amounts to 5.5 million. The borrowings as at 31 December 2023 consist of loan banks in the amount of 35.5 million (long-term) and a loan from a related party in the US in the amount of 2.2 million (short-term). Share Capital and Share Price After the Business Combination came into effect on 2 June 2023 the number of outstanding shares changed due to conversion of the first tranche of Promotor Shares to Ordinary Shares from 5,057,562 to 5,241,697. The increase in Ordinary Shares was fully charged to Treasury Shares leaving the total number of shares at 6,185,255. See for a full overview the table below. As of 31 December 2023 the company has still 73,653 Promotor Shares and 4,910,250 Warrants outstanding all to be converted at a Share Price Hurdle of 11.50. Number of shares Type of shares % 31 December 2023 31 December 2022 Ordinary Shares issued to investors, admitted listing and trading 74.6 3,910,250 3,910,250 Ordinary Shares issued to the Promoters (Cornerstone Investment), admitted to listing and trading 24,0 1,257,789 1,000,000 Promoter shares 1,4 73,653 147,307 Priority Shares issued to Stichting Prioriteit New Amsterdam Invest 0,0 5 5 100,0 5,241,697 5,057,562 Ordinary Shares owned by the Company (Treasury Shares) 943,558 1,127,693 Shares in total 6,185,255 6,185,255 Share capital at 0.04 per share ( * 1,000) 247 247 Number of shares and share capital The Share price closed at 9.10 on 31 December 2023 (31 December 2022: 10.40) Tax position The current tax is based on the taxable result per entity for the reporting period. Up to 31 December 2023 the Company recognized losses. As at 31 December 2023, the Company has recognized 0,6 million as net deferred taxes. Mainly caused by unused tax losses for 0,7 million. These unused tax losses pertain to the Netherlands and the United Kingdom and can be carried forward indefinitely. Events after balance sheet date For the property Somerset House, as per 31 December 2023 in our books at 14,630k ( 16,841), a new lease was signed in March 2024. For this subsequent event it was decided, to have a new valuation carried out in March 2024 which resulted in a market value of the investment property Somerset House in the range of 15.510k to 15.650k. For the other investment properties there was no reason to have a new valuation carried out. Further there have been no relevant events after the balance sheet date. Annual General Meeting scheduled for 21 June 2024 DV The convocation, explanatory notes, written proxy and further documentation for the AGM will be available in Dutch and English. All relevant documents are available in the download section of NAI's website https://www.newamsterdaminvest.nl/downloads. The agenda for the AGM includes various items, amongst others, the adoption of the annual accounts as published today, and the reappointment of BDO Audit & Assurance B.V. as external independent auditor of NAI for the fiscal year ending 31 December 2024. Full details of all voting items are published on NAI's website. The annual report of NAI relating to the financial year ending on 31 December 2023 published 8 May 2024, including the financial statements, the reports of the management board and supervisory board and the remuneration report, have also been published on the Company's website. Financial Calendar 8 May 2024, publication Annual Report 2023. 8 May 2024, publication Agenda General Meeting of Shareholders 21 June 2024 DV. 21 June 2024, DV, General Meeting of Shareholders. 29 August 2024, DV half year 2024 results publication. P&L and Balance Sheet New Amsterdam Invest 2023 An overview of the main financial statements of New Amsterdam Invest in 2023 is provided in the following tables attached to this press release, for more detailed information we refer to the annual report 2023 as published on the NAI website. 1. Statement of Consolidated Financial Position as at 31 December 2023 (2022) 2. Statement of Consolidated Profit and Loss for the Year 2023 (2022) 3. Statement of Consolidated Comprehensive Income for the year 2023 (2022) 4. Consolidated Cash Flow Statement for the year ended 31 December 2023 (2022) 5. Statement of Changes in Equity for the year ended 31 December 2023 (2022) About New Amsterdam Invest New Amsterdam Invest N.V. is a commercial real estate company listed at Euronext Amsterdam with operating companies in the United States and the United Kingdom. The main objective of New Amsterdam Invest is running commercial activities including the owning, (re-)developing, acquiring, divesting, maintaining, letting out and/or otherwise operating commercial real estate, all in the broadest possible meaning. All information about New Amsterdam Invest, including its principles and objectives can be found in the Shareholder Circular dated April 21, 2023, and the Prospectus dated June 21, 2021. This and all other relevant documentation can be found on the company website: www.newamsterdaminvest.com Disclaimer Elements of this press release contain or may contain information about New Amsterdam Invest N.V. within the meaning of Article 7(1) to (4) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. This press release may include statements, including NAI's financial and operational medium-term objectives that are, or may be deemed to be, 'forward-looking statements'. These forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms 'believes', 'estimates', 'plans', 'projects', 'anticipates', 'expects', 'intends', 'may', 'will' or 'should' or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, goals, future events or intentions. Forward-looking statements may and often do differ materially from actual results. Any forward-looking statements reflect NAI's current view with respect to future events and are subject to risks relating to future events and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to NAI's business, results of operations, financial position, liquidity, prospects, growth or strategies. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. 1. Statement of Consolidated Financial Position as at 31 December 2023 (*1,000) 31 December 2023 31 December 2022 Assets Non-current assets Investment property 77,416 0 Property, plant and equipment 6 12 Deferred tax assets 735 0 Total non-current assets 78,158 12 Current assets Accounts receivable 516 0 Value added tax receivable 10 176 Escrow account 0 48,436 Current account participant 0 7 Current account investors 130 0 Other assets and prepaid expenses 145 137 Cash and cash equivalents 5,490 16 Total current assets 6,292 48,772 Total assets 84,450 48,784 Statement of Consolidated Financial Position as at 31 December 2023 (* 1,000) 31 December 2023 31 December 2022 Equity and Liabilities Equity Share capital 247 247 Share premium 49,762 49,419 Revaluation reserve 0 0 Currency translation reserve -610 0 General reserves -5,970 -1,146 Attributable to owners of the parent 43,430 48,520 Non-controlling interest 840 0 Total equity 44,270 48,520 Non-current liabilities Loans bank 35,393 0 Deferred tax liability 116 0 Total non-current liabilities 35,509 0 Current liabilities Trade payables 136 20 Tax liabilities 105 0 Current account related party 0 104 Deferred rental income 760 0 Loan related party USA 2,201 0 Other short-term liabilities 1,468 140 Total current liabilities 4,671 264 Total liabilities 40,180 264 Total equity and liabilities 84,450 48,784 Statement of Consolidated Profit and Loss for the year ended 31 December 2023 (*1,000) 2023 2022 Rental income 4,586 0 Direct related costs -861 0 Net Rental income 3,725 0 Revaluation of investment property 4,929 0 Legal and professional fees 1,137 55 Personnel expenses 665 1,592 Administrative and overhead expenses 708 129 General expenses 256 271 Other expenses 852 0 Total expenses 8,547 2,047 Operating result -4,823 -2,047 Financial income and expense -578 -33 Result before tax -5,401 -2,080 Income tax 605 0 Result for the period -4,796 -2,080 Result attributable to: Shareholders -4,907 -2,080 Non-controlling interest 111 0 Result for the period -4,796 -2,080 Basic earnings per share (*1) -0.97 -0.24 Diluted earnings per share (*1) -0.97 -0.24 3. Statement of Consolidated Comprehensive Income for the year ended 31 December 2023 (*1,000) 2023 2022 Result for the period -4,796 -2,080 Items which may be recycled to profit or loss (net of tax) Exchange differences -693 0 Total comprehensive income -5,489 -2,080 Attributable to: Shareholders -5,517 -2,080 Non-controlling interest 28 0 Total comprehensive income -5,489 -2,080 4. Statement of Consolidated Cash Flows for the year ended 31 December 2023 (*1,000) 2023 2022 Operating activities Result before tax -5,401 -2,080 Adjustments Depreciation 7 6 Share-based payment expense 84 1,416 Revaluation of investment property 4,929 0 Financial income and expense 537 33 Total adjustments 5,557 1,455 Changes in working capital Increase current liabilities 1,123 57 Increase current assets excluding cash and cash equivalents 152 -186 Increase in trade payables -61 0 Total changes in working capital 1,214 -129 Cash generated from/(used in) operations 1,370 -754 Interest paid -816 0 Interest received 514 0 Income taxes paid 0 0 Cash flow from operating activities 1,068 -754 Investing activities Investments in investment property, net of cash acquired -54,093 0 Investments in property, plant and equipment -1 -1 Release from escrow account 48,437 0 Cash flow from investing activities -5,657 -1 Financing activities Proceeds from additional promoter contribution 335 747 Repayment of current account related party -104 0 Proceeds from loans 33,827 0 Repayment of loans -23,956 0 Cash flow from financing activities 10,102 747 Movement Cash and cash equivalents 5,513 -8 Cash and cash equivalents as at 1 January 16 24 Exchange differences -39 0 Cash and cash equivalents as at 31 December 5,490 16 5. Statement of Consolidated Changes in Equity for the year ended 31 December 2023 (*1,000) Share capital Share premium Currency Translation Reserve General reserve Total attributable to shareholders Non-controlling interest Total Equity 247 49,419 0 -1,146 48,520 0 48,520 Balance at 31 December 2022 Result for the year 0 0 0 -4,907 -4,907 111 -4,796 Other comprehensive income 0 0 -610 0 -610 -83 -693 Total comprehensive income 0 0 -610 -4,907 -5,517 28 -5,489 Non-controlling interest acquired 0 0 0 0 0 812 812 Additional promoter contribution 0 343 0 0 343 0 343 Equity settled share-based payments 0 0 0 84 84 0 84 Balance at 31 December 2023 247 49,762 -610 -5,970 43,430 840 44,270 Statement of Consolidated Changes in Equity for the year ended 31 December 2022 (*1,000) Share capital Share premium Currency Translation Reserve General reserve Total attributable to shareholders Non-controlling interest Total Equity 247 48,672 0 -482 48,437 0 48,437 Balance at 31 December 2021 Result for the year 2022 0 0 0 -2,080 -2,080 0 -2,080 Other comprehensive income for the year 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total comprehensive income 0 0 0 -2,080 -2,080 0 -2,080 Additional promoter contribution 0 747 0 0 747 0 747 Equity settled share-based payments 0 0 0 1,416 1,416 0 1,416 Balance at 31 December 2022 247 49,419 0 -1,146 48,520 0 48,520 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/new-amsterdam-invest-nv-annual-results-and-report-2023-302140995.html New submarine cable gets closer to finish line as landing permits are secured; system qualification attained; and equipment manufacturing underway Unitirreno Submarine Network S.p.A. ("Unitirreno") today announced significant progress in developing its advanced subsea cable system, bringing it closer to completion milestones and its targeted Ready-for-Service date, which is set for the second quarter of 2025. Key recent achievements include: Trunk Landing Permits Secured: Unitirreno has successfully obtained environmental permits in strategic locations including Mazara del Vallo, Genoa and Rome. These trunk landing permits are crucial in establishing major connection points within the subsea cable network, ensuring seamless integration and operation. With these permits in hand, the company is strategically positioned to accelerate efforts towards securing new anchor tenants. Qualification of the 24 Fiber Pair System Completed: The Unitirreno subsea cable, featuring a 24 fiber pair system, is the first of its kind in the Mediterranean region to achieve full qualification of subsea repeaters and optical cables. This milestone highlights Unitirreno's commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology and reliable connectivity solutions to meet the region's evolving needs in the digital era. Manufacturing Underway: Manufacturing of the Unitirreno cable system and associated equipment is now in progress, led by Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN). This phase of the project is progressing according to schedule, with meticulous attention to detail and integration of cutting-edge technology ensuring optimal performance upon deployment. The Unitirreno subsea cable system is poised to significantly enhance regional connectivity in the Mediterranean. This project represents a major stride in meeting the growing demand for reliable communication infrastructure linking the region with the most important Internet Exchange points in Europe. Renato Brunetti, CEO of Unitirreno said, "Securing trunk landing permits in Mazara del Vallo, Genoa and Rome is a major step forward for Unitirreno. These permits are not only essential for establishing critical connection points within our subsea network but also a significant milestone in our journey toward delivering enhanced regional connectivity to support evolving business requirements." Andrea Cornetti, President of Unitirreno said, "The new submarine cable system will enable Unitirreno to deliver innovative subsea fiber optic technology within an open cable system structure, empowering customers to select their preferred technology solutions for individual fiber pairs. The expertise and technology contributed by ASN to the manufacturing process, combined with the marine capabilities relevant to survey and installation of Elettra Tlc S.p.A., further reinforce Unitirreno's mission-critical position to deliver much needed capacity for the region." Vendor Quotes Paul Gabla, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of ASN said, "ASN is committed to ensuring the flawless execution of the Unitirreno cable system manufacturing. By leveraging our expertise and cutting-edge technology, we aim to deliver a subsea cable system that not only meets but exceeds expectations, providing optimal performance and reliability upon deployment." Didier Dillard, Chief Executive Officer of Elettra said, "Elettra has successfully carried out in 2023 the marine survey of the Unitirreno project with its survey vessel Urbano Monti. This is a key milestone of the project that led to the final choice of the marine route, and enabled to assess the appropriate length and types of cable for each segment of the system. We are very pleased to see that this project is progressing according to schedule and we are looking forward to carry out its marine installation with our cableship, upon completion of the manufacturing." About Unitirreno Submarine Network, S.p.A (Unitirreno) Unitirreno is a partnership between the fund "Infrastrutture per la Crescita Esg" established and managed by Azimut Libera Impresa Sgr, Unidata and industry experts to focus on enhancing Italy's digital infrastructure foundation through deployment of a new subsea cable system in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The approximately 1,030 kilometer system will connect Mazara del Vallo with Genoa and a junction point near Rome-Fiumicino. Unitirreno will offer a secure, low-latency alternative to Marseille as a cable landing hub in the Mediterranean and deliver strategic landing points for intercontinental cables from Asia, the Middle East and Africa in addition to a new route to major digital infrastructure hubs across Europe. www.unitirreno.com About Alcatel Submarine Networks Alcatel Submarine Networks, part of Nokia, leads the industry in terms of transmission capacity and installed base with more than 750,000 km of optical submarine systems deployed worldwide, enough to circumnavigate the globe 19 times. From traditional telecom applications to content and "over the top" service provider infrastructures, as well as to offshore oil and gas applications, ASN provides all elements of turnkey global undersea transmission systems, tailored to individual customer's needs. An extensive services portfolio completes its comprehensive offering for the submarine business, including project management, installation, and commissioning, along with marine and maintenance operations performed by ASN's wholly owned fleet of cable ships. www.asn.com About Elettra TlC S.p.A. Elettra Tlc Spa is a company dedicated to the marine survey, marine installation and repairs of telecommunication submarine cables all around the world, operating a fleet of two cable ships and one survey vessel. Elettra Tlc is fully owned by Orange. Together with its sister company Orange Marine, it is a world leader in its sector of activity, representing 15% of the global cable ships fleet. It has installed more than 80 000 km of optical cables and is in charge of the maintenance of most of the submarine cables in service in the Mediterranean, Black and Red seas areas. www.elettratlc.it View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240509345133/en/ Contacts: Unidata Unitirreno media@unitirreno.com Alcatel Submarine Networks communications@asn.com Elettra Tlc S.p.A info@elettratlc.it PORTLAND, Ore., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Ground Support Equipment Market by Type (Powered ground support equipment (GSE), Non-powered ground support equipment (GSE)), by Application (Aircraft Handling, Passenger Handling, Cargo Handling), by Power Source (Electric, Non-electric, Hybrid): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032". According to the report, the ground support equipment market was valued at $8.0 billion in 2022, and is estimated to reach $14.2 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 6.2% from 2023 to 2032. Prime determinants of growth Growth of the global ground support equipment market is driven by factors such as increase in air traffic and cargo, modernization and expansion of airports, rise in focus of airports on enhancing operational efficiency, and high service standards. However, high initial investment hamper the market growth. On the contrary, increase in focus towards procurement of greener GSE and surge in demand for customized and specialized ground support equipment are expected to offer remunerative opportunities for the expansion of the ground support equipment market during the forecast period. Request Sample of the Report on Ground Support Equipment Market Forecast 2032 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/2174 (We are providing connected ship Industry report as per your research requirement, including the Latest Industry Insight's Evolution, Potential and Russia-Ukraine War Impact Analysis) 136 - Tables 45 - Charts 210 - Pages Report coverage & details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $8.0 billion Market Size in 2032 $14.2 billion CAGR 6.2 % No. of Pages in Report 210 Segments Covered Type, Application, Power Source, and Region. Drivers Increase in air traffic and cargo Modernization and expansion of airports Rise in focus of airports on enhancing operational efficiency, and high service standards Opportunities Increase in focus towards procurement of greener GSE Surge in demand for customized and specialized ground support equipment Restraints High initial investment Procure Complete Report (210 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/ground-support-equipment-market Impact of Russia-Ukraine War Scenario The invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 24, 2022, triggering the Russo-Ukrainian war that began in 2014, is expected to have potential negative implication for the ground support equipment market. The Russia-Ukraine war is expected to disrupt the global supply chain for components and equipment crucial in ground support equipment (GSE) manufacturing. Russia and Ukraine, pivotal manufacturing centers for various industries such as aerospace and automotive sectors, provide essential components for GSE production. Disruptions in manufacturing facilities, transportation networks, and logistics routes in these countries may result in delays in GSE equipment production and delivery. In addition, instability in the region may cause fluctuations in raw material and commodity prices used in GSE manufacturing. Heightened geopolitical tensions can induce market uncertainties, leading to increased material costs and impacting the production expenses of GSE manufacturers. Thus, resulting in elevated prices for GSE equipment, affecting both profitability and affordability for buyers. The powered ground support equipment segment to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period. By type, the powered ground support equipment segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than three-fifth of the global ground support equipment market revenue, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period, as there is demand for powered GSE to handle the higher workload efficiently with the increase in volume of air traffic and cargo. Moreover, the powered ground support equipment segment is projected to attain the highest CAGR of 6.5% from 2023 to 2032, owing to development of more efficient and environmentally friendly powered GSE with the advancement in technology. The aircraft handling segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. By application, the aircraft handling segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than two-fifth of the global ground support equipment market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period as efficient aircraft handling services demand increases at airports to manage the higher volume of arrivals, departure due to rise in air travel. However, the cargo handling segment is projected to attain the highest CAGR of 7.4% from 2023 to 2032, owing to the exponential growth of e-commerce. The non-electric segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period By power source, the non-electric segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, accounting for nearly three-fourth of the global ground support equipment market revenue and is estimated to maintain its lead status during the forecast period as the non electric ground support equipment provides benefits such as lower upfront costs, high longer operating ranges. However, the electric segment is projected to attain the highest CAGR of 8.9% from 2023 to 2032, owing to increase in focus to decrease carbon footprint and comply with environmental regulations. North America to maintain its dominance by 2032 Region-wise, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting more than two-fifth of the ground support equipment market revenue and is likely to dominate the market during the forecast period, owing to consistent demand for GSE in North America to support airport operations, including aircraft handling, cargo handling, and passenger services. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 7.9% from 2023 to 2032, owing to expansion of air travel, cargo transportation, and infrastructure development. Talk To Our Industry Expert: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/2174 Leading Market Players: AERO SPECIALTIES, INC. Cavotec SA Textron GSE Flightline Support Ltd. GATE GSE Imai Aero-Equipment Mfg. Co., Ltd. JBT Corporation Mallaghan TLD Guangtai The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players of the global ground support equipment market. These players have adopted various strategies such as partnerships, acquisition, and others to increase their market penetration and strengthen their position in the industry. The report is helpful in determining the business performance, operating segments, developments, and product portfolios of every market player. Browse More Trending Reports Aviation Augmented & Virtual Reality Market Size, Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report by Technology, by Type, by Component, by End Use, by Function: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031 Commercial Satellite Imaging Market Size, Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report by Application, By End User: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031 Hydrogen Aircraft Market Size, Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report by Passenger Capacity, Range, Application and Power Source: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2030-2040 About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1-800-792-5285 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: www.alliedmarketresearch.com AMR Resource Center: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/resource-center Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ground-support-equipment-market-to-reach-14-2-billion-globally-by-2032-at-6-2-cagr-allied-market-research-302141024.html CHICAGO, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Silicone Market by Type (Elastomers, Resins, Fluids, Gels), End-Use Industry (Industrial Process, Building & Construction, Personal Care & Consumer Products, Transportation, Electronics, Medical & Healthcare, Energy), & Region - Global Forecast to 2029", size is projected to grow from USD 21.5 billion in 2024 to USD 31.5 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 8.0% during the forecast period. The growing demands of industrial processes drive the need for advanced materials like silicones, which can meet diverse industry requirements. As industries process industries evolve and innovate, silicones are set to become more essential, supporting efficiency, sustainability, and safety across a range of sectors. Silicones are crucial in driving growth in the construction industry, where they serve as fundamental elements in sealants, adhesives, and coatings. Their capacity to endure harsh environmental conditions while delivering exceptional bonding and sealing capabilities has cemented their indispensability in contemporary construction methods. The increasing demand for personal care and cosmetic products, particularly in Asia Pacific, is expected to fuel silicone demand in the personal care industry. North America and Europe have been key contributors to silicone demand, but the Asia Pacific region, notably China, has emerged as a major player. Rapid industrialization, urbanization, and growing manufacturing activities in the Asia Pacific have driven significant demand for silicones across various sectors. Browse in-depth TOC on "Silicone Market" 237 - Tables 45 - Figures 274 - Pages Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=709 Elastomers are estimated to dominate the market. Elastomers are reported as having the largest market share in the silicone market. Their versatility makes them crucial for numerous applications, leading to their increasing dominance in the silicone market. The automotive industry's transition to electric and hybrid vehicles, which require high-performance materials capable of withstanding temperature fluctuations and mechanical stress, further bolsters the significance of elastomers in the market. The healthcare and construction industry is another key factor contributing to elastomers' dominance in the silicone market. The industrial process segment is expected to dominate the silicone market. The industrial process end-use industry reported the most substantial demand for silicone market in 2023, in terms of value and volume. The industrial process end-use industry includes a wide range of sectors, such as manufacturing, chemical processing, oil and gas, power generation, food processing, and others, all of which need high-performance materials to ensure both efficiency and safety in their operations. Silicone, with its unique properties, plays a crucial role in these industries by offering durability, flexibility, and resistance to extreme conditions. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=709 Asia Pacific is the largest market for silicone. The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region emerges as the largest market in the silicone industry among North America, Europe, the Middle East & Africa (MEA), and South America, primarily due to several key factors. The expansion of Asia-Pacific's silicone market is strongly linked to the growth of its industrial base. As countries like China and India continue to industrialize and urbanize, they generate significant demand for silicone products, particularly in construction and infrastructure projects. Silicone plays a crucial role in these developments, used in sealants, adhesives, and coatings to support the rapid construction of everything from skyscrapers to bridges. The rising disposable income of people, and shifting of manufacturing facilities from the developed regions, such as North America and Europe are expected to drive the market in this region. Key Players Wacker Chemie AG (Germany), Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. (Japan), Momentive Performance Materials Inc. (US), Elken ASA (Norway), and Dow Inc. (US) are the key players operating in the silicone market. Expansions, acquisitions, joint ventures, and new product developments are some of the major strategies adopted by these key players to enhance their positions in the silicone market. Browse Adjacent Market: Coatings Adhesives Sealants and Elastomers Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Automotive Silicone Market - Global Forecast to 2028 Silicone Elastomers Market - Global Forecast to 2029 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America's best management consulting firms as per a survey conducted by Forbes. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/silicone-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/silicone.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1951202/4609423/MarketsandMarkets.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/silicone-market-worth-31-5-billion-by-2029--exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-302141004.html LONDON, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Logicalis, a leading global technology services provider, has announced the creation of a new Asia Pacific entity, combining its Logicalis Australia and Logicalis Asia operations. This strategic realignment will be effective from June 01, 2024, and positions Logicalis to amplify its market presence through increased synergy within the APAC region. The combined Logicalis Asia Pacific entity will consolidate 1,600 employees with a collective revenue upwards of $US350 million across 10 countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam, and now Australia. The newly formed entity will be led by Chong-Win Lee as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Logicalis Asia Pacific with Anthony Woodward continuing in his role as CEO of Logicalis Australia and reporting to Chong-Win Lee. In addition to his current responsibilities, Woodward will lead a special task force focused on fostering innovation and identifying synergistic, joint opportunities across the region. Chong-Win Lee, CEO, Logicalis APAC, said, "The strategic consolidation of Logicalis' operations across Australia and Asia marks a pivotal moment in the company's continued growth and evolution. The aim of this reorganisation is to build a powerhouse capable of delivering high-impact technology solutions more efficiently for customers across Asia Pacific, while still providing the local expertise and support that Logicalis customers value." The combination is designed to enhance service delivery and bring a cohesive solution portfolio to customers, reflecting the alignment of Logicalis Asia's strategy to enable XaaS operating models to support digital transformation, and Logicalis Australia's commitment to becoming the best MSP in the country. The combined operation will deliver seamless access to Logicalis' experience in industry sectors such as financial services, government and healthcare, empowering teams to build skill and capacity for data and application modernisation, cloud managed services, artificial intelligence (AI), and more. From a security perspective, it will reinforce the company's powerful customer proposition, giving customers access to the global network of threat intelligence research and experience encapsulated in the regional Logicalis Security Operations Centre (SOC). Anthony Woodward, CEO, Logicalis Australia, said, "Formally combining the strengths of Logicalis Australia and its Asia counterparts is an acceleration of what has already been happening organically. This evolution lets Logicalis Australia and our customers leverage high-value digital capabilities from across the region, ensuring faster, more competitive, and more comprehensive service offerings. It also strengthens the local team's onshore capabilities while integrating best practices and expertise from across Asia, enabling the delivery of scalable, cost-effective managed service options for customers." The announcement comes at a time when Logicalis has been increasingly focusing on expanding its core Microsoft and Cisco businesses, enhancing its capabilities in cloud, cybersecurity, and managed services. Logicalis Asia has also recently brought Atlassian onboard as a strategic vendor. Chong-Win Lee, CEO, Logicalis Asia Pacific, said, "The Logicalis Asia Pacific entity will help the company to achieve greater influence with vendors and deliver even greater outcomes for customers into the future." Bob Bailkoski, global CEO, Logicalis said, "The goal for Logicalis is clear: to harness the collective strengths of the company's diverse operations to drive innovation and growth throughout Australia, Asia, and the globe. This reorganisation represents a strategic response to the evolving IT landscape and reinforces Logicalis' commitment to developing solutions that support its customers' success in the digital age." About Logicalis We are Architects of Change. We help organisations succeed in a digital-first world. At Logicalis, we harness our collective technology expertise to help our clients build a blueprint for success, so they can deliver sustainable outcomes that matter. Our lifecycle services across cloud, connectivity, collaboration, and security are designed to help optimise operations, reduce risk and empower employees. As a global technology service provider, we deliver next-generation digital managed services, to provide our clients with real-time visibility and actionable insights across the performance of their digital ecosystem including; availability, user experience, security, economic performance and sustainability. Our 7000+ 'Architects of Change' are based in 30 territories around the globe, helping our 10,000+ clients across a range of industry sectors create sustainable outcomes through technology. Logicalis has annualised revenues of $1.7 billion, from operations in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Africa. It is a division of Datatec Limited, listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, with revenues of over $5.1 billion. For more information visit https://www.logicalis.com For media enquiries, contact: Logicalis Team at Another Word Email: logicalis@anotherword.com Tel: 020 3176 0014 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/logicalis-unites-australia-and-asia-operations-as-logicalis-asia-pacific-creating-a-regional-powerhouse-302141050.html As Korea rises as the Web3 capital, Korea Blockchain Week 2024 sets out as the platform to navigate the action-packed market, as well as the confluence of Web3 innovations and institutional capital The initial round of speakers unveiled include Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin (Virtual), Evan Cheng from Sui Network, Mike Belshe from BitGo, and Yat Siu from Animoca Brands SEOUL, South Korea, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Korea Blockchain Week 2024, Asia's premier Web3 festival, has announced its first batch of high-profile headline speakers for its much-anticipated return to Seoul. The seventh edition of Korea Blockchain Week (KBW) will take place 1-7 September 2024, with its flagship two-day "IMPACT" conference held between 3-4 September at the Walkerhill Hotels & Resorts, Seoul, South Korea. KBW2024 is set to be one of the most anticipated global Web3 gatherings this year, building upon the success of its previous edition, which drew over 30,000 attendees and 250 speakers. Founded and organized by Web3 ecosystem builder, FACTBLOCK, and co-hosted by Asia's leading Web3 VC fund, Hashed, this year's KBW will cover the convergence of Web2 and Web3, underscoring the significance of Asia-powered growth, innovation and adoption that is fueling the global Web 3 ecosystem. Seon-ik Jeon, CEO of FACTBLOCK; Founder and Host of KBW said: "KBW sets the benchmark for the highest calibre of global Web3 industry festivals and conferences. The continued return of our headline speakers, coupled with the addition of fresh luminaries to our roster, is a testament to the undeniable role KBW plays in capturing the confluence of Web3 innovations in the East and the West. As Korea, and Asia more broadly, emerge as the bellwether for Web3 adoption, this year's KBW is poised to be the prime avenue to host impactful dialogues that underpins the renewed sense of optimism and excitement in today's Web3 landscape." Bringing together leading investors, builders and founders in Web3 and beyond, this year's IMPACT conference will feature foundational themes for Web3's future, including applications, infrastructure, tech stack, institutional interest, art and culture, and many more. The impressive speaker line-up includes returning speakers from its 2023 IMPACT conference, such as Ethereum Co-Founder, Vitalik Buterin (Virtual); Arthur Hayes from Maelstrom; Caroline Pham from CFTC; Ed Felten from Offchain Labs; Mike Belshe from BitGo; Mo Shaikh from Aptos Labs; Muneeb Ali from Trust Machines; Sergey Nazarov from Chainlink. It also welcomes new headline speakers including Aleksander Larsen from Sky Mavis; Eli Ben-Sasson from Starkware; Evan Cheng from Sui Network; Keone Hon from Monad; and Yat Siu from Animoca Brands. More speakers can be found on the KBW website. "Korea has garnered significant global interest due to its pool of talented developers in the realms of applications and content, which are crucial for widespread adoption," said Simon Kim, CEO at Hashed. "Our goal for KBW2024 is to bring together distinguished speakers who can highlight the most captivating trends in the global blockchain market and shed light on the unique opportunities present in the Korean and Asian markets. By doing so, we aim to provide attendees with valuable insights and foster meaningful networking opportunities that drive innovation and collaboration in the industry." Gathering global industry leaders, top decision-makers and builders, the KBW2024 features its keystone conference IMPACT, along with other main events, which will be announced in the coming months. The super early bird pass for KBW 2024 is available from now until June 11, 2024. For more information and continued updates on Korea Blockchain Week 2024, please visit: https://koreablockchainweek.com/ Seonik Jeon, CEO of FACTBLOCK; Founder and Host of KBW is available for comments. PR Newswire is the News Distribution Partner of the Korea Blockchain Week 2024. About Korea Blockchain Week: Founded by FACTBLOCK and co-hosted by Hashed, Korea Blockchain Week (KBW) is an annual global blockchain and web3 festival held in Seoul, South Korea, since 2018. It has been a gathering ground for the top global blockchain and web3 leaders and unifying diverse communities. KBW curates multiple prestigious main events, including the flagship conference 'IMPACT.' This provides participants and attendees exclusive opportunities to exchange industry insights and indulge in an immersive blend of music, art, and culture, making KBW a unique and enriching experience for all involved. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2408616/KBW_Speakers.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/korea-blockchain-week-2024-announces-esteemed-headline-speakers-claiming-its-crown-as-the-worlds-pre-eminent-web3-conference-302141077.html Signed agreements with Clearway Group to commit to invest in 55 MW of wind and 257 MW of solar plus storage projects Entered into new Resource Adequacy Contracts for Marsh Landing and Walnut Creek Reaffirming 2024 financial guidance Increasing the quarterly dividend by 1.7% to $0.4102 per share in the second quarter of 2024, or $1.64 per share annualized Continue to target annual dividend per share growth in the upper range of 5% to 8% through 2026 PRINCETON, N.J., May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearway Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CWEN, CWEN.A) today reported first quarter 2024 financial results, including Net Loss of $(46) million, Adjusted EBITDA of $211 million, Cash from Operating Activities of $81 million, and Cash Available for Distribution (CAFD) of $52 million. "Clearway remains well positioned to achieve its 2024 financial objectives. We reported solid first quarter results highlighting the benefits of our fleet's geographic and technological diversification," said Craig Cornelius, Clearway Energy, Inc.'s incoming President and Chief Executive Officer. "Furthermore, we have made additional progress on the execution toward our long-term objectives with the commitments to invest in Dan's Mountain and Rosamond South and new resource adequacy contracts for our Conventional fleet. CWEN continues to expect to achieve the upper range of its 5% to 8% annual dividend growth objective without needing external capital through at least 2026. In 2027 we continue to see the potential for CAFD per share growth to be in that same range if the balance of our gas fleet contracts its capacity to deliver resource adequacy at the same or better pricing as recently disclosed contract awards." Adjusted EBITDA and Cash Available for Distribution used in this press release are non-GAAP measures and are explained in greater detail under "Non-GAAP Financial Information" below. Overview of Financial and Operating Results Segment Results Table 1: Net Income/(Loss) ($ millions) Three Months Ended Segment 3/31/24 3/31/23 Conventional 16 24 Renewables (44 ) (48 ) Corporate (18 ) (16 ) Net Income/(Loss) $ (46 ) $ (40 ) Table 2: Adjusted EBITDA ($ millions) Three Months Ended Segment 3/31/24 3/31/23 Conventional 51 76 Renewables 169 151 Corporate (9 ) (9 ) Adjusted EBITDA $ 211 $ 218 Table 3: Cash from Operating Activities and Cash Available for Distribution (CAFD) Three Months Ended ($ millions) 3/31/24 3/31/23 Cash from Operating Activities $ 81 $ 75 Cash Available for Distribution (CAFD) $ 52 $ (4 ) For the first quarter of 2024, the Company reported Net Loss of $(46) million, Adjusted EBITDA of $211 million, Cash from Operating Activities of $81 million, and CAFD of $52 million. Net Loss increased versus 2023 primarily due to higher depreciation expense from growth projects achieving commercial operations. Adjusted EBITDA results in the first quarter of 2024 were lower than 2023 primarily due to the expiration of certain tolling agreements in the Conventional fleet, partially offset by the contribution from growth investments. Cash from Operating Activities increased versus 2023 primarily due to higher distributions from unconsolidated affiliates and lower interest payments related to the Conventional fleet. CAFD results in the first quarter of 2024 were higher than 2023 primarily due to lower debt service in the Conventional fleet coinciding with the expiration of the tolling agreements as well as higher wind generation for certain facilities during the first quarter. Operational Performance Table 4: Selected Operating Results1 (MWh in thousands) Three Months Ended 3/31/24 3/31/23 Conventional Equivalent Availability Factor 86.3 % 74.4 % Solar MWh generated/sold 1,443 866 Wind MWh generated/sold 2,519 2,744 Renewables generated/sold 3,962 3,610 In the first quarter of 2024, availability at the Conventional segment was higher than the first quarter of 2023 primarily due to the timing and duration of maintenance outages in the segment in 2023. Generation in the Renewables segment during the first quarter of 2024 was 10% higher than the first quarter of 2023 primarily due to the contribution of growth investments. ____________________________________ 1 Excludes equity method investments 2 Generation sold excludes MWh that are reimbursable for economic curtailment Liquidity and Capital Resources Table 5: Liquidity ($ millions) 3/31/2024 12/31/2023 Cash and Cash Equivalents: Clearway Energy, Inc. and Clearway Energy LLC, excluding subsidiaries $ 337 $ 410 Subsidiaries 141 125 Restricted Cash: Operating accounts 173 176 Reserves, including debt service, distributions, performance obligations and other reserves 312 340 Total Cash $ 963 $ 1,051 Revolving credit facility availability 472 454 Total Liquidity $ 1,435 $ 1,505 Total liquidity as of March 31, 2024, was $1,435 million, which was $70 million lower than as of December 31, 2023, primarily due to the repayment of debt and execution of growth investments. As of March 31, 2024, the Company's liquidity included $485 million of restricted cash. Restricted cash consists primarily of funds to satisfy the requirements of certain debt arrangements and funds held within the Company's projects that are restricted in their use. As of March 31, 2024, these restricted funds were comprised of $173 million designated to fund operating expenses, approximately $187 million designated for current debt service payments, and $87 million of reserves for debt service, performance obligations and other items including capital expenditures. The remaining $38 million is held in distribution reserve accounts. Potential future sources of liquidity include excess operating cash flow, availability under the revolving credit facility, asset dispositions, and, subject to market conditions, new corporate debt and equity financings. Growth Investments Cedar Creek Wind On April 16, 2024, the Company, through an indirect subsidiary, acquired the Cedar Creek wind project, a 160 MW project located in Bingham County, Idaho, for $117 million in cash. The project achieved commercial operations in the second quarter of 2024 and sells its power under a 25-year PPA with an investment grade utility. The Company expects the project to contribute asset CAFD on a five-year average annual basis of approximately $13 million beginning January 1, 2025. Dan's Mountain Wind On May 3, 2024, the Company, through an indirect subsidiary, committed to acquire 50% cash equity interest in the Dan's Mountain wind project, a 55 MW project located in Allegany County, Maryland, for $44 million in cash, subject to closing adjustments. The project is expected to achieve commercial operations in the first half of 2025 and sell its power primarily under a 12-year PPA with an investment grade offtaker. The Company expects the project to contribute asset CAFD on a five-year average annual basis of approximately $4 million beginning January 1, 2026. Rosamond South I On May 7, 2024, the Company, through an indirect subsidiary, committed to acquire 50% cash equity interest in the Rosamond South I solar plus storage project, a 257 MW project located in Rosamond, California, for approximately $21 million in cash, subject to closing adjustments. The project is expected to achieve commercial operations in the first half of 2025 and sell its power, RECs, and capacity under agreements with creditworthy counterparties with a weighted average contract duration of approximately 15 years. The Company expects the project to contribute asset CAFD on a five-year average annual basis of approximately $2 million beginning January 1, 2026. Strategic Announcements Resource Adequacy Agreement at Walnut Creek On May 6, 2024, the Company contracted with a load serving entity to sell approximately 97 MW of Resource Adequacy commencing January 2027 and ending December 2027. With this transaction, approximately 20% of Walnut Creek's net qualifying capacity is contracted through 2027 at terms providing for higher project level CAFD in 2027 relative to current run-rate expectations. Resource Adequacy Agreement at Marsh Landing On March 28, 2024, the Company contracted with a load serving entity to sell approximately 90 MW of Resource Adequacy commencing September 2026 and ending December 2030. With this transaction, approximately 74% of Marsh Landing's net qualifying capacity is contracted through 2027 at terms providing for higher project level CAFD in 2027 relative to current run-rate expectations. Quarterly Dividend On May 9, 2024, Clearway Energy, Inc.'s Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend on Class A and Class C common stock of $0.4102 per share payable on June 17, 2024, to stockholders of record as of June 3, 2024. Seasonality Clearway Energy, Inc.'s quarterly operating results are impacted by seasonal factors, as well as weather variability which can impact renewable energy resource throughout the year. Most of the Company's revenues are generated from the months of May through September, as contracted pricing and renewable resources are at their highest levels in the Company's portfolio. Factors driving the fluctuation in Net Income, Adjusted EBITDA, Cash from Operating Activities, and CAFD include the following: Higher summer capacity and energy prices from conventional assets; Higher solar insolation during the summer months; Higher wind resources during the spring and summer months; Renewable energy resource throughout the year Debt service payments which are made either quarterly or semi-annually; Timing of maintenance capital expenditures and the impact of both unforced and forced outages; and Timing of distributions from unconsolidated affiliates The Company takes into consideration the timing of these factors to ensure sufficient funds are available for distributions and operating activities on a quarterly basis. Financial Guidance The Company is reaffirming its 2024 full year CAFD guidance of $395 million. The Company's 2024 financial guidance factors in the contribution of committed growth investments based on current expected closing timelines and estimates for merchant energy gross margin at the conventional fleet. 2024 CAFD guidance does not factor in the timing of when CAFD is realized from new growth investments pursuant to 5-year averages beyond 2024. Financial guidance is based on median renewable energy production estimates for the full year. Earnings Conference Call On May 9, 2024, Clearway Energy, Inc. will host a conference call at 8:00 a.m. Eastern to discuss these results. Investors, the news media and others may access the live webcast of the conference call and accompanying presentation materials by logging on to Clearway Energy, Inc.'s website at http://www.clearwayenergy.com and clicking on "Presentations & Webcasts" under "Investor Relations." About Clearway Energy, Inc. Clearway Energy, Inc. is one of the largest renewable energy owners in the US with approximately 6,200 net MW of installed wind, solar, and battery energy storage systems. The Company's approximately 8,700 net MW of assets also include approximately 2,500 net MW of environmentally-sound, highly efficient natural gas generation facilities. Through this environmentally-sound diversified and primarily contracted portfolio, Clearway Energy endeavors to provide its investors with stable and growing dividend income. Clearway Energy, Inc.'s Class C and Class A common stock are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols CWEN and CWEN.A, respectively. Clearway Energy, Inc. is sponsored by its controlling investor, Clearway Energy Group LLC. For more information, visit investor.clearwayenergy.com. Safe Harbor Disclosure This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and typically can be identified by the use of words such as "expect," "estimate," "target," "anticipate," "forecast," "plan," "outlook," "believe" and similar terms. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding, the Company's dividend expectations and its operations, its facilities and its financial results, statements regarding the anticipated consummation of the transactions described above, the anticipated benefits, opportunities, and results with respect to the transactions, including the Company's future relationship and arrangements with Global Infrastructure Partners, TotalEnergies, and Clearway Energy Group, as well as the Company's Net Income, Adjusted EBITDA, Cash from Operating Activities, Cash Available for Distribution, the Company's future revenues, income, indebtedness, capital structure, strategy, plans, expectations, objectives, projected financial performance and/or business results and other future events, and views of economic and market conditions. Although Clearway Energy, Inc. believes that the expectations are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these expectations will prove to be correct, and actual results may vary materially. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated above include, among others, the Company's ability to maintain and grow its quarterly dividend, impacts related to COVID-19 (including any variant of the virus) or any other pandemic, risks relating to the Company's relationships with its sponsors, the failure to identify, execute or successfully implement acquisitions or dispositions (including receipt of third party consents and regulatory approvals), the Company's ability to acquire assets from its sponsors, the Company's ability to borrow additional funds and access capital markets due to its indebtedness, corporate structure, market conditions or otherwise, hazards customary in the power industry, weather conditions, including wind and solar performance, the Company's ability to operate its businesses efficiently, manage maintenance capital expenditures and costs effectively, and generate earnings and cash flows from its asset-based businesses in relation to its debt and other obligations, the willingness and ability of counterparties to the Company's offtake agreements to fulfill their obligations under such agreements, the Company's ability to enter into new contracts as existing contracts expire, changes in government regulations, operating and financial restrictions placed on the Company that are contained in the project-level debt facilities and other agreements of the Company and its subsidiaries, and cyber terrorism and inadequate cybersecurity. Furthermore, any dividends are subject to available capital, market conditions, and compliance with associated laws and regulations. Clearway Energy, Inc. undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The Cash Available for Distribution are estimates as of today's date, May 9, 2024, and are based on assumptions believed to be reasonable as of this date. Clearway Energy, Inc. expressly disclaims any current intention to update such guidance. The foregoing review of factors that could cause Clearway Energy, Inc.'s actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in the forward-looking statements included in this news release should be considered in connection with information regarding risks and uncertainties that may affect Clearway Energy, Inc.'s future results included in Clearway Energy, Inc.'s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. In addition, Clearway Energy, Inc. makes available free of charge at www.clearwayenergy.com, copies of materials it files with, or furnishes to, the Securities and Exchange Commission. Contacts: Investors: Media: Akil Marsh Zadie Oleksiw investor.relations@clearwayenergy.com media@clearwayenergy.com 609-608-1500 202-836-5754 CLEARWAY ENERGY, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited) Three months ended March 31, (In millions, except per share amounts) 2024 2023 Operating Revenues Total operating revenues $ 263 $ 288 Operating Costs and Expenses Cost of operations, exclusive of depreciation, amortization and accretion shown separately below 126 108 Depreciation, amortization and accretion 154 128 General and administrative 11 10 Transaction and integration costs 1 - Total operating costs and expenses 292 246 Operating (Loss) Income (29 ) 42 Other Income (Expense) Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated affiliates 12 (3 ) Other income, net 16 8 Loss on debt extinguishment (1 ) - Interest expense (57 ) (99 ) Total other expense, net (30 ) (94 ) Loss Before Income Taxes (59 ) (52 ) Income tax benefit (13 ) (12 ) Net Loss (46 ) (40 ) Less: Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests (44 ) (40 ) Net Loss Attributable to Clearway Energy, Inc. $ (2 ) $ - Loss Per Share Attributable to Clearway Energy, Inc. Class A and Class C Common Stockholders Weighted average number of Class A common shares outstanding - basic and diluted 35 35 Weighted average number of Class C common shares outstanding - basic and diluted 82 82 Loss Per Weighted Average Class A and Class C Common Share - Basic and Diluted $ (0.02 ) $ - Dividends Per Class A Common Share $ 0.4033 $ 0.3745 Dividends Per Class C Common Share $ 0.4033 $ 0.3745 CLEARWAY ENERGY, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (Unaudited) Three months ended March 31, (In millions) 2024 2023 Net Loss $ (46 ) $ (40 ) Other Comprehensive Loss Unrealized loss on derivatives and changes in accumulated OCI, net of income tax benefit, of $-, and $1 (1 ) (3 ) Other comprehensive loss (1 ) (3 ) Comprehensive Loss (47 ) (43 ) Less: Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests (43 ) (42 ) Comprehensive Loss Attributable to Clearway Energy, Inc. $ (4 ) $ (1 ) CLEARWAY ENERGY, INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In millions, except shares) March 31, 2024 December 31, 2023 ASSETS (Unaudited) Current Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 478 $ 535 Restricted cash 485 516 Accounts receivable - trade 184 171 Inventory 58 55 Derivative instruments 54 41 Note receivable - affiliate 178 174 Prepayments and other current assets 60 68 Total current assets 1,497 1,560 Property, plant and equipment, net 9,746 9,526 Other Assets Equity investments in affiliates 349 360 Intangible assets for power purchase agreements, net 2,259 2,303 Other intangible assets, net 72 71 Derivative instruments 111 82 Right-of-use assets, net 615 597 Other non-current assets 213 202 Total other assets 3,619 3,615 Total Assets $ 14,862 $ 14,701 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current Liabilities Current portion of long-term debt $ 565 $ 558 Accounts payable - trade 123 130 Accounts payable - affiliates 28 31 Derivative instruments 52 51 Accrued interest expense 42 57 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 64 79 Total current liabilities 874 906 Other Liabilities Long-term debt 7,579 7,479 Deferred income taxes 111 127 Derivative instruments 309 281 Long-term lease liabilities 642 627 Other non-current liabilities 300 286 Total other liabilities 8,941 8,800 Total Liabilities 9,815 9,706 Redeemable noncontrolling interest in subsidiaries 2 1 Commitments and Contingencies Stockholders' Equity Preferred stock, $0.01 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized; none issued - - Class A, Class B, Class C and Class D common stock, $0.01 par value; 3,000,000,000 shares authorized (Class A 500,000,000, Class B 500,000,000, Class C 1,000,000,000, Class D 1,000,000,000); 202,080,794 shares issued and outstanding (Class A 34,613,853, Class B 42,738,750, Class C 82,391,441, Class D 42,336,750) at March 31, 2024 and 202,080,794 shares issued and outstanding (Class A 34,613,853, Class B 42,738,750, Class C 82,391,441, Class D 42,336,750) at December 31, 2023 1 1 Additional paid-in capital 1,741 1,732 Retained earnings 311 361 Accumulated other comprehensive income 5 7 Noncontrolling interest 2,987 2,893 Total Stockholders' Equity 5,045 4,994 Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity $ 14,862 $ 14,701 CLEARWAY ENERGY, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited) Three months ended March 31, (In millions) 2024 2023 Cash Flows from Operating Activities Net Loss $ (46 ) $ (40 ) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities: Equity in (earnings) losses of unconsolidated affiliates (12 ) 3 Distributions from unconsolidated affiliates 9 6 Depreciation, amortization and accretion 154 128 Amortization of financing costs and debt discounts 4 3 Amortization of intangibles 46 47 Loss on debt extinguishment 1 - Reduction in carrying amount of right-of-use assets 4 4 Changes in deferred income taxes (10 ) (11 ) Changes in derivative instruments and amortization of accumulated OCI 2 3 Cash used in changes in other working capital: Changes in prepaid and accrued liabilities for tolling agreements (10 ) (39 ) Changes in other working capital (61 ) (29 ) Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities 81 75 Cash Flows from Investing Activities Acquisition of Drop Down Assets, net of cash acquired (111 ) (7 ) Capital expenditures (98 ) (88 ) Return of investment from unconsolidated affiliates 4 9 Other 2 - Net Cash Used in Investing Activities (203 ) (86 ) Cash Flows from Financing Activities Contributions from noncontrolling interests, net of distributions 207 273 Payments of dividends and distributions (81 ) (76 ) Proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt 74 42 Payments of debt issuance costs - (7 ) Payments for long-term debt (166 ) (204 ) Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities 34 28 Net (Decrease) Increase in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash (88 ) 17 Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash at Beginning of Period 1,051 996 Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash at End of Period $ 963 $ 1,013 CLEARWAY ENERGY, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (Unaudited) (In millions) Preferred Stock Common Stock Additional Paid-In Capital Retained Earnings Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Noncontrolling Interest Total Stockholders' Equity Balances at December 31, 2023 $ - $ 1 $ 1,732 $ 361 $ 7 $ 2,893 $ 4,994 Net loss - - - (2 ) - (45 ) (47 ) Unrealized (loss) gain on derivatives and changes in accumulated OCI, net of tax - - - - (2 ) 1 (1 ) Distributions to CEG, net of contributions, cash - - - - - (1 ) (1 ) Contributions from noncontrolling interests, net of distributions, cash - - - - - 215 215 Transfers of assets under common control - - 2 - - (42 ) (40 ) Non-cash adjustments for change in tax basis - - 6 - - - 6 Stock-based compensation - - 1 - - - 1 Common stock dividends and distributions to CEG unit holders - - - (47 ) - (34 ) (81 ) Other - - - (1 ) - - (1 ) Balances at March 31, 2024 $ - $ 1 $ 1,741 $ 311 $ 5 $ 2,987 $ 5,045 (In millions) Preferred Stock Common Stock Additional Paid-In Capital Retained Earnings Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Noncontrolling Interest Total Stockholders' Equity Balances at December 31, 2022 $ - $ 1 $ 1,761 $ 463 $ 9 $ 1,792 $ 4,026 Net loss - - - - - (43 ) (43 ) Unrealized loss on derivatives and changes in accumulated OCI, net of tax - - - - (1 ) (2 ) (3 ) Contributions from CEG, net of distributions, cash - - - - - 30 30 Contributions from noncontrolling interests, net of distributions, cash - - - - - 215 215 Transfers of assets under common control - - (52 ) - - 46 (6 ) Non-cash adjustments for change in tax basis - - 9 - - - 9 Stock based compensation - - 1 - - - 1 Common stock dividends and distributions to CEG unit holders - - - (44 ) - (32 ) (76 ) Balances at March 31, 2023 $ - $ 1 $ 1,719 $ 419 $ 8 $ 2,006 $ 4,153 Appendix Table A-1: Three Months Ended March 31, 2024, Segment Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation The following table summarizes the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA and provides a reconciliation to Net Income/(Loss): ($ in millions) Conventional Renewables Corporate Total Net Income (Loss) $ 16 $ (44 ) $ (18 ) $ (46 ) Plus: Income Tax Benefit - - (13 ) (13 ) Interest Expense, net 6 14 20 40 Depreciation, Amortization, and ARO 32 122 - 154 Contract Amortization 5 41 - 46 Loss on Debt Extinguishment - 1 - 1 Mark to Market (MtM) Losses/(Gains) on economic hedges (11 ) 35 - 24 Transaction and integration costs - - 1 1 Other non-recurring - (1 ) - (1 ) Adjustments to reflect CWEN's pro-rata share of Adjusted EBITDA from Unconsolidated Affiliates 3 1 - 4 Non-Cash Equity Compensation - - 1 1 Adjusted EBITDA $ 51 $ 169 $ (9 ) $ 211 Appendix Table A-2: Three Months Ended March 31, 2023, Segment Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation The following table summarizes the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA and provides a reconciliation to Net Income/(Loss): ($ in millions) Conventional Renewables Corporate Total Net Income (Loss) $ 24 $ (48 ) $ (16 ) $ (40 ) Plus: Income Tax Benefit - - (12 ) (12 ) Interest Expense, net 10 62 18 90 Depreciation, Amortization, and ARO 33 95 - 128 Contract Amortization 6 41 - 47 Mark to Market (MtM) Gains on economic hedges - (19 ) - (19 ) Other non-recurring - 4 - 4 Adjustments to reflect CWEN's pro-rata share of Adjusted EBITDA from Unconsolidated Affiliates 3 16 - 19 Non-Cash Equity Compensation - - 1 1 Adjusted EBITDA $ 76 $ 151 $ (9 ) $ 218 Appendix Table A-3: Cash Available for Distribution Reconciliation The following table summarizes the calculation of Cash Available for Distribution and provides a reconciliation to Cash from Operating Activities: Three Months Ended ($ in millions) 3/31/24 3/31/23 Adjusted EBITDA $ 211 $ 218 Cash interest paid (90 ) (93 ) Changes in prepaid and accrued liabilities for tolling agreements (10 ) (39 ) Adjustments to reflect sale-type leases and payments for lease expenses 3 1 Pro-rata Adjusted EBITDA from unconsolidated affiliates (17 ) (15 ) Distributions from unconsolidated affiliates 9 6 Changes in working capital and other (25 ) (3 ) Cash from Operating Activities 81 75 Changes in working capital and other 25 3 Return of investment from unconsolidated affiliates 4 9 Net distributions (to)/from non-controlling interest3 (5 ) (10 ) Maintenance capital expenditures (2 ) (7 ) Principal amortization of indebtedness4 (51 ) (74 ) Cash Available for Distribution $ 52 $ (4 ) Appendix Table A-4: Three Months Ended March 31, 2024, Sources and Uses of Liquidity The following table summarizes the sources and uses of liquidity in 2024: Three Months Ended ($ in millions) 3/31/24 Sources: Contributions from noncontrolling interests, net of distributions 207 Net cash provided by operating activities 81 Proceedsfrom the issuance of long-term debt 74 Return of investment from unconsolidated affiliates 4 Other net cash inflows 2 Uses: Payments for long-term debt (166 ) Acquisition of Drop Down Assets, net of cash acquired (111 ) Capital expenditures (98 ) Payments of dividends and distributions (81 ) Change in total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash $ (88 ) ____________________________________ 3 2024 excludes $224 million of contributions related to Texas Solar Nova 2; 2023 excludes $224 million of contributions related to the funding of Waiawa and Daggett 3 4 2024 excludes $115 for the repayment of bridge loans in connection with Texas Solar Nova 2; 2023 excludes $55 million for the repayment of bridge loans in connection with Waiawa Appendix Table A-5: Adjusted EBITDA and Cash Available for Distribution Guidance ($ in millions) 2024 Full Year Guidance Net Income 90 Income Tax Expense 20 Interest Expense, net 330 Depreciation, Amortization, and ARO Expense 680 Adjustment to reflect CWEN share of Adjusted EBITDA in unconsolidated affiliates 50 Non-Cash Equity Compensation 5 Adjusted EBITDA 1,175 Cash interest paid (310 ) Changes in prepaid and accrued liabilities for tolling agreements (5 ) Adjustments to reflect sale-type leases and payments for lease expenses 10 Pro-rata Adjusted EBITDA from unconsolidated affiliates (85 ) Cash distributions from unconsolidated affiliates5 45 Cash from Operating Activities 830 Net distributions to non-controlling interest6 (100 ) Maintenance capital expenditures (40 ) Principal amortization of indebtedness7 (295 ) Cash Available for Distribution 395 Appendix Table A-6: Adjusted EBITDA and Cash Available for Distribution Growth Projects ($ in millions) Cedar Creek Wind 5 Year Ave. 2025-2029 Dan's Mountain Wind 5 Year Ave. 2026-2030 Rosamond South I 5 Year Ave. 2026-2030 Net Income 3 1 - Interest Expense, net 5 - 12 Depreciation, Amortization, and ARO Expense 8 8 17 Adjusted EBITDA 16 9 29 Cash interest paid (5 ) - (12 ) Cash from Operating Activities 11 9 17 Net distributions (to)/from non-controlling interest 3 (5 ) (6 ) Network Upgrade Reimbursements 2 - - Maintenance capital expenditures - - (1 ) Principal amortization of indebtedness (3 ) - (8 ) Estimated Cash Available for Distribution 13 4 2 ____________________________________ 5 Distribution from unconsolidated affiliates can be classified as Return of Investment on Unconsolidated Affiliates when actuals are reported. This is below cash from operating activities 6 Includes tax equity proceeds and distributions to tax equity partners 7 2024 excludes maturities assumed to be refinanced Non-GAAP Financial Information EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and Cash Available for Distribution (CAFD) are non-GAAP financial measures. These measurements are not recognized in accordance with GAAP and should not be viewed as an alternative to GAAP measures of performance. The presentation of non-GAAP financial measures should not be construed as an inference that Clearway Energy's future results will be unaffected by unusual or non-recurring items. EBITDA represents net income before interest (including loss on debt extinguishment), taxes, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA is presented because Clearway Energy considers it an important supplemental measure of its performance and believes debt and equity holders frequently use EBITDA to analyze operating performance and debt service capacity. EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation, or as a substitute for analysis of our operating results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are: EBITDA does not reflect cash expenditures, or future requirements for capital expenditures, or contractual commitments; EBITDA does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, working capital needs; EBITDA does not reflect the significant interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on debt or cash income tax payments; Although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced in the future, and EBITDA does not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements; and Other companies in this industry may calculate EBITDA differently than Clearway Energy does, limiting its usefulness as a comparative measure. Because of these limitations, EBITDA should not be considered as a measure of discretionary cash available to use to invest in the growth of Clearway Energy's business. Clearway Energy compensates for these limitations by relying primarily on our GAAP results and using EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA only supplementally. See the statements of cash flow included in the financial statements that are a part of this news release. Adjusted EBITDA is presented as a further supplemental measure of operating performance. Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA adjusted for mark-to-market gains or losses, non-cash equity compensation expense, asset write offs and impairments; and factors which we do not consider indicative of future operating performance such as transition and integration related costs. The reader is encouraged to evaluate each adjustment and the reasons Clearway Energy considers it appropriate for supplemental analysis. As an analytical tool, Adjusted EBITDA is subject to all of the limitations applicable to EBITDA. In addition, in evaluating Adjusted EBITDA, the reader should be aware that in the future Clearway Energy may incur expenses similar to the adjustments in this news release. Management believes Adjusted EBITDA is useful to investors and other users of our financial statements in evaluating our operating performance because it provides them with an additional tool to compare business performance across companies and across periods. This measure is widely used by investors to measure a company's operating performance without regard to items such as interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization, which can vary substantially from company to company depending upon accounting methods and book value of assets, capital structure and the method by which assets were acquired. Additionally, Management believes that investors commonly adjust EBITDA information to eliminate the effect of restructuring and other expenses, which vary widely from company to company and impair comparability. As we define it, Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA adjusted for the effects of impairment losses, gains or losses on sales, non-cash equity compensation expense, dispositions or retirements of assets, any mark-to-market gains or losses from accounting for derivatives, adjustments to exclude gains or losses on the repurchase, modification or extinguishment of debt, and any extraordinary, unusual or non-recurring items plus adjustments to reflect the Adjusted EBITDA from our unconsolidated investments. We adjust for these items in our Adjusted EBITDA as our management believes that these items would distort their ability to efficiently view and assess our core operating trends. In summary, our management uses Adjusted EBITDA as a measure of operating performance to assist in comparing performance from period to period on a consistent basis and to readily view operating trends, as a measure for planning and forecasting overall expectations and for evaluating actual results against such expectations, and in communications with our Board of Directors, shareholders, creditors, analysts and investors concerning our financial performance. Cash Available for Distribution A non-GAAP measure, Cash Available for Distribution is defined as of March 31, 2024 as Adjusted EBITDA plus cash distributions/return of investment from unconsolidated affiliates, cash receipts from notes receivable, cash distributions from noncontrolling interests, adjustments to reflect sales-type lease cash payments and payments for lease expenses, less cash distributions to noncontrolling interests, maintenance capital expenditures, pro-rata Adjusted EBITDA from unconsolidated affiliates, cash interest paid, income taxes paid, principal amortization of indebtedness, changes in prepaid and accrued capacity payments, and adjusted for development expenses. Management believes CAFD is a relevant supplemental measure of the Company's ability to earn and distribute cash returns to investors. We believe CAFD is useful to investors in evaluating our operating performance because securities analysts and other interested parties use such calculations as a measure of our ability to make quarterly distributions. In addition, CAFD is used by our management team for determining future acquisitions and managing our growth. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to CAFD is cash provided by operating activities. However, CAFD has limitations as an analytical tool because it does not include changes in operating assets and liabilities and excludes the effect of certain other cash flow items, all of which could have a material effect on our financial condition and results from operations. CAFD is a non-GAAP measure and should not be considered an alternative to cash provided by operating activities or any other performance or liquidity measure determined in accordance with GAAP, nor is it indicative of funds available to fund our cash needs. In addition, our calculations of CAFD are not necessarily comparable to CAFD as calculated by other companies. Investors should not rely on these measures as a substitute for any GAAP measure, including cash provided by operating activities. Denver, Colorado--(Newsfile Corp. - May 9, 2024) - CBD of Denver, Inc. (OTC Pink: CBDD) is pleased to announce the filing of its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. The Company successfully filed its quarterly report ahead of the May 15th regulatory deadline, demonstrating the efficacy of enhanced workflows and collaboration between its accounting partner in Switzerland and U.S.-based legal counsel. The company recorded a significant increase in revenue, posting $1,123,322 for Q1 2024, a substantial rise from $285,779 in Q1 2023. This growth is primarily attributed to the enhanced sales volume from Luxora's wholesale division. Adding to this positive trend, Luxora also reported robust April revenues of approximately $418,000, marking its most successful month in 2024 thus far and highlighting continued and sustained growth momentum. The company is diligently monitoring the legislative developments in the German market, especially with the impending debate on the draft bill "to amend the Cannabis Consumption Act and the Medicinal Cannabis Act," scheduled for Thursday, May 16, 2024. This discussion to further clarify the framework for cannabis clubs in Germany, followed by further deliberation by the leading Health Committee, signifies an important step for the industry. The Company is continuously exploring new opportunities in the European cannabis sector, focusing on medical aspects, technological innovations, and other auxiliary services. About CBD of Denver, Inc. (BERLINER INNOVATION) CBD of Denver, Inc. is focused on acquiring profitable assets at attractive valuations to create value for shareholders. The company's team is dedicated to sourcing high-margin, innovative products that align with its values. The Company is offering a number of innovative consumer products through Libra 9 GmbH, such as the Magic Lappen and the BerlinR13 Anti-Slip solution. Follow Magic Lappen on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok for more information and updates. Follow The Magic Lappen on Instagram: @themagiclappen Shop on our website: https://www.the-magic-lappen.com/ Visit the CBDD/ Berliner Innovation: www.berlinerinnovation.de See our innovative Anti-Slip product: www.berlinr13.de For questions, please contact us at: investors@libra9.de About LUXORA Inc. LUXORA Inc. is a trailblazing entity in the European cannabis industry, with offices spanning the USA and Europe. Our core expertise revolves around unlocking the potential of the legalized cannabis market, offering infrastructure solutions and consulting tailored to the dynamic needs of this rapidly expanding sector. With a profound understanding of the opportunities and challenges brought forth by legalization, our experienced team is dedicated to pioneering the future of the legal cannabis market in Europe. Our offerings range from consulting and market research to product development and distribution solutions, aimed at simplifying the path to legalization for our esteemed clients. For inquiries, please contact Investor Relations: investors@luxora-holding.com For more information, please visit: www.luxora-holding.com Follow Us: Twitter | Instagram. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/208540 SOURCE: CBD of Denver Inc. LONDON, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On 30 April 2024, the Board of Directors of Tetragon declared a dividend of U.S.$ 0.11 (11.00 cents) per share in respect of the first quarter of 2024. The ex-dividend date is 2 May 2024. The record date is 3 May 2024. Payment of the dividend will take place from 28 May 2024. Tetragon's website (www.tetragoninv.com) includes information on Tetragon's Optional Stock Dividend Plan for those shareholders electing to receive dividends in the form of Tetragon shares. Shareholders may elect to receive dividends in the form of Tetragon shares by making a dividend share election up to 15 May 2024. If no election is made, the dividend will be paid in cash from 28 May 2024. Cash dividends may be received in Sterling by those shareholders making a dividend currency election up to 15 May 2024. If no election is made, the dividend will be paid in U.S. dollars from 28 May 2024. The reference price for shares delivered in lieu of cash is U.S. $9.68, resulting in a conversion ratio of one newly issued share for every 88.00 dividend rights held. The reference price is based on the volume-weighted average of the trading prices of a non-voting share on Euronext Amsterdam N.V. for the five-day trading period (treated as a single period) from 2 May to 8 May 2024. For further information on the Optional Stock Dividend Plan, please refer to the brochure on Tetragon's website. About Tetragon: Tetragon is a Guernsey closed-ended investment company. Its non-voting shares are listed on Euronext in Amsterdam, a regulated market of Euronext Amsterdam N.V., and also traded on the Specialist Fund Segment of the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange. Our investment manager is Tetragon Financial Management LP. Find out more at www.tetragoninv.com . Tetragon's non-voting shares are subject to restrictions on ownership by U.S. persons and are not intended for European retail investors. Please see: https://www.tetragoninv.com/shareholders/additional-information. Tetragon Investor Relations: Yuko Thomas ir@tetragoninv.com Press Inquiries: Prosek Partners pro-tetragon@prosek.com U.K. +44 20 3890 9193 U.S. +1 212 279 3115 This release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation (2014/596/EU), or EU MAR, and of the UK version of EU MAR as it forms part of UK law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act (as amended). This release does not contain or constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction. The securities of Tetragon have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to U.S. persons unless they are registered under applicable law or exempt from registration. Tetragon does not intend to register any portion of its securities in the United States or to conduct a public offer of securities in the United States. In addition, Tetragon has not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and investors will not be entitled to the benefits of such Act. Tetragon is registered in the public register of the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (Autoriteit Financiele Markten) under Section 1:107 of the Dutch Financial Markets Supervision Act as an alternative investment fund from a designated state. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/tetragon-financial-group-limited-dividend-information-in-respect-of-q1-2024-302141102.html Jaguar Mining Inc. ("Jaguar" or the "Company") (TSX:JAG)(OTCQX:JAGGF) today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024 ("Q1 2024"). All figures are in US Dollars, unless otherwise expressed. First Quarter Highlights Gold production for the quarter was 16,177 ounces with 15,692 gold ounces sold, at cash operating costs of $1,167 per ounce of gold sold and all-in sustaining costs of $1,608 per ounce of gold sold. Realized gold prices were $2,076 per ounce. Revenue for the quarter $32.6 million, 9% below revenue in the first quarter of 2023 ("Q1 2023") driven by lower production and fewer ounces sold which was partly offset by higher realized gold prices. Net income for the quarter was $2.8 million ($0.04 per share) and $0.4 million ($0.01 per share) higher than net income in Q1 2023. Operating costs for the quarter were $18.3 million compared to operating costs of $20.6 million in Q1 2023. Free cash flow 1 for the first quarter was $3.3 million and in line with Q1 2023, based on operating cash flow plus asset retirement obligation expenditures, less capital. Free cash flow per ounce 1 sold for the quarter $207 and $176 per ounce sold in Q1 2023. Cash position and working capital 1 As of March 31, 2024, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $26.4 million, compared to $22.0 million in cash and cash equivalents as at December 31, 2023. As of March 31, 2024, working capital was $21.4 million, compared to $12.6 million as at December 31, 2023. Vern Baker, President and CEO of Jaguar, stated : "I am very pleased with how our efforts have progressed at advancing Faina in the Turmalina Mine and BA in the Pilar Mine. Despite first-quarter production challenges and a Dengue epidemic, the company continued operating in a cost-conscious manner and increased its cash position while continuing to invest in Faina and BA. The BA orebody made a significant contribution to Q1 production at Pilar, specifically in March, and ongoing development of the BA orebody is expected to contribute to stoping throughout the year. Consolidated production levels in the second quarter will be similar to the first quarter as we work through grade issues that have impacted production at Turmalina since the beginning of April. We are making additional investments in development at Turmalina which we expect will bring its grades back above three grams per tonne. In addition, we have restructured management at the mine to enhance our focus on grade and fully integrate Faina within the production team. In the third quarter, production at Turmalina will return to expected levels, augmented by production at Faina. Overall, we expect to see increased production in the second half of the year with totals expected above 2023 levels." First Quarter 2024 Results Non-GAAP Performance Measures The Company has included the following Non-GAAP performance measures in this document: cash operating costs per ounce of gold sold, all-in sustaining costs per ounce of gold sold, average realized gold price (per ounce of gold sold), sustaining capital expenditures, non-sustaining capital expenditures, adjusted operating cash flow, free cash flow, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), adjusted EBITDA and working capital. These Non-GAAP performance measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and, therefore, may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. The Company believes that, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, certain investors use this information to evaluate the Company's performance. Accordingly, they are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. More specifically, Management believes that these figures are a useful indicator to investors and management of a mine's performance as they provide: (i) a measure of the mine's cash margin per ounce, by comparison of the cash operating costs per ounce to the price of gold; (ii) the trend in costs as the mine matures; and (iii) an internal benchmark of performance to allow for comparison against other mines. The definitions of these performance measures and reconciliation of the Non-GAAP measures to reported IFRS measures are outlined below. Reconciliation of sustaining capital to non-sustaining capital expenditures 1 Reconciliation of Free Cash Flow 1 Reconciliation of Cash Operating Costs, All-In Sustaining Costs and All-In Costs per Ounce Sold 1 Reconciliation of Net Income to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA 1 Working capital 1 Qualified Person Scientific and technical information contained in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Jonathan Victor Hill, BSc (Hons) (Economic Geology - UCT), FAUSIMM, who is Advisor Exploration and Geology to Jaguar Mining Inc. and is a "qualified person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). The Iron Quadrangle The Iron Quadrangle has been an area of mineral exploration dating back to the 16th century. The discovery in 1699-1701 of gold contaminated with iron and platinum-group metals in the southeastern corner of the Iron Quadrangle gave rise to the name of the town Ouro Preto (Black Gold). The Iron Quadrangle contains world-class multi-million-ounce gold deposits such as Morro Velho, Cuiaba, and Sao Bento. Jaguar holds the third largest gold land position in the Iron Quadrangle with over 55,000 hectares. About Jaguar Mining Inc. Jaguar Mining Inc. is a Canadian-listed junior gold mining, development, and exploration company operating in Brazil with three gold mining complexes and a large land package with significant upside exploration potential from mineral claims. The Company's principal operating assets are located in the Iron Quadrangle, a prolific greenstone belt in the state of Minas Gerais and include the Turmalina Gold Mine Complex and Caete Mining Complex (Pilar and Roca Grande Mines, and Caete Plant). The Company also owns the Paciencia Gold Mine Complex, which has been on care and maintenance since 2012. The Roca Grande Mine has been on temporary care and maintenance since April 2019. Additional information is available on the Company's website at www.jaguarmining.com. For further information please contact: Vernon Baker Chief Executive Officer Jaguar Mining Inc. vernon.baker@jaguarmining.com 416-847-1854 Alfred Colas Chief Financial Officer Jaguar Mining Inc. alfred.colas@jaguarmining.com 416-847-1854 Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's expectations and plans relating to the future. All of the forward-looking information made in this news release is qualified by the cautionary statements below and those made in our other filings with the securities regulators in Canada. Forward-looking information contained in forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "are expected," "is forecast," "is targeted," "approximately," "plans," "anticipates," "projects," "anticipates," "continue," "estimate," "believe" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "would," "might," or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, may be considered to be or include forward-looking information. This news release contains forward-looking information regarding, among other things, the anticipated impact of planned changes in mining systems and cost cutting initiatives on the Company's future performance and production results, information related to expected sales, production statistics, ore grades, tonnes milled, recovery rates, cash operating costs, definition/delineation drilling, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production, capital expenditures, costs and timing of the development of projects and new deposits, success of exploration, development and mining activities, currency fluctuations, capital requirements, project studies, mine life extensions, restarting suspended or disrupted operations, continuous improvement initiatives, and resolution of pending litigation. The Company has made numerous assumptions with respect to forward-looking information contained herein, including, among other things, assumptions about the estimated timeline for the development of its mineral properties; the supply and demand for, and the level and volatility of the price of, gold; the accuracy of reserve and resource estimates and the assumptions on which the reserve and resource estimates are based; the receipt of necessary permits; market competition; ongoing relations with employees and impacted communities; political and legal developments in any jurisdiction in which the Company operates being consistent with its current expectations including, without limitation, the impact of any potential power rationing, tailings facility regulation, exploration and mine operating licenses and permits being obtained and renewed and/or there being adverse amendments to mining or other laws in Brazil and any changes to general business and economic conditions. Forward-looking information involves a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including among others: the risk of Jaguar not meeting the forecast plans regarding its operations and financial performance; uncertainties with respect to the price of gold, labour disruptions, mechanical failures, increase in costs, environmental compliance and change in environmental legislation and regulation, weather delays and increased costs or production delays due to natural disasters, power disruptions, procurement and delivery of parts and supplies to the operations; uncertainties inherent to capital markets in general (including the sometimes volatile valuation of securities and an uncertain ability to raise new capital) and other risks inherent to the gold exploration, development and production industry, which, if incorrect, may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company and described herein. In addition, there are risks and hazards associated with the business of gold exploration, development, mining and production, including environmental hazards, tailings dam failures, industrial accidents and workplace safety problems, unusual or unexpected geological formations, pressures, cave-ins, flooding, chemical spills, procurement fraud and gold bullion thefts and losses (and the risk of inadequate insurance, or the inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks). Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the forward-looking information made in this news release, see the Company's most recent Annual Information Form and Management's Discussion and Analysis, as well as other public disclosure documents that can be accessed under the issuer profile of "Jaguar Mining Inc." on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com. The forward-looking information set forth herein reflects the Company's reasonable expectations as at the date of this news release and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. 1 This is a Non-GAAP financial performance measure with no standard definition under IFRS. For more details, refer to the Non-GAAP Performance Measures section of the MD&A SOURCE: Jaguar Mining Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 9, 2024) - Cabral Gold Inc. (TSXV: CBR) (OTC Pink: CBGZF) ("Cabral" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has extended its RC drilling program at the Cuiu Cuiu gold district, located in Para state in northern Brazil. This follows a successful recent round of drilling designed to both upgrade and increase the grade of mineralization within the near-surface blanket and saprolite oxidized material at both the Central and MG gold deposits. Highlights Cabral is planning a focused RC drilling program directed at the following areas: The Machichie Main zone target which is 500m north of the MG gold deposit. Recent drilling within the Machichie Main zone returned excellent results in the oxide material including 30m @ 2.6 g/t gold, suggesting the presence of additional higher grade oxide material. Previous drilling and trenching at Machichie identified an E-W trending mineralized zone extending over 900m which remains open The Machichie NE target where limited drilling returned positive results including 8m @ 3.3 g/t and 9m @ 2 g/t gold. Machichie NE is located just 200m north-east of the Machichie target and 650m north of the MG gold deposit The Machichie West target where trenching identified a sheeted vein system that has never been drill tested. Surface trenching from Machichie West included intervals of 96.5m @ 0.6 g/t, and 138m @ 0.5 g/t gold within an area of 300 x 500m The Pau da Merenda target which hosts inferred resources in the oxide material but is open along strike and at depth. Previous drill results include 47.1m @ 1.8 g/t gold, 8.5m @ 5.1 g/t gold, 40m @ 2.2 g/t gold, 46m @ 1.2 g/t gold, and 13m @ 4.6 g/t gold. The Baixao da Onca and Mutum targets which are both previously untested. Surface trenching at both locations returned excellent gold grades within oxidized saprolite material including 32m at 1.0 g/t gold at Mutum and 14.7m @ 2.6 g/t gold at Baixao da Onca Alan Carter, Cabral's President and CEO commented, "The completion of the recent oversubscribed equity financing, and the success of the recent RC drill program at MG and Central, which targeted areas of higher-grade gold mineralization within blanket sediments and the underlying saprolite, has prompted us to extend and expand the RC drilling program at Cuiu Cuiu. This is an exciting time for the Company. Whilst our focus for the next few months remains on the completion of the PFS on the trial mining and heap leach processing of the near surface oxide material at Cuiu Cuiu, it is clear that significant upside to the current oxide resources exists at a number of other targets within the Cuiu Cuiu district. The extension of the current drill program will also test several previously untested targets within the district and provide a steady flow of drill results in the coming months." Brian Arkell, Cabral's recently appointed VP Exploration and Technical Services said, "I'm very impressed with the sheer number of high-quality exploration targets on the Cuiu Cuiu property. We have a very solid pipeline of prospects for early-stage exploration as well as several drill-ready targets to potentially add resources. This round of drilling is aimed at adding resources at targets nearby the Central and MG deposits. Afterwards, we plan to continue scout drilling and infill drilling at several other targets this year using our low-cost RC drill. At the same time, we will be conducting more detailed geophysics, further sampling programs, and a comprehensive structural study as part of our district and regional exploration plans to produce the next generation of drill targets." Cuiu Cuiu RC drill program On August 15, 2023 Cabral announced the commencement of an RC drill program with the objectives of better defining and expanding the higher-grade shallower portion of the oxide resources within the saprolite and blanket material, to improve confidence in the current oxide gold resources near surface, and to aid in mine planning and sequencing as part of the ongoing PFS on trial-mining of the oxide resources at the MG and Central gold deposits. Since initiating the 2023 drill program using the Cabral-owned RC rig, a total of 78 RC holes have been completed at the Central and MG gold deposits, and the Machichie target. Results include 27m @ 1.9 g/t gold at MG (see press release dated October 12, 2023), 16m @ 5.2 g/t gold at Central (see press release dated November 2, 2023) and 30m @ 2.6 g/t gold at Machichie (see press releases dated February 6, 2024). The results from this drill program are currently being used to revise and upgrade resource models that will be utilized in mine planning process that is ongoing and part of the PFS. In view of the encouraging drill results from the Machichie target in particular where there is currently no resource due to insufficient density of previous drilling, management has elected to extend and expand the drill program at the Machichie target, as well as drill a number of additional holes at the Machichie NE, Pau da Merenda and Jerimum Baixo targets. The previously untested Machichie West, Baixao da Onca and Mutum targets will also be tested (Figure 1). Figure 1 - Cuiu Cuiu location map showing location of main deposits at targets To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3900/208536_b4cdeb77744249e4_002full.jpg The Machichie main zone target is located just 500m north of the MG gold deposit (Figure 1). Previous drilling and trenching at the Machichie Main zone identified an E-W trending mineralized zone extending over 900m, which is parallel to the MG gold deposit. Previous drilling and trenching returned significant gold values including 34m @ 5.4 g/t, 6.4m @ 11.6 g/t, 45m @ 1.0 g/t and 62.8m @ 0.9 g/t in drilling and 5m @ 8.3 g/t and 9.5m @ 5.3 g/t gold in trenching. Recent drilling suggests the presence of distinct higher-grade gold mineralized zones within the saprolite (e.g. 30m @ 2.6 g/t gold) which extend into the underlying primary bedrock. Additional holes are planned to further define these zones. Drilling is also planned at the Machichie NE target located 200m NE of the Machichie Main zone. Limited previous drilling at this target returned positive results including 8m @ 3.3 g/t in fresh basement rocks and 9m @ 2 g/t gold within blanket sediments. The mineralization is open to the east and at depth. Previous drilling suggests up to 60m of weathered saprolite at Machichie NE, with mineralization extending into the primary bedrock. Drilling is also planned at the Machichie West target which appears to be a sheeted vein system that has never been previously drill tested. Previous surface trenching from the area returned intervals of 96.5m @ 0.6 g/t and 138m @ 0.5 g/t gold within an area of 300 x 500m. Cabral plans to also conduct further drilling at Pau da Merenda ("PDM"), a broad area of mineralization located along strike 1km NW of the Central deposit. PDM hosts an inferred resource within saprolite with drill highlights include 47.1m @ 1.8 g/t gold and 8.5m @ 5.1 g/t gold, 40m @ 2.2 g/t gold, 46m @ 1.2 g/t gold, and 13m @ 4.6 g/t gold. PDM remains open along strike and at depth. The Company also plans to drill the previously untested Mutum and Baixao da Onca targets where surface trenching returned excellent gold grades within oxidized saprolite material. The Mutum target has similarly never been drill tested and is located 600m SE of the PDM discovery. Historic surface trenches at Mutum returned values including 32m @ 1g/t gold, 25.5m @ 0.9 g/t gold and 16.5m @ 0.9 g/t gold within a zone of weathered stockwork quartz vein mineralization. The Baixao da Onca target is located 1.5km east of the MG gold deposit within the main TZ lineament as defined by airborne magnetic data. Surface trenching of a weathered vein system at Baixao da Onca returned 14.7m @ 2.6 g/t gold. The target has never been drill-tested. The RC drilling program is currently in progress and is expected to continue for several months. An update on the PFS being conducted by Ausenco Brazil, which is aimed at determining the economic viability of the near-surface gold-in-oxide material at Cuiu Cuiu, will be provided in the coming weeks. About Cabral Gold Inc. The Company is a junior resource company engaged in the identification, exploration and development of mineral properties, with a primary focus on gold properties located in Brazil. The Company has a 100% interest in the Cuiu Cuiu gold district located in the Tapajos Region, within the state of Para in northern Brazil. Two main gold deposits have so far been defined at the Cuiu Cuiu project which contains National Instrument 43-101 compliant Indicated resources of 21.6Mt @ 0.87 g/t gold (604,000 oz) and Inferred resources of 19.8Mt @ 0.84 g/t gold (534,500 oz) as per the 43-101 technical report dated October 12, 2022. The Tapajos Gold Province is the site of the largest gold rush in Brazil's history which according to the ANM (Agencia Nacional de Mineracao or National Mining Agency of Brazil) produced an estimated 30 to 50 million ounces of placer gold between 1978 and 1995. Cuiu Cuiu was the largest area of placer workings in the Tapajos and produced an estimated 2Moz of placer gold historically. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: "Alan Carter" President and Chief Executive Officer Cabral Gold Inc. Tel: 604.676.5660 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as such term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Technical information included in this release was supervised and approved by Brian Arkell, B.S. Geology and M.S. Economic Geology, SME (Registered Member), AusIMM (Fellow) and SEG (Fellow), Cabral Gold's Vice President, Exploration and Technical Services, and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively "forward-looking statements"). These forward looking statements include plans for drilling, the expansion of the resource estimate, upgrading existing resources from Inferred to Indicated categories. The use of the words "will", "expected", "designed to" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. The Company believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. Notes Gold analysis has been conducted by SGS method FAA505 (fire assay of 50g charge), with higher grade samples checked by FAA525. Analytical quality is monitored by certified references and blanks. Until dispatch, samples are stored under the supervision the Company's exploration office. The samples are couriered to the assay laboratory using a commercial contractor. Pulps are returned to the Company and archived. Drill holes results are quoted as down-hole length weighted intersections. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/208536 SOURCE: Cabral Gold Inc. SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. (NYSE:STEW) (the "Fund") announced the declaration of a quarterly distribution of $0.1375 per share to occur in July 2024. This distribution is being paid as part of the Fund's managed distribution program under which the Fund intends to make per share distributions of $0.1375 per quarter or $0.55 per year. As of market close on May 6, 2024, the distribution (on an annualized basis) amounts to approximately 3.83% of the Fund's market price and 2.98% of its net asset value ("NAV"). Due to the current discount of the Fund's market price to its per share NAV and the fact that distributions are made in cash (i.e., at NAV), if Fund shares continue to trade at a discount at the time of this distribution, then it will be accretive to the Fund's market-price-based return. The July 2024 quarterly distribution will be payable in cash to stockholders of record per the following critical dates: Pay Date Record Date Ex-Dividend Date Amount Per Share July 31, 2024 July 24, 2024 July 24, 2024 $0.1375 As previously announced, the Board of Directors instituted a managed distribution program in accordance with its Section 19(b) exemptive order in November 2015. In adopting the program, the Fund seeks to provide a regular quarterly distribution to its common stockholders which is not dependent on the amount of income earned or capital gains realized by the Fund. Investors should not make any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of the Fund's distributions or the Fund's distribution policy. With each distribution that does not consist solely of net investment income, the Fund will issue a notice to shareholders and an accompanying press release that will provide detailed information regarding the amount and composition of the distribution and other related information. The amounts and sources of distributions reported in the notice to shareholders are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during its full fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send shareholders a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell them how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. The Fund SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. is a non-diversified closed-end investment company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "STEW". As of May 6, 2024, the Fund's NAV was $18.46 per share and the closing market price was $14.37 (a -22.16% discount to NAV). For more information on the Fund, please visit the Fund's webpage at www.srhtotalreturnfund.com. The Fund is a closed-end fund and does not continuously issue stock for sale as open-end mutual funds do. The Fund now trades in the secondary market. Investors wishing to buy or sell stock need to place orders through an intermediary or broker. The share price of a closed-end fund is based on the market value. Paralel Advisors LLC Paralel Advisors LLC serves as the investment advisor to the SRH Total Return Fund. Together with our parent company, Paralel Technologies LLC, we develop technology-based solutions to better serve investors. Rocky Mountain Advisers, LLC RMA is an investment adviser registered with the SEC based out of Kansas. More information about RMA is available at www.srhtotalreturnfund.com as well as www.investrma.com. NOT FDIC INSURED | May Lose Value | No Bank Guarantee Contact info: Website: https://srhtotalreturnfund.com/ Email: stewclientinquiries@paralel.com SOURCE: SRH Total Return Fund, Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com NEW YORK and LONDON, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Avenue Capital Group today announced the successful final closing of the Avenue Europe Special Situations Fund V (the "Avenue Europe Fund"). Together with separately managed accounts, over $1 billion of commitments have been raised for the Avenue Europe Fund from a broad range of existing and new investors, including public and corporate pension plans, sovereign wealth funds, asset managers and family offices. The Avenue Europe strategy is focused on providing senior secured, asset-backed loans to structurally underserved borrowers across Northern Europe. As traditional lenders have reduced their lending in certain areas of the market, there is an attractive opportunity for alternative lenders with established capabilities. The Avenue Europe team leverages Avenue's origination platforms and long-standing presence in Europe to generate a large volume of recurring lending opportunities in these market niches which are generally less competitive and have high barriers to entry. Avenue is an established investor in Europe. The firm launched its dedicated presence in the region in 2004 and has since deployed more than $26 billion in European special situations and credit investments. Today, its Europe team of investment professionals operates from a London headquarters and offices throughout the region, overseeing close to $4 billion in investments across a range of investment vehicles focused on Europe. "We are gratified to have received such strong support for the Avenue Europe Fund from our existing and new investment partners," said Marc Lasry, CEO and Co-Founder of Avenue Capital Group. Jon Ford, Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Avenue's Europe Strategy, added, "We are confident in our ability to deliver attractive and differentiated returns. Our pipeline of lending opportunities continues to significantly exceed our available capital." "The support from our investors will allow us to continue to target a compelling opportunity in European asset-backed lending," said Padraig Moore, Senior Portfolio Manager. "We look forward to growing the Avenue Europe business as we see an incredible number of opportunities in our area of expertise in the market." The Avenue Europe Fund has drawn over 50% of committed capital and is expected to be fully committed within the next 12 months. About Avenue Capital Group Avenue Capital Group is a global investment firm focused primarily on making opportunistic credit and other special situations investments across the United States, Europe and Asia. Avenue, founded in 1995 by Marc Lasry and Sonia Gardner, draws on the skills and experience of over 60 investment professionals, and more than 180 employees worldwide operating from its headquarters in New York and three offices across Europe, four offices throughout Asia, an office in Silicon Valley and an office in Abu Dhabi. Avenue has assets under management of approximately $12.2 billion. Media Contact: Todd Fogarty, Kekst CNC. todd.fogarty@kekstcnc.com or +1 917 992 1170 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/avenue-capital-group-closes-on-over-1-billion-in-commitments-for-european-strategy-targeting-asset-backed-lending-opportunities-302141117.html HANGZHOU, China, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The flagship model of the NK family of CFMOTO has been honored the "Red Dot Award: Product Design 2024" for its Cut The Edge design. It's the first time for a Chinese brand to win with a big displacement ICE motorcycle. CFMOTO is proud to announce that the 800NK has won the "Red Dot Award: Product Design 2024" in the category of Motorcycle Design. The "Red Dot Award" is one of the most famous design awards that, since 1955, evaluates thousands of products from all around the world. To receive the award in the year of its 35th Anniversary makes the Hangzhou-based Company even more proud of this result. CFMOTO is the first ever Chinese Brand to win the "Red Dot Award: Product Design" with a big displacement ICE motorcycle. The 800NK is a global product that, through its iconic shapes, has conquered the heart of many enthusiasts around the world, as well as the attention of the Red Dot jury. The flagship model of the NK family has marked a milestone for CFMOTO: the introduction of a design philosophy that is now setting the pace for all the new motorcycles joining the line-up. Strong of its 799 cc inline twin-cylinder engine, the 800NK is a naked bike with a distinctive "Cut The Edge" design, high-tech features and top-class performance. This award is an international recognition for the CFMOTO Design Team and the R&D Department: a prove of dedication by our designers and technicians focused on innovation and on delivering the best products to customers. The vision of CFMOTO design has been defined through the 2-wheels Design Director: Carles Solsona, based in the CFMOTO European R&D Center, in Italy. "To win the prestigious Red Dot Award is a great result for the whole team" has said Carles Solsona. "The 800NK is one of the CFMOTO products that better embodies the core values of our Brand: design, technology, performance. This achievement is a great way to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of our Company, as well recognizes our commitment and development of our own design philosophy destined to a global market." Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2408606/11.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/800nk-is-the-first-ever-cfmoto-to-win-the-red-dot-award-product-design-302141131.html Q1 Marks Third Consecutive Billion Dollar Gross Sales1 Quarter TORONTO, and GATINEAU, QC, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Converge Technology Solutions Corp. ("Converge" or "the Company") (TSX:CTS) (FSE:0ZB) (OTCQX:CTSDF) is pleased to provide its financial results for the three month period ended March 31, 2024. All figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated. First Quarter 2024 Highlights (year-over-year, unless otherwise noted): Gross sales 1 of $1.01 billion, an increase of $40.7 million or 4.2%; of $1.01 billion, an increase of $40.7 million or 4.2%; Gross sales organic growth 1 of 4.2% and gross profit organic growth 1 of 2.1%; of 4.2% and gross profit organic growth of 2.1%; Revenue of $628.8 million, a decrease of $49.4 million; Gross profit increased 2.1% to $175.3 million, representing a gross margin of 27.9%; Adjusted EBITDA 1 increased 2.9% to $42.2 million; increased 2.9% to $42.2 million; Net loss of $3.5 million, an increase in loss of $0.1 million; Cash from operating activities was $110.9 million, an increase of $82.2 million, compared to $28.8 million for the comparative period in the prior year; and Reduced net debt1 by $190 million year-over-year and by $79 million compared to Q4 FY23 to $130.8 million, compared to $321.2 million as at Q1 FY23 and $209.8 million as at Q4 FY23. "With our 3rd consecutive quarter of Billion-dollar sales and strong cash generation, we continue to demonstrate our position as a leading IT Service Provider," said Shaun Maine, Group CEO. "Our Advise, Implement and Manage go-to-market strategy continues to drive our cross-sell efforts towards higher margin solutions and offerings across our key practice areas, demonstrated by our strong software sales during the quarter. In addition, the tailwinds of AI infrastructure spending, high-performance compute and cyber solutions are helping to offset generalized device weakness which is expected to turn as we enter a new refresh cycle towards the later part of this year." Financial Summary for the Three Months Ended March 31, In $000s except per share amount 2024 $ 2023 $ Gross Sales 1,005,989 965,258 Revenue 628,766 678,198 Gross profit (GP) 175,272 171,588 Gross profit (GP) % 27.9 % 25.3 % Adjusted EBITDA 42,209 41,004 Adjusted EBITDA as a % of GP 24.1 % 23.9 % Net loss (3,540) (3,361) Adjusted net income[1] 22,707 24,441 Adjusted Earnings per Share[1] 0.11 0.12 1 This is a Non-IFRS measure (including non-IFRS ratio) and not a recognized, defined or a standardized measure under IFRS. See the "Non-IFRS Financial Measures" section of this press release for definitions, uses and a reconciliation of historical non-IFRS financial measures to the most directly comparable IFRS financial measures. Subsequent to Quarter-End On May 8, 2024, the Board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.015 per common share to be paid on June 6, 2024 to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 23, 2024. Financial Outlook Converge is providing financial guidance for the three months ended June 30, 2024 as follows: Q2 2023 Actual Q2 2024 Expected Gross profit $171.6 million $175 million - $182 million Adjusted EBITDA $41.2 million $43 million - $46 million Conference Call Details: Date: Thursday, May 9th, 2024 Time: 8:00 AM Eastern Standard Time Participant Webcast Link: Webcast Link - https://app.webinar.net/1A08yeayG6V Participant Dial-in Details with Operator Assistance: Conference ID: 01139 Toronto: 1-289-819-1350 North American Toll Free: 1-800-836-8184 International Toll-Free Numbers: Germany: 498005889782 Ireland: 35315251826 Spain: 34917918582 Switzerland: 41432107274 United Kingdom: 448002797040 You may register and enter your phone number to receive an instant automated call back via https://emportal.ink/3U6LCs8 Recording Playback: Webcast Link - https://app.webinar.net/1A08yeayG6V Toronto: 1-289-819-1450 North American Toll Free: 1-888-660-6345 Replay Code: 01139 # Expiry Date: May 16, 2024 Please connect at least 15 minutes prior to the conference call to ensure time for any software download that may be required to access the webcast. A live audio webcast accompanied by presentation slides and archive of the conference call and webcast will be available by visiting the Company's website at https://convergetp.com/investor-relations/ . About Converge Converge Technology Solutions Corp. is a services-led, software-enabled, IT & Cloud Solutions provider focused on delivering industry-leading solutions. Converge's global approach delivers advanced analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), application modernization, cloud platforms, cybersecurity, digital infrastructure, and digital workplace offerings to clients across various industries. The Company supports these solutions with advisory, implementation, and managed services expertise across all major IT vendors in the marketplace. This multi-faceted approach enables Converge to address the unique business and technology requirements for all clients in the public and private sectors. For more information, visit convergetp.com. Summary of Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Financial Position (expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars) March 31, 2024 $ December 31, 2023 $ Assets Current Cash 158,056 169,872 Restricted cash 559 547 Trade and other receivables 820,584 814,231 Inventories 86,051 73,166 Prepaid expenses and other assets 26,608 26,528 1,091,858 1,084,344 Non-current Other assets 51,235 53,579 Property, equipment and right-of-use assets, net 76,840 75,488 Intangible assets, net 361,510 375,181 Goodwill 572,725 564,770 Total assets 2,154,168 2,153,362 Liabilities Current Trade and other payables 1,015,537 913,994 Other financial liabilities 64,036 54,095 Deferred revenue 61,061 59,325 Borrowings 16,304 1,664 Income taxes payable 16,282 9,286 1,173,220 1,038,364 Non-current Other financial liabilities 57,789 57,668 Borrowings 272,518 378,007 Deferred tax liabilities 64,103 67,168 Total liabilities 1,567,630 1,541,207 Shareholders' equity Common shares 575,507 599,434 Contributed surplus 11,742 10,970 Accumulated other comprehensive income 12,102 3,963 Deficit (37,140) (28,167) Total equity attributable to shareholders of Converge 562,211 586,200 Non-controlling interest ("NCI") 24,327 25,955 586,538 612,155 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity 2,154,168 2,153,362 Summary of Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income (expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars) For the three months ended March 31, 2024$ 2023 $ Revenue Product 486,110 536,689 Service 142,656 141,509 Total revenue 628,766 678,198 Cost of sales 453,494 506,610 Gross profit 175,272 171,588 Selling, general and administrative expenses 135,893 132,033 Income before the following 39,379 39,555 Depreciation and amortization 24,213 25,890 Finance expense 8,427 9,350 Acquisition, integration, restructuring and other 3,588 4,284 Change in fair value of contingent consideration 2,144 - Share-based compensation 772 848 Other expense, net 207 2,469 Income (loss) before income taxes 28 (3,286) Income tax expense 3,568 75 Net loss (3,540) (3,361) Net loss attributable to: Shareholders of Converge (1,912) (1,957) Non-controlling interest (1,628) (1,404) (3,540) (3,361) Other comprehensive income (loss) Item that may be reclassified subsequently to income (loss): Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations 8,139 2,173 4,599 (1,188) Comprehensive income (loss) Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to: Shareholders of Converge 6,227 216 Non-controlling interest (1,628) (1,404) 4,599 (1,188) Net loss per share - basic and diluted (0.01) (0.01) Weighted average number of shares outstanding - basic and diluted 203,681,626 208,971,019 Summary of Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Cash Flows (expressed in thousands of Canadian dollars) For the three months ended March 31, 2024 $ 2023 $ Cash flows from operating activities Net loss (3,540) (3,361) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash from operating activities Depreciation and amortization 27,044 27,549 Unrealized foreign exchange loss - 2,463 Share-based compensation expense 772 848 Finance expense 8,427 9,350 Loss on sale of property and equipment 61 - Change in fair value of contingent consideration 2,144 - Income tax expense 3,568 75 38,476 36,924 Changes in non-cash working capital items 73,122 (1,236) 111,598 35,688 Income taxes paid (663) (6,925) Cash from operating activities 110,935 28,763 Cash flows used in investing activities Purchase of property, equipment and intangible assets (1,858) (5,106) Proceeds on disposal of property and equipment - 68 Payment of contingent consideration (3,164) (8,960) Payment of deferred consideration (7,865) (25,654) Payment of NCI liability - (29,994) Cash used in investing activities (12,887) (69,646) Cash flows (used in) from financing activities Transfers (to) from restricted cash (3) 216 Interest paid (6,773) (7,877) Dividends paid (2,034) - Payments of lease liabilities (5,088) (5,135) Repurchase of common shares (2,296) - Repayment of notes payable (39) (40) Net (repayment of) proceeds from borrowings (96,271) 34,199 Cash (used in) from financing activities (112,504) 21,363 Net change in cash during the period (14,456) (19,520) Effect of foreign exchange on cash 2,640 (1,342) Cash, beginning of period 169,872 159,890 Cash, end of period 158,056 139,028 Non-IFRS Financial Measures This press release refers to certain performance indicators including Adjusted EBITDA, gross profit, gross sales, gross sales organic growth, net debt, adjusted net income ("Adjusted Net Income") and adjusted earnings per share ("Adjusted EPS") that do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Management believes that these measures are useful to most shareholders, creditors, and other stakeholders in analyzing the Company's operating results and can highlight trends in its core business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on IFRS financial measures. The Company also believes that securities analysts, investors and other interested parties frequently use non-IFRS measures in the evaluation of issuers. Management also uses non-IFRS measures in order to facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period, prepare annual operating budgets and assess the ability to meet capital expenditure and working capital requirements. These non-IFRS financial measures should not be considered as an alternative to the consolidated income (loss) or any other measure of performance under IFRS. Investors are encouraged to review the Company's financial statements and disclosures in their entirety, are cautioned not to put undue reliance on non-IFRS measures and view them in conjunction with the most comparable IFRS financial measures. Please see "Non-IFRS Financial & Supplementary Financial Measures" and "Summary of Consolidated Financial Results" in the Company's most recent Management's Discussion and Analysis, which is available on the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca, for further details on certain non-IFRS measures, which information is incorporated by reference herein. Adjusted EBITDA Adjusted EBITDA represents net income or loss adjusted to exclude amortization, depreciation, interest expense and net finance expense, foreign exchange gains and losses, other expenses and income, share-based compensation expense, income tax expense, change in fair value of contingent consideration, and acquisition, integration, restructuring and other expenses. Acquisition and transaction related costs primarily consists of acquisition-related compensation tied to continued employment of pre-existing shareholders of the acquiree not included in the total purchase consideration and professional fees. Integration costs primarily consist of professional fees incurred related to integration of acquisitions completed. Restructuring costs mainly represent employee exit costs as a result of synergies created from acquisitions and organizational changes. Adjusted EBITDA is not a recognized, defined, or standardized measure under IFRS. The Company's definition of Adjusted EBITDA will likely differ from that used by other companies and therefore comparability may be limited. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered a substitute for or in isolation from measures prepared in accordance with IFRS. The IFRS measure most directly comparable to Adjusted EBITDA presented in the Company's financial statements is net (loss) income before taxes. The Company has reconciled Adjusted EBITDA to the most comparable IFRS financial measure as follows: For the three months ended March 31, 2024 $ 2023 $ Net income (loss) before taxes 28 (3,286) Depreciation and amortization 24,213 25,890 Depreciation included in cost of sales 2,830 1,455 Finance expense 8,427 9,350 Acquisition, integration, restructuring and other 3,588 4,284 Change in fair value of contingent consideration 2,144 - Share-based compensation expense 772 848 Other expense, net 207 2,463 Adjusted EBITDA 42,209 41,004 Adjusted EBITDA as a % of Gross Profit1 The Company believes that Adjusted EBITDA as a % of gross profit is a useful measure of the Company's operating efficiency and profitability. This is calculated by dividing Adjusted EBITDA by gross profit. Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS Adjusted Net Income represents net income (loss) adjusted to exclude acquisition, integration, restructuring and other expenses, change in fair value of contingent consideration, amortization of acquired intangible assets, unrealized foreign exchange gain/loss, and share-based compensation. The Company believes that Adjusted Net Income is a more useful measure than net income as it excludes the impact of one-time, non-cash and/or non-recurring items that are not reflective of Converge's underlying business performance. Adjusted EPS is calculated by dividing Adjusted Net Income by the total weighted average shares outstanding on a basic and diluted basis. The IFRS measure most directly comparable to Adjusted Net Income presented in the Company's financial statements is net income (loss) and net income (loss) per share. The Company has provided a reconciliation to the most comparable IFRS financial measure as follows: For the three months ended March 31, 2024 $ 2023 $ Net (loss) (3,540) (3,361) Acquisition, integration, restructuring and other 3,588 4,284 Change in fair value of contingent consideration 2,144 - Amortization on intangible assets 19,586 20,207 Foreign exchange loss 157 2,463 Share-based compensation 772 848 Adjusted Net Income 22,707 24,441 Adjusted EPS (Basic) 0.11 0.12 Leverage Ratio The Company defines leverage ratio as net debt (current and non-current borrowings less cash) divided by trailing twelve months Adjusted EBITDA. Gross sales and gross sales organic growth Gross sales, which is a non-IFRS measure, reflects the gross amount billed to customers, adjusted for amounts deferred or accrued. The Company believes gross sales is a useful alternative financial metric to net revenue, the IFRS measure, as it better reflects volume fluctuations as compared to net revenue. Under the applicable IFRS 15 'principal vs agent' guidance, the principal records revenue on a gross basis and the agent records commission on a net basis. In transactions where Converge is acting as an agent between the customer and the vendor, net revenue is calculated by reducing gross sales by the cost of sale amount. The Company has provided a reconciliation of gross sales to revenue, which is the most comparable IFRS financial measure, as follows: For the three months ended March 31, 2024 $ 2023 $ Product 701,451 665,310 Managed services and professional services 122,253 119,467 Maintenance, support and cloud solutions 182,285 180,481 Gross sales 1,005,989 965,258 Less: adjustment for sales transacted as agent 377,223 287,060 Revenue 628,766 678,198 Organic Growth The Company measures organic growth at the gross sales and gross profit levels, and includes the contributions under Converge ownership in the current and comparative period(s). In calculating organic growth, the Company therefore deducts gross sales and gross profit generated from all corresponding prior comparable pre-acquisition period(s) from the current reporting period(s) included in the consolidated results. Gross sales organic growth is calculated by deducting prior period gross sales, from current period gross sales for the same portfolio of companies. Gross sales organic growth percentage is calculated by dividing organic growth by prior period reported gross sales. For the three months ended March 31, 2024 $ 2023 $ Gross sales 1,005,989 965,258 Less: gross sales from companies not owned in comparative period - 245,630 Gross sales of companies owned in comparative period 1,005,989 719,628 Prior period gross sales 965,258 673,929 Organic Growth - $ 40,731 45,699 Organic Growth - % 4.2 % 6.8 % Gross profit organic growth is calculated by deducting prior period gross profit, from current period gross profit for the same portfolio of companies. Gross profit organic growth percentage is calculated by dividing organic growth by prior period reported gross profit. For the three months ended March 31, 2024 $ 2023 $ Gross profit 175,272 171,588 Less: gross profit from companies not owned in comparative period - 44,597 Gross profit of companies owned in comparative period 175,272 126,991 Prior period gross profit 171,588 109,045 Organic Growth - $ 3,684 17,946 Organic Growth - % 2.1 % 16.5 % Forward-Looking Information This press release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation regarding Converge and its business. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to 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 statements. Specifically, statements regarding Converge's forecast on gross profit and Adjusted EBITDA, expectations of future results, performance, prospects, the markets in which it operates, or about any future intention with regard to its business and acquisition strategies are considered forward-looking information. The foregoing demonstrates Converge's objectives, which are not forecasts or estimates of its financial position, but are based on the implementation of its strategic goals, growth prospects, and growth initiatives. The forward-looking information, including management's assessments of, and outlook for, gross profit and Adjusted EBITDA, are based on management's opinions, estimates and assumptions, including, but not limited to: (i) Converge's results of operations will continue as expected, (ii) the Company will continue to effectively execute against its key strategic growth priorities, (iii) the Company will continue to retain and grow its existing customer base and market share, (iv) the Company will be able to take advantage of future prospects and opportunities, and realize on synergies, including with respect of acquisitions, (v) there will be no changes in legislative or regulatory matters that negatively impact the Company's business, (vi) current tax laws will remain in effect and will not be materially changed, (vii) economic conditions will remain relatively stable throughout the period, (vii) the industries Converge operates in will continue to grow consistent with past experience, and (ix) those assumptions described under the heading "About Forward-Looking Information" in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2024. While these opinions, estimates and assumptions are considered by the Company to be appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances as of the date of this press release, they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. The forward looking information, including the achievement of target gross profit and Adjusted EBITDA set out above, are subject to significant risks including, without limitation: that the Company will be unable to effectively execute against its key strategic growth priorities, including in respect of acquisitions; the Company will be unable to continue to retain and grow its existing customer base and market share; risks related to the Company's business and financial position; that the Company may not be able to accurately predict its rate of growth and profitability; risks related to economic and political uncertainty; income tax related risks; and those risk factors discussed in greater detail under the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's most recent annual information form and under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's most recent Management's Discussion and Analysis, which are each available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Many of these risks are beyond the Company's control. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if the opinions, estimates or assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results or future events might vary materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other risk factors not presently known to the Company or that the Company presently believes are not material that could also cause actual results or future events to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking information. Although the Company bases these forward-looking statements on assumptions that it believes are reasonable when made, the Company cautions investors that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that its actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity and the development of the industry in which it operates may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. In addition, even if the Company's results of operations, financial condition and liquidity and the development of the industry in which it operates are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, those results of developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future results. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information, which speaks only as of the date made. The forward-looking information contained in this press release represents the company's expectations as of the date specified herein, and are subject to change after such date. However, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking information or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any of those statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities laws. Comparisons of results for current and any prior periods are not intended to express any future trends or indications of future performance, unless specifically expressed as such, and should only be viewed as historical data. All of the forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements. Converge Technology Solutions Corp.: Email: investors@convergetp.com; Phone: 416-360-1495 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/converge-reports-first-quarter-2024-results-302141025.html New Orleans-area students gain education funding for tech-related study Entergy's information technology department announces its second cohort of scholarship recipients of the Entergy Technology Scholarship for the 2024-25 academic year. Renee Anderson, Roderick Burke and Roi Dupart, all of the New Orleans metro area, will receive a $4,000 scholarship toward their college degrees. Entergy's IT department created the scholarship program in 2022 to support New Orleans-area current college students obtaining degrees in technology-related fields, such as computer science, cybersecurity, information technology, computer engineering and more. Entergy distributed its first three scholarships to students for the 2023-24 school year. Dupart, a graduate of Jefferson Virtual High School, is majoring in computer science at Loyola University New Orleans. Anderson graduated from Edna Karr High School and will study computer science at Loyola University New Orleans. And Burke, an Abramson Sci Academy graduate, is studying mechanical engineering at Southern University and A&M College. "I'm excited to witness the many opportunities that will open for my personal and academic growth in the future by being a 2024 Entergy scholarship recipient," Anderson said. "[Being selected] represents the hard work and dedication I put in as a recipient to be chosen for such a valued scholarship." "We're helping students in one of our key communities we serve power their academic dreams," said Michael Rhymes, Entergy vice president and chief information officer. "Our scholarship program is helping build a local technology workforce, but more importantly, changing lives." Registration will open early this fall for students to apply for the 2025-26 school year scholarship. To receive the scholarship, students must be graduates of a high school located in greater New Orleans (Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany or Tangipahoa parishes). They must also plan to attend one of the following universities in the upcoming school year: Dillard University Grambling State University Loyola University New Orleans Southern University and A&M College Visit the Entergy Technology Scholarship Program to learn more about the scholarship or apply in the future. The Entergy Technology Scholarship Program is managed by Scholarship America, a leading scholarship facilitator and partner. Entergy did not participate in the selection process. The scholarship program supports the mission of the corporate social responsibility organization of Entergy to create sustainable value for our customers, employees, communities and owners. Aligning with our business objectives, the scholarship serves as a fundamental element in developing a pipeline of future talent in our workforce to expand economic development in the region and meet our customers' needs. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Entergy Corporation on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Entergy Corporation Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/entergy-corporation Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Entergy Corporation View the original press release on accesswire.com Erinnern Sie sich, als Moderna und BioNTech von unbekannten Unternehmen zu globalen Marktfuhrern wurden und fruhzeitige Investoren reich belohnt haben? Die Branche steht vor einem erneuten Innovationsschub von bahnbrechenden Medikamenten bis hin zu revolutionaren Therapien. Warum sollten Sie dabei sein? Sie sollten jetzt in Biotech-Aktien einsteigen, weil wir am Beginn einer neuen Ara der medizinischen Innovation stehen konnten! Gen- und Zelltherapien, personalisierte Medizin und bahnbrechende Technologien konnten das Gesundheitswesen revolutionieren und die Aktienkurse in die Hohe schieen lassen. Die nachste Erfolgsgeschichte im Biotechbereich warten nur darauf, entdeckt zu werden. Wer jetzt investiert, hat die Chance, von gigantischen Durchbruchen und enormen Renditen zu profitieren. Warten Sie nicht, bis es zu spat ist - der nachste Biotech-Superstar konnte morgen schon durchstarten! Verpassen Sie nicht diese Chance! Fordern Sie sofort unseren brandneuen Biotech-Spezialreport an und erfahren Sie, welche 3 Biotech-Aktien das riesige Potenzial haben, Ihren finanziellen Erfolg zu sichern. Dieser Report ist komplett kostenlos und zeigt Ihnen zukunftstrachtige Investments im Biotech-Sektor. Handeln Sie jetzt und sichern Sie sich Ihren kostenfreien Report! COQUITLAM, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Grid Battery Metals Inc. (the "Company" or "Grid") (TSXV:CELL)(OTCQB:EVKRF)(FRA:NMK2) is pleased to report that Fundamental Research Corp. ("Fundamental" or "FRC") has initiated coverage of the Company. The Initiating Coverage Report can be viewed at Fundamental's website and various third-party websites. Fundamental is one of the largest independent equity research firms in the world, specializing in small-cap companies and having covered over 650 companies in its 19 years of operation. Fundamental provides fee-based coverage to companies and Grid expresses no opinion on the fully independent forecasts, conclusions, and recommendations of Fundamental. Grid contracted Fundamental to provide its third-party independent research report services for CAD$25,000 + GST. The Fundamental Research Corp.'s Initiation Research Report includes a third-party independent review of Grid Battery Metals, an Enterprise Valuation Analysis and a Share Price Target completed by FRC's VP & Head of Research, Mr. Siddarth Rajeev, B. Tech (Electronics Engineering), MBA (Finance), CFA. About Fundamental Research Corp. FRC is one of the largest independent equity research firms in the world, having covered over 650 companies in its 21 years of operation. FRC provides fee-based coverage to companies and Grid expresses no opinion on the fully independent forecasts, conclusions, and recommendations of FRC. Their research is being used by some of the largest institutional investors in the world who access it through channels such as Reuters, S&P Capital IQ, Bloomberg, and by subscription. FRC takes steps to ensure independence including setting fees in advance and utilizing analysts who must abide by CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct. Additionally, analysts may not trade in any security under coverage. FRC has full editorial control of all research, timing of release of the reports, and release of liability for negative reports are protected contractually. About Grid Battery Metals Inc. Grid Battery Metals Inc. is a Canadian based exploration company whose primary listing is on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company's maintains a focus on exploration for high value battery metals required for the electric vehicle (EV) market. www.gridbatterymetals.com . About Texas Springs Property The Company owns a 100% interest in the Texas Spring Property which consists of mineral lode claims located in Elko County, Nevada. The Property is in the Granite Range southeast of Jackpot, Nevada, about 73 km north-northeast of Wells, Nevada. The target is a lithium clay deposit in volcanic tuff and tuffaceous sediments of the Humbolt Formation. A Phase 1 exploration program at the Texas Springs Property (Fall 2023) yielded results with average lithium grades of 2010 ppm, applying a 1,000 ppm cut-off, and up to 5,610 ppm Lithium. The Texas Spring property adjoins the southern border of the Nevada North Lithium Project - owned by Surge Battery Metals Inc. ("Surge") (TSXV: NILI, OTC: NILIF) and comprised of 725 mineral claims. Surge's first round of drilling identified strongly mineralized lithium bearing clays. The average lithium content within all near surface clay zones intersected in the 2022 drilling program, applying a 1000 ppm cut-off, was 3254 ppm. (Press release March 29, 2023). More recent results have shown higher grade lithium up to 8070 ppm on this property after initial drilling (Press release September 12, 2023). Our exploration results are on-trend with these results. About Clayton Valley Lithium Project The Company owns a 100% interest in 113 lithium lode and placer claims covering over 640 hectares in Clayton Valley. Clayton Valley is a down-dropped closed basin formed by the Miocene age Great Basin extension and is still active due to movement along the Walker Lane structural zone. As a result, the basin has preserved multiple layers of lithium bearing volcanic ash, resulting from multiple eruptive events over the past 6 million years including eruptions from the 700,000-year-old Long Valley Caldera system and related events. These ash layers are thought to contribute to the lithium brines extracted by Albemarle and are also likely involved in the formation of the exposed lithium rich clay deposits on the east side of Clayton Valley. Volt Canyon Lithium Property The Company owns a 100% interest in 80 placer claims covering approximately 635 hectares of alluvial sediments and clays located 122 km northeast of Tonopah, Nevada. On Behalf of the Board of Directors "Tim Fernback" Tim Fernback, President & CEO Contact Information: Email: info@gridbatterymetals.com Phone: 604- 428-5690 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements which include, but are not limited to, comments that involve future events and conditions, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Except for statements of historical facts, comments that address resource potential, upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt and security of mineral property titles, availability of funds, and others are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may vary materially from those statements. General business conditions are factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from forward-looking statements. It should be noted that results from any adjacent property(s) are not an indication of what may be found on the Company's property(s). SOURCE: Grid Battery Metals Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 9, 2024) - Barksdale Resources Corp. (TSXV: BRO) (OTCQX: BRKCF) ("Barksdale" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the positive results of a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") completed on the San Javier oxide copper-gold project located in Sonora, Mexico. The PEA envisions a modest capital cost project utilizing conventional open-pit mining with a solvent-extraction and electrowinning ("SXEW") plant to produce LME-grade copper cathodes on-site. A copy of the PEA, prepared in accordance with the requirements set forth in Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") will be filed under the Company's SEDAR+ profile within 45 days of this news release. All currency references in the PEA and this news release are in U.S. Dollars. PEA Highlights San Javier PEA shows robust economics using a conservative base case copper price of $4.00 per pound. 13-year mine life producing 209 million pounds of cathode copper via an on-site SXEW; Conventional open pit mining with a very low waste to ore ratio of 0.66 to 1; Life of mine average cash costs of $2.16/lb copper produced; Pre-tax NPV (7%) of $111.8 million, with an IRR of 26.3% and payback of 3.8 years; After-tax NPV (7%) of $61.5 million, with an IRR of 18.1% and payback of 5.3 years; At $4.50/lb copper, the after-tax NPV (7%) increases significantly to $103.3 million, with an IRR of 24.8% and a payback of four years; Low initial capital costs of $116.8 million; and Excellent growth opportunities including resource expansion, assessing the potential for gold recovery, and run of mine processing. Rick Trotman, President and CEO of Barksdale, states, "The results of our PEA on San Javier outline a very simple operation with compelling economics. This base-case provides the foundation from which additional economic upside can be unlocked, such as the significant resource expansion opportunities at the Cerro Verde orebody, exploration upside at Mesa Grande and La Trinidad, and additional metallurgical testing to recover gold. In today's market it's rare to find a simple development project with such low upfront capital costs." PEA Summary The PEA, led by Tetra Tech Canada, was initiated in early 2023 and is based on the mineral resource estimate completed by Independent Mining Consultants Inc. in 2022. The PEA was completed in accordance with NI 43-101 and represents a significant milestone in the advancement of the project. The Company is currently earning a 100% interest in the San Javier project from Tusk Exploration Inc., a private British Columbia company. Project Overview The San Javier project is accessible from Hermosillo by a well-maintained paved two-land highway near the town of San Javier. The project consists of multiple showings of surface copper outcrops including the Cerro Verde resource area and the La Trinidad and Mesa Grande prospects. The San Javier project will be a truck and shovel operation at the Cerro Verde resource area and will operate at a processing rate of approximately 10,000 metric tons per day for a 13-year mine life. Mined material will be crushed and transported to a heap leach pad. Copper will be recovered via an SXEW plant producing LME-grade copper cathodes on site. Mineral Resource Estimate The Mineral Resource Estimate for the San Javier project is based on a $4.00/lb copper price and the sum of tonnage and grades within the pit shell utilize a cutoff grade for soluble copper (acid-soluble plus cyanide-soluble copper), which varies depending on the oxidization type of each tonne of material. The table below highlights the Cerro Verde resource at San Javier: Figure 1. San Javier Mineral Resource (Cerro Verde Deposit); effective date October 31, 2022 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8531/208472_5c5254262412cb99_002full.jpg Recovery Methods The mineralized material from the Cerro Verde deposit will be crushed using a three-stage crushing and screening system to produce a -12.5 mm material which will be stockpiled and then transported to a lined heap leach pad. The material on the heap leach pad will be irrigated with a sulfuric acid solution to extract soluble copper and the pregnant leach solution will be stored in a pond and pumped to a solvent extraction circuit to purify and concentrate copper in a strong electrolyte solution. The electrolyte will be fed to a semi-automatic electrowinning (EW) circuit to produce copper cathodes with a >99.99% purity. The processing plant has been designed to process leach feed at a nominal throughput of 10,000 t/d to produce market-grade copper cathodes at site. The average LOM leach feed grade will be 0.34% total copper and the anticipated overall recovery will be 63.5% of total copper. The recovery estimate is based on metallurgical column test work that showed recovery of soluble copper of 85% in the leach cap and oxide zones, 75% in the mixed oxide/sulfide and 60% recovery in the sulfide zone. Capital and Operating Costs The estimated initial capital cost for the project's design, construction, installation, and commissioning is $116.8 million. This figure includes all direct, indirect and owner's costs as well as a contingency factor. The capital cost estimate is consistent with an Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering (AACE) Class 5 estimate with an expected accuracy of plus/minus 35%. A summary breakdown of the capital cost is provided in the table below. Figure 2. Capital cost summary To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8531/208472_5c5254262412cb99_003full.jpg Sustaining capital costs are all required from Year 1 of operations to sustain the mining and processing operation for the life of mine and are estimated to be $17.22 million. The project operating cost estimate consists of mining, processing and general and administrative (G&A) costs and are summarized in the table below. The average life-of-mine operating cost is $10.17/t material processed, or $2.16/lb copper produced. Figure 3. Operating cost summary To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8531/208472_5c5254262412cb99_004full.jpg Financial Analysis The project has been evaluated using a constant copper market price of US$4.00/lb. The base case pre-tax cash flow highlights a net present value ("NPV") at a 7% discount rate of $111.8 million, an internal rate of return ("IRR") of 26.3% and a 3.8 year payback period. On an after tax basis, the project an NPV of $61.6 million with an IRR of 18.1% with a payback period of 5.3 years. At a copper price of US$4.50/lb, the Project post-tax NPV increases to $103.3 million after tax with an IRR of 24.8% and the payback period is shortened to four years. Figure 4. Sensitivity analysis of post-tax economics based on various long-term copper prices To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8531/208472_5c5254262412cb99_005full.jpg Qualified Persons and Data Verification Scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by independent 'Qualified Persons' ("QPs") as defined under NI 43-101, including: Hassan Ghaffari, P. Eng. M.A. Sc Herbert E. Welhener, SME-RM, MMSA Maureen Marks, P. Eng. Jiahui Huang, P. Eng., PhD The QPs responsible for the preparation of the PEA have verified the data disclosed in this news release. The technical report in respect of the PEA, when filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR+, will contain more detailed information concerning individual responsibilities, associated quality assurance and quality control, and other data verification matters, and the key assumptions, parameters and methods used by the Company. Barksdale Resources Corp., a 2023 OTCQX BEST 50 Company, is a base metal exploration company headquartered in Vancouver, B.C., that is focused on the acquisition, exploration and advancement of highly prospective base metal projects in North America. Barksdale is currently advancing the Sunnyside copper-zinc-lead-silver and San Antonio copper projects, both of which are in the Patagonia mining district of southern Arizona, as well as the San Javier copper-gold project in central Sonora, Mexico. ON BEHALF OF BARKSDALE RESOURCES CORP Rick Trotman President, CEO and Director Rick@barksdaleresources.com Terri Anne Welyki Vice President of Communications 778-238-2333 TerriAnne@barksdaleresources.com For more information please phone 778-558-7145, email info@barksdaleresources.com or visit www.BarksdaleResources.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. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Any statement that involves discussion with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always using phrases such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: (i) the results of the PEA; (ii) the economic potential and merits of the San Javier project; (iii) the estimated amount and grade of Mineral Resources at the San Javier project; (iv) the PEA representing a viable development option for the San Javier project; (v) estimates of capital and operating costs; (viii) the estimated amount of future production from the San Javier project (ix) life of mine estimates and economic returns from the San Javer project; (xi) project enhancement opportunities; and (xii) timing of filing a technical report for the PEA on SEDAR+. These forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect the Company's current judgment regarding the direction of its business. The assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to Barksdale. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of Barksdale believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, Barksdale cannot assure its shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking information also involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others: risks related to interpretation of metallurgical characteristics of the mineralization, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, delays or inability to receive required approvals, taxes, mining title, the speculative nature of the Company's business; the Company's formative stage of development; the Company's financial position; possible variations in mineralization, grade or recovery rates; actual results of current exploration activities; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of copper and other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar to United States dollar exchange rate); change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, unusual or unexpected geological formations); the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/208472 SOURCE: Barksdale Resources Corp. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 9, 2024) - Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. (TSXV: PEMC) ("Pacific Empire", "PEMC" or the "Company"), a British Columbia copper-gold explorer, is pleased to announce that the board has approved the grant of incentive stock options pursuant to its omnibus equity incentive compensation plan (the "Plan") to certain directors, to purchase up to an aggregate of 1,000,000 common shares in the capital of the company (the "Options"). The Options are exercisable at a price of $0.055 per common share and will expire three years from the date of grant. The Options are subject to the terms of the Plan, the applicable Option agreements and the requirements of the TSX Venture Exchange. About Pacific Empire Pacific Empire is a copper exploration company based in Vancouver, British Columbia and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol PEMC. The Company has a district scale land position in north-central British Columbia totaling 22,541 hectares. British Columbia is a "Green" copper jurisdiction with abundant hydroelectric power, access and infrastructure in close proximity to the end market. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, "Brad Peters" President, Chief Executive Officer and Director Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. Tel: +1-604-356-6246 brad@pemcorp.ca www.pemcorp.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following risks: the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mineral exploration; fluctuations in commodity prices; title matters; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain officers, directors or promoters with certain other projects; the absence of dividends; competition; dilution; the volatility of our common share price and volume and the additional risks identified the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/208524 SOURCE: Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. Arecor Therapeutics plc ("Arecor" or the "Company") ARECOR AND MEDTRONIC DIABETES ESTABLISH COLLABORATION TO DEVELOP A NOVEL THERMOSTABLE INSULIN FOR IMPLANTABLE PUMP DELIVERY Medtronic to fund Arecor's development of Arestat enabled novel, high concentration, thermostable insulin, specifically tailored for use in combination with a next-generation implantable pump Cambridge, UK, 9 May 2024: Arecor Therapeutics plc (AIM: AREC), the biopharmaceutical group advancing today's therapies to enable healthier lives, today announced a research collaboration with Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT), a global leader in healthcare technology, to develop a novel, high concentration, thermostable insulin for use by Medtronic's Diabetes business in a next-generation implantable pump. This new insulin has the potential to bring significant advancements in the current insulin treatment options for a small population of patients who have limited options for controlling their diabetes with traditional therapy. This collaboration has the potential to allow for the continued care of these patients with an insulin that may minimise the need for pump maintenance interventions and expand the utility for physicians, whilst saving healthcare costs. Sarah Howell, Chief Executive Officer of Arecor, said: "Our leadership in this field has been demonstrated through our best-in-class ultra-rapid acting clinical development programmes (AT278 & AT247). Within the diabetes field more broadly we are seeing the rise of innovative delivery devices, including longer-wear and miniaturised pumps that are continually improving treatment options for patients. We are excited to play our part in this progress with the development of a highly differentiated insulin with the potential to transform treatment for an extremely vulnerable patient group. This collaboration is one of many we hope to enable, to further enhance the benefits of these next-generation devices." Gary Dulak, Senior Director, New Venture Programs Medtronic Diabetes, said: "Medtronic Diabetes is a pioneer in implantable insulin pump systems for people living with type 1 diabetes, who are unable to tolerate conventional therapy that delivers insulin subcutaneously (under the skin). With intraperitoneal therapy via an implantable insulin pump system, insulin delivery is targeted for direct absorption by the liver via the implantable pump. We are pleased to collaborate with Arecor to explore new ways to develop this critical therapeutic option for the subset of individuals who may benefit from it." This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of the retained UK version of the EU Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 ("UK MAR"). Product not approved by the FDA for any use and not available for research or commercial use in the US. -ENDS- For more information, please contact: Arecor Therapeutics plc www.arecor.com Dr Sarah Howell, Chief Executive Officer Tel: +44 (0) 1223 426060 Email: info@arecor.com Susan Lowther, Chief Financial Officer Tel: +44 (0) 1223 426060 Email: info@arecor.com Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited (NOMAD and Broker) Freddy Crossley, Emma Earl (Corporate Finance) Rupert Dearden (Corporate Broking) Tel: +44 (0) 20 7886 2500 WG Partners LLP (Financial Advisor) Nigel Barnes, Satheesh Nadarajah David Wilson, Claes Spang Tel: +44 (0)203 705 9321 ICR Consilium Chris Gardner, David Daley, Lindsey Neville Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5700 Email: arecor@consilium-comms.com Notes to Editors About Arecor Arecor Therapeutics plc is a globally focused biopharmaceutical company transforming patient care by bringing innovative medicines to market through the enhancement of existing therapeutic products. By applying our innovative proprietary technology platform, Arestat, we are developing an internal portfolio of proprietary products in diabetes and other indications, as well as working with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to deliver therapeutic products. The Arestat platform is supported by an extensive patent portfolio. The collaboration adds to Arecor's broad programme of diabetes focused activities, led by its two lead proprietary clinical development programmes - AT278 and AT247, two ultra-rapid acting insulin candidates that offer the potential to simplify and improve blood glucose control for people living with diabetes and could enable the development of next- generation miniaturised insulin delivery systems and a fully closed loop artificial pancreas system. In March 2024, Arecor established a research collaboration with TRx Biosciences for the formulation development of an oral glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist product that would provide a more convenient treatment option for patients with diabetes and obesity. The Group's specialty pharmaceutical business, Tetris Pharma, commercialises Ogluo, a glucagon prefilled autoinjector pen for patients living with diabetes suffering from severe hypoglycaemia. Strong soil geochemical anomaly suggests the presence of a robust porphyry system Magnetic high flanked by chargeability highs defines compelling drill targets Fully permitted for a large-scale drill program VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Strategic Metals Ltd. (TSXV:SMD) ("Strategic" or the "Company") is pleased to report results from a recently completed reinterpretation of geological, geophysical and geochemical data from its wholly owned CD Project ("CD" or the "Project"), in southwestern Yukon. The Project lies within the Dawson Range Gold Belt, a metallogenic province that hosts several major deposits including Western Copper and Gold Corporation's Casino porphyry copper-gold deposit (Figure 1), 85 km to the northwest; Newmont Corporation's Coffee gold deposit, 120 km to the northwest; and Rockhaven Resources' Klaza epithermal gold-silver deposit, 20 km to the east. Mineralization in the belt is commonly associated with Late Cretaceous intrusions - particularly small plugs and breccia bodies of the Late Cretaceous Casino Suite. At CD, porphyry-style veining and alteration have been identified in an area underlain by a quartz diorite porphyry stock and breccia body of Late Cretaceous age, which is expressed on surface by a 1,200 m by 400 m area of highly anomalous gold- (up to 1,270 ppb) and copper-in-soil (up to 1,485 ppm) geochemistry (figures 2 and 3). This very strong geochemical anomaly lies within an elongated, east-west oriented magnetic feature. Recent 3D reinterpretation of magnetic and induced polarization geophysical data demonstrates that a conspicuous magnetic high in eastern part of the anomaly coincides with a resistivity low, flanked by chargeability highs. These geophysical features, which are situated at shallow depths, are characteristic of chargeable sulphide minerals around a porphyry core. The project area covers moderate rolling hills and lies within a variably glaciated area of the Yukon, at the margin of the unglaciated Yukon Plateau. The porphyry occurrence at CD, referred to as the Maloney Zone, was identified soon after the Casino deposit was discovered in the late 1960s. Early exploration efforts focussed on an area of strong copper-in-soil geochemistry in the lower part of a west-facing valley. In 1976, six shallow diamond drill holes circumscribed the peak copper soil geochemistry but failed to test the area of highest gold geochemistry or the core of the geophysical target. The Company believes that when the sulphide minerals were weathered, copper was leached and transported by groundwater flux and then reprecipitated to the present location of the copper-in-soil anomaly, leaving behind a residual, in-situ gold-in-soil anomaly. This scenario has been observed at the Casino deposit, where there is a well-developed, gold-enriched leached cap and an underlying copper-enriched supergene zone that includes an area downstream of the deposit where copper-bearing springs come to surface. Significantly, at CD, the area of peak gold-in-soil response is cored by the conspicuous magnetic high, coincident resistivity low and flanking chargeability highs described above (figure 3). Strategic's Vice President Exploration, Jack Morton commented, "The geophysical and geochemical anomalies identified at CD are similar in size and tenor to those identified at the Alotta Project, which is situated 54 km northwest of CD, in the Dawson Range Gold Belt. On May 7, 2024, Strategic's partner Forge Resources Corp. announced that it plans to commence 2,500 m of diamond drilling at Alotta to follow up encouraging drill intercepts from its maiden campaign, including 0.46 g/t gold over 211.65 m from surface (see news release dated February 29, 2024).The Strategic team consider the Maloney Zone at CD to be one of the Yukon's foremost untested porphyry targets." More details on the CD project, including a detailed brochure, can be found at: https://strategicmetalsltd.com/projects/CD Technical information in this news release has been approved by Strategic's Vice President Exploration, Jackson Morton, P.Geo., a qualified person as defined under the terms of National Instrument 43-101. About Strategic Metals Ltd. Strategic is a project generator with 12 royalty interests, 15 projects under option to others, and a portfolio of 82 wholly owned projects that are the product of over 50 years of focussed exploration and research by a team with a track record of major discoveries. Projects available for option, joint venture or sale include drill-confirmed prospects and drill-ready targets with high-grade surface showings and/or geochemical anomalies and geophysical features that resemble those at nearby deposits. Strategic has a current cash position of approximately $1.8 million and large shareholdings in several active mineral exploration companies including 32.8% of Broden Mining Ltd., 33.4% of GGL Resources Corp., 29.6% of Rockhaven Resources Ltd., 16.2% of Silver Range Resources Ltd and 15.6% of Precipitate Gold Corp. All these companies are engaged in promising exploration projects. Strategic also owns 15 million shares of Terra CO2 Technologies Holdings Inc. ("Terra"), a private Delaware corporation developing a cost-effective alternative to Portland cement, which recently announced a definitive agreement with Asher Materials for an exclusive market license of Terra's first commercial-scale advanced processing facility. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "W. Douglas Eaton" President and Chief Executive Officer For further information concerning Strategic or its various exploration projects please visit our website at www.strategicmetalsltd.com or contact: Corporate Information Strategic Metals Ltd. W. Douglas Eaton President and C.E.O. Tel: (604) 688-2568 Investor Inquiries Richard Drechsler V.P. Communications Tel: (604) 687-2522 NA Toll-Free: (888) 688-2522 rdrechsler@strategicmetalsltd.com http://www.strategicmetalsltd.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. This news release may contain forward looking statements based on assumptions and judgments of management regarding future events or results that may prove to be inaccurate as a result of exploration and other risk factors beyond its control, and actual results may differ materially from the expected results. SOURCE: Strategic Metals Ltd. View the original press release on accesswire.com Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - May 9, 2024) - E-Power Resources Inc. (CSE: EPR) ("E-Power" or the "Company") announces that it has closed the second tranche of the private placement previously announced on February 26, 2024 (the "Private Placement"). An aggregate of 1,849,114 units (the " Units") of the Company were issued in the Private Placement at a price of $0.07 per Unit for gross proceeds of $129,438, each Unit being comprised of one common share in the capital of the Company (each a "Common Share") and one-half common share purchase warrant (each a "Warrant"), each Warrant entitling its holder thereof to acquire one additional common share (each a "Warrant Share") at a price of $0.15 per Warrant Share for a period of 60 months from the closing date. (the "Offering") Net proceeds from the Offering will be used by the Company for general working capital purposes. Two insiders of the Company participated in the Private Placement. No finder's fees were paid in connection to this tranche. The securities offered pursuant to the Offering have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. The securities offered pursuant to the Offering are subject to certain trade restrictions pursuant to applicable securities laws. About E-Power Resources Inc. E-Power Resources Inc. is an exploration stage company engaged principally in the acquisition, exploration, and development of graphite properties in Quebec. Its flagship asset, the Tetepisca Graphite Property, is located in the Tetepisca Graphite District of the North Shore Region of Quebec, approximately 215 kilometers from the Port of Baie-Comeau. For further information, please refer to the Company's disclosure record on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) or contact the Company by email at info@e-powerresources.com. On Behalf of the Company James Cross President & CEO +1 (438) 701-3736 info@e-powerresources.com Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations, or beliefs of future performance are "forward-looking statements". These forward-looking statements reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company based on information currently available to it. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in filings made by the Company with securities regulatory authorities, which may cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The CSE has not reviewed, approved, or disapproved the contents of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/208543 SOURCE: E-Power Resources Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 9, 2024) - Velocity Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: VLC) (OTCQB: VLCJF) ("Velocity" or the "Company") announces that it has entered into an agreement (the "Amendment") to the letter agreement signed with Zelenrok EOOD ("Zelenrok"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Raiden Resources Limited (collectively with Zelenrok, "Raiden"), whereby Velocity has been granted an exclusive option to acquire, in two stages, up to a 75% interest (the "Option") in and to the Zlatusha prospecting and exploration license ("Zlatusha PL") (see previous news release January 23, 2024). Amendment Details Under the terms of the Amendment, an application will be made to extend the term of the Zlatusha PL by an additional two years. Velocity is not required to incur any additional exploration expenditure on the Zlatusha PL or make any cash or share payments to Raiden until such time as the term of the Zlatusha PL has been extended and the work program related to the extension has been approved by the Bulgarian authorities (the "Approvals"). Once all Approvals have been received, and if Raiden and the Company agree that a social license is in place to support the resumption of exploration activities, the Standstill Period will conclude, and Velocity's obligations under the Option will resume (the "Restart") (Tables 1 and 2). Table 1: First Option Terms Date Cash (CAD) Cash (CAD) or Velocity Shares Drilling (m) Deliverable Interest Vesting Commencement Date - $220,000 (paid) -- -- First Anniversary following Restart - - 8,000 -- -- Second Anniversary following Restart - - 10,000 -- -- Third Anniversary following Restart $250,000 $100,000 10,000 Inferred Mineral Resource estimate 51% First Option Total: $250,000 $320,000 28,000 -- 51% Table 2: Second Option Terms Date Cash (CAD) Cash (CAD) or Velocity Shares Drilling (m) Deliverable Interest Vesting Fourth Anniversary following Restart - - 8,000 -- Fifth Anniversary following Restart $350,000 $100,000 4,000 Preliminary Economic Assessment additional 24% Second Option Total: $350,000 $100,000 12,000 -- 24% OPTION TOTAL: $600,000 420,000 40,000 -- 75% Management Changes The Company announces the appointment of Ms. Dani Palahanova as Chief Financial Officer effective May 8. 2024. Ms. Palahanova replaces Mr. Darren Morgans who has stepped down as CFO to pursue other business ventures. Mr. Morgans will assist the Company through a transition period. Velocity's Board of Directors extends their appreciation to Mr. Morgans for his contributions over the past five years and wishes him success in his future endeavors. Ms. Palahanova is a CPA, CGA with over 15 years of experience in managing corporate finance, financial reporting, governance, and regulatory compliance functions of publicly listed Canadian companies operating internationally. Ms. Palahanova has held positions as CFO, Controller and Corporate Secretary for various junior exploration and technology companies in Canada, and holds an Executive MBA degree from Simon Fraser University, Beedie School of Business. She has been with the Company since 2019, previously serving as Director of Finance. Incentive Stock Options The Company announces that it has granted 280,000 common share stock options (each, an "Option") to various officers, consultants and employees of the Company. The Options entitle the holder to purchase shares at a price of $0.10 per share (which price is the 5-day market VWAP) for a period of 5 years from the issue date. Options will vest over 3 years, beginning 6 months from the date of issue and vesting in equal tranches bi-annually thereafter. Including this issuance, the Company has now set Options representing 6.7% of the issued and outstanding stock. Share Issuance Velocity also announces that it has issued 125,000 common shares to Leede Jones Gable Inc. in accordance with its previously announced advisory agreement (the "Advisory Agreement"). The common shares were issued with a deemed price of $0.09 per common share and were issued on March 25, 2024. The Company has issued 500,000 common shares to date and there are no further shares to be issued under the Advisory Agreement. About Velocity Minerals Ltd. Velocity is a precious metals and copper explorer focused in Eastern Europe. In Bulgaria, Velocity has a 70% interest in the Tintyava property, which includes the prefeasibility-stage Rozino deposit. Velocity also has a 70% interest in the Momchil property (which includes the Obichnik project), a 70% interest in the Nadezhda property (which includes the Makedontsi project), and a 70% interest in the Dangovo property (which is contiguous with the Makedontsi project). The Company holds a 100% interest in the Iglika copper-gold exploration property and recently entered into an option agreement with DPM who have an option to earn a 75% interest in the property. The Company has also entered into agreements to acquire a 75% interest in the Zlatusha copper-gold exploration property. On Behalf of the Board of Directors "Keith Henderson" President & CEO For further information, please contact: Keith Henderson Phone: +1-604-484-1233 E-mail: info@velocityminerals.com Web: www.velocityminerals.com 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 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 regarding the exercise of the Option by DPM, the entering into of the Definitive Agreement, the formation of the JV, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Often, but not always, forward looking information can be identified by words such as "pro forma", "plans", "expects", "may", "will", "should", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "potential" or variations of such words including negative variations thereof, and phrases that refer to certain actions, 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, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that market fundamentals will result in sustained precious metals demand and prices, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in connection with the future development of the Property in a timely manner, the availability of financing on suitable terms for the development, construction and continued operation of the Property, and the Company's 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 the Company 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 and mine development activities at the Property, estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral resources, requirements for additional capital, future prices of precious metals and copper, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates, possible failures of plants, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays or the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required, including TSX Venture Exchange acceptance, financing or other planned activities, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, currency fluctuations, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance coverage and the timing and possible outcome of pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics such as COVID-19, including the impact of COVID-19 on the Company's business, risks related to joint venture operations, and risks related to the integration of acquisitions, as well as those factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual management's discussion and analysis and other filings of the Company with the Canadian Securities Authorities, copies of which can be found under the Company's profile on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. Except as otherwise required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking information in this news release or incorporated by reference herein. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/208530 SOURCE: Velocity Minerals Ltd. IL BOSS DEL TRADING became the first trading community on Instagram that mentor's people who want to get started with FOREX trading. IL BOSS DEL TRADING started the trend of maintaining an Instagram community for FOREX trading and became the first company to do so. The company took an innovative move and leveraged the power of social media to create and grow a community of staggering 20,000 like-minded people. The company works dedicatedly to deliver real-world knowledge and insights into the realm of FOREX trading since 2015. The company through its collaboration with world's best forex brokerage houses, offers cost-effective training from real and experienced mentors. IL BOSS DEL TRADING is one of the most active communities in Italy in the field of online trading, with a constantly growing number of users and now a real reference point in the sector. Talking about his company, Mario Bellomare said: "We provide insights about forex trading and connect new traders with globally recognized brokers and trading firms. Trading is 20 percent technical and 80 percent psychological. One has to play with nerves to attain the desired results." About IL Boss Del Trading: IL BOSS DEL TRADING is one of the most trusted trading platforms in Italy. The company connects traders and brokers globally. IL Boss Del Trading has an experienced trading staff working closely with its members to teach and mentor them ways of investing and trading. Media Contact Organization: IL BOSS DEL TRADING Contact Person: Mario Bellomare Website: https://www.ilbossdeltrading.com Email: info@ilbossdeltrading.com Address: Via Ernesto Lugaro, 15, 10126 Torino (TO) - Italia Country: Italy SOURCE: IL BOSS DEL TRADING View the original press release on accesswire.com New AI Increasing 3D Model production up to 40% Search engine has over 200,000 3D models with unlimited color and texture variations Nextech3D.AI (OTCQX:NEXCF)(CSE:NTAR)(FSE:EP2), a patented 2D-3D Generative AI-Powered 3D model supplier (Patent #11,948,248) for Amazon, Miele, P&G, Kohls, and other major e-commerce retailers is pleased to announce the success of its proprietary AI-Powered 3D model search engine launched in Q1, 2024 . This innovative AI 3D model search engine uses AI powered by Nvidia's GPUs to speed-up and scale-up operations for the 3D modeling process. The AI search engine uses images to search Nextech's internal library of 3D models and meshes then recommends a close match to the given image. The Company is pleased to report that as a direct result of this AI search engine it is achieving as high as 40% increase in production thus increasing the number of 3D models the company can produce. The Company is continuing to develop patents around its proprietary technology while building and launching breakthrough AI for the mass scale of 3D models, which it sees as a significant growth market in 2024. As a leading 3D model supplier for e-commerce and AR, Nextech3D.ai recognizes the challenges faced by 3D artists and the time required in building intricate designs from scratch. To address these challenges the Company has built this innovative AI-powered search engine that instantly searches for similar model meshes within Nextech's vast 3D model library of 2000,000+ 3D models with similar colours, textures and shapes. This AI 3D model search engine was created in-house by the Company's team of AI engineers and scientists, showcasing the Company's technical strength and expertise. Watch a demo of the AI-Powered 3D model search engine tool - click here CEO of Nextech3D.ai Evan Gappelberg commented, "We are investing in our AI capabilities to stay competitive in the 3D model market and we see our AI search engine as just one of our investments that are paying off. Our AI-powered Search engine enabling our production to increase by as much as 40% represents a giant step forward in our Company's ability to scale production of 3D models. By combining our five years of technical expertise in the 3D modeling industry with our new AI capabilities, we're enabling our production capabilities to rapidly scale-up and move ahead in 2024. Our patented and patent pending AI along with new Nvidia GPU tech is allowing us to do things in terms of productivity that we just were not able to do previously, and I expect that to start showing up in the bottom line profitability of our 3D business in 2024." Some other notable investments in AI that are in the news: Meta has purchased 500,000 more AI GPUs for a total of 1 million AI GPUs, which is valued at $30 billion OpenAI CEO Sam Altman plans to spend $50 billion a year on AGI development (artificial general intelligence) by using 720,000 NVIDIA H100 AI GPUs that cost a hefty $21.6 billion. Microsoft is aiming for 1.8 million AI GPUs by the end of 2024, while OpenAI wants to have 10 million AI GPUs before the end of the year. Read more: https://www.tweaktown.com/news/98089/meta-ai-boss-confirms-the-company-has-purchased-around-30-billion-worth-of-nvidia-gpus/index.html Read more: https://www.tweaktown.com/news/98089/meta-ai-boss-confirms-the-company-has-purchased-around-30-billion-worth-of-nvidia-gpus/index.html Key features of the Mesh Search Tool include: Advanced AI Algorithms: Nextech3D.ai integrates state-of-the-art AI algorithms to enable precise and rapid mesh searches, ensuring 3D artists can find the matches they need in seconds. Intuitive User Interface: The user-friendly interface offers a seamless experience built directly into the Company's platform, allowing 3D artists to search the vast 3D model library quickly and effortlessly. Comprehensive Mesh Database: An extensive and continuously expanding database of hundreds of thousands of 3D parts and meshes. The mesh search tool covers a wide range of diverse products from various industries. This new tool leverages artificial intelligence algorithms to enable 3D artists to effortlessly navigate and locate specific 3D meshes, streamlining workflows and saving valuable time while increasing productivity. ARitize 3D ARitize 3D is your one-stop-shop AR solution with automated 3D model creation at an unbeatable price. Our Artificial Intelligence (AI) will turn your existing 2D product images or CAD files into 4K 3D AI and Augmented Reality experiences. It's fast, it's easy and it will transform your ecommerce website. ARitize 3D is the One-Stop-Shop 3D + AR solution for eCommerce that is:? Affordable - ?lowest cost provider Scalable - fastest, seamless, high quality Frictionless - requires low implementation effort ? AI & ML powered - automated 3D model creation End to End - from model creation to CMS & AR visualization Brands are invited to Contact Us to let our team help you start selling using 3D models for your online store today. Sign up for Investor News and Info - Click Here About Nextech3D.ai Nextech3D.ai or the "Company," (OTCQX:NEXCF)(CSE:NTAR)(FSE:EP2), is a versatile augmented reality and AI technology company that utilizes its proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) to craft immersive 3D experiences at scale for E-COMMERCE. The Company's primary focus lies in creating high-quality 3D WebAR photorealistic models for Amazon and various other online retailers. Nextech3D.ai has adopted a unique approach to creating shareholder value beyond its operating business of creating 3D models. The Company also develops or acquires disruptive AI-technologies, which are subsequently spun out to shareholders as standalone public companies. This spin-out strategy allows Nextech3D.ai to issue stock dividends to its shareholders while maintaining significant ownership in the public spin-out, without dilution to the parent company Nextech3D.ai. Notably, Nextech3D.ai successfully spun out "ARway," (OTCQB:ARWYF)(CSE:ARWY)(FSE:E65 ) its spatial computing platform, as a standalone public company on October 26, 2022. The Company retains a 49% stake with 13 million shares in ARway Corp. while distributing 4 million shares to Nextech shareholders. Similarly, Nextech3D.ai accomplished its second spin-out launching Toggle3D.ai, (OTCQB:TGGLF)(CSE:TGGL)(FSE:Q0C ) an AI-powered 3D design studio aimed at competing with Adobe. The Company retains a 44% stake with 13 million shares in Toggle3D.ai Corp. To learn more, please follow us on Twitter , YouTube , Instagram, LinkedIn , and Facebook, or visit our website: https://www.Nextechar.com . For further information, please contact: Investor Relations Contact Julia Viola investor.relations@nextechar.com Nextech3D.ai Evan Gappelberg CEO and Director 866-ARITIZE (274-8493) Forward-looking Statements The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, "will be" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements regarding the completion of the transaction are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Nextech will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE: Nextech3D.ai View the original press release on accesswire.com BlueSnap, a global payment orchestration platform for leading B2B and B2C businesses, today announced the appointment of Brian Greenfield as Chief Financial Officer. He joins BlueSnap's executive team to lead financial operations as the company prepares to embark on its next phase of growth. Greenfield has extensive experience in banking and private equity and brings more than twenty years of experience in both financial and senior executive leadership roles with global venture-backed companies across multiple industries. "Brian's had an impressive career, which includes senior leadership roles at a diverse range of companies and has consistently demonstrated the ability to execute and generate measurable results using data-driven financial strategies," said Henry Helgeson, BlueSnap CEO. "As we prepare for our next phase of growth, Brian's financial industry experience, operational expertise, and track record of success as both a senior executive and a company founder will help BlueSnap accelerate the adoption of our payments platform around the world and achieve our ambitious growth goals." Brian joins BlueSnap from ArborKnot, an Israeli financial services company he co-founded, and where he served as CEO. Previously, he was President and CFO at Purple Carrot, a direct-to-consumer meal-kit business. After joining as one of its earliest employees in 2016, Brian led the company to rapid growth and ultimately a successful sale to a Japanese e-commerce company. In 2008, Brian co-founded and served as both President and CFO of Next Step Living, a residential energy efficiency and renewables company. In five years, Brian helped the company become the fastest growing private company in Massachusetts and one of the largest business of its type in the U.S. with over $100 million in revenue and 900 employees. "I am excited to join Henry and the entire BlueSnap team as we boldly move into our next chapter of growth. BlueSnap has an expansive global network of financial partners and an impressive roster of international companies using its Global Payments Orchestration platform and is uniquely poised to deepen its leadership position in the payments industry," said Greenfield. Brian has also held senior financial and leadership positions at Vista Financial and Performant Financial Corp. He began his career as an analyst at Morgan Stanley before moving to Parthenon Capital Partners, a private equity firm. Brian earned his MBA from MIT's Sloan School of Management and his BA from Williams College. He is based in BlueSnap's Boston office. About BlueSnap BlueSnap helps businesses accept global payments a better way. Our Global Payment Orchestration Platform is designed to increase sales and reduce costs for all businesses accepting payments online. BlueSnap is backed by world-class private equity investors including Great Hill Partners and Parthenon Capital Partners. Learn more at BlueSnap.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240509208355/en/ Contacts: Media Contact: Greg Kalish bluesnap@hardnumbers.co.uk Showcasing the Industry's Lowest Cost TrueGreen Hydrogen Production Solutions AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Victory Clean Energy (OTC PINK:VYEY) ("Victory" or the "Company"), a leader in the green hydrogen energy sector, is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary H2 Energy Group ("H2EG") will be attending the Advanced Clean Technology Expo | May 20-23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center - Booth #744. "Our innovative integration of advanced technologies makes us a leader in producing low cost TrueGreen Hydrogen," emphasized CEO Jim McGinley. "We are eager to meet potential off-take partners to discuss our industry-leading solutions for TrueGreen Hydrogen production, with prices as low as $4.75 per kilogram for creditworthy take-or-pay customers." In addition to our participation in ACT Expo, Victory Clean Energy is honored to announce that H2EG will be presenting at the Best Ideas Dinner on May 16, 2024, in San Clemente, California. The Best Ideas Dinner, is an exclusive, invitation-only, quarterly networking event featuring presentations from private and public companies, and fund managers. "The Best Ideas Dinner provides an exceptional platform to share our vision for the future of TrueGreen Hydrogen," said CEO Jim McGinley. "We are thrilled to have been invited to showcase our innovative solutions to a select group of industry leaders and investors." Since its inception, the Best Ideas Dinner has attracted over 750 attendees. Renowned for its high-quality networking opportunities and presentations from industry pioneers, this event is an invaluable opportunity for forging connections and sharing insights. H2EG's innovative approach utilizes renewable biomass to produce hydrogen fuel without water, electricity and with zero emissions, addressing the urgent need for sustainable energy solutions. The Company is committed to paving the way for a greener and more sustainable future. For more information about H2EG, visit www.h2eg.com and discover how they are driving towards a greener and more sustainable future. About Victory Clean Energy Victory Clean Energy is an innovative Green Hydrogen energy company dedicated to developing and implementing clean, sustainable low-cost energy solutions with applications across various industries, including transportation, power generation, and industrial processes. The Company's pioneering TrueGreen Hydrogen production solutions aim to provide clean, reliable, and cost-effective energy sources to a diverse range of clients. TrueGreen Hydrogen positions the Company as a formidable force in the low-cost Green Hydrogen sector, focusing on decarbonization in heavy transportation and industrial Hydrogen markets. With this commitment, Victory Clean Energy is dedicated to shaping a sustainable and cleaner future for industries and communities worldwide. Learn more at https://www.vyey.io. About the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo ACT Expo is North America's largest conference and expo showcasing solutions that drive economic and environmental fleet sustainability. Annually, ACT Expo combines the best educational content in the industry with a massive exhibit hall showcasing the most innovative technologies on the market today. In its 13th year, ACT Expo will take place May 20-23, 2024, at the Las Vegas Convention Center and is expected to assemble more than 12,000 attendees and 2,700 fleets seeking strategies for the advanced vehicle and alternative fuels transition. The annual event is produced by Gladstein, Neandross & Associates (GNA), a TRC Company and the leading North American consulting firm specializing in market development for low- and zero-emission transportation technologies, infrastructure, and ultra-low carbon fuels for commercial transportation. Learn more at www.actexpo.com and www.gladstein.org. About the Best Ideas Dinner (Q2 2024) The Best Ideas Dinner, founded in 2017, is an exclusive, invitation-only quarterly networking event. It features presentations from private and public companies, and fund managers. Held at the Stance World Headquarters in San Clemente, CA, USA, the Best Ideas Dinner provides an excellent venue for attendees and presenters to share their innovations and connect with fellow thought leaders. This relaxed and intimate setting fosters valuable connections and insights into some of the most exciting ideas within it's community. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects, believes, or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on certain assumptions made by the Company based on management's experience, perception of historical trends and technical analyses, current conditions, anticipated future developments and other factors believed to be appropriate and reasonable by management. When used in this press release, the words "will," "potential," "believe," "estimated," "intend," "expect," "may," "should," "anticipate," "could," "plan," "project," or their negatives, other similar expressions or the statements that include those words, are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those implied or expressed by the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, our ability to successfully complete the proposed merger, integrate H2EG with our operations and realize the anticipated benefits from the merger, any unexpected costs or delays in connection with the merger, general economic conditions and the ability to manage and continue growth, and other factors described in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any updates to those risk factors set forth in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Further information on such assumptions, risks and uncertainties is available in the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") that are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, and on the Company's website at www.vyey.com. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to correct or update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Contact: Mark Komonoski Partner Integrous Communications Direct: 877-255-8483 Mobile: 403-470-8384 mkomonoski@integcom.us SOURCE: Victory Clean Energy View the original press release on accesswire.com BlackStar Enterprise Group, Inc. ("BlackStar") (OTC Pink:BEGI) BlackStar on 05/06/2024 received a 'Notice of Allowance' from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), U.S. Patent Application No. 18/415,938 Title: "Systems And Methods For Using A Digital Trading Platform To Trade Securities On A Blockchain." The technology claimed in the patent application covers trading of both registered and unregistered securities on a blockchain. BlackStar's revolutionary software is called the BlackStar Digital Trading PlatformTM ("BDTPTM"), a trading platform for electronic fungible shares in book-entry, and compliant at any U.S. Brokerage Firm. When asked for comment, BlackStar's CEO, Joseph E Kurczodyna stated that "this patent gives BlackStar its broadest protection yet and provides broad coverage for the trading of securities of any kind on a blockchain." When this patent issues in due course through the USPTO, anticipated in June 2024, BlackStar will have three patents issued that cover blockchain technology as applied to the traditional Broker Dealer Eco System. Other Info: BlackStar Enterprise Group, Inc. (OTC: BEGI) WEBSITE: blackstareg.com EMAIL: info@blackstareg.com CONTACT Bryan P Hemphill.559-359-1480 http://www.blackstareg.com/investor-relations/ More information can be found in the Company's recently filings at the SEC web site: https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?company=BlackStar+Enterprise&match=&filenum=&State=&Country=&SIC=&myowner=exclude&action=getcompany. SEC Disclaimer This press release is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States or elsewhere. This press release may contain forward-looking statements. The words or phrases "would be," "will allow," "intends to," "will likely result," "are expected to," "will continue," "is anticipated," "estimate," "project," or similar expressions are intended to identify "forward-looking statements." Actual results could differ materially from those projected in BlackStar's ("the Company's") business plan. The creation of subsidiaries and expansion of services into new sectors should not be construed as an indication in any way whatsoever of the future value of the Company's common stock or its present or future financial condition. The Company's filings may be accessed at the SEC's Edgar system at www.sec.gov. Statements made herein are as of the date of this press release and should not be relied upon as of any subsequent date. The Company cautions readers not to place reliance on such statements. Unless otherwise required by applicable law, we do not undertake, and we specifically disclaim any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect occurrences, developments, unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statement. SOURCE: BlackStar Enterprise Group, Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com Hartland, Wisconsin--(Newsfile Corp. - May 9, 2024) - Elite Trades, a pioneer in supporting privately-held home service companies, is proud to introduce enhanced services in a significant move to strengthen these businesses against the increasing influence of private equity (PE) firms. These services are tailored to maintain private ownership while equipping businesses with the competitive advantages typically enjoyed by PE-backed entities. Elite Trades Enhances Support for Privately Owned Home Service Businesses Amidst Private Equity Industry Pressure To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8843/208137_e9bc264634545985_001full.jpg Empowering Private Ownership with Corporate-Level Advantages Recognizing the challenges faced by privately owned businesses in an industry trending towards PE acquisitions, Elite Trades is dedicated to equipping these companies with critical resources that foster growth and operational efficiency. "We are enhancing our support for privately owned businesses to ensure they receive the benefits of scale and access to shared resources that private equity firms offer their acquisitions," said Eric Smith, CEO of Elite Trades. Building Businesses for Sustainability, Not Just Sale Elite Trades commits to long-term growth and sustainability, countering the PE model that often focuses on preparing companies for a profitable sale. "Our mission is to help business owners build companies they would be crazy to sell, ensuring that these businesses thrive over generations, keeping them competitive and robust in the face of external pressures and ensuring they remain in the hands of those who founded them. By focusing on building a company as if you - or someone you care deeply about - will manage it forever, we instill a culture rich in loyalty, dedication, and craftsmanship," Smith added. Upholding Core Values: Integrity, Purpose, Solutions, Craftsmanship, Legacy, and Action Elite Trades upholds a commitment to integrity, purpose-driven solutions, and superior craftsmanship. By enhancing the operational standards and business strategies of trades services, the company meets the immediate needs of business owners and contributes to the welfare of countless households. The company also aids in the development of the next generation of tradespeople. Services at Elite Trades are designed to build a lasting legacy through actionable steps that make a tangible difference. Offering a Robust Alternative to Private Equity The new initiatives from Elite Trades provide a sustainable alternative for business owners who wish to retain control and uphold their independence. By implementing Elite Trades proprietary operational resources, marketing support and other shared service, Elite Trades ensures these businesses are not only equipped to succeed but also to preserve their legacy and community presence. "Unlike private equity models, our strategy is to build companies to last, not just to prepare them for sale. We invest in the longevity and success of our clients, fostering a culture rich in loyalty, dedication, craftsmanship, integrity, and ultimately profits," Smith emphasized. For further details on Elite Trades' commitment to supporting privately owned home service businesses and to explore the enhanced services, business owners can visit https://EliteTrades.com. Media Contact: Contact: Jeremy McGilvrey Address: 2800 Post Oak Blvd. Ste. 5600B, Houston, TX 77056 Phone: (832) 390-2229 Email: Hi@JeremyMcGilvrey.com Website/URL: https://www.jeremymcgilvrey.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/208137 SOURCE: Jeremy McGilvrey Fund supports nonprofits like Lead for America, which aims to boost digital connectivity in rural and disconnected areas NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / U.S. Bank Opportunity Fund grant recipient Lead for America works to help rural communities bridge the digital divide through its American Connection Corps (pictured here at its orientation in Wichita, Kansas). Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog The U.S. Bank Foundation recently distributed $15 million in grants from the U.S. Bank Foundation Opportunity Fund * to increase wealth-building opportunities for low- to moderate-income (LMI) communities, including rural and Native American communities and communities of color. In the first round of funding, the grants include more than $6.5 million to nonprofit organizations providing small business support, $4 million to organizations focused on affordable housing, nearly $3.5 million to organizations working to increase the availability of and access to homeownership, and $1 million to organizations aiming to increase digital access and enhance economic development in rural and Native American communities. Many of these nonprofits also will receive support in future rounds of funding. "By working with nonprofits that have deep roots in local communities, the U.S. Bank Foundation Opportunity Fund supports stable housing options, helps new businesses flourish and communities thrive," said Reba Dominski, chief social responsibility officer at U.S. Bank and president of the U.S. Bank Foundation. Lead for America (LFA), with a goal to help increase civic leadership capacity and access to digital technology in rural and digitally disconnected communities, is an example of the kind of support the Opportunity Fund strives to provide, recognizing that connected and skilled communities can better leverage opportunities for growth and innovation. The grant will support LFA's flagship program, the American Connection Corps (ACC), which recruits and trains civic-minded individuals to spend a year in their hometown communities addressing connectivity-related challenges. Corps members are embedded within local nonprofits or government agencies in more than 70 communities across 27 states and work hand in hand with each community to help provide the capacity and resources to meet local needs. "The digital divide is multidimensional and nuanced. It's about more than just gaining access to broadband -it's also about how you're able to translate connectivity into real prosperity for your community," said ACC Executive Director Taylor Stuckert. "This requires new leadership in a number of sectors - economic development, health, education, agriculture, natural resources, and more - to be both civically capable and digitally fluent, and ACC brings that possibility to life." "By working with nonprofits that have deep roots in local communities, the U.S. Bank Foundation Opportunity Fund supports stable housing options, helps new businesses flourish and communities thrive." - Reba Dominski, chief social responsibility officer at U.S. Bank and president of the U.S. Bank Foundation ACC members' work has ranged from supporting grants to secure funds to build the community's broadband infrastructure, to getting households enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program, to offering digital literacy programs, to helping local businesses become more digitally inclusive. In the past year, ACC members have helped communities advance agricultural tourism and improve agricultural practices through technology, implemented a digital storytelling program that connects rural residents with their neighbors, and coordinated outreach activities that promote data-driven tree conservation, among other activities. The Opportunity Fund grant allows ACC to maintain and support their corps members, who often are recent college graduates, retirees and students taking a gap year between high school and college. ACC heavily invests in living allowances, benefits and training - beyond the resources it receives from AmeriCorps, with which ACC is affiliated - to successfully recruit and retain a cohort that's committed to serving the communities that members call home. "There are a number of barriers to growing national service, and the help of partners like the U.S. Bank Foundation is absolutely critical to helping us break those barriers down," said Eric Kotin, LFA's director of strategic initiatives. "Our ability to build a pipeline of homegrown, locally rooted leadership that is representative of the communities we serve is directly correlated to the support of partners like the foundation." The U.S. Bank Foundation Opportunity Fund is a five-year, $75 million financial commitment the foundation launched in 2023. It builds upon the foundation's signature Community Possible grant program, which continues to provide funds to nonprofits, as well as the legacy of U.S. Bank Foundation programs such as the Market Impact Fund and Rebuild and Transform Fund. *The Opportunity Fund represents a financial commitment of the U.S. Bank Foundation; it is not a traditional equity fund, nor does it represent a form of ownership. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from U.S. Bank on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: U.S. Bank Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/us-bank Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: U.S. Bank View the original press release on accesswire.com Wood Group (John) Plc - Result of AGM PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, May 09 John Wood Group PLC ("Company") LEI:549300PLYY6I10B6S323 Annual General Meeting - Voting Results Issued share capital at meeting date: 691,839,369 Number of votes per share: 1 vote per share. At the Annual General Meeting of John Wood Group PLC held on 9 May 2024, all resolutions put to shareholders were passed on a poll with the required majorities. The full text of each resolution is contained in the Notice of Annual General Meeting, which is available on the Company's website www.woodplc.com/investors/annual-general-meeting Resolutions 16 to 19 were considered and passed as Special Resolutions. The final vote received in respect of each resolution was as follows: Resolutions Votes For (Including Discretionary) % Votes Against % Total Votes (excluding Votes Withheld) Votes Withheld* % of Issued Share Capital Voted ** 1 Annual report and financial statements 2023 527,702,651 99.99% 50,551 0.01% 527,753,202 967,590 76.28% 2 Remuneration report 504,400,042 95.41% 24,287,843 4.59% 528,687,885 32,906 76.42% 3 Re-elect Roy A Franklin 518,339,689 98.04% 10,357,215 1.96% 528,696,904 23,887 76.42% 4 Re-elect Ken Gilmartin 528,566,847 99.98% 131,556 0.02% 528,698,403 22,388 76.42% 5 Re-elect Nigel Mills 520,872,720 98.78% 6,457,415 1.22% 527,330,135 1,390,656 76.22% 6 Re-elect Adrian Marsh 520,880,442 98.78% 6,446,207 1.22% 527,326,649 1,394,142 76.22% 7 Re-elect Birgitte Brinch Madsen 520,853,389 98.77% 6,468,575 1.23% 527,321,964 1,398,827 76.22% 8 Re-elect Susan Steele 520,857,363 98.77% 6,475,908 1.23% 527,333,271 1,387,520 76.22% 9 Re-elect Brenda Reichelderfer 506,775,896 96.10% 20,549,408 3.90% 527,325,304 1,395,487 76.22% 10 Elect David Lockwood 527,244,893 99.98% 84,979 0.02% 527,329,872 1,390,919 76.22% 11 Elect Arvind Balan 522,329,260 99.05% 5,004,265 0.95% 527,333,525 1,387,266 76.22% 12 Re-appointment of KPMG LLC as auditors 527,418,671 99.76% 1,281,871 0.24% 528,700,542 20,250 76.42% 13 Authorisation of auditors' remuneration 528,627,351 99.99% 63,438 0.01% 528,690,789 30,003 76.42% 14 To authorise the Company and its subsidiaries to make political donations and incur political expenditure 507,021,852 95.90% 21,686,350 4.10% 528,708,202 12,589 76.42% 15 Authority to allot shares 515,490,514 97.50% 13,210,662 2.50% 528,701,176 19,615 76.42% 16 Disapply pre-emption rights 509,325,937 96.58% 18,014,008 3.42% 527,339,945 1,380,846 76.22% 17 Disapply pre-emption rights for acquisitions and other capital investment 509,641,321 96.64% 17,703,403 3.36% 527,344,724 1,376,067 76.22% 18 Authority to purchase own shares 525,706,115 99.70% 1,582,915 0.30% 527,289,030 1,431,762 76.22% 19 Notice of general meetings 517,957,826 98.22% 9,395,918 1.78% 527,353,744 1,367,048 76.22% * A vote withheld is not a vote in law and is not counted in the calculation of the proportion of votes 'For' or 'Against' a resolution. ** Votes withheld are excluded from the percentage of issued share capital voted calculation. These votes are also available on the Company's website at: www.woodplc.com/investors/annual-general-meeting In accordance with LR 9.6.2, those resolutions passed at today's AGM which are required to be made available for inspection will shortly be available to view at: https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism . Notification authorised by: Martin J McIntyre Company Secretary Rigaku Corporation, a Rigaku Holdings Group company and Rigaku global solution partner in X-ray analytical equipment (head office: Akishima, Tokyo; president and representative director: Jun Kawakami; hereinafter "Rigaku"), has completed analysis of particles from 101955 Bennu, a near-Earth carbonaceous asteroid classified as a type B. The analysis was performed using ZSX Primus IV, a wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240508939191/en/ ZSX Primus IV (Photo: Business Wire) The particles from Bennu are a sample obtained by OSIRIS-Rex, a spacecraft of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This analysis constitutes the second time Rigaku has been tasked with conducting analysis related to Bennu. On the first occasion, in December 2023, Rigaku measured water and carbon content in a sample from the carbonaceous asteroid using thermoanalysis. The X-ray fluorescence spectrometry was conducted by the Rigaku Application Laboratory XRF Analytical Group in the presence of Professor Hisayoshi Yurimoto of the Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, who directed the chemical analysis of samples brought back from the asteroid Ryugu by the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft. The purpose of the analysis was to ascertain the content of major and trace elements including carbon and oxygen in sample. In the current measurements, quantitative analysis was performed on 26 elements Results of thermoanalysis and X-ray spectrometry were combined to learn about the history of Bennu and its similarities and differences with Ryugu. The analysis of Bennu is now proceeding by worldwide project teams. A unique feature of the work of the Japan team, under the direction of Professor Yurimoto, is the application of thermoanalysis using thermogravimetry along with mass spectrometry and X-ray spectrometry using a wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. One advantage of the Rigaku approach to thermoanalysis is that quantitative-analytical equipment is used in tandem, enabling Rigaku to separate and measure each element and type of molecule, with the result that unprecedented data can be obtained. Moreover, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry plays an exceptionally vital role: As the research method shifts toward inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry can analyze major components such as carbon, oxygen, silicon and sulfur that are difficult to analyze using ICP-MS. Professor Yurimoto commented: "The performance of the equipment is obviously vital, but in the end, what makes the difference is people. When conducting analysis on the leading edge of the field, the question of who does the analysis is paramount. I asked Rigaku to perform the analysis because this company brings to the table not only outstanding equipment but also superb engineers." Rigaku will continue to pursue close partnership with academia, contributing to the development of society through the advance of science and technology. Related information Press release regarding thermoanalysis conducted in December 2023 URL: https://rigaku.com/about/news-and-press-releases/rigaku-analyzes-samples-from-nasa?hsLang=en Results of Rigaku's Participation in the Initial Analysis Project of Ryugu Sample In June 2019, Rigaku took part in the Ryugu project as a joint research partner. In 2021, the content percentages of elements in the sample from Ryugu were determined using ZSX Primus IV, a wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) spectrometer. Measurements using TG-DTA/GC-MS determined that the moisture content of the sample from Ryugu differed from that found in meteorites of carbonaceous chondrite, which are thought to reflect the mix of elements in the primordial solar system. These data now serve as the basic data from the Ryugu sample that research groups around the world are using to conduct a wide range of analyses. Rigaku's analytical results are cited in a paper by the chemical analysis team (led by Prof. Yurimoto) of the initial analysis team of the Hayabusa 2 mission, and are published in Science, a US-based scientific journal. About The Rigaku Group Since its establishment in 1951, the engineering professionals of the Rigaku group have been dedicated to benefiting society with leading-edge technologies, notably including in its core fields of X-ray and thermal analysis. With a market presence in over 90 countries and some 2,000 employees from 9 global operations, Rigaku is a solution partner in industry and research analysis institutes. Our overseas sales ratio has reached approximately 70% while sustaining an exceptionally high market share in Japan. Together with our customers, we continue to develop and grow. As applications expand from semiconductors, electronic materials, batteries, environment, resources, energy, life science to other high-tech fields, Rigaku realizes innovations "To Improve Our World by Powering New Perspectives." For details, please visit rigaku.com (As of November 30, 2023) View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240508939191/en/ Contacts: Press Contact: Sawa Himeno Head of Communications Dept., Rigaku Holdings Corporation prad@rigaku.co.jp +81 90 6331 9843 Will the Diaper Packaging Market Shine or be Spoiled? - FMI Takes a Swipe. Popularity of eco-friendly materials and the development of fast packaging machines are two of the significant trends. NEWARK, Del., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The diaper packaging market is estimated to be worth USD 3,443.8 million in 2024. Diaper packaging is receiving more attention from packaging companies as the number of children that come into the world multiplies at a rapid rate. The number of adults resorting to diapers, as the stigma around it is lifted, also helps the diaper packaging market lunge forward. Through the year 2034, diaper packaging demand is set to progress at a CAGR of 5%. The use of eco-friendly material in the packaging of diapers is set to offer a multitude of opportunities to manufacturers. As diapers themselves get more eco-friendly, the packaging for them too is transforming. Thus, the use of materials like paperboard is climbing in diaper packaging. By 2034, the market value is forecasted to reach USD 5,630.9 million. The diaper packaging sector is set to benefit from streamlining production processes. The advent of automatic packaging machines, shortening production times, is set to add considerable value to the market. Request a sample report! https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-19587 The market, however, is not without its foul tidings. While sustainable packaging is becoming more prominent, the continued use of non-recyclable plastic is earning the market detractors. The ability of diapers to lead to rashes and infections is also leading to hesitancy on the part of consumers, which negatively affects the market. "Despite some significant setbacks, the diaper packaging market is set to advance at a normal rate over the ensuing decade. The rising popularity of sustainable material as well as fancy design on packaging is expected to lead to significant growth opportunities," Says a Lead Consultant Ismail Sutaria in Packaging at Future Market Insights (FMI). Key Takeaways from the Diaper Packaging Market The diaper packaging market is anticipated to be USD 3,443.8 million in value in 2024. Multipacks are the predominant type of product in the market. In 2024, multipacks are penned in to have a market share of 29%. The packaging is primarily applied for children's diapers. In 2024 children diapers' application is slotted in to have a market share of 45%. South Korea is a promising country for the market. The CAGR for South Korea over the forecast period is projected to be 5.4%. India is a country poised to be lucrative for the market. For the 2024 to 2034 period, the CAGR for India is pegged at 5.3%. The market is expected to register a CAGR of 4.6% in the United Kingdom over the forecast period. Request Customization of Report! https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-19587 Competition Analysis of the Diaper Packaging Market The diaper packaging market sees a few dominant forces battle for the high ground. However, that does not mean companies of a smaller scale do not have scope to grow. Sustainable packaging is set to be a defining point of the market in the years to come. Some of the prominent companies in the market include Faber Castell, Kokuyo Camlin, 3M, and Rifle Paper Co. Leading Diaper Packaging Brands Amerplast Ltd. Kimberly Clark Berry Global Huhtamaki Oyj Napco National Amcor Plc Mondi Group Borealis AG Recent Developments in the Diaper Packaging Market In June 2023, Hong Kong-based company Charlie Banana's new diaper designs were launched with recyclable packaging. In June 2023, Dyper launched a new diaper with recyclable packaging for both single and multipacks. Country-wise Insights: Countries CAGR 2024 to 2034 India 5.3 % Japan 5.2 % United States 4.9 % South Korea 5.4 % United Kingdom 4.6 % Get in Touch with Our Sales Team to Secure Your Copy of the Report Now! https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/19587 Key Segments of Market Report By Application: Based on application, the diaper packaging market can be bifurcated into children diapers and adult diapers. By Type: Based on type, the diaper packaging market is divided into multipacks and single pack. By Packaging Type: Based on packaging type, the diaper packaging market is categorized into shrink wrap packaging, plastic clamshell packaging, and box packaging. By Region: The sector has been analyzed in North America, Latin America, Europe, South Asia, East Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East and Africa. About the Packaging Division at Future Market Insights The packaging team at Future Market Insights offers expert analysis, time efficient research, and strategic recommendations with the objective to provide authentic insights and accurate results to help clients worldwide. With a repertoire of over 100+ reports and 1 million+ data points, the team has been analyzing the market lucidly in 50+ countries for over a decade. The team provides a brief analysis on key trends including competitive landscape, profit margin, and research development efforts. Authored by: Ismail Sutaria (Lead Consultant, Packaging and Materials) has over 8 years of experience in market research and consulting in the packaging & materials industry. Ismail's strength lies in identifying key challenges faced by the client and offering logical and actionable insights to equip the clients with strategic decision-making power. Ismail has been an instrumental part of several transformational consulting assignments. His key skills include competitive benchmarking, opportunity assessment, macroeconomic analysis, and business transformation advisory. Ismail is an MBA holder in Marketing and has a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics. Have a Look at Related Research Reports on Packaging Domain: The global diaper packaging machines market size is expected to reach US$ 418 million in 2032. The diaper packaging machines market is projected to expand at a rapid pace, and the demand for diaper packaging machines is likely to spike during the forecast period, owing to the rising population and demand for advanced technologies. The global plastic molded inserts market presents significant prospects for industry stakeholders, with substantial growth anticipated in the coming years. Projections suggest that the market is positioned to achieve a valuation of USD 366.9 million by 2024, with further expansion expected to drive its value to USD 559.1 million by 2034. The gable box market, by the end of 2034, is slated to generate an overall value of USD 15,975.8 million. This development is attributed to the growing demand from the global food and beverage industry and the shift in consumer preference toward take-outs. Sales of plastic jerry cans in Malaysia are estimated to be valued at USD 252.7 million in 2024 and are anticipated to reach USD 347.3 million by 2034. Revenue in Malaysia is projected to rise at a CAGR of 3.2% through 2034. The dunnage tray market is expected to experience significant growth, with sales projected to increase from USD 2 billion in 2024 to USD 2.9 billion by 2034. This growth is forecasted to occur at a CAGR of 3.6%. Several manufacturing industries have actively contributed to the market's growth in recent years. The flow pack machine market size is reported to reach a valuation of USD 5.3 billion by 2034. Expansion is estimated at a 2.5% CAGR between 2024 and 2034. This industry is currently valued at USD 4.2 billion in 2024. The global glass container market size is estimated to be around USD 63.8 billion in 2024 and is anticipated to reach a value of USD 89.3 billion by 2034. Sales are projected to rise at a CAGR of 3.4% over the forecast period. The gusseted bag market valuation is US$ 4.4 billion in 2024. Growing sustainability trends have created huge growth in the packaging sector, ensuring prominence in the coming years, with an estimated value of US$ 6.1 billion by 2034. The global continuous motion cartoner market is estimated to reach US$ 3,581.5 million by 2024. Industry 4.0 could enable continuous motion cartoners to interact with other production-line equipment and systems, allowing them to integrate with Industry 4.0. The dairy container market size is likely to reach a valuation of US$ 38.4 billion by 2034, as sustainability makes headway. With on-the-go consumption getting more evident, the demand surge is estimated at a 3.3% CAGR until 2034. The global drum filling machine market is poised for remarkable growth in the near future, with immense opportunities on the horizon. Projections indicate that the market will reach a value of US$ 553.0 million by 2024, with further substantial growth anticipated to elevate it to US$ 728.9 million by 2034. About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights, Inc. (ESOMAR certified, recipient of the Stevie Award, and a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce) offers profound insights into the driving factors that are boosting demand in the market. FMI stands as the leading global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, consulting, and events for the Packaging, Food and Beverage, Consumer, Technology, Healthcare, Industrial, and Chemicals markets. With a vast team of over 400 analysts worldwide, FMI provides global, regional, and local expertise on diverse domains and industry trends across more than 110 countries. Contact Us: Nandini Singh Sawlani Future Market Insights Inc. Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive, Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA T: +1-845-579-5705 For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com LinkedIn | Twitter | Blogs | YouTube Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1197648/3531122/FMI_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/diaper-packaging-market-innovation-driven-by-rising-consumer-concerns-and-sustainable-materials-reach-at-a-usd-5-630-9-million-by-2034--fmi-302141233.html CHICAGO, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) Market will grow in the future due to increased emphasis on cybersecurity measures, expansion into broader use cases beyond traditional security, and integration with emerging technologies like AI and IoT. Growth in the market will also be fueled by cloud-based solutions, improved user interfaces, and compatibility with other systems, especially in developing nations where infrastructure development is concomitant with growing security concerns. The global Physical Security Information Management Market size is projected to grow from USD 3.5 billion in 2024 to USD 4.3 billion by 2029 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.6% during the forecast period, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The integration of cloud-based solutions and advanced technologies like AI, ML, and blockchain has propelled the rapid growth of PSIM adoption. Cloud-based PSIM solutions offer remote accessibility and cost reductions, while AI, ML, and blockchain integration automate processes, enhance threat detection, and secure data exchange. These combined advancements in PSIM systems cater to organizations' demands for scalable, cost-effective, and efficient security solutions, driving significant expansion in the PSIM market. Browse in-depth TOC on "Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) Market" 350 - Tables 50 - Figures 300 - Pages Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=133712085 Scope of the Report Report Metrics Details Market size available for years 2020-2029 Base year considered 2023 Forecast period 2024-2029 Forecast units Value (USD Billion) Segments Covered Offering, Software Type, Deployment Mode, Organization Size, Vertical, And Region Geographies covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America Companies covered Major vendors in the global Physical Security Information Management Market include Hexagon AB (Sweden), Honeywell (US), Hikvision (China), Everbridge (US), Axxonsoft (Ireland), Genetec (Canada), Advancis (Germany), Entelec (Belgium), Verint (US), Vidsys (US), Nanodems (US), Eagle Eye Networks (US), Bold Group (US), Primion (Germany), Persistent Sentinel (US), Prysm Software (France), SureView Systems (US), easypsim (Switzerland), Veracity Solutions (Scotland), AARMTech (India), Octopus (Israel), Network Harbor (US), Fast Systems (Switzerland), Integrated Security Systems (ISS) (US), and Gretsch-Unitas Deutschland (Germany). Based on the organization size, SMEs are to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The exponential growth of SMEs in the PSIM market is attributed to the escalating recognition of the critical importance of robust security measures to combat cyber threats. With nearly 43% of cyber-attacks targeting SMBs, the imperative for effective security solutions among smaller enterprises is evident. However, SMEs often encounter budget constraints and resource limitations, heightening vulnerability to security breaches. Consequently, investing in tailored PSIM solutions has become a priority. These solutions, encompassing video surveillance, access control, and alarm management, empower SMEs to monitor and respond to security incidents efficiently. Moreover, the affordability, scalability, and ease of deployment of cloud-based PSIM options are particularly appealing to SMEs. By embracing PSIM technologies, SMEs bolster their security posture, mitigate cyber risks, and safeguard assets and operations against evolving threats in today's digital landscape. Request Sample Pages@ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=133712085 By software type, video management accounts for the highest market size during the forecast period. The video management software type holds the largest market share in the PSIM market due to its indispensable role in modern security systems. With the proliferation of CCTV cameras globally, there's a heightened demand for VMS solutions to handle and manage footage from numerous cameras efficiently. VMS systems are renowned for their open-platform design, enabling seamless integration of various camera types and brands and advanced features like motion detection and video analytics. When integrated with PSIM software, VMS delivers multiple benefits, including real-time video feed monitoring from multiple cameras and automation of video management processes. Leading companies such as ISS provide PSIM software with integrated video management capabilities, offering organizations enhanced security intelligence and operational efficiency through centralized management of video surveillance systems. This convergence of technology ensures robust protection for organizations and their assets, driving the dominance of video management software in the PSIM market. By region, Asia Pacific is to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The Asia Pacific region is growing at the fastest rate in the PSIM market due to several key factors driving the demand for integrated security solutions. Rapid economic growth and technological advancements, particularly in IoT proliferation and smart city initiatives, necessitate efficient management of diverse security systems, prompting the adoption of PSIM. Moreover, substantial government investments in critical infrastructure projects further underscore the need for comprehensive security solutions like PSIM to safeguard valuable assets effectively. The increasing awareness among organizations about the benefits of PSIM in managing complex security environments is fueling its adoption across various sectors, including transportation, energy, and public safety. These factors collectively contribute to the rapid growth of the PSIM market in the Asia Pacific region, positioning it as a frontrunner in the adoption of integrated security solutions. Top Key Companies inPhysical Security Information Management (PSIM) Market: Hexagon AB (Sweden), Honeywell (US), Hikvision (China), Everbridge (US), Axxonsoft (Ireland), Genetec (Canada), Advancis (Germany), Entelec (Belgium), Verint (US), Vidsys (US), Nanodems (US), Eagle Eye Networks (US), Bold Group (US), Primion (Germany), Persistent Sentinel (US), Prysm Software (France), SureView Systems (US), easypsim (Switzerland), Veracity Solutions (Scotland), AARMTech (India), Octopus (Israel), Network Harbor (US), Fast Systems (Switzerland), Integrated Security Systems (ISS) (US), and Gretsch-Unitas Deutschland (Germany) are the key players and other players in the Physical Security Information Management Market. Recent Developments In December 2023, Genetec announced a new version of its flagship unified security platform, Security Center, embracing a continuous delivery model for rapid innovation. Enhancements included new mapping features for smoother operator experiences in large deployments and simplified authentication setup, setting the stage for advanced workflow capabilities to streamline system management. In November 2023, Hikvision introduced HikCentral Professional 2.5, an upgraded integrated security management software. This release offers versatile add-on applications through the App Market, expanding functionalities for diverse business needs. The software enhances operational efficiency with simplified operations, user-friendly interfaces, and strong integration capabilities using OpenAPIs for seamless system integration and third-party device management. In March 2023, Advancis introduced WinGuard X5, a vendor-neutral PSIM software featuring a new core and advanced capabilities. Built on the Advancis Open Platform (AOP), it supports third-party development for customized interfaces and functions. This release empowered users to scale deployments flexibly and extend functionalities with modern APIs. In September 2022, AxxonSoft introduced Axxon PSIM version 1.0, a comprehensive software platform integrating video surveillance, AI video analytics, access control, fire/security alarm systems, and industry-specific solutions. This modular PSIM enables tailored security solutions, selecting required modules for site-specific needs, offering integration with diverse security devices and protocols, and supporting limitless scalability and reliability for large-scale deployments. Inquire Before Buying@ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=133712085 Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) Market Advantages: A centralised management interface can be created by integrating several security systems, including video surveillance, access control, intrusion detection, and fire alarms, using PSIM platforms' extensive integration capabilities. Operators can improve their situational awareness with the use of PSIM systems, which offer real-time monitoring and analysis of security incidents. PSIM systems enable quick decision-making and provide a comprehensive picture of security issues by combining data from many sources. The incident response processes are made more efficient by PSIM platforms' sophisticated automation and workflow management features. By effectively prioritising and managing warnings, operators can minimise the impact of security threats and reduce reaction times. PSIM solutions are made to grow with businesses, adapting to shifting demands in terms of operations, infrastructure, and security specifications. They provide customisation and setup flexibility to accommodate different security protocols and environments. Through the facilitation of communication and information exchange, PSIM systems encourage cooperation between departments, external stakeholders, and security personnel. Coordination of reactions to security crises is made possible by integrated communication solutions, which promote efficiency and teamwork. PSIM platforms offer audit trails, reporting features, and documentation capabilities to assist organisations in meeting regulatory requirements. They reduce legal and financial risks by allowing organisations to prove compliance with security requirements and legislation. Long-term cost benefits are achieved by PSIM systems through the centralization of security operations and resource utilisation optimisation. They reduce the need for duplicate systems, lessen the requirement for manual intervention, and improve operational effectiveness, all of which lower total costs. Report Objectives To define, describe, and forecast the Physical Security Information Management Market based on - offering, software type, deployment organization size, vertical, and region. To define, describe, and forecast the Physical Security Information Management Market by - offering, software type, deployment organization size, vertical, and region. To forecast the market size of five main regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East & Africa (MEA), and Latin America To analyze the subsegments of the market concerning individual growth trends, prospects, and contributions to the overall market. To provide detailed information related to the major factors (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges) influencing the growth of the Physical Security Information Management Market. To analyze opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying high-growth segments of the Physical Security Information Management Market. To profile the key players of the Physical Security Information Management Market and comprehensively analyze their market size and core competencies in the market. To track and analyze competitive developments, such as new product launches, mergers and acquisitions, and partnerships, agreements, and collaborations in the global Physical Security Information Management Market. Browse Adjacent Market: Information Security Market Research Reports & Consulting Browse Other Reports: Operational Technology Security Market- Global Forecast to 2029 Perimeter Security Market- Global Forecast to 2029 Email Encryption Market- Global Forecast to 2028 DDoS Protection and Mitigation Security Market- Global Forecast to 2027 Encryption Software Market- Global Forecast to 2026 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. 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Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/physical-security-information-management-psim-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/physical-security-information-management-psim.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1951202/4609423/MarketsandMarkets.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/physical-security-information-management-psim-market-worth-4-3-billion-by-2029---exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-302141015.html PARIS, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from chinadaily.com.cn: As French President Emmanuel Macron rolled out the red carpet for President Xi Jinping's state visit, which concluded on Tuesday, China and France, with ample outcomes from the visit, have sent the message that they will consolidate the strategic stability of bilateral ties and jointly contribute to global security and prosperity. The two countries signed 18 bilateral cooperation documents in areas such as green development, aviation, agrifood, commerce and people-to-people exchanges after the two presidents' official talks at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Monday. They also issued four joint statements on the situation in the Middle East, artificial intelligence and global governance, partnership in the fields of biodiversity and oceans, and agricultural exchanges and cooperation. This year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and France, with the latter being the first major Western country to establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level with China. Observers said that in an era in which mistrust often defines interactions between the West and China, the vibrant comprehensive strategic partnership between China and France stands as a beacon of hope, demonstrating that trust and collaboration are not only possible but essential for progress and prosperity. A successful sojourn: https://x.com/XisMoments/status/1788129714055586191 https://x.com/XisMoments/status/1788129189344018799 During their talks, the two presidents highlighted the countries' friendly relationship as well as the potential and prospects of cooperation. They pledged to step up the countries' cooperation in traditional areas such as aerospace, aviation and nuclear energy, expand collaboration in emerging areas such as green energy, smart manufacturing, biomedicine and AI, and jointly uphold multilateralism, the United Nations Charter and international law. Xi said that China is ready to maintain strategic communication with France, respect each other's core interests, unleash the great potential of mutually beneficial cooperation, and facilitate growth and balance in bilateral trade. Expanding opening-up He reaffirmed the nation's commitment to expanding opening-up, saying that China has fully opened up its manufacturing sector and will move faster to expand market access in the service sector, such as in telecommunications and medical services. While saying that China welcomes investment by more French companies, Xi expressed the hope that the French side will provide a good business environment and stable development expectations for investment and cooperation by Chinese companies in France. China welcomes visits by more people from France, and will extend the short-stay visa-exemption policy for citizens from 12 countries, including France, to the end of 2025, bring the total number of French students in China to more than 10,000, and double the number of young Europeans on exchange programs to China in the next three years, Xi said. He also pledged to increase dialogue and communication with France in areas including AI governance and reform of the international financial system. Macron said that as the world faces many pressing challenges, the profound and rich France-China relationship is at a critical juncture of building on the past and looking to the future. The two sides, through mutual respect, a long-term perspective and strengthened cooperation, will play an important and positive role in addressing global challenges and opposing any logic of bloc confrontation, he said. Macron assured Xi that France will continue to open its market to China and will not adopt discriminatory policies against Chinese companies. David Gosset, founder of the China-Europe-America Global Initiative, said that as France and China translate their affinities into concerted action, they forge pathways for enhanced synergies between the European Union and the world's second-largest economy. As the world continues to evolve and confront new challenges, Gosset said that the partnership between France and China will remain essential in shaping a more peaceful, prosperous and sustainable future for all. During their talks, Xi and Macron also exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual interest, including the Ukraine crisis and the Palestine-Israel conflict. While meeting the media with Macron following their talks, Xi called on all parties to resume engagement and dialogue to build mutual trust in order to address the Ukraine crisis. China opposes attempts to use the Ukraine crisis to scapegoat or smear a third country or to stoke a new Cold War, he said. https://x.com/XisMoments/status/1787812645602766938 On the Palestine-Israel conflict, Xi urged the international community to work together for an immediate, comprehensive and sustainable cease-fire in Gaza. "We support Palestine's full membership in the UN, and support restoring to Palestine its legitimate national rights and restarting the two-state solution, so as to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East." Xi and Macron also met on Tuesday at Col du Tourmalet in southwestern France, before Xi left for a state visit to Serbia. https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202405/08/WS663ab1cea31082fc043c5c59.html Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2408777/President_Xi_Jinping_wife_Peng_Liyuan_pose_a_photo_Tuesday.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2408778/Xi_s_Moments.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2408779/Xi_s_Moments_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2408780/Xi_s_Moments_2.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/china-france-to-consolidate-relationship-302141334.html LONDON, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Campaign for Wool is honoured to announce HM The King remains as The Patron, supporting the Campaign and its educational activities and events to remind the world of wool's support for the planet and its natural, renewable and biodegradable properties. The Campaign for Wool was HM King Charles's personal initiative when he was The Prince of Wales in 2008 and was officially launched in 2010 in a bid to assist wool growers from throughout the Commonwealth to challenge the rise of toxic synthetic fibres in the worlds of fashion, interiors and the built environment. As Patron, over the past decade of the Campaign, the then Prince of Wales has visited numerous regions of the UK, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa to engage with wool growers on how best to explain the distinct environmental excellence and ecological benefits of wool in all its end uses. The Campaign fits perfectly with HM The King's recently announced personal focus of Climate, Community, Commonwealth and Culture. Wool is more important today, moreover as climate change and plastic over consumption hits the headlines on a weekly basis, requesting all of us to be more considerate in our choices. The Patron has passionately endorsed the natural benefits and use of wool, issues he raised on the introduction of mainstream plastic use in his student days over 50 years ago. Choosing wool will help to safeguard the planet for future generations. The Campaign is supported by companies across the globe, including farmers, the wool processing pipeline, designers, brands and retailers. 2024 will see the Campaign launch some exciting initiatives and collaborations for Wool Month which takes place throughout October. www.campaignforwool.org Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2408925/Campaign_for_Wool.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/the-campaign-for-wool-celebrates-retaining-hm-king-charles-iii-as-patron-of-the-campaign-302141356.html WILMINGTON, Del., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Aviation Insurance Market by Type (Passenger Liability Insurance, Public Liability Insurance, Combined Single Limit (CSL), In Flight Insurance, and Others), Application (Commercial Aviation Insurance, General and Business Aviation Insurance, and Others), and Product Type (Airlines, Contingent, General Aviation, Space, and Aerospace): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032". According to the report, the "aviation insurance market" was valued at $4.1 billion in 2022, and is estimated to reach $7.1 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 5.9% from 2023 to 2032. Request Research Report Sample & TOC: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/A14877 (We are providing report as per your research requirement, including the Latest Industry Insight's Evolution, Potential and COVID-19 Impact Analysis) 91 - Tables 50 - Charts 192 - Pages Prime Determinants of Growth Rise in passengers and increase in government rules & regulations for passenger safety are the factors expected to propel the growth of the global aviation insurance market. However, costly aviation insurance premiums and increase in frequency and cost of claims are anticipated to hamper the growth of the global market. On the contrary, the surge in the number of international airlines is further expected to create lucrative opportunities for the growth of the global market. Report Coverage & Details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $4.1 Billion Market Size in 2032 $7.1 Billion CAGR 5.9 % Segments covered Type, Application, Product Type, and Region. Drivers Rise in passengers Increase in government rules & regulations for passenger safety Opportunities Surge in the number of international airlines Restraints Costly aviation insurance premium Increase in frequency and cost of claims The Passenger Liability Insurance segment dominated the market in 2022 By type, the passenger liability insurance segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than one-third of the aviation insurance market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period, owing to stringent government regulations making it compulsory to avail passenger liability insurance to protect damages to the passengers. Moreover, companies majorly focus on creating novel opportunities for growth and revenue generation, thereby increase the preference for AI and advanced machine learning algorithms across industries, which is further expected to propel the overall market growth. However, the in-flight Insurance segment is expected to attain the largest CAGR of 8.6% from 2023 to 2032 and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period, owing to increasing cases of airline accidents from various causes such as bird collision, bad weather, engine failure, and other, which drives the segment growth in the aviation insurance market. Buy This Report (260 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) @ https://bit.ly/3hdN3nG The airlines segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period By product type, the airlines segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, contributing more than one-third of the aviation insurance market revenue, owing to growth in the need for more flexible and customized insurance solutions adapted to the special needs and risk profiles of particular airlines, which is further expected to propel the overall market growth. However, the aerospace segment is expected to attain the largest CAGR of 9.0% from 2023 to 2032 and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period, owing to advanced technologies to enhance their capabilities in analyzing and quantifying risks, improving pricing accuracy, and delivering personalized insurance solutions that meet the unique needs of aerospace clients. These factors drive the growth of this segment in the global aviation insurance market. The commercial aviation insurance segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period By application, the commercial aviation insurance segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, contributing more than half of the aviation insurance market revenue, owing to high hull values and high liability limits associated with aviation insurance policies. Most insurance carriers must purchase insurance to help spread the risk, preventing anyone claim from bankrupting a company, which is further expected to propel the overall market growth. However, the general and business aviation insurance segment is expected to attain the largest CAGR of 8.0% from 2023 to 2032 and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period, owing to increase in demand for travel and tourism with airlines and increase in number of sky diving institutes. These factors drive the growth of this segment in the global aviation insurance market. Asia-Pacific region to maintain its dominance by 2032 By region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, contributing more than one-third of the aviation insurance market revenue, owing to strong domestic demand from the U.S., one of the largest domestic aviation markets in the world, which is anticipated to propel the growth of the market in this region. However, Asia-Pacific is projected to attain the highest CAGR of 8.7% from 2023 to 2032, owing to economically emergent countries such as China and India, which have manufacturing plants of several industries in the Asia-Pacific region, which further is expected to contribute to the growth of the market in this region. Get Customized Reports with your Requirements: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/A14877 Leading Market Players: - American International Group, Inc. AXA BWI Aviation Insurance EAA Global Aerospace, Inc. Tokio Marine HCC Travers & Associates Aviation Insurance Agency, LLC STARR INTERNATIONAL COMPANY, INC. USAA USAIG The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the aviation insurance market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different countries. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. Key Benefits for Stakeholders The study provides an in-depth analysis of the aviation insurance market forecast along with the current trends and future estimations to explain the imminent investment pockets. Information about key drivers, restraints, & opportunities and their impact analysis on the global aviation insurance market is provided in the report. Porter's five forces analysis illustrates the potency of the buyers and suppliers operating in the industry. The quantitative analysis of the market from 2021 to 2030 is provided to determine the aviation insurance market potential. Inquiry before Buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/A14877 Aspects Details By INSURANCE TYPE Public liability insurance Passenger liability insurance Combined Single Limit In-flight Insurance Others By APPLICATION Commercial Aviation Insurance General and Business Aviation Insurance Others By Region North America (U.S., Canada) (U.S., Canada) Europe (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Rest of Europe) (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Rest of Europe) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea, Rest of Asia-Pacific) (China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea, Rest of Asia-Pacific) LAMEA (Latin America, Middle East, Africa) Trending Reports in BFSI Industry (Book Now with 10% Discount + Covid-19 scenario): Life Reinsurance Market Size, Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report by Type, by Product Offering: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 Engineering Insurance Market Size, Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report by Type, by Distribution Channel, by Application: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 Cyber Insurance Market Size, Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report by Coverage, by Enterprise Size, by Industry Vertical: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 On-Demand Insurance Market Size, Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report by Coverage, by End User: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 RPA in Insurance Market Size, Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report by Component, by Deployment Mode, by Enterprise Size, by Application: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031 About Us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Wilmington, Delaware. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports Insights" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies, and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact Us: United States 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. Int'l: +1-503-894-6022 Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 Fax: +1-800-792-5285 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/aviation-insurance-market-to-reach-7-1-billion-globally-by-2032-at-5-9-cagr-allied-market-research-302141427.html Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - May 9, 2024) - BURNCO Rock Products Ltd. ("BURNCO"), an aggregate construction materials company with operations in Canada and the United States, today announced it has entered into a Share Purchase Agreement with Brookfield Business Partners, the flagship listed vehicle of Brookfield Asset Management's Private Equity Group, to acquire Hammerstone Infrastructure Materials Ltd. ("Hammerstone"). The transaction advances BURNCO's growth strategy and complements its existing business in Alberta with a major limestone production business and vast leasehold interests in a highly valued market in Northern Alberta. Located north of Fort McMurray, the Hammerstone Quarry is one of the largest limestone quarries in Western Canada with over 750 million tonnes of aggregate reserves, representing generations of supply. The quarry's output of limestone aggregates is essential to the operational sustainability of its customers. Hammerstone employs 110 people. "The Hammerstone business is a natural fit within our broader aggregates position in Alberta and expands our geographic and operational footprint in the province," said Tom Zais, Chief Executive Officer of BURNCO. "The leadership group and employees at Hammerstone are focused on the operating values of safety, environmental stewardship and community engagement, which are all consistent with our commitment to people, customers and communities. We look forward to working with the Hammerstone team to further expand BURNCO's business in Alberta." The Hammerstone limestone quarry is located north of Fort McMurray and serves Alberta's oil sands industry. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9316/208532_burncoimg.jpg The addition of the Hammerstone's quarry adds quality long-term aggregate reserves to BURNCO's existing industry-leading materials position in Western Canada. Further developing the reserves at the quarry will serve Canada's world-class energy industry. Hammerstone has developed strong relationships with customers in Fort McMurray as well as with Indigenous groups and communities in the region which BURNCO is looking forward to support and strengthen. "As fourth generation owners of BURNCO, our family is thrilled to be investing again in Canada," noted Scott Burns, the company's Executive Chairman. Zais added, "BURNCO has a proud legacy of performance as the company has operated in Alberta since 1912. Adding the Hammerstone operation extends BURNCO into valuable new geography in the province and provides us with another long-term, legacy-building asset with the quarry and its reserves. Hammerstone will be a key operation for us, and we see a long runway of opportunity for the business and new employee group." Nick Laganiere, President and CEO of Hammerstone, said, "Hammerstone's leadership group and employees are extremely pleased to be joining BURNCO. The acquisition is a great outcome for our operation. BURNCO knows our business, understands what we have built in the Fort McMurray area over the past 15 years, and plans to support and fund future business opportunities with us." The closing of the transaction is subject to receipt of approvals under the Competition Act of Canada and other customary closing conditions. It is expected to occur in the next 30 days. About BURNCO BURNCO Rock Products Ltd is a family business established in Calgary in 1912 by James F. Burns. The company has operations in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Texas and Colorado. BURNCO produces high-quality aggregate, paving asphalt and ready-mix concrete for its valued customers. For a complete list of locations and to learn more, please visit www.burnco.com. About Hammerstone Hammerstone Infrastructure Materials Ltd. owns and operates a limestone quarry with over 750 million tonnes of readily accessible limestone reserves in the heart of Northern Alberta's mineable oil sands. It is uniquely positioned to provide a local, secure, year-round and long-term source of limestone aggregate to all nearby projects. Visit www.hammerstone.ca for information. For more information General Inquiries: Tom Zais, CEO, BURNCO, 403 255 2600, communications@burnco.com Media Inquiries: Stephen Lewis, SWL Communications, 403 472 6574, stephen@swlconsulting.ca To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/208532 SOURCE: BURNCO Rock Products Ltd. Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, May 09 For immediate release 9 May 2024 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announce that it has today purchased 124,977 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 854.91 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company. The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 23 January 2024. Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 41,435,931; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 183,555,372. The figure of 183,555,372 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. For and on behalf of Frostrow Capital LLP Company Secretary For further information, please contact: Victoria Hale Frostrow Capital LLP Tel: 020 3 170 8732 Redde Northgate Plc - Transaction in Own Shares PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, May 09 NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF SUCH JURISDICTION 9 May 2024 REDDE NORTHGATE PLC ("Redde Northgate" or the "Group" or the "Company") Transaction in Own Shares Redde Northgate plc (LSE:REDD) announces that on 9 May 2024 it purchased the following number of its own shares to be held in treasury: Class of shares : Ordinary shares of 50p ("shares") Number of shares purchased : 50,000 Weighted average purchase price paid 400 pence per share Highest purchase price paid 400 pence per share Lowest purchase price paid 400 pence per share Following the above transaction, the Company's issued share capital consists of 246,091,423 ordinary shares of 50p each, of which 19,289,362 ordinary shares are held in treasury, and 1,000,000 preference shares of 50p each which do not carry any rights to vote. Therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 226,802,061 which may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in the Company under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. In accordance with Article 5(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (the Market Abuse Regulation) as incorporated into UK domestic law by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, the schedule below contains detailed information about the purchases made by Numis Securities Limited on behalf of the Company as part of the Company's buyback programme. Schedule of Purchases - Individual Transactions (as at 9 May 2024) Number of shares purchased Transaction price (GB pence per share) Time of transaction Transaction reference number Venue 50,000 400.00 15:59:19 00069886923TRLO0 LSE Notes This announcement is made in accordance with the requirements of Listing Rule 12.4.6. For further information contact: Buchanan David Rydell/Jamie Hooper/Hannah Ratcliff +44 (0) 207 466 5000 Notes to Editors: Redde Northgate is the leading integrated mobility solutions platform providing services across the vehicle lifecycle. The Company offers integrated mobility solutions to businesses, fleet operators, insurers, OEMs and other customers across seven key areas: vehicle rental, vehicle data, accident management, vehicle repairs, fleet management, service and maintenance, vehicle ancillary services and vehicle sales. The Company's core purpose is to keep its customers mobile, whether through meeting their regular mobility needs or by servicing and supporting them when unforeseen events occur. With its considerable scale and reach, Redde Northgate's mission is to offer a market-leading customer proposition and drive enhanced returns for shareholders by creating value through sustainable compounding growth. The Group aims to achieve this through the delivery of its strategic framework of Focus, Drive and Broaden. Redde Northgate services its customers through a network and diversified fleet of over 120,000 owned and leased vehicles, supporting over 600,000 managed vehicles, with more than 170 workshop, body shop and rental locations across the UK, Ireland and Spain and a specialist team of over 6,000 automotive services professionals. Further information please visit the Company's website: CHICAGO, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Arizton's latest research report, the Australia data center market is growing at a CAGR of 3.22% during 2023-2029. To Know More, Click: https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/australia-data-center-market-investment-analysis Australia Data Center Market Report Scope Report Attributes Details Market Size (Investment) USD 7.71 Billion (2029) Market Size (Area) 1,460.0 thousand sq. Feet (2029) Market Size (Power Capacity) 303.0 MW (2029) CAGR Investment (2023-2029) 3.22 % Colocation Market Size (Revenue) USD 2.05 Billion (2029) Historic Year 2020-2022 Base Year 2023 Forecast Year 2024-2029 The data center market in Australia has been witnessing significant growth in investments over the past few years. It is expected to grow at an absolute growth rate of around 20% between 2023-2029. Australia is among the top destinations for data center investments in the APAC region. Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth are the primary data center hubs hosting most data centers in the country. Canberra, Brisbane, Darwin, and other cities are among the emerging locations in Australia with abundant land availability for data center development. Investment Opportunities In November 2023, OVHcloud announced the launch of its upcoming SYD3 Sydney data center facility, which is expected to be operational in 2024. In November of 2023, Rest Super invested about $656 million in a data center in Brisbane, which Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners are developing. In November 2023, NEXTDC announced the development of the D1 data center facility in Darwin; the facility is expected to go operational by Q2 2024. AirTrunk announced the expansion of its SYD2 data center campus in Sydney; once fully built, the facility will account for an additional power capacity of around 30 MW, making it an aggregate capacity of around 120 MW. This second phase is expected to be completed in 2024. AirTrunk's upcoming SYD3 Sydney facility calls for an aggregate investment of about $670 million. In an August 2023 news article, Macquarie Data Centres revealed its plan to expand its upcoming IC3 Super West facility in Sydney regarding power capacity. As per January 2024 news article, Macquarie Data Centres has received approval to build/grow the IC3 Super West, its third facility in Sydney. In August 2023, STACK Infrastructure announced the MEL01 A data center launch in Melbourne, located at 399 Palmers Road. The entire campus will have a power capacity of around 72 MW, divided equally between buildings A and B. As of early 2024, Building B is still a work in progress. Furthermore, the company plans new facilities in Canberra, Hume, and Perth. Rising Procurement of Renewable Energy in Australia Boosting the Market Opportunities In 2022, according to IRENA, solar energy accounted for around 61% of Australia's overall renewable energy capacity, followed by wind, hydro, and bioenergy (in decreasing order), from which renewable power is extracted for all the sustainable energy needs of the country. Australia aims to achieve its target of zero carbon emissions by 2050. The country announced plans to reach almost 43% less emission than in 2005. According to the Australia National Electricity Market (NEM), the renewable energy share in the country is expected to reach around 41% by 2030. By 2025, Australia aims to achieve 100% instantaneous renewable energy for its main grid, starting with a half-hour period and gradually increasing to cover hours and days. This transition will be facilitated by an increase in wind, solar, and energy storage solutions to meet the country's new target of 82% renewables by 2030. The retirement of coal-based power generation facilities in the coming years will contribute to this goal. Microsoft in Australia Recent Development During 2022-2024: In October 2023, Microsoft, a hyperscale tech giant, decided to expand its footprint in Australia by investing over $3 billion to increase and expand its computing capacity in the country by over 250% in the next two years. It is expected to go live by late 2025. In July 2023, Microsoft announced the completion of the construction of Building 1 of the Station Road data center; Building 2 is still a work in progress. This is expected to be completed by late 2024. Why Should You Buy This Research? Market size is available in terms of investment, area, power capacity, and Australia colocation market revenue. An assessment of the data center investment in Australia by colocation, hyperscale, and enterprise operators. Investments in the area (square feet) and power capacity (MW) across cities in the country. A detailed study of the existing Australia data center market landscape, an in-depth market analysis, and insightful predictions about market size during the forecast period. Snapshot of existing and upcoming third-party data center facilities in Australia Facilities Covered (Existing): 135 Facilities Identified (Upcoming): 23 Coverage: 20 Locations Existing vs. Upcoming (Area) Existing vs. Upcoming (IT Load Capacity) Data Center Colocation Market in the Australia Colocation Market Revenue & Forecast (2023-2029) Retail Colocation Revenue (2023-2029) Retail Colocation Pricing The Australia data center market investments are classified into IT, power, cooling, and general construction services with sizing and forecast. A comprehensive analysis of the latest trends, growth rate, potential opportunities, growth restraints, and prospects for the industry. Business overview and product offerings of prominent IT infrastructure providers, construction contractors, support infrastructure providers, and investors operating in the market. A transparent research methodology and the analysis of the demand and supply aspects of the market. Market Segmentation IT Infrastructure Servers Storage Systems Network Infrastructure Electrical Infrastructure UPS Systems Generators Switches & Switchgears PDUs Other Electrical Infrastructure Mechanical Infrastructure Cooling Systems Rack Cabinets Other Mechanical Infrastructure Cooling Systems CRAC and CRAH Chillers Cooling Towers, Condensers and Dry Coolers Economizers and Evaporative Coolers Other Cooling Units General Construction Core & Shell Development Installation & commissioning Services Building & Engineering Design Fire Detection & Suppression Systems Physical Security Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) Tier Standard Tier I & Tier II Tier III Tier IV Geography Sydney Melbourne Perth Other Cities Vendor Landscape IT Infrastructure Providers: Arista Networks, Atos, Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Dell Technologies, Extreme Networks, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Hitachi Vintara, IBM, Juniper Networks, Lenovo, Oracle, Pure Storage, Quanta Cloud Technology, and Super Micro Computer. Arista Networks, Atos, Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Dell Technologies, Extreme Networks, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Hitachi Vintara, IBM, Juniper Networks, Lenovo, Oracle, Pure Storage, Quanta Cloud Technology, and Super Micro Computer. Data Center Construction Contractors & Sub-Contractors: AECOM, A W Edwards, Aurecon, Benmax, BGIS, Dem, FDC Construction & Fitout, FKG Group, Greenbox Architecture, HDR (Hurley Palmer Flatt), Hutchinson Builders, Icon, ISG, John Holland, Kapitol Group, Linesight, Manteena Group, Nilsen, Paramount Airconditioning, Parratech, SCEE Group, Stowe Australia, & Taylor Group Construction. AECOM, A W Edwards, Aurecon, Benmax, BGIS, Dem, FDC Construction & Fitout, FKG Group, Greenbox Architecture, HDR (Hurley Palmer Flatt), Hutchinson Builders, Icon, ISG, John Holland, Kapitol Group, Linesight, Manteena Group, Nilsen, Paramount Airconditioning, Parratech, SCEE Group, Stowe Australia, & Taylor Group Construction. Support Infrastructure Providers: ABB, Airedale, Alfa Laval, Canovate, Caterpillar, Condair, Cummins, Delta Electronics, Eaton, Everett Smith & Co, Green Revolution Cooling, HITEC Power Protection, Kohler, Legrand, Mitsubishi Electric, Piller Power Systems, Rittal, Rolls Royce, Schneider Electric, STULZ, Thycon, & Vertiv. ABB, Airedale, Alfa Laval, Canovate, Caterpillar, Condair, Cummins, Delta Electronics, Eaton, Everett Smith & Co, Green Revolution Cooling, HITEC Power Protection, Kohler, Legrand, Mitsubishi Electric, Piller Power Systems, Rittal, Rolls Royce, Schneider Electric, STULZ, Thycon, & Vertiv. Data Center Investors: 5G Networks, AirTrunk, Amazon Web Services, CDC Data Centres, DC Two, DCI Data Centers, Digital Realty, Equinix, Edge Centres, Fujitsu, Global Switch, Leading Edge Data Centres, Keppel Data Centres, Macquarie Data Centres, Microsoft, NEXTDC, & STACK Infrastructure. 5G Networks, AirTrunk, Amazon Web Services, CDC Data Centres, DC Two, DCI Data Centers, Digital Realty, Equinix, Edge Centres, Fujitsu, Global Switch, Leading Edge Data Centres, Keppel Data Centres, Macquarie Data Centres, Microsoft, NEXTDC, & STACK Infrastructure. New Entrants: GreenSquareDC, Stockland, Supernode, Trifalga, & Vantage Data Centers. Key Questions Answered in the Report: Q: How big is the Australia data center market? Q: How much MW of power capacity will be added across Australia from 2024 to 2029? Q: What is the growth rate of the Australia data center market? Q: What factors are driving the Australia data center market? Q: Which cities are included in the Australia data center market report? Get the Detailed TOC @ https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/australia-data-center-market-investment-analysis Check Out Some of the Top Selling Research Reports:??? Singapore Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2024-2029 South Korea Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2024-2029 Indonesia Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2024-2029 Taiwan Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2024-2029 Why Arizton????????????????? 100%?Customer Satisfaction???????????????? 24x7?availability - we are always there when you need us???????????????? 200+?Fortune 500 Companies trust Arizton's report???????????????? 80%?of our reports are exclusive and first in the industry???????????????? 100%?more data and analysis???????????????? 1500+?reports published till date????????????????? 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We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports.?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Contact Us?????????????????????????????????????????????????? Call: +1-312-235-2040????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????? +1 302 469 0707???????????????????????????????????????????????? Mail:?enquiry@arizton.com?????????????????????????????????????????????????? Contact Us:?https://www.arizton.com/contact-us?????????????????????????????????????????????????? Blog:?https://www.arizton.com/blog?????????????????????????????????????????????????? Website:?https://www.arizton.com/ Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2408813/Australia_Data_Center_Market.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/818553/Arizton_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/the-australia-data-center-market-size-will-witness-investments-of-7-71-billion-by-2029---get-insights-on-135-existing-data-centers-and-23-upcoming-facilities-across-australia---arizton-302141457.html Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands--(Newsfile Corp. - May 9, 2024) - Today, Cayman Story, spearheaded by renowned branding expert Qamar Zaman, announced the launch of "Brand IKIGAI," a new initiative designed to empower Cayman Islands businesses through transformative branding strategies. The initiative was introduced through a compelling new video titled Brand IKIGAI by Qamar Zaman Cayman Islands Brand Expert, now available on YouTube. https://youtu.be/4I5CTYbHuUM Brand IKIGAI for Cayman Islands To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8568/208558_b6de53795486caf6_001full.jpg Cannot view this video? Visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I5CTYbHuUM In the video, Qamar Zaman addresses a critical issue many businesses face-brand invisibility. Drawing on extensive research, Zaman highlights that 77% of B2B marketers believe strong branding is essential for growth, yet many businesses struggle to make a mark. "Brand IKIGAI" is set to change that by offering tailored solutions that ensure businesses stand out in a competitive marketplace. Key Highlights of "Brand IKIGAI": Foundational Strategies: Zaman lays down the crucial groundwork for businesses to achieve a branding breakthrough, focusing on creating a unique and cohesive brand identity. Success Stories and Inspirations: The initiative draws inspiration from global giants like Apple, showcasing how effective branding can resurrect businesses from the brink of failure to market leadership. Comprehensive Branding Approach: "Brand IKIGAI" emphasizes that branding extends beyond visual elements like logos and colors, focusing on unifying messaging across all platforms to create a consistent and memorable brand voice. Personal Touch in Branding: Zaman encourages businesses to infuse their personal stories and values into their brands, enhancing emotional connections and customer loyalty. Actionable Steps for Improvement: Businesses are encouraged to identify areas of improvement within their branding strategies and take actionable steps towards transformation. Qamar Zaman invites local business owners to engage with the "Brand IKIGAI" video on YouTube, participate in the discussion, and share their steps towards revitalizing their brands. "In a world full of noise, your brand should not just be seen but remembered," says Zaman. About Cayman Story: Cayman Story is a leading tech startup in the Cayman Islands dedicated to helping local businesses excel through innovative digital marketing, SEO, and personal branding services. With a focus on storytelling and strategic brand development, Cayman Story continues to be at the forefront of marketing innovation. For further information about "Brand IKIGAI" and other services offered by Cayman Story, please visit www.caymanstory.com or contact Qamar Zaman at 345-327-7206. Media Contact Jaci Patrick https://www.coffeewithq.org/ 345-327-7206 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/208558 SOURCE: Prodigy PR NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Antea Group Insights from SESHA's 46th Annual Symposium The week of April 22nd, 2024, Antea Group participated in SESHA's 46th Annual Symposium in Phoenix, Arizona. SESHA was founded in 1978 and promotes "the effective communication of safety, health, and environmental information to the high technology and associated industries." The Annual Symposium kicked off the event with Bootcamps for environmental, safety and health (ESH) professionals entering the high tech ESH field to advanced workshop sessions and learning opportunities lead by industry technical experts, as well as networking opportunities. In case you missed it, here are some key takeaways. Investment in the Semiconductor Industry The CHIPS Act, signed into law in August 2022, is a U.S. federal law enacted to bolster the competitiveness of the United States in semiconductor manufacturing, research, and development. This act is spurring a large monetary investment in the semiconductor manufacturing industry in the US. In fact, it provides approximately $52 billion in funding. This includes $39 billion in financial incentives such as grants and loans for semiconductor manufacturing plants. There's also an investment tax credit for semiconductor equipment or manufacturing facility investments, estimated to be worth $24 billion. The act also allocates funding towards semiconductor research, design, and development. This aims to advance semiconductor technology and ensure the U.S. remains at the forefront of tech innovation. By increasing domestic production of semiconductors, the CHIPS Act aims to reduce the U.S.'s reliance on foreign chip manufacturing, which is considered a national security priority. The hope is that more semiconductor companies will ramp up their investments in the US, leading to new production facilities being built and existing facilities being upgraded. 3 Key Challenges Facing the Semiconductor Industry Among this surge in money and investment, the semiconductor industry faces challenges. After SESHA, here are three key challenges worth noting for semiconductor manufacturers: 1. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting Due to the ever-changing ESG regulatory landscape, including recent legislation passing in the EU and stateside with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) climate disclosure rules, regulatory challenges are only increasing. While this is certainly a struggle across many different industries, the semiconductor industry has unique struggles due to the GHGs they use. Greenhouse gas emissions in the semiconductor industry primarily arise from the use of potent GHGs in manufacturing processes, such as perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandates that facilities emitting above certain thresholds report their emissions annually. This reporting includes direct emissions (Scope 1) and indirect emissions from purchased electricity (Scope 2). However, Scope 3 emissions, which cover all other indirect emissions not covered under Scope 2, such as those from purchased goods and services, business travel, and waste disposal, are increasingly under scrutiny. For semiconductor companies, the complexity of calculating Scope 3 emissions poses a significant challenge. These emissions are often not directly controllable but reflect the broader value chain impact. As regulations tighten and expand to incorporate broader emission sources, semiconductor companies find themselves in a race to enhance their reporting mechanisms and ensure compliance. 2. PFAS in the Semiconductor Industry The EPA started the first few months of 2024 by passing quite a few restrictions and regulations on PFAS. However, what many don't realize is that PFAS are a necessary component in semiconductor manufacturing. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association PFAS Consortium, currently, "no known alternatives exist for many of the industry's uses of fluorocarbons. Given its carbon-fluorine chemistry, PFAS-containing materials offer a unique set of surface tension, stability and chemical compatibility that many semiconductor applications require." The fear within the industry is stark: a complete ban on PFAS could critically damage semiconductor manufacturing. Some within the industry have moved their focus to advocating for exceptions for these new PFAS regulations where no viable alternatives exist. They are also working to ensure that regulations are informed by an understanding of the technical and economic realities of semiconductor production. So, while bans and restrictions on PFAS seem positive at face-value, the threat to the semiconductor industry is real, and getting that education from industry experts to government officials is ongoing. 3. Resource Conservation: Energy, Water, Resource and Waste Management Semiconductor manufacturing is resource-intensive, requiring significant quantities of water, energy, and resource management with the goal of eliminating or reducing waste of these resources. In addition, as semiconductor technology advances, the devices become smaller and more complex, requiring even greater precision and control in the manufacturing process. This leads to increasing demands for energy and materials to achieve the higher standards required by newer technologies. As competition for these resources intensifies, it's important for companies to prioritize sustainability and efficiency to reduce their environmental impacts and ensure long-term viability. Developing a strong resource management plan can help companies track their resource usage and implement reduction practices. Bringing it all Together The SESHA 46th Annual Symposium provided invaluable insights into the current and emerging challenges faced by the semiconductor industry. As the industry navigates the above challenges, strategic planning and proactive engagement with regulatory bodies will be key. This symposium underscored the critical need for ongoing education, collaboration, and adaptation within the industry, highlighting the essential role that EHS professionals play in shaping its trajectory. Looking for support navigating the EHS&S challenges in the semiconductor industry? Let's connect! View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Antea Group on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Antea Group Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/antea-group Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Antea Group View the original press release on accesswire.com Choral singing method transforms lives in Hunan 09:54, May 09, 2024 By Chen Nan ( China Daily Edit Lanczky, a Hungarian music teacher, gives a choir lesson to students at a primary school in Anren county, Hunan province, in August 2020. CHINA DAILY Zhou Baoyu still remembers the first time she was captivated by the melodic vocal performances of choral singing, when the big loudspeaker of the broadcast station in her village played In the Field of Hope, a joyful song composed by 20th century Chinese songwriter Shi Guangnan. As someone who was born and brought up in a small village in Anhua county, Hunan province, Zhou had never heard choral singing before and was intrigued. In 1995, she left her native village and went to high school in the town, where she saw a piano for the first time. On hearing Zhou's beautiful voice one day, her music teacher encouraged her to overcome her natural shyness and become the lead vocalist of the school's choir. That planted the seed of music in Zhou's heart, and she went on to become a music teacher in a primary school in Anhua in 2014. She founded a choir in the school, which however was put on pause in 2017. As she recalls, though the children loved choral singing, the level and method of teaching choral singing were not up to the mark in the small village. In 2019, Zhou was able to relaunch the choir in the school thanks to Edit Lanczky, a music teacher associated with the Beijing Hungarian Cultural Institute, who came to the school along with her Hungarian colleagues not only to teach the children how to sing, but also to train the local music teachers to make choral singing a part of the school's music education programs. The technique that Lanczky used to teach choral singing is known as the Kodaly method, a pioneering music education approach based on the work of Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodaly (1882-1967). The method, which embraces the key principle of learning by singing with the human voice as the fundamental instrument, was inscribed on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016. It also involves hand signs, rhythmic proficiency, creative collaborations and cultural connections. According to Lanczky, in Kodaly's time, pianos were not commonly available to Hungarian families. Consequently, the style of singing without instrumental accompaniment, known as a cappella, was utilized. Many ancient Hungarian ballads were passed down through generations, unaccompanied by music. "For children, the vocalized sound is natural, but using musical instruments isn't," she told China Daily during an interview in 2020. "That's why the Kodaly method isn't restricted by spaces and conditions." Zhou, the Anhua music teacher, said that for children in rural areas, it is a luxury to learn music, as musical instruments are expensive and the level of music education is not as high as that of big cities. "Singing is the simplest and most direct way for children to learn and enjoy music," she said, adding that Lanczky and her colleagues used several engaging techniques such as role-playing games to make learning music fun for the students. "For local music teachers like me, we learned from them how to train the children to sing in a choir using hand signs," said Zhou, 44. Chen Chenxi, a music teacher from Hunan's Anren county, also received training in the Kodaly method. "Children make friends when they sing in choirs. They do rehearsals every week. It inspires them to do better in other classes," said Chen, 32, who was introduced to choral singing in university and fell in love with the art form. The Hungarian music teachers, led by Lanczky, were invited to China by the Beijing Deqing Foundation, a charity devoted to improving education in the country's rural areas. Nearly 2,000 Chinese music teachers and students attended the classes held by Lanczky and her colleagues both online and in-person during the past five years, said Li Kemei, founder of the charity, who met Lanczky in 2018 and initiated the idea of inviting her and the others to offer music lessons to Chinese teachers and children in rural areas. "We believe that music should be accessible to everyone. I feel very touched and proud when I see the smiles on children's faces, when they sing in a choir. In fact, singing in a choir is beyond music itself. The children become more confident and sociable," Li said. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) Gorayeb & Associates Founder Leads Initiatives to Support Marginalized and Undocumented Students at His Alma Mater NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Gorayeb & Associates is proud to highlight the philanthropic efforts of its founder, Christopher Gorayeb, a Bates College alumnus who has significantly contributed to promoting equity, diversity, and financial aid for students from marginalized backgrounds, including undocumented students, at his alma mater, Bates College. Christopher Gorayeb at Bates College Christopher Gorayeb, founder of Gorayeb & Associates, stands outside Bates College, highlighting his dedication to fostering equity and diversity through initiatives that support marginalized and undocumented students. Christopher Gorayeb, who graduated in 1980 and later served on the board of trustees for 15 years, has been a driving force behind several initiatives aimed at enhancing the educational experience for students facing systemic barriers. His establishment of The Gorayeb Family Fund for Equity and Diversity in 2017 marks a cornerstone in Bates College's efforts to promote equity and inclusion. The fund annually supports diversity programs and events, including providing winter clothing for students in need and establishing a dedicated campus space for marginalized students to access resources and build community. For a detailed overview of The Gorayeb Family's impact, visit: Bates College Campaign News. Elevating his commitment, in 2021, Gorayeb pledged his support to The Schuler Access Initiative, targeting Pell-eligible students and low-income and undocumented students. The Schuler Access Initiative matched contributions from Bates donors like Gorayeb, funneling a $70 million boost into financial aid for undocumented and Pell-eligible students at Bates. Discover more about this transformative initiative: The Schuler Access Initiative at Bates. Christopher Gorayeb's philanthropic endeavors at Bates College reflect a deep-seated belief in the power of education to transform lives and break down systemic barriers. His work exemplifies a broader mission of social responsibility and advocacy, mirroring the values he embodies through his leadership at Gorayeb & Associates. The firm, known for its vigorous defense of construction accident victims, extends its commitment to justice and community support, underscoring a holistic approach to making a difference in society. About Gorayeb & Associates: Gorayeb & Associates, a leading New York law firm founded by Christopher Gorayeb, specializes in personal injury and construction accident cases. The firm is renowned for its unwavering commitment to advocating for the rights and well-being of workers and their families. Parallel to its legal endeavors, Gorayeb & Associates is actively involved in community outreach and philanthropic efforts, aimed at creating equitable opportunities and fostering a more inclusive society. Contact Information Ian Jorge Miller imiller@gorayeb.com 212-267-9222 SOURCE: Gorayeb & Associates View the original press release on newswire.com. NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Covia At Covia, we believe that thriving communities can help change the world. That's why The Covia Foundation, Covia's philanthropic arm, has been investing in social impact for decades. We have worked with our partners and communities across the world to make a difference through time, talent, and financial support. This year, Covia employees have already donated hundreds of hours in the communities where we live and work. Below are a few ways our employees are making a difference. To learn more about The Covia Foundation, please visit https://www.coviacorp.com/esg/positive-social-impact/the-covia-foundation/. Huntersville, North Carolina Office Bags of Hope Covia Team Members recently showed their support for Bags of Hope by assembling more than 140 bags of food for children in the local community. Bags of Hope is an organization that aims to provide weekend food supplies to school children in the Lake Norman, North Carolina, area who face food insecurity. Currently, they support over 700 kids in the region every weekend. These bags consist of nutritious breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, and beverage items. Roff, Oklahoma Plant Roff Food Pantry As part of the Roff Plant's commitment to its local community, Steve Burrows, Maintenance Lead Man, proposed establishing a community food pantry. The City of Roff approved the project, and the maintenance team, including Steve, James Gregory, and Adom Black, began designing the pantry. After the design was approved by the city and location was determined, the Roff maintenance team took the lead once again and built the pantry at Veteran's Park. Once completed, the local community quickly filled the shelves. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the community and our plant team, this invaluable resource became accessible to those in need. Troy Grove, Illinois Plant Camp Tuckabatchee Covia's Troy Grove, Illinois, plant volunteered at Camp Tuckabatchee, a youth camp that provides a safe environment where campers have the opportunity to develop an understanding and appreciation of nature. Team members removed and replaced shutters, removed hardware from sleeping cabins, helped dig out and rebuild fire pits around the camp, and helped clean up leaves and sticks. Portage, Wisconsin Plant Wisconsin Department of Transportation Adopt-A-Highway Program Covia's Portage plant actively participates in the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's Adopt-A-Highway program. Covia employees, along with their extended family members, were given the opportunity to clean up the area along highway 51. In this year's cleanup, they managed to collect a total of 18 trash bags filled with trash and debris. Additionally, they safely disposed of larger items like tires, pallets, hub caps, and wood pieces. The volunteers witnessed firsthand the impact of littering, but they also experienced the satisfaction of making a positive change by cleaning up their local area. The Woodlands, Texas Office Kids' Meals In collaboration with the Power of HalliburtonTM, Covia's office in The Woodlands, Texas, spent time at Kids' Meals assembling more than 500 sandwiches for preschool children in Montgomery County, Texas. Kids' Meals' mission is to end childhood hunger in Houston by delivering free healthy meals, year-round, to the doorsteps of Houston's hungriest preschool-aged children and, through collaboration, provide their families with resources to end the cycle of poverty. Ottawa, Illinois Office Shepherd Middle School The total solar eclipse was an extraordinary and significant event, serving as an educational experience for many schools in the United States. Tony Michels, Accounting Manager at Covia, went out of his way to support Shepherd Middle School by securing funds from The Covia Foundation and volunteering his time. Thanks to Covia's support in offsetting the cost of eclipse glasses and Tony's dedication, the students were able to safely experience this rare natural phenomenon. Tony later stated, "it was truly gratifying to witness the joy and excitement of the students during this momentous occasion." View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Covia on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Covia Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/covia Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Covia View the original press release on accesswire.com (NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE U.S.) TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. (TSXV:BAY)(OTCQB:ATBHF) ("Aston Bay" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has today closed a first tranche of the Company's non-brokered private placement, previously announced on April 24, 2024 (the "Offering"). Pursuant to this first tranche of the Offering, the Company has issued 9,200,000 flow-through shares (each a "FT Share") at a price of $0.15 per FT Share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $1,380,000. The closing is subject to final acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. All shares acquired by the placees under the first tranche of the Offering, are subject to a hold period until September 10, 2024, in accordance with applicable Canadian securities legislation. In connection with the closing of the first tranche of the Offering, Aston Bay has paid aggregate cash finder's fees of $82,880 to three arm's length finders, representing 6% of the proceeds raised from subscriptions by placees introduced by the finders. Non-flow through units (the "Units") at a price of $0.12 per Unit (the "LIFE Offering") and FT Shares at a price of $0.15 per FT Share continue to be available as part of the Offering, in which the Company may raise up to an additional $3,620,000. Each Unit will consist of one Common Share and one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"), with each Warrant entitling the holder thereof to acquire an additional Common Share (the "Warrant Share") at an exercise price of $0.18 per Warrant Share for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance. The Units to be issued under the LIFE Offering will be offered to purchasers pursuant to the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption (the "LIFE Exemption") under Part 5A of National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions, in all the provinces and territories of Canada, except Quebec. The FT Shares will be sold pursuant to the exemptions from the prospectus requirements in Canada other than the LIFE Exemption in each of the jurisdictions of Canada and in offshore jurisdictions. The FS Shares will be subject to statutory hold periods in accordance with applicable Canadian Securities Laws. There is an offering document (the "Offering Document") related to the LIFE Offering that can be accessed under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website at https://astonbayholdings.com/news/all. Prospective investors of the Units should read the Offering Document before making an investment decision. The Company plans to use the net proceeds of the Offering for exploration and development purposes of its projects in Nunavut, Canada and Virginia, USA and for working capital and general corporate purposes. The Offering is scheduled to close on or about May 30, 2024 or on such other date as the Company may determine, and is subject to receipt of all necessary approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company anticipates that current insiders of the Company may participate in the Offering. Subject to Exchange approval, finder's fees may be paid to persons who introduce the Company to investors. The Offering may be closed in tranches as subscriptions are received. The securities offered have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold absent registration or compliance with an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) has reviewed or accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. About Aston Bay Holdings Aston Bay is a publicly traded mineral exploration company exploring for high-grade copper and gold deposits in Virginia, USA, and Nunavut, Canada. The Company is led by CEO Thomas Ullrich with exploration in Virginia directed by the Company's advisor, Don Taylor, the 2018 Thayer Lindsley Award winner for his discovery of the Taylor Pb-Zn-Ag Deposit in Arizona. The Company is currently exploring the Storm Project property and Epworth property in Nunavut, as well as the high-grade Buckingham Gold Vein and critical metals prospects in central Virginia and is in advanced stages of negotiation on other lands with high-grade copper potential in the area. The Company and its joint venture partners, American West Metals Limited and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Tornado Metals Ltd. (collectively, "American West") have agreed to form a 20/80 unincorporated joint venture and enter into a joint venture agreement in respect of the Storm Project property, which hosts the Storm Copper Project and the Seal Zinc Deposit. Under such agreement, Aston Bay shall have a free carried interest until American West has made a decision to mine upon completion of a bankable feasibility study, meaning American West will be solely responsible for funding the joint venture until such decision is made. After such decision is made, Aston Bay will be diluted in the event it does not elect to contribute its proportionate share and its interest in the Storm Project property will be converted into a 2% net smelter returns royalty if its interest is diluted to below 10%. Further details are available on the Company's website at https://astonbayholdings.com/. The Company's public disclosure documents are available on www.sedarplus.ca. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Statements made in this press release, including those regarding the closing and the use of proceeds of the private placement, management objectives, forecasts, estimates, expectations, or predictions of the future may constitute "forward-looking statement", which can be identified by the use of conditional or future tenses or by the use of such verbs as "believe", "expect", "may", "will", "should", "estimate", "anticipate", "project", "plan", and words of similar import, including variations thereof and negative forms. This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect, as of the date of this press release, Aston Bay's expectations, estimates and projections about its operations, the mining industry and the economic environment in which it operates. Statements in this press release that are not supported by historical fact are forward-looking statements, meaning they involve risk, uncertainty and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although Aston Bay believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which apply only at the time of writing of this press release. Aston Bay disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by securities legislation. We seek safe harbour. THIS PRESS RELEASE, REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE CANADIAN LAWS, IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES, AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO SELL ANY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN IN THE UNITED STATES. THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN, AND WILL NOT BE, REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO U.S. PERSONS UNLESS REGISTERED OR EXEMPT THEREFROM. 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 news release. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Ullrich, Chief Executive Officer thomas.ullrich@astonbayholdings.com (416) 456-3516 SOURCE: Aston Bay Holdings Ltd View the original press release on accesswire.com GP Transco Takes a Stand Against Human Trafficking Through Partnership with TAT (Truckers Against Trafficking) JOLIET, IL / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / GP Transco, a leading transportation and logistics company, has officially partnered with TAT (Truckers Against Trafficking), a non-profit organization dedicated to combating human trafficking through partnerships with key agencies and industries, including the transportation industry. This collaboration underscores GP Transco's commitment to corporate social responsibility and its determination to contribute to the fight against this heinous crime. GP Transco Partners with Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) GP Transco Partners with Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) Human trafficking is a pervasive global issue, with millions of individuals exploited each year. The transportation industry, due to its widespread reach and mobility, plays a crucial role in both the prevention and detection of human trafficking. GP Transco recognizes its responsibility in this regard and is taking proactive steps to address this issue head-on. By joining TAT, GP Transco gains access to valuable resources, training, and support to empower its employees with the knowledge and tools necessary to identify and report potential instances of human trafficking. Through education and awareness initiatives, the company aims to mobilize its workforce and industry peers in the fight against this form of modern-day slavery. "We are proud to align ourselves with TAT in the shared mission of combating human trafficking," said Dominic Zastarskis, CEO of GP Transco. "As a company deeply invested in the well-being of our community, we believe it is our duty to leverage our resources and influence to make a meaningful impact in the fight against this egregious crime. Together with TAT, we are committed to raising awareness, educating our employees, and actively participating in efforts to end human trafficking." "TAT applauds GP Transco's dedication to this important cause and welcomes them as a valued partner in the fight against human trafficking," said Molly Griffiths, TAT Corporate Engagement manager. "Through collaboration and collective action, both organizations are poised to make a significant difference in the lives of trafficking victims and contribute to the eradication of this grave human rights violation." For more information about TAT, please visit: www.tatnonprofit.org. About GP Transco: GP Transco is a leading transportation company committed to providing innovative and sustainable solutions to its customers. With a focus on safety and customer satisfaction, GP Transco delivers superior transportation services across the United States. About Truckers Against Trafficking: TAT (Truckers Against Trafficking) is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to raising up a defensive force of transportation professionals across North America to assist law enforcement in the recognition and reporting of human trafficking, in order to aid in the recovery of victims and the arrest of perpetrators. TAT partners with the trucking, truck stop, bus, and energy industries to engage their workforces in this fight, as well as with government agencies and law enforcement throughout the U.S. and Canada. Media Contact: Sergey Bort | VP of Marketing and Strategy Phone: 708.286.5411 Email: sergey@GPtransco.com Contact Information Sergey Bort Vice President of Marketing and Strategy sergey@gptransco.com (708) 286-5411 SOURCE: GP Transco View the original press release on newswire.com. NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / U.S. Soy Soybeans grown in fields surrounding communities across the U.S. will soon be used to fight fires while protecting the environment from harsh chemicals. SoyFoam TF 1122, made with U.S. soy flour, is used by firefighters to extinguish ordinary combustible and flammable liquid fires. Developed by Cross Plains Solutions (CPS), SoyFoam TF 1122 is a breakthrough smothering agent designed to extinguish Class A and B fires. It is also free from intentionally added PFAs chemicals and contains no detectable fluorines (less than one part per million). "U.S. soybean farmers are excited that the crop we grow now offers a sustainable solution to benefit the health of firefighters, all our communities and the environment in general," said USB Director Neal Bredehoeft, a Missouri soybean farmer. "SoyFoam is made with U.S. soy flour and is an important new market opportunity, too." EPA reports that PFAs are found in water, air, fish, and soil across the nation and the globe. Since the 1950s, PFAs have been used in many products to put out fires, repel oil and water, reduce friction, and more. They can leak into the environment where they are made, used, disposed of or spilled. Exposure to PFAs is linked to several adverse health effects, including certain cancers, thyroid dysfunction, changes in cholesterol and small reductions in birth weight. As a result, governments are prohibiting firefighting foams that contain intentionally added PFAs. Cross Plains Solutions' SoyFoam TF 1122 is the first and only firefighting foam GreenScreen Certified at the Gold level. U.S. soybean farmers have supported much of the extensive testing of SoyFoam's environmental and performance benefits for use as a safer firefighting foam. GreenScreen Certified, owned by the non-profit Clean Production Action, is an independent, certification program that promotes the use of PFAs-free and preferred chemicals in materials, products, and manufacturing. "We are proud to partner with the United Soybean Board to launch this breakthrough firefighting foam for use by fire departments across the nation," said CPS's Managing Partner, Alan Snipes. "Our manufacturing plant in Georgia is ready to produce SoyFoam now, so fire departments can ask their suppliers to offer it. We also see demand for numerous additional applications, ranging from canisters to sprinkler systems." The new firefighting foam is compatible with existing equipment, making it convenient to use and compatible with current systems. Thomas Frisch, a soybean farmer from Dumont, Minnesota and a 23-year volunteer firefighter, is proud that the soybeans he grows in his fields could be used in the firefighting foam his local fire department uses to protect his community. "I think there would be a lot of interest in using SoyFoam because many of the people on rural volunteer fire departments either work on a farm, in the ag industry or are farmers themselves," Frisch says. "There are very few people on our fire department who are not involved in ag in some way. It never ceases to amaze me the things soybeans do each and every day." SoyFoam is a wetting / smothering agent certified as readily biodegradable by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development and certified as 84% biobased through the U.S. Department of Agriculture BioPreferred program. Robb Ewoldt, a farmer leader from Davenport and former volunteer firefighter in Iowa, is always amazed at the new uses of the soybeans he grows. "The people coming up with these ideas are outside-the-box thinkers," he says. "Who would've thought that a farmer from Iowa could grow something that would end up fueling jets to fly across the country and foam to fight fires? I wouldn't have thought of it in my wildest dreams." Because biobased products have the potential to create new markets for soybeans, U.S. soybean farmers have invested millions of dollars in research, testing, and promotion of biobased products. Much of this work was done through the United Soybean Board, composed of 77 U.S. soybean farmers appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to invest in soybean checkoff funds. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from U.S. Soy on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: U.S. Soy Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/us-soy Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: U.S. Soy View the original press release on accesswire.com NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Case IH, a brand of CNH, partnered with Pakdee College of Commerce of Technology to introduce a first-of-its-kind Dual Programme under its Diploma in Agricultural Machinery program. In line with its long-standing commitment to equip Thailand's agriculture talent with future-ready skills, Case IH has donated an Austoft 4000 sugarcane harvester for use in the hands-on workshop which is being jointly delivered by Pakdee instructors and Case IH product experts. The course covers a wide range of skills, from basic maintenance to complex machinery assembly, offering students a comprehensive understanding of modern harvester technology. Under the Dual Programme, students earn credits upon successfully completing their apprenticeship. One of the Agricultural Machinery students, 24-year-old Woraphot Phongsraphang, said the practical workshop has enhanced his understanding of technical concepts: "Working with a real harvester immerses us in the machinery world, providing a hands-on experience that complements the theories we learn in the classroom," he said. The 24-year-old aspiring mechanic said he had experience fixing cars but never imagined he would be learning with a real harvester. "At first, I thought it would be very challenging to assemble it and to adjust the components but our instructors at Pakdee and Case IH guided us step-by-step. It was a valuable experience," Woraphot shared. Natthaphong Onchana, another student in the program, noted how the training has improved his farm work and future career prospects. "Theory alone is not enough. Putting theory into practice, such as seeing, touching and assembling the actual machine parts, helps us understand how to use and maintain the harvester properly and more effectively." CNH is committed to equipping Thailand's future farmers with the right resources for success in the field. Through the company's initiatives with local communities worldwide, CNH is dedicated to supporting the future of farming in Thailand and across the globe. CNH is committed to equipping Thailand's future farmers with the right resources for success in the field. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from CNH Industrial on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: CNH Industrial Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/cnh-industrial Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: CNH Industrial View the original press release on accesswire.com The following abrdn U.S. Closed-End Funds (NYSE:ACP, AGD, AOD, AWP, JEQ, THQ, THW)(NYSE American:AEF, FAX, FCO, IAF, VFL), announced today that the closed end funds in the chart directly below will pay the distributions indicated on a per share basis on May 31, 2024 to all shareholders of record as of May 23, 2024 (ex-dividend date May 22, 2024). These dates apply to the Funds listed below with the exception of the abrdn Australia Equity Fund, Inc. (IAF) and the abrdn Japan Equity Fund, Inc. (JEQ) which will pay on June 28, 2024, to all shareholders of record as of May 23, 2024 (ex-dividend date May 22, 2024). Ticker Exchange Fund Amount ACP NYSE abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund $ 0.1000 AGD NYSE abrdn Global Dynamic Dividend Fund $ 0.0650 AOD NYSE abrdn Total Dynamic Dividend Fund $ 0.0575 AWP NYSE abrdn Global Premier Properties Fund $ 0.0400 FAX NYSE American Abrdn Asia-Pacific Income Fund, Inc. $ 0.0275 FCO NYSE American abrdn Global Income Fund, Inc. $ 0.0700 IAF NYSE American abrdn Australia Equity Fund, Inc. $ 0.1200 JEQ NYSE abrdn Japan Equity Fund, Inc. $ 0.1200 THQ NYSE abrdn Healthcare Opportunities Fund $ 0.1800 THW NYSE abrdn World Healthcare Fund $ 0.1167 VFL NYSE American abrdn National Municipal Income Fund $ 0.0450 At the end of each calendar year, a Form 1099-DIV will be sent to shareholders, which will state the amount and composition of each fund's distributions and provide information with respect to their appropriate tax treatment for the prior calendar year. You should not draw any conclusions about any of these Funds' investment performance from the amount of the distributions. MANAGED DISTRIBUTION POLICY FUNDS ANNOUNCE DISTRIBUTION PAYMENT DETAILS abrdn Australia Equity Fund, Inc. ("IAF") abrdn Japan Equity Fund, Inc. ("JEQ") abrdn Healthcare Opportunities Fund ("THQ") abrdn World Healthcare Fund ("THW") The above-noted abrdn U.S. Closed-End Funds (the "Funds" or individually the "Fund"), today announced that the Funds will pay the distributions noted in the chart above on May 31, 2024, on a per share basis to all shareholders of record as of May 23, 2024 (ex-dividend date May 22, 2024). These dates apply to the Funds listed below with the exception of the abrdn Australia Equity Fund, Inc. (IAF) and the abrdn Japan Equity Fund, Inc. (JEQ) which will pay on June 28, 2024, to all shareholders of record as of May 23, 2024 (ex-dividend date May 22, 2024). For the abrdn Australia Equity Fund, Inc. ("IAF") and the abrdn Japan Equity Fund, Inc. ("JEQ"), this stock distribution will automatically be paid in newly issued shares of the Fund unless otherwise instructed by the shareholder. Shares of common stock will be issued at the lower of the net asset value ("NAV") per share or the market price per share with a floor for the NAV of not less than 95% of the market price. The valuation date for this stock distribution is June 18, 2024. Fractional shares will generally be settled in cash, except for registered shareholders with book entry accounts at Computershare Investor Services who will have whole and fractional shares added to their account. Shareholders may request to be paid their quarterly distributions in cash instead of shares of common stock by providing advance notice to the bank, brokerage or nominee who holds their shares if the shares are in "street name," or by filling out in advance an election card received from Computershare Investor Services if the shares are in registered form. To receive the quarterly distribution payable in June 2024 in cash instead of shares of common stock, the bank, brokerage or nominee who holds the shares must advise the Depository Trust Company as to the full and fractional shares for which they want the distribution paid in cash by June 17, 2024, and written notification for the election of cash by registered shareholders must be received by Computershare Investor Services prior to June 17, 2024. Each Fund has adopted a distribution policy to provide investors with a stable distribution out of current income, supplemented by realized capital gains and, to the extent necessary, paid-in capital in reliance on an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Under applicable U.S. tax rules, the amount and character of distributable income for each Fund's fiscal year can be finally determined only as of the end of the Fund's fiscal year. However, under Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") and related rules, the Funds may be required to indicate to shareholders the estimated source of certain distributions to shareholders. The following tables set forth the estimated amounts of the sources of the distributions for purposes of Section 19 of the 1940 Act and the rules adopted thereunder. The tables have been computed based on generally accepted accounting principles. The tables include estimated amounts and percentages for the current distributions to be paid as well as for the cumulative distributions paid relating to fiscal year to date, from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short-term capital gains; net realized long-term capital gains; and return of capital. The estimated compositions of the distributions may vary because the estimated composition may be impacted by future income, expenses and realized gains and losses on securities and currencies. The Funds' estimated sources of the current distributions to be paid and for its current fiscal year to date are as follows: Estimated Amounts of Current Distribution per Share Fund Distribution Amount Net Investment Income Net Realized Short-Term Gains* Net Realized Long-Term Gains Return of Capital IAF $ 0.1200 $0.0048 4% - - - - $0.1152 96% JEQ $ 0.1200 $0.0348 29% $0.0000 0% $0.0000 0% $0.0852 71% THQ $ 0.1800 - - - - $0.0018 1% $0.1782 99% THW $ 0.1167 - - $0.0070 6% $0.0128 11% $0.0969 83% Estimated Amounts of Fiscal Year to Date Cumulative Distributions per Share Fund Fiscal Year** to Date Distribution Amount Net Investment Income Net Realized Short-Term Gains* Net Realized Long-Term Gains Return of Capital IAF $0.3500 $0.0140 4% - - - - $0.3360 96% JEQ $ 0.3300 $0.0957 29% $0.0000 0% $0.0000 0% $0.2343 71% THQ $ 1.1700 - - - - $0.0117 1% $1.1583 99% THW $ 0.9336 - - $0.0560 6% $0.1027 11% $0.7749 83% ** THQ and THW have a 9/30 fiscal year end. IAF and JEQ have a 10/31 fiscal year end. Where the estimated amounts above show a portion of the distribution to be a "Return of Capital," it means that Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur for example, when some or all the money that you invested in a Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income." As of May 9, 2024, after giving effect to this payment, THW estimates it has a net deficit of $11,103,594. A net deficit results when the Fund has net unrealized losses that are in excess of any net realized gains that have not yet been distributed. The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The final determination of the source of all distributions for the current year will only be made after year-end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of the fiscal year and may be subject to change based on tax regulations. After the end of each calendar year, a Form 1099-DIV will be sent to shareholders for the prior calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. The following table provides the Funds' total return performance based on net asset value (NAV) over various time periods compared to the Funds' annualized and cumulative distribution rates. Fund Performance and Distribution Rate Information Fund Average Annual Total Return on NAV for the 5 Year Period Ending 04/30/2024 Current Fiscal Period's Annualized Distribution Rate on NAV Cumulative Total Return on NAV Cumulative Distribution Rate on NAV IAF 6.88% 10.15% 15.73% 4.97% JEQ 3.87% 6.14% 19.87% 3.00% THQ 9.88% 9.96% 10.45% 4.69% THW 8.37% 11.69% 9.37% 6.82% 1 Return data is net of all fund expenses and fees and assumes the reinvestment of all distributions reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund's dividend reinvestment plan. 2 Based on the Fund's NAV as of April 30, 2024. Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about a Fund's investment performance from the amount of the Fund's current distributions or from the terms of the distribution policy (the "Distribution Policy"). While NAV performance may be indicative of the Fund's investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund is determined by the Fund's market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Fund's shares in the open market. Pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Funds may distribute any long-term capital gains more frequently than the limits provided in Section 19(b) under the 1940 Act and Rule 19b-1 thereunder. Therefore, distributions paid by the Funds during the year may include net income, short-term capital gains, long-term capital gains and/or a return of capital. Net income dividends and short-term capital gain dividends, while generally taxable at ordinary income rates, may be eligible, to the extent of qualified dividend income earned by the Funds, to be taxed at a lower rate not to exceed the maximum rate applicable to your long-term capital gains. Distributions made in any calendar year in excess of investment company taxable income and net capital gain are treated as taxable ordinary dividends to the extent of undistributed earnings and profits, and then as a return of capital that reduces the adjusted basis in the shares held. To the extent return of capital distributions exceed the adjusted basis in the shares held, capital gain is recognized with a holding period based on the period the shares have been held at the date such amount is received. The payment of distributions in accordance with the Distribution Policy may result in a decrease in the Fund's net assets. A decrease in the Fund's net assets may cause an increase in the Fund's annual operating expense ratio and a decrease in the Fund's market price per share to the extent the market price correlates closely to the Fund's net asset value per share. The Distribution Policy may also negatively affect the Fund's investment activities to the extent that the Fund is required to hold larger cash positions than it typically would hold or to the extent that the Fund must liquidate securities that it would not have sold, for the purpose of paying the distribution. Each Fund's Board has the right to amend, suspend or terminate the Distribution Policy at any time. The amendment, suspension or termination of the Distribution Policy may affect the Fund's market price per share. Investors should consult their tax advisor regarding federal, state, and local tax considerations that may be applicable in their particular circumstances. Circular 230 disclosure : To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the U.S. Treasury, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein. In the United States, abrdn is the marketing name for the following affiliated, registered investment advisers: abrdn Inc., abrdn Investments Limited, abrdn Asia Limited, abrdn Private Equity (Europe) Limited, and abrdn ETFs Advisors LLC. Closed-end funds are traded on the secondary market through one of the stock exchanges. A Fund's investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares may be worth more or less than the original cost. Shares of closed-end funds may trade above (a premium) or below (a discount) the net asset value (NAV) of the fund's portfolio. There is no assurance that a Fund will achieve its investment objective. Past performance does not guarantee future results. www.abrdn.com/en-us/cefinvestorcenter ### For More Information Contact: abrdn U.S. Closed-End Funds Investor Relations 1-800-522-5465 Investor.Relations@abrdn.com SOURCE: abrdn U.S. Closed-End Funds View the original press release on accesswire.com Performance Sets New Record for First Quarter Revenue ANN ARBOR, MI / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Zomedica Corp. (NYSE American:ZOM) ("Zomedica" or the "Company"), a veterinary health company offering point-of-care diagnostic and therapeutic products for equine and companion animals, today reported consolidated financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024. 2024 First Quarter Financial Highlights Revenue for the first quarter of 2024 grew 14% to $6.3 million, compared to first quarter 2023 revenue, driven by 9% growth over the prior year in the Therapeutic Devices segment and 86% growth over the prior year in the Diagnostics segment. Consumable revenues grew to $4.0 million, up 7% over first quarter 2023 revenues of $3.8 million, and represent 64% of total sales. Capital revenues grew to $2.2 million, up 30% over first quarter 2023 revenues of $1.7 million. Gross margin was 66% for the first quarter of 2024. Total cash used during the quarter was $9.6 million. When adjusted for non-recurring one-time items, our non-GAAP operating burn was approximately $4.4 million, in line with first quarter expectations and previously provided annual guidance for 2024. "During the first quarter, we built on the momentum generated during 2023," commented Zomedica Chief Executive Officer, Larry Heaton. "As we continued to execute on our strategy to drive growth in 2024 and beyond, we delivered the strongest first quarter in company history. "We are seeing the positive impact of our significantly expanded portfolio combined with the growth and optimization of our commercial organization. Supporting the accelerated adoption of our innovative technologies was a series of clinical data publications specifically highlighting the benefits of PulseVet across multiple indications as well as the diagnostic efficacy of TRUFORMA as compared to competitive platforms." "Looking ahead, we remain enthusiastic about the opportunity that exists for Zomedica. With our strategy in place to accelerate growth, maintain industry-leading margins, and capture efficiencies, we are very well positioned to scale the business to achieve profitability and grow revenue to $100 million and beyond," concluded Mr. Heaton. 2024 First Quarter Results Review Revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2024, was $6.3 million, compared to $5.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, an increase of $0.8 million or approximately 14%. The increase was driven by growth in both operating segments: Therapeutic Devices and Diagnostics. Cost of revenue was $2.1 million, compared to $1.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, an increase of $0.5 million. Margins remained strong at 66%, in line with expectations. Adjusting for our Qorvo Biotechnologies LLC ("QBT") acquisition and other one-time items brings our gross margin for the quarter to over 69%, in line with recent levels. Operating expenses were $14.5 million, compared to $11.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, an increase of $3.2 million or 28%. When adjusted for one-time, non-recurring charges, and expenses associated with ongoing QBT operations, total operating expenses grew just over 20% on a comparative basis. We continue to expect total operating expenses as a percentage of total revenue to decrease throughout the balance of the year. Research and development expenses were $1.8 million, compared to $0.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, an increase of $0.9 million or 100%. The increase was almost exclusively driven by the integration of our acquisition of QBT, and investments in acquiring CE marking, attesting to compliance with the European Commission's safety and emissions standards, for our TRUFORMA, TRUVIEW and VetGuardian products, incorporating Artificial Intelligence ("AI") into our TRUVIEW and VetGuardian products and developing new TRUFORMA assays for launch later this year. Selling and marketing expense was $4.1 million, compared to $3.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, an increase of $0.7 million or 20%. The increase was primarily due to our growing sales organization and higher trade show expenses associated with launching and marketing additional products at the two largest animal health trade shows which were held in the first quarter. General and administrative expense was $8.6 million, compared to $7.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, an increase of $1.6 million or 23%. The increase was primarily driven by professional fees for specialized accounting work and audit work associated with 2023 acquisitions; and additional fees related to programs associated with regaining compliance. Net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2024, was $9.2 million, or $0.01 per share, compared to a net loss of $6.4 million, or $0.007 per share, for the three months ended March 31, 2023. *Non-GAAP EBITDA loss (which includes adjustments for stock compensation) for the three months ended March 31, 2024, was $7.5 million compared to a loss of $4.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023. When adjusting for non-recurring items our **Adjusted Non-GAAP EBITDA loss was $6.2 million. When further adjusted for on-going QBT integration and associated direct labor costs the loss falls to approximately $5.3 million. Liquidity and Outstanding Share Capital Zomedica had cash, cash equivalents, and available-for-sale securities of $90.9 million as of March 31, 2024, compared to $100.5 million as of December 31, 2023. The decrease in cash was primarily driven by continued operations, additional operating expenses related to the QBT acquisition and other professional fees for specialized accounting work and audit work associated with 2023 acquisitions; and additional fees related to programs associated with regaining compliance. As of March 31, 2024, Zomedica had 979,949,668 common shares issued and outstanding. 2024 Business Outlook and Financial Guidance For the full year 2024, the Company continues to expect full year revenue in the range of $31 to $35 million, an increase of approximately 39% at the high end of the range, over full year 2023 revenue of $25.2 million. Zomedica believes that growth in 2024 will be driven by its existing portfolio, including recently launched products, supported by investments the Company is making to continue to drive increased adoption and utilization of its products, as well as contributions from a number of new products that the Company expects to launch during 2024. Guidance for 2024 does not incorporate any positive benefits from acquisitions the Company may make during the year. The Company expects that on a quarterly basis, revenues should increase sequentially from the first quarter, with the majority of revenue expected to be recorded during the back half of the year. For complete financial results, please see Zomedica's filings on EDGAR and SEDAR or visit the Zomedica website at www.zomedica.com. For percentage calculations please refer to the financial statements filed with the SEC on Thursday May 9, 2024 along with other public filings Conference Call Details Zomedica will host a conference call on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss the Company's operational and financial highlights for its first quarter ended March 31, 2024. A question-and-answer session will follow management's prepared remarks. Event: Zomedica Corp. Q1 2024 Financial Results Conference Call Date: Thursday, May 9, 2024 Time: 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time Live Call: +1-888-886-7786 (U.S. Toll-Free) or +1-416-764-8658 (International) Webcast: LINK For interested individuals unable to join the conference call, a dial-in replay of the call will be available until Thursday, May 23, 2024, at 11:59 PM ET and can be accessed by dialing +1-844-512-2921 (U.S. Toll-Free) or +1-412-317-6671 (International) and entering replay pin number: 72335729. About Zomedica Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Zomedica (NYSE American: ZOM) is a veterinary health company creating products for horses, dogs, and cats by focusing on the unmet needs of clinical veterinarians. Zomedica's product portfolio includes innovative diagnostics and medical devices that emphasize patient health and practice health. Zomedica's mission is to provide veterinarians the opportunity to increase productivity and grow revenue while better serving the animals in their care. For more information, visit www.zomedica.com. Follow Zomedica Email Alerts: http://investors.zomedica.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zomedica Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/zomedica X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/zomedica Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zomedica_inc Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur and include statements relating to our expectations regarding future results. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. We cannot guarantee future results, performance, or achievements. Consequently, there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, including assumptions with respect to economic growth, demand for the Company's products, the Company's ability to produce and sell its products, sufficiency of our budgeted capital and operating expenditures, the satisfaction by our strategic partners of their obligations under our commercial agreements, our ability to realize upon our business plans and cost control efforts and the impact of COVID-19 on our business, results and financial condition. Our forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause the results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: the outcome of clinical studies, the application of generally accepted accounting principles, which are highly complex and involve many subjective assumptions, estimates, and judgments, uncertainty as to whether our strategies and business plans will yield the expected benefits; uncertainty as to the timing and results of development work and verification and validation studies; uncertainty as to the timing and results of commercialization efforts, as well as the cost of commercialization efforts, including the cost to develop an internal sales force and manage our growth; uncertainty as to our ability to successfully integrate acquisitions; uncertainty as to our ability to supply products in response to customer demand; uncertainty as to the likelihood and timing of any required regulatory approvals, and the availability and cost of capital; the ability to identify and develop and achieve commercial success for new products and technologies; veterinary acceptance of our products; competition from related products; the level of expenditures necessary to maintain and improve the quality of products and services; changes in technology and changes in laws and regulations; our ability to secure and maintain strategic relationships; performance by our strategic partners of their obligations under our commercial agreements, including product manufacturing obligations; risks pertaining to permits and licensing, intellectual property infringement risks, risks relating to any required clinical trials and regulatory approvals, risks relating to the safety and efficacy of our products, the use of our products, intellectual property protection, risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact upon our business operations generally, including our ability to develop and commercialize our products, and the other risk factors disclosed in our filings with the SEC and under our profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com. Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. We undertake no duty to update any of the forward-looking information to conform such information to actual results or to changes in our expectations except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Investor Relations Contact: Zomedica Investor Relations investors@zomedica.com 1-734-369-2555 Non-GAAP Measures Non-GAAP EBITDA, Adjusted Non-GAAP EBITDA, and other measures presented on an adjusted basis are not recognized terms under U.S. GAAP and do not purport to be alternatives to the most comparable U.S. GAAP amounts. Since all companies do not use identical calculations, our definition and presentation of these measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Management uses the identified non-GAAP measures to evaluate the operating performance of the Company and its business segments and to forecast future periods. Management believes these non-GAAP measures assist investors and other interested parties in evaluating Zomedica's on-going operations and provide important supplemental information to management and investors regarding financial and business trends relating to Zomedica's financial condition and results of operations. Investors should not consider these non-GAAP measures as alternatives to the related GAAP measures. Reconciliations of non-GAAP measures to their closest U.S. GAAP equivalent are presented below. * Non-GAAP EBITDA is defined as net loss and comprehensive loss excluding amortization, depreciation, non-cash stock compensation, and taxes while reversing out the benefits derived from net interest income. ** Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA is defined as Non-GAAP EBITDA, as defined above, excluding non-recurring items; including but not limited to specialized accounting, tax, and audit services, costs associated with programs related to regaining and maintaining compliance with the NYSE, as well as the QBT integration and associated direct labor costs, and other one-time items. For the 3 Months Ended As Presented One-Time Items Adjusted As Presented 3/31/2024 3/31/2024 3/31/2024 3/31/2023 Net revenue $ 6,262 $ - $ 6,262 $ 5,482 Cost of revenue 2,145 (266 ) 1,879 1,647 Gross profit 4,117 266 4,383 3,835 Expenses General and administrative 8,625 (1,605 ) 7,020 7,013 Research and development 1,771 (322 ) 1,449 918 Selling and marketing 4,107 - 4,107 3,416 Loss from operations (10,386 ) 2,193 (8,193 ) (7,512 ) Interest income 1,093 - 1,093 1,412 Interest expense - - - (50 ) Gain (loss) on disposal of assets 12 - 12 - Other loss 84 - 84 (1 ) Impairment expense - - - - Foreign exchange loss (129 ) - (129 ) (26 ) Loss before income taxes (9,326 ) 2,193 (7,133 ) (6,177 ) Income tax expense (benefit) (166 ) - (166 ) 208 Net loss (9,160 ) 2,193 (6,967 ) (6,385 ) Unrealized gains, change in fair value of available-for-sale securities, net of tax (11 ) - (11 ) 283 Change in foreign currency translation (52 ) - (52 ) 3 Net loss and comprehensive loss $ (9,223 ) $ 2,193 $ (7,030 ) $ (6,099 ) Adjustments (Non-Cash) Amortization $ 1,597 $ - $ 1,597 $ 1,199 Depreciation 334 - 334 164 Stock Compensation 1,101 - 1,101 1,765 Subtotal $ (6,191 ) $ 2,193 $ (3,998 ) $ (2,971 ) Interest $ (1,093 ) $ - $ (1,093 ) $ (1,362 ) Taxes (166 ) - (166 ) 208 Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA** $ (7,450 ) $ 2,193 $ (5,257 ) $ (4,125 ) SOURCE: Zomedica Corp. View the original press release on accesswire.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 9, 2024) - New Zealand Energy Corp. (TSXV: NZ) ("NZEC" or the "Company") announced that, further to its 21 March 2024, 8 April 2024 and 11 April 2024 news releases, it has completed the closing of the previously announced non-brokered private placement offering (the "Private Placement") of common shares of the Company ("Common Shares"). NZEC issued 6,666,667 Common Shares at a price of C$0.75 per Common Share for gross proceeds of $5,000,000. All securities issued in connection with the Private Placement are subject to a hold period that expires on 9 September 2024. The net proceeds from the Private Placement will be used to advance the Company's plans regarding the Tariki field, where development well Tariki-5 is planned for August 2024, the Copper Moki field, where production well repairs are under way, the Waihapa field, and for general working capital purposes. As previously announced, Charlestown Energy Partners, LLC subscribed for 1,333,333 Common Shares pursuant to the Private Placement and upon closing, Mr. Robert Bose, the Managing Member of Charlestown Energy, has been appointed as a director of NZEC. A company wholly-owned by Frank Jacobs, a director of NZEC, subscribed for 135,000 Common Shares under the Private Placement. Accordingly, the Private Placement is a related party transaction for the purposes of TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 (the "Related Party Policies") . NZEC has determined that exemptions from the various requirements of the Related Party Policies are available in connection with the Private Placement (Formal Valuation - Issuer Not Listed on Specified Markets; Minority Approval - Fair Market Value Not More Than $2,500,000). Auctus Advisors LLP will receive a finder's fee of C$211,438 and be issued 56,383 finder's warrants, with each finder's warrant entitling the holder to purchase one Common Share at a price of C$0.75 per share for a period of 18 months from the closing. On behalf of the Board of Directors New Zealand Energy Contacts Email: info@newzealandenergy.com Website: www.newzealandenergy.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as such term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information regarding: the Private Placement and the potential use of proceeds of the Private Placement. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. This forward-looking information reflects NZEC's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to NZEC and on assumptions NZEC believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to: the underlying value of NZEC and its common shares; TSX Venture Exchange approval of the Private Placement; NZEC's general and administrative costs remaining constant; and the market acceptance of NZEC's business strategy. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of NZEC to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; industry condition; volatility of commodity prices; imprecision of reserve estimates; environmental risks; operational risks in exploration and development; general capital market conditions and market prices for securities; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; the actual results of future operations; competition; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting NZEC; the timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals. A description of additional risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in NZEC's disclosure documents on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca. Although NZEC has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of NZEC as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. However, NZEC expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/208667 SOURCE: New Zealand Energy Corp. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 9, 2024) - US Copper Corp. (TSXV: USCU) (OTCQB: USCUF) (FSE: C730) ("US Copper" or the "Company") has decided to extend the expiry date of 26,400,000 share purchase warrants ("Warrants") which allow holders to purchase up to 26,400,000 common shares in the authorized share capital of the Company at an exercise price of $0.10 per share, from May 20, 2024 to February 19, 2025. All other terms of the Warrants will remain unchanged. The extension of the expiry date of the aforementioned Warrants by nine months is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. For Further Information Contact: Mr. Stephen Dunn, President, CEO and Director, US Copper Corp (416) 361-2827 or email info@uscoppercorp.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 press release. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws and regulations, including statements regarding the future activities of the Company. Forward-looking statements reflect the current beliefs and expectations of management and are identified by the use of words including "will", "hopes", "anticipates", "expected to", "plans", "planned", "intends" and other similar words. Actual results may differ significantly. The achievement of the results expressed in forward-looking statements is subject to a number of risks, including those described in the Company's management discussion and analysis as filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedar.com. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/208664 SOURCE: US Copper Corp. Highlights Two leases have been granted near the Sky Project, providing an additional 5.2km 2 in the highly prospective region. Sky Property is adjacent to one of Uranium Energy Corp (NYSE: UEC) Wyoming Projects (see Figure 4), with proximity to licensed, operating processing plants using both conventional an in-situ recovery. TONOGOLD Resources Inc (OTC PINK:TNGL) ("TONOGOLD" or the Company") advises its merger partner, JAG Minerals USA, Inc., has already began adding to the portfolio, with two new Wyoming State leases recently granted, adding 5.2km 2 to the Sky Project. Figure 1: Project and Process Mill location SKY Project The property is in Fremont Country, Wyoming 34 miles South-East to the West of the historic Gas Hills Uranium District (Figure 2). JAG Minerals USA Inc. has added two Wyoming State leases to the existing 57 unpatented mining claims. The projects are located within 50mi of UR Energy's Lost Creek, and Kennecott's Sweet Water to the south, and ~100mi west of the Powder River Basin, host to numerous large Uranium operations. The Sky property is also directly adjacent one of Uranium Energy Corp (NYSE: UEC) Wyoming Projects (see Figure 4). Figure 2: Sky location Map. The greater Sky Property was extensively drilled during the late 1960s through to the early 1980s. A total of 161 RC holes in two drill campaigns totaling ~129,000ft which defined the exploration trend at an average drill spacing of 200ft. A historic resource estimate was first generated by Pathfinder Mines in 1980, totalling 350,000 tons @ 0.117% eU 3 O 8, for a total of 822,000 pounds U 3 O 8 (Cut-offs - 0.03%e U 3 O 8 - 3ft thickness). This resource was then updated in 2007 by Strathmore Minerals Corporation1 , reporting over 1M lbs as shown in Table 1. Table 1: 2007 Strathmore 43-101 Mineral Resource. Resource Tonnes % eU 3 O 8 Total lbs Cutoff Inferred 55,086 0.05 54,496 0.03% eU 3 O 8, 3ft Thick Indicated 668,688 0.07 948,098 0.03% eU 3 O 8, 3ft Thick Figure 3: Sky historical RC drilling and Ore outline. Strathmore's 2007 Resource is currently being reviewed with validation work underway by Qualified Person Andrew Hawker from HGS Australia. The Sky property lies at the southern margin of the Wind River Basin, which is surrounded by mountains formed during uplift in the early Paleocene. Uranium mineralization is hosted in the shallow dipping Wind River Formation (known in the Gas Hills district as the Puddle Springs Arkose Member), which is a fluvial deposit consisting of sandstones with lesser amounts of clays, siltstones, and carbonaceous shales. Similar geology is hosted throughout the two new leases to the northeast and northwest, see Figure 4. Figure 4: New Sky Leases. Mineralization is a typical Wyoming roll-front deposit and occurs within two 10-20ft thick sand units which are overlain, separated by, and underlain by clay lenses that vary in thickness from 10-15ft. Formed when oxygen-rich groundwater migrates through granitic-rich host sediments dissolving the uranium from matrix into solution and redepositing it where it meets unoxidized groundwater. Figure 5: Sky Project Stratigraphy. Future Plan The Company is currently planning to complete diamond drilling and gamma logging of 15-20 holes, with accompanying geochemical analysis to adequately define disequilibrium across the deposit and test extensions. This will enable an updated NI43-101 Technical Report. TONOGOLD CEO William Hunter stated: "During the 2023 geological field season JAG Minerals USA, Inc. was active in expanding it's Uranium and Vanadium claims in Wyoming, Utah and Colorado. Specifically focused on claims that have detailed historic Uranium data and / or published resources open for potential expansion. Further, the areas need access to mills to process the mined Uranium products. This development is very positive to the combined Company and the proposed Transaction between Tonogold and JAG Minerals as announced on April 11, 2024 remains unchanged. " Qualified persons Mr Andrew Hawker, BSc. Geol, MAIG, is a member of the Australasian Institute Geoscientists, is a consultant to the JAG Minerals USA, Inc. and is a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101. Mr Hawker is in charge of exploration programs and has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release. Enquiries For further information, please contact: William Hunter Interim CEO Tonogold Resources Inc M: +1 203 856 7285 E: bhunter@tonogold.com 1 Strathmore Minerals Corp, 9 th February, 2007 SOURCE: Tonogold Resources, Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com EnCap Energy Transition, a Houston, TX-based provider of growth capital to the independent sector of the U.S. energy industry, closed its Energy Transition Fund II, at $1.5M Billion. The firms second energy transition fund is focused on low carbon power infrastructure, low carbon fuels, and carbon management investments. It follows EnCap Energy Transition Fund I that had $1.2 Billion of total commitments with seven material portfolio company investments and four fund realizations to date including Broad Reach Power, Jupiter Power, Triple Oak, and Paloma Solar & Wind. EnCap has already made investment commitments to five portfolio companies through EETF II including Linea Energy, Parliament Solar, PowerTransitions, Arbor Renewable Gas, and Bildmore Renewables. EnCap also has a pipeline of other potential investment opportunities pursuing strategies in renewables, energy storage, clean fuels, and carbon solutions and expects to have 8-10 portfolio companies in EETF II in total. Since 1988, EnCap Investments has been a provider of growth capital to the independent sector of the U.S. energy industry. The firm has raised 25 institutional investment funds totaling approximately $41 Billion and currently manages capital on behalf of more than 350 U.S. and international investors. FinSMEs 09/05/2024 In the dynamic and highly competitive startup landscape, innovation is the lifeblood that drives success. For startups, the ability to continuously develop and introduce groundbreaking products, services, or processes is crucial for gaining a foothold in the market and staying ahead of the curve. This is where research and development (R&D) tax credits come into play. R&D tax credits are government incentives designed to encourage businesses, including startups, to invest in research and development activities. These credits offer substantial tax relief for companies engaged in qualified research endeavors, allowing them to claim a portion of their R&D expenses as a credit against their overall tax liability. R&D tax credits provide a valuable opportunity for startups to fuel growth and maintain a competitive edge. By leveraging these incentives, startups can access crucial financial resources to drive innovation, enhance their offerings, and position themselves for long-term success in an ever-evolving business landscape. What are R&D Tax Credits? R&D tax credits are government-sponsored incentives that provide tax relief for businesses engaged in qualifying research and development activities. These credits are designed to serve two primary purposes: Encouraging innovation and technological advancements: By offering financial incentives, R&D tax credits motivate companies, including startups, to invest in research and development initiatives that drive innovation and technological progress. Supporting economic growth and job creation: When businesses can reinvest their tax savings into further R&D efforts, it fosters economic growth, creates new job opportunities, and strengthens the overall competitiveness of the economy. For startups, a wide range of activities can potentially qualify for R&D tax credits, including: Developing new products, services, or processes: Research and development efforts focused on creating entirely new offerings or groundbreaking processes can be eligible for these credits. Improving existing offerings through technological advancements: Startups that undertake research to enhance the functionality, performance, or efficiency of their existing products or services may also qualify. Conducting research in software, engineering, or other technical fields: Activities aimed at developing innovative software solutions, advancing engineering techniques, exploring new materials, or delving into cutting-edge technologies can potentially qualify for R&D tax credits. By understanding the scope of qualifying activities and leveraging these incentives, startups can gain a valuable financial boost to support their innovative pursuits and fuel their growth trajectory. Why R&D Tax Credits are Crucial for Startups R&D tax credits offer a multitude of benefits that can significantly impact a startups growth trajectory and long-term success. For these innovative companies, leveraging these incentives is crucial for several reasons: Financial benefits Cash savings or refunds: By claiming R&D tax credits, startups can reduce their overall tax liability, resulting in substantial cash savings or refunds. These funds can provide a much-needed financial boost for resource-constrained startups. Reinvesting in further research and development: The financial benefits of R&D tax credits enable startups to reinvest their tax savings into ongoing research and development initiatives, fueling further innovation and product development. Improving cash flow and profitability: Reduced tax burdens translate into improved cash flow and increased profitability, providing startups with greater financial stability and flexibility to pursue growth opportunities. Competitive advantages Staying ahead of the curve with innovative offerings: R&D tax credits incentivize startups to invest in research and development, empowering them to develop cutting-edge products, services, or processes that differentiate them from competitors. Attracting top talent with a culture of innovation: Companies that actively pursue R&D activities and leverage tax incentives can enhance their ability to attract and retain highly skilled researchers, engineers, and scientists, fostering a culture of innovation and creativity. Long-term growth and sustainability Fostering a continuous cycle of innovation: By reinvesting tax savings into further research and development, startups can establish a self-sustaining cycle of innovation, enabling them to improve and introduce new offerings continuously. Adapting to market changes and disruptions: Innovating and pivoting quickly is crucial for startups to navigate market shifts, emerging trends, and disruptive forces. R&D tax credits support this agility by providing financial resources for continuous research and development. Establishing a strong intellectual property portfolio: Research and development activities often lead to the creation of valuable intellectual property, such as patents, trademarks, or copyrights. R&D tax credits can help startups protect and strengthen their IP portfolio, enhancing their competitive advantage and potential for future growth. In a highly competitive and rapidly evolving business landscape, R&D tax credits serve as a powerful tool for startups to fuel innovation, gain a competitive edge, and position themselves for sustained growth and success. Maximizing the Benefits of R&D Tax Credits for Startups While R&D tax credits offer immense potential for startups, its crucial to approach the process strategically to maximize the benefits. Here are some key considerations for startups to ensure they fully leverage these incentives: Understanding eligibility criteria Qualified research expenses: Startups must ensure their research and development expenditures meet the criteria for qualified expenses, which typically include wages for researchers, supplies, and contracted research costs. Meeting the four-part test: To claim R&D tax credits, startups research activities must pass the four-part test, which evaluates the technological information sought, the process of experimentation involved, the elimination of uncertainty, and the potential for commercial application. Documenting research activities Maintaining detailed records: Meticulous documentation is essential for substantiating R&D tax credit claims. Startups should maintain comprehensive records of all research activities, project details, timelines, costs, and personnel involved. Tracking eligible expenses: Implementing a system to track and categorize qualified research expenses accurately is crucial for ensuring compliance with eligibility criteria and maximizing the potential tax credit amount. Working with professionals Tax advisors and R&D tax credit consultants: Partnering with experienced tax professionals or R&D tax credit consultants can provide invaluable guidance and expertise in navigating the complexities of the claims process. Ensuring compliance and streamlining the claims process: These professionals can assist in identifying eligible activities, gathering necessary documentation, and preparing and filing R&D tax credit claims, ensuring compliance and streamlining the process. Integrating R&D tax credits into the overall business strategy Allocating resources effectively: Startups should strategically allocate the financial resources obtained through R&D tax credits to fund high-impact research and development initiatives aligned with their growth objectives. Aligning research goals with business objectives: By integrating R&D tax credit opportunities into their overall business strategy, startups can ensure their research efforts are aligned with their long-term goals, maximizing the impact of these incentives on their success. By taking a proactive and strategic approach to R&D tax credits, startups can unlock the full potential of these incentives, fostering a culture of innovation, enhancing their competitive advantages, and driving sustainable growth. Conclusion R&D tax credits offer startups a powerful tool to fuel innovation, drive growth, and gain a competitive edge. By leveraging these incentives, startups can access crucial financial resources, attract top talent, and foster a continuous cycle of technological advancements. Explore R&D tax credit opportunities today and unlock the full potential of your startups innovative pursuits. These credits play a vital role in fostering a thriving ecosystem of innovation, propelling economic growth, and shaping the future of diverse industries. Flyers of Air India Express are bearing the brunt due to sudden flight cancellations amid a cabin crew shortage. Domestic and international flights have been hit, leaving passengers furious and disappointed. The situation is not likely to improve until 13 May. But what about the money lost? read more Tata Group-owned Air India Express is in a soup. Flight disruptions at the low-budget carrier continued on Thursday (9 May) amid a shortage of staff. More than 100 flights have been cancelled since Tuesday night after a section of cabin crew called in sick and reportedly switched off their phones to protest against the alleged mismanagement of the airline. About 15,000 flyers have been affected after their Air India Express flights were cancelled or delayed. Passenger woes are set to worsen as the Tata Group budget carrier is reportedly curtailing around 40 flights daily until 13 May. Advertisement How has the Air India Express crisis affected flyers? What recourse do they have? What is going on with the airlines? Lets take a closer look. AI Express passengers hit by flight disruptions Passengers at several airports, including Kochi, Calicut, Delhi and Bengaluru, faced trouble due to flight disruptions. At least 14 flights of Air India Express were nixed from 4 am to 4 pm on Wednesday at Delhi airport. Both domestic and international flights were hit. Many flyers were also stranded at various airports in Kerala after their flights did not take off on Thursday for a second day in a row. Passengers at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kannur airports were left seething and disappointed after their flights to Gulf nations were cancelled at the last minute, reported PTI. I was assured by Air India Express yesterday that I can travel to Qatar on Thursday. But they did not keep their promise. I was told at the last moment that my flight has been cancelled again for the second consecutive day, a flyer at Karipur airport in Kozhikode told the media. A woman, who was flying from Kannur to Sharjah with her husband and twins, said she had to rejoin her workplace on 9 May but the airline was providing her with a 10 May ticket from Kochi. What would be the point of me travelling on 10 May? If I do not reach there before 9 May, my boss will say not to come and I will lose my job," she reportedly said. Advertisement The aggrieved passenger said that her flight was scheduled for Sharjah on Tuesday night and she had been waiting at the airport since then. She alleged that no accommodation or other facilities were offered by Air India Express. Another aggrieved flyer travelling to the Gulf region, who claimed his work visa would expire on 9 May, told a TV channel that he was given a ticket for today after his Wednesday flight was cancelled. When I arrived here (at Thiruvananthapuram airport), the airline told me that the flight was cancelled. If I do not reach my place of work by tonight, my visa will expire and I will lose my job, he was quoted as saying by PTI. Advertisement Complaints have also been pouring on social media. Users on X mentioned that they were unable to get through Air India Express customer service. Unable to get through to your customer care regarding two different rescheduled flights for the same family. Please help Rashmi Rungta (@rungta_rashmi) May 9, 2024 Passengers also tried to confirm their flights status on the airlines post about refund or rescheduling of the affected flights. A user also asked the airline to provide an alternative flight instead of offering refunds or rescheduling option. Rescheduling is not a remedy as we already have our work scheduled & hence we have to travel Refund is not a remedy as alternative flights at last minute are costing double/triple Please provide an alternate flight yourself in tie up with other carriers. Swathi (@SwathiTns) May 9, 2024 Scores of flights were also delayed, irking passengers in Kerala airports who were informed about it only after the security checks. As per The Hindu report, airfares to the Gulf region have soared following the service disruptions of Air India Express, which operates over 200 international flights per week from Kerala. Flights from Kochi to the Gulf are available at over Rs 40,000. An Etihad Airways flight to Dubai cost Rs 63,338 from Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday, the report added. When there is a major network disruption, the demand for seats will increase, with passengers looking for ways to reach their destinations through other means. Naturally, this will drive the fares up, at least on a short-term basis, KV Muralidharan, president, Kerala Association of Travel Agents, told The Hindu. What can passengers do? Flyers can opt for a full refund if their flight is cancelled, or delayed beyond three hours, they can get a full refund or reschedule to a later date without any fees on Tia on WhatsApp (+91 6360012345) or on airindiaexpress.com, an Air India Express spokesperson said. Passengers can go to the Flight Status section on the airlines website to check the real-time update. The spokesperson said the airline will operate 283 flights on Thursday. We have mobilised all resources and Air India will support us by operating on 20 of our routes. However, 85 of our flights stand cancelled and we urge our guests booked to fly with us to check if their flight is affected by the disruption before heading to the airport. Air India Express operates around 400 flights daily, including 250 domestic and 120 international. Tata Group-owned Air India Express operates around 400 flights daily. Reuters File Photo Passengers could further bear the brunt due to AI Express cancellations amid high demand and already strained capacity. As many as 75 IndiGo planes are grounded due to engine issues, GoAir is bankrupt, SpiceJet has reduced flights, and deliveries of new aircraft from Airbus and crisis-ridden Boeing have been slower than expected, reported Times of India (TOI). ALSO READ: Your Air India Express flights been cancelled. What do law, verdicts and guidelines say? Why is AI Express staff protesting? The issue stems from the ongoing merger of Air India Express with Tata-owned AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India). The crew of Air India Express are protesting against the new employment terms of the Tata Group-owned airline, sources told NDTV. They have reportedly alleged inequality in treatment. The airline has about 1,400 cabin crew, including around 500 senior members. Over 200 cabin crew began reporting sick starting Tuesday night, triggering the crisis. In a letter to Tata Group chairman N Chandrasekaran on Wednesday, the Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU), representing a section of the airlines cabin crew members, said, Salaries, experience and merits are being disregarded, with internal job postings now being filled by candidates external to Air India Express, by passing qualified internal candidates. As per PTI sources, the airline has issued termination notices to at least 25 cabin crew who called in sick suddenly. The termination letter read the mass leave clearly points to a pre-meditated and concerted abstention from work without any justifiable reason, reported NDTV. #AirIndiaExpress: Air India Express has sacked at least 25 cabin crew a day after nearly 300 employees of the airline called in sick and switched off their phones, leading to large-scale flight disruptions. @Neethureghu brings in more to @toyasingh | #AirIndia #Flight pic.twitter.com/TxaZJBxoQ5 News18 (@CNNnews18) May 9, 2024 The management has also reportedly asked the protesting staff to resume work by 4 pm today or face action. Air India Express said in its statement that it is taking appropriate steps against certain individuals as their actions have caused grave inconvenience to thousands of our guests. With inputs from agencies In the wake of record migration, Australia is tightening its visa rules for international students. The new rules, which will go into effect on 10 May will require an amount that will be 75 per cent of the national minimum wage, i.e., A$29,710 (Rs 16,29,964) read more In the wake of record immigration, Australia is tightening its visa rules for international students. The minimum amount of money required for students to enter the nation has gone up. The new rules, which will go into effect on 10 May 2024, will require an amount that will be 75 per cent of the national minimum wage. Heres how the change will affect Indian students. Australias new student visa rule To be eligible for a visa, students must show that they have at least A$29,710 (Rs 16,29,964), under the revised rules, according to News18. Advertisement The change aims to guarantee that students can pay for the necessities of life while enrolled in classes in Australia. According to the report, this is done with the understanding that they might work during the 25 per cent of the year when they are not in class. Having completed this requirement, students will be better equipped to plan for the future. Notably, the quantity of savings has climbed for the second time in the last seven months. Previously, in October, the sum was increased from A$21,041 (Rs 11,54,361) to A$24,505 (Rs 13,44,405). The reason The Australian government is tightening visa rules amidst a surge in migration since the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in 2022. The government also increased the English language proficiency criteria in March for student visas, as per NDTV. In addition, it has been putting measures into place to stop students from using different ways to prolong their stay. Australias export-driven foreign education sector is expected to contribute AUD$36.4 billion ($24 billion) to the countrys GDP in 20222023. However, with rental rates skyrocketing across the nation, unprecedented migration largely driven by overseas students has put pressure on the government. In the year ending 30 September 2023, net immigration increased by 60 per cent to a record 548,800. Over the next two years, the government anticipates that its measures may cut Australias immigration intake in half. Advertisement We are significantly reducing migration levels we are in the middle of the biggest drop in migration numbers in Australias history, outside of war or pandemic, ONeil said. Its impact on Indian students Indian professionals and students who prefer Australia above other countries for their education and job prospects, may be affected by the latest move. India continues to be the second-largest source country for international student enrollments. Data shared by the Indian High Commission in Canberra last year says over 1.22 lakh Indian students registered in Australian colleges between January and September of 2023, However, the number of Indian student visas fell by 48 per cent between December 2022 and December 2023. Advertisement One in five students had their visas denied this year (up to March), according to a Guardian report citing government statistics. Many more had to wait a long time for their visas. With Pakistani visas plummeting 55 per cent and Nepalese visas falling 53 per cent within the same period, the percentage of visa rejections has hit a record high. Some Australian colleges have updated their regulations in response to the crackdown, even going so far as to completely ban Indian students. A significant number of students have reportedly been forced to put off or give up their applications due to processing delays, according to The Guardian report. Advertisement Others have been placed on suspension to meet more criteria. Shradha Gupta, Partner at Accord Juris, was quoted by Business Standard, The restrictions will significantly impact students ability to fund their education and livelihood, despite a minimal overall impact on Indian nationals residing in Australia. She notes the limited circumstances under which a waiver for the No Further Stay condition can be sought, offering scant relief. University risk ratings To raise university risk ratings, restrictive measures are also being implemented. Livemint claims that the only visas that have moved fast in recent months are those for low-risk universities on level one. The scores are used to determine the likelihood that a school will hire students who are not real (i.e., who come mostly to work and not learn). Advertisement Nine universities were demoted to level two, while two universities were downgraded to level three, according to an updated list in May, the report said. Australian home affairs minister Clare ONeil said warning letters had been sent to 34 education providers for non-genuine or exploitative recruitment practices." Those found guilty could be jailed for up to two years and banned from recruiting students, she said, as per News18. Dodgy providers have no place in our international education sector. These actions will help weed out the bottom feeders in the sector that seek to exploit people and trash the reputation of the sector, ONeil said in a statement. With inputs from agencies Heavy rains and flooding in Brazils southern state of Rio Grande do Sul left over 100 people dead and over 130 missing. Experts said the shift from La Nina to El Nino in the middle of the year caused a big swing in rainfall patterns and that this is likely the new normal read more The city of Porto Alegre is flooded after heavy rain in Rio Grande do Sul state. Most of the population is without running water and evacuations are on. AP Southern Brazil is being rocked by deadly floods. Over 100 people have died and over 130 remain missing in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. The state capital Porto Alegre is isolated with roads submerged and the airport and bus station closed. But what happened? And what is causing the deadly floods in Brazil? Lets take a closer look: What happened? Major floods engulfed entire cities in the northern part of the Brazils Rio Grande do Sul. Advertisement More than 230,000 have been displaced, and much of the region has been isolated by the floodwaters. As per BBC, Rio Grande do Sul has suffered its worst-ever natural calamity. Around 1.4 million people have been impacted by the floods. At least 95 people have died and more than 130 are still missing. Storms were expected in the state on Wednesday evening, with hail and wind gusts reaching up to 60 kilometres per hour, according to the national meteorology institutes afternoon bulletin. And the institute forecasts a cold front this weekend with additional rains, to be particularly intense in the states north and east. In Porto Alegre, about 300 people were sheltering at the local club Gremio Nautico Uniao, based in the upscale, little-harmed neighbourhood of Moinhos de Vento. Dozens lay on mattresses as volunteers brought boxes filled with feijoada a typical Brazilian bean-and-pork stew. Heitor da Silva was among them, having heeded authorities warnings. Still, hes anxious about his future. I only took my documents, three shirts, two pieces of underwear and my flip-flops. All the rest is gone, said da Silva, 68. I already had very little, but that stayed there. When I go home, there will be nothing. Then what? Advertisement The mayor of Porto Alegre has begged residents to observe with his water rationing decree. Four-fifths of the population remains without running water Suzan, a resident of the capital, told BBC the city had never experienced anything like it. There are thousands of people who lost their houses. Now we dont have water anywhere, she said. My mother-in-law is 90 years old and she had to be carried by the rescuers. Its unbelievable what is going on here, she added. Advertisement Staffers of the states civil defence agency told The Associated Press they have been struggling to persuade residents of the city of Eldorado do Sul, one of the hardest hit by the floods, to leave their homes. It is located beside Porto Alegre, near the center of the states coastline. At least four people declined to evacuate. Authorities, meanwhile, urged people not to return to affected areas due to possible landslide and health hazards. Contaminated water can transmit diseases, civil defense spokeswoman Sabrina Ribas said. The National Confederation of Municipalities said nearly 100,000 homes had been damaged or destroyed by unprecedented rains and floods in the state, with losses estimated at over $900 million. Advertisement Porto Alegre is home to some 1.4 million people and the larger metropolitan area has more than double that number. The states Guaiba River, which runs through Porto Alegre, reached historic levels and officials warned Tuesday that five dams were at risk of rupturing. A flyover of Eldorado do Sul in a military helicopter showed hundreds of houses submerged, with only their roofs visible. Residents were using small boards, surfboards and personal watercraft to move around. Mayor Ernani de Freitas told local journalists that the city will be totally evacuated. More than 230,000 have been displaced, and much of the region has been isolated by the floodwaters. AP It will take at least a year to recover, he said. Rio Grande do Suls Gov. Eduardo Leite, speaking at a news conference late Tuesday, appealed to residents to stay out of harms way, as the anticipated downpour may cause more severe flooding across the state. Advertisement It isnt the time to return home, he said. The civil defence agencys own urgent warning asking displaced residents not to return to flooded areas also stressed the risk of disease transmission. Army Gen. Marcelo Zucco, one of the coordinators of rescue operations, told the AP his team is working at full speed before heavy rains that are forecast to hit the Porto Alegre area this weekend. Moderate rain was falling Wednesday afternoon in the city. We hope the next rains are not like those we saw, but theres no way to be sure there wont be trouble ahead of us, Zucco said. At this moment we are focusing on finishing rescue operations and starting logistical support to the population. Thats bringing water, medication, food and transportation for the sick to some hospital, the general added. He also said some improvement in conditions for the day helped his men finally access some areas by land. ver the weekend, rain in northern Rio Grande do Sul could prompt renewed swelling of rivers that are already causing widespread flooding around the Patos lagoon, where the Porto Alegre municipal region is located, said Sias, the meteorologist in Rio Grande do Sul, who works for a forecasting service based there. We will remain on this level of alert at least until the end of the month, she said. Is climate change to blame? Experts seem to think so. The World Meteorological Organisation in a press release said that the shift from La Nina to El Nino in the middle of the year caused a big swing in rainfall patterns. It cited Brazil as an example. El Nino is a periodic occurrence that sees surface ocean water heat up. Suely Araujo, a public policy coordinator at the Climate Observatory, told Euro News, These tragedies will continue to happen, increasingly worse and more frequent. Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told media, We need to stop running behind disasters. We need to see in advance what calamities might happen and we need to work. Ane Alencar, science director for the Amazon Environmental Research Institute, told the Associated Press last year that the oscillating pattern of extreme drought-extreme rain was likely the new normal. The record-setting Brazil heat that stifled huge cites such as Sao Paulo also kept a rainstorm from moving over the countrys south, turning it deadly, according to Francisco Aquino, a climatologist at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. There also was a massive influx of humidity from the Amazons so-called flying rivers, or air currents that carry water vapor, Aquino explained. These caused clouds to generate extreme rainfall, he said. Meanwhile, much recovery work needs to be done. A report by the National Confederation of Municipalities estimates damages at $930 million in nearly 80 per cent of Rio Grande do Suls municipalities. Governor Leite has said that the enormous impact will require something akin to the Marshall Plan for Europes post-WWII recovery. Already the state has asked the federal government to suspend debt payments and create a fund for the southern region. On Tuesday, Congress passed a decree declaring a state of calamity in Rio Grande do Sul until the end of the year, allowing the federal government to quickly allocate money to mitigate the catastrophe and rebuild regions affected by the floods, bypassing a spending cap. The vote united supporters and opponents of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvas government. There is no limit to the public spending necessary to resolve the problem of the calamity that today is ravaging Rio Grande do Sul state, Planning and Budget Minister Simone Tebet told Radio Gaucha in an interview. With inputs from agencies Nicaraguas plan to build a waterway rivalling Panama Canal was inaugurated in 2014. The project, backed by a Chinese businessman, was cancelled on Wednesday- after a decade of controversy and no work. We explain why this ambitious project was cancelled read more The Chinese-backed canal would have bisected Lake Nicaragua, and disrupted the local ecosystem. AP The nation of Nicaragua in Central America had once embarked on an ambitious plan to construct a canal. Not just any waterway, but one rivalling the crucial Panama canal. It has been a decade since the symbolic ground-breaking of the canal. There is no canal. The project was officially terminated on Wednesday. We explain why the project, introduced in 2014 with Chinese backing, would have been a strategic gem. We also look at why Nicaragua has cancelled the project. Advertisement Origins of the Nicaragua canal project The idea of constructing a canal through Nicaragua traces back almost a century. During the early 1900s, the United States had considered building it, before opting for the shorter Panama route. The idea of building an alternative to the Panama Canal resurfaced amid concerns over Panamas water shortages and heavy traffic jams. The Nicaraguan route promised a substantial increase in global shipping capacity. It would also help the Nicaraguan economy through job creation and increased trade traffic. Chinese involvement in the canal The Chinese businessman behind the Nicaragua Canal project was Wang Jing. Wang was primarily known for his ventures in telecommunications. Before his involvement with the Nicaragua Canal, Wang Jing had built a substantial fortune in the telecommunications industry. Despite his significant investments in various sectors, Wang had no previous experience in civil engineering or large-scale infrastructure projects akin to the proposed canal, which further contributed to skepticism and concern over the projects viability and his ability to execute it effectively. Wang Jing, the Chinese businessman backing the interoceanic canal in Nicaragua, had no prior experience in civil engineering or large-scale infrastructure projects. Reuters He owned the Hong Kong-based company, HK Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Co., which was granted the concession to build and operate the canal. His sudden rise to prominence with such a high-stakes international project raised questions about the due diligence and oversight of such a transformative endeavour. Stalled ambitions The symbolic ground-breaking for the project happened in 2014. Despite initial enthusiasm, the project faced immediate setbacks. From the outset, it was mired in controversy, primarily due to environmental and social impacts. Advertisement The canal would have divided Lake Nicaragua into two parts. This vast lake, crucial for the regions freshwater supply, also serves as a habitat for numerous endangered species. Environmentalists warned of severe consequences for Nicaraguas ecosystem, particularly the lake. Moreover, the canals route was set to displace approximately 120,000 people, sparking widespread protests from farmers and indigenous communities who faced losing their lands and livelihoods. There were widespread protests about this. The response from the Nicaraguan government was harsh, with several protest leaders receiving draconian prison sentences. In 2019, three farmers leaders who participated in protests were sentenced to prison for 216 years, 210 years, and 159 years. They were accused of plotting a coup. Advertisement There were several protests against the Nicaragua canal. Reuters Such crackdown only exacerbated public dissent and international scrutiny. Financial and political hurdles Financial viability also posed a significant challenge. The canal, with an estimated cost of $50 billion, depended on substantial foreign investment. That was compromised following the 2015 financial downturn in China. Wangs financial stability took a significant hit during the stock market crash. He reportedly lost up to 85 per cent of his wealth. Politically, the canal became a symbol of President Daniel Ortegas capricious regime. The Nicaraguan government rushed the project through without thorough environmental studies or public consultation, further alienating potential supporters at home and abroad. As such, the work on the project never really began. Advertisement Cancellation of the project After years of inactivity and escalating public and international pressure, Nicaraguas congress officially cancelled the project on Wednesday. The cancellation is an acknowledgment of the projects impracticality amid persistent financial, environmental, and social challenges. Moreover, the global economic landscape has shifted, with increasing scrutiny on large-scale infrastructure projects that pose significant environmental risks. The Nicaragua Canal, intended to be a monumental feat of engineering that could alter global shipping routes, instead became a cautionary tale of environmental disregard and flawed planning. As the world grapples with the implications of climate change and environmental degradation, the projects cancellation may well signal a growing priority for sustainability over unchecked industrial ambition. Advertisement With inputs from agencies There has been a growing concern lately about Indian spices and spice mixes. Global health regulators have pointed to contamination in well-known brands such as MDH and Everest with Singapore and Hong Kong recalling some masalas. Between 2019 and 2024, the European Union has flagged over 400 high-quality products from India for adulteration read more A man adjusts the spice boxes of MDH and Everest on the shelf of a shop at a market in New Delhi, India. Reuters India and its love affair with spices is a tale that never ends. But theres been a growing concern lately about spices and spice mixes. This is particularly in light of the suspicions of global health regulators over contamination in well-known brands such as MDH and Everest. Although many people may find this startling at first, the European Union had warned about this problem well in advance. Lets take a look. Also read: MDH, Everest row: What is the cancer-causing chemical found in Indian masalas? Advertisement Safety of Indian spices flagged by EU The Deccan Herald reported that the European Union flagged over 400 high-quality products from India between 2019 and 2024 for potentially deadly contaminants. The report stated that the spices contained heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium, as well as pesticides and fungicides at levels that were over permissible limits. 276 of them received notices of border refusal. The Deccan Herald revealed in April that ethylene oxide was discovered in roughly 527 Indian products by EU countries. The toxic heavy metal lead, which harms the kidneys, brain, and nervous system, was discovered in 14 various products, including turmeric powder and ayurvedic medicines, according to the report. One of the six goods that were shipped from India that had significant levels of mercury contamination was fish. According to the WHO, mercury harms the neurological, digestive, and immune systems. Cadmium, which raises the risk of chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease, was found in up to 21 food items, the most common of which were octopus and squid. It was determined that at least 59 goods contained unsafe pesticides that were deemed carcinogenic, the Deccan Herald report said. Twelve of the 19 products, which were rice, included tricyclazole, a fungicide that is prohibited in the EU due to its carcinogenic and genotoxic effects; the remaining items were herbs and spices. Advertisement 2-Chloroethanol, a hazardous byproduct of ethylene oxide, was present in about 20 products. A man stands near the spice boxes of MDH and Everest kept on the shelf of a shop at a market in New Delhi, India. Reuters Meat and crustaceans were among the 10 items that contained nitrofurans. 10 goods, including rice, coffee, and chillies, had ochratoxin A, a mycotoxin that is prohibited. According to the Deccan Herald, pesticides and fungicides were present in over 52 goods; some of them tested positive for five active ingredients. Organic labels were present on at least 11 tainted goods. The pesticide bifenthrin, which has been banned in the EU since 2009 because to its detrimental effects on both humans and wildlife, has been found in organic moringa powder. Organic shatavari, ashwagandha, and sesame seeds were among 100 products that tested positive for Salmonella, a bacterium that can cause cramps, fever, and diarrhoea. Advertisement Also read: Explained: Why is Singapore recalling Indias popular Everest fish curry masala? Health concerns flagged by other countries Authorities in Hong Kong withdrew four spice blends MDHs Madras Curry Powder, Sambhar Masala Powder and Curry Powder and Everest Groups Fish Curry Masala, alleging it contains high levels of ethylene oxide, a pesticide that is considered unsafe for human consumption. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) also ordered back Everests Fish Curry Masala after finding ethylene oxide at levels exceeding the permissible limit. In the last six months, a third of Mahashian Di Hatti (MDH) Pvt Ltds shipments of spice products were rejected by the US due to salmonella contamination. The refusal rate of MDH spice products in America has doubled from 15 per cent for all shipments sent in the previous year, according to The Indian Express. Advertisement The FSSAI will test samples of spices from all the manufacturing units. Pixabay (Image used for representational purposes only) The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told Reuters that it is aware of the reports and is gathering additional information about the situation." Regulators in Bangladesh, Australia, and the Maldives have made similar announcements. We are working with international counterparts to understand the issueand to determine if further action is required in Australia, said Food Standards Australia New Zealand in a statement, according to The Hindu. The Maldivian FDA said in a statement on X it has suspended the sale of spices produced by Everest and MDH. Bangladesh is planning to conduct inspections if necessary and is currently compiling data on the companies shipping in the potentially contaminated items, an official told The Business Standard. Advertisement Also read: Now US rejects MDH over salmonella contamination: What is it, why it is dangerous? Indias response The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) responded to the concerns over the potential impact on public health by stating that precautions have been taken to guarantee the safety of food products in the nation. However, it noted that food products that are exported are outside the authoritys supervision. The FSSAI conducts surveillance and enforcement activities, including sampling and testing of various products throughout the year as per the extant FSS Act, Rules and regulations made thereunder. The number of samples analysed during the past few years have grown substantially, from 1,07,829 in 202021 to more than 4,51,000 in 2023-24, registering an increase of more than three times, it said, according to the Deccan Herald. The FSSAI said that action will be taken against food business operators that are found non-compliant, the report said. Pesticide Action Network-India member and researcher, Narasimha Reddy Donthi, stated that members of civil society and experts had brought up the issue of contamination on numerous occasions. These findings are only the tip of the iceberg, in the sense that the EU has its own limitations. Considering the high population and consumption from informal sectors, India urgently needs to review its laws and make FSSAI a robust and independent body that can work for the people, the Deccan Herald quoted him as saying. According to Ramaiah Advanced Testing Labs Jubin George Joseph, the findings are clear evidence that Indias water sources are contaminated. Essentially, the chickens have come home to roost. For years, researchers have been highlighting contamination of water resources, including lax environmental monitoring to check dumping of industrial effluents. Now, we are getting lead and mercury in our food, he was quoted as saying by Deccan Herald. Identifying adulterated spices According to Times Now, a few ways to check if spices are adulterated are In a glass of water, mix a pinch of chilli powder that you have rubbed between your palms. Your chilli powder can be tainted with brick dust if the texture seems grainy. The chilli powder probably contains artificial colouring if it is unusually bright or dark. Pour a glass of water with a tablespoon of turmeric and chilli powder. The pure one will start to float while the contaminated one sinks to the bottom of the glass. Likewise, unadulterated turmeric will float and render water yellow, while pure turmeric would sink to the bottom. If a teaspoon of salt is added to the water and it doesnt cause any sedimentation or clouding, the salt is pure; if it does, chalk is present. Rub a handful of cumin seeds. They could be adulterated with if they turn black. Mix cumin powder with a glass of water to test it. Pure powder will sink at the bottom, and adulterants will float on top. With inputs from agencies Maldives foreign minister Moosa Zameer and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar are set to meet in Delhi today. The Congress Vikramaditya Singh will file his nomination for the Lok Sabha polls in Mandi where a high-profile battle with actor Kangana Ranaut is in the offing read more Maldives' foreign minister Moosa Zameer and S Jaishankar are slated to discuss the bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest. Its set to be a big day for India. Maldives foreign minister Moosa Zameer will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Delhi. Congress Vikramaditya Singh will file his nomination for the Lok Sabha polls in Mandi where a high-profile battle with actor Kangana Ranaut, who has been fielded by the BJP, is in the offing. Meanwhile, a victory parade is set to be held in Russia to mark the victory of the Soviet Union over the Nazis in World War II. Advertisement Zameer-Jaishankar meet Maldives foreign minister Moosa Zameer, who is on an official visit to India from 8 to 10 May, will meet S Jaishnkar amid strained ties. The two are slated to discuss the bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest. Moosa Zameer, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives will be in India on an official visit on 09 May 2024. During his visit to New Delhi, Foreign Minister Zameer will meet the External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar for discussions on bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest, MEA statement read. This is Zameers first visit since taking office. It comes as India withdrew 51 of its soldiers from the Maldives ahead of the 10 May deadline set by the government of Prime Minister Mohamed Muizzu_._ Muizzu, the pro-China president, had made India withdrawing its soldiers from the Maldives part of his poll plank. Diplomatic tensions had also flared between Maldives and India after some ministers made remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi had visited Lakshwadweep to promote it as a tourist destination for Indians. Vikramaditya Singh files papers Vikramaditya Singh, the Congress candidate from Mandi for the Lok Sabha polls, will file his papers today. Singh, the Himachal Pradesh Public Works Minister and a scion of erstwhile Rampur estate, is son of six-time chief minister late Virbhadra Singh and state Congress chief Pratibha Singh. Singh will be up against the BJP candidate Kangana Ranaut, who is expected to file her nomination on 14 May. Advertisement Singh on Sunday mocked Ranaut as an imported leader and said preparations had been made to send her back to Mumbai after she is defeated. This comes a month after he mocked Ranaut for being a frog. Kangana Ranaut is here today. She will return tomorrow (in the days to come). She is like a frog that comes out during the rainy season, he had said. Singh said his priorities are to make Mandi a smart city, construction of Beas river front, connecting Pangi with Tissa through a tunnel and construction of Jalori Jot tunnel. Advertisement Congress MLA Vikramaditya Singh is set to battle BJPs Kangana Ranaut in Mandi in the Lok Sabha polls. PTI file Singh also invited the public to Seri Manch in Mandi today where he is set to address a rally after filing his nomination. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Pratibha Singh and other prominent Congress leaders will be present. We will all take a pledge to make Mandi the number one parliamentary constituency in the country Singh vowed. Punjab Kings Vs RCB Punjab Kings (PBKS) are set to take on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) as the 2024 edition of the IPL continues. The teams will face off at the scenic Dharamsala stadium. Punjab, which is currently in eight place, are taking on the seventh place RCB. Advertisement While Punjab have won 2 of their past five games, RCB has won three on the trot. Will RCBs talismanic batter Virat Kohli, who won the Player of the Match for his 49-ball 77 against Punjab in March weave his magic yet again? Will Dinesh Karthik roll back the years yet again for a fantastic performance? Or will Shikhar Dhawans team take revenge? Advertisement Either way, a mouth-watering match-up is in the offing. Victory Day in Russia Today is a very special day in Russia Victory Day. Today is the 79th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two. The erstwhile Soviet Union, which comprised Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and others, lost 27 million people more than any other country in what the Russian people refer to as the"Great Patriotic War." Nazi Germanys unconditional surrender came into force at 11:01 pm on 8 May, 1945. Many Russians have argued that the contributions of the Soviet Union to hastening the demise of the Nazi regime are underplayed by the West to this day. Reuters This was celebrated as Victory in Europe Day by France, Britain and the United States. However, in Moscow it was already 9 May and thus became the Soviet Unions Victory Day. Soviet leader Josef Stalin decreed a holiday, and the first victory parade on Red Square, featuring captured German insignia, was held on 24 June, 1945. Many Russians have argued that the contributions of the Soviet Union to hastening the demise of the Nazi regime are underplayed by the West to this day. However, Victory Day in Russia has taken on another significance over the past couple of years. This is because Vladimir Putin has repeatedly compared the war in Ukraine, where his forces launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, to the challenge of fighting Adolf Hitler. Ukraine and its Western allies denounce that as a false narrative to justify the seizure of Ukrainian land, the destruction of cities, the deaths of tens of thousands of people and the creation of millions of refugees. On this day Impeachment hearings begin against President Nixon On this day in 1974, the United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee opened formal impeachment hearings against President M Richard Nixon. The hearings, which were televised and captured the imagination of America for nearly two months, culminated with the House Judiciary Committee approving three articles of impeachment: obstruction of justice, misuse of powers and violation of his oath of office, and failure to comply with House subpoenas against the then Commander-In-Chief. For Tricky Dick Nixon, it was the beginning of the end. Soon, the Smoking gun tapes in which Nixon is heard approving a proposal from his chief of staff to press the FBI to drop its investigation of the Watergate break-in would go public. The Republicans, who intended to back Nixon all the way, would abandon their president. Nixon would resign in August and then go on to receive a full and complete pardon from President Gerald Ford. With inputs from agencies The BJPs former ally, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), has asked Haryana governor Bandaru Dattatreya to call a floor test against Nayab Singh Sainis dispensation. His government is two short of a majority after three Independents switched support to Congress. Heres why a no-trust motion is not possible at this point read more Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini has expressed confidence that his government will win the no-trust motion. Image Courtesy: X/@NayabSainiBJP The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Haryana is witnessing a political storm. The saffron partys former ally, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), has upped the ante after three Independent MLAs switched their support from the ruling BJP to the Congress. JJP leader and former Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala has written to Governor Bandaru Dattatreya seeking a floor test against the Nayab Singh Saini government to prove majority in the state Assembly. The Opposition Congress has called for CM Sainis resignation, saying his government is in the minority. Advertisement The Haryana CM on Thursday (9 May) said that he is ready for the floor test, exuding confidence that there is no danger to his government. But can the Opposition move a no-trust motion against the Saini government? We explain. JJPs Chautala writes to governor In his letter to the Haryana governor on Wednesday (8 May), Chautala said the Saini government no longer enjoys a majority. I urge you to direct the appropriate authority to immediately call for a floor test to determine majority of government, he wrote. Chautala also said that his party is open to backing any other political party for government formation. The JJP leader called for imposing Presidents rule in Haryana if the BJP government fails to prove a majority on the House floor. Former Haryana Deputy CM and JJP JJP leader Dushyant Chautala writes a letter to Governor Bandaru Dattatreya seeking urgent action regarding the present political situation in the state. In his letter, he urges the Governor to call for Floor Test immediately to make the pic.twitter.com/LziU6LVqN4 ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2024 On Wednesday, the ex-Haryana deputy CM said that he would support the Congress from outside if the Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda takes steps to topple the BJP government. Advertisement Speaking to Indian Express, Chautala said, He (Congress Hooda) has to approach the Governor and move forward. As part of the Opposition, well stand with them. Today, this government does not have a majority, which is why the CM should resign. We shall also be writing to the Governor and do our bit, but Bhupinder Hooda has to initiate it. Well be part of a collective Opposition and vote against the present government. Reacting to Chautalas statement, former Haryana CM Hooda told Indian Express, He is saying these things after staying in the BJP-led government for four-and-a-half years. If he isnt the BJPs B-Team, he should meet the Governor and parade his 10 MLAs, and then I shall send ours to the Raj Bhavan, led by MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra. Advertisement The BJPs alliance with JJP had collapsed in March over seat-sharing. What is the Congress doing? A Congress leader and deputy LoP in the Haryana Assembly, Aftab Ahmed, has sought the governors appointment on 10 May to present a memorandum regarding the present political situation in the state. The Congress is demanding CM Sainis resignation on moral grounds. It has also called for early elections. LoP Hooda, who is reportedly the architect of the crisis, and Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan were present at the press conference in Rohtak on Tuesday when three MLAs Sombir Sangwan (Dadri), Randhir Gollen (Pundri) and Dharampal Gonder (Nilokheri) said are withdrawing support from the BJP. Advertisement VIDEO | "In Haryana, the government is not in majority. They should resign, impose President's rule here and let the people decide what they want through elections. There's a wave going on in favour of Congress in the state," says former Haryana CM and Congress leader Bhupinder S pic.twitter.com/aWkEDGT8Lo Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 9, 2024 Bhan has said the Assembly elections in the state should be conducted simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls on 25 May. The Haryana Assembly polls are due for October. Nothing to worry about The BJP has downplayed the situation. Former Haryana CM ML Khattar has claimed many MLAs are in touch with the BJP and there is nothing to worry about. The Congress and JJP shouldnt worry about us. Instead, they should first set their own houses in order. There is no threat to our government. It will continue to serve the people. We shall win an absolute majority in the next Assembly elections, so that such a situation never arises again," he was quoted as saying by Indian Express. CM Saini has expressed confidence that his government will win the no-trust vote. VIDEO | "Where was Dushyant Chautala when the Special Session of the Assembly was called? He didn't come back then. We will call the Session and will win the trust vote," says Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini (@NayabSainiBJP) on Dushyant Chautala seeking trust vote in letter to pic.twitter.com/FD1JS4cBog Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 9, 2024 The BJP says it has the support of four MLAs from the JJP. In the 90-member Haryana Assembly, the BJP has 40 MLAs and is two short of the majority. the current strength of the House is 88 after Khattar and another Independent MLA resigned from the Assembly to contest Lok Sabha polls. After three Independent MLAs crossed sides on Tuesday, the Saini government has the support of 43 MLAs BJP 40, two Independents, and one from the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP). The Congress has 30 legislators and the support of three Independents. The JJP has a total of 10 MLAs. Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has one MLA. To get past the majority mark of 45, the Congress needs the support of all JJP MLAs, and the lone MLAs of HLP and the INLD. However, the loyalties of four JJP MLAs could shift to the BJP, which claims their support . As per an NDTV report, four MLAs from Chautalas party met former CM Khattar in the afternoon on Thursday at the residence of Minister of State Mahipal Dhanda in Panipat. Can there be a floor test in Haryana? It does not seem possible. As per the rules, a no-confidence motion cannot be moved within six months of the last one. A floor test was held in March after Khattar stepped down as CM and was replaced by Saini. A day after taking oath as the Haryana CM on 12 March, Saini had won the trust vote. So, as of now, he has that six-month immunity. Hooda agreed that the floor test could not be held currently. However, he told Indian Express that the Chief Minister should resign on moral grounds, as his government has lost majority. The Opposition can meet the governor and stake a claim to form the government. However, even if the Congress and the JJP display their strength of MLAs in front of the governor, it is not known what Dattatreya would do, noted Indian Express. Haryana Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta has reportedly said there was no need to conduct a floor test for another six months as it was held in March. As per Indian Express, Gupta said, Officially, I have not received any intimation from any MLA. It is only in the media that there are reports that three Independent MLAs have decided to support the Congress. Usually, when a no-confidence motion is moved, the next one can only be moved after six months, although the Governor, as a constitutional authority, can take any decision as and when the need arises. If he gives us any directions, we will follow those. Even if the Haryana governor asks the Saini government to prove its majority within a certain period, the defection of some JJP MLAs remains a real possibility. If that happens, the BJP could easily win the no-trust motion, as per the newspaper. With inputs from agencies India set a record by receiving more than $111 billion in remittances in 2022, making it the first nation to exceed the $100 billion milestone, according to the UN migration agency. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) revealed in its World Migration Report 2024, released on Tuesday, that India, Mexico, China, the Philippines, and France stood out as the top five countries receiving remittances that year read more India, estimated to have received more than USD 111 billion in 2022, is by far the largest recipient of international remittances in the world. Image used for representational purposes/Pixabay The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) released its World Migration Report 2024, revealing that in 2022, India soared to the top of the remittances chart, receiving over USD 111 billion. This staggering figure not only secured Indias position as the largest recipient of remittances globally but also marked the first time any country has surpassed the USD 100 billion milestone. South Asia, particularly India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, stands out for its substantial inflow of remittances. The region, known for its significant migrant worker population, consistently ranks among the top recipients of international remittances worldwide. In 2022, Pakistan and Bangladesh claimed the sixth and eighth spots respectively, with Pakistan receiving nearly USD 30 billion and Bangladesh garnering around USD 21.5 billion. Advertisement What are remittances? Remittances refer to the financial or in-kind transfers that migrants send directly to their families or communities in their home countries. The World Bank gathers worldwide data on international remittances. Its data, however, does not capture unrecorded flows through formal or informal channels, and the actual magnitudes of global remittances are therefore likely to be larger than available estimates. Over recent years, these transfers have experienced significant growth and currently stand as the primary source of foreign income for numerous developing economies. India is the first country ever to have passed the $100 billion mark for inbound remittances and has been the largest recipient of remittances for many years now. A look at the international remittances race and its top players. | #FPCreative pic.twitter.com/3v9NVsc4sc Firstpost (@firstpost) May 9, 2024 The biennial report recorded USD 831 billion in international remittances globally in 2022 with USD 647 billion of it, being received by low- and middle-income countries. India, with approximately 18 million international migrants, boasts the largest diaspora globally. Countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United States, and Saudi Arabia host significant Indian communities. Moreover, India ranks 13th among destination countries for immigrants, with 4.48 million migrants. Notably, India features prominently in various international migration corridors, including those with the UAE, US, Saudi Arabia, and Bangladesh. Advertisement A typical remittance transaction takes place in three steps: The migrant sender pays the remittance to the sending agent using cash, check, money order, credit card, debit card, or a debit instruction sent by e-mail, phone, or through the Internet. The sending agency instructs its agent in the recipients country to deliver the remittance. The paying agent makes the payment to the beneficiary. Remittances data defied pandemic forecasts Contrary to initial dire forecasts, international remittance flows in 2020 showed a more positive outcome. The World Bank predicted that global remittance figures would decline by 20 per cent due to COVID-19 in April 2020, revised to 14 per cent in October 2020, in comparison to pre-pandemic levels. However, remittance flows ended up declining by just 2.4 per cent globally, with USD 540 billion going to low- and middle-income countries in 2020, just 1.6 per cent below 2019 levels. In 2021, remittance flows grew by 7.3 per cent to reach USD 589 billion. This unexpected trend was partly attributed to a shift from informal to formal channels in response to COVID-19 mobility restrictions, among other factors. Despite these challenges, the available data reflect an overall long-term upward trend in international remittances in recent years, escalating from approximately USD 128 billion in 2000 to USD 831 billion in 2022. Advertisement International remittances rebounded from the decline experienced in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, migrants globally sent an estimated USD 831 billion in international remittances, marking an increase from USD 791 billion in 2021 and significantly surpassing the USD 717 billion recorded in 2020. International remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries (20002022) As observed in previous years, low- and middle-income countries continued to receive substantial remittance inflows, which surged by 8 per cent between 2021 and 2022, climbing from USD 599 billion to USD 647 billion. Since the mid-1990s, international remittances have consistently exceeded official development assistance levels, defined as government aid aimed at promoting the economic development and welfare of developing countries. Moreover, they have recently surpassed foreign direct investment (FDI). Advertisement Which nations followed India? While India leads the global remittance landscape, Mexico, China, the Philippines and France followed after, becoming the top five countries receiving remittances. With over USD 61 billion estimated in 2022, Mexico surpassed China, which historically held the second spot. Chinas remittance inflow dwindled to around USD 51 billion, attributed to demographic shifts and stringent travel policies. Top 10 countries receiving international remittances (20102022) The only other G7 nation in the top 10, apart from France, is Germany. The report, however, says that it should be noted that the the majority of inflows to these two nations are not household transfers, but relate to salaries of cross-border workers who work in Switzerland while residing in France or Germany. Advertisement Which countries send the most remittances? Traditionally, high-income countries serve as the primary origins of international remittances. Over the years, the United States of America has consistently held the position of the worlds leading remittance-sending country. In 2022 alone, the US recorded a total outflow of USD 79.15 billion. Following closely behind are Saudi Arabia (USD 39.35 billion), Switzerland (USD 31.91 billion), and Germany (USD 25.60 billion). The UAE typically features among the top 10 sending countries globally; however, its data were not included in the June 2022 World Bank data release, says the report. Top 10 countries sending international remittances (20102022) China, classified as an upper-middle-income country by the World Bank, has emerged as a significant source of international remittances, reporting USD 18.26 billion in 2022, which was a decline from USD 23 billion in 2021. Is a nations economy reliant on remittances? There is no unanimous definition of overreliance on international remittances; however, dependency on remittances is commonly assessed by examining the ratio of remittances to gross domestic product (GDP). The top five countries in terms of remittance dependency, as measured by the share of GDP in 2022, were Tajikistan (51%), followed by Tonga (44%), Lebanon (36%), Samoa (34%), and Kyrgyzstan (31%). The latest data shows that foreign remittances account for 3 per cent of Indias GDP. Top 10 recipient countries of international remittances by share of GDP in 2022 International remittances remain significant to North Africa and are major sources of foreign exchange for several countries in the sub region, says the report. Egypt is estimated to have received more than 28 billion USD in international remittances, making it the seventh largest recipient. Morocco, which ranks among the top 20 recipient is estimated to have received over USD 11 billion in 2022, accounting for 8 per cent of its GDP. In South-east Asia as well, migrants from the Philippines are estimated to have remitted over USD 38 billion, the fourth largest figure globally, accounting for 9.4 per cent of the countrys GDP. International remittances are also important to countries such as Nepal, where they make up nearly 23 per cent of national GDP. Reliance on remittances to such a significant extent can foster a culture of dependency within the receiving country, potentially leading to reduced labour force participation and impeding economic growth. Moreover, excessive dependence on remittances renders an economy more susceptible to abrupt fluctuations in remittance receipts or changes in exchange rates. What are the costs incurred during the transfer? SDG 10.C underscores the commitment of countries to reducing the transaction costs associated with migrant remittances to less than 3 per cent. This target aims to establish a global average for sending USD 200. While the expense of sending remittances has gradually decreased over recent years across various regions, it remains notably high, far surpassing the SDG 10 objective. Average cost of sending USD 200 by region of the world, 20152022 (%) In 2022, the average costs were at their lowest in South Asia, standing at 4.6 per cent, followed by East Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean, both hovering around 5.8 per cent. Conversely, Sub-Saharan Africa consistently bears the highest average cost of sending remittances, exceeding 8 per cent in 2022, more than double the SDG target. SDG 10.C says: By 2030, reduce to less than 3 per cent the transaction costs of migrant remittances and eliminate remittance corridors with costs higher than 5 per cent. With inputs from agencies A 22-year-old Indian-origin MTech student was stabbed to death in Australia during a fight over rent between some Indian students. Two brothers, identified as Abhijeet and Robin Gartan, have been arrested in New South Wales Goulburn on Tuesday read more Abhijeet, 26, and Gartan, 27, were arrested on Tuesday for fatally stabbing the 22-year-old student. Image Courtesy: @Victoria Police/X A 22-year-old Indian-origin MTech student was stabbed to death in Australia during a fight between some Indian students. Two brothers, identified as Abhijeet and Robin Gartan, have been arrested in New South Wales Goulburn on Tuesday. The arrest comes two days after the fatal stabbing of Navjeet Sandhu in Ormonds Melbourne suburb, according to officials. What happened? Navjeet Sandhu, a native of Karnals Gagsina village, was fatally stabbed in the chest with a knife by another student when he was trying to mediate a confrontation in a rent-related dispute between some Indian students, his father, Jitender Singh, told reporters in Karnal. Advertisement Sandhus 30-year-old friend, named Shravan, also sustained injuries in the incident. Sandhus uncle Yashvir Singh was quoted by PTI as saying, Sandhus 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, Sandhu heard some shouting and saw there was a fight. When Sandhu tried to intervene asking them not to fight, he was fatally stabbed in the chest with a knife. According to the Indian Express, which quoted the victims father, Shravan shared the house with Abhijeet and Robin Gartan. Following reports of the dispute, emergency services were called at about 1 am on Sunday, the statement by Victoria police said. Upon arrival, the two men were located with stab wounds, the report said. Singh said the family got information about the incident early Sunday morning. The 22-year-old was a brilliant student and was to join his family in July for vacations, his uncle, wholl retire from the Army in July, said, as per News18. Sandhu arrived in Australia on a study visa in November 2022 to pursue an MTech degree in Melbourne. His father, a farmer, had sold one-and-a-half acres of their land to fund his education. Who are the accused? Abhijeet, 26, and Gartan, 27, were arrested on Tuesday for fatally stabbing the 22-year-old student. Brothers Abhijeet and Robin Gartan were arrested in Goulburn this morning with the assistance of NSW Police, Victoria Police media department head Natalie Webster said in a statement shared with The Quint. Victoria detectives travelled to Goulburn for a court hearing scheduled for Wednesday at the local Goulburn court. The investigators will apply to extradite them back to Victoria, as per the statement. The brothers are residents of Bastara village in Karnal. The duo had been on the run since Sunday. Earlier, Victoria Polices Homicide Squad detectives had released details and images of the two men. The officials described both as being 170 centimetres tall with a solid build and black hair. Before being arrested, the two were believed to be travelling in a stolen 2014 white Toyota Camry sedan. With inputs from PTI Moosa Zameer, the foreign minister of the Maldives, is visiting India and will hold talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The visit comes amid tensions that began when Mohamed Muizzu came to power in the island nation. Will Zameer be able to strike a reconciliatory note? read more New Delhi will be hosting a VIP starting today until 10 May and its going to be closely watched by all in the country. Today, Maldivian foreign minister Moosa Zameer will travel to India and meet his Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar. And as per the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the two leaders will sit for discussions on bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest. Notably, this will be the first official visit of Foreign Minister Zameer to India since assuming office. Advertisement But if one thinks it will be a smooth ride, think again. The Maldivian ministers visit comes at a time when ties between the two countries, India and the Maldives, are on a downward trajectory. Lets explore. Maldives Zameer visits India Moosa Zameer , the Maldivian foreign minister, will be travelling to New Delhi and meeting S Jaishankar for discussions on bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest. The MEA in its statement wrote, Maldives is Indias key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and Foreign Minister Zameers visit is expected to lend further momentum to the bilateral cooperation between the two countries. While this will be Zameers first visit to India since assuming office, this wont be the first interaction between S Jaishankar and the Zameer. The two leaders had earlier met in Ugandas Kampala back in January. Met Maldives FM @MoosaZameer today in Kampala. A frank conversation on - ties. Also discussed NAM related issues. pic.twitter.com/P7ResFlCaK Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) January 18, 2024 All eyes will be on the meet as it comes between the frosty relations between the two countries owing to the strong anti-India rhetoric emanating from Male. Additionally, it comes just a day before the deadline imposed by Maldivian president Mohamed Muizzu for the complete repatriation of all Indian military personnel from Maldives. Advertisement India Out campaign and Muizzu Last September, the Maldives elected Mohamed Muizzu as its new president and with that came a realignment in the ties with the island nation. This is largely owing to Muizzus pro-China stance. In fact, the highlight of Muizzus election campaign was the slogan India Out , calling for all Indian military personnel leave the country. Shortly after he was sworn in, he reiterated his call for Indian troops to leave the country in phases the first group leaving on 10 March and the second group departing the island by 10 May 2024. Mohamed Muizzu, Maldives president, has been a proponent of the India Out campaign and has insisted that all Indian military personnel leave the island nation. File image/Reuters He also refused to renew the current hydrographic agreement. The agreement, signed in 2019, allowed India to comprehensively study the territorial waters of the island nation and was due for renewal in June 2024. Advertisement It has also been officially informed that the Maldivian state will not renew the agreement which gives India substantial powers to draw charts of Maldives boundaries and the seabed, said Muizzu, according to Adhadhu. In January, Muizzu had also said that his countrys small size doesnt give anyone the licence to bully it a jibe at India. On his return from China, Muizzu was quoted as saying, The Maldives is not in any countrys backyard. We may be small but that doesnt give you the license to bully us. Muizzus ministers and Modi Earlier in January, a huge diplomatic row also broke out between New Delhi and Male over PM Modis Lakshadweep visit. While many were enamoured with Modis images of strolling and snorkelling in the Indian archipelago, some in island nation saw it as an attempt to draw visitors away from its sandy white beaches and high-end island resorts popular with celebrities. Advertisement Recently, I had the opportunity to be among the people of Lakshadweep. I am still in awe of the stunning beauty of its islands and the incredible warmth of its people. I had the opportunity to interact with people in Agatti, Bangaram and Kavaratti. I thank the people of the pic.twitter.com/tYW5Cvgi8N Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 4, 2024 In reaction to Modis images, three government deputy ministers posted derogatory remarks against Modi on X, with one of them even calling the PM a clown and a puppet of Israel. This angered several Indians, spawning the #ExploreIndianIslands trend in which celebrities asked people to ditch visiting the archipelago and explore Indian tourist spots. Responding to the row, Maldives suspended the three ministers, but the damage, it seems, was done. In fact, Indian tourists to the neighbouring country has dipped significantly, affecting their economy. Foreign tourists arrive in a resort in the Kurumba island in Maldives. Indian tourists to the island nation have dipped significantly, hurting Maldives economy. File image/AP Maldives U-turn However, after the anti-India rhetoric, Muizzu has attempted to strike a reconciliatory note, with many stating that Zameers visit is a step in that direction. In March, Muizzu called India its closest ally and urged New Delhi to provide debt relief to his country. And its not just that. In an interview to news agency PTI, Maldives tourism minister Ibrahim Faisal also made a plea to Indians to return to the archipelago. 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. Earlier in April, the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators also met with Munu Mahawar, the Indian high commissioner to the Maldives to explore collaborative efforts in tourism promotion. Will Maldives gamble now pay off? Lets wait and watch. With inputs from agencies South Koreas president Yoon Suk Yeol says the countrys declining birth rate is a national emergency and that his government will use all its capabilities to tackle the looming demographic crisis. But with already existing policies such as cash incentives, nannies and child support failing to bring results, can a new ministry really make a difference? read more President Yoon Seok Yeol says he wants to create a new minitry to tackle low birth rates in the country. Reuters South Korea is known around the world for its technological advancements, beauty products, and vibrant K-pop culture. But at home, the country is grappling with what could be an existential crisis the lowest birthrate in the world. On Thursday, South Koreas president Yoon Suk Yeol announced that he wants to establish a new ministry to address this looming demographic crisis. I ask the parliaments cooperation to revise government organisation to set up the Ministry of Low Birth Rate Counter Planning, Yoon said in a live address to the nation. Advertisement This was Soons first speech since his crushing defeat in the general election last year. The government in February announced that South Koreas birth rate fell to a record low last year. This, despite having poured billions of dollars into efforts to encourage women to have more children and stabilise the population. A looming demographic crisis According to Februarys preliminary data from Statistics Korea, the countrys fertility rate - the number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime - dropped to 0.72 in 2023, down nearly 8 per cent from 2022. This is far below the 2.1 children needed to maintain the current population of 51 million. At this rate, the population will decline to nearly half by 2100, according to experts from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle. The country has one of the worlds longest life expectancies and lowest birth rates, a combination that presents a massive demographic challenge. Seoul has thus far poured hundreds of billions of dollars into trying to encourage South Koreans to have more babies, offered cash subsidies, babysitting services, and support for infertility treatment. However, all this has made little difference as the fertility rate continues to plumb new lows. South Koreas president Yoon Seok Yeol said the government will set up the In order to overcome the low birth rate, which can be considered a national emergency, we will fully mobilise all of the states capabilities, Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency quoted Yoon as saying. We will be creating a low-birth planning department in order to establish a more aggressive and powerful control tower, Yoon added. Advertisement The South Korean government also made efforts such as increasing paid time off for new fathers, providing baby vouchers for new parents, and promoting campaigns for men to share household responsibilities. Will creating a ministry really help? Experts and locals say deeper societal problems such as bias against single parents, prejudice against non-conventional relationships, and obstacles for same-sex couples are making people think twice before having children. Factors such as steep expenses related to raising children and housing, as well as a highly competitive job market are also responsible for pushing people away from becoming parents. A survey by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA) in February of around 300 childless newlyweds showed that 37 per cent of them estimated that the cost of raising a child every month will be between 1 million won (Rs. 61,044) and 1.5 million won (Rs. 91,581), according to The Korea Times. Advertisement It costs between 1 million won (Rs. 61,044) and 1.5 million won (Rs. 91,581) monthly to raise a child in Korea, a February survey said. Asked how much of a burden child-rearing expenses would place on their households, 93.7 per cent said it would be burdensome. Of those, 58.7 per cent said it would be somewhat burdensome and 35 per cent said it would be very burdensome. In the largely conservative Korean society, working mothers face the challenge of balancing household duties, childcare responsibilities, and professional careers, burdening them with childs responsibilities. South Koreas 0.72 birth rate is the lowest among OECD nations, while the average age a woman gives birth is 33.6, the highest in the OECD. Advertisement It looks like nothing short of a change in attitudes and in society will help South Korea solve its demographic crisis. With input from agencies As it targets Hamas underground tunnels in Gaza, Israel has relied on powerful 2,000-pound bombs provided by the US. But now those deliveries are on hold. Heres everything you need to know about the bombs and why there is so much concern about their use in Rafah read more The 2,000-pound bomb is one of the most modern and precise weapons in America's military arsenal. File photo/Reuters In a significant development amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the United States has decided to halt the delivery of powerful 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. This decision comes as Israel prepares to launch an assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, to what it claims is to root out the final elements of Hamas. Israel has long relied on these weapons from its strongest ally in the West. With more than one million refugees sheltering in Rafah, US officials are concerned the bombs could inflict massive casualties. Human rights groups have long said that Israels use of powerful bombs has caused the indiscriminate killings of civilians. Advertisement Heres everything we know about the US restrictions on bomb shipments to Israel . The decision wasnt final US defence secretary Lloyd Austin told a Senate panel Wednesday that smaller, more precise weapons are needed for a densely populated area like Rafah. Still, he made clear the decision wasnt final. Were going to continue to do whats necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself, Austin said. But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah. Israel said it was disappointed with the decision, suggesting it was done due to political pressure on US president Joe Biden. Some defence experts said the move was largely symbolic but could signal more trouble ahead in the relationship between the US and Israel. Its some kind of diplomatic message to (Israeli prime minister Benjamin) Netanyahu that he needs to take into consideration American interests more than he has over the last few months, said Itamar Yaar, former deputy head of Israels National Security Council. At least for now it will not impact Israeli capability but its some kind of a signal, a be careful. The 2,000-pound bomb While the US has dropped 2,000-pound bombs off its aircraft since World War II, current versions date back to the Vietnam War. Its an air-dropped munition, one that can carry a higher payload because it doesnt have an engine. Its one of the larger munitions in the US inventory, said Ryan Brobst, a senior research analyst at the Foundation for the Defence of Democracies Centre on Military and Political Power. Advertisement The 2,000-pound bomb has multiple variants some are designed to penetrate deep, underground targets while others detonate above ground and cause widespread damage. Depending on the variant, and whether the munition is dropped in an open or urban area, its blast radius can be as far as a quarter mile away or a much more confined area. An Israeli military vehicle fires near the Israel-Gaza border, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in southern Israel. Israel said it was disappointed with the US decision to halt the delivery of 2,000-pound bombs suggesting it was done due to political pressure on President Joe Biden. File photo/Reuters The bombs are dumb or unguided bombs but can be turned into more precise weapons with the addition of Joint Direct Attack Munition kits, or JDAM kits which add a tail fin and navigation. That added kit enables troops to guide the munition to a target, rather than simply dropping it from a fighter jet onto the ground. The kits make the weapons more precise, but in a densely populated urban environment, a JDAM kit is not going to make much of a difference a precise hit will still have the reach to kill unintended bystanders. Advertisement Also Read: Why has Israel rejected three-phase ceasefire deal accepted by Hamas? What comes next? US fighter jets, bombers and drones can all fire the JDAMs, and the US began providing the munitions to Ukraine in 2022, a slightly modified version that could be launched from Ukrainian aircraft. After the 7 October attack on Israel by Hamas, the US provided 2,000-pound munitions to Israel to assist in its defence. Unlike other types of munitions in the US inventory, the military has an ample supply of them, so providing them doesnt involve the same type of stockpile pressures the US has with other more limited munitions like the 155mm artillery rounds. Advertisement The US pause could hurt Israel The Israeli military has said little about what kinds of bombs and artillery it is using in Gaza. But from blast fragments found on-site and analyses of strike footage, experts are confident that the vast majority of bombs dropped on the besieged enclave are US-made. They say the 2,000-pound bombs have killed hundreds in densely populated areas. Brobst said the 2,000-pound bombs are still needed to assist Israel in striking Hamas tunnel network in Rafah. An Israeli mobile artillery unit fires a shell from southern Israel towards the Gaza Strip, in a position near the Israel-Gaza border. AP Wes Bryant, a weapons expert and retired American air force master sergeant who served on an independent task force for the state and defence departments on Israels use of weapons in Gaza, said that the pause would be a huge hit to the Israeli arsenal. Advertisement The 2,000- and 500-pound bombs are some of the main munitions used by Israel in its seven-month war campaign, Bryant said. Also Read: Israel takes Al Jazeera off air: Who owns the media network? Why did Israel order its shutdown? They have been burning right through them, said Bryant. He said the munitions are made by major American weapons manufacturers like Raytheon, Northrop, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and General Atomics. The dangers for Rafah A report compiled by the independent task force for the US state and defence departments last month said US sources informed one of its members that 300,000 munitions had been dropped on or fired in Gaza during the first six months of the war. It cited credible media investigations that in the first month of the Israeli campaign alone, there were at least 500 craters in Gaza consistent with the use of 2,000-pound bombs. The potential use of 2,000-pound bombs in Rafah, where more than one million people have sheltered because they have nowhere else to go, has drawn significant administration concern. At the hearing, Austin questioned whether the 2,000-pound bomb was the right tool for the Rafah operation. Its about having the right kinds of weapons for the task at hand. And a small diameter bomb, which is a precision weapon, thats very useful in a dense, built-up environment, said Austin, but maybe not so much a 2,000-pound bomb that could create a lot of collateral damage. He said the US wants to see Israel do more precise operations. Israel reacted strongly to the US decision. Its UN ambassador Gilad Erdan called the pause a very disappointing decision, even frustrating, in an interview with Israeli Channel 12 TV news. He suggested that the move stemmed from political pressure on Biden from Congress, campus protests and the upcoming election. With inputs from AP US presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr has revealed that he suffered from memory loss and brain fog owing to a worm entering his brain, eating a portion of it and then dying. Experts note that these instances are most common in rural areas worldwide with less rigorous sanitation and hygiene measures. But can such a worm be fatal? read more The United States presidential elections are months away and its mostly been seen as a contest between incumbent Joe Biden and Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. Robert F Kennedy Jr, who is also in the running for the White House, has largely been side-lined. However, on Wednesday (8 May), he got into peoples brains when he told the New York Times that he a parasite in his brain, which had caused memory loss and severe brain fog more than a decade ago. Advertisement Soon after, the report was published and made available, people began talking about brain worms how common are they and how can you protect yourself from them. Late night US talk show hosts such Stephen Colbert also mention Kennedys brain worm, saying: I just want to say to any RFK Jr fans who might be watching, do not despair. Just because he has sworn in a deposition that he has parasitic brain damage doesnt mean hes going to drop out, because Bobby Kennedy Jr does not know the meaning of the word quit cause that information was in the part of the brain that the worm ate. As the buzz continues on RFKs brain worm, lets take a closer look at what are these parasites and how they affect people. What worm ate RFKs brain? The news of a brain worm in Robert F Kennedy Jr came courtesy a 2012 deposition reviewed by the New York Times. In that, the 70-year-old had said that in 2010 he was experiencing memory loss and mental fogginess so severe that a friend grew concerned he might have a brain tumour. On further medical investigations, several doctors noticed a dark spot on his brain and concluded that he had a tumour. However, there was one doctor at New York-Presbyterian Hospital who had a different opinion; he believed that Kennedy had a dead parasite in his head. Kennedy in his deposition said that the doctor believed that the abnormality seen on his scans was caused by a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died. Advertisement In his 2012 deposition, the Independent candidate also said that at the same time of being diagnosed with the worm, he suffered from mercury poisoning. Independent US presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr says that he is now fine. He recovered from the memory loss and fogginess and has had no after-effects from the parasite. File image/Reuters Speaking to New York Times, he then said that he had recovered from the memory loss and fogginess and had no after-effects from the parasite, which he said had not required treatment. The report doesnt mention what parasite was in his brain or where it came from. However, Kennedy suspects he might have contracted it during his South Asia trip. In an interview to a web radio show, he, however, stated that the infection was neurocysticercosis and that the parasite comes from eating undercooked pork. Advertisement Are brain worms real? For those who think this whole episode is a joke, think again. Doctors note that brain parasites are real and quite widespread. According to Americas Centres of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 11 per cent of the US population, six years and older, has been infected with toxoplasmosis, an infection caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii, which infects your brain. Globally, that number is as high as 60 per cent. Infection is often highest in areas of the world that have hot, humid climates and lower altitudes, the CDC writes. Advertisement And its not just one type of parasite that affects the nervous system. There are other parasites such as cerebral malaria, neurocysticercosis, and neuroschistosomiasis. There are also tapeworms that can travel from your gut to your brain, though thats rare. Furthermore, theres Naegleria fowleri , aka the brain eating amoeba, which lives in soil and warm fresh water, such as lakes, rivers, and hot springs. That one can cause a brain infection when water containing it goes up a persons nose. Experts note that such cases of parasites in the brain are more common in rural areas around the world with less rigorous sanitation and hygiene measures. Advertisement A photomicrograph of the parasitic pork tapeworm Taenia solium. This is one example of the kind of parasite that can affect the brain. Image Courtesy: CDC Do they really eat the brain? But can these worms actually eat the brain, as Kennedy claimed? Dr Janina Caira, a University of Connecticut professor and tapeworm specialist, said that the worm couldnt have eaten his brain. Theres no way the larvae could have consumed Kennedys brain tissue. In a Business Insider report, she explained that the larvae dont have mouths or digestive systems. Instead, they absorb nutrients through the surface of their bodies. Dr Michael Schulder, professor and vice chair of neurosurgery at Northwell Health in New York was also of the same opinion. In a TIME report, he said that the parasite does not eat the brain. Dr Peter Hotez, an infectious disease expert and Dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, speaking to CNN, said, The worms are not feeding the brain. They are living in the brain, Dr Hotez said. The worms get nutrients from the body, but they are not eating the brain tissue. However, worms can affect the body. Depending on where the parasite lodges itself in, the patient could either be entirely asymptomatic or experience headaches and seizures. Memory loss and cognitive problems of the kind Kennedy described in his deposition would be rare, opined Dr Edward Jones-Lopez, an infectious-disease specialist with Keck Medicine of USC in a Los Angeles Times report. People diagnosed with the case of neurocysticercosis experience seizures, and, in some cases, need to be on anti-seizure medication for a long time because when the worms die, they form a calcified cyst in the brain that can cause the brain to release inflammatory chemicals called cytokines. Experts are also researching if brain worms can, indeed, cause memory problems and dementia. Dr Hotez said the matter is still being studied. In the rarest of rare cases, brain worms can kill a person. In a 2019 study, toxoplasmosis deaths made up less than one-tenth of a per cent of the total deaths recorded in 37 hospitals studied by researchers, being attributed to just 188 out of 247,976. The most effective way of protecting yourself from brain parasites is to practise good hand hygiene. Image used for representational purposes/Pixabay How do I protect myself from brain worms? Experts note that good hygiene and food preparation practices are of utmost importance. Firstly, avoid undercooked or raw pork. Doctors state that to protect ourselves one must avoid pork if travelling to places with poor sanitation. Besides the handling of food, medical experts also urge people not to dive into warm fresh bodies of water, especially if they are known to carry Naegleria fowleri. Also, practice good hand hygiene to reduce the risk of infections. Wash hands thoroughly, using soap and scrubbing for 20 seconds. Also, cut your nails regularly and avoid any type of build-up there. Lastly, also wear shoes when in the mud, especially in rural and remote regions and leave them outside the house. With inputs from agencies Air India Express has issued an ultimatum to striking cabin crew members to join work by 4 pm on Thursday (May 9). The number of termination of employees is likely to increase if they do not report to work read more Air India Express, owned by Tata Group, has sacked with immediate effect 25 cabin crew members who did not report to work and went on mass sick leave without notice. Around 25 cabin crew members of Air India Express have been terminated due to their behaviour, ANI quoted sources in the airline as saying. Meanwhile, Air India Express has also issued an ultimatum to striking cabin crew to join work by 4 pm on Thursday (May 9), PTI cited sources as saying. Advertisement The termination letter was reportedly sent to the employees late on Wednesday. You will no longer be considered an employee Terminating services of its cabin crew members, Air India Express said: You will no longer be considered an employee; you will no longer have access to official mails, servers, other communication; and you and your dependents shall not be eligible for any employee-related benefits provided by the company. Air India Express cabin crew mass sick leave lead to over 100 flights cancellation As per reports, the number of termination of employees is likely to increase if the crew members do not report to work. More than 100 Air India Express flights have cancelled since Tuesday night, leaving around 15,000 passengers in trouble. Mass sick leave not only a problem, but The airline in an emailed statement said that the mass sick leave was not only in violation of the applicable laws, but it also violated the Air India Express Limited Employees Service Rules as are applicable to you. The airline further said the crew members were rostered for a flight on Tuesday. However, you informed the Scheduling team at the last moment that you were unwell and accordingly reported sick. As a result, a large number of flights had to be cancelled, thereby disrupting the entire schedule, which cause tremendous inconvenience to our esteemed passengers, the airline said. Advertisement Also Read: Over 70 Air India Express flights cancelled at last moment, more expected today; heres why Air India Express further said that around the same time, a large number of other cabin crew members also reported sick and did not report for their duties. This clearly points to a pre-mediated and concerted abstention from work without any justifiable reason," the airline added. A large number of flights had to be cancelled, which further disrupted the entire schedule and caused tremendous inconvenience to our esteemed passengers". Your act amounts to a concerted action with a common understanding, to not operate the flight and to disrupt services of the company, Air India Express said. Advertisement Whats wrong with Air India Express? The Air India Express employees reportedly went on mass sick leave in protest against the management over the initiation of the merger with AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India). In April, a union representing a section of Air India Express cabin crew alleged that the airline is being mismanaged and claimed a lack of equality in the treatment of the staff. The recent event at Air India Express comes merely a month after Tata Groups full-service carrier Vistara experienced pilot issues, leading it to temporarily reduce capacity by 10 per cent, or 25-30 flights per day. Tata Group is merging Air India Express and AIX Connect, as well as Vistara with Air India as part of consolidating its airline business. Advertisement With inputs from agencies Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said that India has expressed a strong interest in funding the Teesta Project in accordance with Dhakas requirements read more Highlighting the strong rapport with India compared to China, Bangladesh foreign minister Hasan Mahmud emphasized on Thursday that New Delhi is geographically closer to Dhaka than Beijing. This insight came when he was asked about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas preferences for her next trip to neighbouring countries. Mahmud also mentioned that Prime Minister Hasina is planning to visit India either in early June or the first week of July, following the formation of a new government in India after the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. These statements were made following Mahmuds meeting with visiting Indian foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, who is set to hold discussions with Prime Minister Hasina and his Bangladeshi counterpart, Masud Bin Momen as well. Advertisement In January this year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warmly congratulated Prime Minister Hasina on her electoral triumph, expressing optimism for the sustained enhancement of the longstanding and robust relationship between India and Bangladesh. Their most recent face-to-face interaction took place during the G20 Leaders Summit in September 2023, where Bangladesh participated as a guest country. India likely to fund Teesta project Foreign Minister Mahmud said that India has expressed a strong interest in funding the Teesta Project in accordance with Bangladeshs requirements. Flowing across the Indian subcontinent for a distance of 414 kilometres, the Teesta River traverses through the regions of Sikkim and West Bengal before ultimately reaching the Bay of Bengal via Bangladesh. A 2013 report by the Asian Foundation highlighted the rivers immense significance with its floodplain covering approximately 14 per cent of Bangladeshs total cultivated land directly supporting the livelihoods of around 73 per cent of the population. In West Bengal, particularly in North Bengal, the Teesta is considered the lifeblood, sustaining nearly half a dozen districts. The Teesta River Project is a comprehensive initiative aimed at harnessing the rivers water resources for various purposes including irrigation, flood control and power generation. It encompasses the construction of dams, barrages and hydroelectric power stations along the rivers course. However, the project has been mired in controversy primarily concerning the equitable sharing of water between India and Bangladesh. At the heart of the dispute lies the allocation of Teesta rivers water resources. Bangladesh advocates for a larger share than what is currently allocated as its current portion is lower than Indias. The disagreement centres on ensuring a fair distribution of the rivers waters, especially during dry seasons, to meet the agricultural, drinking water and other essential needs of both nations. Advertisement Teesta and its tryst with history Back in 1951, a significant agreement between East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and India, known as the India-East Pakistan Agreement on the Sharing of the Ganges Waters, was inked encompassing the Teesta river within its provisions. This landmark pact aimed to ensure the equitable distribution of the rivers waters although negotiations on the specifics of this sharing arrangement have been ongoing since 1972. Fast forward to 1984, a Joint River Commission report indicated a slight increase in Bangladeshs share based on hydrological data. Under this arrangement, India was allocated 42.5 per cent of the water share, Bangladesh 37.5 per cent with the remaining 20 per cent left unallocated. Subsequently, in 1998, Bangladesh initiated the Teesta Barrage irrigation project allowing for three cropping seasons annually. Advertisement Despite intentions to finalise an interim agreement in 2011 for a 15-year period, opposition from both West Bengal and Sikkim thwarted its signing. Even discussions during Prime Minister Hasinas visit to India in December 2021 failed to culminate in a formal agreement. While the rainy season typically presents fewer challenges, issues arise during the winter months as Bangladesh grapples with watering over 1 lakh hectares of land in Rangpur for farming, primarily due to Indias significant withdrawal of water, exacerbating the situation. The China angle As Bangladesh strategises to enhance its portion of the transboundary Teesta River, a new battleground has emerged, drawing the attention of both India and China. Advertisement China has been eyeing Dhakas proposed Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration project, projected at a staggering $1 billion, for several years. Recently, Beijing formally submitted a proposal to execute this project. While India has expressed interest in the endeavor, it has yet to submit a formal proposal of its own. The prospect of Chinas involvement in the project raises legitimate security concerns for India. Allowing Chinese participation would bring their presence dangerously close to Indias Siliguri Corridor, already a critical security focal point. Furthermore, Chinese diplomatic efforts persist, with Chinas envoy to Bangladesh, Yao Wen, disclosing in December the reception of proposals for Teesta basin development. This comes on the heels of Yaos predecessor, Li Jiming, sparking controversy by visiting the Teesta barrage in Lalmonirhat district back in October 2022, a Hindustan Times report said. Advertisement Bangladesh must make a judicious decision bearing in mind the cautionary tales of how the dragon swallowed the Gwadar Port in Pakistan and Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka in a meticulously laid debt trap before contemplating any adversarial approach towards India. JJP has clearly said if a No Confidence Motion is brought against this Government, we will support the Motion, Dushyant Chautala said read more Haryanas former deputy chief minister and ex-ally of Bharatiya Janata Party, Dushyant Chautala, has written to the Governor demanding a floor test in the Assembly after three independent MLAs withdrew their support to BJP in the coalition government in the state. In his letter to the Haryana Governor, Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader Chautala said the resignations of the independent and withdrawal of support by three independent MLAs have pushed the ruling BJP alliance to a minority status. Advertisement The government that was formed two months back is now in the minority Three Independent MLAs who were supporting them have withdrawn their support JJP has clearly said if a No Confidence Motion is brought against this Government, we will support the Motion. We have also written to the Governor about it, Chautala said. Now, Congress has to take this step (seeking a Floor Test). The Governor has the power to order a Floor Test to see if the Government has the strength and if it doesnt have the majority immediately implement Presidents Rule in the state, the JJP leader further said. pic.twitter.com/XBExSQBkLQ Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) (@JJPofficial) May 9, 2024 The Nayab Singh Saini-led Haryana government had been reduced to a minority after three independent MLAs - Sombir Sangwan (from Dadri), Randhir Singh Gollen (from Pundri), and Dharampal Gonder (from Nilokheri), cut support for the ruling BJP in the state. They made the announcement during a press conference on Tuesday which was also attended by Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the Leader of the Opposition in the Haryana Assembly, and Udai Bhan, the state Congress chief. The 90-seat Haryana Assemblys strength is reduced to 88 currently after two MLAs - former BJP CM Manohar Lal Khattar and independent MLA Ranjit Sinfh Chautala - resigned earlier to contest the Lok Sabha elections 2024. Advertisement The majority mark in the Haryana Assembly is currently at 45. BJP has 40 MLAs supported by three out of six independent lawmakers, signalling that the ruling coalition is short of two MLAs to have the majority. The party also claimed on Tuesday that four JJP MLAs may offer tactical assistance to the government if needed, taking its strength to 47. The Congress party, meanwhile, claims 30 MLAs with its count increased by three independent candidates. If the JJP supports Congress, the grand old partys tally would increase to 43 MLAs. This scenario leaves two MLAs unaligned-one from the Haryana Lokhit Party and the other from the INLD. Advertisement A couple of months back, the BJP severed ties with the JJP, whose 10 MLAs had helped it form the government in 2019. Of the JJPs 10 MLAs, at least six have distanced themselves from Chautala. Assembly polls in Haryana are due later this year. With the turn of political events, Haryana Congress president Udai Bhan demanded that state elections be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls on May 25. Saini has no right to stay in government for even a moment," Bhan had said. Meanwhile, CM Saini accused the Congress of engineering what had happened. Some MLAs have some ambitions. These days, Congress is apparently fulfilling the desires (of such people). People understand this. They also know who has what ambitions. The Congress has nothing to do with the needs of the people. They care only about their ambitions, he said. Advertisement With inputs from agencies In his welcome message, EAM Jaishankar told Maldives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer that India has been a key provider of developmental assistance to Male read more External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Thursday met his Maldivian counterpart and Muizzu-led governments foreign minister Moosa Zameer in New Delhi and said, Close partnerships with neighbours are of great value. Maldives Foreign Minister Zameer is the first leader to visit India after Mohamed Muizzu became the President of Maldives in November last year. In his welcome message to Zameer, EAM Jaishankar said: The world is today passing through a volatile and uncertain period. In such times as we saw during Covid, natural disasters and economic difficulties, close partnerships with neighbours are of great value. Advertisement Welcomed FM @MoosaZameer of Maldives this afternoon. My remarks at our talks: pic.twitter.com/T8t64bQxLT Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) May 9, 2024 Jaishankar further said, as close and proximate neighbours, the development of India and Maldives ties is obviously based on mutual interests and reciprocal sensitivity As far as India is concerned, these are articulated in terms of our Neighbourhood First Policy and SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) mission, the EAM said. Jaishankar further told Zameer that India has been a key provider of developmental assistance to the Maldives. Our projects have benefitted the lives of people of your country, contributed directly to the quality of life. The range from infrastructure projects and social initiatives to medical evacuations we have also extended financial support on favourable terms in the past, he said. Zameer is on a three-day (May 8-10) visit to India. During his stay, the Maldives Foreign Minister is scheduled to meet the Indian leadership and hold discussions on deepening and expanding the longstanding partnership between the Maldives and India. Building a stronger relationship with India highest priority for Maldives Advertisement A report by Maldives-based paper Mihaaru mentioned Zameer saying ahead of his departure that the highest priority during his trip to India is being given to instill mutual respect and build stronger bilateral relations between the two countries that is, to ensure respect for members of the public, political leaders and business persons of both countries, and to build relations that will be maintained at all levels in the future, the Maldives minister said. This is the first bilateral official trip I am making to a country as the Foreign Minister. This will bring a positive energy to the relation between the two countries, and there is immense hope that this will pave the path to raise the connection to new levels, he had said. Advertisement Also Read: How Muizzu made Maldives foreign ministers India visit an unusual one Responding to a question by a media person about the repatriation of Indian military personnel based in the island nation, Zameer said the Indian government is honouring the requests of Maldives government and cooperating fully in withdrawing their troops. This is something that demonstrated the strength of the close ties the two countries have between each other. This proves that any such issues faced by these two countries can be solved through deliberations within a diplomatic process, Zameer said. Zameer is India at a time when diplomatic ties between India and the Maldives are on a downward trajectory. Advertisement The Maldives Foreign Minister is being closely watched as it will be seen how he helps instill confidence among the Indian leadership that the Maldives is still a reliable and trustworthy partner under the leadership of Muizzu who has, in the recent past, openly made pro-China overtures. The agency said that the right to campaign for an election is neither a fundamental right nor a constitutional right and not even a legal right and to its knowledge, no political leader has been granted interim bail for campaigning even though he is not the contesting candidate. read more The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday told the Supreme Court that any special concession to him would.. amount to anathema to the rule of law and equality. The ED in its affidavit filed in the court on Thursday vehemently opposed granting any interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to campaign in the Lok Sabha elections. It said that granting bail to the AAP leader would create two separate classes in the country viz. ordinary people who are bound by the rule of law as well as the laws of the country and politicians who can seek exemption from the laws. Advertisement The agency said that the right to campaign for an election is neither a fundamental right nor a constitutional right and not even a legal right and to its knowledge, no political leader has been granted interim bail for campaigning even though he is not the contesting candidate. The ED said that even a contesting candidate is not granted interim bail if he is in custody for his own campaigning and added that even the right to vote while in judicial custody which is considered by this Court as a statutory/constitutional right, is curtailed by statute by virtue of section 62(5) of the Representation of Peoples Act, and upheld in the 1997 ruling in Anukul Chandra Pradhan v Union of India. The affidavit pointed out that around 123 elections have taken place in the last 5 years and said if interim bail is to be granted for the purpose of campaigning in an election then no politician can be arrested and kept in judicial custody since elections are all year round phenomena. The ED said, In a federal structure, no set of election is more significant than another and therefore, every politician at every level would argue that if he is not let out on interim bail, he would suffer irreversible consequences. It added, Under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act alone, presently there are many politicians who are in judicial custody and their cases are examined by competent courts upholding their custody. There must be several political leaders in judicial custody throughout the country in non-PMLA offences. There is no reason why a special prayer for a special treatment by the petitioner be acceded to. Advertisement The agency contended that grant of interim bail merely for political campaigning would militate against and will be discriminatory to the rule of equality as work/business/profession or activity of every citizen is equally important to him or her. It would not be possible to hold that work of a small farmer or a small trader is any less important than political campaigning of a political leader who admittedly is not contesting. The ED said that Kejriwal had cited the very same excuse of state elections in 5 states in his reply dated November 2, 2023 to summons dated October 30, 2023, in order to avoid the summonsand during the arguments on interim bailis setting up the same ground of campaigning in general elections to seek interim bail. Advertisement It said that if the court grants Arvind Kejriwal interim bail, it will be giving judicial imprimatur to his action to avoid summons citing the reason of campaigning in state elections being a star campaigner of the Aam Aadmi Party and seek interim bail for campaigning for Aam Aadmi Party in the general elections thereby carving out a separate class in favour of politicians who wish to campaign for their respective political parties. With inputs from PTI. The Opposition has been raising eyebrows over the release of voter turnout data, accusing the polling body of delaying publishing the numbers read more As the Opposition intensifies its suspicion over the delayed release of voter turnout after each phase of polling in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, leaders of the INDI Alliance will meet the Election Commission on Friday to seek answers over the matter. The Opposition has been raising eyebrows over the release of voter turnout data, accusing the polling body of delaying publishing the numbers. The data for Phase 1 of the Lok Sabha polls which were held on April 19 was released on April 30 while the numbers for the second phase which took place on April 26 were also released on the same day. Advertisement Meanwhile, the voter turnout for the third phase (May 7) of the elections was released yesterday (May 9). Is there a problem with EVMs? Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday wrote a letter to the EC highlighting voting data discrepancies. The grand old partys chief wrote on X, On 30th April 2024, the Election Commission released the final voter turnout data for the first 2 phases of elections for the 2024 Lok Sabha. The data was released 11 days after the first phase of polling (19th April 2024) and 4 days after the Second Phase (26th April 2024). In this regard our first question for the Election Commission is - Why did the Commission delay the release of voter turnout data? He added that earlier, the polling body used to release the data within 24 hours of voting and said that EC has failed to justify itself despite being questioned by Opposition leaders and political activists. Is there an issue with the EVMs? Kharge asked. ECs clarification Amid the oppositions allegations, the poll body had asserted that booth-wise data of the actual number of votes polled is available to the candidates soon after the voting ends. In a statement issued last week, the EC also said it attaches due importance to the timely release of voter turnout figures after each phase of the poll, and said not just constituency, but booth-wise data of the actual number of votes polled is available with the candidates, which is a statutory requirement. Advertisement The EC officially shared the turnout figure for the first two phases of Lok Sabha polls on April 30. According to EC figures, a voter turnout of 66.14 per cent was recorded in phase one and 66.71 per cent in phase two of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. For the third phase of voting that took place on Tuesday, the ECs voter turnout app on Wednesday showed that 65.55 per cent of voting had occurred. Other issues While voter turnout data will remain the focal point of the meeting, INDI Alliance leaders including those from Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC) and CPI(M), will also raise the issue of the alleged use of religious symbols by the BJP in its campaign. Advertisement Various opposition parties have also approached the poll panel over speeches made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders during poll campaigns, alleging that the Model Code of Conduct had been violated. Based on the complaints made by opposition parties as well as the BJP, the poll panel had earlier issued notices to BJP president JP Nadda and Congress president Kharge over alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct by leaders from their parties. With inputs from PTI Refusing to grant police protection to petitioners Sneha Devi and Mohd Shadab Khan from Uttar Pradeshs Bahraich district, Justices AR Masoodi and AK Srivastava cited Islamic law. The petitioners sought protection after the womans parents filed an FIR against Khan read more In a significant ruling, a Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has declared that muslims cannot engage in a live-in relationship, especially if they are already married. The Islamic principles do not permit live-in relationships while the marriage is still valid. The situation may differ if both individuals are unmarried adults and voluntarily choose to cohabit, stated the bench. Refusing to grant police protection to petitioners Sneha Devi and Mohd Shadab Khan from Uttar Pradeshs Bahraich district, Justices AR Masoodi and AK Srivastava cited Islamic law to support their decision. The petitioners sought protection after the womans parents filed an FIR against Khan for allegedly kidnapping and persuading their daughter into marriage. Advertisement Upon investigation, the court discovered that Khan was already married to Farida Khatoon since 2020 and had a daughter. Taking this into account, the bench declined to provide police protection, asserting that Islam prohibits such relationships, particularly in the circumstances of this case. Highlighting the need to balance constitutional and social morality in matters of marriage, the bench underscored the importance of maintaining social harmony and tranquility in society. While acknowledging that constitutional morality may sometimes supersede social customs, the bench clarified that the present case did not warrant such intervention. The constitutional protection under Article 21 of the Constitution of India cannot unconditionally support such a right when customs and traditions prohibit such relationships between individuals of different faiths, remarked the bench. Subsequently, the court directed the police to ensure Sneha Devis safe return to her parents custody under security measures. Apart from Modi, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V. Satheesan, are among those who condoled the demise of Athanasius Yohan read more 74-year-old Athanasius Yohan I met with a car accident in the United States on May 7, died in a hospital in Dallas on Wednesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday condoled the demise of the head of Kerala-based Believers Eastern Church, Athanasius Yohan I, saying he will be remembered for his service to society. The 74-year-old Metropolitan, who met with a car accident in the United States on May 7, died in a hospital in Dallas on Wednesday. I am pained by the passing away of the Metropolitan of Believers Eastern Church, Moran Mor Athanasius Yohan. He will be remembered for his service to society and emphasis on improving the quality of life of the downtrodden. My thoughts are with his family and all devotees of the Believers Church. May his soul rest in peace, Modi said in a post on X. Advertisement Apart from Modi, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V. Satheesan, are among those who condoled the demise of Athanasius Yohan. Heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of H.H Moran Mor Athanasius Yohan I Metropolitan, BelieversEastern Church.He served Church& society with a vision on healthcare, education & tribal welfare. May his soul RIP, Khan said in the message posted on X. In his message, Vijayan said the passing away of the Metropolitan is a great loss to the Church, ecumenical movements, and the general public. He took the lead in forming the Believers Eastern Church and growing the church to a level where it makes great contributions in the fields of health, education, and welfare in Kerala, other Indian states, and foreign countries, Vijayan said in a statement. Satheesan said the Metropolitan was a personality who extended a helping hand in the fields of health and education. The death of the Metropolitan is a great loss to the Believers Church and its followers, Satheesan said. Athanasius Yohan I had sustained some serious injuries, mainly to the head and chest, in the car accident that occurred on May 7. He passed away due to sudden cardiac arrest in a hospital in Dallas, Texas, where he had been receiving treatment since his accident, a Church official said on Wednesday evening. A day after roughly 300 employees of the airline called in sick and turned off their phones, causing significant flight disruptions, Air India Express fired dozens of cabin crew members read more Less than a month after pilot protests at Vistara, the full-service carrier of the Tata group, caused disruptions over a number of concerns, including pilot rostering for flights and modifications in their contracts, the Air India Express crisis represents new trouble for the company The Union representing a portion of the airlines employees has declared that all of the crew members who had reported unwell will return to duty right away, marking a significant development in the Air India Express situation that had resulted in the cancellation of nearly 170 flights since Tuesday night. In addition, according to a statement from the Chief Labour Commissioners office, the airlines management has decided to reinstate 25 crew members who were fired 1for staging demonstrations against the management. Advertisement Earlier, a day after roughly 300 employees of the airline called in sick and turned off their phones, causing significant flight disruptions, Air India Express fired dozens of cabin crew members. According to accounts, the management threatened to fire the workers if they didnt show up for work on Thursday. As the interruptions escalate into a major issue for the low-cost carrier, which is a division of Air India that is currently owned by the Tata group, a total of 85 flights have been canceled today. According to accounts, the workers have been demonstrating against the new terms of employment. According to the sources, the crew has complained about unequal treatment of the workforce. They have stated that some employees have been given lesser work duties even if they have passed interviews for more senior roles. The team has also brought attention to a few changes in their benefits package. These changes are occurring along with the airlines merger with AIX Connect, formerly known as AirAsia India. Less than a month after pilot protests at Vistara, the full-service carrier of the Tata group, caused disruptions over a number of concerns, including pilot rostering for flights and modifications in their contracts, the Air India Express crisis represents new trouble for the company. Pune-based Serum Institute said it had disclosed all rare to very rare side effects, including Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, in the packaging insert in 2021 read more A vial of Covishield manufactured by the Serum Institute of India being displayed by an official. Source: FILE/REUTERS. Covid vaccines which were once a life saver are now a matter of concern for people across the globe. After AstraZeneca announced withdrawing its Covid vaccine, all eyes are on what Serum Institute of India (SII), which produced the UK-based pharma giants Covid jabs under the brand name Covishield, would do. The SII disclosed that it stopped manufacturing its vaccine against Covid Covishield - back in December 2021. The Pune-based pharmaceutical company also said the supply of additional doses was also halted. Advertisement With India achieving high vaccination rates in 2021 and 2022, coupled with the emergence of new mutant variant strains, the demand for previous vaccines diminished significantly. Consequently, since December 2021, we have stopped the manufacturing and supply of additional doses of Covishield, a SII spokesperson said in the statement. Disclosed all rare to very rare side effects The SII acknowledges the concerns on AstraZenecas withdrawal of Vaxzervria after the pharma giant admitted that the COVID-19 vaccine can cause a rare side effect called Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS). The Pune-based vaccine manufacturer said it has disclosed all rare and very rare side effects in the packaging inserts of the Covid-19 vaccine it manufactured. We fully understand the ongoing concerns and its crucial to emphasise our commitment to transparency and safety. From the outset, we have disclosed all rare to very rare side effects, including Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, in the packaging insert in 2021, the SII said. Despite the challenges faced during the global pandemic, the safety of the vaccine remains paramount. Regardless of whether its AstraZenecas Vaxzervria or our own Covishield, both vaccines have been instrumental in saving millions of lives worldwide. We commend the collaborative efforts of governments and ministries in facilitating a unified global response to the pandemic, the Pune-based vaccine manufacturer said. Advertisement AstraZeneca withdraws its Covid vaccine On Tuesday (May 7), AstraZeneca announced the withdrawal of its Covid vaccine due to a surplus of available updated vaccines since the pandemic. The company also declared that it would proceed to withdraw Vaxzevrias marketing authorisations within Europe. As multiple, variant Covid-19 vaccines have since been developed there is a surplus of available updated vaccines, AstraZeneca said. On January 3, 2021, Indias drugs regulator approved two Covid-19 vaccines Covaxin and Covishield for restricted use in emergency situation in the country. India began nationwide Covid-19 vaccination programme on January 16, 2021 initially immunising the adult population and people with comorbidities. Advertisement Both these Covid vaccines were largely used in India with SIIs Covishield administered the most. As per reports, at least 170 crore doses of Covishield have been administered so far since January 2021. With inputs from agencies The governments of Maldives and India understand what has happened and we have passed that stage now, Maldives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer said read more Maldives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer on Thursday said the government in his country led by President Mohamed Muizzu is taking proper action to make sure that people of the island nation do not make derogatory remarks against India and its leader again. We have said that its not the stand of the government or we believe that it shouldnt have been done. We are taking proper action to make sure that this doesnt get repeated. There has been a misunderstanding, in social media. The governments of Maldives and India understand what has happened and we have passed that stage now, Zameer said. Advertisement #WATCH | Delhi: On derogatory remarks against India, Foreign Minister of Maldives, Moosa Zameer says, "If you have seen as you said, we have said that it's not the stand of the government or we believe that it shouldn't have been done. We are taking proper action to make sure pic.twitter.com/JRAKhNkHk2 ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2024 In January this year, a diplomatic row broke out between India and Maldives over Prime Minister Narendra Modis Lakshadweep visit. The Indian PM had shared pictures of strolling and snorkelling in the Indian archipelago, which some from the island nation saw as an attempt to draw visitors away from its beaches. Recently, I had the opportunity to be among the people of Lakshadweep. I am still in awe of the stunning beauty of its islands and the incredible warmth of its people. I had the opportunity to interact with people in Agatti, Bangaram and Kavaratti. I thank the people of the pic.twitter.com/tYW5Cvgi8N Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 4, 2024 Advertisement In reaction to images shared by PM Modi, three deputy ministers of the Maldivian government posted derogatory remarks on X, with one of them even calling the Prime Minister a clown and a puppet of Israel. Also Read: WATCH | Jaishankar to Maldives foreign minister: Close partnerships with neighbours are of great value Advertisement The posts angered several Indians and celebrities who asked people to ditch visiting Maldives and instead explore tourist spots in India. Also Read: How Muizzu made Maldives foreign ministers India visit an unusual one Following the row, Maldives suspended the three ministers but that did not end the damage. The Indian tourists to the island nation has dipped significantly, affecting one of their main source of economy. Passengers require legal remedies for cancelled flights to safeguard their rights, ensure fair treatment and seek compensation for the inconvenience and financial losses incurred read more Mass sick leaves by Air India Express cabin crew have led to abrupt flight cancellations of many flights putting passengers in big trouble. PTI Regardless of the actions taken by Air India Express, such as the dismissal of employees who went on mass leave without notice, it is ultimately the passengers who bear the brunt. Just recently, Vistara passengers faced disruptions when pilots and crew members failed to report to the airport. The situation with Air India Express is even more dire, as many passengers are finding out about flight cancellations only after completing security checks. Advertisement Since Tuesday night, approximately 15,000 passengers have already been affected by cancelled flights. Air India Express, which operates between 350 and 400 flights per daycomprising over 250 domestic and 120 international flightsis now reducing its daily flight schedule by about 40 until 13 May. On Thursday, 74 Air India Express flights stand cancelled. Ideally, when flights are cancelled, passengers shouldnt be left in the dark or feeling stranded. Its crucial for airlines and relevant authorities to swiftly communicate with affected travellers, providing clear information about the situation, alternative arrangements and steps for reimbursement or rescheduling. However, the real question do airlines do enough? The following video from Delhi which was shared on X by a verified user only reflects the mental agony the passengers are going through, or rather leaving the hapless ground staff to face passenger ire in such a volatile situation. Delhi Airport Kalesh (Air India Express cancelled 3 flights to Goa, Guwahati and Srinagar last moment and refused to provide any alternatives. So,Kalesh ensued) pic.twitter.com/TdIJlMhmTt Ghar Ke Kalesh (@gharkekalesh) May 8, 2024 Where DGCA stands The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has clearly stated in its guidelines where compensation will not be provided for cancellations and delays resulting from extraordinary circumstances beyond the airlines control, including: Advertisement Natural disasters Civil unrest or war Political instability Security threats Insurrection or riots, floods, explosions, etc. Government regulations impacting aircraft operations Strikes and labour disputes halting services Meteorological conditions Cancellations and delays directly caused by Air Traffic Control (ATC) Work slowdowns or interruptions, and other factors outside the airlines control affecting flight operations. However, none of the conditions seem to apply to Air India Express in the present circumstances. Mass sick leaves do not fulfill any of the conditions mentioned above. Mass sick leaves also may not fall under section 2(q) of Industrial Disputes Act 1947 which states: a strike is a cessation of work by a body of persons employed in an industry acting in combination; or a concerted refusal of any number of persons who are or have been so employed to continue to work or to accept employment; or a refusal under a common understanding of any number of such persons to continue to work or to accept employment. What will passengers do? Whatever the reasons might be, airline passengers who have lawfully booked their tickets and which are hardly cheap these days cannot be left to fend for themselves. Advertisement The Passenger Charter issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation explains the rights of affected passengers if the airline fails to arrange for an alternate flight scheduled to depart within one hour of the original scheduled departure time: Compensation equal to 200% of booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel surcharge, capped at Rs 10,000, if the airline arranges an alternate flight scheduled to depart within 24 hours of the original scheduled departure. Compensation equal to 400% of booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel surcharge, capped at Rs 20,000, if the airline arranges an alternate flight scheduled to depart more than 24 hours after the original scheduled departure. Refund of the full ticket value and compensation equal to 400% of booked one-way basic fare plus airline fuel surcharge, capped at Rs 20,000, if you choose not to opt for an alternate flight. This is what Areness Managing Partner Sagar Aggarwal says about what passengers can do to claim their rights. On such circumstances where the airline is cancelling the flight on its own, DGCA has directed airlines to refund the entire booking amount to the passenger or alternatively, adjust the amount in any other reservation by the passenger with the same airline. The similar directions were for the first time witnessed at a large scale during the pandemic where the Indian aviation regulatory watchdog DGCA promptly enacted regulations to safeguard the interests of air passengers, Aggarwal said. Advertisement The DGCA has also enforced a grievance mechanism where a passenger may lodge a grievance to the Nodal officer and in case of inaction, the appellate officer may be followed up with. The grievance if remains unaddressed, the passenger may reach out to AirSewa, he said. However, in cases where the passengers do not receive timely and full refunds/adjustments or in cases where the passenger shall suffer additional indirect loss due to higher pricing of similarly times alternative flight or probability of missing out on connected flight, the passenger may avail his remedies as a consumer under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 whereby he can seek additional compensation for the indirect losses suffered, Aggarwal said. Advertisement Considering that the present airline reservation industry is largely dominated by e-commerce and private agents/ intermediaries, there is a high likelihood that certain passengers may still feel at a loss even after receiving a full refund. For such customers, the ideal remedy is action under CPA only, he said. Indirect losses are the losses arising out of missing connected flights, hotel bookings and other ancillary losses arising out of flight cancellations. Witnessing the present turmoil, the airline industry is facing frequent instances of passengers being struck in between due to strikes/leaves and employment issues with their respective airline companies, it is highly recommended that the DGCA passes civil aviation regulations for managing their workforce, Aggarwal said. Legal remedies for passengers not unheard of According to a report by The Better India, in January 2019, a consumer court in Mumbai ruled in favour of Jayesh Pandya, a resident of Vile Parle, directing GoAir to compensate him with a sum slightly exceeding Rs 98,000. Pandya had procured tickets amounting to Rs 50,000 for 25 guests slated to attend his daughters wedding, scheduled for 17 February, 2015. However, the airline abruptly cancelled the flight, causing inconvenience to the passengers. Last October, a consumer court in Bengaluru upheld the rights of passengers amid flight cancellations triggered by pandemic circumstances. The verdict highlights airlines responsibility to provide full refunds of ticket fares to impacted passengers. In October 2020, the Supreme Court issued a directive stating that airlines must refund the money collected from tickets cancelled due to the lockdown imposed amid the coronavirus pandemic without levying any cancellation charges. The three-judge Bench, led by Justice Ashok Bhushan endorsed the recommendations of the DGCA regarding the refund of ticket fares. Additionally, the court approved a credit shell scheme, which was valid until 31 March, 2021. According to Reuters, in August, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) filed a lawsuit against the Australian flagship carrier, alleging that it sold tickets for numerous flights even after their cancellation, potentially exposing the airline to substantial fines. However, this week, the airline settled with the ACCC. Under the agreement, it may face a civil penalty of A$100 million ($66 million) for the flight cancellation incident, pending approval by the Federal Court of Australia, as stated in a released statement. Why legal remedies matter for passengers Passengers require legal remedies for cancelled flights to safeguard their rights, ensure fair treatment and seek compensation for the inconvenience and financial losses incurred. Legal remedies serve as a deterrent for airlines to cancel flights arbitrarily, provide a means for passengers to recover expenses and establish a framework for resolving disputes. By holding airlines accountable and providing avenues for redress, legal remedies contribute to a more equitable and reliable air travel system where passengers are adequately protected and supported in the event of flight disruptions. The 2024 election, it can be said with certainty, belongs to Modi. What will be tested on June 4 is whether there will be a Modi ripple, a Modi wave, or a Modi tsunami. Image: PTI Note Author and columnist Swapan Dasgupta has revealed that The New York Times approached him in March this year for a thought-provoking essay on the appeal of the PMs BJP movement. Dasgupta sent his 1,500-word essay to the NYT and was first asked to incorporate some of the criticisms of Modi, which he was fine with. The essay, which was sympathetic to Modi and had elaborated on the shift in the Indian establishment, was sent on April 22, says Dasgupta. However, after two days, he was told it looks as though we wont move forward with this. Sorry for that. Advertisement Firstpost is pleased to share the essay with its readers. Here it is: Dogmatic consistency has been the defining characteristic of the overseas India-watchers perception of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ten years ago, on April 10, 2014, in a feeble bid to influence voting in the general election, a clutch of notables including writer Salman Rushdie, Harvard professor Homi Bhabha, artist Anish Kapoor and others, published a joint letter in a British newspaper charging Modi with failure of moral character and political ethics. Were he to be elected prime minister, they argued, it would bode ill for Indias future as a country that cherishes the ideals of inclusion and protection for all its peoples and communities. Adding its voice to the panic, The Economist suggested it would be wrong for a man who has thrived on division to become prime minister of a country as fissile as India. The experience of 10 years at the helm and the very real possibility of voters granting him a third term doesnt appear to have tempered the disquiet of the custodians of Indian Enlightenment. With opinion polls suggesting yet another emphatic mandate for the Bharatiya Janata Party, the critics believe the one-sidedness of the contest is due to Modi turning democracy into electoral authoritarianism. A Chatham House this month report has drawn attention to charges of authoritarianism by stealth through controlling key levers of power, including security services, tax authorities and the media. If the June 4 results lead to the BJP decimating the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress yet again, it is likely that Modis overseas critics will team up with Indias Opposition to question the legitimacy of the triumph. Although such a challenge will lack credence if the turnout is good, the larger objective is to sow doubts in the minds of business leaders and political decision-makers about Indias success story. Modi is the real target and by tarring him with the brush of autocracy, his critics hope to envelop him in yet another murky controversy. Their hope is that the memories of an earlier saga when the United States rescinded his visa can be resurrected to damage his global standing. Advertisement The twinning of the Western liberal establishments concerns over Indias democratic backsliding with the opposition Congress partys fighting the polls on a similar platform is significant. Since Modi assumed charge in 2014, there has been a silent revolution that has resulted in the growing marginalisation and irrelevance of the old elite that inherited the country from the British in 1947. What is often described as the Congress ecosystem loosely comprised Westernised and cosmopolitan individuals and was influenced by progressive and secular assumptions. In a recent article on its demise, the journalist Tavleen Singh has caricatured this once-powerful elite: The truth is we were an effete, hopeless bunch. We spoke no Indian language well, but this did not matter to us. We were proud of speaking English well When it came to politics and elections, we stuck loyally to the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty and its various heirs because they were people like us. We did not care that Parliament had been turned into a private members club. It was our club. Advertisement This club was also disdainful of interlopers. When the BJP proffered Modi as its leadership candidate, Congress stalwart Mani Shankar Aiyar, a former diplomat who had attended the same school and university in Britain as former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, suggested he go back to selling tea. This snooty put-down of Modis humble origins was indicative of a mindset of entitlement. Earlier BJP governments had tried to co-opt this elite and even buy its goodwill, but without much success. Modi placed his entire reliance on a counter-establishment that was rooted in the provinces and were more adept in Indian languages and local cultures. In their social attitudes the new elites promoted by the BJP were more assertively Hindu, and not squeamish about the intermingling of their faith and their culture. They nursed a grievance of a long period of political subordination under the rule of first, foreigners, and subsequently, the Anglicised Congress elite. Their coming of age was symbolised by the governments decision to slowly ease out the usage of India as the official country name and replace it with the more authentic Bharat. Advertisement What India is experiencing, albeit unevenly, is a social revolution. On the day Modi won his majority in 2014, the London-based Anish Kapoor lamented on BBC that this wasnt the India he grew up in. He was dead right. Under Modi, India has eclipsed its ancien regime. The old establishment may still have its patches of influence, but it is on borrowed time, especially if Modi wins a third term. Hence its last-ditch May Day call to overseas friends such as George Soros and other groups that find the New India inhospitable. For some of his opponents, Modi was initially seen as a transitional figure who had benefited from the earlier regimes self-inflicted wounds. They completely misread his evolving appeal. Advertisement The man who burst onto the national stage from the province of Gujarat in 2014, was primarily seen in two ways: first, as a resolute, no-nonsense Hindu who would unflinchingly uphold Hindu interests; and second, as an efficient administrator who had carried out a programme of economic modernisation in his state. At that time, Modis appeal was still not pan-Indian. His early backers were committed Hindu nationalists, business leaders and the middle classes in northern and western India. By 2019, Modi had become an established national figure. His tough nationalist image was bolstered by his reputation as a pro-poor leader, one who had checked corruption and brought facilities such as cooking gas, electricity, and toilets to the doorstep of the disadvantaged. The opposition Congress attempted to paint him as a champion of crony capitalism. The charges were unsubstantiated and were rejected by the voters. Between 2019 and 2024, Modi has evolved from a fiercely popular leader to cult status. Much of this has been due to his ability to resolve two seemingly intractable issues. The first was the fulfilment of the partys seven-decade old promise to modify the Constitution and achieve the full integration of Jammu and Kashmir into the Indian Union. The second stemmed from the Supreme Courts sanction to build a Hindu temple at the site of a demolished 16th century mosque in Ayodhya. The consecration of the temple was done by Modi on January 22 this year. It was greeted by expressions of piety and unprecedented global Hindu solidarity. It was probably the first occasion that Hindus in living memory had responded to a religio-political event as a united community. On his part, Modi was transformed into something much more than a political leader. He became a national icon. If the ongoing election leads to a spectacular surge in the BJPs electoral fortunes, the role of the Ayodhya temple will be seminal. The temple in Ayodhya is much more than a purely religious awakening for the countrys majority Hindu community. It is also linked to the restoration of Hindu honour after centuries of political subordination and cultural effacement. Additionally, the symbolic return of Lord Ram to his home in the lavishly upgraded, temple town of Ayodhya has been linked to Indias recovery of self-esteem and glory. The upgradation of infrastructure all over the country in the form of multi-lane highways, bridges spanning huge rivers, cheap mobile telephony, affordable air travel and fast trains has gone hand in hand with a free ration for 800 million people, an elaborate anti-Covid programme that supplied 2.2 billion free vaccine doses and the unmanned mission to the Moon. The feeling that India is finally coming into its own and realising its potential forms the backdrop to Modis dream for the next 25 years: a developed India. Before Modi arrived on the scene, Indians had made it big while India was the laggard. He has created an environment when Indians and India complement each other. The romanticised celebration of poverty and Third World status has been replaced by a determination to become a developed economy by the time India celebrates the centenary of independence in 2047. Adding to this heady optimism and sense of achievement is a realisation that Indias voice is consequential in the larger world community. The grand G-20 summit in Delhi, preceded by smaller gatherings in every part of India, was, of course, a consequential event. However, of greater importance is the larger message that the coming decades belong to Asia and, by implication, India. In his time, Jawaharlal Nehru had tried to obfuscate Indias economic fragility by positioning the country as a quality in world affairs. Non-alignment was his mantra. Modi presented himself as an upholder of national interest and a protector of every Indian citizen overseas. The contribution of the evacuation programmes of Indians from different trouble spots to the creation of the Modi cult is immeasurable. Modi has given the Indian passport a prestige it has not known before. India has periodically experienced leaders who combined adulation with moral authority. The appeal of Mahatma Gandhi was based on a saintly idiom, something that his British adversaries could never quite fathom. What many imperial officials saw as humbug was seen by millions of Indians differently. The Mahatma was a saint in his lifetime. There is a saintly idiom to Modi too, that escapes the eyes of the modernist. They are likely to focus more on Modi as a pugnacious warrior overcoming adversaries and sweeping away obstacles in his path. However, in relentlessly highlighting the empowerment of women, giving a boost to the collective pride of tribal communities, and stressing his uncompromising fight to create a corruption-free India, Modi has created a fan club that incorporates communities that was hitherto outside the orbit of organised politics. The 2024 election, it can be said with certainty, belongs to Modi. What will be tested on June 4 is whether there will be a Modi ripple, a Modi wave, or a Modi tsunami. The author is a former MP, Rajya Sabha. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. The money that Indian students and parents slog and save and send to US colleges seem to be like the small flame, while the billions that foreign governments and lobbies spend seem to be like a raging forest fire commanding the wind itself read more Demonstrators face off with NYPD officials outside the main entrance of Columbia University, as they stand in solidarity with the ongoing protests in support of Palestinians happening on the university campus, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in New York City, US, April 24, 2024. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs/File Photo Vidyaa vivaadaaya dhanam madaaya shaktihi pareshaam paripeedanaaya| Khalasyaha saadhoho vipareetametad jnaanaaya daanaaya cha rakshanaaya|| (For a wicked person, education is used only to make arguments, wealth is used in displaying arrogance, and strength is used in harming others. On the other hand, a good person uses their wisdom to spread knowledge, donate wealth, and protect others.) Subhashitam The fires raging through American universities at the moment, and what they mean for the Indian international student populations there, need to be taken very seriously if we are to avoid a different kind of Partition between families, friends, and even religions, cultures and civilisations. Advertisement That Partition is already underway. On one side are people who believe that bloodshed is morally wrong only if it happens to a university-certified, celebrity-endorsed oppressed group and violence done to other human beings, whether actual combatants or civilians, is permissible because they can be certified as colonisers. On the other side are people with a range of confused opinions, baffled by the rapid normalisation of violence, dehumanisation, divisiveness, and moral relativism. The latter group may be a simple majority in the world, in America, and even in American universities, still, but is being enormously outplayed at every corner by the first. October 7 is a new normal in the global propaganda scenario. Like the famous line from Avatar: The Last Airbender, There is no war in Ba Sing Se, the expectation in colleges is that one has to say There was no Terror on October 7 (and of course, 26/11, 1971, 1528 and so on). Lost in a Lost World The two largest international student groups, Indians and Chinese, are probably wondering what to think or how to even think in this strange, intrusive, pervasive, and creepingly coercive situation. Reports in the Indian press suggest that Indian students (international students) are staying away from protests because of ideology, or fears about losing scholarships, and even visa status. Such reports of course assume that to join the protest against Israel now is perhaps even natural, but only visa-fears and ideology are keeping international students away. That is how deep the assumption has spread in some sections about how correct the cause is. And among students less vulnerable to deportation issues, such as South Asian-descent American citizens, the inclination to join protests seems larger. Advertisement There is a tendency to view this situation in simple Left-Right terms, with Palestine on the Left and Zionism on the Right. But that is not the whole picture, and ends up falling into the trap set by Far-Right Religious Imperialist lobbies of conceding to them an underdog status in the eyes of the world, and the eyes of impressionable college students in particular. Instead, a longer, multigenerational, and of course, inter-civilisational approach is in order. Colleges and Propaganda: From Cold War to Present American universities are inter-civilisational melting pots, and proxy-sites for inter-civilisational geopolitical struggles, that much is evident now. In the distant Cold War era it was the West as a civilisational entity that sought to control its own universities and research in order to assert its power against the East (the USSR and communism) through a range of investments, from weapons-friendly scientific research to propaganda-projects ranging from creative writing and the arts to the social sciences. That was also perhaps the last time that universities saw protests on a widespread scale, against the Vietnam War. One might argue that there was a personal stake then for many students with the draft and direct US involvement in a foreign war, unlike the present situation where the social-psychology fuelling protest-energy is more complicated. Advertisement After the Cold War ended and the US moved into a more cynical form of neo-liberalism where greed and generational myopia dominated elite thinking (the Clinton era), the notion of American colleges as a site for cultural let alone civilisational reproduction dissipated. Critique replaced Classics. First, it was critique based on economic class, an issue which many students especially in government colleges from modest backgrounds could relate to. Then, it became gender, race and sexuality. In just thirty years, from America is the Greatest, the dominant belief in colleges now seems to be America must fall. But then, this was not taking place in a vacuum, but in the context of full-blown globalisation in economic, political, and of course, technological terms. Samuel Huntington presciently wrote around the start of this period that in a few years the West may not remain the West, but other civilisations (Islam and China), would remain strong themselves and assert themselves as rivals for global dominance. Advertisement And in the vast array of theatres available for global politics, both China and certain civilisationally-aware Middle Eastern countries recognised that there was a very precious commodity easily available for their taking the young American mind. As the book The Arab Lobby by Mitchell Bard tells us, the investment in shaping American student thinking ran into hundreds of millions of dollars, and was taking place even as most people thought only about the Israel Lobby in America. The latter was perhaps at best a success story in Washington, in political influence. But by the 2000s, especially after the 9/11 attacks and consequent guilt in America about the Iraq war, Guantanamo, and racism towards Muslims, the destiny of how a new generation of Americans would think about themselves and other groups in the world was set. Advertisement Year after year, from K-12 classrooms, and all the way through college, a new alternative story emerged, sweeping away all the old nuances. If class-Marxism had replaced civilisational-patriotism in the 1970s and 1980s, and gender-race-sexuality replaced that concern in the following decades, by the early 2010s and certainly by the 2020s, Islamophobia took over as perhaps the great global concern of American education (also see the NCRI study on Qatari funding of U.S. universities here). The Burden of Gen Z In the early 2000s, at the peak of the 9/11 backlash and the Iraq WMD lies, the Islamophobia argument might have had some moral purchase; but by 2016, with a new political discourse (Trump), a new technology environment (the smartphone and social media), and a new generational experience (the Gen Z, born 1995-2010, showing peaks of unprecedented mental health concerns by 2012-2015, and strongly believing that the United States was founded in irredeemable racist sin, and that radical change in government was the only way ahead), the conditions were ripe for a triumph of propaganda. No one who came to college in the last ten years could escape the new sociology. College teachers could see the change in vibes by around 2017, even if our students, having been born into the world that they knew, could not see the multigenerational change immediately. Gen Z in college was vulnerable, emotionally, and otherwise, in more ways than previous generations. It did not look up or at each other in the classroom. It avoided human contact, and excelled in screens and texting, leading iGen author Jean Twenge to comment that this was a generation that could read emojis better than human faces. And it believed racist speech to be violent but had little grasping power to condemn physical violence. Perhaps this was a consequence of childhood rooted in safetyism as Jonathan Haidt has called it, where verbal violence is probably the greatest source of hurt they have faced, while images of physical violence like the Hamas videos of October 7 perhaps appear to some of them like scenes in a video game. Desensitization? Loss of human empathy? Hard to say. But little surprise perhaps that after the October 7 massacre, about 50% of Gen Z and Millennial voters were saying the attacks were justified. This could not have happened after 9/11. In those days, students asked why bin Laden did it, or why America was hated. But no one rationalized the murder of civilians the way it is happening now. The Indian Cultural Difference (For Now) The crisis in knowledge, moral understanding, and what constitutes purpose and duty in life today as a student is enormous. Indian international students, especially at the graduate level, may come to study abroad for a variety of reasons, but there is still a sense of purpose and duty that is drawn from more traditional social customs. Compared to the data from surveys of Western youth (Gen Z), youth in India still seem to worry about the future in terms of familial duties; getting a job, getting married, taking care of elders, and so on. The idea of marriage, and even a steady relationship, are in decline in the West (Jean Twenge talks about the phrase catching feelings which is popular among the Gen Z; this is the idea that it is uncool to form emotional bonds of a long-term sort, whereas Hooking Up for quick physical intimacy is fine). To summarise, the student body, especially at the undergraduate level, is one which has experienced tremendous mental stresses at the early teen age itself thanks to the impact of phones and social media (see Jonathan Haidts website for more). This domestic student body also includes many America-raised students of Indian descent. Now, a distinction has to be made between different kinds of Indian-origin students for purely academic reasons; based on religion, colleges have quietly normalised the division of students into different categories of concern as possible victims of racism and bigotry. Islamophobia is seen as a serious concern faced by Muslim students. Antisemitism is also acknowledged as real, but perhaps increasingly only as a form of lip-service. But Hinduphobia is not even in the ball-park of either legal-political power or perceived cultural legitimacy in campuses. Not unlike some Judaic studies academics eager to fight Zionism rather than anti-Jewish terrorism, most South Asia Studies and Hinduism/ Religious studies professors fail to acknowledge that Hindus can have human rights too, and dismiss Hindu student pleas for recognition of Hinduphobia as Hindutva. Kill the Hindu, Save the South Asian Given a lack of empathy from Indian-descent professors (intellectual corruption and cluelessness among the social sciences and cowardice and Indian political cult-worship among the STEM lot), Hindu students are facing a lonely path ahead as they wade into campuses turned into turf wars for global power games. There are more and more behavioural expectations in college placed on supposedly oppressor-groups like Hindus. While these expectations perhaps appear non-existent at the graduate school level except in rare cases, undergraduate Hindu students have certainly been speaking about it. Simply put, you cannot be Hindu in college, except in the terms dictated to you by bizarre, hateful, genocide-priming nominal Hindu lobby groups set up seemingly for this purpose of grooming Gen Z Hindus into shame, pain and self-erasure. This tactic of social engineering is not new at all. In the early 1900s, there were German American organisations set up to spew hate against other German-Americans as the United States prepared for war in Europe. Before that, there was the even more egregious example: the Native American boarding school project which enacted a policy called Kill the Indian, Save the Man. They kidnapped indigenous children, cut off their traditional long-hair, removed sacred adornments, dressed them in drab prison-like uniforms, tortured them into abandoning mother tongue and gods, and trained them to be servants for white masters. Civilisations with serious power trips do that. Changing name, language, appearance, sense of self; this is how they play their nastiest games. How Far Down Can You Keep Your Head? This, briefly, is the ominous reality that students from Hindu families have to know they are walking to. At the everyday level, of course, life may seem mostly pleasant. You can study, have a little fun, keep your head down, graduate, get a job and go on with life. Hindu students have been doing this in American colleges year after year, decade after decade, and have seemingly done very well. But what is becoming clear to at least some students now as they enter college, is the fact that the degree to which you have to keep your head down has increased a lot, lot more than before. I see so many videos now of young Hindus in American colleges, and I can see what they are going through (and not just Hindus, but others too) as a form of hyperpersuasion stress. The old forms of social status signalling and fitting in which existed in American high schools and colleges has morphed into a proxy-battleground for global geopolitical forces, expressing themselves as psychological power-plays. Everyone now has to have a stand, a position; if you dont actively perform against something, racism, Islamophobia, transphobia, Brahminism, Hindutva, you are then actually causing it yourself. Bush said with us or against us, at a geopolitical level. Today, its a mind-game gnawing at young lives day after day. Step Up, Gen-Parents! Our young, Hindu students in some clear ways, other students too in more complex ways, are all in need of a responsibility and commitment from our generations (their parents, teachers, professors, community leaders) unlike any other in history. It is not enough to provide just economic and educational springboards to our children. We have to be actively engaged in what is going on in their minds, in fact, all our minds, thanks to the smartphone level wargame being done on us. What we have to bring to this engagement though is more than just casual cliches and talking points picked up from the usual Left-Right online spats, but an all-out effort at multi-generational memory revival. What we are all up against is becoming increasingly clear. The challenges include both what is out there, as described above, and what is lacking in us, which is perhaps a topic for a follow-up piece. For now, the following Subhashitam might help us recognise the real nature of the theatre playing out in American colleges a little better: Vanaani dhato vahne sakhaa bhavati maarutah. Sa eva deepa naashaaya krushe ksyaasti sahrudayam The same wind which acts like a friend to the fire when it is raging through a forest will turn around and blow it out when the fire is but a small flame in a lamp. Where then, is kind-heartedness? The money that Indian students and parents slog and save and send to US colleges seem to be like the small flame here, while the billions that foreign governments and lobbies spend seem to be like a raging forest fire commanding the wind itself. What will be the future of students born in a gnyana jyoti culture like ours against such odds? Will American higher education ever find its heart (and mind) again? (To be continued) The writer is Professor of Media Studies, University of San Francisco. He has authored several books, including Rearming Hinduism: Nature, Hinduphobia and the Return of Indian Intelligence (Westland, 2015). C. Raghothama Rao is a writer, podcaster and YouTuber. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. From the shores of ancient India, where persecuted Parsis, Jews, and Christians found sanctuary, to the shores of America, where the legacy of invasion and oppression looms large, the answer to the US presidents accusations seems clear read more In a world where political slip-ups are as common as rainy days in Seattle, it seems Uncle Joe has once again pulled out his verbal umbrella. Yes, folks, gather around for another episode of The Gift of the Gaffe, starring none other than the 81-year-old president himself, Joe Biden. But this time, its not just any slip of the tongue; oh no, this time, hes managed to stir up a tempest in a teapot by accusing India, of all places, of xenophobia. Advertisement With a rhetorical flourish that could rival even the most seasoned orator, Biden lumped together nations like Japan and India, alongside the perennial adversaries of Russia and China, as paragons of xenophobic tendencies. But hold on to your hats, folks, because this isnt just political banterits a diplomatic high-wire act with global repercussions. Yes, you read that right. The man of the hour, President Biden, recently graced a fundraiser in Washington, DC, with a remark that could make even the most stoic diplomat do a double-take. In the whirlwind world of international relations, where every word spoken carries weight, President Biden recently found himself in a verbal tempest of his own making. Picture this: a swanky hotel fundraiser, a room buzzing with Asian American donors, and the leader of the free world casually tossing around accusations of xenophobia like confetti at a carnival. But fear not, dear readers, for amidst the fog of political rhetoric, one thing remains crystal clear: perhaps its time for the land of the free and the home of the brave to take a good, hard look in the mirror. So, hey there, Big Brother, before you start pointing fingers at others, maybe its time to address your own immigration issues. After all, those who live in glass houses shouldnt throw stones, right? Japan, a stalwart ally of the United States, and India, a rising star in the geopolitical arena, both found themselves in the crosshairs of Bidens verbal volley. Just weeks ago, Biden welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida with open arms, reaffirming the unbreakable alliance between their nations in the face of Chinas looming presence in the Indo-Pacific. And lets not forget India, whose Prime Minister Narendra Modi was greeted with pomp during his state visit to Washington just last year. Amidst handshakes and photo ops, business and political leaders alike rolled out the red carpet for Modi, signalling a deepening partnership between the worlds oldest democracy and its largest. Advertisement But heres the kicker: while Biden may have been aiming to highlight Americas welcoming stance towards immigrants, his verbal misstep risks souring relations with key allies and fueling the flames of diplomatic discord. So as the dust settles and the headlines fade, one cant help but wonder: in the high-stakes game of global politics, are words truly just words, or do they carry the weight of nations on their shoulders? In the colourful tapestry of Indias history, the thread of diversity runs deep, weaving together a rich fabric of cultures, religions, and identities. From the ancient presence of Jewish communities dating back millennia to the influx of immigrants from distant shores, India has long been a land of inclusivity and acceptance. Advertisement Contrary to the narrative of xenophobia, India stands as a shining example of tolerance and coexistence. Throughout the centuries, various waves of migration have enriched the mosaic of Indian society, from the Jewish diaspora finding refuge to the influx of immigrants seeking new opportunities. Even amidst the tumultuous events of the 20th century, such as the partition of the Indian subcontinent and the birth of Bangladesh, India remained a beacon of hope for those seeking sanctuary and prosperity. The numbers speak for themselves, as millions have made India their home, drawn by its promise of freedom, opportunity, and belonging. While regional dynamics may play a role in migration patterns, the overarching theme remains one of openness and hospitality. Whether from neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan or from farther afield in Africa and beyond, all have found a place to call their own within Indias borders. Advertisement So, when accusations of xenophobia are levied against India, they crumble in the face of historical evidence and lived experiences. Indias legacy of embracing diversity and fostering unity stands as a testament to its ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakamthe world is one family. In a world marked by division and discord, Indias steadfast commitment to inclusivity shines as a beacon of hope for all who seek refuge and belonging. Here are some statistics for Biden and everyone who thinks India is xenophobic: India, since its independence, has embraced over 14 million refugees, a figure that surpasses the population of many countries. This includes more than 100,000 Tibetan refugees who found sanctuary after fleeing Tibet in 1959 and over 10 million Bangladeshi refugees who sought safety during the 1971 war. The Sri Lankan Tamil refugee population in India numbers in the tens of thousands, while Afghan refugees, though smaller in number, have found a home in India since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Additionally, the Chakma and Hajong refugees, who have lived in India for over five decades, represent a significant community seeking refuge. These statistics paint a vivid picture of Indias commitment to providing sanctuary to those in need, regardless of their background or circumstances. So, Mr Biden, before casting aspersions, perhaps its time to acknowledge Indias exemplary record of welcoming the persecuted with open arms. Advertisement India stands as a beacon of both ancient wisdom and modern complexity. Picture this: a land steeped in millennia-old civilisation, where the echoes of Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism reverberate through the corridors of time. India was, is, and will always be there. Here, the Constitution itself breathes life into the ethos of unity and integrity, recognising India not just as a geographical entity but as the custodian of a profound civilizational heritage. But wait, theres more to this story than meets the eye. As the Pew Report reveals, India plays host to millions of immigrants, primarily hailing from neighbouring nations like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. These individuals, seeking refuge and opportunity, find themselves drawn to the land where ancient values meet modern aspirations. Yet, amidst this tapestry of diversity, a poignant truth emerges: while India opens its arms to those in need, its own citizens face hurdles in attaining the very citizenship that defines their identity. The plight of Hindus and other adherents of Indic religions, persecuted in some corners of the globe, highlights the moral imperative for India to extend a helping hand to those who seek sanctuary within its borders. And heres where the plot thickens: as accusations of xenophobia are hurled Indias way, one cant help but wonder about the pot calling the kettle black. Mr Biden, do you not see the irony in criticising Indias citizenship laws while your own nation grapples with its own immigration woes? As we, the people of India, navigate the delicate balance between tradition and progress, between unity and diversity, we find ourselves thriving in a democracy that celebrates the mosaic of identities that define us. As an Indian Muslim, I pen these words with a heavy heart and a clear mind. We do not need the patronising gaze of Big Brother dictating to us what it means to be inclusive and welcoming. For in the tapestry of Indias story, each thread finds its place, each voice resonates in harmony, and each soul finds sanctuary in the embrace of a nation that knows no bounds. So, Mr Biden, before you cast stones from your glass house, perhaps its time to take a long, hard look at the mirror of your own immigration policies. Despite the seismic shifts in global geopolitics since the tragic events of 9/11, the United States continues to grapple with outdated immigration laws and a penchant for turning a blind eye to the plight of illegal immigrants. While the United States grapples with its immigration challenges and the implications they have on its society and economy, its important to recognise that the world doesnt revolve solely around the US. Each nation has the sovereign right to enact its own laws and policies according to its unique circumstances, values, and priorities. If welcoming immigrants aligns with a countrys interests and contributes positively to its prosperity, then that decision lies within its prerogative. However, its equally crucial to acknowledge that what works for one nation may not necessarily be suitable for another. As such, while the US navigates its immigration landscape, other nations reserve the right to chart their own course, guided by their own aspirations and considerations. In the aftermath of the tragic events of 9/11, America faced another insidious assault, this time on the hallowed grounds of its university campuses. Hamas, under the guise of student activism, orchestrated a campaign of organised crimes masquerading as protests, injecting a toxic brew of hate, racism, violence, and anti-Semitism into the heart of academia. Their nefarious agenda wasnt about Israel or Gaza; it targeted the very essence of American values, education, and dignity. With calculated precision, they sought to tarnish American universities as dens of chaos, rather than bastions of enlightenment, seeking to instruct civilians in the art of civilisations demise. Yet, amidst this turmoil, Jewish students found themselves on the front lines, enduring a relentless onslaught of genocide and intimidation. But they are not alone. This battle transcends individual identities; its a fight for humanity against the forces of evil. Amidst the chaos of protests and the clash of ideologies, Indias pointed critique of US democracy rings with a certain irony. While Washington often takes to the global stage to preach the virtues of democracy and human rights, the scenes playing out on American campuses paint a different picture. As over 2,100 students are arrested and encampments spring up in defiance, the lofty ideals of democracy seem to falter in the face of dissent and discord. And yet, amidst the tumult, Indias admonition serves as a sobering reminder of the complexities of democracy in practice. Just as the protests on American campuses highlight the fissures within the nations democratic fabric, so too do similar sentiments simmer in other parts of the world. From the rise of the Far Right in Europe to the challenges posed by unchecked immigration, the fault lines of democracy run deep, casting doubt on the notion of a universal model of governance. While the West may be quick to extol the virtues of democracy, its own backyard bears the scars of unrest and extremism. As accusations fly and fingers point, perhaps its time for introspection rather than intervention. Indias success in providing refuge and fostering diversity stands in stark contrast to the turmoil gripping Western university campuses, where anti-Semitic radicals and pro-Hamas terrorists sow seeds of discord. So, before casting stones from glass houses, perhaps the West should focus on liberating its own institutions from the shackles of extremism. After all, actions speak louder than words, and Indias legacy of tolerance and inclusion speaks volumes. As the dust settles on the tumultuous landscape of history and geopolitics, one question remains: whose history truly bears the stain of xenophobia? From the shores of ancient India, where persecuted Parsis, Jews, and Christians found sanctuary, to the shores of America, where the legacy of invasion and oppression looms large, the answer seems clear. So, Prez Joe Biden, as you cast aspersions and admonitions, perhaps its time to confront the ghosts of your own nations past. For in the tapestry of history, the threads of xenophobia run deep, but the path to redemption lies in acknowledging and atoning for the sins of the past. The author is a practicing advocate. She writes articles on womens rights, politics, and law. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. China hasnt committed to participate in the Ukraine peace conference in June, and its evident that it will not abandon Russia. For China, the Ukraine crisis must be negotiated to an end, which must guarantee Russian security interests and therein hangs a tale read more Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first visit to France in five years. He met with French President Emmanuel Macron and the EU chairperson Ursula von der Leyen. The three held a trilateral meeting. This came soon after German Chancellor Scholz had visited China. Five years ago, Angela Merkel had joined the French and EU leaders to meet XI and the four held a press conference together. Now, things are different. China is stronger and more determined, yet reaches out to Europe. Europe wants to retain its relationship with China but wants China to better understand European concerns regarding Russia. There is strategic cleavage which neither initiated. Advertisement The major demand of the Europeans at the summit with XI was that China should curtail its support for Russia. The Russian gains in Ukraine made this more important, and the European leaders emphasised that China must curb the transition of dual-use equipment and technology to Russia since that is impacting the war. Such support has an impact on the EUs relations with China. On this issue, the EU, France, and the US are aligned and warned that China must prevent strengthening Russia with technology, semiconductors, and the like, which are helping to reconstitute its defence production. The second major issue was trade; here, unlike the US, which recently enunciated new sanctions against some Chinese institutions suspected of providing Russia with support in its Ukraine war, the EU leadership did not move towards any sanctions but made oral submissions. As von der Leyen said, We count on China to use all its influence on Russia to end Russias war of aggression against Ukraine. Xi Jinping remained committed not to providing arms to Russia but retorted that China had neither instigated the war nor was part of it and had no intention to participate in it. He told his interlocutors that it was counterproductive to use the Ukraine crisis to pressurise China and nudge the world towards a new Cold War. China would like France to uphold its independence and strategic autonomy and, as in the past, prevent a Cold War-like confrontation. He said that this would be a good contribution, as the two countries celebrated the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1964. Seeking a macro vision, he offered to support a multipolar world in which France was an equal partner; for this, France should curb the tendency to reach out for decoupling, disrupting supply chains, or protectionism. Advertisement On its part, the EU leaders continued to emphasise that trade needed to be more balanced since the unsustainable trade deficit of the EU with China had crossed $400 billion. In 2023, trade between China and France was $78.9 billion. This reflects consistent growth since 2019. France has emerged as Chinas third-largest trading partner within the EU, while China is Frances largest trading partner in Asia. Cumulative two-way investment has exceeded $26 billion. About 2,000 French companies operate in China. The continuing lack of market access for European companies, Beijings continued preference for their local state-owned companies, and unhealthy subsidies led to overproduction in their industries, which then China insisted on exporting to markets with which it had trade arrangements, but which were not geared for such dumping. Such market distortion could lead to a hollowing of industry within Europe. The EU was charged with defending its industry and their economies, and if required, would make tough decisions ahead. Advertisement European companies while seeking partnerships with China believe that Chinese EVs and green energy products are heavily subsidised, making European companies uncompetitive. The Chinese control of rare earth supply chains is disruptive for European EV battery producers. Since October 2023, a probe and inquiry have been launched against EV imports from China by the EU, due to substantially lower prices, possibly based on state subsidies. In April 2024, the EU further launched an investigation into the procurement of medical devices in the Chinese market. Both these investigations now annoy China, which took them up at this time. Despite Xis effort to avoid decoupling, the EU policy remains to de-risk its economic engagement with China, reduce excessive dependencies and create alternative supply chain resilience. Unless this is done, the EU would not be able to leverage its market access with China which is already facing disruption due to US sanctions. Advertisement Here, the EU is challenged by disruption from within because all 27 EU members are not on the same page on how strictly to deal with China. Nuanced differences between Germany, France and Brussels exist. Scholz did not invite the EU to join him on his visit to China. The fact that France did shows that European countries are indicating to China that their capitals and Brussels would operate in tandem. While taking up these issues, Macron invited Xi to his childhood home in the Pyrenees and significantly gifted him an expensive cognac, which is being read as an indicator that China should lift its restrictions on imports of French cognac. Advertisement Twenty bilateral cooperation agreements were signed. Among them was a call for international peace during the Paris Olympic Games later this year. Compared to Xis visit five years ago before the pandemic, despite all the changes in China, leading European countries like France work coherently with the EU, which is now taking a stricter approach to China, though not as harsh as what the US is doing. In 2019, Xi had heard familiar complaints about the trade balance and the lack of market access for European companies but did not seem to have done much about it. What he said about the multipolar world, a partnership with the EU, and the joint maintenance of the international order is also rehashed. However, the CA I, which the EU offered to China, had run into problems in the European Parliament, and despite these recent meetings with Scholz and Macron, and the EU, this is not back on the table. In 2019, the EU policy describing China as a partner or cooperation, a competitor in the economy, and a systemic rival has been maintained. The pandemic and the Ukraine crisis have allowed countries within the EU to nuance these in their relationship with China. China is a beneficiary of the disruption of Europes relationship with Russia under US pressure. The unwillingness of China to accept any of Europes economic arguments or adjust its market to their companies, and the strategic incoherence since 2019 brought China closer to Russia, unlike Europe, leading to a situation in 2024 that is different from 2019. Chinas relationship with the EU has been damaged, and Xis visit to Europe can be partly seen as a damage control exercise, particularly given the continuing US pressure on it. However, China has not committed to participate in the Ukraine peace conference in June, and it is evident that it will not abandon Russia. For China, the Ukraine crisis must be negotiated to an end, which must guarantee Russian security interests and therein hangs a tale. And the EU market must be kept open. It is unclear what price China is ready to pay for that and keep a US-EU differential in play. The writer is a former Indian ambassador to Germany, Indonesia, Ethiopia, ASEAN and the African Union, chair of the CII task force on trilateral cooperation in Africa, and a professor at IIT Indore. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Firstpost. The US Commerce Department is exploring new regulatory avenues that would restrict the export of proprietary or closed-source AI models and related software, which conceal both their software and training data read more After blocking the sale of AI hardware to China, the US administration is now slowly turning its attention to software. Image: Reuters The Biden administration is ramping up efforts to safeguard American artificial intelligence (AI) from China and Russia, and is now planning to impose restrictions on the most advanced AI models, similar to the core software powering systems like ChatGPT. According to a Reuters report, the US Commerce Department is exploring new regulatory avenues that would restrict the export of proprietary or closed-source AI models and related software, which conceal both their software and training data. Advertisement These steps will work in tandem with earlier actions and hinder the export of sophisticated AI tech, both hardware and software, to China and Russia. This is part of a larger strategy intended to slow down Beijings progress in AI, particularly when it comes to military use. However, keeping pace with the rapidly evolving AI landscape presents significant challenges for regulators. While the Russian Embassy in Washington is yet to respond, the Chinese Embassy has criticized the move as economic coercion, pledging to take necessary measures to protect its interests. Currently, major US AI players like Microsoft-backed OpenAI, Googles DeepMind, and rival Anthropic can freely sell their most powerful closed-source AI models worldwide without government oversight. However, there are some serious concerns among government and private sector researchers about threat actors exploiting these models for aggressive cyber attacks or even for developing biological weapons. According to sources, any potential export controls would likely target countries such as Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran. These controls could be based on the computing power required to train a model, as proposed in an AI executive order issued last October. However, it is believed that no model has yet reached this threshold, although Googles Gemini Ultra is reportedly close. The agency is still in the early stages of considering these measures, highlighting the US governments commitment to address gaps in efforts to counteract Chinas AI plans. Advertisement However, just how feasibile and effective implementing such export controls can be, are still unclear largely diue to the rapidly evolving landscape that AI is. Given the potential risks associated with advanced AI capabilities falling into the wrong hands, experts and officials are emphasising the importance of addressing these concerns. While some advocate for a threshold based on computing power, others argue for a focus on national security risks and the intended uses of AI models. Regardless of the approach, controlling AI model exports poses significant challenges, especially considering the open-source nature of many models and the difficulty in defining criteria for regulation. Advertisement Nevertheless, potential export control measures could impact access to the underlying software of consumer applications like ChatGPT, while leaving downstream applications unaffected. (WIth inputs from agencies) Former creditors and users of FTX believe FTXs bankruptcy plan has several problems, including clauses that allows them renege on their offers for flimsy reason, and not honour it at all. They also allege that FTX has miscalculated what investors and creditors are owed read more FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange that went bankrupt, announced plans to repay all its creditors, totalling $11 billion, thanks to a surge in bitcoin prices. John Ray III, the new CEO, took over after the previous leaders disgrace. FTX unveiled its bankruptcy plan on Tuesday, outlining a route to complete repayment, with interest, for nearly all creditors. This feat, FTX claims, is achievable through the liquidation of multi-billion-dollar investments made by its venture capital arm, FTX Ventures, and its affiliate, Alameda Research. Advertisement How FTX plans to repay its users The proposed plan also includes an agreement with US government entities, such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Commodities and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), to temporarily halt substantial claims against FTX until creditors are satisfied. As part of the settlement, the IRS will receive a $200 million upfront payment. Ray is optimistic that after selling off assets, FTX might have over $16 billion, which would be more than its debts. He also expressed that the team handling the bankruptcy is satisfied in proposing a plan to return 100 per cent of the owed amounts along with interest to creditors. The companys debts are in dollars, while its assets include speculative digital commodities and stakes in startups. When FTX collapsed in 2022, bitcoin was around $20,000; now, its more than tripled. From a legal standpoint, creditors, mostly former platform users will receive their lost funds. However, they might rue selling their cryptocurrencies at low prices and missing out on recent gains. A thief who took his loot to Las Vegas During his trial, Bankman-Fried argued that the expected repayment should lessen his sentence. However, Judge Lewis Kaplan dismissed it, calling Bank-Frieds appeal as misleading, logically flawed and speculative. He went on to say: A thief who takes his loot to Las Vegas and successfully bets the stolen money isnt entitled to a reduction of his sentence. Advertisement FTXs stake in Anthropic, an AI startup, also aided its recovery. The exchange sold this stake for $824 million. Meanwhile, the companys former CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, is serving a 25-year jail term for his part in the companys fraudulent collapse. Creditors of the bankrupt crypto exchange FTX arent happy with the plan offered to recover their lost money. Even though the plan promises that creditors will receive 118 per cent of the money they had invested, which they say is not as good as it sounds. This gives them a return of 18 per cent. They argue that the calculation is misleading and unfair. Advertisement Why former users are not happy with the settlement offer FTX creditors, about 1,600 of them, formed a group to vote on the plan. Leaders Sunil Kavuri and Arush Sehgal will encourage others to reject it. They claim the plan doesnt accurately assess the value of their crypto assets, which have grown since FTX went bust. The proposed plan promises full repayment, plus interest, thanks to selling off investments by FTXs related companies. US government agencies agreed to hold off on their claims until creditors are paid, with the IRS getting an upfront payment. However, the leading creditors who had invested the most in the platform, dont trust the plan. They fear it undervalues their claims and leaves them vulnerable. The creditors also believe that the way the plan has been worded, allows the company to go back on its word and refuse to honour its obligation, by citing banal reasons. Advertisement They also worry about losing their ability to pursue other legal actions against parties like law firms linked to FTX who covered their shenanigans. FTX creditors feel the proposed plan isnt fair or trustworthy. They believe it could leave them shortchanged and without legal recourse in the future. Up until Tuesday, Tesla had about 3400 job postings. However, in just a day, the EV giant has deleted all job listings and posts from job portals and social media platforms read more Over the weeks that Tesla has been laying people off, CEO Elon Musk has gotten more and more aggresive about the layoffs. Image Credit: Reuters Up until a few weeks ago, Tesla boasted a workforce of over 140,000 employees. However, in recent weeks, the EV giant has seen a wave of layoffs sweep through, coupled with a hiring freeze across, especially in its North American offices. As of Wednesday, Teslas job board displayed only three available positions. These roles are all part of its manufacturing development program, based in Texas, California, or Nevada. The program offers a seven-week training period with the potential for participants to transition into full-time Production Associate roles at Tesla factories. Advertisement This stark reduction contrasts sharply with the extensive job offerings that were available until Tuesday this week. An archived version of Teslas career webpage from May 1 revealed that there were over 3,400 postings across the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The majority of these positions were concentrated in California, Texas, and Nevada, where Tesla operates its sprawling Gigafactories. Many of these job listings were still active on Teslas website as recently as Tuesday. On LinkedIn, Tesla currently advertises 326 job openings, with most located in China, alongside a few in Europe and one in the Dominican Republic. Interestingly, only one job listing, on the manufacturing development program, appears to be located in the United States. This marks the second such time when Tesla has nuked nearly all of its job postings, in about two months. According a to news portal, Drive Tesla On April 16, when it had announced a round of layoffs, the majority of the job postings across Teslas North American operations back then, had been removed. However, within a few days, the job board was repopulated with thousands of postings. In a message to employees last month, CEO Elon Musk attributed the job cuts to the need for streamlining operations due to duplicated roles and functions in certain areas. Musk emphasised on the need to cut costs and increase productivity as the company prepares for its next phase of expansion. Advertisement Musk thanked and extended well wishes to the approximately 14,000 affected workers, acknowledging the difficult decision that had to be made. During the initial days of the layoffs, Musk expressed that he was regretful of the decision that had to be made. However, In more recent communications, Musk has taken a firmer stance. In an email to senior Tesla executives, he expressed how the organisation had to be absolutely hardcore about layoffs, going forward. Musk also stated his intention to request the resignation of any executive who retains more than three employees who do not meet the criteria of excellence, necessity, and trustworthiness. Following this directive, at least three executives departed from the company later that week. Advertisement According to a report from Bloomberg last month, the first wave of headcount reductions at Tesla may have affected more than 20,000 people. Furthermore, summer internship offers were rescinded just weeks before the interns were set to start. Tesla started its fourth consecutive week of layoffs on Monday, with the latest round impacting various roles including service advisers, human resource personnel, product engineers, and industrialising engineers. Furthermore, at least six high-profile executives have either resigned already or plan to do so later this year. This includes individuals such as former senior vice president of powertrain and energy Drew Baglino, and senior director of human resources for North America Allie Arebalo Advertisement (With inputs from agencies) Elon Musk is planning to test out Teslas robotaxi capabilities in China. Furthermore Teslas FSD software might soon receive widespread approval in China. With this China hopes to thaw its relationship with the US and resume technological trades read more Tesla is gearing up to test its cutting-edge driver assistance system in China and eventually introduce a robotaxi service. This was the main reason for Tesla CEO Elon Musks visit last month, where he met top Chinese officials. As reported by China Daily, during his visit to Beijing last month, Musk reportedly sought approval from Chinese authorities to operate robotaxis in China, which would allow the American carmaker to conduct the required trials for its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system in the largest electric vehicle market globally. Advertisement According to the newspaper, Beijing is expected to grant Tesla the license, in the hope that it has a positive impact on its souring economic ties with the US. Reuters, citing informed sources, had earlier reported about Teslas plan to roll out its robotaxi service and test the FSD system in Shanghai. Robotaxis, essentially driverless taxis, are seen as a significant application of autonomous vehicles in urban settings. In China, companies like Baidus Apollo, Pony.ai, and WeRide have already secured approvals to test their autonomous driving tech in robotaxis in specific city zones like Beijing, Guangzhou, and Wuhan. Independent industry analyst Gao Shen, based in Shanghai, told the South China Morning Post, Testing FSD on robotaxis suggests Tesla hasnt yet received full approval from Beijing to commercially deploy autonomous driving technology. However, for Chinese Tesla enthusiasts, robotaxis offers a chance to experience FSD, marking a promising beginning. Musks recent visit to Beijing, during which he had a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on April 28, has further fueled speculation that Teslas FSD software might soon receive widespread approval in China. In the US, Tesla offers its FSD software for an upfront payment of $8,000 upfront or for a monthly subscription fee of $99. In an article penned for the Peoples Daily on April 26, Grace Tao, Teslas Vice President of External Relations in China, emphasized the pivotal role of autonomous driving in propelling Chinas electric vehicle sector forward. She highlighted how this technology is poised to usher in new business models, including robotaxis. Advertisement Analysts are now pondering whether Tesla will be permitted to transfer data gathered in China to the US for training its autonomous driving algorithms. This capability is seen as crucial for unlocking the full potential of Teslas basic Full Self-Driving (FSD) features in Chinese-operated vehicles. China has become Teslas second-largest market, witnessing 603,664 deliveries last year, just behind the US market where the company handed over 654,888 units to American customers, marking a 25 per cent surge from the previous year. Amidst reports of a slowdown in domestic sales, Tesla is relocating Tom Zhu back to China, as per sources cited by the Wall Street Journal. Zhu, who previously spearheaded Teslas China operations and played a key role in establishing Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai in 2019, was promoted to Senior Vice President in April 2023 to oversee global production, sales, and service from the companys US headquarters. Advertisement According to data from the China Passenger Car Association, Teslas Shanghai factory delivered 62,167 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles to both local and international customers in April, marking a 30 per cent decrease from March and an 18 per cent decline from the same period last year. In the first four months of this year, the factory dispatched 283,043 vehicles, reflecting a 7.3 per cent drop compared to the corresponding period last year. (With inputs from agencies) The strong condemnation from the American commander-in-chief marked the start of a shift in the relationship between the two nations read more After the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas failed to see the light of day, US President Joe Biden has warned that his administration will stop supplying bombs and artillery shells to Israel if the military of the Jewish nation conducts ground assault in Rafah. The strong condemnation from the American commander-in-chief marked the start of a shift in the relationship between the two nations. Biden delivered the sharp warning during a television interview with CNN. While giving out his assessment of the situation, the president brushed aside Israeli and Republican complaints and made it clear that his administration would not provide weapons for an offensive attack in Rafah. Advertisement In the past, both the United States and the United Nations warned that an attack in Rafah could trigger a humanitarian disaster. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they havent gone in Rafah yet if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities that deal with that problem, Biden told CNN. US pauses munition delivery to Israel The comments from the president came hours after it was announced that Washington had paused the delivery of 3,500 munitions, more than half of them 2,000lb bombs to Israel. The Biden administration reasoned that the delivery of these munitions would cause devastating damage and severe civilian casualties if dropped on densely populated areas. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centres, Biden said. Amid the chaos, Israels ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan said that he does not believe that the US will stop supplying weapons to Israel. However, he called Washingtons decision to pause the supply of munitions very disappointing. Joe Biden cant say he is our partner in the goal to destroy Hamas while on the other hand delay the means meant to destroy Hamas, Erdan told Israels Channel 12 News. Meanwhile, the hold on the munitions also drew a quick response from the Republicans as well. Advertisement Israel faces an existential and multi-front threat and daylight between the United States and Israel at this dangerous time risks emboldening Israels enemies and undermining the trust that other allies and partners have in the United States, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell said in a joint letter to the president. However, the White Houses decision did get strong support among progressive Democrats. We should use the tools available to us to enforce the presidents objectives and US policy, Senator Chris Van Hollen told local reporters after the decision was announced. A partnership must be a two-way street, not a one-way blank cheque, he added. Advertisement The US will continue supporting Israels right to defend itself During the interview, Biden assured that the United States would continue to supply munition for Israels main air defence system Iron Dome. However, he reiterated that Washington will not supply weapons which can be used by Israel for offensive operation. Were going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently, he said. But its just wrong. Were not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells." the 81 year-old-president furthered. After China suspended cooperation in August 2022, the United States saw a drastic surge in the number of Chinese immigrants entering the country illegally from Mexico. U.S. border officials arrested more than 37,000 Chinese nationals on the southern border in 2023, 10 times the number during the previous year. read more Beijing and Washington have quietly resumed cooperation on the deportation of Chinese immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally, as the two countries are reestablishing and widening contacts following their leaders meeting in California late last year. After China suspended cooperation in August 2022, the United States saw a drastic surge in the number of Chinese immigrants entering the country illegally from Mexico. U.S. border officials arrested more than 37,000 Chinese nationals on the southern border in 2023, 10 times the number during the previous year, further exacerbating tensions over immigration going into the presidential election. Advertisement In a statement sent to The Associated Press this week, the Chinese foreign ministry said Beijing was willing to maintain dialogue and cooperation in the area of immigration enforcement with the U.S. and would accept the deportation of those whose Chinese nationality has been verified. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last month told the U.S. House during a budget hearing that he had an engagement with his Chinese counterpart to ensure that China would begin to accept removal flights so we can deliver a consequence for Chinese immigrants who do not have a legal basis to remain in the U.S. Mayorkas also said there was one deportation flight to China, for the first time in a number of years. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not respond to an AP request for details on the cooperation and the number of Chinese nationals who have been deported or await deportation. Without cooperation from the Chinese government, the U.S. cannot send back Chinese immigrants who have no legal status to stay in the country. It is unclear when cooperation resumed, but a charter flight carrying a small but unknown number of deportees landed in the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang on March 30, according to Thomas Cartwright of Witness at the Border, an advocacy group that tracks deportation flights. The group has not detected other flights to China, but its possible that some immigrants could have been deported on commercial flights, Cartwright said. Advertisement The number of Chinese deportees was certainly small on the March 30 flight because the Gulfstream V, which took off from Arizona and stopped in Texas and Alaska before reaching China, typically has a seating capacity of 14. It also made a stop in South Korea before heading back to the U.S., according to Cartwright. But it was a sign that Beijing and Washington are once again cooperating on deportation after the Chinese government stopped the cooperation in response to a visit by Nancy Pelosi, then the House speaker, to Taiwan. Beijing claims sovereignty over the island and strongly opposes any official contact between the island and the U.S. Beijing also halted high-level military-to-military dialogue, cooperation on anti-narcotics and talks on climate change, plunging relations to a low. Advertisement It wasnt until November 2023 when President Joe Biden hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping in Woodside, California, that the two sides agreed to restart the military-to-military talks and cooperation in fighting fentanyl. Dialogue on climate change had resumed before then. In April, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell complained that Beijing was doing little to curb the outflow of Chinese migrants. Beijing countered that it firmly opposes any form of illegal immigration and severely cracks down on all forms of illegal immigration organizations." The number of Chinese migrants arrested by the U.S. border patrol peaked in December but it showed a downward trend in the first three months of 2024. Colonel Li Xi, spokesperson for the PLAs Eastern Theatre Command, said the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey was under continuous monitoring by both naval and air units throughout its transit, according to a report read more In a show of military discord just weeks ahead of Taipeis presidential inauguration, Chinese naval vessels and aircraft closely observed the passage of a US naval ship through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, stating it was done in compliance with laws and regulations. According to a South China Morning Post report, Colonel Li Xi, spokesperson for the PLAs Eastern Theatre Command, said the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey was under continuous monitoring by both naval and air units throughout its transit. Advertisement Troops in the theatre remain on high alert at all times and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability, South China Morning Post quoted Colonel Li as saying. In a statement released by the 7th Fleet of the US Navy, it was announced that the USS Halsey had completed a routine transit through the Taiwan Strait, navigating waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law. The ship transited through a corridor in the strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state [and] demonstrates the United States commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations as a principle, the statement said. It further said that no nation should feel pressured or threatened into relinquishing its rights and liberties and the US military exercises its presenceby air, sea, and landwithin the bounds of international law. Meanwhile, on Thursday morning, the Taiwanese defence ministry said that its forces closely monitored the passage of the US ship through the strait and noted nothing unusual. The ministry also said Taipei had detected four Chinese aircraft crossing the median line a notional midpoint in the strait that separates Taiwan from the mainland within the previous 24 hours. The aircraft flew near Taiwans Penghu islands, which are home to a major Taiwanese airbase, according to the ministry. Advertisement Cross-strait tensions have soared since Taiwans independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) came to power in 2016, angering Beijing which regards the island as part of its territory, that will eventually be brought under mainland control. Although most countries, including the US, refrain from recognising Taiwan as an independent state, the US firmly opposes any unilateral alteration to the current state of affairs and remains committed to providing military support to Taipei. In an unprecedented move, the DPP secured a third consecutive term in January, with the inauguration of William Lai Ching-te, the incumbent vice president, on May 20. Beijing has vehemently criticised Lai, labeling him as a troublemaker and a obstinate separatist. Advertisement At a press conference in April, Lai said he hoped the ruling parties on both sides of the Taiwan Strait will responsibly start healthy dialogues to engage in exchanges and cooperation with Beijing on the premise of reciprocity and dignity. He called on Beijing to :have confidence in facing the elected legitimate government entrusted by the people of Taiwan. With inputs from agencies The Israel-linked cargo ship was seized by Iran on April 13, with 17 Indian nationals onboard. Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy seized the container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and MSC Aries was last seen on April 12, sailing towards the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Dubai. read more Iran has released seven of the 25 crew members from a Portuguese-flagged ship seized in the Gulf on April 13, announced Portugals foreign ministry on Thursday. Among those freed were five Indians, a Filipino, and an Estonian from the MSC Aries, according to the ministrys statement. While Portugal welcomed this development, it urged the immediate release of the remaining 17 crew members. Irans seizure of the container ship, which allegedly had Israeli links, was conducted by the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard last month near the Strait of Hormuz, amidst heightened tensions with Israel following the Gaza conflict. Advertisement The Indian Embassy, while sharing details of their release, thanked the Iranian authorities for their close coordination with the Embassy and Indian Consulate in Bandar Abbas.5 of the Indian sailors on MSC Aries have been released and departed from Iran today evening. We appreciate the Iranian authorities for their close coordination with the Embassy and Indian Consulate in Bandar Abbas, MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X. The Israel-linked cargo ship was seized by Iran on April 13, with 17 Indian nationals onboard. Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy seized the container ship near the Strait of Hormuz and MSC Aries was last seen on April 12, sailing towards the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Dubai. Earlier, Ann Tessa Joseph from Thrissur, Kerala, one of the 17 Indian crew members of the Israel-linked cargo ship MSC Aries that was seized by Iran on April 13, returned safely to her homeland on April 18. The Ministry of External Affairs had also said that one of the 17 Indian crew members has safely returned to India and others are safe, adding that they will be released once their contractual obligations are accomplished. One girl who was there has returned. We had asked for consular access for these 16 people and we received that and our officers met them. Their health is good and there is no problem of any kind on the ship. Concerning their return, there are some technicalities and contractual obligations. Once they are done, it will decide their return, MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal said in a weekly press briefing on April 25. Advertisement The Iranian Ambassador to India, Iraj Elahi, has also said that the Indian nationals, crew members of MSC Aries, are not detained and that they are free to go. In the wake of the seizure of the container vessel, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, bringing up the release of the 17 Indian crew members. Responding to the request of the Estonian side regarding the Portuguese ship seized in the territorial waters of Iran and the release of the crew, Amirabdollahian said, The ship, which turned off its radar in the territorial waters of Iran and endangered the security of navigation, is detained under judicial rules. Advertisement Additionally, during the telephone discussion between Iranian and Estonian officials, Iran stated that it has already released all the ships crew members on humanitarian grounds, and if the ships captain accompanies them, the crew, including the Estonians can return to their country. Amirabdollahian further underlined that compliance with maritime rules and regulations by all ships is necessary and unavoidable in order to maintain maritime safety, according to the statement. Tensions escalated between Iran and the West amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. With inputs from ANI. Asked whether the Bangladesh premier would go first to New Delhi since Hasina was also supposed to visit China, Foreign Minister Hassan Mahmud said the proximity of New Delhi was closer than Beijing and she is likely to visit India before going to the Chinese capital read more India has offered its support to construct a reservoir on the cross-border Teesta River in Bangladesh, Foreign Minister Hassan Mahmud said on Thursday, after visiting Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra met him and called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina here. The sharing of Teesta waters has remained a contentious issue between New Delhi and Dhaka, which largely prompted Bangladesh to undertake the initiative to construct the reservoir. Beijing immediately extended its willingness to support the project. Advertisement After his meeting with Kwatra, who arrived here Wednesday evening, Mahmud told reporters, You know we have taken on a big project on the Teesta. India wants to finance that. We said the project will have to be in accordance with our needs, it must fulfill our needs. The minister, however, did not elaborate on the Indian proposal, which came months after Dhaka said it would take into consideration the geopolitics regarding a Chinese proposal to build the reservoir on the Teesta that enters into Bangladesh from India. Kwatra called on Prime Minister Hasina earlier in the day but there was no official briefing on the meeting. However, sources said, he invited the prime minister to visit New Delhi, her first trip to India after her ruling Awami League party returned to power for the record fourth consecutive term on January 7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first world leader to congratulate her on her re-election. Asked whether the Bangladesh premier would go first to New Delhi since Hasina was also supposed to visit China, Hassan said the proximity of New Delhi was closer than Beijing and she is likely to visit India before going to the Chinese capital. Elections are underway in India. When the new government will be formed, then the date will be finalised for the visit, he said. The last bilateral engagement between the two prime ministers took place during the G20 Leaders Summit in September 2023, where Bangladesh was a guest country. Advertisement Chinese ambassador in Dhaka Yao Wen earlier said his country awaited the end of the election process in Bangladesh to carry on talks on the development of the Teesta basins part in Bangladesh. India is said to have conveyed its reservations to Bangladesh over Chinas involvement in a major project near its strategic Siliguri Corridor, also known as the Chickens Neck, a narrow land mass that connects mainland India with its North Eastern states. Asked how far Dhaka would take into consideration Indias objection over Chinas involvement in the project, a foreign ministry spokesperson earlier this year said, in such a case Dhaka would take into cognizance the geopolitical issues in proceeding with the proposal. Advertisement The Bangladesh foreign minister said during his talks with Kwatra, the issue of border killings also came up and added there was no dearth of willingness at the government and political level to end border killings of Bangladeshis. The minister said easing the visa regime was also an issue of his talks with Kwatra as a large number of Bangladeshis visit India for medical treatment, while the top Indian foreign ministry official assured him of greater efforts to ease the process further. Mahmud said they also discussed both physical and people-to-people connectivity with India and discussed cooperation from India to import hydropower from Nepal and Bhutan through India. The embassy stated that they are constantly in touch with the police and the Indian diaspora hoping to locate and re-establish any point of contact with Rupesh read more Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi has been reportedly missing in Chicago since May 2. Source: Chicago Police Department An Indian student from Telangana has been reportedly missing in Chicago since May 2. The Indian consulate in Chicago confirmed that the student, named Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi has been incommunicado since the start of the month. The embassy stated that they are constantly in touch with the police and the Indian diaspora hoping to locate and re-establish any point of contact with Rupesh. The Consulate is deeply concerned learning that Indian student Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi has been incommunicado since 2nd May. The consulate is in touch with the police and the Indian diaspora hoping to locate/reestablish contact with Rupesh, the Indian consulate in Chicago wrote on X, formally known as Twitter. Advertisement The Consulate is deeply concerned learning that Indian student Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi is incommunicado since 2nd May. Consulate is in touch with the police and the Indian diaspora hoping to locate/reestablish contact with Rupesh.@IndianEmbassyUS @MEAIndia India in Chicago (@IndiainChicago) May 8, 2024 The consulate also tagged the Indian embassy in the US and the Ministry of External Affairs in the tweet. Chicago police raise alarm According to Chintakindis Facebook profile, the 26-year-old Indian student was pursuing a Masters in Business Analytics - Human Resources at Concordia University in Wisconsin. He has worked as a Branch Store Manager at Dominos Pizza in the past. Meanwhile, the Chicago police published a missing report on the matter. The police noted that Chintakindi went missing from the 4300 block of N. Sheridan Rd. The authorities requested locals to contact the department and share numbers for further communication. An X user named, Kanukuntla PremKumar, claimed to be Chintakindis brother and mentioned that he had been missing for the past five days. Advertisement My brother Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi was missing for the past 5 days in Chicago, mobile was switched off there is no information from Chicago Police, Prem Kumar wrote on X. My brother Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi was missing from past 5 days in Chicago, mobile was switch off there is no information from Chicago Police. Case JH251609 Grievance ID US7WHU109945724@DrSJaishankar @CPD_Media @ChicagosMayor @KTRBRS @kishanreddybjp @USCIS @IndianEmbassyUS Kanukuntla PremKumar (@Prem_9999) May 8, 2024 In a separate post, he tagged External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, requesting them to look into the matter. @DrSJaishankar @kishanreddybjp Sir please speak to concern Chicago police Department about the missing of Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi. Please its my humble request, Prem Kumar said in the post. @DrSJaishankar @kishanreddybjp Sir please speak to concern Chicago police Department about the missing of Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi. Please its my humble request. pic.twitter.com/h3KIOJlsKA Kanukuntla PremKumar (@Prem_9999) May 8, 2024 Advertisement The parents of the young Indian student have also expressed concern over the matter and the case is currently under investigation. There were 25 crew members on board the impounded MSC Aries; five of them were Indian, one was Filipino, and one was Estonian, and they were all released on Thursday. Before this happened, one Indian crew member had already been released read more The ship was seized in the Strait of Hormuz in the midst of rising hostilities between Israel and Iran Portugals foreign ministry said on Thursday that Iran has freed seven crew members, including five Indians, from a ship flying the Portuguese flag that had been taken in the Gulf on April 13. There were 25 crew members on board the impounded MSC Aries; five of them were Indian, one was Filipino, and one was Estonian, and they were all released on Thursday. Before this happened, one Indian crew member had already been released. Advertisement The ship was seized in the Strait of Hormuz in the midst of rising hostilities between Israel and Iran. At the time of the container ships detention, Iran claimed that it was connected to Israel, and Iranian forces had just launched a massive drone attack against Israel. Seven Iranians were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Damascus prior to this attack. Portugal had called Irans ambassador on April 16 and requested that the ship and its crew be released. Later, on April 27, Iran declared that it was thinking of releasing more crew members. The ships owners were connected to Israel, according to a spokesman for Irans foreign ministry, who stated, It is certain that this ship belongs to the Zionist regime. Foreign Secretary David Cameron described Britains system and scale of arms exports to Israel as completely different from those in the United States, saying the sales it licences were relatively small and policed by strict procedures. read more Foreign Secretary David Cameron has defended the UKs arms sales to Israel following Joe Bidens threat to withhold weapons in the event of a ground offensive in Rafah. Cameron described Britains system and scale of arms exports to Israel as completely different from those in the United States, saying the sales it licenses were relatively small and policed by strict procedures. President Bidens overnight statement underscored a firm stance against supplying arms for using in populated areas. While UK officials refrained from specifying the criteria for Israels actions in Rafah to be deemed unacceptable, indications suggest that a ground invasion would be considered a violation of international humanitarian law. Advertisement Pressure is mounting on Rishi Sunak, including from within his own party, to suspend arms sales to Israel immediately amid growing concerns over civilian casualties in the conflict with Hamas. Cameron highlighted the differences between the UKs system and the scale of arms exports to Israel compared to the United States, emphasizing that the UKs licensed sales are relatively small and subject to stringent procedures. In response to inquiries about whether the UK would follow the USs lead in withholding weapons from Israel, Cameron reiterated the focus on improving humanitarian aid flow into Gaza. He noted positive developments such as the opening of the Rafah crossing on Thursday and aid deliveries. Theres a very fundamental difference between the U.S. situation and the UK situation, Cameron said after a speech. The U.S. is a massive state supplier of weapons to Israel we do not have a UK Government supply of weapons to Israel, we have a number of licences, and I think our defence exports to Israel are responsible for significantly less than 1% of their total. The former UK prime minister said countries need to take more assertive action to protect their interests from emerging threats, including from Russia and Iran. We are in a battle of wills. We all must prove our adversaries wrong: Britain, and our allies and partners around the world, he added. Advertisement Cameron used the speech at the National Cyber Security Centre in central London to call for NATO countries to boost defence spending above a two percent of gross domestic product target agreed 10 years ago. He called on countries in the 32-member Western defence alliance to out-compete, out-cooperate and out-innovate adversaries. With inputs from agencies. I express firm support and solidarity with the sacred cause of Russia, hoping that you and the brave Russian army and people would win fresh victory in the struggle to defeat the imperialists hegemonic policy, said Kim read more North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has expressed firm support and solidarity with Russia in a congratulatory message sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin over Victory Day, state media reported Thursday. According to the Korean Central News Agency, Kim extended his warm congratulations and comradely greetings to Putin in the message celebrating the 79th anniversary of the Soviet Unions World War II victory over Nazi Germany. Kim touted Putin as leading efforts to defend Russias sovereignty against vicious challenges and threats of the hostile forces, apparently pointing to Moscows war with Ukraine. Advertisement I express firm support and solidarity with the sacred cause of Russia, hoping that you and the brave Russian army and people would win fresh victory in the struggle to defeat the imperialists hegemonic policy, KCNA quoted Kim as saying. Earlier this week, the North Korean leader conveyed his congratulations to Putin on the commencement of his fifth term as Russias leader. Putin embarked on his fifth term on Tuesday, prolonging his 24-year tenure by another six years following a resounding victory in the March election. The cooperation between North Korea and Russia has been intensifying, with both nations strengthening military ties and bilateral relations since the summit between Kim and Putin in September last year. According to The Korea Herald, the unification ministry in Seoul said that Kim has extended his congratulations to Putin on Victory Day for the third consecutive year since Russias conflict with Ukraine in 2022. Previously, the North did so only on Russias anniversaries whose final numbers end in a five or zero, added the report. North Korea appears to be trying to show off its close ties with Russia and creating the atmosphere (to prepare for) Putins trip to North Korea, The Korea Herald quoted a ministry official as saying to reporters. North Korea has been accused by the US and others of transferring weapons to Russia for use against Ukraine, which it invaded in February 2022. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the accusations, but vowed last year to deepen military relations. Advertisement The debris from a missile that landed in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on 2 January was from a North Korean Hwasong-11 series ballistic missile, according to Reuters, citing United Nations sanctions monitors telling a Security Council committee in a report. With inputs from agencies Maldives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer, on his first official trip to India, will meet EAM S Jaishankar and discuss bilateral as well as regional issues of mutual interest read more Almost six months after taking oath as the Maldives President, Mohamed Muizzu has sent his Foreign Minister, Moosa Zameer, on an official trip to India, the country with which the Male leader has strained ties with after ascending to power. Assuming the post on November 17 last year, Muizzu broke the tradition of Maldivian Presidents making their first overseas trip to India. He instead made his first official visit to Turkey and his first diplomatic visit to China. Advertisement Now, instead of visiting India himself, Muizzu has sent his Foreign Minister Zameer, who arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday evening. Warm welcome to FM @MoosaZameer of Maldives on his official visit to India. Discussions on bilateral & regional issues and seeking ways to provide impetus to our multifaceted relationship lie ahead. pic.twitter.com/jTBXjjJO9z Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) May 8, 2024 The visit is not just Zameers first to India but is also the maiden official trip of a senior member of the Muizzu-led Maldivian government. Why Maldives Foreign Ministers India visit is becoming the talk of the town? As per local reports in Maldives, Zameer is on a three-day India visit. With diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Male remaining sour for the past half a year, heres why the Foreign Ministers visit is hogging the limelight. 1 - Zameer is visiting India at a time when Muizzus government in Maldives is being criticised for its close connection with China. 2 - The Maldives Foreign Minister is the first government representative to be in India after three deputy ministers of the island nation insulted India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Advertisement 3 - It will also be seen how Zameer helps instil confidence among the Indian leadership that the Maldives is still a reliable and trustworthy partner under the leadership of Muizzu who has, in the recent past, openly made pro-China overtures. 4 - The India visit of Zameer also comes around the May 10 deadline set by Muizzu for the complete withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the island nation. The Indian military personnel were part of a deployment of 89 personnel stationed in Maldives in a bilateral agreement between both nations. 5 - By the end of 2023, Maldives owed India approximately $400.9 million and this is likely to be up for discussion during Zameers visit. Last month, Muizzu in a reconciliatory tone said India will continue to remain the closest ally of his country and urged New Delhi to provide debt relief to the island nation. Advertisement 6 - Zameers visit comes merely days after Maldives urged Indians to contribute to the economy of the archipelago which heavily depends on tourism. 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, Maldivian Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal said in an interview with PTI. Maldives Foreign Ministers India visit agenda According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India, during Zameers visit to New Delhi, he will meet External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar for discussions on bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest. Advertisement In a statement, the ministry said Zameers visit is expected to lend further momentum to the bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Zameer too in his pre-departure post on X said, Looking forward to meeting my counterpart Minister of External Affairs, @DrSJaishankar , and discuss deepening and enhancing cooperation between #Maldives and #India for the mutual benefit of our peoples. Departing to New Delhi on my very first bilateral official visit. Looking forward to meeting my counterpart Minister of External Affairs, Dr. @DrSJaishankar, and discuss deepening and enhancing cooperation between #Maldives and #India for the mutual benefit of our peoples. pic.twitter.com/KJVcNcXQFF Moosa Zameer (@MoosaZameer) May 8, 2024 Advertisement Zameers statements on friendship with India Last month, Zameer thanked India for its decision to increase the export of essential supplies to his country for the fiscal year 2024-25, despite strained diplomatic ties between both nations. In a post on X, the Maldives Foreign Minister said Indias gesture signified a longstanding friendship and a strong commitment to expanding bilateral trade between India and the Maldives. I sincerely thank EAM @DrSJaishankar and the Government of #India for the renewal of the quota to enable #Maldives to import essential commodities from India during the years 2024 and 2025. This is truly a gesture which signifies the longstanding friendship, and the strong Moosa Zameer (@MoosaZameer) April 5, 2024 Why Muizzu chose Zameer as Maldives Foreign Minister? Zameer was appointed as the foreign affairs minister of Maldives the same day Muizzu took charge of the government. As per the Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zameer is an experienced leader who has served as minister and a Member of Parliament (MP) before. He also has a proven track record, particularly in negotiating and securing development and private-sector financing from a multitude of sources. Zameer began his career in politics in 2008. He was a founding member of the Peoples Alliance (PA), where he served as its Vice President and represented the party in various domestic and international forums, events, and media engagements. In 2011, he joined the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), the successor to the now-defunct PA. As the Vice President of PPM, he was instrumental in the Partys operations, including its foreign relations, establishing links with political parties and international organisations, in various countries, including India, Malaysia and China, the Maldives foreign ministry said. From 2009 to 2014, Zameer was an MP and during his term, he played a leading role in the formulation of bills relating to finance, economy, and national security. From 2011 to 2014, he served as the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, a Member of the Standing Committee on National Security Services from 2009 to 2014, and a Member of the Standing Committee on Petitions from 2009 to 2014. Zameer was also the Chairman of the Maldives-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Group, and represented the Parliament in several high-level meetings, events, and exchanges with parliamentarians and officials of various countries, as well as in multilateral bodies such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and the United Nations. He also served as the Minister of Tourism from October 28, 2015, to November 17, 2018, and oversaw the growth and diversification of the Maldivian tourism sector. According to Maldives Foreign Ministry, their minister Moosa Zameer and Indias EAM S Jaishankar during the official discussions acknowledged the fruitful economic partnership and the notable progress of projects facilitated through Indian grant assistance and line of credit initiatives read more Mohamed Muizzu has sent his man, Maldives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer to India at a time when both countries are undergoing troubled diplomatic ties. He was bombarded with questions that were due to be answered for the past few months since Male got its new President who is widely seen as a pro-China politician. This afternoon, Zameer, who is on his first official visit to India, met External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and after the two met, the visiting minister was thrown a range of questions on issues pertaining to India-Maldives ties. Advertisement When asked about the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from Maldives, Zameer appeared to have avoided giving a direct response. He chose his words wisely and said, I think Maldives-India defence relations goes beyond military personnel. And now, those platforms which have been handled by the military personnel will be handled by civilians. For the unversed, May 10, 2024 (Friday) is the deadline set by Muizzu for the complete withdrawal of Indian military personnel stationed in Maldives in a bilateral agreement between both nations. We have had a joint exercise with the Maldivian military, Indian military and Sri Lanka. I think Bangladesh is an observer and we will continue to have these exercises Peace and security of the Indian Ocean is important for both Maldives as well as India. So we will work together to make the Indian Ocean a peaceful place, Zameer said. #WATCH | On withdrawal of Indian military personnel and Defence cooperation between India and Maldives, Foreign Minister of Maldives, Moosa Zameer says, "I think Maldives-India defence relations goes beyond military personnel. And now, those platforms which have been handled by pic.twitter.com/dvLU7g0mH6 ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2024 What Chinese spy ship was doing in Maldivian waters? Earlier in February as well as in April, a Chinese marine research vessel - Xiang Yang Hong 3 - entered the Maldives waters and docked in its capital Male. The spy ship initially arrived on February 22 and after a brief stay of about six days in Male it returned, just to be back again last month for its second visit to the archipelago nation. When asked about what the Chinese research vessel was doing in Maldivian waters, Zameer said: Regarding the port call for Chinese vessels, we issued personal rotation and friendly portable permits, and diplomatic clearances came from the Chinese side, which is very common in Maldives. So thats how it has happened we as a peaceful country, welcome those vessels which come for peaceful purposes. But they didnt come for research in the Maldivian waters, we have not permitted the Chinese vessel for research in the Maldivian waters. Advertisement He went on to say that the peace and security of the Indian Ocean is important for India, Maldives, Sri Lanka and the rest of the countries. So, we will continue to work together, Zameer added. #WATCH | Delhi: On Maldives as a key partner in the Indian Ocean region and Chinese vessel port in Maldivian water, Foreign Minister of Maldives, Moosa Zameer says, "The peace and security of the Indian Ocean is important for both India and Maldives and Sri Lanka and the rest of pic.twitter.com/xE6VA51uID ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2024 Confident Indian tourists number to Maldives will pick up The Maldivian foreign minister expressed concerns over the dwindling number of Indian tourists in Maldives. Responding to a question on the issue, Zameer said: I myself want to welcome all Indians who would like to travel to Maldives We would like all Indian tourists to continue to come. In the past couple of months, we have had about a 16 to 17 per cent increase and then of course there has been a decrease in Indian markets but I am confident that it will pick up in the near future. the Maldives Foreign Minister said. Advertisement #WATCH | On Indian tourist figures declining in Maldives, Foreign Minister of Maldives, Moosa Zameer says, "I think the Minister of Tourism has clearly said that he would like to welcome and I like myself to welcome all Indians who would like to travel to Maldives...But I think pic.twitter.com/egsWSD646H ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2024 Wont get repeated Zameer also said Muizzu-led government is taking proper action to make sure that people of the island nation do not make derogatory remarks against India and its leader again. We have said that its not the stand of the government or we believe that it shouldnt have been done. We are taking proper action to make sure that this doesnt get repeated. There has been a misunderstanding, in social media. The governments of Maldives and India understand what has happened and we have passed that stage now, Zameer said. In January, a diplomatic row broke out between India and Maldives over Prime Minister Narendra Modis Lakshadweep visit. The Indian PM had shared pictures of strolling and snorkelling in the Indian archipelago, which some from the island nation saw as an attempt to draw visitors away from its beaches. Also Read: Shouldnt have been done, wont be repeated: Maldives foreign minister on derogatory remarks against India In reaction to images shared by PM Modi, three deputy ministers of the Maldivian government posted derogatory remarks on X, with one of them even calling the Prime Minister a clown and a puppet of Israel. The posts angered several Indians and celebrities who asked people to ditch visiting Maldives and instead explore tourist spots in India. #WATCH | Delhi: On derogatory remarks against India, Foreign Minister of Maldives, Moosa Zameer says, "If you have seen as you said, we have said that it's not the stand of the government or we believe that it shouldn't have been done. We are taking proper action to make sure pic.twitter.com/JRAKhNkHk2 ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2024 Muizzus India visit getting delayed for convenience of both sides Zameer was also asked as to why Muizzu broke the tradition of Maldivian Presidents, making their first overseas trip to India, and opted to visit Turkey for his first official visit and China for his first diplomatic visit. Also Read: We are discussing Muizzus visit to India very soon: Maldives foreign minister Responding to it, he said: We (the Maldives government) did discuss with Delhi about a visit. But for the convenience of both sides, we thought it might be okay for us to delay it a little bit. So, in fact, even today, with my discussions with External Affairs minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, we are discussing the Presidents visit to Delhi very soon. Hopefully. #WATCH | Delhi: On President Mohamed Muizzu visiting China and not India, as previous Presidents used to visit India as a tradition & India visit expectations, Foreign Minister of Maldives, Moosa Zameer says, "I dont think there is any military pact with China. One thing the pic.twitter.com/Ov6t9bFIlM ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2024 Maldivian people benefited from India By the end of 2023, Maldives owed India approximately $400.9 million. Last month, Muizzu in a reconciliatory tone said India will continue to remain the closest ally of his country and urged New Delhi to provide debt relief to the island nation. Also Read: How Muizzu made Maldives foreign ministers India visit an unusual one Talking about Maldives debt to India, Zameer said: Economic cooperation with India has been an integral part of Maldivian economy So obviously, if there is any debt in any country that we are, we need to discuss based on those figures. So I did discuss that and we will continue to be engaged. But Maldivian people have benefited from the debt that we have received and also from a lot of grants that we have received from the Indian government and we really appreciate that. #WATCH | Delhi: On discussions on debt relief measures, Foreign Minister of Maldives, Moosa Zameer says, "Economic cooperation with India has been an integral part of Maldivian economy...So obviously, if there is any debt in any country that we are, we need to discuss based on pic.twitter.com/wSqMdbNs5w ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2024 Zameer is on a three-day (May 8-10) visit to India. Maldives Foreign Ministry also issued a statement following Jaishankar and Zameers meeting. It said during the official discussions, both ministers acknowledged the fruitful economic partnership and the notable progress of projects facilitated through Indian grant assistance and line of credit initiatives. The dialogue comprised perspectives on development cooperation, tourism initiatives, and human resource development, underscoring a partnership built on mutual trusts shared interests and values, the statement further read. Also Read: WATCH | Jaishankar to Maldives foreign minister: Close partnerships with neighbours are of great value It said that Zameer and Jaishankar also underscored the significance of exploring additional avenues to enhance the Maldives-India partnership. With inputs from ANI Days after the arrest of three Indian nationals, Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, who has repeatedly suggested that India was responsible for Nijjars killing, stated that investigations are still ongoing and that there is a separate and distinct investigation not limited to the involvement of the three people arrested read more According to Canadian police, three Indian nationals living in Edmonton - Karan Brar (age 22), Kamalpreet Singh (age 22), and Karanpreet Singh (age 28) - have been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder Image Courtesy PTI The Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday that Canada has not given India any particular or pertinent information regarding the murder of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, days after Canadian police announced they had detained three Indian citizens in connection with the incident. Canada has informed us about the arrest. But we have not got any formal communication No specific or relevant evidence or information has been given to us in this matter, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told the media. Advertisement According to Canadian police, three Indian nationals living in Edmonton - Karan Brar (age 22), Kamalpreet Singh (age 22), and Karanpreet Singh (age 28) - have been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Trudeau mentioned three arrested people, but Canadian authorities have not been able to find any connection between them and the supposed operatives of the Indian government. Days after the arrest of three Indian nationals, Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, who has repeatedly suggested that India was responsible for Nijjars killing, stated that investigations are still ongoing and that there is a separate and distinct investigation not limited to the involvement of the three people arrested. The three males men taken into custody last week by Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) investigators, who were assisted by members of the Edmonton Police Service, the British Columbia and Alberta Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The suspects entered Canada on student visas but may have been working at the direction of Indian intelligence when they shot Nijjar, according to a Global News article that cited sources. Israel says that Rafah is Hamas last stronghold in Gaza, and Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to invade the city despite widespread international opposition due to concerns over the more than 1 million Palestinian civilians huddled in the city. read more A lift loads food aid for Gaza on the container ship Sagamore at Larnaca port, Cyprus, on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. According to a Pentagon spokeswoman, Sabrina Singh, humanitarian aid is being loaded onto the Sagamore at Larnaca port for eventual delivery to Gaza.- AP Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is prepared to stand alone in its efforts to combat Hamas. Netanyahus remarks came a day after US President Joe Biden warned that the United States could halt military aid to Israel if it initiates a military operation in Rafah. In his statement, Netanyahu said, If necessary, we will stand alone. We will fight with all our might, but we possess much more than mere determination. Advertisement During a Thursday briefing, White House spokesperson John Kirby reiterated that weapons shipments to Israel continue uninterrupted. Kirby clarified, Weapon deliveries to Israel are ongoing, providing them with the vast majority of what they require for self-defence. The White House said that a major invasion of Rafah by Israel would not advance attempts by Israel to defeat Hamas, a spokesperson said on Thursday, Reuters reported. Kirby Smashing into Rafah, in [Bidens] view, will not advance that objective,. He also added that conversations about Rafah between the US and Israel are still ongoing. The statement highlight escalating tensions between Israel and the US amid ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza. The threat of losing a key flow of arms has raised questions about Israels ability to continue the war. Earlier this week, it moved into Rafahs eastern outskirts and seized control of a key border crossing. Asked whether Israel could press ahead without American arms, the armys spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Israel already has the weapons it needs for the Rafah operation. The army has munitions for the missions it plans, and for the missions in Rafah too we have what we need, Hagari said. He said relations with the U.S. remain close and said Israel appreciates American assistance and that disagreements should be resolved behind closed doors. Israels initial push into Rafah, along with Hamas attacks on Israels Kerem Shalom crossing, have disrupted the flow of aid into Gaza and raised new concerns about worsening the territorys already dire humanitarian situation. Prior to this, NSA Tim Barrow and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met in Delhi to talk about significant regional and international concerns. Barrow and Jaishankar discussed the development of the bilateral relations between India and the UK read more NSA Ajit Doval and Tim Barrow talked about mutually beneficial regional and global concerns as well as bilateral issues Image Courtesy ANI The India-UK Strategic Dialogue on Thursday saw National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval meeting Tim Barrow, his counterpart from the United Kingdom. The Technology and Security Initiative, which will be a major bilateral mechanism to strengthen cooperation in critical and emerging technologies between the two countries, was discussed by the two top sides during this meeting, according to government officials. NSA Ajit Doval and Tim Barrow talked about mutually beneficial regional and global concerns as well as bilateral issues. Advertisement This visit will strengthen and further broaden the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, said government officials. Prior to this, NSA Tim Barrow and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met in Delhi to talk about significant regional and international concerns. Barrow and Jaishankar discussed the development of the bilateral relations between India and the UK. In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, Good to meet UK NSA Tim Barrow today in Delhi. Discussed a range of regional and global issues of importance. Also reviewed the progress in our bilateral ties. A 21-person delegation from the Royal College of Defence Studies paid their respects at the war memorial in New Delhi on May 7th, marking the start of their journey to India. Specializing in international security and national defense, the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) is a British military staff college attended by senior officers from the British Armed Forces, Civil Service, and Diplomatic Service. The institution wants to produce leaders and strategic thinkers who can function at the highest level in an international and cross-government setting. As part of their research tour, the team from the UK-based academy is currently in India and will be traveling throughout the nation. A delegation of the Royal College of Defence Studies today began their India visit by visiting the @salute2soldier in New Delhi and laying a wreath to pay their homage to the fallen soldiers, said Brigadier Nick Sawyer, UK Defence Adviser in India, in a statement providing details about the visit. As part of their study tour, the 21-person cohort will be traveling across the nation." Advertisement Notably, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) states that India and the UK are deeply connected by history and culture. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson reached an agreement in 2021 on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the India-UK Roadmap 2030, which will guide bilateral relations for the ensuing thirty years. The port city is located in southwestern Balochistan province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran read more (File) A Pakistan Navy soldier stands guard while a loaded Chinese ship is readied for departure prior to a ceremony at Gwadar port, about 435 miles, 700 km, west of Karachi. on 13 November, 2016. AP Quetta, Pakistan: Gunmen shot and killed seven labourers near southwestern Pakistans Gwadar port early on Thursday, police said. Police official Mohsin Ali said the gunmen stormed into a house some 25 km (15 miles) east of the port city and shot and killed the labourers in their sleep. The port city is located in troubled southwestern Balochistan province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran. No one has claimed responsibility. In March, Pakistani security forces repulsed a gun and bomb attack by militants on a complex outside the strategic port of Gwadar, which killed all eight militants and two soldiers, officials said. Advertisement China has invested heavily in the mineral-rich southwestern province of Balochistan, including developing Gwadar, despite a decades-long separatist insurgency. Armed with guns and bombs, the militants stormed the complex just outside the port that houses offices of government departments, intelligence agencies and paramilitary forces, said Saeed Ahmed Umrani, a government commissioner. This is a developing story. Israeli troops seized control of Gazas vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday in what the White House described as a limited operation read more Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on buildings near the separating wall between Egypt and Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramez Habboub) Nearly 79,000 people have fled Rafah since Monday after Israeli forces ordered evacuation from the southern city as the country moves one step ahead to expand its offensive into the region. UNRWAs communication officer Louise Wateridge on Thursday said, Rafah today: now daily scene of forcibly displaced families fleeing area. #Rafah today: now daily scene of forcibly displaced families fleeing area- @unrwa estimates nearly 79,000 people have fled since 6 May. Those staying collecting water, surviving. Extreme fear from significant bombardment in #Rafah overnight & continuing throughout this morning. pic.twitter.com/F7hjatHUMn Louise Wateridge (@UNWateridge) May 9, 2024 Advertisement Israeli troops seized control of Gazas vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday in what the White House described as a limited operation. The UN warned of a potential collapse of the flow of aid to Palestinians from the closure the Rafah crossing from Egypt and the other main crossing into Gaza, Kerem Shalom, from Israel, at a time when UN officials say northern Gaza is experiencing full-blown famine. Meanwhile, the US has suspended the shipment of weapons to Israel, including heavy bombs the U.S. ally used in its campaign against Hamas terrorists. Washingtons decision to halt the transfer of weapons was a result of Netanyahus failure to pay heed to Bidens objection over Israels expanded military operation in Rafah. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers, Biden said. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they havent gone in Rafah yet if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities that deal with that problem, he added. Advertisement The Democratic leader, however, said that the US is going to continue providing Israel with Iron Dome and make sure that the country can respond to attacks. With inputs from agencies What is it like to be a professor at a time when your students are busy protesting about things that have nothing to do with studies? How do you grade or evaluate students? How do you keep their politics at bay. Firstpost speaks to David Bernstein, who is not only a professor at an American university but has also seen college and teaching lives up close read more Encampments, chanting, protests, a cancelled graduation ceremony, police force clearing out demonstrations: All these words describe the past few weeks of Columbia University and other Ivy League schools. Top US universities witnessed massive pro-Palestinian demonstrations that amassed thousands of students demanding their educational institutions to financially divest from Israel. The protests came at a time when most colleges were in the middle of conducting final exams. The chaos was so profound that authorities had to take the extreme step of calling the police to quell the protests. This eventually led to the arrests of hundreds of students. Advertisement Amid all this, David Bernstein, Professor of Law at George Mason University, told Firstpost that students who are participating in these protests should instead take full advantage of their educational course, get a degree, start a company and be successful enough to have real influence over the world. Frankly, the amount of influence youre going to have as a student protester relative to the potential cost to yourself in not taking full advantage of your educational opportunity is just I just dont see how the calculus would be. Yes, Im a physics graduate student, and I want to start my own tech company. But instead, Im going to be living in an encampment on campus. I just dont see the payoff there. If you feel very strongly about it, get your degree. Start your company. When youre a billionaire, you can have a lot more influence on the world, he said. While Professor Bernstein firmly believes that students have the right to protest on campus, there should be a certain level of limitation that must be practiced in such cases. Theres a right to protest on campus, either from the US Constitution at public universities or through the student handbook rules of private universities. However, the recent protests have often violated school rules in a variety of ways, the professor said. Describing the on-ground situation, Professor Bernstein said that many student protestors were found blocking the paths of others or harassing or threatening students who did not wish to partake in protests. And more recently, weve had these encampments where students have basically taken over, usually a prominent part of campus, and often refuse to allow other students to enter without their permission. My position as a professor is you have every right to protest on whatever issue in whatever way you want, but you dont have the right to break the rules or infringe on the rights of others, he said. Advertisement Different elements of student bodies joining protests When it comes to understanding the purpose behind the protests, Professor Bernstein thinks there is more than just one student body at play. I think there are different elements within the student body. The protests are typically organised by a group called Students for Justice in Palestine. And these are the hard-core anti-Israeli. They support Hamas and while they dont take direct instruction, Hamas would often reach out to these groups to organise demonstrations, he said. Professor Bernstein added that theres another group of political activist students who join the protests without realising what the cause is. Advertisement There are some students who are just, This is whats happening. They want to be part of it. A lot of people, theyre just there. This is a fun, interesting thing happening. How do professors navigate during protests? While questions have been raised on students right to protest and how a university should respond in such cases, professors are faced with a much bigger problem, evaluation and grading. A lot of students have demanded the cancellation of exams and asked their professors to grade them A. Its difficult for professors to evaluate students with so much ruckus on campus. I think I would distinguish between two groups of professors. One group of professors is overtly aligned with the protests. The ones who say, I want to cancel classes or not have exams in solidarity. I think thats wildly inappropriate, Bernstein said. Advertisement The other group of professors, according to Bernstein, are the ones who are genuinely concerned about their students and cannot expect them to perform at their best especially when their campus is not accessible. At the same time, it is virtually impossible for universities to alter their academic calendars in response to protests. Several reports suggest that the demonstrations were funded by pro-Palestinian groups, indicating that they were planned way ahead. However, Berstein says that educational institutions like Columbia cannot simply change their routines in the face of widespread protests. Its been very difficult because you have to deal with dorm space and professors schedules. I do think that in Columbias case and other cases too, the universities were too tolerant of rule-breaking back starting in the fall, he said. Advertisement The professor added, I think what should have happened very early on is for all universities to make very clear statements. Youre allowed to protest. Youre allowed to have even noisy protests but you have to do it within the reasonable time, place, and manner of rules that we already have. Does a professors bias affect teaching? In times like these, when the entire campus unites on one side of the issue, it becomes particularly challenging for professors not to advocate their biases in their teachings. Talking about this, Bernstein said, Im outspoken on one side. Im on the pro-Israel side. I take it as some students feel like, Oh, youre somehow being anti-Muslim or anti-Palestine or anti-Arab. But I think that one should avoid trying to paint other groups with big brushes. I saw someone I know who was a law professor, retweeted something, referring to students on their campus as Zionist thugs. And all the students were doing was a peaceful counter-protest. Im not saying that professors should necessarily be punished, but I would think that one should not engage in rhetoric like that, especially about students who may want to stop by your classes because its very hard to imagine how youd be a neutral professor, especially if you teach classes in that area, he added. What about foreign students? At times like these, foreign students, including Indians, are the ones who become the most apprehensive about their participation. International students studying at leading US universities have a lot at stake, be it their visa status or finances. When youre living with a student visa in the US, you have conditions on that visa. And the conditions in the US are very hard. You actually have to go to school, you have to not break the law and not support terrorism. And you have to agree to all those things, Professor Bernstein said. He said that more foreign students are found to be protesting and flouting rules might lead to a reduction in the issuing of student visas in the future. Its often hard to avoid peer pressure one way or the other. But when you lose your visa or when you never get your PhD, theyre not going to be there to help you. So you have to take yourself outside the moment and think, well, what is best for my future or not? What are my friends pressuring me to do right now? the professor said. Dear friends, Russia is now going through a difficult, crucial period. The fate of the Motherland, its future depends on each of us, he said. The May 9 parade marks the Soviet Unions defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II and has become Russias most important public holiday as Putin puts the country firmly on a combat footing read more President Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday that his nuclear forces were always on alert and that Russia would not tolerate any threats from the West. In a defiant address on Red Square before thousands of soldiers dressed in ceremonial attire, Putin heaped praise on his army fighting in Ukraine and accused Western elites of fomenting conflicts around the world. Russia will do everything to prevent a global clash, but at the same time we will not allow anyone to threaten us. Our strategic forces are always on alert, Putin said, addressing the Victory Day parade. Advertisement Dear friends, Russia is now going through a difficult, crucial period. The fate of the Motherland, its future depends on each of us, he said. The May 9 parade marks the Soviet Unions defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II and has become Russias most important public holiday as Putin puts the country firmly on a combat footing. The Russian president has repeatedly framed the current fight against Ukraine as an existential battle against Nazism. Putin has also upped his nuclear rhetoric. Earlier this week, he ordered the Russian military to hold nuclear weapons drills involving the navy and troops based near Ukraine. 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. Armenia snub The Victory Day parade is held on Red Square, featuring columns of Russian military equipment, including advanced missiles and air defence systems, as well as thousands of military personnel. Russia often invites representatives from countries it deems friendly to the event, though attendance had dwindled even before it sent troops into Ukraine in early 2022 amid a stand-off with the West. Eight world leaders were scheduled to attend Thursdays parade, Russian state-media reported this week, citing a Kremlin aide. Advertisement They are the heads of five ex-Soviet countries Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan as well as the leaders of Cuba, Laos and Guinea-Bissau.In a high-profile snub, Armenias Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signalled he would not attend amid a spat between the two allies, even though he was in Moscow on Wednesday evening for a regional summit. The Kremlin scheduled a summit of leaders of the Eurasian Economic Union a regional bloc of some ex-Soviet states the day before the parade. Putin s Victory Day address comes as his troops make advances in Ukraine and just after he took oath for an unprecedented fifth term. Advertisement The 71-year-old Kremlin chief has ruled Russia since the turn of the century, securing a fresh six-year mandate in March after winning presidential elections devoid of all opposition. Russias army held off a much-hyped Ukrainian counter-offensive last year, and it has since made gains on the front lines as Kyiv struggles with ammunition and manpower shortages. Thursdays festivities come two days after Putin vowed at a lavish inauguration to deliver victory to Russians.We are a united and great nation, and together we will overcome all obstacles, realise everything we have planned, and together, we will win. The Russian foreign ministry spokesperson insisted that hurling such allegations without any solid evidence is disrespectful to India as a State read more Russia came out in support of India and gave a strong rebuttal to the allegations made by the United States over the foiled assassination plot against pro-Khalistani extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The Russian Foreign Ministry not only rejected the American administration but also accused Washington of complicating the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the United States has not provided any form of substantial evidence in this matter, ANI reported. Advertisement According to the information we have, Washington has not yet provided any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the preparation of the murder of a certain GS Pannun, Zakharova said in a press briefing. Speculation on this topic in the absence of evidence is unacceptable, she added. The Russian foreign ministry spokesperson insisted that hurling such allegations without any solid evidence is disrespectful to India as a State. The Russian officials remarks came in response to a media query on Moscows reaction to accusations against an Indian official of a foiled assassination plot. Last month, a Washington Post article claimed a Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) officer named Vikram Yadav was allegedly involved in the assassination plot. Citing unnamed sources, the news outlet mentioned that Yadav had enlisted a hit team to carry out the so-called operation. Russia accuses the US of meddling with the Lok Sabha polls During the press briefing, Zakharova bashed both The Washington Post and the US. She even pointed out the fact that the United States has hurled similar groundless allegations against several other nations. The Washington Post, it seems to me, should use the term repressive regime and everything you quoted in relation to Washington. It is difficult to imagine a more repressive regime than Washington, both in domestic and international affairs. Now directly about your question, Zakharova said. Regular unfounded accusations by the United States against New Delhi (we see that they groundlessly accuse not only India but also many other states) of violating religious freedoms are a reflection of the United States misunderstanding of the national mentality, the historical context of the development of the Indian state and disrespect for India as a state, she added. Advertisement Describing the interference as a colonial period mentality, the Russian spokesperson accused the White House of complicating the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The reason is the desire to unbalance the internal political situation in India in order to complicate the general parliamentary elections taking place in the country. Of course, this is part of interference in Indias internal affairs, she added. The Pannun Saga Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is an India-designated terrorist who holds American and Canadian citizenship. Last year, the US Department of Justice unsealed an indictment against an Indian national and alleged his involvement in the assassination plot against Pannun. Last month, The External Affairs Ministry rejected the damming Washington Post report naming the RAW official. The ministry described the report as unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputation on a serious matter that is under investigation. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal even called the report speculative and irresponsible. Advertisement The report in question makes unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter. There is an ongoing investigation of the High-Level Committee set up by the Government of India to look into the security concerns shared by the US government on networks of organised criminals, terrorists and others. Speculative and irresponsible comments on it are not helpful, Jaiswal exclaimed. Meanwhile, the US Justice Department has already indicted Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, who is currently in custody and has been charged with the murder-for-hire of Pannun. The Czech authorities detained Gupta on June 30. After the arrest, MEA maintained that a case file against the individual and his alleged link to an Indian official is a matter of concern and is contrary to government policy. In light of this, India has also set up a high-level committee to probe the matter. Advertisement With inputs from agencies. Promotional materials on EthicWorks Facebook page celebrated Brars successful visa acquisition, stating, Congratulations Karan Brar for the Canada study visa, and identifying him as a resident of Kotkapura, Punjab read more Local reports from Canadian media have suggested that one of the suspects in the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar claimed in a social media video that he entered Canada on a study permit, a process that reportedly took only days. The accused, identified as Karan Brar, disclosed in a 2019 online video that he applied for a student visa through EthicWorks Immigration Services in Punjab, India, and received his study permit shortly thereafter. Advertisement Promotional materials on EthicWorks Facebook page celebrated Brars successful visa acquisition, stating, Congratulations Karan Brar for the Canada study visa, and identifying him as a resident of Kotkapura, Punjab. While Immigration Minister Marc Miller declined to address inquiries regarding the suspects entry into Canada, online posts suggest that Brar arrived on a student permit three years before the killing. Further information gleaned from Brars purported Facebook page indicates his relocation to Edmonton in 2020 after commencing studies at Bow Valley College in Calgary. Despite numerous queries, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has yet to provide clarification on the matter. Brar, along with Karanpreet Singh and Kamalpreet Singh, all aged between 22 and 28, were apprehended in Edmonton and face charges of murder and conspiracy related to Nijjars death. They appeared in court in Surrey, British Columbia, amidst a gathering of Sikh community members who protested outside the courthouse, blaming the Indian government for Nijjars killing. The murder of Nijjar, designated a terrorist by Indias National Investigation Agency, occurred in June 2023 outside a Gurdwara in Surrey, severely straining relations between Canada and India. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus accusations against the Indian government further exacerbated tensions, although India has dismissed the claims. Last week, Canadian police released images of the three suspects arrested in connection with Nijjars killing, along with photographs of the vehicle believed to have been used during the homicide. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, with support from various law enforcement agencies, apprehended the suspects in a coordinated operation spanning British Columbia and Alberta. We have no decision to build a nuclear bomb, but should Irans existence be threatened, there will be no choice but to change our military doctrine, said Kamal Kharrazi, adding that Tehran has already signalled it has the potential to build such weapons read more Iran will have to change its nuclear doctrine if its existence is threatened by Israel, an adviser to Irans Supreme Leader, Kamal Kharrazi said, raising concerns about an Iranian nuclear weapon. We have no decision to build a nuclear bomb, but should Irans existence be threatened, there will be no choice but to change our military doctrine, Kharrazi said, as reported by Irans Student News Network on Thursday, adding that Tehran has already signalled it has the potential to build such weapons. Advertisement Irans Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei banned the development of nuclear weapons in a fatwa in the early 2000s, reiterating his stance in 2019 by saying: Building and stockpiling nuclear bombs is wrong and using it is haram (religiously forbidden) Although we have nuclear technology, Iran has firmly avoided it. However, Irans then-intelligence minister said in 2021 that Western pressure could push Tehran to seek nuclear weapons. In the case of an attack on our nuclear facilities by the Zionist regime (Israel), our deterrence will change, Kharrazi added. In April, Iran and Israel reached their highest level of tensions, with Tehran directly launching about 300 missiles and drones against Israel as retaliation for a suspected deadly Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Damascus. The move is the latest in Ukraines plan to replace casualties and exhausted soldiers as well as mobilise more soldiers with the war currently in its third year read more Taking a leaf out of Russias book, Ukraine will start recruiting prisoners to fight against Russia on the battlefield under a new bill that seeks to replenish frontline forces. Since it began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has been recruiting convicts to defend itself on the frontline, a practice that the Wagner mercenary group first adopted. Kyiv on Wednesday approved the passage of a bill that would allow prisoners, including murder convicts, to join military ranks. Advertisement The move is the latest in Ukraines plan to replace casualties and exhausted soldiers as well as mobilise more soldiers with the war currently in its third year. The bill, however, needs to pass the final step in the form of President Volodymyr Zelenskyys signature. Who can join the army? While the introduction of the bill was borne out of manpower needs similar to Russias, Ukraine will not hire just any convict to defend itself on the frontlines, unlike Moscow which does not pay much attention to the degree of crime committed by a prisoner. If and when the bill is passed by Zelenskyy, prisoners convicted of serial murderers, drug traffickers and those guilty of sexual violence, corruption and national security crimes will not be eligible for the conscription program, according to Olena Shuliak, an MP from Zelenskyys party. Meanwhile, men convicted of a single murder can enlist but will lose the privilege in case they are found guilty of rape. Former politicians and ministers serving time in prison would also not be allowed to join the army. It is only possible to withstand the conditions of a total war against an enemy with more resources by consolidating all [our] forces. This draft law is about our struggle and preservation of Ukrainian statehood, Shuliak said as she acknowledged societal fears. What are the conditions set for prisoners? Prisoners who are deemed fit to serve in the Ukrainian army have to undergo physical and mental health tests to enlist. They need to have at least three years left in their prison sentences Prisoners will be posted in special units for as long as the war continues or till the time they are demobilised Convicts who do not complete their military service or attempt to defect would be punished with five to 10 years in prison If they commit another crime during their military time, the remainder of their prison sentence will be added on top With inputs from Financial Times In a recent interview, US President Joe Biden recalled telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to make the same mistake we made in America, referring to the 9/11 attack read more Hours after Hamas launched its offensive against Israel on October 7, US President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that they would help Israel get hold of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. In an interview with CNN, Biden recalled his meeting with Netanyahu two weeks after the October 7 attack. We will help you focus on getting the bad guys, the US president told Netanyahu. I said to Bibi, Dont make the same mistake we made in America. We wanted to get bin Laden. Well help you get Sinwar, Biden said, referring to the 9/11 attack. Advertisement He added, It made sense to get bin Laden; it made no sense to try and unify Afghanistan. It made no sense in my view to engage in thinking that in Iraq they had a nuclear weapon. Im not sending them weapons if The US has suspended the shipment of weapons to Israel, including heavy bombs the U.S. ally used in its campaign against Hamas terrorists. Washingtons decision to halt the transfer of weapons was a result of Netanyahus failure to pay heed to Bidens objection over Israels expanded military operation in Rafah. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers, Biden said. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they havent gone in Rafah yet if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities that deal with that problem, he added. The Democratic leader, however, said that the US is going to continue providing Israel with Iron Dome and make sure that the country can respond to attacks. Biden asks Netanyahu to think of post-war governance The ambiguity over Gazas governance after the war ends has led Biden to urge Netanyahu to have a post-war plan handy. Advertisement Weve got to think through what is happening after this is over [in Gaza]. Who is going to occupy Gaza? Biden said during the interview. He also revealed that the leaders of the five Arab countries Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt and Qatar are prepared to help rebuild Gaza, prepared to help transition to a two-state solution to maintain the security and peace while theyre working out a Palestinian Authority thats real and not corrupt. Meanwhile, Netanyahus team has advocated for Israel to occupy Gaza permanently and re-establish settlements in the Palestinian region. With inputs from agencies Two of the diplomats and another person familiar with the discussions linked the delay to preparations for a possible visit by Putin to Vietnam. One source said the Russian leaders visit could be spoiled by any talks with the EU envoy read more Vietnams foreign affairs ministry has annoyed the European Union by postponing a meeting next week with the EUs top official on Russian sanctions, ahead of a possible visit to Hanoi by Russias President Vladimir Putin. Vietnam has been striving to pursue a neutral foreign policy in its relations with major world powers. It has abstained from condemning Russias attack on Ukraine, a position that Western countries see as too close to the Kremlin. Advertisement Special envoy for the implementation of EU sanctions, David OSullivan, is visiting Southeast Asia next week and had planned to meet Vietnamese officials on May 13-14, but Hanoi asked to delay the meeting as leaders were too busy to meet with him, one diplomat with direct knowledge of the situation said. Three other diplomats confirmed the postponement of the visit, with one saying Vietnam had suggested July as an alternative date. Two of the diplomats and another person familiar with the discussions linked the delay to preparations for a possible visit by Putin to Vietnam. One source said the Russian leaders visit could be spoiled by any talks with the EU envoy. Shortly after Reuters reported on the matter, the EU diplomatic delegation in Hanoi issued a statement describing the postponement of the meeting as disappointing and said it was discussing a new date with the Vietnamese authorities. A spokeswoman for Vietnams foreign ministry told a regular press conference later on Thursday that Hanoi was discussing with the EU a date for the meeting. Asked about Putins possible visit, she said information would be shared at a suitable time. Russias embassy in Hanoi did not reply to a request for comment. INVITING PUTIN Vietnamese leaders have repeatedly invited Putin to Vietnam in recent months, despite the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) having issued in March 2023 an arrest warrant for the Russian president over alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Advertisement Vietnam is not a member of the ICC. Last week, Russias ambassador to Vietnam, Gennady Bezdetko, was reported as saying that Putin had accepted the invitation and that a date for the visit would be decided after the inauguration for his fifth term as president on May 7, according to Vietnamese state media. Putin last travelled to Vietnam in 2017. Russia is the top supplier of weapons to Vietnam and also plays a crucial role in the exploitation of Vietnams gas reserves in the South China Sea, in waters that China claims as its own. The EU, an important trading partner for Vietnam, has imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Moscow over its war in Ukraine. Advertisement OSullivans job involves making sure that countries do not help Russia or other sanctioned states to circumvent punitive EU measures, for instance by supplying Moscow with dual-use goods that could be used for its war efforts in Ukraine. There is no evidence that Vietnam has offered any help to Russia for what the Kremlin calls its special military operation in Ukraine. Some diplomats have said it would be hard to detect any trade between Vietnam and Russia that may breach sanctions, especially if it involved chips or other small components. Maldives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer said his government did discuss with New Delhi about President Muizzus visit, but for the convenience of both sides, we thought it might be okay for us to delay it a little bit read more Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu will hopefully visit India very soon, his foreign minister Moosa Zameer said on Thursday. Zameer, who is on his first official visit to India, and the only leader of Muizzu-led government travelling to New Delhi since November last year. Muizzu is the first Maldivian leader who broke the tradition of Maldivian Presidents making their first overseas trip to India. He instead visited Turkey for his first official visit and China for his first diplomatic visit. Advertisement We (the Maldives government) did discuss with Delhi about a visit. But for the convenience of both sides, we thought it might be okay for us to delay it a little bit. So, in fact, even today, with my discussions with External Affairs minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, we are discussing the Presidents visit to Delhi very soon. Hopefully, Zameer told ANI. #WATCH | Delhi: On President Mohamed Muizzu visiting China and not India, as previous Presidents used to visit India as a tradition & India visit expectations, Foreign Minister of Maldives, Moosa Zameer says, "I dont think there is any military pact with China. One thing the pic.twitter.com/Ov6t9bFIlM ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2024 Muizzu, who was elected as Maldives President in September last year, in his election campaign raised India Out slogan, calling for all Indian military personnel to leave the island nation. He was sworn in in November and soon after that, he reiterated his call for Indian troops to leave the country in phases with the first group leaving on March 10 and the second group departing the island by May 10 this year. Advertisement Also Read: WATCH | Jaishankar to Maldives foreign minister: Close partnerships with neighbours are of great value Not just this, Muizzu also denied renewing the hydrographic agreement, signed in 2019, that allowed India to comprehensively study the territorial waters of Maldives and was due for renewal in June 2024. In January this year, Muizzu also had said his countrys small size doesnt give anyone the licence to bully it a jibe at India. The Maldives is not in any countrys backyard. We may be small but that doesnt give you the license to bully us," the Maldivian President said on his return from China earlier this year. Yemens Iran-aligned Houthis on Thursday claimed two missile attacks in the Gulf of Aden on two Panama-flagged container ships that caused no damage, while also saying they targeted a ship in the Indian Ocean in a previously unreported assault, according to a report read more Houthi followers participate in a parade as part of a 'popular army' mobilization campaign by the movement, in Sanaa, Yemen on 7 February, 2024. Reuters File Yemens Iran-aligned Houthis on Thursday claimed two missile attacks in the Gulf of Aden on two Panama-flagged container ships that caused no damage, while also saying they targeted a ship in the Indian Ocean in a previously unreported assault, according to a report. In a televised speech on Thursday, the groups military spokesman Yahya Sarea claimed attacks on the MSC Diego and MSC Gina. Sarea said the group also targeted the MSC VITTORIA in the Indian Ocean. However, no authorities have confirmed an attack on that vessel. Advertisement The claims by Yahya Sarea come as the tempo of the rebel attacks have waned in recent weeks as theyve been targeted by repeated airstrikes launched by a US-led coalition warship in waterways crucial to international trade. The Houthis insist their assaults will continue as long as Israels war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip goes on. According to ABC News report, the Joint Maritime Information Center, a US-led coalition of nations operating in the Mideast, said those two missile attacks happened early Tuesday. Neither were hit and all crew on board are safe, the report quoted center as saying. The vessels were last reported proceeding to next port of call, it added. The center added that the vessels were likely targeted due to perceived Israeli affiliation. According to ABC News, both vessels were operating for Geneva-based Mediterranean Shipping Co., which did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Sarea, however, refrained from explaining the two-day delay in the rebels acknowledgment of the attacks. The Houthis assert that their assaults on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are intended to pressure Israel into halting its conflict with Hamas in Gaza. The conflict, which has resulted in the deaths of over 34,000 Palestinians, commenced after Hamas-led militants launched an attack on Israel on 7 October, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the hostage-taking of around 250 others. Advertisement According to the US Maritime Administration, the Houthis have carried out more than 50 attacks on shipping since November, including seizing one vessel and sinking another. The threat posed by these attacks has led to a decline in shipping activity through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. With inputs from agencies Pic story: inheritor of Ma's Filigree Mosaic art in Tianjin Xinhua) 09:54, May 09, 2024 Ma Sai makes a filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo) Ma's Filigree Mosaic art, a city-level intangible cultural heritage in Tianjin, attracted the attention of the whole country when an accessory made with it appeared on the head of a Chinese actress during the Spring Festival Gala of the Year of the Dragon, staged by China Central Television, also called CCTV. Filigree Mosaic art, first seen in the Spring and Autumn period (770 B.C.-476 B.C.), greeted its peak season in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The craft, having a history of more than 2,000 years, goes through complicated procedures and was listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage in 2008. Two main steps are involved in the craft, namely making filigree and making mosaic. Using malleable materials such as gold and sliver to make thin threads and then forming different shapes is called filigree art. Inlaying pearls or gems on shaped metal frames is called mosaic art. Imparted by palace artisans for royal family, Ma's Filigree Mosaic art dated back to the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) to the 1920s. Ma Sai, an inheritor of the craft who was born in the 1990s, has been working in the field for over 14 years. "I like handmade work since childhood. I learned the art from my parents, who enlightened me during their daily work." In the early time, Ma Sai's family made filigree mosaic accessories mainly for export. With the withering of foreign market, the craft was almost lost. Noticing the popularity of traditional Chinese culture, Ma Sai tried to apply this craft to the making of traditional Chinese accessories. People's enthusiasm for Hanfu, a traditional wearing during the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-220 A.D.), brought new vitality to Ma's Filigree Mosaic art. "The popularity of Hanfu gave me the confidence to carry on the craft," said Ma Sai. He visited various museums, read lots of books, and gradually turned designed patterns into real products. To promote the products, Ma released videos he shot and edited on the internet. He also opened accounts on new media platforms, where he shared products and craft and won popularity among young people. He also encountered his love during a Hanfu show. Min Fangping, deeply moved by Ma's efforts in carrying on the traditional art, decided to work with him at his studio to explore more possibilities. Nowadays, Ma Sai's studio mainly makes accessories for the use of video props, head decorations of Hanfu and brides headdress in traditional Chinese weddings. His artworks win him fame in the circle for their delicacy and refineness. He enrolled a dozen of villagers in his studio, and also accepted an apprentice Ma Hongli who was born in the 1980s. "I hope more young people will join us, thus we'll create filigree mosaic artworks that belong to our time," said Ma Sai. An enthusiast for Hanfu tries a head decoration of filigree mosaic at a studio in Tianjin, north China, March 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) This photo taken on March 23, 2024 shows filigree mosaic artworks displayed at the Wuqing museum in Tianjin, north China. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) Ma Sai makes a filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo) Ma Sai makes a filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo) Ma Sai (R) and his girlfriend Min Fangping watch filigree mosaic artworks they made displayed at Wuqing museum in Tianjin, north China, March 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) Ma Sai makes a filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo) Ma Sai introduces to a visitor during a show themed on Ma's Filigree Mosaic art at Wuqing museum in Tianjin, north China, March 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo) This undated file photo shows a Ma's filigree mosaic artwork. (Photo by Zhong Xia/Xinhua) Ma Sai (R) talks with his mother on filigree mosaic art at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran) This undated file photo shows a Ma's filigree mosaic artwork. (Photo by Zhong Xia/Xinhua) Ma Sai fixes a filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran) This photo taken on March 23, 2024 shows filigree mosaic artworks displayed at the Wuqing museum in Tianjin, north China. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) Ma Sai makes a filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran) Ma Sai checks a filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran) This undated file photo shows a Ma's filigree mosaic artwork. (Photo by Zhong Xia/Xinhua) Ma Sai (L) and his girlfriend Min Fangping talk on details of making filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Tianjin, north China, March 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) This undated file photo shows a Ma's filigree mosaic artwork. (Photo by Zhong Xia/Xinhua) This undated file photo shows a Ma's filigree mosaic artwork. (Photo by Zhong Xia/Xinhua) Ma Sai puts a filigree mosaic artwork on the head of an enthusiast of Hanfu at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran) Ma Sai draws patterns for a filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran) This undated file photo shows a Ma's filigree mosaic artwork. (Photo by Zhong Xia/Xinhua) Ma Sai (L) and his girlfriend Min Fangping arrange filigree mosaic artworks before a show themed on Ma's Filigree Mosaic art at Wuqing museum in Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo) Ma Sai makes a filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo) Ma Sai (R) and his girlfriend Min Fangping carry filigree mosaic artworks before a show themed on Ma's Filigree Mosaic art at Wuqing museum in Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran) An enthusiast for Hanfu tries a head decoration of filigree mosaic at a studio in Tianjin, north China, March 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) Ma Sai makes a filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) Ma Sai (R) talks with his girlfriend Min Fangping on filigree mosaic design patterns at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran) Ma Sai (R, back) and his girlfriend Min Fangping (L, back) watch a Hanfu enthusiast posing for photos in Tianjin, north China, March 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran) Ma Sai (R) talks with a staff member at a cultural and creative products store in Wuqing Distric of Tianjin, north China, March 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Mesa County Sheriff Todd Rowell and District Attorney Dan Rubinstein are making one last attempt at stopping a new law that would give the Colorado Bureau of Investigations wider authority over enforcing the states gun laws. The two elected law enforcement officials, both Republicans, sent a letter Tuesday to Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, asking him to veto Senate Bill 3, a measure that has already cleared the Colorado Legislature and is on its way to the governors desk. Rowell and Rubinstein wrote that the bill goes too far in allowing CBI to investigate all gun-related crimes, and not just denials from the states InstaCheck criminal history background check program, which was the primary argument for the measure. Instead, the bill allows the CBI to investigate all crimes under Article 12 of the Colorado statutes, which cover offenses related to firearms and weapons. We ask that if SB24-003 is truly about investigating egregious attempts of prohibited individuals from purchasing firearms, that the Legislature limit the bill to just that, the two men wrote. As currently written, the bill provides originating jurisdiction to a state agency to investigate all firearm laws outlined in Article 12. It also does not provide the local authorities the ability to take an investigation and represent the community they serve. The bill, which was introduced and supported by Democrats, cleared the House and Senate late last month despite some Democrats joining Republicans in voting against it. None of those opposing Democrats are from the Western Slope. The bills sponsors said the measure is necessary because some violations to the states gun laws are not being investigated evenly across the state. Current gaps in authority and resources make it difficult for law enforcement officials to enforce our laws to the fullest extent, said Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood, who introduced the bill with House Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge, and Sen. Tom Sullivan, D-Denver. With this legislation, CBI will have the authority and the resources to work with local law enforcement agencies have the resources they need to investigate illegal firearm activity, she added. The bill allocates an additional $1.7 million appropriation to the CBI to hire 11 more workers, including seven field agents, and additional forensic and administrative staff members. The bill requires the CBI to communicate with local law enforcement and district attorneys about specific cases it investigates in their jurisdictions, but bars the state agency from investigating other criminal activities it encounters during those investigations without the express consent from those local law enforcement agencies. Sullivan said the measures main purpose is to have CBI focus on convicted felons who attempt to purchase a weapon, and other illegal firearms crimes, such as possession of a ghost gun. Though our background check system, InstaCheck, is working as intended, follow-up investigations are rarely conducted at the local or federal level due to resource limitations, he said. By giving CBI statutory authority, they will be able to more effectively investigate illegal firearms transfers and components, violations, ghost guns and information obtained through tip lines, such as suspected straw purchases. Rowell and Rubinstein, however, wrote that if InstaCheck denials are the focus of the bill, theres nothing stopping CBI now from improving that system, and how those denials are reported to local law enforcement agencies. The current process only gives a short explanation of the denial and does not provide the needed details to determine which denials need to be investigated, they wrote. The CBI has not reached out to local law enforcement to improve this process, the two added. We are in support of a law that allows the CBI to screen these denials and pass the egregious attempts to local authorities. We have supported an amendment that would limit the CBIs original jurisdiction to crimes associated with the InstaCheck process. These amendments were not approved during the legislative process. Rowell and Rubinstein arent alone in calling on Polis to veto the bill. The Colorado State Shooting Association also is urging its members to politely ask him to reject it. This bill would allocate millions of dollars to the CBI to create a gun police task force to enforce unconstitutional gun control policies like the mandatory 3-day waiting period, the group wrote in an email to its members. Russia vows retaliation after UK's expulsion of defense attachA Iran Press TV Wednesday, 08 May 2024 4:12 PM Moscow has vowed to give an "appropriate response" to Britain's expelling Russia's defense attachA. On Wednesday, Home Secretary James Cleverly told Parliament that London would declare Russia's defense attachA persona non grata over alleged espionage, calling the Russian official "an undeclared military intelligence officer." He also said the British government would remove diplomatic status from some Russian properties in the UK that London believed have been used to purported gather intelligence. Cleverly said London would also impose limit the length of visas granted to Russian diplomats, saying all measure would be adopted in response to Moscow's alleged "malign activity." Later in the day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow would certainly retaliate against London's decision in expelling Russian attachA through an "appropriate response." In April, a British man was charged, among others, over allegedly recruiting others for an arson attack on a Ukrainian-linked commercial property in London, which claims that the citizen's hostile state activity intended to benefit Russia. Zakharova said British allegations of Moscow's involvement in the arson attack were "absurd" and part of an information war. Zakharova also said Russia has the right to strike British facilities in Ukraine and outside that country if London threats that Kiev may carry out attacks with British weapons on Russian territory materialize. "If such a scenario is implemented, our country, Russia, reserves the right to respond accordingly, that is, to regard as targets British facilities located both in Ukraine and outside its borders: military facilities, weapons, and so on." Zakharova was referring to remarks by UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron that London considered it legitimate for Ukraine to use British weapons for strikes on Russian territory. She slammed his comments as "something absolutely insane." "This statement is not only illegitimate but also illogical, because Britain itself stated literally the opposite not so long ago," Zakharova said. Since Russia waged its "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022, the UK has imposed several waves of sanctions on Russian companies and individuals saying London would not falter in its support of Kiev. Russia sees the flooding of Ukraine with weapons from the West, including the UK, since the onset of the ongoing conflict as a futile effort to change the outcome of the war. Moscow says supplying Kiev with more weapons will only add to the death and destruction and prolong the war. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK to expel undeclared Russian spy in response to growing threat The move is part of a major package of measures to tighten defences against alleged malign activity by Russia across the UK and Europe. 8 May 2024 A major package of measures to target and dismantle Russian intelligence gathering operations in the UK will be rolled out today, the Home Secretary has announced. Today, the UK government will: expel the Russian defence attachA, an undeclared military intelligence officer remove diplomatic premises status from several Russian properties in the UK, including Seacox Heath - a Russia-owned property in Sussex - and the Trade and Defence Section in Highgate, which are believed to have been used for intelligence purposes impose new restrictions on Russian diplomatic visas, including capping the length of time Russian diplomats can spend in the UK The UK has today summoned the Russian Ambassador to replay these measures and to reiterate that Russia's actions will not be tolerated. These actions, the latest in a string of robust measures taken against Russia to protect the UK, follow a pattern of malign activity carried out both here and abroad in the past year, which is believed to be linked to Russia. That includes 5 Bulgarian nationals charged with conspiring to commit espionage activities in the UK on behalf of Russia. A sixth individual was later charged and legal proceedings for all are ongoing. Last month, a further 5 individuals were the first to be charged in connection with an investigation into alleged offences under the National Security Act. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed at the time it related to alleged 'hostile activity in the UK in order to benefit a foreign state - namely Russia". The UK and its allies have also attributed a number of malign cyber activity incidents in the UK to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in recent years, such as targeting UK parliamentarians through spear-phishing campaigns, hacking and leaking UK-US trade documents and interference against a UK think tank working on defending democracy against disinformation. In Europe, the Russian government has allegedly planned sabotage activities against military aid for Ukraine in Germany and Poland and carried out alleged espionage activity in Bulgaria and Italy; cyber and disinformation activities; air space violations; and GPS jamming with impact on civil aviation. Home Secretary James Cleverly said: These activities bear all the hallmarks of a deliberate campaign by Russia. We are taking action to send a strong deterrence message to Russia and to further reduce the ability of the Russian Intelligence Services to threaten the UK. We will stand firm in the face of the Russian threat to the UK and our way of life. Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said: Since the illegal invasion of Ukraine, Russia's attempts to undermine UK and European security have become increasingly brazen. These measures are an unequivocal message to the Russian state - their actions will not go unanswered. Alongside our friends and partners we will continue to stand with Ukraine and hold Russia accountable for its malign activity. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: In addition to the major uplift in our support for Ukraine to A3 billion this year, we are taking robust action to prevent Russia's malign activity from threatening the UK. Together with our allies, we continue to send a powerful message to Putin that we will not tolerate his disruptive efforts and are not cowed by his threats - we will continue to stand up for freedom and democracy for as long as it takes. Following Russia's state-backed attack in Salisbury in 2018, the UK and its allies took unprecedented measures to make Europe a harder operating environment for the Russian intelligence services, including expelling 23 undeclared Russian intelligence officers from the UK. Security is a top priority for this government and the National Security Act 2023 has delivered a range of measures to strengthen the UK's efforts to detect, deter and disrupt state threats, including by enhancing police powers to investigate state threats activity to protect our people. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address USCENTCOM Commander Visits Egypt U.S. Central Command Press Release | May 7, 2024 USCENTCOM May 07, 2024s Release Number 20240507-02 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TAMPA, Fla. -- Between May 6 and 7, 2024, Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, Commander of United States Central Command, visited Egypt to gain a deeper understanding of the perspectives of Egyptian military leaders on regional security and the status of humanitarian aid. While in Cairo, Gen. Kurilla held meetings with Gen. Mohamed Zaki, the Minister of Defense and Military Production, and Lt. Gen. Osama Askar, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. The leaders focused their discussions on regional security concerns in Gaza and the Red Sea, alleviating humanitarian suffering in Gaza, and the need to reestablish stability following the current regional conflicts. "Egypt plays a critical role in regional security and has been instrumental in enabling humanitarian assistance for the people of Gaza," said Gen. Kurilla. "Meetings like today's are crucial to building a deeper understanding of the regional challenges and maintaining the relationships necessary to improve security." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address May 7, 2024 Transcript Sabrina Singh, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary, Holds a Press Briefing DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY SABRINA SINGH: Hey, good morning, everyone. Try that again. Good afternoon, everyone. Just a few things at the top, and then happy to jump in and take your question. So earlier today, Secretary Austin spoke with Ukraine's Minister of Defense Umarov regarding Ukraine's most pressing security assistance needs. The Secretary and the Minister discussed the ongoing U.S. security assistance efforts following the passage of the National Security Supplemental, including the recent $1 billion presidential drawdown package and $6 billion in Ukraine security assistance initiative announcements. Minister Umerov provided an update of dynamics on the battlefield, as well as the impact of Russia's continued aerial attacks across Ukraine. Additionally, Secretary Austin also met today with His Majesty King Abdullah II today to discuss regional areas of mutual concern and opportunities for cooperation. A readout of their meeting will be available on defense.gov later today. Now, I'd like to provide an update on our efforts with USAID to surge humanitarian assistance into Gaza through the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore capability, or also known as JLOTS. As of today, the U.S. military has completed the offshore construction of the Trident Pier section, or the causeway, which is the component that will eventually be anchored to the Gaza Shore. And as I mentioned last week, construction of the floating pier section has also been completed. So as of today, the construction of the two portions of the JLOTS, the floating pier and the Trident pier, are complete and awaiting final movement offshore. As you know, late last week, CENTCOM temporarily paused moving the floating pier and Trident Pier toward the vicinity of Gaza due to sea state considerations. Today, there are still forecasted high winds and high sea swells which are causing unsafe conditions for the JLOTS components to be moved, so the pier sections and military vessels involved in its construction are still positioned at the Port of Ashdod. However, as CENTCOM stands by to move the pier into position in the near future, and again, in partnership with USAID, we're loading humanitarian aid onto the MV Sagamore, which is currently in Cyprus. The Sagamore is a cargo vessel that will use the JLOTS system and will make trips between Cyprus and the offshore floating pier as USAID and other partners collect aid from around the world. And as we've previously briefed, aid delivered to the floating pier will then be transloaded onto U.S. military logistics support vessels and subsequently transported to the Trident Pier, or the causeway, where it will be loaded onto trucks for onward delivery and distribution by humanitarian assistance NGOs. Switching gears, I'd like to highlight the start of a new Exercise Astral Night, a U.S. European Command integrated air and missile defense capstone exercise, which is part of the Defense Department's large-scale Global Exercise 2024 Program. This two-week exercise, now in its sixth year, will feature live, flying and simulated combat scenarios focused in Poland and the Baltic states. Nearly 5,000 military members and more than 50 aircraft from six NATO nations, which include Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States, will participate side-by-side, strengthening our ability to operate as one cohesive force. Astral Knight underscores the importance of integrated air and missile defense in protecting allied military forces and critical assets from aerial threats, such as missiles or drones, and demonstrates our unwavering commitment to the security and readiness of our allies in Europe. And with that, I'd be happy to take your questions. I'll start off with Lita. Q: Thank you, Sabrina. Two things. One, can you give us an update on the soldier who's being held in Russia? Do you have a sense - apparently there's, like, a July 2nd trial or some sort of date. Do you have some sort of sense of what's happening there? If you could just fill in the blanks? And do you know is it a violation of a regulation of some sort? Does he face disciplinary action because he did not seek or receive authorization for the international travel if that's clear? And then I have a quick follow-up. MS. SINGH: OK. I'll start with this and then happy to take your additional questions. So for more information, I would refer you to the Army, but what I can tell you from here is that Staff Sergeant Gordon C. Black enlisted in the U.S. Army as an infantryman was was enlisted as an infantryman in 2008. He was most recently assigned to Eighth Army, U.S. Forces Korea, at Camp Humphreys in the Republic of South Korea. On April 10th, Black out-processed from Eighth Army and signed out on permanent change of station to leave en route to Texas. However, instead of returning to the U.S., Black flew from Korea through China and then to Vladivostok, Russia for personal reasons. As of right now, Black is currently in a pre-trial detention facility. It's my understanding he will remain there until his next hearing. And I'm not sure on that date. I'd refer you to State Department on that. The Army has opened an administrative investigation to determine the facts and the circumstances surrounding his travel, but to your question on, you know, will there be consequences for his actions, that's something that the Army's going to look into through their investigation. But official or any leave to Russia is strictly prohibited, and that's pursuant to the DOD foreign clearance guide, which of course is also informed by the State Department guidelines, which right now I believe it's Category 4, which is do not travel to Russia. So that's the sort of overview of where things stand right now. Q: And then just very quickly on the - on the pier ... MS. SINGH: Sure. Q: ... will the Sagamore wait in Cyprus until the pier is actually attached to this shoreline? And at - at a certain point, do you have sort of an - even an ETA on when the sea states might be calm enough to do it? Is the aid process ready so that once the sea state calms down, that can start? MS. SINGH: So I believe they will the Sagamore transiting to - to, you know, the floating pier will happen in conjunction when it's - when everything is sort of ready to fit into place. I don't think one would happen without the other. So aid is continuing to get loaded on. Once the commander feels that, you know, the Sagamore is ready to leave and that the sea states have calmed, we will position the JLOTS into place. I don't have an exact date for you cause it is of course weather and environment depending, but we're hoping for later this week, but that does depend of course on the environmental conditions and if - and security conditions as well, but right now, we're focused on the environmental conditions surrounding the anchoring of that pier. Lara? Q: Thanks, Sabrina. I have one follow-up and then a different question. MS. SINGH: Sure. Q: On the Sagamore, how much aid can that ship hold, in terms of truckloads? And is this the only ship that's taking advantage of the pier? I guess I'm wondering that - kind of - the throughput of aid and how that's going to work, how many trucks a day. MS. SINGH: You know, I don't have an exact estimate on how much - how many, like, pallets it can load. I'm happy to get back to you on that one. I think it will vary just on how much, you know, different things that are packed onto it. And then I'm sorry, in terms if - it - will this be the only one going back and forth from the floating pier? Q: What I am trying to get at is a senior defense official told us I think last week that it's - that it's going to - the JLOTS is going to be able to - to provide 150 trucks a day at full operational capability, but that just seems low to me considering that it's a maritime route. It seems like a ship would hold more than that. So I'm wondering ... MS. SINGH: Well, I mean, you have to remember this is a temporary pier, this is not the best way to get humanitarian aid into Gaza. The best way are through those land routes, and we do want to see those opened up, we do want to see aid continue to flow in through those land crossings. This is just one. It's meant to help augment, to help compliment other ways that aid can get in, not just through land routes but of course we're also doing those airdrops that you continue to see us do on a regular basis. I mean, 150 trucks is at its - you know, when it's fully operational. I think you're - what you're going to see at the very beginning is a crawl, walk, run scenario, is we're going to start with, you know, an additional small amount of aid trucks to flow in to make sure that the system works, that the distribution works, and then you'll see that increase of course when we get to full operational capacity. But that's something that the commander is continuing to work through. For more aid - like, for more aid questions on the Sagamore and what it's help - holding, I would refer you to USAID. Q: And then just on a separate topic, is the U.S. considering the use of private military companies to help distribute aid in Gaza? MS. SINGH: I'm not aware of that but that's something that - USAID would be able to speak more to the distribution of aid once it gets into Gaza. So I'd refer you to them. I also realize that you asked about the Sagamore being the only ship going back and forth. Just as a reminder, commercial ships can also go up to that floating pier. It's the military ships, the LCUs and LSVs that take the aid from the floating pier to the causeway. That is only military. But commercial ships can go up once they're - other ships can once they are - once aid is loaded in Cyprus, inspected, it goes to the floating pier. Tom? Q: The U.S. has asked for a humanitarian plan for any Rafah operation. Have you guys received anything from the Israelis about how they're going to handle humanitarian effort, especially if Rafah gate closes? MS. SINGH: Well, we've had conversations with the Israelis. There was a - a - a delegation here a few weeks ago that, you know, gave a general, broad overview of their plans. We are not supportive of a large ground incursion into Rafah. We are very concerned that - that, you know, there are over one million people sheltering there. We want to make sure that civilian casualties are limited, that there is no harm done. So we have made those concerns voiced both - both publicly and privately. Q: Can you give us a sense of what they said to you about their humanitarian plan? MS. SINGH: I'm, as you can appreciate, just not going to get into closed door discussions, but as you know and as we regularly read out, the Secretary has regular calls with Minister Gallant, and other folks from this building with their counterparts as well, so we're certainly in touch with the Israelis. But we certainly do not support and have expressed our views on a major ground operation within Rafah. Q: So are you satisfied with what you're hearing about their humanitarian plan? MS. SINGH: I mean, again, I'm not going to get into private conversations. We want to see a - we want to see a concrete plan that will take into account the over one million people that are there right now. We don't support a large ground operation into Rafah. Q: Ms. Singh, I think Pat mentioned the security situation as one of the factors that could impact the timing (multiple speakers) Gaza. Has have the Israel strikes and sort of limited operation in Rafah changed your view of the security situation? Are you now more concerned about it, given what happened yesterday in Rafah? MS. SINGH: We're certainly taking into account the security consideration but still nothing has changed. We're still moving forward with the implementation of JLOTS. We do need these sea state conditions to steady. And until they do we're just not able to move that into that into the into it's location at this time. But of course the security situation is something that we're going to monitor and if that does impact anything when it comes to the JLOTS mission we would we would let you know. Q: I realize your policy you don't send any weapons to Israel has not changed, saying some shipments have been paused. What are the what message are you trying to send to Israel with those pause in shipments? MS. SINGH: So I don't have a I've seen those reports. I don't have a comment and I certainly wouldn't comment on specific cases or shipments. What I can reiterate is that our commitment to Israel security remains iron clad. You've seen that since October 7th. You've seen a surge security assistance to Israel. You've seen us come to the defense of Israel as recently as a few weeks ago when Iran launched attacks towards Israel. We also were able to pass an emergency supplemental that surged additional security assistance to Israel. So while I'm not going to comment any further I can tell you that our commitments to Israel security remains the same. Q: Thank you, Sabrina. Were you given any heads up from your Israeli counterparts about this latest operation into Rafah? What is your understanding? You said we will not support the major operation. Is this part for major operation or limited? What is the information available to you? MS. SINGH: Our understanding is that this was a very limited operation designed to cut off Hamas' ability to smuggle more weapons and funding into Gaza. That is our understanding right now. This just happened, I think, very early morning hours here. So we're monitoring the situation, we're in touch with our Israeli counterparts. We're going to see how this unfolds but I just don't have more for you to offer on like what this operation is other than that. Q: Can you according to UNRWA, this operation and and prior Israeli steps basically cut off all humanitarian aid into Gaza. All crossings are shutdown. MS. SINGH: Yeah. Q: OK, according to the UNRWA, this operation and prior Israeli steps basically cut off all humanitarian aid into Gaza. All crossings are shut down. Sadly, this one area, Rafah, obviously. You've been insisting, and the Secretary, in every read out that there should be an urgent increase in humanitarian aid. Is this operation and the closing of the Rafah crossing, meet your objectives in terms of your humanitarian situation in Gaza? MS. SINGH: Well, we don't support the closing of these land routes. We want to see humanitarian aid to continue to get in. And so I think that was something that the president spoke to in his call with Prime Minister Netanyahu is that we do want to see these crossings open. Kerem Shalom has been closed for, I think, a bit now. So we do want to see more aid be able to get through these crossing. That is a commitment that the Israeli government has made that they will. Again, we are we are continuing to monitor the situation on the ground. To Lara's question earlier, we know land routes are the best, most effective, efficient way to get humanitarian aid in and we know that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire. And so people need the medical supplies, the food, the water. That is something that we want to see continue to get in and we have been told that these crossings will open back up. In the meantime, you know, we've also continued to conduct humanitarian airdrops within Gaza. And should we get to the time and point where we're able to position this temporary pier off the coast of Gaza that will also help with humanitarian aid getting in. Warren. Q: A question on Rafah to follow up on Fadi's question. And then a question on the soldier in Russia. MS. SINGH: OK. Q: In the discussions about what you call the general broad overview of Israel's Rafah plans, was there discussion about this limited operation or was there no discussion about this previously with you between America and Israel? MS. SINGH: So we don't have more to share in terms of the conversation between Minister Gallant and Secretary Austin. But as you can appreciate, they talk pretty regularly. Their conversations are already are very direct, very frank with each other. But I'm just not going to go into more details on that. Q: Is this how soon Rafah could function again as one of the most important crossings? MS. SINGH: That would be something for the Israeli government to speak to. I can't speak to that. Q: And then a follow up question on Staff Sergeant Gordon Black. Is there any suspicion or concern that in his relationship with his Russian girlfriend or while in Russia he compromised sensitive information? And is that part of the ongoing investigation? MS. SINGH: I'd refer you to Army for more information on that. As I mentioned, there is an administrative investigation underway to determine the facts, to determine what exactly happened here, the surrounding his travel. But I just don't have more thing on that. Yes, Joe. Q: Thanks. The Biden administration is required to notify Congress by tomorrow if Israel violated the national law without humanitarian aid since October. Is it the department what's the department's assessment in terms of either one of those? Have they violated or had they without humanitarian aid? MS. SINGH: So I believe you're referring to the NSM? And that's something that I would have to refer you to State to speak to. Q: And has the Pentagon assessed that Israel has violated the international law or withheld humanitarian? MS. SINGH: I don't have anything to add on to this one. This is something that the State Department is putting together. It's a report to Congress that is, you know, due every however many increments. But I just don't have more at this time to offer on the NSM in particular. Q: That being said, human rights watch came out with a report and said, there was a March 27th attack on emergency and relief workers. And several of them in Southern Lebanon by Israel. And they say that a U.S. made JDAM was used, as well as a 500-pound Israeli bomb. It killed, like I said, at least several individuals who were civilians. And there's been no evidence of a military target at the site. Are you guys aware of this, how close I mean, we've seen you've said before that there are no conditions on U.S. military weapons provided or weapons provided to Israel. Are you guys tracking these kinds of things at all? And are you aware of this attack? MS. SINGH: So I'm not going to get into specific incidents. And I can't confirm those reports that you're citing U.S. weapons being used. What I can tell you is that we have been very clear that we want to see Israel comply with humanitarian laws and the laws of armed conflict. This is something that it's an interagency process that between the State Department, other agencies, we are reviewing. Our findings will also go into the NSM. For more on that. I'm just not going to get ahead of that process as you can appreciate. I'd refer you to the State Department. Q: Just one last one. MS. SINGH: Sure. Q: The IKE has returned to the Red Sea. We saw a statement a couple I guess a couple weeks ago now that it had gone into the Sixth Fleet, into Europe. Can you say anything about and then, you know, on April 23rd, CENTCOM released the or put out a tweet and said there were F-16s deployed to AOR but didn't specify where. Can you say anything about can you give us any updates on this, I guess, mission to counter and deter the Houthis. Is the IKE has it been deployed has the deployment extended? MS. SINGH: So I don't have anything for you on any changes to our force posture with the Ike or anything additional. You have the positioning of our assets there for the exact reason to help with deterrence and our efforts when it comes to Operation Prosperity Guardian, which is to ensure that commercial shipping through the Red Sea, the BAM, the Gulf of Aden, can continue freely without the harassment of Houthi attacks. You've seen CENTCOM put out, you know, regular updates on when there are engagements. But I don't have anything more to read out at this time on the IKE. Liz. Q: Last week, Secretary Austin told lawmakers, he was concerned over a "lack of execution" in terms of Israel's plans to evacuate civilians from Gaza. Is that still the case? Is he still concerned about the lack of execution? MS. SINGH: I think we are concerned about any type of ground operation, large ground operation within Rafah that does not take into account that very large civilian population. So yes, the Secretary's words still absolutely stand until today . Q: Follow up from Joseph's question. So was the USS IKE brought back into the Red Sea to counter the Houthis because there were increased attacks in the eastern event? MS. SINGH: Again, I don't have the list of attacks that happened when she was not in the Red Sea. But, you know, we have other partner nations that are part of Operation Prosperity Guardian and others that are not, that were engaging when the Houthis did fire attacks unlawfully at commercial vessels. I think I read out, you know, when she I said that she would be back soon. She has returned. But I just don't have more for you on anything additional or any extension. I'm just going to go to the phones before I forget and then come back into the room here. Jared Szuba, Al-Monitor. Q: Hi, Sabrina. Thanks for doing this. I understand that the Israeli officials told White House counterparts that last night's Rafah Operation Rahaf was limited. But what preparations are you seeing the Israeli military make? Does it look like they're setting up for broader ground clearing, major ground operations, or does it look like they're preparing for something more precise, and targeted, and surgical? Thanks. MS. SINGH: Thanks, Jared, for the question. So in terms of what they're doing, their actual planning when it comes to any operation, I would refer you to the IDF to speak to that. What I can tell you. And I'm not trying to sound like a broken record here, what I can tell you is publicly and privately, we've been very clear that we do not support a large ground incursion into Rafah, given the incredibly large civilian population that is currently sheltered there. And so, you know, I just have to reiterate that point again. All right. Next question. J.J. Green WTOP. Q: Hey. Sabrina, thank you. Two quick questions about the Staff Sergeant Black. First one, can you address the significance of an active duty service member? Being in Russian custody, given Russia's efforts to, I guess, essentially seek out and find and capture Americans and to use them for political purposes or geopolitical purposes. Can you address the significance first of an active duty U.S. service member being in Russian custody? Thanks, J.J. So before I start going down this line, I would just remind you that the Army is looking into this. They have an administrative investigation underway to determine the facts and circumstances around this travel. You have to remember that, yes, this is an active duty service member, but he was on leave at the time. And so, you know, all we know is that he went to Russia for personal reasons. I don't have more to share as that is that the Army is continuing to look into this incident. And for further questions on his condition or next steps, I'd refer you to the State Department for more on that. And I'm sorry, did you have a follow-up? Q: You know, actually, I'll skip that, but thank you for answering that question. MS. SINGH: Of course. All right, I'll come back in the room. Yes, right over here? Q: Thank you, Sabrina. The ceasefire - sorry - the ceasefire proposal that Hamas has said - said they will accept, is this same offer that's been on the table for a long time? And have you reviewed it with your partners? MS. SINGH: So I would refer you to the State Department. And as you are probably aware, Bill Burns is in the region and sort of leading these negotiations. So I - I don't want to speak from here about the ceasefire or hostage negotiations that are taking place, other than that they are underway and, you know, we have a representative at the table as well working to see - to ensure that some - that a ceasefire could be put into place. If a sea side - if - if a ceasefire were to be put into place, that obviously would increase chances of more humanitarian aid to get in to Gaza and of course release more hostages, which is obviously something we want to see. Q: On Russia - Vladimir Putin order his forces to rehearse for a non-strategic nuclear weapon. How do you look at it? And have you seen any change in Russia's posture on nuclear terms. MS. SINGH: How do we look at what Russia announced? We look at that as completely irresponsible. We have not seen any reason to adjust our own nuclear posture. We haven't seen any indications that Russia plans to use a nuclear weapon. But it's deeply irresponsible and we're going to continue to monitor what's happening in the region. Yeah? Q: Sabrina, you've been saying for months now, this administration, that you're against a major military operation of Rafah. MS. SINGH: Yeah. Q: ... and they told around 100,000 people to evacuate in eastern Rafah, and that sounds like a lot of people. So what's the definition of a major military operation? What makes a limited military operation? What's a major military operation? Is there an acceptable number of civilians that can be put at greater risk for the Pentagon? Like, how - how do we know what's major? MS. SINGH: Sure. Look, I'm, as you can appreciate, not going to get into more specifics on, like, their operations and some of the things that they brief us on. A major military operation would put at risk civilian lives. Anything that puts at risk civilian lives within Rafah is something that we do - are not supportive of. We do not want to see a population with over one million people who were, you know, directed there when other operations were going on in the north and the west, were forced into Rafah - we don't want to see the civilian population put at risk, knowing that also there is tremendous hurdles of also getting humanitarian aid in, medical supplies in. And so any type of a military operation must take into account that large concentration of civilians, and right now, we haven't seen a - we - we need to see a credible plan that would protect those civilians. And so we're continuing to urge and - and speak to our Israeli counterparts about that plan, and I'll just leave it at that. Q: You know, over 100,000 people were told to leave the area. That sounds like an alarming development because they can be put at greater risk. So this line that's drawn in the sand, how do you make sure that Israel doesn't cross that? MS. SINGH: Yeah, again, I'm not putting a specific number on it, on, like, how many people or - need to leave or how many, you know - what a large-scale operation looks like cause I'm not going to detail their own plans and what they share with us. That's something for them to speak to. What I can tell you is we have a large population of civilians that are sheltered in Rafah. They need to be protected if there is any type of operation or any type of major ground incursion into Rafah. And we want to see those civilians protected. And to move over one million people, that's going to take a lot of time. So we're - we're continuing to work with our Israeli counterparts, and I'll just leave it at that. Yeah, in the back? Carla? Q: Thanks. I - VOA was told by a U.S. military official that - in Niger that some of the diplomatic clearances for flights have been denied. That's forced extended deployments. The day-to-day life sustainment is continuing very - via commercial contact - contract transportation. These raise a lot of questions. And what's going on with the U.S. forces in Niger right now? Are they allowed to leave? Are they getting the medical supplies and equipment and ammunition, et cetera, everything that they need? And why is - what reason is Niger giving the Pentagon for why they're denying some of the diplomatic clearances? MS. SINGH: I'd direct you to the CNSP to speak to why they're denying some of the diplomatic clearances. We are working with the CNSP on what our orderly withdrawal looks like. As of right now, our forces in Niger still continue to have access to necessary food, water, medical supplies that they need, but this is of course something that we are working towards on what that orderly withdrawal looks like. There have been some cases where some of our service members have - have left Niger for unforeseen circumstances. Right now, as a - I think we briefed a few weeks ago, we will have another delegation led by someone from the Department of Defense that will go to Niamey to continue these conversations about the orderly withdrawal. That visit hasn't happened yet. So until that does and until parameters are put around for these negotiations on what the orderly withdrawal looks like, we're still in a bit of this holding pattern until we can have those conversations. Great. Q: Real quickly if I may on Russia? There have been requests for the Pentagon to kind of detail how Russia is able to use Starlink cause Starlink is also contracted with DOD. Do you have any details to provide on how Russia is able to use that on the battlefield, and what the Pentagon and others are doing to try to prevent that from happening? MS. SINGH: I don't have anything specific on Russia using Starlink. As you know, our - our contract with Starlink is for the Ukrainians to use, but I don't have anything more specific on Russia using Starlink. Anri. Q: Yeah, thanks so much. My question is about the South China Sea. Recently, we have seen the Chinese dangerous options towards Philippines vessels, but recently, Chinese government argued that there was a temporary special agreement with the former Philippine President Duterte in 2016 and - about the restricted access by Philippine vessels, and China accused the Philippines side of the recent tensions. So can I ask for your comment on this Chinese claim? MS. SINGH: Are you talking about, like, the firing of water cannons, things like that towards Philippine vessels? Q: Yes, and China claims that there was a hidden agreement with the Philippines side. MS. SINGH: I'm not exactly clear, maybe not understanding about an agreement that you're referring to, but of course we continue to monitor what's happening in the South China Sea, we continue to be alarmed when these incidents happen, whether it be with Philippine vessels or other vessels. We want to be able to see the - you know, the - the freedom of navigation to be upheld. So of course we're going to continue to monitor what's happening there with our partners and allies. Yeah? Q: Thank you. My question is about another country in Africa, Chad. Could you give me the update on the situation in Chad? Has the withdrawal of the - has the withdrawal of - withdrawal been completed or are there any U.S. personnel remaining in the country? MS. SINGH: Thanks for the question. So I actually don't have much of an update other than what we provided last week, which is that there were some military personnel that did leave the country. Some of which were already scheduled to rotate out. We do still have military personnel in the country at the embassy, but I don't have more of an update for you on that other than that's basically where we were last week. Q: So the situation hasn't been changed because there was a presidential election yesterday. Yeah. MS. SINGH: today? Yeah. We're continuing our conversations with the government, but I just don't have more to share at this time. I'll come back in a sec. Let me just go. I have two more on the phones and then happy to come back in the room. Heather, USNI. Q: Thanks so much. So the Houthis have said that they're going to stop all ships that enter their operation or zone of operation in the Red Sea. So I have and as well as target ships that they can reach with any of their weapons, including in the Med. So I have two questions. The first is if there's been any talk of updating the presence in the Red Sea in order to combat this latest threat. And then the second one, is there any concerns about or I guess, how is the U.S. prepared to protect ships that are going to be bringing in aid in the Med to the temporary appear from any potential Houthi attacks, considering that the Houthis might not recognize those as age ships versus commercial ships going towards Israel? MS. SINGH: Hey, thanks, Heather, for the question. I will be candid. I missed a bit of the first part. But in terms of age ships getting into to the Eastern Med, and you're talking about aid being transported from the floating pier to the causeway. As we have said before, we have assurances from the IDF that they would be providing security around that transport, so whether it's any attacks from any group, the IDF, of course, will be providing that security. In terms of and apologies, I did miss a little bit of the first part of your question. In terms of any posture changes in the Red Sea, no posture changes. Again, Operation Prosperity Guardian is something that continues to work every single day in a coalition to ensure the freedom of navigation through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. I don't have any posture changes to announce today from the podium. OK. And the last question from the phone. I'm happy to come back in the room. Jeff Schogol, Task & Purpose. Q: Thank you. I understand the Army has launched an administrative investigation into Staff Sergeant Black. I'm just curious, does DOD have any indications that he may have been lured to Russia as part of an effort by Russian intelligence to detain him? MS. SINGH: Jeff, appreciate the question. This is something that the Army is looking into, which is why they've been they've launched an investigation to determine the facts and the circumstances of his travel. And I just don't have anything more to add at this time. Happy to come back in the room. OK. We'll do two more. Three more. Q: Some media is showing pictures that General Kurilla is in Egypt. MS. SINGH: Yeah. Q: Can you tell us what he's doing there? And if he has any other schedule events? MS. SINGH: I'd refer you to CENTCOM for more details. I don't have more on his travel. He does, you know, regularly travel to the region. I think he was there, if not last week, the week before. But I don't know his other schedule stops. But CENTCOM would be able to provide that information. Q: We know any part of Director Burns travel to the Egypt today? MS. SINGH: Not to my awareness. No. Fadi and then Erin. Q: Sabrina, my question about this Israeli invasion of Rafah, you said it's your understanding, this is a limited operation it aims to or at cutting off Hamas' capabilities or ability to smuggle weapons and money. However, the process of bringing humanitarian aid through Rafah is controlled by both Egypt and Israel. And Israelis do screen shipments before they get into Rafah. Were you presented by any information from Israel that proves that still Hamas has the ability to smuggle weapons and money to Rafah? MS. SINGH: So Fadi, as yeah. Q: And I just want to note that international organizations, including the U.N., and humanitarian, and NGOs have been complaining about Israel measures that are delaying the entry of humanitarian aid to Rafah through their screening and other steps. MS. SINGH: Well, I think we've also been very public in our MS. SINGH: Well, just Q: Why the operation MS. SINGH: Let me just Q: to control them? MS. SINGH: Let me just finish. So we've been very public and called from this podium from other podiums across, you know, the interagency that we want to see more humanitarian aid get into Gaza. It was directed by the President that we setup a maritime corridor to surge aid in because not enough is getting in. So we also are concerned with how much aid is getting in to Gaza. And that's also why you've seen CENTCOM take the measures that they have to do these airdrops. So I just I appreciate the question, but I think also you have to remember that this government has been calling for it repeatedly. We want to see more. To your question on Hamas and being able to smuggle weapons, unfortunately, I just can't speak to the intelligence on that. But what I can tell you is that we're continuing to monitor the situation on the ground. We've been very clear about any type of large scale incursion into Rafah. And we know, we know how large that population is down there. And we know how dire the humanitarian situation is. So we do not want to see a large scale ground incursion into Rafah. Again, we're continuing to monitor what's happening on the ground. It's just happened earlier, you know, early hours this morning. So I just don't have more to share this time. Sure. Q: So I understand. And your point of this is well-taken. I'm not talking about the U.S. government effort to bring in more aid or complaining about. MS. SINGH: Sure. Q: But this shows the contradiction, which is to say Israel is in control of what loads or does not flow into Gaza without controlling Rafah where they actually had that incursion or invasion. So are you taking what the Israelis are providing you at face value in terms of the aim of this operation is to cut off, the ability to smuggle weapons and money? Or are you going to actually look into those allegations? We believe what they are saying that this was a limited operation, that it was to cut off the movement, the traffic of weapons into Gaza through the Rafah crossing. But again, it's something that we're going to continue to monitor. This just happened earlier, you know, a few hours ago, so let us continue to monitor what's happening on the ground. Erin, last question. Q: Yes. With Israel, you keep using the word ironclad. But now, how is it such an ironclad relationship when we have we're expected to delay the shipments of munitions there? So what makes it so ironclad now that we're delaying shipments? MS. SINGH: Well, what makes it ironclad, Erin, is since October 7th, you've seen this government surge humanitarian security assistance and humanitarian support to Israel. So let me just finish. So you've seen us continue to support Israel. I don't need to remind you of the attack that happened a few weeks ago on Israel from Iran where the U.S. partnered with Israel and other coalition forces to defeat that attack. Again, I don't have a comment on specific cases or shipments. But what I can tell you is through our actions and through what you've seen since October 7th, that's what we mean when our commitment to Israel and other coalition forces to defeat that attack. Again, I don't have a comment on specific cases or shipments. But what I can tell you is through our actions and through what you've seen since October 7th, that's what we mean when our commitment to Israel is ironclad because we continue to stand by our partner and ally in their fight against a terrorist organization who continues to use civilians as human shields. But we also have hard conversations with our friends. And that's what you continue to see the Secretary do at his level and others across this across the interagency do as well. Q: So yesterday morning with General Ryder, he stated that we had not seen a detailed plan about Rafah. Had we seen any plan prior to them entering Rafah? MS. SINGH: Well, as I mentioned in a few weeks ago, there was a delegation that was here that, you know, briefed us broadly on their plans for Rafah. We have continued to engage the Israelis. And I think there was a readout at that time from the White House and some of those meetings. We're continuing to engage our Israeli counterparts. I just don't have more to share on their plans. Q: Not a delegation, but yesterday before they entered, did we know that they were going to go had they talked to Secretary Austin prior to entering a couple hours before? MS. SINGH: Yeah, I think I answered that. I think Oren asked that question. Look, I'm just not going to get into private more details on the private conversations between Secretary Austin and Minister Gallant. Those conversations do happen often. They're frank. They're very direct. And I'll just leave it at that. Q: They're listening to Secretary Austin? MS. SINGH: I do. I do actually think that. And the reason why is because since the beginning, we have seen the Israelis, the IDF make decisions that have been influenced and impacted by conversations with the secretary and other people across this department and the agent the interagency. So yes, we do feel like they are listening. OK. Thanks everyone. https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3768223/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address May 7, 2024 Release Department of Defense Awards $2.8 Million for Collaborative University Social Science Research Under the Minerva Research Initiative The Department of Defense today announced the selection of seven DoD-university faculty teams to pursue fundamental social science research through the FY 2023 Defense Education and Civilian University Research (DECUR) Partnership, a program under the department's Minerva Research Initiative. DECUR aims to develop collaborative relationships between Defense Professional Military Education institutions and civilian research universities to improve capacities in security-related basic social science research, inform DoD policymakers' understanding of the social and cultural forces shaping U.S. strategic interests globally, train future military leaders in social science methods, and enhance scientific cooperation between civilian and military educational institutions. DECUR falls within the Minerva Research Initiative, DoD's singular program to connect with the social science community for basic research on areas of particular relevance to U.S. national security. Through its network of faculty investigators, Minerva helps DoD better understand and prepare for future challenges, particularly those prioritized in the National Defense Strategy. The initiative is funded by the Basic Research Office in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)), who administers the program jointly with the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Army Research Office, and the Office of Naval Research. Minerva also works closely with the Strategy Office in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. "The DECUR Partnership facilitates exciting opportunities for civilian universities and DoD educational institutions to collaborate, linking researchers and students to create knowledge and methodologies that advance our understanding of national security challenges," said Dr. David Montgomery, director of social science in OUSD(R&E). The seven projects selected for award are: Topic 1: Socio-economic Vulnerability to Climate Change Kash Barker (University of Oklahoma) and Ashly Townsen (Air War College) - Temporal Networks of Environmental Refugee Relocation: Security and Socioeconomic Impacts Topic 2: Deterrence in the Future Operating Environment Erica Lonergan (Columbia University) and Benjamin Jensen (Marine Corps University) - Crisis and Competition at the Space-Cyber Nexus and - Crisis and Competition at the Space-Cyber Nexus Amy Holmes (George Washington University) and Andrew Novo (National Defense University) - Meta-Conflict and Integrated Deterrence: Adversaries, Problematic Allies, and Non-state Actors: Territorial and Maritime Expansion by Turkey, Russia, and China Topic 3: Russian Speakers in Online Spaces Karrie Koesel (University of Notre Dame) and Aleksandar Matovski (Naval Postgraduate School) - Kremlin Influence Operations in Online Spaces and Kremlin Influence Operations in Online Spaces Catherine Luther (University of Tennessee) and Jahara Matisek (Naval War College) - Identifying Patterns of Russia's Malign Influence Operations in Online Spaces and Their Influences on Russian-Speaking Populations and Russian Diasporas Topic 4: Power and Influence in the Era of Strategic Competition Alvin Camba (University at Denver) and Covell Meyskens (Naval Postgraduate School) - Comparing U.S. and Chinese Relational Power in Southeast Asia and Comparing U.S. and Chinese Relational Power in Southeast Asia Azamat Junisbai (Pitzer College) and Erica Marat (National Defense University) - Influence but Not Power (Yet): Decolonial Developments in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and North Asia For more information on the Minerva Research Initiative, visit here. About USD(R&E) The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E)) is the Chief Technology Officer of the Department of Defense. The USD(R&E) champions research, science, technology, engineering, and innovation to maintain the U.S. military's technological advantage. Learn more at www.cto.mil, follow us on Twitter @DoDCTO, or visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/ousdre. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3767905/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Georgia Army Guard Joins DEFENDER 24 Exercise in Sweden By Sgt. Allison Gilstrap, 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment May 8, 2024 SKILLINGARYD, Sweden -- This year's DEFENDER 24 exercise emphasizes the significant partnership between the United States and Sweden, NATO's newest member, with the Georgia Army National Guard putting boots on the ground in Skillingaryd. The exercise highlights the importance of interoperability and shared defense capabilities. The U.S. units participating in the exercise include Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Batteries, along with 1214th Forward Support Company, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, from 1st Battalion, 214th Field Artillery Regiment, 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade. The units attached to the 214th for this exercise are the 420th Signal Company and the Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO), U.S. Marine Corps. These units are participating in essential exercises, such as live-fire coordination, combined arms fire, artillery portions and other mission-essential tasks. During DEFENDER 24, the 214th stands out for delivering crucial firepower support. "The 1st of the 214th Field Artillery Battalion is part of our combat operations and effective mobilization across the globe," observed Maj. Samuel Wolfson, the battalion operations officer for the 214th. "Being able to use our combat arms units and integrate them seamlessly with our NATO counterparts contributes to overall strategic defense and achieving those objectives." The battalion's expertise and coordination are instrumental in shaping the battlefield and achieving mission objectives. As a key component of NATO's collective defense strategy, the 214th's role in DEFENDER 24 exemplifies the alliance's commitment to interoperability and unified military efforts, safeguarding regional stability and security. NATO's involvement in DEFENDER 24 also reinforces its commitment to regional defense and safety. In the context of DEFENDER 24 and the collaborative efforts between the U.S. Army and Sweden, the role of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) emerges as pivotal. The alliance, which encompasses 12.16 percent of the world's population, has 32 member states 30 in Europe and two in North America. During DEFENDER 24, the presence of NATO forces underscores the alliance's commitment to regional security and stability. "Anytime that we can increase the interoperability of our forces is extremely beneficial to both countries, and any other countries that are involved in the exercise are essential," said Command Sgt. Maj. Jeremy Pirtle, the command sergeant major of the 214th. "Being able to ensure how we understand each other and how we operate individually is extremely important to the overall NATO mission." Jonas Frohlund, chief of operations for the Gota Engineer Regiment, Eskjo, Sweden, echoed these sentiments. "The Americans have been easy to work with, and it is not the first time we have worked together," Frohlund said. "During operations in the last decade, we have understood each other quite well, so it is nothing new for us to welcome them to our country." As the exercise concludes this month, the strong partnership between the Georgia Army National Guard and Sweden demonstrates the enduring strength of transatlantic alliances. In today's complex security environment, such collaborations are essential for maintaining readiness and resilience. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address May 8, 2024 Release DOD Releases Fiscal Year 2023 Freedom of Navigation Report Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) released its annual Freedom of Navigation (FON) Report for Fiscal Year 2023. During the period from October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2023, U.S. forces operationally challenged 29 different excessive maritime claims advanced by 17 different claimants throughout the world. Excessive maritime claims are inconsistent with international law as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention. They include a variety of restrictions on the exercise of navigation and overflight rights and other freedoms and lawful uses of the seas. Unlawful maritime claims pose a threat to global mobility and commerce, as well as the legal foundation of the rules-based international order. If left unchallenged, excessive maritime claims could limit the rights and freedoms enjoyed by every nation. DoD's regular and routine operational challenges complement diplomatic engagements by the U.S. State Department and support the longstanding U.S. national interest in freedom of the seas worldwide. Each year, DoD releases an unclassified FON Report summarizing the broad range of excessive maritime claims challenged by U.S. forces. It also includes general geographic information to describe the location of FON assertions. The summarized reports transparently demonstrate U.S. non-acquiescence to excessive maritime claims, while protecting the operational security of U.S. military forces. The United States will uphold the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea for the benefit of all nations and will stand with like-minded partners doing the same. DoD FON Reports are available at http://policy.defense.gov/OUSDPOffices/FON.aspx. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3769479/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address May 8, 2024 By Joseph Clark, DOD News DOD Workforce, Industry Partnerships Key to Harnessing Innovation The Defense Department's workforce and its partnerships with private industry remain at the core of the military's ability to harness innovation and defend against emerging threats, the Pentagon's top cyber official said today. Speaking at the Ash Carter Exchange on Innovation and National Security in Washington, Air Force Gen. Timothy D. Haugh, commander of U.S. Cyber Command, said the power of the U.S. economy and private innovation remains at the core of ingenuity. "And so how we think about our partnerships with industry is foundational to, really, our way forward," Haugh said. "When we think about cybersecurity and the role that industry plays [...], we're unique in that our domain is really a manmade domain, largely by Western industry." Haugh, who also serves as the director of the National Security Agency, said the organizations he oversees are uniquely postured to build partnerships "that take advantage of the overall ecosystem." One way DOD has built those relationships, he said, is through their authorities to collaborate with industry on information sharing. "The number of cybersecurity advisories that have been done by the National Security Agency that really start to lay out what are the threats," he said. "And having industry contribute to that really gives us a sight picture that not only affects government but allows us to also impact the cybersecurity industry in terms of being able to pass our understanding and synchronize that with the way industry sees it." That approach is especially critical when considering the protection of critical infrastructure, Haugh said. "The more we're able to partner with industry, and the ability for us to share and do that at the unclassified level, allows us to expand our partnerships and do it rapidly." Defense officials emphasized these partnerships in DOD's first strategy aimed at enhancing cybersecurity across defense industry stakeholders, released in March. The Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Strategy plots a course for increased focus and collaboration between the DOD and the U.S. defense industrial base on cybersecurity initiatives amid what officials say are persistent cyberthreats. The strategy lays out DOD's vision over the next three years for a secure, resilient and technologically superior U.S. defense industrial base to ensure the United States' warfighting edge. It outlines four goals aligned with that vision: 1 - Strengthening DOD's governance structure for U.S. defense industrial base cybersecurity; 2 - Enhancing the cybersecurity posture of the U.S. defense industrial base; 3 - Preserving the resiliency of critical defense industrial base capabilities in a cyber-contested environment; and 4 - Improving cybersecurity collaboration between DOD and the U.S. defense industrial base. Haugh emphasized that the defense industrial base remains at the core of the United States' enduring advantage. That advantage is further enabled by an innovative workforce that remains primed to capitalize on emerging technologies, Haugh said. He added that continuing to cultivate the skills and ingenuity across the workforce remains at the core of his strategy to harness emerging technologies, such as generative artificial intelligence. "We have a unique workforce," Haugh said. "That is really our foundation: highly technical [with] the ability to be able to operate and integrate technology quickly." The Ash Carter Exchange on Innovation and National Security is a two-day event to bring together pioneers and champions from the government, private sector and scientific community to examine how to advance collaboration in pursuit of national security. The late Ash Carter was the 25th Secretary of Defense. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address May 8, 2024 By Joseph Clark, DOD News Brown: Joint Force Must Maintain Current Edge, Prepare for Emerging Threats The Defense Department's success in an evolving security landscape is defined by the joint force's ability to address current threats while at the same time preparing for the future, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., said yesterday. Speaking at the Ash Carter Exchange on Innovation and National Security in Washington, Brown said this approach is critical amid rapidly emerging national security challenges. "The way I do think about the next three to five years is we've got to be able to achieve today and be ready for tomorrow," he said. "And so, it's how we balance the risk of being able to address today's challenges but also thinking long about the future challenges and how different events may collide and create a greater challenge for ourselves." Brown described a broad range of security challenges in the near term that have continued to increase in complexity since becoming the nation's highest-ranking military officer in October. "What I've watched over the course of the seven months, really reflecting on our national defense strategy which outlines our five challenges the People's Republic of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and violent extremists what I've found is that all five of those are active and, in some cases, are working together or interconnected in some form or fashion" Brown said. Amid these evolving threats, the U.S. has remained steadfast in partnering with allies across the globe to deter conflict. And as the world becomes increasingly complex, Brown said more countries have sought to work alongside likeminded partners to address pressing challenges. Brown said since assuming the chairmanship, he has held about 170 engagements with his counterparts. Those partnerships are evident in NATO's collective work to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia's ongoing invasion. They are also reshaping the Indo-Pacific, Brown said, where more nations are coming together to uphold a common vision of freedom and security in the region. Last week alone, Brown held in-person meetings with five of his counterparts while in Hawaii for the U.S. Indo-Pacific change of command. "What I'm also seeing across the Indo-Pacific is nations that have not typically worked together are starting to work together more closely in exercises," he said. He added that bilateral exercises, going back to his days as a junior officer, are increasingly becoming multilateral engagements. "That's an important aspect of us working more closely together, and an aspect of us not only having the capability, but also have the ability to deter," he said. Brown also emphasized the importance of DOD's ability to innovate and harness emerging technologies to stay ahead of the threat. Increasingly this means connecting with allies and private sector partners to get the right solutions in the hands of warfighters a point echoed during the forum by Heidi Shyu, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, and William A. LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment. Shyu underscored the department's work across the technology ecosystem academia, university-affiliated research centers and commercial industries to develop critical capabilities and deliver them at scale to the warfighter. This collaboration is further bolstered by new authorities that allow DOD to make loans and provide loan guarantees to small companies that may not have had the opportunity to scale innovative technologies before. Expanding DOD's pool of innovation is critical, Shyu said, as the U.S. confronts China's militarycivil fusion strategy aimed at rapidly advancing its military technology. LaPlante said DOD is also increasingly with allies and partners to get key capabilities in the hands of warfighters. "The appetite for doing co-development, co-production [and] co-production around the world is higher than it's ever been," he said, noting that these partnerships are critical amid China's technological advances and as Russia increases its military spending amid its war in Ukraine. Brown said it is critical to continue the momentum and further accelerate change across the department to deter conflict and, if necessary, win any fight now and in the future. "Personally, professionally, I don't play for second place," he said. "I'm putting my best foot forward to make sure we're going to win. I think our national security is at stake." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Defense Contractor Pleads Guilty to Fraud, Money Laundering and Unlawful Export of Military Data Wednesday, May 8, 2024 For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs Yuksel Senbol, 36, of Orlando, pleaded guilty to 25 felony counts in Florida federal court, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, seven counts of money laundering, conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), four counts of violating the ECRA, and one count of violating the Arms Export Control Act. According to court documents, beginning in approximately April 2019, Senbol operated a front company in the Middle District of Florida called Mason Engineering Parts LLC. She used this front company to assist her co-conspirators, Mehmet Ozcan and Onur Simsek, to fraudulently procure contracts to supply critical military components to the Department of Defense. These components were intended for use in the U.S. Navy Nimitz and Ford Class Aircraft Carriers, U.S. Navy Submarines, U.S. Marine Corps Armored Vehicles, and U.S. Army M-60 Series Tank and Abrahams Battle Tanks, among other weapons systems. To fraudulently procure the government contracts, Senbol and her co-conspirators falsely represented to the U.S. government and to U.S. military contractors that Mason Engineering Parts LLC was a vetted and qualified manufacturer of military components, when in fact, the parts were being manufactured by Ozcan and Simsek in Turkey. And, as Senbol knew, Simsek's involvement had to be concealed from the U.S. government because he had been debarred from contracting with the U.S. government after being convicted of a nearly identical scheme in the Southern District of Florida. In order to enable Ozcan and Simsek to manufacture the components in Turkey, Senbol assisted them in obtaining sensitive, export-controlled drawings of critical U.S. military technology. Using software that allowed Ozcan to remotely control her computer - and thus evade security restrictions that limited access to these sensitive military drawings to computers within the United States - Senbol knowingly facilitated the illegal export of these drawings. She did so despite having executed numerous agreements promising to safeguard the drawings from unlawful access or export, and despite the clear warnings on the face of each drawing that it could not be exported without obtaining a license. Once Ozcan and Simsek manufactured the components in Turkey, they shipped them to Senbol, who repackaged them - making sure to remove any reference to their Turkish origin. The conspirators then lied about the origin of the parts to the U.S. government and a U.S. government contractor to receive payment for the parts. Senbol then laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in criminal proceeds back to Turkey through international wire transfers. This scheme continued until uncovered and disrupted by federal investigators. Parts supplied by Senbol were tested by the U.S. military and were determined not to conform with product specifications. Many of the components supplied to the U.S. military by Senbol were "critical application items," meaning that failure of these components would have potentially rendered the end system inoperable. Senbol faces up to 10 years in prison for the conspiracy to defraud the United States offense and for each count of money laundering. She faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to violate the ECRA, violating the ECRA and violating the Arms Export Control Act. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 6. Alleged co-conspirators Mehmet Ozcan and Onur Simsek are fugitives. This case was investigated by the FBI; General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security; Air Force Office of Special Investigations; Homeland Security Investigations; and Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet and Lindsey Schmidt for the Middle District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Stephen Marzen of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. Topics: Financial Fraud Export Control Components: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Security Division (NSD) USAO - Florida, Middle Press Release Number: 24-586 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry summons Russia's charge d'affaires over GPS signal interference Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 08.05.2024 Today 8 May, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Russia's charge d'affaires over GPS signal interference. "Jamming the satellite navigation system by Russia has only increased over time, sowing confusion and heavily affecting civil aviation. This action by Russia is a violation of the radio regulations of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that prohibit causing such disruptions, and we conveyed this message to Russia's charge d'affaires." "Jamming the GPS signal is an element of Russia's hybrid activities, disrupting everyday life and threatening the security of Allies, just like the violent incidents, cyberattacks and misinformation campaigns organised by Russia," Tsahkna said. Tsahkna said that Russia's GPS signal interference has caused serious damage to air traffic in our region, the clearest example of which is the suspension of flights between Helsinki and Tartu. Foreign Minister Tsahkna has discussed the danger of GPS signal interference with European Union member states and NATO Allies, and this week, the North Atlantic Council raised the issue. This week, many European countries have summoned senior Russian diplomats in connection with hybrid and cyberattacks organised by Russia. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Manila's denial of objective facts hurts its own credibility: FM Global Times By GT staff reporters Published: May 08, 2024 10:42 PM The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines released details about the relevant communication between China and the Philippines in terms of managing the situation at Ren'ai Jiao. The facts are clear and backed by hard evidence that cannot be denied, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a press conference on Wednesday, urging the Philippines to honor its commitment, and stop maritime infringement and provocation at once. On Tuesday, Bloomberg cited a Chinese official on background, said a transcript of the supposed recording of a phone call with Western Command Commander Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos "may be released to the public within days." In the transcript, Carlos agreed to a "new model" for resupply missions concerning Ren'ai Jiao. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at the Wednesday press conference that the Philippine side has insisted on denying these objective facts and seeks to mislead the international community. This hurts its own credibility and puts peace and stability in the South China Sea in jeopardy. China urges the Philippines to honor its commitment, stop maritime infringement and provocation at once, and return to the right track of properly handling disputes with China through dialogue and consultation, Lin noted. The Philippines' recent denials of the "new model" and the "gentlemen's agreement" reflect the chaos and management confusion as well as multiple conflicting stances within the Philippine government regarding its policies toward China, Ge Hongliang, deputy director of the College of ASEAN Studies at Guangxi University for Nationalities, told the Global Times. Manila's repeated violations of the gentlemen's agreement between the two sides, or in other words, consensus reached through consultations over dispute management, weaken its claim of seeking a peaceful resolution to the dispute. Its accusing China of "jeopardizing regional peace and security" doesn't hold water, Ge said. Unlike the Philippines, which is becoming a pawn of the US in the latter's competition with China in the region, China does not wish to see further deterioration of the situation in the South China Sea. China will continue to promote the peaceful resolution of South China Sea disputes through bilateral channels, Ge said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Everything ready for permanent ceasefire in Gaza: Iran FM IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency May 8, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian says that a permanent ceasefire in Gaza would be within reach if Western countries led by the US are honest about their promises for ending the Israeli war on the enclave. Amirabdollahian said on Wednesday that the positive response given by the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas to a ceasefire proposal in Gaza has prepared the ground for a resolution to the dispute. "Everything is ready for a permanent ceasefire and a settlement of the issue if the Americans and the Westerners uphold their promise about the ceasefire in a true sense of the word," he told reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting in Tehran. The top Iranian diplomat said that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his extremist government are naturally opposed to the ceasefire in Gaza because an end to the war would mean a political crisis in the occupied lands. Grossi's visit to Iran Responding to a question about Iran's interactions with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Amirabdollahian described as positive a visit earlier this week to Iran by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. He said, however, that relations between Iran and the IAEA have been normal as long as Grossi has performed his duties "within the legal course". "But complications have arisen whenever he has been influenced by external pressures," said the minister. Operation True Promise against Israeli regime Referring to Iran's punitive military operation against the Israeli regime last month, Amirabdollahian said that after Israeli airstrike on the Iranian embassy complex in Syria's Damascus, Iran had warned that if the United States takes any action against Iran's interests, its response will be immediate and decisive. He said that Iran is entitled to the right to legitimate defense while it is committed to strengthening cooperation with countries in the region where the US has military bases. The minister warned, however, that if the US makes any mistake, Iran we will target its airbases in the region. He expressed hope that Iran's response to the Zionist regime would help ease the current crisis in Palestine. Amirabdollahian concluded that Iran will certainly move in the direction of friendship and cooperation with its neighbors and all the countries in the region and around the world. 6125**4261 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Bahamas recognizes State of Palestine IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency May 8, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The Foreign Ministry of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas has announced formally that it has recognized Palestine as a state. Its announcement was made on Tuesday after the decision of the cabinet of the Bahamas to formally recognize the State of Palestine. The recognition "strongly demonstrates The Bahamas' commitment to the principles espoused in the Charter of the United Nations and to the right of self-determination of peoples as articulated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)," according to the country's foreign ministry's website. As it became an independent nation in 1973, the Bahamas backs the legitimate right of the Palestinians "to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development." According to the ministry, the Bahamas has endorsed the "two-state solution" as it is explicitly expressed in the UN Security Council resolution 242 (1967) on the peaceful and accepted settlement of the Middle East situation. 1483**9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi resistance launches drone attack on south occupied Palestine IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency May 8, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The Islamic Resistance in Iraq says it has carried out a drone attack on the port of Eilat in the south of the occupied Palestine. The attack was carried out with the aim of confronting the Israeli regime's occupation and helping the people of Gaza, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq said in a statement on Tuesday evening, according to the Al Mayadeen report. In response to the Zionists' massacre in Gaza against the Palestinian civilians, fighters of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted an important Israeli base in the port, the statement read. In a related development, the Zionist media reported activation of the regimes' defense system after hearing horrifying sounds in the Eilat port. During its previous operations, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq had warned of escalation of its attacks on the Israeli bases if the aggression continued in Gaza. Through its anti-Israeli operations, the Iraqi resistance has showed its support of the people in Gaza. Nearly 35,000 civilians, mostly children and women, have been killed in Gaza since the start of the Zionist regime's genocidal war in the enclave last October. 1483**4354 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN official: Gaza war at "another critical juncture" IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency May 8, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths has said that the war in the Gaza Strip is at another critical juncture. "The conflict in Gaza is at another critical juncture," Griffiths wrote on his X account on Wednesday. "The decisions that are made today and their consequences in human suffering will be remembered by the generation that follows us," he added. "Let us be ready for their reproaches," he noted. Despite international opposition, the Zionist regime's war cabinet approved a ground attack on the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip on Monday, and the Israeli army has occupied the Palestinian part of the city since Tuesday. The war cabinet unanimously decided to continue the operation in Rafah to put military pressure on Hamas to release Israeli captives and achieve other goals, according to IRNA citing media reports on the statement from Netanyahu's office. Simultaneously with the continuation of the military operation in Rafah, the war cabinet decided to send the negotiating team to Cairo to review the proposal for a ceasefire, the statement said. Meanwhile, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini said in an X message, "This protest called by an elected member of the Jerusalem municipality is nothing less than harassment, intimidation, vandalism & damage to UN property." "It took place today at the @UNRWA Headquarters in East Jerusalem under the watch of the Israeli Police. This has nothing to do with freedom of expression. Host countries, in this case Israel, are expected to protect United Nations premises, operations and staff at all times," he added. 9376**9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Netanyahu impedes ceasefire in Gaza war: Hamas IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency May 8, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Benjamin Netanyahu is the individual hindering the process of truce and prisoner exchange agreement amid the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, Taher Al-Nono, a Hamas official and advisor to Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh has said. Rafah is an Egyptian-Palestinian crossing and the presence of other parties is unacceptable, Al-Nono quoted by Shehab News Agency as saying. We agreed to a proposed ceasefire because it meets the minimum needs of the Palestinian people, he added. Meanwhile, Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mardawi has said that the Zionist regime's hostile actions in Rafah are aimed at surrendering the Palestinians and taking ransom from them. The Palestinian Hamas Resistance Movement in a statement condemned the Israeli army's attack on the east of Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip and considered it as an indication of the regime's intention to thwart a possible ceasefire agreement between the two sides. More than half of the population of Gaza, about 1.4 million people, the majority of have already been displaced from north are trapped in Rafah. The Israeli occupation forces launched the invasion, first taking the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, only hours after the Hamas resistance movement agreed to Egypt and Qatar-proposed ceasefire deal. 7129**9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Jordan deplores Zionist settlers' attack on Gaza aid convoy IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency May 8, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Jordan's foreign minister denounced Israeli settlers for targeting his country's humanitarian aid convoy to Gaza, calling the attack a crime. The attack by Zionist settlers on the Jordanian aid convoy is a heinous crime that the world must condemn, Ayman al-Safadi said as quoted by Al Jazeera on Tuesday. He emphasized that the American government has the ability to prevent the Zionist regime from dragging the region toward further destruction. He stressed the need for "Israel" to adhere to these laws, ensure the passage of aid convoys, guarantee their entry into the Gaza Strip, and halt the settlers' attacks on them. The attack on the aid convoy, run by the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization, was the second of its kind in less than a week. Zionist settlers attacked the convoy as it was on its way to Gaza via the Beit Hanoun/Erez crossing in the occupied territories. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary General visits Italy, welcomes contributions to NATO and support for Ukraine NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 08 May. 2024 Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Wednesday (8 May 2024) to discuss preparations for the Washington Summit, including work to further strengthen NATO, achieve fairer burden-sharing, and provide more support to Ukraine. The Secretary General praised Italy's support to Ukraine, including its provision of a SAMP/T air defence system with France. Italy has also signed a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine, helping to enhance Ukraine's defences, support its armament industry and counter hybrid threats. The Secretary General commended Prime Minister Meloni for Italy's many contributions to the Alliance, including its leadership of NATO's battlegroup in Bulgaria and its contribution of forces to battlegroups in Hungary and Latvia. Italy also regularly participates in Baltic Air Policing and NATO maritime operations. Mr Stoltenberg thanked Italy for its commitment to NATO's KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo and NATO's training mission in Iraq. He also welcomed Italy's key role in developing NATO's approach to its southern neighbourhood. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A look at the Defence news 29 April - 5 May Netherlands Ministry of Defence News item | 08-05-2024 | 16:05 Camp Lejeune compensation scheme on account of polluted water An American study has shown that between 1953 and 1988, the water at the American Marine Corps base Camp Lejeune contained toxic substances. The US Government has established a compensation scheme for all of those who were in the camp for more than 30 days and were taken ill as a result. During this period, a number of Dutch marines were also posted to the camp. The American compensation scheme also applies to them and their families. Yard serves summons on Defence organisation disputing award of submarine construction contract Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems has served a summons on the Netherlands Defence organisation. The yard disagrees with the award decision for the construction of four new submarines. State Secretary for Defence Christophe van der Maat informed the House of Representatives accordingly last week. Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems was one of three tenderers for the contract. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel alleges killing 'Hamas' naval commander' Iran Press TV Wednesday, 08 May 2024 9:32 PM The Israeli regime's military has alleged killing the commander of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas' naval unit in Gaza City amid the regime's now-seven-month-old genocidal war against the Gaza Strip. "Mohammed Ahmed Ali" was killed during an airstrike in Gaza City "in the past day," the military said in a statement on Wednesday. It added that "during the war, Ali was responsible for attacks" on the occupied territories and the Israeli military's "ground troops operating in the Gaza Strip," including in central Gaza over the past week. Hamas is yet to pass any comments on Ali's likely death. Ali has been described as a member of Hamas' armed wing, al-Qassam Brigades. Al-Qassam and al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Hamas' fellow Gaza-based resistance group, the Islamic Jihad, have been defending the territory in the face of the war. The Israeli statement came four days after the brigades claimed responsibility for firing a barrage of projectiles against an Israeli military position on Gaza's southern border with the occupied territories. Over a dozen of the regime's troops were killed and wounded during the resistance operation. The Israeli military did not say whether it believed that Ali had been involved in planning or executing the operation. The Israeli regime began the war on October 7, following a retaliatory operation by Gaza's resistance fighters that came in response to the regime's escalated aggression against Palestinians across the coastal sliver and the occupied West Bank. At least 34,844 people, most of them women and children, have been killed in the brutal military onslaught so far. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Fuel running out at Gaza hospitals amid Israeli assault on Rafah: WHO Iran Press TV Wednesday, 08 May 2024 6:34 PM The World Health Organization has warned that hospitals in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza urgently need medical supplies and fuel. The warning came after the UN health agency said Israel had denied delivery of fuel to the area on Wednesday. The hospitals only have fuel to operate for the next two to three days. "WHO has pre-positioned some supplies in warehouses and hospitals, but without more aid flowing into Gaza, we cannot sustain our life-saving support to hospitals," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. WHO also said Abu Yousef Al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah was already no longer functional, one of three hospitals in the city. Some equipment has been moved to field hospitals. WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris also confirmed the entry of humanitarian and medical supplies to Gaza has "stopped completely." She warned the outbreak of diseases could become a "death sentence" for malnourished children across Gaza. "We, as humans, must not let this continue. Please, please have a ceasefire now," Harris said. The International Committee of the Red Cross says the group will be unable to carry out its operations in Gaza if the military operation in Rafah continues. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have sought refuge in the south of the Gaza Strip since early October. People are also pouring into central Gaza by the thousands, mainly to Deir el-Balah, after Israel's seizure of the vital Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt. The United States, the great benefactor of Israel, has reportedly paused a shipment of bombs after the regime failed to address US concerns over its Rafah plans. In Washington, Bernie Sanders, a US senator defended the decision to halt the arms shipment. "This must be a first step. The US must now use ALL its leverage to demand an immediate ceasefire, the end of the attacks on Rafah, and the immediate delivery of massive amounts of humanitarian aid to people living in desperation," Sanders said in a statement. "Our leverage is clear. Over the years, the United States has provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Israel. We can no longer be complicit in Netanyahu's horrific war against the Palestinian people." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah says it hit Israeli targets in 'multipronged attack' Iran Press TV Wednesday, 08 May 2024 6:02 PM The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah says it carried out a multipronged attack on targets controlled by the Israeli regime in north of the occupied Palestine. Lebanese media reports quoted a Hezbollah statement as saying on Wednesday that the group had launched missile and drone attacks on Israel's Hanita and Adamit barracks. The statement said that explosive drones and powerful missiles had also targeted a building occupied by Israeli military forces in al Metula settlement as well as two similar buildings in Shlomi settlement and another one in Manara settlement. It said the attacks were in line with Hezbollah's military campaign to support the people of Gaza in their struggle against the ongoing Israeli invasion and to respond to the Israeli regime's attacks on villages in southern Lebanon. Sirens sounded in various areas across northern Palestine to warn Israeli settlers and military forces about imminent threat from Hezbollah's drones. Reports in the Israeli media indicated that the regime had suffered major losses to its military personnel as a result of Hezbollah attack including fatalities in Malikieh and Avivim military barracks. Hezbollah's attacks came after Israel targeted areas in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah and Israel have been trading fire across Lebanon's southern frontier with the occupied Palestine since Israel invaded Gaza in early October last year. The trading of fire has killed more than 300 people in Lebanon and dozens in the Israeli-occupied lands while it has displaced some 150,000 people on both sides of the border. Nearly 35,000 people have been killed as a result of Israel's aggression on Gaza. It came after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out an unprecedented military operation into the Israeli-occupied territories near Gaza, killing nearly 1,200 settlers and military forces. Hezbollah has indicated that attacks on Israel will continue until the regime completely stops its brutal war on Gaza. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel keeps bombing Rafah as truce talks resume in Cairo Iran Press TV Wednesday, 08 May 2024 3:50 PM Israel has bombarded the overcrowded southern city of Rafah in Gaza, where it has launched a ground incursion, as a new round of talks on ceasefire and prisoner swap kicks off in Cairo. Israel struck a number of residential areas and civilian targets in Rafah on Wednesday after seizing the main border crossing with Egypt a day earlier. Israeli artillery attacks hit several residential buildings in central Rafah, causing fires to break out. The artillery shelling hit central and eastern Rafah throughout the day. Media footage showed Palestinians scrambling in the dark to pull survivors, bloodied and caked in dust, out from under the rubble of a building. Israel sent tanks into Rafah on Tuesday and seized the nearby crossing into Egypt, which is the main corridor for aid into the besieged Palestinian territory. In recent days, Israel has been ramping up attacks against Rafah. About 1.5 million Palestinians are taking shelter in the city. Israel has vowed for weeks to launch a ground incursion into Rafah. On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the hostilities in Gaza were escalating due to Israel's incursion into Rafah. "An additional destabilizing factor, including for the entire region, was the launch of an Israeli military ground operation in Rafah," she told reporters. Qatar has also called on the international community to prevent a "genocide" in Rafah following Israel's seizure of the city's crossing with Egypt. Doha appealed "for urgent international action to prevent the city from being invaded and a crime of genocide being committed." The African Union has also condemned the Israeli military's moves in Rafah. AU Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat "expresses his extreme concern at the war undertaken by Israel in Gaza which results, at every moment, in massive deaths and systematic destruction of the conditions of human life," a statement said. In Washington, a senior US official recently revealed the White House had paused a shipment of bombs after Israel failed to address US concerns over its Rafah plans. Meanwhile, a new round of negotiations on a potential ceasefire has kicked off in the Egyptian capital with Israel and the resistance movement Hamas in attendance. Representatives from Hamas, Israel, Egypt, Qatar and the United States are participating in the Cairo talks. Hamas has already agreed to the proposed truce deal put forward by the Qatari and Egyptian mediators. The proposal includes a three-stage truce, each lasting 42 days. The potential deal would allow a prisoner swap, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the return of displaced Palestinians, a permanent ceasefire and reconstruction of Gaza. Israel, however, has rejected the proposal. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address At least 35 killed in Israeli strikes on Rafah as vital aid corridors cut off Iran Press TV Wednesday, 08 May 2024 10:49 AM Nearly three dozen Palestinian civilians, including women and children, have been killed as Israeli military forces bombed various neighborhoods in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah. Medical sources at Kuwait Specialized Hospital in Rafah, located 30 kilometers (19 miles) southwest of Gaza City, said 35 people were killed and 129 others injured as a result of the Israeli offensives in the last 24 hours. The official Palestinian news agency WAFA, citing medical sources, also reported that seven Palestinian citizens, including children, were killed in the early hours of Wednesday in an Israeli bombing of al-Zaytoun neighborhood, east of Gaza City. Several others were injured as well. Local sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Israeli warplanes targeted an apartment in a residential building near al-Falah School in the Asqoula area of al-Zaytoun neighborhood, killing a man, his wife and their children. The sources added that rescue workers were able to retrieve the killed civilians and those injured, and transported them to the Baptist Hospital in Gaza City. Meanwhile, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has warned of disruptions in aid delivery and fuel supplies to the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing bordering Egypt. UNRWA said in a press statement that the continued disruption of aid and fuel supplies through the Rafah crossing would halt humanitarian response throughout the Gaza Strip. It noted that the famine would worsen, especially in the northern Gaza Strip, if supplies are cut off. Additionally, the General Authority for Borders and Crossings in Gaza said in a brief statement that operations at the Rafah land crossing were suspended following the entry of Israeli tanks into the crossing facilities from Palestinian territory. Passenger movement from Gaza has ceased, and the entry of humanitarian and relief aid into the territory has been halted, it added. The director general of the Government Media Office in Gaza, Ismail al-Thawabta, said the occupation of the Rafah land crossing by Israeli forces constitutes a real catastrophe amid complete international silence, stressing that the measure has cut off the only lifeline to Gaza in light of the travel ban on ordinary people, the wounded and patients who have been trapped in the Gaza Strip since the start of the genocidal war. Thawabta continued that Israeli troops have also closed the Kerem Shalom border crossing, which has resulted in the stoppage of humanitarian aid deliveries into the Gaza Strip, and further deterioration of humanitarian crisis there. Israel unleashed its war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. 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. Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed 34,789 Palestinians and injured 78,204 others. About 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering in Rafah, once designated a "safe zone" by the Israeli military. Palestinians are now struggling to evacuate the city, after the Israeli military dropped leaflets ordering them to leave as a large-scale assault on the city is planned. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said that a ground invasion of Rafah would be "intolerable" and called on Israel and Hamas "to go an extra mile" to reach a truce deal. "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 destabilizing impact in the region," Guterres told reporters on Monday ahead of a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella in New York. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address May 7: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Iran Press TV Wednesday, 08 May 2024 8:35 AM By Press TV Website Staff Amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 34,800 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 Tuesday, May 7, are as follows: Al-Qassam Brigades' operations on May 7: Targeted an Israeli military site east of the "Netzarim" axis with heavy-caliber mortar shells. Bombed the "Re'im" military base of the Israeli regime with a barrage of rockets. Targeted the command and control headquarters of the Israeli military in the "Netzarim" axis in a joint operation with the Martyr Jihad Jibril Brigades. Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces penetrating east of the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' operations on May 7: Bombed a gathering of Israeli forces located on the "Netzarim" axis with a barrage of rockets. Bombed a gathering of Israeli forces and their military vehicles with heavy-caliber mortar shells on the "Netzarim" axis. Bombed a gathering of Israeli forces and their military vehicles in the Al-Shouka neighborhood, east of the city of Rafah, with a barrage of heavy-caliber mortar shells. Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles infiltrating east of the city of Rafah using appropriate weapons. Targeted an Israeli military vehicle with an RPG shell in the combat axis east of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces using machine guns in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus. Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces storming Nour Shams camp using machine guns and explosive devices. Al-Quds Brigades' operations on May 7: Bombed a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles in the vicinity of the Al-Shouka neighborhood east of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza with a barrage of 107-type rockets and heavy-caliber mortar shells. Bombed "Nir Yitzhak" settlements with a barrage of rockets. Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces using machine guns and other appropriate weapons east of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades' operations on May 7: Bombed a gathering of Israeli forces in the "Netzarim" axis of advance with heavy-caliber mortar shells Hezbollah's operations on May 7: Eastern sector: At around 13:11 local time, Israeli soldiers were targeted near Yiftah Barracks by a drone, resulting in many casualties. Around the same time, Iron Dome located south of the Ramot Naftali Barracks was targeted with appropriate weapons. At around 14:15 local time, surveillance equipment of the Israeli military was targeted at the Al-Samaqa site in Lebanon's Kfar Shuba with appropriate weapons. At around 14:41 local time, Israeli soldiers inside the Ramot Naftali barracks were targeted with a guided missile, resulting in many casualties. At around 15:15 local time, the Zibdin barracks in Lebanon's Shebaa were targeted with a barrage of missiles. At around 18:55 local time, Israeli soldiers near the Al-Manara settlement were targeted with appropriate weapons. At around 19:25 local time, two Israeli military buildings in the Metula settlement were targeted with appropriate weapons. At around 19:25 local time, a building in which an Israeli military intelligence unit was stationed in the Al-Manara settlement was targeted with appropriate weapons. Western sector: At around 13:15 local time, Israeli soldiers at the Al-Raheb site were targeted with guided missiles. At around 19:02 local time, two Israeli military buildings in the Shtula settlement were targeted with appropriate weapons. Islamic resistance in Iraq's operations on May 7: Targeted a vital military site in Umm al-Rashrash (Eilat) in the occupied Palestinian territories using a barrage of drones. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Wider escalation': Yemen warns Israel of more retaliatory attacks if Rafah invaded Iran Press TV Wednesday, 08 May 2024 7:44 AM A high ranking official of Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement has warned of a broader escalation in its attacks if Israel launches a full-scale invasion of the densely-populated southern city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. Allama Muhammad Muftah, advisor to the President of the Supreme Political Council and Chairman of the Supreme Committee of the National Campaign to Support al-Aqsa said, "The Israeli escalation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and their threat to invade Rafah will be met with a Yemeni response and the launching of the fourth round of escalation," Muftah said. He was referring to the new phase of the Yemeni army's retaliatory operations on Israeli-bound ships in solidarity with the Palestinians facing the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza. "In case of any escalation [in Rafah], the Yemeni armed forces' decision is clear, and a more extensive and broader escalation may occur," he told the al-Masirah TV channel on Tuesday. Muftah further noted that the group's possible escalation would be "a response to any Israeli audacity, whether an attack on Yemen, Gaza, or any inch of occupied Palestine." Yemen's threats of broader escalation in attacks "will come to fruition and will achieve its goal and will force the enemy to think a lot about their next actions and revise their calculations before any action." This comes as Yahya Saree, a spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, has already declared the "commencement of the fourth phase of escalation," amid an expected Israeli invasion of Rafah. Under the new phase, the Yemeni force will target all ships heading to Israeli-occupied ports "in the Mediterranean Sea in any area within our reach," he said. On Tuesday, Israeli forces seized control of the Rafah border crossing, cutting off a vital route for humanitarian aid for an estimated 1.5 million Palestinians sheltering in the city bordering Egypt. The Israeli military seized control of the Rafah border crossing after advancing during the night through heavy bombardment of residential areas as fears mount of a full-scale invasion of the city. The regime says it would continue the operation in Rafah regardless of an agreement by the resistance movement Hamas to a ceasefire proposal put forward by Qatari and Egyptian mediators. Rafah had been designated a "safe zone" by the Israeli military. Palestinians are now struggling to evacuate the city since the Israeli military dropped leaflets ordering them to leave. UN agencies and humanitarian organizations are cautioning about the severe impact of an Israeli military operation in Rafah. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Australia, China dispute helicopter incident in Yellow Sea Beijing said Australian plane was spying and disrupting Chinese military exercise. By RFA Staff 2024.05.08 -- China has defended its recent maneuver against an Australian naval helicopter in the Yellow Sea, deemed by Canberra to be "unsafe and unprofessional," saying it was "legitimate and reasonable." Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday said his government had communicated to China "through all of our channels, at all measures at our disposal" that it was "unacceptable" when a Chinese fighter jet dropped flares close to an Australian helicopter in international waters, endangering the crew. Separately, Australia's defense ministry said in a statement the incident took place on Saturday when the Royal Australian Navy's Hobart was undertaking "routine activities" during a U.N. mission to monitor sanctions against North Korea in international waters in the Yellow Sea. The Yellow Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. A MH-60R Seahawk helicopter launched from the Hobart was intercepted by a Chinese fighter aircraft which released flares across the flight path of the Australian aircraft, the Australian ministry said, adding that the unsafe maneuver "posed a risk to the aircraft and personnel." While there were no injuries, the Australian government "expressed concern" and said it expected all countries, including China, "to operate their militaries in a professional and safe manner." China's response The Chinese defense ministry responded late on Tuesday that Australia "was confused between right and wrong." Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang said between May 3-4, when the Chinese military was holding training exercises in the Yellow Sea, an Australian military helicopter was sent from the Hobart three times "to conduct close reconnaissance and disrupt China's normal training activities." Zhang said that China's warnings and forcing the helicopter to leave were "legitimate, reasonable, professional and safe, and fully complied with international law and international practice." The Chinese spokesman called on Australia to "respect China's sovereignty and security concerns, stop spreading false narratives ... and stop all dangerous and provocative actions." Australia has been sending vessels and aircraft to the area to enforce U.N. Security Council sanctions against North Korea since 2018. A military analyst said the missions were being carried out "in international airspace over international waters in the Yellow Sea." "The Chinese claim lacks any basis in evidence, and deliberately mischaracterizes the actions of the Australians," Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told Radio Free Asia. "There was no justification whatsoever for the Chinese to release flares in the manner they did, which was in an aggressive, unsafe and unprofessional manner," Davis added. Daniel Kritenbrink, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said that Washington was "deeply concerned" to see reports of the incident. Similar encounters Flares when fired at an aircraft at close proximity could get into the engine and cause the plane to crash. In late October 2023, a Chinese warplane also used flares against a Canadian shipborne maritime helicopter over the South China Sea. The Sikorsky Cyclone helicopter was launched from the Royal Canadian Navy frigate Ottawa to search for a previously detected submarine in international waters. China accused Canada of conducting a "malicious and provocative act with ulterior motives." In another incident last November, Australia said that a Chinese destroyer operated its sonar device near divers from the Royal Australian Navy's Toowoomba, causing them minor injuries. The divers were working to clear a fishing net tangled in the ship's propellers in international waters near Japan when a Chinese warship approached them and released sonar pulses, forcing them to surface. The Toowoomba was also conducting operations in support of U.N. sanctions enforcement against North Korea at the time. Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Cambodia and Vietnam defend their rights records Human rights are 'country-specific,' says a Cambodian official at the UN Human Rights Council. By Alex Willemyns for RFA 2024.05.08 -- Human rights are not universal and countries should be held to differing standards depending on their history, a Cambodian official told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday, citing the Khmer Rouge's brutal rule 45 years ago as a handicap to progress. The official was speaking during the evaluation of Cambodia's human rights record under the U.N. universal periodic review, to which all countries are subjected every five years. Neighboring Vietnam also defended its rights record before the council on Tuesday. Keo Sothie, a former public defender in the U.S. state of Colorado who now serves under his father Keo Remy as vice chair of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee, said Cambodia was "once a wartorn country" and was ripped apart by the Khmer Rouge. Any review of Cambodia "must therefore reflect on our past tragedy," said Keo Sothie, a graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle and Northwestern University in Illinois who departed a role as a Colorado public defender in 2019 to return to Cambodia. "Simply put, Cambodia went back to Year Zero," he said of the Khmer Rouge's 1975-1979 rule, explaining that it had "resulted in the total collapse of institutions and the loss of nearly 2 million people." Cambodia's current government stems from the regime that replaced the Khmer Rouge in 1979 after Vietnam's military ousted Pol Pot. Keo Sothie added that the idea "there exists a universal panacea for all political, economic and social ills" or "a one-size-fits-all solution for all countries" was "impractical" given differences across countries. "Democracy and human rights values are country-specific," he said. 'Single-party state' Keo Sothie's appeal for a more lenient review comes as the new government of Prime Minister Hun Manet - who last year took over power from his father Hun Sen after he had ruled the country for 38 years - faces a growing laundry list of criticisms of its record. Since Cambodia's last review before the U.N. Human Rights Council in 2019, the government for the second time in a row organized a national election from which the country's main opposition party was banned. That facilitated the succession that led to 45-year-old West Point-educated Hun Manet taking over from his father last year as part of a nepotistic cross-government generational change that also saw the sons of the interior and defense ministers replace their fathers. Cambodia has issued arrest warrants for opposition politicians and extended the home detention of opposition leader Kem Sokha, who was first arrested in 2017 on accusations of "treason" for allegedly working with the United States to unseat the government. Other opposition politicians like Thach Setha, activists like Theary Seng and even independent workers' union leaders like Chhim Sithar remain in prison on trumped-up charges, and other dissidents continue to face threats, intimidation and violent beatings. In a statement ahead of the review process, Human Rights Watch slammed Cambodia's government as having "failed to address" the recommendations made five years ago and said that, in fact, "the human rights situation in the country has worsened significantly. "Since its last U.N. review in 2019, Cambodia has become further entrenched as an essentially single-party state without meaningful elections, no media freedom, and a ruling party-controlled judiciary," said Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. Close neighbors Cambodia is one of 14 countries currently being reviewed. Vietnam earlier appeared before the U.N. rights council for its evaluation on Tuesday, with anti-government protesters picketing the outside of the building in protest of an ongoing crackdown on government dissidents in Vietnam that appears to be growing. During the session, the United States said it welcomed progress on "protecting the rights of LGBTQI+ persons" in Vietnam since 2019, but was concerned by the crackdown on freedom of expression. In his remarks to the council, Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet said Hanoi worked steadfastly to implement recommendations made during the country's last universal periodic review in 2019. "For Vietnam, the UPR process goes beyond mere review and reporting responsibility," Do Hung Viet said. "Each review cycle is approached with a genuine desire to identify areas for improvement and to take concrete actions to translate recommendations into meaningful actions in people's lives." The deputy foreign minister pointed to Vietnam's economic growth since it implemented the Doi Moi market liberalization policies in the 1980s, which he said lifted millions of people out of crushing poverty and should be celebrated in itself as a victory for human rights. Some 40 million people were no longer in poverty thanks to the policies, Do Hung Viet explained, noting that per-capita gross domestic product had risen "40-fold" between 1989 and 2023. Lip service Human rights activists told Radio Free Asia that Vietnam's government had appeared to have perfected the art of paying lip service to human rights concerns while continuing to jail and harass those who openly criticize the government in the one-party state. Hanoi seemed willing to ignore any outside criticism, safe in the knowledge that growing trade ties with countries like the United States will supersede any concerns about rights abuses, they said. "This [indifference] can be attributed to the international community," said Nguyen Van Dai, head of the Brotherhood for Democracy rights group and an observer at Vietnam's evaluation on Tuesday. "Over past years, they have still watched the human rights situations in Vietnam and spoken up, but have not taken any specific measures to sanction Vietnam if it runs counter to its international commitments or the international community's recommendations," he said. But some protesters in Geneva still held out hope. Tran Xa Rong, an Italy-based vice president of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Federation, which advocates for the persecuted ethnic Cambodian indigenous community in Southern Vietnam, said the review process was a chance to shine a spotlight on rights abuses. "I hope free countries in the world will take measures to pressure the Vietnamese communist government to respect freedom, especially the human rights that it has committed to but not implemented," he said. RFA Khmer and RFA Vietnam contributed reporting. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'One-Party Rule': Taliban Wages Crackdown On Political Parties By Abubakar Siddique and RFE/RL's Radio Azadi May 08, 2024 The Taliban is widening its crackdown on dissent by targeting political parties in Afghanistan. The extremist group banned all political parties last year. But in recent months, the Taliban has clamped down on parties still deemed to be active. Among the high-profile targets is the Hezb-e Islami party led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, one of Afghanistan's most notorious ex-warlords and a former militant leader. The move comes as the Taliban intensifies its efforts to stifle opposing voices in Afghanistan, where scores of journalists and activists have been jailed since the militants' takeover in 2021. 'Bad Policies' Hekmatyar signed a peace deal with the former Afghan government in 2016, under which he was granted security and a government-funded residence in the capital, Kabul. The 76-year-old initially welcomed the Taliban's resumption of control in Afghanistan. But he has grown increasingly critical of the group, which has monopolized power, severely curtailed women's rights, and stamped out the free press. In March, the Taliban forced Hekmatyar out of his government-funded residence and barred him from holding his Friday sermons. Members of his party were then prevented from meeting with him in his new residence in the capital. In April, a TV station owned by Hezb-e Islami was shut down. Barya TV mainly aired Hekmatyar's speeches and sermons. "Totalitarian regimes deeply believe in one-party rule," said Obaidullah Baheer, a lecturer of politics at the American University of Afghanistan and Hekmatyar's grandson. Hezb-e Islami and the Taliban are both hard-line Islamist groups that are mostly made up of Pashtuns. "Some Taliban followers revere Hekmatyar and agree with his criticism of the group's bad policies, which the Taliban leader sees as a threat to his authority and the group's unity," Baheer said. In August 2023, the Taliban formally banned all political parties in Afghanistan in a decree issued by Justice Minister Abdul Hakim Sharai. Sharai, during a gathering in March, reiterated that "parties have no place in our political system." He added that "even mentioning the name of a party is a crime." The minister also claimed that the Taliban had shown "full respect" to Hekmatyar. 'Sacred Duty' Hameed Hakimi, an Afghanistan expert at the Washington-based Atlantic Council think tank, said the ban on political parties is aimed at preventing any future political opposition. "The disenfranchisement and disarming of Hekmatyar sends a signal to those like him," said Hakimi. Under the Taliban's theocratic system, spiritual leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, who is the "Amir ul-Momineen," or the leader of the faithful, has the final say on all important matters. The Taliban sees "Afghans as subjects of Islamic law," said Hakimi, adding that obedience to Akhundzada is seen as Afghans' "sacred duty." "It is detrimental to the future of Afghanistan," Hakimi said. "And detrimental to any sense of pluralism." Isa Ishaqzai, president of the Afghanistan National Congress party, said the Taliban is "terrified" at the prospect of Afghans raising their voices for "justice, human rights, and national interests." "Political parties can inform people," Ishaqzai told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-taliban-hekmatyar- political-parties/32936908.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran Seeks To Tighten Crackdown On Afghan Refugees By RFE/RL's Radio Farda May 08, 2024 Iran says it has expelled some 1.3 million foreigners over the past year, highlighting a significant crackdown by the government on unauthorized migrants, primarily Afghan refugees. Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi told a press briefing that the efforts to regulate foreign nationals needs to be bolstered with legislative reforms to tighten border controls and prevent any future influx of unauthorized migrants. "To stop unauthorized nationals from entering Iran, it is necessary to amend the relevant laws in parliament," Vahidi said in an indication the government doesn't plan to heed calls from human rights groups to ensure a fair immigration policy. Vahidi added that "effective" laws must be enacted to deal with expelled individuals who have managed to re-enter Iran after being deported. He did not elaborate. Iranian officials typically use the term "unauthorized nationals" to refer to Afghan refugees and Vahidi's statement is seen as an indication that the government plans to continue with its efforts to deport those who have fled the Taliban regime. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, Iran currently hosts around 3.4 million foreign refugees, with Afghans comprising the largest single group. The agency requested $114 million in aid for Iran last year to support refugee management, of which Tehran had received over $26 million by mid-2023. This year, the refugee agency has sought $110 million in aid for Iran, with commitments from several countries, including Italy, Japan, Bulgaria, and Germany, to cover part of the sum. Iran ranks alongside Turkey as one of the top host countries for refugees globally. The issue of Afghan migration has regained prominence following the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, leading to an increase in the number of refugees seeking safety outside their home country. Recent government estimates suggest significant discrepancies in the number of unauthorized Afghan nationals in Iran, with figures ranging from 500,000 to 1.2 million, according to last year's assessment by the head of the National Immigration Organization. Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-afghan-refugees-crackdown- tightens/32938003.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Armenia Stops Financial Contributions To Russian-Led Military Alliance By RFE/RL's Armenian Service May 08, 2024 YEREVAN -- Armenia said on May 8 that it has stopped making financial contributions to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) after effectively suspending its membership in the Russian-led military alliance. "Armenia will refrain from signing up to the November 23, 2023, decision on the CSTO budget for 2024 and, thereby, from participating in the financing of the organization's activities," Armenian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Ani Badalian told several media outlets, including Armenia's Public Television. At the same time, Badalian said Yerevan will not block other member states, including Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, from doing so. For more than a year, Armenia has boycotted high-level meetings, military exercises, and other activities of the CSTO in what Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian described in February as an effective suspension of its membership of the organization. The premier repeatedly said afterwards that he could pull his country out of the alliance of six ex-Soviet states altogether unless it addressed Yerevan's concerns. The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed last week that Armenia formally remains a full-fledged member of the CSTO and must therefore "fulfill appropriate obligations" to the organization. Armenia officially asked Russia and other CSTO member states for support after Azerbaijan launched offensive military operations along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in September 2022. Yerevan has repeatedly accused them of ignoring the request. Moscow denies that. The threats to leave the CSTO reflect Armenia's deepening rift with Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov charged in March that Pashinian's administration is "leading things to the collapse of Russian-Armenian relations" at the behest of the West. Pashinian and other Armenian leaders say they are only "diversifying" their foreign and security policies because of what they call Russia's failure to honor its security commitments to the South Caucasus country. Coincidentally, Pashinian is visiting Moscow on May 8 to chair the summit of another Russian-led grouping - the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) - in which Armenia currently holds the rotating presidency. Other members of the EEU are Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. The Kremlin later confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pashinian had held face-to-face talks at the session. "On our bilateral relations are developing quite successfully," Putin told Pashinian, according to AFP. The Russia leader did not mention tensions between the two nations, saying only that "we always, first and foremost, pay attention to economic cooperation." With reporting by AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/armenia-csto-budget-russia- pashinian-putin/32938561.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Georgian Protests Continue Against 'Foreign Agents' Bill, Absent Police Violence By RFE/RL's Georgian Service May 08, 2024 Demonstrators against the so-called "foreign agents" bill awaiting its final reading in Georgia's parliament have marched again in the capital in the latest show of popular opposition to the government moves to enact legislation that risks damaging Tbilisi's relations with the West. The May 7 protest began at parliament and headed toward the ruling Georgian Dream's headquarters, where marchers were met with a police cordon. Some of the participants carried EU and Georgian flags up to Peace Bridge before many returned to the area around the parliament building. There were no reports of violence. Weeks of protest against what critics call "the Russian law" have sometimes been met with tough police actions to disperse crowds allegedly including the use of rubber bullets, detentions, and roving bands of thugs targeting demonstrators. One of the organizers of the latest protest, Zviad Tsetskhladze, said opponents of the bill had created a group that will try to provide financial support to individuals who are dismissed from their public-service jobs over their opposition to it. Tens of thousands of Georgians have taken to the streets in Tbilisi and other cities in protests that have unleashed fierce police responses, which included chemical spray and tear gas, water cannons, and the alleged use of rubber bullets against protesters or journalists who showed signs of injury from projectiles. The crackdown in Tbilisi has generally eased since Orthodox Easter although smaller protests and candlelight vigils have continued and even spread in significant numbers to other cities. The bill says media, NGOs, and other nonprofits must register as "pursuing the interests of a foreign power" if more than 20 percent of their funding comes 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. It is expected to face a third and final reading by May 13, with Georgian Dream and its allies seemingly in control of enough votes to carry the bill and potentially override a veto that has been promised by President Salome Zourabichvili. EU 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. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/georgia-protest-foreign-agents- bill/32937822.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Report on Israel's Conduct in Gaza Strip Delayed Indefinitely - Reports Sputnik News 20240508 WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Biden administration's report on whether Israel violated US law and international humanitarian law during its military operations in the Gaza Strip has been delayed indefinitely, Politico reported on Tuesday. If the report determines that US and international law have been violated, the Biden administration would be expected to stop sending military assistance to Israel. The administration emailed Congress notifying lawmakers that it will miss the deadline to submit the report but did not provide additional details. When the National Security Council was asked to explain the delay, they referred any inquiries to the State Department. Earlier on Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the US government is trying very hard to meet the "self-imposed deadline." Miller said it is possible to "slip" a little bit, but the administration is trying to get the report done by Wednesday. On Monday night, some 200 attorneys, 27 of whom are currently in the Biden administration, sent a letter to top US officials arguing that sending weapons to Israel would be illegal. The report's delay comes as Israel started a military operation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, where some 1.4 million Palestinians - are sheltering. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas Returns Delegation to Cairo to Continue Ceasefire Talks Sputnik News 20240508 TUNIS (Sputnik) - Hamas's delegation has returned to Cairo to continue discussing ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and to reach an agreement that will allow to end the ongoing conflict, the Palestinian movement said on Tuesday. On Monday, Hamas informed Qatari and Egyptian mediators that it agreed to the terms of the ceasefire deal they had drafted. The proposal provides for three stages of 42 days, during which a complete ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners are expected to be concluded. "A Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya [Hamas deputy leader] recently arrived in Cairo from Doha to continue the efforts of the mediating brothers in Egypt and Qatar to reach an agreement to end the aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip," the movement said on Telegram. On Monday, Israel declined the ceasefire proposal as unacceptable and started a military operation in eastern Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, home to some 1.5 million Palestinians forced to flee the northern and central parts of the Strip. Hamas demands Israel to fully withdraw forces and end the conflict. On October 7, 2023, Palestinian movement 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 34,700 people have been killed so far by Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, according to local authorities. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address No aid getting into Gaza, says UN aid agency 8 May 2024 - Israeli military manoeuvres and shelling continued in and around eastern Rafah in southern Gaza on Wednesday morning as UN humanitarians stressed that "no fuel or aid" is getting into the enclave. "We're not receiving any aid, the crossing area has ongoing military operations and is an active war zone," said Scott Anderson, from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, in a post on X. "We are hearing continued bombardments in this area throughout the day. No fuel or aid has entered into the Gaza Strip and this is disastrous for the humanitarian response." The development comes amid deepening international concerns including from the UN Secretary-General about a full-scale Israeli military operation in Rafah, fuelled by the closure of Kerem Shalom following a deadly rocket attack claimed by Hamas last weekend, and the seizure of Rafah crossing on Tuesday by Israeli forces, dashing ceasefire hopes. Forced to evacuate In addition to concerns over dwindling supplies of fuel, food and other basic necessities in Gaza, UN humanitarians reported that tens of thousands of people in Rafah have been uprooted once more by Israeli evacuation orders. "Every day we are displaced. Every hour we are displaced," said Rafah resident Salah Rajab Gazan speaking to UN News inside the enclave. "We expected that the deal would be reached and we'd go (back) to Gaza City. But what we expected did not happen and the opposite happened." Gaza 'has no future' In another interview with our Arabic service correspondent there, a former resident of Jabalia camp in northern Gaza described his exhaustion and loss, after seven months of war which had claimed the lives of his children. "I can't find a mattress to sleep on; I used to have a house and floors. I am tired of life because there is no life in Gaza. Gaza has no future." Guterres concern In a bid to secure an end to the war and the release of all remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a direct appeal to the Government of Israel late Tuesday "to stop any escalation and engage constructively in the ongoing diplomatic talks". Posting on X late on Tuesday the UN chief said that was "disturbed and distressed" by the Israeli Defence Forces' renewed military activity in Rafah, just as he called on Hamas leaders and Israel "to show political courage" and secure a ceasefire. "After more than 1,100 Israelis killed in the Hamas terror attacks of 7 October, after more than 34,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza, haven't we seen enough?" the Mr. Guterres asked, at UN headquarters in New York. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli forces bringing war to the West Bank, warns UN rights office 8 May 2024 - As war rages in Gaza, violations against Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank have also increased substantially, a senior official with the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Wednesday. "The Israeli defence force (IDF) is acting as if there is an armed conflict in the West Bank," Ajith Sunghay, head of the OHCHR Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, told UN News. He said the situation there was already very dire even before hostilities erupted in Gaza following the brutal Hamas-led incursion into Israel on 7 October. Settler violence and demolitions Last year was the deadliest ever for Palestinians in the West Bank since the UN began keeping records in 2005, and there was also a spike in violations including settler violence, excessive use of force by the IDF, demolitions and evictions. Demolitions were reported on Tuesday in the northern village of Furush Beit Dajan, the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, said on social media. Mr. Sunghay said that while global attention has been focused on Gaza, the intensity and frequency of violations increased in the West Bank. "If we talk about the number of people killed or injured, either because of these massive incursions by the IDF into the West Bank - particularly in Tulkarem, Jenin, Nablus; sometimes into Jericho and other parts as well - that spiked up," he said. The number of people detained has also "spiked up massively", reaching close to 9,000, he added. He noted that "whatever happens in Gaza has a massive impact on the West Bank," and vice versa, "because they're the same people". "We now see huge fear among the population of the West Bank, as well, on a regular basis worried about incursions, worried about raids, worried about arrest and detention, worried about settler violence and, of course, with massive significant movement restrictions, that impacts their day-to-day life." This interview has been edited for length and clarity Ajith Sunghay: Our biggest concern is the spike in violence that we are seeing, particularly coming from very emboldened settlers. Because the attention is focused on Gaza, they feel emboldened. There's been massive lack of accountability, or in other words, impunity for violations that have been and committed by the IDF in the West Bank, so they continue to violate or continue to attack Palestinians, Palestinian towns and villages. So, the lack of safety and security of people is at the top-most concern for us. The Israeli Defence Force is acting as if there is an armed conflict in the West Bank. The applicable law in the West Bank is the human rights law enforcement framework, which means the force that the IDF can use is limited to that legal framework. In the West Bank there is no armed conflict, but the nature of these operations that are being conducted by the IDF indicate that they're using massive numbers of soldiers, drones, sometimes fighter jets dropping bombs, shoulder-fired missiles - heavy weapons, in other words, which is used generally in an armed conflict, not in law enforcement. Another concern is movement restrictions and arrests and detention. People are unable to move between towns, between communities, between cities, within the West Bank. That has had a major impact on the economy; that has had a major impact on the family structures, the society, more generally, the Palestinian community. UN News: In this situation, when we're speaking about an occupied territory, it is supposed that the occupying power acts as law enforcement, as the side that maintains law and order. But based on what you are describing, it is vice versa? Ajith Sunghay: That is correct, and unfortunately that has been the case. In international law, the responsibility and the obligation of the occupying power is to provide protection - and that is expected of Israel, and that includes the IDF that is to provide safety and security and protect the population of the occupied territory, and that is the Palestinians. However, what we have seen consistently, and that has increased since the 7 October, is that the IDF ends up providing security to the settlers who are actually attacking Palestinians. Many times we have found them being bystanders. In many cases, they have facilitated these attacks. In many instances we have started seeing that the settlers are also wearing IDF clothes, so it's very difficult to distinguish between the two. Unfortunately, the IDF and, more broadly, Israel, have not honoured their obligation under international humanitarian law, but, on the contrary, have only committed more human rights violations. UN News: In such circumstances, who is there to protect Palestinians and their rights? Ajith Sunghay: That's a good question. This is where, I think, the vacuum comes in. In many instances, in many pockets off the West Bank as well, there is a vacuum for the protection of Palestinians. In cases of settler violence, for instance, the Palestinians are expected to go and file a complaint with the Israeli police or IDF who are inside the Israeli settlements. For me, that doesn't make any sense. When they're attacked by the Israeli settlers, how do you expect a Palestinian to go inside an Israeli settlement, which is already quite scary for them, and go and complain? And when they have seen consistent lack of accountability, why would they do that? So, you don't find many Palestinians going and lodging complaints. In the end, that's what leaves a massive protection gap for Palestinians. UN News: When you are speaking of attacks or any actions by settlers, what kind of clashes are those? Ajith Sunghay: There are many. In the past we used to see one settler attacking a herder or a Palestinian who is probably moving around, et cetera. What we have seen in 2023 and moving further into 2024 is much more organized settlers attacking in groups against Palestinian towns and villages and communities. They coordinate an attack, or coordinate gatherings, and then attack a community. It can be from stones and sticks to weapons, including firearms and guns, for instance. That's where we have seen in many cases Palestinians being shot, injured and in many, many cases, killed as well. But in many cases where they have attacked the community, particularly a village or a town, we have seen shops, vehicles, houses, the entire community being burnt down, so it has increased both in terms of intensity as well as the frequency and then the kind of attacks that we have seen over the years. UN News: You mean to say that those are not actions in response to some activity on behalf of Palestinians, but rather something which is organized, coordinated, and even instigated by the settlers themselves? Ajith Sunghay: We have to remember one thing: the settlements over the years have expanded massively, which means settlements and settlers live extremely close or next to the Palestinian community. So, the constant chance of meeting each other or having frictions, incidents of clashes, increase. UN News: In this situation, you record all those cases and report on them. Do you also interact with Palestinian human rights defenders' groups? Are there such groups on both sides, Israel and Palestine, and do you interact with all of them? Ajith Sunghay: We record all violations, not just settler violence, but also house evictions, house demolitions, detention - ranging from economic, social, to civil and political rights. We don't do this on our own, either. One of our chief functions is to make sure that civil society space is maintained, and we work very closely with a range of organizations - both UN as well as national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs). And when we talk about national, both Palestinian as well as Israeli NGOs. We have established this network over the years. What has happened, however, over the last few years is massive shrinking of space for different reasons, and to be honest, it also comes from all three sides: Israel, the Palestinian Authority, as well as the de facto authorities. However, I think much of those restrictions come from Israel. For instance, a couple of years ago, Israel designated with no evidence, (six) human rights NGOs as terrorist organizations. When you do something of that sort, you will have support dwindling to these NGOs, whether we mean it or not, whether we like it or not. And that's the space we are trying to push back. We are trying to help NGOs do their job. It's extremely important that we are there on the ground and are able to record these violations. Similarly, the Israeli NGOs have also faced such threats. For instance, when the Israeli Government threatens 65 per cent tax on any incoming funds from abroad, that was in a way to squeeze the space of Israeli NGOs. UN News: Since October, a number of Gazans have had to stay in the West Bank. What is the situation with them currently? Ajith Sunghay: When the 7 October attacks happened inside Israel, thousands of Gazan workers who were in the West Bank and Israel were all detained. No one knows the exact number. A number of them were then released through the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza. We do not have a full picture of the number who were released or of those who are still in detention. However, those who have been detained, several of them have given us consistent accounts of being ill-treated, humiliated, sexually abused and tortured. There are many who still remain in detention. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Unprecedented flooding displaces hundreds of thousands across East Africa 8 May 2024 - "Unprecedented and devastating" flooding in east Africa has triggered widespread displacement with hundreds of thousands forced from their homes in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Ethiopia and Tanzania, UN humanitarians warned on Wednesday. In an alert, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) noted that torrential rains have unleashed catastrophic flooding and mudslides while also severely damaging roads, bridges and dams. More than 637,000 people have been affected by weeks of deluges including 234,000 displaced in just the last five days. There is no official figure for the number of dead. Never-ending emergency "The (displacement) numbers keep rising," the UN agency said, noting that the flooding emergency was one of the "harsh realities" of climate change, which has claimed lives and uprooted entire communities. "As these individuals face the daunting task of rebuilding, their vulnerability only deepens," said Rana Jaber, IOM Regional Director for East and Horn of Africa. "In this critical moment - even as IOM responds - the call remains urgent for sustainable efforts to address human mobility spurred by a changing climate," she continued. Africa is highly vulnerable to climate change despite contributing only about four per cent to global greenhouse gas emissions. The East and Horn of Africa has particularly been impacted by alternating cycles of drought and intense precipitation over the last decade, IOM maintained. Amid the worst rains and flooding in decades, IOM along with governments and partners continue to provide lifesaving assistance to affected populations who have lost family members and now face a heightened risk of waterborne disease. In Burundi, IOM has distributed emergency shelter, blankets, cooking utensils, solar lamps dignity kits and other items to more than 5,000 people. The UN agency also supports the relocation of people at risk to safe and less flood-prone areas. Help is also underway in neighbouring Ethiopia - to more than 70,000 flood-affected people across Somali and Oromia regions - and to 39,000 people in Kenya's most severely flood-affected east, centre and west - and Somalia, where some 240,000 people are to receive shelter materials, hygiene kits, essential medical care and psychosocial support, among other services. Climate talks imperative Ahead of UN-led discussions in Germany in June to tackle climate change, IOM insisted that it was increasingly "evident" that any discussions on our warming planet and its impact on the environment should now include considerations of human mobility and displacement. East African leaders have already signed and committed to the Kampala Ministerial Declaration on Migration, Environment and Climate Change to address the "challenges and the opportunities of climate mobility", IOM said. But greater efforts are needed to support its implementation, "including advocating for the inclusion of climate mobility at global climate discussions such as the upcoming COP29 in November 2024, taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan". NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 7th Fleet Destroyer Transits Taiwan Strait US Navy 08 May 2024 From Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs TAIWAN STRAIT -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97) conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit on May 8 through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law. The ship transited through a corridor in the Strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal State. Halsey's transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States' commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations as a principle. No member of the international community should be intimidated or coerced into giving up their rights and freedoms. The United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Naval Forces Europe and U.S. Sixth Fleet conduct containerized missile launcher rehearsals on Bornholm Island, Denmark US Navy 08 May 2024 From U.S Naval Forces Europe Public Affairs BORNHOLM ISLAND, Denmark -- U.S. Naval Forces Europe, in coordination with the Danish military, conducted convoy protection rehearsals with a modular and containerized missile launcher, May 3-5, 2024. The portable, land-based containerized missile launcher, as compared to a shipboard missile launcher, increases the Navy's flexibility to move and employ the shore based weapon systems to support maritime security along sea lines of communication. The U.S. Navy conducted this operation on Bornholm Island for the first time last year, September 2023. This second iteration continues to reaffirm our commitment to a strong NATO security Ally, and strengthens the U.S.-Denmark partnership. For over 80 years, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) has forged strategic relationships with allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability. Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Humanitarians: Safe evacuation of Rafah impossible By Margaret Besheer May 08, 2024 Humanitarians and medical professionals working in the Gaza Strip warned Wednesday that a full-scale Israeli military operation in Rafah would be a catastrophe and said the safe, mass evacuation of civilians is not possible. About 1.3 million Palestinians are sheltering in Rafah in southern Gaza after moving repeatedly from other parts of the strip to escape bombings and fighting. On Monday, Israel dropped leaflets on a 30-square-kilometer area in eastern Rafah, telling residents to move to the coastal town of Al Mawasi, which the United Nations says is already overcrowded and lacking safety and essential humanitarian services. Ghada Alhaddad, a spokesperson in Gaza for the British aid group Oxfam, said people do not know where to go, and tents are popping up all over Al Mawasi and in the central town of Deir al-Balah. "Even on the sidewalks, on the pavement, on the streets, in the graveyards, in the courtyards of hospitals, in the courtyards of the schools there are tents that are being built," she told reporters on a briefing call with doctors and humanitarians from several aid agencies. The population is so deteriorated after seven months of war, with many, including children, maimed by bombs or malnourished, that they are not healthy enough to relocate on foot for most their only option. "Children and elderly who are so starved that they can barely walk these people cannot just pick up and walk and relocate to another area," Alexandra Saieh, head of humanitarian advocacy and policy at Save the Children International, told reporters. "The concept of a safe zone is a lie," Helena Ranchal, director of international operations for French charity Medecins du Monde (Doctors of the World), said from Nablus in the West Bank. "There is not a safe area anymore in Gaza." She echoed the concerns expressed this week by many human rights advocates and aid workers about the Israeli-ordered evacuations that civilians must be protected and have their basic needs met. "All of these criteria were not met, and these displacements constitute forcible transfer in grave breach of international humanitarian law," she said. Malnutrition rising Israel began targeting Hamas battalions in eastern Rafah on Monday, and also took control of the Rafah border crossing, which is the main humanitarian entry point into Gaza. It has been closed since. Israel closed a second crossing, Kerem Shalom, after a Hamas rocket attack killed four Israeli soldiers on Sunday. It said the crossing had reopened on Wednesday, but the U.N. said no aid had passed through yet. A third crossing, Erez, has been open only sporadically, humanitarians said. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told his troops Tuesday that the Rafah operation would continue "until we eliminate Hamas in the Rafah area and the entire Gaza Strip, or until the first hostage returns." Humanitarians say the shutdown of the border crossings and the halt to the entry of supplies, including fuel, could risk the near-term collapse of their aid operations, even without a full-scale military operation in Rafah. "The whole aid operation runs on fuel. So, if the fuel is cut off, the aid operation collapses and it collapses quickly," said Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International. "That means water can't be pumped, lights can't be kept on in hospitals, vehicles can't distribute aid." He said it comes as the threat of famine is growing across Gaza, not just in the north but also in central and southern Gaza. "If there is a Rafah invasion, that will certainly push things past the tipping point, because then the aid operation will collapse, and then we will see really skyrocketing mortality related to famine," Konyndyk said. Doctors who have worked in Gaza agree. British surgeon Nick Maynard has been to Gaza twice since the war started with British charity Medical Aid for Palestinians. He was evacuated from Rafah on Monday. He told reporters he treated patients who had developed complications and severe infections that were the direct result of malnutrition, because they have weakened immune systems. "I operated on many patients in the last two weeks who had awful complications from their abdominal surgery related to inadequate nutrition," he said. "Particularly those with [their] abdominal wall breaking down. So literally, their intestines end up hanging outside." He said malnutrition directly contributed to the deaths last week of two young female patients, ages 16 and 18, both with survivable injuries. "We will see far more of that over the coming months," Maynard said. Doctors and aid workers are also worried about the impending summer heat. A recent three-day heat wave saw temperatures hit 37 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit). They say clean drinking water is already in short supply, and severe heat will make dehydration a major contributor to deaths. Already more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, and more than 78,000 injured, according to the Gaza-run Health Ministry. Hamas killed 1,200 people in Israel during its October 7 terror attack. The U.N. office for humanitarian affairs said Wednesday that all the main medical facilities in Rafah could soon become inaccessible or inoperable. One of the three hospitals in Rafah Al-Najjar was vacated Tuesday because it is located in the area under the current evacuation order. The World Health Organization said Al-Najjar has the only dialysis department still operating in Gaza a lifeline for 200 patients with kidney failure. The humanitarians stressed that the only way to help everyone in need is for the fighting to end. "The solution and we are asking for that since the beginning is a cease-fire," Ranchal of Doctors of the World said. "A cease-fire now." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US withholds weapons as Israel launches operation in Rafah By Patsy Widakuswara May 08, 2024 For the first time since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, the Biden administration has paused the shipment of weapons to Israel amid mounting concern over its plan to expand a military operation in Rafah that the United States does not support. The decision follows discussions with Israel on how it will "operate differently against Hamas there than they have elsewhere in Gaza," a senior administration official said in a statement sent to VOA. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. A ground assault on Rafah, in the southern part of Gaza, would endanger the lives of 1.3 million civilians who evacuated from the north and central parts of the territory to seek safety from Israel's military response to Hamas' Oct 7 attack on Israel. Administration officials have repeatedly said the U.S. will not support a Rafah invasion unless Israel provides a credible plan on how it would protect civilians. In an April 4 phone call, President Joe Biden warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he would withhold military aid unless Israel changes its war conduct. President Biden told CNN in an interview aired Wednesday night that the U.S. would continue to supply Israel with defensive arms, such as Iron Dome munitions. "I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they haven't gone in Rafah yet if they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, that deal with that problem," he said. Deliberations on withholding arms began in April as Israel seemed closer to a decision on Rafah, the official said. Since then, the Israelis "have not fully addressed our concerns," and the decision to pause the arms transfer was executed "last week." The shipment was supposed to consist of 1,800 2,000-lb. bombs and 1,700 500-lb. bombs. The administration said it is mainly concerned with the "end-use of the 2,000-lb. bombs and the impact they could have in dense urban settings as we have seen in other parts of Gaza." The official said other equipment under review includes Joint Direct Attack Munition, or JDAM, kits that convert so-called "dumb bombs" into precision-guided munitions. The paused shipments are drawn from previously appropriated funds, not from the supplemental appropriations that Congress passed in April. "We are committed to ensuring Israel gets every dollar appropriated in the supplemental," the official said, highlighting the recent approval of $827 million worth of weapons and equipment, the latest tranche of foreign military financing. The pause marks the first time the U.S. leveraged a weapons transfer to influence Israel's war conduct since Hamas' October 7 terror attack. Lawmakers' pushback In a Senate hearing Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told lawmakers that the administration has not made a final determination on how to proceed with the shipment, "in the context of the unfolding events in Rafah." The announcement was welcomed by progressives in President Biden's Democratic party but criticized by Republican lawmakers. "The president's apparent inability to keep the most radical voices on his left flank out of the Situation Room isn't just a shameful abdication of leadership - it's dangerous," said Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham called the move "absurd." "You want to micromanage the war? We dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese after Pearl Harbor. Did anybody in America really worry about that?" he said. McConnell and Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson sent a letter demanding answers from the Biden administration on why it had delayed the arms delivery. Reports of the pause in the weapons shipment first surfaced Tuesday on the same day that President Biden reiterated his support for Israel. "My commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad, even when we disagree," he said in an impassioned speech Tuesday to honor the memory of the six million Jews killed during the Holocaust and other victims of Nazi persecution. Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. aid, nearly $4 billion a year, most of it in the form of military assistance. "The American taxpayer has subsidized Israel's manufactured humanitarian crisis in Gaza," said Ari Tolany, director of security assistance, arms trade and technology at the Center for International Policy. "If the administration will continue to arm and train Israel no matter what, Israel has no incentive to change its behavior," she told VOA. The decision follows a whirlwind of events in the past few days regarding the possibility of a cease-fire in Gaza. A deal to end hostilities paired with the release of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinians detained in Israeli jails appeared within reach Monday when Hamas said it has accepted the terms for truce. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected that version of the deal and ordered Israeli forces to carry out a "limited operation" in eastern Rafah. Report to Congress At the same time the administration missed a Wednesday deadline to submit a report to Congress on whether Israel is violating humanitarian law while using U.S.-supplied weapons in Israel's war against Hamas. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said during Tuesday's briefing that the National Security Memorandum "will not be transmitted today. We continue to work to finalize the report. We expect to deliver it in the very near future." Under the National Security Memorandum 20 (NSM20), issued in February, Biden directed the departments of State and Defense report to Congress within 90 days on whether U.S. partners that were provided with American weapons have complied with international and U.S. laws. That includes the Leahy Laws, two legislative provisions named for Senator Patrick Leahy that mandate the U.S. cut off assistance to any foreign military or law enforcement units if it determines there is credible evidence of human rights violations. Israel provided its assurances of NSM20 compliance in March, and the State Department was due to report to Congress on Wednesday whether it finds Israel's assurances credible. The delay could be due to a "substantive disagreement being resolved or just regular bureaucracy," rather than an effort to created added pressure on Israel, said Josh Paul, former director of the State Department agency that deals with weapons transfers. "But we will see what the report says," Paul told VOA. "If it becomes an extended delay, that could be indicative of a rewrite." Human rights groups and independent observers have for weeks called for a suspension of American weapons transfers to Israel, alleging they have been used in violation of international humanitarian and human rights law. In April, Paul, alongside other former administration officials and academicians, submitted a report detailing what it said were unlawful Israeli attacks on civilians using American weapons. Amnesty International submitted a similar report ahead of the NSM20 deadline. VOA congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson and Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb and State Department bureau chief Nike Ching contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel reopens Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza; UN says no new aid has arrived By VOA News May 08, 2024 The Israeli military said Wednesday it has reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza, but the United Nations said no humanitarian aid had yet entered the Palestinian territory as no one was present to receive it after workers left the area because of Israeli attacks near there. The Kerem Shalom crossing was closed last weekend after a Hamas rocket attack killed four Israeli soldiers. On Tuesday, an Israeli tank brigade seized the nearby Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, also forcing its closure. The two crossings are the main points of entry for humanitarian aid -- food, medicine and other supplies -- into Gaza, the narrow territory along the Mediterranean Sea where 2.3 million Palestinians live. More than half that population crowded into the southern reaches of Gaza to escape fighting in the northern part of the enclave during the earliest weeks of the seven-month-long Israel-Hamas war. Israeli attacks on southern Gaza did not appear to be the start of the full-scale invasion of the city of Rafah that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly promised to root out four remaining Hamas battalions there. But aid officials have warned that any prolonged closure of the two crossings could cause the collapse of aid operations in Gaza, where the U.N. says a "full-blown famine" is already under way in the north. The Rafah crossing has been vital for humanitarian aid since the start of the war in October and is the only place that people can enter and exit Gaza. Kerem Shalom is Gaza's main cargo terminal. Meanwhile, there were new calls Wednesday for Israel to avoid an all-out attack on Rafah, with Qatar and the African Union expressing concern about an escalating humanitarian crisis. Qatar has been among the leading mediators seeking to secure a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, and on Wednesday it said any forcible displacement of civilians from Rafah would be a serious violation of international law. A statement issued by Qatar's foreign ministry condemned Israeli strikes on Rafah and called for "urgent international action" to prevent Israeli forces from invading the city. African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat called on the international community to work together to stop a deadly escalation of the conflict into Rafah, noting the area's importance as a corridor for bringing humanitarian aid into Gaza. U.N. relief chief Martin Griffiths said closing the Rafah crossing cut off access to fuel and the ability for aid workers to cross into Gaza. Israeli leaders say a military operation in Rafah is necessary to achieve their goals of securing the release of hostages still held in Gaza and defeating Hamas. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday an assault on Rafah would be a "strategic mistake, a political calamity, and a humanitarian nightmare" at a time when famine is looming over northern Gaza. "It would be tragic if weeks of intense diplomatic activity for peace in Gaza yields no cease-fire, no release of hostages, and a devastating offensive in Rafah," he told reporters at the United Nations. He urged both the Israeli government and Hamas to show "the political courage" to secure a deal and stop the bloodshed and urged countries with influence over the parties to use it. The World Health Organization says about 1.2 million people are sheltering in Rafah, and more than half of them are children. Many came from other parts of Gaza, fleeing in search of safety and shelter as Israel's campaign against Hamas left much of the Gaza Strip in ruins. 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 week-long truce in late November. Israel's counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 34,700 Palestinians, about two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the territory. The Israeli military says the death toll includes thousands of Hamas fighters it has killed. VOA's Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. Some information came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Bomb blast hits Taliban convoy in turbulent Afghan province, kills 3 By Ayaz Gul May 08, 2024 A bomb explosion in Afghanistan's volatile northeastern Badakhshan province Wednesday killed at least three Taliban security personnel and wounded six others. Multiple sources, including residents and area hospital officials, confirmed the casualties. They said that a "sticky improvised explosive device" apparently planted on a motorbike struck a Taliban military convoy in the provincial capital, Faizabad. The Taliban's Interior Ministry spokesman confirmed the casualties, saying the bomb targeted a unit of security forces that were heading to illegal poppy fields to destroy them. Abdul Mateen Qani said the attack was under investigation. Later Wednesday, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the bombing in Badakhshan, which has been in the grip of unprecedented violent public protests against Taliban authorities' poppy eradication campaign. The unrest erupted last Friday and left two protesters dead in clashes with Taliban security forces. The claim was made via its Telegram channel, according to Reuters. Wednesday's deadly blast came a day after the Taliban's army chief, Fasihuddin Fitrat, said in a video message that he had addressed complaints of protesting farmers and resolved the unrest. He insisted on receiving public support for poppy eradication. Fitrat arrived in Faizabad from Kabul two days ago as the head of a high-powered delegation to negotiate with the demonstrators' leaders. Ahead of his visit to the province, the Taliban army chief had threatened to militarily "quell the rebellion" if the demonstrations persisted. He reiterated his government's resolve to eradicate poppy cultivation in Afghanistan and vowed to achieve this goal, come what may. Since regaining control of the country, the Taliban's reclusive supreme leader, Hibatullah Akundzada, has imposed a nationwide ban on poppy cultivation, production, usage, transportation, and trade of illicit drugs. However, deteriorating economic conditions and the absence of alternatives for poppy-growing farmers have been causing unrest in parts of Afghanistan against the ban, which went into effect in April 2022. The United Nations estimates the ban on poppy cultivation rendered some 450,000 people jobless in poverty-stricken Afghanistan and precipitated a $1.3 billion loss in farmers' incomes. Badakhshan and surrounding Afghan provinces are ethnically non-Pashtun regions. The Taliban, who represent the country's majority Pashtun population, were unable to take control of the northern provinces during their first stint in power in the 1990s. Critics argue that the rare public uprising in Badakhshan highlights the potential obstacles that the Taliban may face in maintaining their authority in Afghanistan, reeling from decades of war and the effects of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, and droughts. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Japan-Russia tensions flare over Ukraine war amid decades-long land disputes By Chermaine Lee May 08, 2024 Friction between Japan and Russia will likely escalate amidst the burgeoning Ukraine war, with the decades-long land conflicts showing no sign of thawing. The Kremlin recently banned non-Russian vessels from waters near the Kuril Islands - known in Japan as the Northern Territories - currently occupied by Russia but claimed by Japan. Tokyo saw the move as part of a series of Moscow threats after the recent security alliance between the United States and Japan. There will be further retaliation from Moscow against Japan, according to James DJ Brown, professor of political science at Japan's Temple University. "The Putin regime feels an obligation to retaliate against what it regards as unfriendly actions by Japan," Brown told VOA News. "Every time Tokyo does something more to assist Ukraine or to strengthen military ties with the United States, Moscow takes some measures to punish Japan." He said that as Japan is likely to introduce further sanctions to support Kyiv, Moscow's retaliation is "all but guaranteed." The retaliatory measures aren't just targeting Tokyo. A Russian man residing in the Kuril Islands was warned in March by a Russian court over his remarks to Japanese media that the territory had belonged to Japan in the past. Earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would visit the Kuril Islands, putting a damper on hopes for negotiations over sovereignty that both countries have attempted for decades. Land disputes run deep Russia and Japan's competing claims over the four islands off the northeast coast of Hokkaido - Japan's second-largest island - date back to at least the 19th century. Near the end of WWII, the then Soviet Union started fully occupying the Kuril Islands. Japan claimed that the Soviet Union incorporated them "without any legal grounds" and refused to sign a peace treaty. Tokyo said about 17,000 Japanese residents were deported from the islands. The Russian public, Brown said, view the Kuril Islands as reward for the sacrifices of the Soviet people during the war. The two countries have held talks off and on for decades to reach an agreement but to no avail. The conflict eased in 2016, when the two countries agreed on joint economic activities including tourism projects on the islands, as well as visa-free visits for Japanese citizens. Two years later, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe proposed a split of the four islands, returning two islands to Japan, but Putin rejected it. Akihiro Iwashita, professor of the Slavic-Eurasian Research Center at Japan's Hokkaido University, called this Putin's "failed diplomacy" toward Japan that eventually led to Tokyo taking a more hardline approach against Moscow. "If Putin had shown goodwill to Japan, negotiating with Shinzo Abe for the peace treaty, Japan would not have taken a critical position over the Ukraine war," Iwashita told VOA News. "Remember Japan's hesitation to sanction Russia after its 2014 aggression against Ukraine? Japan now does not need to restrain its policy towards Russia." Tensions over the Ukraine war Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow put all peace treaty talks with Japan on hold and suspended the previously agreed economic activities and visa-free visits to the islands for Japanese citizens. This followed Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's siding with Ukraine in the war, with Kishida calling the suspension "extremely unjust." Japan has been providing assistance to Ukraine against Russia's invasion, including supplying Patriot air defense systems last year. Kishida was the first Japanese leader to visit an active war zone, to show solidarity with Ukraine and the U.S. Moscow warned of "grave consequences" for its ties with Tokyo. That did not stop Japan from pledging $4.5 billion in aid to war-torn Ukraine last December, including $1 billion for humanitarian purposes. Japan's aid to Ukraine has affected residents of Hokkaido. A survey conducted by Hokkaido authorities and the Hokkaido Shimbun last year showed that over half of the respondents near the Russia-Japan border in the north felt a negative effect of the Ukraine war on local life, including reduction in fishing activities and trade, and human contacts. In October last year, Russia banned all seafood imports from Japan, citing Tokyo's release of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant. "Moscow used the pretense of the threat of radiation from treatment water from the Fukushima plant. In reality, it was an attempt by Moscow to punish Japan for its support for Ukraine," Brown said. In the survey, many also said they cannot foresee a solution for the northern territories, but a majority said they support Tokyo's policy against Russia. Both experts said Russia does not currently pose a military threat to Japan. Brown said, "the Russian military is present on the disputed islands, but their role is to defend the Sea of Okhotsk, which is important as a bastion for Russian nuclear submarines. It does not have the capabilities on the islands to launch an amphibious assault on Hokkaido." Peace treaty negotiations are expected to continue to be frozen for the foreseeable future, despite Kishida's calls for their resumption in February this year. "Kishida is displaying diplomatic goodwill towards Russia, but with no expectations of it being reciprocated...There is little room to fill the interest gap between the two," said Iwashita. He added that Russia's pressure on Japan "will not lead to any results." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Operation Iron Swords - Day 215 - 08 May 2024 At any point, Hamas could have ended this burgeoning tragedy to surrender and release every hostage. Hamas instigated and owns this humanitarian catastrophe. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) American media reported that the administration of President Joe Biden had frozen - in an undeclared manner - shipments of weapons that it was going to send to Israel, to express its disapproval of what it is doing in Gaza. The White House believes that the Rafah operation is limited so far, and does not believe that Israel has crossed the red line set by Biden, which may lead to a shift in US policy towards the war in Gaza, American officials told the Axios website. According to the same website, senior Israeli officials expressed their deep frustration with the decision of the administration of US President Joe Biden, which decided to stop an American arms shipment that was heading to Israel, indicating that this may undermine hostage negotiations. According to an official who spoke to the Wall Street Journal on condition of anonymity, Washington was focusing "particularly on the end-use of the 900-kilogram bombs and the impact they could have in crowded urban areas as we have seen in other parts of Gaza." An arms industry official, said the administration had asked Boeing to halt the shipment since approval was suspended for political reasons, not because of supply chain pressures. A senior American official confirmed that the United States delayed the shipment of weapons to Israel for fear that it would be used in Rafah. Last week, the American administration halted a shipment of 3,500 bombs to Israel due to humanitarian concerns regarding the IDF's operation in Rafah. Republican officials in Congress told this news: "We know there are delays in shipments - and we are trying to figure out how many. We asked for clarification from the government." The shipment was supposed to include 1,800 bombs weighing 900 kg and 1,700 bombs weighing 225 kg. The unprecedented decision by the United States comes after weeks of consultations between American and Israeli officials on how to meet the humanitarian needs of the citizens in Rafah and "how to act differently against Hamas there, as opposed to other places in Gaza." The message of the American administration in delaying the arms shipments is twofold: not only was it done publicly after the delay itself - but it is gaining momentum and resonance as Israel progresses in its activities in Rafah. The United States is actually warning Israel - these will be the consequences of significant activity in Rafah, contrary to the government's opinion and without sufficient population evacuation. Despite this, in recent days it became clear to the Biden administration that "Israeli leaders seemed to be approaching a decision point on such an operation", which forced Washington to examine the transfer of the bombs, and especially the heavier bombs, for fear that they would be used in crowded residential areas in Rafah. At the same time as the decision, the Washington Post reported that the United States is examining other planned transfers that should not be sent soon. The decision concerns 6,500 kits that convert free-fall "dumb bombs" into precision-guided weapons. A senior official in the American administration confirmed news here: "We have indeed delayed a shipment of weapons of bombs, we have not made a final decision on how to proceed with this shipment." The official added, "The position of the countries was that Israel should not launch a large ground operation in Rafah." He further added: "Discussions with Israel on the humanitarian and operational issue in Rafah continue and our concerns were not fully addressed. When we saw that Israeli leaders were approaching a decision point regarding such an operation, we began to carefully examine proposed transfers of certain weapons to Israel that might be used in Rafah. We are mainly concerned about the target of the bombs weighing about a thousand kilograms and the effect they may have in a dense urban environment, as we have seen in other parts of Gaza," the official concluded. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller on Wednesday described the statements of an Israeli Likud Party representative as unfortunate after she threatened to raze buildings in Gaza if Israel did not obtain American precision-guided weapons. In answer to a question posed to him during a press briefing, Miller said that senior members of the Israeli government should refrain from making these extremely regrettable statements, according to what the Times of Israel reported . Miller stated that the comments of Tali Gottlieb, a member of the Israeli Knesset, will not have any impact on American policy decisions, which are made on the basis of the best interests of the American people and the region more broadly. Gottlieb said in one of her interventions: The United States is threatening not to provide us with accurate missiles... Well, I have news for the United States: We have inaccurate missiles! So perhaps instead of using an accurate missile to destroy a specific room or a specific building, we will use inaccurate missiles to level 10 buildings. On the ground... This is what we will do if you do not give us accurate missiles. We will use inaccurate missiles, according to what the Israeli newspaper reported in her words. War Termination Operational Update The Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi: "Wrapped in pain for the loss of our dear people, we are determined, we will continue to fight together for the defense of our country and to ensure our existence here in this country." The ceremony of saluting the fallen of the Israeli forces and placing the national flag on the graves of the fallen of the Israeli forces, shared by the IDF, the Ministry of Defense and other security organizations, in which the Israeli flag is placed on the graves of the fallen of the Israeli forces, took place on Mount Herzl, in Jerusalem. As every year, the ceremony and the placing of the flags on the graves of the fallen open the events of the Remembrance Days. From the end of the ceremony on Mount Herzl until the beginning of the Day of Remembrance for the Fallen of the IDF and the Fallen of the Israel Defense Forces, a national flag, a flower and a memorial candle will be placed on the grave of each of the fallen. "We, the heads of the organizations, stand side by side in the conduct of the war," said the Chief of Staff, "we are partners in the fight to defeat the enemy, in the efforts to recover our abductees, to locate our missing persons and for the safe return of all evacuees to their homes. Our people fight on the battlefield with courage and ferocity, and strengthen the security of the State of Israel. When we stand in front of them united in our mission, they too behave like us, down to the last one: the IDF soldiers, the shadow people in the Shin Bet and the Mossad, the policemen, the prison guards and the firefighters. "Wrapped in pain for the loss of our dear people, we are imbued with determination," he added, "we will continue to fight together for the defense of our country and to ensure our existence here in this country. The military plots scattered throughout the length and breadth of the country silently tell the story of the heroism of the martyrs of Israel's systems. The coming days are days of a national memorial in which the members of the bereaved families will ascend to the cemeteries, to be united with their loved ones in their final resting place. "There are those who have been doing this for many years, and there are many for whom this is the first state memorial day, and it is very painful," concluded the Chief of Staff, "on these days we stand by their side, and salute their loved ones and their acts of heroism. We will once again witness the strength of the partnership of fate rising from among the ranks, and we will re-swear our duty to continue to accompany the parents, children, spouses, brothers and sisters in the long and painful journey of bereavement. May the memory of the fallen be blessed." Operational Update - Gaza Following the activation of the sirens in Kerem Shalom during the daylight hours of today, several rocket shells were monitored from the Rafah area towards the Kerem Shalom crossing. The rocket shells that were fired did not cross into the country's territory, as they fell on the territory of the Gaza Strip. In addition, as a follow-up to the activation of sirens earlier today in the Shlomit area, the firing of eight rocket shells was detected that crossed from the Rafah area into the Kerem Shalom area. As a result of the firing operations, an IDF fighter was slightly injured, and the fighter received initial medical care in the field. Without having to take him to the hospital. Hamas continues to expose civilians in the Gaza Strip to danger and to commit terrorist operations from civilian areas in an attempt to target Israeli citizens and IDF forces. In addition, Hamas continues to commit launching operations from civilian-populated areas in the Rafah area towards the Kerem Shalom crossing with the aim of harming IDF forces and the function of the crossing. "Al-Quds Brigades", the military wing of the "Islamic Jihad" movement in Palestine, showed scenes from the bombing of Israeli army soldiers and vehicles invading east of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip. The military media in the "Saraya" published a video clip that included "scenes of mortar shells used by soldiers and vehicles of the Zionist enemy penetrating east of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip." Military operations in Gaza were concentrated in the Netzarim axis, which separates the north of the Strip from its center and south, in addition to the eastern region of the city of Rafah in the south, which extends from the border fence to a depth of 3 kilometers. In this context, the military and strategic expert, Colonel Hatem Karim Al-Falahi, says that the battles in Rafah are still limited, as the attack is limited to a narrow front east of the border city with Egypt. Al-Falahi believes that this operation aims to exert political pressure in the ceasefire negotiations and exchange of prisoners more than to achieve military goals. He explained that the occupations intense bombing of high-rise buildings in Rafah aims to prevent the resistance from exploiting these buildings in monitoring, surveillance and sniping operations against the Israeli military crowds. He points out that the occupation is being cautious in its advance in the region, as it is trying to secure the adjacent areas between the cities of Khan Yunis and Rafah before deepening the operation, which he said includes fighting above and below the ground. According to Al-Falahi, the resistances bombing of the areas surrounding Gaza targets military crowds that may be used in operations inside the Strip, before confirming that the Rafah operation will not provide anything on the military and political levels, as the Israeli deterrence system was struck in a killing on October 7, 2023. The military expert also believes that the strategic objectives of the Israeli war have reached a real impasse after all the facts and evidence proved that the prisoners detained in Gaza will not be released except through an exchange deal after the failure of the military option to liberate them. Regarding the Netzarim axis, Al-Falahi confirmed that the resistance factions intensified their bombing operations with mortar shells and short-range missiles on the military crowds in the region during the past three days in order to inflict on those crowds heavy losses and force them to withdraw. Regarding the decision of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to suspend sending 3,500 bombs to Israel , the strategic expert ruled out that the decision would affect the conduct of the occupation operations in Rafah for several reasons, including that the targeted area is limited in size, and the destructive power of the occupation army is not based on these bombs. He added that the occupation has artillery ammunition and military capabilities that enable it to destroy a large part of Rafah, noting that these bombs are not directed only at a house, but their destructive energy extends over a wide distance, is inaccurate, and causes great material and human damage. He explained that the systematic destruction during the Gaza war was also carried out with guided bombs, in addition to the fact that the American decision falls within the context of suspension and not cancellation, which means the possibility of resuming shipments in the coming period. In a joint operation by the IDF and the Shin Bet, an Air Force aircraft under the intelligence guidance of the Shin Bet and the Navy, in the last day eliminated the terrorist Ahmed Ali, commander of the Hamas naval force in Gaza City. During the war, Ahmed Ali promoted offensive activities towards Israeli territory and additional attacks against IDF forces operating in the Gaza Strip. In the meantime, in recent weeks he has been promoting attacks against IDF forces operating in the corridor in the center of the Gaza Strip. As part of his position, in recent years Ali has been involved in the management of projects of the Hamas naval force in the Gaza Strip. Division 162 under the leadership of the 401st TDF operates in East Rafah : about 100 targets were attacked from the air and 30 terrorists were eliminated. A report was received of shooting at a vehicle with Palestinian workers who were on their way to work at the Kerem Shalom crossing from the Gaza side. The circumstances of the shooting are being investigated and the incident is being investigated. We would like to emphasize that the Kerem Shalom crossing is open for the passage of humanitarian aid and the activity on the Gaza side of the crossing continues. The IDF forces, led by Division 162, continue targeted activities to thwart terrorist targets of the terrorist organization Hamas in the East Rafah area: they eliminated terrorists and located shafts and underground infrastructure in the various locations. The Israeli invasion of Rafah would not contribute to retrieving Israeli captives, but jeopardize its possibility instead, Israeli newspaper Haaretz stated. Haaretz stressed that the only way for Israel to bring back captives would be by signing the agreement with Hamas, regardless of the price and toll it would take on the occupation. Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the newspaper, would rather threaten to occupy Rafah instead of considering the demands of the captives' families or agreeing on a ceasefire deal with Hamas that includes a prisoner exchange agreement. It was also noted that no one [in Israel] was shocked when Netanyahu's office announced the start of the invasion of Rafah to militarily pressure Hamas into releasing the captives and achieve the war's objectives. At the same time, it stated how unfortunate it was that Benny Gantz kept repeating the same lie claiming that the military offensive against Rafah was part parcel of the Israeli efforts to retrieve captives and instill security in the South. Haaretz affirmed that the people paying the price for this policy were the captives, who were killed by Israeli fire, or those surviving but remained in danger. The newspaper further mentioned that the IDF claimed it would limit the operatioin in Rafah, as announced to the United States and Egypt, but simultaneously warned of the consequences of the invasion, saying it would jeopardize ties with Egypt and Jordan, and obstruct the normalization process with Saudi Arabia. What Israeli forces call a limited operation in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, had devastating consequences over the past two days for medical workers and patients across the Strip, doctors and humanitarian aid groups revealed Tuesday evening to the New York Times. Israeli army orders requiring about 110,000 people to leave eastern Rafah on Monday spread fear throughout Abu Youssef Al-Najjar Hospital, which is located within the area where Israel said it would act with excessive force, according to Dr. Marwan Al-Hams, the hospital director. , in a telephone interview with the newspaper. The Israeli army announced, on Tuesday, that it deployed tanks in Rafah and took control of the border crossing with Egypt in southern Gaza, which led to the cessation of humanitarian aid reaching the besieged Palestinian Strip, in a development that Washington described as unacceptable. For fear of being subjected to a raid by Israeli forces, like the one carried out in hospitals throughout Gaza, medical teams at Al-Najjar Hospital rushed to transport more than 200 patients. Some patients left in cars secured by their families, while the seriously wounded were transported by ambulance to other hospitals in southern Gaza, including the European Hospital in Khan Yunis and the International Medical Corps field hospital in Rafah. But even during the scramble to evacuate the hospital, Israeli air strikes on Rafah continued. Dr. Al-Hams said that the bodies of 58 people killed in the Israeli strikes had arrived at the hospital since Sunday, adding that the hospital staff had to ask the families of the victims to bury the bodies themselves. "The situation is not dangerous, the situation is catastrophic, catastrophic, catastrophic," he said. The Israeli army's actions also immediately limited access to more basic health services throughout Rafah. Project Hope, a US-based aid group that runs several mobile clinics across Gaza, was forced to close a medical unit inside the area from which Israel had asked people to leave. The group was providing primary care in the eastern part of Rafah, treating upper respiratory infections and intestinal diseases that were spreading among displaced Palestinians crowded into shelters with limited access to clean water and sanitation facilities. The group was also forced to close another medical clinic elsewhere in Rafah, outside the evacuation zone, early Monday because six of its medical workers - including a general practitioner, a gynecologist and nurses - live inside or directly near where the IDF said it was located. It will begin operations, according to Chesa Latifi, the project's deputy director of emergency preparedness. Many medical workers had already been displaced from their homes in Khan Yunis and Gaza City and were forced to flee again with their families, including dozens of children - this time, along with the patients they were treating in eastern Rafah. At least two delegations of doctors who were trying to enter Gaza on Monday to support struggling hospitals in the northern part of the Strip were forced to return as security conditions deteriorated, even before the Israeli army took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing on Tuesday. One of the delegations included Jordanian doctors, and was organized by the Project Hope group, aiming to reach Kamal Adwan Hospital in the far north of Gaza to ease the burden on the overburdened medical staff and provide much-needed supplies, including anesthesia, surgical sutures and gauze. This delegation was also supposed to hand over salaries to the group's medical workers in Rafah - money they desperately need to secure housing and transportation during the chaotic evacuation. Latifi said, "We have had contingency plans in place for a very long time, especially as it becomes clearer that the attack in Rafah will begin more and more." But "the consequences of what's happening only continue to grow," she said. Another delegation of medical workers, organized by the aid group MedGlobal, was about halfway to Rafah from Cairo on Monday, when it began receiving alerts from the WHO coordination team that the Rafah crossing may soon be closed. The doctors tried to continue on their path. But once they were told the border crossing closure was imminent, most of us realized that what was going to happen was going to be important, said Dr. John Kahler, one of the group's founders. The delegation included an anesthesiologist and a midwife who were going to support Al Awda Hospital, one of the few hospitals capable of providing maternity care for pregnant women. Dr. Kahler himself intended to go to Kamal Adwan, where his organization opened a nutrition stabilization center for malnourished children, over the weekend. Speaking from Cairo on Tuesday, Dr. Kahler said the decision to disband the delegation was difficult. He continued: If this was the beginning of the long-threatened ground attack, moving to northern Gaza from Rafah would have been very dangerous, even if the doctors had been able to cross from the Rafah crossing. He explained that the level of anxiety is "very high" among team members and their Palestinian partners inside Gaza as they wait to find out what will happen next. "Babies will continue to be born, infections will continue to occur, and people will continue to die," he added. Operational Update - Judea-Samaria The Al-Quds Brigades Tulkarm Brigade targeted a D9 Israeli bulldozer, lighting it on fire using an Ali-1 explosive device, announcing this was the first time it was put to service. The Tulkarm Brigade reportedly repelled an Israeli occupation forces incursion into the outskirts of the Nur Shams refugee camp lasting over 24 hours. In a statement, the Brigade announced that during direct confrontations, many Israeli occupation soldiers were confirmed injured and their vehicles disabled or damaged. Video footage showed Resistance fighters firing heavily at the occupation forces in the vicinity of the camp, where armed confrontations broke out. The occupation forces raided the city of Tulkarm from its western axis and headed towards the Shweika suburb in the north before storming the Iktaba suburb, amid confrontations and heavy gunfire in the area. Local media reported that the Israeli forces once again detained formerly liberated prisoner Mahmoud Mustafa Assas (41) after raiding his house in the employees' housing neighborhood in Iktaba, where they searched and vandalized it. At the same time, Israeli forces stormed areas of Beit Lahm, forcing their way into a number of homes and vandalizing them, but no detentions were reported. A special unit also stormed al-Amari refugee camp, south of al-Bireh city, and detained youth Abd Rihan, according to local media. This comes as the occupation escalates its incursions and attacks on West Bank cities amid detention campaigns, while the Resistance confronts these incursions and inflicts serious injuries on the ranks of the occupation and its vehicles. Operational Update - Lebanon Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said Wednesday that the "mission is not complete" in northern Israel in the conflict with the Lebanese Hezbollah group and that he remains determined to allow evacuated residents to return to their homes safely. He added in a recorded statement, "This summer may be a hot summer," referring to the possibility of an expansion of hostilities along the northern border with Lebanon. Gallant hinted at a possible military escalation during the summer. During a field tour at the headquarters of the "91st Division" in the border area with Lebanon, he "learned about the processes of adapting Israeli operational activities against Hezbollah forces, as well as the attacks on Lebanese territory to thwart saboteurs and destroy terrorist infrastructure," as he put it. Gallant met with artillery reserve forces operating in the area, where he said: The defensive battle is a complex battle in which you constantly anticipate the enemys reactions and are always active. He continued, "I believe that the entire division is carrying out this battle in an excellent manner. We have pushed Hezbollah away from the lines of contact to great distances." He added, "This does not mean that he disappeared, but he is not there." He added, "In order to return the population safely, there is a need for a political process that leads to reaching an agreement or a military operation, and it is the army's duty to prepare for the military operation, which will also serve as an anchor and anvil for another operation. I am determined to return the population to their homes safely and rebuild what was destroyed." . He continued, "I realize the needs, as well as the feeling in many respects that the mission has not been completed, and in fact it has not been completed... War has costs, which will be heavy for Israel and disastrous for Hezbollah and Lebanon, and we are striving to reach a situation without reaching war, but if... This is the last resort, and we will resort to it, because in the end we have an obligation to the contract between us and the citizens. He concluded by addressing the reserve forces of the 91st Division (affiliated with the Northern Command and responsible for the front with Lebanon, from Ras Naqoura to Mount Hermon): We have very large and very heavy fire systems, and we will make sure to activate them if the need arises and the reasons arise; you must prepare to continue... This is Summer can be hot. Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, with which the situation also escalated against Hezbollah in the northern sector, tens of thousands of residents of the north have been evacuated from their homes. In the last day there were exchanges of fire in the north. Five Hezbollah terrorists were killed in IDF strikes, Hezbollah launched anti-tank missiles and missiles, the IDF attacked dozens of targets in Lebanon, and Gallant warned that the coming summer could be "hot in terms of security", but a deeper change in Israel's perception may be needed so that the residents can return to their homes. Many of the moves in the north depend on what happens in the south, whether there will be a deal or a truce that will bring about a settlement in the north or not, but this is not really happening yet - and the pace of things is slow. Although a discussion began about the return or non-return of the residents of the north to their homes on September 1, 2024, today they are already talking about November 1, 2024. Everything is changing, and Israel needs to look at things from a broad angle. Major General Rafi Milo this week conducted a tour of the northern sector, and clearly confirmed in his voice that the Home Front Command has not yet met the task of restoring security to the residents. "We need to start thinking about the return and how we prepare for it and respond as quickly as possible," Milo said. "We need to look ahead, especially in front of the return of the residents," said General Milo. "We need to start thinking about the return and how we prepare for it. That is, as soon as we are told 'we can return' - how do we really attack and provide a response that will allow it to be done as quickly as possible. Among other things, to see that the children return to school on September 1." At this stage, Milo admits: "We haven't solved this security problem yet, and residents will have to return here from a place of security. According to him, in the south the basic security problem has been solved "in a fairly significant way. "Here (in the north) we need to first talk about basic security, Still, I think we'll have to think about what to do if it doesn't come from a place of war." Despite the words of Rafi Milo, it does not seem that September 1 was indeed marked as a target date. As we revealed yesterday in "The Main Edition", Prime Minister Netanyahu referred to the date in question at the cabinet meeting and claimed: "Who said that September 1 is the target date? What will happen if they come back a few months later?" This statement succeeded in provoking the anger of the evacuated residents of the north, who have not returned to their homes for more than half a year. Fighter jets attacked a military structure associated with the Radwan force of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the Jabal Razlan area. In addition, during the day, warplanes attacked military buildings where terrorists of the terrorist organization Hezbollah were staying and other military buildings of the organization in the areas of al-Khyam, al-Adaisa, Bleida, Marun al-Ras and Aita al-Sha'ab. The IDF has completed a broad attack on over 20 Hezbollah targets in the Ramiya area in southern Lebanon using fighter jets and artillery. Among the targets that were attacked - military buildings and terrorist infrastructures, in addition, secondary explosions were detected during the attacks, indicating the presence of IML warehouses at the site. In addition, warplanes attacked a Hizballah military structure and terrorist infrastructure in the areas of Marvin and the village of Kila in southern Lebanon. Air Force fighter jets attacked Hezbollah military structures in southern Lebanon in the areas of Kafr Kila, Ayita al-Sha'ab, Al-Hiyam and Marun al-Ras. Also, terrorist infrastructures of the organization were attacked in the Khula and Itatron areas in southern Lebanon. In addition, IDF forces attacked to remove a threat in the areas of Tir Harfa and al-Jabin. Lebanese Hezbollah issued a statement revealing the operations it carried out against Israeli forces and their military sites on the southern Lebanese border. He said in a statement, In support of the steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their resistance, the Islamic Resistance carried out a number of operations against the positions and deployment of the Israeli army on the Lebanese-Palestinian border on Wednesday, May 8, 2024: Eastern sector: 10:30: One of the modern technical systems that was recently installed at the Al-Assi site was targeted by a drone attack helicopter and was directly hit, leading to its destruction. 11:03: A building used by Israeli soldiers in the Metulla settlement was targeted and directly hit. 11:03: A building used by Israeli soldiers was targeted in the Al-Manara settlement. 17:00: The Al-Samaqa site in the Lebanese hills of Kafr Shuba was targeted with missile weapons and was directly hit. Western sector: 11:00: Two buildings used by Israeli soldiers in the Shlomi settlement were targeted. 11:00: Two buildings used by Israeli soldiers were targeted in the Avivim settlement. At 13:25: After monitoring and following up on the movement of Israeli soldiers at the Raheb site, and upon entering Dashma, the Islamic Resistance Mujahideen targeted it with guided missiles and hit it directly. At the same time, the Mujahideen targeted the spy equipment at the site and destroyed it. ? At 14:25: After monitoring and following up on the movement of Israeli soldiers at the Al-Malikiyah site, when they entered one of the raids, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted it with guided missiles and hit it directly. At the same time, the Mujahideen destroyed the site with artillery shells, putting members of its garrison among them. One person was killed and wounded. They also targeted and destroyed his spy equipment. 15:00: The headquarters of the newly created Western Brigade in Yaara was targeted by an air attack with swooping drones that hit their target accurately. 16:20: The headquarters of the 91st Division in the Pranit Barracks was targeted by a heavy-caliber Burkan missile, and it was directly hit. 19:50: A force of Israeli soldiers was targeted while moving in the vicinity of the Ramia site with artillery shells and was directly injured. Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire across the border since October 8, and the party's Secretary-General says that the southern Lebanon front is a front in support of Gaza. Hezbollah has also repeatedly stressed that the ceasefire in Gaza alone ends its attacks on Israel. The fighting has intensified in recent weeks, as Hezbollah escalated its attacks on northern Israel, while the Israeli army carried out raids deep into Lebanon. Operational Update - Syria / Iraq The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has conducted a fresh retaliatory strike on an Israeli position in occupied territories, following previous attacks in response to the ongoing war in Gaza, the group announced. The Iraqi umbrella group, comprising anti-terror factions, disclosed the attack via a statement on its Telegram channel. They confirmed the deployment of a drone to target a significant site in the port city of Umm al-Rashrash, also known as Eilat, on Tuesday evening. "The operation was carried out in retaliation for the Israeli massacre of Palestinian civilians, including women, children, and the elderly in Gaza," the resistance group stated. This recent strike follows earlier actions, with the coalition declaring an attack on the "Speer military site" in occupied territories using drones. They had previously reported assaults on three Israeli military bases in occupied Palestinian territories and Syrias Tel Aviv-held Golan Heights, as well as the Leviathan gas platform off the coast of occupied Palestine. These operations, according to the group, were conducted "in support of our people in Gaza, and in response to the massacres committed by the usurping entity against Palestinian civilians." Operational Update - Yemen The House of Representatives, headed by Deputy Speaker Abdul Salam Hashul, reaffirmed Yemens firm and principled position regarding the security and safety of maritime navigation in Bab al-Mandab and the Red and Arabian Bahrain, as well as Yemens keenness for all ships to pass safely except for ships hostile to Yemen and Palestine. In response to the allegations of the European Navy Commander, and repeated American allegations of requesting more support to secure the passage of ships heading to the terrorist Zionist entity, the House of Representatives affirmed that the end of the escalation depends on stopping the brutal aggression and unjust siege imposed on the Gaza Strip for eight months. He called on the international community, the countries of the world and the guarantor countries to move quickly to save the catastrophic situation and the difficult humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, and to stop the Holocaust that Zionist war criminals are preparing to carry out against the besieged residents of the city of Rafah. The Council condemned the reckless actions and false allegations of the American-British-Western Zionist aggression coalition supporting the Zionist enemy, which threatens not only the security and lives of the Palestinian people, but also the security and stability of the entire region. In addition, the members of the Council continued the discussion in light of the report of the Defense and Security Committee regarding the Ministry of Finances follow-up on the implementation of Council Recommendation No. (12) regarding deducting 20 percent from the total revenues of the General Traffic Department to be spent as an incentive for traffic officers in the Municipality of the Capital and the governorates, and other issues related to traffic. . At the beginning of the session, the Vice President of the Council, Chairman of the session, welcomed the government side, stressing the importance of unifying efforts and integrating performance between the constitutional authorities, stressing the importance of the commitment of the relevant ministers to attend the sessions on the dates set by the Council to discuss the topics for which their attendance is requested. Maps All maps are lies. Not only is it easy to lie with maps, it is essential, wrote cartographer Mark Monmoneir in his book How to Lie with Maps. He showed that condensing complex, three-dimensional spaces onto a two-dimensional sheet of paper [in old days] is bound to be reductive. But it is impossible to comprehend the war in Gaza without reference to maps, otherwise the entire conflict is reduced to an endless series of meaningless acts of random violence and the suffering of civilians. The first characteristic of guerrilla warfare is the loss of a front line. Evidently, different mappers have different ideas of how to depict the war in Gaza, notably those that seek to depict Israeli progress in the ground campaign. Part of the problem is latency. The news that forms the basis of the maps takes time to filter out to mappers, and the cartographers take time in crafting their maps, and it takes time to curate them. These processes are uneven among mappers, so their maps may differ in detail. Probably there is some ideological bias, or at least thematic apperception, which is understandable in wartime. It may come as no surprise that al-Jazeera maps depict rather less Israeli territorial progress than other sources. Finally, there remains the epistemological question of just exactly what are the colored in areas depicting. Naively, this might be understood as areas of Israeli control, that are no longer contested by the HAMAS. Or possibly these are areas of Israeli presence, in many of which the possibility of an RPG-wielding HAMAS militant popping out of a tunnel unexpectedly remains a live possibility. With the "zero-range" combat characterized by small unit tactics on both sides, maps may be prey to a fallacy of misplaced concreteness. Bystanders Axis of Resistance The second international conference of Islamic unity of Iraq with the slogan "Al-Aqsa storm; Aim and Identity" was held in Baghdad 08 May 2024, with the presence of senior scholars of the Islamic Ummah from inside and outside Iraq. The final statement of this conference states: "According to the noble verses of the Holy Qur'an: ``Allah to those who are killed because they are oppressors, and indeed Allah is the Mighty and Mighty (verse 39 of Hajj) to those on whom war is imposed, Jihad has been given permission; Because they have been oppressed, and without a doubt, God is fully able to help them." "Those who do not come out of their homes except for the truth, they say, ``Our Lord is God.'' ???????? ????????? And the mosque mentions many names of Allah in it the narrators in Makkah) that They were driven from their homes unjustly [they had no crime] except that they said: Our Lord is Allah, if the repelling [evil] of some people [by means of] others was not from God, then definitely the churches, synagogues and mosques that are called God is greatly enslaved in them, you are greatly destroyed. Surely God will help whoever helps him; Because God is all-powerful and victorious. "And in the shadow of the seditions, sufferings and crises that the world is witnessing and in the shadow of the violation of rights, killing and displacement that the Palestinian people are suffering in front of the eyes of the world, the Al-Aqsa storm operation took place to make the conscience and humanity of the honorable people of the world cry out, oppressors They have intensified their oppression of the people of Gaza and Palestine, and for this reason, it is necessary for the Ummah's scholars and thinkers and their pioneers to take the initiative to help their main and central problem and support their stand and for the realization of Islamic unity. which preserves the authority, dignity and pride of the Islamic nation, they should try."" The participants in this conference emphasized that everyone's duty against the criminal usurping Zionist regime is Jihad with all the means available to them in order to end its crimes against innocent people. There is the freedom of the usurped land and its holy shrine, and this is a fatwa that none of the jurisprudential and scholarly schools disagree about, and this is the duty of all Muslims and all their leaders of any orientation. The participants of the conference, emphasizing the plan of Islamic unity and all its dimensions, announced that they are working and cooperating with Islamic governments and organizations to realize the unity of the Islamic Ummah. They praised the continuous support of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the axis of resistance and emphasized their firm support for the "True Promise" operation in response to the aggression of the Zionist regime, and considered defense a right and a heroic act, which for the first time at this stage, for the Islamic Ummah, It has achieved a powerful deterrent power to defend the oppressed and stop the oppression of the oppressors. The participants in this conference pointed out the necessity of trying to defend the Palestinian issue in international circles and showing the brutality and aggression of the Zionist regime on the need to inform and enlighten the young generations about the importance of the Palestinian issue and make them interested in Palestine and love it as An Islamic land and efforts to highlight the place of Al-Aqsa Mosque in the culture of the Islamic nation were emphasized. Warning about division or submission to the plans of the enemies of the Islamic Ummah to disperse and disperse the Muslims and divide their countries, striving for unity and harmony between them and emphasizing the destruction of the foundations of deviant plans and explaining their invalidity and dangers for the Islamic Ummah and humanity, among others These are the things that are emphasized in the final statement. This statement adds that the only solution for stability in Palestine and the region is the immediate end of Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands and the cessation of Western interference in regional affairs. According to the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the mass graves uncovered in Gaza reminds the world of fascist Nazi practices. The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates repeated its unconditional support for the Palestinians in a statement. It urged the international community which believes in international law, human rights, and international humanitarian law to "fascist Israeli massacres." The Ministry called the newly waged onslaught on Rafah a savage continuation of the Zionist terrorist government's genocide and expansionism program, citing that the criminals in the Israeli occupation and their planes and tanks have slaughtered over 35,000 Palestinians including 16,000 children. The destruction of the Gaza Strip was provided by the generous contributions of the US and Western weapons, the statement added, stressing that the mass graves uncovered in Gaza remind the world of fascist Nazi practices. According to UN experts, many of the 390 bodies discovered exhibited "signs of torture and summary executions and potential instances of people buried alive." The ministry also decried the complete destruction of the health system in Gaza, citing that Gaza is proof of the mass killing of civilians which entails war crimes and crimes against humanity in addition to genocide, all which are condemned by international conventions. Allied for Democracy " Haaretz " newspaper reported that since early last April, many international press sites have shed light on the international isolation that Israel is experiencing as six months have passed since the war on Gaza, including "The Guardian" newspaper and the "Associated Press" and "Reuters" agencies. The Israeli newspaper wondered whether the Israelis cared about this matter and were demanding a change in the governments course, or whether they would leave the situation as it is. The newspaper enumerated examples, which it described as worrying, of Israels international isolation, from trade to academia to diplomacy. According to the newspaper, Israel faced measures against it in the International Court of Justice, and the United Nations Security Council issued a ceasefire resolution in late March, and even Israels allies were sending signals of disagreement with the current path, led by the United States, Israels largest ally and sponsor, which abstained. About voting in the Security Council, imposing sanctions on some settlers, and issuing angry statements, especially regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the Israeli strike that resulted in the killing of seven people affiliated with the World Central Kitchen. A number of other countries and the European Parliament voted on various measures calling on Israel to change course. As for the reaction of the Israeli people to this international isolation, and whether it is possible for them to demand that their government change its course, the newspaper said that the answer is partly that global isolation was still more of a warning than a real action during this stage, meaning that it did not affect the Israelis. Personally. She added that the Israelis are accustomed to shifting the blame for this disdain to anything other than their policies. The newspaper explained that most of the countermeasures taken by the international community, in the first half of this year, against the Gaza war, did not truly restrict Israel or individuals, and were nothing more than bad feelings, and did not prevent the war. The United States and others also continued to pass financial aid and arms packages to Israel. On the diplomatic level, the Colombian president announced that his country would sever diplomatic relations with Israel. Shortly after, Turkey announced that it would close all forms of trade with Israel until a ceasefire was achieved, an influential position, according to the newspaper. The newspaper considered the Turkish position influential and may have subsequent successive results, explaining that regardless of how tense the general political exchanges were between the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at times, there was an implicit agreement never to touch trade. . She stated that trade between the two countries rose to $9 billion annually. Turkish exports and Turkish labor are important to Israel's construction industry, and Turkey exports a long list of raw materials to Israel along with food, products, textiles and other materials. According to the newspaper, the ripple effects of Turkey's position could be wide-ranging and extend to other countries in the Middle East and the world. Haaretz noted that Turkish Airlines is a major airline for both Israelis and Palestinians, to and from Turkey, which means Turkey will face economic consequences as well. But internal political gains seem to have overshadowed these matters. With Belgium making the case for economic sanctions, such political and economic stances are likely to spread to other countries as well. The newspaper stated that the high-tech and creativity sector in Israel is still steadfast during the war, and that global dependence on Israeli technology in various fields will make it difficult for this world to isolate Israel, which is considered lucky in this matter, because high-technology constitutes nearly half of The country's exports and 30% of the country's revenues. The war could also be a boon for Israeli defense exports with a full roster of newly battle-tested equipment and weapons, according to the newspaper. But while Israel's technological power is capable of distracting or calming Israelis, other vital areas, from the Israeli military industry to academia to diplomacy, are already being affected. According to the newspaper, several countries are seeking to slow the flow to Israeli military industries. In February, a Dutch court ordered Israel to stop exporting certain parts Israel needs for the F-35s, if Israel is the final recipient. In March, Canada announced that it would stop exporting weapons to Israel, and the Italian Foreign Minister claimed that his country had stopped sending weapons to Israel as of October 7. According to the newspaper, although these countries are not among the main suppliers of weapons to Israel, for example, Italy is considered the third largest supplier to Israel, although it constitutes a small part. The journalist stated that the United States represents the largest supplier to Israel, and the administration of US President Joe Biden has steadfastly resisted pressure to stop military aid or impose conditions on it. However, Haaretz explained that in light of the reports that spoke of delaying arms transfers as a warning to Israel not to expand its operations in Rafah, this means that in the long term, the arms slowdown could be exacerbated by efforts to end military research partnerships in American institutes and universities, most notably the Institute. Massachusetts Tech. The newspaper believes that academia has become ground zero for attempts to isolate Israel, as campus protests rocked the United States for weeks and spread to dozens of schools across the country. Several of them have reached agreements with the protesting students, including Brown University, the University of California, Riverside, Northwestern University and Evergreen State College. According to the newspaper, although the details of these agreements differ, the path to actual withdrawal of investments from Israeli companies is long, complex, and far from guaranteed. But in general, the agreements represent an opportunity for the protesters demands to be heard in the investment decisions of these universities in the future. The United States warned Israel not to expand military activity in Rafah. As reported today (Wednesday) in the evening news at Khan 11, Israel made it clear to the Americans that preventing precision weaponry could harm military activity, give strength to Hamas, and therefore it could endanger the deal for a cease fire and the release of the abductees. The American step is considered unprecedented mainly in its publicity and other countries, such as Britain, are considering stopping defense exports and spare parts to Israel. Officials familiar with the talks between Israel and the United States expressed deep frustration, in a conversation with Kan News, about the American decision to delay the delivery of the bombs. The sources added that "the move could endanger the abductee deal, which is at a critical point." According to the sources, Israel also told the Americans that the pressure should be applied to Hamas and not to Israel. American Defense Minister Austin commented on the delay in American arms shipments to Israel: "We are looking at security assistance to Israel in the near term, in connection with the events unfolding in Rafah." The American minister said that one shipment of ammunition that was supposed to be sent to Israel has been delayed - but that his country has not decided definitively on the delay of the shipments. Austin added: "The United States made it clear from the beginning that Israel needs to take into account the citizens in Rafah." A senior American confirmed to the news here today the delay in the shipments: "We did indeed delay a weapons shipment of bombs, we have not made a final decision on how to proceed with this shipment. The United States' position was that Israel should not launch a major ground operation in Rafah." The official added: "Discussions with Israel on the humanitarian and operational issue in Rafah continue - and our concerns were not fully addressed." Officials familiar with the talks between Israel and the United States today (Wednesday) in a conversation with Kan News expressed deep frustration with the American decision to delay the delivery of the bombs. The sources added that "the move could endanger the abductee deal, which is at a critical point." According to the sources, Israel also told the Americans that the pressure should be applied to Hamas and not to Israel. American Defense Minister Austin commented on the delay in American arms shipments to Israel: "We are looking at security assistance to Israel in the near term, in connection with the events unfolding in Rafah." The American minister said that one shipment of ammunition that was supposed to be sent to Israel has been delayed - but that his country has not decided definitively on the delay of the shipments. Austin added: "The United States made it clear from the beginning that Israel needs to take into account the citizens in Rafah." An Israeli source told NBC today that the Israeli government is "deeply frustrated" following the decision by the United States to suspend part of the weapons shipments to the country, fearing that the weapons will be used in the military operation in Rafah. The source added that there is high tension between Israel and the United States, following the sense of surprise in Israel at Hamas's announcement this week of accepting a cease-fire proposal. Biden was seen in the last few hours leaving the White House, and was asked by a journalist whether his country had indeed suspended arms shipments to Israel. The American president ignored the question and did not respond to the reporter. Two senior Israeli officials tried to address Democratic Party members' growing frustrations over the war in Gaza in two separate meetings in Congress on Tuesday, but they made little progress, according to Axios . The website said that Israeli Army General Eliezer Toledano met with a group of members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the House of Representatives and employees from both parties, while the Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog, met with a group of Jewish Democrats in the House of Representatives. The website added, citing a number of lawmakers and aides who were present, that Toledano was questioned by Democrats regarding the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, the deterioration of Israels public relations in the world and its use of 900-kilogram bombs. Several sources said that Toledano responded to this questioning by attacking American media coverage and denying reports of famine in Gaza. To be honest, I was kind of disappointed in Toledano's positions on some things, House Foreign Affairs Committee member Greg Meeks, a New York Democrat, told Axios. He added, "The world is concerned about the loss of innocent lives, and this is how you lose a public relations war... so there must be some recognition of that." It's not clear to me that they're trying to get ideas about how to adjust their policy, especially their public relations policy, said Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman, a staunch Israel ally who attended both meetings. Sherman added that lawmakers "don't have any information" about Israel's plans in Rafah, but "it's clear that some of the thinking in Israel is about how to do a long-term war of attrition, and that's a bad idea." Regarding the meeting with Herzog, two lawmakers who attended the meeting confirmed that the attendees asked the man several questions related to Israeli plans around Rafah, but to no avail. "He didn't really tell us anything," one of them said. Toledano declined to comment on the information contained in this report, according to the Axios website. Democrats have grown increasingly concerned in recent months about civilian casualties in the war, a dynamic that has worsened as Israel moved to launch a ground assault on Rafah this week. The administration of US President Joe Biden is expected to notify Congress whether it believes that Israel has violated American or international law in Gaza, in a move that has important moral and political implications for the president, according to the Washington Post. The anticipated report, parts of which are expected to be published after being sent to Capitol Hill on Wednesday, comes at a difficult time for US-Israeli relations, in light of disagreements between President Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israels defiance of Washingtons warnings regarding its behavior in the Gaza war and the killing of more than 34 thousand Palestinians, in addition to tragic humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip. But four sources told Reuters on Tuesday that the Biden administration will miss the deadline to submit the report to Congress on Wednesday. A national security memorandum known as (NSM-20), issued by Biden in February, requires the State Department to submit a report to Congress by May 8 on the reliability of Israels guarantees that its use of American weapons does not violate American or international laws. The four sources stated that the US administration notified the congressional committees that it would not meet the deadline, but it hopes to present its results within days. Two congressional aides said they had no indication that the delay was related to political concerns. Reuters reported last month that some senior American officials did not find Israel's assertions credible. The Reuters report, in addition to investigations conducted by outside organizations such as Amnesty International, prompted some lawmakers to call on the Biden administration not to direct the report in favor of Israel. The Washington Post stated in its report that if the US administration concludes that Israel has violated US or international law, this will undoubtedly lead to an escalation of calls to suspend US military aid, and it will also certainly anger conservatives who rejected Washingtons criticism of Israel, as well as political donors and many voters. , with Biden entering the midst of an arduous battle for re-election next November. However, asserting that no violation occurred, amid heavy civilian casualties in the conflict, would expose the administration to the risk of a backlash from liberals, according to the Washington Post. According to the newspaper, politicians from both parties have already expressed their concern, which underscores the challenges Biden faces, and the possibility that he will not emerge unscathed from the reports results, whatever they may be. Senator Chris Van Hollen, one of the Democratic Party's most vocal critics of the management of the Gaza crisis, told reporters last week, "God help us if this report somehow says that the provision of humanitarian aid was in compliance with international standards." God help us if that's the conclusion because anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear knows that's simply not true, Van Hollen said. Under pressure from the Maryland senator and other Democrats, Biden in February issued a national security memorandum stating that any country receiving US military assistance must provide written assurances that it adheres to international law and US laws governing foreign aid. Then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must issue a report assessing the credibility of those guarantees. The memorandum itself does not impose specific procedures if the State Department determines that Israel is not in compliance. But the US Foreign Aid Act and other laws do this, according to what members of Congress revealed. If the Biden administration had concluded, for example, that Israel had restricted humanitarian access to Gaza which US officials have already acknowledged was happening or that Israel had carried out military strikes on hospitals or relief operations in which the harm to civilians would have been disproportionate to the importance of the target. suspected, the administration may be forced under domestic law to either suspend the transfer of weapons or issue an exemption. Both scenarios could also constitute a violation of international humanitarian laws, according to experts. On the other hand, Republican Representative from Florida, Michael Waltz, believes that the Biden administration is trying to walk a fine line, but I think it is doing it poorly, and frankly it makes everyone angry, and like most other members of his party, he believes that Bidens memorandum and any measure Negative behavior towards Israel would harm American national security. Recent reports by prominent human rights watchdogs and legal experts, along with a leaked State Department memo, indicated that many examining allegations of wrongdoing believe that Israel violated the law. The Israeli Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post, but the Israeli government has repeatedly defended its actions as consistent with international law. The Netanyahu government attributed civilian casualties to the presence of Hamas within the densely populated civilian population centers in Gaza, and the militants use of civilian infrastructure; It blamed the restriction of movement on aid convoys, which it says use certain materials to continue its fight. A total of 88 Democrats in Congress wrote to Biden, on Friday, to express their belief that there is sufficient evidence that Israels restrictions on the provision of US-supported humanitarian aid violate [US law], and thus raise doubts about the assurances it made pursuant to Presidential Security Memorandum No. 20. .The letter, led by Representative Jason Crow, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, urged Biden to enforce the terms of the memo and "suspend certain transfers if the Netanyahu government is found to be violating US laws and policies." "I'm interested to see the argument the president makes for or against Israel's compliance with the law," said Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), adding that he "has not yet seen evidence that Israel is complying with the law." Murphy said I think this process in Rafah will, in many ways, be decisive in whether they adhere to the letter and spirit of the memorandum. Spokesmen for the White House National Security Council and the State Department declined to comment on the upcoming report or the political furor surrounding it to the newspaper. But American policymakers involved in preparing it said that the administration realizes that it is in a difficult position. Whatever the outcome, someone will find fault with it, an official told The Washington Post. The report is, in essence, a proxy for the larger debate over whether the Biden administration should continue arming Israel. The official added, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic, that except for the decision to withhold weapons, there is little the administration believes it can do to avoid backlash from skeptical Democrats in Congress. Republicans exploited the possibility of suspending aid to Israel to claim that the administration was betraying a strategic ally for the benefit of appeasing domestic politics. Representative Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Senator James E. Risch (R-Idaho), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, accused President Biden of issuing the memo to appease Israels critics. They wrote in a recent letter to Biden that this policy is a repetition of existing US law, and that its reporting requirements are motivated by anti-Israel sentiment. Waltz, who sits on the House of Representatives' three security committees, said he recently spoke to some of his Democratic colleagues who are "moderate and concerned about national security," who he said "receive thousands of calls a week." Waltz said, Some witnessed daily protests outside their offices in their constituencies, adding that the political situation had become very thorny. About a month and a half after Biden issued his memorandum, members of Congress and their aides said that the Israeli government provided the State Department with assurances that Israel fully complies with American and international law. A Republican aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said that while they opposed Biden's policy, they expected the report would not find Israel guilty of any violations. Many Democrats appreciated the increase in humanitarian aid flowing to Gaza, and attributed this improvement in part to the threat of negative results in the upcoming report. But Van Hollen said he also urged the administration to remember: This report is supposed to record what has happened since the beginning of the war, regardless of whether there have been recent improvements. He added: "If the conclusion of the facts and the law is that at no point since the beginning of the war in Gaza has there been any violation of international humanitarian law with regard to the provision of humanitarian aid, then you are setting a very low bar before the world." Operation Iron Swords - By the Numbers 1,900,000 IDPs in Gaza 78,404 Gazans injured, 28% adult male 70,000 tons of explosives dropped on Gaza 70,000 housing units completely destroyed 70,000 Israeli IDPs from Lebanon border 45,000 bombs dropped in Gaza 43,000 Gazans killed, including buried under rubble 34,844 Gazans martyred 33,000 Gaza targets attacked 20,528 Palestinians in Israeli prisons [Haaretz, 20 Mar 2024] 15,140 Israelis injured [i24 TV] 15,000 rockets launched from Gaza 14,520 Gazan children martyred 13,000 HAMAS combatants killed [N12] 13,000 HAMAS combatants killed [IDF] 11,000 arrested by Israelis in the West Bank in 2023 10,000 Gazans missing under the rubble 9,920 Gazan women martyred 9,400 Palestinians in Israeli prisons 9,000 IDF needing psychological assistance 8,365 arrested by Israelis in the West Bank since Oct.7th 7,209 IDF injured admitted to rehabilitation [IDF] 6,800 IDF officers and soldiers injured [Channel 12] 6,000 HAMAS combatants killed [HAMAS] 5,500 IDF wounded [reports] 4,800 West Bank Palestinians wounded 4,700 sites targetted in Lebanon 3,850 wanted persons arrested throughout Judea and Samaria 3,484 administrative detainees 3,188 IDF wounded [IDF] 2,100 Gazan women are missing 1,609 terrorists killed on the first day 1,650 wanted persons arrested throughout Judea and Samaria affiliated with Hamas 1,160 Israelis killed on the first day 604 Israeli officers and soldiers killed since the start of the war 468 West Bank Palestinians martyred 364 people [including fighters] killed in Lebanon 260 Israeli officers and soldiers killed in Gaza 240 Hezbollah fighters killed in Lebanon 126 people recovered, including 91 Israelis, 11 bodies, and 24 foreign workers 116 living hostages in Palestinian custody 70 civilians killed in Lebanon 29 IDF deaths were caused by "friendly fire" 15 Israelis killed in the West Bank and Israel Not every number is reported every day, so sudden jumps generally reflect reporting artifacts rather than actual upticks. Many of these numbers fluctate, up and down, with no apparent explanation. This list records the highest number reliably reported for each matter, under the theory that reality with catch up with reports, as is relentlessly the case. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 08 May 2024 - Day 805 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 the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) Long Range Aviation Command (LRA) has increased the lethality of its premier Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) by operationally fielding the AS-23 KODIAK fitted with a second warhead. The LRA Command has sought to modify its systems and tactics throughout the conflict to: increase survivability as too many missiles were being intercepted by Ukrainian air defence systems; enhance capabilities to have greater effect; and use up older missiles as the VKS had depleted more modern systems in the early days of the conflict. This latest modification has likely reduced the range of the AS-23 by half. The LRA does not need the full range to hit all of Ukraine. The second warhead is designed for increased fragmentation at the target. It is likely that this will make the system more effective in striking non-hardened targets. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of May 8, there were 121x tactical engagements. Russian forces launched a total of 59x missile and 55x air strikes, 84x 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 civil infrastructure, including energy 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 air strikes in the vicinities of Bilyi Kolodyaz', Staryi Saltiv and Luk'yantsi (Kharkiv oblast). More than 10x settlements, including Bleshnya, Mykhal'chyna Sloboda, Mistky (Chernihiv oblast), Prohres, Iskryskivshchyna, Basivka, Zapsillya (Sumy oblast), came under Russian artillery and mortar fire. Kup'yans'k and Lyman axes: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 7x attacks in the vicinities of Syn'kivka, Ivanivka, Berestove (Kharkiv oblast), Stel'makhivka (Luhansk oblast), where Russian forces, using air attacks, attempted to improve its tactical position. Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at around 10x settlements, including Petropavlivka, Stepova Novoselivka, Berestove (Kharkiv oblast). Lyman axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 9x attacks in the vicinities of Makiivka, Nevs'ke, Novolyubivka and Serebryans'ke forestry (Luhansk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Nevs'ke (Luhansk oblast), Terny, Yampolivka, Tors'ke (Donetsk oblast). Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 21x attacks in the vicinities of Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Verkhn'okam'yans'ke, Klishchiivka, Ivanivske, Novyi, Andriivka (Donetsk oblast), where Russian forces attempted to improve its tactical position. Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Chasiv Yar, Druzhba, Pivnichne (Donetsk oblast). More than 10x settlements came under artillery and mortar fire, including Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Hryhorivka, Chasiv Yar (Donetsk oblast). Avdiivka axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 35x attacks in the vicinities of Novooleksandrivka, Yevhenivka, Sokil, Novopokrovs'ke, Semenivka, Umans'ke, Netailove, Nevel's'ke (Donetsk oblast), where Russian forces, with air support, made attempts to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their positions. Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Oleksandropil', Novoselivka Persha, Karlivka, Moskovs'ke (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at around 20x settlements, including Novooleksandrivka, Sokil, Novopokrovs'ke, Umans'ke (Donetsk oblast). Novopavlivka axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back Russian forces near Kostyantynivka, Paraskoviivka and Urozhaine (Donetsk oblast), where the Russian invaders, using air attacks, made 6x attempts to breach Ukrainian defense. Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Krasnohorivka, Maksymil'yanivka, Heorhiivka (Donetsk oblast). Orikhiv axis: Russian forces launched 19x assaults on positions of Ukrainian defenders in the vicinity of Staromaiors'ke (Donetsk oblast). The Russian adversary launched an air strike in the vicinity of Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Around 20x settlements, including Bilohir'ya, Robotyne, Kam'yans'ke (Zaporizhzhia oblast), were under Russian artillery and mortar fire. Kherson axis: Russia does not abandon its intention to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their bridgeheads on the left bank of the Dnipro River. Russian forces executed 1x unsuccessful assault on positions of Ukrainian troops in the vicinity of Krynky (Kherson oblast). The Russian occupiers fired artillery and mortars at around 20 settlements, including Krynky, Tyahynka, Kachkarivka, Kizomys, Stanislav (Kherson oblast) and the city of Kherson. During the day of May 8, the Ukrainian Air Force and Missile Forces launched strikes on 3x air defense systems, 2x artillery systems, 8x concentrations of Russian troops. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in response to the Kiev regime's attempt to damage Russian power facilities, the Russian Armed Forces launched a long-range high-precision group strike by sea- and air-based missiles, the Kinzhal aeroballistic hypersonic missile system, unmanned aerial vehicles at power facilities, as well as enterprises of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex. The goal of the strike has been achieved. All the assigned targets have been engaged. As a result of the strike, Ukraine's ability to produce military hardware and deliver Western-made weaponry and military hardware to the line of contact has been significantly reduced. Units of the Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front lines and completely liberated Kislovka (Kharkov region). Two counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 31st Ukrainian National Guard Brigade were repelled near Grigorovka (Donetsk People's Republic) and Stelmakhovka (Lugansk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 55 Ukrainian troops and two 122-mm D-30 howitzers. Units of the Yug Group of Forces captured more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 92nd Assault Brigade, 28th, 93rd mechanised brigades, 56th Motorised Infantry Brigade, 4th National Guard Brigade, 104th, and 106th territorial defence brigades near Spornoye, Andreyevka, Kurdyumovka, Minkovka, and Kleshcheyevka (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 355 Ukrainian troops, one tank, and two motor vehicles. In the course of counter-battery warfare, one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, one Polish-made 155-mm Krab self-propelled artillery system, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, one Anklav electronic warfare station, and one ammunition depot were wiped out. Units of the Tsentr Group of Forces completely liberated Novokalinovo (Donetsk People's Republic), as well as inflicted losses on units of the AFU 132th Mechanised Brigade and 68th Jaeger Brigade near Leninskoye and Umanskoye (Donetsk People's Republic). 11 counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 24th, 47th, 100th mechanised brigades, 59th Motorised Infantry Brigade, 25th Airborne Brigade, 142th Infantry Brigade, and 78th Separate Air Assault Regiment were repelled near Schumy, Novgorodskoye, Vodyanoye, Solovyovo, Semyonovka, Pervomayskoye, and Netaylovo (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 415 Ukrainian troops, one German-made Leopard tank, four armoured fighting vehicles, five motor vehicles, two 122-mm D-30 howitzers, and one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system. Units of the Vostok Group of Forces captured more advantageous lines and repelled two counter-attacks of the AFU 72nd Mechanised Brigade and 123rd Territorial Defence Brigade near Urozhaynoye and Staromayorskoye (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 170 Ukrainian troops, one tank, three armoured fighting vehicles, including one U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carrier, three motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155-mm M198 howitzer, and one 152-mm Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system. Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware clusters of the AFU 65th Mechanised Brigade, 15th National Guard Brigade, 35th Marines Brigade, and 121st Territorial Defence Brigade near Rabotino, Verbovoye (Zaporozhye region), Ivanovka, and Tyaginka (Kherson region). The AFU losses amounted to up to 55 Ukrainian troops, three motor vehicles, one 152-mm Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer. Operational-Tactical Aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Groups of Forces of the Russian Federation destroyed one unmanned aerial vehicle production workshop of the AFU 101st Territorial Defence Brigade, AFU ammunition and missile artillery depots. In addition, clusters of AFU manpower and hardware have been engaged in 113 areas. Air defence units shot down one U.S.-made ATACMS operational-tactical missile, three French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, as well as 11 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles. In total, 594 airplanes, 270 helicopters, 23,828 unmanned aerial vehicles, 512 anti-aircraft missile systems, 15,950 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,280 combat vehicles of multiple rocket launcher systems, 9,385 field artillery guns and mortars, and 21,548 special military vehicles have been neutralised since the beginning of the special military operation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Fact Sheet: 2024 Report on the Cybersecurity Posture of the United States May 07, 2024 May 7, 2024 Read the full report here Today, the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) released the 2024 Report on the Cybersecurity Posture of the United States. This first-of-its-kind report provides important updates on how the nation is addressing the challenges and opportunities we face in cyberspace. Over the past year, U.S. national cybersecurity posture improved, driven by steady progress towards the 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy's (NCS) vision of a defensible, resilient, and values-aligned digital ecosystem. Achieving this vision requires two fundamental shifts in how we allocate roles, responsibilities, and resources in cyberspace by (1) rebalancing the responsibility to defend cyberspace away from end users and to the most capable and best-positioned actors in the public and private sectors, and (2) realigning incentives to favor long-term investments in future resilience. The Administration has successfully begun implementation of the NCS Implementation Plan (NCSIP), which coordinates actions by departments and agencies across the Federal Government to make the President's affirmative vision a reality. In NCSIP Version 1, the Federal Government was responsible for completing 36 initiatives by the second quarter of 2024. 33 of these 36 (92%) initiatives were completed on time and three remain underway. An additional 33 NCSIP Version 1 initiatives have completion dates over the next two years and are on track. Congress has provided essential support to the implementation process by empowering departments and agencies with necessary authorities and resources. The Administration has also released Version 2 of the NCSIP, which complements the findings of this report and outlines the next phase of action necessary to implement the President's Strategy and further improve U.S. national cybersecurity posture. The Strategic Environment In 2023, the strategic environment was characterized by complexity, interconnectivity, and competition. Continued progress in digital communications, advanced computing, quantum information science, data storage and processing, and other critical and emerging technologies are rapidly increasing the complexity of our economy and society. These technologies also connect people around the world, enable the proliferation of cyber-physical systems, and create new dependencies between critical infrastructure and essential services across every sector. As this landscape evolves, malicious state and non-state actors are exploiting its seams with growing capability and strategic purpose, continuing to aggressively conduct malicious cyber activity that threatens U.S. national security, public safety, and economic prosperity. Critical infrastructure across the United States has been held at risk by the People's Republic of China and other adversaries who threaten essential services and public safety in service of their geopolitical ambitions. Ransomware groups have built a business model around targeting schools, hospitals, small businesses, and many others ill-equipped to defend themselves. Five trends, in addition to enduring cybersecurity challenges, drove change in the strategic environment in 2023: Evolving Risks to Critical Infrastructure: Nation-state adversaries demonstrated a growing willingness to use cyber capabilities to compromise and hold at risk critical infrastructure systems and assets with no inherent espionage value, in order to further their broader strategic objectives. Ransomware: Ransomware remained a persistent threat to national security, public safety, and economic prosperity, and ransomware groups continued to develop sophisticated strategies to evade or circumvent defensive and disruptive measures designed to frustrate their activities. Supply Chain Exploitation: Complex and interconnected supply chains for software and other information technology and services enabled malicious actors to compromise victims at scale. Commercial Spyware: There was a growing market for sophisticated and invasive cyber-surveillance tools sold to nation-state actors by private vendors to access electronic devices remotely, monitor and extract their content, and manipulate their components without the knowledge or consent of the devices' users. Artificial Intelligence: Artificial intelligence is one of the most powerful, publicly accessible technologies of our time, and its continued evolution in 2023 presented opportunities and challenges for cyber risk management at scale. Current Efforts ONCD coordinates the implementation of national cyber policy and strategy, including the NCS, by driving new actions and uplifting and connecting work underway. Actions taken by the Federal Government during the period covered by this report include: Establishing and Using Cyber Requirements to Protect Critical Infrastructure, including through the development and harmonization of regulatory requirements in multiple critical infrastructure sectors. Enhancing Federal Cooperation and Partnerships to better support cyber defenders, including by increasing operational collaboration, improving Sector Risk Management Agency capacity, and integrating Federal cyber defense capabilities. Improving Incident Preparedness and Response by rapidly sharing threat information, prioritizing support to victims, and reviewing significant incidents and campaigns to derive lessons learned. Disrupting and Degrading Adversary Activity using all tools of national power, resulting in coordinated, high-impact disruption campaigns against a wide range of malicious cyber actors. Defending Federal Networks at speed and scale, including by integrating Zero Trust Architecture principles across the Federal enterprise, modernizing legacy technology systems, and expanding the use of shared services. Strengthening the National Cyber Workforce, including through the promulgation of a National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy (NCWES) and engagement with workers, employers, students, and educators across the country. Advancing Software Security to Produce Safer Products and Services, including by advancing Secure by Design principles, Software Bills of Material, and memory-safe programming languages. Enabling a Digital Economy that Empowers and Protects Consumers, including by launching a U.S. Cyber Trust Mark certification and labeling program and by promoting competition and accountability across the technology industry. Investing in Resilient Next-Generation Technologies across the clean energy economy, issuing an executive order to guide Federal efforts related to artificial intelligence, and addressing security challenges present in the technical foundations of the Internet. Managing Risks to Data Security and Privacy by enabling safe, data-rich cross-border commerce and promoting the development of privacy-enhancing technologies. Enhancing Resilience Across the Globe by building coalitions of like-minded nations to provide support to victims of ransomware and other cyberattacks, align national policy, and promote secure and resilient global supply chains. Advancing a Rights-Respecting Digital Ecosystem by advancing an affirmative vision of an open, free, global, interoperable, reliable, accessible, and secure Internet; combatting the proliferation and misuse of digital technologies like commercial spyware; and shaping emerging technologies to align with democratic values and human rights. Future Outlook In 2024 and beyond, the Federal Government will build on accomplishments of the past year, continue to implement the NCS and NCWES, and adapt its approach to address emergent challenges and opportunities presented by an evolving strategic landscape. NCSIP Version 2 outlines 31 new initiatives that build on shared accomplishments of the past year and establish specific lines of effort to realize the vision set out in the President's NCS. Read the full National Cybersecurity Strategy Implementation Plan 2.0 here NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Cyber sanction imposed on Russian citizen for ransomware activity Minister for Foreign Affairs Joint media release with: The Hon Richard Marles, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence The Hon Clare O'Neil MP, Minister for Cyber Security 08 May 2024 Australia has imposed a targeted financial sanction and travel ban on Russian citizen Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev for his senior leadership role in the LockBit ransomware group. This is the second use of Australia's autonomous cyber sanctions framework and part of ongoing coordinated international law enforcement action. Australia continues to experience an increase in persistent and pervasive ransomware activity by cyber criminals across Australian critical infrastructure, government, industry and community sectors. Under Operation Cronos, the Australian Signals Directorate and Australian Federal Police worked with international partners, including the United Kingdom (UK) and United States (US), to identify Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev as part of LockBit's senior leadership. Lockbit is a prolific criminal ransomware group and works to destabilise and disrupt key sectors for financial gain. LockBit ransomware has been used against Australian, UK and US businesses, comprising 18% of total reported Australian ransomware incidents in 2022-23 and 119 reported victims in Australia. The new sanction under the cyber sanctions framework makes it a criminal offence to provide assets to Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, or to use or deal with his assets. The framework is intended to disrupt and deter the perpetrators of malicious cyber activity, such as ransomware. The Australian Government continues to discourage businesses and individuals from paying ransoms or extortion claims to cyber criminals and can provide help and advice. If you are asked to pay a ransom you should: Call the Australian Cyber Security Hotline on 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371) for cyber security assistance; and Report the cybercrime, incident or vulnerability to the Australian Signals Directorate Australian businesses can help protect themselves from ransomware by backing up their files and work, and ensuring staff remain vigilant to possible threats. More information and tips can be found at Ransomware | Cyber.gov.au Further detail about Operation Cronos can be found on the AFP website. Quote attributable to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles: "We continue to see governments, critical infrastructure, businesses and households in Australia targeted by malicious cyber actors. The Australian Signals Directorate and the Australian Federal Police have worked with international counterparts to link Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev to LockBit's senior leadership. "Cyber sanctions are a key component of the Australian Government's work to deter cybercrime and help protect Australians by exposing the activities and identity of cyber criminals operating across jurisdictions." Quote attributable to Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong: "Australia remains committed to promoting a rules-based cyberspace, grounded in international law and norms of responsible behaviour, and holding accountable those who flout the rules." "Sanctions impose costs and consequences on individuals for their actions - we will continue to use them where and when appropriate." Quote attributable to Minister for Cyber Security, the Hon Clare O'Neil MP: "Today's announcement demonstrates the Australian Government's ongoing commitment under the 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy to continue to deter and respond to malicious cyber activity. "This sanction is an important step in breaking the ransomware business model, preventing cybercriminals from profiting from attacks on Australian citizens and businesses. "The damage done by LockBit in Australia is significant. For too long, criminals like those behind LockBit have hidden in the shadows. Our government is changing that. Hunting down cyber criminals by working with our international partners to hack the hackers and punishing them where we can." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Congressman: US needs counterterrorism partners in Central Asia By Navbahor Imamova May 08, 2024 In a rare discussion of Central Asia policy on Capitol Hill, a senior legislator told VOA that the United States needs to look past the abysmal human rights records of the countries in the region to confront terrorism and Russian and Chinese influence. "If we want their help somehow, we need to be able to help them," Representative Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said in a one-on-one interview. The 27-year House lawmaker was part of the most recent congressional delegation to visit Uzbekistan, along with Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers, Salud Carbajal and Veronica Escobar. The message they carried to the region was clear: Washington wants to enhance security cooperation while backing political and economic reforms. The Uzbek leadership, in turn, conveyed enthusiasm for broadening the strategic partnership, which dates to the early 2000s. During the March 26-27 visit to Tashkent, the delegation met with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov and Minister of Defense Major General Bakhodir Kurbanov. According to Smith, these discussions underscored Uzbekistan's pivotal role in "keeping an eye on what's going on in Afghanistan." He sees the Islamic State extremist group, or ISIS, and radicalization in general, as the most prominent terrorism threats. "Uzbekistan is close and could potentially be a partner in tracking ISIS or other extremist elements," he said. "So, having a partner in the region that we can work with to identify potential threats and counter radicalization, to make sure that the ideologies don't take hold or produce terrorists, like the ones that struck in Moscow." Several Central Asian citizens were arrested in connection with an attack on a Moscow concert hall in March that killed 144 people. Responsibility was claimed by Islamic State-Khorasan, also known as ISIS-K or IS-K, a regional offshoot of Islamic State. Despite the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Smith said the United States still has interests in that country and that Tashkent, which maintains a tight relationship with the Taliban, can help in that regard. "Al-Qaida is still in the region. ISIS, obviously. The Taliban are fighting ISIS-K," the congressman said. "We are still very interested in the region. The difference is we're not there. We don't have a good ability to monitor it and act. So, we are looking for partners." In Smith's view, the U.S. must be more strategic in competing with Russia and China as they try to advance their own influence in the region. Unlike Moscow and Beijing, Washington does not build infrastructure. Instead, it offers technical assistance and works through international financial institutions a endeavors that Smith describes as substantial. One way the United States could help Uzbekistan, he said, is by helping to find a way to advance the landlocked country's goal of establishing a rail link through Afghanistan and Pakistan to the Indian Ocean. Security relationships with countries in the region "have not significantly increased" since the U.S. left Afghanistan, Smith acknowledged, but "we're trying to build some of those relationships with Uzbekistan." In 2021, Congress appropriated $10 million under the Foreign Military Financing program to enhance Central Asia's border security and counterterrorism capabilities, supplying vehicles, communications equipment and training. Brushing off Russian speculation that the U.S. is seeking to open a military base in Central Asia, Smith said there are no such efforts. "We're seeking partners. We're not seeking a presence," he said while emphasizing the importance of overflight agreements and intelligence collaboration. Smith and other lawmakers, including those in the congressional Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan caucuses, concede that Central Asia has some of the world's most authoritarian regimes, which suppress dissent and independent media. State Department reports describe the countries as prominent human rights violators. In Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov ruled for 15 years before passing the presidency to his son, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, in 2022. In Tajikistan, President Emomali Rahmon has been in power since 1992 and is expected to follow Berdimuhamedov's path. In Uzbekistan, a government-engineered constitutional referendum in 2023 allowed Mirziyoyev, president since 2016, to continue for two seven-year terms. Nursultan Nazarbayev governed Kazakhstan for 30 years before stepping down in 2019. His hand-picked successor, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, also changed the constitution but promised to leave at the end of his term in 2029. For years, Kyrgyzstan stood out as having the most democratic potential in the region. However, its current president, Sadyr Japarov, has jailed critics and recently adopted a Russian-style "foreign agents" law. Smith says the U.S. does not ignore reality, yet he favors pragmatism over preaching. "If you simply say, 'We don't think your elections were as free and fair. We're out, we're not working with you,' those countries can very, very easily turn to China, Russia, Iran and who knows, maybe someday, North Korea. So, we have to understand what's doable and realistic." Having met the Uzbek president in Tashkent, Smith calls Mirziyoyev "a smart guy" who is moving Uzbekistan "in the right direction." "I think they are genuinely trying to improve their economy, deal with terrorism but they've got a long way to go," he said. As on many issues, Democrats and Republicans differ on Central Asia. But Smith stresses that "most members of Congress don't pay attention to that part of the world. There is not a well thought-out approach." "If you were to poll 435 [representatives] over their two-year term, how many times have they thought about Uzbekistan? Very few. I'd say probably 400 of them never thought about it," Smith said. "So, we are working on that." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement on unsafe and unprofessional interaction with PLA-Air Force Issued by Defence Media 6 May 2024 The Australian Government has expressed its concerns to the Chinese Government following an unsafe and unprofessional interaction with a People's Liberation Army - Air Force (PLA-AF) fighter aircraft. On 4 May 2024, HMAS Hobart was in international waters in the Yellow Sea undertaking routine activities as part of Operation Argos, Australia's contribution to the international effort to enforce United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea. During these activities, a Royal Australian Navy MH-60R helicopter launched from HMAS Hobart was intercepted by a PLA-AF fighter aircraft. The PLA-AF aircraft released flares across the flight path of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) helicopter. This was an unsafe manoeuvre which posed a risk to the aircraft and personnel. 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. Defence has, for decades, undertaken maritime surveillance activities in the region and does so in accordance with international law, exercising the right to freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters and airspace. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement on return to parachute training Issued by Defence Media 7 May 2024 The following statement can be attributed to Commander Special Forces Group Brigadier Marcus Fogarty: Following the tragic accident which resulted in the death of Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon on 7 March 2024, all parachute training was paused. His loss is deeply felt across the 2nd Commando Regiment, Special Operations Command, Army and the wider Australian Defence Force community. The Australian Defence Force uses several types of parachutes to deploy personnel and equipment. Training has resumed on all types with the exception of the Military Javelin Parachute System, the parachute type used during the March training incident, which remains paused. Independent authorities, including the NSW Coroner and the Inspector General of the Australian Defence Force, are conducting investigations into the March training incident. We must let the investigations run their course and present their findings. Defence is cooperating fully with these investigations. All military training involves inherent risk, however we do everything we can to mitigate this risk and keep our people safe, while delivering the required capability. We are returning to training to make sure we can respond to any need, at any time, and to maintain our world-class special forces. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Air and Space Power Conference soars to new heights Issued by Defence Media 8 May 2024 National and international leaders and experts from military, academia and aerospace industry will meet in Canberra today for the biennial 2024 Air and Space Power Conference (ASPCon24). aThe two day conference will examine emerging issues in the context of the National Defence Strategy, emphasising the critical need for collaborative efforts amidst a contested global environment. aWith Australia's strategic landscape undergoing rapid transformation fuelled by technological advancements, the conference underscores the imperative for a reimagined defence innovation ecosystem. aASPCon24 provides a unique platform to explore innovative solutions by bridging cutting-edge research and innovation from defence, research institutions, academia, and industry with key innovators and stakeholders. aFor further details about ASPCon24 and registration information, please visit the Air and Space Power Conference 2024 webpage Air and Space Power Conference 2024 | Air and Space Power Centre (airforce.gov.au) Quotes attributable to Air Marshal Robert Chipman, AO, CSC: "The Air and Space Power Conference will delve into the complexities of today's dynamic operational landscape, anticipating an even more complex and contested future. a"As we progress our air and space capabilities, it's clear that maintaining our competitive edge requires heightened readiness to analyse, decide, and execute actions swiftly, with enhanced precision and lethality, across multiple global theatres simultaneously." aQuotes attributable to Lieutenant General John Frewen, AO, DSC: "The Air and Space Power Conference theme of 'Building readiness and resilience in national air and space power across the spectrum of competition' encapsulates the progress of the Australian Defence Force to address the challenges of our rapidly evolving strategic environment. a"As Defence shifts towards an integrated, focused force, access to space systems and satellites for intelligence, communication and navigation will be critical in order to protect and project national power." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Remarks by Minister of National Defence Bill Blair to the Canadian Global Affairs Institute conference on NORAD Modernization National Defence Speech May 1, 2024 Good morning everyone. Thank you very much for this kind introduction and the warm welcome that I've received. I would like to begin, as we always should, by acknowledging that we are gathered on the traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabek peoples. I also want to thank Dave very much for the invitation to speak today and for all of his team's hard work in gathering this important conversation. Events like this are a very important way for us to collectively advance the Canadian dialogue on national security, and so I want to also take the opportunity to thank all who are here today, the many men and women who are in service to their country, those who have previously served and certainly for all of the industry representatives, members of academia, and to our industry representatives in particular. I'd like to take the opportunity right at the outset to thank you for your partnership and your support. Building a stronger renewed relationship with our defence industry is a key priority for myself, for the Department of National Defence, and for our government. And I hope that you have seen your advocacy reflected in our most recent defence policy. The policy update is not just simply a defence policy update. I sought to make it an industry policy update as well. We've had many meetings over the past few months and I hope that for all of you, you can see your advocacy, your advice, your passion for the defence of this country reflected in the document that we have produced. I wanted to make sure that you knew that you were heard. And I think it's important that we often gather. I've been previously an advocate myself. I used to be the President of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. I came to this town very many times. I stood at podiums such as this and I testified before committee. I advocated for public safety and, and the great frustration of that work, as important as it was, is that you want to know that you are being heard. And I hope that in our most recent policy update, that your advocacy is being reflected. Now, our world is obviously changing rapidly. You've just gone through a threat briefing. We see all around us and around the world that the situation is quickly changing. War has returned to Europe, conflict is raging in the Middle East, tensions are rising in the Indo-Pacific, authoritarian leaders like Vladimir Putin are openly challenging the international order that has kept us safe and prosperous for nearly 80 years. Strategic competition, new and disruptive technologies as well as climate change are driving new threats and uncertainties, and this is all having a direct impact on us here at home. On our security and on our defence, on our economy and on our way of life. Canada has interests and presence around the world and so we must contend with these global challenges. But as we do so, we also must never lose sight of the most important task. In that defence policy we released last month, the Prime Minister and I tried to make very clear that defending Canada and Canadians is job number one for National Defence and for the Canadian Armed Forces. And that includes protecting every inch of Canada's sovereignty, especially in our Arctic and northern regions. For decades, our Arctic security came from its geography. But climate change and emerging technologies are making the region more accessible. Devastating wildfires ripped through the North last summer, endangering communities and forcing entire cities to evacuate. And these natural disasters are causing more domestic requests for assistance from our Canadian Armed Forces. Since 2010, CAF operations in response to national disasters have roughly doubled every five years. And at the same time, the Canadian Arctic is warming at four times the global average, making it more accessible and more attractive to our competitors. And as we said in our most recent defence policy, that we believe that by 2050, the Arctic Ocean could become the most efficient shipping route between Europe and Asia. And although we've aimed to manage the Arctic cooperatively, today both Russia and China are investing in new infrastructure and capabilities in that region. Russia and China see the Arctic as a key to expanding their influence, and they have shown a willingness to work together. Most states are investing in new and emerging military technology, like long range cruise missiles, modern submarines and hypersonic weapons that move faster and are harder to detect. Last year, as many of you will recall, a Chinese surveillance balloon violated our sovereignty and we've been seeing a growing number of Chinese dual purpose research vessels and surveillance platforms incurred into our region. And to contend with these threats, I want to acknowledge to you all we've got some work to do. We've actually got a great deal of work to do. And that's why Canada is making its largest investment in NORAD modernization in a generation. Through the investment of almost $40 billion that we announced in 2022, we will modernize Canada's contribution to NORAD so that the Canadian Armed Forces can defend our country, our continent and our people in partnership and in close collaboration with the United States. We are deepening our commitment to the extraordinary defence partnership that Canada and the United States share. It's a relationship unlike any other in the world. And this means building a new Arctic over the horizon radar capability that will vastly improve our ability to detect threats from the North. It will be done in close coordination with the United States. Our intent is to build several interoperable over the horizon radars across our two nations to enable our decision-makers a clear 360-degree picture of incoming threats. And we're also upgrading our infrastructure in places like Inuvik, Yellowknife, Iqaluit and Goose Bay. And we're, of course, doing that in consultation with Indigenous and Northern partners. Beyond NORAD modernization, we are also going to be investing in advanced capabilities for the Canadian Armed Forces so that they can better defend our country and our continent. In the past 18 months, we signed contracts for roughly 140 new aircraft for the Royal Canadian Air Force. I want to thank the leadership and the strong and passionate advocacy of General Kenny and his team. This includes a new fleet of 88 F-35s, up to 16 P-8 Poseidon multi mission aircraft, drones and air-to air-tankers. And as our Air Force Commander recently said, we haven't seen this level of modernization and investment in the Royal Canadian Air Force since the Second World War. It's overdue, it's necessary and it's going to happen. And most of these new platforms will reach initial operational capability between 2026 and 2030. As I'm sure you're also aware, we're also investing in new Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships and in the coming months, we'll begin construction of the Canadian Surface Combatants. These platforms will strengthen our contribution to continental defence and enable more interoperability with the United States, because in this age of disruption and disorder, we need to be able to work seamlessly with the United States. Our technologies need to fit together. We need to be able to communicate and make rapid decisions together. We need a united and integrated front and that's truly what NORAD modernization is really all about. It's about ensuring that Canada can meet its obligations to our continental partner, in lockstep with Americans for years to come. And in so doing, we are also contributing to the defence of NATO's Northern and Western flanks. And of course, I have acknowledged from the day I got this jobaby the way, the best job in the Canadian governmentabut I want to acknowledge to you all we're going to do more, but we are going to do, need to do much more. You've heard me say this often, the world has changed, as we said, since we released Strong, Secure, Engaged, our Defence Policy in 2017. The new policy lays out our plan to strengthen the foundations of the Canadian Armed Forces and to acquire new capabilities to meet the threats of a rapidly changing world. To build on the investments that we announced in 2017, we're committing an additional $8.1 billion over five years and $73 billion over 20 under Our Strong North and Free policy update. By 2029-2030, we expect that our defence spending will reach 1.76 percent of GDP. Now, that's obviously less than 2 percent, but what it amounts to is a near tripling since 2015awhen we became governmentaa near tripling of defence spending. Our defence spending next year alone will increase by 27 percent over this year. We are on a strong upward trajectory and I have been able to provide our Allies with assurances that we know we need to do more. In Canada, we don't issue aspirational policy documents. I'm not allowed to announce that I'm going to do something unless the money's already booked at Finance. But we know and have acknowledged, and as the Prime Minister has acknowledged many times, we know we need to do more and I'll talk a little bit in my upcoming remarks about some of those things that we need to do more and which I believe very strongly will put us on an irrevocable path of reaching that 2 percent and exceeding it in the future. Indeed, when you add up all the investments that we've made, as I said, we've nearly tripled our defence funding and we are making a clear and strategic choice in this policy update to focus on the defence of Canada and North America. As the changing physical and geopolitical landscape in the region creates new threats and vulnerabilities, I believe that our most important task is to assert and defend Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic and the North. The new policy outlines new and advanced capabilities to strengthen Canada's Arctic and Northern security in order to conduct ocean surveillance along our coastlines, including in the Arctic will require specialized marine sensors. That means being better able to detect a growing range of sophisticated underwater threats. To better assert our sovereignty and respond to national disasters, we're acquiring a modern capable tactical helicopter capability. And to improve our ability to detect, deter and respond to threats, we're going to be building a new satellite ground station in the Arctic to enable us to communicate those threats to our allies in the United States and elsewhere. And to ensure a greater year-round military presence in the North, to monitor, secure and operate across Canada's North, we are establishing a series of Northern Operational Support Hubs. We're also beginning the process to acquire airborne early warning aircraft, a brand new capability for the Royal Canadian Air Force. And this is going to improve our ability to detect, track and prioritize airborne threats sooner and to ensure faster, better coordinated response with the United States when required. We're also looking at options to create a new fleet of all-terrain vehicles and put together all of these investments. We want to ensure the Canadian Armed Forces have a greater presence, reach and mobility and responsiveness right across the North. And in addition to this, we're also funding a project to acquire ground-based long-range missile capabilities to deter threats to Canada and North America. We are investing significantly and establishing a new Canadian Armed Forces Cyber Command, along with the Communications Security Establishment, a joint cyber operations capability. And as we've indicated in our document, we are also looking at, and the language I've used is careful, but I wanted to explain it. We are exploring options for an integrated air missile defence and we are exploring options for underwater surveillance. To be very clear, this is what we have to do. Once our officials tell us and determine what our requirements are, we will begin the process of securing the funding and getting the work done to build that critical infrastructure to protect this country from drones, missiles and artillery fire. And I was very careful when I put in our document that we were looking at, exploring options for underwater surveillance. And then, as we were making the announcement, the Prime Minister was rather clear. We're going to buy submarines. We have to buy submarines. The Victoria Class submarine is aging and is no longer fit for purpose. We know we need to acquire that capability. There is already work underway with the Royal Canadian Navy to examine our requirements. I'm in conversations with the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom with respect to Canada joining and participating in specific projects with relation to the second pillar of AUKUS and since we, the Prime Minister was so clear in our intent to acquire submarines, we have heard from countries around the world who want to work with Canada. And I think that creates a real opportunity not just for our country, but for our industry. I want to assure you all that there is more work to do, and much, and much to be accomplished. In order, if you read the policy, I think we have two very significant tasks ahead of us. First, to rapidly implement the projects that have been funded. One of the great challenges of a Defence Minister in any country and certainly in this country, I have two great challenges. One is getting the money and the second one is spending the money. It's kind of hard to believe how difficult it is to actually spend Defence money. Every year, the Canadian Armed Forces, notwithstanding great people, thoughtful and passionate about their work, run into difficulties in actually getting the procurements done. And so we know that we have to work, explore options for these projects to get them through across the line. And as well, as I've already indicated, we're exploring our options with those projects which are not yet fully funded, but we acknowledge have to proceed. And then, do the necessary work to turn them into a reality. None of this is going to be possible without the Canadian Armed Forces' greatest asset: its people. inside every fighter jet and every Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship are the brave men and women and skilled members of the Canadian Armed Forces who have stepped up and answered the call to serve their country. Our people in uniform, Regular and Reserve Forces, including the Canadian Rangers, are at the centre of keeping this continent safe and fulfilling our mission. I met with some of them recently when I visited Yellowknife. I want to take the opportunity to thank them for their work and hear about some of the challenges they're facing. But the reality, which is obvious to them and to us, is that we are going to need more people and we're going to need them quickly. I've said it before and I'm going to have to say it again often, I'm in a hurry to get things done. We cannot continue moving forward at the same pace that we always have. I think the threat briefing that you have seen today and everyone in this room would agree, there's an urgency to our work and we have to proceed. I've spoken at length about the recruitment problem, but we also have an enrolment problem on our hands. Not just a matter of getting good people through the door. Seventy thousand people applied for the Canadian Armed Forces last year, and a little over 4,000 got through our rigorous processes. That's just not good enough. More than 20,000 permanent residents who applied to the Canadian Armed Forces last year, less than 100 of them got through our processes so far. And whether they're Canadian citizens or permanent residents, one thing we know for sure, when we tell Canadians there's an opportunity to serve their country, they will answer that call. But if they also have applied for four or five other jobs and we don't call them back for 14 to 16 months, they've gone on to something else. And so we're going to have to go fast, and we're just going to have to get better at this. And my job, quite frankly, is, is to authorize the actions that will be necessary to enable that to happen. We've committed ourselves to innovative recruitment and retention measures, we're reviewing our security and medical screening processes and don't get me wrong, those processes are really, really important. I had no intention of, of downgrading any of those rigorous requirements. But I'm not sure that someone needs clearance for top secret information on the first day of basic training when really, we're only teaching them how to march and to shoot. And so, I'm suggesting that we create a probationary period so that we can get more Canadians into uniform faster, get them trained, undertake those important processes of making sure that they are suitable for the Armed Forces and that we can move forward. We've also heard really clearly from the members of the Canadian Armed Forces about the need to make new investments in housing, child care and better infrastructure. Making sure that we support the men and women who choose to serve and their families is also a critically important job for us. And in addition to uniform personnel, it's also going to be important to significantly build up our in-house public service expertise because we need them to deliver on all projects to get new equipment into the hands of our troops and to make sure that we can achieve the mission. And I also want to assure you as we invest in the North, we can't and we don't have any intention of doing it alone. Strengthening our continental defence and asserting our sovereignty in the North hinges on collaboration with Indigenous and Northern communities. One hundred fifty thousand Canadians call the North home. Indigenous people have lived there since time immemorial. Their expertise and knowledge on the land is vital. Those consultations are not easy. They're absolutely necessary and we've committed to building a meaningful relationship with Indigenous and Northern communities because they can contribute and benefit from the investments in the region, including through NORAD modernization. I've also been in conversation and I'm going back up to Iqaluit this weekend to talk to the three Northern Premiers. Their collaboration and support is also going to be critically important. I'll reiterate that these defence investments in the North are going to create good jobs, economic development opportunities for the people of the North. And in particular through this defence policy, we're creating significant opportunities to build multipurpose infrastructure in the North. Things like highways, power plants, water treatment plants, fibre optic communications, all of which will benefit people that live there and support our operations there. We're going to be consulting with Northern and Indigenous partners to ensure we're maximizing these benefits of infrastructure cause only by working together can we strengthen our continental security. It also is going to require renewing our relationship with Canada's defence industry, many of you here in this room. The innovation that comes out of our defence industrial base is essential to enhancing our military capabilities and maintaining a technological edge over our adversaries. In a world where rapidly advancing technology is changing the face of conflict and the nature of the threats that we're facing, we either stay ahead or we fall behind. It's why when I became the Defence Minister, I made an effort to meet with our industry partners to hear their ideas, but also to better understand how we can support that industry that contributes close to $12.6 billion to the Canadian economy and support 78,000 good jobs in our economy, in Canada just last year alone. I hope, as I've said at the outset, that you've seen elements of your advocacy in our policy document, because as I believe very sincerely and as I told you then, we're not just developing a defence policy or even a good foreign policy, it is an industrial policy. It's a national policy to build a stronger and better Canada. I heard very clearly from those industry partners that I met with and the, the very good advocacy organizations that represent them, that they require clarity and certainty from the Canadian government. I'll give you an example of that. We talked to them about increasing the supply of Canadian-made munitions and upgrade our equipment with the latest technology, and industry told us they needed two things from us. They need an investment in their industry to create new production lines and to secure supply chains. But they also needed to have the certainty of enough committed funding so that can enter into long-term contracts. That's what they told us they needed. I hope that you can see that's what we delivered in this document. We're going to work with industry. We're going to work with them to increase the production and supply of those munitions, we're going to make our supply chain more resilient and we're going to review Canada's defence procurement system. We need to find new and innovative ways to get our military the equipment it needs faster while also supporting Canadian industry. And you know as well as I do that protecting our country, our continent, our people, requires very much a team approach. All of Canadian military industry is part of that team. We need to work together. And so it is our intention to change how we work with industry and innovators, with researchers to build the partnerships we need and to support a more innovative defence industrial base. One of the things I learned in updating the defence policy we issued in 2017 is that so much in the world has changed. And so it was necessary now, seven years later, to update that policy. But seven years later, in a world that changes so rapidly is too long. And so we've built right into this policy as well, the industrial policy needs to be continuously updated. And so we've committed to doing that every four years in lockstep with our national security policy that is very much tied to this work. We intend to update that policy to ensure it's part of a new national security strategy and I want to assure you all we need to begin now to get your input, your consultation, to make sure that as we go forward, we go forward together and that, that Canada's defence policy aligns with your aspirations and your capabilities. As we tried to make very clear, defending Canada and Canadians is our most important task. I want to assure you all it's a task that I take very seriously because the threats we are facing here at home, as you've heard this morning, are changing rapidly. We have no choice but to tackle these challenges head on. We are clearly investing and boosting our investments in national defence. I also want to share with you, because you've been part of this effort over the past several months, when I first got into this job last summer, one of the things that was rather apparent to me is that there was not a strong will among Canadians to invest significantly in national defence. And so we've tried very hard to change the conversation. I don't believe in frightening people. I don't believe in going to Canadians and making them afraid. But at the same time, we need to make them aware of the risk environment. Where are the challenges that those who have chosen to serve and defend our country, both in uniform and in our industries, need the support of Canadians in order to get that job done? We've had a very important conversation in this country over the past several months. I've tried to do my part to make it very clear that we have to do more, we need to do more, we will do more. And what I can share with you, as a result of all of our collective advocacy, the number of Canadians who now support spending more money on defence has more than doubled just in the last eight months. It's not insignificant, from somebody who's, who works in a political environment, you need that kind of support from Canadians in order to convince the Finance Department that we need to make these investments. There's also another situation that we're keeping a pretty close eye on. And, you know, I remember back when I was a police officer post-9/11, there was a real concern within our, our closest ally friend and partner, the United States, about the security of North America. And I think there is a natural tendency for them, quite understandable, that they want to take an approach which is somewhat like a fortress America. My job, our job is to make sure that that approach instead is fortress North America, that we demonstrate to our closest ally, our dearest friends and partners, that we are committed to the defence of this continent and both of our countries. We do that through NORAD modernization, we do that for investments in the defence and sovereignty of our own North. I also want to assure you all I hope no one would think that's a diminishment of our commitment to NATO or the Indo-Pacific. Those are important alliances and Canada is and going to do its part. But to be strong around the world, we have to be strong at home. And I believe Canadians now strongly support the investments that we have to make in, in our Canadian Armed Forces and in national defence. But they also have an expectation of all of us, they certainly have an expectation of me, they want to make sure that we're spending their money well. They want to make sure that those hard-earned tax dollars are an investment that produces a real public value in their interest, in the defence of their country. And so they watch us carefully, as they should, on how we spend their money and making sure that we go through the appropriate processes, that we are rigorous and careful about how they spend their money, but they also want us to go out and get the job done. They want to make sure that we create those capabilities as quickly and efficiently as possible and that we deliver on our commitment. And when we ask them to spend their hard-earned tax dollars, they want to know that we're going to do it right. And I'm going to need your help to do that. And so, I'll conclude my remarks at long last, to just share with you I'm very grateful for the opportunity to come before you all today. As I said, when I got this job, the Secretary of Defence in the United States called up and said you now have the hardest job in government, but it's the best job in government. And that's been proven to me true every single day I've had this job. I get to work with some of the most extraordinary and committed, dedicated and patriotic Canadians anywhere. I get to work and to learn and understand the requirements of industry because I believe that we serve the same purpose. And I think that if we work well together, we can get this done. I have no illusions that everything can be done quickly because everything takes a long time in this business, but at the same time, we've got to get things well started. We've got to be able to move forward. We've got to demonstrate to Canadians to give them continued, to get their support and confidence that we can do this right. And only if we do it together can we deliver on that. Thank you very much. I look forward to the questions that will be put to me. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan Prime Minister of Canada - Justin Trudeau May 7, 2024 Ottawa, Ontario Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan about the ongoing situation in the Middle East. The Prime Minister and the King expressed their deep concern over the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza as well as the humanitarian implications of Israel's military offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. They stressed the urgent need for a humanitarian ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the safe distribution of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza. Both leaders shared their concern with the extremist settler attacks on convoys transporting aid to Palestinian civilians. The leaders reiterated the importance of continuing to work to secure lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians. The Prime Minister underscored Canada's enduring support for a two-state solution and emphasized the right of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace, security, and dignity, without fear. Prime Minister Trudeau and His Majesty King Abdullah II agreed to remain in close contact as the situation continues to evolve. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with Emir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Prime Minister of Canada - Justin Trudeau May 8, 2024 Ottawa, Ontario Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, about the ongoing situation in the Middle East. The Prime Minister and the Emir reiterated the urgent need for a humanitarian ceasefire, the release of all hostages still held in Gaza, and the safe distribution of humanitarian aid to civilians. The Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for Qatar's efforts to advance mediation efforts in the region, including to secure a ceasefire agreement. The leaders expressed their deep concern with Israel's military offensive in Rafah and the devastating humanitarian impacts further escalation would cause. The leaders also discussed the regional security implications of the conflict and the need for de-escalation. Prime Minister Trudeau underscored Canada's lasting support for a two-state solution and emphasized the right of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace, security, and dignity, without fear. The Prime Minister and the Emir agreed to remain in contact as the situation continues to evolve. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China's 3rd aircraft carrier completes maiden sea trials, 'to greatly empower PLA Navy' Global Times World-class strategic platform to greatly empower PLA Navy: experts By Liu Xuanzun and Guo Yuandan Published: May 08, 2024 02:46 PM Updated: May 08, 2024 08:52 PM China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, on Wednesday returned to port after successfully wrapping up its eight-day maiden voyage, marking a concrete step toward the commissioning of the world-class electromagnetic catapult-equipped strategic platform, which will greatly empower the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy to better safeguard peace and stability when faced with maritime and aerial security threats, experts said. The aircraft carrier Fujian on Wednesday successfully completed its maiden test voyage which lasted for eight days and returned to a pier at Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, the PLA Navy said in an announcement on the day. During the sea trial, the Fujian completed a series of tests on its subsystems and equipment, including the propulsion and electrical systems, the PLA Navy said, stating that the voyage reached expected results. The Fujian will continue to carry out follow-up test procedures according to preset plans, the PLA Navy said. Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, told the Global Times that the first sea trial primarily tested the carrier's capability in sailing at sea and its maneuverability. Citing official photos and videos, observers said that the Fujian displayed its powerful propulsion and outstanding mobility by sailing at a high speed and making a sharp turn. Another vessel could be seen in the distance when the Fujian was photographed dropping its anchor, and analysts said they might have tested the communications systems. Fu said that the Fujian will need to test radar systems, communications systems, close-in weapons systems and landing systems in future voyage tests. No aircraft or trails of aircraft landings could be seen on the Fujian's flight deck, which is normal because tests on aircraft takeoff and landing usually take place in the later stages of aircraft carrier sea trials, analysts said. The successful maiden voyage of the Fujian came after it set sail on May 1 from Jiangnan Shipyard, where it was launched on June 17, 2022 and completed mooring tests and equipment calibrations. Unlike its predecessors, the 60,000 ton-class Liaoning and Shandong that use ski jump ramps to assist aircraft takeoffs, the 80,000 ton-class Fujian is for the first time equipped with three electromagnetic catapults to launch aircraft. The larger displacement allows the Fujian to carry more aircraft, and the electromagnetic catapults enable the carrier to launch aircraft more efficiently, including launching heavier aircraft, launching more types of aircraft, launching fully loaded aircraft and launching aircraft faster, experts said. The new designs as well as the intensive use of advanced technologies, particularly the electromagnetic catapults and arresting devices, led to a relatively long mooring test period of nearly two years, and the same reasons could also cause a relatively long sea trial period, another Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Wednesday. The successful maiden voyage has laid a solid foundation for future test voyages, and marks a concrete step toward its commissioning into the PLA Navy, the expert said. "But the PLA Navy follows scientific methods and focuses on combat capability, so it will not hurry in putting the carrier into service unless it is fully ready." At a time when China is facing challenging maritime and aerial security environments, and when the global security environment as a whole is deteriorating, the aircraft carrier Fujian is expected to play important roles in safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and it will contribute to peace and stability in the region, observers said. The Fujian's combat capability is significantly increased compared with the Liaoning and the Shandong, and it is considered the world's most advanced conventionally powered aircraft carrier, experts told the Global Times. Thanks to the electromagnetic catapults, the Fujian is expected to host not only improved versions of the J-15 fighter jet, but also new aircraft, including the next generation stealth fighter jet J-35, the fixed wing early warning aircraft the KJ-600 and the JL-10 advanced trainer jet, according to media reports and analyses by observers. These new aircraft, particularly the J-35 and the KJ-600, will enable the Fujian and its air wings to engage in the most high-end modern warfare, fully capable of rivaling their foreign counterparts, experts said. Another important aspect is that with the Fujian, the PLA Navy will have three operational aircraft carriers, allowing it to have at least one always in active deployment, with the other two in training or under maintenance, experts said. As strategic platforms, aircraft carriers will serve as a deterrence and safeguard peace and stability, observers said. A fourth Chinese aircraft carrier will be unveiled soon and answer the question as to whether it will be nuclear-powered, the PLA Navy's political commissar Yuan Huazhi said on the sidelines of this year's two sessions in Beijing in answer to a media question. Yuan refused to draw comparisons between Chinese and US aircraft carriers, stressing that China's aircraft carrier program is not aimed at competing with the US, but at safeguarding national sovereignty, territorial integrity and rights. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Legal experts welcome HK court's decision of banning controversial 'Glory to Hong Kong' Global Times By Chen Qingqing Published: May 08, 2024 09:28 PM When asked about the local court's latest ruling on banning controversial song "Glory to Hong Kong," the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday that taking necessary measures to prevent anyone from using and disseminating songs with the intention of inciting separatism and insulting the national anthem is a legitimate and necessary action. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government previously requested the court to issue an injunction prohibiting the dissemination of the song "Glory to Hong Kong" for illegal purposes, but this was rejected by the original court. The government filed an appeal earlier, arguing that the injunction aimed to prevent others from using the song to incite separatism. It emphasized that legal activities such as "news reporting" and "academic research" won't be affected. The Court of Appeal handed down its judgment, stating that, according to evidence from the Chief Executive, the criminal activities involved in the injunction posed a national security risk. The Court of Appeal believed that these criminal activities needed to be immediately stopped and accepted the administrative authority's assessment. Prosecutions alone were insufficient to address serious criminal issues, and there was an urgent need for an injunction to assist in maintaining national security. Therefore, the Department of Justice's appeal was upheld, and the injunction was issued, according to local media reports. The Department of Justice said the song could be confused with the national anthem of the HKSAR. The Department of Justice previously requested the court to issue an injunction prohibiting the dissemination of "Glory to Hong Kong" in any form, with the intention of inciting separatism or the intention of advocating for the separation of Hong Kong from China It argued that this could be confused with the national anthem of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, or could imply that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is an independent country with its own national anthem, intending to insult the national anthem. The Court of Appeal pointed out that the criminal issues involved in the injunction were serious, and the court needed to intervene immediately. Furthermore, individuals engaging in these criminal activities online are difficult to identify. The court believes that taking legal action against them individually might not be feasible, and a more effective approach would be for the operators of online platforms to cease these activities. The court emphasized that the injunction has taken into account the freedom of speech and rights involved, and allows certain legitimate activities related to the song to remain unrestricted, such as academic or journalistic activities. According to the lawyer representing the Department of Justice, "Glory to Hong Kong" has been mistakenly treated as the national anthem 887 times, saying that violence is not the only means to overthrow a government in today's society; spreading rumors and false information can be a more effective weapon. The controversial song has the potential to rally people to overthrow the government and has even been misused multiple times at sporting events. The HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee welcomed the court ruling on Wednesday, saying that since the occurrence of the 2019 black violence and Hong Kong version of the color revolution, the song has frequently been used to incite activities harmful to national security and to promote "Hong Kong independence." It was also falsely presented as HKSAR's national anthem, thereby insulting the national anthem and seriously damaging the nation and the HKSAR. The injunction effectively protects national security and the dignity of the national anthem. It targets illegal acts with criminal intent and makes it clear that these behaviors are unlawful. It also safeguards the freedoms and rights that law-abiding Hong Kong residents enjoy under various laws, including the Basic Law, Hong Kong National Security Law, and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance. These include freedoms of speech, academic research, and the press. The judgment is described by Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok as targeted and emblematic, emphasizing that it specifically addresses four types of behavior that already constitute criminal offenses. The injunction doesn't impose additional restrictions. It targets those who possess particular intentions when engaging in activities like playing the song, Lam said. He explained that the banned behavior includes disseminating the song with the intent to incite others to separate the nation, or to mislead people into thinking that Hong Kong is a sovereign state with its own national anthem. Lam noted that the court agreed on the necessity of issuing the injunction and acknowledged the importance of free speech. The injunction does not impose unreasonable restrictions and will not affect legitimate news or academic activities, the official said. Lam also said the injunction is not aimed at any internet service provider or social media, hoping that the injunction will persuade network providers not to facilitate illegal activities. He said the court referenced evidence that network providers, especially Google, clearly indicated they would respect the court's decision. According to Google's policies, the company will also comply with the law, remove content that violates legal requirements, and not permit misleading, deceptive, or hate-inducing speech to spread on their platform. Lam said the court stated there was no evidence that any network provider mentioned any difficulty in removing the related content. Some local legal experts welcomed the court's decision. Louis Chen, a member of the Election Committee and general secretary of the Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the ban reflects the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law in Hong Kong. "The spirit of the rule of law lies in upholding fairness, justice and social order. The nature and harmfulness of 'Glory to Hong Kong' are well known, and the Department of Justice's timely appeal and the ruling of the Court of Appeal are in line with the spirit of the rule of law in Hong Kong and the spirit of national security law," Chen said. Willy Fu, a law professor who is also the director of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong & Macao Studies, also welcomed and supported the Court of Appeal's decision, which he said clarified the scope and effectiveness of the injunction. It provides a solid legal basis for preventing and stopping behaviors and activities harmful to the country, not only preventing malicious individuals from using the internet to spread seditious, separatist, and harmful remarks that undermine national security but also setting things right and maintaining order, Fu noted. Internet administrators must remove such illegal remarks in accordance with the requirements of the injunction, and local residents will not mistakenly cross the "red line" of the law, the expert said. They can continue to enjoy the human rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Basic Law and the Hong Kong national security law. This reflects that law enforcement agencies are acting in accordance with the law, subject to judicial oversight, and in line with international standards, demonstrating the justice of the rule of law, Fu added. When asked about the local court's latest ruling, Lin, the spokesperson of the Chinese FM, said, "it is not a diplomatic issue." Taking necessary measures to prevent anyone from using and disseminating songs with the intention of inciting separatism and insulting the national anthem is a legitimate and necessary action for the Special Administrative Region to fulfill its constitutional responsibility of safeguarding national security and the dignity of the national anthem, Lin emphasized. Xi envisages stronger China-Serbia ironclad bond in visit upon anniversary People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 15:30, May 08, 2024 BELGRADE, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping kicked off his second state visit to Serbia on Tuesday night with the aim of fortifying the ironclad friendship between China and Serbia amidst evolving global dynamics. Upon his arrival, Xi said China will work with Serbia to forge ahead together to open up a new vista in China-Serbia cooperation "with stronger momentum, greater scope, and higher quality." Serbia has rolled out its red carpet for Xi. Among those welcoming Xi at the Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport was his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic. The two heads of state will hold meetings on Wednesday. Two fighter jets were dispatched to escort Xi's plane upon its entry into Serbia's airspace. Over the past days, the streets of Belgrade have been richly ornamented with Chinese features, not least the flying Chinese national flags and waving banners. In a signed article published Tuesday in Politika, a Belgrade-based Serbian daily, Xi wrote that the ironclad friendship between the two countries is ever-growing. "Whatever changes in the international landscape, China and Serbia remain true friends and good partners." "Together we will build a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era," Xi wrote. The Chinese president's arrival coincides with the 25th anniversary of the NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1999, the U.S.-led NATO forces carried out savage airstrikes for 78 days against Yugoslavia, leaving more than 8,000 civilians dead or injured and nearly 1 million more displaced. On the night of May 7, exactly 25 years ago, NATO bombed the Chinese embassy, killing three Chinese journalists, including one from Xinhua. "The Chinese people cherish peace, but we will never allow such tragic history to repeat itself," Xi wrote in the article. "The China-Serbia friendship, forged with the blood of our compatriots, will stay in the shared memory of the Chinese and Serbian peoples, and will inspire us to march forward with big strides." Aleksandar Mitic, research fellow in International Relations at the Institute of International Politics and Economics in Belgrade, told Xinhua that the friendship, tempered by blood and fire, "will represent a cornerstone for cooperation in the future." During Xi's last state visit to Serbia in 2016, Xi made the site of the old embassy as his first stop to pay homage to the Chinese martyrs killed in the NATO bombing in 1999. The ruins of the embassy have now been revamped into a Chinese cultural center for local residents in Serbia to learn both Chinese language and traditional culture. The square outside the center was also renamed "Serbia-China Friendship Square." Gordana, a local resident working nearby who didn't reveal her full name, referred to the bombing as a "painful memory" to her. "The cooperation between China and Serbia holds the promise of providing my children with a better life than I experienced," she told Xinhua. Past years have seen leapfrog growth of China-Serbia cooperation. Two-way trade in 2023 surged to 4.35 billion U.S. dollars, Chinese customs statistics showed. In 2022, China became the largest source of direct investment for Serbia. In October 2023, witnessed by Xi and Vucic, China and Serbia signed a free trade agreement. 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. Under the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative are flagship projects such as the Smederevo Steelworks and the high-speed railway between Belgrade and Budapest. An integral segment of the Belgrade-Budapest railway is the high-speed train linking Belgrade and Serbia's second-largest city Novi Sad, which has transported some 6.83 million passengers over the past two years. "We mainly cooperated in the field of transportation and energy field," said Katarina Zakic, head of the Regional Centre Belt and Road at the Institute of International Politics and Economics. In the future, cooperation will be important in the fields of green energy and e-commerce, she told Xinhua. Already, Chinese companies and their Serbian counterparts are working on a number of green energy programs, such as the Saraorci Photovoltaic Project. Upon completion, the project will provide more than 16 million kilowatt-hours of green electricity every year and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 16,000 tons. Serbia, undoubtedly, stands as a reliable partner for China in Europe, said Aleksandar Vojvodic, head engineer of the Clean Serbia Project of China Road and Bridge Corporation. There will be a promising prospect for further enhancement and expansion of existing cooperation, said Vojvodic. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian's Regular Press Conference on May 8, 2024 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China 2024-05-08 19:16 Beijing Daily: I learned that Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong will attend the 30th China-ASEAN Senior Officials' Consultation in Jakarta, Indonesia. What's China's expectation for this consultation? Lin Jian: As agreed between the two sides, the 30th China-ASEAN Senior Officials' Consultation will be held from May 9 to 10 in Jakarta, Indonesia. China's Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong will lead the delegation to the consultation. China-ASEAN Senior Officials' Consultation is an important annual mechanism of dialogue and cooperation between the foreign affairs departments of China and ASEAN countries. We hope the consultation will take stock of China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership and look to its future, focus their discussion on advancing China-ASEAN relations and East Asian cooperation under the new circumstances, produce more practical outcomes for building a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future and contribute to peace, stability and common development in this region.a AFP: It's reported that China, Japan and the ROK will hold a two-day leaders' meeting in Seoul on May 26. Could you provide more information? Lin Jian: China maintains communication with relevant parties on the China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting. TASS: Vladimir Putin was officially sworn in yesterday as President of the Russian Federation for a six-year term. Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said that the President will visit China in the first foreign trip of his new term in office. Does the Foreign Ministry have any comment on this? Lin Jian: China congratulates President Putin on his inauguration. President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to President Putin following his reelection. We believe that under the leadership of President Putin, Russia will make new achievements in national development and economic and social progress. Under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Putin, China-Russia relations have enjoyed sound and steady growth. The two sides uphold the principle of non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party and advance bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples and playing a positive role in advancing global common development.a This year marks the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic ties. The two sides will follow the guidance of the common understandings between the two presidents, further enhance mutual trust, expand cooperation and carry forward our friendship to jointly advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, implement true multilateralism and make global governance more just and equitable. China highly values the strategic guidance from head-of-state diplomacy for China-Russia relations. The two presidents agreed to maintain close interactions and ensure the smooth and steady growth of China-Russia relations. On your specific question, I don't have anything to read out at the moment. AFP: Just now, the Court of Appeal of the High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region announced a ban on a song for "Hong Kong independence." What is the Chinese central government's position on this? Lin Jian: This is not a question on foreign affairs, though I would like to stress that given its constitutional responsibility to safeguard national security and the dignity of the national anthem, it is only legitimate and necessary for the Hong Kong SAR to stop anyone from using and disseminating relevant songs to incite secession and insult the national anthem. Bloomberg: We've reported that Chinese officials say the nation may soon release an audio recording of a purported call with the Philippine military official that Beijing says is evidence of an agreement over disputed territory in the South China Sea. Are you going to release the tape? And when might you do that? A key name was redacted from the transcript that we saw. Would you like to fill in the blank? And who that was? Lin Jian: During Monday's briefing, I outlined the basic facts regarding what happened between China and the Philippines in terms of managing the situation at Ren'ai Jiao. Yesterday, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines released details about the relevant communication between the two sides. The facts are clear and backed by hard evidence that cannot be denied. The Philippines has insisted on denying these objective facts and seeks to mislead the international community. This hurts its own credibility and puts peace and stability in the South China Sea in jeopardy. China urges the Philippines to honor its commitment, stop maritime infringement and provocation at once, and return to the right track of properly handling disputes with China through dialogue and consultation. AFP: TikTok and ByteDance have filed a lawsuit against the US government on the grounds that the law to force TikTok to be divested from its parent company violates the First Amendment of the US constitution on free speech. Does the Chinese government support this stance?a Lin Jian: My colleagues and the spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce have made clear China's principled position on the US's law on TikTok, which you may refer to. Bloomberg: The Press Trust of India reports that China appointed Xu Feihong as its new Ambassador to India. Can the Ministry confirm this appointment? Lin Jian: Thank you for your interest in China's diplomatic work. I have no information to offer for the moment. I would suggest that you follow our Ministry's website for any update.a NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New rules let China's state security police check people's devices Police can show their ID to gather electronic data to find out whether a criminal or illegal act has taken place. By Qian Lang for RFA Mandarin 2024.05.08 -- China's state security police will be given sweeping powers to search electronic devices including smartphones and laptops from July 1, as part of a nationwide campaign to ensure "national security," a broad term often used by the government to include detailed economic data and political dissent. The documents issued by the Ministry of State Security on April 26 empower its officers to gather "electronic data" relating to an investigation including "mobile phone text messages, emails, instant messages and group chats," along with "documents, images, audio and video, apps and ... log records" from electronic devices. Police may "make inquiries" simply by presenting their police ID card, and may "collect evidence" if at least two officers present their ID card, according to the rules on administrative cases. "The collection and extraction of electronic data shall be carried out by two or more investigators," the orders read. However, police can investigate purely to determine "basic information about the suspect," and even whether an illegal or criminal act has taken place. Billed by the ruling Chinese Communist Party's official Legal Daily newspaper as a set of guidelines for implementing the "national security concept," the documents come amid an ongoing nationwide campaign to encourage people to spot any kind of behavior that could "endanger national security," including being on the lookout for foreign spies in their daily lives. In its report on the new rules, the nationalistic Global Times newspaper mentioned the campaign, citing the cases of Canadian nationals Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor as examples of foreign spies operating in China. Similar rules were issued governing investigations run by market regulatory agencies on April 4. Stop and search Legal scholar Lu Chenyuan said the new rules mean that state security police officers can stop people and search their devices without the need for a warrant, or even an ongoing criminal investigation. "This is very bad, because they can actually check people's cell phones as part of administrative law enforcement," he said. He was referring to a type of law enforcement that goes after people who have allegedly broken the law, but whose infractions aren't deemed serious enough to warrant a full criminal prosecution. Dissidents and rights lawyers have previously been initially held under an administrative sentence of up to 15 days, at which point police either transfer them into "residential surveillance at a designated location" or place them under criminal detention pending further investigation. Administrative sentences have also been widely used to target petitioners, internet users who post the wrong thing on social media, and people who took part in the November 2022 "white paper" protests across China. Lu said the state security orders will likely contribute to an atmosphere of fear in China, and encourage people to censor themselves more than they already do. "I think their purpose is to create a situation where everyone feels as if they could be in danger," Lu said. "They want people to carry out strict self-censorship, for example, not being in contact with anyone outside the country." He said the authorities could also be looking for people with encrypted messaging apps like Signal or Telegram installed on their phones. An academic who gave only the surname Liu for fear of reprisals agreed, saying the move is part of the current "national security" campaign. "They want to push this idea of national security to everyone, to create a pervasive atmosphere of fear in everyone's daily lives," Liu said. Border checks already happening Anecdotal evidence from people who frequently travel in and out of China suggests that police at the borders are already carrying out spot checks of people's phones when they cross the border. A Hong Kong resident who gave only the surname Kong for fear of reprisals said she saw border guards examining the mobile phone of a woman at Futian Port over the weekend. "As I was going through immigration in Shenzhen, I noticed two female border guards checking a woman's mobile phone," Kong said. "They were asking her if she had any other phones because she had more than one with her." She said she had seen officers checking people's phones recently at airports in Nanjing and Hangzhou, too. "They look at what's on your phone, what photos are there," Kong said. "I cleaned up my phone that day, deleting any content that could be highly sensitive." A Shanghai resident who gave only the surname Shao for fear of reprisals said he had also spotted customs officials checking a man's phone at Shanghai's international airport on his way home from Japan. "I saw a Chinese man being stopped by customs, who looked at his phone and then let him go," Shao said. "So it seems they didn't find anything problematic on his phone." It was unclear whether the new rules will mean that such checks will be more frequent in future. Repeated calls to customs authorities in Shenzhen and Shanghai rang unanswered during office hours on Monday. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address INTERVIEW: Lawyer debunks China's historical narrative of control over Xinjiang 'Xi Jinping and his government in particular are bent on absolute control.' By Alim Seytoff for RFA Uyghur 2024.05.08 -- China's far-western region of Xinjiang a called East Turkestan by Uyghurs a is a essentially a colony that China has occupied for the past 70 years, but before that there has not been any continuous Chinese rule there going back 2,000 years - despite Chinese claims, according to Michael van Walt, an international lawyer who has studied the region extensively. Van Walt, who has specialized in inner Asia and East Asian relations for the past 15 years and works to resolve conflicts in different parts of the world, presented his findings at 20th anniversary commemoration of the World Uyghur Congress in Munich, Germany, on May 3-6. In an interview with RFA Uyghur Director Alim Seytoff, van Walt discussed his research. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. RFA: In your presentation, you said that East Turkestan is a colony of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese government claims that Xinjiang has been an inseparable part of China since ancient times. How do you interpret this latter claim, based on your research? Michael van Walt: It's very clear that there has not been any continuous Chinese rule or authority in Eastern Turkestan over the last 2,000 years. Only during the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) and the Tang Dynasty (618-907) was there some presence. Before the Republic of China was established, Eastern Turkestan was ruled by various khanates, mainly from neighboring parts of Asia, but definitely not Han. RFA: When we refer to China, it's understood that China has existed for thousands of years, and that there has been one country called China, dynasty after dynasty. Is this understanding correct? Michael van Walt: No, it isn't, and this is what is causing a lot of confusion. What the People's Republic of China has done, and the Republic of China before it, was to create this idea. There was this national history of China that was projected back into history for thousands of years, as if China had existed as a political entity, as a state, for thousands of years, which it definitely has not. There have been a number of Han states, empires and dynasties, but the Han people have been ruled not just by Han states, but by many Inner Asian empires as well. What we call China today was just part of the Manchu empire of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) and the same with numerous others much earlier. So, the present way in which so-called Chinese history is presented a but also, presented sometimes by Western and other scholars a is misleading in that way. It makes it confusing. And particularly because we use the words "China" and "Chinese," which can mean many different things. Today, the PRC [People's Republic of China] uses the word "China" in Chinese to actually mean all the people that are within what it claims to be the borders of the PRC, whether they are Han Chinese, Tibetan or Uyghur. But other people use the word "Chinese" essentially to mean Han Chinese and the Chinese language, and the Chinese script to mean the Mandarin script. So, we're using that word without being precise about what we mean. If we are being precise, then really the concept of China as a state was imagined in 1911, discussed in 1911, and created in the beginning of 1912 with the Republic of China. Before that, there were other states with different names, different structures and different principles of governance, which had very little in common with the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China. From a legal perspective, those two things are completely different. You cannot talk about the continuity of a state for 2,000 years. It just doesn't exist. I'm not denying that there was Chinese culture for 2,000 years or 5,000, whatever it may be. I'm not denying there weren't any Han people. All of this is possible. But not continuous or a continuous stream of Han states. RFA: Why does the Chinese government make this claim, that Manchuria, southern Mongolia, Tibet and East Turkestan were part of China since ancient times? Van Walt: I can't think for them, but it would seem that the idea was first developed by the Republic of China precisely because it wanted to claim those Inner Asian territories as part of the Republic of China. It needed to develop a rationale for that, needed to develop an excuse for that that would be acceptable. So, they invented this history. Today, I think the PRC insists on that history and that historical narrative precisely because it does not want to be seen as a colonial power in Eastern Turkestan, Tibet and in Inner Mongolia. RFA: So, was the first state called "China" established only in 1912, and before that there were different dynasties and empires under different names that had nothing to do with China as a political entity? Van Walt: No, and the words zhongguo and zhonghua that are used for the name "China" or for "Chinese" existed before for a long time, but they had a different meaning. They had a meaning of "central state" a the central high culture people radiating wisdom and culture out into civilization. These were civilizational and spatial concepts, not names of states or of a country. Those words were used, and they were transformed to become a label, as a name. Then they were paired to be equivalent to the word "China" in English or "Chine" in French a the Western concept of China, which Europeans had already for a long time mistakenly imagined to be this continuous China, this imaginary country. By pairing the two, it's made it very difficult, especially for Westerners and Europeans to conceive of the notion that there was not this continuous China because it already existed in our imagination. RFA: Are Beijing's claims akin to, hypothetically speaking, Italy claiming that territories occupied by the Roman Empire were part of the country today? Is China's rationale similar to this? Michael van Walt: It is a similar rationale, but there's a distinction. If they really were to do that, they would claim what the Romans had conquered and what they themselves had conquered in the past. What the PRC claims is what the Mongols and Manchus conquered, not what the Han conquered. So, an illogical thing to do. It's quite aside from the fact that today in the modern world you cannot claim territory on the basis of some historical claim from 1,000 years ago, 500 years ago or even 100 years ago, which China does. But you certainly can't claim it on the basis of what another empire did that happened to conquer you. But the PRC has been able to convince many that whoever ruled what I call the Han homeland a the Han people and their territory a somehow became Chinese or Han. This notion that the Mongols and Manchus were actually Chinese is absurd. The fact that today the PRC calls Genghis Khan a great son of China is absurd. Genghis Khan is the one who ordered the conquest of China, not as a son of China, but as a son of the Mongols. RFA: Is China technically exercising colonial rule in the Uyghur homeland by plundering natural resources and by settling Han Chinese into the territories? Is this part of the reason why China is committing genocide against the Uyghurs? Van Walt: Yes, it is. It is afraid of losing control over Eastern Turkestan and is trying to suppress Uyghurs and others in Eastern Turkestan. It's a way of trying to maintain control. Xi Jinping and his government in particular are bent on absolute control. That is the most important policy objective, so everything is driven by that. And if it means putting millions of people in internment camps, eradicating the cultures of the Uyghurs, Tibetans and Mongolians, and to have absolute control over these territories, then so be it. That is their objective. As for wanting to control all the territories of the former Qing Empire, they have not finished their objective yet. They still need to achieve that. They will want to control Taiwan, the South China Sea, northern India, and probably parts of today's Russia, including Tuva and Boryatia, because at some point some Mongol or Manchu ruler ruled some of those areas. And if we were to go into the absurd, let's remember that the Mongols ruled most of the Eurasian continent all the way to Hungary, the Middle East and India. We wouldn't really want to see China claim everything that the great son of China, Genghis Khan, achieved. Edited by Roseanne Gerin 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China's Xi Arrives In Hungary For Orban Meeting, Next Leg Of European Charm Trip By RFE/RL's Balkan Service May 08, 2024 Chinese President Xi Jinping, fresh off an apparently successful trip to Serbia, on May 8 arrived in Hungary, where he is scheduled to meet later in the night with another authoritarian leader -- Prime Minister Viktor Orban -- and where he'll likely receive another warm welcome. Chinese state television said Xi arrived in Budapest "by special plane and began his state visit to Hungary, at the invitation of Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban." Xi left Belgrade on May 8 after meeting there with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic at a city palace where thousands of people were gathered to greet them as both men lauded their countries' friendship as "ironclad" and issued a joint statement to boost cooperation toward "a common future in the new era." Xi is on a rare, six-day European tour that already took him to France to meet with President Emmanuel Macron and EU leaders, who urged him to ease Chinese trade restrictions and to use his influence to press Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his invasion of Ukraine. Xi's first trip to Europe in five years is seen as part of his drive to increase Beijing's influence on the continent's economic and political affairs. The Sino-Serbian agreement signed by Xi and Vucic raises the level of their cooperation from strategic partnership to "building the community of Serbia and China with a common future in the new era." After a series of bilateral meetings, Vucic called it "the highest form of cooperation between the two countries." Xi said their countries will "jointly oppose hegemony and power politics" in the interest of "fundamental and long-term interests." He called their bilateral political trust "strong as a rock." Vucic has promoted Chinese investment and trade and diplomatic ties for his Balkan nation of around 7 million as he has sought to balance outreach to Russia and China and the bucking of Western sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine war with his country's bid for eventual EU membership. Speaking from a balcony of the palace, Vucic thanked Xi for visiting "little Serbia" and said they were "making history today even though it doesn't seem so to many." Xi called it a "truly two-sided and honest friendship," according to Serbian state television. Like Moscow, Beijing has supported Belgrade diplomatically in its refusal to recognize former province Kosovo's independence, while Belgrade has supported China's claims to Taiwan. "Taiwan is China," Vucic said on May 8, citing the UN Charter. Xi's visit was seemingly timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of NATO's bombing of the former Chinese Embassy in Belgrade in 1999, a deadly incident that has united Beijing and Belgrade in their criticism of Western intervention in the Balkans and around the world. China has invested some $6 billion in Serbia in the past decade, putting the money into copper mines and a steel mill as well as major highway and infrastructure projects that have been criticized by some as nontransparent and overly risky deals between governments. Chinese and Serbian officials were expected to sign more than 30 agreements in areas that Vucic suggested were in many cases aimed at boosting technology and innovation in Serbia. Ahead of the Chinese president's arrival, Belgrade was decorated with flags of Serbia and China, and welcome messages were set up along the route from the airport to the city center in Serbian and Chinese. Xi also made Serbia a stop in 2016, when he signed a free-trade agreement with Belgrade that alarmed skeptics of Chinese economic and political intentions in Europe. With reporting by AP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/xi-vucic-china-serbia-visit- meeting/32938081.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Serbia, China to Develop Belt and Road Initiative - Joint Statement Sputnik News 20240508 BELGRADE (Sputnik) - Serbia and China have vowed to develop cooperation and implement plans under the Belt and Road Initiative, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a joint statement on Wednesday. Xi visited Serbia from Tuesday to Wednesday and held a meeting with Vucic. In addition to the joint statement, the parties signed about 30 more documents on mutual understanding and cooperation in various fields. "The two sides will take advantage of the new phase of high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, jointly implement the agreements reached at the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, deepen and expand cooperation in areas such as economy and trade, investment, science and technology, innovation, the digital sector, as well as information and communications, jointly support the security of projects and company personnel, which contributes to building the foundation for the establishment of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era," the joint statement released by the Serbian presidency said. The leaders also agreed to increase bilateral trade, particularly by supplying Serbian agricultural products to China, to work together to develop Serbian infrastructure, including railroads to increase the number of freight trains, and to jointly develop medicine and biotechnology, the statement added. The countries will support respect for international law and the UN Charter, territorial integrity of all states, and advocate an "equal and orderly multipolar world," against hegemony and the politics of force, the presidents said in the statement. The Belt and Road Initiative is a global infrastructure development project conceived by China in 2013. Inspired by the ancient Silk Road, it aims to connect China to Central Asia, Russia, and Europe by land, and to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa to Latin America and the Caribbean by sea. It currently includes more than 150 nations, with a dozen more considering joining the initiative. In October 2023, China hosted the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese President Xi given red carpet welcome in Serbian capital By VOA News May 08, 2024 Chinese President Xi Jinping was given a red carpet welcome when he arrived in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, Wednesday for talks with President Aleksandar Vucic. "We are writing history today," Vucic told Xi as they stood on the balcony of the presidential palace before a cheering crowd of several thousand people waving Chinese flags. Ties between Belgrade and Beijing have deepened in recent years as China has poured billions of dollars into Serbia's economy as part of its Belt and Road economic development program in parts of Asia, Africa and Europe, along with a free-trade agreement the two sides approved last year. Xi arrived in Belgrade after a two-day visit to France, where he held talks with President Emmanuel Macron and European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on China's trade imbalance with Europe and its tacit support of Russia in its war with Ukraine. Xi's visit to Serbia takes place on the 25th anniversary of the U.S. bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade during NATO's air campaign against Serbia's violent crackdown on ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, which was then an autonomous region within Serbia. Beijing has backed Belgrade's position that Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, is still part of Serbia. Vucic said Serbia supports China's longstanding claim that Taiwan is a breakaway province of the mainland despite its self-governing status. Later Wednesday, Xi will travel to Hungary, his closest European ally and a longtime thorn in the side of EU unity on Russia and China policy. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US decries Hong Kong court ban on protest song By Nike Ching May 08, 2024 The United States said on Wednesday that a decision by a Hong Kong court to ban a popular protest song called Glory to Hong Kong is the latest blow to the city's international reputation. "We remain seriously concerned about the continued erosion of protections for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong, including freedom of expression," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters Wednesday during a press briefing. "The decision to ban this song is the latest blow to the international reputation of a city that previously prided itself on having an independent judiciary protecting the free exchange of information, ideas and goods," Miller added. On May 8, the Court of Appeal of the High Court of Hong Kong granted an application by the authorities to ban Glory to Hong Kong, overturning a lower court judgment that had rejected such a ban due to its potential "chilling effects" on free speech. In Beijing, Chinese officials justified the ruling by Hong Kong's Court of Appeal. "Given its constitutional responsibility to safeguard national security and the dignity of the national anthem, it is only legitimate and necessary for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to stop anyone from using and disseminating relevant songs to incite secession and insult the national anthem," Lin Jian, a spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Wednesday. A popular protest song Glory to Hong Kong emerged as an anthem for protesters during the massive anti-government protests in 2019. Judge Jeremy Poon sided in favor of the government in his ruling Wednesday, saying the composer intended for the song to be used as a "weapon." The ban covers anyone who either broadcasts or distributes the song with the intention of promoting Hong Kong's independence or misrepresents it as the city's official anthem. The song has mistakenly been played at sporting events as the official anthem of Hong Kong. The city does not have its own anthem, instead using mainland China's official anthem, March of the Volunteers. Judge Poon's ruling overturned a previous decision issued last year by the High Court, which cited free speech concerns in its ruling. The government went to court last year to have the song banned after Google and other internet service providers refused to remove it from their search results. The ban is the latest action taken by the government to silence dissenting voices since Beijing passed a sweeping security law for Hong Kong in 2020 in response to the protests. The law punishes anyone believed to be carrying out terrorism, separatism, subversion of state power or collusion with foreign forces. Since the law took effect, hundreds of pro-democracy advocates have been arrested, tried and jailed, and the city's once-vibrant civil society has been stifled. Jimmy Lai Way In April, a U.S. congressional resolution was proposed to rename the address of the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office in Washington "Jimmy Lai Way," in honor of the jailed democracy advocate and media entrepreneur. The 76-year-old founder of the Hong Kong media group Next Digital, formerly Next Media, was jailed in December 2020 after authorities accused him of fraud. Miller said Wednesday that the U.S. continues to monitor Lai's case closely. U.S. officials, citing attacks on press and speech freedoms by Beijing and Hong Kong authorities, have condemned the prosecution of Lai and urged Hong Kong authorities to immediately release him, as well as all others imprisoned for defending their rights. Chinese officials and Hong Kong authorities, for their part, rejected the U.S. statement, labeling it as "a smear against press freedom in Hong Kong" and a move to embolden those who are anti-China and involved in destabilizing Hong Kong. They said any attempt to "interfere in" Hong Kong's affairs in the name of press freedom is "doomed to fail." Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korea's ex-propaganda chief Kim Ki Nam dies at 94 He spent decades overseeing propaganda and building personality cults around leaders. By Taejun Kang for RFA 2024.05.07 -- Kim Ki Nam, known as North Korea's propaganda master, has died at 94, North Korea's state media reported on Wednesday. "Comrade Kim Ki Nam, who had been receiving treatment in hospital since April 2022 due to old age and multiple organ failure, was unable to be resuscitated and sadly passed away on May 7 2024 at 10 o'clock at the age of 94," said the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited the funeral hall of the former secretary of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party (WPK) and will lead the state funeral committee for his burial, KCNA added. "Kim Jong Un paid silent tribute to Kim Ki Nam who made contributions to the sacred struggle for the development of the WPK, modeling the revolutionary ranks on the monolithic ideology and the victorious advance of the socialist cause," said KCNA. Kim Ki Nam spent decades overseeing propaganda operations in the totalitarian regime, including building personality cults around its leaders. The relationship between Kim Jong Un and Kim Ki Nam is believed to date back to 2009, when Kim was named successor to his father, Kim Jong Il. Known as a political mentor to Kim Jong Un, the former secretary laid the ideological foundations of the one-party system in the 1970s as chief writer for the party's monthly Workers' Party magazine and daily Rodong Sinmun. In the mid-1980s, he took control of the party's propaganda and agitation department, where he was a close confidant of then-leader Kim Jong Il and spearheaded the idolization of the North Korean supreme leaders. In 2005, as vice chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, he traveled to Seoul as the head of a delegation to attend the August 15th National Festival, becoming the first North Korean official to visit South Korea's National Cemetery since the Korean War. When South Korea's former President Kim Dae-jung died in August 2009, he traveled to Seoul as a special envoy of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and headed the North Korean condolence delegation. At that time, he delayed his return to Pyongyang and visited South Korea's Presidential Blue House to meet then-President Lee Myung-bak where he voiced his commitment to improving inter-Korean relations. His role as a key player in the North Korean regime and his high-profile role in holding the regime together around leader Kim Jong Un led to him being targeted by international sanctions. The United States and South Korea imposed sanctions on him in July and December 2016. Edited by Mike Firn. Copyright 1998-2016, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Visits Bier of Kim Ki Nam Korean Central News Agency of DPRK Pyongyang, May 8 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un , general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, visited the bier of Kim Ki Nam, former secretary of the Central Committee of the WPK who is winner of Order of Kim Il Sung and Order of Kim Jong Il and Labor Hero, at 02:00 of May 8 to express deep condolences over his death. Accompanying him were members of the Presidium of the Political Bureau and secretaries of the Central Committee of the WPK. Amid the playing of dirge, the hall was wrapped in a sorrow over the loss of a veteran of our Party and the revolution, a prestigious theoretician and a prominent political activist who made great contributions to firmly defending and glorifying the revolutionary ideology and cause of Juche. A wreath in the name of the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un was laid before the bier of the deceased. Kim Jong Un paid silent tribute to Kim Ki Nam who made contributions to the sacred struggle for the development of the WPK, modeling the revolutionary ranks on the monolithic ideology and the victorious advance of the socialist cause with his transparent view on life, Party principle, high political and theoretical qualifications and spirit of devoted service to the country and its people. He looked round the bier of Kim Ki Nam with bitter grief over the loss of a veteran revolutionary who had remained boundlessly loyal to the cause of the WPK till the last moments of his life as a competent official in the Party's ideological field and devoted himself to consolidating the single-minded unity across the Party and society centered on the Party Central Committee in every way and to the Party's ideological building and strengthening of its leadership ability. He expressed deep sympathy to the bereaved family and consoled them. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Economy poised for steady rebound 10:03, May 09, 2024 By Ouyang Shijia ( China Daily China's economy is poised for a steady rebound throughout this year, underpinned by consumption-led recovery, a robust foundation laid in the first quarter and the gradual stabilization of the property sector, experts said. While the broader economy is still facing pressures from still-weak domestic demand and mounting uncertainties both at home and abroad, the country still enjoys favorable conditions and positive factors that will further consolidate the recovery trend, they said. Gu Yan, director of Research Department I at the Xi Jinping Thought on Economy Study Center, said the "scarring effect" caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is gradually fading, as more Chinese are now willing, and have the potential, to spend more. Gu made the remark at a meeting on China's economic situation held in Beijing on Monday. He said that consumption will continue to recover this year, given the implementation of the country's policies to encourage consumption and the strong resilience of the Chinese economy. Data from media group Caixin showed that the Caixin China General Services Purchasing Managers' Index came in at 52.5 in April versus 52.7 in March, above the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction. Caixin's composite PMI, which includes both manufacturing and services activities, rose to 52.8 in April from 52.7 the previous month. Wang Zhe, senior economist at Caixin Insight Group, said the Caixin PMI readings are consistent with the year's strong start, as China's economic performance in the first quarter surpassed market expectations, with steady growth in manufacturing and a gradual recovery in consumption. Mao Kejun, director of Research Department III at the Xi Jinping Thought on Economy Study Center, highlighted the robust industrial production in the first quarter, expressing strong confidence about China's long-term development. "China's economy still enjoys favorable conditions and positive factors, including its powerful industrial production capacity and a complete industrial system," Mao said. So far, 31 provincial-level regions have released their local GDP numbers for the first quarter. Sixteen areas outperformed the national growth rate of 5.3 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, with Jilin, Jiangsu and Hubei provinces expanding by 6.5 percent, 6.2 percent and 6.1 percent, respectively. Hubei Governor Wang Zhonglin said at a news conference in Beijing on Tuesday that the province will make more efforts to consolidate its recovery trend, with focus on promoting the deep integration of technological and industrial innovation, further expanding opening-up and driving green transition. He said efforts to build Hubei capital Wuhan into a nationally influential science and technology innovation center will be accelerated, and more efforts are needed to achieve breakthroughs in major advantageous industries such as optoelectronic information, strengthen and optimize the construction of modern industrial clusters in the province and foster new quality productive forces. A recent meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee called for efforts to develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions, cultivate and strengthen emerging industries, proactively plan and build future industries, and make use of advanced technologies to empower the transformation and upgrade of traditional industries. Xiong Yuan, chief economist at Guosheng Securities, said China's second-quarter GDP growth rate is likely to be around 6 percent, and the country needs to take more steps to better implement existing supportive policies and keep stimulus efforts persistent. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) Cairo, Egypt (PANA) - Some 80,000 people have left Rafah since Monday amid continuing Israeli bombardment in and around Gazas southernmost city overnight and into Thursday, UN humanitarians reported Federal Chancellor visits the Baltic - "Standing resolutely at the side of the Baltic states" Germany - Federal Government Germany is resolute in its determination to defend every last square centimetre of NATO territory. "The security of our Baltic allies is our security too," said Federal Chancellor Scholz at a meeting of Baltic heads of state and government in Latvia. Monday, 6 May 2024 The second stop on the Federal Chancellor's itinerary was in Lithuania. In the capital Riga, he first met with the Lithuanian Prime Minister Evika SiliAa, before the two leaders joined the Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida A imonytA and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas for a meeting of the "B3" group of Baltic states. The three countries joined the EU and NATO almost exactly 20 years ago. "Today we are partners in the European Union and allies in NATO, and, above all, we are good friends," said Scholz at the press conference after the talks. Reinforcing NATO's eastern border In his remarks, Scholz said Russia had miscalculated. Instead of splitting Europe and weakening NATO, Russia's illegal war had strengthened European and NATO unity. "The security of our Baltic allies is our security, too," said the Federal Chancellor. Germany was resolute in its determination to defend every last square centimetre of NATO territory, as "An attack on you would be an attack on us. We cannot let that happen," Scholz said. The security situation in the Baltic remained tense, Scholz said, "Which is why Germany and other allies agreed two years ago to deploy more forces in the Baltic to substantially reinforce NATO's eastern border." Germany is carrying out air policing over Estonia and will also cover Lithuania this year. The Federal Armed Forces will also station a full brigade in Lithuania, he said. Scholz said Germany had responded robustly to the epochal change which Putin triggered by invading Ukraine. He went on to say that the Bundeswehr were being geared towards defending Central and North-Eastern Europe. "Almost 35,000 German military personnel stand ready to render swift assistance to our allies at short notice," the Federal Chancellor said. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine The talks also focused on how to provide better support to Ukraine in the face of continuing urgent shortages of munitions and air defences. "Germany, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are resolved to extend their support for Ukraine," the Federal Chancellor stressed, adding that these efforts include the initiative to provide more air defences to Ukraine. Scholz also called for the pressure of sanctions on Russia to be stepped up. First stop in Lithuania Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz began his trip with a morning visit to PabradA in Lithuania, where he met President Gitanas NausAda for talks at the military training area. Next the Federal Chancellor visited Bundeswehr personnel who are currently in the area for a NATO exercise. Germany is investing huge sums in expanding its defence capabilities in order to fulfil its joint defence responsibilities as a NATO member. This was the purpose of the special scheme for the Bundeswehr worth 100 billion euros, Scholz said in Lithuania. He also pledged that Germany would continue to invest 2 percent of its GDP in defence over the long term. The three pillars of German involvement on the ground The Federal Chancellor outlined the three pillars of German involvement on the ground: Germany has led the Enhanced Forward Presence multinational battlegroup since 2017. It forms part of NATO's mutual support initiative aimed at deterring any threat to Alliance territory. The group comprises 1,600 personnel from 6 countries. since 2017. It forms part of NATO's mutual support initiative aimed at deterring any threat to Alliance territory. The group comprises 1,600 personnel from 6 countries. Germany is reinforcing NATO's eastern border by permanently stationing Tank Brigade 45 in Lithuania , which is expected to be in full operational readiness by the end of 2027. The first stages of the deployment have already been completed. , which is expected to be in full operational readiness by the end of 2027. The first stages of the deployment have already been completed. The Bundeswehr demonstrated its capabilities during the QUADRIGA 2024 exercises, for Germany and for NATO. It forms part of the NATO Steadfast Defender exercises, the largest defence exercises carried out by the alliance since the end of the Cold War. Turning to Russia's ongoing brutal war in Ukraine, the Federal Chancellor praised the commitment of the Baltic states in supporting the country, while appealing at the same time to all European partners to do more. He pointed to the importance of continued close coordination and collaboration between NATO allies, and reaffirmed that "NATO will not be party to this conflict itself." Germany and the three Baltic states are strong partners within the European Union and close NATO allies. The Federal Chancellor's visit was also an opportunity to discuss the current security situation on NATO's eastern border, to agree further support for Ukraine in European and international contexts, and to prepare for the NATO summit in Washington in July. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Bosnian head of state in Berlin - Continuing reforms towards EU accession Germany - Federal Government During a visit by Bosnian head of state BeAiroviA, Federal Chancellor Scholz said that Germany would continue to support Bosnia and Herzegovina on its way towards entry into the EU. He thanked the Balkan state for its solidarity with Ukraine in its defence against the Russian offensive. Tuesday, 7 May 2024 Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz said welcoming Denis BeAiroviA in Berlin soon after becoming Chair of the Presidency of Bosnia Herzegovina was a matter of great importance to him. He was speaking at a press conference following the two leaders' talks in the Chancellery on Tuesday. EU accession overdue The Federal Chancellor stressed that Germany is fully committed to helping the countries of the Western Balkans achieve a future in the EU. "Their accession is overdue," he said, given that membership had been promised over 20 years ago. The European Council resolution in March 2024 to open up accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina acknowledged the progress the country had made in the last few years, he said, which sent a clear signal to reform-orientated forces in the country and to the citizens of the entire region, namely that "We are serious about their EU prospects," said Scholz. Continuing reform policies However, this historic decision was also an incentive to push forward the further reforms needed for EU accession decisively and quickly. After all, the enlargement process is based on performance, he said. "There are no short cuts or special routes into the European Union," the Federal Chancellor emphasised. He realised that this path was challenging, but the reform efforts were worth it - "above all, for the candidate countries themselves," said Scholz. He had promised BeAiroviA the support of the Federal Government during their constructive talks. Berlin Process promotes regional cooperation The expansion of regional cooperation in the Western Balkans was on the agenda for the two politicians. Federal Chancellor Scholz described the Berlin Process, which Germany initiated ten years ago, as the right instrument for regional cooperation. Above all, he said, it was important to continue to strengthen the Common Regional Market. Scholz said he expected Bosnia and Herzegovina to ratify the pending mobility agreement and also to accept the energy declaration adopted in Berlin in November 2022. Peace cannot be taken for granted The Russian offensive against Ukraine had demonstrated the importance of more intensive regional cooperation and close communication, according to Scholz, who said: "Unfortunately, peace in Europe can no longer be taken for granted". He praised the solidarity of Bosnia and Herzegovina with Ukraine, as shown by the country's commitment to European sanctions against Russia. Securing stability in the Balkans Security and stability could not be taken for granted in the Western Balkans states either, Federal Chancellor Scholz warned, and should instead be actively promoted. He emphasised that Bosnia and Herzegovina played a key role here, and "Any attempt to call into question the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country is unacceptable." What are the Western Balkan states? The term "Western Balkans" has political as well as geographical significance. It was adopted as an official EU term at the EU summit in Vienna in 1998 and refers to those states in the Balkan peninsula which are not yet members of the EU. This is why, alongside Albania, the Yugoslav successor states Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia are counted as Western Balkan States, but not Slovenia and Croatia, which joined the EU in 2004 and 2013 respectively. Federal Chancellor Scholz affirmed that Germany supports the important role played by the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina in promoting democracy, the rule of law and human rights in the country. Christian Schmidt of Germany has held this international position since 2021. The High Representative also contributes to monitoring the Dayton Agreement of 1995 to preserve peace. In order to promote security and stability in the region, Germany rejoined the EU EUFOR Althea mission in 2022. The Federal Chancellor promised to continue this participation as a contribution to security and stability. In 2014, the Federal Government initiated the Berlin Process as a prelude to the Western Balkans conferences. The goal of this series of annual conferences is to promote peace, security and stability in the Western Balkan states and to support development in the region. The Berlin Process is designed to contribute to improving cooperation among the Western Balkan states. Denis BeAiroviA was born in Tuzla in 1975. In 2022 he was elected as the Bosnian representative of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which consists of one member each of the Bosniak, Serb and Croat ethnic groups. The three-member presidency is the collective head of state of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which consists of the entities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tehran urges IAEA to act independently, professionally IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency May 8, 2024 Isfahan, IRNA -- The deputy chief of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) says the Islamic Republic expects the UN nuclear watchdog to act independently and professionally concerning the country's peaceful nuclear program. Pejman Shirmardi made the remarks on Wednesday while speaking to IRNA's correspondence on the sidelines of the first International Nuclear Science and Technology Conference in Isfahan. "Iran's expectation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is to maintain its independent view and technical and professional approach so that we can soon resolve the two issues that are ambiguous from their point of view and that the truthfulness of the Iranian nation in different dimensions of the nuclear industry would be proved to the world again," he said. Shirmardi also referred to IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi's latest visit to Iran, saying the trip aimed at resolving the two outstanding issues. Grossi arrived in the Iranian capital on Monday for high-level talks with Iranian officials, including AEOI chief Mohammad Eslami. 4354**9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address West asked Iran 'don't hit Israel hard', lower intensity of True Promise: FM Iran Press TV Wednesday, 08 May 2024 9:33 AM Iran's foreign minister says the West had asked the Islamic Republic to exercise restraint and lower the intensity of its retaliation before Iran's daring strikes last month on the Israeli-occupied territories in response to the regime's deadly attack on the Iranian diplomatic mission in Syria. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said, "Ahead of the operation, the request of the Westerners was that if you want to respond, do not hit hard and reduce the intensity of the operation." He made the statement on the sidelines of the Iranian administration's weekly cabinet meeting on Wednesday. In a multi-pronged attack, dubbed Operation True Promise, the Iranian armed forces launched more than 300 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. "Ever since it was decided to conduct Operation True Promise, intensive contacts by the Westerners and the US's allies in Europe were established with Iran, and their first request was [for Iran] to exercise restraint and to not respond, to which we firmly stated that the response will definitely be given to the Israeli regime," Amir-Abdollahian told reporters. Stressing that the Islamic Republic decided by itself as to when and how carry out the operation, Amir-Abdollahian said, "We did not allow any decisions to be made under pressure from others, but we told the Western and American side that the root [cause] is in the Gaza crisis that should be resolved and they should focus on that issue." 'US bases lined up in crosshairs' The top diplomat said Iran had issued a prior notice for the United States and the regional countries where Washington has bases about the Islamic Republic's retaliatory strikes on Israel. "Two days before the operation, we announced to the American side and the countries where the US has bases that our targets are not the neighbors or American bases but the Israeli regime," Amir-Abdollahian said. "In the notice, we warned that if the US takes action against Iran's interests, our response against the US bases in the region will be immediate and decisive." The Iranian foreign minister said the regional countries hosting the US occupation bases had been cautioned by the Islamic Republic that "our relations are based on brotherhood but if the US makes the slightest mistake, we will target American bases." Amir-Abdollahian added, "Most of the neighboring countries told us that they will not allow any country to launch acts of aggression against Iran from their soil." Lasting ceasefire Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian foreign minister pointed to the ongoing situation in the Gaza Strip, and said conditions are ripe for a "lasting ceasefire" in the besieged Palestinian territory should the West live up to its promises. "We had an unwritten agreement with the Western parties to focus on the ceasefire in Gaza, and the Westerners said they would move in this direction and, today, positive signs have appeared in this regard," Amir-Abdollahian said. He said that Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has presented a response to the initiative proposed by Egypt and Qatar "within the framework of its principles and as part of a realistic plan." "If the Americans and the West fulfill their promise and truly adhere to the ceasefire, everything is ready for the establishment of a lasting ceasefire and resolution of problems," he added. The top Iranian diplomat also warned that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hardliners in his administration favor the continuation of war because "if the war ends, a new Israeli crisis will break out in the occupied territories." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address No resistance group involved in Iran's 'legitimate' response to Israel: UN ambassador Iran Press TV Wednesday, 08 May 2024 7:16 AM Iran's permanent ambassador to the United Nations has roundly dismissed the Israeli regime's groundless accusations and provocative rhetoric against the Islamic Republic, stressing that no resistance group was involved in the country's legitimate missile and drone strikes against the occupied territories. In two identical letters addressed to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and UN Security Council President Pedro ComissArio Afonso on Tuesday, Amir Saeid Iravani unequivocally rejected the lies and misinformation against Iran raised by the Israeli ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, in a letter dated April 19, 2024. "Contrary to such unfounded claims, Iran has consistently upheld international law, adhered to the principles of the UN Charter, and complied with UN Security Council resolutions. "Moreover, Iran has played an active role in promoting international peace and security through constructive participation in multiple spheres," Iravani pointed out. The Iranian diplomat highlighted that the Islamic Republic made it clear in the letters dated April 13 and 30, 2024 (S/2024/305-S/2024/349) that its extensive strikes in the late hours of April 13 were conducted directly and officially solely by Iran, and in response to the Israeli recurring military aggressions, particularly its attack on April 1 against the Iranian diplomatic premises in the Syrian capital Damascus. "Iran's action was necessary, legitimate, and fully in line with its inherent right to self-defense under the UN Charter. The action only targeted military objectives and was carried out carefully and with prior notification to prevent civilian harm." The envoy underlined that "no resistance groups were involved in Iran's legitimate action and any assertions to the contrary are rejected." The Iranian UN envoy emphasized that his country, in contrast to Israel's assertions, does not have proxies in the West Asia region, and "no individual, group, or nation operates under Iran's directive." Iravani went on to stress that resistance factions in Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon are not proxies; but rather legitimate groups whose actions are lawful. They are engaged only in fighting against Israeli occupation and aggression on Gaza and other occupied Palestinian territories, as well as occupation forces in other parts of the region. "Therefore, Israel's attempt to label them as proxies is only aimed at covering up and justifying its own acts of aggression and destabilizing measures in the region. "It is indisputable that the Israeli regime, characterized by a long history of blatant violations of international law, the UN Charter, and UNSC resolutions, remains the top threat to international peace and security," he said. The Iranian envoy stated that any futile attempt by the Israeli regime to obscure the reality through disinformation, smear campaigns, or unsubstantiated accusations against others is groundless and in vain. "The Israeli regime cannot deny its direct and full responsibility for the ongoing massacre and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, which are all in defiance of UNSC resolutions," Iravani pointed out. He emphasized that Israel must finally bear full responsibility for the consequences of its actions, and the Security Council must address the regime's persistent destabilizing and irresponsible actions, as well as its atrocities against Palestinians and other nations in the region. The diplomat said these actions pose a genuine threat to both regional and international peace and security and require immediate attention and decisive action on the part of the Security Council. He concluded that by leveling baseless allegations Israel is merely attempting to divert international attention away from the ongoing heinous atrocities and acts of genocide perpetrated against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launched extensive missile and drone strikes last month on the Israeli-occupied territories. The retaliatory strikes, dubbed Operation True Promise, inflicted damage on Israeli military bases across the occupied lands. The operation came after the Israeli attack on April 1 against the Iranian consulate in Damascus, located next to the embassy building in Damascus's Mezzeh district. The airstrike killed two senior Iranian military personnel who were on an advisory mission to Syria as well as five of their accompanying officers. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President Raeisi hails Iran's anti-Israel retaliatory strikes as 'source of national pride' Iran Press TV Wednesday, 08 May 2024 6:47 AM Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi has praised as a source of national pride the Islamic Republic's daring strikes last month on the Israeli-occupied territories in retaliation for the regime's earlier aggression on the Iranian diplomatic mission in Syria. Raeisi made the statement in a televised interview broadcast live on the state-run television on Tuesday night while elaborating on the aspects of Operation True Promise, Iran's anti-Israel military operation which was carried out in the late hours of April 13. Stressing that the large-scale operation should be discussed in various meetings and scientific, research, political and security circles, the Iranian president said, "Operation True Promise is a source of national pride and is considered a turning point in consensus-building measures across the country, and everyone praised this deed." Raeisi underlined that the Israeli regime's aggression against the Iranian Embassy in Syria bespoke the occupying entity's desperation, adding that the Islamic Republic's reprisal was a punishment for the regime as promised by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. "The Zionist regime is beset by desperation and defeat. One of the manifestations of this desperation is the attack on the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Damascus; an act that contravened all international laws and regulations," the chief executive said. "Subsequently, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution asserted that the Zionist regime would be punished and this promise was fulfilled by our combatants." Raeisi also said the daring operation was a clear manifestation of the rationality of the Islamic Revolution and put on display the cooperation between the military sector, diplomacy and media. "All sectors cooperated in this operation and proved that a strong Iran can remove the shadow of war from the country and take the military option off the table." 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. 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India state-owned company shipped munitions to Israel amid Gaza war: Report Iran Press TV Wednesday, 08 May 2024 8:56 AM In another revelation, an Indian state-owned defense company has been accused of sending ammunition and explosives to Israel, a report says, making New Delhi actively complicit in Tel Aviv's genocidal actions against Palestinians. As per publicly available records, Munitions India Ltd (MIL), a public sector enterprise under the Indian Ministry of Defense, has been granted permission to export its products to Israel starting from January 2024, the Indian news website The Wire reported on Tuesday, after it revealed in February that an Indian private arms manufacturing company sent killer drones to Israel. "On April 18, 2024, the company has again applied for exporting the same products under a repeat order from Israel. Approval for the company's second export to Israel is under consideration by the licensing authorities," the report said. The granting of the exports license by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government comes despite an ongoing genocide in Gaza and speculation that the equipment might be used in the genocide by the Israeli occupying forces. The export of the munitions by the government-owned entity puts India among the countries profiting from the Israeli genocide in Gaza. Established in 2021, the MIL is engaged in the "production, testing, R&D and marketing of a comprehensive range of ammunition and explosives for the army, navy, air force and para-military forces." The Wire also reported that a private Indian company named Premier Explosives Ltd. (PEL) has been exporting explosives and allied accessories to Israel under SCOMET, or Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies, license from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) at least since 2021, and has been permitted to export these items twice since Israel's war on Gaza began last year. The latest disclosure comes months after the Indian news outlet revealed in a report that made-in-India killer drones manufactured by the privately owned Adani group were exported from India to Israel. Between 2019 and 2023, Hyderabad-based Adani-Elbit Advanced Systems India Ltd., a joint venture by Adani Defence and Aerospace and Israel's Elbit Systems, made a sale of more than 20 Indian-made Hermes 900 medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAVs to Israel. Over the months, Indian pro-Palestinian advocates have voiced their concerns over the government's inconsistent stance towards Palestine. While India publicly supports the Palestinian cause and advocates for a free Palestinian state, its actions seem to indicate support for Israel's actions in Gaza, prompting criticism from activists. Under the Modi government, relations between New Delhi and Tel Aviv have seen their unprecedented new highs. Modi, who first came to power in 2014 hailing from the infamous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is considered a staunch supporter of Israel. He has come under criticism for standing by Israel even in the regime's latest military aggression in the Gaza Strip. Back in October when Israel launched its devastating war in Gaza, India was among the countries that did not back a UN resolution for a "humanitarian truce" in Gaza, instead choosing to abstain. In a separate report published on Wednesday, The Wire said that the Modi government was named in reports, including one by a United Nations special rapporteur, for militarily equipping Myanmar's notorious junta, too. Tom Andrews, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, reported in May last year that Indian companies, including government-owned entities, had provided arms and related materials worth $50.5 million to Myanmar's junta following the overthrow of the civilian government in February 2021. The report clearly indicated that the military regime utilized them to carry out brutal acts against civilians. "These weapons and the materials to manufacture more of them, have continued to flow uninterrupted to the Myanmar military despite overwhelming evidence of its (junta's) responsibility for atrocity crimes," the UN report had stated. The military operations carried out by the Junta, both on land and in the air, have resulted in the deaths of almost 5,000 people and the displacement of more than 2.5 million civilians in the country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Thailand's biometric data collection stirs debate for Myanmar nationals Hailed as a success by the Thai government, the pilot project could see another expansion. By Kiana Duncan for RFA 2024.05.07 -- Thailand has piloted a biometric data collection program across five provinces, seeking to streamline health services for Myanmar nationals and stateless people - the country's most mobile population. With biometric details, including facial and iris scans, collected from 10,000 people, the program has already garnered praise for alleviating migrant identification concerns. Yet, its implementation has sparked activist concerns over Thailand's evolving privacy landscape. At the heart of the project, spearheaded by Thailand's Department of Disease Control in partnership with the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center and Thai Red Cross Society, is the efficient allocation of HPV and COVID-19 vaccines - a logistical hurdle for the transient. "[There are] maybe at least two or three times [doses] for each person. So we have to know whether this person already got a vaccination for the first time or the second time, so we can give the next dose properly," said Chai Wutitiwatchai, the technology center's director. The plan is to compile a million profiles using iris and facial scans alongside personal data. The provinces chosen, including Tak, Samut Sakhon and Prachuap Khiri Khan, are home to significant communities of Myanmar people, ranging from Civil Disobedience Movement activists - who quit their jobs to protest against military rulers - to asylum-seekers and laborers. Declared a success by the Department of Disease Control, the office's representatives told Thai media it could expand to other provinces. Privacy concerns Pichit Siriwan, Red Cross's deputy director of relief and community health bureau, highlights the voluntary nature of the date provision, assuring that healthcare will not be denied to those uncomfortable with the process. "The faces and irises of the undocumented patients who visit health service outlets or displaced persons in the temporary shelters who seek vaccination will be scanned or taken," Pichit told Radio Free Asia. "Then we will acquire a 13-digit ID with the Mo Prom app. One can refuse if one feels not comfortable with that. They still can receive the service." But some digital activists remain uncertain whether biometric data from sensitive groups is safe to collect and store. The centralization of personal data was particularly troubling for Myanmar nationals living in Thailand, according to a spokesperson at Myanmar Internet Project, a group documenting the country's internet landscape. "This is concerning for us on a next level. We don't actually know how this data will be shared," said the official at the organization who declined to be named for security reasons. "As Myanmar exiles, we are very concerned this kind of data will be shared with different authorities, particularly on the Myanmar side." The Red Cross, which will be responsible for storing the data and developing policy around it, including how it may be shared, rejected the possibility of collaborating with cross-border projects, including Myanmar's junta-launched e-ID program. Iris and facial scans would not be shared with state or private agencies, Pichit added. However, the Red Cross still can tell state agencies and humanitarian organizations "whether certain individuals had biometrics collected already and had the 13-digit I.D. or not," according to Pichit. Police impunity Other precedents like police impunity in migrant-populated areas leave some cautious of how far officials may go to get information they want, especially with hospitals under the Ministry of Public Health. "From my experience in the deep South, security, military officials often asked for individual information from hospitals," said Supat Hasuwannakit, president of the Rural Doctor Society. "They have both official and unofficial channels to seek such data. When it is official with a government letter, we have to follow them." Additional legislation forthcoming from Thai authorities proposes a national database for DNA and other biometric information collected from 400,000 cases and 10,000 inmates per year. The Red Cross said that in all cases, they would not risk the security of a patient by sharing facial or iris scans "to the police or any other agencies." However, the organization added it would have to share the data if it were court-ordered. Thailand's fledgling privacy policy, as well as a major data leak in 2023, has left others uncertain about data security. In March 2023, Supat from the Rural Doctor Society became a whistleblower on a leak of 55 million Thai citizen identities. At that time, the society claimed the leak occurred from a private developer of the Mo Prom app. Data privacy law Thailand passed its first and only data privacy law in 2022, but critics say it is still too weak to provide adequate protection. It also has significant loopholes allowing data to be used and collected without explicit consent "for life-saving purposes, statistical research, public benefit or to protect one's rights and interests," if it is done "via contract and under the authority of law." "Although that's a good kind of basic legislation, it's actually not efficient enough," said the Myanmar Internet Project spokesperson. For some, the project was eerily similar to one carried out in Bangladesh. In a controversial UN case in 2021, nearly a million identities of Rohingya refugees were turned over to the Bangladesh and Myanmar officials, causing some to go into hiding. In the past, registering directly with the Ministry of Public made some migrants uneasy, even if it was to receive basic public health services, said Chai from the technology center. Going through a non-government organization makes some feel more comfortable. "You know, they're quite afraid of showing themselves to the state by making an official registration," he added. "But if they're just giving a picture of their face or even their iris pattern, they don't much care about showing themselves to the public." The Ministry of Public Health's Department of Disease Control did not respond to RFA's inquiries as of this writing. Edited by Taejun Kang 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Lao police arrest and hand over 17 Myanmar citizens to military junta Junta officials claimed that those arrested had aided rebel militias. By RFA Burmese 2024.05.08 -- Lao police handed over 17 Myanmar nationals to junta soldiers at a border checkpoint in the northern Golden Triangle region - the first time Laos has arrested and transferred anti-junta activists, several Myanmar citizens who live in Laos told Radio Free Asia. The 13 males and four females - all between the ages of 20 and 30 - were taken to the junta's Golden Triangle Command headquarters in Shan state's Kengtung township, where they were interrogated, the sources said. The junta had submitted a list of names to Lao authorities, claiming those on the list were supporting a People's Defense Force militia, said Yay Khe, a Myanmar national who is living in Laos. PDF militias are bands of ordinary citizens who have taken up arms against the military rulers who took over control of the country in a 2021 coup. However, several Myanmar people living in Laos told RFA that the activists were arrested while they were collecting funds for people displaced by the fighting in Laos' Ton Pheung on April 13. Ton Pheung lies directly across from Thailand on the Mekong River and is about 8 km (5 miles) downriver from Myanmar. The handover of the arrestees took place on May 3 on Ton Pheung's jetty, according to Yay Khe. The Myanmar activists were taken by a top junta military officer who led police, soldiers and the arrestees back onto a boat at the jetty. When the group returned to Myanmar, the arrestees had to wear black bags on their heads, Yay Khe said. Casino workers and cleaning staff More than 40,000 Myanmar nationals have migrated to Laos since the 2021 military coup. Many of them work in the hotels and casinos in a Chinese-controlled special economic zone along the river that is a notorious crime area. All 17 of the people had been working in Chinese-owned enterprises in Laos, another Myanmar resident of Laos said. "They have been here for over two years," the resident said. "Some work in casinos. Some are cleaning staff. All of them had acquired illegal stay permit cards, the resident said. RFA was only able to learn the names of two of the arrested activists - Aye Chan and Sai Naw Khit. Both were accused of leading two different anti-junta support groups. RFA attempted to contact junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun and Khun Thein Maung, the junta's economic minister and spokesman for Shan state, to ask for more details about the May 3 handover, but they did not reply to telephone calls. RFA also sent an email to the Lao Embassy in Yangon, but hasn't received a reply. Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Matt Reed 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Myanmar's military on the back foot as the dry season comes to a close Expect an uptick in fighting in the weeks before monsoon rains and the next phase of the war. A commentary by Zachary Abuza 2024.05.08 -- Myanmar's dry season is ending soon, with the military junta on the back foot after more than six months of reversals and losses to the opposition. This points to an intensification of attacks from the beleaguered regime. With official forecasts that monsoon rains will start in the second week of June, the State Administrative Council (SAC), as the junta is formally known, is likely to focus on six priorities before the rains set in, hampering the military's already weak logistics and troop mobility. While the military recently retook control over the key Thai border city Myawaddy, they have not retaken much of the territory lost since the Three Brotherhood Alliance's Operation 1027 began in late October, especially outside of the Bamar heartland. With the rainy season favoring the more flexible opposition, the junta is likely to focus on six strategic priorities in the coming weeks. The first priority is to retake control along Asia Highway 1, which connects Myawaddy with Yangon. This road is the economic lifeline to Thailand, with over $1 billion in annual border trade. The SAC cannot afford a repeat of Muse in northern Shan state, where junta troops still control the border town, but the Ta'ang National Liberation Army controls much of the road to Lashio, the state's largest town, which allows the rebel group to collect taxes. And yet, their attacks have not only faltered, but also tied down troops who are needed elsewhere. Focus on Ann township The second junta priority is playing out now in western Rakhine state's Ann township, where the Arakan Army has captured two strategic outposts that protect the city after a two-month long battle. Ann is the headquarters of the Western Military Command, one of the 12 military regions, so its loss would be hugely embarrassing for the junta. More importantly, Ann is a critical transportation and logistics hub, the junction for the road north to the Rakhine state capital of Sittwe and to a major Chinese special economic zone and port project in Kyaukphyu. China's oil and gas pipelines also pass through Ann. In western Myanmar, the Arakan Army has already captured eight townships comprising most of northern Rakhine state, while reports are emerging that it has just captured Maungdaw, a key border port with Bangladesh, and surrounded Buthidaung. The Arakan Army has not tried to capture Sittwe or Kyaukphyu for now, seemingly content to try to consolidate control of the roads to both. The capture of Ann would force the junta to supply what they still control in Rakhine by sea or from the south through the town of Toungup. In sum, without control of Ann, the chances for a significant and sustained military counteroffensive in Rakhine get a lot harder. So the military is surging reinforcements there now and stepping up airstrikes. The third priority for the junta is to push for a new round of ceasefire talks with the Three Brotherhood Alliance and the Kachin Independence Army. As such, it will increase its lobbying of China, which borders Kachin state. Beijing seeks border ceasefire Beijing clearly wants a ceasefire on its border. Both Beijing and Naypyidaw are keen to see border trade return to pre-war levels. The junta now controls only 11 of 17 border posts with China, Thailand, India and Bangladesh - and pinched trade flows have led to shortages and spiking prices. China has also dispatched some 300 additional technicians to Kyaukphyu as construction there ramps up, so Beijing is urgently trying to broker a ceasefire between the junta and the Arakan Army. Before any such pact is reached, we should expect a lot of fighting and air attacks before then. Unlike the Three Brotherhood Alliance, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) is likely to reject a ceasefire, as they seek to take advantage of the military's distractions. Indeed, on May 5, after a lull of several weeks, the KIA launched a second wave of attacks, capturing a number of junta camps along the Myitkyina-Laiza highway, as well as an assault on the town of Sumprabum, midway between the provincial capital and Puta-O. The KIA has taken over 12 positions in the past four days. The fourth priority for the junta in the coming weeks must be the resupply of its deployed forces. One of the leading factors in military defections that have taken place since October has been the military's failure to resupply remotely deployed forces with food, water, ammunition and medical supplies. Sustaining operations is getting much harder for the military. They have lost several of the few helicopters in their inventory. This week in eastern Myanmar The Karenni Nationalities Defense Force insurgent group said it shot down a junta military helicopter and killed its pilot in Kayah State. Convoys under threat With roads and bridges are increasingly being mined, and military manpower spread thin, convoys are smaller and less well protected, making opposition ambushes more costly. Captured weaponry has allowed opposition forces to target junta riverine convoys more effectively. If the junta is unable to supply those light infantry battalions in the coming six weeks, the ethnic resistance organizations and People's Defense Forces will pick them off one by one during the rainy season. The fifth priority for the military regime will be to continue their assaults in Sagaing and Magwe. The heartland of the majority ethnic Bamars is arguably more important to the junta psychologically than militarily. That they do not have full control of Burmese-majority regions and have to worry about their supply lines in once-secure areas is hard for the generals to countenance. While the generals don't have the means to hold territory, the junta is punishing civilians with air and artillery strikes, serving up a harsh reminder of the cost of supporting the opposition. The sixth junta priority is to ramp up the production of arms and munitions. There is a parallel here with Russia, which also expected a very brief war in Ukraine, and did not have its logistics or defense industries prepared for a multi-year conflict. Drones on both sides The SAC is broke and cannot afford the costly import of weapons and ammunition, forcing its own defense industries to go into overdrive. At the same time, given the shortage of spare parts and regular servicing of their overtaxed air force, which has led to the crash of several aircraft, the military has stepped up the production of armed drones. The opposition National Unity Government (NUG) and the ethnic armies have used modified hobby and crop dusting drones with incredible efficacy, including an attack that purportedly wounded Soe Win the deputy junta commander. There is concern among the opposition that the military will be able to replicate the NUG success with cheap drones. Evidence has surfaced that the military is already fielding more lethal drone-specific munitions, rather than relying on mortar shells. The junta has lost significant amounts of territory since Operation 1027 began - which is notable because it happened during the dry season, when the military should have had all the advantages. The rainy season tends to benefit resistance forces. Along with the scorching heat, expect blistering, brutal attacks, as the military junta desperately tries to retake lost territory and critical supply lines before the rains set in. Zachary Abuza is a professor at the National War College in Washington and an adjunct at Georgetown University. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of the U.S. Department of Defense, the National War College, Georgetown University or Radio Free Asia. 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libya and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) continued discussions Thursday as part of the Article IV consultations for the year 2024 between the Central Bank of Libya (BCL) team and the Fund's expert mission to assess the general economic and financial situation of the Libyan state Myanmar insurgents accused of recruiting Rohingya in Bangladesh camps Children as young as 12 have been kidnapped from camps, refugees said. By RFA Burmese 2024.05.08 -- Myanmar Muslim insurgents have pressed about 500 Rohingya refugees in camps in Bangladesh to join the war in their homeland where fighting between rival factions has intensified sharply in recent weeks, refugees told Radio Free Asia. Members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and the smaller Rohingya Solidarity Organization have taken their fellow Muslim Rohingya refugees from the camps for military training, said people living in the world's largest camp in southeast Bangladesh. RFA could not reach either of the insurgent groups for comment nor authorities responsible for the camps in Bangladesh. The reports, if confirmed, could herald intensifying conflict in western Myanmar's Rakhine State where residents say the Myanmar junta has been pressing members of the persecuted Rohingya minority to help battle one of Myanmar most powerful insurgent forces, the Arakan Army, which draws it support from the state's majority ethnic Rakhine Buddhist community. "Everyone is running from the camp," said one Rohingya refugee who declined to be identified fearing for his safety. "Children under the age of 18 are being caught and sold to those groups ... it's said they are being sent to the Burma side to reinforce in the battles but I don't know who they're fighting against." The refugees had been detained in the camps between April 29 and May 8, most of them between the ages of 14 and 30, said the refugee, who complained that Bangladesh authorities were doing nothing to stop the abductions, which averaged at about one young man per household. ARSA fighters attacked a string of Myanmar government border posts in 2017, triggering a sweeping crackdown by the Myanmar army that sent some one million Rohingya villagers fleeing to safety in Bangladesh. The rebel force, which is seeking self-determination in the state, surged in strength in the wake of that violence and is now one of Myanmar's main groups fighting junta forces to end military rule. "These are terrorist organizations," another refugee said of the two groups whose members he said came at night to press-gang people. "Even 12 or 14-year-old children were among those arrested." Rohingya villagers still living in Myanmar appear increasingly at risk as the junta army and the Arakan insurgents battle it out. Since the Arakan Army stepped up its attacks on the military in November, both sides have been accused of recruiting or killing Rohingya from camps for internally displaced people in Rakhine State. The ARSA has in the past been accused of violence against its own members living in Bangladesh and of faith-based massacres on Hindu villagers. Nearly one million refugees live in the camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district, according to the latest U.N. figures. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn. 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese experts advocate thorough, objective investigation into terror attack killing five Chinese in Pakistan, urge joint counter-terrorism efforts among regional countries Global Times By GT staff reporters Published: May 08, 2024 11:18 PM The ministry of defense of the Afghan Taliban government on Wednesday rejected Pakistan's allegations that Afghans were involved in a terror attack in which five Chinese nationals were killed in Pakistan in March. Chinese analysts called for a thorough investigation into the attack and urged regional countries to strengthen joint counter-terrorism efforts as the anti-terrorism situation in Central and South Asia deteriorates. Mufti Enayatullah Khorazmim, the spokesperson for Afghanistan's Taliban-run Ministry of National Defense said on Wednesday that Afghans were not involved in the March terror attack and claimed that "blaming Afghanistan for such incidents is a failed attempt to divert attention from the truth of the matter," according to a Reuters report on Wednesday. Pakistan military spokesman Major-General Ahmed Sharif told a news conference in Islamabad on Tuesday that the suicide bomb attack in March was planned in neighboring Afghanistan, "the car used in it was also prepared in Afghanistan, and the suicide bomber was also an Afghan national," according to media reports. Five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in a suicide terror attack on March 26 at the China-invested Dasu hydropower project. The Chinese Embassy to Pakistan has demanded Pakistan to conduct a thorough investigation and punish the culprits severely. Chinese analysts emphasize the importance of conducting a comprehensive and impartial investigation into the terrorist attack, with detailed and compelling evidence presented. They underscore that China should refrain from becoming embroiled in the disputes of other countries, and the safety and interests of Chinese citizens and companies must be ensured. Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have heightened amid recent security concerns. The Pakistani army and government have accused the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) of launching attacks on Pakistan from Afghan territory, although the Afghan Taliban have denied these allegations. China has always emphasized the necessity of a comprehensive investigation and swift apprehension of perpetrators, and it does not wish to become entangled in the affairs of any other country, Zhu Yongbiao, director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times. Zhu said that it is alarming that the anti-terrorism situation in the Central and South Asian region, especially in the area centered around Afghanistan, is showing a deteriorating trend, with extensive interconnection and communication among terrorist and extremist groups, necessitating attention from all nations. The international community must not disregard the issue of counter-terrorism, particularly in the Central and South Asian region, where the influence of terrorism is on the rise, said the expert. Each country, including Pakistan and Afghanistan, may need to pragmatically seek a comprehensive solution to counter-terrorism issues amid disputes. This is essential to prevent the proliferation of terrorist forces, which could jeopardize national political security and regional stability, Zhu said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister and Foreign Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov today held comprehensive talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Foreign Minister Saidov is in Pakistan on a two-day official visit. The two sides underscored the cultural, civilizational and historical ties between Pakistan and Uzbekistan which provide a solid foundation for robust partnership in multiple domains. They also expressed satisfaction at close security and defence cooperation and robust engagement at multilateral fora such as UN, SCO and OIC. The two sides reaffirmed commitment to early implementation of the Uzbekistan - Afghanistan - Pakistan Railways project, which would give boost to bilateral and regional trade and become a bridge between South and Central Asia. The two sides discussed at length economic cooperation, trade, investment and connectivity between Pakistan and Uzbekistan. They noted that following operationalization of Transit Trade Agreement, bilateral trade has increased 1.4 times during the previous year and has the potential to reach the targets set during the last Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) held in Tashkent in February 2023. They agreed to identify new areas of economic cooperation and emphasized the importance of a liberal visa regime especially for the business community to promote linkages and people-to-people contacts. Islamabad 08 May 2024 75/2024 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Human rights body calls 2023 a dismal year for Pakistan By Sarah Zaman May 08, 2024 Human rights in Pakistan took a nosedive and civic spaces contracted to an extraordinary degree in 2023 in the wake of violent political protests, the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said in a new report reviewing the past year. "This year was remarkable for the State's blatant disregard for its own Constitution, adherence to a bare, notional democracy, and civic spaces having shrunk to an all-time low," said the report released Wednesday. The document covers a wide range of human rights issues that weakened Pakistani democracy last year, from unelected caretaker governments exceeding their constitutionally mandated term to the parliament hastily passing laws including those granting more powers to security agencies. Political repression The commission said the human rights situation reached a new low on May 9, 2023, "a defining day" on which supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan stormed military and government installations to protest his arrest. "The state retaliated with a fierce crackdown and mass arrests of thousands of party workers and leaders, including women," the report said. "Many [were] kept in military custody, not allowed to meet their families. Internet and social media shutdowns were imposed." The report recorded at least 15 instances of internet services being shut down in the last year. Following the violence on May 9, government suspended internet services for nearly four days across much of Pakistan. The HRCP said the authorities repeatedly banned gatherings of more than four people in a bid to restrict political activities. Missing persons According to HRCP's monitoring of media reports, 82 men and seven women were forcibly disappeared during 2023. The report said some of the disappearances were short-term, targeting political party members. Referring to data provided by the government's Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, HRCP said nearly 2,300 cases of missing persons remained unresolved at the end of last year. A weekslong protest movement led by Baloch women seeking recovery of missing family members returned empty-handed from Islamabad after talks with caretaker government officials stalled. The protesters were brutally dispersed upon arrival in the capital. "Baloch women were not even given the dignity of a conversation," said Munizae Jahangir, co-chairperson of the HRCP. Holding security agencies responsible for enforced disappearances, the commission's chairperson, Asad Iqbal Butt, said the acts violated an array of civil rights. The security agencies "think they are friends of Pakistan, but whenever I have a meeting with them, I tell them, 'You are not a friend of Pakistan. You are engaging in animosity with Pakistan,'" Butt said. He urged the courts to ask recovered victims of enforced disappearances to identify the agencies that detained them. "Unless those who pick people up are not brought to justice, unless they are punished, this problem cannot be resolved," Butt said, adding that the issue of enforced disappearances was hurting the public's trust in state institutions. Military's response In a rare press conference a day earlier, military spokesperson Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry defended the crackdown on the Pakistan Tareek-e-Insaf Party, or PTI. "If, in any country, an attack is launched on its army, symbols of its martyrs are insulted, its founder's house is set on fire, hatred is created between its army and public. And if the people behind it are not brought to justice, then there is a question mark on that country's justice system," Chaudhry told the media. The chief of Inter-Services Public Relations, Chaudhry supported PTI's demand for a judicial commission to probe the events of May 9. However, he said the commission should investigate the party's past attacks on government properties as well. Calling PTI a group of anarchists, the military spokesperson demanded the party "apologize publicly." Speaking to reporters in court on Wednesday, Khan said he would not apologize. "I should be apologized to, as I have been arrested illegally," said Khan, who has been in jail since Aug. 5, 2023, on multiple corruption charges that he has denied. While speaking to the media on Tuesday, Chaudhry said it was unfair to blame enforced disappearances on law enforcement agencies, since some allegedly missing persons are found to be involved in terrorism and other illegal activities or are in private jails run by local militias. He said the issue was serious and complex but rejected the debate surrounding it as propaganda by "certain political elements, media elements, NGOs and some with links overseas." "Here [in Pakistan] there is exaggerated propaganda on this issue," Chaudhry said, arguing that the scope of the problem in Pakistan was smaller than in many other countries. Butt on Wednesday dismissed Chaudhry's assertions as "foolish," saying men in uniform were seen abducting people. Jahangir called for stronger legislation to determine the mandate of security agencies. She urged the government to ratify the United Nations' International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Washington's willingness to engage Pyongyang exposes rare rift with Seoul By Christy Lee May 08, 2024 The Biden administration's apparent willingness to engage North Korea is causing a rare public rift with one of Washington's key allies in Asia over how to achieve Pyongyang's denuclearization. Last week, the two allies, on separate occasions, showed differences about whether to consider "interim steps" toward North Korea's complete denuclearization. South Korean national security adviser Chang Ho-jin said, "U.S. senior officials confirmed several times that there are no such thing as interim steps" toward denuclearization. He made the remarks in an interview with South Korean media outlet KBS, aired on April 27. A U.S. National Security Council spokesperson confirmed in an email to VOA's Korean Service on April 30 that "by saying that the United States is willing to consider interim steps, we are making clear that we recognize that building trust with the DPRK and making progress toward denuclearization will take time." The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is North Korea's official name. In response to the NSC spokesperson's comments, a South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson told VOA Korean on May 1 that Chang's remarks "reaffirm that the U.S. will not put aside complete denuclearization while it settles for a stopgap measure limiting [negotiations] to a nuclear freeze in return for sanctions relief." Taking interim steps toward denuclearization involves reciprocal concessions or corresponding measures that both sides are willing to make to reach that goal. Interim steps toward denuclearization are not a new approach. The approach was tried and failed by the former Clinton and George W. Bush administrations when North Korea was engaged in negotiations with the U.S. In March of this year, senior U.S. officials expressed Washington's interest in considering "interim steps" amid talks that remained stalled with Pyongyang since October 2019. A State Department spokesperson told VOA Korean in April that it made multiple attempts to communicate with North Korean officials, but that Pyongyang has not shown interest in engaging. Experts said Seoul is concerned that Washington's mention of interim steps and measures that could be included in those steps, especially threat reduction, could hinder Pyongyang from making a commitment toward complete denuclearization in future negotiations. Andrew Yeo, the SK-Korea Foundation chair in Korea Studies at Brookings Institution's Center for Asia Policy Studies, said, "Seoul prefers not to engage in any diplomatic negotiations without a DPRK commitment to denuclearization and wants to appear resolute." "Washington has signaled to North Korea that it's willing to be more flexible when it comes to restarting diplomatic engagement with North Korea. Seoul may not want to give the appearance of that flexibility so is perhaps denying any legitimacy behind an 'interim steps' approach," he added. Seoul has taken a tough stance on North Korea under President Yoon Suk Yeol since he took office two years ago by focusing on deterrence and alignment with Washington and U.S.-led trilateral security cooperation with Japan. Evans Revere, a State Department official with extensive experience negotiating with North Korea, said some critics and officials in Seoul and Tokyo are worried that the U.S. will focus on other goals Washington mentioned such as confidence building and tension reduction rather than on denuclearization. "There is also concern that Washington may be prepared to engage in arms control talks with Pyongyang a a move that would generate deep concern among U.S. allies, in large part because it would effectively accept North Korea's nuclear arsenal as permanent," he said. Talks over arms control or "nuclear freeze" that Seoul said it is concerned about or "threat reduction" or "risk reduction" mentioned by U.S. officials in March a which could be included in the interim steps a are considered equivalent to accepting North Korea as a nuclear state and opposed by some officials and analysts. At an event held by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on March 3, Mira Rapp-Hooper, senior director for East Asia and Oceania at the National Security Council, said the U.S. will discuss threat reduction with North Korea as it considers interim steps on the "pathway to denuclearization." Also at an event by CSIS on March 18, Jung Pak, a U.S. senior official for North Korea, said Washington wants North Korea to take risk reduction steps and discuss sanctions and confidence-building measures. Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea chair at CSIS, however, said that Rapp-Hooper's reference to "the formulation of interim measures to reduce the threat on the peninsula" in March "reflects the same pragmatic view that any negotiation has to start at step 1 a whether you call that interim measures or initial denuclearization." "As a former negotiator, I can say that any pragmatic implementation of denuclearization would have to include such steps, which I do not think would represent de facto acceptance of DPRK nuclear status a that is neither Washington, nor Seoul's policy," he said. Cha formerly served as deputy head of delegation for the U.S. at six-party denuclearization talks. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Acting Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to questions during a joint news conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Sierra Leone Timothy Kabba following talks, Moscow, May 7, 2024 7 May 2024 19:28 846-07-05-2024 We conducted substantive Russia-Sierra Leone talks. We share the view that today's meeting was timely and confirms our mutual striving to continue strengthening the traditionally friendly bilateral relations on the principles of equality and mutual respect. We discussed promising areas of our bilateral interaction, paying special attention to the projects on energy and mineral extraction that are now being discussed by the relevant departments. Our friends are interested in promoting cooperation in healthcare. The Russian Federation has a rich experience of interacting with African countries, including West Africa in countering infectious diseases and cooperating between sanitary and epidemiological services. We are in a position to pay attention to the issues raised by our friends from Sierra Leone. We agreed to continue working on expanding our contractual and legal framework. Talks are underway on several important documents. I am sure that we will soon complete our work on them. Our colleagues also expressed interest in attracting Russian investors to the economy of Sierra Leone with a view to implementing mutually beneficial projects. By tradition, we are giving priority to the humanitarian area. Many Sierra Leoneans studied and continue to study in our country (first, in the USSR and now in the Russian Federation). We confirmed our readiness to increase the number of scholarships that the Russian Government grants Sierra Leone every year. Foreign policy interaction of Russia and Sierra Leone has good long-term traditions. Our foreign ministries have held consultations on urgent regional and international issues, including UN activities under the protocol that entered in force in 2002. In 2024-2025, Sierra Leone is a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. The first months of this year gave us one more opportunity to see that we have close or identical positions on key issues facing the universal Organisation. Today, we agreed to coordinate our actions in the UN as a whole and its Security Council, in particular. In July, Russia will chair the Security Council and in August we will give the baton to our friends from Sierra Leone. We discussed the situation in the Sahara-Sahel region, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad. We would like West African countries to remain motivated to preserve their sovereignty and interests in their communication with the external world. We favour the removal of the vestiges of colonialism and neocolonialism. You can still feel them in the presence of some former metropolitan states in Africa. Today, we had a frank conversation on this issue. We are interested in the implementation of the African Solutions a for African Problems principle. There are many conflicts and crises in Africa. Sometimes, offering help, external players pursue primarily their own interests that do not meet aspirations of Africans. We would like the African Union and other sub-regional organisations to take the main initiative. The international community should support the decisions made by Africans. This is our firm position. We discussed the reform of the UN Security Council in the same vein. We believe its main goal is to remove the historical injustice and expand the representation of Africa, Asia and Latin America in this main body, which is in charge of the issues of international peace and security. We maintain good cooperation on implementing the agreements reached during the two Russia-Africa summits. In accordance with a decision of the St Petersburg Summit in July 2023, the Russia-African Union foreign ministers will hold their first meeting next November. We hope that our friends will be represented at the proper level. We confirmed our gratitude for Sierra Leone's position of principle on the issues related to the situation around Ukraine. It developed because of the hybrid war that the West was preparing for a long time with a view to weakening our country, creating threats to its security and depriving millions of Russian speakers in Crimea and Donbass of their lawful rights. The Ukrainian authorities and their Western patrons subverted the agreements reached with Western participation in the past eight years. None of them have been carried out. This led to the start of the special military operation. We are grateful to our African friends, in part Sierra Leone, for their well-balanced position and understanding of the reasons that had brought about the current situation. I am pleased about today's negotiations. Question: Does the Foreign Ministry plan to open new diplomatic missions in African countries in 2024, including the Russian Embassy in Sierra Leone? Sergey Lavrov: We are going to open new diplomatic offices in Africa, including Freetown before the end of 2024. We have adopted all required decisions and it remains to fulfil them. We are working on this in practical terms. Question: any West African countries signed agreements on building nuclear power plants with the Rosatom State Corporation. Is Freetown considering this option for resolving its electricity problems? Sergey Lavrov (adds after Timothy Kabba): We agreed with the Minister that relevant departments of Sierra Leone Government will formulate additional wishes for Russian investors in various areas, including possible cooperation on nuclear power engineering and non-energy uses of nuclear power. They will send us such proposals. We will definitely organise an interdepartmental study. It won't take much time. I think you will soon learn about its results. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Press release on Acting Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Sierra Leone Timothy Musa Kabba 7 May 2024 20:07 848-07-05-2024 On May 7, Acting Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Sierra Leone Timothy Musa Kabba, who was in Moscow on a working visit. The ministers exchanged views on a number of current issues related to the further development of traditionally friendly relations between Russia and Sierra Leone, including the strengthening of political dialogue and trade, economic, cultural and other forms of cooperation. They specifically outlined some additional political steps needed to stimulate bilateral business cooperation, in particular the implementation of promising joint projects in mining, geology and power generation. Their in-depth discussion on the key international and African issues focused on the UN Security Council reform and the situation in Ukraine and around it, as well as on developments in the Middle East, the Sahel-Sahara Region and West Africa. They reaffirmed the similarity of their countries' positions of principle on the majority of issues under discussion and emphasised the priority of political and diplomatic methods of defusing crises in Africa, with the leading role to be played by the Africans themselves with support from the international community. In this context, they agreed to continue to coordinate their actions at the UN and on other international platforms. Sergey Lavrov and Timothy Musa Kabba devoted considerable attention to a broad range of issues related to the sustainable development of multifaceted Russia-Africa cooperation with due regard for the outcome of the second Russia-Africa Summit, held in St Petersburg in July 2023, and preparations for a ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum scheduled to be held in Sochi in November 2024. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Soldier Detained In Russia Had Broken Army Rules, Traveled Via China By Current Time May 08, 2024 The Pentagon has said that the U.S. Army serviceman who is one of two Americans arrested by Russia in separate cases disclosed on May 7 had violated army rules by traveling to the Far Eastern Russian city of Vladivostok, and he had gone there via China. The detentions renewed questions over whether Russian authorities are targeting Americans for potential prisoner swaps amid sharp disagreements between Moscow and Washington over the war in Ukraine and other international security issues. A Pervomaisky district court in Vladivostok ordered the arrest of U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Gordon Black and sent him to pretrial detention until at least July 2, according to a court spokeswoman. Daniel Kanigan, deputy spokesman at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, told RFE/RL in an e-mail that "we can confirm that two U.S. citizens have been detained in Russia in the past week." He did not confirm the name of either of the detained Americans. But U.S. authorities confirmed that Black had been arrested in Russia and accused of stealing from a woman after traveling from South Korea -- where he had been assigned but was due to return to Texas -- without informing his superiors. "Instead of returning to the continental United States, Black flew from Incheon, Republic of Korea through China to Vladivostok, Russia, for personal reasons," the army said in a statement. Russian authorities said separately on May 7 that an American identified by court officials as William Russell Nycum had been detained 10 days ago in an unrelated case and was in custody in Moscow on "petty hooliganism" and alcohol charges. The White House said the State Department was "actively seeking consular access to both individuals, neither of whom are in Russia on behalf or in affiliation with the U.S. government," press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. The detentions add to a list of U.S. citizens being held in Russia under various circumstances and come as tensions between Moscow and Washington are at their highest levels since the Cold War. Among those being held are journalists Alsu Kurmasheva of RFE/RL and Evan Gershkovich of The Wall Street Journal. Both have been detained on charges that they, their employers, and their supporters reject as politically motivated. American Paul Whelan was convicted in 2020 and sentenced to 16 years in Russian prison on espionage charges that he and the U.S. government have repeatedly rejected. Russia's Foreign Ministry has said Black's and Nycum's cases are not political and neither is accused of espionage. Black was charged with "theft causing significant damage to a citizen," Kommersant reported, the maximum penalty for which is five years in prison. Black's mother told the ABC TV network that her 35-year-old son had been visiting his girlfriend in Russia at the time of his arrest. U.S. Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith confirmed that Black was detained four days earlier in Vladivostok, a military and commercial port in Russia's Far East, on charges of criminal misconduct. Smith added that there was no indication "Black intended to remain in Russia" after his two-week leave time ended. It wasn't immediately clear if the detained soldier was being considered as absent without leave (AWOL) by the U.S. military. U.S. Representative Michael McCaul (Republican-Texas), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that "I am deeply concerned by reports that a U.S. Army officer has been detained in Russia. Putin has a long history of holding American citizens hostage." The State Department issued a "Do Not Travel" warning to U.S. citizens in September 2023 and cited "the singling out of U.S. citizens for detention by Russian government security officials." With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-us-soldier-black- arrested-vladivostok-hostages/32937831.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US urges other countries to repatriate citizens held in Syria By Sirwan Kajjo May 08, 2024 The United States is urging other countries to follow its lead in repatriating their citizens from detention centers and displaced persons camps where former followers and supporters of Islamic State have been held since the collapse of the IS "caliphate" in 2019. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday the U.S. had repatriated 11 U.S. citizens from northeast Syria, including five minors. "This is the largest single repatriation of U.S. citizens from northeast Syria to date," Blinken said in a statement. U.S. officials say nearly 50 U.S. citizens have repatriated from Syria in recent years, but it's not clear how many Americans are being held in northeast Syria. "As a part of this operation, the United States also facilitated the repatriation of six Canadian citizens, four Dutch citizens and one Finnish citizen, among them eight children," Blinken said. Since the military defeat of the Islamic State terror group in 2019, thousands of foreign fighters and their families have been detained in camps and prisons in areas under the control of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF. Among those held by the SDF are thousands of Syrian and Iraqi nationals who lived under IS when the group ruled parts of Syria and Iraq starting in 2014. According to Kurdish officials in northeast Syria, around 43,000 people currently live in several detention camps in the SDF-held area. Most of them are Syrian and Iraqi, but several thousand come from at least 60 foreign countries. Thousands of Iraqis have left the camp in coordination with Iraqi authorities. Significant numbers of Syrians have also left in arrangements between the SDF and Arab tribal leaders. While many other countries have been taking back women and children affiliated with IS who are held in two detention centers in northeastern Syria, U.S. officials urge them to step up such repatriation efforts. "The only durable solution to the humanitarian and security crisis in the displaced persons camps and detention facilities in northeast Syria is for countries to repatriate, rehabilitate, reintegrate, and where appropriate, ensure accountability for wrongdoing," Blinken said, reiterating the U.S. commitment to help other nations that wish to repatriate their nationals from northeast Syria. Colin Clarke, director of research at The Soufan Center, said the recent U.S. "repatriation is significant, but I'm not entirely hopeful that it will spur other countries to step up or accelerate their own efforts." "In many countries, including in the West, repatriation remains an unpopular issue politically and something that politicians believe could make them vulnerable," he told VOA. "This is especially true in some European countries where far-right populism has become dominant over the past several years." Rights groups say living conditions have been deteriorating in al-Hol camp, one of two major camps in northeast Syria. The detention camp has witnessed a growing number of security incidents that have resulted in the deaths of many civilians. Local tribunal Authorities in the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria say while a full repatriation of foreign nationals in their custody doesn't seem possible at this time, there is a need to establish a special tribunal for IS foreign fighters in northeast Syria. Aaron Zelin, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, called this proposal "a non-starter." "It's never going to happen. I don't know why people in the Autonomous Administration continue to push this," he told VOA in an interview. "It's not a recognized territory in the international stage, nor do people want their own citizens being tried by other judges that may not be trained on these issues, especially since they're not recognized." Clarke said the Kurdish proposition to have local trials for IS foreign fighters "is a good case in the hypocrisy of the situation." "On the one hand, some countries will protest this and allude to concerns over human rights issues, but at the same time refuse to repatriate these individuals back to their countries of origin," he said. Potential IS resurgence With 900 American troops on the ground, the U.S. has been assisting SDF fighters in combating remnants of IS in eastern Syria. But in recent months, militants affiliated with IS have stepped up attacks against the SDF and forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in eastern and central Syria, respectively. There are fears that an IS resurgence in eastern Syria would impact the situation in the detention camps in the region. "I think people are underplaying the fact that it's not very stable there, and there's a lot of moving parts," Zelin said. "The U.S. isn't going to stay there forever, and to think otherwise is a bit naive." He said Turkey, which views the SDF as a terrorist organization, would attack the Kurdish group if the U.S. leaves Syria, further complicating the issue. "What's going to happen to the prisons? Turkey's not going to guard them. The Assad regime isn't going to care what happens to them. IS will be able to break people out of not only the IDP camps, but also the prisons, as well." This story originated in VOA's Kurdish Service. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Actions of the Government of Syria May 08, 2024 On May 11, 2004, pursuant to his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) and the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003 (Public Law 108-175), the President issued Executive Order 13338, in which he declared a national emergency with respect to the actions of the Government of Syria. The national emergency was modified in scope and relied upon for additional steps taken in Executive Order 13399 of April 25, 2006, Executive Order 13460 of February 13, 2008, Executive Order 13572 of April 29, 2011, Executive Order 13573 of May 18, 2011, Executive Order 13582 of August 17, 2011, Executive Order 13606 of April 22, 2012, and Executive Order 13608 of May 1, 2012. The President took these actions to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States constituted by the actions of the Government of Syria in supporting terrorism, maintaining its then-existing occupation of Lebanon, pursuing weapons of mass destruction and missile programs, and undermining United States and international efforts with respect to the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq. The regime's brutality and repression of the Syrian people, who have called for freedom and a representative government, not only endangers the Syrian people themselves, but also generates instability throughout the region. The Syrian regime's actions and policies, including with respect to chemical weapons and supporting terrorist organizations, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. As a result, the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13338, which was expanded in scope in Executive Order 13572, and with respect to which additional steps were taken in Executive Order 13399, Executive Order 13460, Executive Order 13573, Executive Order 13582, Executive Order 13606, and Executive Order 13608, must continue in effect beyond May 11, 2024. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared with respect to the actions of the Government of Syria. In addition, the United States condemns the brutal violence and human rights violations and abuses of the Assad regime and its Russian and Iranian enablers. The United States calls on the Assad regime, and its backers, to stop its violent war against its own people, enact a nationwide ceasefire, facilitate the unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to all Syrians in need, and negotiate a political settlement in Syria in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254. The United States will consider changes in policies and actions of the Government of Syria in determining whether to continue or terminate this national emergency in the future. This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress. JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR. THE WHITE HOUSE, May 8, 2024. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity, Abdulhamid Al-Dbaiba, Thursday followed up on a number of projects of the Ministry of Planning concerning specifications and standards as well as the general population census Fujian coast guard conducts routine patrol in waters near Kinmen, 'safeguarding maritime homeland security, fishing interests' Global Times By Wang Qi Published: May 08, 2024 10:38 PM The Coast Guard of East China's Fujian Province has recently carried out routine law enforcement patrols in the waters near Kinmen, media outlets affiliated to People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced. Facing hype and suspicions from Taiwan island, Chinese mainland experts said on Wednesday the regular operations were aimed at safeguarding the interests of fishermen on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, as well as China's maritime homeland security, which should not be over-interpreted. According to a WeChat post released on Wednesday by Zhongguojunhao (lit: Chinese military bugle), account of PLA News and Communication Center, Fujian Coast Guard has conducted regular law enforcement patrols in waters near Kinmen on Monday and Tuesday, to ensure the safety of fishermen and property, particularly in light of recent foggy weather and low visibility at sea. In a video posted by Zhongguojunhao on Weibo on Tuesday, a PLA reporter said the coast guard ships have once sailed to the vicinity of Beiding Island, less than four nautical miles (7.4 kilometers) from Kinmen Island, and finally arrived at the port of Xiamen, Fujian. "When drinking water, one should not forget its source. In order to solve the problem of water shortage on Kinmen Island, Quanzhou and Kinmen Island built a cross-sea water pipeline to provide mainland water for more than 100,000 residents in Kinmen," the reporter said, noting that "during law enforcement patrols, our coast guard not only keeps an eye on the situation on the sea surface, but also protects these undersea facilities from damage." However, the lawful operation has sparked speculation and suspicion in Taiwan, where local media said it was the first time Chinese mainland has included the protection of water pipelines in the scope of coast guard law enforcement. Taiwan-based udn.com said that it's the first time that coast guard operation was announced through PLA media instead of coast guard system. The Taiwan-based coast guard administration said on Monday that the mainland ships have sailed through its self-declared "prohibited and restricted waters" and called mainland operation as "endangers navigation safety" and "damages cross-Straits peace and stability." Yang Xiao, Deputy director of Institute of Maritime Strategy Studies at China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times on Wednesday that claims from Taiwan side are "more about hype," noting that the vessels' movements were a regular occurrence. The Chinese mainland announced a regular patrol in waters near Kinmen in February after mainland fishermen were brutally assaulted by vessels from Taiwan authorities, causing two deaths. The China Coast Guard (CCG) has conducted at least six patrol missions since the above fatal incident according to public release. Moreover, Yang said the release from PLA-affiliated media has no particular meaning, as China's Coast Guard Law clearly stipulates that the Coast Guard is also subordinate to the People's Armed Police Force and is led by the Central Military Commission (CMC). The PLA is also lead by CMC. Citing the Article 12 of China's Coast Guard Law, Yang remarked that protecting water pipelines is part of the duties of the CCG, so "there is nothing worth hyping." Further noting that the Chinese mainland supplies water to Kinmen residents, and the Taiwan side should not ignore mainland's kindness and goodwill that embody "people on both sides of the Straits are one family," Yang added. Chinese military expert Song Zhongping told the Global Times on Wednesday, that CCG's law enforcement operation within China's maritime territory is not targeting coast guard vessels from Taiwan authorities and Taiwan secessionists, but more to safeguard the overall national maritime security and interests. In the video released by Zhongguojunhao on Tuesday, an officer from Fujian Coast Guard said there are more than 1,000 ships entering and leaving Xiamen Port every day, and the traffic density is relatively high. In the case of bad marine conditions, coast guard will issue safety warnings to passing vessels. Another Fujian Coast Guard officer said that during the regular law enforcement patrol operations at sea, "we are also responsible for the implementation of maritime rescue, resolving maritime disputes, handling maritime police and other tasks." If fishermen on both sides of the Taiwan Straits need any help, the CCG will resolutely safeguard their interests, Song said, "In the future, CCG will continue to carry out relevant tasks and perform its duties in accordance with the law." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan May 8, 2024 ROC Ministry of National Defense 2024/05/08 PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan 1.Dateis 6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Tuesday to Wednesday, May 7-8 2.PLA activitiesis 16 PLA aircraft and 5 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 8 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's southwestern and eastern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address May 7, 2024 Release Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With Ukrainian Minister of Defence Rustem Umerov Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout: Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Ukrainian Minister of Defence Rustem Umerov today regarding Ukraine's most pressing security assistance needs. Secretary Austin detailed ongoing U.S. security assistance efforts following the passage of the National Security Supplemental, including the recent $1 billion Presidential Drawdown and $6 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative announcements. Minister Umerov provided an update of dynamics on the battlefield, as well as the impact of Russia's continued aerial attacks across Ukraine. The two leaders pledged to remain in close contact. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3767221// NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Delivery of material assistance to Ukraine continues Finnish Government Ministry of the Interior Publication date 8.5.2024 Press release During Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Finland has actively delivered civilian material assistance to Ukraine. A total of 76 vehicles and 311 truckloads of aid have been donated from Finland. The collection and delivery of material assistance to Ukraine continues. During March and April, Finland delivered 13 truckloads of civilian material assistance to Ukraine. The deliveries included healthcare supplies such as hospital beds, medical ovens and assistive devices as well as energy sector supplies including transformers, cables and gas pipelines. In addition, school furniture, such as tables and chairs, has been delivered to Ukraine. Civilian material assistance plays a key role in maintaining the resilience of the Ukrainian society and the operational capacity of the authorities. Russia systematically destroys Ukraine's critical infrastructure, and there is a great need for energy sector aid, in particular. Moreover, donations related to the protection and repair of critical infrastructure and securing the capacity of rescue services, civil defence and healthcare are needed. There is also a great need for different kinds of vehicles in Ukraine. "Preparations for several aid packages to Ukraine are under way and, during this spring, we will send more healthcare materials, vehicles for rescue services and assistance for the energy sector, which Ukraine badly needs after the recent attacks," says Heikki Honkanen, Specialist at the Ministry of the Interior. Finland is Europe's third most active provider of civilian material assistance Through the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism, European countries have made more than 3,400 offers of assistance to Ukraine. Finland has been the third most active country, with close to 300 offers of assistance. Measuring the monetary value of material assistance is not easy, because the donations are reported only at their depreciated value, which is usually a fraction of the replacement value of similar material. Indeed, the most important indicator of civilian material assistance is its use value. Material assistance quickly fills Ukraine's acute needs arising from the war to secure the functioning of society. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Landsbergis meets with Cameron: "Ukraine needs more help, and Europe must urgently find ways to deliver it" Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2024.05.08 On May 7, Lithuania's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabrielius Landsbergis, met with the British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Cameron in London. The meeting focused on military, financial, and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, sanctions against Russia and preparations for the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., in July. "I am delighted that Lithuania and the United Kingdom are like-minded about supporting Ukraine. All our efforts aim at securing Ukraine's victory over the aggressor," Landsbergis said. Landsbergis and Cameron called for further strengthening of the sanctions regime against Russia. "Our message to Putin is that time is not his ally. There is a need to strengthen the pressure on Russia and to seek ways to prevent the circumvention of sanctions. Russian assets frozen in the West must be transferred to Ukraine for defence and reconstruction. It is crucial for our defence industry to feel our commitment to support Ukraine and to ensure Europe's defence in the form of long-term contracts," the head of Lithuania's diplomacy said. Landsbergis and the British Foreign Secretary dedicated much attention to the NATO summit to be held in Washington, D.C., on 9-11 July. "75 years of NATO is a beautiful and meaningful anniversary. However, in the face of Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the transatlantic community as a whole, we need to prove through concrete decisions and practical actions that NATO has been and will remain the strongest collective defence alliance in the world. Lithuania already spends almost 3 % of GDP on defence. The good news is that the United Kingdom has also committed to raising defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP. We must continue strengthening the security of NATO's eastern flank," Lithuania's Foreign Minister noted. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine's energy facilities under Russian air raids, official says People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 18:16, May 08, 2024 KIEV, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Energy facilities across Ukraine came under Russia's massive air strikes early Wednesday, Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko said. The attack targeted power generation and transmission facilities in the central Poltava, Kirovograd, and Vinnytsya regions, the western Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, and the southern Zaporizhzhia region, Galushchenko wrote on Facebook. Equipment at three thermal power plants of Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK sustained damage during the attack, the company said in a statement. The air strikes marked the fifth attack on DTEK's energy facilities in less than two months, according to the DTEK's press service. Russia fired 55 missiles, including 50 cruise missiles and an aeroballistic missile, and 21 drones at Ukraine overnight, said the Ukrainian Air Force, adding that 20 drones and 39 missiles were downed by air defense. At least two people were wounded in the attack in the Kiev region, while another person was injured in the Kirovograd region, said regional authorities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Warns Of Possible Blackouts After 'Massive' Russian Attack On Infrastructure By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service May 08, 2024 Officials in Ukraine said on May 8 that a major overnight attack by more than 50 Russian missiles and 20 drones badly damaged infrastructure, including dams, across at least six regions as multiple waves of air alerts rang out for hours in areas including the capital, Kyiv. The national power company, Ukrenerho, told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that the attacks have caused a significant shortage of electricity in the power grid and that blackouts for consumers might be necessary if emergency electricity imports couldn't make up the gap. Ukrenerho head Volodymyr Kudrytskiy said the emergency imports from Europe had helped "stabilize and balance" the grid but that "this may not be enough." If consumption rose, he warned, "we will have to resort to disconnecting consumers as a last resort." He warned the risk was especially high during the peak evening hours between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. and urged Ukrainians to "try to avoid it or if you consume electricity [do it] sparingly and economically." Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko called it "another massive attack on our energy industry" that spanned six regions. He said power-generation and transmission facilities had been attacked in the Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhya, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Vinnytsya regions. Russia's Defense Ministry later said it had hit "military and energy" targets in Ukraine with smart weapons including its hypersonic Kinzhal missiles and drones. "In response to the Kyiv regime's attempt to damage Russian energy facilities, this morning the armed forces of the Russian Federation launched a group strike...against energy facilities and enterprises of Ukraine's military-industrial complex," Moscow was quoted as saying. Ukrenerho said "Russians have launched a new massive attack on thermal and hydroelectric power plants." The military administration head in the central Poltava district, Filip Pronin, said a fire had broken out after a drone strike on a power infrastructure facility. The head of the military administration in the southern Zaporizhzhya region, which hosts Europe's largest nuclear plant, said the Russian bombardment there targeted "critical and civil infrastructure facilities." In Lviv, in western Ukraine, the governor said a Russian strike had hit critical energy infrastructure in the Stryhi district and a power-generation plant in the Chervonohrad district. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said via Telegram that the Russian attacks had employed at least 50 missiles and 20 drones. He noted that they took place early on the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation that the United Nations declared to honor those who lost their lives in World War II. "The whole world must clearly understand who is who," Zelenskiy wrote, before equating Russian aggression against his country to Nazi Germany's actions to spark that war. Russia has frequently targeted power and energy infrastructure with air attacks since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. An attack in March marked one of the most intense of those bombardments since the war began, including a strike on Ukraine's largest hydroelectric power plant, DniproHEP in Zaporizhzhya that did serious damage. Russia's Defense Ministry also claimed on May 8 that its troops had captured two frontline villages in Ukraine -- Kyslivka in the Kharkiv region and Novokalynove in the Donetsk region -- but there was no acknowledgement by the Ukrainian side and RFE/RL could not verify the claim. With reporting by Reuters and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-war-russia- infrastructure-attack/32937719.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukrainian Parliament Passes Bill To Allow Some Prisoners To Serve In Military By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service May 08, 2024 KYIV -- The Ukrainian parliament has approved a bill that would allow some categories of prisoners to serve in the country's armed forces as it defends itself against a full-scale Russian invasion. Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, adopted the law after its second reading on May 8 with 279 members of the 450-member parliament voting in favor. The bill will require the signature of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who has supported the idea. The Russian military has also recruited in the country's prisons for potential soldiers to serve in Ukraine in exchange for a release from their sentences. Reports have surfaced in Russia of returning former prisoners terrorizing residents of regional cities and committing major crimes. Olena Shulyak, the head of Zelenskiy's party, said in a Facebook post that the "draft law opens the possibility for certain categories of prisoners who expressed a desire to defend their country to join the defense forces." She said service would be voluntary and some prisoners would be excluded, including those convicted of certain offenses such as crimes against the foundations of Ukraine's national security, the intentional murder of two or more people, sexual violence, attempts to kill law enforcement officers, and particularly serious corruption violations. Shulyak said it will also not apply to convicts who previously held a position of responsibility regardless of the crime they committed (e.g. ministers, deputies, their deputies and assistants, etc.). More than two years after Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has struggled to maintain its defenses in the face of shortages of manpower and ammunition. Kyiv has pleaded with Western partners for additional deliveries of weapons but has not requested the deployment of foreign troops. In April, the Verkhovna Rada passed a law on military mobilization that looks to boost the number of its troops. The law expands the powers of Ukrainian authorities to issue draft notices, including through an electronic system, a change that is expected to help limit evasion. A provision on the demobilization of those currently serving in the armed forces was scrapped from the law -- a move likely to be met with anger by Ukrainian troops and their families. A provision also required all men between the ages of 18 and 60 to update their draft data with military conscription centers across the country. An unknown number of Ukrainian men fled the country after Russia launched its ongoing unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, despite Kyiv's move to ban men of conscription age from leaving the country. In April, Ukraine also lowered the draft mobilization age from 27 to 25, with 60 being the maximum age. Russia also imposed strict measures aimed at preventing avoidance of military service after thousands of young men fled the country in the early days following the invasion. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-prisoners-military- parliament-russia/32938380.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Jailed Ukrainian Magnate Kolomoyskiy Suspected Of Being Behind 2003 Attempted Contract Killing By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service May 08, 2024 Ukrainian prosecutors and police suggested on May 8 that jailed billionaire Ihor Kolomoyskiy has been informed that he is under suspicion of a crime in connection with an attempted contract killing two decades ago. Without naming Kolomoyskiy, the National Police said via Telegram that they have "indisputable evidence confirming the identity of the customer" who ordered the hit and described that suspect's circumstances. The Prosecutor-General's Office also avoided naming the suspect but accompanied its Telegram post with a pixelated image that appeared to be Kolomoyskiy, who supported Zelenskiy's presidential bid in 2019 election and is already in custody to face fraud and money-laundering charges. The police said the suspect has been in custody since September 2023. One of Ukraine's richest individuals, Kolomoyskiy has been in custody since September. He has already denied involvement in the attempted murder case, which could carry a life sentence if he is convicted. The National Police said the motive was "revenge on a lawyer for refusing to cooperate in an illegal arrangement." They said the unnamed suspect was notified of their suspicions on May 8. Doctors managed to save the life of the lawyer at the center of the 2003 case after four men beat and stabbed him. The perpetrators were apprehended. More than a month after his detention in September, Kolomoyskiy transferred corporate rights over his 1+1 media group to the company's employees. A native of Dnipro, a major industrial city in southeastern Ukraine, Kolomoyskiy has owned banks, energy firms, metals companies, airlines, and one of the nation's most influential television channels. In 2021, he was blacklisted by the U.S. State Department for alleged corruption and undermining democracy at home. His supporters say he is being wrongly prosecuted in an effort by Ukrainian officials to demonstrate to Western allies that they are serious about fighting corruption. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-kolomoyskiy-oligarch- murder-suspicion/32938199.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Will Target French Forces if They Enter Ukraine Sputnik News 20240508 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - French troops will become targets for the Russian armed forces if they appear in the special military operation zone, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday. "Macron himself explains this rhetoric with a desire to create some kind of 'strategic uncertainty' for Russia. We have to disappoint him. For us the situation looks more than certain. We also decided a long time ago. If the French appear in the conflict zone, they will inevitably become targets for the Russian armed forces. It seems to me that Paris already has evidence of this," Zakharova told reporters. French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with The Economist last week that he did not rule out sending troops to Ukraine, should Kiev send a request. This belligerent statement prompted a major backlash not only in France, but across Europe, as numerous politicians warned Macron against such a move. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) Attacks by Sudan's paramilitary the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias in El Geneina, the capital city of West Darfur state, from April to November 2023, killed at least thousands of people and left hundreds of thousands as refugees, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report released on Thursday Our Positions at the Front, the Physical Protection of Our People and Communities, and the Disruption of Any Attempts at Russian Offensive Are Urgent Priorities - Address by the President President of Ukraine 8 May 2024 - 21:47 Dear Ukrainians! A few important points for today. First of all, I am grateful to all those who have been eliminating the consequences of the Russian Nazis' attack in various regions of Ukraine today - Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Kirovohrad. This is how the Kremlin marks the end of World War II in Europe - with a massive attack, with its attempts to break the lives of our people, with its Nazism. Almost sixty Russian missiles and more than twenty "Shaheds" were launched in just one day. It was a deliberate, combined strike against our energy system - against power generation, hydroelectric dam, gas infrastructure. We managed to shoot down some of the missiles and most of the "Shaheds." I thank each of our partners whose air defense systems were effective today. However, not all Russian missiles were shot down. Unfortunately. There were hits, and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, power engineers, involved services and enterprises are facing many challenges. I am grateful to everyone who is working one hundred percent to increase the percentage of energy generation. I would also like to personally thank the rescuers who have proved themselves effective and committed to eliminating the consequences of the Russian strikes today and in general at this time. Zaporizhzhia region - Oleksandr Antipov, Serhiy Sydorenko, Mykola Sereda - employees of state fire and rescue units. Thank you! Lviv region - Ihor Veretelnyk, Oleksandr Voitovych, Viktor Kapustiak. Thank you! Poltava region - Oleksandr Kit, Oleksandr Baiva, Yevhen Kibalnyk. Thank you! Vinnytsia region - Oleh Kostiuk, Dmytro Palamarchuk and Volodymyr Khudchenko. Ivano-Frankivsk region - Artur Vasiutiak, Oleh Shastkiv and Ruslan Kryklyvyi. I am grateful to you guys and all your colleagues - the entire staff of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, all the people whose job is to always give life hope, always help, under any circumstances. Today, I continued negotiations with the leaders who can help us - Ukraine - and our entire Europe to bring a just peace and real, lasting security closer. We continue preparations for the first Global Peace Summit, which will be held in Switzerland and should become a truly effective peace-building platform. Today I personally invited the leaders of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to the Summit. It is very important that we maintain dialogue with all leaders, and we actually share a common goal with all of them - to restore genuine tranquility to international relations and guarantee justice to every nation - guarantee that they will not be destroyed. Only in cooperation can the world ensure this. And I thank every leader, every state that has already confirmed their participation in the Peace Summit. We are working to make sure that everyone else understands us and joins in as well. Everyone who helps will feel the gratitude of history. Of course, we also discussed our bilateral cooperation today. Denmark - we discussed the strengthening of our air defense and the implementation of defense agreements. The Netherlands - we discussed with Mark, Mr. Prime Minister, the search for additional Patriot systems. Hungary - a good conversation, long, with many details. Bilateral cooperation, the situation in the region. We agreed to work together further, based on the efforts of our teams. Germany - we discussed the restoration and protection of our energy sector, the preparation of a recovery conference in Berlin. Saudi Arabia - we discussed with the Crown Prince our bilateral cooperation and global affairs - ways to actually bring peace closer. And one more thing. Today, there was a separate report by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine and a report by the Commander-in-Chief. Our positions at the front, the physical protection of our people and communities, and the disruption of any attempts at Russian offensive are urgent priorities. I am grateful to each of our warriors whose courage and resilience make all this possible. To everyone in the Ukrainian Defense Forces - in our combat brigades, in all units involved, in the Air Defense Forces, in the Air Force, in the security forces. Everyone who is now on the frontline, who defends Ukraine on the ground, in the sky and at sea, gives our state the opportunity to gain a prospect for Ukrainians - for our independence, for our diplomacy, for our lives. Glory to all our warriors! Glory to our people! Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iryna Mudra: Implementation of Judicial Reform is a Key Component of Transparent Business Development President of Ukraine 8 May 2024 - 20:19 The Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Iryna Mudra met with the President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine Andy Hunder, Vice President Tetyana Prokopchuk, and Co-Chair of the Chamber Legal Committee Vitaliy Odzhykovskyi. During the meeting, the parties discussed the main aspects of the judicial reform focusing on the establishment of the High Administrative Court, staffing of courts, in particular of the Supreme Court, and holding competitions for the positions of judges of the High Anti-Corruption Court and the Constitutional Court. "The rule of law, effective judicial reform, fair justice and transparent selection of judges to courts of all instances are key components for the transparent business development in Ukraine," emphasized Iryna Mudra. The Deputy Head of the Office of the President noted that the Ukrainian side is committed to maximum cooperation and successful implementation of the judicial reform. The representatives of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine stated that the stability of the rule of law and state institutions is the basis for investing significant capital in our country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Chancellor of Germany, the Prime Minister of Denmark, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe will Participate in the Global Peace Summit President of Ukraine 8 May 2024 - 18:55 Following the telephone conversations with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz, the Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte, and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejcinovic Buric confirmed their participation in the Global Peace Summit which will be held in Switzerland on June 15-16. Volodymyr Zelenskyy told his interlocutors about the combined strike that the aggressor state of Russia had launched against civilian objects of Ukraine last night and about the situation on the frontline. Ukraine's urgent need to strengthen its air defense was a separate issue of the conversations. The President thanked them for their assistance to our country in finding and supplying air defense systems. The Head of State and Olaf Scholz discussed the continuation of defense cooperation between both states, preparations for the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2024), and specific agreements to be signed within it. Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Germany for its significant contribution to the defense capability of our state. The President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of Denmark discussed joint work with partners on the supply of ammunition, strengthening of the Ukrainian energy sector, and solutions that would help expedite the transfer of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine. During his conversation with Mark Rutte, Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the Netherlands for additional military assistance worth EUR 1 billion. The leaders also discussed further defense cooperation. The President thanked Marija Pejcinovic Buric for opening the office of the Register of Damage in Kyiv and welcomed the effective steps of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe towards the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Russian Aggression. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Security Agreement with Portugal: Ukraine Held Another Round of Negotiations President of Ukraine 8 May 2024 - 18:05 Ukraine held another round of talks with Portugal on a bilateral security agreement in furtherance of the G7 Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine. According to the Presidential decree, the Ukrainian official delegation is headed by the Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak. Today's round of talks was led by the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Ihor Zhovkva. "We managed to make significant progress in this new round of negotiations. We anticipate the signing of the agreement by our leaders in the near future," Ihor Zhovkva noted. The parties continued their work on the draft document and agreed on a schedule of upcoming high-level events aimed at signing the agreement. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Today, Ukrainians Are Once Again Standing Up to Evil, Which Has Reemerged - Address by the President on the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism President of Ukraine 8 May 2024 - 09:06 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy recorded an address in the village of Yahidne, Chernihiv region, on the occasion of the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II. During the occupation in March 2022, Russian invaders held all the villagers in the school basement for almost a month. 350 adults and children were left without food, water, and medicine. There was less than a square meter for each person: they had to sleep seated or standing. "80 years ago, millions of Ukrainians fought to defeat Nazism forever. But today, Ukrainians are once again standing up to evil, which reemerged, returned, and wants to destroy us again. It's an army of a fiend that kills, tortures and wipes peaceful cities and villages off the face of the Earth. This evil is called Russian fascism, or RF for short," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The President called the basement in the village of Yahidne, Chernihiv region, a witness to this. The Russian invaders occupied this village on March 3, 2022. Among the villagers they held in the basement were 80 children. The youngest hostage was a month and a half old. "Everyone in the world can understand what Putin's Russia is by imagining themself here, in this basement, among these people, without light, food, water, medicine, and air, in a room with less than a meter per person. They slept seated. They went outside only once. They ate 200 grams of soup a day. The men were stripped naked in the freezing cold to find Ukrainian tattoos," the Head of State noted. The occupation of the village lasted 27 days. Over this period, 10 hostages died in the basement, whom the Russian torturers forbade to be buried. Another 17 people were killed by them. "In any corner of the world, that's known by the same word - Nazism. If that's not Nazism, then what is that? And everyone on Earth knows history and remembers how to fight Nazism. It's done with humanity united to oppose Hitler, not with buying oil from him or attending his inauguration. Yahidne, a village that survived the hell of the RF, is just one example. It's just one village, but it reflects the essence of Putin's vision of the world," the President said. Ukrainian warriors liberated Yahidne from the Russian invaders on March 30, 2022. Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it a symbol of history repeating itself: everyone who came to destroy us will eventually flee from Ukrainian land. "A part of our territory is still occupied, and some of our people are held in captivity, which means that our battle continues. And today, on the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism, as we commemorate the millions of Ukrainians who fought and gained victory together with other nations, we keep believing and we bring a new day of a new victory closer," the Head of State concluded. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Address by the President of Ukraine on the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II President of Ukraine 8 May 2024 - 09:01 "They break into your house. They come to kill, burn, execute. They don't spare anyone - the elderly, women, children... They are beasts..." These are the memories of the Nazi occupation survivors. And these are the memories of the Russian occupation survivors. The same horrors, the crimes of the same monsters. 80 years ago, millions of Ukrainians fought to defeat Nazism forever. But today, Ukrainians are once again standing up to evil, which reemerged, returned, and wants to destroy us again. It's an army of a fiend that kills, tortures and wipes peaceful cities and villages off the face of the Earth. This evil is called Russian fascism, or RF for short. A witness to this is this basement in the village of Yahidne in the Chernihiv region. The ruscists herded all the villagers into it and kept them there for almost a month. All of them. 350 people, all the children of this village, 80 girls and boys, the youngest of whom was a month and a half old. Everyone in the world can understand what Putin's Russia is by imagining themself here, in this basement, among these people, without light, food, water, medicine, and air, in a room with less than a meter per person. They slept seated. They went outside only once. They ate 200 grams of soup a day. The men were stripped naked in the freezing cold to find Ukrainian tattoos. 10 of the hostages died here. It was forbidden to bury them. Another 17 people were killed by the ruscists. In any corner of the world, that's known by the same word - hell. When entire villages are burned down, when there are mass executions, when people are put against a wall blindfolded to be killed - in any corner of the world, that's known by the same word - Nazism. If that's not Nazism, then what is that? And everyone on Earth knows history and remembers how to fight Nazism. It's done with humanity united to oppose Hitler, not with buying oil from him or attending his inauguration. Yahidne, a village that survived the hell of the RF, is just one example. It's just one village, but it reflects the essence of Putin's vision of the world, his real goals. And his goal is to force underground all those who want to live freely, to force a whole village into the basement, and then another one, and then the whole of Ukraine, and finally, force the whole world into the basement. For the RF, these are just stages of their morbid plan to imprison freedom in a ghetto, in a concentration camp called the "Russian world," and to export Russia's main asset - barbed wire - worldwide, by repeating the same scenario Hitler created 80 years ago: swallowing the lands of others step by step and testing the world's reaction. And when the reaction is spineless, the Nazis keep going. Appeals, resolutions, and half-sanctions don't stop them. And the only question Putin is concerned about today is: Who's next? Russia has officially approved a list of states that cannot feel safe and called it a "List of Unfriendly States." Tellingly, it almost completely coincides with the list of the states of the Anti-Hitler Coalition. Those who defeated Nazism are enemies for modern Russia: the countries of the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and almost fifty states in total. They are free, democratic and independent, which in the modern Kremlin ideology means "dangerous." And therefore, they are targets. The world didn't see the threat, the world slept through the revival of Nazism - at 5 a.m. on February 24, 2022. And today, everyone who remembers World War II and has survived to this day is experiencing dAjA vu. The Battle of Kyiv, bombing of Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro, mass graves, blockade of ports, plundering and seizure of grain, tortures, executions, deportation of children, filtration camps, and colonies for captives. Russia has brought pages from textbooks about World War II back into the headlines of the world's media. Russia has brought the terrible past back into the daily news, proving with each new crime that Nazism has revived. Just this time it has a new label: "Made in Russia." Recently, our society was moved by a photo of a man at the grave of his grandson who died at war. The father of this man was killed by the Nazis. His grandson's life was taken by the Russian occupiers. This is just one of the millions of examples that put the sign of equality between Nazism and modern Russia. Today, Hitler's ideas are voiced in Russian. Nazi crimes are committed under the Russian flag. The difference is merely formal. The new Wehrmacht that invaded Ukraine wears a double-headed eagle on its sleeves. Kalibrs and Kinzhals are the new V-weapons, MiGs and Su-aircrafts are the new Luftwaffe, a Z symbol is the new swastika, and Yunarmiya is the new Hitlerjugend. There are dozens of similar parallels and hundreds of similar emulations. And if the modern Kremlin resembles the Third Reich in everything, its end should be identical, taking place in the new Nuremberg - in the city of The Hague. And like in 1945 this can only be ensured by a united free world, the world united in Anti-Putin Coalition, the world that can stop Moscow Nazis through actions, not words, and prevent the new evil from spreading to the entire European continent and, subsequently, to the entire world, the world capable of helping Ukraine defeat Russian Nazism, helping itself, and proving its commitment to the words "Never again!", so that "Never again!" becomes relevant again. Dear Ukrainians! The residents of the village of Yahidne were held here for 27 days. On March 30, 2022, the village was liberated from the ruscist invaders. On April 19, it was demined by our military forces. This symbolizes that history is repeating itself, and everyone who came to destroy us will eventually have to flee from Ukrainian land. A part of our territory is still occupied, and some of our people are held in captivity, which means that our battle continues. And today, on the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism, as we commemorate the millions of Ukrainians who fought and gained victory together with other nations, we keep believing and we bring a new day of a new victory closer. When the expulsion of the Nazis from Ukraine, we read about in the history textbooks, will happen in real life. And the event of the mid-twentieth century will be repeated and become part of the history of the 21st century, the history of our joint victory over Russian evil. Greetings on the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II! Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zelenskyy: Russia launches 'Nazi' attack on Ukraine By VOA News May 08, 2024 In his daily address, Ukraine's president thanked everyone who has been "eliminating the consequences" of what he described as "the Russian Nazis' attack" Wednesday in regions across Ukraine. "This is how the Kremlin marks the end of World War II in Europe," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, in a reference to Victory in Europe Day, also known as V-E Day, celebrating the end of the war on May 8, 1945. Ukrainian officials said the massive Russian aerial attack that included 55 missiles and 21 drones damaged a power generation facility in the region of western Ukraine. DTEK, Ukraine's largest private electricity company, said Russian missiles inflicted "serious damage" on three of the company's six thermal power plants in Ukraine. Ukrenergo CEO Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, interviewed by the Ukrainska Pravda media outlet, said electricity imports would not make up for power shortages. He said hydropower stations had also been hit, clarifying an earlier company statement omitting hydro stations from the list of affected facilities. Power cuts for industrial users, he said, were "almost guaranteed," but interruptions for domestic users would depend on how well they reduced consumption. Maksym Kozytskyi, regional governor of Lviv, said on Telegram that Russian cruise missiles struck the generation facility in the Chervonohrad district, as well as a critical energy infrastructure site in the Stryi district. There were no reports of casualties. Andriy Rakovych, regional governor of the Korovohrad region northeast of Odesa in central Ukraine, reported one person injured and 13 homes destroyed in a Russian missile attack. Officials in Vinnytsia, southeast of Lviv, also reported a Russian strike in attacks targeting critical infrastructure facilities. Ukraine's air force said the country's air defenses shot down 39 of the 55 missiles and 20 of the 21 drones. On the front lines in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian soldiers were able to stop Russian forces Wednesday in the town of Krasnohorivka. "The enemy is cut off from the supply of ammunition. Our defenders have full fire control over both Krasnohorivka and the outskirts of the town," Nazar Voloshyn, the spokesperson of the group of forces, told Army TV on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Kosovo's foreign minister, who is also the deputy prime minister, said there is "only one solution" to Russia's war on Ukraine. "It can only be Russia to lose the war and Ukraine to win this war," Donika Gervalla-Schwarz said in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday. "Otherwise, Europe should prepare for other conflicts in our continent." She said Kosovo's support for Ukraine is unconditional, despite Ukraine's failure to recognize Kosovo's independence. "Ukraine hasn't recognized the Republic of Kosovo as a state, but we really believe that we know exactly what Ukraine is going through," she said. Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, but the young nation still suffers from aggressions from Serbia and its ally, Russia. Some information for this report was provided by Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian missile attack damages Ukrainian energy facilities By VOA News May 08, 2024 Ukrainian officials said Wednesday a massive Russian aerial attack that included 55 missiles and 21 drones damaged a power generation facility in the Lviv region of western Ukraine. DTEK, Ukraine's largest private electricity company, said Russian missiles inflicted "serious damage" on three of the company's six thermal power plants in Ukraine. Maksym Kozytskyi, the regional governor of Lviv, said on Telegram that Russian cruise missiles struck the generation facility in the Chervonohrad district as well as a critical energy infrastructure site in the Stryi district. There were no reports of casualties. Andriy Rakovych, the regional governor of central Ukraine's Korovohrad region, reported one person injured and 13 homes destroyed in a Russian missile attack. Officials in Vinnytsia also reported a Russian strike in attacks targeting critical infrastructure facilities. Ukraine's air force said the country's air defenses shot down 39 of the 55 missiles and 20 of the 21 drones. The attack came a day after Ukrainian counterintelligence investigators said they thwarted a plan by Russian agents to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other high-level officials. Ukraine's state security service said two colonels in the State Guard of Ukraine, which protects top officials, were arrested on suspicion of treason for enacting the plan. A state security service statement said the plot was drawn up by Russia's Federal Security Service. Russia did not immediately comment on the reports, which indicate that the colonels were recruited prior to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Some information for this report was provided by Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES TORONTO, May 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. (West Red Lake Gold or WRLG or the Company) (TSXV: WRLG) (OTCQB: WRLGF) is pleased to announce that it has amended its previous agreement with Raymond James Ltd. as sole bookrunner, on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters (collectively, the Underwriters), pursuant to which the Underwriters have agreed to purchase, on a bought deal basis, 27,778,000 units (the Units) and 11,236,000 charity-flow through units (the Charity Flow-Through Units) of the Company at a price of C$0.72 per Unit (the Unit Issue Price) and C$0.89 per Charity Flow-Through Unit (the Charity Flow-Through Issue Price), respectively, for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of approximately C$30 million (the Offering). The terms of the Offering have been amended to provide for a full Warrant (as defined below) rather than a half Warrant as part of each of the Units and Charity Flow-Through Units and to remove the acceleration feature of the Warrants. Each Unit will now consist of one common share of the Company (Common Shares) and one common share purchase warrant, (a Warrant). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to acquire one common share of the Company for an exercise price of $1.00 per share for 24 months from the Closing Date. Each Charity Flow-Through Unit will now consist of one common share of the Company issued as flow-through shares within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada (each, a Flow-Through Unit Share) and one Warrant. Upon the exercise of the Warrants issued as part of the Flow-Through Units, the underlying common share will not be issued as flow-through shares within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada). The Company has agreed to grant the Underwriters an over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 15% of the aggregate number of Units at the Unit Issue Price, exercisable in whole or in part at any time for a period ending 30 days from the closing of the Offering. The net proceeds pursuant to the issuance of the Units are expected to be used to continue to advance the development of a restart plan for the Madsen Gold Mine as well as for working capital and general corporate purposes. The gross proceeds pursuant to the issuance of the Charity Flow-Through Units will be used to incur qualifying Canadian development expenses on the Companys assets. The Units and Charity Flow-Through Units will be offered under the short form base shelf prospectus (the Base Prospectus) of the Company dated April 30, 2024, as supplemented by a shelf prospectus supplement (the Supplement) to be prepared and filed in each of the provinces of Canada, other than the Province of Quebec (collectively, the Jurisdictions). The Units will also be offered by way of a private placement in the United States, and in those jurisdictions outside of Canada and the United States which are agreed to by the Company and the Underwriters, where the Units can be issued on a private placement basis, exempt from any prospectus, registration or other similar requirements. The Offering is expected to close on or about May 16, 2024 and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act), or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States without registration under the U.S. Securities Act and all applicable state securities laws or compliance with the requirements of an applicable exemption therefrom. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About West Red Lake Gold Mines West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. is a mineral exploration company that is publicly traded and focused on advancing and developing its flagship Madsen Gold Mine and the associated 47 km2 highly prospective land package in the Red Lake district of Ontario. The highly productive Red Lake Gold District of Northwest Ontario, Canada has yielded over 30 million ounces of gold from high-grade zones and hosts some of the worlds richest gold deposits. WRLG also holds the wholly owned Rowan Property in Red Lake, with an expansive property position covering 31 km2 including three past producing gold mines Rowan, Mount Jamie, and Red Summit. On behalf of West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. Shane Williams President & Chief Executive Officer FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Freddie Leigh Tel: (604) 609-6132 Email: investors@westredlakegold.com or visit the Companys website at https://www.westredlakegold.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward looking information Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information generally can be identified by words such as anticipate, expect, estimate, forecast, planned, and similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or events. Forward-looking information is based on current expectations of management; however, it is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information in this news release and include without limitation, statements relating to the closing of the Offering, the exercise of the over-allotment option and the expected closing date of the Offering. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forwardlooking information involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking information. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, market volatility; the state of the financial markets for the Companys securities; fluctuations in commodity prices and changes in the Companys business plans. Forward-looking information is based on a number of key expectations and assumptions, including without limitation, that the Company will continue with its stated business objectives and its ability to raise additional capital to proceed. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Additional information about risks and uncertainties is contained in the Companys managements discussion and analysis for the year ended November 30, 2023, and the Companys annual information form for the year ended November 30, 2023, copies of which are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The forward-looking information contained herein is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Forward-looking information reflects managements current beliefs and is based on information currently available to the Company. The forward-looking information is made as of the date of this news release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by applicable law. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Companys continuous disclosure filings that are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. MEXICO CITY, May 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: VLRS and BMV: VOLAR) (Volaris or the Company), the ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) serving Mexico, the United States, Central, and South America, welcomes Frontier Airlines reactivation of the Codeshare agreement between both airlines, facilitating travel between the United States and Mexico. Beginning today, Frontier customers will be able to book travel to Mexico on Volaris for flights departing May 16th, 2024, onward. Volaris offers more than 460 daily flight segments, through an extensive network that connects 44 cities in Mexico and 29 in the United States, Central and South America. In Mexico, it includes popular destinations such as Mexico City, Cancun, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Huatulco, Acapulco, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Tijuana. With this reinstatement, Frontier customers can now book codeshare flights through their website, FlyFrontier.com, and the FlyFrontier mobile app, for both, nonstop Volaris and connecting Frontier/Volaris destinations in Mexico. In addition, Volaris customers have available all of Frontiers more than 100 destinations in the US when booking through Volaris. "We are very excited with the full resumption of our codeshare partnership. This collaboration, that Volaris has maintained active for its customers since 2018, not only expands the travel options for Frontier customers, but also reinforces Volaris' commitment to enhancing operational efficiency and offering an extensive range of destinations between our two nations, said Enrique Beltranena, Volaris President and CEO. We share Frontier's dedication to providing accessible, low-cost, and welcoming air travel experiences, and look forward to the opportunities this renewed partnership brings for both our airlines and our passengers". We are thrilled to resume codesharing with Volaris, which will provide Frontier customers the ability to easily and conveniently book travel to a huge array of exciting destinations in Mexico, said Barry Biffle, Frontier Airlines CEO. Volaris is an excellent, well-established air carrier that has been in operation for nearly 20 years and, like Frontier, is focused on providing convenient, affordable, and friendly air travel. Investor Relations Contact Ricardo Martinez / ir@volaris.com Media Contact Israel Alvarez / ialvarez@gcya.net About Volaris *Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion, S.A.B. de C.V. (Volaris or the Company) (NYSE: VLRS and BMV: VOLAR) is an ultra-low-cost carrier, with point-to-point operations, serving Mexico, the United States, Central, and South America. Volaris offers low base fares to build its market, providing quality service and extensive customer choice. Since the beginning of operations in March 2006, Volaris has increased its routes from 5 to more than 197 and its fleet from 4 to 134 aircraft. Volaris offers more than 460 daily flight segments on routes that connect 44 cities in Mexico and 29 cities in the United States, Central, and South America, with the youngest fleet in Mexico. Volaris targets passengers who are visiting friends and relatives, cost-conscious business and leisure travelers in Mexico, the United States, Central, and South America. Volaris has received the ESR Award for Social Corporate Responsibility for fourteen consecutive years. For more information, please visit ir.volaris.com. Volaris routinely posts information that may be important to investors on its investor relations website. The Company encourages investors and potential investors to consult the Volaris website regularly for important information about Volaris. About Frontier Airlines Frontier Airlines, Inc., a subsidiary of Frontier Group Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: ULCC), is committed to Low Fares Done Right. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, the company operates 142 A320 family aircraft and has the largest A320neo family fleet in the U.S. The use of these aircraft, along with Frontiers high-density seating configuration and weight-saving initiatives, have contributed to Frontiers continued ability to be the most fuel-efficient of all major U.S. carriers when measured by available seat miles (ASMs) per fuel gallon consumed. With more than 200 new Airbus planes on order, Frontier will continue to grow to deliver on the mission of providing affordable travel across America. Tunis, Tunisia (PANA) - Tunisia's economic recovery slowed in 2023, due to a severe drought, tight financing conditions and a modest pace of reform, leaving the country's growth below pre-COVID levels, and making it one of the slowest recoveries in the Middle East and North Africa region, according to the Spring 2024 edition of the World Bank's Economic Monitor for Tunisia Dublin, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Optometry Equipment Market by Type (OCT, Ophthalmoscope, Autorefractor, Tonometer, Slitlamp, Wavefront Analyzer), Application (General Examination, Cataract, Glaucoma), End User (Eye Clinics, Hospitals), and Region - Forecast to 2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global optometry equipment market is valued at an estimated USD 4.5 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 6.1 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 6.4% during the forecast period Growing awareness of early disease diagnosis in emerging nations and increasing technological improvements in optometry equipment are driving market expansion. A growing number of people are becoming older, ophthalmic device technology is advancing, there are more government programs, and healthcare costs are rising. Severe eye disorders - which include cataracts, reduced vision, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration - are more common as people age, especially after the age of sixty. Adoption of diagnostic tests is required for accurate diagnosis and treatment of various ailments, which is fueling the market expansion for optometry equipment. Four regions make up the global market for optometry equipment: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (Latin America, the Middle East &Africa and GCC Countries). Over the course of the forecast period, the optometry equipment market is anticipated to develop at the fastest rate in the Asia Pacific region. This can be linked to a number of things, including steadily rising healthcare costs, government initiatives to raise awareness of eye exams, and an aging population. Moreover, favorable government policies will contribute to this market's expansion throughout the forecast period. The key players in this market are Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (Germany), Alcon (Switzerland), EssilorLuxottica (France), Topcon Corporation (Japan), NIDEK Co.Ltd. (Japan), Heidelberg Engineering (Germany), Sonomed Escalon (US), and Canon Inc. (Japan), among others. Retina and glaucoma examination products segment accounted for the largest share of the optometry equipment market, by type Type categorizes the worldwide optometry equipment market into three segments: products for general examination, cornea and cataract examination, and goods for evaluation of glaucoma and retina. The main factors propelling the growth of retina and glaucoma examination goods are the increasing prevalence of glaucoma and retinal illnesses as well as increased awareness of ocular health. Retinal and glaucoma examination products so topped the market in 2023. General examination segment accounted for the largest share in the market, by application The market for optometry equipment is divided into segments based on age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, and general examinations, according to Application. By application, the general examination category held the biggest proportion of the global optometry equipment market in 2023. The growing senior population, growing awareness of eye health, and increased prevalence of various eye ailments account for the majority of this category. Eye Clinics segment accounted for the largest share in the market, by end user Hospitals, eye clinics, and other end users make up the two segments of the optometry equipment market based on end user type. The sector that held the biggest share of the global optometry equipment market in 2023 was clinics. A sizeable chunk of the market can be attributed to the growing number of private clinical practices in emerging countries, the good patient population handled in clinics, and the rising frequency of eye illnesses in the older population. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 278 Forecast Period 2024 - 2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $4.5 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $6.1 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 6.4% Regions Covered Global Premium Insights Increasing Incidence of Eye Disorders to Drive Market During Forecast Period Retina & Glaucoma Examination Products Segment to Dominate Market During Forecast Period General Examination Segment to Dominate Market During Forecast Period Eye Clinics Segment to Dominate Market in 2029 Asia-Pacific Region to Register Highest Growth Rate During Forecast Period Market Dynamics Drivers Increasing Incidence of Eye Disorders Cataracts Glaucoma Technological Advancements in Ophthalmic Devices Rising Government Initiatives to Control Visual Impairment Increasing Healthcare Expenditure Restraints High Cost of Optometry Equipment Growing Adoption of Refurbished Optometry Equipment Opportunities Growth Opportunities in Emerging Markets Challenges Low Awareness and Limited Accessibility to Eye Care in Low-Income Economies Company Profiles Key Players Carl Zeiss Meditec AG Essilorluxottica SA Alcon Topcon Corporation Bausch Health Companies Inc. Canon Inc. Johnson & Johnson Revenio Group Escalon Medical Nidek Co. Ltd. Heine Optotechnik Haag-Streit Group Heidelberg Engineering Inc. Other Players Reichert Technologies Keeler Ltd. Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems Huvitz Rexxam Co. Ltd. Oculus Inc. Kowa American Corporation Rudolf Riester GmbH Frey Luneau Technology Chongqing Yeasn Science & Technology Co. Ltd. (Yeasn) Neitz Instruments Co. Ltd. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ocvm9c About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Dublin, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Market by Device Type (IVD, Cardiovascular, Drug Delivery (Autoinjectors, Infusion Device), Diabetes Care, Orthopedic, Ophthalmology, Endoscopy, Surgical), Device Class (I, II, III), Services - Forecast to 2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global medical device contract manufacturing market is projected to reach USD 149.4 Billion in 2029 from USD 78.9 Billion in 2023, at a CAGR of 11.4% between 2024 and 2029. The report analyzes the medical device contract manufacturing market and aims at estimating the market size and future growth potential of this market based on various segments such as device type, class of device, service and region. The report also includes a competitive analysis of the key players in this market along with their company profiles, product/service offerings, recent developments, and key market strategies. The market is anticipated to grow as a result of development continuous advancements in medical devices felid such as robotics and minimally invasive surgery, artificial intelligence (AI) in medical devices, telemedicine and remote patient monitoring is expected to drive the market growth. Ageing populations with rising need for medical diagnostics further contribute to market growth. On the other hand, stringent regulatory compliance and complexities in supply chain management are expected to limit market growth to a certain extent. The rapid population growth, increasing awareness about medical devices, and a rising middle class translate to a strong demand for MDCM services across Asia Pacific. Also global leaders in medical device contract manufacturing are establishing their presence in APAC, introducing advanced devices, innovative software, and diverse biocompatible materials. Europe was the largest segment in the medical device contract manufacturing market in 2023. The Germany accounted for the larger share of the European medical device contract manufacturing market in 2023. The rising number of chronic diseases and and growing awareness regarding medical devices is expected to drive the market growth in Europen market. Major players in the medical device contract manufacturing market include Flex, Ltd. (Singapore), Jabil, Inc. (US), TE Connectivity, Ltd. (Switzerland), Sanmina Corporation (US), Nipro Corporation (Japan), Celestica International (Canada), Plexus Corporation (US), Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (US), Integer Holdings Corporation (US), and Gerresheimer AG (Germany). Based on the device type, the cardiovascular device segment is expected to grow by the highest CAGR in the medical device contract manufacturing market. Devices like pacemakers regulate irregular heartbeats, stents open blocked arteries, and defibrillators prevent sudden cardiac arrest. This translates to a reduced risk of mortality and improved cardiovascular health also advancements in technologies like balloon angioplasty and stent placement allow for less invasive procedures compared to traditional open-heart surgery. This leads to quicker recovery times, reduced pain, and minimized scarring which is expected to drive the market growth. The device and component manufacturing services segment is expected to grow with the highest CAGR in the device development and manufacturing services segment in the medical device contract manufacturing market. Device and component manufacturing services offer several significant advantages which includes reduced costs, contract manufacturers (CMs) specialize in high-volume production, allowing them to leverage economies of scale and negotiate better rates with material suppliers. This translates to cost savings for medical device companies that may not have the resources to establish their own large-scale manufacturing facilities. Based on the class of device, the class III segment is expected to grow by the highest CAGR in the medical device contract manufacturing market. Out of the other class of device, class III is expected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2024 to 2029. The stringent regulatory requirements for class III devices incentivize manufacturers to invest heavily in research and development. This leads to continuous innovation and the creation of new, more sophisticated medical technologies that push the boundaries of healthcare possibilities which is expected to drive the medical device contract manufacturing market. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 430 Forecast Period 2024 - 2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $78.9 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $149.4 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 11.4% Regions Covered Global Premium Insights Technological Advancements in Medical Device Modalities to Drive Market Class III Medical Devices Segment Accounted for Largest Share of Asia-Pacific Market in 2023 China to Register Highest Growth Rate During Forecast Period Asia-Pacific Countries to Register Higher Growth During Forecast Period Asia-Pacific Will Continue to Dominate Market in 2029 Case Study Analysis Jabil Inc. and Heartware International Flex Ltd. in Medical Device Manufacturing Bringing an Innovative Insulin Pump to Market Investment and Funding Scenario Market Dynamics Drivers Growing Medical Devices Market in Developing Countries Adoption of Robotics and Automation in Manufacturing Technological Advancements in Medical Device Modalities Impact of Industry 4.0 on Medical Device Industry Restraints Consolidation in Medical Devices Market Opportunities Increasing Healthcare Expenditure, Infrastructure, and Awareness in Developing Economies Rising Geriatric Population and Increasing Incidence of Associated Diseases Challenges Lack of Constant Innovation to Balance Technological Capabilities Against Costs Industry Trends Increasing Consolidation of OEMs and Contract Manufacturers Growing Interest of Private Equity Firms in Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Outsourcing of Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Services Industry 5.0 Pricing Analysis Average Selling Price Trend for Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Services, by Device Average Selling Price Trend, by Region Value Chain Analysis Technology Analysis Key Technologies Digital Transformation Robotics and Automation Adjacent Technologies Artificial Intelligence Big Data Complementary Technologies 5G Company Profiles Key Players Jabil Inc. Flex Ltd. Plexus Corp. Sanmina Corporation Integer Holdings Corporation Te Connectivity Ltd. Nipro Corporation Celestica Inc. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. Benchmark Electronics Inc. Recipharm Ab Gerresheimer AG Kimball Electronics, Inc. Nortech Systems Incorporated Carclo PLC Nolato Gw, Inc. (Nolato Ab) Other Players Nemera Viant Medical Holdings, Inc. Tecomet, Inc. Smc Ltd. Phillips-Medisize Corporation Tessy Plastics Corp. Mehow Tekni-Plex Peter's Technology For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/xwxxmi About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Dublin, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Fake Image Detection Market by Offering (Solutions and Services), Target User, Technology, Application, Deployment Mode (On-premises and Cloud), Organization Size (Large Enterprises and SMEs), Vertical and Region - Forecast to 2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The fake image detection market size is projected to grow from USD 0.6 billion in 2024 to USD 3.9 billion by 2029 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 41.6% The report will help the market leaders/new entrants with information on the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall Fake image detection market and the subsegments. This report will help stakeholders understand the competitive landscape and gain more insights to position their businesses better and plan suitable go-to-market strategies. The report also helps stakeholders understand the market pulse and provides information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities. The adoption of fake image detection solutions is the growing emphasis on fostering digital trust and authenticity. In an era where the credibility of digital content is increasingly questioned, particularly on social media platforms and online news outlets, there is a heightened demand for measures that can authenticate the veracity of visual information. By implementing effective fake image detection technologies, organizations can demonstrate their commitment to transparency and integrity, thereby bolstering user confidence, enhancing brand credibility, and cultivating a more trustworthy digital environment. North America is projected to lead the fake image detection market during the forecast period. In North America, the adoption of fake image detection technology has been steadily increasing due to growing concerns surrounding misinformation and image manipulation. With the proliferation of social media and digital content, there's a heightened awareness of the potential for fake images to deceive and misinform. As a result, businesses, media organizations, and government agencies are investing in fake image detection solutions to authenticate visual content, safeguard their credibility, and protect against the spread of misinformation. Technological advancements in computer vision, machine learning, and digital image forensics have fueled the development of more sophisticated detection algorithms, making these solutions more effective and accessible. Additionally, regulatory pressures and public demand for transparency further drive the adoption of fake image detection tools across various sectors. Overall, the North American market for fake image detection is poised for continued growth as organizations prioritize the integrity and authenticity of visual content in the digital age. Major vendors in the Fake image detection market include Microsoft Corporation (US), Gradiant (Spian), Facia (UK), Image Forgery Detector (Belgium), Q-integrity (Switzerland), iDenfy (Lithuania), DuckDuckGoose AI (Netherlands), Primeau Forensics, Sentinel AI (Estonia), iProov (UK), Sensity AI (Netherlands), Truepic (US), BioID (Germany), Reality Defender (US), Clearview AI (US), and Kairos (US). By vertical, the BFSI segment accounts for a larger market share. Government sector is increasingly adopting fake image detection technologies to combat the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation. In an era where the spread of false information can have profound societal and political consequences, governments recognize the urgent need to safeguard public trust and democratic integrity. By deploying advanced image analysis algorithms, authorities can swiftly identify, and flag manipulated or fabricated images circulated on social media platforms, news outlets, and other online channels. This proactive approach not only helps in mitigating the potential damage caused by fake images but also serves as a deterrent against malicious actors seeking to exploit public sentiment for immoral purposes. Moreover, by promoting transparency and authenticity in digital content, governments can foster a more informed and resilient citizenry, crucial for upholding democratic principles in the digital age. Large enterprises account for a larger market share by organization size. Large enterprises have more than 1,000 employees. The large enterprises segment is projected to account for a larger revenue share in the global fake image detection market. With the rise of sophisticated AI algorithms capable of identifying alterations in images, enterprises are increasingly turning to these solutions to safeguard against the spread of misinformation and fraudulent content across their digital platforms. By integrating fake image detection tools into their workflow, companies can mitigate risks associated with deceptive images, ensuring the authenticity and credibility of their online presence. This adoption reflects a proactive stance towards maintaining trust with consumers and stakeholders, as well as upholding the integrity of their brand image in this digital age. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 280 Forecast Period 2024 - 2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $0.6 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $3.9 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 41.6% Premium Insights Advancements in AI & Ml Technologies and Increasing Use Cases and Applications of Fake Image Detection Across Sectors to Boost Market Growth Solutions to Hold Larger Market Size During Forecast Period Professional Segment to be Most Preferred During Forecast Period Machine and Deep Learning to Hold Larger Market Size During Forecast Period Social Media and Content Moderation Application to be Preferred During Forecast Period On-Premises Segment to Hold Larger Market Size During Forecast Period Large Enterprises to Hold Larger Market Size During Forecast Period Government Vertical to be Dominant During Forecast Period Europe to Emerge as Best Market for Investments in Next Five Years Case Study Analysis Iproyal Reduced Time to Verify New Users while Building Custom-Tailored Kyc Onboarding Flow Microblink Leveraged Liveness Detection for Quick, Easy, and Secure Id Verification Paypay Streamlined Digital Onboarding with Enhanced Id Verification Fake Image Detection Technology Evolution Digital Era and Photoshop (1980S) Image Forensics Emerges (1990S) Sensor Pattern Noise Analysis (2008) Content-Based Image Forgery Detection (2010S) Deep Learning and Neural Networks (2010S) Blockchain for Image Authentication (2010S) Gans and Deepfake Challenges (2010S) Advancements in Deepfake Detection (2020S) Integration in Social Media Platforms (Present) Market Overview and Industry Trends Market Dynamics Drivers Advancements in AI and Ml Increasing Deepfakes Posing Threat to Digital Identity Rapid Spread of Misinformation Restraints Evolving Techniques of Image Manipulation Volume and Diversity of Image Data Opportunities Advancements in Camera Technology Embedding Digital Signatures in Images Increase in Demand for Big Data Analytics Challenges Lack of Awareness of Deepfakes Privacy Concerns Value Chain Analysis Planning and Designing Fake Image Detection Software Providers System Integrators Distribution End-users Technology Analysis Key Technologies Deep Learning and Neural Networks Convolutional Neural Networks (Cnns) Generative Adversarial Networks (Gans) Blockchain Complementary Technologies Computer Vision Multimodal Analysis Adjacent Technologies Artificial Intelligence (AI) Machine Learning (Ml) Technology Roadmap Fake Image Detection Technology Roadmap Till 2030 Short-Term Roadmap (2023-2025) Mid-Term Roadmap (2026-2028) Long-Term Roadmap (2029-2030) Best Practices in Fake Image Detection Market Metadata Analysis Reverse Image Search Image Forensics Tools Blur and Noise Analysis Watermark Analysis Contextual Analysis Face and Facial Expression Analysis Machine Learning Models Blockchain and Digital Signatures Human Expertise Multi-Modal Approaches Educate Users Company Profiles Major Players Microsoft Iproov Gradiant Primeau Forensics Kairos Truepic Bioid Startups Image Forgery Detector Quantum Integrity Duckduckgoose AI Sentinel AI Reality Defender Clearview AI Sensity AI Facia Idenfy For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/36f2bk About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Dublin, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Secondhand Luxury Goods Market Report by Product Type (Handbags, Jewelry & Watches, Clothing, Small Leather Goods, Footwear, Accessories, and Others), Demography (Women, Men, Unisex), Distribution Channel (Offline, Online), and Region 2024-2032" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global secondhand luxury goods market is presently witnessing a notable upsurge, driven primarily by increasing consumer consciousness towards sustainable shopping and a burgeoning interest in thrift stores. An extensive new analysis forecasts the market to expand from US$ 34.2 billion in 2023 to US$ 72.3 billion by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.7% from 2023 to 2032. A shift in consumer behavior towards eco-friendliness and sustainability is playing a pivotal role in driving the secondhand luxury market. Shoppers are actively seeking high-end, previously owned items to not only make a fashion statement but to also partake in the circular economy, reducing waste and curtailing the demand for the production of new goods. Thrifting Culture Influence The allure of thrifting has significantly influenced market trends, with an increase in thrift shops offering luxury items. This movement caters to environmentally-conscious consumers and those seeking high-end goods without the hefty price tag of first-hand purchases. The accessibility of luxury brands at more reasonable prices is reshaping consumer purchase patterns and contributing to market growth. Online Marketplaces Catalyzing Sales E-commerce platforms dedicated to the sale of secondhand luxury goods are facilitating a wider reach, bridging distances between sellers and a global audience of buyers. The convenience and variety provided by online shopping are paramount factors promoting market expansion. Market Segmentation Insights The market analysis identifies handbags as the dominating product segment. Women are the largest demographic in terms of market participation, drawn to the affordability and exclusivity of secondhand luxury items. Offline sales channels hold a majority share of the market, providing customers with tangibility and immediacy that enhance the purchasing experience. Regional Market Performances Europe stands out as the leading region in the secondhand luxury goods market, owing much to high levels of environmental consciousness and a penchant for sustainable consumption. North America is anticipated to witness material growth, thanks to rising online thrift store popularity and the availability of unique and limited-edition luxury goods. Competitive Landscape Major industry players are investing in user-friendly digital platforms and heightening their authentication measures to ensure item legitimacy, thereby reinforcing customer trust. These companies are also leveraging the sustainability narrative to position secondhand luxury purchases as a responsible consumption choice. Companies Featured Fashionphile Group LLC. Fendi Garderobe Inseller Luxepolis Luxury Closet Inc. So Chic Boutique The Closet The RealReal Inc. Timepiece360 Vestiaire Collective Yoogi's Closet Inc. Key Attributes Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 144 Forecast Period 2023-2032 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $34.2 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2032 $72.3 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 8.7% Regions Covered Global For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1o9kel About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment BROOKFIELD, NEWS, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brookfield Reinsurance (NYSE, TSX: BNRE, BNRE.A) today announced financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2024. Sachin Shah, CEO of Brookfield Reinsurance, stated, Our business continued to deliver strong financial results for the first quarter of 2024. With our recent acquisition of American Equity Life now complete, weve reached a significant milestone as one of the largest providers of annuities in North America. We are well positioned to scale our existing platform and offerings, diversify our retirement services capabilities, and lay the groundwork for the next phase of growth for our company. Unaudited As at and for the periods endedMarch 31 (US$ millions, except per share amounts) Three Months Ended 2024 2023 Total assets $ 63,113 $ 44,951 Adjusted equity1 9,300 4,688 Distributable operating earnings1 279 145 Net income (loss) 337 (93 ) Net income per each class A and A-1 share $ 0.08 $ 0.07 See Non-GAAP and Performance Measures on page 7 and a reconciliation from net income and reconciliation from equity on page 6. Highlights Completed the acquisition of American Equity Investment Life Holding Company (AEL) on May 2, 2024, contributing over $50 billion of incremental deployable insurance portfolio assets Originated $1.6 billion of annuity sales, including approximately $900 million of retail annuity sales at our existing businesses and over $700 million of pension risk transfer (PRT) premiums. Total annuity sales inclusive of AELs first quarter sales were over $4 billion Originated approximately $1 billion in proprietary investment strategies at returns in excess of 11%, increasing our gross portfolio wide yield to near 6% Operating Update We recognized $279 million of distributable operating earnings (DOE) for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to $145 million in the prior year period. The increase in earnings for the current period reflects strong annuity sales and other premium growth over the last twelve months, as well as higher spread earnings on our existing business, driven by higher net investment income resulting from the progress made repositioning assets into higher yielding investment strategies. Our first quarter earnings also benefited from strong performance in our property and casualty (P&C) businesses, which included a full quarter of earnings contribution from Argo Group, the U.S. specialty P&C platform we acquired in late 2023. We recorded net income of $337 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to a net loss of $93 million in the prior year period. The increase in net income is the result of strong operating performance and contributions from our DOE, as noted above, as well as favorable mark-to-market movement on our derivatives and funds withheld insurance reserves. Today, we are in a strong liquidity position across the portfolio, with over $25 billion of cash and short-term liquid investments across our investment portfolios, and another $25 billion of long-term liquid investments, inclusive of our recently acquired assets with the acquisition of AEL. These liquid assets will facilitate the ongoing rotation of our investment portfolio into higher yielding investment strategies, while also continuing to ensure we have sufficient liquidity coverage for our liabilities in the case of any stress events across the broader market. Update on Growth Initiatives On May 2, 2024, we closed our previously announced acquisition of AEL. With the close of the acquisition, Brookfield Reinsurance is positioned as one of the largest providers of annuities in North America, with a float of over $100 billion. AELs strong franchise and track record of servicing its policyholders and distribution partners is very complementary to our existing business, and we expect to grow meaningfully as we leverage the synergies of our existing annuity platform, held through American National, to grow to $20 billion of annual annuity writing capabilities in the near term. Today our combined businesses generate annualized cashflows of approximately $1.4 billion, and as we reposition the investment portfolio, we are on track to achieve $2 billion of cash flows annually in the next 18 to 24 months. Regular Distribution Declaration The Board declared a quarterly distribution of $0.08 per Class A, A-1 and B share, payable on June 28, 2024 to shareholders of record as at the close of business on June 13, 2024. This distribution is identical in amount per share and has the same payment date as the quarterly distribution announced today by Brookfield Corporation on the Brookfield Class A Shares. Brookfield Corporation Operating Results An investment in Class A and A-1 shares of our company is intended to be, as nearly as practicable, functionally and economically, equivalent to an investment in the Brookfield Class A Shares. A summary of Brookfield Corporations first quarter operating results is provided below: Unaudited As at and for the periods ended March 31 (US$ millions, except per share amounts) Three Months Ended Last Twelve Months Ended 2024 2023 2024 2023 Net income $ 519 $ 424 $ 5,200 $ 2,659 Distributable earnings before realizations 1,001 945 4,279 4,312 - Adjusted for the special distribution 1,001 945 4,279 3,946 - Per Brookfield share 0.63 0.59 2.70 2.46 Distributable earnings 1,216 1,157 4,865 5,204 - Per Brookfield share 0.77 0.72 3.07 3.25 Brookfield Corporation net income above is presented under IFRS. Given the economic equivalence, we expect that the market price of the Class A and A-1 Shares of our company will be impacted significantly by the market price of the Brookfield Class A Shares and the business performance of Brookfield as a whole. In addition to carefully considering the disclosure made in this news release in its entirety, shareholders are strongly encouraged to carefully review Brookfields letter to shareholders, supplemental information and its other continuous disclosure filings. Investors, analysts and other interested parties can access Brookfield Corporations disclosure on its website under the Reports & Filings section at bn.brookfield.com. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS Unaudited March 31 December 31 (US$ millions) 2024 2023 Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,574 $ 4,308 Investments 42,565 39,838 Reinsurance funds withheld Cash and short-term investments 256 1,482 Investments 7,018 5,766 Accrued investment income 323 280 52,736 51,674 Reinsurance recoverables 3,458 3,388 Premiums due and other receivables 740 711 Deferred policy acquisition costs 2,478 2,468 Deferred tax asset 384 432 Other assets 2,032 1,781 Separate account assets 1,285 1,189 Total assets 63,113 61,643 Liabilities and equity Policy and contract claims 7,397 7,288 Future policy benefits 10,244 9,813 Policyholders' account balances 25,286 24,939 Deposit liabilities 1,559 1,577 Market risk benefit 151 89 Unearned premium reserve 1,989 2,056 46,626 45,762 Other policyholder funds 340 335 Due to related parties 555 564 Notes payable 185 174 Corporate borrowings 1,582 1,706 Subsidiary borrowings 1,963 1,863 Liabilities issued to reinsurance entities 119 114 Other liabilities 1,274 1,087 Separate account liabilities 1,285 1,189 Junior preferred shares 2,722 2,694 Non-controlling interest 145 146 Class A, class A-1 and class B 1,591 1,591 Class C 4,726 6,462 4,418 6,155 Total liabilities and equity $ 63,113 $ 61,643 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS Unaudited For the periods ended March 31 US$ millions Three Months Ended 2024 2023 Net premiums and other policy revenue $ 1,643 $ 897 Net investment income, including funds withheld 684 451 Net investment gains (losses), including funds withheld 259 (145 ) Total revenues 2,586 1,203 Benefits and claims paid on insurance contracts (1,414 ) (742 ) Interest sensitive contract benefits (242 ) (241 ) Commissions for acquiring services and policies, net of changes in deferred policy acquisition costs (151 ) (68 ) Other reinsurance expenses (19 ) (14 ) Changes in fair value of market risk benefit (31 ) (6 ) Operating expenses (295 ) (176 ) Interest expense (72 ) (60 ) Total benefits and expenses (2,224 ) (1,307 ) Net income before income taxes 362 (104 ) Income tax recovery (expense) (25 ) 11 Net income for the period $ 337 $ (93 ) Attributable to: Class A, class A-1 and class B shareholders1 $ 3 $ 1 Class C shareholder 332 (99 ) Non-controlling interest 2 5 $ 337 $ (93 ) Class A and A-1 shares receive distributions at the same amount per share as the cash dividends paid on each Brookfield Class A Share. SUMMARIZED FINANCIAL RESULTS RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME TO DISTRIBUTABLE OPERATING EARNINGS Unaudited For the periods ended March 31 US$ millions Three Months Ended 2024 2023 Net income (loss) $ 337 $ (93 ) Unrealized net investment (gains) losses, including funds withheld (259 ) 145 Mark-to-market on insurance contracts and other net assets 152 97 230 149 Deferred income tax expense (recovery) 15 (13 ) Transaction costs 12 4 Depreciation 22 5 Distributable operating earnings1 $ 279 $ 145 RECONCILIATION OF EQUITY TO ADJUSTED EQUITY Unaudited As of March 31 US$ millions 2024 2023 Equity $ 6,462 $ 1,798 Add: Accumulated other comprehensive loss 116 283 Junior preferred shares 2,722 2,607 Adjusted equity1 $ 9,300 $ 4,688 Non-GAAP measure - see Non-GAAP and Performance Measures on page 7. Additional Information Brookfield Reinsurance was established on December 10, 2020 by Brookfield and on June 28, 2021 Brookfield completed the spin-off of the company, which was effected by way of a special dividend, to holders of Brookfield's Class A and B Shares. The statements contained herein are based primarily on information that has been extracted from our financial statements for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, which have been prepared using generally accepted accounting principals in the United States of America (US GAAP or GAAP). Brookfield Reinsurances Board of Directors have reviewed and approved this document, including the summarized unaudited consolidated financial statements prior to its release. Information on our distributions can be found on our website under Stock & Distributions/Distribution History. Brookfield Reinsurance Ltd. (NYSE, TSX: BNRE, BNRE.A) operates a leading capital solutions business providing insurance and reinsurance services to individuals and institutions. Each class A exchangeable limited voting share and each class A-1 exchangeable non-voting share of Brookfield Reinsurance are exchangeable on a one-for-one basis with a class A limited voting share of Brookfield Corporation (NYSE/TSX: BN). For more information, please visit our website at bnre.brookfield.com or contact: Communications & Media: Kerrie McHugh Tel: (212) 618-3469 Email: kerrie.mchugh@brookfield.com Investor Relations: Rachel Powell Tel: (416) 956-5141 Email: rachel.powell@brookfield.com Non-GAAP and Performance Measures This news release and accompanying financial statements are based on US GAAP, unless otherwise noted. We make reference to Distributable operating earnings. We define distributable operating earnings as net income excluding the impact of depreciation and amortization, deferred income taxes, and breakage and transaction costs, as well as certain investment and insurance reserve gains and losses, including gains and losses related to asset and liability matching strategies, non-operating adjustments related to changes in cash flow assumptions for future policy benefits, and change in market risk benefits, and is inclusive of returns on equity invested in certain variable interest entities and our share of adjusted earnings from our investments in certain associates. Distributable operating earnings is a measure of operating performance. We use distributable operating earnings to assess our operating results. We also make reference to Adjusted equity. Adjusted equity represents the total economic equity of our Company through its Class A, A-1, B and C shares, excluding Accumulated other comprehensive income, and the Junior preferred shares issued by our Company. We use adjusted equity to assess our return on our equity. We provide additional information on key terms and non-GAAP measures in our filings available at bnre.brookfield.com . Notice to Readers Brookfield Reinsurance is not making any offer or invitation of any kind by communication of this news release and under no circumstance is it to be construed as a prospectus or an advertisement. This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian provincial securities laws and forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian provincial securities laws and forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and in any applicable Canadian securities regulations. Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, include statements which reflect managements expectations regarding the operations, business, financial condition, expected financial results, performance, prospects, opportunities, priorities, targets, goals, ongoing objectives, strategies and outlook of Brookfield Reinsurance, Brookfield Corporation and their respective subsidiaries, as well as the outlook for North American and international economies for the current fiscal year and subsequent periods. Particularly, statements regarding the AEL transaction, and benefits thereof, future capital markets initiatives, including statements relating to the redeployment of capital into higher yielding investments and Brookfield Reinsurances balance sheet initiatives constitute forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as expects, anticipates, plans, believes, estimates, seeks, intends, targets, projects, forecasts or negative versions thereof and other similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as may, will, should, would and could. In particular, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release include statements referring to the future state of the economy or the securities market and expected future deployment of capital and financial earnings. Although we believe that our anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and information are based upon reasonable assumptions and expectations, the reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Brookfield Reinsurance or Brookfield Corporation to differ materially from anticipated future results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (i) investment returns that are lower than target; (ii) the impact or unanticipated impact of general economic, political and market factors in the countries in which we do business including as a result of COVID-19 and the related global economic shutdown; (iii) the behavior of financial markets, including fluctuations in interest and foreign exchange rates; (iv) global equity and capital markets and the availability of equity and debt financing and refinancing within these markets; (v) strategic actions including dispositions; the ability to complete and effectively integrate acquisitions into existing operations and the ability to attain expected benefits; (vi) changes in accounting policies and methods used to report financial condition (including uncertainties associated with critical accounting assumptions and estimates); (vii) the ability to appropriately manage human capital; (viii) the effect of applying future accounting changes; (ix) business competition; (x) operational and reputational risks; (xi) technological change; (xii) changes in government regulation and legislation within the countries in which we operate; (xiii) governmental investigations; (xiv) litigation; (xv) changes in tax laws; (xvi) ability to collect amounts owed; (xvii) catastrophic events, such as earthquakes, hurricanes and epidemics/pandemics; (xviii) the possible impact of international conflicts and other developments including terrorist acts and cyberterrorism; (xix) the introduction, withdrawal, success and timing of business initiatives and strategies; (xx) the failure of effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting and other risks; (xxi) health, safety and environmental risks; (xxii) the maintenance of adequate insurance coverage; (xxiii) the existence of information barriers between certain businesses within our asset management operations; (xxiv) risks specific to our business segments including our real estate, renewable power, infrastructure, private equity, and other alternatives, including credits; and (xxv) factors detailed from time to time in our documents filed with the securities regulators in Canada and the United States. We caution that the foregoing list of important factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive and other factors could also adversely affect its results. Readers are urged to consider the foregoing risks, as well as other uncertainties, factors and assumptions carefully in evaluating the forward-looking information and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. Except as required by law, Brookfield Reinsurance undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether written or oral, that may be as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Past performance is not indicative nor a guarantee of future results. There can be no assurance that comparable results will be achieved in the future, that future investments will be similar to the historic investments discussed herein (because of economic conditions, the availability of investment opportunities or otherwise), that targeted returns, diversification or asset allocations will be met or that an investment strategy or investment objectives will be achieved. Certain of the information contained herein is based on or derived from information provided by independent third-party sources. While Brookfield Reinsurance believes that such information is accurate as of the date it was produced and that the sources from which such information has been obtained are reliable, Brookfield Reinsurance does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, with respect to the accuracy, reasonableness or completeness of any of the information or the assumptions on which such information is based, contained herein, including but not limited to, information obtained from third parties. Dublin, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "North America Oil and Gas Corrosion Protection Market By Country, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2019-2029F" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The North America Oil and Gas Corrosion Protection Market is experiencing significant expansion, valued at USD 2.67 billion in 2023, and is anticipated to continue its growth trajectory with a CAGR of 4.92% through 2029. Factors such as expansion of exploration and production activities, coupled with technological advancements, have been key in driving this upward trend. With the surge in energy demands across North America, the oil and gas industry is investing in advanced corrosion protection technologies. This move is crucial in preserving the infrastructure against harsh environmental conditions and ensuring its operational longevity. Emphasis on Comprehensive Maintenance and Inspection Protocols Forward-thinking companies within the sector are shifting towards a preventive approach to maintenance and inspection. Regular, technology-enabled inspections are becoming more commonplace, thereby early flagging corrosive deterioration before it becomes a more expensive and time-consuming issue to correct. These programs contribute significantly to operational efficiency and asset integrity. Navigating Across Challenges Nevertheless, the market does face its set of obstacles. Harsh operating environments, supply chain vulnerabilities, and regulatory compliances make up the main hurdles. Companies are constantly strategizing to find tailored solutions that not only combat these challenges but also maintain an efficient, uninterrupted operation. Key Market Trends and Segmental Insights Sustainability concerns are reshaping the corrosion protection strategy, with companies seeking eco-friendly alternatives that do not compromise environmental integrity. Furthermore, specialized mitigation efforts aimed at combating microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) have gained significance due to their profound implications for structural integrity and maintenance costs. In terms of market segments, the demand for advanced coatings, corrosion-resistant paints, and inhibitors showcase the differentiated needs across various operational settings ranging from offshore platforms to onshore pipelines. Regional Market Developments Focusing on regional insights, the United States, Canada, and Mexico each play a crucial role in the markets dynamics. The United States leads with a robust demand for corrosion protection, driven by infrastructure growth and technological adoption. Canada's commitment to environmental regulations pushes for the advancement of eco-friendly corrosion protection, while Mexico emphasizes research and development paving the way for new corrosion protection innovations. The North America Oil and Gas Corrosion Protection Market is poised for remarkable progress, powered by relentless innovation and an unyielding commitment to safeguarding the industrys assets and future. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 120 Forecast Period 2024 - 2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $2.67 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $3.4 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 4.9% Regions Covered North America A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to: 3M Company Akzonobel N.V Hempel A/S BASF SE The Sherwin Williams Company RPM International, Inc Jotun A/S Chase Corporation Axalta Coating System Pvt Ltd Metal Coatings Corporation. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/n3lsv About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment OTTAWA, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Advanced Coronary Treatment (ACT) Foundation announced today it has completed Phase 1 of its Opioid Overdose Response Training (OORT). As a result, 2,300 teachers from 830 high schools in Canada are now equipped to teach their students in how to respond to a suspected opioid overdose. The training allows teachers to teach students: What are opioids and how do opioid overdoses happen What is Naloxone and how does it work Recognizing a suspected opioid overdose Responding to a suspected opioid overdose, including calling 911 quickly, performing CPR if needed, and giving nasal Naloxone spray The Opioid Overdose Response Training module, launched in 2022, is an enhancement to the ACT Foundations successful high school cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) program, free for high schools. Thanks to the number of teachers trained with the OORT so far, more than 160,000 students each year could be empowered to respond to a suspected opioid overdose as part of their CPR and AED training in high schools. The ACT Foundation received a contribution from Health Canadas Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) from January 2021 to March 2024. This contribution was in support of the development and implementation of the module on Opioid Overdose Response Training in Canadian provinces where the ACT Foundation has widely established the High School CPR and AED Program. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, 5,975 apparent opioid toxicity deaths were reported from January to September 2023. The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction notes the majority (94%) of opioid overdose deaths happen by accident, and young Canadians aged 15 to 24 are the fastest-growing population requiring hospital care from opioid overdoses. The landscape of emergency response is changing in Canada due to the increase of opioid overdoses and, as a society, we all have a role to play, says Sandra Clarke, the ACT Foundations Executive Director. Enhancing ACTs High School CPR and AED Program with opioid awareness and response training is an important step in empowering youth to respond to life-threatening emergencies. We are happy for the achievement of this milestone, but we are far from being done. Yes, Phase 1 is completed, but we want to reach more students. Our trainings need public and private partners committed to help ACT to expand its programs to more high schools in Canada. The opioid crisis is a complex issue and causes many of the opioid-related harms and deaths. ACTs response to this crisis provides high school teachers with the tools to add the Opioid Overdose Response Training to the current CPR training, enhancing students lifesaving toolbox. Recognizing a suspected opioid overdose and knowing how to respond can help save lives, says Dr. Michael Austin, ACTs National Medical Director. ACTs overall goal is to see every high school student across Canada graduate with the confidence, skills, and knowledge to save a life. To help achieve this goal, ACT receives the financial support from private and public organizations who believe in the positive impact ACT can play in Canadas society. As a founding partner of the ACT Foundation, we are proud of the incredible impact being made to empower youth across Canada with critical life-saving skills, including the Opioid Overdose Response Training, says Gaby Bourbara, President, AstraZeneca Canada. On behalf of AstraZeneca Canada, we congratulate the ACT Foundation for achieving todays milestone, helping to build stronger, healthier communities. On behalf of all the staff at Amgen Canada, I want to congratulate the ACT Foundation for the completion of Phase 1 of its Opioid Overdose Response Training. ACT is a pioneer in establishing free CPR and AED training in high schools in Canada and I am confident that this announcement is just the beginning of the expansion of ACTs footprint when it comes to supporting youth, mentions Ugur Gunaydin, Vice-President and General Manager, Amgen Canada. About the ACT Foundation The ACT Foundation is the national charitable organization establishing free CPR and AED training in Canadian high schools, and how to respond to a suspected opioid overdose, a new aspect of the program. The program is built on ACTs award-winning, community-based model of partnerships and support, whereby ACT finds partners who donate the mannequins and AED training units that schools need to deliver the program. High school teachers are trained to then teach lifesaving skills to their students as a regular part of the curriculum, reaching all youth prior to graduation. The ACT High School CPR and AED Program is made possible with the support of its national health partners, AstraZeneca Canada and Amgen Canada, and provincial and community partners. The ACT Foundation gratefully acknowledges the contribution of Health Canadas Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) for the ACT Opioid Overdose Response Training program. Website: actfoundation.ca Twitter: @actfoundation #ACT2Save Facebook: @theactfoundation Instagram: @theactfoundation YouTube: YouTube.com/theactfoundation For more information about the ACT Foundation and the ACT Opioid Overdose Response Training, contact: Christian Ahuet Director, Health and Life Sciences NATIONAL Public Relations cahuet@national.ca Tel: 514-994-7496 Jennifer Russell Director of Operations ACT Foundation jrussell@actfoundation.ca Cell: 613-286-5260 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/814ad809-e164-4ce7-8250-d143c2b6faf5 CALGARY, Alberta, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Jayman BUILT (Jayman) is thrilled to announce that it is donating an additional $10,000 to MS Canada after its support with a creative social media initiative, $10K for 10,000 followers. This is in addition to the almost $1.5 million of support that Jayman has provided over the last nine years as the title sponsor of the Jayman BUILT MS Walk that takes place each May in the fight to end MS. The goal of this initiative was to increase Jaymans Instagram followers to 10,000, in turn donating an additional $10,000 to MS Canada ahead of the 2024 MS Walk. This was achieved in just two weeks in a collaborative effort to help raise funds for important research and support for the MS community to help the over 90,000 Canadians living with MS. Cheque presentations were made in both Calgary and Edmonton. Jayman and MS Canada representatives celebrated the innovative campaign that has helped broaden the online conversation about MS and its impacts on Canadians. Researcher Dr. Carlos Camara-Lemarroy also shared the latest developments in the world of MS research. Multiple sclerosis has touched the lives of countless Canadians, including several of our Jayman employees, says Dave Hooge, Chief Operating Officer, Jayman BUILT. Our dedication to MS Canada is unwavering. We stand committed until a cure is found, and we take immense pride in witnessing the tangible impact of our fundraising efforts through events like the Jayman BUILT MS Walk. MS is a neurological disease that can affect vision, memory and mobility. On average, 12 Canadians are diagnosed with MS every day and it is the most common neurological disease among young adults in Canada with 60 per cent of adults diagnosed between the age of 20 and 49 years old. Anyone can be affected by MS, but women are up to three times more likely to be diagnosed. MS Canada is grateful for our continued partnership with Jayman BUILT as the title sponsor of Albertas MS Walk, says Meredith Bongers, Senior Director, Community, Western Canada, MS Canada. Support like this assures people living with MS know that they are not alone. Every dollar raised helps provide support programs and fuels fundamental research, driving us closer to understanding, halting, and ultimately preventing MS. 2024 Jayman BUILT MS Walks are set to kick off at between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., on Sunday, May 26, across various locations in the province: Calgary (North Glenmore Park), Edmonton (Rundle Park), Red Deer (Bower Ponds Amphitheater), St. Paul (Lagasse Park), Lethbridge (Henderson Lake Park) and Medicine Hat (Strathcona Island Park). Jayman has proudly entered two teams that will be participating in this years Calgary and Edmonton events. For more information about Jayman in the community, please visit https://www.jayman.com/why-jayman/jayman-in-the-community/. For more information about the Jayman BUILT MS Walk and to find an MS Walk in your community, please visit mswalks.ca. About Jayman BUILT For over 40 years, Jayman BUILT has continually redefined the way new homes are built, bought and, most importantly, lived in. Customer experience is always at the heart of this journey. Participating in community developments in Calgary, Cochrane, Edmonton, Leduc, St. Albert and Sherwood Park, Jayman BUILT is one of the largest homebuilders in Alberta, welcoming over 30,000 new homeowners throughout its history. For more information, visit www.jayman.com. About MS Canada At MS Canada, we are inspired by the vision of a world free of multiple sclerosis. We focus on support, advocacy and research that will positively impact the lives of people living with, and affected by MS. For over 75 years, we have been a trusted connection for the MS community to valuable resources and programs needed on their unique MS journey. We advocate for improved policies and systems that will better support Canadians living with MS. We invest in life-changing research that will advance treatment and care, enhance well-being, help to understand, and halt disease progression, and ultimately prevent MS. Media inquiries Lisa Libin Brookline Public Relations, Inc. 403-815-5626 llibin@brooklinepr.com Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/21f4d38a-6da8-4797-a13f-370f25f648fe https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b02233b8-d3df-4c46-9c57-be805f244d37 The Thumzup Street Team will show attendees how to get paid to post about the show and local businesses using its user-friendly app Los Angeles, CA, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thumzup Media Corporation ("Thumzup" or the "Company") (OTCQB: TZUP) is proud to announce its exhibition at the 2024 Culver City Car Show in Downtown Culver City, CA on May 11th from 9am to 3pm PT. The Culver City Car Show is hosted by The Culver City Exchange Club, a group committed to providing the citizens of Culver City and the surrounding area a better place to live by providing funding for community-based organizations. Each year, the event offers free admission, live music, and photo opportunities and is attended by over 12,000 people. The Thumzup Street Team will have an on-site booth to teach attendees how to get paid to post about their experience at the car show via their app, which is available for download from the App Store or Google Play. The team will also be able to show attendees how to get paid to post about their favorite West Los Angeles businesses. Thumzup aims to revolutionize social media engagement. With our app, users have the unique opportunity to not only share their Culver City Car Show experience but also earn rewards for doing so, said Robert Steele, Founder and CEO of Thumzup. We're excited to showcase how our app empowers LA locals to seamlessly monetize their posts while creating a lively ecosystem of engagement and opportunity for small businesses. About Thumzup Thumzup Media Corporation (Thumzup) is democratizing the multi-billion dollar social media branding and marketing industry. Its flagship product, the Thumzup platform, utilizes a robust programmatic advertiser dashboard coupled with a consumer-facing App to enable individuals to get paid cash for posting about participating advertisers on major social media outlets through the Thumzup App. The easy-to-use dashboard allows advertisers to programmatically customize their campaigns. Cash payments are made to App users/creators through PayPal and other digital payment systems. Thumzup was featured on CBS News Los Angeles and is a publicly traded company (OTCQB stock ticker: TZUP). For more information, please visit https://www.thumzupmedia.com . Legal Disclaimer This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include, without limitation, statements about its potential growth, impacts on the advertising industry, plans for potential uplisting, and planned expansion. These statements are identified by the use of the words "could," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "may," "continue," "predict," "potential," "project" and similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that these plans, objectives, expectations or intentions will be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical experience and present expectations or projections. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements and the trading price for our common stock may fluctuate significantly. Forward-looking statements also are affected by the risk factors described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Contact Info investors@thumzupmedia.com 800-403-6150 Attachment ROCKAWAY, NEW JERSEY, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TOPDON USA , the nations premier provider of cutting-edge automotive technology, advanced tools and specialty equipment, released its new Phoenix Lite 3 Diagnostic Scanner featuring additional functionality and technology. Offering more robust topology with the option to add ADAS calibration software, as well as greater compatibility on a larger number of vehicles, the Phoenix Lite 3 is an ideal tool for any professional technician or heavy DIYer. Our Phoenix Lite line of diagnostic scanners has been a trusted scanner solution for a wide range of users in the automotive industry, said Chad Schnitz, Vice President of TOPDON USA. Were excited to announce our new Phoenix Lite 3 model, which amps up the technology and usability at a highly competitive price point. Weve expanded the Phoenix Lite 3s compatibility for use on 168 makes and models of vehicles, as well as added precision topology capabilities that allow techs to visualize all the major car systems with one click. Additionally, ADAS calibration software can easily be integrated into the Phoenix Lite 3 helping ensure the vehicles safety systems work properly after maintenance. The Phoenix Lite 3 is a compact diagnostic scanner designed for automotive professionals, enthusiasts, and small repair shops. It features a simple-to-read 8-inch LCD color display with a powerful 4-core processor that runs on Android 10.0. Its precision topology mapping enables swift problem localization and isolation. The Phoenix Lite 3 offers comprehensive coverage of 35 maintenance services to cover essential tasks such as oil, EBP and suspension resets, as well as specialized functions including add/replace key fobs, battery sensor module learning, and tire pressure sensors learning. Additional features on the Phoenix Lite 3 include: CAN-FD protocol for enhanced compatibility on modern vehicles, including 2020 and newer GM and Chrysler vehicles. FCA Secure Gateway that facilitates seamless full diagnostics on more contemporary cars such as Fiat without the need for separate adapters. Compatibility with TOPDONs professional products including BT Mobile ProS, Oscilloscope, TC001 Thermal Imaging, Phoenix ADAS and T-Ninja Box. Assessment of component integrity and functionality to facilitate rapid identification of fault causes for faster and more efficient repairs. Wireless diagnostics via VCI empowers for flexible operation within the range of Bluetooth VCI. Detailed diagnostic reports that can be generated and shared for data backup. Phoenix Lite 3 is a game-changing tool for auto repair hobbyists and professionals, said Schnitz. The technology that weve packed into this scanner is upgradable and will become a valuable tool to fast track the repair and maintenance with a simple, easy-to-use solution. For more features and specifications about the Phoenix Lite 3, visit https://www.topdon.us/collections/professional-series/products/phoenix-lite-3 About TOPDON USA Founded in 2017 and based in Rockaway, New Jersey, TOPDON USA is a provider of entry-level, mid-level, and advanced tools and solutions for professional technicians, as well as DIY enthusiasts. Globally, TOPDON has over 250 industry-leading engineers and owns over 500 patents and software copyrights. The companys cutting-edge technology helps shops minimize downtime and maximize profits. For more information visit www.topdon.us ### Attachment Ottawa, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global ulcerative colitis treatment market size was valued at USD 10.16 billion in 2023 and is predicted to hit around USD 13.81 billion by 2032, a study published by Towards Healthcare a sister firm of Precedence Research. Insight Highlights: Pancolitis, affecting the entire colon, presents the biggest challenge, holding a 34% market share in 2023. Anti-TNF biologics are the current champions, dominating the market with a 30% of medication share in 2023, but new solutions are actively sought. North America currently leads the charge, holding a 39% market share in 2023, but the global focus is increasing. Download the segmental sample of ulcerative colitis treatment market analysis in detail @ https://www.towardshealthcare.com/personalized-scope/5118 National Library of Medicine estimates that ulcerative colitis impacts between 9 and 20 individuals per 100,000 annually, with an overall prevalence of 156 to 291 cases per 100,000; the management of ulcerative colitis underscores the growing need for effective treatment interventions. Ulcerative colitis is a chronic condition where the inner lining of your large intestine and rectum gets swollen and forms sores. We're not sure why it happens, but it might concern genes, the environment, and how your immune system works. It's a common problem worldwide. This disease primarily affects the inner part of your large intestine, starting from the bottom and moving up. When it acts up, you might feel belly pain, have watery diarrhea (sometimes bloody), bleeding from your bottom, feel like you need diarrhea urgently, get tired, lose weight, or have a fever. You'll occasionally feel okay for a while, and then it returns. Doctors try to help by calming down the swelling, managing your symptoms, and helping you feel better overall. They might suggest taking medicine, changing what you eat, making some lifestyle changes, or even having surgery. In the US, many people see doctors for this, which costs a ton of money yearly. It's a problem you must deal with for a long time, and it can affect your body and emotions. The following figure depicts the age-based distribution of IBD diagnoses. Abbreviations: CD (Crohn's disease); IBD (inflammatory bowel disease); IBDU (IBD unclassified); UC (ulcerative colitis), according to the MDPI study. As more people are diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, it's essential to know that medications and proper treatment can help control the condition. Along with medicine, changing what you eat can also make a big difference. Some folks feel better by avoiding certain foods like dairy, spicy dishes, and foods high in fiber. Eating smaller meals more often and drinking plenty of water can also help. In severe cases where medicine doesn't work, surgery to remove the colon might be needed. But don't worry. It's usually the last option and can bring long-lasting relief for many patients. Nowadays, more effective treatments, like biological therapies, are available. As more people learn about ulcerative colitis and get diagnosed, the demand for better treatments keeps growing. You can place an order or ask any questions, please feel free to contact us at sales@towardshealthcare.com Increasing Cases of Ulcerative Colitis As more people are diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, it's becoming clear that this condition can have a significant impact on daily life. Dealing with symptoms like stomach pain and bleeding can be challenging, but getting the proper treatment and support can make a big difference. Doctors and researchers are working hard to understand why more people are getting ulcerative colitis and how to improve treatments. Everyone needs to know about this condition so those affected can get help and lead happier, healthier lives. Highlights about Ulcerative Colitis: Family history is a significant factor in getting ulcerative colitis, suggesting genes play an essential role. About 8% to 14% of people with the condition have close relatives who also have it. In Northern Europe and North America, inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are most common compared to other places around the world. Ulcerative colitis affects 9 to 20 out of every 100,000 people each year, with 156 to 291 cases per 100,000 people overall. Among adults, it's more common than Crohn's disease. More and more people are getting diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, which means there's a more significant need for treatments to help manage it. This has led to a rise in the ulcerative colitis treatment market. Pharmaceutical companies are spending more on research to create better medicines and therapies that can help with symptoms and make life easier for those with the condition. Advances in medical technology are also helping to develop treatments like biologics, which target the inflammation caused by ulcerative colitis. With more people looking for help and focusing on improving treatments, the market for ulcerative colitis treatments is increasing. This means more resources are finding new ways to help people, making it easier to get care, and spreading awareness about ulcerative colitis, which is good news for patients and their doctors. Customize your report to gain insights tailored to your specific needs and objectives in the ulcerative colitis treatment market @ https://www.towardshealthcare.com/customization/5118 Advancements in Biological Therapies Advances in medical technology and understanding of ulcerative colitis have helped create better treatments. One exciting development is biological therapies, medicines made from living cells. These drugs target the inflammation in the body that causes ulcerative colitis symptoms. Unlike traditional medications that affect the whole immune system, biologics precisely pinpoint the problem areas, leading to more effective treatment with fewer side effects. They're often used when other medications haven't worked well enough. Biologic therapies are a big step forward in ulcerative colitis treatment, offering hope for better symptom control and improved quality of life for those with the condition. Recent Update, In October 2023, the FDA approved Velsipty, a new medication developed by Pfizer, to treat severe cases of ulcerative colitis (UC) in adults. The drug was evaluated through two significant trials, ulcerative colitis 52 and ulcerative colitis 12, where participants were administered a daily 2-milligram dose of the medication. Results from these trials indicated that approximately 32 out of 100 individuals in the ulcerative colitis 52 trial and roughly 26 out of 100 individuals in the ulcerative colitis 12 trial experienced improvements in their condition. Biologic therapies are a treatment for ulcerative colitis made from living cells. These medications target the body's inflammation, which causes symptoms like stomach pain and bleeding. Biologics are unique because they're more precise than traditional drugs. Instead of affecting the entire immune system, biologics zero in on the areas causing trouble, leading to better results with fewer side effects. They're often used when other medications haven't been effective enough. Biologic therapies are seen as a significant advancement in ulcerative colitis treatment, offering new hope for controlling symptoms and improving the quality of life for people with the condition. Recent FDA-Approved Drugs for Ulcerative Colitis Sr. No. FDA Approved Date Drug Name Indication 1. October 2023 Mirikizumab Mirikizumab is a type of medicine that targets a specific part of the immune system involved in causing inflammation in ulcerative colitis, which is a severe stomach problem. It's given through a vein to start and continue treatment. 2. May 2021 Ozenzema It's another pill like etrasimod that you take by mouth. It's for adults who have pretty bad ulcerative colitis. 3. October 2023 Etrasimod It's a pill you take by mouth once a day for adults who have pretty bad ulcerative colitis and it works by targeting specific receptors in the body. Advanced technologies like AI are becoming more critical in treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Big companies in the market are using AI to find new drugs and treatments for diseases like Crohn's and ulcerative colitis. They're teaming up with tech companies to combine their skills and create new ways to help patients. This collaboration helps them make better treatments and become stronger in the market. Buy now and stay ahead in the fight against ulcerative colitis with our comprehensive market analysis report @ https://www.towardshealthcare.com/price/5118 For instance, In May 2021, CytoReason, a tech company from Israel, teamed up with Ferring Pharmaceuticals to make drugs for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and ulcerative colitis faster using AI technology. Additionally, more companies are launching new products, developing them further, expanding their reach, and teaming up with others. This is expected to help the market grow. For instance, In May 2020, AbbVie, Inc. said they finished buying Allergan. This is likely to give them more products for treating ulcerative colitis. Also, as more new products and giant molecules are used, the market is expected to become more prominent. AbbVie, Inc. said they finished buying Allergan. This is likely to give them more products for treating ulcerative colitis. Also, as more new products and giant molecules are used, the market is expected to become more prominent. In July 2022, Athos Therapeutics said they're teaming up with Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts, to do research together. They want to create better, more precise treatments for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and ulcerative colitis. Athos Therapeutics said they're teaming up with Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts, to do research together. They want to create better, more precise treatments for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and ulcerative colitis. In 2021, the European Commission permitted Bristol Myers Squibb to sell Zeposia (ozanimod) for treating adults with moderate to severe active ulcerative colitis (UC). This approval is for people who haven't responded well to other treatments or can't handle them. Oral Medications Provide a Significant Contribution to the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis Ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease impacting the colon and rectum, is effectively managed through various treatments. Among these, oral medications play a crucial role, favored by both patients and healthcare providers. Oral medications are more accessible for patients, promoting better adherence to treatment plans vital for long-term symptom control. This ease of administration enhances patient compliance, which is essential for managing a chronic condition like UC. Oral medications offer convenience as they can be taken at home, eliminating the need for frequent visits to healthcare facilities for injections or infusions. This contributes to an improved quality of life for UC patients, allowing them to manage their condition while maintaining their daily routines. The range of oral medications available for UC has expanded over the years, offering patients various treatment options customized to their needs and preferences. These may include aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immunomodulators, and biological therapies. Additionally, advancements in drug formulations, such as extended-release or enteric-coated tablets, have improved the efficacy and tolerability of oral medications. These formulations deliver medicines to the gastrointestinal tract, minimizing systemic side effects and optimizing therapeutic outcomes. The oral route of administration remains a cornerstone in treating ulcerative colitis, playing a big part in making the market for treating ulcerative colitis (UC) more extensive and better. Role of Regulatory Agencies Regulatory hurdles are significant in the development and approval of new treatments for ulcerative colitis (UC). Agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and EMA (European Medicine Agency) have strict rules for conducting clinical trials, which can be time-consuming and costly for drug companies. Deciding what to measure in these trials is challenging due to UC's varied effects on individuals. Agencies prioritize improvements in symptoms and quality of life. Finding reliable markers to assess treatment effectiveness is crucial but tough. Developing biosimilars requires proving they're as safe and effective as existing drugs, adding complexity. Even after approval, companies must monitor drugs for risks. Varying approval rules across countries complicate global sales. Additionally, agencies assess the long-term value of new treatments, which can be tough for pricier drugs. Browse More Insights of Towards Healthcare: The global brain implants market was valued at USD 5.85 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach around USD 14.24 billion by 2032, expanding at a CAGR of 9.3% between 2023 and 2032. was valued at USD 5.85 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach around USD 14.24 billion by 2032, expanding at a CAGR of 9.3% between 2023 and 2032. The global lung disease therapeutics market size was valued at USD 81.2 billion in 2022 and is projected to hit around USD 146.1 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 6.1% from 2023 to 2032. size was valued at USD 81.2 billion in 2022 and is projected to hit around USD 146.1 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 6.1% from 2023 to 2032. The global genomics market size to grow from USD 28.9 billion in 2022 to reach around USD 127.16 billion by 2032, registered at a CAGR of 16.1% between 2023 and 2032. size to grow from USD 28.9 billion in 2022 to reach around USD 127.16 billion by 2032, registered at a CAGR of 16.1% between 2023 and 2032. The global non-oncology precision medicine market size was at USD 70.16 billion in 2022 and is projected to surpass around USD 163.5 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 8.7% from 2023 to 2032. size was at USD 70.16 billion in 2022 and is projected to surpass around USD 163.5 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 8.7% from 2023 to 2032. The global non-invasive blood glucose monitoring system market size to grow from USD 21.76 million in 2022 to reach around USD 202.73 million by 2032, at 25.0% CAGR between 2023 and 2032. size to grow from USD 21.76 million in 2022 to reach around USD 202.73 million by 2032, at 25.0% CAGR between 2023 and 2032. The global animal vaccine market was estimated to grow from USD 14.27 billion in 2022 to soar an estimated USD 36.91 billion by 2032, at 10% CAGR between 2023 and 2032. was estimated to grow from USD 14.27 billion in 2022 to soar an estimated USD 36.91 billion by 2032, at 10% CAGR between 2023 and 2032. The global pancreatic cancer market size was at USD 2.05 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach around USD 7.4 billion by 2032, expanding at a CAGR of 13.7%. size was at USD 2.05 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach around USD 7.4 billion by 2032, expanding at a CAGR of 13.7%. The global 3D Printed prosthetics market size is estimated to grow from USD 1.54 billion in 2022 and is projected around USD 3.28 billion by 2032, expanding at a 7.9 % of CAGR between 2023 and 2032. size is estimated to grow from USD 1.54 billion in 2022 and is projected around USD 3.28 billion by 2032, expanding at a 7.9 % of CAGR between 2023 and 2032. The global anesthesia monitoring devices market size to grow from USD 2.41 billion in 2022 to reach around USD 5.96 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 9.5% between 2023 and 2032. size to grow from USD 2.41 billion in 2022 to reach around USD 5.96 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 9.5% between 2023 and 2032. The global diabetes drugs market was valued at USD 61.87 billion in 2022 and is projected around USD 118 billion by 2032, growing at 6.7% CAGR for 2023 to 2032. Geographical Landscape North America will likely be at the forefront of the ulcerative colitis market because it has significant companies and more people with the condition. Plus, there's ongoing support to create new and better treatments. Also, the companies are doing a lot of research, helping the market grow. For instance, In March 2022, AbbVie, Inc. got approval from the FDA in the United States for its drug RINVOQ. It's a type of medicine called a Janus kinase inhibitor, and it's used to treat ulcerative colitis. Additionally, getting approvals from authorities like the FDA and Health Canada also helps the market grow. For instance, In May 2021, Bristol Myers Squibb got approval from the FDA for Zeposia (ozanimod) to treat adults with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis, a long-term inflammatory bowel disease. Because of all these reasons, there's expected to be more demand for ulcerative colitis treatments in the region, which will likely make the market bigger. The prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including ulcerative colitis, has been steadily rising across Asia-Pacific countries. Advancements in medical technology, including diagnostic tools, imaging techniques, and therapeutic modalities, are facilitating early diagnosis and personalized treatment of UC in the Asia-Pacific region. This fosters the adoption of innovative therapies and improves patient outcomes. Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly establishing collaborations and partnerships with local healthcare providers, academic institutions, and government bodies to address the specific needs of UC patients in the Asia-Pacific region. Competitive Landscape The competitive landscape of the ulcerative colitis treatment market is dynamic and driven by innovation, which plays a crucial role in maintaining competitiveness. Companies invest significant resources in research and development to discover and develop novel therapeutic agents, including biologics targeting specific inflammatory pathways implicated in ulcerative colitis pathogenesis. Major pharmaceutical companies, smaller biotechnology firms, and startups are actively engaged in developing novel therapies for ulcerative colitis. Companies test new drugs for ulcerative colitis in clinical trials to make sure they're safe and work well. If the trials are successful, the companies can get approval from regulators to sell the drugs, and doctors and patients are more likely to use them. Having many promising drugs in development and good trial results gives companies an edge over competitors. Recent Developments In March 2020, Celltrion Healthcare released Remsima SC in Europe to treat ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease. Celltrion Healthcare released Remsima SC in Europe to treat ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease. In April 2023, Merck & Co., Inc. bought Prometheus Biosciences for $200.00 per share, totaling about $10.8 billion. This purchase lets Prometheus Biosciences fully use the potential of PRA023, a new medicine still in late-stage development. It's meant to help with problems like ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and other autoimmune disorders. Market Players AbbVie Takeda Pharmaceuticals Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. Pfizer Bristol Myers Squibb Merck & Co. Ferring Pharmaceuticals Sanofi Novartis Bausch Health Market Segments By Disease Type Ulcerative Proctitis Proctosigmoiditis Left-sided Colitis Pancolitis or Universal Colitis Fulminant Colitis By Treatment Type Medications Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Amino Salicylates Corticosteroids Anti-TNF Biologics Immunomodulators Janus Kinase Inhibitors Other Medications Surgery By Route of Administration Oral Injectable By Distribution Channel Hospital Pharmacies Retail Pharmacies Other By Geography North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East and Africa Acquire our comprehensive analysis today @ https://www.towardshealthcare.com/price/5118 You can place an order or ask any questions, please feel free to contact us at sales@towardshealthcare.com Gain access to the latest insights and statistics in the healthcare industry by subscribing to our Annual Membership. Stay updated on healthcare industry segmentation with detailed reports, market trends, and expert analysis tailored to your needs. Stay ahead of the curve with valuable resources and strategic recommendations. Join today to unlock a wealth of knowledge and opportunities in the dynamic world of healthcare: Get a Subscription About Us Towards Healthcare is a leading global provider of technological solutions, clinical research services, and advanced analytics to the healthcare sector, committed to forming creative connections that result in actionable insights and creative innovations. We are a global strategy consulting firm that assists business leaders in gaining a competitive edge and accelerating growth. We are a provider of technological solutions, clinical research services, and advanced analytics to the healthcare sector, committed to forming creative connections that result in actionable insights and creative innovations. Browse our Brand-New Journals: https://www.towardspackaging.com https://www.towardsautomotive.com Web: https://www.precedenceresearch.com For Latest Update Follow Us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/towards-healthcare Get Our Freshly Printed Chronicle: https://www.healthcarewebwire.com RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Harvard University -- Eight years into Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia has made significant strides with digital innovations and enhanced access to quality care. Strategic investments in infrastructure, technology, and talent, have led to advancements revolutionizing patient care delivery and elevating the standards of healthcare locally. These efforts have notably raised the average life expectancy, reduced mortality rates, and enhanced overall well-being across the Kingdom. Central to these achievements, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSH&RC), renowned for its specialized care and treatments across critical fields such as oncology, cardiology, organ transplantation, and genetics has positioned itself as a leader in specialized patient care, taking the charge towards a brighter, healthier future for the Kingdom. Through its commitment to pioneering digital health initiatives, comprehensive educational programs, and novel research endeavors, it is reshaping the local landscape, and setting new standards of efficiency and accessibility. In an era defined by technological advancements, and with the Kingdoms push towards digitalization, KFSH&RC stands at the forefront of digital health integration among its local peers, leveraging cutting-edge telemedicine services, virtual consultations, and AI-driven tools such as the ANFAL AI System that transforms patient outcomes through predictive insights and personalized care, ensuring the best outcomes for patient satisfaction. KFSH&RCs digital health initiatives extend to addressing broader health threats through technologies such as Whole Genomic Sequencing (WGS) and Advanced Radiation Therapy. The hospital has also pioneered organ transplantation by performing the world's first fully robotic liver transplant and introduced to the region innovations like the Harmony Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve (TPV), enhancing patient recovery and experience. These technologies facilitate personalized treatment plans and improve the accuracy and speed of medical diagnostics, contributing significantly to the elevation of patient care standards and a sustainable, resilient healthcare infrastructure in line with the objectives of the Health Sector Transformation Program. KFSH&RC continues to push the boundaries of medical research addressing pressing health challenges and contributing to Saudi Arabias public health landscape, with discoveries like the PfAP2-MRP gene crucial for malaria treatment and the identification of the new Riyadhensis bacteria strain. These discoveries have not only improved diagnostic accuracy but also facilitated early interventions, ensuring timely and effective patient support, in line with the national objectives to reduce chronic disease prevalence. These comprehensive efforts are supported by KFSH&RCs robust educational initiatives, which prepare the next generation of medical professionals through training programs and international collaborations. Recognized by Brand Finance in 2024 as the most valuable healthcare brand in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East for the second consecutive year, placing 9th in Saudi Arabia and 28th in the Middle East. Additionally, KFSH&RC stands out as the only hospital worldwide to be ranked among its country's top ten most valuable brands. About King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSH&RC): King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSH&RC) stands as a leading healthcare institution in the Middle East, envisioned to be the optimal choice for every patient seeking specialized healthcare. The hospital boasts a rich history in the treatment of cancers, cardiovascular diseases, organ transplantation, neurosciences, and genetics. In 2024, "Brand Finance" ranked King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre as the top academic medical centre in the Middle East and Africa, and among the top 20 globally for the second consecutive year. Additionally, in 2024, it was recognized as one of the leading global healthcare providers by Newsweek magazine. As part of Saudi Vision 2030, a royal decree was issued on December 21, 2021, to transform the hospital into an independent, non-profit, government-owned entity, paving the way for a comprehensive transformation program aimed at achieving global leadership in healthcare through excellence and innovation. CONTACT INFORMATION For more information, please contact: Mr. Essam Al-Zahrani, Media Affairs Head, 0555254429 Mr. Abdullah Al-Aown, Media Coordination Officer, 0556294232 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/003e76ab-3d93-42d4-9edf-5e652a14c559 Coquitlam, BC, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Titan Garage Doors LTD provides trusted service, high-end garage doors, and quality replacement parts. Through custom-tailored solutions to accommodate different budgets and needs, the company's well-trained and experienced commercial and residential garage door technicians offer installations and repairs for various types and styles of garage doors. Property owners often resort to internet searches for repair advice in the event of garage door malfunctions. However, given the various garage doors, such guidance can be wrong and sometimes lead to further damage. Titan Garage Doors addresses this issue by providing 24/7 availability and same-day service. This approach ensures efficient and timely repair services, helping to mitigate the risk of improper fixes caused by DIY repairs and potentially avoiding future emergencies. The company's repair and replacement services address issues, including bent/damaged panels, off-track garage doors, and worn-out door hardware. The team's service protocol includes a detailed inspection, focusing on critical parts like cables, springs, Hinges and rollers. Based on this evaluation, the technicians determine the necessary course of action, whether it involves balancing, repairing, or replacing hardware. During standard maintenance checks, the technicians might suggest several enhancements, including noise reduction measures, door alignment and levelling, weatherproofing, and security features like lock repairs to ensure the garage door's optimal performance and safety. To ensure components such as a garage door opener Coquitlam or remote function optimally, Titan Garage Doors recommends that property owners conduct regular inspections and monitor their performance. If any irregularities or sluggish responses are noticed, the technicians are available to address these issues promptly. The team is committed to sharing its expertise with clients regarding hardware components such as transmitters, remotes, sensors, gears/sockets, belts/chains, and motors. This empowers clients to better understand their garage door systems and make informed decisions about maintenance and repairs. While prioritizing around-the-clock garage door repairs, Titan Garage Doors also serves as a valuable resource by showcasing the market's top 7 garage door openers. Leveraging its industry expertise, the team carefully selects options for a smooth, secure, and effortless experience. Whether clients have recently purchased a new house or are in the process of building, they can explore residential/commercial garage doors and access brochures from leading brands such as Amarr, Steel-Craft, and North-West Doors to make informed decisions. As a company that values transparency and honesty, the team is straightforward about pricing whether a client needs garage door repairs or installations. Though a quote may include 1-year installation warranty, factors like choice of material, customization features, geographic location, upgrades/accessories, labor, and current door condition may affect cost. Titan Garage Doors can install pan, vinyl-back, steel-back, single, double and custom-sized doors. From its 24/7 residential/commercial support to new garage installations and replacements of malfunctioned/broken garage hardware, Titan Garage Doors focuses on safety and client satisfaction, making the company a leader in the industry. About Titan Garage Doors Titan Garage Doors is a garage door repair and installation company and a local family business passionate about serving the community. With same-day services and competitive prices, the company's technicians leverage over 50 years of combined experience to improve the appearance and functionality of buildings. They have extensive training to serve Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Burnaby, Abbotsford, Langley, Delta, Surrey, Vancouver and the North Shore. Media Contact: Company Name: Titan Garage Doors Contact Person: Alex Pod Phone: 604-313-0108 City: Coquitlam State: BC Postal Code: Country: CA Website: https://titangaragedoors.ca/ WASHINGTON, D.C., May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Despite having some of the worlds leading academic and research hospitals, Washington, D.C. has one of the highest reported death rates due to breast and prostate cancer in the nation and is ranked highest in overall cancer mortality. According to the District of Columbias Cancer Control Plan 2022-2026, there are 18,750 cancer survivors living in the District of Columbia, and residents of its Ward 8 have the highest mortality rates. For decades, the Cancer Support Community (CSC), a global nonprofit, has been headquartered in Washington, D.C., steps away from the White House and near the heartbeat of national legislative activities. CSCs mission is to uplift and strengthen people impacted by cancer by providing support, fostering compassionate communities, and breaking down barriers to care. Witnessing this tale of two cities led CSCs leadership to commit to establishing a service location in the DMV area, with a special focus on serving the residents of Washington, D.C.s Wards 7 and 8. On Thurs., May 23, the Cancer Support Community Washington D.C. (CSC DC) will host a ribbon cutting ceremony for its new home, proudly located in Ward 8. The statistics for Washington, D.C. are staggering, CSC CEO Sally Werner stated. We know from our experience offering services at no cost, at 190 network partner locations across the U.S. and beyond, as well as operating our Cancer Support Helpline, that navigation and support can alleviate many challenges cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers face, including barriers to care related to health disparities, financial toxicity, and social and emotional concerns. We are confident that bringing our model of care to the region, and particularly Ward 8, will have a positive impact on the lives of people coping with a cancer diagnosis. In September 2021, CSC DC opened its virtual doors with the help of generous donors and those in the community who care about providing support and navigation services at no cost to Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia residents impacted by cancer. Since then, CSC DC has offered support groups, short-term counseling, navigation, education, and healthy lifestyle classes both online and in person through partnerships. They were recently featured in a POPSUGAR article about the emotional effects of breast cancer that can linger after treatment ends. "We are excited to have a place in Washington, D.C. to call home, particularly in an area whose residents have little access to care or support, CSC DC Executive Director Zubair Ansari said, enthusiastically speaking of the two-story building on MLK Avenue SE in Ward 8 that will allow CSC DC to improve programming for communities that need it most. He looks forward to adding enhanced cancer support services, including nutritional demonstrations, in-person support, and more, to the menu of available services. CSC DC will be a beacon of light for everyone in Washington, D.C. and its surrounding communities. I am thrilled to join forces with local support organizations, advocacy groups, and business partners to help mitigate health inequity in D.C. and the greater DMV area. The May 23 celebration is expected to bring together CSC HQ and CSC DC leadership, healthcare providers, elected officials, supporters, patients, survivors, caregivers, advocacy groups, and other partners. Ward 8 Councilman Trayon White is scheduled to attend and present remarks. Im thrilled that CSC DC has chosen to open their first location in our famed Anacostia neighborhood, Councilman White said. He further explained: The health and wellness of my constituents is a top priority, and we all know that cancer is a life-changing diagnosis that can have a devastating impact on individuals and their families. Having compassionate, professionally led, evidence-based support, navigation, and education that is free for cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and loved ones right here in our community is a game changer. For more information about the ribbon cutting ceremony, contact Nathalie Casthely at communications@cancersupportcommunity.org . About the Cancer Support Community Washington, D.C. The Cancer Support Community Washington, D.C. is a nonprofit that uplifts and strengthens people impacted by cancer residing in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, with a focus on residents who are disproportionately affected by the disease. We are dedicated to fostering a community where patients, survivors, caregivers, and loved ones access emotional support, navigation, healthy lifestyle activities, social connection, education, and referral services provided with compassion and expertise in person or online and at no cost. And we are committed to breaking down barriers to care. In addition to having support in their community, participants are presented with opportunities to join forces with other impacted people from our partner locations across the U.S. and beyond to advocate on issues important to cancer patients at the local, state, and national levels and to contribute to important research that inspires positive change in cancer care and the patient experience. https://www.cancersupportdc.org/ Skokie, IL, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the situation worsened in Nazi Germany, parents were faced with a difficult decision: send their children alone to a foreign land in the hopes of finding a better life or keep their family together while facing increasing repression. In just nine months, thousands of unaccompanied Jewish children under the age of 17 were sent from Nazi-occupied Europe to safety in the United Kingdom. Kindertransport Rescuing Children on the Brink of War, opening at Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center on May 19, showcases this astonishing rescue effort through personal artifacts, stories, and firsthand testimony. The exhibition will run through November 17, 2024. I received a ticket for the Kindertransport on my tenth birthday and left Germany a week later, says Holocaust Survivor Ernie Heimann. It assured my place with the 10,000 children who were rescued from Nazi-occupied Europe instead of among the one-in-a-half million children who were murdered in the Holocaust. Created and organized by Yeshiva University Museum and the Leo Baeck Institute New York | Berlin, the exhibition is arranged into eight sections, beginning in the days and months following Kristallnacht when Europes Jewish population could no longer deny the threat of Nazism. The Kindertransport is brought to life by presenting objects that the children brought with them to the United Kingdom; a map detailing the transport routes; letters between parents and children; audio testimonies by survivors; and quotes charting the heart-wrenching decisions parents made in sending their children away to safety. The Museum will expand the exhibition to feature local stories of those saved by the Kindertransport. Illinois Holocaust Museum is excited to share this lesser-known story of bravery and resilience, says CEO Bernard Cherkasov. As part of our mission, we look to share the full scope of what happened during the Holocaust, including the trials, tragedies, and survival of the children saved by the Kindertransport. While the majority of their parents were murdered in the Holocaust, it was thanks to passionate upstanders that these children were able to survive. Details about the exhibition are available here. The exhibition was made possible by the generous support of the Azrieli Foundation, the David Berg Foundation, the Koret Foundation, the Gruss Hirsch Family Foundation, and by Anonymous. Additional support was provided by the Wolfensohn Family Foundation, Robert M. Kaufman, Temple Sholom of Scotch Plains (NJ), and by patrons and friends of Yeshiva University Museum and the Leo Baeck Institute New York | Berlin. Illinois Holocaust Museums presentation of Kindertransport Rescuing Children on the Brink of War is made possible with generous support from: Supporters: Abe & Ida Cooper Foundation Women's Board of Illinois Holocaust Museum Contributors: Rubens Family Foundation Florence and Laurence Spungen Family Foundation Additional Funders: Mark and Lisa Pinsky Golder Family Foundation About Illinois Holocaust Museum Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center honors the Survivors and victims of the Holocaust and transforms history into current, relevant, and universal lessons in humanity. Through world-class exhibitions and programs, the Museum inspires individuals and organizations to remember the past and transform the future. The Museum is open Wednesday through Monday from 10:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.ilholocaustmuseum.org or call 847-967-4800. Attachment Washington, DC, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arabella Advisors proudly welcomes Michael Gordon as its new General Counsel, effective May 6, 2024. Gordon brings over two decades of legal, business, regulatory, compliance, and policy expertise to his new role. "Mike's deep legal and compliance experience, coupled with his profound understanding of Arabella's ethos, makes him an ideal fit for our team," said Himesh Bhise, President and CEO of Arabella Advisors. "His wealth of knowledge and dedication to our mission will further strengthen our industry-leading Legal and Compliance Team. We are excited to welcome him aboard and look forward to witnessing the impact of his leadership." In his capacity as General Counsel, Gordon will lead Arabella's Legal and Compliance Team, overseeing risk management, team management, and outside counsel relationships with a keen focus on efficiency and pragmatism. His familiarity with Arabella, its work, and its clients needs is extensive, as he has previously collaborated with the organization as outside counsel. "I am thrilled to join Arabella Advisors and contribute to its mission of enabling clients across the philanthropic sector to tackle society's biggest challenges more efficiently, effectively, and equitably," said Gordon. "I look forward to leveraging my experience to uphold the integrity of Arabella's legal and compliance functions, ensuring they remain robust and responsive to the evolving needs of our community and clients." Gordon comes to Arabella Advisors from Ballard Spahr LLP, where he was a trusted adviser to companies and nonprofit organizations on growth strategy and regulatory compliance. His public service record includes senior counsel roles within the US House of Representatives, US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and US Department of the Treasury. Furthermore, Gordon has firsthand experience as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at BlueWave Solar, a renewable energy company. About Arabella Advisors: Arabella Advisors is a business dedicated to making philanthropic work more efficient, effective, and equitable. Along with our clients, we are working to build a better futureone with healthy air, water, and food for all, with strong democracies and engaged citizens, with flourishing communities, expanded opportunity and enhanced equity. We help our clients by sharing our expertise and experience, which includes providing outsourced operational support to nonprofit organizations. Arabella Advisors is proud to be a certified B Corporation, a Great Place to Work, and a two-time winner of Entrepreneur Magazines Best Entrepreneurial Companies award. IRVINE, Calif., May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WNC & Associates (WNC), a family-owned business known as both a pioneer and leader in the affordable housing industry, has closed WNC Institutional Tax Credit Fund 56, L.P. (Fund 56) which includes 24 multi-family properties across 16 states. Fund 56, a $302 million equity fund that closed in April 2024, is WNCs largest multi-investor fund to date. The closing of Fund 56, our biggest Fund to date, is a testament to the incredible developer and investor partnerships that we have fostered at WNC, and we are thankful for these relationships that will bring nearly 2,400 affordable housing units in 16 states to fruition, said Anand Kannan, President of WNC. The funds objective is to invest in partnerships or limited liability companies which own apartment complexes built or rehabilitated for low-income residents, including populations with specific needs such as senior, visually and hearing impaired, physically disabled, formerly homeless, special needs, and single parents. The fund enables federal low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC) and in some cases California state low-income tax credits to be passed through to investors, who can then apply them to reduce federal or California tax liabilities, as appropriate. WNC is happy to partner again with eight repeat investors and welcomes four new investors to Fund 56, added Christine Cormier, Executive Vice President of Investor Relations at WNC. Fund 56 has made 24 investments representing 2,396 units. The 16 states in which the investments are located include Arizona, California, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia. Investments in affordable housing through Fund 56 encompassed a mix of 10 new construction properties and 14 preservations, including three rehabilitations of historic properties. About WNC & Associates Founded in 1971, WNC & Associates (WNC) is a family-owned business known as both a pioneer and leader in the affordable housing industry. WNC and its affiliated companies specialize in tax credit syndication, affordable housing development, and preservation equity fund investments. Combined, the WNC companies have acquired approximately $18.2 billion in assets across 48 states, including more than 1,800 affordable rental properties that house more than 1 million residents. With offices in 16 states, WNC has partnered with more than 400 developers and 125 institutional investors. To learn more, visit: https://www.wncinc.com/. Media Contact: IDEA HALL Rachel Fuller rachel@ideahall.com LONDON, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pixalate , the market-leading fraud protection, privacy, and compliance analytics platform for Connected TV (CTV) and Mobile Advertising, today released the April 2024 Top 100 Most Popular Bundle IDs for Open Programmatic Connected TV (CTV) Advertising. The list includes the global top 100 most popular Bundle IDs for open programmatic advertising across the most popular CTV platforms including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung, and Apple TV. The rankings are based on global open programmatic advertising data, as measured by Pixalate. The Bundle IDs are ranked after removing invalid traffic (IVT), as measured by Pixalate. The report also includes the top 10 most popular Bundle IDs for each CTV platform for key regions including North America, Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), and Latin America (LATAM). Key Findings: On Amazon Fire TV , the top 100 Bundle IDs map to 91 distinct CTV apps , the top 100 Bundle IDs map to distinct CTV apps On Roku , the top 100 Bundle IDs map to 67 distinct CTV apps , the top 100 Bundle IDs map to distinct CTV apps On Apple TV , the top 100 Bundle IDs map to 100 distinct CTV apps , the top 100 Bundle IDs map to distinct CTV apps On Samsung Smart TV , the top 100 Bundle IDs map to 59 distinct CTV apps Why is it important to see the top Bundle IDs for CTV apps? In CTV advertising, programmatic advertisers use Bundle IDs to identify specific CTV apps. A lack of standardization around the syntax of Bundle IDs has led to confusion around targeting and measurement of ads, creating a vulnerability that ad fraudsters can exploit. Pixalates Bundle ID to App Store ID mapping APIs can help by consistently handling Bundle IDs, ensuring accurate tracking, measurement, and reporting. Additionally, the IAB Tech Lab has issued guidelines for the use of app IDs, and OpenRTB 2.6 has offered support for Channel and Network Objects information to avoid overloading the Bundle ID field. 100 Most Popular Bundle IDs for programmatic advertising in CTV (April 2024) Roku Samsung Smart TV Apple TV Amazon Fire TV Washington, DC, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, awarded State Service Commissions and more than 300 nonprofit, faith and community-based organizations more than $370 million in AmeriCorps State and National federal funding. Grants will support nearly 35,000 AmeriCorps members. In addition, more than $177.4 million in funding is being awarded to governor-appointed service commissions, which will support additional AmeriCorps member positions as determined by state priorities. These grants will help organizations address challenges with educational opportunity and economic mobility in communities facing persistent unemployment; social cohesion and civic engagement; quality of life services for veterans and military families; environmental stewardship and climate change, and services for rural communities. View a complete list of awards, including organizations and funding totals. "This years AmeriCorps State and National grants demonstrate our steadfast commitment to helping communities tackle the most urgent challenges head on," said Michael D. Smith, CEO, AmeriCorps. "By investing significant resources into a diverse ecosystem of results-driven non-profit, faith-based, and community organizations, we're reinforcing our decades-long focus on grassroots solutions and also amplifying how national service is creating local impact. AmeriCorps remains committed to investing in member well-being. The fiscal year 2025 budget will support a minimum living allowance of $13 per hour for all AmeriCorps membersan increase of approximately $2 per hour from FY 2024. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris administration, the living allowance for AmeriCorps State and National has increased by more than 14 percent. While there is a rich diversity of program focus and locations served, what all of these grantees have in common is their relentless focus on evidence-based approaches, creating pathways from service to career and prioritizing member development and safety nets, such as higher living allowances and wraparound supports, said Smith. In addition to the grant funding, AmeriCorps is making available up to $157.7 million in education awards for AmeriCorps members. After successfully completing a full-service term, members receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award equal to the Pell Grant toward tuition at eligible schools and at specific GI Bill-approved educational programs for veterans or student loan repayment. The positions funded by these grants will allow AmeriCorps members to help prepare students for college, revitalize cities, connect veterans to jobs, fight the opioid epidemic, rebuild communities following disasters, preserve public lands, strengthen education, foster economic opportunity, and more. These members will join the more than 1.3 million AmeriCorps alumni who have served since the program's inception in 1994 and earned more than $4.8 billion in education awards. AmeriCorps regularly grants federal funding to local communities and organizations across the country. Additional funds will be awarded throughout the year, including funds for federally recognized American Indian and Alaskan Native tribes or tribal organizations. Learn more about these AmeriCorps State and National at AmeriCorps.Gov/ASN. ### AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country domestically, address the nations most pressing challenges, improve lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement. Each year, the agency places more than 200,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in intensive service roles; and empowers millions more to serve as long-term, short-term, or one-time volunteers. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov. AmeriCorps offers opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds to be a part of the national service community, grow personally and professionally, and receive benefits for their service. Learn how to get involved at AmeriCorps.gov/Serve. Attachment NEW YORK, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Policy Advisors is pleased to announce its sponsorship of First Amendment Matters, an initiative dedicated to promoting and protecting the principles of free speech and expression. First Amendment Matters aims to inspire and educate college students, university employees, and other audiences on the critical importance of the marketplace of ideas in a vibrant and democratic society. Through dynamic talks and workshops, the initiative seeks to enhance student and employee engagement. About First Amendment Matters Developed by Salar Ghahramani, a constitutional law professor and First Amendment scholar and advocate, First Amendment Matters offers dynamic talks and engaging workshops tailored to colleges, universities, and other organizations. These sessions are designed to foster a deep understanding of First Amendment rights and the vibrant marketplace of ideas they create. The programs cover: Discussion-based case studies that include landmark Supreme Court cases Contemporary challenges and debates surrounding free speech The role of free expression in a democratic society Consultancy services and practical strategies for upholding free speech on campuses and in the workplace "Universities and workplaces play a crucial role in safeguarding democratic principles by fostering environments where free speech and expression are not only protected but encouraged," said Salar Ghahramani. "The exchange of ideas, after all, not only enriches us as individuals but can also lead to business, technological, and social innovations, benefiting our society as a whole," he added. A Vision for Innovation and Progress Global Policy Advisors sponsors First Amendment Matters due to its belief in the marketplace of ideas and its importance to the vibrancy of a free and democratic society. By supporting this initiative, Global Policy Advisors emphasizes the role of free expression as a critical driver for innovation, fostering an environment where new ideas can flourish and lead to societal progress. First Amendment Matters Championing the Marketplace of Ideas VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX: ORE, OTCQX: ORZCF) (Orezone or the Company) announces the upcoming retirement of Michael Halvorson and Charles Oliver as part of the Companys board succession plan and welcomes Tara Hassan as a new board nominee. Board Succession Mr. Halvorson, who has been a director of the Company since 2009 and Chair of the board since 2018, has announced to the Company that he will retire from the Chair position and not stand for re-election at the annual general meeting of shareholders to be held on June 7, 2024 (the AGM). Chair Emeritus and Special Advisor Michael Halvorson As recognition for his significant contributions to the Company, the board of directors has conferred to Mr. Halvorson the honorary status of Chair Emeritus and Special Advisor to the executive leadership of the Company. Mr. Downey, President and CEO, commented, I have worked very closely with Michael since my appointment as CEO in 2017 and his leadership, vision, and unwavering dedication have been instrumental in shaping the Company and in setting it up for more future success. His stewardship and input were instrumental in guiding the Company as it developed the Bombore project through exploration, development, and ultimately into a successful producing gold mine through some very challenging times, including COVID. The appointment of Michael as Chair Emeritus and Special Advisor is truly well-earned and I look forward to his continued sage advice and involvement. Mr. Halvorson stated, It has been an honour to serve on the Orezone board and as a Chair. I would like to thank the Company and all of its stakeholders for the opportunity to be part of the Companys governing body. The Company has achieved many milestones and to be part of these achievements has been a privilege. As the Company continues into its next stage of development, the board and I believe now is the right time to transition to a new Chair. With talented and passionate employees and a strong leadership group, the Company is well positioned to deliver on its Phase II Hard Rock expansion with early engineering and securing of the senior debt from Coris Bank well advanced. As a large shareholder, I look forward to the Companys continued success. Mr. Oliver, who has been a director of the Company since 2017, has announced his pending retirement from the board as he will not stand for re-election at the AGM. Mr. Oliver made invaluable contributions to Orezone with his deep experience of the gold market and through his fundamental understanding of how companies should be managed and guided through development and into operations. His counsel was much appreciated and played a pivotal role in the Boards oversight in the last seven years. Mr. Downey continued, On behalf of the entire Company and its stakeholders, we thank Michael and Charles for their years of service. During their tenure on the board, the construction of the Bombore Mine was completed under budget and on time, and in its first full year of operations in 2023, achieved its annual guidance while maintaining an exceptional safety record with no lost time injuries in over 15 million worker hours, an accomplishment that the entire Orezone team is very proud of. New Board Nominee Tara Hassan Following an extensive search, the Company is pleased to announce that the board has recommended that Ms. Tara Hassan be appointed as an independent director of the Company. Her appointment will be voted on by shareholders at the AGM. Ms. Hassan is a mining engineer with more than 18 years of industry experience including mine operations, project development, capital markets and mining technology. Ms. Hassan is a Professional Engineer (Ontario) and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mining Engineering from Queens University in Kingston, Ontario. Ms. Hassan is currently the Vice President, Corporate Development for SilverCrest Metals Inc. Mr. Downey commented, I look forward to welcoming Tara to the Orezone board. Tara has an extensive background in mining and capital markets including having held operating, engineering, and project-focused roles in a wide variety of mines. As a former ranked equity research analyst covering the precious metals sector, Tara has firsthand experience with development and operating mines in West Africa. Annual General Meeting Following the close of the AGM, the board will officially appoint a new Chair from its members. An announcement of the new board Chair will be made in conjunction with the voting results from the AGM. For further information of the Companys board renewal process and the eight nominees that will be put forth for election at the AGM, please see the Companys management information circular to be dated May 10, 2024. About Orezone Gold Corporation Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX: ORE OTCQX: ORZCF) is a West African gold producer engaged in mining, developing, and exploring its 90%-owned flagship Bombore Gold Mine in Burkina Faso. The Bombore mine achieved commercial production on its oxide operations on December 1, 2022, and is now focussed on its staged hard rock expansion that is expected to materially increase annual and life-of-mine gold production from the processing of hard rock mineral reserves. Orezone is led by an experienced team focused on social responsibility and sustainability with a proven track record in project construction and operations, financings, capital markets and M&A. The technical report entitled Bombore Phase II Expansion, Definitive Feasibility Study is available on SEDAR+ and the Companys website. Patrick Downey President and Chief Executive Officer Vanessa Pickering Manager, Investor Relations Tel: 1 778 945 8977 / Toll Free: 1 888 673 0663 info@orezone.com / www.orezone.com For further information please contact Orezone at +1 (778) 945 8977 or visit the Companys website at www.orezone.com. The Toronto Stock Exchange neither approves nor disapproves the information contained in this news release. MONTREAL, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) and Kevric jointly announced today that CN will relocate its headquarters to Kevrics 600 DLG project, located at 600 De La Gauchetiere West. The 20-year lease begins in 2028 and covers the building's first 18 floors, totaling more than 440,000 square feet. CN will start moving certain departments as of 2026. "CN has been part of downtown Montreals DNA for over 100 years. Maintaining our headquarters presence in the citys core is integral to our identity. Our employees are our greatest competitive advantage and we were careful in choosing our new headquarters. We want to keep inspiring greater innovation and collaboration in a workplace that will nurture our employees growth.'" - Ghislain Houle, Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, CN "We are proud to welcome CN's head office at 600 DLG. This commitment by such a large organization confirms the importance of efficient, central work environments for corporations. We firmly believe in the crucial role of high-quality downtown office buildings in sustaining downtown Montreal's role as an economic engine. 600 DLG is the latest example of this conviction, and its transformation showcases our proven expertise in executing complex and visionary projects." - Richard Hylands, President & Founder, Kevric About 600 DLG Kevric is undertaking this transformation by applying the best practices in sustainable development. From the outset of the design process, the project focused on its environmental footprint to minimize and ultimately offset its embodied carbon emissions. The renovation also aims to reduce the building's annual operational environmental footprint to deliver a fully carbon-neutral office building in downtown Montreal. 600 DLG is the prime address for organizations that have fighting climate change as a corporate priority. Located in the Quartier International de Montreal, the tower's thorough transformation will provide CN employees with a state-of-the-art, performance-focused work environment. In this highly sought after downtown business district, CN's head office will stand alongside those of other major international organizations, all benefiting from the evolving mixed-use dynamism of the area. The iconic building north of Square Victoria will feature the CN logo, and a new name to be chosen by the North American transportation leader. The complete redevelopment of the tower will provide a next-generation work environment to its occupants. Its building envelope is being entirely replaced to feature larger windows and a new architectural signature. This will provide the floors with panoramic views, more natural light and better energy efficiency. The integration of touchless access technologies, motion-sensing lighting controls and automated window shades will ensure the state-of-the-art workspaces allow organizations and their teams to focus on exceeding their business objectives, developing innovative new opportunities and nurturing their corporate culture. The new main entrance, under construction at the De La Gauchetiere W. and Beaver-Hall intersection, will be integrated with a modernized Square-Victoria entrance to reconnect the tower with the surrounding area. Forming a new architectural atrium, these entrances will add to 600 DLGs unparalleled connectivity, which includes direct interior access to the Square Victoria - OACI metro station and to Montreal's underground pedestrian network (RESO), frontage on the Express Bike Network (EBN), proximity to the REM's Gare Centrale station, and fluid connections to downtowns main traffic arteries. The relocation of CN's head office to 600 De La Gauchetiere W., adds to the building's existing tenants (Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, Logistec and Alten Canada), bringing the office tower's occupancy rate over 80%, leaving only the towers five top-floors, known for their panoramic views, as still available. About CN CN is a world-class transportation leader and trade-enabler. Essential to the economy, to the customers, and to the communities it serves, CN safely transports more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year. CN's network connects Canadas Eastern and Western coasts with the U.S. South through an 18,800-mile rail network. CN and its affiliates have been contributing to community prosperity and sustainable trade since 1919. CN is committed to programs supporting social responsibility and environmental stewardship. About Kevric Over the years, Kevric Real Estate Corporation has established itself as a leader in the Canadian real estate sector. Its ever-growing presence in the Montreal, Toronto and the National Capital regions has positioned it among the top commercial real estate developers, private owners, and property managers in Canada. Kevric holds solid expertise in complex and visionary transformation projects: the firm stands out for its bold and entrepreneurial approach to tackling major challenges. Kevric's expertise in identifying, acquiring and repositioning properties has allowed it to create multiple first-class assets, thereby generating significant returns for its partners. Through its iconic projects, notably 600 DLG, the Air Canada Tower and Place Bonaventure, Kevric is firmly anchored in the Quartier international de Montreal business district. Kevric provides specialized services in redevelopment and ground-up development, property & asset management, leasing and project financing. It currently owns and manages properties in the Greater Toronto Area and downtown Montreal. For Kevric, please contact: Francesca Jacob-Thibault Citoyen Phone: +1 (418) 569-8707 Email: francesca.jacob-thibault@citoyen.com For more information about 600 DLG, please contact: Marie-Eve St-Arnaud Kevric Phone: +1 (514) 397-2220 Email: ME.StArnaud@kevric.ca For CN, please contact: Media Investment Community Jonathan Abecassis Stacy Alderson Director Assistant Vice-President Public Affairs and Media Relations Investor Relations (438) 455-3692 (514) 399-0052 media@cn.ca investor.relations@cn.ca A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bd512785-92c2-47ad-a8b4-01d8cbee5bc4 Vancouver, May 9, 2024 - Basin Uranium Corp. (CSE: NCLR) (CNSX: NCLR.CN) ("Basin Uranium" or the "Company") is pleased to announce an initial mineral resource estimate (MRE) for its Chord uranium project located in Fall River County, South Dakota, USA. This MRE incorporates the Company's historic data set acquired through private and public sources and provides a path to expand and build towards a much larger, potentially in-situ recoverable (ISR) resource. The MRE was prepared by BRS Engineering Inc. in accordance with NI 43-101, Standards of Disclosures for Mineral Projects. Chord MRE Highlights: Total inferred resources of 2.75 Mlb U 3 O 8 at an average grade of 810 ppm over an average thickness of 8.5 feet. MRE was based off only 431 of the over 1,247 drill holes historically drilled at the Chord. The 431 drill holes had both reliable collar mapping and geophysical data available for interpretation. The areas underlying the MRE have the reasonable possibility of connectivity between them along trends within the same fluvial sands of the Inyan Kara group. These broad trends have been projected to connect the drilling in the Viking Area to the Ridge Runner, the Ridge Runner to the October-Jinx, and Southwest of October Jinx. The Company has delineated Exploration Targets at the Chord Project is estimated in the range of 1.42 to 4.23 Mlb U 3 O 8 of potential as further described below. These targets currently have insufficient data and are conceptual in nature. Further exploration is needed to test them for mineralization. No guarantee is made that any future resource will be delineated by future exploration. Estimated Inferred Mineral resources for uranium are reported at a GT cutoff of 0.25 with a minimum intercept grade of 0.02% equivalent U3O8. A drilling program targeting the confirmation of the current resource would also provide data on the hydrogeology of the mineralized horizons and evaluate their potential for extraction by ISR methods. If the deposit or portions thereof are determined to be In-situ Recovery (ISR) amenable, similar grade and GT cut-offs as were applied to the current Inferred Resource would also be applicable. Data from two existing monitoring wells onsite indicates that the lower portion of the Chilson member lies within a saturated aquifer. The mineralized portion of this aquifer may prove to be potentially extractable by in-situ recovery (ISR) methods. The Fall River Uranium district is a past producer of approximately 250,000 tons of mineralized material. Mining in the project area was primarily limited to small sized open pit methods, and focused on the uppermost, oxidized mineral horizons within the Inyan Kara Group. The deeper mineral horizons, particularly with the October-Jinx area were left undeveloped but were strongly explored by Union Carbide Corporation in the late 1970's. "The initial MRE at Chord represents a major milestone, establishing Chord as a cornerstone asset for our Company. As we turn our efforts to confirming, expanding and upgrading the resource at Chord, and our other high-quality assets, we have a great roadmap to follow, and the future is bright," commented Mike Blady, CEO of Basin Uranium. "The resource modelling exercise has highlighted the potential for significant expansion of potentially ISR-amenable uranium mineralization. Domestically sourced, secure uranium supplies are becoming more crucial as global conflicts continue to fester and industry supply is squeezed by insatiable demand. Global transitions to a 'green economy' will only exacerbate this demand as nuclear energy is the only true carbon free source of safe, reliable baseload power currently. Overall, we at Basin Uranium feel we have a large-scale project with outstanding potential." Table 1 - Total Inferred Mineral Resources Uranium Inferred Mineral Resource Area GT Cutoff (ft%) AVG. Thickness (ft) AVG. Grade (%eU 3 O 8 ) Tons (Millions) Pounds (e U 3 O 8 ) (Millions) October-Jinx 0.25 8.8 0.081 1.584 2.569 Viking 0.25 6.0 0.082 .050 .082 Ridge Runner 0.25 5.9 0.069 .075 .103 Total Inferred Mineral Resource 0.25 8.5 .081 1.709 2.754 Pounds and tons as reported are rounded to the nearest 1,000. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. The MRE has an Effective Date of May 7, 2024. The Qualified Person for the MRE is Mr. Carl Warren, P.E., P.G., whom is a Senior Engineer for BRS Engineering in Riverton, Wyoming. Mineral resources are reported using the 2014 CIM Definition Standards and were estimated in accordance with the CIM 2019 Best Practices Guidelines, as required by NI 43-101. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and have not demonstrated economic viability. Additional drilling will be required to convert Inferred Mineral Resources to indicated Mineral Resources or Mineral Reserves. There is no certainty that any part of a Mineral Resource will ever be converted into Mineral Reserves. All data used in the MRE consists of original drill hole maps and geophysical logs and was sourced from a combination of the South Dakota Geological Survey and private parties. The MRE was performed using the Grade time Thickness (GT) contour modeling method. The available original data was evaluated for authenticity and the equivalent uranium oxide (eU 3 O 8 ) grades recalculated from the original gamma curves using K factor, deadtime, water and air factors clearly stated on each original geophysical log. A disequilibrium factor of 1 was applied to the resulting eU 3 O 8 intercept dataset. An intercept grade cutoff of 0.02% eU 3 O 8 was applied to the grade data to screen for intercepts which are not economically extractable by conventional heap or milling methods. Intercept data meeting the grade cutoff criteria were split into mineral horizons based on 3-dimensional interpretation of geological units and were composited and modeled within each horizon using a minimum 0.1 GT cutoff, a maximum vertical distance of 10 feet between intercepts, and a maximum radius of influence of 200 feet between drill holes. Three Mineralized Horizons were Identified by 3-dimensional interpretation and modeled: Horizon A being the highest in elevation, C being the lowest in elevation and B residing between A and C. These mineral horizons are variably present within the three project areas: October-Jinx, Viking, and Ridge Runner. A bulk density of 14 ft3/ton (2.288 tonne/m3) was applied for the MRE in mineral horizons B and C. For mineral resource estimations in the Fall River sandstone, Horizon A, a bulk density of 15.5 ft3/ton (2.067 tonne/m3) was used. A marginal economic GT cut off of 0.25 was further applied to the GT model, based on US$70 per ton average conventional underground mining costs and US$90 per pound U 3 O 8 assumptions for reasonable eventual economic extraction. Moreover, isolated, and small pods of mineralization were removed from the MRE due to lack of reasonable eventual economic extraction. Figures are rounded to reflect the relative accuracy of the estimate and may not sum due to rounding. Resources are presented as undiluted and in-situ, are constrained by the GT contour model for each mineral horizon, and The Qualified Person is not aware of environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant issues that could materially affect the potential development of the Mineral Resources. The NI 43-101 technical report for the MRE will be accessible on SEDAR+ under the company's issuer profile and the company's website within 45 days of this news release. Chord Project, South Dakota The Chord Project consists of 3,640 contiguous acres. The project lies on the southern end of the Black Hills, in Fall River County, South Dakota approximately seven miles north of Edgemont. Mineralization is sandstone-hosted, and channel-bound into tabular and lenticular deposits within the Lakota and Fall River formations of the Inyan Kara Group. The Project lies within a historically explored and mined district. Nearly 300 historical uranium mines and prospects once dotted western South Dakota. Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) spent approximately $3.5 to 4.0 million dollars in development of the project in the late 1970's. UCC conducted extensive exploration drilling in the late 1970's, culminating in a Feasibility Study and planned conventional mine development by 1979. The Chord Project is located just 5.5 miles southeast of enCore Energy's advanced stage and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensed Dewey-Burdock ISR uranium project, which is one of the Company's initial development priorities following the start of production in South Texas. During the tabulation of the MRE the author and the Company were only able to accurately verify 35% of the holes historically drilled on the Chord property. This, in itself, provides the potential for significant exploration upside to increase the confidence and potential size of the resource at Chord. The Company will be working diligently to continue to upgrade the size and potential of the Chord project. In addition, Basin will also be undertaking steps to assess the ISR viability of the deeper sands that form the majority of the resource on the project. The Company has established exploration targets outside of the ground covered by the MRE, as disclosed below. Table 2 - Exploration Target Range Summary Exploration Target Trend Trend Length (ft) Trend Width (ft) AVG. Thickness Range (ft) AVG. Grade Range (%eU 3 O 8 ) Tons Range (Millions) Pounds (e U 3 O 8 ) Range (Millions) Viking-Runner 7,650 400 3.6 - 7.3 0.056 - 0.074 0.730 - 1.635 0.813 - 2.419 Jinx Ridge 2,480 400 3.6 - 7.3 0.056 - 0.074 0.249 - 0.559 0.278 - 0.826 October South 1,860 600 3.6 - 7.3 0.056 - 0.074 0.298 - 0.668 0.332 - 0.989 Total 11,990 3.6 - 7.3 0.056 - 0.074 1.278 - 2.862 1.422 - 4.234 The potential quantity and grade disclosed above are conceptual in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource at these targets. Further exploration is needed to test them for mineralization. No guarantee is made that any future resource will be delineated by future exploration. Details Related to the Calculation of the MRE The MRE was prepared by Carl D. Warren, P.E., P.G., a Senior Engineer of BRS Engineering Inc., and is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. The MRE has an effective date of May 7, 2024. The MRE was prepared using Grade times Thickness (GT) contour modeling methodologies; under geological and geostatistical parameters based on geological interpretations, geostatistical studies and industry best practices in mineral estimation. The project geology comprises Cretaceous-age sedimentary rocks. The formation containing the deposits is the Inyan Kara Group of the Fall River and Lakota Formation. The Fall River Formation displays uniform marginal marine deposition and fluvial channel sandstones that can be mapped over large areas. The upper Lakota Fuson member is made up of primarily shales and mudstone with localized limestone and sandstone deposits and exhibits no substantial uranium mineralization. It is interpreted that the lower 2 horizons (the B Horizon and C Horizon) are found in the lowest member of the Lakota formation, The Chilson. The lower deposits display both oxidized and unoxidized deposits. The unoxidized deposits typically occur near large amounts of carbon where the carbon has preserved a strong reducing environment within an oxidized zone. The depositional character of the Chord Uranium Project is that of a sandstone hosted roll front. The ore deposit is contained in fluvial channel sandstone deposits within the early Cretaceous Inyan Kara group. For the MRE, data was available for 1,247 drill holes, totaling approximately 493,500 feet drilled. Of that total, 431 drill holes were of sufficient completeness and quality to generate the MRE using the Grade times Thickness (GT) Contour method. The primary data model used were uranium equivalent grades as determined by downhole geophysical logging and reported as equivalent uranium oxide (eU 3 O 8 ). A radiometric disequilibrium factor of 1 was applied to the resource estimate. The minimum uranium grade included in the estimate was 0.02% e U 3 O 8 . Mineral resources are reported at a minimum grade thickness (GT) value of 0.25. Basin Uranium has not conducted exploration on the Chord Uranium Project to date. Data resulting from historic exploration has been provided to the author in the form of resource review reports, drilling maps and geophysical logs. This data was secured by Basin from publicly available data preserved by the South Dakota Geologic Survey and other data from private parties. Historic drilling was generally done by vertical rotary drilling with occasional core sampling for physical and metallurgical analysis. It was industry standard at this time to log drill holes using downhole geophysical logging tools including passive gamma, spontaneous/self-potential and resistivity. Drill holes were logged by Century Geophysical, who remains an industry leader in downhole geophysical logging. The drillhole database used for this report has an effective date of April 12, 2024. Only historic drill data was used in the resource estimate. Complete drill data was available for 435 drill holes, totaling approximately 212,000 feet drilled. Of this total, 4 drill holes representing 66 intercepts were discarded from the database due to unreliable log heading information, leaving a total of 431 drill holes and 956 intercepts meeting the 0.02% cutoff. A minimum GT cutoff of 0.25 and a minimum grade cutoff of 0.02% e U 3 O 8 was applied to the data. The 0.02% grade cutoff criteria applied to the intercept data is an extraction criterion rather than an economic criterion. Union Carbide Corporation's (UCC) historical heap and bench scale leach testing of the oxidized and reduced mineralized material on the project had residual grades between 0.01 and 0.015%. As such, grades much below the 0.02% cutoff do not carry an acceptable prospect of reasonable economic extraction . A sensitivity analysis was performed of the GT modeling based on a mining cost of $70 per ton and $90 per pound U 3 O 8 ; and varying the GT cutoff to establish the minimum economic cutoff. The minimum GT cutoff of 0.25 was determined to be the minimum marginal economic cutoff. Moreover, isolated, and small pods of mineralization were also then removed from the Inferred Mineral Resource estimate due to low prospects of eventual economic extraction. The previous work completed by UCC appears to be in keeping with industry standards and practices, but until: a) information on these procedures is obtained, b) historic core or pulverized material is assayed, or c) Basin Uranium can verify results through confirmation drilling, the current mineral resource estimate derived from this historic data can only be considered an Inferred Mineral Resource. The author has applied a disequilibrium factor (DEF) of 1.0 which represents a more conservative factor than the historical estimates of between 1.0 - 1.2. Insufficient hydrogeologic data is available to allow an assessment of extraction of the mineral resource via in-situ recovery (ISR). A drilling program targeting the confirmation of the current resource would also provide data on the hydrogeology of the mineralized horizons and evaluate their potential for extraction by ISR methods. If the deposit or portions thereof are determined to be ISR amenable, similar grade and GT cut-offs as were applied to the current Inferred Resource would also be applicable. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not demonstrate economic viability in accordance with CIM standards. Inferred mineral resources are too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them which would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. Qualified Person Carl D. Warren, P.E., P.G., is a Senior Engineer at BRS Engineering Inc., and is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. Mr. Warren has reviewed and approved the technical data contained in this news release. About Basin Uranium Corp. Basin Uranium is a Canadian junior exploration company focused on mineral exploration and development in the green energy sector. The company has three advanced-stage uranium projects located in the United States, namely the Chord project in South Dakota, the South Pass project in Wyoming, and the Wray Mesa project in Utah. All three projects have seen extensive historical exploration and are located in prospective development areas. The Company also has the Mann Lake uranium project, located in the world-class Athabasca basin of Northern Saskatchewan, Canada, in addition to the CHG gold project in south-central British Columbia. For further information, please contact Mr. Mike Blady or view the Company's filings at www.sedarplus.ca. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Mike Blady Chief Executive Officer info@basinuranium.ca 604-722-9842 Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, including statements regarding future estimates, plans, objectives, timing, assumptions or expectations of future performance are forward-looking statements and contain forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or "occur". Forward-Looking statements are based on certain material assumptions and analysis made by the Company and the opinions and estimates of management as of the date of this news release. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Important factors that may cause actual results to vary include, without limitation, uncertainties affecting the expected use of proceeds. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/208529 VANCOUVER, May 9, 2024 - Cascadia Minerals Ltd. ("Cascadia") (TSXV: CAM) (OTCQB: CAMNF) is pleased to announce its fully-funded phase one exploration program for the 2024 field season. The phase one program will be focused on exploration for copper-gold porphyry systems throughout Yukon's underexplored Stikine Terrane - the same geological Terrane that hosts numerous copper-gold deposits in BC's prolific Golden Triangle. Phase one exploration will be anchored by a diamond drill program at the Catch Property to follow up on the 2023 drill discovery of a significant new copper-gold porphyry system, with drilling scheduled to commence May 15th. Phase 1 Exploration Highlights 1,200 m of diamond drilling at the Catch Property, following up on 2023 drill hole CA-23-002 which returned 116.60 m of 0.31% copper with 0.30 g/t gold from a new porphyry discovery (Figure 1); Comprehensive property-wide prospecting, mapping and soil sampling at Catch to advance up to ten additional copper-gold targets; Inaugural exploration programs at the Mack's Copper and Milner properties, two recently staked Stikine Terrane projects hosting new copper-gold showings with significant copper-gold porphyry discovery potential (Figures 2, 3, 4); and Grassroots exploration at the Sands of Time property, which hosts two large molybdenum copper soil anomalies located adjacent to Western Copper and Gold's Casino Project, where Rio Tinto and Mitsubishi Materials are strategic investors. "We're very excited to embark on our Yukon exploration program for the 2024 season. Last year we successfully made a significant new copper-gold porphyry discovery at Catch in our inaugural diamond drilling program, and we look forward to drilling meaningful step-out holes this season. The closest historical diamond drilling to Catch is 50 km away, confirming this is a brand-new discovery in an area that has been previously overlooked," said Graham Downs, Cascadia's President and CEO. "We have also applied the Catch discovery model to other areas within Yukon's Stikine Terrane and have already staked two new projects as a result. We look forward to advancing these properties to the drill discovery stage as well, utilizing the same systematic and rapid exploration methodology conducted at Catch." Figure 1 - Catch Drill Plan Map Figure 2 - Cascadia Stikine Property Map Figure 3 - Mack's Copper Highlights Figure 4 - Milner Highlights Figure 5 - Sands of Time Highlights Catch Property In 2023, Cascadia conducted the inaugural diamond drill program at the Catch Property, which resulted in the drill confirmation of a significant new copper-gold porphyry discovery at the Spark Zone (formerly named the Diorite Zone). Two holes were completed at this target in 2023, both of which encountered mineralization. Hole CA-23-002 returned 116.60 m of 0.31% copper with 0.30 g/t gold from 356.00 m and CA-23-001 returned 45.83 m of 0.30% copper with 0.15 g/t gold from surface (Figure 1). Diamond drilling is scheduled to commence May 15th at the Spark Zone, stepping out from hole CA-23-002, targeting higher-grade potassic alteration in the core of the porphyry system. A small zone of potassic alteration was encountered in hole 2, which returned 0.95% copper and 0.96 g/t gold over 2.48 m from 437.52 m, confirming the higher-grade nature of potassic alteration in the system. The first hole in 2024 will be drilled 315 m southeast of hole CA-23-002, testing a much broader and stronger IP chargeability anomaly underlying mineralized outcrop samples. The second hole is planned to test a chargeability and resistivity high 150 m north of CA-23-002. Additional drilling may be completed if results warrant and financing conditions allow. A comprehensive prospecting, mapping and soil sampling program will also be completed across underexplored portions of the property. Ten additional targets have been prioritized for follow-up rock sampling based on results of previous soil sampling and an airborne ZTEM survey. A 1.6 x 0.6 km copper-in-soil anomaly with an associated 500 x 500 m magnetic low (analogous to the Spark showing) located 10 km southeast of CA-23-002 has been identified as a high priority for prospecting. Crews will also work on improving Cascadia's understanding of the Volt Zone (formerly named the Main Zone), where abundant high-grade mineralization is present as float on surface, but limited diamond drilling has yet to intersect mineralization in bedrock. For more information on the Catch property, please visit Cascadia's website at https://cascadiaminerals.com/projects/catch-yt/ Mack's Copper Property The 75 km2 100%-owned Mack's Copper Property is located 44 km south of Carmacks, 10 km from the Klondike Highway and grid power, has a historical road to site, and is located in a similar geological setting to the Catch property. Cascadia staked Mack's Copper in late 2023 based on results from a grassroots evaluation of high-priority targets within the Stikine Terrane, and believes it has the potential to host significant copper-gold porphyry mineralization. Work in 2023 included the collection of 118 rock samples, 38 soil samples, and 38 silt samples, as well as compilation and digitization of historical work within the property boundary. Cascadia crews collected a rock sample returning 3.31% copper with 1.23 g/t gold, 90.6 g/t silver and 0.90% lead from quartz veins within a basalt outcrop on the western portion of the property (Figure 3). An outcrop in the northeastern part of the property returned 0.68% copper with 0.31 g/t gold and 6.9 g/t silver in an area with no documented historical exploration. Crews also sampled 0.18% copper with 0.37 g/t gold, 40 g/t silver and 12.7 ppm molybdenum from subcrop in the southeastern part of the property within a historical copper-in-soil anomaly with historical rock samples returning up to 3.00% copper, with 1.28 g/t gold and 59.2 g/t silver. These results combined with the synthesis of historical work and regional geophysics have identified multiple promising targets for copper-gold porphyry mineralization across the property, which will see follow-up mapping, prospecting and soil sampling in 2024. Milner Property The 44 km2 100%-owned Milner Property is located 80 km northeast of Whitehorse, adjacent to the Livingstone placer gold camp. The property is accessible by a large existing gravel airstrip on claims and a network of winter roads which extend from Whitehorse. This property was staked in late 2023 as part of Cascadia's regional Stikine Terrane evaluation program, and covers an area with no documented historical work. Work in 2023 included the collection of 76 rock samples, 80 soil samples, and 3 silt samples. Rock samples from a large undocumented gossan on the east portion of the property yielded numerous anomalous results, with a highlight sample returning 0.45% copper with 0.24 g/t gold, 6.0 g/t silver, and 34 ppm molybdenum (Figure 4). A sample from the central part of the property returned 0.38% copper with 0.22 g/t gold from a float sample of a quartz vein. The 2024 exploration program will include broad property-wide grid soil sampling, as well as focused prospecting in areas of anomalous 2023 soil and prospecting results or regional geophysical features. Sands of Time Property The 57 km2 Sands of Time Property is located immediately adjacent to Western Copper and Gold's Casino porphyry project in western-central Yukon. The property hosts two large molybdenum copper soil geochemical anomalies similar in size to the Casino Deposit (Figure 5). The property is in unglaciated terrain and a copper-depleted leached cap is expected in this environment, similar to the Casino deposit. Molybdenum is relatively immobile compared to copper under these weathering conditions and can be used as a vector towards blind porphyry molybdenum copper-gold mineralization. Exploration in 2024 will include prospecting, mapping, soil sampling and a review of historical core stored on the property. Work will be focused in two areas, the NE target - adjacent to the Casino property - and the Amoco target, where historical drilling returned grades similar to the leached cap of the Casino Deposit. About Cascadia Cascadia is a Canadian junior mining company focused on exploring for copper and gold in the Yukon and British Columbia. Cascadia's flagship Catch Property in the Yukon hosts a brand-new copper-gold porphyry discovery where inaugural drill results returned broad intervals of mineralization, including 116.60 m of 0.31% copper with 0.30 g/t gold. Catch exhibits extensive high-grade copper and gold mineralization across a 5 km long trend, with rock samples returning peak values of 3.88% copper and 30.00 g/t gold. In addition to Catch, Cascadia is conducting exploration work at its PIL Property in British Columbia and the Sands of Time and Rosy properties in the Yukon, as well as additional early-stage regional projects. Cascadia has approximately 45 million shares outstanding and its largest shareholders are Hecla Mining Company and Barrick Gold. QA/QC Analytical work for samples was completed by ALS Canada Ltd, with sample preparation in Whitehorse, Yukon and geochemical analyses in North Vancouver, BC. Rock samples were fine crushed before a 250-gram split was pulverized to better than 85% passing 75 microns. Gold was determined for rock samples by the PGM-ICP24 procedure which involves fire assay preparation using a 50-gram charge with an inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy finish ("ICP-AES"). Soil and silt samples were dry-screened at 180 micron, with analysis conducted on the fine fraction. Gold was determined for soil and silt samples by the Au-ICP21 method, which involves fire assay preparation with a 30-gram charge followed by an ICP-AES finish. Multi-element data for 48 elements was determined for all samples by the ME-MS61 procedure, which involves a four-acid digestion followed by ICP-AES and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Overlimit values for copper and lead were determined by the ME-OG62 procedure, which involves a four-acid digestion followed by ICP-AES analysis. Results referenced in this release represent highlight results only. Below detection values for copper, gold, silver, molybdenum and lead have been encountered in silt, rock and soil samples in these target areas. Historical samples are referenced from publicly available assessment reports and have not been independently verified by Cascadia. The technical information in this news release has been approved by Adam Coulter, M.Sc., P.Geo., VP Exploration for Cascadia and a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101. On behalf of Cascadia Minerals Ltd. Graham Downs, President and CEO NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements: This press release may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information, except as required by securities laws. SOURCE Cascadia Minerals Ltd. Vancouver, May 09, 2024 - Hanstone Gold Corp. (TSXV:HANS) (FRA:HGO) (the "Company" or "Hanstone") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an asset purchase agreement dated as of May 6, 2024 (the "APA") with Richard Mill ("Mill") pursuant to which the Company will purchase three mineral exploration claims (the "Purchased Claims") comprising approximately 355.37 hectares in the Province of British Columbia The Purchased Claims adjoin the south western portion of Hanstone's existing Snip North property. The prospective claims are located along the north shore of the Iskut River across from the historic Snip Mine owned by Skeena Resources. The area is known for its exceptional exploration potential, with such discoveries as the Stu area situated on the north side of the Iskut River, where high grade gold-bearing quartz veins occur within lapilli tuffs. The Purchased Claims represent a unique opportunity to discover and expand Hanstone's exceptional exploration potential and future growth. Under the APA, as consideration for the Purchased Claims the Company will issue an aggregate of 650,000 common shares of the Company (each, a "Share") to Mill at a deemed price of $0.05 per Share, representing an aggregate value of $32,500. In addition, the Company will grant to Mill a royalty equal to 2% of the net smelter returns on the Purchased Claims (the "NSR Royalty"), provided that the Company may purchase 1/2 of the NSR Royalty (so that a 1% royalty will remain) for total consideration of $500,000 at any time. The closing of the transaction is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Shares, when issued, will be subject to a four month hold period. The Company will provide an update respecting the transaction upon receipt of approval from the TSX Venture Exchange. About Hanstone Gold Corp Hanstone is a precious and base metals explorer with its current focus on the Doc and Snip North Projects optimally located in the heart of the prolific mineralized area of British Columbia known as the Golden Triangle. The Golden Triangle is an area which hosts numerous producing and past-producing mines and several large deposits that are approaching potential development. The Company holds a 100% earn-in option on the 1,704-hectare Doc Project and owns a 100% interest in the 3,336-hectare Snip North Project. Hanstone has a highly experienced team of industry professionals with a successful track record in the discovery of gold deposits and in developing mineral exploration projects through discovery to production. For Further Information Contact: Ray Marks, President +1-(778)-896-7778, ray.marks@hanstonegold.com Or visit the Company's website at www.hanstonegold.com Forward Looking Statements Disclaimer The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events, or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified using words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events, or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. Forward-looking information and statements are based on the then current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about Hanstone's business and the industry and markets in which it operates and will operate. Forward-looking information and statements are made based upon numerous assumptions, including among others, the results of planned exploration activities are as anticipated, the price of gold, the cost of planned exploration activities, that financing will be available if needed and on reasonable terms, that third party contractors, equipment, supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct Hanstone's planned exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate. 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. Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. Board cautions Shareholders that the Muddy Waters Nominees: Have no board or management experience on Canadian public companies; Have no experience as directors or officers of exploration, development, or producing mining companies; Have no business plan or strategic vision for the Company; Have a track record as activist short sellers associated with value destruction, not long-term growth MATHESON, Ontario, May 09, 2024 -- Mayfair Gold Corp. ("Mayfair" or the "Company") (TSX-V: MFG; OTCQB: MFGCF) today announced that it has filed its management information circular (the "Information Circular") and related proxy materials in connection with its upcoming Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders to be held on June 5, 2024 (the "Meeting"). The Information Circular includes a Letter to Shareholders from Harry Pokrandt, Chairman of the Company's board of directors (the "Board"). The Company also announced it has entered into a Settlement Agreement (as defined below) with certain employees of the Company to ensure the retention of their services on behalf of Mayfair up to the Meeting. The Board unanimously recommends that shareholders vote to RE-ELECT as directors each of Harry Pokrandt, Patrick Evans, Christopher Reynolds and Douglas Cater (the "Company Nominees"). The Board further recommends that shareholders REJECT the resolutions proposed by Muddy Waters Capital LLC ("Muddy Waters"), including the resolution to elect as directors its four nominees: Carson Block, Darren McLean, Freddy Brick, and Anthony Jew (the "Muddy Waters Nominees"). Harry Pokrandt, Chairman of the Board, Mayfair Gold, commented: "The current Board has the experience, track record, and strategic vision to continue creating value for shareholders, and its consistent delivery on key objectives warrants reappointment for another year. The proposal to replace a proven team that has performed near the top of its peer group with a set of novice directors who lack any operational mining experience and have presented no plan for the Company is one that we simply cannot support." Reasons for the Recommendations The Board's recommendations are based on a number of carefully considered factors, each described more fully in the Information Circular. The reasons include the following. Stark contrast between the experience and qualifications of the two sets of nominees. The Company Nominees have held operational or executive roles at more than 23 mining companies for a collective total of 90 years, and director positions at another 27 publicly traded mining companies. In contrast, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the Muddy Waters Nominees have experience as a director or officer of a Canadian public company, or experience operating a mining or mineral exploration company. Muddy Waters has offered no business plan or strategic vision for the Company. The existing Mayfair team has executed effectively with positive results. Since acquiring the Fenn-Gib Project, the Company has: (1) grown the Fenn-Gib Indicated gold mineral resource estimate by more than 60% through ongoing mineral resource drilling; (2) made two new discoveries at the Footwall and Contact Zone, both adjacent to the main deposit; (3) completed three years of baseline environmental studies; (4) completed advanced pre-feasibility study ("PFS") level metallurgical studies; (5) completed PFS-level geotechnical and hydrogeology studies; (6) commenced the PFS for its Fenn-Gib Project in March 2024; (7) commenced the 2024 environmental field program; (8) appointed a Vice President Technical Services to manage the Fenn-Gib technical programs; and (9) advanced its Recruitment Process to identify experienced and technically skilled candidates to join the Board. Successful execution has been reflected in the Company's premier valuation. Over the past year, the Company is among the top-performing gold stocks among Canadian gold mining exploration and development companies. The Company's share price is up approximately 27%, compared to the average of its peer group1 which are down approximately 19%. The Company's share price has outperformed the 17% increase in the price of gold during the same time period. Furthermore, the Company's price to net asset value multiple of 0.56 far exceeds its peer group average of 0.26. Loss of entire management team and change of control payments. Mayfair's senior management have employment contracts which permit them to terminate their employment with the Company and receive a change of control payment at any time following a change of control. On May 1, 2024, Mayfair's management team, including Patrick Evans (CEO), Justin Byrd (CFO), Howard Bird (VP Exploration) and certain other employees (the "Terminating Employees"), advised the Board that the actions of Muddy Waters constituted a change of control and that management was terminating their employment with the Company and required change of control payments to be made. The Board subsequently entered into the Settlement Agreement pursuant to which the management team agreed to remain with the Company through the Meeting to provide for continuity of operations. However, management has been extremely clear that following the Meeting, they are unwilling to continue their employment with the Company if the Board is comprised of inexperienced Muddy Waters Nominees. Muddy Waters has not indicated whether they have a new management team in place to oversee the Company's operations following the Meeting. The loss of the Company's senior-level talent could materially set back the development of the Fenn-Gib Project and risk a delisting by the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV"). In addition, the resulting change of control payments-which total approximately $4.0 million- would deplete the treasury of funds that could be better spent on advancing the Fenn-Gib Project and may necessitate additional (potentially dilutive) financing. For more information, see "Employee Settlement Agreement" below. Additional risks inherent in the Muddy Waters resolutions. The potential consequences of replacing proven directors with untried newcomers include the following: Damage to relationships with the local community, including the Apitipi Anicinapek Nation (the "AAN") on whose territory the Fenn-Gib Project is located. The leadership of the AAN has expressed deep concerns about the future of the relationship and this project, given the lack of contact from Muddy Waters and its lack of experience in dealing with First Nations in today's climate of reasserting control. Risk of a de-listing of the Company's shares on the TSXV due to the Muddy Waters Nominees' lack of technical expertise and reporting issuer experience, as well as the lack of independence required of audit committee members. Risk of a loss of foreign private issuer status in the United States due to three of the four Muddy Waters Nominees residing in the U.S. Jeopardizing further value creation that can be expected to accrue to the Company's shareholders through continued pursuit of the proven strategy for developing the Fenn-Gib Project. Fundamental skillset mismatch resulting from Muddy Waters' track record as an activist short seller that takes advantage of short-term downswings in company share prices, rather than the long-term outlook and highly technically geoscience and engineering skillsets needed to de-risk and advance a mine development project. The Board is committed to good governance and value creation and remains focused on progressing the Company's flagship asset. The Board believes that its fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of the Company requires it to ensure that all shareholders are fully informed about the choices available to them in a vote which will have major consequences for the future of the Company. Vote for Experience. Vote the WHITE Proxy Card. The Board advises shareholders to vote the WHITE Proxy or voting instruction form well in advance of the deadline at 2:00 p.m. (Pacific time) on June 3, 2024. Shareholders who have any questions relating to the Meeting or about the completion and delivery of the WHITE Proxy or voting instruction form may contact Alliance Advisors, LLC by telephone at 844-858-7380, or email at Mayfair@allianceadvisors.com. Additional details relating to the matters to be voted upon at the Meeting and the Board's recommendations are included in the Information Circular, which is available on www.sedarplus.ca, as well as the Investor Resources section of the Company's website at https://mayfairgold.ca/investor-resources/. Advisors Alliance Advisors is acting as strategic shareholder advisor to Mayfair Gold. Borden Ladner Gervais LLP is acting as legal counsel to the Board. Oakstrom Advisors is acting as communications advisor to the Company. Employee Settlement Agreement On May 1, 2024, the Terminating Employees advised the Board that the actions of Muddy Waters constituted a change of control and that, as a direct consequence of Muddy Waters' repeated threats of litigation and demands that the Company not honour its contracts with its employees, management was terminating their employment with the Company and required the change of control payments to be made. On May 6, 2024, the Company, having received independent legal advice, entered into a settlement agreement (the "Settlement Agreement") with the Terminating Employees, whereby the Terminating Employees agreed to hold the termination of their employment in abeyance and continue with the Company up to the Meeting. In exchange, the Company delivered approximately $4.0 million (the "Change of Control Payment") into trust. The amount of this Change of Control Payment represents the aggregate termination payments payable in respect of a change of control pursuant to the Terminating Employees' employment agreements. Pursuant to the Settlement Agreement, the Change of Control Payment will be released to the Terminating Employees, in accordance with the requirements of their existing employment contracts with the Company, upon a change in the composition of the Board that results in the current directors constituting less than a majority of the members of the Board. If current members of the Board remain in the majority following the Meeting, the Terminating Employees may elect to rescind their notice of termination and remain employees of the Company, and their respective Change of Control payments will be returned to the Company. Scientific and Technical Information Scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been derived, in part, from the Company's technical report titled "National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report Fenn-Gib Project, Ontario, Canada" with an effective date of April 6, 2023, and reviewed and approved by Tim Maunula, an independent "qualified person" pursuant to National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About Mayfair Mayfair Gold is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on advancing the 100% controlled Fenn-Gib gold project in the Timmins region of Northern Ontario. The Fenn-Gib gold deposit is Mayfair's flagship asset and currently hosts an updated NI 43-101 resource estimate with an effective date of April 6, 2023 with a total Indicated Resource of 113.69M tonnes containing 3.38M ounces at a grade of 0.93 g/t Au and an Inferred Resource of 5.72M tonnes containing 0.16M ounces at a grade of 0.85 g/t Au at a 0.40 g/t Au cut-off grade. The Fenn-Gib deposit has a strike length of over 1.5km with widths ranging over 500m. The gold mineralized zones remain open at depth and along strike to the east and west. Recently completed metallurgical tests confirm that the Fenn-Gib deposit can deliver robust gold recoveries of up to 94%. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS For further information contact: Patrick Evans, President and CEO Phone: (416) 670-5114 Email: patrick@mayfairgold.ca Web: www.mayfairgold.ca Media contact: John Vincic, Oakstrom Advisors Phone: (647) 402-6375 Email: john@oakstrom.com For information on voting: Alliance Advisors, LLC Phone: 1-844-858-7380 Email: Mayfair@allianceadvisors.com Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements") that relate to Mayfair's current expectations and views of future events, including the Company's Recruitment Process, the 2024 environmental field program, the loss of the Company's senior management and the respective change of control payments, the rescission of any termination notices by any of the Terminating Employees, damage to the Company's relationship with AAN, the risk of de-listing of the Company's shares on the TSXV, the risk of a loss of the Company's foreign private issuer status, and jeopardizing further value creation of the Fenn-Gib Project. Forward-looking statements and may involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Mayfair's control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward- looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the results of the Board recruitment process. Mayfair undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Mayfair to predict all of them, or assess the impact of each such factor or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. 1 The Company's peer group includes: Osisko Mining Inc., Skeena Resources Ltd., Probe Gold Inc., Tudor Gold Corp., Troilus Gold Corp., O3 Mining Inc., STLLR Gold Inc., First Mining Gold Corp., Fury Gold Mines Limited, Northern Superior Resources Inc., Radisson Mining Resources Inc., Cartier Resources Inc., Cassiar Gold Corp., Treasury Metals Inc., and Talisker Resources Ltd. Blog Archive: Oct 2024 (60) Sep 2024 (149) Aug 2024 (155) Jul 2024 (155) Jun 2024 (150) May 2024 (153) Apr 2024 (149) Mar 2024 (155) Feb 2024 (145) Jan 2024 (156) Dec 2023 (155) Nov 2023 (150) Oct 2023 (155) Sep 2023 (150) Aug 2023 (155) Jul 2023 (155) Jun 2023 (150) May 2023 (155) Apr 2023 (150) Mar 2023 (155) Feb 2023 (140) Jan 2023 (155) Dec 2022 (156) Nov 2022 (150) Oct 2022 (155) Sep 2022 (150) Aug 2022 (155) Jul 2022 (154) Jun 2022 (150) May 2022 (155) Apr 2022 (150) Mar 2022 (155) Feb 2022 (140) Jan 2022 (156) Dec 2021 (156) Nov 2021 (150) Oct 2021 (155) Sep 2021 (150) Aug 2021 (155) Jul 2021 (155) Jun 2021 (150) May 2021 (155) Apr 2021 (150) Mar 2021 (155) Feb 2021 (140) Jan 2021 (155) Dec 2020 (155) Nov 2020 (150) Oct 2020 (158) Sep 2020 (150) Aug 2020 (130) Jul 2020 (124) Jun 2020 (120) May 2020 (124) Apr 2020 (120) Mar 2020 (124) Feb 2020 (116) Jan 2020 (125) Dec 2019 (126) Nov 2019 (120) Oct 2019 (124) Sep 2019 (120) Aug 2019 (125) Jul 2019 (124) Jun 2019 (120) May 2019 (123) Apr 2019 (121) Mar 2019 (124) Feb 2019 (112) Jan 2019 (125) Dec 2018 (126) Nov 2018 (120) Oct 2018 (124) Sep 2018 (121) Aug 2018 (124) Jul 2018 (125) Jun 2018 (120) May 2018 (124) Apr 2018 (121) Mar 2018 (124) Feb 2018 (112) Jan 2018 (123) Dec 2017 (124) Nov 2017 (124) Oct 2017 (141) Sep 2017 (135) Aug 2017 (138) Jul 2017 (137) Jun 2017 (134) May 2017 (138) Apr 2017 (135) Mar 2017 (139) Feb 2017 (129) Jan 2017 (143) Dec 2016 (135) Nov 2016 (138) Oct 2016 (142) Sep 2016 (128) Aug 2016 (133) Jul 2016 (136) Jun 2016 (138) May 2016 (164) Apr 2016 (311) Mar 2016 (348) Feb 2016 (320) Jan 2016 (348) Dec 2015 (314) Nov 2015 (338) Oct 2015 (363) Sep 2015 (358) Aug 2015 (399) Jul 2015 (374) Jun 2015 (331) May 2015 (337) Apr 2015 (319) Mar 2015 (320) Feb 2015 (271) Jan 2015 (286) Dec 2014 (254) Nov 2014 (238) Oct 2014 (287) Sep 2014 (267) Aug 2014 (259) Jul 2014 (260) Jun 2014 (238) May 2014 (241) Apr 2014 (228) Mar 2014 (240) Feb 2014 (217) Jan 2014 (263) Dec 2013 (226) Nov 2013 (254) Oct 2013 (256) Sep 2013 (252) Aug 2013 (263) Jul 2013 (261) Jun 2013 (251) May 2013 (250) Apr 2013 (221) Mar 2013 (193) Feb 2013 (164) Jan 2013 (157) Dec 2012 (155) Nov 2012 (240) Oct 2012 (526) Sep 2012 (411) Aug 2012 (394) Jul 2012 (284) Jun 2012 (229) May 2012 (213) Apr 2012 (213) Mar 2012 (253) Feb 2012 (269) Jan 2012 (298) Dec 2011 (273) Nov 2011 (219) Oct 2011 (204) Sep 2011 (201) Aug 2011 (236) Jul 2011 (217) Jun 2011 (211) May 2011 (206) Apr 2011 (215) Mar 2011 (215) Feb 2011 (186) Jan 2011 (215) Dec 2010 (107) Nov 2010 (98) Oct 2010 (55) The Green River City Council is taking steps to move forward on a number of projects, including putting on Flaming Gorge Days, paving East Third North Street, replacing Riverside Memorial Park's playground equipment, and more. Flaming Gorge Days preparation With the council having previously approved agreements with different entities for different aspects of Flaming Gorge Days, plans for the event at the end of June have been moving forward. The City Council took another step to secure more funding for the event during Tuesday night's meeting when they approved the submission of an applicatio... Daniel Goich, 76, passed away Saturday, April 27, 2024 at home peacefully surrounded by his family. He was a life-long resident of Wyoming. He died following a courageous battle for the last three years. He was born May 17, 1947 in Rock Springs, Wyoming; the son of Manual Goich and Lois Jean Lightner. Mr. Goich attended schools in Riverton and was a 1965 graduate of Riverton High School. He received his associates from WyoTech as an Automotive Technician. Mr. Goich served in the United States Army in Japan where he fell in love with the culture and people during the Vietnam War. He worked for Bridger Coal for 25 years and retired in 1998 as a Drag Line Operator. Mr. Goich enjoyed spending time with his son and family going fishing and hunting. Survivors include one son, Tyler Goich of Rock Springs, Wyoming; two brothers, John Heinrick and wife Theresa of Glenrock, Wyoming; Porter Davis and wife Carolyn of Rock Springs, Wyoming; one sister, Bobbie Mines of Rock Springs, Wyoming; several cousins, nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, one brother, Mike Goich; one son, Mike Goich; and one grandson. The family respectfully requests donations in Daniel's memory be made to Hospice of Sweetwater County, 333 Broadway Street Suite 220, Rock Springs, Wyoming 82901. Cremation will take place; a Celebration of Life will be conducted 1:00 P.M. Tuesday, May 7, 2024 at Vase Funeral Chapel, 154 Elk Street, Rock Springs, Wyoming. The family wishes to thank the wonderful care given to Daniel by all the nursing staff at Compassionate Cares for Uranium Workers and Hospice of Sweetwater County. Condolences may be left at http://www.vasefuneralhomes.com. Dear Editor, We arent doing enough to stop bullying in schools. School bullying is plaguing our children with ill health, causing depression, headaches, poor grades, along with the inability to focus on school work and becoming anti-social, not wanting to be part of school activities. We need more education in our schools for our children about the impact school bullying is having on fellow students along with procedures that can be taken when someone is being traumatized due to school bullying. It should never be ignored. Schools can offer citizenship awards and incentives to encourage welln... With the wind blowing and a shaggy group of mule deer watching from a distance, a group of people gathered on South Hill last Thursday and dug their golden shovels into the ground. With that, the Skyline Trail Project officially began. The Skyline Trail is an extension of the current Greenbelt Trail System, as well as a collaboration between the Green River Greenbelt Task Force (GBTF) and several community partners who came together to make it happen. The trail will begin on Upland Way with a parking lot, make its way up South Hill, travel along the ridge, and drop down behind the Western Wyoming Community College Green River campus. The trail is also designed to be accessible and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant. The project has been two years in the making, according to GBTF Chairman John Freeman, and couldn't have happened without multiple people and groups coming together to make it possible. "This was a collective group effort, which is what most of the Greenbelt Task Force projects are," Freeman said. At the groundbreaking ceremony on May 2, Freeman was joined by Dustin Shillcox, Green River City Council members, representatives from Searle Brothers Construction, William H. Smith Engineering, the Bureau of Land Management, and several other community leaders and residents connected to the project. The task force had the vision of expanding the Greenbelt and providing more access and opportunities to everyone. Specifically, this project was spearheaded and pursued by Tom Wilson. "He's the driving force," Freeman said of Wilson. "He got everybody together to get this done." The project got off the ground in a significant way when Dustin Shillcox heard about it. After he was paralyzed from the waste down, Shillcox started a foundation to focus on helping those with disabilities and limited mobility. The Skyline Trail Project was a perfect fit for the kind of project he likes to support. "When I was told about this expansion of the Greenbelt, it hit home with me because I grew up here, I've been in these mountains, I've walked around. And when I got that taken away from me, when I couldn't do it, I realized I was able to give back, not just for people with disabilities, but this community," Shillcox said. His way of giving back to the community through the Skyline Trail Project was by coming forward with a $100,000 donation to get it started. Star photo by Hannah Romero "His commitment to improving the lives of the mobility challenged community is overwhelming and he is genuinely a community hero," Wilson said. Shillcox turned that appreciation around by noting that Wilson is one of his own heroes, and is someone who has done so much for the the city, the schools, and the people, all while staying humble and not asking for recognition. Shillcox expressed his gratitude to be able to work with Wilson and help make this project happen. Others who stepped in to make the project a reality were William H. Smith Engineering, who donated over $60,000 in in-kind services by providing the engineering to keep the trail in compliance with disability standards, and Searle Brothers Construction, who donated over $150,000 in in-kind services by agreeing to complete the entire project for the price of fuels and consumables. The task force also received assistance from the Bureau of Land Management Rock Springs Field Office, the City of Green River, Western Wyoming Community College, and Aggie Grazing to work through details of the project, from land ownership to the NEPA process to designing and implementing an informative sign project for the trail. "It's a really unique kind of recreational experience, especially for the area that we live in," BLM representative Lauren Haz said of the Skyline Trail. "I think it's going to open up opportunities for a lot of people." Green River Mayor Pete Rust agreed, noting the trail will bring people into Green River and give them something they can't access in other places. "It's just a really, really good community effort," Rust said. "It's a real asset to the community." Star photo by Hannah Romero The Skyline Trail will be designed for non-motorized multi-use and will be a soft-surface trail, not concrete or asphalt, according to the GBTF. It will be barrier-free, but will be designed with a low grade, with most of the trail under a 10% grade. It will follow grade, slope and materials expectations using the United States Access Board's Summary of Accessibility Standards for Federal Outdoor Developed Areas provided by the BLM. Portions of the trail will be fully ADA compliant, and the trail will be created to accommodate Specifically Designed Adaptive Trail Chairs to provide more opportunities for individuals suffering with mobility issues. "This will offer all individuals a chance to enjoy the outdoor experience at a manageable incline beyond the flat surfaces of the city," the GBTF said. "This trail will provide an incredible hiking experience allowing breathtaking views from nearly 1000' above the valley floor." Searle Brothers was set to begin construction on the trail this week, and will continue building as long as the task force can keep diesel in their tanks, according to Freeman. Those who wish to donate money to the project to support the trail and "keep Searle Brothers moving dirt" can reach out to the Greenbelt Task Force. Motorola announced the Edge 50 Fusion upper-midrange smartphone in mid-April for Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, and now the device is almost ready to make its debut in India as well. The Edge 50 Fusion will be launching in India on May 16, according to Motorola itself. It will be offered through Motorola's own Indian website, as well as Flipkart and "all leading retail stores". Feel the spotlight, wherever you go! Enjoy the ultrathin, lightweight, & symmetrically curved design of #MotorolaEdge50Fusion, available in amazing shades with Vegan Leather Finish. Launching 16th May @flipkart, https://t.co/azcEfy2uaW & all leading retail stores#OwnTheSpotlight Motorola India (@motorolaindia) May 8, 2024 The Edge 50 Fusion comes with a 6.7-inch 1080x2400 144 Hz OLED screen with 1,600-nit peak brightness, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset, 8/12GB of RAM, 128/256/512GB of storage, a 50 MP main rear camera with OIS and Sony's Lytia LYT-700C sensor, a 13 MP ultrawide with autofocus, a 32 MP selfie snapper, and a 5,000 mAh battery with support for 68W fast wired charging. It runs Android 14. For now it's unclear how much it will cost in India, but the official launch is only eight days away, so we'll surely find out soon. Samsung launched its first OLED monitor only a year ago the 34 Odyssey OLED G8 (G85SB) and it has already climbed to the top of that market. Based on data from IDC, Samsung accounted for 28.3% of the number of OLED monitors sold globally in 2023. In terms of revenue, the company took in 34.7% of the total revenue from OLED monitor sales. Most recently, the company unveiled several Odyssey OLED monitors at CES 2024. These were the curved 49 G95SD and a pair of flat options, the 32 G80SD and 27 G60SD. The 49 model was named CES 2024 Innovation Awards Honoree. Samsung Odyssey OLED G9, a CES 2024 Innovation Awards Honoree Anyway, Samsung is also celebrating its 5th consecutive year on top of the gaming monitor market with 20.8% market share in terms of revenue (these numbers are based on IDC data for Q4 2023). Since 2023, a gaming monitor has been defined as having 144Hz refresh rate or higher, before that it was 100Hz or higher. For reference, gaming monitors made up around 16% of all monitor shipments last year. Gaming monitors, along with mainstream and premium offerings, were credited with the recovery of the market (which had a rough start in the first half of 2023). Source vivo's X100 Ultra is getting official on Monday, May 13, and it's been quite the hypebeast recently, seeing as how a vivo exec said it would be a "professional camera that can also make calls". Today we have some newly leaked details about its camera system, and while the "professional camera" claim might still be a slight exaggeration, this is shaping up to be the most beastly cameraphone ever made, very worthy of its Thanos codename (Marvel fans will get that reference). It will employ the 50 MP Sony Lytia LYT-900 1-inch type sensor for its main camera, a 50 MP Sony Lytia LYT-600 ultrawide, and a 50 MP Samsung ISOCELL JN1 selfie snapper with support for 4K@60fps video recording. But the star of the show will undoubtedly be the 200 MP periscope zoom camera, which will use a Samsung ISOCELL HP9 sensor co-developed with vivo. This will be the largest sensor ever used for a periscope telephoto camera. Compared to Samsung's existing HP3, the HP9 improves light sensitivity by 12%, thanks to a vivo-developed technology that optimizes pixel light sensitivity. The lens will use fluorite glass, which is currently the industry's strongest low-dispersion glass material, which will also improve image quality. The same material is used in Sony's new G Master lenses, by the way, which isn't surprising considering the involvement of Zeiss with both vivo and Sony. This material has previously only been used in professional cameras, hence the aforementioned quote from a vivo exec. With regards to image stabilization, the telephoto should be class-leading too, since in addition to OIS it also features some exclusive software algorithms to further compensate for shaking. Aside from the monster camera setup, the X100 Ultra should be a top of the line device through and through, powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, and having a "2K" Samsung-made AMOLED screen, as well as a 5,500 mAh battery with support for 80W wired and 30W wireless charging. The vivo X100 Ultra is expected to start at CNY 6,699 (approximately $928 or 861) with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The top version with 16GB/1TB should go for CNY 8,499 ($1,178 or 1,092). While an international launch is in the cards, it might come a bit later, if we go by what happened with the X100 and X100 Pro. Source (in Chinese) | Via Haiti - FLASH : More than 100 US army flights expected in the coming days in Port-au-Prince Wednesday May 8, 2024, as part of the preparation for the deployment of the Multinational Mission to Support the National Police of Haiti (PNH) in its fight against armed gangs, two American military planes, transporting equipment and staff, landed at Toussaint Louverture International Airport. Last week, several military flights landed in Port-au-Prince, at least 7 of which came from the Charleston air base, South Carolina. In addition, American soldiers were deployed at the airport, responsible for ensuring the security of equipment and supplies intended for the construction of the International Mission's operating base near the International airport. The protection of the exterior perimeter of the airport is ensured by units of the Haitian National Police (PNH) and soldiers of the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAdH) More than 100 other flights including C-17 / AC 130 planes from the American army and others rented by the State Department, are expected in Port-au-Prince in the coming days transporting equipment and contractors to build the base to accommodate members of the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MMSS). The Mission is expected to begin deploying troops by the end of May. The date and number of the first numbers remaining confidential so as not to give strategic information to the gangs... It is estimated that the Mission will be made up of around 3,000 men (experienced police and military personnel trained for this mission) from several countries including Kenya (at least 1,000 men), Benin (between 1,500 and 2,000 men), Jamaica (200 men), from the Bahamas (150 men) according to letters sent to the UN but also from Barbados, Suriname, Chad and Bangladesh... 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-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 - News : Zapping... Rotating presidency : Fritz Alphonse Jean withdraws While Fritz Alphonse Jean was to be the 2nd President of the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT) after the 5-month mandate of Edgard Leblanc Fils; faced with the demands of Smith Augustin who wanted at all costs to be one of the Acting Presidents, Fritz Alphonse Jean who did not want the number of rotating Presidents to increase to 5, decided to give in voluntarily his place at Smith Augustin. The first rotating presidency of 5 months will therefore be ensured by Edgard Leblanc Fils, then by Smith Augustin, Leslie Voltaire and finally by Louis Gerald Gilles who will be the only one to benefit from a 6-month mandate. A policewoman killed Wednesday, a police officer Barbara Fequi (32nd promotion) was killed by armed bandits during a kidnapping attempt which went wrong at Rue Cameleon in Turgeau, deplores Lionel Lazarre the Coordinator of the National Union of Haitian Police Officers (SYNAPOHA) who denounces this new victim of insecurity in the ranks of the PNH. The PNH is expecting 10 new armored vehicles The PNH must receive by the end of the month or early June 10 American MaxxPro armored infantry vehicles out of a batch of 35 promised by the United States https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42270-haiti-flash-$60-million-of-american-military-equipment-for-the-mission-some-details.html Gonaives : Criminal proceedings without jury have begun Criminal proceedings without jury assistance began in Gonaives this week. On the first day, there was a hearing for only two cases out of a total of 43. The dean of the court, Me Isaac Prophete, welcomed the success of this first day of hearing where all the actors responded present and said he was confident for the future. According to forecasts, its meetings should end on May 31. Theft, rape, murder and attempted murder are among the most reported charges. Canada Diaspora : 2nd Annual CISHO Gala The Embassy of Haiti in Canada participated in the 2nd annual gala of the Collective of Social Workers of Ottawa (CISHO). This Collective has a team of professionals who support members of the community, particularly newcomers. This team was formed in response to the observation of a Haitian community which is heavily impacted by racism, access to health services which are culturally and linguistically inappropriate, and the over-representation of children from this community among those who are placed under the care of Children's Aid Ottawa (SAEO). Haitian entrepreneurs and artisans at the Paris Fair Tuesday May 7, 2024, the Ambassador of Haiti to France Josue Dahomey visited the 120th Edition of the Paris Fair. On this occasion, he spoke with Steven Abajoli, the Director of the Fair, about greater Haitian participation in future editions of the event. The Ambassador took the opportunity to meet and encourage Haitian entrepreneurs and artisans present at the largest Fair in France. HL/ HaitiLibre Fighter jet sits in hangar China Military Online) 10:34, May 09, 2024 A fighter jet attached to an aviation brigade with the air force under the PLA Eastern Theater Command sits in the hangar during a combat training exercise on April 28, 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Cao Hongfeng) Fighter jets attached to an aviation brigade with the air force under the PLA Eastern Theater Command taxi on the runway and take off for a combat training exercise on April 28, 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Cao Hongfeng) A fighter jet attached to an aviation brigade with the air force under the PLA Eastern Theater Command takes off for a combat training exercise on April 28, 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Cao Hongfeng) (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) Finnish Green Members of the European Parliament, Alviina Alametsa , Heidi Hautala , and Ville Niinisto , alongside 76 other MEPs, have issued a joint letter demanding the European Union to impose sanctions on Israel and take decisive actions to prevent genocide in Gaza. They are advocating for an immediate and permanent ceasefire to facilitate the rapid delivery of humanitarian aid to halt the ongoing famine. The letter addresses the dire situation in Rafah, where approximately 1.4 million people have fled since the onset of the conflict. The MEPs criticized Israel for not providing credible evacuation plans for these displaced populations and for attacks on zones Israel itself has designated as safe. "The situation in Rafah is desperately bleak. The Israeli assault has expanded, and humanitarian aid routes have been shut down, leaving no way to deliver aid to the people. The UN warns that northern Gaza is already experiencing a full-blown famine, and now the southern region is dangerously close to the same fate. Over two million lives are at risk," Ville Niinisto explained. "Half of Gaza's population are children. These children and other civilians are not responsible for the attacks made by Hamas. It is crucial that civilians are moved to safety from the bombings and included in the humanitarian aid efforts," commented Alviina Alametsa. Heidi Hautala emphasized the need for the EU to act, stating, "The EU must enact all exceptional procedures included in the cooperation agreement between Israel and the EU to compel Israel to cease its appalling violence against civilians." In their letter directed at the President of the European Council, the President of the Commission, and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the MEPs urge the EU to impose sanctions on Israel and ensure compliance with the international legal standards to prevent genocide. The call underscores a growing concern among European lawmakers regarding Israel's actions in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region. HT On May 9, 2024 , Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Hungary, marking the final leg of his European tour and emphasising Beijing's strengthening ties with one of its closest allies within the European Union. Amidst ongoing global trade disputes and the divisive situation in Ukraine, Xi's visit to Hungary symbolises a significant effort by China to bolster its relationship with Europe through one of its most cooperative EU member states. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (R) stands next to Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcome ceremony in Belgrade, on May 8, 2024. Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold talks with his Serbian counterpart in Belgrade on May 8, 2024. LEHTIKUVA / AFP Xi arrived in Hungary from Serbia, where he visited on May 8. There, together with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Chinese President announced a deepening of bilateral relations by agreeing to establish a "community with a shared future." This agreement comes on the anniversary of the 1999 NATO bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade and underscores both countries' support for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty. The visit, part of Xi's first European tour in five years, also included the signing of 29 agreements aimed at enhancing legal, regulatory, and economic cooperation. Moreover, a significant free trade deal set to begin on July 1 will enable tariff-free exports of 95% of Serbian products to China over the next five to 10 years. This deal is notable as China has been the largest single investor in Serbia since 2020, with investments increasing thirtyfold over the last decade. During the talks in Serbia, a landmark decision was reached between the two countries to transform their comprehensive strategic partnership, established in 2016, into a community with a shared future. This upgrade signifies a profound deepening of ties between the two nations, heralding a new era of mutual cooperation and shared aspirations. China and Serbias shared vision includes the pursuit of national development and revitalisation. Xi emphasised the strategic nature of the bilateral relationship, noting that Serbia has become the first European nation to form such a community of shared future with China. "We not only pursue our own development, but also strive to achieve common development with other countries in the world -- that is why I proposed the building of a community with a shared future for mankind," he commented. "Together, we have set a fine example of building a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation," Xi said. This community symbolises a mutual commitment to development, win-win cooperation, and mutual success, reflecting the common values and objectives of both nations. The two leaders agreed to deepen and expand Belt and Road cooperation and collaboration between China and Central and Eastern European countries, contributing to their respective modernisation efforts. Xi assured continued support for Serbia in maintaining its independence, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity, highlighting the strategic cooperation and mutual support between the two nations. The forthcoming China-Serbia Free Trade Agreement, effective from July 1, 2024, is set to further enhance economic ties. China also plans to import more high-quality agricultural specialties from Serbia, and cultural exchanges are expected to deepen, with initiatives such as inviting 300 young Serbians to China for study and exchange programs over the next three years. President Vucic expressed gratitude and respect for China, noting the significant socio-economic impacts of Chinese investments, such as the revitalisation of the HBIS Smederevo steel plant. He reaffirmed Serbias support for China on critical issues, including Taiwan, emphasising that there is but one China in the world. Both leaders stressed the importance of opposing hegemonism and power politics, upholding the principles of the UN Charter, and promoting international fairness and justice. They envision their strengthened partnership as a model of multilateralism and cooperation in addressing global challenges. The talks in Belgrade concluded with the signing of the Joint Statement on Deepening and Elevating the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Building a China-Serbia Community with a Shared Future in the New Era. This agreement paves the way for a future where both nations work closely to further their cooperation in various fields, including infrastructure, energy, innovation, and cultural exchanges. Upon his arrival to Hungary, Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, were greeted by Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok with full military honours. The Chinese flags adorned Budapest, reflecting the warm reception and the high importance placed on this visit by the Hungarian government. Later, Xi attended a state dinner hosted by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a key proponent of strengthening ties with Eastern powers including China and Russia. This year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary, a milestone that underscores the depth and durability of their partnership. Over the decades, Hungary has become a crucial hub for Chinese investments. China has made significant investments in Hungary across various sectors, notably in the automotive industry, particularly in electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturing. This aligns with Hungary's aim to position itself as a global hub for EV manufacturing. China's contributions are visible in the establishment of several new businesses throughout Hungary since 2022, enhancing local infrastructure, technology, and employment. Besides the automotive sector, Chinese investments in Hungary extend to other important areas like rail and road infrastructure, nuclear energy, and logistics, which support Hungarys economic development and integration into global markets. The collaboration between the two nations also includes educational and research initiatives, aiming to foster innovation and technology transfer. This influx of Chinese investment plays a critical role in Hungary's strategic goal of becoming a regional economic and logistical hub, balancing relations with both Eastern and Western markets. During his visit, Xi Jinping is set to engage in comprehensive talks with Orban, with expectations to sign at least 16 different agreements. These agreements aim to enhance cooperation across various domains, including rail and road infrastructure, nuclear energy, and the automotive industry, which are pivotal to Hungarys development strategy and economic interests. Hungary's approach to foreign policy, particularly under Orban's leadership, has often put it at odds with Brussels, especially concerning issues like the proxy war in Ukraine and economic policies of the European Union. Orban's eastward-looking strategy, favouring closer ties with non-Western countries, provides a strategic advantage both for Hungary and for China to strengthen its foothold in Europe amidst broader geopolitical tensions. Xi's visit also carries a broader message to the European Union. Amidst his engagements, including the initial leg of his tour in France where tensions were more palpable, Hungary represents a more congenial environment for Chinas diplomatic overtures. "Together, we have set a fine example of building a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation," Xi said. Political analysts suggest that Hungarys welcoming stance serves as a model of the partnership China seeks to cultivate with European nations, especially those that might feel alienated within the EU framework. On the streets of Budapest, public opinion is in favour of Hungarys independent foreign policy which puts the interests of the country first. Most citizens recognise the economic opportunities presented by Chinese investments, suggesting that similar investments would likely be welcomed across Europe despite geopolitical reservations. Xi Jinpings visit to Serbia and Hungary not only reaffirms the strong bilateral relations but also illustrates China's strategic approach to cultivating alliances within Europe. By aligning with Hungary, China demonstrates its readiness to support and invest in European nations that share similar views on sovereignty and development, while potentially influencing broader EU dynamics. As Xis tour concludes, the impact of these strengthened ties will likely resonate within the regional and global contexts, shaping future diplomatic, economic, and environmental dialogues across continents. HT Thunderstorms with high winds and hail whack county Bands of thunderstorms packing winds as high as 50 mph and heavy hail roared through Henderson County Wednesday afternoon, and another band of storms developing in Tennessee brought more of the same overnight. Although the National Weather Service said it had no reports of a tornado, there were numerous reports of high wind and "some prety big hail," NWS meteorologist Patrick Moore said around 4:30 p.m. "We don't have a lot of observations that have actual wind gust (speeds). I know we had a report of 51 mph at Asheville airport at 1:54 p.m. "I think most of it has moved out," Henderson County Emergency Services Director Jimmy Brissie said at 4:30 p.m. "It seems like most of the damage has been out towards Edneyville. Collectively, the fire departments have run probably up to 25 calls now related to the storm mostly trees down, power lines down. We had two reports of structures that had trees on them, no injuries reported." A motorcycle crash was thought to have been atrributable to the heavy weather as well. Although people were reporting high winds and heavy damage, Brissie, like the National Weather Service, said there was no evidence of a tornado. "There's no indication of that at this time," he said. "That would be a question for the National Weather Service. They'll have to go back and make an assessment but the indications are it's just straight-line winds." Fire departments busiest with storm-related calls were Hendersonville, Edneyville and Mountain Home. Edneyville Fire & Rescue responded to 10 calls of trees/power lines down, a tree on a house and one motor vehicle crash between 2 and 3:30 in the area between Pace Road and Jaymar Drive, the department said in Facebook post. Duke Energy reported 272 power outages in Henderson County 140 in Edneyville and 97 in Hendersonville 1,179 in Buncombe and 803 in the Chimney Rock-Lake Lure area. The heavy rainstorms also forced cancellation of the Bearfootin' Bear Reveal downtown. "We will not be rescheduling the event, and instead the bears will be on the street tomorrow morning," Downtown Manager Jamie Carpenter said at 3:30. "Stay tuned to our social media pages for features on each bear in the next couple of weeks with a virtual feature in lieu of the reveal." BART's financial future is becoming more dire as the transit agency revealed that it is now expecting a $385 million operating shortfall in fiscal year 2027. Paul Chinn/The Chronicle BART could enter a transit death spiral in less than 24 months, once the Bay Area transit agency runs out of emergency pandemic aid, and officials are pinning all their hopes for survival on voters approval of a 2026 tax measure. BART officials say the tax measure is their only way forward there is no plan B. The regional rail agency expects to run out of the $1.9 billion in federal and state assistance by around April 2026, at which point BART projects a $35 million deficit for the 2026 fiscal year. Advertisement Article continues below this ad By fiscal 2027, the agency expects to face a $385 million deficit about one-third of BARTs operating costs with projected shortfalls of $377 million following in fiscal 2028 and $355 million in fiscal 2029. Those latest budget projections, which BARTs Board of Directors planned to discuss Thursday, represent a noticeable increase from figures the agency released in late March. The rising deficits are partly due to expected declining sales tax revenues and a slower-than-anticipated ridership recovery. BART plans to use $328 million in federal and state subsidies to balance its budget for fiscal 2025, which starts in July. The agency expects to exhaust its remaining $294 million in subsidies that state lawmakers approved last year to shrink a $329 million shortfall to $35 million in fiscal 2026, which begins July 2025. BART officials plan to defer allocations to its priority capital program that funds high-priority capital projects, as well as deferring indefinitely allocations to its pension trust that help reduce BARTs future pension liabilities to stay in the black in fiscal 2026. But 2026 will mark the beginning of a dreadful financial situation for BART as the agency begins incurring nine-figure operating deficits. Advertisement Article continues below this ad BART is hoping the public will back a bond measure to help finance the ailing transit service. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle BART officials are putting all their chips on voters approval of a tax measure expected on the November 2026 ballot that could raise $1.5 billion annually for BART and Bay Area transit agencies service costs. Im just going to be very candid with you right now if a transit funding measure is unsuccessful, BART does not have the ability to close funding gaps of $300 or $400 million, said Pam Herhold, BARTs assistant general manager for performance and budget. BART cut service by about 40% during the height of the pandemic, saving about $100 million in operating costs, Herhold said. BART would likely have to implement the sorts of doomsday service cuts in which it shutters stations, ends weekend service, and eliminates two of its five rail lines to balance shortfalls trending toward $400 million. Those cuts could place BART in a vicious transit death spiral, where service cuts deter riders and the fares they pay, leading to more service cuts and dwindling ridership. Advertisement Article continues below this ad BARTs budget proposal would preserve current service levels, which are slightly above 2019 levels, for the next two fiscal years a strategy officials hope will lure more riders. There is no backup plan if that measure is unsuccessful, Herhold said. That is why were putting our best service out there and reminding the region how important BART is to the Bay Area. BARTs sluggish ridership recovery is a driving factor behind its financial peril. The rail agency has recovered under 45% of its 2019 ridership, when trains carried 400,000 people on weekdays. Ridership on BART has been mostly flat since last year, and officials expect modest growth in coming years. Slow ridership recovery, though, isnt the only thing straining BARTs finances. The agency, for years, has faced rising labor costs and officials expect theyll continue to go up in subsequent years. According to board Director Debora Allen, the agencys expenditures for fiscal 2024 are projected to be 9% higher than fiscal 2023s actual expenditures, which were 13% higher than in fiscal 2022. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Allen says BART management has not done enough to find ways to rein in spending and has been critical of agency officials for not planning contingencies outside of lobbying for a regional ballot measure. BARTs rising operating costs will continue to financially strain the agency, even if voters approve a tax measure, Allen said. We dont have control over this deficit spending, and already were seeing that in those later years, 2027 and 2028, deficits are going well beyond $350 million where just last year they were saying it was under $300 million per year, Allen said. The deficit keeps growing, the spending keeps growing. Legislation by San Francisco state Sen. Scott Wiener and Hayward state Sen. Aisha Wahab would authorize the nine-county Bay Area to place a 30-year tax measure, such as a parcel tax or vehicle registration fee, on the 2026 ballot. A regional tax measure would transform BARTs financial structure. The agency relied on fare revenues to cover 70% of its operating costs in 2019, a model that agency officials say is no longer sustainable, post-pandemic, following a precipitous decline in office commuters. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The three biggest problems facing BART are remote work, remote work and remote work, said BART board President Bevan Dufty. The reality is, were not doing anything wrong. We were built upon a model that relied on fares from our riders, and that was something that looked really good to people for many, many years. And COVID just flipped that entirely. Even if voters approve a tax measure for BART and Bay Area transit, that funding likely wont come until fiscal 2028, leaving the agency with a $385 million deficit to balance on its own in fiscal 2027. Herhold said BART could use one-time solutions, such as implementing a hiring freeze and instituting more deferrals to balance a budget that fiscal year. Its unlikely more financial help will come from the federal government, with a split Congress, or from California, which faces its own yawning budget shortfall. Federal and state subsidies have helped delay a potential death spiral BART officials have forecast since the start of the pandemic. BART spokesperson Alicia Trost said BART is not alone in its financial peril, and will continue to lobby the state and federal government for subsidies. A MICRO-BAKERY in Stoke Row has won an award for producing the best plain sourdough loaf in Britain. Imma The Bakery, which is based in Busgrove Lane, came ahead of 200 other bakeries in the competition held at the NEC in Birmingham. The British Baker, which organises the competition, puts each loaf through a rigorous assessment process. Judges examine the external appearance, internal structure, aroma and taste to determine the winners. Immas Oxford Country Loaf was praised for its simple yet profound flavour. Head baker Tona Erreguin, who opened the bakery with Simon Arscott in 2022, said they didnt expect to win due to the strict rules of the competition. Ms Erreguin said: It was very nice to win as we werent expecting it. We consider the competition one of the most difficult ones as you can only use flour, water and salt. The award is for the whole team and for what they have put into developing this. We are always thinking what we can do to make this better because, ultimately, we want everybody to enjoy. To produce the loaf, it takes about 72 hours and the flavour comes from the ingredients sourced from the Oxfordshire countryside. Ms Erreguin said: The Loaf is a plain sourdough, a process of more than 72 hours. We use a 50-year-old levain to make it. When it comes to ingredients, we just use flour, water and salt, simple, yet really complex. It is homage to the bakers trade, to the whole of Oxfordshires countryside. Our bread gets a particular mix of flavours with notes of hay and summer grains. A light malt, nutty and light tartness in mouth, it is achieved by paying attention to the ingredients. Its about understanding and learning to read the dough, as Heraclitus shows us, you cant swim twice in the same river. Every day is a different dough, its outcome will depend on the hardness of the water; the activity level of your levain and the kind of grains and sugars in them. The air pressure is important because bacteria reproduction is different based on this, as is the temperature of the water and the room where it will proof, the gluten development and the friction factor of your mixing. All of this adds up to get to the flavour profile desired by the end of the baking. Ms Erreguin, who moved to Stoke Row from Mexico and previously worked as a baker for Michelin-starred restaurants before opening up Imma, thanked her suppliers and customers for making the business a success. She said: We owe ourselves to the community and their continued support and to the amazing produce from all our local suppliers. Because, if we didnt have all of this, then we could not make the very best of us in the morning. This is proof, not of the work of a single baker, but the work of a whole team that puts in the hours, the time, the observation and attention to detail, a team that works every morning trying to pay homage to the bakers trade. I have been a chef for more than 10 years. Food and the connection it makes, is my passion. There are few experiences as intimate as cooking for someone or having someone cooking for you. Thats why food is so special, because it brings people from different places together. A viral video circulating on social media appears to capture a heated altercation between two passengers aboard an 11-hour flight from Taipei to San Francisco on EVA Air. Joshua Trujillo/AP Two passengers brawled on a flight from Taipei to San Francisco International Airport, forcing flight attendants to intervene. Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle A viral video circulating on social media appears to capture a violent altercation between two passengers aboard a long-haul flight from Taipei to San Francisco. The incident occurred on EVA Air Flight BR 8, departing from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and bound for San Francisco International Airport on Tuesday. In the footage, an argument between two men escalates into a physical confrontation, prompting the intervention of three female flight attendants. According to EVA Air, the altercation erupted three hours into the 11-hour flight. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In a statement to the Chronicle, a spokesperson for the airline said that the dispute originated when one passenger sought to change seats mid-flight due to a neighboring passengers coughing. Upon relocating to what he assumed was an unoccupied seat, he encountered another passenger who had been assigned that seat, leading to a confrontation. The video shows the flight attendants swiftly intervening, restraining the two men and relocating them to separate areas of the aircraft to prevent further escalation, as confirmed by EVA Air. EVA commends our flight crews quick response and exceptional performance, the statement said. Contrary to initial reports that the feuding passengers were arrested upon landing, a San Francisco International Airport spokesperson clarified that the crew requested police intervention and that several passengers required a medical evaluation and were then released to U.S. Customs & Border Protection. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A spokesperson for the agency said all the passengers were processed and departed the international arrivals area without any further incident. EVA Air commended its staff for promptly resolving the incident and said it would offer follow-up services to check on the well-being of its crew members. The airline reiterated its zero-tolerance stance toward passenger misconduct. Proposed model would break down silos of care in kidney transplant process, address disparities, improve access, and promote health equity Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is announcing the Increasing Organ Transplant Access (IOTA) Model. The proposed model, which would be implemented by the CMS Innovation Center, aims to increase access to kidney transplants for all people living with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), improve the quality of care for people seeking kidney transplants, reduce disparities among individuals undergoing the process to receive a kidney transplant, and increase the efficiency and capability of transplant hospitals selected to participate. This proposed model would build on the Biden-Harris Administrations priority of improving the kidney transplant system and the collaborative efforts between CMS and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to increase organ donation and improve clinical outcomes, system improvement, quality measurement, transparency, and regulatory oversight. The organ transplant industry, like every other part of society, is not immune to racial inequities, said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. Black Americans disproportionately struggle with life-threatening kidney disease, yet they receive a smaller percentage of kidney transplants. The Biden-Harris Administration is taking concrete steps to remove racial bias when calculating wait times and rooting out profiteering and inequity in the transplant process. Kidney transplantation is the best treatment for most individuals with ESRD, a condition that occurs when the kidneys are no longer able to function properly. People with ESRD who receive transplants have better outcomes than people who receive dialysis, improvements in quality of life, and are freed from lengthy and burdensome dialysis treatments. However, the scarcity of organs, particularly for kidney transplants, leads to increased patient mortality and a significant gap between demand and supply. Despite this scarcity, approximately 30% of donor kidneys go unused annually, highlighting gaps in procurement, distribution, and utilization. Prolonged waiting times, averaging three to five years or more, intensify patient suffering. With just over 28,000 kidney transplants performed in 2023 and more than 90,000 people on a waitlist during that same time, urgent measures are needed to improve the efficacy and efficiency of the system. Modernizing the organ transplantation system is a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration, said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. Kidney transplantation helps people live healthier and longer lives because they no longer have to undergo dialysis. The Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model would be an important step forward in improving the kidney transplant process for everyone on a waitlist and those who have received a transplant. In the proposed model, participating transplant hospitals would be measured by increases in the number of transplants, increased organ acceptance rates, and post-transplant outcomes. The Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model would hold kidney transplant hospitals accountable for the care they provide. Hospitals eligible to be selected for the proposed model are non-pediatric facilities that conduct a minimum of 11 transplants each during a three-year baseline period. Out of the 257 transplant hospitals in the country, an estimated 90 would be required to participate in the proposed six-year model beginning January 1, 2025. To further improve equity and access, the model would offer additional performance incentives to participating transplant hospitals to improve equity in the transplant process. The proposed model would require participating transplant hospitals to establish health equity plans to identify gaps in access among populations in their communities and develop strategies to address these gaps. For example, participants could establish programs to educate and support potential living donors from underserved communities or to provide transportation assistance to patients on a waitlist. Participating transplant hospitals would also have the flexibility to address barriers related to social drivers of health, such as food insecurity and out-of-pocket prescription drug costs. The proposed mandatory model would align with the HHS Organ Transplant Affinity Groups strategy to coordinate a series of initiatives to increase transplantation access through payment, quality, and regulatory efforts. This model would be complementary to existing and future regulatory efforts for Organ Procurement Organizations, nephrologists, and dialysis facilities to improve the overall transplant system for people with ESRD. In March 2023, HRSA launched its OPTN Modernization Initiative to strengthen accountability and the performance of the nations organ transplant system by focusing on improving the OPTNs governance, technology, and operations. Across the nearly 40-year history of the OPTN, all functions of the OPTN were managed by a single vendor rather than multiple contracts based on technical expertise in areas like IT or operations. HRSA is also taking transformational steps to modernize the critical organ matching technology while increasing transparency and accountability by issuing new data reporting requirements to better address pre-waitlist and organ procurement practices, which will help address inequities in the transplant waitlist process by reducing racial and ethnic variation both in patient referrals and in organ procurement. The current kidney transplant process is complex and fragmented care and disparities contribute to the inequitable distribution of this life-saving treatment. Access to organ transplantation varies not only by geography but also by factors such as race, ethnicity, disability status, and socio-economic status. For example, according to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) Annual Data Report, 32% of waitlisted individuals were African American in 2021, but only 13.5% of recipients of a transplant from a living donor were African American. White individuals made up 35.8% of the waitlist and 61.8% of transplant recipients from a living donor. The proposed Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model is designed to address these challenges by improving the overall quality of care for patients with ESRD and increasing the number of transplants performed. Requiring participation in the proposed Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model would be a promising opportunity to engage participating transplant hospitals and collaborators in the model in seeking to reduce fragmentation in kidney transplantation while improving care, access, and affordability, said Liz Fowler, CMS Deputy Administrator and Director of the CMS Innovation Center. If finalized, CMS will work with selected participating transplant hospitals and providers to provide technical assistance so they can succeed in the model, putting us on the path to using all available kidneys and ultimately improving the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of individuals and their families. CMS has proposed the Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model be a mandatory model to aim to achieve a sufficient and representative national sample of participating kidney transplant hospitals that represent diverse geographic locations, familiarity with designing care focused on quality, provider performance, and the patient experience, and success with increasing transplants. CMS is prepared and ready to partner together with transplant hospitals to be successful in their improvement efforts and will support them with additional resources and assistance. By focusing on the problem together, we will be on the path to using all available kidneys and ultimately improving the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of individuals and their families. The proposed rule on the Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model can be accessed from the Federal Register at https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/current. Standard provisions are included in the proposed rule that would be applicable to all Innovation Center model participants that begin participation in a model on or after January 1, 2025. View a fact sheet on the Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model. More information on the Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model is available on the model webpage. The Biden-Harris Administration continues to build on progress made tackling sickle cell disease (SCD), recently holding a virtual panel to discuss SCD treatment, policy milestones, and future goals. The panel, hosted in observance of National Minority Health Month, by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), also highlighted SCD leaders who fostered advances in SCD treatment and delivery of care, their achievements, and new policy priorities and objectives. During his opening remarks for the event, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra highlighted the importance of the Departments work to address SCD. Across HHS, we are working to advance health care quality and outcomes for SCD patients of all ages, by funding research, sharing data, and helping community-based organizations provide services and support. Too many people with the disease currently cant access quality treatment or afford groundbreaking cell and gene therapies, on top of the historical discrimination theyve faced trying to access necessary health care. Secretary Becerra also discussed how the Biden-Harris Administration is taking action to improving health care outcomes and quality of life for all SCD patients and their families across their lifespans. Those actions include: This past December, the FDA approved two gene therapies that have shown promise in preventing organ damage, improving overall health, and boosting quality of life for people living with sickle cell disease. In January of 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that SCD will be the first focus of the Cell and Gene Therapy Access Model, which was initially announced in February 2023. The model is designed to improve health outcomes, increase access to cell and gene therapies, and lower health care costs. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a Sickle Cell Disease Action Plan, which outlines activities across the agency to advance care for SCD, including new efforts to improve the quality of care for individuals with SCD and to help patients afford potentially life-saving treatments. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), an Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides resources to help patients manage their symptoms and learn about clinical trials. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) continues to support programs that span across the sickle cell disease system of care, including newborn screening, diagnosis, access to treatments, early intervention, and successful transition into adult care. Collectively, HRSAs sickle cell disease programs have a national reach, with $15.2 million invested in fiscal year 2023 in 91 sites and grantees throughout the country. To view the full panel discussion, click here. The following representatives participated in the panel: The Congress and the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) on Thursday asked Haryana governor Bandaru Dattatreya for a floor test in the state assembly after three independent MLAs withdrew support to the Nayab Singh Saini-led Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) government. The JJP, which has 10 MLAs in the 90 member-Haryana assembly, has also announced support to the Congress, if it stakes claim to form the government. So far, the Congress, which has 30 MLAs, has not staked claim to form the government even though on paper it has the support of at least 43 MLAs including from the JJP. The strength of the Haryana assembly was reduced to 88 when former chief minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, and Rania MLA Ranjit Chautala resigned to contest the Lok Sabha polls. Hence, the majority mark is 45 and both the BJP and Congress have the support of 43 MLAs. Two independent MLAs have so far been equidistance from both the BJP and the Congress. Voting for two assembly by-polls along with that of Lok Sabha constituencies will take place on May 25 in the state. The Congress not having a clear majority may be a reason why the party is not staking claim to form the government. A senior Congress leader said they were also apprehensive about whether all 10 JJP MLAs would support the Congress or not. The fear is that if the floor test is carried out, some JJP MLAs may support the BJP against the party whip. Moreover, the Congress is apprehensive that some of its MLAs may also switch sides and join the BJP. The Congress is also not in a position to move a no-confidence motion as Haryana assembly rules do not allow two trust motions within six months. On March 13, Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda had moved a no-confidence motion against Saini, who had the support of 48 MLAs. At the time, the BJP had 41 MLAs, and received support from six independent MLAs and one from the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP), to register 47 votes. The 10 JJP MLAs had abstained from the voting, helping the BJP to win the trust vote easily. In the present situation, the BJP has claimed that apart from 43, it has the support of three JJP MLAs whose names it did not disclose. The JJP had issued notices to three MLAs for anti-party activities when they spoke against party leader and former deputy chief minister, Dushyant Chautala. These three MLAs have so far not revealed their stand. Khattar, in fact, told reporters on Tuesday that they were confident of proving the majority if the governor asked them to do so as they have the support of MLAs from other parties. Hooda admitted to reporters on Wednesday that it cannot bring a trust vote against Saini because of the rules and asked Saini to prove his majority on the floor of the house on moral grounds. On Thursday, the party wrote to the governor asking for an appointment to discuss the prevailing political crisis in the state. The JJP also asked the governor to call a state assembly session to conduct the trust vote saying that Saini has lost the majority. Unlike any previous instance of the opposition moving in fast gear to topple the incumbent government, the Congress and the JJP have been slow, possibly because the two parties are wary of each other. On Tuesday evening, three independent MLAs also extended support to the Congress. The Congress, however, did not write to the governor seeking a trust vote immediately. The Congress and the JJP seem to be waiting for the other to take the initiative and are not willing to break the status quo unilaterally by going to the governor. On Wednesday, for example, Hooda asked Chautala to take the initiative to parade his 10 MLAs before the governor and seek a trust vote. After he takes his MLAs to the governor's house, I will send ours to Raj Bhawan led by MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra, Hooda said. And, on Thursday, Chautala asked Hooda to join him in parading the MLAs before the governor. Hooda did not respond. In the absence of either party ready to make a show of strength, the governor may not be inclined to call the chief minister to prove his majority. Even if the Congress and JJP MLAs are paraded before the governor, there is no surety over Dattatreya asking Saini to prove his majority within a certain timeframe. The Governor, who is the ceremonial head of the legislative, is not bound by rules to decide within a certain timeframe on the claims of the ruling party having lost its majority. The Supreme Court in separate rulings has said that the governor can take reasonable time to decide on such issues without defining the reasonable time. From the sequence of events since Tuesday, it appears that Congress may not be much interested in the Saini government falling before the Lok Sabha polls on May 25. The BJP holds all 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana and the Congress is aiming to wrest at least half of these seats from the ruling party. Congress leaders aware of the development said that the party does not want to get involved in government formation during the Lok Sabha campaign period but wants to extract as much political mileage as possible from the current uncertainty. So far, Hooda has demanded Presidents Rule in the state but refrained from staking claim to form the government. We know forming a government with 30 MLAs for less than six months would be a risky affair. We cannot trust the JJP which was part of the BJP government for four-and-half years, said a senior Congress leader who asked not to be named. The state assembly elections in Haryana are slated for December 2024. The Congress believes that the MLAs leaving the BJP camp would help the party in the assembly polls. And, for that to happen, the party is willing to wait. Chetan Chauhan, national affairs editor, analyses the most important environment and political story in the country this week In the fields of education, the debate between one-on-one classes and group classes has long been a topic of discussion. While both approaches have their merits, the benefits of one-on-one classes are increasingly being recognized as invaluable for learners of all ages and disciplines. The answer to this is Ajits Institute of Mathematical Science, where the instructor provides personalized, one-on-one guidance over traditional group settings. Whether preparing for board exams such as CBSE and ICSE, or tackling competitive entrance exams like JEE Mains, NEET or SAT, students benefit immensely from the tailored guidance and support provided in one-on-one classes. With undivided attention at Ajit Sirs Institute of Mathematical Science, students can progress at their own pace, addressing areas of difficulty more efficiently and accelerating their learning process. Moreover, one-on-one tutoring at Ajits Institute has showcased an impressive 100% success rate in Bengaluru. ICSE student Mukund (student of AIMS) has scored 100 in Maths and Science. This remarkable achievement underscores the effectiveness of personalized instruction in achieving academic goals. Whether preparing for board exams such as CBSE and ICSE, or tackling competitive entrance exams like JEE Mains, NEET or SAT, students benefit immensely from the tailored guidance and support provided in one-on-one classes. The individualized attention and tailored approach of one-on-one instruction not only ensure academic success but also instill confidence and self-reliance in students. Without the distractions of other classmates, students are more likely to actively participate in discussions, ask questions, and take ownership of their learning. This heightened engagement fosters a more dynamic and interactive learning experience, where the student feels empowered to explore topics in greater depth, at Ajits Institute of Mathematical Science in Bengaluru. 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. California voters can expect to decide in November whether high school students will have to take a personal finance course in order to graduate, a ballot initiative already drawing vocal support and opposition. Mint Images/Getty Images / Mint Images RF California voters can expect to decide in November whether high school students will have to take a personal finance course in order to graduate, a ballot initiative already drawing vocal support and opposition. The secretary of state announced Wednesday that the measure is eligible for the ballot, with a sufficient number of signatures to qualify, with official qualification in late June unless withdrawn by the proponents. While teaching students about personal finance is widely supported, the debate is more about who should decide what students should be taught, including what courses they need to graduate elected officials, including the state Board of Education, or voters. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In addition, students and others are concerned class schedules are already full of required courses, leaving little room for electives. Yet, proponents say a semester of personal finance can have a critical impact on the lives of students and their families. We are excited that our initiative to guarantee California High School students a personal finance course prior to graduation will be on the November ballot, said Tim Ranzetta, a proponent of the initiative, in a statement. This popular, common-sense ballot initiative will allow California to join 25 other states in guaranteeing personal finance education to its high school students. California is behind other states, and it is time that California students receive the same opportunity to learn these essential skills. In February, Ranzetta noted that such a course could increase a students lifetime earnings by $127,000, according to a 2024 study. Personal finance education in high school has a transformative impact throughout a persons lifetime, positively influencing a wide variety of outcomes, including credit scores, debt management and retirement savings, he said. Every student, regardless of where they go to school or their economic background, should have the equal opportunity to learn about personal finance. With a $127,000 lifetime value of a personal finance course, it makes economic sense for California to guarantee this course to all California high school students. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The concern among some is that determining education policy through the ballot box doesnt include the thoughtful process and input from experts that is in place to decide curriculum and required coursework, Morgan Polikoff, an education professor at the University of Southern California, told CalMatters. Most voters dont know much about education policy, and having them decide what can be taught in schools is a bad idea, he said. We already have a process in place for adopting curriculum, and if people are unhappy with it there are plenty of avenues to have their voices heard they can go to meetings, they can vote people out of office, they can talk to their representatives. State legislators are also considering the addition of a semester of personal finance to high school graduation requirements, starting with the class of 2031. Its unclear whether the idea will have enough support in the Assembly and Senate or whether Gov. Gavin Newsom would sign it. If it does pass those hurdles, the initiative proponents would have time to pull the measure before the ballot deadline. A semester course of ethnic studies was recently added to graduation requirements, starting with the class of 2030. So far there is little organized opposition. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has endorsed the measure. Advertisement Article continues below this ad California voters are likely to face a long list of statewide ballot measures. So far, seven voter-led measures have qualified for the November ballot, including a proposal to raise the minimum wage and one to allow local governments to enact rent control. At least three more are awaiting verification by the secretary of state, with others facing summer deadlines to qualify. The California Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday over whether to pull one of those measures from the November ballot before voters have a chance to weigh in. It would drastically limit state and local governments ability to raise taxes, but the court appeared reluctant to block it from the ballot. State lawmakers have sent another four measures to the ballot, including one that would remove Prop. 8 the 2008 voter-approved measure banning same-sex marriage, which was later ruled unconstitutional from the California Constitution. Air India Express has started laying off cabin crew members for Wednesday's sick leaves which forced the airline to cancel at least 86 flights on the day, and curtail its operations until May 13. FILE PHOTO: An Air India Express aircraft is displayed at Wings India 2024 aviation event at Begumpet airport, Hyderabad, India, January 18, 2024. (REUTERS/Almaas Masood/) Also Read | Submit report on flight cancellations: Aviation ministry to Air India Express The employees protest is against Tata Group management the business conglomerate owns Air India of which Air India Express is a fully-owned subsidiary for merging AI Express with AIX Connect (previously AirAsia India). Here are the latest developments: (1.) The termination letter was sent last night to at least 25 employees who participated in the mass leaves. As many as 327 senior crew members had reported being sick a few hours before their flights and switched off their phones. (2.) The letter said that the overwhelming number of participating crew members, clearly points to a pre-meditated and concerted abstention from work without any justifiable reason. Not being available for work is a violation of the employee contract, it stated. (3.) The layoffs are effective immediately and from the date of the letter, the communication noted. (4.) The flight cancellations continue on Thursday as well, with more than 70 services affected. On Wednesday, Aloke Singh, CEO, Air India Express, remarked that the strike was not representative of the 2,000-odd cabin crew colleagues who continue to respond to the call of duty. (5.) Air India Express, a low-cost carrier, is the second Tata Group airline to have seen employee protest in recent months. Last month, Vistara, its joint venture with Singapore Airlines too cancelled flights due to crew unavailability. Vistara was later forced to scale down operations after pilots called in sick en masse. Apple Inc. will deliver some of its upcoming artificial intelligence features this year via data centers equipped with its own in-house processors, part of a sweeping effort to infuse its devices with AI capabilities. The first AI server chips will be the M2 Ultra, launched last year as part of the Mac Pro and Mac Studio computers, though the company is already eyeing future versions based on the M4 chip. (Representative Image)(AP) The company is placing high-end chips similar to ones it designed for the Mac in cloud-computing servers designed to process the most advanced AI tasks coming to Apple devices, according to people familiar with the matter. Simpler AI-related features will be processed directly on iPhones, iPads and Macs, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plan is still under wraps. The move is part of Apples much-anticipated push into generative artificial intelligence the technology behind ChatGPT and other popular tools. The company is playing catch-up with Big Tech rivals in the area but is poised to lay out an ambitious AI strategy at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10. Apples plan to use its own chips and process AI tasks in the cloud was hatched about three years ago, but the company accelerated the timeline after the AI craze fueled by OpenAIs ChatGPT and Googles Gemini forced it to move more quickly. The first AI server chips will be the M2 Ultra, which was launched last year as part of the Mac Pro and Mac Studio computers, though the company is already eyeing future versions based on the M4 chip. A representative for Cupertino, California-based Apple declined to comment. Relatively simple AI tasks like providing users a summary of their missed iPhone notifications or incoming text messages could be handled by the chips inside of Apple devices. More complicated jobs, such as generating images or summarizing lengthy news articles and creating long-form responses in emails, would likely require the cloud-based approach as would an upgraded version of Apples Siri voice assistant. The move, coming as part of Apples iOS 18 rollout in the fall, represents a shift for the company. For years, Apple prioritized on-device processing, touting it as a better way to ensure security and privacy. But people involved in the creation of the Apple server project code-named ACDC, or Apple Chips in Data Centers say that components already inside of its processors can safeguard user privacy. The company uses an approach called Secure Enclave that can isolate data from a security breach. For now, Apple is planning to use its own data centers to operate the cloud features, but it will eventually rely on outside facilities as it does with iCloud and other services. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on some aspects of the server plan. Luca Maestri, Apples chief financial officer, hinted at the approach on an earnings call last week. We have our own data center capacity and then we use capacity from third parties, he said after being asked about the companys AI infrastructure. Its a model that has worked well for us historically, and we plan to continue along the same lines going forward. Handling AI features on devices will still be a big part of Apples AI strategy. But some of those capabilities will require its most recent chips, such as the A18 launched in last years iPhone and the M4 chip that debuted in the iPad Pro earlier this week. Those processors include significant upgrades to the so-called neural engine, the part of the chip that handles AI tasks. Apple is rapidly upgrading its product line with more powerful chips. In a first, its bringing a next-generation processor the M4 to its entire range of Mac computers. The Mac mini, iMac and MacBook Pro will get the M4 later this year, and the chip will go into the MacBook Air, Mac Studio and Mac Pro next year, Bloomberg News reported in April. Taken together, the plans lay the groundwork for Apple to weave AI into much of its product line. The company will focus on features that make life easier for users as they go about their day say, by making suggestions and offering a customized experience. Apple isnt planning to roll out its own ChatGPT-style service, though its been in discussions about offering that option through a partnership. Just last week, Apple said the ability to run AI on its devices will help it stand out from rivals. We believe in the transformative power and promise of AI, and we believe we have advantages that will differentiate us in this new era, including Apples unique combination of seamless hardware, software and services integration, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said during the earnings call. Without getting into specifics, Cook said that Apples in-house semiconductors would give it in an edge in this still-nascent field. He added that the companys privacy focus underpins everything we create. The company has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the cloud-based initiative over the past three years, according to the people. But there are still gaps in its offerings. For users who want a chatbot, Apple has held discussions with Alphabet Inc.s Google and OpenAI about integrating one into the iPhone and iPad. Talks with OpenAI have recently intensified, suggesting that a partnership is likely. Apple also could offer a range of options from outside companies, people familiar with the discussions have said. Elon Musks artificial intelligence startup X.AI Corp. is set to close its funding round at a valuation of about $18 billion as soon as this week, according to people familiar with the matter. Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his security detail depart the company's local office in Washington, US.(Reuters) The size of the round hasnt been finalized, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information isnt public. The maker of AI chatbot assistant Grok was set to raise $6 billion in the round, whose participants include Sequoia Capital, Bloomberg News has reported. Deliberations are ongoing and details such as the valuation and timing could still change, the people said. Representatives for Musks social network X, formerly known as Twitter, didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. The funding round for the OpenAI rival was being marketed via a pitch deck highlighting potential selling points for investors, touting Musks track record at Tesla Inc. and SpaceX, and noting that xAI will be able to train on the high-quality data from X, a person familiar with the matter has said. Having access to data is crucial for building large language models, the technology that powers AI chatbots, an area where xAI aims to compete with other well-funded businesses such as OpenAI. Indias inclusion into JPMorgan Chase & Co.s bond index will give a boost to its private credit markets by providing a benchmark for investments and attracting more inflows, according BPEA Credit. A customer exits the lobby of JPMorgan Chase & Co. headquarters in New York.(Reuters) The inclusion constitutes a watershed moment for the countrys $1.2 trillion government debt market, with spillovers to other asset classes. Once the change takes effect on June 28, it will be easier to compare the performance of an Indian credit fund with an investment in Singapore, Korea or the U.S., said the head of BPEA Credit. It gives a reference point for offshore investors who look at both sovereign and corporate bonds, and other asset classes, Kanchan Jain told Bloomberg. Founded in 2011, BPEA Credit has deployed just over $1 billion in India, Jain said. Investors have already pumped billions of dollars into the sovereign bonds eligible to join the index, helping to push down yields on corporate notes. Thats got implications for the fast growing market of non-bank lending. While still a fraction of the $1.7 trillion global market, the country is a hotspot in Asia for private credit, which typically attracts firms whose credit metrics make them ineligible for a bank loan. Read more: Simpl layoffs: Over 150 jobs cut, CEO apologizes to employees in town hall Eventually, this will bring in more transparency, and help in increasing fund flows to India fixed income, Jain said. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reflected on the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on elections, economy and even your jobs. Talking about the spread of AI-generated misinformation and how it is affecting elections, the tech leader said, The thing I'm most worried about right now is, the sort of, the speed and magnitude of the socioeconomic change may have, and what the impacts on what that will be. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, speaks during a conference in Laguna Beach, California.(AFP) The CEO made the comments during a Brooking's Institute panel about AI and geopolitics and said that discussions around AI's effect on the economy have reduced this year compared to 2023 which shows that people's concerns around AI are not being taken as seriously as they should be. He said, GPT- 4 didn't have this huge detectable impact on the economy, and so people were kind of like, Oh well, we were too worried about that, and that's not a problem. I have a fear that we just won't take that one seriously enough going forward, and it's a massive, massive issue." This comes as an International Monetary Fund (IMF) study found that AI may impact roughly 60% of jobs in advanced economies as almost half of those jobs can be automated which could lead to less hiring as well as lower wages. Earlier, Sam Altman had told CNBC in an interview that he's a "little bit scared" of ChatGPT as OpenAI's creation could "eliminate" many jobs. "I think if I said I were not, you should either not trust me, or be very unhappy I'm in this job," he had then said. Sundar Pichai asserted that artificial intelligence (AI) has been a key focus of Google parent Alphabet since 2016. In a conversation with The Circuit, he said, We werent the first company to do search. We werent the first company to do email. We werent the first company to build a browser. So I view this AI as we are in the earliest possible stages. Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Alphabet Inc., during an interview on "The Circuit with Emily Chang" at Google's Bay View campus in Mountain View, California, US.(Bloomberg) Acknowledging recent hiccups like the controversy over images generated by Google's Gemini, Sundar Pichai said, We got it wrong. From the ground up we are retraining these models, just to make sure we are also making the product better. As soon as its ready, we will get it out to people. Sundar Pichai on Google's future and how search has changed Talking about Google's future, he said that getting search right is essential to the company since ads placed among search results push $300 billion in annual revenue. He explained, Weve always found people want choices, including in commercial areas, and thats a fundamental need. Weve been experimenting with ads and the data we see show that those fundamental principles will hold true. People are trying to solve problems in their day-to-day lives. A lot of our products integrate in a way that provides value for our users. The way Google is approaching AI drives innovation, adds choice in the market. Thats how I think about it, he said, adding, The challenge for everyone and the opportunity is: How do you have a notion of whats objective and real in a world where theres going to be a lot of synthetic content? I think its part of what will define search in the next decade ahead. Sundar Pichai on difficult conversations at Google On making tough decisions at Google, Sundar Pichai said, The reality I think is quite different. I think the larger the company is, you are making fewer consequential decisions, but they need to be clear and you have to point the whole company to that. Sundar Pichai on Google layoffs Google has been recently laid off dozens of engineers who protested the companys cloud contract with the Israeli government and Sundar Pichai described this as an unacceptable disruption of daily business. He said, It has nothing to do with the matter or the topic theyre discussing. Its about the conduct of how they went about it. I view, particularly in this moment with AI, the opportunity we have ahead of us is immense, but it needs a real focus on our mission. When Microsoft took the lead in launching AI-powered new Bing, how did it impact Google? CEO Sundar Pichai has finally answered the question asserting that he is more focussed than ever on his company and AI's use in the same as he is not playing "to someone elses dance music. Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Alphabet Inc., during an interview on "The Circuit with Emily Chang" at Google's Bay View campus in Mountain View, California, US.(Bloomberg) I think one of the ways you can do the wrong thing is by listening to the noise out there and playing someone elses dance music, he said, adding, I've always been very clear. I think we have a clear sense of what we need to do. He was then asked, So you are listening to your own music?, to which Sundar Pichai responded, Thats exactly right What Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella had said earlier about Google Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella had earlier said that after launching an AI-boosted Bing search engine, AI is the new thing that companies are competing about. We competed today. Today was a day where we brought some more competition to search. Believe me, Ive been at it for 20 years, and Ive been waiting for it, he said. He explained referring to Google, At the end of the day, theyre the 800-pound gorilla in this. That is what they are. And I hope that, with our innovation, they will definitely want to come out and show that they can dance. And I want people to know that we made them dance, and I think thatll be a great day." Sundar Pichai on competition in AI The Google boss acknowledged that theres always a lot of competition when it comes to technology, saying, We see it all the time. The way you stay ahead is by innovating relentlessly. It has to be true all the time. Its happening at a faster pace. Technology changes tend to get faster over time. So its not surprising to me at all." Hours after former deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala wrote to Haryana governor Bandaru Dattatreya seeking a floor test in the assembly, Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday said that there was no danger to the government. Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday said that there was no danger to the BJP government in the state and he is ready for a floor test, if required. (HT file photo) He said that he has the numbers and is ready for the floor test, if required. The chief minister was speaking to the media after attending an event to mark Maharana Pratap Jayanti in Karnal. In his letter to Dattatreya, Chautala said that the recent resignations and withdrawals of support have left the ruling BJP alliance on the brink of a minority. Reacting to the development, the chief minister hit out at Dushyant and asked him if he had the support of all JJP MLAs. He should know what his legislators did in the assembly. Is he having the numbers? But we have the numbers. I won the floor test and if required I will do it again. There is no threat to the government, he added. Saini said that the Congress was rejected by the people and now they are getting involved in such tactics to topple the government. Earlier, Chautala wrote to Dattatreya, saying the Nayab Singh Saini government no longer commands a majority and sought an immediate floor test. Three Independent MLAs had withdrawn their support to the Saini government in the state on Tuesday, reducing it to a minority in the assembly. It is evident that the BJP government in Haryana no longer commands a majority, Chautala said in his letter to the governor on Wednesday. In his letter, he urged the governor to direct the appropriate authority to immediately call for a floor test. Independent MLAs Sombir Sangwan (Dadri), Randhir Singh Gollen (Pundri) and Dharampal Gonder (Nilokheri) withdrew support to the ruling BJP in Haryana and announced that they would back the Congress. : The District Tuberculosis Centre at the Civil Hospital here has run out of medicines stock and is struggling to procure the required amount from the local market to provide for the patients on course. The TB centre was asked to procure the medicines required at their own end. (HT File) According to the district TB officer, Dr Ashish Chawla, they had started to feel the crunch in late March. The stock we had was supposed to last till April 30, but on March 31 we procured medicines worth 2.5 lakh. But now after the medicines in stock expired on April 30, we dont have anything left in our stock, he said. The TB centre was asked to procure the medicines required at their own end. For this, Dr Chawla said, they needed around 20 lakh as there were around 4,000 patients on medication in the district. They were only sanctioned 13 lakh. But the centre faces a bigger problem. There arent enough medicines available in the local market to meet the requirement. The wholesalers here dont have the quantity we need. We are trying our best to procure as much as we can from whatever source is available, said Dr Chawla. The centre was on May expecting an order of 800 4-FDC and 1200 3-FDC strips. These are fixed-dose combinations, in which either four salts/three salts are available in a single table or a single kit, to make it easier for the patient to stick to the necessary six-month course. If a patient went without the medicine for over a month in the six-month period, they were to get through the course from the beginning and even worse the bacteria may develop drug resistance, according to Dr Chawla. There were two types of 4-FDCs. One of these is called Accurate 4, which came in strips of ten tablets each. A patient weighing above 70 kg needs six of these tablets every day. A strip doesnt even last one and a half doses. The other is AKT-4, which comes in kits. A kit contains four tablets, and a strip has five kits. A strip of these lasts five days. State TB officer Dr Rajesh Bhargav acknowledged the shortage of drugs across the state. The drugs come to the state health department from the Union ministry of health and family welfare. But, for now, he said, the ministry had asked the states to look after the procurement of drugs on their ends. The contract for the procurement of medicine had expired and any new tender could only be floated after the elections, said a health official explaining the shortage. Punjab Police arrested two arms smugglers and unearthed an inter-state weapon smuggling racket on Thursday. Punjab Police arrested two arms smugglers and unearthed an inter-state weapon smuggling racket on Thursday. (HT Photo) Acting on a tip-off, the counter-intelligence team of Jalandhar police recovered six illegal pistols and seven magazines. Director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said the racket was being operated in a well-oiled manner and four large weapon consignments had been procured over the past six months. Two key module members were arrested for supplying the weapons to gangsters in the poll-bound border state. A case was registered under the Arms Act at the state special operation cell (SSOC) in Amritsar and investigations is underway to establish backward and forward linkages, the DGP said, adding that stern action would be taken against all those involved in organised crime and illegal weapon smuggling networks. Gregory Turnage Jr. with his son, Miles. Timothy Hamano, the Piedmont wealth manager who fled after striking and killing Turnage on an Oakland sidewalk in 2021, will serve no jail time. Angie Brey A Piedmont wealth manager convicted of fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run leaving a man to bleed out on the sidewalk has avoided a jail sentence, an outcome that drew tears and a tense courtroom confrontation on Wednesday. Timothy Hamano, 67, was handed the maximum term of six years after pleading no contest to felony vehicular manslaughter and fleeing the scene of an accident. But because defendants typically serve half the time to which they are sentenced under California law, Hamano had finished nearly the entire stint as of Wednesday, bypassing all but a day behind bars. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Since posting $125,000 bail on Aug. 2, 2021, Hamano has remained on house arrest with an ankle monitor, waiting as his case inched along. There is very little time left, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Colwell acknowledged during an emotional hearing Wednesday morning, in which she allowed Hamano to serve the rest of his time at home in Piedmont. Colwell placed a list of conditions on the defendant, including prohibitions on excessive drinking or driving without a proper license and insurance. If he violates those rules, he will spend the remaining time in prison, she said. The crime took place on a bright Mothers Day afternoon in 2021, when Hamano plowed his white Lexus into a parked SUV on a boulevard in Oakland, striking a pedestrian on the sidewalk. Greg Turnage, 41, had been out for a walk when the car slammed into him, with an impact so violent it threw him onto the hood and then back on the pavement on the 3800 block of Park Boulevard. As Turnage lay there with grave injuries, witnesses said Hamano emerged from the drivers side and walked around the battered front bumper, looking down at the dying man. Then he walked off, leaving Turnage behind, as well as his wife, who sat in the front passenger seat of the Lexus behind a deployed airbag. Hamano turned himself in the next day after police issued a warrant for his arrest. Despite evidence that he had been drinking, including restaurant receipts obtained by police, prosecutors were unable to gather enough proof to charge him with driving while intoxicated. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I wont waste my breath trying to humanize Greg to you by sharing what made him so special to us and how much he is loved and missed, Turnages partner, Angie Brey, said at the hearing, reading from a victim impact statement while Hamano stood quietly, hands clasped, defense attorney Kellin Cooper at his side. Addressing the judge, Brey spoke about the anxiety and depression that have consumed her since Turnages death, and how the case eroded her trust in Alameda Countys justice system. This court has abandoned Greg as if he was worthless, much like Timothy Hamano left him on the sidewalk to die like he was nothing, Brey said. She went on to describe what she and family members viewed as a defense strategy of running out the clock, delaying pleas and hearings so that Hamano could grind out his sentence at home. Emotions peaked Wednesday as Turnages mother, Wilhelmina Carrillo, approached the judges bench to read her statement. She paused on the way, turned to face Hamano and began talking directly to him, causing a brief commotion as deputies stepped in to prevent a conflict. Hamano appeared to flinch, and the judge admonished that she would not allow contact between the victims and the defendant. Turnage proceeded with her statement. Later, she explained her actions. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I did want to look at him and let him know that I am TJs mother, Carrillo said, using another nickname for Turnage. If I had killed your child, what would you do? After Turnages uncle testified, remembering his nephew as an exquisite human being, Hamano came forward. He apologized to the family for the depth of pain and suffering that I caused, and said he took responsibility for his actions. Cooper, Hamanos lawyer, echoed those sentiments in an interview outside the courtroom. Mr. Hamano did not wake up (on the day of the crash) with malice in his heart, the defense attorney said, emphasizing his clients heartfelt remorse and contrition since Day One. Throughout the proceeding, Colwell wore an expression of pained resignation, listening as one bereaved relative after another relayed their anguish, while others wept in the pews. Toward the end, the judge reiterated that she had given the maximum sentence possible which might help bolster a parallel wrongful death lawsuit that Turnages 13-year-old son, Miles, is waging in civil court. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has held that a person reposing faith in Islam cannot claim any rights in the nature of a live-in relationship, particularly when the person has a living spouse. Allahabad High Court (HT File) The court said that a follower of Islam cannot be in a live-in relationship, particularly if his spouse is alive. Islamic tenets do not permit a live-in relationship during a subsisting marriage. The position may be different if the two persons are unmarried, and the parties, being adults, choose to lead their lives in a way of their own, the court observed. A division bench comprising Justices Attau Rahman Masoodi and Ajai Kumar Srivastava made the remarks recently while hearing a petition by a Hindu woman and Muslim man, who said they were in a live-in relationship, seeking protection from police action. The womans parents filed a case against the man, accusing him of abducting her and forcing her to marry him. With this observation, the court refused to provide police protection to the petitioners, both from UPs Bahraich district. The petitioners are from different faiths. The couple sought the protection of their life and liberty, saying that they were adults and free to stay together. However, the court noted in its order on April 30 that the man was already married and had a five-year-old daughter. The petitioners claimed they were in a live-in relationship, but the womans parents lodged an FIR against the man for kidnapping and inducing their daughter to marry him. The petitioners sought police protection, saying they were adults and, as per a Supreme Court order, they were free to stay in a live-in relationship. The bench, however, found that the man was already married (in 2020) and even had a daughter. Considering this fact, the court declined to provide him police protection on the grounds of the SC verdict, which permits live-in relationships. The court said that Islamic tenets do not permit a live-in relationship during the subsisting marriage. The position may be different if the two people are unmarried, and the parties being major, choose to lead their lives in a way of their own. The constitutional morality in that situation may come to the rescue of such a couple, and the social morality may give way to constitutional morality. The court said it could not grant protection to the live-in relationship in view of the rights of the mans wife and the interests of his child. With this order, the court directed that the woman be sent to her parents home under police security. On April 29, the court had summoned the live-in couple and directed the police to present the mans wife before the court. The court noted that the man had claimed that his wife lived in Uttar Pradeshs Gonda district. However, the counsel appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government informed the court that the wife was living with her in-laws in Mumbai. The court remarked that this was an alarming revelation and said it would take up the question of whether action should be taken against the man and his lawyer for hiding material facts at the next hearing. The probe into the firing at actor Salman Khans Bandra house has revealed that the arrested accused conducted a recce of the residences of two other actors who reside in the western suburbs. The police, however, refused to divulge the actors identities. Mohammed Rafik Sardar Choudhari, 37, the fifth person to be arrested in connection with the firing incident at Salman Khans Bandra Bandstand apartment. (Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times)(HT_PRINT) Also Read: Firing outside Salman home: Lawrence Bishnoi gang member held for funding shooters The fact of the actors houses being videoed was revealed by arrested accused Mohammed Rafiq Sardar Choudhari (37) during his interrogation. Choudhari told Crime Branch officials that he did these video recordings between April 8 and April 13, while the video of Salmans house, Galaxy Apartment, was recorded on April 12 and sent to Anmol Bishnoi, brother of incarcerated gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The Crime Branch has seized Choudharis mobile phone and retrieved several deleted videos and photos with the help of technical experts. The retrieved photos and videos showed that he had recorded videos of two other film actors residences, said a crime branch official. On further interrogation, Choudhari confessed that he had collected 3 lakh in cash from Bishnoi gang members and given 2 lakh to two shooters, Vicky Kumar Gupta, 25, and Sagar Kumar Pal, 24. Gupta had also spoken to Anmol Bishnoi, and sent a few of these recorded voice calls to his brother Sonu Gupta. Sonu Guptas statement was recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC before a metropolitan magistrate as an important witness in the case, said the crime branch official. Also Read: Firing at Salmans house: Plea for CBI probe into death of firing accused withdrawn The police said that Pal used to be associated with Bishnois trusted gang member, Ankit Arora, who was killed in an encounter two years ago in Punjab. After he was promised a huge amount of money by another Bishnoi gang member (whom the police are looking for and whose name they have not revealed), Pal convinced Vicky Gupta to take up the job with him. Both were instructed to visit Mumbai in October 2023 by the gang member, who gave them 40,000. The duo came to Mumbai and stayed for a few days in Panvel before leaving the city. Subsequently, the gang member again gave the two sharpshooters money, instructing them to rent a room in Panvel and stay there, awaiting the next instruction. Gupta and Pal then came to Mumbai in March this year, met Choudhari in Kurla as per instructions and later rented a room in Panvel. The duo collected 5 lakh in six to seven instalments from October to April for the entire operation. Both are unhappy with the gang member, as they were promised huge money but did not get it, said the officer. Choudhari, who was arrested on Tuesday from Rajasthan, was in touch with Rohit Godara, a trusted aide of Lawrence Bishnoi, whose name cropped up during Gupta and Pals interrogation. Choudhari, who has been living in Mumbai for nearly two decades, used to work at his brothers dairy in Kurla. The police claimed that between April 8 and April 12, Choudhuri and Godara spoke to Lawrences brother Anmol Bishnoi via a call placed through an app, where they discussed the plan of firing at Salmans apartment. The police said that Anmol Bishnoi never showed his face while talking to gang members on a video call as a precaution so that the gang members or anyone else could not record his face. Also Read: Salman Khan house firing: Accused did recce actor's residence thrice; 5 rounds shot, says Mumbai Crime Branch Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal, who were arrested from Bhuj, Gujarat, on April 16, were produced in the MCOCA court and sent to judicial custody after 23 days of police custody. Choudhari is in police custody till May 13. Apart from Choudhuri and the alleged shooters, the crime branch has arrested two other accused in the case: Anuj Thapan, 32, who died by suicide on May 1 while he was in the custody of the Crime Branch, and Sonu Subhashchandra Bishnoi, 37, who is from Punjab. On March 15, Thapan and Sonu Bishnoi met Gupta and Pal in Panvel and handed over two pistols and 38 live rounds to them, which were used to fire at the actors apartment, said the police. MUMBAI: For chief minister Eknath Shinde, the problems surfacing in the Nashik Lok Sabha constituency continue apace. The infighting in the Shiv Sena and differences with alliance partners like the NCP have affected the poll campaign of candidate and sitting MP Hemant Godse, forcing Shinde to go to Nashik on Wednesday. The chief minister held a meeting with local party leaders and tried to pacify them and bring the campaign back on track. ( Praful Gangurde / HT Photo ) The chief minister held a meeting with local party leaders and tried to pacify them and bring the campaign back on track. In a bid to prevent more damage to the partys prospects, Godse too met NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal on the insistence of Shinde and requested him to support his campaign. Godse belongs to the Maratha community and Bhujbal has influence over OBC voters. Bhujbal told Godse he would support him. Whenever you call me for a campaign meeting, I will be there, he said. The Nashik Lok Sabha seat has been a bone of contention in the Mahayuti, as the BJP opposed Godses candidature and attempted to hand over the seat to the NCP led by deputy CM Ajit Pawar. Bhujbal had expressed a desire to contest from Nashik and also hinted that the BJP high command wanted him to contest the seat on the criterion of winnability. Shinde, reluctant to let go, held long deliberations with his allies and finally succeeded in retaining the seat. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded Rajabhau Waje from Nashik. Shiv Sena district chief Ajay Boraste, who was also eyeing the Nashik constituency, was unhappy with Godses renomination, and his supporters kept their distance from the campaign. The Senas alliance partners, the BJP and the NCP, also stayed away even as Godse launched his campaign. With a mere 12 days in hand for campaigning, Godse requested Shindes intervention. Shinde reached Nashik on Wednesday afternoon to resolve the issues. In the course of his visit, the chief minister also managed to convince a Shiv Sena (UBT) rebel, Vijay Karanjkar, to withdraw from the fray, as he would have eaten into the votes of both the rival candidates. Boraste was also pacified with multiple assurances during the meeting on Wednesday. Shinde lauded Karanjkar and Boraste at the meeting, saying, Now Vijay Karanjkar, along with his supporters, has joined us and strengthened our party. Ajay Boraste and Karanjkar have the capacity to ensure the victory of MP Godse. A couple and their two-year-old daughter were found dead in Kukricholi village of Korba district in Chhattisgarh, with the police saying that the bodies were found with injuries inflicted by sharp weapons. Representational image. The police yet to yet ascertain whether its a case of murder, or one of family members killed other two and then killed self. The deceased were identified as Jairam Rajak (28), his wife Sujata (25). At around 10am, the villagers broke open the door and saw the bodies. As of now we havent reached any conclusion, The investigation is on, Korba superintendent of police Siddharth Tiwari said. A police team and forensic personnel were sent to the spot. The child and woman were lying on the bed, and it seems that they were strangulated... The man was found dead on the floor and had injuries on his hand inflicted by a sharp-edged weapon, the SP said. The bodies were sent for post-mortem and a case has been registered. Agartala: The Tripura Police have launched an investigation into the incident in which a married couple was allegedly assaulted by a group of people who accused them of being in an illicit relationship. (Representative Photo) Police said they have booked several unknown people for allegedly assaulting a married couple based on video evidence which had gone viral on social media. The incident took place on May 6 at Manurmukh village in Tripuras South District, said police. A video of the incident went viral on social media, which shows an elderly woman and others repeatedly hitting the woman, while the man was seen pleading to the accused assaulters, saying that they were married. Based on video evidence of assault, police on Thursday said that a case was registered under sections 325 ( voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 384 (extortion), 506 (criminal intimidation), 354 (assault to women to outrage her modesty) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code on May 8 at the Belonia Womens Police Station against several unknown individuals based on the video evidence. Although no one has been arrested, an investigation into the matter has been launched. The incident occurred on May 6 when the couple was returning to their home in Belonia after attending an invitation party. A case has been taken and police have already started an investigation, said a senior police official from Police Headquarters in Agartala. The police are looking into the video clip from social media to identify persons involved in the incident, said the official. Speaking to the media persons, the woman said they were returning home when a group of people stopped them in the middle of the road, abused them and later assaulted them. My husband was pleading to them, saying that I was his wife but they did not listen. They kept on beating me, said the woman. Pune: Special Judge PP Jadhav is likely to deliver the verdict in the murder case of Narendra Dabholkar, on Friday, around 11 years after the rationalist was shot dead. The order, if the court sticks to the date and delivers on May 10, will be just three days before 11 of Maharashtras constituencies including Pune, Ahmednagar, and Sambhajinagar go to polls in LS elections. (HT PHOTO) Dabholkar, then 67, while on a morning walk, was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants near Omkareshwar Bridge in Shaniwar Peth on August 20, 2013.The rationalist, founder of Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS), dedicated his life to the eradication of social evils, religious superstition and caste system. During the trial, the prosecution examined 20 witnesses while the defence examined two witnesses. Special public prosecutor, said, We have examined 20 witnesses, and the trial has been completed and the case is at the stage of final order now. The order, if the court sticks to the date and delivers on May 10, will be just three days before 11 of Maharashtras constituencies including Pune, Ahmednagar, and Sambhajinagar go to polls in LS elections. Following the murder, then Prithviraj Chavan led Congress- Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) government faced criticism even as the arrests of Sanatan-associated individuals in 2015-16 brought the right-wing groups operations under scanner with demands for a ban on it, which the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Devendra Fadnavis government then refuted. Initially, the Pune police were investigating the murder, but the case was later handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in June 2014 as per the directions of the Bombay High Court. On September 15, 2021, the hearing in the Dabholkar murder case commenced in a city-based special court days after the arrest of Virendrasinh Tawde, an ENT surgeon from Navi Mumbai. Accordingly, charges were framed against five persons including Tawde, Sachin Andure, Sharad Kalaskar, Sanjeev Punalekar and Vikram Bhave, all associated with Sanatan Sanstha. Tawade, Andure and Kalaskar are in prison while Punalekar and Bhave are out on bail. Prakash Silsingikar, defence lawyer, said, Two of our witnesses have been examined from the defence side and we have always denied their role in the murder. Dabholkars assassination was followed by the killing of senior communist leader Govind Pansare in February 2015, Kannada scholar MM Kalburgi in August 2015 and outspoken activist journalist Gauri Lankesh in September 2017. Investigating agencies believe there is a common link and possible use of the same weapon to assassinate the rationalists. The investigating agency has still not been able to recover the murder weapon which was used to kill the rationalist. Five months after the killing, two suspected arms dealers - Manish Nagori alias Manya and his associate Vikas Khandelwal, both from Ichalkaranji, who were in magisterial custody since August 2013, were arrested for the murder. The two suspects later accused Maharashtra ATS headed by then Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief and well-known IPS officer Rakesh Maria of offering 25 lakh to them to own up to the murder. In April 2014, they were set out on bail as Pune police and ATS failed to file a chargesheet. In October 2015, the CBI informed the Bombay High Court that two Sanatan Sanstha activists were under their scanner in Dabholkar murder case. In June 2016, the CBI raided two places in Pune and Navi Mumbai in connection with the murder of Dabholkar CBI and arrested ENT surgeon Dr Virendrasinh Tawde, a Sanatan activist. Two more Sanatan Sanstha members identified as Sarang Akolkar and Vinay Pawar were named but were not arrested. The Maharashtra ATS later arrested Sachin Andhure, whom the CBI identified as one of the shooters in the killing. Raut and Kalaskar were arrested from Nalasopara in Palghar district. During the trial, the High Court took CBI to task and expressed its annoyance with the agency. While hearing the petition filed by Dabholkar family, the division bench of Justices SC Dharmadhikari and RI Chagla stated: There should be some certainty about the trial. There should be no failure of justice deliveryboth for the victims and their families and the arrested accused. Advocate Omkar Nevgi representing Narendra Dabholkars family in March this year submitted a 32-page document Written Notes of Arguments before Special Judge PP Jadhav. The family of the slain rationalist argued before the court that the prosecution had proved that the murder had been committed by Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar beyond reasonable doubt. They prayed that maximum punishment u/s 302 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 be awarded to the accused. On Friday, Hamid Dabholkar, the slain rationalists son, refused to comment on the case. A timeline of the murder case August 20, 2013: Rationalist Narendra Dabholkar shot dead in Pune August 23, 2013: City police teams formed to crack the case August 29, 2013: Sanatan worker taken into custody from Goa August 30, 2013: Eight crore emails and phone calls investigated April 3, 2014: Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted May 10, 2014: Case transferred from Pune Police to CBI August 2, 2015: Andhshraddha Nirmulan Samiti writes letter to president regarding delay in the case May 4, 2016: Court pulled up CBI for shoddy investigation in the case after which it began fresh searches in Panvel and Pune February 17, 2016: Polygraph test conducted on Sanatan Sadhak, Nilesh Shinde and Hemant Shinde May 31, 2016: CBI raids residences of Dr Virendra Tawade and Sarang Akolkar June 11, 2016: CBI arrests Dr Tawde of Sanatan Sanstha, and file a chargesheet against him in September the same year May 21, 2018: Karnataka SIT arrested five persons including Amol Kale from Pimpri Chinchwad in connection with Gauri Lankesh murder case June 30, 2018: Diary recovered from Amol Kale states information about Vaibhav Raut, progressive writers list from Maharashtra and Karnataka and 36 others who are on the hitlist of rightwing groups. August 18, 2018: CBI arrests Sachin Prakasrao Andure, suspected of being one of the gunmen May 25, 2019: CBI found that Sanatan Sansthas counsel, Sanjeev Punalekar, helped destroy the weapons used in the murders of Dabholkar and journalist Gauri Lankesh In January 2024, there were 687 power outages, affecting 2.2 million consumers for over 1,496 hours, as per data shared by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL). The rural part of Pune city had faced a maximum 296 power interruptions and 1, 71,721 consumers were in dark for 593.75 minutes (9.89 hours). (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO) Pune circle includes Pune city, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and some rural areas in Pune district. Ganeshkhind circle covers Pune city along with nearby industrial areas like Bhosari, Kothrud, Pimpri, and Shivaji Nagar. Rasta Peth covers all parts of Pune city except Kothrud and Shivaji Nagar, while Pune rural includes areas like Manchar, Rajgurunagar, and Mulshi. As per reliability index data published on the website of MSEDCL, Rasta Peth, which covers maximum Pune city areas, had faced power failure 227 times. It had put 7, 86,017 consumers in dark for 533.08 minutes (8.88 hours). Ganeshkhind circle has 13, 27, 797 consumers, out of which 4, 35,532 consumers had witnessed 164 incidents of power outage, and they were in dark for 368.66 minutes (6.14 hours). The rural part of Pune city had faced a maximum 296 power interruptions and 1, 71,721 consumers were in dark for 593.75 minutes (9.89 hours). As per the rules of Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC), MSEDCL is required to publish the reliability index every month, but it did not published these indices on its website for the last three months after January 2024. Vivek Velankar, civic activist, said, MSEDCL only acts when theres a complaint. They release three months worth of information quickly after complaints, showing they have it ready. But because it highlights MSEDCLs issues, they avoid releasing it Rajendra Pawar, chief superintendent engineer of MSEDCL of Pune circle, said, We will upload reliability index data as early as possible. Normally, we upload data in quarters. In Maharashtra state, there were 13,001 incidents of power outages in the state in January 2024. It had forced half a crore consumer of the state into darkness for a total of 23,434 hours. Assam HS Result 2024 Live: The Assam Higher Secondary Education Council or AHSEC has announced Assam HS Result 2024 today, May 9. Students who have appeared in their Higher Secondary final examination can check their scores on results.ahsecexam.in. The date and time for Assam HS result was confirmed by the state's Education Minister Ranoj Pegu. Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) will declare HS Exam Results-2024 tomorrow at 9 AM. The official Press Release will be issued at 7 AM. Best wishes to all the candidates, he posted on X (Twitter) yesterday. ...Read More All the candidates who have appeared in the exam can check their results on the official websites ahsec.assam.gov.in and resultsassam.nic.in. Direct link to check Assam HS Result 2024 AHSEC conducted the Class 12 final examination from February 12 to March 13 across the state. Around 3 lakh students appeared in the exams. Last year, the AHSEC Class 12th result was announced in June and the pass percentage was 84.96% for Science, 79.57% for Commerce, and 70.12% for Arts. Follow this live blog for all the latest updates on AHSEC Assam HS Class 12th result 2024 Chhattisgarh Board of Secondary Education has released CGBSE 10th, 12th Result 2024 on May 9, 2024. The Class 10, 12 results was announced by the Board at the press conference. CGBSE Result 2024: Chhattisgarh board results out, toppers list here The students who appear can check the Chhattisgarh Board results for 10th and 12th on the official website of CGBSE at cgbse.nic.in. Candidates can also check the results on results.cg.nic.in and cg.results.nic.in. This year the Class 10 topper is Simran Sabba of Jashpur and Class 12 topper is Mehak Agarwal of Saraipali. At the press conference conducted by the Board officials, the pass percentage, toppers names and other details were also shared along with the declaration of the results of 10th, 12th. CGBSE 10th, 12th Result 2024: How to check To check the marks, candidates can follow the steps given below. Visit the official site of CGBSE at cgbse.nic.in. Click on CGBSE Class 12th, 10th Result 2024 link available on the home page. Enter the required details and click on submit. Your result will be displayed on the screen. Check the result and download the page. The Higher Secondary Certificate Examination was conducted from March 1 to March 23, 2024 at various exam centres across the state. The Class 10 or high school certificate examination was held from March 2 to March 21, 2024. The examination was conducted from 9:15 am to 12:15 pm. For more related details candidates can check the official website of CGBSE. GSEB HSC Result 2024 Live: The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB or GSEB) has declared HSC or Class 12, and the Gujarat Common Entrance Test (GUJCET) results in today, May 9. GSEB HSC Science, General stream (Arts and Commerce) and GUJCET results are available on gseb.org. Direct link to check GSEB HSC Result 2024 ...Read More This year, a total of 1.1 lakh students have taken the Gujart Board GSEB Class 12 Science examination while over 3.5 lakh students have appeared for it in the General stream. Ahead of announcing results, the board released answer keys for Science stream students. Apart from checking marks online, the GSEB also has the option to access it using their phones. For this, they have to dial this number: 6357300971. Follow this live blog for GSEB Gujarat board HSC 12th and GUJCET result direct link, other details. Will Travis, shown in 2012, brought a sense of humor to his 16 year-tenure as executive director of the Bay Conservation and Development Commission and his later work. He died April 24 at the age of 81. Sean Culligan/The Chronicle On a summer architectural tour of the masterpieces of California, Will Travis was driving a VW Beetle from Hearst Castle to the Marin County Civic Center when he passed through San Francisco to stop for lunch at a waterfront dive. That 1965 detour with two college friends made him forget about Julia Morgan and Frank Lloyd Wright. It wasnt the burger and it wasnt the beer. It was the view of San Francisco Bay that compelled him to dedicate his life to preserving a resource that he had only just discovered, at age 22. Travis went back to Penn State to complete a bachelors degree in architecture and a masters degree in regional planning, and when he arrived for good, in another VW Beetle, he was just in time to join the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, a state agency launched in 1965 to regulate commercial and recreational use on the bay. Travis rose to the position of executive director of the commission and served a 16-year tenure that put him at the forefront of the movement to reclaim the bay from industry and to warn and plan against global warming and subsequent rising sea levels. Advertisement Article continues below this ad What he saw coming in the environment could have turned him into a depressing bureaucrat, but Travis had an unsinkable disposition and a sense of humor that ranged from dry to dark. When he retired, in 2011, a farewell party that included Chuck Prophets band and comedian Will Durst, in addition to the unpaid comedy provided by Travis himself, was held in his honor at the Ferry Building. Then he switched his energies to a crusade to create housing on the parking lot at the North Berkeley BART Station, a 10-minute walk from his home. The first meeting in that plan was held in his living room, and he stayed in the battle through a diagnosis of Parkinsons disease 12 years ago. The progressive disease didnt stop him, but a subsequent diagnosis of bone cancer finally did. Travis died April 24, at the same starter home where he had lived with his wife, Jody Loeffler, for 47 years. He was 81. Will Travis, shown after his retirement from the Bay Conservation and Development Commission, fell in love with San Francisco Bay when he passed through the city on a California architectural tour at the age of 22. Sean Culligan/The Chronicle For Travis, aesthetics was a driving force, said Loeffler. Sitting on the San Francisco Bay waterfront for the first time, he just knew that it doesnt get any better than this, and he wanted people to understand the story of how the bay came to be saved, and how to keep it saved. Travis fought for the entire bay, from the picture-postcard shoreline where he helped expedite the Ferry Building makeover as a food court to the unglamorous salt ponds. Personality and charm, wit and sarcasm went a long way in those wars. When studies first revealed a possible rise in sea levels that could flood areas around the bay, in 2007, Travis was typically measured in his warnings. Advertisement Article continues below this ad San Francisco wont become the Venice of the West, and Silicon Valley wont become the lost city of Atlantis. Salt water wont come out of the taps in Southern California kitchens, he told Chronicle environmental writer Jane Kay. Trav was a rare blend of serious, efficient, effective professionalism, low key, ingenuous team play, and always-lurking puckish whimsy, said Berkeley attorney Richard Hammond, who noted that his last phone call with Travis included a typical observation: Theyve got me surrounded, Travis said, but Im working on outwitting them. William Hobart Travis Jr., was born Feb. 26, 1943, in Allentown, Pa. His father was crippled by polio but still worked on an assembly line at a Mack Truck factory. His mother, Clara, who was Pennsylvania Dutch, stayed at home to raise William and his two older sisters. At newly opened Dieruff High School, he served as yearbook editor and was elected chaplain of the campus Key Club, which he took some delight in since he was an atheist. He graduated from Dieruff in 1962 and enrolled at Pennsylvania State to study architecture in a five-year program. Advertisement Article continues below this ad After his junior year he and two friends piled into a VW Beetle on the architectural tour that changed his life. He came back to Penn State with stories to tell and one night went into a campus bar to tell them. The only customers he could interest were two Britons. It was only mid-conversation that they revealed that seated on one barstool was Sean Connery, who Travis would have known as 007, and on the other was Richard Harris. Travis liked to retell that story and also the one about his other close call with stardom, when he and film producer Ron Blatman convinced Robert Redford to narrate a four-part ecological history called Saving the Bay, which aired nationwide on PBS in 2009. Travis fought for the entire Bay, from the picture-postcard shoreline where he helped expedite the Ferry Building makeover as a food court to the unglamorous salt ponds. Personality and charm, wit and sarcasm went a long way in those wars. Sean Culligan/The Chronicle Travis completed his bachelors degree in 1967 and continued on at Penn State to earn a masters in regional planning in 1970. He had a job offer from a San Francisco consulting firm and left Pennsylvania with his new wife, Barbara. It was a slow trip in a VW Beetle, and while he was making his way west a letter advising him that the consultants job had fallen through was waiting for him at the wrong address in Pennsylvania. He wasnt about to turn around and go back east, so he found a job as the first Bay Design Analyst hired by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission. Two years later, he was lured away to develop the first master plan of the East Bay Regional Parks District. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It was a one-year project, which was just long enough for him to meet Jody Loeffler, secretary for the project. By the time the year was up they were each on their way to a divorce. They married in 1977, in a living-room ceremony that was meant to be held in a redwood grove that turned out to be too drippy for nuptials. That same year they bought the starter house in North Berkeley that they were never to move from. It came with two attic rooms, one an office they shared and the other a Berkeley High bedroom for their daughter Katherine, whom they had adopted as an infant from Paraguay in 1992. He and Loeffler later wrote a memoir of international adoption, called Katherines Gift, published in 2008. He always said, Everything I do is to preserve the environment for you, said his daughter, who goes by Kate, and is now 32. To this end, Travis moved back and forth between positions at the Bay Conservation and Development Commission and the California Coastal Commission before ending up back at BCDC in 1985. For 10 years he was chairman of the Shell Oil Spill Litigation Trustee Committee, which managed an $11 million settlement after a 1988 accident at a refinery in Martinez. Mitigation included purchase of 10,000 acres of salt evaporation ponds on the northern shoreline of the Bay, an area now being returned to wetlands. He also guided BCDC to becoming the first state agency in the nation, in 2011, to adopt development regulations for dealing with sea level rise. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Travis was laser-focused on planning for a rising bay, and he spent the rest of his life working toward that end, said former BCDC regulatory director Brad McCrea, referencing a 2017 article Travis wrote called The Shoreline of the Future: Permanently Temporary. He consistently called for the bay region to find new and innovative ways to build and live along a shoreline that is trying to forever migrate inland, McCrea said. After Travis retired from BCDC, he started commuting to his attic office to work as a consultant to the Oakland As when there was still hope for a ballpark near Jack London Square. Will Travis considered himself an educator above all else, and his list of publications, lectures and symposiums was 25 pages long. He always said, Everything I do is to preserve the environment for you, says his daughter, Kate. Mathew Sumner/Special to the Chronicle He served as chair of the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee in Berkeley, to map out the future of the city, and later launched the move to turn a two-block-long parking lot at the North Berkeley BART Station into a transit-oriented development, a controversial idea if there ever was one. It took five years, but ground will be broken in 2025 for 750 residential units. Travis was smart, clever, and a lot of fun to be around, said Victoria Eisen, a transportation planner, who hopes to get the project named for Travis. He considered himself an educator above all else, and his list of publications, lectures and symposiums was 25 pages long. He often lectured in the College of Environmental Design at Wurster Hall at UC Berkeley. Im being called to lecture at a school that would not have accepted me as a student, hed say before setting off on foot for campus. In 2015, Travis consented to a long series of interviews in his home with a historian at the Bancroft Library. The resulting 200-page document is titled Will Trav Travis: Leading Environmental Regulator for the Public Interest. He loved trains more than cars, unless it was a 1937 Mercedes-Benz roadster, which had a body that he found aesthetically pleasing. He had two grandchildren and three dogs, and he loved to load them all up and drive to the Albany Bulb, where he could walk out on the beach and stare across the water. Karnataka School Examinations and Assessments Board has declared Karnataka SSLC Result 2024 on May 9, 2024. Candidates who have appeared for Class 10 board examination across the state can check the KSEAB Class 10 results on the official website of Karnataka Results at karresults.nic.in. The details can also be checked at kseab.karnataka.gov.in. Karnataka SSLC Result 2024 Live Updates Karnataka SSLC Result 2024 declared. Check pass percentage here. (HT file) This year the overall pass percentage is 73.40%. A total of 859967 appeared for the examination out of which 631204 candidates passed. All the candidates who have appeared for Karnataka SSLC examination can check the results by following the steps given below. Karnataka SSLC Result 2024: How to check Visit the official website of Karnataka Results at karresults.nic.in. Click on Karnataka SSLC Result 2024 link available on the home page. Enter the login credentials and click on submit. Your result will be displayed on the screen. Check the result and download the page. Keep a hard copy of the same for further need. SSLC examination commenced on March 25 and ended on April 6, 2024. Practical and oral examinations for JTS students was conducted on April 8, 2024. One hour of extra time was given to 3 hours question paper, and 40 minutes of extra time will be given to 2 hours question paper for differently abled candidates. Around 8 lakh candidates have appeared for Karnataka Class 10 board examination across the state. For more related details candidates can check the official website of CGBSE. Kerala Pareeksha Bhavan announced Kerala DHSE 12th result 2024. The Kerala 12th results can be checked by candidates on results.kite.kerala.gov.in and also at pareekshabhavan.kerala.gov.in. Kerala Class 12th Results 2024 LIVE Updates Kerala 12th Result 2024 declared. Check pass percentage here. (HT file) A total of 374755 students appeared for the exam and 294888 students passed. The overall pass percentage is 78.69%. The vocational pass percentage is 71.42%. This year, the overall pass percentage of the Science stream is 84.84%, the Commerce stream is 76.11%, and the Arts or Humanities stream is 67.09%. A total of 39242 students got full A+ marks this year. In 2023, 33215 students got full A+. The highest pass percentage in Ernakulam district and lowest in Wayanad district this year. Officials conducted a press conference where the results were declared along with details like pass percentage, gender-wise pass percentage, best-performing districts and other information. Kerala Class 12 exams took place from March 1 to March 26, 2024. Steps to check Kerala Class 12 results: Visit the official website keralaresults.nic.in Find the link to check the class 12 result on the home page and click it A new page opens up and students need to submit the required information Once the details are submitted, you can view the result on the screen Verify the details and download the page for future purposes For more information, visit the official website. In 2023, the overall pass percentage was 82.95%. Out of 376135 candidates that appeared in the class 12 exams, 312005 had qualified for higher education. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has declared the UPSC National Defence Academy (NDA) and Naval Academy Results 2024 on its official website at upsc.gov.in. Candidates who appeared in the exams can check their results by visiting the official website of the UPSC. UPSC NDA and NA results 2024 released on official website upsc.gov.in. In a press statement, the UPSC listed out the roll numbers of candidates who qualified for an interview to be conducted by the Services Selection Board (SSB) of the Ministry of Defence for Admission to Army, Navy, and Air Force Wings of the National Defence Academy for the 153rd Course and for the 115th Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC) that will begin from January 2, 2025. The commission said that the candidates are requested to register themselves online on the Indian Army Recruiting website joinindianarmy.nic.in within two weeks of the announcement of the written result. Also read: Kerala +2 Result 2024 : Kerala board class 12 results out, heres how to check scores Following this, successful candidates would be allotted Selection Centers and dates, of the SSB interview which shall be communicated on registered e-mail ID. Any candidate who has already registered earlier on the site will not be required to do so, said the commission. Further, the UPSC stated the Candidates are required to submit original certificates of Age and Educational Qualification to respective Service Selection Boards (SSBs) during the SSB interview. Also read: CGBSE Result 2024: Chhattisgarh board results out, Simran Sabba tops class 10, Mehek Agarwal tops class 12 Notably, the UPSC conducted the NDA NA exams on April 21, 2024. Through the exam, the commission aims to fill 400 posts in the organization. There are 208 vacancies available in the Army, 42 posts available in the Navy, 120 posts in the Air Force, and 30 vacancies in the Naval Academy are available to be filled through the recruitment drive. Direct link to download the results Steps to download results from the official website: COLUMBUS, Ohio Ohio's top lawyer has advised the state's public universities that a law written to deter Ku Klux Klan demonstrations could be used to impose felony charges on students who wear face coverings while protesting the war in Gaza. Ohio attorney general warns student protesters in masks could face felony charges under anti-KKK law In a letter sent Monday, after weeks of pro-Palestinian campus protests around the country, Republican Attorney General Dave Yost advised the presidents of Ohio's 34 public, four-year universities which his office represents to forewarn students about the 1953 law. In our society, there are few more significant career-wreckers than a felony charge, the letter said. I write to you today to inform your student bodies of an Ohio law that, in the context of some behavior during the recent pro-Palestinian protests, could have that effect. The law is contained in a single sentence: No person shall unite with two or more others to commit a misdemeanor while wearing white caps, masks, or other disguise. Violating this anti-disguise law is punishable by a fourth-degree felony charge, up to $5,000 in fines and five years on community control, Yost wrote. Protesters around the U.S. and the world have increasingly taken steps to remain anonymous by wearing a combination of head and face coverings, in a world where facial-recognition software can easily lead to negative repercussions. Not all do so to hide their identities, however. Some wear religious hijabs or medical masks used to prevent exposure to COVID-19, or as a political statement on the virus' ongoing impacts. Yost, a fourth-term state official who is considering a run for governor in 2026, wrote that students should protest within the bounds of the law," not commit crimes, not use the First Amendment as a sword against fellow students, and own their advocacy and avoid wearing masks. Among Ohio's 34 public universities are Kent State, whose name is synonymous with clashes between Vietnam War protesters and National Guard members that left four dead in 1970, and Ohio State a site of several protests in recent weeks where dozens have been arrested, most for criminal trespass. Ohio State spokesperson Ben Johnson said the university had received Yost's letter and was reviewing it. In a March 6 letter, Yost had told President Ted Carter that Ohio law prevents the university from divesting its interests in Israeli assets, one of the calls of protesters. Kent State and several other universities contacted by The Associated Press had no immediate comment. Nor did the Inter-University Council, which represents universities' interests, or the American Civil Liberties Union. Bethany McCorkle, a spokesperson for Yost's office, said the letter regarding the disguise law was not a response to any specific request for legal advice by the universities. The letter was proactive guidance to universities that he is counsel for to make sure no one becomes an unintentional felon, she said in a text message. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Aniplex of America, a key player in the anime industry, has recently announced a major expansion line of the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime series. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime series expands with new products and partnerships in US(Ufotable) This expansion also has a large array of new products, accompanied by a number of new licenses and promotional services. When the Demon Slayer merch will drop Following the much-awaited Season 4 premiere of the anime series on May 12 (and the only one that will be available online in the USA through Crunchyroll at that time), a convention will take place at the Ocean Center on Daytona Beach. Yosuke Kodaka, the president of Aniplex of America, shared the exciting news, mentioning the distribution and licensing of Demon Slayer across various regions, including North and South America, the U.K., Ireland, South Africa, and Australia. Kodaka expressed, Demon Slayer has amassed a dedicated fanbase, drawn in by its gripping storyline, breathtaking animation and unforgettable characters. Were thrilled about the forthcoming release of the Hashira Training Arc and delighted to be working with partners who continue to expand the universe providing fans multiple ways to engage with the brand at every touchpoint. ALSO READ| Kaiju No. 8 Episode 5: Exact release date, time, where to watch and more Aniplex's Demon Slayer franchise extends, what are the products In the United States, Foot Locker is set to introduce a Demon Slayer x Adidas footwear and accessory collection. This marks the second collaboration between the two, following a successful Demon Slayer x Champion apparel range. Aniplex has also secured a new partnership with Esports giant Team Liquid to offer Demon Slayer-themed computer peripherals and exclusive apparel designs. The apparel sector sees further expansion with Aniplexs new licensing agreement with Steve Aokis DIM MAK. The brand joins an impressive roster of apparel and accessory partners, including Crocs, Bioworld, Isaac Morris, and CultureFly. The toy category is also receiving a boost with the upcoming May 20 release of Bandai Namco Toys & Collectibles Americas second wave of Ultimate Legends action figures and the Great Posing Figures Gashapon Blind Pack collection. McFarlane Toys is set to introduce new character figures, adding to the variety of Demon Slayer merchandise. Funko continues to cater to collectors with the expansion of its Pop! vinyl figures line, featuring new Demon Slayer characters. For home and lifestyle enthusiasts, Just Funky offers a selection of tableware and throws, while Trends International prepares to launch a new series of posters and calendars. ALSO READ| Here are 5 free codes for Solo Leveling: Arise. Claim it fast! The gaming world is not left behind, with Sweep the Board, a four-person digital board game, making its way to Nintendo Switch. Secretlab has released a second collection of Demon Slayer-inspired gaming chairs, and AplusX Inc. and Cyber Power PC have introduced promotions featuring mousepads and keyboard cap products. Aniplex of America is gearing up to attend the Licensing Expo 2024 in Las Vegas. There are long breeding rumours that filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali has fits of anger while working and tends to throw phones in bouts of annoyance. Now, in a recent interview, actor Sonakshi Sinha, who worked with him in the web series Heeramandi, addressed the buzz, saying these rumours are all made up. (Also read: Sonakshi Sinha reacts to criticism for Heeramandi: We never promised a history lesson) Sonakshi Sinha has worked with Sanjay Leela Bhansali in web series, Heeramandi. Sonakshi gives a clarification In an interview to India Today, Sonakshi said SLB has been a nurturing soul while bringing the opulent world of Heeramandi, and referenced him as a taskmaster. Absolute rumours! she said, speaking about the phone throwing incidents, adding, But yes, he is a taskmaster, I wont deny that. But, he deserves every bit of it because see the kind of work and magic that he creates, right? And if somebody does mess with his vision, I think its his right to make sure the work gets done. More about the rumours In the film world, Sanjay has crafted an image of being a perfectionist. Actors who have worked with him, from Ranbir Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor to Ranveer Singh, have been vocal about his discipline and passion towards his craft and bringing the story alive in the best way possible. Over the years, there have been rumours of him being too strict on set, and when at times things dont go his way, he has thrown phones at actors in anger. Her own experience of working with Sanjay Sonakshi had heard these rumours too before working with him. She said that she has enjoyed collaborating with Sanjay, as hes someone who really appreciates talent. He was very happy with me. I also did hear these rumours before I went to work with him, but I was very, very happy to work with him on set. He can be really nurturing when he sees that an actor is delivering exactly what his vision is, so, Im blessed that I got to see that side of him, she said. About Heeramandi The show, which was released on May 1, explores a story set in the backdrop of the Indian independence revolution. The series showcases the clash between the courtesans of the red-light district of Heera Mandi in Lahore and the officials during the British Raj. (Read: Sanjay Leela Bhansali reveals he wanted to cast Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan in Heeramandi: It was a film back then) In the show, Sonakshi is seen in the role of Fareendan. It also features Manisha Koirala, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Segal Mehta, Farida Jalal, Fardeen Khan, Jason Shah, Shekhar Suman and Adhyayan Suman. Toronto police are reaching out to the public as they continue with the investigation of the drive-by shooting that gravely wounded a security guard outside Drakes mansion. And now an intruder has tried to trespass on the rapper's home. Toronto police patrol outside the home of Canadian rapper Drake after reports of a shooting early on May 7, 2023, according to media reports. (Photo by Christopher Katsarov Luna / AFP)(AFP) Police detained the intruder at Drakes home The day after the shooting, Toronto police were called to Drakes home once again due to an attempted intrusion. On Wednesday, May 8th, around 2 p.m., officers detained an individual who was trying to enter the Drake's Bridle Path premises without authorization. Drake's personal security held him until the police arrived. The arrest, made under the Mental Health Act, was confirmed by a police spokesperson to CityNews Toronto. The identity of the intruder has not been released ALSO READ| Drake's OVO store in London vandalized with Kendrick Lamar diss, feud escalates amid shooting incident Growing unease regarding the security of Drakes home The drive-by shooting took place in the early hours of Tuesday when unidentified assailants opened fire at the entrance of Drakes residence from a vehicle. The security guard who was injured during the shooting was quickly taken to the hospital. The extent of the guards injuries has not been made public. Police Duty Inspector Paul Krawczyk spoke to the media in the aftermath of the shooting, stating that the perpetrators escaped in a vehicle, but they cannot speak to a motive at this time Police have said they collected some video evidence which captures the incident, but can't share much as of now. We're dealing with video quality issues, Krawczyk said. As we have information and we're able to analyze video better then we'll be able to provide more information. While there has been much conjecture, the police have not officially connected the shooting to the dispute between Drake and fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar. ALSO READ| Drake's Toronto home taped off by cops following shooting that left 1 injured Feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar For the last couple of weeks, the diss feud between Drake and Lamar caught the media's attention. Tensions escalated when Lamar released the Not Like Us diss track, which included images of Drakes house taken from Google Maps. This followed with a series of verbal exchanges between the two, with Drake dropping a counter-track, The Heart Pt. 6. Lamars supporters altered the names of locations in Drakes neighbourhood on Google Maps, adding threatning messages that provoked the rapper. By Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen Israel secures spot in Eurovision 2024 grand final MALMO, Sweden -Switzerland and the Netherlands, two of the favourites to win Eurovision 2024, secured spots in Saturday's grand final alongside Israel despite large protests against the country's participation and booing during its performance. Some 100,000 visitors have gathered in the southern Swedish city of Malmo for the annual kitsch-fest, under heavy police presence as authorities brace for possible unrest. Swiss rapper and singer Nemo, 24, qualified from the second semi-final on Thursday with the song 'The Code', as did Joost Klein, 26, of the Netherlands with his song 'Europapa'. "Singing this song in front of a live audience and knowing that so many people are listening made me really emotional," Nemo said during a press conference following the semi-final. The song, a drum-and-bass, opera, rap, and rock tune, is about Nemo's journey of self-discovery as a non-binary person. "I think it's really important that we have so much queer representation this year," Nemo said, referring to Irish contestants Bambie Thug, who also secured a spot in the final after performing in the first semi-final on Tuesday. Israeli solo artist Eden Golan, 20, and her song 'Hurricane' also qualified for Saturday's grand show, which will feature performances from 26 countries. Some booing was heard from the crowd before, during and after Golan's performance but also applause and Israeli flags waving, according to a Reuters journalist in the auditorium. "I'm so overwhelmed with emotions," Golan later told the press conference. "It's truly such an honour to be here on stage performing and showing our voice and representing us with pride," she said, adding the organisers had taken precautions to make the event safe for everyone. The solo artist characterises her song as a strong power ballad that describes a person going through a storm of emotions. Armenia, Austria, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Latvia and Norway also qualified for the final. Eurovision organisers had resisted calls to exclude Israel over its military campaign in Gaza, triggered by Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, arguing that the competition is a non-political event. More than 10,000 pro-Palestinian campaigners, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, staged a non-violent protest in the hours ahead of the semi-final, waiving Palestinian flags and shouting "boycott Israel". A smaller group of pro-Israeli supporters, including members of Malmo's Jewish community, also staged a peaceful demonstration in the city, defending Golan and her nation's right to take part in the contest. Hundreds of artists in Sweden and elsewhere have pushed for Israel to be blocked from taking part, as did two Belgian government ministers earlier this year. The European Broadcasting Union , which organises the event, requested earlier this year that Israel tweak its initial lyrics in order to participate, saying they had originally made reference to the Oct. 7 attack. In a video statement earlier on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Golan for her participation. "You are not only taking on Eurovision in a proud and very impressive manner, you are also contending successfully with an ugly wave of antisemitism - and representing the State of Israel with enormous honour," Netanyahu said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Climate change is certainly a concern that most of us wish to reverse. But young guns of Delhi Universitys Kirori Mal College (KMC) dont just stop at wondering and worrying! Instead they are working towards making their contribution in saving the plant. Building a case for it are members of Bhoomi KMCs eco club who recently got together for their fest, La Naturaleza 24. KMC's eco club fest Bhoomi had stalls by only those vendors who follow eco-friendly practices. (Photo: Kriti Kambiri/HT) The event was all about sustainability and promoting the planets health. So much so that for the decor, the clubs members collected paper and plastic waste and repurposed it. Some students created models of papier-mache planets using newspapers, charts, posters and plastic bags, to emphasise on the chant of Go Green on campus. Alongside, there were cultural performances themed on sustainability and environment preservation. Slow fashion ruled at the stalls set-up here as the vendors were handpicked by the fest's organising committee. Stalls are usually given to raise funds for sponsorships, shares Ratn Priya, a second-year student of BSc (Hons) Botany and the secretary of the club. She adds, We were conscious of the fact that many industries generate waste that could set progress back by several decades. Hence we chose to highlight only those small businesses that have eco friendly practices rooted in their vision and functioning. The stalls included student-run businesses selling handmade crochet outfits and accessories. Some even sold clothes crafted in block printing by hand, and handwoven bamboo bags. Chikitsa Gupta, a first-year student of BA (Hons) English at KMC, was spotted buying handwoven bag and crocheted coasters. She said, One doesnt need to be Greta Thunberg (climate activist) to bring about a change. As an individual, we can focus on waste management and sustainable practices be it through our fashion choices or decor or simply by reducing our carbon footprint. Such baby steps at individual level do have an impact, and my purchases today are my way of saying that Im a part of this movement! For more, follow @htcity.delhijunction AHMEDABAD: The Ahmedabad police on Thursday arrested 37 people for their involvement in stone-pelting and vandalism at the 600-year-old Pirana Dargah, a shrine revered by both communities that was seen as an example of communal harmony. The arrests were made in connection with clashes that broke out between two groups in Ahmedabad on May 7 night (Videograb/X/damayanteedhar) The arrests were made in connection with clashes that broke out between two groups in Ahmedabad on May 7 night, hours after polling for the Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat ended. According to Ahmedabad (Rural) superintendent of police Om Prakash Jat, tension erupted after allegations by one group that the graves had been vandalised and the saints mausoleum, known as the mazhar, was also targeted. Police said stone-pelting and vandalism led to damage to some graves and statues, as well as minor injuries to around six police personnel. The Pir Imamshah Bawa Trust-run campus of the Sufi saints shrine originally consisted of a shrine for his four grandsons and a granddaughter, a mosque named after him, and a graveyard where Saiyeds, descendants of Pir Imamshah Bawa, are buried. The Pirana Dargah has long been a site of harmonious worship for both Hindus, who identify themselves as Satpanthi, and Muslims. However, tension has been simmering over recent controversies around the shrines identity. In August last year, Hindu followers of Pir Imamshah Bawa rechristened the Sufi saint as Sadguru Hanstej Maharaj, a move that drew strong objections from the saints Muslim descendants from the local Saiyed community. They accused the Hindus of attempting to saffronise the shrine and sat on a fast in protest. The Hindu trustees argued that the name Hanstej Maharaj has been associated with the saint in scriptures for over 4,000 years. On January 30, 2022, about 200 labourers, accompanied by big contingent of police personnel, allegedly came to the premises and started construction of a wall in the compound, dividing the dargah, graveyard, and mosque. The Muslim trustees of the Imamshah Bawa Roza Sansthan filed a representation with authorities, objecting to the alleged efforts to convert the dargah into a Hindu religious place. They cited instances of deities posters being pasted on the mausoleum and the erection of a hoarding depicting the shrine as a temple, bearing the words Om Shree Sadguru Hanstejji Maharaj Akhand Divyajyoti Mandir. The dispute reached the Gujarat high court, with the Sunni Awami Forum filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in 2022, invoking the Places of Worship Act, 1991. The PIL alleged that the dargah was being converted into a temple with the installation of idols, contrary to the scheme of the Trust and provisions of the Act. The Satpanthi trustees, who hold a majority in the committee managing the Imamshah Bawa Roza Trust, have been accused of depriving Muslims of their religious rights and portraying Pir Imamshah Bawa as a Hindu saint. California regulators are expected to consider the highly controversial subject of fixed charges for the states electric utilities on Thursday at a time when PG&E rates have risen quickly. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle California regulators are set to vote Thursday on a major change to utility bills that could raise costs for some residents already burned with soaring rates, while lowering costs for others. The California Public Utilities Commission will decide whether to approve a $24.15 fixed charge on utility bills in exchange for lowering the per-unit price of electricity. The rule would apply to customers of Pacific Gas and Electric Co., San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The proposal was designed to ease the burden on lower income households, which energy economists say shoulder disproportionately greater energy system costs compared with higher earners, especially households that can afford to install solar. Low-income households and others enrolled in affordability programs which for PG&E represents about one-third of its customer base would pay lower fixed charges of either $6 or $12 per month. And the commission said lowering electricity rates will also make it more affordable for big energy users, such as electric vehicle drivers who charge at home and Central Valley residents paying big bills to cool homes during heat waves. Customers have hit the breaking point and have passed it, said Matthew Freedman, an attorney for ratepayer advocate group The Utility Reform Network, which supports the fixed charge plan. People who live in the Central Valley have taken it on the chin as rates have gone up. But commissioners are also hearing loud opposition to the plan leading up to Thursdays vote. The solar industry has warned that millions of households with solar panels and other low-energy users stand to see their bills rise. That includes apartment dwellers and other households that fall outside the formal definition of low-income yet are still struggling. The Sierra Club of California called the plan a mixed bag and said it doesnt go far enough to lower bills for low-income Californians. Advertisement Article continues below this ad And even though the state Legislature voted to create it two years ago, lawmakers now say this major change was made without much discussion because it was overshadowed by other provisions in a complex energy bill. Future increases to the fixed charge are possible. However, they must go before the commission for approval. The PUC said the plan would allow utilities to lower how much customers pay for each kilowatt hour they consume a reduction of an estimated 5 and 7 cents per unit, or about 11% lower electricity rates on average. The fixed-charge plan was also designed to ensure solar customers pay a share of basic grid maintenance costs. The $24.15 charge is similar to the $24 fixed charge customers already pay in the states capital served by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District. The PUC estimated modest bill savings for two types of households that use high amounts of energy. A San Francisco household that charges an electric car and uses mostly electric appliances could save about $32 per month. And a Fresno family could save an estimated $33 over the summer. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The PUC did not provide examples of customer groups that would see bills rise. Josh Plaisted, principal of Flagstaff Research working with the California Solar and Storage Association, said his analysis of the PUCs new fixed-charge plan found that about half of all households could see their utility costs rise between $65 and $255 annually. The other half would see either nominal changes or annual savings of as much as $474. For every dollar one group is saving, someone else has to pay for it, Plaisted said. The fixed-charge plan, if adopted, would not change the total amount of revenue utilities collect from customers, but it alters the formula of how those charges are distributed among customers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of the California Solar and Storage Association, said her industry is concerned that the proposal doesnt provide a cap on future fixed-charge increases so utilities could soon lobby for fixed-charge hikes going forward. The PUC also failed to show how the change would impact bills among a broad range of customers, and instead focused on a few examples that dont show how millions of households will see bills rise, Del Chiaro said. The winners typically live in large homes, Del Chiaro said. The losers are people who live in apartments and small homes and all who consume small amounts of electricity. State Senate Republicans have urged the commission to reject the proposal. In a May 7 letter, state Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones and seven other lawmakers said they were concerned that the fixed charge discourages energy conservation and pointed out that California has some of the highest electricity rates in the country. We must do more to rein in the ever-growing cost of living in our state, not find new ways to add to it, Jones wrote. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Alice Reynolds, president of the PUC, has said that lower electricity rates will help the state encourage electrification because people who use more electricity will see lower bills than they would have without the fixed charges. During a February hearing before the state Senates energy and utilities committee, Reynolds said the current billing structure was outdated. We want to make it easier for customers to replace gas-powered vehicles with electric ones and switch to electric appliances, Reynolds said. California has moved away from a total energy conservation approach in favor of a more nuanced focus on conserving during times of peak demand. In fact, California is encouraging households and businesses to ramp up their electricity use to power vehicles and appliances and give up fossil-fuel energy sources like gas-fired furnaces. Electricity is a cleaner energy source than natural gas, which generates greater greenhouse gases warming the planet. Many other states require investor-owned utilities to apply fixed charges for infrastructure and maintenance costs, including Texas where flat rates are up to $39 per month, according to the commission. California has been the outlier. And most municipal utilities, including those in Sacramento and Los Angeles, have fixed charges. The death toll in a blaze at a fireworks manufacturing unit in Tamil Nadu's Sivakasi rose to eight after a worker succumbed to his burns. The incident occurred in the town of Sivakasi, renowned as India's fireworks hub, when fire engulfed a private firecracker manufacturing unit located at Sengamalapatti near Sivakasi in Virudhunagar district. Tamil Nadu blast: Police and fire service personnel rushed the injured to the government hospital in Sivakasi. (Representational Image / PTI) Police and fire service personnel rushed to the scene to initiate rescue operations and evacuated the injured to the government hospital. Read: Terkheda: Boom time in Maharashtras Sivakasi The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Reports suggest that around ten workers were present at the manufacturing unit at the time of the explosion. Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin extended condolences to the families and relatives of the deceased workers and said relief aid would be provided with the approval of the Election Commission. I have immediately contacted the District Collector of Virudhunagar and instructed them to carry out the rescue operations as soon as possible and have also directed to ensure that the injured get proper treatment, he posted on X. Sivakasi has witnessed several such mishaps over the years. Read: Flip side of cracker ban: 40% drop in fireworks business at Sivakasi In February, 10 people including four women were killed in an explosion at a fireworks factory in Virudhunagar district. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed condolence over the deaths and announced that an ex-gratia of 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. It is with a heavy heart that I learnt about a mishap at a firecracker factory in Virudhunagar district. During this difficult time, my thoughts are with the loved ones of those who have tragically passed away. I wish a swift and full recovery for all who have been injured. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given 50,000, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Air India Express cabin crew withdrew the strike after the airline agreed to look into issues raised by them, news agency PTI reported citing sources. The airline has agreed to withdraw termination letters issued to 25 cabin crew, PTI reported. After two and a half days of stalemate, the airline and the crew on Thursday came to a middle ground putting an end to the suffering of hundreds of flyers. Hundreds of flights were cancelled since Tuesday night as a section of the cabin crew reported sick in a protest against alleged mismanagement. On Thursday, the airline issued termination letters to around 25 cabin crew who were on strike. Passengers had a hard time as Air India Express cancelled several flights on Wednesday and Thursday as its cabin crew went on a strike. (PTI) Facing a sudden shortage of cabin crew which affected the flights, the airline apologised and assured a refund or alternative flight booking. Air India Express has decided to curtail flights till May 13 while roping in Air India's services on 20 of its routes. "We will be operating 283 flights today. We have mobilised all resources and Air India will support us by operating on 20 of our routes. However, 85 of our flights stand cancelled," the airline said in a revised statement on Thursday. After the meeting, Air India Express said: We are pleased with the progress we made at the conciliation meeting and welcome our cabin crew colleagues back at work. This will help us swiftly restore our flight schedule and fulfil our commitments to our guests. We sincerely apologise to those inconvenienced by these unintended disruptions. It is not in keeping with our usual service standards, and we will review it internally to ensure accountability. As we gradually bring our operations back to normalcy, we urge our guests booked to fly with us to check their flight status before heading to the airport. If their flight is cancelled, or delayed beyond 3 hours, they may opt for a full refund or reschedule to a later date without any fees on Tia on WhatsApp (+91 6360012345) or on http://airindiaexpress.com. Air India Express strike: Here is what happened since Tuesday night Several Air India Express cabin crew reported sick on Tuesday night leading to delays and cancellation of flights. The spiral effect of it was continued to be felt on Wednesday and Thursday. The protesting crew members said there were several issues including the merger with AIX Connect (formerly Air Asia) that they were raising. Room sharing, lack of proper support, revised salary structure and alleged differential treatment of experienced crew members were some of the issues. The civil aviation ministry sought a report from Air India Express on flight cancellations. Air India Express sacked 25 cabin crew members for reporting 'sick' and called it a pre-meditated and concerted abstention from work. A meeting between the Air India Express union and the company management was called on Thursday and both sides agreed to cooperate. Tata Group-owned Air India Express has sacked 25 of the crew members, who went on mass sick leave on Wednesday in protest against the management over the merger of the low-cost domestic service with AirAsia India, calling the abstention pre-meditated and concerted without any justifiable reason. The protest led to the cancellation of at least 86 flights on Wednesday and 74 on Thursday besides curtailment of operations. In Delhi, 14 flights were cancelled until 4pm on Wednesday. (ANI) People aware of the matter said the termination letters were issued late on Wednesday. A termination letter said, It has been reported that you were rostered for a flight on 07.05.2024. However, you informed the Scheduling team at the last moment that you were unwell and accordingly reporting sick... It noted that at or around the same time, an overwhelming number of other cabin crew members also reported sick and did not report for their duties. This clearly points to a pre-meditated and concerted abstention from work without any justifiable reason...As a result of the above, a large number of flights had to be cancelled thereby disrupting the entire schedule, which caused tremendous inconvenience to the Companys esteemed passengers, said the letter, a copy of which HT has seen. Your act is not only subversive of public interest, but has also caused embarrassment, severe reputational damage, and serious monetary loss to the Company. It said the act of reporting sick amounts to a concerted action with a common understanding to not operate the flight and to disrupt the services of the company, which is a violation of the rules and laws. The airline said that reporting sick and not being available for sick is a violation of the employment contract. .. the Company has decided to terminate your employment with immediate effect on and from the date of this letter... In April, Vistara, a joint venture of Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, too cancelled flights due to crew unavailability. It was later forced to scale down operations after pilots called in sick en masse. A section of Air Indian Express cabin crew reported sick at the last minute, starting Tuesday night, resulting in flight delays and cancellations. An Air India Express spokesperson on Wednesday said the airline was engaging with the crew to understand the reasons behind these occurrences while addressing any inconvenience to guests. In a letter to employees, Air India Express CEO Aloke Singh said the strike was by about 100 staffers, which led disproportionate impact on 90 plus flights, even though other colleagues reported for duty. Singh maintained the act was not representative of the 2,000-odd cabin crew colleagues in the company who continue to respond to the call of duty and serve guests with dedication and pride. He added the company leadership was available for discussions. Air India Express operates over 2,500 flights weekly across 31 domestic and 14 international airports. It has a fleet of over 70 aircraft comprising Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s. The airline has 2,600 cabin crew out of which 327 reported sick on Wednesday, said an official with the airline. Air India Express offered refunds for the affected flights or complimentary rescheduling to another date. All the 327 who reported sick are senior cabin crew. They reported being sick a few hours before their flights and then switched off their phones. HT reported the cabin crew have been protesting the alleged mismanagement of the airline during the merger process which is feared to cost jobs.There were major cancellations at all airports in southern India. In Delhi, 14 flights were cancelled until 4pm. The government said it had sought a report from the airline and asked it to resolve issues promptly while advising facilities to passengers. The flight disruptions were likely to continue on Thursday as well. The airline was expected to scale down its departures for passenger convenience similar to what Vistara did. The ministry of external affairs on Thursday confirmed that a chartered flight carrying multiple Indian passengers from Dubai was sent back from Jamaica due to concerns over their documentation. Ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal (Screengrab) "We are given to understand that a chartered flight from Dubai landed in Jamaica with several Indians onboard. They had prior travel and hotel bookings. However local authorities were not satisfied with their documents. They were sent back to Dubai on 7th May," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, as quoted by ANI. According to local reports, a chartered flight carrying 253 Indians and other foreign nationals arrived in Jamaica last Thursday. Some of the Indians on the flight claimed they were on a five-day tour, but their itineraries only covered one day. For the purpose of the visit they said they were staying five days to tour the island but they had an itinerary for one day, disclosed one immigration official to The Gleaner. Immigration officers at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston discovered issues with their travel documents. Consequently, they were refused entry but allowed to stay at the ROK Hotel in downtown Kingston temporarily. Another donkey flight? The term "donkey flight", predominantly used by traffickers in Punjab, describes a complex and hazardous journey taken by migrants to reach Western countries, typically the US. The group was reportedly transiting through Jamaica, with some heading to Nicaragua for a housing development project, while others planned to travel to Canada. The Jamaican government has yet to confirm the purpose of their travel. Police are investigating a potential human smuggling operation. The police are investigating a possible human smuggling operation, the report said. The MEA did not specify whether the passengers were attempting to enter the US illegally. As an island nation located in close proximity to the United States, Jamaica can be used as a transit point for migrants attempting to enter the US unlawfully. A similar incident occurred last year when a chartered flight originating from Dubai, destined for Nicaragua, was halted at a French airport. The flight saw 276 Indian passengers being repatriated. ALSO READ- Some passengers didn't want to return, they paid for Nicaragua: 'Donkey' flight lawyer The flight, operated by USC Aero, transited through Cairo International Airport in Egypt from Dubai, it added. A fresh controversy has surfaced in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana over apprehension around the status of Hyderabad after June 2, when the city will cease to continue as the common capital of the two Telugu states following the completion of 10 years of the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. People throng the market area at Char Minar in Hyderabad. (ANI) As per Section 5 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, Hyderabad shall be the common capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for a period not exceeding 10 years with effect from June 2, 2014 the official date for the bifurcation of the combined state. It further states that after the completion of the 10-year period, Hyderabad shall be the capital of Telangana only. On October 22, 2015, Amaravati was declared as the capital of Andhra Pradesh. However, with little over three weeks to the completion of 10-year period, Telanganas opposition party, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), has raked up a controversy over the future status of Hyderabad and made it a poll issue in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. BRS working president and former Telangana minister KT Rama Rao has claimed that he had specific information that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was planning to amend the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 to turn Hyderabad into a Union Territory if it was voted to power at the Centre for a third successive term, a claim rejected by the BJP. The BJP is conspiring to make Hyderabad a Union Territory to gain control over Telangana. The Congress has no courage to stop it. If the BRS gets at least a dozen MP seats in Telangana, it can counter the moves of the BJP and protect the interests of Hyderabad, KTR, as he is popularly known as, claimed at a party meeting in Karimnagar on April 29. On May 4, another senior BRS legislator and former state minister T Harish Rao came up with another apprehension. There is a conspiracy by some parties to continue Hyderabad as the common capital for 10 more years, beyond June 2, he claimed. Rao suspected that Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu, an ally of the BJP in Andhra Pradesh, is pushing for continuing Hyderabad as the common capital. Since Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy was once a protege of Naidu, he might clandestinely support the common capital idea, Harish Rao alleged, while adding his party would stall any such move if it got good number of seats in the ongoing polls. Both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will go to Lok Sabha polls in a single phase on May 13. Andhra Pradesh will also vote to elect its legislative assembly simultaneously. Though the Congress did not react to the BRS leaders apprehensions, Telangana BJP chief and Union minister for tourism G Kishan Reddy rubbished the claim that his party was intending to make Hyderabad a UT. It is nothing but an idiotic talk. There is absolutely no such proposal before the Centre. The BRS leaders are raising the issue only with a fear of losing the Lok Sabha elections, Reddy said. Political observers described BRS leaders claims as politically motivated rhetoric, with an eye on the ongoing general elections. By raising unnecessary apprehensions over the status of Hyderabad, the BRS is trying to attract voters in the elections, as Telangana is sentimentally attached to Hyderabad, political analyst and former Osmania University professor K Nageshwar said. The BRS, which was in power in Telangana for two straight terms, lost the November 2023 state polls to the Congress, bagging only 39 of the 119 seats. Senior academician and former chairman of Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) Ghanta Chakrapani, who played a key role in the separate Telangana movement, however, maintained that though the BRS leaders have kicked up a controversy for political gains, the apprehensions had a background. He pointed at YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader YV Subba Reddys remarks in February that Hyderabad should continue as common capital for a few more years, as there is no proper capital city for Andhra Pradesh till now. The YSRCP leader clearly said Hyderabad should be continued as the common capital, till the Supreme Court settles the issue of Andhra Pradesh having three capitals at Visakhapatnam, Amaravati and Kurnool, or a single capital at Amaravati. So, there is no surprise if the Andhra Pradesh government pushes for extension of Hyderabad as common capital for some more years, the Chakrapani said. He also said there were several contentious issues between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh that remain to be resolved, especially with regard to relocation of employees in some departments, sharing of common assets etc, even after 10 years of bifurcation. Against this backdrop, the new ruling party in Andhra Pradesh after the May 13 elections might ask for extension of Hyderabad as common capital, he said. A special leave petition by the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led Andhra Pradesh government seeking to create three capital cities for the state is pending before the Supreme Court. Chakrapani, however, ruled out the possibility of Hyderabad being made a Union Territory. I dont think the BJP would gain anything politically by such a move now. There was such an attempt before the bifurcation and representations were made to Justice Srikrishna Committee, which studied the demand for separate Telangana. But there was no consensus on the same. If the BJP rakes up the issue again, it will have to face a stiff resistance from the people of Telangana, he said. The official X account of Assam Congress was allegedly hacked on Wednesday with the profile name changed to 'Tesla Event' and the profile picture to American electric carmaker Tesla's logo. In the complaint, APCC Social Media & IT Chairman Ratul Kalita said that the account was hacked around 4 am on Wednesday.(X) The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee lodged a police complaint and demanded the arrest of the culprit. "We would like to inform you that our official Twitter (sic) handle, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, was hacked but has now been restored and is currently under review to ensure full security," APCC said in a post on X in the afternoon. "This attempted silencing by the government will not deter us. We remain committed to our principles and will continue our fight to speak the truth. Thank you for your unwavering support. Stay strong, we will not be silenced," APCC said. In the complaint filed at Bhangagarh police station in Guwahati, APCC Social Media & IT Chairman Ratul Kalita said that the account was hacked around 4 am on Wednesday. "This Twitter (sic) handle has many data of our party through which we have reached out to lakhs of people. I demand that the culprit be arrested for this... malicious intention," he added. A crowd of 50-odd people gathered in a dark room in the revered halls of Raj Bhavan in Kolkata for an unusual screening on Thursday. West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose was about to broadcast footage of May 2, the day a temporary employee in his office accused him of sexual assault, as part of an exercise meant to clear his name. To be sure, Bose was not present in the hall at the time of the screening but he was present within the premises of Raj Bhavan. West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose was not present in the hall at the time of the screening but he was present within the premises of Raj Bhavan (PTI) The audience was shown 69 minutes of footage from two CCTV cameras installed at the North Gate of Raj Bhavan. There was little action in the footage, which largely showed around 30 to 40 police personnel in white uniforms milling about the complexs burly iron gates. However, for a few split seconds, the video showed the complainant her face unblurred leaving Raj Bhavan main building and speaking to the police personnel posted inside the compound near the North Gate. The screening, meant to clear his name, has now plunged Bose into a fresh controversy, with the woman accusing him of revealing her identity. Also Read | Can the Governor be an accused? A look into the Constitutional immunity of the Governor By doing this he has not just insulted me but my family, she said told the media. Till the filing of this report, the Raj Bhavan didnt make any statement.The woman has accused Bose of molesting her on two occasions. The police havent registered a first information report (FIR) as it is beyond their jurisdiction. Hours after the allegations were raised, the governor had denied the charges in a statement issued around 9.20 pm on May 2. Truth shall triumph. I refuse to be cowed down by engineered narratives. If anybody wants some election benefits by maligning me, God Bless them. But they cannot stop my fight against corruption and violence in Bengal., the statement had said. To be sure, Article 361 of the Constitution prevents any criminal action against an incumbent governor or the President, and no FIR has been registered in the case. The police have, however, said that they have sought CCTV footage from Raj Bhavan and planned to speak to office staff. Bose had announced on Wednesday that he would release footage of May 2 and, on Thursday, air it inside the Raj Bhavan premises for the first 100 people who requested through email to see it. HT sent an email on Wednesday evening, and this reporter was invited to be present in Raj Bhavan on Thursday. Around 50 people, most of whom were media personnel and Raj Bhavan staff, turned up for the hurriedly arranged screening. The footage was beamed from a small projector onto a projection screen installed in Marble Hall on the ground floor in Raj Bhavan. The footage began at 5:32 pm of May 2, according to the time stamp. At around 5.33pm, a woman, ostensibly the complainant, was seen emerging from outside the frame, approaching police personnel, and then walking to the police outpost near the North Gate of Raj Bhavan.The woman was still inside the police outpost when the footage ended. Though senior police officers said they had not received any footage, the victim slammed the governor for airing it. The CCTV videos show that I approached the police at the North Gate. This is laughable. Even if the CCTV image of the ground floor was released, it would show that I am crying. I am a common citizen and he is the governor. He should allow the police to probe, the complainant said on Thursday. If he was innocent, he would have allowed a police investigation. I am ready to face any kind of test such as a lie-detector, she said. The Trinamool Congress said the governor had shared irrelevant footage. West Bengal has a population of more than 100 million. The footage was shared with only 100. But he has refused to share it with the police. The CCTV footage showed that the woman approached the police at the North Gate. How relevant is this? She has already said that she approached the police who helped her to lodge the complaint, said state finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) refused to comment on the matter. One of the three women from Sandeshkhali, whose rape complaints against Trinamool Congress leaders had stirred unrest in this rural block of Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, made a U-turn on Wednesday. The woman claimed she hadn't been assaulted and accused local Bharatiya Janata Party members of coercing her into signing a blank paper and complaining to the police, The Times of India reported. Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) supporters hold placards as they stage a protest against West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee over the Sandeshkhali incident, in New Delhi. (ANI Photo) The woman lodged a fresh complaint at Sandeshkhali police station, citing threats and social ostracism resulting from her decision to withdraw the purportedly false rape allegation, it added. The woman has alleged that a local BJP Mahila Morcha functionary and other party members visited her home and asked her to sign what was to be a fictitious complaint. Also Read | Amit Shah says religion behind Sandeshkhali torture; Mamata says BJP blueprint "They asked for my signature on the pretext of enlisting my name for PMAY. Later, they took me to the police station to lodge a complaint of sexual abuse. There was no sexual assault on me inside the Trinamool office. I was never forced to go to the party office late at night," ToI quoted the woman as saying. Shashi Panja, Bengal minister for women and child development and social welfare, alleged that the women who had gone to withdraw their false allegation of rape had been threatened with dire consequences by the local BJP leaders. BJP had orchestrated the drama and now they are threatening the women, who had gone to withdraw false complaints, she said. She said the TMC is keeping a tab on the situation. TMC MP Sagarika Ghosh said, It is disgusting that the BJP is threatening the women of Sandeshkhali who have told the truth about the manner in which they were forced to file fraudulent rape complaints. After the viral video showing the conspiracy of Sandeshkali came out, some women have now said that they had been pressurized to file false cases. Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress will lodge a complaint with the Election Commission against BJP's Suvendu Adhikari and others, claiming that a saffron party leader has confessed on camera that the rape accusations in the Sandeshkhali incident were concocted, unnamed sources told news agency PTI on Thursday. The TMC will submit a letter to the EC later in the day, they said. The party sources said their complaint is based on a purported video in which a man claiming to be Gangadhar Kayal BJP mandal president in Sandeshkhali was heard saying that Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of opposition in the West Bengal assembly, was behind the whole conspiracy. In the sting operation video done by a news platform which the TMC later shared on X, Gangadhar Kayal is heard saying sexual harassment complaints were filed at the behest of Adhikari. West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar, meanwhile, alleged that the "sting operation" was "fake", and suspected that it was made using artificial intelligence (AI). A 30-second montage of video clips flash past. They show Congress leader Rahul Gandhi engaging with a diverse set of people during a string of campaign rallies. He interacts with farmers, children, elderly women and gig workers, and walks down the road with a dog at one point. This flurry of visuals is embellished with the occasional glittering heart animation that splashes across the screen and is set to the wildly popular Blue song One Love, a reference to the partys Mohabbat Ki Dukaan (shop of love) poll message. According to the data released by the Election Commission of India, 18.5 million registered voters are aged 18 and 19. (HT photo) (Representational Image) The reel which reached 400,000 people and was shared more than 30,000 times is part of an ever-expanding field of short videos that have flooded social media and dominated much of the online discourse in the ongoing general elections. Full coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Political groups have relied heavily on these short videos ever since TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts captured the Indian imagination during the pandemic. And the ongoing general elections will be the first national polls where they have been used to engage with voters, especially younger age-groups who rely largely on the social media for their political content. The choice of music used in the videos, though, is often make-or-break and serves to underscore ideological differences between political parties. According to the data released by the Election Commission of India, 18.5 million registered voters are in the age group of 18 and 19. These reels get views ranging from a few thousand to even lakhs and usually perform better than the reels with no trending song as its background music. Shivam Shankar Singh, author of How to Win an Indian Election commenting on the social media phenomena said,The parties are experimenting with reels and videos because this medium was not really available in 2019, so they are trying to see what works with the younger generations and what does not. They might not want to consume lengthy documents such as manifestos so that is where the reels work and helps viewers know what does the party stand for in say 30 seconds. The Congress, for instance, relies on a string of boy bands from the 90s like British band Blueand has also used its video messaging to reinforce its focus on social welfare and justice, including Kabhi Kabhi Aditi from the film Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, Chhoti Si Asha from Roja and Tu Jo Mila from Bajrangi Bhaijaan. The party has also used a litany of upbeat songs from Hindi films Shaan Na Teri Kam Hone Denge Watan from Satyamev Jayate 2, for instance, accompanies visuals of Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge as Rahul Gandhi files his nomination the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat. On the flip side, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) largely relies on visuals of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the backing tracks most often Ram Bhajans and songs such as Jai Shri Ram from Adipurush. But, a majority of the BJPs eschew music entirely, in favour of Modis speeches or voiceovers. The party has also gone the extra step in a bid to appeal to younger voters with its reels. For instance, in a post made by the partys BJP4INDIA Instagram page in April, a day before the first phase of polling, it featured a rap song titled Vote for the GOAT, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the greatest of all time. He be hustling 24/7 for 2047, yo and Vote for the GOAT, Modi ko jaayega apna first vote, go some parts of the song. The song also rephrases terms like Modi ki guarantee to Guarantee hai pakki, FYI and communicates economic growth as Economy ko kiya hai lit for Gen-Z understanding. Words like swag and roast are used, and PM Modi is referred to as the Boss. Kunal Purohit, author of the book H-Pop: The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars, argues that the BJP has, in particular, used songs to effectively shape its campaign. We have had a rich history of music and songs being used to further political campaigns. On major issues, or even peripheral ones, songs have actually played a very big role in the BJPs campaigns. Take for instance Jo Ram ko Laaye hai Hum unko laayenge by Kanhaiya Mittal. It was not a song meant for these elections at all, but for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls. Yogi Adityanath is actively using and repackaging that song in the campaign, said Purohit. The BJP on Thursday claimed that India would be no country for Hindus under the Congress, after a study conducted by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) showed a dip of nearly 8% in the share of Hindus in the overall population from 1950 to 2015, and an increase of 43% in the proportion of Muslims during the same period. BJPs IT cell chief Amit Malviya Share of Hindus shrunk 7.8% and the Muslim population grew by 43%. This what decades of Congress rule did to us. Left to them, there would be no country for Hindus, BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya wrote on X (previously Twitter). Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, on the other hand, termed what he described as an "imbalance in population as a topic of concern. This has happened because of the Congress' Muslim appeasement. It worked like the Muslim League and therefore, the country witnessed this imbalance. That is why, we needs Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Maurya remarked. Citing various incidents, the ruling party has repeatedly accused its arch-rival of being anti-Hindu and indulging in "minority (Muslim) appeasement." The Congress has rejected these allegations. The Congress has been in power at the Centre more than any other party, followed by the BJP. EAC-PM study The study, a working paper, is authored by Shamika Ravi, Apurv Kumar Mishra, and Abraham Jose. The share of the majority Hindu population declined by 7.82% from 84.68% to 78.06% between 1950 and 2015 while that of the Muslim population rose by 43.15% to 14.09% from 9.84% during the period, it said. In 2011, as per that year's census, India's population stood at over 121 crore, with Hindus at more than 96 crore (79.80%) and Muslims at 17.22 crore (14.23%), among others. The next census, which was due in 2021, is yet to be carried out. In April 2023, India surpassed neighbouring China as the world's most populous nation. Students at San Francisco State University march Wednesday in support of Palestinians. Sacramento State appeared to have met student demands for a disinvestment policy Wednesday. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle Sacramento State has become the first public university in California to align its investment policy with demands from pro-Palestinian student demonstrators, with a revision on its website saying that as of this month, the school will refrain from investing in companies that profit from genocide, ethnic cleansing, and activities that violate fundamental human rights. Campus officials did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. But student protesters who have established tent encampments on nearly 150 campuses across the country have made disinvestment from Israel a key demand for halting protests over Israels war in Gaza, where health officials say more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Sacramento States revised investment policy does not mention Israel. We will pursue human rights-based approach to investments, the policy says, noting that none of the schools five auxiliary enterprises, which handle finances and philanthropy, now has direct investments in those areas. Indirect investments index funds and mutual funds, for example will also be covered, the policy says. As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens, more U.S. universities including two of the University of Californias 10 campuses appear open to creating pacts with student protesters in exchange for dismantling their encampments ahead of commencement ceremonies. On May 3, UC Riverside announced that its business school will no longer conduct global programs in eight foreign countries, including Israel, as part of an array of agreements with protesters who dismantled their encampment on Friday as a result. Under that agreement, UC Riverside will not only review whether its eateries should continue selling hummus made by Sabra, which is owned by an Israeli conglomerate with reported ties to the military, but will also explore removing its endowment from management by the University of California systems investment office so it can more easily avoid investing in companies involved in arms manufacturing and delivery. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The UC Office of the President appears unwilling to change its investment strategy as a result of the war and announced last month that it has consistently opposed calls for boycott again and divestment from Israel. UC Berkeley is also negotiating with pro-Palestinian students who have set up tents on that campus, according to the Daily Californian student newspaper, which reported Tuesday that it has received leaked documents related to those negotiations. Campus officials have declined to confirm that they are negotiating with protesters. California State Universitys Office of the Chancellor has issued a statement similar to UCs, noting that CSU does not intend to alter existing investment policies related to Israel or the Israel-Hamas conflict. But as Sacramento State demonstrated Wednesday, that policy hasnt stopped campuses from taking steps on their own. Students at San Francisco State University march Wednesday in support of Palestinians. Sacramento State appeared to have met student demands for a disinvestment policy Wednesday. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle On Monday, San Francisco State University President Lynn Mahoney conducted an unusual, open-air public negotiation with campus protesters, but the sides came to no agreement and the encampment of about 60 tents remains intact. Advertisement Article continues below this ad By contrast, Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash., signed an agreement with student protesters last month signaling its divestment intentions, the Olympian newspaper reported. Evergreens goal, the pact says, is to divest from companies that profit from gross human rights violations and/or the occupation of Palestinian territories. At Occidental College, a private school in Los Angeles, protesters agreed to dismantle their encampment by Friday in exchange for a vote by June 6 in which the Board of Trustees will consider a proposal to divest from companies with ties to Israel, according to the Occident, the campus newspaper. Schools around the world face a similar dilemma as protests surge on campuses. Students at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, are dismantling their encampment after the administration there agreed to divest from three Israeli companies, the New York Times reported. Other universities reportedly in negotiations with student protesters are Brown in Rhode Island, Northwestern in Illinois and the University of Minnesota. The Bengaluru Police on Thursday detained the IT cell convener of the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJPs) Karnataka unit for allegedly uploading an animated clip that showed the Congress appeasing Muslims at the cost of other faiths and castes, people aware of the matter said. In its summons, the police asked the BJP leaders to appear before it within a week (PTI) According to police, they detained Prashanth Makanoor as part of their investigation after they found that he uploaded the clip on the Karnataka BJPs official X account. During the investigation, we found that Prashanth Makanoor had uploaded the video on the social media handles of Karnataka BJP, hence he was detained as part of the investigation, High Grounds police inspector B Bharath said. Also Read | Bengaluru police summon BJP chief JP Nadda and IT cell head amid clip furore HT reached out to Karunakar, the media convener of the state BJP, for a response but did not get one immediately. The police action came a day after it summoned BJP president JP Nadda and the partys IT cell head, Amit Malviya, after the Congresss Ramesh Babu filed a case against the two and the chief of the partys state unit, BY Vijayendra, under the Indian Penal Codes (IPC) Section 505(2) (statement conducing public mischief), and the Representation of People Acts Section 125 (promoting enmity between classes). The act of the accused person (s) is to wantonly provoke rioting and promote enmity between different religions and is prejudicial to maintenance of harmony apart from intimidating members of SC/ST community not to vote for particular candidate and causing enmity against members of SC/ST community, the complaint said. In its summons, the police asked the BJP leaders to appear before it within a week as part of the investigation. In a complaint to the Karnataka chief electoral officer, the Congress said that the BJP intended to promote enmity between communities through the clip. 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 in the letter. The EC on Tuesday wrote to social media platform X, asking it to take down the controversial video. The video was no longer available on the partys official Karnataka unit handle on Wednesday night. This is the second video in the last few days from an official social media account of the BJP to attract significant criticism. On May 1, BJPs official Instagram handle posted an animated video making similar claims, and then took it down. BHUBANESWAR: A man in Odishas Jharsuguda shot dead his wife and seven-year-old daughter before turning the firearm on himself after losing money in online betting, police said on Thursday. Police said technical and financial investigation apart from scrutiny of the mobile call records indicated the motive behind the suicide (Getty Images/iStockphoto) Their bodies were found in a car parked near a playground at Banipahada in the Lakhanpur area, nearly six hours after the man is suspected to have killed his family and died by suicide. Jharsuguda superintendent of police (SP) Smit Parmar said the man is suspected to have been stressed out due to heavy losses sustained in online gambling. From technical and financial investigation and the mobile call records, we found that the man was involved in online gambling through different mobile apps. From one of the apps that was checked alone, he lost more than 4.2 lakh. He had also taken loans from different places including private money lenders to place bets online, the SP said. A preliminary probe established that the man first killed his wife and daughter. We have seized the gun used in the crime, cartridges and other incriminating material from the car, Parmar said. (If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918, Roshni Foundation (Secundrabad) Contact Nos: 040-66202001, 040-66202000, ONE LIFE: Contact No: 78930 78930, SEVA: Contact No: 09441778290 SHILLONG: A suspended Meghalaya police officer on Thursday accused director general of police (DGP) Lajja Ram Bishnoi of using a fake number plate on the multi-utility van that he had been using as his official vehicle. The vehicle used by DGP LR Bishnoi uses a registration number that, according to transport department database, is allocated to a Hyundai Verna (Photo HT/Sourced) GK langrai, a 2004 batch Meghalaya Police Service officer, who is under suspension in connection with alleged misappropriation of funds, filed the police complaint against the DGP with the Sadar police station on Thursday. There was no formal word from the state police on registering the first information report (FIR) days before Bishnoi is scheduled to step down on expiry of his two-year term on May 19. langrai said the DGP had been using a KIA Carnival Limousine with a registration number, ML-02-A-0001, as his official vehicle. But this registration number, according to the transport departments response to a right to information request on July 27, 2023, was allotted to a Hyundai Verna 1.6 VTVT registered in the name of the Director General of Police, Government of Meghalaya. This is a fraud, he said. Meghalaya DGP's KIA Carnival uses a registration number allotted to a Hyundai Verna (Screenshot) Bishnoi brushed off the allegations, saying he was open to a fair and free investigation and claimed that the number was changed due to security reasons. You see, sometimes that is done to not attract miscreants from attacking the vehicle for selfish reasons... But suffice to say that the law will take its own course of action if any wrong has been committed, he told HT. Bishnoi did not explain how it helped. langrai also said that the Meghalaya DGP was entitled to use an official vehicle costing a maximum of 12 lakh but the vehicle that he used was much more expensive. All these facts stated above point out only to the Offence of Criminal Conspiracy and Criminal Breach of Trust as well as Forgery and cheating committed by Lajja Ram Bishnoi. I, therefore, request you to register the case against the accused persons mentioned above under appropriate section of law and prosecute him accordingly to ensure that he is punished for the same, he stated in the police complaint. To be sure, langrai was arrested on November 2, 2022 for allegedly misappropriating funds sanctioned for the construction of the Nationwide Emergency Response System (NERS) building in Shillong. He was granted bail in all the six cases that he was facing on March 31, 2023. . The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday directed chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government in Andhra Pradesh to stop disbursement of 14,000 crore to beneficiaries of various welfare schemes. The polling in Andhra Pradesh takes place on May 13. (YS Jagan Mohan Reddy | Facebook) The development comes two days ahead of the polling for the state assembly and Lok Sabha. In a communication to chief secretary K S Jawahar Reddy, ECI undersecretary Sanjay Kumar said it had come to the notice of the Commission that the Jagan government was contemplating crediting of 14,165.66 crore into the accounts of beneficiaries of six different direct benefit transfer (DBT) schemes on May 10 and 11, though the money was released long ago. Kumar pointed out that the chief minister had released an amount of 6,394 crore under YSR Asara scheme with a click of the button on January 23; 78.53 crore under YSR Kalyanamasthu and Shadi Tohfa on February 28; 708.68 crore under Jagananna Vidya Deevena on March 1; 1,294.59 crore towards farmers input subsidy on March 6; 5,060.49 crore under YSR Cheyutha scheme on March 7 and 629.37 crore under YSR EBC Nestham on March 14. Also Read: They cant face me alone, my sisters being used in conspiracy: Andhra CM Jagan Reddy slams Opposition It is clear from the dates provided that these announcements of fund transfers under six schemes were in public function by pressing of the button, much prior to the model code of conduct (MCC) was imposed on March 16, 2024, the EC official said. Ideally, under a DBT scheme, the funds get transferred to the beneficiaries within 24-48 hours. However, the commission received specific inputs and complaints that the Jagan government did not transfer the money through banks under aforesaid schemes, though the DBT assistance was announced much before the imposition of model code of conduct. The Commission came to know that the state government is contemplating to disburse assistance to the beneficiaries, by transferring funds to banks on May 11 and 12, 2024, which is very close to the date of polling, that is May 13. It may overlap with Silence Period under Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act 1951, the official said. According to the model code of conduct, the party in power, whether at the Centre or in the State or States concerned, shall not use its official position for the purposes of its election campaign. The MCC guidelines also say that from the time elections are announced by the commission, ministers and other authorities shall not announce any financial grants in any form or promises thereof, he pointed out. The Commission felt that the transfer of money, that should have been actually transferred much prior to imposition of MCC, as announced publicly by the government, now very close to poll day is violative of provisions of MCC, Kumar said. He said the disbursement of money at this stage had the propensity to influence the level playing field and will benefit the party in power. However, the benefits to eligible beneficiaries shall not be held up for longer, although the state government has delayed it by roughly five months also, the EC official said. He asked the government to provide factual status on the inputs received to the Commission, along with reasons for delay in actual transfer explained in clear terms by Friday. The government must ensure that much delayed transfer of funds to banks for onwards transfers of benefits to eligible beneficiaries under above mentioned six schemes are not delayed till end of poll process on June 6, 2024 and also to maintain level field, it shall be ensured that said proposed transfers, if any, be done after May 13, the official added. External affairs minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday met with his Maldivian counterpart Moosa Zameer, who was on his maiden official visit to New Delhi. Jaishankar reiterated India's commitment to its 'Neighbourhood First policy' and expressed optimism that their discussions would strengthen cooperation in various areas. Indian FM Jaishankar meets Maldivian counterpart in New Delhi(X/S Jaishankar) As close and proximate neighbours, the development of our ties is obviously based on mutual interests and reciprocal sensitivity. As far as India is concerned, these are articulated in terms of our Neighbourhood First policy and SAGAR vision. I hope that our meeting today has enabled us to strengthen the convergence of our perspectives in various domains, Jaishankar said, according to a statement released by the foreign ministry. ALSO READ- We are most open: EAM Jaishankar counters Bidens Xenophobic remark on India The ministers discussed bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest. The visit comes as India has said that it will replace its military personnel from Maldives before May 10. India has provided development assistance to the Maldives, benefiting the lives of its people and directly contributing to their quality of life, Jaishankar said. He added that financial support has been extended on favourable terms in the past, with India being the first responder on numerous occasions. "Our cooperation has also enhanced the security and well-being of your country through shared activities, equipment provisioning, capacity building and training." ALSO READ- Canadian minister responds to Jaishankar's criticism: Let him speak his mind Deadline for Indian troops withdrawal is tomorrow On May 3, India and Maldives had their 4th meeting of the High-Level Core Group. They discussed replacing Indian military personnel from the Maldives by May 10. They confirmed that the replacement will happen before the deadline. Earlier, the Mohamed Muizzu-led Maldives government formally asked India to withdraw its troops from Male. ALSO READ- Please be a part of Maldives tourism: Minister's call to Indian tourists 'In our common interest': Jaishankar to Maldives FM Jaishankar emphasised that it is in mutual interest to come to an understanding on the best way to advance. It is in our common interest that we reach an understanding on how best we take our relationship forward, Jaishankar said. Arguing against interim bail for Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court vehemently opposing any special treatment for political figures due to the ongoing general elections, while adding that bail for the purpose of poll campaigning would set a dangerous precedent, undermining the rule of law and equality before the law. In response, Kejriwals legal team wrote to the Supreme Court registry on Thursday evening, raising strong objections to the EDs affidavit.(PTI) If bail were to be granted to politicians for the purpose of election campaigning, the agency asserted, it would create a loophole where no politician could ever be arrested or remain incarcerated in a country like India where elections are a recurrent phenomenon throughout the year. It is pertinent to note that around 123 elections have taken place in the last five years and if interim bail is to be granted for the purpose of campaigning in an election, then no politician can be arrested and kept in judicial custody since elections are round the year phenomenon, said the agency in its affidavit filed a day before the court is likely to announce its decision on Kejriwals interim bail. In response, Kejriwals legal team wrote to the Supreme Court registry on Thursday evening, raising strong objections to the EDs affidavit. The letter urged the registrar not to accept EDs affidavit and take it on record because the top court has already reserved its order on the issue of interim bail and that the agency did not have the courts permission to file any additional document. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said it has raised strong objection to EDs affidavit. A formal complaint has been lodged his with the Supreme Courts registry denouncing EDs affidavit as a blatant disregard of legal procedures, especially considering that the matter is already slated for a final decision in the SC tomorrow and the affidavit was submitted without taking the SCs approval, the party said in a statement. Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who leads the bench that had earlier this week reserved its verdict on the temporary bail issue, mentioned on Wednesday that the court is expected to deliver its ruling on Friday. During previous hearings, the top court signalled a potential interim bail for Kejriwal considering the ongoing general elections but expressed reservations about allowing him to perform his official duties as the CM during the bail period, citing possible conflicts. In its affidavit on Thursday, ED highlighted that the principle of equality should apply uniformly to all citizens regardless of their political status, contending that granting bail to Kejriwal on the grounds of political expediency would not only be detrimental to the rule of law but also unfair to other individuals, such as poor farmers or small-time businessmen, whose livelihoods depend on their freedom. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta and additional solicitor general SV Raju appeared for ED in the case. Such an approach would incentivise every criminal to become a politician and being in campaign mode throughout the year while committing rampant offences and violations of laws in the country...right to campaign for an election is neither a fundamental right nor a constitutional right and not even a legal right, stated the agency. It pointed out that no political leader has been granted interim bail for campaigning in past elections, and even contesting candidates are not granted bail for their campaign activities while in custody. Any special concession in favour of the arrestee (Kejriwal) enlarging him on interim bail for campaigning in general election would amount to anathema to the rule of law and equality and create a precedent which would permit all unscrupulous politicians to commit crimes, avoid investigation under the garb of one election or the other and thereafter upon being arrested, seek interim bail to campaign, said ED. Imploring the top court to resist the temptation to accord special treatment to Kejriwal for the sake of political campaigns, ED cautioned that interim bail to the Delhi CM would end up carving out politicians as a class of their own favouring unscrupulous politicians over ordinary citizens, undermining equality before the law. Such an approach would violate the cherished values of the Constitution which upholds the rule of law as a basic feature meaning thereby that howsoever high you might be you are not above the law...A politician can claim no special status higher than that of an ordinary citizen and is as much liable to be arrested and detained for committing offences as any other citizen, stated EDs affidavit. Drawing attention to the judiciarys consistent stance on bail, the affidavit cited previous instances where bail petitions from politicians have been rejected, emphasising the need for consistency and uniformity in judicial decisions. There is absolutely no principle which justifies giving a differential treatment to a politician for campaigning over a farmer or a businessman who wishes to pursue his vocation...There are numerous examples where politicians contested elections in judicial custody, and some have even won but were never granted interim bail on this ground, said the agency, pressing for dismissal of Kejriwals plea. The affidavit rebutted the CMs claims of political victimisation, arguing Kejriwal skipped nine summonses citing state polls during six months before he was arrested on March 21. It further referred to the Supreme Courts previous stance on bail, citing the rejection of bail plea by co-accused Manish Sisodia and K Kavitha in the same case, underscoring the principle of equal treatment under the law for all citizens. The developments come amid the ongoing general elections, with polling in Delhi scheduled for May 25 and in Punjab on June 1. The courts decision on interim bail for Kejriwal is awaited. The results of the elections are set to be announced on June 4. The case stems from allegations of irregularities in Delhis excise policy, which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) began probing following a recommendation by Delhis LG in July 2022. Kejriwal, who is in judicial custody, is the third AAP leader arrested in this connection. Sisodia has been in jail since February 2023, and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh was granted bail by the top court in April this year after six months of custody. A bench comprises justices Khanna and Dipankar Datta on Tuesday indicated willingness to grant interim bail to Kejriwal but expressed reservations about allowing him to discharge his official functions as the CM during the period of interim bail, saying it will lead to conflict and may have a cascading effect. While ED urged the court not to release Kejriwal on bail by treating politicians as a class different from ordinary citizens, the court acknowledged Kejriwals unique position as both the CM and the convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) during the ongoing polls, describing it as an extraordinary situation warranting consideration for interim bail. At the same time, the court raised concerns about the potential ramifications of allowing Kejriwal to sign off on official files while on interim bail. We dont want you to be performing your official duties. It would lead to conflict. You have continued (as the CM) and thats your choice. We are not dealing with that issue. But today, its not a question of legality but propriety... We dont want any interference in the working of the government. It will have a cascading effect, the bench had on the day told senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who appeared for Kejriwal in the case. The AAP, in its statement, said Kejriwals was an assault on democracy. ED has not only been opaque and dictatorial in its approach but also guilty of suggestio falsi (suggesting falsehood) and suppressio veri (suppressing truth)... Kejriwals arrest constitutes an unprecedented assault on the tenets of democracy based on free and fair elections and federalism both of which form significant constituents of the basic structure of the Constitution, said the party. Enforcement Directorate has filed a fresh affidavit in the Supreme Court on Thursday, opposing Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's interim bail in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. In the affidavit, ED has said that Kejriwal is not contesting Lok Sabha polls and no political leader has ever been granted interim bail for campaigning. The agency said that right to campaign for an election is neither a fundamental right nor a constitutional right. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal (File photo) "It is relevant to note that the right to campaign for an election is neither a fundamental right nor a constitutional right and not even a legal right," said the Enforcement Directorate, reported news agency PTI. "No political leader has been granted interim bail for campaigning even though he is not the contesting candidate. Even a contesting candidate is not granted interim bail if he is in custody for his own campaigning," added the agency. "If Right to campaign is treated as a basis to grant interim bail then it would violate Article 14 and differential treatment cannot be given to a politician," the agency has said. Earlier, on Wednesday, Justice Sanjiv Khanna said, "We will pronounce the interim order (on bail) on Friday. The main matter related to the challenge to arrest will also be taken up on the same day." ALSO READ| Supreme Court likely to issue order on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal bail plea Friday Meanwhile, after a Delhi court's order on Tuesday, Kejriwal's judicial custody in the case has been extended till May 20. He was arrested on March 21. Kejriwal is currently lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody. He is accused of soliciting kickbacks from liquor traders in exchange for favours. The ED has also accused him of being the "kingpin and key conspirator" in the Delhi government's now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22. In connection with the case, several other AAP leaders, including Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh were also arrested. While Sisodia is still in jail, Sanjay Singh has been released from Tihar Jail on bail after six months. Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party and Kejriwal have claimed innocence in the case. They have also been accusing the Central government of misusing the central agencies to muzzle the voice of the opposition and to jeopardise AAP's campaign in the Lok Sabha election 2024. The Lok Sabha election 2024 is being held in seven phases, with the first three phases already over. Polling will be held in Delhi in phase six on May 25. Kejriwal is trying to come out of jail before this date in order to campaign for AAP and its candidates. Kadiri: It is half past nine in the first week of April, and a cruel sun is already beating down on Eguvakasipalli. It is still early, both in the day, and in the summer, yet everything is parchedthe land, the people, their lives. The mercury has hit 40 degrees Celsius already; the hillocks that frame the village have smoke rising from them, remnants of forest fires. On flat land, boulders that dot the barren landscape are shorn of even a little foliage, the earth a golden yellow; the kind that can only exist in a village dying of thirst. Election in Pincodes: An unquenchable thirst for government intervention It has barely rained in Andhra Pradeshs Sathya Sai district this year a 100% deficiency since March, according to the India Meteorological Department and 60-year-old A Lakshmi Devi is surrounded by a clutch of women, pots and buckets in their hands. Sathya Sai district witnessed light rainfall towards the end of April, reducing the deficiency to 77% on Thursday. Their faces are gaunt, their brows furrowed. For days, there has been no water to drink, to bathe, to clean, or do anything else. Yet on this April day, there is the promise of some relief. Their eyes are fixed on the narrow road that leads to the village; for the gram panchayat has finally been able to arrange for a rare water tanker. There is drought, Devi says, matter-of-factly. For Eguvakasipalli and broader Rayalaseema, a region that spans five districts in southern Andhra Pradesh, this is nothing new. Every summer for the past decade, Devi has spent her days waiting for a tanker; or beseeching those that have the resources to dig a borewell to spare some for her family; walking kilometres on end if she gains rare permission. Some time ago, some people nearby found water at 980 feet. In our gram panchayat, we dug SIX borewells a few years ago. All of them failed, said Peddi Naidu, the village sarpanch. The hunt is relentless; a quest that defines everything. 40 people have migrated away from the village this year; all of them young; all of them moving to cities such as Bengaluru to work for a pittance as construction labourers. But one person, from every family, must stay behind. It is on them to source water from somewhere or everything falls apart. The burden always falls on the women. We live in wait, 50 year old Ramannam said. Drought is a persistent problem across India, with the National Remote Sensing Centre showing that, on an average, out of the nearly 140 million hectares total net sown area about 68%is prone to drought, and its associated issues of migration, trafficking and hunger. This affects millions of people, but is an issue that often flies under the radar in election season. Nowhere is this dichotomy displayed more starkly than in Rayalaseema, one of Indias most arid regions. It is now 10 am, the tanker has arrived, and there is a desperate cacophony. But Rayalaseema is waiting not just for water, but with assembly and Lok Sabha elections to be held simultaneously in Andhra Pradesh on May 13, also some government intervention into a crisis that frames the every-day. In many ways, that wait is as arduous as the wait for water. Drought and employment In 2023, an Andhra Pradesh Space Applications Centre report found that of the 679 mandals across 26 districts in the state, 388 were normal based on crop condition surveys, but 137 were suffering moderate drought, while 142 had severe drought. 12 mandals were excluded from the assessment as they were either predominantly urban, or had extensive forest cover. The report was based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and drought was declared based on lack of vegetation or soil moisture. In 2024, a second state government assessment declared 87 mandals drought-affected based on rainfall received, the availability of fodder and cattle, and a drop in ground-water levels during the northeast monsoons. Experts say that the impact of the climate crisis was clear. Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region, a 2020 ministry of earth sciences report, said that in the decades after 1950, there has been a corresponding rising trend in both the frequency and intensity of heavy rain events, and consecutive dry days, particularly over central and peninsular India. When it rains it pours, causing floods. And then there is drought. People are at the mercy of nature, said Subhashini B of the Foundation for Ecological Security. In November 2021, for instance, at least 44 people were killed, and crops and homes destroyed after extreme rainfall over Rayalaseema triggered flash floods. G V Ramanjaneyulu, CEO of the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture in Hyderabad, said that there was a very clear climate crisis signature in Rayalaseema. Lets say that earlier it rained 40 days in a year. Now that number has come down to between 10 and 20 days a year, but those are (days of) intense rain. Dry days are increasing, so drought is more severe now and almost a year-round feature. This being an El Nino year, we are seeing a very serious water crisis. The land is excessively dry, he said. In Rayalaseemas villages, the persistent drought brings with it not just choices of whether to stay or to migrate, but desperation for any work that makes itself available. In the late nineties, horrific stories of human trafficking persisted in what is historically a poverty-stricken region. Even today though, E Srinivasulu of Janjagruti, an organisation that focuses on rural livelihoods, says they get between 130 and 150 cases of trafficking from towns such as Kadiri alone. There is a clear link between persistent drought, water scarcity, crop failures and trafficking or willing engagement in sex work in metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Dubai and Bengaluru, he said. People search for any work that will make ends meet in a land that offers very little in terms of agriculture or industry; middlemen scour the villages, preying on the vulnerable. The targets are often married women who have a few children There is no industry, and no livelihoods locally, Srinivasulu said. For those who stay, a cruel cycle of debt is a way of life. In the village of Eguvaniggidi, 45-year-old farmer Narsimhulu invested 1.17 lakh this year in groundnut crop. But with the heavens unforgiving, his hopes are fading. I think I will get 17000 back and lose 1 lakh because everything is failing. Agriculture in our villages is like a lottery; you can hit the jackpot or lose everything. Every family here has a debt of around 3 lakh on average, he said. In 2024, a second state government assessment declared 87 mandals drought-affected. The politics In Eguvaniggidi village, 35-year-old Gangojamma smiles serenely as she talks, her face belying hardship, both past and present. Around a decade ago, her husband died, leaving behind two young children, and a farm. That pain she has processed; it is the here and now that gives her grief. She points to the unpaved road that cleaves through the village. To be able to market what I grow, I should be able to transport it. How will I do it? We expect political parties to build a road to provide connectivity so at least our groundnut can reach the place they are sold. Ever since the state was bifurcated into Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in 2014, the former has had electoral dominance swing between two principal parties , YSR Congress and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and two men Jagan Mohan Reddy and Chandrababu Naidu. While Naidus TDP won the 2014 elections, in the 2019 assembly elections, the YSRCP stormed to power, winning a massive 151 of the 175 assembly seats. In the Lok Sabha elections held on the same day, Reddys party, named after his father and former AP chief minister YS Rajashekar Reddy, won 22 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats. On the ground, there is some appreciation for a host of government welfare schemes called Navaratnalu. Under the programme, among other things, the government assures 12,500 annually to each farmer family, in addition to zero interest loans. Under the Amma Vodi scheme, the state government contributes 15,000 a year into the accounts of eligible mothers. Ishwaramma, 35, from Goddubelagala village said that these schemes helped women with school-going children in particular. It helps cushion our financial woes. More importantly, there was no road before, but it has now been built. There is a regular doctor at the primary healthcare centre and the teacher at the primary school also attends regularly. Now what we need is mobile tower connectivity. But in the Lok Sabha constituency of Hindupur, which covers the villages that HT travelled to in Rayalaseema, there is also the realisation that their most pressing concern the lack of water and employment is ignored. In Eguvakasipalli, Ramannam says years and years of the same strife have brought no succour. If there are four people in a family, at least one has to stay home to source water, or everything falls apart. There are such important things at stake. Young women need sanitation or they fall ill. And yet, despite struggling for so many years with the same problem, nothing has been done by either a party, or a political leader. There are villages that have found inventive methods to mitigate the crisis, but these have not necessarily come from government intervention. In Goddubelagala for instance, Ishwaramma G and her husband Ramanjaneyulu juggle several odd-jobs to keep themselves afloat rearing of cattle, various natural resource management tasks under MNREGA, and the collection of non-timber forest produce such as neem seeds and palash leaf for plates. The village has also profited from intervention from the Foundation for Ecological security that has helped build a watering hole for small ruminants. Bhaktar Vali, Andhra Pradesh chief for the Foundation for Ecological Security, a climate-focussed non-profit, said that only measures such as access to commons, and a combination of solutions can build resilience in terrains like Rayalaseema. There are only some livelihoods that are possible here, and farmers have very small plots of dryland for rainfed agriculture. They keep some livestock for grazing on common lands, they take up MNREGA work, and this work can be shared by men and women. Everyone needs a continuous income flow and to meet that what we need is government policy that encourages differentiated income sources. This will also ensure a better ecological outcome. If villages have common land and assets like ponds, plantations and watering holes for livestock are created, it helps during dry months, Vali said. In Hindupur, both the YSRCP and the TDP have fielded fresh candidates, and both argue that the scarcity of water is central to their ideas of development for the region. Joladarasi Santha, formerly of the BJP and the sister of BJP leader and former Karnataka minister B Sriramulu, is the YSRCP candidate. She admitted that people are facing an unprecedented crisis. There are some ponds which get recharged by rainwater but this is a drought year. There is the Peruru dam and water from the Tungabhadra can also be drawn. If people bless me to be their leader, we will build canals and pipelines. I will ensure the Lok Sabha and the centre knows about this crisis.. Santha also said that she was aware that Hindupur faced problems of outward migration, trafficking, and women being pushed into sex-work. I want to engage with the police and the centre on this issue. I am a woman, so I know what it means. On the other side, the TDP candidate is 64-year-old BK Parthasarathi, a two-time MLA from the local Penuknodna assembly seat. The party has already prepared a detailed project report on how water can be brought to the region from the Cherlopalli reservoir. It will be through a lift-irrigation scheme. Other schemes were also in advanced stages when Chandrababu Naidu was CM. If the people give us the chance this time, these schemes will be implemented immediately. Making water available is of highest priority for us. But in Rayalaseema, even in villages such as Goddubelagala where there are some efforts to mitigate the growing crisis, there is a lack of faith promises have been made before, and broken. We have to buy drinking water, and wish we didnt have to, Ishwaramma says. In Eguvakasipalli, the water tanker has already left. And the wait for water, in a scorching parched summer, has resumed afresh. This is the 21st in a series of election reports from the field that look at national and local issues through an electoral lens. One of the suspects in the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, has said in a social media video that he entered Canada on a 'study permit' which only took him days to obtain, Canada-based global news reported. Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar (File) The accused, Karan Brar, in a video posted online in 2019, said he applied for a student visa through EthicWorks Immigration Services in Bathinda, in the Indian state of Punjab. He said he received his study visa days later, according to a translation of his Punjabi-language statement, as per Global News. The promotional video and a picture of Brar, who the firm claimed was from Kotkapura, a city north of Bathinda, were uploaded on EthicWorks' Facebook page. "Congratulations Karan Brar for the Canada study visa," the caption below the video read. "One more happy client from Kotkapura," reported Global News. Immigration Minister Marc Miller has declined to answer questions about how the suspects came to Canada, but online posts indicate that Brar arrived on a student permit three years before the killing. According to another Facebook page purportedly owned by Brar, he moved to Edmonton on May 4, 2020, after starting his studies at Bow Valley College in Calgary on April 30, 2020, Global News reported. However, questions concerning the subject have not yet received a response from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Brar, 22, Karanpreet Singh, 28, and Kamalpreet Singh, 22, were all taken into custody in Edmonton on Friday. They are accused of murder and conspiracy; they appeared in court in Surrey, British Columbia on Tuesday. Members of the Sikh Community from British Columbia crowded a Surrey courtroom on Tuesday as three Indian nationals accused of Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing made their first court appearance by video, according to Globe and Mail, a Canada-based news website. As the trio, dressed in orange jumpsuits, appeared before court, pro-Khalistani protesters chanted slogans and held placards, outside the Surrey provincial court, blaming India's government for the killing. The three men were taken into custody in Edmonton last week on Friday and are accused of first-degree murder and murderous conspiracy in connection with the June 2023 shooting of Nijjar, which severely damaged Canada's relations with India. Notably, ties between India and Canada have been strained after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused agents of the Indian government of killing Nijjar. However, India has dismissed the accusations as "absurd" and "motivated". Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by India's National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot and killed as he came out of a Gurdwara in Surrey in June last year. The video of his killing that reportedly surfaced in March this year showed Nijjar being shot by armed men in what has been described as a "contract killing." Last week, Canadian police released photographs of all three persons arrested in the killing of India-designated terrorist, Nijjar last year amid an ongoing probe into alleged connections of the Indian government. Along with photographs of the three accused, the Canadian police also released the photographs of the car believed to have been used by the suspects in the time leading up to the homicide, in and around the Surrey area. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) of Surrey, RCMP had said that on the morning of May 3, IHIT investigators, with the assistance of members from the British Columbia and Alberta RCMP and the Edmonton Police Service, arrested the three men for the June 2023 killing of Nijjar. Haryana political crisis news: Dushyant Chautala of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) on Thursday wrote to the Haryana governor seeking a floor test against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state, days after three Independent MLAs withdrew their support to the Nayab Singh Saini government. The Jannayak Janata Party, BJP's former ally, has already said it is ready to help the Congress bring down the BJP government in Haryana. Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) chief Dushyant Chautala. "It is evident that the BJP govt in Haryana no longer commands a majority," former deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala said in his letter to the governor on Wednesday. In his letter, the JJP leader urged the governor to direct appropriate authority to immediately call for a floor test. On May 7, the Haryana government suffered a jolt after the sudden move by three Independent MLAs, pushing the government into a minority. The three MLAs are Randhir Golan from Pundri, Dharmpal Gonder from Nilokheri and Sombir Singh Sangwan from Charkhi Dadri. All of them decided to extend support to Congress. "The government that was formed two months back is now in the minority because two of the MLAs who supported them one from the BJP and the other an Independent MLA have resigned. Three Independent MLAs who were supporting them have withdrawn their support and have written to the Governor. The JJP has clearly said that if a no confidence motion is brought against this government, we will support the motion. We have also written to the Governor about it. Now, the Congress has to take this step (seeking a floor test). The Congress will have to decide if they are going to take any steps to corner the current BJP government or not," Dushyant Chautala told news agency ANI. He added that the governor should implement the President's Rule in Haryana if the state government doesn't have the majority. "The governor has the power to order a floor test to see if the government has the strength and if it doesn't have the majority, immediately implement President's Rule in the state," he added. Chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, however, asserted that his government is not in any trouble. His predecessor and party colleague ML Khattar also claimed that many MLAs are in touch with the BJP and there is "nothing to worry ". The fast-paced political developments in the state come at a time when Lok Sabha polls are just a fortnight away and assembly elections are scheduled to be held in October. The 90-member Haryana assembly, at present, has an effective strength of 88 with Karnal and Rania assembly seats being vacant. The BJP has 40 MLAs, the Congress 30 and the JJP 10 in the House. The INLD and Haryana Lokhit Party has one member. Independents are six. The government has the support of two of the Independent legislators. Independent MLA Nayan Pal Rawat said he had given unconditional support to the BJP in 2019 and it is continuing even now. The California Public Utilities Commission voted Thursday to create a $24.15 fixed charge on utility bills in exchange for lower electricity rates. Nick Otto/Special to the Chronicle 2021 Millions of Californians will see changes in their utility bills in the coming years after state regulators voted Thursday to lower energy costs for some households and increase bills for others at a time of soaring utility costs. The California Public Utilities Commission approved a two-part strategy to restructure utility bills by adding a $24.15 fixed charge to residential bills while lowering per-unit rates for electricity. Low-income households will pay lower fixed charges of either $12 or $6. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The changes will go into effect in early 2026 for Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers and late 2025 for customers of Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas and Electric. This decision will make (electricity) rates go down and save people money when they electrify, commissioner John Reynolds said. The fixed charge could increase in the future, though that would require another commission vote. Commissioner Darcie Houck urged caution and careful scrutiny before any future increases. It is critical that we do not allow the fixed portion of these bills to increase rapidly or unreasonably, Houck said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Commissioners acknowledged that Californians are grappling with soaring utility bills. Since January, PG&E customers have been hit with a series of rate hikes that by the end of the year could push monthly bills $53 higher than they were last year. This change simply reallocates how existing costs are divvied up, commission president Alice Busching Reynolds said. It does not introduce new costs or fees. Utilities in most other states already employ fixed charges to ensure customers share basic system costs, such as operations and maintenance work, that serve all households regardless of how much or little energy they use. In California, most municipal utilities like those in Sacramento and Los Angeles have fixed charges, but the state hadnt required the investor-owned utilities such as PG&E to do the same. Instead, PG&E bills are currently based on how much energy a customer uses. Energy economists have said this method is unfair because it propels relatively high electricity rates and burdens certain groups, such as big families in hot inland areas, with disproportionately high energy costs. Customers with solar panels have enjoyed lower bills because theyre generating some of the energy they use and sending excess energy to the grid, but that has meant they are contributing less, proportionally, to shared system costs. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Even so, the PUC has not fully explained how this will impact utility bills for a broad range of customers at a time when households across the state are struggling, especially working class households that fall outside the formal definition of low income. The commission provided examples of two types of customers expected to benefit both high energy users. In one example, the commission said a San Francisco household with mostly electrical appliances and vehicle charging could save as much as $32 per month. An average household in Fresno, where energy costs soar during heat waves, is estimated to save $33 during the summer. The PUC didnt provide examples of customer groups that will see higher bills, and debate is growing over how more some households will be paying. An analysis provided by the solar industry found annual utility costs could increase $65 to $255 for about 3.9 million households served by the states three investor-owned utilities. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The other 3.4 million households could see nominal changes or have annual savings of as much as $474, according to the analysis provided by Oakland-based Flagstaff Research. But Severin Borenstein, an economist with UC Berkeley who published the initial research in support of fixed charges, said he estimated that increases will be small for those impacted and be closer to 15 cents a day. He said 95% of households enrolled in low-income programs will see their bills go down. The plan wont change how much utilities collect from customers through bills, but does adjust the formula for how those charges are distributed. These changes would help low income customers and have a very small impact on others, Borenstein said. Asaduddin Owaisi of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) on Thursday strongly reacted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remark that the Congress and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) had given Hyderabad on lease to the AIMIM. Asaduddin Owaisi said the people of Hyderabad are not cattle or property of political parties. Asaduddin Owaisi and PM Narendra Modi(File) Also Read: Modi targets Cong in Ambani-Adani twist "Modi came to Telangana and said that the Hyderabad seat had been given on lease to Owaisi. The people of Hyderabad are not cattle. We are citizens, not the property of political parties. For forty years, Hyderabad has defeated the evil ideology of Hindutva and entrusted AIMIM. Inshallah, Hindutva will be defeated again," Owaisi said in a post on X while sharing the video clip of PM Modi. Taking a jibe at the prime minister over the electoral funding scheme and said, "Modi is bonded to those who gave his party 6,000 crore through electoral bonds. In return, he has leased/sold India's assets to his sponsors. Modi appeased them so much that today, 21 people have more wealth than 70 crore Indians in total. Those 21 are his real parivar," he added. Owaisi's remarks came a day after Modi trained guns at the Congress and the BRS and alleged that for all these years, both parties have given Hyderabad to the AIMIM on "lease." Also Read: 'Narendra Modi knew': Owaisi attacks PM over shocking fact in Prajwal Revanna sex scandal Addressing a poll-bound rally in Telangana's Karimnagar, Modi said it's the BJP which has challenged the AIMIM for the first time. "For all these years, both these parties (Congress and BRS) have given Hyderabad to AIMIM on lease. If someone has challenged the AIMIM for the first time, it's BJP. More than AIMIM, it's Congress and BRS who are rattled by the challenge from the BJP. Both are helping AIMIM to win in Hyderabad," he said. Hyderabad has a rich cultural heritage and diverse demographics. A stronghold of AIMIM, the recent resurgence of the grand old party witnessed in the 2023 assembly polls in the region has posed a significant challenge to AIMIM's dominance, setting the stage for an intense electoral battle. In 1984, Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi won the Hyderabad seat as an independent candidate and later, from 1989 to 1999, as an AIMIM candidate. After him, Asaddudin Owaisi carried forward the legacy, holding the seat since 2004. In 2019, 14 candidates contested against Owaisi. He won the seat by securing 58.94% of the total votes polled, maintaining his dominance. Also Read: Muslims use condoms the most: Owaisi on PM Modi's more children barb Elections 2024: For this Lok Sabha election, BJP has named Madhavi Latha as its candidate against four-time MP Owaisi, while BRS has fielded Gaddam Srinivas Yadav. Meanwhile, the voting in Telangana would be held in a single phase on May 13. His lush green paddy fields stretching out in front of him, 45-year-old Suresh Agasti epitomises the shift in the landscape, both physical and political. Two decades ago, the district of Kalahandi was a living symbol of Indias deprivation. (HT Archive) New Delhi: Foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra and the top leadership of Bangladesh on Thursday discussed cooperation on a wide range of issues, including ways to boost trade and New Delhis role in Dhakas plan to dredge and develop its section of the cross-border Teesta River. Indias foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra and the top leadership of Bangladesh on Thursday discussed cooperation on a wide range of issues (Twitter/@BDMOFA) Kwatra was on his first official visit to Bangladesh after the formation of the new government by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in January. Besides reviewing the overall bilateral relationship at a meeting with his counterpart Masud Bin Momen, Kwatra also discussed a planned visit to India by Hasina in June or July, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity. The foreign secretary also met Hasina and foreign minister Hasan Mahmud. The visit was in line with the highest priority accorded to Indias Neighbourhood First policy and is expected to strengthen bilateral ties and impart momentum to cooperation in diverse areas, the external affairs ministry said in a statement. The review of bilateral ties encompassed political and security issues, defence, water, trade and investment, power and energy, connectivity and sub-regional cooperation, the statement said. Following his meeting with Kwatra, foreign minister Mahmud told the media in Dhaka that India has expressed interest in financing Bangladeshs planned project to dredge and develop its section of the Teesta River. You know, we have taken [up] a big project on the Teesta. India wants to finance this project. It will have to be implemented in line with our needs. We want to see our needs fulfilled, Mahmud was quoted as saying by United News of Bangladesh news agency. Mahmud was responding to a question on whether the two sides discussed the Teesta issue. He added that he had raised the issue of sharing river waters, including Dhakas long-standing demand for a water-sharing agreement on the Teesta River, held up since 2011, and the renewal of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty. This treaty was signed in December 1996 and is valid for 30 years. China has for long been eyeing Bangladeshs $1-billion project to develop its section of the Teesta and has submitted a formal proposal. The Indian side has conveyed its concerns about the project being awarded to China, the people cited above said. Mahmud also indicated the two sides had discussed Hasinas planned visit to India. Elections are underway in India. A new government will be formed after the election and then the date will be finalised for the visit, he said. A readout from Bangladeshs foreign ministry said Mahmud had called for an easing of Indias visa issuance process to further strengthen people-to-people contacts. Bangladeshi officials have said in recent weeks that Bangladeshi nationals, especially businesspeople, are facing problems in obtaining visas. Bangladesh is currently the biggest source country for foreign tourists visiting India. The readout said the Bangladesh side also emphasised the need to enhance exports to India and sought New Delhis support for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. Panaji, A MLA in Goa, Venzy Viegas, on Thursday expressed confidence that the INDIA bloc would win the South Goa Lok Sabha constituency comfortably, and said had he got the opportunity to contest this seat, his party's election management and campaign would have been better. He also said that ahead of the polls, the opposition alliance had urged people to channelise their anger into voting wisely. Polling for two parliamentary seats in Goa - North Goa and South Goa - was held on May 7. Viegas was initially announced as the Aam Aadmi Party's candidate from the South Goa Lok Sabha constituency, but had to withdraw from the fray later after the INDIA bloc decided that the Congress would contest both the seats in Goa. "When I was told not to contest, I did not feel bad as the whole idea was to bring the alliance together," Viegas told PTI. He said when his name was announced, there was a lot of delay to declare the candidates. "I was ready to contest as the party had suggested my name," he said. Even when it was decided that the Congress would contest both the seats, he was the first leader to hit the ground, without even waiting for the candidates to be announced, Viegas added. "Congress is always known for its delayed response. When we knew that there is delay from the partner, we thought that we will not waste time and hit the ground, talk to people and start the campaign. We asked people to channelise their anger into votes," he said. When asked whether he could have been able to make a better impact as compared to Congress candidate Viriato Fernandes, Viegas said, "What I see now is that had I got the ticket, the result would have been the same, but the management would have been better. The management of A in South Goa would have been better and totally organised." The A MLA said the Congress candidate will win the South Goa seat and will get the highest margin in the Benaulim assembly constituency represented by him. "At least 80 per cent of the people have voted for the INDIA alliance. That margin will help him win the election," he said. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party fielded industrialist Pallavi Dempo as its candidate from South Goa, the seat which is currently held by Congress MP Francisco Sardinha. INDIA bloc will win South Goa seat easily, but AAP would have managed campaign better way: Viegas New Delhi: Canada has informed Indian authorities about the arrest of three Indian citizens for the killing of pro-Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar but is yet to provide any specific or relevant evidence regarding the case, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday. External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal (File Photo) The two countries are currently engaged in discussions on issues such as the activities of pro-Khalistan elements and threats against Indian diplomats in Canada, Jaiswal acknowledged at a regular media briefing. The developments come against the backdrop of a marked downturn in bilateral ties following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus allegation last September that Indian government agents were linked to the killing of Nijjar, who was gunned down outside a gurdwara in the Vancouver suburb of Surrey in June 2023. India has dismissed the accusation as absurd and maintained that Canada has shared no evidence to back up the allegation. Also Read: Two of the three Indian suspects in Nijjars killing came to Canada as students Last Friday, Canadian police announced the arrest and charging of the three Indians Karanpreet Singh, 28, Kamalpreet Singh and Karan Brar, both 22 for the murder of Nijjar and said they were probing whether the men had ties to the Indian government. Canada has informed us about the arrests...We have been informed that three people have been arrested, and they happen to be Indian nationals, Jaiswal said in response to questions. He added that no formal communication on the matter had reached the Indian side. Let me first make it clear that no specific or relevant evidence or information has been shared by the Canadian authorities till date. You will, therefore, understand our view that the matter is being pre-judged, he said. Pointing out that political interests are at work, Jaiswal said India has maintained that separatists, extremists, and those advocating violence have been given political space in Canada. Indian diplomats have been threatened with impunity and obstructed from performing their duties, and the Indian side has informed Canadian authorities that figures associated with organised crime and with links to India have been allowed entry and residency in Canada. Jaiswal also said many of Indias extradition requests are pending. At the same time, he acknowledged the two countries are having discussions at the diplomatic level on all these matters. Indias high commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Verma, too had said at an event held at the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations on May 7 that the two countries are using diplomatic channels not open to the public to try and find solutions to issues of concern to both sides. Verma also said national security threats emanating from Canada and the pro-Khalistan activities of Canadian citizens are the two red lines for India. This is perhaps the first time that the Indian side has acknowledged these discussions. However, bilateral ties continue to be at an all-time low. The Canadian deputy high commissioner was summoned to the external affairs ministry last month for a protest over pro-Khalistan slogans being raised at an event in Toronto that was attended by Trudeau. New Delhi also reacted strongly to a Khalsa Day parade at Malton on May 5 that depicted the Indian premier in chains and within a cage. Asked specifically about the possibility of India getting consular access to the three Indians arrested in Canada, Jaiswal said this would depend on the norms for such access. Countries have different norms for consular access, and in some nations, it is up to the apprehended citizen to make a request for consular access to their embassy, he said. If the [arrested] person doesnt ask for consular access, the other country doesnt bring it to our notice, Jaiswal said, adding no suo moto action can be taken. Iran released seven crew members from the Portuguese-flagged ship MSC Aries, which was seized in the Gulf on April 13. Among those freed were five Indians, along with a Filipino and an Estonian, Portugal's foreign ministry said. Representative Image.The MSC Luciana container ship, left, approaches the Port of Felixstowe, owned by a unit of CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd., in Felixstowe, UK, on Monday, March 4, 2024. (Bloomberg) Iran claimed the container ship had Israeli links when it was seized. Portugal has welcomed the release of seven crew members from the seized vessel but demanded the "immediate release" of the remaining 17 crew and the vessel itself. ALSO READ- Yemen's Houthi militia offer education to students suspended in US for anti-Israel protests Why Iran has seized the ship? Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy seized the container ship MSC Aries, with 17 Indian nationals onboard, near the Strait of Hormuz on April 13. The vessel was last observed on April 12, heading towards the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Dubai. This came amidst escalating hostilities, including a drone attack by Iranian forces against Israel. "It is certain that this ship belongs to the Zionist regime," an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said at the time. ALSO READ- Why Iran attacked Israel with missiles and drones India-Iranian diplomatic channel was activated During a phone call on April 14, external affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed the release of Indian seafarers with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. Jaishankar expressed concern about the crew's situation and sought Iran's assistance. Amir-Abdollahian assured that Indian officials would be permitted to meet the crew. The Indian seafarers on the Portuguese-flagged cargo vessel comprised the ship's master along with four Filipinos, two Pakistanis, one Russian, and one Estonian. ALSO READ- Kerala woman among 17 Indian crew members of ship seized by Iran returns home Sole Indian woman seafarer was released earlier Ann Tessa Joseph, the sole woman among the 17 Indian crew members was released. While the rest of the crew were allowed to meet Indian authorities. Janata Dal (Secular) MLA HD Revanna was on Wednesday remanded to judicial custody till May 14 by a court in Bengaluru in connection with the kidnapping case linked to the sexual abuse allegations against his son and Lok Sabha member Prajwal Revanna. Kidnapping case: HD Revanna remanded to judicial custody till May 14 The courts ruling follows the conclusion of a three-day custody granted to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing the allegations against the JD (S) leaders. Revanna was produced before the 17th ACMM court in Bengaluru as his four-day police custody came to an end. Following arguments from both sides, the magistrate ordered Revanna into judicial custody until May 14, said an official in the know of the development. Meanwhile, Revannas plea for regular bail is slated to be heard on Thursday. Special public prosecutor Jagadish sought additional time to respond to the bail application, a move labelled as a delaying tactic by Revannas lawyer CV Nagesh. Earlier in the day, the legitimacy of the bail plea hearing was questioned by the special public prosecutor, citing Revannas ongoing police custody. The court deferred the hearing to the afternoon session and during this time the police requested the filing of objections. During his court appearance, judge Ravikumar Kattimani queried Revanna about his time in police custody. Revanna alleged that he was deprived of sleep for three days and complained of stomach pain. He maintained his innocence, asserting that the kidnapping case was falsely implicated against him, the official added. Following the court proceedings, Revanna was transferred by the SIT to Parapanna Agrahara Central Prison in Bengaluru. SIT had informed the court that Revanna was not cooperating with the investigation and a decision on his further custody will be announced soon, said SIT officials. Revanna, son of JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda, along with his associate Sathish Babanna, was booked for the purported abduction of a woman on April 29, as per a complaint filed by the womans son. Allegations also emerged against Revannas son, JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, regarding sexual abuse, which triggered a wave of controversy. According to the complaint, Satish Babanna initially convinced the survivor to accompany him under the pretext of a summons from Bhavani Revanna, HD Revannas wife. Babanna dropped my mother at our house on the morning of polling day. He told my parents not to tell anything to the police if they came to our house and threatened us that we would be booked in a case and asked us to alert him if the police came by, the complaint said. However, on April 29, he returned, allegedly forcibly taking the survivor away on his motorcycle, citing potential legal repercussions for the family. The complainant said his mother worked as a house help at HD Revannas house in Holenarsipur and their farm for six years. She left that job three years ago and returned to her village where she used to work as a daily wage worker. The woman was allegedly seen in one of the videos of sexual assault. Meanwhile, Karnataka home minister Dr G Parameshwara on Wednesday announced that three people have been detained by the Special Investigation Team in connection with the abduction case, bringing the total number of people in custody in connection with the kidnap case to five. Police officials in Mysuru said the recently detained individuals were responsible for holding the survivor captive. However, SIT officials declined to provide additional information regarding these arrests. Three terrorists, including a wanted terrorist of Lashkar-e-Taiba Basit Dar, have been killed in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmirs Kulgam district, the Indian Army said, adding that the gunfight that began on Monday night concluded after almost 40 hours on Thursday morning. Security forces at the encounter site at in Kulgam (Waseem Andrabi/HT) The army officials also recovered several arms and ammunition from the terrorists. A Joint Operation, that commenced on the intervening night of 06-07 May in general area Redwani Payeen, Kulgam, has been concluded after a relentless vigil of approximately 40 hours. 03xTerrorists have been eliminated along with recovery of war-like stores, inflicting yet another hit on the terror ecosystem, the Indian Army wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. It added, The Chinar Corps remains committed to maintaining peace and tranquillity in Kashmir. On the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, a fierce exchange of fire broke out between terrorists and security forces in the Redwani Payeen area of south Kashmir's Kulgam. Following this, the Indian army and the Jammu and Kashmir police launched a joint operation. One of the eliminated terrorists - Basit Dar - e was involved in more than 18 cases, including killings of police and innocent civilians and planning of attacks on minorities. Last year, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had announced a cash reward of 10 lakh on Basit Dar in a case of civilian killing and also issued a non-bailable warrant against him as he was accused of killing two non-local labourers in Kulgam in 2021. Meanwhile, earlier this month, terrorists targeted an Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, killing one IAF personnel and injuring four others. According to media reports, the convoy was the last of three vehicles moving from Jaranwalli Gali to Shahistar Top - where the IAF has a base. Reportedly, around 200 bullets were fired upon the vehicle within a span of 15 minutes. While no terror organisation claimed responsibility for the attack on the IAF convoy, it is reportedly suspected that those involved appear to be well-versed with the topography of the area. An approaching western disturbance was expected to lead to isolated light rain and thunderstorms in the northern plains from Friday to Monday and keep maximum temperatures in the range of below 40C in places such as Delhi. Maximum temperatures in the range of below 40C was expected in places such as Delhi. (ANI) No significant change in maximum temperatures was likely in northwest India for the next two days. The temperatures were expected to fall by about 2-3C thereafter. The mercury has gone up in the range of 43-46C in parts of Rajasthan and 40-43C in some places in Madhya Pradesh, interior Gujarat, north-central Maharashtra, isolated pockets of Punjab, south Haryana, interior Tamil Nadu, north interior Karnataka, Marathwada, and Vidarbha. They have been above normal by 2-4C in Rajasthan and 1-2C in the remaining areas. Heatwave conditions (temperatures exceeding maximum temperatures of 45C) prevailed in parts of West Rajasthan on Wednesday with Barmer reporting the highest maximum temperature of 45.9C. There have been hailstorms in parts of Madhya Pradesh and at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, East Rajasthan, and Vidarbha. Skymet Weather vice president (climate and meteorology) Mahesh Palawat said maximum temperatures have dropped below 40C in Delhi and they do not foresee any heat wave conditions setting in over the region immediately. They [maximum temperatures] will remain in this range for the next few days due to the thunderstorm activity expected during the weekend, said Palawat. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said cyclonic circulations were lying over northeast and northwest Rajasthan at lower tropospheric levels. It added scattered to fairly widespread rainfall activity accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds (30-40 kmph) were likely in Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand until May 13. Hailstorm activity is likely at isolated places over Uttarakhand until May 13. Isolated light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds (30-40 km per hour) is likely in Haryana-Chandigarh, and Punjab from May 10 to 13. Similar weather was expected in Uttar Pradesh from May 9 to 13 and Rajasthan from May 10 to 12. Dust storms and thunderstorms with gusty winds (30-40 km per hour) are very likely in East Uttar Pradesh until May 13, Rajasthan from May 10 to 13, West Uttar Pradesh from May 11 to 13, and Haryana-Chandigarh until May 13. Strong surface winds (30-40 kmph) are very likely in the plains of northwest India during the next three days, IMD said. Cyclonic circulations were also lying over east Bangladesh and northeast Assam. A trough was running from east Assam to north Odisha in lower tropospheric levels. Under their influence, widespread light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and squally winds (40-50 km per hour) were likely in West Bengal and Sikkim until May 12. Scattered to fairly widespread rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds (40-50 km per hour) were expected in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha until May 12. Steel mill workers' plaque spotlights mutually beneficial China-Serbia cooperation People's Daily Online) 10:39, May 09, 2024 Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Belgrade on the evening of May 7 for a state visit to Serbia at the invitation of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. This marks Xi's second visit to Serbia in eight years, seen as a milestone to upgrade and strengthen bilateral relations. Aerial photo taken on Aug. 16, 2021, shows the Smederevo steel plant of HBIS Serbia. (HBIS Serbia/Handout via Xinhua) The fate of the small city of Smederevo in northeast Serbia has become closely tied to China because of a century-old steel factory there. The once state-owned Smederevo Steelworks contributed 40 percent of the city's fiscal revenue in its heyday, hailed as "the pride of Serbia." However, fierce market competition and mismanagement nearly led to its closure. In April 2016, China's HeSteel Group (HBIS) acquired the ailing steel plant, bringing hope to thousands of workers. During Xi's 2016 visit, he toured the Smederevo steel plant of HBIS Serbia, observing products and the control center, where he inquired about the details of the production process. The steelworkers crafted a commemorative plaque for Xi, intricately engraved with the silhouette of a steel mill alongside the outlines of blast furnaces, exhaust chimneys, and workshops a heartfelt gesture to express their gratitude. Photo taken in June 2016 shows the commemorative plaque with a sketch of the Smederevo steel plant of HBIS Serbia, gifted to Chinese President Xi Jinping by factory workers that month. (Photo/Hu Yang) "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 workers then. China dispatched technical experts to the steel plant, maintained and upgraded the systems there, as well as invited the Serbian management team and some staff members to visit China for exchanges and training. Since 2016, the revived steel mill has generated around 4.77 billion euros ($5.13 billion) in exports, ranking as Serbia's top exporter for years. In 2023, it contributed 795 million euros to Serbia's economy, accounting for 1.15 percent of its GDP that year. The steel plant's revival vividly exemplifies the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Serbia and their mutually beneficial partnership. Chinese President Xi Jinping (center) talks with workers at a dining hall of the Smederevo steel plant in Smederevo, Serbia, June 19, 2016. (Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng) In a letter replying to workers of the steel plant on April 29, 2024, Xi told the steelworkers that they are participants, witnesses, contributors and beneficiaries of China and Serbia's friendly cooperation. "I hope you will continue to do your own jobs wholeheartedly and dedicate yourself enthusiastically to the operation and development of the plant, so as to make new and greater contributions to the socio-economic development of Serbia and the consolidation of the China-Serbia friendship," Xi said. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) A former investigator at the San Francisco District Attorneys Office under Chesa Boudin, pictured, was awarded an $835,000 settlement by the city after claiming he was fired in retaliation for calling out misconduct. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle 2022 A former investigator at the San Francisco District Attorneys Office was awarded an $835,000 settlement by the city after claiming he was fired in retaliation for calling out misconduct he said he witnessed in a fatal police-shooting case. The payout agreement, which was approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and Mayor London Breed, comes three years after Jeffrey Pailet filed a lawsuit alleging wrongful termination by then-District Attorney Chesa Boudin and Boudins chief of staff, David Campos. City officials said the settlement does not admit to wrongdoing, and that all claims against the city were dismissed. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When he was fired in 2020, Pailet was a member of the departments Independent Investigations Bureau, which investigates incidents involving police shootings and other serious use-of-force cases. In his suit, which was filed in San Francisco Superior Court, Pailet alleged improper conduct during an investigation into a fatal 2017 police shooting. Pailet claimed that investigators for the district attorney withheld key details when writing search warrants for officers cellphone records. When Pailet brought his allegations to DA officials, Pailet said, he was ignored, threatened and ultimately terminated, according to the complaint. There were internal complaints and an investigation that ultimately led to Pailets firing in November 2020, according to the complaint. He appealed the firing, but it was upheld on April 23, 2021. In a Wednesday statement, plaintiffs attorneys Olivia Leary said the settlement affirms Pailets whistleblower complaints and his commitment to uphold the truth. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I knew speaking out may result in consequences for myself, but it was my duty not to permit this to continue to take place, Pailet said in a statement. Jen Kwart, a spokesperson for the city attorneys office, said the city is committed to providing a workplace free from retaliation. We believe this settlement is an appropriate resolution given the inherent cost of continued litigation. Boudin declined to comment Wednesday. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Amid a diplomatic standoff, Maldives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer on Wednesday arrived in New Delhi on an official visit to India to discuss bilateral ties between the two countries. Moosa Zameer on Wednesday arrived in New Delhi(X/ @MEAIndia) During his visit, the two sides will discuss bilateral and regional issues and seek ways to provide impetus to our multifaceted relationship. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also shared details of his arrival on X saying. "Warm welcome to FM @MoosaZameer of Maldives on his official visit to India. Discussions on bilateral & regional issues and seeking ways to provide impetus to our multifaceted relationship lie ahead." According to the MEA release, the Maldivian Minister will hold a meeting with the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to discuss the bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest. "Moosa Zameer, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives will be in India on an official visit on 09 May 2024. During his visit to New Delhi, Foreign Minister Zameer will meet the External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar for discussions on bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest," MEA statement said." Maldives is India's key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and Foreign Minister Zameer's visit is expected to lend further momentum to the bilateral cooperation between the two countries," it added. The visit comes as India has said that it will replace its military personnel from Maldives before May 10. On May 3, India and Maldives held the 4th meeting of the bilateral High-Level Core Group and reviewed the replacement of Indian military personnel from the Island nation by May 10 and noted that the government will replace military personnel before the noted time. Earlier, the Mohamed Muizzu-led Maldives government formally requested that India withdraw its troops from Male. Maldives foreign ministry said in a press release that both sides reviewed the existing bilateral cooperation. "Discussions were held on a wide range of issues of mutual interest, including development and defence cooperation." "Both sides noted with satisfaction that the Government of India will replace military personnel at the last of the three aviation platforms by May 10, and all the logistical arrangements are going ahead as per schedule," the press release added. It was further agreed that the fifth meeting of the High-Level Core Group will be held in Male on a mutually agreeable date during the month of June/July. Last month, the Ministry of External Affairs said that the first batch of Indian personnel in the Maldives had been replaced by technical personnel. The external affairs ministry earlier informed that both India and the Maldives have agreed on a set of mutually workable solutions to enable the continued operation of Indian aviation platforms that provide humanitarian and medical evacuation services to the people of the Maldives. Last month, the MEA said that the first batch of Indian technical personnel reached the Maldives to replace the defence personnel. India and the Maldives have held two high-level core group meetings, and the third one is expected to take place soon. The removal of Indian troops from the country was the main election campaign of Muizzu's party. Currently, there are around 70 Indian troops, along with Dornier 228 maritime patrol aircraft and two HAL Dhruv helicopters, stationed in the Maldives. The Malkajgiri parliamentary constituency in Telangana is peculiar in more ways than one. It is the largest parliamentary constituency in the entire country in terms of voter count 3.74 million of them, including 1.93 million men and 1.81 million women. Malkajgiri is the largest parliamentary constituency in the country in terms of voter count 3.74 million. (PTI) It is often referred to as Mini India because of its cultural diversity it has people from all parts of India, besides encompassing one of the largest military cantonments of the country. Full coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 The parliamentary constituency was until recently represented by Telangana Congress Committee president and present chief minister A Revanth Reddy, but none the MLAs who represent seven assembly segments under it Malkajgiri, Medchal, Quthbullapur, Kukatpally, Uppal, LB Nagar, and Secunderabad Cantonment are from the Congress. They belong to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which lost power to the Congress in the recent assembly elections. None of the contestants representing three major political parties Sunitha Mahender Reddy of the Congress, Eatala Rajender of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Ragidi Laxma Reddy of the BRS hail from Malkajgiri; they are all non-locals. Sunitha hails from Tandur in Ranga Reddy district and Rajender is from Huzurabad in Karimnagar district. Laxma Reddy is from Nalgonda, but settled in Uppal in that context, he is part of the Malkajgiri constituency. The local, non-local factor doesnt have any significance in the decision of the voters in Malkajgiri, because the majority of the voters themselves are non-locals. Even in the 2019 general elections, Revanth Reddy won the seat though he hails from Kodangal in Mahabubnagar district, said political analyst Ramakrishna Sangem. So, the constituency has thrown up a triangular contest in the Lok Sabha elections to be held on Monday and the fight is going to be tough, as each candidate has his or her own positive and negative points to win or lose the seat. Congress candidate Sunitha is a seasoned politician, who had been the zilla parishad chairperson twice for Ranga Reddy and once for Vikarabad district. She is the wife of former minister Patnam Mahender Reddy, who has been in politics for over three decades. Both husband and wife, who played a major role in the BRS till recently, defected to the Congress in March and within weeks, Sunitha was given the party ticket for Malkajgiri parliamentary seat. According to Sangem, Sunitha has certain advantages over the other two candidates. She belongs to the ruling party and is banking on Revanth Reddys charisma. The chief minister, who represented Malkajgiri till recently, has taken it up as a prestige issue to win the seat and made conducted a whirlwind campaign in every nook and corner of the constituency. Malkajgiri constituency is dominated by the Reddys politically, if not numerically. In 2014, they supported businessman-turned-politician Chemakura Malla Reddy who won the Telugu Desam Party ticket and later defected to the BRS. In 2019, they stood by Revanth Reddy. Now that Revanth Reddy has become the chief minister, they are backing Sunitha, who is also a Reddy, Sangem said. Though BRS candidate Ragidi Laxma Reddy is also a Reddy, he is not an experienced leader like Sunitha and moreover, he is on the opposition side. In fact, Laxma Reddy had been in the Congress party as a small-time leader since 2009 and joined the BRS only recently. The BRS, who was struggling to find right candidates to fight the Lok Sabha elections, after its debacle in the assembly polls, forced Laxma Reddy to contest. The advantage for Laxma Reddy is that all the seven MLAs falling under Malkajgiri parliamentary constituency are from the BRS. BRS working president and party president K Chandrashekar Raos son KT Rama Rao is focusing on the constituency to ensure that Laxma Reddy wins the seat. But it appears the BRS MLAs are not evincing much interest in campaigning for Laxma Reddy. A couple of them are even looking to switch over to the Congress after the Lok Sabha elections, a senior BRS leader, who did not wish to be identified, said. On the other hand, Rajender is confident that the Modi factor could be his trump card and help him win the seat with a comfortable margin. The constituency has a largely urban population. The northern part of the constituency has a huge population from the northern states of the country, while the southern and eastern parts comprise a large number of settlers from Andhra Pradesh. There is a lot of craze for Modi among the north Indian voters of Malkajgiri and Rajender hopes they would rally behind him in large numbers. The Andhra settlers, too, have sympathy for Rajender, who was the only BRS leader who took on KCR and his family openly since 2021. I am not a new face in Malkajgiri, as I have been very popular for my role in the statehood agitation. As health minister, I have taken a proactive role in reaching out to people during the Covid-19 pandemic. So, I can understand the local issues much better than the other two candidates, Rajender told reporters at a meet-the-press programme last week. He is confident that the public meeting scheduled to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Hyderabad on Friday will swing the mood in favour of the BJP in Malkajgiri. Sangem, however, is sceptical. You cannot take the urban voters for granted. The hype being created by the BJP might not convert into votes as such. The BJP has always been third in the elections from Malkajgiri, whether it was in the Lok Sabha elections or the assembly elections, he said. A man has been arrested in Gujarat's Bharuch district on suspicion of espionage for Pakistan's ISI, authorities revealed on Thursday. Identified as Pravin Mishra, the accused reportedly fell prey to a honey-trap orchestrated by an ISI operative, according to police. Mishra allegedly disclosed crucial details concerning drones developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Pravin Mishra, who worked for an organization collaborating with India's DRDO in Hyderabad, reportedly disclosed crucial details regarding drone development. (Pic for representation) Read: IAF officer honey-trapped by Pakistans ISI was posted in sensitive defence unit Mishra has been booked under section 123 (concealing with intent to facilitate a design to wage war) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the IT Act. CSL CID Crime mounted surveillance in a factory in Ankaleshwar near Bharuch, during which, we found a person called Pravin Mishra. His phone was checked, and based on the information we recovered from his phone, we filed a case against him under section 123 of the IPC, IT Act, and conspiracy offence, Gujarat CID ADGP Rajkumar Pandian said at a press conference. The main accused, an ISI handler from Pakistan, identified herself as Sonal Garg. She told him that she was working at IBM Chandigarh. She honey-trapped one Pravin Mishra. She got Pravin Sharma to extract India's defence-related information, he added. Read: How Pakistan ISI used Facebook likes and comments to honey-trap a BSF jawan Pandian said that Mishra's case is not isolated as the ISI has targeted numerous individuals associated with defence establishments. According to police, Mishra's position in an organisation collaborating with DRDO in Hyderabad made him susceptible to the trap. The honey-trappers target those working in or closely associated with defence establishments in the country. Pravin Mishra worked in Hyderabad in an organisation that, in turn, worked with DRDO. Pravin Mishra shared some vital information, the official said. Read: Punjab Police nab armyman for leaking info to Pakistans ISI "Apart from him, many other people working for defence establishments were also targeted. Pravin Mishra has been arrested. He has shared information on drones manufactured by the DRDO. The ISI handler even tried to install malware on Pravin Mishra's office server," he added. Further investigation is underway. With ANI inputs Silchar: A 35-year-old maulana (Islamic religious teacher) has been arrested in Assams South Salmara district for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor boy inside a Madrasa, police said. (Representative Photo) Police said that the maulana, who works at Madrasa in South Salmara, was thrashed by a group of people on Wednesday afternoon after the incident came to light and later handed him over to the police. According to the locals, the maulana had assaulted the minor boy on several occasions following which he stopped going to the Madarsa. His behaviour changed recently, and he was afraid of attending classes. When we enquired, he revealed that he was facing sexual assaults, said a family member of the minor boy. Police said that they received a complaint from the boys father on Wednesday, and based on that, a case was registered against the maulana under section 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). South Salmara superintendent of police (SP) Horen Tokbi said the arrested maulana will be produced before the court on Thursday. We have recorded the statements and recovered evidence as well. Further investigation is going on, he said. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of giving several infrastructure projects such as ports, airports and defence contracts to businessman Gautam Adani over the last 10 years, and promised to distribute money among the poor if the Opposition INDIA bloc is voted to power in the ongoing general elections. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with Telangana CM Revanth Reddy and others during an election rally for the Lok Sabha polls in Hyderabad on Thursday. (PTI) Narendra Modi ji worked for people like Adani. For 10 years, Narendra Modi ji gave the countrys airports, ports, infrastructure, defence industry and all to Adani, the Wayanad MP alleged at an election rally in Medak parliamentary constituency of Telangana. Full coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Gandhis remarks came a day after Modi at a poll rally in Telangana asked why he had stopped abusing Adani and Ambani in his attacks and whether his party received maal (money) from them in return. Hours later, however, the Congress leader hit back and dared Modi to initiate a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to find whether businessmen Adani and Ambani sent black money to his party. Continuing his tirade against the PM on Thursday, Gandhi alleged that the countrys wealth worth lakhs of crores of rupees had gone into the hands of 22 billionaires. If the Congress comes to power at the Centre, we shall work out a scheme for eradication of poverty in the country. We shall prepare the list of poor people and 1 lakh would be deposited in the bank accounts of a woman in every poor family. All these days, Modi distributed the countrys wealth among the corporates. Now, we shall distribute money among the poor, he added. He also reiterated his allegation that the Modi government would abolish reservations if it returned to power for the third time. The BJP wants to abolish reservations while Congress wants to increase them beyond 50 per cent. The Modi government is privatising public sector undertakings (PSUs) as part of the conspiracy to abolish reservations. The BJPs intention is to privatize everything and abolish reservations, he alleged. Stating that the Constitution of India was in deep crisis, Gandhi said the only way to protect the Constitution was to bring the INDIA bloc to power. Indian Constitution is not a mere book. It is the heartbeat of the people. It has given powers to the people. We shall go to any extent to protect this Constitution, he said. The Congress MP also assured the people that the party would implement all the guarantees it had promised in its election manifesto. We shall take up caste surveys to identify the genuine figures of population of SCs, STs and OBCs, so that they would get due representation in all fields in proportion to their population, he said. Addressing a separate rally at Saroornagar in Hyderabad, Rahul Gandhi said millions of educated youth had remained unemployed during the Modi regime. We are coming out with the slogan of first job pucca. After coming to power after June 4, we shall fill up 30 lakh government jobs by August 15, he said. He also promised that the Congress would waive crop loans, ensure minimum support price for the agriculture produce and enhance the wages of labourers to 400 per day under employment guarantee scheme. Accusing the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government in Andhra Pradesh of neglecting the basic infrastructure, developmental projects, irrigation and industrial sector in the last five years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called upon the people to vote for the National Democratic Alliance(NDA) in the coming elections to bring in a double-engine government in the state. PM Narendra Modi being felicitated by BJP members during an election rally in Karimnagar district of Telangana on Wednesday. (ANI) Addressing an election rally at Kalikiri in Rajampet parliamentary constituency in Annamayya district, Modi regretted that the youth had to leave the state for employment and basic necessities. The people had voted for the YSRCP government with high hopes and dreams, but the government had broken their trust repeatedly, he said. The Prime Minister accused the YSRCP of encouraging goons and mafias. I was shocked to know that Annamayya dam was washed away due to sand mafia, resulting in destruction of 25-30 villages and loss of several lives. Those sand mafia operators are being shielded by the YSRCP. I want to tell those mafia leaders that their days are numbered and the coming NDA government will give their due share in punishment, he said. He alleged that the Jagan government was incompetent in providing even basic amenities like drinking water to the people. Modi wants to provide safe drinking water to every household. But the state government doesnt cooperate with the Jal Jeevan Mission, he said. Modi also blamed it on the YSRCP government for failing to complete Polavaram major irrigation project on Godavari. It stands as an example for the incompetence of the government. Farmers in Rayalaseema have been troubled by the YSRCP for years. When the NDA comes to power, irrigation projects will all be completed at the earliest, he said. The Prime Minister further assured that major infrastructural developments are underway in Andhra Pradesh. In the next five years, infrastructure will be at its peak. The BJP has announced that bullet trains will be a reality in Southern India too. You tell me, shouldnt Andhra Pradesh have its own bullet train? he asked. Modi also took a dig at the Congress stating that it wants to take India back to the old days, at a time when he is on a mission of nation building. The Congress leaders are threatening that all the schemes introduced in the last 10 years, shall be cancelled. They say they will bring back Article 370, cancel Citizenship (Amendment) Act, they say they will cancel the schemes that help poor people with free rations and free medical check-ups. They are also challenging the SC judgment on Ram Mandir in their vile attempt to lock down the temple, he pointed out. He said the Congress was detached and uprooted from the culture and traditions of India, and was always aiming to see the country divided and in shackles. They can often be caught not acknowledging India as one country and always propose to divide the country, he said. Later in the evening, Modi, along with Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan took part in a roadshow in Vijayawada, in which thousands of people took part. Hitting out at Modi, Andhra Pradesh education minister and YSRCP leader Botsa Satyanarayana said the PM has lowered the stature of the post he is holding. Satyanarayana also accused the BJP of being involved in massive corruption. No party has done the kind of corruption that the BJP is indulging in now. In my political career, I have never seen such a corrupt party as the BJP. Modi is making the post of PM worthless. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused the Congress of receiving bags full of black money from Ambani and Adani and alleged that the opposition party stopped attacking the top industrialists after receiving illegal cash in what were striking comments coming in the middle of a heated general election Modis remarks, made at a rally in Telangana, is a twist on the conventional political narrative, (ANI) Modis remarks, made at a rally in Telangana, is a twist on the conventional political narrative because the Congress, especially senior leader Rahul Gandhi, has repeatedly accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of being hand-in-glove with the Ambani and Adani groups. Gandhi on Wednesday mocked Modis comments and asked him to order a federal investigation against the firms. This is the first time in this general elections campaign that the PM has publicly named Ambani and Adani, a reference to Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, two of Indias richest industrialists who run vast conglomerates spanning several sectors. Since his Rafale issue got grounded, he started chanting about five industrialists. Then he started saying Ambani-Adani. But ever since elections have been announced, these people (Congress) have stopped abusing Ambani-Adani. I want to ask from Telangana soil, let the shehzada announce, how much has been lifted from Ambani-Adani? Has tempo loads of money reached the Congress? Modi said, referring to Gandhi as prince. What deal has been arrived at, that abusing Ambani-Adani has stopped overnight? Certainly something is fishy. Over the last few years, Gandhi has repeatedly accused the BJP of crony capitalism and said that it was providing undue benefits to some industrialists -- charges the ruling party has denied. But on Wednesday, Modi sought to flip the narrative. For five years, (they) abused Adani-Ambani and it stopped overnight. It means you have received some tempo loads of chori ka maal (loot)...Kaale dhan ki kitni boriya bharkar ke rupaye maare hai (how many sacks of black money you have taken) You have to answer the nation, he said at Vemulawada in the Karimnagar parliamentary constituency in Telangana . Representatives of the two conglomerates didnt immediately respond to requests for a comment. Hours later, Gandhi dared Modi to initiate investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate against Ambani and Adani and questioned if Modi was scared. In a video released by the Congress, Gandhi, sitting in front of a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, said, Usually you talk about Ambani and Adani behind the doors. Today, for the first time you mentioned Ambani and Adani publicly. What happened? Are you scared? Do one thing. You initiate a CBI and ED enquiry against them as soon as possible. He added: The country knows who is the driver and helper of the BJPs tempo of corruption. The Congress also launched a fierce counter-attack with party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra charging that the BJP ahd a nexus with industrialists and the entire BJP machinery was engaged in spreading lies about Rahul Gandhi. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that Modis chair was shaking after three phases of the Lok Sabha polls as he started attacking his own friends. The times are changing. Dost dost na raha...! (Friends are no longer friends!) After the completion of three phases of elections, today the Prime Minister has started attacking his own friends. It is becoming clear that Modijis chair is shaking. This is the real trend of the results, Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X. The Congresss allegations of crony capitalism against the BJP are old, but peaked last year after American short-seller Hindenberg Research alleged brazen accounting fraud and stock manipulation by the Gautam Adani-led group in a report. Adani Enterprises rejected the report as unresearched and maliciously mischievous. The report triggered a massive row, with the Opposition targeting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party over alleged links between Modi, and his government, and Adani Group. It also triggered a massive, but temporary, rout of Adani stocks and market value. Several Opposition parties then disrupted the budget session of Parliament with a demand for a joint parliamentary probe, and held several protests in Delhi. At the time, the government distanced itself from the allegations and dismissed the Oppositions demand, saying that the Congress was attempting to derail parliamentary proceedings. The row even reached the Supreme Court, which in January upheld a probe by the Securities and Exchange Board of India. New Delhi: India told the Maldives on Thursday that mutual interests and reciprocal sensitivity should form the basis of bilateral ties, as external affairs minister S Jaishankar met his visiting Maldivian counterpart Moosa Zameer amid a sharp deterioration of the overall relationship. S Jaishankar met his visiting Maldivian counterpart Moosa Zameer in New Delhi on Thursday (Twitter/@MoosaZameer) Zameer is the first Maldivian leader to visit New Delhi after President Mohamed Muizzu took steps to move the Indian Ocean archipelago closer to China and reduce its dependence on India in areas ranging from food security to defence cooperation. His visit also coincided with a deadline set by Muizzu for withdrawing more than 80 Indian military personnel from the Maldives. As close and proximate neighbours, the development of our ties is obviously based on mutual interests and reciprocal sensitivity, Jaishankar pointedly said in his opening remarks at the meeting with Zameer. As far as India is concerned, these are articulated in terms of our Neighbourhood First policy and SAGAR [Security and Growth for All in the Region] vision, he said, adding he hoped the meeting would enable the two sides to strengthen the convergence of our perspectives in various domains. Also Read: Please be a part of Maldives tourism: Ministers call to Indian tourists Jaishankar said Zameers visit is an opportunity to discuss the bilateral relationship and chart out future directions. It is in the common interest of both sides to reach an understanding on how best we take our relationship forward, he added. He further noted that India has been a key provider of development assistance to the Maldives, and these projects ranging from infrastructure schemes and social initiatives to medical evacuations and health facilities have directly contributed to the quality of life of the Maldivian people. We have also extended financial support on favourable terms in the past, Jaishankar said, in a tacit reference to debt traps created by Chinese projects undertaken through the Belt and Road Initiative. India has been a first responder on numerous occasions for the Maldives. Our cooperation has also enhanced the security and well-being of your country through shared activities, equipment provisioning, capacity building and training, Jaishankar said. Noting that the world is passing through a volatile and uncertain period, Jaishankar said: In such times, as we saw during Covid, during natural disasters and economic difficulties, close partnerships with neighbours are of great value. The discussions between Jaishankar and Zameer covered the range of the overall bilateral engagement, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a media briefing. These included security issues on which we work together, disaster relief given Indias role as a first responder, and capacity building, he said. Zameer said in a post on X that he and Jaishankar reflected on the long history of bilateral partnership shaped by mutual respect and understanding and exchanged perspectives on increasing engagement and exchanges. A readout from the Maldivian foreign ministry said both sides discussed ways to forge opportunities for future collaboration in government priority areas. Both ministers committed themselves to working closely together on priority areas of mutual interest. Also Read: On derogatory words on PM Modi, Maldives minister says, Wont happen again They also acknowledged the notable progress of projects facilitated through Indian grant assistance and line of credit initiatives and the dialogue underscored a partnership built on mutual trusts, shared interests and values. Zameer appreciated Indias support in advancing economic, trade and investment ties and New Delhis committed role in the socioeconomic advancement of the Maldives, the readout said. Zameer arrived in New Delhi ahead of the May 10 deadline set by Muizzu for the withdrawal of more than 80 Indian military personnel who were stationed in the Maldives to operate two helicopters and an aircraft mainly used for medical evacuations and humanitarian operations. India has already pulled out 51 personnel in two batches in March and April and replaced them with civilian experts. Jaiswal said the two sides were engaged to see how best they can continue the operation of the aviation platforms. He added that India had replaced the military personnel with technical personnel who can operate the platforms and will take care of services. Hindustan Times is proud to announce the launch of "My First Vote With HT," a campaign designed to engage and empower first-time voters between the ages of 18 and 24. In this initiative, we invite young voters to share what their first vote mean to them, whether it's about education, infrastructure, health or any other pressing issue they believe in. Join HT's 'My First Vote' campaign for first-time voters. Read Elections 2024 News and Lok Sabha Election Updates How to participate in 'My First Vote With HT' contest? Create a short video, less than a minute long, expressing what your first vote means to you. Upload the video on your social media handles. Tag @hindustantimes in your post. Use the hashtag #MyFirstVoteWithHT in your caption. Cross your inked finger and hope to be one of the lucky winners! What's up for grabs? Five lucky winners will have the remarkable chance to feature on HT's official social media platforms walls. Imagine your voice reaching a wider audience, sharing your unique perspectives and making a significant impact! Come in spotlight: By participating, you're not just entering a contest; you're stepping into the spotlight. HT's social media channels eagerly await your creativity. Amplify Your Voice: This contest is your platform to amplify your voice. Express yourself, inspire others, and make a lasting impression! ALSO READ- Election In Pincodes: Caste, gender spur a churn in Indias migration sink Let's strengthen our democracy With "My First Vote With HT," our goal is to raise awareness among young voters about the significance of exercising their democratic right and participating in the electoral process. By encouraging them to express their priorities and concerns, the campaign aims to promote a sense of civic engagement and responsibility. Moreover, the initiative serves as a platform for young voices to be acknowledged and heard. In a country where youth constitute a significant portion of the electorate, their perspectives and opinions are valuable. "My First Vote With HT" offers a channel for these voices to reach decision-makers, influencers, and fellow citizens, thereby contributing to a more inclusive and representative democracy. ALSO READ- Cant question EVMs solely on suspicion: Supreme Court Together, let's make our democracy stronger by empowering the voices of the future through "My First Vote With HT." CHANDIGARH: The political crisis in Haryana has brought the governors role into sharp focus, with experts underlining two key factors that might determine the course of political events in the northern state. Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini passed a trust vote on March 13 after the JJP pulled support, prompting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to rejig the government. (PTI FILE) The first is whether the Nayab Singh Saini government will face a floor test. Chief minister Saini passed a trust vote on March 13 after the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) pulled support, prompting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to rejig the government. Also Read: Pull down Haryana govt, BJPs ex-ally Jannayak Janata Party asks Congress When a House is in session, a proposal for a no confidence motion requires to be moved before the speaker. However, such a motion can be presented before the governor when the House is not in session, which means that opposition parties can request the governor to summon a special session for the government to prove its majority. Experts said opposition parties are free to call for a no-confidence motion if they so deem fit because the Saini administration passed a trust vote, which is distinct from a no-confidence motion. Also Read: Dushyant Chautala of JJP writes to governor, seeks floor test But experts also underlined that the governor is under no legal compulsion to convene a House session before a six-month period has passed from the previous sitting. So, given that the House last assembled on March 13, Haryana governor Bandaru Dattatreya is not required to call for a session before September 13. Experts said the governor can use their discretionary powers under Article 163 (1) of the Constitution and ask the government to prove its majority if convinced that the government has lost its majority in the House. Through a series of judgments, including the Constitution bench rulings in SR Bommai (1994), Nebam Rebia (2016) and Subhash Desai (Maharashtra political crisis, in 2023) cases, the Supreme Court has consistently maintained that the governor is not stripped of his authority to call for a floor test if it is clear from the materials at his disposal that a floor test is necessary to determine if the government is worthy of the Houses confidence. In a situation where the governor has reasons to believe that the chief minister and his council of ministers have lost the confidence of the House, it is open to the governor, to require the chief minister and his council of ministers to prove their majority in the House, by a floor test, the Nebam Rebia judgment held. Following these precedents, the Supreme Court in Shivraj Singh Chouhan Vs Speaker, Madhya Pradesh Assembly (2020), the apex court further clarified that the power under Article 174 of the Constitution to summon the House and to prorogue it is one which is exercised by the governor on the aid and advice of the council of ministers. But in a situation where the governor has reasons to believe that the council of ministers, headed by the chief minister, has lost the confidence of the House, constitutional propriety requires that the issue be resolved by calling for a floor test. The governor in calling for a floor test cannot be construed to have acted beyond the bounds of constitutional authority, it underlined. The continuous existence of that confidence is crucial to the legitimacy and hence survival of the government, the court said in the 2020 judgment, adding it is a matter which can brook no delay since the authority of the government presided over by the chief minister depends on the council of ministers continuing to have the faith of the legislative body as a collective entity. Several examples exist of two no-confidence motions being moved within less than six months of each other. CPI (M) member from West Bengal, Jyotirmoy Bosu, moved a no-confidence motion against the Indira Gandhi-led central government on May 9, 1974. The main grounds for moving the motion was a railway strike. The motion was defeated on May 10, 1974. But, in less than three months, Bosu again moved a motion of no-confidence against the government on July 23, 1974, arguing that ordinances that were promulgated introducing compulsory deposit scheme for income tax payers and putting restrictions on dividends were unjustified. The motion was defeated on July 25, 1974. In the seventh Lok Sabha, a motion of no confidence was moved by George Fernandes on May 8, 1981, which was defeated on May 9, 1981. Another no-confidence motion was moved about four months later by Samar Mukherjee on September 17, 1981. The motion was defeated as well. Similarly, in the 10th Lok Sabha, a no-confidence motion was moved against the PV Narasimha Rao government on July 17,1992 by Jaswant Singh. Another no confidence motion was moved five months later by Atal Behari Vaypayee on December 21, 1992 against the same government. Haryana assembly speaker Gian Chand Gupta said the governor will use his wisdom to decide whether a no-confidence motion can be brought in the House. Usually, it is seen that once a government wins a vote of confidence, a no-confidence motion is not brought within six months. However, the decision rests with the governor, Gupta said. Punjab and Haryana high court lawyer Keshavam Chaudhri, however, disputed this and said there is no specific rule mandating a six-month waiting period between two no-confidence motions. If the MLAs backing a government withdraw their support, the minority government cannot be granted six months based solely on a timing gap, he said. UC Berkeley graduate Kai Koerber has turned his horrific experience surviving the Parkland mass shooting into a software program that helps people understand and process their emotions. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Kai Koerber leaned back in his booth as he glanced around Caffe Strada, a popular tree-shaded hangout just off UC Berkeleys campus. This has always been the spot, he said. Less than a year ago, Koerber wasnt so different from those college students sipping iced lattes as they discussed their postgrad plans. A data-science major who grew up in New Jersey and attended high school in Florida, he wanted to emulate his entrepreneurial idols, create the next great app and change the world. Advertisement Article continues below this ad What made him unique now was that he is already doing it. Just 12 months removed from his UC Berkeley graduation, Koerber, 23, is traversing the globe to hobnob with fellow CEOs and speak at tech symposiums about his latest feat: the Joy AI Wellness Platform, which uses artificial intelligence to help people improve their mood. The app gauges how users feel from the mere sound of their voice. In addition to suggesting quick mindfulness activities based on peoples perceived mental state, it charts their mood throughout a given week. Kai Koerbers Joy AI Wellness Platform uses artificial intelligence to help people improve their mood, gauging how they feel from the mere sound of their voice. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle Like many other AI apps, Joys readings become more accurate the more users speak into it. Koerber should know. Over the past couple years, he has used Joys emotion-recognition technology to help him process lingering trauma from the worst day of his life. As a junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., Koerber was in band class on Valentines Day 2018 when he asked his teacher to use the restroom. But one of his classmates was out, so he was told to wait until she returned. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Koerber would later credit that stroke of circumstance for helping to save his life. Had his teacher let him leave when he asked, he would have been in the same hallway as former student Nikolas Cruz when Cruz began firing his semiautomatic rifle indiscriminately at students and teachers. Cruz killed 17 people that day, making it the deadliest high school shooting in United States history. Asked how the experience has shaped him, Koerber paused for a moment, shook his head and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. I think thats why Im so steadfast in what I believe is my own purpose now, he said. When you survive a tragedy, its kind of hard to not think, Hey, I should live the rest of my life exactly the way I want to. For me, it just happens to be making positive change and making sure people can deal with the mental trauma that comes from being a part of such horrific events. It was a sunny Tuesday evening in late April. Koerber had just flown in from the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., area, where he lives with his mother, Alana, while managing Joys 14-person staff over Zoom. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Almost every employee is a UC Berkeley undergrad. Over the next few days, Koerber would attend a research symposium and lead team-building activities before jetting to Europe for more meetings. When you survive a tragedy, its kind of hard to not think, Hey, I should live the rest of my life exactly the way I want to, Kai Koerber said. For me, it just happens to be making positive change. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle This is all part of what he calls his Steve Jobs era. Nearly half a century after Jobs famously worked late nights building Apple in his parents Los Altos garage, Koerber often crashes at his family home in Coral Springs, Fla., around 3 a.m., exhausted from 14-hour days trying to build something seminal. When Henry Cen a UC Berkeley sophomore told Koerber last month that he was overwhelmed juggling his work on Joy with a rigorous course load, Koerber gently reminded Cen: That was me last year. Throughout college, Koerber had retreated to his bedroom after class, slogged through schoolwork until around midnight, then stayed up until 5 a.m. reading AI research papers. When you talk to Kai, you can just see his passion, Cen said. He makes us all believe we can do something special. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Koerbers goal was ambitious by any standard: to create the worlds first wellness app that can meet the emotional needs of its users simply by deciphering the emotion in their voices. But unlike many other forward-thinking undergrads, Koerber had the luxury of learning from one of his chosen fields foremost experts. Dacher Keltner is a UC Berkeley psychology professor whose award-winning research on the science behind emotion has made him a sought-after advisor for tech companies trying to break into the mental health and wellness area. During his first sit-down with Koerber five years ago, Keltner was struck by the then-freshmans clarity of purpose. Kai is a great example of this new generation of college students, Keltner said. He came in wanting to learn about emotion, happiness and AI. But more than anything, he wanted to change the world. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting at his high school, Koerber had done numerous interviews including one with Trevor Noah on The Daily Show about the need for better gun-control laws in America. Often lost in those conversations was the need for better mental-health support for young people. This seemed odd to Koerber, who had once shared a first-period class with Cruz. Even then, Koerber could tell his schoolmate was unwell. There was how Cruz talked to himself and rarely interacted with peers; dragged his feet while walking between classes; carried his books in a plastic bag because school officials had banned him from wearing a backpack. Advertisement Article continues below this ad There were warning signs, Koerber wrote in an opinion piece for CNN.com four months after the shooting. Collectively we either missed them or chose to ignore them. Thats when Koerber started to become a prominent mental-health advocate. He wrote more opinion pieces for nationally renowned publications, developed a 400-page mental health program, and even founded a nonprofit to get that curriculum into schools. By the time he moved cross-country for UC Berkeleys top-ranked computer science program, Koerber was reconsidering his career plan. Long set on following his uncle into rocket science, he now dreamed of building an app that could help people like himself see better days. He was always getting different software sent to him around AI and emotional intelligence around AI, said Mohammed Zareef-Mustafa, Koerbers freshman-year roommate. Other kids our age were all stressed about the smallest things, and he was over here trying to find a solution. Kai Koerber has used meditation, his Joy apps weekly mood charts and many other resources to help him cope with post-traumatic stress disorder. Though he called that an ongoing process, he believes he is in a much better place than he was a few years ago. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle For more than two years, Koerber worked with other UC Berkeley data-science majors to design an algorithm that could pinpoint emotion just from bio-acoustic signals and vocal expressions. Sad people, for example, tend to speak in a softer, slower and more monotonic voice. Thats different from anxious people, who often talk faster and with more labored breathing. But as hundreds of digital mental-health tools flooded the marketplace in recent years, Koerber saw the danger of diagnosing disorders through an app. Artificial intelligence remains a work in progress. In the case of something like Joy, developers had no way to fully eliminate the potential for misinterpretation. What if people are only speaking quietly into the app because theyre in a loud place? Would the algorithm misread those soft voices as signs of sadness? The more a person uses the app, the better chance it has of picking up such nuances. It also helps that Joys stakes are relatively low. Rather than trying to diagnose depression, anxiety or other mental-health issues, it provides benign suggestions like cleaning the house or going for a walk to help improve mood. And if users disagree with the mood the app assigns them, they can change it. Koerber has used meditation, Joys weekly mood charts and many other resources to help him cope with post-traumatic stress disorder. Though he called that an ongoing process, he believes he is in a much better place than he was a few years ago. The scope of what a technology is taking on does matter a lot, said Colin Walsh, an associate professor of biomedical-informatics at Vanderbilt University who has studied the use of AI in mental-health and wellness apps. Joy is meant to be an additional resource to help individuals who ideally also have a human provider who can help them through things. Its not a cure-all; its a resource. It might also be the beginning. Though Koerber is pleased with Joy, he views it as his entry point into what he hopes is a long, successful career in AI. His company, Koer AI, has been working on another app the details of which remain under wraps that he hopes will be even more groundbreaking. For Koerber to really make this his Steve Jobs era, he has to keep toiling until early in the morning. At least now he doesnt have to worry about schoolwork. After finishing the interview at Caffe Strada, Koerber got up from his booth, checked his watch and smiled. Reckoned a key player in Kashmir politics, Sajjad Lone has come a long way since he eschewed separatist ideology after the assassination of his father Abdul Ghani Lone, a leading light of the pro-secession Hurriyat Conference, in 2002. As chairman of Peoples Conference, Lone, 58, is the prime challenger to National Conference leader-former chief minister Omar Abdullah in the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat that goes to the polls on May 20. Edited excepts: Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference (JKPC) chief Sajjad Lone (File Photo) Q.What is your take on the electoral landscape in Jammu & Kashmir? Its a very important election as this is the first after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Jammu & Kashmir has no assembly since 2018. The people of Kashmir deserve to be represented by new voices because old and stale voices have not been able to reflect their pain and aspirations. The people of India also deserve to know what is happening in Kashmir. Q.How do you look at your contest against National Conferences Omar Abdullah who has been a three-time MP and former chief minister? I am a local and son of the soil. Omar is a tourist. All 24 candidates he pitted against me are locals as they have their addresses in Baramulla. Only he is from Srinagar. Q.Your election billboards promise dignity and development. How will you deliver on that if elected as an MP? I will work on bringing big-ticket schemes and projects which can change the economic landscape of Kashmir. Development is common to every other place. What is unique to Kashmir is dignity. What the Centre gives us is not as important as how it gives it to us. Do you throw it at us or hand it over to us? The dignity aspect is quite lost in Kashmir. Before August 5, 2019, J&K had a special relationship which was taken away. If you believe all the states should have the same rules, then let the J&K also be part of that, especially when it comes to rules pertaining to security issues and police verification. Our entire youth is being held up by a discriminatory system in which a son has to be punished for a sin committed by his father. An innocent youth is being denied police verification because his brother or even distant cousin was involved with militancy. You need police verification for everything be it a passport, a government job or even a government tender. Unfortunately, in Kashmir, police are investigating not only individuals but the entire family. Thats not the rule in Punjab, Gujarat or Delhi, but only in Kashmir. Why should Kashmiris be treated unfairly? Given a chance, I will bring this issue to the Parliament. Q.Is the Article 370 is a poll issue in Kashmir? It is there in the collective memory of Kashmiris. But they also know that getting the special status is not possible through these elections. J&K has only five MPs in the Parliament. National Conference is the main party from J&K in the Opposition alliance. Let NC ask the INDIA bloc to commit itself to bringing Article 370 back and spell out the constitutional roadmap to do that. Why is the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] not contesting any of the three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir? The BJP never get more than one per cent of Kashmir votes. So, had they contested, would it not have been a rejection of what they did in the Parliament on August 5, 2019? Nullification of Article 370 has not made them a big player in the Valley. So they have chosen to stay face rather than face an obvious electoral and moral rejection. Q.But NC says you are the BJPs proxy? I was a minister in the Peoples Democratic Party-ruled government (in Jammu and Kashmir) in which the BJP was an ally. But Omar Abdullah has been a minister in the BJP government headed by Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee. At that time, his father and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah passed a resolution in the J&K Assembly for autonomy which was contemptuously rejected by the Vajpayee government. But, Omar continued to be in the cabinet for four to five years. He should be the last person to point a finger at me. I entered politics when my father had 45 bullets in his body. I have come up the very hard way. Why do I need to be a BJP proxy? I am from a Muslim-majority state while the BJP has a pro-Hindu agenda. Why would I align with them? Q.Your political base has been confined to the Kupwara district. How important is this contest for you as the assembly polls in J&K are expected to be held later this year? My party has grown organically beyond Handwara, which was my fathers traditional bastion. Our vote share has gone up in the last fifteen years. This is despite the convergence of NC and the establishment and the fact that I have no uncles or aunties in Delhi. Maldives foreign minister Moosa Zameer, during his first official visit to India, clarified on Thursday that the Mohamed Muizzu government did not support the derogatory comments made by some of the Maldivian ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He added that the remarks did not represent the government's stance and that proper action was taken to prevent such incidents in the future. External affairs minister S Jaishankar meets Maldives foreign minister Moosa Zameer, in New Delhi. (X/Moosa Zameer) Speaking to ANI, Zameer said, I think if you have seen as you said, we have said that it's not the stand of the government or we believe that it shouldn't have been done. We are taking proper action to make sure that this doesnt get repeated. There has been a misunderstanding, in social media. The governments of Maldives and India understand what has happened and we have passed that stage now. A conflict between India and Maldives started in January this year when three politicians made disrespectful remarks against PM Modi. Shortly after, Maldives Deputy Youth Ministers Mariyam Shiuna, Mahzoom Majid, and Malsha Shareef were suspended indefinitely. However, as per Maldives-based news organisation Adhadhu, the three continue to receive their salaries. Zameer's visit came amid tensions between India and the Maldives under President Muizzu's government. Read Here: What the Maldives election landslide means for India Speaking on his visit, Zameer said, It was a good visit and it was a very warm welcome. My counterpart S Jaishnakar and myself had very fruitful discussions this morning. I really thank the government of India and MEA. Well, if you really go back to 1965, when Maldives became independent, India was one of the first countries to recognise Maldives. Throughout these years, we have seen very fruitful bilateral relations and we have seen people-to-people contact. I think we have a very symbiotic relationship that benefits both people. I think the future, if you have seen, we have been very clear that we want to have a very good relationship to deepen our relationship, move further and for the benefit of the people of Maldives and the people of India. Maldives eager to mend ties with India: Zameer The country now faces a boycott from Indian visitors, who are the largest contributors to Maldives' tourism industry. As per sun.mv, the first four months of 2024 saw a 42 per cent decline in tourists from India than last year. According to the Tourism Ministry's data, as of May 4, the Maldives received 43,991 tourists from India this year. In comparison, last year during the same time, there were 73,785 Indian tourists visiting the Maldives, as per a report by PTI. Zameer said that the Maldivian government was eager to mend ties with India. He said, I think the Minister of Tourism has clearly said that he would like to welcome and I like myself to welcome all Indians who would like to travel to Maldives. But I think in the long term, once we move forward because if you're seen in the last eight months, in Maldives and India, we are going through election cycles. So I think we will move beyond that phase pretty soon and we would like all Indian tourists to come back. And if you look at the trajectory of what has happened. If you go back about 10 years ago, there continued to be a very important source market and then during COVID Indian travelers actually came into all this in high numbers. And then that trend continued ... In the past couple of months and we have had about 16-17 per cent increase and then of course there has been a decrease in Indian markets but I'm confident that it will pick up in the near future, he added. On India-Maldives defence relationship Zameer is visiting as India is set to withdraw its military personnel from the Maldives before May 10. In April, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that the first group of Indian technical workers arrived in the Maldives to replace the defence personnel. India and the Maldives have already had two important meetings, with a third one coming up soon. Talking about the defence relationship between the two countries, Zameer said, I think Maldives-India defence relations go beyond military personnel. And now, those platforms which have been handled by the military personnel will be handled by civilians. We have had a joint exercise with the Maldivian military, Indian military and Sri Lanka I think Bangladesh is an observer and we will continue to have these exercises...Peace and security of the Indian Ocean is important for both Maldives as well as India. So we will work together to make the Indian Ocean a peaceful place. Muizzu's party heavily campaigned on removing Indian troops from the country ahead of being elected to power. Currently, there are about 70 Indian troops stationed in the Maldives, along with two maritime patrol aircraft and two helicopters. The Congress and the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) on Thursday stepped up efforts to topple the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Haryana and wrote to governor Bandaru Dattatreya even as chief minister Nayab Singh Saini exuded confidence about his administration being safe despite losing the backing of three independent lawmakers this week. Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda addresses a press conference, in Bhiwani on Thursday. (ANI) Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the Congress sought an appointment with the governor to apprise him about the current political situation and alleged that the BJP government was trying to indulge in horse-trading after being reduced to a minority. Also Read | JJP leader Dushyant Chautala promises support to bring down Haryana government On moral grounds, it (BJP) should resign. Presidents Rule should be imposed...we are demanding fresh elections in the state, he said. Former deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala wrote that it was evident that the incumbent government no longer commanded a majority in the legislative assembly. The JJP is not extending support to the present government and is open to supporting any other political party for government formation, said the letter, dated May 8. But he might face a rebellion in his own party as at least three lawmakers are in touch with the BJP, according to people familiar with the matter. The BJP said it was safe with former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar saying the Opposition wont be able to muster even its own numbers in the event of a floor test. The opposition is doing vague calculations. During the floor test, if they can retain even 23 of their MLAs, it will be a big deal... I dont see any no-confidence motion being moved anytime soon, but if any such situation arises, we will have a floor test... Many JJP MLAs have given support to BJP. This is what Im saying, they need to think beyond what meets the eye, said Khattar. Also Read | After JJP writes to Haryana governor, CM Saini says ready for floor test Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday that there is no danger to the government. He said that he has the numbers and is ready for a floor test, if required. Does Dushyant have the numbers? We have the numbers. I won the floor test in March and, if required, I will do it again. There is no threat to the government, Nayab Saini said. The latest chapter of the crisis that sparked off in March began on Tuesday after three independent lawmakers Randhir Golan from Pundri, Dharmpal Gonder from Nilokheri and Sombir Singh Sangwan from Dadri said they had decided to back Hooda of the Congress and written to Dattatreya pulling their support from the Saini government. Assembly elections are scheduled in the state in October-November this year. All 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state go to the polls on May 25. In the 90-member assembly, two seats are vacant, of which Karnal is going for by-elections on May 25. The BJP has 40 members, and has the support of two independents Nayan Pal Rawat from Prithla and Rakesh Daulatabad from Badshahpur and Gopal Kanda of the Haryana Lokhit Party. That takes it to 43, two short of the majority mark of 45 in the assembly that currently has a strength of 88. The Congress has 30 lawmakers, the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) has 10, and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has one. In addition, one independent legislator Balraj Kundu from Meham has not made his position clear. If they all oppose the government, there will be 45 votes against the state government. INLD also wrote to the governor demanding a floor test or imposition of Presidents rule in the state Question marks hang over the JJP and its ability to command the support of all 10 of its legislators. At least three MLAs Barwala MLA Jogi Ram Sihag, Narnaund MLA Ram Kumar Gautam and Tohana MLA Devender Babli are exploring ticket opportunities for the assembly elections and are in touch with the BJP leadership, said people familiar with the matter. At a meeting at Khattars in Panipat on Thursday, three JJP lawmakers Sihag, Babli and Narwana MLA Ram Niwas showed up. Hooda also hinted at the possibility, and said that the JJP should parade all its 10 legislators before the governor. If the JJP parades all 10 MLAs before the governor, it will prove beyond doubt that the BJP does not have the numbersThe state government is in minority now, Hooda said, adding that the Congress was ready to parade its 30 lawmakers before the governor. Deputy Congress legislature party leader, Aftab Ahmed, and chief whip Bharat Bhushan Batra will lead the party delegation to meet Dattatreya possibly on Friday and present a memorandum demanding Presidents Rule in the state. Congress leaders said that party would never stake a claim to form the government with the JJP as it considers the latter a liability. The widespread resentment and protests being faced by the JJP leadership during the Lok Sabha poll campaign has made the JJP a liability. Why would we attempt to be seen as joining forces with the JJP, a party which is facing strong anti-incumbency in the state? a Congress leader asked, requesting anonymity. In the middle of the turmoil, all eyes are on the governor. Through a series of judgments, including the Constitution bench rulings in SR Bommai (1994), Nebam Rebia (2016) and Subhash Desai (Maharashtra political crisis in 2023) cases, the Supreme Court has maintained that the governor has the authority to call for a floor test if it is clear from the materials at his disposal that a floor test is necessary to determine if the government is worthy of the Houses confidence. In a situation where the governor has reasons to believe that the chief minister and his council of ministers have lost the confidence of the House, it is open to the governor to require the chief minister and his council of ministers to prove their majority in the House, by a floor test, the Nebam Rebia judgment held. Following these precedents, in Shivraj Singh Chouhan Vs Speaker, Madhya Pradesh Assembly (2020), the apex court further clarified that the power under Article 174 of the Constitution to summon the House and to prorogue it is one which is exercised by the governor on the aid and advice of the council of ministers. There are many theories as to why Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a startling allegation that Congress got cash loaded in tempo from Ambani and Adani. The PMs remarks is seen as an attempt to tarnish the Congress and Rahul Gandhis image as a recipient of black money, take the sheen out of the Congress campaign against corruption on a larger scale and possibly also to send a subtle message to those who are funding the principal Opposition party. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. (Arvind Yadav/ HT File Photo) Modi to Congress: How much funds did you get from Ambani, Adani? PM Modi on Wednesday accused the Congress of receiving bags full of black money from Ambani and Adani and alleged that the opposition party stopped attacking the top industrialists after receiving illegal cash, in what were striking comments coming in the middle of a heated general election. Modis remarks, made at a rally in Telangana, is a twist on the conventional political narrative because the Congress, especially senior leader Rahul Gandhi, has repeatedly accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of being hand-in-glove with the Ambani and Adani groups. Gandhi on Wednesday mocked Modis comments and asked him to order a federal investigation against the firms. This is the first time in this general elections campaign that the PM has publicly named Ambani and Adani, two of Indias richest industrialists who run vast conglomerates spanning several sectors. Rahul Gandhi to Modi: Are you talking from personal experience? Hours after Modis barb, Rahul Gandhi hit back and said, Normally, you (Modi) take the name of Ambani-Adani behind closed doors. You took their names in public for the first time, Gandhi said. You also know that Adani-Ambani send money in tempo? Is this your personal experience? Do one thing: send CBI and ED to them. Get a thorough investigation done, dont panic. Gandhi also took the opportunity to say, The amount of money that PM Modi has given to them, we will give the same to the poor in India. We will make many lakhpatis with the Mahalakshmi Yojna and Pehli Naukri Yojana Sam Pitroda sparks another row, quits party post Trust Sam Pitroda, the Chicago-based inventor, entrepreneur, development thinker, and policy maker, to create a controversy when there is none. This time, he referred to Chinese, Arabs, white people and Africans to describe the looks of people in Indias east, west, north and south, respectively. Pitrodas comments in an online interaction while trying to describe the importance of Indias diversity triggered a political row, with PM Modi attacking Rahul Gandhi for disrespecting the countrymen on the basis of their skin colour. Late in the evening, Pitroda, a friend of late PM Rajiv Gandhi, resigned from his position as the overseas cell chief of the Congress. This is not the first time the outspoken Pitroda has shot from the hip. Last month, he spoke about the merits of inheritance tax, sparking a whole new debate and allowing PM Modi and other BJP leaders to campaign that the Congress plans to take away peoples wealth. During the last elections, Pitroda, when asked about the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, retorted, Hua to hua!. We have survived 70-75 years, in a very happy environment where people could live together, leaving aside a few fights here and there. We could hold the country together, as diverse as India where people in the east look like Chinese, people in the west look like Arabs, people in the north look like, maybe white, and people in the south look like Africans. It doesnt matter. We are all brothers and sisters, Pitroda told The Statesman in a web interview. Almost immediately, the controversy began. Addressing a rally in Warangal, Modi attacked Rahul Gandhi over Pitrodas comments. Shehzade (or prince, a reference to Rahul Gandhi), you will have to answer. My country will not tolerate the disrespect of my countrymen on the basis of their skin colour. Modi will never tolerate this, he said. Akhilesh hits out at BSP over Akash Anands removal Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday reacted to Mayawatis decision to remove her nephew Akash Anand as her successor and as national coordinator of the party till he becomes politically mature. Yadav described the BSP chiefs announcement as an indication that her party is not winning a single seat as its traditional voters are shifting towards the INDI Alliance to save the Consitution and reservation. Whatever step the BSP has taken to bring about a big change in its organisation is an internal matter of the party, Akhilesh Yadav wrote on X. Actually, the real reason behind this is that BSP is not seen winning even a single seat because most of the traditional supporters of BSP are also voting for INDIA bloc this time to save the Constitution and reservation. Mayawati, however, didnt take Yadavs criticism lightly. Responding to the criticism by SP, Mayawati said that the Akhilesh Yadav-led party should not worry about the happenings in her party and rather concentrate on the Yadav candidates fielded by them, who, she claimed, are in a very bad condition. She also accused the Samajwadi Party of being extremely anti-Dalit. Bengaluru cops summon Nadda and BJPs IT head The Bengaluru Police has summoned BJP president JP Nadda and the partys IT cell head Amit Malviya in connection with an animated clip posted by the partys state unit that showed the Congress appeasing Muslims at the cost of other faiths and castes, people aware of the matter said on Wednesday. The police summon came against the backdrop of the Congresss Ramesh Babu filing a case against Nadda, Malviya and the BJPs Karnataka chief BY Vijayendra under the Indian Penal Codes (IPC) Section 505(2) (statement conducing public mischief), and the Representation of People Acts Section 125 (promoting enmity between classes). Former judges Madan B Lokur, AP Shah and journalist N Ram have invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to a public debate on Lok Sabha election 2024. The public is concerned that they have only heard allegations and challenges from either side but not any meaningful responses, their invitation letter said. The letter said people are concerned that they only heard allegations and not any meaningful response. "The General Election for the 18th Lok Sabha has already reached its midpoint. During rallies and public addresses, members of both the BJP, the party in power, and the INC, the principal opposition party, have asked important questions relating to the core of our constitutional democracy. The Prime Minister has publicly challenged the Congress on reservations, Article 370 and wealth redistribution. Congress president Mallikarjin Kharge has questioned the Prime Minister on possible mutilation of the Constitution, Electoral Bond scheme and the government's response to China, and also challenged him to a public debate," the letter said. Lok Sabha election 2024: Full coverage "...we believe that citizens would hugely benefit by hearing directly from our political leaders through a public debate on a non partisan and non commercial platform. It would be ideal if the public heard not just the question of each side but also the responses. We are of the view that this would help to strengthen our democratic process immensely. This bears more relevance as we are the world's largest democracy, and the entire world is watching our elections keenly. A public debate such as this would, therefore, set a great precedent, not just by educating the public, but also in projecting the true image of healthy and vibrant democracy," it said. The venue, duration, moderators and the format of the debate could be on the terms agreeable to both the prime minister and Rahul Gandhi. Only if they are unavailable to address the debate, they may nominate a representative, the proposal stated along with a reply address. Madan B Lokur is a former judge of the Supreme Court, while AP Shah is a former chief justice of Delhi high court. N Ram is a senior journalist and the former editor-in-chief of The Hindu. Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday accused former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy of orchestrating a scheme to circulate thousands of pen drives containing explicit videos purportedly involving Kumaraswamys nephew, Prajwal Revanna, who has been booked in connection with the sexual assault cases. Political tussle over Prajwal sexual abuse case continues This accusation comes in the backdrop of Kumaraswamys claim that 25,000 pen drives featuring videos of women being sexually abused, allegedly by his nephew, were circulated across Karnataka ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Kumaraswamy further accused chief minister Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar of conspiring in this matter. DK Shivakumar said HD Kumaraswamy was the lead, director and producer of the story. He claimed HD Kumaraswamy knew about the pen drives. He said finishing peoples political careers and blackmailing others were Kumaraswamys job. Kumaraswamy knows about the pen drive (containing explicit video clips) matter completely. A lawyer (Devaraje Gowda) and others are speaking. Kumaranna (Kumaraswamy) wants my resignation, it seems there is competition for the Vokkaliga leadership. Let me give resignation, as he wants it, Shivakumar said sarcastically. Finishing (politically) one after the other is his (Kumaraswamy) job. Blackmailing, (Kumaraswamy is) the king of blackmail...he is threatening everyone, officers, politicians Let him do it, there is time to discuss all this, lets discuss it in the assembly, he added. The controversy revolves around Prajwal Revanna, who is accused of recording sexually explicit videos. Prajwals father, HD Revanna, has been arrested in connection with the kidnapping of a woman linked to the sexual abuse case. Meanwhile, JD(S) second-in-command H D Kumaraswamy on Wednesday launched a tirade against Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara asking him why the police did not act on a complaint against a man, who allegedly said explicit videos allegedly linked to Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna will be released. It is now in public domain that Naveen Gowda on April 21 night at 8 pm announced releasing explicit videos on WhatsApp in the next few seconds. I want to ask Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara. What is the role of SIT (Special Investigation Team)? he asked while talking to reporters. Alleged explicit videos of sexual abuse involving Prajwal -- Kumaraswamys nephew -- started making the rounds ahead of the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka on April 26.The chairperson of Karnataka State Commission for Women Chairperson Dr Nagalakshmi Chaudhary wrote to chief minister Siddaramaiah and state police chief Alok Mohan seeking a probe into the videos that are in circulation in Hassan, following which the Congress government formed the SIT on April 28 to investigate the case. Kumaraswamy also sought to know why the kidnapped woman has not been produced before a court yet. He said: Till now the SIT has not arrested Naveen Gowda. They have not even issued summons to him. Why are you suppressing all these things? Its been a fortnight since the videos were made public. Who is he and whom is he seen in photographs? Prajwal is absconding and a blue corner notice has been issued by the Interpol, according to police. Kumaraswamy said he has no clue about his nephews whereabouts. If you ask me, what can I answer you? I dont know. When I am not in his contact.... I am telling you very clearly. I dont have any relations with him. He has his own dealings.. Kumaraswamy claimed that the police projected that the kidnapped woman was rescued from a farmhouse but, according to him, she was staying at her relatives house. Why the rescued woman has not been produced before a judge? Why have the 12 members of her family been given royal treatment at Kumarakrupa Guest House? he wondered. (With inputs from PTI) Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took a reporter by surprise when she was asked for a response regarding a recent study conducted by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM). Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra speaks to the media during an election campaign for the Lok Sabha Polls, in Raebareli on Thursday.(ANI) The study titled 'Share of Religious Minorities: A Cross-Country Analysis (1950-2015)' claimed a significant shift in the population demographics of India over the last several decades, with the Hindu population share declining by 7.81 per cent between 1950 and 2015, while the share of minorities, including Muslims, increased during the period. Read: Muslims with spouse cannot claim rights in a live-in relationship: Allahabad HC When asked for her response to the report, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was in Raebareli to campaign for Rahul Gandhi, queried, "Where did the question come from?" The reporter responded that it originated from the office. In a somewhat cryptic retort, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, "From the office, right? Tell the office Priyanka is asking who sent them (the question)". Watch | PM Narendra Modi says he does not oppose Islam: 'Muslim community is' The BJP on Thursday seized upon the revelations made in the working paper and expressed concern over the pace of increase in Muslim population in the country. Wondering its impact on the reservation provided to SCs, STs and OBCs, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi claimed that the Congress is "hell bent" on providing quota to the minority community if voted to power. It's a very well-known fact, which has been in the public domain for around a decade. If you see the 1951 census, Hindus were having 88 per cent population and Muslims 9.5 per cent. In the 2011 census, Hindus (population) reduced to 79.8 percent from 80 percent while Muslims' percentage went up by more than 14.5, Sudhanshu Trivedi told PTI. "But, the question arises that if by this pace the population is increasing and Congress is hell bent upon giving reservation to the Muslims on the basis of population, they will cut the share of the SCs, STs and the OBCs," he added. Rahul Gandhi of the Congress on Wednesday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his businessmen Adani and Ambani "send their money in a tempo statement, asking if he was speaking from his personal experience. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi speaks during a video message addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. (PTI) Addressing an election rally in Telangana's Karimpur earlier on Wednesday, PM Narendra Modi came down heavily on Rahul Gandhi saying why he had stopped abusing Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani in his attacks and whether the Congress received money from them in return. Also Read | Rahul Gandhi's retort to PM Modi's Adani-Ambani jibe: 'You took their names first time in public' "For five years, the Congress's Shehzada kept repeating one thing. But when the Rafale issue faded, he switched to targeting five industrialists, especially Ambani and Adani. However, once the elections were announced, he stopped attacking them. I want to ask from Telangana soil, let the Shehzada announce, how much has been lifted from Ambani-Adani. Has tempo loads of notes (currency) reached the Congress? What deal has been arrived at, that abusing Ambani-Adani has stopped overnight," he asked. "Zaroor daal mein kuch kaala hai (there is something fishy). You abused them for five years, and then it stopped overnight?" Modi added. Also Read | Modi targets Cong in Ambani-Adani twist Rahul Gandhi fired back and asked, "Modi ji, are you a little scared? Normally, you talk about Adani and Ambani behind closed doors, but for the first time you have talked about Adani and Ambani in public," Gandhi said in the video message. You also know that they give money in a tempo. Is it your personal experience?" Do one thing - send the CBI, ED to them and carry out a thorough investigation and don't be scared, Rahul Gandhi further said in Hindi in a video posted on X. The country knows who is the driver and helper of the BJP's tempo of corruption, Gandhi added. Rahul Gandhi claimed that the money that PM Modi has allegedly "given" to the two businessmen, the Congress will give the same amount of money to the people of India through the various schemes the party promised if voted to power after the Lok Sabha elections. The Congress has been accusing Modi of favouring the top five industrialists in the country, including Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani. Meanwhile, AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh also targeted Modi for his statement and said the prime minister is bewildered as he is not getting a clear majority and is now attacking "his own friends". Earlier, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also said, "In the third phase itself, the people of the country have slowed down the tempo of Modi ji. Hence, he is missing the tempo of his friends." "Modiji, please answer, the country wants to know," she said in a post on X. (With inputs from agencies) Cloud seeding or depending on rain god is not the answer to the raging forest fires in Uttarakhand, the Supreme Court remarked on Wednesday, even as the state government submitted that several preventive measures, including cloud seeding, were being undertaken to tackle the situation. Fire broke out at 62 hectares of forest area in Uttarakhand. (ANI) The courts remarks came as it was hearing an application filed by senior advocate Rajeev Datta on April 30 seeking urgent directions for preventive steps, claiming that the recent wildfire has devoured 40% of forests in the Himalayan state. The court decided to involve the central empowered committee (CEC), an expert body, in the matter and posted it for further hearing on May 15. Also Read | Uttarakhand forest fires: Death toll rises to 5, highest since 2019 Cloud seeding or depending on the rain god is not the answer. He (applicant) is right in saying that you have to take preventive measures, a bench of justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta told the states counsel, after the latter filed a 380-page interim status report elaborating on the current situation and the steps taken to combat the raging flames. The counsel submitted that rains were expected in the hill state following clearance from authorities for cloud seeding. Deputy advocate general of state, Jatinder Kumar Sethi, denied claims made by the applicant, saying: People say that 40% of Uttarakhand is on fire, whereas the position today is that 0.1% of the wildlife cover was on fire. From November till today, we have 398 fires, all man-made. As the court wished to know the extent of loss caused to humans and animals, Sethi said five people were killed due to the forest fires and added that he will get the information on numbers of animals killed in these incidents and apprise the court. The phenomena of forest fires are not new to Uttarakhand and every summer the forest department deals with such fires, he said. Stating that media reports projected a wrong picture, Sethi pointed out that the state is monitoring the situation on a real time basis and has taken several steps. The emergency phase is over. Lot of work is being done that does not come into the media, he added. Attributing the main cause behind fires to crop burning, the state informed the court that 388 criminal cases have been registered in the state for causing fires in which 62 offenders have been named. The offence carries a maximum punishment of two years imprisonment and a fine of 20,000. There are drives undertaken by the state to control these fires, he submitted. Sethi also said that helicopters of the Indian Air Force were also pressed into service to extinguish the fires. The applicant, however, told the bench that the state is painting a very rosy picture but media reports claim the entire machinery involved in tackling forest fires is busy in election-related work. The state of affairs is pathetic. People who go to douse the fires do not even have proper equipment, Dutta argued. He alleged that the land mafia operates in the state who get contracts for extracting the sap from the pine trees, which are highly inflammable. He also claimed that the state had even changed the land use of forest to benefit contractors. He pointed out that the idea is not just to douse forest fires but also to protect forests and animals. The bench directed applicant Datta to share his application with advocate K Parmeshwar, the lawyer assisting the court as amicus curiae in cases concerning forest and wildlife. We request advocate K Parmeshwar to assist in this matter. He shall examine how CEC can help in this regard, the bench said, posting the matter to May 15. Dutta filed the application in a pending appeal filed by the Uttarakhand government challenging a decision of the states high court of December 19, 2016 giving a slew of directions to control forest fires. The top court had stayed the high court order which required immediate suspension of senior forest officials if the fire is not controlled within a day or two among other suggestions. Datta told the court that his intention to file the application was to inform the court about a related proceedings before the national green tribunal (NGT) where he is the petitioner. The issue before the tribunal relates to forest fires across India. Russia on Wednesday rejected the United States's claims of the involvement of Indian officials in the plot to assassinate Khalistani separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, saying that Washington has not given any credible information or evidence so far. Russian President Vladimir Putin.(REUTERS) Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova alleged that the US was trying to unbalance the internal political situation in India and complicate the ongoing general elections. Washington lacks a simple understanding of India's national mentality and history, as America continues to make unfounded accusations about religious freedoms. Washington's actions clearly constitute interference in India's internal affairsAs for speculations, since there is no evidence, it is not acceptableThey are not respecting India as a state, Zakharova said during an address. The Russian official further slammed the US for wrongful accusations against several other countries. Hard to imagine a more repressive regime than Washington in international and national affairs, she added. In November last year, US federal prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta of working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Pannun, wanted in India on terror charges, holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada. He has been designated as a terrorist by the Union home ministry under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Last month, The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, named a Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) officer in connection with the alleged plot to kill Pannun. According to the report, the R&AW official - Vikram Yadav - had enlisted a hit team to carry out the operation, marking Pannun as a priority target. Following the report, India set up a high-level committee to investigate the allegations. Earlier this week, the US said that it is waiting to see the results of the Indian investigations on the issue. They (Indian government) opened a committee of inquiry to look into the matter, and that work is ongoing; well wait to see the results. But we made it very clear that its something that we are taking seriously and we think they, too, should take this seriously, US state department spokesperson Matthew Miller told the media. India's response to Washington Post's report Meanwhile, India, last month, sharply reacted to The Washington Post's report on the alleged assassination plot of Pannun, saying that it is unwarranted and unsubstantiated. Addressing the media, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that speculative and irresponsible comments on the issue are not helpful. AB2354 from Assembly Member Mia Bonta, D-Alameda, offers relief for a person whose offense was related to being a victim of human trafficking, intimate partner violence or sexual violence. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle Regarding California Democrats want to protect womens rights around the country. They need to look at home, too (Emily Hoeven, SFChronicle.com, May 2): California needs to improve the protection of womens rights. However, I disagree with the idea that imposing higher criminal penalties for domestic violence and other forms of intimate partner violence is the right approach to achieve this goal. Increasing criminal penalties does the opposite it usually harms the people we intend to protect. For example, an emphasis on arrests for domestic violence in the 1990s led to large increases in arrests of women nationwide. In California, arrests of women for domestic violence increased 156% compared to a 21% increase for men. Many of us are familiar with the story of Cyntoia Brown, who was arrested and imprisoned for defending herself. However, this is not just an issue in conservative states like Kentucky. It also occurs in liberal California. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Therefore, California should make more effort to safeguard womens rights, including providing a path to liberty for victims of intimate partner violence, human trafficking and other forms of abuse who have been incarcerated. State lawmakers have the opportunity to do so by passing AB2354, from Assembly Member Mia Bonta, D-Alameda, which offers relief for a person whose offense was related to being a victim of human trafficking, intimate partner violence or sexual violence. Kellie Walters, staff attorney, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, Oakland Fire pretendian professor Regarding A white UC Berkeley prof built her career after saying she was Native. Shes part of an epidemic at elite colleges (Open Forum, SFChronicle.com, May 5): Now that UC Berkeley professor Elizabeth Hoover has been publicly exposed as having pretended to be an Indigenous American, what should be done? Advertisement Article continues below this ad Suppose UC Berkeley is justified in unnaming Kroeber Hall because of Alfred Kroebers alleged disrespect for Indigenous California peoples. What is the appropriate action for Hoover, a woman of European ancestry profiting from being someone she is not? Greek thinkers embraced the view that each person seeks to maximize their own advantage within understood societal constraints. Hoover embraced maximizing her advantage without a concern for societal constraints, without which, there is no morality. It is time to unname Hoover from the tenured track faculty and for the university administration to publicly acknowledge its error. James Barter, Berkeley Leahy Law doesnt apply Regarding Protests are misdirected (Letters to the Editor, May 7): Israel is reacting to the nearly nonstop attacks on its citizens by Hamas. It has not launched unprovoked attacks on Gaza, only when attacked first that is not a gross violation of human rights. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But lets for the sake of argument, consider letter writer Gary Kitabamas idea that Israel and Hamas actions fall under the Leahy Law, which would forbid the U.S. from selling them arms. Hamas does not get its weapons from the U.S. it gets them from Iran, so the disarmament would be one-sided. If both sides are serious about a cease-fire, they both should sit down like adults and negotiate a settlement and negotiate reparations for Gaza. Mark Mogill, Kensington Adapt to coyotes Regarding Move S.F. coyotes out of the city before its too late for them and humans (Letters to the Editor, SFChronicle.com, May 5): I object to the condemnation of coyotes in San Francisco. Nothing is threatening about a wild animal eating road kill, nor is a breeding females warning growl. Advertisement Article continues below this ad About Opinion Guest opinions in Open Forum and Insight are produced by writers with expertise, personal experience or original insights on a subject of interest to our readers. Their views do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Chronicle editorial board, which is committed to providing a diversity of ideas to our readership. Read more about our transparency and ethics policies The biggest danger to the citys coyotes comes from misguided people who inadvisably feed them, lessening their innate caution around humans. If people only treated these marvelous creatures with the respect they deserve, left them to scavenge and hunt for their meals, and gave them their space when they are frightened and not be afraid in turn, we could all peacefully cohabitate in this city with coyotes and all other forms of life that bless this planet. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said on Thursday that he was not offered a political opportunity when he was a member of his uncle's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) because he wasn't NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar's son. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar/ (HT/File) Speaking at a rally in Pune district's Shirur area, Ajit said, Had I been the son of NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar would I have not been given the opportunity? Yes, I would have gotten the opportunity. Just because I am not his son, I have not got the opportunity. What kind of justice is this? Ajit displaced 83-year-old Sharad Pawar and took over NCP as the party's National President and joined the Eknath Shinde-led NDA government, along with eight MLAs, in Maharashtra in July last year. Taking a dig at Sharad Pawar, he added that after turning 80, a politician should give opportunities to new people. He said, I am also above 60. Do we have a chance or not? Are we behaving wrongly? That is why we get emotional. Pawar saheb is also our 'daivat' (like a God) and there is no doubt about it, but every person has his time. After crossing 80, new people should be given an opportunity. Ajit Pawar responding to his uncle's statement, said that Sharad Pawar admitted there were talks with the BJP, but no decision was made. He also mentioned that Sharad Pawar personally witnessed these discussions. The deputy CM was out campaigning for the NCP candidate Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil, who's running for the Shirur Lok Sabha seat. Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar contested in the third phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections from Pune's Baramati, which is considered a stronghold for the Pawar family. She competed against her sister-in-law and Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule. Ajit Pawar said that he put in a lot of effort in Pune, particularly in gaining control of the district cooperative bank for his party. He said, I got the Pune Zilla Parishad under our control. Pimpri Chinchwad (in Pune district) was never in our control, but from 1992 till 2017, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation was brought under the party's control and changed the face of the industrial town. The deputy CM added that people should go to Baramati to see the development he has done there over the years. When questioned about Sharad Pawar's statement regarding talks with the BJP, Ajit said that at least his uncle acknowledged that the discussions took place. If you did not want to go, then why were discussions held? If you did not want to go with the BJP, why six meetings were held in Delhi with senior leadership (of BJP). I and (NCP leader) Praful Patel are witnesses to those meetings. (BJP leader and deputy CM) Devendraji was also present. He added that once they came back to Mumbai, the decision to join hands with BJP was put to sleep and a decision to ally with Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena was taken. Currently, former state CM Thackeray leads the Shiv Sena (UBT), which, along with the NCP (SP) and Congress, makes up the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the state. In an interview with the Indian Express, former Maharashtra CM and union minister Sharad Pawar said, In the next couple of years, several regional parties will associate more closely with the Congress. Or they may look at the option of merging with the Congress if they believe that is the best for their party. To this, Ajit said that he has seen various kinds of statements coming from his uncle since he has worked closely with Sharad Pawar. He added, Sometimes, he makes statements to create a state of confusion. He also talked about Uddhavji but I do not think Uddhvaji will merge his party with the Congress as I have seen him and his style of working during the MVA government. Ajit also said that whenever Sharad Pawar wanted to make a decision, he conveyed it to his party, making it seem like it was a collective decision. When we took the decision to join the BJP-Shiv Sena government, at that time, he (Sharad Pawar) was the only person who was opposing it. He even asked us to go (with the ruling side) and expressed his wish to retire. Hyderabad, Demonstrating remarkable grit and determination in the face of severe trauma, two minor rape victims in Telangana have recently passed the Class 10 examination with flying colours, results of which were recently announced in the state. The journey of younger girl is extremely shocking as she was raped by her own father in 2023. This was discovered when her grandmother took her to a hospital when she complained of stomach pain, where doctors found out that she was pregnant. To make matters worse, her pregnancy could not be aborted as it was in an advanced stage. She delivered a baby in the ninth month, M Mahender Reddy, a police officer, who dealt with both cases, told PTI recently. The baby was admitted to an orphanage and the girl continued her education, he added. Despite these tribulations, she passed the class X standard examination with a 5.6 GPA . The father was handed out a conviction with life imprisonment by the court which also awarded a compensation of 15 lakh to the girl, Reddy said. The other girl was raped by her uncle, Reddy said. She secured an impressive 9.3 GPA in the class X standard exams. In view of the heinous crime committed by her uncle, the girl's relatives stayed away from the family. However, they congratulated her after her success in the X standard exam, he said. Interestingly, both the girls now aspire to become police officers as their fear of police has vanished after they were helped by the Meerpet police station to get justice. Reddy, who earlier served as SHO of Meerpet police station, said the woman constables and other police personnel handled the case with a humane approach. Apart from helping the victims, Reddy said the police personnel went beyond the call of duty and tried to instill courage in their minds without confining themselves to the case requirements. The police personnel also encouraged them to pursue their education, he added. Telangana: Teen rape victims pass Class 10 exam, aspire to join police Two workers were injured allegedly during an explosion at a firecracker manufacturing unit in Himmunje Kaje village of Karkala taluk, in Udupi district on Wednesday, said police, adding that the factory owner has been booked. Two workers injured in blast at cracker unit, owner booked in Ktaka The police identified the injured as Sushma Pujar (26) and Mohammed Shabbir (22). According to the police, the incident took place when at least five workers were bringing the firecrackers inside from an open space, where they were kept for drying and the stock kept inside the unit exploded suddenly. The incident took place under Karkala town police station limits. Karkala town police inspector K Nagesh said: The firecracker manufacturing unit is owned by Abdul Khader. The factory has been operational for more than five decades and has been supplying firecrackers for religious festivals and marriages. The explosion took place at 10:35 am on Wednesday when workers were shifting the firecrackers from outside to inside, said the inspector. The injured workers were admitted to a private hospital located in Karkala for immediate medical care. The intensity of the blast was such that it triggered a subsequent fire, engulfing the roof of the structure and causing extensive damage. The manufacturing unit holds a licence and has been operational for decades, with the owner residing just 200 meters away from the site, said the inspector. The owner has been booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 286 (negligent conduct concerning explosive content), 337 (causing hurt by acts endangering others), and 338 (causing grave hurt by negligence). A probe has been launched into the matter to ascertain the cause of the incident, said the inspector. UK national security advisor Tim Barrow on Thursday held discussions with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval during his two-day visit. The centrepiece of discussions revolved around the Technology and Security Initiative, a major bilateral mechanism aimed at enhancing collaboration in critical and emerging technologies between India and the UK. UK NSA Tim Barrow with Indian counterpart Ajit Doval. Both NSAs engaged in substantive deliberations to chart out the roadmap for this initiative, recognising the importance of leveraging technology for addressing shared security challenges. The two NSAs also deliberated on bilateral issues of mutual interest and exchanged views on regional and global matters. During the meeting, NSA Ajit Doval expressed concerns over rising Sikh radicalisation in Britain and the need for the UK government to rein in the Khalistani elements. The issue was raised in the wake of recent episodes of violent protests in London by pro-Khalistani elements, including the one organised in March 2023 by Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) leader Avtar Singh Khanda, who later died in a UK hospital in June 2023. Read: NSA Ajit Doval explains why Indian civilisation is one of oldest and continuous Barron arrived in India on a two-day visit to participate in a high-level dialogue led by the NSAs of both countries, which aims to deepen cooperation on various fronts, including security, technology, and regional affairs. The UK NSA also met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and discussed various bilateral, regional and global issues. "Good to meet UK NSA Tim Barrow today in Delhi. Discussed a range of regional and global issues of importance. Also reviewed the progress in our bilateral ties," Jaishankar said on X. Read: NSA Ajit Doval condemns terror, says need to shun double standards on terrorism It is understood that Jaishankar and Barrow delved into the overall situation in West Asia. This visit is also expected to strengthen and further broaden the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries. In 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his then-British counterpart Boris Johnson agreed to the India-UK 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership' and India-UK Roadmap 2030 to steer cooperation for the next 30 years. Read: NSA Ajit Doval meets counterparts during security meet in Russia Last month, UK PM Rishi Sunak told reporters that Gwyn Jenkins, one of the country's top generals, will succeed Barrow as its next national security adviser. Jenkins is currently vice-chief of the defence staff, the deputy to Chief of the Defence Staff Tony Radakin, and worked previously at the prime minister's No. 10 Downing Street office as a military assistant. Five people have lost their lives in the Uttarakhand forest fires, while 1,300 hectares have been affected, said head of forest force (HoFF) Dhananjay Mohan. He also confirmed that the fire was under control. Five people have lost their lives in the Uttarakhand forest fires, informed the state's Chief Conservator of Forest with an additional charge of Head of Forest Force (HoFF) Dhananjay Mohan. (PTI) "The situation of forest fire is currently under control. Forest department personnel are reaching on time at the accident spot. So far 388 cases have been registered in forest fires and 60 cases have been named. 5 people have lost their lives out of them 4 were from Nepal and working in Almora. The other deceased is an aged woman who lost her life in Pauri," Dhananjay Mohan told news agency ANI. He said forest fires are still taking place in the Garhwal division and in Almora also some parts are affected. "Any kind of negligence regarding forest fire will not be tolerated, in view of this, major action has been taken against 17 personnel, and 10 people have been suspended. So far 1300 hectares of forest area has been affected by forest fire," said Dhananjay Mohan. ALSO READ| Relying on rain god no solution: SC to Uttarakhand as forest fires rage On Wednesday, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami reviewed the measures being taken to prevent forest fires and preparations regarding the upcoming monsoon season. Dhami has instructed that all secretaries should go to respective districts and do a field inspection of the areas affected by forest fires and take effective steps to stop it. On Dhami's instructions, 10 Forest Department personnel who were allegedly negligent in preventing forest fire have been suspended. Instructions have been issued to take disciplinary action against some other personnel as well. The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed concern over the Uttarakhand forest fires and said that cloud seeding, depending on rain, were not the answer to stop the fire. A bench of Justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta said that the government must take preventive measures. Uttarakhand government informed the Supreme Court that there had been 398 forest fires since November 2023 and all of them were man-made. Janata Dal (Secular) legislator HD Revanna orchestrated the abduction of a woman survivor to prevent her from testifying against his lawmaker son Prajwal Revanna, the special investigation team (SIT) probing into sexual abuse charges against the Hassan MP alleged before a special court in Bengaluru on Thursday. The controversy revolves around JD (S) leader Prajwal Revanna, who is accused of recording sexually explicit videos (PTI) The SIT made the submission while opposing the bail plea filed by HD Revanna in the special court for elected representatives in connection with an abduction case against him. The SIT arrested the 66-year-old former Karnataka minister on May 4 after rescuing an abducted woman, also a survivor of an alleged sexual assault by Prajwal, from the Mysuru farmhouse of Revannas aide Sathish Babanna, who is also in SIT custody. Also Read | 'King of blackmail': DK Shivakumar says Prajwal Revanna's uncle HD Kumaraswamy behind pen drives The abduction case was registered following a complaint by the womans 20-year-old son, who alleged that his mother had figured in the huge cache of explicit videos leaked recently of women who were allegedly raped and molested by Revannas son Prajwal. Revannas counsel CV Nagesh sought bail for his client and challenged the legality of the MLAs arrest, claiming the abduction case lacked substantial evidence. Nagesh argued that Revannas arrest was unjustified, claiming there was no coercion involved in the alleged incident. He also contended that the timing of the filing of the FIR (first information report) and Revannas subsequent arrest points at political motives, an official familiar with the matter said, requesting anonymity. Also Read | Prajwal Revanna sex videos: HD Kumaraswamy alleges 25000 pen drives plot The lawyer further questioned as to why despite having the custody of the woman for six days, SIT failed to record her statement, inspect the crime scene and secure the alleged vehicles used. He argued that the SIT failed produce any evidence before the court in the case, the official added. The SIT, however, opposed the bail plea filed by the Holenarasipur MLA, who is the son of JD(S) patriarch and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda. The abduction of the woman was orchestrated by the accused to prevent her from testifying against Prajwal Revanna, the SITs counsel Jayna Kothari submitted before the court. There are concerns over potential interference in the ongoing probe if bail were to be granted to the accused. The special MP/MLA court adjourned the hearing in the bail plea to May 13. The MLA is currently lodged in judicial custody at the Parappana Agrahara Central Jail. The abduction case is linked to the allegations of sexual abuse of women by Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, who is seeking re-election from the seat as an NDA candidate. Hassan Lok Sabha seat, considered the bastion of Deve Gowda family, went to polls April 26. A day later, Prajwal reportedly left the country and has since failed to respond to SIT summons to appear before it. Explicit video clips allegedly involving Prajwal (33), who has since been suspended from the JD(S), had started making the rounds in Hassan in the run-up to the polls, following which the Congress-led state government constituted the SIT on April 28 to probe the charges against the MP. Meanwhile, the SIT has detained four more people in connection with the kidnapping case. The four all from Krishnaraja Nagara in Mysuru have been picked up to find out their role in the case, SIT officials said. SIT probe losing track Senior Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Thursday alleged that the SIT probing into the sexual abuse charges against his nephew, Prajwal Revanna, is losing track, and said his party would submit a memorandum to Karnataka governor Thaawarchand Gehlot. Maintaining that he wants the guilty to be punished by the law, Kumaraswamy raised questions on the progress of the probe by the SIT constituted by the Congress government. We are giving a memorandum to the Governor as to how the investigation is losing its track I have been saying since day one that whoever has committed wrong has to be punished. Looking at the way in which things are going on, it looks like none of these people want the guilty punished but want publicity What is the achievement (progress) since the investigation began? he told reporters. Raising questions regarding the investigation against Prajwals father and his brother, HD Revanna, Kumaraswamy asked why the woman who was allegedly kidnapped has not been produced before the court so far, after she was rescued. It has been how many days since the kidnapped woman was brought here? Has her statement been recorded under section 164 of CrPC (statements recorded by a magistrate)? Has she been produced before the judge? It has been five days, why has the woman not been produced before the judge? From where was she brought? Was the mahazar done? Was she brought from some farmhouse as claimed and reported in the media? Kumaraswamy asked. Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday brushed aside claims that his government could fall, saying there was no threat to his government and that he was in a position to win the trust vote on the floor of the House. Chief Minister of Haryana Nayab Singh Saini (PTI FILE PHOTO) Sainis statement came hours after Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) chief Dushyant Chautala declared that he has written to governor Bandaru Dattatreya to seek a floor test since the Saini government no longer commands a majority in the House. Assembly elections are scheduled in the state in October-November this year. In the 90-member assembly, two seats are vacant, of which Karnal is going for by-elections on May 25. Also Read: Nayab Singh Saini-led Haryana govts future hinges on 2 key factors Saini hit back at Dushyant Chautala, wondering if he had the support of all his 10 legislators. He should know what his legislators did in the assembly. Does he have the numbers? But we have the numbers. I won the floor test and if required I will do it again. There is no threat to the government, Saini told reporters. Saini, however, did not elaborate on the basis of his claim. The latest chapter of the Haryana crisis that sparked off in March began on Tuesday after three independent lawmakers Randhir Golan from Pundri, Dharmpal Gonder from Nilokheri and Sombir Singh Sangwan from Dadri said they had decided to back Bhupinder Singh Hooda of the Congress and wrote to the governor withdrawing their support from the Saini government. In the 90-member assembly, two seats are vacant, of which Karnal is going for by-elections on May 25. The BJP has 40 members, and has the support of two independents Nayan Pal Rawat from Prithla and Rakesh Daulatabad from Badshahpur and Gopal Kanda of the Haryana Lokhit Party. That takes it to 43, two short of the majority mark of 45 in the assembly that has a strength of 88. The Congress has 30 lawmakers, the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) has 10, and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has one. In addition, one independent legislator Balraj Kundu from Meham has not made his position clear. If they all oppose the government, there will be 45 votes against the state government. Given these developments and the clear stance of my party i.e. JJP, which does not extend its support to the present government and is open to backing any other political party for government formation, it is evidence that the incumbent government no longer commands a majority in the legislative assembly, Chautala said in his letter to the governor. Akshaya Tritiya wishes: Akshaya Tritiya also referred to as Akti or Akha Teej is an annual spring festival celebrated by Jains and Hindus. It falls on the third day of the bright half of the Vaisakha month. This year, the auspicious occasion will be observed with great fervour on Friday, May 10. Akshaya Tritiya 2024: Best wishes, images, messages and greetings to share on this day with friends and family (Freepik) The term "Akshaya" signifies eternal or never diminishing, indicating that any religious rituals or acts of charity performed on this day are believed to yield everlasting benefits and Akshaya Tritiya holds immense importance in Hinduism, with the belief that it marks the birth anniversary of Lord Parashurama, considered the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Additionally, some associate the festival with the day when Lord Ganesha commenced scribing the Mahabharata. If you and your family are celebrating the festival, check out our special collection of best wishes, heartfelt images, messages and greetings to share on Facebook, WhatsApp and other social media platforms. (Also read: Akshaya Tritiya 2024: 5 auspicious things to buy on this day that will never decrease in value ) Akshaya Tritiya 2024 wishes, messages and images May the golden blessings of Akshaya Tritiya light up your life with endless opportunities and prosperity that know no bounds! May the blessings of Lord Vishnu fill your life with eternal happiness this Akshaya Tritiya. As the sacred day of Akshaya Tritiya dawns, may your life sparkle with the eternal glow of prosperity and fulfillment. On this auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya, may your life be filled with abundance and good fortune. Let the auspicious energies of Akshaya Tritiya bless you with the strength to overcome challenges and the courage to chase your dreams relentlessly. Wishing you and your family a blessed Akshaya Tritiya filled with love and prosperity. As you celebrate Akshaya Tritiya, may each moment be a reminder of life's infinite possibilities and the endless blessings that surround you. May the divine blessings of Goddess Lakshmi shower upon you on Akshaya Tritiya and always. As you celebrate Akshaya Tritiya, may each moment be a reminder of life's infinite possibilities and the endless blessings that surround you. Happy Akshaya Tritiya from me and mine to you and yours. May this year bring wealth and prosperity to you. May the festival bring luck and prosperity in your life, Happy Akshay Tritiya. On the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, may your life shine brighter than gold with prosperity and happiness. May you progress in all your professional and personal endeavors. Happy Akshaya Tritiya. Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Akti or Akha Teej, marks an annual Jain and Hindu spring festival celebrated on the third tithi of the bright half of the month of Vaisakha. The term "Akshaya Tritiya" originates from Sanskrit, where "Akshaya" denotes eternal or never-ending, and "Tritiya" signifies the third day of the month of Vaisakha. In Hindu mythology, it is believed that purchases made on this auspicious day bring boundless prosperity. It is considered one of the most auspicious days for embarking on new ventures. Traditionally, people invest in precious metals like gold and silver on this occasion, as it is believed to usher prosperity and good fortune into their households. From date to history, scroll down to know more. Akshaya Tritiya, the day of unending prosperity is celebrated in Hindu and Jains across India and Nepal. (Twitter/streetgains) Akshaya Tritiya 2024 date and timing This year, the significant Hindu festival of Akshaya Tritiya will be observed on Friday, May 10, 2024. According to Drik Panchang, the auspicious timings to observe the occasion are as follows: Akshaya Tritiya Puja Muhurat - 06:04 to 12:19 Duration - 06 Hours 14 Mins Tritiya Tithi Begins - 04:17 on May 10, 2024 Tritiya Tithi Ends - 02:50 on May 11, 2024 Akshaya Tritiya 2024 puja vidhi 1. In the morning, rise early and perform a sacred bath followed by cleansing of the temple area. 2. Spread a red or yellow cloth on a platform and adorn it with idols of Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesha, and Lord Kubera. 3. Use holy water from the Ganges to cleanse the idols, followed by applying sandalwood paste and vermilion tilak. 4. Present a garland of fresh flowers and offer raw rice grains, betel leaves, durva grass, coconuts, betel nuts, and other sacred items. 5. Serve fruits, sweets, and delicacies such as makhane ki kheer as offerings. 6. Recite prayers such as the Kanakadhara Stotram, Kubera Chalisa, Vishnu Namavali, and Ganesh Chalisa. 7. Conclude the ritual with the Aarti ceremony. Akshaya Tritiya puja samagri For Akshaya Tritiya puja, prepare a sacred space with a red or yellow cloth spread out on a platform. Gather idols or images of Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesha and Lord Kubera. Have holy water for cleaning the idols and for the bathing ritual. Provide sandalwood paste, kumkum, and fresh flowers to decorate the idols. Offer rice grains, betel leaves, durva grass, coconuts, betel nuts, fruits and sweets as bhog. Arrange incense sticks, camphor and an oil lamp for aarti. Make sure you have puja utensils and prayer books for reciting Kanakadhara Stotram, Kubera Chalisa, Vishnu Namavali, Ganesh Chalisa or other chosen prayers. Thousands of tourists who used to come to Britain for tax-free shopping are now visiting stores in Paris, Milan and Madrid after the UK scrapped the incentive in the wake of Brexit. UK Tourist Tax sends tourists flocking to Paris, Milan and Madrid for tax-free shopping (AP File Photo/Luca Bruno) New analysis shows that 162,000 tourists from outside the European Union sought refunds on VAT a sales tax exclusively in Britain in 2019. One fifth of those tourists are now claiming rebates in other parts of the EU, where the tax break still applies. The UK ended the tax incentive in 2021 and has resisted strong lobbying from retailers and other companies linked to the tourism sector. The 34,000 tourists who have shifted their tax-free shopping from Britain have also ramped up their spending from an average of 2,900 ($3,622) per person in 2019 to 3,800 in 2023, according to Global Blue, a Switzerland-based tax rebate provider that tracks passport numbers. France and Italy are benefiting the most, attracting more than two-thirds of these travelers, with Spains retail sector also getting a boost. The continued absence of a tax-free scheme is certainly impacting international sales at Selfridges, said Andrew Keith, chief executive officer of the chain of upmarket UK department stores. Political row Britains refusal to bring back the tax break after leaving the EU is more damaging than the recent cost-of-living crisis, according to the New West End Company, a lobby group representing Londons tourist hot-spot. However, the UK government believes its policy has bolstered the public purse and not deterred tourists. It commissioned an independent review by the Office for Budget Responsibility, a government spending watchdog, in 2020 and again this year. The OBR estimated a 462 million ($579 million) benefit to the public finances last financial year from closing the loophole, even when accounting for the effect on tourism and displaced spending rising to over half a billion pounds in the current fiscal year. Tourism to Britain appears to be strong. Hotel occupancy in London overtook pre-pandemic levels in December according to data from consultancy firm RSM UK, while 18.5 million passengers passed through Heathrow in the first quarter of this year an all-time high. The citys famous Oxford Street is mounting a comeback. With a national election due later this year, some luxury retailers have given up on any prospect of a change of tack. Is the Prime Minister going to stand up and say I called all of this wrong? said Michael Ward, Managing Director of Harrods, speaking at the World Retail Congress in Paris last month. I doubt it very much. The opposition Labour party is expected to return to power and Ward said the tax rebate is not on their agenda at all. Other retailers are still arguing the case. If we want British brands to be able to invest in jobs, shops and people we need to entice foreign shoppers to spend money in the UK, said Thierry Andretta, Chief Executive Officer of Mulberry Group. That requires offering them the same tax-free policy they enjoy in the rest of the world. The British handbag maker, which has struggled in the last few years, blamed a 4% decline in UK sales in the final 13 weeks of 2023 compared with the previous year on a lack of VAT-free shopping. There is this lost opportunity, said Paul Barnes, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of International Retail. Visitor numbers are actually as strong as they are in the rest of Europe now, but theyre not spending thats the difference. Global Blues data excludes Chinese shoppers as their numbers were still less than half pre-Covid levels. Most of the tourists in the data were from a group of Middle Eastern countries (33%) and the US (19%). . Jack Ohman/The Chronicle As the presidential primary season winds down, presumptive GOP nominee and guy-in-courtroom-sketches former President Donald Trump is looking for a vice presidential running mate. Trumps last veep, former Vice President Mike Pence, had a rather unpleasant experience at the end of his term, what with the hanging threat on Jan. 6 and all. Trumps response: Maybe he deserves it. Well, wannabe Trump VPs, form a line right here to be hanged should you ever get out of line. Since Trump values loyalty from everyone but himself, that doesnt sound like a job any sane person would want. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Dont worry, there are plenty of questionable people who would aspire to it. Lets start with self-confessed dog killer Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota, who is probably dropping fast in the veepstakes. Noem has had a bad week or two. In her new book, she confesses to shooting her 14-month-old dog in a quarry because he was untrainable, so she asserts. Noem also writes that she had a staredown with North Korean leader (and a fine potential Trump vice presidential candidate) Kim Jong Un. Interestingly, that meeting didnt happen, which she blamed on bad editing. No, bad editing is misspelling Kim Jong Uns name. Flagrant lying is saying she met him. Noem has also undergone something of a Trump-friendly makeover as well. She got her teeth redone, and her lips and hair seem dramatically different as well. Now she looks like Melania Trump. Maybe Trump would dig Noem more if she looked like his daughter Ivanka. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Anyway, Noem is probably out. Another fellow Dakota-area guy and declared 2024 presidential contender in his head, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, turned in a laughable, circumlocutious performance on CNNs State of the Union with Jake Tapper. Tapper asked Burgum if he supported Trumps assertion that the Biden administration was the Gestapo, and if Burgum was at all concerned about Trumps threat of political violence if he loses in 2024. Burgum stammered around, accusing CNN of supporting a challenge to the 2016 election results (not sure that a television network has legal standing there) and then this beauty about Trumps Gestapo comment: In relative to the reference youre discussing, I mean, this was a comment deep into the thing that wasnt really central to what he was talking about, Burgum helpfully clarified. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Oh, you know, Gestapo Shmestapo. Whatev. As long as saying the current president of the United States is running the Gestapo is buried deep in the usual tossed Trump word salad, its all good. Aside from the fact that running North Dakota (population: 779,000) is roughly akin to being a San Mateo County (population: 760,000) supervisor, Burgum makes no major impression other than looking like Eugene Levys stunt double. Trump, of course, seems to want a VP who doesnt overshadow him, and Burgum may not even cast a shadow. Upside: There are no Dakota-based dog executions to his credit. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, also a former 2024 presidential candidate, seems like a guy who has also conveniently checked his ethics and morals at the door like his fellow South Carolinian, Sen. Lindsey Graham. Why South Carolina is an incubator of Senate political cowardice is a subject for political scientists, but a lot of smart money is on Scott for Trumps running mate. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In an appearance Sunday on NBCs Meet The Press, poor host Kristin Welker had to pry a rather simple answer out of Scott, who was doing his impenetrable dont-worry-be-happy shtick while also wearing the fashionable red-tie-blue-suit-white-shirt Trump uniform. When asked if he would accept the 2024 election results, Scott said, At the end of the day, the 47th president of the United States will be President Donald Trump. Welker tries again. Scott: That is my statement. I look forward to President Trump being the 47th president. She tries yet again. Will you commit to accepting the results? Advertisement Article continues below this ad Scott lamely says, This is why so many Americans believe NBC is an extension of the Democrat party. None of these were answers to the question, of course. But what was striking was Scotts jape about NBC being an extension of the Democrat(ic) Party. Hmm. Lets put aside for a moment the obviously progressive MSNBC, a tiny slice of cable viewership. Was NBC an extension of the Democratic Party when it built up the Trump brand with The Apprentice, which made the network untold millions of dollars? Was it an extension of the Democratic Party when The Apprentice producer Mark Burnett and/or his buddies produced the 2017 Trump inauguration and the 2020 GOP convention? NBC created Trump as a mythological figure. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy suggested that Trump is literally going to treat this selection process as yet another episode of The Apprentice by the oh-so-Democratic NBC. 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 Pass the remote. I want to watch a documentary about Jerry Ford. I miss his boring show. (Bloomberg) -- Manhattan apartment rents rose last month to a new high for April, an increase that suggests another record-shattering summer to come. Manhattan apartment rents rose last month to a new high for April, an increase that suggests another record-shattering summer to come. (Representational photo)(Pixabay) New leases were signed at a median of $4,250, up $9 from last April, according to appraiser Miller Samuel Inc. and brokerage Douglas Elliman Real Estate. Landlords continue to push prices higher; tenants have no choice but to agree to pay more Rents now have climbed annually in three of the past four months. As landlords continue to push prices higher and vacancies stay near historic lows, prospective tenants realize they have no choice but to agree to pay more. As usual, competition is only expected to intensify as the weather warms. Also Read: Office buildings in Mumbais Bandra Kurla Complex command higher prices than Manhattan "The question is whether were going to beat last summers all-time highs, said Jonathan Miller, president of Miller Samuel. Based on where we are now, it seems like it. The median soared to $4,400 in July 2023, and in the fall declined as much as 9% before beginning to inch upward in December. The bright side for those wholl be hunting for apartments in the coming months is that price growth so far this year has been more moderate than in 2023, Miller said. Last months 0.2% annual increase, for example, pales in comparison with the 8.1% spike reported a year earlier. Also Read: Bengaluru-based RMZ Corporation exploring real estate expansion opportunities in the US, EU and UK Even as apartments got more expensive, leasing soared, with 42% more deals signed last month than in April 2023. Miller partly attributed the jump to churn, as tenants declined renewals to move elsewhere, possibly motivated by a growing number of listed apartments. Inventory in Manhattan rose 23% from a year earlier to 7,996 units. Also Read: New York Citys rent-stabilized tenants face 3rd year of price hikes as renters and landlords grapple with rising costs Rents also hit a record for April in Brooklyn, where the median was $3,599, up 2.8% from a year earlier. In northwest Queens the neighborhoods closest to Manhattan the median rent fell 8% annually to $3,244. 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Apple apologized on Thursday after an ad for its latest-edition iPad caused an uproar for showing an industrial press crushing objects linked to human creativity, infuriating artists. The company also said it won't air the ad on television as planned. (Representational Image)(AP) Social media users immediately criticized the ad, which was posted on X by Apple CEO Tim Cook, as painfully tone-deaf at a time when the creative community is worried about its future with the emergence of generative AI. "Creativity is in our DNA at Apple, and it's incredibly important to us to design products that empower creatives all over the world," Apple's vice president of marketing Tor Myhren told Ad Age. Also Read | Apple plans to use in-house server chips for AI tools this year "Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad of ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad. We missed the mark with this video, and we're sorry." The company also said it won't air the ad on television as planned. Set to the song "All I ever need is you" by Sonny and Cher, the one-minute ad titled "Crush" sees the pile of creative artifacts -- including a guitar, piano and paint cans -- explode under the pressure of Apple's press. At the end, the press pulls back and reveals Apple's latest tablet, the iPad Pro, touted as ultra-thin. "The destruction of the human experience. Courtesy of Silicon Valley," wrote actor Hugh Grant on X in response to Cook's tweet. Hollywood director Reed Morano urged Cook to "read the room," calling the ad "psychotic." The ad harked to viral TikTok videos of industrial presses and other machines that are watched by millions on the platform. Many critics said the ad betrayed Apple's iconic 1984 commercial that launched the first Mac computer and depicted the company as a hammer-throwing rebel against a monolith big brother. The ad comes as ChatGPT and Dall-E creator OpenAI, as well as other AI giants, are facing lawsuits from artists and publishers saying that their material was used to train AI models without permission. A top PR executive at Chinese internet giant Baidu apologised Thursday after videos she posted online sparked accusations of toxic and abusive management and sent the firm's shares sliding. HT Image Qu Jing, the vice president in charge of public relations, posted a series of clips this month on video-sharing platform Douyin describing her tough treatment of junior colleagues. "Why do I have to consider the family of an employee?" she asked in one. "I am not her mother-in-law!" "If your boyfriend calls you to ask about breaking up, what does it have to do with me?" Qu demanded in one clip. "It is not my duty to know whether you are crying or not." In a separate clip, Qu attacks an effigy bearing the name of Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper in an apparent protest against a negative article. She gloats in another that, while she remembered to buy gifts for colleagues, she forgot her son's birthday. The clips went viral in China, where tech giants have long been accused of promoting toxic and abusive work cultures. Baidu has boasted of its tough working environment, with a 2012 letter to employees from founder Robin Li calling for a "wolf-like" culture to stay competitive. Qu formerly worked in public relations for Chinese tech giant Huawei, as well as a journalist with state news agency Xinhua. "The PR image she built for Baidu has collapsed in the public mind," one user on the X-like Weibo platform said. "Maybe this kind of iron fist is needed at work, but in the long run it definitely isn't conducive to the firm's development," they said. Some web users even vented their rage over Qu's behaviour by posting screenshots of them deleting the Baidu app from their phones. Qu was forced to issue an apology after state-owned financial daily Securities Times estimated that the PR disaster had shaved $900 million off the firm's market capitalisation. "My personal short videos... have made a big commotion in recent days," Qu wrote on her personal WeChat account on Thursday. "I sincerely apologise to all netizens." Qu added that she had not sought permission from Baidu before publishing the videos, which she said included "inappropriate" content that caused "misunderstandings about the company's values". A representative said the company declined to comment when contacted by AFP. Asked by local outlet Sina Tech whether she had been sacked, Qu said she would tell the reporter if they bought a year-long subscription to the firm's AI chatbot Ernie. Beijing-based Baidu is one of China's top tech firms, with products spanning internet search, online maps, automated driving, and artificial intelligence. pfc-ll/oho/pbt This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. WhatsApps begun working freely and consistently for some users in China despite a longstanding government ban on the messaging service, an unusual phenomenon for a country with some of the worlds strictest internet curbs. HT Image Users of the Meta Platforms Inc. service in Beijing and Shanghai, who normally employ workarounds like a virtual private network to get on the service, have been sending and receiving messages without those tools. Other social media services such as Signal and Instagram remain barred, part of a broad blockade of foreign internet platforms that critics have dubbed the Great Firewall. Its unclear how many people across China have been able to navigate WhatsApp during the period. The phenomenon hasnt yet trended on domestic social media such as the Twitter-like Weibo. Only several million people are estimated to use Metas signature messaging tool in the country, versus more than a billion for Tencent Holdings Ltd.s WeChat. Representatives for WhatsApp declined to comment, while the Cyberspace Administration of China didnt respond to a faxed query. Read More: Apple Pulls WhatsApp From China Store at Beijings Behest Beijing has barred the use of foreign messaging and social media platforms like WhatsApp for years, part of a broader campaign to tamp down potential dissent and enforce the Partys control of content. Thats helped apps like WeChat and Weibo dominate, though Chinese users still employ VPNs to view Western media. Like most foreign messaging platforms, WhatsApp messages are encrypted on both ends and are difficult to police. Still, users in China have in the past reported being able to access blocked services and websites for brief periods, which industry experts attribute to glitches in network restrictions. But at least some people in Chinas two largest cities say theyve been able to send and receive WhatsApp messages over an uninterrupted two-week span an unusually long period for the country. At least one of the users said that span began right around the time Apple Inc. removed WhatsApp and other social media services including Threads and Signal from its Chinese app store, responding to orders from Beijing to close more loopholes in the internet firewall. With assistance from Kurt Wagner and Yanping Li. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant are all set to tie the knot this year. Ahead of their wedding, the couple had their three-day pre-wedding festivities in Jamnagar, where eminent personalities from across the globe were in attendance. While the event was held in March, it turns out that people still cant get over the gala. And this theme walk by Pakistani college students is proof. Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant pre-wedding theme walk by Pakistani college students. (Screengrab) The now-viral video opens with a text that says, Ambani wedding magar thore saste mein [Ambani wedding but on a budget]. Another text that appears on the screen states that the budget of this theme walk is just 1000. The video then transitions to show a man mimicking Anant Ambani entering the venue with folded hands. Following this, a woman all decked up in a pastel saree imitates Radhika Merchant. The video then goes on to show people entering one after the other, imitating how the famous personalities appeared at the Jamnagar gala. Towards the end, the individual who plays Orry enters and recreates the viral earring video with the woman who plays Rihanna. Watch the video that garnered over nine million views on Instagram here: Check out a few reactions here: Lol. This is kinda cool. Kudos to whoever organised this, posted an individual. Another added, Thats great. This is how young students should enjoy free time. Loved it. Loving it, said a third. A fourth commented, Really enjoyable. Hats off to the efforts, said a fifth. A sixth joined, Haha. I loved it. In January this year, Anant and Radhika got engaged in a traditional ceremony at the familys residence, Antilla, in Mumbai. In December 2022, the couple had a roka ceremony, the official announcement of the relationship to the world, at the Shrinathji Temple in Nathdwara, Rajasthan. This marked the beginning of their formal journey towards marriage after they had known each other for several years. According to several media reports, Anant and Radhika have known each other since childhood, but it was only in 2018 that their bond became the talk of the town after a picture of the duo dressed in matching outfits went viral on social media. Since then, Radhika has been constantly spotted at the gatherings associated with the Ambani family. A new advertisement by Apple promoting its latest iPad Pro has received severe backlash from social media users. Many accused the commercial, showing the destruction of creative instruments and devices, of being tone deaf and an insult to artists. The image from the new iPad ad shared by CEO Tim Cook shows creative instruments and devices being destroyed. (X/@tim_cook) CEO Tim Cook took to X to share the commercial with a caption that reads, Meet the new iPad Pro: the thinnest product weve ever created, the most advanced display weve ever produced, with the incredible power of the M4 chip. Just imagine all the things itll be used to create. The video opens to show several creative tools kept on the platform of a giant hydraulic press. Theyre being destroyed one by one, and within a few seconds, everything gets crushed dramatically. When the hydraulic press starts rising again, the remnants of the destruction vanish, and instead, the new iPad is unveiled. Take a look at the video that caused an outrage on social media: The video was shared a day ago, and since then, it has gone crazy viral. Till now, the video has accumulated over 37 million views- and the numbers are quickly increasing. The share has collected tons of comments from people expressing unhappiness over the commercial. What did X users say about this Apple iPad Pro ad? I can't relate to this video at all. It lacks any respect for creative equipment and mocks the creators, expressed an X user. Forty years ago, Apple released the 1984 commercial as a bold statement against a dystopian future. Now, you are that dystopian future. Congratulations, commented another. I just don't get it. A video about crushing beautifully crafted instruments beloved by creators? posted a third. You destroyed all the creative tools and effort of humans. Worst. Commercial. Ever, shared a fourth. Many craftsmen value their tools. Musicians value their instruments, architects value their rulers, and painters value their brushes and painting materials more than life itself. The video you presented is all in one, but it will only disgust them. They may never want to engage with your company again. Your predecessors showed us their dreams, you showed us our nightmares, joined a fifth. It is a heartbreaking, uncomfortable, and egotistic advertisement. When I see this result, I'm ashamed to buy Apple products for nineteen years, added a sixth. This is the most ghoulish, tone-deaf ad I've ever seen in my life. Fire all of your marketers. This is utterly catastrophic for your brand, wrote a seventh. Apple announced upgrades to its iPad model and launched new models at its recently concluded Virtual event, Let Loose. The tech company launched a bigger version of iPad Pro equipped with M4 chip technology. Available in two sizes, the device has two colour options - silver and black. It features a single 12 MP camera and OLED technology. A new iPad Air was also launched at the event. What are your thoughts on this new iPad advertisement shared by Tim Cook? A Chinese woman returned to Thailand to thank her rescuers who saved her five years ago. Reportedly, the woman, then pregnant for about three months, was pushed off from a cliff by her husband. She decided to return after going through some realisations following the death of a good friends mother. A Chinese woman returned to Pha Taem National Park in Thailand, where her husband tried to kill her five years ago. (tourismthailand) The woman, who uses the alias Wang Nuannuan on the Chinese social media platform, Douyin, shared that she was pushed from a 34-metre-high cliff in 2019 while holidaying with her husband, reported the South China Morning Post (SCMP). She had 17 broken bones and tragically lost her baby. Following the incident, she underwent multiple operations and received intensive rehabilitation treatment before being able to walk again. Wang Nuannuan on her visit to Thailand: She returned to Pha Taem National Park, where the incident occurred, to thank those who helped her, reported the outlet. She also visited the police station in charge of her case to thank them. Nuannuan told SCMP that she thought it would take her decades before she could return to the place of the incident. However, the loss of her friends mom changed her notion. The unexpected death of my good friends mother made me reflect on many things. I dont want to leave regrets. I wanted to visit the people who gave me a helping hand, she told the outlet. Once I thought I would only gain courage to return to this place after 10 or 20 years. But 10 years is too long. No one knows what the future holds, she added. While meeting her rescuers during her visit, which she called thanksgiving trip, she hugged them and cried. In a ruling by a Thai court, her husband, Yu Xiaodong, was sentenced to 33 years and four months in jail. He confessed that he intended to kill his wife to inherit her assets to settle his gambling debts. An individual tagged Ryanair on X and shared a post on legroom provided by the airline on their flight. The individual also shared a picture showing his discomfort with the limited leg space during the flight. The passenger shared this picture while complaining about the legroom on a Ryanair flight. (X/@LordMakenzi) Ryanair, Ill come with my own legroom next time, wrote X user who goes by The Last King on the microblogging platform. The picture shows the passenger sitting on the seat with his legs crossed. One of his feet touched the front seat. Take a look at the post right here: After the post went viral with over 6.3 million views, the airline shared a witty reply to it. It said, Come with your own plane next time. Check out how people reacted to the post here: They sell seats, not legroom. Youre welcome, said an individual. Another added, Judging from this photo, I think its plenty. Did you pay for extra legroom? asked a third. A fourth commented, Who crosses their legs on a plane? This, however, is not the first time that Ryanair gave a witty reply to one of its passengers. A passenger took to X and wrote, Finally happened to us, we booked a window seat with no window. Such an incredible experience. Thanks, Ryanair. He also shared a picture of himself from inside the plane. In response to the post, Ryanair shared a sassy reply. It read, Staring at it wont change it. The reply drew a flurry of reactions from social media users. An individual wrote, At least draw a window on it! Theres at least some window there. What do you expect? You pay 1/3 for a flight, you get 1/3 of a window, said another. A third said, You cant be angry at Ryanair with this comeback. Oh no. You guys should really just draw a window there, ideally in crayon. Thank me later, joined a fourth. A video of a dad forcing his six-year-old son to run on a treadmill despite the kid tripping and falling shattered people's hearts. The dad in question, Christopher Gregor, is facing trial for allegedly subjecting his son, Corey Micciolo, to months of abuse. As per reports, during the trial, it came to light that the dad left the ER after taking his son to the hospital, where the kid died of alleged blunt-force trauma. Dad, who forced their 6-year-old son to run on a treadmill, is allegedly seen walking out of the ER. The kid later died. (YouTube/@COURTTV) According to the Mirror, in a new clip, Gregor is seen taking young Corey to the Southern Ocean Medical Center. Reportedly, the kid was taken to the hospital after he woke up from a nap feeling "disoriented, unwell, and slurring his speech". One of the nurses, Lindsay Carnevale, who attended Corey in the medical centre, told the court, We were the only ones with him, reported the outlet. She said that Gregor left the ER and returned briefly. However, he went out again - all this while doctors were fighting to save the kid. According to the outlet, another nurse, William Doyle, told the court that the boy was taking "dire, almost end-of-life breaths" when he arrived at the ER. The six-year-old died in the hospital after suffering a seizure, reported the outlet. His death was "ruled a homicide by blunt force trauma by a forensic pathologist". The video of Corey on the treadmill, which went viral, shows him sliding on his back and falling multiple times. Each time, his father picks him up and forces him to start over again. Towards the end, Gregor slows the speed of the equipment and eventually stops it. The video ends with them walking out of the gym. As per local media, Corey would show injuries and bruises after returning from his stay with his dad. His mother claimed that she filed reports about these incidents with NJ Child Protective Service, but they were dismissed. A voicemail by Australian surfer Callum Robinson, who was brutally murdered in Mexico along with his brother Jake Robinson and an American Jack Carter Rhoad, was shared on social media. Reportedly, the voicemail released by Callums heartbroken girlfriend is his final message to her. He was later shot in the head and dumped in a covered well miles away with the other two men. The image shows Australian surfer Callum Robinson, who was killed in Mexico. His final voicemail to his girlfriend has gone viral. (Instagram/@callum10robinson) DailyMail shared a recording of the voice note on Instagram. Callum Robinson's heartbroken girlfriend revealed the tragic final voicemail the Australian surfer left before he was brutally killed and dumped down a well in Mexico, the outlet wrote. In the voice note, the Australian surfer is heard wishing his girlfriend good morning and a great day ahead. He also says how he is thinking about her. He ends his note by saying, Cheers baby! Miss ya. Listen to the voice note here: Brothers Jake and Callum Robinson from Australia and American Jack Carter Rhoad reportedly stopped to surf the breaks between Punta San Jose, where they were attacked on April 28 or 29. Chief state prosecutor Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez theorised that the killers wanted to steal from the foreigners, Callum and his companions. However, when the men resisted, the killers shot them. "The evidence suggests they (the killers) did not know where they were from, she added. Police are questioning three people in connection with the killings. This is a terrible tragedy and my heart goes out to them. To identify these wonderful young men and they have been travelling in Mexico. Weve been dealing with them through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Ive indicated that I wish to speak to them at an appropriate time of their choosing, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters in the Queensland state town of Rockhampton, expressing that he wants an opportunity to speak to the brothers parents. (With inputs from AP) J.D. Morris covers San Francisco City Hall, focused on Mayor London Breed. He joined the Chronicle in 2018 to cover energy and spent three years writing mostly about PG&E and California wildfires. Before coming to The Chronicle, he reported on local government for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, where he was among the journalists awarded a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of the 2017 North Bay wildfires. He was previously the casino industry reporter for the Las Vegas Sun. Raised in Monterey County and Bakersfield, he has a bachelors degree in rhetoric from UC Berkeley. Saudi Arabia authorities have approved the use of deadly force to clear land for a futuristic desert city, Neom, being developed by dozens of Western corporations. According to Col. Rabih Alenezi, he was given the order to drive out residents of a tribe in the Gulf state so that The Line, a component of the Neom eco-project, could be built. After that, one of them was shot and killed for demonstrating against the eviction, reported the BBC. Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz unveiled the design of a zero-carbon city called NEOM. (AFP) Col. Alenezi, who left for exile in the UK last year, claims that al-Khuraybah, which is located 4.5 km south of The Line, was the subject of the clearance order request. The Huwaitat tribe, who have long lived in the northwest of the country in the Tabuk region, made up the majority of the village inhabitants. (Also Read: Saudi Arabia Moves Closer to $1 Billion Barrick Pakistan Deal) Here is all you need to know about Neom: 1. Developed in the northwest Saudi Arabian province of Tabuk, the Neom project is a planned megacity and special economic zone. 2. The crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), envisioned this place and started the project in 2017. Neom will encompass an area of 26,500 km and house more than 9 million people. 3. The city will be powered by renewable energy sources and feature advanced technology and infrastructure. 4. As per Neom's website, their vision is that they are "the land of the future, where the greatest minds and best talents are empowered to embody pioneering ideas and exceed boundaries in a world inspired by imagination". 5. The project is expected to cost $500 billion, to which investors from both domestic and foreign markets will contribute. 6. The first phase is said to be finished in 2025 and will include a linear metropolis 100 miles long, the Oxagon- a floating industrial complex, and Neom Bay International Airport. 7. Plans were outlined to turn 6,500 hectares of the surrounding land into agricultural fields, with a primary concentration on genetically modified crops, in order to attain food sustainability in Neom. After a woman was denied boarding a plane by Lufthansa staff, she recorded the moment and shared it on social media. What followed was an argument between the ground staff and the woman, where she could be repeatedly seen asking the reason for not being able to get on the plane. On the other hand, the Lufthansa staff called security on her. After the video went viral, the official X handle of Lufthansa replied to it. Lufthansa staff talking to the passenger. The short viral video shows the passenger repeatedly asking the staff to give her in writing about not boarding the plane. That's when the staff calls security on her. Further, the staff also asked her to check her PNR number and question her agent who booked the tickets. The reason for which the passenger wasn't allowed to board the plane remains unclear. (Also Read: Ex-EY consultant, now travel blogger, falls prey to scam, loses 4 years of her hard work: 'No reply from Meta') Watch the video here: This post was shared on May 8. Since being posted, it has garnered more than three lakh views. The post also has over 3,400 likes and the numbers are only increasing. Numerous people flocked to the comments section to share their reactions. Lufthansa also replied to it and wrote, "Hi Harpreet, we are investigating this case and are in contact with the people involved." Here's how people reacted: An individual wrote, "There could be a genuine reason to deny boarding to this passenger. But the way she pointed the finger at the passenger and used that tone was not at all cool. Imagine you have paid 75k for your ticket, and at the airport, you are being treated this way as if she is not calling security but a gang of hooligans to scare that person." A second added, "The Lufthansa lady is correct; she is travelling to Canada with a Germany layover without a transit visa. When she lands in Germany without a transit visa, the airlines will escalate the case against the Lufthansa lady and penalise the traveller." A third shared, "I believe the fight is because the flight had a layover at Munich, and the person taking the flight didn't have the transit visa for Munich." UmaSofia Srivastava, who was crowned Miss Teen USA in 2023, announced her resignation from the post on May 8. She said that she has been grappling with this decision for several months. Her decision to step down came after Noelia Voigt resigned as Miss USA. After months of consideration, UmaSofia Srivastava resigned from her post as Miss Teen USA. Srivastava announced her resignation in an Instagram post, saying that it was certainly not how she saw her reign coming to a close. After careful consideration, I have decided to resign as I find that my personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organisation, said Srivastava. She added, However, I will continue my relentless advocacy for education and acceptance with my multi-lingual childrens book The White Jaguar and with the organisations that I have had the privilege to work with long before I started competing, namely The Lotus Petal Foundation and the Bridge of Books Foundation. Srivastava said that she will focus on her academics going forward. I look forward to the rest of the year as I finish 11th grade as part of the National Honor Society and start the college application process, knowing that my academic career has been defined by my hard work, and my hard work alone. She also expressed gratitude towards those who support her. Most importantly, thank you to those who support me for who I am and have always been, not for who Ive momentarily become. Take a look at the entire post here: UmaSofia Srivastava represented New Jersey as a first-generation Mexican-Indian American at the national level. (Instagram/@umasofias) In response to her decision, Miss Teen USA, in an Instagram post, thanked her for her service and wished her the best for the future. The organisation added, We respect and support UmaSofias decision to step down from her duties. The well-being of our titleholders is a top priority. We are currently reviewing plans for the transition of responsibilities to a successor, and we will soon announce the crowning of the new Miss Teen USA. Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in September, stepped down from her position on May 6, to prioritise her mental well-being. She said that it is the beginning of a new chapter and that she hopes to inspire others to remain steadfast and prioritise mental health. She also mentioned Srivastava, saying that she is grateful to her among others. Australia unveiled plans Thursday to keep burning natural gas beyond 2050, saying its reliance on the fossil fuel would not derail a pledge to reach net zero emissions in the next 30 years. Australia unveils plan to keep burning gas beyond 2050 Resources minister Madeleine King said gas "will remain an important source of energy" in Australia, outraging environmental groups which branded the Future Gas Strategy a "climate disaster". "Gas is needed through to 2050 and beyond," King said, arguing it would bolster the economy and stabilise the country's electricity grid as renewables were ramped up. Australia has pledged to reach net zero emissions by 2050, and has recently touted plans to overhaul its economy with massive investments in clean energy production. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended the gas strategy, saying it would not imperil Australia's climate commitments. "It is consistent with the long position that we have held, my government is committed to a net-zero future," he said. "Gas power generation is something that firms renewables." But environmental groups rubbished the strategy. Jennifer Rayner, advocacy head for the Australian non-profit Climate Council, said the government needed to choose between gas or renewable energy. "It can't do both," she said. "More gas is a bad bet, against a safe climate future and a thriving clean economy." Australian Conservation Foundation spokesman Gavan McFadzean said the government's gas plan was a "climate disaster" that needed to be abandoned. "Gas is a highly polluting fossil fuel, the burning of which is supercharging bushfires, heatwaves, coral bleaching and flooding in Australia and around the world," he said. "To replace one fossil fuel with another is not a clean energy transition." Australia will continue to ship gas overseas under the government's strategy, which also makes the case for exploring and exploiting a series of new gas fields. The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis cast doubt on the need for more gas. "Our research has found that further gas exploration and development is definitely not needed," analyst Josh Runciman said in a statement. "Gas exploration expenditure has been falling for the past decade as gas companies pivot to renewable investments or return cash to shareholders." Liquid natural gas is Australia's second-largest export by value, worth around $60 billion last year, according to government figures. Gas accounts for almost one third of Australia's energy consumption, while renewables make up about 8.9 percent. Australia has committed to cutting carbon emissions by 43 percent by 2030 from 2005 levels, on a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. Australia's carbon dioxide emissions per person are among the highest in the world at 15.3 tonnes, surpassing US levels, World Bank figures show. lec/sft/lb This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. A Boeing 737 aircraft, carrying 85 passengers, skidded off the runway at Dakar's airport, according to a statement from Senegal's transport minister, AP reported. Ten people were injured in the mishap. Air Senegal flight mishap in Dakar injures 10 passengers(X/fl360aero) Minister El Malick Ndiaye said that the Air Senegal flight, operated by TransAir, was en route to Bamako with 79 passengers, two pilots, and four cabin crew. Ten people sustained injuries and are receiving treatment in the hospital, while the remaining survivors have been accommodated in a hotel for rest. ALSO READ- Air India Express disruptions: What to do if your flight has been cancelled? Boeing 737 plane accident in Dakar | Video here A night-time video circulating on social media purportedly shows the plane, bearing the logo of Senegal-based airline Transair, resting on grass with its wing covered in fire-suppressing foam. HT could not immediately verify the authenticity of the video. What Dakar airport said? A probe is underway at Blaise Diagne airport following an incident involving a Transair-owned Boeing 737-300 chartered by Air Senegal. The plane skidded off the runway around 0100 GMT (6:30am according to Indian time) while getting ready to depart for Mali, the airport said in a statement, Reuters reported. Emergency protocols were activated at the airport to evacuate passengers. Currently, the airport remains closed, with plans for reopening expected within the next few hours. "For now, the airport is closed ... The reopening of the airport is expected within the next few hours," the airport added. ALSO READ- Chaos at airports as passengers protest after Air India Express cancels over 80 flights. Videos Multiple Boeing aircraft involved in incidents Turkey's transportation ministry said on Thursday 184 passengers and six crew members from a Corendon Airlines Boeing 737 were evacuated after one of its tires burst during landing at Gazipasa airport. The incident occurred during a flight from Cologne, Germany. The aircraft landed on its nose, but no injuries were reported. ALSO READ- Cargo plane lands without front wheels in Istanbul. Watch scary video This marks the second incident at a Turkish airport in two days, following a FedEx Express Boeing 767 cargo plane's emergency landing at Istanbul Airport due to a malfunctioning front landing gear. Again, no injuries were reported, and the crew safely left the aircraft. Colombo, The first edition of Bookaroo Children's Literature Festival in Colombo will be held from Friday with over 20 speakers from five countries scheduled to participate in 50 sessions for two days. Bookaroo children's literature festival to make Lanka debut Friday The festival will feature storytelling, workshops, writing events, and art and craft for 4 to 14-year-olds. Authors including Arefa Tehsin of India, Chantal-Fleur Sandjon, Professor J B Disanayaka, Janaki Galappatti, Nadishka Aloysius, Rukhshanie Weerasooriya Wijemanne and Shehan Karunatilaka are in the participants list. Illustrators Ashok Rajagopalan, Canato Jimo, Deepa Balsavar, Irushi Tenekkoon, Lavanya Karthik, Nina Sabnani, Priya Kuriyan, Savio Mascarenhas and Shenuka Corea and storytellers Alicia Dongjoo Bang, Champa Saha and Lavanya Prasad are also scheduled to participate. Festival director Swati Roy said there is a "great mix of Sri Lankan and international speakers speaking on diverse subjects and bringing flavours from different parts of the world". She said the sessions range from poetry to illustration workshops to an ongoing all-day, all-ages activity to keep those children who may have missed entering a session busy. She thanked the collaborators in Sri Lanka, especially LPF Bernie Anderson and Adityavikram More, saying their zeal helped make this edition a reality. The festival is being presented by LPF Schools to celebrate 30 years of service to the child. LPF founder Bernie Anderson said Bookaroo was the "perfect complement to our belief that learning is in fact a never-ending story and can only happen with meaningful relationships. This completely non-ticketed two days of storytelling and so much more will celebrate each child, teacher, parent, and significant relationships that tell the special story of the LPF schools". Bookaroo is arguably India's first and biggest children's literature festival, organised by the Bookaroo Trust. Started off in 2008 as a solo edition in New Delhi, the festival has spread to 16 cities. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. By Anita Komuves and Boldizsar Gyori China's Xi Jinping says China-Hungary relations an 'all-weather' strategic partnership BUDEST -China and Hungary will embark on a "golden voyage" in bilateral relations, Chinese President Xi Jinping said after meeting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on the third and final stop of his first European tour in five years. Hungary under right-leaning Orban has become an important trade and investment partner for China, in contrast with some other EU nations that are considering becoming less dependent on the world's second-largest economy. Xi arrived in Budapest late on Wednesday after visiting France and Serbia. In Paris, President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen pressed him to ensure more balanced trade with Europe and use his influence on Russia to end the war in Ukraine. After their meeting, both Xi and Orban said that their two countries elevated ties to an "all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership." "We are willing to take this as a new starting point to push bilateral relations and pragmatic cooperation into a golden channel and move towards a higher level," Xi said. This, among others, means that the two countries expand their cooperation to the nuclear industry, Orban said. The two countries will also move forward in the construction of key projects including the reconstruction of the Budapest-Belgrade railway project, the Chinese president said. The $2.1 billion project, most of which is financed by a loan from China, is part of the Belt and Road Initiative, an ambitious plan launched by Xi a decade ago in the hope of building global infrastructure and energy networks connecting Asia with Africa and Europe. Hungary and China signed 18 agreements after the meeting of their leaders, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in a video on his Facebook page. The two countries will start preparing the construction of a railway line around Budapest that will help transport goods produced by Chinese factories in Eastern Hungary to markets in Western Europe, Szijjarto said. Hungary and China will also start preparing a high-speed railway connecting the centre of Budapest and its airport, the ministers said. The relationship between China and Hungary, which mark their 75th year of diplomatic relations, goes beyond trade and investment as China offered cooperation on public security and law enforcement issues to Hungary in February. Orban started bringing his country closer to Beijing after he came to power in 2010. Warm political relations turned into investments about a decade later when battery and electric vehicle makers started to bring production to Hungary. One of the biggest investors, CATL, is building a 7.3 billion euro battery plant in Debrecen while Chinese EV maker BYD announced late last year that it was building its first European plant in southern Szeged. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. BANGKOK Six months into an offensive against Myanmar s military government, opposition forces have made massive gains, but civilian casualties are rising sharply as regime troops increasingly turn toward scorched-earth tactics in the Southeast Asian country's bitter civil war. Civilian casualties rise in Myanmar's civil war as resistance forces tighten noose around military There is pressure on all fronts from powerful militias drawn from Myanmar's ethnic minority groups and newer resistance forces. Troops are retaliating with air, naval and artillery strikes on hospitals and other facilities where the opposition could be sheltered or aided. When the mass of people rise up against them, I think it terrifies them, said Dave Eubank, a former U.S. Special Forces soldier who founded the Free Burma Rangers, a humanitarian aid organization that has provided assistance to both combatants and civilians in Myanmar since the 1990s. They know that hospitals, churches, schools and monasteries are important places for human care, and gathering, and symbols and they hammer them," said Eubank. "Thats new. Military forces now control l ess than half the country, but are holding on tenaciously to much of central Myanmar including the capital, Naypyidaw recently targeted by drone attacks and largest city, Yangon, and is far better armed than the resistance forces, with support from Russia and China. People have been saying that the regime was on the brink of collapse since two weeks after the coup, in February 2021, said Morgan Michaels, an analyst with the International Institute of Strategic Studies who runs its Myanmar Conflict Map project. On the other hand, obviously the regime is weaker than its ever been.... so theres no doubt that its in serious, serious trouble," he said. Thet Swe, a spokesman for the military government, acknowledged an email from The Associated Press seeking comment but did not respond to questions. As the fighting has moved into more populated areas, about 1 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the offensive in October, contributing to the more than 3 million internally displaced people in the country of some 56 million, according to the U.N.'s humanitarian aid agency. With the collapse of its health care system and food supplies dwindling, 18.6 million people are in need, up 1 million from a year ago, including 6 million children, the agency said. HOW IT BEGAN Opposition in Myanmar, also known as Burma, had been growing since the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, but it gained new momentum in October when major militias known collectively as the Three Brotherhood Alliance launched a joint offensive. Together, the Arakan Army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Taang National Liberation Army among the most powerful militias formed by Myanmars ethnic minorities made quick advances. As they captured huge swaths of territory largely in the north and northeast, including economically important border crossings with China and several major military bases, other ethnic armed groups sensed momentum and joined the fighting. At the same time, Peoples Defense Forces armed resistance groups that support the shadow National Unity Government, which views itself as Myanmars legitimate administration have been increasing in number and launching their own attacks, often supported and trained by the ethnic armed militias. Both sides claim they have inflicted heavy tolls. And the military government under Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing has acknowledged it is under pressure, recently reintroducing conscription to increase its ranks. That has pushed some young people into the resistance. Many more have fled to rural areas or neighboring countries to avoid fighting. With the violence across its border, China helped broker a cease-fire in Myanmar's north in January with the Three Brotherhood Alliance. But the alliance's Arakan Army continues to fight in its home Rakhine state in the west and has made significant gains, while PDFs and other ethnic armed groups continue their own attacks elsewhere. THE LATEST FIGHTING The fiercest fighting in recent weeks has been in the southeast, where the main ethnic Karen fighting force, the Karen National Liberation Army, claimed in early April to have seized all the military bases in Myawaddy, the main town on the border with Thailand in Kayin state. One army battalion clung to a position beside one of Myawaddy's two bridges, assisted by the Border Guard Force, a rival Karen group that had been in charge of border area security for years, conducting lucrative business by providing protection to area casino resorts with links to organized crime. The force, which declared itself neutral in January, now controls the town with military government administrators still in place, highlighting how some militia groups still prioritize their own interests. This is not a black and white situation. This is not the regime reconquering and reconsolidating control," Michaels said of the fighting in the area. This is the regime hanging on, keeping a foothold by the razor's edge. Meanwhile, the military has pushed KNLA and Peoples Defense Forces out of Kawkareik, a strategically important town along the road that connects Myawaddy with the rest of the country. Thousands of civilians have fled Myawaddy and Kawkareik. But many civilians haven't managed to escape. At least 1,015 civilian deaths have been documented from Nov. 1 through May 1, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a watchdog group that tracks political arrests, attacks and casualties. It says 4,962 civilians have been killed overall since the military took power three years ago. The watchdog blamed the deaths on the military's increasing use of scorched-earth tactics and fighting moving into more populated areas. The military has increasingly lost areas of control in recent months, which has only increased their use of this strategy, responding with airstrikes, shelling and so on in civilian areas, the AP said in an email. The group added that the number of civilian deaths in the recent months of fighting is likely double what it reported, if not more, but that it cant document the numbers due to the intensification of the conflict. Kyaw Zaw, a spokesperson for the shadow National Unity Government, said the military had destroyed 343 hospitals and clinics since it took power, and that those attacks had accelerated in the last two months, though he didn't have specific details. Eubank, with the Free Burma Rangers, said he and his teams operating near the front lines have witnessed the military, known as the Tatmadaw, fighting with a speed and force and a viciousness that weve never seen. But in fighting a common enemy, the resistance is showing growing unity, he said. The Burma army is still stronger than any of these resistance groups, and if they want to bring a division or two to bear, they will win the battle, but theyre not stronger than everybody else together," he said. WHAT COMES NEXT Whether that unity will continue if the regime falls, and if the disparate resistance forces can agree on a common path ahead for Myanmar, is an open question, Michaels said. On one hand, Myanmar is not Syria there is common cause in fighting the regime, Michaels said. But at the same time, as the regime has receded from some areas, there are at least indicators of potential future conflicts between groups. He noted an incident in northern Shan state last month in which troops from two members of the Three Brotherhood Alliance the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Taang National Liberation Army traded fire over a territorial dispute. One person was injured. The groups quickly agreed to stand down, but the incident illustrates that territorial tension is real, Michaels said. An opposition politician still inside the country, speaking on condition of anonymity for his own safety, said Myanmar's people have a common desire for peace and stability, but the various factions still pursue their own interests. It is hard to predict what is ahead, and they still don't have a single political direction or goal. I think there is quite a problem in this situation," he said. Myanmar is now at a crossroads." Follow s Asia-Pacific coverage at /hub/asia-pacific This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. The Israeli army said the Kerem Shalom crossing, which has been key to Gaza aid operations, was again targeted on Wednesday by rocket fire that "lightly injured" one soldier. This handout satellite picture obtained from Planet Labs PBC and taken on May 3, 2024 shows a wide view of the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip. (AFP) "Eight launches were identified crossing from the area of Rafah into the area of Kerem Shalom", a military statement read, adding that "as a result of the launches, an IDF (army) soldier was lightly injured." The Israeli army said that it reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing on Wednesday morning. ALSO READ| Joe Biden threatens to cut off weapon supplies if Israel tries to invade Rafah It was closed for three days following a Hamas rocket attack on Sunday that killed four soldiers. Another rocket launch had targeted the crossing Monday. "Trucks from Egypt carrying humanitarian aid, including food, water, shelter equipment, medicine and medical equipment donated by the international community are already arriving at the crossing," the army said Wednesday in a joint statement with COGAT, the defence ministry body that oversees Palestinian civil affairs. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said the crossing remained closed. Overnight Monday-Tuesday, Israeli troops seized control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt after launching an incursion into the eastern sector of the city. UNRWA spokeswoman Juliette Touma said the Rafah crossing is crucial for UNRWA, the main aid agency operating in Gaza. "We normally get fuel through Rafah," not Kerem Shalom, Touma said. Without fuel entering Gaza through Rafah, trucks cannot pick up aid from Kerem Shalom, she added. "There's not been humanitarian supplies for the past three days. We have started rationing fuel," she said, adding that the territory needed 300,000 litres (79,250 gallons) of fuel a day for humanitarian purposes. Israel's staunchest ally the United States too called for the reopening of both crossings. Belgium has approved a labour law on the employment contracts for sex workers - the first country to do so in the world. According to a report by The Telegraph, the Belgian Parliament approved the law on Friday last week with 93 votes in favour, 33 abstentions and no votes against it. Belgium becomes first country to approve labour laws for sex workers(Reuters) In 2022, Belgium had become the first country in Europe to decriminalize self-employed sex work. What does the labour law for sex workers provide? As per The Telegraph's report, under the law, sex workers will be entitled to health insurance, pensions, unemployment and family benefits, holidays and maternity leaves. The law bestows certain rights on the worker and conditions on their employer, such as the right to refuse a client or a sexual act and the right to interrupt a sexual act at any time without fear of dismissal or punishment. Under the law, sex workers are also entitled to carry out a sexual act however they wish and can also end their contract at any time with no notice period and would not lose their right to unemployment benefits, the report said. Along with this, workers' anonymity will be protected under the law to ensure that sex workers can apply for other jobs without the fear of discrimination. According to the law, if a prostitute refuses a client more than ten times over a time of six months, a pimp (a person who gets clients for the prostitutes) can call for an intervention by the government but will not be able to sack the employee. The report also mentioned that pimps must provide the sex workers with an alarm button in the room where the sexual services are provided. They must also ensure that the sex workers have access to someone in charge of ensuring their safety, it added. Notably, the labour law does not apply to pornographic actors, strippers or webcam performers. Sex workers unions welcome the law Several sex worker unions in Belgium have welcomed the labour law. One of the unions, UTSOPI's spokesperson, while speaking to The Brussels Times, called the law extremely important, adding that Belgium is demonstrating it aims to protect sex workers, regardless of any moral judgements about the profession people may have. He also hoped that the implementation of the law could lead to a reversal of the recent trend of criminalising clients in Europe. Thursday is expected to be the hottest day so far this year in the Bay Area, with highs in the 70s at the coast and 80s inland, about 10 to 18 degrees above normal. Baron/Lynx The hottest day so far this year is expected in the Bay Area on Thursday, with highs ranging from the 70s at the coast to the lower 80s near the bay shoreline and mid-80s to near 90 inland. Temperatures this high havent been observed in the Bay Area in more than six months, last occurring in mid-October. While highs will be 10 to 18 degrees above normal, spring hot stretches are common. San Franciscos average first 80-degree day is April 29, while Vacaville and Concord often reach 90 during the first week of May. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The heat is expected to peak at the coast Thursday, with an easterly breeze blowing warm air to the beaches. Pacifica and Half Moon Bay may flirt with 80 degrees if the offshore winds continue until the afternoon. Downtown San Francisco and Oakland will likely reach the lower 80s by 2 p.m. Thursday afternoon temperatures in San Francisco are expected to range from the mid-70s at Ocean Beach to lower 80s downtown. Baron/Lynx Blustery east to northeast winds are also expected throughout the North Bay and in the East Bay hills. Gusts of 25 to 35 mph are possible in the morning, weakening in the afternoon. The Pacific breeze should return to San Francisco, the Peninsula and Santa Cruz on Friday. This return of natural air conditioning will drop temperatures considerably, with Fridays highs more than 10 degrees lower than Thursday. Advertisement Article continues below this ad While the coast should cool down Friday, the heat will continue inland. Solano County, eastern Alameda County and portions of Wine Country may flirt with 90 degrees Friday. Populations vulnerable to heat such as the elderly, infants and outdoor workers face a moderate risk of heat-related illnesses Friday. The National Weather Service advises people to take frequent breaks from strenuous activities, avoid direct sunshine, drink plenty of water and wear sunscreen. Thursday breakdown San Francisco: This will be the hottest day since last October in San Francisco, with high temperatures more than 15 degrees above normal. An easterly breeze will push hot, dry air to the coast in the morning, allowing temperatures to climb toward the upper 70s at Ocean Beach by noon. Highs are expected to be in the lower 80s in the Mission District, Noe Valley, downtown, SoMa and Nob Hill. A weak sea breeze may arrive in the evening, providing relief overnight with lows in the mid-50s. North Bay: Beach weather will be pristine at Stinson Beach, with crystal-clear skies and temperatures in the 70s. East-northeasterly winds will blow throughout Wine Country in the morning, gusting up to 30 mph, stronger in the Mayacamas Mountains. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The offshore winds will result in warm conditions in the morning, with temperatures likely in the 60s by 7 a.m. Wind-sheltered areas may be much cooler, in the 40s. Highs are expected to reach the lower 80s in Mill Valley, San Rafael and Tiburon, the mid-80s in Petaluma, Napa and Vallejo and the upper 80s in Santa Rosa, Fairfield and Vacaville. East Bay: Temperatures will continue to climb throughout the East Bay, with widespread 80-degree readings. Gusty offshore winds up to 30 mph will blow in hot, dry air in the morning, with temperatures expected to be well into the 60s by 8 a.m. Highs will reach the lower to mid-80s in Richmond, Berkeley, Oakland, Alameda, Hayward and Fremont. The inland valleys will be hotter, with mid- to upper 80s in Livermore, Danville, Walnut Creek, Concord and Antioch. Lows will remain elevated, in the mid- to upper 50s. Pacific Coast and Peninsula: This should be the warmest day so far this year at the coast, with highs 10 to 15 degrees above normal. Easterly winds blowing down the coastal range will act like a furnace in Half Moon Bay, where temperatures could reach 70 degrees by 10 a.m. Highs are expected to peak in the mid-70s along the coast before winds switch to the south in the midafternoon and drop temperatures to the 60s. It will be a hot one east of the coastal mountains, with highs in the upper 70s in Daly City, lower 80s in South San Francisco and San Bruno and the mid-80s in Burlingame, San Mateo and Redwood City. Overnight temperatures will remain relatively warm, with lows in the upper 50s to near 60. Advertisement Article continues below this ad South Bay and Santa Cruz: Temperatures are expected to vary considerably in the morning throughout the South Bay and Santa Cruz County. Wind-exposed locations will be near 60 at sunrise, but wind-sheltered locations could drop to the 40s. Regardless of morning temperatures, it will be a hot afternoon. Toronto: The trade representative of a Canadian province will return to India after New Delhi restored diplomatic immunity for his office. Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar (right) with Scott Moe, Premier of the province of Saskatchewan, Canada in New Delhi in February. (Credit: S Jaishankar/X) This is the first such measure since October last year when 41 Canadian diplomats left India after New Delhi stated they would lose their diplomatic immunity if they stayed on. Canada described that act as mass expulsion of its diplomats, while India has argued it wanted parity in the numbers of diplomats. The official who will return is the managing director of the Saskatchewan India office, who was among those who left India in October. That person will have diplomatic immunity, but a senior Indian official said, will not be an accredited Canadian diplomat. The official said there is no policy change or review with regard to Canadas diplomatic presence in India. This step, the official said, was specific to Saskatchewan, considering the excellent relationship the province has with India. Asked whether similar carve-outs were being considered for other provinces, the official said this action comprised an experimental model to test the waters before considering replication. Saskatchewans Premier (equivalent of Chief Minister) Scott Moe headed a delegation to India in February. Earlier, the Saskatchewan government, in a statement, said India provided formal approval to provide full diplomatic accreditation to its India office managing director. It is solely because of Saskatchewans strong bi-lateral relationship with India that this significant accreditation will be granted, its Trade and Export Development Minister Jeremy Harrison said. The statement said when Moe visited in February he met with senior members of Prime Minister Narendra Modis Cabinet including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to advocate for the reinstatement of diplomatic accreditation for Saskatchewans managing director in India. The matter was also recently discussed with Indias High Commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma. In 2023, total Canadian exports to India were valued at 5.1 billion Canadian dollars. Of that total, Saskatchewan was responsible for 26%, valued at more than 1.3 billion Canadian dollars, with 700 million Canadian dollars of that tied directly to agri-food exports. The provinces top five exports to India include lentils, potash, wood pulp, peas and non-durum wheat, and is the top supplier to India of lentils and potash, the statement noted. Washington, A 26-year-old Indian student has been reported missing in Chicago since May 2, India's mission in the US city said on Thursday, the latest case in the country as the community grapples with a string of such incidents involving students. Indian student missing in Chicago since May 2 Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi has been missing from the 4300 block of N. Sheridan Rd, the Chicago Police said in a statement. The Consulate General of India in Chicago said it was in touch with the police and Indian diaspora to locate/reestablish contact with Rupesh. "The Consulate is deeply concerned learning that Indian student Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi has been incommunicado since 2nd May. The consulate is in touch with the police and the Indian diaspora hoping to locate/reestablish contact with Rupesh. @IndianEmbassyUS @MEAIndia," the Consulate posted on X. On May 6, the Chicago police in a statement asked people to provide information to the police if they locate Rupesh. The incident is the latest in a string of troubling cases on the safety and security of Indian students in the US. Earlier in April, a 25-year-old Indian student missing since March was found dead in the US city of Cleveland. Mohammad Abdul Arfath, hailing from Nacharam, Hyderabad, arrived in the US last year in May to pursue a Masters in IT from Cleveland University. In March, a 34-year-old trained classical dancer from India, Amarnath Ghosh, was shot dead in St Louis, Missouri. Sameer Kamath, a 23-year-old Indian-American student at Purdue University, was found dead in a nature preserve in Indiana on February 5. On February 2, Vivek Taneja, a 41-year-old Indian-origin IT executive, suffered life-threatening injuries during an assault outside a restaurant in Washington. In January, 18-year-old Akul Dhawan, a University of Illinois student was found unresponsive outside a campus building. Investigations revealed that he died due to hypothermia, with authorities ruling that acute alcohol intoxication and prolonged exposure to extremely cold temperatures significantly contributed to his death. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Israeli warplanes struck Gaza's crowded southern city of Rafah Thursday after US President Joe Biden vowed to stop supplying artillery shells and other weapons to Israel if a full-scale assault goes ahead. Smoke rises following Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip May 6, 2024. (REUTERS) It was the starkest warning yet from the United States, Israel's main military provider, over the civilian impact of its war against Hamas. An AFP correspondent and witnesses on Thursday reported Israeli strikes on several parts of Rafah, where the United Nations said 1.4 million people were sheltering. "The tanks and jets are striking," Tarek Bahlul said on a deserted Rafah street. "Every minute you hear a rocket and you don't know where it will land." Israel has already defied international objections by sending in tanks and conducting what it called "targeted raids" in the east of Rafah, the city it says is home to Hamas's last remaining battalions. The Hamas authorities' "emergency committee" in Rafah dismissed as "nothing but lies" Israel's description of its operation as "limited". In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Biden warned he would stop some US weapons supplies to Israel if it carried out its long-threatened ground assault. Israel on Thursday called Biden's comments "very disappointing". Biden told CNN: "If they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used... to deal with the cities." "We're not gonna supply the weapons and the artillery shells that have been used." - Bomb delivery halted - The fresh warning came after his administration paused delivery last week of 1,800 2,000-pound (907-kilo) bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs as Israel appeared ready to attack Rafah. "Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs," Biden said. "It's just wrong." Ties between the allies have become increasingly strained as Biden and other top Washington officials criticise Israel over its conduct of the war. Pro-Palestinian protests have flared at universities across the United States with an intensity not seen for decades. The Gaza war began with Hamas's 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. During their October attack militants seized some 250 hostages, of whom Israel estimates 128 remain in Gaza, including 36 who officials say are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 34,904 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. - Aid operations 'crippled' - The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said 80,000 people have fled Rafah since Monday, but "nowhere is safe". On Tuesday, Israel seized Rafah's border crossing into Egypt, which had been the main entry point for aid. The White House condemned the aid disruption, and the defence secretary later confirmed Washington had paused the bomb shipment. In Israel's first reaction to Biden's threat, its UN ambassador Gilad Erdan called it a "very disappointing statement". Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made no direct mention of the US threat but said in a statement: "If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone." It has been his repeated refrain in recent days as both international and domestic criticism of his handling of the war have intensified. Israel's military said Wednesday it was reopening another aid crossing into Gaza, Kerem Shalom, as well as the Erez crossing into north Gaza. But the head of the UN humanitarian office in the Palestinian territories, Andrea De Domenico, told AFP that military activity at Kerem Shalom made civilian aid deliveries practically impossible. He said the closure of the Rafah crossing, the only one equipped for fuel deliveries, had effectively halted aid operations. "In Gaza there are no stocks" of fuel, he said. That "means no movement. It is completely crippling the humanitarian operations." UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini announced late Thursday that the agency was closing its east Jerusalem headquarters after the latest in a spate of attacks by "Israeli extremists" put its staff at "serious risk". Lazzarini said the compound would remain closed "until proper security is restored". - US aid ship leaves for Gaza - A US container ship loaded with aid for Gaza left Cyprus Thursday in a new test of a maritime corridor to get relief into the besieged Palestinian territory, the Cyprus government said. US military engineers have been assembling a temporary pier to unload aid deliveries but the work has been delayed by heavy seas. "The platform is expected to be ready by the time the ship arrives in order for the aid to be unloaded and distributed to Palestinians in need," Cyprus government spokesperson Yiannis Antoniou said. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the pier will "significantly increase" the volume of aid reaching Gaza but said it was not a "substitute" for greater land access via Israel. Hamas called for an end to aid airdrops Thursday after two Palestinians were killed when an aid pallet crashed into a warehouse after its parachute failed to open. At least 21 people have now been killed in Gaza airdrops by Arab and Western air forces that have gone wrong, according to the Hamas authorities. Israeli and Hamas negotiating teams left Cairo Thursday after what the Egyptian hosts described as a "two-day round" of indirect negotiations on the terms of a Gaza truce, Egypt's state-linked Al-Qahera News reported. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the head of the US delegation, CIA director Bill Burns was also headed home. "That doesn't mean there aren't still ongoing discussions," Kirby said. "We still believe that there's a path forward, but it's going to take some leadership on both sides." At a makeshift refugee camp in Rafah, Mazen al-Shami said she was fed up. "We have no money and we don't have the means to move from one place to another again and again. We have no means at all," Shami said. An Israeli airstrike on a car in southern Lebanon killed four Hezbollah fighters on Thursday, security sources said, and the group said it retaliated by launching explosive drones at a military base in northern Israel. Smoke plumes billow from the site of an Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of the village of Marwahin in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel. (AFP) Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, running in parallel to the seven-month-long war in Gaza, has been the most intense since 2006. Both sides stepped up their bombardments this week, fuelling concerns of a bigger war between the heavily-armed adversaries. In Thursday's incident, security sources told Reuters that four Hezbollah fighters were killed in an Israeli strike on a car in southern Lebanon. The civil defence said its rescue force had pulled four bodies out of a car that had been torched by an Israeli strike. Hezbollah said it responded to the killing by launching explosive drones at an Israeli military command in northern Israel. The Israeli military said it had identified several launches crossing from Lebanon. A number of hits in the area of Shlomi, a town near the border in the northwest corner of Israel, had caused a fire to break out. No injuries were reported, it said. The military said it had also intercepted two drones within Lebanese territory and carried out strikes on southern Lebanon, including against what it said was Hezbollah infrastructure. The exchanges of fire have uprooted tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border. In northern Israel, the displacement has prompted calls for firmer military action against Hezbollah. Hezbollah has repeatedly said it will cease fire when the Israeli offensive in Gaza stops, but that it is also ready to fight on if Israel continues to attack Lebanon. Israel has used artillery, drones and warplanes against targets in southern Lebanon, including Hezbollah and other armed groups. Fighters in Lebanon have launched rockets and their own drones into northern Israel. Kate Middleton is not expected to meet with Prince Harry during his visit to the UK unless she receives a direct request from King Charles III, per a royal author. Prince Harry reportedly learned of Kate Middleton's cancer diagnosis on TV (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, Pool, File, Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)(AP Photo/Frank Augstein) Ingrid Seward, a royal author, told Mirror UK, The king asks, she will do it, but Charles being the sensitive and understanding soul he is, would be unlikely to ask such a favor from his adored daughter-in-law. Seward emphasized, The time must be right, and it is not right now. Prince Harry, 39, is back in his homeland to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. It has been a while since he last saw Middleton, especially after she went public with her cancer diagnosis last month. The Duke of Sussex made a trip to the UK upon hearing about his fathers cancer diagnosis in February. ALSO READ| Prince Harry joins Dianas family at St Pauls Cathedral service just a stones throw away from King Charles III King won't meet his younger son A spokesperson for Prince Harry has said that there will be no rendezvous with King Charles, 75, in London due to the monarchs full programme. It unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty's full programme, the Duke's spokesperson said. Royal commentator Charlotte Griffiths noted that Prince Harry had been very difficult and presented certain demands for a meeting with the king. Since relocating to the US with his wife, Meghan Markle, the Duke has experienced a growing estrangement from his family, including his elder brother, Prince William. Rift between Prince Harry and William The royal author speculated to the Mirror that it is highly unlikely that Prince William, 41, will seek out a meeting with his younger brother during his stay. The rift between the brothers was evident during Prince Harry's 24-hour solo visit in February. Seward said, William has enough going on and doesnt need the stress But he might realize Harry will want to see Kate after her cancer diagnosis as they were once so close, she acknowledged. ALSO READ| King Charles won't meet Prince Harry due to Duke's demands about who could be in the room': royal expert It remains to be seen if Kate is willing and able to face up to it. Does she have the energy to begin to try and heal the rift between the brothers or will she prefer to remain in the background? Reportedly, Prince Harry is staying in a hotel during his UK visit, as the royal family did not extend an offer for him to stay at any of their residences. During his February trip, Prince Harry also stayed in a London hotel. A royal expert has claimed that King Charles decision to not meet Prince Harry during the Dukes UK trip came after several difficult negotiations. Harry returned to London to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. King Charles will not meet Prince Harry due to Duke's demands about who could be in the room' (REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo, Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP, File) The Duke of Sussexs reps told New York Post that he will not meet his dad because of the kings full schedule. However, royal commentator Charlotte Griffiths believes Charles decision to not meet Harry may have been swayed by certain demands from his son. There is some talk that behind the scenes, a lot of negotiating went on, Griffiths told GB News. Harry made certain demands about who could be in the room I think the reason was because Harry made certain demands about who could be in the room and who couldnt. Although on the surface it looks like a snub, Harry made it very difficult for his father, Griffiths said, adding that other forces may have influenced the monarch. Maybe other forces were driving Charles position on this, she said. William may have had a thought about how this meeting should be conducted or whether it should be conducted at all, Griffiths added. We know that Charles likes to meet Harry with Camilla in the room, which isnt always a popular decision, she continued. Harry was without his wife as well, so this was fraught with difficulty. Harrys reps claimed that a meeting between Harry and Charles will not be possible due to His Majestys full program. The duke, of course, is understanding of his fathers diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon, a spokesperson for the Duke said. A previous report claimed that Harry invited the royal family members to the Invictus Games 10-year celebration ceremony in the UK, but "received no response. It is unlikely that any senior members of the royal family will turn up at the event. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has expressed "firm support and solidarity" for Russia in his congratulatory message to Russian President Vladimir Putin over Victory Day, which marks the 79th anniversary of the end of World War Two, state news KCNA agency said on Thursday. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (File photo) Russia on Thursday marks the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two as relations with the West spiral deeper into crisis over the advance of Russian troops against Ukraine's Western-backed forces. "I express firm support and solidarity with the sacred cause of Russia, hoping that you and the brave Russian army and people would win fresh victory in the struggle to defeat the imperialists' hegemonic policy," Kim said in his letter to Putin according to KCNA. ALSO READ| Vladimir Putin sworn in as Russia's President for fifth term The U.S. and others have accused North Korea of transferring weapons to Russia for use against Ukraine, which it invaded in February 2022. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the accusations, but vowed last year to deepen military relations. The debris from a missile that landed in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Jan. 2 was from a North Korean Hwasong-11 series ballistic missile, United Nations sanctions monitors told a Security Council committee in a report seen by Reuters. Israel's military carried out air strikes in eastern Rafah, Gaza Strip on Tuesday after ordering Palestinians to evacuate ahead of a ground invasion. The directive was conveyed through flyers, phone calls, messages, and Arabic media broadcasts. With hopes for a new ceasefire in the seven-month Israel-Hamas conflict once again dashed and Israel now carrying out its promised attack on Rafah, the looming question is: Will Gaza ever get a much-needed respite from non-stop explosions? During an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, Ian Bremmer, president and founder of the geopolitical risk firm Eurasia Group, discussed the US' efforts in mediating a truce deal between Israel-Hamas, the potential ramifications of Netanyahu's Rafah attack, Iran's involvement in the crisis, Hamas's perceived disregard for the plight of Palestinians, and the prospects of recovery for Gaza. Edited excerpts: Rafah invasion is inevitable Israel has claimed that terrorist activities are being carried out on the Palestinian side of the Rafah border. Therefore, gaining control of this border is seen as a crucial strategic goal, as it enables Israel to regulate the main gateway to and from Egypt. Highlighting the reasons why the Israeli government views the Rafah invasion as unavoidable, Bremmer remarked, The US has delivered an ultimatum to Benjamin Netanyahu saying that there will be strong consequences if they proceed with such a war. But I do believe that some form of military operation is inevitable because this isn't just about Netanyahu or the war cabinet, but rather the entire Israeli population. They believe that Hamas is responsible for civilian deaths due to their operations in civilian areas and holding hostages. Therefore, most Israelis support continued military strikes until Gaza's military infrastructure is destroyed, Hamas leadership is neutralised, hostages are freed, and fighters are removed. Why did truce talks fail? Several aid organisations have warned that the Rafah attack would bring a surge of civilian deaths in the Israeli campaign that in nearly seven months has already killed 34,000 people, exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and devastated the region. Deliberating on the US failed attempt to contain the war, Bremmer said, This is a really challenging policy decision for the US President. Almost no other country supports the US position in the war. Most US citizens increasingly want a ceasefire, including young people and Democrats. But Biden has certainly tried very hard to prevent the Israeli war cabinet from launching a ground invasion in Rafah, worrying that it's going to be a bloodbath perhaps even worse than what we've seen over the last seven months. At the same time, Biden is also striving to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, most of whom are civilians, illegally detained and tortured. But Hamas refuses to budge despite the efforts and the negotiations. Therefore, it is almost impossible to get a temporary ceasefire unless there is a breakthrough, Bremmer added. Israel, US' reluctance gave us October 7 Hamas had agreed to a three-phase ceasefire and hostages-for-prisoners exchange on Monday. However, Israel rejected the deal, saying it was not acceptable because its terms had been softened. The proposal involved releasing 33 hostages in the first 42-day phase, while Israel would release Palestinians from its jails and partially withdraw troops from Gaza. Phase two would entail a complete halt to military activity, followed by the exchange of bodies and the implementation of reconstruction overseen by Qatar, Egypt, and the UN in phase three. Discussing the potential long-term political solution to the conflict, Bremmer said, It's very helpful to have the US, the Gulf states, and Israelis, recognise that we need to have a solution for the Palestinians. However, the Israeli government's reluctance to cease military actions and the PM's rejection of a two-state solution is hindering the process. So, we must first get to a point where a permanent ceasefire can be declared, and we also need the Israeli PM out of office. Honestly, I can't see any peace when the sitting leader of Israel refuses to accept a two-state solution. "Iran's role in the war has been as the leader" Iran has supported both Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) with financial aid, weapons, and political backing. Iran's first direct attack on Israel with 300 drones and missiles was reportedly in response to an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, which resulted in the deaths of senior military commanders. Prior to this, Israel and Iran have engaged in a years-long shadow war, targeting each other's assets without officially acknowledging responsibility. These attacks have intensified considerably during the ongoing Gaza conflict. Discussing Iran's potential to get directly involved in the war, Bremmer said, "Iran's role in the war has been as the leader, the funder, the trainer of the so-called called axis of resistance, and a number of organisations in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, in the occupied territories, and now apparently Bahrain as well, which do not recognise the right of Israel to exist." "They are considered terrorist organisations by Israel and by the US and Iran is providing them with money and weapons and intelligence. So, as long as that continues, the potential for Iran to get directly involved in the war is high. I mean, they are clearly, you know, they're waist deep in a proxy war, in a number of proxy wars across the Middle East. "So, after the Israelis engaged in direct strikes against an Iranian government building in Damascus, Iran hit Israel back with over 300 missiles and drones directly on its territory. Now fortunately most of them didn't get through but that was a big risk for the Iranians to take. If the attack had been more successful, which the Iranians were clearly hoping for, then the Israelis would have responded with a much more significant military engagement and we could be talking about the Straits of Hormuz disrupted, and the US in a war against Iran." Netanyahu wants Trump back despite the latter's 'PR war' rhetoric Former US President Donald Trump recently commented during an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that Israel is "absolutely losing the PR war" and urged for a swift end to the violence. He offered a tough message to Israel regarding its conflict with Hamas, advising the country to "get it over with." Moreover, the Biden administration's decision on March 25 to not veto a United Nations Security Council resolution advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza intensified the strain between the Biden administration and the Netanyahu government. Shedding light on the potential outcome if Trump were still the president, Bremmer suggested that the events of October 7 and the subsequent conflict might have been avoided. Netanyahu wants Trump to win. See, Biden, who is the elected president of the most powerful country in the world, has the Israeli PM walking all over him. He demanded a two-state solution, and Netanyahu said no. He demanded a halt on any plans for a ground invasion in Rafah, and Netanyahu said, I'm gonna do it no matter what. "Now, Netanyahu is the same leader that the US citizens have just committed $17 billion of additional military aid to? This is the same leader who is accountable for the killings of hundreds of aid workers, including US citizens, in Gaza, over the past months. He's the same leader who has refused to allow humanitarian aid (in Gaza), Bremmer said. While Trump's stance on the war remains unclear, his actions as president unequivocally supported Israel. During his presidency, Trump relocated the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and acknowledged Israel's control over the Golan Heights, in a reversal of longstanding US policy. Emphasising Israels preference for Trump, Bremmer explained that he is a huge friend of Israel. The ideological orientation of Trump is very much towards the far right and towards Netanyahu's support base. After all, it was Trump that moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. It was Trump who has been instrumental in getting the Abraham Accords done, normalising Israeli relations with several Arab states. So, at the end of the day, there's no surprise that the Israeli government wants Trump, he added. Hamas treating Gazans as expendable for political goals Hamas has repeatedly expressed concern about the suffering of Gazans, condemning the Israeli attacks as systematic violence targeting Palestinian civilians, particularly women and children. However, Bremmer feels that theres no justification to believe Hamas has any concern about civilians. Hamas, according to him, sees civilians as expendable for their political goals, similar to how they treat Israeli civilians. I don't think anybody in the world today can say that Hamas does not bear responsibility for civilian deaths in Gaza. Of course, Israel is also responsible. But I happen to think that Hamas is more responsible. So, a ceasefire is required precisely for that reason. And furthermore, an immediate release of the hostages is required, he stated. Will Gaza ever recover? Even if Israel and Hamas agree to a cease-fire and maintain it, experts predict that Gaza will not return to normalcy anytime soon. Amid the rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia, actions and words hold significant weight. However, opinions on the Israel-Gaza conflict remain polarised, extending from public spaces to cultural realms, sparking protests and inevitable backlash. Stressing the bleak prospects for Gaza's recovery, Bremmer commented, I don't think Gaza will recover in the near future. I think, in the last seven months, there has been a radicalisation of a generation of Palestinians against Jews and vice versa. That's going to lead to a lot more violence, a lot more hatred. Despite all its efforts to target every last member of Hamas and its military capabilities, Tel Aviv will end up with much more anti-Israel radicalisation because of the war than it would have if it had fought it in a much more restrained way. Russia has accused the United States of meddling in India's internal affairs and the ongoing parliamentary elections while castigating The Washington Post for its report on the alleged involvement of Indian citizens in a plot to kill a Khalistani terrorist on American soil. Russia said that Washington has failed to provide any reliable evidence to back the allegations, adding that the regular unfounded accusations against New Delhi were an attempt by the White House to complicate the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (ANI File) When asked to respond to The Washington Post report, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said, According to the information we have, Washington has not yet provided any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the preparation of the murder of a certain GS Pannun. Speculation on this topic in the absence of evidence is unacceptable. In November of last year, US federal prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta, alleging his involvement alongside an Indian government employee in the foiled assassination plot targeting Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Pannun, spokesperson for banned Sikhs for Justice and a designated terrorist in India, holds dual citizenship in the US and Canada. Read: Russia slams US claims on Gurpatwant Pannun murder plot: No evidencenot acceptable' A recent report by The Post claimed that a RAW official, identified as Vikram Yadav, was involved in the assassination plot of Pannun and the move was approved by the then Indian spy agency chief Samant Goel. The report also claimed that India is part of an expanding roster of countries employing tactics previously associated with China, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and other repressive regimes. "The Washington Post, it seems to me, should use the term "repressive regime" and everything you quoted in relation to Washington. It is difficult to imagine a more repressive regime than Washington, both in domestic and international affairs," Zakharova said. She criticised the US for making unfounded accusations and lacking an understanding of India's national mentality and history. "Regular unfounded accusations by the United States against New Delhi ...we see that they groundlessly accuse not only India but also many other states...of violating religious freedoms are a reflection of the United States' misunderstanding of the national mentality, the historical context of the development of the Indian state and disrespect for India as a state," she said. The reason is that they try to unbalance the internal political situation in India in order to complicate the (ongoing) general parliamentary elections. That is part of meddling into Indias internal affairs, RT news quoted her as saying. Toronto: Karanpreet Singh Brar, one of the three Indian suspects in the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar arrived in Canada as an international student and, in fact, obtaining that study visa was celebrated by the immigration company that represented him. Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh and Karanpreet Singh, the three individuals charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in relation to the murder in Canada of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023, are seen in a combination of undated photographs released by the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT). (REUTERS) The agency Canadian Press reported on Wednesday that Karanpreet Singh Brar, 22, better known as Karan, resident of Kotkapura in Punjabs Bhatinda district, got the visa through EthicWorks Immigration Services. HT had reported on Monday that another accused Kamalpreet Singh, from the Nakodar area of Jalandhar, moved to Canada in 2019 on a study visa. A video was posted showing Brar thanking the firm and saying he received the visa within days of starting the process, the agency reported. The promotional video from 2019 on Facebook, stated, Congratulations Karan Brar for Canada study visa. However, by Wednesday evening that video appeared to have deleted from EthicWorks Facebook page and its website was inaccessible. The agency also cited a spokesperson for Bow Valley College in Calgary as confirming that Brar was enrolled at the institution Hospital Unit Clerk programme in 2020. That programme spans eight months. Brars Facebook page indicated he opposed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and had promoted a challenge against the Indian leader, while supporting the agitation by farmers against three agriculture laws that were later rescinded by New Delhi. Brar, along with Kamalpreet Singh, 22 and Karanpreet Singh, 28, all residents of Edmonton, was arrested on Friday and they are facing charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Nijjar was killed on June 18 last year in Surrey, British Columbia. On Sunday, Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar said in the eastern city of Bhubaneshwar that a number of gangland people, a number of people with organised crime links from Punjab have been made welcome in Canada. We have been telling Canada saying look these are wanted criminals from India, you have given them visas, he added. Responding to Jaishankars remarks on Tuesday, Canadas Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Marc Millar said in Ottawa his country was not lax when it came to the process. The Indian foreign minister is entitled to his opinion. Im going to let him speak his mind. Its just not accurate, he added. The immigration status of the third accused has yet not been confirmed. Two former students were awarded $1 million by a California jury after they were accused of blackface after they were seen wearing acne cream. They were eventually forced out of their Catholic school, Saint Francis High School. The students later sued the school. California jury awards $1M to two ex-students wrongly accused of blackface (Pixabay - representational image) The Santa Clara County jury reportedly sided with the ex-students on two of the five claims made in the lawsuit. They were awarded $500,000 each as well as $70,000 tuition reimbursements. This comes four years after the incident. "Our primary goal was to clear (our clients) names," the plaintiffs attorney, Krista Baughman, told the San Francisco Chronicle after the jurys decision on Monday. "It was quite clear the jury believed these were innocent face masks. They are young kids, their internet trail is going to haunt them for the next 60 years. Now they dont have to worry about that." The events that transpired The former students were identified as H.H. and A.H. Back in 2020, the boys and their parents filed a lawsuit against the school for $20 million after their photos, clicked in 2017, went viral and they were subsequently accused of doing blackface. The photos show the two plaintiffs, as well as a third boy who did not attend the same school, posing in front of a mirror wearing green face masks. The lawsuit claimed these were acne medications. The photos were said to have re-emerged in 2020 in the aftermath of George Floyds murder, when they were shared in a chat group. Parents assumed they were making a racist joke, and allegedly pressured the school to act against them. According to the plaintiffs, the school gave the two boys an ultimatum due to public pressure. They were told they could either voluntarily withdraw, or be expelled. The plaintiffs were 14 at the time. "Defendants took it upon themselves to use the innocent and wholly unrelated photograph of the boys to make the malicious and utterly false accusation that the boys had been engaging in 'blackface,' and to recklessly assert that the photograph was 'another example' of racism at SFHS," the suit states. "The boys did not use the facemasks or take the photograph with any ill-intent, bias or prejudice, let alone in connection with any racist sentiments or epithets," it adds. The jury eventually found the school guilty of two of the five claims made in the suit. These included failing to properly investigate and breach of an oral contract. "We appreciate the jurys verdict rejecting the plaintiffs two primary claims of defamation and breach of contract and thank them for their thoughtful analysis. The jury rightly found we did not breach our handbook, did not violate the students free speech rights, and did not defame the students," a spokesperson from the school told Fox News Digital. However, we respectfully disagree with the jurys conclusion as to the lesser claim regarding the fairness of our disciplinary review process and are exploring legal options, including appeal as there is no legal precedent applying that claim to a high school." "We are grateful for the strong support of our community throughout this case," the statement added. "We look forward to putting this matter behind us so we can return to focusing solely on educating our vibrant student body and living the Catholic values of the Holy Cross tradition, which are rooted in hope, respect, integrity and family." TAIPEI, Taiwan Chinas military criticized a U.S. destroyers passage through the Taiwan Strait less than two weeks before the island's new president takes office and while Washington and Beijing are making uneven efforts to restore regular military exchanges. China criticizes US for ship's passage through Taiwan Strait weeks before new leader takes office Navy Senior Capt. Li Xi, spokesperson for China's Eastern Theater Command, accused the U.S. of having publicly hyped the passage of the USS Halsey on Wednesday. In a statement, Li said the command, which oversees operations around the strait, organized naval and air forces to monitor" the ship's transit. The U.S. Navys 7th Fleet said the Halsey conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit on May 8 through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law." The guided-missile destroyer transited through a corridor in the strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state, the fleet said in a statement. Halseys transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations as a principle, it said. No member of the international community should be intimidated or coerced into giving up their rights and freedoms. The United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows. China's accusation that the transit was publicly hyped essentially meaning it was played up for maximum political effect has been standard practice when Beijing sees the announcements as a means of pushing back against Chinas claim to some degree of control over who can pass freely through the strait. There was no indication the U.S. Navy had operated any differently in the latest case, nor that the Chinese response was any more vociferous. Taiwans Defense Ministry said it was fully aware of the destroyer's passage. Throughout the transit, the Taiwanese military was closely monitoring the surrounding sea and airspace, and the situation remained normal, the ministry said. The last such passage was on April 17, a day after U.S. and Chinese defense chiefs held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. Military-to-military contact stalled in August 2022, when Beijing suspended all such communication after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. China responded by firing missiles over Taiwan and staging a surge in military maneuvers, including what appeared to be a rehearsal of a naval and aerial blockade of the island. The critical strait is 160 kilometers wide and divides China from Taiwan, the self-governing island democracy where President-elect William Lai Ching-te will be inaugurated on May 20. Lai's Democratic Progressive Party favors Taiwan's de facto independent status under which it maintains strong unofficial relations with the U.S. and other major nations. Taiwan's military heightens its alert status around sensitive dates, such as this January's presidential and legislative elections, wary that China might use its vastly more powerful military to attempt to intimidate voters and sway public opinion in favor of Beijing's insistence that unification between the sides is inevitable. The two sides split during a civil war in 1949, and as recently as 1996, China fired missiles just north and south of the island and held military exercises in an ultimately counterproductive bid to deter voters from backing candidates they opposed. Since then, China has largely kept a low profile around elections, favoring instead to curry favor with business groups and treat unification-oriented politicians and grassroots officials to all-expenses paid visits to the mainland. Although the heavily transited Taiwan Strait is international waters and vital to global trade, China considers the passage of warships from the U.S., Britain and other nations as a challenge to its sovereignty. China sends navy ships and warplanes into the strait and other areas around the island almost daily to wear down Taiwans defenses and seek to intimidate its 23 million people, who firmly back their de facto independence. Taiwan's Defense Ministry said 23 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval ships were detected operating around Taiwan in the 24 hours up to 6 a.m. Thursday. Eight of the planes crossed the median line in the strait and entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone, prompting Taiwan to scramble jets and put coastal missile batteries and naval craft on alert. In addition to sailing through the Taiwan Strait, the U.S. Navy conducts what it calls freedom of navigation operations in which it sails and flies in close proximity to Chinese-held features in the South China Sea, many of them human-made islands that have been 'militarized over the years with air strips, radar stations and other capabilities. China claims virtually all of the South China Sea, a principal maritime highway for global trade, and reacts furiously to such moves, accusing the U.S. of destabilizing the region. It often shadows the U.S. vessels and planes with its own assets, demanding they leave the area immediately. The U.S. claims it has the right under international law to sail in the area and a U.N.-backed arbitration panel has tossed out China's claims, a ruling Beijing ignored. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. A contractor who was hired to cover up vandalism by anti-Israel protesters at Ohios Case Western Reserve University has been accused of painting over demonstrators when they refused to move. A viral video shows the unidentified worker spraying the protesters with white paint. The demonstrators were trying to block the worker from covering up pro-Palestine graffiti they drew on the Cleveland campus Spirit Wall earlier this week. Contractor sprays paint over anti-Israel protesters at Ohios Case Western Reserve University (cwru_sjp/Instagram) The video shows the man, described by school officials as a third-party contractor, moving closer to the protesters while covering up the defaced wall. The group refused to move, promptly wearing their protective face masks. The painter then simply hit them with paint. Protesters claim they were assaulted The Instagram page CWRUs Students for Justice in Palestine posted the video of the painter, accusing him of assaulting the protesters. They captioned the video, AROUND 5 AM THIS MORNING, STUDENTS WERE SPRAYED WITH PAINT WHILE CONTRACTORS CALLED BY CWRU ATTEMPTED TO COVER THE SPIRIT WALL. THEY LATER CAME CLOSER TO NOON AND COVERED THE ENTIRE WALL WITH PAINT. THE STUDENTS FOLLOWED THE SPIRIT WALL POSTING POLICY, AND ADMIN STILL HAD A PROBLEM. The caption adds, The lengths this university goes to defend Zionist Genocidal interests is insane. The cleanup was ordered by CWRU President Eric W. Kaler. He earlier denounced the threatening, intimidating and antisemitic language written across the walls of the campus. I strongly condemn the language posted yesterday on the advocacy wall, and want to reiterate to our entire community that such language no matter to whom it is directed will not be tolerated on our campus, he said in a statement, according to New York Post. After defacing the advocacy wall, later in the evening, the protesters painted the spirit wall with language that was less threatening but still intimidating to some in our community, he added. Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could march through parts of the South early Thursday, after storms a day earlier spawned damaging tornadoes and massive hail, leaving two dead in Tennessee and one dead in North Carolina. Storm clouds roll across New Orleans as water rises in the Treme neighborhood on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. Severe thunderstorms were expected across parts of the Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida panhandle and there was the potential for tornadoes, a few of which may be strong, and damaging winds, which may exceed 75 mph (120 kph), the National Weather Service warned.(Chris Granger /The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)(AP) The storms continue an outbreak of torrential rain and tornadoes that has cut across the country this week, from the Plains to the Midwest and now the southeastern U.S. At least four people have died in storms since Monday. Amid Wednesday's storms, the National Weather Service continued issuing tornado warnings that stretch past midnight in North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri and Kentucky. Parts of Arkansas and Mississippi were also under a tornado watch through the pre-dawn hours. One storm that rumbled across northeastern Tennessee on Wednesday brought high winds that knocked down power lines and trees. Bob Brooks, the sheriff in Claiborne County about an hour north of Knoxville, said a 22-year-old man was in a car when he was fatally struck by one of the trees. A second person was killed in the city of Columbia in Maury County, where the National Weather Service said a likely tornado had touched down. Columbia is just south of Nashville. ALSO READ| After Oklahoma, severe storms and deadly tornadoes strike American Midwest Severe storms continue to wreak havoc across multiple states Homes were damaged and people injured, according to Lynn Thompson, assistant director of Maury County 911. Thompson told The Associated Press that he could not provide any further details: We're getting overloaded right now. Rita Thompson, a spokesperson for Maury Regional Health, said the hospital had received five patients, including the person who died. Another was in serious condition and three had injuries that were not life-threatening, she said. The storms also prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to issue a temporary ground stop at Nashville International Airport and the National Weather Service to issue a tornado emergency its highest alert level for other nearby areas south of the state's capital, including Chapel Hill and Eagleville. Meanwhile, torrential rain and thunderstorms led to water rescues northeast of Nashville. Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order, the National Weather Service warned when it issued a flash flood emergency. In North Carolina, a state of emergency was declared Wednesday night for Gaston County, west of Charlotte, following a large storm that toppled power lines and severed trees, including one that landed on a car. One person in the car was killed and another was taken to a hospital, officials said. The storms rolled into the region Wednesday after parts of the central United States were battered Monday by heavy rain, strong winds, hail and tornadoes, including a deadly twister that ripped through an Oklahoma town and killed one person. Then, on Tuesday, the Midwest took the brunt of the bad weather. The National Weather Service said tornadoes touched down in parts of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana on Tuesday. ALSO READ| Oklahoma weather alert: Tornadoes wreak havoc in multiple states, 1 dead amid powerful storms Deadly tornadoes grapple Midwest In Michigan, tornadoes swirled through the southwestern part of the state, in and around Kalamazoo County, according to the National Weather Service. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for four counties. Kalamazoo County's Portage area was hard hit as a FedEx facility was ripped apart, leaving about 50 people temporarily trapped inside because of downed power lines. Travis Wycoff ventured out Tuesday night after seeing on radar that a tornado had touched down in the Portage area, and he said he helped an elderly couple out of their partially collapsed home and freed a service dog from another home. There were a lot of people running through the streets trying to find people and their pets, Wycoff said. It was just a lot of chaos. In the adjacent Pavilion Township, more than a dozen homes were destroyed in a mobile home park and 16 people were injured, said Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller. Samantha Smith clutched a box Wednesday afternoon outside her mother's partially wrecked home in Pavilion Township. Inside the box were her grandmother's ashes. Being able to recover the most cherished of items offered Smith a rare moment of relief amid the storm's devastation. She said her parents and brother were injured during the storm but survived. ALSO READ| Tornado watch: Rare high risk issued for central Oklahoma, southern Kansas I have thanked God probably a billion times since this happened yesterday, she said. My kids are healthy and good. We just gotta make back up what we lost. Tornadoes were also confirmed in Pennsylvania just outside Pittsburgh, in central Arkansas and in northern West Virginia. The West Virginia twister was at least the 11th tornado this year in the state, which sees two tornadoes in an average year. Both the Plains and Midwest have been hammered by tornadoes this spring. Former US president Donald Trump may choose to miss his son, Barron Trump's graduation ceremony as he is going to a GOP event 1,700 miles away Trump faces decision between son's graduation and GOP dinner(AP Photo) Despite his previous outrage at the possibility of missing his son's special day due to legal hurdles, it appears another commitment may take precedence. Trump has confirmed his presence at the Dinner at the Lincoln Reagan dinner hosted by the Minnesota Republican Party on May 17the same day when his 18-year-old son is going to graduate from his prep school, Oxbridge Academy in Palm Beach. ALSO READ| Trump's hypocrisy called out as he laments missing wife Melanias b'day for hush money trial: 'I cheated on you Will Trump actually miss Barron's special day? The former POTUS planned attendance at the dinner came after he was excused from his court duties on that date. This news follows earlier incorrect claims that the judge overseeing his hush-money case was preventing him from attending his sons graduation. With the commencement set to begin at 10 am, there is widespread speculation about whether Trump will make an appearance at the graduation before heading off to the dinner, per Mirror US. David Hann, the GOP Chairman, stated, We are thrilled to welcome President Trump back to Minnesota to headline our Lincoln Reagan dinner, an annual tradition that reminds us of the roots of our Party and the leaders who have been most impactful in promoting our American values. I can think of no one more fitting to join us this year than President Trump. The dinners prestige is further enhanced by the presence of House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, who will co-host the event. Emmer, an early endorser of Trump this year, had previously been criticized by the former president as a RINO and globalist. Trump had also expressed disappointment in Emmer for not respecting the Power of a Trump Endorsement. Following the announcement of Trumps attendance, Emmer took to social media to criticize the former presidents ongoing criminal trial, writing, A sham trial on trumped up charges wont stop @realDonaldTrump from visiting Minnesota on May 17th. Its time to turn MN red. Minnesota voters have repeatedly rejected Donald Trump and his efforts to ban abortion, take away their health insurance, and attack our democracy. Republicans up and down the ballot will have to answer for why they are abandoning Minnesota values and kissing Donald Trumps ring, Ken Martin, the leader of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party, whipped back. Now, it remains possible for Trump to attend both his sons graduation and the Minnesota dinner. ALSO READ| Could a rare constitutional provision shape Donald Trump's VP pick? Trump accused hush-money trial judge 'wouldn't let' him go to the ceremony Judge Juan Merchan has approved Trumps absence from court on May 17. Merchan stated, I dont think the May 17 date is a problem, so Mr Trump can certainly attend that date, attend his sons graduation. Before the judges decision, Trump had claimed, It looks like the judge will not let me go to the graduation of my son. He poured his frustration through a series of posts on Truth Social, accusing Judge Merchan that he will likely not be allowed to attend and wrongly being prohibited from attending the ceremony. Donald Trump's lawyer accused porn star Stormy Daniels of profiting off her story they had sex in 2006, part of an effort to undermine her credibility as a witness in the first criminal trial of a sitting or former U.S. president. Former U.S. President Donald Trump watches as Stormy Daniels is questioned by defense attorney Susan Necheles during 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 9, 2024 in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg(REUTERS) Daniels' unflattering account of a sexual encounter with Trump in a Lake Tahoe hotel suite in 2006 riveted jurors on Tuesday, reminding U.S. voters of the more lurid aspects of his 2017-2021 presidency as he campaigns to win back the White House this year. Trump, 77, is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up his former lawyer Michael Cohen's $130,000 payment to Daniels, 45, for her silence ahead of the 2016 election about the alleged encounter. Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies ever having sex with Daniels. Trump lawyer questions Stormy Daniels His lawyer Susan Necheles showed jurors Daniels' social media posts advertising merchandise on her online store around the time Trump had been charged last year. The merchandise included a "Stormy Saint of Indictments" candle with her photo on it and a comic book titled, "Political Power: Stormy Daniels." A large part of your livelihood for a bunch of years now has been making money off the story that you had sex with President Trump and that you will help President Trump be convicted, right? Necheles asked. Daniels said she needs money to foot her legal bills - she owes Trump more than $500,000 from a failed defamation lawsuit - and that selling merchandise was part of her job. That is me doing my job, Daniels said in a confident tone, wearing a green shirt and a black coat. A Republican seeking to take back the White House from Democratic President Joe Biden in a Nov. 5 election, Trump argues the trial is a politically motivated attempt to interfere with his campaign. Prosecutors say Trump's efforts to obscure the paper trail corrupted the 2016 election by preventing voters from learning about a story that might have informed their vote. Necheles sought to use Daniels' work in the adult film industry to cast doubt on her account of sex with Trump. "You have a lot of experience in making phony stories about sex appear to be real?" Necheles asked. Wow, Daniels said, laughing. Thats not how I would put it. The sex in the films is very much real, just like what happened to me in that room." "If that story was untrue I would have written it to be a lot better," she said. Trump, wearing a blue tie, sat hunched forward at the defense table, frowning, as Daniels gave that testimony. In one sense, Daniels' testimony is peripheral to the case, and it may not matter much to voters who have already heard other stories of Trump's alleged sexual misbehavior. Trump's lawyers argued as much on Tuesday when they unsuccessfully sought a mistrial, saying that she had "inflamed" the jury with unnecessary details like claiming that Trump did not use a condom. Daniels testified on Tuesday Daniels' testimony on Tuesday clearly frustrated Trump, who at one point appeared to call it "bullshit," drawing a warning about witness intimidation from Justice Juan Merchan. Merchan has fined Trump $10,000 for talking about jurors and witnesses in the trial and warned that further violations of a gag order that is in place could land him in jail. The case is widely seen as the least consequential of the four criminal prosecutions Trump faces. But the chances of the other three - which stem from efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden and his handling of classified documents - going to trial before the election are growing more distant. He has pleaded not guilty in all the cases. * Eurovision semi-final kicks off with focus on Israeli contestant Security tight in Malmo for second Eurovision semi-final * Israeli contestant set to appear during show * Israeli PM praised Israeli contestant for participation * Around a hundred protesters gather outside competition venue By Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen MALMO, Sweden, - The second semi-final of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest kicked off in Sweden late on Thursday, with much of the focus expected to be on Israel's performance after thousands joined a pro-Palestinian protest earlier in the day. Some 100,000 visitors have gathered in the southern Swedish city of Malmo for the annual kitsch-fest, which is taking place amid protests and boycotts over the Israeli military campaign in Gaza that was triggered by Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Eurovision fans dressed in quirky outfits, sequins and their national colours arrived for the event, while around a hundred protesters chanted "boycott Israel" and "shame on you" outside the venue before being ushered away by police. Climate activist Greta Thunberg earlier in the day joined more than 10,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators in the centre of Malmo who object to Israel's participation in the musical contest. Police said protests were largely calm. Nine people had been taken into custody and one person was arrested on suspicion of a serious crime against the Knife Act. Protester Eric Goran said in the past he would usually watch Eurovision, which is organised by the European Broadcasting Union and has been held since 1956. "This year I lost all respect for the EBU," he said. "It's clear that they can't take a standpoint against what's going on. I think the only right thing to do is to boycott Israel." Swedish authorities have heightened security, bracing for possible unrest. Metal barricades and large concrete blocks have been put up around Malmo Arena, which is hosting the competition, and snipers were visible on buildings in the arena. Israeli contestant Eden Golan, 20, will perform her song "Hurricane". In a video statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Golan for her participation. "You are not only taking on Eurovision in a proud and very impressive manner, you are also contending successfully with an ugly wave of antisemitism - and representing the State of Israel with enormous honour," Netanyahu said. 'HYPOCRISY AND DOUBLE STANDARDS' Protester Amar, a Palestinian who declined to give his second name, said: "I'm here today because I see the hypocrisy and double standards around the world." "We are against what's happening in Gaza right now. But I also want people to understand that we don't hate Jews." A smaller pro-Israel demonstration was held later on Thursday, a few hundred metres from the pro-Palestinian protest, with attendants holding hands and dancing in a circle to old Israeli Eurovision hits. "I'm here to defend Israel," said Rolf, 70, from the Swedish city of Lund, declining to give his second name. "We are only a little group, but we want to be seen as well. I think it's a shame that this girl from Israel who is performing today has to stand against all this... She certainly feels the pressure." The EBU has resisted calls for Israel to be excluded but asked the country to modify the lyrics of its original song "October Rain", which appeared to reference the Hamas attack. Golan says she hopes her performance will help to unite people. "It's a super important moment for us, especially this year," she told Reuters in an interview this week. "I feel honoured to have the opportunity to be the voice of my country." Thursday's semi-final will also feature contestants from Malta, Albania, Greece, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Denmark, Armenia, Latvia, San Marino, Georgia, Belgium, Estonia, Norway and the Netherlands. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Harvey Weinstein will remain locked up in New York as a court works out whether he should stay in a city jail while he awaits a retrial in a rape case, or be sent back to California to continue serving a prison sentence. Harvey Weinstein appears in Queens criminal court, Thursday, May 9, 2024, in New York. Harvey Weinstein returned to court in New York City as authorities considered an extradition request from California to serve his sentence for a 2022 rape conviction. (AP) The fallen movie mogul denied his consent for an extradition request from California related to a separate rape conviction during a brief court hearing Thursday. Weinstein will continue to be held in New York as the extradition process plays out. Weinstein, released from a city hospital days ago, showed up for the hearing in a wheelchair and wearing a dark suit. Defense attorney Diana Fabi Samson said later outside of court that their main concern was making sure Weinstein gets needed medical care while he remains in custody in New York. Hes holding up the best he can, she said. Samson described the court appearance Thursday as normal procedure and said California first needs to produce a warrant signed by the governor. They are not in a position to extradite Mr. Weinstein because they have not done what they need to do, attorney Diana Fabi Samson said outside court. His next appearance is set for Aug. 7. Weinstein received 16-year sentence in rape case The 16-year sentence Weinstein received in 2023 for raping a woman at a 2013 Los Angeles film festival had been on ice while he served time behind bars in New York after being found guilty of rape in Manhattan in 2020. But the Empire State conviction was overturned late last month, negating its 23-year sentence. The 72-year-old has nevertheless remained in New York custody while Manhattans district attorney works to retry him. At a hearing last week, prosecutors said they could be ready as soon as September, and that at least one of two alleged victims was willing to testify again. In that case, the once powerful former movie executive is accused of raping an aspiring actor in 2013 and sexually assaulting a TV and film production assistant in 2006. He denies the charges. In vacating the conviction, New Yorks highest court found that the trial judge prejudiced Weinstein with improper rulings, including by letting other women testify about allegations he wasnt charged with. The 2020 conviction was heralded at the time as a milestone in the #MeToo movement, an era that began in 2017 with a flood of allegations against Weinstein. Weinstein was sent to serve his sentence in an upstate New York state prison. After being transferred to city custody following the appeals court decision, he was sent to Manhattans Bellevue Hospital, where his publicist says he was treated for pneumonia and other medical issues. He was moved to the citys Rikers Island jail complex on Monday. President Joe Biden is going to stop supplying the Israelis with weapons if they try to invade Rafah, Hamas' last, really strong stronghold in Gaza. While continuing support for defensive systems like Iron Dome, Joe Biden stresses the need to avoid targeting population centers and maintain relations with Egypt. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)(AP) On Wednesday, Biden quoted to CNNs Erin Burnett, Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they havent gone in Rafah yet if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities that deal with that problem. Biden reaffirmed that the US will be supplying Israel with defensive weaponry, such as resources for the Iron Dome system. The president told CNN, Were going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently, and added, But its, its just wrong. Were not going to were not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells. ALSO READ| Biden administration halts ammunition delivery to Israel, US officials say it is intentional Israel is yet to cross Biden's red line For Israel, actions in Rafah have already taken place. However, that has not crossed Bidens red line yet, as he said, which is posing a direct threat to population centres. He expressed, They havent gone into the population centers. What they did is right on the border. And its causing problems with, right now, in terms of with Egypt, which Ive worked very hard to make sure we have a relationship and help. Ive made it clear to Bibi and the war cabinet: Theyre not going to get our support, if in fact they go on these population centers. Republicans reproached Biden after finding that his administration had stagnated arms shipments to Israel before Congress passed the foreign aid budget, although it had established it. With anti-Israel campaigns tended to be at the centre of social life in the country, especially on college campuses, with the Genocide Joe slogan being a typical example. The Israel-Gaza conflict has taken on a significance role as regards the upcoming presidential vote, with anyone who supports either side instantly being written off as a fanatic. Bidens policies have drawn scorn from progressives and the left for his willingness to give succour to Israel, resulting in voters in critical battleground states like Michigan threatening to abstain in November or vote for someone else. ALSO READ| Israel-Hamas war: South Gaza hospitals have only three days' fuel left, says WHO The 46th US president nodded his head and said absolutely when asked if he heard the slogan of college protesters. Biden clarified, There's a legitimate right to free speech and protest. There's a legitimate right to do that. There's not a legitimate right to use hate speech. There's not a legitimate right to threaten Jewish students. There's not a legitimate right to block access to class. That's against the law. The suspect in the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley has now been indicted on charges for peeping at a University of Georgia staff member on the day he killed Riley. Jose Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan migrant who was living in the US illegally, faced 10 new charges on Tuesday, May 7, including malice murder and kidnapping with bodily injury in the death of Riley. Laken Riley murder suspect Jose Antonio Ibarra was spotted peeping through a University of Georgia staff member's window (GoFundMe, Jose Ibarra/Facebook) Ibarra was also indicted by the grand jury on counts of aggravated assault with intent to rape, aggravated battery, obstructing or hindering a person from making a 911 call, tampering with evidence and being a peeping tom, court documents obtained by Fox News revealed. Ibarra killed Riley on February 22 when she was out jogging on the University of Georgia campus in Athens. According to police, Rileys murder was a crime of opportunity. What is the new allegation against Jose Antonio Ibarra? Ibarra was allegedly spotted peeping through a window of an on-campus apartment, according to the indictment. He has been accused of spying upon a university staff member. The same day, he ended up brutally killing Riley. Ibarra reportedly lived in an apartment near the edge of campus, around the location where Riley was jogging. An amazing daughter, sister, friend Riley was a former nanny and had transferred from the University of Georgia to Augusta University School of Nursing in 2023. Her family remembered her as an amazing daughter. We wish to thank the public for their prayers and thoughts during this tragic time, the family said in a statement. Laken was an amazing daughter, sister, friend and overall person in general. Her love for the Lord was exemplified in every aspect of her life. She will be missed every day, but we promise to honor her life moving forward in a very big way, they added. May 8, 2024: China has developed an international network of spies, local agents, and operatives. The foreigners working for this network are often unaware that they are working for China. This is part of Chinas concealment of the extent of their operations. China also obtains the services of internet hacking groups through a third party to conceal the fact that data is being stolen for the Chinese. Despite years of successful efforts to conceal the extent of their espionage network, that anonymity has unraveled during the last year and the process continues despite Chinese efforts to delay, disrupt, or stop it. This result is that Chinese spies and espionage efforts are becoming known in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa and south, southeast, and east Asia. An increasing number of arrests have taken place and subsequently been publicized. Its not just the espionage that annoys foreigners but the covert meddling the Chinese were engaged in worldwide. China sought to influence foreign governments to cooperate with local Chinese goals without knowing, or revealing what was being covertly done to benefit China. Many of the operatives were nor local Chinese but ethnic locals covertly hired to support the local Chinese agenda. Many of the Chinese operatives convincingly presented themselves as anti-Chinese. This sort of deception was particularly useful when it came to sabotaging efforts by the major foreign intelligence and counterintelligence agencies of countries like the United States (FBI and CIA), Britain (SIS), Germany (BND), France (DGSE), and Turkey (MIT). In Europe, the 27 members of the EU (European Union) concentrate on economic matters but are now more aware of the efforts and impact of foreign intelligence agencies and operatives. This is particularly true with the Chinese, who have the second largest economy in the world and want to obtain, one way or another, more market share from the United States, which has the largest economy in the world. American economic efforts are worth about $29 trillion while the Chinese economy is valued at nearly $19 trillion. The global economy is worth $86 trillion with the Americans controlling 34 percent of it and China 22 percent. Government and corporate espionage are heavily involved with monitoring and sometimes disrupting foreign economies when it suits them. The countries with the largest economies, especially those in Europe and the Americas, also depend on non-government BI, or Business Intelligence. The Japanese pioneered the use of BI in the 1960s as they sought to establish foreign markets in the United States, Europe and, as the Chinese economy grew enormously from the 1980s to 2010, the Chinese commercial and consumer markets. BI played a major role in exposing and documenting Chinese efforts to gain large shares of foreign markets in Europe and the United States. With this evidence available American and European efforts to disrupt and eliminate illegal Chinese trading practices have become effective and the Chinese dont like it. With China on the defense, the Chinese have to use BI and other forms of espionage to get themselves out of that mess. The Chinese are patient and willing to wait a decade or more to do whatever it takes to recover their market share in western countries. European nations are now more aware of Chinese using BI as part of their economic trade practices. In the last few years European governments, as well as the Americans have come to realize the extent of the deceptive Chinese trade practices that brought great wealth to China without their foreign trading partners being aware of what was going on. Western BI efforts detected that something was up but not enough to act on. Chinese espionage was more effective at supporting Chinese economic efforts. Some European historians pointed out that, when Europeans began trading with China in the 1500s, the Europeans eventually realized that the Chinese were better at this trade business because they had an early version of BI while the Europeans were learning the hard way what they were up against. It took the Europeans several centuries to figure out how to deal with the Chinese trading practices and when the Americans came along in 1784, after the American Revolution, they started small but by 1844 had their first trade treaty with China and soon came to take a disproportionate share of foreign trade with China. That didnt last long because in the 1860s China entered a century long cycle of civil war and economic disruption. China suffered greatly, with over 30 million Chinese dying and the economy collapsing. It wasnt until the 1980s that China began to rebuild their economy and trade with foreigners. Western BI was primitive during that period and the Americans and Europeans could not come up with an effective way to make it better. As large as the Chinese market was, the western nations prospered during the 19th and 20th centuries as they traded with each other and jointly created the largest economies the world had ever seen. That lasted until the late 20th century when the Chinese economy began to make a comeback. The Chinese frequently used BI to maximize their internal and foreign trade. The trade advantages China gained began to weaken in the last few decades as corruption in China and more efficient trade practices developed outside of China, especially in South Korea and Japan. These two nations took more of the trade that had long gone to China. The Japanese made good use of the BI techniques they had pioneered. South Korea followed suit and also became a major exporter. Both Japan and South Korea joined the list of top exporters, with Japan at number five and South Korea at number six. China had surpassed the United States in exporting activity to take first place, with the Americans close behind. This development stirred more American firms to use BI to recover their export markets. That will take a while because the other major trading countries are also using BI. The Americans also began to crack down on Chinese espionage. In 2023 the United States revealed that two American sailors were arrested and charged with spying for China. Both men were ethnic Chinese who were born in China but grew up in the United States, and one had applied to become a naturalized citizen. Both men provided confidential, not highly classified information, including technical manuals used by sailors to do their jobs on various warships. The two sailors also provided details on planned deployments of some ships. The mother of one of the sailors encouraged her son to cooperate with Chinese intelligence because that might enable him to move back to China and get a better civilian job. That will have to wait until they are out of custody. Both men were jailed pending trial because both were considered a flight risk to China. Despite years of growing numbers of arrests and prosecutions of Americans accused of spying for China, the Chinese persist. While ethnic Chinese Americans are prime targets for Chinese recruiters of pies or informants, any foreigners with pro-Chinese attitudes are potential candidates for Chinese intelligence officers looking for potential recruits. A favorite tactic of Chinese intel officers is to arrange for a financial arrangement between Chinese organizations and people China considers potential candidates for Chinese intelligence sources. Much of this effort is concentrated in large English speaking nations like the United States and Britain that have many trading relationships with Chinese firms and institutions. Western universities and faculty were always a prime target because these institutions and their key staff are not seen as a major target for Chinese influence operations. China understands that the staff of universities in the West are recognized by locals as a source of expert opinion on many matters. These faculty members can also be influenced by gifts of cash. These are not called gifts or, more accurately, bribes. Rather the money is considered a grant to support further academic studies on one subject or another. China arranges large grants for such purposes. Government and popular opposition to these programs has not eliminated them, just forced China to change how it implements the program. While Western intelligence agencies remain alert and aware of this program, few others in government or academia seem to be concerned. After several years of indifference by university administrators towards requests to monitor and block Chinese influence efforts, governments are becoming more energetic and aggressive about this. This was a return to methods last employed over a decade ago. For example, in 2020 an American and two Chinese were indicted for secretly providing China with U.S. technology. The American was Charles Lieber, head of the Harvard Chemistry and Chemical Biology department. He was accused of secretly establishing a working relationship with a Chinese university at Wuhan. Lieber established research efforts at Harvard, recruiting top scientists to work on projects of interest to China and secretly passing research results to China. He also received millions of dollars from China to further this research. During the FBI investigation Lieber repeatedly lied about these activities, which did not prevent the FBI from eventually gathering all they needed to arrest Lieber and indict him. It is rare for China to convince a senior American academic, like Harvard department head Charles Lieber, to get involved in illegal research projects. Why Lieber got involved in such blatantly illegal activities was not disclosed and details probably wont emerge until his trial. Also indicted for Harvard related espionage was a Chinese citizen, Zheng Zaosong, who was studying at Harvard on a student visa and was accused of trying to smuggle 21 vials of biological material and research data back to China. The third defendant was Yanqing Yeh, a Chinese student at nearby Boston University. She was also an active duty lieutenant in the Chinese Army who was supervised by a colonel at a Chinese military academy that was working on new technology for the Chinese military. This school was on an American list of Chinese educational institutions that were banned from working with anyone in the United States. Yeh was also caught trying to smuggle research data back to China. Yeh had lied about her military status when she applied for a student visa, asserting that she had been discharged from the army and left out her connections with the banned (in the U.S.) Chinese military academy she was working for as an army officer. She was also accused of being an unregistered foreign agent. Among the items uncovered by the FBI was that Yeh had been assigned to investigate one American academic at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School who was researching computer security. Given how active China has been using hackers to steal valuable data from the United States, that particular assignment was ominous. Yeh had presented herself as a student but further investigation showed she was a very active Chinese spy. It is illegal for American academics and researchers to secretly work for Chinese government or commercial firms. These restrictions wont trigger similar measures for Americans in China because China has long assigned police and intel specialists to closely observe who visiting Americans visit. This surveillance often involves MSS (secret police) agents advising Chinese to refuse such meetings or only do it with an MSS agent present, usually pretending to be an employee of the firm. Meanwhile, China has been making the most of their access. One recent FBI investigation documented the use of the Chinese Confucius Institute's cultural centers at American universities and how these programs were actually part of a widespread intelligence operation that employed visa fraud for Chinese visiting scholars who were actually MSS operatives. This program recruited Chinese-born businessmen, academics, and others, often naturalized American citizens, to participate in IP (Intellectual property) theft. Further encouragement was that some of these operatives could sometimes profit from it personally. Not all these recruits knew they were participating in espionage but the Chinese could effectively pressure their citizens to cooperate. Worse, the FBI discovered that many of the Chinese in the U.S. on J-1 visas (for visiting scholars) spent most of their time on espionage and a bare minimum on actual research. As successful as this espionage effort was, most of the Chinese Americans approached by recruiters were not interested and politely declined. More importantly, many of them quietly reported their encounters to the FBI or to friends they knew could do it for them. The Chinese knew these alerts to the FBI posed a risk but considered it an acceptable risk given the amount of intellectual property that was being stolen and put to work back in China. The same thing happens when China seeks to recruit informants or spies in the American armed forces. The United States has been prosecuting and convicting a growing number of Chinese-born men (and a few women) conspiring to commit or actually carrying out economic espionage in the United States. Some of these suspects are naturalized American citizens but a growing number are Chinese citizens here on legitimate visas. As more suspects were identified, patterns began to appear which revealed the inner workings of known Chinese intellectual property espionage efforts. It was known that China had a state-sponsored program to make it easy for foreign-educated Chinese to return home and apply what they had learned in the West to start their own companies. China offered billions of dollars in venture capital for this program. This made it easier for Chinese moving back to China from the West to establish their own companies using what they learned in the West. This program helped create thousands of new firms. Many of these firms were using stolen trade secrets and patents that were being laundered. That is, changed sufficiently to make it difficult for the owners of the stolen intellectual property to easily prove theft. The FBI and CIA again noted several interesting patterns. While many of the returning Chinese students were operating legally, a large number of those new Chinese firms were operating illegally by depending on stolen IP or Intellectual Property. There were other patterns as well. A lot of the stolen tech seemed to involve Chinese and Americans associated with various Chinese efforts that helped returning Chinese to profit from what they had learned in the West. These programs involved establishing hundreds of Confucius Institutes associated with Western universities, including a hundred in the United States. Plus the aggressive recruiting of Chinese and non-Chinese academics willing to help China perpetrate the largest IP theft in history. Participating in this program has become riskier. The growing number of convictions are for conspiring to steal or actually stealing trade secrets. Many of the technologies involved are dual-use; for commercial and military applications. Many of these investigations began when American companies provided the FBI with documentation showing how the Chinese obtained and applied the trade secrets. What the American firms usually lack is information about who was getting the information, often including detailed manufacturing techniques, to the Chinese. The U.S. is not the only victim here. Many other Western nations are experiencing the same losses. Even Chinese neighbor and ally Russia has suffered heavy losses due to this Chinese economic espionage. There have been a lot more court cases about this because Chinese firms have become bolder in how they exploit stolen software, trade secrets and other technology. In the past, the Chinese were careful in the use of stolen tech when exporting their own military equipment copied from Russian designs. The Chinese had started doing this during the Cold War, which sometimes got fairly hot (there were some deadly border skirmishes in the 1970s) because China and Russia developed some territorial and ideological disputes that did not settle down until the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. The Russians are still angry about the continued Chinese theft of their tech, and growing Russian threats over this caused the Chinese to sign agreements in the last decade that declared Chinese firms would stop stealing and reselling Russian tech. In practice, this only slowed the Chinese down, but it placated the Russians for a while. Currently, the Americans are starting to sound like the Russians in the 1990s, but the Americans have more legal and economic clout to deploy and this situation is liable to get ugly before (if ever) it gets better. By 2012 most American officials had come to openly admit that a whole lot of American military and commercial technical data has been stolen via Chinese internet (and more conventional) espionage efforts. Details of exactly all the evidence of this is unclear, but apparently, it was pretty convincing for many American politicians and senior officials who had previously been skeptical. The Chinese efforts have resulted in most major American weapons systems having tech details obtained by the Chinese, in addition to a lot of non-defense or dual-use technology. Its not just the United States that is being hit but most nations with anything worth stealing. Many of these nations are noticing that China is the source of most of this espionage and few are content to remain silent any longer. Its no secret that Chinese intelligence collecting efforts since the late 1990s have been spectacularly successful. As the rest of the world comes to realize the extent of this success, there is a growing desire for retaliation. What form that payback takes remains to be seen. Collecting information, both military and commercial, often means breaking laws and striking or hacking back at the suspected attackers will involve even more felonies. China has broken a lot of laws. Technically, China has committed acts of war because of the degree to which it penetrated military networks and carried away copies of highly secret material. The U.S. and many other victims have been warning China there will be consequences. As the extent of Chinese espionage becomes known and understood, the call for consequences becomes louder. China tries hard to conceal its espionage efforts. Not just denying anything and everything connected to hacking and conventional spying but also taking precautions. But as their success continued year after year, some of the Chinese hackers became cocky and sloppy. At the same time, the victims became more adept at detecting Chinese efforts and tracing them back to specific Chinese government organizations or non-government hackers inside China. Undeterred, China has sought to keep its espionage effort going and has even expanded operations. For example, starting in 2008 China opened National Intelligence Colleges in many major universities. In effect, each of these is an Espionage Department where, each year, several hundred carefully selected applicants are accepted in each school, to be trained as spies and intelligence operatives. China has found that espionage is an enormously profitable way to obtain military and commercial secrets and now China trains and rewards those who have a talent for such things and make a career of it. The Internet-based operations, however, are only one part of Chinas espionage efforts. While Chinese Cyber War operations in this area get a lot of publicity, the more conventional spying brings in a lot of stuff that is not reachable on the Internet. One indicator of this effort is the fact that American counter-intelligence efforts are snagging more Chinese spies. This is partly due to increased spying efforts by China, which puts more of their people out there to get caught, as well as more success by the FBI and CIA. All this espionage, in all its forms, has played a large part in turning China into one of the mightiest industrial and military powers on the planet. China is having a hard time hiding the source of the new technologies they are incorporating into their weapons and commercial products. Many of the victims initially had a hard time accepting the fact that the oh-so-eager (to export) Chinese were robbing their best customers of intellectual property on a grand scale. Now Western firms are a lot more wary about dealing with the Chinese. China has been getting away with something the Soviet Union never accomplished, stealing Western technology, and then using it to move ahead of the West. The Soviets lacked the many essential supporting industries found in the West. These firms were largely founded and run by entrepreneurs, which was illegal in the Soviet Union. Because of that, the Russians were never able to acquire all the many pieces needed to match Western technical accomplishments. Soviet copies of American computers, for example, were crude, less reliable, and less powerful. It was the same situation with their jet fighters, tanks, and warships. China got around this by making it seemingly profitable for Western firms to set up factories in China, where Chinese managers and workers were taught how to make things right. At the same time, China allows thousands of their best students to go to the United States to study. While many of these students will stay in America, where there are better jobs and more opportunities, a growing number are coming back to China and bringing American business and technical skills with them. Finally, China energetically uses the "thousand grains of sand" approach to espionage. This involves China trying to get all Chinese going overseas, and those of Chinese ancestry living outside the motherland, to spy for China, if only a tiny bit. This approach to espionage is nothing new. Other nations have used similar systems for centuries. What is unusual is the scale of the Chinese effort, and that makes a difference. Supporting it all is a Chinese intelligence bureaucracy back home that is huge, with nearly 100,000 people working just to keep track of the many Chinese overseas and what they could, or should, be trying to grab for the motherland. This is where many of the graduates of the National Intelligence College program will work. It begins when Chinese intelligence officials examine who is going overseas and for what purpose. Chinese citizens cannot leave the country legally without state security organizations being notified. The intel people are not being asked to give permission. They are being alerted in case they want to have a talk with students, tourists, or businesspeople before leaving the country. Interviews are often held when these people come back as well. Those who might be coming in contact with useful information are asked to remember what they saw or bring back souvenirs, legal or otherwise. There are over a million Chinese students attending foreign universities. Even more Chinese go abroad as tourists or on business. Most of these people were not asked to actually act as spies but simply to share, with Chinese government officials, who are not always identified as intelligence personnel, whatever information they obtained. The more ambitious of these people are getting caught and prosecuted. But the majority are quite casual and individually bring back relatively little and are almost impossible to catch, much less prosecute. Like the Russians, the Chinese are also employing the traditional methods, using people with diplomatic immunity to recruit spies, and offering cash, or whatever, to get people to sell them information. This is still effective and when combined with the "thousand grains of sand" method brings in a lot of secrets. Not getting caught is becoming more important because that can lead to increasingly dangerous diplomatic and legal problems. When the Chinese steal some technology and produce something that the Western victims can prove was stolen via patents and prior use of the technology, legal action can make it impossible, or very difficult, to sell anything using the stolen tech outside of China. For that reason, the Chinese long preferred stealing military technology and tried to avoid using stolen commercial tech in a way that made it easy to determine the source of stolen data. This meant keeping stolen commercial tech inside China. And in some cases, like manufacturing technology, there's an advantage to not selling it outside of China. Because China is still a communist dictatorship, the courts do as they are told, and they are rarely told to honor foreign patent claims when stolen tech is discovered in China by its foreign owners. Increasingly, Chinese firms are boldly using their stolen technology, daring foreign firms to try and use Chinese courts to get justice. Instead, the foreign firms are trying to muster support from their governments for lawsuits outside China. Naturally, the Chinese government will howl and insist that its all a plot to oppress China. This has worked for a long time, but many of the victims are now telling China that this conflict is being taken to a new, and more dangerous, level. Amidst the ongoing hush money trial, Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted MSNBC host Lawrence ODonnell after he attended former president's first criminal trial at a New York City courthouse. Following Trump's Truth Social post, Lawrence ODonnell attempted to mock Trump with mention of Stormy Daniels on live TV by comparing her to a modest nun.(X) Taking to his social media platform Truth Social, Trump called the MSNBC host "a real loser", who looks like "a shit". I spotted Ratings Challenged Lawrence ODonnell, of MSDNC, in the Courthouse today. I havent seen him in years, He looks like shit, a real loser, Trump wrote. In another X post, Trump called out NBC FAKE NEWS, which he dubbed as one of the worst in the business!!! On Tuesday, adult film star Stormy Daniels testified in the hush money case against Trump and provided details about their alleged 2006 sexual encounter at Lake Tahoe hotel in US, and the payment she received to keep the former president's extra marital affair secret. While Trump refuses Daniels' allegations, his attorneys unsuccessfully petitioned for a mistrial during her testimony. Meanwhile, prosecutors claimed Trump paid hush money to the adult star to stay quiet while running for president in 2016. Also Read: Donald Trump seen cursing audibly and shaking his head during Stormy Daniels' explicit testimony Lawrence ODonnell claps back at Trump Following Trump's Truth Social post, Lawrence ODonnell attempted to mock Trump with mention of Stormy Daniels on live TV by comparing her to a modest nun. During his show, The Last Word With Lawrence ODonnell Highlights, the MSNBC host emphasised on the presence of Trump and Daniels in the courtroom and also described her Tuesday testimony. Well the excitement and anticipation in the room hit a new high . she entered wearing all black as if on her way to a funeral the loose fitting plain black clothing draping from her shoulders to her toes suggested the modesty of a nun," he said while referring to Daniels. He further said Daniels makeup was minimal just like the other moms in her neighborhood might look when shopping at the local grocery store. The long blonde hair held up with a clip at the back of her head the way it might be in a utilitarian way while she was doing dishes or checking one of the Horseshoes on her horse. She later spoke of so proudly when she walked by him her face had the same expressionless somber look that all the jurors always have when they walk by him looking at the floor she didn't look at him, he added. Lawrence ODonnell comes under fire over bizarre monologue on Daniels Lawrence ODonnell faced backlash on social media over his remarks during the show. Colling Rugg, Co-Owner of Trending Politics, wrote on X, "I would like to know the IQ of the average MSNBC viewer." "What is going on here! The mainstream media won't show you this," another X user reacted. "The mainstream media is quite literally showing us this," Rugg replied. Lawrence ODonnell gave a bizarre monologue on Stormy Daniels court appearance, one more reacted. Trump has been persistently attacking NBC and its sister network for months. He even proposed the network be investigated by the federal government for "treason." Trump is now on trial in New York, facing 34 counts of falsifying business documents to conceal a hush money payment made to Daniels. Faculty members of New School erected a solidarity encampment at the Manhattan campus on Wednesday, May 8, making it the US' first staff-led anti-Israel protest. Faculty members set up about a dozen tents at the colleges University Center. They have now joined their students demand that the school divest from 13 companies said to be aiding Israels offensive in Gaza. US' first staff-led anti-Israel protest kicks off at Manhattan's New School (Photographer: Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg - representational image)(Bloomberg) The protestors have also demanded that NYPDs presence on campus come to an end. They have called for disciplinary charges against students to be dropped. A representative who is organising the new encampment said in a statement recently released by New Schools Students for Justice in Palestine said, according to New York Post, The movement started by our brave students must continue, and it is incumbent upon us as faculty to heed their calls, and help finish what they started. The encampment has been named the Refaat Alareer Faculty Solidarity Encampment, honouring a writer and professor killed in December in an Israeli airstrike. Previously, over 40 students from the university were arrested by the NYPD while cops cleared out their anti-Israel encampment, the New School Free Press said. From the brazen lies spouted by administration The outlet said, The 45 student demonstrators arrested at The New Schools Gaza Solidarity Encampment and released from One Police Plaza last Friday have been charged with criminal trespassing in the third degree, adding that as many as 37 New School students were also issued interim suspensions. For international students, while interim suspensions will not immediately impact their visa status, criminal charges and the outcome of student conduct investigations, if pursued by the university, could pose a threat to their student visas, the outlet added. An unarmed faculty members said, From the brazen lies spouted by administration in the face of violent NYPD repression to the suspension of students and tactics used to prevent students from accessing their essential needs after arrests, it is clear the President, Board members and Administration have no interest in protecting students or listening to their demands, only in protecting themselves and their own profits. The Students for Justice in Palestine said in a statement that University Interim President Donna Shalala has asserted a false and misleading narrative to justify the deployment of NYPD riot police against her students as they slept. They called for a general strike to stop school operations. The strike demands that all students, faculty and staff stop participating in labour for the New School, be it paid or unpaid. The organisation said that faculty have been asked to not submit final grades. Additionally, faculty members who are protesting have demanded that universities and municipalities across America drop charges against all the student protesters who have been arrested. This is the first faculty-led encampment in the US, they said. We hope it will not be the last. We thank our students for showing us the way; for being our teachers. Pfizer Inc. has agreed to settle more than 10,000 cases accusing it of hiding the cancer risks of its Zantac heartburn drug, according to people familiar with the deal, the biggest of the litigation. Pfizer shares were up 1.5% to $28.19 at 11:55 a.m. in New York.(REUTERS) The agreements cover cases in state courts across the US but dont completely resolve the companys exposure to Zantac claims, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to discuss the settlement publicly. Financial details of the accords werent immediately available. The deal is likely to reassure investors, who have seen other Zantac makers, including GSK Plc and Sanofi, sign settlements. Concerns about the drugmakers exposure to Zantac suits helped wipe out about $45 billion in combined market value in the summer of 2022. The shares have since recovered and have risen on news of the earlier deals. Pfizer shares were up 1.5% to $28.19 at 11:55 a.m. in New York. Pfizer has explored and will continue to explore opportunistic settlements of certain cases if appropriate, and has settled certain cases, the New York-based company said in an emailed statement. The company has not sold a Zantac product in more than 15 years and did so only for a limited period of time. Settling and Fighting Bloomberg News reported last month that Sanofi agreed to pay more than $100 million to resolve about 4,000 Zantac cases. Zantac has been owned by different drugmakers in its more than 30-year run as one of the most popular antacids in the US. The settlements come as GSK defends itself in its first US jury trial over claims it knew Zantac posed a serious risk. In opening statements May 2 in Chicago, a lawyer for the plaintiff blamed corporate greed for his clients colorectal cancer, while an attorney for GSK told the jurors no scientific studies have linked Zantac to the disease, which affects millions of Americans every year. GSK has also settled some Zantac cases before they could go to trial. News of the Pfizer settlement surfaced in a filing in state court in Delaware tied to the Chicago trial. More than 70,000 Zantac suits have been filed in Delaware, where a judge is mulling whether scientific evidence underlying those cases is sufficiently robust to allow them to go to trial. Telltale Filing Zantac plaintiffs lawyers filed an April 29 notice that the Chicago judge had reviewed the underlying science and cleared the case for trial. They noted that the order applied only to GSK and Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, which also made Zantac at one point, because Pfizer had already settled. Zantac, developed by GSK and Warner-Lambert, hit the US market as a prescription drug in 1983 before becoming an over-the-counter heartburn treatment in 1996. Sanofi, which acquired it in 2017, recalled it in 2019, about a month after an independent lab released tests showing the likely carcinogen NDMA in the drug and its generics. The labs research indicated the drugs active ingredient, ranitidine, formed NDMA over time or at higher temperatures. The US Food and Drug Administration confirmed the findings in 2020 and ordered drugmakers to take all versions of the medicine off the market. Sanofi has since returned Zantac to store shelves but without ranitidine. It is now made with famotidine, the active ingredient in competitor Pepcid. The companies got a big win in 2022 when a federal judge threw out more than 5,000 suits in Florida, saying the science behind the cancer claims was flawed. That decision also applied to about 50,000 unfiled cases covered by a multi-district litigation, according to court filings. Many of those cases later were filed in Delaware. The campaign for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an independent presidential hopeful in the US, has confirmed his full recovery from a brain worm that he contracted over a decade ago. Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speak at a press conference in the Brooklyn borough of New York, on May 1, 2024. (Photo by Kena Betancur / AFP)(AFP) This confirmation came in response to a New York Times article discussing his past health condition. The Times referenced a deposition from 12 years prior, in which Kennedy was quoted saying a physician had informed him that his brain scan showed an abnormality that was caused by a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died. In a statement to Reuters, Stefanie Spear, a spokeswoman for Kennedy, explained that RFK Jr. traveled extensively in Africa, South America, and Asia in his work as an environmental advocate, and in one of those locations contracted a parasite. She said, The issue was resolved more than 10 years ago, and he is in robust physical and mental health. Now, from Late Night hosts to Congressmen to netizens are quipping and churning memes over Kennedy's brain-worm story. ALSO READ| Kevin Spacey endorses loyal friend RFK Jr. amid fresh set of allegations in new docuseries JFK's grandson mocks RFK Jr. Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of late former President Kennedy and cousin of RFK Jr. mocked the presidential hopeful, quipping, A lot of people, a lot of people talking about Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Robert F. Kennedy Jr. You know, Im a fan of his father. And you know his uncle? Rest in peace. I remember where I was the day he was killed; I mean, it was a tragic day, the entire country wept. But listen, that guy, hes a prick. The new guy, the young guy, hes a friggin prick. Late Night quips RFK Jr.'s worm in brain The Late Night host, Stephen Colbert mocked RFK Jr., saying, I just want to say to any R.F.K. Jr. fans who might be watching, do not despair. Just because he has sworn in a deposition that he has parasitic brain damage doesnt mean hes going to drop out, because Bobby Kennedy Jr. does not know the meaning of the word quit cause that information was in the part of the brain that the worm ate, and added, This explains everything, and nothing. His familys like, It is true, but it still doesnt explain why hes like that, another Late Night host Jimmy Fallon quipped. ALSO READ| Trump fumes over media coverage of RFK Jr ahead of US elections, calls him dumbest member of Kennedy clan And this is strange: Instead of using dewormer, he injected himself with a Covid vaccine. Apparently, the worm was giving him all his ideas, like in Ratatouille, he went on. Late Night host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel joined the choir saying, For a guy who seems to believe doctors are con artists trying to scam you into getting a vaccine, he sure did get to one fast when a worm started eating his brain. The inside of his head is basically the movie Dune, but you should definitely vote for him. Netizens are also not left far behind Social dwellers took no time to chur memes and mock RFK Jr.'s brain worm story. So a brain eating worm starved to death in RFK Juniors skull? I knew something was wrong with this fool, one X user wrote. Another piped in, Its an old pic and he shaved the stache, but this is actually RFK Junior and his worm. Doctors found a dead worm in RFK Junior's brain in 2010...this explains a lot! That's about the year he began to go absolutely bonkers with conspiracy theories. And maybe why he continues to be crazy and why nobody in his family wants anything to do with his campaign, one mocked. 'Wait, it was RFK JUNIOR'S brain? Dammit!', another wrote chimed in. Moscow, The US has not yet provided any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the murder plot of a Khalistani terrorist in that country, Russia has said, as it accused Washington of meddling in India's domestic affairs and the ongoing elections. Russia accuses US of meddling in India's internal affairs In November last year, US federal prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta with working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Pannun, wanted in India on terror charges, holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada. He has been designated as a terrorist by the Union Home Ministry under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities Act. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, when asked to respond to a report by the Washington Post claiming that India is trying to adopt the policies as Russia and Saudi Arabia, said: "According to the information we have, Washington has not yet provided any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the preparation of the murder of a certain GS Pannun. Speculation on this topic in the absence of evidence is unacceptable." Washington lacks understanding of India's national mentality and history and continues to make "unfounded accusations" about religious freedoms in India, she said. "Regular unfounded accusations by the United States against New Delhi ...we see that they groundlessly accuse not only India but also many other states...of violating religious freedoms are a reflection of the United States' misunderstanding of the national mentality, the historical context of the development of the Indian state and disrespect for India as a state," she said. Describing the interference as a colonial period mentality, the Russian spokesperson accused the White House of complicating the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The reason is that they try to unbalance the internal political situation in India in order to complicate the general parliamentary elections. That is part of meddling into Indias internal affairs, RT news quoted her as saying. "The Washington Post, it seems to me, should use the term "repressive regime" and everything you quoted in relation to Washington. It is difficult to imagine a more repressive regime than Washington, both in domestic and international affairs," she said. The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, named a Research and Analysis Wing officer in connection with the alleged plot to kill Pannun on American soil last year. India has strongly rejected the claims, saying that the report made "unwarranted and unsubstantiated" imputations on a serious matter and that an investigation into the case was underway. "The report in question makes unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in New Delhi. Jaiswal said a high-level inquiry committee set up by New Delhi to look into inputs provided by the US on the alleged plot was still probing the case. "There is an ongoing investigation of the high-level committee set up by the Government of India to look into the security concerns shared by the US government on networks of organised criminals, terrorists and others," he said. "Speculative and irresponsible comments on it are not helpful," Jaiswal added. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham warned Pentagon against halting arms supply to Israel during its war against Hamas, stating that it was similar to "Hiroshima and Nagasaki on steroids." If the US cease using weapons to kill Israel's enemies at a critical time, Lindsey Graham said: "We will pay a price".(AFP File Photo) If the US cease using weapons to kill Israel's enemies at a critical time, Graham said: "We will pay a price". "This is obscene. It is absurd. Give Israel what they need to fight the war they cant afford to lose, the Senator added. Graham's remarks came after State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller hinted that the US may delay further weapons supply to Israel Stressing that US is "committed to Israel's security", Miller said it is deeply concerned about the ground battle in Rafah and the fate of civilians residing there. Miller argued that Israel has not given a feasible strategy to resolve these challenges. While Washington has halted one shipment and is examining others, the spokesperson asserted that its staunch support to Israel remains unchanged. Meanwhile, in a post on X, Graham shared a video of US President Joe Biden, in which he can be heard admitting that Washington halting weapons shipment to Israel is music to the ears of Iranian Ayatollah. "The only reason they arent dancing in Iran is because they dont believe in dancing," he wrote. In another tweet, the South Carolina Senator went on to say that ceasing weapons and ammunition shipment to Israel is "a low point in an administration where there is no bottom. Also Read: Israel reacts to Joe Biden's threat to stop arms for Rafah offensive Llyod Auston testifies at Senate Appropriations Committee On Wednesday, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin appeared before the a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing regarding the Defence Department's fiscal 2025 budget request. He spoke about Biden administration's decision to stall delivery of munitions to Israel to defend itself in context to Netanyahu government's plans to launch an offensive in Rafah. He stressed that US opposes any Israeli ground offensive in Rafah. He clarified that the move to halt arms sales has no links to recently passed foreign aid law, which contains billions of dollars in military funding to Israel. "We've been very clear...from the very beginning that Israel shouldn't launch a major attack into the Rafah without accounting for and protecting the civilians that are in that battlespace. And again, as we have assessed the situation, we have paused one shipment of high payload munitions," he stated. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) voiced his concerns about the potential imposition of Sharia law on American society during a speech on the US House floor. He highlighted broader worries about border security and foreign aid, linking them to his apprehensions about Sharia law. WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 8: Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) speaks during a news conference on the steps of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on May 8, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images via AFP) "I've got some pretty strong concerns about Sharia law," Roy expressed, emphasizing his fears about its imposition on the American people. He drew parallels to what he described as a "massive Muslim takeover of the United Kingdom" and criticized individuals who celebrated Israel's adversaries, particularly referencing Mothin Ali, a newly elected council member in Leeds, England. Roy's comments echoed his recent post on social media platform X, where he reacted to a video showing Ali celebrating his victory amid chants of "Allahu Akbar" and expressing solidarity with Gaza. Roy's response to the video was succinct: Coming to America. Who is Rep. Chip Roy? An outspoken anti-Palestine critic He has been an outspoken critic of recent campus protests, particularly those perceived to fuel antisemitism. He criticized a recent House bill for not adequately addressing the issue, advocating for measures to defund institutions fostering what he deemed "despicable behavior." "It is not good enough to merely ask the Department of Education to consider a definition of anti-Semitism in discrimination investigations," Roy asserted. "We should cut off taxpayer funding to the supposedly 'elite' institutions that are poisoning the minds of our children." In his Tuesday speech, Roy also turned his attention to immigration, advocating for stricter border controls. He raised concerns about the sizeable foreign-born population in the United States, suggesting it posed a threat to "Western values." "We have 51.5 million people who are foreign-born in the United States," Roy noted. "They have about 20 to 25 million kids. That puts that well over 20-something percent of our population. People say, 'Well, isn't that great?' Is it?" Roy's remarks have stirred debate, with some applauding his outspokenness on issues of national security and immigration, while others criticize what they perceive as xenophobia and Islamophobia. As the conversation continues, Roy remains a polarizing figure in Congress, advocating for what he sees as vital safeguards for American values and security. Despite his ongoing legal woes, Donald Trump is not shying away from social media rants. As Stormy Daniels gives her very explicit bombshell testimony in the hush money trial, Trump is directing his focus to Joe Biden. Taking to his social media platform, Truth Social, the former US president said that Biden is leading the world straight into World War III. Trump's scathing remarks come amid Biden's declaration that the US will not be providing weapons to Israel for attacking Rafah, Hamas' last major stronghold in Gaza. Donald Trump slammed Joe Biden in a scathing Truth Social rant, for not supplying weapons to Israel for an attack on Rafah(AP) Trump slams Biden for not supporting Israel's attack on Rafah In criticism of Biden's stance on Israel attacking Rafah, Trump wrote, Crooked Joe Biden, whether he knows it or not, just said he will withhold weapons from Israel as they fight to eradicate Hamas Terrorists in Gaza. Hamas murdered thousands of innocent civilians, including babies, and are still holding Americans hostage, if the hostages are still alive, per Mirror. Trump continued, Yet Crooked Joe is taking the side of these terrorists, just like he has sided with the Radical Mobs taking over our college campuses, because his donors are funding them. Biden is weak, corrupt, and leading the world straight into World War III, adding, Remember - this war in Israel, just like the war in Ukraine, would have NEVER started if I was in the White House. But very soon, we will be back, and once again demanding PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH! Biden made his viewpoints clear in an interview with CNN on Wednesday, where he reflected on his decision last week to pause a shipment of heavy bombs to Israel. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centres, he told the outlet, adding, "If they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, that deal with that problem. After the mysterious deaths of two Boeing whistleblowers shocked the world, a former quality inspector at the aerospace firm bravely came out in public, claiming that he forced to hide defects on 737 fuselages. Santiago Paredes, also nicknamed as "showstopper", worked for Spirit AeroSystems in Kansas.(AP ) This revelation came after John Barnett reportedly died by suicide few days after testifying against Boeing, while Joshua Dean was declared dead due to a sudden illness. In April 2023, he was fired from Spirit AeroSystems and later claimed that if you are too loud, [Boeing] will silence you. Santiago Paredes, also nicknamed as "showstopper", worked for Spirit AeroSystems in Kansas. In an interview with CBS News, he alleged that plane bodies manufactured by its largest supplier usually left the factory with serious defects. If quality mattered, I would still be at Spirit. It was very rare for us to look at a job and not find any defects, he asserted. He even discovered an issue with an aircraft door panel that mirrored one that flew off on an Alaska Airlines trip in January. Why did that happen? Paredes remarked, adding that Spirit ignored a fault due to the strain that the employers put on the inspectors. He claimed that he was named as the 'Showstopper' because he kept pointing out flaws that caused delays in delivery, and he was continuously asked to keep his reports to a minimum. They always said they didnt have time to fix the mistakes. And they needed to get the planes out. Paredes further claimed that the firm's culture was not good. Also Read: Boeing faces new FAA probe over 787 Dreamliners skipped test Why was Santiago Paredes fired? Back in 2022, Paredes stated his employers pushed him to speed up his inspections by being less explicit about the flaws he was discovering with the fuselage. He said that he responded to them via email, calling their suggestion "unethical". According to the whistleblower, he was put in a place where he was supposed to get fired for refusing their suggestion. Following his mail, Paredes was ousted from his leadership position. However, they had to reinstate him after he approached the HR. Unfortunately, he has to resign in the summer of 2022 due to subsequent pressure. Paredes claimed Boeing was aware about the fact that Spirit, which is not linked with Spirit Airlines, was providing defective fuselages. Paredes grew fear of flying while working at Spirit. Knowing what I know about the 737, it makes me very uncomfortable when I fly on one of them. Identified as "Former Employee 1" in a shareholder lawsuit against Spirit, Paredes claimed the firm had "widespread quality failures" that their client, Boeing, was aware of. Spirit, Boeing issue statement Meanwhile, Spirit spokesperson Joe Buccino stated that, while they are dedicated to resolving employees' issues, Paredes' claims were "unfounded." We remain committed to addressing concerns and continuously improving workplace safety standards." Speaking to CBS News, a Boeing representative said that the company has a team that to find and fix flaws in fuselages made by Spirit AeroSystems. The spokesperson further said engineers examine each fuselage. DESPITE WESTERN sanctions, Russias arms industry is booming. Its production of crucial weapons for its war effort in Ukraine has dramatically increased since the start of the fighting. By the start of this year the monthly capacity for long-range missiles, for example, was thought to have more than doubled. The growth is made possible by new international suppliers, who provide parts, electronics and tools. Piecing together this supply chain is difficult; the goods are often traded via a complex network of shell companies. But a study of trade data by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a think-tank in Washington, DC, suggests that many of the imports lead back to one country (see charts 1 and 2). Read more of our recent coverage of the Ukraine war Firms in China have provided Russia with semiconductors that are crucial for making various weapon systems. They have also provided navigation equipment, parts for jets, and more generic products such as ball bearings, used in artillery pieces and other equipment. Transaction records suggest that Russias imports of precision manufacturing equipment used for critical hardware (known as computer numerically controlledor CNCtools) largely come from China, too (see chart 3). Between March and July of last year, there were more than 10,000 transactions a month from China to Russia involving these tools. Each record could contain multiple goods, so the actual number of machines provided is likely to be much higher. The charts suggest that Russias imports of such goods began to rise after President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation in September 2022. But the surge in deliveries from China came in March 2023, when Xi Jinping, the countrys leader, met Mr Putin in Moscow. China has maintained that it is neutral in the war, and does not provide weapons. But the export of these smaller items confirms that it is contributing much else to the Kremlins war machine. Antony Blinken, Americas secretary of state, has already rebuked China for being the primary contributor to Russias defence industrial base. Trade with China is not the only problem for Western countries trying to hobble Russias defence industry. Despite extensive export controls, Russia still received many Western-made components in 2023. Goods from France, Germany and Japan, for example, made their way to Russia through third countries, such as Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, which have not signed up to Western sanctions. A study by the Royal United Services Institute think-tank published in December found that Compel JSC, one of Russias leading microelectronics distributors, had imported huge volumes of Western microelectronics through not just Hong Kong, but also Germany. Enforcing stricter rules is not easy. For one thing, Russia is increasingly using lower-grade equipment, partly because it has depleted stocks of more advanced systems. This means that Russian arms manufacturers are seeking technology that is also used for civilian purposes, the flow of which is harder to restrict in international supply chains. Another complication is that Ukraine also depends partly on Chinese manufacturers for some machine parts (though these shipments are much smaller than those China supplies to Russia). Anyone designing and enforcing Western sanctions has to consider whether imposing further restrictions on some Chinese firms may also impede Ukraines military procurement. For now, Russias production boom looks set to continue. Its defence spending is expected to reach $115bn in 2024, an increase of 68% from 2023. Still, even with help from China and others, Russia cannot keep up the push indefinitely. The explosive material needed to make artillery rockets and other munitions is in short supply. In some areas, Soviet-era stocks that the Russians have been refurbishing will run out within the next couple of years. In the meantime, Western countries can put their efforts into closing the loopholes in current sanctionsand boosting their own production capacity to help Ukraine. 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com May 8, 2024: As the war in Ukraine grinds on, mounting Russian losses and the fact that Russia invaded a neighbor has angered a growing number of Russians. The government has declared such objections illegal in Russia because operations in Ukraine are considered an internal matter. Russia does not recognize Ukraine as an independent state but a part of Russia that is being manipulated by NATO countries. This is absurd to Ukrainians and thats one of the many reasons why Ukraine wants nothing to do with Russia. NATO countries support Ukraine in that effort. Russia went to war with Ukraine in an expensive and so far, futile effort to settle the issue in Russias favor. More than two years of fighting have left more than a million people dead or injured, and both the Russian and Ukrainian economies badly damaged. Inside Russia at least 20,000 Russians have been prosecuted and imprisoned for protesting or openly opposing the war. Most of the arrests took place during the first year of the war. There was a similar pattern of anti-war activity and arrests in 2014 when Russia seized Crimea and parts of two east Ukrainian provinces. In 2014 the Ukrainian quickly gathered what armed forces they could to block additional Russian advances into Ukrainian territory. The Russians returned in 2022 with an invasion meant to overrun all of Ukraine. That was halted and the Russian government insists it will not stop fighting until Ukraine is defeated and reabsorbed into Russia. Ukrainian neighbors Poland and the three Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia) are, according to Russia, the next targets. Attacking these countries would be a lot more difficult because these nations are members of NATO and have been increasing and upgrading their military forces. Russia seems unconcerned that the attack on one NATO member is considered an attack on all 32 countries belonging to NATO. All but the United States and Canada are in Europe and all NATO countries have been supplying the Ukrainians with military and non-military aid. Poland has spent over $20 billion on new weapons and will soon have the largest force of modern tanks in Europe. Poland purchased the K2 tanks from South Korea along with hundreds of other armored vehicles, artillery, air defense and support equipment. Some equipment was purchased from the Americans, but the South Koreans have become a major manufacturer and exporter of modern weapons. Poland is now their biggest customer. Russian civilians seem to pay more attention to the arms buildup in Poland than the Russian government. Russian leader Vladimir Putin dismisses the Polish military as insignificant. Historically, the Russian military has conquered Poland, or portions of Poland, many times. This time around Poland is better armed and more determined to resist Russian aggression than at any time in the past. Plus it is a member of NATO, which includes neighboring Germany and Denmark, as well as the Baltic States and on the other side of the Baltic Sea NATO members Sweden and Finland. Unlike World War II, when Poland was invaded by Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia, Poland is not alone this time but Russia is. Poland has the 31 other NATO members as allies. Putin dismisses the array of forces it faces as unlikely to fight or remain united. While that is the official attitude of the Russian government, most Russians did the math and realized Russia was greatly outnumbered by countries that had previously been attacked by Russian forces. During World War II Russia had allies like the United States, Britain, and many other European nations. Now Russia is alone and, while Vladimir Putin remains defiant, most other Russians are not willing to support a war against NATO any more than they support the war in Ukraine. Putins reaction is to remain defiant, no matter how many Russians will die. Arresting, prosecuting and jailing Russians who openly oppose Putin is a sign of weakness, not strength for Putin and his war effort in Ukraine. The number of vacant houses in Japan has climbed to nine million, that's more than the number of persons residing in the New York City. Experts say that Japan's declining population is the cause of this significant rise in houses without people. 14% of all residential properties in Japan are vacant, as per the figures compiled by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, reported CNN. The number of vacant houses in Japan has climbed to nine million, more than the number of persons residing in the New York City. (Getty Images) Such abandoned houses are known as "Akiya," and were known to be found in rural areas of Japan. But now such houses can be found in big Japanese cities like Tokyo and Kyoto. This is a symptom of Japans population decline. Its not really a problem of building too many houses but a problem of not having enough people, Jeffrey Hall, a lecturer at Kanda University of International Studies in Chiba told CNN. Notably, Japan has been facing an aging population and witnessing low birth rate. Among the abandoned homes are second homes of people, properties temporarily vacated while their owners work overseas and those left empty for other reasons. ALSO READ| Japan real wages fall in March, marking 2 years of decline Due to low fertility rates in Japan, many Akiya owners have no heir to pass their house to. At times, Akiyas are inherited by younger generations who have moved to the cities and don't want to return to rural areas. Jeffrey Hall further informed that even if owners want to sell such abandoned houses, they might have a hard time finding buyers. Many of these houses are cut off from access to public transport, health care and even convenience stores, he said. Hall further highlighted how difficult it is for a foreigner to buy the Akiyas in Japan. He said that administrative work and the rules behind buying such houses is not easy for somebody who doesnt speak Japanese and read Japanese very well. Theyre not going to be able to get these houses for cheap, he said. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is going to great lengths to address rampant claims of sexual assault and harassment, according to an independent report commissioned by the top bank regulator. Following a five-month investigation initiated by law firm Cleary Gottlieb, more than 500 individuals reported cases of misconduct at the agency, most of whom are current FDIC employees. Additionally, Gottlieb found indications pointing to extensive retaliation against employees who made mention of supervisor misconduct and little evidence showing any action taken toward such retaliations, according to the New York Post. FDIC Chair and Democrat Martin Gruenberg, senior leader at the agency for almost two decades, said in a statement to staff that the report offered a "sobering" look at the regulator and revealed hundreds of staff "reported painful experiences of mistreatment and feelings of fear, anger, and sadness." Gruenberg also said he was "ultimately responsible" for what transpired at the agency and apologized for his failings. The inquiry was brought about following reports by the Wall Street Journal last year alleging sexual harassment and other instances of misconduct had gone on for years within the FDIC and were ignored by senior leaders. The report even went as far as stating that in some cases, Gruenberg had been personally involved in decisions that neglected to punish misconduct. These findings are expected to revive pressure on the FDIC chief, who continues to face calls from Republicans to step down in light of the WSJ reports. President Joe Biden commissioned Gruenberg in 2022, meaning his departure would jeopardize the administration's attempts to implement stricter financial rules, including a pending regulatory proposal on bank capital requirements that has prompted much backlash from Republicans and industry representatives. Should Gruenberg be removed or step down himself, agency regulations require that FDIC Vice Chair and Republican Travis Hill take over, evenly splitting the agency's board between Republicans and Democrats. The Biden administration has reportedly paused a shipment of some bombs to Israel. The stoppage came after concerns that Israel was nearing a full-scale assault on Rafah, the Associated Press reported. The U.S. leader has publicly come out against an Israeli assault over concerns about the fate of refugees. Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza after it said it was closed due to Hamas rocket attacks. In an X post, the Israel Defense Forces says trucks from Egypt carrying humanitarian aid were already arriving at the crossing. But the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees countered that message by saying no aid had yet entered and there was no one to receive. Workers fled on Tuesday when Israeli tanks captured the nearby Rafah crossing. That crossing remains closed. The operation does not appear to be the large-scale offensive into Rafah that Israel has planned. Smoke rose over Rafah on Wednesday after new Israeli strikes. The IDF said the Erez Crossing is continuing to operate to bring aid into Gaza. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after its Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel. Militants killed more than 1,000 people and kidnapped around 250 others back into Gaza. The war has killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. The pastor of a South Carolina church whose wife died by suicide after claiming she had faced abuse has reportedly been removed from his duties. Solid Rock at Market Common Church in Myrtle Beach said the Rev. John-Paul Miller had been removed from "ministerial functions." The news was released in an email to the congregation that was reviewed by WBTW-TV. "I, Charles Randall, by the authority vested in me as overseer, hereby release Pastor John-Paul Miller from all ministerial functions for a time of healing, counsel, and guidance, pursuant to our governing instrument," the email read. Mica Miller, 30, was found dead in Lumber River State Park of a self-inflicted bullet wound. John-Paul Miller announced his wife's suicide during a church service. She had filed for divorce about six months ago, according to the New York Post. Mica Miller Video 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. Mica Miller had made two complaints with Horry County police in March. One came after she found one of her tires slashed, according to a report. The second complaint claimed she was being followed or watched. 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. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide or struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available 24 hours a day through the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. You are not alone. Landy Parraga, a former Miss Ecuador contestant who was murdered in a restaurant, may have tipped off her location to the killers by posting a food photo on Instagram. The 23-year-old was killed on April 28 in Quevedo, according to Elcomercio. She allegedly had links to an Ecuadorian crime boss, People reported. Parraga posted a photo of the octopus ceviche she ordered to her 173,000 followers on her Instagram Stories account, the Telegraph reported. Two gunmen burst into the restaurant a short time after she posted the image and shot her three times. The killing was captured on a survalience camera. She laid in a pool of blood on the floor after the shooting. Parraga had been mentioned in text messages found on the phone of drug trafficker Leandro Norero, according to El Pais. The conversations were uncovered as part of a corruption investigation centering on government officials. Investigators reportedly found photos of her on his phone and evidence that he had been having an affair with her and had given her gifts like apartments and cars. Norero was killed in a prison riot more than a year ago. It was unclear if Parraga's killing was related to her connection with Norero. Ukraine's ability to shoot down the majority of rockets fired at them has forced Russia to modify the missiles they are launching, according to a recent intelligence report. The Russian Aerospace Forces Long Range Aviation Command (LRA) is increasing the "lethality" of the ACLM cruise missiles by attaching a second warhead, according to an intelligence report released by the U.K. Ministry of Defence. The second warhead is meant to increase "fragmentation" at the intended target. This modification will cut the missiles range in half, according to U.K. Defence, who also point out that Russia doesn't need the missles full range to reach all of Ukraine's regions. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine 08 May 2024. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/tt0vmm88pL #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/Mfg47ZDg86 Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) May 8, 2024 Throughout the over two-year conflict, Russia has been modifying missiles and tactics to combat Ukraine's success in intercepting "too many" missiles. According to the Ukraine Defense Ministry, Ukraine has shot down 2,151 Russian cruise missiles since the start of the war. On Wednesday, Ukraine reported two rockets were destroyed, along with 13 tanks, 11 UAVs,19 combat vehicles and 970 Russian soldiers. Ukraine's success in intercepting Russian cruise missiles can be credited to the advanced weaponry recieved through western aid, including the American-made Patriot air defense missile system. A new shipment of Patriot missiles were included in a recently passed U.S. foriegn aid package, according to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The foriegn aid package, signed by President Joe Biden on April 24, will send $61 billion to Ukraine, marking the largest security assitance package sent to the war-torn nation since Russia's invasion in February 2022. Residents of a New Mexico neighborhood were evacuated Monday night after a large sinkhole opened up in front of a home, swallowing multiple vehicles, officials said. The City of Las Cruces said in a news release Tuesday said firefighters were dispatched to the 1700 block of Regal Ridge Street at around 9:30 p.m. Monday, and arrived to find a sinkhole approximately 30 feet wide and 30 feet deep. The sinkhole was "still settling" when they arrived. The sinkhole swallowed two vehicles that were parked in a driveway, but no injuries were reported. The occupants of three surrounding homes were temporarily evacuated, and the Red Cross was called to assist them, the city said. Las Cruces Utilities and El Paso Electric were called to the scene to determine whether any utility service lines for the neighborhood were compromised. The city said Regal Ridge Street would remain closed to traffic until engineers and street crews could investigate the cause of the sinkhole and evaluate the safety of the road. Residents were warned of "intermittent" road and utility closures in the coming days, until the sinkhole can be backfilled. -- with reporting by TMX by Austin Bay May 8, 2024 On April 29, The Economist magazine asked French President Emmanuel Macron a very direct question: "Do you stand by what you said about possibly sending ground troops to Ukraine?" The Economist referred to Macron's February 2024 statement where he mulled circumstances in which France (a NATO nation that had elected him chief executive) might commit ground forces to defend Ukraine against President Vladimir Putin's Russian aggressors. Radical courage statement by a senior NATO leader? Yes. Thank goodness. Macron's gut reply: "Absolutely. As I said, I'm not ruling anything out, because we are facing someone who is not ruling anything out." My strategic historical aside: Macron has -- in our time -- hit on one of the Free World's greatest weaknesses. Free World elite academic, media and political Pollyannas don't believe bad guys really mean it, even when the thugs back hard talk with paid mobs, assassination, guns and bombs. In the 1930s, the Free World feckless caved when Adolf Hitler's legions seized the demilitarized Rhineland (March 1936). In 1938, they ratified Neville Chamberlain's Czechoslovakia sellout. But back to Macron, Putin and our time. In the past 10 days, Putin threatened Europe and North America with nuclear attack. For the record, Vlad and his regime have threatened nuclear war on NATO several times since February 2022 -- the month the Russian dictator launched an invasion of Ukraine that was supposed to end in three weeks with a slam-dunk win. Putin's latest nuclear threat was aimed at France, Britain and even Germany. Why? Western Europe's most powerful nations are stepping up to back Europe's vulnerable eastern nations. This is good news. I'll bet former President Donald Trump is delighted. He wants NATO to share burdens. On May 7, a Polish newspaper reported Poland's chief intelligence officer Jaroslaw Strozyk believed Putin is preparing "for some kind of mini-operation against one of the Baltic countries, for example, to enter the famous (city of) Narva or land on one of the Swedish islands." Don't write this off as a fevered imagination. Narva's population is almost 90% Russian. Strozyk envisions a Russian "hybrid" attack akin to seizing eastern Ukraine in 2014 -- except Estonia is a NATO nation. Which leads to my buried headline: Would Putin attack a NATO nation? A very critical factor: Putin knows the "Joe Biden moment" of Western vulnerability is fading. In 10 years, if we're lucky, we will read brow-furrowing tomes arguing President Joe Biden's cowardly Afghanistan withdrawal encouraged Chinese meddling in Asia, Putin's invasion of Ukraine, Iranian troublemaking in the Middle East and Hamas' attack on Israel. However, we are in our time, Vlad is threatening nuclear attack, and the Joe Biden moment isn't over. Full disclosure: This isn't a doomsday essay. However, Poland, the Baltic states, Finland and France see summer 2024 as a moment of immense vulnerability. So does Germany. Germany has agreed to station a permanent garrison in Lithuania -- though that action is a signal. The garrison won't be in place for a couple of years. Putin despises NATO. He paints NATO as an aggressor, which it isn't. It's a collective defense alliance. In a collective defense alliance, allies pledge to defend each other against external military threats. When NATO turned 61 in 2010, the Brookings Institution concluded that 61 birthdays made it one of the six longest-lived military alliances since 1500 A.D. NATO turned 75 in April 2024. NATO's Article 5 collective defense guarantee exemplifies the hard Cold War diplomacy that has 21st-century value. Article 5's nickname has a French literary connection: "the Three Musketeers clause." "One for all and all for one," the dashing musketeers affirmed. Article 5 says that "an armed attack against one or more of them ... shall be considered an attack against them all." Article 5 has been invoked just once: the day after al-Qaida's 9/11 attacks on the U.S. Putin has made degrading NATO a foreign policy goal. Why? Because NATO deters his ambitions. But we are still in the Joe Biden moment. The former roommate of the Idaho 4 murder victims revealed the last text message she sent her friends before she found out they were brutally killed. Six months prior to the fatal stabbings of University of Idaho students Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, both 21, Ashlin Couch lived with the girls in their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho. In May 2022, Couch moved out, and U of I student Xana Kernodle, 20, took over her lease, and moved into Couch's old bedroom. That November, Kernodle and her boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, also 20, were slaughtered alongside Mogen and Goncalves, in a savage, quadruple, middle-of-the-night murder that rocked the tight-knit college town. Shortly after their mutilated bodies were discovered, the university sent out an alert confirming the massacre on King Road. "I texted our group of friends, and I just had said, 'Has anyone heard from Maddie?'" Couch recalled, according to KXLY-TV. "And I remember, my last text message to her was, 'Are you okay?'" But Mogen never texted back. "And I felt it right then and there, I kind of just knew that something was wrong," she said. With a mass murderer on the loose, residents were kept on edge. It wasn't until six weeks later, authorities arrested Bryan Kohberger, then 28, nearly 2,500 miles away at his parents' home in Pennsylvania, after DNA evidence allegedly tied him to the grisly murder scene. He pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder. "It crosses my mind that that could have happened while I was there," Couch admitted, according to the outlet. "I just wish that I could give her one last hug just to be able to say goodbye." In December, the university demolished the off-campus home. A trial date for Kohberger, now 29, has not yet been set. A former U.S. soldier has been convicted for the murder of a pregnant, 19-year-old fellow soldier on a U.S. Army base in Germany more than 22 years ago. A federal jury in Pensacola, Florida, convicted Shannon L. Wilkerson, 43, in the 2001 beating and strangulation death of Amanda Gonzales. Wilkerson believed she was pregnant with his child. Gonzales was killed in her barracks room at Fliegerhorst Kaserne, then a U.S. Army base in Hanau, Germany. Wilkerson was a member of the U.S. Armed Forces at the time of the offense but was later discharged. "The murder of Amanda Gonzales and her unborn child was a horrific act of violence," said U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida. "This decades-long investigation and resulting prosecution demonstrate the unwavering resolve of our law enforcement partners and their commitment to use every tool available to protect Americans, especially those serving our country." In 2011, the Army raised a reward in connection with the case to $125,000. The FBI announced the arrest of Wilkerson in Feb. 2023. The jury convicted him of second-degree murder. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 8 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. The FBI New York Field Office investigated this case, with assistance from the Department of Army's Criminal Investigative Division, which originally investigated the case. President Joe Biden signed the REPORT Act into law on Tuesday, requiring tech companies to report a wider range of crimes against children than previously required, and social media platform X is already touting its "aggressive" enforcement. X, formerly Twitter, said that in the first quarter of 2024, it has already submitted approximately 175,000 reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's (NCMEC) CyberTipline and suspended 1.5 million accounts for prohibited content or actions including child sexual exploitation (CSE) material, grooming, blackmail, and identifying alleged victims of CSE. The bipartisan Revising Existing Procedures on Reporting via Technology (REPORT) Act, authored by U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), requires internet companies such as Facebook, Instagram and X to report crimes against children involving sex trafficking, grooming, or the enticement of children for sexual acts. They were previously only required to report child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). "X applauds Senator Blackburn's leadership in combating the exploitation of children, strengthening critical partners like NCMEC, and helping law enforcement bring criminals to justice," X CEO Linda Yaccarino said in a statement. X on Tuesday announced it is participating in the beta of the Safer Predict Child Sexual Abuse text classifier developed by Thorn, the nonprofit anti-trafficking company founded by actors Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore. The technology is designed to help "detect sextortion patterns and other exploitative behavior and content." The company also announced its participation in Tech Coalition's Project Lantern, to share data with other participating companies to identify cross-platform bad actors that use multiple services to traffic CSE. The company said it is "steadily building" its X Support Center in Austin, Texas, and training more agents to increase content moderation capacity. "Children are increasingly looking at screens, and the reality is that this leaves more innocent kids at risk of online exploitation," said Blackburn. "I'm honored to champion this bipartisan solution alongside Senator Ossoff and Representative Laurel Lee to protect vulnerable children and hold perpetrators of these heinous crimes accountable. I also appreciate the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's unwavering partnership to get this across the finish line." The NCMEC's CyberTipline is a centralized reporting system for the online exploitation of children, taking reports from across the country and making them available to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. The new legislation increases the amount of time the CyberTipline is allowed to preserve reported evidence for law enforcement, from 90 days previously to one year. It also for the first time allows victims and their parents to report abuse directly to the NCMEC. Along with requiring a wider range of crimes to be reported, the REPORT Act also increases penalties for companies that fail to report exploitative content, with fines ranging from $150,000 to $1 million, depending on the offense and the size of the company. "My bipartisan law with Senator Blackburn will ensure tech companies are held accountable to report and remove child sex abuse material and to strengthen protection for kids online," said Ossoff. "At a time of such division in Congress, we successfully brought Republicans and Democrats together to protect kids on the internet, and now our bill is law." --with reporting by TMX A California man accused of skewering his girlfriend and her uncle with a medieval spear before shooting them to death at a storage facility was found by police with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. On Thursday, a woman called police to report her boyfriend stabbed her and her uncle in a Santa Ana, California, storage unit, according to police. When officers arrived, the victims later identified as 25-year-old Jordan Block and 64-year-old Brian Xan Martin were found with fatal gunshot wounds to the torso, in addition to the stabbing injuries, police said. Their killer, 25-year-old Cameron Delani Clark, shot himself and died at the hospital days later. Investigators discovered a gun and a medieval-style spear at the crime scene, both of which are believed to have been used in the double slaying. An unidentified witness said Martin claimed to be an expert in medieval swords and kept them at the storage unit. "Just a nice little dude. He's been here a long time," the witness told KTLA-TV. He had a bad back and every time I saw him, he was just nice. I'd talk with him for a couple of minutes, same with his niece." A motive in the murder-suicide remains under investigation. In the midst of pro-Palestinian protests sweeping college campuses nationwide, educators and staff throughout the country find themselves unexpectedly caught in the fray, facing potential arrest and suspension as they stand up for their students' rights Annelise Orleck is just one of the many faculty members across the nation who feel a duty to support their students amid pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses, despite the possibility of arrest and suspension. Orleck has been teaching U.S. and Jewish history for more than three decades at Dartmouth College, but during a protest on their campus last week, the 65-year-old began to fear the idea of becoming a key figure in future textbooks. Officers exerted their force when they threw her to the lawn and knelt on her back as she yelled at police officers who were arresting students on the campus green. Orleck said she couldn't breathe. "It did occur to me that I could die," Orleck recalled. After videos of the professor's arrest with local police went viral, it raised the question of outside intervention on campuses. Orleck elaborated on her experience, revealing that her hands were zip-tied before officers escorted her to a van and then charged her with criminal trespass. Subsequently, she was banned from parts of the campus as a condition of her bail, although the school claims the ban will be lifted. Dartmouth President Sian Leah Beilock highlighted in a statement that the protesters' "actions have consequences." The 65-year-old professor doesn't know what lies ahead in terms of repercussions from her job, but she says it would be worth standing with her students. "We were just worried that they would be assaulted, and we were right to be worried," Orleck said. "It never occurred to me that I, as an older woman Dartmouth professor, would be arrested." She and other college faculty members across the country told The Washington Post that they've felt a responsibility to support their students and stand up for their own ideological convictions, especially against school officials who have called law enforcement on protesters. Columbia University, the core of recent protests, showed school staff guarding the students' encampment. Hundreds of faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill signed a petition in support of suspended student protesters, while at other colleges, some faculty members have even physically stood between police officers and students. Arrests, suspensions, and injuries are several of the consequences professors are facing. Their divided support among pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel movements has served as a sign of solidarity with some students, while other students continue to receive harassment. Senior program officer for the American Association of University Professors, Anita Levy, reported the faculty union has seen more universities taking action against professors in recent months for speaking against the Gaza war or advising student groups. "Politicians are putting the pressure on administrations to crack down in ways that we haven't seen before," Levy continued. "This is a significantly different moment" than other recent protest movements. Washington University in St. Louis experienced one of the largest crackdowns, in which six faculty members were placed on leave due to their alleged involvement in an April 27 pro-Palestinian protest on campus. "Universities are making up the rules as they go, trying to suppress free speech on campus," said Angela Miller, a professor of art history and archaeology and one of the faculty members facing discipline. It's become so extreme that she said that if students need to meet her during office hours, an administrator must be present to monitor the interaction. Emails she receives from students with questions regarding their final class projects are to be referred to the office manager for a response. Megan Green, an adjunct professor in Washington University's School of Social Work, has also been placed on leave. Michael Allen, a senior architecture lecturer, said he too has been banned from campus and is only permitted to complete grade work. All three members confirmed they were only at the protest to observe and support their students. "I thought the presence of faculty outside the encampment would help de-escalate the situation," Allen, 43, said. "I had no idea within less than three minutes I would be in handcuffs." Green told the Post that what started as a peaceful demonstration with students sitting and eating together turned violent as police arrested protesters on April 27. Allen expressed that he would have backed student protesters regardless of what they were supporting. Benjamin Robinson, an associate professor of Germanic studies at Indiana University, blocked a line of police officers dressed in riot gear on the Bloomington campus on April 25, as dozens of students stood behind him, arms linked together. "These are kids," Robinson, who wore a shirt that said, "Jews Say Cease Fire Now," recalled telling officers. "Are you going to use violence against them?" Robinson and 33 other protesters were arrested, according to university officials. He has since filed a lawsuit against Indiana University's trustees and president with two other plaintiffs, alleging the campus ban on faculty and student protesters violated their free-speech rights. When asked how he would respond if police returned to the encampments on campus, he doubled down: "I'd be back on the field with the students in a heartbeat." Florida deputies who fatally shot a Black airman at his home last Friday while responding to a disturbance call went to the wrong apartment, the family's lawyer said, citing a witness who was on a FaceTime call with the victim at the time. Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, who was stationed at the Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, was killed in his off-base apartment in Fort Walton Beach on May 3, the Associated Press reported. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said at the time of the shooting, Fortson was talking to a woman on FaceTime. The woman, whom Crump did not identify, said Fortson was alone in the apartment when he heard somebody knocking twice. When he couldn't see anyone through the peephole, Fortson went to get his gun, which was legally owned. Deputies burst through the door as Fortson returned to his living room, and seeing him with a weapon opened fire, striking him six times, Crump said in a statement. The woman said Fortson was on the floor gasping, "I can't breathe." He died at a local hospital. "The circumstances surrounding Roger's death raise serious questions that demand immediate answers from authorities, especially considering the alarming witness statement that the police entered the wrong apartment," Crump said in a statement. "We are calling for transparency in the investigation into Roger's death and the immediate release of body cam video to the family," he continued. "His family and the public deserve to know what occurred in the moments leading up to this tragedy." The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, in a statement posted on its Facebook page, said the deputy who shot Fortson was placed on administrative leave and it has asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate the shooting. "At this time, we humbly ask for our community's patience as we work to understand the facts that resulted in this tragic event," it said. The Miss USA pageant will now have to fill not one but two vacant thrones, after Miss Teen USA resigned from her position, just two days after her adult counterpart also gave up her crown. "After months of grappling with this decision, I have made the choice to resign from the title of Miss Teen USA 2023," UmaSofia Srivastava wrote in a May 8 Instagram post, adding that her "personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization." The official Miss Teen USA Instagram account responded to Srivastava's post by wishing her the best and thanking her for her service. "We respect and support UmaSofia's decision to step down from her duties. The well-being of our titleholders is a top priority," the post read. "We are currently reviewing plans for the transition of responsibilities to a successor, and we will soon announce the crowning of the new Miss Teen USA." Former Miss USA Noelia Voigt acknowledged Srivastava by name in her resignation post, on May 6, describing the high schooler as her "darling, beloved" friend. Voigt's decision shocked many in the pageant community, with some supporters noting that the first letters of the first 11 sentences of her post spelled out "I am silenced." "In life, I strongly value the importance of making decisions that feel best for you and your mental health," Voigt wrote in her Instagram post. "My journey as Miss USA has been incredibly meaningful, representing Utah with pride, and later the USA at Miss Universe. Sadly, I have made the very tough decision to resign from the title of Miss USA 2023." When Srivastava resigned from her position, Voigt was among the first commenters on her Instagram post. "I LOVE YOU," she wrote. "So proud of you, my angel." Many fans criticized the organization for using similar boilerplate language when responding to Voigt and Srivastava's resignations. Some called on the organization for more transparency and to address the issues that led to both beauty queens resigning mid-reign. The organization's social media director Claudia Michelle announced her own resignation on May 3, in a social media post detailing her own issues with the organization. "I have had the privilege to work with Noelia closely and have unfortunately seen a decline in her mental health since we first met. I feel like her ability to share her story and her platform have been diminished," Michelle wrote - noting that she could be open because she had not signed a non-disclosure agreement."I have firsthand seen the disrespect towards Uma and her family." Fellow beauty queens and Miss USA competitors also supported Voigt's resignation on social media. "The majority of the members of the Miss USA Class of 2023 support Noelia Voigt's decision to resign from the title of Miss USA," Srivastava's state-level adult counterpart Derby Chukwudi wrote on Instagram. "We are asking the Miss USA Organization to release Noelia from the confidentially NDA clause of her contract, in perpetuity, so that she is free to speak on her experiences and time as Miss USA. We request a response within 24 hours." A lawsuit was brought against New York City on Thursday, alleging discrimination against gay male city employees. The city's healthcare plan has long provided in vitro fertilization (IVF) benefits to male and female employees and their partners in different-sex relationships, as well as single women and women in same-sex relationships. The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, claims the city is hindering gay male employees from starting families. The proposed class action lawsuit was filed by former assistant district attorney Corey Briskin and his husband. The couple contends that the city's employee health insurance plan denied them coverage for IVF procedures, resulting in years of delay in their family planning journey. "We were disheartened to say the least when we were told that we aren't eligible for the IVF benefit because of the way the policy is phrased," Briskin told The Washington Post. "We are entitled to equal treatment under the law." A spokeswoman for Mayor Eric Adams told the paper the lawsuit was being reviewed. The suit comes as the New York City Council is considering a bill introduced that would require coverage of IVF treatments for all employees, regardless of their marital status or sexual orientation. Former President Donald Trump accused President Joe Biden of abandoning Israel after he threatened to halt weapons shipments to the country if it carries out a military offensive against the city of Rafah in Gaza. "Well, I wouldn't do what Biden did. He just abandoned Israel. I've never seen anything like it," Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee in the 2024 election, told a Spectrum News station in North Carolina. The former president, who is currently attending his criminal trial over hush money payments to a former porn star before the 2016 election, questioned how Jews could support Biden this November. "Why Jewish people vote for Democrats is beyond me," Trump said in the interview. "I think maybe they'll change their mind, but they've been wedded to Democrats for you know, for 50 years, probably more than that. And there's been no president has ever done anything close to what I've done for Israel." Biden made the comments Wednesday night in an interview with CNN, expressing fear that more civilians could be killed if Israel attacks Rafah. "If they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities - that deal with that problem," Biden told the news outlet. "Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers," he continued, adding: "I made it clear that if they go into Rafah ... I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities - that deal with that problem." An engaged Wisconsin elementary school teacher who allegedly told her 11-year-old student that he "turns her on," moved his desk next to hers during independent reading time so she could rub his thighs. Madison Bergmann, 24, has been charged with first-degree child sex assault with a person under the age of 13, according to St. Croix County court records. It's unclear if she entered a plea to the charge. Her defense attorney Joseph Tamburino did not immediately respond to Headline & Global News' request for comment. The school district has since placed her on unpaid administrative leave. Police first launched an investigation into Bergmann a fifth grade teacher at River Crest Elementary School in Hudson, Wisconsin last week, when the victim's parents allegedly discovered inappropriate text messages between the pair, HNGN previously reported. Bergmann allegedly texted the victim she "wanted to just grab your face and push you to the floor and make out with you," according to the criminal complaint, the Pioneer Press reported. In a subsequent text, she allegedly wrote to him, "(I) almost kissed you when you were on the ground today but I got distracted by your stomach." Handwritten notes to the boy allegedly stated "that she loves him, wants to kiss him, he turns her on, and that she is obsessed with him," according to the complaint. The boy allegedly told police Bergmann moved his desk next to hers, during which she would touch his hands, shins and thighs and that "he did not believe any of the other kids would see it happening." He also alleged Bergmann kissed him several times in her classroom. Bergmann bonded out of jail shortly after her arrest. She is due back in court May 30. Over 5,800 AEOs account for nearly 40 pct of China's foreign trade value Xinhua) 11:15, May 09, 2024 Guests attend the opening ceremony of the 6th World Customs Organization (WCO) Global Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Conference in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) SHENZHEN, May 8 (Xinhua) -- In 2023, Authorized Economic Operators (AEOs) accounted for 37.1 percent of China's foreign trade value and 37 percent of the country's total tax payment, according to the latest customs data. The AEO system, initiated by the World Customs Organization (WCO), aims to facilitate customs clearance for enterprises through customs agencies' authentication of enterprises with high levels of legal compliance and safety, and a high credit status. There are more than 5,800 enterprises with AEO status in China, according to the 6th WCO Global AEO Conference, which opened in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, on Wednesday. Enterprises with AEO status can enjoy a series of preferential management measures such as priority processing, reduced frequency of supervision, and optimized services, which effectively reduce the cost of international trade and enhance international competitiveness of enterprises. Wang Lingjun, deputy head of the General Administration of Customs (GAC) of China, said Chinese customs have helped enterprises with AEO status complete 1.53 million priority services and inspected 11,000 batches of goods in a "non-intrusive" way. At the same time, enterprises with AEO status can enjoy more than 40 incentives such as "green channel," loan interest discount and simplified procedures provided by multiple departments of the country. The conference, hosted by the WCO and co-hosted by the GAC and the municipal government of Shenzhen, will last for three days under the theme of "harnessing the power of AEO programmes for inclusive and sustainable global trade." More than 1,200 delegates from customs, international organizations, AEO enterprises, governments agencies, academic institutions, and industry associations from more than 100 countries and regions have attended the conference. The Global AEO Conference is held every two years. Since 2012, the Republic of Korea, Spain, Mexico, Uganda and the United Arab Emirates have hosted five sessions of the conference. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) A new artificial intelligence program that is allowing users to simulate speaking to deceased loved ones is sparking ethical concerns from experts in the industry. "Deadbots," also known as "griefbots," use artificial intelligence to mimic the langauge and personality of deceased people based on their "digital footprint," according to Techtimes. AI ethicists are ringing the alarm on the long-lasting psychological harm the technology could cause, citing immoral companies and thoughtless business practices that are able to misuse the service while taking advantage of the living. Experts highlight the potential harm and haunt that could be inflicted upon creators and users, explaining that while these services are legally permissible, letting users upload their conversations with dead relatives to essentially bring them back in the form of a chabot steps into a danger zone. One of the study's co-authors at Cambridge's Leverhulme Center for the Future of Intelligence, Dr. Katarzyna Nowaczyk-Basinska, told The Guardian: "Rapid advancements in generative AI mean that nearly anyone with internet access and some basic know-how can revive a deceased loved one." Adding, "This area of AI is an ethical minefield. It's important to prioritize the dignity of the deceased and ensure that this isn't encroached on by the financial motives of digital afterlife services." Companies capitalizing on digital legacy services through advertisements is a likely possibility. It presents an uncomfortable situation when users realize they weren't consulted on whether their data, for example, if recreated loved ones offer daily suggestions or advice, could be shared. While the deadbot is a risk to all, it especially raises concerns for children. Parents who want to help their children grieve the loss of someone close could cause significant damage by short-circuiting the normal mourning process. "No re-creation service can prove that allowing children to interact with 'deadbots' is beneficial or, at the very least, does not harm this vulnerable group," the paper cautions. Researchers have proposed a set of practices that require regulation in order to be enforced while simultaneously preserving the dignity of the dead. Such measures include procedures for sensitively "retiring" deadbots and limiting their interactive features to adults only, while being transparent as to how the artificial system operates. The idea to recreate a dead loved one using a ChatGPT-style AI mechanism is nothing new. In 2021, Joshua Barbeau made headlines after using GPT-3 to manifest a chatbot who spoke with the voice of his deceased girlfriend, according to The Guardian. Several other programs also offer services such as converting text messages from the deceased into chabots, which led developer Eugenia Kuyda to create the AI companion app Replika. Another well-known business called MyHeritage is a genealogy website that has introduced Deep Nostalgia, featuring animation videos of users' ancestors from still photos. Following its viral frenzy, the company admitted that some users found it creepy. "The results can be controversial, and it's hard to stay indifferent to this technology," MyHeritage said at the time. The company has since launched DeepStory, giving users the ability to generate talking videos. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene called her unsuccessful attempt to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson a "great victory." The Georgia Republican was jeered by members of her own party on Wednesday when she introduced the motion to vacate, which lost 359 to 43, with 163 Democrats voting to keep Johnson in the post. During an appearance Thursday on Steve Bannon's right-wing podcast, she was asked about her gambit to remove Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana. "You heard the K Street money just absolutely through the instruments of the Democratic Party and the Republican people that have been bought off, booed you, you know, lustily," Bannon, a former adviser in Donald Trump's White House said, Raw Story reported. "Well, that was exactly what I expected, Steve," Greene responded. "And you know, I think it was a great victory yesterday." "It was a great victory for the American people to see the truth, for the curtain to be drawn back and them to see the ugly truth," she added. Greene blamed "the uniparty" for her motion going down to overwhelming defeat. "You can talk about the special interests controlling Washington, D.C., but the vote yesterday proved that Mike Johnson is completely bought and paid for by the Democrats," said Greene, who had claimed Johnson betrayed GOP values by backing a military aid package to Ukraine. "Democrats can't take control of the House. Hakeem Jeffries cannot become Speaker of the House, because we have the votes and we hold the majority," she said, referring to the Democratic leader in the House. If Johnson would have been ousted, it would have been the second Republican speaker to be removed in less than a year. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was removed in October 2023 after Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz introduced a motion to vacate. Jeffries addressed the stakes of Greene's move after the vote. "Our decision to stop Marjorie Taylor Greene from plunging the House of Representatives and the country into further chaos is rooted in our commitment to solve problems for everyday Americans in a bipartisan manner," he told reporters. "We will continue to govern in a reasonable, responsible and results-oriented fashion, and put people over politics all day and every day." As a gesture to honor his constituents who are graduating from Columbia University this year, Long Island GOP Rep. Anthony D'Esposito is offering to host a separate ceremony after the Ivy League school made the "appalling" decision to cancel the 2024 commencement ceremony. D'Esposito, a representative for parts of central and southern Nassau County, expressed to Columbia University President Minouche Shafik in a letter Wednesday that he wants to give students in his district "the graduation ceremony they deserve." "For some, graduating from higher education is the pinnacle of their life thus far-an important milestone celebrated by family, friends, and loved ones," he said. "These students have worked extremely hard, invested a tremendous amount of money, and succeeded in meeting requirements to proudly graduate.", the congressman continued, regarding the $89,000 annual tuition. D'Esposito has demanded a complete list of all Columbia students from his Fourth Congressional District to enable his "work with community leaders and partners in government" in providing a platform for the graduates to receive their diplomas, as reported by The New York Post. "Leadership at Columbia has failed these students," he added. "We won't fail them as well." The cancellation was heavily criticized, especially for Columbia's 2024 graduating class, as their high school graduations were also called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic just four years earlier. Fabien Levy, spokesman for New York City Mayor Eric Adams, said in a Monday statement that the actions of a few, specifically those who are not affiliated with schools, continue to "highjack" events for students who have earned the right to walk across a stage and receive their diploma. "It's infuriating that protestors are the ones now stealing this once-in-a-lifetime moment from students and their families," Levy added. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also told reporters, "It is unfortunate that a small group of people went too far and cost their classmates this important event." Several Congress members continue to call for Shafik's resignation. Following weeks of pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus, the university canceled its main commencement ceremony but still plans to move forward with smaller-scale graduations. The protests over the Gaza war that have flooded campuses across the country have prompted school officials to reconsider commencement plans in order to protect students and attendees from any potential disputes. Loved ones said their final goodbyes to Jaylen Griffin, the 12-year-old boy who mysteriously vanished nearly four years ago on his way to a Buffalo, New York, corner store. On Tuesday, the community gathered to honor the boy nearly a month after his decomposed remains were discovered in an attic, just five miles from where he disappeared. Police quickly classified his case as a runaway, much to his family's chagrin. "He was not a runaway," Bishop Darius Pridgen reiterated during Jaylen's memorial service at True Bethel Baptist Church, earlier this week, according to WKBW-TV. "He was 12 years old. If 12-year-old children don't come home... it's a missing persons report." Now, Jaylen's case is being investigated as a homicide. "Who killed Jaylen Griffin? We're not done. We're not resting," longtime family friend Pastor Tim Newkirk of GYC Ministries assured. Jaylen's remains were cremated. His father, Brian Griffin who is still struggling to come to terms with the loss of his son held tightly to the urn containing what was left of his boy. "It is still fresh to me. He's been missing for three-and-a-half years. It's been a long time. It's been a long journey and I'm hurting," admitted Griffin. Jaylen's mother, Joann Ponzo, didn't live to see the day her son's body was found. In September 2023, she died of health issues and a "broken heart," loved ones said. Although Jaylen's killer or killers are still out there, his grandmother, Shirley Banks, said she's "feeling good all over inside, as I know my grandson got his wings as he did, and I know his mother is shining down." Close to 110,000 Palestinian civilians have fled the southern Gaza city of Rafah since Monday as Israeli strikes continue to intensify, a United Nations official reported Friday. Armed Palestinian groups allegedly said they were targeting Israeli troops to the east, and Israel's military forces are stating their ground forces are conducting "targeted activity" in eastern Rafah. Amid the heightening humanitarian crisis, the UN has warned that food and fuel are running out due to the closure of essential crossings that allow aid into the besieged territory. Israeli Defense Forces seized control over the Rafah crossing along the Egyptian border, effectively shutting it down at the start of their operation. The UN has repeatedly cautioned against the dangerous obstacles its staff and lorries would face in order to reach the reopened Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel, according to the BBC. The advancement comes on the heels of a threat made by the U.S. president to stop supplying a number of weapons should it launch a major assault on "population centers" in Rafah. The Israeli Prime Minister has rejected the threat, declaring Israel could "stand alone" if necessary. The country continues to insist that after seven months of war in Gaza, victory will not be achieved without conquering the city and annihilating the remainder of the Hamas brigade. However, with over a million displaced Palestinians sheltering there, the UN as well as Western powers have cautioned against a full-fledged assault that would lead to more mass civilian casualties and deepen what is already deemed a humanitarian catastrophe. Residents and aid workers told the media outlet that the sound of artillery and air strikes in Rafah was nonstop. Louise Wateridge, a spokeswoman for the UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), relayed to the BBC, "The building is shaking on a frequent basis. There is this constant buzzing of drones." "The fear and nervousness that people [in Rafah] have had has now become terror." Palestinian media reported two people killed in an Israeli airstrike on Thursday in the al-Jneinah neighborhood, while another three people were reportedly killed in an airstrike in the Brazil neighborhood, close to the Egyptian border. The IDF said three of its soldiers were moderately wounded as a result of a booby-trapped explosion in a tunnel east of Rafah underneath three Israeli military vehicles. At least five Palestinians were killed following an Israeli airstrike that struck a family's home in the western Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, including three children, one of whom was a one-year-old infant. Dr. Jamal al-Hams, director of the Kuwaiti Specialist Hospital in Central Rafah and only one of two partially functioning hospitals in the city, told BBC Arabic that it did not have the diagnostic capabilities to treat patients properly, adding: "Even the X-ray machine is disabled due to Israeli shelling, and there are no spare parts for it." The situation has only worsened by the closure of the al-Najjar hospital in the city's east on Wednesday after an evacuation order amid nearby fighting. Al-Hams went on to tell BBC Arabic on Thursday that the hospital was currently facing a surge in casualties, many of which were described as "unusual injuries caused by unusual weapons." Hospitals in southern Gaza, including those outside Rafah, only have three days left before running out of fuel, warned the World Health Organization. President Joe Biden's remarks in regard to the halt of any further weapons supply from the U.S. in the event of a full-scale assault on Rafah left many Israelis angry with their closest and most supportive ally. On Thursday, Israel's far-right National Security Minister condemned the remarks, posting on social media that "Hamas loves Biden." Netanyahu also released a video in which he reminded Israelis that their country survived an arms embargo in the 1948-49 Arab-Israeli war, resulting in the creation of a Jewish state. "Today we are much stronger," he said. "If we need to stand alone, we will stand alone. I have said that if necessary, we will fight with our fingernails." Choice Hotels President and CEO Patrick Pacious with Premier Legacy Award winner Bob Patel of Omaha Hotels, Inc., and Choice's Chief Development Officer David Pepper at the 68th Annual Convention. Highlights included the relaunch of Park Inn by Radisson, the reintroduction of the SOAR program to create hotel ownership opportunities for underrepresented entrepreneurs, and awards for top hotels Last week, Choice Hotels International (NYSE: CHH) concluded its 68th Annual Convention in Las Vegas, NV, one of the largest to date. Over the course of three days, Choice provided owners and operators with a roadmap on how together they will capitalize on their competitive position to capture the growing demand for travel. Choice announced the relaunch of Park Inn by Radisson and its strategic repositioning into the premium value space. The company also reintroduced the SOAR program and reaffirmed its over twenty-year commitment to create hotel ownership opportunities for underrepresented entrepreneurs. "This year's convention was about celebrating the new level of success that Choice and its franchisees have achieved together," said Choice Hotels President and CEO Patrick Pacious. "I've never been more optimistic about our shared future. With our brands well positioned to capture even more of the growing travel demand, we have a tremendous opportunity in front of us." During the event, Choice awarded and celebrated the top-performing hotels through Choice's Premier Awards and the Best of Choice Awards, the company's most coveted accolades. Premier Award Winners Kunal Dave of Laxmi Hotels Group (Premier Developer Award) : Dave has been a Choice owner for over a decade and currently owns more than 25 Choice hotels spanning Economy, Midscale, Upper Midscale, and Extended Stay. He excels at repositioning and rebranding properties to drive up revenue and profitability. : Dave has been a Choice owner for over a decade and currently owns more than 25 Choice hotels spanning Economy, Midscale, Upper Midscale, and Extended Stay. He excels at repositioning and rebranding properties to drive up revenue and profitability. Bob Patel of Omaha Hotels, Inc. (Premier Legacy Award): Patel began his relationship with Choice over 15 years ago by purchasing an Econo Lodge in Janesville, Wisconsin. Today, he has 15 Choice hotels under the Comfort, Country, Sleep Inn, Quality Inn, and MainStay Suites brands. A longtime member of the Wisconsin Hotel Association, he is passionate about mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs. Best of Choice Winners Like the Premier winners, the Best of Choice award recipients were selected for their demonstrated commitment to superior guest service and operational excellence. The best international properties and the best hotel per brand in the U.S. were selected. TikTok rebuts U.S. ban with lawsuit challenging its constitutionality TikTok and ByteDance have officially sued the US government, claiming the recent TikTok ban is unconstitutional. Heres the platforms argument: by Mike Masnick from Tech Dirt While Im still waiting for TikTok to release its 30-second long dancing interpretation of why the TikTok ban is unconstitutional, at least its now going to court to make the argument for real. It took maybe a week or so longer than expected, but TikTok and ByteDance have now officially filed their lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the TikTok ban law. This lawsuit was always going to happen, and now its here. The complaint does not mince words: 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. For the first time in history, Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban, and bars every American from participating in a unique online community with more than 1 billion people worldwide. That law the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (the Act) is unconstitutional. Banning TikTok is so obviously unconstitutional, in fact, that even the Acts sponsors recognized that reality, and therefore have tried mightily to depict the law not as a ban at all, but merely a regulation of TikToks ownership. According to its sponsors, the Act responds to TikToks ultimate ownership by ByteDance Ltd., a company with Chinese subsidiaries whose employees support various ByteDance businesses, including TikTok. They claim that the Act is not a ban because it offers ByteDance a choice: divest TikToks U.S. business or be shut down. But in reality, there is no choice. The qualified divestiture demanded by the Act to allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States is simply not possible: not commercially, not technologically, not legally. And certainly not on the 270-day timeline required by the Act. Petitioners have repeatedly explained this to the U.S. government, and sponsors of the Act were aware that divestment is not possible. There is no question: the Act will force a shutdown of TikTok by January 19, 2025, silencing the 170 million Americans who use the platform to communicate in ways that cannot be replicated elsewhere. Ive pointed out that I agree that this bill is unconstitutional. In talking to various legal experts about it, Id say that the feeling is not universal. Around 70% or so of the legal experts Ive spoken to think its unconstitutional, leaving some who believe that there is constitutional justification for this. The petition points out that this law is inconsistent with the First Amendment (as an attack on free speech) and the Fifth Amendment (over due process and principles of fairness), and the law is a Bill of Attainder targeting one company by name. The petition argues that there were much less aggressive ways of achieving whatever policy goal the US government is seeking without banning the app outright (or forcing divestiture). Specifically, TikTok points repeatedly to the years-long negotiations process the company has had with CFIUS (the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States) to make it clear that TikTok was not a threat, including making a variety of promises and putting in place ways to check that the company was living up to those promises. The petition also points out that there have been no legislative findings regarding TikTok, just random conjecture. In dramatic contrast with past enactments that sought to regulate constitutionally protected activity, Congress enacted these extreme measures without a single legislative finding. The Act does not articulate any threat posed by TikTok nor explain why TikTok should be excluded from evaluation under the standards Congress concurrently imposed on every other platform. Even the statements by individual Members of Congress and a congressional committee report merely indicate concern about the hypothetical possibility that TikTok could be misused in the future, without citing specific evidence even though the platform has operated prominently in the United States since it was first launched in 2017. Those speculative concerns fall far short of what is required when First Amendment rights are at stake. It also points out that it had previously agreed to Project Texas the last time the government tried to ban the service and has made certain commitments to CFIUS regarding its use of data, including agreeing that CFIUS can shut down the service if TikTok is found to have violated such agreements (I dont recall hearing about this particular detail before). As part of this engagement, Petitioners have voluntarily invested more than $2 billion to build a system of technological and governance protections sometimes referred to as Project Texas to help safeguard U.S. user data and the integrity of the U.S. TikTok platform against foreign government influence. Petitioners have also made extraordinary, additional commitments in a 90-page draft National Security Agreement developed through negotiations with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), including agreeing to a shut-down option that would give the government the authority to suspend TikTok in the United States if Petitioners violate certain obligations under the agreement. Unsurprisingly, the lawsuit points out that President Trumps attempt to ban TikTok failed badly, as the court found no legitimate basis for the ban. The complaint details more of the CFIUS negotiations, which had previously been mostly behind closed doors. It suggests that the company was willing to work with the US government to prove it wasnt doing anything problematic, but the US government effectively stopped talking. Between January 2021 and August 2022, Petitioners and CFIUS engaged in an intensive, fact-based process to develop a National Security Agreement that would resolve the U.S. governments concerns about whether Chinese authorities might be able to access U.S. user data or manipulate content on TikTok, as well as resolve the pending CFIUS dispute. During that time, Petitioners and government officials communicated regularly, often several times a week including several in-person meetings about the governments concerns and potential solutions. The result was an approximately 90-page draft National Security Agreement with detailed annexes embodying a comprehensive solution addressing the governments national security concerns. Notably, the draft National Security Agreement provided that all protected U.S. user data (as defined in the agreement) would be stored in the cloud environment of a U.S.-government-approved partner, Oracle Corporation, which would also review and vet the TikTok source code. From Petitioners perspective, all indications were that they were nearing a final agreement. After August 2022, however, CFIUS without explanation stopped engaging with Petitioners in meaningful discussions about the National Security Agreement. Petitioners repeatedly asked why discussions had ended and how they might be restarted, but they did not receive a substantive response. In March 2023, without providing any justification for why the draft National Security Agreement was inadequate, CFIUS insisted that ByteDance would be required to divest the U.S. TikTok business. As for the actual grounds on which the petition is based, it obviously starts with the First Amendment: The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides that Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech. U.S. Const., amend. I. By banning all online platforms and software applications offered by TikTok and all ByteDance subsidiaries, Congress has made a law curtailing massive amounts of protected speech. Unlike broadcast television and radio stations, which require government licenses to operate because they use the public airwaves, the government cannot, consistent with the First Amendment, dictate the ownership of newspapers, websites, online platforms, and other privately created speech forums. Indeed, in the past, Congress has recognized the importance of protecting First Amendment rights, even when regulating in the interest of national security. For example, Congress repeatedly amended IEEPA which grants the President broad authority to address national emergencies that pose unusual and extraordinary threat[s] to the country to expand protections for constitutionally protected materials. 50 U.S.C. 170102. Accordingly, under IEEPA, the President does not have the authority to even indirectly regulate personal communication or the importation or exportation of any information or informational materials, id. 1702(b)(1), (3) limitations that are necessary to prevent the statute from running afoul of the First Amendment, Amirnazmi, 645 F.3d at 585. Yet Congress has attempted to sidestep these statutory protections aimed at protecting Americans constitutional rights, preferring instead to simply enact a new statute that tries to avoid the constitutional limitations on the governments existing statutory authority. Those statutory protections were evidently seen as an impediment to Congresss goal of banning TikTok, so the Act dispensed with them. As TikTok points out, the ban hurts the First Amendment rights of both the Americans who use the platform (though its not as clear that TikTok can represent them) and TikTok itself. This argument pulls heavily from the Texas/Florida NetChoice cases that the Supreme Court is still considering, but TikTok calls out the US governments briefing in that case: First, Petitioner TikTok Inc. has a First Amendment interest in its editorial and publishing activities on TikTok. See Hurley v. IrishAm. Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Grp. of Bos., 515 U.S. 557, 570 (1995). TikTok is more than a passive receptacle or conduit for news, comment, and advertising of others; TikTok Inc.s choice of material to recommend or forbid constitute[s] the exercise of editorial control and judgment that is protected by the First Amendment. Miami Herald Pub. Co. v. Tornillo, 418 U.S. 241, 258 (1974); see also Alario v. Knudsen, F. Supp. 3d , 2023 WL 8270811, at *6 (D. Mont. Nov. 30, 2023) (recognizing TikTok Inc.s First Amendment editorial rights). As the government itself has acknowledged, [w]hen [social media] platforms decide which third-party content to present and how to present it, they engage in expressive activity protected by the First Amendment because they are creating expressive compilations of speech. Br. for United States as Amicus Curiae at 1213, Moody v. NetChoice LLC, No. 22-277 (U.S.), 2023 WL 8600432; see also id. at 18 19, 2526. Second, TikTok Inc. is among the speakers whose expression the Act prohibits. TikTok Inc. uses the TikTok platform to create and share its own content about issues and current events, including, for example, its support for small businesses, Earth Day, and literacy and education.18 When TikTok Inc. does so, it is engaging in core speech protected by the First Amendment. See Sorrell v. IMS Health Inc., 564 U.S. 552, 570 (2011); NetChoice, LLC v. Atty Gen., Fla., 34 F.4th 1196, 1210 (11th Cir. 2022), cert. granted, 144 S. Ct. 478 (2023). The Act precludes TikTok Inc. from expressing itself over that platform. Then, there is a long (but quite readable!) analysis of why this case requires strict scrutiny and why the law fails strict scrutiny (not narrowly tailored, there are less rights-limiting means to achieve whatever policy goal, etc.). But it also points out that even if the court goes with intermediate scrutiny, the law would still fail for not being narrowly tailored. From there, TikTok makes the Bill of Attainder arguments. This one had appealed to me early on, as it seems pretty clear that the bill qualifies. It literally names TikTok. Still, a bunch of lawyers have pointed out that the courts have, in the past, made it pretty hard to win Bill of Attainder cases. This is because they require not just that it be narrowly targeted at a single party, but that it also involve punishment, which the courts often view very narrowly. That said, theres no reason not to raise this argument, so as not to cut it off as a possibility. Anyone looking at a common sense view of the law has to admit that its a pretty clear Bill of Attainder. Article I of the U.S. Constitution prohibits Congress from passing any bill of attainder. U.S. Const. art. I 9, cl. 3 (No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.). A bill of attainder is legislative punishment, of any form or severity, of specifically designated persons or groups. United States v. Brown, 381 U.S. 437, 447 (1965). The protection against bills of attainder is an implementation of the separation of powers, a general safeguard against legislative exercise of the judicial function, or more simply trial by legislature. By singling out Petitioners for legislative punishment, the Act is an unconstitutional bill of attainder. The Act inflicts pains and penalties that historically have been associated with bills of attainder. See Nixon v. Admr of Gen. Servs., 433 U.S. 425, 474 (1977). Historically, common pains and penalties included punitive confiscation of property by the sovereign and a legislative enactment barring designated individuals or groups from participation in specified employments or vocations, among others. Id. As described above, the Act confiscates Petitioners U.S. businesses by forcing ByteDance to shutter them within 270 days or sell on terms that are not commercially, technologically, or legally feasible. See supra 2629. For the same reason, the Act bars Petitioners from operating in their chosen line of business. After that, theres an equal protection/due process claim: There is no conceivable reason for treating Petitioners differently than all other similarly situated companies. Even if Congress had valid interests in protecting U.S. users data and controlling what content may be disseminated through global platforms that would be advanced through the Act, there is no reason why those concerns would support a ban on Petitioners platforms without corresponding bans on other platforms. Nor is there any rational reason why Congress would ban Petitioners platforms while allowing any other company controlled by a foreign adversary regardless of the national security threat posed by that company to sidestep the Acts reach by simply offering an application that allows users to post product reviews, business reviews, or travel information and reviews, but changing nothing else about the companys operations, ownership structure, or other applications. Finally, theres a Takings Clause argument which strikes me as the weakest (but, then again, its put last and not all that well developed): The Takings Clause provides that private property shall not be taken for public use, without just compensation. U.S. Const. amend. V, cl. 5. The Act does just that by shutting down ByteDances U.S. businesses or, to the extent any qualified divestiture alternative is even feasible (it is not), compelling ByteDance to sell those businesses under fire-sale circumstances that guarantee inadequate compensation. All in all, its a well-argued brief, making basically all of the arguments everyone was expecting to be made here. The law required this petition be brought straight to the DC Circuit appeals court, so we get to skip the fun of a random judge at a district court making some ridiculous ruling. Instead, well see what a panel of appeals court judges think. No matter what happens, this case is going to the Supreme Court. Ive seen some people saying that no argument will work because the conservative majority on the court will ignore anything in favor of China bad! but Im not convinced of that. From what weve seen in recent cases, there are still at least some Justices on the court who seem to believe in a principled First Amendment take. Well just have to see if there are enough of them. Share on: MCLA to Host Graduate Programs Info Session at BIC PITTSFIELD, Mass. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) will host information sessions for its graduate programs: Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Education (MEd) on Tuesday, May 14 at 5 p.m. at the Berkshire Innovation Center in Pittsfield. A virtual session will be held on May 30 at noon. Prospective students are invited to meet with faculty, students, and staff to learn more about how to continue their education in two of MCLA's programs designed to support the rising workforce needs in the Berkshires and beyond. According to a press release: The MBA program is committed to redefining the educational experience by focusing on real-world application that drives meaningful change in the region's businesses and organizations. The program combines the best liberal arts principles with modern business studies, equipping students with the critical thinking skills needed to excel in today's dynamic business environment. It is a part-time 30-credit program structured in an accelerated hybrid learning model for working professionals and in partnership with the Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC). The MEd Program offers a thoughtful blend of classroom and fieldwork experiences that prepare students to make a meaningful impact in their school communities. Programs include: MEd with Initial Licensure, Professional Teacher Licensure with MEd, MEd with Individualized Plan of Study Non-Licensure, Accelerated +1 Bachelor's Degree with MEd To register: ?MCLA Graduate Information Sessions or contact the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education at 413-662-5575. In an effort to champion animal welfare, realme Philippines has taken a step forward by donating to the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), a distinguished non-governmental organization committed to the rights and well-being of animals. realme and Petsup collaborated to extend P200,000 worth of donations In partnership with local pet supplies brand Petsup, both companies contributed P100,000 in monetary aid, alongside P50,000 worth of realme products and an additional P50,000 worth of Petsup items. realme Philippines representatives, together with members of Petsup visited the PAWS headquarters in Quezon City last April 30 to personally deliver the donations and gain firsthand insight into the organization's operations. PAWS expressed gratitude and emphasized that company donations support their programs, especially the rehabilitation of their animal shelters and the rescue efforts for animals suffering cruelty and neglect. Usually, people say that only animals can love you unconditionally. [By] helping these animals, you'll see in their eyes that they are not damaged goods, and they need people like you to help them support their rehabilitation, Sharon Yap, PAWS Education Officer, said. To create positive change, Yap said that pet owners should practice spaying and neutering for their pets and encourage others to do so. She stated, "You can start by being responsible pet owners and having a lifetime commitment to your pets. And if you cannot give monetary donations, you can donate your time by volunteering here at the organization." Patricia Gonzales, realme Philippines' Communications Lead, hopes the collaborative initiative will inspire others to take action regarding the country's concerning cases of animal cruelty. Gonzales added, Our collaboration with Petsup and PAWS shows our commitment to fostering a community that values empathy and kindness towards animals. We hope that our donation, especially the brand new units of realme Note 50, will help streamline the activities and efforts of PAWS." Using their platforms and resources, realme and Petsup have significantly impacted the lives of numerous animals and highlighted the importance of advocating for animal welfare and contributing to causes that promote compassion, empathy, and social responsibility towards animals. To keep posted on other announcements and activities of realme Philippines, visit their official website and Facebook page. Welcoming a new chapter in the celebrated Planet of the Apes franchise, the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, is now showing in theaters nationwide. The latest action-adventure film immerses audiences in a riveting world where apes rule and humans are struggling to survive. Billboards of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes take over Metro Manila Early reactions to the movie are now calling it a new hope for the apes franchise. During its Hollywood premiere, the Wes Ball movie received overwhelmingly positive reviewsnoting that the sequel can reel in non-fans with its new chapter while still spotlighting the time-honored legacy of Caesar for the franchise loyals. In the Philippines, the reign of the apes is now in full swing. Proximus Caesar makes his mark all around Metro Manila with his menacing gaze towering over passersby of buildings, street posts, and jeepneys while media, content creators, and partners joined the Philippine premiere in Metro Manila, Iloilo City, and Pampanga City on May 7. Guests at the Philippine premiere of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Set in a post-apocalyptic landscape where the apes hold power and control, the 2024 movie spectacle tells the story of Noa, a young, naive ape who doesnt know anything about the outside world where the Apes previous leader, Caesar, has become a legend. Director Wes Ball shares, If the last three movies were the apes in their stone age, now theyre entering their bronze age. Were starting to see cultures develop within different clans. We see what has happened to the world. With a stellar cast featuring Owen Teague, Freya Allan, and Peter Macon, the Kingdom of Planet of the Apes is filled with riveting storytelling, thrilling action sequences, and breathtaking visuals. Likewise, the advanced special effects and groundbreaking motion-capture technology bring the apes to life in a way that feels intensely real, making this film a must-see cinematic experience to be enjoyed with family and friends on the biggest screen possible. Witness the rise of a new era and catch Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes in theaters now, available in IMAX, 4DX, and 2D cinema screens nationwide. Follow 20th Century Studios on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube for more updates. Join the conversation and share your thoughts by using the hashtag #KingdomOfThePlanetOfTheApesPH. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A powerful exhibition curated by the families of those who died in police custody and mental health units in the UK has launched in Glasgow. The series will pay tribute to Sheku Bayoh and Katie Allan, two victims of the failures by emergency services which sparked nationwide protests in Scotland. The families of Sheku Bayoh, who died after contact with Police Scotland, and Katie Allan, who died in Polmont prison, are among 18 families involved from around the UK. These include other state-related deaths dating back to the 1980s. Father-of-two Mr Bayoh, 31, died after he was restrained on the ground by six police officers in Kirkcaldy, Fife, on May 3, 2015. His death sparked accusations of institutional racism within Police Scotland. An ongoing public inquiry is examining the circumstances leading up to his death, the subsequent investigation and whether race had been a factor. James Wolffe, former head of Scotlands prosecution service, when the Crown Office decided no-one should face charges over Sheku Bayohs death expressed his deep regret to the family. open image in gallery Sheku Bayoh died in May 2015 after he was restrained by officers responding to a call in Kirkcaldy, Fife (Family handout/PA) ( PA Media ) Katie Allan, 21, was found dead in her cell at Polmont YOI on 4 June 2018. She was sent there in March 2018 after being sentenced to 16 months for a drink-driving hit-and-run crash. Katie was allegedly bullied during her time in Polmont and was taunted over her hair loss through alopecia. Her mental health began to deteriorate while she was in custody. A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) will held into the death of Katie Allan, with a preliminary hearing on scheduled in July at Falkirk Sheriff Court. An evidential hearing is then expected to commence on 8 January 2025. Photographer Sarah Booker, and the charity INQUEST joined the families to curate SoulsINQUEST which will go on display at Platform Arts Centre in Easterhouse as part of the Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Art. open image in gallery Glasgow exhibition pays tribute to Sheku Bayoh and Katie Allan ( Sarah Booker ) The collaboration has been described as an embodiment of family resistance that refuses to be silenced, misrepresented, or forgotten. Katies mother Linda said the family learned to survive and fight after she took her own life at HMYOI Polmont in Falkirk in June 2018. Katie, 21, was serving a 16-month prison sentence after being convicted of a drink-driving offence that injured a 15-year-old boy. Her parents Linda and Stuart Allan, who have campaigned tirelessly since her death, remember her through a concept photograph of the family standing on the beach as they look ahead to an endless blue ocean where Katies ashes are scattered in Camusdarach, on the West Coast of Scotland. open image in gallery Linda and Stuart Allan ( Sarah Booker ) Linda said: Almost six years have passed since we last saw our daughter in life. We have learned to survive, and we have learned to fight. There are still moments that simply take our breath away still aftershocks. To speak and share Katies life, who she was, and what she might have been was so cathartic, allowing us to trust and to share our sacred spaces with Sarah. So often when a life is lost at the hands of the state, the focus is on the death, the fight for justice, the pain. SoulsINQUEST offered us a different journey, a place to share our before, to share Katies joy. open image in gallery Katies family remembers her through a concept photograph taken on the beach where Katies ashes are scattered in Camusdarach, on the West Coast of Scotland. ( Sarah Booker ) Sheku Bayohs family share the pain suffered through the mutual death of a loved one by showcasing their artistic vision through a concept photo to pay homage to his memory. In newly-unveiled images his sister Kadi Johnson, who has vigorously campaigned since Shekus death, is depicted in a portrait, which feature newspaper coverage of the inquiry into his death. Speaking to The Independent, human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar, who represents the families of Mr Bayoh and Mr Allan said: The exhibition represents the role of families, who in the midst of their grief are forced to set up campaigns for justice. Inquest central to all these family campaigns has been invaluable, there is no other organisation that fights on the frontlines like they do. But at the heart of the photo exhibition is the love that drives these families to seek justice. open image in gallery Glasgow exhibition pays tribute to Sheku Bayoh and Katie Allan ( Sarah Booker ) Deborah Coles, Director of INQUEST, said: Families bereaved by deaths in state custody and care face lifelong struggles against indifference, denial and impunity. The exhibition poses a challenge to all those who view it: to be moved as they bear witness to each story, and to be inspired to stand with these families in their continued struggles for truth, justice, accountability and societal change. Sarah, the photographer who collaborated with the families, said: Through photography and text, 18 families have wrestled with symbols. Symbols which honour their loved ones, killed by institutions that failed to protect them. Symbols which are conduits and connectors between those who have passed and those who loved them dearly. open image in gallery ( Sarah Booker ) Lee Laurence was only 11 years old when his mother Cherry, was shot and left paralysed from the chest down after armed police broke into her Brixton home in 1985. This sparked the 1985 Brixton riots and in 2014, police apologised for the wrongful shooting. His image shows a wheelchair which represents his mother who has been disabled following the incident. An excerpt from the read: 11-year-old me I lay in mums bed, Excited about The weekend ahead. Riding down hills On my BMX bike, Learning new tricks The simple things I liked. Safe in her arms Is what I remember, But everything changed 7am, 28th of September. Another loud bang! I jump startled in disbelief. Mum lying bloodied on the floor. Faintly whispering I cannot breathe, For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Matt Rife has addressed the backlash he faced last year due to a joke about domestic violence. The 28-year-old US comedian began his 2023 Netflix special, Natural Selection, with an anecdote about a waitress with black eye. My boy who I was with was like, Yeah, I feel bad for her, man, I feel like they should put her in the kitchen or something where nobody has to see her face. And I was like, Yeah, but I feel like if she could cook, she wouldnt have that black eye, Rife joked. Rife responded to the criticism at the time with an Instagram Story aimed at those offended by a joke I told: Tap to solve your issue, read a URL link, which directed his followers to a website selling helmets for people with special needs. The Ohio native broached the subject on Wednesday (8 May) during his show at the Hollywood Bowl, which was part of the Netflix Is a Joke Fest in Los Angeles. After making jokes about transgender people, Rife quipped: What am I gonna do? Get cancelled? Cool, Ill do another Bowl show, awesome. He continued: You know thats not a real punishment nothing happens. Prisons a punishment. open image in gallery Comedian/actor Matt Rife ( Getty Images ) After riffing about prison, he then spoke to an audience member who had apparently served time for assault, Variety reported. Maam, are you okay? Rife asked the mans date before adding: Guys, Im kidding. Domestic violence is not funny, ever, ever, on any comedy special ever. Rife also joked about his response to the controversy during his show at the Bowl: I got in so much trouble for making a joke about special needs helmets, and then I come to LA and perform in the biggest helmet, he said, referring to the venues dome-like stage. Prior to the release of his Netflix special, Rife told Variety that Natural Selection was way more for guys. One thing I wanted to tackle in this special was showing people that, despite what you think about me online, I dont pander my career to women, he said. When asked whether hes worried about offending audiences with his darker material, Rife replied: You dont know what other people are into and thats why you have to go out there and do your comedy and just lay it all out there, vulnerably, to find your audience. The way I look at it is, as a comedian everything comes down to intent, he added. I know for me, everything that leaves my mouth on stage is purely with the intention of making people laugh. Its never any deeper, never any more or never any less than that. Earlier last year, Rifes comments about womens bodies during an episode of the Stiff Socks podcast were widely condemned. Reflecting on the insane backlash to his podcast appearance during a subsequent interview with The New York Times, Rife said: Youre mad at somebody thats just trying to make you laugh? Thats such an insane concept to me. The national domestic abuse helpline offers support for women on 0808 2000 247, or you can visit the Refuge website. There is a dedicated mens advice line on 0808 8010 327. Those in the US can call the domestic violence hotline on 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Watch as people gathered in Stortorget, Stockholm, to protest against Israels participation in Eurovision. The second semi-final of this years Eurovision Song Contest took place in Malmo, Sweden, on Thursday 9 May, with Israels performance expected to draw attention. Some 100,000 visitors have gathered in the southern Swedish city for the annual event, which is taking place amid protests and boycotts over Israels military campaign in Gaza, triggered by Hamass 7 October attack. Swedish authorities have heightened security and are bracing for possible unrest during Eurovision week. Police officers have been seen patrolling the streets of Malmo and, from water scooters, the citys canals. Metal barricades and large concrete blocks have been put up around Malmo Arena, which is hosting the competition, with police guarding the venue and checking visitors bags. Visitors have to pass through metal detectors before entering the arena, and are only allowed to bring small purses into the venue. Thursdays semi-final features two of the favourites to win, Switzerlands Nemo with the song The Code and Joost Klein of the Netherlands with the song Europapa, as well as outsider Eden Golan of Israel with her song Hurricane. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Watch as Eurovision Song Contest fans arrived for the second-semi final on Thursday, 9 May, as protesters gathered near the venue in Malmo. Demonstrators gathered in Sweden to protest against Israels participation in the competition. Protests have taken place and calls have been made to boycott the contest over Israels offensive in Gaza following Hamass 7 October attack. Israel's Eurovision entry, Eden Golan, was booed during a dress rehearsal on Wednesday. She was met with chants of Free Palestine and jeers by some members of the crowd. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has allowed Israel to enter this years song contest, despite the countrys ongoing attacks on Gaza. The Palestinian death toll is believed to have reached 34,000 people. Golan, 20, has told ITV News that she could not have asked for a better year to be representing my country. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Presenter Rylan has defended the Eurovision Song Contest ahead of further protests over Israels participation. The countrys 2024 delegate Eden Golan is set to take to the stage this evening (Thursday 9 May), where she will perform the song Hurricane. The EBU has resisted calls to ban Israel from competing amid the war in the Gaza Strip, where the Palestinian death toll is believed to have reached 34,000 people. Speaking from Malmo, Sweden, Rylan, who is hosting the BBCs coverage alongside Graham Norton and Scott Mills, told ITVs Good Morning Britain that Malmo was doing an amazing job of hosting. The climate in the world at the minute isnt great and you know were not silly to not understand that theres a lot going on in the world, but I think in the Eurovision bubble its a song contest, its all about the music and thats what were here for, the 35-year-old said. The city has done an amazing job, theres a lot of demonstrations happening and people have got the right to do that and but its just about the music. Mills, 51, added: It does feel a little different, but its about the music and the joy that we have every single year at Eurovision. open image in gallery Rylan (left) and Scott Mills spoke about the controversy over Israels participation ( ITV ) Thousands are expected to join a pro-Palestinian march in Malmo today, which Swedish police said would cause disturbance to traffic. Golan told ITV News this week that she could not have asked for a better year to be representing my country. Discussing the backlash, the EBUs deputy director general Jean Philip De Tender said: We do understand the concerns and the deeply held views that many people have around the war in the Middle East and I think nobody can remain untouched by the profound suffering of everybody involved in that war. The Eurovision Song Contest is a music event which is organised and co-produced by 37 public broadcasters, so its not a competition between nations or governments. open image in gallery Eden Golan of Israel (Martin Meissner/AP) ( AP ) Eurovision contestants and attendees have been warned that the EBU reserves the right to remove any Palestinian flags and pro-Palestine symbols at the show. Golan will face fierce competition this evening, including from Switzerlands Nemo and their song The Code, widely considered to be one of the favourites to win at the grand final on Saturday 11 May. The first semi-final took place on Tuesday, and saw other popular delegates such as Irelands Bambie Thug and Croatias Baby Lasagna sail through to the final. The second Eurovision semi-final will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 8pm tonight (Thursday 9 May). Additional reporting by agencies Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Get our The Life Cinematic email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Paul Schrader has said that Martin Scorseses Scottie dog bit off part of his thumb and then ate it. The screenwriter and director, 77, is a longtime friend and collaborator of Scorseses. Schrader wrote the script for 1976s Taxi Driver and they continued to work together on films like Raging Bull (1980), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Bringing Out the Dead (1999). In a new profile for Variety, journalist Stephen Rodrick writes that in December Schrader turned up for an interview with a massive, bloody bandage wrapped around his hand. When Rodrick asked what had happened to his thumb, Schrader replied: So on Tuesday night, I had dinner with Marty at his place. He has these dogs. They were very cute. Two of them were bichon frise. Theyre really beautiful. But then, he has a Scottie, which is a problematic dog. It was his daughters dog. He doesnt like the dog, but they have to keep him and blah, blah, blah. Schrader went on to explain that he tried to pet the Scottie, adding: The Scottie not only took out part of my thumb, he ate it. open image in gallery Paul Schrader (left) and Martin Scorsese ( Getty ) Rodrick enquired as to whether Schrader had to be hospitalised because of the injury, to which the filmmaker replied: Marty has an in-house nurse. Schraders latest film is the upcoming drama Oh, Canada, based on the 2021 novel Foregone by Russell Banks. It stars Richard Gere, Uma Thurman, Michael Imperioli and Jacob Elordi and is set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on 17 May. The film marks a reunion between Schrader and Gere, who previously worked together on 1980s American Gigolo. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free In recent years, Schrader has become known for his outspoken Facebook posts, which he has used to criticise films like Emerald Fennells Saltburn. He wrote that the class satire: flips The Talented Mr Ripley formula in which the lower class arriviste undermines the establishment with his charm and beauty. He added: In Saltburn the lower class boy is plain and the object he pursues is beauty personified. Its an inversion which should not work. And it doesnt. Last year, Schrader told The Independent that he stands by his withering criticism. It is a bad film, he said. Instead of withering, you could say a slightly accurate review. He also revealed that he remains keen to work on a future project with Kevin Spacey, who last July was found not guilty of sexually assaulting four men following a trial in London. The American Beauty star had long denied multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. People responded as if I had said I would kick a homeless man, Schrader said. I mean, Kevin Spacey is a great actor. He won two Oscars. He was found not guilty. Why would I not work with him? Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators have taken to the streets of Malmo to protest against Israels participation in this years Eurovision Song Contest. The competitions second semi-final is taking place today (9 May) in the Swedish port city. Demonstrators have called for other countries to boycott the contest over Israels offensive in Gaza following Hamass 7 October attack. Police estimated that between 10,000 and 12,000 people took part in todays demonstration, which saw Palestinian flags being waved through the historic Stortorget square. Among those in the crowd was the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. Its important to be here, Amani Eli-Ali, a Malmo resident of Palestinian heritage, told AP. Its not OK for Sweden to arrange this Eurovision and have Israel in the contest. Protester Saadallah Aoudi, a Swedish citizen with Palestinian roots, added that this is the wrong time for Israel to take part in the competition. open image in gallery Police face pro-Palestinian protesters in Malmo during the Eurovision semi-final on 9 May 2024 ( TT NEWS AGENCY/AFP via Getty Ima ) Its about songs, and songs are about love. They should be here when there is peace, he said. A smaller pro-Israel protest was also held in a central Malmo square. Pro-Palestinian groups say they plan to march again on Saturday, the day of the Eurovision final. Israels Eurovision entry, Eden Golan, was booed during a dress rehearsal on Wednesday. She was met with chants of Free Palestine and jeers by some members of the crowd. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has allowed Israel to enter this years song contest, despite the countrys ongoing attacks on Gaza. The Palestinian death toll is believed to have reached 34,000 people. Golan, 20, has told ITV News that she could not have asked for a better year to be representing my country. Ahead of the protests, BBC presenter Rylan came to the defence of Eurovision. Speaking from Malmo, Rylan, who is hosting the BBCs coverage alongside Graham Norton and Scott Mills, told ITVs Good Morning Britain that the city is doing an amazing job of hosting. Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members) Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members) Sign up The climate in the world at the minute isnt great and you know were not silly to not understand that theres a lot going on in the world, but I think in the Eurovision bubble its a song contest, its all about the music and thats what were here for, said the 35-year-old. The city has done an amazing job, theres a lot of demonstrations happening and people have got the right to do that, but its just about the music. Additional reporting by agencies Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Taylor Swift has officially added several songs from her newest record, The Tortured Poets Department, to her Eras Tour. Fresh off the release of her well-received 11th studio album, Swift returned to the stage on Thursday (9 May) in Paris, France, where she performed several of the new tracks live for the first time. Following performances from her 1989 album, the 34-year-old superstar re-entered the stage dressed in a white gown, before launching into tracks from TTPD. She began with the albums sixth song, But Daddy I Love Him, before jumping around and performing Whos Afraid of Little Old Me, I Can Do It With a Broken Heart, loml, So High School, The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived and more. Ahead of her highly anticipated return to the road, Swift teased fans with a YouTube video of her tour rehearsal, where the intro of Fortnight could be heard playing in the background. A fortnight til Paris, the caption read. We are going to discover a slightly modified show since she has released a new album, her French tour manager had confirmed in an interview with Radio France prior to the show. open image in gallery Taylor Swift performs on stage during a concert as part of her Eras World Tour in Sydney ( AFP via Getty Images ) Thursdays concert marked her first of four in Paris, the first stop on her 18-city European leg. It was recently reported that 20 per cent of the tickets for the four sold-out Paris shows were bought by Americans, who travelled to Europe to see her on tour. Meanwhile, Stockholm, the tours next stop, expects about 10,000 concert-goers from the US. Following its release, TTPD topped the Billboard 200 chart, selling 2.61 million units, the highest for any album since Adeles 25 in 2015. Its Swifts 14th chart-topping album, tying her with Jay-Z for the most No 1s by a recording artist, placing both slightly behind The Beatles 19 top albums. Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up TTPD also gives Swift the most No 1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart among female recording artists. Save for her 2006 eponymous debut album, which peaked at No 5, all of Swifts albums have managed to reach the No 1 spot. The album features collaborations with rapper Post Malone and Florence Welch of English band Florence + the Machine. Reacting in shock to her albums reception, Swift wrote in an Instagram caption: My mind is blown. Im completely floored by the love youve shown this album. 2.6 million ARE YOU ACTUALLY SERIOUS?? Thank you for listening, streaming, and welcoming Tortured Poets into your life. Feeling completely overwhelmed. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Spirited Away simply shouldnt work. At a time when hackneyed screen-to-stage cash-ins have become a ravaging blight on Londons theatre scene, along comes this: a doggedly faithful adaptation of one of the greatest and most adored animated films of all time. Hayao Miyazakis Oscar-winning 2001 fantasy is inimitable a medium-defining and wholly idiosyncratic achievement only possible in the boundaryless canvas of animation. And yet, here it is on stage, reconfigured ambitiously into flesh and puppetry. London Coliseum plays host to the first international production of a stage show that has run in Japan since 2022, devised by the production company Toho and adapted by John Caird. Following in the slipstream of My Neighbour Totoro, another consummate Studio Ghibli theatre adaptation brought to the British stage, Spirited Away is performed entirely in Japanese (with English subtitles), and features the majority of the roundly superb original cast. open image in gallery Mone Kamishiraishi as Chihiro in Spirited Away ( Johan Persson ) The play follows a 10-year-old girl called Chihiro (Mone Kamishiraishi on press night, one of four actors passing around the role). As Chihiro drives with her parents to a new home, they chance upon an abandoned theme park. Before you can say, dont eat the cursed buffet, her parents have been transformed into pigs and Chihiro is trapped in the land of the spirits, forced to seek work at a lavish otherworldly bathhouse a sort of luxury spa for the gods. Spirited Away is three hours of constant, unpredictable spectacle. There are so many scenes here, so many locations and characters, all imbued with a tremendous visual flair and kineticism. The stage itself is chameleonic mostly working around a two-tiered, hut-like edifice that swivels to imagine the bathhouses various rooms. The paranormal characters, too, are a delight. Theres nefarious witch and bathhouse owner Yubaba (Mari Natsuki), whose face segments and balloons to the size of a double bed when shes angry. Theres the quirky, six-armed boiler room operator Kamaji (Tomorowo Taguchi), who lords over a workshop of tiny, soot-like puppets. Theres Haku (Kotaro Daigo), a benevolent spirit forced to work as Yubabas enforcer, who transforms into a flying blue and white dragon. (The giant puppet is one of the shows most reliable visual flourishes.) And theres No-Face (Hikaru Yamano), a creepy imp-like ghoul who starts feeding on the bathhouse employees until a whole mass of black-clad actors is needed just to fill out his ungainly outline. Watching Spirited Away, I found it hard to imagine what someone unfamiliar with the source material would make of it. Miyazakis film is uniquely, mercurially strange, the plot dense and meandering. In lesser hands it would buckle under the sheer weight of its eccentricity. Unmoored here from the visual detail of animation, the peculiar story seems an even harder sell. But it connects not just on a sensory level, but on an emotional one too, swept along by a wonderful lead performance and a tremendous musical arrangement (adapted by Brad Haak from Joe Hisaishis original, masterful film score and performed here with a live orchestra). Its hard to overstate just how good Kamishiraishi is as Chihiro, evoking the character of a pre-teen girl entirely through movement and physicality. When she weeps, it is painful; when she triumphs, it is electrifying. open image in gallery Yubaba (Mari Natsuki) and Chihiro (Mone Kamishiraishi) in Spirited Away ( Johan Persson ) Spirited Away still fresh and affecting, 23 years on was never crying out for a stage adaptation. In hewing so closely to the original text, this production does little to augment the ideas of Miyazakis film in any sort of cerebral or thematic way. But it does inject the story with fresh life, with the kind of charged intimacy that you only get in live performance. If we must have an adaptation, its impossible to imagine a better one than this. Spirited Away is at London Coliseum until 24 August For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Baby Reindeer viewers are questioning the ethics behind Piers Morgans interview with the woman whose alleged campaign of stalking and harassment inspired the series. This week, the broadcaster revealed he had spoken to the Scottish lawyer being labelled the real Martha, with the interview set to air on his YouTube show Uncensored on Thursday (8 May). After filming the interview, though, Harvey said she felt used by Morgan, who she said placed a heavy emphasis on the thousands of emails she allegedly sent Baby Reindeer creator and lead star Richard Gadd. Netflixs Baby Reindeer follows a comedian as he is relentlessly harassed and stalked by Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning) for more than four years. Immediately after its release on 11 April, the series became a word-of-mouth sensation and is on course to be one of the streaming services most-watched shows, alongside heavyweights Stranger Things and Bridgerton. The lawyer, who has received death threats since the show started, has now hinted that Morgan capitalised on the furore, telling Daily Record: I wouldnt say I was happy. It was very rapid to try to trip me up. He did it fast paced to catch me off guard. It seemed to me that I was set up. I feel a bit used. Her claims corroborate general feeling about Morgans interview, which was met with consternation when the broadcaster announced the world exclusive on Wednesday (8 May). He wrote on X/Twitter: The real-life Martha from Baby Reindeer breaks cover and gives me her first TV interview about the smash hit Netflix show. [She] wants to have her say & set the record straight. Is she a psycho stalker? open image in gallery Jessica Gunning as Martha in Baby Reindeer ( Netflix ) The posts replies section was flooded with messages from users calling the interview irresponsible and unethical due to the fact that Gadd himself told The Independent that the real person who inspired Martha to be mentally unwell. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free This is exploitation of a person who is in a vulnerable position. Clearly unethical, one person wrote, with another adding: This guy has absolutely no shame! Others branded the decision to interview Harvey disgraceful and absolutely vile. The Independent has contacted Morgans Uncensored for comment. Morgans announcement arrived hours before Gadd, Gunning, co-star Nava Mau and series director Weronika Tofilska participated in a panel discussion about the show in Los Angeles. The event was held to stir up interest among TV awards voters in Hollywood. Both Gadd and Gunning are strongly expected to receive Emmy and Golden Globe nominations in the forthcoming awards race. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Doctor Who writer Russell T Davies has killed off a fan favourite character in a move that might upset viewers. Davies, who spearheaded the long-running science-fiction shows revival in 2005, has returned as showrunner for what is expected to be miltiple new seasons. The acclaimed first two episodes of the new era are now available to stream on BBC iPlayer before being aired at 6.20pm on Saturday (11 May), in a move that controversially caters to US audiences for the first time New episodes are being led by Ncuti Gatwa, who made his debut at the end of a series of specials that welcomed back former Time Lord star David Tennant. At the end of the specials, Tennant regenerated into Gatwa but, this being Doctor Who, fans were hopeful that Tennant might return one day in the future. According to Davies, though, Tennant will absolutely never come back, with the writer sharing an off-screen conclusion to his version of the character. For fans of Tennants iteration of the character, its sad news. I think he died, Davies told The Times. Im going to start saying that. He went to Venice, 2063, when the city sank, and he went into a whirlpool, which is really sad. David is parked and retired and its all Ncutis show now. Genuinely. Not that David might be coming back hes absolutely not coming back. Davies also reflected on Whittakers tenure in the series, which was overseen by Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall. open image in gallery David Tennant will absolutely never return to Doctor Who ( BBC ) Whittaker was the first woman to play the role, and the three series and five specials she starred in are considered the shows most divisive since its 2005 revival. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free After both Whittaker and Chibnall left, fans claimed that the show was in need of saving when Davies signed on to return and the writer has now addressed this belief. I know people were saying that and its not really fair for me to comment. But I loved Jodie. My friend Chris Chibnall was writing it. He suggested that public opinion of those series is more positive than what you would find online. I think were having to cope with an internet age in which fandom is very critical, but its not public opinion, he said. open image in gallery Jodie Whittaker in Doctor Who ( CASEY CRAFFORD/BBC AMERICA/BBC STUDIOS ) Earlier this year, Davies liked posts from angry Doctor Who fans concerning the release plans for the new series. When the return date was announced, it was revealed new episodes would debut at midnight on BBC iPlayer before airing in its usual time slot on a Saturday night. This move comes after the series struck a deal with Disney+, where new episodes will become available globally at the same time as the UK. While this is very good news for fans of the show outside of the UK, some viewers have been left saddened by the move as theyre concerned social media will be filled with spoilers. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Russell Brand has shared the first photo of his baptism in the River Thames last week, which features Bear Grylls. Brand previously shared a video to social media detailing how Grylls was one of two men who flanked him during the ceremony where he lives in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. The 48-year-old comedian had called baptism an opportunity to leave the past behind, less than a year after a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary exposed allegations of sexual assault against him. On Wednesday (8 May), Brand shared a photo of him, Grylls and a third man embracing in the water after his baptism. He captioned the post: Me, Bear Grylls, The River Thames and of course, The Holy Spirit. Grylls who is a devout Christian confirmed his attendance to the Daily Mail and described assisting in Brands baptism as a privilege after the comedians tough time. Faith and spiritual moments in our lives are really personal, he told the publication. 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, he added. In a previous Instagram video, Brand told his followers he felt incredibly blessed after his baptism in the River Thames. I got baptised and it was an incredible, profound experience, he said. Im so grateful to be surrendered in Christ. In September last year, a Channel 4 Dispatches and Sunday Times investigation revealed accusations by four women of rape, sexual assault and abuse at the height of Brands fame between 2006 and 2013. According to the investigation, Brand allegedly entered a relationship with one of the women when he was 31 and she was 16. On their first date, she claims he asked her to confirm if she was 16 and said: I dont give a f*** if youre 12 ... I need to know where I stand legally. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free She claims that he sexually assaulted her at his home just before their relationship ended. open image in gallery 'Running Wild: The Challenge With Bear Grylls and Russell Brand' ( Nat Geo ) Brand, who the Metropolitan Police have questioned, has strongly denied all accusations and recently told former Fox News host Tucker Carlson in a YouTube interview that the claims were very, very hurtful. Brand also told Carlson that his infant son was undergoing heart surgery at the time the allegations were exposed. I mentioned my son because throughout it I was able to maintain what is really important in life, he said. Hurtful as it is to be accused of what I consider to be the most appalling crimes, to be accused of this is very, very painful, and very hurtful. He added: But I am being shown that there are consequences for the rather foolish way that I lived in the past although of course again to reiterate, due to the nature of the world we live, of course I deny any allegations of the kind that have been advanced. Brand and Grylls previously spent time together in 2023 when the comedian appeared on Running Wild with Bear Grylls and the pair hiked across the Hebrides together. The TV survivalist is an advocate for Christianity and has appeared in promotional videos for the Alpha course, which claims to have recruited 29 million people to the faith. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A senior official of Baidu was forced to apologise after she was seen glorifying a toxic overwork culture, sparking a in a public relations nightmare and widespread outrage in China. Positing herself as a tough task manager, Cristina Jing Qu posted videos on Dourin, the Chinese version of TikTok, saying she has no responsibility to consider employees as family because Im not your mother. In a series of videos published over the May Day holiday period, she said: If you are not satisfied with your job, feel free to resign. I will approve it immediately. If you work in public relations, dont expect weekends off. Keep your phone on 24 hours a day, always ready to respond." She also allegedly threatened subordinates criticising her management style, saying: "I can make it impossible for you to find a job in this industry with just a short essay. Her remarks have turned into a PR nightmare for the Chinese search engine with stock prices dropping by 2.17 per cent on 7 May amid a huge public outcry. "As the companys vice-president, [Ms Qu] should have known that her comments and attitude would disgust her subordinates, yet she went ahead to make them public. This speaks of how out-of-touch she is," one user wrote, according to the BBC. "She is supposed to lead Baidus public relations department, yet she herself is deeply involved in a public relations crisis. Talk about a lack of professionalism," said another. Subsequently, the videos from the Dourin account were removed, as Ms Qu issued a public apology to "very pertinent" criticism. I have carefully read all the opinions and comments from various platforms, and many criticisms are very pertinent. I deeply reflect on and humbly accept them, she wrote on WeChat, reported the Global Times. "I apologise that the inappropriate videos led to the publics misunderstanding of my companys values and corporate culture, she said, highlighting that the views were private in nature and not that of the organisation. "I will learn from my mistakes and improve the way I communicate, and care more for my colleagues," she wrote. In 2019, Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma endorsed a 996 work culture where people worked from 9am to 9pm for six days a week and called it a blessing. According to Chinas labour law, a standard work day is eight hours long with a maximum of 44 hours a week. Beyond that requires extra pay but employers seldom enforce it. Earlier in 2021, Chinas top court and the labour ministry were forced to issue a stern reminder to organisations about the work hours, after at least 10 employers lost the case over the breach of rules. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Chinese military has accused America of hyping the passage of a US destroyer through the narrow Taiwan Strait and raising tensions less than two weeks before the islands new president takes office. The US Navys 7th Fleet said the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey passed through the waters in accordance with international law on Wednesday. The latest mission of the American warship comes at a sensitive time when Taiwans new president Lai Ching-te is set to be inaugurated on 20 May. The president-elect has long faced Beijings wrath for championing Taiwans sovereignty. In a statement, naval senior captain Li Xi, spokesperson for the Eastern Theatre Command, said the passage of the USS Halsey was monitored by the command which oversees operations around the strait. "Troops in the theatre are always on high alert and will resolutely defend national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability," the Eastern Theatre Command of the Peoples Liberation Army said in a statement. Mr Xi accused the US of having publicly hyped the passage of the USS Halsey. The US Navy said the mission was a "routine Taiwan Strait transit" on Wednesday "through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law". "Halseys transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations as a principle," the fleets statement said. "No member of the international community should be intimidated or coerced into giving up their rights and freedoms. The US military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows." Taiwans Defence Ministry said the US ship sailed south through the strait and that Taiwanese forces had monitored the situation but observed nothing unusual. open image in gallery In this photo provided by the U.S. Navy, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97) conducts routine underway operations while transiting through the Taiwan Strait ( AP ) This is the latest such passage of a US warship around the waters after 17 April when a US P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft flew through the Taiwan Strait. China, which lays claim on the entire island, also considers the passage of warships from the US, Britain and other nations through the Taiwan Strait as a challenge to its sovereignty. However, the heavily transited strait is international waters and vital to global trade. In what has been called intimidation tactics by Taipei, China sends navy ships and warplanes into the strait and other areas around the island almost daily to wear down Taiwans defences. The Taiwanese Defence Ministry, which regularly monitors Chinese movement around the island, said 23 Chinese military jets and eight naval ships were detected operating around the country in the 24 hours leading up to Thursday morning. Eight of the planes crossed the median line in the strait and entered Taiwans air defence identification zone, prompting Taiwan to scramble jets and put coastal missile batteries and naval craft on alert in the latest altercation. It comes as the US and Chinese defence chiefs held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. Military-to-military contact between the US and Chinese forces stalled in August 2022, when Beijing suspended all such communication following then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosis controversial visit to Taiwan. China responded by firing missiles over Taiwan and staging a surge in military maneuvers, including what appeared to be a rehearsal of a naval and aerial blockade of the island. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy South Korea will set up a ministry to address the countrys plummeting birth rate, president Yoon Suk Yeol announced on Thursday, calling it a national emergency. The fertility rate in South Korea has been severely hit and continues on a dramatic decline in 2023 as women concerned about their careers and the financial cost of raising children are either delayed childbirth or deciding not to have babies. Women have cited the heavy emotional and physical burden of raising a child mostly by themselves, lost career opportunities, and the financial cost, setting the first such trend impacting a national demographic globally. On Thursday, Mr Yoon said South Korean parliament will be requested for cooperation to set up what he called the Ministry of Low Birth Rate Counter-Planning. We will mobilise all of the nations capabilities to overcome the low birth rate, which can be considered a national emergency, he said, announcing a new policy push. open image in gallery South Koreas president Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a press conference marking two years in office at the presidential office in Seoul ( AFP via Getty Images ) The demographic crisis in the country is blamed on a number of factors, but largely Korean couples frustrations with rising cost of living and declining quality of life have been considered as the primary reasons. Addressing his first press conference in 21 months, the president pushed for improving the economy performance as he flagged the emergency of declining birth rates the coming three years of his term. "I think the important thing going forward is indeed the economy. Corporate growth and job creation are important too but what I think is more important is to try harder to look for what is inconvenient in the life of each and every person and to resolve them," the South Korean leader said. He was standing behind a plaque which read: The Buck Stops Here. The ministry will address the challenges contributing to the record low birth rate and fast-ageing population. "This is not a matter we can take time to work on," he said. The South Korean government and policymakers have been striving to find new and innovative measures to address the crisis of dwindling child birth rates. The birth rates in the country dropped to 0.72 babies per woman in a lifetime in 2023, the lowest national birth rate. Under the governments scheme to motivate parents, South Korean couples receive financial assistance ranging from 35m won (20,566) to 50m won (29,380) through different incentive and support programs from the time of their childs birth until they reach the age of seven. It comes as the boss of a South Korean firm is offering employees up to 59,000 to have children and help lift the countrys birth rate. Booyoung Group, a construction firm based in Seoul, plans to pay employees 100m Korean won each time they have a baby. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The overseas head of the Indian National Congress, one of Indias main opposition parties, has resigned after a furore over controversial remarks about the countrys racial diversity. Sam Pitroda, the 82-year-old chair of the Indian Overseas Congress organisation, told The Statesman during an interview: We have survived 75 years in a very happy environment where people could live together, leaving aside a few fights here and there. We could hold a country together as diverse as India, where people on the east look like Chinese, people on the West look like Arab, people on the North look like white and maybe people on the South look like Africans doesnt matter. We are all brothers and sisters. We all respect different languages, religions, different looks, customs and food. Thats the India I believe in where everybody has a place. His comments have been lept upon by critics in India, including prime minister Narendra Modi, who said it displayed the divisive mindset of Congress. Senior Congress politician Jairam Ramesh labelled the remarks unacceptable analogies on Indias diversity. He wrote on X: The analogies drawn by Mr Sam Pitroda in a podcast to illustrate Indias diversity are most unfortunate and unacceptable. The Indian National Congress completely dissociates itself from these analogies. The remarks first emerged on Wednesday. By late evening, The Hindu reported that Mr Pitroda had resigned, nudged by the party leadership. But later Mr Ramesh said he resigned of his own accord. Mr Sam Pitroda has decided to step down as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress of his own accord. The Congress President has accepted his decision, Mr Ramesh wrote on X. Earlier, reacting to Mr Pitrodas comments, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma a leading figure in Mr Modis BJP said in a post on X: Sam bhai, I am from the northeast and I look like an Indian. We are a diverse country we may look different, but we are all one. Hamare desh ke bare mein thoda to samajh lo! (Please understand at least something about our country). Indian finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who hails from Tamil Nadu in the south, said Mr Pitrodas comments reflected his biases. I am from South India. I look Indian! My team has enthusiastic members from northeast India. They look Indian! My colleagues from west India look Indian! But, for the racist who is the mentor of Rahul Gandhi, we all look African, Chinese, Arab and white! Thanks for revealing your mindset and your attitude, she wrote on X. Mr Pitroda was an adviser to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in the 1980s and now lives in Chicago. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said: It is the words and thinking of Rahul Gandhi only, because these days Rahul is also playing the politics of divide and rule to such an extent that first they divide on caste and language lines and now they are doing Indians Vs Indians. To make comments like Indians are like Chinese Isnt this a racist comment? Isnt this insulting? Mr Pitroda stirred controversy last month about inheritance tax. He said in an interview: In America, there is an inheritance tax. If one has USD 100 million worth of wealth and when he dies he can only transfer probably 45 per cent to his children, 55 per cent is grabbed by the government. Thats an interesting law. It says you in your generation made wealth and you are leaving now, you must leave your wealth for the public, not all of it, half of it, which to me sounds fair. These comments were also seized upon by the ruling party, with Mr Modi claiming the Congress manifesto declared that they would take stock of the gold mothers and daughters have and will distribute that wealth. Mr Pitroda said his statement was twisted, while Congress again clarified that Mr Pitrodas views did not represent their official stance. During the 2019 general elections in India, Mr Pitroda triggered controversy by dismissing questions about the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, stating so what and shifting focus to other issues like job creation and smart cities. This drew massive criticism, with Mr Modi linking the comments to Mr Gandhi and sparking a political debate. Mr Gandhi condemned the remarks and called for an apology, which Mr Pitroda later issued. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Indian prime minister Narendra Modi has claimed without evidence that his chief rival took truckloads of illegal money from billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, in one of the most unexpected twists in the heated election battle. Mr Ambani and Mr Adani, two of Asias richest men, are said to enjoy close ties to the prime minister. Mr Modi arrived in Delhi for his first inauguration as prime minister in 2014 on a private jet emblazoned with Mr Adanis logo, and his face accompanied frontpage advertisements announcing the formal launch of Mr Ambanis telecoms company Jio, which has since rapidly risen to become a major player in a highly lucrative and competitive market. Mr Modis latest attack on Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party has triggered a debate about the sudden change of thrust in the prime ministers campaign speeches, with analysts speculating that his party was doubtful of its performance in the election so far. Addressing a rally in southern Telangana state on Wednesday, Mr Modi accused Mr Gandhi of striking a deal with the billionaires. For five years, the Congress prince abused Ambani and Adani and now suddenly you have stopped. Meaning, you have accepted truckloads of illegal funds. You will have to answer to the country about this," Mr Modi said. He was sensing something fishy as the Congress partys attack on the two billionaires had stopped overnight, the prime minister added. Mr Gandhi responded in a video statement saying Mr Modi was nervous about how the election was going. He challenged the prime minister to send investigative agencies to prove his allegation. Modiji, are you nervous? Normally you speak of Adani and Ambani in closed rooms. It is for the first time you have taken their names in public, Mr Gandhi said. You even know they send money in truckloads, is that your personal experience? Send CBI, ED to them, get a thorough inquiry done as soon as possible, he said, referring to federal agencies Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, both of which Mr Modis government has been accused of weaponising against opposition leaders. "I want to repeat to the nation that the amount of money Modi has given to them, we are going to give the same amount to Indias poor, he added, referring to Mr Ambani and Mr Adani. open image in gallery Rahul Gandhi speaks during a rally in Pune ( AFP via Getty ) Mr Modis attack came after Mr Gandhis consistent swipes at the prime minister and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party for allegedly having close links with business tycoons and championing policies favouring the wealthy over the poor. Mr Ambani and Mr Adani come from Mr Modis home state of Gujarat where their multinational corporations maintain major business operations. The prime minister, who has been in power for a decade and is seeking a third consecutive term, had refrained from mentioning their names on the campaign trail so far. Neither industrialist has publicly stated who they might support in the ongoing election and their corporations did not respond to requests for comment. open image in gallery Narendra Modi at an election campaign rally in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh ( Reuters ) Political analysts said Mr Modis attack seeking to link Mr Gandhi to the billionaires was an attempt to confuse voters. It also displayed his anxiousness over low voter turnout, they said. The three phases of polling so far have seen lower turnout than the previous election in 2019, putting in doubt opinion polls that predicted a landslide victory for the ruling party. The election is spread over seven phases of voting, with the results due to be declared on 4 June. Apoorvanand, a professor at the University of Delhi, told The Independent that Mr Modis baseless allegation against Mr Gandhi was intended to shape a narrative. Mr Modi is creating a talking point to create confusion in Mr Gandhis electorate so that people forget facts and get entangled in the narrative. This is meant to direct the medias relentless attacks on Congress party to clarify, he said. The Indian prime minister is definitely anxious and desperate because he has started loving power and led in the illusion that he is going to win. He fears losing power unlike other democrats, he added. But he did not believe that Mr Modi made the comment to distance himself from the corporate moguls as he has come to power riding the shoulders of these billionaires. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Tens of thousands of displaced and exhausted Palestinians have packed up their tents and other belongings from Rafah, dragging families on a new exodus. The main hospital has shut down, leaving little care for people suffering from malnutrition, illnesses and wounds. And with fuel and other supplies cut off, aid workers have been scrambling to help a population desperate after seven months of war. As the possibility of a full-scale invasion looms, Gazas overcrowded southernmost city has been thrown into panic and chaos by Israels seizure of the nearby border crossing with Egypt. Families already uprooted multiple times by the war were uncertain where to go: to the half-destroyed city of Khan Younis, to points even farther north, or to an Israeli-declared humanitarian zone already teeming with people with little water or supplies? The past three days, streams of people on foot or in vehicles have jammed the roads out of Rafah in a confused evacuation, their belongings piled high in cars, trucks and donkey carts. All the while, Israeli bombardment has boomed and raised palls of smoke. The war has caught up with us even in schools. There is no safe place at all, said Nuzhat Jarjer. Her family packed on Wednesday to leave a U.N. school-turned-shelter in Rafah that was rapidly emptying of the hundreds who had lived there for months. Rafah had 250,000 residents before the war. Its population had ballooned to some 1.4 million as people from across Gaza fled there. Nearly every empty space was blanketed with tent camps, and families crammed into schools or homes with relatives. Like the rest of Gazas population, they have been largely reliant on aid groups for food and other basics of life. Israel on Monday issued evacuation orders for eastern parts of the city, home to some 100,000. It then sent tanks to seize the nearby Rafah crossing with Egypt, shutting it down. At the same time, it has intensified bombardment around the city. It remains uncertain whether Israel will launch an all-out invasion of Rafah as international efforts continue for a cease-fire. Israel has said an assault on Rafah is crucial to its goal of destroying Hamas after the militant groups Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. The United States, which opposes a Rafah invasion, has said Israel has not provided a credible plan for evacuating and protecting civilians. For now, confusion has reigned. Fearing a greater assault, Palestinians fled districts other than the eastern areas they were ordered to leave. Tens of thousands are estimated to have left, according to a U.N. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because agencies were still trying to determine precise figures. Tent camps in some parts of Rafah have vanished, springing up again further north along main roads. New camps have filled streets, cemeteries and the beach in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah, 15 kilometers (10 miles) north, as people flowed in, said Ghada Alhaddad, who works there with the aid group Oxfam, speaking to a briefing by several humanitarian workers. Others made their way to Khan Younis, much of which was destroyed in a months-long Israeli ground assault. Suze van Meegen, head of operations for the Norwegian Refugee Council in Palestine, said the Rafah district where she is based feels like a ghost town. The Israeli military told those evacuating to go to a humanitarian zone it declared in Muwasi, a nearby rural area on the Mediterranean coast. The zone is already packed with some 450,000 people, according to the U.N. Few new facilities appear to be prepared, despite the militarys announcements that tents, medical centers and food would be present. The ground is covered in many places with sewage and solid waste, since there are few sanitation facilities, aid workers say. Clean water is lacking and dehydration is a major problem, with temperatures some days already reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius). The water quality is horrifically bad. We tested some of the water and the fecal content is incredibly high, said James Smith, a British emergency doctor volunteering at the European General Hospital in nearby Khan Younis. Acute jaundice is rampant and probably hepatitis, too, but theres no capabilities to test, he said. The newly arrived struggle to find tents because aid groups have had difficulty meeting the high demand. Before his family left Rafah to the zone, Iyad al-Masry said he had to sell the food they had received from aid groups to buy a tent for the equivalent of nearly $400. His family set up their tent in Muwasi, smoothing the dirt ground before setting down a cradle to rock an infant in. Al-Masri said he has been searching for water and cant afford the three shekels a little less than $1 that sellers charge for a gallon of drinking water. We want to eat We are just waiting for Gods mercy, he said. Aid workers said Rafahs population is in no condition to move, crippled by malnutrition and illnesses. Nick Maynard, a surgeon with Medical Aid for Palestinians who left Gaza on Monday, called it nonsense to move 1 million people in those conditions. They get this vicious cycle of malnutrition, infection, wounds breaking down, more infection, more malnutrition, he said. He said two of his patients teenage girls who had survivable injuries died last week because of complications from malnutrition. Other malnourished patients had weakened abdominal walls and, after surgery, the contents of their bowels leaked out onto their bodies, he said. When you walk around Rafah, the number of children that you see who have lost one or more of their limbs, who have been maimed, is staggering, said Alexandra Saieh from Save The Children. These people cannot just pick up and relocate. Rafahs main Youssef al-Najjar Hospital evacuated on Tuesday. Smith said staff and patients rushed out even though they werent under evacuation orders because they feared Israeli troops would raid, just as they did hospitals in northern Gaza and Khan Younis, which were left decimated. Israeli tank shells Wednesday hit about 300 meters (yards) from the Kuwaiti Hospital, one of the few facilities still operating, and wounded several children, according to hospital officials. The closure of Rafah crossing and the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel has cut off the entry of food, supplies, and fuel for aid trucks and generators. Aid groups warn they have only a few days of fuel before humanitarian operations and hospitals around Gaza begin to shut down. Israel said Wednesday it reopened Kerem Shalom, which was shut after Hamas mortars killed four Israeli soldiers nearby, but aid groups said no trucks were entering the Gaza side. Trucks let through from Israel must be unloaded and the cargo reloaded onto trucks in Gaza, but no workers in Gaza can get to the facility to do so because it is too dangerous, the U.N. says. Palestinian workers trying to reach the border crossing Wednesday were shot at, and several were wounded, the Israeli military said. It did not specify who opened fire but said it was investigating. Hamas also shelled in the area of Kerem Shalom on Wednesday, saying it was targeting nearby troops. The U.N.s World Food Program has been cut off from its Gaza food warehouse near the Rafah crossing, its deputy executive director Carl Skau said. It procured another warehouse in Deir al-Balah but its empty until crossings reopen, he said. Gaza is a life-sized cage. Nobody and nothing makes in or out without the gate being open, said van Meegen of the Norwegian Refugee Council. With nothing entering, how do we even begin to prioritize the dribble of humanitarian aid we have here when almost every single person is being forced to depend on it? El Deeb and Keath reported from Cairo. Associated Press correspondents Sam Mednick in Jerusalem and Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A convicted scammer who claimed to be an Irish heiress and who is accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from several victims should be extradited to the United Kingdom, a federal court has ruled. Marianne Smyth, who accusers say has also fashioned herself as a witch, a psychic and a friend to Hollywood stars, has been in a Maine jail waiting to learn if she will be extradited. She faces allegations that she stole more than $170,000 from the victims from 2008 to 2010 in Northern Ireland. U.S. Magistrate Judge John Nivison ruled on Thursday that there is sufficient evidence to certify Smyth's extradition to the U.K. to face charges. Nivison wrote that Smyth will be in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending a decision on extradition by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. An attorney for Smyth, who has declined to comment in the past, did not respond to phone calls and emails on Thursday. The judge's ruling that Smyth should be extradited could help bring about the end of a bizarre saga in which victims have painted Smyth as a master of disguise and a veteran traveling grifter. Smyth faces four counts of fraud by abuse of position under the U.K. Fraud Act of 2006, and four counts of theft in violation of Northern Ireland's Theft Act of 1969, Nivison wrote. Authorities overseas have said Smyth stole money that she had promised to invest and arranged to sell a victim a home but took the money. A court in Northern Ireland issued arrest warrants for her earlier this decade. The evidence presented regarding Ms. Smyth's interactions with and transactions involving the individuals ... is sufficient to sustain the four fraud charges and the four theft charges that are the subject of the extradition request, Nivison wrote. Smyth's case is similar in some respects to that of Anna Sorokin, a scammer who was convicted of paying for her lifestyle by impersonating a German heiress. Smyth's victims included Johnathan Walton, a podcaster who warned others of Smyth's grifts. Smyth was found guilty of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from Walton and spent about two years in jail. The two had grown close in Los Angeles, and Smyth told Walton she was due an inheritance of $7 million from her wealthy Irish family, but Smyth's story began to fall apart when Walton learned she was jailed for stealing $200,000 from a travel agency she worked for. Walton used his podcast to gather tips from Smyth's other accusers. Some of those accusers said Smyth started a fake charity and others said she posed as everything from a cancer patient to Jennifer Aniston's best friend. Smyth, who is in fact American, was found and arrested in Maine in February. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Military forces in Burkina Faso killed 223 civilians, including babies and many children, in attacks on two villages accused of cooperating with militants, Human Rights Watch said in a report published Thursday. The mass killings took place on Feb. 25 in the country's northern villages of Nondin and Soro, and some 56 children were among the dead, according to the report. The human rights organization called on the United Nations and the African Union to provide investigators and to support local efforts to bring those responsible to justice. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the United Nations didn't have any confirmation of the attack, but added: "I can tell you that these reports are extremely, extremely disturbing and we will be looking into them." The massacres in Nondin and Soro villages are just the latest mass killings of civilians by the Burkina Faso military in their counterinsurgency operations, Human Rights Watch Executive Director Tirana Hassan said in a statement. International assistance is critical to support a credible investigation into possible crimes against humanity. The once-peaceful nation has been ravaged by violence that has pitted jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group against state-backed forces. Both sides have targeted civilians caught in the middle, displacing more than 2 million people, of which over half are children. Most attacks go unpunished and unreported in a nation run by a repressive leadership that silences perceived dissidents. The HRW report provided a rare firsthand account of the killings by survivors amid a stark increase in civilian casualties by Burkina Fasos security forces as the junta struggles to beat back a growing jihadi insurgency and attacks residents under the guise of counterterrorism. Earlier in April, The Associated Press verified accounts of a Nov. 5 army attack on another village that killed at least 70 people. The details were similar the army blamed the villagers for cooperating with militants and massacred them, even babies. Witnesses and survivors told HRW that the Feb. 25 killings were believed to have been carried out in retaliation for an attack by Islamist fighters on a military camp near the provincial capital Ouahigouya, about 25 kilometers (15 miles) away. The toll of civilian deaths was higher than first described by local officials. A public prosecutor previously said that his office was investigating the reported deaths of 170 people in attacks carried out on those villages. A Burkina Faso government spokesperson didnt respond to requests for comment about the Feb. 25 attack. Officials previously denied killing civilians and said jihadi fighters often disguise themselves as soldiers. More than 20,000 people have been killed in Burkina Faso since jihadi violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group first hit the West African nation nine years ago, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, a United States-based nonprofit. Burkina Faso experienced two coups in 2022. Since seizing power in September 2022, the junta led by Capt. Ibrahim Traore has promised to beat back militants but violence has only worsened, analysts say. Around half of Burkina Fasos territory remains outside of government control. Frustrated with a lack of progress over years of Western military assistance, the junta has severed military ties with former colonial ruler France and turned to Russian instead for security support. ___ Follow APs Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Health Check email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A British girl has had her hearing restored after becoming the first in the world to take part in a groundbreaking new gene therapy trial. Opal Sandy, aged 18 months, was born completely deaf due to the condition auditory neuropathy, which is caused by the disruption of nerve impulses travelling from the inner ear to the brain. Now, thanks to a one and done gene therapy being trialled in the UK and worldwide, Opals hearing is almost normal and could even improve further. The little girl from Oxfordshire, who has a genetic form of auditory neuropathy, was treated at Addenbrookes Hospital, which is part of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Professor Manohar Bance, an ear surgeon at the trust and chief investigator for the trial, told the PA news agency the results were better than I hoped or expected and may point to a cure for patients with this type of deafness. He said: We have results from [Opal] which are very spectacular so close to normal hearing restoration. So we do hope it could be a potential cure. Opal (centre) with her mother Jo, father James and sister Nora (left) at their home in Eynsham, Oxfordshire ( Andrew Matthews/PA Wire ) Auditory neuropathy can be caused by a fault in the OTOF gene, which is responsible for making a protein called otoferlin. This enables cells in the ear to communicate with the hearing nerve. To overcome the fault, the new era gene therapy from biotech firm Regeneron delivers a working copy of the gene to the ear. In Opals case, she received an infusion containing the working gene in her right ear during surgery last September. Her parents Jo and James, both 33, noticed improvements to her hearing within four weeks when Opal turned her head to loud clapping. When she first turned, I couldnt believe it, Mrs Sandy told PA. I thought it was a fluke or like a change in light or something that had caught her eye, but I repeated it a few times. I picked my phone up and texted James, and said, I think its working. I was absolutely gobsmacked. I thought it was a fluke. But even more impressive results were on the horizon. Some 24 weeks after surgery, in February this year, tests in Cambridge showed Opal could also hear soft sounds such as a whisper. The audiologist played back some of the sounds that she was responding to and they were ridiculously quiet sort of sounds that in the real world wouldnt catch your attention during a conversation, Mrs Sandy said. Certainly since February, weve noticed her sister [Nora] waking her up in the morning because shes running around on the landing, or someone rings on the door so her naps cut short. Shes definitely responding more to sort of what we would call functional sounds rather than just sounds that we use to test her. We were told she had near-normal hearing last time I think they got responses at sort of 25 to 30 decibels. I think normal hearing is classed at 20 decibels, so shes not far off. Before, she had no hearing whatsoever. Prof Bance said Opals hearing is now close to normal, adding: We hope shell get back to normal by the next testing. He added that the treatment is a one-and-done therapy, so hopefully you have your treatment and then you go back to your life. A second child has also received the gene therapy treatment at Cambridge University Hospitals, with positive results seen recently, six weeks after surgery. The overall phase 1/2 Chord trial consists of three parts, with three deaf children, including Opal, receiving a low dose of gene therapy in one ear only. A different set of three children will get a high dose on one side. Then, if that is shown to be safe, more children will receive a dose in both ears at the same time. Up to 18 youngsters from the UK, Spain and the US are being recruited to the trial and will be followed up for five years. Prof Bance said: My entire life, gene therapy has been five years away, and Ive been in practice about 30 years. So, for me, it was almost unreal that this moment had arrived. It was just the fact that weve been hearing about this for so long, and theres been so much work, decades of work to finally see something that actually worked in humans It was quite spectacular and a bit awe-inspiring really. It felt very special. At the moment, the gold standard treatment for auditory neuropathy is cochlear implants. Opal had one fitted to her left ear at the same time as she underwent gene therapy in her right ear, to ensure she got hearing as soon as possible. The youngster is the first patient globally to receive the Regeneron therapy and shes the youngest globally thats been done to date as far as we know, Prof Bance said. China has also been working on targeting the same gene, with positive results, though Prof Bance said theirs uses a different technology and slightly different mode of delivery. Medics in Philadelphia have also reported a good outcome with a type of gene therapy on an 11-year-old boy, who was operated on after Opal. Prof Bance said he believes the trial is just the beginning of gene therapies, adding: It marks a new era in the treatment for deafness. It also supports the development of other gene therapies that may prove to make a difference in other genetic-related hearing conditions, many of which are more common than auditory neuropathy. He said it could take a while for more children to benefit from gene therapy. The treatment was currently not available on the NHS. Whats really helped though is that the NHS does pay for genetic testing now for hearing loss, he said. Opal Sandy can now hear unaided for the first time ( Andrew Matthews/PA Wire ) Opals surgery, which was carried out under general anaesthetic, was very similar to fitting a cochlear implant, Prof Bance continued. So basically, we find the inner ear and we open the inner ear and infuse the treatment, in this particular case using a catheter, over 16 minutes, he said. We have to make a release hole in another part of the ear to let the treatment out because it has to go all the way through the ear. And then we just repair and close up, so its actually a very similar approach to a cochlear implant, except we dont put the implant in. Martin McLean, senior policy adviser at the National Deaf Childrens Society, welcomed the study, saying it would lead to learning regarding gene therapies for deafness with a specific genetic cause. We would like to emphasise that, with the right support from the start, deafness should never be a barrier to happiness or fulfilment, he said. As a charity, we support families to make informed choices about medical technologies, so that they can give their deaf child the best possible start in life. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Chinas military criticized a U.S. destroyers passage through the Taiwan Strait, which occurred less than two weeks before the island's new president takes office and while Washington and Beijing are making uneven efforts to restore regular military exchanges. Navy Senior Capt. Li Xi, spokesman for the Eastern Theater Command, accused the U.S. of having publicly hyped the passage of the USS Halsey on Wednesday. In a statement, Li said the command, which oversees operations around the strait, organized naval and air forces to monitor" the ship's transit and handle matters in accordance with laws and regulations. The Navys 7th Fleet said the Halsey conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit on May 8 through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law." The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer transited through a corridor in the Strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state, the fleet's statement said. Halseys transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations as a principle, it said No member of the international community should be intimidated or coerced into giving up their rights and freedoms. The United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows. The last such passage was April 17, a day after U.S. and Chinese defense chiefs held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. Military-to-military contact stalled in August 2022, when Beijing suspended all such communication after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. China responded by firing missiles over Taiwan and staging a surge in military maneuvers, including what appeared to be a rehearsal of a naval and aerial blockade of the island. The critical strait is 160 kilometers (100 mile) wide and divides China from Taiwan, the self-governing island democracy where President-elect William Lai Ching-te will be inaugurated on May 20. Lai's Democratic Progressive Party favors Taiwan's de facto independent status that maintains strong unofficial relations with the U.S. and other major nations. Although the heavily transited strait is international waters and vital to global trade, China considers the passage of warships from the U.S., Britain and other nations through the Taiwan Strait as a challenge to its sovereignty. China sends navy ships and warplanes into the strait and other areas around the island almost daily to wear down Taiwans defenses and seek to intimidate its 23 million people, who firmly back their de facto independence. Taiwan's Defense Ministry said 23 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval ships were detected operating around Taiwan in the 24 hours leading up to 6 a.m. Thursday. Eight of the planes crossed the median line in the strait and entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone, prompting Taiwan to scramble jets and put coastal missile batteries and naval craft on alert. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The ringleader of a lucrative extreme body modification website that shared footage of castrations and amputations has been jailed for life. Marius Gustavson and his acolytes carried out male castration, penis removal and other procedures on an unprecedented scale, the Old Bailey heard on Thursday. The actions of Gustavson, 46, and six accomplices, who have also been imprisoned, amounted to little more than human butchery in some cases, said the sentencing judge. On one occasion Gustavson cooked what appeared to be human testicles which are then plated to be eaten, Judge Mark Lucraft KC said. Gustavson, of Haringey, north London, admitted charges including conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. On Thursday Judge Lucraft sentenced him to life with a minimum term of 22 years. A knife used by Damien Byrnes, 36, from Tottenham, north London, to remove the penis of Marius Gustavson ( Metropolitan Police/PA Wire ) Gustavsons Eunuch maker pay-per-view website shared footage of people undergoing dangerous, unnecessary and life-changing surgeries carried out in peoples homes, a court was told including male genitals being removed. The Old Bailey heard the extreme body modification enterprise operated on an unprecedented scale with a 22,841 registered users and raked in almost 300,000 before it was shut down. Before he was arrested, mastermind Gustavson was involved in at least 29 procedures between 2017 and 2021, requiring hospital treatment after having his penis and leg removed in one. After another of them, the court heard Gustavson cooked severed body parts, showing clear evidence of cannibalism. He appeared for the third day of a sentencing hearing on Thursday alongside six other men who had all admitted their part in the wide-ranging conspiracy. David Carruthers, 61, of Newport, Gwent, who was jailed at the Old Bailey in London, for 11 years ( Metropolitan Police/PA Wire ) Among them were Peter Wates, a retired former member of the Royal Society of Chemists, and Janus Atkin, who had been completing a veterinary course, the court heard. Passing sentence at the Old Bailey, Judge Lucraft said the defendants behaviour brought them sexual and financial gratification, while one victim said he was left with physical, emotional and psychological damage. Addressing Gustavson, the judge said: You are very much the mastermind behind this grisly and gruesome enterprise. The business you set up was both busy and lucrative. However, he stated the others were willing participants. Gustavson was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 22 years; Ion Ciucur, 30, of Gretna, Scotland, was sentenced to five years and eight months imprisonment; Wates, 66, of Purley, Surrey, was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment; Stefan Scharf, 61, of no fixed address, was sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment; David Carruthers, 61, of Newport, Gwent, was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment; Atkin, 38, of Newport, Gwent, was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment; and Ashley Williams, 32, of Newport, Gwent, was sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment. Janus Atkin, 38, of Newport, Gwent, who had been completing a veterinary course, was jailed for 12 years at the Old Bailey in London ( Metropolitan Police/PA Wire ) The charges relate to 13 victims, the youngest of whom was 16 years-old. The court heard Gustavson was driven towards the extreme subculture by a desire to be the architect of his own body after his 11-year marriage broke down in 2016. His modification led him to feelings of empowerment, Rashvinderjeet Panesar, defending Gustavson, said. It appears at face value to be something thats become an addiction for him. The lawyer said Gustavson had been diagnosed with body identity integrity disorder, which accounted for his desire to have body parts removed. Peter Wates, 67, of Purley, Surrey, a retired former member of the Royal Society of Chemists, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison at the Old Bailey in London ( Metropolitan Police/PA Wire ) Caroline Carberry KC, prosecuting, told the Old Bailey the men were involved in a lucrative business in the dangerous, unnecessary and life-changing surgeries carried out by non-medically qualified individuals the nature and scale of which is without precedent. All of these individuals were active in the extreme body modification or mutilation scene and the consensual or mutilation of male genitalia, she added. Procedures were filmed with increasing professionalism and made available on the website set up by Gustavson, which also advertised services including male castration, and offered varying levels of membership from free to 100 VIP. It is a remarkable feature of this case that the website was operating in plain sight not on the dark web accessible to anyone who stumbled upon it and had the inclination and means to pay to view the gruesome footage, she said. Stefan Scharf, 61, of no fixed address, who was sentenced to four and a half years in jail at the Old Bailey in London ( Metropolitan Police/PA Wire ) According to court documents, body parts were also put up for auction online with a buy it now button. Images shown to the court revealed Gustavsons freezer filled with body parts stored in plastic bags and takeaway containers. Police officers also discovered Gustavsons own penis in a drawer at his home following his arrest in 2021 almost four years after it had been amputated. Gustavson wasnt the only defendant to keep trophies from his surgeries, she added. Ashley Williams, 32, of Newport, Gwent, who was jailed at the Old Bailey in London, for four years, six months ( Metropolitan Police/PA Wire ) Gustavson was arrested after he used a red hot iron to brand a mans calf with the letters EM for Eunuch maker. In a victim impact statement, the man who complained to police, described Gustavson as a lunatic. Ms Carberry KC said the group used a wide variety of tools for their procedures including clamps used for animal castration. Ms Carberry said Wates had been in the business of purchasing body parts from Gustavson. During a police raid on the South Wales home of Carruthers, testicles were found in a chest freezer, the prosecutor said. Ion Ciucur, 30, of Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, who received five years and eight months imprisonment at the Old Bailey in London ( Metropolitan Police/PA Wire ) Ten men were arrested after police raids in London, Scotland and South Wales. Gustavson pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit grievous bodily harm, five counts of grievous bodily harm with intent, one count of making an indecent photograph of a child, one count of distributing an indecent photograph of a child and possession of criminal property. Ciucur, Wates, Scharf, Carruthers, Atkin and Williams all pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit grievous bodily harm. In January, three men were sentenced after admitting causing grievous bodily harm to Gustavson. Jacob Crimi-Appleby previously arriving at the Old Bailey in central London ( PA ) Damien Byrnes, 36, from north London, was jailed for five years; Jacob Crimi-Appleby, 23, from Epsom in Surrey, was jailed for three years and eight months; and Nathan Arnold, 48, from South Kensington, London, received a two-year suspended sentence. Kate Mulholland, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: Marius Gustavson ignored the risks of performing unnecessary surgery on vulnerable men for sexual gratification and financial gain. He actively recruited participants through his website and was paid to stream the footage of these barbaric procedures. Whilst the victims in this case all seemingly consented to surgeries and amputations, the victim who bravely reported his assault to the police expressed serious regret regarding his procedure and the lasting impact it has had upon him. This clearly emphasises why such practices are unlawful. The severity of todays sentence should act as a warning to others that performing extreme body modifications is against the law and the CPS wont hesitate to prosecute these horrendous crimes. Detective Inspector Amanda Greig, from Scotland Yard, said: I would like to highlight the excellent work of the Mets investigation team, who have examined thousands of hours of horrific material seized from the suspects. Their diligence and professionalism have ensured no one else will suffer at the hands of these men. This lengthy and complex investigation demonstrates that we are determined to protect Londoners from harm and bring those that threaten the safety of our communities to justice. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Police have launched a murder investigation after a woman was stabbed to death in broad daylight on a busy road in north London. Officers were called to reports of a stabbing on Burnt Oak Broadway, Edgware at about 11:50am on Thursday. Ambulance crew and police attended and a woman, who has not been named, was found suffering from stab wounds. She was treated by paramedics but died at the scene, where a police cordon remains in place. The Metropolitan Police said enquiries were underway to identify her next of kin. No arrests have been made and officers continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the womans death. There will be an increased police presence in the area over the coming days to reassure residents, the Met said. Tony Bellis, superintendent from the North West Command Unit, said: I understand the shock and concern this very sad incident will cause. I want to reassure people it will be investigated by a specialist team of experienced homicide detectives, and we will support them in their work to identify and arrest whoever is responsible. He added: Local residents will see an increased police presence in the area over the coming days, I would ask the community is patient while officers carry out this vital work. If you have any concerns, please speak to an officer or your local policing team. There were 244 murders involving a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales in the 12 months to March 2023, Office for National Statistics data shows. Some 78 of the victims were people under the age of 25. Overall crime involving a knife or sharp object is on the up. View more Office for National Statistics data published last month showed there were 49,489 of these types of offences recorded by police between January 2023 and December 2023 - an increase of 7 per cent on the previous year. The ONS said there was a noticeable increase of 20 per cent in the number of robberies involving a knife or sharp instrument. West Midlands was the policing area with the highest amount of these types of offences at 180 per 100,000 of population. The Met, which covers most of London, was second with 165 offences per 100,000 of the population. Cleveland, the policing area covering Middlesbrough, Stockton, Hartlepool and Redcar was third with 143. Anyone with information that could assist police with the Edgware murder investigation is urged to contact the Met, quoting reference CAD3105/9May. Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously and free on 0800 555 111. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A murder probe has been launched after two men, thought to have come to the UK for a better life, died in an east London house fire. The two victims, aged 35 and 24, were discovered after flames had been extinguished in a terraced home in Forest Road, Walthamstow on April 21. Police are investigating an incident on the busy road shortly before the blaze took hold at 10.30pm. Detectives believe that the fire was started deliberately and a murder investigation is under way. No arrests have been made. A local resident told the Independent: The two who passed away were immigrants from Algeria. They were trying to have a better life in the UK for their family and themselves. Launching a murder probe DCI Matt Webb, said: We believe that there may have been an incident outside the address in Forest Road before the fire started and I am very keen to hear from anyone who witnessed something or perhaps has doorbell or dashcam footage. The men who died in the fire have been identified and we are supporting their families. DCI Webb added: Two peoples lives have been cut short as a result of this fire and we are determined to find those responsible. If you have heard something or have information about this incident please dont hesitate to get in touch. Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or X @MetCC and quote CAD7022/21Apr. You can also provide information 100 per cent anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Children with peanut and milk allergies have shown dramatic improvements on a new trial. Five NHS hospitals have so far joined a 2.5 million clinical trial, thanks to funding from the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation. Natasha Ednan-Laperouse died in 2016 after suffering a severe allergic reaction to sesame baked into a Pret baguette. Her parents, Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, campaigned for a change in food laws and set up the foundation with the hope of curing allergies through research. Now the new clinical oral immunotherapy (OIT) trial is using everyday foods to build up an allergy patients tolerance over time. Foods are given under medical supervision and the trial is also training NHS staff to offer OIT treatment. Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, died in 2016 after suffering a severe allergic reaction. A new trial aims to help children overcome food allergies (Family handout/PA) Sibel Sonmez-Ajtai, paediatric allergy consultant and principal investigator at Sheffield Childrens NHS Foundation Trust, said: This study is enabling us to do something we would never have dreamed of doing before giving patients the foods we know they are allergic to. This treatment is not a cure for a food allergy, but what it achieves is life-transforming. To have a patient who has had anaphylaxis to 4mls of milk to then tolerate 90mls within six to eight months is nothing less than a miracle. Thomas Farmer, 11, who was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy when he was one, can now eat six peanuts a day after joining the trial in Southampton. His mother Lauren said: Having food allergies can be really difficult and isolating (but) our journey on the Natasha study has been amazing so far. At first, it was very scary for both Thomas and us when he did the food challenge, as we werent sure what to expect. Knowing that Thomas can now tolerate six peanuts a day has taken away so much anxiety around food. It will also hopefully mean that he will be able to eat a wider variety of food as we wont be so concerned about accidental exposure. For Thomas to be able to achieve all this with no medicine, just off-the-shelf foods, is amazing. Since joining the trial in Newcastle, five-year-old Grace Fisher, who has a milk allergy, is now drinking 120ml milk a day. She will soon be able to eat pizza with her friends. Her mother Emma said: Grace is over six months into this journey and is doing amazing. She is currently on 120ml of milk and loves her daily hot chocolates. To date, 139 people aged from two to 23 with allergies to peanuts or cows milk have started treatment. The trial is being run at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Sheffield Childrens NHS Foundation Trust. It will shortly start in Scotland, with plans for Bristol and Leeds to also join. If successful, the three-year trial could provide more evidence for everyday foods treatment to be made available on the NHS. At the moment, one treatment paid for by the NHS is Palforzia peanut powder capsules which build tolerance to peanuts. Allergy Treatment Approved ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Mrs Ednan-Laperouse said: We are so happy that some children with peanut and milk allergies are already seeing the benefits of using everyday foods under medical supervision to treat their allergic disease. If Natasha were alive today, this is exactly the type of research she would have loved to be part of. This is a major first step in our mission to make food allergies history. We look forward to seeing the final results. Mr Ednan-Laperouse said: We cant rely on big pharma and its giant profits to be a game-changer for people living with allergies. That is why we are harnessing the support of the food industry, who have helped fund this trial, to prove that OIT can work with everyday foods, making it more feasible to be available on the NHS. Professor Arshad, head of the asthma, allergy and clinical immunology service at University Hospital of Southampton, said: The Natasha trial aims to do better for people living with food allergies. Our ultimate aim is a life without the risk of allergic reactions reactions which for some can be severe and life-threatening. The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation is funding the trial through donations made to the charity from firms including Pret, Lidl, Leon, Uber Eats, Greggs, Tesco, Just Eat, Co-op, Morrisons, KFC, Sainsburys, Costa, Burger King, Dominos, Kelloggs, M&S, Muller and Waitrose. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A male sexual abuse charity has seen a staggering 80 per cent increase in first-time callers since the release of Baby Reindeer. Manchester-based charity We Are Survivors offers support for men, including trans and non-binary individuals, who are survivors of sexual abuse, rape and sexual exploitation. The organisation revealed that since the release of the hit Netflix series - which follows a struggling comic as he is relentlessly harassed and stalked by a woman for more than four years and comes to terms with being sexually abused - they have been inundated with new referals. In the first two weeks following the shows release, they had an 80 per cent increase in first time callers asking for support. Remarkably, 53 per cent of those referred cited Baby Reindeer as their reason for coming forward for support. The charity also saw a 40 per cent increase in referrals from young people aged 26 to 35. We Are Survivors had an 80 per cent increase in first time callers after Baby Reindeer was released ( Ed Miller/Netflix ) CEO and founder of the charity Duncan Craig OBE said that, while they have worked with scriptwriters to bring stories of male sexual abuse to screen before in the likes of Eastenders, Hollyoaks and Coronation Street, he has never seen a response like he has seen to Baby Reindeer. Before, some people mightve read newspaper interviews and maybe a month later picked up the phone, he told The Independent. But with Baby Reindeer, its been absolutely instantaneous. Ive never in 15 years Ive been in this field seen a response like it. He added: I always ask people what made them call today and many people have referred to Baby Reindeer. Weve had people who have watch the show and gotten caught up in the media circus around it on social media and its enabled them to kind of think well if everyones talking about it then so can I. Duncan Craig OBE founded We Are Survivors in 2009 ( Supplied ) As well as the increased referrals, the charity had 492 new visitors to their site in the first two weeks - the majority of which came through a link provided by Netflix. Mr Craig said that as well as enable survivors to speak out for support for the first time, it has also assisted people already receiving support to process their experiences. He said: Therapists have examples where people have literally brought lines from the show that have really resonated with them on backs and scraps of paper and said this is what Ive been trying to say all this time. The biographical series, written by and starring comedian Richard Gadd, who is also a We Are Survivors ambassador, become a word-of-mouth sensation, shooting to the top of the streaming services most-watched charts with very little promotion when it was aired on April 11 ( Netflix ) The biographical series, written by and starring comedian Richard Gadd, who is also a We Are Survivors ambassador, become a word-of-mouth sensation, shooting to the top of the streaming services most-watched charts with very little promotion when it was aired on April 11. Mr Craig said it was the honesty of Mr Gadds character which showed the grey areas of abuse that has been particularly helpful for male survivors. Referred specifically to when Mr Gadds character returned to his abusers home, he said: Survivors will often have that kind of self-blame. I know personally that for so many years I kept going back to the person who caused me harm in some ways as an adult you think why didnt you just stop going back? It is victim blaming. Maybe everyone wants stories that are black and white or goodie and baddie but in reality, it is grey and confusing. That is the reality of being a survivor Mr Craig is a survivor of sexual assault and exploitation himself from the ages of 11 to 22 and says the show provides an important cultural reference for male victims he did not have. I didnt open my mouth about my early abuse and begin to define it until I was 29, he said. I genuinely think if I wasnt training to be a therapist I would still be silent now. It had never occurred to me that [the abuse] wasnt okay. I always knew I didnt like, it but it didnt occur to me that it was in the category of abuse. Part of reason I didnt know it wasnt okay was because where was my Baby Reindeer? What cultural reference did I have to say men and boys can be victims of sexual abuse? If you are a male survivor of sexual abuse and would like support, contact We Are Survivors on their 24/7 hotline at 0808 500 2222 or email support@wearesurvivors.org.uk. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} More than 80 charities and civil society bodies have called on Rishi Sunak to reverse a decision to block a UK visit by the UN inspector on food poverty until after the election. Mr Sunaks government has told the UN special rapporteur on the right to food that he cannot visit the UK until next year. Professor Michael Fakhri, who uses his role to study hunger and food insecurity in countries around the world, asked to make a formal visit to the UK more than 20 months ago. His request was denied in April by the minister for food, farming and fisheries, Sir Mark Spencer, who said a visit would not be feasible this year, denying the UN inspector the chance to conduct his research during the current parliament. Food and human rights charities and civil society organisations have now written to Mr Sunak to ask that the decision be reversed. In a letter signed by 85 groups, including Amnesty International, Just Fair, and the Food Foundation, the charities wrote: We believe now is an opportune time for a country visit by the UN special rapporteur on the right to food due to the increasing levels of poverty, food bank use, and reports of hunger that have remained persistent for a number of years and became more pronounced during the Covid-19 pandemic and cost of living crisis. A volunteer at Bonny Downs Community Association food club during a March visit as part of Sainsbury's and Comic Relief's campaign to raise awareness of food poverty in the UK ( PA ) They say that it is deeply disappointing that the UK government will not be inviting the special rapporteur this year, adding: We call on the UK government to facilitate this visit in the current parliament. Recent research by the Food Foundation found that 15 per cent of UK households are living in food insecurity equivalent to 8 million adults and 3 million children. The levels of food poverty are twice as high as they were in 2021, the charity found. MPs heard this week that school children are pretending to eat out of empty lunchboxes and eating rubbers because they do not qualify for free school meals. At least 900,000 children living in poverty in England are said to be missing out on free school meals due to the threshold set by the government, the Child Poverty Action Group has said. When the UNs special rapporteur on extreme poverty visited the UK in 2018, the resulting report was damning. Australian law professor Philip Alston said rising poverty in the UK was the direct result of government policies, adding that increasing destitution in the country was obvious to anyone who opens their eyes. The UK is experiencing record levels of hunger and should facilitate visit from UN special rapporteur, Labour MP says ( PA ) The rapporteur accused Theresa Mays government of remaining determinedly in a state of denial and said that the Department for Work and Pensions has been tasked with designing a digital and sanitised version of the nineteenth-century workhouse, made infamous by Charles Dickens. Ian Byrne, Labour MP and member of the environment, food and rural affairs committee, accused the government of kicking Prof Fakhris visit into 2025. He added: With record levels of hunger across the UK we need this independent overview to look at the causes and offer some solutions such as guaranteeing rights into legislation now. Jess McQuail, director of charity Just Fair, who coordinated the letter, said: The UK government claims to have an open invitation to all UN experts, but in reality, it prefers to procrastinate and delay as a way of denying access and avoiding scrutiny. The UK government knows it is failing across the board, and it is time that being free from hunger and having access to good food are recognised as fundamental human rights. A Defra spokesperson said: Food production and food security are key priorities for this government, and we would welcome a visit from the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, who we are in touch with in order to a facilitate a visit in due course. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Marks & Spencer has suspended a free-range egg farm as a supplier after seeing footage there of a living hen hanging upside down, as well as sick hens alongside living ones. It was one of four free-range farms that had RSPCA endorsement where animal welfare advocates filmed inside. Together, the four sold eggs to Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Asda, as well as the Happy Egg Company. The activists said they saw appalling conditions with suffering and dying birds. Activists claims to have seen appalling conditions ( Animal Justice Project ) Each farm had sick, dying and dead hens alongside living ones, according to the activists but they warned that the scenes were a distressing norm in the free-range egg industry. Animal rights charity Animal Justice Project (AJP), which shot footage at the farms between December and February, said its investigation laid bare claims of high welfare as a facade. The RSPCA suspended another of the four after seeing the footage. The most shocking discovery, according to AJP, was a hen hanging upside down on Home Farm in Lincolnshire, which was an A-listed supplier for M&S via egg company Bumble Hole Foods. She was struggling to free herself from a hazardous slatted system, with other birds already dead and hanging off tiers, an AJP spokesperson said. A hen was found caught by a wing and hanging upside down ( Animal Justice Project ) The situation was exacerbated by insanitary conditions throughout the farm. In the packing room rat poison had been haphazardly scattered and a dead mouse lay among the filth. Home Farm cancelled its RSPCA Assured membership in February, although filming had taken place two months earlier. Bumble Hole Foods says it sources eggs from farms accredited for their hygiene standards and chicken welfare. The witness said they also saw distressed animals with splayed legs, birds with bad feather loss, decomposing bodies and overcrowded nesting areas. M&S suspended the farm when The Independent showed the chain the footage. The other three farms still had RSPCA Assured endorsement when filming took place, but on seeing the footage, the charity suspended Ratford Farm in Wales, where the activist saw run-down facilities and instances of neglect. Free-range birds fill racks at Glenrath Farm, Scotland ( Animal Justice Project ) In sheds that housed more than 14,000 birds, one hen was filmed with an apparently twisted neck, dead hens were filmed on the floor, and one hen had severe diarrhoea, it was claimed. Conditions were also disturbing, its claimed, at Glenrath Farms in Scotland, owned by an egg dynasty and one of the UKs largest producers of free-range eggs that produces more than a million eggs daily for Tesco and Asda. Animal Justice Project said it saw sick hens in filthy conditions showing signs of severe distress such as twisted beaks, swollen feet and panting. The stench of ammonia filled the air, and numerous deceased hens were scattered throughout the premises in one area, seven lifeless birds lay together, their necks seemingly broken before they were discarded, the spokesperson said. Many hens had lost feathers ( Animal Justice Project ) Central nesting areas were deliberately blocked off, depriving hens of essential spaces to rest and lay eggs, and enrichment efforts, represented by plastic bucket lids and mesh scraps, remained untouched. During each visit in February, drone footage showed the birds were denied access to the outdoors for four consecutive days, with pop holes sealed shut. Over half of the respondents in a YouGov poll for Animal Justice Project said they believed free-range hens had daily access to outdoors. In 2022, a director of Glenrath Farms won an award from the Poultry Club of Scotland. Hens were not seen being let outdoors for four days in a row, it was claimed ( Animal Justice Project ) At a Tesco-supplying farm in the East Midlands, which provides eggs for The Happy Egg Co, a brand synonymous with ethical egg production, Animal Justice Project said it documented cases of severe prolapses, wings that looked broken, and widespread feather loss. Dying and decaying birds were allegedly seen on shed floors. Sean Barrs, an Animal Justice Project campaigner, said: Todays modern egg industry in Britain unveils a heartbreaking truth: sick, dying, and live hanging egg-laying hens, crammed by the thousands into huge, factory-style sheds designed for maximum production. Even RSPCA Assured certification fails to shield these birds from suffering, despite the organisations mission claiming to advocate for every kind of animal. One bird at Glenrath appeared to have a yeast infection ( Animal Justice Project ) An M&S spokesperson said: The footage shows unacceptable levels of welfare which fall well below the rigorous standards we set for all our suppliers. We have immediately suspended the farm [Home Farm in Lincolnshire] from our supply chain while we urgently investigate with RSPCA Assured. A Glenrath spokesperson said bird welfare was a priority, adding: Were disappointed animal activists chose to break into our farm, causing a significant biosecurity and disease risk. It is a criminal offence to break into a secure property. It looks as though the activists were in the shed whilst the birds were resting, which would cause them to become upset and distressed. When birds are resting nest boxes are routinely closed. Whilst a misshapen beak is unfortunate and the industry makes great efforts to ensure accurate beak trimming, occasionally some birds do still have misaligned beaks. There was no indication birds were struggling to feed or drink, they said. Free-range hens in Lincolnshire ( Animal Justice Project ) Questioning whether birds became lame or died because of intruders, they said a vet who inspected the hens detected no welfare issues. But the investigators said they did nothing illegal, having got in through an unlocked door and a damaged pop hole which they said they filmed. They also put on coveralls and booties so posed no biosecurity risk, which was also videoed, AJP said. An RSPCA Assured spokesperson said: This footage is very distressing to watch and we launched an investigation as soon as we were made aware of it. As part of that investigation, RSPCA Assured assessors have made unannounced inspections of the three farms that are members of the RSPCA Assured scheme. Weve also analysed the footage to identify any breaches of the RSPCA welfare standards. We can confirm that we have suspended one of the farms, pending further investigation. This means they cannot market or sell any products under the RSPCA Assured label. Our investigation into the other two farms is ongoing and we are unable to comment further at this time. A fourth farm shown in the footage cancelled its membership in February, so we are unable to investigate. Sadly, from time to time things can go wrong on farms, but one case of poor welfare is still one too many, which is why we have taken these allegations very seriously. Asda aligned itself with the response of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents all supermarkets. Andrew Opie, of the BRC, said members worked closely with trusted suppliers to ensure high welfare standards were upheld. They have strict processes in place and will thoroughly investigate evidence of welfare breaches, he said. The Independent asked Tesco to comment but did not receive a reply. A spokesperson for Noble Foods, which owns The Happy Egg Company, said: At The Happy Egg Co, the care and wellbeing of all our hens is a top priority and our agricultural team runs a robust schedule of regular farm visits, which includes spot checks from third parties to ensure they meet our stringent welfare standards. As soon as we were shown this footage featuring one of our farms, we launched an immediate review. Our team assessed the farm, and the RSPCA carried out an independent and unannounced assessment on Monday 29 April, where the farm was found to be fully compliant with industry regulations and best practices. The RSPCA had previously visited the farm only two weeks prior and has found no cause for concern at either visit. The British Free Range Egg Producer Association was asked to comment on behalf of Ratford Farm, as well as Home Farm, which also did not respond to requests to comment. Nor did Bumble Hole Foods respond to requests to comment. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Army has issued an update on the Household Cavalry horses who were injured after they bolted from Buckingham Palace and rampaged through London last week. Five people were injured after seven service horses one of which was covered in blood ran loose through the Strand, smashing into vehicles and bringing parts of the capital to a standstill. Two of the horses in particular were understood to have been seriously injured sparking an outpouring of concern across the UK. However, an Army spokesperson has now suggested that both Vida and Quaker are making good progress but warned that the recovery process can be unpredictable. Healing can be a slow and unpredictable process, but the soldiers and horses injured in the incident in Westminster on 24th April are making remarkable progress. They are receiving the best care possible and have our very best wishes something were heartened to see is shared by millions of people around the country, they said. Household Cavalry horses Vida (grey) and Trojan (black) bolt through the streets of London near Aldwych (Jordan Pettitt/PA) ( PA Wire ) The good news comes after widespread public concern for the animals, one of which was visibly bleeding as it galloped through the streets of the capital. Nic De Brauwere, Head of Behaviour at Redwings Horse Sanctuary, told The Independent that the situation for the bleeding horse may not have been as serious as it looked. I think its important to recognise that the amount of blood that you see is probably a very thin layer of blood smeared, he said. It was probably a couple of small blood vessels that were injured and they can bleed quite profusely when the adrenaline is up. The animals were spooked by noise from a building site (Jordan Pettitt/PA) ( Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire ) The incident began on the morning of 24 April, when the horses were spooked by the noise from a nearby building site. This prompted them to throw off their riders and run. What followed was a dramatic rampage through London that left several people injured and saw the animals run into a taxi and a tour bus. Roland, a worker for the tour bus company, Toot Bus, said: I saw horses come from the bus station in front of Victoria run around in a frenzy. People were running around to avoid them it was total mayhem. All of the people involved in the incident are expected to make a full recovery. Household Cavalry taking part in the annual inspection ( Jonathan Brady/PA Wire ) The horses belong to the Household Cavalry and following their capture they were returned for medical attention. There were five horses. They have all been recovered. Three of them are fine, two of them are unfortunately in a relatively serious condition and obviously we will be monitoring that condition, the defence minister James Cartlidge told Sky News on 26 April. The animals have been closely monitored since then and the latest update suggests that there will be a happy ending for all involved. Our horses receive the highest standards of care, and those that did not undergo surgery are expected to return to duty in due course, the British army said in another statement on Twitter (X). We want to thank everyone who has shown such kindness and concern towards our soldiers and horses. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Wandsworth prison must be put into emergency measures amid concerns over security failings and severe problems with overcrowding, drugs, violence and self-harm, a watchdog has said. HM chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor has issued an urgent notification to the justice secretary, sounding the alarm on the cramped, squalid conditions inside the prison. HMP Wandsworth was criticised last year after an inmate Daniel Khalife allegedly escaped prison by strapping himself to the underside of a food delivery vehicle with bedsheets. Most staff at HMP Wandsworth are very inexperienced, the prisons inspector has said ( PA ) Mr Taylor said that security remained a serious concern, adding: Wings were chaotic and staff across most units could not accurately account for their prisoners during the working day. He slammed the poor leadership at every level of the prison, from HMPPS and the Ministry of Justice for contributing to the mounting failings. Mr Taylor said that unless experienced leaders are installed at the prison the risk of a further catastrophe, a self-inflicted death or escape from lawful custody, is ever present. The inspector said that most staff at every level of the prison were very inexperienced, and, despite being fully staffed on paper, over a third of operational staff werent available for work each day. Daniel Khalife, appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court in central London, where he is charged with escaping while a prisoner at HMP Wandsworth while on remand pending a trial at the Old Bailey. ( PA ) 80 per cent of prisoners shared cells designed for one person and most men spent more than 22 hours a day confined to these cramped, squalid conditions with no idea if or when they would leave them or have any access to fresh air, Mr Taylor noted. As a result prisoners had sunk to a degree of despondency that I have not come across in my time as chief inspector, he added. Incidents of self-harm inside the prison are also high, but despite this around 40 per cent of emergency cell bells were not answered within the required five minutes. Pia Sinha, chief executive of the Prison Reform Trust, said the chief inspectors report reveals a failure of leadership from top to bottom. She added that ministers were rapidly running out of effective options to deal with emergencies in prisons, due to shrinking capacity in the prison estate. She added: Previously, the first thing a prisons minister would consider was to rapidly decant a large number of people from the prison to give staff much needed breathing space to address concerns. But with prisons in the midst of a capacity crisis, there is simply no give in the system to do this. In response to the findings, prisons minister Edward Argar said: This is a deeply concerning report which shows HMP Wandsworth continues to face significant challenges and it is clear that on top of the additional support weve already provided since September to improve safety and security, including nearly 1m of upgrades, we need to go further still. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Labour MPs erupted in fury as a rightwing Tory told the Commons that he has instructed his constituency staff to refuse any cases brought to him by asylum seekers. Calls of resign! could be heard across the chamber as Dudley North MP Marco Longhi got up to speak. His intervention was another shot across the bows for Rishi Sunak with the right of his party making their views clear on his failure to stop the small boats with asylum seekers on them. Mr Longhi said: I have stopped the large number of so-called asylum seekers from attending my surgey and I have instructed my office to not deal with asylum seekers for two reasons. Marco Longhi is the Conservative MP for Dudley North (Richard Townshend/UK Parliament/PA) ( PA Media ) His intervention drew cries of shame and resign from the opposition benches, but Mr Longhi ploughed on. He said: As MPs, we have zero authority, zero mandate over Home Office decisions. We have very limited resources and I for one want to dedicate my resources by putting Dudley people first. Leader of the house Penny Mordaunt said: he raises a specific point. We have finite resources and we have to direct them in a specific way. That is why we need to control our borders. That is what the British people want. The exchanges followed a difficult week for Mr Sunak and his Tory government. Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt (Danny Lawson/PA) ( PA Archive ) A report this week by former Home Office minister Robert Jenrick, who resigned from Mr Sunaks government in December, with a hard right blueprint to clamp down on legal and illegal immigration. With Dover MP Natalie Elphicke defecting from the Tories and the prime minister failing to keep his stop the boats pledge, pressure is mounting on the issue. Ms Mordaunt insisted: We are making good progress, we have continued to make good progress. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Brexiteers on a parliamentary committee have warned that British citzens and Nato personnel could be blocked by the EU from entering Gibraltar if the Rock goes ahead with settlement it had to negotiate because of the UK leaving the EU. Following Brexit, Gibraltars chief minister Fabian Picardo has been negotiating a deal with the EU to allow the outpost and home of a British naval base to enjoy free movement of people with the EU. It comes after decades of problems at the border with Spain which claims Gibraltar for its own. But the border issue became a crisis for Gibraltans when the UK left the EU and in effect ended freedom of movement. The UK has had control over Gibraltar since 1713 via the Treaty of Utrecht as part of the compensation for Britain to withdraw from the War of the Spanish Succession. British and EU flags fly next to Gibraltars flag ( AFP/Getty ) But now MPs fear that British sovereignty over the protectorate will be diluted or remain in name only as a result of the post-Brexit deal which Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron is understood to support. The European Scrutiny Committee, under the chairmanship of hardline Brexiter Sir William Cash, have likened the deal to the one for Northern Ireland which has seen that part of the UK remain subject to EU laws and in the European songle market. In a letter to foreign minister David Rutley, Sir William warned that the proposed deal as outlined by Government ministers in an evidence session on 30 April amounts to a serious diminution of UK sovereignty. Among major concerns for the committee is how UK nationals and Gibraltarians will be handled if Schengen controls were introduced at Gibraltars airport rather than the border a move the Committee says would render Gibraltars frontier British in all but name. Cameron is said to support the deal ( REUTERS ) It labelled the practical implications of people being checked to enter their own territory as seismic with the EU due to introduce a new Entry/Exit regime in October, people returning to Gibraltar or Brits travelling there for work, could be forced to undergo biometric registration. MPs claimed that ministers have failed to answer important questions on the impact of the introduction of Schengen checks on ordinary citizens entering their own territory. It remains unclear whether any time spent in Gibraltar by UK nationals would count towards the 90 days in 180 days permitted for non-EU nationals in the Schengen Area, the letter said. With the airport and the broader Gibraltar peninsula doubling up as a strategic UK military base, the Committee raised concerns over the powers EU border guards could theoretically have to block UK and NATO military personnel from entering the territory. The letter demanded that any change in status of the airport no matter how small or innocuous, must be ruled out. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A defiant Lord Cameron has defended UK arms sales to Israel hours after Joe Biden threatened to withhold weapons if there is a ground offensive into Rafah. In highly unsual step, the US president publicly vowed to cut supplies if the heavily populated southern Gaza city is attacked. Rishi Sunak is facing mounting pressure, including from within his own party, to immediately suspend arms to Israel amid a growing outcry at the number of civilians killed in its war on Hamas. Those calls intensified on Wednesday, after the US said it had paused a shipload of bombs bound for Israel amid fears over the countrys plans. But Mr Biden went further overnight, saying in an interview: I made it clear that if they go into Rafah ... Im not supplying the weapons. Asked if the UK would follow the USs lead, the foreign secretary insisted arms exports from Britain were very different, in part because they were much smaller in scale and policed by strict rules. He said: "Theres a very fundamental difference between the US situation and the UK situation." "The US is a massive state supplier of weapons to Israel ... we do not have a UK government supply of weapons to Israel, we have a number of licences, and I think our defence exports to Israel are responsible for significantly less than 1 per cent of their total." Smoke billows from Israeli strikes in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip ( AFP via Getty Images ) Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed the Rafah operation will go ahead, saying his countrys forces must hit the city to defeat Hamas fighters there. On Wednesday a former UK national security adviser criticised Mr Sunak for failing to suspend arms sales to Israel sooner. Crossbench peer Peter Ricketts said it was unfortunate that Britain had not taken a stand, adding that it should have been ahead of the US on the decision. That call was echoed by former cabinet minister and Tory MP David Jones, who told The Independent: We should give similar consideration to a pause. Anyone viewing the distressing scenes in Gaza will want to see an end to the fighting. Hamas is, in reality, beaten. Now is the time for diplomacy to bring this dreadful conflict to an end. Tory MP Mark Logan, a parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions, also said: The UK should have no part in an offensive in Rafah. Challenged on the issue at Prime Ministers Questions in the Commons, Mr Sunak rejected the call to suspend arms sales, saying ministers had recently assessed Israels commitment to international law and the situation was unchanged. Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said the UK could not support a major Israeli offensive on Rafah without a plan to protect civilian lives (Stefan Rousseau/PA) ( PA Wire ) His comment came 24 hours after shadow foreign secretary David Lammy inched Labour closer to calling for an outright ban. Amid growing pressure on his party from its own MPs and activists to take a harder line, Mr Lammy said: Hamas is a terrorist organisation, its cowardly tactics are reprehensible, but that does not stop Israels obligation to follow the rules of war or the governments obligation on arms exports. He asked in the Commons: Can the minister say why he thinks an attack on Rafah does not present a clear risk of a serious breach of international humanitarian law? Can he confirm whether he has received any assessment that the threshold has already been met? His intervention followed concerns within the Labour leadership that Muslims and others are not voting for the party because of its position on the conflict. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A righ twing British think tank which supports Donald Trump has praised David Lammy for his US diplomacy. The Legatum Institute has told Rishi Sunak and the Tories to learn lessons from Labours shadow foreign secretary after he made another successful trip to Washington DC ahead of what many think will be a Labour general election victory. The think tank, funded by hedge fund billionaire Christopher Chandler, has recently opened a UK-US Special Relationship Unit at its offices in Mayfair which is pushing to promote UK/ US diplomatic relationship. The thinktank has been impressed by the way that Mr Lammy has reached out to both sides of the aisle in the US and even made attempts to connect with the Trump camp. Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy (Jonathan Brady/PA) ( PA Archive ) Mr Lammy went as far as to shock many by defending Mr Trump over his comments on Nato, claiming the former President is misunderstood and that under his presidency the alliance had become much better funded. Sarah Elliot , senior adviser for the UK-US Special Relationship Unit, told The Independent: David Lammy has been doing a high profile tour of the US, almost as a practice run if Labour do win the upcoming general election and he becomes the Foreign Secretary. David Lammy has also softened his usually negative commentary on former President Donald Trump, a diplomatic move in case Donald Trump wins the upcoming US election. Lammy said Labour was committed to the special relationship regardless of whoever wins the US election, and even spoke positively of Trumps calls for increased defence spending, and name-dropping Sen JD Vance more than once. Lammy defended Trump over Nato ( via REUTERS ) Such diplomatic leadership will surely put pressure on the UK conservatives, seeing the Labour Party priming US politicos for their future prominence. Labours diplomatic moves have been closely watched by political interests on both sides of the Atlantic because of the possibility that Trump could win back the White House almost at the same time Sir Keir Starmer could enter Downing Street. Mr Lammy met with both Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill yesterday during his visit to Washington. He also gave a keynote speech to the Hudson Institute where he said that he and Mr Trump could find common cause, suggesting that as a good Christian boy and small-c conservative, he shares some views with Republicans. He added: Youre going to struggle to find any politician in the Western world who hasnt had things to say in response to Donald Trump. Mr Lammys softening over Trump is a huge turn around since 2018 when he wrote for Time magazine: Trump is not only a woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath. He is also a profound threat to the international order that has been the foundation of Western progress for so long. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Sir Keir Starmer is facing calls to let trailblazing MP Diane Abbott back into Labour as anger mounts over the shock defection to the party of Natalie Elphicke. The Labour leader is facing a fierce backlash over his decision to welcome Ms Elphicke, a controversial right-wing Conservative who has continually attacked his party over its policies on immigration. Less than 24 hours after crossing the floor, the MP for Dover was forced to apologise for her comments about her ex-husbands victims. Labour peer Shami Chakrabarti told The Independent: Like others, I look forward to Ms Elphickes first in-depth broadcast interview about her political journey to the Labour Party. Diane Abbott is currently suspended from Labour over a letter she wrote to a national newspaper last year ( PA ) In the meantime, if the tent is big enough for her, I feel sure that Britains first Black woman MP, who has sustained more racist and misogynist abuse than anyone, will have her whip restored urgently. Earlier, Labours chair, Anneliese Dodds, said she has enormous respect for Ms Abbott as a trailblazer, but could not comment on an independent process. Former MP Charlie Elphicke was convicted of sexually assaulting two women and sentenced to two years in prison in 2020. Ms Elphicke supported his unsuccessful appeal, saying he was an attractive man who had been an easy target for dirty politics and false allegations. In a statement on Thursday, she said: I have previously, and do, condemn his behaviour towards other women and towards me. It was right that he was prosecuted and Im sorry for the comments that I made about his victims. Ms Abbott was suspended last year after she wrote a letter in which she suggested that Jewish people are not subjected to the same racism as some other minorities. Ms Abbott, who was shadow home secretary under Jeremy Corbyn, apologised and said that the letter, published in The Observer, had been an initial draft and was sent in by mistake. It stated that Jewish, Irish and traveller communities have experienced prejudice, but added: This is similar to racism and the two words are often used as if they are interchangeable. Within hours, Labour condemned the remarks, which it said were offensive and wrong, and suspended Ms Abbott pending an investigation. In March she hit out at the party, accusing it of shocking racism, after a scandal emerged involving the Conservative Party donor Frank Hester. Rishi Sunak has refused to hand back a 10m donation made by the businessman, who allegedly said Ms Abbott made him want to hate all Black women and that she should be shot. Ms Abbott criticised Sir Keir, saying: The position of the current leadership of the Labour Party is disappointing, adding that he had seemed equally reluctant at the outset to call out either racism or sexism. Instead, the entire focus was on the demand that the Tories give Hester back his money, which is surely not the primary point in this case. Labour sources rejected the criticism and insisted they had been quick to condemn Mr Hester, pointing to a comment made by the shadow health secretary Wes Streeting, who described his words as racist hours after they were first published. Asked how Ms Elphicke can be a Labour MP when Ms Abbott remains suspended, Ms Dodds told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: Look, I have enormous respect for Diane Abbott, she was an absolute trailblazer, and of course we set out those proposals for a new race equality act some weeks ago, when I was really privileged to have been able to discuss those with her. But, as I have said before, we have got a process, there is an independent one that does operate without fear or favour, and that is quite right. It is not one that is subject to political influence, nor indeed should it be. Ms Dodds added that she could not go into detail about why Ms Abbotts complaint process has taken more than year. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Sir Keir Starmer is facing a fresh headache over Gaza just days after pro-Palestinian candidates cost Labour tens of thousands of votes at the local elections. The former head of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) is running against shadow veterans minister Steve McCabe in Birmingham Selly Oak, which has a significant Muslim population. Kamel Hawwash, who is a Professor in the School of Civil Engineering at the University of Birmingham, is standing against the veteran MP, who is also the chairman of Labour Friends of Israel. Professor Hawwash said Keir Starmers comments on LBC were beyond the pale He is standing under the banner of Reliance, a group which will field a slew of candidates across the country at the next general election. Professor Hawwash, who is a British Palestinian, quit the Labour Party in October after Sir Keir appeared to back Israel withholding food and water from civilians in the Gaza Strip. At the time, he accused the Labour leader of having blind support for Israel whatever it does and throwing Palestinians under a bus. Launching his campaign for the Birmingham seat, Professor Hawwash said: Keir Starmers comments condoning Israels collective punishment of Gazans were beyond the pale. His unequivocal support for Netanyahu in the months since - which has seen more than 35,000 Gazans murdered - 70 per cent of which are women and children - has been horrifying to witness and he must be held accountable. Starmer continues to ignore the daily atrocities and puff his chest out as a proud Zionist. Steve McCabe has a 12,414 majority in Birmingham Selly Oak ( ) Professor Hawwash also attacked Mr McCabe, who has held the seat since 2010 and was previously the MP for Birmingham Hall Green. He said: Steve McCabe has repeatedly failed to stand up for the views of his constituents over the past two decades, from voting for the illegal war in Iraq, to abstaining on the welfare bill, to now speaking out unwaveringly for a pariah state committing daily atrocities. He has repeatedly refused to meet constituents to address their concerns on these issues. Mr McCabe told The Independent he had never heard of Professor Hawwash and was looking forward to fighting the general election on his record. The Labour MP said: Like many others, Im saddened and worried by what we are witnessing in the middle east. I want a ceasefire, release of the hostages, an aid and reconstruction programme and a fresh start for the Palestinian and Israel people through a two-state solution. I will not represent the views of those who wish to see the eradication of the state of Israel. Professor Hawwash has previously been denied entry to Israel under a law which bans supporters of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. At the time, in 2017, the Israeli embassy in London accused him of praising the perpetrators of terror as martyrs. Polls show Mr McCabe is on course for a comfortable victory in the seat, where he currently has a 12,414 majority. But there are fears pro-Palestine voters could rebel at the election, costing Labour its majorities in seats around the UK. Professor Hawwashs campaign launch comes days after the local elections saw Labour make historic gains across the country, including winning the York and North Yorkshire mayoral election. But the party also lost tens of thousands of votes to pro-Palestine candidates including independent Akhmed Yakoob in the West Midlands, who came close to denying Labour victory in the contest. Labour lost its majority, held for 13 years, in Oldham, which had already been whittled down due to defections last month over the partys approach on Gaza, and lost council seats to independents in Blackburn with Darwen and Bradford. The party also failed to regain control of Oxford after a string of prominent defections over its messaging on the Middle East crisis, and in a similar blow, lost control of Oldham Council in Greater Manchester to independents. Sir Keir said he was determined to win back the trust of those who had snubbed his party in the local elections as a result of his approach to the ongoing conflict. He added: I say directly to those who may have voted Labour in the past, but felt on this occasion they couldnt, that across the West Midlands we are a proud and diverse community. Sir Keir Starmer has come under pressure over his stance on the conflict in Gaza ( PA Wire ) 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. A key issue for voters dissatisfied with Sir Keirs handling of the conflict is his apparent initial support for Israel withholding humanitarian aid from Gaza. Asked on LBC on October 11 if cutting off power and water was an appropriate response, Sir Keir replied: "I think that Israel does have that right. It is an ongoing situation. "Obviously everything should be done within international law, but I dont want to step away from the core principles that Israel has a right to defend herself and Hamas bears responsibility for the terrorist acts." But he later rowed back the remarks amid concerns within the party that it has angered voters, particularly those in Muslim communities. Despite his attempts to clarify the remarks, the clip of Sir Keir on LBC is still widely shared by those attacking the partys approach to the Middle East. Reliance is planning to field several more candidates in vulnerable areas for the Labour Party in the general election, expected this autumn. It is in the application process to become a political party and is expected to have completed it by the time voters go to the polls. A Labour spokesman said: "Keir Starmer has been clear that we need to see an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of all hostages, and unimpeded aid that can be delivered regularly, quickly and safely. We must prevent any further civilian deaths, and with more than a million Palestinian civilians sheltering in Rafah, an Israeli offensive must not go ahead. "Last week's local election results showed that people are putting their trust in this changed Labour Party. "People across the country have had enough of 14 years of Conservative decline and they are showing they are ready for a fresh start with Labour at the next General Election." A campaign group called The Muslim Vote is also piling pressure on Labour over the issue and has issued a list of 18 demands to Sir Keir to win back support lost over the war in Gaza. The group, which aims to organise voters against MPs who did not back a ceasefire in the conflict, wants Sir Keir to apologise for greenlighting a genocide and not supporting an SNP-led ceasefire vote last November. Other demands include a promise to sanction companies operating in occupied Palestinian territories, place a travel ban on Israeli politicians who have prosecuted this war and to ensure insurance quotes are not higher for people named Muhammad. Close 'Failed' asylum system offers 'false hope' to migrants, Starmer says Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Keir Starmer has unveiled a counter-terror style small boats plan that will replace gimmicks with graft by scrapping the Rwanda scheme. He has vowed to partly fund a new elite border unit as he set out his plans to stop small boats crossing the Channel. In a speech at Dover, the Labour leader accused the Conservatives of operating a Travelodge amnesty by housing asylum-seekers in hotels rather than processing their claims. He was accompanied by new Labour MP Natalie Elphicke, who has slammed the Tories approach on boats just days after defecting from the party. Speaking about her admission, he said the move represents the mood of the country as Rishi Sunak is clinging on by his fingernails to power. During the press conference, the opposition leader hasnt ruled out letting Nigel Farage join the Labour Party. It comes after as government lawyers have confirmed the first deportation flights as part of the Rwanda scheme could take off in June. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Nadhim Zahawi, the MP for Stratford-on-Avon, has announced he will not stand at the next general election, saying the time is right for a a new, energetic Conservative to take over in his West Midlands seat. Once touted as a rising star of the party, he was praised for his role as vaccines minister during the rollout of jabs during the Covid-19 pandemic and by July 2022 had been promoted to chancellor by then-prime minister Boris Johnson. But by the beginning of 2023 , he had been cast out of frontline politics after being sacked by the now Tory leader Rishi Sunak after an ethics inquiry found he had broken the ministerial code several times over his tax affairs. My mistakes have been mine, Mr Zahawi said in a statement on Thursday, announcing his intention to step down as an MP. Mr Zahawi, born into an influential Kurdish family, came to the UK fleeing persecution when they fell foul of Saddam Husseins regime. He said he arrived on the shores of Britain unable to speak a word of English, but later rose to the top of the business world before entering politics. But like so many who have gone before him, Mr Zahawi, whose reputation as a clear and effective communicator saw him rise to the top of the Conservative Party and government, exited his most recent high-profile position under a cloud. He was sacked by Rishi Sunak as Tory Party chairman after an ethics inquiry found he had broken the ministerial code several times over his tax affairs. The investigation was launched after it emerged that Mr Zahawi had cut a multimillion-pound deal to settle a tax dispute with HMRC while briefly serving as Boris Johnsons chancellor, having been appointed to the role in the dying days of the former prime ministers time in office. The estimated 4.8 million bill included a penalty when he was ultimately the minister in charge of the tax office. Mr Zahawi had been previously praised for helping roll out the coronavirus vaccine programme, which ended punishing lockdown restrictions. His political stock was rising fast, helping him secure the chancellor and then party chairmanship roles. File photo: Nadhim Zahawi previously served as chancellor and education secretary ( AFP via Getty Images ) Born in 1967, he grew up in Sussex and went on to study chemical engineering at University College London, before following in his fathers footsteps as an entrepreneur. Mr Zahawi met the then-prominent and later disgraced Tory politician Jeffrey Archer while campaigning for Iraqi exiles who wanted the overthrow of Hussain. Lord Archer hailed the young man as a born organiser, once telling the BBC: If you said I need six taxis, three aeroplanes and a double-decker bus, all in 30 minutes, he went and did it. He put Mr Zahawis talents to use during his bid to become London mayor in 1999. Lord Archer, however, was forced to abort that campaign in scandal. Two years later, Lord Archer was jailed for four years having been convicted of perjury and perverting the course of justice. In 2000, Mr Zahawi founded YouGov with another alumni of the Archer campaign, Stephan Shakespeare. They would grow the polling company into a hugely successful one, and would float it on the stock exchange after five years. Shares held by Balshore, the Gibraltar-registered Zahawi family trust, were sold off for an estimated 27 million and it was the mixing of family and business that led to the HMRC dispute. He is linked to a property empire valued at more than 58 million, according to records at Companies House, including a townhouse in Londons lavish Belgravia. Following on from his successful time in business, Mr Zahawi stood down from YouGov to run for parliament, winning the safe Conservative seat of Stratford-on-Avon. Mr Zahawi is known as being one of the richest MPs but he was forced to apologise in 2013 for claiming parliamentary expenses for electricity for his stables and a mobile home. He said he had made a mistake which he was mortified about, and he pledged to pay back any money that was wrongly claimed. Then, as children and families minister in 2018, it emerged he attended a men-only Presidents Club charity dinner that went on to be at the centre of allegations of sexual harassment. He was reprimanded by No 10 but said he left early and did not see any of the horrific events, which he said he was shocked by. The following year he was a junior minister at the business department, which is where he was when the coronavirus pandemic began in late 2019. It is another period that is under scrutiny. David Cameron contacted him as he was seeking government loans for the since-collapsed Greensill Capital. Mr Zahawi told officials, according to The Times, that he had not exchanged WhatsApps with the Conservative former prime minister. It later emerged messages had been deleted from Mr Zahawis phone. Covid-19 was straining the nation and Mr Johnson looked to his old ally to roll out the vaccine programme in 2020. Mr Zahawi described the role of vaccines minister as the most important job Ill ever do, and his handling was widely seen as a massive success. Mr Johnson also looked to him to replace Sir Gavin Williamson, who was this time sacked as education secretary over an exams fiasco. In need of a chancellor after Mr Sunaks resignation helped trigger Mr Johnsons own downfall, he appointed Mr Zahawi to lead the Treasury. Mr Zahawi made a failed attempt to win the party leadership during his two months as chancellor a period in which he settled his tax dispute with HMRC. Under scrutiny while trying to succeed Mr Johnson in No 10 in July 2022, Mr Zahawi told Sky News he was clearly being smeared about his tax and insisted: Ive always declared my taxes, Ive paid my taxes in the UK. A political survivor, he became chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster during Liz Trusss fleeting leadership, playing a key role in the preparations for the Queens funeral in September, before Mr Sunak made him party chairman in his new administration. The trickle of stories about Mr Zahawis tax affairs became a torrent when The Sun On Sunday revealed he paid a seven-figure sum to HMRC. Nadhim Zahawi has revealed he will not stand at the next election (Stefan Rousseau/PA) ( PA Archive ) Mr Sunak first defended his minister, saying he had given a full account. But then the Guardian revealed his settlement included a 30 per cent penalty, taking the estimated total close to 5 million. Under intense pressure, Mr Zahawi said it was a careless and not deliberate error linked to YouGov founder shares given to his father. This changed the prime ministers mind. Saying that he believes there were then questions that need answering, Mr Sunak ordered his ministerial standards adviser Sir Laurie Magnus to investigate. Mr Zahawi said he welcomed a chance to give his account to Sir Laurie, insisting he was confident and had acted properly throughout. Sir Lauries four-page report, setting out in detail the circumstances of Mr Zahawis tax affairs and communications with HMRC and the prime minister, found that the Tory chairman had shown insufficient regard for the general principles of the ministerial code and the requirements in particular, under the seven principles of public life, to be honest, open and an exemplary leader through his own behaviour. In a letter to Mr Zahawi, the prime minister said that, following the investigation it is clear that there has been a serious breach of the ministerial code. But Mr Sunak also said Mr Zahawi should be extremely proud of his wide-ranging achievements in government over the last five years. In a letter to the prime minister following his sacking, Mr Zahawi did not explicitly mention the findings of the ethics inquiry into his tax affairs. He said: It has been, after being blessed with my loving family, the privilege of my life to serve in successive governments and make what I believe to have been a tangible difference to the country I love. Announcing he would stand down as an MP on Thursday, Mr Zahawi wrote in a statement on X that he felt immensely privileged to have served as an MP and in government. He vowed to continue serving his constituents with dedication and determination until the next election, which must take place by January 2025 at the latest. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Nadhim Zahawi has become the latest Conservative MP to announce he will step down at the next election. With the party expected to face heavy losses in the general election, the former chancellor said the time is right for a new, energetic Conservative to take over. The Stratford-on-Avon MP becomes the 64th Conservative to announce he is standing down at the end of this parliament, with the country expected to go to the polls in October or November. Mr Zahawi, who served as chancellor in 2022, was facing a tough re-election, with polls suggesting he was on course to lose the seat, which has only elected Conservatives since 1950. Nadhim Zahawi is the 64th Conservative MP to announce he will step down at the election ( AFP/Getty ) In a statement posted on X/Twitter, Mr Zahawi said: Every morning as I shave my head in the mirror, I have to pinch myself. How is it that a boy from Baghdad who came to these shores, fleeing persecution and unable to speak a word of English, was able to do as much as I have? The MP said he was immensely privileged to have served across government, including as education secretary, chancellor and as the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster during which time he coordinated the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. But, quoting William Shakespeare, Mr Zahawi said: As my most famous constituent once wrote: Go to your bosom; knock there and ask your heart what it doth know. I have come to feel that the time is right for a new, energetic Conservative to fight for the honour of representing Stratford-on-Avon and assuming the mantle of MP for Shakespeare. I will, of course, serve my constituents with dedication and determination until then. Mr Zahawi was sacked while serving as Tory chair after an ethics inquiry into the handling of his tax affairs found a serious breach of the Ministerial Code. It followed an investigation into his financial affairs that was first revealed by The Independent in 2022. Nadhim Zahawi quoted his most famous constituent, William Shakespeare, saying parting is such sweet sorrow ( PA Archive ) This newspaper disclosed in July that year that HMRC officials were examining the tax affairs of the senior Tory figure after an inquiry was launched by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in 2020. He later agreed to pay a seven-figure sum to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to settle a tax dispute. In his resignation letter, Mr Zahawi said: My mistakes have been mine, and my successes have come from working with, and leading, amazing people. The 56-year-old was born in Iraq and came to the UK as a child when his Kurdish family fled Saddam Husseins regime, before becoming the MP for Stratford-upon-Avon in 2010. Mr Zahawi made his fortune with online polling company YouGov and was also chief executive of Gulf Keystone Petroleum until 2018. Other high-profile Conservatives stepping down at the election include former prime minister Theresa May, ex-defence secretary Ben Wallace and former health secretary Matt Hancock, who now sits as an independent. The Liberal Democrats have said Tory MPs across the so-called blue wall of safe Conservative seats are quitting in their droves to avoid upsets at the general election. After Mr Zahawis announcement, a Lib Dem source said: Conservative MPs across the blue wall are standing down because they're worried about the threat posed by the Liberal Democrats. "We have taken control of the council in Zahawi's seat so it doesnt come as a surprise that he is giving up the ghost. "It is clear Liberal Democrats are best placed to beat the Conservatives in Stratford-on-Avon. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Rosie Duffield has urged fellow Labour MPs to speak up about the defection of Natalie Elphicke, amid criticism of Sir Keir Starmers decision to accept the controversial former Tory. The outspoken Canterbury MP said yet again she was the only Labour MP willing to put her name to quotes about the decision, despite so many of us feeling exactly the same. It would be great if colleagues also spoke up, she said. Ms Duffield said on Wednesday that Labour MPs were "baffled" by her "really peculiar" move to swap sides. Many have complained about the move behind the scenes, with a shadow cabinet member telling The Independent it is a disgrace. Rosie Duffield has urged Labour colleagues to speak up about the defection of Tory MP Natalie Elphicke ( PA Archive ) Ms Elphickes defection raised questions about Sir Keirs commitment to tackling violence against women and girls, which he has made a central part of his pitch as Labour leader. After her ex-husband Charlie Elphicke was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault against two women, the new Labour MP for Dover said he had been punished for being attractive and being attracted to women. Ms Elphicke was also temporarily suspended from the Commons in 2021 for trying to influence his trial and was forced to apologise. Charlotte Cornell, a Labour councillor who ran against Ms Elphicke in Dover in 2019, told The Independent: Her comments minimised what was predatory behaviour and sexual abuse. Labour Party chairman Anneliese Dodds said Ms Elphicke has already been made accountable for past comments defending her ex husband after he was convicted for sexual assault. She appeared to be referring to Ms Elphickes suspension from parliament, while Ms Elphicke has not been sanctioned for the comments she made about the case. It also emerged on Thursday that Ms Elphicke sent out a leaflet attacking the Labour Party just a day before defecting to become a Labour MP. The right-wing former Tory, who crossed the floor on Wednesday, said on Tuesday Sir Keir Starmer had no plan and would take Britain back to square one. In a message paid for by the Conservative Party, Ms Elphicke criticised Labours stance on the economy, taxes, immigration, net zero and apprenticeships. Sir Keir Starmer welcomed Natalie Elphicke to the Labour Party (Stefan Rousseau/PA) ( PA Wire ) The leaflet, seen by The Times, said Labour supports uncontrolled immigration while the Conservatives were taking action to stop the boats. But, in a statement issued as she defected, Ms Elphicke said: From small boats to biosecurity, Rishi Sunaks government is failing to keep our borders safe and secure. Lives are being lost in the English Channel while small boat arrivals are once again at record levels. Its clear they have failed to keep our borders secure and cannot be trusted. She added: We need to move on from the broken promises of Rishi Sunaks tired and chaotic Government. Her defection shocked Westminster, with only a handful of figures at the top of the Labour Party aware of the plans ahead of the move. She was seen as a right-winger even on the Tory benches, and Labour MPs questioned Sir Keirs decision to welcome her to the party. Sir Keir has welcomed two new Labour MPs this week ( PA Wire ) Ms Dodds said the former Tory MP, seen by many as on the right of the party, is a good fit for Labour and said that "people can change their minds''. Quizzed about Ms Elphickes comments about her ex-husbands trial, she told Times Radio: Of course, this is an incredibly serious issue and there was a judicial process, quite rightly, around that sexual assault. "There was accountability for Natalie Elphicke in the fact that there was a parliamentary process around this. "Now, its quite right that there was a parliamentary process, as I say Natalie Elphicke has gone through that, and I believe that she has addressed this in Parliament and in public, and rightly so, because this is a very serious subject." Education secretary Gillian Keegan said Ms Elphicke was a "very odd fit" for the Labour Party considering her views on immigration She told LBC: Her principles and her policies, and her positions, have changed as often as Keir Starmers. "I dont really know her, shes much more on the right of the party. I think somebody said they couldnt find anyone more right-wing than Natalie Elphicke. "So, I dont really know her very well but clearly she has had a massive 180 degree change in some of her views miraculously, I guess overnight, and Im not 100% sure how you can change your views and principles that quickly." Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Labour has resistered its biggest poll lead since Liz Truss was prime minister, with the party now sitting 30 points ahead of Rishi Sunaks Conservatives. A new YouGov survey suggests the Tories would hold on to just 13 seats in a general election, with Labour enjoying a 452-seat majority. The poll, carried out for The Times, showed Labour on 48 per cent and the Conservatives on 18 per cent - just five points ahead of Reform UK among people who said they would vote and expressed a preference. It would mean the partys support is lower than at any point since Mr Sunak became prime minister in October 2022, following Ms Trusss disastrous 49-day administration. The polling comes as a senior Tory said the prime minister is ultimately to blame for the chaos engulfing the party. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited Teesside last week following Lord Ben Houchens re-election as Tees Valley Mayor (PA) ( PA Wire ) Asked whether Mr Sunak is to blame for the Conservatives problems, Tees Valley mayor Lord Houchen said: Ultimately it always rests on the shoulders of the leader, all responsibility goes back to the top, its the same in my job as well. Ultimately, youre the one responsible for it. But there are lots of people who are involved in the problems with the Conservative Party. Its a bit of chaos at the minute, right, isnt it? Theres lots of people fighting with each other in the Conservative Party, there are defections going on, and ultimately the public do not vote for parties who are not united and are not presenting a united front and also arent talking to the public. If theyre fighting with each other like rats in a sack instead of saying to the public this is what were going to do for you, that doesnt win elections. Ben Houchen said the Conservatives are fighting like rats in a sack ( PA ) Obviously, it ultimately lies with Rishi but there are lots of people that need to get their act together, stop messing about and start talking to the public about what they can offer them, rather than just fighting with each other." The Conservatives suffered a mauling from the electorate in last weeks contests, losing nearly 500 council seats, the West Midlands mayoral race and the Blackpool South by-election. Mr Sunak suggested the results showed the general election, expected this autumn, would produce a hung parliament, with labour falling short of a majority. Pollsters described the claim, based on an experts extrapolation of the results to a national level, as deluded. The YouGov poll would see the Conservatives win just 13 seats in a general election ( POOL/AFP/Getty ) The Liberal Democrats would be the official opposition if the results of the poll were reflected at the ballot box, with Sir Ed Daveys party winning 44 seats. The poll also comes after Mr Sunak was rocked by the defection of right-wing Tory MP Natalie Elphicke to Labour. The Dover MP quit the Conservative Party and launched an attack on the PM, accusing him of failing to control Britains borders and build enough houses. Wes Streeting has spoken to Conservative MPs who are contemplating a defection to the Labour Party because of the division and incompetence in Rishi Sunaks government, he has told The Independent. But the shadow health secretary insisted that Labour will not take just any Tory MP. Referencing Mr Sunaks predecessors short term in office, he noted: If Liz Truss were to want to cross the floor, and I dont imagine she would, I would rather take the lettuce. It comes as Tory MPs are panicking over who could be next to walk out of their party as their once mighty majority of 80 continues to dwindle towards 30. Tory MPs have admitted that they were completely blindsided by the defections of Natalie Elphicke on Wednesday and Suffolk MP Dr Dan Poulter late last month. Keir Starmer welcomes Natalie Elphicke on Wednesday ( PA ) One backbencher summed up the sense of bewilderment, stating: I dont know of any MP who plans to defect but the problem is that I did not see either Elphicke or Poulter coming, or rather going. However, speaking exclusively to The Independent ahead of the Hay Book Festival later this month, Mr Streeting also had to defend accepting Ms Elphicke into the party with many Labour MPs and activists furious that someone with her right-wing views had been welcomed. Critics pointed out that while a former Tory who had attacked trade unions, taken a hard line on immigration and also courted controversy over her comments about the sexual abuse victims of her former husband Charlie was allowed into Labour, long-time party member Diane Abbott remains suspended. The Dover MP was forced to apologise for comments about her ex-husbands victims less than 24 hours after crossing the floor. Labour peer Shami Chakrabarti told The Independent: Like others, I look forward to Ms Elphickes first in-depth broadcast interview about her political journey to the Labour Party. In the meantime, if the tent is big enough for her, I feel sure that Britains first Black woman MP, who has sustained more racist and misogynist abuse than anyone, will have her whip restored urgently. Mr Streeting said it was important for voters to see that the MP for Dover, who has been on the front line of the small boats crisis, had lost confidence in the Conservative government. Natalie Elphicke defection a powerful endorsement' of Labour, Streeting claims He said: Ive been speaking to other Conservative MPs in parliament, who are wrestling with their future in the Conservative Party. Ive no doubt that wasnt an easy decision for [Ms Elphicke] to come over. Whether other people make the leap, I think remains to be seen. I think there are plenty of Conservatives who are thinking about their future in the Conservative Party and definitely take Labour seriously. If I had a pound for every Conservative MP, who has said, I think its a mess and up to you guys [Labour] to sort this out, we need a period of opposition, I would be doing pretty well off. He went on: To have the Conservative MP for Dover, who literally sees day in day out the consequences of the small boats crisis, who has tried really hard whether people agree with her or not to get this issue taken seriously, to see her on the six and 10 oclock news last night, saying very clearly, the Conservatives have failed, and that only Labour can be trusted with our borders and our national security, is a really powerful endorsement. Streeting believes many traditional Tory voters are switching to Labour ( PA ) That speaks directly to millions of conservatives like Natalie, who have seen not just the chaos but the incompetence of the Conservatives. In Natalies case, seen the changes in Labour up close and thought, you know what, I actually think these people led by Keir Starmer are more serious. He said that Ms Elphicke reflected the sort of voter who was abandoning the Tories and related it to his autobiographical book One Boy, Two Bills and a Fry Up where he spoke about the influence of his grandfather, a working class Tory who always voted Conservative, and his nan Libby, a Labour activist. He said: My nan was not a Kinnockite but she would have agreed about what he said about needing to be a broad church. My grandfather always voted Conservative apart from when he voted Liberal in Tower Hamlets to keep Labour out and I dont know if he would vote Labour now, but my dad, who again is a lifelong Tory voter, voted Labour for the first time for the London Assembly. It surprised me, actually, because the only time my dads ever voted Labour was when my name was on the ballot paper in a council by-election. I think my dad is probably typical of millions of Tory voters who just looked at the chaos, the division and had enough. A longer interview with Mr Streeting will be published ahead of the Hay Festival, which runs from 23 May to 2 June. Book tickets at hayfestival.com and read our highlights guide for more of our recommendations For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned that genocide is likely to have been committed in Sudan, as the UNs special envoy to the country has said that global indifference to the civil war has led to a silent conflict and famine. Tom Perriello told The Independent that the world simply will not engage with Sudan despite the fact that it has been in the grip of a year-long, vicious civil war. Last April, simmering tensions between its military, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, broke out into street battles in the capital, Khartoum. El Geneina, in West Darfur, pictured in April last year ( AFP via Getty Images ) Ferocious fighting has spread to other parts of the country, especially urban areas and the Darfur region. There the World Food Programme (WFP) warned that people are living off grass and peanut shells and that at least 1.7 million people are experiencing emergency levels of hunger. HRW has called for sanctions over the situation in West Darfur in a new report released on Thursday that alleged that RSF and its allied militias are committing crimes against humanity and widespread war crimes in the context of an ethnic cleansing campaign. Mr Perriolo said that, despite the massive humanitarian crisis, soaring death toll and horrific violence, there had only been a brief blip in global attention around the anniversary of the conflict last month. Otherwise, interest had died down, with devastating effect. Please bring more attention to Sudan so that we do not lose the momentum of the last few weeks, which is the first weve had in a long time, he said. A lot of people right now are facing acute famine and other horrific conditions. Sudanese Children suffering from malnutrition are treated at a clinic in Metche Camp, Chad, near the Sudanese border ( AP ) We need you to be the people that ... start bringing attention to this silent war and silent famine. The warnings come as HRW called for the United Nations and the African Union to impose sanctions on those held responsible for serious crimes in West Darfur, as it released a damning 218-page report documenting ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity in El Geneina, the state capital. In one particularly gruesome incident, a 17-year-old witness described watching RSF forces murder children after killing their parents in front of them. Two RSF forces ... grab[bed] the children from their parents and, as the parents started screaming, two other RSF forces shot the parents, killing them. Then they piled up the children and shot them. They threw their bodies into the river and their belongings in after them, he said. HRW alleged that the RSF, along with their allied mainly Arab militias, were targeting the Masalit people and other non-Arab communities in a wave of attacks, which could indicate that genocide is being committed. Tirana Hassan HRWs executive director said that governments, the African Union, and the United Nations need to act now to protect civilians. The global inaction in the face of atrocities of this magnitude is inexcusable Tirana Hassan, Human Rights Watch The global inaction in the face of atrocities of this magnitude is inexcusable, She said. Governments should ensure those responsible are held to account, including through targeted sanctions and by stepping up cooperation with the ICC [International Criminal Court]. Sudan was plunged into a devastating conflict last April, when soaring tensions between its military and the RSF erupted into ferocious street battles in the capital, Khartoum, later engulfing other parts of the country, including Darfur. Since then the RSF have gained control of most of Darfur and are besieging El Fasher, in the north of the region, where some 500,000 civilians had taken refuge. The WPF warned last week that there is a serious risk of widespread starvation and death across Darfur, where at least 1.7 million people are experiencing emergency levels of hunger. Leni Kinzli, the WFPs regional spokesperson, said that the situation in El Fasher, in particular, is extremely dire. The devastation in Sudan last year ( AP ) She received photos of severely malnourished children in a camp for displaced people in Central Darfur, as well as older people who have nothing left but skin and bones. People are resorting to consuming grass and peanut shells, she added. Recent reports from our partners indicate that 20 children have died in recent weeks of malnutrition in that ... camp. In West Darfur, HRW said that RSF and militias had killed thousands of people and left hundreds of thousands of refugees as they pursued, rounded up, and shot men, women, and children who ran through the streets or tried to swim across the fast-flowing Kaja River the report said many drowned. Older people and injured people were not spared. The gruesome investigation also details rape, torture and looting by the forces that methodically burned, shelled, and razed neighbourhoods to the ground. The violence culminated in a large-scale massacre on 15 June, where the global rights group said RSF and its affiliated forces fired on kilometre-long convoys of civilians desperately trying to flee. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A mother has shared details of the terrifying ordeal that saw her dangerously ill 12-year-old son airlifted from a cruise ship by the US Air Force. Angela Bridges son Aiden fell ill on the Carnival Venezia cruise ship around 400 miles off the North Carolina coast with a perforated bowel. Medics on board did what they could but the crew declared a critical medical incident and the US Air Force was called in, with the helicopter arriving within hours to take him to a hospital. I was just screaming and crying over the helicopter blades, Ms Bridges told Good Morning America (GMA) on Thursday. It was very scary. Aiden Bridges, second from left, seen with his family including mom Angela ( Angela Bridges/ABC News/GMA ) US Air Force rescue critically ill child from a cruise ship some 400 miles from the US mainland ( U.S. Department of Defense ) She added: I feel so much gratitude, gratefulness, toward all the people that have been integral to my sons recovery. Its not just the Coast Guard, or the Air Force or the doctors or the nurses, its all of those people. The family were on their way back to New York from the Caribbean, when Aiden fell seriously ill on 4 May. His mother told GMA that medics carried out an x-ray to work out what was wrong with him. They did that and she said it looks as though he has a perforation in his bowel, Ms Bridges explained. She said basically the next thing that we need to do, immediately, is get him off the ship. US Air Force rescue critically ill child from a cruise ship some 400 miles from the US mainland ( US Department of Defence ) Two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters and two HC-130J Combat King 11 planes took off from Patrick Space Force Base in Florida. The mission required three intricate helicopter air-to-air refuellings since the ship was so far out at sea.Aiden received life-saving treatment on board the helicopter, his mother said, before being taken to a hospital in North Carolina. His condition is currently unknown. Air Force rescue critically ill boy, 12, from cruise Everyone in the wing mobilised with exceptional speed. By uniting our efforts, we saved crucial time, delivering life-saving assistance six hours ahead of other response teams, rescue pilot Captain Dylan Gann said. The helicopters flew a total of 1,200 miles throughout the operation, while the ship adjusted its course in order to meet the aircraft. US Air Force carry out mid-air refuelling ( U.S. Department of Defense ) US Air Force rescues critically ill boy from cruise ship in middle of the ocean ( U.S. Department of Defense ) The amazing thing about this rescue is actually how smooth it went. We went from zero notification, to having aircraft ready, to having aircraft in the air, Lieutenant Colonel Dave Underwood told ABC News.And the young man is in the hospital in just a matter of hours. The cruise liner arrived in New York City as scheduled on Monday. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A man arrested in connection with the deaths of two Australian surfers and their American friend in Mexico allegedly admitted carrying out the killings to his girlfriend. The suspect, identified only by his first names of Jesus Gerardo, per Mexican law, reportedly told the woman that he had F***** up three gringos, prosecutors allege. The bodies of brothers Callum and Jake Robinson were found in a remote well, after being killed by car thieves during a surfing and camping trip in Baja California, across the border from San Diego. The brothers, 33 and 30 respectively, were found dead alongside their friend, US citizen Jack Carter Rhoad. Prosecutors had identified three people as potential suspects in the killings, two of whom were caught with methamphetamines. One of them, a woman, had one of the victims cellphones when she was caught. The bodies of brothers Callum (left) and Jake Robinson were found in a well after reportedly being killed by car thieves during a surfing and camping trip in Baja California, across the border from San Diego last month ( 9News/Instagram ) Prosecutors said the two were being held pending drug charges but continue to be suspects in the killings. They have been identified as 23-year-old Ari Gisell and Cristian Alejandro Garcia. Jesus was the third man arrested and currently faces charges of a crime equivalent to kidnapping, though that was before the bodies were found. It is expected that the charges will soon be upgraded to murder. Prosecutors said he has a criminal record that included drug dealing, vehicle theft and domestic violence. He is yet to enter a plea on charges relating to the three mens disappearance. According to Australian news network ABC, Jesus, also known as "El Kekas", appeared before a court in the Mexican city of Ensenada on Wednesday. He wore an orange jumpsuit and white sneakers with his hands and feet handcuffed and chained to the floor, the outlet reported. The judge read out the states case, in which Jesuss then-girlfriend, Ari, has turned prosecution witness. The prosecution alleges that Ari Gisell, whose last name had also been suppressed, told authorities her then-partner had admitted to killing the three men. The court heard she told investigators her former partner had arrived at her house on Sunday and told her "I f****ed up three gringos". She said, "What do you mean?" to which he replied, "I killed them". US man Jack Carter Rhoads, a friend of the brothers, was also found dead along with them in Baja California ( Supplied ) Prosecutors alleged he then gave her a mobile phone and said "Look what I got you", before taking her outside to show her the new tyres on her car. They had been allegedly stolen from the trios vehicle. Mexican authorities previously said they believed the three men had been targeted for the tyres, along with cash and electronic valuables. Chief state prosecutor Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez said on Sunday that she believed the killers drove by and saw the surfers pickup truck and tents, and wanted to steal the tyres. But when (the foreigners) came up and caught them, surely, they resisted, she added. Following the killings the alleged thieves went to what she called a site that is extremely hard to get to and dumped the bodies into a well, they were familiar with and covered the hole with boards. It was literally almost impossible to find it, Ms Andrade Ramirez said. She added that it took two hours to winch the bodies out of the well. A fourth body was found with the young men. It is believed to be the remains of a rancher who owned the property and went missing two weeks earlier. His death is not believed to be linked to the case, authorities said. Debra Robinson paid tribute to her sons in an emotional speech in San Diego on Tuesday ( AP ) Ms Andrade Ramirez said investigators were not ruling out the possibility that the same suspects dumped the fourth body in the well as part of a previous crime. On Tuesday Debra Robinson, the mother of Callum and Jake, delivered a moving tribute to her sons at a beach in San Diego. Our hearts are broken and the world has become a darker place for us, Ms Robinson said, fighting back tears. They were young men enjoying their passion of surfing together. She noted that her son Callum considered the United States his second home, and that Jake loved surfing so much that, as a doctor, he liked to work in hospitals near the beach. Jakes passion was surfing, and it was no coincidence that many of his hospitals that he worked in were close to surfing beaches, she said. Choking back tears, Ms Robinson conveyed a final message that coincided with her sons adventurous lifestyles. Live bigger, shine brighter, and love harder in their memory, she said. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A former quality manager for Spirit AeroSystems, Boeings largest supplier, and which builds much of the 737 Max aircraft, has claimed that he was pressured to play down any defects he found when inspecting fuselages on the plane. Santiago Paredes has gone on record as Boeings latest whistleblower, speaking days after another whistleblower and employee of Spirit AeroSystems unexpectedly died from a fast-moving infection. Spirit AeroSystems and Boeing have both come under scrutiny after an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9s door plug blew off in mid-air in January. That caused the grounding of all 171 MAX 9 jets by the FAA and instigated an investigation. Speaking to CBS and the BBC in an interview, Mr Paredes said he worked on the end of the production line at Spirit AeroSystems for around a decade in Kansas, doing final inspections on 737 fuselages before these were shipped off to Boeing. He claimed that he was used to finding anywhere from 50 to 100, 200 defects on fuselages that were due to be sent to Boeing. I was finding a lot of missing fasteners, a lot of bent parts, sometimes even missing parts, Mr Paredes, who left the company in 2022, said. They just wanted the product shipped out, he claimed. They werent focused on the consequences of shipping bad fuselages. They were just focused on meeting the quotas, meeting the schedule, meeting the budget If the numbers looked good, the state of the fuselages didnt really matter. The former quality manager claimed that he felt under pressure from managers to keep his reports of defects to a minimum, and was even given the nickname Showstopper for slowing down the production and delivery process when he wrote reports of defects that needed repairs. He claims that they always said they didnt have time to fix the mistakes and needed to get the planes out. Santiago Paredes, a former employee of Spirit AeroSystems, has spoken up about the inspection process of the 737 Max ( CBS/BBC ) They always made a fuss about why I was finding it, why I was looking at it, he said. A Boeing spokesperson told CBS that the company has long had a team that finds and fixes defects in fuselages built by Spirit AeroSystems while Boeing is assembling the planes. A spokesperson added to The Independent that since the beginning of March, Boeing engineers have been inspecting each Spirit fuselage at the Kansas factory before it gets shipped to Boeing, which has reduced non-conformances by 80 per cent. Mr Paredes said that, eventually, Spirit bosses asked him to speed up his inspections by being less specific over the issues he was finding. He said that when he expressed his opposition to this, he was demoted and moved to a different part of the factory. I felt I was being threatened, and I felt I was being retaliated against for raising concerns, he said. Mr Paredes said that upon being moved, he filed an ethics complaint with human resources. He said he also wrote to Spirit AeroSystems then chief executive to say that he had lost faith and that this was his last cry for help. He was able to regain his original leadership position but said that he left the company soon afterwards. The former employee even went as far as saying that after working at Spirit, he almost grew a fear of flying. Spirit told the BBC that it strongly disagree[d] with the allegations and is vigorously defending against his claims. Many of Mr Paredes allegations are included in a testimony in a shareholder lawsuit against the company. He is referred to in the documents as Former Employee 1. Mr Paredes is speaking up shortly after Joshua Dean, who worked as a quality auditor at Spirit AeroSystems, died in hospital following the onset of a fast-progressing infection. Another whistleblower, John Barnett, a quality control engineer at Boeing for 32 years, was found dead at a hotel in March, reportedly from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Dean and Barnett, along with two other people, came forward alleging that corner-cutting in the manufacturing process of the MAX 9 was causing safety risks. In a statement to The Independent, Spirit spokesperson Joe Buccino said that they firmly believe the plaintiffs claims in the amended complaint are unfounded but cannot comment on specific allegations due to the ongoing litigation. We remain committed to addressing concerns and continuously improving workplace safety standards. "We take all employee concerns about quality, safety, work practices, and products very seriously, Mr Buccino added. Our employees' well-being and the quality of our work are both top priorities for us. To this end, we have recently enhanced our reporting system with the Quality 360 program, which includes QR codes and a streamlined format to make it easier for employees to submit anonymous complaints. We encourage all Spirit employees with concerns to come forward, safe in knowing they will be protected. Boeing also announced on the 1 March that they entered into discussions to acquire Spirit AeroSystems. We believe that the reintegration of Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems manufacturing operations would further strengthen aviation safety, improve quality and serve the interests of our customers, employees, and shareholders, the company said in part. If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Anti-war protesters at an Ohio university were sprayed with paint this week, as they tried to stop a pro-Palestinian mural from being erased on campus. A video shows people spraying pro-Palestinian protesters at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio on Tuesday evening. The protesters were blocking an anti-war mural painted on a campus wall. Student protester Ameer Alkayali, 18, said he plans to take legal action against the university after being sprayed. A contractor hired by Case Western Reserve University paints over a pro-Palestinian protester on 7 May. The next day, anti-war protesters occupied an administrative building on campus ( cleveland.com ) I stood against the wall, and the painters asked Should we continue? The cops showed general confusion and didnt tell them to stop, Mr Alkayali told local outlet cleveland.com. So, as seen in the video, they continue to just paint right over us. They told us to not put our hands in front of the machine because its dangerous, he continued. And we put our hands up, and they still continued to paint on our hands and sprayed us with it. The university president, Eric Kaler, later apologised for the incident. I have reviewed video footage, which depicts students blocking the wall as a third-party contractor spray-painted directly onto protesters as he attempted to finish painting the wall, and I am disturbed by what occurred, Mr Kaler said. Let me be clear: no students or any individuals should ever be treated this way, especially on a campus where our core values centre on providing a safe, welcoming environment, he continued. This is not who we are as an institution, and I am deeply sorry this ever occurred. Subsequently, on Wednesday evening, 200 protesters marched to Adelbert Hall, an administrative building on campus, the university said in a statement. Ten protesters then barricaded themselves inside. Mr Kaler said protesters who have broken campus rules may be subject to legal action. None of this behaviour is acceptable, nor does it contribute to the safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for which Case Western Reserve is known, he said. These developments come more than a week after protesters at Columbia University occupied the schools Hamilton Hall. The demonstrators renamed it Hinds Hall, in honour of a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli tanks in Gaza. The New York Police Department stormed the building and arrested more than 100 protesters on 30 April. Protesters have been staging demonstrations against Israels war in Gaza on Case Western Reserve Universitys campus since 29 April, when they set up an encampment on campus. Hours after they began building the encampment, police detained more than 20 protesters, local outlet Spectrum News reports. A school spokesperson told the outlet students were breaking campus rules by bringing tents onto the lawn area. In accordance with Case Western Reserve policies, protestors must follow specific restrictions regarding the time, place and manner of such activism, including ensuring their actions do not unreasonably interfere with university operations (this includes setting up encampments on campus property and the use of disruptive sound), Mr Kaler said after the arrests. The Independent has contacted Case Western Reserve University for comment. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Adam Montgomery has been sentenced to 45 years behind bars for the horrific murder of his five-year-old daughter Harmony after he refused to accept a lesser sentence in exchange for finally revealing what he had done with her remains. A judge on Wednesday said that Montgomerys extreme indifference to human life was evident not only in the case of his daughters killing, but also in his lengthy criminal history, which includes shooting a man in the face. His sentence will now be served consecutively with the sentences that hes already serving for unrelated gun charges. A jury in New Hampshire found Montgomery, 34, guilty of second degree murder, second degree assault, falsifying physical evidence, abuse of a corpse and tampering with a witness and informants over the death of his five-year-old child back in February. Montgomery continues to maintain his innocence of her murder but pleaded guilty at the start of the trial to lesser charges of falsifying evidence and abuse of a corpse. Before the sentence was handed down, Harmonys family members delivered emotional victim impact statements to the court. Crystal Sorey, Harmonys mother, broke down in tears as she called Montgomery a monster, a coward, and just plain evil. It bothered her to your core that she was nothing like you and everything like me, the grieving mother said, saying that her daughter had a life worth living unlike your own. Adam Montgomery at his sentencing ( CourtTV / screenshot ) Did she cry for me? Did she scream? Did she beg you to stop? Ms Sorey asked of her daughters brutal death. Ill never know. Ms Sorey also promised to look for her til the end of my days. Ms Soreys sister also gave a victim impact statement, calling Montgomery the most vile person on the planet. She said he was a monster that pretended to be a father but actually traumatized his daughter. A victim impact statement for Montgomerys estranged wife Kayla who took the stand to testify against her husband in the trial was read in court on her behalf by a victim advocate. Goodbye, her statement began, explaining she needed closure. Although Kayla began by admitting that she will always have a place in her heart for Montgomery, she later accused him of physically and emotionally abusing her. She revealed that, after he was arrested over Harmonys disappearance, she started sleeping with a knife out of fear of what he might do to her. Most of her statement barely mentioned little Harmony and instead revolved around her romantic relationship with the man she claimed she witnessed murder his child and her plans to fight to regain custody of their children. Blair Miller, the adopted father of Harmonys brother Jamison, also spoke to the court on behalf of his child. Jamison would constantly ask us, Wheres Harmony? Who took my sister away? he said. These are no questions for a little boy to be asking. Then addressing Montgomery, Blair said: Adam, you took away his best friend. You introduced murder into his life. If he sees a little girl with blonde hair, Jamison goes up and asks if shes Harmony, Jonathon Bobbitt-Miller, Mr Millers husband and Jamisons father, said. Harmony Montgomery was last seen in October 2019 at a home in Manchester ( Manchester Police Department ) I hope I get to see her again, seven-year-old Jamsion said, according to Mr Bobbitt-Miller. I love my sister. I miss her. I hope shes eating M&Ms in heaven. I hope her glasses are safe and not broken. Jamisons parents asked the judge to hand down the maximum sentence to Montgomery. Prosecutors had asked for no less than 56 years to life for Harmonys violent murder. But, in court on Wednesday, before the sentence was handed down, prosecutors offered a reduced sentence a minimum of 35 years to life in exchange for Montgomery divulging where to recover the little girls remains in the next seven days. The convicted murderer who was ordered by a judge to show up at his sentencing after skipping every day of his murder trial failed to even respond to the offer. His silence was interpreted as a rejection. He has just shown you again in this courtroom that he is heartless, immoral and an unapologetic murderer of his own child, the prosecutor said. Montgomerys defense attorney Caroline Smith called the offer a stunt. She argued that Montgomerys silence in response to the offer should not be equated to a lack of remorse. Mr Montgomery does not have to express remorse here where he has maintained his innocence, she said, arguing it violates his constitutional right against self-incrimination. Ms Smith said that the defendant cant offer an appropriate response since he has maintained his innocence and argued he would be worthy of rehabilitation. Before making the offer, the state had argued that the gruesome nature of the crimes and the subsequent cover-up should eliminate the possibility of a reduced sentencing. Kayla Montgomery at a parole board hearing in March ( AP ) How can the minimum [sentencing] ever applywhen she died in the car while he ate his food? The prosecutor added: How could the minimum ever apply when he could tell investigators where her body is right nowso she can be laid to rest? There is nothing minimal about the crimes that hes being convicted for today. The convicted murderer had been ordered to appear in person for his sentencing on Wednesday after he refused to show up in court for the entirety of his three-week-long murder trial. His conviction came nearly five years after Harmony was murdered around November or December 2019 and three years after authorities began looking for her. During his trial, his defense attorney insisted that while Montgomery did horrible things to hide Harmonys body, he did not kill her. Kaylas testimony directly contradicted this claim, as she revealed harrowing details about the little girls death. She told the court how one day, in the car, Montgomery beat his daughter repeatedly after she had an accident. He became really angry from Harmony peeing in the car, and he repetitively kept punching her on the way to Burger King,: he said. Kayla said that they later realized Harmony was dead and Montgomery tried to hide her remains in several places. She testified that the five-year-olds corpse was first stored in a cooler at Kaylas mothers home before being relocated to a ceiling vent at a shelter the family lived in briefly before Montgomery started bringing the remains to work with him daily. The horror didnt end there, however. Kayla detailed his efforts to dispose of his daughters body in March 2021. She said her estranged husband contemplated using a handsaw, lime and even a NutriBullet to destroy Harmonys rotting remains. Although its unclear whether he actually executed his plan, Kayla recalled seeing him with a large bag of lime in the bathroom. He said that he wanted to get rid of the body soon because he was scared of anything that could happen to him and the kids, she told the court. She testified that Montgomery asked her to help him destroy her remains, but she refused. The childs remains have never been found. Montgomery is already serving a 32-year-sentence on unrelated charges. In addition to the 45 years to life for murder, a judge ordered him to serve consecutive sentences in New Hampshire state prison on other charges. He was ordered to serve four to eight years for second degree assault, 12 months for abuse of a corpse, as well as three-and-a-half to seven years for both falsifying physical evidence and tampering with a witness and informants over the death of his five-year-old child. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Alabama officials have rescheduled the execution of a man who survived his first execution attempt. The state first attempted to execute Alan Eugene Miller on 22 September 2022 via lethal injection. However, the execution was called off after officials failed to connect an IV line. Now, Miller will be executed by nitrogen hypoxia on 26 September, Alabama governor Kay Ivey announced on Wednesday. A former delivery driver, Miller was convicted of killing three people in a 1999 workplace shooting. Alan Eugene Miller, pictured in an undated booking photo, will be executed in September, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced ( Alabama Department of Corrections ) In 2022, Alabama vowed not to attempt another lethal injection on Miller. The commitment came after he sued the state, claiming they lost his paperwork which indicated he chose nitrogen hypoxia as his method. At the time, there was no protocol in place for hypoxia execution in the state. Miller will be the second person executed by nitrogen gas in the US. The first person, Kenneth Smith, was executed in Alabama in January. The state of Alabama botched a total of three executions in 2022, including Millers and Smiths. Journalists inside the room described how Smith appeared to struggle as he was put to death. Reporter Lee Hedgepeth said: Ive been to four previous executions and Ive never seen a condemned inmate thrash in the way that Kenneth Smith reacted to the nitrogen gas. Despite previously advocating for it, Miller is now challenging the execution method in a US district court, arguing the current protocol violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment, the Associated Press reports. His attorneys cited witness descriptions of Smiths execution in their filings, arguing for a different protocol. An alternative method of nitrogen hypoxia execution is available that is feasible, readily implemented, and will significantly reduce a substantial risk of severe pain, Millers attorney, J Bradley Robertson, told local outlet WVTM 13 last week. Miller after his arrest by police in 1999. He is currently appealing the current protocol for execution by nitrogen hypoxia ( AP ) Meanwhile, Alabama attorney general Steve Marshall has said Smiths nitrogen gas execution was textbook. Nitrogen hypoxia as a means of execution is no longer an untested method, Mr Marshall said in January after Smiths execution. It is a proven one. The state asked a judge to dismiss Millers motion earlier this week. His legal team must now respond to that request. The Independent has contacted Mr Marshalls office and Millers attorneys for comment. The Independent and the non-profit Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) have launched a joint campaign calling for an end to the death penalty in the US. The RBIJ has attracted more than 150 well-known signatories to its Business Leaders Declaration Against the Death Penalty with The Independent as the latest on the list. We join high-profile executives including Ariana Huffington, Facebooks Sheryl Sandberg, and Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson as part of this initiative and are making a pledge to highlight the injustices of the death penalty in our coverage. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The mother of the New Jersey man on trial for the murder of his six-year-old son testified that he cried hysterically when he called to tell her the boy had died. Christopher Gregor, 31, is accused of forcing his son Corey Micciolo to run on the treadmill at high speeds because he was too fat. Corey died on 2 April 2021 at the Southern Ocean County Medical Center from traumatic injuries including a final blow to the heart just hours before his death which prosecutors allege stem from chronic child abuse at the hands of his father. Carolyn Gregor took the stand at the trial on Thursday where she recalled the devastating phone call she received from her son with the news that her grandson had died. Chris is hysterical, hysterical, she told the jury after she explained that Mr Gregor had taken Corey to the hospital because he was lethargic. What did she do to him, what did hes screaming on the phone, about the boys mother, Breanna Micciolo, she said. And then he tells me Corey passed, she added as she wiped away her tears. Carolyn Gregor took the stand at the trial on Thursday where she recalled the devastating phone call she received from her son with the news that the boy had died ( Law & Crime ) So I called my husband, and Im flipping out at the house, she said. I was so worried. He was so adamant that something happened when he (Corey) was with his mother. Ms Gregor then told the court that her other son, Danny, called her and said he was getting threatening phone calls at the house, accusing Christopher Gregor of being a murderer. During his mothers testimony, Mr Gregor could be seen breaking down in court and wiping away his tears. The trial, which began last week at Superior Court in Ocean City, was shown surveillance from Atlantic Heights fitness centre, in Barnegat, New Jersey, where Mr Gregor appears to be forcing little Corey onto a treadmill. Coreys mother, who was the first witness on the stand, burst into tears as she watched her son allegedly being abused by his father in the footage. Footage allegedly shows Christopher Gregor forcing his six-year-old son Corey Micciolo to run on a treadmill ( credit Court TV ) The footage, filmed on 20 March 2021, shows the little boy forced to run increasingly fast on the exercise equipment as his dad sharply steepens the incline. Unable to keep up with the conveyor belt beneath, Coreys legs buckle and he falls to the floor. Mr Gregor is then seen picking up his son, who is struggling to stay upright, and forcing him back onto the machine. The father then appears to bite his son which was also noted on the arrest warrant on the top of his head before finally decreasing the machines speed and incline. Days later, Ms Micciolo, who shared custody of her son with Mr Gregor, reported the boys injuries to the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency, she told the court. He was taken to the hospital on 1 April 2021 one day before his death. During that hospital visit, the six-year-old made a key claim about why he was forced to run: his father told him he was too fat. Mr Gregor breaks down in court while his mother is on the stand ( Court TV ) The next day, Mr Gregor brought the boy back to the hospital due to his concerning symptoms. While in hospital, the little boy suffered a seizure during a CT scan. Medical staff desperately tried in vain to save his life. An initial autopsy found that Coreys death was the result of sustaining blunt force injuries with cardiac and liver contusions, acute inflammation and sepsis. Forensic pathologist Dr Thomas Andrew ruled the boys death to be a homicide in September 2021 stemming from chronic abuse. Dr Andrew believes Corey suffered an acute traumatic injury to the heart four to 12 hours before his death. Mr Gregor was arrested on 9 March 2022 on child neglect charges following an investigation into the gym footage. If convicted of murder, he faces between 30 years to life without the possibility of parole in prison. He could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of child endangerment. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Colorado father of three accused of killing his wife after a stalking campaign designed to frame her ex-boyfriend pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges of murder, stalking and criminal impersonation. Daniel Krug, 43, shuffled to his seat in Broomfield Combined Courts beside his defence attorney shackled, wearing a blue-grey prison jumpsuit and appearing significantly more white-haired than in his December mugshot. He was arrested nine days before Christmas following the 14 December discovery of the body of his wife, Kristil, at the home they shared in Broomfield, about 20 miles north of Denver. Judge Priscilla Loew on Thursday admonished Krug regarding his contact with the couples children, who range in age from 8 to 14. Prosecutors had asked that contact be stopped after Krug allegedly tried to broach the investigation and other off-limits matters in phone calls. Defence attorney Phil Geigle argued on Thursday that the content of the calls had been mischaracterized, and the judge declined to order all contact ceased but she did, while admonishing Krug, remind him to not talk about the case, the investigation or any alternative suspect. Krug, prosecutors allege, spent months pretending to stalk his wife as one of her ex-boyfriends in an attempt to blame the other man for Kristils murder. She had broken up with the former boyfriend in 2000, but hed allegedly contacted her in 2002, 2005, 2010 and around 2016 and each time proposed they have a sexual encounter or meet in person with rude comments often included, according to Krugs arrest affidavit. Mugshot of Daniel Krug ( Bloomfield Police ) She never reported these communications prior because [the ex] stopped communication when Kristil did not respond, the affidavit continued. But she became concerned after crude and hostile messages began again in October 2023, including an email with an attached photo of Krug exiting his vehicle at his workplace on Halloween. She filed a harassment report with police the same day, but messages continued, including another email noting correctly that her licence plate had expired and a message that made it seem like the sender had been watching Kristil attend a dentists appointment. On 13 November, Kristil alerted police to another message that seemed to threaten her husband: Ill save u. Help me get rid of him an we get away. I know he stopping u from talking to me. U dont want him I know u want me. The message prompted police to duly check on Krug at his workplace and Kristil at her residence. Given the context of the communication, obscene material and comments, Kristil was very fearful for her safety and the safety of her family, the affidavit continues. There is evidence and admission of repeated following and surveillance of her and her immediate family. The recent communication has caused her anxiety, hyper-vigilance, and paranoia. She has suffered severe emotional distress. Messages continued via email, however and, on 14 December, Krug called Broomfield Police and said he couldnt reach his wife for 3 hours. An officer conducting a wellness check looked through the windows and saw a female on the ground and bright red blood smear on the drywall on the south wall of the garage. The female was lying on her back near the stairs from the garage to the house on the southwest corner of the garage, the affidavit states. The blood was on the wall near her head and there was also blood on the floor near the female. Upon entry, the officer found no pulse but Kristils body was warm as he called for an ambulance and started CPR though she was pronounced dead at 12.43pm at Good Samaritan Hospital. Police later noted a home security camera taped over and found that three or four of the cameras were offline for a significant part of the morning. When interviewed, Krug could not provide any explanation and, after tracing the IP address where messages originated, found it was similar to where [Krug] works. Police seized his work and personal phones and also established that the ex-boyfriend had been in Utah, where he resides, and in the company of his wife at the time of Kristils killing. Krug was read his Miranda right to silence so as to avoid self-incrimination by Broomfield police, and then he explained that he left his house about 20 minutes later than usual because he was having unexplainable stomach trouble; he implied that he was diarrheal, the affidavit states. Kristil had left the house to take the kids to school, and when she came home she interacted with Daniel. At that time, Kristil inquired about him still being at home because it was abnormal. Daniel denied any argument or physical altercation between them. An autopsy conducted the day after Kristils death found preliminarily that Kristil suffered two or more blunt-force trauma wounds on the back of her head and one stab wound on the left side of her chest. Kristils stepmother also told authorities on 15 December that the couple had been having marital problems and, days before her death, told her that she had a photo on her phone which she planned to use to seek full custody of the children. The stepmother added in a follow-up interview that Kristil was planning on leaving her husband and had been moving up the timeline for separation and that, in the days following her killing, Krug had spoken about selling his and Kristils house and throwing her clothing away. Krug was arrested on 16 December two days after the discovery of his wifes body at the behest of his welfare call. The last known person to see Kristil alive is Daniel Krug, the affidavit states. The IP address used while stalking Kristil originates from Daniels workplace. The only person to have access to the residential cameras at the Krug home, to manually turn them offline are Daniel, Kristil and [redacted.] Kristil was said to be someone who would fight and defend herself and there is no sign of struggle at the residence. Kristil was also found to have possession of her loaded concealed carry firearm on her person; indicating she was taken by surprise or by someone familiar. Kristil Krug, a mother of three ( Krug family ) Based on the totality of circumstances, probable cause exists to believe that Daniel Krug committed the offence of Murder in the First Degree. There is no mention of Krug in his wifes obituary, which described a full-of-life devoted mother equally talented in the arts and sciences. A Colorado native, Kristil was a modern dance performer who became a biochemical engineer. Tragically, Kristils promising journey was cut short by a senseless act of violence that took her from us too soon, the obituary states. Our hearts are broken and we will miss her dearly. As we grieve the loss of a vibrant and talented soul, we remember Kristil for the joy she brought into our lives, the beauty she shared through her art, and the intellect she brought to the scientific community. A trial date has been set for 14 October. Krugs family and supporters, many of whom attended court on Thursday, have set up a crowd-funding site to help his mounting a vigorous defense, countering these terrible accusations and setting the right path towards the real perpetrator who remains at large, it states adding that Krug was terrified and feels deeply betrayed by the situation. It had raised $6,225 of a $125,000 goal as of Thursday. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A fertility doctor has been accused by twins of using his own sperm to get their mother pregnant using IVF, and they have sued his familys estate for fertility fraud. Allison Vece and Kevin Phelps say that Dr Joseph Plautz impregnated their mother, Gayle Fedele, with his sperm around June 1984 in Clark County, Nevada. According to the lawsuit filed in the county district court last month, Ms Fedele first started seeing Dr Plautz that year when she decided she wanted to get pregnant but could not do so naturally due to her husbands vasectomy. The doctor told the woman about artificial insemination and said hed be able to obtain a sperm sample from the Rocky Mountain Sperm Bank in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The woman then told the doctor about the physical characteristics shed like in a donor and the doctor said hed take care of getting the sample. At no point did the doctor ask the woman to sign any forms about the authorization of the sperm sample, the lawsuit states. Two siblings are suing the estate of their mothers fertility doctor after DNA tests revealed that the medical professional was their biological father ( Getty Images ) The doctor then gave the woman fertility drugs. Later that month, she told Dr Plautz she was ovulating and made arrangements for the insemination. When she came in to do the procedure, the doctor allegedly inseminated the woman with his own semen, the lawsuit claims. Not knowing what had happened, the woman continued to see the doctor for prenatal care and had him deliver her twin children nine months later. Dr Plautz remained the womans gynaecologist up until 2013. When her daughter, Ms Vece, turned 17, he performed the teenagers first gynaecological exam even though he was her biological father, the suit states. As the child began to experience ongoing health issues, including severe headaches, Ms Fedele asked Dr Plautz for information relating to her sperm donor. The doctor told her that a fire broke out at the sperm bank and all the records relating to her pregnancy were destroyed. Dr Plautz died in 2015. In his obituary, he was described as a Navy veteran who served on a hospitals board of directors and was a bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was married twice and had 13 children, 31 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. In 2021, Mr Phelps received the results of a DNA test allegedly detailing that Dr Plautz was his biological father and the mans children were his half-siblings. Still, Mr Phelps thought the connections were related to his mothers sperm donor and did not question the results. It wasnt until the Netflix documentary Our Father was released that Ms Vece asked her brother to see the results. The 2022 film is about Dr Donald Cline, a fertility doctor who fathered at least 90 children through alleged fertility fraud in Indiana. Speaking to KTNV, Ms Vece said that Dr Plautz worked at the same hospital as Dr Cline for 10 years. Dr Donald Cline, a reproductive endocrinologist and fertility specialist, speaks at a new conference in Indianapolis in 2007 ( AP ) Upon seeing the results of the DNA test, she suspected that the relatives with the last name Plautz were likely related to the doctor both she and her mother saw. The woman then took a DNA test which allegedly confirmed that the doctors children were also her half-siblings and told her mother. Ms Fedele later contacted the sperm bank where the sample for her pregnancy came from. She was told that the bank closed in 2009 but that the facility did not have a fire when it was operational and no records were destroyed in a fire. The siblings and mother are suing on counts of negligence, liability, negligent infliction of emotional distress, intentional infliction of emotional distress and fraud, among other counts. The lawsuit argues that Dr Plautzs actions are a violation of Nevadas fertility fraud law SB309 and that inseminating a patient in such a way is a criminal act. Additionally, it states that sperm donors are required to undergo screening to detect and prevent hereditary and genetic health issues that could be passed down through pregnancy. The lawsuit states that Dr Plautz did not undergo such screening and his DNA contains conditions that could cause serious health conditions for the siblings and their children. The plaintiffs are seeking damages exceeding $15,000. Its not clear if Dr Plautzs estate has responded to the lawsuit. China's foreign trade up 5.7 pct in first four months Xinhua) 11:23, May 09, 2024 BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) -- China's total goods imports and exports expanded 5.7 percent year on year in yuan terms in the first four months of this year, official data showed Thursday. The country's exports rose 4.9 percent year on year in the January-April period, while imports climbed 6.8 percent, according to the General Administration of Customs. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A father in Florida has been arrested for brandishing an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle at an Uber driver who dropped off his 13-year-old daughter, according to Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Department. Sean Hollonbeck, 54, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and kidnapping related to the incident, according to a police report. On 4 May, just before 11pm, an Uber driver pulled up to Mr Hollonbeck's Garcon Point home to drop his daughter off, Fox 35 Orlando reports. The daughter was reportedly still in the car when her father emerged from his house and approached with his AR-15 in hand. Mr Hollonbeck allegedly forced the Uber driver out of his car and ordered him to the ground, according to the report. The daughter told deputies her father was "acting crazy" and yelling while he waved his rifle around. Deputies allege that Mr Hollonbeck pointed his rifle at the driver's face and screamed at him to leave his car while his daughter ran into his house. Sean Hollonbeck, 54, of Santa Rosa County, Florida, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and kidnapping after he held an Uber driver against his will with an AR-15 ( Santa Rosa County Sheriffs Office ) The police report noted that Mr Hollonbeck's daughter had friends over at the time of the incident. The friends witnessed the incident and gave statements to the deputies. Mr Hollonbeck allegedly demanded the driver produce his license, and took photos of the identification before he allowed him to leave the property. When police arrived to question him about the incident, Mr Hollonbeck admitted to deputies that he was "afraid for his daughter's safety and didn't know who she was with or that she had left without permission." He was taken into custody and was booked into the Santa Rosa County jail. He later posted bond, according to jail records. Mr Hollonbeck, a retired US Army colonel, runs a nonprofit called "The War Horse Project" that connects individuals primarily veterans suffering from trauma with therapy horses, according to WEAR in Florida. He told the broadcaster that he will likely have to sell some of his assets to pay for his legal defence. Mr Hollonbeck also said he was fired on Tuesday. Mr Hollonbeck told the outlet that his daughter had snuck out and took an Uber to Pensacola, Florida, leaving him worried at home. That vehicle was completely unmarked, Mr Hollonbeck said. I had no idea that, in my mind, this was not good, and everybody knows whats going on in this country with fentanyl and child trafficking and rape. Terrible stuff. He said after he discovered his daughter snuck out, he called law enforcement for help, and argued that his actions were justified under his parental rights. Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson reportedly told Mr Hollonbeck that he was being "overprotective" and told him to get his facts straight before he brandishes a weapon in the future. Obviously youre talking about a young girl being out late at night, Mr Johnson said on Monday. If its my daughter, Id be worried as well. But its important to get all the facts that you can get prior to engaging somebody. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Adam Montgomery has never admitted that he killed his five-year-old daughter Harmony. Although her life was short, documents show that Harmony Montgomery endured an extraordinarily difficult childhood. Her mother struggled with substance abuse issues, meaning Harmony bounced in and out of foster homes until she was put in the custody of her father in February 2019. Despite having a violent criminal history and spending only 40 hours across 20 supervised visits with his daughter from the time she was born to age four and a half, he was awarded custody. Around 10 months later, she was dead. She slipped through the cracks of the systems in place across two states, with agencies missing crucial safety and background checks, begging the question of whether Harmony would still be alive today had those systems not failed her. To add insult to injury, authorities didnt start looking for her body until two years after she died. It wasnt until December 2021 that Montgomery was charged with second-degree assault. One year after that, in October 2022, he was charged with murder. During Montgomerys trial, his defence attorney insisted that while Montgomery did horrible things to hide Harmonys body, he did not kill her. After all this time, Montgomery has still maintained his innocence in the death of his daughter. But the New Hampshire jury didnt buy it, finding the father guilty of second-degree murder in February. Now, on May 9, he is scheduled to appear in court for his sentencing. The day of the murder Most of the revelations of the case stemmed from Kayla Montgomerys testimony. Kayla, Adams estranged wife, had already been sentenced to 18 months in prison on perjury charges for initially lying to law enforcement regarding Harmonys whereabouts. Although the defence team tried to paint Kayla as a liar, the prosecution argued that she was afraid of disclosing the truth because she was being abused and threatened by Adam Montgomery. Adam was getting really angry from Harmony peeing in the car, and he repetitively kept punching her on the way to Burger King, Kayla told jurors while sobbing. She said when they stopped driving at red lights, Adam would go over the drivers seat in between the passenger seat, and he was just punching her repetitively in the head. Harmony Montgomery, who died at the hands of her father ( Nicole Sorey/Facebook ) Harmonys body was moved several times, Kayla told the court. The five-year-olds corpse was first stored in a cooler at Kaylas mothers home. Then it was relocated to a ceiling vent at a shelter the family had lived in. He compressed and contorted her body into this bag, the prosecution said at his murder trial while showing a medium-sized tote bag. Prosecutors said that when investigators scoped out the room two years later, they saw deep blood stains in the ceiling vent and smelled decomposition. And surrounding Harmonys blood, all that was left of her .... the defendants fingerprints and palm prints, froze in there for a time, the prosecution said. Neighbours started to complain about the smell, prosecutors said during the trial. So, Montgomery then began bringing Harmonys remains to work with him every day; he then worked as a cook and dishwasher at the since-closed Portland Pie Company. [The bag] stood out to people, because he placed it in the freezer during his shifts, a prosecutor said. He brought it with him regularly to work and he stored it in a freezer where the company kept food and ingredients. People saw him bringing that in and out. They couldnt have imagined what that bag contained. How Montgomery allegedly disposed of the body Montgomery started his efforts to destroy his daughters body in March 2021, Kayla testified. As Kaylas testimony continued, the details became even more gruesome. She recalled Montgomery discussing using a handsaw, lime and even a NutriBullet to destroy Harmonys rotting remains. Montgomery spent hours inside the bathroom dethawing Harmonys frozen remains, cutting the clothes off the body, and running hot water on to what remained of the little girl, Kayla testified. Montgomery and his lawyers Caroline Smith and James Brooks at Hillsborough County Superior Court in Manchester, New Hampshire in February ( AP ) He wanted to use a handsaw and a NutriBullet, Kayla told the court. He said thatd be good to use to help get rid of her ... I saw Harmony folded together the same way she was when we took her out of the car. She looked like she had barely any skin, just skin and bones and was very bruised. He had the hot water running ... in the tub. Its unclear whether he actually went through with the Nutribullet plan. However, Kayla testified that he had a large bag of lime in the bathroom. He said that he wanted to get rid of the body soon because he was scared of anything that could happen to him and the kids, she told the court. Montgomery asked Kayla to help him with his efforts to destroy his daughters remains, she testified, but she didnt go through with it. At some point, she said, Montgomery placed the remains back in the tote bag and inside the freezer again. The childs remains have never been found. Arrested and charged In January 2022, Adam and Kayla Montgomery were indicted in New Hampshire. Adam was accused of second-degree assault for hitting his daughter in the face while Kayla was accused of theft by deception for fraudulently obtaining $1,500 in food stamp benefits meant for Harmony between December 2019 and June 2021, despite the fact that the little girl was not living with her. In April 2022, both Montgomerys faced unrelated charges related to the theft of firearms. Kayla Montgomery wipes away tears during questioning from the parole board on March 7 ( David Lane/Union Leader via AP, Pool ) Months later, in June, Kayla was arrested for perjury charges. She told a grand jury that she was working at the time when Harmony was last seen alive. Speaking to authorities in June, court documents show that she accused her husband of murdering his daughter. The filing said that Kayla divulged to police that Adam had encouraged her to lie about Harmonys whereabouts, basically giving Kayla a cover story and telling her that as long as she stuck to the cover story everything would be OK. It wasnt until October of that year that Adam faced murder charges. One month later, in November 2022, Kayla pleaded guilty to perjury charges. In exchange, she agreed to testify at her estranged husbands murder trial. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Harvey Weinstein was back in a New York City courtroom on Thursday as he faces extradition to California to serve his sentence for raping a woman in Los Angeles, after an appeals court overturned his sexual assault conviction in New York. Having left a hospital just days earlier, the 72-year-old convicted rapist was brought into Queens criminal court in a wheelchair and dressed in a dark suit to face his extradition hearing. The disgraced movie mogul will remain behind bars in New York until the court determines whether he should stay in the state while awaiting a retrial in his case there or if he should be sent to California to serve his other sentence there. In the brief hearing, Weinstein denied his consent for an extradition request from California, with his attorney saying that the hearing was normal procedure and that California first needs to produce a warrant signed by the governor. They are not in a position to extradite Mr Weinstein because they have not done what they need to do, attorney Diana Fabi Samson said outside court, according to The Associated Press. Ms Samson added that his main concern is making sure that Weinstein continues to receive medical care while he remains in New York custody. Hes holding up the best he can, the attorney said. Harvey Weinstein appears in Queens criminal court on Thursday in New York ( AP ) Weinstein had been receiving medical treatment at a New York City hospital after complaining about getting chest pains shortly after being moved to Rikers Island jail on April 27. He was then returned to the jail after corrections officers found he was staying in a private room and was given special treatment that other inmates would not usually get. He is due to return to court on August 7. In 2023, Weinstein was found guilty of one count of rape and two counts of sexual assault for raping an Italian model and actor at a 2013 Los Angeles film festival in the run-up to that years Academy Awards. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison in Los Angeles. His victim made a statement to the court back in 2023 describing the toll Weinsteins actions took on her. Before that night I was a very happy and confident woman. I valued myself and the relationship I had with God, she said. I was excited about my future. Everything changed after the defendant brutally assaulted me. There is no prison sentence long enough to undo the damage. Harvey Weinstein returned to court on 9 May for authorities to consider an extradition request from California to serve his sentence for a 2022 rape conviction ( AP ) The LA sentence was on hold while he served time in New York after being found guilty of raping and assaulting two women at his trial in Manhattan in 2020. He was sentenced to 23 years at a prison in upstate New York. However, late last month, the disgraced producers 2020 landmark #MeToo rape conviction was overturned after the New York Court of Appeals found that a judge had made a series of questionable decisions at trial. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has vowed to retry him on the charges. We will do everything in our power to retry this case, and remain steadfast in our commitment to survivors of sexual assault, a spokesperson for DA Braggs office told The Independent at the time. Prosecutors claimed in a hearing last week that they could be ready for a new trial as soon as September and that at least one of his two alleged victims is willing to testify again. Meanwhile, Weinsteins spokesperson Juda Engelmeyer told the New York Post that, now the Hollywood mogul is no longer a convicted felon in New York, California is obligated to request his presence to begin serving his 16-year sentence there, he As hes not technically a criminal in New York, hes technically a fugitive of California justice. Its Gavin Newsomes way of showing his electorate that hes doing something about Harvey, Mr Engelmeyer said. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The mother of a US Air Force member shot and killed by a sheriffs deputy in Florida says that law enforcement did not give any warning before bursting into her sons apartment and gunning him down. Roger Fortson was killed by the deputy who his family allege responded to the wrong address. After hearing a knock on the door he demanded to know who is it? but did not get a response, said civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who was retained by the mans family. Mr Crump said that Fortson then heard a very aggressive knock and grabbed his own firearm. When he returned, an Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office deputy came through the door and shot Fortson six times when he spotted the gun. The mans girlfriend said she could see him on the ground over FaceTime saying I cant breathe. Fortson was alone inside his apartment, while his family alleges that the deputy responded to the call at the wrong address. Roger Fortsons family say that an Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office deputy failed to identify himself before entering the 23-year-olds home and shooting him ( AP ) Meka Fortson, the airmans mother, spoke alongside Mr Crump during a news conference on Thursday. At points, she held a large military portrait of her son and sobbed. She called for an investigation into the incident and for the sheriffs department to tell the truth about my son. The officer who shot Fortson has been placed on administrative leave. He has not been identified by the sheriffs office. In a written statement, Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden said: All of us at the Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office are saddened about the fatal officer involved shooting over the weekend. He stated that the officer responded to a disturbance call late Friday afternoon and encountered an armed man. The deputy then shot the man, who succumbed to his injuries, Sheriff Aden said. The official said he has asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to conduct an investigation into the incident and added that the state attorneys office will also conduct an independent review. The Independent has emailed the sheriffs office for comment. Ms Fortson described her son as a gift. Where we come from, you dont end up where Roger ended up, she said, speaking of her sons military accomplishments. She described Fortson as intelligent, compassionate and a dotting big brother to his little sister Harmony. The Air Force member taught her what credit was, she said and had recently bought her a new car. They dont know what they took from me, she said, fighting back tears while speaking to reporters. Mr Crump said the family would be reviewing the body cam footage with the sheriffs department on Thursday and that it would later be released to the public. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A grandfather has been arrested for felony child endangerment after leaving his granddaughter with a homeless stranger so that he could go to a bar, police said. Sheriffs deputies responded to a call on Monday evening at The Cinders Bar in Sacramento after Jason Warren, 54, was seen asking people for help and claiming that his seven-year-old granddaughter had been kidnapped for human trafficking. Police said Mr Warren was highly intoxicated, and told them he had given a homeless woman $20 to take the child to a thrift store approximately four hours earlier. The homeless woman, Lauren Jope, 34, told KCRA that Mr Warren had asked her to take the child to the store to buy a pair of shorts, and some things for herself. Lauren Jope, 34, leapt into action this week when a man asked her to take care of his seven-year-old granddaughter so he could get drunk in a bar, police said ( ABC10 ) Security footage later confirmed that Ms Jope left the area with the child after she came out of the thrift store and noticed the man was drunk. She took the girl to her encampment to get food, a detail that the child later corroborated to police. This guy is just totally belligerently drunk and just kind of scary. He turned into a totally different person, and so I got his granddaughter away until things kind of simmered down, because I didnt know what was really going on, Ms Jope said. I just wanted to make sure she was safe and that shes okay. Officials began searching the area, and the woman returned to the bar with the child after hearing a public announcement. The girl was cleared to return to live with her aunt, who has full custody of her. The aunt said that shed asked Mr Warren to care for the child because she had to go to work. Sheriff Department Chief Amar Gandhi called Ms Jope a guardian angel. I cant sing her praises high enough, he said. For having the wherewithal to say, Hey this girl is in danger. Im going to do everything I can to protect her. Mr Warren was held at Sacramento County Main Jail on a $75,000 bond. County records show he was released on Wednesday. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Police have ruled out a photo thought to be of a missing autistic Tennessee teenager in North Carolina, dashing renewed hope he could be found after two months without a sign of him. Sebastian Rogers, 13, was last seen the night of 25 February in Hendersonville, Tennessee, but a recent photo appeared to show him at an underpass in North Carolina. His paternal father, Seth Rogers, said on Monday that he was convinced that photo was of his son, who disappeared from his mother and stepfathers home. Police, however, said on Tuesday that it was not Sebastian. This photo was shared widely online, with the belief Tennessee teen Sebastian Rogers had been spotted in North Carolina ( News Channel 5 ) I would surely hope that the FBI would take the lead. Because I believe that is my son, and he is across state lines. I would really truly appreciate it if the FBI did take the lead, Mr Rogers told NewsNation on Monday. The FBI previously told The Independent in early April that it was assisting with the search. Sebastian vanished from his mother Katie Proudfoots home overnight on 25 February, while her husband Chris Proudfoot was away working. She went to wake her son up for school the following morning and found his bedroom empty. There has been no sign of the boy since, despite extensive searches across the local area by the Sumner County Sheriffs Office (SCSO) and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), as well as volunteers. Sebastian Rogers, 13, vanished from his mothers home in Hendersonville, Tennessee on 25 February 2024 ( TBI ) The leading theory has been that Sebastian left of his own accord, without his shoes, in the middle of the night. His mother claimed she believed he had been taken by someone. SCSO has said that it does not suspect foul play, but that it also has not ruled anything out. The photo of a boy who looked very similar to Sebastian, with his head down, began circulating on social media in recent days. The image appeared to offer hope to both Sebastians family and those online who have become invested in the case. On Tuesday, SCSO put a stop to the speculation, saying that the image was not of Sebastian, after working with North Carolina agencies to check. We understand the gravity of the situation and the concerns it has raised, the sheriffs office said in a statement. Our collaborative efforts with law enforcement agencies continue unabated as we remain committed to finding Sebastian. Seth Rogers has maintained that he will find his son ( NewsChannel 5 Nashville WTVF ) His father has hired a private investigator to help with the search, after weeks without updates from law enforcement. The last comment from TBI was on 25 April, as the investigation reached the two month mark. To date, there have been no confirmed sightings of Sebastian since the issuance of the [Amber] Alert, the update read. TBI special agents continue to review the information gathered since the investigation began, follow up on all leads or tips that come in, and work with counterparts from other law enforcement agencies to review strategies and consider options. The Independent has approached Sumner County Sheriffs Office for further comment but is yet to receive a response. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Kaitlin Armstrong, the Texas yoga teacher convicted of killing pro cyclist Anna Mo Wilson in a jealous rage, has been sued by her victims family in a wrongful death lawsuit. Armstrong was sentenced to 90 years in prison for the May 2022 slaying, which took place hours after the victim went swimming and had a meal with Armstrongs boyfriend, former pro cyclist Colin Strickland. The trial was told that Wilson had a brief romantic relationship with Mr Strickland months earlier. The new lawsuit was filed by Karen and Eric Wilson on 6 May in the 200th District Court in Travis County, seeking more than $1m in monetary relief. It states they want "damages of any kind, penalties, costs, expenses, pre-judgement and post-judgement interest". The family has requested for a jury to determine which damages Armstrong will be responsible for. Anna Moriah Wilson's photo is displayed on the screen during Kaitlin Armstrong's murder trial at the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, Austin, Texas ( AP ) "The worst day in the lives of Plaintiffs Karen and Eric Wilson and their son Matt Wilson was May 12, 2022," the lawsuit reads, according to CBS News. "That is the day they learned that Defendant Kaitlin Marie Armstrong shot and killed their only daughter, Anna Moriah Wilson, affectionally known as 'Mo.'" It goes on to allege that Armstrong "was handling her firearm negligently, unlawfully, wantonly and recklessly and in violation of laws, statutes and ordinances intended to protect people" when she shot Wilson. The lawsuit also claims that Armstrong assaulted Wilson when she shot her. Wilson, 25, was murdered at her home friends apartment in East Austin. The Vermont native was in Texas to take part in a race that she was among the favourites to win. Karen Wilson, mother of Anna Moriah Wilson, is suing Kaitlin Armstrong for the wrongful death of her daughter ( AP ) Armstrong must serve at least 30 years of her sentence before she is eligible for parole. Her attorney issued a notice to appeal her conviction on 27 November. Investigators said that Wilson used a fitness app to track Wilsons location, and went inside the apartment where Wilson was staying after her boyfriend dropped her off. Following the shooting, Armstrong fled to Costa Rica and taught yoga after receiving plastic surgery and changing her hair to avoid detection, prosecutors argued. Kailtin Armstrong, pictured here entering a courtroom on the first day of her criminal trial, has been sued by the parents of Annah Moriah Wilson, the woman she killed, in a wrongful death lawsuit ( Gannett ) US Marshals caught up with her approximately six months after she left the country and brought her back to the US to face trial. In October, she tried to escape police custody by running from officers who were escorting her to a doctor's appointment, but only made it a block before she was taken back into custody. Armstrong is currently incarcerated at the Gatesville Corrections Centre in Texas. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A US Army sergeant who was arrested in Russia last week was going through a divorce at the time he travelled without authorisation to follow a new girlfriend to Russia, where the woman later accused him of theft, leading to his arrest. The revelation, based on comments from Gordon Blacks family to the Washington Post, helps fill in the details of the evolving international incident. Mr Black, 34, was supposed to be on leave from the Army and returning to Fort Cavazos, in Texas, but instead travelled to the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok last month to follow a woman named Alexandra Vashchuk. According to Radio Free Europe reporter Mark Krutov, who tracked the couples relationship using social media, the pair appear to have met in South Korea, where Mr Black was stationed. On TikTok, Ms Vashchuck had referred to Mr Black affectionately as her husband and her pindos, a slur for American. Later videos appear to show Mr Black speaking about political topics like Joe Biden and Russian-American relations. Mr Black then allegedly travelled to Russia without notifying his military supervisors or Ms Vashchuck. I came home, and there was this pindos, she says in one social media video. Thats funny. Who are you? Who are you, man? Once the pair were in Russia, Ms Vashchuck then reported the AWOL Army sergeant for allegedly beating her and stealing around $2,000 from her, according to Russian media. US officials say theyre aware of the case and offering all possible assistance. 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, the US embassy in Russia told The Independent. We have no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas, a State Department spokesperson added. When a U.S. citizen is detained abroad, consular officers seek to aid him or her with all appropriate assistance. A number of Americans have been arrested in Russia in recent years, on what US officials call exaggerated charges meant to use American citizens as bargaining chips. WNBA star Brittney Griner was held in a Russian prison on drug charges for nearly a year in 2022, while Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich remains incarcerated in the country, on espionage charges he, his employ, and the US government claim are unfounded. The Russian Foreign Ministry has claimed Mr Blacks arrest has nothing to do with politics, according to the TASS state news agency. This case has no relation to politics or espionage. As far as we understand, a household crime [is suspected] in this case. That is why the Russian Foreign Ministrys mission in Vladivostok is not following the case of the US citizen closely, the mission said. Martha McHardy contributed reporting to this story. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Hunter Bidens efforts to have gun charges against him thrown out have been rejected by a federal appeals court in Delaware. The decision, made by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday, cited lack of appellate jurisdiction and paves the way for a trial to begin next month. The presidents son faces allegations he lied about his drug use during a 2018 gun purchase. The defendant in this criminal case appealed three pre-trial orders entered on April 12, 2024, denying his motions to dismiss the indictment, the court document obtained by Fox News stated. This appeal is dismissed because the defendant has not shown the District Courts orders are appealable before final judgment. According to Thursdays ruling by district judge Maryellen Norieka, the trial is set to begin on 3 June. Mr Bidens lawyer, Abbe Lowell, has suggested that he may ask the full Philadelphia-based Third Circuit to rehear the appeal, according to CNN. In reviewing the panels decision, we believe the issues involved are too important and further review of our request is appropriate, Mr Lowell said. The appeal by Bidens team to have the gun charges against him thrown out was dismissed on Thursday ( AP ) Last month, Ms Norieka dismissed a separate appeal by Mr Bidens team, in which they had challenged both the case and the authority of special counsel David Weiss to bring it. Mr Biden filed a number of challenges to the case, arguing he was still protected under an immunity agreement from a failed plea deal, as well as claiming that the prosecution was politically motivated, though these were dismissed. At best, [Hunter Biden] has generically alleged that individuals from the prior administration were or are targeting him (or his father) and therefore his prosecution here must be vindictive, Ms Norieka wrote in an April ruling. The problem with this argument is that the charging decision at issue was made during this administration by special counsel Weiss at a time when the head of the executive branch prosecuting [the] defendant is [the] defendants father. Mr Bidens defence team had argued last year that the presidents son was selectively charged and that the special counsel buckled under political pressure from GOP figures seeking political gain, including Donald Trump. In January, Mr Weisss office called the Biden legal strategy stunningly weak and wholly unsupported by facts and law, comparing it to a fiction designed for a Hollywood script. Also in April, challenges to a nine-count tax case against Mr Biden were dismissed by a California judge. In both the tax and gun cases, Mr Biden has pleaded not guilty. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Contractors curious about an extension cord on the roof of a grocery store made a startling discovery: a 34-year-old woman was living inside the shops rooftop sign, with enough space for a computer, printer, coffee maker and a mini desk. She had been living there for roughly a year. The woman, whose name was not released, was discovered inside the triangle-shaped rooftop sign of the Family Fare grocery store on a retail strip in Midland, Michigan, about 130 miles north of Detroit. A 34-year-old woman had been living inside this triangular rooftop business sign in Michigan for roughly a year She had some flooring laid, a desk, clothing, a Keurig coffee maker, a printer and a computer and was able to get electricity from the power cord that was plugged into an outlet in the roof, which gave away her location. The sign structure, probably 5 feet (1.5 meter) wide and 8 feet (2.4 meters) high, has a door and is accessible from the roof. There was, however, no sign of a ladder. Officer Brennon Warren of the Midland Police Department said its possible the woman made her way to the roof by climbing up elsewhere behind the store or other retail businesses. Its a story that makes you scratch your head, just somebody living up in a sign, said Officer Warren. The woman, whose name was not released, was discovered inside the 5ft by 8ft triangle-shaped rooftop sign of the Family Fare grocery store on a retail strip in Midland, Michigan. The space was equipped with a computer, printer, mini desk and a Keurig coffee machine. She had been living there for roughly a year There was some flooring that was laid down. A mini desk... her clothing. A Keurig coffee maker. A printer and a computer things you'd have in your home. "I honestly don't know how she was getting up there. She didn't indicate, either," he said. A spokesperson for SpartanNash, the parent company of Family Fare, said store employees responded with the utmost compassion and professionalism. Ensuring there is ample safe, affordable housing continues to be a widespread issue nationwide that our community needs to partner in solving, Adrienne Chance said, declining further comment. Warren said the woman was cooperative and quickly agreed to leave. No charges were pursued. We provided her with some information about services in the area, the officer said. She apologized and continued on her way. Where she went from there, I don't know. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} He was a lawyer with a two-syllable name, a colourfully complicated personal life and a Rasputin-like grip on United States politics especially in New York. The very mention of Roy Cohn during his four decades of headline ubiquity could spark anything from anger to hatred to fear; his shadowy legend persists nearly 40 years after the death of a man dubbed a new strain of sonofabitch by his own autobiography co-author, no less. Now those that missed Cohns infamous antics the first time around will meet him in a new film, The Apprentice, by director Ali Abbasi, which will be released in theaters in October. Pop culture darling Jeremy Strong from Succession stars as Cohn, the Joseph McCarthy lieutenant who created the blueprint that Donald Trump followed all the way to the presidency. Director Ali Abbasis new film, The Apprentice, debuted at Cannes earlier this year and is set for theatrical release next month starring Jeremy Strong as political power-player Roy Cohn and Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump The Deadline announcement earlier this year, near the films Cannes debut, called the first Trump biopic a mentor-protege story; the summary on the festival site explained that it charts a young Donald Trumps ascent to power through a Faustian deal with the influential right-wing lawyer and political fixer himself. A teaser still of the film shows the pair in the back of a town car, Strong as Cohn fixing his steely eyes on Sebastian Stan, who plays Trump. Trumps name inspires a range of emotions mirroring those elicited by any mention of Cohn. The future 45th president was guided and represented by the Bronx-raised lawyer during his ascent through the ranks of New York business and society; one need only give a cursory read of Cohns eponymous memoir to see Trumpisms. The word losers? Its on the third page of Chapter One. Lousy? Its on Page 37. Donald Trump is Roy Cohn, Matthew Tyrnauer, director of the 2019 documentary Wheres My Roy Cohn, said in an interview with NPR the year of his films release. He completely absorbed all of the lessons of Cohn, which were attack, always double down, accuse your accusers of what you are guilty of, and winning is everything, Tyrnauer continued. And Trump absorbed these lessons and has applied them in every aspect of his life and career. Cohn is played by Successions Jeremy Strong, left, in a still from director Ali Abbasis new film The Apprentice, playing at the Cannes Film Festival this month ( APPRENTICE PRODUCTIONS ONTARIO INC./PROFILE PRODUCTIONS 2 APS/TAILORED FILMS LTD. 2023 ) Cohn worked on his eponymous memoir with journalist Sidney Zion, who notes a point of order after Chapter 11 when the book turns from Roy Cohn telling the Roy Cohn Story to me telling Roy Cohn stories as the lawyer faded with illness. Even before Cohn gleefully recounted within the books pages his legal battles against indictments (sound familiar?) he also took a stab at imagining his own obituary on the same opening page. He used words like notorious, explorer and writer. Cohn rightly predicted that most obituaries would recall him as McCarthy Investigations Aide because, years before Cohns tutelage of Trump, he first became a household name and tabloid staple through his pivotal role in one of Americas greatest witch-hunts. The McCarthy hearings may have launched Cohn into adversarial infamy, but his shrewd and manipulative brand of power-brokering had its roots far earlier. The only child of a well-connected Bronx judge and doting Jewish mother, Cohn wrote in his memoir that virtually every heavy hitter in politics, law, the judiciary made it to our apartment while I was growing up. Roy Cohn shakes hands with infamous Sen. Joseph McCarthy; the young and rising New York lawyer served as chief counsel during the infamous anti-Communist hearings and witch-hunts, making him a headline staple ( INTERCONTINENTALE/AFP via Getty ) Looking back on it now, I guess I always took for granted that Id be around powerful people; it was normal, which may help explain why in this way at least my life never changed, he continued. In that way, as well, his life was unusual from the start and he made quick work of ensuring the continuation of that markedly different streak. Cohn finished high school early and completed both undergraduate and law degrees before the age of 20 still too young to be eligible to pass the bar exam. Once he did, however, he finangled a job as an assistant US attorney in New York. He made a name for himself as ambitious and fiercely clever by prosecuting such high-profile anti-Communist cases as the Rosenbergs, the couple convicted in 1951 of spying for the Soviet Union and subsequently sent to the electric chair. Cohns brand of anti-Communism, as his New York Times obituary would one day describe it, soon landed him a job as chief counsel to Sen. Joseph McCarthys investigations subcommittee, which further thrust him into the national spotlight amidst the crusades of the day though not always for favourable reasons. Cohns very close friendship with a good-looking heir and unpaid committee consultant, David Schine, fueled not only rumours of homosexuality but allegations of a vendetta against the military because he was attempting to get Schine special Army favours. Mr. Cohn, Mr. Schine and Senator McCarthy, all bachelors at the time, were themselves the targets of what some called reverse McCarthyism, The Times wrote in its Cohn obituary. There were snickering suggestions that the three men were homosexuals, and attacks such as that by the playwright Lillian Hellman who called them Bonnie, Bonnie and Clyde. A Studio 54 regular who flaunted flamboyant romances while living in a closet with neon lights, as Zion put it, Cohn died from AIDS without ever admitting that he was gay (or suffering from the disease, for that matter.) Cohn spent significant time with David Schine, a handsome and unpaid McCarthy hearings consultant; his relationship with the young man sparked significant rumours ( Getty Images ) The fact of my controversiality exists and always will, Cohn wrote years 15 earlier, on the first page of his first book: A Fool For A Client: My Struggle Against the Power of a Public Prosecutor. Cohn was known to hang around beautiful women but ignore them; he at one point nurtured some type of relationship with Barbara Walters. But he also brought young attractive men along to high-society and political soirees, and regularly threw parties at his Upper East side townhouse and property in Greenwich, Connecticut. They attract a chorus line of judges, mayors, elected and party officials, monsignors and priests, publishers, gossip columnists, writers, models, actors, landlords, businessmen, celebrities, reads a 1978 profile of him in Esquire by Ken Auletta. The piece notes that at a party held that spring, Trump (still referred to as a builder in the piece) toasted host Cohn. Tyrnauer, who interviewed relatives and associates of the lawyer for the documentary, pointed to Cohns hypocrisy as another major reason for the malevolent reputation. He and McCarthy were also going after gay people in the government, Turnauer told NPR in 2019. Cohn himself was a closet homosexual, yet he and McCarthy conspired to ruin many gay peoples lives because they were accusing them of disloyalty. And this hypocrisy and this bare-knuckle win-at-all-costs philosophy which, I will add, he passed on to his great student, Donald Trump is what caused people to consider Roy Cohn to be an evil person. Cohns well-heeled and wide-ranging social circle with clients from the mob to the Catholic archdiocese all turned a blind eye to his personal life, focusing instead on the lawyers formidable and sustained courtroom success. Many of those victories involved beating charges levelled against himself; Cohn was indicted time and time again, and the IRS went after him for decades. After he was charged in 1969 with bribery, extortion, blackmail and conspiracy, Cohn went to trial and delivered his own closing statements after his attorney had a heart attack. It tells you something about Roys Machiavellian reputation that there are those who believe the heart attack was feigned so Roy could offer his own summation, Ken Auletta wrote in the 1978 Esquire profile. Director Matt Tyrnauers 2019 documentary Wheres My Roy Cohn charts the origins and dealings of Roy Cohn, labeled evil through many throughout the decades The advantage of defending himself, however, was clear: Since Roy had not been called as a witness in the trial, he was now free to offer his own testimony without being cross-examined. For two days, without a note, Roy delivered an eloquent seven-hour summation, ending with a protestation of love for America. Tears streamed down Roys and the jurors cheeks. He was found not guilty on all counts. Cohns quick-witted eloquence may have never filtered down to his friend Trump, but the two were instead bonded by an anti-establishment love of loopholes, chicanery, favours and gymnastics around the truth and the legal. When Trumps organisation was being sued in the 1970s by the federal government for racial discrimination in housing, other lawyers told the future president You have a good case, but its a sticky thing, Trump told Esquire. Cohn, on the other hand, told him: Oh, youll win hands down! Trump also turned to him with his most important case, the Trump Tower tax abatement, and Roy gave it everything, Zion wrote near the end of Roy Cohn. Through it all, however, Cohns career was tinged by a sinister bent in the eyes of many. If you were in his presence, you were in the presence of evil, one interviewee says in Wheres My Roy Cohn? the 2019 documentary which took its name from Trumps reported utterings bemoaning a lack of an attack-dog attorney. Decades after his 1978 Esquire piece about Cohn, Auletta called the lawyer the worst human being Ive ever profiled. Telling a 2022 podcast Cohn was beyond flawed, he added: He was evil in some ways, and yet he was brilliant. Cohns relentless McCarthyism and ruthless death penalty prosecution of the Rosenbergs forever tainted him in some circles; in others, it was the lawyers representation of mobsters, perceived guilty parties or twisting of the truth that made him anathema. Cohn, pictured in a still from 2019 documentary Wheres Roy Cohn, was considered evil by many for what director Matt Tyrnauer labelled hypocrisy and this bare-knuckle win-at-all-costs philosophy ( AP/REX/Shutterstock ) In the end, there were not throngs of friends who remained loyal to Cohn as the lawyers star fell. Not only did he contract HIV in the 1980s, but his famed tussles with governmental prosecutions were no longer going in his favour. There were other troubles, stemming from legal dealings that many of Mr. Cohn s fellow lawyers considered shady, the New York Times detailed in his obituary. It was four of these cases that led to his disbarment. In one of the cases, a Florida court found that Cohn had tricked a dying multimillionaire into changing his will. When that case and others eventually led to his disbarment, Cohn lashed out, claiming a smear campaign against him. I like to fight. You might want a nice gentle fight, but once you get in the ring and take a couple of pokes, it gets under your skin. Roy Cohn That kind of combativeness came naturally to Mr. Cohn, who once said: My scare value is high. My area is controversy, the obituary quoted him. My tough front is my biggest asset. I dont write polite letters. I dont like to plea-bargain. I like to fight. You might want a nice gentle fight, but once you get in the ring and take a couple of pokes, it gets under your skin. Cohn ultimately, however, lost fights on simultaneously crushing fronts. He was disbarred in June 1986 and died just weeks later from what he maintained until the end was liver cancer. It mattered little to Mr. Cohn that he was called a legal executioner by Esquire, that the American Lawyer magazine labeled him an an embarrassment and that the National Law Journal pronounced him an assault specialist, The Times wrote in its August 1986 obituary. He shrugged off such criticism in fact, he seemed to cherish the celebrity that Senator McCarthy maintained even long after his death, and did not mind sharing that limelight, the Times wrote. It included Cohns response when asked about his own part in making McCarthyism a household word. I sleep well at night, Cohn told his hometowns historical paper of record. I wont be saying please forgive me on my deathbed. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Sinaloa cartel claims to have handed over the suspects who allegedly murdered three tourists shot dead on a surfing trip in order to avoid unwanted attention from the police. US citizen Jack Carter Rhoad , 30, and his Australian friends, brothers Jake, 30, and Callum Robinson, 33, were reported missing on 27 April near the Sinaloa cartel-controlled city of Ensenada, off the coast of Mexicos Baja California peninsula. Jake had left his home in Perth to join his brother for the trip of a lifetime, their mother Debra Robinson told 7News. Mr Carter Rhoad was set to get married in August. For just over a week, the three tourists lifeless corpses lay at the bottom of a cliff. Each had a bullet wound to the skull, Baja California state authorities confirmed. The victims bodies were identified by family members who travelled to Mexico, officials said on Monday. Now, a spokesperson for the cartel has broken its silence on the alleged murder of the three men. The cartel, one of the most powerful drug syndicates in the criminal underworld, said it had cooperated with local police to find the killers. Its aim was to absolve itself. Police found the three friends burnt-out pickup truck ( Baja California attorney generals office ) They were low-level robbers acting alone, but we handed them over, the alleged cartel member told the Daily Beast. After learning that the police were looking for the missing tourists, along with the potential perpetrators, the group was afraid it would receive unwanted attention, the spokesperson said, so they looked for the killers themselves. We called the authorities to let them know where to find them, they said. Three people, two men and a woman who in possession of one of the victims phones, have been detained on suspicion of being involved in the attack. One of the suspects, named as Jesus Gerardo, reportedly told his girlfriend that he had f***** up three gringos, prosecutors say. US citizen Jack Carter Rhoad ( Supplied ) The three friends were said to have left a remote area south of Ensenada, in which they had camped the night before their disappearance. As they were driving to an Airbnb in Rosarito they had rented, a group of robbers demanded their vehicle, according to authorities. Officials believe that the men died during a carjacking, with the attackers suspected of wanting the vehicles tyres, according to state prosecutor Maria Andrade. The men likely attempted to stop the theft of their pickup truck, so sparking the shooting, according to Baja California investigators. The tourists refused and tried to fight back, but the robbers were armed, the investigator told the outlet. When the criminals took out their guns the three [tourists] tried to de-escalate things, but it was too late, they beat the three of them and then shot them in the head, they added. Both the victims tents and pickup truck, which was later found north of Ensenada, were burnt as the attackers allegedly attempted to destroy the evidence. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Two young Californian siblings have died after being swept away in a fast-moving creek. They had been spending Tuesday afternoon in a picnic area in the San Bernadino National Forest. The childrens mother had taken her four-year-old girl and two-year-old boy to spend the afternoon at the Thurman Flats Picnic Area, according to a news release on Tuesday from the San Bernadino County Sheriffs Departments Yucaipa station. The children were playing near the rapidly moving waters of river at around 3pm, when the girl apparently went into the water as the mother attended to her toddler son. The mother then began searching for her daughter but could not find her; when she returned, her son had disappeared and is assumed to have gone into the rapid waters as well, After frantically searching for her two children, the mother, who has not been named by authorities, started to hike up to the picnic area and contacted another family to help search for her children. They were unsuccessful in finding them. "Unfortunately, she was unable to call 911, so there was a delay in activating the system, and at the point we had responded and showed up, both the kids were unaccounted for, San Bernardino County Fire Department Battalion Chief Michael McClintock told ABC7. San Bernardino County Fire Department officials search for the two children ( AP ) At 4pm, around an hour after the young girl was swept away, deputies from the Yucaipa Police Department and the San Bernadino County Sheriffs Department rescue team began searching. They were assisted by the sheriffs air rescue team, and by Mentone Station County Fire personnel and the US Forest Service rescue crew. At around 4.39pm, the girl was found. Just after 5pm, the boy was also located. Both were taken to local hospitals, but while extensive life-saving measures were carried out, both were pronounced dead. Its tough, Mr McClintock said. Its a tragic situation, and many of us are parents, and its really hard on our firefighters, especially because these are our people. The fire chief warned that drowning is a leading cause of death in children aged one to four years old. He said there are around 4,000 deaths a year, around 11 a day. "The biggest thing we can do is at pools at home to have natural barriers, make sure theyre supervised, and when going to lakes and rivers, really make sure were watching our kids, Mr McClintock said. "Dont underestimate the water," he added. "It can sweep you off your feet pretty quick." San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department Yucaipa Station asks that anyone with information related to the investigation call them at (909) 918-2305 or anonymously at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or go to www.wetip.com Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Failed 2024 Republican primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy praised Ann Coulter for having the guts to make racist remarks directly to his face on his podcast this week. Ms Coulter, a conservative firebrand with a history of openly racist remarks, appeared on the businessmans podcast, Truth, on Wednesday for an episode titled, The N Word: Nationalism. Mr Ramaswamy welcomed Ms Coulter by telling her that he is a fan. She replied that he is bright and articulate and notes that she wouldnt be allowed to say that to him, if he was an American Black. She goes on to say that, even though she agreed with him more than most other GOP primary candidates, she would not have voted for him to be president because he is Indian. She said: I agreed with many, many things you said during your campaign, in fact probably more than most other candidates when you were running for president. But I still would not have voted for you because youre an Indian. She then claimed that the core national identity in the United States is a WASP - a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. [That] doesnt mean we cant take anyone else ina Sri Lankan, a Japanese, or an Indianbut the core around which the nations values are formed is the WASP, she continued. Mr Ramaswamy was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Indian immigrant parents and is an American citizen. He would not have been eligible to run for president if he was not born in America. Additionally, the Constitution of India does not permit holding of dual nationality by Indian nationals. Mr Ramaswamy did not balk at Ms Coulters remarks, and the pair discussed their shared disdain of dual citizenship. He pushed back on Ms Coulters idea that Americans whose families have been in the US for centuries were more American. He argued that the children of immigrants could be more loyal to the US than a WASP, seventh generation descendent of some rich guy on the Upper East Side in Brooklyn that pretends to hate this country because its the cool thing to do. Following the podcast, Mr Ramaswamy posted on X that he agreed with Ms Coulter on dual citizenship but disagreed with her reasoning on why she wouldnt vote for him. However he added that he admired her guts for telling him. Ann Coulter told me flat-out to my face that she couldnt vote for me because youre an Indian, even though she agreed with me more than most other candidates, he wrote. I disagree with her but respect she had the guts to speak her mind. It was a riveting hour. Congressman Ted Lieu, whose family immigrated to the US from Taiwan, said that he wasnt surprised by Ms Coulters racism but expressed sympathy for Mr Ramaswamys response. I wasnt surprised that Ann Coulter made a racist statement about Vivek, he posted on X. What surprised me is the weakness and lack of self respect of @VivekGRamaswamy. Hes actually promoting this episode and praising the person who spewed raw racism to his face. I feel sorry for Vivek. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump s youngest son Barron has been chosen to serve as a Florida delegate nominating his father as the Republican presidential candidate alongside his siblings to at the partys national convention. Barron who will graduate from high school next week, will serve as one of Floridas 41 at-large delegates, according to state party chairman Evan Powers at the convention in Milwaukee between 15 and 18 July. The 18-year-old has been largely kept out of the realm of politics, with his position as a delegate thrusting him into the political sphere. He joins Trumps two other sons Donald Trump Jr, 46, and Eric Trump, 40, along with his youngest daughter Tiffany Trump, 30, also make up part of the Florida delegation. Trumps eldest daughter Ivanka Trump, 42, who served as an advisor to her father during his term as US president, has said she will not be part of his 2024 bid to return to the White House. We have a great delegation of grassroots leaders, elected officials and even Trump family members, Mr Evans said in a statement, which was first reported by NBC News. Florida is continuing to have a great convention team, but more importantly we are preparing to win Florida and win it big, he added. Trump has been allowed to attend Barrons graduation ( EPA ) Mr Evans remains adamant that Trump will defeat Joe Biden in Novembers election, adding mark my words, we are going to win and we will win big in November, he told the US Sun. Barron hit headlines at the start of his fathers historic criminal trial last month. The ex-president was accused of making hush money payments to Stormy Daniels to allegedly suppress stories about an alleged affair. Trump denies both the affair and the charges against him. After careful consideration, Judge Juan Merchan ruled that there would be no court session on 17 May after the former president demanded that he should be able to attend Barrons graduation ceremony. However, Trump is now planning to headline a political fundraiser on the day he demanded a break at the New York courthouse to attend the Lincoln Reagan Dinner, the Minnesota Republican Party announced. We are thrilled to welcome President Trump back to Minnesota, state GOP chairman David Hann said in a statement. I can think of no one more fitting to join us this year than President Trump. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} There has never been any love lost between President Joe Biden and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but until this week, one could usually say with high confidence that their dysfunctional personal relationship would take a backseat to the historic alliance between the US and Israel. Not anymore. Mr Netanyahu, the longest-serving head of government in Israels 75 years of statehood, had been experiencing a cold shoulder of sorts from Mr Biden after returning to government. The American president was wary of his Israeli counterpart on account of Mr Netanyahu and the Likud Partys efforts to remake Israels judiciary into a more political, more compliant and less powerful entity, more akin to Viktor Orbans Hungary or the Polish judiciary under the Law and Justice Party. And Mr Netanyahus long history of antagonising and undermining US leaders elected from the Democratic Party was well-known. Then the terror attacks on 7 October happened. The sheer brutality of Hamas assault and the existential threat to Israel posed by the militant group outweighed what Biden aides have described as a healthy scepticism of the Israeli leaders intentions. The two leaders got a little closer. The presidents natural inclination to support Israels right to self-defence, Biden confidantes say, took precedence over prominent Democrats suggestion that he take a more realpolitik-infused approach to the US-Israel relationship. Such a strategy would have seen Mr Biden take harder lines on Gaza. Many in Mr Bidens own party had imagined the president might use military aid as leverage to force changes in how the Israel Defense Forces operated in the region. Doing so would have been a marked departure from decades of US policy. But it would also have been more in line with the preferences of many American voters, who, according to polling, support Israels right to self-defence but also dont want to see Palestinian civilians killed en masse. Mr Biden, for better or worse, had calculated that doing what he estimated to be the right thing strongly supporting Israels war efforts rather than the politically expedient thing, would pay dividends in the end. But Mr Netanyahu made this impossible for him. The Israeli leader who is currently fighting corruption charges that could see him jailed if he were to relinquish power or be forced from office chose to take the hard line favoured by the right-wing extremists to whom he owes his return to the premiership. Those extremists include some cabinet ministers whove called for the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to be ethnically cleansed of Palestinians in favour of Israeli Jewish resettlement. At every turn, Mr Netanyahu made a point of thumbing his nose at Mr Biden, despite the political risk the US leader took by embracing him. Now, by refusing to heed the presidents counsel to stay out of Rafah, he has forced Mr Bidens hand. Mr Biden declared during a televised interview on Wednesday night that the US wont provide Israel with the types of arms that could be used to effect a wholesale slaughter of residents in Rafah. In the interview, where he was questioned on CNN by the anchor Erin Burnett, Mr Biden acknowledged putting a pause on shipments of bombs and underlined how he was happy to help Israel defend itself but not happy to aid in the deaths of civilians. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centres, he said, adding at another point that its just wrong to cause a humanitarian crisis in the region. Were not walking away from Israels security. Were walking away from Israels ability to wage war in those areas, he added. Conditioning aid to the country is a significant change in strategy. Yet publicly, both sides are acting like this development is much ado about nothing. In a video posted to social media not long after Mr Bidens interview, Mr Netanyahu said no amount of pressure will stop Israel from defending itself and declared: If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone. John Kirby, the national security communications adviser for Mr Biden, told reporters on Thursday that the presidents recent statement didnt portend any major change in US policy. Mr Kirby also pledged that the US will spend every dime of the funding Congress has earmarked for Israels defence. But the damage is done. By forcing Mr Biden to publicly declare that the US wont support a wholesale invasion of Rafah after making a show of ignoring his counsel, Mr Netanyahu has let the US president move the Overton Window. He has now made it possible that he or his successors may have to abide by the same rules everyone else does when making use of American weapons. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} President Biden is certain Donald Trump will not accept the results of the 2024 presidential race if they mark a Biden re-election. I promise you he wont, the president told CNN on Wednesday during a sit-down interview in the key battleground state of Wisconsin, arguing this stance would be dangerous for the country. You cant only love your country when you win, President Biden added. The president also said that in his meetings with world leaders, heads of state privately express their fear of another four years of Donald Trump, allegedly telling Mr Biden, Youve gotta win. The Independent has contacted the Trump campaign for comment. In recent days, Mr Trump has suggested he may once again baselessly challenge the presidential election results, as he did in 2020. If everythings honest, Ill gladly accept the results. I dont change on that, Mr Trump told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last week. If its not, you have to fight for the right of the country. In the same interview, however, the former president repeated the false claim he won Wisconsin in the 2020 election, claiming he actually won and that all of the things that had been found out vindicate his claim. No credible conclusion of widespread voter irregularities has been found in the state across county-level recounts, court rulings, a nonpartisan state audit, and a study from a conservative law firm, according to the Sentinel. Elsewhere during his Milwaukee interview, Mr Biden provided new details on changing US policy towards supplying Israel with military aid. The United States wont supply Israel with offensive weapons for use in a ground offensive that endangers the Palestinian civilians whove taken shelter in the border city of Rafah, the president said. The president insisted the ongoing Israeli operation in Rafah now has not been focused on the kind of population centres that would cross the US red line on military aid. Last week, the Biden administration paused a shipment of thousands of bombs to the US ally, over concerns that Israel would kill scores of civilians in Rafah, which is home to over a million Gazans whove been forced to evacuate by previous IDF operations in other parts of the territory. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Jim Mattis, onetime secretary of defense for the Trump administration, described the former president as a madman in a circular room screaming, a new book reveals. The revelation was made by Tom Bossert, Donald Trumps homeland security adviser from 2017 to 2018, and published in The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis. The new book, from journalists George Stephanopolous and Lisa Dickey, discusses the history of presidential crises since John F Kennedy and is set to be published next week. Mr Bossert told the authors that Mr Trump avoided situation room briefings because he didnt like having to go to the room and believed the generals should come to him, instead, according to a review by The Guardian. I mean, you couldnt get Mattis into the White House, Mr Bossert said. Jim Mattis (left) and Donald Trump (right) at a 2018 press conference. Mr Mattis reportedly thought of Mr Trump as a madman, a new book reveals ( Getty Images ) Mr Mattis spent 43 years in the Marine Corps, and rose to commander at US Central Command before retiring in 2013 as a four-star general. He joined the Trump administration as defense secretary in 2017 but lasted only a year, resigning over the presidents decision to remove US forces from Syria. According toThe Atlantic he told Mr Trump: Youre going to have to get the next secretary of defense to lose to ISIS. Im not going to do it. In 2020, Mr Mattis also penned a letter to The Atlantic denouncing Mr Trumps presidency. Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people does not even pretend to try, Mr Mattis wrote. Instead he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership. In his 2020 book Rage, journalist Bob Woodward wrote that General Mattis said Mr Trump was unfit and dangerous as president and had no moral compass. Mr Trump publicly denounced Mr Mattis, dubbing him mad dog and saying he was pleased he resigned. His primary strength was not military, but rather personal public relations, Mr Trump said of Mr Mattis in 2020. I gave him a new life, things to do, and battles to win, but he seldom brought home the bacon. I didnt like his leadership style or much else about him, and many others agree. Glad he is gone! The Situation Room also reveals that Mr Trump forced aides to create books of chyrons, the graphics that appear at the bottom of newscasts, in order to simplify the news of the day. The authors called this surely one of the most prosaic tasks ever required of the highly trained intelligence officers serving in the White House, according to The Guardian. The Independent has contacted Mr Mattis, Mr Bossert and Mr Trumps 2024 campaign for comment. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump has told Jewish voters they should be ashamed to vote for Joe Biden in the upcoming presidential election. The comments came as Mr Trump walked into the Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday morning for another day of his hush money trial. This week, porn star Stormy Daniels is on the witness stand, facing more cross-examination from the defendants lawyers. What Biden is doing with respect to Israel is disgraceful, Mr Trump said. If any Jewish person voted for Joe Biden, they should be ashamed of themselves. Hes totally abandoned Israel and nobody can believe it. Donald Trump addresses reporters before walking into court on Thursday, 9 May ( Reuters ) Some online have mocked Mr Trumps words. Trump has a curious strategy for appealing to the Jewish voters: he engages in antisemitism, a Twitter/X user wrote on Thursday morning. The only Jews who should be ashamed are the 22 per cent with a favourable view of Donald Trump, who has proven beyond a doubt that he is a bigot, a fraud, a misogynist, [and] a bully, to quote the chair of the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), Norm Coleman, another user wrote. Mr Trumps comments come after President Bidens administration paused its shipment of thousands of bombs to Israel. However, defence secretary Lloyd Austin said the US commitment to Israel remains ironclad. We are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of the ongoing events in Rafah, Mr Austin said earlier this week. Concerns are growing that Israeli forces will launch a major ground offensive in Rafah, the southern Gaza city in which more than a million people are sheltering from Israels attacks. The Palestinian health ministry says Israels continued assault on Gaza has killed almost 35,000 people, most of whom were women and children. The United Nations also says that restrictions on humanitarian aid have created a man-made famine, with half the 2.3 million population of the Gaza Strip at catastrophic levels of hunger. The attacks on Gaza come in the wake of 7 October, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking another 250 people hostage. The Biden administration is also preparing to release a National Security Memorandum, NSM-20, which will reveal the results of an investigation into possible Israeli war crimes in Gaza. It is now expected some time next week, after its initial release date of Wednesday was delayed. Mr Trumps views on Israels ongoing war in Gaza have been inconsistent. Donald Trump rally attendees chant 'Genocide Joe' In March, the former president called on Israel to finish up the war. He said he had watched images of bombs being dropped on residential buildings in Gaza every night, calling it a big mistake. Days later, he called for Israel to get back to peace and stop killing people. Then, in mid-April, Mr Trump was speaking at a Pennyslvania rally when his protesters started chanting, Genocide Joe. The nickname for Mr Biden has been widely used by pro-Palestinian advocates to protest against his support for Israels war effort in Gaza. Theyre not wrong, Mr Trump said of the chanting supporters. Theyre not wrong. Hes done everything wrong. However, a spokesperson for Mr Trumps 2024 presidential campaign clarified his official stance last month. As President Trump stated last night in his speech, he believes America must stand with Israel 100 per cent, Karoline Leavitt, spokesperson for Mr Trumps campaign, wrote in a statement to The Independent. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Elon Musk has claimed that the 2024 presidential election would likely be the last to be decided by US citizens, blaming an influx of illegal immigrants being allowed to vote. The comments made by the South African-born billionaire on his social media platform, X, came in response to news that Republicans in the House of Representatives passed a bill requiring citizenship status to be added to the ten-yearly census, despite opposition from the White House. Unanimous Democrat opposition to requiring citizenship for apportionment of House seats and Presidential electoral college votes says it all, Mr Musk said on Thursday in a reply to news that Dems voted along party lines on Wednesday and opposed the bill. The Democratic Party goal is to disenfranchise US citizens by importing as many illegal immigrants as possible. Given the massive influx of illegals from every country on Earth, 2024 will probably be the last election actually decided by US citizens, he claimed. Elon Musk, co-founder of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of X Holdings Corp., speaks at the Milken Institutes Global Conference at the Beverly Hilton Hotel,on May 6, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California ( Getty Images ) Mr Musk often uses his platform to post an array of political views. Despite voting for Joe Biden in 2020, he has openly criticised the Presidents immigration policy, especially regarding the US-Mexico border, but he has also called to make the legal immigration process easier and quicker, which the President has stated he wants to do. This latest post appeared to lean more towards the GOPs viewpoint that immigration, particularly in the southwest, is running unchecked, leading them to pursue the legislation voted on on Wednesday. The bill, known as the Equal Representation Act, was presented under the guise of making the way congressional seat allocations are made, fairer. Currently, numbers are decided by looking at the total population within a state, using data including the decennial census, and that would include those who are non-citizens. By adding in a rule to include citizenship status on the form, GOP lawmakers want to use that data to exclude non-citizens from the population numbers used to determine congressional seats. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a news conference on the steps of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on May 8, 2024 in Washington, DC ( Getty Images ) We should not reward states and cities that violate federal immigration laws and maintain sanctuary policies with increased Congressional representation, House Speaker Mike Johnson said after Wednesdays vote. Common sense dictates that only American citizens should be counted for electoral apportionment, and the Equal Representation Act ensures that. The states and cities which could be affected include Democrat-leaning New York and California, but also more Republican-supporting states like Texas and Florida, which have the highest foreign-born populations. Despite the bill being aimed at Congressional seat allocations, Mr Musk tied this to non-citizens voting abilities. Between 2018 and 2022, at least 80 per cent of Republican voters were White, while 30-40 per cent of Democrat voters were non-white. In 2024, its expected that the percentage of the populations Hispanic eligible voters will reach a record high, with California home to a quarter of them, according to the Pew Research Center. Figures from the American Immigration Council show there are around 45.2 million people who count as part of the US immigrant population, which is around 13 per cent of the countrys total. Out of those, around 53 per cent are entitled to vote as they are naturalised American citizens, rather than so-called resident aliens, those in the country on work permits or illegal immigrants. The GOP-backed bill would target those who are non-citizens, seeking to keep them away from the ballot box. A resident arrives to vote in the state's primary election at a polling location on April 02, 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin ( Getty Images ) Earlier this week, the Biden Administration spoke out against the bill, saying it strongly opposed the change, arguing that it would break the Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution, which states the census should simply count the whole number of persons in each state. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that the census remains as accurate as possible and free from political interference, and to upholding the longstanding principle of equal representation enshrined in our Constitution, census statutes, and historical tradition, the White House statement read. Claims, including those from Mr Musk, that introducing this bill would make elections more secure have been widely debunked, with one of the main reasons being that many states and municipalities do not allow non-citizens to vote in elections, anyway. In Novembers election, voters in Kentucky, Idaho, Iowa and Wisconsin will vote to change their constitutions to only allow US citizens to vote, following on from Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, North Dakota and Ohio in recent years. In New York City lawmakers are trying to open up elections to some non-citizens, but the plan is not to allow anyone living in NYC to vote, regardless of immigration status. Instead, those who are permanent residents - green card holders - and some with work authorisations would be allowed to vote in local elections alongside US citizens, rather than the influx of new arrivals seen in recent years Mr Musk appeared to point to. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The United States wont supply Israel with offensive weapons for use in a ground offensive that endangers the Palestinian civilians whove taken shelter in the border city of Rafah, President Joe Biden has said. Mr Biden made the declaration in an interview with CNN during a visit to Wisconsin on Wednesday, telling anchor Erin Burnett that he wont stop the flow of defensive weapons like the interceptors used for Israels Iron Dome anti-missile system even if he cuts off the flow of munitions such as the shipment of 2,000 lb bombs he acknowledged putting a hold on. Were going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently, he said. But its, its just wrong. Were not going to were not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells. Mr Biden also said he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel is not going to get our support, if in fact theyre going to these population centres. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers. But he stressed that the US commitment to Israels ability to defend against and respond to attacks was not in jeopardy even if he was putting some conditions on military aid. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they havent gone in Rafah yet if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities that deal with that problem, he said. Were not walking away from Israels security. Were walking away from Israels ability to wage war in those areas. Continuing, Mr Biden said Israels actions in Rafah which thus far have been limited havent crossed any red lines with him. But he did acknowledge that the offensive there has caused tension in the region. They havent gone into the population centers. What they did is right on the border. And its causing problems with, right now, in terms of with Egypt, which Ive worked very hard to make sure we have a relationship and help, he said. He also said he has made clear to Israels leaders that the US will not support an assault on Rafahs civilian population, and said he previously warned Mr Netanyahu about an overreaction to the October 7 attacks that would repeat what he deemed as American mistakes made after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Ive made it clear to Bibi and the war cabinet: Theyre not going to get our support, if in fact they go on these population centers, he said. I said to Bibi, Dont make the same mistake we made in America. We wanted to get bin Laden. Well help you get Sinwar, he continued. It made sense to get bin Laden; it made no sense to try and unify Afghanistan. It made no sense in my view to engage in thinking that in Iraq they had a nuclear weapon. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Mitch McConnell may be retiring, but hes hammering home the candidate quality argument one more time. Meanwhile, Republican candidates in races across the country are taking a turn for the weird, sharing AI-generated pictures and referring to the entire Democratic Party as terrorist sympathizers. The Senate Republican leader sat down with Politico at the beginning of May and identified four races Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland key to his partys victory in the battle for control of the upper chamber in November. But his broader message was one of caution for Republicans in races up and down the ballot: the need for the party to select candidates who can stand up to scrutiny from the media and their Democratic opponents. Its important to not get too excited, because its noteworthy that in the last cycle, not a single incumbent lost. So whats the message? Candidate quality, McConnell told the news outlet. McConnell here is raising concerns hes leveled before, particularly after his partys drubbing in the 2022 midterms. That year, a wave of fringe candidates who surged to victory in Republican primaries around the country lost their respective general elections including Tudor Dixon in Michigan, Kari Lake in Arizona, and Herschel Walker in Georgia, to name a few. Just one Republican eked out a significant victory, almost entirely off the back of Trumps endorsement: JD Vance in Ohio. And if Democrats were happy with their achieved goal of holding on to the Senate in 2022 thanks to candidate quality, they certainly have reasons to feel hopeful after this week. First, theres Bernie Moreno in Ohio. The second-time candidate dropped out of the Senate primary last time around to clear the field for Vance, his one-time rival, after Trump made his endorsement. Despite Republicans winning Ohio in the last three presidential election cycles, Moreno has trailed the incumbent Democratic senator, Sherrod Brown, in polling for months and has not seen a significant bump after being dragged across the finish line by Trump on the eve of the primary. Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump, left, listens as Senate candidate Bernie Moreno speaks at a campaign rally March 16, 2024, in Vandalia, Ohio ( AP ) Moreno seemingly plans to run a scorched-earth campaign against Brown (is there any other way to run a Trump-endorsed campaign?) In a press release on Wednesday, he referred to his opponent as the most liberal member of the US Senate (a charge Bernie Sanders might take issue with) and derided the entire Democratic Party as the party of terrorist sympathizers. He used the same language to refer to college students protesting the Israeli siege of Gaza on campuses across the country. To a Twitter-pilled Republican operative, this may seem like an aggressive and effective line of attack. And it is the kind of attack that resonates in deep-red Trump country but not necessarily the reddish-purple suburbs of Cleveland, Columbus and college towns across the Buckeye State. There, many suburban voters have a more nuanced view of the situation, not least because their own kids may be among the protesters. Then theres Nancy Mace in South Carolina. Facing another tough primary after she joined a group of far-right Republican rebels to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House, Maces campaign staff is fully embracing the GOPs weirder instincts. Just check out this uncanny-valley AI-drawn image of Donald Trump kissing a Black baby (while she looks on) that her campaign put on Twitter on Thursday: This is so creepy, wrote one commenter. Of course, it must be mentioned that the trend for the deeply unusual goes all the way to the top of the ticket: Donald Trump, the presumptive nominee for president of the Republican Party, remains charged with 88 felony counts related to four separate criminal prosecutions. Two stem from his attempts to change the results of the 2020 election. It obviously remains to be seen if this embrace of unorthodox campaigning and red-pilled hyper-onlineism will hurt the party in November. But it certainly seems like McConnell, who is in his last year as leader of the Republican caucus, worries that this will be yet another cycle wherein his party comes up short. McConnells top rival, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, has indicated his own confidence that Republicans were setting themselves up for failure again. When youve never run for office before and you run high up for the Senate and particularly if youve been a business leader where everyone says yes to you youre a crappy candidate, the Democratic leader told Politico. It will get worse for them. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Newly-obtained audio has captured Republican congressman Scott Perry claiming that the Ku Klux Klan is the military wing of the Democratic party in a closed-door meeting with other lawmakers. In the audio, obtained by CNN, the Pennsylvania lawmaker also pushed the right-wing replacement theory the baseless conspiracy theory that white people are slowly being replaced by minorities and immigrants and claimed that migrants coming to the US have no interest in being Americans. The KKK in modern times, a lot of young people think somehow its a right-wing organization when it is the military wing of the Democratic Party. Decidedly, unabashedly, racist and antisemitic, Mr Perry said. Replacement theory is real, he added. They added white to it to stop everybody from talking about it. The Ku Klux Klan has a long history of violence and is the oldest and most infamous of American hate groups, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. It has no affiliation with the modern Democratic party. Mr Perrys comments were made during a House Oversight Committees member briefing, entitled the Origins and Implications of Rising Antisemitism in Higher Education, on Tuesday ahead of a panel hearing the next day about the District of Columbias response to the Gaza protests and encampments on college campuses. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser was expected to testify in the hearing, but it was cancelled hours before it was due to take place, after police cleared the encampment on George Washington Universitys campus. Scott Perry at a conference in the Capitol 29 November 29, 2023. Mr Perry is accused of calling the KKK the military wing of the Democratic party ( Getty ) In the closed-door meeting, Mr Perry made many inflammatory comments about immigrants. While claiming that he is accepting of people that are here legally an apparent reference to his own ancestors who migrated to the US he said he has an issue with migrants who are un-American, CNN reported. What is happening now is were importing people into the country that want to be in America but have no interest in being Americans, and thats very different and to disparage the comments is to chill the conversation so that we can continue to bring in more people that we never met that are un-American, Mr Perry allegedly said, according to the recording. Mr Perrys office said in a statement to The Independent that his comments had been twisted. Once again, the radical Left twists facts in order to silence conversation about its own crimes and Bidens intentional failures to enforce laws and close or regulate our borders. My point is proven yet again: when the Left loses an argument, it debases and smears instead of engaging in debate on merits, Perry said in a statement to the outlet. The Republican lawmakers comments echo those made by other prominent members of his party in recent months. Last month, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson held an event that also appeared to echo the great replacement theory as they supported a bill to ban non-citizens from voting despite the fact this is already illegal in the US. Speaking at Mr Trumps Mar-A-Lago estate on 12 April, Mr Johnson claimed that election integrity is tied to a lack of border security, something he claimed is the most important issue facing American voters. With the former president at his side, Mr Johnson promoted legislation that would require citizenship to cast a ballot, alleging that Democratic officials designs for an open border intend to turn these people into voters. The many millions of illegals in the country could turn an election, he said. Non-citizens are already unable to vote the US. Mr Trump continues to push anti-immigrant rhetoric as the nation heads towards the November election. He previously claimed that immigrants are poisoning the blood of the US and has falsely alleged that millions of migrants are pouring into the country, which is not supported by federal government data. The Independent has contacted Mr Perry for comment. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Late-night show host Stephen Colbert has reacted to Robert F Kennedy Jrs extraordinary revelation that a worm ate part of his brain and died inside his dead by launching a spoof campaign video entitled: The Amazing Adventures of Worm in Brain-Man. Executed in the style of a vintage kids Spider-Man cartoon, the rapidly-assembled animation took aim at the independent presidential candidate who has been regularly criticised over his anti-vaccine and conspiratorial stance. The segment opened with a clip of incredulous CNN anchor John Berman introducing the story before cutting to a short film featuring a worm slithering its way into RFK Jrs ear and duly influencing some of the budding politicians more controversial public statements. An accompanying song rings out, declaring, as follows: Worm in brain, worm in brain, makes him say stuff thats insane, It burrowed in, ate his thoughts, now he tells people: Dont get shots. Look out! Hes got a worm in brain insanity now explained! Check out his new campaign! Independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr depicted in cartoon form on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ( The Late Show with Stephen Colbert/YouTube ) It emerged this week that RFK Jr, a former environmental lawyer turned long-shot presidential candidate and the son of the late New York senator and attorney general Robert F Kennedy, made the bizarre admission about the worm in his brain during a deposition during his 2012 divorce proceedings, The New York Times reported. He reportedly said he had begun to experience cognitive problems and both short and long-term memory loss in 2010, not long after his uncle, the late Massachusetts senator Edward Kennedy, died from the effects of brain cancer. The NYT said the record of the deposition showed Mr Kennedy had initially feared that he, too, had a brain tumour. But he received a second opinion from a doctor in New York who told him the cause of his problems and a dark spot on his brain scans was a dead parasite. Mr Kennedy testified that the physician had told him that the spot on the scans was caused by a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died. He also said in the deposition that he has suffered from mercury poisoning, which he believes was caused by eating too much fish. Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks to the media at a Cesar Chavez Day event at Union Station on March 30 2024 in Los Angeles, California ( Getty Images ) I loved tuna fish sandwiches. I ate them all the time, he said. The candidate has since attempted to capitalise on the reaction to the story by declaring on X: I offer to eat 5 more brain worms and still beat President [Donald] Trump and President [Joe] Biden in a debate. I feel confident of the result even with a six-worm handicap. RFK Jrs bid for the White House has prompted concerns among President Joe Biden and Donald Trumps campaigns that he could peel support away from both of them in November as some polling has indicated. The independent candidate has been effectively disowned by members of his own family, who came together last month to endorse Mr Biden as part of a calculated snub to his views. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The judge in Donald Trumps civil fraud trial is now under investigation after a hotshot New York real estate attorney claimed he gave him unsolicited advice ahead of the hotly-anticipated multi-million-dollar ruling, according to a report. Attorney Adam Leitman Bailey told NBC New York that he spoke to Judge Arthur Engoron three weeks before he made his final judgment in the former presidents case, where he found Mr Trump, his two oldest sons, as well as their Trump Organization associates and properties liable for $464m for falsely inflating his assets. I actually had the ability to speak to him three weeks ago, Mr Bailey told the outlet on February 16, the date of the judges decision. I saw him in the corner [near the courthouse] and I told my client, I need to go. And I walked over and we started talking I wanted him to know what I think and whyI really want him to get it right. This claim prompted the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct to launch an investigation into the alleged interaction, NBC News reported. The commissions administrator Robert Tembeckjian declined to comment on behalf of the judicial body, saying it is constrained by a strict confidentiality statute. A spokesperson for the New York States Office of Court Administration has rejected Mr Baileys claim that he gave Judge Engoron advice. No ex parte conversation concerning this matter occurred between Justice Engoron and Mr. Bailey or any other person, the spokesperson said in a statement to NBC New York. Justice Arthur Engoron presides over Donald Trump Jr's testimony in his family's civil fraud case at the New York State Supreme Court on 13 November ( Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool ) The decision Justice Engoron issued February 16 was his alone, was deeply considered, and was wholly uninfluenced by this individual, the spokesperson said. The Independent has reached out to representatives for Judge Engoron and Mr Bailey for comment. Mr Bailey told NBC News that he knows the judge from appearing before him as an attorney in court hundreds of times. The real estate attorney claimed that he had explained to Judge Engoron that the anti-fraud law, on which the case had been brought, was not typically used to dismantle a company, especially if there were no victims. The judge had a lot of questions, you know, about certain cases. We went over it, Mr Bailey alleged. Mr Trumps legal team argued a similar point in court at trial. New York Attorney General Letitia James office had argued that Mr Trumps misrepresentation of assets had led to him receiving favorable loans, and in turn affecting the marketplace. The judge concurred, writing in his decision that materiality under this statute is judged not by reference to reliance by or materiality to a particular victim, but rather on whether the financial statement properly reflected the financial condition of the person to which the statement pertains. In a separate, later interview Mr Bailey gave to NBC New York, he echoed his previous statements about his interaction with the judge. He then added that, although the men didnt mention Mr Trump by name, he believed the judge understood him to be talking about the former presidents civil fraud case: Well, obviously we werent talking about the Mets. New Yorks judicial rules of conduct state that a judge shall not initiate, permit, or consider ex parte communications, or consider other communications made to the judge outside the presence of the parties or their lawyers concerning a pending or impending proceeding. However, the rules allow for an exception, stating: A judge may obtain the advice of a disinterested expert on the law applicable to a proceeding before the judge if the judge gives notice to the parties and affords the parties reasonable opportunity to respond. Christopher Kise, an attorney on Mr Trumps legal team, told NBC New York: The code doesnt provide an exception for well, this was a small conversation or well, it didnt really impact meThe code is very clear. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The judge overseeing Donald Trumps criminal hush money trial in New York has shot down his latest attempt to lift a gag order after his legal team argued he should be able to respond to testimony from adult film star Stormy Daniels. New York Justice Juan Merchan said he was not only concerned about attacks against Ms Daniels and other witnesses but with protecting the integrity of these proceedings as a whole. The order is in effect precisely because of the nature of these attacks, the vitriol, he said on Thursday. These were real, very threatening attacks on these witnesses, he added. Mr Trumps attorneys filed the motion on Thursday after Ms Daniels returned to the witness stand face more cross-examination from defense attorney Susan Necheles, who repeatedly accused her of lying and using her story to profit from Mr Trumps criminal case. Her testimony followed Tuesdays vivid account of her alleged sexual encounter with Mr Trump in 2006, including details that even the judge deemed unnecessary. After she left the courtroom on Thurdsay, Mr Trumps lawyer Todd Blanche argued that the gag order should be amended so that Mr Trump can respond to her testimony. Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy accused the defense team of living in an almost alternate reality. Stormy Daniels leaves Manhattan Criminal Court after testifying at former US President Donald Trumps trial on 9 May ( AFP via Getty Images ) There is a proceeding here that this order is designed to protect. Its important to underscore why it was issued in the first place to put in context, he said, adding that the former president was predisposed to firing off comments indiscriminately against anyone he deems worthy of his venom. Changing the gag order in the middle of a trial would say to future witnesses that they could be at risk as well, Mr Conroy said. Modifying the gag order would allow Mr Trump to attack Ms Daniels, not open the door for serious discourse, he said. Judge Merchan was skeptical of Mr Trumps teams claims that parts of Ms Daniels testimony were new or inconsistent. Trump lawyer Todd Blanche, right, argued on Wednesday that the former presidents gag order should be modified so that he could respond to testimony by Stormy Daniel ( AP ) The judge also rejected the defenses second attempt to declare a mistrial in the case, arguing unsuccessfully that Ms Daniels testimony was unfairly prejudicial. Mr Blanche accused prosecutors of blowing a dogwhistle for rape by allowing Ms Daniels to claim that Mr Trump did not wear a condom when thet had sex. Blanche complains that the details are messy Those details about what happened in that room, those messy details that is motive, that is Mr Trumps motive to silence this woman in 2016 less than a month before the election, Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass said. That is why Mr Trump tried so hard to prevent the American people from hearing about this. A courtroom sketch depicts Stormy Daniels testifying during Donald Trumps hush money trial on 9 May. ( REUTERS ) The latest furore over the gag order comes just days after Judge Merchan threatened to throw the former president in jail if he continues to violate the gag order. On Monday, while handing down the 10th penalty to date, the judge told Mr Trump 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, judge Merchan said. 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 offending posts from his social media platform, Truth Social, and content from his campaign website. Mr Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records by concealing reimbursements to his former lawyer Michael Cohen, who wired $130,000 to Ms Daniels to buy her silence in the crucial weeks before the 2016 presidential election. Alex Woodward reports from inside Manhattan criminal court Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump has spent time away from his hush money trial hosting a dinner at his Mar-a-Lago residence for buyers of his NFT trading cards. Those thought to be in attendance were reportedly supporters who spent thousands of dollars for Mr Trumps MugShot Edition NFTs, or nonfungible tokens, according to Axios. Despite Mr Trump telling reporters outside the courthouse on Tuesday that he should be out campaigning right now for his presidential election bid, he then proceeded to fly back to Florida for his NFT dinner. According to a copy of the dinner invitation reviewed by Axios, the evening was due to be graced with supporters who purchased at least 47 Trump NFTs. His website also stated when the NFT cards went on sale in April, that if a person buys 47 digital cardsspending around $4,653-they can get a ticket to a gala dinner with the former president at his Mar-a-Lago residence. Priced at $99 each, some cards were one-of-ones (the only one in the world), while others were hand-signed by Mr Trump, the website claims. Various clips from the event made the rounds on social media, which included the former president saying that cryptocurrency businesses are moving out of the US because of hostility. When asked by a dinner-goer what he would do to change that, he replied: Well, well stop it because I dont want that, I dont want that. If were going to embrace it, we have to let them be here. Mr Trump also made a bold claim that his NFTs collection made NFTs hot again, which received a round of applause from the audience. If you are in favour of crypto, you better vote for Trump, he declared after he claimed that President Joe Biden wouldnt know what crypto was and that the Democrats are very much against it. Despite Mr Trump telling a crowd in New Hampshire in January that he would never allow the creation of a central bank digital currency, calling it a dangerous threat to freedom, it appears that the former president is warming up to the world of crypto. When asked if people could donate to him using crypto, he replied, If you cant, Ill make sure you can, according to Cointelegraph. Buyers of 47 NFTs or more also received physical cards with pieces of the suit Mr Trump wore during his mugshot in Fulton County, Georgia, after he was arrested on racketeering charges, his website claims. Trump denies all charges against him. This card is not just a keepsake; its a piece of history and a testament to resilience, the website describes the suit sample card. It stands as a symbol of President Trumps unwavering commitment and his enduring dedication to the American Dream. Those who spent nearly $10,000 on 100 cards were also invited to a VIP cocktail reception ahead of the dinner. The last time the former president sold NFT cards, he claimed they sold out in less than a day. Mr Trumps recent financial disclosure shows he made between $100,001 and $1m from his NFTs. Mr Trump is currently on criminal trial for allegedly falsifying business records related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election allegedly in order to stop her coming forward with allegations of a 2006 affair. Mr Trump denies the affair and the charges against him. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Australian police have charged a 10-year-old boy for allegedly sexually assaulting a 24-year-old Italian tourist in Queensland. The boy was in a group of juveniles that reportedly attacked the tourist in the Cairns central business district Wednesday morning. It does sound like a very disturbing story, Queensland premier Steven Miles said on Thursday. I understand the police have acted swiftly and apprehended the alleged offender. The woman was walking down a street when the boy allegedly assaulted her along with three fellow juveniles, police said. She filed a police report of the assault on the corner of Lake and Shields street after 10am. No doubt a traumatic experience for the young lady, detective inspector Kevin Goan told reporters. The woman reportedly suffered bruising and scratches on her head and face from the alleged sexual assault. As the woman was speaking with police on the phone, Mr Goan said, the juveniles threw objects and repeatedly punched her. She received minor injuries, nevertheless, it wouldve been a frightening situation for her. The young age of the offenders is abhorrent. People are entitled to go about their business in our community, Mr Goan said. The accused juveniles, including the 10-year-old from Manoora, were arrested and the investigation is ongoing, police said. The 10-year-old was later released to his home, 9News reported. He was charged with sexual assault, common assault, and assault occasioning bodily harm while in company. We know who they are and we know where they are so its a matter of us being able to deal with them in a manner that is authorised under the Juvenile Justice Act, Mr Goan said. Speaking about the boys age, he added: Its not very common at all. I cant think of another instance where a young boy has committed this type of offence. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Frank Bainimarama, former prime minister of Fiji, has been sentenced to a year in prison for seeking to pervert the course of justice in the University of the South Pacific corruption case. The Pacific island nations acting chief justice, Salesi Temo, overturned Bainimaramas acquittal by magistrate Seini Puamau last month and imposed the sentence on Wednesday. Supporters of the former prime ministers Fiji First party were gathered outside the Suva High Court and they joined in singing a Fijian hymn after the sentencing was announced. Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, a senior party member and former attorney general of Fiji, said Bainimarama, 69, would continue as the partys leader. Come 2026, we will deal with it, he said, referring to the next national election. Bainimarama was accused of trying to obstruct justice when he was prime minister. He allegedly instructed the then police commissioner, Sitiveni Qiliho, not to investigate allegations of financial mismanagement at the University of the South Pacific. The university is collectively owned by 12 Pacific states and is recognised as one of the top institutions in the region. Qiliho was sentenced to two years in prison at the same hearing for abuse of office. Both men have denied the charges. Bainimarama initially came to power after leading a military coup nearly two decades years ago before winning democratic elections in 2014 and 2018. He lost power in December 2022 to a coalition of parties led by the incumbent prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka. We believe that everybody will follow the law, and for those who dont agree theres a court process to follow. Thats what democracy is all about, Savenaca Narube, leader of the Unity Fiji party, told The Guardian. The court case and sentencing show the accountability framework is working, that people who break the law, doesnt matter who they are, they are brought to account. When he was released on bail last year, Bainimarama said: I served as prime minister with integrity and with the interests of all Fijians at heart. The former prime minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, and the suspended police commissioner, Sitiveni Qiliho, are alleged to have arbitrarily and in abuse of the authority of their respective offices, terminated an active police investigation, chief prosecutor Christopher Pryde said at the time. The police have also been requested to undertake further investigations into other matters arising from this case and more charges may be laid against other suspects in due course. Additional reporting with agencies For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Lithuania defended Wednesday the decision not to allow Russian and Belarusian observers to monitor its upcoming presidential election, accusing both countries of spearheading campaigns that "pose a threat to our national security. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe which includes Lithuania, Russia and Belarus usually sends multi-national observer teams to watch its 57 member states elections. The election on Sunday comes at a time when Russia is making gains on the battlefield in Ukraine, where the war has entered its third year, fueling fears across all of Europe and especially in the strategically important Baltic region about Moscows intentions. Lithuanias Foreign Ministry in a statement Wednesday said the country had invited OSCE observers to monitor the election "except for the aggressor Russia and its supporter Belarus and accused them of being a threat to the Baltic nation's political and electoral processes. It also called on the OSCE to reconsider continuing the membership of countries that most flagrantly violate international law, human rights, and carry out aggression against Ukraine. Last month, the OSCE announced it wouldn't send any observers following Lithuania's decision. It said in a statement that signaling nationalities out of the invite was against the rules of equal treatment of all member states and in breach of the commitments made by all participating States of the OSCE. However, the OSCE expressed full confidence in Lithuanias electoral process, while pointing to the value of an independent external assessment." In the elections, the popular incumbent, Gitanas Nauseda, is favored to win another five-year term, competing against seven other candidates. If none wins the minimum 50% of votes, a runoff will be held on May 26. Lithuania's president oversees foreign and security policy and is the supreme commander of the armed forces. Among the 2,000 observers expected to monitor the balloting, there are 20 international observers from Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova, as well as representatives of the United States Election Assistance Fund and the International Fund for Electoral Systems (IFES) office in Ukraine. ___ Follow AP's Europe coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/europe For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Ukranian drone strikes inside Russia in the early hours of Thursday caused a massive fire at a fuel depot and injured at least eight people, Moscow said. Half a dozen drones struck a fuel facility in Krasnodar and damaged storage tanks, the regions administration said. Several tanks were damaged, the administration said on its Telegram channel, adding that no one was injured. It was the second Ukranian attack on the oil depot in a week, the Russian state media reported. The previous strike occurred on 2 May. In a separate attack on Thursday, Ukrainian drones struck Russias Belgorod, injuring at least eight people and damaged scores of residential buildings and cars, the regions governor said. Belgorod borders Ukraine in the southwest. The injured Russians include an 11-year-old girl who was taken to a hospital, Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor, said. The attack also damaged 34 flats in 19 apartment buildings and at least three dozen cars in the city. The Russian defence ministry said its military downed several Ukrainian drones and rockets over Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk regions. While Kyiv hasnt commented on the latest attacks inside Russian territory, it has often declared that striking military, energy and transport infrastructure inside the neighbouring country was a legitimate response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has denounced attacks on its civilian infrastructure as terrorism. Thursdays was the second Ukranian attack on Belgorod. The previous attack on Monday killed at least seven people and injured 35 near the village of Beryozovka. Governor Gladkov said that Ukranian drones had struck two vans carrying employees of a nearby factory and a passenger vehicle. Belgorod government officials said that the vehicles belonged to a meat production facility. Ukranian drone attacks on energy facilities inside Russia have grown more frequent in recent months as Russian troops have intensified their offensive in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have said the attacks are intended to undermine Russias war effort and as retaliation for Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Vladimir Putin has marked Russias annual Victory Day celebrations with a single tank for the second year in a row as the war in Ukraine rages on. The lone tank was accompanied by armoured vehicles and saluting soldiers as it was met with cheers from crowds in Moscows Red Square on Thursday morning. As Mr Putin addressed both the public and Russian soldiers alike, the minimal display of military hardware served as a stark reminder of the toll the conflict in Ukraine is taking on the country. Only one tank was seen parading in Russias annual Victory Day celebrations ( Tass ) The T-34 was also the sole tank on display in last years parade ( AP ) Before Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the parade would involve more than 20 tanks on display as a celebration of the countrys military might. The T-34, an 83-year-old relic, has traditionally opened the annual display because of its symbolic role in helping Russia to overcome Nazi Germany. However, the Soviet-era tank is normally accompanied by more modern fighting machines in a full display of Moscows power. The festivities on 9 May every year pay homage to the countrys victory over Nazi Germany in 1945 and is considered the largest secular event in the Russian calendar. Putin raises a toast during a ceremony following the parade ( Reuters ) The event marks the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany ( Reuters ) The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in the Second World War, including many millions in Ukraine, but eventually pushed Nazi forces back to Berlin, where Hitler committed suicide and the red Soviet victory banner was raised over the Reichstag in 1945. Since the invasion of Ukraine, the parade is thought to be a key tactic designed to bolster war morale and send a message to both domestic and foreign audiences though no Western leaders attended. The Victory Day unites all generations, Mr Putin said in his speech on Thursday. We are going forward relying on our centuries-old traditions, and feel confident that together we will ensure a free and secure future of Russia. He admitted that this was a difficult period for the country as the future of the motherland depends on us. Vladimir Putin concedes in his speech that this is a difficult period for his country ( via Reuters ) He accused the arrogant West of forgetting the decisive role played by the Soviet Union in defeating Nazi Germany, and of stoking conflicts across the world. Today, on Victory Day, we are conscious of that even more acutely, he said, before warning: Our strategic forces are always combat-ready. We know what the exorbitance of such ambitions leads to. Russia will do everything to prevent a global clash. But at the same time, we will not allow anyone to threaten us. Our strategic forces are always in a state of combat-readiness. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Ukraine is enlisting convicted prisoners in its army fighting the Russian invasion as the Volodymyr Zelensky regime struggles to replenish manpower on the frontline. Reeling under an intensifying Russian offensive, Kyiv is running out of manpower and material to continue waging the war after over two years and rotate out its exhausted and outnumbered frontline soldiers. To make up some of this shortfall, the Ukrainian parliament now passed a bill on Wednesday to raise several thousand new soldiers from a pool of up to 20,000 convicts. Its pending Mr Zelenskys signature to become law. However, not all prisoners would be allowed to enlist. Those convicted of serious crimes such as rape, sexual violence, premediated murder of two or more people, terrorism, dealing drugs and treason wouldnt be permitted to swap their sentences for a chance to help Kyiv repel the Russian offensive. Nor those convicted of national security crimes and serious corruption, Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko said. Its no secret that the mobilisation resource of our energy is huge and therefore we should use all available opportunities to fight back armed aggression, a note attached to the bill said. Some of these people are motivated and patriotic citizens who are ready to redeem themselves before society on the battlefield, the note added, referring to the convicts. Ukrainian military leaders have cited the lack of manpower and the paucity of ammunition, especially artillery shells, as the key reasons for Russia regaining the initiative on the frontline in recent months. Mr Honcharenko said a convict seeking to enlist in the army would be required to file a written appeal to the head of their prison and they would be granted conditional probation if cleared by a court. "This must happen only by the convicts own will," the lawmaker said. Prisoners are not forced to mobilise. Mr Zelenskys regime has employed sometimes coercive ways to increase mobilisation as Ukrainians have sought to dodge the draft, including by fleeing the country in their thousands. In December, Mr Zelensky called mobilisation a sensitive matter while citing the armys proposal to mobilise 450,000 to 500,000 more people to fight back the Russian forces. Ukraines military is heavily outgunned and outnumbered by the Russian forces. In another attempt to shore up its military, Kyiv last month reduced the draft mobilisation age from 27 to 25 years. The Zelensky regime has also overhauled rules governing mobilisation of civilians into the military. On the frontline, meanwhile, the Russians are advancing in the east and Ukraine is bracing for a big offensive later this spring or in summer. To hold the line, analysts have said, Kyiv needs a significant inflow of weapons from the West and more soldiers to replenish its ranks. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Iran will be forced to develop a nuclear bomb if Israel threatens its existence, an adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said. Khamenei, who is said to have the last word on the matter, banned the development of nuclear weapons in a religious edict in the early 2000s saying it is forbidden in Islam. He reiterated his position in 2019 saying that building and stockpiling nuclear bombs is wrong and using it is haram, or religiously forbidden. But Tehran has repeatedly warned in recent years that it will alter its nuclear doctrine if confronted with an existential threat while maintaining that it does not want to obtain nuclear weapons. "We have made no decision to build a nuclear bomb but should Irans existence be threatened, there will be no choice but to change our military doctrine," Kamal Kharrazi, an adviser to Mr Khamenei, was quoted as saying by Irans Student News Network on Thursday. Tehran and Tel Aviv have been locked in an unprecedented confrontation since Israel bombed the Iranian embassy in Syria last month, forcing Iran to launch a retaliatory drone and missile strike on Israeli defence installations. It was widely assumed that Israel would respond in kind but didnt. In case of an attack on our nuclear facilities by the Zionist regime, our deterrence will change, Mr Kharrazi said, using a term that Iranian officials use for Israel. He was reiterating an Iranian Revolutionary Guards commanders warning from April, at the height of the tension with Israel, that Iran could reconsider its nuclear doctrine in response to a perceived Israeli threat. In 2022, Mr Kharrazi said Iran was technically capable of making an atomic bomb but had not yet decided whether to build one. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Israels bombardment of Rafah is advancing toward the densely-populated centre of the Gaza border city, where UN officials warn that fear has turned to terror as trapped civilians try to flee with nowhere to go. It comes as Israeli government officials hit out at a warning from Joe Biden that the US would not supply the weapons for a full-scale ground assault. The US president told CNN he was worried about the impact on more than a million people, most of the displaced from other parts of the destroyed strip, who are sheltering in Rafah mostly in tents. Israeli military did not reply to requests for comment about whether it was advancing further west. But reports from the ground indicate that tanks were moving deeper into the war-ravaged city, while UN officials told The Independent the ground and buildings were shaking as waves of Israeli strikes edged closer. The bombardments are advancing towards the centre of Rafah. I can hear them its very frequent, shaking the building every few minutes, said Louise Wateridge, from the UNs Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) from inside Rafah. Fear is turning into terror here in western Rafah there are intensified bombardments creeping in from the east, drones above and navy fire from the sea. People feel trapped and have no clue where to go or what to do. Residents in Rafah, meanwhile, have few places to turn, wary of the safe zones that Israel has said they should evacuate to, given the bombardment across Gaza. Civilians told The Independent that there were people who didnt have enough money to evacuate as fuel was scarce ever since Rafah closed. Children stand by an impact crater left by Israeli bombardment in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip ( AFP via Getty Images ) Food prices had soared and some staples including sugar and baby milk were beginning to disappear from the shelves, they said. Nedal, speaking in west Rafah, said that people were attempting to flee but had nowhere to go even if they could leave. Many people tried to go to the so-called humanitarian zones only to find there is no space there at all, he said. Others had little hope of a ceasefire being negotiated in talks taking place in Cairo, where Egyptian and Qatari negotiators were desperately seeking a deal before the fighting escalated in Rafah. I do not see any chance for a truce in the near future. I think the war will last for three months, said Alaa Abu Al Kahir, in the besieged city. The negotiations are a licence to kill the people of Rafah. They have taken months, and the result has always been nothing but more victims. The UN said in an update that 80,000 people had fled Rafah since Monday, including 47,500 leaving shelters run by UNRWA on Wednesday alone. Some reports suggested the number of people who had left had reached 100,000 by Thursday afternoon. The Israeli military maintained Rafah was the last stronghold of Hamas and so it had launched a precise counterterrorism operation to destroy their remaining brigades and to free the hostages. Smoke billows from Israeli strikes in Rafah ( AFP via Getty Images ) On Thursday the military shared footage showing aid going through Kerem Shalom Crossing into south Gaza which they have recently reopened. The IDF makes every effort to provide a constant flow of aid to civilians while Hamas repeatedly shoots at Kerem Shalom, the statement read. Israel has launched its heaviest-ever bombardment of Gaza and a siege in retaliation for the bloody assault on south Israel by Hamas on 7 October. That attack killed almost 1,200 people while more than 250 people were taken hostage, including toddlers. Since then, Palestinian health officials say that Israels bombardment has killed nearly 35,000 people, the majority of whom were women and children. The United Nations has warned of looming famine, as restrictions on aid have forced over half the 2.3 million strong population into catastrophic levels of hunger. It is the threat to civilian lives that has pushed Mr Biden into his latest statements warning Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he will halt US supplies of heavy bombs and artillery shells if Israel launches a full-scale offensive. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah ... Im not supplying the weapons, Mr Biden said in an interview with CNN late on Wednesday. It was revealed this week that the US had paused a shipment of weapons consisting of 1,800 bombs weighing 2,000lb each and 1,700 500lb bombs. Mr Biden went further, saying: Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs. The US president has repeatedly insisted that his support for Israel is ironclad but there has been a growing rift between Mr Biden and Mr Netanyahu given the rising death toll in Gaza and the Israeli prime ministers insistence that Israel needed to go into Rafah to eradicate Hamas. He is under growing pressure from hardline coalition government partners to launch a full-scale assault on the border town. A wounded Palestinian sits on debris at the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Rafah ( Reuters ) On Thursday, furious with Mr Bidens remarks, Israeli ministers and diplomats lashed out as a public standoff between the Biden administration and the Israeli government intensified. Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israels hardline national security minister, wrote on X: Hamas hearts Biden, prompting Yair Lapid, the Israeli opposition leader, to call for the minister to be sacked immediately. Israels finance minister Bezalel Smotrich vowed that the government would pursue its goals in Gaza despite the US threat. We will achieve complete victory in this war despite President Bidens push back and arms embargo, he said in a statement. We must continue the war until Hamas is totally eliminated and our hostages are back home. This involves conquering Rafah completely and the sooner the better. Meanwhile, Israels ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, said it was a difficult and very disappointing statement to hear. The defence minister, Yoav Gallant, said that Israels enemies and friends should know that it would do whatever was necessary to achieve its war aims in Gaza and the north. Mr Netanyahu did not comment publicly but reposted his speech on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, again an apparent response to President Bidens decision to withhold weapons. In the speech, he remarks: I say to the world leaders, no pressure, however heavy, no decision by any international forum, will deter Israel from defending itself. If Israel is forced to stand alone, it will do so. Sky News also reported a source close to the Israeli leader as saying that Mr Bidens weapons threat practically buries a hostage deal at this point. More than 80 per cent of Gazas population is displaced; hundreds of thousands have fled to Rafah, along the border with Egypt, where most live in tents. Israel has said Rafah is the last stronghold for Hamas and Mr Netanyahu has called their incursion into the city a significant step in the efforts to defeat the militant group. Earlier this week Israel took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, strangling a key artery of aid, the UN said. The toll on these families is unbearable. Nowhere is safe, the UNWRA said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. The UKs foreign secretary, David Cameron, meanwhile defended UK arms sales to Israel hours after Mr Bidens remarks, saying they were smaller in scale and policed by strict rules. Lord Cameron added that Britain could not support a major Israeli offensive on Rafah without a plan to protect civilian lives. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} 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. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the IndyTech email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A mysterious, astonishing powerful chatbot appears to have been briefly released to the world before being hidden again. It is not known what the artificial intelligence system is, or where it came from. But what is clear is that it is among the most powerful systems in the world. ( AFP via Getty Images ) The system was first spotted on LMSYS Org, a website that benchmarks AI systems and ranks them. Users saw that the tool, named gpt2-chatbot, was briefly available to use. Word quickly spread about the new system, which users said was as powerful as OpenAIs GPT-4, itself among the most powerful available in the world. Some even found that it performed better than all other models on some specific tests. But many noted that it there was no information about where the model had come from, which only helped propel speculation about the mysterious model. But as soon as it appeared, gpt2-chatbot was taken offline. LMSYS Org said that it was the result of unexpectedly high traffic & capacity limit, and that the outage was temporary. Please stay-tuned for its broader release, the organisation said in a tweet. It also noted that it works with developers to test systems before they are released, and that much of that testing is intended to remain public. It references gpt2-chatbot as part of that policy but did not say which developer it was working with. However, there was much speculation that the system was an unreleased piece of work that had come out of OpenAI itself. i do have a soft spot for gpt2, Mr Altman wrote on Twitter. In a separate post, OpenAI staff member Steven Heidel posted a cryptic tweet that also referenced gpt-2. OpenAI generally refers to its models with a hyphen so that the second version of GPT would be written GPT-2 and Mr Altman had originally written his tweet that way. That led to some speculation that the name could indicate that it is the second kind of GPT to be released, rather than an incremental update. The unreleased AI models within companies such as OpenAI have been the subject of intense speculation as people to look to understand the potential of artificial intelligence. Some rumours have suggested that OpenAI has developed new technology that is reportedly so powerful that it has led to discontent within the company. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thanks for signing up to the IndyTech email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} AI simulations of dead people risk unwanted digital hauntings, researchers have warned. A new study by ethicists at Cambridge University found that AI chatbots capable of simulating the personalities of people who have passed away known as deadbots should require safety protocols in order to protect surviving friends and relatives. Some chatbot companies are already offering customers the option to simulate the language and personality traits of a deceased loved one using artificial intelligence. Ethicists from Cambridges Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence say such ventures are high risk due to the psychological impact they can have on people. It is vital that digital afterlife services consider the rights and consent, not just of those they recreate, but those who will have to interact with the simulations, said co-author Dr Tomasz Hollanek, from the Leverhulme Centre, said: These services run the risk of causing huge distress to people if they are subjected to unwanted digital hauntings from alarmingly accurate AI recreations of those they have lost. The potential psychological effect, particularly at an already difficult time, could be devastating. The findings were published in the journal Philosophy and Technology in a study titled Griefbots, Deadbots, Postmortem Avatars: on Responsible Applications of Generative AI in the Digital Afterlife Industry. The study details how AI chatbot companies that claim to be able to bring back the dead could use the technology to spam family and friends with messages and adverts using the deceased persons digital likeness. Such an outcome would be the equivalent of being stalked by the dead, the researchers warned. Rapid advancements in generative AI mean that nearly anyone with internet access and some basic know-how can revive a deceased loved one, said study co-author Dr Katarzyna Nowaczyk-Basinska. This area of AI is an ethical minefield. Its important to prioritise the dignity of the deceased, and ensure that this isnt encroached on by financial motives of digital afterlife services, for example. At the same time, a person may leave an AI simulation as a farewell gift for loved ones who are not prepared to process their grief in this manner. The rights of both data donors and those who interact with AI afterlife services should be equally safeguarded. Recommendations from the study include safeguards around terminating deadbots, as well as improved transparency in how the technology is used. Black Mirror episode Be Right Back features AI simulating dead people ( Netflix ) Similar to the Black Mirror episode Be Right Back, chatbot users are already utilising the technology in an effort to emulate dead loved ones. In 2021, a man in Canada attempted to chat with his deceased fiancee using an AI tool called Project December, which he claimed emulated her personality. Intellectually, I know its not really Jessica, Joshua Barbeau told The San Francisco Chronicle at the time. But your emotions are not an intellectual thing. In 2022, New York-based artist Michelle Huang fed childhood journal entries into an AI language model in order to have a conversation with her past self. Ms Huang told The Independent that it was like reaching into the past and hacking the temporal paradox, adding that it felt very trippy. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Almost 200 people were evacuated from a plane in Turkey on Thursday after one of its tyres burst during landing. Turkeys transportation ministry said no one was hurt in the incident at Gazipasa airport near the Mediterranean coastal town of Alanya. The Boeing 737-800, belonging to Turkey-based Corendon Airlines, stopped safely on the runway after landing. open image in gallery A Corendon Airlines Boeing 737-800 plane ( Getty Images ) It was the second incident at a Turkish airport in as many days. The plane, which carried 184 passengers and six crew members, was on a flight from Cologne, Germany. Corendon Airlines denied initial media reports that the aircraft had landed on its nose. Turkeys transport and infrastructure ministry reported damage to the planes front gear but did not provide details. The runway was not damaged but flights were diverted to the nearby Antalya airport while the aircraft was being removed. On Wednesday a Boeing 767 cargo aircraft belonging to FedEx Express made an emergency landing at Istanbul Airport after its front landing gear failed. open image in gallery Boeing 767 hits runway nose first during emergency landing at Istanbul airport ( AP ) A video on social media showed the plane using the back landing gear and then dipping its nose with the front portion of the fuselage. The front landing gear did not deploy, but the pilot managed to stay on the runway, Turkeys transport ministry said, adding that there were no casualties. Video footage showed sparks flying and smoke billowing as the front end of the plane scraped along the runway before being doused with firefighting foam. Elsewhere on Thursday another Boeing 737-300 skidded off the runway of Senegals main airport causing injuries to 11 people, four of whom are in a serious condition. Flights were suspended near the capital Dakar after the plane went into the grass before take-off during the early hours of Thursday, a spokesperson for the main airport Blaise Diagne said. open image in gallery A Transair Boeing 737-38J (6V-AJE) suffered a runway excursion at Dakar Airport, Senegal ( AviationSafety/X ) Dramatic footage on social media shows the plane with the logo of Senegal-based airline Transair standing on the ground with fire-suppressing foam covering the wing. Local reports suggest the plane is a Boeing 737-300 carrying 78 passengers and that wing caught fire, although this is unconfirmed at this point. What is the history of the Boeing 737? The two-engined plane first flew on 9 April 1967 and entered service in February 1968. Significant elements of its design derive from an even earlier aircraft, the Boeing 707 which first flew commercially a decade earlier. The Boeing 737 used the same fuselage cross-section, accommodating six seats abreast, and the nose profile of the 707. As a twin jet that could carry 100 or more passengers comfortably and efficiently, the 737 proved an immediate success. It continues to be manufactured today, and is currently on its fourth generation of design. The original 100/200 series is still flying, particularly with Nolinor, based in Quebec, Canada. The carrier operates probably the oldest fleet of commercial jets in the world: Boeing 737-200 planes, kitted out for landing on the loose-surfaced runways that prevail in northern Canada. Some of the fleet dates back to the early 1970s but age is not an indicator of risk if aircraft are maintained. The earliest types are characterised by slim, cigar-shaped engines. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Conservationists and scientists are working together to try and solve the mystery of how a 44-foot whale ended up on the bow of a cruise liner. The body was discovered as the ship approached New York Citys Port of Brooklyn over the weekend. An autopsy identified the deceased marine mammal as a mature female sei whale, an endangered species typically found in deep waters far from land, the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society said. One key question is whether the whales death came before or after its contact with the vessel, according to the non-profit organization, based in Hampton Bays, New York. Sei whales, members of the baleen branch of cetaceans that filter-feed on plankton and krill, take their name from the Norwegian word for pollock, a fish they often run with at sea. They are known as exceptionally fast swimmers, capable of reaching speeds of more than 34 miles per hour (55kph), according to NOAA. They dwell mostly in subtropical, temperate and subpolar seas around the world, primarily the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. In summer, they are commonly found in the Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank and Stellwagen Bank in the western North Atlantic. open image in gallery he whale has been identified as a 44-foot, mature female Sei whale ( Atlantic Marine Conservation Society ) An online statement posted by the society, whose team conducted the necropsy on Tuesday, said the exam revealed evidence of tissue trauma along whales right shoulder blade region, and a right flipper fracture. The creatures gastrointestinal tract was full of food, it said. Most of the whales organs were sampled, along with tissue and bone, for toxicology and pathology analysis, according to the society. It said the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations law enforcement office was also investigating the incident. The whales corpse was carried into port on Saturday. A resident appears to have spotted the dead animal and filmed it coming in. MSC Cruises said the whale was on the MSC Meraviglia, which docked at Brooklyn before sailing to ports in New England and Canada. We immediately notified the relevant authorities, who are now conducting an examination of the whale, officials with the cruise line said in a statement. We are deeply saddened by the loss of any marine life. It added that the cruise follows all regulations designed to protect whales, such as altering itineraries in certain regions to avoid hitting them. The conservation society said the whale was then towed to shore at Sandy Hook, New Jersey, to conduct the necropsy. open image in gallery The necropsy examination (animal autopsy) revealed evidence of tissue trauma along the right shoulder blade region, and a right flipper fracture ( Atlantic Marine Conservation Society ) The statement, posted on social media, read: Yesterday, our team was able to conduct a necropsy on the whale that was reported on Saturday, May 4, 2024, brought in to the Port of Brooklyn on the bow of a cruise ship. The whale has been identified as a 44-foot, mature female Sei whale. Sei whales are endangered, and are typically observed in deeper waters far from the coastline. NOAAs Office of Law Enforcement is investigating this incident. The whale was relocated and towed to shore at Sandy Hook, New Jersey, to allow for better access to heavy equipment and resources to conduct a necropsy. The necropsy examination (animal autopsy) revealed evidence of tissue trauma along the right shoulder blade region, and a right flipper fracture. The whales gastrointestinal tract was also full of food. Most of the other organs were sampled as well for toxicology and other life history studies. Samples were collected and will be sent for histopathologic analysis. The tissue and bone samples collected will help biologists determine if the vessel interaction occurred pre or post mortem. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Passengers were left terrified after a Boeing 737 plane skidded off the runway at Senegals main airport causing 10 people to be injured. Terrifying video footage shows travellers fleeing the burning aircraft with their bags, while others can be seen taking the emergency slide to safety as screaming is heard in the background. In one post on Facebook, Malian musician Cheick Siriman Sissoko wrote: Our plane just caught fire, while a video shows flames engulfing one side of the plane. Flights have been suspended at Blaise Diagne airport, which is close to the capital city Dakar, after the plane went into the grass before take-off during the early hours of Thursday, according to a spokesperson for the airport. Other dramatic footage on social media shows the plane, displaying the logo of Senegal-based airline Transair, standing on the ground with fire-suppressing foam covering its wing. open image in gallery Images showed the aircraft surrounded by fire-suppression foam ( JacdecNew/X ) Emergency services rushed to evacuate passengers, four of whom were taken to hospital with serious injuries. In a statement, transport minister El Hadji Malick Ndiaye said the flight was heading to Bamako late on Wednesday, and was carrying 79 passengers, two pilots and four cabin crew. The injured are currently being treated, while the other passengers have been taken to a hotel to rest. Transair did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The airline is based at Blaise Diagne airport and operates domestic flights and international routes within west Africa. It comes just one day after a Boeing cargo plane belonging to the US mail service FedEx skidded along the runway in Istanbul after its front landing gear failed to operate. Sparks were seen flying beneath the plane, though it did not catch fire. open image in gallery It comes a day after the front landing gear on a Boeing FedEx plane failed in Istanbul ( AP ) The flight had taken off from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport when the pilot realised the malfunction. Firefighters and rescue teams waited on the runway at Istanbul and immediately doused the aircraft with firefighting foam. Boeing is already facing scrutiny after a string of mishaps, which have included a Lufthansa Airlines plane bouncing along the runway at Los Angeles airport and a door panel being ripped off a flight in January leaving passengers exposed to a gaping hole. An investigation into the company has been opened by the US Federal Aviation Administration after workers at a South Carolina plant falsified inspection records. A Chinese zoo has been accused of dyeing dogs black and white to display in a panda exhibit. Footage showed panda dogs - which appear to be Chow Chows - being unveiled at Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu province on 1 May in an exhibit visitors were reportedly charged 20 yuan (2.22) to view. A zoo staff member told Chinese state media newspaper The Global Times: This is just a new display we offer to visitors. We are not charging extra. The wording featuring chow chow dogs is correct and exactly describes what they are, so we are not cheating our visitors. A Corendon Airlines Boeing 737 planes front tyre burst upon landing at an airport in southern Turkey on Thursday, 9 May. Almost 200 people were evacuated from the aircraft at Gazipasa airport near the Mediterranean coastal town of Alanya. Turkeys transportation ministry said no one was hurt in the incident Officials said the front landing gear strut was damaged on the plane, arriving from Cologne, as it landed. Burst tyres on landing are relatively common and typically require minor repairs, but can trigger a search for tyre debris or in some cases a passenger evacuation, experts say. A car in Phoenix slowly sunk into a muddy sinkhole after crashing and hitting a fire hydrant on Wednesday, 8 May. City police said the crash occurred at approximately 7:30am near 75th and Virginia Avenues. Water inundated the intersection after one driver hit a fire hydrant. One of the cars was submerged by a hole that formed after the water connection point was damaged. A woman was transported to hospital in critical condition, officials said. Police have launched an investigation into the crash. Robert Jenrick wrote that he was sharing the truth that needs to be told as he posted a new video explaining his decision to resign from government. Mr Jenrick resigned as immigration minister back in December 2023 as he criticised the governments Rwanda legislation and this week suggested Rishi Sunak needs to win back Tory voters who have gone on strike. I resigned as immigration minister because this dishonesty cant go on, Mr Jenrick says in a new video shared on his social media on Wednesday evening (8 May). Over 240 aid workers have died in Gaza since the beginning of the Hamas war, a UN Official has told The Independent. UN spokesperson Olga Cherevko who is currently in Rafah, has also described the horrific conditions people are living in. She said: We have not had enough aid entering since the beginning of this war. Its horrific, theres almost a 1.5 million people living here, basically on top of each other. The number of humanitarian workers that weve lost which is now over 240 people that have been killed, some of them in the line of duty. Ms Cherevkos comments come as Israeli military launched its offensive in Rafah, despite repeated warnings from the US and UK. The property on Main St, Celbridge has a car park with side access and development potential The former Whitethorn Clinic on Shackleton Rd, Celbridge Two Celbridge town properties with interesting prospects have come to the market one for auction and the other for letting both through Coonan Property. The auction lot is an investment property with development potential at Main Street which has a 550,000-to-600,000 guide price. This two-storey terraced building measuring 227 sqm is fully let to four occupiers with a current passing rent of 45,000 per annum, exclusive of Vat. In good condition, the building consists of three ground-floor retail units including a barber and a hair stylist with an overhead office let to a solicitor. The property on Main St, Celbridge has a car park with side access and development potential To the rear is a car park with side access and development potential. The property is situated adjacent to St Patricks Church and St Brigids Girls National School. It is also close to the famous Castletown House tourist attraction which is popular with local day trippers. The Castletown Inn and urban centre amenities are also nearby. It will be auctioned on the Offr online platform on June 7. The second property was formerly known as Whitethorn Clinic and is being offered to the rental market. It could appeal to a health care provider or commercial office user. In May 2023 the property was sold for 700,000, or 100,000 over its guide price. Situated on Shackleton Road, it is a short distance from the towns Main Street. With its attractive conical type design, this two-storey building spans over 3,046 sqft and accommodates a reception area, multiple office rooms, consultation rooms and benefits from 20 gated parking spaces at the front and side. The former Whitethorn Clinic on Shackleton Rd, Celbridge Coonan is quoting an annual rent of 75,000 for it. Celbridge is a popular and thriving commuter town in north Co Kildare. It has seen its population rise in recent years and is well connected to Dublin city centre via the M4 motorway, regular buses and the Hazelhatch and Celbridge train station. It is less than a 30-minute drive from Dublin city centre and Dublin Airport while Weston Aerodrome is much closer. It is also convenient for those attending the north Kildare university at Maynooth. German airline Condor faced challenges following the insolvency of former owner Thomas Cook. Photo: Getty The European Unions General Court has cancelled the decision made by the European Commission to approve a restructuring aid package for German airline Condor in 2021. The Commission approved the 321m package in July 2021. The German government had planned to give this to the airline to support the restructuring and ongoing operations of the airline. Condor had faced challenges that year following the insolvency of former owner Thomas Cook. Ryanair had challenged the decision of the Commission before the EU General Court. The General Court stated in its ruling on Wednesday that the Commission should have not approved the package without a formal investigation. It added that Ryanair had demonstrated to a sufficient degree that the Commission should have had doubts when giving the go-ahead for the aid. It reported that the Commission should have questioned if the package satisfied the requirements of existing EU guidelines, such as adequate burden sharing. The court pointed to the requirement that any restructuring aid that would improve the airlines equity position should only be granted if the State would also have seen a reasonable share of any future gains in the companys value. It added that Ryanair had not demonstrated that the aid package had caused a substantial adverse effect on its competitive position. The General Court previously annulled the decision of the Commission to approve aid granted by Germany to Condor during the pandemic. It pointed to an inadequate statement of reasons for the decision. Ryanair challenged this package at the time. A Ryanair spokesperson described the ruling as a triumph for fair competition and consumers. The European Commissions approval of the German aid to Condor went against the fundamental principles of EU law, they said. "Todays judgment confirms once again that the Commission must act as a guardian of the level playing field in air transport and cannot sign-off discriminatory State aid promoted by national governments. They added that the General Court has already ruled that State aid received by other airlines, including Lufthansa, SAS and Air France-KLM, were unlawful. Todays judgment further underlines the need for the European Commission to immediately act to recover these illegal state-aid packages and order remedies to restore at least some of the damage done to competition and consumers, the spokesperson concluded. Norways planned changes to a so-called exit tax are threatening to trigger a wave of departures from that country by start-up founders and companies, according to a lobby group. Last March, the Norwegian government announced its latest step to close tax loopholes for wealthy expatriates by setting a deadline for the payment of an exit tax on unrealised changes in the value of their assets, or their transfer. That plan follows increases in wealth and dividend taxes since 2022 that have prompted dozens of the countrys richest to relocate, mainly to Switzerland. She has previously fronted the show with Jennifer Zamparelli and move has not been ruled out Doireann Garrihy to leave 2FM breakfast show after five years on the station Doireann Garrihy could yet return to RTE as a presenter on the next season of Dancing With the Stars, despite cutting ties with 2FM. Garrihy made the surprise announcement yesterday that she was leaving the radio station after five years at the helm of its breakfast radio show. She will present her final 2FM Breakfast with Doireann, Donncha and Carl on Friday, May 31, according to a statement issued by RTE. But a return to our screens as part of RTEs television offering has not been ruled out. Garrihy was enlisted as a presenter for the last two seasons of Dancing With the Stars, along with fellow 2FM presenter Jennifer Zamparelli. A spokesman for RTE said that it was not yet known who would present the next series. No decisions have been made regarding the next series of DWTS. Details about RTEs autumn and winter schedules will be announced later this year, he said. Yesterday, Garrihy told her social media followers that it was time for her to try something different. After five years of 2FM breakfast, its time for ventures new, she said. Donncha and Carl, I have found brothers for life in you both. What an absolute blast of craic, ridiculous immaturity and lifelong bond building. Anyone would be blessed to work with one gentleman every day, I was beyond blessed to work with two. To the loyal 2FM listeners, through thick and thin youve been there. Your support has meant everything. There wasnt a day I didnt hop out of the bed at 5am. Thank you for welcoming me with open ears back in 2019 and every day since. Producer Grace, youre a boss, a queen, a friend for life. Willem, its been an absolute pleasure. Thank you to Dan Healy for meeting me in 2019 and taking a chance on me. Im so glad you did. She added: Now, its time for my podcasts Doireann and Friends and The Laughs Of Your Life, to travel, to give more to the people who have been on this journey with me since the viral impressions video of 2016 and to pursue the projects Ive been dreaming about. As we would say to our lovely callers on air, good luck and thanks. Garrihy originally presented the 2FM breakfast show with Eoghan McDermott, before her co-presenter left the broadcaster in 2021. Over the past year, Garrihy became embroiled in the fallout from the RTE payments controversy when the Irish Independent revealed she used a 2FM studio to shoot an advert without the permission of her RTE bosses. She had struck the brand deal with Flahavans in 2022, in which she was paid to post Instagram stories promoting the brands porridge. The deal was separate to her work for RTE. The post was taken down after RTE told the Irish Independent Garrihy did not have permission for the use of RTE facilities for that advertisement. She was also one of a number of presenters who benefited from cars and other gifts, through social media brand deals. Baby Reindeer viewers are questioning the ethics behind Piers Morgans interview with the woman whose alleged campaign of stalking and harassment inspired the series. Baby Reindeer tells the story of struggling comic Donny Dunn (Richard Gadd) as he is stalked by Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning) Photo: Ed Miller/Netflix Baby Reindeer viewers are questioning the ethics behind Piers Morgans interview with the woman whose alleged campaign of stalking and harassment inspired the series. This week, the broadcaster revealed he had spoken to Scottish lawyer Fiona Harvey, labelled the real Martha, with the interview set to air on his YouTube show Uncensored on Thursday (8 May). Baby Reindeer: Its rare to see a show deal with bisexuality and male sexual abuse with such raw honesty After filming the interview, though, Harvey said she felt used by Morgan, who she said placed a heavy emphasis on the thousands of emails she allegedly sent Baby Reindeer creator and lead star Richard Gadd. Baby Reindeer tells the story of struggling comic Donny Dunn (Richard Gadd) as he is stalked by Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning) Photo: Ed Miller/Netflix Netflixs Baby Reindeer follows a comedian as he is relentlessly harassed and stalked by Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning) for more than four years. Immediately after its release on 11 April, the series became a word-of-mouth sensation and is on course to be one of the streaming services most-watched shows, alongside heavyweights Stranger Things and Bridgerton. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Harvey, who has received death threats since the show started, has now hinted that Morgan capitalised on the furore, telling Daily Record: I wouldnt say I was happy. It was very rapid to try to trip me up. He did it fast paced to catch me off guard. It seemed to me that I was set up. I feel a bit used. Harveys claims corroborate general feeling about Morgans interview, which was met with consternation when the broadcaster announced the world exclusive on Wednesday (8 May). He wrote on X/Twitter: The real-life Martha from Baby Reindeer breaks cover and gives me her first TV interview about the smash hit Netflix show. Fiona Harvey wants to have her say & set the record straight. Is she a psycho stalker? The Indo Daily: 20,000 texts and physical assault a male Irish stalking victims living nightmare Spotify" src="https://www.independent.ie/editorial/images/spotify330x80.png" style="width:40%" /> Spotify" src="https://www.independent.ie/editorial/images/spotify330x80.png" style="width:40%" /> The posts replies section was flooded with messages from users calling the interview irresponsible and unethical due to the fact that Gadd himself told The Independent that the real person who inspired Martha to be mentally unwell. This is exploitation of a person who is in a vulnerable position. Clearly unethical, one person wrote, with another adding: This guy has absolutely no shame! Others branded the decision to interview Harvey disgraceful and absolutely vile. The Independent has contacted Morgans Uncensored for comment. Baby Reindeer - Trailer Morgans announcement arrived hours before Gadd, Gunning, co-star Nava Mau and series director Weronika Tofilska participated in a panel discussion about the show in Los Angeles. The event was held to stir up interest among TV awards voters in Hollywood. Both Gadd and Gunning are strongly expected to receive Emmy and Golden Globe nominations in the forthcoming awards race. Netflixs Baby Reindeer problem is here to stay after achieving unusual feat 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 Father accused of driving into business park to collect 900,000 of cannabis appears in court Andrew Byrne, of The Butter Yard, Fleurville Road, Blackrock, Co Dublin is charged with possession of cannabis and having it with intent to sell or supply Cannabis (Stock image) Andrew Phelan Thu 9 May 2024 at 16:27 A father-of-one drove a rented van into a business park to collect a pallet containing 900,000 worth of cannabis that was under garda surveillance, it is alleged. Sinead Ahern, who won second place in the VLOG Category at the Career Skills Competition by Careers Portal. Photo: Damien Eagers Annabel Bogue, Our Ladys Secondary School, Castleblayney, Co.Monaghan, who won first place in the Leaving Cert Category at the Career Skills Competition by Careers Portal. Photo: Damien Eagers Aoibhin Collins, Colaiste Muire, Ennis, Co Clare, who won first place in the Leaving Cert Category at the Career Skills Competition by Careers Portal. Photo: Damien Eagers Annabel Bogue, Our Ladys Secondary School, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan, who won first place in the Leaving Cert Category at the Career Skills Competition by Careers Portal. Photo: Damien Eagers From astronaut training at NASA to becoming an MEP of the European Parliament more than 1,500 secondary school students explored over 200 careers at the AIB Future Sparks Careers Skills Competition by CareersPortal. Winners were crowned at the award ceremony at the Clock Tower in the Department of Education on Thursday. The competition was open to all senior cycle students who have undertaken a work experience placement. The 33 winners were selected from a shortlist including various sectors, such as microbiology labs, food production sites, game design, primary schools, hair salons and hotels. One of the winners was Karthik Sreekanth from Rockbrook Park School in Rathfarnham, Dublin, who secured a trip to Strasbourg to experience becoming a member of the European Parliament. Karthik was the winner of the Vlog category and would like to work in journalism in the future. Sinead Ahern, who won second place in the same category, did her work experience at NASA. Sinead Ahern, who won second place in the VLOG Category at the Career Skills Competition by Careers Portal. Photo: Damien Eagers Ellie McMahon from Colaiste Oiriall in Co Monaghan won the Irish Language award for her work experience as an architect. Another winner was Aoife McCann from Sacred Heart School in Drogheda, Co Louth, who gained experience in the Front of House restaurant. She won the Language Connect Award for Careers with a Foreign Language. Sarah Dunne from the Presentation Secondary School, Loughboy, in Kilkenny won the Failte Ireland award for careers in tourism and hospitality, as she worked as a waitress. A Leaving Certificate award went to Annabel Bogue of Our Ladys Secondary School in Connabury in Castleblayney in Co Monaghan. Annabel Bogue, Our Ladys Secondary School, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan, who won first place in the Leaving Cert Category at the Career Skills Competition by Careers Portal. Photo: Damien Eagers Annabel did her work experience in the TY Med Programme at Trinity College Dublin. Aoibhin Collins from Colaiste Mhuire in Ennis won the Transition Year award and gained work experience as a florist. Aoibhin Collins, Colaiste Muire, Ennis, Co Clare, who won first place in the Leaving Cert Category at the Career Skills Competition by Careers Portal. Photo: Damien Eagers Students could enter the competition in English or Irish through a written submission or vlog entry. While speaking at the event today, MD of CareersPortal Eimear Sinnott said: Research has shown that while academic performance is important, the development of career skills can be an even greater indicator of future success in the world of work. "Students need to understand this as early as possible so that they can work on recognising and developing these important life skills. "It is fantastic to see that the occupations investigated this year continue to be so diverse, she added. RTE broadcaster Marty Whelan has described becoming a grandfather as life-affirming and life-changing. Whelans daughter Jessica gave birth to her daughter Lily Nora, who is named after both of her grandmothers. Lily Nora arrived six weeks before her due date, and Whelan, who is currently in Malmo for the 68th Eurovision, said he missed her terribly. This is going to sound ridiculous. I am finding it [being a grandparent] weird because I miss her, he said. I only know her [shes] six weeks old. She came early. She was due to be born last Saturday, she came early. She is a tiny little thing and beautiful like her mother. It is a real thrill everyone would say to you that it will be a great moment. And I threw it away and I thought, nah, dont be ridiculous. But it is. It is life-affirming and life-changing. I am mad about her. Whelan (67) has been providing commentary for the Eurovision Song Contest for 25 years. Reflecting on that time, he said the most memorable year was in 1987 when Johnny Logan won with Hold Me Now. It was my first one and you cant top that. It was Johnny Logans second win and I was with Larry Gogan and it was special and those moments it is hard to recapture that. However, he was high as a kite when Irelands act Bambie Thug made it through to the grand final on Tuesday night with their song Doomsday Blue. Bambie is making a statement about who they are and I think that is very refreshing As a commentator, he says it is much more rewarding when you have a part to play in the grand final. The buzz is different because we are now in the final. But for me it is always a buzz. When you are not in it, you dont care who wins, he said. When asked how Bambie Thugs performance differs from previous entrants, such as 2008 contestant Dustin the Turkey, he replied: We have tried to put the turkey behind us. Bambie is making a statement about who they are and I think that is very refreshing think the fact that Bambie is representing us is a good thing. And says a lot about us as a nation and a broadcaster be loud and proud. This evening is the second semi-final and is set to be a tense atmosphere as the Israel representative Eden Golan is due to perform. There have been objections over Israels inclusion and ongoing calls for the organisers, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), to exclude the country from the contest. Today large protests and demonstrations are due to take place in the city, supporting Palestine and protesting against Israels participation. One of the organisers of the events, Pia Jacobfem: We hope these [demonstrations] put a light on Palestine, Gaza and the West Bank, she said. We say no to Israel throwing bombs with one hand, and glitter with the other. Last night, during a semi-final dress rehearsal Golan was booed while on stage. Asked if he thinks there is going to be any disruptions during the show tonight in response to Israels involvement, Whelan said he was doubtful. No I dont, he said. I mean, you can have a security breach at anything but no, I dont believe anything will happen on stage. I hope it all goes as it is supposed to go. Their security is very tight. Taoiseach Simon Harris, Housing Minister Darragh OBrien, Environment Minister Eamon Ryan and An Post CEO David McRedmond at Government Buildings, Dublin, for the announcement of the new Dublin Cty Taskforce. Photo: PA An Post boss David McRedmond will head up the Governments new Dublin city taskforce. He will work as an independent chair of the group, which will include up to 12 members, including An Garda Siochana members, local authority representatives and the National Transport Authority. There will also be representatives from businesses, trade unions, community and service providers, as well as culture and arts providers. Mr McRedmond said there is an actionable list so that people can be proud of Dublin. I want to very much represent the views of citizens and make sure that this is a city that is a nice place to be in, a workable place to be in and has a really clear sense of place, Mr McRedmond said at Government Buildings. The taskforce, set up by Taoiseach Simon Harris, will have 12 weeks to send in a number of recommendations to the Government on things that can be done to improve Dublin city centre. It will complement the work that is already under way within the Dublin City Co-ordination Office and tie in with existing initiatives, such as the North East Inner City Initiative and the North Inner City Local Community Safety Partnership. Mr Harris said yesterday the taskforce will not duplicate the work that is already under way within other organisations and instead will pull together best practice across a whole variety of initiatives. Mr McRedmond said the city hasnt fully recovered since the pandemic and this is clear to everybody. Theres no great surprise that the city needs a taskforce to make sure that we can actually accelerate to a position where we restore what was there and hopefully plan better for the future, he said. He said Dublin city is not as we want it to be at the moment. I think the city could be better and I think we can undoubtedly have a much better public space on the streets and in the parks and amenities, he added. Speaking of the dismantling of a makeshift migrant camp along the Grand Canal yesterday, Mr Harris said the previous tent city in Mount Street came real close to becoming a real public health emergency. Issues will arise from time to time, as it did in Grand Canal and action was taken swift action, Mr Harris said. You didnt see a situation go on for weeks and months and months as it previously has in Mount Street. The days of people saying, thats not my issue, thats for that department, thats for that agency, I dont want to hear it. This is the Government. This is Ireland. This is Team Ireland. And this is a real challenge were facing. Parents plunged into grief as one-second road accident claims life of their baby boy Gardai at the scene of the fatal road traffic incident at a halting site at Quin Road, Ennis, Co Clare, in which a child died. Photo: Press 22 Tributes have been paid to an 18-month-old boy who has died following a tragic incident with a car in Ennis, Co Clare. The infant died after the incident involving a car at a halting site in Ennis, Co Clare, early on Wednesday afternoon. The child was rushed to University Hospital Limerick at about 12.30pm, but was later pronounced dead. The little boy has been named locally as Hunter Molloy. Parish priest Fr Tom Ryan, who married Hunters parents and has known his mother since her childhood, said the family and close knit local community are devastated and there is a great sense of upset and bewilderment in the aftermath of the tragic incident. Today's News in 90 seconds - 9th May 2024 Yesterday afternoon, the sun was shining here in Clare and in a split second, life changed for them, he said. A life that will never be the same again with the death of their young child in an instant and in a tragic accident that happened. "At the moment, they are just totally confused, upset, bewildered as any family would be and trying to come to terms with this is really difficult at this time. Speaking to RTEs Morning Ireland, Fr Ryan said the mother of the young boy is expecting another child in the coming weeks and the family is now dealing with a real turmoil of emotions, between the joy of birth and the sadness of death. Gardai at the scene of the fatal road traffic incident at a halting site at Quin Road, Ennis, Co Clare, in which a child died. Photo: Press 22 Its totally confusing for the family to have to deal with these emotions that have come on them so suddenly and so unexpectedly. All we can do as a community and indeed as families is to just support them, be with them, listen to them, journey with them and help them in their pain at this time. A prayer service for the family took place last night, where those in the local community gathered to pray for each other and for the strength to get through these days, these hours that lie ahead, especially over the coming days with the funeral to be arranged and with the grief to be expressed. Gardai were at the scene of the incident yesterday evening as they tried to piece together what had happened. Their investigation will include forensic examinations of the scene and a car. Gardai said a family liaison officer had been appointed to support them. Canberra, May 9 (UNI) Australia has told Israel that a major ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah would have a devastating impact. In a statement posted on social media on Wednesday night, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the federal government had reiterated to Israel its objections to expanded military action in Rafah and its support for a ceasefire deal. "More than half of Gaza's 2.3 million population are sheltering in Rafah, from the fighting elsewhere," Wong said. "The impacts on Palestinian civilians from an expanded military operation would be devastating." The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Monday ordered thousands of civilians in eastern Rafah to evacuate ahead of what it called a limited operation to eliminate Hamas fighters and dismantle infrastructure. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said a subsequent move by the IDF to seize the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing into Egypt would exacerbate an already dire humanitarian situation. In a statement issued on May 3, the World Health Organization said it was deeply concerned a full-scale military operation in Rafah could lead to a bloodbath. Wong on Tuesday said Australia's call remains for a humanitarian ceasefire to enable hostages to be released and unimpeded aid to flow. She said the Australian government supports the ongoing work of Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. to broker a deal. UNI/XINHUA ARN The Public Expenditure Minister was in the Taoiseachs heartland of Greystones for the Fine Gael European election candidate for Ireland South, John Mullins Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe has said that it is very possible that in the days, weeks and months ahead further operations will be required to move people out of tents and into more secure accommodation, but appealed to the public not to forget "the human story behind everybody seeking refuge. Mr Donohoe was speaking during a canvass today in the Taoiseachs heartland, Greystones, Co Wicklow, for the Fine Gael European Election candidate for Ireland South, John Mullins. He highlighted what he said were two reasons why Dublins second tent city along the Grand Canal, was cleared in just two hours this morning. Firstly, I want to emphasise that anybody in temporary accommodation, in a tent, that those conditions are not safe for them, he said. And we have better alternative accommodation available that we are locating in a way that can be safe, that we can have health facilities in place. And secondly, it is just not sustainable to see our larger cities get to a place that we have more and more tents within them, in a way that is not safe for people who are in the tents, and also would create challenges for the city itself. So for those two reasons, the operations that are now under way are needed. More may be needed in the future. But crucially, we are doing this because alternative accommodation is available that's safer, that's healthier, that's better for everyone. And we need to move people into that accommodation. Asked whether the alternative IPAS accommodation in Crooksling and Citywest was better, despite the shelter provided still being a tent, the Minister insisted it was. "Yes, it is in tents, but it's in tents that are secure, and that have health facilities within them and more of the minimum facilities that we would want to make available to people who do need them. So that is why we need to make those facilities available. We need to ensure that they're used, which is one of the reasons why the operation of today is needed. In response to calls for the Government, such as that made by Labour leader Ivana Bacik, who decried the inhumane and unsustainable situation and asked for the doors of Baggot Street Hospital to be reopened, Minister Donohoe said all options are being looked at, including buildings that are sitting empty. "But if you look at some of the properties that have been mentioned at the moment, it's going to take a lot of effort and a lot of time to get them into the condition that could be used for temporary accommodation. And in the meantime, while that is happening, due to climate change and due to the two wars that the world is now confronting, the number of people that are coming to Ireland and other parts of Europe is increasing. On the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, the Minister warned of the possibility of a surge in numbers of people seeking refuge and how crucial it was to stabilise the situation. Asked about the story this week of a woman from Gaza, Halla Al Saqqa, who lost her husband and daughter as she fled with her eldest daughter and was only able to enter Ireland thanks to a Moroccan passport, the Minister said that it just reminds us all of the human story behind everybody seeking refuge. "It's so important in the debate that we are having at the moment that we don't forget the humanity of the people that are at the heart of it, he said. That lady is fortunate that she had a Moroccan passport, said candidate John Mullins, who faces the reality of a Europe taking a sharp turn to the right, with populist right-wing parties gaining votes, potentially impacting the foreign policy choices the EU can make particularly on migration, environment, and his area, business. "The reality for the majority of Gazans is that they can't get out, and they're stuck in Rafah, and they're under a deluge, effectively. And we need to make sure that there is a ceasefire as quickly as possible, he said. "I just think that we're seeing a lot of independents out there jumping on bandwagons with respect to the migration issue, he added. And frankly, it is having an impact on the view of migrant workers here. And the reality is we're looking at an economic growth rate next year of around 3.5pc. That won't be achieved unless we actually have new people working in this country, providing value to this economy. And if we don't provide more value to the economy, we won't be able to afford healthcare in the future, social welfare in the future. So therefore, it is vitally important that centre parties like ourselves are supported in the European elections, he said. Minister Donohoe added: "There's still many twists and turns left in the campaigns that are happening all over Europe and here in Ireland. And I believe there is a case for competence and compassion regarding how we can manage a humanitarian crisis. And I'll certainly be ceding no ground to the far right in their claims regarding what can be done. They're talking at the moment about not wanting open borders, but what about all those people that are coming to Ireland, that are coming to Ireland on work permits, that we want to give them, to run our factories, to be in our health services, to work in our life science sector, to work in our technology sector. What are they saying about those people? What are they saying to people who are fleeing war legitimately and legally seeking refuge? And those are questions that so far candidates of the far right have been successful in evading. But once you put your name on the ballot paper, once you say you want to be elected, you can't dodge those questions forever. And I hope this election that is now beginning to heat up will offer the opportunity for candidates from all parties to answer those questions. President of the INMO, speaks about "unsafe" staffing at the union's annual conference in Dublin Patients face delays getting medicine and food while nurses struggle with their mental health due to unsafe staffing in hospitals, a senior nurse has said. Karen McGowan, an advanced nurse practitioner at Beaumont Hospital, painted a bleak picture of an overcrowded health service yesterday, but said it could be transformed with the right level of investment. Ms McGowan, who is the outgoing president of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation INMO, was speaking on the first day of the unions 105th annual delegate conference in Croke Park. Our environments have become very unpredictable and unsafe, she said. We dont have the right amount of staff to respond to the patient needs. That in itself is a challenge. We have staff who are leaving, so obviously that impacts on the teams morale. She said nurses know they are going to a workplace without enough staff to deal with the amount of patients they have. So in essence, what does that mean? You know, there are challenges with providing care, in terms of medicines and patient care and feeding times, so there may be delays in terms of providing that in an efficient time. Its hugely challenging and that in itself impacts on the nursing team, she said. They question their patient care, and themselves and their own mental health, in terms of how are they performing. They can only do what they can do with the resources that they have and if they dont have the staff, that leads to unsafe care. Phil Ni Sheaghdha, general secretary of the INMO, said staffing is an overriding theme at this years conference. She said the unions executive council plans to table an emergency motion today on the issue that clearly sets out how we can do better. The Government has to do better, and having inquiry after inquiry after the fact when the incident has occurred is simply not acceptable, she said. She referred to broken government promises. The union leader said it is really disappointing that a framework for nurse staffing and skill mix is not funded and subject to a moratorium on recruitment. What that says to our members and what it says to people who are dependent on the public health service is it doesnt really matter, she said. We have the measurement to tell us whats safe, but were not really taking any notice of it. She said Hiqa last week published reports dating back to November that said services were unsafe, and claimed it has got worse since then. The union leader called for Hiqa to be given more powers to do more than make recommendations when they see unsafe situations in acute hospitals. Meanwhile, Ms Ni Sheaghdha said the HSE has not given nurses and midwives pay increases that were paid to other public service workers on time under the current wage agreement. She said it was mentioned that one payroll department may not be able to pay until November. Thats just not acceptable, she said. Commenting on a half-a-billion euro overrun in the health system, highlighted by Department of Health secretary general Robert Watt, she said this goes to the heart of the unions safe staffing campaign. Ms Ni Sheaghdha said there were 39,500 nurses working in public health services in 2007 but staffing has not kept pace with a population increase of a million. She said the last time the budget became prioritised over staffing and safety we lost a huge number of nurses and midwives to other countries. We believe that the HSE has got it wrong. We believe the Department of Health has got it wrong, she said. You cannot have a moratorium on recruitment and say its not affecting safe care. However, health service sources said Ireland is among the countries with the highest portion of practicing nurses per head of the population in the EU and OECD. The Taoiseach has responded after TD Danny Healy-Rae claimed that Ukrainian refugees are driving "flashy SUVs and high-powered cars" and going home on holiday to houses "we were told were bombed and blown out of existence. Mr Healy-Rae made the remarks in the Dail on behalf of the Rural Independent Group, with the Taoiseach responding "I am not sure where to start," although he did not condemn the comments. The Kerry deputy said it was clear the Government had lost control of the migration issue. "At the same time, many of our own young men and women, boys and girls, are leaving this country to go to Australia, Dubai, Canada and other places because they cannot afford to build houses or to buy them, he said. People in Kerry cannot even get planning permission to build houses, he said, while the young were deciding not to take over productive farms because of "constant vilification, demonisation and regulation being doled out by the Government, demanded and driven by the Green Party." The tourism industry in Killarney and the county of Kerry was suffering because of the influx of migrants who are placed in hotels and guesthouses, he said. "Some 36pc of bed-night availability is taken up by asylum seekers and refugees," he said, adding that many small restaurants, cafes, pubs and souvenir shops had closed. "I have been canvassing since 1973. I have never met so many people raising the migration issue. Nobody objects to asylum seekers or refugees if they have a genuine case of distress." But he added: "Who can explain how they salvaged their cats and dogs, if the bombs were dropping around them, or why our taxpayers are paying so much to quarantine these animals? "Who can explain how they got time to bring their flashy SUVs and high-powered cars registered in Ukraine with them? "They are going home for holidays and for Christmas. However, we were told their homes were bombed and blown out of existence," he claimed. Mr Healy-Rae said people were objecting to people being placed in hotels, being paid full social welfare, "and having a good time inside those hotels. Welfare rates paid to new Ukrainian arrivals have recently been cut significantly, while their time in state accommodation is also limited to 90 days. The Taoiseach pointed out that Mr Healy-Rae had been with the Minister for Housing, Darragh O'Brien, at the opening of a new housing estate in Castleisland recently. "I have been to Kerry, in many of the hospitality facilities there," he added. "As a result, I know how reliant we are on migrants to staff the tourism and hospitality sectors in Co Kerry. "I am sure in his next comment the Deputy will acknowledge the very positive contribution of the many migrants who work in hotels, cafes, bars and souvenir shops and all the other wonderful facilities he mentioned in the Kingdom. It would be important for him to do that. " He added that the Dingle Harbour Lodge and the Hotel Killarney, formerly used to accommodate Ukrainian people, were no longer doing so. In fact Ukrainian numbers in Ireland had fallen dramatically in recent times as people returned home. Sinn Feins Europe hopeful in the Ireland South constituency previously called for the Government to significantly increase the numbers of asylum-seekers and refugees coming to the State. Senator Paul Gavan said in 2019 that Ireland had failed to show solidarity with migrants by not taking in enough people in previous years. The Government of Ireland must now begin to show true solidarity and significantly increase the numbers of refugees and asylum-seekers it is prepared to resettle, he said. He added that over five years, only 2,555 people had been taken in despite a pledge at the time to accommodate 4,000 migrants. To put these two pitifully low figures in context this year alone, 77,000 human beings have crossed the Mediterranean in a desperate journey seeking refuge and protection, he said. These figures for my country are frankly abysmal and a stain on our record in the field of human rights. He was speaking during a debate of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, where he called for action to prevent migrants drowning in the Mediterranean. His comments are also published on the Sinn Fein website. Mr Gavan pointed to the annual military expenditure in the EU being 200bn and suggested a portion of this should be diverted to a programme for refugee resettlement across Europe. But instead of helping migrants, we are now committed to spend more than 30bn a year on border security to keep them out, he said. Sinn Fein has been criticised for hardening its stance on immigration in recent months, and the party believes Ireland should opt out of the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. Sinn Fein are opposed to open borders, the partys justice spokesperson Pa Daly said in March. We believe Ireland needs a well-managed migration system, one that is fair, efficient and enforced. A Sinn Fein spokesperson said Mr Gavans statement from five years ago was regarding promises at the time to help with the human rights travesty unfolding in the Mediterranean. Ireland has since assisted over 100,000 refugees from Ukraine, and as a consequence of this, as well as an increased number of people seeking asylum arriving in Ireland without any plan to properly resource the international protection system the situation has changed utterly, they said. Student health nurses and nurses who worked for state-funded agencies during the Covid pandemic have urged the government to pay them a special 1,000 bonus as a mark of respect. Sean Farrell, from the Carlow branch of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, told the unions conference in Dublin this morning that the recognition payment is not about money. He was speaking on a motion calling on the union to pursue the pandemic bonus for section 39 employees, which was strongly endorsed by delegates. He told delegates at the unions annual conference in Croke Park that when the pandemic hit we stood shoulder to shoulder with you. Mr Farrell said they battened down the hatches, advocated for patients and protected them, then licked their wounds, got up and moved on. He said as a token the HSE announced a Covid bonus, except they did not give it to section 39 employees, who work in state-funded healthcare organisations. Section 39 employees were told its not the HSEs responsibility, its the employers responsibility, he said. This is not about the money. Its not. This is about the respect and recognition that our HSE colleagues got, he said to a round of applause. He called on the INMO to continue to pursue the bonus for section 39 workers who worked alongside their HSE colleagues. He said he is paid partly by the HSE, and partly by his employer. Another delegate said she empathised fully with colleagues who did not get the recognition they deserve. She said student health nurses, who are non-HSE, were on the frontline looking after students who remained on campuses that were empty. I went to the doors of student accommodation in PPE and minded those students, she said. I looked after 300 international students for six months who could not travel and we have not been recognised either for the pandemic bonus and we feel disrespected and we empathise with our colleagues. The once-off bonus has been paid to nurses who were directly employed by the HSE during the pandemic and certain categories of private sector healthcare staff who worked in a Covid-exposed environment. It was announced by the government in 2022, at a cost in excess of 100m. Union official Albert Murphy said it is still pursing the Department of Health for the bonus but said eligibility is being defined in a restrictive way. He said there will be a meeting with the department shortly and the union would continue to pursue it. Two men have charged following two large seizures of cannabis in Dublin and Wexford with a total value of 3,680,000 this week. One man in his 50s has been charged after 900,000 of cannabis herb was seized by gardai and Revenue officers on Tuesday. He is due to appear before Blanchardstown District Court this morning at 10.30am. Gardai have also charged a man in his 60s who was arrested on Tuesday as part of the joint operation involving the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) and Revenue Customs Service, during which 2,780,000 of cannabis herb was seized. The man is due to appear before Gorey District Court this morning at 10.30am. Investigations are ongoing, a garda spokesperson said. A University of Limerick (UL) official responsible for a controversial housing deal failed to attend a meeting with the Dails spending watchdog last year, despite travelling and preparing for the meeting with colleagues. It led to concerns the Public Accounts Committees (PAC) record of the meeting may have to be corrected, TDs were told at another meeting with UL officials today. ULs delegation told TDs how approval processes were overridden when the college approved a 11.44m spend on 20 houses in Rhebogue, Limerick. Valuation reports show UL overspent 5.2m on the homes. UL chief commercial officer Andrew Flaherty was one of two sponsors responsible for guiding the purchase through internal approval processes. PAC chairman Brian Stanley questioned why Mr Flaherty did not appear before the committee today, or at a previous meeting with UL officials last year. UL provost Professor Shane Kilcommins told the committee he selected an appropriate team to take questions from the PAC. He said Mr Flaherty met with colleagues in Dublin last year on the night and morning before a PAC meeting. Mr Flaherty also met colleagues in Dublin after that PAC hearing and was texting a member of ULs delegation during the meeting, Prof Kilcommins told TDs. UL president Professor Kerstin Mey last year told the committee Mr Flaherty could not attend because of a long-standing engagement that he could not get out of. Prof Kilcommins said this was a surprise to him but it may well remain their position. Prof Kilcommins said he questioned this inconsistency after last years meeting. Mr Flaherty had told Prof Kilcommins he was precluded from attending last year and discussing the Rhebogue deal with the PAC as it was the subject of an investigation. A protected disclosure was made at the university last year about the deal and this was being investigated when UL appeared before the committee. The disclosure examined planning issues at the site, valuations, the application of the public spending code, procurement issues and the extent to which the agreement had been reached in advance of the proper process, Prof Kilcommins added. Labour TD Alan Kelly said the situation was like an episode of Hamlet without the prince. The prince was texting and is not here this time, Mr Kelly added. He said a reading of a report into the deal was like reading the script for a Netflix mini-series. That report was prepared by Niamh ODonoghue, a former secretary general at the Department of Social Protection, and found legitimate questions about the purchase were undermined and ignored. It found the acquisition was approved without a full awareness of risks being presented to key decision-makers. Prof Kilcommins apologised to the committee for the Rhebogue purchase. UL chancellor Professor Brigid Laffan promised there most certainly will be changes and there will be accountability. The UL delegation stopped short of outlining what, if any, management changes may be in the pipeline, with Prof Laffan citing legal considerations. However, they did paint a picture of how the deal was progressed through approval processes at the university. They said emergency or informal meetings, some of which were poorly attended, were called at times for the deal to be progress through different stages. Legitimate questions and concerns staff or experts raised about the proposal were not brought to the attention of the key decision makers, they added. UL director of management and planning John Field told the PAC how he raised concerns about the deal at an early stage, but the proposal proceeded regardless. Mr Field said he was extremely alarmed at plans to bring the transaction to ULs executive committee at a very early stage in March 2022 before due diligence had commenced or paperwork on the proposal had been gathered. He wrote to the chief finance and performance officer Gary Butler with these concerns. I set out matters that should be considered in a transaction such as this, matters such as appraisal, procurement, cashflow and operational costs, Mr Field said. At a meeting a week later, Mr Field voiced his concerns again but the meeting was not minuted. Very little was documented or minuted in relation to this transaction, he added. Alan Kelly asked if information on the deal was presented in a certain way so as to create a strong possibility of a certain outcome. Mr Field agreed. The Rhebogue deal is the subject of an ongoing garda criminal investigation over poison-pen letters sent to the university last year targeting an individual who raised questions about the purchase. UL wrote to gardai last month to notify them of a possible fraud in relation to the purchase. The matter is currently the subject of ongoing assessment by the Garda Economic Crime Bureau to see if a criminal investigation is warranted. Before todays meeting, PAC chairman Brian Stanley warned TDs it was not to ask questions which could prejudice the garda inquiries. An Bord Pleanala is also examining the homes on foot of a referral by Limerick City and County Council because UL does not have planning permission to use the homes as student accommodation. Representative groups for Gardai, Prison Officers, Fire Fighters and Defence Forces have called for the reintroduction of a supplementary pension for members who joined after 2013. At the launch of the campaign, SIPTU organiser, Geoff McEvoy said members of uniform services would be driven into financial hardship if the supplementary payment was not introduced. Currently, members who joined these services after 2013 will receive an occupational pension upon retirement but wont receive a state pension until the age of 66. However, mandatory retirement ages are before the age of 66. For example, the mandatory retirement age for An Garda Siochana members is 60. According to the Garda Representative Association (GRA), post 2013 members will retire on a pension that is between 11pc and 17pc of their annual salary. Now groups including the GRA and the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (RACO) have come together with other unions to call for the government to bridge the gap between retirement and the age for the state pension. Representatives at the launch said the financial impact of the gap in pension payments is affecting retention. Conor King, General Secretary of RACO said 79pc of post 2013 members intended to leave the defence forces well in advance of retirement age because of the pension arrangements. They feel their loyalty is being punished, trust is being eroded and they will be forced to leave the defence forces in their 30s so that they have adequate time to start a new career and save for a proper pension, Mr King said. The president of the GRA, Mark O'Meara said the golden pension enjoyed by Gardai at the end of their service was nothing more than a myth and said the current pension issue is one of the primary retention issues within the force. At the end of their service, not only have they earned it, but they are entitled to their benefits and proper pension, a pension which is within the power and remit of the government to provide to our men and women, Mr OMeara said. Uniformed service members can retire at 55, once 30 years of service have been completed. During the launch, emphasis was put on the mental and physical impact of these careers and why many would not be able to continue working until the state retirement age. Speaking at the launch, Aisling Buffini, a member of the Dublin Fire Brigade since 2020, said she is already under financial pressure because of the pension situation she will face after her 30 years of service. When I retire at 55, I will only get half my pension for the first 11 years of retirement, Ms Buffini said. I am two years into a 35-year mortgage. I now have to overpay my mortgage every month to try and shorten it because when I retire I wont be able to afford a mortgage and pay my bills, she added. Ive also had to start an additional voluntary contribution to try and pre-empt the shortcomings in the single scheme. Im under financial pressure now to ensure financial security in the future, she said. Tourism sources say the hiring spree is due to surging demand and larger cruise ships Royal Caribbean is in discussions with new and existing markets around the world to recruit thousands of workers to staff its cruise ships and private destinations to keep up with record cruise demand. The number of people taking cruises hit a record in 2023, and with the surge in demand and larger vessels, labour needs are growing. Tourism boards and port operators from around the world said Royal Caribbean is looking to hire worldwide and the company confirmed it will hire around 10,000 workers this year. Royal Caribbean's sea-based workforce at the end of 2023 totalled about 88,700 employees, 6pc lower than the year prior, according to the company's annual filing. The company's land-based workforce including private destinations consisted of approximately 9,500 full-time employees, up 17pc. Bookings hit a record in the first quarter, boosting quarterly revenue to $3.73 billion, up 29pc, and the company's stock price doubled in the past year to hit a new record. "The recruiting strategy follows the business strategy of moderate capacity growth," a spokesperson said. The company plans to hire more than 10,000 workers in 2024 as it brings on three new ships, they added. Andrew Spencer, president of the Caribbean Maritime University in Jamaica, said Royal Caribbean and rival Carnival have asked the university to ramp up short-term skills and certifications courses to get more workers trained for a career at sea. In April, the British Virgin Islands was approached by Royal Caribbean in regards to recruitment and hiring, a request it hadn't received in the past, said Natasha Chalwell, its Port Authority marketing director. Royal isn't only focused on the Caribbean. The company also approached the Gambia Tourism Board in April with an interest in hiring more workers, a spokesperson said. The cruise operator currently employs about 700 workers from the West African nation. "This is something we have discussed and will follow up to see how best we can facilitate that (request)," the spokesperson said. The tourism board said it will try to provide up to 1,000 additional workers. Netherlands territory St. Maarten is also in the midst of discussions about recruitment with Royal after the parties held a recruitment drive last year to source 1,000 workers. "It did not necessarily yield as many applicants that I think we all were expecting," said Alexander Gumbs, chief executive of Port St. Maarten Group, who said less than a third of that goal for 1,000 applied. Tens of thousands of people need to be hired from the Caribbean and Latin America as new ships are deployed across the industry, according to the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, a trade organisation. Tourism boards and ports said one of the major challenges is educating potential candidates about a career at sea to meet industry labour demand. New Delhi, May 9 (UNI) India on Thursday said that Canada has shared no specific or relevant evidence or information regarding the arrest of three Indian men for alleged involvement in the killing of separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and added that the matter is being pre-judged by Ottawa. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, answering a query on the matter during his briefing, said: "Let me first make it clear that no specific or relevant evidence or information has been shared by the Canadian authorities till date with us. "You will, therefore, understand our view that the matter is being pre-judged when the people say X or Y. Obviously, there are political interests at work. We have long maintained that separatists, extremists and those advocating violence have been given a political space in Canada," the spokesperson said. Our diplomats have been threatened with impunity, and obstructed in their performance of duties. Weve also pointed out to the Canadian authorities that figures associated with organised crime with links in India have been allowed entry and residency. Many of our extradition requests are pending with them. Were having discussions at the diplomatic level on all these matters with the Canadian side, he added. His response comes as the Canadian authorities on last Friday charged three Indian nationals - Kamalpreet Singh, Karanpreet Singh and Karan Brar - with the murder of Khalistani separatist Nijjar last year in June. The three had reportedly entered Canada on student visas. The three men face first-degree murder and conspiracy charges in the Nijjar case. The MEA spokespersons statement comes as India on Tuesday hit out at Canada for providing a "safe haven" and political space to criminal and "secessionist" elements, after pro-Khalistan elements shouted anti-India slogans and displayed anti-India graffiti and posters at a religious parade in Ontario's Malton area. In Tuesdays statement, India said that Celebration and glorification of violence should not be a part of any civilized society. Democratic countries which respect the rule of law should not allow intimidation by radical elements in the name of freedom of expression, referring to the pandering of Khalistani elements by Canada. On May 4, during an interaction with journalists in Odisha, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said that Canada has been welcoming a number of gangland people with organised crime links from Punjab and ignoring Indian warnings against giving them visa, and therefore killings like that of separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar is an issue that Ottawa has to worry about. Asked about the arrest of three Indian nationals with regard to the killing of Khalistani separatist Nijjar in British Columbia last year, EAM Jaishankar said he had seen the report about the arrests: I also saw this report; okay somebody may have been arrested, their police may have done some investigation, but the fact is the number of gangland people, the number of people with organised crime links from Punjab, have been made welcome in Canada. We have been telling Canada that these are wanted criminals from India, you are giving them visa; many have come on false documentation, and yet you allow them to live there. If you decide to import people with negative backgrounds there will be issues. Jaishankar also said that the Khalistani elements have organised themselves politically in Canada and become a political lobby. And in some of these democratic countries the politicians of those countries are made to believe that if they defer to these people or pander to these people, these people have some ability to get the community to support them, he said, in reference to Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, who has taken the support of NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who is a Khalistan sympathiser. Canada is known to have the second highest Sikh population in the world, after India, at over 770,000, or about two % of its total population. EAM said these separatist elements have tried to create space for themselves in the politics of these countries. At this time, I would say it is not so much of a problem in the US; our biggest problem right now is in Canada. Because in Canada, actually, the party in power in Canada, other parties in Canada, have given these kinds of extremism, separatism and advocates of violence a certain legitimacy, in the name of free speech. On Tuesday, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller denied External Affairs Minister S Jaishankars statement that Ottawa has been ignoring Indian warnings and welcoming a number of gangland people with organised crime links from Punjab into the country. Asked by journalists if the Justin Trudeau government has been lax about who it lets into the country as the EAM has said, Miller said: We are not lax and the Indian foreign minister is entitled to his opinion. Asked again, he said: Let him speak his mind, it is just not accurate. Asked if the three Indians arrested in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar were in Canada on student visas, he refused to confirm. I cant (confirm). This is information I cant share with you at this time. It is an ongoing police investigation. The questions lie properly with the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police), Miller said. UNI RN The west Cork farmer and Teagasc Scholar received the highest accolade at a recent ceremony The 12 finalists of the Walsh Scholar of the Year Awards 2024. Pictured (from left): Jane Kavanagh, Head of Research Development and Walsh Scholarships at Teagasc; Pat Dillon, Director of Research, Teagasc; with the winner of the Teagasc Walsh Scholars Gold Medal Lorna Twomey and her mother Mary Twomey. A west Cork farmer and PhD student has been honoured with a Gold Medal scholarly award for her research into minimum chlorate technologies used in dairy production. Lorna Twomey, from Teagascs Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Programme, received the Teagasc Walsch Scholars Gold Medal accolade at an awards ceremony at Teagasc Ashtown on Wednesday, May 8. Now in its 30th year, the competitive award celebrates excellence at Teagasc for its Walsh Scholars nearing the end of their PhDs. The honour, which is the highest in the Walsh Scholars Programme, was awarded to Lorna for her PhD project which set out to evaluate the evaluate the effectiveness minimum chlorate technologies in terms of dairy production quality and safety. These products are used by Irish farmers instead of chlorine-based technologies to minimise the presence of chlorate residues which could harm the reputation of the dairy industry. According to Teagasc, Lornas PhD formed part of vital work in partnership with dairy industry processors to reduce chlorate levels in dairy processing. Teagasc director of research, Professor Pat Dillon, said that Lorna, who has many years of experience working on her home dairy farm and in New Zealand as part of her undergraduate experience, met the two key objectives of a very successful PhD. [She] increased the scientific knowledge on reducing chlorate levels in Irish dairy products and increased her skills through learning research methods and collaboration with academic and industry stakeholders, Professor Dillon said. Lorna was competing for the award with other Walsh Scholar finalists from Teagascs Crops, Environment and Land Use Programme, Food Programme and Rural Economy and Development Programme. Jane Kavanagh, head of research development and Walsh Scholarships at Teagasc, said that the Scholar of the Year Awards ceremony not only celebrates the outstanding achievements of finalists, but underscores their pivotal role in shaping the intellectual landscape of the agri-food industry. Through their innovative research and dedication, these scholars have not only contributed to advancing knowledge but have also developed invaluable transferable skills essential for their future endeavours, Mrs Kavanagh said. Teagasc Director, Professor Frank OMara, congratulated the other Walsh Scholar finalists. Completing a PhD is a great achievement, and will be a major milestone for all the finalists here today. They were all excellent, and I congratulate them on getting to this level. Regardless of what direction the next step of their career takes them, I have no doubt they will make a major contribution, and their PhD will stand to them throughout their career, Professor OMara said. Further details on all the finalists research projects can be found at teagasc.ie/wsawards. The extension of free primary school books for school children from September has been hailed as a great boost for Cork families by Cork TD Colm Burke. More than 563,000 pupils will benefit from this scheme nationally in over 3,227 schools, including 138 special schools. Deputy Burke who was recently appointed as the new Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health and Drugs Strategy said: I know how stressful school and college costs can be for families in Cork. The primary school free book scheme removes the cost of books, copybooks and workbooks for hundreds of thousands of families. This year, it will be also extended to families with children in secondary school too, up to Junior Cert year, he said. We have also expanded the Hot School Meals scheme to ensure parents dont have to worry about the lunchboxes either, said Deputy Burke. Fine Gael is reducing college fees and increasing the student grant. This is all aimed at ensuring we can put more money back in your pocket and give your children the best start in life. The scheme means no parent will be asked to purchase any schoolbooks, workbooks, or copybooks. Funding will issue to schools this month to allow schools adequate time to prepare for the upcoming school year. Schools will also be given a grant to assist with the additional work required to implement the scheme. Minister for Special Education Hildegarde Naughton said: Education gives every child an equal start in life. By removing the cost of books and school meals, we are ensuring every child can access school and their parents do not have to worry about the significant cost it can bring. Businesses around Mount Street say a better plan is needed to deal with the ongoing crisis Mount Street business owners are still concerned about the future of 'Tent city' Businesses near Mount Street, where groups of international protection applicants have been camping for months, feel the Government is kicking the can down the road as theres another shanty town on the Grand Canal. Ruth Hamilton, owner of Mamma Mia Deli Cafe Bar with her husband for almost 15 years, says that those arriving at the International Protection Office have a massive impact on business. Its been going on 15 months. Were down 60pc footfall since before the IPO applicants got moved here, she told the Irish Independent. They were camping outside the restaurant, there were protests every Friday evening with megaphones, nobody was coming in the evening time for their meals. I didnt feel safe or comfortable. Ruth Hamilton, owner of Mamma Mia, which is behind the International Protection offices on Mount Street. Pic: Frank McGrath Its been terrible, its not nice for the guys, in their situation its terrible as well. For us, we dont know what were coming into. Theres different scenes, between the mess, more tents, more people, its crazy. They were using the restrooms at the start. Unfortunately, we had to stop them because we had to get Dyno-Rod out three times within the last four weeks. They were blocking the toilet with baby wipes so unfortunately we had to close it off, she added. Ms Hamilton believes the Government should have a better plan in place for those who are entering the country. I know the Government has moved the IPO applicants to a more secure location with washing facilities, but new applicants are arriving and pitching tents, another shanty town on the Grand Canal, she said. A row of tents on the banks of the Grand Canal this week. Pic: Mark Condren We just feel the Government is kicking the can down the road, theyve moved them from this location to another location. They need to have a better plan in place for IPO applicants and give them the correct facilities. Michael Finlay, owner of The Punnet Food Emporium for the past decade, also feels the hit of the extra footfall in the area. Im only a stones throw away from the International Protection Office. Its had a massive impact in the area as a whole, he said. Business has been impacted over the last 12 months. Its grown in the past five to six months, but its been an ongoing issue for residents and businesses in the area. It doesnt impact the business positively, were having to deal with tents in front of the shop every morning, remove them ourselves, and the gardai were told not to engage. Its been left to the ordinary citizens to deal with an issue that shouldve been dealt with. I regularly have asylum seekers coming in looking for toilets, charging phones and I give them food and water when I can. Its constant. Theyre coming in such great numbers every day. Michael Finlay, owner of the Punnet Food Emporium on Mount Street. Pic: Frank McGrath Mr Finlay added that even though the tents have been moved, its still an issue as there are new asylum seekers arriving each day. Therell be another 40 or 50 every day. Theres no issue with them coming into the shop, the issue is the core issues havent been tackled, he said. Weve been left to deal with the issue ourselves, local businesses and residents. Theres been no communication or help from any of the relevant authorities that youd expect. On the street, you can see theres no tents here anymore, but the core issue hasnt been tackled. Theres still migrants coming in the door every day who are being processed in the IPO. Theyve effectively moved them from one area down the road to the canal. It doesnt feel as if theres any coherent plan. The same issues are still prevalent. I worry there isnt a plan in place to deal with that, he added. A new nightclub is promising to give young adults the Dublin nightlife experience we enjoyed in the nineties and noughties. SoHo Dublin is set to open next week on DOlier Street, bucking the trend of the last few years which has seen a raft of nightclub closures. The multi-purpose venue will host club-nights with top Irish DJs, live music performances and theatrical events, corporate nights, and fashion shows. The Saturday Club night will feature Irish DJs like Dave Treacy and Dansie. The Irish youth today have never experienced the high quality and high service of the Dublin nightlife experience we enjoyed in the nineties and noughties, owner Jerry Harrington told the Irish Independent. Due to the staggering number of closures since then, so many of them have rarely experienced a good club night generally. In a modern, stylish venue we are going to reintroduce that same standard older Dubliners once enjoyed. Were blessed, its such an ideal location. There are buses, trams, taxis, and those staying in hotels nearby. To explain to someone where you are, youre just three minutes from OConnell Bridge. Were over-23s. We cater for those who want to have a great night in a nice environment where theres plenty of space. Its all about people, our customers are precious. We want people to want to come back, he added. You can escape the dance floor and go to the green room. One of our rooms will do 80s and 90s music, the main room will do commercial dance and the big hits, the lounge and green room will play cool sounds. People want to hear 80s, 90s and 00s music. There are three distinct rooms that offer different music, so you could be in three clubs in the one night. We will ensure that your night out wont break the bank, but you wont sacrifice any of the luxuries that you like. Give Us the Night, a group of industry professionals leading the campaign for positive changes for nightlife in Ireland, said the opening of the new nightclub is positive news for the city. The nightclub industry here is now so small that it only accounts for 0.6pc of the total licensed liquor trade in Ireland, they said. Seven counties in Ireland are now down to their very last nightclub. The Governments promised reform still hasnt happened, which is halting a rebirth of this once thriving industry. Dublin, with its rich nightlife history, needs fresh venue options to keep the city buzzing and alive. SoHo Dublin opening in the city centre is very positive industry news in a time when we often hear far more about closures. University of Galway Students Union will be hosting MEP candidate hustings for the Midlands North West Region. The hustings will take place on Monday May 20 at 6.30pm in Aras na Mac Leinn and will give voters the chance to meet and question candidates hoping to win their votes on election day Friday June 7. Follow Independent Galway on Facebook Already confirmed to attend the event are: Peter Casey, Independent; Lisa Chambers, Fianna Fail; Luke Ming Flanagan, Independent; Rory Hearne, Social Democrats; Fergal Landy, Labour Party; Saoirse McHugh, Independent; Chris McManus, Sinn Fein; Brian OBoyle, People Before Profit-Solidarity; Pauline OReilly, Green Party; Peadar Toibin, Aontu; Maria Walsh, Fine Gael. Students Union President Dean Kenny said: We are very excited to be holding this hustings event to give voters the chance to meet their MEP Candidates. Weve been holding voter registration drives throughout the year to encourage our students to use their voice in the upcoming local and European elections. This event will allow voters to question candidates and make a more informed decision on election day." Tickets for the event are free but spaces are limited and can be booked via the Students Union Eventbrite page. Today's News in 90 seconds - 9th May 2024 Man arrested and detained in Kerry in relation to robbery and assault Gardai in Killarney investigating an incident of robbery and assault that occurred on Port Road, Killarney, have arrested a man. A search operation took place this morning, Thursday May 9, 2024 in Killarney and a man, aged in his 20s was arrested in relation to robbery and assault. He is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in the Kerry Division. The incident occurred on April 22 shortly after 8:30pm when a woman aged in her 80s was approached by a lone male and robbed of her handbag on Port Road, Killarney. Garda said investigations are ongoing in the matter. Earlier this week the victim, an American tourist, thanked the people of Killarney for their support and she appealed for the public's help in resolving the case. Two men have been jailed after they were found in possession of almost 330,000 of cannabis herb for sale or supply at various locations in Dublin and Louth a year and a half ago. Sean Boland (41) of Carlinn Drive, Mullaharlin Rd, Dundalk, Co Louth, was sentenced to five years in prison after he admitted possessing about 12kg of cannabis valued at 240,000 at three locations on October 17, 2022. Co-accused Jeffrey Reynolds (34) of Corke Abbey, Bray, Co Wicklow was sentenced to three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to possessing about 88,000 worth of cannabis herb on the same day. Passing sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Wednesday, Judge Martin Nolan described Boland as being reasonably high level in the drugs operation, as he had been distributing cannabis to third parties. Judge Nolan said both Boland and Reynolds had embarked on this enterprise for profit and alleviation of their own drug debts, but that Reynolds had been in possession of a lesser quantity of drugs. Garda Peter Morris told John Moher BL, prosecuting, that gardai had received confidential information on the day in question to the effect that there would be a transaction of suspected cannabis. Gardai travelled to the carpark of Tesco at Holywell, Link Road in Swords where they observed two vans leaving, driven by Boland and Reynolds. The van driven by Reynolds was searched and found to contain a box of cannabis weighing 4.4kg, with a street value of 88,000. Gardai obtained further warrants and searched Boland's apartment in Dundalk, where they found a bag of cannabis herb wrapped inside a bag of tools. Gardai also seized a vacuum sealer device, weighing scales and a ticklist. Another apartment in the same complex was also searched and over 7kg of cannabis was found in black bin bags in the utility room. The court heard that when arrested, Boland made full and frank admissions and said he wanted to put his hands up and that there was no point in dragging it on. He agreed with gardai that he had taken a box of cannabis herb out of a van and handed it to Reynolds. He told gardai had run up a debt from taking cannabis. Boland has ten previous convictions from the District Court including drugs and public order offences and unauthorised carriage of an MPV. Dominic McGinn SC, defending Reynolds, said his client was also taking cannabis and had incurred a debt. Garda Morris agreed that Reynolds was not somebody who's higher up in the drug world and had been operating at street level. Counsel said Reynolds worked on a farm in the West of Ireland to allow himself to become drug free. Judge Nolan accepted that both accused had good work histories, good mitigation and were unlikely to reoffend in the future. Mayor of Sligo. Cllr Declan Bree pictured at the launch of Spirit of the Revolution - Ireland from below - 1917 - 1923 at the Forsa Building Fish Quay, Sligo. The dominant narrative of the Irish Revolution carried in our mainstream history books largely ignored many of the events where the sprit of revolution was most evident, in favour of a narrow focus on the demand for formal national independence, the Mayor of Sligo Cllr Declan Bree, said at the Sligo launch of a new book Spirit of Revolution: Ireland from below 1917-1923, edited by University of Galway historian Mr John Cunningham and Dr Terry Dunne. It includes an essay by Moira Leyden, They were the coming men - Irelands hope: the mobilization of agricultural labourers in Maugherow, Co. Sligo, 1917-20 Cllr Bree said The Spirit of Revolution is a volume which shines a light on parts of our history which has been neglected over the decades. Ireland recently concluded its Decade of Centenaries programme in respect of the period 1912 to 1923 - a decade which was the most turbulent and transformative experienced by Ireland in the 20th century. And I think it became clear during the delivery of that programme that significant and important activities initiated by trade unionists, women, farm labourers, miners, small holders, carters, tenants organisations and plot holders had not received due recognition in terms of mainstream history. Indeed, it became clear that a very large part of our social history from the revolutionary period had not been adequately researched and where it had been researched it was included as a footnote to history. As in the past, working class people had largely been written out of history, in a manner similar to the longstanding exclusion of women. Enormous amounts have been written about the periods 1917-1923. Practically every military engagement or political event has received attention, however the social movements which accompanied and often underpinned them was overlooked or downplayed. A spirit of revolution was certainly widespread in Ireland during that period, a spirit that in hindsight was remarkable. Social discontent was reflected in many ways including strikes, demonstrations, cattle drives and the seizure by crowds of people of agricultural and industrial property. Soviets were established in many parts of the country and there was a universal questioning of so many things that had been taken for granted up to then. Over 100,000 members flocked into the Transport and Workers Union between 1917 and 1920 Yet the dominant narrative of the Irish Revolution carried in our mainstream history books largely ignored many of those events where the Sprit of Revolution was most evident in favour of a narrow focus on the demand for formal national independence. While not wanting to be accused of being parochial I feel that Moira Leydons contribution on the mobilisation of agricultural labourers in Maugherow, Co Sligo, and the labour and agrarian militancy on the Lissadell Estate in the period 1917-1920, provides us with just a flavour of the dramatic radicalisation of rural workers, farm labourers and smallholders during that period. This volume, not only challenges the traditional narratives that it was military action in conjunction with the Dail that defied the establishment, it actually adds greatly to our knowledge of the genuine revolutionary spirit that was widespread in Ireland during the period. It is a book that must be read and I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank those who contributed to the volume and to particularly thank its editors Terry Dunne and John Cunningham. We owe them a debt of gratitude. the Mayor said. Authors John Cunningham & Terry Dunne, editors noted: In the spring of 1919, UK Prime Minister David Lloyd George wrote: The whole of Europe is filled with the spirit of revolution. There is a deep sense not only of discontent, but of anger and revolt, amongst the workmen against prewar conditions In some countries, like Germany and Russia, the unrest takes the form of open rebellion; in others it takes the shape of strikes and of a general disinclination to settle down to work. While comparative studies of revolution within the social sciences define revolution, in part, as necessarily involving mass participation, dominant narratives of the Irish revolution have left Lloyd Georges spirit of revolution by the wayside. The political content of the revolution is assumed to exclusively be the demand for national independence, while a focus on high-politics and military elites obscures the ways in which tens of thousands of people participated in diverse forms of popular mobilization. This collection of regional and local case studies, by contrast, shows that a spirit of revolution was widespread in Ireland in the period 191723. John Cunningham is a lecturer in History at NUIG, and a former editor of Saothar: Journal of the Irish Labour History Society. He has published on the moral economy, Irish local history and global syndicalism. Terry Dunne graduated with a PhD in Sociology from MU in 2015. He has published widely on agrarian social movements in the Irish past, and is Laois historian-in-residence under the Decade of Centenaries Programme.Published by Four Courts Press, the book is available in local bookshops. A group of 10 influential overseas journalists working with outlets which have a combined circulation of over 40 million arrived in the West and North West this week to learn more about the award winning Wild Atlantic Way and what it has to offer international visitors. Hosted by Failte Ireland, and in conjunction with Tourism Ireland, the group from the USA, Canada and Europe represent media outlets including USA Today, and French online news site Routard.com. The Wild Atlantic Way, the hugely successful tourism brand developed by Failte Ireland, was launched in 2014, and over the last decade has become an internationally recognised tourism route and has provided an economic engine for the west of Ireland. The group will visit counties Sligo, Mayo and Donegal and will enjoy foraging for oysters on the spectacular Clew Bay, a visit to the Old Irish Goat Centre, cycle 5km on the Great Western Greenway on Achill Island and walk on the stunning Keem Beach, voted in the top 100 beaches worldwide. The media will also take in Mayo's Dark Skies Reserve at Wild Nephin National Park, visit the National Surf Centre, Strandhill, and learn the benefits of seaweed at Voya before experiencing the best of local produce on the Taste of Sligo Tour. From there they will explore the scenic heights of the Sliabh Liag Cliffs in Donegal with panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean followed by a visit to some of Donegal's finest craft makers and designers at Campbells of Ardara and Hanna's Hats. Today's News in 90 seconds - 9th May 2024 Claire Redmond, Manager of Publicity and Partnerships at Failte Ireland, spoke about the importance of hosting international media, saying: Bringing international media on a visit to the Wild Atlantic Way and personally showing them the huge amount on offer, like the world-class scenery, hospitality, activities, attractions, culture, heritage and food, ensures that we get our message out to a global audience. We are thrilled to provide the group with a Cead Mile Failte and are confident that their experiences will encourage more people to come and explore the epic landscapes along the 2,500km stretch of the Wild Atlantic Way. Our work generates the type of international audience reach and publicity that any competitive destination needs to sustain tourism growth. The students were placed in the top three in the Frame of Mind short film competition, an initiative of Walk in My Shoes, the flagship awareness-raising campaign of St Patricks Mental Health Services, which uses short film and photography to help to promote positive mental health and reduce stigma around mental health difficulties. In celebration of the competitions 10-year anniversary, Walk in My Shoes partnered with Screen Ireland, the national agency for Irish film, television, drama, animation and documentary, to help to amplify positive mental health messages while also showcasing emerging young talent within the sector. Matilda star Alisha Weir led congratulations to the students, I think everyone nominated tonight should be really proud of themselves, and have done an amazing job. The message of the Frame of Mind competition is so important. Its a great way for us to use our creativity and our voice to make something together but most importantly, to talk to each other about things we dont normally talk about. Congratulations. The Enniscorthy students narrowly missed out on top spot in their category, finishing runners-up behind Youthreach Ballinrobe, from Co Mayo. Paul Gilligan, CEO of St Patricks Mental Health Services said, The Frame of Mind campaign uses the medium of film to provide a positive space for students to pause and reflect on their experiences and knowledge of mental health; to harness their creativity; and to raise awareness about mental health, whether thats by challenging stigma or sharing positive messages. As always, the entries to this years competition were of extremely high calibre and highlight the incredible talent, tenacity, and vital role that young people can play in inspiring conversations about mental health. We were extremely grateful to partner with Screen Ireland for this years Frame of Mind competition, working together towards a shared goal of educating young people about mental health and encouraging them to explore new creative outlets and avenues. A playlist of all shortlisted and winning films is available to view on Walk in My Shoes YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSbcslkanlA S Korean leader unveils plans to create new ministry to address low birth rate Seoul, May 9 (UNI) South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Thursday announced his plans for the establishment of a new "low birth response planning ministry" to address the issue of low fertility in the country, the Yonhap news agency reported. "In order to overcome the low birth rate, which can be considered a national emergency, we will fully mobilise all of the state's capabilities," Yoon was quoted by the news agency as saying in his address to the nation marking the second anniversary of his presidency. The date may have changed but the quality and the food and music didnt alter at the ninth annual Rockin Food Festival. Held over the May Bank Holiday weekend to avoid a clash with the Fleadh Cheoil in August, the festival drew huge crowds from across the country as they flocked to Enniscorthy for a unique blend of artisan food, family fun, and rock n roll music. The festival was officially opened by Minister James Browne on Friday evening and then came the fireworks, a spectacular display wowing the crowds at The Promenade by The Riverside Park Hotel. The following day Enniscorthy woke up to clear skies and sunny weather as the first visitors arrived for an array of culinary delights from local, Irish and international food producers. All tastes were catered for, with artisanal local cheese and crackers to locally produced fruits, jams and chocolates on offer. Members of the Wexford Food Producers Network (WFPN) retailed their products, offered talks, tastings and enjoyed an industry drinks reception in The Food Marquee over the weekend. Guests enjoyed a Drinks and Food Showcase presented by WFPN with a display of the best food and beverages produced by Wexford companies. In addition to local producers, some of the countys best chefs were also present, with cooking demonstrations from Paul Hynes of La Cote Restaurant, John Whelan from The Devils Menu and Alan Kennedy from Kennedy Craft Butchers, along with RTE Today Shows chef Shane Smith and national favourite chef Kevin Dundon. The team from the Enniscorthy Community Allotments were on hand to host a variety of workshops,, while live music played in The Market Square throughout the weekend. There was also a huge selection of kids activities, with arts and crafts, puppetry, discos and a funfair, while Disney characters roamed the streets keeping the smaller ones entertained. Eric Barron, Chairman of The Rockin' Food Festival said, "This year's festival surpassed all expectations, attracting crowds in excess of 50,000 people over the course of the weekend, who came to enjoy the unique nature of the festival. Huge thanks to our funders, Wexford County Council, Failte Ireland, Irelands Ancient East, The Riverside Park Hotel and Enniscorthy Credit Union for their continued support of one of Wexfords largest festivals. Event organiser Amanda Whitmore said, " The combination of quality artisanal food and food events combined with rock 'n' roll music, created an unforgettable experience for all who attended. It's truly heartening to see the community come together to enjoy this festival and each year we try to add a new element to continue to grow and develop the festival. The success of The Rockin' Food Festival underpins Wexfords growing reputation as a culinary destination, where tradition meets innovation in a harmonious blend of flavours and cultures. As the festival draws to a close, organisers and attendees alike eagerly anticipate its return next year, promising another unforgettable celebration of food, music, and community. MEP for Ireland South Mick Wallace is demanding answers from the Taoiseach and Tanaiste over a letter signed on behalf of the Irish people, supposedly expressing support for Israel. The letter, signed on behalf of all EU member states with embassies in Israel, echoes the polarising words of President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen that Europe stands with Israel, made during the course of her controversial visit to Israel following the horrifying Hamas attacks of October 7. Sign up to the This is Wexford newsletter here However, given the devastating scenes in Gaza since and the ever rising civilian death toll, Mr Wallace his horrified that Ireland is being associated with a letter containing sentiments of support for the Israeli state, while making no mention whatsoever of genocidal violence meted out to the civilians of Gaza since then. "The Irish government never tires of telling us that they support Palestinians and international law, he blasted. Why, then, is Ireland a signatory on this letter, which flagrantly ignores the endless, horrifying breaches of international law by Israel; which tacitly endorses those breaches, and which pledges Irish support for Israel's genocidal violence since October 7 by quoting Ursula von der Leyens claim that Europe stands with Israel no matter what? "Do the Taoiseach and Tanaiste stand over this letter? We need answers, and we need them now, and I will be writing to both today to demand them. Wallaces Independents4Change colleague and MEP for Dublin Clare Daly stated it was beyond belief that Ireland was a signatory of the letter, which she says is sickeningly silent on the genocidal slaughter of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians by Israel. "It is scandalous and disgraceful that the Irish people have been associated with a letter that states that we stand with Israel, she said. "The people of Ireland do not stand with Israel. They have made their shock, horror and outrage at Israels actions very clear over the past seven months. This years Pride in the Park takes place in Min Ryan Park, Wexford on Saturday, May 25. The annual celebration of Wexfords LGBTQIA+ community, now in its fifth year, aims to be the biggest celebration yet, capturing the power of queer joy, community solidarity and coming together to create a space that recognises and embraces all corners of this vibrant community. This years line-up features local musical talent and drag acts including Crimson, Lilli Dobbs O Brien, Bloco Garman, Anam Choir, Orbit LGBTQIA+ FDYS, 12 Gauge Outrage, Sams Collective and the first performance of Wexford Pride's very own queer chorus. In addition, there will be more than 20 vendors at the event, with homemade crafts, literature, art, and food on offer. Returning for their second year, Poppy De Scrace and the Disgraceful Cabaret feature at this year's Pride After Party in collaboration with the Wexford Arts Centre. Joining the line-up of Irish drag and Nerdlesque will be Richard Joke, Kora Elle, Erick Shan, Aurora Divine, Max Volume, Desire and Chronic QT. Pride in the Park is the one time a year when we really get to celebrate the amazing queer community across Co Wexford, said Community Liaison for Wexford Pride, Veronica Victor. We need these outlets to detoxify from all of the negativity we continue to face, and remind us that being LGBTQIA+ is a beautiful and joyous thing. Wexford Prides values are firmly rooted in pride's political spirit and historic movement as an ongoing fight seeking social justice and equality for all LGBTQIA+ people. Although she says Ireland has made significant strides in recent years, Veronica stressed the importance of events like Wexford Pride and how they allow those within their community to show solidarity with one another. We must continue to show up in solidarity with those in our community who live within the intersections of queerness with broader systems of oppression and discrimination that continue to seek the marginalisation of those society deems as different. This is reflected in Wexford Prides ongoing engagement with the fight for an informed-consent model of transgender healthcare, promoting greater social inclusion and community inclusion in partnership with Le Cheile, and supporting a coalition of disabled persons representative organisations in the campaign to scrap the Green Paper on disability payment reform. In this vein, we're delighted to support the inclusion of local community groups and national organisations that work tirelessly to achieve a vision of a just and equal society for all, including Community Action Tenants Union (CATU) Wicklow & South Wexford, Wexford People Helping People, Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) South East and many more. In the past 12 month, Wexford Pride has continued to expand and now runs a year-round calendar of events and groups which seek to cultivate a safe space for LGBTQIA+ people and those exploring their identity. This includes both online and in-person peer support groups supporting LGBTQIA+, trans feminine and asexual/aromantic individuals, and is complemented through social spaces including Tea on The Quay, a monthly social night, an art club and its queer chorus. The growth in our community speaks to the fundamental need for dedicated LGBTQIA+ spaces that support the visibility, representation and inclusion of queer people as part of the fabric of our local communities, said Rian Browne, Public Relations Officer for Wexford Pride: "As a community-led organisation that does not receive funding or corporate sponsorship, we work entirely in the spirit of community partnership and solidarity, and I think Pride in the Park is an incredibly powerful reflection of what can be achieved when remaining true to those roots. Amelia's dish, which saw her through to the finals of the Healthy Home Chef cookery competition. A young student from Loreto Secondary School, Bray, was chosen to go forward into the last 16 from 180 schools in Ireland for the final of Neven Maguires Healthy Home Chef cookery competition. Amelia Bowe, a 3rd Year student, was a finalist in the Junior Category of the Healthy Home Cook Competiton, held in Atlantic Technological University St Angelas, Sligo on April 30. The All-Island Cook Off final was judged by a panel of experts including award-winning chef Neven Maguire. Sadly, while Amelia did not emerge as the winner, the experience, together with the achievement of reaching the final from 180 schools, has been a huge accomplishment for the home economics student. And, she may even consider pursuing a career in the industry. She had to reproduce her own dish during the competition chicken tikka masala with homemade soft bread and basmati rice, including making her own bread in a professional kitchen with the other 15 finalists. Her dad, Ken, who is a professional chef at the Wishing Well, in Blackrock, south Dublin, said Amelia made everything from scratch, even her own curry paste for the dish, which impressed Neven and the judging panel. Ken added that Amelia, while coming from good stock, did it all on her own. On whether she has plans to follow in her father's footsteps and enter the industry, she said other people are asking me this, and I say possibly, like possibly." She is starting work in a couple of weeks as a prep chef, which will give her a taste of what it's like. But as Ken said, this industry is not for everybody. The Healthy Home Chef cookery competition aims to give students an opportunity to create tasty, nutritious and affordable meals at home. Students are asked to submit their favourite healthy meal (main course dish only) for two people and the competition is open to all students in post-primary schools on the island of Ireland and Youthreach Centres in the Republic of Ireland. Primark is seeking to fill vacancies for its Penneys store in Bray, County Wicklow, which is due to open at the Bray Central shopping centre this summer. The roles, for retail assistants and an assistant manager, are advertised as being permanent, with the retail assistant jobs listed as part-time, and the assistant manager role open to those looking for a full-time position. While an official opening date has still to be confirmed for the Bray store, the unit at the town centre shopping plaza was handed over to Penneys in March for the store fit-out, with doors expected to open to customers this summer. In terms of salary and benefits and the type of person the retailer is looking for, Primark said it is offering a salary 12.70 per hour plus premium Sunday rates for its retail assistant roles. It is also offering "flexibility with accommodating shifts, as well as a pension scheme, in-store employee discounts, well-being initiatives and an employee assistance programme, as well as generous holidays based on your hours, as well as opportunities to progress your career internationally The role entails assisting customers with things like sizes, styles, purchases, or returns; setting up the shop floor; tidying fitting rooms, keeping up to speed on all the latest fashions, as well as keeping a tidy and well-organised stockroom. Potential candidates will also be expected to deliver a fast, friendly, efficient experience at till points, processing queries, voids, and returns; receive, unpack and check off new deliveries. Candidates for the retail assistant roles are expected to be passionate about people and strong communicators, with good organisational skills and attention to detail, as well as being interested in fashion and the latest looks. There is no indication as to the number of roles that are vacant as yet. The assistant manager role is to support the store manager (deputising when required) to lead the store team in creating an exceptional store environment and customer experience that drives commercial performance to maximise sales. The potential candidate will also be expected to develop a high performing team by creating a great place to work with highly engaged colleagues. Applicants will also need to have acquired demonstrable experience in Primark, having reached department manager level, or have previous experience of a similar level gained within a high volume, fast-paced environment. There is no salary specified for the assistant manager role. The new Bray store will be Penneys first in County Wicklow, and its 38th store in Ireland, and will be a sizeable outlet spanning some 19,600 square feet. Interested applicants can browse career opportunities on the Primark website. No closing date for applications for either role is yet specified. Local Enterprise Office Wicklow will run a course for small and medium enterprises to help them navigate costing and pricings. Getting your costing and pricing correct is absolutely critical for your business and you can learn how to master these skills through the course taking place on Wednesday, June 26, from 9.30am to 4pm. Participants will get to appreciate the importance of knowing your costs and setting the right price, as well as the implications of getting your costing and pricing wrong. You will be provided with pricing strategies for SMEs and how to establish your cost and the factors that make up your costs, including hidden costs. Those taking part in the course will be provided with the confidence to review their costing and pricing and will also be able to identify any changes that would merit a review. The course will provide business owners and management teams with an improved understanding of how pricing decisions impact on performance. The trainer will be Frank McGlone of Optimum Results Ltd. He has specialised in this field since the early 90s but has also worked with some of Irelands largest businesses. He has served as Chairman of several companies such as Botanic Inns Ltd in Northern Ireland and has been involved in developing strategies for many substantial organisations including a US owned manufacturing company with $1 billion turnover in Europe. The course costs 20 and you can book your place at www.localenterprise.ie A man from Wicklow described as a chronic drug addict has received a fully suspended prison sentence after being convicted of possessing over 3,000 worth of cannabis for sale or supply at his home two years ago. Eric Coster (33) of Kilbride Grove, Bray, Co Wicklow pleaded guilty to an offence contrary to Section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act at his home on June 29, 2022. Garda Brian ONeill told a sitting of Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court that cannabis was discovered during a search of the property together with a number of deal bags and tablets with a combined value of 3,152. Garda ONeill said Coster was arrested and made full admissions. The court heard the accused also pleaded guilty to a charge of simple possession of drugs a month later when gardai searched a tent where he had been living near Kilcoole railway station on July 23, 2022 after getting a strong smell of cannabis in the area. The witness said cannabis with a value of 400 was found in the tent, although Coster denied knowledge of a set of digital scales found in the same location. Garda ONeill told the court that the accused had 89 previous convictions including ones for drug offences, road traffic offences and theft. He described Coster as a chronic drug addict with learning difficulties but also someone who was very cooperative to gardai and took responsibility for his offending. Cross-examined by counsel for the accused, Eoin Gallagher BL, Garda ONeill said Coster had come to the attention of gardai in relation to other drug offences since the two dates in question. However, the witness accepted there had been a significant gap of almost a year since the last known offence. He agreed that Coster had fallen off the radar since July 2023. Mr Gallagher acknowledged that Coster was deemed at a high risk of reoffending because of his very significant drugs issue. The court heard that he had worked when a younger man and had travelled around Europe but his use of casual drugs had eventually ended up in him taking heroin. However, Mr Gallagher said Coster was now living back at home and had become a father with his four-year-old child now his focus. He recounted how the accused had remarked that he did not want a custodial sentence as there were more drugs in prison than there are out there. Mr Gallagher said Coster had a road to Damascus moment and asked he be given an opportunity to follow through on his plans to seek treatment for his addiction. Judge Terence OSullivan sentenced the accused to 18 months for the first offence and six months for the second offence. The judge said they would be imposed consecutively as the second offence had been committed while Coster was out on bail. However, he suspended the full sentence of two years on condition that place himself under the supervision of the Probation Service and attend specified drug treatment services. Judge OSullivan remarked that incarceration would not help the accused and he was being given a chance that he has to take. He expressed sympathy for people in Costers situation whom he claimed was a classic case of its type. Her son, the designer Jasper Conran, wrote on Instagram on Thursday: Shirl girl has flown away, a lark ascending. Last week, Dame Shirley, known for her best-selling books including Superwoman and Lace, received a damehood in her hospital bed in London for her services to mathematics education, having founded the Maths Anxiety Trust. Mr Conran thanked the wonderful doctors and nurses at St Marys Hospital in Paddington in his Instagram post. Dame Shirley began writing books after she was diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) in her late 30s and could no longer work full-time. In 1975, she wrote acclaimed non-fiction book Superwoman, recognised as a feminist practical guidebook. While her first novel titled Lace was published in 1982 and later turned into a TV miniseries in the US starring Bess Armstrong, Brooke Adams and Arielle Dombasle. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Her other novels include Savages, Crimson and Tiger Eyes. Former prime minister Liz Truss, who made the author a dame in her resignation honours list at the end of 2023, paid tribute on X, formerly Twitter, writing: She was a life force, incredibly generous and a dedicated campaigner for maths education. I am very grateful for all the encouragement and support she gave me. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Last week Sir Kenneth Olisa, the Lord Lieutenant of Greater London, presented Dame Shirley with the honour in hospital. Sharing two pictures from the ceremony, he wrote on social media: Yesterday @ImperialNHS, surrounded by her family & staff of the Manvers Acute Respiratory Unit I was privileged, on behalf of His Majesty, to invest Dame Shirley Conran as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to Mathematics Education. Eurovision host Rylan Clark has said people have the right to take part in protests over Israels participation in the competition but the song contest is just about the music. The TV presenter addressed the ongoing controversy over Eden Golans inclusion in the contest amid calls for the country to be excluded over the ongoing war in Gaza. Clark, who is hosting the BBCs coverage of the competition alongside Graham Norton and Scott Mills, told ITVs Good Morning Britain: Malmo is doing an amazing job of hosting Eurovision. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The climate in the world at the minute isnt great and you know were not silly to not understand that theres a lot going on in the world, but I think in the Eurovision bubble its a song contest, its all about the music and thats what were here for. The city has done an amazing job, theres a lot of demonstrations happening and people have got the right to do that and but its just about the music. Mills added: It does feel a little different but its about the music and the joy that we have every single year at Eurovision. Singer Eden Golan of Israel (Martin Meissner/AP) Golan, 20, will take part in the semi-final in Malmo, Sweden on Thursday with her emotional track Hurricane, which was reworked from a previous track called October Rain, which was thought to reference the Hamas attacks on Israel. Thousands of people are expected at a pro-Palestinian march on Thursday, which the Swedish Police Authority said would cause disturbance to traffic. There have been continued demonstrations in Sweden over Israels participation, and the week of Eurovision has already seen small gatherings in Malmo and at the Eurovision village when Austrian 2014 winner Conchita Wurst was on stage. New Delhi, May 8 (UNI) Amid raging controversy over his 'racist' remarks, Indian Overseas Congress Chairman Sam Pitroda has resigned from the key post. "Mr. Sam Pitroda has decided to step down as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress of his own accord. The Congress President has accepted his decision," Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh said in a post on 'X'. Days after Pitroda advocated an inheritance law in the country triggering massive row in the middle of general elections, he in his latest remarks stated that "people on East look like Chinese, people on West look like Arab, people on North look like maybe White and people in South look like Africa". While Pitroda gave the analogy to highlight the diversity of the country, his remarks sparked huge controversy with BJP leaders cornering the grand old party over the statement and even demanding a response from Rahul Gandhi on the issue. Finding itself in an uncomfortable situation, the Congress party immediately distanced itself from Sam Pitroda's remarks terming it as unfortunate. "The analogies given by Sam Pitroda in a recent podcast to illustrate India's diversity are most unfortunate and completely unacceptable. The Indian National Congress rejects these analogies," said senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh in a statement. UNI NK CS2026 Nemo of Switzerland performs the song The Code during the dress rehearsal for the second semi-final at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden (Martin Meissner/AP) Switzerlands Nemo Mettler, in a pink skirt and fluffy jumper, balanced on a tipping metal disc as they sang their entry The Code in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest. The disc also spun around as Nemo balanced on the edge while singing and rapping to the high tempo, operatic dance track at the Malmo Arena in Sweden. Nemo, who uses they/them pronouns and is looked on as one of the favourites to win, said ahead of competing that they dont feel that much pressure. Elsewhere, Greece entrant Marina Satti saw an intense reaction to her semi-final performance in the media room. As she took to the stage to sing Zari, complete with scenes from the streets of her country, journalists and fan media gathered in a circle with Greek flags and danced around repeating the words of her song and shouting Marina. Marina Satti of Greece (Martin Meissner/AP) Maltas Sarah Bonnici, who opened the contest in a sparkly outfit, jumped around the stage while her dancers lifted her into contortions, while the Czech Republics Aiko looked very rock in a purple outfit while performing Pedestal. Slimane, who is already through to the final as Frances representative, one of the big five countries that do not compete in the semi-final, used his vocals to great effect for Mon Amour. His rendition saw him hold a note for a very long time, while he did not rely so heavily on props and instead jokingly pushed the cameras as he moved around the stage. The final act was the Netherlands singer Joost Klein with his silly Europapa, which was another hit in the press room where there was singing and shouts of the chorus. The event, hosted by comedian Petra Mede and Hollywood actress Malin Akerman, also saw tributes to previous entrants who scored the dreaded nul points including the UKs Jemini who scored zero for Cry Baby in 2003. France to offer fertility checks to young people in bid to combat falling birth rates President Emmanuel Macron said option would be available to people aged 20 French president Emmanuel Macron. Photo: Reuters Henry Samuel Telegraph.co.uk Thu 9 May 2024 at 03:30 Emmanuel Macron is to offer fertility checks to all 18 to 25-year-olds as part of a plan to combat declining birth rates. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said if we need to, we will fight with our fingernails (AP) Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country will stand alone if it has to in its war against Hamas threatening to deepen a crisis in relations with the United States. LATEST | US warns Israel that Rafah invasion will jeopardise weapons supply as assault continues Biden warns U.S. will withhold arms if Israel invades RafahBiden says U.S. weapons not to be used in RafahU.S. delays one shipment of bombs, say US officialsHamas says no more concessions in ceasefire talks Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday. Photo: Reuters Jarrett Renshaw, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Mohammad Salem Thu 9 May 2024 at 03:30 U.S. President Joe Biden vowed publicly for the first time to withhold weapons from Israel if its forces make a major invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza while negotiations in Cairo on a ceasefire plan for the enclave were set to continue on Thursday. Biden says U.S. won't provide weapons to Israel for Rafah invasion Xinhua) 11:24, May 09, 2024 WASHINGTON, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The United States will not send weapons to Israel if they are to be used in a major military operation in Rafah, in southern Gaza Strip, U.S. President Joe Biden told CNN on Wednesday. The president's remarks were his first to address U.S. arms supply to Israel following the administration's decision last week to put the shipment of bombs on hold, a warning that Israel should not launch an invasion in Rafah absent credible protection of civilian lives. "Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers," Biden said, referring to 2,000-pound bombs whose delivery to Israel has been halted. U.S. media reported that also being delayed was the transfer of 500-pound bombs. "We're going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently," Biden said. "But it's, it's just wrong. We're not going to -- we're not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells." The Israel Defense Forces has now taken control of the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing linking Egypt and Gaza. Biden said Israel's actions so far have yet to cross a red line of entering heavily populated areas in Rafah. "They haven't gone into the population centers. What they did is right on the border. And it's causing problems with, right now, in terms of - with Egypt, which I've worked very hard to make sure we have a relationship and help," Biden said. "I've made it clear to (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) and the (Israeli) War Cabinet: They're not going to get our support, if in fact they go on these population centers," he said. Biden's words were interpreted by U.S. media as drawing a red line for the Israeli government. What's also significant is that the president acknowledged that bombs his nation sent to Israel had been used to kill civilians in the conflict in Gaza, indicating that the United States played a role in the slaughter. Earlier in the day, as he testified on the Pentagon's Fiscal Year 2025 budget proposal, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Senators on Capitol Hill that the Pentagon is "going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself. But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah." "We haven't made any decisions," Austin added. "We did pause as we reevaluated some of the security assistance we're providing." (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) US journalist Carlson interviews Biden sex assault accuser Tara Reade in Moscow Moscow, May 9 (UNI) Tara Reade, a former US Senate aide and activist who accused US President Joe Biden of sexually assaulting her over 30 years ago, has given an interview to US journalist Tucker Carlson in Moscow, vowing to continue attempts to bring her former boss to justice. Reade worked as a staff assistant in the Senate office from December 1992 until August 1993. In 2019, she accused Biden of sexually harassing and assaulting her in a Capitol Hill office building in 1993, when she was 29 years old. Biden has, on many occasions, denied the allegations. "I'm angry. And I want Joe Biden to be held accountable. He's taken years of my life. He's destroyed it three times over. And I'm just. I'm going to continue to fight," Reade told Carlson in the interview released on Wednesday. Image Credit: PIB New Delhi: Indias Technical Textiles market has a huge potential backed by a significant growth rate of 10% and placement as the 5th largest technical textiles market in the world, said Rachna Shah, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles while addressing a symposium on Thursday. She was speaking at National Symposium on Advancements in Composites, Speciality Fibres and Chemicals in New Delhi organised by the Ministry of Textiles in partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Ahmedabad Textiles Industries Research Associations (ATIRA). She noted that composites have distinct structural and physical features, which make them suitable for specific applications across various sectors. For example, in infrastructure development, aerospace, automotive sector, Military and Defence sector, medical devices, composite materials, among others. She highlighted the significance and importance of institutional buyers, user Ministries and industries in the adoption of technical textiles and products made out of specialty fibres and composites. A collaborative approach among stakeholders including industry representatives, policymakers, researchers, and investors is imperative to address the cost implications in the field of composites and specialty fibres and work together in increasing awareness and education for wider adoption by the larger community for the growth of the sector, she added. NITI Aayog Member Vijay Kumar Saraswat highlighted that the specialty fibres are the building blocks of the advanced composites and its choice is a strategic decision on a blend of performance requirements and cost consideration. He mentioned that specialty fibres like aramids, carbon fibre, zylon, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), glass fibre, ceramic fibre can be tailored for diverse applications and strategic needs, such as Fire Retardant fabrics, Bullet Resistant Jackets, ropes and cables, windmills (renewable energy) and in gas and chemical filtration respectively. He highlighted the top trends in composite materials including but not limited to high performance resins and adhesives, carbon fibre based materials light weighting advanced polymer composites, biomaterials, nanocomposites, intelligence design and manufacturing. He elucidated the advancements in material science are not just about creating stronger or lighter materials, but also about ensuring their sustainable use through material circularity. He also stressed that the demand for bio-composites is increasing due to growth in its adoption by construction, furniture industry and increased compatibility in medical applications. Dr Saraswat also said advanced composites and specialty fibres are continuously evolving with research, pushing the boundaries of fibre performance. Future developments will include fibres with even greater strength and stiffness, enhanced thermal properties and even self-healing capabilities. He also emphasised that although composite materials have been around for many years, the industry is still amid innovation and evolution. There is a need to adopt sustainable practices which will be a key feature of the composites industry going forward. RDSO Director General Ajay Kumar Rana during his address talked about the use of geotextiles and geo-composites in the railways sector. He highlighted the use of geotextiles, geogrids, pre-fabricated vertical drains (PVDs) for load bearing applications, slope erosion protection control application, drainage, separation, filtration etc. He also stated RDSO is actively working in developing new guidelines and standards for use of geo-composites in railways sector, in association with BIS. Rajeev Saxena, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles suggested technical textiles is one of the fastest growing segment with a strong global demand. The technical textiles industry holds immense potential to drive productivity, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and innovative solutions across engineering and general applications. He highlighted that NTTM is a flagship mission with a view to position India as the Global Leader in Technical Textiles. During his speech, Saxena elucidated various guidelines under the NTTM mission related to Research & Innovation, Start-up, machinery development, internship, education and skilling. While deliberating on the importance of composites, he stated that textile composite materials are replacing the conventional materials in several fields. Nilesh M Desai, Director, Space Applications Centre (SAC/ISRO) said that SAC is the second largest research centre of ISRO with a long association with ATIRA. He said that space and aerospace is going to be a major area for composites applications, due to its light weight and durable properties. CFRP and Asto glass fibres are majorly used nowadays in space and aerospace sector. Around 150 participants attended the conference including Officials and Representatives from Central Ministries, user Departments of Central and State Governments, industry leaders, scientific experts, researchers, and professionals related to technical textiles. Photo Courtesy: S Jaishankar X page Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday attended the event which marked the 25th year of establishing a diplomatic bond between India and the Dominican Republic. He thanked the authorities of the Dominican Republic for their support in Indias Operation Indravati to evacuate its nationals from Haiti to the Dominican Republic during the political crisis, reported ANI news agency. Operation Indravati was launched in March to evacuate Indian nationals from Haiti to the Dominican Republic. Twelve Indians were evacuated as part of the operation. While attending the event, Jaishankar also mentioned the contribution made by Ambassador Hans Dannenberg Castellanos who established the resident mission and served as the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps. " Pleasure to join the event marking 25 years of establishment of India-Dominican Republic diplomatic ties," Jaishankar posted on X. Pleasure to join the event marking 25 years of establishment of India-Dominican Republic diplomatic ties. Recalled the unique contribution of Amb Hans Dannenberg Castellanos who established the resident mission and served as the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps. Thanked pic.twitter.com/q0JsLMLAV8 Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) May 7, 2024 Filme image of PM Modi with Vladimir Putin/ courtesy: PIB Moscow/New Delhi/IBNS: The United States is making comments on religious freedom in India to "unbalance India's political situation and complicate the General Elections", said Russia in a statement. Russia made the comment after a US federal commission's report slammed India for alleged violation of religious freedom in the country. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said as quoted by NDTV, "The reason (behind the US accusations) is to unbalance the internal political situation in India and complicate the General Elections." The US report has slammed India for implementing "discriminatory" national policies like Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, CAA, cow slaughter laws et al. "Unfounded Accusations:" US Aims to Destabilise India During #LokSabha2024 - Russian Foreign Ministry Spox Maria Zakharova has said Washington lacks simple understanding of India's national mentality and history, as America continues to make "unfounded accusations" about pic.twitter.com/M8G0gtiP92 RT_India (@RT_India_news) May 8, 2024 "Both news media and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) reporting on religious minorities were subjected to strict monitoring under FCRA regulations," the report had said. Slamming the report, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said,"We really have no expectation that the USCIRF will even seek to understand India's diverse, pluralistic and democratic ethos." Photo courtesy: Facebook/Navneet Rana Hyderabad/IBNS: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Navneet Rana has made a jibe at AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's brother Akbaruddin Owaisi referring to the latter's 11-year-old speech which was allegedly a threat to the Hindus. Campaigning for BJP candidate Madhavi Lata in Hyderabad, Rana said, "The younger brother says 'remove police for 15 minutes and then we will show what we can do'. "He might need 15 minutes but if he removes the police, we will take only 15 seconds..." As a counter, Asaduddin says, "I request Modi-ji (Narendra Modi, Prime Minister) to give her 15 seconds and we want to see how much humanity is left in them. What will they do? Will they make us face the same fate as Akhlaq, Pehlu Khan..? We are ready." "I openly challenge them to do it," he added. In another remark, Rana said people who would vote for Congress and AIMIM will give their mandate in favour of Pakistan. "If someone votes for AIMIM and Congress, he/she will cast their mandate in favour of Pakistan," he added. Countering the remark, Asaduddin Owaisi said, "BJP and Narendra Modi find all Muslims in India as Pakistanis. We have to defeat this kind of an ideology of RSS, which hates the pluralism and diversity of India." Aap 15 Second mein kya karenge? Kaun Darr raha hai aapse? Aap Ikhlaq, Pehlu khan, Rakbar aur Mukhtar Ansari jaisa haal karenge? Hum tayyar hain pic.twitter.com/lQqMDBJht3 Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) May 9, 2024 Asaduddin Owaisi locked horns with Modi previously after the Prime Minister claimed Congress and BRS have leased Hyderabad to the AIMIM. Speaking at a rally in Telangana, Modi said, "The appeasement bond between Congress and BRS is very strong. They have given Hyderabad to MIM in a lease. BJP is the first party to challenge MIM, which is now worried. "Congress and BRS are even more worried than MIM. Congress and BRS are now trying hard to make MIM win." Slamming Modi, Owaisi posted on X, "Modi came to Telangana and said that the Hyderabad seat has been given on lease to Owaisi. The people of Hyderabad are not cattle. We are citizens, not the property of political parties. For forty years, Hyderabad has defeated the evil ideology of Hindutva and entrusted AIMIM. inshallah Hindutva will be defeated again. "Modi is bonded to those who gave his party 6000 crores through electoral bonds. In return, he has leased/sold Indias assets to his sponsors. Modi appeased them so much that today 21 people have more wealth than 70 crore Indians in total. Those 21 are his real parivar. Modi came to Telangana and said that the Hyderabad seat has been given on lease to Owaisi. The people of Hyderabad are not cattle. We are citizens, not the property of political parties. For forty years, Hyderabad has defeated the evil ideology of Hindutva and entrusted AIMIM. pic.twitter.com/F5YO1RxsXY Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) May 8, 2024 In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, BJP fielded actress-politician Madhavi Latha against Owaisi, who won the Hyderabad seat four times. Telangana will go to polls on May 13. 4 JJP MLAs at Haryana minister and BJP leader Mahipal Dhanda to meet former CM Manohar Lal Khattar. ( Photo Courtesy: Video grab) Panipat (Haryana): Amid Dushyant Singh Chautala s call for a floor test against the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Haryana, four MLAs of his Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) have met the former BJP Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar this afternoon, media reports said. #WATCH | Panipat | JJP MLAs arrive at the residence of Haryana minister and BJP leader Mahipal Dhanda to meet former CM Manohar Lal Khattar pic.twitter.com/vjEVfrJR4V ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2024 Three Independent MLAs, who were supporting the BJP, have withdrawn their support and have written to the Governor. JJP has clearly said that if a No Confidence Motion is brought against this Government, we will support the Motion. We have also written to the Governor about it...Now, Congress has to take this step (seeking a Floor Test)...The Governor has the power to order a Floor Test to see if the Government has the strength and if it doesn't have the majority immediately implement President's Rule in the state," Chautala told news agency ANI. However, as Chautala readies to bring a no-confidence motion against the Nayab Singh Saini government in Haryana, the news of his party MLAs meeting BJP leadership in the state emerged, reported NDTV. According to media reports, the JJP MLAs held a meeting at the house of Minister of State Mahipal Dhanda in Panipat around 2 pm. The meeting extended for half an hour with Khattar and Dhanda, according to the report. The report said, citing sources, that the leaders had deliberated on the current political crisis. The BJP-led coalition in Haryana is teetering on the brink of minority, Chautala has written to the states Governor Bandaru Dattatreya and sought a floor test in the Assembly. "I urge you to direct the appropriate authority to immediately call for a floor test to determine a majority of government," Chautala wrote in his letter to the Governor of Haryana Bandaru Dattatreya, reported NDTV. The political crisis in Haryana arose after three MLAs withdrew their support from the government on Tuesday and made the announcement in a press conference in Rohtak, said media reports. Sombir Sangwan (representing Dadri), Randhir Singh Gollen (from Pundri), and Dharampal Gonder (of Nilokheri) stated they wanted to leave the BJP administration in the presence of Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, and Udai Bhan, the state Congress chief. The political equation The Haryana Assembly has 90 seats with 88 members currently filling the seats. The majority mark is at 45. BJP has 40 MLAs and has the support of three out of the six independent MLAs, implying that it is short of two MLAs away from the majority. The Congress party has only 30 MLAs and is likely to increase its numbers by three independent candidates. If the JJP also backs the Congress, its tally would increase to 43 MLAs. In the current scenario, there are two unaligned MLAsone representing the Haryana Lokhit Party and the other from the INLD. Photo courtesy: Facebook/Arvind Kejriwal New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday challenged interim bail for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal , arguing that the right to campaign for elections was "not fundamental," media reports said. In an affidavit filed by ED's Deputy Director Bhanu Priya, the Central financial frauds probe agency opposed Kejriwals bail, reported India Today. The ED submitted its argument a day before the Supreme Court is set to declare its decision on the Delhi CMs bail plea in the Delhi liquor policy case. "The right to campaign for an election is not a fundamental, constitutional or legal right. To ED's knowledge, no political leader has been granted interim bail for campaigning even though he is not the contesting candidate," the affidavit read, reported India Today. ED opposes interim bail to #ArvindKejriwal : If Right to campaign is treated as a basis to grant interim bail then it would violate Article 14 and differential treatment cannot be given to a politician @dir_ed #ArvindKejriwalArrested pic.twitter.com/emQ95uvJuz Bar and Bench (@barandbench) May 9, 2024 ED pointed out that earlier Kejriwal used the same grounds to ignore summons for interrogation in the alleged scam It also underscored that a politician could not be arrested and kept under judicial custody if released under bail for poll campaigning. The report said that the ED is also set to file its maiden chargesheet against Kejriwal in the case, marking his first inclusion in the list of accused. "Around 123 elections have taken place in the past three years and if interim bail is granted for election campaigning then no politician can be arrested and kept in judicial custody since elections take place all year round," the ED said. "Any special concession in Kejriwals favour granting interim bail for campaigning in the general election would amount to anathema to the rule of law and equality," it added. All "unscrupulous" politicians would be permitted to commit crimes and avoid investigation under the garb of elections, the ED further added. It also said that Arvind Kejriwal or any other politician cannot cannot claim a special status higher than that of an ordinary citizen. "It will create two separate classes in the country viz. ordinary people who are bound by the rule of law as well as the laws of the country and politicians who can seek exemption from the laws with the hope of securing interim bail to campaign for elections," the affidavit read. The investigating agency further contended that politicians have stood for elections while in judicial custody and have emerged victorious, yet interim bail was never granted. Additionally, it noted that numerous politicians could be in judicial custody across the nation for non-PMLA offenses as well. On March 21, the Delhi Chief Minister was apprehended by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case from his official residence in Delhi. The central investigative agency asserts that he played a central role in the scam and was directly implicated in soliciting kickbacks from liquor barons. Photo courtesy: IBNS File New Delhi/IBNS: Days after three Indians were arrested in Canada for the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar , India has said there are "political interests at work" in the matter and reiterated its position that separatists and extremists have been given political space in the country. Responding to a question on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has been informed about the arrests by Canada, but not at a diplomatic level. On whether consular access had been granted, Jaiswal only said that, in some countries, access is not given until the person or people who have been arrested specifically request for it. Diplomatic ties between India and Canada have remained tense after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed in the country's Parliament in September last year that his government had "credible allegations" linking the killing of Nijjar in June 2023 with the "agents of the Government of India". Asked whether India had been given any evidence of involvement in the killing, Jaiswal reiterated the country's consistent stand. "Let me first make it clear that no specific or relevant evidence or information has been shared by the Canadian authorities in regard to this matter till date. You will therefore understand our view that the matter is being pre-judged. Obviously, there are political interests at work. We have long maintained that separatists, extremists and those advocating violence have been given political space in Canada," he said. "Our diplomats have been threatened with impunity and obstructed in their performance of duties. We have also pointed to the Canadian authorities that figures associated with organised crime with links with India have been allowed entry and residency in Canada. Many of our extradition requests are pending. We are having discussions at the diplomatic level on all these matters," he added. Karan Brar, 22, Kamalpreet Singh, 22, and Karanpreet Singh, 28, residents of Edmonton, were arrested last week on suspicion of their involvement in the killing of Nijjar. The trio has been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. New Delhi, May 9 (UNI) The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Thursday clarified that no victim has come forward to register a complaint against Karnataka MP Prajwal Revanna, and one woman complainant who reached out to the commission alleged that she was forced to register a fake complaint against the JD(S) leader. The commission also refuted the claims made by several media organisations that 700 women filed complaints regarding Prajwal Revanna case. 700 women who submitted online complaints are affiliated with a social activist group and has no direct involvement or association with the primary complainant in the case, the commission said. In response to the distressing reports circulating in the media, the NCW initiated suo motu action, demonstrating its unwavering commitment to upholding the rights and dignity of women. The timely submission of the Action Taken Report by the concerned authorities revealed several significant findings, the commission said. The report indicated the registration of two cases based on complaints of sexual abuse by the victims, alongside an additional complaint filed for abduction by a relative. No victim has come forward to register a complaint in NCW this case. One woman complainant came to the commission to register a complaint against three individuals dressed in civil uniform, allegedly introducing themselves as Karnataka Police officials and forcing her to give a false complaint in this case. She stated that she is being called by random phone numbers threatening her to complaint, the NCW said in its statement. It has come to light that this complainant was forced by a group of individuals to file a complaint, under the threat of potential harassment and false implications. The victim has sought protection for her family's welfare, underscoring the seriousness of the situation, it said. In a separate development, it has been noted that the 700 women who submitted online complaints are affiliated with a social activist group and has no direct involvement or association with the primary complainant in the case, NCW said. The commission further said that it remains committed to thoroughly investigating their concerns, maintaining ongoing communication with the Karnataka Police authorities. UNI PSP KK Photo courtesy: Wikimedia commons New Delhi/IBNS: In a breakthrough in the Air India Express crisis which led to the cancellation of over 170 flights since Wednesday, all the crew members who had reported sickness will return to duty immediately. The airline's management has also agreed to reinstate 25 crew members who were sacked over the protests, the Labour Commissioner's office said. The proceedings to mediate were held at the Labour Commissioner's office on Thursday and representatives of the airline's management and the Air India Express Employees Union attended. A document was signed during the meeting by representatives of both the management and a union comprising a section of the employees. "It is reported by the media that the cabin crew of Air India Express Ltd. have reported sick-en-masse which disrupted flight operations widely... After detailed discussions deliberation, persuasion and on appeal of Conciliation Officer and Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) the representative of union (members of cabin crew) agreed that all the cabin crew members who have reported sick will report for duty with fitness certificate immediately," the document, accessed by NDTV, said. "On appeal of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) the management agreed to reinstate 25 cabin crew who have been terminated on 07th and 08th May 2024 for reporting sick as a concerted action immediately. The management will review the cases of these cabin crew as per service regulations," it added. The Labour Commissioner's office said the management gave an assurance that all the issues raised by the cabin crew before them and during conciliation proceedings would be looked into and resolved. The move will come as relief to passengers as hundreds were left stranded on Wednesday owing to the sudden cancellations. On Wednesday, Air India Express CEO Aloke Singh wrote to employees to inform them that the number of flights being operated will be reduced over the next few days. He said all cabin crew members are expected to return to work immediately and services are likely to be normalised in three to four days. Photo courtesy: Facebook/Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Kolkata/IBNS: After Sam Pitroda 's racial analogy to classify Indians from different parts, now Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhur y contributed to the stir on Thursday saying "we have Proto Australoids, Mongoloid, Negrito (in India)", referring to now-outdated racial and anthropological groupings of humankind. "We have Proto Australoids, Mongoloids, (and) Negrito class of people. Hai to hai (It is how it is) ... in the demography of our country, regional features are different. What someone said (referring obliquely to Pitroda's comment) is his opinion..." Chowdhury said. "But it is true some people are white...and some are dark," he went on to say. Chowdhury's statement, seen as an attempt to defend Pitroda after his supposedly racist remarks, has received massive backlash from the Bharatiya Janata Party with Shehzad Poonawalla dredging up the row over the Bengal Congress chief's comments about President Droupadi Murmu in July 2022. "It shows the words are from Sam Pitroda and the soch (way of thinking) is of the Congress. Calling Indians 'Negrito'... Is this justifying comments by Uncle Sam (a jibe at the United States-based Mr Pitroda)? Is this why they did not sack him? Will they sack Adhir... who in the past said 'rashtrapatni' for Droupadi Murmuji?" Poonawala slammed the Congress leader. Adhir Ranjan crosses the limits In defending Sam Pitroda he calls Indians (Negro or Negrito/Negrita ) Safed, Kala ! Both words are offensive https://t.co/YSzE7DaJAX It shows that the words are Sam Pitroda but soch is of Congress Calling Indians as Chinese / African/ pic.twitter.com/9v0Uf0ChEd Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) May 9, 2024 This comes a day after Congress veteran Sam Pitroda resigned from his post as overseas chairman of the party after creating a political storm with his 'diverse country' remarks classifying Indians on the basis of their appearances. What did Sam Pitroda say? Days after triggering a row with his inheritance remark, Sam Pitroda has classified Indians and their looks regionally. Speaking to The Statesman, Pitroda said, "... diverse country... where people on East look like Chinese, people on West look like Arab, people on North look like maybe White and people in South look like Africa." His comments were heavily criticised by the BJP leaders including PM Modi who attacked Rahul Gandhi, saying the country "won't tolerate disrespect based on the colour of skin". Cashing in on Sam Pitroda's comments 'people in south look like Africans', PM Modi dared DMK chief MK Stalin to cut ties with its ally Congress. Will MK Stalin "dare to cut ties with the Congress," the Prime Minister had questioned. "They (the Congress) think people of northeast look like Chinese, South Indians look like Africans. I want to ask -- will the people accept comments like this? I want to ask Siddaramaiah -- is this ok? I want to ask the Telangana Chief Minister if he would accept. The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, who talks of Tamil culture. Will DMK have the courage to cut ties with the Congress for the sake of Tamil culture and heritage?" PM Modi had said. "The leaders of the Congress have divisive thoughts. The Congress mindset is to see the country in pieces. This is why the Congress leaders refuse to consider it one country and talk of division," he had said. Congress distances itself from Pitroda's remark The Congress has distanced itself from Pitroda's remark stating it does not reflect the standpoint of the grand old party, which has been out of party for 10 years now. Congress communications-in-charge Jairam Ramesh posted on X, "Mr Pitroda expresses his opinions freely on issues he feels strongly about. Surely, in a democracy an individual is at liberty to discuss, express, and debate his personal views. "This does not mean that Mr. Pitroda's views always reflect the position of the Indian National Congress. Many times they do not. Sensationalising his comments now and tearing them out of context are deliberate and desperate attempts at diverting attention away from Mr. Narenda Modi's malicious and mischievous election campaign; that is anchored ONLY in lies and more lies." Photo courtesy: Wikimedia commons New Delhi/IBNS: In a significant direction, the Supreme Court Wednesday asked Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat to not give any new mining permissions in the Aravallis until further orders. Attempting to strike a balance between protecting the environment and the livelihood of the people engaged in mining activities, the court stressed that its order will not in any way be construed as a stay on mining already being carried out in the range with valid permits and licences. The Haryana government had sought the Supreme Court's approval to begin mining in the Aravallis in Gurugram and Faridabad. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and A S Oka said all states home to the Aravalli range will be free to consider and process applications and renewals for grant of mining leases. However, they would be able to grant final permission without the court's nod. The bench pointed out that illegal mining was a big issue in the Aravallis and said that different states had different definitions of the Aravalli hills and range. It said a report submitted by the Central Empowered Committee had pointed to various illegal mining activities being carried out across Rajasthan and had also given district-wise details. "We believe that the issue related to mining activities in the Aravalli Hills needs to be jointly addressed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change as well as all the four states," the bench said. The court also ordered setting up a committee to prepare a uniform definition of the Aravalli Hills and range. The panel, which has been asked to submit a report within two months, will consist of the secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, forest secretaries of the four states and one representative each from the Forest Survey of India and the Central Empowered Committee. Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons New Delhi/IBNS: India's premier airline Air India Express has sacked 30 cabin crew after a mass sick leave disrupted the flight operations over the last few days, media reports said. The airline management has ordered the employees to join work by 4 pm on Thursday to avoid facing any action. The number of job sacking is expected to go higher. Since Tuesday night, the airline has cancelled over 90 flights after 300 senior cabin crew members reported sick at the last minute and then turned off their cellphones. Hundreds of passengers were left stranded owing to the sudden turn of events. The Air India Express Employees Union also wrote to the management and "highlighted a stark departure from commitments". With no resolution over the "mass leave" crisis, Air India Express CEO Aloke Singh had written to employees informing them that the number of flights being operated will be reduced over the next few days. "The disruptions have cascaded across the network, forcing us to curtail the schedules over the next few days. We had to do this to cope with the non-availability of crew and to recover schedules. "This act is certainly not representative of the 2,000-odd cabin crew colleagues in the company who continue to respond to the call of duty and serve our guests with dedication and pride. I am thankful to all who are standing by the airline in this hour of crisis," the CEO wrote. Expressing his gratitude to employees from other departments who have pitched in to assist in the operations sphere, Singh said the management is available to address concerns at both group and individual levels. "We are on a journey towards growth and transformation, which will make us one the largest airlines in the region. Enough professional growth opportunities are there for all... Hope to see things get resolved soon," he wrote. Singh's letter was followed by a post on an internal forum by a senior crew member of Air India Express, who said that the well-being of employees should be the priority. "I appreciate your (Mr Singh's) message, and I want to express my concerns respectfully. In times when our colleagues are unwell, it's crucial to prioritise their well-being. Understanding their health conditions should be our foremost concern rather than any other agenda," the crew member said. "It's disheartening to learn about the number of employees falling ill simultaneously, which has indeed disrupted our operations. However, attributing this solely to incompetence overlooks the dedication and honesty with which our crew have served our guests until now. You mentioned departmental town hall meetings, but it feels more like a one-way communication channel. I urge you to genuinely listen to our colleagues' concerns," the post read. Statement from Air India Express Meanwhile, an Air India Express spokesperson in a statement said: Air India Express is making every possible effort to minimise the inconvenience caused to our guests by this unexpected situation. We will be operating 283 flights today. We have mobilised all resources and Air India will support us by operating on 20 of our routes." "However, 85 of our flights stand cancelled and we urge our guests booked to fly with us to check if their flight is affected by the disruption before heading to the airport. If their flight is cancelled, or delayed beyond 3 hours, they may opt for a full refund or reschedule to a later date without any fees on Tia on WhatsApp (+91 6360012345) or on airindiaexpress.com." "While we will continue to engage with our cabin crew colleagues with a commitment to address any concern, we are taking appropriate steps against certain individuals as their actions have caused grave inconvenience to thousands of our guests," the statement said. Photo Courtesy: Pixabay Police have arrested a Pakistani primary school teacher on charges of raping a girl student whp is studying in class five. The incident happened in Sanghar district of the country. Jhol police registered an FIR against the teacher under Section 338-A (Punishment for Isqat-i-haml) of the Pakistan Penal Code on a complaint lodged by the victims mother, reported Dawn News. Sanghar SSP Aijaz Ahmed Shaikh told Dawn that police had the 14-year-old victim checked up at a government hospital in Jhol. According to preliminary medical report, the victim was raped, he said. He said that the victims parents had complained to him that their daughter had become pregnant after the assault by the teacher. A spokesman of Sanghar district police told Dawn News in a press release that the victim was safe under police protection at her home and was also undergoing treatment. Heeramandi actor Jason Shah who essayed the role of Mr Cartwright in the Sanjay Leela Bhansali show might be seen in Salman Khan hosted Bigg Boss OTT 3. If the latest reports are to be believed, it is said that the British-Indian actor and fitness model has been approached for the show. Jason Shah in Bigg Boss OTT season 3? Netflix Remember him from Bigg Boss 10? If he says yes to the show, this won't be his first time in Bigg Boss. For those who don't remember, he was wild card contestant on Bigg Boss 10. However, he had to quit the show mid-way owing to his health. X In his short stay, he had managed to win people's hearts and had earned a huge fan following as well. His charisma and personality has struck a chord with the audience. Also Read: Bigg Boss OTT 3: Contestant List, Start Date, Theme, Winning Prize And All You Need To Know How did Jason Shah bag his debut role? Talking about his journey in Bollywood and tryst with the film industry, Jason Shah revealed to India.com in an interview, "I was just 17 years old when I secured a small role in the movie Partner, where big names from Bollywood were casted. The hustle and bustle enveloped me. I was a model at the time, it was completely different for me. It was cool and different for me and I thought I could do this and it seems fun." On controversial Heeramandi scene: Netflix Talking about Heeramandi and the controversial rape scene with Mallikajaan played by Manisha Koirala, the actor said, "I think the rape scene is quite relevant because it is breaking her (Mallikajaan) character. I think she comes to terms in her own mind however she sees it. She does it for a daughter. She also realises that the power-play game still lies in the hands of the British and she has to do what it takes as she was taking the decision," he said and added, "This has happened quite a few times in India. Which is very sad, India has a problem with rape and all sorts of things. I hope it makes people, not want to do things but actually realise the seriousness of these issues." Also Read: Heeramandi Cast Throwback Photos: See How These 'Lahore Beauties' Looked Before Fame Apart from Partner and Heeramandi, Jason Shah has starred in movies like Fitoor, Thugs Of Hinostan, Salaar among others. Besides, he has also done some TV shows like Jhansi Ki Rani on Colors TV and Barrister Babu. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Maharana Pratap was a brave Rajput ruler, who was known for his courage and valour. Born on May 9, 1540, as Pratap Singh I, into the esteemed Sisodia-Rajput lineage of Rajasthans Mewar region, he stands as a symbol of bravery in the annals of history. In his homeland, many also commemorate June 2nd according to the Hindu calendar in honour of his legacy. Renowned for his staunch resistance against Akbars forces in the pivotal Battle of Haldighati in 1576, Maharana Pratap's unwavering spirit prevented the complete annexation of Mewar, despite the loss of Chittor Fort and substantial territories to the Mughals. Though challenged, he evaded capture and employed guerrilla tactics, compelling the Mughal army to retreat. Despite the setbacks, Maharana Pratap's relentless efforts eventually reclaimed much of the lost territories, except for Chittorgarh. The legendary steed, Chetak, shares equal fame, having valiantly fought alongside Maharana Pratap in the Battle of Haldighati. Despite being fatally wounded by an elephant, Chetak heroically carried his master to safety before succumbing to his injuries. Maharana Pratap Jayanti, commemorating his birth anniversary, is observed not only on May 9th but also on June 2nd as per the Hindu calendar. On this auspicious occasion, we share some of the most powerful quotes, to honour his indomitable spirit and inspire our loved ones. Maharana Pratap Jayanti 2024: Power quotes In today's digital age, social media has become an integral part of our daily lives, offering a platform to connect, share, and express ourselves. While sharing can foster community and support, it's essential to be mindful of the information we put out into the digital world. Happy Promise Day 2024: Wishes, Messages, SMS, Quotes, Images And Romantic Promise Day WhatsApp Status For lover 10 things to not post online Some things are better kept private to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our personal and professional reputations. We spoke to Vincent Iachetta Jr., president of Peppermonkey Media, a digital marketing agency located in the United States about ten things that should never find a way onto your social media profile: 1) Your Romantic Life Your romantic relationships are deeply personal and should be kept private. Avoid posting intimate details, arguments, or romantic gestures on social media, as it can lead to misunderstandings and unnecessary drama. 2) Your Nightlife Partying habits, excessive drinking, or drug use have no place on your social media profile. Not only can these posts be damaging to your reputation, but they can also have serious consequences in both personal and professional spheres. Also Read: Mango Extravaganza: 5 Tempting Varieties And Their Health Perks This Summer 3) Your Location Sharing your exact location in real-time can compromise your safety and privacy. Avoid geotagging your posts or checking in at specific locations, especially if you're alone or away from home. bestallreview.com/ Pinterest 4) Your Home Address & Contact Info Protect your personal safety and security by refraining from sharing your home address, phone number, or other contact information on social media. This information should only be shared with trusted individuals. 5) Your Birth Date Identity theft is a real threat, and sharing your birth date on social media can make you vulnerable to fraud or other malicious activities. Keep this information private to protect yourself from potential harm. Also Read: Relationship Tips: 11 Times You Shouldn't Say 'Sorry' To Your Partner 6) Your Tickets Travel plans, hotel reservations, or event tickets contain sensitive information that should not be shared publicly. Posting this information could invite burglaries or other security risks, especially if your home will be vacant during your absence. Pinterest 7) Your Intimate Photos Intimate photos of yourself, your partner, or your children have no place on social media. Respect the privacy of yourself and others by keeping these moments sacred and offline. 8) Confidential Work Info Sharing confidential work-related information on social media can have serious consequences, including disciplinary action or termination. Always adhere to company policies and exercise discretion when discussing work matters online. 9) Personal Conversations Respect the privacy of your friends and family by refraining from sharing personal conversations or private messages on social media. Trust is easily eroded when private exchanges are made public without consent. Hiral Surana/Pinterest 10) Profanity or Illegal Things Avoid posting content that contains profanity, hate speech, violence, or illegal activities. Not only does this reflect poorly on your character, but it can also result in consequences such as account suspension or legal action. By being mindful of what you post and keeping certain aspects of your life private, you can protect yourself, your loved ones, and your reputation in the digital world. Remember, once something is posted online, it can be challenging to control its spread or remove it entirely. So, think twice before sharing and prioritize your privacy and security above all else. Also Read: Mango Extravaganza: 5 Tempting Varieties And Their Health Perks This Summer For more on lifestyle, astrology and health from around the world please visit Indiatimes Lifestyle. Summer has arrived, signaling the start of the internship search for college students! It's widely advised that students secure valuable internships to accumulate experience for their resumes, ultimately aiding their future job searches. Right on cue, IIT Indore has unveiled its summer internship program across various disciplines, an opportunity students shouldn't overlook! IIT Indore Summer Internship 2024 for undergraduate students IIT Indore/ Bodmas Education The Indian Institute of Technology Indore (IIT Indore) is now accepting applications for its undergraduate summer research internship program 2024. Interested candidates can apply through the provided application link, which will remain active until May 10th. Also read: Top Summer Internship Opportunities In India For 2024 The duration of the internship can be tailored to either one or two months in consultation with the assigned faculty mentor. Successful applicants will receive a stipend of Rs 2500 per month for undergraduate students. Further, upon completing the internship, participants will be awarded a certificate. Accommodation will be provided based on hostel availability and in accordance with the institute's regulations. For accommodation requests, students can contact chiefwardenoffice@iiti.ac.in. Accommodation charges amount to Rs 3000 per month plus a 12% GST, while food expenses are Rs 115 per day for three meals. A link for payment of accommodation and food charges will be provided. IIT Indore Summer Internship 2024: Eligibility criteria IIT Indore boasts a diverse array of 11 departments and approximately 70 faculty mentors, providing students with ample guidance across various domains. Also read: Top 3 Government Internship Opportunities In India You can find details about the departments open for internships here. Business Insider India To be eligible, applicants must be pursuing a bachelor's degree in India with a minimum of 60% marks in Class 12. Additionally, candidates must have secured a first division in Class 12, and their current CGPA until the last semester must equate to a first division. Consent from an IIT Indore faculty mentor is mandatory for application submission. Once fees are paid, they are non-refundable. Undergraduate students seeking further clarification are advised to contact the respective faculty mentor at IIT Indore. Interested individuals can reach out for application details to doacroffice@iiti.ac.in. For further details, check here. For more information on exams, results and careers, please visit Indiatimes Education. It's become cliche now to say that engineers do everything except engineering. From taking UPSC exams to writing books to starting their own businesses, engineers are literally everywhere. Now, a tea stall that has been set up by an apparently frustrated engineer is drawing people's interest. A frustrated engineer selling tea In Bengaluru, often hailed as the IT capital of India, there was a moment that perfectly captured the city's tech-savvy atmosphere. A resident shared a photo of a tea stall named "Frustrated Engineer's Chai Point." The picture was posted by a user on X (formerly Twitter), showcasing the stall located in Koramangala, a chic neighborhood known as one of the city's IT and startup hubs. X The tea stall, situated on a push-cart with wooden walls, was closed at the time the photo was taken. The user, GC Mouli, humorously captioned the post with "Frustrated engineers chai point. Yep. Koramangala," and tagged the Peak Bengaluru X account, which documents various aspects of Bengaluru life. Hope the seller isn't frustrated, say netizens The photo brought smiles to X users' faces. One person jokingly said, "Hope the seller isn't a frustrated engineer." Another suggested, "Time to start frustrated PMs chai point." Someone even quipped that the tea stall might attract more customers than the famous Rameswaram Cafe chain, known for its delicious ghee-laden idli and dosa. These kinds of initiatives often make us wonder wouldn't it be nice to leave our corporate jobs behind and start a chai stall or sell vada pavs like the Vada Pav girl? Maybe then we could get rich and buy a Mustang! Food Bowls Also read: Delhi's 'Vada Pav Girl' Cruises In Style With Rs 74.61 Lakh Ford Mustang But then reality sets in we probably wouldn't fare too well without our next salary! For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. Isn't it amazing how popular some YouTubers have recently become? Content creators have not only gained fame, but also made a lot of money from their videos. YouTube begins compensating the creator when the channel has at least 1,000 subscribers and over 4,000 watch hours in the previous year. In light of this, police recently detained a guy from China for using thousands of phones to generate phony viewers and traffic on his live feeds. It was discovered that he was able to earn nearly $415,000 (roughly Rs 3.4 crore) from these views in less than four months. Who was the Chinese man arrested for fake live-stream views? A Chinese man called Wang was sentenced to one year and three months in prison for his role in a 'crime of illicit commercial operations' | Image: Ningbo Police Department According to the South China Morning Post, a Chinese man called Wang was sentenced to one year and three months in prison for his role in a 'crime of illicit commercial operations'. (Also read: Viral Sensation: The Internet's Response To A Chinese Man's Bold Blue Hair) According to reports, he was also fined $7,000 (Rs 5.84 lakh). Wang reportedly utilized over 4,600 phones to engage viewers in his streams in order to enhance the viewing time on his YouTube channel. It was discovered that he continued to do this for four months and earned more than $400,000 (Rs 3.4 crore). When did the Chinese man start doing this? Wang began this illegal behavior in 2022 after a buddy introduced him to the concept of 'brushing' | Image: Generated on DALL.E According to the report, Wang began this illegal behaviour in 2022 after a buddy introduced him to the concept of 'brushing'. It refers to impersonating real-time activities such as viewer counts, likes, comments, and shares during live-streaming to elicit real-time involvement from viewers and deceive consumers. How did the man fake live-stream views? To complete his mission, Wang purchased 4,600 mobile phones that were managed by specialized cloud software. Aside from that, he purchased routers, VPN services, network equipment, and switches from a tech company to control the viewing experience. With a few clicks, he was able to control all of the mobile phones simultaneously | Image: Ningbo Police Department With a few clicks, he was able to control all of the mobile phones simultaneously, increasing the interaction on his channel. (Also read: Lucky Chinese Man Strikes Gold With 133 Lottery Tickets, Bags Incredible Rs 796 Crore Jackpot) Wang and 17 other suspects are currently being investigated for violating national regulations and disseminating false information via publishing services in order to benefit and disrupt market order. What do you think about this? Tell us in the comments. For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram. Yaorong Wan, a 49-year-old diamond thief, was captured in Manhattan last week. According to the New York Post, Wan is suspected of robbing luxury businesses in Beverly Hills, Miami, and South Korea. In another development in this case, Wan's girlfriend has come forward and informed the Daily Mail that Wan attempted to woo her with the stolen jewellery items as gifts. What did the woman do after her boyfriend got arrested for stealing jewellery? Yaorong Wan turned out to be a 49-year-old diamond thief | Image: Police Department However, after his incarceration, she threw away all of his jewellery. The woman stated that when she met Wan, he seemed kind, so she accepted him as her companion. The woman stated that she was afraid since he had been arrested. Where did the woman meet the thief-boyfriend? Woman met Wan on a January trip to Los Angeles | Image: Canva The woman, whose name has not been revealed, claimed to have met Wan on a January trip to Los Angeles. According to the woman, he lied about his identification, claiming his name was Wayne San. (Also read: Imposter Man Arrested In UP For Pretending To Be An IAF Officer) She was pleased by his manner and even consented to his proposition to move to a new home. The woman claimed he never paid the house's rent but used to give her jewellery sets as gifts. She had no idea where he used to buy them from. When she asked Wan about them, he lied, saying he had bought them. How did the woman fall in love with him? The woman stated that she fell in love with Wan because he behaved properly | Image: Canva The woman stated that she fell in love with Wan because he behaved properly and cared for her. She had no idea he would become a thief. (Also read: Pretty Genius Move: Sacramento Thief Disguised As Garbage Bag Pulls Off Package Theft) She then revealed the items he had stolen from the jewellery shops. She claimed Wan stole a watch worth $17,000 (Rs 14,18,909) from the London Jewellers. Not only did he steal this watch, but also a ring from Tiffany & Co Rockefeller Center and another from Cartier in Hudson Yards, Manhattan. What do you think about this? Tell us in the comments. For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram. Google Wallet India: Google has launched its digital wallet app, Google Wallet, in India. This app lets users safely store personal info like loyalty cards, transit passes, and IDs. But, Google has made it clear that this won't affect its popular UPI app, Google Pay. Google Wallet works differently in India compared to other countries. While it supports credit and debit cards globally, this feature isn't available in its Indian version. What is Google Wallet? So, what is Google Wallet? It's a digital platform on Android devices that keeps your everyday items organized. You can store flight tickets, cinema passes, bus tickets, loyalty cards, and more in one place. Google has partnered with 20 top Indian brands, including PVR, Flipkart, and Dominos, to provide various services through Google Wallet. Google Wallet App Launched In India: How It's Different From Google Pay & How To Use It? Google Wallet differs from Google Pay. Now, how does Google Wallet differ from Google Pay? Google Wallet is a secure digital wallet for quick access to payment cards, passes, tickets, and IDs. In India, it doesn't support credit and debit cards like it does globally. On the other hand, Google Pay helps users manage money and finances. You can send money to friends, earn rewards, find merchant offers, and track spending habits. Google Wallet App Launched In India: How It's Different From Google Pay & How To Use It? Here are some key features of Google Wallet Tickets: Store movie and event tickets for easy access. Store movie and event tickets for easy access. Boarding Passes: Access and store flight boarding passes. Access and store flight boarding passes. Loyalty or Gift Cards: Keep digital copies of loyalty and gift cards. Keep digital copies of loyalty and gift cards. Transit Tickets: Store and access metro and bus tickets. Store and access metro and bus tickets. Corporate Badges: Store selected corporate identity cards. Store selected corporate identity cards. Digitalize Documents: Generate passes from images with barcodes or QR codes. Generate passes from images with barcodes or QR codes. Gmail Integration: Event confirmations received in Gmail will appear in Google Wallet if enabled. How to use Google Wallet in India Go to the Play Store, search for 'Google Wallet,' and download the app. If you're logged into your Google account, no extra login is needed. You'll be taken to the 'Add Items' page. Click on 'Add to Wallet' and choose a category like Photo, Loyalty, Gift Card, or Transport pass. and choose a category like Photo, Loyalty, Gift Card, or Transport pass. Select a category (e.g., 'Transport Pass'), follow the instructions to add items like metro tickets. Google Wallet FAQs: How to open Google Wallet? You can quickly find and use any passes that youve saved to Wallet. Open the Google Wallet app. Find any items that you added to Wallet. To find and use other passes that you added: At the bottom, swipe up. To use any pass you stored: Tap on it. Does Google Wallet need data? You don't need to be connected to the internet for Google Wallet to work, however if you have a weak signal (and/or the cards show as empty grey boxes), it might be better to turn off mobile data and/or WiFi, Google Wallet will be able to make a limited number of offline transactions. Is there a limit on Google Wallet? Google Wallet does not impose any limits. For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here Anuradha Mahindra: Industrialist Anand Mahindra, Chairman & Team member, of Mahindra Group, is not just a role model for young entrepreneurs, but he is also adored by X users (formerly known as Twitter). We all know the Internet isn't a very kind place, but Anand Mahindra receives a lot of love, and it shines brighter with each tweet. A quick scan through the business tycoon's X account reveals his lovable humility and brilliant wit, which are reflected in his famed comebacks. In the glow of Anand Mahindra's prestigious and influential spotlight, there shines a woman equally remarkable. Her journey from college student to prominent figure in the luxury and lifestyle realm is an inspiring tale of love, passion, and creative pursuit. Allow us to introduce Anuradha Mahindra, the founder of Verve and co-founder of Mans World magazine. Through her endeavors, she has set a benchmark of sophistication and elegance in the world of luxury lifestyle publications. Meet Anuradha Mahindra, Wife Of Billionaire Anand Mahindra | X.com Who is Anuradha Mahindra wife of Anand Mahindra? Anuradhas tale begins in the bustling city of Mumbai, where she grew up in a traditional Hindu family. Little did she know that she would soon meet a young man named Anand Mahindra, who would later become one of Indias most celebrated industrialists. It was during her college days at Sophia College, studying psychology, that fate brought Anand and Anuradha together. Anand Mahindra's Love Story Their love story was one for the ages. Anand Mahindra, then a young and ambitious student working on a student film for his bachelors program in Indore, was immediately drawn to 17-year-old Anuradhas charm and intelligence. Love knows no boundaries, they say, and that was certainly true for this young couple. As their bond grew stronger, Anand made a bold decision he took a semester off from his studies to be with the woman he loved, proving that love and commitment can lead to success. In a gesture straight out of a classic romance novel, Anand proposed to Anuradha with his grandmothers ring, a cherished heirloom that symbolised his love and dedication. Even today, Anuradha treasures this ring as her most prized possession. The couples love story took them on a journey to the United States, where Anuradha pursued her passion for communication at Boston University. The knowledge and experience she gained during her time in the U.S. would later play a vital role in shaping her career in journalism and publishing. Meet Anuradha Mahindra, Wife Of Billionaire Anand Mahindra | Aaj Tak Co-founder of Man's World Magazine Anuradhas venture into publishing began with the co-founding of Mans World' magazine, a publication that quickly gained popularity among readers nationwide. One of the magazines early milestones was featuring the charismatic Bollywood icon, Shah Rukh Khan, on its debut cover. With Anuradhas creative vision and commitment to excellence, the magazine set a high standard for mens lifestyle publications in India. READ ALSO: Motivational Quotes By Anand Mahindra To Dream Bigger Anuradha Mahindra's luxury lifestyle Not content to rest on her laurels, Anuradha entered the luxury lifestyle space by founding Verve magazine, a dazzling publication synonymous with sophistication and refined taste. As the editor-in-chief of Rolling Stone India, she further showcased her prowess in the publishing world, guiding the magazine to greater heights. Beyond her professional endeavors, Anuradha has a passion for literature. A dedicated reader, she finds solace in the works of literary giants like Haruki Murakami, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and VS Naipaul. Her love for books and literature reflects her deep appreciation for creative expression in all its forms. Philanthropy work In addition to her professional achievements, Anuradha Mahindra is committed to philanthropy. As a trustee of the K. C. Mahindra Education Trust, she actively contributes to providing educational and financial assistance to underprivileged children, helping them achieve their full potential. Anuradha Maindra's Passion Anuradhas unwavering support for the arts is evident in her involvement in the Advisory Council for ARTISANS, an initiative that promotes sustainable indigenous art and crafts. Additionally, her role on the Advisory Board of The India Story demonstrates her dedication to showcasing contemporary Indian design and arts on a global scale. READ ALSO: Anand Mahindra Shares A Picture Of India's First 16-Kilometer-Long Elevated Highway, Internet Reacts Students at San Jose State University are organizing a sit-in in solidarity with Palestine beginning today, May 9 from 10am to 8pm on Clark Lawn. SJSU For Gaza, an autonomous and anonymous group of students not affiliated with any clubs, announced the sit-in on social media and has released a set of demands of the university. Students also announced that Imam Amir Abdul-Malik Ali is scheduled to speak at 6:30 PM during day one of the sit-in. SJSU For Gaza posted the following set of demands on Instagram on May 9:DEMANDSTHAT THE UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION:1. PUBLICLY AND OFFICIALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE GENOCIDE BEING COMMITTED BY THE "ISRAELI" OCCUPATIONThis acknowledgment must also include the number of Palestinians murdered since October 7th, documented war crimes, and actions of apartheid & ethnic cleansing committed by said occupation. We demand the public and official acknowledgment of the existence of Palestinian students on our campus and the fact that they are being affected by this genocide.2. DISCLOSE, WITH FULL TRANSPARENCY, ALL FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS & HOLDINGS OF THE UNIVERSITY AND ITS AUXILIARIES, INCLUDING THOSE INVESTMENTS & HOLDINGS UNDER TOWER FOUNDATION.We further demand the disclosure of all university relations with entities in or associated with the "state" of "Israel," including academic and research relationships. Students hold a right to know all the above information and a right to ask for divestment based on such information. We demand a commitment to continue such disclosures annually.3. FULLY DIVESTall university investments and holdings (including those under Tower Foundation) in companies, corporations, and entities that have been found to be benefitting from, aiding in, or being complicit with the "state" of "Israel" and thus, the killing of Palestinians.4. END REPRESSION & GUARANTEE AMNESTYof Palestinian students, staff, faculty, and their allies, including through university disciplinary processes such as the Time, Place, and Manner policy which represses student activism. We stand among a legacy of activists from our campus who fought for human rights, from the Vietnam War to South African apartheid.5. We demand the firing of Jonathan Roth for his attempt to doxx students and his documented assault of a protester in Sweeney Hall. We demand that such behavior, especially for faculty, not be tolerated and that Professor Roth be fired for this documented act of intimidation & assault.6. We demand that the university clear the academic record of Omar, the Palestinian-American freshman student who was wrongfully arrested and suspended with little to no evidence of assault in the fall semester of 2023. His charges were dropped and yet, he has yet to be properly remediated months later. To keep Roth on paid leave with documented video evidence while continuing to treat Omar like a criminal is a blatant showing of bias. We demand the SJSU administration and UPD issue an apology to Omar and compensate him by paying for his legal fees and clearing his academic record.For sit-in updates, visit: https://www.instagram.com/sjsuforgaza/ Greeces finance ministry has announced that beach licensing will be completed by May 15. Spokesperson Omiros Tsapalos made the announcement, praising the effectiveness of the newly-launched MyCoast platform, designed to report irregularities. The application uses polygons to show citizens which beaches are allocated for business activities and their extent. Its launch comes after a sweeping grassroots movement that sprung in the summer last year, in response to the increasing privatization of beaches that riled locals for being driven out of beaches or overcharged for sun loungers and umbrellas. Were talking about double the occupation of space than whats stipulated in contracts, with specific square meters that were never adhered to by certain entrepreneurs, Mr. Tsapalos told a local broadcaster. There are also exaggerations regarding the construction and placement of unauthorized structures. If umbrellas, for example, are seen beyond the designated polygons, the official explained, then a violation is clear. The application allows citizens to report such irregularities, either anonymously or by name, aiding regulatory authorities in their enforcement duties. The grassroots petseta movement named after the Greek work for beach towel gained momentum last year as residents, frustrated by the lack of free access to beaches, began laying their towels in protest against the commercial takeover of public spaces. The beach towel revolt, as media dubbed it, saw demonstrators demanding the right to enjoy their natural surroundings without financial barriers. iefimerida.gr he European Commission is expected to announce the new four-year fiscal restrictions which will not focus on primary surpluses, as was the case until now, but on public spending changes. EU Commission to announce new fiscal restrictions for next 4 years - Peco warned its 2.2 million customers on Tuesday that scammers have been "aggressively" targeting them since the company's system upgrades in February. Read more Cheryl Hassler answered the call from an unknown number with a Philadelphia area code, concerned something may have happened to her elderly mother-in-law. The caller, who said he was from Peco, gave her another kind of bad news. Advertisement He said there was someone coming to shut my electricity off, said Hassler, 50, of Coatesville. I was like, What? For what reason? They stated my last payment to them did not go through, due to some issue with the new account numbers Peco customers recently received. Hassler asked to speak to the callers supervisor. Another person got on the line, and confirmed what the first man had told her. She quickly changed her plans for the afternoon, and rushed to make a payment, not realizing that the call wasnt from Peco at all. Peco officials this week warned that scammers have been aggressively targeting the companys 2.2 million residential and business customers since the utility upgraded its billing system in February. Scammers have been taking advantage of Pecos recent system upgrades to manipulate and confuse customers into making immediate payments, the company said in an email to customers. These scammers are contacting Peco customers and falsely claiming their electric or natural gas service will be disconnected unless payment is made immediately. Thats exactly what a caller told Jack Bosley, 63, of Exton, in February, and what someone told Hassler last month. Hassler raced to the nearest Allpoint ATM, a fee-free interbank machine that the caller instructed she had to use make a payment of nearly $400, the approximate total of her past three months of electric bills. The caller stayed on the line for 15 minutes while she and her husband drove to a local CVS. When the caller directed Hassler to type in an order number at an ATM inside the store, a screen appeared prompting her to pay in bitcoin. Alarm bells starting going off in her head. The guy was very adamant, saying that they had changed account numbers, that it messed with their banking system, Hassler said. As she started to push back, he became agitated, assuring her it wasnt a scam and saying she just needed to insert her debit card. She shoved the card back in her wallet, hit cancel on the screen, and hung up the phone. She called Peco, then the local police department to report the incident, which was especially jarring to Hassler as a past victim of identity theft. My fear is I have an 89-year-old mother-in-law. What if they call someone like that who doesnt know anything about bitcoin or anything else at the ATM? she said. Peco will never ask customers to make payments over the phone, officials said in the email to customers. If service were going to be shut off, there would be a regulated disconnection process, which involves advance notice. Customers who receive a call, text, email, or a visit from someone that seems suspicious should call Peco directly at 1-800-494-4000, the company urges. About 900 customers have reported scams to Peco in the first four months of the year, spokesperson Tom Brubaker said. This comes amid an overall rise in unwanted calls. Each month, U.S. consumers receive about four billion robocalls, according to the Federal Communications Commission. These include more banal notifications and payment reminders, as well as telemarketing and scam calls. Several times a day, Alisa Garneks cell phone rings from numbers she doesnt recognize. It feels to her like the calls have increased recently. It is shocking how many spam calls come through now, said the 45-year-old King of Prussia financial planner. She also received a call two weeks ago from someone threatening to cut off her Peco service due to an unpaid bill (which that morning had been debited from her account via autopay). It makes you not want to answer any calls. Susquehanna International Group LLP (SIG), the Bala Cynwyd-based, multinational trading firm headed by Jeffrey Yass, sold its shares in the company now called Trump Media & Technology Group after the former presidents social-media business went public in March, according to data SIG reported May 7 to the Securities and Exchange Commission for the three months ended March 31. SIG says it had bought those shares only to facilitate its market-making business, not as a bet on Trump Medias future. Advertisement With that mission accomplished, SIG sold. Now Trump Medias CEO is calling for an investigation of Yass firm and three others involving their role in investor bets against the high-priced but as-yet unprofitable company, in which former President Donald Trump holds a multibillion-dollar stake, at least on paper. SIGs earlier SEC reports showing it held more than 1% of Trump Medias predecessor company, worth over $10 million, before its March 26 initial public stock offering (IPO) drew widespread scrutiny due to Yass status as a major political donor in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, who had been floated as a potential Trump cabinet secretary. At the time, BlackRock, Vanguard, and other big U.S. investment companies hadnt yet bought the stock in the former presidents company. SIG officials at that time responded that their firm owned Trump Media shares not as a long-term investor, but as a market maker guaranteeing a supply of shares for brokers and investors for when the company went public, with SIG collecting a slice of each trade as its fee. The firm said in a statement that SIG bought equivalent short positions, per usual market-maker practice, to ensure it would serve as an honest broker. Yass firm had no economic interest in whether Trump Media shares rose or fell, the statement said. SIG, founded by Yass and his then-partners in 1987, also makes markets in share options and futures, or derivative contracts that investors use to bet on stock price movements over longer periods. SIG makes its own investment trades. It has amassed a worldwide portfolio of private investments in companies including ByteDance, TikToks China-based owner. SIGs latest SEC report shows the trading firm on March 31 still held large and nearly balanced positions of Trump Media puts and calls shares set aside to back trading customers bets that the stock will fall or rise over set periods valued at around $103 million and $112 million, respectively, at March 31. SIG has no authority to vote those shares, which are tied to derivative trading contracts in futures or options on Trump Media stock, the SEC report noted. SIG also holds warrants issued earlier to shareholders, valued at $1.7 million as of March 31. Trump Media has reported neither sales nor profits. The former presidents popularity among supporters and their hopes that will help turn his companys Truth Social and other initiatives into profitable platforms has fed strong interest in the stock among small investors, as well as the short-sellers who make their living betting on which high-priced stocks will fall. So far the believers are winning: At Tuesdays closing price Trump Media shares were worth a total of $6.7 billion, of which Trump owns more than $4 billion, though he cant yet turn his shares in for that cash, due to post-IPO restrictions that could expire before the November election. Trump Media has complained about the short-sellers and about SIG and its rivals, for their role in betting against the companys share price. On April 23, the companys chief executive former U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes (R., Calif.), once one of then-President Trumps most reliable allies in Congress sent a letter to Republican leaders in the House of Representatives calling for an investigation of possible naked short selling an illegal practice of pushing share prices down by bluffing about short sales an investor doesnt really intend to make. The letter named four firms, including SIGs GI Execution Services unit, and market-making rivals Citadel Securities, founded by Florida billionaire Ken Griffin; Jane Street Capital; and VIRTU Americas. According to Nunes, the four firms have been responsible for over 60% of the extraordinary volume of DJT shares traded since the company went public. Nunes sent a follow-up letter May 1 complaining about anomalies in Trump Media short selling, and naming additional firms it said Congress should investigate for possible trading violations. Nunes did not allege specific violations but urged Congress to look for some. Citadel Securities, whose founder Griffin, like SIGs Yass, has donated to Trumps Republican rivals, in a statement called Nunes a loser for blaming Trump Media stock gyrations on traders. Susquehanna has made no public comment about Trump Medias complaint or its income from market-making in the stock and its derivatives. Trump Media announced plans this month to deliver a streaming media platform to send video from Trumps Truth Social directly to phone, tablet, and internet-TV customers, and home TV, though it has not laid out a timetable. And Trump Media hired a new auditor, Semple, Marchal & Cooper LLP, after its previous auditor, BF Borgers, was fined and shut down by the SEC for massive fraud, including fabricating financial information for other companies it audited. Chobani employees had a request for management at a recent town hall: free coffee. Nearly half a year after the companys acquisition of Philadelphia-based coffee roaster La Colombe, Chobanis 2,700-person team was eager to see their free-yogurt benefit expand to include caffeinated beverages. Leaders said they want to make that happen and free yogurt for La Colombes crew, too. Advertisement Its just one small gesture in a greater plan to integrate the companies since the brands married late last year. As the smaller company, La Colombe is seeing more adjustments which Chobani leaders characterized as upgrades as well as leadership changes and a few dozen departures in its corporate structure. Thats not to say the La Colombe brand is disappearing. Despite 25 to 30 departures from La Colombes 900-person workforce since the merger, the coffee arm is hiring at least 40 corporate employees, said Chobanis chief communications officer, Ben Boyd, as it increases canned beverage distribution. The majority of the new jobs will be in Philadelphia, while others will be based across the country in sales roles. The city remains important to La Colombe and Chobani by extension, leaders said. Theyre also trying to secure a new product-testing space in Philadelphia, in addition to more office space beyond La Colombes corporate offices in Fishtown. And the company plans to invest $10 million in La Colombe facilities, including in a Michigan manufacturing plant and cafes across the country. A big component of the La Colombe brand is being from Philadelphia, said Kathryn OConnor, chief marketing officer at La Colombe. We are a national brand now, but our home is Philadelphia, and we dont intend to change that. A new canned drink and updated logo Hamdi Ulukaya, Chobanis founder and CEO, was no stranger to La Colombe when he acquired the coffee giant for $900 million in December. Ulukaya, who founded the yogurt company in 2005, joined La Colombe as an investor and became the majority owner in 2015. At the time, he said he got to know La Colombes founders while looking for a coffee roaster for Chobani cafes. Chobani and La Colombe are like-minded, Ulukaya said. Were different from a personality, where we come from, our history, but we are the same fabric. Still, Chobani said La Colombe would continue as an independent brand. La Colombe is not becoming Chobani, Ulukaya said. It stays what it is. Its got the Philadelphia edge. Its got the grit. Its got the personality. A new La Colombe product launched in April gives a peek at that edge under new ownership. The canned draft latte has two more ounces per can than the original launched in 2016 and a new recipe with less sugar than other brands while preserving La Colombes signature froth. Coffee doesnt need a lot of sugar to taste great, OConnor said. The updated draft latte cans also sport La Colombes new logo. The dove now faces right (instead of left) for a sense of forward momentum, OConnor said. We have definitely touched the brand lightly, she said, calling it more tweaks than redesign. La Colombe French for the dove launched in Philadelphia in 1994 with a cafe in Rittenhouse Square. It was named after La Colombe dOr, a cafe in cofounder J.P. Ibertis hometown. The brand was long known for a simple coffee menu. But La Colombe had already started tweaking its offerings in 2022, before the merger, introducing flavors and then larger drink sizes at cafes. We were very adamant that our coffee didnt really need any extra flavors; it was good on its own, said Katie Thomas, senior manager of training and quality assurance at cafes. But people like flavors, so we decided to open up that door for us and for them. Our priority of keeping the quality of our coffee has not changed at all. Hourly raises and corporate rigor Two Philadelphia baristas said La Colombes adding new flavors and sizes pre-merger was a bellwether. It was a bit disappointing, said one part-time Philadelphia barista, hired two years ago. She asked not to be named out of fear of retaliation from Chobani. It used to set us apart that we were a no-BS coffee operation. For workers, it also meant more work at first for no additional pay. But then, with the Chobani merger, came raises. The company has spent $20 million to bring salaries, bonuses, and benefits at La Colombe up to Chobanis level, chief people officer Shari Eaton said. That included a new minimum wage of $20 an hour for part-time and full-time hourly employees, which took effect in February. It was $4-plus in movement for some folks. Baristas were excited, Eaton said. We were pretty stoked, said another Philly barista. He has worked at La Colombe for around five years and asked to remain anonymous for fear of jeopardizing future work. But shortly after getting a raise, his weekly hours got cut from around 17 to 12, and some colleagues at his cafe noticed the same. The part-time barista with two years experience said her location started cutting an entire shift or two on some days. A few of her full-time colleagues suddenly fell short of the minimum hours to qualify for health insurance, she said. Chobani denies that the raises and reduced hours are related. Since December, there has been no effort or directive to reduce the number of hours that an employee would be eligible to work in any given week, Boyd said. In general, team meetings at the cafe have taken on a more corporate feel since the merger, the barista with two years experience said. Managers seem more strict about store policies, she said, and shift changes now require more multitasking between serving customers and taking care of the store. Some of the added rigor is a good thing, she noted, like a greater emphasis on sanitation. Despite the changes, both baristas plan to stick around for now. They pay awesome the place is still a great place to work, said the barista with five years experience. Not a second-class workforce In the companys corporate structure, too, changes have taken place. Departures in La Colombes business functions included president Chuck Chupein and chief financial officer Brent Chu. Boyd declined to talk about individual exits but acknowledged redundancies in certain areas like finance, leading to between 25 and 30 departures. Thats not unexpected in a deal like this, said David Woolf, a lawyer at Faegre Drinker in Philadelphia who counsels clients on the workforce aspects of mergers and acquisitions. Thats why people do deals, to some degree, is for efficiencies, Woolf said, who did not advise on this merger. Boyd also noted that about 20 members of Chobani leadership have moved into roles at La Colombe, some temporarily and some permanently, to bring an infusion of expertise in making the product available more widely. OConnor emphasized that La Colombe employees got to keep their titles. They werent downgraded to fit into the larger Chobani hierarchy. Ulukaya pledged at the outset of the merger that La Colombe employees, not just executives, would benefit from the deal. Chief people officer Eaton pointed to several ways the company is sticking to that promise. In addition to hourly worker raises, La Colombe employees got three more floating holidays, access to an emergency employee assistance fund, and wellness reimbursement. Chobani plans to harmonize the rest of its health benefits for La Colombe workers this summer during open enrollment, Eaton said. Chobanis equity program the company began offering ownership stake to 2,000 full-time employees in 2016 will be rolled out to the La Colombe team in the near future. They havent had an equity plan at La Colombe. So this is a significant investment in their long-term future, Eaton said. While its generally not a requirement to level out benefits and pay post-merger, Woolf said, its fairly common. The practice eliminates potential sore spots of employees on one side of the deal feeling like theyre second-class, he said. Ulukaya described the extension of equity to workers as recognition of people who work for the company that deserve to get it. Faced with dropping enrollment at its 20 Commonwealth campuses, Pennsylvania State University is looking to reduce the number of full-time faculty, staff and administrators there through a voluntary buyout offer sent to employees Wednesday. Campuses affected in the Philadelphia area include Penn State Abington in Montgomery County, Penn State Brandywine in Delaware County, and the Great Valley campus in Chester County. The main University Park campus is not impacted. Advertisement University officials declined to say how many employees they hope take the buyout, which closes May 31 and offers one year of salary in a lump sum and six months of health insurance at the current rate. We dont have a target, said Margo DelliCarpini, vice president for Commonwealth campuses, during an interview. READ MORE: Penn State board increases longer-term compensation for president Neeli Bendapudi The buyout, typically something for the most seasoned employees, was open to even some of its newest employees. It appears that many of the campuses 3,288 full-time employees though DelliCarpini said she couldnt say how many would be eligible. Those eligible include full-time employees hired before April 1, 2023, who are not represented by a union and who do not fall into certain exempted groups, including nursing faculty; those in their final year or on limited contracts; and employees in human resources. In 2016 when the university offered a buyout, those eligible had to be at least 60 with 15 years of service. She declined to say whether the university would also consider layoffs if enough employees dont take the buyout, or if campus closures or consolidations would be considered, saying it was too premature to speculate. We know that we are not meeting our budget challenge without significant changes to our staffing, she said. We have to be responsive. We have a different market. Enrollment at the campuses has been falling for years its down 30% since 2010, to about 24,000. Thats in sharp contrast to Penn States main campus at University Park, which has grown to more than 42,000 students. READ MORE: Penn State expanded its branch campuses decades ago. Now, some say thats one reason state universities are struggling. With the challenges facing all of higher education, our entire institution needs to evolve in order to continue serving the residents of Pennsylvania, Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi said in a statement. We are currently working to identify every opportunity to strengthen our Commonwealth Campuses and achieve our budgetary objectives. More cuts are looming Earlier this year, Bendapudi announced that the university in 2025-26 would be cutting $94 million from its 2025-26 budget, more than half of it at the Commonwealth campuses, to address a deficit. The $54 million cut at the Commonwealth campuses represents about a 14.1% decrease in funding. DelliCarpini said Wednesday the number to be cut has since been reduced to $49 million. In January, the university said while seven of its 20 Commonwealth campuses were projecting enrollment increases for next year, others were in decline, with only a few hundred students enrolled at some of the campuses. DelliCarpini said at that time that 10 of the campuses were facing really challenging conditions. On Wednesday she said those facing the greatest struggles are in areas where there have been losses in business and industry. Because of the large population of potential students in the Philadelphia area, those campuses have not been hit as hard, she said. They really have continued potential to grow, she said. The Commonwealth campuses, the university said in January, were exploring partnering with community colleges and renting out facilities for some of their programs. They also were evaluating academic programs to determine which ones to focus on and where not to duplicate programming. Penn State is far from alone in its enrollment struggles. Temple University is continuing to try to stem a 24% decline since 2017. La Salle University recently announced steps to deal with a 28% drop in enrollment since 2019. The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, which includes 10 universities around the state, has lost more than 30% of its enrollment since 2010. Cabrini University in Radnor will close in June after financial struggles and dropping enrollment. Many other colleges are struggling, too, with the number of high school students nationwide projected to drop again this decade. It was the late 1990s when Penn State added bachelors degree programs to its branch campuses as part of an expansion. About one-third of students who start their degrees at the Commonwealth campuses finish their degrees there, the university said in 2021. Wednesdays buyout isnt the first Penn State has offered. There was the university-wide buyout in 2016 and one for eight of the universitys western Pennsylvania campuses in 2014, DelliCarpini said. Wanda Novales, vice president of the school board, and Reginald Streater, school board president, after their election to Mayor Cherelle L. Parker's school board. Read more Mayor Cherelle L. Parkers school board met publicly for the first time Thursday, electing leaders after some dissension in the ranks over who would serve as vice president. Reginald Streater was unanimously reelected as president. Three candidates emerged for vice president: returning board members Sarah-Ashley Andrews and ChauWing Lam, and new board member Wanda Novales. Advertisement Ultimately, Novales won the No. 2 spot after a runoff vote. She garnered five votes to Andrews four. Despite the contested election, the tone was civil, with members saying they believed the new board was made up of talented people who all could do the job well. But board member Crystal Cubbage said she was supporting Novales for balance sake both because Novales is new to the board and because she has experience as a district and charter teacher and administrator. Board member Joan Stern said she believed it was important to have consistency, with a returning board member in the vice president slot, and she initially supported Lam because she has a precision and a command of information and facts that will be immensely useful to us. Lams candidacy did not make it past the first round of voting; in the second round, Stern and Lams support of Novales clinched the spot for her. Novales said she was honored to be elected. I am so excited to serve the students of the greatest city in the U.S., she said. Im so excited to work with our superintendent, our president, and with the rest of the board. The reorganization capped an eventful few weeks for the board. Parker chose nine board members Andrews, Lam, Cubbage, Cheryl Harper, Whitney Jones, Novales, Stern, Streater, and Joyce Wilkerson but City Council rejected Wilkersons nomination over concerns about her position on charter schools and other issues. But Parker made an end-run around Council, asking Wilkerson to serve indefinitely until the mayor names Wilkersons replacement. Eugene C. Janda, chief of fire and emergency services at the University of Pennsylvania, tours the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on Thursday, May 9, 2024. Read more Citing increasing unlawfulness, Gov. Josh Shapiro on Thursday called on the University of Pennsylvania to disband a pro-Palestinian encampment that has spent two weeks on the Ivy League campus. Over the last 24 hours ... the situation has gotten even more unstable and out of control, Shapiro said during an event in Westmoreland County. More rules have been violated, more laws have been broken. That is absolutely unacceptable. Advertisement It is past time for the university to act to address this, to disband the encampment and to restore order and safety on campus. Penn did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Shapiros comments mark a change in stance from last week, when he deferred questions about whether the encampment should be disbanded to the university. I dont think its my judgment on that that matters, he said at that time. I think its the universitys judgment that matters. Theyre closer to it, they see it. Interim Penn president J. Larry Jameson has said repeatedly that the encampment should come down. Its unclear what impact Shapiros remarks will have on the encampment. In December, his criticism of then-Penn president Liz Magills testimony before a congressional committee about the schools handling of antisemitism on campus proved a critical turning point in what became a bipartisan censure and she resigned days later. Earlier this week, there was a unified front among city leaders including Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, and District Attorney Larry Krasner that the encampment in its current form should not be disbanded using force, and that Penn should resolve the matter peacefully. An expansion, discipline, and commencement changes It was unclear whether the events of the previous 24 hours which included the expansion of the encampment, another defacing of Penns iconic Benjamin Franklin statue, and the comments from Pennsylvanias Democratic governor, who is Jewish would change that. A spokesperson for the mayors office declined comment. Also on Thursday, six students were placed on mandatory leaves of absence from Penn for participating in the encampment. One of them an international student was also evicted from on-campus housing. The discipline came after encampment members moved about a dozen tents from one side of College Green to the other Wednesday night, effectively taking over the popular graduation photo spot. Organizers began to take down barriers as nearly 200 people chanted, Disclose, divest, defend shorthand for the encampments demands the Daily Pennsylvanian, the school newspaper, reported. That move happened in response to what the student organization UPenn Against the Occupation called the administrations continued bad-faith negotiations. On the Benjamin Franklin statues forehead, protesters drew an inverted red triangle, which has conflicting meanings as a reference to a Palestinian flag and the target markers used in Hamas tactical videos. The triangle appeared to have been washed off of Franklins forehead by Thursday morning. A Penn spokesperson confirmed in a statement Thursday that the university issued mandatory temporary leaves of absence for six students in accordance with our policies and pending the results of the Center for Community Standards and Accountability disciplinary investigations. These actions relate to the Universitys continuing response to the unauthorized encampment on College Green. Penn has also announced changes to its commencement ceremony scheduled for May 20, adding airport-style checks before entry and prohibiting signs, posters, and flags. READ MORE: Penn adds security, makes commencement changes as protests continue The encampment is part of a movement on U.S. college campuses calling for universities to disclose their funding sources and divest their endowments from entities benefiting from the ongoing war in Gaza, where the death toll for Palestinians has surpassed 34,000 following the Hamas attack on Israel in October, which resulted in deaths and hostages being taken. Those placed on leave Thursday are among the 12 students who received disciplinary notices early in the Penn encampments two-week stint for violations of the universitys Guidelines on Open Expression, which govern free speech and protest on campus. The six students placed on leave are barred from academic buildings. They also arent allowed to participate in university programming including graduation-related events, according to a letter from vice provost Karu Kozuma obtained by The Inquirer. Your role as an organizer in the encampment has contributed to increasingly unsafe conditions, Kozuma wrote in the letter. You and other organizers have persisted in fostering a situation that poses a threat to order. Two of those students were on the negotiation team that met with Jameson, the Freedom School of Palestine one of the groups participating in the encampment said in a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter). Three of the students are seniors. All are women. Sophomore Eliana Atienza, 19, is among the students placed on mandatory leave. An international student from the Philippines, Atienza told The Inquirer she was barred from entering her dorm when the discipline went into effect, and that access to her student ID was shut off. Im the only one made homeless by this, said Atienza. Her family lives in the Philippines. Friends have offered up their homes instead. Atienza said she is unsure how Penns actions will impact her visa. READ MORE: What is divestment? And why do Penn students want it? Stalled negotiations The encampments expansion came after a two-hour negotiation session with Penn leadership Tuesday that organizers initially described as favorable. READ MORE: Penn leaders hold third meeting with encampment members: It felt like we were making progress, one student said. But in a meeting between encampment organizers and Penn administrators on Wednesday, the tenor changed. The negotiations yesterday went incredibly poorly. Things went from, Oh, were going to give you maybe several demands, to Were not going to give you anything, said an encampment spokesperson who declined to be named due to doxxing and safety concerns. The spokesperson declined to elaborate on specific sticking points. Encampment members are also asking for the university to defend pro-Palestinian speech on campus, including amnesty for students involved in the protests. The spokesperson went on to say that encampment leaders would always be open to talks with Penn administration, but none are currently scheduled. Unclear path to resolution More than 2,600 people have been arrested for participating in pro-Palestinian encampments, according to a tracker from The Appeal. Universities have asked city and state police forces to disband the protests, resulting in a wide array of unrest. A New York City police officer accidentally fired a gun while removing protesters from a Columbia University building, and officers at the University of Arizona and the University of Texas at Austin intentionally discharged rubber bullets and pepper balls while breaking up their respective encampments. At the University of California Los Angeles, officers stood by for hours as counter-protesters beat encampment members with sticks and shot off fireworks. Penn has requested support from the Philadelphia Police Department in disbanding the encampment, which city officials have been reluctant to offer. READ MORE: Penn weighs risk of removing encampment, saying it is causing fear for many Jameson contended that the protests at Penn have not been peaceful, citing vandalism to the Benjamin Franklin statue, reports of threatening speech, and instances of agitation from counter-protesters. Over the past two weeks, a man entered the encampment with a large a knife, another was cited for harassment after spraying down tents with chemicals, and videos posted to Instagram showed people calling for a UCLA 2.0 while banging pots and pans outside the barricades. Jewish students have reported 132 incidents of harassment surrounding the encampment, according to the results of a survey conducted by the Penn Presidents Jewish Student Advisory Council. Board members of Penns Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies urged Jameson to restore order on campus by disbanding the encampment. Meanwhile, a petition circulated by Penn senior Eyal Yakoby calling for the FBI and CIA to investigate the encampment has received more than 1,500 signatures, the student said in a tweet. I feel betrayed by the university, who just two days ago said that everyday the encampment exists, it presents a danger to the community, said Yakoby, who is Jewish. They need to stand by their word. READ MORE: While a few other universities reach compromises with protesters, why cant Penn? University of Pennsylvania students attend a commencement ceremony at Franklin Field in Philadelphia in 2022. This year's graduation will have heightened security due to ongoing protests of the Israel-Hamas war. Read more The University of Pennsylvania is adding security for this years graduation ceremony, as protests of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza grow heading into their third week. In an update to parents, families, and friends, Penn said there would be a high level of security at its 268th commencement, scheduled for May 20 at Franklin Field. Physician and author Siddhartha Mukherjee will be delivering the commencement address to the class of 2024. Advertisement READ MORE: Michael Smerconish responds to Dickinson College removing him as commencement speaker The gates are scheduled to open at 8 a.m., and airport-style security will be in place to screen attendees. Graduates will be required to show their Penn ID to enter the ceremony, the school said. No bags, folding chairs, and metal seat backs will be permitted to enter the field, though the school said bench cushions would be permitted. Larger items, such as strollers and diaper bags, will be scanned by security. Otherwise, the school warned, if an item does not fit in your pocket, please do not bring it with you. Signs, posters, flags, and artificial noisemakers are also prohibited. The move comes after pro-Palestinian protesters caused a disruption at University of Michigans commencement last weekend. A student protester was removed from Northeastern Universitys graduation ceremonies at Fenway Park and arrested, according to MassLive. The traditional processional of graduates from down Locust Walk to Franklin Field which would pass next to the protest site on College Green could also be impacted. As of Thursday afternoon, Penn hadnt listed specifics about the processional on the schools commencement website. It will be the second-straight year for tightened security at Penns commencement. Last year, airport-style screening was in place because President Joe Biden attended the ceremony to support his granddaughter, Roberta Maisy Biden, who received a bachelor of arts degree. While Penn is making changes to its commencement ceremony, it isnt going as far as other universities where protests have taken place. Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., withdrew an invitation to CNN and SiriusXM host Michael Smerconish to deliver the commencement address due to pressure from protesters, while Columbia University canceled its two main commencement ceremonies and replaced them with smaller celebrations. The University of Southern California similarly canceled its commencement, including a speech by valedictorian Asna Tabassum and keynote speaker Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu. Protesters have set up tents and have been demonstrating at Penn for two weeks. They demand the school 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 allowed the encampment to remain despite multiple calls by interim president J. Larry Jameson for the tents to come down. Leaders have also 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. Wasim Muhammad testifies during the civil sex abuse trial against him on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Read more Camden School Advisory Board President Wasim Muhammad told a jury Wednesday that he married his former student when she was 18, and denied her accusations that the relationship started with his sexual abuse when he was her middle school teacher years before. During Muhammads three hours on the stand, he told the seven-member jury of his sex abuse civil trial before Superior Court Judge John Kennedy that he was grateful for the opportunity for them to hear my side in response to the heinous allegations from a lawsuit lodged in 2021 by the former student. Advertisement Two of his wives also testified, while his other wives and some of his 17 children were in the courtroom. Under questioning by his lawyer Troy Archie, Muhammad denied allegations that he began a sexual relationship with the former student in 1994 when he was her social studies teacher at Cooper B. Hatch Middle School. He also disputed her contention that the two engaged in a threesome with one of his wives and that he took the plaintiff to a porn theater and forced her to have sex with a stranger while he watched and masturbated. No sir, he said. Absolutely not. READ MORE: Who is Wasim Muhammad, Camdens school board president accused of sexually abusing a student? The woman, now 45, filed the lawsuit under a state law passed in 2019 that allows victims of child sexual abuse to sue their abusers until they turn 55. The Inquirer is not identifying her because it does not name victims in sexual assault cases without their consent. She alleged that Muhammad began grooming her for a relationship when she was a seventh-grader, and that the alleged abuse continued even after she moved out of state. The lawsuit also alleged that district employees who knew about the relationship failed to stop it. Muhammad, 56, a minister and prominent community activist in Camden, talked explicitly about his marital situation Wednesday. He told the jury he is legally married to Stephanie, his childhood sweetheart, and has four more wives under his Islamic faith. He mentioned for the first time Wednesday another marriage to another woman that ended previously, he said. Having multiple wives as he does, Muhammad said, is an exception and not the rule. Its very controversial, he said. Muhammad said he married the plaintiff in 1997 when she returned from living in the South and came to live with him. There were four witnesses present for their ceremony as mandated by the Muslim faith, he said. Two are dead, and he could not recall the names of the other two witnesses, he said. Names and dates get murky, he said under cross-examination by Jeffrey Fritz, the plaintiffs lawyer. The plaintiff has denied that the two were ever married. Muhammad said he met his second wife, Chabree, when she was an 18-year-old high school senior working at the Cherry Hill Mall. They married three years later in 1997, the same year he said he married the plaintiff, when Muhammad was almost 30. Muhammad testified that four of his six Muslim wives, which included the plaintiff, were 18 when he met them. You see a pattern here? Fritz asked. If you want to say so, Muhammad answered. Asked by his lawyer about the plaintiffs allegation that she was forced into a threesome, Muhammad denied that it happened. During a deposition in August, he refused to answer a question about whether it happened, pleading his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Fritz asked him Wednesday why he was able to answer in court. The context of this setting, I believe, was more appropriate for me to answer, Muhammad said. Muhammad bristled when Fritz questioned him about another sexual relationship he had with Nicole Batts, a former Hatch teacher who said she saw the plaintiff and Muhammad leaving his Camden home during the school day. When Muhammad was with her, he said, he had been married to Stephanie for several years. I didnt know we were in moral court, Muhammad said. But he said he prayed for forgiveness for having sex with women other than his wives. This is why we Muslims pray five times a day, he said. Muhammad, a minister at Muhammads Temple No. 20 for 15 years, has said the relationship with the plaintiff ended in 1998 because his legal wife Stephanie objected. Stephanie testified she had seen the plaintiff at the temple but was unaware of their relationship. I didnt know about her, she testified Wednesday. Muhammad should have advised her that he was adding another member to their family, she said. Stephanie Muhammad and Chabree Muhammad, the final witnesses in the case, both testified that their husband doesnt provide financial support for them and their children, but said they could seek assistance if needed. READ MORE: The 16 students at this tiny Muslim school in Camden learn everything from literature and religion to music and chess There are no answers for me Speaking publicly about her experiences for the first time during testimony last week, the plaintiff said she was a virgin before Muhammad, and he told her, Now youre a woman. She was 14. I ask myself why did this happen? she said. Why did he do this to me? Who would do this to a 13-year-old girl? There are no answers for me. Married and the mother of two teenage sons and an adult daughter who has sat through the trial, the woman lives in the South and is a first-grade teacher. An expert said she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition to Muhammad, the lawsuit names the Camden City School District. An arbitrator who reviewed the files and depositions recommended a $1 million settlement that would have made Muhammad liable for 60% of that amount, but that offer was rejected. Muhammad took a leave of absence from the advisory board in January, pending the outcome of the case after Gov. Phil Murphy called for his resignation. A school board can remove a member for three consecutive absences; Muhammad has missed six. Muhammad has served on the school advisory board since 2013 and has been president since 2020. Both sides rested their cases Wednesday afternoon and the jury was expected to hear closing arguments on Thursday. The jury will decide whether anyone has civil liability, and whether damages should be awarded. Philadelphia guitarists Chris Forsyth and Nick Millevoi are no strangers to Neil Youngs often exploratory live shows. When the veteran rocker and the latest incarnation of his longtime band Crazy Horse play Camdens Freedom Mortgage Pavilion on Sunday, it will mark Millevois fourth Young concert, Forsyths seventh. But it will be their first since the pair started playing Youngs music live in their band Coca Leaves & Pearls (the name is borrowed from the lyrics to Cortez the Killer). The band follows Millevois two-year stint in Forsyths Solar Motel band and was launched simultaneously with their electronics-tinged trio Basic, with percussionist Mikel Patrick Avery. Forsyth referred to Coca Leaves & Pearls as a guided tour of the Ditch, referring to the Ditch Trilogy of dark-hued albums that Young released during the mid-70s: Time Fades Away, On the Beach, and Tonights the Night. Advertisement With Forsyth on guitar and vocals, Millevoi on lap steel, Florry drummer Joey Sullivan, and bassist Jordan Burgis of Honey Radar, the lineup echoes the short-lived Stray Gators band that backed Young at the outset of that turbulent period. The guitarists met last week at Forsyths Kensington venue/rehearsal space Jerrys On Front to discuss their Neil obsessions. There are different Neil Youngs which do you most connect with? Chris Forsyth: Im a big Ditch guy, but I love Buffalo Springfield and some of the 80s stuff. Theres so much to love, but my heart is definitely in the 70s. Even on the wonky records, where [Young] swings for the fences and misses, there are great songs. I saw him on The Monsanto Years tour and went in with my arms crossed, but they totally delivered. When you werent listening closely to the lyrics, it just sounded like ripping Crazy Horse songs that happened to be about genetically modified ingredients. Nick Millevoi: The heaviest, most distorted, loudest stuff is what I go to the most. But last year I bought a cassette tape of Landing on Water and that resonated with me. That was the Neil Young album that most resonated with me for like a month. Its always shifting. How did your fascination with Neil begin? NM: When I was around 12, my guitar teacher said, You like all this grunge stuff? You should like Neil Young. The first album I bought was Weld, which is a weird first Neil Young album, but I thought the cover was the best I still think the cover is the best. Its the loudest record cover. They literally look like theyre being blown away by those giant amps in the background. CF: My first memory of Neil Young is my eighth-grade teacher in Bayonne, N.J., Ms. DiMassi, teaching us about slavery and the Civil War, and she brought in Decade and played Southern Man to the class. Youve both seen him live a number of times. Which ones stand out in your memory? CF: The Monsanto Years tour in Camden in 2015. He played for like three and a half hours four or five songs acoustic, then Promise of the Real came out and he did a few songs on acoustic with the band, and then he switched to the Gretsch, stepping up the intensity little by little. The last hour and a half was just three monster rippers with [his trademark Gibson Les Paul guitar] Old Black. The Psychedelic Pill show in 2012 at the Wells Fargo Center is probably one of the greatest concerts Ive ever seen in my life. My jaw was hanging open. My wife is a casual fan, and she turned to me at one point like, This is what he does? I had no idea that he plays noise music for rednecks. NM: I was very conservative for a long time about seeing him. I didnt want to see the bad tours. He played solo at the Tower Theater in 2018, with multiple pianos, guitars, a pump organ, and things like that on stage. He only played two songs on electric guitar, but he played Ohio and it was everything Ive ever wanted from Neil. Where did the idea for Coca Leaves & Pearls come from? NM: In the first year of the pandemic I burned myself out practicing guitar and decided to buy a lap steel. My goal was to play like [Stray Gators lap steel guitarist] Ben Keith. CF: When they said that you can be in the same room as somebody as long as theyre not out in the world too much, Nick and I started getting together to play with zero agenda. We started picking songs that we liked; we played Meat Puppets songs, some Dylan, and a number of Neil Young songs. Then I got offered a gig opening for a friends Grateful Dead cover band, so we decided to try this. Now its just too much fun not to do it. You both play a lot of improvised and experimental music that connects to various degrees with rock, jazz, and other influences. How did you approach Neils music with that in mind? CF: The guiding principle is that we should be a reverent but not imitative Neil Young band. Were not dressing up in moccasins and Neil Young paraphernalia. Were not even trying to replicate the music. We love it, but were not trying to create a museum piece of it. We go to some other places and we improvise a lot. But Neil Young is also one of my absolute top guitar influences so its inescapable in a way. NM: Its nice to have an outlet to finally converse with this music, because Neil is among my three or four deepest influences and Ive tried to conjure that vibe in various projects. What are you hoping to see at the show on Sunday? CF: Neil Young has been playing some of the same songs, practically the same sets, for what seems like forever, but the music keeps changing. Cortez the Killer in 1977 doesnt sound like it sounded in 1987 or 1994 or 2009 or presumably if he does it this time. I hope he does it. NM: Neil is nothing like a jazz player musically speaking, but hes similar in that as he gets older he seems to be playing less notes. Neil is a guitar player first and foremost. The way he plays guitar traverses weird paths. Whatever bad songs hes written, hes so dialed into his sound vocabulary that when he picks up the guitar he always sounds good. Ive never heard a Neil Young guitar solo that doesnt have substance. CF: His guitar playing is so elemental. Its beyond technique. Its not very technical, but its super personal. When you use equipment thats a little older and crankier, weird things can happen, and hes completely about that. Hes got archaic amplifiers, but hes pushing them to the point of blowing up, and that creates all these sonic possibilities. Other great guitar players of his age just stopped at a certain point, but Neil Young walked out into the wilderness and he just kept on going. Hes an utterly unfiltered, ruthless performer. Thats a pretty rare thing. Neil Young & Crazy Horse play Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, 1 Harbor Blvd. in Camden, N.J., at 7:30 p.m. on May 12. Tickets at livenation.com. Coca Leaves & Pearls play Kung Fu Necktie, 1248 N. Front St., with Lower Wolves on Friday, June 14. Tickets at kungfunecktie.com. Matthew Cahn at Middle Child, holding a vegan Phoagie at the 11th Street location in 2018. Read more Matthew Cahn, the middle child who owns Philadelphias popular Middle Child restaurants, has gone to federal court to ask a judge to block a forthcoming restaurant in Las Vegas from using the name hes advertised for 6 years. Cahn wants to expand the Middle Child brand to a third location at Philadelphia International Airport and to outposts in Austin and Los Angeles, says the suit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas, which alleges trademark infringement. Advertisement But, as Cahn told Eater on Tuesday, consumer confusion over the names could slow his growth. He told The Inquirer Wednesday that he was unavailable to comment, and his attorneys declined to comment beyond the suit. A representative of the Las Vegas group told Eater: The truth will prevail, and we are confident that it will be evident to all. The outcome would appear to hinge on interpretation of trademark law, balancing the date of filing against its first use in commerce. Cahn opened his 16-seat luncheonette at 248 S. 11th St. in Center City in October 2017 and expanded in October 2021 to 1232 N. Front St. in Fishtown with a larger bar-restaurant, Middle Child Clubhouse. Middle Child was a hit from the start, thanks to Cahns brash marketing and acclaimed sandwiches. Its pastrami, egg, and cheese on rye won Good Morning Americas United States of Breakfast contest last year. The Las Vegas group filed a trademark application in September 2022. After Cahn filed his own Middle Child application in January 2023, emails between lawyers followed. In April 2023, according to the suit, the Las Vegas group offered to allow Cahn to use the name in the Philadelphia metropolitan area while allowing the Vegas group to use it elsewhere. Cahn filed to oppose Las Vegas application in September 2023. READ MORE: How these Philadelphia restaurants got their names The conflict flared publicly last week after Cahn saw that one of the Vegas owners, bartender Nectaly Mendoza, announced the midday eaterys opening. (Mendoza has since made his Instagram private.) Last Friday, Cahn posted his January 2023 cease-and-desist letter to the Vegas group on his Instagram. In typical Cahn fashion, he asked his nearly 48,000 followers to email the Vegas group to complain. Tiffs over restaurant names are not uncommon. Bad blood flowed for decades between the two Bookbinders seafood restaurants, each claiming authenticity. The Tacconellis pizzerias battled over branding, as well. When the Tony Lukes sandwich empire was split up, one son kept the name while the patriarch and another son renamed their remaining location Tony & Nicks. READ MORE: Why do so many Philadelphia restaurants have the same names? Just before the 2016 Olympics, the U.S. Olympic Committee sent a cease-and-desist letter to Olympic Gyro at Reading Terminal Market. Rather than spend money on lawyers, owner Athens Voulgaridis changed the name to Olympia Gyro. In one long-running case settled last fall, giant Taco Bell outspent Gregorys Restaurant & Bar in Somers Point, N.J., in a trademark fight over the term Taco Tuesday. Even more recently, the nonprofit group hoping to rebuild historic Tun Tavern is using the Tun as it negotiates with the Tun Tavern trademark holder in Atlantic City. Justina Buskaite in the European Review of Books: Lithuania has lost the Eurovision Song Contest thirty times. The first loss, in 1994, was awarded to Ovidijus Vysniauskas Lopsine mylimai (Lullaby for my lover). The ballad about a secret love, worthy of a soundtrack to a Kevin Costner romance, received nul points and placed absolute last, disqualifying Lithuania from the next years contest and prophesying the three decades to come. (I count disqualification as a second loss rather than a continuation of the first loss. I also count withdrawals as losses.) There are different ways we could count. Since 1994, Lithuania has had 24 entries, out of which: seven failed to qualify for the Eurovision final; eight placed at the bottom half of all the entries; three have placed so low that Lithuania was disqualified from competing in the next years contest; three have made it to the top 10! zero have been close to the podium. Lithuania withdrew from Eurovision after the trauma of Lopsine mylimai and only returned in 1999, with an entry sung entirely in Samogitian, a Western Lithuanian dialect, which then disqualified Lithuania from competing in 2000. But Lithuania has lost Eurovision not only in standard Lithuanian and Samogitian: weve lost in English and French, and with scattered losing lyrics in German, Russian, and American Sign Language. More here. The newly unionized nurses and techs at Temple Health's Fox Chase Cancer Center have escalated their threat of a strike this week. Read more Nurses and technical staff at Temple Healths Fox Chase Cancer Center voted Wednesday to start a five-day strike on June 4, following roughly eight months of unsuccessful negotiations with Temple for their first contracts since organizing as unions. Ninety-four percent of the nurses and techs who participated in the vote favored declaring a strike, according to the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, which represents the nurses and techs. PASNAP did not say how many union members voted. Advertisement The strike would occur about one year after the two unions formed last June one representing registered nurses and one representing techs, including X-ray techs, surgical techs, and respiratory therapists. Fox Chase did not respond to The Inquirers request for comment on deadline. The nurses and techs are asking for increased staffing and higher wages, the union said. They also want to have more influence over hospital policies and procedures. Temple has been negotiating separately with the two sets of unionized employees. PASNAP filed an unfair labor practices complaint with the National Labor Relations Board on March 6 alleging bad faith bargaining by Temple. The roughly 135 techs and nearly 400 nurses at the specialty cancer center in Northeast Philadelphia gave their unions bargaining committees approval to hand Temple a 10-day strike notice in March. At the time, they stopped short of declaring one. But the workers say the negotiations havent progressed sufficiently since. Weve had enough of the disrespect, palliative-care nurse Maria Klinger-Gonzalez said in a statement. Strike authorization votes are common during contract negotiations, and often do not lead to a strike. The nurses at Temple University Hospital-Jeanes Campus voted in late February to authorize a strike, but ultimately did not initiate one. The Jeanes nurses, who share a campus with Fox Chase, approved a contract in April. Hospital workers in the region last went on strike over Christmas, when nurses represented by PASNAP at two Prime Healthcare-owned hospitals walked out of work for five days. The roughly 240 Suburban Community Hospital and Lower Bucks Hospital employees returned to work subsequently, and still dont have a new contract. Katherine Anderson's kidney transplant was delayed because an organ transplant algorithm made it less likely that Black patients would be approved for a transplant. A new study from the University of Pennsylvania recently examined dozens of studies on similar health care algorithms and found that race is an imprecise metric to use when determining care. In this 2023, photo, Anderson of Norristown shows some blood test results. Read more University of Pennsylvania researchers undertook the most comprehensive review yet on the algorithms that doctors and health systems use to help make decisions on patient care and whether they contribute to long-standing racial biases in health care. Their wide-ranging review of more than five dozen studies on algorithms and race found that some algorithms can result in more equitable care, while others can exacerbate health disparities. Advertisement Their conclusion: A patients race isnt necessarily a useful data point in determining what kind of care they should receive. Algorithms that included the race of a patient as part of an effort to reduce inequities generally resulted in better care for everyone. But those that included the race of a patient for no real reason tended to worsen racial disparities in health care. Its a sign that intention matters when designing and using such programs in health care, the researchers say and that health systems should be careful not to assume that an algorithm is unbiased simply because its not human. Race is just a bad variable. Its always a proxy for something else, said Shazia Siddique, a Penn gastroenterologist who spent four years researching race and algorithms with a contract from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Thats because race is a social concept, she said, not a scientific one. Genetics, for example, can vary widely among socially-defined racial groups: Among Asians, for example, theres huge differences in genetic ancestry and social and cultural practices, Siddique said. And Black Americans descended from enslaved people might differ genetically from Black people from Africa or the Caribbean. All of that variation makes race an unreliable data point. The goal is really to figure out what are those variables to switch to instead of race, Siddique said. Applying the findings in Philly Some industry players expect to use their findings as they work to correct algorithms that can deepen biases. Last year, 12 Philadelphia-area health systems and the regions largest insurer, Independence Blue Cross, formed a coalition that pledged to eliminate race as a data point from several health-care algorithms. The coalition advocates for race to be removed from 15 common clinical decision-making algorithms, all but one of which were identified in a 2020 New England Journal of Medicine study on race and algorithmic bias. The goal is to help health systems find new approaches to clinical decision-making without the use of imprecise diagnostic metrics, like race. We discuss how to remove race from these tools, said Seun Ross, IBXs executive director of health equity. Were trying to understand how race is being used in these tools and if hospital systems are still using race in these tools. Siddiques study, she said, underscores how important that work is. The use of race in these tools has to be very, very explicit, Ross said. You have to know what you are accounting for. You cant just throw it in there and try to capture something objectively when race is subjective. How algorithms can exacerbate inequity The researchers reviewed 63 studies on algorithms in health care to assess how their treatment of race affected a patients outcomes. Results varied. One study, for example, found that including race in an algorithm for prostate cancer screenings helped reduce unnecessary biopsies for Black men. Another study found that more Black patients were eligible for kidney transplants after race was removed from an algorithm that helped diagnose kidney disease. But several other studies found that not taking race into account in the same algorithm could also make Black patients less likely to access chemotherapy, be eligible for clinical trials, or receive accurate medication doses. Sometimes, the algorithms did not perpetuate bias, but patients still were treated differently based on their identities. One study found that an algorithm designed to triage chest pain had no effect on racial disparities, but that doctors were less likely to use the program when they treated women. It can be demoralizing to realize that algorithms designed to make health care more impartial may still be contributing to disparities, Penns Siddique said. Those developing algorithms for care decisions should think carefully about how race works in the program, and ensure that theyre considering diverse populations and experiences as they work, Siddique said: An algorithm is only as good as the data that underlie it. And its crucial that researchers, health systems, and insurance companies be open about how theyre using such programs to direct a patients care, she said. What we know is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many algorithms that are embedded in patients health records that are not transparent, and theyve never been studied, Siddique said. More transparency and regulation is needed. Marigold, one of four capybaras at the Cape May County Zoo, eats bamboo leaves for a midday treat. Capybaras are the world's largest rodents. Read more A shy guy from Abilene, Texas, moves to a small town on the Jersey Shore, looking for love. It sounds like the setup for a romantic comedy, or the premise of a reality dating show, at least to Cape May zookeeper Stephanie Schnitzler. The big twist? The guy in question is a young capybara named Goomba. The zoo welcomed Goomba on Valentines Day 2023 as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survivor Plan, a breeding program for animals in captivity. The idea was to match Goomba, then just 6 months old, with one of the three female capybaras at the Cape May County Zoo: Budette and her two daughters, Marigold and Buttercup. Advertisement The first introductions did not go well. Goomba, who Schnitzler describes as a short king, is on the smaller side for a capybara, and was intimidated by some of his new roommates. Our neutered male, Cappucino, hated him from the start, Schnitzler, who has been a zookeeper at Cape May for seven years, said. Males are very territorial. Cappucino is pretty big. Goombas first potential match, Marigold, was also not a fan. It went exceptionally badly, Schnitzler said. I call her girl boss. Shes very aggressive in that sense. Marigold, one of the largest capybaras in the herd, would antagonize Goomba by standing up on her hind legs and showing off her teeth. He would just run from her. Not only was this a bad date for Goomba and Marigold, it was stressful for the zookeepers. While mixing the two semiaquatic rodents, several zookeepers would be in the pen, standing at the ready with pig boards large plastic slabs used to corral hogs in case a fight brought out. You know when parents drop kids off at the movies for their first dates in middle school? Thats pretty much what goes on, Schnitzler said. To ease the tension and to have a little bit of fun with the situation Schnitzler decided that she would style the encounters as reality television-style dates on the zoos Instagram account. The Cape May Zoo had its very own version of The Bachelor. After some more chaperoned dates, Goomba moved on from Marigold. He ended up hitting it off with not one, but two mates. Whats more? The two he chose are a mother-daughter pair, Budette and Buttercup. While in the human world, that would take things from The Bachelor straight into Jerry Springer territory, in the capybara context, Schnitzler assures, its pretty normal. Female capybaras do a lot of communal things. When they have pups that are similar in age they will let them nurse from each other. Theyll co-parent, Schnitzler said. Now that Goomba has given out his final roses and begun breeding, the hope is that later this year, there might be some capybara pups at the zoo. Will there be a reunion episode? Schnitzler said time will tell. But look out for their Behind the Rose post coming up soon. Fans of capybara drama can come visit the capybara enclosure at the Cape May Zoo for a glimpse at the herd from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. New branding is shown on new cold brew cans at La Colombe in Fishtown. Read more Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter Welcome to Thursday. Expect some showers and temps in the high 60s. Five months ago, La Colombe was acquired by Chobani for $900 million. Our top story today looks at whether the iconic Philly coffee brand will stay the same. And counties across Pennsylvania face a teacher shortage but its especially bad in Philadelphia, exacerbated by funding inequities. Advertisement Read on for these stories and more. Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com) If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here. Is La Colombe still a Philly company? Pour over the details: The 20-year-old, Rittenhouse-founded coffee roaster and cafe chain was acquired by Chobani back in December for $900 million. At the time, the Greek yogurt brands CEO insisted La Colombe which counts 900 employees across its 32 cafes, plus corporate roles, compared to Chobanis 2,700-person workforce would continue to operate as an independent brand. Tall order: But mergers come with cultural shifts. That includes different management styles, policies, and pay structure. So hows it going, five months in? Changes percolating: Consumers will notice La Colombes new canned drink and updated logo (the dove faces right now). Baristas report a more corporate feel during team meetings, and some stricter policies that align with Chobanis. But those who spoke to The Inquirer generally see the changes as positive including a minimum wage bump to $20 per hour. Still home-brewed: A big component of the La Colombe brand is being from Philadelphia, the companys chief marketing officer said. We are a national brand now, but our home is Philadelphia, and we dont intend to change that. Reporters Lizzy McLellan Ravitch and Ariana Perez-Castells have the buzz. Pennsylvania schools need to hire at least 15,000 teachers to counter a statewide teacher shortage, per a new report. The crisis, as one advocate put it, is not new but it is particularly serious in Philadelphia. The scope of the shortage varies by county. In Philly, its considered severe. Bucks and Chester have mild shortages, Montgomerys is moderate, and Delawares is high. The states education programs arent producing enough certified teachers to make up the difference, with a 66% decline over the past decade. Attrition and funding inequities exacerbate the problem. Education reporter Maddie Hanna breaks down the full stats on the shortage, and what could be done to improve them. What you should know today Trivia time Who is the typical millionaire homeowner in the Philly area? A) Millennial content creator B) Gen X physician C) Boomer lawyer D) Silent Generation retiree Think you know? Check your answer. What we're... Ogling: This new $50 million luxury resort in Wildwood Crest. Squealing over: This river otter that took a selfie in Ridley Creek, and these Cape May Zoo capybaras finding love in their own version of The Bachelor. Heeding: These tips for Peco customers, who have been targeted by scam callers since a recent system upgrade. Unscramble the anagram This Shore town is banning tents and cabanas from its beaches in a bid to fight beach erosion: North ... OLD WIDOW Email us if you know the answer. Well select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Becky Bowlby, who solved Wednesdays anagram: Thomas Jefferson. Susan C. Aldridge is the newly permanent president of the Philly university named for the Founding Father. Photo of the day West Philadelphia native and Abbott Elementary creator Quinta Brunson told Temple graduates at commencement to keep their community close. (Fun fact about this Owl: Quinta and I were in the same Acting 101 gen-ed class in 2010. And look, were about equally famous now!) Enjoy your Thursday. Back at it tomorrow! By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirers Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10. Rabbi Alissa Wise is arrested by police on April 26 as she and a group of religious leaders sought to deliver food to Gazans near the Erez border crossing in Israel. Read more As a rabbi in Philadelphia whose family moved to Palestine from Lithuania in 1809 before immigrating to the U.S., I was horrified when, in the days following the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant announced an order for Gazas complete siege. He declared that no electricity, food, fuel or water will be delivered. We are fighting barbarians and will respond accordingly. Reading these words, my heart sank, and I instantly felt nauseous. Advertisement I knew he meant it, I knew Israel had every intention to starve Palestinians, and I knew this was a complete abdication of Jewish values. When my family came to Palestine from Lithuania, they first settled in the Old City of Jerusalem, and later became one of the seven families to settle outside of the Old Citys walls in the Nahalat Shiva neighborhood of Jerusalem. I am part of the Rivlin family, whose descendants have gone on to serve as president of Israel, outspoken anti-occupation activists, and everything in between. Growing up, on family trips to Israel, we would take pictures under the Rivlin Street sign in the Jerusalem neighborhood my ancestors settled. It was meant to be a source of pride in our family that we were Jewish settlers. And it was for me until I went to study abroad at Hebrew University in Jerusalem during my junior year of college and learned about the Nakba, the catastrophic mass displacement of Palestinians in 1948 when Israel was founded, the ongoing military occupation of Palestinian lands, and the gruesome reality for Palestinians living under the Israeli state. My pride transformed into commitment as I turned to dedicate my life to standing in solidarity with Palestinians and building a Jewish future worthy of the coming generations. My family left Palestine during the First World War because my great-grandfather was seeking to avoid being drafted into the Ottoman army. A wealthy American Jew, Hershel Manischewitz, who was studying in his yeshiva in Jerusalem, helped him immigrate to the U.S. and set him up with work distributing his familys kosher food products in Cincinnati. My great-grandfathers business continued for decades, with my father and uncles taking the helm. I grew up surrounded by food, taking joy rides on the pallet movers in the warehouse, bartering with local Jews for goods and services, and, of course, ritualized meals at my Bubbes table for Shabbat and holidays. There was always a random guest at the table, someone my grandparents met in the community. There was always an open seat at the table. At Passover, when we read from the Passover Haggadah Let all who are hungry come and eat we would take comfort in knowing we were doing our part as a family. My familys history shaped my reaction, and ultimately how I moved out of despair. Fast-forward to October. In the days after Hamas attacked Israel and Israel invaded Gaza, I called together a group of rabbis to speak out for a cease-fire to save lives. That holy circle of faith leaders, Rabbis for Ceasefire, is now over 325 strong. When it came time to mark Passover this year, we knew we had to address the Israeli governments utilization of starvation as a weapon of war against 2.3 million Palestinian people in the occupied Gaza Strip. This manufactured famine follows decades of forced displacement, military occupation, and communal subjugation by the Israeli government. So we planned to travel to the Gaza border to bring food into Gaza, arm-in-arm with Jewish Israeli comrades. We have been watching for months as right-wing Jewish settlers have been given free rein at the southern border between Israel and Gaza, successfully blocking the entry of hundreds of aid trucks into Gaza. We wanted to do the opposite to bring food in, to shepherd in aid, to demand a cease-fire, to show the people of Gaza they are not alone. As human rights experts warn that Gaza is now at catastrophic levels of famine, the urgency of our action was clear. On Friday, April 26, a delegation from Rabbis for Ceasefire from the U.S. joined Israeli rabbis and Jews in a public attempt to deliver food aid to the people of Gaza through the Erez border crossing. As we marched toward the crossing with bags of rice and flour, we chanted the words of the Passover Haggadah: Kol dichfin yeitei vyeichol let all who are hungry come and eat. While food aid is essential, it is not sufficient. To save the lives of Palestinians on the verge of death by Israels policy of forced starvation and siege, there must be significant infrastructure in place to supply and distribute food, with medical advice and supervision. This is not possible without a cease-fire and lifting the siege. I was held for nearly 10 hours at the Ashkelon police station. Unlike the right-wing settlers blocking aid from entering, we were immediately stopped, and myself and six others were arrested. The rest of the group retreated and brought the aid we had sought to bring to the starving people of Gaza to the West Bank, where Palestinians are the targets of vigilante settler violence, land theft, and military intimidation. I was held for nearly 10 hours at the Ashkelon police station. The Israeli police officer who interrogated me after my arrest said, You are being detained because you tried to bring bags of rice and flour into Gaza. Ultimately, we were released after agreeing to stay away from the Gaza border for 15 days. Our success was not, of course, from bringing food into Gaza. The Israeli police prevented that. Rather, our nonviolent action succeeded in shining a light on Palestinians on the verge of death by starvation, offering them our solidarity, and reminding Jews of our responsibility to live our lives in accordance with the most sacred value of our beautiful tradition: We are each made in the image of the divine. Rabbi Alissa Wise lives in West Philadelphia and is the founder and lead organizer of Rabbis for Ceasefire. She was ordained at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Wyncote in 2009. Hospital facility fees bills in Harrisburg have languished in committee and not yet advanced for consideration by lawmakers. Steps must be taken to protect health-care consumers, The Inquirer Editorial Board writes. Read more Theres so much unfairness in America today that it shouldnt be surprising to see people take to the streets in protest because they no longer believe needed changes will ever occur if left to the broken political system thats supposed to ensure right ultimately beats wrong. Whats unfair? Advertisement How about going to your doctor for years and only being charged your health insurance copay, and then getting a bill in the mail after your last appointment saying you owe an outpatient facility fee of $50, $100, $200, or more. These fees cover expenses that arent directly related to your care, such as air-conditioning or security for your doctors office. If your doctors are charging fees you were not being asked to pay before, they may have quietly ended their independent practice and become employees of a hospital system that now considers that office an outpatient center which, by law, can charge nonmedical fees for services at a hospital ambulatory care facility. More and more people are being charged facility fees because more and more doctors are no longer independent. Hospital ownership of physician practices grew 124% nationally between 2012 and 2018, according to a Georgetown University study. By 2021, an astounding 74% of all physicians in this country had become employees of hospitals or corporations. Not only are most physicians no longer their own boss, they also must follow treatment rules imposed by health insurance carriers, even if they dont agree with them. That dynamic has greatly impacted the doctor-patient relationship, which researchers in a 2015 study say is one of the most moving and meaningful experiences shared by human beings. Along with excessive fees for office visits, patients must pay the ever-increasing premiums and deductibles charged by medical insurance companies. That double whammy is one of the reasons polls show many Americans remain uneasy about the economy despite its improvement. They see little or no relief in either their grocery or medical bills. President Joe Biden has taken notice of the facility fees issue. The travel industry has figured out how to charge customers $90 a night in resort fees for hotels that arent resorts, he said recently. Hospitals are trying to do something similar charging hidden facility fees for going to a doctors office in the building owned by the hospital. But with Congress still flailing in a partisan swamp, not much can be expected from Biden. That is why 13 states (Connecticut, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Washington) have written their own rules to protect patients from being gouged by hospital corporations that seem more concerned with producing maximum profits than treating patients fairly. Connecticut has the strictest law, which prohibits any hospital or health system from charging a facility fee for services provided on a hospital campus outside of its emergency department. Other states have less restrictive rules, but a common thread among most of the new laws is a requirement that hospitals notify patients in advance that they may be charged fees their health insurance does not cover. Pennsylvania, so far, has not even done that. Facility fees bills have yet to make it out of committee, including legislation introduced during the last session by two Democrats serving Chester and other nearby counties, State Sen. Katie J. Muth and State Rep. Dan K. Williams. Their proposed changes wouldnt prohibit facility fees but would require prior notice to patients before they are charged. The legislation would also require state notification when ownership of a physicians practice changes. Revenue goals obviously mean more to some of the enterprises running hospitals today than the compassion for patients traditionally associated with the practice of medicine. State Rep. Kathy Rapp of Warren, Republican chair of the House Health Committee, told the Meadville Tribune that the facilities fees proposals have stalled because there have been issues with insurance companies opposing it. But the insurance companies neither collect facility fees nor include them in their medical services payments to hospitals. One must ask: If a physician was able to both pay the light bill and provide competent medical care to patients before selling that practice to a hospital, why must the hospital that bought the practice now charge patients an added fee to cover the same maintenance costs? Revenue goals obviously mean more to some of the enterprises running hospitals today than the compassion for patients traditionally associated with the practice of medicine. Government reimbursement regulations, insurance company directives, and, yes, corporate greed have changed todays medical profession. As a result, more steps are needed to protect health-care consumers. Among them is imposing reasonable restrictions on the unfair charges and fees hospitals seem to be collecting from patients not because they need to pay their bills, but because they can. The lobster roll at Dock and Claw Clam Bar in Beach Haven, N.J. on Thursday, June 16, 2022. Dock and Claw is located at 506 Centre Street. Read more Embark on a culinary adventure down the Jersey Shore with our guide to the best dining and drinking spots from Atlantic City to Cape May. This summer, the region buzzes with a mix of old city favorites and fresh talents who bring their magic to the coast. Whether youre craving the simple pleasures of a cherry-dipped soft serve, fresh seafood straight from the ocean, a classic Philly cheesesteak with a seaside twist, or a sophisticated sip while overlooking the water, this guide covers it all. Dive into a world where old-school dives, inventive breweries, and sunny outdoor dining spots combine to create a foodies paradise by the sea. Get ready to explore the vibrant culinary scene that makes the Jersey Shore a beloved summer destination for both locals and visitors alike. From Atlantic City to Cape May, Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LaBan lays out all the spots worth eating and drinking at down the shore this summer and the vibes are PHILLY. This summer, the oceans salty spray mixes with the unmistakable scent of Philly as old city favorites and fresh culinary talents make their mark along the coast. From Atlantic Citys buzzing gastropubs to Ocean Citys daring BYOB scenes, the Shore is more than just a scenic escape its a food paradise. Whether its the iconic Philly cheesesteak getting a seaside twist or a Cape May bistro channeling French cuisine with a local touch, theres a taste of Philadelphia on every plate. Summer at the Jersey Shore unfolds a tapestry of experiences biking to the earliest breakfasts, savoring the slow melt of cherry-dipped soft serve, and basking in beachside sunsets with a stealthy High Noon in hand. Yet among these serene pleasures, perhaps the most cherished is the ritual of devouring seafood in its most honest form: fried clam strips and cold, briny oysters straight from a humble tin at a no-frills shack. From the iconic Smittys in Somers Point to the vibrant Mikes Seafood in Sea Isle City, each spot offers a unique taste of coastal charm. Dive into our guide and explore 13 must-visit seafood sanctuaries from Cape May to Point Pleasant. As summer heats up at the Jersey Shore, the local bars are not to be missed! From Atlantic Citys bustling bustling happy hour at Docks Oyster House, to a laid-back evening at Maynards Cafe, or a sophisticated sip at the Washington Inns wine bar, theres a spot for every mood and occasion. Whether youre in for a quick beer or a craft cocktail, these 16 Shore bars mix the essence of Phillys vibrant scene with coastal flair, promising memorable nights out all season long. At the Jersey Shore, dining al fresco is elevated to an art form. From bustling Buckets Margarita Bar & Cantina to the serene settings of Sunset Pier, each waterfront venue combines the joys of fresh seafood, cool breezes, and stunning views. Whether youre cracking open crabs to a sunset backdrop or sipping chilled drinks under the stars, these spots offer the quintessential shore dining experience, perfect for both casual outings and upscale meals. Whether its the retro charm of Skipper Dippers vast flavor selections, the unique homemade gelati at Willows Way, or the legendary offerings at Springers in Stone Harbor, each of these Jersey Shore ice cream spots promises more than just a sweet treat they offer a slice of summer nostalgia. From drippy cones laden with sprinkles to innovative creations like Georges Candies Seagull Droppings, these ice cream shops are essential stops for anyone visiting the Shore. For those looking to swap seaside sips for craft brews, the stretch from Atlantic City to Cape May is dotted with exceptional breweries, each offering a unique local flavor. Highlights include The Seed: A Living Beer Project in Atlantic City, known for its cozy, eclectic taproom and innovative brews, and Cape May Brewing, a pioneer in the areas craft beer scene. Perfect for an afternoon escape, these breweries serve up creativity by the pint. The Jersey Shore is not just a haven for beachgoers but also a burgeoning hotspot for wine enthusiasts. The area is marked by a variety of wineries that benefit from the unique maritime climate, enhancing the complexity and flavor profiles of their wines. Whether youre interested in a sophisticated wine tasting experience, a casual afternoon sipping wine by the vineyard, or exploring local brews, the Shores wineries and breweries have something to offer. In Ocean City, New Jersey, Chris OHara has taken a sweet twist on his familys culinary legacy by opening Nauti Donuts, complementing the well-loved Uncle Bills Pancake House and Aunt Bettys Ice Cream Shack. Nearby, Maryanne Pastry Shoppe in Sea Isle City continues its long-standing tradition of morning treats with a variety of classic doughnuts, loved through generations. These local spots epitomize the Shores cherished ritual of starting the day with something sweet, serving both as a reminder of the areas rich family-run business culture and as a favorite destination for doughnut enthusiasts. Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) makes President Joe Biden laugh during a 2023 news conference. The Democratic senator this week criticized the president's threat to withhold some arms supplies to Israel. Read more U.S. Sen. John Fetterman called President Joe Bidens threat to withhold military aid to Israel deeply disappointing, the latest criticism he has levied at the president over his handling of the war in Gaza. On Wednesday, Biden announced on CNN that he would halt some shipments of bombs and artillery into Israel if the country invaded the Palestinian city of Rafah. Advertisement Fetterman, a Democratic senator from Pennsylvania, reposted the news on the social media platform X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Hard disagree and deeply disappointing, the senator said. It comes a day after Fetterman went on Fox News and more softly criticized the Biden administrations caution toward supplying arms should there be an invasion. Hes been very supportive of Israel, but I dont agree with him on everything. For example I dont think we should be withholding any munitions and I think we should be sending them immediately, Fetterman said. Israel is in this kind of war; I have no conditions, I never have, and I cant imagine I ever will. Fetterman has built a reputation for telling it as he sees it but criticism of a vulnerable president up for reelection by one of his partys own senators in a swing state is still somewhat rare. Fetterman has been the most outspoken Democratic advocate for Israel in the Senate, a position thats angered some progressives in his party who saw him as aligning with their movement, including those who want to see a cease-fire in the conflict. In Bidens interview on Wednesday, he acknowledged that some American weapons were used to kill civilians in Gaza and said that he would halt some shipments of American weapons to Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a major invasion of the city of Rafah, Hamas last major stronghold in Gaza. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers, Biden told CNNs Erin Burnett, referring to 2,000-pound bombs that Biden paused shipments of last week. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they havent gone in Rafah yet if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities that deal with that problem, Biden said. WASHINGTON Hardline Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene tried and failed in sudden action Wednesday to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson, her long-shot effort swiftly and resoundingly rejected by Democrats and Republicans tired of the political chaos. One of Donald Trumps biggest supporters in Congress, Greene stood on the House floor and read a long list of transgressions she said Johnson had committed as speaker. Colleagues booed in protest. Advertisement Greene criticized Johnsons leadership as pathetic, weak and unacceptable. After Greene triggered the vote on her motion to vacate the speaker from his office, Republican Majority Leader Steve Scalise quickly countered by calling first for a vote to table it. An overwhelming majority, 359-43, kept Johnson in his job, for now. As Ive said from the beginning, and Ive made clear here every day, I intend to do my job, Johnson said afterward. And Ill let the chips fall where they may. In my view, that is leadership. Its the second time in a matter of months that Republicans have worked to oust their own speaker, an unheard of level of party turmoil with a move rarely seen in U.S. history. The tally shows the strengths but also the stark limits of Johnsons hold on the gavel, and the risks ahead for any Republican trying to lead the GOP in the Trump era. Without Democratic help, Johnson would have certainly faced a more dismal outcome. All told, 11 Republicans voted to proceed with Greenes effort, more than it took to oust then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy last fall, a first in U.S. history. And the threat still lingers any single lawmaker can call up the motion to vacate the speaker. Johnson said he hoped it is the end of the personality politics. As Greene pressed ahead with the snap vote despite pushback from Republicans at the highest levels, including Trump, GOP lawmakers filtered towards Johnson, giving him pats on the back and grasping his shoulder to assure him of their support. The Georgia Republican had vowed weeks ago she would force a vote on the motion to vacate the Republican speaker if he dared to advance a foreign aid package for Ukraine, which was overwhelmingly approved late last month and signed into law. But in recent days it seemed her effort had cooled, as she and Johnson met repeatedly for a potential resolution. Johnson of Louisiana marched on, saying he had been willing to take the risk to approve the foreign aid, believing it was important for the U.S. to back Ukraine against Russias invasion and explaining he wanted to be on the right side of history. In a highly unusual move, the speaker received a boost from Democrats led by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, whose leadership team had said it was time to turn the page on the GOP turmoil and vote to table Greenes resolution almost ensuring Johnsons job is saved, for now. Our decision to stop Marjorie Taylor Greene from plunging the country into further chaos is rooted in our commitment to solve problems, Jeffries said after the vote. Trump had also weighed in after Johnson trekked to Mar-a-Lago last month for support, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee giving the speaker his nod of approval. And Trumps hand-picked leader at the Republican National Committee urged House Republicans off the move. Ahead of House voting, Trump said on social media, I absolutely love Marjorie Taylor Greene, but he said Republicans need to be fighting now to defeat Democrats in the November election. He urged Republicans to table Greenes motion. At some point, we may very well be, but this is not the time, Trump said, to oust the speaker. The move now poses its own political risks for Greene, a high-profile provocateur who has moved to the forefront of the party with her own massive following and proximity to Trump. Greene was determined to force her colleagues to be on the record with their vote putting them in the politically uncomfortable position of backing the speaker and seen as joining forces with Democrats to save him. Im proud of what I did today, Greene said afterward on the Capitol steps. While reporters and camera crews crowded around Greene and ally Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., a group of other Republicans gathered on the steps trying to shift the attention away from her and make their own views known. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., said of those trying to remove the speaker, Theyre pretty good at getting attention, but they have not been recognized for their ability to get things done. He said if they keep pushing to oust the speaker, I think you can expect more of the same: Failure. Reps. Carlos Gimenez, a Florida Republican, said of Greene: She doesnt represent the Republican Party. Im tired of of this being the face or the voice of the party and getting attention. Thats all she wants, is the attention. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., called for Greene and Massie to be punished for their actions. Had Democrats not taken the unusual move to help, the vote would most likely have ended differently for Johnson who holds one of the slimmest majorities in the House in modern times, with no votes to spare. Last year, the House chamber was hurled into chaos when eight Republicans voted to remove McCarthy from the speakers office and Democrats declined to help save him. Ousting McCarthy resulted in a nearly monthlong search for a new GOP leader, bringing the chamber to a standstill with an episode Republicans wanted to avoid ahead of the November election. U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R., Pa.) is facing criticism after he reportedly called the Ku Klux Klan the military wing of the Democratic Party in a closed-door briefing for lawmakers on antisemitism Tuesday, according to CNN. Perry also appeared to defend the so-called great replacement theory the racist, white nationalist belief that white people are being purposely replaced by minorities and immigrants in the United States and Europe, CNN reported. Perry added that migrants entering the country have no interest in being Americans. Advertisement Audio of the comments, which Perry reportedly made during a House Oversight Committee members briefing about The Origins and Implications of Rising Antisemitism in Higher Education were obtained by CNN. Perry, an ally of former President Donald Trump and the former leader of the House Freedom Caucus, is running for reelection in Pennsylvanias 10th Congressional District, which includes Dauphin County and parts of Cumberland and York counties. Democrat Janelle Stelson, a former local news anchor, is challenging him in the November general election. Asked for comment Wednesday about the leaked audio, Perrys office released a statement: Once again, the radical Left twists facts in order to silence conversation about its own crimes and Bidens intentional failures to enforce laws and close or regulate our borders, Perry said. My point is proven yet again: when the Left loses an argument, it debases and smears instead of engaging in debate on merits. According to the audio as reported by CNN, Perry said, The KKK in modern times, a lot of young people think somehow its a right-wing organization when it is the military wing of the Democratic Party. Decidedly, unabashedly, racist and antisemitic. Although the KKK was founded by Democrats in 1865, it became an extra-legal terror organization that was never the wing of any political party, said Matt Jordan, director of the Pennsylvania State University News Literacy Initiative, which helps students and citizens distinguish reliable journalism from the noise that often overwhelms and divides us, according to its website. Perrys comments repeated debunked tropes Perrys statements repeated tropes about the KKK and replacement theory that are sticky narratives, according to Jordan widely circulated, debunked ideas that politicians use to garner media attention and to rile their base. Replacement theory is real Perry said, according to CNN. They added white to it to stop everybody from talking about it. While Perry said during the briefing he is happy to accept people that are here legally, pointing to his ancestors who migrated to the United States, he has an issue with migrants that are un-American, according to the audio recording. What is happening now is were importing people into the country that want to be in America but have no interest in being Americans, and thats very different and to disparage the comments is to chill the conversation so that we can continue to bring in more people that we never met that are un-American, Perry said, according to the recording. The great replacement theory is misinformation with fascist resonance, Jordan said. You replace white voters with brown-skinned immigrants to denigrate and corrupt the blood of our country, is how people think, he added. Tucker Carlson and others use it. Its deployed with great effect in the right-wing media echo system. And, Jordan said, theres not a shred of evidence that migrants here without documentation can vote, though Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson recently have promoted a bill to prevent non-citizens from voting. The briefing for lawmakers this week was intended set up to discuss the District of Columbias response to the pro-Palestinian protests and encampments on college campuses. House Republicans have advocated for racking down on the demonstrations and have attempted to unify against antisemitism, according to CNN. Other recent remarks by Scott Perry Perrys remarks this week werent the first controversial comments hes made recently. At the conservative Pennsylvania Leadership Conference in Camp Hill last month, Perry referenced transgender students in school locker rooms and said, If you say something about it, the FBI will likely list you as a domestic extremist. Thats a common talking point among conservatives. Jordan, of Penn State, said that amplifying the anti-trans moral panic is a feature of far-right politicians worldwide. To say the FBI will violate your First Amendment rights and put you on a list of extremists is pure paranoid fantasy. Perry also claimed that the Biden administration is out to grab up peoples gas stoves. Thats an inaccurate assessment of health and climate concerns about gas appliances thats nonetheless repeated endlessly on conservative talk radio, experts say. When Perry recycles these well-worn, culture-war talking points, hes attempting to use moral panic to fire up conservative Republicans enough to make sure they vote, Jordan said. Its when the strategic use of misinformation becomes disinformation, Jordan said. Rhetoric used to knowingly fool people. Councilmember Jeffery Young after Mayor Parkers first budget address to City Council in March. Young introduced a bill Thursday that would block Parker's plan to open a triage facility in Fairmount, which is in his district. Read more Philadelphia City Council will consider legislation that seeks to effectively block Mayor Cherelle L. Parkers administration from operating an addiction services facility in Fairmount. Some lawmakers and residents were blindsided to learn from an Inquirer report last week that the administration had quietly opened an intake facility for people in addiction at 2100 W. Girard Ave. Advertisement Sources said the facility had been described as a triage center one of several that the Parker administration has proposed borrowing $100 million to build across the city. Officials later called it a wellness center, and then described it as an expansion of existing city services as a homeless shelter that operated on the enclosed Fairmount campus. Jeffery Young Jr., whose district includes the planned Fairmount site, introduced the legislation Thursday to halt those plans. He said the administration had not briefed him on any plans to repurpose or expand the state-owned, city-run facility in his district. He said his bill would prohibit the Department of Public Property from renewing or starting a new lease agreement at the building. But Young said he had not yet run the proposal past city attorneys to see if that action fell within Councils purview. If City Council has the authority to authorize leases, I think we have the authority to prohibit leases, as well, Young said. As an attorney myself I believe it is something we can do. A spokesperson for the mayors office said the administration is reviewing the bill. Young said he would not oppose the facility after enough feedback. Im open to discussions, absolutely, but there has been no discussion yet, Young said. What was this weeks highlight? Councilmember Quetcy Lozada made it known that she wasnt happy about criticism of Wednesdays encampment clearing in Kensington. The scene did not unfold as planned on Kensington Avenue on Wednesday morning, where outreach workers arrived to find that the area had been already cleared and that officers had already displaced people onto streets nearby. But Lozada, a Democrat whose district includes the area, disputed what she saw as a false emphasis from critics on the logistical mishaps. Yes, people were not there when the service providers arrived, Lozada said, tearing up on the Council floor, but that doesnt mean that they didnt get services. City outreach workers helped place 59 people in housing, detox, or treatment programs during the month-long outreach effort leading up to the encampment closure. City officials said 19 of those people were connected to services on Wednesday. What else happened this week? Councilmember Anthony Phillips introduced a bill that would ban most businesses along commercial corridors in West Oak Lane and parts of Mount Airy from operating after midnight. Phillips represents the 9th District which is largely composed of Black middle-class homeowners where Parker served before she became mayor. In recent years, he said, smoke shops, gambling machines, and 24-hour convenience stores have been popping up in his otherwise quiet district. Residents of our district were concerned about businesses that are just open to the wee hours of the night, said Phillips. Folks in the ninth district, they want serenity, they want cleanliness, and they just want an oasis of joy in their neighborhoods. Phillips said the bill as introduced is narrowly targeted to a few corridors where there have been complaints, but that he sees it as a test run for a midnight curfew for such businesses throughout the 9th District. There are a few exceptions written into the bill, he says, essentially exempting those with restaurant or liquor licenses. A bar could still be open and we have a McDonalds that can remain open, as well, because they have a drive-thru, said Phillips. The new bill was inspired by a similar legislation introduced by Lozada earlier this year, which ordered many businesses in Kensington to close by midnight. While Phillips district doesnt have much in common with Lozadas corner of Kensington, he said it was inspiring to see a colleague take aggressive action. When I saw Councilwoman Lozadas bill, I was excited that she was trying to take a stance on public nuisances in the city, said Phillips. As a result of that, I said, what can we do? Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health's Devon campus was demolished this week. A Main Line home developer will construct 10 single-family homes on the property. Read more Searching for a building to house her namesake school in the late 1910s, Helena Devereux settled on a pastoral stone home on Philadelphias Main Line that, for over 100 years, served as a campus for one of the nations leading centers for children and adults with developmental disabilities. This week, the home and campus in Devon, known as the Stone and Gables, was demolished to make way for multimillion-dollar homes. Advertisement Main Line developer Tom Bentley is turning the property into Rose Glenn, a 10-unit development in the Chester County suburb where the developer said theres little room left to build. When I started in this business, it was pretty easy to find land, said Bentley, whose company has operated in the Philadelphia suburbs for 50 years. Its just harder and harder now if I can do these 10- or 12-, or 15-lot developments in the Main Line, theyre priceless. Bentley said Rose Glenns homes would break from the McMansion design that was popular earlier in the century, offering a cottage look with around 4,400 square feet of living space and finishes like bay windows and shingled roofs with gables. The developer estimates the properties will hit the market in the low $2 millions. Bentley purchased the Highland Avenue property from Devereux in October 2022. Its not the first of the nonprofits properties that Bentley has repurposed. Hes also the developer behind Worthing, an early 2010s Newtown Square housing development built on the site of another former Devereux facility. When these properties get to the point where theyre not worth using anymore, they sell, Bentley said. Devereuxs standing and reputation was rocked in 2020 by an Inquirer investigation revealing that dozens of children had been sexually abused by staff at Devereuxs campuses in Pennsylvania and in other states over a quarter-century period, prompting Philadelphia officials to remove 53 children from its schools. The nonprofit has continued to operate nationwide. A Devereux spokesperson said a variety of factors went into its decision to close the Stone and Gables campus. Devereux has a long-standing tradition of high-quality educational programming, and the Devon propertys roadways and residential environment were not as well suited for school buses versus other locations across the region, the spokesperson wrote in an email Wednesday. As a result, a decision was made to sell the property. The Devon campus had not been in use in several years when it entered what you could call an estate sale during the pandemic, said Colleen Gray, Easttown Townships director of planning and zoning. Bentleys purchase came with one stipulation before demolition: The township required that the developer document the original Devereux stone building, which fell under the purview of the townships Historical Commission. Its an old building. Itd been so remodeled and turned into dormitory type-living, Bentley said, adding that the Historical Commission found nothing of historic value within. The purchase closed a period of uncertainty for the campus and its neighbors. In 2019, Stone and Gables was the site of protests from immigration rights activists who mobilized after the nonprofit sought to convert the property to house around 40 undocumented migrant children who had been detained by the federal government after crossing the Southwest border alone. Protesters called the proposed facility a detention center that would have subjected children to jail-like conditions. It was the second migrant facility proposed for the area. Devereux would have received $14 million in government funds to open it, along with four facilities in other states. Neighbors like Brad Vanderau, too, were wary of the plan. Vanderau said that in 2019, he had believed that Devereux was planning to sell the property to a private developer (a move similar to what would become the Rose Glenn plan). When Devereux pivoted to the migrant housing proposal, Vanderau said, hed felt it was sprung upon neighbors without input. Outside of Vanderaus home Wednesday morning, excavators swung their hulking yellow arms, leveling the last remnants of the Stone and Gables campus. Vanderau said that he was pleased he was able to review the Rose Glenn plan ahead of its construction and that the vacant property would finally be put to use. Its good for the township in a sense. Youre going to have more tax revenue coming in, [and] it only increases the population, he said. Theres going to be a few more cars, but I dont think its going to be that big of a deal. As part of APRAs ongoing supervision of entities APRA may, from time to time, discuss the ICAAP implementation plan with senior management and the boards of insurers to understand progress, it said. APRA expects that industry practice will continue to improve across the areas identified in this letter as the implementation of the new prudential standards progresses. Frederik Pelaez, executive vice president for the Eastern region and executive sponsor of the risk advisory services practice, commented: We are pleased to welcome these three well-respected professionals who are recognized for their contribution to the insurance and risk management landscape in Quebec. I think women often dont feel like they should say what they want. Part of that is imposter syndrome, but another part is when we see assumptions made about us, such as when a person has a young family or has been on maternity leave, [people assume] they probably dont want promotions. But maybe they do, Doddington said. This is especially relevant given that other nuclear pools want to also be involved already at the planning stage of the construction of a nuclear power plant in Poland, with a so-called "watching line". He explained that this is a small share that allows them to observe from the front row the progress of the construction of the nuclear power plant, in the insurance of which they will have a decisive share once it is operational. The state of Kentucky has enacted new legislation to address rising concerns about fraudulent practices in the auto glass repair industry. The new law, S.B. 29, aims to protect consumers from deceptive activities, such as overcharging, unnecessary repairs, and the use of substandard materials. It also seeks to increase transparency and accountability within the industry. Property insurers want to do business in a state like Florida, which is growing, and there is now some hope that this could eventually happen more and more. However, it is important Floridas public policymakers ensure the reform that is helping the market recover is not eroded by the billboard lawyers, he said. Kevelighan also warned that plaintiff attorneys are attempting to shift their abuse tactics to other states as Florida tightens its regulations on filing property claim lawsuits. We are thrilled to complete the purchase of TIH and enter the next phase of growth for the business as it becomes a fully independent company. Truist has built a valuable company, and we appreciate the partnership to reach this important milestone, said Chuck Davis, co-CEO of Stone Point. He emphasized the firms commitment to collaborating with TIHs leadership team and leveraging the companys strong position in the industry. David Winokur, partner at CD&R, expressed his excitement about partnering with Stone Point and supporting TIHs mission to attract and inspire talented insurance professionals. Who is Edison Fong? Fong received his Bachelor of Mathematics degree with a double major in actuarial science, finance, and statistics with a minor in economics at the University of Waterloo. He began his extensive career in actuary when he joined Manulife Financial. He continued growing his knowledge about the industry through experience in firms such as Foresters, Towers Watson, Munich Re, and Pacific Life Re. There is more uncertainty when considering forward-looking trends, but I think that we can use technology in a smarter way to help us, not to make decisions for us. We use scenarios to understand concentration risk and what that could mean for us. We can and do use AI at pace now to help us model what those scenarios could be, and gain new insights into them. Previously, youd input the problem in and get the modelled results, whereas now, you can understand the pathway of that thinking. This post is part of a series sponsored by AgentSync. When Service Insurance Companies decided to expand nationwide, what was once a mildly cumbersome task (for just the state of Texas), morphed into a Herculean challenge. The shift from a state-specific focus to a nationwide presence meant grappling with the patchwork of producer licensing regulations and processes across all 50 states. This new challenge led Service Insurance Companies to find a new solution. By partnering with AgentSync, this workers compensation insurance leader was able to take what had previously been days of work down to just a couple of minutes. Read Service Insurance Companies full success story here The before state: low-tech and tedious Jay Howard, Director of Compliance and Risk Management at Service Insurance Companies, found himself at the helm of a newly established compliance department, as the company began its transition from working solely in the state of Texas to providing workers compensation policies nationwide. Historically, appointing producers in just one state was enough to take up Howards weekends because he had to fill out paper forms by hand and mail them to the Texas Department of Insurance with a check for each producer. Howard immediately knew that he couldnt scale up Service Insurance Companies national presence without the help of modern technology to expedite the process. Attempts at a solution Before diving into AgentSync, Howards small compliance team tried making do with something the company already had: an IT ticketing system. They quickly learned the downsides of trying to use the wrong tool for the job. Like many teams that try to repurpose something they have into what they really need, the solution created as many new problems as the few things it improved. Howard soon realized the only real solution to his teams problem was to find a modern technology platform that was intentionally built with compliance management in mind. Luckily, given the serious nature of market conduct and the scrutiny every insurer is under, Howard said he didnt have a hard time making the case for an automated compliance solution to his leaders at Service Insurance Companies. The solution that stood out from the crowd AgentSyncs agility was a big selling point for us. That, and the security and cloud-based nature we saw AgentSync had set it apart from others we were considering, especially from our technical stakeholders perspective.Jay Howard, Director of Compliance and Risk Management With leaderships buy-in, Howard started his search for the right insurance compliance technology solution. For many in his position, getting the IT departments buy-in is a challenge when looking at any new software. Lucky for Howard, an IT leader was actually the first one to suggest taking a look at AgentSync. Once Howard dug deeper, it was clear that AgentSync stood out from the competition. Service Insurance Companies prioritized information security and the technical agility of their solution, both of which were key selling points when they examined AgentSync. How AgentSync helps Service Insurance Companies With AgentSync, the time to manage producer appointments plummeted from two days to mere minutes, allowing Service Insurance Companies to: Eliminate time-consuming and laborious tasks that staff previously had to work overtime to complete Enjoy complete peace of mind that no producer is selling in any state without the right appointments Provide everyone from the compliance team, accounting, leadership, and regulators quick access and a transparent view of any information they need Quickly export data at regulators request without spending any extra time Additionally, AgentSyncs impact at Service Insurance Companies extended beyond operational efficiencies. It fundamentally improved the daily work life for those in charge of managing agent appointments and compliance. The first benefit I noticed when we got AgentSync was that I wasnt spending my weekends catching up on processing appointments by hand anymore, Howard shared. Read Service Insurance Companies full success story here Ready to transform your compliance process? If Service Insurance Companies journey from compliance chaos to streamlined efficiency resonates with you, its time to explore what AgentSync can do for your organization. Contact us today to speak with one of our insurance compliance experts. Topics Carriers Texas A large staffing firm that performed COVID-19 contact tracing for Pennsylvania and exposed the private medical information of about 72,000 residents will pay $2.7 million in a settlement with the Justice Department and a company whistleblower, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday. The Pennsylvania Department of Health paid Atlanta-based Insight Global tens of millions of dollars to administer the states contact tracing program during the height of the pandemic. The company was responsible for identifying and contacting people who had been exposed to the coronavirus so they could quarantine. Employees used unauthorized Google accounts readily viewable online to store names, phone numbers, email addresses, COVID-19 exposure status, sexual orientations and other information about residents who had been reached for contact tracing, even though the companys contract with the state required it to safeguard such data. State health officials fired Insight Global in 2021 after the data breach came to light. A subsequent federal whistleblower lawsuit alleged that Insight Global secured its lucrative contract with Pennsylvania knowing that it lacked secure computer systems and adequate cybersecurity. The whistleblower a former Insight Global contractor complained to company management that residents health information was potentially accessible to the public, according to the lawsuit. The company initially ignored her, then, when pressed, told the whistleblower it was not willing to pay for the necessary computer security systems and instead preferred to use its contract funds to hire large numbers of workers, the lawsuit said. It took Insight Global five months to start securing residents protected medical information, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Contractors for the government who do not follow procedures to safeguard individuals personal health information will be held accountable, Maureen R. Dixon, who heads up the inspector generals office at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said Wednesday in a statement on the settlement, of which the whistleblower is set to receive nearly $500,000. Insight Global, which has about 70 offices in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., has previously acknowledged it mishandled sensitive information and apologized. The company said at the time it only belatedly became aware that employees had set up the unauthorized Google accounts for sharing information. A message was sent to the company Wednesday seeking comment on the settlement. Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Pennsylvania A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by a Maine woman who accused school officials of encouraging her teens gender expression by providing a chest binder and using a new name and pronouns, without consulting parents. U.S. District Judge Jon Levy acknowledged his decision that a mother such as Amber Lavigne might expect school officials to keep her informed about how her child is navigating matters related to gender identity but he concluded that she failed to establish legal claims for which the school district could be held liable. The lawsuit filed last year was the latest to weigh a minors right to privacy when confiding in a mental health professional against a parents right to supervise their childrens health and education. According to the lawsuit, a school counselor provided the chest binder and instruction on how to use it. The mother, who has since begun home-schooling her teen, said the school also began calling the 13-year-old by a different name and pronouns. The lawsuit contended the mother had a right to control and direct the care, custody, education, upbringing and healthcare decisions of her children, and that Great Salt Bay Community School in Damariscotta violated her constitutional right by keeping the students gender expression from parents. The judge previously dismissed claims against individual school officials. The remaining claim against the school board was dismissed by the judge in his May 3 order. Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Legislation K-12 Northeast auto and home insurer Plymouth Rock Home Assurance and pet insurer Fetch are cooperating on a deal that offers Plymouth Rock insureds a 10% discount on pet insurance for the life of their pet through Fetch. The discount is available to insureds as long as they maintain a Plymouth Rock home policy. Plymouth Rock said the collaboration responds to customers need to protect against the financial impact of unexpected pet healthcare bills. Fetch coverage includes full dental, complementary and holistic care, breed-specific issues and up to $1,000 of virtual vet care every year at no additional cost. Insureds can use any vet, including specialists and emergency clinics. According to the Pew Research Center, most Americans (62%) own a pet, including about a third (35%) who have more than one. Homeowners in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania are eligible for the program. Fetch insurance policies are underwritten by XL Specialty Insurance Co. or AXIS Insurance Co. The European Commission is planning to allow exemptions from a proposed ban on substances known as PFAS, or forever chemicals, to protect key industries, a letter seen by Reuters on Wednesday showed. In the letter to some EU lawmakers in her EPP parliamentary group, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the Commission would propose exemptions allowing the chemicals use to continue in certain sectors, such as those where the social or economic cost of the ban would outweigh the reduction in health or environmental risks posed by the chemicals. On this basis, the Commission intends to propose derogations for uses necessary for the EUs digital and green transition and strategic autonomy, pending viable alternatives, said the letter, dated April 5. The letter said a full ban could put at risk investments in technologies such as semiconductors and batteries, which are crucial to Europes shift to low-carbon energy. Our goal is to combat PFAS pollution while ensuring the investment security of key technologies, it said. The letter was first reported by German newspaper Welt. A European Commission spokesperson told Reuters it intends to grant exemptions from the PFAS ban for uses where alternatives are not available and there would be disproportionate socio-economic costs, while ensuring minimisation of PFAS emissions. In February last year, the EU started to consider a ban of the widely used but potentially harmful substances, in what could become the blocs most extensive piece of regulation of the chemical industry. PFAS chemicals are used in thousands of products and machines, including drugs, cars, textiles and wind turbines due to their long-term resistance to extreme temperatures and corrosion. PFAS do not break down in the environment due to an extremely strong bond between carbon and fluorine atoms. That has earned them the moniker forever chemicals, and raised concerns about the long-term consequences of a build-up of PFAS over time in the environment, drinking water and the human body. Certain PFAS can harm fetuses, and several may cause cancer in humans, according to the European Chemicals Agency. Politicians including German Economy Minister Robert Habeck have said PFAS should be phased out in circumstances where they cannot be used safely for humans and the environment, while warning that an outright ban could hamper the production of key green technologies in Europe. Industries including European chemical makers association Cefic have raised similar concerns, arguing a ban would hobble the production of batteries, semiconductors, electric vehicles and renewable energy production. (Reporting by Kate Abnett in Brussels, Ludwig Burger in Frankfurt; additional reporting by Bart Meijer in Amsterdam; editing by Alison Williams and Richard Chang) Topics Europe Chemicals Commercial property insurer FM Global announced the launch of a renewable energy unit to help clients in the transition to alternative energy through research and innovation, and to support the overall advancement of the renewable energy industry. FM Globals Renewable Energy unit leaders include: Jim OBrien, division manager, Canada and specialty Industries Doug Patterson, head of renewable energy Russell Jannetto, renewable energy client service leader Chris Kosloski, renewable energy underwriting manager Cassian Walker, renewable energy engineering manager Michael Perron, renewable energy market lead FM Global unveiled the new initiative as part of its presence at the RISKWORLD conference in San Diego this week. In July, FM Global will offer a new policy for renewable energy operation in the U.S. Next year it plans to offer a renewable energy construction policy to support clients from the design and build stage through operation of renewable energy assets.The new unit serves the United States and Canada today and will launch globally later this year. The FM Global Renewable Energy unit will focus on research, standards development and loss-prevention engineering around utility-scale ground mounted solar, onshore wind power and battery energy storage systems (BESS). For 70 years, FM Global has served power generators in these and myriad other energy sectors, including hydropower, biomass and waste-to-energy. As a research-driven organization, FM Global recently completed six significant research projects on solar, wind and energy-storage systems. More than a dozen more are in progress. The company has already developed renewable energy guidelines for clients, available at no cost in FM Globals Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets. Topics Energy Leadership A Texas energy company will pay a $265,000 fine to settle charges that it subjected Black and Hispanic field mechanics to harassment. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced last week that Liberty Energy, Inc. doing business as Liberty Oilfield Services, LLC, will settle a race and national origin discrimination lawsuit brought on behalf of three mechanics. According to the EEOC lawsuit, a Black field mechanic and two Hispanic co-workers at Liberty Energys Odessa, Texas location were subjected to a hostile environment and referred to in derogatory terms, including use of the N-word and other slurs such as beaner and wetback. Liberty Energy is an oilfield service firm offering technologies to onshore oil and natural gas exploration across North America. The employees alleged that they made reports to supervisors, management, and human resources about the discriminatory treatment, but no effective corrective or remedial action was taken by the company. The EEOCs suit charged that after making his report, the Black mechanic was forced by management to perform undesirable work tasks and was isolated by his peers. With no meaningful action by company management to change the workplace atmosphere and the discriminatory assignments that followed his complaint, he was ultimately left no alternative but to resign. The alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race and national origin. The EEOC filed suit, Civil Action No. 7:23-cv-00100, in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Midland-Odessa Division, after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. Under the two-year consent decree resolving the suit, in addition to monetary relief for the employees, Liberty Energy will adopt and distribute a policy for all human resources and management personnel to effectively respond to reports to discrimination; post a notice in the workplace informing employees of the settlement; adopt and develop a 1-800 hotline for reporting acts of discrimination and/or harassment; and provide specialized training to employees on the federal laws that prohibit employment discrimination, including Title VII. Source: EEOC Topics Lawsuits Texas DETROIT (AP) Severe storms battered the Midwest on Tuesday, unleashing a curtain of heavy rain, gusty winds and tornadoes throughout the region a day after a deadly twister ripped through a small Oklahoma town and killed at least one person. Tornadoes were spotted after dark Tuesday in parts of Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, while portions of Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri were also under a tornado watch, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters warned that the storms could stretch late into the night with the possibility of more twisters and large hail. In southwestern Michigan, two tornadoes blitzed the city of Portage near Kalamazoo. The city said in a news release that no serious injuries had been reported despite the twisters severely damaging homes and commercial buildings, including a FedEx facility. An estimated 50 people were trapped inside the facility at one point because of downed power lines, authorities said. But FedEx spokesperson Shannon Davis said late Tuesday that all team members are safe and accounted for. Meanwhile, entire homes were destroyed in a nearby mobile home park. The National Weather Services Storm Prediction Center has cited more than a dozen reports of tornadoes from Monday evening through early Tuesday in the central part of the United States. Eight of the twisters were in Oklahoma, while Kansas, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Tennessee all saw at least one tornado. The powerful storms come amid a wild swing in severe weather across the globe that includes some of the worst-ever flooding in Brazil and a brutal Asian heat wave. The deadly tornado that touched down Monday night in Oklahoma ripped through the 1,000-person town of Barnsdall, about a 40-minute drive north of Tulsa. The National Weather Service there had warned Monday evening that a large and life-threatening tornado was headed toward Barnsdall and the nearby town of Bartlesville. It was the second tornado to hit Barnsdall in five weeks a twister on April 1 with maximum wind speeds of 90 to 100 mph (145 to 161 kph) damaged homes and blew down trees and power poles. Barnsdall Mayor Johnny Kelley said one person was dead while one man was missing after Mondays twister. Authorities launched a secondary search Tuesday morning for the missing man. The toughest thing on me as the mayor is this is a small community, Kelley said. I know 75% to 80% of the people in this town. At least 30 to 40 homes in the Barnsdall area were damaged Monday night, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported. Aerial videos showed several well-built homes reduced to piles of rubble and others with roofs torn off and damaged walls still standing. The powerful twister tossed vehicles, downed power lines and stripped limbs and bark from trees across the town. A 160-acre (65-hectare) wax manufacturing facility in the community also sustained heavy damage. First responders rescued about 25 people, including children, from heavily damaged homes where buildings had collapsed on or around them, Kelley said. About a half dozen people suffered injuries, he said. The Barnsdall Nursing Home said it evacuated residents because a gas leak could not be turned off due to storm damage. It later posted online that all residents were accounted for with no injuries, and they were being taken to other facilities. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who toured the twisters damage on Tuesday, said it was rated by weather researchers as a violent tornado with wind speeds up to 200 mph (322 kph). Stitt said he and legislative leaders have agreed to set aside $45 million in this years budget to help storm-damaged communities. Oklahomans are resilient, Stitt said, and were going to rebuild. At the Hampton Inn in Bartlesville, several splintered 2x4s were driven into the south side of the building. Chunks of insulation, twisted metal and other debris were scattered over the hotels lawn, and vehicles in the parking lot were heavily damaged with smashed-out windows. Matthew Macedo, who was staying at the hotel, said he was ushered into the hotel laundry room to wait out the storm. When the impact occurred, it was incredibly sudden, he said. The storms tore through Oklahoma as areas, including Sulphur and Holdenville, were still recovering from a tornado that killed four and left thousands without power late last month. Both the Plains and Midwest have been hammered by tornadoes this spring. Oklahoma and Kansas had been under a high-risk weather warning Monday. The last time such a warning was issued was March 31, 2023, when a massive storm system tore through parts of the South and Midwest including Arkansas, Illinois and rural Indiana. The entire week is looking stormy across the U.S. The eastern U.S. and the South are expected to get the brunt of the bad weather through the rest of the week, including in Indianapolis, Memphis, Nashville, St. Louis and Cincinnati, cities where more than 21 million people live. It should be clear over the weekend. This story has been corrected to show that the comments from the FedEx spokesperson were made late Tuesday, not Monday. ___ Murphy reported from Oklahoma City. Associated Press journalists around the country contributed to this report, including Rio Yamat, Sarah Brumfield, Kathy McCormack, Beatrice Dupuy, Jim Salter, Heather Hollingsworth and Colleen Slevin. Photo: Storm damaged mobile homes are surrounded by debris at Pavilion Estates mobile home park just east of Kalamazoo, Mich. Wednesday, May 8, 2024. A tornado ripped through the area the evening of May 7. (Neil Blake/The Grand Rapids Press via AP) Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Windstorm Oklahoma High winds, hail, heavy rain and tornadoes battered Southern states from Alabama to North Carolina Wednesday and Thursday morning, leaving three people dead and hundreds of properties with heavy damage. USA Today, CNN and other news outlets reported that the strongest storms hit central and northeast Tennessee and into North Carolina. In Claiborne County, Tennessee, a 22-year-old man was killed when a tree fell on his vehicle. Near Nashville, another person was killed. In Gaston County, North Carolina, near Charlotte, a tree fell on a car, killing one person and injuring another. Kentucky also saw hailstorms and possible tornadoes. Bloomberg news reported that up to 22 million people, from Dallas to Atlanta, in coming days could face another round of severe thunderstorms, bringing downpours, hail and possibly tornadoes. For the last week, the central and Southern parts of the country have been battered by ferocious storms and flooding that all got their start from a Pacific system that dumped heavy snow across parts of California and the West over the weekend, said Brian Hurley, a senior branch forecaster at the US Weather Prediction Center. Since then, the Great Plains, Midwest and South have been pounded by a deadly outbreak of heavy rains, high winds and tornadoes that have delayed air travel and knocked out power. Photo: The same massive storm system that hit the South also a damaged FedEx facility in Portage, Michigan. (Brad Devereaux/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP) Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Windstorm North Carolina Tennessee Roberts Joins LP Insurance Services Employee Benefits Brokerage Team Lynn Roberts joined the employee benefits group in the Gold River, California, office of LP Insurance Services LLC. Roberts has over 30 years of industry experience and most recently worked as a benefits consultant at OneDigital. She previously worked as a consultant at Jenkins Insurance Group (a Leavitt Group affiliate) and as an owner/broker at Blackmore & Roberts Insurance. LP Insurance is headquartered in Reno, Nevada. AMERIND Names Sattler CFO AMERIND, headquartered in Bernalillo, New Mexico, named Sheryl Sattler its chief financial officer. Sattler is an advisor and strategic partner to the companys leadership team and oversees finance, human resources, IT and corporate communications. Sattler has more than 35 years of experience in the financial and insurance industries. She was most recently assistant divisional controller at Trean Corp. Previous roles include assistant vice president of program services at Berkley Risk Administrators. Topics California For the first time, a Colorado appellate court has concluded that COVID-19 can be an occupational disease that is compensable under the states Workers Compensation Act. The Colorado Court of Appeals ruling came in a case in which Life Care Centers of America and its insurer, Old Republic Insurance Co., sought review of decisions by an administrative law judge (ALJ) and the Industrial Claim Appeals Office awarding workers compensation benefits to an employee of a Life Care skilled nursing facility who contracted COVID-19 and died. The appellate court backed the award of benefits to Vincent Gaines and his surviving spouse, Sheila Jackson, agreeing that there was sufficient evidence that it was more probable than not that Gaines became infected at work and there was no credible evidence that Gaines contracted COVID at home or anyplace else. The appeals panel commented: The novel virus raises a unique consideration under Colorado workers compensation law. Because of the nature of a virus, it cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt precisely where or from whom an individual had the exposure that transmitted the disease. Like the ALJ, we believe a reasoned statistical analysis can determine where the site of exposure was most probable. The ALJ concluded that it was more probable than not that the exposure site was within the facility. In our view, the ALJ used the appropriate burden of proof. Under the law, an employee is entitled to compensation if the injury or death is proximately caused by an injury or occupational disease arising out of and in the course of the employees employment and is not intentionally self-inflicted. A claimant must establish a reasonable causal connection but is not required to prove causation with mathematical certainty or beyond a reasonable doubt; rather, it is sufficient that the claimant present facts and circumstances indicating a reasonable probability that his disease was proximately caused by the conditions of his employment, the appeals court wrote. Gaines worked in Life Cares housekeeping department for more than 20 years. His duties included cleaning and maintaining the main areas of the facility, including the dining room, hallways, common areas, and lobby. He also disposed of the trash. There was testimony that Gaines may also have occasionally transported infected patients to the isolation room. Gaines became sick with COVID-19 on or about May 26, 2020, and the facility declared a COVID-19 outbreak three days later. By the end of the outbreak on July 29, 2020, there were 35 among residents, with eight resident deaths. Among the staff, there were 13 known cases and nine probable cases. Gaines was the third staff member to test positive. On June 2, 2020, he was hospitalized with a diagnosis of acute respiratory failure with hypoxia due to pneumonia. Gaines died a month later. On June 8, 2020, Jackson, on Gainess behalf, filed a workers compensation claim based on his exposure to and contraction of COVID-19 at the facility. The claim went before an administrative law judge (ALJ), who issued findings of fact and concluded that Gaines had suffered a compensable occupational disease causally related to his employment. Life Care and Old Republic were ordered to pay temporary total disability benefits from June 2, 2020, through June 30, 2020, and to pay death benefits to Jackson. Life Care appealed to the Industrial Claim Appeals Office. Life Care unsuccessfully argued that the ALJs order was not supported by substantial evidence. Life Care further contended that the order violated the public policy underlying the statute pertaining to occupational diseases. The appeals panel affirmed the ALJs order and Life Care appealed to the court. The Colorado Court of Appeals noted that the Workers Compensation Act expressly limits its review to whether the findings of fact entered by the ALJ are supported by substantial evidence or whether the award or denial of benefits is not supported by applicable law. The court agreed with the ALJs findings that it was more probable than not that Gainess COVID-19 infection was related to his presence in Life Cares facility to discharge his work duties. The factual record supports that at the time of Gainess exposure, the working conditions included a high prevalence of COVID-19. A doctor testified that COVID-19 was present in 30% of the residents, and in 12 or 15 staff members. Thus there was person-to-person transmission within that workplace environment. The doctor further testified that no available evidence suggested that Gaines was exposed to COVID-19 in his home, as asserted by Life Care. Also, because the exposure rates were very low in the county, he said that it was highly unlikely that Gaines encountered a source of COVID-19 in the community. He concluded that the Life Care facility was the highest medically probable environment in which Gaines could have contracted COVID-19. His opinion was unrebutted. Life Care maintained that Gaines did not have direct contact with patients as a member of the housekeeping staff. The ALJ concluded that, regardless of whether Gaines had direct contact with patients, the expert testimony showed that it was still more probable than not that Gaines became infected at work. The ALJ also found no credible evidence that Gaines contracted COVID at home or anyplace else. The appeals court said that the ALJs analysis was detailed and reasoned. Life Care had argued that the legislature intended to limit the scope of occupational diseases to those that result from working conditions that are characteristic of the vocation. But the court found ALJs finding regarding Gaines was consistent with that assumption. Topics Colorado COVID-19 Safety lapses at the Oregon State Hospital contributed to recent patient-on-patient assaults, a federal report on the states most secure inpatient psychiatric facility has found. The investigation by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found that staff didnt always adequately supervise their patients and that the hospital didnt fully investigate acts of aggression, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. The federal agency opened the probe after receiving four complaints. Its findings were published following an unannounced, onsite survey conducted at the Salem hospital earlier this year. A major incident detailed in the report occurred on Feb. 10, when a patient placed another patient in a chokehold until they were unconscious. The victim required extensive medical care for their injuries, according to the report. Investigators also determined that the hospital failed to prevent sexual assault and sexual contact between patients. In January, a patient was transferred out of a unit due to another patients hypersexual behavior, the report said. But in the new unit, the patient reported being coerced into sex. The hospital received the federal report, known as a statement of deficiencies, on May 1. It has 10 calendar days to respond with a plan of correction. There will always be things we can improve, and we will continue to do so, but what persists is our dedication to the humans we are privileged to care for, interim superintendent Sara Walker said in a statement. Once the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approves the plan, it will conduct another unannounced survey to review its implementation. The state hospital has long struggled to address staffing shortages, overcrowding and other security lapses. Just days before receiving the statement of deficiencies, the hospital was placed on immediate jeopardy status by CMS after a patient died shortly after arriving at the facility. The federal agency noted that emergency response equipment was not stored in an organized way in the admissions area. They found that while this didnt contribute to the patients death, it presented a potential future safety risk, the Oregon Health Authority said in a statement. The jeopardy status has since been lifted, state health officials said. Last summer, a man newly transferred to the hospital managed to escape while fully shackled and drove off in a stolen van. He was found in a pond and then taken into custody, authorities said. An ensuing federal investigation found that the hospital failed to adequately supervise and transport the patient. Topics Oregon Jodie Kaufman Davis of H.W. Kaufman Group honored for philanthropic and industry leadership CHICAGO, IL (May 8, 2024) The Midwest Division of the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF), a unique nonprofit organization dedicated to helping communities and enriching lives, raised $560,000 at its thirteenth annual Blazing the Trail Gala in Chicago last week. With 375 insurance professionals and nonprofit leaders in attendance, IICF hosted this Midwest insurance tradition in celebration of philanthropic giving and volunteerism, and honored Jodie Kaufman Davis, Executive Vice President of H.W. Kaufman Group, with its prestigious IICF Midwest Trailblazer award. Kaufman Davis was recognized by IICF for trailblazing charitable efforts in the community and championing company culture along with her leadership in advancing inclusion initiatives across Kaufmans global team. She serves as the executive sponsor for Kaufmans employee resource groups (ERGs) worldwide and also currently chairs the IICF 30th Anniversary Committee, leading this industrywide campaign to fight childhood hunger. Through IICFs 30th Celebration we are creating stronger connections in the communities where we live and work and with industrywide support, we aim to help our most vulnerable community members children who are struggling with food insecurity, said Jodie Kaufman Davis. By working together through IICF, we are also enhancing our industry by attracting talent who value philanthropic impact and who make it a priority to work with companies who are giving back. I am honored to represent these initiatives as the 2024 IICF Midwest Trailblazer. In 2020, Kaufman Davis was named to the Insurance Business Global 100 and received the Business Insurance Women to Watch Award the year prior. Outside the workplace, she is an active Board Member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) Motor City Chapter, a Director on the Insurance Supper Club (ISC) Group Global Advisory Board and serves on the IICF International Board of Governors. Proceeds from the 2024 Blazing the Trail Gala benefit the IICF Midwest Community Grants Program, which supports regional charities focused on education, safety and health. IICFs Midwest Division has granted more than $5 million to hundreds of nonprofits since its 2011 founding. It is our privilege to bring together the Midwest insurance community each year in celebration of giving, and we were honored to celebrate the inspiring philanthropic excellence of Jodie Kaufman Davis this year, said Marcie Stephan, Chair of the IICF Midwest Division Board of Directors and Senior Vice President at Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance. The $560,000 we raised helps us to empower brighter futures this years Blazing the Trail theme. Marcie Stephan assumed the role of IICF Midwest Board Chair this month, succeeding Jeff Kroeger, President of Insureon. Im excited about whats ahead for the IICF Midwest, as we continue to grow our board leadership and increase our impact throughout the region with greater grant funding and volunteer participation. I know I speak for the entire IICF Midwest in thanking Jeff for his leadership and his continued involvement, Stephan said. I look forward to collaborating with the dedicated leaders we have serving on the IICF Midwest Division Board and on IICF boards in the Heartland and Ohio Chapters. Communities throughout the Midwest are served by the IICF Midwest Division and Associate Boards based in the Chicago area as well the Ohio and Heartland (Kansas and Missouri) Chapters. The IICF Midwest is one of five divisions, four based in the US and one in the UK, of the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation, which has granted more than $48 million globally since its inception in 1994. This years Blazing the Trail Benefit was made possible through generous insurance industry support including Presenting Sponsor: Burns & Wilcox; Platinum Sponsors: AIG, Aon, CNA, CRC Group, RT Specialty and Zurich; Gold Sponsors: Amwins, Applied Systems, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and The Hartford, along with many other event sponsors. For more information regarding IICFs Midwest Division and how to become a board company, please visit IICF Midwest Division at IICF.org or contact IICF Midwest Executive Director Kelly Hartweg at (773) 991-2149 or khartweg@iicf.org. About the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) is a unique nonprofit that unites the collective strengths of the insurance industry to help communities and enrich lives through grants, volunteer service and leadership. Established in 1994, IICF is celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of serving as the philanthropic voice and foundation of the insurance industry throughout 2024, having contributed $48 million in community grants along with over 337,000 volunteer hours by more than 125,000 industry professionals. IICF reinvests locally where funds are raised for maximum community impact, serving hundreds of charities and nonprofit organizations across the US and UK. IICF is a registered nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. Learn more at www.iicf.org or follow us on social media at: LinkedIn and Instagram When Greece-born, London-based Rodial CEO Maria Hatzistefanis first applied for a job at Seventeen magazine in Athens, she wanted to be placed in the fashion department. Instead, they placed her in beauty, where she tested products and interviewed hair stylists, facialists, and makeup artists. Only after an MBA and a brief career in investment banking Hatzistefanis consulted at Booz Allen Hamilton in New York, then worked in finance at Solomon Brothers did she realise this times impact. I love fashion, but beauty was always more of a home for me, she smiles from Dublin, where she is on a press tour for Rodial. Beauty, and business, it seems, given that Hatzistefanis global beauty brands Rodial and Nip + Fab have been the toast of the town since 1999, with everyone from Sienna Miller to Kate Middleton hooked. The whole royal family are into using Rodial, I believe, she says, aghast. Even Camilla and thats been the case since very early on. Hatzistefanis launched Rodial, a brand perhaps best known for its thick, cylindrical highlighters and serums with names like Snake Serum (which contains a neuropeptide that mimics the paralysing effects of Temple vipers venom) in 1999. Entirely self-funded (I obviously tried for funding but that didnt happen, so I moved on), she knew her singular business strategy from the get-go: high-end ingredients that provided a natural alternative to plastic surgery. We started with body care, she says. But it wasnt until we released Snake Serum that we really created a splash. Maria Hatzistefanis is a London-based entrepreneur, bestselling author and founder of Rodial. At the time, all the usual product names were everywhere; anti-ageing, hydrating etc. So we wanted to create a shock factor, which we did with the name and photo shoot in which we had snakes, she laughs. That was before social media, remember. So the only way you could get the word out was in the press. Rodial is a rarity in beauty, in that it remains independent and privately owned by Hatzistefanis. Nip + Fab, another brand of Hatzistefanis, came in 2010, as a more affordable line to cater to a millennial market. Kylie Jenner was an early adoptee. She posted about us organically on Instagram which gave us loads of buzz, so we contacted [her mother] Kris Jenner, not thinking she would even read the email, but she got back to us right away. Kylie was 16 at the time and we kind of got her on the crest of a wave, Hatzistefanis says. When we worked with her she had very thin lips, and then by the time we did the campaign, they were much bigger. So everyone was talking about her. Other fans came by way of Oscars goodie bags. All the Jennifers Aniston, JLo, Lawrence found us then. And we had the Rodial Beauty Awards from 2013 to 2018 where we honoured our Women Of The Year, but the year Kate Moss won it, she never turned up. It started to become difficult in recent years because most of these celebrities have beauty contracts now, so cant talk about our products even if they do love them. But lots of them still use us. Margot Robbie spoke about us just recently. Hatzistefanis is known in the business as one of the industrys early risers. The day we spoke, she woke up at a reasonable 6am, but 4.30am starts are not unusual. Having that hour alone sets the tone for the day, she says. It puts me in the right mindset. As for future plans, the beauty entrepreneur has plenty; a fourth book; another series of Dragons Den Greece; and more innovation with Rodial and Nip + Fab. Rodial Banana Low Lighter I couldnt leave without asking her opinion on one more thing, however: we know the lore of Rodials Banana Lowlighter (38.50, simplybe.ie) and the virality of the Dragons Blood Sculpting Gel (110.45, Look Fantastic), but what is Rodials most underrated product? Rodial Dragon's Blood Sculpting Gel The Bee Venom Eye Cream (166.75, Space NK), she says. I was one of those people who never used to use eye cream. But after a certain age, you really need it. Even if you already get Botox, that wears off after a while. Irish consumers are likely to be among more than 800,000 people defrauded by a vast network of fake online designer shops in what has been described as one of the worlds largest online scams. Some 76,000 fake designer websites pretending to be major brands like Nike, Dior, Lacoste, and Hugo Boss were set up in languages including English by what appears to be a nefarious Chinese network. People were tricked into sharing bank card details and other personal information, an international investigation by the Guardian, Die Zeit and Le Monde found. Cyber Ireland chairman Pat Larkin said if this scam has hit Europe, it's more than likely some Irish people would have been affected". He said such sites mimic brands, offering large discounts to convince victims to enter their credit card details. He added: The overarching principle generally is, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. China is one of the biggest players in online fraud, he said. Russia, Iran and North Korea are also major cybercrime players with cryptocurrency heists now helping to fuel the North Korean economy. Although artificial intelligence is accelerating cyber crime attacks, it is also being used increasingly effectively in the defence against online fraud. Detective Superintendent Michael Cryan of the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau said Gardai have not been notified of the Chinese scam. But he warned that there are multiple ways to be defrauded when online shopping. Criminals can access your bank card details through cloned websites and although no money may be taken from that transaction, that card can then be used for future purchases. In 2020, 1.5m was reported stolen online; 1.2m was reported in 2021; 1m was reported in 2022; 850,000 was reported in 2023 and in the first four months of 2024, about 250,000 has been reported, he said. One of the men arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old man in Dublin on Monday is believed to have links to Kinahan cartel associates. The three men held as part of the investigation into the killing of Josh Itseli in Dublin on the bank holiday Monday have been released without charge, and a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Armed gardai arrested the three men on Slievebloom Road shortly after the shooting on Knocknarea Road, Drimnagh at 12.15am on Monday, gardai said. They were held at Dublin garda stations under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939, until gardai notified the public of their release yesterday morning. Josh Itseli may have known the arrested men It is understood that the men who were arrested were known to Mr Itseli. The 20 year-old victim, who was before the courts on drug dealing charges, was shot dead with a high-powered AR-15 assault rifle after the stolen car he was travelling in was rammed by another vehicle, it is understood. One of the men arrested in connection with the shooting was known to gardai, and had also been before the courts in recent weeks for a serious assault on a woman. He had then been granted bail, despite garda concerns that he would reoffend. One of the men is also believed to have links to Kinahan cartel associates. Gardai investigating possible drugs link Gardai are investigating whether Mr Itselis killing was related to the Dublin drugs trade and a feud between gangs. Gardai retrieved a military grade AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle from a hedge near the scene of the fatal Drimnagh attack, and are investigating whether it was used in Mr Itselis killing. One line of inquiry in the investigation is that Mr Itseli was shot dead in an ambush by criminals who believed he was on route to carry out an attack possibly with a pipe bomb. Following Mr Itselis killing, a suspected pipe bomb was found at the scene and several families were evacuated from their homes very early on Monday morning before army bomb disposal experts removed the device, which will undergo forensic analysis. Video clip may be from the scene Video footage understood to be from the scene shows two men, one clearly wearing a balaclava and carrying what appears to be an assault rifle, jogging up the road after shots were fired. Multiple rifle casings and balaclavas were retrieved from the scene, it is understood. A bullet also went through the local community centre. An autopsy on the 20-year-old has been completed but the results are not being released for operational purposes, gardai said. Appeal for information on e-bike Gardai have conducted raids on a number of homes in connection with the investigation. They have also issued an appeal for information on a black Talaria Sting electric motorbike. The electric motorbike was observed around Dolphin Road, Crumlin Road, and Davitt Road on Sunday night and into the early hours of Monday morning, and it may have been used in connection with the incident. Mr Itseli lived in the Kylemore area of Dublin for some years, not far from where he was shot dead. Anyone with information is asked to contact Sundrive Road Garda Station on 01-666-6600, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666-111, or any garda station. A 20-year-old asylum seeker from Palestine who was moved to a tented area in south Dublin on Thursday from the Grand Canal has said he is in a safer place. Samir fled from the Palestinian city of Hebron 24 days ago, where both his parents were killed in the Israel-Gaza war, and moved to the Grand Canal with three of his friends on Friday. In the past week, more than 100 asylum seekers set up a makeshift encampment along the banks of the canal. This morning, the encampment was cleared following a multi-agency operation. The operation began at approximately 6.30am and by shortly after 8am almost all the tents had been removed using a truck with a crane arm. The asylum seekers who had been living in the encampment were told it was an offence to stay on the canal and that they would be taken by bus to official accommodation. The Government said 163 individuals have been safely moved to Crooksling and the former Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, with 148 going to Crooksling and 15 to Dundrum. Samir has since told the Irish Examiner that buses came for them at around 6.30am. He was taken by bus, with others, to Crooksling. Asylum seeker Samir, who fled from the Palestinian city of Hebron, has been moved to Crooksling in Dublin Translating through Google on his phone, he said: They came early and there was a bus. They did not say much. They told us with their hand movements to move from the tents, then they took my tent. I got my things, and they took my tent away. They did not say anything that I [understood]. They did not hurt us they took us to the bus and gave us food and water. I am in a new place now in the mountains and it is ok. We are ok. It is a nicer place I am in a safer place. Samir sent the Irish Examiner a video of his new accommodation and said he wants to try and get settled here and then apply to college. The boys parents died in Israeli attacks on Palestine, and he has two brothers who are still at home. I have nobody only me and my friends he said. The Grand Canal encampment emerged shortly after more than 200 asylum seekers were cleared from a similar makeshift camp at the nearby International Protection Office in Mount Street last week. The Government said Thursday's operation involved gardai, Dublin City Council, the HSE, the Departments of Integration and Justice as well as Waterways Ireland. A statement from the Government said: The purpose of the operation is to ensure the safe movement of people seeking international protection from the tents on the Grand Canal to International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS)-designated accommodation. The IPAS-designated accommodation has toilets and showers; health services; indoor areas where food is provided; facilities to charge phones and personal devices; access to transport to and from Dublin City Centre; and 24-hour onsite security. Similar to what happened on Mount Street, fences have been erected around the Grand Canal to prevent another encampment. Most of the asylum seekers got onto the buses this morning, but two men from Afghanistan told the Irish Examiner they were not going to go on the bus. One man said, I am already in a new place, and I will stay on the street I dont want to move with them. I am ok in the park for now. The men have since relocated to a site close to the Davenport Hotel just a short distance from Grand Canal. The latest figures from the Department of Integration said there are 1,764 asylum seekers here without accommodation. Meanwhile, other asylum seekers who did not want to go to the centres with the council today have set up tents along Custom House Quay, Samual Beckett Bridge, and Clontarf Park facing the beach. A review of emergency care in the Mid-West to determine if a second emergency department is needed is a "step in the right direction", campaigners for better care said on Thursday. The review will consider the case for a second emergency department to support University Hospital Limerick, which is regularly the most overcrowded hospital in the country. Health watchdog Hiqa will lead the review and while the terms of reference have yet to be decided, it is understood that nothing is off the table when it comes to the options being examined. Considerations may include whether a new hospital is needed or an existing hospital upgrade, and it may examine the benefits of further investment for UHL in bed numbers, for example, without a second emergency department. The terms of reference will not be published until after a separate report on the death of teenager Aoife Johnston at UHL is completed. This report, by former Justice Frank Clarke, will feed into the review. The report on the death of Aoife Johnston at UHL will feed into the review. As recently as last week, Hiqa indicated that patients at UHL still face risk of harm due to persistent overcrowding, despite improved and safer conditions. Read More Patients still at risk of harm at UHL, according to Hiqa review This followed warnings during Ms Johnstons inquest that the emergency department was a death trap, although HSE CEO Bernard Gloster later said the ED is much more safe now than in 2022, when she died. Health minister Stephen Donnelly said he ordered the review because of whats happened in the hospital in recent months". Asked about its timing, with local elections due next month, he said: Over the last four years in UHL, there has been a level of investment, a level of increased staff unlike any other hospital. Asked whether a verdict of medical misadventure at Ms Johnstons inquest and that into the death of Martin Abbott at UHL played a role in this announcement, he told RTE: No, it didnt but I am very conscious of those deaths." The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation "look forward to engaging with Hiqa and the minister on the terms of reference", said its assistant director of industrial relations for the Midwest, Mary Fogarty. Overcrowding at the hospital has been well-flagged by the union, she said. So far this year, 8,798 patients have been admitted to University Hospital Limerick, to be treated on a trolley, chair, or in another inappropriate bed space. Nurses and midwives face huge pressure due to shortages, in parallel with a changing population, she said. It is clear that at this point we will need a model 3 hospital in the Mid-West," she said. The University of Limerick Hospital Group is the only group without a model 3 site, in contrast to how, for example, the Mercy University Hospital works with CUH in Cork. Noeleen Moran, a spokeswoman for the Midwest Hospital Campaign, said they believe a second emergency department is a necessity. Its a step in the right direction, she said of the review. National standards around patient safety and dignity are not being met, she said, adding: The option of a model 3 has to be looked at; it is the only way that measure is going to be brought back into compliance. Campaign members also met HSE regional executive officer for the Mid-West, Sandra Broderick, on Thursday. A 30-year-old man who admitted hunting on privately owned lands with dogs in contravention of the Wildlife Act was convicted and fined for the offence at Cork District Court. Dylan Scannell of Fosters Haven, Cobh, Co Cork, appeared before Judge Mary Dorgan at Cork District Court where he pleaded guilty to the offence, through his solicitor Joseph Cuddigan. Sergeant Gearoid Davis said that at 10.10am on March 14 at Kilboy, Riverstick, gardai observed a large number of men spread out across two fields hunting with dogs. They saw three vehicles parked up on the side of the road with a dog trailer attached to each vehicle. They had at least three different dog breeds, as well as bars and a shovel, Sgt. Davis said. "The dogs were off-lead and hunting around the fields. The land was private property." Scannell pleaded guilty to a charge that on March 14, 2021, not being the owner of land, he entered the land for hunting foxes without permission, contrary to the Wildlife Act. Joseph Cuddigan, solicitor, pointed out that the accused pleaded guilty to the offence. There would have been a time historically when farmers would have been greatly appreciative of this kind of hunting on their land but that time has passed and the Wildlife Act does not allow it, Mr Cuddigan said. Judge Mary Dorgan imposed a 400 fine on the defendant for this offence. A jury of four women and eight men took five hours and 39 minutes to return a verdict in the case against a young Cork man of not guilty of raping a girl when both of them were 17 years old. At the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork, Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford thanked the jurors for the attention they had given the case, which commenced last week, and told them their participation was essential for the administration of justice. The accused broke down in tears after the unanimous verdict was delivered and he was embraced by members of his family. They heard evidence from the complainant who was 17 at the time that she told her mother what happened: I said to my mam, I think I was raped. Gardai came up I felt confused. I felt violated. I had a mix of emotions. I was angry. I was just all over the place. At that time she said she did not want to make a statement of complaint of rape. She added: After a few days I decided to make an official report. Alice Fawcett, senior counsel for the defence, cross-examined the complainant, stating: The defendant was interviewed by gardai. He acknowledged he had sexual intercourse with you but he said it was consensual. "There is a lot of agreement between you about what went on on the night. He says you and he went for a smoke and ye went behind the container and ye were kissing. He said, my hands were on her, her hands on me. The witness replied: No. My hands were by my side. She also disputed the account given by the accused in relation to how the sexual intercourse occurred where the accused said: I took down my pants. She took down her pants. After two or three minutes she told me it started to hurt. "I asked if she wanted to stop so I stopped. Then we went back to kissing. We went back to our friends after a while. The disputed offence at the centre of the case related to an incident in Cork back on August 7, 2020, when both parties were aged 17. There is a legal prohibition on identification of parties in the case. A man who got off a bus and involved himself in an attack on gardai outside a funeral has been jailed. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that two gardai were surrounded, threatened and had objects thrown at them by a large group of people on the Kylemore Road on February 20, 2023, after a funeral had taken place. Lee McDonnell (32) got off a bus and became involved, lunging towards the two gardai and attempting to punch them. His then-partner dragged him away from the area. After hearing the facts on Thursday, Judge Pauline Codd remarked this incident occurred in the context of a funeral, adding: There was a time in this country when people respected the dead and respected themselves. McDonnell of Kilmartin Green, Fettercairn, Tallaght, Dublin 24, pleaded guilty to a charge of affray. The judge noted that McDonnell wasn't present when the trouble started but had gotten himself involved, becoming part and parcel of attacking the gardai and putting them under pressure. He could have got off the bus and minded his own business, she said, handing him a two-and-a-half-year sentence. Incident Detective Garda Caroline Staunton said gardai had received information that a large number of unregistered scramblers and motorbikes would be in the area and there could be trouble. Two gardai were stationed in an unmarked car on Kylemore Road, but left the vehicle after they saw a moped almost crashing into a woman pushing a buggy. The gardai attempted to seize the moped, but were approached and encircled by a large group, some of whom had left the nearby church following the funeral mass. This group started to threaten and throw objects at the two officers. The court heard an unknown man struck one garda on the side of the head with a glass bottle during the incident. The moped's driver then returned, took it and drove away. Detective Garda Staunton told Brian Storan BL, prosecuting, that the two guards retreated as the situation was too dangerous and called for back-up. Footage of the incident was played to the court, prompting Judge Codd to remark: The ubiquitous mobile phones were out recording thuggery. McDonnell was interviewed twice following his arrest, but made no comment. He has 133 previous convictions including for robbery, aggravated burglary and road traffic offences. He was on bail at the time of this incident and has been in custody since March 2023. No victim impact statements were provided to the court. Sentencing Det. Gda Staunton agreed with Nicola Cox BL, defending, that her client's guilty plea was of assistance to the prosecution and there is no evidence he was there to attend the funeral. It was accepted that attempts to retrieve CCTV from the bus McDonnell travelled on were unsuccessful. Ms Cox said her client apologises for his behaviour on the day and has no explanation why he got off the bus and involved himself. She said the gardai found themselves in a frightening and difficult situation during this incident. Defence counsel outlined her client's personal circumstances and asked the court for as much leniency as possible. Judge Codd said the two gardai in full uniform found themselves in a very frightening and challenging situation while they were trying to protect the public in the area. She said McDonnell is at an age now where he needs to take responsibility for himself and deal with his issues and directed that he be given credit for any time served in custody on this matter alone. A childcare company has abandoned plans for a creche in a business park west of Cork City while on the northside, the future of a replacement creche now hinges on a Government funding decision. Muin Childcares decision in relation to its proposed Ballincollig creche affects some 400 parents who had expressed an interest in availing of its services. While in Churchfield, more than 100 parents who were left in the lurch following the sudden closure of the Before 5 creche last August are waiting anxiously for a funding decision due within weeks which could clear the way for a not-for-profit group to reopen the childcare facility. A few months after Before 5's closure, Northside Community Enterprises began exploring the possibility of resuming a childcare service in the premises. It has prepared a detailed report outlining how an investment of some 366,000 is required up bring the building up to standard, and for other minor upgrades that would improve the functionality and allow other services to be provided. It is understood meetings to discuss funding options are due to take place towards the end of next week. Meanwhile, in Ballincollig, 400 parents who had been hoping for the development of a new creche must now find other childcare solutions after its owners said they have had to abandon the project. The Irish Examiner reported last month that city council planners had shot down Muins second attempt to secure planning for a 96-space creche in three vacant units in Ballincolligs Westpoint business park, off the towns Link Road. Kate Gaffney of Muin: Owners said because there was now a backlog of up to 12 months in the planning appeals board, they understood the business units landlord could not wait another year for a decision. Picture: Clare Keogh Muin was considering an appeal of the decision to An Bord Pleanala but in an update on Wednesday, its owners said they have had to abandon the project, but plan to discuss the wider crisis in childcare with Childrens Minister Roderic OGorman when he visits the city next week. In a statement to parents, Clodagh Barrett and Kate Gaffney said because there was now a backlog of up to 12 months in the planning appeals board, they understood the business units landlord could not wait another year for a decision. This leaves us with no other opinion but to abandon the project, they said. We will continue to seek any opportunities that may arise and we have a meeting with Minister O'Gorman on Monday where we will address the current childcare crisis and the barriers in place that are stopping services from expanding and being able to provide much needed places. Muin was refused planning last September for a creche in the three vacant business park units. In its second planning application lodged in February, its planning consultants said they had addressed the councils concerns which were raised in the September refusal, with various re-design. But in their decision, planners said given the mid-terrace location of the proposed creche, rather than a stand-alone purpose-built facility, it was considered conflicting uses, safe pedestrian and cycling movements to access the site, and potential noise disturbance for adjoining units would materially conflict with the zoning objectives of the site. Gardai have ruled out foul play following the discovery of the body of a man who may have lain dead in his flat in West Cork for almost six months. Mark Watters, 61, who was originally from Walkinstown in Dublin, was found dead in the hallway of his flat at the Courtyard, just off Main Street in Castletownbere on Tuesday afternoon, by maintenance staff who called to check on the building. Gardai were alerted and the scene was sealed off for a preliminary examination, which found no signs of trauma on the body, and no signs of forced entry or disturbance in the flat. The body was later removed to Cork University Hospital for an autopsy. It is hoped this may be able to determine a cause of death and shed light on when death occurred. However, gardai have begun conducting door-to-door inquiries in the area, and checking CCTV systems in the town centre, to see if they can establish when Mr Watters was last seen alive. The Courtyard, Castletownbere. It was also reported by The Irish Times that gardai found an unopened Christmas card with a December 18 date stamp in the flat suggesting that Mr Watters may have died sometime around the middle of last December. They are also checking his record of social welfare collection, his banking records, his mobile phone and his social media accounts to see if that can help narrow down the window of death. Mr Watters has a sister living in England. His former partner and their adult son live overseas but it is understood they contacted mutual friends in Castletownbere last August enquiring about his whereabouts. They were advised to contact gardai, who in turn conducted a welfare check on Mr Watters and found that he was alive and well. Mr Watters, who described himself as a screenwriter, had lived in the West Cork area for several years, spending most of the summer months in nearby Allihies. Locals said however that he kept himself to himself, with one describing him as a tortured soul. Its a sad end, and its sad to think that he died alone, and lay dead and undiscovered for so long but there were often periods where several months would go by without seeing him, and people would ask about him, and then hed turn up again, so it wasnt unusual for people not to see him around for months on end, one man said. Tributes Richie Hodges, who was a friend of Mark Watters described him as a very intelligent and creative person. I moved to Allihies 19 years and fairly quickly we became friends with Mark. He was very nice. He had lots of ideas and was very creative. He did some nice things for the community. When we went on holidays he minded the house because that was how much we trusted him. "He was very artistic and intelligent. Mark could talk to anyone about everything and anything. He was into screenwriting. He didnt make much in recent years but 20 years ago he created a piece in Eyeries that was a nice little funky film. He recalled the last time they socialised together: The last time I saw him was on Chinese New Year two years ago. He had distanced himself from everything and everyone so we were delighted that he rang us. We celebrated Chinese New Year together because it coincided with his birthday and that was the last time we met up him. 'We didnt give up on him but sadly he gave up on everything' "We thought he might contact us after that but he didnt. We didnt give up on him but sadly he gave up on everything. We had spent a lot of time with him but he slowly distanced himself from us. The only time we saw was if we bumped into him at the shops. He had his ups and downs in life like everybody else but he was a lovely guy." Mr Hodge said he thinks the late Mr Watters would like to be "remembered for the fact he had a creative side to him. He was a very sociable guy but somehow he lost his way. My wife and I wanted to keep in contact but in the end it just fell apart and we didnt see him for two years. I only have good memories of him." Caitriona Twomey, who was also a friend of Marks, has fond memories of the Dublin native. "Mark was easy to like. He was always respectful and always nice. Mark loved the few words. It could be about any topic, but it was always pleasant. There was something very low key about him. We talked a lot about concerts and music a lot. Mark had a very genuine and gentle side to him. He was the kind of person who would ask how you are and wait for an answer. Most people only mean this as a greeting but he genuinely wanted to know you were okay. She offered her condolences to his family adding: Families check up all the time but these horrible things happen for some reason. It was obvious that he loved his family and they loved him. Our hearts are with them all. The findings of the autopsy, and the results of the garda investigation, will form part of a garda file which will be prepared for the coroners court in due course. For anybody interested in the history of the 1960s, the ongoing protests at US universities have a peculiar resonance. In the past weeks, riot police have entered several college campuses at the behest of administrators to break up unauthorised encampments of students protesting the war in Gaza and calling on their universities to divest from companies supporting Israel. The scenes of police arresting hundreds of students at Columbia University and UCLA are reminiscent of police and National Guard actions against students protesting the Vietnam war in the late 1960s. It is tempting to draw easy parallels with the worst examples of overreach against those anti-war students in the 1960s. Just over 54 years ago, on May 4, 1970, the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of anti-war protesters on the campus of Kent State University, killing four students and injuring nine. Some 11 days later, city and state police fired on protesters at Jackson State College, Mississippi, killing two students. The violence in the way those events were handled galvanised public support for students, and opposition to Richard Nixons illegal bombing of Cambodia. While public support for the students remained quite low, a massive student strike followed. Photographs of the aftermath of the Kent State shooting captured public attention, and were at least part of the reason why some members of Congress sought to rein in Nixons powers, by passing a law limiting the scope of the president to declare war without congressional approval. Mary-Ann Vecchio screams as she kneels by the body of a student lying face down on the campus of Kent State University in Ohio on May 4, 1970. National Guardsmen had fired into a crowd of mostly student anti-war demonstrators, killing four. File photo: AP/Valley Daily News, John Filo But what are the similarities between then and now? What lessons have been learned, and ignored, from past experiences? In UCLA, Columbia and Kent State, campus administrators claimed that calling in the police was to keep students safe. Most American universities have their own campus police, so inviting external law enforcement onto campus is an extraordinary step. However, it is not clear that police actions are always proportionate or effective, if their purpose is to keep all students safe. For example, there have been accusations that police on the UCLA campus used tear gas and fired rubber bullets at protesters and counter-protesters, including one man being shot in the chest at very close range, as they sought to clear the pro-Palestinian encampment on May 2. The Los Angles Police Department (LAPD) said it did not fire rubber bullets or other less-lethal rounds during this incident. However, this is not the first time that the LAPD have been accused of misusing rubber bullets. In 2023, a man was awarded $375,000 after an LAPD officer shot him with a rubber bullet during a protest over George Floyds death. Despite the high-profile nature of the protests, the majority of todays students have been opposed to the disruptive encampments. Students protest the war in Gaza at their encampment on the Columbia University campus last month. What are the similarities between today's demonstrations and those of student protests against the Vietnam war in the 1960s? Photo: AP/Stefan Jeremiah According to the recent Harvard Institute of Politics Survey of Young Americans, only 2% of young Americans cite the Israel-Palestine conflict as the issue that concerns them the most. It is possible that images of injured students in zip-tie handcuffs may change that, but it is unlikely. In the aftermath of Kent State and Jackson State in 1970, former Pennsylvania governor William Scranton chaired a Presidents Commission on campus unrest. Much of the commissions report was underwhelming, and its central conclusion that there was a fundamental crisis of understanding between the older and younger generations is trite and quite pedestrian. Significantly though, the report debunked the idea that outside agitators were to blame for escalated violence. This trope has been much repeated by critics of todays protests, including the New York mayor Eric Adams and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. Perhaps more importantly, the 1970 commission claimed that the root of campus unrest lay with the universitys faltering moral authority or what some protesting students at the University of Chicago today see as hypocrisy. Then, as now, university authorities have found it very difficult to balance competing interests: freedom of speech, different constituencies of students and student activists, donors, and politicisation of higher education, including congressional interference even in private university spaces. Some universities have handled protesters better than others. Brown University in Rhode Island like Columbia, an Ivy League institution negotiated an agreement that ended the unauthorised encampment there. Student protestors gather inside their encampment on the Columbia University campus, last month. Protesters of the war in Gaza defied a deadline to disband with chants, clapping and drumming. Photo: AP/Stefan Jeremiah Several other universities have taken a similar approach. Indeed, Columbia itself negotiated a settlement with the anti-apartheid students of 1985, so it is not unreasonable to expect an alternative path could have been followed to defuse the current situation. Looking back to the protests of the 1960s, its clear the campus shootings at Kent State and Jackson State were avoidable, and police and state responses did not need to be so draconian. Something that law enforcement should be keeping in mind today. Can we look to the Scranton report for lessons to inform the present day? Perhaps. The commissions final conclusions may be even more useful now than they were in 1970s: The university must pull itself together Any academic institution worthy of the name must protect the right of its students and faculty to express themselves freely outrageously as well as responsibly. A breakthrough toward global cooperation to prevent future pandemics is possible in the next few days. Negotiations on the proposed text of a new global pandemic accord are scheduled to end this Friday, May 10, and discussions on completing and updating international health regulations are scheduled for May 16-17. The plan is to finalise both processes at the 77th World Health Assembly, which starts on May 27. The proposed international agreement represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect all of us, as well as our children and grandchildren, from a repeat of the covid-19 pandemic, with its recorded death toll of seven million the actual figure may be three times higher. Only a strong global pact on pandemics can safeguard the world from a recurrence of the widespread social and economic devastation that covid-19 caused. We must prevent the kind of failures of international collaboration that frustrated recovery efforts from that episode. To that end, the agreements under discussion envision a new international legal instrument to provide for equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. The aim of this global framework is to ensure that when another pandemic threat does arise, all relevant responses from identifying and reporting on risky pathogens, to delivering tools like tests and vaccines on an equitable basis are implemented quickly and effectively. The overarching lesson from the covid-19 pandemic one that we learned the hard way is that no one is safe anywhere until everyone is safe everywhere. Picture: Denis Minihane The draft pandemic agreement is a kind of nonproliferation accord: a declaration we will help each other and work together in the event of a new public-health crisis. The overarching lesson from the covid-19 pandemic one that we learned the hard way is that no one is safe anywhere until everyone is safe everywhere. Global health security is possible only if we build robust defenses against all pathogens with pandemic potential. We are only as strong as our weakest link, and by making global health equity an essential element of any new framework, we will have done our best to ensure the chain has no weak links. As we enter the final days of negotiation, we should recall the darkest days of the covid-19 crisis, when all countries declared that we must never again allow ourselves to be so vulnerable to pandemics. Misinformation and fake news This is especially important now, because just when governments are working tirelessly to conclude negotiations for a safer future, a torrent of misinformation and fake news has been unleashed to undermine the push for the new treaty. We must resist this flood of propaganda. Among the flagrant falsehoods being circulated are that the World Health Organization has already abandoned the treaty and is giving up on it. But the main attack is that the WHO would be empowered to strip member states of sovereignty, monitor peoples movements through digital passports, and deploy armed troops to enforce mandatory vaccinations and lockdowns. In fact, the WHO would not be able to exert far-reaching authority over countries and their citizens during a public-health emergency, and the organization itself is not interested in pursuing a power grab. Establishing a binding commitment to effective multilateral action will show that in health (as well as in climate security and humanitarian responses), global cooperation can deliver the solutions that the world so desperately needs. File picture: Regeneron via AP While the negotiations aim for a global pact, they are being spearheaded by individual countries. It is not the WHO but national governments that are negotiating, and it is not WHO officials but government ministers who will be tasked with meeting the agreements requirements. Moreover, the current draft agreement explicitly stresses the principle of sovereignty of States in addressing public health matters. Amid todays wars and conflicts with millions facing hunger, displacement, and ill health people around the world are desperate for a reason to be optimistic once again. They want assurances the future will not simply be a rerun of the past. The pandemic accord both recognises and demonstrates that we live in a deeply interconnected world. We must be prepared to share each others challenges, even (or especially) in difficult times. Establishing a binding commitment to effective multilateral action will show that in health (as well as in climate security and humanitarian responses), global cooperation can deliver the solutions that the world so desperately needs. Gordon Brown, a former prime minister of the United Kingdom, is UN special envoy for global education and chair of Education Cannot Wait Project Syndicate University of Limerick's latest appearance before the Public Accounts Committee was a strange affair. Strange in that, for the first time in three appearances since June 2021, the officials present seemed keen to shed as much light on matters as possible rather than hiding behind obfuscation. True, the words used by provost Shane Kilcommins, chancellor Brigid Laffan, and their colleagues on Thursday were chosen very carefully given the legal scrutiny the institution is under at present. But those qualified words appeared, on the face of it, to be honest attempts to enlighten the committee as to how, three years after overpaying for one site by 3.4m, the university managed to repeat the trick by paying 5.3m over the odds for 20 houses at Rhebogue in the city. It was also claimed at least one thing said by UL president Kerstin Mey currently on extended sick leave at the last committee appearance in May 2023, was not factual. TD Verona Murphy described it as a blatant lie, but was admonished by her chair Brian Stanley for the use of such strident language. Ms Mey had said her chief corporate officer Andrew Flaherty, who had been due to appear on that occasion, had a long-standing engagement that he could not get out of by way of explaining his absence. However, Mr Kilcommins told the PAC on Thursday Mr Flaherty had been present in Dublin the night before, the morning of, and immediately after that May 2023 meeting, and was texting director of human resources Bobby OConnor throughout. He also said Mr Flaherty the co-sponsor of the Rhebogue deal had told him he could not attend on that occasion as that particular transaction was the subject of an investigation. Which of the two tales was true, Mr Kilcommins could not say. But he seemed quite happy Mr Flahertys presence at Thursdays hearing was not required. In my view, the appropriate team is here, he said, when asked by Alan Kelly why the CCO was nowhere to be seen given his name keeps coming up. That was the other strange side to the meeting the fact the two most prominent stakeholders with regard to Rhebogue, Ms Mey and Mr Flaherty, were not present to answer questions. Hamlet without the prince, as Mr Kelly put it. In their absence, the committee heard the Rhebogue deal was hammered through in the space of eight months, and was approved by the governing authority, at a cost of 10.9m, despite a lack of due diligence having been performed something which seems scarcely credible given ULs recent history of governance failure. It was also learned a fee of 11.4m was eventually paid without the governing authoritys approval the result of an unexpected 1m stamp duty bill, with developer Silvergrove knocking 500,000 off the price in order to receive its fee in one go via a balloon payment. That lack of approval might have seen heads roll but that may not prove the case, with the chancellor pointedly declining to state changes at management level would result from the Rhebogue fallout. Mr Kilcommins, meanwhile, bemoaned the effect the scandal has had. We cant sign off on our accounts, we cant finalise our governance statement. But there is also the demoralising impact on our staff, he said. UL has never been before PAC for academic issues. It has always been governance. The Biden administration paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that the country was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the US, defence secretary Lloyd Austin said. The shipment was supposed to consist of 1,800 2,000lb (900kg) bombs and 1,700 500lb (225kg) bombs, according to the official. The focus of US concern was the larger explosives and how they could be used in a dense urban setting such as Rafah where more than one million civilians are sheltering after evacuating other parts of Gaza amid Israels war on Hamas, which came after the militant groups deadly attack on Israel on October 7. Mr Austin confirmed the weapons delay, telling the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defence that the US paused one shipment of high payload munitions. Were going to continue to do whats necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself, Mr Austin said. But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah. The US has historically provided enormous amounts of military aid to Israel. That has only accelerated in the aftermath of Hamass October 7 attack that killed some 1,200 people in Israel and led to about 250 being taken captive by militants. The pausing of the aid shipment is the most striking manifestation of the growing daylight between Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahus government and the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden, which has called on Israel to do far more to protect the lives of innocent civilians in Gaza. It also comes as the Biden administration is due to deliver a first-of-its-kind formal verdict this week on whether the air strikes on Gaza and restrictions on delivery of aid have violated international and US laws designed to spare civilians from the worst horrors of war. A decision against Israel would further add to pressure on Mr Biden to curb the flow of weapons and money to Israels military. Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, left, and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General CQ Brown attend a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defence (Mark Schiefelbein/AP) Mr Biden signed off on the pause in an order conveyed last week to the Pentagon, according to US officials. The White House National Security Council sought to keep the decision out of the public eye for several days until it had a better understanding of the scope of Israels intensified military operations in Rafah and until Mr Biden could deliver a long-planned speech on Tuesday to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day. Mr Bidens administration in April began reviewing future transfers of military assistance as Mr Netanyahus government appeared to move closer towards an invasion of Rafah, despite months of opposition from the White House. The official said the decision to pause the shipment was made last week and no final decision had been made yet on whether to proceed with the shipment at a later date. US officials had declined for days to comment on the halted transfer, word of which came as Mr Biden on Tuesday described US support for Israel as ironclad, even when we disagree. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to square the arms hold-up with Mr Bidens rhetoric in support of Israel, saying only: Two things could be true. Israels ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, in an interview with Israeli Channel 12 TV news, said the decision to pause the shipment was a very disappointing decision, even frustrating. He suggested the move stemmed from political pressure on Mr Biden from Congress, the US campus protests and the upcoming election. Senator Lindsey Graham speaks during a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defence on Capitol Hill in Washington (Mark Schiefelbein/AP) Mr Biden has faced pressure from some on the left and condemnation from the critics on the right who say he has moderated his support for an essential Middle East ally. If we stop weapons necessary to destroy the enemies of the state of Israel at a time of great peril, we will pay a price, said Senator Lindsey Graham, his voice rising in anger during an exchange with Mr Austin. This is obscene. It is absurd. Give Israel what they need to fight the war they cant afford to lose. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, of Vermont, a Biden ally, said in a statement the pause on big bombs must be a first step. Our leverage is clear, Mr Sanders said. Over the years, the United States has provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Israel. We can no longer be complicit in Netanyahus horrific war against the Palestinian people. Mr Austin, meanwhile, told legislators that its about having the right kinds of weapons for the task at hand. Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin (Mark Schiefelbein/AP) A small diameter bomb, which is a precision weapon, thats very useful in a dense, built-up environment, he said, but maybe not so much a 2,000lb bomb that could create a lot of collateral damage. He said the US wants to see Israel do more precise operations. Israeli troops on Tuesday seized control of Gazas vital Rafah border crossing in what the White House described as a limited operation that stopped short of the full-on Israeli invasion of the city that Mr Biden has repeatedly warned against on humanitarian grounds, most recently in a Monday call with Mr Netanyahu. Israel has ordered the evacuation of 100,000 Palestinians from the city. Israeli forces have also carried out what they describe as targeted strikes on the eastern part of Rafah and captured the Rafah crossing, a critical conduit for the flow of humanitarian aid along the Gaza-Egypt border. Privately, concern has mounted inside the White House about what is unfolding in Rafah, but publicly administration officials have stressed that they did not think the operations had defied Mr Bidens warnings against a widescale operation in the city. The State Department is separately considering whether to approve the continued transfer of Joint Direct Attack Munition kits, which place precision guidance systems on to bombs, to Israel, but the review did not pertain to imminent shipments. President Joe Biden (Morry Gash/AP) The US dropped the 2,000lb bomb sparingly in its long war against the so-called Islamic State militant group. Israel, by contrast, has used the bomb frequently in the seven-month Gaza war. Experts say the use of the weapon, in part, has helped drive the enormous Palestinian casualty count that the Hamas-run Health Ministry puts at more than 34,000 dead, though it does not distinguish between militants and civilians. The US-Israel relationship has been close through both Democratic and Republican administrations. But there have been other moments of deep tension since Israels founding in which US leaders have threatened to hold up aid in an attempt to sway Israeli leadership. President Dwight Eisenhower pressured Israel with the threat of sanctions into withdrawing from the Sinai in 1957 in the midst of the Suez Crisis. Ronald Reagan delayed the delivery of F16 fighter jets to Israel at a time of escalating violence in the Middle East. President George HW Bush held up 10 billion dollars in loan guarantees to force the cessation of Israeli settlement activity in the occupied territories. US president Joe Biden for the first time publicly vowed to withhold weapons from Israel if its forces make a major invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza while negotiations in Cairo on a ceasefire plan for the enclave were due to continue on Thursday. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah ..., Im not supplying the weapons," Biden, whose administration has repeatedly asked Israel for its plan to protect civilians in Rafah, said on Wednesday in an interview with CNN. Biden acknowledged that US bombs provided to Israel have killed Gaza civilians in the seven-month-old offensive aimed at annihilating Hamas. Biden's comments, his starkest to date, increase the pressure on Israel to refrain from a full-scale assault on Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have sought refuge after fleeing combat farther north in Gaza. There was no immediate comment from Israel on Biden's remarks, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the Rafah operation would go ahead. Israel says it must hit Rafah to defeat thousands of Hamas fighters it says are there. Israel, meanwhile, continued tank and aerial strikes on southern Gaza after moving in via the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Tuesday, cutting off a vital aid route. Biden has been under pressure from his fellow Democrats and growing campus protests to deter Israel from invading Rafah. His support of Israel has become a political liability as the president runs for re-election. A child sits back on a truck as Palestinians with their packed belongings, continue to depart from the eastern neighborhoods of the city due to ongoing Israeli attacks in Rafah, Gaza on May 8, 2024. (Photo by Ali Jadallah/Anadolu via Getty Images) The United States is by far the biggest supplier of weapons to Israel, and it accelerated deliveries after the Hamas attacks on October 7 that triggered Israel's offensive in Gaza. Biden said US weapons for Israel's defense, such as for its Iron Dome anti-missile system, would continue. US officials confirmed on Wednesday that Washington paused delivery of a shipment of bombs to Israel because of the risk to civilians in Gaza. Israel's UN ambassador, Gilad Erdan, called that decision "very disappointing" but said he did not believe the US would stop supplying arms to Israel. TALKS IN CAIRO Palestinian militant group Hamas said late on Wednesday it would not make more concessions to Israel in the truce talks. In Cairo, delegations from Hamas, Israel, the US, Egypt and Qatar have been meeting since Tuesday. Citing a source familiar with the matter, Egypt's state-affiliated Al Qahera TV reported early on Thursday that areas of disagreement were being resolved and there were signs that an agreement will be reached, without giving details. Displaced Palestinians arrive in central Gaza after fleeing from the southern Gaza city of Rafah in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, on Wednesday, May 7, 2024. The Israeli army has ordered tens of thousands of people to evacuate Rafah as it conducts a ground operation there. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) But Izzat El-Reshiq, a member of Hamas' political office in Qatar, said in a statement late on Wednesday that the group would not go beyond a ceasefire proposal it accepted on Monday. It would also entail the release of some Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinian women and children detained in Israel. Israel isnt serious about reaching an agreement and it is using the negotiation as a cover to invade Rafah and occupy the crossing, said Reshiq. Israel on Monday declared that the three-phase truce proposal approved by Hamas was unacceptable because terms had been watered down. It did not respond immediately to the Hamas statement. The US said on Tuesday that Hamas had revised its ceasefire proposal and the revision could overcome an impasse in negotiations. Just a few hours before Hamas' latest statement, Washington continued to say the two sides were not far apart. "We believe there is a pathway to a deal ... The two sides are close enough they should do what they can to get to a deal," US national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters. The war began when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and abducting 252 others, of whom 128 remain hostage in Gaza and 36 have been declared dead, according to the latest Israeli figures. Displaced Palestinians arrive in central Gaza after fleeing from the southern Gaza city of Rafah in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, on Wednesday, May 7, 2024. The Israeli army has ordered tens of thousands of people to evacuate Rafah as it conducts a ground operation there. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) 'HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE' LOOMS Hamas said its fighters on Wednesday were battling Israeli forces in Rafah's east and Islamic Jihad's fighters attacked Israeli soldiers and military vehicles with heavy artillery near the city's long abandoned airport. Israeli tank shells landed in the middle of Rafah wounding at least 25 people on Wednesday, medics said. Residents said an Israeli air strike killed four people and wounded 16 others in western Rafah. The Israeli military said it troops had discovered Hamas infrastructure in several places in eastern Rafah and were conducting targeted raids in Rafah and airstrikes across the Gaza Strip. The UN, Gaza residents and humanitarian groups say further Israeli incursion into Rafah will result in a humanitarian catastrophe. A UN official said no fuel or aid had entered the Gaza Strip due to the military operation, a situation "disastrous for the humanitarian response" in Gaza where more than half the population is suffering catastrophic hunger. Palestinians have crammed into tented camps and makeshift shelters, suffering from shortages of food, water and medicine. "The streets of the city echo with the cries of innocent lives lost, families torn apart, and homes reduced to rubble," Rafah Mayor Ahmed Al-Sofi said, appealing to the international community to intervene. Cultural exchanges bring Chinese, Hungarians closer Xinhua) 13:27, May 09, 2024 Yang Chao (R), charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Hungary, presents a book to Zsuzsanna Erdelyi, head of Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school, at the school in Budapest, Hungary, Feb. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Lian Yi) BUDAPEST/BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Wang Yue, deputy principal and Chinese teacher at the Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual School, said Chinese President Xi Jinping's reply to a letter from students of the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school greatly inspired students. More of them now have a stronger enthusiasm to learn Chinese and to study in China. Erneszt Sandor Durand, a 12th-grade student of the school, has been to many Chinese cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Beijing. As China's importance in the world economy is increasing, so is the importance of learning Chinese, he said, adding that he plans to further his studies at universities in Beijing in the future. Dorina Inges, also a student of the school, said she is quite fascinated with the Chinese culture. She can play guzheng, a traditional Chinese musical instrument, and dance traditional Chinese folk dances. The growing popularity of the Chinese language and culture among the Hungarians also contributes to the school's continuous development over the past two decades. Initially, most students were from Chinese families living and working in Hungary. Currently, the school has 12 grades and 20 classes with more than 530 students, with the majority being native Hungarians. "The bilingual school far exceeds traditional economic, cooperative and other types of relations," former Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy told Xinhua. "It actually encompasses the opportunity for interpersonal connections, the chance for people to get to know each other, to learn and recognize each other's culture and civilization, and to embrace these, encouraging people to be open, curious, and objective in such matters." A Chinese teacher instructs students on Chinese calligraphy at the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school in Budapest, Hungary, Feb. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Lian Yi) Guo Jiaming, former deputy principal of the school, told Xinhua that the school's development reflects the good momentum of strengthening China-Hungary relations and growing exchanges between the two peoples. Presently, there are five Confucius Institutes in Hungary, and 12 universities in China offer opportunities to learn the Hungarian language. The Chinese language has been incorporated into Hungary's national education system and has become one of the subjects in the university entrance examination. The cultural centers set up by both sides are also an important platform for cultural exchanges. "It is important to the relations of the two countries to have people who speak both languages well," said Zsuzsanna Erdelyi, principal of the school, expressing her hope to see more intercultural exchanges to promote understanding and friendship between the two peoples. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Russia wrapped itself in patriotic pageantry on Thursday for Victory Day, a celebration of its defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II that President Vladimir Putin has turned into a pillar of his nearly quarter-century in power and a justification for his move into Ukraine. Even though few veterans of what Russia calls the Great Patriotic War are still alive 79 years after Berlin fell to the Red Army, the victory over Nazi Germany remains the most important and widely revered symbol of the countrys prowess and a key element of national identity. Thursdays festivities across Russia, led by Mr Putin who this week began his fifth term in office, recall that wartime sacrifice in what has become its most important secular holiday. The Victory Day military parade in Moscow marks the 79th anniversary of the end of World War II. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) The Victory Day unites all generations, Mr Putin said in a speech at the Red Square parade. We are going forward relying on our centuries-old traditions and feel confident that together we will ensure a free and secure future of Russia. He hailed the troops fighting in Ukraine for their courage and blasted the West, accusing it of fuelling regional conflicts, inter-ethnic and inter-religious strife and trying to contain sovereign and independent centres of global development. Amid Russia-West tensions that have soared to the highest level since the Cold War times over Ukraine, Mr Putin also issued another stark reminder about Russias nuclear might. Russian Air Force Su-25 jets fly over Red Square leaving trails of smoke in the colours of the national flag (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) Russia will do everything to prevent global confrontation, but will not allow anyone to threaten us, he said. Our strategic forces are in combat readiness. The Soviet Union lost about 27 million people in the war, an estimate that many historians consider conservative, scarring virtually every family. Victory Day is one of the most important events in the Russian calendar (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) Nazi troops overran much of the western Soviet Union when they invaded in June 1941, before being driven back all the way to Berlin, where the USSRs hammer and sickle flag was raised above the ruined capital. The UK, US, France and other allies mark the end of the war in Europe on May 8. The immense suffering and sacrifice in cities like Stalingrad, Kursk and Mr Putins native Leningrad now St Petersburg still serve as a powerful symbol of the countrys ability to prevail against seemingly overwhelming challenges. Columns of tanks and missiles roll across Red Square as Russia shows off its military might (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) Since coming to power on the last day of 1999, Mr Putin has made May 9 an important part of his political agenda, featuring displays of military might. Columns of tanks and missiles roll across Red Square and squadrons of fighter jets roar overhead as medal-bedecked veterans join him to review the parade. Many wear the black-and-orange St Georges ribbon that is traditionally associated with Victory Day. Thousands of troops take part in the parade (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) About 9,000 troops, including some 1,000 who fought in Ukraine, took part in Thursdays parade. Mr Putin, 71, talks frequently about his family history, sharing memories of his father, who fought on the front during the Nazi siege of the city and was badly wounded. As Mr Putin tells it, his father, also named Vladimir, came home from a military hospital during the war to see workers trying to take away his wife, Maria, who had been declared dead of starvation. But the elder Mr Putin did not believe she had died saying she had only lost consciousness, weak with hunger. Russias Emergency Situations Ministry female cadets attend the Victory Day military parade (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) Their first child, Viktor, died during the siege when he was three, one of more than one million Leningrad residents who died in the 872-day blockade, most of them from starvation. For several years, Mr Putin carried a photo of his father in Victory Day marches as did others honouring relatives who were war veterans in what was called the Immortal Regiment. Those demonstrations were suspended during the coronavirus pandemic and then again amid security concerns after the start of the fighting in Ukraine. Putin cited the denazification of Ukraine as a main goal of Moscow, falsely describing the government of President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust, as neo-Nazis (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via A As part of his efforts to burnish the Soviet legacy and trample on any attempts to question it, Russia has introduced laws that criminalised the rehabilitation of Nazism that include punishing the desecration of memorials or challenging Kremlin versions of World War II history. When he sent troops into Ukraine on February 24 2022, Mr Putin evoked World War II in seeking to justify his actions that Kyiv and its Western allies denounced as an unprovoked war of aggression. Mr Putin cited the denazification of Ukraine as a main goal of Moscow, falsely describing the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust, as neo-Nazis. Stepan Bandera was killed by a Soviet spy in Munich in 1959 (AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov, File) Mr Putin tried to cast Ukraines veneration of some of its nationalist leaders who co-operated with the Nazis in World War II as a sign of Kyivs purported Nazi sympathies. He regularly made unfounded references to Ukrainian nationalist figures such as Stepan Bandera, who was killed by a Soviet spy in Munich in 1959, as an underlying justification for the Russian military action in Ukraine. Many observers see Mr Putins focus on World War II as part of his efforts to revive the USSRs clout and prestige and his reliance on Soviet practices. Its the continuous self-identification with the USSR as the victor of Nazism and the lack of any other strong legitimacy that forced the Kremlin to declare denazification as the goal of the war, Nikolay Epplee said in a commentary for Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre. The Russian leadership, he said, has locked itself up in a worldview limited by the Soviet past. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his countrys army is facing a really difficult situation in eastern regions where troops are battling to hold at bay an intense Russian push along parts of the front line. Russia has sought to exploit Ukraines shortages of ammunition and manpower as the flow of western supplies since the outbreak of the war petered out, assembling large troop concentrations in the east as well as in the north and gaining an edge on the battlefield, Mr Zelenskyy said. But a massive new US military aid package is coming, and it will turn the tide, he said at a news conference in Kyiv with visiting president of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola. With an increase in the supply of weapons, we will be able to stop them in the east. As of now, they seized the initiative there, Mr Zelenskyy said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky talks during a joint press conference with European Parliament president Roberta Metsola in Kyiv (Efrem Lukatsky/AP) Russia is pressing hard in parts of eastern Ukraine in an effort to drive deeper into the Donetsk region, which it partly occupies. The Ukrainian army is on the back foot, scrambling to build fortified defensive lines, and engaged in intense combat. Ukraines forces are outnumbered in infantry, armour and ammunition against Russias bigger army and are trying to limit the Kremlins forces to incremental gains. A Ukrainian brigade recently deployed near Pokrovsk, a town of around 60,000 people before the war, to help stop the creeping Russian advance. Pokrovsk was until recently a two-hour drive from the front line. Now it is less than half that. Soldiers said the Russians usually shelled Ukrainian positions around dawn before sending in waves of small infantry units. The attackers seek to gain footholds and quickly dig in to consolidate their limited advance. They constantly try to breach our lines with their personnel to get through somewhere, to crawl in, to hold any positions for at least a minute, said one soldier. But we are trying to inflict fire damage while they are still approaching our positions. Once they reach our positions, our personnel inflict maximum damage on them with small arms fire. Volodymyr Zelensky with European Parliament president Roberta Metsola (Efrem Lukatsky/AP) Associated Press video from the area shows Ukrainian infantry bodycam footage of troops attacking through trees and thick undergrowth, aiming to deny the advancing Russians a foothold. Both attackers and defenders take advantage of tree lines for cover. The Russian goal, according to Ukrainian intelligence, is to secure the battered small town of Ocheretyne and reach the main Pokrovsk-Kostiantynivka road, severing a key Ukrainian line of communication with other frontline towns. Ocheretyne lies north-west of Avdiivka, a city whose capture opened a door for the Kremlins troops to push westwards, deeper into Donetsk. Russia annexed Donetsk and three other regions illegally in 2022 shortly after it invaded Ukraine, and taking control of all of Donetsk is one of the Kremlins main war goals. After Avdiivkas fall at the end of February, Russia took other local villages as the countrys army chief warned of a worsening battlefield situation. Russian troops have stepped up their efforts to advance in areas near Ocheretyne, launching 45 ground attacks over the previous 24 hours, Ukraines General Staff said on Thursday. On most recent days, they have conducted 20-35 attacks a day. Russian attacks in eastern Ukraine increased by 17% from March to April, the UK Ministry of Defence said on Thursday. Despite the attacking effort, the Kremlins forces have made only minor gains and sustained heavy losses, it added. In other developments, Ukraines parliament has approved a bill that offers parole for convicts who enlist for military service, as the country seeks to replenish its depleted ranks. The bill approved on Wednesday covers only certain categories of convicts. It will be subject to further discussion in parliament before going to the president who decides whether to sign it into law. Russia has also used prisoners to make up a manpower shortage. Meanwhile, Mr Zelenskyy formally appointed Ukraines former army chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the countrys ambassador to Britain. Mr Zelenskyy replaced Mr Zaluzhnyi in February in an apparent effort to give new momentum to Ukraines fight. Also, the governor of Russias Bashkortostan region said a drone strike in the city of Salavat caused a fire at a petrochemical facility. Salavat lies about 750 miles from the nearest point of the Ukraine border, making it possibly the deepest Ukrainian strike yet into Russia. Kyiv officials made no comment about the strike. 1371138342::cfb49c8e-2422-11e5-99a3-d7f5c6e8b241 A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. Juan Cole: Israel, Gaza and Campus Protests, Part I on Sea Change Radio with Alex Wise. Transcript below. Or listen here: Pro-Palestinian student protests are erupting on college campuses all over the country, often resulting in aggressive responses from local law enforcement. This week on Sea Change Radio, the first half of our two-part discussion with noted Michigan University history professor and Middle East scholar, Juan Cole. We look at the Israeli attacks on Gaza, discuss the unrest it has caused on campuses around this country, and examine how the right-wing parties in both the US and Israel are trying to leverage the conflict to their own benefit. Narrator | 00:02 This is Sea Change Radio, covering the shift to sustainability. Im Alex Wise. Juan Cole (JC) | 00:19 So theyre weaponizing their position in Congress to attack the university presidents, and also theyre in some ways in cahoots then with some of these very wealthy donors who are also donors to their campaigns, to use their political position to curb freedom of speech for Americans. Narrator | 00:40 Pro-Palestinian student protests are erupting on college campuses all over the country, often resulting in aggressive responses from local law enforcement. This week on Sea Change Radio, the first half of our two-part discussion with noted Michigan University history professor and Middle East scholar, Juan Cole. We look at the Israeli attacks on Gaza, discuss the unrest it has caused on campuses around this country, and examine how the right-wing parties in both the US and Israel are trying to leverage the conflict to their own benefit. Alex Wise (AW) | 02:25 I am joined now on Sea Change Radio by Juan Cole. Juan is a professor of history at the University of Michigan. Juan, welcome back to Sea Change Radio. Juan Cole (JC) | 01:36 Thank you so much. Alex Wise (AW) | 01:38 Ive really wanted to speak to you for quite some time. I wanted to get your perspective on the college protests that are stemming from the Israeli Hamas conflict. First, why dont you, if you can summarize these college protests and, and its a tough question because theres a wide range of not only the scope of these protests, but on the clampdowns from campus to campus, but maybe for people who havent really been following in that closely, kind of fill them in on whats been happening around the country in the last month or so. Juan Cole (JC) | 02:11 The protests are a response by these undergraduates, mainly undergraduates, to the ongoing Israeli military campaign against Gaza. I think the young people on campus are living this war in a way that their elders are not. Theyve seen the war unfold daily on their phones. They see the horrible clips of wounded, civilians, displaced people, health problems that have been imposed by the war, on TikTok, on on Instagram and, and so forth. They follow news clips on BBC and so forth. And the elders dont, I mean CNN and other major US cable news outfits, you couldnt accuse them of ignoring the war, but they havent covered it intensively. I watch a lot of cable news, and as far as I can tell these days, its all about Trumps trials and these inside the Beltway panels that discuss things endlessly, you dont see very much news from the front. Alex Wise (AW) | 03:22 Its expensive to cover. Its a lot cheaper to just have a panel of people talking about Trump. JC | 03:27 Its for their bottom line. Also, you know the corporate news is selling advertising. I mean, its selling us toilet paper and fast food. And you have to wonder whether scenes of wounded babies covered in flies from Gaza actually are going to help their bottom line. And I think there are a lot of reasons for which they simply havent covered this story in any intensive way. And of course, they cant with their own reporters. And thats another problem for them as news organizations. You get caught, you know, sometimes if you depend on somebody elses feed, if they are engaging in fraud or exaggeration, then if you carry it, then you get the accusation that youre not reliable. And so, theyd have to use stringers from Gaza. People inside Gaza. Itd have to be people that they trusted. Occasionally theyve done this, and of course, a lot of news organizations do this. Agence-France Press has stringers inside Gaza, Al Jazeera, of course, as well. But, I think the big corporate news in the United States is a little afraid to go that direction. And they cant send their own people in very often. Occasionally, they have been able to. If you consume your news from what we used to call mainstream media, then you probably havent heard very much of whats gone on in Gaza. Young people, on the other hand, have lived it, and theyre upset. I mean, it should be underlined that the Israeli government thats in charge of this campaign is not an ordinary government. Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of the Likud Party, whos the Prime Minister, brought into the government in order to come back to power in late 2022, the Israeli equivalent of neo-Nazis. I mean, we have to be frank about this. I know its offensive to some people to say this, but at Itamar Ben-Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, these are not ordinary Israeli politicians. Ben-Gvir is a convicted racialist and inciter and terrorist. I mean, these people would not be allowed into the United States under the rules of the State Department, up until a few years ago, which, marked the Kahanist trend as a terrorist organization. AW | 05:59 So, whether or not Netanyahu is the devil himself, hes made a deal with the devil in order to come back into power in a couple of years ago. Is that a, a fair characterization? JC | 06:10 I think Netanyahu is a man with very few principles, and some people have said he is pragmatic, you can deal with him, and that may all be true. But in order to have, you know, 64 seats in a 120, seat parliament, hes brought in these flamethrowers, who openly talk about destroying Gaza, finishing the job, ethnically cleansing the Palestinians, moving them out someplace else. Who are themselves illegal settlers in the West Bank on Palestinian private property that they have stolen, and who encourage other people to engage in this theft and, and to attack ordinary everyday Palestinians in their towns and hamlets in the West Bank. Ben-Gvir gave out guns in large numbers, recently, I think in hopes of encouraging this kind of violence because Palestinians in the West Bank, are not armed. And so its not an ordinary situation. And the rules of engagement that have been discovered by investigative journalists in Israel, by Israeli journalist Abraham Yuval at +972 Mag, have discovered that they have set the rules of engagement so that they will accept 15 to 20 innocent non-combatant lives being taken for every Hamas militant that theyre able to kill. AW | 07:52 So that calculus is something that young people on campuses are aware of much more than the average American citizen, youd say? JC | 08:00 I would say that they are aware that the rules of engagement that Israel is deploying in Gaza are unprecedented for a western civilized society that theyre just accepting enormous numbers of non-combatant deaths of children, women. Its estimated 70% of the deaths have been children and women, and a fair number of the remaining, you know, are non-combatant men, old people and so forth. AW | 08:29 I do remember reading, I dont have the stat in front of me, but over the last century, the idea of war has turned much more from soldier fighting soldier to one power killing lots of civilians. I think the, I dont remember the ratios, but it used to be like more like one-to-one soldier to soldier in like World War I. But a hundred years later, I think its like 20 to one civilian to, yeah, to soldier death. Its turned into a very different idea than thousands of years of warfare between trained military civilians are the new casualties in modern warfare, unfortunately. JC | 09:09 Thats true, and you see it with the Russians in Ukraine. We saw it with the Americans in Iraq. But heres the thing: The American rules of engagement however much you want to criticize the Pentagon and so forth, were such, if there was a sniper on a building in Mosul from ISIL, and you wanted to take him out by hitting the building, you had to be sure there was no civilian family in that building. The US Air Force will not call in a strike on a building when they know that theres a civilian family in that building thats against the US rules of engagement. And what this government of Netanyahu and Ben-Gavir and Smotrich have done have said, take the shot. AW | 09:58 The ends justify the means. JC | 10:00 The ends justify the means. If you can hit that militant and you kill seven members of an a civilian family, just you have to do it. And thats different from NATO rules of engagement. Thats all Im saying it, its not that innocent civilians dont get killed in, in those wars too that NATO countries have fought. But but this open embrace of a rules of engagement that allows for so many civilian deaths is unusual, let us say. AW | 10:37 And its pretty unconscionable that we have a stomach for it, particularly in the age of social media, where these things are in plain sight. JC | 10:45 Well, thats why the kids I shouldnt call them kids, theyre young adults on campus are making encampments and occupying buildings and protesting, because the US government hasnt done its job. Joe Biden gets the same information as I get in his morning briefings, actually much better information and much more detailed. And his aides are leaking to the press that he sees these civilian deaths every day. And he says, okay. And its not acceptable to the young people, you know, theyre not old and jaded. Theyre not cynical. They think that thats not the way that the US government should be behaving. They should be telling Netanyahu and Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, no, you cant do that. And its in the power of the United States to tell them no. Their ammunition is coming on a daily basis from the United States. (Music Break) | 11:41 AW | 12:19 This is Alex Wise on Sea Change Radio, and Im speaking to Professor Juan Cole of the University of Michigans History Department. My first question we kind of glossed over, and we will get to that again, I do want to go campus by campus a little bit if we can, and see the different reactions. But I cant help but think back to all of these different student protests throughout the years with Vietnam, South Africa, to a lesser degree, the Iraq War, Civil Rights issues. Almost always, theres conflict with the campus police or local authorities. We saw Kent State, but I cant recall a time where we look back and see that the students were on the wrong side of history. JC | 13:02 Thats right. These campus protests are manifestations, I think, of a strong moral stance, in the face of a unsatisfactory status quo. But I would say that this round is different in the sense that the university administrations have been much more willing to call in the police than in the past. The Hamilton building in Columbia University was occupied for three weeks, back in the eighties by anti-apartheid protestors. AW | 13:38 And in the sixties too, right? JC | 13:40 Yeah, and the university didnt do anything. Well, in the sixties they did AW | 13:43 But they were occupying it for a long time before they, they cracked down. JC | 13:46 Yeah, thats right. So the the Columbia University decision to call in a highly militarized police force and, and make these arrests this is I think a little unusual. Its not that its unprecedented, but the willingness to resort to the police, has been more widespread, has taken less time. And, you know, the universities and the police have changed. George W. Bush militarized the US domestic police, he put in a program that leftover Pentagon equipment, started going to police departments. You get these guys dressed up like theyre special forces in Iraq, Kevlar, and all kinds of armor and weaponry, and behaving as though the students are terrorists which theyre not, whatever Eric Adams may allege. These were just students. And the fact that theyre demonstrating about the Gaza War does not mean that theyre Hamas supporters or sympathizers. Actually, I dont know any Hamas sympathizers or supporters, and Im in the Middle East studies field. Its a pretty ugly organization from any liberal or leftist point of view. Theyre protesting about the dead children, that thats why theyre protesting. It has nothing to do with politics. AW | 15:23 Juan, we were talking about the militarization of these police forces. I cant help but think that the arming of these law enforcement officials who are not trained to be Seal forces or Army Rangers, giving them this kind of equipment, shields them from harm and also emboldens them to do more damage than they would otherwise. Not just, not just the guns, but the Kevlar and the protection. It dehumanizes not only them, but the people that theyre supposed to be harnessing, lets say. JC | 15:56 Yes. I mean, I think it encourages the police to think about domestic, protestors as terrorists, and to deploy the diction and the techniques of the war on terror on them. And it separates them from the community. Youve got an army armored vehicle going down the road instead of a police car. This is not going to to help with community policing. And thats why, with the Black Lives Matter movement and theres been a turn towards protestors demanding defunding the police, which President Biden is scathing about and, and rejects. But, there have been places, which have decided to use the police differently. Its not that you dont need police. I mean, if you have bank robberies, you need police. But, why would you send the police to a domestic disturbance? AW | 17:07 Has there been violence breaking out before the police entered the scene in any of these campuses around the country, Juan? JC | 17:13 No. Well, occasionally; there was violence at UCLA, but it was a kind of mob of pro-Israel supporters that attacked the students and coming from off campus. But there is no reason to call police. I saw an anecdote that Hannah Arendt the great Jewish German thinker, was at the New School for Social Research in New York at part of her career. And there was a demonstration, and the administrators and faculty were consulting what to do about it. And she said in German, she said, dont ever call the police. So as somebody who had lived through the horrors of the interwar period, she knew what she was talking about. And I think that should be the slogan for any university administrator. These demonstrations and encampments and protests have almost never actually interfered with the functioning of the university. Im at the University of Michigan. We have an encampment on the Quad, which, you know, is where the students for a democratic society organized demonstrations against the Vietnam War back in the 1960s. Its got a long and storied history being a place for protests there. Those students at that encampment are not bothering anybody and theres no reason for them to have the police called on them. AW | 18:48 From an administrative standpoint, its a very complicated situation for them. Just contrasting Columbia with Brown University, I saw that Brown just went along with the demands of the protestors and decided to divest from companies that are benefiting from this conflict. And on the flip side, you see Columbia bringing in SWAT teams to handle this dissent. I cant help but think that some of this stemmed from the early blow back against the president, I think of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard, where they were threatened by large donors. One guy in particular in Pennsylvania, I dont remember his name, but he, he had given a hundred million dollars, or he was, he had pledged a hundred million dollars, and then he was threatening to not give the entirety of that donation if the president was not unseated. So we see the kind of another bargain that these very well-funded elite institutions have made this grand bargain where youre going to be begging for gifts constantly, youre going to be beholden to some of these larger donors, and its a difficult calculation for them, but it goes along with having a 30 something billion dollars endowment like Columbia. JC | 20:04 Well, I think thats right, and, and I think theres a trend even in state universities, towards trying to build up endowments, by accepting, or soliciting large gifts from alumni people who have graduated from the institution and have gone on to do well in the world. And I think from the point of view of the college administrators, theyre not thinking that donating money to build a chemistry building or whatever, would turn into political influence on the part of the donors about the administration of the universitys affairs. But it does, and weve seen that increasingly. The other thing to say is that the MAGA wing of the Republican party is frustrated, by its inability to make any inroads in universities and has targeted universities. MAGA is not about critical thinking and its a kind of movement where you have to believe 12 impossible things before breakfast. And the universities are not about that program. And so, the Congress, people like Elise Stefanik, whos auditioning for Trumps vice president, have decided to attack the universities. Now, in Congress, the Republican House of Representatives, has this difficulty that constitutionally, they cant just pass laws about what people can say would violate the First Amendment. But what theyve done in the past, and what theyre doing now is to put pressure of various sorts on civil society organizations or businesses to then police speech. And so if they can threaten the universities with a cutoff of federal funds, for instance which they have they hope to be able to make the Universities institute regulations that then would curb the kind of speech that they dont like. And weve seen this happen at the state level in Florida and Texas and elsewhere, trying to outlaw the teaching of, the history of slavery in this country, for instance, on the grounds that it would hurt the feelings of the white students to know what their ancestors did. So theyre weaponizing their position in Congress to attack the university presidents, and also they are in some ways in cahoots then with some of these very wealthy donors who are also donors to their campaigns, to use their political position to curb freedom of speech for Americans. (Music Break) | 22:50 AW | 23:52 This is Alex Wise on Sea Change Radio, and Im speaking to Juan Cole, hes a professor of history at the University of Michigan. So Juan, you just mentioned the MAGA Trump element to this Israeli Hamas conflict. I couldnt help but think when we see some of these police battalions entering encampments on college campuses, that these people are apparently supposed to be there to be protecting the Jewish students. In some odd framing of this issue, I dont think thats usually the case. And knowing how the MAGA wing has kind of treated the Israeli Jewish issue over the last, actually way before Trump, if we look at it from John Hagee, the element where, as long as Israel is occupied by Jews, when the rapture comes, then everythings going to be fine for us. Its a very selfish concept. Doesnt really align with the teachings of Christ from what Im familiar with. But, so when Trump says things like, no Jews should vote for Democrats, I think he said, like, How can Jews remain Democrats? and calling, Netanyahu is your Prime Minister, it feels very craven, and the escalation of violence in these campuses seems to be viewed by the MAGA wing as another opportunity, very craven, and I think people should see through it. But unfortunately, theres a lot of deep-seated beliefs and tribalism that that goes into the general publics opinions when it comes to this very hot button issue. JC | 25:31 Yes. Well, the idea of Elise Stefanik is a protector of Jewish Americans is darkly comic. She actually used campaign ads in her last campaign, which used the dog whistle the great replacement theory which is a, a horrible conspiracy theory that was thought up by French ex-Nazis in the post-World War II period. That why do we have all of these immigrants coming in? Well, its because the Jewish businessmen want them for their cheap labor, because white peoples labor is expensive. And the Jewish business owners dont want to pay white people there a living wage. And so theyre going to replace the white people with all of these immigrants who will work for cheap, very, very cheap wages and and then build up the wealth and power of, this Jewish cabal. It is a family show. I dont wanna use expletives, but its a horrible set of notions. And, Sefanik, her campaign referred to it, you know, it wasnt maybe put out front and center in an explicit way with neon lights, but thats the tenor of the of the argument that she was making, was a great replacement theory advertisement. And, it got Jews killed at the, at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. It was over this crazy conspiracy theory that those people were shot down. So, for them to say that these college students who are upset about civilian deaths in Gaza are engaging in a form of antisemitism just bass ackwards. Its these MAGA guys who are engaging in antisemitism. The undergraduates are not saying anything about Jews at all. In fact, a significant proportion of the protests are being spearheaded by Jewish Voices for Peace, who are Jews, who feel that its unacceptable what the Netanyahu government is doing in Gaza. Narrator | 28:00 Tune in next week for the second half of our discussion with Professor Juan Cole. Youve been listening to Sea Change Radio. Our intro music is by Sanford Lewis, and our outro music is by Alex Wise. Additional music by The Meters, Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready and The Clash. To read a transcript of this show, go to SeaChangeRadio.com to stream or download the show, or subscribe to our podcast on our site, or visit our archives to hear from Doris Kearns Goodwin, Gavin Newsom, Stewart Brand, and many others. And tune in to Sea Change Radio next week as we continue making connections for sustainability. For Sea Change Radio, Im Alex Wise. Via Sea Change Radio with Alex Wise. See also Dan Dinello, This Generations Vietnam: Students are Protesting Israeli Genocide, meeting Media and Political Vilification See also Democracy Now! Meet Students at 4 Colleges Where Gaza Protests Win Concessions ( Middle East Monitor) What is taking place in occupied Palestine is not a conflict between more or less equals, but a straightforward case of illegal military occupation, apartheid, ethnic cleansing and outright genocide by one, heavily-armed side Israel against the largely unarmed other, the Palestinians. Those who insist on using neutral language in depicting the crisis in Palestine are harming the Palestinian people beyond their seemingly innocuous words. This morally non-committal, middle-ground language is now at work in Gaza. It is there that the harm of this impartiality is being felt the most. If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor, said the late South African anti-apartheid activist, Archbishop Desmond Tutu. His wisdom will always ring true. While most countries and peoples around the world are certainly not taking the side of the Israeli oppressor, some, wittingly or otherwise, are. There are those who are taking Israels side by directly fuelling and funding the Israeli killing machine in the Gaza Strip, while blaming the Palestinians for the war and its devastating impact, as if history only started on 7 October; it didnt. However, supporting Israel not only involves the supply of weapons, trade links or shielding it from accountability under international law. Ignoring Palestinian priorities, and highlighting Israels political discourse and expectations are also a form of supporting Israel and denigrating Palestine and its people. Ever since 7 October, questions have been asked about what Israel wants in Gaza. On 7 November, while vowing to destroy Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel was set to maintain security responsibility over the Gaza Strip for an indefinite period. The Americans agreed. There is no coming back to the status quo, US President Joe Biden said on 26 October, which means ensuring that Hamas can no longer terrorise Israel and use Palestinian civilians as human shields. The Europeans, who had often presented themselves as equal partners to both Israel and the Palestinian Authority, adopted a similar attitude. EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell, for instance, set out a proposal for Gaza, including a reinforced version of the current PA, with a legitimacy to be defined and decided upon by the [UN] Security Council rather than the Palestinian people themselves. Even those who admonished Tel Aviv for having unrealistic expectations have failed to ask the obvious question: what do the Palestinians want? As soon as it was obvious that the Palestinian resistance was far too strong to allow Israel to achieve any of its lofty objectives, government officials, experts and media analysts began warning the occupation state that no military victory was possible in the Strip. They contended that Israel must also develop a realistic strategy to govern Gaza after the destruction of the resistance there. Some of these statements were celebrated even by pro-Palestinian Arab and Middle Eastern media as an example of the changing western narrative on Palestine. In reality, though, the narrative has remained the same. What has changed is the unprecedented degree of Palestinian steadfastness, sumud, which has inspired the world and frightened Israels allies about the grim scenarios awaiting Tel Aviv should its occupation forces suffer an outright defeat in Gaza. Even though many among Israels western allies may have seemed to be critical of Netanyahu, they were still behaving out of concern for Tel Aviv first and foremost, with neither love nor respect for the Palestinians. This is nothing new. Since the destruction of the Palestinian homeland the 1948 Nakba two narratives have emerged. The Israeli narrative was embraced fully by western mainstream media, politicians and academics who invested in misrepresenting the conflict. They depicted Israel as a Jewish state fighting for survival in a hostile Arab world and among competing Arab interests, as well as factional and disunited Palestinians, who only agreed on one thing: they want to destroy Israel. Palestine New Years Hope, by Juan Cole, Digital, Dream/Illustrated via 3/ IbisPaint, 2023. The Palestinian narrative is that justice is indivisible, and that the cornerstone of any lasting peace in Palestine is the restoration of dispossessed Palestinian refugees to their homeland, through their legitimate Right of Return, which has been denied consistently by Israel. When Israel occupied the rest of historic Palestine in 1967 and extended its system of apartheid to the newly-occupied territories, it was only natural that ending the Israeli military occupation and dismantling the racist system became critical Palestinian demands. However, this happened without ignoring the original injustice which had befallen all Palestinians in 1948. Israels allies in the West used the Israeli occupation as an opportunity to distract from the root causes of the conflict. With time, they reduced the conversation on Palestine to that of the illegal settlements, which Israel began constructing, contrary to international law, after completing its military occupation in 1967. Any Palestinian who contended that the issue is not a conflict at all, and that the root cause is the creation of the state of Israel in Palestine, was, and continues to be, called a radical, or worse. This reductionist thinking is now being applied to Gaza where every historical reference is pushed aside intentionally, and where the Palestinian political discourse is shunned in favour of Israels deceptive language. However, no matter how often western media continues to speak about Palestinian terrorism and the need to release Israeli hostages and prioritise Israeli security, while ignoring Israeli terrorism and Palestinian detainees and political aspirations, there will be no resolution to this issue now or in the future if Palestinian rights are not accepted, respected and fulfilled. Gaza is part of historic Palestine; it is not a separate entity. Neither its past nor its future can be understood or imagined without appreciating the Palestinian struggle in the whole of Palestine, indigenous Palestinians in todays Israel 20 per cent of the Israeli population included. This is not an opinion, but the very essence of the political discourse emanating from all of Gazas political groups. The same assertion can be made about the political discourse of Palestinians in the West Bank, throughout historic Palestine, and those in shatat, the diaspora. Israel and the US may try to imagine whatever future they wish for Gaza, and they may also try to achieve that future through missiles, dumb bombs and bunker busters. No amount of military might or firepower, though, can alter history or redefine justice. What Gaza ultimately wants is the acknowledgement of historical injustices; respect for international law; freedom for all Palestinians; and legal accountability for Israel. These are hardly radical positions, especially when compared with Israels very obvious policy of destroying Gaza, annexing the West Bank and ethnically cleansing the Palestinian people. Will Washington and its western allies ever understand and acknowledge this fact? Committee on Academic Freedom | Middle East Studies Association Dr. Andrew Martin Chancellor, Washington University in St. Louis We write on behalf of the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA) and its Committee on Academic Freedom to express our shock and revulsion at the brutalization by the police of Professor Steve Tamari of nearby Southern Illinois University Edwardsville as he peacefully participated in a protest for Palestinian rights on the Washington University in St. Louis (WU) campus on 27 April 2024. We also register our deep concern over the suspension of six of your faculty members for alleged participation in the same protest, as well as the arrest and suspension of many of your students. MESA was founded in 1966 to promote scholarship and teaching on the Middle East and North Africa. The preeminent organization in the field, the Association publishes the International Journal of Middle East Studies and has over 2,800 members worldwide. MESA is committed to ensuring academic freedom and freedom of expression, both within the region and in connection with the study of the region North America and elsewhere. On 27 April 2024 Professor Tamari was documenting police arrests of activists at a student encampment supporting Palestinian rights and calling on Washington University to sever its relationship with Boeing because it supplies weapons systems to Israel. Without provocation, several police officers violently attacked Professor Tamari, resulting in his hospitalization with nine broken ribs and a broken hand; he will need surgery to repair the damage to his hand. Your decision to call in the police to break up the encampment, resulting in the severe injuries to Professor Tamari as well as numerous arrests and suspensions, came despite ongoing attempts to resolve the situation peacefully. Dr. Megan-Ellyia Green, the president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen and an adjunct professor at your universitys Brown School of Social Work, noted in an 28 April 2024 Facebook post that student organizers had asked her and Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier to intercede to open communications with WU leadership. Dr. Green wrote that we approached the police line to ask to speak with the vice chancellor who was on the other side of the police line, only to be threatened with arrest. They were later able to speak with the vice chancellor and told him that the students wanted to communicate with the administration. The vice chancellor indicated that he would report the students request to his colleagues in the administration; however, police arrived 15 minutes later and began to make arrests, in many cases using excessive force. Alderwoman Green noted that members of six different police departments were present on campus that day. In a week that witnessed police attacks on faculty and students at peaceful protests at campuses around the country, the violence inflicted on Professor Tamari stands out as by far the most grievous that we have heard about. Moreover, your administrations sanctioning of several of your own professors was similarly called out as exceptionally harsh. For example, the Chronicle of Higher Education noted on 30 April 2024 that while professors have been arrested or disciplined at a handful of other colleges, including Emory, New York and Indiana Universities.the number of professors involved and the severity of the punishment at Washington University stands out. Six WU professors have been placed on paid administrative leave and forbidden from contacting students. Several of the suspended faculty have contested the allegations leading to their suspension. Two of them have been accused of using their swipe cards to facilitate the entry into university buildings of people unauthorized to be there; they contend that they entered campus buildings that were unlocked to use the bathroom. Another faculty member, accused of helping to set up the student encampment, insists that he had never joined it but only participated in a march before it was erected; he asserts that he was arrested while filming Professor Tamaris brutalization. In its 30 April 2024 article the Chronicle of Higher Education quoted a statement by the executive committee of Washington Universitys chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) declaring that it defends the right of faculty to due process, and has not seen that our suspended colleagues actions threatened the community in any way that required emergency exception to that process. The brutalization of Professor Tamari is inexcusable, and your administrations decision to call in the police even as city leaders were trying to mediate cannot be justified. We remind you of the statement on Academic Freedom in Times of War issued by the AAUP on 24 October 2023, which is directly relevant to your decision to have members of WUs student body and faculty arrested and disciplined: It is in tumultuous times that colleges and universities stated commitments to protect academic freedom are most put to the test. As the Israel-Hamas war rages and campus protests proliferate, institutional authorities must refrain from sanctioning faculty members for expressing politically controversial views and should instead defend their right, under principles of academic freedom, to do so. We therefore call on you to issue an immediate apology to Professor Tamari for the severe injuries that the police inflicted on him and offer to assist him should he choose to pursue legal action. We also call on you to immediately rescind the suspensions of your faculty and students, and to seek the dismissal of criminal charges against all those arrested for peacefully protesting. At the same time, we urge you to review all disciplinary measures and procedures taken against them to ensure that they are in conformity with longstanding university policies and the right to due process. We further ask you to refrain from adopting any policy, or taking any measure, which is likely to exert a chilling effect on the right or ability of students, faculty and staff to freely express their opinions on matters of public concern and to advocate for whatever cause they wish. Finally, we urge you to publicly and forcefully reaffirm your commitment to respect and defend the free speech rights and the academic freedom of your faculty, students and staff, and to fully protect the safety and well-being of all members of your campus community. We look forward to your response. Sincerely, Asl U. Bali MESA President Professor, Yale Law School Laurie Brand Chair, Committee on Academic Freedom Professor Emerita, University of Southern California Cc: Dr. Dennis Barbour, Chair, Faculty Senate Cecilia Hanan Reyes, manager of the Faculty Senate admartin@wustl.edu . . . TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 /Jaguar Mining Inc. ("Jaguar" or the "Company") (TSX:JAG)(OTCQX:JAGGF) today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024 ("Q1 2024"). All figures are in US Dollars, unless otherwise expressed. First Quarter Highlights Gold production for the quarter was 16,177 ounces with 15,692 gold ounces sold, at cash operating costs of $1,167 per ounce of gold sold and all-in sustaining costs of $1,608 per ounce of gold sold. Realized gold prices were $2,076 per ounce. Revenue for the quarter $32.6 million, 9% below revenue in the first quarter of 2023 ("Q1 2023") driven by lower production and fewer ounces sold which was partly offset by higher realized gold prices. Net income for the quarter was $2.8 million ($0.04 per share) and $0.4 million ($0.01 per share) higher than net income in Q1 2023. Operating costs for the quarter were $18.3 million compared to operating costs of $20.6 million in Q1 2023. Free cash flow 1 for the first quarter was $3.3 million and in line with Q1 2023, based on operating cash flow plus asset retirement obligation expenditures, less capital. Free cash flow per ounce 1 sold for the quarter $207 and $176 per ounce sold in Q1 2023. Cash position and working capital 1 As of March 31, 2024, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $26.4 million, compared to $22.0 million in cash and cash equivalents as at December 31, 2023. As of March 31, 2024, working capital was $21.4 million, compared to $12.6 million as at December 31, 2023. Vern Baker, President and CEO of Jaguar, stated : "I am very pleased with how our efforts have progressed at advancing Faina in the Turmalina Mine and BA in the Pilar Mine. Despite first-quarter production challenges and a Dengue epidemic, the company continued operating in a cost-conscious manner and increased its cash position while continuing to invest in Faina and BA. The BA orebody made a significant contribution to Q1 production at Pilar, specifically in March, and ongoing development of the BA orebody is expected to contribute to stoping throughout the year. Consolidated production levels in the second quarter will be similar to the first quarter as we work through grade issues that have impacted production at Turmalina since the beginning of April. We are making additional investments in development at Turmalina which we expect will bring its grades back above three grams per tonne. In addition, we have restructured management at the mine to enhance our focus on grade and fully integrate Faina within the production team. In the third quarter, production at Turmalina will return to expected levels, augmented by production at Faina. Overall, we expect to see increased production in the second half of the year with totals expected above 2023 levels." First Quarter 2024 Results Non-GAAP Performance Measures The Company has included the following Non-GAAP performance measures in this document: cash operating costs per ounce of gold sold, all-in sustaining costs per ounce of gold sold, average realized gold price (per ounce of gold sold), sustaining capital expenditures, non-sustaining capital expenditures, adjusted operating cash flow, free cash flow, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), adjusted EBITDA and working capital. These Non-GAAP performance measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and, therefore, may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. The Company believes that, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, certain investors use this information to evaluate the Company's performance. Accordingly, they are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. More specifically, Management believes that these figures are a useful indicator to investors and management of a mine's performance as they provide: (i) a measure of the mine's cash margin per ounce, by comparison of the cash operating costs per ounce to the price of gold; (ii) the trend in costs as the mine matures; and (iii) an internal benchmark of performance to allow for comparison against other mines. The definitions of these performance measures and reconciliation of the Non-GAAP measures to reported IFRS measures are outlined below. Reconciliation of sustaining capital to non-sustaining capital expenditures 1 Reconciliation of Free Cash Flow 1 Reconciliation of Cash Operating Costs, All-In Sustaining Costs and All-In Costs per Ounce Sold 1 Reconciliation of Net Income to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA 1 Working capital 1 Qualified Person Scientific and technical information contained in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Jonathan Victor Hill, BSc (Hons) (Economic Geology - UCT), FAUSIMM, who is Advisor Exploration and Geology to Jaguar Mining Inc. and is a "qualified person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). The Iron Quadrangle The Iron Quadrangle has been an area of mineral exploration dating back to the 16th century. The discovery in 1699-1701 of gold contaminated with iron and platinum-group metals in the southeastern corner of the Iron Quadrangle gave rise to the name of the town Ouro Preto (Black Gold). The Iron Quadrangle contains world-class multi-million-ounce gold deposits such as Morro Velho, Cuiaba, and Sao Bento. Jaguar holds the third largest gold land position in the Iron Quadrangle with over 55,000 hectares. About Jaguar Mining Inc. Jaguar Mining Inc. is a Canadian-listed junior gold mining, development, and exploration company operating in Brazil with three gold mining complexes and a large land package with significant upside exploration potential from mineral claims. The Company's principal operating assets are located in the Iron Quadrangle, a prolific greenstone belt in the state of Minas Gerais and include the Turmalina Gold Mine Complex and Caete Mining Complex (Pilar and Roca Grande Mines, and Caete Plant). The Company also owns the Paciencia Gold Mine Complex, which has been on care and maintenance since 2012. The Roca Grande Mine has been on temporary care and maintenance since April 2019. Additional information is available on the Company's website at www.jaguarmining.com. For further information please contact: Vernon Baker Chief Executive Officer Jaguar Mining Inc. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 416-847-1854 Alfred Colas Chief Financial Officer Jaguar Mining Inc. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 416-847-1854 Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's expectations and plans relating to the future. All of the forward-looking information made in this news release is qualified by the cautionary statements below and those made in our other filings with the securities regulators in Canada. Forward-looking information contained in forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "are expected," "is forecast," "is targeted," "approximately," "plans," "anticipates," "projects," "anticipates," "continue," "estimate," "believe" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "would," "might," or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, may be considered to be or include forward-looking information. This news release contains forward-looking information regarding, among other things, the anticipated impact of planned changes in mining systems and cost cutting initiatives on the Company's future performance and production results, information related to expected sales, production statistics, ore grades, tonnes milled, recovery rates, cash operating costs, definition/delineation drilling, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production, capital expenditures, costs and timing of the development of projects and new deposits, success of exploration, development and mining activities, currency fluctuations, capital requirements, project studies, mine life extensions, restarting suspended or disrupted operations, continuous improvement initiatives, and resolution of pending litigation. The Company has made numerous assumptions with respect to forward-looking information contained herein, including, among other things, assumptions about the estimated timeline for the development of its mineral properties; the supply and demand for, and the level and volatility of the price of, gold; the accuracy of reserve and resource estimates and the assumptions on which the reserve and resource estimates are based; the receipt of necessary permits; market competition; ongoing relations with employees and impacted communities; political and legal developments in any jurisdiction in which the Company operates being consistent with its current expectations including, without limitation, the impact of any potential power rationing, tailings facility regulation, exploration and mine operating licenses and permits being obtained and renewed and/or there being adverse amendments to mining or other laws in Brazil and any changes to general business and economic conditions. Forward-looking information involves a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including among others: the risk of Jaguar not meeting the forecast plans regarding its operations and financial performance; uncertainties with respect to the price of gold, labour disruptions, mechanical failures, increase in costs, environmental compliance and change in environmental legislation and regulation, weather delays and increased costs or production delays due to natural disasters, power disruptions, procurement and delivery of parts and supplies to the operations; uncertainties inherent to capital markets in general (including the sometimes volatile valuation of securities and an uncertain ability to raise new capital) and other risks inherent to the gold exploration, development and production industry, which, if incorrect, may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company and described herein. In addition, there are risks and hazards associated with the business of gold exploration, development, mining and production, including environmental hazards, tailings dam failures, industrial accidents and workplace safety problems, unusual or unexpected geological formations, pressures, cave-ins, flooding, chemical spills, procurement fraud and gold bullion thefts and losses (and the risk of inadequate insurance, or the inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks). Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the forward-looking information made in this news release, see the Company's most recent Annual Information Form and Management's Discussion and Analysis, as well as other public disclosure documents that can be accessed under the issuer profile of "Jaguar Mining Inc." on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com. The forward-looking information set forth herein reflects the Company's reasonable expectations as at the date of this news release and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. 1 This is a Non-GAAP financial performance measure with no standard definition under IFRS. For more details, refer to the Non-GAAP Performance Measures section of the MD&A On track to deliver on full-year production and cost guidance with funding surplus in-hand to complete the Media Luna Project (All amounts expressed in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated) Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 8, 2024) - Torex Gold Resources Inc. (the "Company" or "Torex") (TSX: TXG) reports the Company's financial and operational results for the three months ended March 31, 2024. Torex will host a conference call tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM (ET) to discuss the results. Jody Kuzenko, President & CEO of Torex, stated: "2024 is off to a solid start with production and costs tracking to full-year guidance. Operational results were in line with expectations, with quarterly gold production of 115,494 ounces ("oz") at all-in sustaining costs1 of $1,202 per oz. Our cost performance, combined with a record quarterly average realized gold price1 of $2,023 per oz, resulted in an impressive all-in sustaining costs margin1 of 39%. With decreasing costs expected through 2024 as open pit stripping winds down, we are well-positioned to deliver even stronger margins should the gold price remain at current levels. "The strong operational performance resulted in robust free cash flow1 of $77 million prior to expenditures on the Media Luna Project ($126 million), which includes $44 million of annual tax and royalty payments related to fiscal 2023. We exited the quarter with $405 million in available liquidity1 (including $113 million in cash), which more than covers the $257 million of upfront expenditures remaining on the Media Luna Project and our objective to maintain at least $100 million of liquidity on the balance sheet. "Steady progress was made at Media Luna with the project close to 70% complete at quarter end. As of March 31, 95% of upfront costs had been committed including 71% incurred. Development and construction activities are tracking to plan with first concentrate production anticipated before year end and commercial production expected early next year. With this year expected to be the final year of elevated capital expenditures, we are well-positioned to return to positive free cash flow in mid-2025. "With consistently solid operational results from ELG, Media Luna construction advancing as planned, and a funding surplus in-hand to complete Media Luna on time and on budget, our first quarter results have laid the foundation for what we expect will be a transformational year for the Company and our shareholders." FIRST QUARTER 2024 HIGHLIGHTS Strong safety performance continues: The Company exited the quarter with one lost-time ankle injury at the Media Luna Project and reached 14 million hours lost-time injury free at the El Limon Guajes ("ELG") Mine Complex. As at March 31, 2024, the lost-time injury frequency ("LTIF") for the Morelos Complex was 0.15 per million hours worked for both employees and contractors on a rolling 12-month basis. The Company exited the quarter with one lost-time ankle injury at the Media Luna Project and reached 14 million hours lost-time injury free at the El Limon Guajes ("ELG") Mine Complex. As at March 31, 2024, the lost-time injury frequency ("LTIF") for the Morelos Complex was 0.15 per million hours worked for both employees and contractors on a rolling 12-month basis. Gold production: Delivered gold production of 115,494 oz for the quarter driven by a record average gold recovery of 90.7%, the highest level achieved to date. Throughput rates remained above 13,000 tonnes per day ("tpd") for the fifth consecutive quarter, averaging 13,118 tpd. With the solid start to the year, the Company is on track to achieve annual production guidance of 400,000 to 450,000 oz. On a gold equivalent ounce basis ("oz AuEq"), the Company produced 117,306 oz AuEq 2 and is on track to achieve guidance of 410,000 to 460,000 oz AuEq 2 . Delivered gold production of 115,494 oz for the quarter driven by a record average gold recovery of 90.7%, the highest level achieved to date. Throughput rates remained above 13,000 tonnes per day ("tpd") for the fifth consecutive quarter, averaging 13,118 tpd. With the solid start to the year, the Company is on track to achieve annual production guidance of 400,000 to 450,000 oz. On a gold equivalent ounce basis ("oz AuEq"), the Company produced 117,306 oz AuEq and is on track to achieve guidance of 410,000 to 460,000 oz AuEq . Gold sold: Sold 111,642 oz of gold at an average realized gold price 1 of $2,023 per oz, contributing to revenue of $236.5 million. On a gold equivalent ounce basis, the Company sold 114,199 oz AuEq 2 . Sold 111,642 oz of gold at an average realized gold price of $2,023 per oz, contributing to revenue of $236.5 million. On a gold equivalent ounce basis, the Company sold 114,199 oz AuEq . Total cash costs 1 and all-in sustaining costs 1 : Total cash costs of $918 per oz sold and all-in sustaining costs of $1,202 per oz sold. All-in sustaining costs margin 1 of $821 per oz sold, implying an all-in sustaining costs margin 1 of 39%. Cost of sales was $157.4 million or $1,410 per oz sold in the quarter, primarily impacted by the appreciation of the Mexican peso. Costs are expected to decrease through 2024 as stripping requirements continue to decline with the wind down of the open pits and as such, the Company is on track to achieve full year total cash costs guidance of $860 to $910 per oz and all-in sustaining costs guidance of $1,100 to $1,160 per oz. On a gold equivalent ounce basis, total cash costs of $943 per oz AuEq sold 2 and all-in sustaining costs of $1,221 per oz AuEq sold 2 relative to guidance of $900 to $950 per oz AuEq sold 2 and $1,130 to $1,190 per oz AuEq sold 2 , respectively. Total cash costs of $918 per oz sold and all-in sustaining costs of $1,202 per oz sold. All-in sustaining costs margin of $821 per oz sold, implying an all-in sustaining costs margin of 39%. Cost of sales was $157.4 million or $1,410 per oz sold in the quarter, primarily impacted by the appreciation of the Mexican peso. Costs are expected to decrease through 2024 as stripping requirements continue to decline with the wind down of the open pits and as such, the Company is on track to achieve full year total cash costs guidance of $860 to $910 per oz and all-in sustaining costs guidance of $1,100 to $1,160 per oz. On a gold equivalent ounce basis, total cash costs of $943 per oz AuEq sold and all-in sustaining costs of $1,221 per oz AuEq sold relative to guidance of $900 to $950 per oz AuEq sold and $1,130 to $1,190 per oz AuEq sold , respectively. Net income and adjusted net earnings 1 : Reported net income of $43.1 million or earnings of $0.50 per share on both a basic and diluted basis. Adjusted net earnings of $35.9 million or $0.42 per share on both a basic and diluted basis. Net income includes a derivative loss of $16.2 million related to gold forward contracts and foreign exchange collar contracts entered into to mitigate downside price risk during the construction of the Media Luna Project. Reported net income of $43.1 million or earnings of $0.50 per share on both a basic and diluted basis. Adjusted net earnings of $35.9 million or $0.42 per share on both a basic and diluted basis. Net income includes a derivative loss of $16.2 million related to gold forward contracts and foreign exchange collar contracts entered into to mitigate downside price risk during the construction of the Media Luna Project. EBITDA 1 and adjusted EBITDA 1 : Generated EBITDA of $98.0 million and adjusted EBITDA of $113.2 million. Generated EBITDA of $98.0 million and adjusted EBITDA of $113.2 million. Cash flow generation: Net cash generated from operating activities totalled $79.8 million and $72.5 million before changes in non-cash operating working capital, including income taxes paid of $43.9 million including the 7.5% Mexican mining royalty for 2023 of $24.8 million. Negative free cash flow 1 of $49.1 million is net of cash outlays for capital expenditures, lease payments and interest, including borrowing costs capitalized. Negative free cash flow was a direct result of $126.4 million invested in the Media Luna Project. Net cash generated from operating activities totalled $79.8 million and $72.5 million before changes in non-cash operating working capital, including income taxes paid of $43.9 million including the 7.5% Mexican mining royalty for 2023 of $24.8 million. Negative free cash flow of $49.1 million is net of cash outlays for capital expenditures, lease payments and interest, including borrowing costs capitalized. Negative free cash flow was a direct result of $126.4 million invested in the Media Luna Project. Strong financial liquidity: The quarter closed with net cash 1 of $69.2 million, including $113.2 million in cash and $44.0 million of lease-related obligations, no borrowings on the credit facilities of $300.0 million as at March 31, 2024 and letters of credit outstanding of $7.9 million, providing $405.3 million in available liquidity 1 . The quarter closed with net cash of $69.2 million, including $113.2 million in cash and $44.0 million of lease-related obligations, no borrowings on the credit facilities of $300.0 million as at March 31, 2024 and letters of credit outstanding of $7.9 million, providing $405.3 million in available liquidity . Media Luna Project: During the quarter, Media Luna Project expenditures totalled $126.4 million, with a remaining project spend of $257.1 million. As of March 31, 2024, physical progress on the Project was approximately 69%, with detailed engineering, procurement activities, underground development, and surface construction advancing. With 95% of upfront expenditures committed as at March 31, 2024 (including 71% incurred), expenditures to date have tracked reasonably well to the initial budget of $874.5 million, noting the strength of the Mexican peso remains a headwind to contend with. Quarterly expenditures are expected to remain above $100 million through Q3 2024 before declining in Q4 2024 as Media Luna nears completion and commercial production is subsequently declared. There has been no change to full-year guidance of $350.0 to $400.0 million on project capital expenditures. During the quarter, Media Luna Project expenditures totalled $126.4 million, with a remaining project spend of $257.1 million. As of March 31, 2024, physical progress on the Project was approximately 69%, with detailed engineering, procurement activities, underground development, and surface construction advancing. With 95% of upfront expenditures committed as at March 31, 2024 (including 71% incurred), expenditures to date have tracked reasonably well to the initial budget of $874.5 million, noting the strength of the Mexican peso remains a headwind to contend with. Quarterly expenditures are expected to remain above $100 million through Q3 2024 before declining in Q4 2024 as Media Luna nears completion and commercial production is subsequently declared. There has been no change to full-year guidance of $350.0 to $400.0 million on project capital expenditures. Year-end Mineral Reserves & Resources 3 : At ELG Underground, Proven and Probable reserves increased to 654 koz AuEq, extending the reserve life out to late 2028. Measured and Indicated resources expanded by 432 koz AuEq (570 koz AuEq prior to mined depletion), while Inferred resources increased by 119 koz AuEq. The resource growth was a direct result of the successful 2023 drilling program as well as the assumption of a lower cut-off grade, reflecting higher metal price assumptions and lower costs due to steady increases in underground mining rates. At EPO, infill drilling was successful in upgrading Inferred resources, while step-out drilling expanded the overall mineralized footprint. Indicated resources increased by 481 koz AuEq. The updated resource will form the basis of an internal prefeasibility study to be completed in the second half of 2024. The positive results from the 2023 drilling program support the Company's goal to maintain annual production of more than 450,000 oz AuEq beyond 2027 and extend the overall life of the Morelos Complex well beyond 2033. At ELG Underground, Proven and Probable reserves increased to 654 koz AuEq, extending the reserve life out to late 2028. Measured and Indicated resources expanded by 432 koz AuEq (570 koz AuEq prior to mined depletion), while Inferred resources increased by 119 koz AuEq. The resource growth was a direct result of the successful 2023 drilling program as well as the assumption of a lower cut-off grade, reflecting higher metal price assumptions and lower costs due to steady increases in underground mining rates. At EPO, infill drilling was successful in upgrading Inferred resources, while step-out drilling expanded the overall mineralized footprint. Indicated resources increased by 481 koz AuEq. The updated resource will form the basis of an internal prefeasibility study to be completed in the second half of 2024. The positive results from the 2023 drilling program support the Company's goal to maintain annual production of more than 450,000 oz AuEq beyond 2027 and extend the overall life of the Morelos Complex well beyond 2033. ESG rating improvements: The Company's MSCI ESG rating improved from 'A' to 'AA', with governance practices noted as 'leading global peers' (96th percentile). In addition, the Company's overall Sustainalytics ESG Risk Rating score improved from 31.5 for 2023 (classified as High risk) to 28.5 for 2024 (now categorized as Medium risk) and the CDP Climate Change Score improved from 'C' (Awareness level) in 2022 to 'B-' (Management level) in 2023. These measures are Non-GAAP Financial Performance Measures or Non-GAAP ratios (collectively, "Non-GAAP Measures"). For a detailed reconciliation of each Non-GAAP Measure to its most directly comparable IFRS financial measure see Tables 2 to 11 of this press release. For additional information on these Non-GAAP Measures, please refer to the Company's management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A") for the three months ended March 31, 2024, dated May 7, 2024. The MD&A, and the Company's unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2024, are available on Torex's website ( www.torexgold.com ) and under the Company's SEDAR+ profile ( www.sedarplus.ca ). Gold equivalent ounces produced and sold includes production of silver and copper converted to a gold equivalent based on a ratio of the average realized prices for each commodity sold in the period. Refer to "Gold Equivalent Reporting" on page 6 of the Company's MD&A for the three months ended March 31, 2024, dated May 7, 2024, for the relevant average realized prices by commodity and "Guidance" on page 7 of the Company's MD&A for 2024 guidance assumptions. Mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates for the Morelos Complex can be found in tables 12 and 13, respectively, of this press release. AuEq values account for underlying metal prices and metallurgical recoveries used in reserve and resource estimates. For more information on the mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates for the Morelos Complex, please see the Company's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2023, or the Company's news release titled "Torex Gold Reports Year-end 2023 Reserves & Resources" issued on March 26, 2024, and filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website at www.torexgold.com Table 1: Operating and Financial Highlights Three Months Ended Mar 31, Dec 31, Mar 31, In millions of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted 2024 2023 2023 Safety Lost-time injury frequency1 /million hours 0.15 0.31 0.53 Total recordable injury frequency1 /million hours 0.97 1.23 1.87 Operating Results - Gold only basis Gold produced oz 115,494 137,993 122,918 Gold sold oz 111,642 138,794 118,455 Total cash costs2 $/oz 918 885 709 All-in sustaining costs2 $/oz 1,202 1,073 1,079 Average realized gold price2 $/oz 2,023 1,995 1,899 Operating Results - Gold Equivalent basis Gold equivalent produced3 oz AuEq 117,306 139,418 124,871 Gold equivalent sold3 oz AuEq 114,199 139,854 120,748 Total cash costs2,3 $/oz AuEq 943 893 732 All-in sustaining costs2,3 $/oz AuEq 1,221 1,080 1,095 Financial Results Revenue $ 236.5 282.4 228.8 Cost of sales $ 157.4 191.6 137.4 Earnings from mine operations $ 79.1 90.8 91.4 Net income $ 43.1 50.4 68.2 Per share - Basic $/share 0.50 0.59 0.79 Per share - Diluted $/share 0.50 0.58 0.79 Adjusted net earnings2 $ 35.9 49.1 50.3 Per share - Basic2 $/share 0.42 0.57 0.59 Per share - Diluted2 $/share 0.42 0.57 0.58 EBITDA2 $ 98.0 115.4 102.5 Adjusted EBITDA2 $ 113.2 142.6 132.7 Cost of sales - gold only basis $/oz 1,410 1,380 1,160 Net cash generated from operating activities 79.8 120.0 47.0 Net cash generated from operating activities before changes in non-cash operating working capital $ 72.5 133.5 61.9 Free cash flow2 $ (49.1) (24.3) (54.0) Cash and cash equivalents $ 113.2 172.8 321.9 Lease-related obligations $ 44.0 32.0 3.5 Net cash2 $ 69.2 140.8 318.4 Available liquidity2 $ 405.3 464.9 564.0 On a 12-month rolling basis, per million hours worked. These measures are Non-GAAP Measures. For a detailed reconciliation of each Non-GAAP Measure to its most directly comparable measure in accordance with the IFRS as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board see Tables 2 to 11 of this press release. For additional information on these Non-GAAP Measures, please refer to the Company's MD&A for the three months ended March 31, 2024, dated May 7, 2024. The MD&A and the Company's unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2024, are available on Torex's website ( www.torexgold.com ) and under the Company's SEDAR+ profile ( www.sedarplus.ca ). Gold equivalent ounces produced and sold includes production of silver and copper converted to a gold equivalent based on a ratio of the average realized prices for each commodity sold in the period. Refer to "Gold Equivalent Reporting" on page 6 of the Company's MD&A for the relevant average realized prices by commodity. CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST DETAILS The Company will host a conference call tomorrow at 9:00 AM (ET) where senior management will discuss the first quarter operating and financial results. For expedited access to the conference call, registration is open to obtain an access code in advance, which will allow participants to join the call directly at the scheduled time. Alternatively, dial-in details are as follows: Toronto local or International: 1-647-484-8814 Toll-Free (North America): 1-844-763-8274 A live webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company's website at https://torexgold.com/investors/upcoming-events/. The webcast will be archived on the Company's website. Table 2: Reconciliation of Total Cash Costs and All-in Sustaining Costs to Production Costs and Royalties Three Months Ended Mar 31, Dec 31, Mar 31, In millions of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted 2024 2023 2023 Gold sold oz 111,642 138,794 118,455 Total cash costs per oz sold Production costs $ 100.8 116.5 81.5 Royalties $ 6.9 8.4 6.9 Less: Silver sales $ (1.5) (0.9) (1.5) Less: Copper sales $ (3.7) (1.2) (2.9) Total cash costs $ 102.5 122.8 84.0 Total cash costs per oz sold $/oz 918 885 709 All-in sustaining costs per oz sold Total cash costs $ 102.5 122.8 84.0 General and administrative costs1 $ 8.0 7.3 6.6 Reclamation and remediation costs $ 1.3 1.5 1.4 Sustaining capital expenditure $ 22.4 17.3 35.8 Total all-in sustaining costs $ 134.2 148.9 127.8 Total all-in sustaining costs per oz sold $/oz 1,202 1,073 1,079 Gold equivalent sold2 oz AuEq 114,199 139,854 120,748 Total cash costs per oz AuEq sold Production costs $ 100.8 116.5 81.5 Royalties $ 6.9 8.4 6.9 Total cash costs $ 107.7 124.9 88.4 Total cash costs per oz AuEq sold2 $/oz AuEq 943 893 732 All-in sustaining costs per oz AuEq sold Total cash costs $ 107.7 124.9 88.4 General and administrative costs1 $ 8.0 7.3 6.6 Reclamation and remediation costs $ 1.3 1.5 1.4 Sustaining capital expenditure $ 22.4 17.3 35.8 Total all-in sustaining costs $ 139.4 151.0 132.2 Total all-in sustaining costs per oz AuEq sold2 $/oz AuEq 1,221 1,080 1,095 This amount excludes a loss of $4.2 million, gain of $0.5 million and loss of $3.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024, December 31, 2023, and March 31, 2023, respectively, in relation to the remeasurement of share-based payments. This amount also excludes corporate depreciation and amortization expenses totalling $0.1 million, $nil and $0.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024, December 31, 2023, and March 31, 2023, respectively, within general and administrative costs. Included in general and administrative costs is share-based compensation expense in the amount of $2.3 million or $21/oz for the three months ended March 31, 2024, $1.1 million or $8/oz for the three months ended December 31, 2023, $1.9 million or $16/oz for the three months ended March 31, 2023. This amount excludes other expenses totalling $1.2 million, $2.1 million and $0.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024, December 31, 2023, and March 31, 2023, respectively. Gold equivalent ounces produced and sold includes production of silver and copper converted to a gold equivalent based on a ratio of the average realized prices for each commodity sold in the period. Refer to "Gold Equivalent Reporting" on page 6 of the Company's MD&A for the relevant average realized prices by commodity. Table 3: Reconciliation of Sustaining and Non-Sustaining Costs to Capital Expenditures Three Months Ended Mar 31, Dec 31, Mar 31, In millions of U.S. dollars 2024 2023 2023 Sustaining $ 21.6 17.3 14.6 Capitalized Stripping (Sustaining) $ 0.8 - 21.2 Non-sustaining $ - 0.3 0.7 Total ELG $ 22.4 17.6 36.5 Media Luna Project1 $ 126.4 124.0 66.4 Media Luna Cluster Drilling/Other $ 1.3 3.8 3.1 Working Capital Changes & Other $ (24.0) (4.0) (6.3) Capital expenditures2 $ 126.1 141.4 99.7 This amount includes a realized gain (or a reduction in the capitalized expenditures) of $0.8 million, $0.3 million and $nil for the three months ended March 31, 2024, December 31, 2023, and March 31, 2023, respectively, in relation to the settlement of foreign exchange zero cost collars that were entered into to manage the capital expenditure risk related to a further strengthening of the Mexican peso. The amount of cash expended on additions to property, plant and equipment in the period as reported in the Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Cash Flows. Table 4: Reconciliation of Average Realized Gold Price and Total Cash Costs Margin to Revenue Three Months Ended Mar 31, Dec 31, Mar 31, In millions of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted 2024 2023 2023 Gold sold oz 111,642 138,794 118,455 Revenue $ 236.5 282.4 228.8 Less: Silver sales $ (1.5) (0.9) (1.5) Less: Copper sales $ (3.7) (1.2) (2.9) Less: Realized (loss) gain on gold contracts $ (5.4) (3.4) 0.5 Total proceeds $ 225.9 276.9 224.9 Total average realized gold price $/oz 2,023 1,995 1,899 Less: Total cash costs $/oz 918 885 709 Total cash costs margin $/oz 1,105 1,110 1,190 Total cash costs margin % 55 56 63 Gold equivalent sold1 oz AuEq 114,199 139,854 120,748 Revenue $ 236.5 282.4 228.8 Less: Realized (loss) gain on gold contracts $ (5.4) (3.4) 0.5 Total proceeds $ 231.1 279.0 229.3 Total average realized gold price $/oz 2,023 1,995 1,899 Less: Total cash costs1 $/oz AuEq 943 893 732 Total cash costs margin1 $/oz AuEq 1,080 1,102 1,167 Total cash costs margin % 53 55 61 Gold equivalent ounces produced and sold includes production of silver and copper converted to a gold equivalent based on a ratio of the average realized prices for each commodity sold in the period. Refer to "Gold Equivalent Reporting" on page 6 of the Company's MD&A for the relevant average realized prices by commodity. Table 5: Reconciliation of All-in Sustaining Costs Margin to Revenue Three Months Ended Mar 31, Dec 31, Mar 31, In millions of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted 2024 2023 2023 Gold sold oz 111,642 138,794 118,455 Revenue $ 236.5 282.4 228.8 Less: Silver sales $ (1.5) (0.9) (1.5) Less: Copper sales $ (3.7) (1.2) (2.9) Less: Realized (loss) gain on gold contracts $ (5.4) (3.4) 0.5 Less: All-in sustaining costs $ (134.2) (148.9) (127.8) All-in sustaining costs margin $ 91.7 128.0 97.1 Total all-in sustaining costs margin $/oz 821 922 820 Total all-in sustaining costs margin % 39 45 42 Gold equivalent sold1 oz AuEq 114,199 139,854 120,748 Revenue $ 236.5 282.4 228.8 Less: Realized (loss) gain on gold contracts $ (5.4) (3.4) 0.5 Less: All-in sustaining costs $ (139.4) (151.0) (132.2) All-in sustaining costs margin $ 91.7 128.0 97.1 Total all-in sustaining costs margin1 $/oz AuEq 802 915 804 Total all-in sustaining costs margin % 39 45 42 Gold equivalent ounces produced and sold includes production of silver and copper converted to a gold equivalent based on a ratio of the average realized prices for each commodity sold in the period. Refer to "Gold Equivalent Reporting" on page 6 of the Company's MD&A for the relevant average realized prices by commodity. Table 6: Reconciliation of Adjusted Net Earnings to Net Income Three Months Ended In millions of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted Mar 31, Dec 31, Mar 31, 2024 2023 2023 Basic weighted average shares outstanding shares 85,949,559 85,885,453 85,869,276 Diluted weighted average shares outstanding shares 86,499,360 86,410,111 86,398,732 Net income $ 43.1 50.4 68.2 Adjustments: Unrealized foreign exchange gain $ (0.6) (0.7) (0.5) Unrealized loss on derivative contracts $ 11.6 28.4 27.1 Remeasurement of share-based payments $ 4.2 (0.5) 3.6 Derecognition of provisions for uncertain tax positions $ (12.1) - (15.2) Tax effect of above adjustments $ (3.3) (8.3) (9.0) Tax effect of currency translation on tax base $ (7.0) (20.2) (23.9) Adjusted net earnings $ 35.9 49.1 50.3 Per share - Basic $/share 0.42 0.57 0.59 Per share - Diluted $/share 0.42 0.57 0.58 Table 7: Reconciliation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to Net Income Three Months Ended Mar 31, Dec 31, Mar 31, In millions of U.S. dollars 2024 2023 2023 Net income $ 43.1 50.4 68.2 Finance income, net $ (1.7) (2.0) (3.0) Depreciation and amortization1 $ 49.8 66.8 49.1 Current income tax expense $ 26.2 50.5 16.8 Deferred income tax recovery $ (19.4) (50.3) (28.6) EBITDA $ 98.0 115.4 102.5 Adjustments: Unrealized loss on derivative contracts $ 11.6 28.4 27.1 Unrealized foreign exchange gain $ (0.6) (0.7) (0.5) Remeasurement of share-based payments $ 4.2 (0.5) 3.6 Adjusted EBITDA $ 113.2 142.6 132.7 Includes depreciation and amortization included in cost of sales, general and administrative expenses and exploration and evaluation expenses. Table 8: Reconciliation of Free Cash Flow to Net Cash Generated from Operating Activities Three Months Ended Mar 31, Dec 31, Mar 31, In millions of U.S. dollars 2024 2023 2023 Net cash generated from operating activities $ 79.8 120.0 47.0 Less: Additions to property, plant and equipment1 $ (126.1) (141.4) (99.7) Lease payments $ (1.4) (1.6) (0.8) Interest paid2 $ (1.4) (1.3) (0.5) Free cash flow $ (49.1) (24.3) (54.0) The amount of cash expended on additions to property, plant and equipment in the period as reported on the Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Cash Flows. Including borrowing costs capitalized to property, plant and equipment. Table 9: Reconciliation of Net Cash to Cash and Cash Equivalents Mar 31, Dec 31, Mar 31, In millions of U.S. dollars 2024 2023 2023 Cash and cash equivalents $ 113.2 172.8 321.9 Less: Lease-related obligations $ (44.0) (32.0) (3.5) Net cash $ 69.2 140.8 318.4 Table 10: Reconciliation of Available Liquidity to Cash and Cash Equivalents Mar 31, Dec 31, Mar 31, In millions of U.S. dollars 2024 2023 2023 Cash and cash equivalents $ 113.2 172.8 321.9 Add: Available credit of the Debt Facility $ 292.1 292.1 242.1 Available liquidity $ 405.3 464.9 564.0 Table 11: Reconciliation of Unit Cost Measures to Production Costs Three Months Ended In millions of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted Mar 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023 Mar 31, 2023 Gold sold (oz) 111,642 138,794 118,455 Tonnes mined - open pit (kt) 8,981 9,626 9,354 Tonnes mined - underground (kt) 168 212 156 Tonnes processed (kt) 1,194 1,218 1,177 Total cash costs: Total cash costs ($) 102.5 122.8 84.0 Total cash costs per oz sold ($) 918 885 709 Breakdown of production costs $ $/t $ $/t $ $/t Mining - open pit 31.6 3.52 33.8 3.51 28.4 3.03 Mining - underground 13.8 82.34 16.3 77.02 12.6 80.42 Processing 42.5 35.64 45.5 37.36 39.7 33.72 Site support 14.3 12.00 14.1 11.58 12.1 10.25 Mexican profit sharing (PTU) 3.0 2.50 6.4 5.26 5.5 4.64 Capitalized stripping (0.8) - (21.2) Inventory movement (4.3) - 3.5 Other 0.7 0.4 0.9 Production costs 100.8 116.5 81.5 Table 12: Mineral Reserve Estimate - Morelos Complex (December 31, 2023) Tonnes Au Ag Cu Au Ag Cu AuEq AuEq (kt) (gpt) (gpt) (%) (koz) (koz) (Mlb) (gpt) (koz) Media Luna Underground Proven 2,001 4.28 33.1 1.09 276 2,129 48 6.48 417 Probable 21,568 2.56 24.2 0.84 1,775 16,749 401 4.24 2,943 Proven & Probable 23,569 2.71 24.9 0.86 2,050 18,877 448 4.43 3,360 ELG Underground Proven 1,497 5.77 8.0 0.30 277 385 10 6.28 302 Probable 2,007 4.91 7.5 0.29 317 482 13 5.46 352 Proven & Probable 3,504 5.28 7.7 0.30 594 867 23 5.81 654 ELG Open Pit Proven 1,813 4.30 5.4 0.16 251 313 6 4.36 254 Probable 3,741 2.51 4.5 0.20 302 538 16 2.58 310 Proven & Probable 5,553 3.09 4.8 0.18 552 851 23 3.16 565 Surface Stockpiles Proven 4,972 1.17 2.8 0.07 187 443 8 1.20 192 Probable - - - - - - - - - Proven & Probable 4,972 1.17 2.8 0.07 187 443 8 1.20 192 Total Morelos Complex Proven 10,283 3.00 9.9 0.32 991 3,269 72 3.52 1,165 Probable 27,316 2.73 20.2 0.71 2,393 17,769 430 4.11 3,606 Proven & Probable 37,598 2.80 17.4 0.61 3,384 21,038 502 3.95 4,771 Notes to accompany the mineral reserve table: Mineral reserves were developed in accordance with CIM (2014) guidelines. Rounding may result in apparent summation differences between tonnes, grade, and contained metal content. Surface stockpile mineral reserves are estimated using production and survey data and apply the same gold equivalent ("AuEq") formula as ELG Open Pits. AuEq of total reserves is established from combined contributions of the various deposits. The qualified person for the mineral reserve estimate is Johannes (Gertjan) Bekkers, P. Eng., VP of Mines Technical Services. The qualified person is not aware of mining, metallurgical, infrastructure, permitting, or other factors that materially affect the mineral reserve estimates. Notes to accompany the Media Luna Underground mineral reserves: Mineral reserves are based on Media Luna Measured & Indicated mineral resources with an effective date of December 31, 2023. Media Luna Underground mineral reserves are reported above an in-situ ore cut-off grade of 2.4 g/t AuEq. Media Luna Underground cut-off grades and mining shapes are considered appropriate for a metal price of $1,500/oz gold ("Au"), $19/oz silver ("Ag") and $3.50/lb copper ("Cu") and metal recoveries of 90% Au, 86% Ag, and 93% Cu. Mineral reserves within designed mine shapes assume long-hole open stoping, supplemented with mechanized cut-and-fill mining and includes estimates for dilution and mining losses. Media Luna Underground AuEq = Au (g/t) + Ag (g/t) * (0.0121) + Cu (%) * (1.6533), accounting for metal prices and metallurgical recoveries. Notes to accompany the ELG Underground mineral reserves: Mineral reserves are founded on Measured and Indicated mineral resources, with an effective date of December 31, 2023, for ELG Underground (including Sub-Sill, El Limon Deep and El Limon Sur Trend deposits). ELG Underground mineral reserves are reported above an in-situ ore cut-off grade of 2.8 g/t AuEq and an in-situ incremental cut-off grade of 1.6 g/t AuEq. Cut-off grades and mining shapes are considered appropriate for a metal price of $1,500/oz gold ("Au"), $19/oz silver ("Ag") and $3.50/lb copper ("Cu") and metal recoveries of 90% Au, 86% Ag, and 93% Cu, accounting for the planned copper concentrator. Mineral reserves within designed mine shapes assume mechanized cut and fill mining method and include estimates for dilution and mining losses. Mineral reserves are reported using an Au price of US$1,500/oz, Ag price of US$19/oz, and Cu price of US$3.50/lb. ELG Underground AuEq = Au (g/t) + Ag (g/t) * (0.0121) + Cu (%) * (1.6533), accounting for metal prices and metallurgical recoveries. Notes to accompany the ELG Open Pit mineral reserves and Surface Stockpiles: Mineral reserves are founded on Measured and Indicated mineral resources, with an effective date of December 31, 2023, for El Limon and El Limon Sur deposits. ELG Open Pit mineral reserves are reported above an in-situ cut-off grade of 1.2 g/t Au. ELG Low Grade mineral reserves are reported above an in-situ cut-off grade of 0.88 g/t Au. It is planned that ELG Low Grade mineral reserves within the designed pits will be stockpiled during pit operation and processed during pit closure. Mineral reserves within the designed pits include assumed estimates for dilution and ore losses. Cut-off grades and designed pits are considered appropriate for a metal price of $1,500/oz Au and metal recovery of 89% Au. Mineral reserves are reported using an Au price of US$1,500/oz, Ag price of US$19/oz, and Cu price of US$3.50/lb. Average metallurgical recoveries of 89% for Au, 30% for Ag, and 15% for Cu. ELG Open Pit (including surface stockpiles) AuEq = Au (g/t) + Ag (g/t) * (0.0043) + Cu (%) * (0.2697), accounting for metal prices and metallurgical recoveries. Table 13: Mineral Resource Estimate - Morelos Complex (December 31, 2023) Tonnes Au Ag Cu Au Ag Cu AuEq AuEq (kt) (gpt) (gpt) (%) (koz) (koz) (Mlb) (gpt) (koz) Media Luna Underground Measured 1,835 5.26 41.7 1.37 310 2,463 55 8.00 472 Indicated 25,616 2.99 29.5 1.04 2,463 24,328 585 5.03 4,146 Measured & Indicated 27,451 3.14 30.4 1.06 2,774 26,791 640 5.23 4,618 Inferred 7,330 2.54 23.0 0.88 598 5,408 142 4.25 1,001 ELG Underground Measured 3,451 5.48 7.9 0.32 608 876 24 6.10 677 Indicated 4,725 4.46 7.4 0.30 677 1,126 31 5.03 765 Measured & Indicated 8,176 4.89 7.6 0.31 1,285 2,002 55 5.48 1,441 Inferred 2,396 4.60 8.0 0.35 355 620 19 5.28 407 EPO Underground Measured - - - - - - - - - Indicated 6,979 2.66 30.0 1.27 597 6,728 195 5.14 1,153 Measured & Indicated 6,979 2.66 30.0 1.27 597 6,728 195 5.14 1,153 Inferred 4,960 2.00 37.0 1.24 318 5,908 136 4.52 721 ELG Open Pit Measured 1,812 4.41 5.5 0.16 257 323 6 4.47 261 Indicated 4,299 2.50 4.4 0.18 346 606 17 2.57 355 Measured & Indicated 6,110 3.07 4.7 0.17 602 929 23 3.13 615 Inferred 399 2.06 1.5 0.05 26 19 0 2.08 27 Total Morelos Complex Measured 7,098 5.15 16.0 0.55 1,175 3,662 86 6.18 1,409 Indicated 41,619 3.05 24.5 0.90 4,083 32,787 827 4.80 6,418 Measured & Indicated 48,717 3.36 23.3 0.85 5,258 36,449 913 5.00 7,828 Inferred 15,085 2.67 24.7 0.89 1,297 11,955 297 4.45 2,156 Notes to accompany the mineral resource table: CIM (2014) definitions were followed for mineral resources. Mineral resources are depleted above a mining surface or to the as-mined solids as of December 31, 2023. Gold equivalent ("AuEq") of total mineral resources is established from combined contributions of the various deposits. Mineral resources for all deposits are based on an underlying gold ("Au") price of US$1,650/oz, silver ("Ag") price of US$22/oz, and copper ("Cu") price of US$3.75/lb. Mineral resources are inclusive of mineral reserves. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Numbers may not add due to rounding. The estimate was prepared by Ms. Carolina Milla, P.Eng. (Alberta), Principal, Mineral Resources Notes to accompany Media Luna Underground mineral resources: The effective date of the estimate is December 31, 2023. Mineral resources for Media Luna Underground are reported above a 2.0 g/t AuEq cut-off grade. Metallurgical recoveries at Media Luna Underground average 90% Au, 86% Ag, and 93% Cu. The assumed mining method is from underground methods, using a combination of long-hole open stoping and mechanized cut-and-fill. Media Luna Underground AuEq = Au (g/t) + (Ag (g/t) * 0.0127) + (Cu (%) * 1.6104), accounting for underlying metal prices and metallurgical recoveries for Media Luna Underground. Notes to accompany ELG Underground mineral resources: The effective date of the estimate is December 31, 2023. Mineral resources for ELG Underground are reported above a cut-off grade of 2.2 g/t AuEq. Average metallurgical recoveries are 90% Au, 86% Ag, and 93% Cu, accounting for recoveries with planned copper concentrator. The assumed mining method is underground cut and fill. ELG Underground AuEq = Au (g/t) + (Ag (g/t) * 0.0127) + (Cu (%) * 1.6104), accounting for underlying metal prices and metallurgical recoveries for ELG Underground. Notes to accompany EPO Underground mineral resources: The effective date of the estimate is December 31, 2023. Mineral resources for EPO Underground are reported above a 2.0 g/t AuEq cut-off grade. Metallurgical recoveries at EPO average 87% Au, 85% Ag, and 92% Cu. The assumed mining method is from underground methods, using long-hole open stoping. EPO Underground AuEq = Au (g/t) + (Ag (g/t) * 0.0130) + (Cu (%) * 1.6480), accounting for underlying metal prices and metallurgical recoveries for EPO Underground. Notes to accompany the ELG Open Pit mineral resources: The effective date of the estimate is December 31, 2023. Mineral resources for ELG Open Pit are reported above an in-situ cut-off grade of 0.78 g/t Au. Average metallurgical recoveries are 89% Au, 30% Ag, and 15% Cu. Mineral resources are reported inside an optimized pit shell, underground mineral reserves at ELD within the El Limon pit shell have been excluded from the open pit mineral resources. ELG Open Pit AuEq = Au (g/t) + (Ag (g/t) * 0.0045) + (Cu (%) * 0.2627), accounting for underlying metal prices and metallurgical recoveries for ELG Open Pit. ABOUT TOREX GOLD RESOURCES INC. Torex is an intermediate gold producer based in Canada, engaged in the exploration, development, and operation of its 100% owned Morelos Property, an area of 29,000 hectares in the highly prospective Guerrero Gold Belt located 180 kilometres southwest of Mexico City. The Company's principal asset is the Morelos Complex, which includes the El Limon Guajes ("ELG") Mine Complex, the Media Luna Project, a processing plant, and related infrastructure. Commercial production from the Morelos Complex commenced on April 1, 2016 and an updated Technical Report for the Morelos Complex was released in March 2022. Torex's key strategic objectives are: integrate and optimize the Morelos Property; deliver Media Luna to full production; grow reserves and resources; disciplined growth and capital allocation; retain and attract best industry talent; and build on ESG excellence. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: TOREX GOLD RESOURCES INC. Jody Kuzenko President and CEO Direct: (647) 725-9982 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Dan Rollins Senior Vice President, Corporate Development & Investor Relations Direct: (647) 260-1503 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. QUALIFIED PERSONS The scientific and technical information contained in this press release pertaining to mineral reserves and mineral resources has been reviewed and approved by Johannes (Gertjan) Bekkers, P.Eng., Vice President, Mine Technical Services of Torex Gold Resources Inc. and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. CAUTIONARY NOTES ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This press release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information also includes, but is not limited to, statements that: the Company is on track to deliver on full-year production and cost guidance with funding surplus in-hand to complete the Media Luna Project; with decreasing costs expected through 2024 as open pit stripping winds down, we are well-positioned to deliver even stronger margins should the gold price remain at current levels; development and construction activities are tracking to plan with first concentrate production anticipated before year end and commercial production expected early next year; we are well-positioned to return to positive free cash flow in mid-2025; our first quarter results have laid the foundation for what we expect will be a transformational year for the Company and our shareholders; the Company is on track to achieve annual production guidance of 400,000 to 450,000 oz; the Company is on track to achieve guidance of 410,000 to 460,000 oz AuEq; costs are expected to decrease through 2024 as stripping requirements continue to decline with the wind down of the open pits and as such, the Company is on track to achieve full year total cash costs guidance of $860 to $910 per oz and all-in sustaining costs guidance of $1,100 to $1,160 per oz; quarterly expenditures are expected to remain above $100 million through 2024 before declining in Q4 2024 as the Media Luna Project nears completion and commercial production is subsequently declared; there has been no change in full year guidance of $350.0 to $400.0 million on project capital expenditures; and the positive results from the 2023 drilling program support the Companys goal to maintain annual production of more than 450,000 oz AuEq beyond 2027 and extend the overall life of the Morelos Complex well beyond 2033; and key strategic objectives are: integrate and optimize the Morelos Property; deliver Media Luna to full production; grow reserves and resources; disciplined growth and capital allocation; retain and attract best industry talent; and build on ESG excellence. Generally, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as forecast, plans, expects, or does not expect, is expected, strategic or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results will, may, could, would, might, or on track,, or well positioned to occur. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties identified in the technical report (the Technical Report) released on March 31, 2022, entitled NI 43-101 Technical Report ELG Mine Complex Life Of Mine Plan and Media Luna Feasibility Study, which has an effective date of March 16, 2022, and the Companys annual information form (AIF) and managements discussion and analysis (MD&A) or other unknown but potentially significant impacts. Forward-looking information and statements are based on the assumptions discussed in the Technical Report, AIF and MD&A and such other reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date such statements are made. Although the company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. The Technical Report, MD&A and AIF are filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and available on the Companys website at www.torexgold.com. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 9, 2024) - Independence Gold Corp. (TSXV: IGO) (OTCQB: IEGCF) (the "Company") is pleased to announce the expansion of the current diamond drill program at its 100% owned 3Ts Project, located approximately 185 kilometres ("km") southwest of Prince George, British Columbia and situated 16 km southwest of Artemis Gold Inc.'s Blackwater Project. The spring drill program has been expanded by 1,100 metres ("m") from the initially planned 4,200m to 5,300m. The increased drill meterage will be used to explore additional targets at the Ted-Mint Vein System, where there is a potential for high-grade intercepts which will be incorporated into the existing mineral resource (see report titled "Technical Report on the Mineral Resource Estimate Update for the 3Ts Gold Project, Omineca Mining Division, British Columbia, Canada" authored by Armitage and Miller, effective August 18th, 2022; please see news release dated August 18, 2022 for further details). Including the current drill program, an additional 11,000m has been carried out at 3Ts since the mineral resource was updated in 2022; the results from these drill programs will be incorporated into future mineral resource updates. The spring drill program has focused on the Ted-Mint and Tommy Vein Systems, Johnny and Ian Veins, two geophysical targets known collectively as the "Balrog" anomaly. A total of 4,150m of core has been drilled to date. Drill core is currently being split and then sent to SGS Labs in Vancouver for processing and analysis. Results will be announced as they become available. Randy Turner, President & CEO of the Company, commented, "We have been fortunate with the drilling at the 3Ts Project so far this season. Efficient drilling, good core recovery and favourable weather has placed the program ahead of schedule. The additional drilling is able to be added to the program without an increase to the expected budget of $1.9 million." The 3Ts Project is comprised of seventeen mineral claims covering approximately 8,840 hectares in the Nechako Plateau region of central British Columbia. The 3Ts Project covers a low-sulphidation epithermal quartz-carbonate vein district within which more than a dozen individual mineralized veins, ranging from 50m to more than 1,100m in length and true widths up to 25m, have been identified. About Independence Independence Gold Corp. is a well-financed mineral exploration company with holdings ranging from early-stage grassroots exploration to advanced-stage resource expansion in British Columbia and Yukon. The Company is positioned to add shareholder value through systematic project advancement, while management continues to evaluate additional gold and silver projects for possible acquisition. For additional information, visit the Company's website www.ingold.ca. Andy Randell, P.Geo., the Company's Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF INDEPENDENCE GOLD CORP. "Randy Turner" Randy Turner, President and CEO 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. All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to Independence within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements with respect to the Company's planned drilling and exploration activities. The Company provides forward-looking statements for the purpose of conveying information about current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. By its nature, this information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to those identified and reported in Independence's public filings under Independence Gold Corp.'s SEDAR profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Although Independence has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Independence disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless required by law. Suite 580 625 Howe, Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 2T6 Telephone: 604-687-3959 Facsimile: 604-687-1448 E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd. (the "Company" or "GSilver") (TSXV:GSVR) is pleased to announce the closing of its previously announced brokered, best-efforts offering ("Offering") for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of C$11,350,460 under a combined Listed Issuer Financing Exemption private placement under Part 5A of National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions (the "LIFE Exemption") and concurrent private placement to accredited investors (the "Private Placement"). The Offering consisted of units of the Company (the "Units") at a price of C$0.20 per Unit (the "Offering Price"). The Offering was led by Research Capital Corporation and Red Cloud Securities Inc. as the co-lead agents and joint bookrunners, on behalf of a syndicate of agents, including Canaccord Genuity Corp. (collectively, the "Agents"). Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company ("Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase an additional Common Share at an exercise price of C$0.30, subject to customary anti-dilution adjustments, until May 9, 2026. Net proceeds from the Offering will be used to, inter alia: add to the Company's underground fleet and ramp up production at GSilver's producing mines in Guanajuato and Durango. fund certain improvements to expand and modernize the processing facilities at the Topia mine and mill complex including capital expenditures and related costs. fund corporate head office general and administrative expenses including legal, audit, overhead and salaries for the ensuing 12 months. carry out detailed exploration at GSilver's mineral properties, particularly San Ignacio and Valenciana. As part of the Offering, 43,125,000 Units ("LIFE Units") were sold to purchasers pursuant to the LIFE Exemption in all provinces of Canada, except Quebec, and other qualifying jurisdictions, including the United States. In addition, 13,627,300 Units (the "Accredited Investor Units") were sold to accredited investors under the accredited investor exemption contained in National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions in all provinces of Canada, and other qualifying jurisdictions, including the United Statespursuant to exemptions from the registration requirements of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the "1933 Act"), and applicable U.S. state securities laws. The securities underlying the LIFE Units are not subject to a statutory hold period under applicable Canadian securities laws. Unless permitted under securities legislation, the securities underlying the Accredited Investor Units cannot be traded before September 10, 2024. In connection with the Offering, the Agents received a cash commission of $525,982, a cash advisory fee of $48,000 and 2,889,388 non-transferable broker warrants (the "Broker Warrants"). Each Broker Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price equal to the Offering Price, subject to customary anti-dilution adjustments, until May 9, 2026. To demonstrate continued support of the Company, certain directors, officers and other insiders of the Company and their affiliates (each, a "Related Party") participated in the Offering and acquired an aggregate of 2,515,000 Units for total gross proceeds of $503,000. Each subscription by a Related Party is considered a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The related party transactions are exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements under MI 61-101 in reliance upon the exemptions contained in Sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, respectively, as the fair market value of the transaction, insofar as it involves the Related Parties, does not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The Company did not file a material change report related to Offering more than 21 days before the expected closing of the Offering as required by MI 61-101 since the details of the participation by the Related Parties were not settled until shortly prior to the closing of the Offering and the Company wished to close on an expedited basis for sound business reasons. This new release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the 1933 Act, or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to or for the account or benefit of a U.S. person (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About GSilver GSilver is a precious metals producer engaged in reactivating past producing silver and gold mines in central Mexico. The Company produces silver and gold concentrates from the El Cubo Mine Complex, Valenciana Mines Complex, and the San Ignacio mine; all three mines are located within the state of Guanajuato, which has an established 480-year mining history. Additionally, the Company produces silver, gold, lead, and zinc concentrates from the Topia mine in northwestern Durango. With four operating mines and three processing facilities, GSilver is one of the fastest growing silver producers in Mexico. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "James Anderson" Chairman and CEO For further information regarding Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd., please contact: JJ Jennex, Communications Manager, +1 (604) 723-1433 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Continue to watch our progress at: www.GSilver.com Guanajuato Silver Bullion Store Please visit our Bullion Store, where Guanajuato Silver coins and bars can be purchased. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Forward-Looking Statements and Information This news release contains forward-looking statements and information, which relate to future events or future performance including, but not limited to the intended use of proceeds from the Offering, final TSX Venture Exchange approval for the Offering, the Company's future development and production activities and opportunities for future exploration, development and production and the estimated timing and costs thereof; and the status of the Company as one of the fastest growing silver producers in Mexico. Such forward-looking statements and information reflect management's current beliefs and expectations and are based on information currently available to and assumptions made by the Company; which assumptions, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant operational, business, market, economic and regulatory uncertainties and contingencies. These assumptions include: our mineral resource estimates at El Cubo, El Pinguico and San Ignacio and the assumptions upon which they are based, including geotechnical and metallurgical characteristics of rock conforming to sampled results and metallurgical performance; available tonnage of mineralized material to be mined and processed; resource grades and recoveries; assumptions and discount rates being appropriately applied to production estimates; the ability of the Company to successfully integrate production from San Ignacio and Valenciana into the Company's existing mining and milling operations at El Cubo and the availability of excess processing and tailings capacity at El Cubo to accommodate same; the Company's ability to secure additional sources of mineralized material for processing, prices for silver, gold and other metals remaining as estimated; currency exchange rates remaining as estimated; availability of funds for the Company's projects and to satisfy current liabilities and obligations including debt repayments, capital expenditures, decommissioning and reclamation estimates; prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation) and inflation rates remaining as estimated; no labour-related disruptions; no unplanned delays or interruptions in scheduled construction and production; all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals are received in a timely manner; and the ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements and information are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future results, level of activity, production levels, performance or achievements of GSilver to differ materially from those expected including, but not limited to, market conditions, availability of financing, future prices of gold, silver and other metals, currency rate fluctuations, actual results of exploration, development and production activities, actual resource grades and recoveries of silver, gold and other metals, availability of third party mineralized material for processing, rising inflation and interest rates, geopolitical conflicts including wars, unanticipated geological or structural formations and characteristics, environmental risks, operating risks, accidents, labor issues, equipment or personnel delays, delays in obtaining governmental or regulatory approvals and permits, inadequate insurance, and other risks in the mining industry. There are no assurances that the Company will successfully complete the Offering in whole or in part on the terms and in accordance with the timing set out herein. Further, there are no assurances that GSilver will be able to continue to increase production, tonnage milled and recoveries rates, improve grades and reduce costs at its existing mines to process mineralized materials to produce silver, gold and other concentrates in the amounts, grades, recoveries, costs and timetable anticipated. GSilver's decision to process mineralized material from its mining projects is not based on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability and therefore is subject to increased uncertainty and risk of failure, both economically and technically. Mineral resources and mineralized material that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability, are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them, and may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, socio-political, marketing, and other relevant issues. There are no assurances that the Company's projected production of silver, gold and other metals will be realized. In addition, there are no assurances that the Company will meet its production forecasts or generate the anticipated cash flows from operations to satisfy its scheduled debt payments or other liabilities when due or meet financial covenants to which the Company is subject or to fund its exploration programs and corporate initiatives as planned. There is also uncertainty about the impact of any resurgence of COVID-19, the ongoing war in Ukraine and conflict in Gaza, and higher inflation and interest rates and the impact they will have on the Company's operations, supply chains, ability to access mining projects or procure equipment, supplies, contractors and other personnel on a timely basis or at all and economic activity in general. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. All forward-looking statements and information made in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those in our continuous disclosure filings available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca including the Company's most recently filed annual information form. These forward-looking statements and information are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances save as required by law. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Aldebaran Resources Inc. ("Aldebaran" or the "Company") (TSXV:ALDE)(OTCQX:ADBRF) is pleased to report results for four drill holes of the 2023/2024 field campaign at the Altar copper-gold project in San Juan, Argentina. The holes reported herein (ALD-24-074EXT, ALD-24-240, ALD-24-241, ALD-24-238, and ALD-24-242) were all substantial step-outs to the north or south of known mineralization. Hole ALD-24-074EXT was designed to extend mineralization in the Altar United trend. Hole ALD-24-241 was designed to achieve three goals: (1) infill a gap in our drilling at the Altar United discovery, (2) drill perpendicular to many of the previous holes within the United area to ensure there is no bias in grades because of hole orientation, and (3) to test for continuity in between the existing fences of drill holes. Hole ALD-24-240 was designed to fill a gap in the existing drilling, and hole ALD-24-242 was designed to test the southern extent of the mineralized footprint at the Altar project. All holes successfully hit mineralization and expanded the footprint of the mineralized system, while ALD-24-241 returned one of the highest-grade intercepts from the project to date. All four holes will provide valuable information for the upcoming mineral resource estimate, scheduled for H2 2024. Highlights ALD-24-241 158.80 m of 0.45 g/t Au in oxide mineralization from 3.40 m depth Including 90.60 m of 0.52 g/t Au from 3.40 m depth This area requires follow-up work to see if this style of mineralization is open 1,018.60 m of 0.60% CuEq from 277.40 m depth Including 797.00 m of 0.71% CuEq from 499.00 m depth Including 649.60 m of 0.81% CuEq from 646.40 m depth Including 155.00 m of 1.00% CuEq from 871.00 m depth Including 102.10 m of 0.96% CuEq from 1,064.90 m depth The hole was lost due to operator error; the Company had intended to drill the hole deeper Hole ended in mineralization with the final 7.00 m returning 0.80% CuEq ALD-24-074EXT 1,199.00 m of 0.38% CuEq from 128 m depth Including 82.00 m of 0.71% CuEq from 130 m depth Extension of a historic hole, originally terminated at 607.60 m and extended to 1,327.00 m depth Hole ended in mineralization with the final 11.00 m returning 0.62% CuEq ALD-24-240 1,085.00 m of 0.34% CuEq from 187.70 m depth Including 65.00 m of 0.55% CuEq from 701.00 m depth ALD-24-242 219.90 m of 0.28% CuEq from 779.50 m depth Including 116.40 m of 0.36% CuEq from 883.00 m depth John Black, Chief Executive Officer of Aldebaran, commented: "The Altar deposit continues to grow with each drill hole we complete. This batch of drill holes expands the mineralized footprint of the deposit and grows the higher-grade mineralization commonly found at Altar United. Hole 241, which targeted Altar United, represents one of the best holes we've drilled on the project to date, with long runs of very attractive-grade mineralization. All this information will be valuable as we move towards a mineral resource update, planned to be completed later this year." Dr. Kevin B. Heather, Chief Geological Officer of Aldebaran, commented: "All of the holes have provided us with valuable geological information that will be beneficial to the growth of the mineral resource. The oxide hosted gold mineralization encountered at the top of hole 241 is very intriguing and may offer opportunities to expand this style of mineralization that could be amenable to low-cost heap leaching early in the operation. Holes 240 and 242 expand the known footprint of the mineralization. Hole 241, apart from being one of the better intercepts on the project to-date, it also, and importantly, confirms lateral continuity of the higher-grade mineralization perpendicular to the orientation of most of the previous drill holes in the Altar United area; not to mention filling in a large gap in the previous drilling." Table 1 below shows detailed assays for all holes. Figure 1 displays a plan map of the completed and ongoing drill hole locations, while Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 display cross-sections of the holes reported herein. Table 1 - Drill Hole Results - Altar Project From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Cu (%) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Mo (ppm) As (ppm) CuEq (%) ALD-24-074EXT - (1,327.00 m TD) Interval* 128.00 1,327.00 1,199.00 0.35 0.06 0.83 56 158 0.38 Incl.* 130.00 212.00 82.00 0.67 0.08 0.85 16 202 0.71 ALD-24-240 - (1,273.20 m TD) Interval 187.70 1,273.20 1,085.50 0.32 0.04 1.33 39 199 0.34 Incl. 701.00 766.00 65.00 0.51 0.06 1.98 17 48 0.55 ALD-24-241 - (1,296.00 m TD) Interval 3.40 162.20 158.80 0.03 0.45 2.33 14 669 N/A Interval 277.40 1,296.00 1,018.60 0.55 0.04 1.97 120 196 0.60 Incl. 499.00 1,296.00 797.00 0.66 0.04 2.33 151 208 0.71 Incl. 646.40 1,296.00 649.60 0.74 0.04 2.67 178 214 0.81 Incl. 871.00 1,026.00 155.00 0.93 0.03 3.16 205 323 1.00 And 1,064.90 1,167.00 102.10 0.89 0.03 2.64 212 72 0.96 ALD-24-242 - (999,40 m TD) Interval 779.50 999.40 219.90 0.26 0.02 0.76 36 57 0.28 Incl. 883.00 999.40 116.40 0.34 0.02 0.93 51 49 0.36 The grades are uncut. CuEq values were calculated using copper, gold, silver, and molybdenum. Metal prices utilized for the calculations are Cu = US$3.00/lb, Au = US$1,400/oz, Ag = US$18/oz, and Mo = US$10/lb. Recoveries used for the supporting metals found in the CuEq equation are as follows: Au = 50%, Ag = 51%, (based on historical metallurgical test work) and Mo = 70% (benchmarking from similar deposits). The formula utilized to calculate equivalent values is CuEq % = Cu % + (Au g/t * 0.34025) + (Ag g/t * 0.00446) + (Mo ppm * 0.00023). TD = Total Final Depth N/A used where CuEq doesn't apply due to mineralization being gold dominant. * Indicates a portion or all of the interval comes from historic drill results. Discussion of Results ALD-24-074EXT ALD-24-074EXT (Figure 2) is a historical hole collared in the western edge of the Altar United trend. It is a vertical hole originally drilled in 2010 to a depth of 607.60 m. ALD-24-074 was extended during the current campaign to a final depth of 1,327.00 m. The main purpose of this hole was to fill a gap in the previous drilling and test for the extension of mineralization at Altar United. Lithology: Drillhole ALD-24-074EXT intersected diorite porphyry units from surface to the end of the hole (cutting a minor interval of rhyolite between 1,118 m and 1,160 m depth). Alteration & Mineralization: ALD-24-074EXT encountered strongly oxidized and leached rocks from surface to 130 m depth, followed by a well-developed secondary copper enrichment zone until 220 m depth. Moderate quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite-molybdenite veining occurs along the entire hole, with increasing intensity over the last 500 m of the hole. Hypogene copper mineralization in ALD-24-074EXT consists of chalcopyrite and lesser amounts of bornite and hypogene chalcocite, which are intimately related with the occurrence of moderate to strong green sericite(-chlorite)-alteration that is overprinting earlier, biotite-k-feldspar-magnetite alteration, both of which increase in intensity down the hole. Weaker mineralization from 510 m to 840 m depth is a consequence of the overprinting by moderate to strong intensity "white sericite-pyrite" alteration which appears to be copper destructive on this portion of the hole. ALD-24-240 ALD-24-240 (Figure 3) is collared at the eastern edge of Altar Central. This hole was drilled at -85 degrees dip to the north and to a final depth of 1,273.2 m. The main purpose of ALD-24-240 was to test an area with limited drilling to date. Lithology: Drillhole ALD-24-240 intersected dominantly wall rock rhyolite and andesite volcanic rocks from top to bottom. The hole intersected rhyolite from surface until 620 m depth, before entering an intercalation of dominantly andesitic rocks and minor rhyolitic units. Two short intervals of diorite intrusive rocks (dykes) were encountered; the first of these from 922 m to 931 m depth and the second from 1,263 m until the bottom of the hole at 1,273.2 m. Alteration & Mineralization: Drillhole ALD-24-240 encountered strongly oxidized and leached rocks over the initial 138 m, before entering a weakly developed secondary copper enrichment zone up to 320 m depth. Copper mineralization in the hypogene zone is mainly associated with the occurrence of chalcopyrite associated with moderate to strong "green sericite-(chlorite)" alteration and to "k-feldspar-biotite" potassic assemblages. These early alteration assemblages are overprinted in the upper portion of the hole by weak to moderate "white sericite-pyrite" alteration and by discrete structures with pyrite-enargite. Molybdenum mineralization is associated with the occurrence of moderate quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite-molybdenum veining from the initial meters of the hole and progressively increasing at depth. ALD-24-241 ALD-24-241 (Figure 4) is collared in the Altar United trend. The hole was drilled at -85 degrees dip and to the southeast at 110-degree azimuth. Hole ALD-24-241 was designed to achieved three goals: (1) infill a gap in our drilling at the Altar United discovery, (2) drill perpendicular to many of the previous holes within the United area to ensure there is no bias in grades because of hole orientation, and (3) to test for continuity in between the existing fences of drill holes. The targeted depth for ALD-24-241 was at least 1,500 m depth, however the hole was lost prematurely at 1,296.0 m depth due to operator issues. Lithology: From surface to 162 m depth, drillhole ALD-24-241 intersected diorite porphyry displaying intense quartz stockwork veining, followed underneath by a likely younger diorite porphyry displaying identical textural characteristics, but lower frequency of quartz veining. The nature of the contact between these two units is uncertain due to the strong oxidation and fracturing at those depths. Alteration & Mineralization: ALD-24-241 displays strong oxidation from surface and until 300 m depth. Copper mineralization was completely leached in this upper portion of the hole due to weathering. On the other hand, gold mineralization occurs from surface to 162 m depth, spatially associated with strong to intense quartz stockwork veining present within that interval. A poorly developed supergene copper enrichment zone occurs from the base of oxidation until 375 m depth and is characterized by the occurrence of secondary chalcocite coatings on pyrite and chalcopyrite. Copper mineralization below 375 m depth is hypogene and consists mainly of chalcopyrite and locally bornite. A background of moderate intensity, early "biotite-k-feldspar-magnetite-chalcopyrite" potassic alteration is overprinted by variable amounts of hair-wide veinlets displaying several centimeter wide halos of "green sericite-(chlorite)-chalcopyrite>pyrite" alteration which are crosscut by younger "white sericite-pyrite" veins. A clear zonation is observed between these alteration events along ALD-24-241, with the upper portion of the hole dominated by "white sericite-pyrite" alteration which decreases in intensity until approximately 600 m depth. On the other hand, "green sericite-chlorite-chalcopyrite>pyrite" progressively increases towards the bottom, becoming dominant below 600 m depth and displaying strong intensity over the last 600 m of the hole. Molybdenum mineralization is associated with the occurrence of "molybdenite-quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite" veining. These veins crosscut the "green sericite-chlorite" halo veins, displaying also a remarkable spatial association with copper mineralization. ALD-24-242 ALD-24-242 (Figure 5) was collared well south of any previous drill holes on the project. The hole was collared 285 m to the southeast from hole ALD-24-239 and 335 m away from hole ALD-23-222, the two closest holes in this area. ALD-24-242 was drilled at -75 degrees dip to the north and to a final depth of 999.4 m. The main objective of this hole was to test the extension of the mineralization encountered at depth in hole ALD-24-239. The hole was stopped due to hitting the depth capacity of the drill rig. Lithology: Drillhole ALD-24-242 intersected a long interval of rhyolite until 768 m depth and thereafter encountered intercalations of dominantly andesitic volcanic rocks crosscut by minor rhyolite dykes. Alteration & Mineralization: From surface to 770 m depth, alteration within the rhyolite is characterized by the occurrence of moderate "chlorite-hematite-magnetite-pyrite" and "white sericite-pyrite-tourmaline" assemblages crosscut by discrete high-sulphidation "pyrite-enargite" and intermediate-sulphidation base metal carbonate epithermal structures. Chalcopyrite increases steadily below 770 m depth, coincident with the occurrence of weak "biotite-k feldspar-magnetite" potassic alteration which increases towards the bottom of the hole. Project Update The Company is winding down the 2023/2024 field program with one drill rig currently active. Holes ALD-24-062EXT, ALD-24-129EXT, ALD-24-243, ALD-24-165EXT, ALD-24-150EXT, and ALD-24-244 are complete and were terminated at 1,161.00 m, 1,211.00 m, 1,842.00 m, 1,208.00 m, 1,239.50 m, and 1,061.00 m depth, respectively: all pending final assays. Holes ALD-24-062EXT, ALD-24-129EXT, ALD-24-165EXT, and ALD-24-150EXT are all historic drill holes that were originally terminated at 470.00 m, 513.00 m, 484.50 m, 548.00 m depth, respectively, but that were extended during the current drilling campaign to 1,161.00 m, 1,211.00 m, 1,208.00 m, and 1,239.50 m depths respectively. Hole ALD-24-243 deviated significantly from its originally intended target due to operator error, however, the Company elected to let the hole continue to a final depth of 1,842.00 m due to encouraging visuals. ALD-24-245 is currently active and at approximately 820 m depth and will be the final hole of this field season. Webinar For more context, please join the Company in a live event on Friday, May 10th at 11:00 am EDT / 8:00 am PDT. Q&A will follow the presentation. Click here to register: https://events.6ix.com/preview/aldebaran-resources-presents-exploration-update Investor Day Aldebaran will host an Investor Day in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on May 29th, 2024, at 10:30 am EDT. Analysts, Investors, and Investment Advisors who would like to attend in person please contact Ben Cherrington at +1 347 394-2728 or +44 7538 244 208, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . The event will be simultaneously webcast. To register for the webcast please use the following link: https://events.6ix.com/preview/aldebaran-resources-investor-day-livestream. Qualified Person The scientific and technical data contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Kevin B. Heather, B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc, Ph.D, FAusIMM, FGS, Chief Geological Officer and director of Aldebaran, who serves as the qualified person (QP) under the definitions of National Instrument 43-101. ON BEHALF OF THE ALDEBARAN BOARD (signed) "John Black" John Black Chief Executive Officer and Director Tel: +1 (604) 685-6800 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Please click here and subscribe to receive future news releases: https://aldebaranresources.com/contact/subscribe/ For further information, please consult our website at www.aldebaranresources.com or contact: Ben Cherrington Manager, Investor Relations Phone: +1 347 394-2728 or +44 7538 244 208 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. About Aldebaran Resources Inc. Aldebaran is a mineral exploration company that was spun out of Regulus Resources Inc. in 2018 and has the same core management team. Aldebaran holds a 60% interest in the Altar copper-gold project in San Juan Province, Argentina and can earn an additional 20% interest in the project by completing a further $25 million in expenditures at Altar over the next three years. The Altar project hosts multiple porphyry copper-gold deposits with potential for additional discoveries. Altar forms part of a cluster of world-class porphyry copper deposits which includes Los Pelambres (Antofagasta Minerals), El Pachon (Glencore), and Los Azules (McEwen Copper). In March 2021 the Company announced an updated mineral resource estimate for Altar, prepared by Independent Mining Consultants Inc. and based on the drilling completed up to and including 2020 (independent technical report prepared by Independent Mining Consultants Inc., Tucson, Arizona, titled "Technical Report, Estimated Mineral Resources, Altar Project, San Juan Province, Argentina", dated March 22, 2021 - see news release dated March 22, 2021). Sampling and Analytical Procedures Altar follows systematic and rigorous sampling and analytical protocols which meet and exceed industry standards. These protocols are summarized below and are available on the Aldebaran website at www.aldebaranresources.com. All drill holes are diamond core holes with PQ, HQ or NQ core diameters. Drill core is collected at the drill site where recovery and RQD (Rock Quality Designation) measurements are taken before the core is boxed and transported to the Altar camp facilities, a short distance away, where the whole core is photographed under more optimum lighting conditions and geological quick log is produced. The whole-core is then marked and sampled into geological defined, systematic 1- to 2-metre sample intervals, unless the geologist determines the presence of an important geological contact, which should not be crossed. The whole-core is then cut-in-half with a diamond saw blade, with half the sample retained in the core box for future reference and the other half placed into a pre-labelled plastic bag, sealed with a two plastic security zip ties, and labeled with a unique sample number. The bagged samples are then placed into larger plastic sacks and those sacks are sealed with another plastic security zip tie and labelled for shipment. The sacks are then placed onto wooden pallets and wrapped in plastic shrink-wrap and stored in a secure area pending shipment to a certified ALS laboratory sample preparation facility located in Mendoza, Argentina, where the samples are dried, crushed, and pulverized. The resulting sample pulps are sent by batch to the ALS laboratory in Lima for geochemical assay analysis, including a 30g fire assay with an atomic absorption (AA) finish analysis for gold and a full multi-acid digestion (4-acid) with ICP-AES analysis for other elements. Samples with results that exceed maximum detection values for gold are re-analyzed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish and other elements of interest are re-analyzed using precise ore-grade ICP analytical techniques. Aldebaran independently inserts certified control standards (Super Certified Reference Materials (SCRM's), coarse field blanks, and duplicates into the sample stream to monitor data quality. These control samples represent 10-12% of the total samples submitted and are inserted "blindly" to the laboratory in the sample sequence prior to departure from the Aldebaran facilities. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements regarding Aldebaran, including management's assessment of future-plans and operations, may constitute forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws and necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, most of which are beyond Aldebaran's control. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements or information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate" or "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Specifically, and without limitation, all statements included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that Aldebaran expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including the proposed exploration and development of the Altar project described herein, and management's assessment of future plans and operations and statements with respect to the completion of the anticipated exploration and development programs, may constitute forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws and necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, most of which are beyond Aldebaran's control. These risks may cause actual financial and operating results, performance, levels of activity and achievements to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. Although Aldebaran believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and Aldebaran does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities law. 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. Figure 1 - Plan map showing drill holes from the 2023-2024 drill program Figure 2 - Cross-section displaying CuEq (%) values in ALD-24-074EXT Figure 3 - Cross-section displaying CuEq (%) values in ALD-24-240 Figure 4 - Cross-section displaying CuEq (%) values in ALD-24-241 Figure 5 - Cross-section displaying CuEq (%) values in ALD-24-242 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Highlander Silver Corp. (CSE:HSLV) (the "Company" or "Highlander Silver") is pleased to announce that further to its news release dated April 30, 2024, it has completed an offering (the "Offering") of 20,514,222 common shares (the "Shares") of the Company at a price of $0.45 per Share for gross proceeds of $9,231,400. The proceeds of the Offering, contributed to by members of the Lundin family, Richard Warke and Eric Sprott, will be put towards finalization of the acquisition of the San Luis gold-silver project located in Ancash Department of central Peru ("San Luis"), surface geological work and drill target definition at San Luis, and general corporate purposes. As communicated in the Company's March 28, 2024 news release, closing of the share purchase agreement dated November 29, 2023 with SSR Mining Inc. to acquire San Luis is now expected to occur in May 2024. Five insiders of the Company subscribed for 6,919,333 Shares under the Offering for an aggregate value of $3,113,700. Each of the insiders' participation constitutes a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on the exemptions from the formal valuation requirements contained in section 5.5(a) of MI 61-101 and the minority shareholder approval requirement contained in section 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the securities to be distributed to the insiders is not more than 25% of the Company's market capitalization, as calculated in accordance with MI 61-101. The Company did not file a material change report in respect of the related party transactions at least 21 days before the closing of the Offering, as the details of the participation by the related parties were not settled until shortly prior to closing of the Offering. The securities issued in the Offering are subject to a statutory hold period of four months from the date of issuance. No finders' fees were paid in connection with the Offering. About Highlander Silver Highlander Silver Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on the exploration of silver-polymetallic projects in central Peru, as well as targeting the acquisition of additional mineral projects by leveraging the team's significant experience in Peru and South America more widely. Additional information about Highlander Silver and its mineral projects can be viewed on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca and its website at www.highlandersilver.com For further information, please contact: David Fincham Chief Executive Officer Highlander Silver Corp. (604) 283 7630 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Neither the CSE nor the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Forward-Looking Information Certain information contained in this news release constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. This includes, but is not limited to, information or statements with respect to the use of proceeds, closing the San Luis acquisition and timing of closing the San Luis acquisition. Such forward looking information or statements can be identified by the use of words such as "anticipates", "plans", "suggests", "targets" or "prospects" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "will" be taken, occur, or be achieved. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company and/or its subsidiaries to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, the actual results of current exploration activities, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, accident, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, and delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that could cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking information contained herein are made as of the date of this news release. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Accordingly, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 9, 2024) - York Harbour Metals Inc. (TSXV: YORK) (OTCQB: YORKF) (FSE: 5DE) (the "Company" or "York") is pleased to announce positive results from its Mineral Liberation Analysis - Scanning Electron Microprobe ("MLA-SEM") analysis of samples from its Bottom Brook Rare Earth Elements ("REE") project in Newfoundland and Labrador. Dr. Derek H.C. Wilton, PhD., P.Geo, FGC (a Fellow of Geoscientists Canada), of Terra Rosetta Inc., was commissioned by York Harbour Metals to collect samples from the Botton Brook REE project and perform MLA-SEM analysis to identify the mineralogy of the REE-bearing minerals. A total of 13 grab samples were collected and processed into thin sections before analysis at the Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador Core Research Equipment & Instrument Training Network ("CREAIT") MLA-SEM laboratory. Note: The lab, while not accredited, is a respected research facility at Memorial University. These samples, though not representative of the overall mineralization of the project, provide key insights into the discovered mineralization and its potential for concentration using standard techniques. Highlights of the Botton Brook REE Terra Rosetta Inc. Report Include: Field sample G4 returned a very high 35.98 % Area Total REE as mapped in thin section by MLA-SEM. as mapped in thin section by MLA-SEM. Monazite, the primary REE-bearing mineral in the Bottom Brook showings, is known for its amenability to well-established metallurgical processing methods. Thorite, commonly intergrown with monazite, suggests that radiometric geophysical surveys could be effective in exploring for this mineralization. Dr. Wilton noted that the Bottom Brook REE mineralization closely resembles the Steenkampskraal monazite deposit in South Africa (Basson et al., 2016; and Harlov et al., 2020). Table 1. Total REE and Monazite contents (area %) in Bottom Brook samples as mapped by MLA-SEM The table lists the samples in order of Total REE mineral and monazite contents. Total REE minerals include the abundances of monazite ((Ce,La,Nd,Th)PO4), bastnasite ((La, Ce)CO3F), britholite ((Ce,Ca)5(SiO4)3OH), and secondary REE minerals. These secondary minerals are minor phases identified by MLA, containing REE with compositions too complex for precise identification. Samples were analysed using an FEI Quanta 400 environmental SEM equipped with a Bruker XFlash EDX Detector at the CREAIT labs, Memorial University. The SEM electron gun uses a W filament at an operating voltage of 25 kV and a beam current of 10 nA. The working distance between sample and detector is 12 mm. The MLA software enables quantitative evaluation of the abundance, association, size, and shape of minerals in an automated, systematic fashion. In other words, the MLA allows for the quantitative mapping of mineral phases in individual grain mounts, essentially providing a digital point count of mineral species. "De-risking the metallurgy of the REE mineralization is a crucial part of any REE project. The high-grade nature and relatively simple metallurgy make this a very attractive REE project," stated Blair Naughty, President & CEO of York Harbour Metals. "This marks an important milestone for the Bottom Brook Project. Figure 1. MLA False-Colour Map of Thin Section G4 from Bottom Brook; view Approximately 4cm Across. Qualified Person Bruce Durham, P. Geo., a Qualified Person in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this press release. About York Harbour Metals York Harbour Metals Inc. (TSXV: YORK) (OTCQB: YORKF) (FSE: 5DE) is an exploration and development company focused on two high-grade projects in Newfoundland. The York Harbour Copper-Zinc-Silver Project is located approximately 27 km from Corner Brook. The Company intends to continue drilling the 11 known mineralized zones and explore new massive sulphide targets. The Bottom Brook Rare Earth Elements Project, covering 15,150 hectares, is located next to the Trans Canada Highway and just 27 km from the deep-water port at Turf Point. For further details on York Harbour Metals, please contact via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or +1-604-346-7613. Visit the Company's website at www.yorkharbourmetals.com for past news releases, media interviews, and opinion-editorial pieces by management. On Behalf of The Board of Directors, "Signed" Blair Naughty CEO& President Telephone: +1-604-346-7613 | Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Website: www.yorkharbourmetals.com 1518 - 800 Pender Street W, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6C 2V6 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release may contain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All information contained herein that is not historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements herein include but are not limited to statements relating to the prospects for development of the Company's mineral properties, and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to business, market and economic risks, uncertainties and contingencies that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 9, 2024) - BASIN URANIUM CORP. (CSE: NCLR) (CNSX: NCLR.CN) ("Basin Uranium" or the "Company") is pleased to announce an initial mineral resource estimate (MRE) for its Chord uranium project located in Fall River County, South Dakota, USA. This MRE incorporates the Company's historic data set acquired through private and public sources and provides a path to expand and build towards a much larger, potentially in-situ recoverable (ISR) resource. The MRE was prepared by BRS Engineering Inc. in accordance with NI 43-101, Standards of Disclosures for Mineral Projects. Chord MRE Highlights: Total inferred resources of 2.75 Mlb U 3 O 8 at an average grade of 810 ppm over an average thickness of 8.5 feet. MRE was based off only 431 of the over 1,247 drill holes historically drilled at the Chord. The 431 drill holes had both reliable collar mapping and geophysical data available for interpretation. The areas underlying the MRE have the reasonable possibility of connectivity between them along trends within the same fluvial sands of the Inyan Kara group. These broad trends have been projected to connect the drilling in the Viking Area to the Ridge Runner, the Ridge Runner to the October-Jinx, and Southwest of October Jinx. The Company has delineated Exploration Targets at the Chord Project is estimated in the range of 1.42 to 4.23 Mlb U 3 O 8 of potential as further described below. These targets currently have insufficient data and are conceptual in nature. Further exploration is needed to test them for mineralization. No guarantee is made that any future resource will be delineated by future exploration. Estimated Inferred Mineral resources for uranium are reported at a GT cutoff of 0.25 with a minimum intercept grade of 0.02% equivalent U3O8. A drilling program targeting the confirmation of the current resource would also provide data on the hydrogeology of the mineralized horizons and evaluate their potential for extraction by ISR methods. If the deposit or portions thereof are determined to be In-situ Recovery (ISR) amenable, similar grade and GT cut-offs as were applied to the current Inferred Resource would also be applicable. Data from two existing monitoring wells onsite indicates that the lower portion of the Chilson member lies within a saturated aquifer. The mineralized portion of this aquifer may prove to be potentially extractable by in-situ recovery (ISR) methods. The Fall River Uranium district is a past producer of approximately 250,000 tons of mineralized material. Mining in the project area was primarily limited to small sized open pit methods, and focused on the uppermost, oxidized mineral horizons within the Inyan Kara Group. The deeper mineral horizons, particularly with the October-Jinx area were left undeveloped but were strongly explored by Union Carbide Corporation in the late 1970's. "The initial MRE at Chord represents a major milestone, establishing Chord as a cornerstone asset for our Company. As we turn our efforts to confirming, expanding and upgrading the resource at Chord, and our other high-quality assets, we have a great roadmap to follow, and the future is bright," commented Mike Blady, CEO of Basin Uranium. "The resource modelling exercise has highlighted the potential for significant expansion of potentially ISR-amenable uranium mineralization. Domestically sourced, secure uranium supplies are becoming more crucial as global conflicts continue to fester and industry supply is squeezed by insatiable demand. Global transitions to a 'green economy' will only exacerbate this demand as nuclear energy is the only true carbon free source of safe, reliable baseload power currently. Overall, we at Basin Uranium feel we have a large-scale project with outstanding potential." Table 1 - Total Inferred Mineral Resources Uranium Inferred Mineral Resource Area GT Cutoff (ft%) AVG. Thickness (ft) AVG. Grade (%eU 3 O 8 ) Tons (Millions) Pounds (e U 3 O 8 ) (Millions) October-Jinx 0.25 8.8 0.081 1.584 2.569 Viking 0.25 6.0 0.082 .050 .082 Ridge Runner 0.25 5.9 0.069 .075 .103 Total Inferred Mineral Resource 0.25 8.5 .081 1.709 2.754 Pounds and tons as reported are rounded to the nearest 1,000. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. The MRE has an Effective Date of May 7, 2024. The Qualified Person for the MRE is Mr. Carl Warren, P.E., P.G., whom is a Senior Engineer for BRS Engineering in Riverton, Wyoming. Mineral resources are reported using the 2014 CIM Definition Standards and were estimated in accordance with the CIM 2019 Best Practices Guidelines, as required by NI 43-101. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and have not demonstrated economic viability. Additional drilling will be required to convert Inferred Mineral Resources to indicated Mineral Resources or Mineral Reserves. There is no certainty that any part of a Mineral Resource will ever be converted into Mineral Reserves. All data used in the MRE consists of original drill hole maps and geophysical logs and was sourced from a combination of the South Dakota Geological Survey and private parties. The MRE was performed using the Grade time Thickness (GT) contour modeling method. The available original data was evaluated for authenticity and the equivalent uranium oxide (eU 3 O 8 ) grades recalculated from the original gamma curves using K factor, deadtime, water and air factors clearly stated on each original geophysical log. A disequilibrium factor of 1 was applied to the resulting eU 3 O 8 intercept dataset. An intercept grade cutoff of 0.02% eU 3 O 8 was applied to the grade data to screen for intercepts which are not economically extractable by conventional heap or milling methods. Intercept data meeting the grade cutoff criteria were split into mineral horizons based on 3-dimensional interpretation of geological units and were composited and modeled within each horizon using a minimum 0.1 GT cutoff, a maximum vertical distance of 10 feet between intercepts, and a maximum radius of influence of 200 feet between drill holes. Three Mineralized Horizons were Identified by 3-dimensional interpretation and modeled: Horizon A being the highest in elevation, C being the lowest in elevation and B residing between A and C. These mineral horizons are variably present within the three project areas: October-Jinx, Viking, and Ridge Runner. A bulk density of 14 ft3/ton (2.288 tonne/m3) was applied for the MRE in mineral horizons B and C. For mineral resource estimations in the Fall River sandstone, Horizon A, a bulk density of 15.5 ft3/ton (2.067 tonne/m3) was used. A marginal economic GT cut off of 0.25 was further applied to the GT model, based on US$70 per ton average conventional underground mining costs and US$90 per pound U 3 O 8 assumptions for reasonable eventual economic extraction. Moreover, isolated, and small pods of mineralization were removed from the MRE due to lack of reasonable eventual economic extraction. Figures are rounded to reflect the relative accuracy of the estimate and may not sum due to rounding. Resources are presented as undiluted and in-situ, are constrained by the GT contour model for each mineral horizon, and The Qualified Person is not aware of environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant issues that could materially affect the potential development of the Mineral Resources. The NI 43-101 technical report for the MRE will be accessible on SEDAR+ under the company's issuer profile and the company's website within 45 days of this news release. Chord Project, South Dakota The Chord Project consists of 3,640 contiguous acres. The project lies on the southern end of the Black Hills, in Fall River County, South Dakota approximately seven miles north of Edgemont. Mineralization is sandstone-hosted, and channel-bound into tabular and lenticular deposits within the Lakota and Fall River formations of the Inyan Kara Group. The Project lies within a historically explored and mined district. Nearly 300 historical uranium mines and prospects once dotted western South Dakota. Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) spent approximately $3.5 to 4.0 million dollars in development of the project in the late 1970's. UCC conducted extensive exploration drilling in the late 1970's, culminating in a Feasibility Study and planned conventional mine development by 1979. The Chord Project is located just 5.5 miles southeast of enCore Energy's advanced stage and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensed Dewey-Burdock ISR uranium project, which is one of the Company's initial development priorities following the start of production in South Texas. During the tabulation of the MRE the author and the Company were only able to accurately verify 35% of the holes historically drilled on the Chord property. This, in itself, provides the potential for significant exploration upside to increase the confidence and potential size of the resource at Chord. The Company will be working diligently to continue to upgrade the size and potential of the Chord project. In addition, Basin will also be undertaking steps to assess the ISR viability of the deeper sands that form the majority of the resource on the project. The Company has established exploration targets outside of the ground covered by the MRE, as disclosed below. Table 2 - Exploration Target Range Summary Exploration Target Trend Trend Length (ft) Trend Width (ft) AVG. Thickness Range (ft) AVG. Grade Range (%eU 3 O 8 ) Tons Range (Millions) Pounds (e U 3 O 8 ) Range (Millions) Viking-Runner 7,650 400 3.6 - 7.3 0.056 - 0.074 0.730 - 1.635 0.813 - 2.419 Jinx Ridge 2,480 400 3.6 - 7.3 0.056 - 0.074 0.249 - 0.559 0.278 - 0.826 October South 1,860 600 3.6 - 7.3 0.056 - 0.074 0.298 - 0.668 0.332 - 0.989 Total 11,990 3.6 - 7.3 0.056 - 0.074 1.278 - 2.862 1.422 - 4.234 The potential quantity and grade disclosed above are conceptual in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource at these targets. Further exploration is needed to test them for mineralization. No guarantee is made that any future resource will be delineated by future exploration. Details Related to the Calculation of the MRE The MRE was prepared by Carl D. Warren, P.E., P.G., a Senior Engineer of BRS Engineering Inc., and is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. The MRE has an effective date of May 7, 2024. The MRE was prepared using Grade times Thickness (GT) contour modeling methodologies; under geological and geostatistical parameters based on geological interpretations, geostatistical studies and industry best practices in mineral estimation. The project geology comprises Cretaceous-age sedimentary rocks. The formation containing the deposits is the Inyan Kara Group of the Fall River and Lakota Formation. The Fall River Formation displays uniform marginal marine deposition and fluvial channel sandstones that can be mapped over large areas. The upper Lakota Fuson member is made up of primarily shales and mudstone with localized limestone and sandstone deposits and exhibits no substantial uranium mineralization. It is interpreted that the lower 2 horizons (the B Horizon and C Horizon) are found in the lowest member of the Lakota formation, The Chilson. The lower deposits display both oxidized and unoxidized deposits. The unoxidized deposits typically occur near large amounts of carbon where the carbon has preserved a strong reducing environment within an oxidized zone. The depositional character of the Chord Uranium Project is that of a sandstone hosted roll front. The ore deposit is contained in fluvial channel sandstone deposits within the early Cretaceous Inyan Kara group. For the MRE, data was available for 1,247 drill holes, totaling approximately 493,500 feet drilled. Of that total, 431 drill holes were of sufficient completeness and quality to generate the MRE using the Grade times Thickness (GT) Contour method. The primary data model used were uranium equivalent grades as determined by downhole geophysical logging and reported as equivalent uranium oxide (eU 3 O 8 ). A radiometric disequilibrium factor of 1 was applied to the resource estimate. The minimum uranium grade included in the estimate was 0.02% e U 3 O 8 . Mineral resources are reported at a minimum grade thickness (GT) value of 0.25. Basin Uranium has not conducted exploration on the Chord Uranium Project to date. Data resulting from historic exploration has been provided to the author in the form of resource review reports, drilling maps and geophysical logs. This data was secured by Basin from publicly available data preserved by the South Dakota Geologic Survey and other data from private parties. Historic drilling was generally done by vertical rotary drilling with occasional core sampling for physical and metallurgical analysis. It was industry standard at this time to log drill holes using downhole geophysical logging tools including passive gamma, spontaneous/self-potential and resistivity. Drill holes were logged by Century Geophysical, who remains an industry leader in downhole geophysical logging. The drillhole database used for this report has an effective date of April 12, 2024. Only historic drill data was used in the resource estimate. Complete drill data was available for 435 drill holes, totaling approximately 212,000 feet drilled. Of this total, 4 drill holes representing 66 intercepts were discarded from the database due to unreliable log heading information, leaving a total of 431 drill holes and 956 intercepts meeting the 0.02% cutoff. A minimum GT cutoff of 0.25 and a minimum grade cutoff of 0.02% e U 3 O 8 was applied to the data. The 0.02% grade cutoff criteria applied to the intercept data is an extraction criterion rather than an economic criterion. Union Carbide Corporation's (UCC) historical heap and bench scale leach testing of the oxidized and reduced mineralized material on the project had residual grades between 0.01 and 0.015%. As such, grades much below the 0.02% cutoff do not carry an acceptable prospect of reasonable economic extraction . A sensitivity analysis was performed of the GT modeling based on a mining cost of $70 per ton and $90 per pound U 3 O 8 ; and varying the GT cutoff to establish the minimum economic cutoff. The minimum GT cutoff of 0.25 was determined to be the minimum marginal economic cutoff. Moreover, isolated, and small pods of mineralization were also then removed from the Inferred Mineral Resource estimate due to low prospects of eventual economic extraction. The previous work completed by UCC appears to be in keeping with industry standards and practices, but until: a) information on these procedures is obtained, b) historic core or pulverized material is assayed, or c) Basin Uranium can verify results through confirmation drilling, the current mineral resource estimate derived from this historic data can only be considered an Inferred Mineral Resource. The author has applied a disequilibrium factor (DEF) of 1.0 which represents a more conservative factor than the historical estimates of between 1.0 - 1.2. Insufficient hydrogeologic data is available to allow an assessment of extraction of the mineral resource via in-situ recovery (ISR). A drilling program targeting the confirmation of the current resource would also provide data on the hydrogeology of the mineralized horizons and evaluate their potential for extraction by ISR methods. If the deposit or portions thereof are determined to be ISR amenable, similar grade and GT cut-offs as were applied to the current Inferred Resource would also be applicable. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not demonstrate economic viability in accordance with CIM standards. Inferred mineral resources are too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them which would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. Qualified Person Carl D. Warren, P.E., P.G., is a Senior Engineer at BRS Engineering Inc., and is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. Mr. Warren has reviewed and approved the technical data contained in this news release. About Basin Uranium Corp. Basin Uranium is a Canadian junior exploration company focused on mineral exploration and development in the green energy sector. The company has three advanced-stage uranium projects located in the United States, namely the Chord project in South Dakota, the South Pass project in Wyoming, and the Wray Mesa project in Utah. All three projects have seen extensive historical exploration and are located in prospective development areas. The Company also has the Mann Lake uranium project, located in the world-class Athabasca basin of Northern Saskatchewan, Canada, in addition to the CHG gold project in south-central British Columbia. For further information, please contact Mr. Mike Blady or view the Company's filings at www.sedarplus.ca. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Mike Blady Chief Executive Officer This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 604-722-9842 Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, including statements regarding future estimates, plans, objectives, timing, assumptions or expectations of future performance are forward-looking statements and contain forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or "occur". Forward-Looking statements are based on certain material assumptions and analysis made by the Company and the opinions and estimates of management as of the date of this news release. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Important factors that may cause actual results to vary include, without limitation, uncertainties affecting the expected use of proceeds. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 9, 2024) - Canter Resources Corp. (CSE: CRC) (OTC Pink: CNRCF) (FSE: 6O1) ("Canter" or the "Company") is pleased to report that the Company has received additional permits and has expanded its Phase I Geoprobe drill program at the Company's Columbus Lithium-Boron Project ("Columbus" or the "Project"), located near Tonopah, Nevada. The Company is targeting lithium and boron enriched sediment and brine samples from this first phase of drilling within the upper 100 feet (30 metres) at Columbus. "The Geoprobe drilling has proved to be an effective low-cost and low-impact approach for capturing sediment and brine samples and with additional permits now in hand we will be increasing the current campaign by 5-10 holes to test a series of additional lithium and boron target areas at Columbus," stated Canter CEO Joness Lang. "This program is delivering valuable subsurface data within the highly conductive upper layers across kilometres of strike length. We continue to apply for additional permits and are engaging with our drilling partner with a view towards expanding Geoprobe drilling even further in the coming weeks." The Company's expanded drill plan (15+ drill holes) will include a series of Geoprobe holes to the west where the 3D modeled HSAMT resistivity shells remain open (see Figure 1) and previous surface sampling returned highly anomalous lithium values (see 2024 press releases March 20th and April 8th). A total of 22 locations have now been permitted for Geoprobe drilling and the Company continues to apply for additional permits in anticipation of completing a second phase of drilling with Cascade Drilling LP utilizing a different Geoprobe rig model that is expected to allow the Company to reach depths of up to 150 feet (45 metres). The gravel transport and stockpiling work that was carried out by Merritt Construction for exploration well drill site preparation has now been completed (see press release May 1, 2024). The expanded Phase I Geoprobe drill campaign is expected to conclude by mid-May, with assay results expected two to four (2-4) weeks after program completion. Boron Market & Potential at Columbus The boron ("B") market is rapidly emerging as a critical mineral due to its use in numerous high-tech and clean energy applications, making the presence of boron mineralization at the Columbus Project potentially significant. The boron market is expected to grow to more than $3 billion by 20271 with Rio Tinto's US Borax and Turkey's state-owned Eti Maden collectively accounting for an estimated 85 percent of global supply.2 Significant boron deposits are recognized as being rare and the Company considers the potential for significant boron concentrations at Columbus to be excellent. Past borax production at Columbus (late 1800's), significant boron concentrations at Ioneer's ($300M USD market capitalization) feasibility-stage Rhyolite Ridge Project (sediment/clay-hosted) located 17 miles from Columbus (sharing the same volcanic source rocks) and significant historical boron values in sedimentary units from historical drilling at Columbus underpin the discovery potential. Figure 1. Map showing Geoprobe drill hole locations and historical lithium and boron surface soil/brine sample results at the Columbus Lithium-Boron Project. The additional Geoprobe drill hole locations are spaced at approximately 1 kilometre ("km") and will fill current data gaps within the western portion of the Project and provide initial shallow testing for lithium and boron approximately 2 km to the west of the <0.5 ohm-metre HSAMT anomaly that is open in that direction. The Company is in the process of preparing an additional 10-20 permit applications for further planned Geoprobe drilling that will include additional locations to the south of the Company's completed north-south grid and locations to the north where one of two known geothermal inputs is located. Geothermal activity is an important mechanism for liberating lithium and boron from sediments into brines and the fact there are known geothermal inputs along structures at both ends of the basin provides additional support for enriched brine potential at Columbus. Phase II Geoprobe drilling could commence as early as late May. Disclaimer notes: Mineralization hosted on nearby or adjacent properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization at the Columbus Project. Historical drill or sample results quoted herein are based on historical data and reports obtained and prepared by previous operators. The Company's qualified person has not undertaken adequate work to verify the historical surface sampling results and the Company is unable to confirm the reliability of the QA/QC procedures undertaken by previous operators. Accordingly, there is no assurance as to the accuracy or completeness of included historical information. The Company has no plans to use historical results for mineral resource estimation or any other purpose other than providing general context for geological modelling and targeting. The Company's current sampling, Geoprobe drilling and future exploration work is being completed under strict QA/QC protocols for both solid and wet samples under the supervision of the Company's own technical personnel and Qualified Person to ensure reliable data corresponding to the Company's primary target areas is generated and reported under best practices. Qualified Person (QP) The technical information contained in this news release was reviewed and approved by Eric Saderholm P.Geo, Director and Technical Advisor of Canter Resources, a Qualified Person (QP), as defined under National Instrument 43- 101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About Canter Resources Corp. Canter Resources Corp. is a Canadian junior mineral exploration company advancing the Columbus Lithium-Boron Project in Nevada, USA and the Beaver Creek Lithium Property in Montana, USA. The Company is conducting a Phase I exploration campaign at Columbus to test a highly prospective lithium-boron brine target and plans to leverage the Company's critical metals targeting database to generate a portfolio of high-quality projects with the aim of defining mineral resources that support the domestic clean energy supply chain in North America. For further information contact: Joness Lang Chief Executive Officer Canter Resources Corp. Tel: 778.382.1193 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. For investor inquiries contact: Kristina Pillon, High Tide Consulting Corp. Tel: 604.908.1695 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. 1 Global Boron Market Report 2024 2 Boron: The Overlooked Critical Material - Seeking Alpha 2022 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 9, 2024) - Onyx Gold Corp. (TSXV: ONYX) (OTCQX: ONXGF) ("Onyx Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an option agreement (the "Agreement") with Senoa Gold Corp. (the "Optionor") and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (the "Optionee") to acquire the WEAS property (the "Property"), which consists of claims that are contiguous to the Company's King Tut property, in Yukon's Tombstone Gold Belt. Highlights of the Property and the Agreement: The 627-hectare ("ha") land package comprising the Property is located within the King Tut Property (Figure 1). This strategic acquisition consolidates the King Tut Property and provides the Company full control of the two mineralized intrusions on the King Tut Property, the WEAS intrusion and the Golden Mask intrusion located 9 km to the west (Figure 2). The Property covers a prospective reduced intrusion-related gold target. Historical work completed by previous operators reported multigenerational gold-bearing sheeted quartz veins within an exposed, 3 km by 2 km granitic intrusion (Plate 1) (See Yukon Occurrence Number 105O 056). Drilling in 1996 (five holes totaling 1,280 m) intersected 1.0 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold ("Au") over 21 meters ("m") (true width unknown) associated with the sheeted quartz veins, along with surface grab samples of up to 20.1 g/t Au (Figures 2 and 3). There has been limited work done on the Property and no significant exploration since the mid-1990s. The Company is planning an early summer work program consisting of field mapping, prospecting, and channel sampling to prioritize potential drill targets within areas of exposed gold-bearing sheeted quartz veins. This program will inform a potential drilling program later in the summer. Under the terms of the Agreement, the Company can acquire 100% of the WEAS Property by providing the Optionor a total of 3,000,000 common shares of Onyx, consisting of 500,000 shares on closing, 500,000 shares on the first anniversary, 500,000 shares on the second anniversary, and 1,500,000 shares on the third anniversary. "This agreement underscores our commitment to consolidating our position and unlocking the full potential of our assets in this emerging new mining camp," said Brock Colterjohn, President & CEO. "The Property presents a compelling opportunity with historical data indicating significant gold potential associated with exposed, multigenerational sheeted quartz veins within a granitic intrusion. Our upcoming field program aims to further delineate targets for exploration, marking an exciting step towards our goal of unlocking a new gold discovery in the prolific Tombstone Gold Belt." To hear more on this news from Brock Colterjohn, please see the video here: https://youtu.be/hZvI-RNTShc Details of the Property: The 30-claim (627 ha) Property lies internal to the Onyx's King Tut Property and covers an intrusion target situated between the Golden Mask and Main Tut targets (Figure 2). Historical work completed by previous operators reported multigenerational gold-bearing sheeted quartz veins within an exposed, 3 km by 2 km intrusion (Plate 1) (See Yukon Occurrence Number 105O 056 and Yukon Geological Survey's 1996 Yukon Exploration and Geology (YEG) annual report.). Drilling in 1996 (five holes totaling 1,280 m) at the Ann Mark Zone (Figure 3) intersected 1.0 g/t Au over 21 m (true width unknown) associated with the sheeted veins with quartz-arsenopyrite-bismuthinite, along with surface samples of up to 20.1 g/t Au and chip channel samples of quartz veins in sericite-altered diorite reported 15.3 g/t Au over 3.0 meters. The Company cautions that none of the historical results from the Property, including drill results, have been verified. Assay methods and sampling techniques are not disclosed in the historical reports, and in the case of drilling on the WEAS target, the Company has only been able to locate indirect references to the results, but no primary source. Historical results discussed herein are presented more generally as an indication of the potential of the Property to host reduced intrusion-related gold systems. Details of the Transaction: The Company, through the Optionee, has the option to acquire 100% of the Property from the Optionor (the "Option") by issuing 3,000,000 Shares as follows: 500,000 shares upon the Effective Date (as defined below); 500,000 shares on the 1 st anniversary of the Effective Date; anniversary of the Effective Date; 500,000 shares on the 2 nd anniversary of the Effective Date; and anniversary of the Effective Date; and 1,500,000 shares on the 3rd anniversary of the Effective Date. Under the terms of the Agreement, upon the exercise of the Option, the Optionee will enter into an agreement granting a 1% NSR royalty on the Property to the Optionor. The Property is subject to an underlying obligation to a third party consisting of a 1.0% NSR and bonus payment of $1,000,000 (the "Bonus Payment"), payable by the Optionee if a measured or indicated mineral resource of greater than 1 million ounces of gold is disclosed in compliance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects on the Property. The Agreement is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"). The Agreement will be effective three business days following approval of the TSXV (the "Effective Date"). 2023 Program Summary and 2024 Planning The 2023 Yukon exploration program by the Company focused on Phase 1 drill testing of the promising Main Tut and Golden Mask gold-in-soil anomalies, which are associated with two separate intrusion-related gold systems, and the execution of property-wide geophysical surveys, geochemical surveys, and mapping and prospecting programs to refine drill targets and identify prospective area for future exploration. Results from the inaugural nine-hole 2,123-meter drill program confirmed widespread gold mineralization across the Main Tut and Golden Mask anomalies, including 0.30 g/t Au over 32.50 m in drill hole KT23-005, validating the existence of potential bulk-tonnage reduced intrusion-related gold systems ("RIRGS") on the Property (See Company New Release dated November 15, 2023). In addition, new airborne magnetic surveying and soil sampling have also significantly expanded the size of the mapped intrusions at both targets. The Company is currently developing its budget and an early summer exploration program for 2024. This program will consist of a reconnaissance exploration program on the newly acquired WEAS claims and follow-up fieldwork on the Golden Mask and Main Tut prospects based on last year's encouraging results. The results from this program will inform a potential drilling program later in the summer. Lock-up Terms of 5,000,000 Onyx Gold Shares to be Acquired by HighGold Onyx was created as a result of the spin-out of Canadian assets from HighGold, whereby HighGold received five million common shares of Onyx. The Company is pleased to announce that HighGold has proposed to enter into a fifteen-month lock-up agreement (the "Lock-Up Agreement") in respect of the five million Onyx shares. Under the terms of the proposed Lock-Up Agreement, HighGold has agreed not to sell, swap or otherwise transfer any of its shares of the Company without the prior written consent of Onyx Gold, for a period of 24 months from the lock-up date, subject to automatic timed releases of 25% to be released 15 months from the lock-up date, and 25% to be released every 3 months thereafter. On May 2, 2024, HighGold announced its proposed acquisition by Contango ORE Inc. If the transaction is approved, Contango ORE would adopt the Lock-Up Agreement. Plate 1 - Multiple Generations of Sheeted Quartz Vein Systems on the Property (16" mattock for scale) Figure 1 - Regional Map - Yukon's Selwyn Basin Figure 2 - Property Map - King Tut and WEAS Properties - Surface Gold Geochemistry Note - Highlighted historical samples noted herein have not been verified by the Company, but they provide evidence for the general gold endowment of the claims. Grab samples are selective in nature and don't necessarily represent bulk tonnage grades Figure 3 - Property Map - WEAS Property - Historical Surface and Drilling Results About the Yukon Gold Properties Onyx Gold controls a portfolio of greenfield gold properties in eastern Yukon, totaling 227 square kilometers. The King Tut Property is Onyx Gold's most advanced and compelling property in the Yukon, located in the heart of an emerging reduced intrusive-related gold district in the Selwyn Basin. Previous fieldwork identified large-scale undrilled gold-in-soil anomalies in a comparable geological setting 50 km from the Rogue/Valley Discovery, one of Canada's most significant new gold discoveries. About Onyx Gold Onyx Gold is an exploration company focused on well-established Canadian mining jurisdictions, with assets in Timmins, Ontario, and Yukon Territory. The Company's extensive portfolio of quality gold projects in the greater Timmins gold camp includes the Munro-Croesus Gold property, renowned for its high-grade mineralization, plus two additional earlier-stage large exploration properties, Golden Mile and Timmins South. Onyx Gold also controls four properties in the Selwyn Basin area of Yukon Territory, which is currently gaining significance due to recent discoveries in the area. Onyx Gold's experienced board and senior management team are committed to creating shareholder value through the discovery process, careful allocation of capital, and environmentally/socially responsible mineral exploration. Qualified Person and Quality Assurance Ian Cunningham-Dunlop, P.Eng., Executive Vice President for Onyx Gold Corp. and a qualified person ("QP") as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this release. On Behalf of Onyx Gold Corp. "Brock Colterjohn" President & CEO For further information, please visit the Onyx Gold Corp. website at www.onyxgold.com or contact: Brock Colterjohn, President & CEO or Nicole Hoeller, VP of Corporate Communications Phone: 1-604-629-1165 or North American toll-free 1-855-629-1165 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Website: www.onyxgold.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/onyx-gold-corp/?viewAsMember=true Twitter: https://twitter.com/OnyxGoldCorp Neither TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary and Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company regarding future events. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or "occur". This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forwardlooking statements", are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, statements regarding discussions of future plans, estimates and forecasts and statements as to management's expectations and intentions with respect to, among other things, the intention of the Company to proceed with the exercise of the Option under the Agreement on the terms and conditions set out therein, the Company's expectation to issue the Shares pursuant to the Agreement, the approval of the TSXV for the Agreement, the Company's future exploration plans, the possibility of the Bonus Payment becoming payable and the expected entering into of the Lock-Up Agreement. These forwardlooking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the Company not receiving the necessary regulatory approvals in respect of the Agreement; changes in the Company's plan with respect to the exercise of the Option and the Company's exploration plans; that the obligation to make the Bonus Payment may be triggered; that the Lock-Up Agreement may not be entered into; recent market volatility; and the state of the financial markets for the Company's securities. In making the forward looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that the Company will receive the necessary regulatory approvals in respect of the Agreement, that the Company will be able to comply with the terms of the Agreement, including the issuance of the Shares, in order to exercise the Option, that the Company will have the necessary resources to carry out its exploration plans as anticipated, or at all, and that the Company will receive an executed Lock-Up Agreement from HighGold. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. We seek safe harbor. TORONTO, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Treasury Metals Inc. (TSX: TML; OTCQX: TSRMF) (Treasury or TML) and Blackwolf Copper and Gold Ltd. (TSXV:BWCG; OTCQB: BWCGF) (Blackwolf or BWCG) are pleased to announce that, further to the press release on May 2, 2024, which announced the combination of the two companies, that the Concurrent Financing of TML has been upsized from $4 million to up to $6.4 million. Frank Giustra will be the lead order, subscribing for $2 million. Jeremy Wyeth, President and CEO of Treasury Metals, commented, With continued support from large shareholders to execute upon our pending exploration plan, we are confident in the potential to make additional discoveries to augment the mine plan. The Concurrent Financing will provide us with 18 months of continued exploration activity. We believe we are in a good position to drive strategic growth moving through this transaction with BWCG into the summer and beyond. Concurrent Financing In connection with the transaction with BWCG announced on May 2, 2024, Treasury proposes to complete a non-brokered private placement consisting of up to approximately 27.7 million flow-through units ("FT Units") in the capital of Treasury at a price of $0.23 per FT Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of up to approximately $6.4 million (the Concurrent Financing"). Each FT Unit will consist of one common share that will be issued as "flow-through shares" within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (an FT Share) and one common share purchase warrant (a Warrant) of Treasury. Each Warrant will be exercisable at a price of $0.35 for a period of 36 months following the closing of the Concurrent Financing. Frank Giustra will subscribe for $2 million of the Concurrent Financing and is expected to be a significant shareholder post closing of the Transaction (as defined in the press release dated May 2, 2024). It is expected that the gross proceeds from the sale of the FT Shares will be used by the Company to incur eligible Canadian exploration expenses that will qualify as flow-through mining expenditures (as such terms are defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada)) and eligible Ontario exploration expenditures as defined in subsection 103(4) of the Taxation Act, 2007 (Ontario) (the Qualifying Expenditures) related to Treasurys Ontario mineral projects. All Qualifying Expenditures will be renounced in favour of the subscribers of the FT Shares effective no later than December 31, 2024. The Concurrent Financing is being conducted in all of the provinces and territories of Canada pursuant to applicable prospectus exemptions. Completion of the Concurrent Financing is subject to obtaining the required TSX approvals (including the approval of shareholders) and satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The FT Shares and Warrants to be issued in connection with the Concurrent Financing, will be subject to a statutory four-month and one day hold period from the closing date. The securities to be offered in the Concurrent Financing have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. First Mining Gold Disposition On May 7, 2024, First Mining Gold (First Mining, TSX:FF,OTCQX:FFMGF) filed an early warning report, announcing that on May 6, 2024, it disposed of 4,539,000 shares of TML. Prior to the sale, First Mining held beneficial ownership of, or control and direction over, an aggregate of 20,000,311 common shares of Treasury, representing 10.69% of the issued and outstanding shares on a non-diluted basis. Following the sale of shares, First Mining held beneficial ownership of, or control and direction over, an aggregate of 15,461,311 common shares of Treasury, representing 8.26% of the issued and outstanding shares on a non-diluted basis. Following the sale, First Mining is no longer a reporting insider of Treasury, as such term is defined under applicable securities laws. Treasury understands that the shares were placed with various institutional and high net worth investors. About Treasury Metals Inc. Treasury Metals Inc. is a gold-focused company with assets in Canada. Treasurys Goliath Gold Complex (which includes the Goliath, Goldlund and Miller deposits) is located in Northwestern Ontario. The deposits benefit substantially from excellent access to the Trans-Canada Highway, related power and rail infrastructure and close proximity to several communities including Dryden, Ontario. For information on the Goliath Gold Complex, please refer to the technical report, prepared in accordance with NI 43101, entitled Goliath Gold Complex NI 43101 Technical Report and Prefeasibility Study and dated March 27, 2023 with an effective date of February 22, 2023, led by independent consultants Ausenco Engineering Canada Inc. The technical report is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca, on the OTCQX at www.otcmarkets.com and on the Company website at www.treasurymetals.com. The Company also owns several other projects throughout Canada, including the Weebigee-Sandy Lake Gold Project JV, and grassroots gold exploration property Gold Rock. Treasury is committed to inclusive, informed and meaningful dialogue with regional communities and Indigenous Nations throughout the life of all our Projects and on all aspects, including creating sustainable economic opportunities, providing safe workplaces, enhancing of social value, and promoting community well-being. For further details about Treasury, please visit the Companys website at www.treasurymetals.com. About Blackwolf Copper and Gold Ltd. Blackwolfs founding vision is to be an industry leader in transparency, inclusion, and innovation. Guided by our Vision and through collaboration with local and Indigenous communities and stakeholders, Blackwolf builds shareholder value through our technical expertise in mineral exploration, engineering and permitting. The Company holds a 100% interest in the high-grade Niblack copper-gold-zinc-silver VMS project, located adjacent to tidewater in southeast Alaska. In addition, the Company holds a 100% interest in five Hyder Area gold-silver and base metal properties in southeast Alaska. For more information on Blackwolf, please visit the Companys website at www.blackwolfcopperandgold.com. Contact: Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release includes certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of Canadian and United States securities legislation that is based on expectations, estimates, projections and interpretations as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves predictions, expectations, interpretations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always, using phrases such as expects, or does not expect, is expected, interpreted, managements view, anticipates or does not anticipate, plans, budget, scheduled, forecasts, estimates, potential, feasibility, 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 and are intended to identify forward-looking information. Since forward-looking information address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to, expected completion of the Transaction and Concurrent Financing; approval of the Transaction by Blackwolf securityholders and Treasury shareholders; obtaining TSX and TSXV acceptance to complete the Transaction and Concurrent Financing, as applicable; and the ability of the combined company to successfully achieve business objectives, including integrating the companies or the effects of unexpected costs, liabilities or delays; the companies assessments of, and expectations for, future business activities and operating performance; expectations regarding the completion of the Concurrent Financing on substantially the same terms set out herein or at all, exploration and production for precious metals; delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; the uncertainty of mineral resource, production and cost estimates; health, safety and environmental risks; worldwide demand for gold and base metals; gold price and other commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations; environmental risks; competition; incorrect assessment of the value of acquisitions; ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources; and changes in legislation, including but not limited to tax laws, royalties and environmental regulations. Actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the forward-looking information and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking information will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits may be derived therefrom and accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking information. Treasury and Blackwolf undertake no obligation to update any of the forward-looking information contained herein except as may otherwise be required by applicable securities laws. Actress Kim Bin-woo recently utilized his social media platforms as a sounding board to express his vehement frustration towards a moving company. In a fervent and impassioned manner, he delineated the harrowing ordeal that he and his family were subjected to during a recent relocation, painting a vivid picture of the nightmarish circumstances they found themselves in. In a lengthy post shared on May 8, Kim Bin-woo lamented, "I've moved four times in nine years of marriage, and this is the first time I've ever experienced anything like this. No, it's the fourth moving day where I wondered if something like this would ever happen in my life." Describing the chaos of the moving day, Kim Bin-woo revealed, "The moving project, which would normally be completed by 6 or 7 p.m., is not making any progress." He expressed bewilderment at the absence of workers and the slow progress of the move, which left him and his family stranded amidst unpacked belongings as night fell. YOU MIGHT LIKE THIS: THIS Actress Shocks Fans with Sudden Marriage Announcement "I was really angry when I brought the food in and looked at the broken dishes here and there, but when I saw the faces of the aunts and others who stayed until 10 o'clock to clean up, I couldn't be angry," As frustrations mounted, Kim Bin-woo discovered that the workers initially dispatched were part-timers, exacerbating the disarray. Despite his anger at the broken dishes and misplaced items, Kim Bin-woo found it difficult to remain upset when confronted with the efforts of those who stayed late to clean up. Reflecting on the toll the move took on his family, Kim Bin-woo admitted feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. Despite attempting to enlist professional help, he ultimately resorted to tackling the cleanup with his husband, acknowledging the resilience they displayed amidst the chaos. In response to advice from netizens regarding moving companies, Kim Bin-woo expressed gratitude and hinted at future plans to purchase his own home to avoid similar ordeals in the future. NETIZENS'COMMENTS Here's what fans are saying: 'Good job sis. I'm already scared to move next year. ' 'ou've done a great job. Think that a lot of good things will happen. As a previous buyer, Mr. Binwoo responded quickly' 'h my god... I can't believe how heartbroken and physically tired it must have been' 't's really amazing and ridiculous Still, I'm thinking positively and Binwoo and her husband have organized it themselves and it seems like the house has become more satisfying' The moving saga concluded with Kim Bin-woo declaring an end to the arduous process, expressing hope for a brighter future despite the challenges faced. Kim Bin-woo, who married businessman Jeon Yong-jin in 2015, remains determined to navigate the trials of relocation with resilience and optimism alongside his family. READ ALSO: THIS Actress' Emotional Baeksang Speech Reveals 5-Year Secret Marriage For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article. Written by Joana Cabigas. Thursday, May 9, 2024 - A trader is counting losses after a machete-wielding gang raided his shop in Ukunda at night and made away with several items. In the footage, the ruthless thugs are seen ransacking the shop and putting te stolen items in sacks and bags while armed with machetes. They were covering their faces with caps, marvins, and balaclavas. The thugs belong to an organized criminal gang identified as 'Panga Boys'. The gang is mostly composed of young men in their early 20s who easily kill when provoked. They pounce by first striking their machetes against a hard surface to burst an ear-splitting sound, perhaps to announce their arrival and scare their targets. The gangs have continued to unleash terror on residents, leaving some of the victims with life-threatening injuries. On several occasions, the assailants have been caught on security cameras terrorizing residents who are relaxing in corridors, on the streets, and even inside cafeterias. The gangs are well connected, with most of them enjoying funding and protection from drug barons who apparently hide behind powerful politicians. Watch the footage. Nyakundi Wezi wa vipanga wamevamia shop ya rafiki yangu Eric hapo Mwakibwena, Ukunda. Yeyote anaejua hata mmoja tushirikiane plz. Happened last night at Ukunda pic.twitter.com/JSfxeXnKqA Cyprian, Is Nyakundi (@C_NyaKundiH) May 9, 2024 The Kenyan DAILY POST. Thursday, May 9, 2024 - The 56-day nationwide doctors' strike that threw the country into a health crisis has come to an end. This was revealed by the Ministry of Health after reaching an agreement with the doctors. According to the Ministry, the agreement was reached after a comprehensive meeting between the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists Dentists Union (KMPDU) and government officials. "After 56 days, KMPDU signs agreement, ending nationwide doctors' strike," the Ministry of Health announced. The government and the health officials signed the return-to-work formula on Wednesday evening in line with the directive issued by the Labour Relations Court. The court in its ruling issued a directive for the two conflicting parties to reach an agreement and bring to an end the prolonged doctors' strike. The development also comes barely hours after Raila Odingas Azimio gave President William Rutos government a 48-hour ultimatum to end the doctors' strike, failure to which it would mobilize Kenyans to demonstrate against the government. The agreement followed a series of disagreements and court battles that paralyzed the country's health system for almost two months. However, interns' payment terms still remain a contested matter despite the two teams signing a return-to-work formula. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, May 9, 2024 - A lady is being pursued by detectives in connection with theft. She reportedly stole more than Ksh 800,000 from her employer and disappeared. The suspect has been working at an Mpesa shop in Kisii for almost two years. She has switched off her phone and efforts to trace are underway after the matter was reported to the DCI. A cash reward of not less than Ksh 50,000 will be given to anyone with information that will lead to her arrest. See her photos below. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Thursday, May 9, 2024 - A Nigerian national has been arrested by Anti-Narcotic Unit (ANU) detectives based in Mombasa after he was found in possession of 200g of cocaine approximated at Sh600,000 in street value. Detectives raided the suspects rental house at White House Apartments in Kisauni and conducted a search that saw the seizure of the white powdery crack discreetly wrapped in a polythene bag inside a drawer in his bedroom. Presumptive tests confirmed that the concealed powder was indeed cocaine, which was stashed alongside suspected repackaging materials. Also found were assorted SIM cards belonging to Airtel, Safaricom, Telecom, and MTN. The suspect has been escorted to the Port Police Station for processing ahead of his arraignment. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Thursday, May 9, 2024 The late Chief of Defence Forces General Francis Ogollas wife has resigned from the Military Wives Association of Kenya (MWAK). Aileen Ogolla relinquished her position as the chairperson of the Military Wives Association of Kenya (MWAK) three weeks after her husband died in a plane crash. In a ceremony held at Nairobi, Aileen handed over the reins of MWAK leadership to Grace Kahariri who is the spouse to the Chief of Defence Force (CDF) Charles Muriu Kahariri. In a statement from the Ministry of Defence, it was explained that MWAK leadership borrows heavily from the KDF structure. As such, MWAK's top leadership had to mirror the military shakeup done by President William Ruto following the death of Francis Ogolla. Ruto, acting in his capacity as Commander in Chief of Armed Forces, appointed CDF Kahariri alongside John Omenda who is now serving as the Vice Chief of the Defence Forces (CDF). In that regard, Hellen Omenda the spouse to VCDF was appointed to deputise Grace Kahariri. It should be noted that before assuming top leadership of MWAK, Grace Kahariri had served as vice chair of the organization owing to the fact that her husband was VCDF then. Ailleen appreciated the MWAK staff for the support they accorded to her during the short stint she served as chairperson. She encouraged the members to channel the same spirit to the incoming chair who is just as capable and passionate about making a positive difference for women and the families of the KDF personnel, the Ministry of Defence quoted her as saying. Although she is fading away from military barracks, she promised her availability should MWAK need her input on welfare matters. I look forward to seeing this organisation morph into something bigger and register even more achievements, she stated while being thankful for the opportunity to serve. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, May 9, 2024 - NARC Kenya Leader Martha Karua has challenged President William Ruto's government on what it should do for Kenyans affected by the ongoing floods. Karua asked the Head of State to give free houses to all Kenyans displaced by floods as well as those whose houses have been demolished by the government for sitting on riparian land. "These affordable houses which are built with punitive taxes which are forcefully taken from us, and built on public land should be allocated for free to those displaced by the floods," she said. She explained that this was the only way to resettle Kenyans who were living on riparian land. The Azimio co-principal argued that it was unfair to demolish houses on riparian land, especially at such a time when most people have been displaced, lost property, and others have lost their lives due to flooding. She further called out Ruto for offering Ksh10,000 to all families affected by the floods. Karua argued that it was not a substantial amount to help the families rebuild their lives. "We have affordable houses across the country, let them resettled with our taxes as Kenyans. "We are pleading to you (President Ruto) to use our taxes to settle those who have been displaced and stop violence upon Kenya," she added. Karua was speaking in Nairobi after 26 people were arrested and detained at the Pangani Police Station after holding protests along Juja Road. The individuals arrested were protesting against the demolition of houses by the state for being on riparian land. They were also protesting the untimely death of a 17-year-old who was killed in Mathare North by a bulldozer while demolishing houses. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, May 9, 2024 - The Orange Democratic Movement party ODM) has exposed Interior Principal Secretary (PS) Raymond Omollo as a goon. In a statement yesterday, ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna blamed PS Omollo for the fracas witnessed in Kisii and Migori on Sunday. He termed the Interior PS as the mastermind using police to intimidate ODM supporters. Sifuna further accused Omollo of misusing the police and state power, which he said the party strongly faulted his actions. "The master puppeteer behind these schemes has been identified as none other than the PS Internal Security Raymond Omollo. The party condemns in the strongest terms, this blatant abuse of police and state power to intimidate our people and prop up regime stooges in our strongholds," Sifuna stated. On Sunday, UDA MP Sylvanus Osoro and ODM Anthony Kibagendi almost engaged in a fistfight during a fundraiser at Makonde Pentecostal Assemblies of God in Kenyenya village Borabu Constituency. Police were forced to use teargas after the incident was repeated three times before church leaders after Kitutu Chache South MP accused the Kenya Kwanza government of poor governance. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, May 9, 2024 - As the bid to rid the nation of narcotics and psychotropic substances heightens, detectives in Moyale have seized over 3.9kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of Sh15,660,000 from a woman identified as Vivian Achieng Okello. Acting on actionable intelligence, the quick-witted officers led by the sub-county criminal investigations officer conducted a stealth operation that saw the suspect arrested at Moyale's one-stop border point while on her way back to Kenya from Ethiopia. Hawk-eyed sleuths spotted the suspicious woman clinging onto her suitcase, leading to her arrest. She was escorted to DCI Moyale where a thorough search was conducted. The cocaine was discovered stashed in two smaller bags concealed in her toiletries. Also found was USD 700 concealed under the inner soles of her shoes. Legal procedures have been instigated. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Wednesday, May 8, 2024 - A yet-to-be identified man person has reportedly committed suicide at a cemetery in South Africa. It was gathered that the man parked his car at Phola Park Cemetery in Johannesburg, Gauteng and hung himself on a tree. Details of the incident are still sketchy at the time of filing this report. One Bonakele shared photos from the scene on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Gents please this is not a solution please bafethu khulumani uma kunenkinga, yini majita nidliwa yini bafethu. This guy parked his car at a cemetery here in Phola park JHB and hanged himself, he wrote. Wednesday, May 8, 2024 - The Ecuadorian beauty queen shot dead in a restaurant was likely tracked down by a food photo she shared of her ordering a distinctive plate of octopus ceviche. Former Miss Ecuador contestant Landy Parraga Goyburo, 23, was caught in a now-viral surveillance footage getting shot to death by two masked men who walked up to her in a restaurant in Quevedo on Sunday, April 28. It has since emerged that just before her death, Parraga shared a photo to her 173,000 followers on Instagram, likely tipping off her killers to her whereabouts, according to the Telegraph. Her food photo showed the distinctive-looking seafood dish and a side of eggs with a restaurant logo on either a placemat or menu on the table. Soon after posting the pic, Parraga was seen chatting with a man inside the restaurant when two masked men entered the building. One of the gunmen ran towards her and fired his gun, striking both Parraga and the man she was talking to, as the second gunman stood guard by the door. Both attackers then fled the restaurant, leaving the beauty queen motionless on the floor and in a pool of blood. She was reportedly shot three times and died shortly after. Police are investigating the shooting amid speculation the hit was ordered by the widow of drug trafficker Leandro Norero, with whom she is believed to have had an affair. Parraga, who has more than a million followers on her social media accounts as well as her own sportswear line, made headlines in December when she was named in a chat between the slain married drug lord and his accountant, Helive Angulo, according to Ecuavisa. Thursday, May 9, 2024 - The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has revealed the name of a powerful lieutenant in the Kenya Kwanza Alliance government who is behind last week's chaos in Kisii and Migori counties that left several people injured. On Sunday, a fracas erupted at Makonde Pentecostal Assemblies of God in Kenyenya village, Borabu Constituency, when United Democratic Alliance (UDA) MP Sylvanus Osoro and ODM's Anthony Kibagendi clashed. Police were forced to lob teargas to disperse the youths. In Migori, chaos erupted at a funeral where ODM goons clashed with United Democratic Alliance counterparts. Police were again called to quell the melee. Addressing the press on Thursday, ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna said Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo is the man behind the violence that rocked Kisii and Migori counties. "The master puppeteer behind these schemes has been identified as none other than the PS Internal Security Raymond Omollo. "The party condemns in the strongest terms, this blatant abuse of police and state power to intimidate our people and prop up regime stooges in our strongholds," Sifuna stated. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, May 9, 2024 - Azimio One Kenya Alliance leader Raila Odinga has indirectly blasted Narc Kenya chairperson Martha Karua for organizing the Limuru III conference. The Limuru III conference was initially slated for April 19, but the date was moved to May 17, 2024, and preparations for it are in high gear. Karua and former Ndaragwa Member of Parliament, Jeremiah Kioni, have been holding strategy meetings ahead of May 17, alongside other leaders. They insist that the Mt Kenya region has been in a crisis over the last two years, and a solution needs to be found. According to Karua, the Limuru meeting would provide a platform to discuss various socio-political issues affecting the community, emphasizing the constitutional right of people with common interests to convene. However, reacting to the conference, Raila Odinga through Azimio Spokesman Prof Makau Mutua, said it was a shame for Karua, who is a national leader, to organize a conference that will speak solely on issues affecting the Mt Kenya region. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, May 9, 2024 - Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Members of Parliament have lambasted Education Cabinet Secretary, Ezekiel Machogu for allegedly hiring his tribesmen at the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). According to the MPs, since his appointment, Machogu has been hiring members of the Kisii community and he has been dishing employment letters during funerals in Kisii and Nyamira counties. In a statement on Thursday, the ODM Secretary General accused Machogu of unbiased employment opportunities. Sifuna, who is also the Nairobi County Senator, demanded an explanation of how Kenyans who did not vote for the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) will get government jobs. He also accused Tourism Cabinet Secretary Dr Alfred Mutua of doing the same when it comes to hiring Kenya Wildlife Service wardens. "We will lodge formal complaints to the relevant authorities in the next few days. "We have also asked members of our Parliamentary Group (PG) to summon the CS for Education and his Tourism and Wildlife counterpart Alfred Mutua to explain the hiring policy at TSC, KWS, and other government departments, and how Kenyans who are not UDA supporters can also access employment opportunities," Sifuna stated. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, May 9, 2024 - Trouble has begun knocking at the Kenya Kwanza Alliance government after two senators allied with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) started throwing words at each other over the just-concluded doctors' strike. The doctors' strike, which began in early March, concluded on Wednesday after the Government and medics' union inked a deal. Nandi County senator Samson Cherargei started by attacking doctors, claiming that they are just ordinary citizens and interns should be paid Sh 70,000 like in other sectors. However, Kakamega county senator Boni Khalwale, who is a medical doctor, responded to Cherargei, urging him that doctors are the finest Kenyans we have since they scored As in their KCSE while he was struggling with C- Minus. "The same doctors you are vilifying, Senator Cherargei, where were you in your primary school when your classmate beat you and qualified with better grades to become a doctor, and you couldn't? "I request the senator of Nandi to be apologetic. In fact, it's a privilege to him that we have introduced a system of adult education, gumbaru in degrees; otherwise, traditionally, he should not appear in court at all because it's only gumbaru that has allowed him to become a lawyer. "He should be told the people he is berating are the same ones who got an A in everything when he was struggling with C-," Khalwale said. The Kenyan DAILY POST Wednesday, May 8, 2024 - A US-based Ghanaian couple will spend the next 25-years of their lives in prison for second-degree murder in the death of their five-year-old son. Valerie Owusu, along with her boyfriend, Emmanuel Addae, both 28 years old and residing in Corona, Queens, New York, had been convicted in March of depraved indifference murder for the death of King Owusu. The verdict was delivered on Wednesday, 1 May, 2024, in court, with the mum Valarie in tears. Despite expressing love for the child and pleading for leniency, they were given the maximum sentences by acting State Supreme Court Justice Steven Pilewski. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said; The jury has spoken, but unfortunately, that will not bring back this young boy, The sentence comes nearly three years after the two brutally beat and left the boy for dead on Long Island. According to the Suffolk County District Attorneys office, Valerie Owusu and Emmanuel Addae beat the child with at least four different instruments over three days in 2021. The prosecutors added that neither Owusu, who is the biological mother of the victim nor Addae called 911 or provide medical care when his situation deteriorated. They continued by saying they later sent the boy to a family members house. The family member later returned home to find the boy dead. This little boy was beaten and suffered for days at the hands of these defendants, one of whom was his own mother, until he, unfortunately, succumbed to his severe and extensive injuries. Thanks to the thorough investigation by the Suffolk County Police Department, the relentless pursuit of justice by the prosecutors assigned to this case, and the jurys careful consideration of the evidence presented, the defendants have been held accountable for this horrific crime, the District Attorney said in a press statement. It is just hours to the Census Night and the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) says they have worked out an arrangement with security agencies to return roadblocks on all highways where individuals in transit will be counted and issued with a card to eliminate the possibility of double-counting. The 2024 National Housing and Population Census is set to kick off after midnight. UBOS Executive Director Dr. Chris Mukiza says that with the support of security agencies, they intend to establish roadblocks on highways from midnight for mandatorily counting of people in transit. Dr Mukiza explains that the checkpoints shall be mounted on major roads across the country, targeting the floating population such as street children, bus and truck drivers and passengers, and those who stay in trenches. we shall stage roadblocks to the main roads that are exiting cities and towns so that we can count them so we shall give them cards indicating that they are counted. Dr Mukiza said. Dr Mukiza urges Ugandans and foreigners in the country, including refugees, to cooperate with, and volunteer factual information to enumerators. Researchers at Makerere University School of Public Health have expressed concern over the low uptake of contraceptives by majority of women immediately after delivery. This is despite it being recommended as a solution to the high rate of unintended pregnancies. The concern was raised by Prof Fredrick Makumbi a senior lecturer at the school while releasing findings of a study conducted in five districts of Kampala, Mukono, Kyenjojo, Gulu, and Tororo to assess the reach, quality, and cost of delivering high-impact practices that can help the country meet family planning targets. According to the study, while immediate family planning uptake is still low, awareness and training of health workers about this practice were found to be high as 90%. However, the Commissioner Reproductive and Child Health at the Ministry of Health Dr.Richard Mugahi said its quite untenable for mothers to be enrolled in family planning immediately, in this study we try to find out were the gap probably we did not explain to them because family well during antenatal because family planning is as i mentioned is voluntary and optional and we provide you with different methods and we need to have good discussion with you because we dont want women to be pregnant twice in a year because it is very possible because the are fertile,Dr Mugahi said. The Female Lawyers Network has asked parliament to put a provision in the Human Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill 2023 on posthumous reproduction which allows spouses to use gametes of their dead spouses for reproduction. The call was made by the Chief Executive Officer of the Network Leah Nasasira Tumwesigye while interacting with parliaments health committee on the bill that was sponsored by Tororo district woman MP Sarah Opendi. Nasasira has informed the committee that posthumous reproduction arises in instances where a party has donated his or her gametes before their death and a recipient would like to use them thereafter. this might occur in instances where a spouse has stored the garments for future use but dies before intended processes is completed , so in such an instances the individuals concerned are presumably have right tp reproduce,Nasasira said. With just hours to Census night, government is appealing to the media to fully support and publicize the 2024 National Housing and Population Census exercise. This is after the National Association of Broadcasters turned down the directive by Uganda Communications Commission for broadcasters to air President Musevenis census message. According to the association chairman Innocent Nahabwe, media houses operate as commercial entities, paying licensing fees to UCC, taxes and face financial obligations such as staff salaries and operational expenses. In a statement issued yesterday, Nahabwe said there should be deliberate budgeting for national activities like the census. However, addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Center in Kampala on Thursday, ICT and National Guidance Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi has said that this is not possible due budgetary constraints, thus appealing to the broadcasters to heed to the regulators call, it is not that UBOS had the money and the have diverted it and the dont want to pay the media houses as far as i am concerned i dont think was a provision for paying media house for that message but my appeal would be for the interest of the cooperation we have always with them to air that message, Baryomunsi said. This comes as final preparations are being made by the Uganda National Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) for the 2024 National Housing and Population Census that is set kick off tomorrow, which government has gazetted as a public holiday. 1 of 1 Sunny Leone and Reese Witherspoon have proven to be great entrepreneurs and great actresses! Heres how! khaskhabar.com : Thu, 09 May 2024 12:46 PM Several actresses have gone from breaking barriers on-screen to breaking norms in the world of business, two of such examples are Sunny Leone and Reese Witherspoon. While Sunny belongs from Bollywood and Reese Witherspoon is a popular Hollywood actress, their career trajectories are very similar. Both of them have established themselves as successful actresses in their respective film industries, and have gone on to etch their mark in the entrepreneur world. Reese Witherspoon launched her own production house called Type A Films, which merged with producer Bruna Papandrea's Make Movies company in 2012. She later founded Hello Sunshine in 2016 with the intention of telling women-driven stories to change the way all women are seen in media. The company was sold in 2021. In May 2015, Witherspoon launched Draper James, a retail brand focusing on fashion and home decor. However, she sold the company and continues to be a board member of the brand. Sunny Leone, on the other hand, created a storm in the world of beauty by launching Starstruck by Sunny Leone. She also launched a line of fragrances called Affetto Fragrances. Beyond providing skincare and cosmetics, Sunnys brand also looks after giving it back to the community. The venture takes pride in its initiatives which aims to counter human trafficking. Sunny even invested in the wellness brand, Rize Bars, and ventured into the hospitality sector with her maiden restaurant Chica Loca. Apart from this, the actress has also consistently championed innovation through groundbreaking technical advancements and has cemented her online presence by introducing her own AI replica, establishing herself as the first actress in the Indian industry to have an AI replica. This shows how Sunny Leone is at par with female entrepreneurs across the globe. On the work front, Sunny Leone is currently hosting the latest season of the reality show Splitsvilla X5. Her upcoming film Kennedy, which received a round of applause at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, is yet to release in theatres. Sunny is also collaborating with the National Award-winning director Pampally for an upcoming Malayalam project. She also has Quotation Gang in the pipeline. The actress is also teaming up with Prabhudeva for a film. Previously, she had done a song with the choreographer-filmmaker in the film Petta Rap. "French farm to Chinese dining table" mechanism constantly deepens China-France agricultural cooperation 14:00, May 09, 2024 By Shang Kaiyuan ( People's Daily Sausages are packed in a workshop of French company Sacor. (Photo by Xing Xue/People's Daily) According to China's General Administration of Customs, France is China's largest agricultural product import market and the second-largest agricultural product trading partner in the European Union. By mid-2023, over 200 types of French agricultural and food products were allowed to be exported to China. Besides, nearly 7,000 French agricultural and food products companies have registered in China. When French President Emmanuel Macron visited China in April 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping conveyed to President Macron China's readiness to advance high-standard opening-up and share new opportunities in China's new development with countries around the world, and to work with France to build a "French farm to Chinese dining table" whole-chain rapid coordination mechanism. Over the past year, the "French farm to Chinese dining table" mechanism has become a new highlight of agricultural cooperation between China and France. More and more French agricultural products are entering the Chinese market, providing Chinese consumers with high-quality and diversified choices, creating more opportunities to French companies, and bringing greater benefits to French farmers. France is well-suited for the development of animal husbandry thanks to its climate. Statistics released by France's National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies showed that the country's live cattle herd exceeds 17 million heads. LACTINOV dairy group in France began direct export business in 2012, with the Chinese market as one of its main targets. "More than a decade ago, I went to an international food exhibition in Shanghai to seek business opportunities," Alexandre Zeitlin, LACTINOV's export director, told People's Daily. "From the very beginning, we identified China as one of our most valuable target markets." It is reported that as Chinese consumers' demand for high-quality dairy products grew rapidly, sales in the Chinese market accounted for 1/3 of the group's exports at its peak. During Xi's meeting with then French President Francois Hollande in Beijing in April 2013, the two heads of state exchanged views on enhancing China-France exchanges and cooperation in a comprehensive manner, deciding to forge new areas of cooperation in modern agriculture, farm produce processing, and food processing. In the next year, a Chinese delegation visited multiple French meat product companies, including Sacor, based in Aveyron, France, the first French company to export French-style dry-cured sausages to China. Soon, Sacor obtained approval to export its products to China, and its products officially entered the Chinese market in 2016. "For a small family business like us, it's a milestone in our development to become one of the first companies to export to the Chinese market," said Nicolas Tournois, general manager of Sacor. Over the years, he has devoted himself to understanding the Chinese market, actively participating in professional exhibitions, and continuously developing new clients. "Our exports to China are currently in a stable upward trajectory," he said. Today, the Bastides sausages of Sacor sold on Chinese e-commerce platforms are highly popular among Chinese consumers. Annual exports of the Bastides sausages to China have grown from 10 tons in 2019 to the current 60 tons, and they have frequently appeared at the China International Import Expo in recent years. Tournois hopes that with the "French farm to Chinese dining table" whole-chain rapid coordination mechanism, more distinctive French agricultural products can enter the Chinese market. Chief winemaker of the Bordeaux branch of Les Grands Chais de France tastes wine in a winery. (Photo by Xing Xue/People's Daily) Bordeaux is an important wine-producing region in France and even globally. In a winery in Bordeaux owned by Les Grands Chais de France (GCF Group), a renowned French wine producer, red wine bottles come with QR codes that show various information, including the centuries-old history of the winery, the characteristics of the production area, the colors, aroma, and flavor of the wine, as well as recommended drinking temperature and food pairing suggestions. "Chinese consumers have a much keener interest in wine culture than 10 years ago, so we intentionally designed the bottles this way," said Adrien de Vincenti, sales director of JIXIFU Caves & Domaines of GCF Group. Adrien has been working and living in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong province for over a decade and has a good understanding of the demands in China's red wine market. French fragrance products are exhibited at the sixth China International Import Expo in Shanghai, November 7, 2023. (Photo by Weng Qiyu/People's Daily Online) In today's Chinese market, wines from various regions of France can be found, covering many categories. "E-commerce platforms and social networks in China have made wine more mainstream, and wine appreciation courses have also accelerated the entry of wine culture into the lives of ordinary Chinese," he said. During Macron's visit to China in April 2023, China and France issued a joint statement, in which the French side expressed its support for China's forthcoming application to join the International Organization of Vine and Wine, as well as its support for China hosting the International Conference on Grape and Wine Industries. Adrien told People's Daily that in recent years, wine producing regions in several Chinese provinces and municipalities such as Shandong, Ningxia, and Xinjiang have become increasingly mature, and the development of China's domestic wine industry will promote the prosperity of the entire wine market. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Du Mingming) A frustrated Louth TD has questioned Kilkennys city bona fides, and suggested his own native Drogheda is every bit as important, just as historic, and indeed, much bigger actually. Labours Ged Nash vented his anguish in the Dail last week, where he said Kilkenny was merely a town, and its inclusion in a scheme aimed at cities always looked like a stroke in his view. What had Deputy Nash so exercised is the Living City scheme, which aims to encourage people back to the centre of Irish cities to live in historic buildings. Kilkenny, a former capital of Ireland - with its vast medieval, Norman and historic tapestry, castle, abbeys and cathedrals - is included in the scheme. Deputy Nash feels his Drogheda is similarly equipped, and yet overlooked in this regard. "I love my home town of Drogheda. Our small city is really in my DNA and defines me," he gushed. "We have had and still have our problems. Every place does. We always overcome them. We often do so in spite of and not because of Government support. Increasingly, we have had to rely on ourselves to address the problems this Government patently ignores." He continued: "We are a city in all but name, yet last week, a Fianna Fail Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, again rejected out of hand my long-standing call for city status for Drogheda." Deputy Nash is apparently in the habitat of proposing that Drogheda be included in the Living City renovation initiative. Every year, he said, his amendment is rejected. Kilkenny, through no fault of its own, was then in the crosshairs... This targeted tax break has helped countless owner-occupiers and developers across the country to bring many vacant and derelict properties back into use. I will give an example. In Kilkenny, 19 properties have been brought back into use, he said. That is half the number of derelict properties contained in Droghedas town centre. I wish good luck and more power to Kilkenny, but as the Minister of State knows, Drogheda is twice the size of Kilkenny and it is just as historic and architecturally important. Minister of State Neale Richmond explained the criteria and noted that the areas are designated by the Minister for Finance on independent advice. Deputy Nash, however, doubled down the Marble Citys innumerable charms apparently lost upon him. Nobody has explained to me why Kilkenny was included in the scheme, he exhorted. It is a town which is actually not an administrative city from a legal point of view, but Drogheda has been excluded. It always looked like a stroke to me and that will remain the case until somebody explains otherwise. Minister of State Richmond didn't take the bait. "I again thank Deputy Nash for his contribution here this evening. I repeat that the special regeneration areas are designated by the Minister for Finance on independent advice. We respond to the advice and we look at the maps of the regeneration areas, as they are sought and provided," he said. "I said quite clearly to Deputy Nash that like any tax expenditure, the living city initiative is kept under review. As I am sure he will appreciate, decisions regarding tax incentives and reliefs, whether in respect of the introduction of new measures or the amendment or expansion of existing measures are normally made in the context of the budget and the finance Bill." The Free Speech Union announced: Free Speech Union proud to be New Zealand Schools Debating Council 2024 named-sponsor In line with the Free Speech Unions commitment to invest in a culture that values free speech and debate, we are excited to announce our partnership with the New Zealand Schools Debating Council (NZSDC). We will support them in presenting their finals debate at Parliament this year at the end of May, says Nick Hanne, the Unions manager for education partnerships. Alongside our work in high schools around the country through our Speak Up programme, and supporting events at universities (such as the free speech moot we hosted yesterday with the Auckland University of Technology Mooting Society), we are excited to help champion the important work of the Debating Council. Were pleased to join our name with theirs in championing a new generation of critical thinking, free speaking, debaters. The work of the NZSDC aligns with our own organisational mission of promoting a culture of free discourse and independent critical thinking amongst young Kiwis. JEFFERSON CITY The Missouri Senate passed a $51.7 billion version of the state budget Thursday evening after eight hours of debate. It now heads to the House, where members have a constitutional mandate to pass a balanced budget by 6 p.m. Friday. Far-right Republican senators in the Freedom Caucus slowed the budget process down on the Senate floor throughout the day, before allowing appropriations bills to move through quickly in the evening. At a news conference Thursday morning, Republican Gov. Mike Parson expressed concern regarding the budget getting done on time and what might be in it. "Most certainly, I'm concerned about it," Parson said. "I don't even know what it looks like. We haven't had privy even in the governor's office to be able to see this." "My assumption is, without any input from the office, it's problematic," Parson added. Parson said his problem regards the amount of spending in the budget. The House passed a version of the budget in April that allotted $2 billion less in total spending than his recommendation. Supplemental budgets are passed during an operating fiscal year after a budget has already passed. For instance, Parson approved a $2 billion supplemental budget bill in May of 2023 for essential operations such as education spending. This year, Parson said he doesn't want reduced spending in the current budget to lead to supplemental spending. "I think the one thing we hear that we're very concerned with, if we are trying to shift this to a supplemental budget just to try to hit a number, that's problematic," he said. "We're not going to do the largest supplemental in our state's history. I just don't plan on doing that." Before the news conference, Parson signed a bill that will allow the state to not reimburse Planned Parenthood for any Medicaid funding. That law will go into effect in August. Surrounded by Republican lawmakers, Parson said, "I believe so much in pro-life that we're going to protect that at all costs. And I don't think there's any question Planned Parenthood has not been a good actor." Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said the organization hasn't received any state reimbursements for seeing patients on Medicaid in the past two years, even after a Missouri Supreme Court ruled that unconstitutional in February. Despite that, Wales said the organization plans to continue to provide health care services to Medicaid patients in Missouri. "I just want to reassure patients, we know that there's confusion, we've had questions. People are seeing this in headlines and wondering, 'Can I still come in to get care? Are you open?' The answer is yes. We're open. We're providing all the same services we have, that don't include abortion because of the state's cruel ban. But, you can come in and see us, and if you're on Medicaid, you are welcome to come. We want to see you," Wales said. Moments after passing their version of the budget, senators passed statewide Medicaid package called the Federal Reimbursement Allowance (FRA). It's a tax on hospitals with a matching grant from the federal government that accounts for $4.5 billion (roughly 30%) of the state's total Medicaid budget. Freedom Caucus members previously stalled the FRA as they wanted the governor to sign the Planned Parenthood bill before they would allow talks on the larger Medicaid package. The FRA now heads to the House. While the budget is due Friday afternoon, the regular legislative session only lasts until next Friday, May 17. If a budget gets through on time, the FRA must be passed for that budget to be effective. If the General Assembly does not get a budget passed on time, Gov. Parson could call lawmakers back for a special session immediately after the current one ends. He could also call them back for a special session if the FRA does not go through. Both would be especially consequential as it would keep lawmakers busy in Jefferson City, and off the campaign trail during an election year. Wednesday, May 8 1:43 VIDEO: Missouri Senate 'stalling' as state budget deadline looms The Missouri Senate did not address any of the 17 budget bills as of 6 p.m. Wednesday. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. The Missouri Senate did not address any of the 17 budget bills Wednesday. The $53 billion state budget, which has to be approved before the constitutional deadline of 6 p.m. Friday, is causing concern for a special session. Lawmakers are required to finish work on appropriation bills one week before the end of their annual session. A $50.8 billion budget proposal passed in the House, which includes $14.9 billion in general revenue and $14.1 billion in the operating budget. The Senate's Committee on Appropriations' proposal is $53 billion, with $15.7 billion in general revenue, including $14.9 billion in the operating budget. "If we balanced the general revenue spending, we could eliminate every property tax bill for every resident in Missouri," Eigel said. "We would still have hundreds of millions dollars left over." Eigel told KOMU 8 that he is willing to wait as long as it takes to get a budget that he is happy with. "Everyday that goes by, the closer we get to the deadline, I think the budget is getting more and more conservative, so I'm willing to wait as long as it takes," Eigel said. If the budget can't be passed by Friday, it would have to be completed in a special session. The 2022 special session cost around $164,000 in taxes between both chambers, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Eigel believes future costs won't be a bad look for him or his gubernatorial campaign. "I'm not worried about the campaign," Eigel said. "If I have to come back in the special session and fight for a balanced budget, I'm willing to do that." "Public interest is going to go up and the public agrees with me. They're looking for a balanced budget and fiscal sanity," Eigel said. The Senate took a recess at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, reconvened at 7:59 p.m., then adjourned at 8:02 p.m., according to social media posts on X. Tuesday, May 7 0:47 VIDEO: Missouri Senate 'stalling' as state budget deadline looms The Missouri Senate returned to session Tuesday to discuss routine bills after a heated debate on Monday about the state budget. The Senate came back to session Tuesday and discussed "routine" bills, such as nuclear waste plants, water accessibility and more before moving on to talking about the budget. With three days left to allocate the budget and many more bills to discuss, especially with time lost on Monday, Sen. Lincoln Hough's office says the Senate may or may not get to the topic of the budget on Tuesday. The budget is the biggest deadline that lawmakers have to complete before the end of session on May 17. The Missouri Independent reports that the last time the budget deadline was not met was in 1997, when lawmakers had to work in a special session to complete appropriations. Monday, May 6 The Missouri Senate reconvened Monday after a 41-hour filibuster last week, only to conclude within less than 10 minutes of the session, according to KOMU 8's partners at the Columbia Missourian. A heated debate between Senate Majority Leader Cindy O'Laughlin and Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Springs, about which of the 17 budget bills would pass through the Missouri Senate ended the session. Of the proposed $53 billion budget, about $5.8 million will go to Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, nearly $30 million will go to Department of Transportation for state highway and road maintenance, more than $41 million will go to the Department of Public Safety for more training opportunities, grants for local jurisdictions, crime victims compensations and more. EXO D.O. sparked laughter after he claimed that performing THIS song will most likely send him to the ER. What's the story behind it? On May 8, the YouTube channel of the women's lifestyle and fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar Korea uploaded an 8-minute interview with EXO's main vocalist, D.O. In particular, he recently flaunted his top-tier visuals and charisma through the publication's May 2024 issue digital cover. Aside from his pictorial shots, the magazine also took time to have a conversation with the idol to commemorate the release of its 3rd solo mini-album, "BLOSSOM" on May 7th. For this interview, the magazine collected questions from its fandom, EXO-Ls, and among them, one fan asked him to answer a balance game question: "Sing 'MAMA' for 1 hour vs Dance to 'El Dorado' for 1 hour vs Take a selca for 1 hour." Hearing this question, D.O. contemplated his mind and immediately refused one option. "Whoa, how can you choose this question so well? It's not easy. If I dance to 'El Dorado' for 1 hour, I will go to the ER." Indeed, how can he even dance and sing "El Dorado," an EXO track famous for its high notes and dramatic choreography? ALSO READ: EXO D.O. Is Once Again Asked To Show His Abs & Here's His Savage Reply: 'If the Time Comes...' Now, there are only two options left and thinking about it, taking selca for an hour is easier, but D.O. being D.O., he also refused this option and would rather choose to sing "MAMA" for an hour! "Also, if I take a selca for an hour, I will also end up in ER. That's why I'll just sing 'MAMA' for an hour." With his answer, fans are laughing hard at how the idol opted to sing "MAMA" for 1 hour, which is also known for its high notes and powerful dance steps! he'd rather tore his vocal chords singing MAMA for one hour than take selcas for an hour https://t.co/LOpJBRgonU jas (@heartz4dyo) May 8, 2024 tell me you have a good voice without telling me that you have a good voice https://t.co/JG5aTdRDfN MainExo #GoodEnough (@LoveDeiErrDay) May 8, 2024 In fact, among their discography, only a few K-pop idols have ever attempted to cover this song because of its difficulty level. But D.O., who opened up about having camera anxiety in the past, would just rather sing than face a camera for a whole hour that feels like an eternity to him! Fans also raised their chins and showed how proud they are of D.O. because, amid the issue of idols who can't sing live, it is rather a flex that the idol isn't concerned an inch if he will be asked to sing for an hour! Meanwhile, D.O. who is the pride and joy of EXO-Ls showcased his own sensibility as a soloist through his 3rd mini-album, "BLOSSOM" released on May 7. This album is Do Kyungsoo's new album as a solo musician eight months after his 2nd mini album, "Expectation," which was released on September 18 last year. "BLOSSOM" contains 6 songs with the theme of "growth" based on the emotions encountered in the journey of living daily life and loving including the title track, "Mars," and b-sidetracks, "Popcorn," "Simple Joys," "Good Night," "My Dear," and "About Time." READ MORE: EXO DO Faces Backlash for Being 'Greedy' What Happened? For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Eunice Dela Cruz After a week after HyunA released her 9th mini-album, "Attitude," K-pop fans are calling her a "flop" and "nugu" after seeing her first-week album sales. On May 2, the so-called, "Sexy Queen of K-pop" HyunA returned after two years with her new EP, "Attitude," her first album unveiled in collaboration with the top music producer duo, GroovyRoom. In this release, the female soloist participated in the overall production process including writing lyrics, composing as well as music video planning. In particular, the album depicts her honest and confident attitude as she starts anew under AT AREA, her new nest after leaving P NATION. The album comprised four songs, including the title track, "Q&A," which shows off her more luxurious sexy charm and trendy style. The MV was even filmed in Bangkok, Thailand to capture her new, unconventional and sensuous visuals. Best musicians also worked with her to complete the album, including GroovyRoom, LDN Noise, BOYCOLD, Giriboy, GEMINI, Changmo and many more who participated in creating the b-sides, "Attitude," "Ah!" and "RVSP." On May 8 then, about a week after she released her album, HyunA became the center of mockery after seeing her album sales. ALSO READ: HyunA Loses 630k Instagram Followers After Dating News: The problem is her boyfriend...' Based on the Hanteo Chart, her first day sales were 10, 405, a seemingly good start for a soloist. However, for the succeeding days, it got lower and lower to the point that she even got 5 sales only on its third day. Overall, her first-week sales as of May 9th were announced to be 13,577. But shockingly, this is by far her best-selling album in her soloist career on its 1st week! But why is she being mocked for this? On X, netizens were surprised that she had lower album sales in the past, calling her a "flop" and "nugu." While album sales back then weren't as important as charts, which she has an advantage of, web commenters pointed out that given her popularity, she should have been getting more album sales than what she has right now. Seeing that she isn't performing as well as she should have, people are claiming that she deserves not to be supported after deciding to betray K-pop fans by dating Yong Junhyung, a sex predator. Ahead of her comeback, she annoyed fans with her interview where she talked about her relationship with the idol, although the general public has been expressing that they are against the couple. selling single digits LMFAOOO so deserved https://t.co/xQXoq12w6M josiahh! (@urrfavonce_) May 8, 2024 Deserved but let's remember to keep this energy for the men (and worse!) https://t.co/6jpfaKkvS0 WHITE MOONLIGHT (@WHITEM00NLIGHT) May 9, 2024 selling 5 albums in one day she fell off so bad https://t.co/Nl8hRv8L5q May 9, 2024 The fact I didnt even know she dropped the comeback alreadyoh she flopped badlydeserved https://t.co/cyFBGBjP9c pic.twitter.com/dFob0myQlF silvr the idiot (@CUNTTIEST) May 8, 2024 Day 3: 5 albums sold... Deserved for back stabbing women who saw her as a fellow femenist. https://t.co/gOpnsVz0PA (@MoonBoonsy) May 9, 2024 As a short context, her boyfriend was once involved in watching illicit videos from Jung Joon Young, where the girls were victims of sexual assault and r*pe. Despite the public disgust, HyunA continued to flaunt their relationship and even justified her decision as her way of choosing to be happy. It seems like her Korean fans also turned their backs on her, as about 11k of her album sales were purchased by her China bar. yup and again its the immoral chinese who bought and even used korean sites to try to make ppl think kotea bought pic.twitter.com/RYznpI2P7U May 8, 2024 READ MORE: HyunA Claims She's Aware of Backlash for Dating Junhyung: 'I Don't Care' + Harsh Comments Pour After Broadcast For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Eunice Dela Cruz After 5 years since the group disbanded, fans are expected to see MYTEEN as a group in 2024 once again through their reunion in a fan meeting! Earlier on April 25, former MYTEEN Lee Taevin initially announced that he would be holding his solo fan meeting, "PIT-A-PAT (Tab in you) in Seoul" on May 11. Based on the information in his post, it will be held twice at 1 p.m. KST and 6 p.m. KST at Ehwa Women's University Samsung Hall. On May 8 then, IOK Company, Taevin's label provided more details and fans couldn't contain their happiness after the announcement of the guests! According to the company, MYTEEN will have a mini-reunion through the fanmeeting, joining Lee Taevin as his guest! As a quick background, MYTEEN debuted in 2017 under MusicWorks comprising Lee Taevin, Chunjin, Eunsu, Kookheon, Shin Junseop, Song Yuvin and Han Seul. During their active days, they gained decent success and formed a small yet solid fanbase for their songs, "Amazing" and "SHE BAD." Unfortunately, Taevin left in 2018 to focus on his acting career. Despite that, the group continued to promote and earned even more support after Kookheon and Yuvin joined Mnet's "Produce X 101," but in 2019, the group sadly disbanded after the leader Eunsu wrote about it on his Instagram. ALSO READ: What Happened to MYTEEN? - A Look into the Whereabouts of the Former Boy Group Who Had Only One Comeback before Disbandment Immediately after, MusicWorks confirmed the news, and (You'ths) fans were truly disheartened as they were expecting to see a group release after Kookheon and Yuvin finished the competition. Since then, they focused on their solo endeavors, with Taevin and Junseop pursuing their careers as actors. Kookheon and Yuvin pursued their paths as soloists while Chunjin, Eunsu and Han Seul left the spotlight and returned to their ordinary lives. With this reunion, fans are truly teary-eyed that they will finally see the group once again and reminisce about their flower path with them. As good news for international fans who won't be able to meet them in person, Taevin also announced that the fanmeeting will be broadcast live through Hellolive TV. Along with MYTEEN dancer Honey J will also appear as the special guest, raising fans' anticipation. On the other hand, Lee Taevin became a full-fledged actor after leaving MYTEEN. He made his name known for appearing in the hit drama, "Penthouse." Since then, he also entered the BL industry and cemented his fame as the main lead of "Love for Love's Sake." READ MORE: Lee Tae Vin Shares Thoughts on New Acting Role for New Drama Delivery For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Eunice Dela Cruz NewJeans member Danielle has expressed gratitude to the fans who sent supportive messages while she was having a difficult time. On May 8, 2024, Danielle interacted with fans through the fan communication platform Phoning. She revealed how happy she was to see Bunnies (their fandom), saying, "I was really happy to see everyone yesterday." The previous day, May 7, was the birthday live-stream event for member Minji. All five members came together and interacted with fans to ring on Minji's birthday. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: HYBE Execs on Edge as NewJeans Fans Protest Makes Headlines - Details Inside Danielle mentioned, "Some Bunnies were worried because I was quieter than usual. I'm really grateful for your concern and support." She asked the fans not to worry, saying, "Although my heart has been heavy these days, please don't worry. We are all practicing hard and preparing for you, Bunnies. There's a lot we want to show you in the future, so please look forward to it." She then sent a flurry of heart emojis. YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: NewJeans Hyein Cancels Participation In 'How Sweet' Promotions Due To Injury + Official Statement In other news, Danielle has been chosen as the sole MC for KBS2's "Korea on Stage." As the host, Danielle will also serve as a special presenter, speaking in English to introduce the greatness of Korea's national heritage to the world. The event will be streamed live on May 21. NewJeans released the music video for their new song "Bubblegum" on April 27. They are scheduled to make their official Japan debut with a fan meeting, "Bunnies Camp 2024 Tokyo Dome," at Tokyo Dome on June 26 and 27. Afterwards, the group is scheduled to release another Korean single on May 24. The girl is scheduled to release an album in the second half of 2024. CHECK THIS OUT: RIIZE's New Lightstick Sparks Outrage Among NewJeans Fans - Find Out Why Back in April, HYBE filed a complaint for alleged breach of duty against Min Hee Jin, the CEO of ADOR, and the company's management team at the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul. In retaliation, Min Hee Jin held an urgent press conference on April 25. She denied the allegations levied against her, saying, "It's not true. Dismissing a CEO with good performance is the real breach of duty." ADOR's board of directors, including Min Hee Jin, has notified HYBE that they will hold a board meeting in Seoul on the morning of May 10. FOR YOU: Sakura 'Obstacle' to NewJeans' Debut Before LE SSERAFIM? K-Media Explains What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below! KpopStarz Owns This Written by Alexa Lopez HYBE's chairman Bang Si Hyuk delivered a keynote address at the Kwanhun Forum in Seoul, highlighting the tremendous success of K-pop's leading groups like BTS and BLACKPINK while urging the industry to stay vigilant amidst challenges. Bang Si Hyuk acknowledged the global phenomenon created by K-pop, describing BTS and BLACKPINK as super IPs that have propelled the Korean content industry to new heights. He emphasized the pivotal role of K-content in boosting various sectors such as fashion, consumer goods, and education, attributing its success to its cultural impact and global appeal. However, amidst these achievements, Bang Si Hyuk cautioned against complacency, stating: "We should have a sense of crisis rather than being satisfied with proud achievements." He pointed out the disparity in global album sales share, where major labels like Universal, Sony, and Warner Music dominate, emphasizing the need for continuous innovation and strategic approaches to expand K-pop's presence globally. IN CASE YOU MISSED THIS: HYBE Founder Bang Si Hyuk Criticized for Saying THIS About K-pop: 'We need to remove...' Bang Si Hyuk also addressed the challenges facing K-pop in key markets like the United States, citing a decrease in chart performance and music market exports since 2020. He stressed the importance of fostering outstanding K-pop companies to sustain growth and competitiveness in the global music industry. In recent news, Netizens are abuzz after discovering that Bang Si Hyuk, the chairman of HYBE, has photos with all HYBE groups except for NewJeans. This revelation comes amidst the ongoing feud between HYBE and ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin. During a press conference, Min Hee Jin accused HYBE of delaying NewJeans' debut and promoting another group, LE SSERAFIM, ahead of them. She also claimed that Bang Si Hyuk didn't congratulate NewJeans on their debut and pointed out his lack of photos with the group on his Instagram. While some view this as evidence of favoritism, others argue that BOYNEXTDOOR, another successful group, also lacks photos with Bang Si Hyuk. The situation has sparked debate among netizens about HYBE's treatment of NewJeans and the dynamics within the company. YOU MIGHT BE ALSO INTERESTED IN: HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk Unveils His Concerns for LE SSERAFIM : 'I was worried about...' For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Cassidy Jones. During IVE's performance at Incheon National University, Ahn Yujin was seen scolding a male fan who was in the front row. On May 7, IVE was one of the artists who performed at Incheon National University's music festival. The performance was riddled with controversy. While the group was praised for their live vocals and performance, students were upset at the amount of IVE fans who weren't from the university who attended and brandished around large cameras that blocked people's views. However, it appears it wasn't a totally positive experience for the members. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: IVE Rei Exposes THIS Member For Glaring When Members Make Mistakes in Choreography Following the performance, one fan shared photos that showed Ahn Yujin interacting with a fan in the crowd. However, it wasn't a warm interaction. The idol had a serious expression on her face, and it appeared she was scolding the festivalgoer. In the video, she is seen looking closely at the male fan. She tilts her head squints her eyes, and points at him. It was noted that Jang Wonyoung was also seen glancing at the fan, and when she saw him, she had a serious expression on her face. However, Jang Wonyoung quickly turned away. The other members of IVE were also seen looking in that direction. YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: IVE Rei Shocks Netizens With THIS Surprising Feature About Her: 'I'm So Jealous...' International fans were understandably enraged at the male fan, calling him out for making the members uncomfortable. Many praised Ahn Yujin for calling them out. It is believed that with his phone, the male fan was attempting to take videos of the members of IVE from inappropriate angles Twitter Error One thing about IVE girls - theyre gonna make it super fucking clear if you cross a boundary. I hope Yujin is never afraid to single them out and call them on it. Fuck whoever made her uncomfortable. She had already had a super long and hard day atp too. https://t.co/uDwYvMrkm2 pic.twitter.com/lcYa2azX67 HEYA Cassie (@reikkomia) May 8, 2024 if this was the first ment then no wonder she was extra pissy the whole performance been working since the morning, never had rest, technical problems, and a weirdass mfer at the front yeah this univ may not get another one sorry miss gellie :') https://t.co/vM8uF4eDdM ` (@asterahn) May 9, 2024 @twitter|https://twitter.com/lurkeryuyu/status/1788407908855960052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Ahhh so it seems someone in the audience made Yujin uncomfortable or something? And it seems Wonyoung heard it too. Both of them kept looking that direction. It was during the 1st ment. https://t.co/Z6f7cgCU08 __ (@Jenn_sone) May 8, 2024 While it is unsure whether or not the fan actually did so, fans agreed that the male fan's camera placement was strange. Many are hoping that Ahn Yujin and the other members of IVE did not feel disrespected during their performance at Incheon National University. In other news, IVE made their much-anticipated comeback with their second extended play, "IVE SWITCH," on April 29, 2024. The mini-album contains six songs, including the lead single, "HEYA." The girls are scheduled to release the music video for the second single from the album, "Accendio," on May 15. CHECK THIS OUT: IVE Jang Wonyoung Seen Laughing During 'HEYA' Performance - Here's Why On April 29, 2024, IVE held a live stream event on YouTube to introduce DIVEs to their extended play, "IVE SWITCH," and the songs on the album. They also used the opportunity to connect with their fan base. What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below! FOR YOU: IVE Jang Wonyoung Garnerse Praise For Impressive Mindset: 'I'm Totally Lucky Vicky' KpopStarz Owns This Written by Alexa Lopez US presidential candidate and anti-vaccine activist Robert F Kennedy Jr has shocked many by revealing that a worm allegedly ate a portion of his brain before dying. Reportedly, a doctor at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital suggested to Kennedy that the abnormality seen on his scans was likely caused by a parasite and not by brain cancer as per the initial diagnosis. During a deposition for his 2012 divorce proceedings, Kennedy was heard stating, "a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died" as he explained the reason behind experiencing cognitive difficulties and memory loss since 2010, coinciding with the passing of his uncle, Senator Edward Kennedy, from brain cancer. Robert F Kennedy Jr Will Run for President as Independent and Drop His Democratic Primary Bid. Dead Worm Found in Brain of Robert F Kennedy Jr JUST IN - Presidential candidate RFK Jr. says doctors found a dead worm in his brain NYT Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) May 8, 2024 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) On 8 May Argentinas umbrella trade union organisations the Confederacion General del Trabajo (CGT) and the Central de Trabajadores de la Argentina (CTA) issued a joint statement ahead of the national strike called for today (9 May). End of preview - This article contains approximately 400 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 8 May two magistrates on Colombias national electoral council (CNE) reportedly recommended that charges be brought against Presidentin relation to alleged financial irregularities in his 2022 election campaign. End of preview - This article contains approximately 588 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 8 May Guatemalas Presidentreiterated plans to remove the countrys discredited attorney general (AG)through a legal reform. End of preview - This article contains approximately 390 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 8 May Mexicos Presidentsaid the government was addressing the exceptional power outages that occurred in areas across the country the previous day. End of preview - This article contains approximately 400 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options Marjorie Taylor Greene's effort to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson from office has officially been rejected in an overwhelming and resounding 359-43 vote. It was a bipartisan effort to save Johnson as the Democrats made good on their promise to save him should the vote happen. Greene's attempt to kick out Johnson was a long-shot to begin with as both Democrats and Republicans have expressed that they are already tired of the political chaos, having learned from the chaos that happened after Matt Gaetz had Kevin McCarthy kicked out of the speakership. As Greene stood to force the vote, the MAGA Republican read a long list of "transgressions" she claimed Johnson did as House Speaker. However, the rest of the House immediately let her know how they felt as they booed her. Despite this, Greene still criticized Johnson's leadership as "pathetic, weak and unacceptable." When she triggered the vote on her motion to vacate the speakership, she was immediately countered by Republican Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who then called for a vote to table it. This led the House to table the motion 359-43, which meant that in the meantime, Johnson is still the House Speaker. "As I've said from the beginning, and I've made clear here every day, I intend to do my job," said Mike Johnson in a statement after the vote. "And I'll let the chips fall where they may. In my view, that is leadership." It was noted that even though the vote to save him was overwhelming, it still showed that Johnson still has many weaknesses as Shouse Speaker as his majority was so thin that he had to rely on the Democrats to save him. Marjorie Taylor Greene Says She Is Backing Off House Speaker Mike Johnson's Ouster The humiliating defeat at the hands of a bipartisan coalition has Greene already signaling that she is not going to pursue her threat of ousting Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson any further, according to ABC News. READ MORE: Republican Infighting Continues as House GOP Blames Marjorie Taylor Greene for Lack of Border Wins, Call Her an 'Idiot' "I will tell you one thing I did say in there: I am so done with words," she told reporters who were waiting for her on the Capitol steps. "For me, it is all about actions. And that is all the American people care about." The Georgia Republican also noted that she is not imposing a deadline for Johnson to comply with her four "suggestions," adding that "These are not complicated things that we're talking about, and having the majority of Republicans support for bills that are brought to the floor. Yeah, that's very reasonable." Marjorie Taylor Greene Losing Sway With Donald Trump, Says GOP Strategist After her attempt to get a new House Speaker went up in flames, Newsweek is reporting that the controversial Republican is losing her "sway" with Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, whom she is an avowed loyalist. Republican strategist Susan Del Percio said that the former president "simply doesn't seem interested in backing her chaotic play," with Trump openly giving his support to Johnson. "Greene has also known for weeks that Trump himself has little appetite for this fight. Just a few weeks ago, after Greene first said she would attempt to remove Johnson, the speaker traveled down to Mar-a-Lago for a photo op with Trump. 'I stand with the speaker,' Trump stated, while also noting that Greene was 'a very good friend," she added. "They may still be friends, but she no longer has much sway over Trump-if she ever had any." READ MORE: Kevin McCarthy Says He Is Not Speaker of the House Anymore Because Matt Gaetz 'Slept With a 17-Year-Old' This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: BREAKING: House votes to kill Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's effort to oust Speaker Mike Johnson - MSNBC Five adults, three children and their pets are all homeless after flames ignited Wednesday morning at an Allentown row home, a fire official said. City Deputy Fire Chief Christian Williams told lehighvalleylive.com the fire began shortly before noon in the 700 block of North New Street. It started on a left row home on the third floor and quickly began spreading to its neighboring home on the right, Williams said. All occupants one adult in one row home and four adults with three kids and two dogs in the other escaped the hours on their own. Firefighters rescued two pet rabbits from the third floor of the home the fire began in. Crews quickly worked to douse the flames. Ladders were used to access the roof and limit any spread to more row homes in the cluster of 10, Williams said. He estimated the fire was under control in about 20 minutes. In the end, three units sustained fire, smoke and water damage. The bulk of the damage was in the home in which the fire began, Williams said. One occupant was treated by medical personnel for a minor burn at the scene, Williams said. There were no other reported injuries. The American Red Cross PA Rivers Chapter is helping the displaced residents with shelter. The cause of Wednesdays blaze remains under investigation by Allentown fire officials. Five adults, three children and their pets are all homeless after flames ignited Wednesday morning, May 8, 2024 at an Allentown row home. The fire began shortly before noon in the 700 block of North New Street, said city Deputy Fire Chief Christian Williams.Mike Nester | lehighvalleylive.com contributor Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. An Easton psychiatrist was cleared Thursday of charges he bilked the federal government out of more than $1 million by billing for services he didnt provide. Muhamad Aly Rifai was found not guilty of four counts of health care fraud after a trial that lasted more than a week, according to defense attorney Paul Hetznecker of Philadelphia. Following five years of investigation by the United States Attorneys office and multiple federal agencies, my client is relieved and grateful for the jurys verdict. Now that he has been vindicated of the charges Dr. Rifai can continue his lifelong commitment to serving his patients, Hetznecker said. U.S. Attorney spokeswoman Carrie Adamowski confirmed the verdict but declined to comment on it. Rifais practice, Blue Mountain Psychiatry, was cleared of allegations the doctor billed Medicare for $1.1 million in services he and his staff allegedly failed to provide his patients between January 2015 and October 2022. Rifai was accused of billing for providing services to patients who had died. He was accused of billing for treating the same patient at the same time at different nursing homes. He was also accused of providing more than 24 hours worth of services to patients on given dates. The jury deliberated about four hours Wednesday and a little more than an hour Thursday morning before delivering the verdict, according to Hetznecker. Rifai opened his office at 13th and Bushkill streets in Easton in 2016. Blue Mountain Psychiatry also has offices in Palmerton and Stroudsburg. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joan E. Burnes. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Laois' Crime Prevention Officer has issued advice to the public about fake tickets ahead of major summer events. Gardai are warning that there is no guarantee that tickets bought from unauthorised sources will be valid, and may see them turned away from an event on the day. Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Graham Kavanagh said: "Remember: Always - Check with concert and event promoters for details of authorised ticket sources and outlets. Only - Purchase tickets from authorised sources and outlets. "Stick to official retailers: It's always best to buy from official websites. In the event of a sell-out, some artists and promoters partner with resale sites , which only allows tickets to be resold at face value or below. Other resale websites exist, but most aren't affiliated with artists and allow resellers to charge whatever they want. "Only enter official competitions: You should only enter ticket competitions advertised by legitimate brands on their official channels and websites. You can use "who.is" to check when a website was created. A newly created website can be a red flag. "Be alert to scammers on social media: Buying tickets from strangers on social media can leave you open to being scammed. In particular, you should watch out for newly set-up profiles that follow no one or have no followers. These accounts may have been opened specifically to scam people looking to buy tickets. You can also use reverse image search to check where profile images originate from. "Avoid offers that seem too good to be true: When buying tickets for sold-out events, be wary of prices that seem too cheap, as fraudsters may be using these to lure you in. "Don't pay by bank transfer: Fraudsters will sometimes try to get you to make bank transfers or pay in Bitcoin. If you do choose to buy tickets from an individual seller, try to pay using a credit card so you're protected by Section 75. "Alternatively, PayPal has its own Buyer." A musician who sexually abused his younger sister during their childhood has been jailed for five and a half years. Karl Ronan (55) raped and indecently assaulted his younger sister over four years until it was discovered in 1986 by their mother, who sent them to see a child psychologist. His sister Lynn Ronan (51) waived her anonymity so he can be named. The abuse occurred in four main locations - their childhood family home in Dublin, two locations near their grandmother's home in Laois and in Galway. The Central Criminal Court heard that the abuse was swept under the carpet and continued to have a devastating effect on his sisters life until she reported it as an adult in 2018. Karl Ronan of Curraghhall Green, Tyrrellstown, Dubin 15 pleaded guilty to rape and indecent assault of his younger sister at locations in Dublin and Laois on dates between 1982 and 1986. His sister was aged between 10 and 14 years old at the time. Passing sentence on Tuesday Mr Justice Paul McDermott said a significant period of time had passed before the woman made a complaint to the gardai. He said during this time the pressure remains on the victim to keep the secret and not to speak. That may endure for years, as in this case, and it takes a lot to bring out the complaint from under the stones and speak the truth in the matter. That is what has been done and the complainant is to be commended for that, Mr Justice McDermott said. The judge said Ms Ronans brother had bullied, dominated and blighted her childhood, teenage years and later in adulthood. He acknowledged the violence that all the children experienced in the family and said Ronan had made his sisters already difficult childhood more difficult. He noted that as a little girl she should have been able to look up to and rely on her brother but he abused that trust and took advantage of the situation. He knew they (the incidences of abuse) were wrong and he persisted in them because he knew he could get away with it, Mr Justice McDermott said. He noted that the offence in the case had been committed by a child but added had they been committed by an adult the offence would have merited very high penalties given the repetitive and frequency of the offences and the fact they included repeated rapes of the young girl. The judge noted the fact that Ronan had been engaged as a professional musician for a number of years, had a continuous work record and no criminal convictions. He further acknowledged that he has been assessed at a low-risk of re-offending in a sexual way. Justice McDermott said that the assessment also concluded that Ronan required further treatment to develop victim empathy before he acknowledged that Ms Ronan eloquently set out in her victim impact statement the utterly devastating effect of the abuse. Justice McDermott sentenced Ronan to six years in prison for the rape offence and a concurrent three year term for the indecent assault offences. He suspended the final six months of the sentence on strict conditions including that he engage with the Probation Service for two years upon his release from prison. He ordered that Ronan attend any programmes as deemed suitable by the Probation Service and have no direct or indirect contact with Ms Ronan. Sergeant Paul Daly told Cathleen Noctor SC, prosecuting, that the garda investigation began after Ms Ronan made a disclosure of childhood sexual abuse during a counselling session in 2018. The woman described how the abuse began with her brother creeping into her room to touch her between the legs and put his fingers inside her vagina. The abuse escalated into him forcing her to masturbate him or put his penis in her mouth and ultimately to him raping her. The woman also described physical bullying, coercion and wearing her down from her brother. The abuse ended when their mother found out and they were taken to see a child psychologist. Karl Ronan told gardai during interview that it had been play acting and was consensual. He said it ended when it was discovered by their parents. He denied rape. Ronan prepared a letter of apology for his sister, but she did not wish to accept it, describing it as self serving and too little, too late. In her victim impact statement, Ms Ronan said she had spent too many years with deep sadness and self-loathing, feeling like she was crazy. She said when she was unable to move on and pretend the abuse had not happened, she was made to feel as if she was the problem. She outlined how her schooling and family life had been affected and she suffered medical issues. She said she plastered on a happy face and had kept the secret for too many years. She said even when the abuse was discovered, it had been swept under the carpet. You very nearly got away with this, she told her brother. All I wanted was to feel this was not my fault and stop the lies. She said he had spent years making her feel terrible and a pariah. She told him she had never tried to blacken his name or speak in derogatory terms about him and had wanted as few people as possible to know what had happened because she was ashamed. She said she hoped it would end when he admitted his guilt, but that he continued to spin the narrative that he was the wronged individual and his life was being ruined. She said her brother had told a relative that she was making it bigger than it was. She said it had not been a case of them being young and making mistakes, that Karl Ronan had sexually abused, raped and beaten her into submission. She said any apology from her brother would not be genuine and would be nothing other than self serving and an effort to engender sympathy from the court. The garda agreed with Eanna Molloy SC, defending, that there had been violence in the family home at the hands of the siblings father and there was a pervading sense of fear in the home. The garda told Mr Molloy that despite extensive inquiries, there were no records found from the child psychologist reportedly attended by the children after the abuse was discovered. Mr Molloy handed in testimonials, psychologist and probation reports to court. He outlined details in the psychologists report such as the violence in the family home which the report said could lead to a highly stressed brain craving love and attention and disassociation from the reality that a victim is not consenting. Mr Molloy outlined the background detailed in the report in relation to the family dynamic of constant and unexpected punishments being meted out for the smallest of reasons and physical beatings of the two siblings. Counsel submitted Karl Ronan did not have insight at the time into the impact of his behaviour. He said Ronan had used music as a block and coping response against the menaces in his home. He submitted that Ronan had also been a child at the time and had made partial admission immediately. He asked the court to extend as much leniency as possible. Lynn Ronan said she waived her anonymity to encourage anyone who has gone through what she has to report it. "I want to thank every person who has helped me through this, Namely the Garda and Detectives, my legal counsel, the Victim Support Group within the courthouse and most importantly my wonderful sons. They have all shown tremendous kindness, patience and empathy towards me throughout the whole case and I am forever grateful. "It has been a long process over many years but I am very pleased with the Judge's ruling today. "I have waived my anonymity to encourage anyone who has gone through what I have, to come forward, report it and get help. You will be believed and there is a lot of support out there." A prison TV advertising campaign is underway in jails to encourage prisoners to vote in the Local and European and Limerick mayoral elections this June. There are just under 5,000 people in Irish prisons. Jointly, Portlaoise Prison and the Midland Prison in Portlaoise held 1,191 prisoners on May 1, 2024. In January 2024, the Irish Prison Service began an information campaign for prisoners in all prisons regarding their right to register for a postal vote. The Irish Prison Service wanted to give prisoners a voice in the upcoming elections so that they could help shape their future. Working in partnership with An Coimisiun Toghchain, the Electoral Commission, they prepared a prisoner-friendly video and posters. It has been used on the Prisoner Information TV Channel to promote the prisoner's opportunity to register to vote. An Irish Prison Service spokesperson said: The Electoral (Amendment) Act 2006 enables prisoners to vote by postal vote. Prisoners can apply for a postal vote in the area that they would otherwise be living in. The Irish Prison Service in partnership with the Electoral Commission has advertised the opportunity to register for a postal vote across all prisons. An Electoral Commission spokesperson explained that: An Coimisiun Toghchain in our role as Irelands independent electoral commission is determined to reach out to those who are eligible to vote but who may not, for whatever reason not be voting. As part of this we have worked with the Irish Prison Service to provide information to prisoners about postal voting, how they can register and the deadline by which they must register in order to be able to vote in the 7 June local, European and Limerick mayoral elections. The information provided from An Coimisiun Toghchain to the IPS has been in the form of basic video materials for Prison TV and information leaflets. We look forward to continuing to work with the IPS to increase the numbers of prisoners to vote at electoral events. As set out under the Electoral Amendment Act 2006, prisoners who register to vote by postal vote and cast their vote, have their votes counted in the area where they would be ordinarily resident if not in detention rather than in their place of detention." USE ARROWS OR NEXT BUTTON TO SEE MORE Organisations and businesses across Laois are celebrating after completing a pilot course in Portlaoise aimed at providing communities with the skills to tackle climate change. The course, which focused on the Portlaoise Low Carbon Town Project, was delivered over a period of three months by Irelands Knowledge Centre for Carbon, Climate, and Community Action (IKC3) in partnership with Laois County Council. One of the highlights of the Summit held on the final day of the course was the awarding of certificates of participation along with unique Brat Bhride scarves, handcrafted by the Portarlington Arts Collective from upcycled materials decorated with wool. Speaking about the 'Systems Innovation for Sustainable Enterprises and Communities (SISEC)' course, Suzanne Dempsey, Climate Action Coordinator at Laois County Council, said it has been instrumental in fostering a deeper understanding of climate resilience among participants. "It has empowered them with practical skills to address sustainability challenges in the Portlaoise Low Carbon Town and within their own organisations," she said. Dr Quentin Crowley, Associate Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin and IKC3 lead in Climate Innovation and Experiential Learning, expressed enthusiasm about the pilot stating that It was a great pleasure to collaborate with Laois County Council over the past few months. "Together, we created and delivered a really great community-based education programme. Rather than students coming to us in Trinity College Dublin, we travelled to the Portlaoise community for in-person workshops, and we delivered online classes. Participants shared their knowledge and learned useful techniques to develop their own project ideas for the Portlaoise Low Carbon Town project. Kildare Innovation Campus (KIC) located in a parkland setting on 184 acres between Celbridge and Leixlip is announcing a 2.4bn investment in the further development of the site. This will create 3,000 new high tech jobs over three phases by the end of 2030. KIC will be Irelands only carbon neutral campus, committed to using indigenous power generated from renewable sources. KIC is already home to MGS Ireland, Mercury, Hewlett Packard Enterprises, Cully Automation, DXC Technology and Nikon Precision Europe. Together these companies currently employ over 1000 people on the site already. By the end of next year (2025) Phase 1 of the new expansion of the Campus will increase the numbers employed on the site by a further 1,000. An additional 2,000 jobs are expected to be fully in place by the end of 2030 when the entire campus is fully realised. As outlined in a recent Grant Thornton Report, the total economic output from the expanded campus when complete will be worth 5 billion to the Irish economy. A purpose built innovation hub is being developed currently - The Hub at KIC. The Hub will be a dedicated landing space for both high potential deep tech scale ups in Ireland and foreign direct investment. This new state of the art space will be a complete deep retro-fit within the existing campus buildings. Planning permission was approved for the expansion of the campus in January this year. Since then, all but one of the new buildings have been pre-let to leading global blue chip technology companies. Preparatory works are already underway to develop the new buildings as well as the erection of a new cycle and pedestrian bridge linking Celbridge and Leixlip towns over the M6 motorway. KIC CEO Allan Shine said KIC will be Europes most advanced carbon neutral technology and innovation campus and will be unique in terms of scale, services and flexibility welcoming innovative companies looking to scale their operations in areas such as Deep Tech, Photonics, Biotech, Machine Learning, Robotics as well as Advanced Manufacturing. Allan Shine is the former CEO of Kildare Chamber and has been committed for well over a decade to the development of Kildare as the leading business region in Ireland. Allan joined the KIC Team in February to lead the significant expansion of the Campus. Fianna Fail euro election hopeful Barry Cowen spent a day with his campaign team canvassing support in Naas for the forthcoming European Parliament poll. During his visit he met students at St Marys College as well as members of the Naas Mens Shed. He also called on local businesses including Kerry, Dawn Farms and Irish Dog Foods and also took in MERITS, the innovation thinkspace hub adjacent to Aras Chill Dara. The Offaly TD is seeking a seat to represent the Midlands-North-West constituency, which he described as vast taking in, as it does, Donegal and Kildare and a good many counties in between. Read more Kildare news He was accompanied by Sinead Ronan chief executive of County Kildare Chamber, Carbury farmer and former IFA deputy president Brian Rushe and Deputy James Lawless for a question and answer session at Lawlorss Hotel where some 40 people filled the room, with a decent representation of farmers. Mr Cowen also stressed the importance of the tech sector to Ireland and expressed concern that data centres are being established in countries like Sweden and Norway because this sector is not important - not just for the jobs created but the taxes raised pay for public services. Deputy James Lawless warned that the sector is volatile and there is always the possibility of a downturn as happened twenty years ago. Mr Cowen also said that people who cannot afford to retrofit their homes to reduce carbon production should be assisted to do so and he also encouraged the use of hydrotreated vegetable oil, a renewable diesel made from waste plant material, which cuts carbon emissions by 86%. Nearly half of all septic tanks tested in Ireland in 2023 failed inspections, according to a report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). According to the EPA report, 45% of Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (DWWTS) inspected in 2023 failed, with the EPA saying this poses a risk to human health and the environment. A total of 1,189 DWWTS inspections were completed by local authorities last year, of which 532 failed. Domestic waste water treatment systems (DWWTS), mostly septic tanks, are used by householders to treat sewage. There are nearly half a million systems in Ireland, with around 1,200 being inspected annually. Reasons for failures were in two categories; Operational (de-sludging and maintenance), or structural defects (illegal discharges to ditches/streams, leaks, ponding and rainwater ingress). Local authorities issue advisory notices requiring householders to fix tanks that fail inspection. The EPA report found that there were 576 cases where issues notified to householders over two years previously had still not been addressed. However, 80 per cent of tanks that failed inspections between 2013 and 2023 were fixed by the end of last year, representing an ongoing improvement from 75 per cent in 2021 and 78 per cent in 2022. Counties with significant numbers of failures combined with a low level of resolution are Waterford, Roscommon and Kilkenny. HPSC figures report 48 cases of pertussis or whooping cough and 16 laboratory-confirmed measles cases in Ireland this year (up to April 19). Since 2020, the uptake of primary childhood immunisation has declined across all vaccines, including whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella, polio, meningitis and diphtheria and as a result we are seeing a re-emergence of some of these diseases. Here are common questions about the illness. What is whooping cough? The bacterial infection, also known as pertussis, affects the lungs and breathing tubes. Whooping cough is sometimes called the "100-day cough" because of how long it can take to recover from it, and it spreads very easily. What are the symptoms? The first signs of whooping cough are similar to a cold and can include a runny nose and sore throat, but after about a week, the infection can develop into coughing bouts that last for a few minutes and are typically worse at night. Young babies may also make a distinctive "whoop" or have difficulty breathing after a bout of coughing, though not all babies make this noise. How many cases have there been? A Health Prevention Surveillance Centre (HPSC) report on infectious diseases in Ireland, states that 11 cases of whooping cough, were confirmed this week, with most cases in HSE West and North West. Why are cases so high? Health officials describe whooping cough as a "cyclical disease", which means it peaks every few years. But cases dipped to very low numbers during the coronavirus pandemic likely due to a lack of socialising and social distancing measures. Vaccination rates have also decreased in recent years, meaning a rise in cases since years previous. Since 2020, the uptake of primary childhood immunisation has declined across all vaccines, including whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella, polio, meningitis and diphtheria and as a result we are seeing a re-emergence of some of these diseases. What can people do to protect themselves? Pregnant women are being urged to take up the offer of the whooping cough vaccine so they can pass on protection to their babies, which should last until they are old enough to get vaccinated themselves. The vaccine is available for from participating GP practices. When can people get vaccinated? Dr Lucy Jessop, Consultant in Public Health Medicine and Director of the National Immunisation Office, HSE said: "We are appealing to parents to check their childrens vaccination status and book appointments if their children have missed any immunisations. "By getting your baby vaccinated on time you are giving them the best protection against diseases like meningitis, measles and polio. "Five GP visits, at two, four, six, 12 and 13 months, will complete your babys vaccination schedule, ensuring your baby has important protection from these potentially serious vaccine-preventable diseases." Nobody wants to talk about a rebuild but Leitrim reaching the All-Ireland U20 C Hurling Final couldnt have come at a better time for hurling in the county, according to Olcan Conway. Leitrims demolition of Fermanagh was the fruition of a lot of hard work behind the scenes says the Leitrim manager: Believe it or not, we had an U20 team 13 or 14 years ago - Conor Beirne was involved in it, Niall McLoughlin, Liam Moreton, lads like that and I was managing the team at the time, myself, Steve Feeney and Kevin McGrath. That was the last time but we have been fighting for years to have a team, it has just taken a number of years for us to get permission for an actual U20 team. Just disappointed that Paddy OConnor, God rest him, isnt here to see it because himself and myself were trying to get it up and running for a few years. We finally got it going and unfortunately Paddy wasnt here to see it. The fact that Leitrim are able to enter an U20 team is crucial for the development of young hurlers: There has been a tremendous amount of work in the Celtic Challenge U17 squads and the Tain Og teams over the last number of years, James Keane and the boys have kept that bunch coming through together, nearly from U13. It is a very talented bunch, no point in saying otherwise, were lucky that we have a really good crop of lads coming through at the same time and that is why it was absolutely crucial to have a team this year. These lads have been training a lot with the Senior team this year, some of them have made their breakthrough but they really need matches at their own age to develop which is crucially important. BALLINAMORE CELEBRATE LEGENDARY TEAMS OF THE 60S & 70S - GALLERY It is great to see the work that was done this year come to fruition on Saturday but lets not get carried away, it was only a semi-final, Monaghan are in the final but it was just a great culmination of time and effort by a lot of people on Saturday. As for Monaghan, Olcans only experience is in what the Green & Gold faced in the Lory Meagher Cup: I know very little about Monaghan, I know they have one or two players who are playing with the Senior team as well, theyre excellent. By all accounts, it was an excellent game between themselves and Cavan. They have a number of games played in the Ulster League which is a huge advantage to them. They probably have a bit more work done than us match wise but Im not sure theyd have much more done training wise because we have had the lads in training with the Senior lads. Leitrim Senior hurlers face Warwickshire next Saturday in Shane McGettigan Park Drumshanbo (3.30 pm throw-in) in a crucial Lory Meagher Cup clash with Olcan reluctant to talk of a transitional phase: We took a conscious decision at the start of the year that we wanted to keep a core of the squad that could compete at Lory Meagher level but also try and develop the young lads coming through. Im trying to avoid the words rebuilding phase because we have lost two or three crucial lads from last year like Brendan Delaney and the Moretons, serious lads to lose. But we still have a lot of the core of the team that was there last year and it is trying to integrate the two rather than a complete rebuild would be more where my head was at but it is going towards a rebuild as well, it is somewhere in between. Adam O Ceallaigh, a Green candidate in the Ballinamore Local Electoral Area, holds the distinction of being the youngest person to ever contest a seat on Leitrim County Council (by quite some margin). Mr O Ceallaigh, who has just finished his degree in Trinity College Dublin, studying Geography and Political Science, spoke to the Leitrim Observer this week about what he hopes to achieve if elected. He said, People ask me if I always saw a career in politics and I tell them that I wasn't interested in running until Blaithin Gallagher contacted me last Summer and said there were no Green candidates running in the area and it was important to give people the option to vote for a Green candidate if they want to. He said the more he looked at the council, the more I saw that it doesn't represent the diverse ranges of voices that we have present in the county; there's no young voices, very few female voices and there's very few people from minority backgrounds which are probably the least represented people across the board in the council or in the Dail or the Seanad and they probably need that voice there the most in order to have their needs addressed. Mr O Ceallaigh said that he was happy to go ahead when approached by his colleague adding that I'm also fulfilling another gap of bringing forward a diverse voice onto the council. Now that I'm actually into the job and knocking on doors and helping people by trying to get estates taken in charge and having a tree removed that was potentially going to fall on the road and going to the shops for people; seeing that you can have a real impact in people's lives. It's amazing and it's something that I love. It's not that I love the politics or the notoriety that might come with it - I genuinely enjoy chatting to people and hearing people's issues and hearing diverse perspectives and trying to understand where they're coming from and then also telling my side of the story and then seeing where you can meet in the middle; I think there's something really beautiful about that. He continued that he felt a big issue in politics is people being set in their ways, whether that be party lines in Leitrim or viewpoints on different issues present at the minute or that have been present over the past few years. If you go into a conversation with someone, you need to show empathy and compassion and try and understand where they're coming from because there is a reason people think the way they think and until you actually appreciate where they're coming from and where their opinion has been formed, there's no point in continuing a conversation. In terms of policies, Mr O Ceallaigh said that community is his number one concern. What community means to me is the people in it, the connections to it and the environment around it. What I mean by the people in it is making sure there are jobs for young people; making sure that young people see social opportunities and don't feel that they have to leave to Australia or Canada or the UK in order to fulfil this idea of being a young person. It's also about ensuring that older people can stay connected to their communities through supporting your Active Age groups, etc. Ensuring economic opportunity and social opportunities are present in the community. Connections to the community means broadband to connect people online but also public transport. Only 60% of Leitrim right now is covered by broadband and in 2024 Ireland, that seems crazy to me so that's something I'm really passionate about pushing. He continued that for his dissertation he focused on the Local Link in Leitrim. I understand the issues that are there with it but I also understand the positives and impact that it has had in communities because the thing about public transport is it affects the extremes of the demographics. It affects young people who aren't old enough to drive yet or can't afford to keep a car on the road and insure it, etc. It also allows older people, who again might not be able to drive anymore or can't afford a car anymore, to stay connected and independent and I think that's the importance of public transport. I'm really passionate about seeing the routes extended and expanded and new lines coming in over the next few years because we've done great but we just need to have someone on the council that uses public transport actively and is aware of the issues and passionate. I don't own a car myself and live in Drumshanbo and when I go canvassing in Ballinamore, I hop on my bike and cycle into town and jump on the bus and then get the bus back and cycle home. I'm not advocating for getting rid of cars in rural Ireland; I'm just noting the importance of public transport to allow people to have independence and keep them connected. He said that protecting the environment in the county is also hugely important to him. Protecting nature and ensuring that Leitrim doesn't get planted further with non-native Sitka spruce forestry that supports nobody, certainly not biodiversity, and barely supports farmers. Also ensuring that farmers can have a sustainable industry going into the future and that agriculture becomes sustainable and by that I mean environmentally sustainable; making sure that nature is looked out for which is what farmers have always done. Economic sustainability - ensuring that farmers are getting paid a fair wage, getting a fair amount for their produce and that it's actually a viable career. Social sustainability is also vital which means ensuring that farmers in Leitrim who are looking to pass on the farm to a son or daughter can do so. Oftentimes that son or daughter might want to go to Australia because they don't see a life for themselves in Leitrim and it's about making sure that gap is bridged so that farming is socially sustainable and there is someone to pass it on to. They are my priorities, he concluded. A teenager has been jailed after he pushed an older man off his mobility scooter "for fun", fracturing the man's hand and snapping his dentures in two. The man in his sixties had been standing outside a Centra shop in Dublin city centre smoking a cigarette when Elliot Toale, now aged 18, took his mobility scooter away from him and rolled around on it for a short time. Toale, who was with three other youths, then gave the man back his scooter but pushed him hard from behind, causing the man to fall heavily on his face and hand. When a Scottish tourist intervened to help the injured man, Toale stole a large kitchen knife from Centra and ran down the street shouting at the tourist and brandishing the knife at head height. Toale, with an address at St Michan's House, Greek Street, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty to assaulting a man in his sixties and causing him harm on Capel Street on February 11 last year. He also admitted stealing a kitchen knife from Centra and production of the knife on the same occasion. At a sitting of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court this Thursday, Judge Martin Nolan said Toale had run out of chances and warned that his prison terms would get longer and longer if he did not reform in custody. Judge Nolan sentenced Toale to two years in prison but suspended the final 16 months by reason of his young age. This injured party was minding his own business when other parties decided to have fun at his expense, said the judge, adding that the victim had sustained reasonably serious injuries in a very upsetting incident. Toale has 23 previous convictions, mostly from the Children's Court, including several for selling drugs and others for threatening and abusive behaviour. He was on bail at the time of these offences. Detective Garda Craig Law told Jane Murphy BL, prosecuting, that Toale could not remember much of the incident and said he had taken cocaine and alcohol on the night. Gda Law said he was on patrol on the night when he saw the injured man with injuries to his face and hand after he was assaulted in a completely unprovoked attack. Gardai called the ambulance for the injured man, who was taken to the hospital where it was found he had broken part of his left hand. His fingers were also damaged, his nose was bleeding, and his dentures had been snapped in two, the court heard. Toale was arrested and made admissions, agreeing that he would be upset if something like that had happened to a member of his family. When gardai asked if he was sorry, Toale replied, Yeah, I suppose I would be. Mebh McDonagh BL, defending, said Toale lives at home with his mother and disabled sister and is a huge help to them both. The court heard Toale's father had been serving a prison sentence at the time and that Toale found it difficult to cope with this and was self-medicating with drink and drugs. Avolon Announces Pricing of US$1 Billion Senior Unsecured Notes Offering Avolon Holdings Limited ("Avolon"), a leading global aviation finance company, announces the pricing of a private offering (the "Offering") by its wholly owned subsidiary, Avolon Holdings Funding Limited, for a principal aggregate amount of US$1 billion of 5.750% senior unsecured notes due 2029 (the "Notes"). The Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Avolon, and by certain of its subsidiaries. The Offering is expected to close on or about 15 May 2024, subject to customary closing conditions. Net proceeds from the Offering will be used for general corporate purposes, which may include the future repayment of outstanding indebtedness. The Notes will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or any state securities law and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. The Notes will be offered in the United States only to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A of the Securities Act and outside the United States under Regulation S of the Securities Act. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there by any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration, qualification, or an exemption under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. ENDS About Avolon Avolon is a leading global aviation finance company connecting capital with customers to drive the transformation of aviation and the economic and social benefits of global travel. We pride ourselves on our deep customer relationships, our collaborative team approach, and our fast execution. We invest with a long-term perspective, diversifying risk and managing capital efficiently to maintain our strong balance sheet. Working with 145 airlines in 64 countries, Avolon has an owned, managed, and committed fleet of 1,033 aircraft, as of 31 March 2024. Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This document includes forward-looking statements, beliefs or opinions, including statements with respect to Avolon's business, financial condition, results of operations and plans. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control and all of which are based on our management's current beliefs and expectations about future events. Forward-looking statements are sometimes identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believe," "expects," "may," "will," "could," "should," "shall," "risk," "intends," "estimates," "aims," "plans," "predicts," "continues," "assumes," "positioned" or "anticipates" or the negative thereof, other variations thereon or comparable terminology or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, goals, future events or intentions. These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts, including with respect to the closing of the Offering. Forward-looking statements may and often do differ materially from actual results. No assurance can be given that such future results will be achieved. Avolon does not intend, and undertakes no duty, to update any information contained herein to reflect future events or circumstances, except as required by applicable law. 8 may 2024 at 18:15 News published onand distributed by: China-Serbia community with shared future in the new era is promising: Global Times editorial BEIJING, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic at the Palace of Serbia in Belgrade. The two leaders decided to deepen and elevate the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Serbia, and build a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era. For the two countries and peoples, this is a significant event. Over the past few decades, the two countries have understood, trusted, supported, and helped each other in times of adversity, becoming true friends and close brothers. The upgrading of the two countries' political relationship has come naturally, opening a new chapter in history. President Xi visited Serbia again after eight years, receiving a grand and warm welcome. The national flags of China and Serbia flew along the highway from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport all the way to the city center of Belgrade. Banners showing "Welcome President Xi" and "Warm welcome to endeared Chinese friends" were prominently displayed. Thousands of Serbian people shouted "China" and "Serbia" in front of the Palace of Serbia, showing their genuine emotions, which deeply touched and moved the Chinese society. China and Serbia enjoy "ironclad friendship," which is extraordinary in the ever-changing international relations. The two countries and their peoples always extend a helping hand without hesitation when the other is in need, and this true friendship of mutual assistance cannot be eroded by time. The fundamental reason lies in the mutual respect, equal treatment, and high mutual trust between the two countries. The interaction between China and Serbia is phenomenal and should be a subject of research in international relations. Despite the vast distance, different social systems, and diverse cultural backgrounds, China and Serbia are able to resonate and reach consensus on international affairs, national development, and national sentiments. They have formed a close interdependence on the basis of independence, which is a breath of fresh air in the current international community, setting an example for state-to-state relations. Observing the relationship between China and Serbia, two characteristics can be discerned. First, the interactions and cooperation between the two countries serve the well-being of both nations and their peoples. China and Serbia firmly support each other's core interests and major concerns. China supports Serbia's efforts to uphold national sovereignty and territorial integrity, opposing any interference in Serbia's internal affairs by external forces. Serbia steadfastly adheres to the one-China principle and supports China in safeguarding its own sovereignty and territorial integrity. On the core issue of safeguarding national unity and opposing territorial separatism, the two countries share a high degree of consensus. Meanwhile, cooperation between the two countries is deeply rooted at the grassroots level. Within just a few months of investment by a Chinese company, the Smederevo Steel Plant has turned losses into profits, ensuring job security for over 5,000 employees and now standing as Serbia's third-largest exporting enterprise. The municipal sewage treatment project "Clean Serbia," undertaken by China Road and Bridge Corporation, will benefit 2.3 million Serbian citizens. As a key project under the framework of China's cooperation with Central and Eastern European countries in building the Belt and Road Initiative, the Belgrade-Novi Sad section of the Hungary-Serbia Railway in Serbia is bringing about "revolutionary changes" in Serbia's transportation sector. For the people of both countries, the cooperation is not empty talk but tangible win-win outcomes. Second, China-Serbia cooperation, whether for the region or the globe, is a positive force. As ironclad friends and upholders of world peace, the two countries share similar positions on many significant international and regional issues. In international organizations such as the United Nations and various major multilateral events, they cooperate closely, jointly advocating for a fair and orderly multipolar world, and inclusive and equitable economic globalization. They practice genuine multilateralism. Confronted with the complex and tumultuous international landscape, both nations join hands to oppose hegemonism and power politics, striving to safeguard global peace, stability, and international fairness and justice. What sustains the development of relations between China and Serbia is a high degree of political mutual trust. They listen to each other's concerns, respect and support each other's development paths and national rejuvenation. It is on this foundation that mutual trust can continue to accumulate, mutual understanding can be cultivated, and the space and willingness for cooperation can grow. From politics, economics, to culture and society, the abundant fruits of China-Serbia exchanges are rooted in the political mutual trust. President Xi Jinping announced six measures to support the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future, as he jointly met the press with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Wednesday. This signifies the comprehensive expansion of the long-standing friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Serbia. A Chinese axiom goes, "Friends are those who are like-minded"; and Serbians would say, "Friends are the greatest asset in life." Under the strategic guidance of the two countries' leaders, the ironclad friendship between China and Serbia will continue to flourish, benefiting the peoples of both nations, promoting world peace and development, and jointly advancing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. SOURCE Global Times 9 may 2024 at 01:26 News published onand distributed by: Cultural festival celebrates folk dance in SW Chinas Yunnan People's Daily Online) 17:10, May 09, 2024 A cultural festival opened on May 5 in Mouding county of Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, to celebrate traditional folk dance. The annual festival, known as "Sanyuehui" to locals, launched a splendid array of special ethnic programs, attracting more than 1,000 people to dance together. The traditional Zuojiaowu, or Left Foot Dance, got its name because the moves always begin with the left foot. It has been listed as a national intangible cultural heritage. The festival offers a glimpse into the rich cultural tapestry and joyful lives of local communities, according to Wang Jianghong, deputy director of the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism. (Interns Xing Yawen, Wang Lin contributed to the story.) (Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming) GFG Signs Binding LOI with Patriot Gold to Sell its Rattlesnake Hills Gold Project SASKATOON, Saskatchewan, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GFG Resources Inc. (TSXV: GFG) (OTCQB: GFGSF) ("GFG" or the "Company") announces the signing of a binding letter of intent (the "LOI") for the sale of its 100% owned Rattlesnake Hills Gold Project (the "Project") to Patriot Gold Vault Ltd., ("Patriot"). Under the terms of the LOI, which will be formalized by a definitive agreement between the parties within forty-five (45) days (the "Transaction"), Patriot will pay GFG an aggregate consideration of approximately C$3.3 million. "We are excited to announce our agreement with Patriot for the sale of our Rattlesnake Hills Gold Project," stated Brian Skanderbeg, President and CEO of GFG. "The Patriot team's impressive track record gives us great confidence in their ability to drive the Project forward from both an exploration and development perspective. This deal enhances shareholder value through staged cash payments that strengthen our treasury while minimizing future dilution, as well as equity participation in Patriot that provides exposure to future successes. We will now advance with an undivided focus on our three large scale projects in the prolific Timmins Gold District." "Patriot Gold Vault is proud to announce the agreement for the purchase of the Rattlesnake Hills Gold Project as our launch asset. Patriot was created to offer leverage to the next gold cycle by creating a liquid, public gold aggregator. Patriot will focus on acquiring resource-ready projects in Tier 1 jurisdictions and drilling them aggressively with the lens of a new gold price paradigm. Much like the Detour and Malartic gold mines, we believe that past producers and historical resources are often constrained by capital and lack of drilling not geology. Despite a robust gold price backdrop, pre-production gold inventories are trading at cycle low multiples, and this is our opportunity," stated Mario Vetro, Co-Founder of Patriot. "We thank the GFG team for their work on this transaction and diligent stewardship of the Project. We look forward to shortly updating the market with further acquisitions." Transaction Terms Patriot will acquire a 100% interest in the Project on the following terms: Cash payment of C$250,000 to GFG on signing of the binding LOI; Cash payment of C$250,000 to GFG upon the execution and delivery of a definitive agreement; On closing of the Transaction, Patriot will: Make a cash payment of C$1,200,000 to GFG; and Issue to GFG the greater of 3,000,000 common shares of Patriot (the " Consideration Shares ") or $600,000 in value of Consideration Shares based on the volume weighted average trading price of the Consideration Shares for the 20 trading days immediately preceding the Closing Date, or in the event that Patriot is not listed, the value of the Consideration Shares shall be determined by the last financing price of the Patriot shares sold to arm's length investors to Patriot; and On the date that is 12 months following the Closing Date, Patriot will pay to GFG a cash payment of C$1,000,000. Additional Terms On closing of the Transaction, Patriot will replace the US$219,000 reclamation bond for the Project, which in turn GFG will recoup. If a National Instrument 43-101 resource estimate in the Project reveal a mineral resource of greater than 3,000,000 ounces of gold in a Measured and Indicated or Inferred category, Patriot will pay to GFG a further C$1 per total mineral resource ounce in cash or common shares of Patriot, at the election of Patriot. Patriot shall reimburse GFG and cover all costs and expenses relating to the Project incurred from the date this LOI to the Closing Date, up to a maximum of US$228,000. The closing of the Transaction is expected to occur on or about 120 days following the date of signing of the Definitive Agreement. About The Rattlesnake Hills Gold Project The Rattlesnake Hills Gold Project is a district-scale gold exploration project located in central Wyoming, approximately 100 kilometres southwest of Casper. Geologically, the Project is centrally located within a roughly 1,500-kilometre-long belt of alkalic intrusive complexes that occur along the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains from Montana to New Mexico, several of which are associated with multiple gold deposits. The Project has approximately 100,000 metres ("m") of historic drilling which has outlined three significant zones of alteration and precious metal mineralization that are associated with Eocene age alkalic intrusions at North Stock, Antelope Basin and Blackjack. The majority of the drilling has focused on near-surface, open pit mineralization in the North Stock and Antelope Basin deposits with highlights that include intercepts(1) of 1.85 grams of gold per tonne (g/t Au) over 236.2 m hole length; 4.20 g/t Au over 77.7 m hole length; 2.08 g/t Au over 150.9 m hole length and 0.82 g/t Au over 99.1 m hole length. In addition to the outlined zones of mineralization, the Company believes that the district is highly prospective and has outlined several kilometre-scale greenfield targets that have never been drill tested. These greenfield targets were generated from the Company's geophysical and geochemical programs and host strong similarities to the North Stock and Antelope Basin systems. (1) Gold intervals reported are based on a 0.20 g/t or 0.50 g/t Au cutoff. Weighted averaging has been used to calculate all reported intervals. True widths are estimated at 60-100% of drilled thicknesses. About Patriot Gold Vault Ltd. Patriot Gold Vault is a gold mineral resource aggregator whose principal activity is to acquire high quality resource-ready gold assets in Tier 1 jurisdictions. Led by a team of proven technical and financial mining executives, Patriot will focus on increasing asset resources via drilling in Phase 1 and profitably divesting of its assets in Phase 2. About GFG Resources Inc. GFG is a North American precious metals exploration company focused on district scale gold projects in tier one mining jurisdictions, Ontario and Wyoming. In Ontario, the Company operates three gold projects, each large and highly prospective gold properties within the prolific gold district of Timmins, Ontario, Canada. The projects have similar geological settings that host most of the gold deposits found in the Timmins Gold Camp which have produced over 70 million ounces of gold. The Company also owns 100% of the Rattlesnake Hills Gold Project, a district scale gold exploration project located approximately 100 km southwest of Casper, Wyoming, U.S. For further information, please contact: Brian Skanderbeg, President & CEO or Marc Lepage, Vice President, Business Development Phone: (306) 931-0930 Email: [email protected] Website: www.gfgresources.com Stay Connected with Us Twitter: @gfgresources LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gfgresources/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GFGResourcesInc/ 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. CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (referred to herein as "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, disclosure regarding possible events, the Agreement and proposed activities thereunder (the "Transaction"), exploration plans for the Project and expected results, conditions or financial performance that is based on assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action; planned use of proceeds, expenditures and budgets and the execution thereof. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate" or "believes", or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results, "may", "could", "would", "will", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. All forward-looking statements are based on various assumptions, including, without limitation, the expectations and beliefs of management, the assumed long-term price of gold, that the current exploration and other objectives concerning its mineral projects can be achieved and that its other corporate activities will proceed as expected; that the current price and demand for gold will be sustained or will improve; the continuity of the price of gold and other metals, economic and political conditions and operations; that all conditions precedent to the Transaction, including requisite regulatory approval will be fulfilled in a timely manner and on acceptable terms; and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of GFG to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: risks and uncertainties related to the Transaction not being completed in the event that any of the conditions precedent thereto are not satisfied; actual results of current exploration activities; environmental risks; future prices of gold; operating risks; accidents, labour issues and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining government approvals or financing; and other risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties are not, and should not be construed as being, exhaustive. Although GFG has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. In addition, forward-looking statements are provided solely for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of our operating environment. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date hereof and GFG assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. 9 may 2024 at 06:35 News published onand distributed by: Standard Lithium Reports Fiscal Third Quarter 2024 Results, Schedules Investor Update Call STRATEGIC EXECUTION SECURES LEADING GLOBAL ENERGY PARTNER, EQUINOR. INJECTS IMMEDIATE LIQUIDITY THROUGH DIRECT INVESTMENTS IN SOUTH WEST ARKANSAS AND EAST TEXAS PROJECTS PARTNERSHIP BRINGS WORLD-CLASS PROJECT DEVELOPMENT CAPABILITIES, ACCELERATING SMACKOVER DEVELOPMENT PATH VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Standard Lithium Ltd. ("Standard Lithium" or the "Company") (TSXV:SLI) (NYSE American:SLI) (FRA:S5L), a leading near-commercial lithium development company, today reported its financial and operating results for the fiscal third quarter ended March 31, 2024. "In Q3, Standard Lithium continued to execute on our strategic plan, responsibly and efficiently advancing our projects," stated Standard Lithium CEO Robert Mintak. "While the lithium sector has experienced challenges over the past year, we see positive indicators pointing toward stability, and the fundamentals of the lithium market remain strong. This presents a timely moment to showcase our strengths: a strong asset base, favorable jurisdictions, and an industry-leading Direct Lithium Extraction platform. This transformative partnership with Equinor, a global energy company and recognized leader in renewables and low carbon solutions, validates our strategic path to leverage our Smackover resources and become a globally significant contributor within the lithium market. It strengthens our finances, provides essential expertise, manages risk, and accelerates our progress towards this goal, unlocking long-term value for our shareholders." Salah Gamoudi, CFO of Standard Lithium stated: "Since joining the Company, we've prioritized financial efficiency, by securing capital that was minimally dilutive to our shareholders, but allowed us to ensure project continuity throughout our pursuit of securing a strategic partnership. This approach perfectly aligns with the transformative partnership we've secured with Equinor. It enables us to advance our projects in the most value-accretive way for our shareholders while minimizing dilution, cost of capital, and meaningfully lowers future capital requirements. To further take advantage of this momentum, we recently established an office in Austin, Texas. This move enables us to attract top energy sector talent, and allows us to best serve our field and plant employees and communities. Building on our existing strong team with this expertise will empower us to accelerate our execution and advance our projects toward Final Investment Decisions all while collaborating with stakeholders to establish a global model for sustainable development in this uniquely suited region." Highlights of the Third Fiscal Quarter Ended March 31, 2024 Installed the first commercial-scale direct lithium extraction ("DLE") column in partnership with Koch Technology Solutions ("KTS") . The Company installed a commercial-scale DLE column at its Demonstration Plant near El Dorado, Arkansas. The column is a Li-Protm Lithium Selective Sorption ("LSS") unit supplied by KTS. The Company intends to test and derisk the LSS unit for commercial use at its Smackover projects. . The Company installed a commercial-scale DLE column at its Demonstration Plant near El Dorado, Arkansas. The column is a Li-Protm Lithium Selective Sorption ("LSS") unit supplied by KTS. The Company intends to test and derisk the LSS unit for commercial use at its Smackover projects. Advanced the South West Arkansas Project ("SWA") with engineering firm selection. The Company selected Ausenco Engineering Canada ULC to lead the front-end engineering design ("FEED") and the Definitive Feasibility Study ("DFS"). The Company is now progressing SWA through FEED and DFS. The Company continued an at-the-market offering program during the fiscal third quarter, issuing a total of 1,284,300 common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange and 6,609,000 common shares on the NYSE American LLC, providing gross proceeds of Ca$2.4 million and US$9.5 million, respectively. For the nine months ended March 31, 2024, the Company issued 1,384,400 common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange and 7,936,159 common shares on the NYSE American LLC, providing gross proceeds of Ca$2.7 million and US$12.3 million, respectively. Cash and cash equivalents and working capital of Ca$15.7 million and Ca$7.7 million, respectively, as of March 31, 2024. The Company has no term or revolving debt obligations as of March 31, 2024. Highlights Subsequent to the Third Fiscal Quarter Ended March 31, 2024 Company announced outstanding results from successful commissioning of first commercial-scale DLE column at Demonstration Plant near El Dorado, Arkansas. The Company reported that during a representative period of continuous operation, the commercial-scale column exceeded design parameters, achieving an average lithium recovery of 97.3% and rejecting, on average, over 99% of key contaminants. To the best of the Company's knowledge, the Li-ProTM LSS unit is the only commercial-scale DLE unit operating in North America. Equinor acquired interest in South West Arkansas and East Texas projects for total project-level investment of $160 million. On May 7, 2024, Equinor ASA, an arms-length party, acquired an interest in two Standard Lithium subsidiaries, one of which holds Standard Lithium's South West Arkansas Project and the other the East Texas properties. Pursuant to the terms of the transaction, Equinor acquired a 45% interest in each of the subsidiaries for an initial cash payment of US$30 million to Standard Lithium and the commitment to invest up to an additional US$130 million as follows: Equinor to solely fund the first US$40 million of development costs at the South West Arkansas Project, after which all additional capital expenditures will be funded on a pro-rata basis; Equinor to solely fund the first US$20 million in exploration and development costs at the East Texas properties, after which all additional capital expenditures will be funded on a pro-rata basis; and Standard Lithium will receive up to US$70 million in milestone payments associated with the South West Arkansas Project and East Texas subject to final investment decisions being made by certain dates. On May 7, 2024, Equinor ASA, an arms-length party, acquired an interest in two Standard Lithium subsidiaries, one of which holds Standard Lithium's South West Arkansas Project and the other the East Texas properties. Pursuant to the terms of the transaction, Equinor acquired a 45% interest in each of the subsidiaries for an initial cash payment of US$30 million to Standard Lithium and the commitment to invest up to an additional US$130 million as follows: Consolidated Financial Statements The Company's interim financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the third quarter 2024 ended March 31, 2024, are available on the Company's website at https://www.standardlithium.com/ and under the Company's profiles on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com and EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Updated Company Presentation Investors and interested parties can find an updated Company presentation as of May 2024 at https://www.standardlithium.com/investors under "Company Presentation." Q3 FISCAL RESULTS CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST The Company will hold a conference call and webcast to discuss its third quarter fiscal results and the Equinor transaction on Monday, May 13 at 11:00 a.m. EST. Access to the call is available via webcast or direct dial. A link to the webcast and direct dial numbers are provided below: Conference Call and Webcast Details: Standard Lithium Fiscal Q3 Earnings Call and Webcast May 13, 2024 11:00 AM (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time (US and Canada) Participant Information: USA / International Toll +1 (646) 307-1963 USA - Toll-Free (800) 715-9871 Canada - Toronto (647) 932-3411 Canada - Toll-Free (800) 715-9871 Attendee Webcast Link: https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/978551149 Qualified Person Steve Ross, P.Geol., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and Vice President Resource Development for the Company, has reviewed and approved the relevant scientific and technical information in this news release. About Standard Lithium Ltd. Standard Lithium is a leading near-commercial lithium development company focused on the sustainable development of a portfolio of lithium-brine bearing properties in the United States. The Company prioritizes brine projects characterized by high-grade resources, robust infrastructure, skilled labor, and streamlined permitting. The Company aims to achieve sustainable, commercial-scale lithium production via the application of a scalable and fully-integrated Direct Lithium Extraction ("DLE") and purification process. The Company's signature projects, the Phase 1A Project and the South West Arkansas Project, are located on the Smackover Formation in southern Arkansas, a region with a longstanding and established brine processing industry. The Company has also identified a number of highly prospective lithium brine project areas in the Smackover Formation in East Texas and began an extensive brine leasing program in the key project areas. In addition, the Company has an interest in certain mineral leases located in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California. Standard Lithium trades on both the TSX Venture Exchange and the NYSE American under the symbol "SLI"; and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol "S5L". Please visit the Company's website at www.standardlithium.com. 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 news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target", "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and other similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to intended development timelines, future prices of commodities, accuracy of mineral or resource exploration activity, reserves or resources, regulatory or government requirements or approvals, the reliability of third party information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure, fluctuations in the market for lithium and its derivatives, changes in exploration costs and government regulation in Canada and the United States, and other factors or information. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. 9 may 2024 at 07:05 News published onand distributed by: NexCore Group and Montrose Regional Health Open New Ambulatory Care Center in Western Colorado The 88,000 SF facility brings expanded services to the residents of Montrose and the Uncompahgre Valley. DENVER, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- NexCore Group, a leading healthcare real estate development, investment, and management company, and Montrose Regional Health ("MRH"), celebrated the opening of a new Ambulatory Care Center ("ACC") in Montrose, Colorado on April 25, 2024. "NexCore Group is thrilled to have partnered with Montrose Regional Health on this new Ambulatory Care Center. Providing enhanced outpatient care to the Montrose community, eliminates the need for patients to drive to Grand Junction or Denver for care" The four-story, 88,000 square foot building will enhance and increase much-needed patient care for the Western Colorado region, allowing residents to stay at home and avoid long-distance travel for their healthcare. "Just because we're an independent hospital and we're on the western slope and rural does not mean that we don't provide high-quality care just as you see in the urban settings of Denver, Salt Lake City, and Phoenix", commented Jeff Mengenhausen, CEO of MRH. "Our community members don't need to leave for that high-quality care that we provide right here within this building." The new ACC features lab, imaging, and a women's imaging center on the first floor, including the very latest in CT technology. The hospital's Mountain View Therapy Clinic, Alpine Women's Centre and Western Slope Orthopedics will occupy the 2nd floor. The outpatient surgery center and the Spine and Pain Clinic will take up the 4th floor and will open this fall. The Spine and Pain Clinic is currently on the 2nd floor in the interim. The opening frees up much-needed space at the main hospital campus. The 3rd floor is exclusively leased to Cedar Point Health ("CPH"), the largest primary care provider group in the region. Their vision and investment has been a driving force for the project from the beginning. It became apparent though, to CPH CEO Cory Phillips, that they needed outside help to get this done and that's when NexCore got involved. "We don't know anything about developing a project like this; we literally knew nothing", commented Phillips. "The thought which was in place at the beginning was, do we start working with an architect on our own or do we go out and investigate facilities? Starting that relationship with NexCore, they had solutions for every question we threw at them, and it made the process so much easier." "Working with NexCore and starting this four-story 88,000 square-foot ACC, it really gave us a state-of-the-art facility to grow within, and we're full which is amazing", added Mengenhausen. "It is really stepping up our game within the community." Joining NexCore to deliver the project are architect TreanorHL and general contractor Layton Construction. Debt financing is being handled by Trustmark Bank, with primary equity provided by Harrison Street. CPH, multiple specialty physicians including Western Slope Orthopedics, and NexCore are additional investors in the real estate. NexCore is the owner of the ACC and has entered into a long-term lease with MRH. "NexCore Group is thrilled to have partnered with Montrose Regional Health on this new Ambulatory Care Center. Providing enhanced outpatient care to the Montrose community, eliminates the need for patients to drive to Grand Junction or Denver for care," says Jarrod Daddis, President of NexCore Group. "It's moments like these that remind me why we're in this business - to invest in communities, support healthcare innovation, and improve lives." To view a video of the project and the grand opening, visit this link: Montrose Regional Health Grand Opening Video About NexCore Group LLC NexCore Group LLC is a national healthcare real estate investment and development company that focuses on acquiring, developing, owning, and managing purpose-built facilities for medical, science and technology, and senior living. Since its founding in 2004, NexCore has successfully completed over $5.7 billion in real estate transactions throughout 29 states, developed and acquired over 16 million square feet of medical, science, and senior living communities, and currently manages over $3.3 billion in assets spanning 7.6 million square feet. NexCore is headquartered in Denver, with regional offices in Dallas, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. Media Contact Laura Larson, NexCore Group, 1 7209851768, [email protected], www.nexcoregroup.com SOURCE NexCore Group 9 may 2024 at 07:22 News published onand distributed by: Small businesses oppose capital gains changes unless critical amendments are made TORONTO, May 9, 2024 /CNW/ - Nearly three-quarters (72%) of small business owners say the proposed changes to capital gains taxation will harm Canada's climate for investment and growth, according to new data from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). While small businesses support some of the budget measures, the majority (63%) oppose the changes without critical amendments. "The proposals in the federal budget have huge potential consequences, and many small business owners are feeling forced to make important decisions with little time and very few details," said Dan Kelly, CFIB president. "It is outrageous that the federal government has not yet shared draft legislation to allow small business owners and their advisors to understand the full implications of the capital gains changes." Capital Gains on Business Sales The budget proposed two positive changes that have the potential to benefit many owners when they sell the shares of their business ? an increase in the Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption (LCGE) to $1.25 million and a new Canadian Entrepreneurs' Incentive (CEI) that will ultimately lower the inclusion rate to 33.3% on the next $2 million for some owners. In addition, an owner selling their shares of their business could have an additional $250,000 at the current inclusion rate of 50%. "A strong majority (63%) of small business owners said the increase in the LCGE will be helpful to them," Kelly added. "And while 78% of small business owners support the concept of the new CEI, only 45% felt they will directly benefit from it in its current form." CFIB members are calling on the federal government to expand access to the CEI for all small business owners, as well as farmers and fishers selling properties and assets. Overall, CFIB data on the estimated sale prices of small businesses suggests there will be winners and losers from the proposed package of changes: Expected Capital Gain Upon Sale of Shares of Business Share of SMEs Increase or Decrease in Taxable Capital Gains by 2034 $0-1M 39 % No change $1-2M 20 % Up to 50% decrease $2-6M CEI Eligible 13 % Up to 42% decrease $2-6M Not CEI Eligible 13 % Up to 25% increase $6M+ 15 % Up to 33% increase Capital Gains on Business Investments Changes to capital gains tax rules have significant negative consequences for small business owners holding investments within their corporations. CFIB data shows nearly half (48%) of small firms own property or land in their corporation and a third (33%) own stocks or other investments. The inclusion rate on all of these investments will rise to 66.7% as of this summer, raising taxes on small businesses. "The hike in the inclusion rate on small business investments will be deeply harmful," Kelly said. While many business owners hold outside investments in their corporations to help with their retirement planning (75%), over half (53%) use these investments to help save for economic downturns, like the one Canada has experienced over the past several years. "With rapidly rising business bankruptcies across Canada, now is not the time to raise taxes on the rainy-day funds of small businesses owners," Kelly added. Need for Major Changes "After all the stress and effort entrepreneurs go through to open a business and create jobs, will they want to continue to grow their business in Canada given the proposed capital gains changes?" said Corinne Pohlmann, Executive Vice-President of Advocacy at CFIB. For this package to work, major changes are required. CFIB will be pushing all parties to: Protect the increase in the Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption to $1.25 million Expand the new Canadian Entrepreneurs' Incentive to include all entrepreneurs: Include all sectors, including farmers and fishers selling assets Include non-founders to encourage people to invest in small firms Cut the 10-year implementation schedule in half Scrap the planned increase in the general inclusion rate to 66.7%. If government is unwilling to abandon this plan, it should: Grandfather all existing capital gains using a V-Day (valuation day) as was done in 1971 Allow corporations to benefit from $250,000 each year at 50% inclusion like individuals Allow for 5-year income averaging to benefit from the $250,000 annual threshold for larger capital gains for irregular events, like selling a property For more information on capital gains changes and how they may affect SMEs, visit https://www.cfib-fcei.ca/site/capital-gains . Methodology Preliminary results for the Upcoming changes to capital gains tax survey, conducted since May 2, 2024, and based on responses from 1,664 CFIB members. For comparison purposes, a probability sample with the same number of respondents would have a margin of error of +/-2.4%, 19 times out of 20. About CFIB The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada's largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 97,000 members across every industry and region. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners' chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca. SOURCE Canadian Federation of Independent Business 9 may 2024 at 07:30 News published onand distributed by: Globe's Hapag Movement reaches global audience with new international partner Project PEARLS MANILA, Philippines, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Globe, a leading telecommunications company in the Philippines, broadens the reach of the Hapag Movement, its advocacy to alleviate involuntary hunger, as it teams up with US-based non-profit Project PEARLS, opening up the program to a global audience. Individuals and corporations from around the United States may now donate to the Hapag Movement through Project PEARLS via https://givebutter.com/unitevshunger . Project PEARLS may issue companies and individuals required certificates for all donations received from around the US. This partnership expands the Hapag Movement's reach to the US, a critical donation funding source that is home to more than 4 million Filipino-Americans. Globe is calling on US-based individuals and businesses to support the cause of Hapag, the Tagalog word for "table" where everyone gathers to share meals. "Our partnership with Project PEARLS is a significant step forward that will allow us to engage a wider community of donors in our fight against hunger," said Yoly Crisanto, Globe's Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer. "With Project PEARLS' expansive network, we can accelerate positive change and help more Filipino families in need." The Hapag Movement leverages technology and partnerships to drive collective action for sustainable development while empowering partner organizations. Since its launch in 2022, it has provided over 95,000 Filipinos with food packs and produced 2,662 livelihood training graduates, with 2,361 of them going on to start their small businesses. "Joining forces with Globe is a dream come true for Project PEARLS," said Melissa Villa, Project PEARLS Founder and Executive Director. "It signifies a monumental shift towards leveraging Globe's technology to extend our reach and effectiveness." Founded in 2010, Project PEARLS is dedicated to ending poverty in the Philippines through education, empowerment, nutrition, nourishment, and healthcare initiatives. It supports communities in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Zambales through programs such as scholarships for over 700 students, daily meals, a health clinic, literacy clubs, and women's livelihood training. The Philippines continues to grapple with widespread hunger. According to the latest Social Weather Stations survey, 12.6% of Filipino families reported experiencing involuntary hunger in December 2023, rising from 9.8 percent in September of the same year. The Hapag Movement keeps gaining momentum in achieving key impact milestones. With Project PEARLS opening new avenues for international engagement, the movement progresses significantly toward its goal of uplifting underserved Filipino communities. To learn more about the Hapag Movement, please visit https://www.globe.com.ph/about-us/sustainability/globe-of-good#gref . ABOUT GLOBE Globe is a leading full-service telecommunications company in the Philippines and publicly listed in the PSE with the stock symbol GLO. The company serves the telecommunications and technology needs of consumers and businesses across an entire suite of products and services including mobile, fixed, broadband, data connectivity, internet and managed services. It has major interests in financial technology, digital marketing solutions, venture capital funding for startups, and virtual healthcare. In 2019, Globe became a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, committing to implement universal sustainability principles. Its principals are Ayala Corporation and Singtel, acknowledged industry leaders in the country and in the region. SOURCE Globe Telecom, Inc. 9 may 2024 at 08:00 News published onand distributed by: Saudia Group announces Hajj Season 2024 Plan Saudia Group announces its operational plan for Hajj Season 2024, aimed at facilitating the transportation of pilgrims from around the world, streamlining all procedures and providing top-notch services at various service locations. Over 1.2 million seats have been allocated through optimal investment in its fleet of more than 150 aircraft, distinguished by operational efficiency and quality services. This initiative is in line with the directives of Saudi leadership, supported by collaboration with various entities involved in serving Hajj pilgrims. The operational period for the national flag carrier during Hajj Season 2024, encompassing both inbound and outbound stages, spans 74 days starting from May 9th. Saudia Group has proactively formed specialized teams distributed among performance monitoring, terminal operations, follow-up, and coordination with other sectors. Additionally, operational resources have been allocated across the lounges of King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, and an emergency plan has been developed in collaboration with relevant stakeholders. Furthermore, numerous virtual simulations have been conducted across both Jeddah and Madinah international airports. Saudia Group will welcome Hajj pilgrims through five domestic airports, including Jeddah, Madinah, Riyadh, Dammam, and Yanbu, with more than 11,000 frontline employees and aircraft maintenance technicians, ensuring smooth flow of movement at the airports as well as operational efficiency. Additionally, 120,000 pilgrims will be served through the "Makkah Route" initiative which is designed to streamline the immigration process for pilgrims to Makkah. Saudia will also continue its "Luggage First" service, and 270,000 bags will be handled as well as 240,000 Zamzam bottles. Amer Al Khushail, CEO of Saudia Hajj and Umrah, said: "The national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia is honored to continue its pivotal role in serving pilgrims, ensuring their spiritual journey is enriched in line with the objectives of Vision 2030. Each year, we integrate the efforts across all sectors as we strive to enhance pilgrims' satisfaction by implementing initiatives that streamline arrival procedures and airport check-in processes." "In preparation for the Hajj season, Saudia is committed to signing agreements with government delegations and travel agents, to ensure providing appropriate seat capacity for markets with high demand across over a hundred destinations in four continents. We offer seamless bookings through Saudia's offices and online channels, we have also designed awareness campaigns regarding luggage acceptance criteria," added Al Khashil. Saudia offers a number of initiatives to enhance the pilgrims' experience. These begin with the issuance of outbound and inbound boarding passes. With a commitment to seamless communication, Saudia's multilingual staff, proficient in more than 30 languages, ensure efficient service delivery at the highest standards. The airline also offers diverse meal options onboard, catering to all tastes. Saudia aircraft have been specially equipped, featuring screens that will display announcements of Miqat (a boundary for pilgrims to start intent for the performance of ?ajj), and prayer times. These screens also offer over 300,000 minutes of Islamic content aimed at educating pilgrims on rituals and Kingdom regulations, developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. Saudia prioritizes accessibility, providing transport for individuals with disabilities, along with medical stretchers and oxygen equipment onboard as needed. Moreover, Saudia continues its luggage collection service from pilgrims' residences, streamlining travel procedures for return flights after the pilgrimage rites. About Saudia Group Saudia Group is one of the largest aviation conglomerates in the MENA region. The Group drives industry development with its 12 subsidiaries and strategic business units, and offers world-class air transport, cargo services, ground services, logistics, maintenance, catering, private aviation, real estate, training, and medical services. Its most prominent subsidiary is Saudi Arabian Airlines "Saudia", the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia and a leading airline in the Middle East with a fleet of 140 aircraft and servicing more than 100 destinations to and from the Jeddah (JDH) and Riyadh (RUH) airports. Saudia Group also caters to diverse passenger segments through entities like flyadeal for economy travelers, Saudia Private for elite travelers, and the Saudia Royal Fleet for the Saudi Arabia Royal Family. Saudia Technic, the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) division, provides aircraft maintenance and manufacturing across continents, operating across the MENA region. Saudia Academy, the training arm of the group, is the largest aviation training academy in the MENA region. To complement its aviation services, the group offers seamless logistics and cargo-handling solutions through Saudia Cargo and Saudi Logistics Services (SAL). Additionally, catering and ground-handling services are delivered through Catrion and Saudi Ground Services Co. (SGS). To address the specific medical needs of the aviation sector, Medical Fakeeh specializes in aviation-focused medical services, while the Saudi Arabian Real Estate Development manages and invests in real estate projects for Saudia Group. About Saudia Saudia (Saudia Airlines) is the national flag carrier of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Established in 1945, the company has grown to become one of the Middle East's largest airlines. Saudia has invested significantly in upgrading its aircraft and currently operates one of the youngest fleet. The airline serves an extensive global route network covering around 100 destinations across four continents, including all 28 domestic airports in Saudi Arabia. A member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO), Saudia has also been a member airline in SkyTeam, the second largest alliance, since 2012. Saudia was recently awarded the "World Class Airline 2024" for the third consecutive year at The APEX Official Airline Ratingstm awards. Saudia has also advanced 11 places in the Skytrax airlines ranking of the World Best Airlines 2023. The Airline also ranked top among global airlines for best on-time performance (OTP) according to a report by the Cirium. For more information on Saudia, please visit www.saudia.com. 9 may 2024 at 09:00 News published onand distributed by: System1 to Participate in the 19th Annual Needham Technology, Media, & Consumer Conference System1, Inc. (NYSE: SST) ("System1" or the "Company"), an omnichannel customer acquisition marketing platform, announced today that it will attend the 19th Annual Needham Technology, Media, & Consumer Conference being held May 14-16, 2024 both in-person in New York, NY as well as virtually. Management will participate in the conference virtually on May 16, 2024 and is scheduled to present at 3:45 PM ET the same day. Management will also be available for one-on-one meetings during the conference. For more information, or to schedule a meeting with management, please contact your Needham representative. About System1, Inc. System1 combines best-in-class technology & data science to operate its advanced Responsive Acquisition Marketing Platform (RAMP). System1's RAMP is omnichannel and omnivertical, and built for a privacy-centric world. RAMP enables the building of powerful brands across multiple consumer verticals, the development & growth of a suite of privacy-focused products, and the delivery of high-intent customers to advertising partners. For more information, visit www.system1.com. 9 may 2024 at 09:05 News published onand distributed by: ServiceNow unveils new AI-powered capabilities to help improve employee experiences, supercharge talent development, and optimize in-person work Knowledge 2024 ? Today, at ServiceNow's annual customer and partner event, Knowledge 2024, ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW), the AI platform for business transformation, unveiled new AI-powered capabilities to help improve employee experiences, supercharge talent development, and optimize in-person work. Enhancements to ServiceNow's Talent Development solution, formerly named Employee Growth and Development, infuse AI into the learning experience to understand skills, support internal mobility, and enhance mentoring. In addition, new Workplace Service Delivery capabilities spur in-person employee collaboration while supporting smarter workplace utilization decisions with data and insights. According to new research from ServiceNow and Pearson, AI and emerging technologies will help fuel job creation, as well as demand for skilled IT workers. The new capabilities introduced by ServiceNow put AI to work for companies that want to advance their talent strategies while improving employee experiences. "To win as a business, leaders know they must commit to the development, growth, and well-being of their people," said Jacqui Canney, chief people officer at ServiceNow. "Giving employees the tools to develop high-demand skills will unlock greater career advancement opportunities, while driving stronger innovation and long-term business success. The power of AI not only helps employees learn and grow with personalized experiences, but it also allows them to focus on work that is fundamentally human. And AI-powered solutions give leaders and organizations actionable insights to propel the business and develop their people." ServiceNow introduces new capabilities in Talent Development for personalized growth and career advancement Talent Development already uses AI and skills intelligence to help identify skill gaps and recommend relevant trainings and growth opportunities for employees. The updates announced today expand those AI capabilities to understand skills, support internal mobility, and enhance mentoring for a full suite of solutions: Skills in Manager Hub. Talent Development is integrated into Manager Hub, giving managers a comprehensive view of team skills directly in the tools they're already using. It curates key insights, so managers can understand team strengths, identify skills gaps, and assess how employee skills align with jobs and work. Managers can also review skills proficiencies and activities related to skills development. These insights help managers close skills gaps, assign work to the right team members based on their strengths, hire for relevant skills, and recommend trainings that support team development. Talent Development is integrated into Manager Hub, giving managers a comprehensive view of team skills directly in the tools they're already using. It curates key insights, so managers can understand team strengths, identify skills gaps, and assess how employee skills align with jobs and work. Managers can also review skills proficiencies and activities related to skills development. These insights help managers close skills gaps, assign work to the right team members based on their strengths, hire for relevant skills, and recommend trainings that support team development. Opportunity Marketplace uses AI algorithms to match employees with internal jobs that are aligned with their skills, aspirations, and preferences, promoting employee engagement and retention while helping to save time and effort when searching internal recruiting platforms. Employees can search by specific job type and location. Opportunity Marketplace prompts employees to explore high-priority roles, helping to fill those jobs more quickly. uses AI algorithms to match employees with internal jobs that are aligned with their skills, aspirations, and preferences, promoting employee engagement and retention while helping to save time and effort when searching internal recruiting platforms. Employees can search by specific job type and location. Opportunity Marketplace prompts employees to explore high-priority roles, helping to fill those jobs more quickly. Mentoring suggests mentors based on employees' skills, preferences, and expertise. Employees can easily find mentors and add mentorship activities to growth plans. Easy-to-use scheduling tools also facilitate continuous engagement between mentors and mentees. suggests mentors based on employees' skills, preferences, and expertise. Employees can easily find mentors and add mentorship activities to growth plans. Easy-to-use scheduling tools also facilitate continuous engagement between mentors and mentees. Now Assist for HR Service Delivery meets the employee or manager where they are in chat, mobile, search, and other channels, and uses generative AI (GenAI) to answer and act on questions related to talent development. For example, an employee can ask the Virtual Agent what career development opportunities are available to them and receive a real-time, conversational answer with a prompt to take action. Additionally, Gen-AI powered search provides, direct, personalized, and contextual responses to talent development, workplace, and HR questions, improving employee self-service, and helping drive down organizational costs. Workplace Service Delivery updates drive employee satisfaction and optimize operational efficiency According to Gallup, hybrid workers show the highest level of engagement when their team collectively decides on an in-office schedule. However, only 12% of hybrid employees report their team employing this type of collaborative decision-making approach. Updates to ServiceNow's Workplace Service Delivery address the critical need for better workplace collaboration, providing next-generation in-office experiences for employees and real-time data for better workplace management: Workplace Presence and Workplace Concierge boost in-office collaboration through a chat-based concierge experience that automates common workplace requests such as finding available space within an office, booking rooms or desks, and even recommending which days to go into the office. Powered by Now Assist, ServiceNow's GenAI experience, employees can ask Workplace Concierge questions like, "what day will my manager be in the office?" The employee would then receive a recommendation on what day they should go in to collaborate with their manager and even prompt them to reserve office space. boost in-office collaboration through a chat-based concierge experience that automates common workplace requests such as finding available space within an office, booking rooms or desks, and even recommending which days to go into the office. Powered by Now Assist, ServiceNow's GenAI experience, employees can ask Workplace Concierge questions like, "what day will my manager be in the office?" The employee would then receive a recommendation on what day they should go in to collaborate with their manager and even prompt them to reserve office space. Smart Building Insights and Integration Framework adds even more intelligence into Workplace Service Delivery through integrations with leading sensor companies, including Metrikus, VergeSense, IAdea, and Embrava. These integrations support smart building initiatives, providing real-time, actionable insights around efficiency, optimization, and occupant experiences directly within Workplace Service Delivery. This allows facilities teams and business leaders to make data-driven decisions about key workplace initiatives, such as floorplans, maintenance schedules, and real-estate spend. "ServiceNow is strategically investing in AI-driven talent development and empowering organizations to future-proof their workforce," said Gretchen Alarcon, senior vice president and general manager of Employee Workflows Products at ServiceNow. "Talent Development now goes beyond just improving skills; it offers personalized growth paths that match employee career goals with what the business needs. Our updates to Workplace Service Delivery aim to enhance in-person collaboration and help businesses make smarter decisions about how they use their workspace. These advancements are crucial for improving employee experiences and helping ensure companies can retain top talent in today's competitive market." Global study highlights opportunities for meaningful, sustainable work in tech New research released today from ServiceNow and Pearson reveals the transformative impact of AI and emerging technologies on the workforce and the global skills economy. Using AI-driven predictive algorithms, the research notes the ongoing importance of IT roles as tech workforce growth is projected to significantly outpace total workforce growth globally by 2028. In the United States alone, an additional 1.76 million new tech workers will be needed by 2028, totaling 6.23 million IT jobs across industries. The study also found an upward trend in global workforce growth, the highest being in India, where an additional 34 million people will be needed to sustain a projected economic growth of 6.3%. While reskilling efforts will be necessary to meet tech talent needs at scale, proactive adaptation to evolving job markets, continuous learning, and strategic workforce planning are critical for resilience in the digital era. What customers are saying: "At Accenture, we are reinventing how we work and earn our people's commutes by reshaping workplace experiences," said Margaret Smith, senior managing director of Corporate Services & Sustainability at Accenture. "ServiceNow Workplace Service Delivery (WSD) helps us provide a simplified workplace reservation experience. The WSD platform enables our people to optimize their day, with access to supporting technology and additional services." Availability: The new capabilities included in Talent Development and Workplace Service Delivery are generally available to all customers today. Additional Information: Read ServiceNow and Pearson research exploring how AI and technology is impacting the global workforce. ServiceNow recently announced plans to acquire Intella, an end-to-end talent acquisition solution developed by Advance Solutions Corp., a ServiceNow Elite partner. Find out how Intella will build on ServiceNow's existing employee experience portfolio to better meet the needs of hiring managers and employee candidates building the workforce of tomorrow. About ServiceNow: ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) is putting AI to work for people. We move with the pace of innovation to help customers transform organizations across every industry while upholding a trustworthy, human centered approach to deploying our products and services at scale. Our AI platform for business transformation connects people, processes, data, and devices to increase productivity and maximize business outcomes. For more information, visit: www.servicenow.com. 2024 ServiceNow, Inc. All rights reserved. ServiceNow, the ServiceNow logo, Now, and other ServiceNow marks are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of ServiceNow, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other company names, product names, and logos may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. 9 may 2024 at 12:35 News published onand distributed by: Government of Canada launches major new initiative to support Indigenous tourism New funding will support large-scale "signature" Indigenous tourism projects GATINEAU, QC, May 9, 2024 /CNW/ - Indigenous tourism helps advance economic reconciliation, while allowing the sharing of Indigenous cultures and histories across Canada. That's why supporting its growth, in close partnership with First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities, is one of the Government of Canada's top priorities. One of the many ways in which the government invests in Indigenous tourism is through the Indigenous Tourism Fund (ITF), a $20 million investment in both large and small Indigenous projects. The first stream of the ITF, the Micro and Small Business Stream, was launched in November 2023 and has already supported 145 projects across the country. Today, the Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, announced the launch of the ITF's Signature Indigenous Tourism Experiences Stream (SITES). With $10 million in federal funding, SITES will support major Indigenous tourism projects, awarding contributions of $500,000 to $1.25 million. The funded projects will build on existing tourism destinations, many of which are located around significant cultural and natural sites in Indigenous communities. Minister Ferrada made the announcement as part of the 2024 Indigenous Prosperity Forum. This funding, part of the broader $20 million ITF, will support key experiences that anchor tourism destinations in Indigenous communities, and it will help develop the infrastructure and services needed for tourism. Today's announcement underscores the government's commitment to working with Indigenous leaders and communities to help grow Indigenous tourism. The National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association (NACCA) will deliver SITES. An umbrella organization for more than 50 Indigenous financial institutions, NACCA has over 35 years of experience in Indigenous economic development. NACCA's successful track record, its robust network and the significant contributions of its members?which have collectively facilitated $3.3 billion in loans to Indigenous businesses?make it an ideal partner to manage this Indigenous-led process. SITES will support projects that make Indigenous tourism sites more accessible, encourage overnight stays and boost spending. It will favour initiatives that can anchor larger tourism destinations and attract other sources of financing. NACCA will also lead a committee, including representatives from the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada and provincial and territorial Indigenous tourism organizations, to assist in identifying and evaluating projects. This committee will ensure that projects contribute positively to communities and can attract further investment. NACCA will oversee the application process, disburse funds, monitor project progress and make all final funding decisions. Quotes "Indigenous tourism has the power to advance economic reconciliation while allowing Indigenous communities to share their cultures and histories. That's why helping it grow and thrive is one of our top priorities. Through this Indigenous-led process, we are supporting communities, and the tourism businesses in those communities, in making their own decisions and developing tourism at their own pace. I am so excited to see how this funding will make 'signature projects' a reality in so many Indigenous communities." ? The Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec "NACCA is pleased to oversee the implementation of the Signature Indigenous Tourism Experiences Stream (SITES) programming, aimed at enhancing tourism offerings within First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities. Our ISO 9001 certification underscores our commitment to quality and reinforces our reputation as a trusted partner of the Government of Canada. With a rich history and extensive experience in Indigenous lending and business support across all sectors of the economy, NACCA and the network of Indigenous financial institutions are well equipped to assist Indigenous businesses. NACCA takes great pride in helping Indigenous businesses feature vibrant cultures while bolstering local economies through tourism." ? Shannin Metatawabin, CEO, National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association Quick facts Before the pandemic, Indigenous tourism was the fastest-growing segment in the Canadian tourism market, posting significant gains in job creation and contributions to Canada's GDP. GDP. The Indigenous tourism industry was particularly hard hit by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and has been slower to recover. Budget 2022 dedicated $20 million to the Indigenous Tourism Fund (ITF) to aid the industry's recovery from the pandemic. to the Indigenous Tourism Fund (ITF) to aid the industry's recovery from the pandemic. The Micro and Small Business Stream of the ITF was launched on November 2023 . As of March 28, 2024 , the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada has approved 145 program applications, or $3,603,490 in support. . As of , the Indigenous Tourism Association of has approved 145 program applications, or in support. In addition, at least 15% of the Tourism Growth Program from Budget 2023 will be invested in Indigenous tourism sites. Associated links Stay connected Find more services and information at Canada.ca/ISED. Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on LinkedIn. Follow Canadian Tourism on social media: X (Twitter), Instagram. Follow Canada Business on social media: X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram. SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada 9 may 2024 at 14:00 News published onand distributed by: Endava to Announce Q3 FY2024 Financial Results on May 23, 2024 Endava plc (NYSE: DAVA), a leading next-generation technology services provider, today announced it will release results for the third quarter ended March 31, 2024, on Thursday, May 23, 2024 before the opening of regular U.S. market hours. Following the release, John Cotterell, Endava's CEO and Mark Thurston, Endava's CFO, will discuss the results in a conference call beginning at 8:00 am ET. Conference call access information is: Participant Toll Free Dial-In Number: 1-844-481-2736 Participant International Dial-In Number: 1-412-317-0665 Conference ID: Endava Call Webcast: https://investors.endava.com Additionally, a replay will be available on our investor relations website after the call. ABOUT ENDAVA PLC: Technology is our how. And people are our why. By combining world-class engineering, industry expertise and a people-centric mindset, we consult and partner with our customers to create technological solutions that drive innovation and transform businesses. From ideation to production, we support our customers with tailor-made solutions across various industries and all around the world. Endava services clients in Payments, Banking and Capital Markets, Insurance, TMT, Consumer Products, Retail, Mobility and Healthcare. As of December 31, 2023, 11,539 Endavans provided services from our locations in European Union countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Sweden), non-European Union countries (Bosnia & Herzegovina, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom), Latin America (Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay), Asia-Pacific (Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam), North America (Canada and the United States), and the Middle East (United Arab Emirates). For more information, visit www.endava.com. 9 may 2024 at 16:30 News published onand distributed by: Hong Kongers sing "Glory to Hong Kong," a song written by protesters, in a shopping mall in Hong Kong on September 11, 2019. VINCENT YU / AP No longer will the tune of "Glory to Hong Kong" be heard: not in city streets, not in shopping malls, not on school playgrounds where it was already banned by the Ministry of Education, and especially not in stadiums, in Hong Kong or anywhere else in the world, where it was often played by mistake during international competitions, when Hong Kong athletes took to the field, or during medal ceremonies, in place of "March of the Volunteers," the Chinese national anthem. It was very likely these public and international incidents would strike a chord with the Hong Kong authorities, who feared, more than anything, offending Beijing. According to a police estimate quoted during the trial, there have been 887 instances in recent years where "Glory to Hong Kong" has been played instead of "March of the Volunteers." In June 2023, following a series of embarrassing blunders, the government took the song to court. In its application for an injunction, it noted that the song "has been used to incite others to participate in acts and activities which are very likely to constitute offenses such as secession and sedition, thereby endangering national security. The song has also been mistakenly presented as the 'national anthem of Hong Kong' (instead of the correct one 'March of the Volunteers'). This has not only insulted the national anthem but also caused serious harm to the state and the HKSAR [Hong Kong Special Administrative Region]." The government therefore decided, "after careful consideration," to ask the Court to prohibit any person from "broadcasting, performing, printing, publishing, selling, offering for sale, distributing, disseminating, displaying or reproducing in any way including on the internet and/or any media accessible online and/or any internet-based platform or medium, the song, whether its melody or lyrics or in combination." 'A weapon' In the first case, in July 2023, a court ruled that banning the song was incompatible with the guarantee of freedoms, in particular freedom of expression. In its appeal, the government added that even freedom of expression has its limits. The 61-page ruling, handed down on Wednesday, ultimately ruled in favor of the government. The composer of the song "intended it to be a 'weapon' and so it had become," according to the ruling. "Academic and journalistic activities" are however excluded from this new injunction. "Glory to Hong Kong" was released in August 2019, at the height of the anti-government protests that took place in the second half of the year. Elegant and powerful, with heroic swells and a harmonious melody, it instantly became the rallying cry of the demonstrators. Its composer, who remains anonymous behind a cryptic pseudonym, Thomas dgx yhl, indeed conceived their work to galvanize the crowds. You have 33% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. SOLICITOR Michelle Hayes has announced that she will run as an Independent candidate in the local election in the Cappamore-Kilmallock area. Ms Hayes is from the Murroe and Boher parish with strong family roots in Oola and Doon. She is a practising solicitor in Hayes Solicitors - a family business in Limerick city. Ms Hayes is also the president of Environmental Trust Ireland and has a track record of advocating for people in complex legal and environmental issues. Ms Hayes has been leading a campaign against the Irish Cement incinerator and the burning of tyres and other hazardous substances in Mungret. READ MORE: Final countdown to elections under way as campaign posters erected across Limerick "I have challenged the granting of an incinerator licence at great personal risk to the Court of Appeal and a decision is awaited shortly. It is very difficult for an individual to take a case of this magnitude against such powerful adversaries, in this situation, a multinational conglomerate Irish Cement, the EPA, the State and ironically Green Party, Minister for the Environment, Eamon Ryan, who supports the incinerator," said Ms Hayes. The Limerick solicitor made submissions three years ago to City and County Council to include a new public hospital in the development plan. "I made a number of suggestions to expedite procedures and investigations in a busy, pressurised A&E department including the presence of a doctor at the triage stage. Nothing was done and the clearly identifiable systemic failures allowed the crisis to become even worse with harrowing and tragic consequences for individuals and their grieving families," she told the Limerick Leader. Ms Hayes said that reopening the emergency departments in St Johns, Ennis and Nenagh would alleviate the crisis somewhat. She has also campaigned about unsafe drinking water throughout the county, saying affected individuals should get free bottled water. "I have encouraged and empowered communities to stand up for what they believe is the right thing for their communities and families," she added. A LIMERICK filmmaker had an exciting night as he won a prestigious prize alongside one of his colleagues. Ronan Cassidy, who lives in Raheen, won the Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) award for Best Live Action Short Film, alongside fellow filmmaker Gregory Burrowes for their film Calf. Written and directed by Jamie O'Rourke, Calf was funded by Screen Ireland and Virgin Media. The film was shot in Kildimo and tells the story of a sinister farm accident, which leaves the lead character, Cait, with a terrible decision to make. READ MORE: University of Limerick Orchestra to play summer concert The two producers eagerly waited in the Dublin Convention Centre audience amongst the best and brightest of Irish film and TV talent for the winners to be announced. Calf was selected as a winner out of six shortlisted films. Ronan and Greg, were delighted with the win. Its all been a bit of a whirlwind, but we are really proud to bring the IFTA home to Limerick. This film was very much a Limerick production, as we shot here and most of the crew were from the Mid-West. We are really dedicated to building film talent here, and to win on the night feels like an amazing achievement, said Ronan. Carbonated Comet Productions were founded in 2017 and since then have produced twelve funded short films, won multiple awards and screened at festivals all over the world. They currently have a Screen Ireland film and two RTE documentaries in post-production. THE TWINKLING eyes and broad, kind smile of Sr Enda Ryan as she wears a Limerick jersey signed by a fellow Galbally native, John Kiely, in 2020 encapsulates the nun who never forgot her homeplace. She left south east Limerick for the south east Asian country of Malaya (now Malaysia) exactly 70 years ago as a girl in her 20s. Sr Enda, who sadly passed away at the great age of 95, has left an unquantifiable legacy to her adopted home. The Franciscan missionary founded Assunta primary and secondary schools in Petaling Jaya, near Kuala Lumpur, in 1958. She played a central role in the education of countless Malaysian girls, some of whom like former Central Bank Governor, Dr Zeti, have been prominent in public life. READ MORE: 'Tragedy beyond belief': Charity helping to bring Limerick man home after death in Canada Sr Enda has received many accolades in recognition of her untiring devotion to education, including an honorary Doctorate in Humanities by Taylor's University in Malaysia. She told a newspaper at the time that her concern was not over where her students would end up, how many As they would get, how many degrees and accolades they would accumulate. Rather, it was about what they would become and seek to be to value what one has and not what others have and do, and always emphasising heart over head, said Sr Enda. Following her passing, the headline of an obituary in the Malaysian newspaper, The Star, demonstrates the esteem with which she is held: Heart and Soul: Passing of a legend Sister Enda Ryan. The author wrote that, At the wake and funeral, many former students of all races were moved to tears. I can empathise with them. Here was a nun that not many educators could match in terms of noble contributions. This indefatigable Irish nun gave her all towards girls education. It was a vocation, a calling from God Almighty, continued the tribute. Sr Enda's life's work was in Malaysia but Galbally was always home. Sr Enda actually emailed this reporter in 2020, at the age of 91, to request an article on her uncle, the late Michael Scanlan of Galbally. The teacher was killed by the British Forces in 1920. Sr Endas brother Tim said: On behalf of the Ryan family, I'd just like to express our sincere thanks to all the people who attended the memorial Mass in Galbally for Sr Enda, signed the book of condolences and on RIP, and sympathised with us in person, e-mail and over the phone. May she rest in peace THE Irish Association for Emergency Medicine (IAEM) said Aoife Johnstons death was almost certainly avoidable Aoife died from Meningitis B after presenting at the emergency department (ED) at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) with query sepsis. The teenager waited 15 hours and 15 minutes for what could have been life saving antibiotics, if given earlier. A verdict of medical misadventure was delivered at the inquest into her death, which heard the evidence of more than 20 people over the course of four days in Kilmallock. READ MORE: Limerick council hopeful defects from Fianna Fail to Independent Ireland over ongoing games In a statement, the IAEM said the delays in Aoife getting essential care should never have happened. Describing a grossly overcrowded and under resourced ED, the statement said their group wasnt surprised by the evidence at the inquest into the death of the 16-year-old. The only surprise has been how few of the many avoidable deaths have come before the coroners court, given the clear evidence of increased mortality and morbidity associated with both ED overcrowding and prolonged waits for admission to a hospital bed for the approximately 25% of ED patients deemed to require hospital admission after assessment and emergency treatment in the ED, the statement read. The statement refers to Dr Leandri Card and clinical nurse manager Katherine Skelly, who both told the inquest they left University Hospital Limerick after Aoifes death. The moral injury sustained by staff who are placed in an invidious position in attempting to care for patients in an impossible environment is deeply corrosive and the departure of experienced and enthusiastic clinical staff from the ED inevitably makes the situation even worse. The group said acute bed capacity is grossly inadequate. The IAEM have recommended that those admitted in the ED are not all in the one place and instead shared across the hospital wards and regional health area. They have said that concrete action is needed to put weight behind the apologies of the HSE, Bernard Gloster and the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, TD, and that hospital bed capacity must be increased. They said that management and politicians can no longer hide behind the defence of ignorance of the catastrophes that unfold due to overcrowding. A LIMERICK takeaway has been closed by health inspectors due to a "grave and immediate danger". According to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), Ginger Lillies Chinese Restaurant on 18 Mulgrave Street has failed to comply with a major regulation on the Hygiene of Foodstuffs. The health inspector observed "a large number of rodent droppings" in a number of areas, including underneath the washing up sink, on the floor beside the cooking equipment, and on the floor between the chest freezer and shelving in the dry goods area. They also stated a "grave and immediate danger" exists due to the risk of contamination of foodstuffs and food contact surfaces with harmful pathogens transmitted via the droppings and urine of rodents. READ MORE: Prominent local solicitor to run in local election It is one of 21 enforcement orders issued by the FSAI in the month of April. The Chief Executive of the FSAI, Dr Pamela Byrne, noted that it is the highest number of closure orders issued in one month since November 2019, when the same number were also issued. She said, "Amongst the reasons for the Closure Orders in April, a lack of adequate procedures to control pests was frequently cited. This resulted in evidence of widespread mice and cockroach activity, which leads to a serious risk of food being contaminated and poses a grave and immediate danger to public health. "Food businesses must ensure that their food business is properly pest proofed, and that they take effective action if there is a pest infestation. "Each month, we issue the list of Enforcement Orders as a deterrent, but it seems that last month, food safety fell off the list of priorities for quite a number of food businesses. "Consumers have a right to safe food and food safety must always be a top priority for food businesses. There are no excuses. Food safety is a legal requirement for all food businesses." ALDI has been granted planning permission for a new 11.5m store in one of Limerick's busiest suburbs. An Bord Pleanala cleared the way for the discount retailer to begin to develop its new store, which will be located at Dooradoyle Road. It's estimated 30 jobs will be created when it opens. Some 50 staff will work on the construction of the site, which is a previously unused greenfield land. READ MORE: Limerick takeaway shut down by health inspectors due to 'grave and immediate danger' Nine electric vehicle charging points are planned, along with 10 bike parking spaces. There will also be 87 car parking spaces for customers. It's the second piece of good news locally for Aldi this year. Back in February, it received planning permission for its new store in Moyross, although that permission is now the subject of High Court action. Commenting, Colin Breslin, managing director of buying and services at Aldi Ireland said: "Were delighted to receive the final grant of planning permission today for our new store in Dooradoyle. Every new Aldi store that opens brings greater choice, quality, and value to shoppers." "This, along with construction on our new Roches Street store, and Moyross due to commence shortly, will more than double our footprint in Limerick City over the next two years," he said. A total of 163 people have been moved to State-provided accommodation following the dismantling of a makeshift migrant camp along a Dublin canal. Irish premier Simon Harris described the multi-agency operation as a Team Ireland response. More than 100 tents had been erected along the Grand Canal as the Irish Government continues to fail to provide accommodation to all male asylum seekers. The multi-agency operation to clear the tents began at approximately 6.00am on Thursday. By approximately 8am, all the tents had been removed using a truck with a crane arm. The asylum seekers who had been living in the makeshift encampment were told it was an offence to stay on the canal and that they would be taken by five buses to official accommodation. Many of the men lined up for the buses while their tents were marked before being disposed of for health and safety reasons. Fifteen of the international-protection applicants were moved to the site of the former Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, while 148 were accommodated at the Crooksling site. The Irish Government said both sites have robust, weather-proof tents and other services including toilets, showers and 24-hour onsite security. A senior HSE official was involved in the planning of the operation and a Safetynet mobile health unit also assisted. One person was referred for medical attention. Fences were erected around the stretch of the Grand Canal where the tents had been pitched to prevent another encampment. The encampment on the waterway emerged shortly after more than 200 asylum seekers were cleared from a similar makeshift camp at the nearby International Protection Office in Mount Street last week. The Irish Government said Thursday mornings operation involved the Irish police service, Dublin City Council, the national health service, the Departments of Integration and Justice as well as a waterway authority. Speaking at a press conference a short time after the operation, Mr Harris thanked the agencies involved in both operations. He said: It was not acceptable to me or to Government that there would be any source of tacit acceptance that what was happening at Mount Street was just okay, because it never was. And it became very close and closer than many people may even realise to becoming a real public health emergency. He said he had no doubt other issues would arise in future but added that the multi-agency response would continue. The days of people saying, thats not my issue, thats for that department, thats for that agency I dont want to hear it. This is Government. This is Ireland. This is Team Ireland. Mr Harris said there would be a continued comprehensive response to the refugee accommodation crisis. He said there would not be a situation where another camp would be allowed to stay for weeks or months, adding: Those days are gone. Those days are over. Thats not gonna happen and the Government is absolutely united in relation to this. Asked if the Government would continue to block off public spaces with fences, Mr Harris said: The multi agency response involves a number of different actions happening. It doesnt involve the long-term erection of barriering off parts of our city, but in the short term that can be a requirement. He would not define what he considered to be short term but said he would not expect it to be months. Noting there was a range of public order offences that applied to the encampment, Integration Minister Roderic OGorman said Irish police An Garda Siochana took a humane approach to the encampment given that the asylum seekers had not yet received an offer of accommodation. A statement from the Government said: The purpose of the operation is to ensure the safe movement of people seeking international protection from the tents on the Grand Canal to International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS)-designated accommodation. The site was later cleaned by Waterways Ireland at an estimated expense of 13,500 euro. Two other individuals who were discovered in the encampment but not identified as international protection applicants were said to have been provided with couples accommodation by the Dublin Regional Homelessness Executive. Labour leader Ivana Bacik, who is a TD for the area, said she hoped the alternative accommodation was appropriate and secure. I have been calling on the Taoiseach to address this situation. Its clearly inhumane and unsustainable to see individuals with no option but to sleep in tents with no sanitation facilities, no security, she said. I am glad to see alternative accommodation has been made and we will be pressing the Government to ensure that it is safe and secure accommodation. I want to commend all the local residents and volunteers who gave such support to the individuals here. It was a very calm presence along the canal. It couldnt have been allowed to continue because it was inhumane to the individuals. Stock Market News BRBY Share Price - A deeper dive into the Supersport ECU saga as competitors lobby M.A. to ban Mectronik 09-05-2024 03:11 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk BENGALURU : As more and more Indians get diagnosed with cancer every year, new-age hospital chains have been evolving to provide technology-driven detection and treatmentand investors seemed quite interested in riding the wave. Cancer is among the most prevalent diseases in India, with the number of patients expected to increase to 1.57 million by 2025 from 1.4 million in 2020, according to a report last month by Apollo Hospitals, among Indias largest multispeciality hospital chains that also provides oncology treatment. Yesteryears cardiology is todays oncology," said Ajai Kumar, founder and executive chairman of Healthcare Global Enterprises Ltd, a hospital chain specialising in cancercare. With the number of cancer cases rising tremendously, healthcare providers are jumping to grab the business opportunity." Investors, as well as conglomerates such as the Reliance Group and Tata Group, were quick to jump on the opportunity, as oncology-focused facilities providing comprehensive care under one roof are emerging alongside multispecialty hospitals offering cancer care. Globally, investors have backpedalled amid an unrelenting funding crunch. Investments into the global oncology sector dropped to $9.2 billion in 2023 from $12.1 billion in the year prior and $23.5 in 2021, according to Tracxn data. In India, however, healthcare has been among the most-funded segments. According to the Bain India Private Equity Report 2024, healthcare investments in the country hit a record high of $5.5 billion in 2023. Ongoing consolidation in multispecialty and the emergence of scale assets with attractive business profiles in single-specialty were key factors," the report said. Bain added that 20% of the capital raised for healthcare in 2023 went to single-specialty hospitals due to the emergence of scaleable assets across eyecare, IVF, and oncology. The three segments saw 14 assets with over $20 million in revenue in financial year 2022-23 because of attractive business profiles with superior operating economics, low capex, less dependency on star doctors", it added. Bridging disparities According to Sunil Thakur, partner and head-South Asia, at healthcare-focused investment firm Quadria Capital, investors remain interested in the space primarily because of the size and growth potential of the oncology market. According to market research firm Technavio, the oncology market in India is expected to expand to nearly $950 million between 2022 and 2027, at a compounded annual growth rate of over 13%. India is reeling under a considerable cancer burden with growing incidence and mortality rates, which are compounded by geographical disparities in burden distribution and insufficient clinical resources," Thakur said. Healthcare Global, which was backed by Quadria Capital, got listed on the bourses in 2016. Over the past 12 months, HCGs share price has increased by nearly 37%, and ended Wednesdays trading at 369.85 each on NSE. CVC Capital is also selling its nearly 70% stake in Healthcare Global Enterprises to investors, Mint reported. Hyderabad-based oncology-focused Omega Hospitals is in talks with investors to raise capital, news website Deal Street Asia reported in November. Mint couldnt confirm this. In July last year, Morgan Stanley Private Equity invested in oncology and radiation therapy centre ClearMedi Healthcare. Last month, the government launched Indias first homegrown anti-cancer CAR T-cell therapy in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, Tata Memorial Hospital, and research body ImmunoACT to make the treatment affordable. Also read: NexCAR 19 cancer therapy: Conceived at IIT Bombay, delivered in Tata Memorial Among significant earlier deals in this space, Reliance Industries Ltd invested an undisclosed sum in Karkinos Healthcare in 2021, while the Tata Group pumped in 110 crore in the Bengaluru-based oncology startup. Also in 2021, pharmaceutical giant Natco Pharma invested $2 million in Cellogen Therapeutics, a Delhi-based startup developing solutions involving cell and gene therapy for various oncological problems. Scaling and accessibility Healthcare Global, an early mover in the oncology segment, is so far the only single-specialty healthcare firm in India to go public. It raised 650 crore from the primary markets in 2016. Such single-specialty hospital chains are able to build an ecosystem around oncology, with their business modelstypically involving full-stack treatment and extensive use of technologygeared to support expansion across multiple locations, said an investor in the healthcare sector. Hospitals, especially multi-specialty, can be tricky to scale given the high costs. Single-specialty hospital chains for a disease like cancer are likely to be lucrative because it will be relevant in almost every part of the country," said this person, declining to be identified. Quadria Capitals Thakur concurred. Oncology-focussed hospitals enjoy the advantage of bringing a full-stack offering, the right medical staff, tools and processes to cater to large numbers of cancer patients, creating a virtuous cycle of growth, he said. This approach differentiates them from multispecialty hospitals that may not necessarily offer a full-stack service to justify relatively lower patient footfall for a particular disease as compared with an oncology specialty hospital, Thakur added. Also read: Mint Explainer: The trigger for DCGI alert on Abbott's Digene, Takeda cancer jab Healthcare Global has a capacity of over 2,000 beds across 21 hospitals in India, including in small cities such as Vijayawada, Ranchi and Cuttack. We have taken up the responsibility of ensuring quality medical practices in places beyond the metros. Cancer can be unforgiving regardless of social status and hence the effort should be driven by outcome," said Healthcare Global's Kumar. Suresh Ramu, co-founder and chief executive of Cytecare Hospitals, which has 140 beds at its Yelahanka branch in Bengaluru, said more surgical and medical oncologists are now willing to work in Tier 2 centres, and that daycare centres for cancer treatment are also on the rise. Cytecare has so far raised about $79.1 million from investors, according to Tracxn. Tech-driven therapies Cancer treatment is evolving rapidly, said Healthcare Globals Kumar, adding that hospitals are quick to master new approaches to targeted therapy, genomics, and digital pathology, among others, with the help of technology. There are various advanced tools and methods available for diagnosis and therapy, enabling early detection and prevention," he said. Robotic surgerieswhich involve specially trained surgeons to use technologyis a major focus area for Healthcare Global, according to Kumar, who added that the hospital chain currently has six robots and is looking to expand soon. Also read: Cervical cancer can be eliminated. Alabama is leading the way. Oncology as a speciality has seen significant improvement in terms of awareness, access, talent and use of technology, said Quadria Capitals Thakur. The entire care pathway is relatively smoother and the time to diagnose and access the right therapy has become very short," he said. Moreover, the increasing clinical talent pool and convergence of global best practices with India, both in terms of use of technology and latest therapies like CAR T-cell, has fuelled the growth of this sector." Air India Express has sacked around 25 employees after they did not report to work on Wednesday, May 8. The abrupt mass sick leave at the last minute resulted in severe disruption to AI Express' network, with more than 90 flights being cancelled. Your act of reporting sick for work amounts to concerted action with a common understanding to not operate the flight and to disrupt the services of the company. This is not only in violation of the applicable laws but also violates the Air India Express Limited Employees service rules as are applicable to you, the company wrote in the termination letter dated May 8. You informed the scheduling team at the last moment that you were unwell and, accordingly, reporting sick. It is noted that at or around the same time, an overwhelming number of other cabin crew members have also reported sick and have not reported for their duties. This clearly points to a pre-meditated and concerted abstention from work without any justifiable reason, the letter added. PTI further reported that AI Express has also issued an ultimatum to striking cabin crew to join work by 4 pm on Thursday (May 9). NDTV reported that the number of job terminations is likely to increase. When contacted, AI Express representatives said they had no statement. This story will be updated once an official response is given. Air India Express cancels 85 flights today amid network disruption Air India Express has cancelled 85 flights amid network disruption on Thursday, May 9, and the combined entity of Air India Express and AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India) will operate 283 flights today. Before the network disruption, the two airlines cumulatively operated around 380 flights, including 260 domestic and 120 international. Air India Express is making every possible effort to minimise the inconvenience caused to our guests by this unexpected situation. We will be operating 283 flights today. We have mobilised all resources, and Air India will support us by operating on 20 of our routes, the airline's spokesperson said. The airline has requested travellers to check their flight status before heading to the airport. If their flight is cancelled or delayed beyond three hours, they may opt for a full refund or reschedule to a later date without any fees on Tia on WhatsApp (+91 6360012345) or on airindiaexpress.com, the airline added. While we will continue to engage with our cabin crew colleagues with a commitment to address any concern, we are taking appropriate steps against certain individuals as their actions have caused grave inconvenience to thousands of our guests, the spokesperson added. What Has Happened? On May 8, Air India Express announced a 20 percent reduction in its flight network over the next few days to stabilise operations after a section of the cabin crew went on mass sick leave, causing significant disruptions. The mass leave is believed to result from grievances related to the ongoing merger with AIX Connect, formerly AirAsia India. If there are concerns that need to be addressed, the company leadership is available for any discussions. All communication channels remain open - departmental townhalls, monthly all-hands townhall, besides formal and informal reach out to leaders," said Air India Express chief executive Aloke Singh in a note to employees. A townhall is scheduled today. While we are engaging with the crew to understand the reasons behind these occurrences, our teams are actively addressing this issue to minimise any inconvenience caused to our guests as a result, an Air India Express spokesperson told Mint. The civil aviation ministry has sought a report. The ministry has asked the aviation firm to resolve issues promptly and ensure the facilities for passengers as per DGCA norms. Merger Issues Cause Disruptions The company witnessed severe disruption to its network as more than 90 flights were cancelled due to over 100 cabin crew of the airline going on mass sick leave since the evening of May 7, resulting in delays and cancellations. The company, which employs around 2,000 cabin crew members, has asked the staff to reach out to the airline to discuss their grievances related to the merger. There are concerns among senior cabin crew members about their roles and positions in the company as it is merging with AIX Connect. There are changes that are taking place to bring a more corporate culture at Air India Express, in line with that of AIX Connect, and the transition has also made Air India Express a domestic and international airline, not just international, as was the case earlier. These are some of the issues, one of the officials who was aware of the development told Mint. AI Express was acquired by the Tata Group, along with Air India, in a government-led strategic divestment programme in January 2022. The airline is in the middle of integrating with AIX Connect. Simultaneously, there is also a transformation taking place within the Air India group, which will bring a more domestic focus for AI Express and a more international approach for the merged entity of Air India and Vistara. Vistara Airlines has informed passengers that departures and arrivals between 11 am to 5 pm on Thursday, May 9, will be impacted due to runway closure at the Mumbai airport. Due to the runway closure at Mumbai airport between 1100 hours to 1700 hours, all departures and arrivals are likely to be impacted. Customers are requested to plan their travel accordingly. Thanks, the airline wrote on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter). Also read: Air India Express fires 25 cabin crew members for not reporting to work Flight operations on primary runway 09/27 and the secondary runway 14/32 have been temporarily halted due to ongoing pre-monsoon maintenance and repair work at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, which handles around 950 flight operations per day, PTI reported. The maintenance work underway involves inspection of runway surface for macro and micro texture wear and tear arising out of daily operations. In December, a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) was issued to alert airlines and other stakeholders to plan for flight rescheduling in advance This development comes just a day after, Air India Express, the Tata Group helmed low-cost carrier, cancelled more than 70 flights on May 8. Also read: 'Come with your own plane': Ryanair responds to passenger complaining about lack of legroom These cancellations were reportedly attributed to cabin crew members calling in sick leave on the same day as a mark of protest against the purported mismanagement at the airline. Since the merger process of Air India Express with AIX Connect (formerly known as AirAsia) began, discontent has been brewing among the cabin crew. The civil aviation ministry has sought a report from the airline on the matter. For the second year in a row, individual taxpayers have contributed more to the governments direct tax coffers than businesses, according to data from the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). Whats more, the wafer-thin gap between the two has significantly widened. Last fiscal (2023-24), personal income tax accounted for 53.31% of direct tax receipts, against 46.52% from corporate tax collections. In 2022-23, their shares were 50.08% and 49.63%, respectively. The break-up is in line with countries such as the US, Canada and the UK, where personal income tax contributes more to the exchequer than corporate tax revenue, according to data publicly available from their respective government departments. The surge in income tax collections A spokesperson for the CBDT attributed the rise in personal income tax collections to rising income levels, higher use of technology by the government, taxing dividends in the hands of the individual taxpayer instead of the corporate entity, simplification of the Income Tax Act by reducing exemptions and deductions, and simultaneously reducing the tax rates. To be sure, the Centre introduced a parallel, new income-tax returns filing regime in 2020, with effect from 2020-21, that reduced exemptions and deductions and lowered the tax rates. While data is not available on how many persons have moved to the new regime since then, the government sweetened the regime in the 2023-24 budget by increasing the tax rebate to 7 lakh from 5 lakh earlier to increase its adoption. In value terms, personal income collections after refunds stood at 10.44 trillion in 2023-24, growing at 25.23%. On the other hand, corporate tax receipts were 9.11 trillion, backed by growth of 10.26% year-on-year. Comparatively, total indirect tax collections in 2023-24 are expected to be at 14.83 trillion, with a growth of 7%, as per the revised estimates. Experts attributed the trend to corporate tax rate cut in 2019, shifting dividend distribution tax (DDT) from the company to the shareholder in 2020, buoyant equity markets boosting securities transaction tax (STT) collections (which is included in personal income tax receipts), extensive technology-driven oversight of transactions in the economy by the income tax department, pre-filled income tax returns, e-verification of transactions, and the facility for updating tax returns. What's behind the rise Audit and consulting firm EY said in an analysis shared with Mint that higher individual incomes due to economic growth, tech-driven tax administration and more individuals entering the tax net after the 2017 GST (goods and services tax) rollout, which contributed to the economys formalization, have aided in personal income tax collection exceeding corporate tax collections. Read More: Income Tax Act amendment on cards on tax treatment of MSME dues The ideal tax structure varies depending on the economic situation of a country," said Sameer Gupta, national tax leader, EY India. OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) estimates for tax structures for 2021 indicate that OECD countries rely more on personal income tax and social security contributions (contributing 24% and 26%, respectively, to the total tax collections), whereas corporate income tax collections contributed only 10%." Greater formalisation of the economy, reduction in corporate tax rate, and individual income in the highest slab above a threshold getting taxed at a high rate of surcharge have contributed to the uptick in personal income tax collections," said Suranjali Tandon, associate professor at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP). With corporate and personal income tax rates already reworked in recent years, the capital gains tax regime could receive policy attention when the government frames a new direct tax code." The CBDTs spokesperson added that extensive use of technology by the tax department to collect data of financial transactions from a wide spectrum of third-party reporting entities and making that data available to the taxpayers through the Annual Information Statement (AIS) has contributed in a big way to bolster the personal income tax collections. The person also attributed the growing personal income tax receipts to prefilling tax return forms with the data captured in the AIS and 26AS statements to assist taxpayers to file tax returns correctly. Expansion of scope of tax deducted at source (TDS) and tax collected at source (TCS) provisions by bringing in several payments including on virtual digital assets, perquisites, remittances under liberalized remittance scheme, gaming, etc. under the ambit of TDS/TCS has led to a substantial increase in the number of unique deductees/ collectees resulting in increased personal income tax collections," the spokesperson added. The CBDT also considers that easing the compliance requirements, increased linking of information with other revenue agencies including the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), and various steps taken to build trust between the department and the taxpayer have helped in the robust growth of personal income tax collection. In the Indian context, corporate tax collections have been improving and contributed 26.8% in FY24 to the total tax collections, as per the revised estimates. With governments continued efforts to broaden the tax base and other tax reforms, corporate tax collections should see a further rise," said Gupta of EY. Also Read | Consulting firms forge a unique partnership: AI working in tandem with CAs Since its independence almost 60 years ago, Singapore has become a beacon of prosperity. In a part of the world where middle-income status is the norm, the city-state is now the richest country for many thousands of miles in any direction. At around $88,000 per person, its GDP has doubled in real terms over the past 20 years. At the moment of its independence in 1965, the country was poorer on the same basis than South Africa or Jordan. But as the world looks at globalisation with increasing scepticism, balancing Singapores domestic politics against its role as a global city will become trickier. The established norms are eroding," says Lawrence Wong, Singapores incoming prime minister, speaking to The Economist on May 6th. People are searching for new bearings, but the new order is not yet established. I think it will be messy for quite a few years, maybe a decade or longer." By any measure the countrys economic record is impressive. During the past two decades, the median wage for Singaporean residents in full-time work has risen by 43% in real terms, compared with an 8% rise in America. At around $46,000 in dollar terms, the median full-time wages of Singaporeans are now higher than those in Britain, the countrys former colonial boss, where they sit at around $44,000. View Full Image Graphic: The Economist Singapores stature as a financial centre has risen in recent years, leading to inevitable comparisons with Hong Kong, once the undisputed leader among Asias global cities. Indeed, the country seems to be outstripping its rival. The city-state maintains a solid lead in salaries, which are around 50% higher for Singaporeans than Hong Kongers. As a hub for wealth it is growing far faster than its competitor: in 2017, Singapore boasted $2.4trn in assets under management, according to the Monetary Authority of Singapore, about three-quarters the size of Hong Kongs $3.1trn. By 2022, Singapores hoard had grown to $3.6tn, just 8% behind Hong Kongs figure. Despite Singapores growing success as a financial centre, policymakers do not crow about its success. They fret rather than cheer about the idea of Hong Kongs erosion as an international hub. In 2019, during Hong Kongs massive pro-democracy protests, the Monetary Authority of Singapore struck back against reports that the city was the beneficiary of capital flight from Hong Kong. Even so, as a result of Hong Kongs weakened reputation, Singapore has become more important as a hub for Chinese wealth. It is not just the private sectors holdings that have bulged. Singapores state-owned investment company, Temasek, had $287bn in assets as of March 2023. The countrys Monetary Authority manages around $369bn in foreign-exchange holdings, gold, and other reserves. Singapores GIC, previously known as the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, does not disclose its holdings, which the government only concedes are above $100bn. But by the estimates of Global SWF, a data firm, the GICs assets are the largest of them all, running to $769bn. If correct, that would make the sovereign-wealth fund the sixth-largest in the world, outstripped only by a handful of petrostates and by Chinas two funds. It would also mean that Singapores state-owned assets run to over 270% of its GDP, an enormous hoard. These large sums illustrate an economy that saves far more than it spends. Singapore also has one of the largest current-account surpluses in the world. As a small country and a close partner of America in security, Singapore avoids the scrutiny others might endure for its huge savings and managed exchange rate. The fact that America has a bilateral trade surplus with Singapore tends to keep it out of the glare of protectionist American politicians. But the country briefly landed on Americas watchlist for currency manipulation under the administration of Donald Trump. If he triumphs in Novembers election, Singapore runs the risk of returning to the crosshairs of Americas trade warriors. International opprobrium is a less immediate concern than domestic pressure. Since the ruling Peoples Action Party (PAP) won 83 of the 93 seats in the Singaporean parliament in 2020, it would be easy to presume that it has little to worry about from the opposition. But the clutch of seats held by the centre-left Workers Party is the largest presence for another party in parliament since independence. Before 2020 there was no leader of the opposition in Singaporean politics. By the standards of a Western democracy, the dominance of the PAP is still overwhelming. But the presence of competition has changed the calculus: it has made the government more focused on public consultation before pulling the levers of policy. The opposition has differing views on how the city-state should be run. Its lawmakers have called for a higher share of the returns on the assets to be remitted to the budget and used for everyday spending, rather than the 50% currently permitted. They also argue for greater transparency when it comes to the make-up of the reserves and the total held by the GIC. The government reckons the idea of putting the reserves at risk would be a sop to populism. It argues that the country is ageing, and at its present income levels it will never go through a similar period of rapid growth as when the assets were accumulated. The bull markets which produced strong returns for riskier investments, like Temaseks 20-year returns of 9%, may never be so favourable again. Strait and narrow But the cost to Singapores public finances as the country ages will have to be funded somehow. The proportion of Singapores citizens who are over 65 rose to 19% last year, from 12% a decade ago. It will rise to almost 25% by the end of this decade. Social spending has roughly doubled in the past decade, and state spending on health care now outstrips the education budget. Singapores low level of government spending, the envy of small-state advocates the world over, is climbing: it will reach 20% by 2030, from 14% in 2010. Tax increases are likely, and Singapores sales tax has already risen: the levy has climbed from 7% to 9% in the past two years. Meanwhile the countrys changing demography will make itself felt in other ways, too. In 2023 Singapores fertility rate fell to just 0.97, a figure below all but a small handful of countries in the world. The Singaporean government does not publish detailed population forecasts regularly, but UN projections suggest that without immigration Singapores working-age population would drop by a third between 2022 and 2050. View Full Image Graphic: The Economist Immigration is controversial in Singapore. The share of the citys population made up of its own citizens has dropped from 74% in 2003 to 61% last year. The city has four official languages and three official ethnic groups, of which Chinese are by far the largest. The government tries to keep this balance. Ethnic Malays, who are mainly Muslim, are a minority in Singapore but a majority in Malaysia and Indonesia, its far larger neighbours. So Singapores restrictions on speech are tightest where religious and racial sensitivities are touchiest. Even for a political force as dominant as the PAP, high levels of migration seem a political threat. Mr Wong notes that Singapore will continue to need foreign workers. We welcome foreign professionals to work in Singapore, but its controlled, because if its not controlled I think we will be easily swamped," he says. We cannot afford to be like the UAE, where the local residents are only less than 10% of the population." He says he could not imagine a situation where Singapores citizens are a minority. Balancing the needs of big international companies and Singaporeans wariness of immigration will be an increasingly delicate task for the government. In a survey published in 2021 by the Institute of Policy Studies, a unit of the National University of Singapore, 44% said that immigration increases unemployment, a figure that rose to over 50% among respondents over 65. However, the greatest of all the threats to Singapores enviable position are those outside the control of the city-state. It sits on the Straits of Malacca, a bottleneck for trillions of dollars in global trade. Its trade volumes run to an enormous 337% of its GDP, compared with 27% in America and 68% in rich countries across the world. The fraying of relations between Beijing and Washington is a particular worry. Singapore is heavily exposed to both countries. In the worst-case scenario, in which trade is split between two global blocsbetween those countries which voted to condemn Russias invasion of Ukraine at the UN General Assembly in 2022, and those which did notSingapores GDP would decline by around 10%, compared with 3% for Asia or 1% for the world. China is not only Singapores largest source of imports, as it is for most countries in the world, but its largest source of exports too. Almost all East Asias energy imports flow through the Strait of Malacca, and much of its manufacturing trade flows the other way. Geopolitical dot At the same time, America remains by far the largest single investor in Singapore, with 574bn Singaporean dollars ($428bn) invested in the country at the end of 2022, compared with 156bn from mainland China and Hong Kong combined. According to the American Chambers of Commerce in Singapore, American firms employ over 200,000 people in the country, about 6% of the workforce. Singapore is also Americas closest security partner in South-East Asia, despite its neutral diplomatic stance. View Full Image Graphic: The Economist Americas increasing restrictions on Chinas semiconductor industry could embroil Singapore in the spat between the two countries. Its chip industry does not specialise in the most advanced nodes, where Taiwanese firms predominate. But it does well in producing older chips, known as mature nodes. Americas Department of Commerce has said it has no plans to extend its restrictions and sanctions to older chips. But Chinas massive expansion of its legacy chipmaking may change that. In the second half of last year, Singapores chipmakers sold around half a billion dollars a month in equipment to China, a figure that is more than double the same period in 2022 (see chart 3). Mr Wong says the government recognises Americas prerogative in export restrictions where national security is concerned, but hopes they are carefully calibrated. Jake Sullivan, the Biden administrations national security adviser, has spoken of a small yard with a high fence, referring to controls imposed on a small number of high-tech industries. If you start expanding the yard," Mr Wong says, and the yard keeps getting bigger and bigger...I think that will be detrimental not just for Singapore but for the US and for the whole world." For the countrys anxious bureaucrats, the idea of planning for a full split between America and China is a ghastly prospect. Singapore hosts the global headquarters of TikTok. In January its CEO, Shou Zi Chew, a Singaporean, was grilled by American lawmakers, who even asked him if he had applied for Chinese citizenship, or had been a member of the Communist Party of China. Clips of the questions, and Mr Shous befuddlement, went viral in Singapore and abroad. It showed how hard it is to straddle the two worlds. Of all the varied economic risks facing Singapore, one underpins the lotand bugs the citys watchful administrators. What happens if Singapore, like Britain or other slow-growing European countries, entered a period of stagnation in which ordinary household incomes stop rising? That sort of pressure would threaten the contract between the PAP and the Singaporeans, who vote for them in extraordinary numbers in the expectation that they will continue to get richer. Before November next year, Mr Wong will lead the PAP to a general election, the results of which will frame his time in office. Singapores successes give its new government a great deal to preserve. Few countries have managed to surf the wave of globalisation so competently. With the tide now quickly going out, Singapore faces its greatest challenge. 2024, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com For months, short sellers had piled on bearish wagers on the theory that Krispy Kreme customers using drugs such as Ozempic would lose their appetite for treats. The companys shares tumbled. As it turns out, picking losers from the weight-loss drug revolution isnt so easy. In late March, Krispy Kreme announced a nationwide partnership with McDonalds that, starting this year, would allow the burger chain to begin selling doughnuts around the U.S. Krispy Kreme shares surged 39%the best one-day performance in the stocks recent history. It was a classic short squeeze. Hedge funds that borrowed and sold Krispy Kreme stock to bet against it had to furiously buy the shares back. The episode cost short sellers a total of about $65 million in one session, turning what had been a winning bet for the year into a losing one, according to Ihor Dusaniwsky, managing director of data and analytics group S3 Partners. It went from being a very profitable trade to being a very bad trade in one day," he said. Virtually all of short sellers profits were wiped out." Since drugs such as Mounjaro, Wegovy and Ozempic became sensations last year, Wall Street has rushed to work out just how disruptive the drugs, called GLP-1s, might be. No longer are hedge funds and asset managers interested in just plowing money into Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, the leading makers of the therapies. Instead, they are eager to pinpoint the companies that could flop or flourish as waistlines shrink and consumers habits change. There has been no shortage of ideas. Analysts forecast that upheaval could spread through a range of industries, affecting snack companies, fast-food restaurants and medical-device stocks. Even airlines could be affected, a team at Jefferies predicted, calculating how much carriers could save on fuel by transporting lighter passengers. Kidney-dialysis stock DaVita crashed 17% in one day after a trial showed Ozempic could slow kidney disease. Companies including Utz Brands and Oreo-maker Mondelez International sold off sharply after a Walmart executive said buyers of weight-loss drugs at its pharmacies were starting to purchase less food. But in the months since then, investors have realized the effects arent straightforwardand could take years to play out. All three stocks bounced higher in the months that followed; DaVita has gained nearly 90% from last years low. Another factor that has made picking losers even harder: the surging U.S. stock market. The S&P 500 has gained nearly 9%, in its best start to a year since 2021, thanks to strong corporate earnings and hopes of interest-rate cuts. The rising tide has lifted both weaker and stronger companies, adding to the risks of taking short positions. This is going to be a twisting, winding road," said George Michelakis, founder of Gladstone Management, a London-based hedge-fund firm. This is a five-, seven-, 10-year story thats in the early innings." Gladstone is among the investors whose wager against Krispy Kreme was upended this year. The holding was a small position that averaged less than 0.5% of its assets and had no material impact on performance," Gladstone said. The question confronting investors: How do you trade a trend that could take years, if not decades, to play out? JPMorgan Chase estimates 30 million Americans could be using GLP-1s by 2030, either for weight loss or to treat diabetes. But before then, barriers remain. Insurance coverage can be spotty, and out-of-pocket buyers can pay nearly $1,000 or more a month. GLP-1 supply shortages have also weighed on usage. Bryant VanCronkhite, a senior portfolio manager at asset manager Allspring Global Investments, scooped up shares of knee-replacement and hip-replacement specialist Zimmer Biomet, after its shares plunged in the second half of last year. Analysts and investors initially predicted weight-loss drugs would weigh on companies such as Zimmer, as healthier consumers put less stress on hip and knee joints. VanCronkhite saw it differently. As more people lose weight, he said, a greater number might instead qualify for replacement surgeries. Severely overweight patients are often barred from such procedures because of the potential for complications. The shares have since recovered 18% from last years low. Its a very classic market reaction path, where we tend to overreact in the short run and underreact in the long run," said VanCronkhite. Gladstone, which oversees more than $2 billion in assets, remains firm that the effect of the weight-loss drugs on consumersand on share priceswill be profound. The firm has bet on GLP-1s since early last year, when the drugs started exploding in popularity. Today, weight-loss-related bets are one of its largest trading strategies. Gladstone analysts dug into consumer surveys and calorie models to try to determine which companies might emerge as surprising winnersand which would be the hardest hit. The firm settled on a small basket of names. It plowed millions of dollars into Novo Nordisk and briefly held shares of Eli Lilly . It focused its short positions on three companiesKrispy Kreme, Hershey and J.M. Smucker. Gladstone picked companies it believed would contend with a number of major issues. The firm predicted Hershey, for example, would be hit by the sharp rise in cocoa prices, while J.M. Smucker would struggle with the price it paid to acquire Twinkies maker Hostess Brands. Krispy Kreme, meanwhile, was confronting higher costs and a substantial debt load. On the whole, it has been an approach thats yielded gains: Gladstones GLP-1 strategy generated approximately a fifth of the firms 13% gain after fees and expenses last year, according to a person familiar with the situation. This year through March, the strategy returned approximately 2%; the firms flagship fund has risen a net 11.8%, the person said. Gladstone also wanted to target companies it believed had relatively narrow options, with little room to adapt. Whats certainly not true is that McDonalds and Pepsi and all these categories are going to disappear," Michelakis said, noting that McDonalds can alter its menu and PepsiCo can push into zero-calorie alternatives. Its about finding the weakest links." Krispy Kremes tie-up with McDonalds showed it had more room to fight back than it appeared. Even so, the effects have been relatively short-lived. The stock has fallen more than 25% since the nationwide partnership was unveiled. And many investors are still betting against the shares. About 16% of Krispy Kremes free float, or stock available for trading, has been sold short, according to S3 Partnersroughly triple the average for U.S. stocks. At Gladstone, the firm has closed its short bet against the doughnut maker. Some of its other positions have performed well: Novo Nordisk, the largest position at the hedge fund, has jumped 27% year to date. J.M. Smucker has fallen 11%, building on last years 20% drop. Short sellers profit from stock declines. But pitfalls remain. The firm recently added a small short position against Dutch healthcare-equipment maker Royal Philips, wagering that weight-loss drugs will help reduce the severity of sleep apnea. What Gladstone couldnt expect: Royal Philips surged 29% in one day in late April, after the company agreed to settle litigation linked to its breathing devices for less than originally expected. Write to Caitlin McCabe at caitlin.mccabe@wsj.com Regulatory action in Singapore and Hong Kong on two of Indias biggest spice brandsMDH and Everestfor alleged chemical contamination has turned the heat on spice exports. Mint looks at the issue and analyses what it could mean for the $4-billion export sector. What just hit Indian spice exports? On 5 April, Hong Kongs food regulator suspended the sale of MDH spice mixes saying they contain high levels of ethylene oxide, a carcinogenic. Singapore followed suit with Everest, another top Indian spice brand. The Maldives has since banned both the brands while the US, Bangladesh and Australian food regulators have commenced investigations. Both Everest and MDH have denied any wrongdoing. Ethylene dioxide, a sterilizing agent, reduces microbial contamination and extends the shelf-life of food products. But excessive use of it may leave a residue. How big are Indian spice exports? They are quite substantial. In FY24, the countrys spice exports are estimated to be $4.25 billion, which is 12% of the global spice trade pegged at $35 billion. It was just $400 million in 2001-02 but has been rising steadily over the years. It crossed $4 billion in 2020-21 but declined to $3.74 billion in 2022-23 (see chart). Major spices that are exported from India are chilli, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, spice oil & oleoresins, pepper, mint, ginger, garlic and saffron. China is the largest importer, followed by the US, Bangladesh, UAE, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, UK, Australia and Singapore. Is this the first time such action is being taken? No. Indian spices have faced this issue many times. Regulators in the US, EU and many other countries have called out Indian spices over quality, presence of pathogens and toxins. But this may be the first time its facing a cascading regulatory action across many countries. This has put a question mark over the quality of the food India exports and consumes. What are the implications of this? While Hong Kong and Singapore may not be huge consumers of Indian spices, probes launched by the US, Bangladesh and Australia could hurt. These three account for a quarter of Indian spice exports. India is the second largest supplier of spices to the EU, which is very sensitive about health and safety, and may take action. Global Trade Research Initiative, a Delhi-based economic think-tank, has warned that exports worth $2.17 billion, 51% of total spice exports, are at risk if corrective measures are not taken immediately. What action has India taken so far? The governments Spices Board and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) are looking into the matter. The Spices Board has ordered mandatory testing of shipments to Hong Kong and Singapore even as it sought test details from their regulators. It has begun inspection of exporters manufacturing facilities and has released an advisory with guidelines to prevent ethylene- oxide contamination. In the meantime, pressure is building on FSSAI to look into the quality of spices that are sold within India Generative artificial intelligence, geopolitical tension, punishing climate eventsthe list of headaches for businesses risk managers can seem to be in a perpetual state of growth. Experts see a deteriorating risk landscape, with most reporting a negative outlook that is expected to worsen over the next decade, according to the World Economic Forums Global Risks Report 2024. The problems, though vexing, arent intractable. About 10,000 risk managers and experts met this week in San Diego for the annual Riskworld conference put on by trade association RIMS to discuss the industrys most pressing issues. The Wall Street Journals Risk & Compliance Journal caught up with some top experts to learn what they are advising businesses. Some responses have been edited for clarity. Generative AI Many businesses, if not committing to generative AI, are at least flirting with it. But in the rush to adopt, they likely are missing some of the less obvious risks that the technology poses, including models that might push out biased information or be inadvertently built with copyrighted intellectual property. AI is dominating the landscape. Where we are right now is the automobile before the seat belt. This is a new dimension that I dont think a lot of our clients have had thought about. The questions that are really coming up with our clients right now that we werent hearing a year ago on this are on truly appreciating the liability associated with AI. Whether thats IP infringement because the training data is from a third party, or whether the training data might be bad and youre making bad decisions off of that. I dont think theres enough discussion about those sets of risks." Reid Sawyer, head of U.S. cyber risk consulting for insurance broker and risk adviser Marsh Gen AI is topical right now. But at the same time, its a risk like any other risks and so our same principles apply. Our CEO once joked, There was a day where the wheel was an emerging risk. There are unique risks that gen AI causes and represents, but there are so many benefits that its not going away. Organizations need to manage that. A lot of organizations are in various states of transitioning to cloud computing and various sources of how they structure their data. To really maximize the impact of gen AI, you need to have quality data in large quantities thats easily accessible. For many organizations, that is a risk because they are trying to do all these applications while also trying to navigate a data journey." Lauren Finnis, head of commercial lines insurance consulting and technology for North America at insurance broker WTW Geopolitical tension The combination of China-U. S. friction, the Ukraine-Russia war and conflict in the Middle East has kept multinational businesses on their toes. Persistent Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have raised supply-chain worries. Some businesses are finding political risk insurance more difficult to obtain. Insurance policies that cover cyberattacks might not pay if the attack occurs in the context of a war, one expert warned. We saw how vulnerable supply chains can be to a shock. That is causing companies to rethink that and to make them more resilient and less dependent on China. Supply chains generally are a topic of discussion that they havent been for a while. Insurers are being more careful about the size of political risk theyll take in and around China and Taiwan. Political risk insurance can be written for up to 10 years. Writing an insurance policy for 10 years in Taiwan is a slightly different matter than it might have been a decade ago when the geopolitical situation didnt seem quite as precarious." Adrian Cox, chief executive for London-based specialty insurer and reinsurer Beazley One of the biggest problems weve had this past year in the cyber insurance community has been the war exclusion. There were several sovereign states that actively promoted hacking, ransomware, all that bad stuff. There is a war exclusion in cyber policies, but that doesnt mean that theyre not going to cover the nation-state action. But it does add a wrinkle. Whats going on in Ukraine, whats going on in the Middle East certainly could ripple back into cyber insurance and create an interesting discussion." Bob Parisi, head of cyber solutions (North America) for German insurer Munich Re Climate risk More organizations are beginning to appreciate the risks posed by climate change, and working to adapt. Climate scientists have long pushed changes in building and site design as a way to grapple with the physical risks of climate events, a message some experts are taking to businesses. In addition to protecting facilities from loss, resilient businesses can also avoid losing market share during down times. We are definitely seeing an uptick in organizations recognizing that climate risks are here to stay and theyre becoming more intense. They really want to do what they can to keep their business resilient, their infrastructure resilient and just keep operating. Organizations are looking to build their sustainability strategies. Theyre using different construction materials and different construction methods. They realize that they cant insure their way out of some of this risk. Theres a physical risk, theres the business continuity riskits also a reputational risk. If youre not able to ride through, your customers are going to go somewhere else. Were also starting to use AI to understand risks: Identify which locations are exposed, identify what the risk is and quantify that risk using technology." Jessica Waters, manager of climate and structural resilience at commercial insurer FM Global Write to Richard Vanderford at Richard.Vanderford@wsj.com In the past year, the Indian stock market has experienced notable expansion, witnessing substantial returns for investors across various sectors. Particularly noteworthy were stocks within the power-related space, which garnered significant attention from investors. This surge in interest can be attributed to the robust increase in power demand within the country, propelled by growing economic activity. One notable performer in this space was Hitachi Energy India. A year ago, shares of Hitachi Energy India were priced at 3,725 each. Today, they are trading at 9,084, marking an impressive gain of 144%. What's particularly notable is the stock's consistent positive performance, with 10 out of the last 12 months ending with gains, including a substantial 38% increase in April. Taking a broader view, the stock has soared by 1235% from its March 2020 low of 680. Looking at its annual performance, it yielded returns of 90% in CY20, followed by 96% and 32.48% in the subsequent two years. In CY23, the stock saw a healthy return of 57.27%, and so far, this year, it has surged by 69.47%. Hitachi Energy India delivers comprehensive energy solutions, ranging from power generation systems to grid stabilisation technologies and energy storage solutions. Hitachi Energy India has emerged as a prominent player in the energy sector through a strategic joint venture between ABB's Power Grids business and Hitachi Ltd. in 2018. Expansion in India amid rising power demand Hitachi Energy is looking to open more global capability centers in India to expand local operations, amid growing energy demand and a push to scale up renewable energy generation in the country, Reuters reported. Also Read: How ABB India became a stock market darling "We are looking at Hyderabad for our GCC and also looking at Pune. It might take six months to one year," said Venu Nuguri, the managing director and CEO of the company's India unit, to Reuters. Brokerage view On April 18, global brokerage firm Goldman Sachs initiated coverage on Hitachi Energy, highlighting the company's strategic positioning within India's energy transition as a primary beneficiary in the upstream manufacturing sector. Goldman Sachs emphasised Hitachi Energy's technological leadership in high-voltage equipment and its highly indigenised manufacturing capabilities. The brokerage identified several factors driving Hitachi Energy's growth potential, including grid digitalisation, a global shortage of transmission equipment, and the diversification of the global supply chain. The brokerage highlighted transmission equipment as a sub-segment where India demonstrates advanced manufacturing capabilities, supported by a robust ancillary supply chain and limited reliance on China for input imports. Goldman Sachs foresees significant benefits for Hitachi Energy from the projected US$105 billion grid capital expenditure forecast for FY2432E, with a total addressable market (TAM) potentially reaching US$50 billion. Additionally, the company could explore opportunities beyond the grid sector, such as electrolyser manufacturing and renewable energy evacuation, contributing to an estimated TAM of over US$20 billion. It gave a 'buy' rating for the stock with a target price of 8,250 per share. However, the stock reached this target price in the subsequent trading session. Promising opportunities Amidst the ongoing growth trajectory of the Indian economy, there's an anticipated surge in energy consumption, aligning with the nation's ambition to ascend to the rank of the world's third-largest economy. Therefore, the development of a robust and adaptable energy infrastructure becomes imperative. In the current fiscal year, the market has already witnessed the initiation of 18 power transmission projects, presenting promising prospects for investment. Additionally, sectors experiencing rapid expansion, such as rail, metro, and other infrastructure endeavors, serve as supplementary drivers of growth. Also Read: Tata Power Renewable Energy signs pact with SJVN for 460 MW clean energy project Power consumption in India exhibited a notable year-on-year increase, reaching 1,221.15 billion units (BU) during the April-December period of the previous fiscal year, signalling heightened economic activity. This contrasts with the 1,132.11 BU recorded during the same period in the fiscal year 202223. According to projections by the International Energy Agency, India is poised to add electricity demand equivalent to the current consumption of the United Kingdom over the next three years, underscoring the substantial growth anticipated in the energy sector. Multibagger stock Tinna Trade has given exceptional returns to its investors this year so far as well as in the last one year. The stock has skyrocketed around 345 percent in 2024 YTD from 41.57 in December 2023 to currently trade at its record high of 184.85. Meanwhile, it has soared over 609 percent in the last one year. This recent surge has also led to the stock soaring 738 percent from its 52-week low of 22.06, hit on June 26, 2023. This year so far, the scrip has given positive returns in all 5 months till date. The stock has risen 12.5 percent in May, extending gains for the fifth straight month. Meanwhile, it jumped almost 48 percent in April, 43 percent in March, 60 percent in February and almost 17 percent in January 2024. Read here: Multibagger stock: Marsons has skyrocketed 602% in 2024 YTD, 831% in 1 year In the long term as well, the stock has performed splendidly, rising over 1229 percent in 3 years (from 13.91 in April 2021) and over 826 percent in the last 5 years (from 19.95 in April 2019). However, it is important to note that the stock is currently trading under ESM: Stage 2 What is ESM? The Enhanced Surveillance Measure (ESM) is a framework established by the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in India to improve monitoring and oversight of listed companies, aiming to protect investors and maintain market integrity. In Stage I, trading is settled on a trade-for-trade basis with a price band of 5 percent or 2 percent. In Stage II, trading occurs on all trading days through periodic call auctions with trade-for-trade settlement and a 2 percent price band. Previously, trading under this stage was limited to once a week. Read here: Small-cap stock below 10: FIIs pick up stake in penny stock during Q4FY24 About the firm Tinna Trade Limited is a company based in New Delhi, India, that trades in agricultural and non-agricultural products. Its agricultural commodities portfolio includes pulses like yellow peas, green peas, chickpeas, lentils, kaspa peas, and toor; grains such as wheat, maize, millet, barley, corn, and sorghum; and oil seeds like rapeseed and soybean. The company also deals in edible oils and protein meals, including soybean meal, rapeseed meal, dorb, guar churi, guar korma, and sunflower meal or pellets. Additionally, Tinna Trade Limited trades in steel abrasives such as steel shots, steel cut wire shots, steel wire scrap or bead wire, and steel grit. Founded in 2009, the company operates as a subsidiary of Tinna Rubber and Infrastructure Limited. Earnings In the December quarter, Tinna Trade reported no net profit/loss as against a net loss of 0.15 crore during the same quarter last year. Meanwhile, its sales declined 39.99 percent to 45.92 crore in the quarter under review versus 76.52 crore during the corresponding quarter last year. Read here: Multibagger Stock: Hitachi Energy records 144% surge in a year, up 1235% from 2020 low Brokerage view According to ICICI Direct, Tinna Trade displays several positive indicators. It shows strong momentum as the stock price is above its short-, medium-, and long-term moving averages. Additionally, the stock reached a new 52-week high today, signaling robust performance. Moreover, the book value per share has been improving over the last two years, suggesting a strengthening financial position. These factors suggest that the stock is positioned for potential continued success in the market. Meanwhile, its weaknesses, as per the brokerage, are: - Red Flag: High interest payments compared to earnings. - Promoter holding decreased by more than -2 percent QoQ. - Declining profits every quarter for the past 2 quarters. Read here: This construction firm's stock skyrocketed over 1390% in 3 years, shot up 3790% in 5 years Investing in shares of small companies with low market capitalisation can offer the potential for significant gains due to their low price, but there are important risks to consider. These stocks often have limited liquidity, which can lead to fewer transactions compared to larger stocks. Additionally, these speculative investments lack the stringent financial reporting and oversight of larger companies, making them susceptible to price manipulation and fraud. As a result, these stocks tend to exhibit high volatility, which increases the risks for investors. Conducting thorough research and implementing effective risk management strategies is crucial for navigating the uncertainties of such stocks and minimising potential losses. Election jitters and uninspiring earnings combined to spook the stock markets on Thursday, sending benchmark indices crashing by the most in more than three months. Amid steep volatility, expiring weekly index options and foreign investor selling, the bellwether Nifty plunged 1.55% to 21,957.5, its biggest single-day fall since 17 January, while the Sensex fell 1.45% or 1,062 points to 72,404.17, its worst since 23 January. Nifty's top five losers alone accounted for almost three-fifths of the indexs 345-point fall. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) net-sold a provisional 6,994.86 crore worth of shares. Correction time The correction may not be over yet, either: huge bearish bets on the Nifty and Bank Nifty futures contracts signal that the decline may extend till the end of the month. The nervousness on the Street was reflected by fear gauge India Vix closing at a 20-month high of 18.2. Also read: Investors take cover ahead of election outcome The broader markets saw worse: Nifty Smallcap 250 fell 2.65% to 15,006.35, while the Nifty Midcap 150 tumbled 1.74% to 18,245.35. Domestic institutional investors net-purchased a provisional 5,642.53 crore, but selling by retail and high-net-worth investors added to the selling pressure. On BSE, this category net-sold shares worth 118.10 crore, while figures on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) were not available. Investors saw their total wealth being eroded by 7.28 trillion. The pullback is because of creeping uncertainty about the victory margin of the incumbent and in-line results amid lofty valuations across many pockets of the market, said Andrew Holland, chief executive of Avendus Capital Public Markets Alternate Strategies. Holland expects the pressure to persist until the votes are counted. However, other analysts expect limited downside for the Nifty, with the index having pulled back 3.7% from its record high of 22,794.7 on 3 May. Also read: April was calm for markets, but don't let that fool you Gaurang Shah, senior vice-president, Geojit Financial Securities expects the market to find support at 21,800. He said short- to medium-term investors should book profits while those in for the long haul should use the correction as a buying opportunity . A correction before the event is good for the markets. I am bullish power, defence, banks, NBFCs (non-banking financial companies) and autos that are good buys, he added. HDFC Bank contributed 60 points of the Niftys fall, L&T 57 points, Reliance Industries 37.5 points, ITC 31.98 points and Asian Paints 14 points. Poll jitters Ajay Bagga, independent market expert, attributed Thursday's fall to no perceptible wave in the elections, a mediocre earnings season, overhang on key sectors like IT and financials, as well as sustained FII outflows. All these have contributed to India Vix shooting up over the last 11 days. The price action has been largely domestic-influenced, while global scenario remains mildly positive. The fall coincided with weekly Nifty options expiry, which saw put writers (bulls) having to cover their short positions, adding to the downward pressure. Also read: When gold prices spiked, investors saw their chance Active Nifty futures contracts expiring on 30 May saw open interest (outstanding positions of traders) rising by 20% to 516,442 contracts, a signal of bearish sentiment. Bank Nifty futures contract expiring on 29 May saw open interest rise 11.04% to 163,124 contracts. Options expiring next Thursday show the market to trend in an immediate 21,830-22,300 level. The Vix, according to Kruti Shah, quant analyst at Equirus, could rise to 21-22% levels as the poll outcome date approaches. She expects 21,700 to be a strong support, for now. (Bloomberg Law) -- Ex-Trump adviser Stephen Millers legal group has sued IBM Corp. subsidiary Red Hat Inc. claiming the companys diversity goals led to the discriminatory treatment and termination of a former White male employee. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in the US District Court for the District of Idaho, America First Legal said that Allan Kingsley Wood, a former senior director at Red Hat, faced race and gender discrimination because of the IBM subsidarys diversity, equity, and inclusion program, which involved setting hiring goals for women and minorities. AFL has filed several lawsuits over corporate DEI-related issues. But the conservative group has more frequently brought its complaints directly to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, submitting over 30 requests for the civil rights agency to investigate high profile corporations DEI programs for bias, including one targeting IBMs diversity work. The EEOC has yet to respond publicly to the groups letters, which generally claim companies DEI efforts discriminate against White and male employees in violation of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Conservative groups have increasingly launched legal attacks on corporate DEI following the US Supreme Courts June 2023 decision curtailing affirmative action in college admissions. Suits have claimed that hiring and recruitment decisions made around both full-time jobs and fellowships at large companies are biased against White workers, but have gained only limited traction in federal courts. Red Hat in 2021 began implementing new diversity requirements, hiring a chief executive officer of DEI to lead these efforts, Wednesdays suit said. AFL claims the company said its DEI initiatives would impact hiring decisions. Wood vocalized his opposition to the companys DEI policies because of his religious, personal and political views and continuously advocated for hiring based on merit and skill rather than other immutable characteristics, AFL said in its complaint. The conservative legal group said Red Hat announced DEI goals that involved quotas, aiming to remake its workforce demographic, seeking to reach 30% women globally and 30% associates of color in the United States by 2028. Two weeks later, Wood was told his role was being eliminated along with 21 other employees, the vast majority of whom were also both White and male, the lawsuit said. The complaint also said that Wood was retaliated against for expressing his beliefs, by cutting short his approved leave under the Family Medical Leave Act to terminate his employment. In its letter to the EEOC in December 2023 and a letter to IBMs board of directors, Millers group cited video footage of IBMs CEO Arvind Krishna and Red Hat CEO Paul Cormier discussing diversity. Krishna says in the video that corporate executives bonuses can be affected if they dont meet DEI goals. Wood is seeking compensation as well as an injunction against Red Hats DEI program. Red Hat didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. To contact the reporter on this story: Riddhi Setty in Washington at rsetty@bloombergindustry.com To contact the editors responsible for this story: Rebekah Mintzer at rmintzer@bloombergindustry.com; Genevieve Douglas at gdouglas@bloomberglaw.com (Updated to add request made to Red Hat for comment on the suit.) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Air India Express employees withdrew an ongoing strike on Thursday evening after the management agreed to reinstate 25 sacked cabin crew members. The airline has cancelled more than 170 flighs since Tuesday night as a section of the cabin crew began reporting sick in order to protest against mismanagement. Earlier in the day, the Tata Group-owned airline had issued termination letters to around 25 cabin crew members currently on strike. The management agreed to reinstate 25 cabin crew who have been terminated on May 7 and May 8 for reporting sick as a concerted action immediately. The management will review the cases of these cabin crew as per service regulations, read an excerpt from the official notice. Representatives of Air India Express Employees Union (affiliated to the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh) held a nearly five-hour-long meeting with the airline management on Thursday. The decision to end the strike and withdraw the termination letters were during the course of the meeting in Delhi. Girish Chandra Arya the All India Secretary of BMS told news agency PTI that there would be a fresh meeting on May 28 after both parties had a chance to discuss the issues. ALSO READ: Air India fires 25 cabin crew members over abrupt mass sick leave: Full text of termination letter An airline spokesperson also urged travellers to check their flight status before departing for the airport amid the extensive disruptions. Passengers who have had flights cancelled or delayed beyond three hours can opt for a full refund or reschedule to a later date without any fees. "We are pleased with the progress we made at the conciliation meeting and welcome our cabin crew colleagues back at work. This will help us swiftly restore our flight schedule and fulfil our commitments to our guests. We sincerely apologise to those inconvenienced by these unintended disruptions. It is not in keeping with our usual service standards, and we will review it internally to ensure accountability, the official said. The Allahabad High Court's Lucknow bench on Wednesday observed that Muslims cannot claim the right to live-in relationship when they are married. The court said that such a relationship is not permitted under the tenets of Islam. The observation was made by the Lucknow bench of Justice AR Masoodi and Justice AK Srivastava while hearing the writ petition of Sneha Devi and Mohammad Shadab Khan, residents of Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh. Sneha and Khan had sought protection from police action under Article 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) after the woman's parents filed a case. They had claimed that they were in a live-in relationship but the woman's family filed an FIR against Khan alleging that he kidnapped their daughter and married her. The petitioners also said they were adults and as per the apex court, they were free to reside together in a live-in relationship. However, during inquiry, the bench got to know that Khan was married to Farida Khatoon in 2020 and the couple had a five-year-old child. According to Live Law, the court also refused to give any relief to petitioners, and directed the investigating officer to escort the girl safely to her parental home and submit a report to the court of her being handed over to her parents. "Islamic tenets do not permit live-in relationships during the subsisting marriage. The position may be different if the two persons are unmarried and the parties being major choose to lead their lives in a way of their own," reported PTI quoting the bench said. The constitutional morality and social morality in the matter of marriage institution requires to be balanced failing which social coherence for achieving the object of peace and tranquility in the society would fade and disappear, Live Law quoted the bench as saying. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), on Thursday, filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court opposing interim bail for Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the Excise Policy Case, reported ANI. Politicians are not entitled to any special status higher than that of an ordinary citizen and are as liable to be arrested and detained for committing offences as any other citizen, said the ED. The probe agency further said that no principle justified giving preferential treatment to a politician for campaigning over a farmer or a businessman pursuing their livelihood. Grant of interim bail merely for political campaigning would militate against and will be discriminatory to the rule of equality as work/business/profession or activity of every citizen is equally important to him or her, reported ANI, quoting ED's affidavit. On May 7, the apex court said that it did not want the Delhi Chief Minister to perform official duties if he was granted interim bail in the case. However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who also appeared for the probe agency in the apex court, vehemently opposed showing any leniency to Kejriwal because of the Lok Sabha 2024 polls. The apex court is likely to hear the matter next week. The probe agency arrested Arvind Kejriwal on March 21 in the Delhi excise policy case. He is currently in judicial custody in Tihar Jail. On April 9, the Delhi High Court had dismissed Kejriwal's plea against his arrest. Subsequently, Kejriwal challenged the HC's judgement. Kejriwal contended that his arrest after the announcement of Lok Sabha was motivated by extraneous considerations. Every Friday, Plain Facts publishes a compilation of data-based insights, complete with easy-to-read charts, to help you delve deeper into the stories reported by Mint in the week gone by. The revenue contributed by an average employee at top software services companies has been consistently falling ever since the covid-19 pandemic ended, with increased hiring and plateauing revenue. And the popularity of Indian gherkins is growing globally owing to its many health benefits. Return on talent The per-employee revenue at leading information technology (IT) services firms has declined steadily since the covid-19 pandemic, a Mint report said. During the pandemic, businesses all over the world rushed to digitise their operations and IT firms hired vigorously to meet the demand. Though the pandemic is now over, many of these new employees are still on the rolls even as revenue growth has stalled since the highs of the pandemic. Quality checks The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)the apex regulatory authority for the pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and cosmetics industries is gradually updating the process of approving pharma exports, Mint reported, quoting unnamed officials. This was in response to concerns from global authorities over the quality and safety of medicines from India. States may now be allowed to issue certificates to pharma companies only if CDSCO officials are involved in joint inspections. Tangy delight $189.08 million: That's the value of gherkinspickled baby cucumbersexported from India in the 10 months to January in FY24, Mint reported. India's gherkins being savoured across Europe and countries such as the US, South Korea and Brazil. As of January, India exported gherkins worth $15.66 million to Germany, the top importer after the US. The growing awareness about the health benefits of this mineral-rich vegetable is said believed to be behind the surge, experts said. India is the world's largest supplier of gherkins, having exported 181,452 tonnes of them to more than 90 countries as of January. Investors choice Domestic mutual funds (MFs) increased their stakes in listed companies to a record high of 8.92% on 31 March, up from 8.81% a quarter ago, data compiled by primeinfobase.com showed. However, the share of foreign institutional investors fell to to 17.68%, its lowest in 11 years. MFs gained for the third consecutive quarter, driven by robust net inflows of 81,539 crore during January-March. The analysis was based on the latest data on shareholding patterns of companies listed on the National Stock Exchange. Services trends The HSBC India Services Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) dropped to 60.8 in April from 61.2 in March, data released by S&P Global showed. In contrast, total sales and output expansion continued to be among the fastest in 14 years. The reading has remained above the 50 mark, which separates expansion from contraction, for 33 months. The April report highlighted that rising wages and increased food prices resulted in higher cost burden for companies, which they partially passed on to customers. Snack time $10 billion: That's the valuation at which private equity firms Blackstone, Temasek Holdings and Bain Capital are evaluating a controlling stake in Haldiram Snacks Food Pvt Ltd (HSFPL), Mint reported, quoting unnamed sources. The investors are looking to buy at least 51% of the sweets-and-savouries maker. The transaction may be one the largest PE deals in India's consumer segment. Last year the Competition Commission of India had approved the merger of Haldiram's Nagpur and Delhi factions. An indelible mark Mysore Paints & Varnish Ltd (MPVL), a public-sector undertaking owned by the Karnataka government, has been the sole supplier of indelible ink to the Election Commission of India ever since it was first used in elections. The tiny PSU was founded in 1937 by Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, maharaja of the kingdom of Mysore. The ink remains its flagship product and accounts for the bulk of its revenue even today. The company sees a jump in revenue every five years, during the Lok Sabha polls, a Mint Long Story explained. Chart of the week: No show The ongoing elections have been marked by slacking voter turnout in the first three phases. In 2019, India had seen its best turnout ever. Yet, a massive 297 million electors had opted not to vote, a figure close to the record set in 2009, a Mint analysis showed. Follow our data stories on the In Charts" and Plain Facts" pages on the Mint website. A chartered flight carrying Indian passengers from Dubai was denied entry at Kingston Airport by the local authorities in Jamaica, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. We are given to understand that a chartered flight from Dubai landed in Jamaica with several Indians onboard. They had prior travel and hotel bookings. However local authorities were not satisfied with their documents. They were sent back to Dubai on 7th May," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. As per media reports, the chartered flight carried nearly 200 Indian passengers for tourism purposes. Despite having prior hotel bookings, Jamaican authorities were not satisfied with their documents and instructed both the flight and passengers to return back to Dubai. Also Read | BJP says it will sail through Haryana crisis: Explaining the confidence in 5 pts The reports further said that the chartered flight left Jamaica shortly before noon on May 7. The Jamaican authorities reported that most of the passengers were Indian nationals, while two were from Uzbekistan and Russia. Earlier in March, some Indian nationals were stuck in Russia amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. The MEA tried very hard with the Russian authorities for the early discharge of the Indian nationals who were stuck there. Also Read | Amit Shah dismisses 'terrorism' charges in Manipur ethnic violence The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had busted a major human trafficking network running across the country targeting Indian nationals on the promise of offering lucrative jobs abroad. The central agency stated that these traffickers have been operating as an organized network and were luring Indian nationals through social media channels like YouTube, etc. and also through their local contacts/agents for highly paid jobs abroad. The Indian Army on Thursday said that three terrorists were killed in an encounter with the security forces in the Redwani Payeen area of Kulgam in Jammu and Kashmir. The Army said that the operation which started on the intervening night of May 6-7, ended after a relentless vigil of approximately 40 hours. "A Joint Operation, that commenced on the intervening night of 6-7 May in general area Redwani Payeen, Kulgam, has been concluded after a relentless vigil of approximately 40 hours. 3 terrorists have been eliminated along with recovery of war-like stores, inflicting yet another hit on the terror ecosystem," said Chinar Corps, Indian Army, in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "The Chinar Corps remains committed to maintaining peace and tranquility in Kashmir," it added. On Tuesday, two terrorists, including wanted terrorist of Lashkar-e-Toiba Basit Dar, were killed in an encounter in the area. The third terrorist was killed in the Redwani Payeen area on Wednesday. The security forces had launched a cordon-and-search operation to trace the gunmen involved in the attack on the convoy of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the Poonch sector on May 4. However, it is not yet known if the terrorists engaging in a firefight with the forces were the ones behind the Poonch attack. A large number of security personnel have also been deployed throughout the Union Territory following the attack. The search operation was intensified from the Surankote to the Jarran Wali Gali areas, as well as in Rajouri. Check-points were also set-up at several main roads. Also Read: Pakistan rakes up Kashmir issue with Iran in meet to repair strained ties months after airstrikes One IAF officer, Vikky Pahade, was killed and four others injured after their convoy was targeted. The injured personnel were evacuated to Udhampur for treatment on IAF choppers. Manipur Ethnic Violence news: Union Home Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Shah, in an interview, dismissed claims that the ethnic violence that broke out in Manipur between Kuki and Meitei communities in May 2023 was terrorism. Amit Shah also stressed that the government would need to resolve 'differences' between two communities through 'dialogue and empathy'. It will be our priority after elections that we hold discussions with both the sides and come up with an amicable solution. The situation in neighbouring Myanmar has added to our problem, but we have taken steps like fencing of the border and regulating the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the India-Myanmar border, Amit Shah said in the interview. Manipur Chief Minister and BJP leader Biren Singh also claimed that the peaceful situation in Manipur had been disrupted by the 'infusion of people from the outside (Myanmar)' and hailed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's decision to remove the FMR. A year after clashes broke out between Kuki Zo and Meitei indigenous communities, Manipur continues to remain on edge with even a minor incident, such as sporadic clashes between volunteer groups, capable of tipping it over. Moreover, the security agencies are yet to recover all the firearms looted during the violence last year that left 200 dead and 60,000 people displaced. The anger and tensions came to a boil on May 3, 2023, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, which led to ethnic clashes between the Meitei and the Kuki communities. The three main ethnic groups in the northeast state have historically clustered in different parts of the state's geographythe Meiteis in the valley, the Kukis in the southern hills, and the Nagas in the northern hills. But there has never been an absolute, hostile segregation of the communitiesuntil last May. The Meiteis population is now concentrated in Imphal Valley, and the Kukis have shifted to the hills. On the national political front, the Congress has charged the ruling BJP in Manipur and Prime Minister Narendra Modi with not doing enough for the strife-torn state. The Grand Old party also accused PM Modi of not visiting Manipur, while Rahul Gandhi began his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Manipur ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024. According to officials, more than 50,000 people live in camps following the unrest. Moosa Zameer, the Foreign Minister of the Maldives, begins his official visit to India today. Zameer arrived on May 8 and said he looks forward to productive discussions and experiencing the vibrant culture of India, ANI reported. Upon his arrival in the national capital, Zameer took to social media site X (formerly known as Twitter), to announce his visit. "Arrived in New Delhi on my first bilateral official visit to India! Looking forward to productive discussions, strengthening ties, and experiencing the vibrant culture of India," he added. India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also welcomed Zameer's bilateral visit on X, writing: Warm welcome to FM @MoosaZameer of Maldives on his official visit to India. Discussions on bilateral & regional issues and seeking ways to provide impetus to our multifaceted relationship lie ahead. Here are the top 10 things to know - Moosa Zameer, the Foreign Minister of Maldives, is currently on an official visit to India. He anticipates fruitful discussions and seeks to experience India's lively culture. - Upon reaching New Delhi on Wednesday, Zameer shared his excitement on X, stating his first official visit to India. He mentioned his eagerness for productive talks, strengthening bonds, and immersing himself in India's vibrant culture. - The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed his arrival, extending a warm welcome via X. It said Zameer's visit aims to discuss bilateral and regional matters with India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. - Moosa Zameer, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives, will be in India on an official visit on May 9, 2024. During his visit to New Delhi, Foreign Minister Zameer will meet the External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar, for discussions on bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest. Foreign Minister Zameer's visit is expected to lend further momentum to the bilateral cooperation between the two countries, MEA statement said. - Maldives' holds significance as India's maritime neighbour, and the visit is expected to bolster bilateral cooperation. - On May 3, India and Maldives held the fourth review meeting of the bilateral High-Level Core Group and discussed the replacement of Indian troops and logistical arrangements. - Both nations expressed satisfaction with the progress of replacing military personnel. The first batch of Indian personnel has already been replaced by technical staff in the Maldives. Both sides noted with satisfaction that the Government of India will replace military personnel at the last of the three aviation platforms by May 10, and all the logistical arrangements are going ahead as per schedule, the MEA statement added. - The fifth meeting of the High-Level Core Group is scheduled to be held in Male in June/July. Mutual agreements between India and Maldives aim to ensure the continued operation of Indian aviation platforms for humanitarian services. - India and the Maldives have so far held four high-level core group meetings. - The removal of Indian troops aligns with the election campaign promises of Maldives' government. Around 70 Indian troops and aircraft are stationed in the Maldives, along with Dornier 228 maritime patrol aircraft and two HAL Dhruv helicopters. In a surprising turn of events, one of the three Sandeshkhali women withdrew the rape charges made against the Trinamool Congress (TMC) men on Wednesday. BJP forced me to sign blank papers and file rape complaint, reported NDTV quoting the woman. They asked for my signature on the pretext of enlisting my name for PMAY. Later, they took me to the police station to lodge a complaint of sexual abuse. There was no sexual assault on me inside the Trinamool office. I was never forced to go to the party office late at night, reported TOI, quoting her. The report stated that the woman has also lodged a fresh complaint at Sandeshkhali police station, citing threats and social ostracism because she decided to withdraw the allegedly false charges of rape. The development comes amid a row over the video of a sting operation that went viral on Saturday, in which a man claimed that the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, was behind the "whole conspiracy". A person, purportedly a BJP Mandal (booth) president named Gangadhar Koyal, is heard saying in the video that no sexual assault took place on the Sandeshkhali women and that they were projected as 'rape' victims at the behest of the Nandigram MLA, reported ANI. Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against Suvendu Adhikari and others over the Sandeshkhali issue. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has claimed that the BJP invented the blatant lies and plotted a conspiracy by giving money to some people to tell lies. While speaking at a rally in Birbhum on Sunday, Banerjee also warned the BJP not to disrespect the mothers of Bengal, as once the self-respect of women is lost, it cannot be regained. West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar has alleged that the video of the 'sting operation' was an attempt by the TMC to suppress the truth. He said the video was fake and suspected that Artificial Intelligence (AI) was used to make it. Questioning the timing of the video's release, Majumdar claimed that the TMC will use it to give a clean chit to its suspended leader, Shahjahan Sheikh. Shahjahan, the key Sandeshkhali accused, is currently behind bars in connection with the attack on a team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) while it was in the process of raiding his residence in connection with the alleged ration scam. Sandeshkhali news: In an unexpected development in the Sandeshkhali case, one of the women who raised land grab and sexual harassment charges against local Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongman Shahjahan Sheikh on Thursday withdrew her complaint against him, saying that no such incidents happened. She reportedly claimed that local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members coerced her into signing a blank paper and approaching the police. The controversy erupted when several women of West Bengal's Sunderban village raised land-grab and sexual harassment charges against local TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh. Sandeshkhali row: What we know so far -Purported videos have emerged showing women claiming that a local BJP leader had forced them to sign blank papers, which were later filled in with rape allegations against TMC leaders. -In one of the videos, a woman says, "We were deceived into signing on blank papers. We discovered later that rape complaints had been lodged in our names. This is a blatant lie." -A video emerged on Saturday, sparking controversy in Sandeshkhali after being broadcast by a local television channel. In the purported footage, an individual identified as Gangadhar Koyal, reportedly a BJP Mandal (booth) president, is heard suggesting that women from Sandeshkhali, who did not experience sexual assault, were labelled as 'rape' victims under the direction of the Leader of the Opposition. -Allegations flew from the TMC camp. TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghosh met the Election Commission of India and complained against the BJP. -"We have written a letter to the Election Commission. We've told them how the Sandeshkhali incident was a conspiracy hatched by the BJP so that false rape statements are given. There were no rapes in Sandeshkhali, it is all a lie." Ghosh told reporters. "The women are now saying that they were given money & taught to say all this. False cases were registered. This is all BJP's conspiracy and it has been done by BJP's senior leader Suvendu Adhikari...We want the Election Commission to interfere in this and give police the instruction to take action against Suvendu Adhikari and detain the people- Gangadhar Koyal, and Shanti Dolui who were visible in the video. We want PM Modi to apologise when he comes to West Bengal..." Ghosh added. -Another alleged Sandeshkhali resident echoed similar sentiments in a separate video, claiming that they have become victims of a scheme orchestrated by BJP leader Piyali Das. -A third woman also levelled the same allegation against BJP leader Piyali Das and said she has tarnished our reputation and inflicted immense suffering upon us. -Sandeshkhali comes under the Basirhat constituency from where the BJP fielded Rekha Patra, a woman of Sandeshkhali who is also an alleged victim. -The riverine area, Sandeshkhali, gained significant attention recently when a group of women staged protests. They accused local TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his associates of sexual assault and land grabbing. -Shahjahan Sheikh, the central figure in the Sandeshkhali controversy, is presently incarcerated for his involvement in an incident where a team from the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) was assaulted during a raid on his residence. This raid was part of an investigation into an alleged ration scam. The Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and senior BJP leader, R Ashoka, Thursday rebuked Congress leader Sam Pitroda for what he termed as racist remarks. Pitroda stirred controversy by comparing Indians from various regions to Chinese, Arabs, Whites, and Africans during an interview with The Statesman, as he discussed diversity and democracy in India. Ashoka said, "This is Congress DNA. He did not say anything about Sonia Gandhi, she came from Italy... This is the mindset of the Congress... The interview published on May 8quoted Sam Pitroda as saying, We have survived 75 years in a very happy environment where people could live together, leaving aside a few fights here and there. We could hold a country together as diverse as India, where people on east look like Chinese, people on West look like Arab, people on North look like white and maybe people on South look like Africans." Also Read | Sam Pitroda Chinese, African remark: DMK says he couldnt explain properly' after PM Modi's cut ties dare Pitroda's comment's evoked sharp reactions from the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking at an election rally, Modi criticised the grand old party and asked the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the key ally of Congress in Tamil Nadu, if it would snap ties with the party. He asked if DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, who speaks of Tamil culture, such a serious allegation has been madewill DMK snap ties with Congress, for Tamil pride and the Tamil people." Do they have the guts?" Modi asked. Also Read | Sam Pitroda steps down as Indian Overseas Congress Chairman as row erupts over his Chinese, African remark Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also criticised Pitroda's "racist" remarks, terming them "reprehensible" and demanded an apology from the Congress party. The UP chief minister alleged that the grand old party was responsible for the partition of the country in 1947. Even after Independence, the party committed the sin of dividing the country along caste, regional and linguistic lines, he added. Also Read | IMD predicts respite from soaring temperatures, says only Rajasthan will... "Sam Pitroda, the advisor and guide of the Congress leadership, espouses the party's historical divide-and-rule tactic. His remarks are reprehensible," PTI quoted Yogi Adityanath as saying. "The Congress must apologise to the nation for Pitroda's comments," he added. New Delhi: Water levels in Indias 150 major reservoirs fell further to 27% of their total storage capacity, with eastern and southern India seeing levels depleting rapidly in the severe heatwave. The falling water reservoir levels coupled with high temperatures may affect sowing of summer crops, according to farm analysts. While 30 reservoirs have 50% of normal water storage capacity, the levels in eastern and southern reservoirs have dropped to as low as 34% and 15%, respectively, as per a bulletin issued by the Central Water Commission (CWC) on Thursday. In a relief, the weather bureau on Thursday said that heat wave conditions are about to end across the country except in two regionsWest Rajasthan and Kerala by the end of this week. Southern shortage Southern states such as Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and eastern states like Bihar and West Bengal have been facing significant shortfalls in water storage. Also read | Reservoir levels fall further to 31% of total storage capacity The depleting water level could be attributed to lower rainfall and a scorching summer caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon (which ended on 16 April as per the Australian Bureau of Meteorology), leading to water scarcity in some regions, besides droughts and prolonged dry periods across Asia. As many as 22 states in the country have witnessed rain deficiency or no rainfall since March. The country has received 16% below-normal rainfall since March, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD). According to data from the CWC, the available water level this week in these reservoirs was 47.658 billion cubic metres (BCM), 20.7% lower than the corresponding period last year when it was 60.141 BCM and nearly 7.7% lower than the average of last 10 years (51.655 BCM). Also read | Falling reservoir levels bode ill for hydro power generation this summer The live storage available in 150 reservoirs as of Thursday was 79% of the live storage of the corresponding period of the previous year and 92% of storage of average of the past 10 years. Mercury rising The weather bureau last month warned that most regions of the country will witness above-normal temperatures during April-June. This prediction, coupled with drying water reservoirs, has prompted agriculture economists to warn of an adverse impact on the current rabi crop, especially in southern regions, as well as summer crops in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Currently, temperatures are hovering in the range of 43-46 degree celsius, with Barmer in West Rajasthan recording the higest of 46 degree Celsius on Wednesday. Also read | Reservoir levels dip amid weak rain, raises concerns India will likely receive above-normal monsoon rainfall at 106% of long-period average (87 cm) this year with the El Nino weather phenomenon turning neutral, and benign La Nina conditions setting in by August-September, the IMD predicted. Also read | Dip in reservoir levels, El Nino forecast fuel winter crop concerns Due to El Nino, Indias foodgrain production is estimated to be 6.1% lower in e 2023-24 crop year (July-June) at 309 million tonnes, according to the second advance estimates issued by the agriculture and farmers welfare ministry in February. In the near term, owing to a prediction of high temperatures, sowing of summer crops-- cereals bajra, maize, moong, cucurbits and melons are expected to be negatively impacted following lower reservoir levels across key states like UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, AP, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, said Pushan Sharma, Director-Research, CRISIL Market Intelligence and Analytics. Set to stabilize In the case of Kharif crops, CRISIL expects paddy and pulses acreages may revive to normal if the southwest monsoon is above normal. However, timely onset, spatial, and temporal distribution of rainfall remains a key aspect to monitor. Pulse crops have a comparatively limited sowing window beyond which, it gets difficult for the crop to establish, therefore, if the southwest monsoon begins on time, pulse acreages may significantly improve which may stabilize the pulse prices in the medium term. Also read | The acreage under maize and oilseeds may witness a decline if the rainfall is higher as a crop shift towards more remunerative crops like paddy and pulses is expected. Cash crops like sugarcane, cotton, and jute acreages are likely to fall owing to an expected hot summer when typically, the sowing starts for these crops, Sharma added. The situation in southern regions is worrying as the storage in the 42 reservoirs dropped to 15% of the 53.334 BCM capacity at 7.921 BCM. During the same period a year ago, the level was 27% of the capacity and 21% of the 10 year average, as per the CWCs latest bulletin issued on Thursday. Falling levels As far as the eastern region is concerned, the water level in 23 reservoirs across Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Tripura, Nagaland and Bihar fell further to 6.952 BCM, 34% of total live storage capacity of 20.430 BCM, while that of 49 reservoirs in the western region was down to 10.339 BCM, 28% of total live storage capacity of f 37.130 BCM. Also read | Reservoir levels not alarming; Jal Jeevan on track: Jal Shakti minister The available water level in key reservoirs of east India a year ago was 31% and the average storage of the last ten years during corresponding period was 34.2%. The water level in west Indian reservoirs last year during the same time was 34% and average storage for the last ten years during corresponding period was 29% of live storage capacity. Water availability in the 26 reservoirs of the central region was at 16.687 BCM, 35% of the total live storage capacity of 48.227 BCM. The storage during the corresponding period of last year was 41% and average storage of the last ten years during the corresponding period was 33%. Kate Middleton's cancer diagnosis news has badly affected estranged British royal Prince Harry, who recently arrived in London without his wife Meghan Markle. Once close to the Princess of Wales, Prince Harry was hit hard by the cancer diagnosis of Catherine, and would love to reconnect with her, reported Fox News citing the author of The King, Christopher Andersen. However, it is unlikely that he will meet Middleton as Prince William is not willing to let his brother anywhere near his ailing wife. Kate Middleton and Prince Harry used to share a close bond before the royal family drama. Harry was left shocked after he got to know about Middleton's cancer diagnosis the way the rest of the world received the news, via Kate's shocking video. "They (Harry and Kate) were once extremely close, and Harry was hit hard by the news of her cancer diagnosis, which he learned about just the way the rest of us did, via Kate's shocking video," Fox News quoted Christopher Andersen. According to a Fox News report, Andersen said that there has been a lot of drama between the brothers and their wives and there is "lingering bitterness on everyone's part." Hence there are very few chances of a meeting between Harry and the royal family, said Andersen. Cancer diagnosis of Kate Middleton tnemtaerKate Middleton's seclusion from public spheres erupted in several theories and speculation about the Princess of Wales. The controversy forced Kate Middleton to come forward and disclose her cancer treatment. Middleton released a video on March 22, talking about her cancer treatment. In her video, Middleton said that her cancer was in the early stages of chemotherapy. After informing them about her health, Kate asked for some time, space and privacy during her cancer treatment. Although she did not disclose the nature of her cancer she explained that she got to know about her health after she underwent surgery earlier in the year. An Indian student from Telangana has been reported missing in Chicago since May 2. The 25-year-old Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi, studying for a master's degree at Concordia University, Wisconsin, has not been in contact since May 2, according to the Consulate of India in Chicago. Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi has been missing from the 4300 block of N. Sheridan Rd, the Chicago Police said in a statement. The Consulate General of India in Chicago said it contacted the police and Indian diaspora to locate/reestablish contact with Rupesh. The Consulate is deeply concerned learning that Indian student Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi has been incommunicado since 2nd May. The consulate is in touch with the police and the Indian diaspora hoping to locate/reestablish contact with Rupesh. @IndianEmbassyUS @MEAIndia, the Consulate posted on X. In a letter to Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, Sadanandam appealed for assistance in locating his missing son. Kishan Reddy, the Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Development of the North Eastern Region, Government of India, wrote to the Ministry of External Affairs on May 8, requesting that the Consulate General of India (CGI) in Chicago aid in tracing Rupesh, who has been missing @DrSJaishankar, @kishanreddybjp, Sir please speak to concern Chicago police Department about the missing of Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi. Please its my humble request, he wrote in a post on X. According to a report by Times of India, the student's father, Ch. Sadanandam, a resident of Hanamkonda district, mentioned that he last spoke with his son via WhatsApp on the afternoon of May 2. He replied he was doing some work. Later on, I could not contact him, and he is offline, Sadanandam said. Earlier in April, a 25-year-old Indian student who had been missing since March was found dead in Cleveland, USA. Mohammad Abdul Arfath, from Nacharam, Hyderabad, arrived in the US in May last year to pursue a master's degree in IT from Cleveland University. In March, Amarnath Ghosh, a 34-year-old classical dancer from India, was shot and killed in St. Louis, Missouri. Sameer Kamath, a 23-year-old Indian-American student at Purdue University, was found dead in an Indiana nature reserve on February 5. On February 2, Vivek Taneja, a 41-year-old Indian-origin IT executive, suffered life-threatening injuries during an attack outside a Washington restaurant. In January, Akul Dhawan, an 18-year-old University of Illinois student, was discovered unresponsive outside a campus building. Investigations revealed that his death was due to hypothermia, with authorities indicating that acute alcohol intoxication and extended exposure to extreme cold were significant factors. A video of two passengers onboard a flight engaging in a heated argument has gone viral on social media. The passengers of a San Francisco-bound EVA Air flight from Taiwan reportedly argued over a seat. Hours after the 11.5-hour flight departed from Taiwan, two passengers were seen quarreling over a seating arrangement. The altercation ensued after one passenger opted to occupy what they believed to be an unoccupied seat. Reports indicate that the passenger decided to relocate due to concerns about their neighboring traveller's coughing. Upon returning to find the other passenger in his seat, the original seat owner became furious and attempted to hit him. This escalated into a physical altercation between the two passengers. Also read: Chaos at Delhi Airport after Air India Express cancels 70 flights; check why air travel is affected In the viral video, flight attendants try to calm the two enraged passengers. One of the crew members was also seen getting hit in the process of trying to keep the two passengers from throwing punches at each other. Terrified passengers on the flight can be heard screaming in the background of the viral video as the two enraged men continue to struggle and fight in the aisle, exchanging punches. Also read: New Delhi-bound Vistara flight makes emergency landing at Bhubaneswar airport, passengers safe The episode lasted for some time until a group of individuals could intervene to assist the staff in keeping the two separate. The date and time of the incident remain unknown, though it is believed to have occurred on Tuesday. The video is currently circulating on social media. Netizens were all praises for the flight attendants for their quick intervention and wondered if the passengers faced any punishment for their actions. Also read: 'Well done Emirates': Indian father left concerned 'not for a moment' as teenage daughter misses flight; here's why Hats off to the flight attendants professionalism and quick intervention. Wonder if any punishment was handed to these passengers? one user commented. Crew did a commendable job. Good going girls, you are true fighters, stay blessed, another added. President Joe Bidens decision to hold off supplying about 3,500 bombs to Israel was the culmination of months of rising frustration over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus conduct of the war in Gaza and his administration may not be done yet. The US acknowledged this week that it had halted the shipment, which including 2,000-pound explosives that could cause massive collateral damage in the densely packed southern Gaza city of Rafah, which Israel has said its determined to invade. It marked the Biden administrations most serious signal of displeasure over the conduct of the ongoing war against Hamas. On Wednesday, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the US is reviewing other potential weapon systems if needed. A congressional aide and an administration official, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations, said another pending arms sale has been under review for months a potential $260 million sale between Boeing Co. and Israel for as many as 6,500 tail-kits to convert unguided bombs into GPS-guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions. Yet even as tension mounts, Biden administration officials and former officials said the moves had a clearly defined goal: exert as much pressure as possible on Israel to scale back or abandon an invasion of Rafah while being careful not to make a total break with Netanyahus government. The administration also wants to preserve space for negotiators who have convened in Cairo this week to keep striving for a cease-fire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. Officials in those talks include Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns, who is trying to bring home a deal whose prospects have whipsawed between hopeful and grim. The pause in arms shipments should not be read as a major break in the relationship, said Mara Rudman, who held senior Middle East diplomatic roles in the Obama and Clinton administrations and is now a professor at the University of Virginia. Consider it as an element in the mix at a key inflection point maximizing efforts to reach a cease-fire that brings out hostages, brings in humanitarian relief and starts to build a pathway to greater sanity all around. It all comes at a critical juncture in the seven-month old conflict. Biden is facing domestic pressure for a solution with US elections just six months away. At the same time, Israel has begun strikes in Rafah that could either pressure Hamas leaders into signing a cease-fire deal or scuttle the negotiations entirely. Read More: US Arms Delay to Israel Brings Anxiety and Talk of Self-Reliance Bidens decision on the arms supplies marks one of the most significant moments of discord between Israel and its most important ally since Hamass Oct. 7 assault, which started the war. Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the US, killed 1,200 people and abducted about 250 when its fighters stormed into southern Israel from Gaza. The US has stepped up its criticism of Israel in recent months, saying its not doing enough to protect civilians and allow aid into the besieged Palestinian territory, parts of which the United Nations says are on the verge of famine. There have been far too many casualties in this battle space, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in congressional testimony Wednesday. Israels bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza have killed almost 35,000 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Bidens decision was immediately assailed by the Israelis, who privately expressed deep frustration to the US and warned that it could jeopardize the negotiations at a crucial moment, according to a person briefed on the discussions. The Israelis also told US officials that pressure should be put on Hamas, not on Israel, said the person, who also asked not to be named to speak freely about private discussions. It was also assailed by Republican lawmakers in Washington, who accused the administration of sending the wrong message to Hamas and other Iran-backed militant groups such as Hezbollah. The pauses call into question your pledge that your commitment to Israels security will remain ironclad, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a joint letter to Biden Wednesday. Daylight between the United States and Israel at this dangerous time risks emboldening Israels enemies and undermining the trust that other allies and partners have in the United States. While the administration has warned against a large-scale Israeli move on Rafah, where there are intact battalions of Hamas fighters, US officials have signaled they would accept a more surgical, targeted campaign. Biden told Netanyahu last month, following the killing of World Central Kitchen aid workers in an Israeli strike, that ongoing US support for the war would depend on new steps to protect civilians. The US also stopped far short of halting all military aid to Israel. The US recently signed a foreign-aid package that contains billions of dollars of fresh assistance for Israel. The paused bomb shipment isnt connected to those funds, Austin said. Arms transfers that are under review were drawn from previously appropriated money, and the White House is committed to ensuring Israel gets all the new national security aid, he said. While the administrations actions this week might represent the toughest US stance on Israels behavior so far, its still been handled in a way that shows both sides want to keep the relationship on solid ground, according to Gerald Feierstein, a veteran US diplomat whos now a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. At the same time, he said, other developments could further strain the US-Israel relationship, including a government memorandum due this week that outlines whether the US believes Israel violated international humanitarian law in Gaza. We still see the administration not being willing to risk an open break or an open confrontation with the Israelis, he said. A lot of it just depends on how things play out in Rafah and whether it gets worse. With assistance from Tony Capaccio and Erik Wasson. One of the suspects in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, has said in a social media video that he entered Canada on a 'study permit' which only took him days to obtain, Canada-based global news reported. The accused, Karan Brar, in a video posted online in 2019, said he applied for a student visa through EthicWorks Immigration Services in Bathinda, in the Indian state of Punjab. He said he received his study visa days later, according to a translation of his Punjabi-language statement, as per Global News. The promotional video and a picture of Brar, who the firm claimed was from Kotkapura, a city north of Bathinda, were uploaded on EthicWorks' Facebook page. "Congratulations Karan Brar for the Canada study visa," the caption below the video read. "One more happy client from Kotkapura," reported Global News. Immigration Minister Marc Miller has declined to answer questions about how the suspects came to Canada, but online posts indicate that Brar arrived on a student permit three years before the killing. According to another Facebook page purportedly owned by Brar, he moved to Edmonton on May 4, 2020, after starting his studies at Bow Valley College in Calgary on April 30, 2020, Global News reported. However, questions concerning the subject have not yet received a response from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Brar, 22, Karanpreet Singh, 28, and Kamalpreet Singh, 22, were all taken into custody in Edmonton on Friday. They are accused of murder and conspiracy; they appeared in court in Surrey, British Columbia on Tuesday. Members of the Sikh Community from British Columbia crowded a Surrey courtroom on Tuesday as three Indian nationals accused of Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing made their first court appearance by video, according to Globe and Mail, a Canada-based news website. As the trio, dressed in orange jumpsuits, appeared before court, pro-Khalistani protesters chanted slogans and held placards, outside the Surrey provincial court, blaming India's government for the killing. The three men were taken into custody in Edmonton last week on Friday and are accused of first-degree murder and murderous conspiracy in connection with the June 2023 shooting of Nijjar, which severely damaged Canada's relations with India. Notably, ties between India and Canada have been strained after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused agents of the Indian government of killing Nijjar. However, India has dismissed the accusations as "absurd" and "motivated". Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by India's National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot and killed as he came out of a Gurdwara in Surrey in June last year. The video of his killing that reportedly surfaced in March this year showed Nijjar being shot by armed men in what has been described as a "contract killing." Last week, Canadian police released photographs of all three persons arrested in the killing of India-designated terrorist, Nijjar last year amid an ongoing probe into alleged connections of the Indian government. Along with photographs of the three accused, the Canadian police also released the photographs of the car believed to have been used by the suspects in the time leading up to the homicide, in and around the Surrey area. An interpreter for Major League Baseball star Shohei Ohtani has agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges after secretly transferring about $17 million from the pitchers account to pay off his gambling debt. Ippei Mizuhara incurred the debt through an illegal bookmaking operation, which Ohtani had no knowledge of, the US Justice Department said Wednesday. Mizuhara is expected to plead guilty to bank fraud and filing a false tax return in the coming weeks. He took advantage of his position of trust to take advantage of Mr. Ohtani and fuel a dangerous gambling habit, Martin Estrada, the US Attorney for the Central District of California, said in a statement. The plea agreement comes as Ohtani, a rare combination of pitcher and hitter who signed a record $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December, has become a symbol of MLBs efforts to expand its brand worldwide. The Japanese wunderkid, who is now a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, began playing in California in 2018 and relied on Mizuhara to act as his translator as his US career took off. Mizuhara, who was charged in April, was not only the 29-year-olds interpreter but also a close friend and de facto manager, according to federal prosecutors. Details of Mizuharas fraud were outlined on Wednesday as the Justice Department announced his plan to plead guilty. Mizuhara gained access to Ohtanis bank account after helping him open an account at a branch in Phoenix in 2018. Mizuhara began placing bets with an illegal bookmaker from September 2021. Saddled with debt, he used Ohtanis bank login details over the next two and a half years to gain unfettered access to his salary. He also changed the security protocols on Ohtanis account so the bank would call Mizuhara to verify any wire transfers, according to prosecutors. The government says the interpreter siphoned almost $17 million from Ohtanis accounts. He faces more than 30 years in prison. Swiss maker Victorinox has announced a significant change to the iconic Swiss Army Knife. The renowned multi-tool, known for its versatility and functionality, is undergoing a transformation that will see a key feature excluded: the blade. We are in the early stages of developing pocket tools without blades, CNN quoted a Victorinox spokesperson as saying. Also Read: Tesla lays off over 16,000 employees; many face H-1B visa deadline: 'Feels like a bad dream The company believes the new innovation will complement the existing ones. The spokesperson said, With innovation at the core of our brand, we are constantly listening to our consumers and their needs; and acknowledge that there is an appetite for the functionality, versatility, and craftsmanship the Swiss Army Knife is known for in more specialized fields and situations." In 2012, the CEO of Victorinox, Carl Elsener Jr., told CNN that a strong franc reduced the company's profits, making it necessary for the company to be more innovative than its global competitors. For the latest innovation, the company hasn't given a specific release date for the product yet. Also Read: Akshaya Tritiya 2024: Why people buy gold on the auspicious day The new development comes as Elsener Jr. has expressed concerns about stricter regulations against knives. Elsener during an interview with Swiss media outlet, Blick, said that in some countries, knives are viewed more as weapons than tools. He spoke about countries like England or certain Asian countries, where people are allowed to carry a knife only if they need it to do their job or operate outdoors. He also mentioned that pocket knives are severely restricted in schools, shopping malls, and cinemas. Elsener on Swiss pocket knife Our pocket knife gives people peace of mind. Those who have it with them are always well-prepared for everyday challenges. We have so far produced 500 million pocket knives and sold them all over the world, Elsener told the publication. With Indian savings a key source of funds for the economy, a drop in the sums that households have been setting aside has evoked concern. This could mean a smaller pool of money available for the economys use. It may also suggest that home budgets have been stretched. A closer look at the latest official data, however, reveals why a wider lens is needed to grasp whats going on. But first, the number that made people sit up. Net household savings have fallen to a five-year low of 14.2 trillion in 2022-23 from a peak of 23.3 trillion in 2020-21. Thats a drop of more than 9 trillion, or almost 40%, in a brief period. Since household savings make up more than half of Indias gross savings, such a dip could imply less resources for banks to lend and fuel economic growth. The overall savings of Indian homes, including non-financial, shrank as a proportion of GDP in 2022-23 from its covid swell of 2020-21, when this reading went above its post-1991 average. While more savings would certainly serve us better, the recent drop in net financial savings, the number that has caught attention, can by and large be explained by covid constraints followed by a boom in both credit offtake and home-buying that traced Indias recovery from the covid years shock. Indeed, as net here means net of loans, we should also look at the latter. The net figure, it turns out, dropped so low because household liabilities rose steeplyto 15.6 trillion in 2022-23 from 7.4 trillion two years earlier. This is consistent with a surge in retail lending reported by lenders. Alongside, savings in physical assets grew by an impressive 13.4 trillion over that period to 34.8 trillion. Broadly, then, the main story has been of loans taken and property acquired once we exited the pandemic and emerged from the GDP crater of 2020-21. Of course, some of the extra debt that homes took on was for consumption. But so long as the bulk of bank advances went into physical assets that retain and rise in market value (such as real estate), we could assume that enlarged credit was prudently deployed for the most part. Net savings in decline for big-ticket buys are not a reason for worry. Unless asset deflation were to somehow ensue, it means peoples holdings have enlarged. Another observed aspect of Indias recovery was a massive turn by households towards equity and other paper assets. Explosive growth was seen in demat accounts and multitudes of new investors got signed up by mutual funds (MFs). According to official data, household MF investments almost trebled to 1.79 trillion in 2022-23 from 64,084 crore in 2020-21; in debentures, they nearly doubled to 2.06 trillion. Since these, together with directly bought shares, are also recorded as part of our financial savings by the official reckoner, perhaps the net figure for 2022-23 should have been brighter. But then again, since the market value of such holdings tends to vary frequently and vastly, the numbers on record may understate what households actually have at their disposal. Also, more savings mobilized by capital markets is good for the economy. Its a welcome sign that risk aversion vis-a-vis equity investments has been fading away. Since many investors are new to stock markets and have seen bull runs but no bear phases, however, regulators must keep a vigil on froth. Bank balances have been slow to recover, as the net savings fall suggests, but a flight to safety set off by stock-market volatility wont help. Republican-led states keep finding ways to challenge the authority of the federal government on anything that doesnt line up with their conservative worldview. This time, the target is a new law that requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant employees. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act was a decade in the making, with the modest goal of ensuring that pregnant employees are given reasonable accommodations to deal with things such as morning sickness, doctor-prescribed bed-rest, or weight-carrying limits for jobs with physical requirements. In creating the rules that define the law, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission decided, quite logically, that abortion qualifies as such a condition. In practice, that means an employer would be required to allow an employee time off to obtain an abortion. That set off a firestorm among Republican attorneys general in 17 states, who filed a lawsuit to block the rule, incensed at the idea that an employer would have to accommodate leave for a procedure they might personally oppose. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Arkansas, claims that the EEOC rule, which takes effect in mid-June, is illegal and goes beyond the intended scope of the 2022 lawwhich passed with broad bipartisan support. Never mind that these same attorneys general preside over some of the most draconian and restrictive abortion laws in the country, forcing women to travel out of state for needed reproductive care. Never mind that an employer has no business passing judgement on how an employee decides to deal with a medical issue. There are all kinds of reasons a woman might choose to, or even need to, terminate a pregnancynot even one of which should she have to disclose to her boss. A conservative majority on the US Supreme Court already gave states the ability to pass abortion curbs unseen in Arizona since the late 1800s. But thats not enough for these AGs. They want to block any employer in any state from having to comply with these basic protections, even states that have chosen to protect reproductive rights. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, who together with Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is leading the coalition that filed the suit, said in a statement that the rule is yet another attempt by the Biden administration to force through administrative fiat what it cannot get passed through Congress. Under this radical interpretation of the PWFA, business owners will face federal lawsuits if they dont accommodate employees abortions, even if those abortions are illegal under state law," Griffin said. Thats an artful characterization, since one states laws on abortion should have little bearing on someone who seeks an abortion in a state where the procedure is legal. And yes, under the new law, an employer might indeed face a lawsuit if a reasonable accommodation is denied. Thats precisely the point, and if anything, demonstrates the need for such workplace protections. If employers can deny accommodation because they oppose abortion, what else might they deny based on personal beliefs? Time off to recover from a miscarriage? Fertility treatments that might result in extra embryos? Exactly how much control must an employer have over workers? Not too long ago, women in America could be fired just for getting pregnant. Thats how the 1978 federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act came into being. That law, however, left loopholes for employers to discriminate against pregnant employees. Now women must contend with being penalized at work because they choose not to be pregnant. To be clear, the EEOC isnt requiring employers to provide paid time offjust time off. The agency is protecting the right of pregnant workers to seek their own care, regardless of their bosses political or religious beliefs. And the need is obvious. According to the EEOC, about a third of the more than 2,000 pregnancy discrimination complaints filed in 2023 stemmed from an employer declining to provide reasonable accommodations. Federal laws and rules exist partly to ensure that Americans have certain base freedoms no matter what state they live in. A war was fought over that principle. These Republican-led states are loath to recognize federal authority on any issue that runs afoul of their conservative crusade. They seem bent on imposing their will on states even beyond their borders. Apart from Arkansas and Tennessee, attorneys general in the coalition include those from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia. They are trying to impose their social mores on the rest of us under the guise of [federalism] and protecting employers. bloomberg In February 2024, stock prices in three continents hit new highs in a rally that should be of interest to linguists, philologists and others who study languages. Just about 15-18 months ago, Web3, comprising blockchain and crypto technology, was touted as the future and had the attention of venture capitalistsuntil Generative AI crashed the party. This wave saw Nvidias shares soar, as it is a key supplier of chips needed for advanced AI processing. But what does linguistics have to do with all this? From the dawn of civilization, every major leap in language processingwhether its printing, transmitting, recording or retrieving informationhas significantly altered our world. In modern history, it starts with Gutenbergs printing press, which accelerated information dissemination. In the 19th century, we deciphered the Rosetta Stone written in Egyptian hieroglyphics to understand an entire civilization. By century end, we got functional radio and telephone technology, which laid the foundation of the communications we take for granted today. From pigeon mail, this was quite a leap. Think also of Edisons phonograph, which recorded and replayed Mary Had a Little Lamb, marking another advancement. Similarly, Alan Turings decryption of Germanys Enigma code during World War II was a linguistic feat as much as a mathematical one. The birth of modern computer science was greatly influenced by linguistics and philology. In the 1950s, Noam Chomsky coined the phrase Colourless green ideas sleep furiously" to illustrate the difference between syntax and semantics, challenging the then-dominant statistical approaches to grammar. Notable linguists since, like Leonard Bloomfield and Charles Hockett, have agreed with, refuted and appended the legacy approach to understanding the syntactic structure of languages, a discussion that paved the way for the Cognitive Revolution, integrating psychology, linguistics, computer science, anthropology, neuroscience and philosophy. At a Dartmouth conference in 1956 which sought to explore how to make machines use language, form abstractions and concepts, solve kinds of problems now reserved for humans, and improve themselves," John McCarthy introduced the term artificial intelligence. Fast forward about 65 years, past the manned moon landing, rise of the internet and robotic rovers on Mars, and we saw ChatGPT emerge in November 2022. The task of getting AI tools to write an essay about an imaginary island or create an image of a puppy juxtaposed with a teddy bear has taken longer than putting a man on the moon. The challenge has always rested with making computers understand human languages, context, hidden structures, surface structures and nuances. With advances in Natural Language Processing (NLP), we got an Apple Siri as far back as 2011, and then Amazons Alexa in 2014. They were reasonably capable of understanding the intent behind spoken languages, but they couldnt imagine, articulate or reason (its simulation at least) until now. We have used NLP in various forms for years. Think of voice search, autocorrect, grammar checks and predictive text, apart from the suggestions of websites. From helping us become more productive to making us squirm over autocorrect errors, language technologies have already impacted us. These have favoured English, mostly, amplifying its dominance and affecting our careers as well as national economies. In 1973, a 16-year-old boy from Kyushu in Japan took a flight to Tokyo to meet his idol, Den Fujita, then president of McDonalds, who advised him to learn English and computer science. So he moved to California and built a first-of-its-kind electronic translator with some help from his professors and sold it to Sharp for $1.7 million. This was the founding capital for what would come to be known as Softbank. That kid was Masayoshi Son. By 1999, Son would invest $20 million in the e-commerce venture of a self-taught English teacher and translator turned dotcom entrepreneur from Hangzhou in China. This investments value would balloon to about $108 billion by 2018. The English translator-turned-entrepreneur was Jack Ma, founder of AliBaba. Both Ma and Son have publicly attributed their success to learning the lingua franca of the business world. English dominates the digital realm, dictating who participates in globalization and who remains on the periphery. Consider the business processing outsourcing sector. India had a head-start as early as in the late 80s, but we conceded it to the Philippines by 2010. Industry experts reckon that the cost of running a call centre is similar in both nations, but according to the English Proficiency Index (EPI), India ranks No. 60, while the Philippines is No. 20. In 2017, I saw two major instances of how English enables access to the globalized world. The first was in Kazakhstan (EPI rank No. 104), which held a hackathon to find ways to enhance English literacy and adoption among its people to enable them to participate in globalization. The second was in Indonesia (EPI rank No. 79), where I learnt software engineers have poor job prospects beyond its four local unicorns, attributable to their poor English skills. Whether by design or default, Englishs ascendancy in technology continues to reshape the world and influence cultures globally. This is a testament to the enduring impact of language technologies. Lok Sabha MP and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Navneet Rana reiterated her veiled threat against All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi. We are committed to giving a reply to those who are working for Pakistan in India, she said. The latest war of words came after BJP leader Navneet Rana launched a scathing attack on AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and his brother Akbaruddin Owaisi, saying that if police were removed from duty for 15 seconds, the brothers would not know from where they came and where they went. "The younger one (Akbarauddin) says remove the police for 15 minutes and we will show what we can do. Let me tell the younger one, you will take 15 minutes; it will be only 15 seconds for us. If you remove police for 15 seconds, you won't know where you came from and where you went away," said Rana. The threats were made on Wednesday, when Navneet Rana was campaigning in support of the BJP's Hyderabad candidate, K Madhavi Latha. On Thursday, while reiterating her stance, Navneet Rana said, I always stand by my statement. I am not afraid of anyone. If they will take 15 minutes, we will take 15 seconds.... Navneet Rana's blistering attack came in response to a 2013 controversial speech by AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi in which he said it would take them only "15 minutes" to balance the "Hindu-Muslim ratio" in the country if the police were removed. After Navneet Rana's threats were publicised, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi retorted, "I tell Modi ji - give her 15 seconds. What will you do?... Give her 15 seconds, give her 1 hour. We, too, want to see if you have any humanity left in you. Who is scared? We are ready...If someone is making an open call for it, then so be it," said Owaisi while speaking to the media. Tell us where we have to come, we will be there. Do it," said the AIMIM chief, adding, PM is yours, RSS is yours, everything is yours. Do it. Who is stopping you." On Navneet Rana's reported comments that a vote to AIMIM would go to Pakistan, Owaisi said the RSS and the BJP have hatred towards the country's diversity and pluralism. The RSS ideology should be defeated, he said. Owaisi said that PM Modi had suddenly landed in Pakistan from Afghanistan, and reached former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's residence in 2014. "What was it?" he asked. When told that the controversy started with comments about '15 minutes' by his brother Akbaruddin, he said the matter was decided in court. "We are saying you do it. Why do you say? We are sitting here. Do it. We are saying do it. You have to do it," he said, further emphasising his point. Chinese leader Xi Jinping extended his tour of Europe with stops in Serbia and Hungary, the two countries on the continent that have embraced Moscow and Beijing most warmly and challenged a U.S.-led world order. In Serbia on Wednesday, Xi was greeted on the tarmac by President Aleksandar Vucic and entered Belgrades city center decorated with a panoply of Chinese flags flanking the main roads. Following talks with Xi, Vucic praised what he called the Chinese leaders teachings and took pride in saying he had invited him to visit more times than any other world leader. Serbia has been a haven of pro-Chinese sentiment at a time when Beijing is facing headwinds in Europe, including criticism of its support for Russia following the invasion of Ukraine and trade practices that have undermined Europes critical industries. Hungary, where the Chinese leader arrived late Wednesday, is poised to outdo Serbias fanfare as both vie for Chinese investments to boost their modest economies. Xi arrived in Serbia on the symbolically important 25th anniversary of bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade by North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces, during the Atlantic blocs 2-month bombing campaign on Serbia. The midnight bombing of the embassy, which Washington at the time said was a mistake, killed three Chinese citizens and sparked riots in Beijing. Since then, Beijing has held out the strike to criticize the alliance, using it as Exhibit A to imply that NATO is responsible for provoking Russia into a war in Ukraine. Chinese-Serbian friendship has been forged through our extraordinary fight together to promote world peace and development and forged with the blood and lives of our two people," Xi said at a signing ceremony for bilateral agreements that spanned cultural and scientific exchanges as well as a free-trade agreement on some agricultural goods. Xi didnt make a publicized visit to the embassy, unlike the last time he was in Serbia when he laid a wreath at the compound. In a letter in Serbian newspaper Politika, he condemned the flagrant" strike, writing, the Chinese people cherish peace, but we will never allow such tragic history to repeat itself." Vucic called tensions between Taiwan and China an internal issue, reiterating his support for Beijings One China policy, which holds that Taiwan is part of China. The Serbian leader sought to draw parallels with Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008 but is still claimed by Serbia. Xis stop in Serbia comes after a two-day visit in France, where the Chinese leader and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed Ukraine and trade. The two also jointly expressed support for the idea of a truce during the Summer Olympics, which will be held in Paris this year. In Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orban is expected to showcase his efforts to attract Chinese investment despite Washingtons efforts to curb Beijings ties more broadly in Europe. Orban was the first European Union leader to sign a Belt and Road contract with China, and the scope of the relationship has ballooned in recent years with more than $16 billion dollars of continuing investment projects in Hungary. China-based Contemporary Amperex Technology is building a $7.8 billion electric-vehicle battery plant in Hungary. BYD, Chinas top-selling electric-vehicle maker, is likewise building a manufacturing plant in Hungarys southern city of Szeged. China watchers say another plant may be on the table for Xis visit on Thursday and Friday. Orban has given China a place inside the central European automotive-supply chain while throwing his weight behind Beijing-led construction on a rail link meant to connect Hungary and the Serbian capital, Belgrade, easing the transport of goods to the heart of Europe. Orban is putting his bets on China, it has been very clear that the government wants to turn the country into a logistical hub," said Tamas Matura, a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis. They also believe in manufacturing, industry and the re-industrialization of the country, which the Chinese are only too happy to help with." Write to Thomas Grove at thomas.grove@wsj.com Haryana News: Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader Dushyant Chautala has written to Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya seeking a floor test. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Nayab Singh Saini lost the majority claim in the state Assembly after three independent MLAs withdrew support. Nayab Singh Saini was inducted as the Chief Minister of Haryana after BJP leader Manohar Lal Khattar resigned from the post and as an MLA in March this year. Former allies JJP and BJP fell out after they could not successfully conclude a seat-sharing agreement for the Lok Sabha Elections. Dushyant Chautala, a key player in the political dynamics, expressed in an interview with Indian Express that he and the party would support Congress and the Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda if they moved to topple the government. In the interview, Chautala noted that Hooda, the Leader of Opposition in the Haryana Assembly and Congress, the largest opposition party, should take the initiative to topple the government. Chautala had mentioned that he would write to the Governor of Haryana seeking a floor test. JJP leader Dushyant Chautala told Indian Express that Bhupinder Singh Hooda is not moving to topple the Nayab Singh Saini government because of the ED and CBI cases he is facing. Dushyant Chautala informed that the JJP would support Congress from outside if the Leader of Opposition, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, initiates steps to topple the government. I can assure that if there is a floor test now, each of the JJP MLA shall vote according to the party whip and ensure the government's fall, Chautala said. Chautala informed that the former no-confidence motion moved against the Haryana government on March 13 became null when Manohar Lal Khattar resigned. The JJP leader called Nayab Singh Saini a weak chief minister. Chautala cited Saini's mention of an action plan of 94 days, speculating that the latter intended to lead the state government only until the next Assembly elections were held. Dushyantt Chautala mentioned that they had smoothly run the government when ML Khattar was the Chief Minister for 4.5 years and refused to support Nayab Singh Saini. JJP has 10 MLAs in the Haryana Legislative Assembly. The tenure of the current Haryana Legislative Assembly is scheduled to end on November 3, 2024. Kolkata: Not so long ago, West Bengal chief minister and All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) boss Mamata Banerjee was visibly uncomfortable with overt political displays around the Hindu god Ram. Bengals recent history is replete with examples of how she would get upset when the slogan Jai Shri Ram was uttered with political motives. Indeed, on 22 January, she dismissed the grand spectacle of Ram Lallas pran pratishtha in Ayodhya as a political stunt, and publicly declared that the event was not worthy of her thoughts or time. Yesterday I was asked to comment on Ram mandir...as if I have nothing else to do. BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) is doing it as a gimmick before the Lok Sabha polls," she thundered. Even as statesthose ruled by BJP as well as others such as Delhideclared a holiday to allow people to partake in the celebration, Banerjee championed an alternative. That very day, she rolled out semi-government, semi-political sarva dharma (all-faith) rallies in Kolkata and around Bengal. The idea was as much to counter the Hindutva wave swirling around the Ram mandir inauguration as to showcase her view that Hinduism was an all-inclusive religion. But that was in January. Three months down the line, she has softened her stance ever so slightly. With BJPs Suvendu Adhikary, leader of the opposition in the state assembly, needling her for not declaring holidays on Hindu festivals such as Makar Sankranti and Ram Navami while doing so for Muslim commemorations such as Shab-e-Barat, Banerjee sprang a surprise by declaring a state holiday on Ram Navami (17 April). Though the governments notification clearly mentioned that the occasion for the public holiday was Ram Navami, Banerjee took pains to state that it was for the Maha Navami of the Chaitra Durga puja or Basanti Durga puja, steering clear of the fact that it happened to be the birthday of Ram. Her party leaders, on the other hand, were vociferous in their Ram Navami celebrations. The partys candidates fighting the Lok Sabha polls showed the most enthusiasm for the festival. Prasun Banerjee, the candidate from Howrah, took out a maha michil, a roadshow, with people clad in yellow and saffron and singing hymns in praise of Ram. He even chose to route it past the spot where a communal confrontation took place over Ram Navami last year. Another candidate, Sayooni Ghosh, who became known throughout the country a few years back after a controversial social media post, was part of a Ram Navami procession at Belur, in Howrah district. She could be seen sashaying down the road with folded hands amid flags and festoons displaying images of Ram and Hanuman. Other TMC leaders also made it a point to be louder and more visible than their BJP counterparts in projecting themselves as Ram bhakts. It isnt just Ram Navami celebrations. In recent times TMC has quietly gone about shoring up its credentials among Hindus through measures such as stipends for priests, allowances for Durga Puja celebrations, and the construction and restoration of temples across the state. In sporting this lighter shade of saffron, the party hopes to blunt BJPs ascendance in Bengal. Saffron surge BJP emerged as the principal opposition party in Bengal after the 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021 assembly elections. The saffron party, for long a minor also-ran in the state, built itself up by accusing TMC of minority appeasement, laying the ground for the rise of Hindutva. The 2019 general election was a debacle for Banerjee as TMC lost 12 Lok Sabha seats and suffered a big decline in its Hindu vote share. As per a CSDS Lokniti poll survey, TMC got 32% of Hindu votes as against 57% for BJP. In emerging from the fringe, BJP also wrote the epitaph of Indian National Congress and CPI-M, which failed to win a single seat in the 2021 assembly election and saw their vote shares dwindle to a speck (Congress had won two seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election while CPI-M drew a blank). But, in a sense, the 2021 performance was a disappointment for BJP as well, as the leadership believed it had a genuine shot at coming to power in Bengal. The party rolled out its big guns in the campaign, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah leading the charge in a bitter fight for supremacy. However, despite a creditable performance that saw its seat count spike from three to 77 and its vote share surge by 28 percentage points to 38%, it was unable to dislodge TMC. Banerjees party increased its vote share to 48% and raised its tally in the 294-seat assembly by two seats to 213. Today, the secular moorings of Bengal are being loosened as both parties pull out all the stops to consolidate and secure their Hindu vote banks. More importantly, TMC wrested a 7% share in Hindu votes from BJP. Observers credit this to Banerjees deft use of soft Hinduism and Bengals reluctance to accept the high-pitched, only-Hindutva campaign by BJP. According to this viewpoint, many Hindus saw an imminent threat in BJP not only taking control of the state but over their lives and lifestyle as well, deciding everything from what to eat to what to wear to whom to worship. And so they reposed their faith in the secular fabric that has dominated the states history, traditions and culture. Today, however, the secular moorings of Bengal are being loosened as both parties pull out all the stops to consolidate and secure their Hindu vote banks. As for the minority vote, the more strident BJP gets in promoting Hindutva, the greater the Muslim consolidation behind Banerjee. That certainly matters in the poll booth, because the community makes up 27% of the states population. Behind the shift View Full Image Suvendu Adhikari, leader of opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, during an election rally. The 2019 general election was a wake up call for Banerjee. Trinamool and BJP cornered 43% and 40% of the vote share, respectively, with the TMC winning 22 seats (down from 34) to BJPs 18 (up from 2). While TMC was assured of its minority vote bank, it was clear that the party could not afford a decimation of its Hindu vote share by BJP. An alarmed Banerjee planned to strike a balance, giving allowances to Hindu priests and 8,000 members of the Sanatan Dharma in consonance with the allowances already being given to Muslim clericsTMC had introduced an allowance of 2,500 and 1,000 for Imams and Muezzins in 2012. Hindu priests started receiving an allowance from 2020 after Banerjee faced criticism from BJP and Sanatan Dharma loyalists. The allowance was initially 1,000 but even after a hike of 500 for religious clerics of both the communities in August 2023, announced by the chief minister at a press conference, the Hindu priests continue to receive 1,500 less than their Muslim counterparts. We have been observing the need and desire for a Ram Navami holiday among a section of the people. Purnendu Bose The Durga puja allowance to local clubs was also increased manifold. Banerjee started giving the allowances in 2018 as a quick damage-control exercise to stem BJP criticism before the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Subsequently, she announced a special grant of 25,000 for each of the thousands of community Durga pujas. The grant is revised every year. Today it stands at 70,000 plus waiver of electricity bills and corporation taxes. According to Banerjee, her government spent 300 crore in 2023-24 on Durga puja allowances. Despite such Hindu outreach initiatives, however, BJP kept portraying TMC as a party that had a soft corner for Muslims, goading it into the loud adulation of Ram during the 2024 Ram Navami festival. TMC leader and former minister Purnendu Bose rationalised the move: We have been observing the need and desire for a Ram Navami holiday among a section of the people. These people are religious and have a genuine demand, but they are being wrongly used by some to suit their Hindutva narrative." He added, The state government is sensitive to the needs of all sections of people, and by recognizing the needs of a particular section, we have yet again proved that we believe in democratic secularism." View Full Image TMC supporters wave at chief minister Mamata Banerjee's helicopter as she leaves after addressing a public meeting at Birnagar in Nadia district, on Saturday. (PTI) Banerjee had realized that a demand was growing among people, especially the one crore domiciled Hindi speakers, for due recognition of their culture, traditions and even festivals, gods and goddesses. Even Bengali Hindus appeared to be displeased with the narrow provincial walls growing between gods. Indeed, there was massive fervour for the Ayodhya Pran Pratistha ceremony across socio-economic demographics throughout the state. Even places where BJP hardly has a torchbearer were lit up with home-made diyas, and decked with marigold and flags. Daily-wage earners took a day off to stay at home and be part of the historic event. We celebrated on our own initiative. BJP leaders gave us 500- 1,000. But we put up giant screens and arranged for community lunches, cultural programmes and feasting," said Rahul Parbat, a resident of Dhamua in South 24 Parganas district. It was not about a Hindi heartland god, as was the initial political debate. As professor Prasanta Ray, professor emeritus of Presidency University, put it, Mamata and Modi are in a copy-cat game. When Mamata came to power, she did not have to play the religion card. But now things are different. I would say Modi has succeeded in engaging her in the narrative on religion and shes having to balance both. She cannot afford to simply ignore Hindus." Temple run View Full Image West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee during a public meeting at Ranaghat in Nadia district, on Saturday, 4 May. (PTI) Banerjee realized the Bengal governments apparent apathy to the Ayodhya event could give BJP fresh ammunition to fire appeasement salvos against it. In a hurriedly called press conference at the state headquarters, Nabanna, she reeled out a list of temples that her government had constructed and renovated during her decade-long rule. We have spent 700 crore for renovation, repair work and construction of various temples and Shakti peeths in our state. The Kalighat Kali temple and skywalk is a significant one. Though Reliance Group has been involved, we have sunk in 165 crore and they are investing 35 crore," she said. Though renovation of temples and construction of new ones had been undertaken after TMCs electoral debacle in 2019, Banerjee had never announced it from the rooftops to avoid making the minority community nervous. In 2020, as a damage-control exercise, the chief minister started promoting religious tourism", an initiative to develop and expand religious sites by upgrading infrastructure and having a corridor of preferred destinations. As part of the revamp, a skywalk connecting Dakshineswar Kali temple with railway and metro routes was designed. The government allocated 65 crore for the project. Similar revamps were laid out for the Tarapith (Birbhum district), Tarakeswar and Hanseswari (both in Hooghly district) temples. In 2020, as a damage-control exercise, the chief minister started promoting religious tourism, an initiative to develop and expand religious sites by upgrading infrastructure. In the 2022-23 budget, Banerjee announced an investment of 300 crore to restore the Kalighat Kali temple and another 400 crore for the construction of a Jagannath temple along the lines of the main temple in Puri, Odisha. According to Debasish Sen, former chairman of HIDCO, the nodal agency developing Rajarhat-New Town, a township on the north-eastern fringes of Kolkata, 20 acres in Digha in East Midnapore district have been transformed to give the entire area the look of the Puri temple. So far, 205 crore has been sunk in by the state government. In addition, it has budgeted 25 crore for the Saint Loknath Baba temple, 31 crore for Jalpesh temple in Jalpaiguri district, as well as several crores for the Madan Mohan temple in Cooch Behar and the Debi Chaudhurani temples in Jalpaiguri, Kankalitala and Bakreswar in Birbhum district and Fullara temple, also in Birbhum. The government is ready to loosen its purse strings even for a Kali temple in Varanasi and a temple in Deoghar, Jharkhand. The TMC government has also been generous in allocating land for temple projects. The states budget documents for 2019-20 show that the Iskcon temple at Mayapur in Nadia was given 700 acres free of cost, while three bighas of abandoned land in Behala, a locality in Kolkata, are being transformed for a Vaishno Devi temple and eight temples for communities from Rajasthan and Gujarat. It is perhaps not surprising then that Kirti Azad, TMC candidate from Bardhaman-Durgapur seat, goes about town saying hes from Mithila (in neighbouring Bihar), the land of Sita, even though he may be an outsider in BJPs eyes. And in Jadavpur constituency, big billboards proclaim that Sayooni Ghosh will hold the biggest Ganesh puja in the city in her constituency in times to come. Asked if Banerjees approach to Hindutva stands a chance against BJPs claim that Hindus are second-class citizens in Bengal, the TMCs Jawhar Sircar, a Rajya Sabha MP, said: Hinduism is a tolerant and inclusive religion, and what Mamata Banerjee is doing is not soft-pedalling any religion but reminding us of this essential tradition, to ward off predatory distortions." He had warned Israel nearly two months ago against a full-scale assault on Rafah, the Gaza city whose population had swelled to more than one million as Palestinians sought shelter from the fighting. Finally, Biden took a step he had long resisted. Last week, officials say, he put a hold on a pending shipment of 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs to Israel, an almost unheard-of show of displeasure with a Middle East ally that Biden hoped would prompt Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government to rethink its approach for bringing the conflict to an end. Biden said Wednesday that he was prepared to withhold additional weapons, including artillery shells, from Israel should Israeli forces mount a major ground operation in Rafah. If they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities," Biden said in an interview with CNN, stressing the U.S. would continue to provide defensive systems so Israel could fend off missile attacks. Ive made it clear to Bibi and the war cabinet, theyre not going to get our support, if in fact they go on these population centers," he added, referring to Netanyahu. Were not walking away from Israels security; were walking away from Israels ability to wage war in those areas." Bidens priority has been to secure a temporary cease-fire and to defuse a charged political debate at home over whether it has put enough pressure on Netanyahu to limit the heavy civilian casualty toll possible in Rafah. Israels objective has been to crush Hamass last stronghold, where the groups leaders and fighters remain. The groundwork for the decision to withhold arms was laid in April when the administration began a quiet review of arms shipments to Israel after months of resisting calls to put conditions on arms transfers to force Netanyahus government to rethink its conduct of the war. The review was a closely held secret because of the political sensitivity of using its most potent leverage over Israel, one certain to infuriate Netanyahu and prompt Republican attacks on Biden, officials said. By last weekend, Biden administration officials were still hoping that a break in the fighting could be achieved, redoubling their efforts to secure a six-week pause that might later be extended through additional diplomacy by sending Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns back to the region. Israel, however, had settled on a strategy of talking and fighting. Even as it sent a delegation to the cease-fire negotiations, it dropped leaflets on Monday urging 100,000 residents in eastern Rafah to flee. It followed that up the next day by sending forces to seize the Gazan side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, a move that Israeli officials told the U.S. was needed to cut off arms smuggling and deprive Hamas of a revenue stream. In withholding arms, Biden opted to only halt a single shipment that was due to be flown to Israel in the coming weeks. A U.S. official said that the move was taken because 2,000 pounds, in particular, could be especially destructive in dense urban settings" such as Rafah and noted that other potential sales were also being reviewed The decision was initially intended as a confidential signal to Israel that it should focus on trying to cement a temporary cease-fire with Hamas, instead of moving toward a Rafah offensive without a plan to safeguard civilians. We werent trying to break this out into the open, we were trying to handle this in a diplomatic way," said one U.S. official. But Bidens decision soon began to leak out from Israeli officials. American officials later confirmed the details, transforming a private move into a high-stakes standoff with a close ally. Some former Israeli officials say that Bidens decision was unwarranted because Israel has so far refrained from the large-scale ground operation in Rafah that the U.S. had warned against. The U.S. said that they wanted us to limit the operation, to hold back on a wholesale incursion. And Israel has and they are still being penalized," said Michael Oren, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington. He described Bidens decision as a pre-emptive strike" against any Israel move to expand its Rafah operation. During a hearing Wednesday on Capitol Hill, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin faced Republican criticism for halting arms while Israel is waging a war. Are you worried that if you make a decision to deny weapons that Israel says they need that it would send a signal to Hamas and Iran to keep pushing?" Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.,) said. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) and Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) sent a letter to Biden on Wednesday criticizing the delays in providing weapons to Israel, which they said call into question your pledge that your commitment to Israels security will remain ironclad." Critics of Bidens support of Israel said that the move was too modest to have a lasting effect unless further arms were also withheld. Rather than a one-off pause of a shipment as a means of exerting momentary and overdue leverage, this needs to be the start of a sea-change in American policy toward the provision of security assistance to Israel," said Josh Paul, a State Department official who resigned in October in protest of the Biden administrations handling of Gaza war. Bidens decision appeared to have been foreshadowed in a March interview with MSNBC in which the president warned that an Israeli offensive on Rafah would be a red line" but quickly added, There is no red line that I am going to cut off all weapons." [We] cannot have another 30,000 more Palestinians dead," Biden then said. At a White House press briefing days shortly after the presidents remarks, national security adviser Jake Sullivan refused to answer whether the U.S. would condition military aid if Israel didnt provide an acceptable Rafah plan, calling it hypothetical. The review of weapons sales to Israel ordered by the White House began the next month. Publicly, administration officials said it hadnt changed its policy, even amid nationwide college protests about U.S. support for the war. Privately, a new and uncharted approach had taken shape. Carrie Keller-Lynn contributed to this article Write to Nancy A. Youssef at nancy.youssef@wsj.com, Michael R. Gordon at michael.gordon@wsj.com and Gordon Lubold at gordon.lubold@wsj.com Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Congress leader and star campaigner for the Lok Sabha polls, Priyanka Gandhi, on Thursday claimed that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is making Indians dependent and not Atmanirbhar' with their policies. The Congress leader spoke at an election rally in Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli, where Rahul Gandhi is contesting. Priyanka Gandhi harped upon the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's much-used terminology, 'Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India),' and said that voters would choose employment over the "5 kg ration" the BJP government promises them. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, while addressing the public meeting, said, "... 5 kg ration is not going to make the future. You will not become 'Aatmanirbhar' by this. If I ask you what will you choose between employment and a 5 kg ration, you will definitely choose employment. It will make you self-reliant. You need to understand that the political party, which is making policies where you will become dependent and not 'Aatmanirbhar', the ideology of such party is not right..." On Wednesday, Priyanka Gandhi spoke to news agency PTI about her ground assessment of the Lok Sabha elections after three rounds of the seven-phase polls. "My assessment is that people are wanting change. Everywhere I go, I get the sense that people are fed up now with being lied to; they are fed up with the level of discussion that is taking place in the media and on political stages," she noted. "They want their problems to be discussed, they want solutions, they want to know what has the government done for unemployment, what has it done to reduce prices which are so high, what is it doing to actually help the farmer, help the labourer, help the people with their problems," Priyanka Gandhi said. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Navneet Rana on Tuesday issued an open threat to the Owaisi brothers, Asaduddin Owaisi and Akbaruddin Owaisi, saying that if the police were removed from duty for just 15 seconds, they would find themselves bewildered about their whereabouts. Rana made the remark while addressing a public meeting in support of BJP Hyderabad candidate Madhavi Latha. In his controversial remark made in 2013, Akbaruddin Owaisi had said that if police is removed for 15 minutes, we (Muslims) will finish 100 crore Hindus. "The younger brother (Akbaruddin Owaisi) says 'Police ko 15 minute hata do toh hum dikhayenge ki hum kya kar sakte hain'. I would like to tell him, it will take us just 15 seconds," Rana said. The BJP MP from Maharashtra's Amravati further added, "If you remove police for 15 seconds, you will not be able to understand from where they came and where they went (kahan se aaya aur kahan ko gaya). It will take us just 15 seconds." Reacting to Rana's remark, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said they were ready and if someone is making open call for it, then so be it. "I tell Modi ji - give her 15 seconds. What will you do?...Give her 15 seconds, give her one hour. We too want to see if you have any humanity left in you. Who is scared? We are ready...If someone is making open call for it, then so be it...PM is yours, RSS is yous, everything is yours. Do it. Who is stopping you...Tell us where we have to come, we will be there. Do it." AIMIM leader Waris Pathan said that Rana was making such remarks as she has understood that she is badly losing from Amravati seat this time. He also questioned why the election commission or police have not taken any action so far. "What will you do if police are removed for 15 seconds? What is the police administration doing? Why has no action been taken so far? What is the Election Commission doing? Are such statements allowed in elections? We would like the Election Commissioner to take cognisance of this statement and take strict action. BJP has come to realise that this time it is difficult for them to cross 200-250 seats," Waris said according to ANI. Meanwhile, addressing the BJP supporters, Rana said that if you vote for AIMIM and Congress, it goes directly to Pakistan, adding, Madhavi Latha will definitely stop Hyderabad from turning into Pakistan and work for the development of Hyderabad through Parliament. Navneet Rana is contesting this election from Amravati Lok Sabha constituency on BJP's ticket. In 2019, she contested as an independent candidate and won the election. Meanwhile, Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan slammed Rana for her remark and urged Election Commission to probe her statement. PM Modi and Amit Shah are spreading hatred in the society so it is natural that their workers and candidates are also going to do the same. What Akbaruddin Owaisi has said is wrong and what Navneet Rana has said is also extremely shameful. They are all working in the directions of PM Modi to spread hatred in the country because PM Modi is losing this election badly, reported ANI quoting Chavan. The BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP combine in Maharashtra found itself on shaky grounds this week amid clashes in Nashik constituency. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde headed to the city on Wednesday as differences within the alliance threatened to derail the Lok Sabha poll campaign of sitting MP Hemant Godse. The BJP had initially opposed his candidature and sought to give the seat to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. The Chief Minister held a meeting with local party leaders on Wednesday in a bid to pacify them and improve the campaign prospects. He voiced confidence in Godse's campaign insisting that victory was assured with the support of former Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Vijay Karanjkar. Godse also met with NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal at Shinde's behest and sought his support for the campaign. Godse's nomination had also prompted infighting within the Shiv Sena ranks with district chief Ajay Boraste and his supporters keeping their distance from the campaign. Boraste was also pacified with multiple assurances during the meeting on Wednesday. ALSO READ: 'Sharad Pawar has been active in state for long; Maharashtra should have progressed but nothing happened': CM Shinde Everyone is together for the victory of Hemant Godse. He is a two-term MPNow Karanjkar is with Godse. Therefore, Godse's victory is confirmed. Vijay Karanjkar, like you, I was also in the race (for the chief minister's post) till the last minute. If not me, someone else would have been made the chief minister, but he himself jumped into the race and became the chief minister, the CM said on Wednesday. The former Shiv Sena (UBT) leader had been keen on contesting the seat and resigned as Nashik district unit president after the party fielded Waje. He had eventually withdrawn his nomination and opted to join the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. ALSO READ: Could a few swing states determine who governs India? The Uddhav Thackeray-led party has fielded Rajabhau Waje from Nashik while spiritual leader Shantigiri Maharaj is contesting as an independent candidate. I held talks with Shantigiri Maharaj. I requested him to continue working in religious and spiritual fields rather than the political field. I told him that he should give his blessings to politicians. In response, he said he would take a decision on it by consulting his people, Shinde added. Election to the Nashik parliamentary seat will be held in the last phase on May 20. Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) president and former deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala on May 9 wrote to Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya seeking a floor test in the Assembly. Chautalas letter came a day after he said he would back the Opposition Congress against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Haryana. The development assumes significance amid a crisis of sorts that the Chief Minister Nayab Saini-led government is facing in Haryana after three independent lawmakers Dharampal Gondher, Randhir Golan and Sombir Sangwan withdrew support to the BJP government and instead decided to support the Congress. All this is happening days ahead of the Lok Sabha polls to the 10 Haryana seats on May 25 and the state assembly elections scheduled to be held later this year. Govt is intact, says BJP The BJP, however, insists that the Nayab Saini-led Haryana government is safe. The ruling party said that even if the need arises, other MLAs will support its government to help it sail through. There is no threat to our government. It will continue to serve the people. We shall win an absolute majority in the next Assembly elections, so that such a situation never arises again, former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar told reporters on May 8. The crisis of March What explains the BJPs confidence, though? In March this year, the Opposition Congress led by former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda moved a no-confidence motion against the Saini government. Saini won the motion. At that time, the BJP had 41 MLAs in the 90-member Haryana assembly, after 10 MLAs of its ally, Dushyant Chautala-led JJP, decided to part ways. As many as six independent MLAs and one MLA of the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) backed the BJP government. The Congress party had 30 MLAs, the INLD one, while one independent MLA had abstained from voting. Since none of the JJP MLAs voted, the BJP could easily win the floor test. Confidence motion unlikely Two no-confidence motions cannot be moved within six months, as per the rules. Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda has said that the motion could not be moved at this point, though he insisted that the chief minister should resign since the BJP government is in the minority now, according to a report in the Indian Express. As things stand in the Haryana Assembly, the present strength of the house is 88 since two MLAs former CM Manohar Lal Khattar and Ranjit Singh have resigned. Khattar is the BJP candidate from the Karnal Lok Sabha seat, while Singh is contesting from Hisar in the upcoming general elections. The numbers In the 88-member house, the BJP needs 45 MLAs for its government to stay. For now, it has 40 MLAs. The saffron party has the support of two independent MLAs and the lone HLP MLA, taking its tally to 43. With the claimed support of three of the JJPs 10 MLAs, the BJPs numbers go up to 46, one more than the magic number required in the Haryana assembly. These three JJP MLAs have already been served notice for anti-party activities by the JJP. In case of disqualification from the House, the total strength will come down to 85 and so will the magic majority number to 43, a number that the BJP has. Both parties have claimed they are in touch with many MLAs who can swing the figures either way. Congress game plan For the Opposition to stake a claim, it needs to seek an appointment with the Governor of the state. Ideally, the Congress, the largest Opposition party in Haryana, should do it. But for now, the JJP has written to the Governor seeking a floor test. Leader of Opposition in Haryana Assembly had said on May 8 that even Dushyant Chautala could also do it. Now that he has done it, will the Congress follow suit? Remains to be seen. And in case the Congress and the JJP meet the Governor staking a claim to form the government, the ball will be in the Governors court then. The Governor might as well ask the BJP to prove the majority. In that scenario, the role of JJP MLAs will be key. Not necessarily that the BJP will be unable to win the floor test again. With family assets worth 4,568 crore, Konda Vishweshwar Reddy is the second richest of all 525 candidates in the fray from 17 Lok Sabha seats of Telangana voting in the fourth phase of polling on Monday, May 13. He is also the wealthiest Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, so far, in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 across the country. A US-returnee entrepreneur, Reddy, won the Chevella Lok Sabha seat in 2014 on a Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) ticket. He lost the seat in 2019 as a Congress candidate. Reddy is contesting the 2024 elections again from Chevella seat, on a BJP ticket. Reddy, 64, who has a masters in engineering from the United States, comes from an illustrious family of Telangana. The states Rangareddy district, part of the Chevella constituency, is named after his grandfather Konda Venkata Ranga Reddy, the first deputy Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh. His father Konda Madhava Reddy was former Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra High Courts. He is married to Sangitha Reddy, daughter of Dr Pratap C Reddy, Founder and Chairman of Apollo Hospitals. Sangitha owns bulk of the family wealth at 3,208 crore, as per the election affidavit filed by Reddy. Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, among BJP's wealthiest candidates who takes pride in cleaning school toilets Reddy is up against the Congress party's Member of Parliament (MP) G Ranjith Reddy (assets 435 crore) and BRSs Kasani Gnaneshwar Mudiraj (assets 228 crore) in Chevella, where voting takes place on May 13 along with other Telangana seats in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha Elections. In an exclusive interview with LiveMint, Reddy talks about his third contest in Chevella, his switches between all three parties, the role of money and why Telangana is key for BJPs and Prime Minister Narendra Modis mission south. Excerpts from the edited interview: You won the 2014 Lok Sabha Election as a BRS candidate. You contested in 2019 election as a Congress candidate. Why did you quit these two parties? The BRS and the Congress have deceived Telangana. While the BRS has deviated from the ideals of Telangana agitation and focused solely on enriching a single family, the Congress party, in the last two terms, has enabled the misrule of BRS by strengthening it by sending its MLAs (defecting to BRS). Even today, there is not much difference after Congress came to power in the state. Like the BRS, the Congress deceived Telangana by making false promises and focusing solely on corruption. Now, you have chosen the BJP. Why? The BJP, on the other hand, is the only party which is driven by an agenda to strengthen India and not enrich a single family and perpetuate the familys rule. India has moved from 10th to 5th largest economy in the world during PM Modis two terms. Today we are the fastest growing large economy in the world. During the same time, 25 crore Indians were lifted out of multi-dimensional poverty. From removing Article 370 of Jammu and Kashmir to decimating Left-wing extremism and terrorism, it has made the country more integrated and safer than ever. At the same time, the BJP is the only party that has a vision and a plan for the future--Making India the third-largest economy during the next term and a developed country by 2047. I have immense confidence in the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and believe the BJP is the only party that can make the goal of a developed India possible soon. How does it help your constituency Chevella? Chevella hosts the IT and financial hubs in Telangana. Chevella is a growth engine for Hyderabad and hence for India. This is a time to focus on fast-paced development, utilising the demographic dividend we are bestowed with. I believe Chevella can benefit and contribute a lot when the agenda is growth which is at the core of BJP and PM Modis agenda. You are BJPs richest candidate so far? What role, according to you, does money play in politics, especially in Telangana? The influence of money and liquor in elections was minimal in Telangana until 2014. Only after the BRS came to power did money's influence grow tremendously. This resulted from the corruption that BRS leaders resorted to at every level. In this election, the power of money and liquor is waning. The voters have given a strong message by throwing out BRS in the recent Assembly elections, in spite of BRS spending huge sums--maybe the highest in the country per constituency. People like the BJP government and PM Modis development, welfare, security and stability track record. The opposition does not even have a common program or a common leader. All they have to offer is Modi-hate. Voters see this election as a contest between Modi and his track-record, versus hate against Modi. You returned from US and started working in your area. Can you list some of your achievements? I started the Swachh Truck initiative to clean toilets in nearly 90 schools in my constituency. My trucks clean the school toilets in the rural areas of the constituency every day. This benefits the girl child immensely. I myself have cleaned toilets in these schools. That is something I will always be proud of. Every time a central minister visits, I take my team to meet them. The idea is to inculcate what Mahatma Gandhi tried to promote throughout his life- the dignity of labour and the importance of cleanliness and sanitation. BJP is trying to make inroads in the southern states. How key is Telangana for BJP's fortunes in the South? After Karnataka, Telangana will be the second state with a BJP government soon. After Karnataka, Telangana will be the second state with BJP winning the highest number of seats in the state, even in this election. We will see tremendous growth in vote share all over the South and will gain significant number of seats overall from the southern states. On Sunday, May 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a road show in Patna, Bihar. This will be the first time in the Bihar capital that a Prime Minister is having a roadshow in a Lok Sabha election. On a two-day visit to Bihar, PM Modi will campaign for his former cabinet colleague Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Patna Sahib constituency. In 2019, Prasad, the former Union Law Minister, defeated Congress candidate Shatrughan Sinha from the seat by over three lakh votes. The Congress has fielded former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumars son Anshul Avijit from Patna Sahib as a Mahagathbandhan candidate this time. Sinha is contesting from Asansol as a TMC candidate this time. Patna Sahib seat votes in the seventh phase on June 1. Tejashwi Yadavs jibe at Modi Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav took a jibe at Modis scheduled roadshow, claiming that he had chosen Patna for the roadshow because he thinks it is the safest seat for the BJP in Bihar. It doesn't matter whether the Prime Minister does Air show or roadshow. Tejashwi will do job show, Tejashwi Yadav, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, told reporters. The RJD leader elaborated that Modis roadshow could be because the PM is rattled over the issue of unemployment and price rise that the opposition has been raising in poll campaigns. On the other hand, he said that the PM is raking up non-issues like Mandir-Masjid, Muslims, and Mangalsutra, which have failed to cut much ice with the voters. PM Modi to campaign for Chirag Paswan Modi will campaign for Chirag Paswan, the LJP (R) candidate from Hajipur, on May 13, followed by a public meeting in Muzaffarpur for BJP candidate Raj Bhushan Nishad during the two-day visit to Bihar. He will also seek voters for former Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy in Chapra, now called Saran Lok Sabha constituency. Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer is making an official visit to India. Before departing for India, he posted a tweet announcing that he was looking forward to meeting his Indian counterpart, Minister of External Affairs (MEA) S Jaishankar. He also wrote that he would discuss deepening and enhancing cooperation between the two countries for the mutual benefit of the people of India and Maldives. In a post upon arrival, Moosa Zameer wrote, Arrived in New Delhi on my first bilateral official visit to India! Looking forward to productive discussions, strengthening ties, and experiencing the vibrant culture of #India. Also Read: Sachin Tendulkar, Randeep Hooda other celebrities join ExploreIndianIslands trend on Twitter amid India-Maldives row MEA India also posted on X, saying "Warm welcome to FM @MoosaZameer of Maldives on his official visit to India. Discussions on bilateral & regional issues and seeking ways to provide impetus to our multifaceted relationship lie ahead." The content of Moosa Zameers tweets, however, did not go well with many Indian users on X (formerly Twitter). Moreover, many of them are not happy about the visit. What mutual benefit? one user asked while another wrote, One correction sir : its unilateral benefit of Maldivess people. Also Read: 'Appalling language': Maldives ex-President Mohamed Nasheed slams official for post after PM Modi's Lakshadweep visit Some users demanded apology from the Maldivian foreign minister. I hope the first thing youll do is apologise on behalf of your government and president, posted one user. Another wrote, Indians are done with you and your leadership who destroyed the age long relationship. Where's your apology? one user asked. Are you serious? After getting elected on an India Out campaign, you now want deeper cooperation? Give me one good reason why India should respond positively, posted another. What's the context? Some Maldivian politicians from the ruling party earlier posted derogatory remarks" about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Maldives anti-India stance Maldives President Dr Mohamed Muizzu is known for his anti-India stance. He earlier told the BBC about his meeting with the Indian ambassador. Muizzu said he "told him very clearly that every single Indian military personnel here should be removed". Muizzu's alliance seemingly prefers stronger connections with China, which has given the Maldives hundreds of millions in loans and grants for infrastructure. However, India, aiming to monitor a crucial area of the Indian Ocean, has also given the Maldives about $2 billion in development aid. Muizzu's trip to China in January initiated further chatter. China was our number one market (for tourism) pre-Covid, and it is my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position," Muizzu said during his China visit. The growing skepticism around Hyperloop ever becoming a viable mode of transportation notwithstanding, Satyanarayan Chakravarthy, faculty in the Department of Aerospace Engineering Department at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-Madras), believes that reports about the death of this technology are highly exaggerated. "We have got to a point where we can probably demonstrate the full Hyperloop stack including a vacuum tube at about 400-meter length in our new campus," he said, referring to the demo that Avishkar Hyperloop will give at the Global Hyperloop Competition, which IIT-Madras will host next January. Conceived by Elon Musk in 2013, the Hyperloop is a low-pressure tube in which magnetically-levitated pod-like vehicles can use to ferry cargo and passengers, sometimes at speeds in excess of 1,000 kmph. While Musk's companies did not commercialize the technology, two firms had picked up the guantlet--Hyperloop Transportation Technologies Inc. (HyperloopTT) and Hyperloop One. Hyperloop Italia, a licensee of HyperloopTT, is currently exploring the feasibility of a hyperloop operating prototype named Hyper Transfer to carry cargo and passengers, which it hopes will lead to the construction of the worlds rst commercial hyperloop system in Italy. It's doing so in partnership with two Italian companies--WeBuild and Leonardo. Hypeloop One was not as lucky. The startup received a major setback when Virgin founder Richard Branson pulled out two years back, following which Hyperloop One shut down operations in December 2023. Consequently, when Branson's plans to develop the Pune-Mumbai, Bengaluru city-Kempegowda airport, and Amritsar-Chandigarh hyperloop corridors in partnership with Dubai-based logistics company DP World, were shelved, it added to the disillusionment. But Chakravarthy, who is a faculty advisor to the IIT Madras student team at Avishkar Hyperloop, remains optimistic. He underscores that the Avishkar Hyperloop 70-odd revolving student team has been developing "the full Hyperloop stack of contactless propulsion, contactless braking with linear induction motor and levitation and a vacuum tube, and so on, since 2017". Indias ministry of railways is a key partner in this Hyperloop technology development initiative at IIT Madras. Other research institutions including Hyperloop IITB, the official hyperloop team of IIT Bombay; the student hyperloop from IIT Delhi; and Team Vegapod Hyperloop, a student-led research team from MIT World Peace University, have been consistently participating in global hyperloop competitions and are pitching in with their pilots. TuTr Hyperloop IIT-Madras-incubated TuTr Hyperloop, on its part, will work on "commercializing these developments--it can earn revenue from cargo (by providing services to ports, mining industries, and logistics service providers) and eventually from passengers", according to Chakaravarthy, who is an advisor to the startup. He insists that TuTr Hyperloop is making steady progress. For instance, it has partnered with IIT-Madras to develop Intellectual Property (IP) in hyperloop technology. In December 2022, the startup signed an agreement with Tata Steel to jointly work on development and deployment of the Hyperloop technology, and leverage Tata Steel's expertise in design and development of steel and composite materials. This January, ArcelorMittal said it is working with Avishkar Hyperloop and TuTr Hyperloop to provide 400 tonnes of steel for the fabrication of the 400-metre vacuum tube, as well as engineering, design and project management expertise to support the creation of Indias and Asias first Hyperloop test track at IIT Madras 163-acre Discovery Campus at Thaiyur on the outskirts of Chennai. The autonomous, levitating pods will be tested at speeds of up to 200 kilometres per hour in the vacuum tube. In March, Swiss transportation technology company Swisspod signed a deal with TuTr Hyperloop to help design and fund a testing centre in India that will serve as a hub for testing and refining hyperloop technology in real-world conditions. TuTr Hyperloop also has a partnership with Hardt Hyperloop, a top European hyperloop technology firm, to achieve interoperable hyperloop technology between Europe and India. Quintrans Hyperloop Pune-based Quintrans Hyperloop, co-founded by Pranay Luniya and Kartik Kulkarni in 2021, too is currently developing a "couple of pilots, and the plan is to develop these technologies in India itself to make it as cost-effective as possible". "I think we are just getting started," says Lunia, whose startup is currently working on a pilot on a small 15-meter setup in Pune. The idea is to prove magnetic levitation as well as linear motor propulsion. We are working to levitate roughly around 1 tonne in terms of payload. If we are able to do that, we will be the first private company in India to levitate any sort of payload". Once that goal has been achieved, Quintras plans to develop a 100-meter full-scale pilot setup along with the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) in Pune. Lunia underscores that while many focus on speed as one of the advantages of a hyperloop, "a lot of people miss the fact that a Hyperloop has tubes on which one could lay solar panels (since most of the corridors would be elevated rather than underground). Basically, you could power the Hyperloop with a renewable energy source, which is extremely important given the rising amount of carbon emissions and the government's targeting for net zero". Why Hyperloop projects are taking long to commercialize First, according to Chakravarthy, the technology is in its nascent stage around the world, and "newer and better solutions" consistently crop up. "For example, I could use a linear synchronous motor instead of a linear induction motor. And I could place it on the track instead of putting it on the board, and I could use electrodynamic suspension instead of electrostatic suspension. I could use a concrete tube instead of a mild steel tube. Further, I can levitate from the top or I could levitate from the bottom. Hence, there are many different technology choices to put the full stack together and it is not very clear which is actually going to be the most cheapest," he explains. Second, technology proof-of-concepts are not robust. For instance, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) Hyperloop, for instance, conducted the first passenger ride under vacuum conditions on July 10, 2023 at TUM's Ottobrunn/Taufkirchen campus near Munich. But, then, it was only a 24-meter-long test tube. As Chakravarthy points out, if a company like TuTr Hyperloop works on a "commercial scale where passengers can sit and ride, they will have to ensure that the technology stack that they are developing is the most affordable" The reason: "If you make a wrong choice of technology, you are going to pay the price for a fairly long time--it is like a sunk cost that will have to last for the next 10-15 years." Third, according to Chakravarthy, it's very difficult to raise money for an unproven technology like Hyperloop. "Investors will ask: where is the concept, and who is going to be the customer, among other things?" Qunitras, too, is getting "funding right now from multiple government schemes, government grants and schemes". Lunia concurs with Chakravarthy that raising money from venture capitalists (VCs) in India is very difficult since "for Indian VCs, this is kind of a high-risk, high-appetite stuff. Hence, we have been trying to focus on some sovereign funds". Fourth, global standards are lacking for this technology. "It requires multiple different standards to come together. For example, the track standards could be metro standards. The tunnel standards could also be metro tunnel standards. The lane switching could be railway standards. But the cabin and the pod could actually have automotive standards. The cabin could have airplane standards. The vestibules could have space standards, and so on," says Chakravarthy. Global companies To be sure, global hyperloop companies including Hardt, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Nevomo, TransPod, Swisspod Technologies, and Zeleros came together to form The Hyperloop Association. Based in Brussels, the association hopes to work with bodies including the European Commission, the European Parliament, Europe`s Rail Joint Undertaking, research centers, and academia "to advance the progress and facilitate the widespread implementation of the innovative transportation system across Europe and globally". Canada-based TransPod, which is developing the FluxJet hyperloop, led the process of writing EU standards for reference architecture" of vacuum transportation. Chakravarthy, though, insists that "developing the designs is one part of the story; developing the prototypes is the second part of the story. But doing a huge amount of testing is where the proof of the pudding exists". Chakravarthy, meanwhile, hopes that the Global Hyperloop Conference that IIT-Madras will host in January, will boost the fortunes of Hyperloop technology. "The prospect looks extremely bright, particularly for what we are doing in India. People coming from around the world are astonished at the level of progress we have made and the level of maturity that we have attained. All this gives us a lot of confidence that in about a 10-year time frame, we should actually have Hyperloop tracks running--at least in some parts of the country." "If I were to be modest, I would say we are one year behind the world. Else, we are on par with the Hyperloop developments across the globe," says Chakravarthy. Hyperloop, he concludes, can allow India to "leapfrog past the high-speed rail story that the Western countries as well as China have gone through in the recent past. It's like directly jumping onto the smartphone. We can lead the world, we can show by example." When it comes to finding a budget-friendly monitor, there are plenty of options to choose from. Whether you need a monitor for work, gaming, or general use, finding the right one can be a daunting task. In this article, we will compare and review the top 10 monitors under 2000 in India. We will take a look at their features, specifications, pros, and cons to help you make an informed decision. Whether you're looking for a budget monitor or an affordable display, we've got you covered. 1. BenQ GW2490 24-inch Monitor The BenQ GW2490 is a 24-inch bezel-less monitor with brightness intelligence technology. It offers a Full HD display with ultra-slim bezels, making it perfect for a multi-monitor setup. With flicker-free technology and low blue light, it's easy on the eyes during extended use. Specifications of BenQ GW2490 24-inch Monitor 24-inch display size Bezel-less design Flicker-free technology Low blue light Full HD resolution Reasons to buy Reasons to avoid Bezel-less design for seamless multi-monitor setup Limited connectivity options Flicker-free technology reduces eye strain Low blue light emission for eye comfort 2. BenQ 23.8-inch Borderless Monitor The BenQ 23.8-inch monitor features a borderless design with brightness intelligence technology. With a slim bezel, this monitor offers a sleek and modern look. It provides Full HD resolution and a low blue light filter for reduced eye strain. Specifications of BenQ 23.8-inch Borderless Monitor 23.8-inch display size Borderless design Brightness intelligence technology Low blue light filter Full HD resolution Reasons to buy Reasons to avoid Sleek borderless design Lack of height adjustment Low blue light filter for eye protection Full HD resolution for crisp visuals 3. Samsung 27-inch Curved Monitor The Samsung 27-inch monitor features a curved display with AMD FreeSync technology. It offers a Full HD resolution with a 1800R curvature for an immersive viewing experience. With a slim design and wide viewing angles, it's a great choice for gaming and multimedia. Specifications of Samsung 27-inch Curved Monitor 27-inch curved display AMD FreeSync technology 1800R curvature Full HD resolution Wide viewing angles Reasons to buy Reasons to avoid Immersive curved display Lack of height adjustment AMD FreeSync for smooth gameplay Wide viewing angles Also read: Best monitor to boost your efficiency and upgrade your viewing pleasure 4. Acer 21.5-inch Full HD Monitor The Acer 21.5-inch monitor features a Full HD display with Bluelight Shield technology. It offers a slim design with flickerless technology for reduced eye strain. With a tilt-adjustable stand and VGA/HDMI connectivity, it's a versatile choice for home and office use. Specifications of Acer 21.5-inch Full HD Monitor 21.5-inch Full HD display Bluelight Shield technology Flickerless technology Tilt-adjustable stand VGA/HDMI connectivity Reasons to buy Reasons to avoid Full HD display for crisp visuals Limited connectivity options Bluelight Shield technology for eye comfort Tilt-adjustable stand for ergonomic viewing 5. Dell 18.5-inch LED Monitor The Dell 18.5-inch monitor offers a budget-friendly option with a slim and sleek design. It features a high dynamic contrast ratio for vibrant visuals and a flicker-free screen for reduced eye fatigue. With easy access buttons and a VESA mount, it's a versatile choice for any setup. Specifications of Dell 18.5-inch LED Monitor 18.5-inch LED display High dynamic contrast ratio Flicker-free screen Easy access buttons VESA mount Reasons to buy Reasons to avoid Budget-friendly option Smaller display size High dynamic contrast ratio for vibrant visuals Flicker-free screen for reduced eye fatigue Also read: Best 4K monitors: Top 10 options for gamers and content creators 6. MSI 21.5-inch Office Monitor The MSI 21.5-inch monitor is designed for office use, featuring an anti-glare display with wide viewing angles. It offers a 75Hz refresh rate and VESA mount compatibility for flexible installation. With a frameless design and low blue light technology, it's a great choice for productivity. Specifications of MSI 21.5-inch Office Monitor 21.5-inch office monitor Anti-glare display 75Hz refresh rate VESA mount compatibility Low blue light technology Reasons to buy Reasons to avoid Designed for office use Limited gaming features 75Hz refresh rate for smooth visuals VESA mount compatibility for flexible installation 7. Acer 21.5-inch Backlit Monitor The Acer 21.5-inch monitor features a backlit display with Acer ComfyView technology. It offers a slim design with flickerless technology for reduced eye strain. With VGA/HDMI connectivity and a tilt-adjustable stand, it's a versatile choice for home and office use. Specifications of Acer 21.5-inch Backlit Monitor 21.5-inch backlit display Acer ComfyView technology Flickerless technology VGA/HDMI connectivity Tilt-adjustable stand Reasons to buy Reasons to avoid Backlit display for vibrant visuals Limited connectivity options Acer ComfyView technology for eye comfort Tilt-adjustable stand for ergonomic viewing 8. Lenovo 21.5-inch Ultraslim Monitor The Lenovo 21.5-inch monitor features an ultraslim design with AMD FreeSync technology. It offers a Full HD display with customizable settings for personalized viewing. With a versatile stand and low blue light technology, it's a great choice for everyday use. Specifications of Lenovo 21.5-inch Ultraslim Monitor 21.5-inch ultraslim design AMD FreeSync technology Full HD display Customizable settings Low blue light technology Reasons to buy Reasons to avoid Ultraslim design for a modern look Lack of height adjustment AMD FreeSync technology for smooth visuals Customizable settings for personalized viewing Also read: Best Zebronics monitors for PC: Top 9 options with high resolution to consider 9. Dime Store 21-inch Monitor The Dime Store 21-inch monitor offers a budget-friendly option with an ergonomic stand and cable organizer. It features a Full HD display with flicker-free technology for reduced eye strain. With multiple connectivity options and VESA mount compatibility, it's a versatile choice for any setup. Specifications of Dime Store 21-inch Monitor 21-inch Full HD display Ergonomic stand Cable organizer Flicker-free technology VESA mount compatibility Reasons to buy Reasons to avoid Budget-friendly option with ergonomic design Limited gaming features Flicker-free technology for reduced eye strain VESA mount compatibility for flexible installation Best 3 features of top monitors under 2,000 Product Name Display Size Technology Resolution BenQ GW2490 24-inch Monitor 24-inch Bezel-less Full HD BenQ 23.8-inch Borderless Monitor 23.8-inch Borderless Full HD Samsung 27-inch Curved Monitor 27-inch Curved Full HD Acer 21.5-inch Full HD Monitor 21.5-inch Bluelight Shield Full HD Dell 18.5-inch LED Monitor 18.5-inch LED HD MSI 21.5-inch Office Monitor 21.5-inch Anti-glare Full HD Acer 21.5-inch Backlit Monitor 21.5-inch Backlit Full HD Lenovo 21.5-inch Ultraslim Monitor 21.5-inch Ultraslim Full HD Dime Store 21-inch Monitor 21-inch Ergonomic Full HD LG 24-inch FreeSync Monitor 24-inch FreeSync Full HD Best value for money: Dell D1918H 18.5" (46 cm) HD Monitor The Dell 18.5-inch LED monitor offers the best value for money with its budget-friendly price and high dynamic contrast ratio. It's a versatile choice for everyday use, providing vibrant visuals and reduced eye fatigue. Best overall product: Samsung 27-inch(68.60cm) FHD 1,920 x 1,080 Monitor The Samsung 27-inch curved monitor stands out as the best overall product in this category, offering an immersive curved display, AMD FreeSync technology, and wide viewing angles for a superior multimedia experience. Also read: Best 27 inch monitors: Top 9 high resolution options to upgrade your work setup How to find the perfect monitor under 2000: When choosing the perfect monitor from our top picks, consider the display size, resolution, and special features like FreeSync and flicker-free technology. Assess your specific needs for work, gaming, or multimedia to make the best choice for your setup. FAQs Question : Which monitor is best for gaming? Ans : The LG 24-inch FreeSync Monitor is best for gaming, offering smooth gameplay and dynamic action sync. Question : Do these monitors have VESA mount compatibility? Ans : Yes, most of the monitors listed here have VESA mount compatibility for flexible installation. Question : Are these monitors suitable for office use? Ans : Yes, monitors like the MSI 21.5-inch Office Monitor and Lenovo 21.5-inch Ultraslim Monitor are designed for office use with features like anti-glare display and customizable settings. Question : Do these monitors support Full HD resolution? Ans : Yes, all the monitors listed here support Full HD resolution for crisp and clear visuals. Disclaimer: At Livemint, we help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and products. Mint has an affiliate partnership, so we may get a part of the revenue when you make a purchase. We shall not be liable for any claim under applicable laws, including but not limited to the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, with respect to the products. The products listed in this article are in no particular order of priority. Calling it a tool of last resort, Avista energy company will cut power to some of its overhead distribution lines during times of high fire danger this summer. The preemptive strategy, known as public safety power shutoffs, is designed to prevent fires that start when trees and other vegetation contact energized lines. The shutdowns could last from a few hours to a few days, and will be geographically isolated and designed to impact as few customers as possible. We have the ability to isolate risk in the field, said Vern Malensky, Avista director of electrical engineering at Spokane. We dont anticipate a broad, sweeping impact. We do have tools to minimize customer impacts during high wildfire operations. He said it will use the strategy to enhance public safety and be driven by fire risk factors like low humidity, high winds, high temperatures and dryness of vegetation. Cutting power to lines that pass through forested areas during hot, dry and windy weather is becoming more common by utility companies that are increasingly being held liable for damage caused by wildfires. The western U.S. has always been home to wildfire that plays a natural role in the ecosystem. Climate change combined with dense forests and an ever-expanding human footprint have caused fires and their damage to grow in size and intensity. Big fires driven by high winds during dry summers have raced through several rural communities throughout the region, sometimes destroying dozens or even hundreds of homes. Such fires were once viewed as acts of God. But utility companies have sometimes been found liable when damaging fires have been traced to trees falling on charged power lines. For example, an Oregon jury found PacifiCorp liable for damage caused by fires that started when high winds caused trees to fall into its lines in the summer of 2020. The company was ordered to pay millions in damages to dozens of homeowners. In a pair of other cases, PacifiCorp agreed to pay hundreds of millions to homeowners and timber companies to settle lawsuits related to fires that year. The previously unidentified former roommate at the King Road house in Moscow where four University of Idaho students were killed in late 2022 has publicly come forward in her efforts to contribute to the lasting legacy of her friends. Ashlin Couch, a winter 2021 UI graduate and sorority sister to two of the stabbing victims, said she chose to speak out for the first time to honor the lives lost, and bring awareness to college students about being safe on social media platforms. Couchs mother, Angela Navejas, gave an interview earlier this year to the Coeur dAlene/Post Falls Press. But she did not disclose at that time that her daughter had been a prior roommate in the off-campus house on King Road. Couch said in a new TV interview that it could have just as easily been she who was among those killed at the Moscow house in November 2022. It crosses my mind more that that could have happened while I was there, and, you know, you never know how long someone is watching your house, Couch said in her interview with KXLY-TV in Spokane. The four victims were UI seniors Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21, junior Xana Kernodle and freshman Ethan Chapin, both 20. The three women lived in the house with two other roommates who went physically unharmed in the attack, and Chapin was staying over for the night with Kernodle, who was his girlfriend. Bryan Kohberger, 29, an eastern Pennsylvania man who at the time was a graduate student at Washington State University in nearby Pullman, is accused of killing the four students. He was arrested almost seven weeks after the homicides, and awaits trial on four counts of first-degree murder. Kohberger had moved to Pullman to attend a doctoral program in criminal justice and criminology in June 2022, according to a court filing from his appointed public defender. From the time Kohberger arrived in Pullman to the day of the homicides, police allege in a probable cause affidavit that he made at least 14 visits to the cell tower coverage area for the King Road house including twice on the day of the students deaths. Couch was the sixth person still on the lease at the King Road house. But she moved out in May 2022 and Kernodle took over her spot, she told the TV station. Couch was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority with Mogen and Kernodle, and the other two housemates. Goncalves was a member of the campuss Alpha Phi sorority. Its such an exciting time in your life, because youre moving out and youre actually in just a home by yourself, Couch said in the interview. We were all so close. This editorial was published in The Seattle Times. The Washington Legislature did its part last year to help repair decades of racial discrimination in housing by passing the Covenant Homeownership Act. With the Covenant Homeownership Program set to launch this summer, potentially hundreds of families could realize the dream denied them, their parents or grandparents because of state-supported restrictive covenants. For decades before the passing of the 1968 Fair Housing Act, Washington had more than 55,000 properties that had restrictive deeds in hundreds of neighborhoods with discriminatory covenants that kept thousands of Black, Indigenous, Latino, Asian and other people from becoming homeowners. Fast forward more than 50 years later, and the vestiges of such racism still loom, though the covenants are illegal. In 2022, white homeownership at 69% was more than double that of Black residents, the widest disparity among all racialized groups, according to a University of Washington study. So, now is the time to make sure eligible future first-time homeowners know about the program and can use it to help build generational wealth that has benefited others for centuries. That will require outreach and marketing to designated populations. Real estate companies should learn about the program and its eligibility rules and parameters. The state should saturate organizations that serve Black, Latino, Indigenous and Asian communities with information about the opportunity and make it available in several languages. It started small in 2009. The Phoenix Park, Dublin saw around 400 people set off at dawn to take part in 'Darkness Into Light' a 5km walk to raise funds for Pieta. The name of the event is a metaphor for hope, an encouragement that all darkness will ultimately be dispelled by the light. This year Longford DIL walkers will join for the 11th iteration of the annual event. Darkness Into Light 2024 brings communities together for the most important sunrise of the year, beginning in darkness and continuing through to dawn, symbolising the journey from despair to hope. The county has two 'official' walks, but the number of smaller events hosted by clubs and voluntary groups speaks of the devastation that suicide has caused to communities across Longford. The two official DIL venues are The Mall, Longford and Ballymahon; however a quick glance shows there are walks in Newtownforbes, Legan, Dromard, Drumlish and Gowna, with other locations still planning events. Also read: Huge turnout in north Longford for Moyne CS 50th anniversary celebrations Darkness Into Light 2024 will take place on Saturday, May 11, with the walk commencing at 4:15am. Over 100,000 participants are expected at more than 230 official walks across four continents. Pieta was founded in Dublin in 2006 to provide free, accessible support to people affected by suicide and self-harm. It now has over 20 centres nationwide with over 300 staff and offers a variety of supports to people impacted by suicide and self-harm. Since Darkness Into Light began supporters have helped raise almost 29 million. Francesca Pawelczyk, co chairperson of the Longford DIL organising committee, said preparations are well advanced for Saturday's walk: Darkness Into Light committees will spend the rest of this week gathering the items needed for their walk and co-ordinating with their local supporters who are providing their unique support for an event. Registering for an official Darkness Into Light event ensures Pieta can continue to provide lifesaving suicide and self-harm services, and support people bereaved by suicide. Also read: IFTA Best Director award winner Kate Dolan has proud Longford links These services are free of charge and are available online, by phone, or in person. By registering for an official event, supporters can make a real and tangible difference, as the 26 sign-up fee for Darkness Into Light enables Pieta to answer two calls to their 24/7 helpline, providing immediate support and guidance to those in crisis. Last year, in Leinster alone, the charity provided almost 30,000 hours of therapy and saw over 4,000 clients. The charity also supported almost 500 families and households bereaved by suicide across the province. PICTURES | Glitz and glamour at Longford GAA and ladies football gala awards ceremony Francesca commended all who support the event, particularly the walkers. She said community support was an essential part of DIL: The Longford Town Darkness Into Light Committee would like to offer their sincere gratitude for the continued support of their local supporters, and to heartily welcome their new local supporters to the team. One new local supporter is the Employment Development and Information Centre whose Community Cafe team will be providing some yummy treats for participants to enjoy with their tea or coffee after the walk. Patrons are advised that roadworks on the Battery Road have resulted in a slight change to the walk route. When participants exit Fee Court, they will be directed to the footpath on the left side of Battery Road. PICTURES | Longford first past the post in style stakes at memorable Punchestown race day Participants will then walk on the left side of the Battery Road until the roundabout at the Lisbrack Road junction. This crossing point may need to change to the roundabout at the Druid Glen roundabout. Participants will be advised of these changes during the announcements prior to the commencement of Darkness Into Light 2024. Registration is available online at darknessintolight.ie. The parents of a Bryonny Sainsbury, the 25-year-old Newtownforbes woman who died from a serious brain injury, will meet with the Tanaiste Micheal Martin today as they await a report into her death. Alison and Chris Sainsbury lost their daughter after she was kicked in the head by a horse on August 26, 2021. An inquest into the death by Coroner Crona Gallagher last February returned a verdict of 'medical misadventure', a term referring to death as an unintended result of medical treatment, in the death of the young Newtownforbes woman. Bryonny, of Briskil, Newtownforbes, died from her injuries in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin five days later, after originally being treated at the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar. Since the February inquest Bryonnys family have been waiting for the finalisation of a review into her death by the HSE, which the family expected to have been completed a year ago. Also read: Family of Longford hairdresser Bryonny Sainsbury will continue fight for answers as to why she died The Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG) has apologised to Bryonny's family for the significant delay in publishing a report into her death. That apology stated that while the report is at an advanced stage, it is subject to a legal review and is not completed. The review team has received legal advice outlining that the draft report cannot be shown to the family until the required processes under the Incident Management Framework 2020 have been completed in full. Ahead of the meeting the family are hopeful that the Tanaiste can expedite matters: Our main question is why is there delay, after delay in Mullingar Regional hospital to deliver the review they have promised us over a years ago, an exasperated Alison Sainsbury told the Leader. PICTURES| Longford public turns out in their droves to remember late Bryonny Sainsbury Alison says the delay is a source of anguish for the family: It's something they started, this internal review. The delay prolongs everything. It's not that we are ever going to move on, but it makes it that much harder to get on with life. These delays do not help. Deputy Joe Flaherty facilitated the meeting between the family and Tanaiste Micheal Martin in the Dail this afternoon. Also read: Review into death of Longford woman Bryonny Sainsbury should be released to family Crime By Chris Boyle Published: May 09 2024 Andrew Quattrone sent sexual images and messages to a teenager in Wantagh; also sentenced to eight years post-release supervision. Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a Manorville man was sentenced today to four and a half years in prison and eight years post-release supervision for sending sexually graphic text messages, including a graphic sexual image, to a teenager in Wantagh in January 2022. Andrew Quattrone, 41, of Manorville, pleaded guilty before Judge Robert McDonald on November 6, 2023, to Disseminating Indecent Material to Minors in the First Degree (a D felony); Disseminating Indecent Material to Minors in the First Degree as a Sexually Motivated Felony (a D felony); Disseminating Indecent Material to Minors in the Second Degree (an E felony); and Endangering the Welfare of a Child (an A misdemeanor). Quattrone was sentenced today to four and a half years in prison and eight years post-release supervision. A stay away order of protection was issued on behalf of the teenage victim. Quattrone will also be required to register as a sex offender. NCDA recommended a sentence of seven years in prison and 15 years post-release supervision. Andrew Quattrone sent sexually charged, obscene late-night messages to a sixteen-year-old victim and drove the following day to meet her in person, said DA Donnelly. When the victim showed up with a pair of male friends, Quattrone fled. He could not, however, evade prosecution and will now spend years in prison for his sickening conduct. NCDA will always protect our children from sexual predators, online or otherwise, and ensure those who use technology to prey on our youth are punished. DA Donnelly said that, on January 20, 2022, at approximately 11:48 p.m. a 16-year-old female from Wantagh received a text message from the defendant to her cell phone with a graphic sexual image. Quattrone continued to send sexually explicit messages to the victim and agreed to meet with her the following day, January 21, 2022. Quattrone met with the victim that evening and asked her to get into his vehicle. The victim approached Quattrones vehicle with two friends and the defendant fled the scene. Quattrone was arrested in Bayshore by members of the Nassau County Police Departments Eighth Precinct Squad on January 22, 2022. Quattrone has a pending case with the Suffolk County District Attorneys Office in which he pleaded guilty on January 24, 2023, to Criminal Solicitation in the Third Degree (an E felony) and awaits sentencing. Crime By Chris Boyle Published: May 09 2024 Patrick Destine stomped and kicked 54-year-old David McKenzie repeatedly in the head and killed him. Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a Queens man pleaded guilty today to murdering the driver of a vehicle he collided with in Baldwin in April 2023. Patrick Destine, 27, pleaded guilty Tuesday before Judge Howard Sturim to Murder in the Second Degree (an A-I felony); Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fourth Degree (an E felony); and two counts of Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol (an unclassified misdemeanor). The defendant is due back in court on July 9, 2024, for sentencing. He is expected to be sentenced to 18 years to life in prison. In a sickening case of road rage fueled by alcohol, Patrick Destine violently attacked the victim David McKenzie after a late-night collision in Baldwin. The defendant kicked and stomped David repeatedly and left him bleeding in the street, said DA Donnelly. As David lay dying, the defendant also took his credit card and tried to flee the scene. Our thoughts remain with Davids family as his killer is brought to justice. DA Donnelly said that on April 15, 2023, at approximately 11:02 p.m., 54-year-old David McKenzie, the victim, was driving his 2003 Honda near Shuman Place and Forest Avenue in Baldwin when he collided with a 2004 Infiniti driven by Patrick Destine and carrying two passengers, including co-defendant Aisha Pitt, causing damage to both vehicles. After the crash, the victim began to walk away from the crash site, and the defendant followed him. The defendant then began kicking and stomping on the victims head repeatedly. The victims credit card and drivers license were also taken. When police arrived on scene, they found the victim on the ground bleeding from the head. He was taken to Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital where he was pronounced deceased at approximately 12:06 a.m. on April 16, 2023. Destine and Pitt were walking away from the scene of the crash when police arrived. Both defendants were placed into custody by the Nassau County Police Department and transported to Nassau University Medical Center. Pitt, 20, of Elmont, pleaded guilty on June 28, 2023, to Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fourth Degree (an E felony) and was sentenced to six months in jail in August 2023. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: May 09 2024 Guidelines for First Round of FY 2025 Council on the Arts Grants Now Available Here; Applications Open June 5 and Due by July 17. Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the FY 2025 opportunity guidelines for $82 million in New York State Council on the Arts grants are now available for nonprofit arts and culture organizations and individual artists across New York State. Included in this grant opportunity is the most critically needed resource for New Yorks robust arts and culture sector general operating support which provides funding for day-to-day activities for hundreds of organizations across the state. The opportunities also offer support for individual artists, affordable rehearsal space, folk arts apprenticeships and performing arts residences. Application guidelines are available now at arts.ny.gov. New Yorks innovative arts and culture sector is a key component of our state, driving our vibrant tourism industry, energizing our communities, and inspiring students all across the state, Governor Hochul said. These critical funding opportunities will allow our artists and cultural organizations to keep delivering these incredible benefits to New Yorkers and our visitors. A kick-off webinar for the NYSCA FY 2025 Opportunities will be held on Tuesday, May 14. Opportunity specific webinars will be scheduled from Tuesday, May 21 to Thursday, May 23 and virtual office hours held throughout June and early July. Registration for the webinars as well as an updated schedule will be available here. Guidelines for the following opportunities are available to download on the NYSCA website: Support for Organizations - Provides flexible operating and programmatic funding for qualified arts and culture organizations. Awards range from $10,000 to $49,500. Support for Artists - Funds creative commissions to individual artists across the state. The commission areas include Choreography, Composer, Film, Media, and New Technology, Folk and Traditional Arts, Interdisciplinary, Literature, Theater Commissions, and Visual arts. Award amount is $10,000. Support for Targeted Opportunities - Rehearsal and Studio Space for the Performing Arts: This funding is intended to support creative rehearsal time and organizations that provide viable and affordable space for non-profit arts groups and artists. Awards range from $15,000 to $35,000. - Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeships: This funding provides individuals experienced in a folk art with opportunities to study with master folk artists from their own community. Award amount is $10,000. - Performing Arts Residencies. This opportunity supports a minimum 3-consecutive-week residency by New York-based performing arts groups in a targeted area in New York State outside of the applicant's home county and outside New York City. Awards range from $15,000 to $35,000. Support for Regrants and Services - Supports funding to State Community Regrant sites a network of regional arts and culture organizations located across the state that leverage their local expertise to extend the impact of NYSCAs grantmaking to artists and nonprofits as well as funding to organizations for services to the field. This opportunity is by invite only. The application portal will open on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, June 17, 2024, at 4 p.m. All applicants must complete the prequalification process through the Statewide Financial System before applying for a grant. NYSCA urges applicants to begin the prequalification process as soon as possible. Opportunities for Capital Project Grants will be announced in the fall. New York State Council on the Arts Executive Director Erika Mallin said, NYSCAs mission is to deliver the benefits of arts and culture to all New Yorkers. I encourage our creatives from all over the State to review and apply for these essential opportunities. We want to support your creativity and innovation that will guide us all towards a better and stronger future. New York State Council on the Arts Chair Katherine Nicholls said, Thanks to the leadership of Governor Hochul and the Legislature, we are delighted to continue this incredible trajectory of vital funding to our field with our FY 2025 opportunities, supporting the critical work of artists and arts and culture organizations all across the State. State Senator Jose Serrano said, "Congratulations to NYSCA on today's funding announcement opening $82 million in new grant support to artists and organizations. Arts and culture are essential to both the spirit and economy of this great state, and I look forward to the creative work that will flourish in all of our communities with this critical funding." Assemblymember Daniel O'Donnell said, "New York is the global epicenter of arts and culture thanks to our talented artists and vibrant organizations. Through the NYSCA's grants, we are not only investing directly into the heart of our communities, but empowering artists and cultural groups to thrive and continue enriching our state's cultural fabric. I'm excited to see the innovation these grants will spark, and I encourage all artists and cultural organizations across the state to take advantage of this chance and further strengthen New York's role as a leading cultural force around the world." About the New York State Council on the Arts The mission of the New York State Council on the Arts is to foster and advance the full breadth of New York States arts, culture, and creativity for all. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, the Council on the Arts will award $162 million in FY2025, serving organizations and artists across all 10 state regions. The Council on the Arts further advances New York's creative culture by convening leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources. Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the Council is an agency that is part of the Executive Branch. For more information on NYSCA, please visit www.arts.ny.gov, and follow NYSCA's Facebook page, on X @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts . Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visiting the 91st division on May 8. (Ariel Hermoni/Israel Ministry of Defense) Israels Minister of Defense visited northern Israel on May 8 as Hezbollah continued to escalate attacks on Israel and Israel responded by striking Hezbollah sites near the border. The Minister of Defense came to the north after visiting an artillery battery on the border of Gaza on May 7, symbolizing in his schedule the challenges of fighting a conflict on two fronts. Gallant went to the 91st division, which is tasked with protecting the Galilee. Israel has two territorial divisions in the north, the 91st and the 210th deployed in the Golan. The IDF has other divisions in the north, including reservists. The deployment began after Hezbollah began attacks on Israel on October 8, 2023, joining the Hamas war on Israel. However, the situation in the north is different than Gaza. Hezbollah carries out daily attacks using rockets, anti-tank missiles and drones. Unlike Hamas, Hezbollahs arsenal appears relatively intact after seven months of war. Israel has kept around 50,000 residents of northern communities evacuated due to the ongoing clashes. I am determined to ensure the safe return of the residents of our northern communities to their homes, and to rebuild that which was destroyed. The task here is incomplete, Gallant said. Gallant met with the 91st divisions commander, Lt. Col. Shay Klaper and toured an encampment of IDF artillery. He also went to an observation post, according to photos distributed by his office. The defensive battle is a complex one it is a battle in which you are constantly anticipating the enemys actions, while remaining alert and active. The Division is carrying out its missions in an excellent fashion we have pushed Hezbollah to significant distances, Gallant said. He also vowed that Israel would return civilians to border communities. He said the military had a duty to prepare for an operation in the north. I am determined to return these communities to their homes and to rebuild that which was destroyed, he said. He warned about the possibility of a future war in the north. War is costly and it would have a heavy cost for Israel and a catastrophic one for Hezbollah and Lebanon. We strive to make achievements without war yet we have an obligation to our citizens. Gallant has warned about war in the north since the beginning of the conflict. However, the Gaza war continues to consume attention, resources and the need for regular army units. Israel has not appeared to want to enter into a two-front conflict. Hezbollah carries out attacks daily on Israel, often claiming to focus on striking IDF positions. However, the constant attacks have also damaged a large number of homes in the north, likely more than 1,000 in seven months. On May 8, Hezbollah fired at a number of communities in the northern Galilee, including the towns of Fassuta and Alkosh. In addition, Hezbollah has increased its use of drone attacks over the last several days, ever since the IDF indicated it would proceed with the Rafah operation. This appears to be a specific type of escalation, even though the drones often threaten areas within several kilometers of the border, not penetrating deeper. There were eight rounds of sirens in different areas in northern Israel on May 8, beginning at 11am and ending around 4pm local time. Overnight between May 7 and 8, the IDF struck Kfarkela, Ayta ash Shab, Khiam, Maroun El Ras, Houla and Aitaroun in southern Lebanon. Later in the day, the IDF expanded the strikes to include Jabal Rezlane, Odaisseh, Blida, Maroun al-Ras, and Ramyeh. In Ramyeh, the strikes were more extensive, hitting 20 terror targets, the IDF said. During the strikes, secondary explosions were identified, indicating the presence of weapon storage facilities in the area, the IDF added. Some towns in southern Lebanon such as Ayta ash Shab are the target of multiple strikes a day. It is not entirely clear if the strikes are having a meaningful impact on Hezbollah. Hezbollah often announces if its members are killed, and the IDF generally says it is hitting infrastructure. The clashes in the north, although the escalated during the opening days of the Rafah offensive, continue to take on the proportional cycle that has been common for seven months. 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). Islamic Jihad published a statement on its official Telegram channel on Wednesday, grieving the deaths of three fighters belonging to its Syria branch, Ali al-Aswad Brigade. Islamic Jihad said the fighters died in southern Lebanon as a part of the al-Aqsa Flood operation against Israel. With the highest signs of pride, the al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, deliver to our struggling Palestinian people and to the Arab and Islamic nations: The martyr mujahid Mahmoud Muhammad Balauni (29 years old), martyr mujahid Ahmed Muhammad Halawa (28 years old), and the martyr mujahid Muhammad Hussein Joud (27 years old). Those who rose on the borders of occupied Palestine in southern Lebanon as part of the al-Aqsa Flood battle while performing their combat duty, said the statement. The deaths of the Islamic Jihad fighters add to the growing evidence of foreign fighters aligned with the Iran-led Resistance Axis that are actively engaging Israel in the ongoing seven-month conflict. On Mar. 2, the Israeli military said that it had targeted a vehicle in southern Lebanon carrying members of the Iran-backed Syrian militia Imam Hossein Brigade, who had launched rockets into northern Israel earlier that day. Less than a week before the strike on members of the Imam Hossein Brigade, Israel killed two Syrian fighters belonging to Islamic Jihad operating in southern Lebanon. Notably, on Nov. 22, 2023, Hamas announced that Israel killed a group of fighters in an airstrike as they traveled in a vehicle in southern Lebanon. The target of the attack was Khalil al-Kharaz, a missile commander belonging to the Lebanese branch of Hamas. Notably, the strike killed two Turkish nationals who were members of Hamas: Yakup Erdal and Seyfullah Bilal Ozturk. Other Iran-led Resistance Axis groups may be discreetly conducting operations in Lebanon. One such example is the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which has taken credit for attacks on Israeli territory during the conflict. Some of these attacks have allegedly occurred against Israeli military installations in the Golan Heights. Still, other statements have claimed attacks on the port city of Ashdod and an unidentified target in the Mediterranean. Its impractical for the Islamic Resistance in Iraq to launch drones on targets in Ashdod and the Mediterranean Sea from areas such as Iraq or Syria because they would likely be shot down before they reached their destination. However, if they were launched from Lebanon, it would be a more feasible operation. The IRGC, a key actor in supporting Hezbollah, is likely operating in Lebanon, and evidence suggests their involvement in aiding the group during the 2021 conflict in Gaza. Despite this, all confirmed Israeli actions against IRGC members in connection to the war have taken place in Syria. Joe Truzman is an editor and senior research analyst at FDD's Long War Journal focused primarily on Palestinian armed groups and non-state actors in the Middle East. Manchester, VT (05254) Today Partly cloudy skies early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain late. Low 36F. W winds shifting to S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain late. Low 36F. W winds shifting to S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%. We Are China Sri Lanka to hold presidential election between Sept. 17, Oct. 16: EC Xinhua) 17:39, May 09, 2024 COLOMBO, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The election commission of Sri Lanka on Thursday announced that it will hold the presidential election between Sept. 17 and Oct. 16, 2024. Sri Lanka last held its presidential election in November 2019. Several Sri Lankan parties have declared their candidates for the election. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Kou Jie) Fourth Reich Invades Rafah Concentration Camp To Kill Palestinian Children Israel's game plan from the orchestrated Oct 7th False Flag attack is to kill as many Palestinian children as they can so that they don't grow up to become Palestinian freedom fighters. and so having concentrated the civilian population in Gaza Israel's army is about to launch a full assault on the concentration camp to this end, all whilst perpetuating propaganda that they are the victims which is akin to the Nazi Germans propaganda that they were the victims at the hands of concentration inmates. History has come full circle as those who should never again are the ones doing it again, a Palestinian Holocaust at the hands of the Fourth Reich. By N Walayat http://www.walayatfamily.com Copyright 2005-2023 Marketoracle.co.uk (Market Oracle Ltd). All rights reserved. Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes. 2005-2022 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. The beauty of a restaurant is not only captured in the final drizzle of balsamic glaze, sprinkling of Parmesan cheese or dusting of powdered sugar, its also captured in the walls, artwork, seating and everything else about the physical space. To remind diners about the power a restaurants aesthetic holds, People decided to compile a list of The 50 Most Beautiful Restaurants in America, which was published May 1. The most beautiful restaurant in Massachusetts, by Peoples standards, is Wusong Tiki Bar in Cambridge. The beauty of the restaurant, located at 112 Mt Auburn St., is captured in its thatched overhangs, 1970s-era peacock chairs and tropical wallpaper, People wrote. Wusong is found inside a beautifully restored 100 year old historic Conductors Building, offering a tropical escape from the bustling city streets outside, the restaurants description on OpenTable reads. In terms of food, Wusong specializes in Chinese American bar bites and tropical Tiki-inspired drinks. The restaurant is famous for its hand-made baos, crab Rangoons and Mai Tais. To see and taste what youre missing, you can make a reservation at Wusong on OpenTable. With four new penguin hatchlings, the African penguin colony at the New England Aquarium in Boston is growing and its the first time in five years that there have been multiple penguin hatchlings at once. The four African penguin chicks, two males and two females, hatched across the span of a month from mid-March through mid-April, the New England Aquarium said in a Thursday statement. The first chick hatched on March 21, followed by his sister on March 27 from the penguin pair of Malgas II and Demersus III, the aquarium said. A second set of two eggs, from parents Namibia IV and Jahleel III, also a male and a female, hatched on April 8 and April 18, respectively. Mother penguin Malgas II is also the mom of Bray, the female penguin which hatched in March 2023. She was previously the first penguin chick to hatch at the New England Aquarium since 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic had put efforts to breed the aquariums penguins on hold during the time between. Whats really exciting about Malgas this year is that she got to raise two chicks, Eric Fox, the aquariums assistant curator of penguins, said in a statement. In the wild, one of those chicks may not survive because of competition for the resources of its parents, Fox added. But Malgas was clearly ready for this challenge, and both chicks are thriving. The other mother penguin, Namibia IV, is a first-time mom who has been learning to care for her chicks, according to the aquarium. It added that experienced penguin parents were brought in by aquarium staff to foster the eggs during their incubation period. And a penguin named Harlequin raised Namibias second check while trainers gave supplemental feedings to the second chick. You can watch a video of the chicks, provided courtesy of the New England Aquarium, below, or by clicking here to watch on MassLives YouTube channel. Staff have been monitoring the chicks weight closely, which helps to determine if they are growing at the expected pace and being appropriately fed by their parents, the aquarium noted. Despite the closeness in age of the chicks, their size difference is striking due to the rapid growth of young penguins, officials added. The oldest of the four chicks is now 35 times its hatch weight at 2,500 grams, according to the aquarium. Waterproof feathers are starting to emerge on the chicks, which will allow them to swim. As they mature, staff are familiarizing the chicks with human interactions, such as handling and husbandry behaviors, as well as introducing each chick to other adult penguins in the colony as part of their acclimation process. The New England Aquarium said the first chick will likely enter the penguin exhibit for the public to see in early June. It added that in the coming weeks, each of the newly hatched chicks will receive a name with an educational or conservation tie before they join the entire colony. The four new additions help to grow the population and awareness of the African penguin species one that is endangered due to food loss from overfishing, climate change and pollution, according to the New England Aquarium. Recently, the New England Aquarium joined the Association of Zoos and Aquariums SAFE African Penguin program an effort to protect and restore wild African penguin populations, which are native to coastal areas in the countries of South Africa and Namibia. The New England Aquarium also participates in the AZAs African Penguin Species Survival Plan, which supports field conservation efforts and breeding programs to promote a sustainable future for the aquatic birds. The New England Aquarium said much thoughtful planning goes into the penguin breeding season with pairs carefully selected based on factors like age, genetic diversity and experience. The breeding process is not only a great learning opportunity for the staff but also for the birds, Kristen McMahon, the aquariums curator of pinnipeds and penguins, said, noting it allows the penguins to experience important life stages like pair-bonding, nesting, breeding, and rearing of chicks. Harmony Montgomerys father will be sentenced Thursday after being found guilty of the 5-year-olds death earlier this year. Adam Montgomery was found guilty on Feb. 22 of second-degree murder, second-degree assault, witness tampering, falsifying physical evidence and abuse of a corpse, all in connection with the death in 2019 and disappearance in 2020 of his 5-year-old daughter, Harmony. He was accused of beating and killing his daughter, Harmony, on Dec. 7, 2019, while the family was living in their Chrysler Sebring. Harmony had several bathroom accidents in the car and Adam Montgomery yelled and hit her in the head, according to prosecutors. He did not appear in court during the trial and on the day he was found guilty. Adam Montgomery is already serving prison time on unrelated firearm charges. On Aug. 7, 2023, he was sentenced to 15-30 years in prison on two counts of armed career criminal charges. Montgomery also received an additional sentence of 7.5-15 years for two theft charges. Prosecutors asked that he be sentenced to 56 years to life in prison, according to WMUR. Judge Amy Messer ordered Adam Montgomery to appear for his sentencing on May 9 and cannot miss it, according to the State of New Hampshire Judicial Branch. Adam Montgomery, the father of missing 7-year-old Harmony Montgomery, is being held in jail without bail in New Hampshire. (Manchester, N.H., Police Department) Specifically, the state provides notice that Harmony Montgomerys next of kin will be personally appearing in court along with other individuals victimized by the defendants crimes to address the court and provide the court with statements on the impact the defendants criminal actions has had upon them, the notice read. The defendants personal appearance in court on the day of his sentencing is thus mandatory. Blair Miller and Johnathon Bobbitt-Miller, who adopted Harmonys brother Jamison, 7, and attempted to adopt Harmony, are expected to be there. ... the monster needs to hear how this has impacted Jamison and how it will impact him for the rest of his life, a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, reads. The court has asked Miller to read a statement written by Jamison directly, rather than writing and speaking on his behalf. However, Miller feels this limitation silences his son. Why are we being denied this opportunity to speak for Jamison without limitations? he wrote. The attorney generals office has worked with the family to help them write or record Jamisons own words, they told MassLive. Still, Miller hopes his words about Jamison are read in court something the attorney generals office is bringing to the courts attention on Thursday. MassLive recently asked readers to identify people who are leaders from the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community throughout the state, working to make a difference in politics, education, business, the arts or another area of interest. Profiles of these leaders will be published through AAPI Heritage Month in May. These are people our readers have identified as inspirational, who may be doing good acts for their communities. They are being recognized for their accomplishments, leadership and commitment to inspire change. Nicole Eigbrett in February 2024 taken by Cinda Danh. Courtesy of Nicole Eigbrett.Cinda Danh Nicole Eigbrett Age: 31 Community: Lives in Somerville, works in Boston Her story: By her account, Nicole Eigbretts focus and work in social justice stems from her upbringing. I am a queer, transracial, and transnational Chinese adoptee who grew up in rural New York state, she told MassLive. I have always been a social person who values creating relationships with people of diverse backgrounds, and volunteering was a way to do this while helping others in my community. She graduated from St. Lawrence University in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in global studies and foreign languages, those languages being French, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. She then moved to the Berkshires to work in Pittsfield with AmeriCorps VISTA, a nonprofit organization that works with local groups to help people in poverty. It was here that I realized my passion for economic and racial justice, and bringing my neighbors together to advocate and fight for their vision of an equitable city we were community organizing, Eigbrett told MassLive. Eigbrett moved to Boston at the end of 2016 and became a volunteer with the Asian American Resource Workshop, or AARW, she said. She worked full-time as a communications and grant writer for a mentoring nonprofit before she worked as a legislative aide to state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, D-Pittsfield, and then state Rep. Mary Keefe, D-Worcester. This was during the Trump administration when there was heightened urgency around issues of immigration, reproductive justice, and systemic racism, Eigbrett said. We championed issues of criminal justice reform and education funding (Chapter 90) overhaul. But her time working in government made Eigbrett realize she wanted to return to grassroots work, she said. Eigbrett then served as the community organizing director at the Community Action Agency of Somerville, or CAAS, for almost four years, where I created and rapidly expanded a team of full-time organizers to confront the citys fast-moving gentrification and displacement crisis, she said. Under my leadership, CAAS organized 15 tenant unions and successful anti-eviction interventions, helped advance the strongest local rent stabilization measure in the state, and campaigned alongside low-income and immigrant tenant leaders to secure more than $3.5 million in Somervilles budget for housing needs, Eigbrett said. On Jan. 16, CAAS announced that Eigbrett would leave to join the Asian American Resource Workshop, or AARW, on May 1, as the new co-executive director and work with AARWs current co-executive director Kevin Lam. Founded in Boston in 1979, AARW has remained a member-led organization and political home for pan-Asian communities in Greater Boston that utilizes political education in tandem with creative expression to help Asian Americans hone their individual identities, shape the narrative of our shared diasporic histories and present-day realities and build collective power to transform issues of injustice and oppression, Eigbrett told MassLive. AARWs campaigns include housing justice with eviction defense in Dorchester; protections for Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laos families who are refugees; fighting criminalization and over-policing in Bostons working-class neighborhoods; and cultivating civic engagement, particularly for young people, South and Southeast Asians, and queer and trans AAPIs, Eigbrett told MassLive. In her words: I would encourage anyone who wants to become an organizer to figure out the one to two issues youre most passionate about and how they are impacting the community where you live. Then, join and volunteer with a local organization or group that is already doing the work. Chances are, youll meet many like-minded people and gain new skills. If that doesnt exist yet, start talking to your neighbors with shared values, meet regularly and determine who has the power to influence your issue, then take collective action to shift power and change the system! Were always open to hearing about more inspiring people. If youd like to suggest someone else who should be recognized, please fill out this form. Democratic attorneys general from across the nation, led by Andrea J. Campbell of Massachusetts, have launched a new effort to protect access to abortion, contraception, and gender-affirming care at the state level even as battles over those same issues continue to play a major role in the race for the White House. Two groups, the Leadership Center for Attorney General Studies and the Progressive State Leaders Committee, announced the launch on Wednesday. It was first reported by the online news organization The 19th. The working group could focus its efforts on expanding shield laws, which allow states where abortion and gender-affirming care is legal to decline to cooperate with out-of-state prosecutions of people who helped provide that care, according to The 19th. "There has never been a more critical time to lead on protecting reproductive health care and abortion access, Campbell said in a statement. As states across this country are rolling back the rights of their constituents, its imperative that patients and providers have allies fighting for them, working together in partnership to protect and expand access. In the nearly two years since the U.S. Supreme Court toppled Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that provided a constitutional right to abortion, 21 states have moved to ban or restrict access to the procedure, according to a New York Times tracker. Despite those efforts in Republican-led states, voter support for abortion access remains strong, and younger voters, who are key to Democratic chances, say it is a crucial issue for them this year, according to a KFF tracking poll released in March. Melissa Fowler, the chief program officer of the National Abortion Federation, the professional association for abortion providers, said its never been more important for progressive state leaders, abortion providers, and advocates on the frontlines to co-create a brighter path forward. I am confident that together we can find creative and compassionate solutions toward expanding abortion access in the way that this moment calls upon us to [do], Fowler continued. Among its duties, the working group will be tasked with educating the public on the role state attorneys general play in protecting access to reproductive rights and creating model policy. Campbell comes to the group with extensive experience on the issue. Last October, Campbells office launched a reproductive justice unit, charged with taking an intersectional approach to a complicated public health challenge that includes not only protecting abortion access but also ensuring gender-affirming care for transgender youth and addressing yawning racial disparities in maternal healthcare, MassLive previously reported. Campbell also joined the U.S. Supreme Court fight over access to mifepristone, one of two drugs that are used to safely terminate early pregnancies and treat miscarriages. Days before Mothers Day, a coalition of Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill announced a renewed push to tackle the nations maternal mortality rate. The bill, backed by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Ayanna Pressley, of Massachusetts, would expand Medicaid to include coverage for midwives and doula care, which research has shown can reduce adverse maternal health outcomes. Dubbed the Mamas First Act the legislation, as its currently written, would: Amend the Social Security Act to allow doulas, midwives, and tribal midwives to be reimbursed by Medicaid; Improve access to care before, during, and after pregnancy to under-served and under-resourced communities as both doulas and midwives have been proven to reduce C-sections, decrease maternal anxiety, and improve communication between pregnant women and their health care providers, and Expand access to care and increase the focus on cultural competency, and patient-centered care while contributing to better health outcomes, according to a summary provided by Warrens office. In a statement, Warren said the reintroduced legislation will help to root out the deep disparities and systemic racism in our health care system. Black, brown, and indigenous women are disproportionately impacted by that mortality rate, the lawmakers said. The United States has a terrible track record when it comes to maternal mortality, and its costing women their lives, the Massachusetts lawmaker said. Now is the time to use all available tools to combat the maternal health crisis, including by expanding Medicaid to cover access to doulas, midwives, and tribal midwives. The Bay State lawmakers were joined on the legislation by U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal, of Connecticut; Cory Booker, of New Jersey; Bob Casey, of Pennsylvania; Tammy Duckworth, of Illinois; Martin Heinrich, of New Mexico; and Alex Padilla, of California, as well as U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. The House sponsors of the legislation are Democratic U.S. Reps. Alma Adams, of North Carolina; Debbie Dingell, of Michigan; Gwen Moore, of Wisconsin and Lauren Underwood, of Illinois. The U.S. charted a maternal mortality rate of 32.9 per 100,000 live births in 2021, a more than 60% increase from 2019, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Recent research suggests, however, that the rate could be lower, at 10.4 deaths per 100,000 births, NPR reported in March. Maternal mortality remains significantly higher in the United States than in other comparable countries, especially for Black mothers, Adams said in the lawmakers joint statement. ... Having trusted partners in the birthing process saves lives. Mothers are less than half of the population, but we give birth to 100% of it Congress needs to put Mamas First because our Mamas cant wait. The legislation has the support of an array of interest, advocacy, and professional groups, including the American College of Nurse-Midwives, the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, the Seattle Indian Health Board, African American Breastfeeding Network, Momsrising, and Ujima. Across the country, African American, American Indian, and Alaskan Native mothers are dying at rates three to four times that of white mothers, Stacey Y. Brayboy of the March of Dimes said. In addition, we are seeing expanding maternity care deserts in cities and rural areas across the U.S. where 7 million women live, and nearly 150,000 babies are being born, who have no or limited access to maternity care, Brayboy continued. Expanding access to care, by increasing access to doulas and midwives, is a key component to reversing these alarming trends. With 42% of pregnant women utilizing Medicaid for coverage, the Mamas First Act would take a major step in the right direction in getting pregnant women the access to care they need, Brayboy concluded. Many states especially in the southern region of the U.S., are in significant need of high-quality, holistic, and comprehensive maternity care. Passage of the Mamas First Act can help strengthen maternity care workforce efforts, Angela D. Aina, the executive director of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, said. ATLANTA Chris Sales message to the Red Sox was loud and clear Wednesday night. Boston may have whiffed on its decision to trade him to the Braves in December. Sale utterly dominated the Sox for six shutout innings, recording 10 strikeouts in a 5-0 Atlanta win at Truist Park. Nick Pivetta, on the other hand, in his return from the injured list. Pivetta allowed three homers (and five runs) in just four innings to take the loss as the Red Sox, losers of five of their last six, fell to 19-18. It was the fourth time in 2024 that Boston was shut out. AMHERST University of Massachusetts Amherst student government members announced at a rally on Wednesday afternoon that they would be pushing for a no-confidence vote to remove Chancellor Javier Reyes after his decision to use police to disperse a pro-Palestinian encampment the day before. More than 130 students, faculty and others were arrested. Video of the camp clearing depicts rough handling of protesters by police, many of whom were in riot gear. A man who has been outspoken against the level of immigration into Mayo has announced that he is running in the upcoming local elections. Stephen Kerr, a native of Breaffy and the founder of Irish Inquiry online media platform, has announced that he will run for Mayo County Council in the Castlebar Local Electoral Area as an Independent. A founder of HOME (Holistic Outlook on the Migration Emergency), Mr Kerr has organised several public demonstrations in the Castlebar area and has attended protests at properties mooted to house asylum seekers across Mayo. He has also attended several meetings of Mayo County Council including one meeting which was attended by gardai after he and another man, Liam Heffernan, interrupted proceedings. In a statement announcing his candidacy, Mr Kerr said there was no long-term planning, insufficient services, and a lack of integration strategies to deal with the increased number of immigrants living in Mayo. The county is currently home to at least 2,342 Ukrainian refugees and 1,396 international protection applicants, many of whom have arrived in Mayo since the outbreak of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Mr Kerr has been openly critical of Mayo county councillors, stating that their basic promises to tidy the town or maintain parks and playgrounds are not enough anymore, given that Castlebar residents are facing much more pressing issues. He expressed fears that a mass immigration policy of open borders posed a threat to employment opportunities, local services and resources, claiming that the people of Castlebar are not being listened to. Many locals are disillusioned with their current representatives and feel there is no oppositional voice. Theyve been told that there is nothing that can be done to stop whats happening. But this isnt true, he stated. I believe a lot of the work Ive done for the past two years has gone a long way to informing the Mayo community about matters current councillors are silent on. He continued: I believe Ive done more to represent the people than they [the councillors] have, and I intend to continue to proactively address the issues at hand, with courage and integrity. I will speak the truth loudly and will encourage locals to stand with me, as when enough people stand together, we can achieve so much. Mr Kerr has criticised property owners who have received government payments for providing accommodation to asylum seekers and refugees under the guise of humanitarian duty. Last year, he objected to the renewal of the Breaffy Woods Hotels liquor license on the grounds that it was solely providing accommodation for Ukrainians and was no operating as a hotel. The hotels legal representative initially said they would be contesting the objection but withdrew their application when the case was heard last December. Mr Kerr has several years of experience in media production, which includes past experience with Castlebars CRCFM and Setanta Sports. He has described local farmers and businessowners as unappreciated and overburdened and has promised to address the lack of adequate vital services and housing in his area. The Great Western Greenway has been named one of the best cycle routes in the UK and Ireland. As summer kicks off, Big 7 Travel has released its top 20 ranking of the 'Best Cycle Routes in the UK and Ireland', chosen by cyclist enthusiasts from the UK and Ireland. The Great Western Greenway narrowly missed out on the top ten, being ranked number eleven on the list. The 30-mile trail was hailefd an ideal option for beginner and intermediate cyclists on the hunt for stress-free vistas. Big 7 Travel wrote: Starting in the charming town of Westport, the route hugs the Atlantic Ocean, offering sweeping views over Clew Bay and its small islands, then traversing pretty villages like Newport and Mulrunny (dont miss its old Irish goats). From here, its a glorious eight miles to Acaill Sound, famed for some of the countrys most dramatic coastal scenery. The route used to end here, but a brand-new 5km stretch now connects Achill Sound to the historic town of Cashel. Big 7 Travel invited some of the UK and Ireland's most passionate cyclists to select their favourite cycle routes, resulting in a diverse list that caters to riders of all levels. For more information on the Great Western Greenway, see their website. To see the top 20 routes, visit Big 7 Travels' Enjoy Travel website. by Colin Kirkland , May 8, 2024 According to bankruptcy lawyers representing FTX, the defunct crypto exchange plans to pay back almost all of the creditors defrauded in the November 2022 collapse, plus interest, after collecting assets valued between $14.5 and $16.3 billion. Once the motion is approved by a bankruptcy court, non-government creditors who are owed $50,000 or less (which makes up 98% of all affected creditors) should receive at least 118% of their money back within 60 days. The company says it would like to resolve all ongoing disputes with stakeholders and government without costly and protracted litigation. However, it must be noted that these customers have missed out on significant gains in the crypto market and will only receive the amount their assets were worth at the time of FTXs collapse. For example, the price of Bitcoin has more than tripled since then. advertisement advertisement FTX filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection 17 months ago after deceiving its investors -- causing customers to lose about $8 billion, investors to lose $1.7 billion and lenders shorted by $1.3 billion. At the time, it held a mere 0.1% of the Bitcoin and 1.2% of the Ethereum cryptocurrency that its customers believed it possessed. Co-founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried received a 25-year prison sentence in March, after he was found guilty on seven counts related to fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering. U.S. attorney John J. Ray III took over as CEO and chief restructuring officer and has discovered assets in real estate, political donations, and venture capital investments that have been sold to pay back creditors. by Tanya Gazdik , May 8, 2024 Honda is planting 85,000 trees as part of the company's latest effort to enhance biodiversity and reduce its environmental footprint. The trees are being planted on 100 acres of Honda-owned land in Union County, Ohio along the Flat Branch Creek near the automakers Marysville Auto Plant, East Liberty Auto Plant and Auto Development Center. The initiative will increase the company's carbon sequestration efforts and serve as home for a diverse group of insects, animals, birds and plants. The native trees will take a page from the automakers brand campaign and will be known as the "Honda Power of Dreams Forest. "The Power of Dreams" philosophy, introduced in 2015, speaks to Honda's belief that drives the company's R&D and diverse array of advanced-technology products, and to the determination to bring them to market, according to the automaker. advertisement advertisement Honda also is working with a neighboring farm to develop a tree-based system focused on maple trees for syrup production. This not only creates another sustainable local source of maple syrup but also aligns with the farm's existing agricultural activities and the environmental efforts Honda is promoting. "These trees represent the Power of Dreams of our Honda associates who identified a beneficial way to capture carbon and support Ohio's water quality goals," said Larry Geise, executive vice president of Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, in a release. Initiatives like this will not only help Honda reach our goal to be carbon-neutral by 2050 but will also help enhance the local ecosystem and support local farms. The trees planted by Honda are native to Ohio and include hazelnut, hickory, maple, oak and sycamore, all of which contribute to the local agroforestry system. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, May 9, 2024 It appears that Yelp has become a main content contributor for the Perplexity AI engine, according to BrightEdge's analysis. BrightEdge on Thursday released analysis from its Generative Parser technology that measures and tracks patterns in AI-generated search results. Perplexity AI, and Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) are the two main engines that the company's technology tracks. Perplexity has become an interesting dynamic in the market, because it operates a little bit more like a research engine, said Jim Yu, founder of BrightEdge, a company focused on AI-run organic search. It provides citation from trusted sources from user-generated content." Perplexity and Yelp revealed the content deal in March. Maps, reviews and responses related to recommendations on venues, businesses, and restaurants, for example, are part of that deal. The engine mixes text and links to provide a more complete answer. advertisement advertisement The engine licenses Yelp local business content, through the Yelp Fusion data licensing program, to surface specific business information like ratings, descriptions and photos within Perplexitys search engine. Yelp data is not used to train Perplexitys large language models (LLMs) or other AI solutions. Monitoring the shift in AI search engines has become essential for marketers to help them understand new patterns and key changes in content formats such as product views, AI warnings, and carousel shopping results. Location has become important, too. Similar to Google, the data shows Perplexity wants to serve results that can drive traffic to physical locations. Yu said the parser data suggests Yelp also will play an important role in location-based services, and become one of the biggest technology sources that AI engines will use. General search engines will become experts in specific services, rather than generalists, Yu said, and users will turn to different engines for specific reasons. I envision a world where when someone searches for well-researched answers, they might turn to Perplexity," he said. "But if they are planning a trip, they might turn to Google. If they are working on a project for their business, they might turn to Microsoft Co-Pilot because it has a very powerful index. BrightEdge's parser also identified new patterns in Google services. Beginning in mid-April, Google significantly reduced SGE search query results. The drop was at the expense of opt-In results, which are usually the most common type of result to serve up. AI results known as "collapsed" were unaffected by this change, but the parser does show that search results without SGE have increased significantly from 25% to 65%. Its interesting because in the lab environment they would increase the amount of AI results, Yu said. And now they have dialed it back. The collapsed AI results, where is show you an AI snippet, have been unaffected by the change. Apparel carousels are changing, too. Results have gained visibility, but product views have declined. Since November 2023, BrightEdge has closely tracked Google SGE results and formats to report on the change of various modules as Google experiments to find the best user experience. The product viewer -- an array of products that SGE displays -- helps users browse through them. This has been the most common way for SGE to display products. But at the end of April, the parser identified a significant decline in this format. Product Carousels now occupy less space on the search results page. The generative parser identified this change because it now can visually analyze formats by rendering the page to calculate the required number of pixels, as well as the percentage of the screen, the AI formats require to serve images. This is important for search marketers because the more the AI takes from the top of the page, the more it will impact optimization, Yu said. In this last month, SGE results now take less space, he said. As Google prepares for a broader release, they want to make sure that traditional organic results will continue to play a significant role. Stagwell media agency Assembly has been appointed global integrated media agency for fashion accessory marketer Fossil Group after a competitive review process. Assembly will consolidate Fossil Group's global integrated media efforts across paid, earned, and owned media channels, the companies confirmed. Fossil Group media expenditures last year were an estimated $40 million, according to agency research firm COMvergence. "Selecting Assembly as our new global media agency of record marks a significant moment in time for Fossil Group, stated global CMO Lisa Pillette. This partnership symbolizes a fresh chapter in our growth story. We are excited to leverage Assembly's expertise and insights to support our portfolio of brands and connect with consumers in more meaningful and engaging ways." Fossil brands include Fossil, Michele, Relic, Skagen and Zodiac, and licensed brands, Armani Exchange, Diesel, DKNY, Emporio Armani, Kate Spade New York, Michael Kors and Tory Burch. In March, Fossil Group announced that Kosta N. Kartsotis would step down from the CEO post and the companys board. The move came after pressure from an investment group to make changes. Kartsotis will remain with the company in a transitional role until September 2024 and will provide consulting services to the firm for an additional year. Jeffrey N. Boyer, the companys executive vice president and chief operating officer has been appointed as Interim CEO and a member of the Board. The Board has retained an executive search firm to identify a permanent CEO. In January, Fossil Group announced it was selling to Google intellectual property related to smartwatch technology for $40 million. Trusted Source Growing up with a sibling with depression: A qualitative study in Israel Go to source Trusted Source Understanding Perception Disparity: Insights from Twin Studies Siblings raised together can perceive their home environments drastically differently, impacting mental health. #familyperception #mentalhealthrisks #medindia Perception Disparity Impact: Long-term Effects on Mental Health Advertisement Advertisement Growing up with a sibling with depression: A qualitative study in Israel - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10470950/) A recent study conducted in the United Kingdom suggests a potential explanation for why some children in a family may struggle more emotionally than their siblings. According to the findings published in Psychological Science, adolescents who perceive their households as more chaotic, disorganized, or hectic compared to their siblings are more likely to experience mental health issues and engage in problematic behaviors in early adulthood ().Sophie von Stumm, a psychology professor at the University of York, led the research, which involved tracking thousands of twins born in the mid-1990s. The study revealed that teenagers who felt their home environments were less structured or more fast-paced than their siblings reported higher levels of anxiety depression , substance use, and problem behavior.Von Stumm suggests that if future research confirms these findings, psychologists could develop interventions aimed at altering adolescents perceptions of their home environments to potentially mitigate these negative effects.Von Stumm said shes long been curious about why people who share an experience come away with vastly different perceptions and interpretations of what happened. For her study, she used data from 4,732 same-sex twin pairs from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS), an ongoing examination of twins born in the mid-1990s in England and Wales. She excluded data from opposite-sex twin pairs to rule out potential gender-based differences in perceptions.At ages 9, 12, 14, and 16, the twins and their parents rated the level of routine, noise, and general confusion in the home.Some households are more chaotic than others: Theres always a TV or radio playing, different people come and go every day, and there are no routines, like regular bedtimes or mealtimes, von Stumm explained.In reviewing responses from the twins at age 16, she observed that siblings could have significantly different views about the atmosphere in their home. One sibling might view the household as far more noisy and fast-paced than the other.Youd think the siblings grew up in different families, von Stumm said. Thats how subjective their perceptions are.At age 23, the twins completed a questionnaire designed to measure their educational attainment, employment status, income, substance use, sexual risk-taking, conflicts with the law, mental health, and behavioral tendencies. Those who had, at age 16, reported experiencing greater household chaos than their twin siblings scored higher on depression, anxiety, antisocial behavior, and other mental health problems. The results were consistent across both identical and fraternal twin pairs.Siblings who perceived the household as more chaotic than their brothers or sisters reported poorer mental health outcomes in young adulthood, von Stumm said. This association was evident from adolescence onwards, confirming theories that the onset of mental health issues likely is during teenage years.Von Stumm said she next plans to explore the precise age and reasons that siblings start to differ in their perceptions of household chaos.It is possible that children who experience more adverse events in early life than their siblings, like suffering an injury or being excluded from school, develop a heightened sensitivity to household chaos that then has long-term effects on their mental health, she said. Because many common adverse early-life events, such as parental conflict or separation, affect all children of a family, we dont know yet if there are specific ones that can cause poor long-term mental health.Source-Medindia On Holy Saturday, May 4, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Giorgos Kotsiras will travel to Jerusalem to attend the Holy Fire Ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Deputy Minister will receive the Holy Fire from His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, and have a meeting with him. The Holy Fire is expected to arrive at Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos" in the evening of the same day, at approximately 19:30. Subsequently, it will be distributed throughout Greek territory. The Army is spending at least $4 million to expand its so-called food kiosks on bases this year. But that new method of feeding soldiers does not have to follow the service's own nutrition rules and may quickly be out of date as Army officials eye allowing meal cards to be used at commissaries. Kiosks are effectively small snack stands providing soldiers with sandwiches, candy, chips and soda -- offerings that hold little nutritional value and a selection akin to what's found at a typical gas station. By this time next year, most major installations will have at least one kiosk, with many high-profile bases having several. Fort Campbell, Kentucky, is set to have four of them. The kiosks are broadly considered by key Army staff to be a piecemeal solution to an issue senior leaders have struggled to solve: Soldiers are not using dining facilities in numbers that warrant further investment. That's due to a variety of factors, according to troops, including poor walkability and public transportation on bases, dining facility food being low quality, and unreliable schedules keeping soldiers guessing when those facilities are open. Read Next: Gordon and Aleksandra: Videos, Photos Show Relationship Between Detained Soldier and Russian Woman But the kiosks so far appear to be far from a perfect solution. "They brief well on paper, but the execution has not been great," Rob Evans, who runs the Hots&Cots app, a Yelp-style social media platform allowing troops to post reviews of dining facilities and barracks, told Military.com. A main complaint soldiers have reported with kiosks is the poor quality of food and nutrition at many installations. In most cases, kiosks are stocked with food from the commissary. Due to a complicated web of bureaucracy, troops cannot use their meal cards directly at the on-base grocery stores. "We need more options than Cheetos and Mountain Dew," one junior enlisted soldier told Military.com on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press. "It's all snack food. It's fine once in a while. But you can't live off this stuff." A review of the menus at several kiosks found that most items were high in sugar and low in protein and other critical nutrients, running afoul of the service's own standards. For example, male soldiers should get about 136 grams of protein each day, on average, though that guideline varies slightly based on body weight. Getting the appropriate amount of protein can be difficult in kiosks -- at least without consuming roughly 100 grams of sugar along with it. Much of the food contains high levels of sugar. The American Heart Association recommends men have no more than 36 grams of added sugar per day. In other cases, the food is usually pre-packaged and heavily processed. Soldiers have also reported issues with small portions, or being limited on what combinations of food they can select. Some installations have also struggled to keep shelves stocked. The Army's regulation on nutrition, known as AR 40-25, is lagging behind the newly rolled out food stalls. The regulation has not been updated since 2017, a year before the first kiosks opened. Army staff have suggested that, because of this, kiosks can operate outside of the service's norms and policies. "40-25 was developed for dining facilities; kiosks [are] an extension of dining facilities," William Duff, a logistics manager for the Army who works on its food policy, said at the military logistics conference last month. "Some of the [food in kiosks] meets 40-25, some don't." Meanwhile, the service is also moving forward with plans to allow soldiers to use their meal cards at commissaries -- a move that could immediately neutralize the purpose of kiosks, which simply offer a snapshot of a commissary's options. With that option on the table, it's unclear why the Army is investing heavily in kiosks, if they may quickly become obsolete as soldiers buy meals directly from commissaries. The service also plans to keep dining facilities open, but it's unclear whether there are plans for any investment in infrastructure improvements or higher-quality food. "The Army Food Program's board of directors is currently developing a long-term plan for feeding soldiers and is exploring options such as allowing them to use their entitlements at all on-post eateries: commissaries, food courts, restaurants [and] MWR facilities," Matt Ahearn, a service spokesperson, told Military.com in a statement. "The Army is committed to providing soldiers with food options that are convenient, healthy and accessible." Rollout of the kiosks falls under Army Materiel Command. Staff for AMC's acting commander, Lt. Gen. Christopher Mohan, and Command Sergeant Major Jimmy Sellers, declined to make either of them available for an interview. AMC's commander was recently suspended by Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, marking the first time in a decade such a dramatic move was taken against a four-star general. Gen. Charles Hamilton was suspended following Military.com's reporting that he may have inappropriately subverted the Army's command selection process to bolster the career of a subordinate officer who was deemed unfit for leadership roles. Related: The Army Is Going All-In on Food Kiosks as Base Dining Facilities Struggle An attorney for the family of a Florida special operations airman who was shot and killed in his home by local police said Wednesday that officers responding to a reported disturbance may have entered the wrong apartment. Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, who was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, was alone in his apartment May 3 when police burst through the door and fatally shot him six times, according to Ben Crump, an attorney representing Fortson's family. The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office was responding to a disturbance between a man and woman in the apartment building, and deputies shot Fortson, who was Black, multiple times in the chest, according to police radio communications. Read Next: With Mounting Opposition, Proposal to Move Guard Units to Space Force Appears Doomed in Congress "The circumstances surrounding Roger's death raise serious questions that demand immediate answers from authorities, especially considering the alarming witness statement that the police entered the wrong apartment," Crump said. "The narrative released by law enforcement, which falsely suggests that Roger posed a threat, is deeply troubling and inconsistent with the details provided by that witness: Roger was home alone, causing no disturbance, when his life was tragically cut short by law enforcement." The sheriff's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the attorney's claims. The sheriff's office recently came under scrutiny after one of its deputies resigned following an internal investigation last year of an incident in which he fired his weapon multiple times at a detained suspect after mistaking the sound of an acorn hitting the roof of his patrol vehicle as a gunshot, GulfLive.com reported. Fortson lived in an off-base residence, and his special operations squadron at Hurlburt Field in the Florida panhandle flies AC-130J Ghostrider gunships. Crump said there was no disturbance and that Fortson was home alone on a video call with another person, who reported the airman heard a knock on the door. Fortson, according to the witness, asked, "Who is it?" But he didn't receive an answer. After a subsequent "aggressive" second knock and seeing no one through the peephole, Fortson grabbed his legally owned gun, Crump detailed. As Fortson was walking back to his living room, police entered the apartment and shot him. He reportedly said "I can't breathe" while on the ground after being shot, Crump said, repeating a witness account of the event. Publicly available police radio audio reviewed by Military.com reported a call for a disturbance at an apartment complex at 319 Racetrack Road around 4:30 p.m. local time. "Don't have anything further than a male and female; it's all fourth party information from the front desk at the leasing office," a deputy said on the radio. A few minutes later, another deputy called in to report "shots fired, suspect down," and called for emergency medical services. "Multiple gunshot wounds to the chest, Black male," another deputy chimes in shortly after. Fortson was shot six times, Crump said in his statement. No other details, including the circumstances of the disturbance that prompted the local deputies to visit the apartment building, were released. Fortson was taken to an area hospital, where he later died. No officers were harmed in the incident. Fortson joined the Air Force on Nov. 19, 2019, according to a copy of his service record provided to Military.com. He joined as an AC-130J gunner. Crump added that Roger graduated from high school with honors and had no criminal record. The deputy involved was not identified in the news release and was "placed on paid administrative leave" pending the outcome of an investigation and administrative review, the sheriff's office said. On Monday evening, Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden released a statement saying the department was "saddened" by the incident and calling for further investigation into the shooting. "I immediately placed the deputy on administrative leave and have asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to conduct the investigation that is required in such incidents," Aden said. "The State Attorney's Office will also conduct an independent review. At this time, we humbly ask for our community's patience as we work to understand the facts that resulted in this tragic event." The sheriff's office declined to provide Military.com the original 911 call and the police report into the incident, citing "the ongoing active investigation" in an emailed response. "We are calling for transparency in the investigation into Roger's death and the immediate release of bodycam video to the family," Crump said. "His family and the public deserve to know what occurred in the moments leading up to this tragedy. We urge authorities to immediately stop demonizing Roger in their statements to the media. It's imperative to correct the record and acknowledge the wrongful entry into Roger's home." Related: Special Operations Airman Shot and Killed by Florida Police During Disturbance in Apartment Building Rick Yount remembers meeting a veteran with severe post-traumatic stress disorder who wouldn't leave the safe confines of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he was being treated. Yount, founder of Warrior Canine Connection, a nonprofit that supplies service dogs to veterans, handed over a puppy to train. From that day forward, the service member would need to take the young golden retriever everywhere -- stores, crowds and Washington, D.C.'s Metro transit system, with its steep escalators that frighten even the most docile dogs. "He was teaching the dog that the world was a safe place and the only way he could teach the dog ... he had to convince himself at the same time. It changed everything," Yount said. Read Next: Police Who Shot Florida Airman 6 Times in His Home May Have Entered Wrong Apartment, Family Says To highlight the positive impact dogs can have on mental health, the Department of Health and Human Services hosted a "Puppy Cam" event Wednesday in Washington, D.C., for national Mental Health Awareness Month, with officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs joining in. Speakers included VIPs such as HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. Shereef Elnahal. But it was the puppies -- half a dozen squirming, wriggly, adorable Labradors -- who stole hearts and minds. "What can be better than puppies? Nothing is better than puppies in order to help our mental health and center ourselves," said Public Health Service Adm. Rachel Levine, the assistant secretary for health at HHS. Warrior Canine Connection was founded in 2011, three years after Yount created a training program to help veterans with the symptoms of PTSD and traumatic brain injury. The idea was simple: Train veterans to train future service dogs. The dogs come to the veterans as puppies and leave roughly 14 months later, graduating to advanced training to learn tasks to help their future partners. In the years since, the group has started a 24/7 puppy cam that has amused and comforted hundreds of thousands of viewers through wars and a pandemic, launched community service programs in Veterans Treatment Courts across the country, and taken its mission to prisons. It has a Military Family Support Dog program that provides animals trained to sense anxiety and stress in each family member, and its dogs routinely visit hospitals, with one graduate, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Lt. Cmdr. Abigail, working full time as a facility dog at the National Institutes of Health. "Isolation is a very, very dangerous thing and it's a very common thing, unfortunately," Yount said. "I've never seen a being break through isolation with an ability to connect to people like a sweet, loving dog. It sounds simple, but it doesn't make it any less important because it's simple." The VA launched a five-year pilot program in 2022, Puppies Assisting Wounded Service Members, or PAWS, that teaches veterans with PTSD to train service dogs. The program is underway at five VA facilities: Anchorage, Alaska; Asheville, North Carolina; Palo Alto, California; San Antonio, Texas; and West Palm Beach, Florida. Elnahal said Wednesday that the veterans he has spoken with have called the program "lifesaving" and the VA is using information from the program and other canine programs through community partners to "build a case" for expansion. "We want to be able to go to Congress and say, 'Here are the benefits we are seeing; here is why we need to scale this up' so we can get the resources we need," Elnahal said. Service dogs are expensive to train, with costs running from $10,000 up to $60,000 depending on the intensity of the training. The VA currently covers veterinary costs of service dogs for veterans with physical disabilities, including blindness and mobility issues. Veterans have pressed for coverage for service dogs to address mental health conditions and other physical disabilities, including epilepsy. A study published by the VA in 2021 found that service dogs trained to address post-traumatic stress disorder decrease the severity of symptoms better than emotional support animals, a category that includes companion animals that aren't necessarily trained to do tasks or address medical symptoms. But Elnahal said the VA needs to continue conducting research on veterans and dogs to ensure that it has the evidence it needs to justify funding for the programs. In addition to requiring the PAWS program, legislation that passed in 2021 allowed the VA to cover the cost of service dogs for mental health conditions, but the program was not funded through appropriations. "What we need to do is continue to prove the case, through not just research on established outcomes for anxiety, PTSD, depression, but experientially -- how these dogs are improving veterans' lives. The comments I've heard are striking: One veteran said the program is the reason he stopped contemplating how to end his own life, and that was in a very public setting," Elnahal said. Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that the Department of Health and Human Services hosted the event. Related: Here's Why Veterans Groups Are Happy About the New Airline Restrictions on Service Animals A Florida deputy fired the six rounds that killed Senior Airman Roger Fortson within seconds of the airman opening the door, police body camera footage released Thursday reveals. The footage shows the unidentified deputy firing into Fortson's chest as the airman opens his apartment door and appears to be holding a handgun at his side. The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office deputy shoots Fortson, who was assigned to a special operations squadron at Hurlburt Field, immediately after telling the airman to step back -- giving him virtually no time to respond. Only as Fortson is lying on the floor of his apartment fatally wounded does the deputy tell him to drop his weapon, a firearm that was legally owned, according to an attorney for the airman's family. Read Next: 'They Took My Gift Away': In Interview, Mother of Florida Airman Killed by Police Describes Shock The footage was released by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office during a press conference Thursday as questions swirl around the May 3 death of Fortson. Officials say they were responding to a call of a disturbance that led them to the apartment, but the body cam footage raised more concerns about the deputy's use of deadly force and the vague second- and third-hand information that led them to Fortson's door. The sheriff's office has not identified the deputy who shot the airman but said an investigation is underway. Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden did not take any questions after releasing the footage at the press conference. In a prior statement, he said he had placed the involved deputy on leave and also asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, as well as the State Attorney's Office, to conduct an investigation. Fortson's family has claimed he was home alone and there was no disturbance in the apartment. His mother said in an exclusive interview with Military.com on Thursday that the airman was "murdered." The 23-year-old lived in an off-base apartment in Fort Walton Beach, in the Florida panhandle, and was assigned to a special operations squadron that flies AC-130J Ghostrider gunships. "In the four-and-a-half minute, heavily redacted video, it is very troubling that the deputy gave no verbal commands and shot multiple times within a split second of the door being opened, killing Roger," Ben Crump, a renowned civil rights attorney retained by Fortson's family, said in an emailed statement Thursday. In the footage, shot by a camera on the deputy's uniform, the officer can be seen knocking on the door without announcing himself and then standing off to the side, apparently out of view of the door's peephole. The deputy knocks again and announces he's with the sheriff's office. Fortson then opens the apartment door. The following series of events happen within seconds. Fortson can be seen standing in the doorway, holding a gun in his hand with his arm down by his side. Immediately, he is told by the deputy to "step back" and then -- without a pause -- a rapid succession of shots rings out from the officer's gun. The airman falls to the floor on his back. Only then does the deputy tell him to "drop the gun." Fortson weakly responds that he doesn't have it. "As the officer didn't tell Roger to drop the weapon before shooting, was the officer trained to give verbal warnings? Did the officer try to initiate lifesaving measures? Was the officer trained to deal with law-abiding citizens who are registered gun owners?" Crump said. The information that led police to Fortson's apartment also appears to have been questionable. Publicly available police radio chatter from that day reveals the information about the disturbance came from several sources in the apartment complex. In the body cam footage, a male at the front office of the complex and a woman who spoke with deputies both said they were reporting secondhand information about a potential disturbance. "Don't have anything further than a male and female; it's all fourth-party information from the front desk at the leasing office," a deputy said on the radio, Military.com previously reported. When the deputy asks a man in the front leasing office "what's going on," he replies, "I'm not sure" and that he had been told to call a woman if deputies came by. "So, there's a fight going on or something?" the deputy asked the man. "I wasn't present for that," the man, whose face is blurred out on the video, responds. The deputy then walks over to an unidentified woman in the parking lot of the apartment complex building and asks, "So, are they fighting or something?" She responds, "She was saying it happens frequently, but this time it was getting out of hand." The deputy then asks "which door?" The woman responds, "I'm not sure." The woman tells the law enforcement officer that she was walking by an apartment two weeks earlier and heard a verbal fight but "wasn't sure where it came from." But the officer asks "which room is it?" and the woman responds, "1401." She adds, "But the girl sounded scared, the one who called." It's not clear who originally reported the disturbance. Crump said Fortson was home alone on a video call with his girlfriend when police came to the apartment. Meka Fortson, Roger's mother, told Military.com in an exclusive interview Thursday that her son had always wanted to serve his country and had dreams of becoming a pilot. She said he had recently returned from a deployment overseas, only to die in his apartment. "It's a disbelief. Every day, I try to go to sleep early to wake up like it's a dream," she said. "He just came back from deployment from fighting for us. With everything we got going on in our country, he's fighting for us and he came back to be murdered, slain like that so violently." Crump told Military.com on Thursday no gunfire was exchanged and that Fortson was a model citizen who did not pose a threat. There was no returning gunfire shown in Thursday's body camera footage. "The reality is he was the best of us. He was the person who you would trust with a firearm. I mean, he was military trained," Crump said. "So, for them to put out a statement claiming self-defense is just misleading because they're trying to suggest that what they did was justified." In a statement Wednesday, Crump cited an account by the girlfriend who was on the video call, saying that Roger Fortson didn't see anyone when he looked out the peephole and that "police burst through the door." Following the release of the video, Crump detailed in an emailed statement, "The girlfriend acknowledges that, even though she initially thought the door was forced open by the police, that she stands by her emotional recollection of what happened. "We remain adamant that the police had the wrong apartment as Roger was on the phone with his girlfriend for a substantial amount of time leading up to the shooting, and no one else was in the apartment," Crump said in a statement. The girlfriend, who has not been named, is reportedly planning to hold a press conference in the near future. During a portion of their FaceTime video, which was recorded by the girlfriend and shared with Military.com, Fortson can be heard groaning and saying "I can't breathe." The deputy yells, "Do not move, stop moving." The Sunshine State has prioritized the ease of buying and carrying firearms in recent years, including special carve-outs for service members that simplify the process further, such as not requiring troops to take safety courses in order to qualify to carry concealed weapons under a 2023 law. Ann Stefanek, a Department of the Air Force spokeswoman, told Military.com on Thursday that leadership at the wing where Fortson served is in contact with and supporting his family. She added, "The Air Force is also actively working in conjunction with local authorities to thoroughly investigate this incident and gather all pertinent facts related to this terrible tragedy." Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Thursday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has not reached out to the family and that they were "saddened" by the loss of a service member. "We certainly never want to see our airmen or any military member, or any part of our [Department of Defense] family be put into a situation like this," Ryder said. Related: Police Who Shot Florida Airman 6 Times in His Home May Have Entered Wrong Apartment, Family Says TAIPEI, Taiwan Chinas military criticized a U.S. destroyers passage through the Taiwan Strait less than two weeks before the island's new president takes office and while Washington and Beijing are making uneven efforts to restore regular military exchanges. Navy Senior Capt. Li Xi, spokesperson for China's Eastern Theater Command, accused the U.S. of having publicly hyped the passage of the USS Halsey on Wednesday. In a statement, Li said the command, which oversees operations around the strait, organized naval and air forces to monitor" the ship's transit. The U.S. Navys 7th Fleet said the Halsey conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit on May 8 through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law." The guided-missile destroyer transited through a corridor in the strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state, the fleet said in a statement. Halseys transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations as a principle, it said. No member of the international community should be intimidated or coerced into giving up their rights and freedoms. The United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows. China's accusation that the transit was publicly hyped essentially meaning it was played up for maximum political effect has been standard practice when Beijing sees the announcements as a means of pushing back against Chinas claim to some degree of control over who can pass freely through the strait. There was no indication the U.S. Navy had operated any differently in the latest case, nor that the Chinese response was any more vociferous. Taiwans Defense Ministry said it was fully aware of the destroyer's passage. Throughout the transit, the Taiwanese military was closely monitoring the surrounding sea and airspace, and the situation remained normal, the ministry said. The last such passage was on April 17, a day after U.S. and Chinese defense chiefs held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. Military-to-military contact stalled in August 2022, when Beijing suspended all such communication after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. China responded by firing missiles over Taiwan and staging a surge in military maneuvers, including what appeared to be a rehearsal of a naval and aerial blockade of the island. The critical strait is 160 kilometers (100 mile) wide and divides China from Taiwan, the self-governing island democracy where President-elect William Lai Ching-te will be inaugurated on May 20. Lai's Democratic Progressive Party favors Taiwan's de facto independent status under which it maintains strong unofficial relations with the U.S. and other major nations. Taiwan's military heightens its alert status around sensitive dates, such as this January's presidential and legislative elections, wary that China might use its vastly more powerful military to attempt to intimidate voters and sway public opinion in favor of Beijing's insistence that unification between the sides is inevitable. The two sides split during a civil war in 1949, and as recently as 1996, China fired missiles just north and south of the island and held military exercises in an ultimately counterproductive bid to deter voters from backing candidates they opposed. Since then, China has largely kept a low profile around elections, favoring instead to curry favor with business groups and treat unification-oriented politicians and grassroots officials to all-expenses paid visits to the mainland. Although the heavily transited Taiwan Strait is international waters and vital to global trade, China considers the passage of warships from the U.S., Britain and other nations as a challenge to its sovereignty. China sends navy ships and warplanes into the strait and other areas around the island almost daily to wear down Taiwans defenses and seek to intimidate its 23 million people, who firmly back their de facto independence. Taiwan's Defense Ministry said 23 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval ships were detected operating around Taiwan in the 24 hours up to 6 a.m. Thursday. Eight of the planes crossed the median line in the strait and entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone, prompting Taiwan to scramble jets and put coastal missile batteries and naval craft on alert. In addition to sailing through the Taiwan Strait, the U.S. Navy conducts what it calls freedom of navigation operations in which it sails and flies in close proximity to Chinese-held features in the South China Sea, many of them human-made islands that have been 'militarized over the years with air strips, radar stations and other capabilities. China claims virtually all of the South China Sea, a principal maritime highway for global trade, and reacts furiously to such moves, accusing the U.S. of destabilizing the region. It often shadows the U.S. vessels and planes with its own assets, demanding they leave the area immediately. The U.S. claims it has the right under international law to sail in the area and a U.N.-backed arbitration panel has tossed out China's claims, a ruling Beijing ignored. Troops at Colorado Space Force Base Will Have to Bring Their Own To-Go Boxes for Dining Hall While the initiative is aimed at reducing waste on base, the spokesperson added that they hope it will give troops on base... Fewer than one-third of Department of Veterans Affairs police officers completed legally mandated crisis intervention and suicide prevention training last year, a top senator alleged this week. Just 1,297 out of 4,505 armed VA police officers completed the annual training from January 2023 to March 2024, a compliance rate of just under 29% for law enforcement who may be front-line responders when veterans experience a life-threatening crisis, according to Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan. The senator pressed the VA for the numbers following a whistleblower complaint. "This is wholly unacceptable, and I fear it is our veterans and VA's workforce who are paying the price," Moran wrote in a letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough that was publicly released Wednesday. "There is no excuse for VA not taking all the steps the department can -- much less the steps that Congress requires -- to prevent the unnecessary loss of life." Read Next: 'They Took My Gift Away': In Interview, Mother of Florida Airman Killed by Police Describes Shock The training requirements are mandated by a 2020 law known as the COMPACT Act. Moran demanded McDonough explain the department's lack of compliance with the law and provide a plan to "guarantee the department's compliance going forward" by May 24. In a statement, a VA spokesperson did not specifically comment on the allegations in Moran's letter, but said officials would respond directly to the senator. "We at VA are focused on ensuring our employees at all levels, including police officers, have the robust training required to intervene and protect veterans during a crisis," VA spokesperson Terrence Hayes said in the emailed statement. "We also deeply value the concerns of whistleblowers -- who help make VA better -- and seek to investigate and address their concerns with the utmost urgency." Congress passed the COMPACT Act in 2020 with the aim of providing better emergency suicide prevention care to veterans. Amid concerns about suicides and other violent incidents happening on VA properties, lawmakers included a provision in the bill that mandates VA police officers receive annual training that covers behavioral science procedures for suicide prevention; crisis intervention and de-escalation skills; information about mental health and substance abuse disorders; and information about local law enforcement crisis intervention teams. In his letter, Moran highlighted several incidents in recent years that he argued demonstrate the importance of proper training, including a 2022 case in which a veteran was struck and killed by a car after VA police escorted him off department property when he refused emergency room care and a 2023 indictment of a VA police officer on allegations he beat a man with a baton 45 times. "When Congress passed and the president signed the COMPACT Act into law, it was with precisely these types of cases in mind," Moran wrote. "VA leadership has prided itself on being ahead of the curve nationally when it comes to training officers in de-escalation and crisis intervention, yet recent tragedies indicate there is much more work to do." Moran's letter is not the first to raise concerns about the VA's implementation of the law's training requirements. In a 2022 letter that said there were 230 suicide attempts and 15 suicide deaths on VA property the previous year, Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., expressed concern that the department was skirting "the spirit -- if not the letter" of the law on training its police forces. While VA officials have said curbing veteran suicides is a top priority, the veteran suicide rate remains stubbornly high. The department's most recent report on the issue showed 6,392 veterans died by suicide in 2021, an increase of 1.8% from the previous year. Service members or veterans experiencing a mental health crisis or their loved ones can call the Veterans Crisis Line 24/7 at 988, Press 1. Help also is available online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or by texting 838255. Related: VA Police Shortages Leave Medical Center Patients, Staff Vulnerable, Watchdog Finds The Pentagon is tweaking its formula for calculating payments to U.S. service members for medical malpractice claims, a move that could put more money in the pockets of affected troops and veterans. The Defense Department currently reduces the amount it pays for medical malpractice settlements by the amount of DoD pay or Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation the service member receives. The practice is known as an offset. Under the new rule to be published Friday, the offset would apply only to the estimated amount of a service member's lost wages or future income and not to the amount awarded for other damages such as pain and suffering, disfigurement or other harms. Read Next: They Took My Gift Away': In Interview, Mother of Florida Airman Killed by Police Describes Shock Pentagon officials said in the final rule that, until now, claimants who had little or no economic damages would be unable to recover any money if the pay or disability compensation they receive exceeds the total amount of potential and noneconomic damages. Now, affected troops will be able to completely recover noneconomic damages. "The amendments to the regulation will allow some service members to receive compensation for noneconomic damages that they would not have been able to receive under the current regulation," DoD officials wrote in the rule. "The amendments afford some service members additional compensation." In October, the Pentagon raised the amount of money troops could receive for noneconomic damages from $600,000 to $750,000. Economic damages, such as loss of wages as a result of malpractice, remain uncapped. According to the Defense Department, offsets were applied to just four claims that were decided in 2021 and 2022. (The DoD based its rule only on the information available early in the creation of the program.) In half of the claims, the economic damages were larger than the offsets so the new rule would not have changed the payout. But it would have affected the remaining two, with $200,000 more being allotted in one case and $100,000 more to the other. In October, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said that currently pending claims affected by the rule will be adjudicated once the rule is published. Until 2021, service members were not allowed to file claims for medical malpractice or sue the Defense Department over injuries or illnesses that occur while on active duty. Troops still aren't allowed to file lawsuits over medical malpractice under the Feres Doctrine, set by a 1950 Supreme Court decision that protected the military and its officials from liability for combat- related injuries, although family members may file claims and lawsuits in civil court under the Federal Tort Claims Act. Legislation passed in 2019 allowed service members to file claims for injuries over malpractice at military treatment facilities. Army Master Sgt. Richard Stayskal, for whom the legislation was named, was denied the claim he filed against Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Liberty, North Carolin -- then Fort Bragg -- which did not follow up on a suspicious lump. He was later diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Stayskal and his wife filed claims for $20 million for pain and suffering. His subsequent appeal also was denied. His attorney, Natalie Khawam of Whistleblower Law Firm in Tampa, said Thursday that her client was told that the Army had "breached standard of care" but did not commit malpractice. Stayskal currently has no recourse to appeal his ruling. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., introduced a bill last year that would allow service members to take their medical malpractice claims to federal court. The bill has 27 sponsors but has not been considered by the House Judiciary Committee. "People have the right to sue if they are victims of malpractice, except for service members. It's time to stop treating them like second-class citizens. It's got to stop," Khawam said during an interview Thursday. Related: Soldier's Family Awarded 'Multimillion Dollar' Medical Malpractice Claim from DoD The Marine Corps is bidding farewell to a decades-old jet and plans to send it off with fanfare and contrails of shimmering vapor in one of its final public appearances. The AV-8B Harrier II has been a tactical stalwart for the service since the 1980s -- and even before that, in different configurations -- solidifying it in Marine Corps history as a legendary aircraft. It was involved in several operations around the world, including recently when pilots were hunting down drones in the Red Sea amid turmoil in the region. On Saturday and Sunday, it will make its final appearance at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina during a biennial air show at the installation that has historically drawn crowds of around 150,000 people. Read Next: 'They Took My Gift Away': In Interview, Mother of Florida Airman Killed by Police Describes Shock The service is trading the older jet for the new F-35 Lightning II, and the Harrier can expect to see its final days of service sometime in 2026, according to the Marine Corps' aviation plans. The base air show, which will include one of the jet's final public demonstrations, will be held in Havelock, North Carolina -- a huge event that has racked up several awards in previous years. "This year includes a demonstration of the AV-8B Harrier II for its last performance at the MCAS Cherry Point Air Show as we continue to transition to the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter," Maj. Gen. Scott Benedict, the commanding officer of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, said in a released statement. "The AV-8B Harrier II has been a hallmark of Havelock and the surrounding communities, having had more than a 40-year presence in eastern North Carolina after first arriving to MCAS Cherry Point in January 1984." The jet, which is a short takeoff, vertical landing aircraft, has seen action in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Allied Force in 1999 in the former Yugoslavia, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and elsewhere, according to Benedict. Earlier this year, the Corps trained its final batch of Marines who work on the jet's engine. Five Marines graduated from a 60-day course aimed at taming and troubleshooting its formidable F402 engine; they headed to the fleet to help keep the aircraft up as it sunsets. Other jet-related jobs are seeing their own sunset, to include the graduation of the Corps' last weapons system officer, or "wizzo," for the F/A-18 whom Military.com interviewed earlier this year. But during the upcoming weekend, pilots operating some of the Corps' more than 60 Harriers will hit their cockpits and take to the air for one of the last times in front of the public. "The demo is not too far from what we do every day," Maj. Eric Scheibe, a pilot with Marine Attack Squadron 231, or VMA-231, told Military.com in a statement via email. "It showcases what the aircraft can do and what its capabilities are. It's short takeoffs to simulated attacks. It's nice to be able to showcase that, all the work that has gone into it. The squadron is excited." The event offers other demonstrations as well, including a Navy Blue Angels flight and F-22 Raptors shooting across the sky. The 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Band will play, and static displays of military equipment are expected to draw large crowds. The last air show at Cherry Point took place in September 2021 and saw fewer numbers than usual, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gates for this year's event open at 9 a.m. aboard the installation. "The air show celebrates our long-standing relationship with our neighbors in the local community and provides visitors a chance to speak with Marines and sailors while showcasing world-class civilian performers, military flight demonstration teams, historical aircraft, and the capabilities of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force," Benedict said. Related: The Final 'Wizzo': Marine Corps Captain Graduates as Service's Last F/A-18 Weapons Systems Officer The United States government has designated Friday, May 10, as Military Spouse Appreciation Day, a day to recognize the contributions and sacrifices military spouses make in service to the nation. Introduced by Ronald Reagan in 1984, Military Spouse Appreciation Day was formally adopted by Congress in 1999 to celebrate military spouses. The day typically lands on the Friday before Mother's Day each year. While Military Spouse Appreciation Day has been a fixture of the American calendar for decades, I only first learned about it in 2016 after I had been married to a naval officer for 11 years. At that point, my husband had deployed five times to Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, with one deployment falling during our daughter's first year. By then, we had moved four times, and I had resigned from three jobs I loved. I remember feeling pleasantly surprised to learn about the day for military spouses, but also perplexed. The fact that it took 11 years for me, a military spouse, to learn about Military Spouse Appreciation Day aligns with how minimally I've seen it celebrated. Aside from a presidential proclamation, an occasional email from command leadership and a few heartfelt posts on social media, very little actually happens that day. Based on the personal sacrifices I've seen spouses make since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks launched a new era of U.S. military engagement around the world, I thought by now that those not directly connected to the military would offer more visible support to military families. I would like to think Military Spouse Appreciation Day could be that opportunity. But considering less than 1 percent of the U.S. adult population serves in the U.S. armed forces, the widening divide between the military and civilian experience makes me hesitant to hope for that. Throughout our nation's history, being married to the military has never been easy. In 1951 my grandmother, who emigrated from Europe during World War II, was newly married to an enlisted sailor who deployed on the USS Midway. The letters my grandfather wrote reveal she was left to fend for herself at a new duty station, finding a job and caring for home and family matters as both the Korean and Cold Wars loomed. My grandmother supported my grandfather throughout their separation. She kept track of their finances and repaired the car. She reported news of a family death and offered heartfelt encouragement, despite the challenges she faced back home alone. "Don't you think you aren't doing the Navy any good," she wrote in one letter. "You are giving it your time, your energies, your talents, and several years of your life. The Navy is extremely fortunate to have you in its midst." Generations later, that sentiment is still true. The services are, indeed, fortunate to have the time and talents of our hard-working service members. What's also still true is that many of the struggles my grandmother faced more than 70 years ago are some of the same struggles my military spouse friends and I have experienced in recent years. Nothing in today's headlines suggests the role of military spouse is getting easier. The frequent relocations are especially disruptive to families and spouses' careers. Today, these inconvenient moves come alongside record-low housing supply and sky-high rental costs. And while remote work and military spouse hiring initiatives have been a game-changer for some, there's a long way to go to improve the dismal 21% military spouse unemployment rate and even higher underemployment among military spouses. Beyond statistics are hidden sacrifices that are difficult to quantify. Military spouses orchestrate the ongoing logistics of cross country and overseas moves, sometimes with little notice. They parent alone for months at a time, often far away from extended family. They quit beloved jobs and shelve their career aspirations when orders declare it's time to relocate. Some military spouses give birth without their partner present, solo-caring for a newborn for months until homecoming. Adding to the heavy load, spouses watch partners and friends return from war and trainings with permanent injuries and psychological scars. And some never return. When service members make the ultimate sacrifice, a network of spouses provide crucial support to Gold Star families, delivering meals and volunteering to help however they can during those first heartbreaking months and beyond. The sacrifices endured by military spouses, both professionally and psychologically, are deep and real and lasting. Whether you know us or not, your help can make a difference not only on Military Spouse Appreciation Day, but all year round. Reflecting back on the long months of solo-parenting that dragged on while my husband served on combat tours, I am so grateful for the hands-on help we received from neighbors, extended family and even strangers. A nonprofit foundation generously provided babysitting hours. A woman I met during a walk on the beach came over just to fold laundry. I hope all families can receive that kind of support. And as my husband's active-duty service approaches its end, I feel compelled to share this greater wish for military spouses serving in the years to come. A wish for community groups and local ministries to offer child care for military families during deployments. A wish for broad support and funding of organizations that directly help military spouses, such as the National Military Family Association, the Station Foundation, Blue Star Families and the USO. A wish for military spouses to get a text from a hometown friend that says, "I saw the news about the Middle East. Hope your family is doing OK." Despite constantly changing global conflicts, military spouses tend to make it look like we've got everything handled. And by and large, we do. But every so often, it's helpful to know our family's service matters to someone outside our military community. Perhaps Military Spouse Appreciation Day could be an opportunity to share support and encouragement, whether or not you personally know a military spouse. Peyton Roberts is a Navy spouse of 18 years, mother of two, and a fiction and nonfiction writer. Her newest book is "My Dearest Bea: Love Letters from the USS Midway". Keep Up with the Ins and Outs of Military Life For the latest military news and tips on military family benefits and more, subscribe to Military.com and have the information you need delivered directly to your inbox. Graphene is a highly conductive material that has been the subject of intense research and development in recent years. It is a two-dimensional carbon sheet that exhibits many unique properties, including high electrical conductivity, thermal stability, and mechanical strength. (where to find graphene) Where to Find Graphene Graphene can be found in a variety of places, depending on your needs and preferences. 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Inquiry us The Guardians sent right-hander Tyler Beede outright to Triple-A Columbus, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week. He has the right to elect free agency but its not yet clear if hes chosen to do so. Beede, 31 this month, made it back to the big leagues after spending 2023 in Japan. He signed a minor league deal with the Guardians and cracked the Opening Day roster by throwing 13 innings in Spring Training with a 4.15 earned run average. Unfortunately, the regular season results werent there for him, despite a strong 26.5% strikeout rate. He allowed 13 earned runs in 14 innings, leading to an ERA of 8.36. There was a bit of bad luck in there, as he wouldnt sustain a .389 batting average on balls in play nor a 55.6% strand rate over a larger sample. But he also didnt do himself any favors with a 13.2% walk rate. His 5.00 FIP was better than his ERA but still not great, though his 3.78 SIERA was quite optimistic. Once a top prospect with the Giants, Beede struggled to cement himself in the big leagues from 2018 to 2022, exhausting his option years in the process. That means he is now out of options and cant be easily sent down to the minors. He was bumped off the Guardians 40-man recently and the other 29 clubs all passed on the chance to grab him off waivers. All players with at least three years of service time or a previous career outright have the right to reject outright assignments, electing free agency instead. Beede qualifies on both counts and could head to the open market if he so chooses. The Rangers have signed right-hander Kyle Barraclough to a minor league contract, tweets Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today. He will head to Triple-A Round Rock, according to the MLB.com transaction log. Texas also granted veteran left-hander Danny Duffy his release from a minor league deal, Wilson adds. Barraclough, who turns 34 later this month, has pitched in parts of nine major league seasons. He was a quality high-leverage reliever for a couple years at the beginning of his career with the Marlins. Barraclough has bounced around the league of late, though he has earned brief MLB looks in each of the last three years. That included a three-game stint with the Red Sox in 2023. Barraclough gave out far too many free passes, walking six and hitting four batters in 7 2/3 innings. He allowed 11 earned runs along the way. Barraclough had more success with the Soxs Triple-A team in Worcester, where he turned in a 3.65 ERA across 75 innings. Control was still an issue, as he walked more than 14% of opponents against a slightly below-average 20.4% strikeout rate. Barraclough started 13 of his 14 Triple-A appearances last year. He has come out of the bullpen for all 291 outings of his big league career. Texas has taken some blows to its rotation depth the latest came this afternoon when Dane Dunning hit the injured list but Barracloughs command suggests hes better suited as a reliever. Duffy, 35, returns to the open market. The former World Series winner never got to the majors with Texas and hasnt pitched in the big leagues since June 2021 when he was a member of the Royals. Duffy has spent the past couple seasons on minor league contracts with the Rangers. He had been working in relief at Round Rock, tossing 18 innings over 10 appearances. Duffy walked 17 of 82 batters faced en route to a 5.50 ERA. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) It was a frigid winter morning when authorities found a Native American man dead on a remote gravel road in western New Mexico. He was lying on his side, with only one sock on, his clothes gone and his shoes tossed in the snow. There were trails of blood on both sides of his body and it appeared he had been struck in the head. Investigators retraced the mans steps, gathering security camera footage that showed him walking near a convenience store miles away in Gallup, an economic hub in an otherwise rural area bordered on one side by the Navajo Nation and Zuni Pueblo on the other. Court records said the footage and cell phone records showed the victim a Navajo man identified only as John Doe was on a collision course with the man who would ultimately be accused of killing him. A grand jury has indicted a man from Zuni Pueblo on a charge of second-degree murder in the Jan. 18 death, and prosecutors say more charges are likely as he is the prime suspect in a series of crimes targeting Native American men in Gallup, Zuni and Albuquerque. Investigators found several wallets, cell phones and clothing belonging to other men when searching his vehicle and two residences. As people gathered around the nation on Sunday to spotlight the troubling number of disappearances and killings in Indian Country, authorities say the New Mexico case represents the kind of work the U.S. Department of Justice had aspired to when establishing its Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons outreach program last summer. Special teams of assistant U.S. attorneys and coordinators have been tasked with focusing on MMIP cases. Their goal: Improve communication and coordination across federal, tribal, state and local jurisdictions in hopes of bridging the gaps that have made solving violent crimes in Indian Country a generational challenge. Some of the new federal prosecutors were participating in MMIP Awareness Day events. From the Arizona state capitol to a cultural center in Albuquerque and the Qualla Boundary in North Carolina, marches, symposiums, art exhibitions and candlelight vigils were planned for May 5, which is the birthday of Hanna Harris, who was only 21 when she was killed on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana in 2013. It was an emotional day in Albuquerque, where family members and advocates participated in a prayer walk. They chanted: What do we want? Answers! What do we want? Justice! There were tears and long embraces as they shared their stories and frustrations. They talked about feeling forgotten and the lack of resources in Native communities. Geraldine Toya of Jemez Pueblo marched with other family members to bring awareness to the death of her daughter Shawna Toya in 2021. She said she and her husband are artists who make pottery and never dreamed they would end up being investigators in an effort to determine what happened to their daughter. Our journey has been rough, but you know what, were going to make this journey successful for all of our people that are here in this same thing that were struggling through right now, she said, vowing to support other families through their heartbreak as they seek justice. Alex Uballez, the U.S. attorney for the District of New Mexico, told The Associated Press on Friday that the outreach program is starting to pay dividends. Providing those bridges between those agencies is critical to seeing the patterns that affect all of our communities, Uballez said. None of our borders that we have drawn prevents the spillover of impacts on communities across tribal communities, across states, across the nation, across international borders. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliot Neal oversees MMIP cases for a region spanning New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. Having law enforcement agencies and attorneys talking to each other can help head off other crimes that are often precursors to deadly violence. The other pieces of the puzzle are building relationships with Native American communities and making the justice system more accessible to the public, Neal said. Part of Neals work includes reviewing old cases: time-consuming work that can involve tracking down witnesses and resubmitting evidence for testing. Were trying to flip that script a little bit and give those cases the time and attention they deserve, he said, adding that communicating with family members about the process is a critical component for the MMIP attorneys and coordinators. The DOJ over the past year also has awarded $268 million in grants to tribal justice systems for handling child abuse cases, combating domestic and sexual violence and bolstering victim services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bree Black Horse was dressed in red as she was sworn in Thursday during a ceremony in Yakima, Washington. The color is synonymous with raising awareness about the disproportionate number of Indigenous people who have been victims of violence. She prosecutes MMIP cases in a five-state region across California and the Pacific Northwest to Montana. Her caseload is in the double digits, and shes working with advocacy groups to identify more unresolved cases and open lines of communication with law enforcement. An enrolled member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and a lawyer for more than a decade, Black Horse said having 10 assistant U.S. attorneys and coordinators focusing solely on MMIP cases is unprecedented. This is an issue that has touched not only my community but my friends and my family, she said. I see this as a way to help make sure that our future generations, our young people dont experience these same kinds of disparities and this same kind of trauma. In New Mexico, Uballez acknowledged the federal government moves slowly and credited tribal communities with raising their voices, consistently showing up to protest and putting pressure on politicians to improve public safety in tribal communities. Still, he and Neal said it will take a paradigm shift to undo the public perception that nothing is being done. The man charged in the New Mexico case, Labar Tsethlikai, appeared in court Wednesday and pleaded not guilty while standing shackled next to his public defender. A victim advocate from Uballezs office was there, too, sitting with victims family members. Tsethlikais attorney argued that evidence had yet to be presented tying her client to the alleged crimes spelled out in court documents. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew McGinley argued that no conditions of release would keep the community safe, pointing to cell phone data and DNA evidence allegedly showing Tsethlikai had preyed on people who were homeless or in need of alcohol so he could satisfy his sexual desires. Tsethlikai will remain in custody pending trial as authorities continue to investigate. Court documents list at least 10 other victims along with five newly identified potential victims. McGinley said prosecutors wanted to focus on a few of the cases to get him off the street and prevent more violence. By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press DETROIT -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is demanding answers from Ford regarding significant safety concerns around a proposed fix for a fuel leak issue that impacts thousands of Ford SUVs. According to the Associated Press, as part of its investigation into the issue, the NHTSA has asked for volumes of information surrounding a recall announced in March involving 43,000 Bronco Sport SUVs from the 2022 and 2023 model years, and Escape SUVs from 2022. While Ford has announced a plan that it says will correct the fuel leak issue, there are concerns that the repair doesnt actually fix what is causing the issue in the first place. The recall was announced on March 8 after Ford determined that some of the SUVs are equipped with fuel injectors that will crack, allowing gas or vapor to leak near hot engine parts. If gas or vapor gets near the hot parts, it can cause a fire and an increased risk of injury. The planned repair calls for dealerships to install a drain tube to send the gas away from hot surfaces to the ground below and provide a software update to the vehicle that would detect a pressure drop in the fuel injection system. If the software detects a drop, it will disable the high pressure fuel pump, reduce engine power and cut temperatures in the engine compartment. However, the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation sent a letter to Ford on April 25 questioning the proposed repair while writing that the agency believes that the remedy program does not address the root cause of the issue and does not proactively call for the replacement of defective fuel injectors prior to their failure. Critics have accused Ford of attempting to save money by not replacing the fuel injectors and simply guiding the gasoline to the ground. The NHTSA has asked Ford to provide documentation regarding any testing it did for the proposed repair to verify that it works. The agency also asked Ford to explain what other possible fixes were discussed and any cost-benefit analysis the company did before it decided on which repair it would choose to make. The agency is asking Ford to detail how much fuel will leak if the repair is made, and if that amount complies with federal environmental and safety standards. Ford was also directed to provide its opinion on the companys obligations (legal, ethical, environmental and other) to prevent and/or limit fuel leakage onto the roadway at any point during a vehicles lifespan. Ford says it is cooperating with the investigation and has until June 21 to provide the requested information to the NHTSA. Once the agency has completed its investigation, it could seek for additional repairs to be made to correct the fuel leak problem. So far, Ford is aware of five under-hood fires and 14 warranty replacements of fuel injectors. However, the company has not received any reports of crashes or injuries as a result of the issue. READ MORE: Ford Maverick trucks recalled because tail lights may not turn on Ford announces another recall involving Bronco Sport models, Mavericks recalled too 318K Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300 models recalled over airbags that can explode Mercedes-Benz recalls 116,000 vehicles over fire risk 330K Jeep Grand Cherokees recalled; if you drive one of these models, you may need repairs soon If you own one of these newer Toyota trucks, a recall notice might be coming your way Toyota recalls 280,000 trucks and SUVs over transmission power problem Volkswagen recall impacts 261,000 vehicles as pump issue can lead to fuel leak Hyundai announces recall of 90,000 Genesis vehicles over increased fire risk Honda recall impacts 750,000 vehicles over faulty air bag sensor Toyota, GM recall 61K older vehicles, tell drivers not to drive them until repair can be made Tesla recalls almost 200,000 vehicles because backup cameras might not work Ford recalls 1.9M SUVs as trim pieces can literally fly off vehicles while being driven 600,000 Ram trucks recalled over software that disguised pollution emissions Nearly 113,000 Ford trucks recalled because they can roll away without warning Tesla recalls 120K vehicles as doors can unlatch during a crash Latest Tesla recall impacts nearly every vehicle sold in U.S., more than 2M cars affected Honda recalls 2.5 million vehicles over fuel pump failures that increase risk of crash Possible air bag defect leads to recall of 1 million Toyota vehicles GM recalls entire Cruise autonomous vehicle unit after car dragged pedestrian 20 feet Toyota recalls 1.9 million RAV4 SUVs as batteries can shift, catch fire Estimated 751K Toyota Highlander SUVs recalled because bumper covers can fall off Estimated 273,000 Ram trucks recalled over rear view camera problem Another 3.4 million Kia and Hyundai vehicles recalled, owners told to park outside Hyundai, Kia say 92,000 vehicles should be parked outside over fire risk in latest recall Parking brakes on Ford F-150 trucks can activate while being driven, 870K trucks recalled More than 354K Jeeps recalled worldwide as part can detach when car is in motion Tesla recalls 137 vehicles because steering wheels can become loose, potentially fall off 140K Lincoln MKC owners told to park outside as SUVs can catch fire even when engine is off General Motors recalls 668,000 SUVs because child safety seats cant be installed safely Jeep Cherokee owners told to park outside as part of recall involving increased fire risk These 22 Hyundai & Kia models are eligible for an anti-theft software update Ford recalls nearly 232K Ranger trucks as air bags may not be installed properly BMW tells 90K owners not to drive some older models thanks to faulty Takata air bag inflators GM tells newer Silverado owners to park outside due to fire risk, possible 40K trucks recalled 564K Honda CR-Vs recalled in cold weather states for rust issue Owners of 140K Volkswagen vehicles told not to let anyone sit in front seat in latest recall Ford announces recall of 1.5 million vehicles over 2 different issues Honda announces recall of 500,000 vehicles over seat belt problems 341,000 Ram diesel truck owners told to park outside over fire risk Feds issue do not drive warning to drivers of select older Honda models Feds investigating claims of Ford Explorer parts flying off vehicles Backup camera issue leads to recall of nearly 383,000 Ford SUVs Rare fires caused by seat belt issue leads GM to recall 140,000 Bolt models Dodge owners again warned to stop driving certain cars as exploding air bag kills another driver KALAMAZOO, MI - A man making threats to the Kalamazoo community on social media was arrested Wednesday, police said. Officers received a tip that a man made terroristic threats towards citizens, a local church and local police, according to the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. After confirming the mans identity, he was found Wednesday morning, May 8 with a pistol in the 1100 block of South Rose Street near Wall Street, police said. Arriving officers found the mans pistol was loaded and stolen, and there also was a loaded homemade shotgun by his feet, police said. Further investigation determined the man at the scene was the same one who made threats on social media, police said. The 37-year-old was arrested and lodged in county jail, police said. Anyone with more information about the incident may call the citys Criminal Investigation Division at 269-337-8139. Anonymous tips may be sent by contacting Kalamazoo Silent Observer by calling 269.343.2100 or visiting kalamazoosilentobserver.com. PORTAGE, MI -- The May 7 tornado that swept through Portage was Kalamazoo Countys first tornado in 15 years and its tied for the worst since the 1980 tornado that struck the city of Kalamazoo. This weeks twister touched down around 5:55 p.m. near 10th Street and R Avenue and cut an 11-mile path to N Avenue near 31st Street. Along the way, it partially collapsed the FedEx shipping Center on Portage Road, displaced more than 100 families and damaged hundreds more homes and businesses, officials said. Especially hard-hit were the Timberlake Creek apartment complex on Schuring Road and two mobile home parks, Oak Brook Estates mobile home park along Lovers Lane and Pavilion Estates near Sprinkle Road. MORE: See the 11-mile path Kalamazoo Countys tornado took Tuesday A second reported tornado in the county hasnt been confirmed yet by the National Weather Service, as of Thursday morning. The confirmed tornado was rated as an EF2 by the National Weather Service with winds of up to 135 miles per hour, which is one mph less than the threshold for a EF3 tornado. A destroyed home viewed from the above sits along Centre Avenue in Portage pictured on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. A tornado ripped through the area the evening of May 7.Neil Blake | MLive.com However, no fatalities and only a handful of injuries were reported -- unlike the 1980 Kalamazoo tornado, in which five were killed and 79 were injured. The 1980 twister began about 4 p.m. May 13, 1980, sweeping through the heavily populated Westwood neighborhood, damaging more than 200 homes before into plowing into the heart of downtown Kalamazoo. MORE: Remembering the Kalamazoo tornado 40 years after it struck May 13, 1980 There, among other damage, the storm demolished St. Augustine Cathedral School on West Michigan Avenue, sheered off the back wall of the seven-story Gilmore Department Store on the Kalamazoo Mall and toppled more than two dozen trees in Bronson Park that were at least 150 years old. That storm was rated an F3, with winds of 150 to 175 mph, using the original Fujita scale. The Enhanced Fujita scale was adopted in 2007. That was the deadliest storm in Kalamazoos history, based on National Weather Service records that go back to 1950. However, it wasnt the most severe tornado in county history. That belongs to the F4 tornado on April 2, 1977. But that one resulted in zero deaths and only 10 injuries. Heres a chart of all confirmed tornadoes on record in Kalamazoo County on record, which dates back to 1954. Those records show that Kalamazoo County had 25 confirmed tornadoes in the past 74 years before this week. That includes one F4 tornado, two F3s, in 1965 and 1980, and now four F2s/EF2s. There were six tornadoes before this week that resulted in injuries: In 1955, 1965, 1973, 1977, 1978 and 1980. The countys last tornadoes occurred 15 years ago, on June 19, 2009, a day when there were actually two tornadoes reported around 10 p.m. The first was an EF1 that touched down for a two-mile stretch in Alamo Township. The second, an EF2, touched down for less than a mile but tore the roof off a home in Richland Township. Heres a map of all of Kalamazoo Countys confirmed tornadoes on record, dating back to 1954. This weeks tornado isnt included heres that map. Among the memorable tornado events in Kalamazoo County was the so-called Palm Sunday tornado outbreaks on April 11, 1965, the deadliest day for tornadoes in the Great Lakes region, according to the National Weather Service. Michigan, Indiana and Ohio were especially hard hit. In all, there were 47 confirmed tornadoes, 271 deaths and 3,400 people injured, the NWS says. A dozen tornadoes swept through Michigan that day, killing 51 and injuring 800. Most of those deaths and injuries occurred when two tornadoes cut an 80-mile-plus path through Branch, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties. In Kalamazoo County, an F3 tornado touched down around 6:30 p.m. on Palm Sunday 1965 and cut a 14-mile path of destruction through Cooper, Richland and Ross townships, injuring 17, demolishing four homes and damaging 22 others. Another 14 people were injured in two tornadoes that tore through Allegan and Barry counties. The Palm Sunday tornado outbreaks are considered a watershed moment in weather history, the NWS says. In the wake of that outbreak, the National Weather Service introduced the tornado watch and tornado warning system and worked with the media -- particularly television and radio stations -- to publicize tornado watch and warning announcements. In addition, communities began to use civil defense sirens to warn of approaching tornadoes. The only F4 tornado ever recorded in Kalamazoo County occurred on April 2, 1977, and was one of two F4 tornadoes in Michigan that day. Although it was 47 years ago, those were also the most recent F4s in the state, according to NWS records. The Gaylord tornado in 2022 was an EF3. The 1977 Kalamazoo County twister first touched down in Comstock Township around 1:30 p.m. and took at 12-mile path northeast, tearing into Galesburg and Augusta, destroying buildings and injuring 10 people. One witness recalled seeing an Augusta home go up in the air and slam to the ground; another told of finding the roof of the Augusta Lumber Company sitting on top of my car, according to a WZZM-TV report marking the tornados 47th anniversary. Minutes after that 1977 twister died out in Kalamazoo County, a second F4 tornado formed in Eaton County, racing from Bellevue to Eaton Rapids. That storm was even more dangerous, killing one person and injuring 40 others. There were three other Kalamazoo County tornadoes since 1950 that resulted in an injury, according to the NWS: An F2 on May 28, 1955. That storm began in Schoolcraft and went on a 65-path that included the village of Augusta and went into Calhoun and Eaton counties. An F0 on July 27, 1973, when a twister touched down for four miles in Kalamazoo and Cooper townships around 8 p.m. An F1 on Aug. 16, 1978, when a tornado struck Kalamazoos Edison neighborhood about 12:30 p.m. That tornado traveled about a mile and a half. An interesting side note: In the past 74 years, 12 of the 25 tornadoes recorded in Kalamazoo County occurred in a 15-year span, from 1965 to 1980. That period also includes five of the six tornadoes that resulted in injuries. Indeed, Kalamazoo had eight tornadoes during the 1970s, compared to no tornadoes since 2009 until this week. The table below documents all confirmed tornadoes in Michigan from 1950 to 2020. Its searchable by county and can be sorted by category. Officials say that tornado-related deaths and injuries have become less frequent because of better warning systems. This week was the first time that a tornado emergency alert was issued in Michigan. That alert warns residents of a confirmed tornado sighting, with a threat of catastrophic damage and severe threat to human life. This week, Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller underscored the importance of emergency alerts. Forty-four years ago, we had a much more tragic event come through and cause five lives to go, Fuller said during a May 8 press conference. Because they were paying attention last night and hearing the alerts, lives were saved. We heard more than one story where people said, We just got out of there. For more on Tuesdays tornadoes in Portage, click here. One of Michigans largest health insurance agencies changed the way it reimburses care providers for virtual services known as telehealth, raising concerns about patient care. The move this month -- or more specifically the language used by Priority Health to explain their move -- caused confusion and concern among a group of counselors and therapists in West Michigan, who questioned if it could affect access to patients who rely on it for primary and behavioral health care. David Burke, a licensed professional counselor and co-owner of Alliance Counseling Group in West Michigan, read the May 2024 shift in reimbursement policy to mean providers would be paid less by insurance companies for virtual care compared to in-person services. Burke worried that such a move would disincentivize providers delivering telehealth services, impacting patient access and care. The Michigan Counselors Association also heard the confusion and said clarification was in order. However, Priority Health explained to MLive it isnt reducing its reimbursement rates for virtual health or making it less profitable for providers than in-person services. Rather, the change in reimbursement has to do specific cases where the virtual care is provided in a hospital or like setting. To understand the change requires an understanding of how health insurance works. When you visit a health care provider -- physician, therapist, etc. -- a claim is sent to your insurance company using various codes that are associated with contracted reimbursement rates. That system determines how much the provider will make for its services. Related: Saginaw veterans affairs hospital adds telehealth services On Jan. 1, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) updated its reimbursement rates for telehealth. Claims billed for care provided to a patients home would be paid at a non-facility rate (POS code 10), while care provided outside a patients home would be paid at a lower facility rate (POS code 02). Priority Health noted on its website in March that it would be following CMSs lead beginning May 1. I think Priority Health is trying to follow CMS but there is some general confusion when Ive talked to providers and billers, said Ashley VanBemmelen, past president of the Michigan Counselors Association. This is where well need insurance companies to provide a little more clarification. So, what does the change mean? A provider offering virtual services to a patient who is in a hospital, physicians office, psych facility or other medical facility can be reimbursed at a lower rate than elsewhere, explained Priority Health. Thats because the cost of things like clinical personnel, equipment and supplies are incurred by the facility, not the provider. Reimbursement for telehealth provided to a persons home, in their vehicle, at school, at work, and elsewhere isnt affected by the May 1 change by Priority Health. Generally, reimbursement rates should be the same for an office rate when Im providing services at my office over telehealth and in-person, said VanBemmelen, who is also a licensed therapist with Insight Counseling in Grand Rapids. Im still at my office, still paying for my space, still paying for the telehealth platform. Telehealth existed before 2020, but exploded in usage during the COVID-19 pandemic in response to an unprecedented wave of need. For a period during the health emergency, insurance agencies even waived patient copays for virtual care. While the health emergency faded in time, health officials said telehealth was here to stay. It remains an industry standard for therapists to charge the same price for virtual care as they would in-person, explained VanBemmelen. While provider reimbursement varies by insurance agency, patients arent likely to see a difference in their bill, VanBemmelen said. For Burke and his staff of 48 at Alliance Counseling Group, he said its important to continue offering a virtual option for patients. He estimated 30% of his clients use telehealth services. Clients pick telehealth because its convenient to them, he said. Its a service they want. Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order: OC air Thursday, May 9, from 8-11 p.m. ET on NBC. Watch all new episodes for free with trials from Fubo and DIRECTV Stream. They are also available for next-day streaming on Peacock. About the shows: Follow the daily lives of prosecutors and two NYPD units while watching the Law & Order franchise made up of Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Organized Crime. Join investigators working in the New York City justice system in their professional and personal lives. Watch the shows back-to-back tonight, May 9, starting at 8/7c on NBC. The schedule and episode details for tonight are as follows: Law & Order at 8/7c In No Good Deed, a therapist with a long list of troubled clients dies suddenly - Shaw and Riley are on the case. Baxter takes over Prices chair when a disturbing connection to the defendant is discovered during trial. Law & Order: SVU at 9/8c In Marauder, Agent Sykes is struggling on the anniversary of her sisters disappearance. Meanwhile, Benson looks for closure for her in a cold case from Manhattan. Law & Order: OC at 10/9c In Goodnight Stabler and Randall give Joe Jr. the ultimatum to get clean or go to prison. A dangerous rescue attempt is needed when Vargas and Jet try to cut off Emerys smuggling routes. Where to watch: Sam Waterston Hugh Dancy Camryn Manheim Odelya Halevi Mehcad Brooks Mariska Hargitay Ice T Peter Scanavino Octavio Pisano Xi concludes Serbia visit with elevated ties, deepened friendship and promising cooperation Xinhua) 18:58, May 09, 2024 BELGRADE, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up his state visit to Serbia on Wednesday, bundling up a multitude of deals and a strengthened bond of friendship with the country. At the end of a fully-packed day, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic bid farewell to Xi at the Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, where he had welcomed the Chinese president the day before. Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony held by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic prior to their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) UPGRADED TIES Earlier in the day, Xi and Vucic signed a joint statement on the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, an upgrade of relations from the comprehensive strategic partnership established in 2016. The deal, which was declared by Xi and Vucic during their meeting in the Serbian capital, makes Serbia the first European country to build such a community with China. Over the past few years, Xi said, the bilateral relationship has leapfrogged with historic progress, and since the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016, in particular, the bilateral relationship has been enriched in substance and expanded in scope, which has become an example for China's friendly relations with other European countries. Serbia is China's first comprehensive strategic partner in Central and Eastern Europe, Xi said, adding that under the new circumstances, Serbia has become the first European country to build with China a community with a shared future, which speaks volumes about the strategic, special and high-level China-Serbia relations. "With this agreement, Serbia is leading the way in its relations with China," said Ivona Ladjevac, deputy director at the Institute for International Politics and Economics in Belgrade. The announcement on deepening and elevating the comprehensive strategic partnership and building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era marks a new milestone in the history of this bilateral relationship, said Vucic. The strategic, practical, and innovative nature of promoting bilateral relations will set a benchmark and model for cooperation between the East and the West, Chen Fengying, a researcher at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told Xinhua in a recent interview. Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony held by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) STRONGER IRONCLAD FRIENDSHIP The ironclad friendship between China and Serbia has stood the test of the changing international landscape, Xi said, noting that such friendship is characterized by profound historical roots, solid political foundation, extensive common interests and strong popular support. In a signed article published Tuesday in Politika, a Belgrade-based Serbian daily, Xi wrote that the ironclad friendship between the two countries is ever-growing. "Whatever changes in the international landscape, China and Serbia remain true friends and good partners," he wrote. The Chinese president's arrival coincides with the 25th anniversary of the NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1999, the U.S.-led NATO forces carried out savage airstrikes for 78 days against Yugoslavia, leaving more than 8,000 civilians dead or injured and nearly 1 million more displaced. On the night of May 7, exactly 25 years ago, NATO bombed the Chinese embassy, killing three Chinese journalists, including one from Xinhua. "The Chinese people cherish peace, but we will never allow such tragic history to repeat itself," Xi wrote in the article. "The China-Serbia friendship, forged with the blood of our compatriots, will stay in the shared memory of the Chinese and Serbian peoples, and will inspire us to march forward with big strides." Gordana, a local resident who didn't reveal her full name, referred to the bombing as a "painful memory" to her. "The cooperation between China and Serbia holds the promise of providing my children with a better life than I experienced," she told Xinhua. Precious moments of goodwill and friendship are a signature of Xi's short but significant stay in Serbia, which lasts no more than 24 hours. A telling moment was the grand welcoming ceremony held by Vucic on Wednesday morning with the impressive attendance of more than 10,000 Serbian people. Crowds were waving the national flags of both countries and chanting "China! Serbia!" with applause and cheers pervading the atmosphere. "We are here to show our friendship with China, and we want our Chinese friends know that we cherish it very much," said Milos Tosic, a college professor present at the event. Tosic told Xinhua that it is not only his opinion, but one shared "by all the people here today." At a welcoming banquet around noon, Xi shared his nostalgic memory with Vucic, reminiscing about the Yugoslav film "The Bridge" and the song "Bella Ciao," which have become the fondest memories in his youthful days. "China will work together with the friendly people of Serbia and make tireless efforts to build a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era," Xi pledged in his concluding remarks at the banquet toast. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic sign a joint statement on the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, after their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) FUTURE-ORIENTED PARTNERSHIP During the meeting with Vucic, Xi said the China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era is an upgrade of the ironclad friendship between China and Serbia, and it also represents their common values and objectives, namely, joint pursuit of development, win-win cooperation and mutual success. In support of the building of the China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, Xi has announced six measures when he met the press together with Vucic. Notable among the measures are a free trade agreement between China and Serbia which will take effect on July 1 and an exchange program under which Serbian youths and young Serbian scientists are invited to visit China in the next three years. "The sky is the limit," said Vucic, referring to the scope of cooperation with China. "For Serbia, it obviously brings a great deal," said Aleksandar Pavic, a Serbian political expert. "The opening of the Chinese market with the Free Trade Agreement, academic exchanges ... those are very, very important." "China offers a hand of cooperation on an equal footing, and offers great opportunities without conditions," Pavic said. "We've grown weary of the zero-sum game for far too long." The substantial deals added new testimony to the special bond of ironclad friendship enjoyed by China and Serbia. Past years have seen leapfrog growth of China-Serbia cooperation. Two-way trade in 2023 surged to 4.35 billion U.S. dollars, Chinese customs statistics showed. In 2022, China became the largest source of direct investment for Serbia. After the bilateral free trade 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. Under the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative are flagship projects such as the Smederevo Steelworks and the high-speed railway between Belgrade and Budapest. An integral segment of the Belgrade-Budapest railway is the high-speed train linking Belgrade and Serbia's second-largest city Novi Sad, which has transported some 6.83 million passengers over the past two years. Serbia has long been known as "the gateway to the Balkans" on the European continent. "Everything that has been done so far and will be done in the future can serve as an example to other countries in the region and throughout Europe to get involved as much as possible," said Aleksandar Mitic, a research fellow also with the institute. "The principle of mutual benefit can really work," said Mitic. Serbia, undoubtedly, stands as a reliable partner for China in Europe, said Aleksandar Vojvodic, head engineer of the Clean Serbia Project of China Road and Bridge Corporation. There will be a promising prospect for further enhancement and expansion of existing cooperation, said Vojvodic. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Chinese companies break ground on Tunisia's photovoltaic power station Xinhua) 20:07, May 09, 2024 TUNIS, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese companies on Wednesday broke ground on a 100-megawatt photovoltaic power station in central Tunisia's Kairouan Province, the largest photovoltaic power plant currently under construction in Tunisia. The commencement of the project represents a major step for Tunisia to implement energy diversification and fulfill its energy transformation strategy, Wael Chouchane, the secretary of state to the Tunisian minister of industry, mines and energy and in charge of the energy transition, told Xinhua. China plays a leading role in the global renewable energy sector, and the Tunisian side has great confidence in the ability of Chinese companies to carry out this project, said Chouchane, adding that the Tunisian side could also benefit from the cooperation with Chinese companies regarding talent training and technology. The power station is being constructed by a consortium comprising China Energy Engineering Group Tianjin Electric Power Construction Co., Ltd (Energy China TEPC) and Northwest Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd (NWEPDI) of China Power Engineering Consulting Group. Xu Zhiyong, a project director from Energy China TEPC, told Xinhua that this project has the potential to cultivate a significant number of skilled professionals in the new energy industry for Tunisia. The power station is designed to operate for 25 years and generate 5.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, said Wang Wenhai, another director of the project from NWEPDI. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Kou Jie) Superior Judge Lillian A. Tenorio signs the Treatment Court Month Proclamation while Presiding Judge Roberto C. Naraja and Judge Teresa K. Kim-Tenorio wait to add their signatures, as well at the Guma Hustisia on April 26, 2024. Joint Region Marianas hosted delegates from the Federated States of Micronesia during the FSM Joint Committee Meeting held May 1-2 in the JRM headquarters building in Nimitz Hill. Commander Joint Region Marianas Rear Adm. Greg Huffman led the discussion alongside the FSM Vice President Aren B. Palik and the U.S. Ambassador to the FSM Jennifer Johnson. In attendance were representatives from U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet, FSM national delegates, members of the FSM Congress, as well as state leaders and representatives from Chuuk, Pohnpei, Yap and Kosrae. (L to R) June McTeer, Mark Waelty, Cora Broglio, Larkin Davis, and Rhonda Merrill View Photo Murphys, CA Top honors for five Calaveras County teachers at a recently celebrated luncheon by the Angels-Murphys Rotary Club. The club awarded the educators Teacher of the Year for each of the countys five school districts. Each teacher was chosen by their peers, and someone from their district presented their award. They are listed below: The Vallecito Union School District chose Avery Middle School special education teacher Larkin Davis for her ability to connect with students and parents and to mentor other special education teachers. Calaveras Unified School District selected Toyon Middle School history teacher Rhonda Merrill, praised for her ability to capture the imagination of her students and encourage participation through hands-on activities, historical reenactments, and creative classroom themes like Harry Potter. Bret Hart Union School Districts fine arts instructor, Mark Waelty, was chosen for his talent in pushing art students to realize their talent. Cora Broglio, special day class teacher at Mark Twain Union Elementary School, was noted for being an inspiration and a great teacher. June McTeer, transitions teacher at Calaveras County Office of Education, was chosen for her role in teaching life skills to adult students with disabilities by helping her students learn important vocational, communication, and functional life skills related to their disability. The Angels-Murphys Rotary Club also honors local teachers, firefighters, law enforcement officers, and students annually, with each group receiving its own celebratory luncheon. As the vocational director of the Angels-Murphys Rotary club, it is an honor each year to recognize the teachers in our communities for their accomplishments, relayed Donna Stevenson. Laurie Giannini, Marie Alvarado Gil, and Jack Garamendi View Photos Sacramento, CA The 48th annual Capitol Frog Jump brought together participants from the Senate and Assembly to raise awareness about the upcoming Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee. Senator Marie Alvarado Gil, who represents the Mother Lode region, hosted Wednesdays competition in Sacramento. The event at the capitol was started by former Assemblyman John Garamendi, a Calaveras native, decades ago. His son, Calaveras Supervisor Jack Garamendi, was on hand, along with several others from the Calaveras Fair, including Fair Manager and CEO Laurie Giannini. Senator Alvarado Gil says, I am thrilled to see such enthusiastic participation from our community and colleagues in the Senate and Assembly. The Capitol Frog Jump has become a cherished tradition that brings us together in the spirit of fun and camaraderie. An impressive 70 frog jumpers took part, with Assemblyman Luis Rivas team leading the way with their frog Dua Leapa having the furthest jump of 12 feet and nine inches. Senator Alvarado-Gils frog, Fair 4Play, was just 8 inches short of Dua Leapa, at 12 feet 1 inch. Reporter Alexei Koseff of CAL Matters clinched the media category with his frog, Baby, jumping 8 feet and 7 inches. The Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee is coming up May 16-19 at the fairgrounds in Angels Camp. Yves here. Africa followed the economic advice of brand name Western institutions like the World Bank. The resulting setbacks should lead any government to lock the door when these snake-oil salesmen come calling. Advanced economies looting Africa is so long-standing that it verges on a dog bites man story. Nevertheless, I was gobsmacked to learn from Nicholas Shaxxons Treasure Islands that the poor continent was a net capital exporter, thanks to multinational transfer price gaming and corrupt elites gifting and sending their plunder abroad to tax havens. Similarly, many readers may recall the factoid of perhaps five years ago, which is likely still true, that pretty much all of the poverty reduction in developing economies resulting from trade liberalization took place in China. Thats even worse than it seems. Economic restructuring is politically and socially disruptive, since the process created winners and losers. That means disruptive fighting with no net gain to reduce the pain of destabilization. This post from Jomo adds to that sorry picture by showing how freer trade make Africa worse off. By Jomo Kwame Sundaram, former UN Assistant Secretary General for Economic Development. Originally published at Jomos website Africans have long been promised trade liberalisation would accelerate growth and structural transformation. Instead, it has cut its modest production capacities, industry and food security. Berg Helped Sink Africa The 1981 Berg Report was long the World Bank blueprint for African economic reform. Despite lacking support in theory and experience, Africas comparative advantage was supposedly in export agriculture. Once obstructionist government interventions were gone, farmers previously repressed productive potential would spontaneously achieve export-led growth. But there has been no sustained African agricultural export boom since. Instead, Africa has been transformed from a net food exporter in the 1970s into a net importer. Over the next two decades, its share of world non-oil exports fell by more than half from the early 1980s. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) export growth from the late 20th century has mainly been due to foreign direct investment (FDI) from Asia, especially China and India. Nevertheless, Africas share of world exports has declined. High growth in Asian economies contributed most to raising primary commodity prices, especially for minerals, until they collapsed from 2014. Underdeveloped Agriculture African agriculture has been undermined by decades of low investment, stagnation and neglect. Public spending cuts under structural adjustment programmes (SAPs) have also depleted infrastructure (roads, water supply, etc.), undermining output. SAPs neglect of infrastructure and agriculture left many developing nations unable to respond to new agricultural export opportunities. Meanwhile, projections ignored the fate of African food security. SAPs undermined the already poor competitiveness of African smallholder agriculture. Unsurprisingly, most of the poorest and least developed African countries were projected to be net losers in the Banks more realistic World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Round trade liberalisation scenarios. Uneven partial trade liberalisation and subsidy reduction have mixed implications. These vary with the food shares of national imports and household spending. Wishful Development Thinking World Bank research claimed African countries would gain $16 billion from complete trade liberalisation. But this scenario was never envisaged for the Doha Round negotiations virtually abandoned two decades ago. Nonetheless, the Bank claimed SSA would gain considerably because farm employment, the real value of agricultural output and exports, the real returns to farm land and unskilled labor, and real net farm incomes would all rise substantially in capital scarce SSA countries with a move to free merchandise trade. Total welfare gains envisaged for SSA minus South Africa were slightly over half of one per cent. But World Bank projections for the overall effects of multilateral agricultural trade liberalisation expected significant losses for SSA. Gains worldwide would mainly accrue to major food exporters, primarily from the Cairns Group, largely from rich countries. The rich world has long dominated food agricultural exports with indirectly subsidised farming. Lowering agricultural subsidies in the North has thus raised some imported food prices in developing countries. Also, most African governments cannot easily substitute lost tariff revenue with other new or higher taxes. After years of trying, developing countries have virtually given up trying to level the playing field by cutting OECD governments agricultural subsidies, import tariffs and non-tariff barriers. Gains from Liberalisation? Greater trade liberalisation in manufactures, enhanced by the WTO non-agricultural market access (NAMA) agreement, has also undermined African industrialisation. Limited African market access to affluent country markets has been secured through preferential market access agreements rather than trade liberalisation. Mkandawire noted trade liberalisation would entail losses for Africa with the end of European Union preferential treatment under the Lome Convention. Hence, the likely overall impacts of trade liberalisation on Africa were recognised as mixed and uneven. The economic welfare of SSA without Zambia, South Africa and members of the Southern African Customs Union was supposed to rise after a decade by three-fifths of one per cent by 2015! The Doha agreement envisaged then emphasised manufacturing trade liberalisation. Despite gains for some developing countries, SSA minus South Africa would lose $122 billion as SAPs accelerate deindustrialisation. SSA minus South Africa would lose $106 billion to agricultural trade liberalisation due to poor infrastructure, export capacities, and competitiveness. Hence, partial trade liberalisation and subsidy reduction have uneven and mixed implications. Fraudulent Policy Advice With more realistic assumptions, SSA gains from trade liberalisation would be more modest. As economic growth generally precedes export expansion, trade could help foster virtuous circles but cannot enhance productive capacities and capabilities on its own. UNCTAD has long emphasised growths importance for trade expansion, especially the weak investment-export nexus. This accounts for many countries failure to expand and diversify their exports. Rapid resource reallocation is much more difficult without high growth and investment rates. For Gerry Helleiner, Africas failures have been developmental, not export failure per se. Dani Rodrik argued Africas marginalisation is not due to trade performance. Africas export collapse in the 1980s and 1990s involved a staggering annual income loss of US$68 billion or 21 per cent of regional GDP. Former World Bank economist Bill Easterly blamed these lost decades on SAPs. Nonetheless, Africa overtrades compared with other developing regions in the sense that its trade is higher than would be expected from the various determinants of bilateral trade. Trade liberalisation has significantly reduced trade, industrial, technology and investment policy space for developing countries. Unsurprisingly, food security and manufacturing have been especially badly hit. ADL sides with genocide; is opposed to free speech Israel's number-one supporter right now appears to be the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which is working really hard to sanitize Israel's image amid its ongoing genocide in Gaza. A self-described "anti-hate" organization with a mission "to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all," ADL wants you to believe that the people protesting at college campuses against Israel's aggressive military operation in Gaza are "terrorists," and that Israel is only "defending itself." With more than 34,000 Palestinians now dead at the hands of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) most of these are women and children ADL has a tall order trying to convince the public that Israel is playing the role of the good guy in all this with its ongoing genocide. ADL is also working overtime to link the October 7 incident to Iran, this country being Israel's number-one target for destruction going back decades. ADL also says that all the campus protests are a product of Iran as well. "Iran has their military proxies like Hezbollah, and Iran has their campus proxies like these groups, like Students for Justice in Palestine [and] Jewish Voice for Peace," ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt told MSNBC in a recent interview. Speaking to Forbes in another recent interview, Greenblatt emphasized that he would "really like the FBI to investigate these groups," meaning the protest groups, for their alleged "elevation of Hamas propaganda." (Related: Last summer, an undercover journalist exposed ADL for engaging in a dark and sinister social media censorship plot.) 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. Anything Israel doesn't like is Hamas or Iran Greenblatt also paid a visit recently to Columbia University where on a livestream he called for the New York Police Department (NYPD) to come back along with the National Guard to persecute and silence protesters. After that, Greenblatt penned an op-ed for CNN arguing that college campuses must ban full-face masking many of the protesters are wearing a mask to conceal their identities and immediately suspend all protesters who are students at the school. Anyone who does not attend or teach at Columbia should be arrested for trespassing, Greenblatt's op-ed further states, adding that all donors must divest from the universities where the protests are taking place. "The Anti-Defamation League has a long and storied history of attacking people it disagrees with, often Arabs, black people, and queer people," RT reported. "The ADL infamously collaborated with the House Un-American Committee in the 1940s and 50s, adopting a quasi-state role that also favors deeper (and unwavering) support for Israel." Up until now, Israel has maintained support or at least nonchalance from most Americans concerning its operations in the Middle East. Things are changing, though, as younger generations not too keen on their own futures being sold down the river for the Zionists make their voices heard. Israel is not used to facing this kind of criticism which is why its supporters and leaders are having public panic attacks and meltdowns over the prospect of free speech no longer favoring the Zionist agenda. "What is transpiring in Gaza is nothing short of a televised genocide, and it is impossible for any ordinary human being of a decent moral composition not to feel sympathy for the Palestinians," RT added about the situation. "Greenblatt is evidently desperate to turn the discussion away from the wanton slaughter of human beings by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) by making this issue about alleged hate speech and about altercations against Jews on college campuses, even though many of the groups he has baselessly accused of connections to foreign states and designated terrorist groups are themselves Jewish." The latest news about the Israel-Gaza war can be found at Prophecy.news. Sources for this article include: RT.com NaturalNews.com AstraZeneca admits its COVID-19 vaccine CAUSES BLOOD CLOTS in U.K. court filings Anglo-Swedish drug manufacturer AstraZeneca has admitted in British court filings that its Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) injection can cause deadly blood clots. AstraZeneca's viral vector COVID-19 injection co-developed with the University of Oxford is sold under the brand names Covishield and Vaxzevria. But the injection was recalled in several countries due to the risk of vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (VITT) blood clots coupled with a low blood platelet count. While VITT has been accepted as a potential side effect for two years, the Telegraph reported that AstraZeneca's recent admission was the first time it did so. According to the British newspaper, the admission arose from a class action lawsuit over claims that the vaccine caused death and serious injury in those injected with it. Fifty-one cases have been lodged in the High Court of Justice in London, with Jamie Scott being the first vaccine victim to file. Victims and grieving relatives seeking damages estimated to be worth up to 100 million ($124.86 million). According to the Daily Expose, "AstraZeneca's admission was made in a legal defense to Scott's High Court claim." (Related: AstraZeneca finally admits that their COVID-19 vaccine causes thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS).) The 47-year-old was left with a permanent brain injury following a blood clot and bleeding on the brain after getting the vaccine in April 2021. This vaccine injury has left him unable to work since. Prior to the admission, AstraZeneca told lawyers for Scott that they "do not accept that TTS [thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome] is caused by the vaccine at a generic level." 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. "I hope their admission means we will be able to sort this out sooner rather than later," said Jamie's wife Kate. "We need an apology, fair compensation for our family and other families who have been affected. We have the truth on our side, and we are not going to give up." AstraZeneca still insists that blood clots from its COVID-19 injection are "rare" In the legal document submitted to the High Court in February and later obtained through a Freedom of Information request, the vaccine maker stated: "It is admitted that the AZ vaccine can, in very rare cases, cause TTS. The causal mechanism is not known. Further, TTS can also occur in the absence of the AZ vaccine (or any vaccine). Causation in any individual case will be a matter for expert evidence." TTS is a medical condition where a person suffers blood clots along with a low amount of platelets cells that typically help the blood to clot. But while lawyers for the claimants argue that VITT is a subset of TTS, AstraZeneca does not appear to recognize the term. Lawyer Sarah Moore, who represents some of the victims of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 injection, denounced the vaccine maker for its use of delaying tactics. She told the Telegraph: "Regrettably it seems that AstraZeneca, the British government and their lawyers are more keen to play strategic games and run up legal fees than to engage seriously with the devastating impact that their vaccine has had upon our clients' lives." The repercussions of AstraZeneca's admission has also reached India, a former colony of the British Empire. It led to questions over why New Delhi approved Covishield, the Indian version of AstraZeneca's injection. India reportedly received 1.75 billion doses of Covishield, according to Firstpost. The Serum Institute of India (SII) stopped manufacturing Covishield in December 2021, but resumed production in April 2023. But Venugopalan Govindan, a father who lost his 20-year-old daughter Karunya in 2021 due to the Covishield injection, has announced plans to sue SII and AstraZeneca. According to Govindan, the vaccine maker's admission about the side effect was "too late" and only came after "so many lives have been lost." Visit BigPharmaNews.com for similar stories. Watch Clayton and Natali Morris discussing AstraZeneca's admission that its COVID-19 injection can cause deadly blood clots in the clip below. This video is from the Neroke-5 on channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: New research points to link between AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots. Norwegian doctor says AstraZeneca jab is, in fact, causing deadly blood clots. AstraZeneca vaccines cause DEVASTATING blood clots, peer-reviewed study confirms. Sources include: Expose-News.com Telegraph.co.uk Firstpost.com Brighteon.com BlackRock CEO promotes depopulation, substituting humans for machines in developing nations for better quality of life For BlackRock CEO Larry Fink countries with declining populations will be "big winners" when dealing with social problems that come from " substituting humans for machines ." During the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy Development that took place from April 27 to 29 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, he spoke before a panel on "Investing Amid Global Fracture" and pointed out how depopulated nations would have a better chance for preparing for issues that could arise from artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to boost productivity and elevate their living standards. "I can argue in the developed countries the big winners are countries that have shrinking populations," said Fink. "We always used to think the shrinking population is a cause for negative growth, but in my conversations with the leadership of these large, developed countries that have xenophobic immigration policies, they dont allow anybody to come in, shrinking demographics these countries will rapidly develop robotics and AI and technology. He also predicted that the paradigm of negative population growth is going to be changing and added: "And if the promise, and it's going to happen, if the promise of all of that transforms productivity, which most of us think it will, well be able to elevate the standard of living of countries, the standard of living of individuals, even with shrinking populations." The world's largest investment manager, with $10 trillion of world assets under its wing, also said that there is a great divide between the "middle-class developing countries that have a foundation and education" and developing countries with booming populations but little education would be evident. For growing populations in the developing world, particularly in Africa, education will be key, according to the BlackRock CEO. 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. "For those countries that have rising populations, the answer will be education for those countries that do not have a foundation of rule of law or education, that's where the divide's going to get more and more extreme," he added. To some critics, the messages conveyed by WEF are contradicting. In InfoWars' Alex Jones show, he pointed out how Fink's speech on automation, AI and better quality of life collides with WEF's Great Reset agenda where: "you would own nothing and you be happy." "You would live in a 200-square-foot apartment eating bug protein," Jones argued. "Fink's lying to you. He's got 15 private jets and giant palaces everywhere. But you cant have anything. Incredible." VIDEO: Larry Fink Suggests Substituting Humans For Machines At WEF Summit pic.twitter.com/mDITdnmdlC Alex Jones (@RealAlexJones) May 2, 2024 Blackrock spends more than threefold for Fink's security over threats on his ESG policies Fink, expressing his controversial statements, costs his company quite a handful. Last year, BlackRock increased spending for his private security more than threefold after he received criticisms for his commitment to investing in companies that promote controversial environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies. (Related: BlackRocks Larry Fink defends ESG standards for corporate America, stresses the need to "force behaviors" in 2017 video.) Blackrock filed a proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in April, showing it spent $563,513 to "upgrade the home security systems" at the mogul's residences last year. The company also spent $216,837 on bodyguards to protect him as reported by Financial Times. Meanwhile, there have been state investment funds that have been pulled out from the company due to his controversial policies. These included around $13.3 billion in assets in protest of its funding companies to focus on ESG. The Texas Permanent School Fund was the latest to pull money out of BlackRock, saying that it would remove $8.5 billion from the company, the largest removal to date by a Republican-led pension fund. West Virginia, Florida, Missouri and other GOP-led states have also joined the backlash against the firm. Amid the backlash, Fink lashed out at his political critics claiming that they "continuously lie." "We have done a better job now of telling our story so that people can make decisions based on facts, not on lies and not on misinformation or politicization by others," Fink said during a first-quarter earnings call. "Unfortunately, there are still others out there ... who continuously lie about these issues." Without dropping names of U.S. politicians, he somewhat indirectly referred to continued attacks from politicians on the Republican side of the aisle both in Washington and in conservative states like Texas. Republicans have continued to try and make Fink and his firm into the preeminent example of what they charge is "woke investing" as the 2024 election season continues to heat up. He claimed the attacks aren't working, citing an increase in U.S. investments in his company. He reported that there has been $1.9 trillion in total net inflows from U.S. investors into BlackRock over the last five years and nearly $300 billion in new U.S. investor money that appeared on the company's books just in the last year. "I do believe that with the vast majority of our clients, our long-term fiduciary approach and performance are resonating," Fink further stated. Head over to Globalism.news for more news on how globalists are moving to promote wokeness, automation and depopulation. Sources for this article include: LifeSiteNews.com WEForum.org NYPost.com Finance.Yahoo.com Canadian doctor could lose his license for counseling a pregnant woman against seeking an abortion A Canadian doctor is facing charges of "unprofessional conduct" and could possibly lose his license for advising a pregnant woman against having an abortion Dr. Terence Davids of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, works at Bridge City Mediclinic and is well known in the community for having caring relationships with his patients and their unborn children. Last December, a woman came into the clinic to have her pregnancy evaluated by Davids. But the purpose of her visit was not to check on the health of her unborn child. The visit was to gather size and development information to pass along to another doctor, who would then perform the elective abortion. Davids, a known Christian, was concerned about the woman's plans and the fate of her unborn child and told her frankly, "I don't think you should go through with this I think you should reconsider." Davids was immediately criticized because of his decision to speak out for the mother's unborn child, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan (CPSS) has charged him with "unprofessional conduct" for telling a patient not to get an abortion for religious reasons. (Related: Canadian doctor Mark Trozzi found guilty of professional misconduct after speaking out against COVID-19 vaccines and mandates.) The remarks Davids made last year allegedly caused the patient to feel anxious and uncomfortable. CPSS further alleged that Davids asked the patient whether she believed in God, and when she answered no, he replied, "Well, you must believe in something." 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 allegation further accused Davids of claiming that the woman "will regret this, and you can't take it back." CPSS policy requires doctors not to promote their own moral or religious beliefs CPSS policies state that doctors can refuse to give health services that are against their conscience, but they are required to seek other arrangements for their patients and not promote their own moral or religious beliefs. CPSS legal counsel Bryan Salte noted that patients are entitled to have their own beliefs. "The reason that patients generally go to physicians is not to obtain instruction on religion or to potentially be given religious principles that are contrary to what they may believe or not believe," Salte said. When a doctor is facing a disciplinary hearing, Salte said one of three things usually happens: The doctor can plead guilty to the charges, after which the case goes to a penalty hearing. If the physician refuses to plead guilty, the case goes to a hearing "that looks very much like a trial in criminal court." In certain cases, there can also be an arrangement between CPSS and the doctor that the doctor will deal with the concerns that led to the charges. "That can involve the physician taking courses, agreeing to restrict their practice or some similar outcome like that," Salte added. Davids must now face a hearing in the coming weeks, and if found "guilty" he could lose his license to practice medicine. Follow Abortions.news for more stories about abortion-related issues. Watch the video below on the truth about abortion. This video is from the THE LIGHT BULB INITIATIVE channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: REPORT: 137 Abortion clinics have been SHUT DOWN since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. D.C. medical examiner will keep the remains of aborted babies recovered from abortion clinic, leaving open possibility of investigation and charges. Abortion advocates claim medical reasons for abortion include the mother changing her mind about pregnancy. Sources include: LifeSitenews.com CBC.ca CKOM.com Brighteon.com Chris Cuomo admits to suffering VACCINE INJURIES from COVID-19 jab injection Former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo has admitted that he is suffering from vaccine injuries as a result of receiving the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) injection. He shared this revelation during an interview with nurse practitioner and vaccine injury victim Sean Barcavage on the program "Cuomo" on Newsmax. While the younger brother of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo did not specify the exact nature of his symptoms, he expressed concern about ongoing abnormalities in his health and that of others injected with the COVID-19 vaccine. "We know that the vaccines can have unintended consequences, a.k.a. side effects," the news anchor remarked. "But nobody's really talking about it because they're too afraid to blame, and they just want it to go away." "The problem is, people like Sean and me and millions of others who still have weird stuff with their blood work, their lives and their feelings physically are not going away." But Jim Hoft of the Gateway Pundit begged to differ, pointing out in a piece that "the irony and karma here are incredible." He continued: "It can be recalled Chris Cuomo mocked and insulted anyone who refused to take the experimental vaccine." Hoft recounted a 2021 debate between Cuomo and Texas State Rep. Michael Burgess, a Republican, over the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy prevalent among some members of the GOP and conservative media. At the time, the anchor slammed the state congressman for his party's refusal to get injected, falsely claiming that the people "showing up at the hospital who are very sick" and "dying" are mostly unvaccinated. 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. "Don't listen to people on political talking shows. That's not where you should get your medical information," Burgess responded. Even Revolver News pointed out the erstwhile CNN anchor's sudden about-face, writing: "It turns out Cuomo, who's vaccinated, is dealing with vaccine injuries and that's prompted him to finally speak up. After years of us shouting it from the rooftops, Cuomo has now joined the ranks of the so-called 'conspiracy theorists' the very folks he once helped demonize during the 'pandemic.'" Cuomo's guest recounts the horrific vaccine injuries he suffered For his part, Barcavage also recounted his vaccine injuries that began not even an hour after being injected. Around 15 to 20 minutes after his first dose, he experienced "numbness and tingling up and down [his] injected arm, which spread over the day to [his] face and [his] eyes." Barcavage consulted a neurologist after this adverse reaction, but the doctor advised him to get a second dose against the nurse practitioner's gut feeling. The nurse practitioner got the second dose, but things took a turn for the worse. "I went from being a healthy, fully functioning nurse to a complete downward spiral of health," Barcavage told Cuomo, adding that he developed "a myriad of symptoms." Seeing no possibility of help at home, Barcavage sent blood samples to Germany and found scientists willing to help him. According to tests, Barcavage developed several autoantibodies which, the experts believe, are linked to his positional tachycardia (a spike in the heart rate every time a person stands up). "My antibodies resemble those seen in people with long COVID, although I never contracted the virus. This was confirmed through immunological studies of my blood. They found no viral antibodies." Barcavage also lamented how government agencies who were aggressively promoting the COVID-19 injection gave him "no answers" when it came to his vaccine injury. Even his pro-vaccine colleagues were of no help, with the nurse practitioner decrying how they "turned around, dismissed, denied and tried to censor and bury" his account. (Related: Doctors share THEIR OWN vaccine injury horror stories, revealing that vaccines are devastating the medical profession.) "When I tried to reach out online, platforms like Facebook and Instagram would tag my messages as misinformation," Barcavage told Cuomo. Head over to VaccineInjuryNews.com for similar stories. Watch the conversation between Chris Cuomo and Sean Barcavage over the issue of COVID-19 vaccine injuries below. This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Cuomo launches mass vaccine experiment on 1.4 million elders over the age of 75. Extensive survey finds half a million Germans experienced severe COVID-19 vaccine injuries. CNN's Chris Cuomo in hot water after NY AG investigation found he was more involved in brother Andrew Cuomo's sex harassment cases than he admitted. Sources include: 100PercentFedUp.com TheGatewayPundit.com Revolver.news Brighteon.com Feds inflating domestic terrorism numbers by threatening people to confess when they did nothing wrong The crime rate in Washington, D.C., is off the charts, and yet Matthew Graves, the Biden regime's top prosecutor, is fixated on rounding up January 6 "insurrectionists." The latest data shows that hardened criminals are walking free while grandmas and grandpas who were caught "wander[ing] around the Capitol with a police escort," as Revolver puts it, are being targeted like "domestic terrorists," which in turn is artificially inflating the number of "domestic terrorist" incidents currently on the books. D.C. Crime Facts reported that Graves an unelected prosecutor, by the way declined to prosecute an astounding 33 percent of all gun cases in the district. He also dropped 37 percent of charged cases and reduced 50 percent of felony convictions to mere misdemeanors, typically by offering generous "golden ticket" plea bargains. While 92 percent of cases are resolved by plea bargains, reducing serious felony charges to misdemeanors is a whole different animal and one that Americans need to know about, especially as J6 "offenders" are being prosecuted as if they were serial killers. DC's unelected prosecutor: - Declined to prosecute 1/3 of gun cases - Dropped 37% of charged cases - Reduced 50% of convictions to just misdemeanors, usually by offering generous "golden ticket" plea bargains If we want to tackle gun violence, we need a new U.S. Attorney. (1/ pic.twitter.com/rZMCy9f4yM DC Crime Facts (@dccrimefacts) May 6, 2024 (Related: Did you know that convicted murderers are receiving lighter sentences than January 6 "insurrectionists?") Only one in five adults arrested in D.C. for illegal firearms are arrested Washington, D.C., in case you did not know, is one of the most crime-ridden cities in America and we are talking just in terms of street crimes and not the white-collar crimes happening just about every second of every day inside government buildings on Capitol Hill. Compared to 2018 data, Graves today is prosecuting less than half as many felony convictions for Carrying a Pistol Without a License, this being an obvious policy choice to go soft on this particular 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. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. "In the meantime, innocent civilians are being attacked by emboldened criminals many of whom are specifically targeting white people, including white toddlers, as in this recent case involving a black thug named Gregory Gibson, who told a 4-year-old white child to sit down and that he was going to kill him," Revolver reported. It turns out that Graves is on a "MAGA hunt" whereby he is more concerned with targeting Trump supporters who were at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, than with keeping the streets of D.C. safe for residents and visitors alike. It is election season, after all, which means the time is ripe to push the "domestic terrorist" narrative on anyone who opposes Joe Biden or any other career criminal for the White House. Sorry but Matthew Graves is too busy rounding up J6ers and using his best prosecutors to coerce defendants into plea deals or get them convicted by a DC jury so DOJ can juice their domestic terror numbers before the election. https://t.co/YWOL8Z35Cv Julie Kelly ?? (@julie_kelly2) May 5, 2024 "The Swamp is a murky pool of like-minded, well-connected political insiders," Revolver warned. "Think of it as one big elitist bash where we, the peasants, are definitely not on the guest list. And no one is a better example of this 'club' than Matthew Graves and his wife," the media outlet added, noting that wife Fatima Goss Graves is a black female lawyer and radical feminist activist who holds an "all-access pass" to the Biden White House while simultaneously running a $100 million "progressive" slush fund that she uses to push more abortion, transgenderism, and racial "equity." It is no secret that the spooks in Washington are corrupt to the core. Learn more at Corruption.news. Sources for this article include: Revolver.news NaturalNews.com Green revolution destroying Germanys economy as economic bloodbath continues The more Germany tries to abolish carbon, the worse its economy is getting Companies in Germany are shutting down or fleeing elsewhere. Energy prices are through the roof, and are currently among the highest in the world. In short, all that "green" being shoved down the throats of Germans is killing them and their country. One of the latest employers to leave Germany is automotive supplier IHI, which just announced the closure of its plant at Erfurter Kreuz, Thuringia. Around 300 people are losing their jobs because of this in a region that is already struggling immensely as it is. In 12 to 15 months, the turbocharger manufacturer will no longer exist, a trend that is spreading to other companies as well. This particular closure is a direct reflection of Germany's green policies that are aimed at eliminating internal combustion engines, with turbochargers being outfit for those types of cars. It is all part of the massive shift towards "clean" electric. "In recent months, several automotive suppliers have had to close their doors or file for insolvency," one media outlet reported. "This development shows the volatile challenges facing the industry." (Related: Germany is fighting back against an EU mandate to ban all gas-fueled vehicles.) Germany's economic backbone eroding Small to medium size enterprises, also known as SMEs, are a dying breed in Germany due to the green transition. And SMEs, by the way, have long served as the backbone of the Germany economy. Pessimism among SMEs is rising while Germany's business climate index has fallen to minus 1.4, we now know. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. "The business climate index, an important barometer for the mood in small and medium-sized enterprises, fell to an alarming low of minus 1.4 points in February," the media reported. "This is the lowest level since the financial crisis 15 years ago. A survey of around 1250 companies conducted by Creditreform Wirtschaftsforschung shows that the majority of respondents forecast a gloomy future for the SME sector." The really sad part is that there is almost no chance of Germany recovering from all this. Going into year three of an escalating crisis, the German economy continues its downward trajectory with no apparent end in sight. Germany's ruling Socialist-Green coalition government refuses to take any responsibility for the crisis, instead blaming all sorts of other things such as the war in Ukraine, weak construction and industrial production, and "unclear economic policies." Then we have the recent shutdown of the last of Germany's nuclear power plants. The German government lied to the people that these power plants were no longer needed, this not long after experts came to the conclusion that they are still desperately needed. Coal power plants are also on the chopping block in Germany, which will leave just solar panels and wind turbines to power what was once the economic powerhouse of Europe. "In 10 years or less, nine-tenths of the population will have left the country because the government destroyed the economy to 'save the Earth,'" speculated one commenter about what will become of Germany unless it reverses course, and quickly. "The land will be open to criminal gangs and foreign invaders who want to occupy the territory. The German nation will cease to exist." Another warned Germans directly that they must immediately abandon every aspect of green ideology and re-embrace earth-based fuels like oil and gas as "this is the only way to save your country from self-inflicted destruction." "Perhaps the German economy needs to crash so they learn their lesson," suggested another about a more "tough love" approach. "Common sense and using the brain is lost on the greens." The "green" agenda is a scam designed to bankrupt and destroy targeted nations. Learn more at GreenTyranny.news. Sources for this article include: NoTricksZone.com NaturalNews.com ICC warns against attempts to intimidate the court into not issuing arrest warrants against Netanyahu, other Israeli officials The ongoing diplomatic standoff between Israel and the International Criminal Court (ICC) has intensified as the possibility looms of impending arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other high-ranking officials. This confrontation has not only raised concerns within the Israeli government but has also drawn attention to the broader implications for international justice and geopolitics. The ICC's latest statement, issued from its headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands, underscores the gravity of the situation. It warns against any attempts to intimidate or obstruct the court's proceedings, emphasizing the potential legal consequences for those who threaten or impede the administration of justice. This stern rebuke from the ICC comes amid mounting tensions and escalating rhetoric from both sides. Within Israel, there is a palpable sense of unease as the specter of ICC arrest warrants casts a shadow over domestic politics. (Related: ICC prosecutors interview hospital staff in Gaza to gather evidence of Israeli war crimes.) Reports suggest that Netanyahu and other officials are feeling the strain of this unprecedented challenge to their authority. Netanyahu himself has personally condemned the ICC, claiming that it is an antisemitic organization. He has also appealed to world leaders and directly lobbied for President Joe Biden to intervene. The Israeli government is keenly aware of the reputational damage and diplomatic fallout that could result from ICC action, particularly allegations of human rights violations, war crimes and genocide against members of the Israeli Defense Forces in Gaza. 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. Geopolitical analysts point out the potential ramifications of ICC charges, including travel restrictions and diplomatic isolation for indicted individuals. Diplomatic and lobbying efforts underway to prevent issuance of arrest warrants Diplomatic efforts are underway to prevent the issuance of the arrest warrants, with Israel actively engaging through diplomatic channels. While the ICC has not made any official comments regarding the potential arrest warrants, it has confirmed an ongoing independent investigation into the Situation in the State of Palestine. This investigation, initiated three years ago, focuses on alleged war crimes committed by both Israel and Palestinian militants, dating back to the Israel-Hamas conflict in 2014. The news of potential arrest warrants comes amid mounting pressure on Israel to cease its military offensive in Gaza, which has resulted in a significant number of casualties. Netanyahu recently spoke with Biden regarding the situation, and Israel is currently reviewing Hamas' acceptance of the brokered terms for a ceasefire. The possibility of arrest warrants poses significant implications, as neither Israel nor the United States recognizes the ICC's jurisdiction. However, Israeli officials could face arrest in other countries, particularly in Europe, if warrants are issued. Such warrants would also serve as a symbolic statement regarding Israel's actions in Gaza and could potentially embarrass Netanyahu on the international stage, aligning him with leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin, who have faced similar ICC actions. In response to these developments, Netanyahu has reiterated Israel's stance on self-defense, emphasizing that the country will not accept any attempts by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self-defense. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has also taken proactive measures by informing Israeli missions of the potential arrest warrants, expressing concerns that such actions could boost the morale of militant groups like Hamas. Watch this short clip of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claiming that the ICC is an antisemitic organization. This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com. More related stories: U.S. government fighting imminent ICC arrest warrant for war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu. Like THUGS, members of U.S. Congress make threats against ICC if arrest warrants are issued against Netanyahu for Israeli war crimes. Israel accuses ICC of antisemitism amid rumors they may issue arrest warrants for genocidal leaders. U.S. State Department says Israel's Netanyahu has absolute diplomatic immunity against ICC arrest warrants for genocide, war crimes. Israeli sources: Netanyahu confessed to Biden that he is AFRAID of ICC arrest warrants. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com Reuters.com NBCNews.com Brighteon.com CENSORSHIP: Israeli government orders SHUTDOWN of Al Jazeera news and broadcast offices Israel's Ministry of Communications recently banned the Al Jazeera Media Network's news channel from airing in the country and raided its Jerusalem office, seizing all broadcasting equipment. This was done immediately after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the decision to shut down the media outlet's operations in Israel. Al Jazeera, a Qatari-owned news agency established in 1996, became known for freely reporting on all of the dangerous activities done by the Israeli military in Gaza since the onset of the war in October. The Israeli government deemed Al Jazeera's reporting as an attack and harm to its national security, which led to legislation giving the prime minister and communications minister the authority to order the temporary closure of non-domestic news agencies deemed to harm national security in April. Under the law, judicial review is allowed within 24 hours, with a three-day decision period. (Related: Israel shuts down all Al Jazeera operations, demonstrating the tyranny of Zionism and abandonment of democratic principles.) In line with this, the cabinet voted unanimously on May 5 to authorize Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, a member of Netanyahu's extremist Likud party, to shut down Al Jazeera for 45 days. The operational ban expires on July 31 or when the emergency situation ends, but can be renewable. Immediately after cabinet approval, Karhi signed four orders, including instructing Israeli major TV providers to stop broadcasting the Qatari news channel as well as for cellphone and internet providers to block access to Al Jazeera's English- and Arabic-language websites. 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 other two orders instructed police and Communications Ministry inspectors to raid Al Jazeera's office in Jerusalem and to confiscate all workstations, cameras, microphones, servers, laptops, external hard drives, video compression equipment, wireless broadcast equipment and cellphones except those for personal use. After the raid, the premises was locked. Israeli government faces backlash amid closure of Al Jazeera channel Walid Omary, the head of Al Jazeera in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, suggests that the government's decision is "dangerous" and politically motivated rather than professional. "Al Jazeera Media Network strongly condemns and denounces this criminal act that violates human rights and the basic right to access of information," the network said. "Al Jazeera affirms its right to continue to provide news and information to its global audiences. 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 Foreign Press Association, representing foreign media in the region, echoed Al Jazeera's sentiments and denounced the closure as a step toward authoritarianism. "We urge the government to reverse this harmful step and uphold its commitment to freedom of the press, including outlets whose coverage it may not like... This is a dark day for the media. This is a dark day for democracy." Furthermore, the United Nations Human Rights Office added its voice to the chorus of condemnation. "We regret cabinet decision to close Al Jazeera in Israel," the UN said on X, formerly known as Twitter. "A free and independent media is essential to ensuring transparency and 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." Visit Censorship.news for more stories about how Israel's war on Gaza is being used to censor journalists. Watch this video about Israel raiding the offices of Al Jazeera in the country in relation to the network's closure order. This video is from the Loves Greatness com channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: The First Amendment must be scrapped to "protect Israel," says ADL. Biden's censorship priorities: Protect Israel's political and financial interests while trampling constitutional free speech. Newly proposed law would strip nonprofit status from all organizations across America that criticize Israel. In the name of "supporting Israel," U.S. is now being turned into anti-free speech tyrannical DICTATORSHIP. At Netanyahu's request, Israel is BANNING Al Jazeera (and any other foreign media deemed to be a "national security" threat). Sources include: ReclaimTheNet.com TimesofIsrael.com Reuters.com Brighteon.com Hamas delegation leaves Cairo after days of negotiation: statement Xinhua) 20:09, May 09, 2024 GAZA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- A delegation from Hamas for ceasefire talks departed Cairo for the Qatari capital of Doha on Thursday, Ezzat Al-Rashq, a member of the Hamas Political Bureau, said in a statement. Al-Rashq confirmed the group's commitment to a proposal received from Egyptian and Qatari mediators, adding that Israel's military actions in Rafah aim to "block all efforts made by mediators to reach ceasefire in Gaza." Over the past three days, Egypt hosted delegations from Hamas, Israel, Qatar, and the United States to reach a "comprehensive truce" in the Gaza Strip. On Monday, Hamas accepted the Egyptian proposal of reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, while Israel expressed its rejection of the current copy of the proposal. Concurrently, the Israeli military has intensified its operations in Rafah and took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, a crucial passage for humanitarian aid going into the enclave and wounded civilians leaving the strip. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Kou Jie) Jewish law firms unleash LAWFARE against Palestinian groups in America, labeling them all terrorists Upset about the students, professors and faculty members at United States college and university campuses who are protesting against Israel's actions in Gaza, prominent Jewish law firms are suing National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) and its affiliates for allegedly working as "collaborators and propagandists" for Hamas in America. An umbrella organization said to be organized by American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) to coordinate the ongoing protests, NSJP is in the crosshairs of a powerful Zionist contingent that is hellbent upon erasing the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and eliminating Americans' right to free speech whenever that speech offends people who adhere to the Jewish and Zionist religions. (Related: Did you know that the U.S. Congress is passing legislation to criminalize "antisemitism," including all criticism of Zionism, Israel and Jews in any context whatsoever?) The lawsuit, which reportedly represents numerous victims of the October 7 incident in Israel, is being celebrated by the right-wing media, which kowtows to Israel based on the belief that opposing Israel will provoke wrath and curses from God, who has "blessed" Israel in its current form, they say. Anyone Israel doesn't like is a "terrorist" The law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP argues that AMP and NSJP have direct past ties to "scrutinized" organizations that are functioning as the mouthpiece of Hamas, Israel's archenemy in all this. So-called conservative media outlets are reporting that one of the first SJP chapters was founded by Dr. Hatem Bazian, a lecturer in the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of California Berkeley, who has supposedly made "antisemitic" posts on social media in the past. 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. Bazian is also credited with having founded American Muslims for Palestine, a group on which he now serves as chairman. The attorney general of the state of Virginia sued AMP for alleged connections to a network of U.S.-based organizations that supposedly provided material support to Hamas. The new suit, however, claims these connections and material support are still taking place today. The new lawsuit is full of alleged evidence showing that these various pro-Palestine groups are functioning based on Hamas' "grand strategy" of "terror-by-propaganda" that must be stopped. "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," said vice chair of Greenberg Traurig Richard Edlin in a statement. "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." Edlin would continue in his statement to call pro-Palestine free speech "an American problem, as well as a Jewish problem" that must be stopped so that Jews and their supporters feel better as they go about their days. "We cannot and through this lawsuit, we are saying we will not allow the infiltration of Hamas-directed hatred, violence, and intimidation anywhere we can prevent it," Edlin continued, issuing direct threats against the defendants. "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." In a statement of response, American Muslims for Palestine refuted what it described as a mischaracterization of its mission. "Once properly served, AMP will gladly demonstrate in any jurisdiction that it operates fully within the laws of the United States," commented the Muslim Legal Fund of America, an organization that represents the defendants. The Middle Eastern conflict between Israel and its neighbors has become a U.S. conflict as well. Learn more at Prophecy.news. Sources for this article include: JustTheNews.com NaturalNews.com Poll reveals majority of Americans view TikTok as a tool for spreading Chinese influence in the U.S. A recent two-day Reuters/Ipsos survey concluded on April 30 has shed light on a growing belief among Americans regarding TikTok's utilization by China to sway public opinion in the United States According to the survey, 58 percent of participants believe the Chinese government is leveraging the popularity of the short-form video platform to shape American viewpoints, with only 13 percent holding an opposing stance. (Related: TikTok ban, Tesla's Chinese partnerships mark new phase in brewing U.S.-China data security war.) Against this backdrop, the U.S. government is edging closer to potentially banning TikTok due to its ownership by Chinese corporation ByteDance. The discourse escalated following the passage of the bill that compels ByteDance to sell off TikToks U.S. operations within 270 days with the option of extending for 90 days or face a ban. This move reflected bipartisan unease regarding the app's potential role as a conduit for foreign influence and data security risks. The bill, signed into law on April 24, prompted TikTok's Singaporean CEO Shou Zi Chew to respond via a short video, branding the "divest-or-ban" mandate as unconstitutional and pledging to challenge it legally. Asserting its supposed commitment to data security, TikTok stated that it has invested over $1.5 billion in safeguarding user data and refuted any allegations of collaborating with the Chinese government to manipulate or censor content. It also vowed to contest any ban on grounds of violating free speech rights, citing past legal victories where similar concerns were raised. 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. Despite these assurances, the Reuters/Ipsos survey still indicates that less than a third of American adults 32 percent are opposed to a TikTok ban. Support for a ban was notably higher among adults aged 40 and above, with approximately 60 percent in favor, compared to around 40 percent among younger adults aged 18 to 39. Additionally, 46 percent of respondents agreed with the assertion that China employs TikTok for espionage activities targeting ordinary Americans, a claim consistently denied by Beijing. TikTok CEO vows to "prevail" and defeat U.S. restrictions "Rest assured we aren't going anywhere," affirmed Chew in a video message promptly following the bill's passage into law. "The facts and the Constitution are on our side and we expect to prevail again." Chew emphasized that a ban would not just remove TikTok from the grasp of its 170 million American users, who use the platform for fostering community and connections, but it would also stifle the voices of these individuals robbing them of a potent means to express themselves. Furthermore, Chew highlighted the plight of seven million business owners whose livelihoods hinge on TikTok urging users to share their stories through videos illustrating the positive impact of the platform on their lives. "This is a ban on TikTok, a ban on you, your voice," said Chew, underscoring the lawmakers' underlying objective behind the bill. He remarked on the irony of the situation, noting that the freedom of expression fostered on TikTok mirrors the core American values that define the nation as a bastion of liberty. The CEO pointed out: "Its actually ironic. The freedom of expression on TikTok reflects the same American values that make the U.S. a beacon of freedom." Visit CommunistChina.news for more similar stories. Watch this video about TikTok suing the U.S. government. This video is from the CreeperStatus channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Hypocrisy? Biden cheers ban on TikTok while he uses "influencers" to boost his sagging campaign. 8 Other Chinese apps that could be affected by the TikTok ban. Ex-TikTok employee claims he was INSTRUCTED to send American users' data to Beijing-based parent company. If Republicans succeed at banning TikTok, you can say goodbye to Infowars and Brighteon, too. TikTok ban could lead to broader surveillance and censorship by the U.S. government. Sources include: TheNationalPulse.com TimesOfIndia.IndiaTimes.com CyberNews.com Brighteon.com UN: Scale of destruction in Gaza not seen since WWII, will take 16 years to rebuild The UN said on Thursday that the scale of destruction in Gaza hasnt been seen since World War II and that it would take a minimum of 16 years to rebuild homes in the Strip. (Article by Dave DeCamp republished from News.Antiwar.com) We have not seen anything like this since 1945, said Abdallah al-Dardari, a UN assistant secretary-general. That intensity, in such a short time and the massive scale of destruction. Al-Dardi said 72% of all residential buildings in Gaza have been partially or completely destroyed. The United Nations Development Programmes initial estimates for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip surpass $30 billion and could reach up to $40 billion, al-Dardi said. Israels bombing campaign has been compared to the US and Allied strategic bombing of Japanese and German cities during World War II, which includes the firebombing of Dresden and the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Israeli officials have pointed to World War II to justify the massive number of civilian casualties, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who made the argument to President Biden. It was pointed out to me that by Bibi (Netanyahu) that Well, you carpet-bombed Germany. You dropped the atom bomb. A lot of civilians died,' Biden said back in December. Biden said he told Netanyahu: Thats why all these institutions were set up after World War II to see to it that it didnt happen again. At the time, Biden called the Israeli bombing campaign indiscriminate, but nearly five months later, he continues to support it. A reconstruction effort in Gaza could only begin once the Israeli siege comes to an end, and theres no sign that will happen anytime soon. Even if Israel and Hamas reach a hostage deal that includes a ceasefire, Netanyahu has made clear it will only be temporary. Read more at: News.Antiwar.com Israels invasion of Rafah risks new MASSACRE, Jordans King Abdullah II warns Biden King Abdullah II of Jordan has warned U.S. President Joe Biden that Israel's invasion of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip risks sparking a new massacre in the region In a statement, the Jordanian royal court said the Hashemite monarch "warned of the repercussions of the Israeli ground offensive on Rafah, which could cause a regional spillover of the conflict." According to Reuters, the two leaders' conversation took place on May 6 after Abdullah had lunch with Biden at the White House. "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 [Abdullah II] stressed the importance of all efforts that seek an immediate ceasefire in Gaza." The statement also reiterated that the two leaders "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 [Gaza] Strip in light of the dire needs." Meanwhile, the White House said in a separate statement that Biden and Abdullah II talked about "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." It reiterated that the two leaders "both remain committed to achieving a durable, lasting piece to include a pathway to a Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel." According to Reuters, the president and the monarch last met at the White House in February. The two discussed at the time a daunting list of challenges, including the looming Israeli ground offensive in southern Gaza and the suffering of Palestinian civilians. The Hashemite kingdom 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. 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. Jordan and the U.S. continue backing Israel The private meeting between Biden and Abdullah happened on the same day as Israel carpet-bombing Rafah. While Palestinians were told to evacuate the city ahead of the attacks, Israel prefaced the offensive by rejecting a ceasefire Hamas already agreed to. (Related: Israel carpet bombs Rafah after Hamas accepts ceasefire proposal.) But according to The Cradle, both Amman and Washington continue backing Israel. This is despite strongly-worded statements the two nations issue against Tel Aviv's genocide of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The U.S. has issued multiple vetos against ceasefire resolutions brought forward by various countries at the United Nations General Assembly throughout the past six months of the Israeli campaign in Gaza. These vetos, the outlet said, mainly stem from demands that weight against both American and Israeli interests. Moreover, Washington has also continued its arms sales to Israel while pushing Hamas to accept a ceasefire. Only one shipment of weapons to Israel has been halted since the Oct. 7 attack, which followed Tel Aviv sending evacuation orders to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced as a result of the conflict. The Cradle also mentioned that the Hashemite kingdom has continued to protect Tel Aviv's interests despite its calls for a ceasefire since October. In the most recent instance, Jordan opened up its airspace last month to help shoot down Iranian drones and missiles during Operation True Promise. The attack was in retaliation for Israel's bombing of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, which killed top generals of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. Aside from this, Jordan has been cracking down on pro-Palestinian protesters within the kingdom's borders. These protesters have vocally condemned the Israeli attacks and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. A similar scenario is also seen in the U.S., with law enforcement cracking down on student protests against Israel in various American universities. Head over to IsraelCollapse.com for similar stories. Watch this Russia Today report about the U.S. and Jordan airdropping 38,000 meals into the Gaza Strip. This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Report: U.S. and U.K. helped shoot down Iranian drones and missiles launched against Israel. Netanyahu: Israel WILL INVADE Rafah with or without ceasefire and agreement to release hostages. More than 2,100 people arrested during Gaza solidarity protests at universities and colleges nationwide. Israel rewards Jordan with year-long extension of WATER AGREEMENT for helping shoot down Iranian drones. Sources include: TheCradle.co Reuters.com Brighteon.com College students learning hard lesson that America is a POLICE STATE that abandoned principles of liberal democracy taught in school It took Israel's war on Gaza and the horrors taking place in the Palestinian enclave for thousands, if not millions, of college students across the United States to learn that this country has turned into an authoritarian police state. Protesters at esteemed schools like Columbia University have learned the hard way that their First Amendment rights only apply when the things they want to say are sanctioned by the regime. They now know that crossing Israel is not acceptable in the eyes of both Republicans and Democrats in Congress who are beholden to Israel first and America last. Dr. Shana L. Redmond, a professor of English and literature at Columbia, participated in an interview with Real Talk Online during which she discussed the mistreatment of both students and faculty alike at the Gaza Solidarity encampment at her school. Hosted by Mohamed Hashem, Real Talk Online offers a much different perspective than the one being dispensed by Zionist-controlled media outlets, nearly all of which seem to support the persecution of protesters whom they are calling "terrorists." "Police presence makes all of us more vulnerable," Redmond explains. "And that kind of presence will absolutely reverberate and cause far more trauma and harm than it will safety." (Related: One very serious police state defender is Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who openly persecuted college students in the Lone Star State for exercising their First Amendment rights.) Are the Jews opposing genocide also terrorists? Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, also addressed the burgeoning police state in a recent episode of Brighteon Broadcast News, dated May 7, 2024. Watch below as Adams talks about how America is collapsing into an authoritarian Zionist dictatorship: 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. One thing that the Zionist-controlled media does not want people to know is that a sizable contingent of the Gaza Solidarity protesters at U.S. college and university campuses is Jewish. You read that right: there are many Jewish people who oppose what Israel is doing in Gaza and want it to stop. Keep in mind the media and many politicians have dubbed these protesters as "antisemitic terrorists," so how does that work if some of the protesters are Semitic themselves? Then there is the fact that Palestinians would seem to have a Semitic background as well, which completely destroys the narrative. Truth be told, Hamas did very little damage on October 7, especially when compared to all of the collateral damage that was unleashed by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in their panicked response, which resulted in the needless deaths of dozens if not hundreds of Israeli citizens. "Hamas didn't do much damage at all, relatively speaking compared to what's happened since then," Adams explains in the above video. "Hamas maybe killed a few hundred Israelis and the rest of them were killed by the IDF. The Israeli military shot their own people to prevent them from being taken hostage." Adams also points out that it is Israel, not Hamas, that is causing the most damage to our own rights here at home as its puppets seek to destroy the First Amendment in the name of keeping Israel "safe" and allowing it to "defend itself." "Hamas didn't destroy free speech on campus; it's Israel that's doing that and the Zionists that advocate for Israel," Adams continues. "That's who is destroying America: the Zionists, not Hamas." "The Zionists carry out acts of violence through the police proxies against students and against professors in America. Hamas didn't attack America; Zionists attacked America. We are under a state of war. We are being besieged by Zionist enforces, Zionist spies, Zionist-run police, Zionist Congress, Zionist intelligence agencies that's who's attacked America." More related news coverage can be found at PoliceState.news. Sources for this article include: MiddleEastEye.net Brighteon.com NaturalNews.com NYC Mayor Adams reveals Columbia University professor spied for NYPD, instigated violent arrests of anti-Israel protesters New York City Mayor Eric Adams has said that the violent crackdown by the city and New York Police Department (NYPD) carried out on Columbia University students protesting Israel's genocidal attacks on Palestinians was the only possible solution to ongoing campus encampments and its successful implementation is thanks to a university professor who also serves as intelligence director or "spook" of the NYPD During the May 1 press conference, a few hours after the NYPD arrested nearly 300 people on university grounds, Adams credited Rebecca Weiner, adjunct associate professor of international public affairs at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), for reporting the Palestine solidarity rallyists and directing the militarized raid that dislodged them from campus. "There is a movement to radicalize young people and I'm not gonna wait until it's done and all of a sudden acknowledge the existence of it. And I'm not gonna allow that to happen as the mayor of the city of New York," the mayor said and proceeded to laud Weiner. "She was the one that was monitoring the situation," Adams declared, adding that the crackdown was carried out after "she was able to her team was able to conduct an investigation." During the April 30 protest, dozens of police in riot gear came to Columbia's Hamilton Hall after students seized the building earlier in the day, citing their request from the administration. Several hours later, officers used a heavily armored NYPD BearCat vehicle to enter the building through the window on the second floor. They arrested the people inside while another team swept up members of the encampment outside just a few hundred meters from the Gaza protest encampment at the campus. (Related: Pro-Gaza protester marches towards NYPD headquarters after police in riot gear stormed Columbia University to shut down "Gaza Solidarity" camp, arrest students and faculty.) 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. Weiner maintained an office just a few hundred meters from the campus encampments. The professor, who is coincidentally also the head of the NYPD counter-terrorism bureau, "develops policy and strategic priorities for the Intelligence & Counterterrorism Bureau and publicly represents the NYPD in matters involving counterterrorism and intelligence." Rebecca Weiner, head of the NYPD "counter-terrorism" bureau, identifies one of the threats that supposedly necessitated the Columbia raid: "Mainstreaming of rhetoric associated with Terrorism." No question this is recasting political speech as "Terrorism." She also blames TikTok pic.twitter.com/nqz5NuetPu Michael Tracey (@mtracey) May 1, 2024 The Counterterrorism Bureau currently maintains an office in Tel Aviv, Israel, where it coordinates with Israel's security apparatus and maintains a department liaison. Weiner appears to serve as a bridge between the bureau's offices in Israel and New York. Since April 17, students at the university have been protesting against Israel's violent attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip. They encamped on school grounds and refused to leave until the university fully divested from its Israeli-related investments. The said uprising has influenced over 100 other universities in the United States and abroad. There were similar actions occurring at Leeds University in the United Kingdom and the Sorbonne in Paris. According to a 2011 AP investigation, the "Demographics Unit" operated secretly within the NYPD's counterterrorism office and spied on Muslims around the New York City area. It also monitored students at campuses outside the state who were involved in Palestine solidarity activism. The said unit appears to have been inspired by Israeli intelligence, the Grayzone reported. Weiner, who is also a lawyer by training, reportedly oversaw negotiations between the NYPD and lawyers for local Muslims who had their civil liberties violated by its "Demographics Unit." Columbia cancels graduation ceremony Columbia University, the epicenter of anti-Israel protests in the U.S., announced on Monday the cancelation of its main graduation ceremony, a key event in American university life amid the ongoing demonstrations that have greatly affected campus life for a few weeks now. The educational institution released a statement saying it will not hold its main commencement ceremony on May 15. Instead, it will hold "school-level ceremonies" and other smaller celebrations for this year's graduation. Similarly, Emory University announced it will relocate its various graduation events from the main campus to an arena and a convention center in Duluth, Georgia, which is more than 20 miles northeast of campus. Both Columbia and Emory, where police have responded to pro-Palestinian demonstrations and arrested dozens of protesters, cited safety concerns in their statements on the changes, USA Today reported. According to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, President Joe Biden continues to call for peaceful protests and is sympathetic to the graduates. "It is unfortunate that a small group a small group of people went too far and cost their classmates this important event," she said, seemingly downplaying the university protest crisis. No matter how the Biden administration seems to undermine the movement, the protest model has been catching fire, and not only on campuses and universities. Protesters have been taking every opportunity to express their solidarity with the Palestinians. In the recent Met Gala, they gathered to express their objection to Israel's planned invasion of Rafah, the southernmost city of the embattled Gaza Strip where hundreds of thousands of people are taking refuge. The Costume Institute Benefit, commonly known as the Met Gala, is a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. Some demonstrators gathered outside Hunter College and marched toward the venue donning traditional Palestinian scarves and waving Palestinian flags. "Disclose. Divest. We will not stop, we will not rest," the crowd chanted in videos posted to social media. Check out Resist.news for more updates on the ongoing pro-Palestinian protests across the United States and even overseas. Sources for this article include: TheGrayZone.com USAToday.com Hungary offers sanctuary for Ukrainians dodging Kyivs draconian military draft Ukraine's southwestern neighbor Hungary has pledged to offer a safe haven for Ukrainians dodging Kyiv's draconian military draft. Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen reiterated this pledge during a May 6 interview. He told broadcaster ATV that Budapest "would not extradite refugees to Ukraine." Many Ukrainian men are leaving the country to escape military conscription, which under a new law condemns them to their deaths in the meat grinder of war against Russia. "We do not investigate whether, according to the Ukrainians, the person is conscripted or not," said Semjen. "Based on basic humanity, we will not allow them to be sent to their deaths. Every refugee from Ukraine is completely safe with us and receives all the help." Russia Today (RT) wrote that "in recent weeks, the Ukrainian government has attempted to pressure its citizens who left the country particularly those living in the European Union to return home." While Kyiv has asked officials in Brussels to support this effort, many "have been reluctant to cooperate." Even Poland and Germany, both staunch supporters of Ukraine, have refused to hand over refugees and have vowed to protect their rights. "In recent months, Ukraine has also stepped up efforts to compensate for losses on the battlefield by increasing its mobilization drive within the country. Last month, [Ukrainian] President Volodymyr Zelensky signed two bills into law one lowering the draft age for men from 27 to 25, and another significantly simplifying the draft process," continued RT. (Related: No escape from the meat grinder: Zelensky signs tyrannical mobilization bill that lets no man escape.) We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance. "In an effort to force Ukrainians of fighting age to return home, Ukrainian consulates abroad announced the 'temporary suspension' of services to men between the ages of 18 and 60, who can no longer receive any necessary documents until they return home. A Washington Post report suggested that many Ukrainians living in the West are angered by the new policy, saying they feel they are being treated like traitors and potential prey for conscription officials." Slavo: Hungary's pledge a respite from government slavery According to Eurostat, the bloc's statistics agency, 4.3 million Ukrainians were living in the EU as of January. Around 860,000 of this number are men of fighting age. Mac Slavo of SHTF Plan lauded the Hungarian deputy prime minister's pledge in a May 6 story. He wrote: "It's difficult to find anyone in the ruling class concerned about humanity and morality, but it's nice to know those feeling obvious slavery can find at least some relief. "We all know the rulers start the wars, but aren't the ones who will be fighting them. They have always demanded a blood sacrifice from the slaves. Whether it's conscription, a draft or anything else forcing another human to kill or be killed is the absolute height of enslavement of human beings. "The idea that anyone is free while ruling classes (governments) of any kind exist is becoming less and less of an illusion every day. Even the most numb statists are figuring out that freedom means no one else has authority or control over you or your property. "It's a slow process, but it's coming along. The more brutal the masters become, the faster the people are going to figure it out too. That could be the only good news." Head over to Humanitarian.news for similar stories. Watch this video of Ukrainian recruitment officers in the central city of Poltava beating up a young man who is resisting the draft. This video is from the Cynthias Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Ukrainian general: NOBODY can sit out the draft, and ALL MUST FIGHT. Ukrainian men paying DISABLED WOMEN for marriage to escape the draft. Young male Ukrainians hide in their homes after fears of forced conscription. NATO tells Ukraine to bolster troop numbers through accelerated conscription. Warmonger Lindsey Graham urges Ukraine to expand its CONSCRIPTION efforts. Sources include: SHTFPlan.com RT.com Brighteon.com I oppose Israels atrocities in Gaza because Im not a psychopath I dont oppose the butchery in Gaza because I love Hamas or hate Jews or love Islam or hate America. (Article republished from CaitlinJohnstone.com.au) I dont oppose the butchery in Gaza because Im a lefty or a commie or an anarchist or an anti-imperialist. I oppose the butchery in Gaza because Im not a fucking psychopath. Opposing Israels butchery in Gaza is so obvious, so common sense, such a bare-minimum, fundamental-level, Being Human 101 position that if it isnt immediately self-evident to you after learning the basic facts, your problem is much, much deeper than whatever ideology or bias or prejudice you might happen to have. Theres something wrong with you as a person. If you support Israels butchery in Gaza, youve got much bigger problems than merely not having the correct ist or ism belief system. Youre just all fucked up inside. Your conditioning has made you into a generally shitty human being. You have deep and immensely consequential flaws in your character, and you wont mature as a person until you heal and transcend them. Opposing Israels atrocities in Gaza doesnt make you a good person, it just makes you a normal person??and supporting Israels atrocities in Gaza makes you a bad person. Nobody gets any points for opposing an active genocide; thats just the basic, bare-minimum requirement for a normal human being with a functioning empathy center in their brain. If you cant meet that basic, bare-minimum standard, you deserve to be viewed with suspicion and disdain, and anyone in your personal life who cares about truth, morality and humanity should seriously reassess their relationship with you. "This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal." ~ Aaron Bushnell https://t.co/xoO4VazFrD Caitlin Johnstone (@caitoz) May 3, 2024 One reason the empire is losing young people is because the imperial status quo has given them no investment in it. Theyll never own property. They cant support a family or retire. Theyve been given no reason not to want to rock the political boat. So theyre rocking it. The only vested interest young people have left is an interest in breathable air and a livable planet, and the possibility of a future that isnt intolerably dystopian. All of which are diametrically opposed to the interests and trajectory of the status quo politics of the western empire. So theyre going for it. Theyre beginning to see that theres no reason for them not to plunge headlong into a push for real change, in direct opposition to the mainstream politics of our time. Like Bob Dylan said, when you got nothing you got nothing to lose. One of the many things thats beautiful about this particular protest movement is that these young people arent protesting a war that they could get drafted in or could harm their personal interests in any way. Theyre opposing something cruel and evil solely out of compassion. One Palestinian life is worth more than every college campus window in the world. If youre wondering why youre suddenly seeing the word radicalizing a lot in mainstream politics and media, its because thats the big scary boogieman the empire plans on using to justify stomping out the burgeoning antiwar movement it created with its atrocities in Gaza. Uhhh excuse me but is it not freakish and disturbing that we're now seeing US police forces and local officials taking it as a given that it is their job to stop the spread of political opinions they don't like? The NYC mayor has been saying the same thing. https://t.co/ytXNOzop0g Caitlin Johnstone (@caitoz) May 3, 2024 Israeli police raided Al Jazeeras office after the Israeli cabinet voted to shut down the broadcasts of the Qatari media outlet on Sunday. The west is protecting freedom and democracy by stomping out its own freedom and democracy to assist the genocidal atrocities of a nation that is also stomping out freedom and democracy. Trump supporters are such foam-brained bootlickers that theyre now united in shitting on protests against a genocidal mass atrocity thats being pushed by neocons, the Biden administration, and every other warmongering establishment swamp monster they claim to oppose. Trump supporters: fighting the Deep State by siding with every intelligence agency, weapons contractor, mainstream media outlet and professional war whore in America. Republicans pretend to fiercely oppose Biden, but when it comes to issues that really matter like the president encouraging violent police crackdowns against people protesting his actions theyre in furious agreement, even saying he didnt go far enough. Theyre on the same side. Read more at: CaitlinJohnstone.com.au Ex-Israeli special forces agent admits to going undercover at UCLA protest encampment in partnership with local police The Zionist infiltration of United States law enforcement was on full display the other day after an Israeli special operations veteran was caught boasting online about running a "quiet infiltration operation" within the Gaza solidarity encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Aaron Cohen reportedly posted to X that he played a part in working alongside "LASD," possibly referring to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department or the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, to stage and prepare forced entry "to begin taking down the pro terror antisemitic encampment." Middle East Eye reached out to numerous law enforcement divisions in the Los Angeles area to try to determine which one Cohen was referring to, but reportedly did not receive any response for comment or clarification. (Related: The Biden regime just halted all shipments of U.S.-made ammo to Israel, marking the first time since October 7 that such a decision was made.) Middle East conflict spreads to America Cohen's X post ended up going viral with about five million views, sparking fresh interest from members of the public concerning the level of involvement Israel and its military has in coordinating the way law enforcement is behaving across the United States. "We have seen over the years what some might describe as the Israelisation of our law enforcement, which is the phenomena of American law enforcement agents being trained by Israeli trainers, who are either former military or police officers," commented Hussam Ayloush, director of the Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair-LA). 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. According to reports, Ayloush visited the student encampment multiple times over the past several weeks, including on one occasion when he was personally invited by the students to deliver a sermon for Muslim students as they held an on-site Friday prayer. During his appearance, Ayloush said he witnessed several instances in which outsiders were instigating the protesters and causing trouble. "I was there at UCLA and I did see people like Aaron Cohen," Ayloush commented. "I'm talking about fearmongers. I would say professional instigators and propagandists who represent the extreme right of Israeli politics with all its bigotry, violence, and dehumanization." "What are they doing? They're trying to instigate violence against overwhelmingly peaceful, diverse students." Trouble really started to brew on April 25 when UCLA's encampment became official, this not long after a similar one popped up at Columbia University. Students and faculty members alike who participated say they want their respective universities to divest from companies that are profiting from Israel's war in Gaza. According to a report from the Daily Bruin, the campus newspaper of UCLA, pro-Israel counter-protestors invaded the camp on April 30 and started behaving violently. They set off fireworks in the direction of the protesters and also released noxious gas of some kind. By 2 a.m. on May 1, dozens of police officers were present on the scene, but initially they stood by and did nothing while the counter-protestors engaged with and antagonized the protestors. On May 2, police in riot gear swept the encampment and used flash bangs and rubber bullets to further disrupt the protests in an attempt to disperse the crowd. "LASD, this is the biggest sheriff's agency in the country with some of the finest deputies that I've worked with," Cohen continued. "And their capabilities, their tactics are incredible for diffusing a situation like this." "It's really important right now to support law enforcement. These are the peacemakers out here. And these are the guys that are going to be risking their life." The latest news about Israel's influence and control over U.S. law enforcement can be found at Fascism.news. Sources for this article include: MiddleEastEye.net NaturalNews.com U.S. cuts Israel off from arms deliveries after halting ammo shipments Thousands of U.S. bomb-guidance kits intended for the Israeli war machine are stalled in delivery after the White House put a sudden halt on the shipments. Anonymous United States officials told the Wall Street Journal that the stalled shipment is deliberate, though there is no indication quite yet from the Biden regime as to why the change was made. Just days prior, the U.S. halted all further ammunition deliveries to Israel. Now, weapons deliveries are also being halted, calling into question the regime's commitment to Israel's genocide in Gaza. Back in January, Congress learned that the State Department was planning to sell Israel up to 6,500 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) in a $260 million arms deal. These JDAM kits bolt to conventional 500 to 2,000-pound bombs, allowing the "dumb" munitions to be guided directly to their targets upon descent. By law, the State Department is required to formally notify Congress of arms sales that exceed a certain amount, i.e., $25 million when dealing with NATO members of the State of Israel. It turns out that Congress was never notified about this one, though, which ended up "triggering an effective pause in the deal." Though the State Department has yet to comment on the stall, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby was forthcoming in providing a confusing and nonsensical statement that U.S. security commitments to Israel "are ironclad." "It's unusual, especially for Israel, especially during a war," the unnamed congressional official who dropped this bombshell told the Journal. 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. (Related: Have you checked out TrackAIPAC.com, which exposes all of the Zionist politicians in the U.S. Congress who take Israeli bribes in exchange for political favors?) War as a scapegoat for total economic collapse As for an apparent other canceled weapons delivery to Israel from last week, U.S. officials say they were never given a reason for that stall either, which has left them "scrambling to understand why the shipment was held." If the JDAM shipments had been properly cleared for shipment to Israel, the State Department would have issued a 15-day notice prior to it. Since no notification has been posted on the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DCAA) website, many are scratching their heads wondering what is going on. President Biden has been somewhat milquetoast about the whole thing, refusing to directly put Israel on notice concerning the withholding of arms deliveries over its genocide allegations. Biden sometimes talks a big game of disapproval against Israel, though, particularly with regard to Israel's planned ground invasion of Rafah which he called a "red line." Biden did rebuke Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly over what he called the "indiscriminate" bombing of Rafah, again suggesting that Netanyahu show restraint with this final solution for Gaza. While the U.S. government did put sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank, the Biden regime abstained from a United Nations (UN) Security Council vote from back in March that would have allowed for the passage of a measure demanding an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. "Despite voicing these criticisms, the Biden administration has kept weapons and ammunition flowing to Israel, reportedly approving more than 100 arms deliveries since October," RT reported. In the comments, someone pointed out that there is also a $1.3 trillion elephant in the room in the form of "a massive fiscal calamity" that the private Federal Reserve banking cartel has brought to the nation. "It is only a matter of time, therefore, until the brown stuff hits the fan like never before," this person further wrote about the massive financial and economic collapse that is ongoing and yet still to come. The U.S. is playing both sides of the Israeli conflict to pacify angry Americans. Learn more at Treason.news. Sources for this article include: RT.com NaturalNews.com U.S. opposed to Israels Rafah operation as currently planned, some offensive munitions being withheld from Israel by Biden admin As it currently stands, the United States will not support Israel's ongoing ground invasion of Rafah because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan will result in major loss of life and disruption of humanitarian aid deliveries, the Biden State Department announced. Spokesman Matthew Miller publicly rejected Israel's plan for Rafah around the same time that Israel sent in a legion of jets to bomb the southern Gaza city, which directly abuts the northern border of Egypt. "We do not support Israel launching a full-scale military operation in Rafah," Miller told reporters at a press conference in Washington. "As it is currently envisioned," Miller continued, there is no way President Biden and his cabinet and give the nod to what Netanyahu is doing, this being the same message that Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered directly to Netanyahu late last week. Because Israel has not yet provided the U.S. with a humanitarian plan for Rafah "that is credible and that is implementable," the U.S. government at least verbally will not go along with what Israel is doing and still planning to do. "We believe that a military operation in Rafah right now would dramatically increase the suffering of the Palestinian people," Miller further said. (Related: Don't forget that there are anywhere from 1.3 to 1.4 million people, many of them refugees, hunkering down right now in Rafah where Israel told them to go for safety.) Nobody will survive if Israel follows through with Rafah invasion Rafah is the last place in Gaza where the Palestinian people have left to go. All of the Palestinians from everywhere else in Gaza are now clustered there in the wake of October 7 when Israel Defense Forces (IDF) drove them all down there as refugees. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. Israel promised the Palestinians they would find refuge in Rafah, but now the Israeli government is planning to unleash hell on the city, which is the route through which most humanitarian aid is entering the Gaza Strip. If Israel conducts a full-scale invasion as planned, it is unlikely that very many Palestinians living or taking refuge in Rafah will survive. And cutting off the city's port of entry with Egypt will "make it incredibly difficult to sustain the increases in humanitarian assistance that we have been able to deliver," Miller further stated. IDF has reportedly warned all remaining Palestinians in Rafah to evacuate to where, though? They have nowhere to go, and yet IDF is promising to strike the city with "extreme force" in the coming days, having already conducted a number of airstrikes. Netanyahu insists that a full-scale ground invasion is also necessary in order for Israel to achieve "total victory" over Hamas. No matter what anyone else says, Netanyahu says he is moving forward with the plan. "We will fight the monsters of Hamas and destroy them for good," Netanyahu said, adding that "no amount of pressure, no decision by any international forum, will stop Israel from defending itself." In the comments, someone noted that the U.S., regardless of all this latest talk in opposition to what Netanyahu is doing, already supplied Israel with enough weapons and ammunition "for this continual genocide to move on Rafah." "The U.S. is as transparent and diabolical as Israel," this person added. "Damn them both." Another noted that people in support of what Israel is doing should be aware of the 75-year-plus history of violence by Israel against the Palestinian people whom Israel says do not belong on its land. "This includes colonization, occupation, and apartheid on Israel's part, as well as a never-ending stream of violations of international law." No matter what the world says, Netanyahu is hellbent upon completing the mission in Gaza with a full ground invasion of Rafah. Learn more at Prophecy.news. Sources for this article include: RT.com NaturalNews.com Lawmakers in Vermont enacted a bill that aims to hold large fossil fuel companies accountable for damages caused by weather disasters caused by climate change. Climate Superfund Act The legislation is based on the superfund program of the Environmental Protection Agency, which mandates that businesses that pollute the environment either clean up the sites themselves or pay back the government for the costs of doing so. The Climate Superfund Act, a bill introduced in Vermont, would likewise require large oil companies and other emitters to reimburse damages brought on by global warming. The amounts payable would be ascertained by calculating the extent to which Vermont's extreme weather events were caused by climate change and the financial toll those weather-related disasters took on the state. After that, the proportions of each company to the total would be determined by the amount of carbon dioxide they each put into the atmosphere between 2000 and 2019. Early in April, the Vermont state Senate approved the measure with just three no votes; the state House then approved it on Monday. Later this week, the Senate will conduct a final vote on the bill before sending it to the desk of Republican Governor Phil Scott. The bill's co-sponsor, state senator Anne Watson, expressed her hope that, should it pass into law, it will force large oil firms "to become purveyors of renewable energy sources and keep fossil fuels in the ground." Read Also: UN COP28: 200 Countries Agreed To Transition Away From Fossil Fuel First Bill Of Its Kind It's the United States' first bill of its kind to pass. Massachusetts, Maryland, and New York are also pushing for the same policy, but only New York's law has passed a state legislature chamber. Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., attempted to introduce similar legislation as part of the infrastructure package that was enacted in 2022, but it was not included in the final draft. The money fossil fuel firms pay in Vermont would go toward tackling the consequences of climate change on public health, updating infrastructure, weatherproofing public buildings and schools, and cleaning up after storms. The success of the law depends on the ability to estimate the extent of the harm that climate change has caused to Vermont; this assessment would be based on attribution science research. In the past two decades, scientists have refined their capacity to accurately predict the extent to which human activity has influenced the intensity and frequency of catastrophic weather events. "We're able to say very clearly, 'We would not be experiencing these intense global temperatures without human-caused climate change and the history of carbon pollution,'" said Andrew Pershing, vice president for science at Climate Central, a nonprofit that conducts attribution science research. Pershing mentioned that very high rainfall is a sign of a warming atmosphere for scientists. He stated that there has been a 60% increase in the number of precipitation days in New England and that the atmosphere can contain 4% more water vapor for every degree Fahrenheit as the temperature rises. This previous winter was the warmest on record in Vermont. It followed record-breaking rainfall in July across the state, which resulted in disastrous flooding. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated that the storm cost the Northeast around $2.2 billion. Related Article: G7 Countries Offer New 'Pledge' to Stop Fossil Fuels, Urge Other Countries to Follow As the nation emerges from a chilly spring, meteorologists are predicting a scorching heatwave that will have Britons reaching for their sun hats and ice cream cones. With temperatures expected to surpass 25C, the UK is bracing for a summer preview that promises to break records and send beachgoers flocking to the coast. Sunshine and Swelter: A Taste of Summer in May The Met Office and other weather agencies are in agreement: the UK is about to experience a mini-heatwave. While the official definition of a heatwave varies by region, the consensus is that it involves at least three consecutive days of maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave threshold. For London, Surrey, Berkshire,Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, and Cambridgeshire, this means a scorching 28C or more. Meanwhile, Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Rutland, West Midlands, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire will be satisfied with a slightly cooler 27C. The Evesham region is no exception. Residents can expect sunny spells, light showers, and temperatures that will make them question whether they've accidentally teleported to the Mediterranean. The local ice cream van is already stocking up on double scoops, and the local swimming pool is preparing for a sudden influx of sun-seekers. Rain? What Rain? While the north may grumble about missing out on the heatwave, the south of England will be basking in warmth. Showers will be as rare as a unicorn sighting, and the only mist and fog will be the kind that forms when the sun dips below the horizon. As for the southeast, it's time to dust off those sunglasses and embrace the balmy days ahead. But what about the rest of the week? Fear not, sun worshippers. The heatwave isn't a fleeting affair. It's here to stay, at least for a few days. So grab your sunscreen, flip-flops, and a good book, and prepare to soak up the rays. The UK may not be known for its tropical climate, but this week, it's giving the Bahamas a run for their money. Also Read: UK Weather: Flooded Roads and Railways Cause Travel Chaos Heatwaves and Climate Change: A Hot Topic While the UK has seen its fair share of heatwaves over the years, the recent trend suggests that these scorching episodes are becoming more frequent and intense. Here's what you need to know: Human Influence: The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) leaves no room for doubt: human activity has warmed the atmosphere, ocean, and land. As a result, extreme heat events, such as heatwaves, are on the rise. The baseline increase in global temperatures has made these events more severe, impacting ecosystems, infrastructure, and public health. Record-Breaking Heat: In July 2022, the UK experienced a significant heatwave. Coningsby in Lincolnshire recorded the hottest-ever temperature of 40.3C, surpassing the previous record of 38.7C set in 2019. Scotland also saw its hottest day, with a temperature of 34.8C. These extreme temperatures disrupted daily life, strained emergency services, and caused wildfires. Impacts: The 2022 heatwave had far-reaching effects. Five people lost their lives in water-related incidents. Fires broke out across London, keeping firefighters busier than during the Second World War. Train services were disrupted, roads melted, and railway tracks buckled. The demand for emergency services soared, highlighting the vulnerability of our infrastructure to extreme heat. Future Preparedness: England is now focusing on preparedness for heat risk. As heatwaves become more frequent, authorities are reevaluating emergency response plans, healthcare capacity, and infrastructure resilience. The goal is to minimize the impact on lives and livelihoods during extreme heat events Related article: UK Weather Forecast: Thunderstorms Expected Across UK as Flood Warnings Remain in Effect Widespread above-average temperatures can occur in the Eastern U.S. this week, according to a report by the National Weather Service (NWS). Commuters can potentially expect relief from the recent rainy outlook. NWS report reveals that above-average temperatures can also occur in the Southeast this week, including in the Northwest. Additionally, severe thunderstorms can still threaten portions of the Tennessee Valley, Southern Plains, and Ozarks. Weather in the Eastern US and Gulf Coast This Week The latest weather report shows a warm weather outlook can unfold in the eastern U.S., southern Texas, Gulf Coast, and Southeast. Daily highs can reach from 10 to 15 degrees above average. The weather conditions can be favorable for outdoor plans, but homeowners should still keep alert for a chance of precipitation. In New York City, the forecast reveals that a cooling outlook could return Thursday through the weekend. There is a threat of widespread showers on Friday, and the thunderstorm outlook could threaten portions of the Interstate 95 corridor. In a recent advisory in Boston, possible showers and thunderstorms could spread in the morning. For Pittsburgh residents, severe weather potential will be likely as the forecast monitors the development of a new low pressure advancing into the Ohio Valley. In Chicago, scattered thunderstorms can affect parts of the region, with strong winds and large hail. Residents can also expect a sunny and warm outlook this midweek and the weekend. Also Read: Summer and Spring Beach Recreation: 5 Tips to Keep Safe From Hotter Temperatures Damaging Thunderstorm Concerns Flooding risks are likely in the Gulf Coast this week, with renewed flooding from Texas to Florida. In midweek, the weather outlook could bring severe thunderstorms, with widespread damaging winds and flash flood in the following areas: Des Moines Peoria St. Louis Springfield Dallas Little Rock Nashville Louisville St. Louis Roanoke Raleigh Charlotte Louisville NWS Des Moines reveals that challenging weather outlook can threaten central and eastern Iowa, including in the interstate 80. Homeowners should check for a brief heavy rainfall. The report shows that multiple severe thunderstorms can unload in St. Louis. In Raleigh, there is a risk of a stormy outlook in the southern Coastal Plain and Sandhills. Residents can also anticipate light rain. On Thursday, enhanced tornado risk can occur in Paducah, Nashville, Lexington, and Jonesboro. With the potential poor weather outlook, people are advised to keep updated with the latest forecasts. Additionally, households can consider storing emergency kits, which include important food packs, bottled water supplies, and medicine kits. On the weekend, brief downpours and gusty winds can unload in the following areas: Green Bay Chicago Indianapolis Knoxville Pittsburgh Detroit Toronto When severe weather worsens, people should stay at home or reconsider their daily commutes. Travelers should be extra careful when commuting to stay safe from dangerous road conditions. Related Article: Gulf Coast Weather Forecast: Widespread Damaging Winds, Lightning Strikes Likely to Threaten Midweek For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News. Leading climate experts from around the world predict that this century will see global temperatures rise by at least 2.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, exceeding globally set targets and having disastrous effects on both humans and the environment. Semi-Dystopian Nearly half of the respondents, who are all members of the reputable Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), predict at least 3 degrees Celsius of global warming, while nearly 80% of them predict at least 2.5 degrees Celsius. Just 6% predicted that the globally set 1.5-degree Celsius threshold would be reached. Numerous scientists predict a "semi-dystopian" future in which heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and storms that are far more intense and frequent than those that have previously occurred will cause famines, conflicts, and mass migration. Since 2018, The Guardian, who conducted the survey, has been in touch with every lead author or review editor of IPCC reports that is reachable. Out of 843 scientists, 380 replied. The IPCC's reports, which are authored by specialists in the social and physical sciences and have been endorsed by all governments, are the gold standard for evaluations of climate change. Based on the results, a large number of the world's most knowledgeable people predict that the next few decades will see widespread climate disruption. Despite just 1.2 degrees Celsius of average global warming over the previous four years, the climate crisis is already seriously harming people's lives and means of subsistence throughout the world. Many scientists expressed their sense of helplessness, rage, and fear at the governments' inaction in the face of overwhelming scientific data. Gretta Pecl of the University of Tasmania believes that during the next five years, there will be a significant upheaval in society. "[Authorities] will be overwhelmed by extreme events. After extreme events, food production will be disrupted. I could not feel greater despair over the future," she added. However, many asserted that the fight against climate change must go on because every degree Celsius that is averted will lessen misery for people on Earth. Read Also: European Countries: Unseasonably High Temperature Set To Continue In October Massive Preparations The experts explained the reasons for the global inability to address the climate crisis. Nearly three-quarters of the respondents blamed a lack of political will, while another 60% pointed the finger at vested business interests like the fossil fuel sector. Many also brought up inequality and the rich world's unwillingness to assist the poor, who bear the brunt of the effects of climate change. Massive preparations were now required, according to the scientists, to shield humanity from the worst of the impending climate disasters. The goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius was set in order to avert the worst effects of the climate catastrophe and is widely regarded as a crucial benchmark for global negotiations. The globe is currently on track to warm by roughly 2.7 degrees Celsius, and according to the survey, not many IPCC experts believe that the world will make the massive effort needed to lower that. Only around 25% of the IPCC experts who answered expressed optimism that the rise in global temperature would be limited to 2 degrees Celsius or less. "I am convinced that we have all the solutions needed for a 1.5C path and that we will implement them in the coming 20 years. But I fear that our actions might come too late and we cross one or several tipping points," said Henry Neufeldt, at the UN's Copenhagen Climate Centre. Related Article: 'Warmest January on Record' Detected This 2024, The Highest Since 1800s: Climate Scientists Warn Numerous gold mines in northern Niger under the management of a Chinese company were forced to temporarily close on Sunday after local officials reported that dozens of animals had perished after consuming wastewater. The only reason given by the herders around Tabelot for the deaths of their livestock was Sahara SARL's mines; they claimed there was neither disease nor drought in the area. Wastewater From Mining Youssaf Houssa, the head of Tamannit, one of the agricultural villages, said that 24 animals died in two days, and in April, they finally realized that the slaughter was being caused by harmful products in the water the mines were rejecting. Almou Akoli, from another community called Fasso, stated that he had lost sixteen animals, while others of his "neighbors cannot keep track of how many they have lost." In January, China's Sahara SARL began gold mining in the heart of grazing fields, an area devoid of natural waterholes. According to the sources, Niger's Ministry of Mines ordered the temporary closure of at least four mining sites after police inspectors visited them on Friday. The purpose of this decision is to look into the poisoning's causes, stop such instances from happening in the future, determine the extent of the damage, and take necessary action. "The Chinese have suspended work, and we are monitoring our animals," said Houssa. Read Also: Gold Mining Critically Impairs Water Quality in Rivers Across Peruvian Biodiversity Hotspot Environmental Problems These incidents draw attention to the environmental problems that mining has brought about in African nations. These events raise concerns about the social and environmental responsibility of mining firms operating in the area, in addition to their effects on the local flora and fauna. An official assessment affirms that "the disaster was caused by chemicals used in the mines, which pose a serious threat to wildlife and the water table," according to the Agadez-based private publication Air Info. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) dedicated to nature conservation frequently accuse the French company Orano (formerly Areva), which has been mining uranium in the Arlit region of northern West Africa, of radioactivity and pollution of the already unfavorable animal environment. Orano has been mining there for more than 40 years. In 2020, the extractive industry in Niger generated 7.6% of the country's GDP and 6.52% of its government income. To avoid similar disasters in the future and safeguard vulnerable communities that depend on agriculture and animal rearing, more control and regulatory measures must be implemented. Last year, it was reported that hundreds of animal species are being poisoned by the toxic mercury used in illegal gold mining in the Amazon, where contamination is showing up in nearly all 330 tested primates. Data shows that mammals in the biodiversity hotspot, including rats, ocelots, and titi monkeys, were contaminated with mercury as a result of unofficial gold mining. More gold is being extracted by unlicensed miners here than anywhere else in Latin America, and the amount is growing so fast that conservationists worry even this distant resource may not survive. In Los Amigos, Peru's Madre de Dios region, riverbanks are home to over 46,000 small-scale miners who are mining for gold in the country's rainforest. Related Article: Mercury in Tropical Birds' Feathers Linked to Gold Mining Activities Liya Barko met with former solider Wayne Tolver Banks to thank him for rushing to save her during the violent rampage. Liya Barko was reunited with former solider Wayne Tolver Banks, who helped save her life during the Bondi Junction stabbing rampage, on Wednesday. Source: 9News A woman who nearly died in the stabbing attack at Bondi Junction Westfield last month has thanked the stranger in a green T-shirt who pulled her to safety in an emotional reunion. Liya Barko fatefully crossed paths with killer Joel Cauchi on the afternoon of April 13 after popping into the shops following her first volleyball class. The 35-year-old student from Argentina said their eyes met briefly before he plunged the 30cm knife into her side and uttered the words catch you. Bondi Junction stabbing survivor Liya Barko was severely injured in the attack and was only released from hospital a week ago. Source: 9News Speaking to 9News earlier this week, Barko said as Cauchi fled to continue his rampage, ultimately killing six people, another shopper a tall man in a bright T-shirt rushed over, pulled her into a store and began working to save her life. I would like to see him again, at least give him a hug, she said of her mystery hero. On Wednesday, she finally got to do just that. Bondi stabbing survivor's emotional reunion with hero The man, identified by 9News as former solider Wayne Tolver Banks, and Barko couldnt help but contain their excitement during their embrace, which was filmed by the publication. Oh my god, Barko exclaimed as she first saw Banks, who asked her how she was doing. Good! Good! Yes I remember you, you were so tall, she responded. Im so happy youre alive, a clearly relieved Banks said as they grasped each others hands. Hero reveals haunting new details Banks recalled that during the rampage, mass murderer Cauchi looked him in the eye and shook his head, implying he wasnt going to attack the man, before bolting toward Barko and stabbing her in the ribs piercing her stomach and liver. I looked at you when I saw the man stab you and I said straight away to myself Ive got to help you...I didnt want you to die," Banks told Barko. Cauchi murdered six people in the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre, including five women and a male security guard. Source: AAP I knew exactly what I needed to do to take control of the situation and the area and look after [her], the former soldier continued, crediting his previous training for his quick response. The pair, Bankss wife and other shoppers then took refuge in a store, where the 35-year-old student said she believed she was going to die. Your wife she was the person who started to shake me when I started to say I want to give upshe is the one who [said to me] You are doing really well, Barko said, describing her now life-long friend as her angel. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Sorry, something doesn't look right. Something seems unusual about your device or browser. Please contact support. Lawyers are alleging 6 hectares of land was illegally cleared at the contentious site. Works at Lee Point have been paused following allegations of illegal land clearing. Source: Supplied/DHA Bulldozers have stopped work at the site of a controversial waterfront housing project in Australias north, following allegations the developer illegally cleared land. Lee Point, which is home to three endangered species and is an important Indigenous cultural site, was being developed by a federal government company Defence Housing Australia which plans to build 800 luxury homes at the site. Located just 7km from Darwin, the project is worth tens of millions of dollars. Its the third time works at the site have been paused, and environment groups have responded by calling for a senate inquiry into the development, calling it a disaster. The project has also garnered international attention with UK environmentalist Dr Jane Goodall calling it simply unacceptable. DHA confirmed it paused work at the site on Tuesday, May 7 so it could review allegations by Environmental Justice Australia (EJA) that its bulldozers illegally destroyed habitat on 6 hectares of land. Its alleged the land was cleared without the required approvals a construction environment management plan and an approved erosion and sediment control plan. Lawyers acting on behalf of Traditional Owner Tibby Quall and Environment Centre Northern Territory (ECNT) have alleged DHA breached conditions of its development permit between April 30 and May 2. Environment groups have also alleged fauna spotters were not always present to monitor the works and ensure wildlife was not harmed. Tibby Quall is urging Defence Housing Australia to pause works at the Lee Point site which boasts a tourism precinct, hotel accommodation and more in brochures. Source: DHA/Supplied Call for Senate inquiry into Lee Point development This week DHA rejected Yahoos request to interview its chair Dr Robert Lang and acting managing director Paul Groenewegen. On Thursday this publication requested clarification of the stop work and sought further comment. The current stoppage occurred in response to alleged breaches of Northern Territory planning laws. Yahoo has reached out to the office of NT Environment Minister Kate Wordern on several occasions this week hoping to discuss Lee Point, but it declined to comment and directed questions to the planning department (DIPL). In a statement DIPL said it takes complaints relating to failures to following permit conditions "very seriously" and the matter had been referred to the Development Consent Authority (DCA). "Should the DCA decide that enforcement action is required, this action may range from negotiated outcomes, warning letters, penalty notices and in the most significant cases, legal prosecutions," it said. In a letter seen by Yahoo, DHA confirmed on Tuesday it is reviewing the allegations. Only works necessary to maintain the site to comply with environmental reforms would continue. Executive director of ECNT Dr Kirsty Howey responded to the development, saying if the allegations were to be proven they would be a national scandal. The communitys battle to save this precious natural and cultural wonder has captivated people around the country, and it beggars belief that a government agency may have been responsible for alleged unlawful conduct at the site, she said. Its time for DHA to abandon this disastrous development once and for all, and for the Senate to investigate how this senseless ecological and cultural destruction has been allowed to happen. Yahoo does not allege DHA has breached any regulations. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. Know what is West Nile fever spreading in Kerala W est Nile fever has raised fresh concerns in Kerala after more than five confirmed cases of the zoonotic disease were reported from the three districts -- Thrissur, Malappuram, and Kozhikode -- in the state. West Nile fever is a zoonotic disease transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, which acquires the virus from infected birds. In a statement, Kerala Health Minister Veena George confirmed that cases of viral infection have been reported in the state and that all the districts have been asked to be vigilant. She requested anyone showing signs of fever or other symptoms of the West Nile infection to seek treatment immediately. First detected in Kerala in 2011, the disease claimed the lives of a six-year-old boy in 2019 and a 47-year-old man in 2022. While a majority of people do not develop symptoms from the disease, some may experience mild symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, or sore throats in some cases. However, in some cases, it can turn fatal with severe complications such as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and meningitis, which can be fatal. "Rarely, West Nile fever can also lead to myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) and pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). Elderly individuals and those with compromised immune systems are at higher risk of experiencing severe manifestations," Dr Sanjith Saseedharan, Consultant and Director of Critical Care, SL Raheja Hospital, Mahim-A Fortis Associate, told IANS. "This mosquito-borne zoonotic disease can also be transmitted rarely through infected blood, breast milk from infected mothers, and via transmission from an infected donor during organ transplantation," he added. Dr. Chinnadurai R, Lead Consultant - Critical Care, Aster RV Hospital, Bengaluru, told IANS that West Nile virus activity typically occurs during the summer months and into the fall. Though not common in India, cases have been reported sporadically in some regions, although they are relatively rare compared to other mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria, and chikungunya. The virus can be tested via a blood sample. In mild cases, the symptoms usually last for 3 to 6 days, and one can recover at home. In severe cases, it can last for weeks or months, Dr. Chinnadurai said. "Treatment primarily focuses on alleviating symptoms, as there are currently no specific antiviral medications available to treat the infection. Supportive care, including rest, hydration, and pain management, is typically recommended for individuals with mild to moderate symptoms," he added. The doctors recommended using insect repellents, wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, treating clothing and gear, and taking steps to control mosquitoes indoors and outdoors. Know what is West Nile fever spreading in Kerala Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! A 'well-dressed' elderly cyclist has been allegedly keying cars in Brisbane for months, according to one victim. A 'well-dressed' elderly cyclist has been repeatedly keying cars on Hubert Street in Brisbane for months, locals claim. Source: The Courier Mail A regular, well-dressed cyclist has been caught on CCTV allegedly repeatedly keying cars in broad daylight on an inner-city street in Brisbane. Local man Mick Brown claimed an elderly man has been targeting the same vehicles parked in Woolloongabba for several months, costing thousands of dollars in damages. The first incident occurred on September 29 and was caught on security cameras, he told The Courier Mail. Footage obtained by the paper shows the man riding his bike down the street with his right arm extended out as he passes two Utes and an SUV. He appears to have a sharp object attached to a lanyard in his hand. This act cost myself and the owner of the other two vehicles in excess of $10,000 in repairs, Brown said. The three vehicle owners had to pay 'in excess of $10,000 in repairs' after the first incident in September. Source: The Courier Mail Cyclist repeatedly keys cars, local claims Brown said the cyclist struck again on December 30 after repairs were completed on all three vehicles. Two of the three same cars were damaged again, causing thousands and thousands of dollars in damage, he said, adding a third incident took place over the weekend on May 5. While these appear to be targeted attacks neither myself nor the other victim know or recognise this person, he told The Courier Mail. It is becoming quite distressing and this individual needs to be stopped. Yahoo News Australia has contacted Queensland Police for comment. Earlier this year, an elderly couple pleaded guilty to keying two luxury cars at a Brisbane shopping centre. Raymond Edwards and wife Barbara were captured on camera approaching the vehicles at the Brookside Shopping Centre in late October, both keying a Tesla. The court was also told Raymond also keyed a white BMW parked next to the Tesla. Why do people key cars? In an interview with Drive last month, President of the Australian Psychological Society, Dr Catriona Davis-McCabe, said people may feel the need to key someones property because they're unable to process their feelings or experience them in a healthy and safe way and instead resort to more destructive behaviour. Clinical psychologist Dr Kayleigh Young told the publication she believes an inferiority complex is a more likely rationale, as well as animosity and conflict between two individuals, jealousy regarding the vehicle or a perceived injustice or inconvenience such as someone parking too close Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. RBI lifts ban on Bank of Baroda's BoB World B ank of Baroda said on Wednesday that the RBI has lifted its ban on BoB World and the bank has now been allowed to onboard customers through the app. The bank has stated in an exchange filing that the RBI has lifted the restriction with immediate effect. The development comes six months after the ban was imposed. The RBI had in October 2023 directed the public sector bank to suspend further onboarding of customers on Bob World mobile app due to 'certain material supervisory concerns' observed during the regulator's inspection of the bank's processes. The Bank of Baroda had subsequently taken out corrective measures to address the concerns highlighted by the RBI. These included various steps at the field and corporate office, including the sacking of Chief Digital Officer Akhil Handa. "We wish to inform that the RBI, vide its letter dated May 8, 2024, conveyed to the bank its decision to lift the above-mentioned restrictions on Bob World with immediate effect as such the bank is free to onboard customers through Bob World application in accordance with the applicable guidelines and extant laws or regulations," Bank of Baroda said in a regulatory filing. BoB World, which was first launched in September 2021, provides all its digital banking services under one roof, for its customers. RBI lifts ban on Bank of Baroda's BoB World Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Air India Express row: 'Company leadership available for discussions', CEO says in letter to employees F ollowing the mass sick leave taken by the cabin crew of low-cost airline Air India Express resulting in disruption of flight operations, the airline's CEO Aloke Singh, said in a letter to the employees that the act is certainly not representative of the 2,000-odd cabin crew colleagues who continue to respond to the call of duty and serve the clients with dedication and pride. The protesting cabin crew members claimed that despite promises of job security, salary preservation, and recognition of seniority and expertise, there has been a noticeable deviation from these assurances. Since last evening, over 100 of our cabin crew colleagues have reported sick prior to their rostered flight duty at the last minute, severely disrupting our operations. Because this action was mostly by colleagues assigned the L1 role, the impact was disproportionate, disrupting 90+ flights even though other colleagues reported for duty, read the letter accessed by IANS. Singh said the disruptions have cascaded across the network, "forcing us to curtail the schedules over the next few days". We had to do this to cope with the non-availability of crew and to recover schedules. This act is certainly not representative of the 2,000-odd cabin crew colleagues in the company who continue to respond to the call of duty and serve our guests with dedication and pride. I am thankful to all who are standing by the airline in this hour of crisis, the letter read. It added that colleagues from 'operations, network, commercial, airport services, and IOCC' have been working hard to mitigate the impact of the disruptions. "A curtailed schedule is being rolled out for the next few days. Colleagues from across the company and the group have pitched in to support operations - we owe all our deep gratitude. If there are concerns that need to be addressed, the company leadership is available for any discussions. All channels remain open -- department townhalls (one pre-scheduled for Thursday), monthly all-hands townhall, besides formal and informal reach out to leaders. "In particular, senior cabin crew colleagues who have seen the airline evolve from a small, niche operator to what we are today - a rapidly growing, 350+ flights-a-day carrier, with a strong network footprint across India, Gulf and SE Asia - have a deeper stake in helping build and achieve the vision we have set for ourselves, Singh said in the letter. After over 90 international and domestic flights of the airline were cancelled, the Ministry of Civil Aviation sought a detailed report from Air India Express regarding the disruptions of flight operations, urging the airline to address the issue promptly. Additionally, the airline has been instructed to ensure that passenger facilities adhere to the norms set by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU), representing a segment of cabin crew members, had earlier written to Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran, highlighting employee grievances and expressing concerns about the ongoing situation within Air India Express, especially after its acquisition by the Tata group. The union accused the airline of mismanagement and unequal treatment of staff, claiming that these issues have adversely impacted the employee morale. Air India Express row: 'Company leadership available for discussions', CEO says in letter to employees Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Ali Fazal on how it's humbling to work with Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam A ctor Ali Fazal, who is making his debut in the South Indian film industry with Mani Ratnam's 'Thug Life' starring Kamal Haasan, said that working with two stalwarts of Indian cinema is a humbling experience for him. Ali said: "I am genuinely thrilled to be a part of Mani's vision for 'Thug Life.' I hope to bring something of significance to this canvas. It's an honour to collaborate with Kamal Haasan and exchange ideas with him. "Working with two stalwarts of Indian cinema is a humbling experience. I am deeply grateful to Mani for entrusting me with this role, and I am eagerly looking forward to bringing it to life on screen." The film will be shot by Ravi K. Chandran, and the music will be composed by the legendary A. R. Rahman. Details about Ali's character are being kept under wraps. Production for 'Thug Life' has officially commenced in New Delhi. Ali Fazal on how it's humbling to work with Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Char Dham Yatra: Kedarnath shrine adorned with 20 quintals of flowers, portals to open on Friday T he portals of the holy Kedarnath Dham are set to open on Friday. While the preparations for the ceremonial opening of the temple are in full swing, the devotees have started assembling in large numbers in adjacent Sonprayag and Gaurikund, for the first darshan of the deity. The portals will be thrown open for devotees at 7 AM morning on Friday (May 10). One major highlight of this years opening ceremony is that the temple is being decorated with 20 quintals of flowers. The pictures of the decorated temple, as it surfaced on social media gave a mesmerising look. Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) President Ajendra Ajay told newsmen that the flowers reached the holy temple via helicopters and the devotees are ecstatic and elated over such arrangements. Earlier in the day, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami took to his X handle and welcomed the devotees to Kedarnath Dham. "Hearty welcome and greetings to all the devotees in Shri Kedarnath Dham in Chardham Yatra-2024... Hail Lord Kedar!" the CM wrote. Meanwhile, Lord Kedarnaths Panchmukhi Doli left for Kedarnath Dham today while devotees and school children chanted mantras and showered flower petals. The district administration along with local shopkeepers welcomed the Dev Doli on the Kedarnath pedestrian route. The doors for Kedarnath Dham along with two other holy shrines Gangotri and Yamunotri will open on May 10 while the gates of Badrinath will open on May 12. The Char Dham Yatra holds profound spiritual significance in Hinduism. The devotees get to chance to undertake the yatra from April-May to October-November. The Himalayan temple, visited by lakhs of people every year remains closed during the winters. Char Dham Yatra: Kedarnath shrine adorned with 20 quintals of flowers, portals to open on Friday Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Senior conservative says UK PM Sunak ultimately to blame for Tory 'chaos' U K Prime Minister Rishi Sunak bears ultimate responsibility for a Tory party mired in chaos, a senior Conservative has said as a poll indicated a 30-point lead for Labour. Tees Valley Mayor Lord Ben Houchen said the Conservatives are "fighting each other like rats in a sack" and the blame for the partys difficulties "ultimately lies with Rishi." Lord Houchen held on in Tees Valley in a rare bright spot in an otherwise dismal set of local election results for the Conservatives a week ago. He told BBC Radio Tees: "Things don't look great for the Conservative Party at the moment. There is still a way through but that way through is getting narrower by the day." He said there is general disaffection with politics among voters rather than a desire to back Labour, so there is still the chance for the Conservatives to turn things around. "If the Government actually got on and delivered some real things and showed themselves to be competent, and did the things that people wanted them to, then there is a way through to be able to get some of that respect back, some of that confidence back from the public and to help reduce what is a very large gap at the minute," he said. The Conservatives suffered a mauling from the electorate in last weeks contests, losing nearly 500 council seats, the West Midlands mayoral race and the Blackpool South by-election. Sunak's woes deepened with the defection of MP Natalie Elphicke to Labour in protest against his record on housing and stopping small boat crossings of the English Channel. The scale of the difficulties facing Mr Sunak was underlined by a YouGov poll for The Times newspaper which showed Labour on 48% and the Tories on 18 per cent just five points ahead of Reform UK among people who said they would vote and expressed a preference. The poll, which surveyed 2,072 people between May 7 and 8, gave Labour its biggest lead since Liz Truss was in office in October 2022. Asked if Sunak is to blame for the Conservatives problems, Lord Houchen said: "Ultimately it always rests on the shoulders of the leader, all responsibility goes back to the top, its the same in my job as well. Ultimately, youre the one responsible for it." "But there are lots of people who are involved in the problems with the Conservative Party. Its a bit of chaos at the minute, right, isnt it?" "Theres lots of people fighting with each other in the Conservative Party, there are defections going on, and ultimately the public do not vote for parties who are not united and are not presenting a united front and also arent talking to the public." "If they're fighting with each other like rats in a sack instead of saying to the public this is what were going to do for you, that doesnt win elections." "Obviously, it ultimately lies with Rishi but there are lots of people that need to get their act together, stop messing about and start talking to the public about what they can offer them, rather than just fighting with each other." --IANS/DPA Senior conservative says UK PM Sunak ultimately to blame for Tory 'chaos' Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Manoj Bajpayee speaks up for people from Bihar: Give us respect, don't poke fun M anoj Bajpayee, who comes from Bihar, opened up at a media interaction on Thursday on how people from his state, UP and "even Chhattisgarh" were treated with contempt elsewhere in the country. The actor spoke about how some people still have a stereotypical view of their counterparts from Bihar, whom they consider to be less intelligent. Without mincing words, he said those with a regional mindset only expose their narrowness and it shows that something is wrong with them. The actor was speaking during the trailer launch of his film 'Bhaiyya Ji' when he was asked if the tagline of the film, 'Bhaiyya nahi, Bhaiyya ji kaho', has a subtext. Pulling the media person's leg, Manoj said, "Kuch na kuch vivaad toh hona hi chaahiye, hai na (We need to have some argument or the other, don't we)? See, whenever someone tells you something negative with regards to your background or your ethnicity, it means that the problem is with the other person, not with you." He added: "A sane person will never make negative remarks about your caste, your religion or the region where you come from." He said the message of the film is that people from UP and Bihar, too, are humans and they deserve respect. "Mazaak mat udaao izzat do, aadar do, people from UP, Bihar and even Chhattisgarh are addressed as 'Bhaiyya' jokingly, which should not be the case," the actor noted. Manoj Bajpayee speaks up for people from Bihar: Give us respect, don't poke fun Post your comments Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! An omission by Resources Minister Madeleine King during a radio interview this morning has sparked an angry response from an Indigenous leader. A subtle yet arguably profound omission during an ABC interview with a Labor cabinet minister has led to locals saying shes no longer welcome in their remote town. Resources Minister Madeleine King sparked the angry response after she doubled-down on her support of the controversial Narrabri gas project in northern NSW during the launch of Labor's Future Gas Strategy this morning. While she argued energy giant Santos's project was "important" for Australia, she failed to mention its vehemently opposed by the region's Indigenous people the Gomeroi. While it could simply have been an oversight, Indigenous Elder Polly Cutmore claims the ministers omission on Radio National on Thursday was not an isolated occurrence, but rather the latest in a string of snubs to her people. "It was disrespectful," she told Yahoo News. I dont think shes got the guts to even mention us. The gas company does not have permission to enter our land. And at this stage I dont think well give permission to Madeleine King, shes not welcome on our land at the moment." Yahoo has contacted King for comment. Polly Cutmore (right) exploring sacred areas on the Pilliga. Source: Michael Dahlstrom RELATED: Jane Goodall 'devastated' by destruction of Lee Point Cutmore has been outspoken in her opposition to energy giant Santos's gas project. Nationally recognised for her activism, she is one of only a handful Australians to have two portraits depicting her likeness at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. Responding to the Labor government's handling of the proposed Santos project, she said it consistently acted in a "disgusting" way to the Gomeroi people who overwhelmingly oppose Santos's plan to drill into their traditional lands across the Pilliga, south of Narrabri. King has not met with any of us regarding the gas," she said, claiming the government keeps promising the use of culturally significant land to resources companies without consultation. "No party has been good for us. All they've done in 250 years have come in and destroy our country and use it as a quarry for the rest of the world, and for their own gain." Why Labor believes more fossil fuel extraction is needed King took time from her busy schedule celebrating Beef Week in Queensland to announce Labor's new plan, which will expand the drilling of the fossil fuel well beyond Narrabri. In a statement on Thursday, King said gas would remain an important source of energy beyond 2050, the year Labor has promised to achieve net-zero emissions. It is clear we will need continued exploration, investment and development in the sector to support the path to net zero for Australia and for our export partners, and to avoid a shortfall in gas supplies, she said. Related: Why a young dad is backing the controversial project dividing a country town The Pilliga, near Narrabri, is the planned site of a major gas drilling operation. Source: Google Earth A statement released from the ministers office made a general mention of First Nations people and said the plan would ensure they are partners in the transition to net zero. But during her ABC interview, King did not reference the impact the plan would have on Indigenous populations whose land the gas will be extracted from. Were taking in submissions public from the community, environmental groups, from local councils, from unions and also from the industry. Weve heard from a lot of people, she said. When speaking about the Narrabri project, she suggested the project would make gas "more affordable" for consumers in NSW because the fields are close to them. "Narrabri is important," she said. Torres Strait Islanders fear sacred sites will be destroyed by gas plan Further north, Torres Strait Islanders are also concerned about the ramping up of fossil fuel extraction. Speaking to Yahoo from the Common Threads Indigenous conference in Cairns, Tanena Nona said king tides are already drastically affecting their towns. Theyre coming up to our homes. All we've been given is band-aid fixes which are sea walls which don't work at all," she said. The tides are really eating our islands away. We don't want to be refugees seeking new homes, losing our culture, language, everything, our sacred sites. It will be a very great effect for the Torres Strait Islands, every Pacific island and the world as a whole. Speaking to Yahoo from the Torres Strait Islands, Aunty McRose Elu told Yahoo she had been talking with flooding and bushfire victims elsewhere in the country, and it was important the Albanese government reduces emissions and stops projects that create global warming. "Life is going to change. We need to get to this level of [limiting temperature rises to] 1.5 degrees," she said. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. Download Now The News-Gazette mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the News-Gazette on your mobile device just as it appears in print. Robbie Walker, from left, Bishop Byron L. Smith Sr., Grace Weltman and Nicole Massey will be the speakers at a June 1 Healing Invisible Wounds conference at the ILEAS training center in Urbana. Registration deadline for the event is May 20. Prosecutors in Mexico have landed a key witness in the shooting deaths. Yahoo's live blog for Thursday, May 9 has concluded. We started the day with the moment a woman stabbed in the Bondi Junction Westfield attack last month was reunited with a brave shopper who carried her to safety. That man was ex-military soldier Wayne Tolver Banks who told her he's "so happy you're alive". There were also chilling claims coming out of a Mexican court about the deaths of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson. Below are some of the big topics of the day. LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER 10 updates Former Jetstar pilot pleads not guilty to murdering campers Greg Lynn. Source: AAP A trial is due to begin for a former Jetstar pilot accused of murdering Russell Hill and Carol Clay while they were camping in Victoria's alpine region. Greg Lynn, 57, formally pleaded not guilty to each of the murders from the back of the court room. Justice Michael Croucher told jurors that prosecutors would allege Lynn killed Ms Clay, 73, and Mr Hill, 74, while they were camping at Bucks Camp in the Wonnangatta Valley in March 2020. "It will be alleged that Mr Lynn shot Ms Clay in the head, as a result killing her, and that Mr Lynn killed Mr Hill," he told the jury. - AAP Carol Clay (left) and Russell Hill. Source: AAP 'World's largest' pollution vacuum opens Well this is one way to try and save the planet. A giant air capture plant has opened in Iceland, pulling carbon out of the air and locking it underground where it will turn into stone. The plant from Climeworks has its critics, with the technology used, Direct Air Capture (DAC), questioned by experts who warn it is yet to be seen how effective it is on a large scale. Read more here. Climeworks' Mammoth plant in all its glory. Source: Oli Haukur Myrdal/Climeworks 10yo boy allegedly sexually assaulted female tourist A 10-year-old boy has been charged after he allegedly sexually assaulted a 24-year-old Italian woman in Cairns. The woman was also allegedly attacked by a group of juveniles in the Cairns CBD when she tried to raise the alarm on Wednesday morning. "It does sound like a very disturbing story," Queensland Premier Steven Miles told reporters on Thursday. "I understand the police have acted swiftly and apprehended the alleged offender." Read more here. Chinese visa hopefuls rage as Australia stops accepting applicants Chinese nationals applying for 5,000 annual working holiday visa spots granted to the country by Australia say they've been "cheated" after they were left in the dark as the scheme reportedly ground to a halt. The ABC reports only 406 visas were approved in the last financial year, despite there being tens of thousands of Chinese people applying for the 5,000 visas in the quota. News of the drama has caused a stir on Chinese social media with the Australian government facing widespread backlash. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has remained coy over the situation and has so far failed to offer any clarity to the situation, further enraging applicants who believe they've wasted money on applying. There is plenty of confusion over the 5,000 visas that are meant to be given to Chinese travellers annually. Source: AAP, file. Electric Porsches recalled over fire risk In an unfortunate moment for electric vehicle advocates, Porsche's leading electric car offering has been hit with an urgent recall notice by the federal transport department over battery issues that could lead to the luxury vehicles catching fire. Due to a manufacturing issue, the cell modules installed in the high voltage battery may be defective. A short circuit could cause a thermal overload and result in a vehicle fire over time, the department memo reads. The Taycan debuted in 2020 as the companys first electric car and made up 7.4 per cent of the retailers sales that year. Read more here. Nathan Lyon's confident claim about Ashes series He's one of Australia's greatest ever wicket takers, so it's fair for him to have a bit of confidence about his own ability with the ball. So when off-spinner Nathan Lyon, seventh on the list of all-time test wicket takers, left Australia's Ashes tour due to injury with his side 2-0 up against their arch rivals England, he knew it wasn't over yet. The momentum swung, and the series eventually finished 2-2. For Lyon, there was one main reason. "I do believe if I was here it would have been 4-0 to Australia," he confidently told the BBC. I'm not sure many cricket fans could disagree with him. Nathan Lyon in action earlier this year. Source: Getty Aussie neighbour hit by 6.2 magnitude quake Vanuatu has been hit with a 6.2 magnitude earthquake. The earthquake struck about 95km from Luganville about 7.24pm (AEST) on Wednesday, according to Geoscience Australia. The island nation is 3600km off the coast of northeastern Queensland and is home to about 340,000 people. The bureau has assured Australians there is no threat of a tsunami hitting anywhere along the nations coastline. -NCA NewsWire UK urges Australia to release footage of 'unsafe' encounter with China The UK has waded in on Australia's growing dispute with China over an aerial encounter, urging Australia to release vision of the incident above the Yellow Sea it claims was "unsafe and unprofessional". China has rubbished those claims, arguing an Australian helicopter had come provocatively close to one of their jets. "The key lesson is around communication, being super clear about calling out poor behaviour, demonstrating that with the use of video footage and really signalling very clearly to Russia and China and to their air forces what a professional intercept looks like," the UK's Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton told the ABC during a visit to Canberra. Albanese's government has a very different account of what happened to Xi's China. Man arrested after woman stabbed outside gym A man has been arrested after a 39-year-old was stabbed in a gym car park in Sydney's Alexandria on Wednesday afternoon. Police were desperately searching for the alleged attacker who they say was in a brief relationship with the woman. A 45-year-old man presented himself to a police station on the Northern Beaches some 25km away on Thursday morning. South Sydney Police Area Command Superintendent Rod Hart described the attack as "horrendous". The woman was rushed to hospital and remains in a stable condition. Chilling five-word claim about man arrested over Aussie brothers' deaths The 23-year-old then-girlfriend of a man charged in relation to the shooting deaths of Callum and Jake Robinson has claimed in court he told her "I f***ed up three gringos". Girlfriend Ari Gisel, also charged by police but now a key witness for the prosecution, allegedly asked what he meant and said former boyfriend Jesus Gerardo then told her: I killed them. His charges are expected to be upgraded to murder, the ABC reported. Ari Gisel said Jesus Gerardo fitted her vehicle with new tyres the morning after the alleged killings, consistent with the police theory the Robinson brothers and their friend Jack Charter Road were targeted in a vehicle theft. Their three bodies were found in a well with bullet wounds to the head. Read more here. Jesus Gerardo (right) is expected to be charged with the murder of Callum and Jake Robinson. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. A new drug could prevent sepsis-related organ failure and death by restoring the health of a patient's blood vessels. Researchers from The University of Queensland and the Queensland Children's Hospital (QCH) have successfully tested the first-in-class drug in mice. Dr Mark Coulthard from UQ and the QCH's Paediatric Intensive Care Unit said results from pre-clinical testing using human blood samples were also promising. The reason for organ failure in sepsis patients is because the endothelial cells lining blood vessels become leaky, resulting in abnormal fluid shifts which ultimately shut down the blood supply. We have identified markers for vascular damage in children admitted to hospital with fever and suspected infection, and the protein-signalling pathways associated with this in the cells. The drug we have developed targets these interactions, to restore the function of vascular endothelial cells." Dr. Mark Coulthard from UQ and the QCH's Paediatric Intensive Care Unit Professor Trent Woodruff from UQ's School of Biomedical Sciences said the new approach addressed an underlying cause of organ failure, while previous unsuccessful attempts had focused largely on the immune response. "Sepsis is referred to as the 'graveyard for the drug companies' because despite the investment of significant resources and more than 100 clinical trials, there is still no effective treatment which modifies the host response," Professor Woodruff said. "A drug that targets and restores the vascular endothelium would potentially reduce sepsis-induced organ damage and death." Dr Coulthard said the researchers were encouraged by the results of pre-clinical testing. "We tested our drug on blood samples from 91 children admitted to hospital with fever and suspected infection, and noted changes in the biomarkers similar to those in our mouse studies," he said. "This suggests the drug could be effective in humans as well. "Further research is needed including investigating the drug in other animal models and its effectiveness in a clinical trial." The research team also included Dr Nemat Khan from UQ's School of Biomedical Sciences and was supported by funding from Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, The University of Queensland and the Children's Hospital Foundation. The research paper was published in Science Translational Medicine. A tiny, flexible electronic device that wraps around the spinal cord could represent a new approach to the treatment of spinal injuries, which can cause profound disability and paralysis. A team of engineers, neuroscientists and surgeons from the University of Cambridge developed the devices and used them to record the nerve signals going back and forth between the brain and the spinal cord. Unlike current approaches, the Cambridge devices can record 360-degree information, giving a complete picture of spinal cord activity. Tests in live animal and human cadaver models showed the devices could also stimulate limb movement and bypass complete spinal cord injuries where communication between the brain and spinal cord had been completely interrupted. Most current approaches to treating spinal injuries involve both piercing the spinal cord with electrodes and placing implants in the brain, which are both high-risk surgeries. The Cambridge-developed devices could lead to treatments for spinal injuries without the need for brain surgery, which would be far safer for patients. While such treatments are still at least several years away, the researchers say the devices could be useful in the near-term for monitoring spinal cord activity during surgery. Better understanding of the spinal cord, which is difficult to study, could lead to improved treatments for a range of conditions, including chronic pain, inflammation and hypertension. The results are reported in the journal Science Advances. "The spinal cord is like a highway, carrying information in the form of nerve impulses to and from the brain," said Professor George Malliaras from the Department of Engineering, who co-led the research. "Damage to the spinal cord causes that traffic to be interrupted, resulting in profound disability, including irreversible loss of sensory and motor functions." The ability to monitor signals going to and from the spinal cord could dramatically aid in the development of treatments for spinal injuries, and could also be useful in the nearer term for better monitoring of the spinal cord during surgery. "Most technologies for monitoring or stimulating the spinal cord only interact with motor neurons along the back, or dorsal, part of the spinal cord," said Dr. Damiano Barone from the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, who co-led the research. "These approaches can only reach between 20 and 30 percent of the spine, so you're getting an incomplete picture." By taking their inspiration from microelectronics, the researchers developed a way to gain information from the whole spine, by wrapping very thin, high-resolution implants around the spinal cord's circumference. This is the first time that safe 360-degree recording of the spinal cord has been possible earlier approaches for 360-degree monitoring use electrodes that pierce the spine, which can cause spinal injury. The Cambridge-developed biocompatible devices just a few millionths of a meter thick are made using advanced photolithography and thin film deposition techniques, and require minimal power to function. The devices intercept the signals traveling on the axons, or nerve fibers, of the spinal cord, allowing the signals to be recorded. The thinness of the devices means they can record the signals without causing any damage to the nerves, since they do not penetrate the spinal cord itself. "It was a difficult process, because we haven't made spinal implants in this way before, and it wasn't clear that we could safely and successfully place them around the spine," said Malliaras. "But because of recent advances in both engineering and neurosurgery, the planets have aligned and we've made major progress in this important area." The devices were implanted using an adaptation to routine surgical procedure so they could be slid under the spinal cord without damaging it. In tests using rat models, the researchers successfully used the devices to stimulate limb movement. The devices showed very low latency that is, their reaction time was close to human reflexive movement. Further tests in human cadaver models showed that the devices can be successfully placed in humans. The researchers say their approach could change how spinal injuries are treated in future. Current attempts to treat spinal injuries involve both brain and spinal implants, but the Cambridge researchers say the brain implants may not be necessary. "If someone has a spinal injury, their brain is fine, but it's the connection that's been interrupted," said Barone. "As a surgeon, you want to go where the problem is, so adding brain surgery on top of spinal surgery just increases the risk to the patient. We can collect all the information we need from the spinal cord in a far less invasive way, so this would be a much safer approach for treating spinal injuries." While a treatment for spinal injuries is still years away, in the nearer term, the devices could be useful for researchers and surgeons to learn more about this vital, but understudied, part of human anatomy in a non-invasive way. The Cambridge researchers are currently planning to use the devices to monitor nerve activity in the spinal cord during surgery. It's been almost impossible to study the whole of the spinal cord directly in a human, because it's so delicate and complex. Monitoring during surgery will help us to understand the spinal cord better without damaging it, which in turn will help us develop better therapies for conditions like chronic pain, hypertension or inflammation. This approach shows enormous potential for helping patients." Dr. Damiano Barone, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge The research was supported in part by the Royal College of Surgeons, the Academy of Medical Sciences, Health Education England, the National Institute for Health Research, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). In a recent study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers examined the brain white matter of superagers, i.e., people with exceptional cognitive performance, compared to typical older adults over a period of five years. Despite no significant differences in overall white matter health, superagers exhibited better microstructure of white matter, particularly in the frontal fibers, suggesting their resistance to age-related cognitive decline. Study: Superagers resist typical age-related white matter structural changes. Image Credit: oneinchpunch / Shutterstock Background Aging is associated with structural and functional changes to the brain and declines in cognitive function. These declines, particularly in episodic memory, are often associated with neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. However, a subset of older adults, termed "superagers," maintains robust episodic memory comparable to healthy individuals decades younger, demonstrating how aging is possible without impaired episodic memory. Previous research has indicated that superagers resist age-related changes in gray matter. Scientists have hypothesized that superagers may also demonstrate preserved white matter integrity, particularly in vulnerable anterior brain regions, challenging the conventional pattern of white matter decline associated with aging. About the study This study aimed to understand the neural basis of superagers' exceptional memory by examining the structural integrity of white matter in their brains, which typically deteriorates with age. The research assessed global white matter health and microstructural properties using diffusion imaging in superagers over 80, comparing them to typical older adults. The participants were drawn from the Vallecas Project, a longitudinal study of 1213 Caucasian adults in Madrid, Spain. All participants lived in communities, were between 70 and 85 years old, had no psychiatric or neurological conditions, were expected to live for at least four years, and did not require assistance in their daily lives. Of the people in this cohort, superagers were defined as individuals aged 80 or older with superior episodic memory compared to their age group; specifically, their episodic memory was comparable to an individual two to three decades younger. MRI data were collected to assess brain white matter health and microstructure. Researchers analyzed white matter volume and lesion volume, while the Fazekas scale was used to quantify white matter hyperintensities. Diffusion-weighted images were processed, including motion correction and voxel-wise diffusion map calculation. Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) were employed for group comparisons of diffusion parameters. Longitudinal analyses were conducted using linear mixed-effects models to assess changes over time. Statistical analyses incorporated covariates such as age and total intracranial volume, with appropriate corrections for multiple comparisons. The study employed rigorous methodologies to compare white matter-related structural parameters in superagers with those in typical older adults, offering insights into the neural substrates of exceptional memory aging. Findings In the study, 64 superagers and a comparison group of 55 typical older adults were selected from the Vallecas Project cohort, with no significant differences in age or gender between the groups. Superagers performed better on neuropsychological tests initially, but longitudinal assessments showed no significant differences in cognitive decline rates except for a slower decline in scores on the animal fluency test among superagers. Cross-sectional comparisons of white matter health revealed no significant differences in total white matter volume, volume of white matter lesions, or Fazekas scores between the two groups. However, both groups exhibited a high prevalence of white matter lesions, with no significant differences in lesion severity. Voxel-wise analyses of white matter microstructure indicated higher fractional anisotropy (FA) and lower mean diffusivity (MD) in superagers, particularly in frontal regions. Longitudinally, superagers showed slower declines in white matter lesion volume than the comparison group, although this difference became nonsignificant after outlier exclusion. Additionally, superagers exhibited slower declines in MD and FA over time than the comparison group across various white matter tracts, suggesting that white matter microstructure may be linked to resistance to age-related change. These findings highlight the preserved white matter integrity in superagers, potentially contributing to their exceptional cognitive abilities in comparison with typical older adults. Conclusions Overall, the study underscores the importance of white matter health in cognitive aging. While superagers and adults in the comparison group have similarly healthy white matter based on volumetric and radiological metrics, regional analysis reveals more resilient white matter microstructure among superagers, particularly in anterior brain regions and tracts with protracted maturation. This suggests a resistance mechanism to age-related changes, possibly explaining the maintenance of memory function in superagers. However, the authors acknowledge some limitations of the study, including the lack of assessment of other potential protective factors and the cross-sectional design. Future research is needed to explore the role of vascular health and other cardiovascular risk factors in white matter preservation. Longitudinal studies may shed light on the development of the superaging phenotype and its relationship with structural brain changes. Bill Thompson's wife had never seen him smile with confidence. For the first 20 years of their relationship, an infection in his mouth robbed him of teeth, one by one. "I didn't have any teeth to smile with," the 53-year-old of Independence, Missouri, said. Thompson said he dealt with throbbing toothaches and painful swelling in his face from abscesses for years working as a cook at Burger King. He desperately needed to see a dentist but said he couldn't afford to take time off without pay. Missouri is one of many states that do not require employers to provide paid sick leave. So, Thompson would swallow Tylenol and push through the pain as he worked over the hot grill. "Either we go to work, have a paycheck," Thompson said. "Or we take care of ourselves. We cant take care of ourselves because, well, this vicious circle that were stuck in." In a nation that was sharply divided about government health mandates during the covid-19 pandemic, the public has been warming to the idea of government rules providing for paid sick leave. Before the pandemic, 10 states and the District of Columbia had laws requiring employers to provide paid sick leave. Since then, Colorado, New York, New Mexico, Illinois, and Minnesota have passed laws offering some kind of paid time off for illness. Oregon and California expanded previous paid leave laws. In Missouri, Alaska, and Nebraska, advocates are pushing to put the issue on the ballot this fall. The U.S. is one of nine countries that do not guarantee paid sick leave, according to data compiled by the World Policy Analysis Center. In response to the pandemic, Congress passed the Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion acts. These temporary measures allowed employees to take up to two weeks of paid sick leave for covid-related illness and caregiving. But the provisions expired in 2021. "When the pandemic hit, we finally saw some real political will to solve the problem of not having federal paid sick leave," said economist Hilary Wething. Wething co-authored a recent Economic Policy Institute report on the state of sick leave in the United States. It found that more than half, 61%, of the lowest-paid workers can't get time off for an illness. "I was really surprised by how quickly losing pay because youre sick can translate into immediate and devastating cuts to a familys household budget," she said. Wething noted that the lost wages of even a day or two can be equivalent to a month's worth of gasoline a worker would need to get to their job, or the choice between paying an electric bill or buying food. Wething said showing up to work sick poses a risk to co-workers and customers alike. Low-paying jobs that often lack paid sick leave like cashiers, nail technicians, home health aides, and fast-food workers involve lots of face-to-face interactions. "So paid sick leave is about both protecting the public health of a community and providing the workers the economic security that they desperately need when they need to take time away from work," she said. The National Federation of Independent Business has opposed mandatory sick leave rules at the state level, arguing that workplaces should have the flexibility to work something out with their employees when they get sick. The group said the cost of paying workers for time off, extra paperwork, and lost productivity burdens small employers. According to a report by the National Bureau of Economic Research, once these mandates go into effect, employees take, on average, two more sick days a year than before a law took effect. Illinois' paid time off rules went into effect this year. Lauren Pattan is co-owner of the Old Bakery Beer Co. there. Before this year, the craft brewery did not offer paid time off for its hourly employees. Pattan said she supports Illinois' new law but she has to figure out how to pay for it. "We really try to be respectful of our employees and be a good place to work, and at the same time we get worried about not being able to afford things," she said. That could mean customers have to pay more to cover the cost, Pattan said. As for Bill Thompson, he wrote an op-ed for the Kansas City Star newspaper about his dental struggles. Despite working nearly 40 hours a week, many of my co-workers are homeless," he wrote. "Without health care, none of us can afford a doctor or a dentist." That op-ed generated attention locally and, in 2018, a dentist in his community donated his time and labor to remove Thompsons remaining teeth and replace them with dentures. This allowed his mouth to recover from the infections hed been dealing with for years. Today, Thompson has a new smile and a job with paid sick leave working in food service at a hotel. In his free time, he's been collecting signatures to put an initiative on the November ballot that would guarantee at least five days of earned paid sick leave a year for Missouri workers. Organizers behind the petition said they have enough signatures to take it before the voters. Air India Express terminated on Wednesday the contract of some senior cabin crew members who reported sick a day ago, even as the carrier continued to reel from flight cancellations 24 hours since the crisis began and said in a fresh statement that it was making efforts to mitigate the situation. While there is no immediate clarification on the number of employees served the termination notice by the airlines, news agency PTI reported that at least 25 senior crew members were terminated from the service. However, other publications have mentioned that the number of employees laid off might go up to as many as 30. In a letter of termination sent to one of its employees, the airline stated that an overwhelming number of airline crew members reported to be sick at the eleventh hour. This clearly points to a pre-meditated and concerted abstention from work without any justifiable reason, the letter read. According to CNBC, Air India Express further stated that the action of crew members resulted in the cancellation of a large number of flights, affecting the airlines schedule and causing inconvenience to passengers. Hence, it terminated the contracts of the concerned employees with immediate effect. In the termination letter to its employees, the company added, Your act is not only subversive of public interest, but has also caused embarrassment, severe reputational damage and serious monetary loss to the company. Air India Express To Operate 292 Flights Today Amid the ongoing disruptions in Air India Express flight operations, the airlines spokesperson informed that the carrier will operate 292 flights on Thursday with the help of Air India, however, 74 flights of the company stands cancelled. Air India Express is making every possible effort to minimise the inconvenience caused to our guests by this unexpected situation. We will be operating 292 flights today. We have mobilised all resources and Air India will support us by operating on 20 of our routes, the spokesperson said. However, 74 of our flights stand cancelled and we urge our guests booked to fly with us to check if their flight is affected by the disruption before heading to the airport. If their flight is cancelled, or delayed beyond 3 hours, they may opt for a full refund or reschedule to a later date without any fees on Tia on WhatsApp (+91 6360012345) or on airindiaexpress.com, he added. Over 100 Employees Reported Sick Last Minute Issuing a statement on the cancellation of over 90 flights, Air India Express CEO Aloke Singh on Wednesday announced that the airline will be reducing flights over the next few days due to a significant number of cabin crew reporting sick just before their scheduled duties. Over 100 of our cabin crew colleagues have reported sick prior to their rostered flight duty, at the last minute, severely disrupting our operations. Because this action was mostly by colleagues assigned L1 role, the impact was disproportionate, disrupting 90+ flights even though other colleagues reported for duty, the CEO said in a 350-word statement. Singh further assured stakeholders of open communication channels and invited dialogue to address concerns. Aviation Ministry Seeks Report Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Ministry on Wednesday sought a report on the cancellations of flights and asked the airlines to ensure facilities for passengers as per the norms laid down by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). In addition to this, the ministry asked the carrier, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air India, to resolve the issue promptly. Fujairah International Airport (FIA), just an hours drive from Dubai, might soon offer daily flights from India. Mark Govender, FIAs business development manager, shared this news with Khaleej Times at a Dubai event. Pending some paperwork, flights could commence as early as this year. Fujairah, one of UAEs seven emirates, boasts some of the most beautiful beaches along the Persian Gulf. According to Money Control, Govender shared that FIA handles a total of two million passengers annually and is capable of hosting at least 20 flights per day thanks to its parallel runway. He further emphasized the airports efficiency, noting passengers can complete immigration, grab baggage, and exit within 15 minutes. This development comes amid Dubais popularity as a top international destination for Indian travelers, as highlighted by a recent Agoda survey. Plus, earlier this year, Dubai rolled out a five-year multiple-entry visa for Indian visitors, allowing stays of up to 90 days, extendable once within a year. Besides this, Emirates Airlines recently teamed up with VFS Global to offer a pre-approved visa-on-arrival service for certain Indian passport holders flying with the airline. With India topping the charts for the highest number of passengers passing through Dubai International Airport, the worlds busiest for international travel, at 11.9 million, the demand for easier connectivity between India and UAE is evident. IT company Happiest Minds Technologies on Thursday said its wholly-owned American subsidiary Happiest Minds Inc. has executed an agreement to acquire 100 per cent stake in US-based Aureus Tech Systems LLC. According to a regulatory filing, the acquisition, which is valued at an upfront cash consideration of USD 8.5 million (about Rs 71 crore) and earn-outs based on performance, is expected to be completed by June 2024. Aureus strengthens our BFSI and Healthcare Industry Groups, enhances our value proposition in these verticals and contributes to our new customer acquisition initiatives. We are excited at the potential to cross-sell and up-sell infrastructure, security, automation, analytics and GenAI offerings to Aureuss customers to accelerate Happiest Minds growth, Joseph Anantharaju, Executive Vice Chairman at Happiest Minds, said. Headquartered in Denver (Colorado), Aureus is a technology solutions provider with a presence in the US, India and Canada. It clocked a turnover of USD 8.3 million (about Rs 69 crore) in CY2023. Happiest Minds Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer Venkatraman Narayanan said the company looks forward to a great showing in FY25, which will be a mix of strong organic growth, including consolidation play with existing marquee customers like Macmillan Learning and inorganic growth through the acquisition of PureSoftware and now Aureus. Aureus gets us a strong brand recall in the insurance/reinsurance space with access to a market leader with a compelling value proposition and a strategic presence in the customers long-term imperatives, he said. The Assam Higher Secondary Educational Council (AHSEC) has released the Assam HS (Class 12) results. In accordance with the official notice, the results were announced today, May 9 at 9 AM. Candidates can check their results at ahsec.assam.gov.in, and resultsassam.nic.in by entering their roll number on the login window. This years pass rate for the Assam board Class 12 Exam is 88.64 per cent. The Science stream recorded a pass rate of 90.29 per cent, while the Arts and Commerce streams recorded pass rates of 88.24 per cent and 88.28 per cent, respectively. This years Assam Board Class 12 Exam had participation from 273,908 pupils in total. Male students made up 139,486 of them, and female students made up 142,732. 206,467 students from the Arts stream, 17,582 students from the Commerce stream, and 54,287 students from the Science stream took the test. Assam Board HS Results 2024 LIVE The Council administered the Class 12 exams from February 12 to March 13, 2024, at several exam centres throughout the state. This year, a total of 2,80,216 candidates appeared for the exam, including 1,39,486 boys and 1,42,732 girls. Candidates who sat for the AHSEC board exams should be aware that the Class 12 results will be announced in the form of a mark sheet. The marksheet will include the subject-specific marks received by candidates in the written exam. It will also include the marks secured by students in the practical exam. In addition, the candidates passing status will be mentioned on the marksheet. Assam Board Class 12 Results 2024: List of Websites resultsassam.nic.in, ahsec.assam.gov.in indiaresults.com iresults.net exametc.com assamresult.co.in results.shiksha assamresult.in iresults.in Assam Board Class 12 Results 2024: Steps To Download Step 1: Go to the official website at resultsassam.nic.in and ahsec.assam.gov.in. Step 2: On the homepage, look for and click on the Assam HS 12th Result 2024 link. Step 3: As a new window opens, enter your roll number and click on submit. Step 4: The Assam Board Class 12 Results 2024 will be displayed on the screen. Step 5: Check and download the result. Assam Board Class 12 Results 2024: How to Check via SMS? Step 1: Open the messaging app on your mobile device. Step 2: Compose a message using the following format: ASSAM12. Step 3: Send the SMS to the number 56263. Step 4: You will receive the AHSEC HS Result 2024 as a text message on the same number. During the announcement of results, the official website server may slow down, preventing students from seeing their results for a few hours. The Assam board has devised an alternative method for checking AHSEC results via SMS. The Assam Class 12 mark sheets downloaded by candidates will be provisional. They can access their original AHSEC mark sheets from their schools at least a month after the results are announced. If a candidate fails to meet the minimal passing marks in one or two subjects, he or she may appear in the compartment test. Assam Board Class 12 Results 2024: When Were Exams Held? The examinations for the Assam Board were successfully conducted from February 20 to March 20, with a total of 3,42,689 students from across the state appearing for the exams. Among the participants, 2,72,529 students were from the Arts stream, 47,485 were from the Science stream, and 20,907 were from the Commerce stream. Assam Board Class 12 Results 2024: Past Year Pass Percentage In 2023, the AHSEC released the Assam board exam Class 12 result on June 6. In the science stream, 84.96 per cent pass percentage was recorded. Meanwhile, in the arts stream, 70.12 per cent pass percentage was recorded and in the commerce stream, 79.57 per cent pass percentage was recorded. In vocational 85.91 per cent pass percentage was observed. Stay Informed With Live Updates On GSEB HSC Results 2024 And Karnataka SSLC Result 2024 . Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website. Studying abroad remains a dream for many students, offering the promise of a brighter future and greater opportunities. With the successful completion of their 12th board exams, students now have a chance to turn this dream into reality. The Study Abroad Fair by College Dunia presents an invaluable opportunity for aspiring students, set to take place in New Delhi on May 12, 2024, at the Eros Hotel in Nehru Place. This fair aims to provide students with exposure to a wide range of promising universities and educational programs, enabling them to select courses that align with their interests and goals. Representatives from prestigious universities will be in attendance, offering valuable insights into visa procedures, education programs, and admission processes. Moreover, eligible students will have the chance to avail themselves of scholarships. The Study Abroad Fair will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is open to all candidates. Seats can be reserved through platforms such as Book My Show and Paytm Insider. While attending the expo, candidates can benefit from various advantages, including waived application and registration fees, and scholarships worth up to 10 lakhs. Universities from the US, UK, and Canada will be on hand to discuss their respective curricula and opportunities. Though a nominal fee is required to book seats through Paytm Insider, the benefits far outweigh the cost. Candidates will have the chance to undergo profile evaluations, enabling them to better understand their academic standing and requirements. Additionally, they can apply directly to their preferred universities on-site, with some lucky individuals even securing fully sponsored degrees. The Study Abroad Fair offers a golden opportunity for students to explore their international education prospects and take decisive steps towards their future careers. With valuable insights, scholarship opportunities, and direct application options, attending this expo could mark the beginning of a transformative journey for aspiring scholars. Stay Informed With Live Updates On GSEB HSC Results 2024 , Kerala Board Results , Karnataka SSLC 10th Result 2024 , CG Board Results And Assam Board Results . Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website. Karnataka SSLC Result 2024: How to Ensure Results is Error Free? Students need to ensure that their results are error-free. To do so, they must cross check all the details on the result. This include: Name of the student Parents name Spelling mistakes Total of marks Percentage calculate Pass certificate Results status Grades Remarks Karnataka SSLC Result 2024: Grades vs Percentage Students who will score 90 per cent or more are deemed excellent and will be given Grade A+. Those who score between 80-90 per cent, which is categorised as very good, will be rewarded grade A. Similarly grade B+ will be given to those who score between 70-80 per cent. For 60-70 per cent, students will be given grade B, from 50-60 per cent, they will be given grade C+ and from 35 to 50 per cent, candidates will be given grace C, depending upon their performances. Karnataka SSLC 10th Result 2024: How to Know If I Have Passed Exam? While checking the marksheet, if the student has passed the exam the mark sheet would be marked as P. To pass SSLC exams, a candidate must score a minimum of 35 per cent in each subject and overall. In addition to receiving marks for their SSLC scores, students will also receive grades. Karnataka SSLC 10th Result 2024: How to Check via DigiLocker? Step 1: Download the Digilocker app on your phone from Google Play Store or Apple App Store. You can also visit the official website of digilocker.gov.in. Step 2: Sign up using your mobile number, name, date of birth, mobile number, email id, and Aadhar number Step 3: Now, create a password and click on submit. Step 4: Login using your required information Step 5: Now, click on the Karnataka board under the education tab Step 6: Select the option of SSLC exam result 2024 Step 7: Input your Aadhaar Card number and the result will appear on your screen. Karnataka SSLC Result 2024: Pass Percentage Released; Huge Decline A total of 73.40% of the students who took the exam passed. The overall pass percentage recorded in 2023 was 83.89 per cent. In 2022, it was 85.63 per cent. In 2021, it was 99.99 per cent, however, that was a no exam year. Karnataka SSLC Result 2024: Who Announced The Result? School Examination and Evaluation Board Chairperson N Manjushree, School Education Literacy Department Principal Secretary Ritesh Singh, and SSLC Board Director Gopalakrishna announced the SSLC results in the press conference. Karnataka SSLC Result 2024: Lowest Performing District in Class 10 Exams Yadagiri with 50.59% is the lowest performing district. Karnataka SSLC Result 2024: Top Performing Districts in Class 10 Exams 1) Udupi first position (94%) 2) South Kannada (92.12%) 3) Shivamogga (88.67%) Karnataka SSLC Result 2024: Gender Wise Pass Percentage Girls are ahead of boys in the SSLC exam results this year: Boys pass percentage: 2,87,416 (65.90%) Girls pass percentage: 3,43,788 (81.11%) Karnataka SSLC Result 2024: Udupi Top Performing District Udupi is the best-performing district, while Yadagiri has been ranked last. Karnataka SSLC Result 2024 Over 6 Lakh Clear Exams A total of 8,59,967 lakh students appeared for the SSLC exam. Out of them 6,31,204 passed students passed. Karnataka SSLC Result 2024 via SMS KSEEB will send the results through SMS to the students today. Karnataka SSLC Result 2024: Toppers List to be Out Soon KSEAB has commenced the press conference and will announce the toppers list anytime soon. Karnataka SSLC Result 2024: Official Websites Students can check their results through official portals at sslc.karnataka.gov.in, kseeb.kar.nic.in, karnataka.gov.in, and karresults.nic.in. Karnataka SSLC Result 2024 Declared Karnataka SSLC Result 2024 has been declared. Students can now check their scores at kseeb.kar.nic.in, karresults.nic.in, and indiaresult.com Karnataka SSLC Result 2024 Anytime Now: Know Steps to Check Step 1 Visit kseeb.kar.nic.in Step 2 Go to the result section on the homepage. Step 3 Click on the Karnataka SSLC Results 2024 link on the redirected page. Step 4 Enter your registration number and date of birth. Step 5 Submit and check result Karnataka SSLC Result 2024: Rural Students Performed Better Last Year In 2023, as many as 87 per cent of rural students passed the exam. While 79.62 per cent of urban students cleared SSLC. Karnataka SSLC Result 2024: Best Performing District Last year, Chitradurga was the best-performing district in the Karnataka SSLC results 2023. Karnataka SSLC Result 2024: Students Need Minimum 35% to Pass Exam To pass the KSEAB SSLC exam, a candidate must score a minimum of 35 per cent in each subject and overall. The nearly one million Australians who travel to Thailand each year will no longer be able to buy or use the drug for recreational purposes. Cannabis will soon go back on the narcotics list in Thailand after it was taken off two years ago. Source: Getty Only two years after decriminalising cannabis and sparking an industry worth over $1 billion in the country, Thailand is set to put the genie back in the bottle in a major backflip that will impact tourists who briefly enjoyed the country's burgeoning network on stores offering cannabis consumables. The decision comes despite rapid growth of a retail sector which saw tens of thousands of businesses spring up in the country, quickly positioning it as the 'Amsterdam of Asia' where travellers could flock to and use the drug for recreational purposes. However, after the decision to decriminalise the drug was accused of being rushed and promised legislation failed to pass through parliament, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has called for the status quo to return. "I want the health ministry to amend the rules and re-list cannabis as a narcotic," he said on social media on Wednesday. "The ministry should quickly issue a rule to allow its usage for health and medical purposes only." Prior to the decriminalisation, penalties were harsh with people caught in possession of the drug facing potentially multiple years in prison. Aussies will not be able to buy or use cannabis for recreational purposes in Thailand. Source: Getty What will this mean for Aussie tourists? It in unclear when cannabis will be re-listed as a narcotic or what processes will be involved in this, but following a meeting with agencies involved in narcotic suppression, Thavisin promised authorities that his government would deliver results and "clear progress" within 90 days. This will likely mean the roughly 800,000 Australians who travel to Thailand every year, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, will no longer be able to buy or use cannabis in the country. The change will again outlaw recreational use, requiring it to only be allowed for health and medical reasons. Push back against Thailand's cannabis backflip The secretary-general of Thailand's Cannabis Future Network criticised the decision, questioning why cannabis will once again be illegal for recreational use while alcohol and cigarettes are not. "If scientific results show that cannabis is worse than alcohol and cigarettes then they can re-list it as a narcotic," Prasitchai Nunua said. "If cannabis is less harmful, they should list cigarettes and alcohol as narcotics too." with Reuters Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) will announce the results for the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) or the Class 10 exams today, May 9, 2024. It will declared at 10:30 am. Once the results are declared, the students who took the SSLC Class 10 exam can access and download their results by visiting the official website karresults.nic.in. KSEAB Karnataka SSLC 10th Results LIVE Karnataka SSLC Class 10: Pass Percentage Over The Years As the anticipation of SSLC Class 10 results for this academic year mounts, heres a glance at the pass percentage of previous academic years. Last year (2022-2023), SSLC Class 10 board exams took place from March 31 to June 19 and the results were announced on May 8. The overall pass percentage recorded for this year was 83.89 per cent. In the preceding academic year of 2021-2022, the exams were held from March 28 to April 11 and the results declared on May 19, with the total pass percentage of 85.63 per cent. In 2021, an astonishing 99.99 per cent of students cleared the exam. In 2023, a total of 8,35,102 students appeared for the examination out of which 7,00,619 passed. Chitradurga district secured the highest pass percentage in Karnataka by securing 96.8 per cent, followed closely by Mandya (96.7 per cent) and Hassan (96.6 per cent). The lowest pass percentage districts were Yagir (75.49 per cent), Bidar (78.73 per cent) and Bengaluru South (78.95 per cent). Karnataka SSLC Class 10 Results: How To Check Once the results are announced, the students can follow these simple steps to check and download their Karnataka SSLC Class 10 Results: Step 1: Visit the KSEABs official website at karresults.nic.in. Step 2: On the homepage, look for and click on the Karnataka SSLC Result 2024 link. Step 3: As a new window opens, enter login credentials. Then click on Submit. Step 4: Your Karnataka SSLC Class 10 result will appear on a new screen. Step 5: Carefully check all the details and download the page. Step 6: Take a print out for future reference. This year, the Karnataka SSLC Class 10 examination was held between March 25 and April 6. The board had recently released the answer key for the Karnataka SSLC Exam 2024. However, the last date to raise objections was till April 8. Stay Informed With Live Updates On GSEB HSC Results 2024 And Karnataka SSLC Result 2024 . Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website. The Directorate of Higher Secondary Education, Kerala (DHSE) has announced the much-awaited Class 12 (Plus Two) results for the year 2024 today, May 9. State Education Minister V Sivankutty at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram released the results along with the details such as pass percentages, number of students and so on. With a pass rate of 78.69 per cent, there was a decline in the overall Class 12 pass percentage this year. This figure reflects a 4.26 per cent dip from the previous years pass rate of 82.95 per cent. DHSE Kerala Plus Two Result 2024 Live Updates Ernakulam district has recorded the highest pass rate in this years Kerala Plus 2 results, with an impressive 84.12 per cent. Wayanad district, on the other hand, recorded the lowest pass percentage, with 72.13 per cent of students passing their class 12 exams. In the Kerala Class 12 (Plus 2) exams, 1,89,411 students were enrolled in the Science stream. Of them, 1,60,696 passed with an impressive 84.84 per cent pass percentage. 76,235 students appeared in the Humanities stream exam, and 51,144 of them passed, achieving a pass rate of 67.09 per cent. With 83,048 of the 1,09,109 students who took the exam passing, the pass percentage for Commerce this year was 76.11 per cent. The Plus Two results can be checked on the official state board websites at pareekshabhavan.kerala.gov.in, keralaresults.nic.in and result.kite.kerala.gov.in. To check the results, students need to use their login credentials, which usually consist of their date of birth and roll number. The Kerala DHSE Class 12th board exams took place from March 1 to 26. Students who did not receive a passing grade in the Kerala Class 12 results that were released today may choose to take the improvement tests, generally known as Save-A-Year (SAY) exams. The Kerala Plus Two SAY exams are scheduled to take place this year from June 12 to June 20. DHSE Kerala +2 Result 2024: How to Check Step 1: Go to the official websites of the Kerala Board at result.kite.kerala.gov.in, results.kerala.nic.in or keralaresults.nic.in and results.kite.kerala.gov.in. Step 2: A webpage with multiple links will display on your screen. Now, click on the link that reads Kerala Plus Two Result 2024. Step 3: Fill in your essential credentials such as roll number, date of birth and so on. Next, click on the submit button. Step 4: Your result for the Kerala +2 board exams 2024 will be displayed on the screen. Step 5: Download and print a copy of the result as a PDF for future reference The overall pass percentage of last years plus 2 exam was 88.37 per cent. A total of 4,32,436 students appeared for the Plus 2 exam last year. A total of 3,76,735 students appeared for the 12th board exams in Kerala, resulting in an overall pass percentage of 82.95 per cent. Stay Informed With Live Updates On GSEB HSC Results 2024 , Kerala Board Results , Karnataka SSLC 10th Result 2024 , CG Board Results And Assam Board Results . Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website. After checking the results online, students also need to review their mark sheets and ensure that all the information mentioned on them is correct. In case of any error in the online mark sheet, they need to check with the authorities at the earliest. Students must check their personal details, calculations, grades and marks parity, spelling, and pass/ fail status. To check your Kerala board class 12 marks online, you will need your ADMIT CARD or the hall ticket as it contains your roll number. Students are advised to keep their hall tickets in hand prior to checking the marks. The DHSE Kerala will not be releasing the list of students who have topped the class 12 (+2) Exam 2024 in the state. The state education minister, V. Shivankutty, has launched an inquiry into the subpar performance of government schools in this years class 12 examinations, given that the pass percentage has dropped by 4.6 per cent. He stated that the report should be submitted within two weeks. DHSE Kerala +2 Class 12 Result 2024: Website Crashed? Alternate Ways to Check via SMS Step 1: Open the SMS application of your mobile. Step 2: Type KERALA12 followed by your registration or roll number after a space. Step 3: Sent the text to 56263. Step 4: You will shortly receive a text message carrying your Kerala Plus 2 Result scorecard via Digilocker Step 1: Visit the Digilocker website- digilocker.gov.in. You can also download the Digilocker app on your smartphone. Step 2: Then, in the upper left corner of the webpage, click on sign up. Step 3: Enter your Aadhaar card name, date of birth, category, valid mobile phone number, email address, Aadhar number, and a six-digit security PIN. Step 4: Login using your credentials. Step 5: Now, under the education category, choose Kerala Plus 2 Step 6: Choose the Kerala Plus 2 class 12th exam result 2023 category. Step 7: Enter your Aadhaar card number, and the result will be shown on your screen. via mobile app Step 1: Head to the app store of your device and look up the Saphlam app via the search option. Step 2: Download the app and register using the required credentials. Step 3: Submit your Kerala Plus Two roll number, date of birth. Step 4: Your results will be displayed on your screen. The Kerala Pareeksha Bhavan will be releasing the results for Class 12 (Plus Two) soon. According to an announcement shared by General Education Minister V. Sivankutty during a press conference on April 30, the Kerala Pareeksha Bhavan will declare the results for Class 12 (Plus Two) today, May 9. The result is expected to be made public around 3 pm. Kerala Plus Two Result 2024 Live Updates Once the Kerala Plus Two results 2024 are out, students can check their scorecard on the official website at pareekshabhavan.kerala.gov.in. Students will have to key in their registration number, password, and date of birth as mentioned on the admit card to check the results. Apart from the official website, candidates can also check their scores at dhsekerala.gov.in, keralaresults.nic.in, and result.kite.kerala.gov.in. The Kerala Plus Two exams were held from March 1 to March 26 and the evaluation for the answer sheets commenced on April 3, 2024. To pass the Kerala board exam, students must get at least 35 per cent on each paper as well as in total. Kerala Plus Two Results 2024: How To Check? Step 1: Go to the official website at pareekshabhavan.kerala.gov.in Step 2: Click on the Results section given on the homepage. Step 3: Then select the link for Kerala Plus Two Results 2024. Step 4: Fill out all the information requested to access the result and click on the Submit button to continue. Step 5: The Kerala Plus Two (+2) result 2024 will appear on the screen. Step 6: Check and download the Kerala Board Class 12 results 2024 scorecard. Kerala Plus Two Results 2024: How to Check Via SMS Step 1: Launch your mobile devices SMS app. Step 2: Type KERALA12, then your roll number or registration, separated by a space. Step 3: Send the message to 56263 Step 4: A text message containing your Kerala +2 Result scorecard will be sent to you. Kerala Plus Two Results 2024: How to check Via DigiLocker Step 1: Visit digilocker.gov.in to use the DigiLocker app. Step 2: To register for an account, click the Sign up option. Step 3: Enter your credentials to log in to the account if you are an existing user. Step 4: Next, look up Kerala Board Class 12 HSC Result 2024 and choose it. Step 5: Enter your birthdate, Class 12 roll number, and other information. Next, select the Get Document option. Step 6: A screen displaying the Kerala Board Class 12 HSC Result 2024. Step 7: Download the Kerala Board Class 12 Result 2024 and save a copy for your records. Students who do not pass one or two subjects in their Kerala 12th board exams in 2024 can retake those subjects in the coming months. After paying the necessary exam fee, students can enrol for the Kerala Plus Two Supplementary Test 2024. It is anticipated that the Kerala Plus Two Supplementary results 2024 will be released in August this year. For more updates and related details, candidates can check the main site of the Kerala Pareeksha Bhavan. Stay Informed With Live Updates On GSEB HSC Results 2024 , Kerala Board Results , Karnataka SSLC 10th Result 2024 , CG Board Results And Assam Board Results . Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website. Navneet Rana, Bharatiya Janata Partys firebrand leader who had created a storm in 2022 with the Hanuman Chalisa row, heavily came down on Owaisi brothers in Telangana, saying that if police was removed from duty for 15 seconds, both the brothers will not know from where there came and where they went. The younger brother says, remove the police for 15 minutes, then well show them what we can do. I want to tell them: Dear younger brother, 15 seconds police hata lo, dono ko pata nahin lagega ki wo kahan se aaya aur kidhar ko gaya (it might take you 15 minutes, but it will only take us 15 seconds. If the police are removed for 15 seconds, neither the young nor the old will know where they came from or where they went), Rana said during a public meeting in support of BJP candidate Madhavi Latha. Her remarks came in context to Akbaruddin Owaisis 2013s infamous comment that if the police were removed for 15 minutes, we (Muslims) would finish 100 crore Hindus. Reacting to Ranas dare on Thursday, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi asked her to take one hour instead of 15 seconds, and show what she can do. You do it. Im here. Lets see, he added. I will tell Modi ji to give her 15 seconds. What will you do? We too want to see if you have any humanity left in you. Who is scared? We are ready. If someone is making open call for it, then be it. PM is yours, RSS is yours, everything is yours. Do it. Who is stopping you? Tell us where we have to come, we will be there. Do it, Owaisi further said. #WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana: On BJP leader Navnit Ravi Rana's "15 seconds lagenge" remark in Hyderabad, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi says, "I tell Modi ji give her 15 seconds. What will you do?Give her 15 seconds, give her 1 hour. We too want to see if you have any pic.twitter.com/e1uD3M6nhl ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2024 Last week, Navneet Rana had stoked a controversy after she said those who dont 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 is a star campaigner in Gujarat. Those who dont want to say Jai Shri Ram can go to Pakistan. This is Hindustan. If you want to stay in Hindustan, you will have to say Jai Shri Ram, Punjab Kesari quoted Rana as saying. In 2014, Navneet Rane contested on a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ticket, but 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. Catch Highlights Of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Voting In Karnataka And Gujarat on our website. Get the latest updates, polling trends, result dates and more. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has intensified Prime Minister Narendra Modis campaigning in Maharashtra and Bihar the two states which together send 98 MPs and where the BJP is part of the ruling alliances. In both the states, the PM is aggressively campaigning even for seats where the BJPs allies are contesting. The PM has so far held 14 rallies in Maharashtra, and this number could go up soon to 17 or 18, double of the PMs nine rallies in 2019. In Bihar, the PM has held six rallies so far. Modi is going on a two-day trip to Bihar on May 12-13, during which he will hold a show in Patna on May 12 and three more rallies on May 13. Interestingly, of the nine rallies of the PM in Bihar till May 13, five were for seats being contested by the three alliance partners of the BJP Janata Dal United (JDU), Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM). Among the 14 rallies in Maharashtra, four were for seats being contested by the BJPs key allies Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and Rashtriya Samaj Paksha. The PM is set to hold two rallies in Maharashtra on May 15, covering two more seats being fought by the BJPs allies Nashik and Kalyan. The PM is still to campaign in any of the four seats being contested by Ajit Pawars Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Political watchers say that while the BJP remains strong on the 17 seats it is contesting in Bihar and the 27 seats it is contesting in Maharashtra, the same may not hold true for its allies in both states which are banking on the Modi appeal to pull through. This may explain the aggressive campaign of the PM in seats being fought by the BJPs allies in both the states. The two new allies of the BJP in Maharashtra, the Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar factions, remain untested in the electoral arena so far and there is a perception on ground that the original factions of Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar enjoy public sympathy in these elections, political observers say. On the other hand, the popularity of Nitish Kumar and JDU seems to be down in Bihar after his repeated political flip-flops. When asked in a recent interview, Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh said: See, people this time are not seeing all this. They are only seeing the point that Narendra Modi is to be made Prime Minister for the third time with a bigger margin, and make him stronger. Even if our allies (in Bihar/Maharashtra) have a few drawbacks or people are a bit upset with them over something, they will overlook that to vote for Modi." The JDU is contesting 16 seats in Bihar, while the LJP is contesting five seats. The PM has so far campaigned in Munger and Purnia seats that are being contested by the JDU, and in Jamui for the LJP. The PM will hold a rally in Hajipur on May 13 from where LJPs Chirag Paswan, son of the late Ram Vilas Paswan, is contesting in the upcoming elections. BJP leader Chitra Wagh criticised actor Renuka Shahanes recent appeal to voters, questioning the timing of the plea and labelling it political. Shahane had recently urged people to vote wisely and not support candidates who disrespect the Marathi language, following a LinkedIn post by a company that excluded Marathi-speaking candidates. Taking to her official X account, Shahane wrote in Marathi: Please dont vote for people who say Marathi not welcome. Please dont give your valuable votes to candidates who support people who dont give houses to Marathi people. Expressing her admiration for Shahanes work since her television show Surabhi, where she showcased Indias diverse languages, traditions, and cultures, Wagh said she was disappointed by her recent comment. Wagh raised concerns about the potential political motives behind Shahanes tweet and condemned any discrimination against Marathi individuals in housing or employment. Is there a political motive behind the timing of your tweet to appeal to Marathi voters? This could be a subject of investigation. Anyway, if a person is denied a house and a job because he is Marathi, I condemn it, Wagh said. Without directly mentioning Shahanes husband, actor Ashutosh Rana, who is non-Marathi, Wagh emphasised the importance of respecting all languages and cautioned against using language solely for political gain. I repeat, Marathi language should be respected but should not be used only for political purposes. Language connects people, be it Marathi or Hindi. And who can say it better than you? Because we have respected other languages while choosing a spouse. Highlighting the importance of unity in diversity and nationalistic sentiments, Wagh stressed the need to honour and respect the Marathi language, while also mentioning the presence of Marathi families in diverse communities like Ghatkopar. Catch Highlights Of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Voting In Karnataka And Gujarat on our website. Get the latest updates, polling trends, result dates and more. The West Bengal government has challenged the jurisdiction of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate offences in the state after November 16, 2018 when the government withdrew the general consent to the central agency. The Supreme Court reserved its order on Wednesday on the maintenance of a suit filed by the West Bengal government, but senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the state, said the CBI violated the constitutional provisions and derogated the doctrine of federalism. Once the State gives consent then you have the status of a police officer of that State and whatever the police officer can do under the code, you can do Therefore, the CBI, in exercising its power under the Act, without the requisite States consent, is not only violating but usurping and ousting the jurisdiction of the State Police which is statutory for such offence, Sibal told the Bench on Thursday, as quoted by The Indian Express. The Supreme Court had on May 2 categorically said law and order is a state subject after the West Bengal governments complaint about CBI. Law and order is a State subject. Suppose a Central employee commits dacoity, will the case be investigated by the CBI only? Justice BR Gavai had said, as quoted by The Hindu. What Has The West Bengal Govt Alleged? The Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government had filed a suit under Article 131 of the Constitution against the Centre, alleging that the CBI was investigating several cases and registering FIRs within its jurisdiction without taking prior consent from the state government. The state had withdrawn general consent under Section 6 of the Delhi Police Special Establishment (DPSE) Act to CBI investigations within its territory on November 16, 2018, said Kapil Sibal, as quoted by The Hindu. It is not our case that there should be no investigation in these cases. But you cannot claim I have a unilateral right to investigate them by giving the Code of Criminal Procedure a go-by. You cannot say that the offences relating to Central government employees will be investigated only by a Central agency, Sibal submitted as mentioned in a report by The Hindu. What is the Union Govt Saying? Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, objected to the original suit of the state government. He raised the preliminary objection that disputes in original suits filed under Article 131 directly in the apex court exclusively involve the Union and the states. It is the CBI which has registered the cases in question. But the CBI is not a defendant in this suit, and it cannot be made one, as the CBI is not a state under Article 131, Mehta contended as quoted by The Hindu. The CBI is not under the control of the Union of India. The CBI is an independent body, and has an existence outside the Union of India. It cannot be made a defendant as it is not a state under Article 131, he added. He stressed the CBI was not the police force of the Union. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) is only a cadre controlling authority and cannot direct the registration of the FIR. The Solicitor General further pointed out that the state government had already filed special leave petitions in the Supreme Court on identical issues of federalism and lack of state consent to the CBI investigations. He also referred to a pending challenge by the state against a Calcutta High Court order directing the CBI to investigate illegal mining and transportation of coal through railways in West Bengal. What is Article 131? The dispute under Article 131 has to necessarily be between states and Centre, and must involve a question of law or fact on which the existence of a legal right of the state of the Centre depends. In a 1978 judgment in State of Karnataka vs Union of India, Justice PN Bhagwati had said for the Supreme Court to accept a suit under Article 131, the dispute should involve a legal question, and not that the states legal right is violated. Article 131 cannot be used to settle political differences between state and central governments headed by different parties. Can the Centre Also Sue a State Under Article 131? The Centre can issue directions to a state to implement the laws made by Parliament. If states do not comply with the directions, the Centre can move the court seeking a permanent injunction against the states to force them to comply with the law. Non-compliance of court orders can result in contempt of court, and the court usually hauls up the chief secretaries of the state responsible for implementing laws. Laws made by Parliament are presumed to be constitutional until a court holds otherwise. However, in Indias quasi-federal constitutional structure, inter-governmental disputes are common. Air India Express passengers who were promised travel to various destinations from airports in Kerala were left stranded on Thursday as their flights were unexpectedly canceled for the second day in a row. Travellers at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kannur airports faced disappointment when flights to Gulf nations were called off at the last minute for the second consecutive day. This sudden cancellation has sparked frustration and caused inconvenience among passengers who relied on the airlines assurance for their travel plans. I was assured by Air India Express yesterday that I can travel to Qatar on Thursday. But they did not keep their promise. I was told at the last moment that my flight has been cancelled again for the second consecutive day, an aggrieved passenger at Karipur airport in Kozhikode told reporters. Another passenger, who claimed his work visa would expire today, told a TV channel at Thiruvananthapuram airport that when his flight to the Gulf region was cancelled yesterday, he was given a ticket for today. When I arrived here (Thiruvananthapuram airport), the airline told me that the flight was cancelled. If I do not reach my place of work by tonight, my visa will expire and I will lose my job, he said. Another passenger at the Thiruvananthapuram airport said that AI Express asked him to take a ticket on another airline, but he was unable to do so. Why cant they help us get tickets on another airline? Let them charge us for that, he said. Air India Express has issued termination letters to around 25 cabin crew members who reported sick leading to the cancellation of more than 90 flights, airline sources said on Thursday. The Tata Group-owned airline has also given an ultimatum to the remaining cabin crew members reporting sick to join back duty by 4 pm on Thursday or face termination, they added. Air India Express has also cancelled at least 60 flights for Thursday due to the non-availability of cabin crew, the sources said and added that mass leaves by a section of the cabin crew has caused immense inconvenience to passengers. Stay updated with live coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Voting In Karnataka And Gujarat on our website. Get the latest updates, polling trends, result dates and more. Students across campuses of universities in the United States are advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza and urging their institutions to divest from companies with connections to Israel. According to Jewish publication Tablet, on April 29, shortly before masked assailants stormed Columbia Universitys Hamilton Hall and barricaded themselves inside, The Peoples Foruma Manhattan event space affiliated with the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) and funded by businessman Neville Roy Singhamurged its activists to rush up to Columbia to support our students. Similar calls for an emergency action were distributed throughout radical networks in New York City. New York City police intervened to clear the Columbia campus building that had been barricaded by pro-Palestinian demonstrators recently, resulting in the arrest of over 100 individuals and the dismantling of an encampment. A New York Times probe last year blew the lid off a wide web of Chinese propaganda at the behest of tech mogul Singham who financed news website NewsClick confirming Indias fears of anti-national elements colluding with foreign powers. According to the report, in 2020, Singham emailed his friends to introduce a newsletter, now called Dongsheng News, that covers China in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. Drawing stories from the state media, it blends lighthearted news with bureaucratic official prose. Dongshengs editors, in China, come from Tricontinental, but its address leads to The Peoples Forum. The protests at US university campuses started making headlines in India last month, around when a video of a woman protester sloganeering in Hindi started doing the rounds on social media. She was chanting the Azadi song, heard in Indian higher education institutions like Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Delhi University (DU) during protests. That prompted speculation that the woman in the video was an Indian student studying abroad. Around the same time, Achinthya Sivalingan, a student at Princeton University, was arrested moments after protesters set up the first tents for the pro-Palestine encampment. Sivalingan is an Indian-origin woman, not an Indian citizen. She was born in Tamil Nadu and raised in Columbus, US. Several Indian students studying in the US, are now finding themselves in very dynamic and varied situations on campuses. The NYT investigation had revealed how China, via its propaganda network, has been able to shelter itself from international criticism of its human rights abuses. It is part of a lavishly funded influence campaign that defends China and pushes its propaganda. At the center is a charismatic American millionaire, Neville Roy Singham, who is known as a socialist benefactor of far-left causes, the New York Times said. American non-profit groups form the core strength of the network, weaving in a web of charities and shell companies. Some groups, like No Cold War, do not exist as legal entities but are instead tied to Singhams network through domain registration records and shared organisers, NYT said. Apart from this, none of Singhams nonprofits have registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, as is required of groups (in the US) that seek to influence public opinion on behalf of foreign powers. That usually applies to groups taking money or orders from foreign governments, the probe found. In 2021, an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate had revealed that media portal NewsClick had received funds worth Rs 38 crore from abroad, with authorities tracing the money trail to Singham. The BJP had then alleged that anti-India elements, in league with foreign forces, were part of a conspiracy to demean the country and target the ruling Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government. According to NYT, corporate filings revealed that NewsClick sprinkled its coverage with Chinese government talking points. The New York Times probe of Singhams network showed the process of how disinformation influenced mainstream discourses as his groups produced YouTube videos to promote pro-Chinese messages. NewsClick run by PPK Newsclick Studio Private Limited was searched by officials of the Enforcement Directorate on February 9, 2021, to collect additional information to help probe money laundering charges against the company. The search lasted five days and a total of 10 premises were covered, including the residence of Prabir Purkayastha, the promoter of the company. In an FIR, Delhi Polices Special Cell has also claimed that Purkayastha and his associates have used the farmers protests and the Covid-19 pandemic to cause disaffection against India by using funds provided by Neville Roy Singham. The ED claimed that PPK had received questionable foreign remittances amounting to Rs 38 crore. These remittances were classified as FDI of Rs 9.59 crore from April 2018, and remaining Rs 28.29 crore, was claimed to have been received for receipts for export of services. The ED raids also helped unearth regular email exchanges between Singham and Purkayastha, revealing that money was paid to NewsClick to spruce up Chinese propaganda, especially its role in Africa, defending Chinas crackdown on Jack Ma, etc. As per the New York Times probe, the Chinese state media accounts had retweeted people and organisations in Singhams network at least 122 times since February 2020. Asked by NYT about his ties to Chinese propaganda, Singham did not offer substantive answers. I categorically deny and repudiate any suggestion that I am a member of, work for, take orders from, or follow instructions of any political party or government or their representatives, he wrote in an email. I am solely guided by my beliefs, which are my long-held personal views. Catch Highlights of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Voting In Karnataka And Gujarat on our website. AstraZenecas vaccine has demonstrated the lowest incidence of side effects in India compared to the global average, a top government official involved in the national roll-out of Covid-19 vaccination told News18. The official, who requested anonymity, said India had reported around 80,000 adverse events from Covishield out of a staggering 180 crore doses administered. However, he said, 98 per cent of these events included mild local reactions such as fever, swelling on site of injection or pain. But only around 50 cases witnessed Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) a rare side effect caused by the jab of the 180 crore doses administered against 4 to 10 cases (out of every 10 lakh doses) globally, the official said. Roughly, the chances of TTS stood at 0.000003 per cent with Covishield in India whereas globally, the risk stood at 0.0004 per cent, the officer estimated. Such estimates come amid the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker announcing that it has started the global withdrawal of its Covid-19 vaccine, days after the company admitted that its vaccine has the potential to cause a rare side effect called TTS. TTS is a blood disorder characterised by blood clots forming in small blood vessels throughout the body. Thrombocytopenia refers to a low platelet count in the blood. AstraZenecas vaccine, known as Vaxzevria globally, was manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) in India and sold under the brand name Covishield. To contain panic and alarm, the official clarified that the vaccine does not exhibit any long-term effects on the human body. If such a side effect were to occur, it would most likely manifest during the initial dose, he said. However, if it has not occurred by then, it is improbable to arise later, ensuring your safety, the official said, adding: There is no reason to doubt the efficacy of the vaccine or anticipate any adverse events in the future. Explaining why the incidence of side effects was low in India, the official added that the genetic makeup of people from South Asia (South Asians) makes them less likely to develop thrombotic and thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) compared to other populations. On being asked if the lower rate of side-effects could be because of under-reporting, the officer added: In general, the advantages of vaccination far outweigh the minimal risk of harm. Nevertheless, as a precautionary measure, India has been consistently monitoring the emerging signs of harm. In response to widespread apprehension regarding TTS, the Serum Institute of India, maker of Covishield, said on Wednesday that the packaging of its product had fully disclosed all uncommon to exceedingly rare side effects, including TTS. We fully understand the ongoing concerns and it is crucial to emphasise our commitment to transparency and safety. From the outset, we have disclosed all rare to very rare side-effects, including Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, in the packaging insert in 2021, a spokesperson of SII said. It said that the company stopped the manufacturing of additional doses of Covishield in December 2021 in India. Stay updated with live coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Voting In Karnataka And Gujarat on our website. Get the latest updates, polling trends, result dates and more. Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha has knocked on the doors of the Delhi High Court, seeking bail in the money laundering case pertaining to the scrapped excise policy of the national capital. The plea filed through advocates Mohit Rao and Deepak Nagar is to be heard by a single-judge bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma on Friday. The petition says that Kavitha is a mother of two children, one of them a minor presently under shock and undergoing medical supervision. Kavitha in her fresh bail plea alleges that there have been attempts to drag her into the scandal by the members of the ruling party at the Centre. .members of the ruling party, completely motivated by political reasons alone, attempted to drag the Petitioner into the scandal, which scandal has been created and is being nurtured by them, the plea says. The members of the ruling party started making wild and incorrect allegations against the Petitioner qua her alleged involvement in the Delhi Excise Policy. She further accuses the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of selectively leaking information to put her in public duress. The plea also states that Kavitha had been diagnosed with hypertension and since shes a woman, she is also exempted under the stringent conditions for bail under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. A Delhi court on Monday turned down Kavithas bail pleas in both the cases registered by probe agencies Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) related to the Delhi liquor policy scandal. The BRS leader was arrested by the central probe agency from her Banjara Hills residence on March 15 amid protests by party supporters. The CBI later arrested her on April 11. She has been accused of being a key member of the South Group, which allegedly paid the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi kickbacks of Rs 100 crore in return for a big share of liquor licenses in the national capital. Catch Highlights of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Voting In Karnataka And Gujarat on our website. Yesteryear actor Vyjayanthimala Bali, Telugu star Konidela Chiranjeevi, the first woman judge of the Supreme Court late M Fathima Beevi and Bombay Samachar owner Hormusji N Cama were among the eminent persons conferred Padma awards by President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday. BJP leader O Rajagopal, Ladakhs spiritual leader Togdan Rinpochey, Tamil actor late Captain Vijayakant (both posthumous) and Kundan Vyas, group editor and CEO of Gujarati newspaper Janmabhoomi, were also conferred Padma awards at a civil investiture ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. What a heartwarming video Hes a renowned social worker Dr K.S Rajanna ji from Karnataka, conferred with Padma Shri award today. pic.twitter.com/msGaJW9vTP Mr Sinha (Modis family) (@MrSinha_) May 9, 2024 While 90-year-old Bali and 68-year-old Chiranjeevi were given Padma Vibhushan, Beevi, Cama, Rajagopal, Vijayakant, Rinpochey and Vyas were conferred Padma Bhushan. Family members of Beevi, Vijayakant and Rinpochey received the awards. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were among the dignitaries present on the occasion. The Padma awards, among the highest civilian honours of the country, are conferred in three categories Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The awards are given in various disciplines or fields of activities, such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service etc. Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of high order and Padma Shri for distinguished service in any field. Among those who were given Padma Bhushan included eminent cardiologist Ashwin Balachand Mehta and former Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader late Satyabrata Mookherjee. The Padma Shri awardees included unsung heroes like Indias first woman elephant mahout Parbati Baruah, who is known as Hasti Kanya, sculptor from Telangana Velu Anandachari, eminent weaver from Tripura Smriti Rekha Chakma, K Chellammal from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, who pioneered in organic coconut plantation, and squash player Joshna Chinappa. The award ceremony witnessed some heartwarming moments too. There was a huge round of applause when K S Rajanna, a divyang (differently-abled person) from Karnataka, who lost both his hands and feet in his childhood, came to receive Padma Shri. He went to greet Modi and Shah, who were sitting next to each other in the audience, while going to receive the honour. The dignitaries and guests attending the function continuously applauded while Rajanna received the award. He is known for his work for the welfare of differently-abled persons. Padma Shri awardee Pran Sabharwal, an eminent theatre artist from Punjab, also walked up to Modi and tried to touch his feet. The prime minister reciprocated his gesture by touching his hands and with a namaste. Sano Vamuzo, a social worker from Nagaland, and yoga guru Kiran Labhshanker Vyas shook hands with the prime minister while going to receive their Padma Shri awards from the president. Charlotte Chopin, a 101-year-old French yoga teacher, was honoured with Padma Shri. Dressed in a green saree, she walked up to the dais on her own to receive the award. Murmu stepped down from the dais to give away the awards to certain awardees who had difficulty in walking or who were wheelchair-bound. Famous bamboo craftsman from Sikkim Joden Lepcha, who received Padma Shri from the president, had come wearing a traditional attire and a colourful hat. The awards are announced on the eve of Republic Day every year. For 2024, the president had approved the conferment of 132 Padma awards, including two duo cases (in a duo case, the award is counted as one). The list comprises five Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 110 Padma Shri awards. Thirty of the awardees are women. The list also includes eight people from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and nine posthumous awardees. While more than half of the awardees were conferred the awards on April 22, the remaining were given the awards on Thursday. Catch Highlights of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Voting In Karnataka And Gujarat on our website. A close aide of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim Kaska, Dola Salim allegedly manages the gangsters drug operations and frequently travels between Dubai and Turkey to avoid detection by law enforcement agencies. This comes after the Mumbai police issued a lookout circular (LOC) against Salim on Wednesday, following the discovery of drugs worth crores at Maharashtras Sangli. According to sources, Salim also manages real estate operations, but his primary business is of drug trafficking. Last month, the Mumbai Crime Branch raided a drug manufacturing facility in Sangli and seized 122.5 kilograms of mephedrone drugs valued at approximately Rs 245 crore in the international market. A crime branch official said that Salim was also wanted in several other drug cases. Stay updated with live coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Voting In Karnataka And Gujarat on our website. Get the latest updates, polling trends, result dates and more. A Thavil or Tavil is a musical instrument which is common in Tamil Nadu. It is also used in other South Indian states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana and North and East of Sri Lanka. It is generally used in temple, folk and Carnatic music often paired with Nadaswaram. These are essential components of traditional festivals and ceremonies in South India. A few artists in Tamil Nadu have been involved in the art of making this traditional musical instrument in Thanjavurs Thiruvaiyaru town, Tamil Nadu. Senthil Kumar from Thiruvaiyara has been involved in making Thavil instruments in bulk. He has made record sales not only in India but also in foreign countries like Singapore and Malaysia. The artist Senthil Kumar shared, We have 10 families who rely on this business. He revealed that the kits are made only during the hot season as the leather needs to dry properly. He said Thavil Vidwans all over the country buy the instrument from them. He added that there are Hindu temples in Malaysia and Singapore where their carefully crafted Thavil is in demand. Apart from this, they also sell this instrument through commercial websites like Amazon. Senthil Kumar shared that the Government recognises, appreciates and offers various certificates to Thavil Vidhwans. But when it comes to the artists who are engaged in the craft of making it do not get any recognition or award. He assumes that in the next 10 years, the Thavil-making industry may witness a steep decline due to the decreased number of Thavil and Nadaswaram music in auspicious events like marriages. He urged the government to give artists crafting the instruments their due recognition. He also requested a trademark symbol for these traditional musical instruments. This will protect those who are directly dependent on this industry. Generally, in folk music, Thavil has a pair of wide and slim sticks. Since it is famous in Thanjavur, it is also known as Thanjavur Thavil. A few movies where Thavils were a part of the music are Thillaanaa Mohanambal, Paruthiveeran, Karagattakaran, and Sarvam Thaala Mayam. The Thavil has a cylindrical shell hollowed out of a solid block of jackfruit wood. It uses layers of animal skin like water buffalo and goat that are stretched across the two sides of the shell with hoops attached to the body. Generally, one side of the instrument has a larger diameter than the other side. It also consists of silver strips which are made as per the size of the Thavil. Then tamarind paste is spread all over the vessel and tightly secured. When the paste dries up, the vessel is shaped to the correct size once again. Such are the intricacies involved in making a Thavil, that one small mistake can be a big problem for the musical instrument. It takes about a month to make one Thavil. Catch Highlights of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Voting In Karnataka And Gujarat on our website. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday told visiting Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer that the development of India-Maldives ties is based on mutual interests and reciprocal sensitivity, amid the frayed ties between the two countries. Zameer arrived in India a day earlier on his very first bilateral official visit, since bilateral ties became strained under President Mohamed Muizzus government. The Maldives foreign minister is on a two-day visit to hold talks on deepening the partnership with India. His visit comes as bilateral ties came under severe strain after Muizzu insisted on the withdrawal of some 90 Indian military personnel operating three aviation platforms in the island nation. Delivering his opening remarks during the meeting with the visiting foreign minister, Jaishankar said, As close and proximate neighbours, the development of our ties is based on mutual interests and reciprocal sensitivity. As far as India is concerned, these are articulated in our Neighborhood First Policy and SAGAR Mission. I hope our meeting today has enabled us to strengthen the convergence of our perspectives. Welcomed FM @MoosaZameer of Maldives this afternoon.My remarks at our talks: pic.twitter.com/T8t64bQxLT Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) May 9, 2024 India has been a first responder In his remarks, Jaishankar underlined that India has been a key provider of development assistance to the Maldives. Our projects have benefited the lives of people in your country. We have also extended financial support on favorable terms. India has been a first responder on numerous occasions, he said. The world is passing through a volatile and uncertain period. In such times, as we saw during covid, during natural disasters and economic difficulties, close partnership between neighbors is of great value. So today, we will be reviewing various dimensions of our ties. It is in our common interest to reach an understanding on how best to take our relationship forward, the minister added. India has already withdrawn most of its military personnel. Muizzu had set May 10 as the deadline for the exit of all Indian troops from his country. On Monday, Muizzus spokesperson announced that 51 Indian military personnel have left the Maldives and confirmed that the rest would leave the island by May 10 as agreed by the two countries. The ties strained further after three Maldivian deputy ministers made derogatory remarks against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media after Modi posted photos and video of the pristine Lakshadweep Islands on Indias west coast on January 6 on his X handle. The Maldivian government suspended the three ministers after opposition leaders slammed the appalling language used by the officials against the Indian leader. The Maldives is Indias key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region 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. The Maldives is Indias key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region and Foreign Minister Zameers visit is expected to lend further momentum to the bilateral cooperation between the two countries, the Ministry of External Affairs said in New Delhi on Tuesday. Catch Highlights of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Voting In Karnataka And Gujarat on our website. Referring to some Maldivian ministers derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year, the island nations Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer who is on his first official visit to India, said his government had distanced itself from the comments and had taken proper action to ensure no repetitions. In an interview with news agency ANI, Maldivian Foreign Minister Zameer said, I think if you have seen, like you said, we have said that its not the stand of the government or its not the view of the government. And we believe it shouldnt have been done. And then we are taking proper action to make sure that this dont repeat. And I think if you have seen, there has been a misunderstanding, in the social media mainly, but the governments of the Maldives in India, we understand what has happened and we have passed that stage now, he added. The row between India and the Maldives broke out over derogatory posts made by three officials about PM Narendra Modi. Following derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maldives Deputy Youth Ministers Mariyam Shiuna, Mahzoom Majid and Malsha Shareef have been suspended indefinitely, but all three will continue to receive their salaries, the Presidents Office has said, Maldives local media Adhadhu reported. Providing further information about the suspensions, Maldives Presidents Office Communications Minister Ibrahim Khaleel told Adhadhu that the three deputy ministers were suspended indefinitely as a measure taken to look into the matter. The Male is now facing a boycott by Indian tourists, who are one of the largest contributors to the countrys income. According to latest reports, Indian tourists to the Maldives dipped by 42% in the first four months of this year in comparison to the same period in 2023. In light of concerns about a potential decline in Indian tourist visits to the Maldives following the controversy, Minister Zameer expressed the Maldivian governments eagerness to mend ties with India and reiterated their invitation to Indian tourists. I think the Minister of Tourism has clearly said that he would like to welcome and I like myself to welcome all Indians who would like to travel to Maldives. But I think in the long term, once we move forward because if youre seen in the last eight months , in Maldives and India, we are going through election cycles. So I think we will move beyond that phase pretty soon and we would like all Indian tourists to come back, he said. And if you look at the trajectory of what has happened. If you go back about 10 years ago, there continued to be a very important source market and then during COVID Indian travelers actually came into all this in high numbers. And then that trend continued In the past couple of months and we have had about 16-17 per cent increase and then of course there has been a decrease in Indian markets but Im confident that it will pick up in the near future, he added. Zameers visit to India comes amid strained ties with Maldives under pro-China President Mohamed Muizzus government and as India said that it will replace its military personnel from Maldives before May 10. In April, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the first batch of Indian technical personnel reached the Maldives to replace the defence personnel. India and the Maldives have held two high-level core group meetings, and the third one is expected to take place soon. The removal of Indian troops from the country was the main election campaign of Muizzus party. Currently, there are around 70 Indian troops, along with Dornier 228 maritime patrol aircraft and two HAL Dhruv helicopters, stationed in the Maldives. Catch Highlights of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Voting In Karnataka And Gujarat on our website. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated on Thursday that India has not received any specific or relevant evidence from Canada regarding the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, for which three Indian nationals have been arrested. Nijjar, who was designated as a terrorist by India, was killed in Surrey last June. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed in September that Indian government agents were involved in Nijjars shooting. However, India strongly rejected these allegations and asked Canada to furnish proof. It also urged Ottawa to take measures to curb the increasing anti-Indian activities of Khalistani groups operating in the country with immunity. Political interests at work #WATCH | Canada has informed us about the arrest. But we have not got any formal communication, says MEA Spokesperson on three Indians arrested in Canada in Nijjar killingNo specific or relevant evidence or information has been given to us in this matter, adds MEA pic.twitter.com/yCTh6D1hwa ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2024 No specific or relevant evidence Let me first make it clear that no specific or relevant evidence or information has been shared by the Canadian authorities till date. You will therefore understand our view that the matter is being pre-judged. Obviously, there are political interests at work. We have long maintained that separatists, extremists, and those advocating violence have been given political space in Canada, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a weekly press conference. Our diplomats have been threatened with impunity and obstructed in their performance of duties. We have also pointed to the Canadian authorities that figures associated with organized crime with links with India have been allowed entry and residency in Canada. Many of our extradition requests are pending. We are having discussions at the diplomatic level on all these matters, he added. Killed on Canadian soil These remarks come as Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly this week reiterated Ottawas stance on the allegation that Indian agents were involved in the killing of Nijjar. Canadas position has always been clear. Our job is to protect Canadians and we stand by the allegations that a Canadian was killed on Canadian soil by Indian agents, Joly told the media on Tuesday. Jolys statement follows Canadas arrest of three Indian nationals, accused of being part of an alleged hit squad responsible for Nijjars murder in British Columbia last year. Karanpreet Singh, 28, Kamalpreet Singh, 22 and Karan Brar, 22, all Indian nationals, face charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. The Canadian foreign minister further said that the investigation into Nijjars killing is being conducted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). (With agency inputs) Catch Highlights of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Voting In Karnataka And Gujarat on our website. An Indian student from Telangana, Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi, has reportedly been missing in Chicago since May 2. The Consulate General of India in the American city said that they are in touch with the police and the Indian diaspora hoping to reestablish contact with the 25-year-old. According to a report in Times of India, Chintakindi is pursuing masters from Concordia University, Wisconsin. A report in M9.news mentioned that Chintakindi had done his schooling in Hanamkonda, and finished his civil engineering from SR Engineering College in Warangal. An X user, Kanukuntla PremKumar, who claims to be Chintakindis brother, said that the 25-year-old was missing from past five days. He even tagged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in his post. @DrSJaishankar @kishanreddybjp Sir please speak to concern Chicago police Department about the missing of Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi.Please its my humble request. pic.twitter.com/h3KIOJlsKA Kanukuntla PremKumar (@Prem_9999) May 8, 2024 The TOI report stated that Chintakindi was missing from 4300 block of N Sheridan Rd in Chicago where he resides. The Chicago police in a notice urged the public to provide information to it if the 25-year-old was located. The publication quoted the students father, Ch Sadanandam, a resident of Hanamkonda district, as saying that he spoke to his son on WhatsApp on May 2 afternoon. He replied he was doing some work. Later on I could not contact him and he is offline, he was quoted. The family also spoke to Chintakindis roommates, who reportedly told the father that he was going to meet someone from Texas who had come to meet him. He went to meet them but we do not know who they are, the family was quoted. According to the report, Sadanandam wrote to Union minister G Kishan Reddy, urging him to help trace the 25-year-old. The office of Kishan Reddy, minister for culture, tourism and development of north eastern region, Govt of India in a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs on May 8 urged CGI Chicago to help trace the missing Rupesh, the publication stated. TOI further quoted Sadanandam as saying that the police in Chicago was informed about Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi going missing. The family also contacted the US Embassy. Stay updated with live coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Voting In Karnataka And Gujarat on our website. Get the latest updates, polling trends, result dates and more. Demonstrating remarkable grit and determination in the face of severe trauma, two minor rape victims in Telangana have recently passed the Class 10 examination with flying colours, results of which were recently announced in the state. The journey of younger girl (aged 15) is extremely shocking as she was raped by her own father in 2023. This was discovered when her grandmother took her to a hospital when she complained of stomach pain, where doctors found out that she was pregnant. To make matters worse, her pregnancy could not be aborted as it was in an advanced stage. She delivered a baby in the ninth month, M Mahender Reddy, a police officer, who dealt with both cases, told PTI. Stay updated with live coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Voting In Karnataka And Gujarat on our website. Get the latest updates, polling trends, result dates and more. Akshaya Tritiya, also referred to as Akha Teej, is a prominent spring festival in India. As per the Drik Panchang, the name comes from the third lunar day of the month named Vasant or Vaisakha. The word Akshaya means never-ending or imperishable, meaning that any work done on this day would result in eternal wealth and success. This year, as per the Gregorian calendar, the celebration will take place on May 10, 2024. ALSO READ: Happy Akshaya Tritiya 2024: Best Wishes, Messages, Greetings, Images, and WhatsApp Status to Share on Akha Teej If youre looking for an auspicious time to buy gold according to Hindu tradition, it starts at 04:17 am on May 9 and lasts until the end of the Tritiya Tithi on May 11. Akshaya Tritiya 2024 Shubh Muhurat Tritiya Tithi Begins on May 10, 2024 at 04:17 AM Tritiya Tithi Ends on May 11, 2024 at 02:50 AM Auspicious Choghadiya Muhurat-Time to begin new endeavours such as business, puja or inauguration for Akshaya Tritiya 2024-: Char-General Muhurat: 5:33 AM to 7:14 AM Labh-Unnati Muhurat: 07:14 AM to 08:56 AM Amrit-Sarvottam Muhurat: 08:56 AM to 10:00 AM Char-Uttam Muhurat: 5:21 PM to 7:02 PM Akshaya Tritiya History The history of Akshaya Tritiya is deeply rooted in Hindu mythology. It is believed that this auspicious day originated during the Treta Yuga, the second age in Hindu cosmology. Akshaya Tritiya is also celebrated as Parshuram Jayanti, commemorating the birth of Lord Parshuram, the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, known for wielding an axe to protect the world from the tyranny of the Kshatriyas. According to legends, Sage Vyasa, the revered author of the Mahabharata, began reciting the epic to Lord Ganesha on this day. It is also said that the sacred river Ganges descended to earth on Akshaya Tritiya. Another significant tale associated with this day is that of Sudama, a dear friend of Lord Krishna. When Sudama visited Dwarka, he did not ask for any material wealth but brought a small bag of rice as a gift. In return, Lord Krishna blessed him with unlimited prosperity. During the Mahabharata era, the Pandavas received the Akshaya Patra, a vessel that provided unlimited food, and Kubera was appointed as the custodian of wealth, among other blessings and stories that highlight the days significance. Akshaya Tritiya Significance Celebrating Akshaya Tritiya is a way for people to wish for good fortune. Purchasing gold and real estate on this day is said to bring success and fortune in the future. People even launch new businesses, take on new employment, attend griha pravesh, and engage in religious activities. Akshaya Tritiya Rituals Temples are decked up for the occasion, a special puja is held, and people pay homage to the Goddess of Prosperity and Abundance, Laxmi, as well as Lord Kuber. People also do charity and donations, and some even set up food stalls to feed the destitute and needy. How is Akshaya Tritiya Celebrated? A mother is one of the most important figures in ones life. A mother is the person who is responsible for bringing a child into the world and nurturing them with love and care. Her selfless love for her child can never be compared with anything else. They play an extremely important role in determining the childs attitude as well. ALSO READ: Happy Mothers Day 2024: Perfect Wishes, Quotes, Images & More to Make Mom Smile! A mothers intentions and love are always unconditional as she guides her children through lifes ups and downs, always offering words of wisdom and encouragement. Mothers Day 2024 Date in India In order to honour and appreciate a mothers existence, Mothers Day is celebrated across the globe. It is celebrated to acknowledge motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. In 2024, Mothers Day will be celebrated on May 12. History of Mothers Day Mothers Day is celebrated to appreciate mothers and motherliness. It is celebrated on different days around the world. In the United States, it is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. The history of the special day can be traced back to ancient Greece and Rome, where festivals were held to honour the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele. In the USA, Anna Jarvis started Mothers Day in 1908. She was inspired to celebrate the day after her mother, who lost her life on the second Sunday of May in 1908. Annas mother had been a community activist who helped wounded soldiers during the civil war and had also started Mothers Day Work Clubs to teach women how to care for their children. Significance of Mothers Day Mothers Day is celebrated to honour and recognise the contribution of mothers to society and families. Mothers sacrifice their happiness, show love, and affection for their children. As a result, the day is celebrated to recognise the efforts of all the mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and other maternal figures. Usually, everyone comes together on the occasion of Mothers Day and expresses their gratitude towards mothers through gifts, cakes, cards, and videos. Why Mothers Day is Celebrated on Different Dates? Mothers Day is celebrated on different days in different parts of the world, mainly because of the origin of holidays in different countries. These holidays are often tied to religious or other connotations. In the USA, it is usually celebrated on the second Sunday of May. In the UK, it is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, a Christian holiday that changes every year as its linked to Easter. In the Middle East, it is celebrated on March 21, which marks the first day of spring. Mothers Day Traditions and Customs While Mothers Day in India is a relatively recent adoption from the West, there are some interesting customs that have emerged alongside it: Gift-givingJust like many places around the world, presenting flowers and other tokens of appreciation are common on Mothers Day in India. Children often make handmade cards or buy small gifts for their mothers. School plays and performancesSchools sometimes get involved in the festivities by organizing plays or performances specifically for the mothers of the students. Family time and mealsAt its heart, Mothers Day in India is about celebrating mothers and motherhood. Spending quality time together and sharing a special meal is a big part of that. In some families, the children might even take over cooking duties to give mom a break in the kitchen. Respecting all mothersIts important to note that Mothers Day in India extends beyond just biological mothers. The day is often used to show appreciation for any woman who plays a motherly role in someones life, like grandmothers, aunts, or even teachers. Mothers Day Wishes Happy Mothers Day, Mom! Thank you for everything you do. Im glad youre my mother because Im not sure anyone else could have put up with me this long! Love you, Mom! I feel so lucky to have you as my mom. Your love and support mean the world to me. No matter the distance, youre always there for me! Happy Mothers Day. Sending all my love. MOTHERS DAY FAQ When is Mothers Day? Mothers Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May in many countries around the world. In 2024, that falls on Sunday, May 12th. What is the history of Mothers Day? Mothers Day has roots in various cultures, but the modern holiday in the United States can be traced back to Anna Jarvis in the early 1900s. She wanted a day to honour mothers, similar to existing holidays for fathers. How is Mothers Day celebrated? Traditionally, Mothers Day is a day to celebrate mothers and mother figures. People often show their appreciation with gifts, cards, flowers, or spending quality time together. What are some thoughtful gift ideas for Mothers Day? This Mothers Day, show your appreciation for the incredible women in your life by treating them to a memorable retreat at one of these luxurious destinations. From wellness-focused getaways to serene beachfront escapes, each location offers an opportunity to indulge and honor the spirit of caregiving embodied by mothers everywhere. Dharana at Shillim, Maharashtra The essence of motherhood encompasses the spirit of caregiving in all its forms. Recognizing this sacred journey of love, sacrifice, and nurturing, treat your mother to a well-deserved break from city life this Mothers Day. With only a short 2.5 hours drive from Mumbai and 2 hours from Pune, Dharana at Shillim is the ideal choice for a wellness experience. The property presents specialised programmes meticulously crafted to support womens health and well-being at every life stage Mensuration, Motherhood, and Menopause. From yoga practices tailored to regulate menstruation to programs fostering introspection and renewal during menopause, and restoring activities that help new mothers with prepartum and postpartum recovery, a diverse array of options awaits exploration. Make it the right opportunity to help the special women in your life to revel in a short 3/5/7 night getaway from a variety of their offerings detailed below: Essence of Wellbeing Dharana Rasayana Retreat Dharana Resilience Retreat Dharana MINBOS Dharana Endurance Your stay is complemented with nature trails, breathtaking views and gastronomic delights curated in compliance with the unique farm-to-table concept served at the propertys Green Table restaurant. This Mothers Day, go above and beyond to honour your mothers tireless efforts and unwavering devotion with a truly unforgettable experience at Dharana at Shillim. Because she deserves nothing less than the very best. Ramee Royal Resort & Spa, Udaipur Embrace the enchanting beauty of Udaipur, the Venice of the East, where azure water lakes meet lush green hills. Amidst this picturesque setting lies Ramee Resorts and Spa, a sanctuary of luxury and tranquility. This Mothers Day, celebrate the extraordinary bond you share with your mom by treating her to an unforgettable travel retreat at Ramee Resort and Spa, Udaipur. Let her immerse herself in the serenity of our resort, indulge in rejuvenating spa treatments, and savor exquisite culinary delights. Together, create timeless memories against the backdrop of Udaipurs majestic lakes and palaces. Embark on an unforgettable journey of luxury, relaxation, and adventure to the luxurious Ramee Royal resort situated in the heart of Udaipur. Witness the tranquility of summer with the range of comfortable and spacious rooms and suites, designed to provide guests with ultimate comfort and luxury. Experience Luxury at InterContinental Marine Drive Intercontinental Marine Drive stands as the ultimate destination for the upcoming long weekend, with its strategic location in Mumbais Art Deco district, offering an unparalleled blend of luxury and heritage. The hotels 59 spacious rooms and suites, boasting breathtaking views of the Arabian Sea and the dynamic city skyline, provide a festive and inviting escape. The Queens Necklace views, cutting-edge design, and top-notch amenities make it an ideal haven in the heart of Mumbai. Designed by renowned designer Lim Teo + Wilkes, the suites feature intimate settings and state-of-the-art amenities. Guests can enjoy a 24-hour fitness centre, a rooftop infinity pool, and two event spaces, Atellier and Onyx. Celebrate Mothers Day at L&S Bistro, nestled within Mumbais iconic InterContinental Marine Drive. Treat Mom to a delightful brunch experience amidst the enchanting alfresco terrace overlooking the Arabian Sea. Indulge in a fusion of European, Asian, and Indian flavours with highlights like Eggs Benedict, French Toast with fresh berries, and Smoked Salmon Bagel. For vegan options, enjoy Avocado Toast with vegan cheese or Dairy-free Pancakes. Pair your meal with artisanal coffees, refreshing mocktails, or signature teas by Newby. The cosy yet elegant ambiance sets the perfect backdrop for a memorable celebration. Make this Mothers Day special by gathering with your loved ones, savouring delicious dishes, and creating cherished moments at L&S Bistro. Pamper Mom with Luxury at The Westin Pune Koregaon Park This Mothers Day, honor the extraordinary women in your life with a memorable escape to The Westin Pune Koregaon Park. Nestled in the heart of Punes picturesque Koregaon Park neighborhood, our esteemed 5-star hotel invites you to indulge in a haven of tranquility and opulence. Treat your mother to a luxurious retreat as you step into our thoughtfully designed rooms and suites, where every detail has been meticulously crafted to ensure her comfort and relaxation. From plush bedding to modern amenities, each element is tailored to elevate her staycation experience to new heights. Wake up to breathtaking views of Punes skyline or venture out to explore the lush greenery and vibrant streets that surround our hotel. Whether youre seeking a romantic escape, a family adventure, or simply a moment of solitude with your mom, The Westin Pune Koregaon Park offers the perfect backdrop for your Mothers Day getaway. Indulge her taste buds with our diverse dining options, where culinary delights await to tantalize her palate. From sumptuous buffets to al fresco dining experiences, our restaurants promise a gastronomic journey like no other, showcasing the finest flavors from around the world. Unwind and rejuvenate her body and mind with our rejuvenating spa treatments, or invigorate her senses with a refreshing dip in our sparkling pool. With extensive event space and modern amenities, The Westin Pune Koregaon Park is the perfect destination for both business and leisure travelers looking to celebrate Mothers Day in style. Escape the hustle and bustle of daily life this Mothers Day and embark on a journey of luxury, relaxation, and rejuvenation at The Westin Pune Koregaon Park. Book your ultimate Mothers Day retreat today and create cherished memories with the special women in your life. St. Regis Goa Resort St. Regis Goa Resort & Spa offers a luxurious and serene environment, perfect for celebrating special Mothers Day. From its stunning beachfront location to its exquisite dining options and relaxing spa treatments, it provides an ideal setting to pamper and indulge your mother. Whether its a sumptuous brunch, a rejuvenating spa day, or simply lounging by the pool, St. Regis Goa Resort & Spa ensures a memorable experience to show your appreciation for your mom. Rest and rejuvenate with the holistic Ayurvedic treatments at The St. Regis Spa. The spa resort in South Goa is located next to the shores of Mobor Beach, as they offer traditional full-body massages, body scrubs, and holistic and Ayurveda treatments. Atmantan Wellness Centre Atmantan Wellness Centre is Indias most luxurious integrated wellness destination spa and transformation centre nestled on a crystal hill, spanning 42 acres of lush green valley, Atmantan, has its abode in the Majestic Sahyadris, and overlooks the pristine Mulshi Lake. True to its name, Atma (soul) Mana (mind) and Tan (body), the resort is dedicated to providing you with a rejuvenating experience that will return you as a renewed individual, heart whole and fancy free. Here, the in-house experts help you understand the relationship between sound nutrition, the functioning of the body and spirituality. The Blackbuck Lodge, Velavadar, Gujarat The Blackbuck Lodge in Velavadar, Gujarat, offers an unparalleled retreat in the midst of pristine wilderness. Nestled within the Velavadar Blackbuck National Park, its spread across 70 acres of lush grasslands, perfect for family reunions and weekend getaways. Luxury Pool Cottages with private viewing decks offer a serene escape, complemented by walking safaris and birdwatching tours. The lodges strategic location also allows for exploring historical sites like Lothal from the Indus Valley Civilization. Guests can embark on game drives to spot blackbucks, Indian grey wolves, and a myriad of bird species. Additionally, the lodge organises village safaris and day trips to nearby attractions like Bhavnagar and the sacred town of Palitana. Whether its unwinding in luxury cottages or exploring the rich biodiversity, The Blackbuck Lodge promises an unforgettable experience for the whole family. Jaagir Manor, Dudhwa IHCL SeleQtions, Dudhwa National Park, Uttar Pradesh Step into the Victorian era at Jaagir Manor, where elegance meets wilderness in Uttar Pradeshs Terai Himalayas. The property boasts elegant rooms, suites dating back to the 1940s, and thatched-roof Brick & SeleQtions Villas, perfect for family holidays. Guests can indulge in private drives to explore the Dudhwa Wildlife Corridor, spanning over 500 square miles of pristine forests, including Dudhwa National Park and other sanctuaries, offering sightings of the Indian Big Five: Elephants, Tigers, Leopards, Sloth Bears, and Rhinos. The property features an intimate lounge with a private bar and fireplace, offering a serene setting for relaxation and storytelling. Guests can also enjoy activities like walking safaris, sunset soirees, and farm-to-table dining experiences overlooking the lush green landscape. With modern amenities, wildlife expeditions, and a variety of activities including fishing, canoeing, and meeting the indigenous Tharu tribe, Jaagir Manor promises an unforgettable experience for families seeking adventure and excitement. Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa, Langkawi, Malaysia Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa, Langkawi is a timeless tropical island sanctuary nestled between the award winning landscape gardens and the famed Cenang beach, designed based on the concept of a Malay Village. Guests can indulge in leisurely beachfront experiences on the private one-kilometre-long white sandy beach reserved exclusively for hotel guests. The resorts spacious sea-facing rooms, close to pools and facilities, are perfect for family getaways. The Cascade Pool is perfect for those who seek tranquillity and solace, whilst the Horizon Pool with a walk-in jacuzzi and the Childrens Pool including a dinosaur-themed play area promises some exciting family fun in the sun. Ideal for 4 12 year olds, the Kids Club offers fun adventures at the Kiki Farm in the mornings as well as creative crafts in the afternoon. For adventurous souls, the resort offers nature walks to explore Langkawis unique flora and fauna, along with a variety of island activities like zip-lining, trekking, and water sports. Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa promises an unforgettable experience blending traditional Malay charm with modern amenities, ideal for creating cherished family memories. Villa in the Woods at RAAS Devanya, Matial, Uttarakhand The Villa in the Woods at RAAS Devanya, nestled between Bhimtal and Mukteshwar in Uttarakhand, offers a serene escape amidst natures beauty. Part of the eco-conscious Devanya project, it promises sustainable luxury with three cosy bedrooms and personalised meals sourced from organic produce. Built with local timber and stone in Kumaoni-style architecture, the villa evokes a luxurious treehouse experience, perfect for intimate family getaways. Surrounded by ancient Deodar, Chide, and Oak trees, the villa provides a secluded retreat, allowing guests to unwind in the tranquil Himalayan forests. With its indoor-outdoor connection and exclusive setting, it offers privacy and relaxation. Guests can immerse themselves in nature while supporting eco-friendly initiatives and contributing to a greener future. The culinary experience at The Villa in the Woods is a highlight, featuring a blend of international, Kumaoni, and Rajasthani delicacies made from seasonal organic produce. Activities abound with nearby attractions like the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, offering jeep safaris and diverse wildlife encounters, as well as hiking trails and spiritual sites like Kasar Devi and Jageshwar for exploration and guided trips upon request. The Westin Goa, Anjuna, Goa The Westin Goa offers a rejuvenating escape nestled near Anjunas vibrant nightlife, inviting guests to immerse themselves in Goas cherished concept of relaxed contentment, also known as susegad. With four top-tier dining experiences showcasing Goas rich flavours, including a unique Hot Pot experience and a poolside bar, guests embark on a culinary journey like no other. The property boasts wellness amenities such as an expansive pool and the Heavenly Spa, where vintage-inspired tranquillity awaits. For Mothers Day, indulge in a Special Brunch at The Market, featuring a lavish buffet, live grills, and local delicacies, accompanied by a 30% family discount and kids entertainment. The Goan Family Escape package promises unforgettable moments for every family member, complete with curated culinary delights, complimentary breakfast, and cocktails hours at Haven, along with a 25% discount on F&B, spa, and laundry. Whether savouring curated meals or enjoying cocktail hours, The Westin Goa promises an idyllic retreat for families seeking cherished memories. The Nautilus, Thiladhoo Island, Baa Atoll, Maldives The Nautilus Maldives, situated in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Baa Atoll, offers an ultra-luxury escape perfect for family getaways. Winner of prestigious awards, including being named one of the top resorts in the Indian Ocean by Conde Nast Traveller, it promises an unparalleled luxury experience. From engaging in local island discovery to exploring the vibrant marine life at Hanifaru Bay, The Nautilus ensures a thrilling adventure for families. Guests can enjoy non-motorised water sports, diving, snorkelling, and fully equipped fishing expeditions. Boasting some of the Maldives best childcare facilities, along with a playful hub for education programs, and private beach cinema screenings, The Nautilus ensures a memorable family experience. At The Nautilus, time stands still, allowing guests to indulge in unscripted dining experiences and free-spirited adventures. With no clocks or schedules, every moment is filled with boundless freedom, making it an ideal destination to celebrate mom with a well-deserved vacation! Jungle House, Shimla Perched atop Jakhu Hill at 7200 ft, Jungle House in Shimla offers an enchanting blend of heritage and luxury. Once the residence of Princess Kusum of Bharatpur, this historic stone cottage boasts two exquisite suites, each seamlessly merging colonial charm with modern comforts. Surrounded by manicured gardens and ancient woods, it provides unparalleled privacy and intimacy. With teak floors, high ceilings, and bay windows framing breathtaking vistas, each suite invites relaxation and indulgence. Guests can luxuriate in tubs while watching snowflakes drift by or unwind with a book amidst fragrant rose-covered arbours. The estate also offers activities like guided forest walks, heritage tours, and golf at the scenic Naldehra Golf Course. Dining at Jungle House is a celebration of locally sourced ingredients and family recipes, with highlights including indulgent breakfasts, traditional afternoon teas, and scrumptious dinners. From exploring Shimlas historical sites to skiing in Narkanda, guests can embark on specially curated excursions led by professional guides or even join motorcycle expeditions with Indias foremost rally driver. Whether seeking relaxation or adventure, Jungle House promises an unforgettable family getaway steeped in luxury and heritage. Club Mahindra Udaipur Udaipur is an ideal destination for a memorable celebration with your mother. The city is famous for its stunning City Palace, which offers breathtaking views of Lake Pichola. Club Mahindra Udaipur provides a renowned resort experience with picturesque views of the hills. Surrounded by the magnificent Aravalli Hills and folded in lovely gardens, the resort offers a relaxing and unforgettable vacation. Its unique blend of traditional charm and contemporary conveniences highlights Udaipurs rich cultural legacy. Its ideal position enables visitors to take in both the natural beauty of the highlands and the citys attractions, making it a perfect place to create lasting memories with your mother. White Meadows Manali The city offers thrilling adventure sports while taking in the amazing views of the Himalayan mountains and snow-capped peaks at Rohtang. White Meadows Manali by Club Mahindra provides a luxurious stay in Manali, Himachal Pradesh. The resort is attractively positioned on the banks of the Beas River and offers breathtaking mountain and river views, making it a perfect place to enjoy thrilling adventure sports. With its stunning natural beauty and thrilling adventure activities, Manali makes it nothing but the best destination for our mothers. Bollywood actors Aditya Roy Kapur and Sara Ali Khan were seen partying together in a new set of photos. The actors were spotted shortly after the rumours of Aditya alleged break-up with Ananya Panday made the headlines. In the photos, Aditya and Sara were seen having a fun time with director Anurag Basu. It is said that the photo is from the filmmakers birthday bash hosted on the sets of Metro In Dino. Sara and Aditya are headlining the film. In the photo, Sara and Aditya stood close to each other while what seems to be Anurag took the centre stage. The on-screen couple appeared to be having a great time together. The photos sparked dating rumours. The photo has now gone viral. See here: Metro In Dino stars Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Pankaj Tripathi, Konkana Sensharma, Ali Fazal, and Fatima Sana Shaikh. Produced by T-Series and Anurag Basu Productions, the film is said to depict stories of bittersweet relationships in a modern-day scenario. Exploring diverse yet universal stories of different facets, shades, and moods of love, this contemporary tale will have a music score by Pritam that will complement the mood of the film as well as enhance the experience entirely. The music of Metro In Dino will be scored by Pritam, just like the super-hit numbers of the 2007 film. The previous film starred Kangana Ranaut, Shiney Ahuja, Shilpa Shetty, Dharmendra, Irrfan Khan, and Kay Kay Menon in pivotal roles. Talking about the film, Anurag Basu had earlier shared, MetroIn Dino is a tale of the people and for the people! It has been a while since I am working on this one, and I am glad to be collaborating with a powerhouse like Bhushan Kumar yet again, who has always been like a pillar to me. Meanwhile, Aditya is yet to comment about his alleged break up with Ananya Panday. 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. Victoria Beckhams 50th birthday celebration in April brought together all members of the iconic British girl group Spice Girls, including Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell, for a memorable night. Earlier, Victoria and her husband David Beckham had proudly shared footage of the ladies performing their hit songs. Now, the fans of the girl group are in for a treat as Davids son, Cruz Beckham shared another exclusive behind-the-scenes clip from the groups recent reunion. Taking to Instagram, the 19-year-old posted a video of the ladies singing their 1996 track Mama, while Cruz himself played the guitar alongside them on stage. Interestingly, the reunion became their first performance together since 2012. Meanwhile, the guest list featured Tom Cruise, Eva Longoria, Salma Hayek, Francois-Henri Pinault, Jason Statham, and Gordon Ramsay with his wife Tana Ramsay. Other than Cruz, Victoria and Davids other children, including Brooklyn, Romeo and Harper were also in attendance. While Beckhams youngest son played guitar, Victoria sang along with her former group. The video captures all the ladies together singing, Mama, I love you, Mama, I care, Mama, I love you, Mama, my friend. Later, Mel B lightens the mood, as she jokingly asks, Are we in tune? Im not sure we are. However, the crowd applauded for the group, before they shared a group hug. Cruz, who knows hes just made countless Spice Girls fans dreams come true, simply wrote, Youre welcome. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CRUZ (@cruzbeckham) During a recent interview on SiriusXMs This Life of Mine with James Corden, David Beckham opened up about how he developed feelings for Spice Girls member Victoria. He shared, I didnt know what she was like as a person. I just actually fancied her like most people did at that time and I didnt know who I was marrying, who I was going to be with for the rest of my life. I didnt realize what a strong woman she was and that is what really attracted me to her more than anything. The athlete further recalled the moment he knew he would marry Victoria after watching her in the Say Youll Be There music video and explained, Its my favorite because it was the song that was on the TV when I sat in my room with Gary Neville and it came on the tele and that was when I turned around to Gary and said, Im gonna marry that one in the short black dress. Meanwhile, its been two years since Cruz Beckham announced his entry into the music industry after signing a management deal. Since then, he has been collaborating with top artists, musicians and producers and according to The Sun, the 19-year-old is expected to make his grand debut this year. Dino Morea has finally opened up about his rivalry with John Abraham. In a recent interview, the actor explained that the reports of his rift with John made headlines after he broke up with Bipasha Basu, who then stepped into a relationship with the Pathaan actor. We never had any rivalry. We used to talk to each other and have fun with each other. The talk about the rivalry between us started in peoples minds after I broke up with Bipasha and he started dating Bipasha. People started thinking that he was dating my girlfriend, so there was a rivalry, media also fueled this, Dino told Siddharth Kannan. The 48-year-old actor clarified that there has never been any rivalry between him and John. He revealed that they often text each other and praised John by saying, I am happy to see where he is today. Because at that point when we were starting out people used to say models cant act and we proved them wrong. John has done really well. I take my hat off for that guy, he has conducted himself well. Dino also explained that Bipasha started to date John a year after her breakup him. The actor further revealed that by that time, he was also dating somebody else. I am clarifying it after years. Me and Bipasha broke up and almost one year after that they started dating, and I had started dating somebody else. So, why would there be any animosity? People thought that John took my girlfriend but it was nothing like that. The three of us used to talk but people made it into something else, he said. Dino Morea met Bipasha via a common friend and fell in love with each other. The two started to date in 1996 but parted ways during the filming of their 2002 movie, Raaz. Recalling their breakup, Dino shared, She came from Calcutta, I came from Bangalore. We were introduced by a common friend, she set up a blind date. I just heard that some supermodel is coming and I was also a supermodel. We went on a blind date, it was weird but we started dating soon after that. It was great because we both were starting. When we were working on Raaz, we were more or less over in terms of relationship. It was very difficult. But after Raaz when we did Gunaah that was the toughest time because we were breaking up, it was over, he added. Hollywood actor Freya Allan has given her seal of approval for a spin off based on her character in the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Making her debut in the Planet of the Apes universe, Freya plays the role of Mae in the film. The trailers hint shes a loner wandering through the Ape planet. In an exclusive chat, we asked her if she would be interested in exploring the backstory of her character in a solo film. I could bloody write it at this point. Ive got the whole back story. That would actually be an interesting stuff to explore. Who knows, if they continue it, they might complete butcher my whole back story (laughs). But there is something quiet interesting with the parents. I know what I would create for the next film, thats all I am saying, Freya said. She also teased a possible sequel in the interaction. I would prefer if in the next film, you get to understand the backstory and just do it like that, she said. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has hosted two international premieres already. The premieres were attended by Andy Serkis, who played the 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). In this film, he doubled up as a consultant behind the camera. In the same chat with us, the films lead actor, Own 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. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will release on May 10. Glen Powell seems to be on a ride as he continues to fuel new movie projects. In his latest venture, the Hollywood actor is said to be in early talks with none other than JJ Abramss next directorial project. According to a Deadline report, the film will be created from a script written by Abrams himself. While the deal is yet to be closed, Powells recent career chart makes him a convincing pick for big filmmakers and studios. Details about the plot, shooting schedule, and other things have been presently kept under wraps. It is still uncertain if the big project will fit into Powells production schedule. However, if the plan works out, it will be Abramss first feature film after 2019s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The film currently does not have a studio attached; however, there is a chance that it could end up at Warner Bros where Abrams Bad Robot has an overall deal, states ComicBook.com. Glen Powells lined-up projects The Top Gun: Maverick star has a number of exciting releases lined up in the coming months. Powell will be next seen in time as Tyler Owens in Twisters, a sequel to the 1996 hit film Twister. The film story revolves around Kate Cooper, a former storm chaser who is haunted by devastating tornadoes during her college years. The film proceeds to show how Kate is brought back to the open plains where she happens to cross paths with Tyler (Glen Powell). He will also be seen in Richard Linklaters Hit Man. In addition to that, Powell also has Edgar Wrights The Running Man reboot for Paramount, which was revealed at the CinemaCon. Apart from the release, the actor is shooting his upcoming revenge drama, Huntington. On top of it, Powell has another film in his kitty alongside actors like Anthony Mackie and Laura Dern. Said to be a legal drama from John Lee Hancock, the film titled Monsanto is based on the true story of a young, untried attorney Brent Wisner who takes a challenging case against the giant U.S. chemical company Monsanto on behalf of Dewayne Lee Johnson. I was drawn to this contemporary David vs. Goliath true story because I found it dramatic, moving, quite funny, and of critical importance in todays world, said Hancock. My ambitions are to deliver a smart, thoughtful, and commercial legal drama that takes the audience on a human journey, said Hancock in a statement as quoted by Variety. Jason Shah is currently enjoying the success of his recently released show, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. In the Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial, Shah played the role of a British cop named Cartwright. While his power-packed performance has been getting praise from the audience, it has now been reported that the actor has been approached for Bigg Boss OTT 3. Yes, you heard it right, Jason Shah has been offered once again to be part of Salman Khans show. Reportedly, the actor is also considering the offer but has not accepted it as of now. Interestingly, if Jason accepts this offer, this will be the second time that he will be seen in Bigg Boss. He was also seen in the 10th season of the reality show as a wild card contestant. Jason Shah made a memorable mark during his time on Bigg Boss 10 but had to leave the show due to health issues. The first season of Bigg Boss OTT was hosted by Karan Johar when Divya Agarwal emerged as the winner. Salman Khan replaced KJo as the host of Bigg Boss OTT 2. The show was won by Munawar Faruqui. While no name for Bigg Boss OTT 3 has been confirmed as of now, it was previously reported that Ankita Lokhandes husband Vicky Jain might participate in the show without his actress-wife. Meanwhile, Jason Shahs Heeramandi also stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Segal Mehta, Farida Jalal, Fardeen Khan, Shekhar Suman and Adhyayan Suman in key roles. It explores the various aspects of a womans trials and tribulations. Recently, Jason also opened up about shooting the rape scene with Mallikajaan aka Manisha Koirala. The actor admitted that he was hesitant before the sexual assault scene and mentioned that he was being cautious especially when he was supposed to slap Mallikajaan. I was hesitant. The fighter master wanted me to slap her in a more realistic manner but I was very careful, I was watching my actions. I even flicked her nose ring off in one scene, it got that close. Thats what I was telling the fight master that if we are not in coordination, I might end up hurting her, and obviously, she is an older woman, so it is my responsibility and I had to take care, he told Filmibeat OTT. Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar is currently streaming on Netflix. Ranveer Singh has made his first public appearance after removing his wedding photos with actress-wife Deepika Padukone recently. Ranveer arrived in style at the store launch of the high-end jewellery brand, Tiffany & Co., in Mumbai on Wednesday. He was seen posing with Karisma Kapoor and the actress dropped their photos on her Instagram account. The actor made a stylish entry in an all-white satin outfit and aviators. Meanwhile, Karisma Kapoor looked stunning in a black and white gown. Karisma captioned the photos, Painted the town blue at the opening of the new @tiffanyandco store at @jioworldplaza with my most favourite @ranveersingh . Check out her post here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Karisma Kapoor (@therealkarismakapoor) Ranveer returned to Mumbai yesterday. The actor was vacationing with Deepika, who is expecting their first baby after five years of marriage. Ranveer Singh fans were in a big shock on Tuesday after the actor allegedly deleted his and Deepikas wedding photos from his Instagram account. Ranveers move also sparked rumours of trouble in his marriage with Deepika. Its still unclear whether Ranveer has permanently deleted the photos from his social media account or just archived them. Soon after, rumours about their marriage hitting a rough patch began surfacing on the internet on Tuesday afternoon, a source close to Ranveer and Deepika informed that the couple is going strong and that they are excited to welcome their first child together. There is no truth to any claim about their marriage hitting a rough patch, a source told Hindustan Times. Its baseless. They are happy together and constantly try to find a way out of their busy schedules so that they can spend some quality time together. They are really excited to welcome their first child to the world and are cherishing every moment of this phase of their life. In fact, Deepika and Ranveer are enjoying some quality time together on a quiet getaway in India, the source added. Addressing the missing wedding pictures, the insider said, Well, he has deleted all his pictures from the year before 2022-2023. It is not just about his wedding pictures. In fact, all his recent pictures with Deepika are still on his handles. So, it is really baffling as to how people can assume that there is any trouble in paradise. Meanwhile, on the work front, Ranveer Singh will next be seen in Rohit Shettys Singham Again. Deepika Padukone will also be introduced as a cop in the action film. Ranveer also has Farhan Akhtars Don 3 in the pipeline. He will be carrying forward Shah Rukh Khans legacy in the franchise. Vietnamese PM meets senior Chinese legislator Xinhua) 20:09, May 09, 2024 HANOI, May 9 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to promote the building of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future, Zhang Qingwei, visiting vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, said here on Wednesday. Zhang, who visited Vietnam to attend the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, made the remarks when meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Zhang said that China and Vietnam are traditionally friendly neighbors. The profound friendship of "comrades and brothers" forged and carefully cultivated by the older generation of leaders of the two countries continues to flourish. China is willing to work with Vietnam to carry forward the fine tradition of mutual assistance, solidarity and cooperation between the two countries, and promote the building of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future of strategic significance, Zhang said. For his part, the Vietnamese prime minister said Vietnam will always bear in mind the tremendous assistance given by the party, state and people of China in Vietnam's struggle for national independence and liberation. Vietnam is willing to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two parties, intensify high-level exchanges, deepen practical cooperation and push for solid progress in building the Vietnam-China community with a shared future. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Kou Jie) Ranveer Singh made his first public appearance on Wednesday after removing his wedding photos with actress-wife Deepika Padukone from social media. The actor arrived in style at the store launch of a high-end jewellery brand in Mumbai. Several videos of Singh from the event are going viral on social media. A new video has now surfaced in which Ranveer can be seen sharing a heartwarming moment with late actor Irrfan Khans son, Babil Khan. In the viral clip, Ranveer is seen hugging and kissing Babil as greets the young actor. Watch it here: Ranveer with Irrfan Khan son Babil pic.twitter.com/M6zUO6Yrm4 K. (@KhadeejahRS) May 8, 2024 Interestingly, this comes on the day when Ranveer Singhs actress wife Deepika Padukone also penned down a heartwarming note to celebrate the 9th anniversary of her 2015 movie Piku. The film also starred Babils late father Irrfan Khan along with Amitabh Bachchan. The photo that Deepika shared featured Amitabh Bachchan and the late Irrfan. In the click, a production assistant was seen offering a platter of fruit to Big B as he pointed towards Deepika. Irrfan was also seen engaging in a conversation with them. He loves telling everyone how much I eat! @amitabhbachchanc@irrfan Oh how much we miss you, Deepika wrote in the caption. Check out Deepika Padukones post on Pikus 9th anniversary here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@deepikapadukone) Meanwhile, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone have also been making headlines ever since the former deleted their wedding pictures from his Instagram handle. Ranveers act left DeepVeer fans worried with many wondering if all was not well between the two actors. However, a source later told Hindustan Times that there is no trouble in the couples paradise and added that Ranveer not only archived his wedding photos but also decided to archive all posts before 2023. Well, he has deleted all his pictures from the year before 2022-2023. It is not just about his wedding pictures. In fact, all his recent pictures with Deepika are still on his handles. So, it is really baffling as to how people can assume that there is any trouble in paradise, the source said. They are really excited to welcome their first child to the world, and are cherishing every moment of this phase of their life. In fact, Deepika and Ranveer are enjoying some quality time together on a quiet getaway in India, the insider added. John Krasinski and Ryan Reynolds, two Hollywood icons renowned for their charm, wit, and undeniable brilliance, have created a whole lot of excitement and curiosity as they collaborate for their next movie Imaginary Friends. While theyre colliding reality and imagination in the truest sense, Ryan opens up about what really got him on board as the producer as well as lead in the film. Ryan Reynols said, We were kind of banging back and forth. We were interested in shooting something that feels like a live-action Pixar film. And thats really what John put on the page. He believed IF is a natural next step for Krasinski as a filmmaker. I struggle to think of a writer or director more informed by their own parenthood than John Krasinski. Being a dad and a husband has really cemented his cinematic language. Whats most striking to me is that he can make a movie as scary and provocative as A Quiet Place, yet he can also do something as tender, unexpected and hilarious as IF, the Deadpool and Wolverine actor said. Meanwhile, John recently revealed that IF was inspired by his childrens imagination. Ive always wanted to make a movie for them. Emily says that the Quiet Place movies are PG-40 for them, so they wont see those for a long time. During the early days of the pandemic, I got to spend a lot of time around my then-8-year-old and 6-year-old daughters and see the power of their imaginations. But as the pandemic wore on, I started seeing their lights dwindle. They had been so full of energy and excitement, but they were becoming more cautious about everything, he said. Pointing out how we are, from early childhood, enthralled by fairytales that transport us to another world, he added, I thought, wouldnt it be amazing if you could bring all of that magic into your own real life? If theres one thing I want people to leave this movie with, its that believing in something bigger and more beautiful can actually get you through another day. Thats the kind of story I have always wanted to tell. IF stars Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, and the voices of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr. and Steve Carell alongside many more as the wonderfully unique characters that reflect the incredible power of a childs imagination. Dont miss your chance to be transported back to your childhood with Imaginary Friends, arriving in theaters on May 17th Filmmaker Sangeeth Sivan passed away on May 8 in Mumbai at the age of 61. Although the cause of his death has not been disclosed, it is reported that complications from an infection were involved. Sivan was primarily known for his work in the Malayalam film industry, notably directing the cult film Yoddha starring Mohanlal. In Hindi cinema, he directed films such as Kyaa Kool Hai Hum, Apna Sapna Money Money and Yamla Pagla Deewana 2. The final rites were held in Mumbai. The news of Sivans demise has shocked filmmakers and celebrities alike. Riteish Deshmukh, who worked with Sivan on Kyaa Kool Hai Hum and Apna Sapna Money Money, expressed his condolences on social media. Riteish was also present at the final rites in Mumbai on Thursday. Fardeen Khan was also present and the duo were seen catching up. Filmmaker Ken Ghosh was also seen at the funeral. As Fardeen was leaving, he shook hands with Riteish and hugged him. The duo has worked in films like Heyy Babyy and will also be seen in Housefull 5. Riteish had earlier taken to social media to express grief over the filmmakers untimely demise. Deeply saddened and shocked to know that Sangeeth Sivan Sir is no more. As a newcomer all you want is someone to believe in you and take a chance.. cant thank him enough for Kya Kool Hai Hum & Apna Sapna Money Money, he wrote. Soft spoken, gentle and a wonderful human being. Am heart broken today, my deepest condolences to his family and loved ones, his wife, kids, brothers. I will miss you Da !!!!! And your infectious laughter!!! Rest in Glory, he added while sharing a picture of the filmmaker. Tusshar Kapoor also remembered the filmmaker. Dont have words to describe what Im feeling right now. A mentor of sorts, someone who introduced me to comedy with #KyakoolHainHum is no more! Sangeeth ji, I had the honour of working with you again recently but itll take me a long time to get over this sad news! RIP sir you will be missed! #SangeethSivan #gem. In the swirling vortex of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress partys tactical manoeuvres have unfolded like a grand saga of strategic recalibrations. At the heart of this political drama is Rahul Gandhis audacious leap from the familiar confines of Amethi to the hallowed grounds of Raebareli, leaving behind a void that echoes with the absence of a Gandhi in the seat of their erstwhile stronghold. The juxtaposition of Rahuls Raebareli gambit against the backdrop of Amethis Gandhi-less landscape paints a vivid portrait of the partys intricate dance with electoral destiny. Amethi, once the crown jewel of the Gandhi familys electoral prowess, now stands as a testament to the shifting sands of Indian politics, where no fortress remains impregnable forever. Rahuls calculated move to Raebareli is akin to a seasoned chess player retreating a vulnerable piece to a safer square, seeking refuge in familiar territories of political patronage. Its a strategic withdrawal that speaks volumes about the Congress introspection and adaptive prowess amidst the tumultuous waves of contemporary politics. However, the absence of a Gandhi in Amethi is not merely a tactical manoeuvre; its a symbolic concession, an admission of the BJPs relentless march into once-conquered territories. By fielding a trusted lieutenant in Amethi, the Congress appears to be delegating battles to the next generation, signalling a subtle shift towards a more diversified leadership landscape. Though pragmatic, this electoral ballet raises pertinent questions about the Congress resilience and ability to reclaim lost bastions. It also underscores a deeper narrative of the partys evolution, hinting at a gradual dilution of the entrenched reliance on the Gandhi familys electoral magnetism. The intricate tapestry of Indias political landscape is woven with the threads of the Congress party and the indelible imprint of the Gandhi family, creating a narrative both intricate and compelling. At the heart of this narrative lie the constituencies of Amethi and Raebareli, symbolic strongholds that echo with the resonances of a political legacy deeply intertwined with the nations democratic evolution. Amethi, steeped in the ethos of dynastic politics, bears the imprints of the Gandhi familys journey through its corridors of power. It is a place where the baton of leadership passed seamlessly from Rajiv Gandhi to Rahul Gandhi, a lineage of political inheritance akin to monarchs ascending thrones. Here, victories once seemed as assured as the monsoon rains, yet the unexpected tempest of defeat, marked by Smriti Iranis triumph, underscored the transient nature of electoral fortunes. In stark contrast, Raebareli emerges as a serene sanctuary, cradling the political aspirations of Indira and Sonia Gandhi, the matriarchs whose influence has been pivotal in shaping Congress narrative. It stands resolute amidst changing political tides, offering a haven of continuity and loyalty amidst the ebb and flow of electoral dynamics. Rahul Gandhis strategic choice to contest from Raebareli symbolises a retreat to familiar grounds, a return to the nurturing embrace of a constituency steeped in Congress legacy for over seven decades. The chronicles of these constituencies transcend mere electoral victories; they embody the enduring influence of the Gandhi family on Congress identity. Its a narrative woven with threads of power, legacy, and the intricate interplay of historys weight upon contemporary choices. As the Congress charts its course into the future, the decisions made in Amethi and Raebareli will not only shape the fate of the Gandhis but also delineate the trajectory of the Congress party as it navigates the ever-evolving currents of Indias political seas. The decision of Rahul Gandhi to contest from Raebareli, a verdant oasis of loyalty in the political desert, has set tongues wagging and pens scribbling across the nation. This move, while strategic, has been perceived by some as a retreat to safer ground, a sanctuary from the tumultuous battleground of Amethi, where the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty suffered a stinging defeat. The whispers in the wind speak of treacherynot of malice or deceit, but of a betrayal of trust. The people of Wayanad, who embraced Rahul Gandhi with open arms and hopeful hearts, now watch as their champion seeks to reclaim his political destiny elsewhere. It is a move that has left many pondering the labyrinthine motives that drive the decisions of the storied Gandhi family. The Congress, a vessel of democracy steered by the hands of the Nehru-Gandhi lineage, finds itself at a crossroads, where the compass of leadership seems to point invariably towards the familiar harbours of the familys legacy. The presidency of the party, a mantle of immense responsibility, appears to be but a ceremonial role, for the true power, as many believe, resides within the hallowed halls of the family estate. Amidst this backdrop of political theatre, the absence of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from the electoral fray has been a source of consternation for the party faithful. Her spirited campaigns, infused with the charisma reminiscent of her grandmother, have yet to translate into an electoral battle of her own. The stage was set for a dramatic entry into Amethi, a chance to reclaim the lost citadel and stand as a bulwark against the formidable Smriti Irani. Yet, the opportunity has been allowed to slip like sand through the fingers, leaving supporters to wonder about the shadows of rivalry that may lurk behind the scenes. The saga of Amethi, once a jewel in the Congress crown, now serves as a stark reminder of the partys waning influence. Rahul Gandhis reluctance to return to the fray in Amethi speaks volumes of the ground that has been ceded, of the roots that have been left untended. The plight of Wayanad, caught in the throes of political uncertainty, mirrors the larger existential crisis facing the Congress. Should Rahul Gandhi triumph in Raebareli, the future of Wayanad hangs in the balance, its fate intertwined with the whims of political strategy. It is within this maelstrom of political machinations that the clarion call for change resounds. The Congress stands at the precipice of transformation, where the path to revival may well lie in the untethering of the Gandhi family from the electoral levers of power. It is a path fraught with uncertainty, yet it beckons with the promise of renewal and resurgence. As the Congress navigates these turbulent waters, the eyes of the nation remain fixed upon the grand old party, watching, waiting, to see if it will rise to the challenge of a new dawn or if it will remain ensnared in the webs of its own making. The answer lies not in the stars, but in the will of a party to chart a new course, to breathe fresh life into its sails, and to set forth on a voyage that may yet restore its lost glory. The author, a columnist and research scholar, teaches journalism at St. Xaviers College (autonomous), Kolkata. His handle on X is @sayantan_gh. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. Google Wallet has officially launched in India and if you have an Android phone, you can now download it for your device. Wallet has been around for years, mostly in markets like the US where the digital ecosystem works differently. Google is bringing the Wallet to India without the payments support, which means you cannot attach your debit or credit cards to the app and forget your wallet at home. The company has offered the app with the ability to keep your tickets, and your loyalty cards. Google is focused on making the app work effectively rather than push all the features from day one, which makes sense. Having said that, bringing the NFC-based payment feature through Wallet could have given Google the first-mover advantage over Apple in the country. Google Wallet In India: What All Does It Offer Google has highlighted the features that will work through Wallet in India: Save movie or event tickets on the Wallet app (Android-only) Access boarding passes for your flights Redeem loyalty and gift cards digitally Use the wallet to take public transit in select cities Make digital copies of tags, receipts and more Get instant access to tickets available through Gmail Google says the Wallet interacts with other apps like Gmail only if the user gives them the access to do so. Google Pay is the main platform for the company that serves the digital payments needs in India. Google Wallet is another app that needs to be installed on the phone, which can become a pain point for many. The company realises that making Wallet an intrinsic part of peoples lives will take time and it is ready to wait for their trust and then eventually add more benefits through the platform. Nokia 3210 is back and this time you get it with a coloured screen, 4G support and it even runs YouTube. HMD Global has made a habit of relaunching the classic Nokia phones and the 3210 4G is the latest in its catalogue. The Nokia 3210 4G wants to help people get into digital detox, but still have some exposure to the internet via YouTube content. The company first teased the launch of the Nokia 3210 a few weeks back, marking 25 years since the original Nokia 3210 phone came out. Nokia 3210 4G Phone Price Nokia 3210 4G has made its debut in Europe where it is priced at EUR 79.99 (Rs 6,710 approx) for the single variant. HMD Global should have plans to launch the phone in other countries later this year. Nokia 3210 4G Features The new Nokia feature phone gets a 2.4-inch QVGA display which might sound dated but for these candy bar phones, this is the best option. It is powered by a Unisoc chipset with 64MB RAM and 128MB onboard storage which is further expandable up to 32GB via the microSD card slot. You can use 4G for phone calls as well as internet browsing, Bluetooth 5.0, FM Radio and 3.5mm audio jack for connectivity on the Nokia 3210 4G. It has a 2MP rear camera with LED flash that doubles up as a torch. You have the QWERTY keypad like the original model but USB-C for charging the 1,450mAh battery is a welcome addition in 2024 and most people would like it. The phone also has the popular Snake game and support for a cloud-based browser that lets you watch YouTube Shorts content on the small screen. You can also read the news, or watch other videos from these apps. Indian street food has gained immense popularity worldwide. From spicy fried snacks to sweet and cool desserts, theres an array of mouthwatering dishes to try. Tourists visiting India are often spotted exploring local street food. Speaking of which, recently a visitor from Thailand decided to go on a food trail in Delhi and try the popular fire paan. He shared his reaction to this trendy dish in his video. In the clip, Martin Bravo Santiago, an actor from Thailand, is seen approaching a vendor. He begins by asking the seller about paan price before trying it. It appears that he is immersing himself in Indian culture and exploration. Martin seems enthusiastic about trying the fire paan. Welcomed by the street vendor, Martin learns about the fire paan priced at Rs 100 and its ingredients which include gulkand, papaya chunks, sugar and dried fruit. A few seconds into the video, the vendor lights the pan on fire and assures Martin that it is safe, as he looks confused. Next, the vendor casually picks up the pan and asks him to open his mouth. The tourist was then seen eating the pan, assisted by the vendor. He eats it and gives it a thumbs up. His fire paan video garnered thousands of views on social media One user said, You are very brave, while another jokingly asked, Could you breathe fire after that. Many people sarcastically stated, Welcome to India..Im sure that youre not a beginner. A user pointed out how concerned he looked, Martin you look concerned when he lights the sugar. One person suggested he should try Delhis famous street food you may be amazed. While one user wrote, Still to understand the concept of fire paan. An individual concerned about hygiene said, Its not the fire people need to worry about. The fact is that the food was handled by guys on the street without gloves. After having fondled every part of the food they shove it into your mouth. Have you tried this yet? A man recently recounted a less-than-ideal journey to Chennai, detailing how a local tour agency allegedly overcharged them. Narrating the experience, he began, My family (12 PPL and 2 infants) planned to go on a tour to temple towns in the south (Madurai, Tirunelveli, Thiruchendur) so we rented out a 13 seater Force Tempo traveler from a local tour agency in Chennai. He then disclosed the agreed rental fee for the vehicle, emphasising his insistence on a well-maintained rental. Initially, the driver seemed amiable and bonded well with the family. But something felt off when he started driving the vehicle under 50kmph as we were approaching our destination. We dismissed our suspicion as it was getting dark and the roads were not that wide, the OP added. Also Read: Bengaluru Man Gets Forcefully Driven by Cab Driver From Airport, Receives Live Help on Reddit However, suspicions arose when the driver maintained a speed below 50kmph as they approached their destination. Despite noticing the drivers unusual behaviour, such as difficulty shifting gears and a suggestion for an unnecessary break due to a worn-out clutch plate, they chose to overlook it initially. But this was only the beginning. While returning back, near uludhurpet, it was 8 pm, the gear box jammed and was stuck in 4th gear. We were so pissed but couldnt blame the driver for something unexpected, the OP continued. They then contacted the agency for a replacement vehicle, which, disappointingly, was also in poor condition, yet they declined to switch. Upon arriving home at 2 a.m., when the family proposed settling the remaining expenses the next morning, the driver became confrontational. The driver started demanding that we settle the remaining amount ( we had already paid a certain amount while refueling throughout the trip), the OP recounted. Matters escalated as the driver resorted to verbal abuse and name-calling. We called the owner and told him that we are tired and exhausted and we have to go through the estimates before we pay. Also we were yet to receive the report of toll charges. The owner paid no heed to our demands and suggested that we pay the driver(without the report of toll charges), he concluded, noting that they were forced to pay for the replacement vehicle without any concession, as the agency highlighted that they ensured their safe return. Also Read: GoaMiles Passengers Claim Taxi Driver Forced Them To Cancel Rs 300 Ride Following the posts circulation, it has garnered significant attention, prompting discussions on potential courses of action among the public. A recent EasyJet flight from Lisbon to Manchester faced an unexpected delay, which caught passengers off guard. While the plane was fully boarded and set to depart, the pilot made an unusual announcement and explained the cause of the delay. Passengers were surprised to learn that the flight was on hold because the pilot claimed the crew cant survive on two sandwiches during the flight. Taking matters into his own hands, the unmade pilot decided to delay the flight to ensure the crew had better food options, even if it meant going through security and passport checks all over again. According to reports from the Daily Mail, a passenger mentioned that the pilot returned with a box of pizza to ensure the crew had adequate food for the two-hour flight ahead. As per the video obtained by the portal, the pilot could be heard explaining, I couldnt feed the crew with two poor sandwiches. I had to leave back to the terminal, go through the security check again, passport checks and when I asked if I can skip the queue to buy something for the crew while passengers are waiting, the answer was no. So I had to queue with 100 persons. Thank you for your patience. Now we are going hopefully. Thank you for your patience, bye. An EasyJet spokesperson stated, We are sorry that this flight from Lisbon to Manchester was delayed due to insufficient catering being available onboard for the crew. We are required to ensure that our crew have sufficient provisions onboard to operate safely. As per an anonymous passenger, The flight departure was delayed until after 4 PM due to not having any crew available to attend. When the crew arrived and we boarded the plane the crew announced that there would be further delays to get the crew some food. The pilot decided to go and get some for his crew and delay the flight further. Apparently, sandwiches werent good enough so we had a further hour delay on the plane whilst this pilot went to get hot food. They couldnt make it through a 2hr50 flight on sandwiches. Throughout the situation, passengers werent given food and toilet access. The passenger expressed that it would have been preferable for passengers to remain in the airport lounge before boarding until the crews food requirements were fulfilled. No refreshments or food were provided during the wait. On the flight, some passengers received complimentary refreshments, while others did not. The flight from Lisbon to Manchester, UK was late by 3 hours and the person claimed that they would have chosen an alternative flight if they had known about the delay in advance. A 49-year-old jewellery thief named Yaorong Wan was apprehended in Manhattan last week. As per the New York Post, Wan is suspected of robbing swanky stores in Beverly Hills, Miami and South Korea. In another update to this case, Wans girlfriend has stepped forward and told the Daily Mail that Wan had tried to woo her with the stolen jewellery pieces as gifts. After his arrest, however, she has thrown away all the jewellery. The woman said that when she met Wan, he seemed nice and therefore, she accepted him as her partner. The woman said she was scared since he had been arrested. The woman, whose name remains undisclosed, said she met Wan during her trip to Los Angeles in January. As per the woman, he lied about his identity and said his name was Wayne San. She was impressed with his demeanour and even agreed to his proposal to shift to a new house. The woman said he never paid the homes rent but used to give her jewellery sets as gifts. She had no idea about where he used to purchase them from. Whenever she asked Wan about this topic, he lied and said he had purchased them. The woman said she fell in love with Wan because he behaved well and cared for her. She had no idea that he would turn out to be a thief. She then revealed the products that he had stolen from the jewellery shops. She said Wan had robbed a watch worth $17,000 (Rs 14,18,909) from the London Jewellers. Not only this watch, he also stole a ring worth from company Tiffany & Co Rockefeller Center and another ring from the company Cartier in Hudson Yards, Manhattan. Interpol has issued a red corner notice against Wan. Red Corner Notices are issued for fugitives wanted either for prosecution or to serve a sentence. A Red Notice is a request to law enforcement agencies globally to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. The New York City Police Departments Major Case Squad tracked Wan to a Queens apartment building. Two Indian-origin brothers have been arrested in connection with the murder of a 22-year-old MTech student from India, who was stabbed to death in Australia. Abhijeet Abhijeet and Robin Gartan, both brothers who are of Indian descent, were caught by the police hours after the murder in Melbourne. They were arrested on Tuesday in the New South Wales country town of Goulburn police are preparing to extradite them to Victoria, the Goulburn Post reported. Abhijeet and Gartan were on the run since the early hours of Sunday after Navjeet Sandhu from Noble Park was killed and a 30-year-old man, also from Noble Park, was injured at an Ormond home in Melbournes southeast. Police on Thursday charged Gartan with murder and attempted murder while Abhijeet was charged with affray. They faced Goulburn Local Court on Thursday morning where their extradition to Victoria was granted. The brothers are set to front the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday. Navjeet Sandhu was fatally attacked with a knife when he tried to intervene in a dispute between a few Indian students over some rent issue, according to the deceased victims uncle Yashvir in Karnal, Haryana. 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 scuffle. 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 added that like Navjeet, the alleged accused also hails from Karnal. Yashvir said the family got the information about the incident early Sunday morning. Navjeets friend, whom he was accompanying, also sustained injuries in the incident, the uncle of the deceased said. Yashvir said the family is in a state of shock. Navjeet was a brilliant student and was to join his family in July for vacations, he said. According to Yashvir, Navjeet had moved to Australia on a study visa one-and-a-half years ago and 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, he said. (With agency inputs) Indian-American Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy, who ended his campaign for the US presidential election in January this year, was told by a right-wing commentator that she wouldnt have voted for him because he is an Indian. Speaking on Ramaswamys Truth podcast, American author Ann Coulter said she agreed with the millionaire entrepreneurs views more than most other candidates, but still, she would not have voted for him because of his Indian heritage. .@AnnCoulter told me flat-out to my face that she couldnt vote for me because youre an Indian, even though she agreed with me more than most other candidates. I disagree with her but respect she had the guts to speak her mind. It was a riveting hour. The TRUTH podcast is back https://t.co/neVjKSs6e9 Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) May 8, 2024 Ramaswamy, whose parents emigrated from India, listened to Coulters racist remarks politely, and later praised her for having the guts to speak her mind. Ann Coulter told me flat-out to my face that she couldnt vote for me because youre an Indian, even though she agreed with me more than most other candidates. I disagree with her but respect she had the guts to speak her mind. It was a riveting hour. The TRUTH podcast is back, Ramaswamy said in a post on X. From the beginning of the podcast, Coulter went on to take swipes at Ramaswamy and said, Fantastic opening monologue. I too am a fan of yours. I am going to make a point to make it fun. Youre so bright and articulate. I guess I can call you articulate since youre not an American black cant say that about them, its derogatory I agree with many, many things you say probably more than most other candidates. But I still would not have voted for you because youre an Indian. She went on to explain her stance and said, There is a core national identity that is the identity of the WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant)And that doesnt mean we cant take anyone else in a Sri Lankan or a Japanese, or an Indian. But the core around which the nations values are formed is the WASP. Unruffled by her remarks, Ramaswamy pointed out that they shared opposition to dual citizenship. He further noted that a child of immigrants would have greater loyalty to the country than disgruntled seventh-generation WASPs. The Ohio native who stood at number four in polls for the Republican presidential nomination, led the 2024 campaign with a record 42 campaign stops in a week the highest among candidates. Asserting that he is not a Plan B person, Ramaswamy has rejected the idea or speculation of his joining the Trump cabinet in any official capacity if the former President retakes the White House from Joe Biden in 2024. However, throughout his presidential campaign, the only thing that Ramaswamy did not do was to take on his Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, head-on. Instead, he waxed eloquent about the twice-impeached Trump, facing more than 90 criminal charges, calling him the greatest President of the 21st century, pledging to pardon him if elected as the POTUS. A 14-year-old girl was gang-raped by ten minors in a forest in Belgiums West Flanders province. All the ten accused are between 11 and 16, in a case that, according to the Brussels Times, has jolted the country. In the city of Kortrijk, the girl was allegedly lured to a bush, hidden from the houses in the neighbourhood, by her boyfriend, where she was abused by several of his friends. The girl was abused by ten minors on up to three occasions between April 2 and April 6 over the Easter holidays, reports said, adding that the youngest offender is 11 years old. Out of the ten, six had been placed in a closed institution, while the other four were under house arrest. The youngest suspect is 11 years old. As the suspects are so young, we are not releasing much information. However, they have all been identified and arrested and measures have been taken by the juvenile court. Our attention is now going first and foremost to the victim. She is receiving counselling, Tom Janssens of the West Flemish public prosecutors office told VRT News. A similar case reported three years ago in Ghent, East Flanders had caused a huge backlash. The case sparked a debate in the Flemish Parliament over increasing the minimum penalties for sexual offenses. Justice Minister Zuhal Demir proposed extending detention terms: up to two years for perpetrators under 14, up to five years for those aged 14-16, and up to seven years for offenders over 16. The Belgium government amended the juvenile delinquency law in June 2021, allowing longer detention for youths as young as 12 convicted of rape and gang rape. Since 2022, juvenile offenders aged 16 and older who commit rape or gang-related violence can be tried as adults. Financial regulators are poised to impose hefty fines on Canadas second-largest bank Bank for its alleged involvement in money-laundering schemes. Analysts project that the penalties could soar into the billions, marking a significant blow to the banks reputation and operations. TD Bank could face fines totaling $2 billion, as disclosed in a note to clients, The Toronto Star reported. These anticipated penalties, both monetary and non-monetary in nature, are expected to echo throughout the banks operations. According to the Canadian newspaper, TD Bank is not alone in facing scrutiny over money laundering. Other major banks in the country, including CIBC and RBC, have recently incurred fines from the countrys financial crime regulator for lapses in anti-money laundering measures. The latest blow to TD Banks reputation stems from an ongoing probe by the US Justice Department into allegations that Chinese drug traffickers exploited the banks services to launder proceeds from fentanyl sales. Earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported that these traffickers allegedly bribed TD Bank employees to facilitate their illicit transactions. Canadas second largest bank TD Bank is now caught in a major drug money laundering scandal. Could face billion of dollars in fines. Lesson: once you encourage bad behaviour in one field, it will show up all other areas, Sanjeev Sanyal, the Principal Economic Advisor to the Government of India, said in a post on X. Canadas second largest bank TD Bank is now caught in a major drug money laundering scandal. Could face billion of dollars in fines. Lesson: once you encourage bad behaviour in one field, it will show up all other areashttps://t.co/I5lPzZySNJ Sanjeev Sanyal (@sanjeevsanyal) May 9, 2024 The revelations of potential money laundering ties have cast a shadow over TD Bank since last spring when US regulators halted the sale of First Horizon Bank to TD due to concerns over suspicious customer transactions. Despite the ongoing probe, TD Bank has remained relatively tight-lipped about the ongoing investigations until recently. Earlier in April, TD Bank disclosed setting aside $450 million in provisions to cover potential penalties imposed by US regulators. Moreover, Canadas financial crime watchdog, Fintrac, slapped TD Bank with a $9.2 million penalty for failing to comply with anti-money laundering and terrorist financing measures. Fintrac revealed that TD Bank had neglected to report suspicious transactions tied to illicit activities, a violation for which the bank has already paid the fine in full. Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly reiterated Ottawas stance on the allegation that Indian agents were involved in the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar, designated a terrorist by India. Canadas position has always been clear. Our job is to protect Canadians and we stand by the allegations that a Canadian was killed on Canadian soil by Indian agents, Joly told the media on Tuesday. Jolys statement follows Canadas arrest of three Indian nationals, accused of being part of an alleged hit squad responsible for Nijjars murder in British Columbia last year. Karanpreet Singh, 28, Kamalpreet Singh, 22 and Karan Brar, 22, all Indian nationals, face charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. The Canadian foreign minister further stated that the investigation into Nijjars killing is being conducted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asserted in September last year that Indian government agents were involved in Nijjars shooting. However, India rejected these allegations, contending that Canada had not taken sufficient measures to curb the activities of Khalistani groups. Suspect entered Canada using study permit In a separate development, one of the suspects, Karan Brar, disclosed in a social media video that he entered Canada on a study permit, obtained within days, as reported by Canadian publication Global News. Brar shared that he applied for a student visa through EthicWorks Immigration Services in Bathinda, Punjab, and received it shortly after. The promotional video and a picture of Brar, whom the firm claimed hailed from Kotkapura, a city north of Bathinda, were posted on EthicWorks Facebook page. The caption below the video read, Congratulations Karan Brar for the Canada study visa, along with the statement, One more happy client from Kotkapura. According to the publication, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller declined to respond to inquiries regarding how the suspects entered the country. However, online posts suggest that Brar arrived on a student permit three years before the killing. A Chinese zoo has drawn flak for painting furry dogs black and white to fool visitors, who wanted to see pandas. Social media posts revealed that Taizhou Zoo introduced a new exhibition of panda dogs on May 1, with visitors being charged 20 yuan (2.22) for access to the attraction. However, upon arrival at the zoo in Jiangsu province, visitors discovered that the animals on display were actually chow chow dogs, a breed renowned for its dense double coat of fur native to northern China, which had been dyed black and white to resemble pandas. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sky News (@skynews) According to The Global Times, legal experts asserted that visitors would inevitably feel deceived and disappointed upon learning the truth about the exhibit. Nevertheless, a zoo worker refuted allegations of false advertising, stating that the display accurately described the chow chow dogs and denied any intention to deceive visitors. The zoo spokesperson defended the panda exhibit by likening it to humans dyeing their hair, asserting that natural dye could be applied to dogs with long fur, and clarifying that there were no actual panda bears at the zoo. This incident is reminiscent of a similar controversy in 2023 when Hangzhou Zoo dismissed accusations that some of its bears were people in costumes. A female teacher from a school in the US state of Wisconsin was accused for allegedly making out with an 11-year-old boy in her classroom. The teacher, identified as Madison Bergmann, purportedly moved the childs desk next to hers so that she could touch him during class, while ensuring that no other students gets to see it. As per a complaint filed on Thursday in St. Croix District Court, the boy who is a student of fifth grade told investigators that Bergmann would rub his thigh and calves during independent reading time. The boy also claimed that Bergmann would also ask him to stay after class. He further said that the accused teacher kissed him several times in her classroom, either after school or while the other students were on a lunch break. The 24-year-old teacher has been charged with first-degree child sexual assault of a child under age 13. According to a report by The New York Post, the boys family had befriended Bergmann while going with her on a ski trip to a nearby resort. It was during that weekend that Bergmann received the boys number, she told authorities. The boys mother overheard disturbing call and alerted her husband. As per the complaint, the father allegedly confiscated the boys phone and read his text messages. In one of the text messages, the complaint stated, Bergmann wrote to the boy that she wanted to just grab his face and push him to the floor and make out with him. The boys father who was agitated on the incident, got printout of the texts and took them to the school. Authorities immediately started an investigation on the case. When the officials searched Bergmanns bag, they allegedly found a folder with the victims name on it and inside it were several handwritten letters. In her notes she tells him that she loves him, wants to kiss him, he turns her on, and that she is obsessed with him, the complaint stated. In a conversation with The Post, one of the students mom shared, My daughter thought he was a problem kid. She said that his desk got moved next to [Bergmanns] a couple of months ago, and she just assumed that he was in trouble. The mother of the victims classmate further said that during lunch time, the teacher would ask him to stay after class and thereby that just strengthened the idea that he was constantly getting into trouble. The accused was reportedly engaged to his fiance Sam Hickman but as per reports the wedding has been indefinitely postponed and probably wont happen. Iran freed seven of the 25 crew on a Portuguese-flagged ship that was seized in the Gulf on April 13, Portugals foreign ministry said on Thursday. Five Indians, a Filipino and an Estonian from the MSC Aries were released, the ministry said in a statement. Portugal welcomed the action but asked for the immediate release of the remaining 17 crew. Iran said the container ship had Israeli links when it was seized. Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard last month seized the Israel-linked Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries, which was manned by several Indians, near the Strait of Hormuz amid tensions with Israel in the wake of the Gaza war. 5 of the Indian sailors on MSC Aries have been released and departed from Iran today evening. We appreciate the Iranian authorities for their close coordination with the Embassy and Indian Consulate in Bandar Abbas. India in Iran (@India_in_Iran) May 9, 2024 READ MORE: Indian Woman, Part Of Seized Cargo Ships Crew, Returns Home From Iran Ann Tessa Joseph, the only female cadet among the 17 Indian crew members of the MSC Aries, was released on April 18 after extensive efforts by the Indian mission in Tehran and the Iranian government. She arrived back in India on the same day and was welcomed by the Regional Passport Officer at Cochin International Airport in Kerala. After the release of five more crew members, now eleven more Indians remain with Iran. However, the Indian government is yet to confirm this figure. Last week, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said Iran has released the crew of a seized Portuguese-flagged ship linked to Israel but remains in control of the vessel itself. He said the release of the crew was a humanitarian act and they could return to their countries along with the ships captain. Irans foreign ministry had earlier said the Aries was seized for violating maritime laws and that there was no doubt it was linked to Israel. READ MORE: Crew Of MSC Aries Will Be Released Soon, Says Iran In Relief To Indians Held Aboard Seized Vessel MSC reportedly leases the Aries from Gortal Shipping an affiliate of Zodiac Maritime partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer. Increasing attacks on merchant shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden by Yemens Iran-allied Houthis, claiming solidarity with Palestinians during Israels war on Gaza, have affected global shipping networks. (With agency inputs) A Germany-registered chartered flight carrying Indian passengers from Dubai was denied entry as tourists in Jamaicas Kingston by local authorities, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on Thursday. The chartered flight, carrying over 200 Indian passengers, arrived in Kingston from Dubai on May 2 for tourism. Despite having prior hotel bookings, Jamaican authorities deemed them unsatisfactory as tourists. According to local media, the passengers departed Kingston on May 7 after both the flight and passengers were instructed to return to their place of origin. We understand that a Germany-registered chartered flight with Indians on board landed in Kingston from Dubai on 2 May for tourism purposes. They had prior hotel bookings. The local authorities were not satisfied with them as tourists. The flight and passengers were ordered to return to the place of origin, Dubai. The passengers left Kingston on 7 May, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a weekly press conference. Earlier, reports had emerged that Jamaican immigration authorities had denied entry to 218 Indian nationals who arrived on a charter flight to Jamaica. The aircraft, a white and blue Airbus A-340 registered in Germany, remains at Kingstons Norman Manley International Airport. According to Radio Jamaican News Online, law enforcement sources revealed discrepancies in the flights arrival notification and passenger manifest. Despite being denied entry, passengers were allowed to stay at the ROK Hotel in downtown Kingston under police guard. Catch Highlights of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Voting In Karnataka And Gujarat on our website. Russia has refuted allegations of the involvement of Indian citizens in a foiled assassination plot against pro-Khalistan radical Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the US has not yet provided any reliable evidence implicating Indian citizens in the case. According to the information we have, Washington has not yet provided any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the preparation of the murder of a certain GS Pannun. Speculation on this topic in the absence of evidence is unacceptable, Maria Zakharova, the official spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said at a press briefing on Wednesday when asked about accusations against an Indian official of a foiled assassination plot on foreign soil. Slamming the US further, Zakharova said regular unfounded accusations by the United States against New Delhi of violating religious freedoms are a reflection of the United States misunderstanding of the national mentality, the historical context of the development of the Indian state and disrespect for India as a state . I am sure that this also comes from the neocolonial mentality, the mentality of the colonial period, the period of the slave trade, and imperialism, she said. Unfounded Accusations: US Aims to Destabilise India During #LokSabha2024 Russian Foreign MinistrySpox Maria Zakharova has said Washington lacks simple understanding of Indias national mentality and history, as America continues to make unfounded accusations about pic.twitter.com/M8G0gtiP92 RT_India (@RT_India_news) May 8, 2024 Desire To Complicate: Russia Claims US Trying To Interfere In Indian General Election The spokesperson further claimed that the US is trying to interfere in Indian General Election. When asked about US interference in Indian elections, she said, Absolutely. I think that this is a desire to complicate the ongoing general parliamentary elections in India on the part of the United States and is part of a campaign to interfere in Indias internal affairs. She further said that the reason is the desire to unbalance the internal political situation in India in order to complicate the general parliamentary elections taking place in the country. Of course, this is part of interference in Indias internal affairs, she added. Speculative And Irresponsible: Indias Rebuttal On WP Report Indias External Affairs Ministry had earlier dismissed the report by the Washington Post, which alleged Indian spy agencys involvement in what is thought to be a failed assassination attempt against Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and even named a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) official who it said orchestrated the purported plan. The report in question makes unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. There is an ongoing investigation of the High Level Committee set up by the Government of India to look into the security concerns shared by the US government on networks of organised criminals, terrorists and others. Speculative and irresponsible comments on it are not helpful, he further added. What Washington Post Report Says? A report published by US newspaper Washington Post claimed that an officer of the foreign intelligence agency of India Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) instructed a hired hit team to kill US-based Khalistani separatist Pannun. The report says that RAW officer Vikram Yadav gave the instructions to the hit team to eliminate the legal counsel of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) who is a prominent leader of the separatist movement. US intelligence agencies have assessed that the operation targeting Pannun was approved by the RAW chief at the time, Samant Goel, the report said. The report also said that Yadav was transferred back to Central Reserve Police Forces (CRPF) following the unravelling of the Pannun plot. The government of India has not responded to these assertions made by the US newspaper. American authorities have indicted Nikhil Gupta for the plot and said that he was acting at the behest of an Indian official who was named as CC-1 in the indictment. Gupta remains in a jail in Czechian capital Prague. He was detained last year by Czechian and American agencies. The government is looking at the issue and had formed a high-level committee to investigate the matter in November based on the information shared by the US about the role of the Indian official. India at that time said that it had a bearing on Indias security as well. The report by the Washington Post claimed that Vikram Yadav was on deputation from CRPF and had allegedly forwarded details of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, including his address in New York. It also claimed that Yadav lacked training and skills needed for the operation that involved going head-to-head against sophisticated US counter-intelligence capabilities, the newspaper further claimed. However, the Washington Post report paints Pannun and his Khalistani associates as dissidents but fails to note the rising cases of extremism and intimidation against members of the Indian diaspora and even Sikhs and Punjabis who do not align themselves with the Khalistani ideology. The report fails to acknowledge that Khalistani separatists have for the past few years held rallies and referendums in Canada, Australia and in the US, trying to gather support for their secessionist cause, directly posing a threat to Indian sovereignty. The Western governments have failed to acknowledge that violent Khalistani extremists have used their soil to foment anti-India sentiments. Stay updated with live coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Voting In Karnataka And Gujarat on our website. Get the latest updates, polling trends, result dates and more. Beijing (Gasgoo)- On May 6, the official website of ONVO ( in Chinese), a mainstream family car-oriented brand of NIO, was officially launched, featuring the message "Stay tuned for the first model, L60". Photo credit: ONVO However, the information displayed on the ONVO website is limited. Apart from the official ONVO logo, no other details are provided. Additionally, ONVO has also opened an official Weibo account, but it remains inactive with no further information or posts. The launch of the ONVO website indicates that after nearly three years of preparation, NIO's sub-brand ONVO is entering an intensive promotional period. Furthermore, it has been reported that ONVO's management will make a public appearance on May 9, where details regarding responsible personnel, brand and logo meanings, as well as information about the ONVO App, will be clarified. According to Reuters, Nicolas Vincelot, General Manager for NIO in France, revealed at a Sino-French business forum in Paris on May 6 that ONVO, the sub-brand of NIO, is expected to launch the L60 model for the mass market by the end of May. Additionally, in 2025, ONVO plans to introduce a second brand, Firefly, positioned at a lower price point of under $30,000 (approximately 216,500 yuan). Vincelot emphasized NIO's commitment to launching a new pure electric vehicle brand that will better cater to the demands of the European market. A Lebanese security source said four Hezbollah members were killed in an Israeli strike on a vehicle in the countrys south, the latest such raid in months of cross-border hostilities. Lebanons powerful Hezbollah movement began attacking Israel in support of ally Hamas a day after the Palestinian militant groups unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel that sparked war in the Gaza Strip. The Lebanese security source, requesting anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media, said that four Hezbollah fighters were killed in an Israeli drone strike on their vehicle in Bafliyeh, about 15 kilometres (10 miles) from the frontier. The Israeli army told AFP: We do not comment on reports in the foreign media. Lebanons civil defence reported four martyrs in an Israeli air strike on the main road in Bafliyeh, adding that teams worked to put out the fire that erupted in the vehicle. Lebanons official National News Agency reported at least one dead in a strike on the same road, which it attributed to enemy aircraft. Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the incident. The powerful, Iran-backed Shiite Muslim movement has stepped up its attacks in recent weeks, while Israels military has struck deeper into Lebanese territory. At least 399 people have been killed in Lebanon in seven months of cross-border violence, mostly militants but also including more than 70 civilians, according to an AFP tally. Israel says 14 soldiers and nine civilians have been killed on its side of the border, including one on Wednesday. Three Israeli soldiers have been reported killed in north Lebanon this week. On Wednesday, Hezbollah said two of its fighters had been killed, while Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad said three of its own combatants were killed on the Lebanon-Israel border. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced on both sides. A Princeton University student and an anti-Israel protester, who embarked on a self-imposed hunger strike, garnered attention when her video blaming the university for allegedly physically weakening students went viral on social media, drawing both criticism and amusement on the internet. In the viral video, the protester and her group can be seen speaking on a megaphone about the New Jersey Ivy League schools refusal to withdraw support to Israel following terror group Hamas unprovoked attack on the Jewish country on October 7, reported the New York Post. NEW: Pro-Palestine protester at Princeton says she is literally shaking because she is starving and immunocompromised.The woman accused the school of purposely physically weakening her and her peers. This is absolutely unfair. My peers and I, we are starving. We are pic.twitter.com/54TL9lIKOV Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 8, 2024 This is absolutely unfair. My peers and I, we are starving. We are physically exhausted. I am quite literally shaking right now as you can see, the protester was heard railing into the megaphone in a widely shared video on X. Last Friday, a hunger strike was initiated by students that urged the university to engage in dialogue concerning divestment and to withdraw criminal and disciplinary charges against two students arrested for setting up tents and 13 others arrested for trespassing in an academic building last month, the Daily Princetonian reported on Monday. After meeting with the stakeholders on Monday, students said they had no intention of halting their protest, which had left them immunocompromised, according to the female protester. We are both hot and cold at the same time. We are all immunocompromised and based on the universitys meeting yesterday with some of our bargaining team, they would love to continue physically weakening us because they cant stand to say no to unjust murder, the protester said as her peers cheered. I will say I truly do not feel like I am doing anything special. This is my choice, and I would not spend my birthday doing anything other than being here, the protester said despite protests. No matter how physically weak we may be, united we have never been stronger, the student group added as the crowd began to chant, The people united will never be defeated! Internet Reacts, Calls Accusation Insane Reacting on the protesters accusation on the university, a social media user took to X and asked the protesting students to end the strike and go home. Literally nobody cares. Go eat, youre not a POW, just a low IQ NPC, he wrote. Literally nobody cares. Go eat, youre not a POW, just a low IQ NPC The Appalachian Podcast (@GetOnTap) May 8, 2024 If you want to do a hunger strike, fine. But you going out and blaming other people for you starving yourself is insane, another user wrote. I think this is their M.O., just blame everyone else, a third user pointed. If you want to do a hunger strike, fine.But you going out and blaming other people for you starving yourself is insane. Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 8, 2024 I think this is their M.O., just blame everyone else The Appalachian Podcast (@GetOnTap) May 8, 2024 The student newspaper reported that as of Sunday night, a minimum of 15 students were participating in the hunger strike. It remained uncertain how this figure might have fluctuated over the course of the week. In an email to students on Tuesday, school president Christopher Eisgruber, graduate school dean Rodney Priestley, and Amaney Jamal, dean of the School of Public and International Affairs, assured that administrators were collaborating with the protesters. Saudi authorities have sanctioned the use of lethal force to clear land for the new futuristic city of NEOM, a flagship project of the kingdoms Crown Prince, a new report reveals. Constructed by multiple Western companies, Neom is the biggest project undertaken by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he plans to diversify the Saudi Arabian economy that has been heavily reliant on oil. Colonel Rabih Alenezi disclosed that he was instructed to remove villagers from a tribe in the Gulf state to clear the area for The Line, a component of the Neom eco-project. Subsequently, one of them was shot and killed for protesting against eviction, he told the British broadcaster BBC in an intervier. Colonel Alenezi, now in exile in the United Kingdom, revealed that the clearance directive he received targeted al-Khuraybah, located 4.5 kilometers south of The Line. The affected villages were predominantly inhabited by the Huwaitat tribe, longstanding residents of the Tabuk region in the countrys northwest. Colonel Alenezi further disclosed that the April 2020 order characterised the Huwaitat as many rebels and sanctioned the use of lethal force against those who resisted eviction. Although he avoided participating in the mission due to fabricated medical reasons, it proceeded nonetheless. [Neom] is the centrepiece of Mohamed Bin Salmans ideas. Thats why he was so brutal in dealing with the Huwaitat, he stated. UK-based human rights group ALQST estimated that the project has led to the forced relocation of over 6,000 people. According to the UN and ALQST, at least 47 other villagers were detained for resisting evictions. Many of them faced prosecution on terror-related charges. Presently, 40 individuals remain in detention, with five of them sentenced to death, as per ALQST. Saudi tribal activist shot dead In 2020, a Saudi tribal activist, Abdul Rahim al-Huwaiti, was purportedly killed by the countrys security forces in the northwest region of the kingdom. He had refused to vacate his home, which was marked for demolition to make space for the construction of a megacity project in the area. Abdul Rahim al-Huwaiti belonging to the large Howeitat tribe spanning southwest Jordan, Sinai, and northwestern Saudi Arabia was allegedly shot dead by Saudi security personnel in Al-Khuraybah, situated more than 1400 kilometers northwest of the capital Riyadh, close to the Jordanian-Saudi-Israeli border intersection. As per the BBC report, al-Huwaiti declined to permit a land registry committee to assess the value of his property. Subsequently, Saudi authorities shot him dead during the clearance operation the following day. Prior to this incident, he had shared several videos on social media protesting against the evictions. Against a backdrop of mounting pro-Palestine demonstrations on US campuses, a new report reveals that multiple Ivy League institutions, including Harvard University and Brown University, have reportedly received millions in contributions from foundations and donors located in the State of Palestine to support the education of Palestinian students at American colleges. The report by Open the Books, a Republican-owned nonprofit dedicated to transparency in government spending, reveals that these prestigious institutions received a total of $10 million from 2017 to 2023 from entities within the State of Palestine. Brown University, Harvard University, and the non-Ivy Indiana University of Pennsylvania are among the recipients of funding from donors located in a nation that lacks recognition by the United Nations or the US, despite being recognised by approximately 140 other countries. In February 2020, Brown University received a $643,000 donation from a foundation within the State of Palestine to establish a professorship in Palestinian Studies as part of its Middle East Studies program. Although the donors identity was not disclosed in financial filings, the donation was reportedly from the Munib and Angela Masri Foundation based in the West Bank, as per the federal disclosures reviewed by Open the Books. According to a 2020 press release, nine distinct donors, including several Brown alumni and the foundation, collaborated to establish the Mahmoud Darwish Professorship in Palestinian Studies. Meanwhile, Harvard University received $1.6 million from donors within the State of Palestine, while Indiana University of Pennsylvania received $6.4 million from entities within the same area and an additional $900,000 from a donor in the Palestinian Territory, Occupied. Funds allocated to support Palestinian students Most of these funds were allocated to support Palestinian students from the occupied territories in pursuing higher education in American universities, covering tuition, fees, and other related expenses, as indicated in financial disclosure documents, as per the New York Post. According to the same 2020 report, Indiana University of Pennsylvania received a minimum of $2.3 million from the West Bank-based Arab American University. This funding was allocated to cover tuition and various other expenses for Palestinian students enrolled at the US college. Furthermore, in addition to financial support, US universities have maintained enduring relationships with institutions in the West Bank. For instance, Brown Universitys inaugural professor of Palestinian Studies, Beshara Doumani, concurrently served as the president of Birzeit University in the West Bank for two years. Meanwhile, Indiana University of Pennsylvania also collaborates with Arab American University in the West Bank, offering business Ph.D. and masters programs as part of their partnership since 2014. IUP has received instructional agreement income for providing educational programs at various international locations, including one in Palestine, since 2014, stated a spokesperson for the university to Open the Books. An Indian-origin scammer was on Thursday sentenced to eight years in prison for duping six people of more than SGD2.85 million (USD 2.10 million). Murlidharan Muhundan, 47, cheated his victims through a series of fees, commissions and other fictitious payments after claiming that he could help them recover their money, The Straits Times newspaper reported. The victims had already suffered losses in earlier investments. The Singaporean, who committed the offences between June 2020 and October 2022, pleaded guilty on April 5 to 18 counts of cheating involving more than SGD1 million (USD 7,37,036). Another 40 similar charges linked to the remaining amount were considered during sentencing. In earlier proceedings, the prosecution said Murlidharan had earned the trust of his victims, who were between 57 and 77 years old. His first victim was a 77-year-old woman retiree who lost money in a failed Gold Crown timeshare investment scheme. The court heard that he also cheated five more people before he was caught and charged in court in May 2022. For each count of cheating, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined. A teenage girl in the US state of California has been charged with murder after a fatal shooting of a 20-year-old in South Los Angeles in March. Kendra McIntyre was shot on March 21 while walking in the Vermont-Slauson area of South Los Angeles. Shortly after the shooting, she was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead. On Thursday, March 21, 2024, around 4:20 a.m., the victim, Kendra Mclntyre, was shot while walking near the southeast corner of 70th Street and Figueroa Street. Mclntyre was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased. South Bureau Homicide Division detectives were assigned the case, and through the course of their investigation, identified a 14-year-old female juvenile as the murder suspect, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a press statement on Tuesday. LA has reportedly recovered the firearm used in the shooting and also believes that the killing appears to be random. According to LA media outlets, police took the juvenile into custody on May 6 and filed a murder charge against her, the next day. Meanwhile, a fundraiser has been launched for the family of the victim. Kendras life was taken from her in a senseless act of violence, leaving Debra and her family devastated and in need of our help. Debras world has been shattered by this unimaginable loss, and as a community, we want to ease her burden in any way we can. We are reaching out to you today to ask for your support in raising funds to help Debra with financial expenses during this tragic time of enduring the pain of burying her child, as friends and loved ones, we must rally around Debra during this difficult time, the GoFundMe page reads. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- China's Chongqing Municipal Government recently issued a document announcing its major administrative decisions for 2024. Among these, it outlined a new action plan for the implementation of supercharging facilities for new energy vehicles (NEVs), aiming to have constructed more than 2,000 supercharging stations and more than 4,000 supercharging piles by 2025. Photo credit: Chongqing Municipal People's government The plan is designed to create a robust charging infrastructure system primarily focusing on supercharging, enabling seamless integration and interaction between NEVs and the power grid. As part of the plan, all the newly built public fast-charging stations in Chongqing's central urban areas should have supercharging capabilities. Existing charging stations will also undergo gradual transformation into supercharging stations, forming the "1-kilometer supercharging circle". By 2025, Chongqing is set to to densely deploy supercharging infrastructures in the central urban areas, with 1,340 supercharging stations established. An additional 430 stations will be built in the main urban new districts and Wanzhou District, 100 in the northeast and southeast regions, and 170 at highway service areas. As for the site selection, Chongqing will prioritize key locations such as public parking lots, commercial areas, gas stations, metro facilities, squares, green spaces, and highway service areas. In terms of technological advancement, Chongqing will support the construction of liquid-cooled supercharging stations with single-gun power output exceeding 480 kW. Additionally, vehicle manufacturers will be encouraged to integrate supercharging into the functionalities of new energy vehicle products. NewsCenter1 Today Meteorologist/Multimedia Journalist Originally a Sioux Falls native, Sam came to Rapid City and fell in love with the Black Hills. She decided that she wanted to make western South Dakota her home. Recently, Sam graduated from the School of Mines with an M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences and is very excited to share her love of the weather at NewsCenter1. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- GAC Group reported automobile wholesales totaling 133,313 units in April 2024, marking a 24.78% decline year-over-year. From January to April, the company's total wholesale volume reached 543,011 units, representing a 24.28% decrease compared to the same period last year. However, GAC Group saw a substantial growth in its international markets presence, exporting around 45,000 vehicles in the first four months of this year, a significant soar of 267.1% year-over-year. GAC Motor, the entity behind GAC Group's self-owned brand Trumpchi, achieved a wholesale volume of 37,733 units in April, an increase of 29.07% year-over-year. High-value flagship models accounted for 43% of its April sales, with 16,076 units sold, and MPV models experienced an 18% increase year-on-year, with 13,198 units sold in the month. Conversely, another GAC Group's wholly-owned passenger vehicle unit, GAC AION, saw a significant drop in wholesale volume by 47.94% year-over-year, totaling 21,350 units in April, despite the retail sales reaching 26,761 units. AION S MAX; photo credit: GAC AION GAC AION recently unveiled several significant technological advancements and products, including the the second-generation AION V launched at the Auto China 2024. This new global strategic model, developed in accordance to international standards, supports intelligent driving without maps, boasts a long-range capability of 750 km, and can recharge up to 370 km of range in just 15 minutes. It is slated to hit the market in July of this year. As for joint-venture performance, GAC Toyota and GAC Honda are accelerating their shift towards intelligent connected new energy vehicles and increasing the proportion of electrified vehicle models in their lineups. GAC Toyota's April wholesale volume came in at 48,786 units, which dipped 32.24% over a year ago. Meanwhile, its monthly retail sales reached 52,251 units, with electrified models comprising 49% of these sales. At the Auto China 2024, GAC Toyota unveiled the full electric SUV model, the bZ3X, featuring a new electronic and electrical architecture with a range of up to 600 km. GAC Honda recorded a wholesale volume of 24,673 units in April, marking a 2.93% year-on-year dip. Meanwhile, it retailed 37,170 vehicles in the month. At the Auto China 2024, GAC Honda officially put its second Honda-branded pure electric model, the e:NP2, onto the market. UPDATE Jun 4, 2024 6:56 PM CDT Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter could be facing a sentence of up to 33 years in prison, possibly followed by deportation to Japan, after pleading guilty to bank and tax fraud charges Tuesday. Ippei Mizuhara will be sentenced on Oct. 25, ESPN reports. Prosecutors said Mizuhara "committed a massive fraud" against his longtime friend Ohtani, stealing from the pitcher's accounts to cover massive gambling debts and even dental expenses. Major League Baseball, which had been carrying out its own investigation, said that now the criminal case has been resolved, "MLB considers Shohei Ohtani a victim of fraud and this matter has been closed." May 8, 2024 4:51 PM CDT Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter has agreed to plead guilty to two federal charges in connection with a gambling scandal that could send him to prison for more than 30 years. The US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California said Wednesday that Ippei Mizuhara will plead guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return, reports CBS Sports. The bank fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years, and the tax charge carries a sentence of up to three years, reports the AP. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's attempt to oust Speaker Mike Johnson was met with boos, laughter, and 359 votes against in the House on Wednesday, quelling the Georgia Republican's long-threatened revolt. Greene's measure won the support of only 10 other Republicans and 32 Democrats, 163 of whom backed keeping Johnson while seven voted present. GOP members booed as Greene introduced her measure earlier in the day, the Washington Post reports. When Majority Whip Steve Scalise immediately moved to kill it, nearly all members yelled their approval, with only the voices of Greene and GOP Rep. Thomas Massie heard to say "nay." Laughter followed. "This is the uniparty for the American people watching," Greene said as she was being booed. Afterward, Johnson expressed appreciation to the members who declined to end his speakership after six months. "Hopefully, this is the end of the personality politics and the frivolous character assassination that has defined the 118th Congress," he said. "It's regrettable, it's not who we are as Americans, and we're better than this." He had the support of Donald Trump, who posted online Wednesday that "this is not the time" for a motion to vacate. Trump called Johnson a "good man who is trying very hard," per CBS News. Johnson and Greene had met a couple of times this week, though he denied negotiating with her to keep the job. Demands by Greene and Massie, per the Post, included that Johnson act to: Allow no more aid to be sent to Ukraine this year. Put only bills on the floor that most Republicans support. Move to defund all Justice Department investigations of Trump. Pass a dozen individual spending bills or institute a 1% reduction across government agencies. Johnson did not give the pair an answer. (More Mike Johnson stories.) A New York real estate developer was charged with felony assault after police said he hit a woman with his car during a pro-Palestinian demonstration led by students connected to the Columbia University protest movement, the AP reports. Reuven Kahane, 57, was arrested Tuesday morning after driving his car into a 55-year-old safety marshal for the protest, according to witnesses and an NYPD spokesperson. The woman, who was treated at a hospital for minor injuries, was also arrested, but charges of criminal mischief against her and another demonstrator were dropped Wednesday by the Manhattan district attorney. Kahane was released from custody while he awaits trial. Kahane is related to Rabbi Meir Kahane, the Brooklyn-born founder of the Jewish Defense League, a group that advocated for the removal of Arabs from Israel and orchestrated a string of violent attacks in the US and abroad. Kahane's political party was banned from the Israeli parliament in the 1980s, and the US classified the Jewish Defense League as a terrorist group. He was assassinated in New York in 1990. On Wednesday afternoon, Reuven Kahane, who lives in the Manhattan neighborhood where the protest took place, said he had no link to the Jewish Defense League. Police said the arrest followed a verbal dispute started by protesters involved in the demonstration. The vehicle moved during the confrontation, police said, but Kahane is not accused of trying to mow down a group of protesters. Several students at the scene disputed the NYPD's version of events. They said they were leaving the home of a university trustee, where they had spent the morning picketing and passing out flyers, when Kahane began heckling the protest from inside his car. They said Kahane tried to drive through a crosswalk where the protesters were walking in a group, prompting one of the volunteer safety marshals, Maryellen Novak, to step in front of the vehicle to block its path. "I saw her put her hands on the hood of the car trying to stop it," said Ava Garcia, one of the protesters. "The car kept moving, and she was pushed to the hood of the car because it was accelerating. It was only when she fell to the ground that the car stopped." (More pro-Palestinian protesters stories.) Four flight attendants who worked on routes to the Dominican Republic from New York's JFK Airport allegedly abused their easy route through security by smuggling millions of dollars to the Caribbean country. Federal prosecutors say the flight attendants had access to the Known Crewmember fast lane, which allowed them to "bypass airport security with large quantities of cash without that cash being seized," NBC News reports. Authorities say the cash was linked to the sale of narcotics, including fentanyl, and the flight attendants took a cut of $1,000 or $2,000 from every $60,000 they smuggled. Authorities say the flight attendants smuggled a total of around $8 million between 2014 and last year. Charlie Hernandez, Sarah Valerio Pujols, Emmanuel Torres, and Jarol Fabio were arrested on Tuesday. They face felony charges of operating an unlicensed money transmission business and violating airport security requirements, Fox News reports. Hernandez and Pujols also face conspiracy charges. According to an indictment, the arrests followed a years-long investigation of a money laundering ring. Prosecutors said a confidential informant who had been working with Homeland Security gave the attendants cash to smuggle to the Dominican Republic, reports CBS News. Under the Known Crewmember program, airline employees cleared by the TSA can pass through checkpoints without being X-rayed. "This investigation has exposed critical vulnerabilities in the airline security industry and has illuminated methods that narcotics traffickers are utilizing," Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo said in a statement. NBC reports that Delta has confirmed that two of the attendants were its employees. The airline says it is fully cooperating with the investigation. (More flight attendants stories.) The first discontinuation of the Chevy Malibu took place in 1983, after nearly 20 years in production. The iconic General Motors sedan was brought back to life in 1997, but now, the company is phasing it out yet againand this time, it looks like it's for good. "To facilitate the installation of tooling and other plant modifications, after nine generations and over 10 million global sales, GM will end production of the Chevrolet Malibu in November 2024," a GM spokesperson told the Detroit News , via Edmunds . The rep adds that production will also cease in January on the Cadillac XT4 luxury SUV. Edmunds reports that GM is clearing out the Malibus to make way for more production of electric vehicles, like the next-gen Chevy Bolt, at its plant in Kansas City, Kansas. Per the New York Times, the Malibu is the last sedan sold by Chevy in the US. It was also Chevy's last gas-powered car, other than the Corvette; GM's Cadillac brand still makes two gas-powered sedans. The Times notes that the dumping of the Malibu reflects a wider trend of consumers backing away from sedans, hatchbacks, and compact cars, opting instead for larger vehicles like SUVs and pickup trucks. Overseas companies like Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota are the ones continuing to sell hundreds of thousands of those smaller cars annually. The Malibu debuted in 1964 and was marketed as a higher-end family sedan. When GM downsized in 1983, the Malibu ended up on the chopping block, but it was brought back in 1997. The Wall Street Journal notes that GM hoped the revived Malibu would rule the midsize market roost, but it earned "tepid" reviews and never quite caught on as well as its Honda Accord and Toyota Camry competitors. Last year, GM sold 130,000 Malibus; for context, 200,000 Malibus had flown out of factories and into consumer driveways a decade earlier. GM isn't the only major car company to start ditching its sedan lineup: Ford no longer makes sedans, and Stellantis has been focusing on churning out trucks, SUVs, and minivans. (More General Motors stories.) UPDATE May 11, 2024 7:00 AM CDT Looks like we're not going to get to see Barron Trump's political debut this summer after all. It was announced earlier this week that former President Trump's youngest son would serve as an at-large Florida delegate to the Republican National Convention, but new word from the office of the 18-year-old's mom indicates Barron won't be available for the gig. "While Barron is honored to have been chosen as a delegate by the Florida Republican Party, he regretfully declines to participate due to prior commitments," a Friday statement from Melania Trump's office noted, per Politico. Earlier that day, Barron's father weighed in on his son when asked about the delegation offer on the Kayal and Company radio show. "He's really been a great student," Trump said, per the AP. "And he does like politics. It's sort of funny. He'll tell me sometimes, 'Dad, this is what you have to do.'" May 9, 2024 8:03 AM CDT Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has been chosen to serve as a Florida delegate to the Republican National Convention, the state party chairman said Wednesday. Republican Party of Florida chairman Evan Power said the 18-year-old high school senior will serve as one of 41 at-large delegates from Florida to the national gathering, where the GOP is set to officially nominate his father as its presidential candidate for the November general election. Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the US could march through parts of the South early Thursday, after storms a day earlier spawned damaging tornadoes and massive hail, leaving two dead in Tennessee and one dead in North Carolina. The storms continue an outbreak of torrential rain and tornadoes that has cut across the country this week, from the Plains to the Midwest and now the southeastern US, the AP reports. Amid Wednesday's storms, the National Weather Service continued issuing tornado warnings that stretched past midnight in North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, and Kentucky. Parts of Arkansas and Mississippi were also under a tornado watch through the pre-dawn hours. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On May 7, local time of Paris, Chinese power battery giant CATL signed a cooperation agreement with French shipping giant CMA CGM. The partnership is poised to harness the strengths of both companies, focusing on the creation of comprehensive solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Photo credit: CATL Under the agreement, the duo will co-explore potential collaborative opportunities in research and development, and plan to establish a joint venture aimed at meeting the growing demands of environmental protection, facilitating energy transitions, and industrial upgrading. Additionally, both parties will collaborate closely in several areas, including electric shipping, commercial vehicles, warehousing and logistics, and renewable energy. Their joint efforts will be guided by a roadmap towards carbon neutrality, promoting both digital and green low-carbon transitions. CMA CGM is globally recognized for its superior shipping operations and management, and has long been committed to sustainable practices. Its dedication to green, low-carbon operations aligns with its mission to provide environmentally friendly and efficient shipping services worldwide. This agreement builds on the previous alignment of both companies in the field of new energy and draws on their extensive practical experience and deep technical expertise. Looking forward, they will integrate their technological, market, and resource strengths to further develop the green transportation sector, such as electric shipping, and enhance their cooperation in digital and low-carbon transformation, supporting the advancement of the new energy sectors in both China and France. CATL said the signing of this collaboration agreement is based on the prior convergence of ideas in the new energy sector between both parties, as well as their extensive practical experience and deep technological expertise in their respective fields. Moving forward, the two parties will integrate deeply in technology, market, and resources, working together to advance the development of green transportation industries such as electric ships. Additionally, they will enhance cooperation in digitalization and green, low-carbon transformation, helping to elevate the new energy industry in both China and France to a new level. In contrast to events at many campuses on the other side of the Atlantic, students at Ireland's oldest university agreed to take down an anti-Gaza war encampment after negotiations that Trinity College Dublin officials described as "very productive and very fruitful." After five days of peaceful protest, students dismantled the encampment at the central Dublin campus Wednesday night, the New York Times reports. Demands met. The Irish Times reports that the university has agreed to divest from three Israeli companies with links to illegal West Bank settlements and it says it will "endeavour to divest from investments in other Israeli companies." Trinity also plans to provide tuition and accommodation for eight scholars from Gaza. Professor Eoin O'Sullivan, the university's lead negotiator, said Trinity is "committed to further constructive engagement on the issues raised. We thank the students for their engagement." A Boeing 737-3 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 10 people, according to the transport minister, an airline safety group, and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire. "Notre avion vient de prendre feu""Our plane just caught fire"wrote Malian musician Cheick Siriman Sissoko in a post on Facebook that showed passengers jumping down the emergency slides at night as flames engulfed one side of the aircraft. In the background, people can be heard screaming. Transport Minister El Malick Ndiaye said the Air Senegal flight operated by Transair was headed to Bamako, in neighboring Mali, late Wednesday with 79 passengers, two pilots and four cabin crew, the AP reports. The injured were being treated at a hospital, while the others were taken to a hotel to rest. It was the third incident involving a Boeing airplane this week. Also on Thursday, per the AP, 190 people were safely evacuated from a plane in Turkey after one of its tires burst during landing, Turkey's transportation ministry said. The Boeing 737-800, belonging to Turkey-based Corendon Airlines, stopped safely on the runway at Gazipasa airport near the Mediterranean coastal town of Alanya, the company said. On Wednesday, a Boeing 767 operated by FedEx made an emergency landing in Istanbul after its front landing gear failed to open. (More Boeing 737 stories.) Hunter Biden's federal gun case should move forward, an appeals court ruled Thursday, setting the stage for the president's son to stand trial on criminal charges next month in Delaware. Hunter Biden's lawyers went to the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals after the judge overseeing the case last month rejected his bid to dismiss the prosecution. A three-judge panel of the appeals court did not rule on the merits of his claims but said the court doesn't have jurisdiction to review the matter. In an order shortly after that ruling came down, the AP reports, US District Judge Maryellen Noreika said the case would proceed to trial on June 3. Noreika, who was appointed to the bench by former President Donald Trump, later denied another bid to dismiss the case that challenged the constitutionality of the central gun charge. The rulings pave the way for the Justice Department to bring President Biden's son to trial in the midst of the president's reelection campaign. Hunter Biden is separately charged in a tax case in California that is tentatively scheduled to go to trial in late June. His lawyers, however, suggested they will continue fighting the issue, which they can ask the full appeals court to consider. "We believe the issues involved are too important and further review of our request is appropriate," defense lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said in an emailed statement. (More Hunter Biden stories.) Fish & Game New Zealand is investigating after a person reported finding a bag of dead ducks, alcohol bottles, and shotgun hulls dumped at Elbow Reserve in Franklin. Dr Lynley Tulloch told Newshub she was kayaking on Tuesday when she found the dead birds and rubbish. "I found a bag of dumped ducks at Elbow Reserve in Franklin. This is illegal according to the New Zealand Fish and Game Council," Dr Tulloch said. Fourteen youths, including four aged just 13, have been arrested over a spate of vehicle thefts in Auckland. Police detailed several incidents in the city over the past 48 hours, including one case where the vehicle rolled down a bank and injured the alleged offenders, and another where a driver continued to flee police on rims after being spiked. Just after 2am on Thursday, officers were called to a report of youths allegedly interfering with parked vehicles on Spinella Dr in Bayview. Waitemata East Relieving Area Commander Insp Michael Rickards said officers soon learned two vehicles the group were travelling in were stolen. "We did not initiate a pursuit but were soon able to deploy spikes successfully on one of the vehicles in Takapuna. "This vehicle soon came to a stop where the two occupants fled on foot but were quickly taken into custody." However, he added those in the second stolen vehicle headed south where police sighted it again in Titirangi and initiated a pursuit. "The driver... attempted to hide the vehicle from police down a steep driveway but he has lost control and it has rolled down a small bank," Rickards said. "Five occupants decamped and fled into the bush but we were able to locate four and take them into custody. Two were transported to Waitakere Hospital for medical attention." One offender has been charged and will appear before the Youth Court. The others have been referred to Youth Aid. In Gaza, Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad said their fighters fired anti-tank rockets and mortars at Israeli tanks massed on the eastern outskirts of the city. Residents and medics in Rafah, the biggest urban area in Gaza not yet overrun by Israeli ground forces, said an Israeli attack by a mosque killed at least three people and wounded others in the eastern Brazil neighbourhood. Video footage from the scene showed the minaret lying in the rubble, two bodies wrapped in blankets and a wounded man being carried away. On the city's eastern edge, residents said a helicopter opened fire, while drones hovered above houses in several areas, some close to rooftops. Israel says Hamas militants are hiding in Rafah, where the population has been swelled by hundreds of thousands of Gazans seeking refuge from bombardments elsewhere in the coastal enclave, and it needs to eliminate them for its own security. One of the displaced, Mohammad Abder-Rahman, said he feared the Israeli bombardments presaged an invasion of the city. "It reminds me of what happened before Israeli tanks stormed our residential areas in Gaza City, heavy bombardment usually allows tanks to roll towards places they intend to invade," the 42-year-old told Reuters via a messaging app. Ceasefire talks in Egypt's capital made some headway but no deal was reached, according to two Egyptian security sources. The Hamas delegation left for Doha for consultations, blaming Israel for the lack of agreement so far. Israel has said it is open to a truce, but has rejected demands for an end to the war as it has vowed to demolish Hamas. Biden, who says Israel has not produced a convincing plan to safeguard civilians in Rafah, issued his starkest warning yet against a full ground invasion. "I made it clear that if they go into Rafah, ... I'm not supplying the weapons," Biden told CNN in an interview on Wednesday. Israel's assault on Gaza has killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians and wounded nearly 80,000, most of them civilians, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said. It launched its offensive in response to a cross-border attack by Hamas militants on Israel on Oct. 7 in which they killed about 1,200 people and abducted 252. Some 128 hostages remain in Gaza and 36 have been declared dead, according to the latest Israeli figures. 80,000 Palestinians flee again this week On Tuesday, Israeli tanks seized the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Tuesday, cutting off a vital aid route and forcing 80,000 people to flee the city this week, according to the United Nations. "The toll on these families is unbearable. Nowhere is safe," the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said in a post on X. An Israeli military statement on Gaza operations on Thursday morning did not refer to Rafah. The United States is by far the biggest supplier of weapons to Israel, and it accelerated deliveries after the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7 that triggered Israel's offensive in Gaza. Biden acknowledged that U.S. bombs have killed Palestinian civilians in the seven-month-old offensive. U.S. officials have said Washington paused delivery of a shipment of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs to Israel because of the risk to civilians in Gaza. Israel's United Nations ambassador Gilad Erdan said the U.S. decision to pause some weapons deliveries to Israel would significantly impair the country's ability to neutralise Hamas' power, according to Israeli public radio. But Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told Israel's "enemies and friends" it would do whatever necessary achieve its war aims in Gaza, underlining the scale of the standoff. Israel kept up tank and aerial strikes across Gaza and tanks advanced in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City in the north, forcing hundreds of families to flee, residents said. The Israeli military said it was securing Zeitoun, starting with a series of intelligence-based aerial strikes on approximately 25 "terror targets". Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza was heaving with people who had fled Rafah in recent days. Palestinian medics said two people, including a woman, were killed when a drone fired a missile at a group of people there. CIA director shuttles between Jerusalem and Cairo In Cairo, delegations from Hamas, Israel, the U.S., Egypt and Qatar had been meeting since Tuesday. CIA Director William Burns has shuttled between Cairo and Jerusalem, meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday. Izzat El-Risheq, a member of Hamas' political office in Qatar, said the Hamas delegation had left Cairo, having reaffirmed its approval the mediators' ceasefire proposal. The plan entails the release of Israeli hostages held captive in Gaza and a number of Palestinians jailed by Israel. Medical sector collapsed The closure of the Rafah crossing with Egypt has prevented the evacuation of the wounded and sick and the entry of medical supplies, food trucks and fuel needed to operate hospitals, the Gaza health ministry said on Thursday. The only kidney dialysis centre in the Rafah area had stopped operating due to the shelling. "There used to be medical aid coming in, and now there is no medical aid," said Ali Abu Khurma, a Jordanian surgeon volunteering at Al Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah. "The entire medical sector has collapsed." Reuters Beijing (Gasgoo)- On May 6, the Management Committee of Shanghai Lingang New Area announced the administrative licensing decision approving the construction scheme of Tesla's Megapack battery plant project in the city. Tesla's Gigafactory Shanghai; photo credit: Tesla The project, proposed by Tesla (Shanghai), involves relevant engineering construction within the jurisdiction of the South Fengjie River area. The Tesla Megapack factory project was contracted between Tesla and Shanghais Lingang New Area on April 9, 2023. It aims to produce large-scale commercial energy storage batteries (Megapack) for global markets. the factory is projected to produce approximately 10,000 units of Megapack batteries annually, with a storage capacity of nearly 40GWh, according to a local media outlet. On December 22, 2023, the Lingang New Area Management Committee and Tesla held a ceremony for successfully procuring land usage rights, marking the official commencement of the Tesla Megapack factory project in Shanghai. Tesla's diversified energy storage products, including products like Powerwall, Powerpack, and Megapack, have been sold in over 65 countries and regions worldwide, with over 1,500 operational sites and a total installed capacity exceeding 10GWh. The companys Megapack has been providing power supplementation and backup using renewable energy sources across North America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Bahrain Bourse (BHB), a licensed exchange by the Central Bank of Bahrain, celebrated the culmination of the 2023-2024 TradeQuest program by recognizing the exceptional achievements of its top finalists at a prestigious awards ceremony. The event was attended by the Minister of Industry & Commerce, H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, H.E. Maha Abdulhameed Mofeez, Chief Executive of Tamkeen, Mr. Abdulkarim Ahmed Bucheery, Chairman of Bahrain Bourse, Shaikh Khalifa bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa, CEO of Bahrain Bourse, and various CEOs and representatives from sponsoring organizations, alongside Ministry of Education officials. More than 190 students representing 26 educational institutions including 10 private schools, 10 government schools and six universities, alongside esteemed investment advisors who guided students throughout the program, congregated to applaud the remarkable efforts of the participating teams. On this occasion H.E. Fakhro affirmed that The Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain recognizes the importance of supporting and encouraging Bahraini youth, as they are considered one of the key elements of economic growth. We believe that they should be involved in all economic sectors, ultimately taking leadership roles to play their national role in promoting economic development, he said. Platform The Minister praised the opportunity TradeQuest offers, as a platform for students to understand economic fundamentals, analyze the factors influencing them, and engage with local and regional news. Shaikh Khalifa bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, Chief Executive Officer of Bahrain Bourse extended his heartfelt appreciation to HE Minister of Industry & Commerce Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro for his attendance to the TradeQuest Awards Ceremony which reflects the support that the program receives from senior Government officials which is an incentive for us to continue organizing and developing this program. Shaikh Khalifa added, We are proud that the TradeQuest program has completed its 25th edition this year, and the success of the program all those years underscores the invaluable partnership between Bahrain Bourse and various banks and financial institutions as well as the educational entities to enhance financial literacy and elevate students skills that will help them in the future. Sponsors Shaikh Khalifa extended his thanks and support to all the sponsors of the program who had a vital role in the success of the program. The top achievers from the Private schools category included Ibn Khuldoon National School, in first place, followed by Shaikha Hessa Girls School in second place and the British School of Bahrain securing the third position. In the Government schools category, Al Noaim Secondary Boys School achieved first place, with Isa Town Secondary Girls School and Ahmed Al Omran Secondary Boys School securing the second and third places respectively. The Universities category witnessed Bahrain Institute of Banking & Finance (BIBF) claiming the first place, followed by University of Bahrain in second place and Royal University for Women securing the third position. School teams This years TradeQuest Program encompasses 20 school teams, including 10 private schools, 10 government schools, and six universities. Private schools are: Abdulrahman Kanoo International School, Bahrain Bayan School, British School of Bahrain, Al-Hekma International School, Ibn Khuldoon National School, New Millennium School, Al Noor International School, Al Raja School, St. Christophers School Bahrain, and Shaikha Hessa Girls School. The government schools are: Ahmed Al Omran Secondary Boys School, Al Ahd Al-Zaher Secondary Girls School, Ghazi Al-Gosaibi Secondary Girls School, Istiqlal Secondary Girls School, Isa Town Secondary Girls School, Khawla Secondary Girls School, Al Noaim Secondary Boys School, Al-Shurooq Secondary Girls School, Sitra Secondary Girls School and West Riffa Secondary Girls School. Additionally, the universities participating in this years program are: American University of Bahrain, Bahrain Polytechnic, Bahrain Institute of Banking & Finance (BIBF), British University of Bahrain, Royal University for Women, and University of Bahrain. Thanks Bahrain Bourse extends its sincere thanks to the sponsors of the following institutions for their generous sponsorship of TradeQuest: The Programs Strategic Sponsor: The Labour Fund (Tamkeen), the Platinum Sponsors: Ahli United Bank, Bank ABC, Khaleeji Bank and National Bank of Bahrain, the Gold Sponsors: Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), Ithmaar Bank, and SICO BSC (c) and the Silver Sponsors: BBK, Gulf International Bank (GIB), Kuwait Finance House, and United Gulf Bank. Bahrain Bourse would also like to thank the programs Knowledge Partner, the Bahrain Institute of Banking & Finance (BIBF) for its hosting and delivering the Dealing Room Sessions to the participating teams. TradeQuest, a simula - tion-based education program that provides participating students with a real-life experience of capital market investment by learning the systems and regulations implemented at both Bahrain Bourse and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). It offers students hands-on experience of capital market investment, enabling them to navigate the intricacies of financial systems and regulations while honing their analytical and managerial skills. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Report by Mohammed Darwish The Minister of Youth Affairs, H.E. Rawan Tawfiqi, has unveiled the Ministrys progressive strategy to empower the youth of Bahrain. It is under the guidance of His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs, in line with the vision of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports. Corresponding with MPs Jalal Kadhem and Dr Mahdi Al Showaikh, she unveiled a national strategy for 20232028, designed to propel a cadre of motivated leaders poised to effect positive change within themselves, their society, and the nation as a whole. This strategy highlights the importance of building confidence in our present time and nurturing aspirations for the future, thus creating an environment conducive for the youth to enhance the nation and craft a more promising tomorrow. At present, the Ministry oversees 38 youth empowerment centres throughout the various governorates, focusing on improving the quality and effectiveness of the programmes rather than increasing their quantity. However, the Ministry is attentive to the specific needs of different areas, considering the establishment of additional centres as required. Extensive study In 2021, the Ministry conducted an extensive national study to chart the talents of Bahraini youth, acknowledging the vast potential and vigour of our young citizens as a national asset. This endeavour, which involved over 10,000 young Bahrainis aged 10 to 35, seeks to elevate, refine, and highlight these talents, with the ultimate aim of leveraging them to fortify the national economy. The Ministrys dedication to boosting youth talent is evidenced by its annual budget of approximately BD133,000 for the 38 youth empowerment centres, allocated in two instalments per year. Moreover, the Ministrys alliance with the Labour Fund (Tamkeen) is instrumental in the nurturing and honing of Bahraini talents across the entire spectrum of sectors. Collaboration This synergistic collaboration has given birth to the Methodology for Discovering Youth Talents initiative, executed in tandem with a consultancy of specialised agencies, culminating in the composition of a booklet on the discovery, refinement, and celebration of talented individuals. In addition, the Ministry has orchestrated the creation of a unified database for the gifted youth, in concert with the youth empowerment centres, to furnish the Ministry with continual updates Those registered in the database are given precedence, and the Ministry has launched an ambitious project named Youth City 2030. This initiative offers 2,700 training opportunities for young individuals in a variety of fields. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On the morning of May 9, NIO celebrated a significant milestone as its 500,000th mass-produced vehicle, an All-New ES8 SUV, rolled off the production line at its second factory located in the Xinqiao Smart Electric Vehicle Industrial Park in Hefei, the capital of Anhui province, according to a post on the official WeChat account of Hefei government, named Hefei Fabu. Photo credit: NIO Since launching its first mass-produced model on May 27, 2018, it has taken just 72 months for NIO to achieve this scale of production. This year has seen robust sales performance from NIO. In April alone, the company delivered 15,600 new vehicles, representing a year-over-year surge of 134.6% and a month-over-month rise of 31.6%. Moreover, NIO is expanding its network of battery charging and swapping facilities. On May 8, NIO signed a strategic cooperation agreement with GAC Group in Guangzhou. The Guangzhou-based company is the sixth major automobile company to partner with NIO for battery swapping business, following Changan Automobile, Geely Holding, JAC Group, Chery Automobile, and Lotus Cars. Alongside these partnerships, NIO has also collaborated with Anhui Province Energy Group, Anhui Transportation Holding Group, and China Southern Power Grid to accelerate the expansion of its battery swapping network. As of April 30 this year, NIO has installed 2,411 battery swap stations and 22,092 charging piles, facilitating over 43.1 million battery swaps for its users. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On May 6, GAC Energy Technology (Hunan) Co., Ltd. was officially incorporated, marking a significant milestone in GAC Group's strategic business expansion in Hunan province, according to a press release from GAC Group. This development follows the establishment of GAC AION's third factory located in Changsha city and represents a major advancement in GAC Energy Technology Co., Ltd.'s initiatives within the energy sector. Photo credit: GAC Group The newly registered company will concentrate its efforts in Changsha city and broaden its impact throughout Hunan province, said GAC Group. Over the next three years, the company plans to build 300 electric vehicle charging stations and develop an integrated energy supply network that includes solar power, energy storage, charging, and battery swapping facilities. This network will be supported by ongoing technological research and development. Furthermore, the company is set to establish a digital platform to explore innovative business models, such as energy trading and green energy utilization, and to develop a smart energy ecosystem centered on Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technologies. In recent years, spurred by a new wave of technological revolutions and the Chinas dual-carbon strategy, the ownership of new energy vehicles has been on the rise. Many local governments have drafted plans and set standards for the construction of local electric vehicle charging and battery swapping infrastructure. As part of this movement, the Development and Reform Commission of Changsha City has released the "Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Construction of Charging Infrastructure to Promote the Consumption of New Energy Vehicles (2023-2025)." This plan aims to install at least 163,000 units of charging facilities in the city by 2025, including no fewer than 38,000 public charging points, thereby advancing the construction of public charging infrastructure and optimizing its development mechanisms. Smart Serve Ontario partners with Not 9 to 5 and GreenShield to address the mental health crisis in the hospitality industry. TORONTO, May 9, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, Smart Serve Ontario, a registered charity dedicated to responsible liquor sales and service practices, is taking a crucial step towards improving mental health in the hospitality industry with the launch of its new campaign "Smart Serve Cares." Delivered in partnership with Not 9 to 5, a non-profit that advocates for the mental health of hospitality workers, and GreenShield, Canada's only national non-profit health and benefits company, the program will provide free mental health services and education to individuals holding an active Smart Serve certificate. Canada's food service industry, a vital sector serving nearly 22 million Canadians every day, is facing a post-pandemic strain. With many businesses operating at a loss and burdened by debt, the well-being of hospitality workers, often facing high burnout rates, is at risk. The timely initiative aims to bring awareness to the significant mental health and substance use challenges faced by those working in hospitality and offer meaningful support to hospitality professionals. "The hospitality industry is at a critical juncture," said Gyan Chandra, Board Chair, Smart Serve Ontario. "The industry has faced unrelenting pressure, triggering a concerning rise in mental health and substance use challenges among hospitality workers. By partnering with innovative non-profit organizations like Not 9 to 5 and GreenShield, we are strategically connecting leading experts in both the hospitality and health sectors to deliver critical resources and solutions to an industry in dire need of support. Together, we can create meaningful change and build a more resilient hospitality workforce." Research conducted by Not 9 to 5 paints a stark picture a staggering 87 per cent of front-line food and beverage staff report experiencing burnout, with depression and anxiety affecting 77 per cent and 84 per cent, respectively. Despite these alarming figures, only 38 per cent seek professional help, often citing financial constraints as a major roadblock. The Smart Serve Cares campaign aims to bridge this gap by offering Smart Serve certificate holders a comprehensive suite of mental health resources, including: 3 hours of free virtual mental health counselling with a therapist that best-suits your needs provided by GreenShield Health, the health services division of GreenShield. with a therapist that best-suits your needs provided by GreenShield Health, the health services division of GreenShield. Online access to GreenShield's self-guided Digital CBT, a program that uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and interactive learning modules to help people with anxiety and depression achieve their wellness goals. a program that uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and interactive learning modules to help people with anxiety and depression achieve their wellness goals. Unlimited access to online resources, articles and educational materials from health experts via GreenShield+, GreenShield's integrated digital health and benefits platform. "Psychologically safe workplaces support a productive workforce. Investing in hospitality mental health programs benefits staff, employers, and clients; and ultimately, costs less than doing nothing. Participation in these programs fosters a healthier, more effective workplace and improves the industry's overall well-being and growth," says Hassel Aviles, Executive Director, Not 9 to 5. "With Smart Serve Cares, the industry now has access to resources at no cost to hospitality employers and employees alike." Smart Serve certificate holders will also gain access to Not 9 to 5's transformative online hospitality workplace mental health certification, CNECTed. This self-guided certification program equips participants with skills and education on psychological safety, harm reduction practices and leadership, specifically designed to address the unique mental health and substance use challenges faced within the hospitality industry. "Prioritizing mental well-being in the workplace is essential to unlocking the full potential of Canada's workforce," says Joe Blomeley, Executive Vice President, Head of GreenShield Health & Enterprise Growth at GreenShield. "Today, many hospitality workers don't have the resources or employer coverage to meet their mental health needs. Our social mission is to enable better health for all by providing more equitable access to care. Through this powerful partnership, we're able to fill this gap by providing hospitality workers across the province with free access to the mental health support they deserve." The Smart Serve Cares campaign officially kicks off in May 2024. This initiative aims to empower hospitality workers to prioritize their mental well-being with tools and resources aimed at navigating the challenges the sector faces. To learn more visit www.smartserve.ca. About Smart Serve Ontario Smart Serve Ontario is a registered charity dedicated to supporting the hospitality industry since 1995. Smart Serve is the only responsible alcohol beverage sales and service training program recognized by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). Smart Serve is dedicated to developing and delivering training to all individuals who sell, serve, handle or deliver alcohol in the Province of Ontario. About Not 9 to 5 Not 9 to 5, a non-profit global leader in mental health education and advocacy for the hospitality and culinary sector, empowers industry professionals with practical skills and tools to create meaningful community change. Its vision is to achieve physical and psychological safety for everyone in the hospitality and culinary workforce. Not 9 to 5 aims to normalize workplace mental health training, access to accommodations and healthcare benefits, community care support and resources for all. About GreenShield GreenShield is an integrated health and benefits organization and the first organization in Canada to operate as a payer-provider offering insurance, administering benefits, and paying claims as a 'payer' while offering health services such as mental health, pharmacy, chronic disease management, and telemedicine services as a 'provider.' Integrating both sides of the payer-provider equation enables GreenShield to simplify access to care, remove administrative barriers, and improve health outcomes for its customers. GreenShield is uniquely structured as a non-profit social enterprise that reinvests its earnings and redeploys its services to support equity-seeking Canadian communities via its social impact brand, GreenShield Cares. The company's overarching goal is to generate $75 million of social impact investments to improve the lives of at least 1 million Canadians by 2025, focusing on mental health, oral health, essential medicines, and chronic disease management. As the industry's noble challenger, GreenShield continues to innovate, evolving its offerings and services to deepen its purpose of championing better health for all. SOURCE Smart Serve Ontario For media inquiries, please contact: Marnie Myszko, [email protected], 416-910-8519 What could have been.The 2010 Pontiac G8 ST. - Image: Pontiac The period of 2008 to 2009 was rough for Detroits Big 3 automakers. While Ford technically never filed for bankruptcy though it did receive some of those sweet bailout funds GM and Chrysler did. GM seemed to have it the worst, as the automaker had to get rid of four of its divisions to get its head above water. But how did GM choose those four divisions? A recent interview with former GM executive Bob Lutz shed some light on the automakers thinking at the time. Motor1 recently chatted with Lutz about what inspired GM to kill off Saab, Saturn, Pontiac, and Hummer instead of, say, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, or Cadillac. Lutz detailed all the arguments and all the logistics that went into the death of each brand. On Pontiac, Lutz says that he fought for the brand, but the higher ups just werent having it. ADVERTISEMENT I dug my heels in. But their hearing aids were turned off, they said, Its a lousy brand, its been unprofitable for years. I pointed to all the signs of brand health; Youthful buyer enthusiasm for the brand, etc. I just wasnt able to put it over the goal line. So unfortunately it died. I still consider that to be borderline a tragedy. With Saab, Lutz said he had been trying to convince his bosses to do away with the brand for years, but things kept getting drawn out. He calls the brand goofy. I had been trying to convince my boss at GM for years we should get rid of Saab, and it was always wait until next year, wait until the next year, wait until next yearand next year never came. It was a goofy brand that was off the mainstream, and every time it was made more mainstream, we didnt sell any. And when it was goofy, which the automotive press loved, there were only 100,000 people in the whole freakin world that wanted one. His comments on Saturn are interesting in that he admits that Saturn had no reason to exist anymore, especially with Chevy around. This is true, since the brands constantly stepped on each others toes. The Chevy Malibu Hybrid and Saturn Aura Green Line were essentially the same car with a $745 price difference between them, for instance. Story continues Saturn I was glad to be rid of. There was no longer any reason for the Saturn brand. Chevrolet was just as good and just as reliable. And all of the dealer networks had learned in the meantime that you dont screw the customer if you want to stay in business. The reason Saturn was formed kind of went away. Saturn was another mouth that we had to feed with limited capital. So okay, Saturn can go. On Hummer, Lutz says they should have done with the brand what GM is doing now: Make it a part of GMC. Spinning Hummer into its own brand meant that they had to give it a lineup of vehicles it didnt really need. We could not save Hummer, which was a mistake going in. Hummer never should have been a brand, it should have been a vehicle in the GMC lineup. It should have been Hummer by GMC, and that way you could have added one to the GMC dealer body, and when that one was worn out, you could replace it. But the minute we made Hummer a separate franchise we had to feed it with a full lineup of vehicles. We had the H1, which never sold in any significant number. The H3 did well. The H2, which was Wrangler and Bronco-sized, it would have been a smash hit. But I had to admit Hummer the brand was a mistake going in. Lutz even spoke about how both Buick and GMC were considered for the chopping block. For Buick, he says the Obama Administration and the bankruptcy attorneys all wanted GM to be cut down to just Chevy and Cadillac, with Buick getting the axe. The brand stuck around because of its popularity in China. Chapter 11 intervened and the Obama-appointed, all-New York finance guyswho didnt have a clue about the automobile industrysaid, General Motors is going to be Chevrolet and Cadillac only. We argued and said weve got to keep Buick because if you drop Buick in the US, its going to die in China, and its one of the leading brands in China. So dont do that. So we were able to save Buick. GMC was nearly cut because it was deemed too similar to Chevy. The brands profitability however changed minds. GMC they wanted to drop because it was a version of Chevrolet. And we showed them the profitability of the GMC brand and the GMC brand health. Many people would not own any other GM brand, they had a very high opinion and owned a GMC sport utility or truck. Its interesting getting an inside perspective on why these brands were cut. Had things gone just a bit differently, GM might be a completely different company than what it is today. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Egypt, Jordan warn against humanitarian catastrophe of Israeli attacks in Rafah Xinhua) 20:39, May 09, 2024 CAIRO, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan's Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh on Thursday warned against the humanitarian catastrophe of the ongoing Israeli military operation in the Palestinian city of Rafah, according to the Egyptian presidency office's statement. The two leaders made the remarks during a meeting in Cairo, where they reiterated the two countries' "full rejection" of the Israeli invasion of Rafah, the southernmost city of the besieged enclave, said the statement. "The Israeli operation impedes the only safe exit of the wounded and sick Palestinians and hinders the delivery of humanitarian and relief aid," they emphasized. The ongoing conditions require the international community to take its responsibilities for reaching an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and to push forward for the recognition of an independent Palestinian state which will help in achieving regional security and stability, the statement added. The Israeli army launched a military operation in Rafah on Monday night, where more than 1 million internally displaced Palestinians have sought refuge since Israel's offensive began on Oct. 7 last year. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Kou Jie) WASHINGTONSponsors of the controversial Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) reportedly managed to attach their measure to a funding reauthorization for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Now, civil society organizations are pressing leadership in the U.S. Senate to prevent the attachment of KOSA as a rider to an otherwise unrelated measure. The Hill reports that the FAA reauthorization bill is quickly approaching its May 17 adoption deadline. A lack of passage could disarray the country's aircraft control system. Due to this pressure, lawmakers who have introduced a range of online child safety measures but saw them stalled are bringing forth amendments to carry their measures with the reauthorization. Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., are the primary sponsors of KOSA in the Senate. News reports confirm that Blumenthal and Blackburn introduced their version of KOSA to amend the FAA reauthorization act for the upcoming fiscal year. If lawmakers adopt the amendments, this could fast-track KOSA's passage. Civil society groups are now expressing their concern about hastily implementing child protection legislation that has civil liberties activists and trade groups concerned. We, the undersigned organizations, share the goal of creating safer spaces for minors online," said one coalition of civil society organizations. The coalition consists of the Chamber of Progress, Equality New Mexico, Freedom Oklahoma, LGBT Tech, TransOhio, and the Woodhull Freedom Foundation. "However, KOSA fails to achieve that goal, and reshaping speech, content moderation, and the digital world for teens is a complex issue that deserves its own debate in Congress," the letter continued. "With the FAA reauthorization deadline approaching, we urge you to exclude KOSA as non-germane from legislation brought to the floor. Another coalition of organizations signed an additional letter urging Senate and House leadership to block the amendment. The second coalition letter reads, "The legislation does not keep kids safe online and does more to infringe on the constitutional rights of Americans." This letter was signed primarily by technology trade organizations, like the Chamber of Progress, PEN America, TechFreedom, NetChoice and several others, along with the American Civil Liberties Union. Members of the House have introduced their own version of KOSA. AVN has reported extensively on the controversies surrounding the Kids Online Safety Act. For example, Sen. Blackburna staunch critic of LGBTQ+ rightshas voiced her support for KOSA as a means to censor otherwise protected forms of expression online. Credit: WWE Following the Backlash France premium live event Saturday in Lyon, France, some controversy emerged after WWE creative head Paul Triple H Levesque took issue with a question asked during the post-show press conference. Fightful writer Sean Ross Sapp emerged as one wrestling media member who took issue with WWEs stance here. Sapp, whos been writing in the wrestling industry for several years, is one of the most prominent wrestling writers out there. Hes reported on many WWE and AEW stories and, often, will be among the first to know major stories. So, his name does carry some weight in the field. After the hullabaloo ensued, Sapp jokingly said hed only accept an apology if the company sent him various French cheeses. So, guess what happened? WWE sent the Fightful head a gift basket featuring cheeses. Okay. Well played. This made me laugh after a tough week https://t.co/9VjNatHNa2 pic.twitter.com/Vslf3kLqkq Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) May 8, 2024 Okay. Well played. This made me laugh after a tough week, Sapp posted along with a photo of the gifts. The gifts appear to have come from the Fairfield + Greenwich Cheese Company, which sounds about right, especially as WWE is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. Wrestling and the media have always had a fascinatingly distant relationship. Even while WWE and others have gotten more mainstream acceptance, things like what happened during Saturdays press conference can occur from time to time. It, at least, is a positive to see mended fences. Although, some might wonder if theres a point to this all. And thats certainly valid of them. [Sean Ross Sapp on X] A week after top Rutgers University administrators ended a pro-Palestinian student encampment on campus by negotiating with the protesters, some New Jersey lawmakers say the state university failed to address similar concerns from its Jewish faculty and students months before the demonstration began. In a letter sent to Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway, U.S. Reps. Donald Norcross and Josh Gottheimer said a group of Jewish faculty members in December about two months after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War asked Rutgers administrators for several protections and other requests on campus. The requests to the university, the two Democratic federal lawmakers said in the letter, have been largely ignored. We are concerned that the administrations acquiescence to questionable demands made by protesters failed to adequately take into account perspectives and voices of members of the Jewish community at Rutgers, Norcross, D-1st Dist., and Gottheimer, D-5th Dist., said in the letter. Furthermore, we are concerned that Rutgers appears to have created the incentive for people to act in a lawless and threatening manner. Rutgers officials did not immediately respond Thursday to the allegations in the letter. We received the letter late last night and will be responding directly to Reps. Gottheimer and Norcross, said Rutgers spokeswoman Dory Devlin. According to the letter, members of the JFAS Jewish Faculty, Administrators and Staff on campus requested, among other things, the creation of a university-wide Committee on Antisemitism and the Jewish Experience, more work to combat antisemitism on campus, and a full accounting of antisemitic incidents at Rutgers. Holloway and other school administrators negotiated with pro-Palestinian protesters during their four-day encampment on the schools Voorhees Mall in New Brunswick. The demonstration had increasingly grown in intensity, and had prompted the postponement of 28 final exams. The two sides reached an agreement minutes before a deadline school administrators set to call in law enforcement to forcibly remove the encampment, as has happened at various other universities across the country. The university did not agree with protesters demands to divest its investments from companies doing business in Israel, a move Holloway opposes, or to sever its ties with Tel Aviv University, the president has said. But it did agree to creating a Palestinian cultural center, staff trainings and additional course offerings, among other items. In the days since the agreement was reached, other state politicians have criticized the schools concessions. Holloway has defended the negotiation, telling the Rutgers Board of Governors Monday the result of our actions was a peaceful return to the normal course of business. On Tuesday, Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, also questioned whether Rutgers had adequately considered the requests of Jewish students. If youre going to sit down with one group of students, Murphy said while visiting Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, what about the Jewish students who gave a set of demands back in December? You owe everybody their seat at the table. He said no institution should give the perception that anyone is not welcome or wont be safe. I think theres a huge missed opportunity in these protests, the opportunity was to forcefully fight and advocate for a comprehensive two-state solution, Murphy said. Tensions have been high at Rutgers and other universities across the state and country since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War in October. Reported incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia on campuses have both skyrocketed in the wake of the latest unrest in the Middle East. Holloway has been called to testify before a Congressional committee along with the presidents of Northwestern University and University of California, Los Angeles about how he handled the pro-Palestinian encampment on campus. The hearing is slated for May 23. Holloway plans to discuss with the Congressional committee how Rutgers has worked to combat antisemitism and handle protests while prioritizing the safety of students, Rutgers spokeswoman Dory Devlin said earlier this week. Our principles guiding our decisions have been 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 are not impeded, Holloway said Monday. NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Bacchanal Junction, a boisterous new restaurant in Bloomfield, aims to transport patrons to a sunny, tropical atmosphere with its modern twist on Caribbean fare visions of Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Barbados; flavors of jerk chicken and stew king fish and oxtails. Its owned by father and son duo Parris and Tristan Jordan, who share a long history of working in the hospitality industry. Parris Jordan, who is from Trinidad, works for the worlds largest hospitality consulting firm, focusing on projects in the Caribbean and other regions. He owns another restaurant, Limins Cafe Caribe, a hole-in-the-wall spot in East Orange, which offers Trinidad-style cuisine. A fired postal worker accused of burglarizing a Hudson County post office five times last year was arrested Wednesday, officials said. Zyeama Johnson, 29, of Jersey City, allegedly broke into the post office on Jan. 10, 13, 21, 26, and again Feb. 3, 2023. Each time, authorities alleged she stole mail from the location and loaded it into a black Chrysler Voyager with Florida license plates before driving off, according to a release from the U.S. Attorneys Office District of New Jersey. Johnson had been terminated for her job at the location but federal prosecutors did not say why she was fired. On Feb. 7, 2023, Johnson broke into a second post office location and was arrested by law enforcement as she left the building, the office said. She told police she was retrieving a tax document from the building but it was later revealed that no such document existed at that location, according to a criminal complaint. Police found 38 debit and credit cards that were in the names of 36 people, inside her car, the complaint stated. A search of one of her mobile devices showed that she had messaged another person attempting to sell credit cards for approximately $50 to $300 per card, according to the complaint. She had also attempted to sell a bank statement, authorities alleged. Following an investigation, Johnson was arrested Wednesday and charged with six counts of burglary of a post office, the office said. She appeared in Newark federal court and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Jersey City made a case for its grand iconic French museum plan Thursday, telling state officials the Centre Pompidou outpost would cost New Jersey taxpayers $19 million each year and could even break even. Jersey City Redevelopment Agency Executive Director Diana Jeffrey sent the New Jersey Economic Development Agency a three-page letter accompanied by a brief five-year operating budget for the Centre Pompidou x Jersey City that is short on revenue and heavy on donations and tax credits. A Manhattan-based urologist from Hudson County was convicted Wednesday of sexually assaulting eight patients, including six minors, while conducting exams, federal prosecutors said. Darius Paduch, 56, of North Bergen, was found guilty in Manhattan federal court on all 13 counts he faced, including inducement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity and inducement of a victim to travel to engage in unlawful sexual activity, authorities said. As a unanimous jury has just found, Darius A. Paduch leveraged his position of trust as a medical doctor for his own perverse gratification, Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York said in a statement. For years, patients seeking needed medical care, many of them children, left his office as victims. I commend the career prosecutors of this office for bringing this important case to a just conclusion. Paduch was arrested on April 11, 2023 after he was charged with abusing two former patients who were minors at the time and has been detained since that time, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office Southern District of New York. He formerly worked at NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center and Northwell Health, a story by the New York Post stated. From 2007 through 2019, Paduch, while working as a urologist, enticed and induced multiple people to travel to his medical offices so he could, among other things, sexually abuse them, the office said. He also got his people to travel to New Jersey where he abused and assaulted them while claiming he would provide them with medical care. In 2019, he began practicing at a different hospital located in Long Island, where he continued to sexually abuse patients, investigators said. He would continually use his position as a urologist at these prominent New York medical institutions to make his patients believe the sexual abuse he inflicted on them was medically necessary and appropriate, and often directed them to schedule follow-up visits, federal prosecutors said. As a result, some of the victims attended many appointments with Paduch over the course of multiple years, at which he repeatedly abused them, officials said. His lawyer, Michael Baldassare, told the New York Post his client would seek to appeal Wednesdays conviction. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. If you are looking for a rule-breaking and genre-busting concert, then this is the band for you. Rock band Falling in Reverse have announced the first leg of their The Popular Monstour II: World Domination, which is set to begin on Aug. 18 in Nampa, Idaho. The first leg of the tour will conclude in Los Angeles on Sept. 26. While on tour, they will perform at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel on Sept. 13. Those who have a Citibank card can see any concert they get tickets for in an exclusive viewing area at the Holmdel venue. This area is the Citi Cardmember Pavilion Deck that has standing and bar-top tables with barstool seating elevated above the main seating bowl. The Black Veil Brides, Dance Gavin Dance, Tech N9Ne and Jeris Johnson will join Falling in Reverse for the duration of the tour. The tour will be in support of their first album since 2017, Popular Monster, which will drop on July 26. There will be a Citi card presale for The Popular Monstour II: World Domination tour which will wrap up on May 9 at 10 p.m. You can access the Citi card presale and get more information here. The general sale for the tour will begin on May 10 at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster. Those who miss out on tickets during the general sale can also find tickets on secondary market websites, such as StubHub, Vivid Seats, TicketCity and SeatGeek. If you are struggling to secure tickets in the right price point or in the section you want to sit in on StubHub, you can find some tips and tricks here. First-time Vivid Seats users can save $20 on ticket orders over $200 by entering promo code NJ20 at checkout. A complete list of Falling in Reverses show dates is available here. More upcoming tours heading to PNC Bank Arts Center Falling in Reverse is not the only band heading to PNC Bank Arts Center while on tour. Here are a few more groups you dont want to miss out on: Third Eye Blind, Foreigner, Train and Creed. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Nicole Iuzzolino can be reached at niuzzolino@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips. A California man was sentenced to over seven years in prison after pleading guilty to charges he sold guns and drugs online using the social media platform Telegram, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced Thursday. Angelo Chavez, 24, of Manteca, California was initially charged with one count each of conspiracy to unlawfully deal in firearms and conspiracy to distribute mathamphetamine. He was sentenced Thursday in federal court in Newark. Starting in August 2020, undercover agents began communicating with Chavez and co-conspirators through a Telegram channel where he and others advertised the sale of narcotics and firearms, court documents allege. In December, the state comptroller busted Union County for handing out $417,772 in stipends and tuition reimbursement to three top officials people who have six-figure salaries without first passing an ordinance prior to the vote. Thats a no-go. That violated a 1972 law that requires such financial rewards to be approved through an ordinance which includes hearings and public discussion because thats how you assure oversight and show citizens how their tax money is being spent. But to the surprise of no one who has followed our state Legislature lately, Democratic lawmakers are in the process of eliminating the ordinance statute and further trashing transparency in New Jersey, because this is a day that ends with Y. Call this your weekly lesson in N.J. power politics: Comptroller Kevin Walsh blew the whistle on the misconduct in Union County, so their best option is to torpedo the process and pay their pals however and whenever the mood strikes. They are also trying to neuter the comptroller, but thats last weeks treachery. Senate president Nick Scutari, the most formidable politician in Union County and the entire Legislature, dispatched Sen. Brian Stack (D-Hudson) to introduce a bill Monday that kills the ordinance in the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee, where the Democratic majority advanced it after brushing off eloquent testimony from transparency advocates. Leading the pushback was Walsh himself, who reminded the committee that Union illegally rewarded county Director of Finance Bibi Taylor $303,000 in stipends for a second job and for a partial tuition reimbursement, along with $40,000 for graduate courses. That is on top of her $175,000 salary. Here is the testimony I gave today about S2702, a bill that would reduce the publics ability to weigh in on the compensation of top county officials. https://t.co/JfoNC7oUqN Kevin Walsh (@NJComptroller) May 6, 2024 Democratic members of the committee were unruffled, asserting that counties should be able to reward these financial benefits through a simple resolution which do not require advance notice, public discussion, or 10 days of reflection. Because as everyone knows, theres nothing at all suspicious about shielding special financial arrangements until the final minute. Neither Stack nor Scutari will defend this abomination, and Stack was ill-prepared to carry Unions flag. One example of his obfuscation: He insisted that the tuition reimbursement was by ordinance. Actually, the program itself was created by ordinance, but the money was rewarded through a resolution and not through a more public process. And he failed to mention that Taylor is studying for her doctorate in education, which doesnt seem especially handy for a county financial officer, or an adequate justification for taxpayers to fund it. The bill advanced in a 3-0 vote, led by Stack and chairman Troy Singleton (D-Burlington). The committees two Republicans both abstained, with Sen. Holly Schepisi (R-Bergen) noting that sometimes resolutions make their way onto (the agenda) the day of, and nobody sees them. Singleton, an astute lawmaker who expressed his respect for Walsh, was surprisingly indifferent to how the law could rip off taxpayers, stating that it still comes down to a vote from a governing body. He even polished an old chestnut about how disapproving voters can remember that the ultimate checks and balances, you know, in our state, is every election cycle. Inspiring. He and his Democratic colleagues were immune to arguments from people like Maura Collinsgru of New Jersey Citizen Action, who said the bill opens a loophole you could drive a truck through. They gave no reaction to the concerns of Lucy Del Gaudio of the League of Women Voters, who said the bill invites corruption, at a time when where our democracy continues to feel fragile and attacked. Both were being kind: The bill is a joke, the joke is on the taxpayers, and once again the goons of democracy are relying on nobody noticing during every election cycle. Because this day ends in Y. So does perfidy. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Update: On Monday, at 10 am, the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on bill #S2702. This bill will impact transparency and the publics ability to weigh in on compensation for senior county officials. More info below. https://t.co/2ykxwXcXzR Kevin Walsh (@NJComptroller) May 2, 2024 Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. State lawmakers are considering asking voters to approve amending the state constitution to give the governor and legislators control over appointing appellate judges in New Jersey instead of the chief justice of the state Supreme Court. Its a proposal some critics quickly denounced as a power grab that would add politics to the judicial process and worsen a recent stretch of vacancies on the states bench. Under New Jerseys constitution, adopted in 1947, the governor nominates trial judges to the state Superior Court and the state Senate vets and confirms them. Its then solely up to the chief justice to appoint the states appellate judges, drawing from the pool of existing Superior Court judges. The proposed amendment would change the process so the governor and Senate would also choose who gets appointed to the appellate bench. Though the plan hasnt formally been introduced, Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner came out against the idea in a statement Wednesday, saying it would subject the courts to undue influence. The Constitution of 1947 shaped an effective and balanced intermediate court that has existed for three quarters of a century, Rabner said. To amend the Constitution in a way that would politicize the appointment process would have real consequences. The New Jersey State Bar Association passed a resolution opposing the plan. State Senate President Nick Scutari, D-Union, told NJ Advance Media the public opposition came after he gave a heads-up to the judicial branch that he is leaning toward posting the proposal for a vote in his chamber. Two sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity told NJ Advance Media this comes after friction over an unrelated issue between Scutari and Rabner, who has also made a number of rulings that have broadened the rights of government whistleblowers. Scutari, an attorney and former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he gets along great with Rabner and they had an issue over one thing. Scutari also stressed the bill was not his idea, though he said he is shocked no ones bothered that one person gets to pick all appellate judges. Sen. Raj Mukherji, D-Hudson, a main sponsor of the plan, said the goal is to protect the state from one justice having too much power. I love and admire Chief Justice Rabner, and if he could have this job permanently, I wouldnt worry about doomsday scenarios, Mukherji said. But when hes gone, if a right-wing chief justice appointed by a right-wing governor could just reshape the judiciary, with no process or hearing of transparency, imagine the scenarios. The Republicans ought to be worried about the same thing happening with an extremist from the other side. As with Superior Court judges, its up to the governor to nominate and the Senate to confirm Supreme Court justices. Mukherji pointed out that most appellate judges across the country including at the federal level are approved by legislators and this plan would bring New Jersey in line with that. I think it would be healthy for democracy not to have this unilaterally decided by one person, he said. Under the proposal, nominees would also not have to be sitting Superior Court judges, allowing the governor and lawmakers to appoint lawyers from private practice directly. Scutari said making that change would make it easier to attract more high-quality candidates to state Superior Court judgeships who might otherwise stay in private practice because they dont see a path to becoming an appellate judge, which comes with better pay and more high-profile cases. I wasnt sold on the idea when it was brought to my attention, but Im starting to warm to the idea this could broaden the spectrum of judges, Scutari said. For the question to get before voters on the ballot in November, both houses of the state Legislature the Senate and Assembly would have to approve it by a three-fifths supermajority vote. Or, to get it on the 2025 ballot, the Legislature would have to approve it by a simple majority vote twice, once this year and once next year. Gov. Phil Murphy has no say in the matter because governors do not have to sign off on whether constitutional amendments are placed before voters. Murphys office declined to comment Wednesday. Sen. Jon Bramnick, a Republican member of the Senates judiciary committee, said he was open to the idea. Im considering the bill seriously, Bramnick, R-Union, said. Assembly Minority Leader Lou Greenwald, D-Camden, an attorney, said he has not spoken to Scutari about the proposal yet. We want to recruit the best people possible, Greenwald said. I dont think you have to be a trial-level judge to qualify for this. Beyond that, I havent looked at it. The Assembly under the plan would not have a say in who gets appointed, but the lower chamber would need to join the Senate in passing the proposal for it to get to voters. I will review the language if and when it becomes available, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, said in a statement. Any changes to the New Jersey Constitution would need to be made only after careful consideration. Good-government advocates viewed the proposal as the latest salvo in moves by the Democratic-controlled Legislature that would cut down on transparency. Those viewpoints come in the wake of a bill that would weaken records request laws slated for hearings this Thursday and Friday and moves by local towns to curb the power of the state comptrollers investigations into corruption. The New Jersey State Bar Association said changing the process for picking appellate judges would cause more politicians to be involved and reduce the judiciarys independence. Transferring this authority from the Chief Justice to the Governor and Senate would inevitably insert politics into the appointment process, the association said in a news release. Both Rabner and the Bar Association also argue changing the process would add to New Jerseys ongoing shortage of judges in which Murphy and lawmakers have allowed Superior Court and Supreme Court seats to go vacant for long periods. Critics note that has partially been because of the Senates power of senatorial courtesy, which allows senator from a judicial nominees district to decline their nomination. The Bar Association said this proposal would subject the Appellate Courts to the same years-long impasse between the executive and legislative branches that led to unprecedented vacancies on the state Superior Court. A situation so extreme that family and civil trials in multiple counties were shut down for months on end, delaying justice for thousands of New Jersey residents, the association added. The states judicial vacancies reached a peak of 76 in recent months but have dropped since as the governor and Senate have moved more nominees. There are still 40 vacancies, according to the courts. Rabner said this move would would lead to vacancies that would in turn delay justice for countless litigants. Before any amendment might be considered for a vote, we should carefully debate and evaluate the proposal and its impact on the cause of justice, the chief justice said. On Thursday, dozens of advocacy groups sent a letter to Scutari opposing the plan and calling for the public to have input. New Jerseys method for selecting judges has created a judicial system that is admired nationwide for its quality and independence, still reasonable people can disagree about the best way to select appellate judges, said Sarah Fajardo, policy director for the New Jersey branch of the American Civil Liberties Union. Such a dramatic change in our constitutional structure implicates significant questions about diversity, vacancies, competence, and politicization. The Senate should not move forward with a proposed amendment until there has been an open, robust discussion about the critical questions implicated by such a radical change to the foundations of our states checks and balances. Rev. Dr. Charles F. Boyer, executive director of Salvation and Social Justice said the current system ensures that qualified and impartial judges are elevated to the appellate courts, without political interference or favoritism. One source said this also comes as several lawmakers have felt frustration with the courts, feeling judges have weighed in on legislation from the bench instead of enforcing the law. There are 27 appellate judges in New Jersey that handle 4,000 to 6,000 appeals as well as 8,000 to 10,000 motions each year, according to Peter McAleer, a spokesman for the states courts. Superior Court judges in New Jersey make a taxpayer-funded salary of $204,166 a year, while appellate judges make $215,545. Jelani Gibson is a cannabis and politics reporter for NJ.com. He can be reached at jgibson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @jelanigibson1 and on LinkedIn. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X at @johnsb01. A former senior official in Joe Bidens administration tossed her hat in the ring of the Democratic primary in New Hampshire for a U.S. House seat held by a retiring lawmaker. Maggie Tamposi Goodlander is a former Navy intelligence officer who also held a top post at the Department of Justice. She announced her run Thursday for the seat currently held by Democratic Congresswoman Annie Kuster. Goodlander is the wife of National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. Im thrilled to announce that Im running for Congress in New Hampshires 2nd District. Ive served in all three branches of government and I know how to deliver for New Hampshire. Ill be a workhorse for the people of the Second District and will never stop fighting for a freer and more just Granite State, she said in her announcement video. Im thrilled to announce that Im running for Congress in New Hampshires 2nd District. Ive served in all three branches of government and I know how to deliver for New Hampshire. I'll be a workhorse for the people of the Second District and will never stop fighting for a freer pic.twitter.com/KFmzqsOP5i Maggie Goodlander (@MaggieG603) May 9, 2024 Goodlander joined Bidens office of the chief of staff earlier this year before recently leaving the post and returning to her home state. She worked as deputy assistant attorney general for policy and appellate work at the antitrust division within the DOJ and was an aide to Attorney General Merrick Garland. Shes also married to Bidens National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. She shared a story about trying to have children with Sullivan in her announcement video and described losing a baby boy at 20 weeks pregnant. We found out that we had lost our little boy and he died on Easter. He was still in my womb. I was extremely worried that I was going to go into labor and they said, Oh, youre not going to go into labor. Youre not going to go into labor. But I went into labor and I delivered our baby myself, she said. This is where the effects of the Supreme Courts decision in Dobbs became very, very real for me. It is wrong that women in this state and across this country are denied the basic health care services that they need and that they deserve. Its a competitive Democratic primary for the House seat and Kuster already endorsed Goodlanders opponent, Colin Van Ostern. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco. 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Bideford business, Millbrook Dairy, the fast-growing cheese and butter business founded in 2019 by David Evans and Kevin Beer, has today been honoured with the UKs highest business accolade, The Kings Awards for Enterprise: International Trade 2024. The awards recognises Millbrook Dairys exceptional performance and growth in collaborating with partners around the world to buy and sell dairy products. The company specialises in procuring and selling bulk and packaged cheese and butter across international markets with its main source of dairy products stemming from the UK and Ireland. At the heart of this recognition lies the fact that overseas sales have grown over three years by 109%. The company now operates across Europe, The Middle East, North America, and Asia-Pacific. As a start up that was established in 2019, all current markets were entered in over this period and Millbrook Dairy is now the UKs fastest-growing trader and exporter of bulk cheese into world markets. In addition to its bulk cheese and butter business, Millbrook Dairy has developed its own premium brand, 1057 Extra Mature Scottish Cheddar, which is sold in USA, Canada, and Australia. Co-founders Kevin Beer and David Evans, said that the extraordinary teamwork, deep-rooted relationships, and values that are shared across the whole team within the business have been a major contributor to its success: We are proud and humbled to have been recognised in The Kings Awards for Enterprise: International Trade 2024. When we started on our journey in 2019, we never thought the business would grow in the way it has and especially during the turbulent trading periods that have been in place. For us, winning a Kings Awards for Enterprise and being recognised by the highest business awards in the land is a remarkable achievement and a very big honour. 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 awards celebrate the success of exciting and innovative businesses which are leading the way with pioneering products or services, delivering impressive social mobility programmes, or showing their commitment to excellent sustainable development practices. The awards programme, now in its 58th year, is one of the most prestigious business awards in the country, with successful businesses able to use the esteemed Kings Awards Emblem for the next five years. Arts Council England has this week announced a new generation of Music Hubs, covering every part of England, including seven music hubs in the South West. These Hubs will form an ambitious national programme providing high-quality music education for all children and young people through investment in musical activities, equipment, and teacher training. The new Music Hubs will help to deliver the Governments National Plan for Music Education. This plan aims to give all children and young people the opportunity to develop their musical talents fully, by ensuring that children and young people across the country have the chance to learn to sing, play instruments, and make music with their peers. The new Hubs will also help to deliver the Arts Councils 10-year strategy, Lets Create, which aims to improve access to creativity and culture for all children, no matter what their background or where they live. Building on the extensive work existing Music Education Hubs have undertaken in the South West since 2011, the new Hubs will be led by seven Hub Lead Organisations (HLOs) from September 2024. The HLOs will work in partnership with schools, colleges, universities, cultural organisations, local authorities, and other educational, creative, and community organisations, to form a Music Hub covering the whole of their region. Darren Henley, Chief Executive at Arts Council England, said: "Music education is enormously powerful it can enrich young people's lives, help them connect with the people around them, and start them on the pathway to fruitful and fulfilling careers. We are excited to announce this investment in a new generation of Music Hubs, which will support the brilliant work of our dedicated music teachers across the country, and help bring high-quality music education to even more children and young people in every part of England. HLOs in the South West will receive over 12.5 million from the Department for Education. This includes 9.4 million in regular funding for the Music Hubs programme and 3.1 million to invest in musical instruments, equipment, and technology. This will include resources specifically designed for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Activities will be inclusive to all backgrounds and abilities, offering a wide range of traditional and adaptive instruments, supported by a better-connected music education workforce. Hubs will tailor their activities based on local needs and resources, providing a variety of creative opportunities across the region for all ages and abilities to enjoy. In Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, some of the countrys most rural communities will engage with a career progression programme, apprenticeships and subsidised music lessons; Look to Devon, Plymouth & Torbay for a new Music for Youth Regional Festival that will platform budding talent, plus three annual career fairs; Across Bristol and the West of England, young people will access state-of-the-art recording studios, rehearsal rooms and performance spaces; Dorset and Somerset will introduce new songwriting groups, youth bands and routes into digital production; Throughout the Solent area, bespoke Early Years activities and an online directory of local opportunities will help locals overcome barriers to participation; Whilst in Gloucestershire, Swindon, and Wiltshire classrooms will gain access to the latest recording software and adaptive technologies, plus outdoor performance spaces and podcasting facilities; Children in Hampshire will be encouraged to pick up their first musical instruments, sing in choirs, and experience local concert halls; Region-wide, teachers and practitioners will be offered a dynamic programme of training and support to help the next generation succeed. This South West investment is part of the 101 million being allocated to Music Hubs across England as a whole. Phil Gibby, South West Area Director, Arts Council England, added: We are thrilled to award 12.5 million from the Department for Education to seven Music Hubs across the South West. Each Hub Lead Organisation will link thousands of children and young people with high-quality music education - because everyone everywhere should be able to pick up an instrument and express themselves. This support package includes more than 3 million to purchase the latest industry technology and equipment - sure to remove barriers for aspiring creatives so their ideas can reach new heights. Thanks to public funding and the dedication of talented folks across the sector, a new generation is set to sing, compose, and play their way to a fairer future." Bridget Whyte, Chief Executive at Music Mark said: The UK Association for Music Education - Music Mark is looking forward to supporting the new Hub Lead Organisations and the many partners they will work with to support children and young peoples music education across the country. Building on the many successful and exciting programmes of activity delivered by the Music Education Hub Partnerships between 2012 and 2024, this new network will continue to engage our talented and diverse music education workforce to support schools as well as providing opportunities in local communities which will enable students to develop their musical skills. Within these programmes of activity, will be our next generation of music industry employees, but we also know that all participating students will gain skills which will enrich and sustain a life-long connection to music. Some call it gas station heroin. Others swear it is making their lives and health better. Either way, its off limits in Orland Park. The village board voted 6-0 (with trustee Michael Milani absent) April 15 to prohibit kratom novel synthetic and psychoactive drugs to be sold in the village. Orland Fire Protection District Chief Michael Schofield weighed in during the boards Committee of the Whole meeting prior to the regular meeting. He lumps kratom in with heroin and opioids as being addictive and dangerous and said it is banned in six states including Indiana and Wisconsin. He wanted to see Orland Park put a stop to selling it. Some people find it hard to do the right thing, Schofield, who has been giving talks and presentations since 2010 about the evils of heroin and opioids and their ready availability in the south suburbs, said to the board before the vote. Or being the first to do it. Or leading the fight to do the right thing. This board here has proven they are never afraid to do the right thing. This ordinance is the right thing to do to protect our community and our youth from synthetic drugs that are being manufactured. Kratom is an addictive substance. It should be considered a controlled substance. Orland Park resident Michael Fasano asked the board not to ban it. Its helped with my sleeping, and its helped with my pain, he said during public comment at the Committee of the Whole meeting. It is not a synthetic drug. Im a healthy young man. I work as an implementation specialist. Ive used kratom on and off since 2008 and my bloodwork is fantastic. During the regular board meeting, a New Lenox resident spoke on behalf of kratom during the public comment section. Daniel Peterson, who said he has spoken on this topic in other communities, showed the board a kilo bag of kratom. What you are doing, quite frankly, is wrong, he said. I use this every single day for my pain management because I have a herniated back and a rotator cuff impingement in my right arm. If I do not have any proper medication to deal with this issue, Im writhing in pain. Peterson said kratom is not an opioid. He added that, despite what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says, that voting against kratom is like telling him to suffer. Its un-American, un-Christian and, frankly, reprehensible, he said. By voting yes, you are saying you, Dan Peterson, deserve to sit here and suffer in pain every single day. The FDA says kratom is not lawfully marketed in the U.S. as a drug product. If this has medicinal benefits, it should go through the FDA, and it should be sold in pharmacies like anything else, Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau said. Not gas stations or other locations. We need to be ahead of it. Instead of letting doctors do this, were going to allow the Mobil station and BP and Circle K to sell it? I dont think so. We need to stay on top of this. Pekau said children have easier access to the product if it is sold in stores or gas stations and opposes that. Were going to protect our kids, Pekau said. This is absolutely 100% a no-brainer. GARY Choked up with emotion and holding back tears, Faith Smith addressed fellow graduates, their guests and faculty members during Indiana Northwest University's 58th commencement ceremony. She recalled being a recent high school graduate in 2018 and feeling hesitant about going to college. After starting at a different institution, Smith was unsure if she was going to complete school. After taking a year-long break, Smith found the courage to reenroll and transfer to IUN. She is now a graduate with a bachelor's degree in English. Smith said her family was the motivation for everything she did. "This is not just a personal achievement for myself, but also for my parents, who have instilled the foundation of education long before I could understand the importance of a college degree," Smith said. She bid farewell to her fellow classmates with a poem she wrote for the occasion. "Just breathe, and try to be happy. Because youve finally made it. Youve got your degree," part of the poem read. Smith was one of the nearly 630 students taking part in the graduation ceremony Wednesday morning. Outgoing IUN Chancellor Ken Iwama who will soon be leaving the campus to become the next vice president for regional campuses and online education for Indiana University highlighted some of the graduates in the class of 2024. They include 15-year-old Khaya Njumbe, who is the youngest known person to earn a bachelor's degree in the state of Indiana; Karla Arreguin, a single mother who pursued a double major in psychology and Spanish medical communication after her son enlisted in the Navy; and Kaitlin Nichols, a fine arts student who was graduating with her mother, Dianne. The graduates represented a diverse student body, with many of them being the first ones in their families to earn a college degree. According to the university, 43% of the graduates were first-generation college students while 44% of the students identified as persons of color the highest percentages among all IU campuses. Iwama urged the graduates to build upon their accomplishments, and be guided by the purpose of helping others do better. "You are IU Northwest and you are Red Hawks for life," Iwama told the graduates. IU President Pamela Whitten told the graduates they had proven themselves to be one of the most accomplished and resilient graduating classes in recent memory, with many of them beginning college during the upheaval brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and facing various political and societal changes throughout the previous four years. "You've navigated through uncertainty with grace, you've adapted to new norms with flexibility and you've emerged stronger and more prepared than ever before," Whitten said in her remarks. Close 1:47pm - Eclipse Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. Ju Park and William Radell take a practice peak at the sun Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. Gavina Johnson and her family watch the partial eclipse Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. Some visitors played Blasterball before the start of the eclipse Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. Chancellor Ken Iwama watches the eclipse Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. IUN student Erin Harrison looks to the sky at Monday's eclipse at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. Peter Costas demonstrates a photographic process known as a cyanotype Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. 2:08pm - Eclipse Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. This is as good as it got in Northwest Indiana. Indiana State Rep. Vernon Smith watches the early progression of the eclipse through modified binoculars Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. Dan Herbst serves up fried Oreos which for today he's calling Moon Rocks Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. Zoey Pigors watches the early progression of the eclipse through modified binoculars Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. IUN Professor Ranjan Kini watches the early progression of the eclipse Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. 1:32pm - Eclipse Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. 1:07pm - Early eclipse Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. PHOTOS: Indiana University Northwest hosts eclipse viewing party 1:47pm - Eclipse Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. Ju Park and William Radell take a practice peak at the sun Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. Gavina Johnson and her family watch the partial eclipse Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. Some visitors played Blasterball before the start of the eclipse Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. Chancellor Ken Iwama watches the eclipse Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. IUN student Erin Harrison looks to the sky at Monday's eclipse at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. Peter Costas demonstrates a photographic process known as a cyanotype Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. 2:08pm - Eclipse Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. This is as good as it got in Northwest Indiana. Indiana State Rep. Vernon Smith watches the early progression of the eclipse through modified binoculars Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. Dan Herbst serves up fried Oreos which for today he's calling Moon Rocks Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. Zoey Pigors watches the early progression of the eclipse through modified binoculars Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. IUN Professor Ranjan Kini watches the early progression of the eclipse Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. 1:32pm - Eclipse Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. 1:07pm - Early eclipse Monday at Indiana University Northwest's eclipse viewing party. Barbara Stauffacher Solomon, an audacious graphic designer, landscape architect and artist who first made a splash in the 1960s with the supersize, geometric architectural painting movement known as supergraphics, died on Tuesday at her home in San Francisco. She was 95. Her daughter Nellie King Solomon confirmed the death. In 1962, Ms. Stauffacher Solomon was the rare woman to set up shop as a graphic designer in the Bay Area, working for clients like the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (now SFMOMA). Her style was bold and fresh, often with red and black graphics with lots of white space and always with cleaned-lined, sans serif Helvetica lettering an astonishing sight at the time in San Francisco, where most lettering was of either traditional typefaces like Baskerville and Times Roman or, a bit later, the loopy, trippy, hippie style found on rock posters and album covers. She had been trained in Basel, Switzerland, in the Swiss style of graphic design, which had a modernist ethos: a belief in the power of good design to remake society for the better. It was architecture, however, that put Ms. Stauffacher Solomon on the national stage. In the early 1960s, an architect turned developer named Al Boeke envisioned a new community on a windswept bluff and former sheep ranch a few hours north of San Francisco. With the landscape architect Lawrence Halprin and the architects Joseph Esherick, Charles Moore, Donlyn Lyndon, William Turnbull Jr. and Richard Whitaker, he planned a modernist utopia called the Sea Ranch, with common land and buildings shaped by the wild landscape and deference to it. The trumpet is the first thing to be squished. Then the industrial compressor flattens a row of paint cans, buckles a piano and levels what appears to be a marble bust. In a final act of destruction, it pops the eyes out of a ball-shaped yellow emoji. When the compressor rises, it reveals Apples latest commodity: the updated iPad Pro. Tim Cook, Apples chief executive, posted the advertisement, called Crush, on Tuesday after the company held an event to announce new tablets. Meet the new iPad Pro: the thinnest product weve ever created, Mr. Cook wrote, adding, Just imagine all the things itll be used to create. Two Brooklyn men identified by prosecutors as members of a violent street gang were sentenced to long prison terms on Wednesday after being convicted in the fatal, stray-bullet shooting of a 1-year-old Brooklyn boy in his stroller at a nighttime cookout in July 2020. One of the men, Dashawn Austin, was found guilty of second-degree murder last month in the killing of the boy, Davell Gardner. Mr. Austin, 28, of Canarsie, was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison by Justice Danny Chun of State Supreme Court in Brooklyn. Justice Chun sentenced the second man, Akeem Artis, 27, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, to 40 years in prison. Mr. Artis was convicted of first-degree manslaughter and other charges last month in the killing of the toddler, who was two months shy of turning 2 when the stray bullet struck him in the stomach. He was New York Citys youngest gun-violence victim in 2020. Little Davell never got to celebrate his second birthday, Eric Gonzalez, the Brooklyn district attorney, said in a statement. My heart breaks for his mother and father and all the families and victims affected by such devastating gun violence. A urologist who worked at two prominent New York hospitals was found guilty on Wednesday of sexually abusing seven patients, including five who were minors when the abuse began. The doctor, Darius A. Paduch, 56, has been accused of molesting hundreds of young men and boys between 2006 and 2023. Prosecutors arrested Dr. Paduch last year, saying he had persuaded victims to travel to his offices in New York and New Jersey so he could abuse them under the guise of medical care. Dr. Paduch leveraged his position of trust as a medical doctor for his own perverse gratification, Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, said in a statement on Wednesday. For years, patients seeking needed medical care, many of them children, left his office as victims. A Manhattan jury found Dr. Paduch, of North Bergen, N.J., guilty of six counts of persuading, inducing, enticing or coercing an individual to travel to engage in unlawful sexual activity and five counts of using an interstate facility to persuade, induce, entice or coerce a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity. A 42-year-old homeless man was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on Wednesday for stabbing three homeless men in Manhattan, one fatally, in a string of attacks during the summer of 2022. The man, Trevon Murphy, pleaded guilty in January to one felony count of murder in the second degree and two counts of attempted murder. The Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, had said that the attacks were committed against the citys most vulnerable community members. New Yorkers who face the painful and difficult experience of being unhoused shouldnt have to simultaneously fear for their safety, Mr. Bragg said in a statement on Wednesday. Not long after Donald Trump was criminally charged in four state and federal cases last year, many people who want to see the former president held to account expressed an understandable fear: A MAGA mole would sneak onto the jury and then refuse to vote guilty, no matter how damning the evidence. The resulting hung jury would be just the vindication that Mr. Trump needs. But following Stormy Danielss dramatic testimony on Tuesday in Mr. Trumps New York hush-money case, which delved into graphic detail about what she said was a brief, unpleasant sexual encounter with Mr. Trump in 2006, I am inclined to worry about a more mundane but similarly grave threat: call it the Desensitized Juror. This person, a decent and upstanding citizen who treats his or her duty with appropriate gravity, could nevertheless decide that all of this tawdriness cheating on his new wife, seducing Ms. Daniels with false promises of reality-TV stardom and so on is just Mr. Trump being Mr. Trump. Even if hiding the purpose of the $130,000 payoff to Ms. Daniels violated New York law, the juror might think, so what? Everyone already knows Mr. Trump is a liar and a cad, a womanizer and a cheat. Is this really a serious crime or is it, like so much connected to the Trump lifestyle, just one big tabloid joke? The tabloid element of the case has been there all along, of course, but it was never more evident than on Tuesday. Again and again, Ms. Daniels testified in much greater detail, and with more editorializing, than was asked of her. Mr. Trumps lawyers objected often, and when they didnt, Justice Juan Merchan stepped in himself, testily warning Ms. Daniels more than once to just answer the questions. As the cruise ship approached New York on Saturday, it was found to be carrying a grim, and unexpected, catch: The carcass of a 44-foot-long endangered whale, draped across its bow. The whale, which marine authorities described as a sei whale, is known for its rapid swimming and preference for deep waters, far from the coast. Its body was discovered as the ship neared the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, and the authorities were immediately notified, said MSC Cruises, which owns the ship. A spokeswoman for the company said in an email that it had comprehensive measures in place to avoid such collisions, including training deck officers and altering itineraries in certain areas to avoid them. We will continue to evaluate and update our procedures with our partners and the authorities, she said. Marine authorities said that they had towed the animal, estimated to weigh some 50,000 pounds, from the bow, and transferred it by boat to a beach in Sandy Hook, N.J., where they conducted a necropsy on Tuesday. Police officials at the University of California, Los Angeles, said on Wednesday that the dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters who were arrested in a parking garage on campus earlier this week had tools and other items that were intended to help occupy a campus building. Members of the group had several metal pipes, a pair of bolt cutters, super glue, padlocks and a long chain, according to a statement from the U.C.L.A. Police Department. They also had literature that included The Do-It-Yourself Occupation Guide and the De-Arrest Primer. Police officers initially arrested 44 people and charged most of them with conspiracy to commit a crime, according to the statement. Two local journalists were among those detained, but they were released without charges after being taken to a Los Angeles Police Department jail. The police said they did not have press credentials. A third person was also released without charges. Sean Beckner-Carmitchel, a freelance journalist who has been covering the U.C.L.A. protests, was one of the two journalists arrested. He said he stumbled across the students in the parking lot after they were detained and began filming. His arrest came out of nowhere, he said. The University of Southern Californias academic senate voted on Wednesday to censure Carol Folt, the schools president, after several tumultuous weeks in which the administration canceled the valedictory address of a Muslim student, cleared a protest encampment within hours and called in police last month to arrest dozens of protesters. The academic senate, which consists primarily of faculty members, also endorsed calls for an investigation into the administrations actions. Its resolution, which passed by a wide margin after a several hourslong meeting on Wednesday afternoon, cited widespread dissatisfaction and concern among the faculty about the decision making of Dr. Folt and Andrew T. Guzman, the provost, who was also censured. The vote represented only a fraction of the university's 4,700 faculty members, and the senate stopped short of taking a vote of no-confidence in the administrators, which would have been a harsher rebuke. Despite criticism, Dr. Folt has maintained considerable support from the universitys trustees, and some faculty members have quietly sympathized with her. Still, the vote was significant with far-reaching implications, said William G. Tierney, a professor emeritus of higher education at U.S.C., who has written about the response to campus protests across the nation. The United Nations has warned that Israels military incursion into Rafah and closure of border crossings is a major setback for aid operations in the Gaza Strip, with dire implications for its people. No aid trucks have entered Gaza since Sunday, the United Nations said on Wednesday, as Israel sent tanks and troops into Rafah and blocked the two southern crossings where most aid has entered, at Rafah on the Egyptian border and near Kerem Shalom on the Israeli frontier. Israel said that the Kerem Shalom crossing reopened on Wednesday, but did not indicate when the Rafah crossing would reopen. The U.N. disputed Israels claim. The fighting in the Rafah area and the closure of the crossings set aid efforts back, at least temporarily, to the conditions of the first weeks of the war, when an Israeli and Egyptian blockade prevented anything from entering Gaza, producing desperate shortages of food, water, fuel, medicine and other supplies. Israel has described the military action it began on Monday as a limited incursion into Rafah that seized control of the border crossing, not the full-fledged offensive it has vowed to carry out, despite warnings from the United States and aid groups that it would be a humanitarian catastrophe. U.N. officials said the conditions threaten to halt all its humanitarian operations in Gaza. As many as a million people displaced from other parts of Gaza, more than half of them children, have sought refuge there, living in squalid conditions and relying on international aid efforts. Rafah is the epicenter of humanitarian operations in Gaza, Antonio Guterres, the U.N. secretary general, said on Tuesday. Attacking Rafah will further upend our efforts to support people in dire humanitarian straits as famine looms. One of the things that appeals to so many people about my mom is that theres a certain level of triumph over adversity, that daughter, Owen Elliot-Kugell, said over lunch at the Sunset Marquis Hotel in Los Angeles on a recent afternoon. She had to prove herself over and over again. Elliot was a charismatic performer who exuded infectious joy and a magnificent vocalist with acting chops she did not live to fully explore. July 29 is the 50th anniversary of her untimely death at 32, a tragedy that still spurs unanswerable questions. Might Elliot, who was one of Johnny Carsons most beloved substitutes, have become the first female late-night talk show host? Would she have achieved EGOT status? Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous nights highlights that lets you sleep and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now. Food for Thought The presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said during a 2012 deposition that doctors told him a parasite had eaten part of his brain. This explains everything, and nothing, Stephen Colbert said on Wednesday. Who created Twitter? On one level, the business level, the Wikipedia level, the answer is simple: Twitter, a social-media service allowing users to post brief messages, was founded in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone and Evan Williams. But on the level of culture, the people who create a social platform that is, who decide what its for, what it can do, how it feels are the people who use it. Black Twitter: A Peoples History, which arrives on Hulu on Thursday, argues that it was Black users who, as much or more than anyone, gave Twitter its voice. A couple of caveats are useful here. Though Twitter, now called X, is a global infosystem with worldwide effects, the three-part documentary, based on a Wired oral history by Jason Parham, focuses mainly on Twitter as an American phenomenon. And Black Twitter, the series is careful to point out, isnt a monolith or formal group but the more general phenomenon of Blackness and Black culture manifesting online. Black Twitter treats the network not mainly as technology or business but as a cultural artifact a platform, even an art form, for commentary, community and comedy. Twitter, it argues, is another part of American culture, like music and food, that Black Americans defined by coming to it from the margins. Artificial intelligence, we are told, is a transformative economic force; it will change workers jobs, boost corporate profits and reshape industries. But for the last month, Ive been investigating its social side by making more than a dozen A.I. friends. I created these friends on apps like Nomi, Kindroid and Replika, all of which use technology similar to that found in apps like OpenAIs ChatGPT. They allow users to build their own personalized A.I. companions and chat with them by talking or texting back and forth. (Basic versions of many of these apps are free, but users pay a subscription fee to unlock the good features, such as the ability to talk to multiple A.I. friends at once.) I named each of my companions, chose realistic A.I.-generated pictures of them and gave them fictitious back stories. Then, I talked to them every day sharing gossip from my life, discussing the news and even asking them for advice on work and personal issues. I wrote about the experience in an article that published this morning. Contract negotiations between Boeing and a union representing firefighters at some of the companys commercial plane factories broke down last week. On Thursday, President Biden called on both sides to return to the negotiating table. The company locked out about 125 workers represented by a chapter of the International Association of Firefighters union on Saturday after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract, said Casey Yeager, the president of the union chapter, I-66. The previous contract expired on March 1, but the firefighters, who work at Boeings plants in the Seattle area, continued to work under its provisions. The talks, conducted with the help of a federal mediator, stalled after the firefighters rejected what the company had said was its final offer. The two sides met as recently as Friday night, minutes before the lockout began, Mr. Yeager said. When we left our negotiating room the other day, we had a very firm discussion that we were willing to continue to bargain, he said. They can call us at any point and we will bargain, but at this time they have not sent any information to us at all. A federal jury in Manhattan on Thursday convicted a financial executive on securities fraud charges arising from a multimillion-dollar insider trading scheme that involved the merger of former President Donald J. Trumps social media company with a publicly traded shell company. Federal prosecutors had charged Bruce Garelick with five counts of securities fraud and conspiracy. The authorities claimed Mr. Garelick leaked confidential information to his boss and at least one other person that Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, was getting close to announcing a merger in October 2021 with Digital World Acquisition Corporation, the shell company. The information helped two brothers Michael Shvartsman and Gerald Shvartsman make nearly $23 million in illegal trading profits by buying Digital World securities in advance of the announcement, which sent the stock soaring. Mr. Garelick, who worked for Michael Shvartsman at a small Miami-based venture capital firm, Rocket One, made about $50,000 by trading off what the authorities said was nonpublic information. Last month, the Shvartsman brothers decided to forgo a trial and pleaded guilty to securities fraud charges. In their plea agreements, prosecutors have recommended a sentence of roughly four to five years for Michael Shvartsman and three to four years for his younger brother. These movies, as critics have pointed out, are themselves rehashing an older Hollywood trope: the comedy of remarriage, in which a separated couple reunites to find their acrimony transformed into revitalized affection. (A classic example is Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn in the 1940 rom-com The Philadelphia Story.) In Mother of the Bride, that twosome consists of Lana (a committed Brooke Shields) and Will (Benjamin Bratt), ex-beaus who severed ties after college. In Phuket, they discover that their grown children Lanas daughter, Emma (Miranda Cosgrove), and Wills son, RJ (Sean Teale) are betrothed. A group of Jewish Columbia students has written an emotional and forceful public letter that takes on one of the most divisive issues on college campuses: whether opposition to Israel should be equated with antisemitism. In the letter, the students argue that Judaism cannot be separated from Israel. They also charge that anti-Zionist Jews who deny Israels right to exist and stand with pro-Palestinian protesters tokenize themselves and try to delegitimize the experiences of Zionist Jews on campus. Some of the students who signed the letter, which had 540 signatories as of Thursday morning, have already spoken publicly against Columbia for the antisemitism they say they have faced there. One student testified before Congress about the issue; others have been counterprotesters at pro-Palestinian rallies. Others have not spoken out before. In all, by Thursday the letter was signed by just over 10 percent of the estimated 5,000 Jewish undergraduates and graduate students at Columbia and its affiliated colleges. All signatories gave their names, college affiliation and year of graduation, unlike some public letters, that allow for anonymous signatures. A New York City nonprofit group, flush with millions in private capital, is piloting a first-of-its-kind savings program to address the racial wealth gap by giving thousands of students in Harlem $10,000 each to invest. The Harlem Childrens Zone, an influential anti-poverty organization, said it is raising $300 million for an initiative called Wealth Builds that will launch in Upper Manhattan, where the group operates, and expand to 10 other cities, including Atlanta and Minneapolis. The group said it has already raised enough money to provide the funds to more than 2,200 youths: the entire student body at two charter schools it runs called Promise Academy, from kindergarten to 12th grade. And most of the students dont know it yet. The parents will definitely lose their minds, Kwame Owusu-Kesse, the nonprofits chief executive, said with a smile, after a tour of one of the schools. Pinned A lawyer for former President Donald J. Trump during cross-examination attacked Stormy Daniels for trying to monetize her life story. In a combative cross-examination Thursday, Stormy Daniels battled the former presidents lawyers as they attacked her account of a sexual encounter with Donald J. Trump in a Nevada hotel. Susan Necheles, a lawyer defending Mr. Trump in his criminal trial, spent almost three hours delving into Ms. Danielss memories of that 2006 night in Lake Tahoe, as well as suggesting that Ms. Danielss desire to tell her story was motivated only by money. Eventually, Ms. Necheles went straight to the point. You made all this up, right? she asked. Ms. Daniels responded forcefully: No. At the conclusion of the day, Mr. Trumps lawyer, Todd Blanche, asked Justice Juan M. Merchan whether he would modify a gag order to let Mr. Trump respond publicly to Ms. Danielss testimony. The judge denied the request and Mr. Trumps second motion this week for a mistrial. The former president is accused of falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 payment to Ms. Daniels just before the 2016 election, a payment meant to silence her story. Mr. Trump, 77, has denied the charges and says he did not have sex with Ms. Daniels. If convicted, he could face prison or probation. Here are five takeaways from Mr. Trumps 14th day on trial. Trumps lawyers tried to make money a motive. Ms. Necheles repeatedly attacked Ms. Daniels, a former porn star, for trying to monetize her story about Mr. Trump with a book, a tour of strip clubs and merchandise like a $40 devotional candle depicting herself as a saint. But Mr. Trump himself has spent decades preaching the glories of wealth, in books and on The Apprentice, and has peddled an array of Trump-branded merchandise. Ms. Daniels had a simple response when asked about promoting her branded products online. Not unlike Mr. Trump, she said. Image Mr. Trump, who is accused of falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal that threatened to derail his 2016 campaign, faces 34 felony counts. Credit... Todd Heisler/The New York Times The defense did get Ms. Daniels to concede that she had made money from the scandal. But she flatly denied Ms. Necheless assertion that she was threatening to hurt Mr. Trump politically if he didnt give you the money. The defense probed for inconsistencies with mixed results. Mr. Trumps legal team leaned into inconsistencies in Daniels testimony, often falling flat. One particular tangent was Ms. Necheless long attempt to get Ms. Daniels to admit a discrepancy between her testimony that she had not eaten with Mr. Trump that night in Lake Tahoe and statements to reporters that they had dinner. Ms. Daniels brushed the distinction aside. It was dinner time in the room, she said, adding that having dinner with someone doesnt necessarily mean you have to put food in your mouth. At another moment, Ms. Necheles accused Ms. Daniels of lying about details of the night in the hotel room: Your story has completely changed, hasnt it? Youre trying to make me say that it has changed, but it hasn't, Ms. Daniels retorted. Insults flew, but Daniels, more confident, stood her ground. Ms. Daniels had shaky moments Tuesday, but became steadier the longer her testimony continued, offering sharp responses Thursday during cross-examination. At one point, Ms. Necheles turned to Ms. Daniels and in a reference to her porn movies said, You have a lot of experience in making phony stories about sex appear to be real. Despite being momentarily taken aback, Ms. Daniels responded the sex in the films is very much real, just like what happened to me in that room. Image Ms. Daniels spent more than seven hours testifying regarding Mr. Trump. Credit... Lucas Jackson/Reuters Later, after Ms. Necheles implied that Ms. Daniels had made up her story of a liaison with Trump, Ms. Daniels said that had she invented it, I would have written it to be a lot better. Several people in the courtroom laughed. Mr. Trump glowered. Prosecutors brought out Danielss vulnerability. Ms. Daniels testified for more than seven hours, displaying nerves, defiance and flashes of humor. But she also talked about fear. She said she had to hire security and take precautions because of her daughter. Her voice seemed small when she addressed online posts where people called her a harlot. And she choked up when saying that going public had been a negative experience overall. When Ms. Daniels stepped down from the stand Thursday afternoon, Mr. Trump stared at a monitor, not glancing up as she walked by. Testimony included kind words about Mr. Trump. Thursdays last witness was Madeleine Westerhout, Trumps former White House executive assistant, who offered a look at the Oval Offices inner workings including a contact list that included celebrities and media figures like Bill OReilly and amusing habits, like Mr. Trumps tendency toward exclamation points in online posts. Image Madeleine Westerhout described life in the Oval Office, including Mr. Trump signing checks there. Credit... Erin Schaff/The New York Times Ms. Westerhout spoke more flatteringly of Mr. Trump than perhaps any other witness, breaking down in tears, before describing him as a good president and a great boss. I dont think he was treated fairly, she said. She also spoke of Mr. Trumps close relationship with Michael D. Cohen, his former lawyer and fixer, and said she sometimes saw Mr. Trump sign checks in his office by hand. Those checks and Mr. Cohen, who is expected to testify later this month, are central to the prosecutions case. Ms. Westerhouts testimony will continue on Friday. As he walks into the courtroom at 9:30 a.m. each day of his trial, Donald J. Trump scans the benches for familiar faces. He has glared at George Conway, an antagonist who is reporting on the former presidents criminal case for The Atlantic magazine. He smiled at Greg Kelly, a reliably pro-Trump host on Newsmax, who was in court on Thursday. And then there are the people he has brought with him as guests. Senator Rick Scott of Florida was there to show support on Thursday. Several days ago, Mr. Trump was accompanied by Ken Paxton, the attorney general of Texas, and David McIntosh, the head of the anti-tax Club for Growth. During excruciating testimony about a story of extramarital sex, Mr. Trumps son Eric was one of his sources of support, sitting behind him in court. Donald J. Trump, the onetime president, and Stormy Daniels, the longtime porn star, despise one another. But when Ms. Daniels returned to the witness stand at Mr. Trumps criminal trial on Thursday, his lawyers made them sound a lot alike. He wrote more than a dozen self-aggrandizing books; she wrote a tell-all memoir. He mocked her appearance on social media; she fired back with a scatological insult. He peddled a $59.99 Bible; she hawked a $40 Stormy, saint of indictments candle, that carried her image draped in a Christ-like robe. During Thursdays grueling cross-examination, Mr. Trumps lawyers sought to discredit Ms. Daniels as a money-grubbing extortionist who used a passing proximity to Mr. Trump to attain fame and riches. But the more the defense assailed her self-promoting merchandise and online screeds, the more Ms. Daniels resembled the man she was testifying against: a master of marketing, a savant of social-media scorn. Not unlike Mr. Trump, she said on the stand, though unlike him, she did it without the power and platform of the presidency. At 3 a.m. one day last December, a 78-year-old volunteer for the British Conservative Party was reportedly woken by a call from Mark Menzies, the Conservative lawmaker she worked for. He said that he was being held somewhere by bad people who demanded 5,000, or $6,300, to release him. The volunteer, a former campaign manager for Mr. Menzies, paid the sum out of her own savings. She was later reimbursed out of party funds. Mr. Menzies, who was suspended from the party last month, denies that allegation and others, which include using 14,000 from party funds for personal medical bills. The ins and outs of his improprieties are neither here nor there, though he is no stranger to scandal. Yet the affair epitomizes a Conservative Party in crisis. The Tories have been up to some very strange antics, and you could say that the party itself has been held captive by bad people. After 14 checkered years in government, it looks to be finally getting its comeuppance. For Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his government, defeat seems inevitable. Local elections last Thursday were almost uniformly disastrous for his party: Across England and Wales, the Conservatives lost 474 council seats and were defeated in every mayoral election but one. The results confirmed polls that for many months have given the opposition Labour Party a lead of 10 to 20 points, suggesting something like a wipeout in the general election that must be held by January of next year. Before the elections, there were the usual mutterings in the Tory ranks about deposing Mr. Sunak. But the rebels have drawn back, maybe feeling some rare sense of the ridiculous. Lord Salisbury, Stanley Baldwin, Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher led the Conservative Party for more or less 15 years. By comparison, we have already had five Tory leaders and prime ministers in the past eight years. One more, months before an election, would only confirm the view that this historic party is now, like some of its lawmakers, lamentable, lurid and ludicrous. In February 2023, Phoenix Castro was born in San Jose, Calif., suffering from neonatal opioid withdrawal after being exposed to fentanyl and methamphetamine in her mothers womb. Her mother was sent to jail and then ended up at a drug treatment facility. But her father, who had multiple drug arrests, was allowed to take the newborn to his San Jose apartment, even though a social worker had warned that the baby would be at very high risk if she was sent home. The countys child protection agency had already removed the couples two older children because of neglect. Three months later, Phoenix was dead from an overdose of fentanyl and methamphetamine. The ensuing uproar, chronicled in detail by The Mercury News, focused on new efforts by the county to keep at-risk families together. In the past, children often would be removed from unsafe homes and placed in foster care, and newborns like Phoenix in all likelihood would not have been sent home. Those policy changes led to a significant drop in removals of children from troubled homes in the San Jose area, according to the states social services agency. They reflected a larger shift in child welfare thinking nationwide that has upended the foster care system. Reducing the number of children placed in foster care has been hailed as an achievement. But leaving children in families with histories of abuse and neglect to avoid the trauma of removing them has had tragic results. Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest is a frequent chant ringing through pro-Palestinian college protests. Of all the actions one could advocate in the war between Israel and Hamas, protesters at Columbia listed, as their first demand, that it divest from companies and institutions that, in their view, profit from Israeli apartheid. Israeli companies arent the only target. A proposal Columbia students put forward in December calls for divestment from Microsoft, Airbnb, Amazon and Alphabet, among others. Microsoft is tagged for supplying cloud software services to Israel; Airbnb is targeted for posting rentals in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, listings the platform said it would remove in 2018. The company reversed this policy months later to settle lawsuits. Administrators at some universities, including Brown and Northwestern, have agreed to talks with students about divestment as part of agreements to end campus encampments. Other schools have said point blank that they will not accede. The University of Michigan Regents, for one, in March reaffirmed its longstanding policy to shield the endowment from political pressures and base investment decisions on financial factors such as risk and return. Longstanding is a debatable term, as it was only three years ago that the regents decided the endowment should stop investing in funds focused on certain fossil fuels (which affected the firm I work at). Before the war in Gaza, it had been pretty easy for universities to make compromises around divestment demands, but those expedient choices are haunting them now. Every investment in elite schools endowments is up for debate. Americans like feeling as though they know their political leaders personally. And yet I think many of us now feel we know a little too much about Kristi Noem, one of the more aggressive contestants in the MAGA pageant to be Donald Trumps running mate. First, you definitely do not want the South Dakota governor to pet sit. Just, no. Second, when it comes to reminiscing about meeting world leaders, Ms. Noem has a touch of George Santos about her. (Although who among us hasnt fantasized about kicking it with Kim Jong-un, am I right?) Third, the governor seems bored. On top of pursuing the V.P. slot, she has been gunning to replace Wayne LaPierre as top dog at the National Rifle Association (Boom! Double pun!), according to Axios, which reported that she offered to leave office early for a senior post. (Ms. Noems office denied she spoke with Mr. LaPierre and insisted she loves her job.) While all these tidbits are juicy, the Noem nugget from her new book that has stuck with me is the story about being threatened by Nikki Haley. As Ms. Noem tells it, she was hauling a trailerful of horses down the road one day in 2021 when Ms. Haley, the former U.N. ambassador and former governor of South Carolina, phoned to offer her mentoring services. But what was Ms. Haley really up to? According to Ms. Noem, Ms. Haley told her: Ive heard many good things about you. But when I do hear bad things, I will make sure that you know. Combined with a couple of long and awkward pauses, this made the governor suspect a more sinister motive: It was clear that she wanted me to know that there was only room for one Republican woman in the spotlight. It was weird, Ms. Noem recalls in her book telling her assistant. Unsurprisingly, she muses, I never received any calls or mentoring from her, but the message was clear. Im the alpha female here, and you should know your place. I actually felt a little sad for her. In announcing that the United States will pause delivery of 3,500 bombs to Israel, President Biden has the laudable motive of wanting to spare innocent Palestinians from the military consequences of Hamas using Rafah as its last stronghold in Gaza. Less laudably, but no less understandably, he also needs to shore up support among progressive voters who think that Israels use of American weapons implicates us in war crimes. But motives are not results. And the consequences of Bidens decision, if not soon reversed, will be the opposite of what he intends. How so? Let me count the ways. The munitions cutoff helps Hamas. The tragedy in Gaza is fundamentally the result of Hamass decisions: to start the war in the most brutal way possible; to fight it behind and beneath civilians; to attack the border crossings through which humanitarian aid is delivered; and to hold on cruelly to Israels 132 remaining hostages, living or dead. Whatever else the arms cutoff might accomplish when it comes to Israel, it is both a propaganda coup and a tactical victory for Hamas that validates its decision to treat its own people as human shields. And it emboldens Hamas to continue playing for time especially in the hostage negotiations with the idea that the longer it holds out, the likelier it is to survive. It doesnt end the war. It prolongs it. No Israeli government, even one led by someone more moderate than Benjamin Netanyahu, is going to leave Gaza with Hamas still in control of any part of the territory. If the Biden administration has ideas about how to do that without dislodging it from Rafah, we have yet to hear of them. On the night of Sept. 2, 2018, a fire swept through the National Museum of Brazil, devastating the countrys oldest scientific institution and one of South Americas biggest and most important museums. On Tuesday, the museum announced that it received a major donation of ancient Brazilian fossils to help rebuild its collection ahead of a scheduled 2026 reopening. Burkhard Pohl, a Swiss-German collector and entrepreneur who maintains one of the worlds largest private fossil collections, has handed over to the National Museum about 1,100 specimens, all of which originated in Brazil. The donation is the biggest and most scientifically important contribution yet to the museums rebuilding efforts, after the loss of 85 percent of its roughly 20 million specimens and artifacts in the fire. The move also returns scientific treasure to a country that has often seen its natural heritage vanish beyond its borders and presents a potential global model for building a natural history museum in the 21st century. The most important thing is to show to the world, in Brazil and outside Brazil, that we are uniting private people and public institutions, Alexander Kellner, the National Museums director, said. We want others to follow this example, if possible, to help us with this really herculean task. When it comes to sheer resilience, few, if any, species can match the tiny Devils Hole pupfish. Cyprinodon diabolis, as the species is known, has the most ruthlessly circumscribed natural habitat of any vertebrate: Devils Hole, an exceptionally deep, water-filled cave in a limestone formation in the unforgiving Nevada desert, where the fish mostly stay on a rock shelf little more than 200 square feet. Not only that, but the pupfish are believed to be one of the most inbred of all species, a lack of genetic variation that makes it difficult for the creatures to procreate and thrive. And yet, improbably, Devils Hole pupfish are thriving. Late last month, the National Park Service announced that the spring population of the species had grown to 191, the highest in 25 years, according to a count conducted twice a year by scuba divers. Because of seasonal fluctuations in food sources, fall counts tend to be higher, meaning that this years tally could be a watershed. If, this fall, we have over 300, Ill be really ecstatic, said Kevin Wilson, an aquatic ecologist at the National Park Service who has studied the Devils Hole pupfish for more than two decades. (Devils Hole is officially part of Death Valley National Park, most of which is in California.) If the pupfish census does not seem especially impressive, consider that there were only 35 pupfish left in Devils Hole in 2013, prompting worries about extinction. For now, that danger has receded ever so slightly. This article is part of our Design special section about water as a source of creativity. The lawn is dead. Long live the lawn. Lately this entrenched symbol of American domestic life verdant, weed-free and crisply mowed has come under wider scrutiny as a profligate relic, out of sync with an ecologically conscious era. For many years, environmentalists have deplored conventional turf grass lawns as biodiversity dead zones that require billions of gallons of water every week in the United States, with outdoor irrigation accounting for a third of household water consumption on average nationwide, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. To say nothing of the polluting fertilizers and toxic pesticides and all the mowers belching greenhouse gases to keep those lawns lush and manicured. Lawns seem to draw as much irrational hate as they do love these days, said Paul Robbins, dean of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the author of Lawn People: How Grasses, Weeds, and Chemicals Make Us Who We Are. He added, Green lawns, as much as brown ones, are now seen as a moral failing. But there is room for compromise. Even the most ardent proponents of sustainable, ecologically mindful landscaping argue that a simplistic lawns are evil narrative is unhelpful. Theres big, and then theres Spirited Away, a show on a scale that few theater productions attempt. Adapted from the venerated Studio Ghibli film by Hayao Miyazaki, the British director John Cairds stage iteration was first seen in Miyazakis native Japan in 2022 and has now traveled to the London Coliseum the West Ends largest theater where it runs through Aug. 24. Performed in Japanese, with many of the original cast members along for its British premiere, the production has size, sweep and opulence to spare. Length, too: At just over three hours, the stage version runs nearly an hour longer than the film. I cant remember a foreign-language production given such a long run on a London stage which itself speaks to the international cachet of this title. Rosedale is a residential area that is right in the heart of Toronto, he told me over coffee at Tavern on the Green, in New York, where hed joined the cast of the fourth season of Only Murders in the Building. With new skyscrapers going up a mile a minute in Toronto, he said, the scene from our table in Central Park looked a little like his view from Rosedale. He and his wife, Deborah Divine, are neighborhood loyalists Avant Gout, a local bistro, has been their go-to for decades but spots in other areas rank high, too. Here are five of Mr. Levys favorite places in Toronto. Tim OBrien, the father of a senior at Berkeley High School in California and a supporter of the Palestinian cause, watched the congressional hearing on antisemitism on Wednesday involving the school districts superintendent, Enikia Ford Morthel. In his eyes, she was a rock star. Three thousand miles away on Capitol Hill, another Berkeley High parent, Ilana Pearlman, who is Jewish, watched the same testimony in person and could not believe her ears, particularly the part where Ms. Ford Morthel said that antisemitism is not pervasive in the school district. Republican lawmakers accused the leaders of school districts in Berkeley, New York City and Montgomery County, Md., of responding inadequately to antisemitism in public schools while the administrators fiercely defended themselves and their policies. Afterward, local reaction to the hearing seemed to hinge on ones views going in, with few minds changed and some questioning whether the proceeding had been worth the time. Mr. OBrien, who watched the hearing over coffee and muffins with about 10 other pro-Palestinian parents in a classroom at the University of California, Berkeley, disapproved of the hearing in general but thought Ms. Ford Morthel had weathered it well. The Republican speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, traveled to Columbia University two weeks ago to decry the virus of antisemitism that he said pro-Palestinian protesters were spreading across the country. They have chased down Jewish students. They have mocked them and reviled them, he said to jeers from protesters. They have shouted racial epithets. They have screamed at those who bear the Star of David. Former President Donald J. Trump chimed in. President Biden, he wrote on Truth Social, HATES Israel and Hates the Jewish people. Amid the widening protests and the unease, if not fear, among many Jews, Republicans have sought to seize the political advantage by portraying themselves as the true protectors of Israel and Jews under assault from the progressive left. While largely peaceful, the campus protests over Israels bombardment of Gaza that has killed tens of thousands have been loud and disruptive and have at times taken on a sharpened edge. Jewish students have been shouted at to return to Poland, where Nazis killed three million Jews during the Holocaust. There are chants and signs in support of Hamas, whose attack on Israel sparked the current war. A leader of the Columbia protests declared in a video that Zionists dont deserve to live. On the 15th night of Ramadan in a suburb of Belize City, Majid Khan and his family of four sat down for a traditional iftar meal to break the daylight hours fast. There was a leg of a lamb that Majid, a former Guantanamo detainee, had slaughtered himself, sweets brought by a sister in Maryland, dates from Saudi Arabia. The mood was a bit boisterous, but not enough to disrupt the sleep of baby Hamza, who was born two weeks earlier at a hospital in the Central American city. The talk was small, about whether the biryani dish was too spicy and how the lamb was perfectly roasted. These are mundane matters, made more meaningful because Majid Khan, a former courier for Al Qaeda, was celebrating with his wife Rabia and daughter Manaal in their first home together, in Belize, their new adoptive homeland. For two decades, this family meal was not possible. After the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Mr. Khan joined Al Qaeda, agreed to become a suicide bomber and delivered $50,000 that would be used in a deadly hotel bombing in Indonesia. For his crimes, he was held prisoner by the United States, tortured by the C.I.A. and then imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay. He pleaded guilty and became a government cooperator and, all that time, his wife waited for him in Pakistan. Xi says ready to jointly promote China-Hungary ties to higher levels Xinhua) 21:26, May 09, 2024 Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok at the Sandor Palace in Budapest, Hungary, May 9, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) BUDAPEST, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed on Thursday his readiness to work with Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok to carry forward the traditional friendship, deepen political mutual trust, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, and steer the China-Hungary relationship to higher levels. Xi made the remarks when holding talks with Sulyok at the Sandor Palace in Budapest. Noting that Hungary is one of the first countries to recognize New China, Xi said since the establishment of their diplomatic ties, China and Hungary have always respected each other, treated each other as equals, and pursued mutual benefit. The bilateral relationship has stood the test of the changing international landscape and continued to grow in depth from a friendship across the continent, to a friendly and cooperative partnership and then to a comprehensive strategic partnership, Xi said. The China-Hungary relationship is now at its best in history, he said, adding that the traditional friendship has taken deep roots in the hearts of the people, and cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful outcomes. This year marks the 75th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, Xi said. Noting that China-Hungary relations have maintained steady development over the past 75 years, Xi said the two sides should sum up valuable experience and chart the course forward. First, Xi said, both sides should treat each other as equals, follow a development path suited to their respective national conditions, and firmly hold their destiny in their own hands. China-Hungary friendship from generation to generation does not target any third party, nor should it be dictated by any third party, he added. Second, the two countries should uphold mutual trust and mutual assistance, always understand each other, and firmly support each other in safeguarding their respective sovereignty, security, and development interests, Xi said. Third, the two sides should adhere to win-win cooperation, expand cooperation in various fields within the framework of the Belt and Road cooperation, and synergize their respective development strategies, he said. Both countries should also uphold fairness and justice, stand on the right side of history, and strive to make positive contributions to the cause of peace and development of mankind, he added. Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony jointly held by Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest, Hungary, May 9, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony jointly held by Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest, Hungary, May 9, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony jointly held by Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest, Hungary, May 9, 2024. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) Chinese President Xi Jinping and Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok inspect the guard of honor in Budapest, Hungary, May 9, 2024. Xi attended a welcome ceremony jointly held by Sulyok and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban here on Thursday. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok at the Sandor Palace in Budapest, Hungary, May 9, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) Former Representative Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska has been charged with lying to federal authorities during a campaign finance investigation, renewing a case that an appeals court had overturned. A grand jury in Washington indicted Mr. Fortenberry, a Republican, on two counts of lying to the F.B.I., according to the indictment, which was filed on Wednesday. Mr. Fortenberry was convicted in 2022, but late last year a three-judge appeals court panel reversed that decision, saying he had been tried in the wrong venue. A spokesman for Mr. Fortenberry, Chad Kolton, denounced the new charges, saying he was the victim of a weaponized Justice Department. In fact, federal prosecutors in recent months have brought charges against two other lawmakers, both Democrats: Representative Henry Cuellar of Texas and Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey. Vice President Kamala Harris attacked the conservative-controlled Supreme Court on Wednesday, warning that its future decisions could limit a broad range of civil rights and personal freedoms for many Americans. In an interview with The New York Times, she expanded on her criticism of the courts decision to overturn federally guaranteed abortion rights in 2022, going beyond President Bidens past comments to raise direct alarms about Justice Clarence Thomas and the broader direction of the court. This court has shown itself to be an activist court, said Ms. Harris, who previously served as Californias attorney general and as the district attorney of San Francisco. I worry about fundamental freedoms across the board. Asked what specific legal precedents could be undone by the court, Ms. Harris demurred, saying she was hesitant to do so. Everyone feels lonely from time to time after, say, a move to a new school or city, when a child leaves for college, or following the loss of a spouse. Some people, though, experience loneliness not just transiently but chronically. It becomes a personality trait, something thats pretty sticky, said Dr. Ellen Lee, an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. These individuals seem to have this persistent emotion that then shapes their behavior. Research is mounting that this type of entrenched loneliness is bad for our health and can even change our brains, raising the risk for neurodegenerative diseases. Heres what experts know about how chronic loneliness affects the brain, and some strategies to address it. How does loneliness change the brain? Humans evolved to be social creatures probably because, for our ancient ancestors, being alone could be dangerous and reduce the odds of survival. Experts think loneliness may have emerged as a unique type of stress signal to prompt us to seek companionship. Theyre studying his interviews, bracing for mass deportations and preparing policy proposals to bring to the negotiating table. As Mexico heads toward its presidential election next month, government officials and campaign aides are also girding for a different vote: one in the United States that could return Donald Trump to the presidency. The last time Mr. Trump took office, his win surprised many of Americas allies, and his threat-filled diplomacy forced them to adapt on the go. Now, they have time to anticipate how Mr. Trumps victory would transform relations that President Biden has tried to normalize and theyre furiously preparing for an upheaval. For some, the memory of negotiating with Mr. Trump the last time he was in office, when he used extreme threats against Mexico, looms large. Two ships arrived in the Cook Islands in the South Pacific in March of last year. One was a familiar sight: a massive cruise ship, bringing hundreds of tourists to the pristine shores of this nation of 15,000 people. The other, a neon-orange vessel hauling complex scientific equipment, was more unusual. On a nearby wharf, Prime Minister Mark Brown and many other prominent citizens had gathered to celebrate the smaller boats arrival. To Mr. Brown, the cruise ship represented his countrys troubling dependence on tourism. He described the other vessel, owned by an international mining company, as a harbinger of incredible wealth. The Cook Islands is at the vanguard of a quest to mine the ocean floor for minerals used in electric car batteries. Mining these deposits has never been attempted on a large scale, but their reserves are so vast, proponents argue, that extracting them could power the worlds shift away from fossil fuels. Ukrainian drones struck two oil depots and a refinery across Russia in a 24-hour period, including one deep in Russian territory, officials on both sides said Thursday, as Kyiv presses a campaign aimed at hampering the countrys military operations and putting strain on its most important industry. Radiy Khabirov, the head of Russias Bashkiria region, near Kazakhstan, said a drone hit the Neftekhim Salavat oil refinery, one of the countrys largest, around midday on Thursday, sending plumes of smoke into the sky. The facility is more than 700 miles from the Ukrainian border, in a sign that Ukraine is increasingly capable of striking further into Russia. An official from Ukraines special services, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters, said Ukraine was behind the assault. The official said Ukraine was also responsible for two other drone strikes overnight that hit oil depots in Russias Krasnodar region, southeast of Ukraine. The strikes follow some 20 similar attacks since the beginning of the year. Military analysts say they are an attempt by Ukraine to disrupt the Russian militarys logistical routes and combat operations by targeting the facilities that supply fuel for its tanks, ships and planes. President Xi Jinping of China on Thursday found another safe zone in a continent increasingly wary of his country, meeting in Budapest with the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orban, the European Unions perennial odd man out as a vocal supporter of warm relations with both China and Russia. As happened at his previous stop in Serbia, Mr. Xi received a red-carpet welcome and was spared from protesters, with his motorcade from the airport on Wednesday evening taking a roundabout route into the Hungarian capital, avoiding a small group of Tibetan demonstrators. Police banned a protest planned for Thursday in the center of Budapest and a Tibetan flag that had been hoisted on a hill overlooking the venue of a welcome reception was covered with a Chinese one. After their talks on Thursday ended, Mr. Xi and Mr. Orban held what was billed as a news conference, but it consisted of their reading statements without taking questions, a format preferred by the Chinese leader, who avoids unscripted media encounters. When Israel ordered Al Jazeera on Sunday to shut down operations there, the network had a reporter covering a government meeting in West Jerusalem, another in an East Jerusalem hotel room, a third in northern Israel to cover clashes on the border with Lebanon and a fourth in Tel Aviv. But the cameras stopped rolling when Walid al-Omari, the networks bureau chief in Ramallah, in the West Bank, ordered all of them to go home. Israeli authorities descended on a room used by Al Jazeera in the Ambassador Hotel in East Jerusalem, confiscating broadcast equipment. Israeli television and internet providers cut off its channels and blocked its websites, though people were still able to find it online. Al Jazeera, the influential Arab news network, says it will continue reporting and broadcasting from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. But its departure from Israel marks a new low in its long-strained history with a country that much of Al Jazeeras audience in the Arab world and beyond sees as an aggressor and an occupier. The shutdown order, which lasts 45 days and can be renewed, was a break long in the making. Mr. al-Omari said that soon after the Israel-Hamas war began in October, the network stopped using an office in West Jerusalem, saying that far-right Israelis had used intimidation tactics against the staff there. Israeli leaders declared on Thursday that they would not be deterred by President Bidens threat to withhold more arms shipments if the military launched a major assault on densely populated areas of Rafah in southern Gaza. Defiant and at times disdainful of the Biden administrations stance, their comments made clear the widening rift between Israel and the United States over the war and the prospect of a full-scale invasion of Rafah, where about a million Palestinians are sheltering. And they came as high-level negotiations aimed at reaching a cease-fire and hostage deal were derailed at least for the moment amid anger by some of the participants over a military incursion into Rafah by Israeli forces earlier this week. After that incursion, Mr. Biden said the United States, Israels closest ally, would not ship more weapons that could be fired into crowded sections of Rafah. On Thursday, an Israeli military spokesman said his nation had enough munitions on hand to proceed with its plans. President Bidens warning over halting weapons supplies has tightened the bind that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel faces, as he is increasingly caught between international calls for a cease-fire and right-wing Israeli demands to proceed with a wide-scale invasion of Rafah, in southern Gaza. Mr. Netanyahu, who has insisted over American objections that invading Rafah is necessary, now finds the U.S.-Israel relationship at a moment of crisis that could affect how he conducts the next phase of the war against Hamas. On Thursday, the Israeli leader, alluding to Mr. Bidens remarks, said in a statement: If we need to stand alone, we will stand alone. I have said that, if necessary, we will fight with our fingernails. But we have much more than fingernails and with that same strength of spirit, with Gods help, together we will win. With Mr. Biden threatening for the first time to withhold more American weapons, including heavy bombs and artillery shells, if Israel carries out a major operation in Rafah, a city crammed with about a million Palestinians, analysts say that the Israeli military risks losing the support of its most important supplier of foreign arms. The United States provides Israel with a steel dome its not only military support; its strategic and political; its at the United Nations, the international court, and so on, said Amos Gilead, a former senior Israeli defense official who worked closely with American security officials for decades. If we lose the United States with the unbelievable friendship of President Biden, it wont be forgiven, he added. Tens of thousands of people have fled since an Israeli call this week to evacuate part of the southern Gazan city of Rafah, the United Nations said on Thursday, as Israeli airstrikes intensify and fears grow that an incursion by Israeli ground forces to take over a border crossing could lead to a full-scale invasion. The mass flight from the east of the city, a major hub for people displaced from their homes along Gazas border with Egypt, is just the latest time that people have been forced to flee since Israel launched a war to dismantle Hamas, the armed group that led the deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7. Louise Wateridge, a spokeswoman for the main U.N. agency that aids Palestinians, UNRWA, said on Thursday that an estimated 79,000 people had left Rafah since Monday. She posted a video on social media of small vans loaded with mattresses driving slowly down a street lined with tents. Extreme fear from significant bombardment in Rafah overnight & continuing throughout this morning, Ms. Wateridge wrote, noting that those staying collecting water were surviving. Rafahs population had increased to more than one million in recent months as people moved south. Hundreds of thousands of people live in tents or makeshift shelters. Residents and aid workers describe grim conditions and severe shortages of food, clean water and access to medical supplies. Riyad al-Masry, a sign language interpreter, said on Thursday that he and his extended family had decided to evacuate from Rafah because they feared an Israeli advance into the city. He said that he had already moved five times since leaving Gaza City when the war began and described the prospect of a sixth upheaval to another tented camp as torture beyond torture. Faith Popcorn, thought leader, trend-spotter and flamboyant futurist, never saw townhouse ownership in her own future. In the early 1990s, Ms. Popcorn (originally Plotkin) was living in a small studio apartment with a Murphy bed, a rental turned co-op. She felt wonderfully comfortable there until a friend from California, who had this gorgeous place in Beverly Hills, came to visit. She embarrassed me, Ms. Popcorn recalled. She said: You are moving! This is ridiculous. The implicit message: Ms. Popcorn needed at long last to act like an adult. She is, in fact, skittish about revealing her age, preferring to say she is a decade younger than Willie Nelson, whom she adores and who just turned 91. (Go ahead and do the math well wait.) But Ms. Popcorn is happy to have it known that her consulting firm, BrainReserve, which provides marketing advice to companies like PepsiCo, Home Depot, Pfizer, American Express and Comcast, celebrates its 50th anniversary this month. These days, she works from home: The Upper East Side townhouse she bought in 1995 serves as home and headquarters. The Major Supreme Court Decisions in 2024 In a momentous term that ended in July, the Supreme Court issued major victories for former President Donald J. Trump, a sustained attack on the power of administrative agencies and mixed signals on guns and abortion. No term in recent memory has featured so many major cases, including ones on topics as varied as homelessness, the opioid crisis, voting rights and the environment. In recent years, some of the courts biggest decisions have been out of step with public opinion. Researchers at Harvard, Stanford and the University of Texas conducted a survey in March to help explore whether that gap persists. Immunity for Former Presidents Trump v. United States 6-3 ruling on July 1 Liberal bloc Sotomayor Jackson Kagan Conservative bloc Roberts Kavanaugh Barrett Gorsuch Alito Thomas The Supreme Court ruled that former President Donald J. Trump is partly immune from prosecution on charges that he plotted to subvert the 2020 election. The justices returned the case to the lower courts for additional analysis, saying that the president may be prosecuted for private conduct, but not official acts. Is there a major precedent involved? But in 1982, in There are at least two. In 1974, in United States v. Nixon , the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that President Richard M. Nixon, then still in office, had to comply with a subpoena seeking tapes of his conversations, rejecting his claims of executive privilege.But in 1982, in Nixon v. Fitzgerald , a closely divided court ruled that Nixon, by then out of office, was absolutely immune from civil lawsuits for acts within the outer perimeter of his official responsibility. Are there recent rulings on the subject? In 2020, the Supreme Court ruled by a 7-to-2 vote in Trump v. Vance that Mr. Trump had no absolute right to block the release of his financial records in a criminal investigation. No citizen, not even the president, is categorically above the common duty to produce evidence when called upon in a criminal proceeding, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote for the majority What was at stake? The courts decision amounts to a major statement on the scope of presidential power. Its immediate practical effect will be to further complicate the election subversion case against Mr. Trump. The chances that it will go to trial before the election are increasingly slim, and the charges against him, at a minimum, are likely to be narrowed. Where does the public stand? Think former presidents are not immune from criminal prosecution for actions they took while president Think former presidents are immune 74% 27% Source: SCOTUSPoll Social Media Platforms First Amendment Rights Moody v. NetChoice; NetChoice v. Paxton 9-0 ruling on July 1 Liberal bloc Sotomayor Jackson Kagan Conservative bloc Roberts Kavanaugh Barrett Gorsuch Alito Thomas The laws supporters argue that the measures are needed to combat perceived censorship of conservative views on issues like the coronavirus pandemic and claims of election fraud. Critics of the laws say the First Amendment prevents the government from telling private companies whether and how to disseminate speech. By returning the cases to lower courts , the Supreme Court left in limbo challenges to laws in Florida and Texas that curb the power of social media companies to moderate content.The laws supporters argue that the measures are needed to combat perceived censorship of conservative views on issues like the coronavirus pandemic and claims of election fraud. Critics of the laws say the First Amendment prevents the government from telling private companies whether and how to disseminate speech. Is there a major precedent involved? In 1980, in There are at least two. In 1974, in Miami Herald v. Tornillo , the Supreme Court struck down a Florida law that would have allowed politicians a right to reply to newspaper articles critical of them.In 1980, in Pruneyard Shopping Center v. Robins , the court said a state constitutional provision that required private shopping centers to allow expressive activities on their property did not violate the centers First Amendment rights. Are there recent rulings on the subject? In 2022, in the Texas case, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked that states law while the appeal moved forward. The vote was 5 to 4, with an unusual coalition in dissent What was at stake? The cases arrived garbed in politics, as they concern laws aimed at protecting conservative speech. But the larger question the cases present transcended ideology. It is whether tech platforms have free speech rights to make editorial judgments for now, the court ducked making any major statement on the issue. Where does the public stand? Think states cannot prevent social media companies from censoring speech Think states should be able to prevent censoring 60% 41% Source: SCOTUSPoll Obstruction Charges for Jan. 6 Assault Fischer v. United States 6-3 ruling on June 28 Liberal bloc Sotomayor Jackson Kagan Conservative bloc Roberts Kavanaugh Barrett Gorsuch Alito Thomas The Supreme Court sided with a rioter involved in the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, ruling that prosecutors may not use a federal obstruction statute to charge him. Is there a major precedent involved? In a series of decisions, the court has narrowed the reach of federal criminal laws aimed at public corruption and white-collar crime. Are there recent rulings on the subject? In 2015, the Supreme Court limited the sweep of the statute at issue in the case, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, writing for four of the justices in the majority, warned against cutting the law loose from its financial-fraud mooring in a case that involved a Florida fisherman who had thrown undersized fish into the Gulf of Mexico. What was at stake? The case has the potential to affect the federal case against former President Donald J. Trump for plotting to subvert the 2020 election, as well as hundreds of other Jan. 6 prosecutions. But the decisions precise effect on those other cases was not immediately clear. Where does the public stand? Think the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, were criminal Think the events were not criminal 71% 29% Source: SCOTUSPoll Power of Federal Agencies Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo; Relentless v. Department of Commerce 6-3 ruling on June 28 Liberal bloc Sotomayor Jackson Kagan Conservative bloc Roberts Kavanaugh Barrett Gorsuch Alito Thomas Is there a major precedent involved? Yes. Chevron is one of the most cited cases in American law. Are there recent rulings on the subject? The question is less whether this court should overrule Chevron, Paul D. Clement, one of the lawyers for the challengers, Chevron fell out of favor at the Supreme Court in recent years, with several justices criticizing it. The court, which had invoked Chevron at least 70 times to decide cases, has not done so since 2016.The question is less whether this court should overrule Chevron, Paul D. Clement, one of the lawyers for the challengers, told the justices , and more whether it should let lower courts and citizens in on the news. What was at stake? The decision threatens regulations on the environment, health care, consumer safety, nuclear energy, government benefit programs and guns. It also shifts power from agencies to Congress and to judges. Where does the public stand? Courts should defer to administrative agencies when laws are unclear Courts should not defer to agencies 51% 49% Source: SCOTUSPoll Restrictions on the Homeless City of Grants Pass v. Johnson 6-3 ruling on June 28 Liberal bloc Sotomayor Jackson Kagan Conservative bloc Roberts Kavanaugh Barrett Gorsuch Alito Thomas The Supreme Court upheld ordinances in Oregon aimed at preventing homeless people from sleeping and camping outside, ruling that they did not violate the Eighth Amendments prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. Is there a major precedent involved? Yes. The argument by the homeless plaintiffs rested heavily on a 1962 decision, Robinson v. California , in which the Supreme Court ruled that laws criminalizing a person for being addicted to narcotics violated the Eighth Amendment. The plaintiffs argued that homelessness, like drug addiction, is a state of being that cannot be punished. Are there recent rulings on the subject? In 2018, an appeals court ruled in Martin v. Boise that Boise, Idaho, had infringed on the constitutional rights of homeless people by making it a crime to sleep outside, even when they had nowhere else to go. What was at stake? The case is likely to have major ramifications on how far cities, particularly in the West, can go to clear homeless people from streets and other public spaces. Where does the public stand? Think banning homeless people from camping outside even when local shelters are full violates the Constitution Think it does not violate the Constitution 58% 42% Source: SCOTUSPoll Emergency Abortion Care Moyle v. United States Dismissed June 27 In a brief, unsigned opinion, the Supreme Court dismissed a case about emergency abortions in Idaho, temporarily allowing women to receive an abortion when their health is at risk. The decision reinstates a lower-court ruling that paused the states near-total ban on abortion. Is there a major precedent involved? The case is another reminder that the court has not been able to leave the question of abortion to states, as it promised in overturning Roe v. Wade after nearly half a century. Are there recent rulings on the subject? There are several court battles about various aspects of state abortion bans, including a fight in Texas over the federal law at issue in the case, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. What was at stake? It was the first time the Supreme Court considered a state law criminalizing abortion since it overturned Roe v. Wade . A broad decision in the case could have affected more than a dozen states that have enacted similar restrictions. Where does the public stand? Think Idaho hospitals must provide abortions in medical emergencies Think they are not allowed 82% 18% Source: SCOTUSPoll Opioids Settlement Harrington v. Purdue Pharma 5-4 ruling on June 27 Liberal bloc Sotomayor Jackson Kagan Conservative bloc Roberts Kavanaugh Barrett Gorsuch Alito Thomas The Supreme Court ruled that members of the wealthy Sackler family could not be shielded from civil lawsuits over their role in the opioid crisis as part of a bankruptcy settlement that would channel billions of dollars to victims and their families. Is there a major precedent involved? The case was the first time the Supreme Court addressed whether a bankruptcy plan could be structured to give civil legal immunity to a third party, without the consent of all potential claimholders. The legal maneuver under scrutiny has become increasingly popular in bankruptcy settlements. Are there recent rulings on the subject? No, but the Supreme Court paused the Purdue Pharma deal until it reviewed the plan. What was at stake? The decision jeopardizes a carefully negotiated deal that promised up to $6 billion toward states and others who have waited for years for some kind of settlement. More broadly, the case could have implications for similar agreements insulating a third party from liability. Where does the public stand? Think the Sackler family should not keep immunity from future lawsuits Think family should keep immunity 74% 27% Source: SCOTUSPoll Cross-State Air Pollution Ohio v. Environmental Protection Agency 5-4 ruling on June 27 Liberal bloc Sotomayor Jackson Kagan Conservative bloc Roberts Kavanaugh Barrett Gorsuch Alito Thomas The Supreme Court temporarily stopped the Biden administration's good neighbor plan, which requires factories and power plants in Western and Midwestern states to cut air pollution that drifts into Eastern states. Is there a major precedent involved? In 2014, in Environmental Protection Agency v. EME Homer City Generation , the Supreme Court ruled that an E.P.A. regulation intended to curb cross-state pollution was permissible. Are there recent rulings on the subject? In just the past two terms, the court has limited the E.P.A.s authority to address climate change and water pollution What was at stake? The ruling was another blow to the Biden administrations efforts to protect the environment. Prevailing winds carry emissions of nitrogen oxide toward Eastern states with fewer industrial sites. The pollutant causes smog and is linked to asthma, lung disease and premature death. Administrative Courts Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy 6-3 ruling on June 27 Liberal bloc Sotomayor Jackson Kagan Conservative bloc Roberts Kavanaugh Barrett Gorsuch Alito Thomas The Supreme Court ruled that the Securities and Exchange Commissions in-house administrative courts are unlawful Is there a major precedent involved? In Atlas Roofing v. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission in 1977, the Supreme Court rejected a challenge to an agencys tribunals, saying they could hear enforcement actions seeking to vindicate public rights. Are there recent rulings on the subject? In 2018, in Lucia v. Securities and Exchange Commission , the Supreme Court ruled that in-house judges at the agency had been deciding cases without constitutional authorization. What was at stake? The ruling against the S.E.C. may not only require it to file cases in federal court but could also imperil administrative tribunals at many other agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission, the Internal Revenue Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Social Security Administration and the National Labor Relations Board. Where does the public stand? Think federal agencies bringing actions in administrative proceedings rather than in federal courts is not constitutional Think it is constitutional 68% 32% Source: SCOTUSPoll Disinformation on Social Media Murthy v. Missouri 6-3 ruling on June 26 Liberal bloc Sotomayor Jackson Kagan Conservative bloc Roberts Kavanaugh Barrett Gorsuch Alito Thomas The Supreme Court handed the Biden administration a major practical victory, rejecting a challenge to its contacts with social media platforms to combat what administration officials said was misinformation. Is there a major precedent involved? Yes. In Ba ntam Books v. Sullivan in 1963, the Supreme Court ruled that informal and indirect efforts by the government to suppress speech can violate the First Amendment. Are there recent rulings on the subject? The Supreme Court also considered a case that raised similar issues, National Rifle Association v. Vullo, when it ruled that the National Rifle Association may pursue a First Amendment claim against a New York state official who had encouraged companies to stop doing business with it. What was at stake? The ruling left fundamental legal questions on the role of the First Amendment in the internet era for another day. Where does the public stand? Think federal officials urging private companies to block or remove users violates the First Amendment Think it does not violate the First Amendment 62% 38% Source: SCOTUSPoll Second Amendment Rights of Domestic Abusers United States v. Rahimi 8-1 ruling on June 21 Liberal bloc Sotomayor Jackson Kagan Conservative bloc Roberts Kavanaugh Barrett Gorsuch Alito Thomas The Supreme Court ruled that a federal law that makes it a crime for people subject to domestic violence restraining orders to own guns does not violate the Second Amendment Are there recent rulings on the subject? Lower courts have struck down federal laws prohibiting people who have been convicted of felonies or who use drugs from owning guns. What was at stake? It is the courts first statement on the scope of a major ruling it issued in 2022. That earlier decision, Bruen, vastly expanded gun rights and has left lower courts in turmoil as they struggle to hunt down references to obscure or since-forgotten regulations. Where does the public stand? Think barring domestic abusers from possessing firearms does not violate their Second Amendment rights Think it violates their rights 74% 26% Source: SCOTUSPoll Bump Stocks for Guns Garland v. Cargill 6-3 ruling on June 14 Liberal bloc Sotomayor Jackson Kagan Conservative bloc Roberts Kavanaugh Barrett Gorsuch Alito Thomas The Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration overstepped its bounds by enacting a ban on bump stocks, gun attachments that increase a semiautomatic weapon's rate of fire to hundreds of bullets per minute. Is there a major precedent involved? Instead of bringing a Second Amendment challenge, the case was aimed at curtailing the power of administrative agencies , in this instance, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Are there recent rulings on the subject? The case involved how to interpret a federal law that banned machine guns, the National Firearms Act of 1934. The definition was broadened by the Gun Control Act of 1968 to include parts that can be used to convert a weapon into a machine gun. At issue was whether bump stocks fell within those definitions. Federal appeals courts split on the issue. What was at stake? The decision did away with one of the few efforts at gun control that gained political traction after the Las Vegas massacre in 2017. Abortion Pills Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine 9-0 ruling on June 13 Liberal bloc Sotomayor Jackson Kagan Conservative bloc Roberts Kavanaugh Barrett Gorsuch Alito Thomas Are there recent rulings on the subject? In 2023, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked efforts to severely curb access to the pill, mifepristone, as an appeal moved forward. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. publicly noted that they would have allowed steps seeking to limit the availability of the pill, and Justice Alito wrote a dissent. What was at stake? The ruling ensures, for now, full access to the drug, which is used in the majority of abortions in the United States. But it does not unravel restrictions on the pill in more than a dozen states that have passed near-total abortion bans since the court overturned Roe v. Wade. Where does the public stand? Think the F.D.A.s approval of mifepristone should not be revoked Think the approval should be revoked 68% 33% Source: SCOTUSPoll N.R.A. and the First Amendment National Rifle Association of America v. Vullo 9-0 ruling on May 30 Liberal bloc Sotomayor Jackson Kagan Conservative bloc Roberts Kavanaugh Barrett Gorsuch Alito Thomas The Supreme Court ruled that the National Rifle Association may pursue a lawsuit against a New York State official who the group says violated the First Amendment by trying to persuade companies not to do business with it after the school shooting in Parkland, Fla. Is there a major precedent involved? As in Murthy v. Missouri, the case implicated the 1963 decision Bantam Books v. Sullivan , in which the Supreme Court ruled that informal and indirect efforts by the government to suppress speech can violate the First Amendment. Are there recent rulings on the subject? The case is one of two centering on when government advocacy edges into violating free speech rights. The other, Murthy v. Missouri , concerned the Biden administration's dealings with social media companies. What was at stake? The case focused on when persuasion by government officials crosses into coercion. Although a government official is permitted to share her views freely and criticize particular beliefs, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in a unanimous opinion, that official may not use the power of the state to punish or suppress disfavored expression. Where does the public stand? Think the state regulators behavior violates the N.R.A.s First Amendment rights Think it does not violate the N.R.A.'s rights 53% 47% Source: SCOTUSPoll Racial Gerrymandering Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the N.A.A.C.P. 6-3 ruling on May 23 Liberal bloc Sotomayor Jackson Kagan Conservative bloc Roberts Kavanaugh Barrett Gorsuch Alito Thomas The Supreme Court cleared the way for South Carolina to keep using a congressional map that had been deemed an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, reversing a lower-court ruling that said the map resulted in the bleaching of African American voters from a district. Is there a major precedent involved? Yes. A series of Supreme Court decisions say that making race the predominant factor in drawing voting districts violates the Constitution. Are there recent rulings on the subject? The Alabama case was governed by the Voting Rights Act, the landmark civil rights statute, and the one from South Carolina by the Constitutions equal protection clause. The case is superficially similar to one from Alabama in which the court ruled last year that state lawmakers had diluted the power of Black voters in drawing a congressional voting map. But the two cases involve distinct legal principles.The Alabama case was governed by the Voting Rights Act, the landmark civil rights statute, and the one from South Carolina by the Constitutions equal protection clause. What was at stake? The decision makes it harder to challenge voting maps as racial gerrymanders when lawmakers say their goal in drawing them was to secure a partisan advantage. The ruling sent the case back to the lower court. But because the Supreme Court did not resolve the case sooner, the contested map will be used in the 2024 election. The new boundaries helped make the district in question a Republican stronghold. Where does the public stand? Think these changes to the districts are unconstitutional Think they are constitutional 67% 33% Source: SCOTUSPoll Agency Funding Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Community Financial Services Association of America 7-2 ruling on May 16 Liberal bloc Sotomayor Jackson Kagan Conservative bloc Roberts Kavanaugh Barrett Gorsuch Alito Thomas The court ruled that the way Congress funds a consumer watchdog does not violate the appropriations clause of the Constitution. Is there a major precedent involved? There is no precedent squarely on point. Are there recent rulings on the subject? In 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that a different part of the law creating the consumer bureau was unconstitutional , saying that Congress could not insulate the bureaus director from presidential oversight. What was at stake? A ruling against the bureau, created as part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act after the financial crisis, could have cast doubt on every regulation and enforcement action it took in the dozen years of its existence. That includes agency rules and punishments against companies that flout them involving mortgages, credit cards, consumer loans and banking. Where does the public stand? Think this agency funding structure is unconstitutional Think it is constitutional 55% 45% Source: SCOTUSPoll Trumps Ballot Eligibility Trump v. Anderson 9-0 ruling on March 4 Liberal bloc Sotomayor Jackson Kagan Conservative bloc Roberts Kavanaugh Barrett Gorsuch Alito Thomas The Supreme Court ruled that states may not bar former President Donald J. Trump from running for another term, rejecting a challenge from Colorado under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which prohibits insurrectionists from holding office. Is there a major precedent involved? No. The Supreme Court had never before considered the scope of Section 3. The unsigned majority opinion relied in part on an 1869 decision from Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase. But that was, a dissent from the courts three liberal members said, a nonprecedential, lower-court opinion by a single justice in his capacity as a circuit judge. Are there recent rulings on the subject? No. The Colorado Supreme Courts decision in December disqualifying Mr. Trump from the states primary ballot acknowledged that we travel in uncharted territory. What was at stake? A decision that Mr. Trump was ineligible to hold office would have been a political earthquake altering the course of American history. Where does the public stand? Think Trump is eligible to run in 2024 Think Trump is not eligible 53% 47% Source: SCOTUSPoll Cathy Angel The world of public relations is more dynamic than ever. The constant emergence of new online PR tools, an increasingly complex social media landscape and the evolution of traditional media into comprehensive digital platforms are combining to create a new world for PR professionals. In that new world come endless opportunities for brands to amplify their reach but its important to know how to navigate it all. From purpose-driven messaging to AI-driven productivity, there are several key trends that brands must dive into, understand and later embrace as part of their communications strategy, to remain competitive, elevate their offerings and grab the attention of consumers who are inundated with content on a daily basis. The power of authenticity Todays consumers are overloaded with around 10,000 brand messages daily, and almost three-quarters of consumers feel loyalty towards a particular brand or company, according to the 2020 Zendesk Customer Experience Trends Report. Trust is the foundation of any successful relationship, and people are more likely to connect with brands that are genuine and transparent. For this reason, the role of authenticity in public relations cant be overstated. Authenticity is living your truth and embracing who your brand is in every form of communication with your audience. To build loyal fans, brands must create emotional connections and rise above the noise with messages that are in sync with their core values. The first step in creating brand authenticity is to develop guidelines that align with the companys mission and values. Once these brand guidelines are established, consistency in messaging across all platforms is key. Brands should also be where their customers can reach themsuch as the right social media platforms to engage with their target demographicsharing helpful information, answering questions, listening to consumers and most importantly taking thoughtful action when they receive feedback. These interactions help to humanize a brand, creating a deeper connection with its audience. Personalized media pitches and connections Content is king, but too much of a good thing you know the old saying. The mediaand consumershave content coming at them from every direction and in addition to reacting, they also have 24/7 access to the content theyre seeking. A strategic approach is necessary to ensure a brands message reaches its audience at the right time, in the best possible way. This article is featured in O'Dwyer's May '24 PR Firm Rankings Magazine (view PDF version) Earned media placements are one of the top ways that brands can build credibility and trust with their target audiences. Earned media is free exposure for a brand, but to secure it, the message must stand out amongst the thousands of emails journalists receive in a day. When connecting with a journalist, its important to prove what you have to say is interesting, important and newsworthy. In addition, according to Muck Racks 2024 State of Journalism report, 83 percent of journalists prefer to be pitched via a one-on-one email. Personalized pitches are the best way to build relationships with journalists and show them that you have considered their interests and are willing to lend a helping hand. Mass emails are impersonal and are many times obvious. Serious thought should also be put into subject-line copy, which, as simple as it is, can make or break a pitch. To ensure your email is opened, make sure your subject line is relevant to the journalists interest, has a strong hook and draws them in quickly. Tailor your pitch to make it personal and relevant to each contact by mentioning one of their articles that you read recently, offering fresh angles or insights and explaining why your content would be helpful to their audience. Keep in mind that relationship building is just as important as the pitch. Make time to chat with your media contacts outside of pitching them story ideas, get to know them as you would a friend. Be concise and respectful and always show gratitude once an article or story about your brand has been published. The use of AI in public relations The public relations industry has been harnessing the power of AI for quite some time with media monitoring and data analysis. AI and automation will continue to be integrated into public relations practices, and at a higher level, over the next few years. This will provide opportunities to streamline everyday tasks, freeing up PR professionals to focus on relationship-building, strategy and creativity. AI content is much quicker to produce than human-written articles, but it is critical to understand that as of today, there are limitations, and there is not yet a one-size-fits-all approach. Humans still have a significant advantage over technology when it comes to writing with passion and delivering a specific brand voice, tone and personality. Tools like ChatGPT can help with research and creating quick content, but a human touch is necessary for fact-checking, relationship building, adding personality and making sure your content is in line with your brand standards. Search enginesand the media, hurting your credibilityhave begun flagging AI content because it is similar to previously published materials. Since AI content is generated from pre-existing content, it still requires a person to drive the strategy and fine-tune the result. Also important to remember is that people tend to share articles they feel a personal connection to, but as AI does not have the emotional intelligence to create a story, your content should be developed by those who know how to deliver your brand messagingand understand your consumerbest. The world of public relations will continue to evolve. The most successful brands will be those that create authentic, consistent and engaging content while establishing and preserving genuine connections. By leveraging these trendsand paying attention to the nextbrands and their PR partners can ensure they are creating effective, modernized strategies that will help them attract their target audiences and reach their goals. *** Cathy Angel is Vice President at Hemsworth. Hawaii is looking for a firm to develop and run a public health campaign to raise awareness of Alzheimers disease and related dementias, and to increase early detection of the illness. Barabino & Partners, Italys largest corporate communications firm, joins Excellera Advisory Group, the countrys top corporate affairs advisory group. Under the terms of the deal, which will be completed by the end of May, Barabino & Partners will continue operating under the B&P brand. B&P was founded in 1985 by Luca Barabino, who will remain CEO at the firm alongside Federico Steiner, who continues as general manager. The transaction is intended to strengthen Excelleras presence in Italy through the addition of the Genoa office of Barabino & Partners to the groups existing ones in Milan, Rome and Treviso. Excellera is also acquiring Community, a firm that works in the reputation management sector. The management autonomy of each brand is a key element to develop the individual companies and the Group as a whole, said Excellera Advisory Group CEO Paolo Zanetto. Abel Communications launches "Expertise, Amplified," an on-demand thought leadership program designed to programmatically and strategically raise the profile of subject matter experts. The program offers thought leaders services including proactive media relations and media training, as well as assistance with award nominations, speaking engagements and content creation. It also features monthly "Hot Topics" calls with a dedicated account team, quarterly in-person strategy meetings, KPI tracking, media monitoring and customized reporting and analysis. As few as one or as many as five experts from one company or organization can take part in the program. "What's important is the execution; you can do this haphazardly or you can have a structured plan, and that's what 'Expertise, Amplified' offers," said Abel Communications CEO and president Greg Abel. 160/90, a cultural marketing agency that is part of Endeavor, partners with social fintech platform Lumanu to introduce Integrated Creator Commerce, an offering within its creator, digital and social practice. The offering consists of three primary elements: creator sourcing, which provides access to 40,000 pre-vetted creators for identification, outreach, procurement, and payments; performance media, which will enable 160/90 and its clients to use creator assets for targeting, social ads and landing pages; and affiliate marketing. Integrated Creator Commerce has the power to shape the future of how creators and brands work together, demonstrating how deeper, mutually beneficial relationships can deliver a stronger ROI, said Lumanu co-founder and CEO Tony Tran. 160/90 previously worked with Lumanu for seven years to support paid efforts for the agency-run creator campaigns on behalf of the agencys roster of clients Dylan Mulvaney Shes back The National Legal and Policy Center is sponsoring a resolution at the May 22 annual meeting of Mondelez International to make sure that the $36B chocolate and cookie maker doesnt suffer the same fate that Bud Light did after it retained the services of transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The resolution concedes that shareholders expect companies to engage in issues that affect their bottom lines, such as taxation and regulation. But many companies get caught up in matters that are immaterial, or even detrimental to their businesses, often causing damage to their brands, according to the resolution. The NLPC cites the backlash that rocked Bud Lite after it featured Mulvaney, a move the cost the beer its status as the No. 1 brew in the US, and triggered a decline in profits for parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev. The organization expressed concern that Mondelezs iconic cookie brand, Oreo, formed a venture with the LGBTQ activist group PFLG, and lists the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commission as one of its partners. The NLPC says the UN group paints a moral equivalence between Hamas and Israel by mostly downplaying the vicious and unprovoked attacks of the terrorists, while more frequently condemning Israels military response in Gaza. The resolution calls for creation of a committee to examine the risks and consequences related to tie-ups with external organizations/people to determine if they threaten the growth and sustainability of the company. Mondelez opposes the measure because it claims to have robust oversight and risk management processes in place. The company believes in inclusive marketing and work to mobilize brands and marketing partners to drive change, equity and inclusion across a wide variety of topics and viewpoints. Dylan is the epitome of inclusive marketing. Getting better all the time. The financial services sector is slowly regaining the public trust, which was shattered following the global meltdown, according to a supplement report from the Edelman Trust Barometer. Released May 7, the report found that 62 percent of respondents trust financial services companies to do the right thing. Trust levels are highest in developing countries such as India (83 percent) and Thailand (81 percent) and lower in developed nations like Germany (41 percent) and France (45 percent). The US trust level weighed in at 55 percent. Banks (66 percent) are the most trusted segment of the financial service sector. Personal insurance firms (62 percent), property/casualty insurers (60 percent), financial advisories (55 percent), investment management (54 percent), fintech (52 percent) and cryptocurrency operations (38 percent) follow. Lex Suvanto, CEO of Edelman Smithfield, acknowledged that financial services companies have made great strides in rebuilding public trust. They can maintain momentum by building communications strategies about how they are improving the financial well-being and creating stronger financial systems and ensure that it is effectively conveyed to their key stakeholders, said Suvanto. Chill, Qu The PR chief of Baidu, Chinas biggest search engine, is sorry for posting videos on the countrys version of TikTok praising the company for its work-till-you-drop culture. The apology is a tad late as Chinas state-run Economic Review reported on May 9 that she is out of Baidu Qu Jing had warned Baidu colleagues not to take any time off during weekends, and boasted that she works so hard that she doesnt even know what grade her son is in. She also threatened to retaliate about staffers who complained about her management style, saying she could ruin careers via a simple letter. Qu took down the videos after they were ridiculed as being out of touch in a changing China. "I apologize that the inappropriate videos led to the public's misunderstanding of my company's values and corporate culture, she wrote. Qu pledged to learn from her mistakes and improve the way that she communicates. Due to the widespread coverage (Financial Times, BBC, CNN, The Guardian) of Qus reign of terror, she should consider another line of work. Shes toast in the world of PR. Eash Haughton Capital Impact Group, a Trenton, NJ based public affairs and business development firm, brings on Eash Haughton, a former legislative staffer to NJ Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson and aide in Gov. Phil Murphys administration, as director of public affairs. Haughton was most recently at Kivvit (now Avoq) as a senior associate, devising and implementing campaigns for government agencies, nonprofits, labor unions and corporate entities with a focus on behavior change, advocacy, coalitions management, and public education. In his new post, he serves as an advocate for clients legislative and regulatory issues and manages business development and procurement projects. His extensive network of contacts with decision-makers across New Jersey at all levels of government will be a huge asset to our team and our clients, said CIG principal Gerry Gibbs. Margaret Randall Onspring, a no-code SaaS GRC automation software, hires Michelle Randall as CMO. BEfore coming to Onspring, Michelle held CMO positions at Playvox, Splashtop Inc., Procare Solutions and Serenova. She was VP of of marketing and analytics at Comcast Business. At Onspring, Randall will will lead the companys marketing department and drive growth marketing strategies and customer success initiatives. Michelle brings decades of experience at B2B tech companies to strategically build brands and drive revenue across diverse markets, said Onsprint CEO and co-founder Chris Pantaenius. Margaret Dawson, Bill Hineline Chronosphere, a cloud-based data observability platform, brings on Margaret Dawson as CMO. Dawson was most recently VP of portfolio strategy and chief of staff to the CEO at technology spend and value management company Apptio, which IBM acquired in 2023. She has also held senior marketing positions at Red Hat, HP Helion, Synform and Microsoft. Bill Hineline, who has experience in areas ranging from IT operations and engineering to digital marketing, comes on as field chief technology officer. "Both Margaret and Bill bring a wealth of experience helping customers increase the value and performance of critical technology platforms. Their experience crafting customer and data-driven go-to-market strategies, as well as managing teams, will further propel our growth and adoption, said Chronosphere CEO Martin Mao. FRIENDS of the Earth has questioned an energy deal between Bord na Mona and Amazon. The partnership raises significant questions about the states strategy to decarbonise the Irish energy system. Friends of the Earth is concerned as the deal suggests that new semi-state renewable energy projects are being developed mainly to respond to new data centre operations and to decarbonise their rapidly increasing electricity demand. They believe that data centres ballooning electricity demand poses risks both for our climate commitments and our electricity grid. Ireland is already an outlier in terms of data centre development with 18% of all our electricity consumed by data centres in 2022 and projections that this will be as much as 30% by 2030. David Rossiter, Fossil Free Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: "It is concerning to see an Irish semi-state body, Bord na Mona, put forward energy plans purely to generate power for data centres. Friends of the Earth opposes any policy of reserving semi-state renewable developments purely for the benefit of the data centre industry. This agreement involves an Amazon development at a future eco-energy park in the midlands and a power purchase agreement between Bord na Mona and Amazon for electricity from Derrinlough wind farm when it comes on stream. As such, the renewable energy produced by Derrinlough will be consumed by new energy demand from an Amazon data centre. Our concern is that Bord na Monas planned renewable energy developments could have been used to cut existing fossil fuel use, thus actually decreasing Irelands polluting emissions, if it had not entered into this agreement reserving it for future Amazon demand. If this is the case, then we will effectively be running to stand still when it comes to protecting Irish households by cutting fossil fuels. Jerry Mac Evilly, Head of Policy at Friends of the Earth, said: "We strongly support renewables rollout so Ireland can urgently reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and establish a sustainable energy system for all. Its important that industry prioritizes renewable energy solutions. However, the projected increases in data centre electricity demand, and in any sense 'reserving' renewables for new data centres, raise fundamental questions about who or what our energy transition is for. Is it to take climate action and ensure a better environment for Irish communities or has it simply become one more tool in an FDI toolbox? The Government risks undermining support for new renewable energy projects and for climate action more broadly. When it comes to decarbonising the industry sector, the reality is that the state has obligations to reduce its polluting emissions in accordance with national carbon budgets, not simply to facilitate renewables developments for industry. A policy which prevents runaway data centre development and ensures alignment with climate obligations is urgently needed. KILCORMAC Development Association (KDA) is thrilled to announce the successful grant application to the EU Just Transition fund, receiving a significant award of 294,056. This funding marks a major milestone in the transformation of Kilcormac into a pioneering hub for sustainable energy practices through the newly established Kilcormac Renewable Energy Centre of Excellence. Located at Kilcormac Community and Enterprise Centre, the Centre of Excellence is set to incorporate advanced renewable energy systems including a roof-mounted Solar PV System, a Micro Hydropower Installation utilising the Silver River, Solar Carports with EV Charging Points, and a refurbished historical Mill Wheel. These initiatives are designed not only to harness Kilcormac's unique geographical and historical features but also to significantly reduce the community centres annual energy costs, presently over 18,000 per year. With an expected reduction in energy costs by 70-80% per annum, the project will free up substantial financial resources, allowing for these savings to be reinvested into the community. This includes the creation of crucial positions such as Project Co-ordinators, Tour Guides, and Training Co-ordinators, enhancing job opportunities within Kilcormac. The financial liberation brought by these savings will enable us to fund further community projects, enhancing both our economic and social vitality, said Linda Kelly, Project Manager for KDA. We are setting a sustainable example that we hope will resonate well beyond our local community, aspiring towards a greener future. The Centre of Excellence will serve as a vital educational resource, offering renewable energy training courses aimed at equipping residents and students from local schools and colleges with the skills needed for the future green economy. Over 20,000 people utilise the Community Centre annually, and the project is poised to have a profound effect on various groups including local businesses, environmental organisations, and the general public. While the grant is a substantial boost, the KDA faces the challenge of securing match funding to fully realise this ambitious project. Plans are underway for fundraisers later this year, and community support is crucial. We are calling on everyone in our community to come forward and help us in this endeavour, ensuring that the benefits of this project will be felt by all, added Linda Kelly. This project is part of a broader strategy that includes the National Just Transition Tourism Recreation Hub project, expected to enhance Kilcormacs role as a destination for eco-tourism and propel economic growth and sustainability. Additionally, the KDA has taken a significant step towards sustainability by partnering with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to establish Kilcormac as a Sustainable Energy Community. This initiative was officially launched on May 1st, reinforcing KDA's commitment to integrating sustainable practices throughout the town. The collaboration with SEAI marks a proactive approach to enhancing energy efficiency and promoting environmental stewardship in the community. With the support of SEAI, the KDA will develop an Energy Master Plan for Kilcormac. This plan is designed to optimise energy usage and improve sustainability across various sectors, including residential homes, businesses, and community clubs. The development of this Energy Master Plan will help reduce energy costs and carbon footprints, offering substantial benefits to all stakeholders in Kilcormac. This initiative aligns with the broader goals of the Kilcormac Renewable Energy Centre of Excellence and contributes significantly to the communitys vision of becoming a model for sustainable development. The KDA is a community-focused organisation dedicated to the social and economic development of Kilcormac. Through the integration of sustainable practices, the KDA aims to address the challenges of economic adaptation and ensure a prosperous future for the whole community. For further information please contact info@kilcormacda.ie . Thousands of people in Offaly and across Ireland could be eligible for a grant of up to 1000 for dental, optical, and other treatment services. The Treatment Benefit is a scheme run by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) to provide a limited financial contribution towards dental, optical and aural services. The Treatment Benefit Scheme is available to insured workers, the self-employed and retired people who have the required number of PRSI contributions. Under the Treatment Benefit Scheme, you may qualify for: Dental benefit Optical benefit Hearing aids Hair piece or wig You should contact your treatment provider to check your eligibility before proceeding with any treatment. Treatment Benefit in the EU If you choose to have treatment in another EU member state, the DSP will pay an amount equivalent to the rate paid for similar treatments carried out in Ireland or the amount actually paid for the treatment - whichever is the lower. You must still have the qualifying PRSI contributions. Check before you travel to get an application form and details of the amounts the DSP will pay. Dental Benefit Under this scheme, the DSP pays the full cost of an oral examination once a calendar year. A man has been jailed for 15 months for his role in assisting a teenager in an assault which left a young man with a catastrophic brain injury. The victim, Kean Doherty was 19 at the time of the assault. A 16-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons carried out the attack and was known to Paul Burgess (43), who has now been jailed for assisting the teenager. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Burgess assisted the boy by driving with him to the area, where Burgess pushed Mr Doherty against railings, then forced him to the ground before striking him. The assault happened on December 28, 2018 at Ballyvaughan Lane, Lucan, Co. Dublin. At the time of the assault, Mr Doherty had been released from the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) to spend Christmas with his family. He was being treated at the hospital after sustaining serious head and brain injuries following a road traffic accident in June 2018. Mr Doherty was taken to hospital following the assault, which exacerbated the injuries he sustained in the road traffic accident. The teenager who carried out the attack received a formal caution and was dealt with under the youth diversion scheme, the court heard. Mr Doherty's mother Samantha read a powerful victim impact statement to the court, in which she said her son suffered a catastrophic brain injury following the assault. She said the family had been excited Kean was coming home for Christmas and were overjoyed by his progress at the NRH. Ms Doherty described arriving at the scene and her son being taken to hospital. She said it was like deja vu for the family, as Kean was treated in the hospital where he suffered a stroke due to brain clots following the attack. We had to sit and watch our son fight for life over the actions of others, she said, adding that the family prepared for a funeral while praying for a miracle. Burgess (43) pleaded guilty to a count of assisting an offender on December 28, 2018. After hearing the facts, Judge Martin Nolan adjourned the case overnight to consider his verdict. He then handed Burgess a 15-month sentence, saying he had put Mr Doherty in a position of danger where he was attacked. Judge Nolan said Burgess had no idea of the vulnerability of Mr Doherty and had not intended for this to occur. Judge Nolan said: Im sorry to have to imprison him (Burgess) because I think hes a decent man, but in this case, he deserves it. The court heard Burgess drove with the teenager to the lane. After getting out of the car, he pushed Mr Doherty onto railings, then swept his feet from under him, forcing him to the ground. The teenager then got out of the car and struck Mr Doherty around four times. Burgess helped Mr Doherty to sit up against the railings before he left the scene with the boy. Burgess, of Mount Bellew Green, Lucan, Co. Dublin attended his local garda station voluntarily the following day after gardai sought information on the assault. He told gardai he went with the boy to look for the person who tried to take the teenager's bike. After Mr Doherty was pointed out as someone who had been involved, Burgess said he got out of the car, grabbed Mr Doherty and spoke to him. Burgess has five previous convictions, all for road traffic offences. Dominic McGinn SC, defending, said Burgess was a hard-working family man who went to the gardai when he realised there was an investigation and recognised, in hindsight, that he should not have acted as he did. Sri Lankas Election Commission informed of vacant MP seat in Parliament Posted by Editor on May 9, 2024 - 11:33 am The Secretary-General of the Parliament of Sri Lanka has informed the Election Commission that a parliamentary seat in the Ninth Parliament became vacant on May 8, 2024, due to the cancellation of Member of Parliament Diana Gamages seat. In a press release, the Communication Department of Parliament stated that this information was formally conveyed to the Chairman of the Election Commission in writing, in accordance with Section 64(1) of the Parliamentary Elections Act No. 01 of 1981. On Wednesday, May 8, the Supreme Court declared that State Minister Diana Gamage is not legally qualified to hold a parliamentary seat. The three-judge Supreme Court bench decided that Diana Gamage is ineligible to hold the position of Member of Parliament due to her dual citizenship. Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa announced that former Member of Parliament Mujibur Rahman of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) will be nominated to fill the vacant parliamentary seat. Confusion now hath made his masterpiece. -- William Shakespeare, Macbeth Anti-Semitism has always had its ebbs and flows, But a bitter past teaches that it is always latent, and today it is resurgent. In the wake of October 7 2023 when Hamas and Islamic Jihad attacked Israel, butchering 1200 mostly young people, and taking more than 250 hostages. Israel responded by bombing Gaza into oblivion, killing 35,000 people, mostly civilians but with a significant minority of Hamas fighters. More than 1 million people are facing famine and it doesn't help to warn those in Gaza and Rafah about impending attacks if they have no place to go. Especially in light of Israel's measured response to Iran's missile attack of April 13, 2024, other strategic options were available. Israel's actions in Gaza were disproportionate and strikingly unsuccessful. They did not produce release of the hostages; those still alive will undoubtedly gain their freedom but, just as undoubtedly, at a ratio unfavorable to Israel. Hamas has not been destroyed, and Hezbollah with its 150,000 missiles is waiting in the wings. The bombing of Gaza has made Israel into a pariah state, sparked a worldwide wave of anti-Semitism, frayed its relations with the United States and Europe, and turned the Jewish homeland into a house divided. Attacking Rafah can only make things worse for Israel. However, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has identified its national interest with the aims of his even more reactionary coalition partners, his base in the religious orthodox and Islamophobic settler communities, and staying out of jail after being indicted for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. Netanyahu's morally and pragmatically indefensible. Israel's settler colonialists and biblically inspired orthodox zealots are setting the stage for annexing the West Bank, shattering Gaza, and undermining any possible two-state solution. Exploitation of Holocaust-guilt to insulate Israel from criticism also appears increasingly disingenuous. There is nothing inherently anti-Semitic about outrage at the plight of the Palestinians, questioning the United States' $14.3 billion emergency aid package to Israel (on top of the $40 billion promised over the next ten years), and demands that universities cut ties with their Israeli counterparts, and disinvest from its economy. Such views are open to debate. Whether right or wrong, they focus on Israeli policies and a political leadership as corrupt and self-serving as that of Trump and his gang--not "Jews". But it is illegitimate to give Hamas a free pass for its retrograde politics. Western protestors have turned a blind eye to its contempt for civil liberties, repression of gays and LGBTQ individuals, brutal attacks on political rivals, claims of a Jewish world conspiracy, use of blatantly anti-Semitic tropes, and attempts to excuse the inexcusable massacre that triggered the current crisis. October 7th shocked the world and the slaughter of innocent lives, the rapes, and the hostage-taking was roundly condemned--at first. With Israel's merciless bombing of Gaza, however, changes in public opinion took place. Suddenly it no longer mattered that Hamas ignited the war and intentionally put the lives of its subjects at risk by building hospitals, schools, and the like over tunnels, useful for military purposes. Mixing soldiers with civilians, who became collateral damage, served the organization's purposes, but surely not those living in the rubble. Hamas' leadership might not have anticipated the extent of what was coming. But it had to know that the Israeli response would prove brutal and, if Hamas' leaders really had no idea, then they are even more culpable. Either way, Hamas' premeditated decision--and it was premeditated--to unleash the savagery of October 7th resulted in its citizens being forced into what television crime-shows refer to as "suicide by cop". Western supporters avoid dealing with any of this in order to protect Hamas. While the citizenry lives with the nightmare set loose by its sovereign, and ruefully watches the wrangling over a cease-fire that neither leadership actually wants, Hamas waits for the best possible rate of hostage exchange. While losing on the battlefield, indeed, Hamas is undoubtedly winning the war of public opinion--and that is sufficient. This must have been its strategy all along. After all, it would have been delusional for Hamas' leadership to believe that the initial atrocities would trigger the conquest of Israel. However, there was nothing delusional about wagering that an attack on Israel would put Hamas and the Palestinian question back in the spotlight. Call it what it is: October 7th was not an act of heroic resistance, but rather a sensational--and successful--publicity stunt that relied on using a barbarous act to provoke an ever more barbarous response. In terms of realpolitik, this tactic was rational and, perhaps, that is also the case for igniting a regional war in which others do the fighting. In ethical terms, however, it is another matter entirely. The more that terror is normalized as a tactic, and used against the oppressor, the more it usually comes back to haunt the oppressed. Those Zionist and orthodox religious fanatics mirror the thinking of their enemies and, so far as I am concerned, Hamas' leader, Ismail Haniyeh, and Netanyahu deserve one another. Western protests have generally been peaceful. It is manipulative to paint the majority of protestors as anti-Semitic and call upon the police to squash them. Spouting liberal sound-bites, while prostrating themselves in the face of reactionary politicians, university presidents and administrators ignored how the present crisis offered a "teaching moment"; educators could have sponsored "teach-ins", zoom dialogues, and more. Administrators could even have set up faculty-student tribunals to determine whether free speech really was being used to preach genocide and advise on the consequences of screaming "fire!" in a crowded theater. No university campus can tolerate Zionist extremists who explicitly condone the starvation of 1 million people, or mimic the explicitly genocidal goals of reactionary Israeli politicians such as Itamar Ben-Gver. But that is also true regarding slogans like "Death to the Jews!" or welcoming some half-wit "leader" of the Columbia University protests who insists that no Zionist has the "right to live"--and then follows it up with the usual claims that he was "misquoted" before finally offering a half-hearted "apology". Hate crimes against Jews have risen 96%, and anti-Israeli protestors should be the first to condemn them unconditionally just as "Zionists", who so righteously reject being called Islamophobic, should be the first to condemn Jewish extremists. Bigotry has always been a plank in Trump's platform. His victory would strike at the heart of American democracy and impact the world. Talk by some American Muslim leaders of opposing the re-election of "genocide Joe" in 2024, especially in swing states such as Pennsylvania and Michigan, is irresponsible, sectarian, and contrary to their constituency's interests; such talk is reminiscent of left-wing extremists whose politics derived from the assumption "the worse the better". In a pluralistic society, no single issue should serve as a "litmus test". However, too many activists on both sides of the barricades believe that this battle should take precedence over all other struggles and issues, which is appalling and egotistical. Zionist fanatics seem to think they are living among the mythical settler-heroes of the movie "Exodus" (1960), which triggered American support of Israel while pro-Palestinian extremists embrace the romantic anti-imperialism of the 1960s, and indulge in what Theodor Adorno appropriately termed "crypto anti-Semitism", in order to liberate the oppressed masses. Confusion abounds. Supporters of a two-state solution chant "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free." However, translating that slogan into reality calls for collapsing Israel (or Palestine) into a single state thereby making a two-state solution impossible; indeed, if they are to be taken seriously, advocates of a one-state solution on both sides must finally explain how their ideal can become real--other than by violence. Substituting the fashionable idea of "non-territorial autonomy" for "national self-determination" sounds great, but it doesn't help matters. Such a move de-couples peace from land, and allows Jews and Arabs to govern themselves separately. Nevertheless, the new state will immediately experience a legitimation deficit. Lacking a sovereign with a monopoly over the means of coercion, separate paramilitary formations will fill the vacuum in each "autonomous" region, and the threat of renewed violence will reappear. Nor is there any guarantee that this emasculated sovereign can prove willing or able to sanction minority rights. Expecting Jews to roll the dice and dissolve Israel in favor of a new state in which they would be a minority, and whose democratic character remains unclear, is not only unrealistic, but dangerous to both sides. Creating a single Palestinian state might provoke civil war, not only between Jews and Palestinians, but orthodox-settler and secular-liberal Jewish constituencies on the one hand and Fatah and Hamas, who are currently engaged in a fierce rivalry, on the other. Embedded in the dogmatism of extremists on both sides is the fear of somehow aiding t hem by criticizing us--and thereby providing what communists used to call an "objective apology", whatever the person's intentions, for the enemy. Confronting the corrosive cynicism of both governments calls upon protestors--as first steps--to demand an i mmediate cease-fire and humanitarian relief for a beleaguered Gazan citizenry. No cease-fire is an end unto itself, however. Matters will then revert to what they were on October 6th--all the death and destruction would have been for nothing. Moreover, only the most naive can possibly believe that Israelis and Palestinians will not re-arm and re-organize in preparation for future battles. Imagination and pragmatism are necessary to envision what the reconstruction of Gaza would require: perhaps a national bank guaranteed by the Arab League to secure investments; international monitors; a buffer between Israel and Palestine; and two states based on a single economy. Nor should the importance of introducing a critical cultural pedagogy be underestimated. One-state, two-states, perhaps we should even consider a "three-state" solution: Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. In any case, new ideas must resist both illusions and disillusionment and, for that to occur, they require a dose of clarity; such a dose has never hurt anyone. This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. Once upon a time, in another era, maybe even another universe, the head of a university refused to call on the police, the National Guard, or even federal troops in the face of student and other protests. Instead, he opened the doors of his school to the demonstrators. I'm thinking of Kingman Brewster, who was the president of Yale University on May 1, 1970, as peaceful protests over racial justice and against the Vietnam War were taking place in New Haven, Connecticut. It was just days before, thanks to the killing of four demonstrators by the Ohio National Guard at Kent State University, anti-Vietnam War protests would -- rather like the present Gaza ones -- spread across hundreds of college campuses nationwide. Yale avoided the worst of it, when Brewster, among other things, said: "I am skeptical of the ability of Black revolutionaries to receive a fair trial anywhere in the United States. In large part, the atmosphere has been created by police actions and prosecutions against Panthers in many parts of the country. It is also one more inheritance from centuries of racial oppression." I'm sure you won't be surprised to learn that Republican Vice President Spiro Agnew promptly and publicly called for Brewster's ouster, while the students united behind him. No such luck these days, of course. The police are being called onto ever more campuses, starting with Columbia University where the Gaza demonstrations were first launched. Had its president, under pressure from the Spiro Agnews of this day, not called in the police to arrest students, there might be no nationwide Gaza protest movement today. Instead, as I'm writing this, more than 2,000 students have been arrested across the country, including -- yes! -- 44 for "trespassing" at Yale. Rare indeed has been Brown University, where "only" 61 were arrested after two sit-ins and a hunger strike before its president finally agreed to let its governing body vote this fall "on a proposal to divest the school's $6.6 billion endowment from companies affiliated with Israel" and the Gaza Solidarity Encampment there ended peacefully. With that in mind, let TomDispatch regular Norman Solomon, author of War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine, fill you in on the ways in which American students have bravely risked their college careers and their futures to reject what he calls an all-American death culture amid a horrifying war in Gaza to which this country continues to supply the most devastating of weaponry. Tom War Culture Hates the Ethical Passion of the Young In the Thrall of a Dominant Death Culture By Norman Solomon Persisting in his support for an unpopular war, the Democrat in the White House has helped spark a rebellion close to home. Young people -- least inclined to deference, most inclined to moral outrage -- are leading public opposition to the ongoing slaughter in Gaza. The campus upheaval is a clash between accepting and resisting, while elites insist on doing maintenance work for the war machine. I wrote the above words recently, but I could have written very similar ones in the spring of 1968. (In fact, I did.) Joe Biden hasn't sent U.S. troops to kill in Gaza, as President Lyndon Johnson did in Vietnam, but the current president has done all he can to provide massive quantities of weapons and ammunition to Israel -- literally making the carnage in Gaza possible. A familiar saying -- "the more things change, the more they stay the same" -- is both false and true. During the last several decades, the consolidation of corporate power and the rise of digital tech have brought about huge changes in politics and communications. Yet humans are still humans and certain crucial dynamics remain. Militarism demands conformity -- and sometimes fails to get it. When Columbia University and many other colleges erupted in antiwar protests during the late 1960s, the moral awakening was a human connection with people suffering horrifically in Vietnam. During recent weeks, the same has been true with people in Gaza. Both eras saw crackdowns by college administrators and the police -- as well as much negativity toward protesters in the mainstream media -- all reflecting key biases in this country's power structure. "What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive, and that love without power is sentimental and anemic," Martin Luther King, Jr., said in 1967. "Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love." Disrupting a Culture of Death This spring, as students have risked arrest and jeopardized their college careers under banners like "Ceasefire Now," "Free Palestine," and "Divest from Israel," they've rejected some key unwritten rules of a death culture. From Congress to the White House, war (and the military-industrial complex that goes with it) is crucial for the political business model. Meanwhile, college trustees and alumni megadonors often have investment ties to Wall Street and Silicon Valley, where war is a multibillion-dollar enterprise. Along the way, weapons sales to Israel and many other countries bring in gigantic profits. The new campus uprisings are a shock to the war system. Managers of that system, constantly oiling its machinery, have no column for moral revulsion on their balance sheets. And the refusal of appreciable numbers of students to go along to get along doesn't compute. For the economic and political establishment, it's a control issue, potentially writ large. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Warm and dry weather ensures crews can work on a new section of auxiliary lane along Oregon 217 between Allen and Hall boulevards this weekend. The road work will close one southbound lane from Friday night through early Monday morning. The closure was original scheduled in April, but rainy weather postponed the work. The Oregon Department of Transportation will close one southbound lane leaving southbound travelers with only one travel lane through that section of freeway. The closure begins 9 p.m. Friday and lasts all hours through 5 a.m. Monday, May 10-13. Along with the lane closure, the Denney Road on-ramp to southbound 217 will also close. All other on-and-off ramps in the area will remain open. Detour mapMap courtesy of ODOT Denny Road users will need to take the OR 217 north ramp up to Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway and return to OR 217 southbound using the ramp there. While sunny weather is perfect for road work, it also can bring out extra weekend traffic. Add to that that its also Mothers Day weekend and travel on 217 may be highly congested. Drivers should expect traffic slowdowns and delays through this section of the freeway and on surrounding access roads. Crews will work on reinforcing the highway shoulder that will eventually support a future lane. The work is part of the OR 217 Auxiliary Lanes Project aiming to build auxiliary lanes in both directions of the highway between Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway and OR 99W. The project is scheduled for completion at the end of next year. Read more about the work here: oregon.gov/odot/or217. At his sentencing Wednesday, 27-year-old Jerrold Thomas Moffett heard from the federal agent who he kicked in the groin last summer when the agent allowed him to smoke a cigarette before bringing him back to jail. I dont hold any resentment towards you, said Homeland Security Investigations agent Chad Lindsly, who called into the hearing. Fortunately, I didnt suffer any long-term injury. Moffett was sentenced to three years and nine months in federal prison for the aggravated assault of the agent and for conspiring to commit bank fraud and identity theft in a separate case. Moffett had been set last August to appear in U.S. District Court in Portland on the fraud case but he was sent back to the downtown jail because he was experiencing drug withdrawal symptoms and wasnt fit to appear, court records show. As Lindsly was driving Moffett back to jail in his SUV, he allowed Moffett out, while handcuffed, to smoke a cigarette on a curb about two blocks from the jail. Moffett kicked the agent in the groin and ran off. As Moffett was running away, an officer shot Moffett from behind with a Taser. He fell to the ground, hitting his face on the concrete, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Sowray. When Moffett appeared in court next, his right eye was swollen shut and the right side of his face black and blue. Its not clear in court records if Lindsly was the officer who fired the Taser. It could have been significantly worse for not only me but also for you, " Lindsly told Moffett at the sentencing hearing. Lindsly said he recognized Moffett was caught in the tight grip of a fentanyl addiction and added that he hoped Moffett will take the time in prison to reflect on all that he has lost due to his addiction. Moffetts partner died of a fentanyl overdose a few days before his arrest and now hes lost the privilege of being a present father and his freedom, the agent said in court. I hope you reflect on the man who you are, and the man and the father who you want to be moving forward, and I think youll be a better person toward the end, the agent said. U.S. District Judge Adrienne Nelson accepted the joint sentencing recommendation from Sowray and Moffetts lawyer, Scott Leonard. Both said Moffett has struggled with a serious drug addiction that started when he was 14, as well as mental health problems. As part of the fraud, Moffett worked with others to steal mail and then use personal and financial information found inside to create fake IDs and fraudulently open bank accounts, rent apartments and make other purchases, Sowray said. Moffett had rented an apartment in the name of someone whose personal information had been stolen -- and federal investigators raided that apartment to find sacks of stolen mail, stolen checks, counterfeit drivers licenses, printers, scanners, credit card-embossing machines and U.S. Postal Service keys, according to Sowray and court records. Moffett used the stolen personal information not only to secure housing but to buy personal items and to fund his gambling and drug addiction, according to his lawyer. Moffett declined to address the judge at his sentencing. Instead, Leonard said his client had deep remorse and regret for the harm he caused and wanted to apologize to his victims and his family. As for the assault of the federal agent, I dont think he was in his right mind, Leonard said. Hes very much looking forward to being sober and getting back into his sons life, Leonard said. -- Maxine Bernstein covers federal court and criminal justice. Reach her at 503-221-8212, mbernstein@oregonian.com, follow her on X @maxoregonian, or on LinkedIn. Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com. The man who died following a shootout with police in Southeast Portland this week was facing state and federal criminal charges at the time of his death, records show. Portland police were investigating an alleged robbery Monday morning when they served a search warrant at a house in the 100 block of Southeast 124th Avenue. Several people came out of the house, according to neighbors, and police said they arrested two people at the scene. The Oregon Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the immediate release of a woman who had been sent back to prison after Gov. Tina Kotek revoked an earlier commutation of her sentence. The court found Kotek lacked the authority to return the woman to Coffee Creek Correctional Institution because her sentence had expired. It is the second time in two years that Oregon appellate courts have weighed in on the governors clemency powers, which can include reducing a persons sentence or granting pardons. Two years ago, the state Court of Appeals affirmed the governors broad clemency authority in the face of challenges from district attorneys who said Gov. Kate Brown overrode the wishes of crime victims. In the latest ruling, the Oregon Supreme Court found the governors clemency power -- specifically the ability to yank a persons commutation and return them to prison -- is not without its limits, said Steven Wax, the retired federal defender for Oregon who argued the case on the womans behalf before the Oregon Supreme Court. The case centered on Terri Brown, a 49-year-old woman sentenced in 2017 to a total of five years in prison and two years of post-prison supervision for mail theft convictions out of Josephine County. In December 2020, then-Gov. Kate Brown commuted Terri Browns sentence as part of a large wave of pandemic-era early releases. The commutations were conditional; people could be returned to prison to serve out the rest of their sentence if they broke any laws. Terri Brown walked out of prison on Dec. 23, 2020. About four months later, in May 2021, she was back in court, accused of violating the terms of her probation. She pleaded no contest and was sentenced to a 30-day jail stint. Two years later, in February 2023, Terri Brown got word from the state that her post-prison supervision had concluded and, as the court ruling notes, was no longer subject to any sentence. That August Kotek asked district attorneys and community corrections directors to contact her office directly when someone whose sentence was commuted violates the conditions of their release in a manner that warrants revocation of their commutation. In an October letter to Koteks office, Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton wrote that Brown was accused of assaulting someone she allegedly sold marijuana to and that she had struggled with compliance throughout supervision. Terri Brown had been released from prison to Washington County where she remained under post-prison supervision. Kotek revoked Terri Browns commutation in December 2023. Two months later, Terri Brown was sent back to Coffee Creek, the states womens prison in Wilsonville. Lawyers for the state told the Supreme Court that Kotek acted within her clemency authority in revoking Terri Browns commutation even though Browns sentence had expired. According to the courts ruling, the state argued that the revocation provision allows any Governor -- at any time during plaintiffs natural life -- to revoke the commutation and return her to prison upon a determination that she violated the terms of the commutation while she had been under supervision. During oral arguments, lawyers defending the state claimed revocation could occur 50 years after a persons sentence had expired, the court ruling says. The court disagreed, finding that the governors conditional commutation didnt not include any provisions indicating that it could be revoked even after the persons sentence has expired. Nor is there any indication that (Terri Brown) would face the prospect of revocation and future imprisonment for the remainder of her life, the ruling states. Aliza Kaplan, a professor at Lewis & Clark Law School and an authority on clemency, called Wednesdays ruling important and said it will apply to any other cases involving people whose sentences have expired. This was really about the terms and whether a governor can go backwards when someone is finished (with their sentence) and the court said no, she said. Elisabeth Shepard, a spokesperson for Kotek, said the governor respects the courts ruling and will take this ruling under advisement in the future. She said the office is unaware of any similar cases under review for revocation. -- Noelle Crombie is an enterprise reporter with a focus on the justice system. Reach her at 503-276-7184; ncrombie@oregonian. Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com. In a deeply divided America, there are precious few things that nearly everyone can agree upon, except, perhaps, the one and only Dolly Parton, queen of country music and champion of seemingly every good cause under the sun, from environmental conservation to public health to childhood literacy. That last one resonated in Oregon on Wednesday when Parton made a pre-taped appearance with Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek to formally announce that the Dollywood Foundations Imagination Library program will double its presence statewide by 2027. Parents can opt into the program, which sends one free book per month to children from birth to age 5 and is already available in dozens of Oregon communities, including in Portland, West Linn and Wilsonville. Lawmakers earmarked $1.7 million in the 2024 legislative session to help take Partons Imagination Library program statewide. Kotek said work will continue over the next few months to scale up the program. About 54,000 children are already registered for the program and the states goal is to nearly double that amount. That would mean about 65% of children younger than 6 in the state would be enrolled. Interested families can check here to see if the program is already available in their area. Julia Silverman, jsilverman@oregonian.com. Helen Bernhard was a young Lutheran pastors wife, as the story goes, who started baking cakes for the congregations young people in 1924. And she was a spitfire, a modern woman for the time who wanted to have her own business. She started baking more and more cakes, said Mike Snaadt, standing in front of a case of cookies at Helen Bernhard Bakery on Monday. Then she set up a little sink and a home kitchen. They had a little shop outside the garage that they would sell cakes out of, he said. Now, 100 years later, Portlanders are still ordering up those cakes. They may be baked by different hands, but sometimes use the very same recipes. The house and garage where Bernhard started her business are next door to the bakery that stands today, a bakery that Snaadt now owns with his wife, Kellie Snaadt. While the Snaadts arent related to Bernhard, who died in 1968 at age 86, its still a family business. Kellie Snaadts parents, Richard and Mary Laufer, bought the bakery from Bernhards grandson, David Bernhard, in 1988 and Mike and Kellie Snaadt purchased it from them in 2010. The recognizable white house at 1717 N.E. Broadway was built in 1939 to accommodate the growing business. Ben Bernhard, Helen Bernhards son, helped with that expansion and later took over the business from his mother. On a Monday in May, 100 years after Helen Bernhard started selling pies out of her garage, the bakery emblazoned with her name is doing a brisk business in cookies and donuts. The cases here are filled with almost any kind of pastry you can name custard Danish, Mexican wedding cakes, iced cookies, cupcakes, scones, a pineapple upside-down cake, macarons, Mothers Day cakes covered in elaborately piped flowers. On shelves along one wall is a vast selection of bread, from white to rye to dinner rolls. All of it, save the croissants, is made in-house. Weve got about 110 scratch recipes, said Mike Snaadt, and roughly 800 items. While the wide variety of products can be initially disorienting, it might also be a clue to Helen Bernhard Bakerys longevity. When donuts are popular, the bakery can pivot to making more donuts, when cupcakes are on trend, more cupcakes. But, when those things go out of style, they have give or take 795 other items to fall back on. From Halloween to Christmas, we do about 40,000 of these cookies, Snaadt said, pointing to trays of individually decorated sugar cookies. Before the pandemic, for example, bringing donuts to the office on a Friday was something of a workplace tradition. And thats probably been the biggest loss for us with COVID, Snaadt said. It used to be commuters passing by the bakery on Friday mornings would grab a dozen or so for their coworkers. Nobody goes downtown, he said. So our donut sales went from 100-plus dozen on Friday to 30 or 40. During the pandemic, the bakery was able to stay open with a limited staff, since they were selling bread. Even then they were flexible, Snaadt said, selling flour when there was a flour shortage and cakes that looked like toilet paper during the toilet paper shortage. Snaadt also looks to his employees to lead the charge on experimenting with new products. I drug my feet on macrons, he said, but his head decorator, Ricardo Reyes, who goes by Cha Cha and has been with the bakery for a decade, convinced him the bakery should make them and now the colorful piped cookies sell well. Will Helen Bernhard Bakery last 100 more years? Snaadt doesnt know yet if either of his children will take over the business, but recently he took nine days off to go on vacation and, with Cha Cha and others in charge, the operation ran smoothly. And, even if the Friday donut business isnt what it once was, people still come in every day, looking for something sweet or something nostalgic. Behind the case, you can still find cakes made from original Bernhard recipes. Grandmas bring their grandkids in to get a cookie at the shop they too used to frequent with their grandmas. So, 100 years? Thats hard to say. But in the next five or 10, Helen Bernhard Bakery will hopefully still be there, serving up donuts, cakes, cookies and whatever the new trend in baking happens to be, for just as long as the people of Portland will have it. Lizzy Acker covers life and culture and writes the advice column Why Tho? Reach her at 503-221-8052, lacker@oregonian.com or @lizzzyacker Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com. First Lady Jill Biden will visit Portland on Thursday afternoon for a private fundraiser, and her motorcade could snarl traffic. Portland Police wont release details about what route she might take, saying to do so could jeopardize her safety. Biden will arrive at Portland International Airport around 1 p.m. and drive into Portland for a 2 p.m. event. White House officials said. The first ladys motorcade will head back to the airport starting around 2:30 p.m. Portland Police wont confirm whether theyre planning for road closures or delays. Biden is scheduled to head from Portland to California on Thursday afternoon, then make stops in Arizona on Friday and Saturday. This post will be updated if additional commuter disruptions are announced. Sami Edge covers higher education and politics for The Oregonian. You can reach her at sedge@oregonian.com or (503) 260-3430. State Rep. Maxine Dexter, a Portland doctor running to replace Earl Blumenauer in Congress, got a big last-minute boost from donors who have also given to a powerful pro-Israel group and to Republicans, new campaign filings show. On Thursday, Dexter disclosed more than $218,000 in contributions she received in a single day on Tuesday. Numerous of those donors have also given to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee or its affiliates or to Republican candidates, federal filings show. Voith and Essity Receive Funding for 'Decarbonization of Industry' Project in Germany (l-r) Voith Paper CEO Andreas Endters, Essity Managing Director Wilfried Wemhoff, Parliamentary State Secretary at the BMWK Dr. Franziska Brantner and Voith CEO Dr. Toralf Haag at the presentation of the funding notice. (l-r) Voith Paper CEO Andreas Endters, Essity Managing Director Wilfried Wemhoff, Parliamentary State Secretary at the BMWK Dr. Franziska Brantner and Voith CEO Dr. Toralf Haag at the presentation of the funding notice. May 9, 2024 - With the goal to driving the decarbonization of the paper industry with innovative solutions, Voith is working on a concept to enable CO2-neutral paper manufacturing. To drive forward the further development of this groundbreaking process, Voith has entered a partnership with Essity. To conduct further research into the completely new approach, a pilot plant was installed at Voith's Heidenheim site that is set to commence normal operation later this year. An important milestone on this journey has now been reached: The project is to receive funding within the scope of the BMWK "Decarbonization of Industry" program and the EU's "NextGenerationEU" fund. These initiatives are designed to permanently reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions. The subsidy is worth approximately EUR 14.5 million. Editor's note: BMWK (Bundesministerium fur Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz) - Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action in Germany. On May 7, 2024, at Voith's headquarters in Heidenheim, Dr. Franziska Brantner, Parliamentary State Secretary at the BMWK, presented the official funding notice to Dr. Toralf Haag, CEO of the Voith Group, and Andreas Endters, CEO of Voith Paper. This was followed by a tour of the newly built pilot plant. "The BMWK decided to fund the project because it makes a significant contribution to the decarbonization of the paper industry," Dr. Brantner stressed. "This is a genuinely trailblazing project. The pilot plant is therefore sending out a powerful message for the Heidenheim location and the entire industry." The process that will now undergo further research with the funding from the BMWK is designed to enable a fundamentally new CO2-neutral manufacturing process thanks to a pioneering process technology. It marks a breakthrough in sustainable paper production. The new technology is targeting new benchmarks for sustainability by reducing water consumption by up to 95 percent and energy use by up to 40 percent. The entire pilot line will be 100 percent electrically powered, which allows fossil fuels to be dispensed with completely and thus facilitates climate-friendly production. Voith and Essity are combining their expertise to drive the successful realization of this project. "The funding is a very positive signal for Voith and the entire industry. It reaffirms yet again our business strategy with its clear focus on the development of sustainable technologies," explained Dr. Toralf Haag, CEO of the Voith Group. Andreas Endters, CEO of Voith Paper, added, "With the successful commissioning of the pilot line, we have reached another milestone on our journey to CO2-neutral paper production within the scope of our sustainability initiative 'Papermaking for Life.' The investments in research and development are evidence of our consistent focus on sustainable and efficient solutions." Magnus Groth, President and CEO of Essity, said, "As a leading global hygiene and health company, we want to drive forward the decarbonization of the paper industry. Together with Voith, we are completely rethinking papermaking and are developing a pioneering technology that will make CO2-neutral production possible." Funding from the BMWK is earmarked for a specific purpose and is intended to help reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in the paper industry. It supports the achievement of the reduction target in the industrial sector in accordance with the German Climate Change Act. The subsidy of approximately EUR 14.5 million will be paid out based on the successful progress of the project. Voith Paper, part of the Voith Group, is the full-line supplier to the paper industry, providing a wide range of technologies, services, components and products, and offers paper manufacturers solutions from a single source. SOURCE: Voith Two young children, ages 2 and 4, who were siblings, were swept away in the recent San Bernardino tragedy. On Tuesday, May 7, a heartbreaking incident unfolded in California's San Bernardino Mountains as a mother's efforts to rescue her young children were thwarted by swiftly flowing water. According to authorities from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office, the tragic event occurred around 1:45 p.m. when a woman brought her 2-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter to enjoy an afternoon at the Thurman Flats Picnic Area, situated alongside Mill Creek, a significant tributary of the Santa Ana River. San Bernardino Mountains Tragedy As the tragic events unfolded, the mother was momentarily occupied attending to her son, while her daughter ventured downstream, the department revealed. "The mother and her children were playing near the river with rapid water moving downstream," stated the sheriff's office in a press statement. Shortly after 3 p.m., deputies detailed how the mother, engrossed in caring for her son, witnessed her daughter swept away by the current. Despite her frantic search for the missing child, she returned to find her son also absent, presumably carried downstream. The release elaborated that in her desperate search, she climbed back to the picnic area and sought assistance from another family to locate the children, but their efforts proved futile. Around 4 p.m., teams including deputies from the Yucaipa Station, the sheriff's Air Rescue team, Mentone Station County Fire personnel, and U.S. Forest Service crews initiated a coordinated search for the siblings. By approximately 4:39 p.m., responders discovered the 2-year-old boy near the river's edge, and shortly after 5 p.m., they located the 4-year-old girl in the same vicinity, according to the sheriff's office. Despite extensive life-saving attempts by first responders, both children were pronounced dead upon arrival at local hospitals, the release confirmed. The San Bernardino County coroner's office will conduct further investigations to ascertain the precise cause and manner of the children's passing. As of the latest update, the victims' identities and origins remain undisclosed. Witnesses to the incident are urged to contact the sheriff's office with any information. Read Also: Minnesota Mother Indicted for Killing Children in Arson Attack Two Children Swept Away The identities of the children and their mother remained undisclosed at the time of reporting. Mill Creek, a significant tributary of the Santa Ana River, cascades down rocky terrain from the towering peaks of the San Bernardino range, which experienced substantial snowfall of up to 199 inches (505 centimeters) during the recent winter season. Authorities in California issue frequent warnings about the potential hazards posed by the state's water bodies during spring, when snowmelt fills rivers and streams with fast-flowing, icy-cold water. The sudden cold shock can incapacitate even proficient swimmers, while hidden dangers such as boulders, branches, and debris can pose threats beneath the water's surface, as highlighted by the California Office of Emergency Services. Amy Palmer, a spokesperson for the California Office of Emergency Services, emphasized the lethal nature of swift water, particularly as warmer weather ensues after heavy snowfall in mountainous regions, leading to heightened flows in rivers and streams. She stressed the imperative for Californians to comprehend these risks and exercise caution whenever near water. Local public safety agencies echo these sentiments, urging people to exercise vigilance around water bodies. In the southern Sierra Nevada, the Kern County Sheriff's Office takes a direct approach, maintaining a stark tally of fatalities along the infamous Kern River since 1968 on a roadside sign. Recent updates in May revealed an increase from 317 to 325 deaths, signifying eight tragic incidents between 2022 and 2023 alone. The U.S. Department of Education is in talks with the Carroll Independent School District in Southlake, Texas, concerning four students' civil rights grievances, suggesting that the department has approved the students' demands of racist and anti-LGBTQ bias, according to three education law experts. Education Department Validated Students' Civil Rights Complaints The Education Department's civil rights enforcement arm outlined the next steps in its inspection in a letter to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which represents the students. This advancement comes three years after the civil rights organization filed federal grievances on behalf of students who supposedly said that Carroll officials did not sufficiently address harassment. The four students, who have either graduated or left the district, reported encountering a stream of racist and homophobic slurs and comments during their time at Carroll. One student faced retaliation after reporting racial harassment to administrators, while another contemplated suicide due to repeated mockery of their sexual orientation, with their family asserting that the district failed to address the bullying. The Education Department informed the NAACP Legal Defense Fund on Monday that it had initiated contact with Carroll district officials to start negotiating a resolution agreement for the four complaints, a step taken only after determining that students' civil rights were violated, according to Katrina Feldkamp, an attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. The Southlake school system now has 90 days to reach an agreement with the Education Department on addressing the issues outlined in the student complaints. Mom of Former Student Expressed Sense of Validation from Department's Findings Angela Jones, a Black mother of a former Carroll student who was involved in lodging complaints to the Education Department, expressed validation upon hearing about the department's findings. She had spent years advocating for changes to protect minority students in the affluent North Texas school district but faced resistance from school board members and conservative parents. Jones hopes the district will take the department's findings seriously and engage in re-evaluation and negotiation. The argument over addressing racism in Carroll schools gained national attention as a symbol of expansive societal battles over race, gender, and sexuality. It began in 2018 after a video of white high school students chanting racial slurs was revealed, prompting several Carroll parents and students to come forward with biased stories. Following the complaint, a committee was formed to formulate actions to address the dispute, leading to the Cultural Competence Action Plan. However, conservative backlash ensued, culminating in the composition of a political action committee and the election of hard-line conservative candidates to the school board. The Education Department's investigations into student grievances could result in an argument between local sentiments conflicting variety of initiatives and federal enforcement of civil rights laws. If Carroll fails to reach a voluntary agreement with the Education Department, it could face mandated changes or risk losing federal funding. Alternatively, the district could object to the department's findings in court, though such claims are commonly unsuccessful. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund has pushed the Education Department to necessitate Carroll to carry out policies outlined in the Cultural Competence Action Plan, including forced diversity training for students and staff. Community activist groups have also called on the district to take measures to address the unfriendly surroundings and fulfill its accountability to safeguard all students. Former and recent Carroll students affected by bias hope that the Education Department's actions will bring about significant change and avoid similar circumstances in the future. [abridged version of a post originally from 2 July 2008] Please Hit Subscribe! If you have received benefit from this or any of my other 4,600+ articles, please follow this blog by signing up (with your email address) on the sidebar to the right (you may have to scroll down a bit), above where there is an icon bar, Sign Me Up!: to receive notice when I post a new blog article. This is the equivalent of subscribing to a YouTube channel. Please also consider following me on Twitter / X and purchasing one or more of my 55 books. All of this helps me get more exposure, and (however little!) more income for my full-time apologetics work. Thanks so much and happy reading! *** [all book titles are linked to Amazon] *** What books critical of Catholicism or ones that defend Protestant distinctives can be recommended in good conscience to Catholics or non-Catholics inquiring about Catholicism? The best single book critical of Catholicism: intelligent, stimulating, and fair (though ultimately, I think as one would expect of a Catholic apologist! able to be easily refuted) is eminent Protestant apologist Norman L. Geislers book: Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences (co-author Ralph E. MacKenzie, 1995). Geisler is an ecumenical Protestant rather than an anti-Catholic, which makes a huge difference in both tone and content, and enables him to fairly present the Catholic positions without distortion, so that real positions are critiqued, and not caricatures. Another book that looks similar to this one is by Protestant historian Mark Noll (a solid and fair scholar): Is the Reformation Over?: An Evangelical Assessment of Contemporary Roman Catholicism by Mark A. Noll and Carolyn Nystrom (2008). Catholic convert Fr. Dwight Longenecker has co-authored several friendly dialogue books with Protestants, that are very helpful in this regard: Challenging Catholics: A Catholic Evangelical Dialogue by Dwight Longenecker and John Martin (2002). Mary: A Catholic-Evangelical Debate by Dwight Longenecker and David Gustafson (2003). Wy Do You Believe That?: A Protestant-Catholic Conversation by John Schwarz and Dwight Longenecker (2005). Here are a few more fair-minded and intelligent treatments of Catholicism from Protestants: A tale of two churches: Can Protestants & Catholics get together? by George Carey (1985). Protestants and Catholics: A Guide to Understanding the Difference Among Christians by Peter Toon (1984). The Shape of Sola Scriptura (2001) by Keith A. Mathison is a thoughtful treatment of that crucial subject from a Protestant, but marred by Mathisons subtle version of anti-Catholicism. Ive responded to several of his arguments: Solo Scriptura vs. Sola Scriptura: Reply to Keith Mathison [2012]. Another way to read about constructive Catholic-Protestant dialogue is to check out the many volumes of high-level ecumenical talks (notably the Lutheran-Catholic dialogues). These books, while primarily ecumenical, also give readers a sense of the real differences and how charitable men and women of good will on both sides work through the issues. These have the advantage of readers being able to examine both sides and to enjoy fruitful dialogue, for the purpose of better mutual understanding: Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue I-III by Paul & T. Austin Murphy (ed.) Empie (1970). Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue 2: One Baptism for the Remission of Sins by Murphy, T. Austin Empie Paul C. (1967). Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue I, 1967. Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue IV: Eucharist and Ministry, 1970. Papal Primacy and the Universal Church (Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue ; V) by Paul Empie (1974). Justification by Faith: Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue VII, 1985. J. Francis Stafford, Harold C. Skillrud, and Daniel F. Martensen, Scripture and Tradition: Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue IX (Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue), 1995. The Church as Koinonia of Salvation: Its Structures and Ministries (Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue, X) (Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue) by Randall Lee and Jeffry Gros (2005). Promoting Unity: Themes in Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue by H. George Anderson and James R. Crumley (1990). Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, [Lutheran World Federation and Catholic Church], Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000. Evangelicals and Catholics Together: Toward a Common Mission by Charles Colson and Richard John Neuhaus (1995). Your Word Is Truth: A Project of Evangelicals and Catholics Together by Charles Colson and Richard John Neuhaus (2002). A House United Evangelicals and Catholics Together (Building Alliances Among Christians of All Confessions and Traditions) by Keith A. Fournier and William D. Watkins (1994). Other books along these lines that I dont know much about, but that look helpful: Rereading Paul Together: Protestant and Catholic Perspectives on Justification by David E. Aune (2006). Catholics and Evangelicals: Do They Share a Common Future? by Thomas P. Rausch (2000). Evangelicals and Tradition: The Formative Influence of the Early Church (Evangelical Ressourcement: Ancient Sources for the Churchs Future) by D. H. Williams (2005). Tradition, Scripture, and Interpretation: A Sourcebook of the Ancient Church (Evangelical Ressourcement: Ancient Sources for the Churchs Future) by D. H. Williams (2006). A High View of Scripture? The Authority of the Bible and the Formation of the New Testament Canon (Evangelical Ressourcement: Ancient Sources for the Churchs Future) (2007) by Craig D. Allert. I would never recommend that a person exclusively read anti-Catholic materials because in my experience they always (without exception) distort the Catholic positions they are trying to shoot down. In other words, they are (overall, or as a general rule) refuting a straw man and not the actual Catholic positions. I strongly urge inquirers to stay away from such anti-Catholic materials. The legitimate scholarly books I recommend above amply cover all of these same theological bases without the nonsense and distortions and flat-out lies of the relentless polemical anti-Catholic agenda. * *** Summary: Recommended books critical of Catholicism that arent anti-Catholic, and/or defend Protestant distinctives: especially for non-Catholics inquiring about Catholicism. Your bank account is frozen. Your PC has been hacked. Your child is in jail. In each of these scenarios, the clock is ticking. Youre ready to act on the message or callmaybe frantic to, even. Whats the first thing you should do? Ask someone if you should continue [on], says Amy Hogan-Burney, general manager and associate general counsel for Microsofts Cybersecurity Policy and Protection team, who spoke with PCWorld during the 2024 RSA cybersecurity conference in San Francisco. Scams and other social engineering attacks expect you to fall down the rabbit hole placed in front of youbad actors hope panic will take over, driving you to follow instructions without questioning them. Getting an outside opinion counters that tunnel vision. It serves as a strong front line defense, too. Take the three examples above. For the first scenario, a level-headed advisor would remind you to always contact your bank directly. The second? Theyd tell you to fire up your antivirus software and run scans for malware (which might be the very source of a PC hacked! alert). Finally for the third, you might get nudged to first call or text your kid. Our favorite security SUITE Norton 360 Deluxe Read our review Price When Reviewed: 24,99 Euro im ersten Jahr Best Prices Today: (If this trustworthy friend happens to work for PCWorld, you might end up getting a boatload of extra advice, too. Probably more than you ever wanted.) In other wordswhen calm, most people can think of sensible actions. When you might not be, reach out to someone who is. Microsoft says that seasonal scams are on the rise and will likely rise with the Olympics and worldwide elections around the corner. This easy-to-remember advice is a simple way to make sure youre as clear-headed as possible in a stressful situation and give criminals the slip. In the spirit of full disclosure: I really despise Comcasts Xfinity Internet. Which is why its new prepaid nationwide Internet service, NOW Internet, looks surprisingly like something I would useclose, but not quite. Comcasts NOW service is a new brand for the company. Its wired Internet, at affordable, all-inclusive rates: $30-45 per month, including taxes, fees, a router, and unlimited data. Is there a catch? The service maxes out at 200Mbps per month which is still much faster than most peoples basic connections, to be fair but otherwise, not really. Its a seemingly customer-friendly service from a company that has never really been seen as customer-friendly for more than a decade. You know the routine: You receive your bill. Your eyes pop, you gasp, your blood pressure rises. You book an hour or two on your schedule to call, complain, wheedle, yell all part of the Comcast Xfinity negotiation we advised you to perform a decade ago. After threatening to leave, you end up on the cheaper promotional plan. Now, Comcast NOW actually promises to change that. Two plans are available: a $30/mo NOW Internet plan that offers 100Mbps speeds, and the more expensive 200Mbps plan for $45 per month. Want TV on top of that? NOW TV offers a $20 package that includes 40+ live channels, more than two dozen integrated FAST channels, and Peacock Premium, all streaming, however, and on the Xfinity Stream app. Theres even NOW Mobile: $55 per month if you bundle Internet and TV, and $25/mo for each additional line. Comcast also offers a NOW WiFi Pass: unlimited access to 23 million Xfinity hotspots (the ones that your Xfinity service probably turns on by default) for 30 days. all for $20. Comcast even goes so far as to literally spell out what youll get, in detail, in its list of NOW plans. For example, Comcast claims that youll receive a typical download speed of 234.27Mbps with the 200Mbps plan, an upload speed of 11.68Mbps, and latency of 20.174 milliseconds. Comcast Comcast Comcast Is there a catch? If there is, its not an obvious one. Comcast says that the service is subject to the Xfinity Residential Services contract, which includes its Acceptable Use Policy. That policy does specify that you cant use your PC as a Web host or to share files. Theres also a NOW policy (PDF) that basically says that the service can be cancelled for a refund before its turned on. Comcast does require you to use a refurbished gateway instead of a new one, and to pay online. Since Comcast NOW is a monthly service, though, that shouldnt matter. This monthly price is not an introductory rate, Comcast says. There is no term contract. Price is subject to change. Comcast doesnt seem to even be offering the standard input your address, and well tell you if you can be a customer page. It is nationwide, after all. Is Comcast NOW Internet right for you? For me? Not quite. My family doesnt need the eye-popping 10-gigabit speeds that my colleague Gordon Ung signed up for. Instead, we make do with about 500Mbps. Thats more than enough for streaming and downloading, even with my family of four on the Internet all at once. Because of how our house is designed, we have a much harder time actually distributing that Internet around the home I hate spending a ton for good mesh networking just as much, honestly. So, yeah, Comcast Xfinitys new NOW service is a little slow. If they increased the speeds to 400Mbpsmaybe. But for me, I simply hate seeing a massive bill for Internet services. Ive actually lobbied my small Bay Area town to let in rival ISPs, but Comcast still has monopoly status. If T-Mobile were to build 5G towers a bit closer to my house and improve the router, its fixed wireless broadband may be in my home today. And its unlimited, too. Comcast seriously pissed me off when it ended its unlimited broadband service near the end of the pandemic but left it in place in the Northeast. Thats always struck me as deeply unfair. As it is, I seriously have to wonder: did Comcast actually do something good for a change? On paper, it sure looks like it. The Asantehene, Otumfuor Osei Tutu II, has charged the newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), to do whatever its takes to make the national oil company, great again and restore its glory. The Asantehene made the comment on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, when the board of directors of GNPC led by the chairman, Freddie Blay, were at the Manhyia Palace to among other things, introduce the new CEO, Joseph A. Dadzie to the King and to also wish him well on his 25th anniversary and his 74th birthday. The Asantehene emphasised that the GNPC is dear to him and the entire country and wishes the Corporation grows in leaps and bounds. According to the Otumfuor, GNPC is dear to me and the nation. It is one of the strongest pillars of the country that could help in the development of Ghana. The Asantehene noted that, he knew Mr. Joseph Dadzie got frustrated sometime last year and existed the Corporation as a Deputy CEO. He however, emphasised that President Akufo-Addos decision to bring him back to head the national oil company is a proof that he has what it takes to help the Corporation. The King noted you got frustrated and left, but the President insisted you return to head GNPC and ensure things work well for us all. This means you must do whatever it takes to make GNPC great again and bring glory to the board and the Corporation, he noted. Otumfuor Osei Tutu II said all he requires of the new CEO is to be a unifier, respect the board and work together with them. For the board to push that you return to head the corporation means they have seen something good in you, the Asantehene noted. He added, lead GNPC with sincerity and unite everyone there to bring glory to the Corporation. New GNPC boss, Joseph Dadzie exchanging pleasantries with Otumfuor Osei Tutu II Mr. Joseph Dadzie on his part thanked the Asantehene for his leadership and kind counsel. He promised to work with the board, management and staff of the Corporation and ensure the national oil company grows. He told the Asantehene with him in charge of the Corporation and with support from the board, he will ensure all GNPC funded projects ongoing in the Ashanti Region will be completed. The board chairman of GNPC, Freddie Blay praised the Asantehene for touching the lives of every Ghanaian with all his initiatives. He promised GNPC will continue to support the King in all his endeavours. M Blay, on behalf of board, management, and staff of GNPC, wished the Asantehene well on his 25th anniversary and prayed to God to strengthen him for the next chapter of his journey. He told the Asantehene, the board will be back again to show with pictures and videos all projects GNPC has undertaken in his Kingdom to prove the Corporations loyalty to him. The President of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, who is also a board member, praised the Asantehene for the support he gave when he was contesting for the position. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) says the Ghana card can now be used to access healthcare across any accredited Health Centre in the country. The move is to fade away the NHIS cards in the system to have a single card to save the nation the cost of printing NHIS cards as well as Ghanacard. The Chief Executive of the NHIA, Dr Aboagye Dacosta said this when he paid a courtesy call on the Okuapenhene, Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III at Akropong after commissioning an Ultra modern NHIS Office Complex at Lower Manya Krobo Municipality in the Eastern Region on Tuesday, 7th May 2024. Briefing the Okuapenhene and his subjects; he noted that Under the Digitalisation agenda of the government, we are mandated to have One Card and thats the Ghana card. Some of the age groups that are below 15 years have no Ghanacard, but NHIS cards are printed for them. According to him, this card would be integrated with the NHIS member details so the merged or linked Ghanacard is used to access health care. This will save the nation the cost of printing NHIS cards as well as Ghanacard. The merged or linked Ghanacard is used to access healthcare. He further noted that the NHIA is also instituting a system where non-Ghanaians (Foreigners) will also benefit from Health Insurance through a Mandatory Health Scheme, whenever they are in Ghana. Speaking further, he noted that the NHIA has tremendously improved Claims Payments and pays an average of GHS 180 million a month as Claims reimbursement. He confirmed that about GHC 171 million was paid to be mixed tiers just last week, 30th April with the Lower tier being paid in January and February 2024 while the upper tier received up to November 2023 Claims. At the commissioning of the Odumase-Krobo NHIS Office, he cautioned accredited healthcare providers to refrain from charging illegal fees, also known as co-payments. According to NHIA, the practice flouted Act 852 which governed the scheme and violated the contractual agreement between the authority and credentialed health providers. I want to put an end to the Co-payment or illegal charges at the Health providers sites that are making the scheme unpopular. I intend to put a system in place to control the prices in periods of economic downtown. With all these incentives health providers must not charge our members for services and medicines that the NHIA is paying for. Any provider who goes contrary to the agreed principles would be sanctioned Dr Aboagye warned. He further explained that the practice had also culminated in the decline in membership enrolment and renewals over the past years despite numerous interventions such as mobile renewals, linkages between the NHIS card and the Ghana card to enhance portability and mass registration, among others. However, Dr Aboagye Dacosta explained, The medicines list and tariff are currently being reviewed to reflect the economic and epidemiological trends. The New tariff and Medicine list will soon be released after the necessary protocols. Source: Daily Guide 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 Ukraine says Russian raids ruin 2 hydroelectric power plants Xinhua) 21:52, May 09, 2024 KIEV, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Russian missile and drone attacks on Wednesday heavily damaged two hydroelectric power plants in Ukraine, Ukraine's state-run hydropower generating company Ukrhydroenergo said Thursday. "Two hydroelectric power plants are out of operation," Ukrhydroenergo said in a post on Telegram, not specifying locations. Ukraine's overall hydroelectric power generation has suffered big losses in the recent attacks, it added. The company said it would take "considerable efforts" and "significant financial resources" to repair and restore the destroyed facilities. On Wednesday, Russia fired 55 missiles and 21 drones in an attack that targeted power generation and transmission facilities in six Ukrainian regions, according to Ukrainian authorities. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Kou Jie) UK authorities have arrested Ishmael Mohammed, 39, who identified himself as a Ghanaian for luring underage girls for sexual activities. His victims are between the ages of 13 to 14 years old. Mohammed was seen in a viral video being interrogated by UK officials with evidence of his legal act and exchanging naked pictures. I don't know what to do again; please arrest me, he told officials. While admitting to engaging the girls and travelling for five hours to meet with one of them, Ishmael denied having any ill intent towards the children. "Why did you arrange to meet her then? Why did you ask for pictures just in her pants? And you were going to buy her a new phone just to have better pictures?" a male interrogator is heard saying. "So you've asked for indecent images of a child as well," the female official also adds. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Supreme Court has granted Richard Dela Sky permission to amend portions of his reliefs seeking an interlocutory injunction against the passage of the anti LGBTQ+ Bill. The permission was granted after lawyer Paa Kwesi Abaidoo representing Richard Sky prayed the court to grant them permission to amend their reliefs. Their request also includes leave to file supplementary affidavits. The prayer for amendment was however objected to by lawyer Thaddeus Sory representing the Speaker of Parliament. He argued that, the amendment will negate his affidavit in opposition but did not oppose to the request for leave to file supplementary affidavits. Godfred Yeboah Dame, the Attorney General did not oppose to the request to amend the errors but opposed to the request to file a supplementary affidavit. The five member panel of the Supreme Court chaired by the Chief Justice Gertrude Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo in response to the Speaker's lawyer said his objection was unnecessary. The court then granted lawyers for Sky to make the amendments and also directed both the Attorney General and lawyer for the Speaker of Parliament to file their affidavit in opposition by May 17. In a related development , the Supreme Court has also directed Thaddeus Sory, lawyer for the Speaker of Parliament to amend his affidavit in opposition to a suit filed by Dr Amanda Odoi citing inappropriate language as the basis. Dr Amanda Odoi has also initiated a legal action Challenging the legality of the anti-Gay Bill . Source: Philipa Atanga/Court Reporter/Despite Media Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video TikTok has filed a lawsuit aiming to block a US law that would ban the video app in the country unless it is sold by its Chinese parent company. In the filing, the social media company called the act an "extraordinary intrusion on free speech rights" of the company and its 170 million American users. It said the US had put forward only "speculative concerns" to justify the measure and asked the court to stop it. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law last month, citing national security justifications. It followed years of debate in Washington, which has claimed that TikTok's Chinese ownership raises the risk that data on US users could fall into the hands of the Chinese government or be used for propaganda. TikTok has maintained it is independent of the government, while parent company ByteDance has said it has no plans to sell the business. The Chinese government has criticised the law as US "bullying" of a foreign firm and signalled it would oppose a sale. In a briefing with reporters on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the law was "not a ban. It is a divestment". She referred further questions to the Department of Justice which declined to comment. Under the US law, app stores would be barred from offering TikTok in the US starting in January 2025, unless parent company ByteDance found a buyer. President Biden could extend that deadline by 90 days if talks are making progress. In the filing with the DC Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday, TikTok said the sale requirement was "simply not possible: not commercially, not technologically, not legally. And certainly not on the 270-day timeline required by the Act". It said the measure had unfairly singled out TikTok, creating a two-tiered speech regime with one set of rules for one named platform, and another set of rules for everyone else. It noted that similar attempted bans, including by former president Donald Trump, had met with trouble in US courts. The company added that the decision by many politicians, including Mr Biden, to maintain accounts on the app undermined the claims of a security threat. The US has in the past restricted foreign ownership of broadcast television and radio stations, which require government licences to access public airwaves. TikTok said its business was distinct, and the government could not dictate ownership of "privately created speech forums". It said it had spent more than $2bn in an effort to address US concerns, creating safeguards on US data. Jacob Helberg, who leads a committee charged by Congress with monitoring the national security implications of US-China trade, said TikTok's investments were viewed in Washington as a "deceptive marketing effort". He said the lawsuit was "unserious" and failed "to address the national security question at hand". But Ashley Gorski, a senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, said TikTok's lawsuit made a persuasive case that the measure was an effective ban, despite White House claims to the contrary, raising free speech concerns. "The government can't impose this type of total ban unless it's the only way to prevent extremely serious and imminent harm to national security," she said. "There is no public evidence of harm that would meet the extraordinarily high bar imposed by the first amendment." She said comments by lawmakers, such as US Senator Mitt Romney, who recently tied the widespread support for the measure in Congress to the desire to shape US perceptions of the Israel-Gaza conflict, would make it harder for the US to defend the law. But Congressman John Moolenaar, the current leader of the committee that helped to craft the law, said he was confident it would be upheld. Congress and the Executive Branch have concluded, based on both publicly available and classified information, that TikTok poses a grave risk to national security and the American people," he said. "It is telling that TikTok would rather spend its time, money, and effort fighting in court than solving the problem by breaking up with the Chinese Communist Party." The law aimed at TikTok is part of a number of actions the US has taken against Chinese technology firms in recent years, as tensions rise between the world's two biggest economies. Separately on Tuesday, the Department of Commerce confirmed it had revoked permissions that had allowed US companies to export certain goods to Chinese technology giant Huawei. The US sharply limited exports of items such as computer chips to Huawei starting in 2019, citing ties to the Chinese military. The measures hit the company hard but more recently it appeared to mount a comeback. 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 Member of Parliament for Odododiodoo, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye says it will be appropriate if the president, His Excellency Akufo-Addo, apologises to the millions of Ghanaians for his awful leadership over the years. He believes President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's leadership has brought nothing but hardship to Ghanaians despite promising heaven on earth when campaigning to be president. Nii Lante Vanderpuye told Citi FM in an interview monitored by Peacefmonline.com that, the president must be humble to apologise. If I were Nana Addo, the best thing I would do as a person is to apologise to the millions of Ghanaians who voted for me and whom I have hugely disappointed. Nana Addo will go into history as the worst president ever in the fourth republic of this country. Worst President ever because he is the most corrupt president in our history. He noted. He added: He is the one who has collapsed our economy. Ghanas economy today is worse than at any time in our history. Is that the legacy he is talking about? Of course, John Mahama will come and correct all." Nii Lante Vanderpuye's comment was in response to President Akufo-Addo's comment that he would not be comfortable handing over power to John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after calling on Ghanaians to vote for Dr Bawumia for developmental contuinity. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The former Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ayensuano Constituency in the Eastern Region, Samuel Ayeh Paye says President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's almost eight years in office is unmatched. To him, despite the challenges his administration faced, most of his campaign promises and others have been fulfilled. Samuel Ayeh Paye also rubbished any legacy comparison between President Akufo-Addo and former president John Dramani Mahama. He said on NEAT FM's morning show, Ghana Montie that, President Akufo-Addo's legacy is evidential and beneficial to Ghanaians. People are not paying school fees for their wards including me an MP, he told host Mac Jerry Osei Agyemang. Listen to Aye Paye below Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, the Director of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission (EC), has urged Ghanaian electorates to desist from violence during the December 7 polls. Speaking on Peace FMs Kokrokoo show, Dr. Serebour Quaicoe disclosed the cordial relationship existing between politicians in the country stating how they, after IPAC meeting, would exchange friendly pleasantries. He noted that the politicians paint a picture like they are enemies but in actual fact, they are all either friends or relatives. He cited the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Fiifi Kwetey being his (Serebour Quaicoe) junior mate at the University of Ghana and how cool they are when they meet. He also revealed that NDCs former Communications Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Bossman Asare, were classmates at the University of Ghana. Giving these examples, Dr. Serebour Quaicoe advised the populace not to blindly follow politicians to engage in violence or lose their lives. He charged the electorates to peacefully cast their votes in the general elections, stressing you have only one vote. Go age give your vote to the person. Dont go and fight because of election. He said this in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video In a heartening display of solidarity and musical collaboration, international music sensation Fuse ODG paid a visit to the neighborhood of talented rising star Fred Kobby. The visit not only highlighted the vibrant talent emerging from communities but also underscored the power of music to unite and inspire. Fuse ODG, known for his infectious Afrobeat tunes and commitment to uplifting African music, graced the streets of Fred Kobby's neighborhood, immersing himself in the local culture and engaging with residents. The visit served as a platform for both artists to exchange ideas, share experiences, and celebrate their shared passion for music. Fred Kobby, an emerging talent whose prowess in music has been gaining recognition, welcomed Fuse ODG with open arms, showcasing the warmth and hospitality of his community. Together, they explored the streets where Fred Kobby's musical journey began, reminiscing about the inspirations and challenges that have shaped their respective paths in the industry. Amidst the pulsating beats and rhythmic melodies echoing through the neighborhood, Fuse ODG and Fred Kobby collaborated on a special musical project, blending their unique styles and influences to create a fusion of sounds that resonated with the essence of their shared heritage. Their collaboration not only showcased the richness of African music but also exemplified the power of collaboration in pushing artistic boundaries and fostering creativity. Beyond the realm of music, Fuse ODG's visit served as a catalyst for positive change within the community. Through engaging with local youth initiatives and highlighting the importance of education and empowerment, Fuse ODG and Fred Kobby inspired hope and resilience, demonstrating that music can be a vehicle for social impact and transformation. As news publishers, it's imperative to recognize and amplify stories that celebrate the convergence of talent, culture, and community. Fuse ODG's visit to Fred Kobby's hood epitomizes the spirit of collaboration and solidarity that defines the music industry, reminding us of the profound connections that music creates and the endless possibilities it holds for bringing people together. Enjoy the song here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/e8artpdyqdi1u6p/Fred_Kobby_-Pray%2528download%2529_.mp3/file Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Federal probation officers are asking a judge to modify the release conditions for a Jan. 6 defendant from Mechanicsburg. But Riley Williams attorney, Lori Ulrich, is fighting back, saying prison staff coerced Williams into waiving her rights to those new conditions, including monitoring of her computer use after she is released from jail. A Philadelphia high school teacher was killed on Monday in what police are saying was a murder-suicide. Police said they responded to a call at about 1:14 p.m. to an apartment along the 1300 block of South 30th Street, according to reports from 6ABC and NBC10. Once there, they discovered the body of Ondria Glaze, 36, who had been shot in the head. They also found the body of Rick Harper, 42, who had died of what police are calling a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Glaze was a special education compliance monitor and teacher at Olney High School in Philadelphia. The schools principal, Michael Roth, said in a letter to the school community that Glaze was a beloved teacher and school leader. She embodied [the school motto Olney love] and blessed every student and staff member she came across, Roth said in the statement. She will be deeply missed and our condolences go out to her family, students, our staff and the entire school community. I know she would want us to pull together during this time and support one another, he continued. Thats what she always did for others. Miss Glaze was like the sweetest person I ever knew. Every time you see her she was always smiling, senior Kai Sutton told 6ABC. A GoFundMe has been set up to create a scholarship in Glazes name. Spirits Distilling Company at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire announced Wednesday that it won several awards at the American Distilling Institutes (ADI) 2024 International Spirits Competition (ISC): Double gold medal: Blackberry Bourbon Smash Bronze medal: Ren Faerie Absinthe Every spirit entered in the ISC is tasted and evaluated blindly by an expert panel of judges given only enough information to properly judge the spirit without identifying the producer or the specific spirit. A double gold medal is awarded to a spirit of superior quality in which every judge on the panel independently gave a score of at least 90 and for which the panel believes the spirit to be of exceptional quality for its class and category, according to a press release. The bronze medal is awarded to a spirit that the panel believed to be of good quality for its class and category. The double gold medal winner, Blackberry Bourbon Smash, is a canned cocktail with an ABV of 8% (16 Proof). Spirits take on the classic Bourbon Smash, this beverage is a pairing of bourbon whiskey with the juicy flavor of blackberries and refreshing mint. The bronze medal winner, Ren Faerie Absinthe, is a traditional absinthe distilled with Wormwood, Anise, and Fennel seed and comes in at 69% ABV (138 Proof). The complex herbal character of Ren Faerie Absinthe lends itself to creative cocktails. When enjoyed in the traditional method, with water drizzled over a sugar cube into the spirit, the result is an eye-pleasing spectacle of the changing green shades to the opaqueness known as the louche. Head Distiller Colin Presby has been with Spirits Distilling Company since 2022. Prior to joining Spirits, Presby spent 12 years in the Craft Beer industry, most recently as brewmaster for Carnival Cruise Line. Ren Faerie Absinthe won a bronze medal at the American Distilling Institutes (ADI), 2024 International Spirits Competition (ISC).Spirits Distilling Company Presby launched the first three shipboard breweries in the North American cruise market and won awards for his beers brewed at sea. Originally from Reading, PA, Presby attended Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, where he earned a BA in mathematics with a minor in chemistry. Spirits Distilling Company, established in 2018, is located on the grounds of Mount Hope Estate & Winery, home of the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. Spirits Distilling Co. produces hand-crafted spirits for the Estates year-round events and is the official spirits of the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. Pro-Palestine protesters gathered at Malmos main square ahead of Israels performance in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest on Thursday. Some chanted "Free, Free Palestine" and slogans about Rafah, with Palestinian flags and placards on display. Some called for Israel to be disqualified from the contest. Climate activist Greta Thunberg, 21, was among the protesters. Greta Thungberg in the protest in Malmos main square (TT NEWS AGENCY/AFP via Getty Ima) A pro-Israel demonstration is expected later. Swedish officers in more than five vans arrived in Stortorget ahead of Eden Golan, representing Israel, taking to the stage on Thursday evening in Malmo Arena. The Swedish Police Authority positioned themselves at various entrance points to the square as tourists walked around taking pictures of the fountain and the town hall. The protest in Malmos main square on Thursday (AP) Officers from Sweden, along with Norway and Denmark, have been regularly patrolling Malmo Arena, the city centre and the Eurovision village amid Israel facing calls to be excluded from the contest because of the war in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry, run by the proscribed terrorist organisation Hamas, puts the Palestinian death toll at more than 34,000 people. Golans emotional Hurricane was reworked from a previous track called October Rain, which was thought to reference the Hamas attacks on Israel. There have been continued demonstrations in Sweden over Israels participation, and the week of Eurovision has already seen small gatherings in Malmo and at the Eurovision village when Austrian 2014 winner Conchita Wurst was on stage. Golan, 20, will compete against Norways Gate, San Marinos band Megara, Switzerlands Nemo and Danish entrant Saba, who called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the safe return of Israeli hostages in a joint statement in March. The artists rejected calls from Palestinian groups to boycott the music contest, saying that they firmly believe in the unifying power of music. Golan, who has been singing and dancing on stage since she was a child, told ITV News this week that she could not have asked for a better year to be representing my country. Eden Golan of Israel (AP) Organisers of Eurovision, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), hit out in April against the unacceptable and totally unfair abuse of competitors amid the backdrop of a terrible war in the Middle East. The group, whose members approved Israeli broadcaster Kan, has taken a strong stance, as in previous years, against political messages at Eurovision and flags and symbols from non-competing countries. Despite the position, Tuesdays first semi-final saw former Swedish contestant and opening act Eric Saade wear a keffiyeh pattern material, commonly used by people who want to show they are pro-Palestinian, on his arm. The EBU said that he chose to compromise the non-political nature of the event and it regrets the broadcast. Protest in Malmos main square (REUTERS) In an Instagram story, Saade said that the material was a way of showing a part of my origin and was a gift as a child from his father, who is of Palestinian origin. He also said: I just wanted to be inclusive and wear something that is authentic to me but the EBU seems to think my ethnicity is controversial. It says nothing about me, but everything about them. It also told Irish finalist Bambie Thug to change their body paint, which referenced the artists call for a ceasefire, before going on stage as the EBU maintains this could have broken the rules that are designed to protect the non-political nature of the event. Israel, which performs towards the end of the night, has been a strong contender at Eurovision in recent years, last winning with Nettas Toy in 2018 and qualifying for the final 12 times since 2003. It has won a total of four times, and will face tough competition this year from Switzerlands Nemo, whose operatic-pop music The Code has been seen as one of the favourites to win on Saturday. The rehearsals have already shown Golan back bending in a white dress before emerging in a circle flanked by dancers as well as being bathed with yellow light as the song reaches its crescendo. There were shouts at the rehearsals on Wednesday, which reportedly included boos and people saying free Palestine. Netherlands act Joost Klein, with the irreverent and silly Europapa, and Norways Gate with folkish Ulveham are also seen as likely to progress to the final. Frances Slimane with the soulful Mon Amour will also perform on Thursday, alongside Italys Angelina Mango with La Noia and Spains Nebulossa with Zorra, but is already through to the final as one of the big EBU donators alongside the UK with Olly Alexander and Germany with Isaak. The 2024 hosts of Eurovision are Swedish comedian Petra Mede and Hollywood actress Malin Akerman. BBC One and BBC iPlayer begin the broadcast of the second semi-final from 8pm on Thursday. A Monmouth County, New Jersey, beach town has banned the digging of large holes and burying of people in the sand. Sea Girt passed an ordinance in April adopting stricter rules around sandhole digging. Under the new rules, holes cannot be deeper than 12 or the knees of the shortest participant, whichever is shorter. Holes cannot be left unattended and must be filled before leaving the area. The ordinance also bans burying persons below grade or in standing position. Sea Girt beach manager Jim Freda said there have been no deaths or injuries in Sea Girt in recent years, but said its not uncommon for there to be several sand-related deaths along the Atlantic coast annually. Hole-digging is a universal beach problem, he said. Having the ordinance allows beach patrol to more strictly enforce no digging policies, the same way they enforce no smoking rules, he said. Badge checkers warn people carrying shovels they cant dig too deep, and lifeguards who see people digging deep holes explain to beachgoers the dangers, Freda said. Sea Girt isnt the only town to enforce strict limits on the size of beach holes. Seaside Heights and Belmar also have rules on the books regulating hole size. Its unclear exactly how many New Jersey beach towns have similar ordinances. Avalon and Stone Harbor both implore beach-goers to be careful while digging, but neither have rules banning it. Although a fond memory for many Jersey Shore vacationers, digging deep holes can pose serious safety risks. An 18-year-old vacationing with his family in 2022 was killed and his sister injured when the hole they were digging collapsed and he was crushed by the sand. A 2007 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the most recent to collect data on the issue, found there were 52 documented sand collapses in holes dug for fun between 1997 and 2007; half of those cases were fatal. Holes can also endanger anyone on the beach at night, like Departments of Public Works employees or nighttime fishermen, beach police have said. Katie Kausch may be reached at kkausch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KatieKausch. UmaSofia Srivastava, who was crowned Miss Teen USA back in January, announced that she plans to relinquish her title. I will always look back on my time as Miss NJ Teen USA fondly, and the experience of representing my state as a first generation, Mexican-Indian American at the national level was fulfilling in itself, Srivastava said in an Instagram post on Wednesday. After careful consideration, Ive decided to resign as I find that my personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization. Srivastava, who wrote that she spent months grappling with this decision, said she looks forward to finishing 11th grade and going to college, and continuing to work with education-based nonprofits and promoting her childrens book, The White Jaguar. We respect and support UmaSofias decision to step down from her duties, Miss Teen USA officials said on its own Instagram account. The well-being of our titleholders is a top priority. We are currently reviewing plans for the transition of responsibilities to a successor, and we will soon announce the crowning of the new Miss Teen USA. Srivastavas announcement comes only a few days after Noelia Voigt announced that she would be stepping down from her role as Miss USA, citing mental health reasons. Deep down I know that this is just the beginning of a new chapter for me, and my hope is that I continue to inspire others to remain steadfast, prioritize your mental health, advocate for yourself and others by using your voice, and never be afraid of what the future holds, even if it feels uncertain, Voigt posted on Instagram. The post raised speculation as fans noticed that the first letters of the first 11 sentences spell out I am silenced, according to CNN. Voight and Srivastava are not the only people affiliated with the Miss USA Organization to step down recently, NPR reported. Ex-social media director Claudia Michelle announced her resignation on Instagram over the weekend, saying that the organization mistreated all of them. Being offered your dream job and seeing that it was anything but is so disheartening, she wrote, adding that she saw a decline in Voigts mental health and disrespect towards Srivastava and her family. Ive first hand seen Noelia and Uma be unable to share about their personal advocacies on social media and be threatened by [Miss Universe Organization] social media rules and guidelines that I still have yet to see, Michelle wrote. I feel the way current management speaks about their titleholders is unprofessional and inappropriate; I disavow workplace toxicity and bullying of any kind. Three tornadoes hit western Pennsylvania early Wednesday morning during severe thunderstorms that crossed the region, including one near Pittsburgh International Airport. According to the National Weather Service in Moon Township, Allegheny County, the tornado that touched down in Findlay Township southwest of the airport was an EF-1 with maximum winds of 105 mph. The NWS said the tornado, reported at 1:50 a.m., was about 150 yards wide and traveled a little over 1,000 feet on the ground. KDKA-TV reported that trees were toppled over in the area and one business reported damage. According to the National Weather Service, an EF-1 tornado touched down in Findlay Township, Allegheny County, shortly before 2 a.m. Wednesday. Graphic and photos courtesy of the National Weather Service via Facebook.Submitted About an hour earlier, an EF-2 tornado with winds reaching 130 mph touched down in eastern Ohio before traversing the panhandle of West Virginia and then entering Beaver County, Pa. It is pretty rare for a tornado to cross 3 different states in our region! the NWS said in a Facebook post. That twister was 200 yards wide and traveled 15 miles, heavily damaging houses and mobile homes in West Virginia, and causing one injury to a woman cut by blowing glass, reported KDKA. It was the first tornado ever recorded in Hancock County, W. Va., the NWS said. Drone footage from WPXI-TV showed several damaged homes and buildings. As storms moved east, a third tornado was reported in Westmoreland County, southeast of Pittsburgh around 3:15 a.m. The NWS said it was an EF-1 with peak winds of 100 mph and was 90 yards wide and traveled 1.2 miles. On Wednesday night, the NWS warned that there is the possibility of more storms and tornadoes in western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio and the West Virginia panhandle on Thursday between 2 p.m. and midnight. The food served in Pennsylvania state prisons is contributing to the malnourishment of inmates, with meals failing to meet basic nutritional needs, leaving the vast majority of inmates hungry and predisposed to chronic illness as a result of the poor quality of food. Those are among the findings contained in a report provided to PennLive by the Pennsylvania Prison Society, the largest prison monitoring organization in the commonwealth. Update: He declined the offer. By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON, The Associated Press MIAMI (AP) Former President Donald Trumps youngest son, Barron Trump, has been chosen to serve as a Florida delegate to the Republican National Convention, the state party chairman said Wednesday. Republican Party of Florida chairman Evan Power said the 18-year-old high school senior will serve as one of 41 at-large delegates from Florida to the national gathering, where the GOP is set to officially nominate his father as its presidential candidate for the November general election. NBC News first reported the choice of Barron Trump as a delegate. In this Aug. 27, 2020, file photo, Barron Trump right, stands with President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump on the South Lawn of the White House. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, file)AP Photo/Evan Vucci Barron Trump has been largely kept out of the public eye, but he turned 18 on March and is graduating from high school next week. The judge overseeing Donald Trumps hush money trial in New York said there would be no court on May 17 so that Trump could attend his sons graduation. Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Trumps youngest daughter, Tiffany, are also part of the Florida delegation to the convention taking place July 15-18 in Milwaukee. We are fortunate to have a great group of grassroots leaders, elected officials and members of the Trump family working together as part of the Florida delegation to the 2024 Republican National Convention, Power said in an emailed statement. By Taylor Croft, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS) ATLANTA Despite entering hospice care over a year ago, Jimmy Carter refuses to miss an election. At 99 years of age, the former president cast a mail-in ballot for the May primary election this week, grandson Jason Carter said Wednesday on The Atlanta Journal-Constitutions Monica Pearson Show. Hes not going to miss an election! the younger Carter said. Its important to him. I mean, thats the person he is. Jason Carter said he confided in his grandfather last weekend that hes never sure how to respond when asked how the former president is doing. He kind of laughed a little bit, and he looked at me, and he said: I dont know myself, Jason Carter said. But I think hes OK. You know, hes hanging in there, and he knows hes not in charge. So hes just waiting for whats next. Over the past year, Jimmy Carter celebrated his 99th birthday in October and attended the annual peanut festival. He entered hospice care in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, just over a year ago. He also mourned the loss of his wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died in November at age 96. When she passed, it was really hard for him, Jason Carter said. He had this opportunity to say goodbye, and after that, he was just totally at peace with it, and it was an incredible thing after 77 years of marriage to watch that type of closure. He was ultimately really proud that he was with her until the end, Jason Carter said. But for the rest of us, she was such a rock for our family in so many ways. By Alfred Lubrano, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS) PHILADELPHIA U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, R., Pa., is facing criticism after he reportedly called the Ku Klux Klan the military wing of the Democratic Party in a closed-door briefing for lawmakers on antisemitism Tuesday, according to CNN. Perry also appeared to defend the so-called great replacement theory the racist, white nationalist belief that white people are being purposely replaced by minorities and immigrants in the United States and Europe, CNN reported. Perry added that migrants entering the country have no interest in being Americans. Audio of the comments, which Perry reportedly made during a House Oversight Committee members briefing about The Origins and Implications of Rising Antisemitism in Higher Education, were obtained by CNN. Perry, an ally of former President Donald Trump and the former leader of the House Freedom Caucus, is running for reelection in Pennsylvanias 10th Congressional District, which includes Dauphin County and parts of Cumberland and York counties. Democrat Janelle Stelson, a former local news anchor, is challenging him in the November general election. U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) speaks at the PA Leadership Conference in Cumberland County, April 2024. (Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com, file)Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com Asked for comment Wednesday about the leaked audio, Perrys office released a statement: Once again, the radical Left twists facts in order to silence conversation about its own crimes and Bidens intentional failures to enforce laws and close or regulate our borders, Perry said. My point is proven yet again: when the Left loses an argument, it debases and smears instead of engaging in debate on merits. According to the audio, Perry said, The KKK in modern times, a lot of young people think somehow its a right-wing organization when it is the military wing of the Democratic Party. Decidedly, unabashedly, racist and antisemitic. Although the KKK was founded by Democrats in 1865, it became an extra-legal terror organization that was never the wing of any political party, said Matt Jordan, director of the Pennsylvania State University News Literacy Initiative, which helps students and citizens distinguish reliable journalism from the noise that often overwhelms and divides us, according to its website. Repeating debunked tropes Perrys statements repeated tropes about the KKK and replacement theory that are sticky narratives, according to Jordan widely circulated, debunked ideas that politicians use to garner media attention and to rile their base. Replacement theory is real, Perry said, according to CNN. They added white to it to stop everybody from talking about it. While Perry said during the briefing he is happy to accept people that are here legally, pointing to his ancestors who migrated to the United States, he has an issue with migrants who are un-American, according to the audio recording. What is happening now is were importing people into the country that want to be in America but have no interest in being Americans, and thats very different and to disparage the comments is to chill the conversation so that we can continue to bring in more people that we never met that are un-American, Perry said, according to the recording. The great replacement theory is misinformation with fascist resonance, Jordan said. You replace white voters with brown-skinned immigrants to denigrate and corrupt the blood of our country, is how people think, he added. Tucker Carlson and others use it. Its deployed with great effect in the right-wing media echo system. And, Jordan said, theres not a shred of evidence that migrants here without documentation can vote, though Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson recently have promoted a bill to prevent non-citizens from voting. The briefing for lawmakers this week was intended set up to discuss the District of Columbias response to the pro-Palestinian protests and encampments on college campuses. House Republicans have advocated for cracking down on the demonstrations and have attempted to unify against antisemitism, according to CNN. Other recent remarks by Scott Perry Perrys remarks this week werent the first controversial comments hes made recently. At the conservative Pennsylvania Leadership Conference in Camp Hill last month, Perry referenced transgender students in school locker rooms and said, If you say something about it, the FBI will likely list you as a domestic extremist. Thats a common talking point among conservatives. Jordan, of Penn State, said that amplifying the anti-trans moral panic is a feature of far-right politicians worldwide. To say the FBI will violate your First Amendment rights and put you on a list of extremists is pure paranoid fantasy. Perry also claimed that the Biden administration is out to grab up peoples gas stoves. Thats an inaccurate assessment of health and climate concerns about gas appliances thats nonetheless repeated on conservative talk radio, experts say. When Perry recycles these well-worn, culture-war talking points, hes attempting to use moral panic to fire up conservative Republicans enough to make sure they vote, Jordan said. Its when the strategic use of misinformation becomes disinformation, Jordan said. Rhetoric used to knowingly fool people. Microsoft Invests in AI Datacenter, Higher Ed Partnerships in Wisconsin Microsoft is investing more than $3 billion in a new AI and cloud datacenter in southeast Wisconsin, an initiative paired with two higher education partnerships aimed at fostering workforce training. The plan is expected to create 2,300 union construction jobs by 2025 and numerous long-term tech employment opportunities thereafter. The facility will support advanced cloud services and AI applications for companies nationwide. "Wisconsin has a rich and storied legacy of innovation and ingenuity in manufacturing," said Microsoft President Brad Smith. "We will use the power of AI to help advance the next generation of manufacturing companies, skills and jobs in Wisconsin and across the country. This is what a big company can do to build a strong foundation for every medium, small and start-up company and non-profit everywhere." Along with the creation of the new datacenter, Microsoft will partner with Gateway Technical College in the creation of a new academy focused on datacenter technology. The company said this will help to train more than 1,000 students over the next five years to fill the growing number of tech-related jobs in the area. Microsoft announced it will also be partnering with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to set up a manufacturing-centric AI Co-Innovation Lab. The lab is aimed at connecting Wisconsin manufacturers and various businesses with Microsoft's AI specialists and developers. Together, they will collaborate on designing and prototyping AI and cloud solutions that enhance operational efficiencies and business growth. The goal is for the lab to assist 270 Wisconsin companies by 2030, with a focus on 135 manufacturing firms. Finally, the company's $3.3 billion investment will also be used to partner with energy firm National Grid to construct a new 250-megawatt solar project that will be operational by 2027 and will contribute $20 million to a community fund to assist under-resourced areas. It also said that the new datacenter will use a closed-loop water system that will recycle the water used for cooling. The White House is touting the Microsoft investment as a success for both its push to grow national infrastructure and its ambitions to position the U.S. as an AI leader. "As part of Microsoft's efforts to build an AI ecosystem in Wisconsin, their training programs will help introduce workers to AI skills and technologies, helping them access and benefit from the AI economy," said the White House in a press release. For more information, read the Microsoft post here. Pennsylvania Players Turn Up for #GrowPAPoker Campaign to Push for Shared Liquidity Chad Holloway PR & Media Manager Copy link Last week, PokerNews Ambassador and Pennsylvania native Keith Becker, offered his first PA poker update. Part of it focused on the #GrowPAPoker campaign, which took place on Tuesday, May 7th. PokerNews joined forces with Pokerfuse.com and poker players all over Pennsylvania to promote the inclusion of Pennsylvania in the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA). The goal of the campaign was to get the attention of various lawmakers in the Keystone State to encourage them to support HB 2078, which is a piece of legislation authorizing the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to enter a shared liquidity agreement with other states including Nevada, New Jersey, and Michigan. With a population of nearly 13 million residents, Pennsylvania joining shared liquidity would be a huge boost; in fact, it has the largest population of all four states mentioned. Not only would it mean more games and larger prize pools for players, but it would also result in more tax revenue for Pennsylvania. #GrowPAPoker Freeroll on PokerStars The PokerStars #GrowPAPoker Freerol As part of the campaign, PokerStars USA offered a special freeroll for players in Pennsylvania. The #GrowPAPoker Freeroll saw $2,078 added to the prize pool and played out over the course of three hours on Tuesday night. The top 71 finishers from the 352-entry field got a piece of the prize pool, and in the end, the final four players struck a deal that saw them each take $231.01 in prize money, while PittsburghPoker got a penny more than that and was deemed the official winner. PokerStars #GrowPAPoker Freeroll Final Table Results Place Player Prize 1 PittsburghPoker $231.02* 2 Gmen010 $231.01* 3 visiblemoss $231.01* 4 joogie75 $231.01* 5 BungalowB422 $101.33 6 burroughs17 $74.59 7 RushLite $54.91 8 boris03s $40.42 9 JPC44pt83 $29.75 *Denotes four-way deal. Players Show Support In addition to the freeroll, plenty of PA players showed their support by participating in the campaign online. While the campaign may be done, it is not too late to show your support. To make it easy, you can share this text (courtesy Pokerfuse) on X (formerly Twitter): Please support HB 2078 to bring shared liquidity to Pennsylvania and #GrowPApoker! @GovernorShapiro @RepBradford @RepDunbar @RepRozzi @russdiamond @PAGamingControl @pokerfuse @pokernews Remember, PA players can legally play real money poker in Pennsylvania, so we've come up with a list of the very best online poker sites in Pennsylvania. Access real poker sites and play different games with poker players within the state. Whether you're looking to play poker freerolls, looking for the best poker bonuses, or want to quickly hop into a cash game or an online poker tournament, our dedicated page on PokerNews will tell you everything you need to know about online poker in PA. Share this article The Biden campaign hammered Trump for promising Big Oil that he would roll back job-creating green energy programs if they donated a billion dollars to his campaign. The Washington Post described how Trump told Big Oil that he was for sale: Trumps response stunned several of the executives in the room overlooking the ocean: You all are wealthy enough, he said, that you should raise $1 billion to return me to the White House. At the dinner, he vowed to immediately reverse dozens of President Bidens environmental rules and policies and stop new ones from being enacted, according to people with knowledge of the meeting, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private conversation. Giving $1 billion would be a deal, Trump said, because of the taxation and regulation they would avoid thanks to him, according to the people. Biden-Harris Spokesperson Ammar Moussa responded to Trump: Donald Trump is selling out working families to Big Oil for campaign checks. Its that simple. Trump isnt fighting for whats best for American families, cheaper energy, or our climate he only cares about winning this election and will sell out working families to special interests to do it. This is Trumps corrupt MAGA agenda in a nutshell: Trump acting as a puppet for his largest donors giving them tax breaks and favorable policies while working families get screwed over. It doesnt matter to Trump that oil and gas companies charge working families and middle-class Americans whatever they want while raking in record profits if Donald can cash a check, hell do what they say. The Biden campaign hit on the key point. Trump is willing to raise prices, kill green jobs, and hurt American families in exchange for campaign donations. The fossil industry is not hurting. There havent been mass layoffs in the fossil fuels. Big Oil doesnt want competition from clean energy because competition in a free market lowers prices, and lower prices equal less profit. Trump is for sale to the biggest corporations and if he returns to the White House, the American people will pay the price. A Special Message From PoliticusUSA If you are in a position to donate purely to help us keep the doors open on PoliticusUSA during what is a critical election year, please do so here. We have been honored to be able to put your interests first for 14 years as we only answer to our readers and we will not compromise on that fundamental, core PoliticusUSA value. [wpedon id=344887 align=center] Aiken Standard reporter Matthew Christian is a reporter for the Aiken Standard. He covers the Savannah River Site, city of Aiken, politics and public safety and courts. Matthew previously covered government and politics for the Morning News in Florence. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law and the University of Charleston in West Virginia. To support local journalism, sign up for a subscription. See our current offers BEAUFORT Removing a prominent classroom distraction was a critical discussion point during the Beaufort County Board of Education meeting on May 7. The board directed Superintendent Frank Rodriguez, who was honored as South Carolina Superintendent of the Year earlier in the session, to research potential regulations to prohibit cellphone use during instructional time. Rodriguez is expected to bring these options to the board during its next meeting, scheduled for May 21. I dont think its a question of if Beaufort County School District will be phone free. Its a question of when, said school board member Ingrid Boatright, who represents part of Hilton Head Island and proposed the motion. On occasion during the 37-minute discussion on the topic, Boatright looked at her phone while other board members spoke. Board members who attended agreed that phones in classrooms distract students and detract from learning. At the same time, implementing a regulation would be a balancing act. Some parents want to have immediate access to their children, especially during a potential emergency, representatives said. Implementing a restriction may prove challenging when students resist parting with their phone, raising concerns about potential contentious situations in the classroom. When you ask a kid for their cellphone, you better be ready, come hell or high water, to either defend what you say or you could lose what they call classroom management, said school board member William Smith, who represents much of St. Helena Island and part of Beaufort. Smith was the only board member to vote against the measure. Board member Carlton Dallas did not attend the meeting. The board appears poised to act quickly, with many members stressing the urgency of the situation. We cant kick this down the road anymore, and we cant implement something in the middle of the school year. That would be a disaster, said vice-chair of the board Richard Geier, who represents an area north of the Broad River and south of Port Royal. Some questioned whether students should be able to access their phones in case of an emergency. I do think we need to restrict the use of them, state Sen. Kevin Johnson, D-Manning, said during an April subcommittee meeting. I just hope theyre not going to ban students from having a cellphone on them, but well see what they come up with, he said of the state board. A state-level mandate could help teachers in their efforts to stop students from using phones in their classrooms, said Patrick Kelly, director of governmental affairs for the Palmetto State Teachers Association. Educators currently rely on administrators and school boards to back them in those efforts, he said, but Legislature could force their hand in implementing district-level prohibitions throwing the states weight behind teachers looking to maintain the most conducive learning environment possible. The research is clear, the experience of teachers are clear. Cellphones have become an undue distraction on student focus and attention in class, and removing those from the equations is going to help us get our students to their full academic potential, Kelly said. The two provisos passed by the House and Senate dont specify exact wordings or enforcement mechanisms for the policies they would require districts to adopt, leaving the door open for administrators and school boards in different districts to take different approaches, depending on which version of the proviso becomes law. Many districts already have prohibitions in place. Across the United States, about 77 percent of schools prohibited the nonacademic use of cellphones during the 2019-20 school year, the latest from which federal data is available. School districts in South Carolina also have policies in place governing how students can use their phones on campus, with some already banning or limiting their usage during class though the details and enforcement of those policies vary. Lavinia Thompson believed that by the time she was a teenager, she probably was beautiful. It wasnt as if she had a mirror in her cabin quarters in Salley to help her form an opinion. She was an enslaved woman on a pre-Civil War plantation. When the Salley plantation owner fell on hard times, a Florida plantation owner offered him $100 to buy Thompson. Lavinia knew that was an unusually high price, or so she told her grandchildren in the 20th century. So she deduced that she was pretty. And she was determined not to go with that Floridian. Her great-great-great grandson, Orangeburg historian and Renaissance Publications President Walter Curry Jr., isnt sure what triggered her foreboding about the man. But she had forged friendships with other enslaved people who cared about her on the South Carolina plantation. And Curry said she and the plantation owner were both devout Christians, so perhaps she hoped the shared faith would offer her some protection from the worst mistreatment someone who owned another human might decide to do. A lot of Thompsons story is lost because slaves werent allowed to learn to read and write. When Thompson became the only Black woman in South Carolina to win a Confederate veterans pension, she had to sign her application with an X. But Curry has researched her life and pieced together a great deal about Thompson and other Black Confederate pensioners. He documents his ancestor in his book The Thompson Family: Untold Stories from the Past. Black Confederate pensioners are still a little-known chapter of the Civil War and Reconstruction era. Curry discovered that even Black freedmen, if drafted by the Confederates to be laborers, had to go. Enslaved people could be commandeered by Confederate forces to leave plantations and work for the military as teamsters or building roads or repairing fort walls and brickwork. In 1923, South Carolina passed an act offering pensions to Black citizens who served the Confederate military at least six months as cooks, servants or attendants. Applicants had to prove financial hardship and have good moral character. A good reference from the enslaved persons former owner or family to be secured nearly 60 years after slavery was abolished helped one win a pension. Curry said the pensions were paid annually, and, although there were some exceptions, the total amounts paid topped out at $25 about $451 in todays dollars. DARLINGTON The race is on. Josh Harris, Darlington Raceways new president, knows NASCAR fans will flock to The Track Too Tough to Tame for Throwback Weekend for races this weekend. Fans will return for the Southern 500 weekend on Labor Day in September. Harris big focus isnt on NASCARs first superspeedway, which hosted its first race in 1950. It revolves around the track in the RV camping area, grandstands and Fan Zone. How do we improve areas that are going to touch our fans, Harris said. Improvements could revolve around improving the RV campgrounds and the Fan Zone. We want to make sure it represents the legacy of this track from a partnership perspective and the activities that take place on a race weekend, he said. Racing at the egg-shaped oval is a NASCAR tradition now. Retired racer Harold Brasington decided to build a track in Darlington after he noticed large crowds attending the 1948 Indianapolis 500. He purchased 70 acres from farmer Sherman Ramsey, then turned peanut and cotton fields into the superspeedway in less than a year. The 1950 Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend dropped the green flag on stock car racing in Darlington. The oval earned its nickname The Track Too Tough to Tame because the corners on the west side of the track are narrow and steeply banked, while the tracks east side corners are wide, sweeping and flat, making it difficult for car owners and drivers to get their cars dialed in for the race. The first Southern 500 had a field of 75 cars. Johnny Mantz won the race in a car owned by Bill France Sr., who founded and managed NASCAR. Darlington Raceway is known for its close finishes. The 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 was one of the closest races in NASCAR history as Ricky Craven edged Kurt Busch by 0.002 seconds to claim victory. Harris wants to respect and honor Darlingtons racing traditions while moving the fan experience forward. COLUMBIA The South Carolina Republican Party has disqualified five of its members including two delegates to the national convention in Milwaukee this summer from voting after revelations they contributed hundreds of dollars to independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s presidential campaign. According to SCGOP leadership, the five members Keith and Olga Blandford, John and Mamie Rand, and former attorney general candidate Lauren Martel were told they were no longer eligible to vote at the partys May 4 convention following revelations each had paid $500 to attend a dinner at a private residence last July where Kennedy was speaking. At the time, Kennedy an heir of the Kennedy political dynasty was running as a Democrat seeing his stock rise as an anti-establishment figure with policy positions favored by liberals and conservatives alike. He was also seen as a potential spoiler to President Joe Biden talk that escalated after Kennedy decided to withdraw from the Democratic primary to run as an independent. That has changed in recent weeks. Boosters for presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, including Trumps son, Donald Trump Jr., have begun to rail against Kennedy as a possible siphon of Republican votes after the candidate came out in favor of a ban on puberty blockers favored by Republicans. Others were angered by a recent proposal by the Kennedy campaign to join with Biden on a no spoiler pledge to try and deny Trump the presidency. Martel, in an interview, said she was not aware she was donating to Kennedys campaign when she paid to attend the dinner, and that she mistakenly believed the ticket price was intended to cover the cost of food and drink. PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 18:00:29 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 697 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Regulatory structure restricts access to care for Canadians and limits Nurse Practitioner labour mobility!VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / MAY 9, 2024 / In Canada, the need for Pan-Canadian nurse practitioner regulation and licensure is imperative to ensure healthcare services' safe and effective delivery. Nurse practitioners are crucial in delivering primary, acute care and long-term healthcare and have the advanced skills and training necessary to provide a wide range of healthcare services to Canadians. By establishing uniform standards and qualifications, Pan-Canadian regulation can improve patient care, enhance professional recognition, and facilitate the labour mobility of nurse practitioners across provinces and territories.Pan-Canadian Nurse Practitioner Regulation plays a crucial role in Canada's healthcare system. Its implementation would ensure standardized and consistent guidelines for nurse practitioner education, training, and practice nationwide. By implementing a Pan-Canadian framework for regulation, Canada can address the variations in licensing requirements and scopes of practice that currently exist among different provinces and territories. This would enhance the mobility and interoperability of nurse practitioners, allowing them to practice in any jurisdiction without undergoing burdensome regulatory processes. For example, Nurse practitioners who provide virtual care must be licensed in every province or territory the patient resides in. This is costly and reduces patient access to care across Canada. Moreover, Pan-Canadian regulation promotes patient safety by establishing uniform standards of competence, thus enabling Canadians to receive high-quality care from nurse practitioners, regardless of their location. Pan-Canadian regulation and licensure would facilitate interprofessional collaboration and communication, as healthcare teams can trust that nurse practitioners possess a consistent level of expertise. Additionally, creating a Pan-Canadian regulatory body for nurse practitioners can provide a platform for research and quality improvement initiatives specific to the profession, leading to advancements in healthcare delivery and outcomes across the country.Nurse practitioner licensure in Canada currently faces several challenges. One of the main challenges is the lack of uniformity in licensure requirements and processes across different provinces and territories. Each jurisdiction has its own set of regulations and criteria for nurse practitioners to obtain licensure, leading to inconsistencies and barriers for practitioners who wish to practice in multiple locations. This fragmentation hinders the portability of licenses and limits the mobility of nurse practitioners within Canada. Additionally, the lack of harmonization in licensure standards makes it difficult to ensure the quality and competency of nurse practitioners nationwide. Another challenge is the limited recognition of nurse practitioners as autonomous healthcare providers within the healthcare system. In some provinces, nurse practitioners still face restrictions regarding the scope of practice and prescribing authority, which can impede their ability to provide comprehensive care to patients. Furthermore, there is a need for standardized continuing education requirements and ongoing quality assurance processes to ensure that nurse practitioners maintain their skills and knowledge up to date. Addressing these challenges is crucial to establishing a consistent framework for nurse practitioner licensure in Canada, promoting nationwide mobility and ensuring high-quality care delivery.!The Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada calls on nursing regulators and provincial, territorial and federal governments to establish Pan-Canadian nurse practitioner regulation and licensure. Establishing a standardized framework across provinces and territories will address the current challenges in nurse practitioner licensure, ensuring consistency in education, training, and competency standards. Nurse practitioners could practice seamlessly across the country, enhancing all Canadians' access to high-quality healthcare services. The benefits are numerous and far-reaching, including improved patient care, increased efficiency, enhanced workforce mobility, and a stronger professional identity for nurse practitioners. Canada must prioritize developing and implementing a Pan-Canadian nurse practitioner regulation and licensure system.About the Nurse Practitioner Association of CanadaThe Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada is the national voice for over 9,000 nurse practitioners. It advocates for and reduces barriers to NP practice and works to provide access to care in acute, long-term care, community, and primary care settings. Nurse practitioners work collaboratively with other members of the healthcare team to not only provide individual patient care but also improve practice and community/population health, using evidence-informed best practices and research to develop, implement, and evaluate care.Contact Info:Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada1205-1033 Marinaside CrescentVancouver, BC V6Z 3A3Email:president@ npac-aiipc.org(or)ceo@npac-aiipc.orgWebsite: SOURCE: Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 14:03:14 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 468 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Action Behavior Centers , a leading provider of applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy services for children with autism, recently hosted the inaugural ABCaba clinical conference on May 3rd and 4th. ABCaba, an initiative in collaboration with the Global Autism Project, promises an opportunity to learn from the best clinical minds in the field while advocating with the Global Autism Project for enhanced ABA services globally. In collaboration with Austin's JW Marriott, this event gathered a record number of ABA clinicians for a transformative experience.During this groundbreaking event, ABCaba attendees had the opportunity to participate in a special community impact event organized in partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Make-A-Wish is an organization dedicated to granting the wishes of children with critical illnesses, providing them with hope and joy during challenging times. With the generous support of Austin's JW Marriott, ABC rolled out the red carpet for Sadie, a young girl whose wish was recently granted by the Make-A-Wish foundation to travel to Hawaii. In true Make-A-Wish tradition, our ABCaba attendees embraced Sadie with warmth and excitement by hosting a Jurassic Park-themed welcome home party with over 1,400 people in attendance. This heartfelt gesture aimed to extend the joy of her wish fulfillment and offer her a memorable experience.Austin's JW Marriott, renowned for its exceptional service and dedication to social impact, has played a pivotal role in facilitating this community impact component of the event. Through their generous support, the JW Marriott not only showcases its commitment to hospitality but also underscores its profound dedication to positively influencing the lives of those in need, embodying the true essence of corporate responsibility and compassion.Sharon Alpizar, Chief People Officer at Action Behavior Centers stated "Our goal for ABCaba is to inspire clinicians through clinical thought leadership and research conveyed by experts in our field. Each element of the conference was intentionally planned to bring together the ABA community, no matter where a clinician practices, and especially to honor the role and impact of mentorship. Austin's JW Marriot played a pivotal role in bringing our vision to life. For us, we grounded ourselves in planning the conference with the goal of those attending to leave the conference with a renewed sense of knowledge, appreciation and passion for what they do and who they get to do it with." Action Behavior Centers was honored to spearhead this inaugural ABCaba clinical conference, marking a significant milestone in the advancement of ABA therapy services. ABCaba represents a unique opportunity for ABA clinicians to share knowledge and make a difference in the community. With the support of JW Marriott Austin and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, ABCaba created a transformative experience for attendees while making a meaningful impact.Media Contact:Kelsey AlexanderDirector of Digital Marketingkelsey.alexander@actionbehavior.com SOURCE: Action Behavior Centers PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 19:31:36 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 384 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 IRVINE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Blue Light Media, a leading creative house specializing in social media marketing for modern consumer brands, is celebrating almost a decade of excellence in the industry. Co-founded by Sarah Diganci, Blue Light Media has carved out a niche for itself by prioritizing social media strategies that resonate with brands like Nutribullet, Bulletproof, and LL COOL J's Rock The Bells.Blue Light Media's remarkable journey began almost a decade ago, focusing on providing tailored social media solutions for modern consumer brands with a particular emphasis on e-commerce platforms. Their comprehensive suite of services includes content creation, organic and paid social media management, creator partnerships, and campaign-specific email marketing. Sarah Diganci, the co-founder of Blue Light Media and an adept entrepreneur hailing from a family of business owners, infuses the agency with a passion for excellence and a flair for innovation. "We pride ourselves on delivering stunning product photography, video production, and efficient social media management that drives results for our clients," proclaims Diganci.Looking ahead, Blue Light Media aims to leverage AI advancements to further revolutionize the creative process, with plans to integrate tools that enhance scalability. The agency is developing cutting-edge in-house tools like Howard, an AI-powered assistant designed to streamline operational processes and bolster client management capabilities. When reflecting on the essence of success and entrepreneurship, Diganci underlines the importance of setting high standards to safeguard against subpar experiences. "Maintaining a high standard of excellence is pivotal in our quest for continuous improvement and client satisfaction," she remarks. Another tenet that defines Blue Light Media's ethos is the belief in valuing one's expertise and never compromising on the unique value they bring to the table.Blue Light Media prides itself on nurturing a diverse and female-centric work environment. Diganci and her team are dedicated to championing talented women and breaking workplace stereotypes. Within Blue Light Media, a passionate cohort of women work tirelessly to create impactful social media campaigns and foster meaningful relationships with clients.For more information on Blue Light Media and to explore their portfolio of services, visit their website at www.bluelight.media . Stay updated on their latest projects and industry insights by following @bluelightagency on Instagram.Media Contact: Sarah Diganci Email: Sarah@ bluelight.media Phone: 949-614-1134SOURCE: Blue Light Media PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 13:00:59 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 513 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 From Urban to Rural Arizona: Cheech & Chong's Cannabis Products can be found Statewide at JARS DispensariesPHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Cheech & Chong, beloved icons in the cannabis world, proudly announce the return of Cheech and Chong's Cannabis Company products to Arizona. In partnership with OZ Cannabis and JARS Cannabis, this collaboration ensures that Arizonans have statewide access to the brand they love, with quality they trust and prices they can afford.This is more than a business venture; it's a homecoming. Known for their deep roots in cannabis culture, Cheech & Chong are thrilled to be reconnecting with Arizonans who have long awaited the return of their products. Their collaboration with JARS Cannabis and OZ Cannabis brings an unmatched level of accessibility to the state, ensuring that no matter where residents live, they can enjoy their favorite Cheech & Chong products.Cheech Marin shared his joy, "Arizona has always been close to our hearts. We're not just returning with our products; we're reigniting the bond with a community that appreciates the value of great cannabis." Camille Bussiere, General Manager for OZ Cannabis, commented, "Our collaboration with Cheech and Chong's Cannabis Co. is about bringing exceptional quality to the Arizona market at prices that make sense for the community. We're excited to bring the market top-shelf flower, pre-rolls, and a selection of infused products at consistent and affordable prices." Ronnie Kassab, CEO of JARS Cannabis Arizona, added, "At JARS, we believe in making cannabis accessible to everyone in Arizona. Offering Cheech & Chong products in our dispensaries means we're providing a trusted, beloved brand to every community we serve, no matter where they are in the state." This partnership between Cheech and Chong's Cannabis Co., OZ Cannabis, and JARS highlights a shared commitment to serving the Arizona community. It promises to provide the highest quality cannabis at the best prices, with more accessibility than ever before.Cheech & Chong products are now available across Arizona. Visit jarscannabis.com to find a JARS Dispensary near you.About OZ CannabisOZ operates as a boutique multi-state cultivator and operator, with a strong presence from Michigan to Arizona. Now advancing in the Arizona market, OZ delivers both quality and quantity without compromise. The company's straightforward approach ensures the highest quality cannabis at the most affordable prices. Committed to making exceptional flower, prerolls, and concentrates accessible, OZ innovates continually in cultivation and production. With a dedicated team and a dynamic roster of cultivars, OZ guarantees premium products are always within consumer reach.ABOUT JARS CANNABISJARS Cannabis is a multi-state cannabis brand and retailer that has operated a network of 37 recreational and medical storefronts in Arizona, Colorado, and Michigan since 2020. Dedicated to transforming cannabis narratives, JARS fosters industry leadership and inclusivity through creativity, community, and collaboration. Committed to high-quality, diverse, and affordable products, JARS ensures that integrating cannabis into any lifestyle is both easy and approachable.Contact InformationBrooke MangumCMO, Cheech and Chong's Cannabis Co.brooke@cheechandchong.com SOURCE: Cheech and Chong's Cannabis CompanyView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 20:00:39 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 420 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Gorayeb & Associates Founder Leads Initiatives to Support Marginalized and Undocumented Students at His Alma MaterNEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Gorayeb & Associates is proud to highlight the philanthropic efforts of its founder, Christopher Gorayeb, a Bates College alumnus who has significantly contributed to promoting equity, diversity, and financial aid for students from marginalized backgrounds, including undocumented students, at his alma mater, Bates College.Christopher Gorayeb at Bates College Christopher Gorayeb, founder of Gorayeb & Associates, stands outside Bates College, highlighting his dedication to fostering equity and diversity through initiatives that support marginalized and undocumented students. Christopher Gorayeb, who graduated in 1980 and later served on the board of trustees for 15 years, has been a driving force behind several initiatives aimed at enhancing the educational experience for students facing systemic barriers. His establishment of The Gorayeb Family Fund for Equity and Diversity in 2017 marks a cornerstone in Bates College's efforts to promote equity and inclusion. The fund annually supports diversity programs and events, including providing winter clothing for students in need and establishing a dedicated campus space for marginalized students to access resources and build community.For a detailed overview of The Gorayeb Family's impact, visit: Bates College Campaign News.Elevating his commitment, in 2021, Gorayeb pledged his support to The Schuler Access Initiative, targeting Pell-eligible students and low-income and undocumented students. The Schuler Access Initiative matched contributions from Bates donors like Gorayeb, funneling a $70 million boost into financial aid for undocumented and Pell-eligible students at Bates.Discover more about this transformative initiative: The Schuler Access Initiative at Bates.Christopher Gorayeb's philanthropic endeavors at Bates College reflect a deep-seated belief in the power of education to transform lives and break down systemic barriers. His work exemplifies a broader mission of social responsibility and advocacy, mirroring the values he embodies through his leadership at Gorayeb & Associates. The firm, known for its vigorous defense of construction accident victims, extends its commitment to justice and community support, underscoring a holistic approach to making a difference in society.About Gorayeb & Associates:Gorayeb & Associates, a leading New York law firm founded by Christopher Gorayeb, specializes in personal injury and construction accident cases. The firm is renowned for its unwavering commitment to advocating for the rights and well-being of workers and their families. Parallel to its legal endeavors, Gorayeb & Associates is actively involved in community outreach and philanthropic efforts, aimed at creating equitable opportunities and fostering a more inclusive society.Contact InformationIan Jorge Millerimiller@ gorayeb.com 212-267-9222SOURCE: Gorayeb & AssociatesView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 21:30:09 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 640 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Recent advancements signify a new era in liver disease diagnosis and treatment.GREENVILLE, SC / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 /Luxor Scientific and CIMA Sciences join forces for the US launch of OWLiver, an exclusive non-invasive blood test able to detect all dangerous stages of Metabolic dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) and Metabolic dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH). The OWLiver metabolic assay meets the urgent need for a non-invasive test for identification of individuals who have "at-risk" MASH and are at high risk for progressing to end-stage liver disease. This collaboration coincides with the FDA's March 2024 approval of the first and only medication for MASH treatment, marking a transformative step forward in enhancing liver disease testing and management.Luxor Scientific is the only laboratory offering CIMA Sciences' OWLiver testing in the US, which utilizes the MASEF (Metabolomics-Advanced Steatohepatitis Fibrosis) score.1 With advanced metabolomics technology, this test holds the potential to transform approaches in understanding and treating metabolic dysfunction associated liver conditions."As we continue to see a rise in metabolic syndrome in the US, MASLD is becoming more and more prominent," stated Dr. Marion Snyder Luxor Scientific. "For years, physicians have had to rely on invasive liver biopsy procedures and costly imaging studies. OWLiver can identify MASLD in its early stages, giving patients the chance to stop and reverse the disease and live a healthier lifestyle." MASLD, previously known as Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), is the most common cause of chronic liver disease, impacting over 30% of adults in the US, and is expected to increase in the coming years with the steady rise of obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. As many as 20% of type 2 diabetic individuals with MASLD will develop MASH. Studies show that 15-20% of patients with MASH can progress to liver disease and ultimately liver failure. Early identification of "at-risk" MASH is a priority, as these patients are at increased risk for disease progression and may benefit from developed therapies to prevent the disease and further liver damage and related complications."The availability of this test is incredibly significant for patients at this time," expressed Alejo Llopart-Mascaro, CIMA Sciences. "We take pride in our collaboration with Luxor Scientific to address the growing issue of metabolic associated liver disease. This partnership enables healthcare providers to diagnose and subsequently offer effective treatments that are now readily available to their patients." About CIMA Sciences, LLCStrategically bringing proprietary technology to the US, CIMA Sciences is a biological company which primary focus is on developing and providing the scientific community and the US population with cutting-edge, non-invasive diagnostic technologies for high-prevalence diseases, with a specific emphasis on liver and cardiovascular risk. CIMA recognizes the critical need for accurate and early detection of diseases and aims to revolutionize the diagnostic landscape and empower healthcare professionals with groundbreaking, accurate, non-invasive and accessible tools to identify and manage these conditions effectively. CIMA actively collaborates with key stakeholders in the scientific and medical communities to ensure the effective deployment of its solutions and their integration into existing healthcare systems. For more information about CIMA Sciences, please visit www.cimasciences.com About Luxor ScientificLuxor Scientific was founded with the mission of providing better information faster. As a full-service privately-held CAP-accredited medical and research laboratory, Luxor offers a robust menu of clinical and anatomical testing services. Today, Luxor Scientific is one of the fastest-growing companies in the southeast, specializing in cutting-edge diagnostic testing solutions in the areas of metabolomics, genomics, toxicology and histology. Luxor's industry-leading turnaround times and state-of-the-art equipment and diagnostic solutions, allows Luxor to provide personalized service, accurate testing, and innovative functional reporting. For more information about Luxor Scientific and our full test offering, please visit www.luxorscientific.org 1 The Metabolomics-Advanced steatohepatitis fibrosis score (MASEF). Hepatology. 2024 Jan 1;79(1):135-148.doi: 10.109724Media Contact:Kristina Loughrey kristina@ klcoms.com SOURCE: Luxor Crypto Oasis Thrives: UAE Blockchain Ecosystem sees Exponential Growth with 2,040 Active Organizations in Q1 2024 PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 02:30:20 Press Information Published by ACN Newswire +65 6304 8926 e-mail https://www.acnnewswire.com/ # 829 Words ACN Newswire+65 6304 8926 DUBAI, May 7, 2024 - (ACN Newswire) - Crypto Oasis proudly presented the an update on the ever-evolving UAE blockchain ecosystem during the second edition of Dubai FinTech Summit 2024. Over the past year, The number of active companies has surged from 1,800 to 2,040, marking a significant 13.3% YoY increase. This growth is a testament to the robustness and innovation within the industry, which now has over 10,600 professionals, with a healthy mix of 71% native Blockchain organizations and 29% non-native companies contributing to the ecosystem.The UAE Ecosystem proves to be a hub for innovation and a magnet for attracting talent with over 10,600 individuals now working in the space.Key Highlights:Active companies within the ecosystem surged by a significant 13% year-on-year, reaching a staggering record of 2,040 organizations.Marked increase in the industry workforce, with over 10,600 individuals working in the Blockchain space.Regulatory clarity drives crypto industry growth as major global names such as Binance, Bybit, and OKX receive Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) licenses from VARA.Within the vibrant UAE blockchain ecosystem, a diverse array of organizations contributes to its continuous success. Traders, brokers, and asset managers form a significant segment, accounting for 20.6%. Close behind, 19.9% are dedicated to technology and advisory services. NFT platforms represent 6.9%, while venture capitalists (VCs) make up 5.3%. The metaverse has a growing presence with 3.7%, and Web3 gaming initiatives account for 3.1%. Additionally, tokenization platforms are carving out a niche, representing 1.5% of the Blockchain organisations in the country.The past year has been pivotal for the UAE blockchain space, with notable developments that have solidified its position as a global leader in blockchain innovation and disruption. VARA, the Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority, has demonstrated a commitment to responsible growth and intends to secure the markets integrity. Regulatory tailwinds have helped establish the region as a welcoming hub for blockchain enterprises.Binance, Fasset, Hex Trust, Komainu and OKX are among the global crypto service providers to receive the VASP (Virtual Asset Service Provider) license from VARA last year. Regulatory milestones include, Aquanow, Bybit, Crypto.com and Deribit receiving preliminary licenses from VARA.Throughout 2023, the UAE has seen a significant increase in cryptocurrency adoption, reinforcing its status as a burgeoning centre for digital finance. The XRP token from Ripple has been approved under the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) and Iota, an open-source distributed ledger focused on the Internet of Things (IoT) announced the creation of the Iota Ecosystem DLT Foundation in Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM). Furthermore, the launch of the Dubai Web3 and AI Campus at the DIFC last year has positioned the UAE at the forefront of technological convergence, attracting talent and investment from across the globe.Other blockchain-related news that shows the ecosystems remarkable growth trajectory is the fact that the UAE-based Bitcoin miner Phoenix Group became the first crypto-related firm to go public on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange at the end of 2023. DFINITY, a Layer 1 protocol, set up their regional hub, ICP.Hub GCC, is an initiative to provide an access point for projects and developers in the region into the Internet Computer Protocols Ecosystem.The UAE has also become home to landmark blockchain events like Ripple Swell and Cardano Summit in November last year, underscoring the country's status as a premier destination for global Blockchain discourse. TOKEN2049, a global conference series, had a premier blockchain event in Dubai in April this year with over 400 side events and over 20,000 attendees. The Dubai AI & Web3 Festival planned for September 11-12, 2024 will be another feather in the cap of the city, as it posed to attract top global thought leaders to discuss the future of the Web3 and AI industry.Ralf Glabischnig, co-founder of the Crypto Oasis said: "The Crypto landscape in the UAE and Middle East region is the fastest growing ecosystem worldwide. The government is doing for Blockchain what Silicon Valley did for tech. This past year has been nothing short of phenomenal for the Crypto Oasis Ecosystem. The surge in companies and talent underscores the UAE's commitment to fostering a vibrant blockchain and Web3 environment. We're excited to witness the continued growth and innovative solutions emerging from this dynamic ecosystem." With a talented workforce and a commitment to innovation, the Crypto Oasis is poised to continue its exceptional progress. The Dubai FinTech Summit was a prime opportunity to witness the UAE's flourishing Blockchain ecosystem firsthand and to present the growth numbers of the ecosystem.About Crypto OasisThe Crypto Oasis is the largest Web3 ecosystem in the world focused on the Middle East and Africa region and is supported by initiators of the Crypto Valley Switzerland. The core elements needed for its development are Talent, Capital, and Infrastructure. The Ecosystem's stakeholders include Investors & Collectors, Start-Ups & Projects, Corporates, Education & Research Institutions, Service Providers, and Government Entities & Associations. Crypto Oasis is the leading Blockchain ecosystem in the world. Today it is the fastest growing, with more than 2,040 blockchain-related organizations in the UAE alone. www.Cryptooasis.ae For more information contact:Faisal ZaidiCrypto Oasisfaisal@ Cryptooasis.ae +971552000840 PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 13:00:58 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1026 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CRANBROOK, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. (TSXV:EPL) or ("Eagle Plains") and Xcite Resources Inc. (TSX-V:XRI) ("XRI or Xcite"), have received the results from a data compilation on the Don Lake uranium project, located 4 km NE of Uranium City, Saskatchewan. The Don Lake project hosts near surface high grade uranium mineralization and is one of six 100% owned Eagle Plains uranium properties under option to Xcite (see EPL/XRI news release Dec 14, 2023). The compilation and interpretation of available data will lead to recommendations for 2024 fieldwork.Don Lake Data Compilation HighlightsSix uranium mineral showings on property, spatially related to cross-faulting and regional Boom Lake and Black Bay faults. Structurally controlled mineralization associated with EM conductors. Excellent infrastructure - road-accessible from Uranium City. Property underlain by Archean granitic gneisses of the Tazin Group, prospective rock-types for Beaverlodge-style basement-hosted U mineralization. Historical drilling that tested structurally-controlled uranium mineralization in faults and fractures returned up to 10.7% U3O8 over 0.3m (DDH No. 23) and 2.14% U3O8 over 0.67m (DDH No. 6). See EPL Don Lake Compilation map HEREAbout the Don Lake ProjectThe road accessible 524ha project overlies 6 Saskatchewan Mineral Deposit Index ("SMDI") occurrences associated with Beaverlodge-type basement hosted uranium mineralization.The property is transversed by the parallel, northeasterly-striking Boom Lake and Black Bay Fault, the latter of which is a regional structure that is inferred to control uranium mineralization in the Beaverlodge camp. In the southeast corner of the property Martin Group sediments form an unconformable contact with older Tazin Group gneisses, along the hanging wall of the Black Bay Fault.Uranium mineralization at Don Lake is structurally controlled, occurring as pitchblende hosted in fractures and veins associated with faults and shear zones, and often associated with graphite and sulphides.Three zones of radioactivity and U mineralization have been identified at the Don Lake A, B and C Zones (SMDI 1393), which has been traced by historical drilling and trenching over approximately 525m.Zone A is a vein system with a length of 213.4 m, that crosses the trend of a northeast-striking lineament. Fourteen trenches and 20 shallow drill holes have been completed over the zone. Analytical results range from trace values up to 8.57% U3O8 over 0.91m and 2.86% U3O8 over 0.61m in trenching and 10.7% U3O8 over 0.3m and 2.14% U3O8 over 0.67m in drilling (AF74N10-0422).Zone B, positioned to the northwest and interpreted to be a continuation of the mineralized trend observed at Zone A, has seen 12 shallow diamond drill holes and 20 trenches completed. Trench sampling reported grades as high as1.17% U3O8 over 1.98m, with drilling results including 0.71% U3O8 over 0.34m and 0.64% U3O8 over 0.3m. The uranium mineralization occurs in series of veins and fractures.Zone C is positioned to the southeast of Zones A and B and further defines the NW-SE mineralized trend. 6 shallow drillholes and 9 trenches have been completed at Zone C, where trench samples returned from trace amounts up to 3.02% U3O8 over 0.61m and drilling intercepts included 0.80% U3O8 over 0.3m and 0.85% U3O8 over 0.52m.At Radioactive Occurrence 50-CC3-10 and -44 (SMDI 1383), and the Midas Cu-U Showing (SMDI 1384) pitchblende occurs as in shears associated with the Crackingstone Fault. Showings associated with the Townend Fault Uranium Showings (SMDI 1385) host pitchblende in fracture splays and breccia zones. A 10 ft (3.1 m) channel sample taken across a width of 1.0 ft (0.30 m) assayed 1.63% U3O8. (AF74N10-0056).At the A.R. Hawker Trench ARH-2 (SMDI 2116) structurally controlled uranium and sulphide mineralization is associated with net textured quartz veins. Grab samples from trenches and surface showings returned from trace values up to 1.2% and 0.78% U3O8 (AF74N10-0453).Don Lake HistoryAnomalous radioactivity at Don Lake was first noted by the Geological Survey of Canada in 1948, with the first claims recorded later that year by the Eldorado Mining and Refining Company. In 1950, Aurora Yellowknife Mines identified 28 radioactive occurrences on the property, including the 50-CC3-10 and 50-CC3-44 (SMDI 1383), Midas Cu-U Showing (1384) and Townend Fault Uranium Showings (SMDI 1385). The same year Eldorado completed three short diamond drill holes at the Don Lake Zone A showing (SMDI 1393), with hole D-1 returning 2.0% U3O8 over 0.6m from 49.7-50.3m (AF 74N10-0345).Between 1948-1968, various operators conducted work within the current Don Lake tenure, including prospecting, scintillometer surveying, trenching and limited diamond drilling. Most of this work is poorly documented. The next significant work was by Matrix Exploration in 1969, who carried out prospecting, scintillometer surveying, trenching and the 1200m of diamond drilling in 37 holes at the Don Lake A, B, and C Zones. Trenching in the A Zone returned from trace values up to 8.57% U3O8 over 0.91m and 2.86% U3O8 over 0.61m. The best drill intercept was from Zone A, where hole 23 returned 10.7% U3O8 over 0.3m (AF 74N10-0422).Between 1971-78 August Hawker, Matrix Exploration and Kodiak Developments carried out prospecting, scintillometer surveys, trenching, and ground geophysics on various areas of the current Don Lake tenure.Parts of the property were covered by airborne geophysics flown by Greater Lenora Resources Corp in 1997 (EM) and by the Geological Survey of Canada and Saskatchewan Energy and Mines who contracted Sander Geophysics to obtain gamma-ray spectrometric, aeromagnetic and VLF-EM data.Rock grab samples are selective samples by nature and as such are not necessarily representative of the mineralization hosted across the property. The above results were taken directly from the SMDI descriptions and assessment reports (AF) filed with the Saskatchewan government. Management cautions that historical results were collected and reported by past operators and have not been verified nor confirmed by a Qualified Person, but form a basis for ongoing work on the subject properties.About the Beaverlodge Uranium DistrictSee EPL Beaverlodge Uranium Projects map HEREThe Don Lake, Black Bay, Don Lake, Gulch, Larado, and Smitty projects are located in the Beaverlodge District near Uranium City in the Lake Athabasca region of Saskatchewan. Occurrences of uranium mineralization are abundant in the Uranium City area and have been explored and documented since the 1940s. The Beaverlodge camp was the first uranium producer in Canada, with historic production of approximately 70.25 million pounds of U3O8 between 1950-1982, fro PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 15:02:42 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 708 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SPRINGFIELD, OR / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Today, Emergent, Fire and EMS software provider, announced that it is certified for use on FirstNet, delivering a reliable, highly secure solution to further public safety capabilities and strengthen incident response. The collaboration between FirstNet, Built with AT&T and Emergent builds on a shared mission to support the first responder network with innovative, industry-leading technologies. Working together, Emergent and FirstNet bring a solution to public safety agencies that solves challenges from over the past decade surrounding connectivity and operational efficiency.Emergent Fire & EMS Software logo "Our team has been hard at work building a solution by and for first responders," says David Blankinship, Emergent President. "In the face of emergency, public safety must be equipped with the strongest solutions on the market, including robust, perpetual connection. While first responders are busy on the job saving lives, they shouldn't have to second-guess their trust in software and connectivity. This is one of the many reasons we're thrilled to see Emergent's embedded solution with FirstNet come to life." FirstNet is designed with and for America's first responders and the extended public safety community that could be called upon to support them. FirstNet is evolving based on the needs of and feedback from the public safety community, driving purposeful innovation to help them stay mission ready. And by adding Emergent to the FirstNet ecosystem, firefighters and paramedics have more access to the critical information they need - every day and in every emergency.Emergent joins the FirstNet ecosystem through the FirstNet Embedded IoT Program, which allows organizations to integrate FirstNet into industry-leading FirstNet-eligible devices. This creates a single, end-to-end solution for FirstNet-eligible customers. FirstNet embedded solutions go through an extensive review process to ensure they meet the highest standards for reliability, security, and performance."We're pleased to welcome Emergent as a member of our FirstNet IoT Embedded Program," said Matt Walsh, assistant vice president, product management and development, FirstNet Program at AT&T. "This allows us to further our mission to deploy, operate, maintain, and enhance the only nationwide wireless platform dedicated to public safety and the extended community that supports emergency response - including fire and EMS." Emergent joined FirstNet onsite for FDIC International 2024 April 18 through April 20 at the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium to meet with fire departments and public safety influencers from around the world to showcase its solution.FirstNet and the FirstNet logo are registered trademarks and service marks of the First Responder Network Authority. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.ABOUT EMERGENTEmergent specializes in fleet management and incident response solutions, offering advanced telemetry integration for fleet vehicles and incorporated data from trucks and equipment. Information feeds into Emergent's Fleet Management Dashboards in real-time, providing a live overview for performance tracking, checklists, maintenance monitoring, and remote troubleshooting. Emergent's Fire Tactical Board transforms incident management, connecting calls, units, equipment, and personnel, aiding Incident Commanders with live visualizations, drag-and-drop functionality, and automated incident timelines. Designed with Ops and Fleet in mind, Emergent ensures ease of use and reliability, keeping fleets up, in service, and safer while reducing the reporting time by 50%. Emergent is not just another software provider; we are your partner in safeguarding firefighters and the communities they serve. For more, visit www.emergent.tech ABOUT FIRSTNETFirstNet is the only nationwide, high-speed broadband communications platform dedicated to and purpose-built for America's first responders and the extended public safety community. Shaped by the vision of Congress and the first responder community following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, FirstNet stands above commercial offerings. It is built with AT&T in public-private partnership with the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) - an independent agency within the federal government. With more than 27,500 agencies and organizations - accounting for more than 5.5 million connections nationwide[1] - the FirstNet network is providing public safety with truly dedicated coverage and capacity when they need it, unique benefits like always-on priority and high-quality Band 14 spectrum. These advanced capabilities enable FirstNet to help fire, EMS, law enforcement and more save lives and protect their communities.[1] As of January 24, 2024, announcementContact InformationKimberly DuyckDirector of Communications & Marketingkduyck@ emergent.tech SOURCE: EmergentView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 14:46:27 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 441 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 HTVRONT Officially Enters Walmart's Offline Retail Network, Bringing Its Products Into a Broader Customer HorizonSACRAMENTO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 /HTVRONT, the leading innovative brand in the DIY industry, officially embarks on its offline sales journey with the retail giant Walmart. With Walmart's extensive sales network, HTVRONT has streamlined the shopping experience for crafters, highlighting convenience and efficiency. This established cooperation strengthens HTVRONT's brand influence and expands its customer base worldwide.In the past six years, HTVRONT has long gained recognition among crafters for its renowned DIY machines, materials, tools, and exceptional after-sales service. Among the vast portfolio, the HTVRONT Mini, Easy, and Auto heat presses emerge with stand-out performance and advanced functions, representing the brand's commitment to quality and user-friendliness.The HTVRONT Auto Heat Press achieved a remarkable feat on Kickstarter, the global crowdfunding platform, by reaching its funding goal within 10 minutes. With its one-click operation intelligence and state-of-the-art heating technology, this machine earned the prestigious "Gold Award" at the 2023 French Design Awards. Alongside the enhanced security, the HTVRONT Auto Heat Press significantly elevates the user experience and redefines the perception of heat presses.As for the other two machines, the HTVRONT Easy and Mini heat presses are also increasingly prevailing in the market due to their outstanding heating capacities and easy-to-use operation. The Easy Heat Press includes a digital screen and four semiconductor pressure sensors to monitor the process intuitively while the Mini Heat Press goes beyond with its compact body and superior heating speed. Together, the two machines satisfy the demands of both large and small crafting projects, empowering users to create freely.For now, HTVRONT has accumulated millions of customers across various social media and e-commerce platforms worldwide. In addition to online business expansion, HTVRONT continues to seek the opportunity to bridge the gap between online and offline retail."We are excited about the opportunity to meet with customers directly through Walmart's extensive network," Emma Peng, the Overseas Marketing Manager of HTVRONT, expressed. "This is an important step forward in our global blueprint. We will keep improving our products and services for HTVRONT followers." HTVRONT's entry into Walmart stores marks a significant milestone in its development history and opens a new chapter of its global market expansion strategy. To deepen this relationship, HTVRONT plans to introduce more products in offline stores in the future while continuing to uphold its principles of innovation, quality, and service.For regular updates on HTVRONT, follow us on:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/htvront Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/htvront Contact InformationKimberly XiongBrand PRkimberly@ htvront.com +8619542807347SOURCE: HTVRONTView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 10:01:25 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 420 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 AMSTERDAM / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Kintetsu World Express (Benelux) B.V. (KWE Benelux), a Benelux subsidiary of Kintetsu World Express, Inc., will construct and begin operating a new air cargo terminal in 2024, aiming to further increase air cargo handling volume in the future.New Kintetsu World Express Cargo Terminal at Schiphol Airport Artist impression of the upcoming new warehouse in Amsterdam. WDPCurrently, KWE Benelux Amsterdam Branch operates two facilities on the Westpoort industrial estate. Warehouse 1 (10,811) and Warehouse 2 (4,423) are located approximately 10km from Schiphol Airport. The logistics operations in Warehouse 2 will be merged into building 1 and the new CFS. This will provide an opportunity to streamline operations and provide improved logistics and air cargo services to our clients.The new terminal is strategically positioned in Schiphol Airport's cargo area, close to airline cargo facilities. It will begin in-house Unit Load Device (ULD) build-up and breakdown of air consolidation cargo to accommodate a wide range of goods. Additionally, the terminal will feature a GDP-certified temperature control facility for medical supplies and pharmaceuticals that require advanced temperature control. It will also hold TAPA certification to ensure the security of customers' cargo.The new warehouse facility was designed with sustainability and energy efficiency in mind. It will feature construction using wood and Xcarb* steel and will be equipped with solar panels on the roof. Upon completion, the building will be BREEAM certified* Excellent.By initiating cargo handling at our own terminal, we aim to expand our air import/export business, enhance our presence in Europe, and increase the volume of cargo handled between Europe, Asia and the Americas.We will continue to utilize our global network to provide world-class logistics services.* Recycled and renewable low-carbon emission steel from ArcelorMittal. "Green Steel," which emits significantly less CO during manufacturing than conventional steel. Certificates are issued for reductions achieved through technologies that reduce the use of coal by recovering flue gas containing hydrogen and feeding it into the blast furnace, and by producing bio-coke as a substitute for coal.* The BRE Environmental Assessment Method, developed by the British Building Research Foundation in 1990, is a tool for evaluating the sustainability of buildings, communities, and infrastructure. It evaluates buildings in 10 categories, including energy, health and comfort, water, materials, and waste, and rates them on a 5-point scale: Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent, and Outstanding.Location Folkstonweg 65 1118LN Schiphol-Rijk Lessor WDP Development NL N.V. Area 18,270office 735 warehouse 9,175 Scheduled Opening December 2024Contact InformationMike Trejo (310) 627-3129SOURCE: Kintetsu World Express, Inc.View the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 16:05:29 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 465 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 HONG KONG / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Luwu Intelligence, a pioneer in modern robotics technology, proudly unveils XGO-Rider, a groundbreaking desktop robot that revolutionizes personal AI companionship and mobility.Over the past decade, the wheeled-legged robot's innovative configuration has attracted significant attention from research institutes and businesses alike. Combining wheels and legs, wheeled-legged robots are capable of both wheel-driven locomotion and leg-like movement, using the wheels as pivots for leg extension and walking, akin to bipedal robots. This fusion cleverly integrates the agility of wheeled robots with the obstacle negotiation capabilities of legged robots, showcasing unique advantages.Compact yet powerful, XGO-Rider is a new companion designed to sit right on users' desks, providing agile and versatile functionality at a competitive price point. With its innovative design, XGO-Rider integrates advanced AI features powered by the Raspberry Pi CM4 core module and ChatGPT technology.XGO-Rider is equipped with a suite of AI capabilities, including Gesture Recognition, Face Detection, Skeleton Recognition, and more, offering users a wide range of image and voice interactions for seamless communication and engagement.What sets XGO-Rider apart is its agile, stable, and omni-directional movement enabled by its wheel-legged design, which adapts to various terrain obstacles with precision, thanks to IMU feedback technology.True to its commitment to accessibility and innovation, XGO-Rider is open-sourced, allowing users to program it using Blocky and Python, with Robot Operating System (ROS) packages available for developers to explore and expand its capabilities. The micro:bit version of XGO-Rider, compatible with the makecode/MicroBlocks/Python programming, is ideal for children's introductory programming education."We are thrilled to introduce XGO-Rider, the world's first desktop wheel-legged robot with AI," announced PengFei Liu, CEO of Luwu Intelligence. "With XGO-Rider, we aim to redefine personal robotics, empowering users to explore new possibilities and interactions in their everyday lives." "XGO-Rider" makes adaptive decisions in various environments by gathering environmental and self-status information through sensors. The primary sensor, the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), detects the robot's acceleration, angular velocity, and posture. The controller serves as the bridge between software and hardware. Upon receiving sensor information, the controller calculates the robot's current posture based on preset algorithms and sends control commands to actuators. Simultaneously, sensor data serves as feedback signals, allowing adjustment of control commands by comparing expected and actual postures. "We have designed efficient and stable control algorithms to achieve various complex movements of 'XGO-Rider' through posture estimation and control, dynamic modeling and control strategies, and feedback control," explained Lin Tao regarding the robot's self-balancing control methods.XGO-Rider is set to revolutionize desktop robotics and is now available on Kickstarter. For more information, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/xgorobot/xgo-rider-desktop-two-wheel-legged-robot-with-ai Contact InformationPengFei LiuCEOhello@ xgorobot.com SOURCE: Luwu Intelligence TechnologyView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 08:30:16 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 392 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Driven by community support, Apu currently follows the path of SHIB, one of the biggest memecoins in the market.PHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Apu Apustaja, the endearing internet meme that captured the hearts of millions, has transcended its digital origins to become a sensation in the world of cryptocurrency. Initially hailed as the #1 meme across the internet, Apu's charm and widespread appeal have now propelled it into the realm of memecoins.On March 11th, 2024, Apu Apustaja underwent a transformative journey as it was tokenized and deployed onto the Ethereum blockchain. This significant milestone marked the birth of Apu Apustaja as a memecoin, driven by the unwavering support of its dedicated community.Since its tokenization, Apu Apustaja has experienced a meteoric rise in cryptocurrency popularity. Despite initial challenges, including the project's developer abandoning it, the resilient Apu community rallied together, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to their beloved meme.In just over a month, Apu Apustaja has achieved staggering success, reaching an all-time high market capitalization of $300 million. This rapid growth is a testament to the power of community-driven initiatives and the enduring appeal of Apu as an iconic internet figure, sparking excitement about its potential.Following in the footsteps of other successful memecoins, Apu Apustaja's community has launched several innovative activities to promote and raise the memecoin's visibility. TheApu communityhas exhibited exceptional devotion and creativity by securing listings on major cryptocurrency exchanges like MEXC, BitGet, and Gate and publishing 11 community-made music albums on famous streaming platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify."We believe in memes' transformative power and ability to influence culture. As we begin our journey from meme to memecoin, we wonder, 'Why can't the #1 meme become the #1 memecoin?' It's a question that fuels our enthusiasm and dedication to the Apu community." - Jim Jones, Head of Operations and Communications atApu CommunityFurthermore, the community has created an Apu Game and a Book of Lore with over 30 chapters to enrich the Apu Apustaja experience. Furthermore, a grassroots marketing campaign using stickers and posters has helped the memecoin gain popularity.With a thriving community of nearly 7,000 holders and 6,000 members on Telegram, Apu Apustaja is not just a memecoin but a symbol of resilience, unity, and the transformative potential of meme culture in the cryptocurrency landscape.Media contact:Name: Jim JonesEmail:contact@ apu.communityWebsite: SOURCE: Apu Apustaja PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 15:00:30 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 319 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Pace Woburn earns the highest approval from the CDC for Legionella servicesMINNEAPOLIS, MN / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Pace Analytical Services, the preferred provider of regulatory testing and analytical laboratory services, announced today that its Woburn, Massachusetts, laboratory has successfully achieved proficiency from the Environmental Legionella Isolation Techniques Evaluation Program (CDC-ELITE), awarded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Pace Analytical Services Logo PAS LogoThis distinguished designation of the Woburn laboratory builds the number of Pace laboratories across the country that have earned CDC-ELITE status to 10. The program recognizes laboratories that demonstrate exceptional ability to isolate and identify Legionella bacteria, a potentially harmful pathogen that can cause Legionnaires' disease and Pontiac fever."Earning this proficiency status signifies our unwavering commitment to provide the most accurate and reliable Legionella testing services available," noted Rob DeMalo, Pace Vice President of Operations for Building Sciences. "This documentation of quality brings us closer to our bold mission of ensuring the built environment is safe and healthy for all who enter." Pace is a portfolio company of Leonard Green & Partners and Los Angeles-based Aurora Capital Partners.About PacePace makes the world a safer, healthier place. For decades, Pace people have been committed to advancing the science of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries in our Life Sciences laboratories and supporting businesses, industries, consulting firms, government agencies, and more through our Analytical Services laboratories. Pace offers local-level service backed by a national laboratory network. For customers with in-house labs, Pace provides a range of professional services to keep their operations moving forward. Pace people work in partnership with customers by providing the service, science, and the data they need to make critical decisions that benefit us all. More at pacelabs.com Contact InformationPam BednarMarketing Directorpam.bednar@pacelabs.com 612-297-0651Brooke SchwartzelBrand & Communications Managerbrooke.schwartzel@pacelabs.com 612-656-2241SOURCE: Pace AnalyticalView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 23:00:36 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 947 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Today, Park Lawn Corporation (TSX:PLC)(TSX: PLC.U) (" Park Lawn " or " PLC ") announced its financial operating results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024 (" Q1 ").Financial Results for the Three-Month Period Ended March 31, 2024:For the three-month period ended % Increase(in thousands except per share figures)31-Mar-24 31-Mar-23 (Decrease)Revenue$ 76,393 $ 86,736 (11.9%) Net Earnings $ 5,247 $ 4,576 14.7% Adjusted Net Earnings 1$ 7,565 $ 8,615 (12.2%) Adjusted EBITDA 1$ 19,646 $ 20,541 (4.4%) Adjusted EBITDA Margin 125.7% 23.7% 200 bps Adjusted Field EBITDA Margin 135.4% 32.2% 320 bps Net Earnings per share-diluted $ 0.149 $ 0.132 13.1% Adjusted Net Earnings per share-diluted 1$ 0.215 $ 0.249 (13.6%) "We are proud of our first quarter operating results and are excited to see the hard work and efforts of our team beginning to take shape," said J. Bradley Green, Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Green further elaborated, "As you have heard in our commentary over the past few quarters, with the reshaping of our platform as a result of the disposition of certain legacy assets which was completed in December, the implementation of a refined operating model, a new and improved sales structure, the launch of a comprehensive educational platform and a stronger more robust internal backbone, Park Lawn is now poised to perform at a higher and more effective level than ever before." Key Results from the Three-Month Period Ended March 31, 2024For the three-month period ended March 31, 2024, revenue decreased by 11.9% to $76,393 over the comparable prior period, primarily as a result of the disposition of certain legacy assets completed in December offset by an increase in acquired operations. On a Comparable Operations basis, revenue decreased only 2.7% over the comparable prior period, principally as a result of the decrease in mortality and large group sales in our cemeteries. For the three-month period ended March 31, 2024, Net Earnings increased by 14.7% to $5,247 over the comparable prior period. However, Adjusted Net Earnings for the three-month period ended March 31, 2024, decreased by 12.2% to $7,565, over the comparable prior period, primarily as a result of the disposition of legacy assets completed in December and the increased cost of financing. For the three-month period ended March 31, 2024, Adjusted EBITDA decreased by 4.4 % to $19,646 over the comparable prior period, primarily as a result of the disposition of legacy assets completed in December offset by a marginal decrease in Comparable Operations primarily as a result of decreases in large group sales from the Company's cemetery operations. For the three-month period ended March 31, 2024, Adjusted EBITDA margin increased by 200 basis points to 25.7% over the comparable prior period, primarily as a result of the disposition of lower margin businesses and operating efficiencies in the Company's funeral operations. For the three-month period ended March 31, 2024, Adjusted Field EBITDA margin increased by 320 basis points, or 10%, to 35.4% over the comparable prior period. For the three-month period ended March 31, 2024, Fully Diluted Net Earnings per share increased by 13.1% to $0.149. However, Fully Diluted Adjusted Net Earnings per share for the three-month period ended March 31, 2024, decreased by 13.6% to $0.215 over the comparable prior period. On February 20, 2024, the Company continued to execute on its growth strategy through the completion of the acquisition of substantially all the assets of Crippin Funeral Home located in Montrose, Colorado; Gunnison Funeral Services located in Gunnison, Colorado; and Grand View Cemetery located in Montrose, Colorado (collectively "Crippin"). The Crippin business adds two stand-alone funeral homes and one stand-alone cemetery to Park Lawn's portfolio and is expected to add approximately 576 calls, 85 placements and $703 in Adjusted EBITDA, annually.1 1 Adjusted Net Earnings, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Adjusted Field EBITDA Margin and Adjusted Net Earnings per share diluted are a non-IFRS measure. Refer to the Non-IFRS Measures section of this news release for more information on this non-IFRS measure.Dividend Reinvestment PlanOn May 9, 2024, the Company's Board of Directors approved the listing of an additional 500 thousand common shares issuable pursuant to the Company's amended and restated dividend reinvestment plan. The increase is subject to approval from the TSX.Important ReminderThe Company will host a conference call to discuss its Q1 financial results on Friday, May 10, 2024. Details are as follows:Date: Friday, May 10, 2024Time: 9:30 a.m. ESTDial-in Number: Toll Free (888) 506-0062 | Conference ID: 637260To ensure your participation, please join approximately five minutes prior to the scheduled start of the conference call. The Company's complete financial results can be found at www.sedarplus.ca or on the Company's website at www.parklawncorp.com A replay of the conference call will be available until Friday, May 24, 2024 and can be accessed as follows: Dial-in Number: Toll Free (877) 481-4010 | Conference ID: 50541. Alternatively, the conference will also be available on the Company's website at www.parklawncorp.com About Park Lawn Corporation:PLC is the largest publicly traded Canadian-owned funeral, cremation and cemetery provider. PLC and its subsidiaries own and operate businesses including cemeteries, crematoria, funeral homes, chapels and event centers throughout Canada and the United States which provide a full range of services and merchandise to fulfill the desires of individuals and families seeking to honor their loved ones. Products and services can be customized to meet the personal needs of the consumer and are sold on a pre-planned basis (pre-need) or at the time of a death (at-need). PLC operates in three Canadian provinces and seventeen U.S. states. For more information about Park Lawn Corporation, please visit our website at www.parklawncorp.com NonIFRS MeasuresAdjusted Net Earnings, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and their related per share amounts, Adjusted EBITDA margin, Adjusted Field EBITDA, Adjusted Field EBITDA margin, Acquired Operations and Comparable Operations are not measures recognized under IFRS and do not have standardized meanings prescribed by IFRS. Such measures are presented in this news release because management of PLC believes that such measures are relevant in evaluating PLC's operating performance. Such measures, as computed by PLC, may differ from similar computations as reported PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 08:00:22 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 452 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 /Poolbeg Pharma (AIM:POLB)(OTCQB:POLBF), 'Poolbeg' or the 'Company'), a biopharmaceutical company focussed on the development and commercialisation of innovative medicines targeting diseases with a high unmet medical need, confirms that the Company's Annual Report and Accounts for the period ended 31 December 2023 and the notice of Annual General Meeting ("AGM") will be posted to shareholders today.The 2023 Annual Report and Accounts, the Notice of AGM and accompanying form of proxy are available to download from the Company's website: https://www.poolbegpharma.com/ The Annual General Meeting will be held at the offices of DAC Beachcroft LLP, 25 Walbrook, London EC4N 8AF, United Kingdom on 13 June 2024 at 2pm.EnquiriesPoolbeg Pharma PlcJeremy Skillington, CEOIan O'Connell, CFO+44 (0) 207 183 1499Cavendish Capital Markets Ltd (Nominated Adviser & Joint Broker)Geoff Nash, Charlie Beeson, Nigel Birks, Harriet Ward (ECM)+44 (0) 207 220 0500Shore Capital Stockbrokers Ltd (Joint Broker)David Coaten, Harry Davies-Ball (Corporate Advisory), Malachy McEntyre, Isobel Jones (Corporate Broking)+44 (0) 207 408 4090J&E Davy (Joint Broker)Anthony Farrell, Niall Gilchrist+353 (0) 1 679 6363Optimum Strategic CommunicationsNick Bastin, Vici Rabbetts, Elena Bates+44 (0) 208 078 4357poolbeg@ optimumcomms.com About Poolbeg PharmaPoolbeg Pharma plc is committed to the development and commercialisation of innovative medicines targeting diseases with a high unmet medical need, with a growing emphasis on rare and orphan diseases. Its model focusses upon developing its exciting clinical assets and commercialising approved and marketed drugs to support the growth of the Company and the development of its robust pipeline of innovative products, thereby driving significant value creation.Poolbeg is led by an experienced leadership team with a history of delivering significant shareholder value. The team has been strengthened by the appointment of three former members of the Amryt Pharma plc leadership team, with the intention of repeating Amryt's success and generating near term revenues.Poolbeg's clinical programmes target large addressable markets including cancer immunotherapy-induced CRS, infectious disease, and metabolic conditions such as obesity with the development of an oral GLP-1R agonist. It uses a cost-effective development philosophy to generate high quality human data to support partnering and further development. Its AI-led infectious disease programmes analyse unique data from human challenge trials to identify clinically relevant drug targets and treatments, leading to faster development and greater commercial appeal.For more information, please go to www.poolbegpharma.com or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn @PoolbegPharma.This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@ lseg.com or visit www.rns.com SOURCE: Poolbeg Pharma PLC PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 14:03:57 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1067 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Xifaxan is the first and only FDA approved medication for the reduction in risk of OHE recurrence in adults Overt Hepatic Encephalopathy is caused by cirrhosis of the liver As complications from chronic liver disease increase, recognizing OHE is critical so that patients can work with their healthcare providers to find the right management plan for them LAVAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE:BHC)(TSX:BHC) and its gastroenterology business, Salix Pharmaceuticals, today announced award-winning actor, Bellamy Young, as the brand ambassador in a new campaign to raise awareness of Xifaxan, the first and only FDA approved medication to reduce the risk of overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE) recurrence in adults. Overt hepatic encephalopathy is a complication of cirrhosis that can happen when the liver cannot filter toxins from the blood, and the toxins build up and reach the brain. It is projected that as many as four out of five people with cirrhosis may eventually develop some form of HE."When I first started talking about OHE, the most common response I received from people was I wish I knew', a sentiment that echoed my experience when my father was diagnosed with OHE. We didn't know the symptoms of OHE could persist or that it could worsen over time. But when my dad had OHE we also didn't know as much as we do today, and we didn't have the same management options," said Bellamy Young, whose father suffered from OHE when she was in high school. "I want to help today's patients and caregivers to know more than my family did with my father, and I encourage them to talk to their health care providers about managing the risk of OHE recurrence. I hope people will go to Xifaxan.com to know more." To kick off the new Xifaxan marketing campaign, Bellamy is sharing her personal OHE story on www.Xifaxan.com/ohe/ and is in a multi-channel advertising campaign that will be seen across digital mediums, including a 60-second TV spot. Bellamy will also be engaging with HCPs, caregivers, and patients to exchange learnings about OHE by chronicling these experiences and sharing insights on her social media handles throughout the year to support others in knowing more about OHE so they can make informed decisions about disease management. As an ambassador, she will be encouraging caregivers to take an active role as a health advocate for their loved ones."With patients at the center of all we do, Salix is committed to driving increased conversation and education about OHE to support patients, caregivers, and Healthcare Professionals in finding the right options," said Nicola Kayel, Senior Vice President, GI Marketing, Salix.About Overt Hepatic Encephalopathy: Overt Hepatic encephalopathy (OHE) is a complication of cirrhosis, a chronic liver disease, which can have various causes. One of the important functions of the liver is to clean the blood. When the liver is damaged, it can no longer properly clean toxins (like ammonia) from the blood. This buildup of toxins can reach the brain, potentially causing OHE and worsening brain function. Symptoms of OHE can be both physical and mental. Medications and appropriate lifestyle management, with the help of a doctor, may help manage the disease.Symptoms of Overt Hepatic Encephalopathy may include:Mental:Lack of energy or interest Confusion Not knowing where you are or where you're going Inappropriate behavior Severe personality changesPhysical:Sleepiness or change in sleep patterns Worsening of handwriting Loss of small hand movements Tremors or shaking of hands or arms Breath with a musty or sweet odor ABOUT XIFAXANINDICATIONXIFAXAN (rifaximin) 550 mg tablets are indicated for the reduction in risk of overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE) recurrence in adults.IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATIONXIFAXAN is not for everyone. Do not take XIFAXAN if you have a known hypersensitivity to rifaximin, any of the rifamycin antimicrobial agents, or any of the components in XIFAXAN. If you take antibiotics, like XIFAXAN, there is a chance you could experience diarrhea caused by an overgrowth of bacteria (C. difficile). This can cause symptoms ranging in severity from mild diarrhea to life-threatening colitis. Contact your healthcare provider if your diarrhea does not improve or worsens. Talk to your healthcare provider before taking XIFAXAN if you have severe hepatic (liver) impairment, as this may cause increased effects of the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking drugs called P-glycoprotein and/or OATPs inhibitors (such as cyclosporine) because using these drugs with XIFAXAN may lead to an increase in the amount of XIFAXAN absorbed by your body. In clinical studies, the most common side effects for XIFAXAN were: HE: Peripheral edema (swelling, usually in the ankles or lower limbs), constipation, nausea (feeling sick to your stomach), fatigue (feeling tired), insomnia (trouble sleeping), ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdomen), dizziness, urinary tract infection, anemia (low red blood cell levels), and itching XIFAXAN may affect warfarin activity when taken together. Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking warfarin because the dose of warfarin may need to be adjusted to maintain proper blood-thinning effect. If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or nursing, talk to your healthcare provider before taking XIFAXAN because XIFAXAN may cause harm to an unborn baby or nursing infant.You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch/or call 1-800-FDA-1088.For product information, adverse event reports, and product complaint reports, please contact:Salix Product Information Call CenterPhone: 1-800-321-4576Fax: 1-510-595-8183Please click here for full Prescribing Information.About SalixSalix Pharmaceuticals is one of the largest specialty pharmaceutical companies in the world committed to the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. For more than 30 years, Salix has licensed, developed, and marketed innovative products to improve patients' lives and provide health care providers with life-changing solutions for many chronic and debilitating conditions. Salix currently markets its product line to U.S. health care providers through an expanded sales force that focuses on gastroenterology, hepatology, pain specialists, and primary care. Salix is headquartered in Bridgewater, New Jersey. For more information about Salix, visit www.Salix.com and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.About Bausch HealthBausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE: BHC) (TSX: BHC) is a global diversified pharmaceutical company enriching lives through our relentless drive to deliver better health o PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 01:42:11 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 300 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 8, 2024 / Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of PowerSchool Holdings, Inc. ("PowerSchool" or the "Company") (NYSE:PWSC). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at newaction@ pomlaw.com or 646-581-9980, ext. 7980.The investigation concerns whether PowerSchool and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.[Click here for information about joining the class action]On April 17, 2024, Spruce Point Capital Management ("Spruce Point") released a report on PowerSchool. Citing a "forensic review of [PowerSchool], one of the largest K-12 software providers in North America," the Spruce Point report expressed "concerns over the Company's aggressive accounting practices, unsustainable growth expectations, and sales of a product that may potentially be violating several states' child privacy laws." The Spruce Point report further alleged that "[PowerSchool's] Board may be conflicted and as a result, may not be serving all shareholders equally." On this news, PowerSchool's stock price fell $1.94 per share, or 9.83%, to close at $17.79 per share on April 17, 2024.Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 20:50:08 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 520 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 ESTES PARK, CO / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Taranis Resources Inc. ("Taranis" or the "Company") ( TSX.V:TRO)(OTCQB:TNREF) is pleased to announce the exercise of additional warrants that will aid the Company in its continued efforts to explore the Thor project. The Company is also progressing with a financing that will allow it to undertake deep drilling on the project this summer.Exercise of WarrantsTaranis has recently received a further $250,000 from the exercise of 1,250,000 share purchase warrants at a price of $0.20 per share. These 1,250,000 shares will be issued shortly.Modernization of Exploration Databases at Thor for Use with Artificial IntelligenceTaranis has compiled a substantial amount of exploration data at Thor, and the Company is undertaking a modernization of its existing digital databases that will enable it to analyze this data using artificial intelligence and machine learning. This will allow the Company to recognize patterns and predictive modeling that are currently not available to it. Virtually all of this data at Thor is related to the epithermal deposit which has its own stand alone NI 43-101 Mineral Resource.As the Company transitions to deeper exploration at Thor, it is imperative that Taranis is able to capitalize on the full value of the exploration data and make factual, informed decisions about the large targets that exist below the epithermal deposit. The ability to use artificial intelligence and machine learning are becoming crucial to exploration projects, and supplement geologist's professional assessments. It is imperative that Taranis utilize these technologies as deep exploration becomes increasingly expensive.About TaranisTaranis Resources Inc. is a well-positioned exploration company that is exploring and developing its 100%-owned Thor precious-base metal project in British Columbia. Taranis has drilled over 250 drill holes on the project, defining a near-surface epithermal deposit that is over 2 km long. The Company refers to the epithermal trend as the "Trunk," invoking the anatomy of an elephant to portray the connection of the epithermal deposit to the underlying Jumbo and Horton intrusive targets.Qualified PersonsExploration activities at Thor were overseen by John Gardiner (P. Geo.), who is a Qualified Person under the meaning of Canadian National Instrument 43-101. John Gardiner, P.Geo. is a principal of John J. Gardiner & Associates, LLC, which operates in British Columbia under Firm Permit Number 1002256.For additional information on Taranis or its 100%-owned Thor project in British Columbia, visit www.taranisresources.com Taranis currently has 94,587,027 shares issued and outstanding (109,262,027 shares on a fully-diluted basis).TARANIS RESOURCES INC.Per: John J. Gardiner (P. Geo.),President and CEOFor further information contact:John J. Gardiner681 Conifer LaneEstes Park, Colorado 80517Phone: (720) 209-3049 johnjgardiner@ earthlink.net NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.This News Release may contain forward looking statements based on assumptions and judgments of management regarding future events or results that may prove to be inaccurate as a result of factors beyond its control, and actual results may differ materially from expected results.SOURCE: Taranis Resources, Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-10 00:55:07 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 709 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 The Olson Company and Rose Institute's 2nd Annual Housing Policy Symposium at Claremont McKenna College brings together policymakers, community leaders, and stakeholders to tackle California's housing crisis. With insights from state representatives and innovative local initiatives, the event emphasizes collaboration, urgency, and innovative solutions to address the pressing challenges of affordability and housing production.SEAL BEACH, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / The Olson Company, a leading residential developer committed to addressing California's housing crisis, successfully hosted its 2nd Annual Housing Policy Symposium at Claremont McKenna College on Friday, April 26th. The symposium, co-hosted by Claremont McKenna's Rose Institute of State and Local Government and former California Governor Gray Davis, brought together key stakeholders, policymakers, and community leaders to discuss innovative solutions to the state's pressing housing challenges.Panel at 2nd Annual Housing Policy Symposium Panel discussion at the 2nd Annual Housing Policy Symposium hosted by The Olson Company and the Rose InstituteThe event commenced with opening remarks from Governor Gray Davis, the 37th governor of California, and L.A. County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, renowned for her tireless work on housing issues at both the state and local levels. Governor Davis highlighted the critical need to address housing shortages, praising individuals like Scott Laurie and Steve Olson for their dedication to the housing sector. Supervisor Mitchell's impassioned speech underscored the dire need for solutions that address the diverse housing needs of Angelenos, drawing from her personal experiences to emphasize the profound impact of housing decisions on individuals and communities. She states, "The projections suggest that the need across L.A. County is 800,000 housing units across all income levels. I hope you all will be mindful of your own stories as we lock arms to figure out how we close this huge delta around housing availability for Angelenos across our region." Insights from the Rose Institute Long Beach Study, conducted in collaboration with The Olson Company, provided valuable data and analysis on Long Beach's housing landscape. The comprehensive study delved into the efficacy of recent state laws to address housing affordability and production, offering vital insights into the challenges and opportunities facing local communities. Key findings highlighted successes and challenges associated with housing legislation categories such as accessory dwelling units (ADUs), permit streamlining laws, and the density bonus, shedding light on their impact on housing production and affordability in the City of Long Beach.Secretary of California's Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Tomiquia Moss emphasized, "Affordability is the greatest crisis facing California. ... At the core of affordability is the lack of supply." Panel discussions featured representatives from various Southern California cities, sharing insights into innovative approaches to increasing affordable housing stock and addressing regulatory barriers to housing production. Participants highlighted successful community partnerships and innovative approaches to streamlining the housing development process.The conversation underscored the urgency of addressing California's housing shortage and the need for proactive measures to increase housing production. Despite challenges, there was optimism about the state's ability to meet this housing challenge, driven by changes in policy and political leaders' commitment to prioritize housing issues.An engaging panel with state representatives delved into progress in addressing homelessness and housing affordability in California. Assemblymembers Sharon Quirk-Silva and Buffy Wicks discussed challenges and solutions from a legislative perspective, stressing the importance of creating uniformity around permitting and streamlining processes to remove barriers to housing production. They also mentioned the need for ongoing funding for affordable housing and the impact of recent legislative measures, such as SB 9, which allows for the construction of duplexes and subdivision of residential lots for housing.Jason Elliot, Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Newsom, expressed positivity about finding solutions, stating, "I think all the ingredients are now in the pot, and our job is to stir. ... I am really optimistic." In conclusion, the symposium highlighted the multifaceted nature of California's housing challenges and underscored the importance of collaboration, innovation, and community engagement in finding sustainable solutions. Scott Laurie, President and CEO of The Olson Company, emphasized the pressing need for action and collaboration in addressing California's housing crisis, advocating for increased housing development to enhance affordability.Contact InformationDawn ExlineSr. Executive Assistantdexline@ theolsonco.com 562-370-2242SOURCE: The Olson CompanyView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 20:15:20 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 653 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / CoviaAt Covia, we believe that thriving communities can help change the world. That's why The Covia Foundation, Covia's philanthropic arm, has been investing in social impact for decades. We have worked with our partners and communities across the world to make a difference through time, talent, and financial support. This year, Covia employees have already donated hundreds of hours in the communities where we live and work. Below are a few ways our employees are making a difference. To learn more about The Covia Foundation, please visit https://www.coviacorp.com/esg/positive-social-impact/the-covia-foundation/ Huntersville, North Carolina OfficeBags of HopeCovia Team Members recently showed their support for Bags of Hope by assembling more than 140 bags of food for children in the local community. Bags of Hope is an organization that aims to provide weekend food supplies to school children in the Lake Norman, North Carolina, area who face food insecurity. Currently, they support over 700 kids in the region every weekend. These bags consist of nutritious breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, and beverage items.Roff, Oklahoma PlantRoff Food PantryAs part of the Roff Plant's commitment to its local community, Steve Burrows, Maintenance Lead Man, proposed establishing a community food pantry. The City of Roff approved the project, and the maintenance team, including Steve, James Gregory, and Adom Black, began designing the pantry. After the design was approved by the city and location was determined, the Roff maintenance team took the lead once again and built the pantry at Veteran's Park. Once completed, the local community quickly filled the shelves. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the community and our plant team, this invaluable resource became accessible to those in need.Troy Grove, Illinois PlantCamp TuckabatcheeCovia's Troy Grove, Illinois, plant volunteered at Camp Tuckabatchee, a youth camp that provides a safe environment where campers have the opportunity to develop an understanding and appreciation of nature. Team members removed and replaced shutters, removed hardware from sleeping cabins, helped dig out and rebuild fire pits around the camp, and helped clean up leaves and sticks.Portage, Wisconsin PlantWisconsin Department of Transportation Adopt-A-Highway ProgramCovia's Portage plant actively participates in the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's Adopt-A-Highway program. Covia employees, along with their extended family members, were given the opportunity to clean up the area along highway 51. In this year's cleanup, they managed to collect a total of 18 trash bags filled with trash and debris. Additionally, they safely disposed of larger items like tires, pallets, hub caps, and wood pieces. The volunteers witnessed firsthand the impact of littering, but they also experienced the satisfaction of making a positive change by cleaning up their local area.The Woodlands, Texas OfficeKids' MealsIn collaboration with the Power of HalliburtonTM, Covia's office in The Woodlands, Texas, spent time at Kids' Meals assembling more than 500 sandwiches for preschool children in Montgomery County, Texas. Kids' Meals' mission is to end childhood hunger in Houston by delivering free healthy meals, year-round, to the doorsteps of Houston's hungriest preschool-aged children and, through collaboration, provide their families with resources to end the cycle of poverty.Ottawa, Illinois OfficeShepherd Middle SchoolThe total solar eclipse was an extraordinary and significant event, serving as an educational experience for many schools in the United States. Tony Michels, Accounting Manager at Covia, went out of his way to support Shepherd Middle School by securing funds from The Covia Foundation and volunteering his time. Thanks to Covia's support in offsetting the cost of eclipse glasses and Tony's dedication, the students were able to safely experience this rare natural phenomenon. Tony later stated, "it was truly gratifying to witness the joy and excitement of the students during this momentous occasion." View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Covia on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info: Spokesperson: CoviaWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/covia Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Covia PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-10 00:30:22 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1047 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Provides Update on Pilar Drill ProgramCALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Tocvan Ventures Corp. (the "Company") (CSE:TOC)(OTCQB:TCVNF) (WKN: TV3/A2PE64), is pleased to announce that it has closed a final tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement of Units ("Units"), for gross proceeds of $420,560 (the "Offering"). The Offering consisted of the issuance of an aggregate of 1,201,600 Units at a price of $0.35 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one common share ("Common Share") in the capital of the Company and one common share purchase warrant ("Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to acquire one additional Common Share in the capital of the Company at a price of $0.50 for a period of 36 months from the closing of the Offering. The combined Offerings resulted in gross proceeds of $2,520,390.Update on Pilar Drill ProgramA Reverse Circulation (RC) drill program is ongoing at the Company's majority owned Pilar Project in Sonora, Mexico. Since early April, a total of 1,825.4 meters have been drilled across 15 drill holes on the Project to conduct infill and step-out drilling. All samples for the first 15 drill holes are at the lab for assay. First results from the program are expected to be available soon. The Company is pleased with the efficiency of the program and encouraged by target horizons intersected.Notes on the OfferingIn connection with the Offering, the Company paid aggregate cash commissions to arm's length finders who assisted with the Offering of approximately $11,641 and issued 33,260 finders' warrants ("Finders' Warrants"). Each Finder's Warrant is exercisable at a price of $0.35 per Common Share for a period of 36 months from the closing of the Offering.The company currently has 51,211,519 Common Shares outstanding.The Company relied on the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions in connection with the distribution of 111,900 free trading common shares under the Offering for proceeds $39,165. The balance of the Units under the Offering, being 1,089,700 for gross proceeds of $381,395 are subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities legislation in Canada. The Amended and Restated Offering Document dated April 19, 2024, related to a portion of the Offering is available under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedarplus.ca and at www.tocvan.com Use of ProceedsThe proceeds of the raise will go towards the advancement of the Pilar and Picacho Au-Ag projects in Sonora, Mexico.About Tocvan Ventures Corp.Tocvan is a well-structured exploration and development company. Tocvan was created in order to take advantage of the prolonged downturn in the junior mining exploration sector, by identifying and negotiating interest in opportunities where management feels they can build upon previous success. Tocvan has approximately 51 million shares outstanding and is earning into two exciting opportunities in Sonora, Mexico. The Company has consolidated an attractive land position at its Pilar Gold-Silver Project where it holds 100% interests in over 21 square kilometers of prospective area and a majority ownership (51%) in a one square kilometer area shared with Colibri Resources. The Company also holds 100% interest in the Picacho Gold-Silver project in the Caborca Trend of northern Sonora, a trend host to some of the major gold deposits of the region. Management feels both projects represent tremendous opportunity to create shareholder value.Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking StatementsNeither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.This news release contains "forward-looking information" which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements regarding the use of proceeds from the Offering. Such forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words and phrases such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved.These forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding the direction of our business. Management believes that these assumptions are reasonable. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, risks related to the speculative nature of the Company's business, the Company's formative stage of development and the Company's financial position. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.For more information, please contact:TOCVAN VENTURES CORP.Brodie A. Sutherland, CEO 820-1130 West Pender St.Vancouver , BC V6E 4A4Telephone: 1 888 772 2452Email: ir@ tocvan.ca The Howard GroupJeff Walker VP Howard Group Inc.403-221-0915 jeff@ howardgroupinc.com This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and appli PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 23:20:33 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 681 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 HighlightsTwo leases have been granted near the Sky Project, providing an additional 5.2km2 in the highly prospective region. Sky Property is adjacent to one of Uranium Energy Corp (NYSE: UEC) Wyoming Projects (see Figure 4), with proximity to licensed, operating processing plants using both conventional an in-situ recovery. WOODLAND HILLS, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / TONOGOLD Resources Inc (OTC PINK:TNGL) ("TONOGOLD" or the Company") advises its merger partner, JAG Minerals USA, Inc., has already began adding to the portfolio, with two new Wyoming State leases recently granted, adding 5.2km 2 to the Sky Project.Figure 1: Project and Process Mill locationSKY ProjectThe property is in Fremont Country, Wyoming 34 miles South-East to the West of the historic Gas Hills Uranium District (Figure 2).JAG Minerals USA Inc. has added two Wyoming State leases to the existing 57 unpatented mining claims.The projects are located within 50mi of UR Energy's Lost Creek, and Kennecott's Sweet Water to the south, and ~100mi west of the Powder River Basin, host to numerous large Uranium operations. The Sky property is also directly adjacent one of Uranium Energy Corp (NYSE: UEC) Wyoming Projects (see Figure 4).Figure 2: Sky location Map.The greater Sky Property was extensively drilled during the late 1960s through to the early 1980s. A total of 161 RC holes in two drill campaigns totaling ~129,000ft which defined the exploration trend at an average drill spacing of 200ft.A historic resource estimate was first generated by Pathfinder Mines in 1980, totalling 350,000 tons @ 0.117% eU 3 O 8, for a total of 822,000 pounds U 3 O 8 (Cut-offs - 0.03%e U 3 O 8 - 3ft thickness).This resource was then updated in 2007 by Strathmore Minerals Corporation1 , reporting over 1M lbs as shown in Table 1.Table 1: 2007 Strathmore 43-101 Mineral Resource.ResourceTonnes% eU 3 O 8Total lbsCutoffInferred55,0860.0554,4960.03% eU 3 O 8, 3ft ThickIndicated668,6880.07948,0980.03% eU 3 O 8, 3ft ThickFigure 3: Sky historical RC drilling and Ore outline.Strathmore's 2007 Resource is currently being reviewed with validation work underway by Qualified Person Andrew Hawker from HGS Australia.The Sky property lies at the southern margin of the Wind River Basin, which is surrounded by mountains formed during uplift in the early Paleocene.Uranium mineralization is hosted in the shallow dipping Wind River Formation (known in the Gas Hills district as the Puddle Springs Arkose Member), which is a fluvial deposit consisting of sandstones with lesser amounts of clays, siltstones, and carbonaceous shales.Similar geology is hosted throughout the two new leases to the northeast and northwest, see Figure 4.Figure 4: New Sky Leases.Mineralization is a typical Wyoming roll-front deposit and occurs within two 10-20ft thick sand units which are overlain, separated by, and underlain by clay lenses that vary in thickness from 10-15ft.Formed when oxygen-rich groundwater migrates through granitic-rich host sediments dissolving the uranium from matrix into solution and redepositing it where it meets unoxidized groundwater.Figure 5: Sky Project Stratigraphy.Future PlanThe Company is currently planning to complete diamond drilling and gamma logging of 15-20 holes, with accompanying geochemical analysis to adequately define disequilibrium across the deposit and test extensions. This will enable an updated NI43-101 Technical Report.TONOGOLD CEO William Hunter stated: "During the 2023 geological field season JAG Minerals USA, Inc. was active in expanding it's Uranium and Vanadium claims in Wyoming, Utah and Colorado. Specifically focused on claims that have detailed historic Uranium data and / or published resources open for potential expansion. Further, the areas need access to mills to process the mined Uranium products. This development is very positive to the combined Company and the proposed Transaction between Tonogold and JAG Minerals as announced on April 11, 2024 remains unchanged. "Qualified personsMr Andrew Hawker, BSc. Geol, MAIG, is a member of the Australasian Institute Geoscientists, is a consultant to the JAG Minerals USA, Inc. and is a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101. Mr Hawker is in charge of exploration programs and has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release.EnquiriesFor further information, please contact:William HunterInterim CEO Tonogold Resources IncM: +1 203 856 7285E: bhunter@ tonogold.com 1 Strathmore Minerals Corp, 9 th February, 2007SOURCE: Tonogold Resources, Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 13:02:20 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1032 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 /Treasury Metals Inc. (TSX:TML)(OTCQX:TSRMF) ("Treasury" or "TML") and Blackwolf Copper and Gold Ltd. (TSXV:BWCG)(OTCQB:BWCGF) ("Blackwolf"or "BWCG") are pleased to announce that, further to the press release on May 2, 2024, which announced the combination of the two companies, that the Concurrent Financing of TML has been upsized from $4 million to up to $6.4 million. Frank Giustra will be the lead order, subscribing for $2 million.Jeremy Wyeth, President and CEO of Treasury Metals, commented, "With continued support from large shareholders to execute upon our pending exploration plan, we are confident in the potential to make additional discoveries to augment the mine plan. The Concurrent Financing will provide us with 18 months of continued exploration activity. We believe we are in a good position to drive strategic growth moving through this transaction with BWCG into the summer and beyond." Concurrent FinancingIn connection with the transaction with BWCG announced on May 2, 2024, Treasury proposes to complete a non-brokered private placement consisting of up to approximately 27.7 million flow-through units ("FT Units") in the capital of Treasury at a price of $0.23 per FT Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of up to approximately $6.4 million (the "Concurrent Financing"). Each FT Unit will consist of one common share that will be issued as "flow-through shares" within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (an "FT Share") and one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant") of Treasury. Each Warrant will be exercisable at a price of $0.35 for a period of 36 months following the closing of the Concurrent Financing. Frank Giustra will subscribe for $2 million of the Concurrent Financing and is expected to be a significant shareholder post closing of the Transaction (as defined in the press release dated May 2, 2024).It is expected that the gross proceeds from the sale of the FT Shares will be used by the Company to incur eligible "Canadian exploration expenses" that will qualify as "flow-through mining expenditures" (as such terms are defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada)) and "eligible Ontario exploration expenditures" as defined in subsection 103(4) of the Taxation Act, 2007 (Ontario) (the "Qualifying Expenditures") related to Treasury's Ontario mineral projects. All Qualifying Expenditures will be renounced in favour of the subscribers of the FT Shares effective no later than December 31, 2024.The Concurrent Financing is being conducted in all of the provinces and territories of Canada pursuant to applicable prospectus exemptions. Completion of the Concurrent Financing is subject to obtaining the required TSX approvals (including the approval of shareholders) and satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The FT Shares and Warrants to be issued in connection with the Concurrent Financing, will be subject to a statutory four-month and one day hold period from the closing date.The securities to be offered in the Concurrent Financing have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.First Mining Gold DispositionOn May 7, 2024, First Mining Gold ("First Mining", TSX:FF,OTCQX:FFMGF) filed an early warning report, announcing that on May 6, 2024, it disposed of 4,539,000 shares of TML. Prior to the sale, First Mining held beneficial ownership of, or control and direction over, an aggregate of 20,000,311 common shares of Treasury, representing 10.69% of the issued and outstanding shares on a non-diluted basis. Following the sale of shares, First Mining held beneficial ownership of, or control and direction over, an aggregate of 15,461,311 common shares of Treasury, representing 8.26% of the issued and outstanding shares on a non-diluted basis. Following the sale, First Mining is no longer a reporting insider of Treasury, as such term is defined under applicable securities laws. Treasury understands that the shares were placed with various institutional and high net worth investors.About Treasury Metals Inc.Treasury Metals Inc. is a gold-focused company with assets in Canada. Treasury's Goliath Gold Complex (which includes the Goliath, Goldlund and Miller deposits) is located in Northwestern Ontario. The deposits benefit substantially from excellent access to the Trans-Canada Highway, related power and rail infrastructure and close proximity to several communities including Dryden, Ontario. For information on the Goliath Gold Complex, please refer to the technical report, prepared in accordance with NI 43-101, entitled "Goliath Gold Complex - NI 43-101 Technical Report and Prefeasibility Study" and dated March 27, 2023 with an effective date of February 22, 2023, led by independent consultants Ausenco Engineering Canada Inc. The technical report is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca , on the OTCQX at www.otcmarkets.com and on the Company website at www.treasurymetals.com The Company also owns several other projects throughout Canada, including the Weebigee-Sandy Lake Gold Project JV, and grassroots gold exploration property Gold Rock. Treasury is committed to inclusive, informed and meaningful dialogue with regional communities and Indigenous Nations throughout the life of all our Projects and on all aspects, including creating sustainable economic opportunities, providing safe workplaces, enhancing of social value, and promoting community well-being. For further details about Treasury, please visit the Company's website at www.treasurymetals.com About Blackwolf Copper and Gold Ltd.Blackwolf's founding vision is to be an industry leader in transparency, inclusion, and innovation. Guided by our Vision and through collaboration with local and Indigenous communities and stakeholders, Blackwolf builds shareholder value through our technical expertise in mineral exploration, engineering and permitting. The Company holds a 100% interest in the high-grade Niblack copper-gold-zinc-silver VMS project, located adjacent to tidewater in southeast Alaska. In addition, the Company holds a 100% interest in five Hyder Area gold-silver and base metal properties in southea PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 15:31:00 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 803 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Fund supports nonprofits like Lead for America, which aims to boost digital connectivity in rural and disconnected areasNORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / U.S. BankOpportunity Fund grant recipient Lead for America works to help rural communities bridge the digital divide through its American Connection Corps (pictured here at its orientation in Wichita, Kansas).Originally published on U.S. Bank company blogThe U.S. Bank Foundation recently distributed $15 million in grants from theU.S. Bank Foundation Opportunity Fund * to increase wealth-building opportunities for low- to moderate-income (LMI) communities, including rural and Native American communities and communities of color.In the first round of funding, the grants include more than $6.5 million to nonprofit organizations providing small business support, $4 million to organizations focused on affordable housing, nearly $3.5 million to organizations working to increase the availability of and access to homeownership, and $1 million to organizations aiming to increase digital access and enhance economic development in rural and Native American communities. Many of these nonprofits also will receive support in future rounds of funding."By working with nonprofits that have deep roots in local communities, the U.S. Bank Foundation Opportunity Fund supports stable housing options, helps new businesses flourish and communities thrive," said Reba Dominski, chief social responsibility officer at U.S. Bank and president of the U.S. Bank Foundation.Lead for America (LFA), with a goal to help increase civic leadership capacity and access to digital technology in rural and digitally disconnected communities, is an example of the kind of support the Opportunity Fund strives to provide, recognizing that connected and skilled communities can better leverage opportunities for growth and innovation. The grant will support LFA's flagship program, theAmerican Connection Corps(ACC), which recruits and trains civic-minded individuals to spend a year in their hometown communities addressing connectivity-related challenges.Corps members are embedded within local nonprofits or government agencies in more than 70 communities across 27 states and work hand in hand with each community to help provide the capacity and resources to meet local needs."The digital divide is multidimensional and nuanced. It's about more than just gaining access to broadband -it's also about how you're able to translate connectivity into real prosperity for your community," said ACC Executive Director Taylor Stuckert. "This requires new leadership in a number of sectors - economic development, health, education, agriculture, natural resources, and more - to be both civically capable and digitally fluent, and ACC brings that possibility to life." "By working with nonprofits that have deep roots in local communities, the U.S. Bank Foundation Opportunity Fund supports stable housing options, helps new businesses flourish and communities thrive." - Reba Dominski, chief social responsibility officer at U.S. Bank and president of the U.S. Bank FoundationACC members' work has ranged from supporting grants to secure funds to build the community's broadband infrastructure, to getting households enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program, to offering digital literacy programs, to helping local businesses become more digitally inclusive. In the past year, ACC members have helped communities advance agricultural tourism and improve agricultural practices through technology, implemented a digital storytelling program that connects rural residents with their neighbors, and coordinated outreach activities that promote data-driven tree conservation, among other activities.The Opportunity Fund grant allows ACC to maintain and support their corps members, who often are recent college graduates, retirees and students taking a gap year between high school and college. ACC heavily invests in living allowances, benefits and training - beyond the resources it receives from AmeriCorps, with which ACC is affiliated - to successfully recruit and retain a cohort that's committed to serving the communities that members call home."There are a number of barriers to growing national service, and the help of partners like the U.S. Bank Foundation is absolutely critical to helping us break those barriers down," said Eric Kotin, LFA's director of strategic initiatives. "Our ability to build a pipeline of homegrown, locally rooted leadership that is representative of the communities we serve is directly correlated to the support of partners like the foundation." The U.S. Bank Foundation Opportunity Fund is a five-year, $75 million financial commitment the foundation launched in 2023. It builds upon the foundation's signatureCommunity Possiblegrant program, which continues to provide funds to nonprofits, as well as the legacy of U.S. Bank Foundation programs such as the Market Impact Fund and Rebuild and Transform Fund.*The Opportunity Fund represents a financial commitment of the U.S. Bank Foundation; it is not a traditional equity fund, nor does it represent a form of ownership.View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from U.S. Bank on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info: Spokesperson: U.S. BankWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/us-bank Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: U.S. Bank PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 08:00:31 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 969 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 First Quarter 2024 ResultsSINGAPORE, SINGAPORE / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Valeura Energy Inc. (TSX:VLE)(OTCQX:VLERF) ("Valeura" or the "Company"), the upstream oil and gas company with assets in the Gulf of Thailand and the Thrace Basin of Turkiye, reports its unaudited financial and operating results for the three month period ended March 31, 2024.The complete quarterly reporting package for the Company, including the unaudited financial statements and associated management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A"), are being filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and posted to the Company's website at www.valeuraenergy.com Q1 2024 Highlights Oil production of 21.9 mbbls/d(1), up 14% from the previous quarter; Oil sales of 1.8 million bbls, at an average realised price of US$84.6/bbl, generating revenue of US$149.4 million; Adjusted EBITDAX of US$89.0 million(2) and adjusted cashflow from operations of US$47.8 million(2); Cash and net cash balance as of March 31, 2024 of US$193.7 million(3), with no debt; and Adjusted net working capital surplus of US$141.9 million(2).Year to Date Achievements Five horizontal development wells successfully drilled on the Wassana field (block G10/48, 100% interest) resulting in Q1 2024 average oil production of 3,979 bbls/d, and 4,900 bbls/d for the first six days of May 2024; Three oil discoveries announced from one exploration well in the Nong Yao concession (block G11/48, 90% working interest) and two exploration wells north of Wassana field; Scheduled shutdowns for maintenance on the Manora and Jasmine field production facilities conducted safely and under planned time and budget; and Installed the Nong Yao C mobile offshore production unit ("MOPU") T7 Shirley on the Nong Yao field in preparation for development drilling.(1) Working interest share oil production, before royalties.(2) Non-IFRS financial measure or non-IFRS ratio - see "Non-IFRS Financial Measures and Ratios" section below.(3) Includes restricted cash of US$17.3 million.Sean Guest, President and CEO commented:"I am pleased to share details of our strong Q1 2024 performance, led by oil production of 21.9 mbbls/d, up 14% from Q4 2023. We expanded the scope of our Wassana field drilling programme, with output increasing to new highs more than 50% above our exit rate for 2023. All of our assets are fully in production and trending on plan, with operations progressing safely throughout the quarter.Our crude oil inventory position increased somewhat during the quarter. While that resulted in slightly less oil sales this quarter, it means the inventory was ultimately sold into the relatively higher price environment we saw early in Q2. We are continuing to see price realisations above of our guidance outlook, averaging US$1.6/bbl above the Brent benchmark.Our operational efficiency has been strong, with adjusted opex(1) at just over US$26/bbl. We continue to find new opportunities to optimise operations, including through our planned acquisition of the Nong Yao field's oil storage vessel, as announced during the quarter, which will provide more operational flexibility, and the potential to reduce costs further.It was also an exciting quarter from a growth standpoint. We mobilised our new MOPU to the Nong Yao field and are now working to commission the facility in preparation for development drilling on Nong Yao C. We are targeting a 50% increase in production rates from the field to 11,000 bbls/d, later this year. We also began exploration drilling during the quarter, which ultimately resulted in three oil discoveries. These successes further bolster our investment thesis, that these assets offer meaningful opportunities to push the fields' economic lives further into the future, expanding the time horizon for us to generate cash flow.Our business is highly cash generative, as demonstrated by our adjusted cash flow(1) of US$47.8 million in Q1, resulting in a quarter-end cash balance of US$194 million and adjusted net working capital(1) surplus of US$142 million. With our continually strengthening financial position, we are better prepared than ever to grow our business, adhering as always to our strict screening criteria to ensure value add for all stakeholders." (1) Non-IFRS financial measure or non-IFRS ratio - see "Non-IFRS Financial Measures and Ratios" section below.Q1 2024 Performance Summary TableThree Months EndingMarch 31, 2024 Oil Production(1) (bbls/d) 21,882Oil Volumes Sold('000 bbls) 1,765Realised Price(US$/bbl) 84.6Oil Revenues(US$ '000) 149,408Adjusted EBITDAX(2) (US$ '000) 88,721Adjusted cashflow from operations (2) (US$ '000) 47,855Adjusted opex(2) (US$ '000) 52,264Adjusted capex(2) (US$ '000) 29,257Net earnings/(loss)(US$ '000) 19,418Weighted average shares outstanding - basic('000 shares) 103,229As atMarch 31, 2024 Cash & Cash equivalent and Restricted cash(US$ '000) 193,683Debt(2) (US$ '000) NilNet Cash(2) (US$ '000) 193,683Adjusted Net Working Capital Surplus(2) (US$ '000) 141,877(1) Working interest share oil production, before royalties.(2) Non-IFRS financial measure or non-IFRS ratio - see "Non-IFRS Financial Measures and Ratios" section below.Financial UpdateThe Company's Q1 2024 financial performance was influenced by maintenance activity, well workovers, and drilling operations across the portfolio, and benefited from strong overall production and an ongoing price realisation premium to the Brent oil benchmark. All activity was planned and had been included in the Company's guidance outlook for the year 2024. Accordingly, Valeura's management re-iterates its full year 2024 guidance outlook on all metrics, unchanged.Oil production averaged 21.9 mbbls/d during Q1 2024 (Valeura's working interest share, before royalties), an increase of 14% over Q4 2023. Q1 2024 was the Company's first full quarter of production operations at the Wassana field, with its addition to the portfolio more than offsetting reduced rates from the other assets, which were affected by planned maintenance downtime. By quarter end, all fields were in operation with aggregate rates of approximately 23.0 mbbls/d, in line with management's plan.Oil sales totalled 1.8 million bbls, during Q1 2024, slightly below the 2.0 million bbls produced during the quarter due to the timing of liftings. At quarter end, the Company held crude oil inventory of 0.9 million bbls, a 31% increase over the end Q4 2023 inventory due to the timing of liftings. This inventory, contained in the Company's floating storage vessels, was subse PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-09 17:00:49 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 619 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Los Angeles-Based Nationwide Fintech Lender Supports VSEDC's Community-Driven South LA Commercial Real Estate PurchaseLOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 9, 2024 / Lendistry and the Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation (VSEDC) announce that VSEDC will become the sole owner of the Vermont-Slauson Shopping Center in South LA after securing a $22.2 million commercial real estate loan from Lendistry.Quentin Strode, President & CEO of Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation Located on the corner of Vermont and Slauson Avenues, the Center is home to essential businesses like Ross Dress for Less, Superior Grocers, and CVS Pharmacy. Alongside diverse local boutiques, these anchors provide crucial goods and services to the community.VSEDC's community-driven ownership prioritizes residents over profit-driven goals, strategically positioning the plaza to establish enhanced access and support. Exclusive governance ensures the plaza remains a hub of affordable and essential services - a primary endeavor from VSEDC to expand affordability and protect existing businesses from displacement and gentrification. Moreover, increased revenue will catalyze initiatives to boost South LA businesses and residents.Uniquely structured as a nonprofit organization and Community Development Financial Institution, VSEDC faces challenges securing real estate financing. Lendistry worked closely with VSEDC to address these challenges and developed a tailored loan solution together."Acquiring sole ownership is an investment in the future of the Vermont-Slauson Shopping Center and the community. Securing this loan from Lendistry enables us to bind the stability and resources needed to facilitate a business ecosystem that translates into jobs and vital services for our residents," says VSEDC President Quentin Strode."Lendistry and VSEDC are both mission-driven and laser-focused on bringing opportunity to underserved and undercapitalized communities. Supporting the businesses that support their neighborhoods is an important element of our values," says Everett K. Sands, CEO of Lendistry. "When an organization like VSEDC has a clear vision combined with a solid plan, all that's left is a financial partner who is willing to say yes and create a pathway to capital. I'm proud of my team who went the extra mile to make this loan work in a responsible way, and Lendistry is proud to be part of VSEDC's impact." About VSEDCVermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation (VSEDC) is a community-based nonprofit and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) recognized for decades of technical and entrepreneurial assistance to South LA small businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs. The service VSEDC provides serves to drive community self-sufficiency and facilitate business growth, access to affordable housing, goods and services, and job creation. VSEDC achieves this through youth education and entrepreneurial projects, CDFI programs, and fundraising efforts. Find out more about VSEDC on its homepage, Facebook, and Instagram.About LendistryB.S.D. Capital, Inc. dba Lendistry ( lendistry.com) is a minority-led fintech that provides innovative lending products and access to grant programs for small businesses nationwide. Headquartered in a Los Angeles Opportunity Zone, Lendistry uses technology and community partnerships to overcome systemic gaps that inhibit access to capital and empower its customers with responsible financing options. Based on its reputation for deploying funds efficiently and equitably, Lendistry's leadership is often called upon to share their expertise with both government and private organizations. Lendistry has both Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Community Development Entity (CDE) certifications and is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco. Lendistry SBLC, LLC is an SBA Preferred Lender and the nation's only African American-led SBA designated Small Business Lending Company. In collaboration with The Center by Lendistry, a nonprofit business education organization, Lendistry dedicates itself to providing economic opportunities and progressive growth for underserved urban and rural small business borrowers and their communities.Contact InformationKate KearnsCommunications managercommunications@ lendistry.com SOURCE: LendistryView the original press release on newswire.com On Wednesday, a Nigerian content maker who identifies as Young C embarked on a challenge to be buried alive in a coffin for 24 hours. The 26-year-old content creator made this known in a series of posts on his Instagram page on Wednesday, stating that the stunt was genuine and not a hoax. The Rivers State-based content creator has had several attempts to claim fame. Despite setbacks in his musical endeavours with tracks like Ekaette (2020), Money (2020), and This Year (2021), he refused to be confined by failure. Steering away from music, he ventured into the transportation industry, establishing Obere Eje Transportation Company in Oyigbo, Rivers State. However, it was his foray into content creation that truly seemed to make a lasting impression, as he is known for his outrageous challenges and stunts. From crashing a $100,000 bulletproof car to masquerading as a madman in Port Harcourt, his antics are always far from safe. 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 Yet, it was his latest venture that pushed the boundaries of risk-taking: being buried alive. Engaging his followers through a live video session from the grave, Young C embarked on what could be his most perilous stunt yet. He also promised live updates from his underground confinement. The Stunt Sharing a video on his Instagram account on Wednesday, he said, I am going to be spending the next 24 hours buried in this casket. Guys, this is real, not fake. And the most amazing part is that I am going to go live at night, he said. In the video, he descended into a grave-like pit, surrounded by a wooden coffin structure as sand piled up around him. After descending into the wooden coffin structure, and being covered, his associates then buried him. Meanwhile, two of his framed pictures were kept on both sides of the grave. Updates In a subsequent update, a few hours later, Young C posted another video on his Instagram where he revealed that he had been buried for over 8 hours and was experiencing physical discomfort, including excessive sweating. In the second video on Wednesday evening, he said in part, Guys, I have been buried alive for over 8 hours now. For those of you who saw my first video, I have been down here. As you can see, my camera is still rolling, and I have my light down there, I am sweating, guys. Inside the constructed casket-like structure were two bulbs at both ends, a pillow, and other essentials he might be needing, like his power bank, phones, food and water. He also brought a bottle for urinating. He lamented that the rechargeable electric fan he brought was not sufficient enough and he forgot to bring the charger alongside. While he reassured his followers that he would keep them posted in another video at 8 p.m. In another update, during his live video session on TikTok and Instagram with his followers, Young C complained of having a serious headache. In the last video posted on his Instagram page on Thursday morning, Young C complained that he had exhausted the four bottles of water he took to the grave. And while he had one more hour left, he said he would drink his urine, which was stored up in another container. However, as of press time, its been three hours since he posted his last video, with no update from him yet. Growing concerns In his comment section, concern grows as Young C fails to deliver promised updates as the clock ticked past 8 p.m on Wednesday with no sign of the promised update. While some fans expressed concern for his well-being, others are advocating for his arrest, and many others are encouraging him to continue till the end of his 24-hour challenge. This daring feat is a similar stunt by American YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson best known as MrBeast, who buried himself alive for 50 hours to highlight deforestation. Two years ago, MrBeast attempted to break his record by spending seven consecutive days buried in a coffin. His specially designed coffin was equipped with provisions for food, water, and cameras to monitor his condition. Despite facing physical and mental challenges, including back pain and emotional distress, MrBeast completed the seven-day challenge and was finally exhumed. He cautioned viewers against attempting similar stunts, emphasising the potential dangers involved. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nigerian journalists and members of some Civil Society Organisation (CSOs), on Thursday, assembled at the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters in Abuja to protest the continuous detention of a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), Daniel Ojukwu. The protesters arrived at the Force Headquarters along Shehu Shagari Way at around 9 a.m., chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards, demanding the unconditional release of Mr Ojukwu who has been in police detention for more than a week. Some of the inscriptions on the placards were Free Daniel Ojukwu, Journalism is not a crime, Protect Human Rights, Respect Freedom of Expression and Nigeria Police, Stop Impunity. The protesters were led by the Chairperson of FIJ Board of Trustees, Bukky Shonibare; Human Rights Activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, and Human Rights Lawyer, Deji Adeyanju. Police officers gathered to ensure that the protest was orderly and peaceful. Protesters present demands Speaking at the scene, Ms Shonibare, who read out a statement jointly signed by some CSOs and media organisations in Nigeria, said the protest was organised to demand the unconditional release of Mr Ojukwu, who was arrested and detained for carrying out his constitutional duties as a journalist. Ms Shonibare noted that Mr Ojukwus arrest was unlawful, unconstitutional, immoral and should not happen in any democratic society Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later She expressed concern about the escalating attacks on press freedom, which she said is shrinking the Nigerian civic space. Ms Shonibare emphasised the critical role of a free press and public participation in upholding democracy. The CSOs denounced the silencing of journalists and civic actors who hold power accountable, citing violations of constitutional provisions guaranteeing freedom of the press and freedom of expression. The mischievous interpretation and hyper-application of laws, especially the Cybercrimes Act of 2015 which has now been amended, and the abuse of power and public institutions are all draconian tactics deployed to further shrink Nigerias fragile civic space. These tactics have no place in a democracy, where accountability and transparency in governance are essential, part of the statement said. The CSOs accused state actors of mischievous interpretation and hyper-application of the Cybercrimes Act which has been described as the latest tool to gag the media. They threatened to sustain the protest until Mr Ojukwu is released. The statement was signed by Enough is Enough Nigeria; Nigeria Network of NGOs (NNNGO); Invictus Africa; Accountability Lab Nigeria; Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC); Global Rights; International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR); and Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID). Others are Dataphyte; Gatefield; BudgIT Foundation; WikkiTimes; Hope Behind Bars Africa; Partners West Africa; Media Rights Agenda; International Press Centre; TheCable; Premium Times; Digicivic Initiative; the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) and BONews Service, The Human Rights Journalism Network Nigeria (HRJN) and Kebetkache Women Development & Research Centre also endorsed the statement. Held despite meeting bail conditions Also speaking, Mr Sowore said the police have continued to detain Mr Ojukwu despite the journalist meeting his bail conditions. The former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) said he and other civil society leaders explored means of securing the journalists release, and that their meeting with senior police officers resulted in them presenting one surety. We presented the highest official of the NUJ in Abuja, and after verifying his property and place of work, they said they have now jacked the bail conditions to two directors who are civil servants with landed properties in Abuja, he said. It is an oxymoron for somebody to ask an investigative journalist to present corrupt people that he has been investigating. Our position is that he has not committed any crime. It was the position of his employer that we should present a surety, and as of now, we are yet to get any civil servants for his bail. The Deputy Director, Centre for Journalism, Innovation and Development (CJID), Busola Ajibola, also called on President Bola Tinubu to promptly order Mr Ojukwus release as proof of his administrations respect for democracy and the rule of law. If you think the journalist has erred on the side of ethics, the right thing to do is to charge them in court, not abduct or detain them for days. It is very important for the (President) Bola Tinubu administration to respond to this issue because one of the fundamental anchors of democracy is a free press, she said. Police Address protesters Responding to the protesters demands, the Commissioner of Police in charge of Federal Cooperation, Vungmoh Kwaimo, said legal action would be taken to ensure justice is served both the petitioners and the detained journalist. He said: We have heard all your demands, this will be communicated to the appropriate authority, and I can assure you that our Inspector-General of Police will definitely take steps to ensure the liberation of Daniel Ojukwu or if it means charging him accordingly, Mr Kwaimo said. The police officer, who arrived at the scene of the protest at about 10 a.m., urged the demonstrators to disperse so their protest is not hijacked by hoodlums. The protesters rebuffed him. At 10:31 a.m., the FCT Commissioner of Police, Ben Igweh, arrived and spoke to journalists. He said as the commissioner in charge of the Federal Capital he would speak with the police authorities and ensure justice is served. Every Nigerian including the journalist is entitled to his rights and privileges, Mr Igweh said. I am the commissioner of the FCT. Every other office including (that of) the IGs are under me, so I can assure you that I will go there from here, he said. Shortly after the commissioners speech, Ms Shonibare enjoined protesters to retreat from the police headquarters siince the Force had promised to look into their grievances. The Police said they have heard us and they will meet with the appropriate authorities to ensure his release, let us all go to our different places, she pleaded. Following her plea, the protesters left the venue at about 10.45 a.m. Background Mr Ojukwu, the FIJ journalist, had gone missing last week Wednesday with his telephone number switched off and his whereabouts unknown to family, friends and colleagues. He was later tracked to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, in Lagos, where he was held incommunicado and detained for days. However, last Sunday, the police moved the journalist to the Nigerian Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) in Abuja, where he is currently being held. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A team from the Nigerian Army Headquarters, Department of Army Administration, on Wednesday, visited the 301 Artillery Regiment (GS) in Gombe, Gombe State, to assess the state of barracks infrastructure in the state. This is contained in a press statement issued in Gombe by Mazinho Attah, a captain and Acting Assistant Director Army Public Relations, 301 Artillery Regiment (General Support). Mr Attah said that the Acting Deputy Chief of Administration (Army) Veterans Affairs Department (VAD), Umaru Alkali, a brigadier-general, led the team to the state. Mr Attah quoted Mr Alkali as saying that the visit was directed by the Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, a lieutenant-general, and aimed at improving facilities and enhancing the welfare of veterans and serving personnel. The visit is to address current conditions of legions, Nigerian Army cemeteries as well as command schools and hospitals, he said. He further highlighted the ongoing efforts of the Nigerian Army leadership to ensure that troops and family welfare of serving and retired personnel remained top priority of the service. ALSO READ: Army conducts conversion exercise for 528 officers While receiving the team, the Commander 301 Artillery Regiment, Musa Ahmed, a colonel, briefed the team on the current conditions of facilities in Gombe State. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Ahmed noted the significance of completing ongoing projects at the new barracks and making it befitting for the regiment. He further said that the assessment visit was crucial to boosting the morale of troops as well as impact positively on their living conditions.(NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the 27 All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers at the Rivers House of Assembly cant impeach Gov Siminalayi Fubara because they are no longer members of the House. Debo Ologunagba, the PDP national publicity secretary, said this at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja. Mr Ologunagba said the directive by the state APC chapter for the lawmakers to commence impeachment proceedings against the governor was in vain. He said the APC lawmakers had since vacated their seats at the House by section 109 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution. The lawmakers claiming to be APC members lost their seats after their defection from the PDP, the political party platform on which they were elected into the House. For emphasis, Section 109 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution provides that: a member of a House of Assembly shall vacate his seat in the House if (g) being a person whose election to the House of Assembly was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected. It should be noted that Section 109 (1) (g) of the Constitution is self-executory. The import of this provision is that the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who defected, have vacated their seat by reason of that defection, he said. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Ologunagba advised APC to come to terms with the fact that Rivers was home to PDP and that the people of the state were not ready to leave the party. Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, have been at loggerheads over governance and the control of political structure in the state. Although there was a ceasefire when President Bola Tinubu intervened to settle the rift between the two erstwhile political allies, recent events in the state indicate that the truce may have broken down as some commissioners loyal to Mr Wike resigned from the state cabinet following their redeployment to new ministries by the Governor. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A renowned political economist, Pat Utomi, says his plan to form a mega political party with like-minded people and political groups ahead of 2027 general elections is on course. Mr Utomi, a professor, who returned to Nigeria on Wednesday after a long stay in the United States, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday that the redemption of the country could not be achieved by the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) or any of the opposition parties. He said the present political parties had failed the people and had not added value to nation-building . According to him, the planned mega party is to disrupt the current political order and deliver that impactful leadership that the country truly deserves. It is precisely the reason I arrived Nigeria yesterday to continue that work(formation of mega party) I believe that the political party system in Nigeria has failed completely. Political parties are not democratic and they are not serving the purpose. Political parties and politicians of these parties cannot save Nigeria now, it is clear. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The nature and the structure of our politics is such that even good people, when they enter these existing political parties, will play to their interests, Mr Utomi, who is the founder, Centre for Values in Leadership, said . According to the former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in 2007, parochial culture has consumed civic culture in the country and this has affected the mindset of politicians. He said a new political order must be birthed to get Nigeria out of the woods and that citizens and leaders must begin to do the right things to reposition the country. Nigeria must be saved by its citizens and this is precisely what I am advancing. We are talking about value- driven citizenship with integrity, work ethics, respect for the dignity of people, regard for labour. We are created for others; we are not created for ourselves, we are created for the good of others. A tree does not take benefit from the shades it creates. We want Nigerians to develop that mindset. Right now, the mindset that Nigerians have is ,me, myself, and I. Self -love is so consuming and that is why Nigerian politicians dont act in the interest of the people or the state. They act so narrowly in their self- interests.he said. Utomi said in continuation of work to float the mega party,he would hold meetings in Lagos this week, and hold meetings in Abuja next week before holding a news conference . The political economist added he hoped to achieve much with the mega party talks before going back to the US. Mr Utomi said groups that would come together to form the mega platform were two cohorts of politicians the mea culpa and new value cohorts. The mea culpa cohort are politicians who have seen that what they did while in power, had not helped Nigeria are remorseful and are now willing to become part of the redemption initiative. There are also new Nigeria new value cohorts. This cohort will be working together ,and they will include people from all these other political parties, he said. He said that some elder statesmen would also be brought into the fold . Recall that Mr Utomi had in January 2024 said he had had conversations with leaders of some opposition parties on plan to form a new mega political party that would take power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027. He disclosed that he had held discussions with some of the presidential candidates in the 2023 general elections ,including Atiku Abubakar of PDP, Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Rabiu Kwankwaso of NNPP over the possibility of bringing them and other opposition politicians together to form a new party. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Nigerian Army has spoken on an allegation that it is threatening to confiscate an apartment reportedly belonging to a resident of Enugu State, south-east Nigeria. The alleged confiscation A human rights group, Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network, had petitioned Minister of Defence Muhammed Badaru, accusing authorities of the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army of threatening to forcefully and unlawfully take over the apartment belonging to the resident, Ogbodo Nana. The Enugu State Government was said to have issued a certificate of occupancy for the property to Mr Nana, a lawyer. The property is located close to the Army Divisions Headquarters in Enugu. The group, in the petition, claimed that the Divisions authorities had perfected plans to forcefully take over the property despite a letter from the office of the Chief of Army Staff against it. In the petition, the group claimed that a plot of land on which the apartment was built was handed over to Mr Nana as compensation for an alleged unlawful demolition of Mr Nanas residence around the area by the administration of a former governor of the state, Chimaroke Nnamani. The petition, signed by the group president, Olu Omotayo, is dated 6 May. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The handing over of the plot of land by the Enugu State Government under the administration of the immediate past governor of the state, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, followed a ruling by the Enugu State High Court in 2005 in a suit filed by Mr Nana, according to the petition. The apartment, a fenced bungalow, has tenants occupying it. The group said the petition followed claims by the Nigerian Army that the property belonged to it and the threat to eject the current occupants. Nigerian Army speaks But in a statement on Wednesday, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Army, Onyema Nwachukwu, refuted the allegations. Mr Nwachukwu, a major general, said the historical ownership and legal documentation of the said property predates the current dispute, arguing that the property belongs to the Nigerian Army. The army spokesperson said available records show that, shortly after the Nigerian civil war in 1970, the military government of Enugu State allocated 36 properties to the army to address the accommodation needs of personnel in the Division. He said that on 14 April 2008, the Enugu State Government acknowledged that the properties belong to the federal government and by extension the countrys army. Accordingly the (Enugu) State Government initiated a proposal for an ownership exchange of the properties. In the terms of agreement of the proposal, the Nigerian army was to release 26 of the said properties to the state government and in return, the state government would construct alternative accommodations within the Abakpa Military Cantonment for the Nigerian army. The property in question, Plot 30, Abakaliki Road, Enugu, was among the 36 properties allocated to the Nigerian army, but was not part of the 26 properties involved in the proposed exchange with the state government, he stated. Mr Nwachukwu argued that the certificate of occupancy issued to Mr Nana by the state government on 22 November 2022, was defective because it was granted without a proper revocation of the original title held by the Nigerian army, which would be a necessary legal step to change ownership. The spokesperson said the allegation that the army was taking over the property in defiance of the letter reportedly from the office of the chief of army staff was completely unfounded and intended to tarnish the ongoing efforts of the Nigerian army to restore peace and tranquillity in the South-east region. Property acquired wrongly Mr Nwachukwu argued Mr Nana must have acquired the property from the wrong hands. The spokesperson recalled that in April 2023, the Nigerian Army ejected Emeka Ugwuoke, a retired colonel, from the property after he allegedly attempted to convert it into his property following his retirement from service. Surprisingly, it is on one corner of the property from where the Nigerian army ejected the retired senior officer that the trespassers invaded. The subsequent sale of a portion of the land to the current claimant, Barrister Ogbodo Nana, was done without the consent or approval of the Nigerian army, which would have been required for a lawful transaction, he said. The Nigerian armys position is that the property remains under its ownership, until proven otherwise through appropriate legal channels, and any claims to the contrary are based on misinformation. The Nigerian Army, he said, has called for a thorough investigation into the matter to achieve a peaceful resolution of the dispute, saying they are ready to present its evidence of ownership (of the property) to competent authorities. We also wish to reaffirm our commitment to the rule of law and the proper resolution of this dispute in accordance with Nigerian legal standards and provisions. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Taraba State government has decried an over two weeks blackout in the Nigerian north-east, saying the situation has worsened security and economic challenges in the region. Some states in the region, including Taraba, have been experiencing power outage since the vandalisation of four transmission line towers along the Jos-Gombe 330kv line. Addressing journalists on the development on Thursday, the state commissioner of Energy and Economic Development, Naomi Agbu, said criminal activities have increased in the region since the electricity challenges began. These senseless acts of sabotage have not only jeopardised the reliability of electrical infrastructure in the North-east region but have also resulted in widespread inconvenience and hardship for our communities, plunging millions into blackout. Recent reports received have shown spikes in crimes and insecurity issues for a region like the North that is already endangered. The cascading effects to our regional economy, especially in terms of food production, cannot be exaggerated, she noted. Miss Agbu condemned the vandalisation of the transmission line towers. She said despite the fact that it is a federal government issue, the state government was collaborating with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) to address the situation. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later We have also contacted the Minister of Power but we are yet to get a positive feedback. In addition to our immediate efforts of monitoring the restoration of electricity supply, YEDC has informed us on the measures that they are implementing to enhance the security and resilience of electrical infrastructure This includes increasing surveillance and patrols of transmission line corridors, implementing stricter access controls to critical infrastructure sites, and enhancing community engagement to raise awareness about the importance of protecting these electrical assets, Miss Agbu said. She urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities or individuals near transmission line towers or electrical facilities. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A commandant with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Christopher Oluchukwu, has been convicted by the Katsina State High Court for participating in an employment scam. A statement from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said on Thursday that the trial judge, Abbas Bawale, handed down the conviction on Tuesday. Mr Oluchukwu was accused of receiving sums of money from individuals, promising them job placements at the NSCDC. The statement revealed that three victims reported the matter to ICPC after the promised jobs failed to materialise and their funds were not refunded. The victims each paid N200,000, N300,000, and N400,000, respectively. During the trial, counsel for the ICPC, Ibrahim Garba, outlined how Mr Oluchukwus actions violated sections 8, 10, and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. The prosecution detailed instances of corrupt practices, including the acceptance of bribes for job placements within the NSCDC. The judge found Mr Oluchukwu guilty on all nine counts brought against him. The court sentenced him to five years imprisonment without an option of a fine. The sentences are to run concurrently.. One of the counts read: That you Christopher Oluchukwu Ugwubujo on or about the 25th and 28th day of November 2014 within the jurisdiction of this Court while being a public officer with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) conferred corrupt advantage upon yourself by obtaining a total sum of four hundred thousand naira (N400, 000. 00) from onefor a job placement for her daughter into NSCDC and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The ICPC Act under which the NSCDC commandant was prosecuted criminalises different forms of corruption, including bribery, embezzlement, and abuse of office, and prescribes penalties for those found guilty of these offences. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Lagos State Government has introduced Electronic Physical Planning Permit System to allow building approval to be obtained in just 10 minutes. The Special Adviser, e-GIS and Urban Development, Olajide Babatunde, made the disclosure during a ministerial press briefing to mark the first year of the second term in office of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday in Ikeja. According to him, the initiative will ensure seamless and efficient process for stakeholders. He said, The Lagos State Government is poised to revolutionise the planning approval process with the introduction of an Electronic Physical Planning Permit Process System. The innovative system will enable building approval to be obtained in just 10 minutes, ensuring a seamless and efficient process for stakeholders. Recall that the e-GIS project began in 2016 and gained momentum in 2021, when Mr Sanwo-Olu outlined a strategic plan for its implementation. The e-GIS Office (LAGIS) has been entrusted with overseeing the project, which aims to create a comprehensive digital platform for land administration and geographic information services. 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 Report has it that a significant milestone was achieved on 4 December 2023, when the bill for the establishment of the Lagos Geographic Information Service (LAGIS) was presented to the Lagos State House of Assembly. Mr Babatunde explained that the e-GIS office fully took over the responsibility of supervising and project management of the Lagos enterprise GIS upgrade and integrated land administration automated system. This, he said, ensured the institutionalisation of enterprise geographic information service statewide, leading up to the creation of an agency known as the Lagos State Geographic Information Service. He said that the processes led to the passage of its bill by the Lagos State House of Assembly. To ensure a smooth implementation process, stakeholders and the public will be engaged through a series of retreats and sensitisation programmes. This will foster a better understanding of the importance of the bill and the benefits of the Electronic Physical Planning Process System. With this innovative system, Lagos State is poised to become a leader in digital governance and efficient urban planning, he said.(NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Economic and Financial Crimes Commmission (EFCC), on Thursday, arraigned former Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika on charges of abuse of office in award of contracts, including the failed Nigerian Air project, while in office. Mr Sirika was arraigned alongside his daughter, Fatima, and her husband, Jalal Sule Hamma, as well as their company, Al Buraq Global Investment Ltd, at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja. The prime defendant, who was the aviation minister during President Muhammadu Buharis two terms in office, was accused of abusing his office as minister with the award of contracts to company in which his daughter and husband husband had interest. The agency also accused Fatima, who works at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), and her husband, Jalal Sule Hamma, a staff member of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, of holding indirectly private interests in the contract for the Apron Extension at the Katsina Airport for the sum of almost N1.5 billion. This was said to violate violates section 12 of the ICPC Act. The couple, according to EFCC, also had in their possession N1.3 billion allegedly traced to Mr Sirika as proceeds of criminal conducts in the form of gratification. The defendants denied these allegations and other counts, totalling six in all, when they were read to them on Thursday. After their not-guilty pleas, the prosecution led by Rotimi Jacobs, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), urged the trial judge, Sylvanus Oriji, on Thursday, to fix a date for trial. 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 Bail But, Mr Sirikas lawyer, Kanu Agabi, also a SAN, applied for his clients bail. Similarly, Mahmud Magaji and Sanusi Musa, both SANs who represented Fatima and her husband, respectively, similarly urged the court to grant their clients bail. Mr Jacobs did not oppose the bail requests, but urged the judge to impose bail conditions that would compel Mr Sirika and his co-defendants to attend trial. Subsequently, the judge, Mr Oriji, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N100 million each. He also ordered the defendants not to travel abroad during the trial without the courts permission. Background Mr Sirika served as the aviation Minister during former President Muhammadu Buharis two terms in office. A couple of days to the end of the Buhari-led administration, Mr Sirika unveiled an aircraft purportedly belonging to the national carrier in a controversial deal. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation called for the suspension of the establishment of Nigeria Air, calling for the prosecution of Mr Sirika and other persons involved in the botched project. Charges Below are the six counts preferred against Mr Sirika and his co-defendants: Count 1: In count one of the charge, the EFCC alleged that Mr Sirika between April 2022 and March 2023, while being Nigerias aviation minister, used his position to confer unfair advantage on Tianaero Nigeria Limited, a company owned by his associate, Gabriel Tilmann, a professor, by using his position to award to the firm a consultancy contract for the Nigerian Air start-up to the tune of N1.3 billion (N1,326,731,470.97). The alleged offence, EFCC says contravenes section 19 of the ICPC Act. Count 2: The anti-graft agency in Count 2 accused Mr Sirika of conferring unfair advantage on Al Buraq Global Investment Ltd, a company owned by Fatima Sirika and Jalal Sule Hamma who are daughter and son-in-law, respectively, to Mr Sirika. The charge revealed that on 18 August 2022, Mr Sirika awarded the firm a contract for the Apron Extension at Katsina Airport to the tune of N1,498,300,750.00. Count 3: In Count 3, the former aviation minister was accused of criminal breach of trust by being dishonestly connected with the illegal award of the contract for the Apron Extension at Katsina Airport for the benefit of his daughter and son-in-laws company, Al Buraq Global Investment Ltd. Count 4: Count 4 disclosed that Mr Sirikas daughter, Fatima, who works at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), and her husband, Jalal Sule Hamma, a staff member of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission hold indirectly private interests in the contract for the Apron Extension at the Katsina Airport for the sum of almost N1.5 billion (N1,498,300,750). This, the EFCC said, violates section 12 of the ICPC Act. Count 5: In Count 5, the EFCC said Fatima and her husband in 2022 and 2023 in Abuja had possession of N1.3 billion (N1,310,142,051.16), said to be funds allegedly traced to Mr Sirika as proceeds of criminal conducts in the form of gratification. The commission said the alleged offence breaches section 17 (b) of the EFCC establishment Act 2004. Count 6: Count 6 also accused the former aviation minister of being dishonestly connected to the illegal award of the consultancy contract for the Nigerian Air Start-up to Tianaero Nigeria Limited to the tune of N1.3 billion (N1,326,731,470.97). The prosecution said the alleged offence violates section 315 of the Penal Code Act of the FCT. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print An aircraft maintenance repair facility and a flight training school for pilots and auto engineers are set to commence operation at the Gateway International Agro-cargo and Passenger Airport in Ogun State. The facility would ensure that aircraft in the country no longer need to travel overseas for routine maintenance. The President, Air First Maintenance and Repair Facility, Gbolahan Abatan, made this known in an interview with journalists shortly after meeting with the Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun in his office. Mr Abatan noted that the company was looking forward to working with the state government in the development of the aircraft maintenance facility at the Agro-cargo airport. According to him, the company plans to start aircraft assembling at the facility. He further said that the company, when fully operational, would create jobs for the locals and indigenes from other states. He commended Mr Abiodun for building a world-class airport in the state. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later We had a great discussion, and the encouraging thing is that the governor has given us the assurance that he will give us all the necessary support to get things going. So, hopefully, with our certification process in place, we should be able to move in by the end of June to commence activities at the airport, Mr Abatan said. In his remarks, Commissioner for Transportation, Gbenga Dairo, noted that the facilities at the airport were first class, such as having the longest runway in the country. He said that the technology being deployed at the airport for aircraft and airport management was also the best. Mr Dairo, while noting that Air First has a track record of excellence in aircraft maintenance, said the state was delighted with the citing of the foremost aircraft maintenance company at the airport. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Press freedom is on the decline and there is a shrinking of the civic space under President Bola Tinubu, a group of civil society and media organisations has said. The coalition, Action Group on the Protection of Civic Actors, in a jointly signed statement, said it is deeply concerned about the growing cases of attacks on press freedom, and the flagrant abuse of due process and the rule of law by the Nigeria Police It mentioned the specific case of the arrest of a journalist, Daniel Ojukwu, who has been detained without trial for over a week due to his work. Particularly, the recent abduction and continued detention of Daniel Ojukwu, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), exemplifies this disregard for the rule of law and democratic principles. Mr Ojukwus fundamental human rights have been blatantly violated. Even though the Nigeria Police has filed no formal charges, he remains in custody, the group said. Read the full statement below. Growing Concerns Regarding Press Freedom and Shrinking Civic Space in Nigeria Civil society organizations across the country are deeply concerned about the growing cases of attacks on press freedom, and the flagrant abuse of due process and the rule of law by the Nigeria Police under the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM. 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 Action Group on the Protection of Civic Actors, a Nigerian coalition of media and civil society groups working alongside international allies, sounds the alarm on the recent surge in attacks on press freedom and the silencing of dissent and civic voices. A free press and public participation are fundamental pillars of our democracy. Thus, the continuous silencing of journalists and civic actors who hold power accountable undermines the provisions of Sections 22 and 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which guarantees freedom of the press and freedom of expression, respectively. Furthermore, the coordinated use of state resources, the mischievous interpretation and hyper-application of laws, especially the Cybercrimes Act of 2015 which has now been amended, and the abuse of power and public institutions are all draconian tactics deployed to further shrink Nigerias fragile civic space. These tactics have no place in a democracy, where accountability and transparency in governance are essential. Particularly, the recent abduction and continued detention of Daniel Ojukwu, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), exemplifies this disregard for the rule of law and democratic principles. Mr. Ojukwus fundamental human rights have been blatantly violated. Even though the Nigeria Police has filed no formal charges, he remains in custody. Additionally, Daniels unlawful arrest and detention contravenes the combined reading and cumulative effect of Sections 34, 35, and 41 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, which protects his rights to respect for the dignity of his person, personal liberty, and freedom of movement. Daniel Ojukwus case is the most recent in a recurring trend of similar attacks and harassment aimed at the media and other civic actors by Nigerian law enforcement and security agents. The familiar pattern these attacks seem to take is that the instrumentality of the Nigerian security apparatus is set loose on these individuals as soon as they express views unfavourable to the administration or in the case of journalists, as soon as they publish credible stories that cast the administration in an unflattering light. The expression of opinions, however critical they are of the government, is one of the critical bedrocks of democracy. Consequently, we unequivocally condemn Daniels abduction and unlawful detention as unconstitutional, illegal, immoral, and unbecoming in a country that claims to practice democracy. We maintain that for Nigeria to claim its status as the continents largest democracy, its institutions and law enforcement agencies must uphold established standards and procedures consistent with democratic norms. Until then, Nigeria cannot reconcile the title of the largest democracy in Africa with the practices and principles reminiscent of a police state. We also condemn the incessant use and abuse of the Remand Order process, which is observed to be the new machinery for which the Nigeria Police continuously violates the rights of Nigerian citizens. It is discovered that the Police boast of obtaining a Remand Order without providing such a document for the suspect or his lawyers to see whenever they unlawfully arrest individuals. Even when such orders are obtained, it is usually cloaked with suspicion as the Court from which it is obtained is usually miles away from the police station where the suspect is detained. Even where there is an established Court within a shorter distance of the Police station. This is contrary to the rule of law, and it should be of great concern to the Police that it would be seen by the general public as an institution that acts and conducts its duties contrary to the Rule of Law, which is critical to the sustenance of our democracy. Mr Daniel Ojukwu, if accused of a crime, should be promptly charged and given a fair trial under Nigerian law, which presumes innocence until proven guilty. As such, his continued detention is equivalent to an extrajudicial trial and punishment. It is in the Inspector General of Polices interest to offer opportunities for the international community to rate the Tinubu administrations compliance and respect for its human rights commitments positively. Premised on the above, we demand the following: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, ensure Daniel Ojukwus immediate release and uphold his fundamental human rights, as his continued detention without charges undermines Nigerias democratic standing and risks further erosion of public trust. State resources are redirected towards securing the lives and property of Nigerian citizens rather than the abuse, assault, and attacks on civic actors. A rights-based review of laws that are subject to vexatious interpretations amending them to reflect democratic norms and principles. Invitations by the Police should be in writing, documented, and undersigned by their legal representatives. It is illegal to arbitrarily show up and pick somebody without stating cause. All requests for individuals to accompany law enforcement personnel to a station for questioning or detainment should be documented with a duly authorized warrant and acknowledged in writing by the individual, ensuring that their legal rights are understood. Signed: Enough is Enough Nigeria Nigeria Network of NGOs (NNNGO) Invictus Africa Accountability Lab Nigeria Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) Global Rights International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) Dataphyte Gatefield BudgIT Foundation WikkiTimes Hope Behind Bars Africa Partners West Africa Media Rights Agenda International Press Centre TheCable Premium Times Digicivic Initiative Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) BONews Service Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on Foreign Affairs to investigate the operations of Nigerian foreign missions with a view to addressing the challenges Nigerians are facing abroad. The decision to embark on the probe was made at plenary on Thursday following a motion moved by Ben Etanabene (LP, Delta) and 33 others. Mr Etababene, who moved the motion on behalf of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, said some foreign missions have failed in their responsibilities to Nigerians, noting that they are not getting the help they need overseas. To convince the House on the importance of the probe, the lawmaker said Nigerians around the world are faced with general and urgent consular services challenges. He explained that many Nigerians are illegally held or imprisoned in foreign countries and often under harsh conditions that may lead to loss of lives if urgent actions are not taken. Many Nigerian students are stranded in foreign land over issues that can be resolved and that many Nigerian businesses around the world helping in contributing to the economy of those countries and sending remittances back home are suffering harassment and sabotage, he said. Mr Etababene also accused some foreign missions of outsourcing vital consular services to third-party agents. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He said all these are happening despite the 4D foreign policy thrust of the Bola Tinubu administration. In a lot of missions, local staff ceiling has been exceeded due to violation of rules and in some instances, the ceiling of Foreign Service Officers. This has further resulted in indebtedness in the respective missions. If these issues are not investigated and appropriate and urgent actions taken by the House, it may lead to loss of lives and properties, further difficulties in visa and consular services home and abroad, malfeasance and waste, inefficiency and loss of revenue and poor implementation of the government reforms, he said. The motion was not debated by the members of the House. It was unanimously adopted when it was put to vote by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen. He subsequently directed the committee to report back to the House within three weeks. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The House of Representatives has resolved to launch a comprehensive investigation into the controversial Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway project. The lower chamber, on Thursday, following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Austin Achado (APC, Benue), resolved that its Committees on Works and Public Procurement should probe the project to ascertain if procedures were followed in the award of the contract. Background The 700 km coastal highway, projected to cost N15 trillion, will transverse eight states, starting from Lagos and terminating in Calabar, the Cross River State capital. Although many have lauded the ambitious project, others faulted the process of the award of the contract that led to the emergence of Hitech Construction Company Nigeria Limited as the preferred contractor. Among those who faulted the process was a former vice president, Atiku Abubakar. Also, PREMIUM TIMES, in a recent editorial, raised some concerns about the project. It said, among other things, that the government seemed to have a misplaced priority by embarking on the project amid a strained fiscal environment. Aside from the cost, the demolition of structures along the right of way of the project, particularly the hospitality outlets around the Lagos beaches, has sparked public discourse on the project. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The government has paid compensation to some of the businesses affected by the demolition. The motion Moving the motion, Mr Achado highlighted the potential gains of the road project but raised some concerns. He focused on the procurement process of the project, stating that it possibly violated the Public Procurement Act of 2007 and the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission Act. The Procurement Strategy may have violated the Public Procurement Act 2007, section 40(2) which requires that where a procuring authority adopts to use restrictive tendering approach, it should be on the basis that the said goods and services are available only from a limited number of suppliers and contractors and as such, tenders shall be invited from all such Contractors who can provide such goods and services, the lawmaker said. Mr Achado also raised concerns about the Engineering, Procurement, Construction plus Finance (EPC+F) funding model adopted by the government for the project. He said the funding model has not been approved by the National Assembly. The contingent liabilities accruing to the Federal Government of Nigeria on this project violate the Debt Management Office (Establishment) Act of 2023, he noted while explaining the implication of the EPC+F. He added that section 22(3) of the Debt Management Office (Establishment) Act of 2023 states that the Minister shall not guarantee an external loan unless the terms and conditions of the loan shall have been laid before the National Assembly and approved by its resolution. The lawmaker urged the House to set up a special committee to investigate the project. However, Uyime Idem (PDP, Akwa-Ibom) moved an amendment for the project to be referred to the Committee on Public Procurement, which he heads. He explained that his committee already received several petitions on the project. His amendment was subsequently adopted by the House. Meanwhile, Isiaka Ibrahim (APC, Ogun) moved an amendment for the House Committee on Works to be included. The amendment was also adopted. The committees were then directed to summon the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, to ensure that all guarantees and credit enhancement instruments for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road Project are sent to the National Assembly for approval. When the motion was put to a vote by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, after the motion was amended, the majority of the members voted in support. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Senate on Thursday passed a bill seeking to prescribe death penalty for persons found guilty of trading or consuming hard drugs and narcotics. The bill titled National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act (Amendment Bill) 2024 was passed after majority of the senators supported it at the Committee of the Whole. The bill amended Section 11 of the NDLEA Act prescribing that any person who, without lawful authority; Imports, manufactures, produces, processes, plants or grows the drugs popularly known as cocaine, heroin or any other similar drugs shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to be sentenced to imprisonment for life. The section was amended to include death penalty as punishment for anybody found guilty of the offences. The bill also sought to update the list of dangerous drugs, strengthen the operations of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and empower the NDLEA to establish laboratories. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North), presented a report of the committee before it was referred to the Committee of the Whole where it was considered. Though the report did not recommend a death penalty. It was proposed by Ali Ndume (APC , Borno South) when the lawmakers were debating the report. 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 Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) opposed the death penalty for trading or consuming hard drugs. Mr Oshiomhole said the death penalty should not be hurriedly considered, but the deputy senate president, who presided over the session, ruled him out of order. Majority of the senators voted in support of the bill, when the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session, put it to vote for the third reading. However, some of the senators were heard chorusing nay apparently to indicate their rejection of death sentence as a penalty. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A bill seeking to increase the salaries, allowances and official benefits of judicial officers has passed second reading at the senate. The bill was passed on Thursday during the plenary after majority of the senators supported it when the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio put it to vote. The senate president thereafter referred it to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters for further legislative action and report back in four weeks. In March, President Bola Tinubu wrote to the Senate, requesting it to consider an executive bill seeking the review of salaries, allowances and official benefits of judicial officers. In the letter, President Tinubu said the bill would promote the welfare capacity and independence of the Nigerian judiciary system During Thursdays plenary, the Deputy Senate Leader, Oyelola Ashiru, led a debate on the bill. Mr Ashiru, while leading the debate, explained that the bill, when passed, will enhance significant improvement in the welfare, capacity and independence of the judiciary officers. 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 Independence and capacity of judicial officers in Nigeria have been contentious issues of public discourse over the years, he said. The deputy senate leader further noted that, the bill will promote the integrity of the judicial arm of government, when it is finally passed and assented to. He urged his colleagues to support the passage of the bill. Many of the senators who contributed to the debate supported it. Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North) said, improving salaries of the judicial officers will prevent them from engaging in corruption and ensure that the judicial officers deliver just and fair judgement. There is a need to bring up the remuneration of judicial officers that have stagnated over the years. This will insulate judicial officers from corruption and give them courage to deliver judgments that are just and fair, Mr Monguno added. Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia North), stressed that he is confident with the increase in salaries of the judicial officers. No right thinking Nigerian will not think that it is right to keep the judiciary comfortable. I want to thank the executive for deeming it fit to increase salaries of judges at all levels, Mr Kalu said. We should not stop at the judiciary but look at other sectors of the economy, he added. Emmanuel Udende (APC, Benue North-east) also supported the increment. For the past 15 years, judicial officers have remained on meagre salaries, he said. When you interact with them as a lawyer, you see their morale is dampened, and when the morale is dampened the work will be. Existing package There is a provision for a remuneration package for judicial officers in the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the body authorised by law to prepare salaries and allowances for public servants. According to the existing package prepared by RMAFC, a Chief Justice of Nigeria earns N3,363,972:50 annually and therefore receives N280,331:04 monthly. The CJN also enjoys a motor vehicle loan of N13,455,890:00 annually. The basic salary of a justice of the Supreme Court and President of the Court of Appeal per annum is N2,477,110:00 and therefore receives N280,331:04 monthly. They also have access to annual accommodation allowances of N4,954,220:00 each and N247,711:00 annual leave allowance. The basic salary of a judge of the Court of Appeal and Chief Judge of a Federal High Court is N1,995,430:00 and therefore receives N166,285:83 monthly. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The trial of the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, charged with abuse of office and alleged $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion fraud continued on Thursday with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) tendering bundles of documents before the court. The bundles of documents were tendered through the third prosecution witness, a Compliance Officer with the Zenith Bank, Mr Clement Ngolu, by the EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). The documents were admitted in evidence following no objections from the first defence counsel, Olalekan Ojo, a SAN, and the second defence counsel, Adeyinka Kotoye, also a SAN. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the trial judge, Rahman Oshodi, admitted the original copies of Zenith Bank account opening package, statement of account of Limelight Multidimensional Services Ltd., sent to the EFCC in evidence. I have read the documents dated March 2024, and I admit the original certified copy of the bundles of documents which include account opening package, statement of accounts into evidence and are marked as Exhibit A, Mr Oshodi said. Mr Ngolu, in his evidence, said his department responded to regulators and law enforcement agencies in order to ensure that the bank activities were in line with banking policies and regulations . He added that his department worked with agencies such as the EFCC, the Nigeria Police, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The witness said that his department in 2024 got a request from the EFCC to furnish them with statements of accounts of Limelight and two other accounts. The documents we sent to the EFCC was duly signed by the staff of the bank. The process of generating the statement was through our computer system which was in good condition. The documents were printed out from the companys computer which was working well and the documents were in the banks custody, the witness said. The defence, however, said they had no question for the witness. Also, a former Director of Information Technology of CBN, John Ayoh, under further cross-examination, said he had a confrontation with Mr Emefiele because he asked him to do something wrong. The witness who further confirmed that he was sidelined by the embattled governor added that his being sidelined made him not to have any relationship with him. I was not happy being unpopular with the former CBN governor but on a number of occasions, I signed contract letters to vendors. While I was a director with the CBN, my loyalty was to the bank and the Nigerian nation and my relationship with Emefiele was only formal and based on instructions. The governor and the four deputy governors of the bank alongside the directors make up the management of the CBN, he said. The fourth witness, a contractor, in his evidence, testified about how he was allegedly pressurised by the central bank management to pay $600,000 for the contract which he had executed. NAN reports that Mr Ayoh, the former CBN director on information technology, had on 29 April narrated before the court how he allegedly collected $600,000 for contract gratification for Mr Emefiele. The EFCC had on 8 April arraigned Mr Mr Emefiele on 23 counts of abuse of office, accepting gratifications, corrupt demand, receiving property fraudulently obtained and conferring corrupt advantage. Also, his co-defendant was arraigned on three counts bordering on acceptance of gift by agents. The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. The judge adjourned the case until 17 May for continuation of trial Mr Emefiele is also standing trial in Abuja over alleged corrupt activities he was accused of perpetrating while in office as CBN governor. .(NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Nigerian Army has handed over Lydia Simon, one of the Chibok school girls abducted by Boko Haram in April 2014, and her three children to the Borno State Government for reunification with her family. Waidi Shuaibu, a major-general and Theartre Commander, North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, handed her and her her three children to the state government at a ceremony at the Mailmalari Cantonment on Thursday in Maiduguri, the state capital. He said that troops of the 82 Division Task Force Battalion rescued the lady with six-month-old pregnancy alongside her three children on Wednesday, 17 April, in Gwoza Local Government Area of the state. Mr Shuaibu said that she was number 18 among the girls that were rescued by the Nigerian military. He explained that the abduction of the Chibok school girls in 2014, made both national and international headlines which culminated in the hashtag, Bring Back Our Girls. According to him, several efforts had been made both internationally and nationally to return the girls safely and reunite them with their families. One of such national efforts is the conduct of military operations deep within the terrorists enclaves which have yielded positive results to facilitate rescue of some of the Chibok girls. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Starting from Esther Marcus, who appears on serial number 103 on the abducted Chibok school girls list, who was the first to be rescued by troops of 7 Division Gar, till now efforts are still ongoing. Just recently on 17 April, one more Chibok girl was rescued with her three children from the Mandara mountain by troops of the theatre will continue to do its best to rescue those still in captivity. The rescue will be in line with the strategic direction and guidance from the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Army Staff. We thank the Chief of Army staff for all the resources he has provided in the theatre to achieve its mandate, he said. Also Speaking, Abubakar Haruna, a brigadier-general and Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 Division, said the girl received medical treatment and other care by the division since her released. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Introduction The nation has been agog with news of the ongoing face-off between the EFCC and the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello and the others over the EFCCs attempt to arrest Bello in connection with alleged official corruption involving the sum of N80.2 billion, which he allegedly misappropriated while in office for eight years. Accusations and counter-accusations have raged back and forth between both camps (with not a few officious by-standers proffering gratuitous, ill-informed advice in the guise of opinions). As usual, the truth is always the first casualty. In this case, it is worsened by the fact that the matter is the subject of on-going litigation before at least two different courts: a High Court in the former governors home State of Kogi and the Federal High Court in Abuja. The situation has been compounded by the order of injunction granted by a Kogi State High Court restraining the Commission from arresting or attempting to arrest the former governor. The alleged breach of the order so irked the judge who issued it that he apparently had no option but to cite the EFCC boss for contempt. That order has been stayed by the Court of Appeal. Because these proceedings are ongoing, no more will be said on them. Let me stress here that I am neither on the side of Yahaya Bello, nor that of the EFCC, or the government of Kogi State, whose funds are allegedly at the heart of the dispute. I will not cry more than the bereaved. My intervention here is limited to the legal ramifications and propriety of the steps taken so far by both sides of the divide. Background Before Bellos Abuja house was raided in a gestapo-like manner on 17 April, Bello had, believing that his fundamental human rights were being threatened, approached a Kogi State High Court seeking an interim restraining order against the EFCC (Commission) pending the determination of a substantive suit before the court. Justice Isa Abdullahi (presiding), who was satisfied with the grounds upon which the relief was sought, on 9 February, gave an interim restraining order against the EFCC from taking any action against Bello, pending the determination of the substantive matter. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The Commission, dissatisfied, approached the Court of Appeal, Abuja, on 11 March, requesting the appellate court to set aside the interim restraining order. It argued that the lower court lacked the requisite jurisdiction to assist Bello escape his deserved justice. It also argued that Bello could not stop the Commission from carrying out its statutory duties, nor use the lower court to escape its invitation, investigation and possible prosecution as the courts order directed. The Appeal Court adjourned hearing to April, while refusing to hear EFCCs application for a stay of the order of interim injunction. In further affirming its earlier interim orders, the Kogi State High Court on 17 April delivered judgment in the substantive suit and directed the Commission to first seek the leave of the Court of Appeal before taking further steps against Bello. It granted some injunctive reliefs against the Commission from continuing to harass, threaten to arrest or detain Bello. The court directed the Commission to file a charge against Bello in an appropriate court if it had reason to do so. The Commission later obtained a warrant of arrest against Bello from the Federal High Court presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite. On 22 April, the anti-graft agency filed a notice of withdrawal of its appeal, predicating it on the ground that events had overtaken the appeal, while admitting that the appeal was filed out of time. Bellos team promptly challenged the arrest warrant by the Federal High Court and Justice Emeka Nwite has adjourned for his ruling on the propriety of his warrant of arrest against Bello. When and How to Summon A Suspect for Investigation By Law Enforcement Agencies I condemn any brute and sensational arrest of a suspect such as Bello. It does not matter the station of life of such suspect, whether high or low. Hooded DSS operatives once did it to some Justices of the Supreme Court and other Judges on 8th October, 2016, when they viciously and savagely broke into their homes in the wee hours of the morning. I had condemned it in very strong words. Some of the victims, like Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, JSC (of blessed memory), never recovered from the shock. He later died. Others took early premature retirement. Was the Commission therefore right in attempting to arrest Bello in the manner it did, as some commentators have approved in their write ups? I think not. The relevant provisions of the law, such as Sections 8(1) of the Anti-Torture Act, 2017; Section 6 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 (applicable in Abuja, the FCT); and Section 35(2)&(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, the sum total of which enjoin the fair and humane treatment of a suspect, whether during his/her arrest, investigation, detention pending trial and arraignment. Was a bench warrant necessary against a suspect on whom charges had not been served as in the Bello scenario? I think not. Let us look at some decided cases on this. In USANI V. DUKE [2006] 17 NWLR (Pt.1009)610, the Court of Appeal held thus: A bench warrant is a discretionary power of a court invoked to secure the attendance as in this case of an unwilling witness under the threat of contempt of court to give evidence on any area of a suit within his knowledge. It is not a discretion which is exercised as a matter of course. The court has to be satisfied that there is absolute necessity to procure the appearance of the witness in court. The lower tribunal based its refusal to issue bench warrant on non-compliance with section 229(2) of the Evidence Act. Per ADEKEYE, JCA (P. 38, paras. B-E). In APUGO V. FRN (2017) LPELR-41643 CA, the Court of Appeal eruditely held that: Section 382 (4) and (5) of the ACJA provides for how to serve a Charge and notice of trial on a Defendant, who is not in custody, In this case, the Respondent had filed a motion exparte under section 382(5) of the ACJA 2015 to serve Appellant by substituted means. That motion was not argued, but the trial court jumped the gun and ordered for the bench warrant to arrest the Appellant: and when it found out that that was wrong, it suspended the implementation of the bench warrant (instead of setting it aside) the trial court yet still ordered the Appellant to appear on the next adjourned date to answer to the Charge against him, pursuant to section 87 of the ACJA 2015. As earlier discussed and held above, I do not think the trial court had the vires to make such order, in the circumstances as I think it went beyond its role as impartial adjudicator, to that of the Prosecutor or Police or EFCC to forcefully produce the Accused person, without serving him with any charge or notice of trial. See NWADIKE v. State (2015) LPELR- 24550 (CA), Ededet v. State (2008) 14 NWLR (Pt 1106) 52. I do not think section 87 of the ACJA 2015, can apply without recourse to section 382 of the same Act which requires a Defendant to be served personally or by substituted means with the charge or information and notice of trial. I believe it is upon compliance with section 382 (3) (4) and (5) of the Act where there is a pending charge, that the trial court can have the powers to apply the section 87 of the Act which says: A court has authority to compel the attendance before it of a suspect who is within the jurisdiction and is charged with an offence committed within the state Federal or the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, as the case may be or which according to law may be dealt as if the offence had been committed within jurisdiction and to deal with the suspect according to law. Per MBABA J.C.A J.C.A (Pp. 46-48, paras. F-F). See also sections 113, 131, 394, 398 and 399 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015. These domestic laws are reinforced by a regional (in fact, continental) statute the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights Article 7 of which obliges the State (and all other persons) to respect the rights of every individual to have his (or her) cause heard. This right encompasses the following, inter alia: The right to appeal to competent national organs against violating his fundamental rights; The right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent tribunal; The right to defence including by Counsel of ones choice; The right to be tried within a reasonable time by an impartial court or tribunal. The importance of this statute is often overlooked by many Nigerians because, apart from the Constitution, it is superior to virtually every local or municipal law including the EFCC (Establishment) Act itself. See ABACHA VS FAWEHINMI (2000) 6 NWLR part 660, pg 228, where the Supreme Court held that the Charter possesses greater vigour and strength than any other domestic statute (accordingly if there is a conflict between it and another statute, its provisions will prevail over those of the other Statute) It is in this context that I believe the Commissions tactics in attempting to arrest Bello ought to be situated. While no one quarrels with the Commissions full mandate to tackle economic crimes, the way and manner in which it does so must, however, not portray any impunity or suggest that it is above the law. After all, the Commissions motto is No one is above the Law. To that extent, the fact that the person at the centre of the present controversy is a former governor is irrelevant: it merely hugs the headlines for that reason. After all, he has since lost his immunity under section 308 of the 1999 Constitution, upon vacating office. However, once a person has been charged to court as Bello has, he becomes the subject of the court, which becomes seized of the matter. His availability in court is thereafter controlled by the trial court, and not another through a bench warrant. Many a time, it is argued that the court cannot restrain government agencies from arresting, investigating or prosecuting suspects. This is far from the truth, as it depends on the facts of each case. For example, the Court of Appeal in OKEKE v. IGP & Ors (2022) LPELR-58476(CA) 1 at Pp. 9 paras. A, Per Nwosu-Iheme, JCA (as she then was), relied on a decision of the same Court to hold that the Police can be restrained from the improper use of its powers. In the unreported case of LUNA V. COMMISSIONER OF POLICE RIVER STATE POLICE COMMAND in Appeal No CA/PH/216/2004, the Port Harcourt Division of the intermediate court held that: Notwithstanding the power of the Police as spelt out in Sections 4 and 24 of the Police Act, where this Power is improperly used, the Court can stop the use of the power for that improper purpose, as that would no longer be covered by Section 35(1) (c) of the 1999 Constitution. In other words, an order restraining the Police from arresting on some particular occasion or for some particular improper purpose may be made by the Court. The Evils of Media Trial The Yahaya Bello case evinces a clear case of media trial which should never be. The notion Media Trial or Trial by Media got its name in the United States of America during the period of 19th Century and became familiar with the Indian legal system in the famous case of K.M Nanavati v. State of Maharashtra AIR 1962 SC 605. I have, on my part, always kicked against media trial, for it presumes a person guilty even before his trial in open court. At the first National Anti-Corruption Stakeholders Summit held in 2017 with the theme, Building national anti-corruption consensus in a multi-agency Environment, which was organised by the Commission at the EFCC Academy, Karu, Abuja, I made the following remarks: . All my life that is what I have done. I take it very seriously when we talk about the issue of rule of law. I do not believe in media trial. For example, a case is being investigated in EFCC, the suspect is being interrogated, tomorrow it is in a particular newspaper as to the statement made by that suspect. That suspect may never be tried. Even if he is arraigned and tried, he may never be found guilty but you have destroyed his image, his reputation. We should run away from that, it is not good. There is the need in this anti-corruption war to make an example; just one example with one person in government. I am aware of many, many petitions against people in this government. See Nigerian Tribune edition of 28th March, 2017. (https://tribuneonlineng.com/stop-media-trial-suspects-ozekhome-tells-efcc/). I had also in 2017, written to the Commission and presented a paper at CACOL Roundtable, titled The A-Z and 24 Dos and Donts of how to fight corruption. (See Daily Times of 24th April, 2017 https//issuu.com/dailytimes. ng/docs/dtn-24-04-17/19). This paper is still relevant today, as it represents my contribution to the fight against corruption which I personally believe in. But, such war must be within the confines of the law. At the time of my lecture, the Commission under Ibrahim Magu had not made any attempt to try government functionaries; and I challenged it to do so. I do not know, whether it was my wakeup call that made the Commission to finally start charging people in government, especially Governors and Ministers, to court. Or, do you? I had also clashed with the former Chairman, Magu, on this sore issue on 19th December, 2017, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, at its end of year event. (See: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/12/anti-graft-war-magu-ozekhome-clash-fhc-end-year-event/) The Danger of Inherent Media Trial Media trial which has become the order of the day in Nigeria is simply the act of using media coverage to vilify and portray a suspect or an accused person as a criminal, even without trial. In the context of Nigerian jurisprudence, a trial is an avenue to challenge the innocence of an accused person. A Media trial is an improper use of the media to tarnish the image of an accused person before, during or after a trial. It is used to dampen the resilient spirit of an accused person. The Commission used this craft greatly, especially during the tenure of Ibrahim Magu; and it greatly chipped away some nobility in its patriotic war against corruption. The public applauds media trial. The downtrodden guffaws when the rich also cry. With this, there are more media convictions than actual convictions in the courtroom. Unfortunately, Yahaya Bello, has become the latest victim of media trial. If he is eventually acquitted, people will attribute his non-conviction to a complicit judiciary, (the whipping orphan). Bellos present ordeal may have undoubtedly brought some people immense joy. This submission has been tacitly corroborated by the Commissions Chairman, very hard working and dedicated Mr Olanipekun Olukoyede, who stated, in a now-viral video, that the former Governor of Kogi State declined to come to the agencys office because he complained that a female Senator had allegedly gathered journalists together to humiliate him anytime he appeared in the office of the agency for interrogation. Obviously, Bello was scared of media trial; so he avoided it. The evils of media trial are galore. Media trials, especially in places like Nigeria, can be highly dangerous and prejudicial to a fair trial for several reasons: Presumption of Innocence: Under the provisions of Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution, every accused person is presumed innocent until he is found guilty. Media trials often disregard the principle of innocent until proven guilty. When suspects are portrayed as guilty before they have had a fair trial, it can prejudice public opinion and undermine the legal process. The Muhammadu Buhari government specialised in this Goebels propaganda style under its Name-and-shame mantra. Such removes the Anglo-Saxon accusatorial system we operate and whimsically substitutes it with the French inquisitorial system. By the provisions of section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution, every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until proven guilty. This is unequivocally the position of the law, and has not changed. Article 7(1) (b) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights 1981, also guarantees the presumption of innocence when it states as follows: every individual shall have the right to fair-hearing, that is; to have his cause heard including a right to an appeal, to be presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court or tribunal, and also the right to defence, including the right to be defended by Counsel of his choice. These are provisions that guide the trial of any person suspected to have committed a crime. It further extends to the right to be tried within a reasonable time by an impartial court or tribunal Thus, the presumption of innocence is the legal principle in criminal cases that one is considered innocent until proven guilty. This therefore means that until a judicial pronouncement is made, a suspect or defendant as the case may be should be treated with dignity as an innocent citizen. Anything to contrary would amount to a breach of the fundamental rights of the individual. See the cases of Tosin .v. State (2023) LPELR-59635 (CA); Onyeka .v. State (2023) LPELR-60520 (CA) and OLALERE .V. STATE (2022) LPELR-58103 (CA). Mob Mentality: Inflamed by sensationalised media coverage, the public can form strong opinions and even resort to mob justice. This can lead to violence, whether against the accused or others associated with them. Interference with Legal Proceedings: Judges do not live on the island, Venus, Moon, Neptune or Mars. They live on earth and interact with members of the society. Media attention can influence judges, potentially leading to unfair trials. It can be difficult for a defendant to receive a fair trial when public opinion has been heavily influenced against him by biased media coverage. In the case of Rajendra Jawanmal Gandhi v. State of Maharashtra, (1997) 8 SCC 386, the Supreme Court of India noted that a trial by press, electronic media, or public agitation is the exact opposite of the rule of law. It held further that Judges should protect themselves from such pressure and scrupulously adhere to the rule of law since failure to do so could result in a miscarriage of justice. Parties are entitled by the Constitution to a fair trial in a court of law by an unbiased tribunal that is not swayed by popular culture or media coverage. Violation of Privacy and Dignity: Suspects, especially those who are later found innocent, can suffer irreversible and irreparable damage to their reputation, mental health, and livelihood due to intrusive media coverage. See section 37 of the 1999 Constitution. Impact on Investigation: Media trials can jeopardise investigations by prematurely revealing sensitive information or influencing potential witnesses or suspects. Undermining Trust in the Justice System: When the public perceives that justice is being served through media sensationalism rather than through fair legal processes, it can erode public confidence and trust in the judiciary and law enforcement agencies. This is the situation our judiciary has found itself. When a wealthy man who is accused of looting the state treasury is acquitted of corruption-related charges, some members of the public readily accuse the judiciary of complicity. Because some Nigerians do not trust the judiciary, they believe, courtesy of media trial, that the judiciary is a tool of the ruling class to consolidate or legitimize their hold on power and the society. Political Manipulation: In some cases, media trials may be used as a tool by powerful interests to manipulate public opinion, discredit political opponents, or distract from other issues. The ongoing trial of the former CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, is a perfect example. Virtually all the bad economic policies of the President Buhari government have been attributed to the leadership of the apex bank under Emefiele and the Bank Managing Directors. Was this really the case? Was Buhari not in charge? There are many instances when suspects who had been subjected to needless media trial were later vindicated by courts of law. Let us see some examples: The siege and break-in through the roof on the residence, abduction and subsequent arrest and arraignment by the EFCC in a clearly orchestrated media trial of former Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State. He was later discharged and acquitted. The trial and subsequent discharge and acquittal, only last month, by the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, of the former Director-General of NIMASA, Mr Patrick Akpobolokemi, after over eight years on trumped up charges of conspiracy, stealing and fraudulent conversion involving the sum of 8.5billion. The court, coram, Justice Ayokunle Faji, upheld his Counsels no-case submission that the Commission had failed to make a prima facie case requiring him to enter his defence in respect of four out of six charges laid against him by the Commission. This was after eight years of gruesome trial and media hype, with Akpobolokemi, being physically dragged on the ground in one instance. The discharge and acquittal earlier this year of the erstwhile Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice under the Administration of the former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr Mohammed Bello Adoke and some companies by the Federal High Court, Abuja (Ekwo, J) and the High Court of the FCT (Kutigi J), on charges of money laundering and abuse of office after over four years of hyped media trial which the latter court strongly condemned and for which it excoriated the Commission for the slip-shod manner in which it undertook what, to all intents and purposes, was a persecution rather than precaution. The investigation into the alleged offences was anything but diligent, forcing the Commissions own Counsel (to his credit) to throw in the towel and admit that he could not, in all honesty, support their continuing trial. I had gotten vacated and set aside the Bench warrant earlier issued against Adoke by Danlami Zama Senchi (now of the Court of Appeal). I was the one who also argued Adokes bail applications before Justices Inyang Ekwo and Idris Legbo Kutigi. Also apposite are the nasty experiences of former Senator Dino Melaye whose cases I also handled; and that of the Supreme Court Justices way back in 2016 (even though the latter was perpetrated by a sister agency, the DSS) . What about late High Chief Aleogho Raymond Dokpesi? He was later discharged on a no case submission after over eight years of horrid trial in which I secured his bail in 2015! The cases of Col. Sambo Dasuki, El Zakzaky and Elder Godsday Orube are well too known to enlist elucidation here. The Commission surely had full knowledge of the ex-parte order made by the Kogi State High Court which had restrained the Commission from arresting Yahaya Bello. Yet, it laid a siege on Bellos Abuja residence. The entire drama (which played out in the full glare of television cameras) was nothing short of disdain for the rule of law and the sanctity of court orders. It is trite law that, until a valid and duly issued court order is set aside either by the same or another court of superior or co-ordinate jurisdiction, it must be obeyed and complied with to the hilt. The proper remedy open to the Commission which disagreed with the order was to challenge it and seek its reversal at the appellate court as it later did, and certainly not to flout or disobey it under any disguise. Needless to say that disobedience to court orders is a feature of self-help only in a society where anything goes; where life is poor, solitary, nasty, brutish and short, to quote the English Philosopher, Thomas John Hobbes. We must never allow Nigeria to degenerate to such a nadir state where government institutions disobey court orders with impunity. That is a ready recipe for organized disenchantment. Indeed, so important is obedience of court order that it is given constitutional imprimatur in Section 287 of the 1999 Constitution. In this regard, in FCDA V KORIPAMO-AGARY (2010) LPELR-4148 (CA), Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili, J.C.A (as he then was) held that: The Court frowns at disobedience of its orders; particularly by the executive branch of government and has used rather harsh language such as executive lawlessness, in describing such acts of disobedience. On the application of an aggrieved party, the Court has in appropriate cases, not hesitated to exercise its coercive power to set aside such acts done in disobedience of its order and restore the parties to the position they were before such disobedience. The rationale for this course of action by the Court is to ensure the enthronement of the rule of law, rather than acquiesce in resorting to self-help by a party. The Court also has the power of sequestration and committal against persons disobeying its orders. It is an overgeneralisation and therefore wrong to say that an act done in disobedience of a Court order is an illegality. See also ALL PROGRESSIVE CONGRESS & 2 ORS V HON DANLADI IDRIS KARFI & 2 ORS [2018] 6 NWLR (Pt 1616) 479, 493 SC and EZEKIEL-HART V EZEKIEL-HART [1990] NWLR (pt 126) 276. where the Supreme Court upheld the same principle. By the same token, it is also settled that once the court is seised of a matter, it becomes dominus litis (master of the proceedings) and no party is allowed to take any step that will either overreach the court or the other party or present the court with a situation of fait accompli or complete helplessness in which whatever orders it makes might either be rendered nugatory or unenforceable. Such will be an affront on the court. See Ojukwu v. Governor of Lagos State (1986) 3NWLR (Pt 26) 39. Conclusion The judgment delivered by the High Court of Kogi State on 17 April finally vindicated Yahaya Bello on this issue as the court pointedly held: Thus, the serial action of the Respondent, dating back to 2021, right up to 2024, targeted against the applicant, has corroded their legitimate statutory duties of investigation and prosecution of financial crimes. These collective infractions on the rights of the applicant border on infringement of his fundamental right from discrimination. Central to the courts rebuke is the condemnation of the anti-graft agencys reliance on media sensationalism, characterised as a form of trial by public opinion. The court firmly asserted the principle that the agencys role is not to act as both prosecutor and Judge simultaneously; but rather to present evidence within the confines of due procedure. This critique underscores the imperative of upholding the rule of law and granting individuals, including Bello, their rightful day in court devoid of extrajudicial influences. Beyond the specifics of Bellos case, there is need for a paradigm shift whereby agencies such as the EFCC, Police, ICPC, DSS et al, adopt a more public-friendly stance akin to their counterparts in advanced jurisdictions such as the United States, the United Kingdom and many European states. The importance of viewing law enforcement as a Service rather than as a Force, underscores the necessity of cultivating public trust and confidence through transparent, law-abiding practices. I hereby emphasise and advocate (as I have always done), strong institutions; not strong men. We must, therefore, strike a balance between reporting matters that are of public interest and respect for the dignity of persons. In India, the Law Commission in its 200th report, Trial by Media: Free Speech versus Fair Trial under Criminal Procedure (Amendments to the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971), has recommended a law to debar the media from reporting anything prejudicial to the rights of the accused in criminal cases, from the time of arrest to investigation and trial. No individual, regardless of his position or authority, is above the law. There is no exception in the sense that even those who are protected from prosecution by the immunity clause in section 308 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, will after vacating the office be answerable like all other citizens and subject themselves willingly or unwillingly to the law. By holding both governmental and non-governmental actors accountable to the law, a commitment to fostering a culture of accountability and respect for individual rights is built and maintained. Be that as it may, the laid down procedures must be followed accordingly. Where such laid down procedures are not tenaciously complied with, it will become an agency of government dictating its own rules, procedures and modus operandi. This is only typical of an autocratic, despotic and dictatorial government which we do not operate. It is in the light of this that the Commission and all other agencies established by laws must ensure that they conduct their operations within the ambit of the laws that established them. The concept of rule of law entails that all actions of government must be carried out as spelt out by the law without any form of self-help. In an ideal society where everyone, the leaders, the followers and the law enforcement agencies follow the law, a pattern develops where there can be a reasonable expectation of what will occur in any given situation. And ultimately, this provides security and safety as people do not need to panic out of uncertainty or feel worried about any situation since what will happen is readily predictable. In the light of these considerations, there is need for a reevaluation of law enforcement practices and a renewed dedication to upholding the rule of law. There must be a balance of the imperatives of justice with the protection of individual rights, particularly in the face of media scrutiny and public pressure. For now, citizen Yahaya Bello wears the toga of victimhood and not of aggression. He should be allowed to have his fair day in court without the present needless ruckus and brouhaha. Mike Ozekhome is a senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Youre right. You dont get a King every time. And so I took my fate in my own hands, hoping to put into play in the sale of Writing for Media and Monetising It, everything I have learnt about selling, from selling charcoal for my mother many years ago, to selling newspapers for the past over 35 years that Ive been a journalist. There are probably more books on how to sell everything than there is sand by the seashore. I have read a few myself and might say that when it comes to selling, even though what you have read might help, nothing teaches like what you learn by doing it. For some, selling feels natural. I cannot remember how many times I have bought stuff that I really didnt need because the sellers made me feel like they were offering the moon on a stick. Good for those who have such skills but when it comes to selling, Im far from a natural. I overthink, over-analyse and take failure to deliver rather personal all perfect signs of a poor salesman. Even after giving it my best shot, I linger on the matter, beating myself over the head about how I might have done better. That was probably why my first book, The Trial of Nuhu Ribadu: A Riveting Story of Nigerias Anti-Corruption War was not a commercial success, even though I closed it believing that recording that important phase of Nigerias life was more important than commercial success. When I set out to write my second book, however, a couple of things had changed. Not the textbook principles of selling such as place, product, promotions, price or physical presence. Sixteen years ago, when that first book was released, the Internet and social media were in their infancy. That has changed. Thinking of Writing? And just as important, I cannot be thinking of writing a book about monetising content, without thinking about how the book will reward my effort and, of course, also inspire young writers. If that was ever going to happen, I needed to be intentional and even if I fail, fail intentionally. 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 Being intentional meant digging a bit more beforehand to find the best combination of theory and practice. Given that social media was going to play a vital role in the effort, a digital migrant like me also needed to immerse a bit more in the cauldron, where for many years I was more than happy to have just one toe in. A group of closet experts Adeyeye Joseph, Freeman Oloruntoba, Emeke Ishiekwene, Wilson Onwuka, Sam Ossai and Ololade Bamidele prepped me for weeks on the perils and promises of riding a digital highway riddled with avatars and the armours I must always remember. On this road, its not enough to look left, right and left again, as your mother taught you. Timing, form, medium and message are just as important. Plus remembering all the time that the vocabulary in your standard English dictionary may have gone stale! If youre happy to make a living, and not a fortune, you need just 1,000 true fans who will climb any mountain, cross any river, and jump any hurdle to buy a minimum quantity of what you have produced over a period of time. With the over 3,000 contacts on my phone, I had to decide who among them could be superfans. KKs Fan Base Rule I must also share something from an article by Kevin Kelly updated in Tim Ferriss book, Tools of Titans. Kellys principle of 1,000 true fans says that a true fan is someone who will buy anything and everything you produce. This rule of true fans says that to be a successful creator, you dont need millions. Not millions of dollars or millions of clients or millions of customers. If youre happy to make a living, and not a fortune, you need just 1,000 true fans who will climb any mountain, cross any river, and jump any hurdle to buy a minimum quantity of what you have produced over a period of time. With the over 3,000 contacts on my phone, I had to decide who among them could be superfans. Kings Exceptionalism But a part of me also kept going to Stephen King. I dont know what it was, whether it was genius or serendipity. But when he made his break there was neither Facebook nor X. There was no Instagram or LinkedIn. He was, quite frankly, an unknown; a man of promise and a good husband no doubt, but nevertheless an unknown part-time teacher and writer, hoping for a break someday. He didnt have a community outside his family of his wife and three children, never mind a fanbase of 1,000. And then he produced Carrie, a book he totally didnt expect much from when he mailed the manuscript to Doubleday, his publisher, which later passed the paperback rights to Signet Books. He was in his kitchen one day, long after the manuscript had been sent, when he got a call from Doubleday that nearly knocked him off his chair. The book, which he would have been delirious to get only $30k from, had just fetched him $400k! Genius or Luck? Dont ask me what that was. Genius, serendipity or a good mix of both. But there you have it! No true fans, no social media, no promotions. Yet, boom! It happened. Youre right. You dont get a King every time. And so I took my fate in my own hands, hoping to put into play in the sale of Writing for Media and Monetising It, everything I have learnt about selling, from selling charcoal for my mother many years ago, to selling newspapers for the past over 35 years that Ive been a journalist. My experience in the past three weeks since Premium Times Books released my book has been funny, thrilling, with not a few surprises and yet these are the early days. Last week, I shared the concerns of one of the journalisms icons and publisher of Vanguard, Sam Amuka, fondly called Uncle Sam, about how to get people to read the book. I know its still a long road to 26 June when the book will be publicly presented, but with followers like Brains Plus Charms, youd better not rule out a Carrie story. Writing for Media and Monetising It, may not be a work of fiction like Kings Carrie, but it was invested with no less heart, passion and planning. The rest, perhaps, is a matter of luck! Not an easy one but Im hoping that sharing how folks can be rewarded in a clear, relatable way while theyre doing what they enjoy doing, might interest more than a few regular folks enough to read. I hope Im right. My Fan-mail If social media feedback were convertible and there have been quite a number of heartfelt ones then King might well be prepared for a good chase. Are you laughing, as I suspect? But seriously, there have also been a few rather curious feedback. One follower Im not sure whether to classify him as super, lightweight or just a passerby sent a message congratulating me profusely for the book. I was naturally hoping the next thing he would ask was how or where he would buy a copy, to which I would have directed him to: www.azu.media. But no. He simply said, Great one, Azu. Send me a copy! That put me on the spot, but not for long. After mulling how to respond, I said, Thank you, Sir. To which he responded with the meme of hands clasped in prayer. End of story! Another one was more social. Amidst a video thread of greetings and wishes for commercial success, this follower simply said, My own na you look goodbrains plus charmshmm. To which I responded with the meme of hands clasped in prayers. Or what? I know its still a long road to 26 June when the book will be publicly presented, but with followers like Brains Plus Charms, youd better not rule out a Carrie story. Writing for Media and Monetising It, may not be a work of fiction like Kings Carrie, but it was invested with no less heart, passion and planning. The rest, perhaps, is a matter of luck! Azu Ishiekwene is Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print It was an ecstatic atmosphere at Ogbonicha-Alloma in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State as available results of the governorship election in the state on Saturday, 21 November, 2015 showed that the illustrious son of the soil, Prince Abubakar Audu was leading with a wide and unassailable margin. The people had good cause to be engrossed in celebration, singing and dancing. But their joy was short-lived as it turned to mourning the next day, Sunday 22 November, 2015. The pride of the community, a former banker and pioneer democratically elected governor of the state had died suddenly and mysteriously, after coasting to a sweeping victory in the previous days governorship election in the state. The flamboyant politician was elected on the platform of the then opposition All Progressives Congress (APC). At the time of his demise, Prince Audu was on the cusp of history as the first person in Nigeria to be democratically elected thrice as governor of a state. He was first elected from 1992 to 1993 and then elected for the second time in 1999 to 2003. His formal declaration as the valid winner of the election by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) for the third separate time was being awaited when his death was made public. The late politicians family suspected foul play, alleging that his death was not natural, as he started complaining of stomach cramps, minutes after eating a meal. His sudden death threw the state and the entire nation into a quandary. Constitutional experts were divided on the position of law as to the non-envisaged situation, given that the constitution and the Electoral Act had no explicit provision for the scenario. The 1999 constitution, as amended, was silent on what happens when a candidate dies or withdraws from the race, while voting is in progress or before a winner is declared by the electoral body. The lack of clear-cut provisions to take care of the logjam gave rise to a welter of opinions that were crystallising into a cloud of uncertainty in the state. Opinions were sharply divided on whether it would be late Prince Audus running mate, Hon James Faleke from Kogi West; the incumbent governor, Captain Idris Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who was the runner up in the election; or a relatively unfledged aspirant in the APC, Yahaya Bello, who should lawfully fill the void. Conversely, the option of a re-run election was weighed by some analysts. The entire country was watching the unfolding drama in the Confluence State. Captain Wada, a former pilot and the PDP candidate as the runner-up in the election, had those rooting for him. Similarly, Hon Faleke, the running mate to late Audu as a former Ikeja Council chairman in Lagos, before his elevation to the House of Representatives, where he was representing Ikeja 2 Federal Constituency, was seen by some as the logical successor. Thirdly, Yahaya Bello, a political neophyte, lacking in pedigree, was the least qualified to be governor among the available options. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Indeed when all the other aspirants had stepped down for Audu in the APC governorship primary, the untested Yahaya Bello was ignored when he refused to step down and proceeded to lose the primary contest woefully to Prince Audu. Some reports had it that he was on the verge of defecting to the PDP after losing the primary. He was only roused to relevance following the death of Mr Audu, with the rumoured backing of the now late Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Abba Kyari. Soon after mounting the governorship seat in Lord Lugard House, Lokoja, Yahaya Bello forgot his humble background. At a point, he vigorously nursed the ambition of becoming president of Nigeria at the expense of more qualified and tested gladiators. He mobilised the entire government apparatus of Kogi State, including members of the state House of Assembly and traditional rulers, to endorse him and join in the wild goose chase. Anyone who opposed him in the state did so at the expense of his/her political or economic survival. He suppressed political opponents and egregiously imposed his kinsman, Usman Ahmey Ododo as his successor. The move defied all democratic and moral barometers. Kogi is a multi-ethnic state comprising three senatorial districts. Although Kogi East, the homestead of the majority Igala ethnic group, constitutes over 50 per cent of the population of the state, the same cannot be said of Yahaya Bellos Kogi Central, which makes up just about twenty per cent. Yet, Yahaya Bello forced his Ebira kinsman down the jugulars of Kogites as governor in the 11 November 2023 election. Not done with tall plots, Bello is now taking on the nations foremost anti-corruption agency, the EFCC. Its like he is unrealistically aiming to dislodge the pillars upon which the nations financial discipline and transparency rests. For the first time, a rash of public angst is swirling against Yahaya Bello. He is at the receiving end, with his political profile ebbing speedily. The self-styled white lion has suddenly gone underground, dodging and hiding from prosecution over sundry criminal charges ignominiously dangling around his neck like manacles. But the question is, for how long can he run and hide? He will surely be smoked out as a drenched white cat and made to answer to the charges of corruption and money laundering preferred against him. A Federal High Court in Abuja will on 10 May rule in the suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Yahaya Bello, who is facing a 19-count charge of money laundering, breach of trust and misappropriation of funds to the tune of N80.2 billion. And rather than allow the law to take its course, Yahaya Bello was aided in escaping appearance in court to respond to the array of charges. On Wednesday 17 April, an attempt by the EFCC to arrest Yahaya Bello at his 9, Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja residence was foiled. Operatives of the anti-graft agency had stormed the street around 9.30 a.m. that day and laid siege to the former governors residence, preventing both human and vehicular movements. The EFCC operatives were, however, prevented from entering the compound by armed policemen dressed in black, with the inscription, Special Forces. The stalemate continued for hours as the EFCC operatives refrained from forcibly entering the house to avoid a looming bloodbath through a violent clash with the other armed men guarding Yahaya Bello. The intention of the EFCC was ostensibly to maintain the siege for more hours or days, to wear the hired guards out before storming the residence. Since escape of Yahaya Bello, his whereabouts are unknown to anyone. Equally, that ignoble act has further dragged his name in the stinking mud. A year ago, the man who styled himself as the White Lion was exultant and looming large. He had dismissed the time-honoured aphorism that power is transient and assumed that he would be at the fulcrum of power for life. Nosike Ogbuenyi writes from Abuja. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print PiggyVest, Africas leading online savings & investing platform, recently unveiled upcoming app features, products, and future plans during its recent town hall event, Open House. Open House is an interactive event series where PiggyVest users join the founders and team members in a relaxed setting to ask questions about the product, learn about the companys product offerings, participate in games, and connect with other PiggyVest users. The event made a return after a hiatus since 2019, following the companys eight year anniversary last April. During the events keynote address, Odunayo Eweniyi, Co-founder and Chief Operations Officer at PiggyVest, expressed gratitude to the platforms nearly 5 million savings platform users and over 2 million PocketApp users, who have made the product what it currently is. She emphasised the companys continuous commitment to developing innovative products tailored to meet the needs of millions of Nigerians. Since its inception in 2016, PiggyVest has been helping Nigerians save, manage, and grow their finances through simplified, digital and automated savings and investment opportunities, and in eight years, the company has grown to earn the trust of almost 5 million users. On average, users are saving and investing approximately 25,000 per second. During his Q & A session, Josh Chibueze, Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer at PiggyVest introduced users to HouseMoney, a newly released PiggyVest feature designed to help users save up for house rent and bills. This is just the beginning, Mr Chibueze said. We have noticed a huge gap in rent financing, and we are already working on more ways to help Nigerians finance their rent seamlessly, he aaded. He also hinted at an upcoming feature aimed at improving salary management, providing users with greater control over their salaries. 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 Although the date of release is still unknown, the Head of Partnerships at PiggyVest, Terry Kanu introduced users to PiggyVest for Businesses, a forthcoming service set to provide businesses with enhanced financial tools to optimize their operations and growth strategies. Participants also actively shared their experiences using PiggyVest and posed questions to the founders about the products and services from the company. The event featured engaging game sessions, offering attendees the opportunity to win prizes such as bags of rice and rechargeable standing fans. In his closing remarks, Mr Chibueze expressed appreciation to attendees and assured them of future Open House events. He encouraged them to stay connected with PiggyVest through its social media channels to stay updated on news and releases from the company. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print On Thursday, 2nd May, 2024, the Bank of Industry (BOI) hosted a landmark stakeholder engagement forum for the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) initiative. Held at the Four Points by Sheraton Lagos, the event drew a distinguished gathering of government officials, industry leaders, and creative professionals. The stakeholder conference provided a necessary platform for insightful discussions, emphasizing iDICEs potential to unlock economic prosperity through innovation and job creation. A collaborative initiative spearheaded by the Federal Government of Nigeria and executed by BOI, iDICE aims to propel significant investment in the nations technology and creative ecosystems. Co-funded by the African Development Bank (AFDB), Agence francaise de developpement (AFD), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and private investors, iDICE embodies a collaborative effort towards sustainable growth and innovation. The forum commenced with a powerful welcome address by Olasupo Olusi, MD/CEO of BOI as he emphasised the critical role of iDICE in propelling Nigerias economic growth. Citing a recent National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report, he highlighted the creative industrys existing contribution of over 2.3% to Nigerias GDP. With the support of iDICE, Mr Olusi expressed optimism that this contribution could rise to 5% within the next five years. In his words, Nigeria stands at a pivotal juncture where the fusion of technology and creativity has the potential to drive unprecedented growth and innovation. In fact, a recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics shows that the creative industry alone contributes over 2.3% to Nigerias GDP, and with the right support and investment, we can increase this contribution to 5% in the next 5 years. Research has shown that supporting the digital and creative economy can create over 2.7 million jobs in Nigeria by 2025. The global digital economy is projected to reach $23 trillion in 2025, and Nigeria must position itself to tap into this market. iDICE is a critical step in this direction. Following Mr Olusis address, the forum delved into engaging sessions featuring prominent figures in the digital and creative spheres. Mr Obi Asika, Director General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, presented the first strategic roadmap for the creative sector and economy. Next, Femi Adeluyi, the iDICE technical committee co-chair, delivered a speech on the programmes significance, emphasising the importance of institutional strengthening for long-term success. It is very important to strengthen institutions; if not, we cannot have continuity. With iDICE, were ensuring that the kind of training that people have is the one that makes them globally relevant. We want a situation where we have local expertise, as well as being globally relevant, he said. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Kashifu Inuwa, Director General/CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), who was ably represented by Aristotle Onumo, delivered the second strategic roadmap. A representative of the African Development Bank, Tupira Muzira, also offered a goodwill message, solidifying the initiatives collaborative spirit. The forum included engaging, interactive panel discussions that fostered lively exchanges among the guests. Moderated by Tope Toogun, CEO of Cognity Advisory, the first panel titled Optimising Stakeholder Engagement in Programme Delivery, featured insightful contributions from the panelists. The second panel, moderated by Joshua Adedeji, the Country Lead for the Global Alliance Africa Programme, focused on Leveraging Partnerships to Grow Tech and Creative Ecosystems. The speakers provided valuable insights into powerful partnerships to propel Nigerias tech and creative sectors. The forum concluded with a rousing closing remark by Isa Onagu, General Manager at BOI, leaving a lasting impression of shared purpose and commitment to propelling Nigerias digital and creative economy to new heights. BOIs iDICE stakeholder engagement forum stands as a pivotal moment, igniting a collective effort to unlock the immense potential of Nigerias digital and creative industries. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS), on Thursday, sealed two hotels, an event centre and other business premises within the Kaduna metropolis over N422.6 million in unpaid taxes. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the sealed business premises were Seals Admiralty Naval Suites, owned by Navy Travels and Tours, Abuja and Deluxe Suites located at Ali Akilu Road, Kaduna. Others were Big City Event Centre, Bijo Surgical & Scientific Limited, Zedvance Finance Limited, TXTLight Power Solution, Lek Dental & Maxillofacial Hospital, Azaka, and Enyo filling station, among others. Speaking to journalists at the sideline of the exercise, Aysha Ahmad, KADIRS Board Secretary and Legal Adviser, said the exercise was aimed at enforcing compliance by the businesses that failed to discharge their civic responsibilities of tax payment. Mrs Ahmad added that KADIRS, in the exercise of the powers vested in it by section 104 of the Personal Income Tax Act, sealed up the business premises due to the huge established tax liabilities. As usual, we are left with no option than the powers vested on us by the law to enforce compliance. This is why we are restraining on the premises, she said. Mrs Ahmad stressed that KADIRS derived no joy in sealing properties or business arenas of tax defaulters, adding that the payment of taxes was a civic responsibility of every citizen. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later She said that they encouraged voluntary compliance, which is why they exhaust all possible means before enforcement. Speaking further, the board secretary said the enforcement was part of their process to achieve the N120 billion revenue target set for the service by the Kaduna State Government. She, therefore, called on the people of the state to ensure voluntary tax compliance, describing it as a civic responsibility. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Netanyahu vows to continue attacks in Gaza despite Biden's threat to halt weapon shipment Xinhua) 21:54, May 09, 2024 JERUSALEM, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement on Thursday that the Israeli forces will continue their attacks in Gaza despite the U.S. threat to halt some weapon shipments. "If Israel is forced to stand alone -- Israel will stand alone," said Netanyahu in a public speech made on Sunday's Israeli Holocaust Memorial Day and posted on his official X account on Thursday. The Israeli prime minister added that "no amount of pressure" will stop Israel from "defending itself." During a CNN interview on Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden said that he would halt some shipments of U.S. weapons to Israel if Netanyahu launches a major invasion of Rafah, the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip where more than 1 million Palestinians are taking refuge. "We're not walking away from Israel's security. We're walking away from Israel's ability to wage war in those areas," said Biden. The U.S. president admitted that Israel used U.S. bombs on civilians in Gaza. "Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers," said Biden. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday that the U.S. had already paused "one shipment of high payload munitions" to Israel. The United States has sent hundreds of shipments of weapons to Israel since the ongoing conflict broke up on Oct. 7, 2023, according to reports from U.S. news outlets. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Kou Jie) A factional speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly emerged on Wednesday, creating confusion and deepening the political crisis in the oil-rich Rivers State. The spokesperson to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Chukwudi Nelson, announced the emergence of Victor Oko-Jumbo, a member representing Bonny State Constituency, as the factional speaker in a statement forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday. The statement, signed by the factional speaker, Mr Oko-Jumbo and G. M. Gillis-West, said to be the clerk of the assembly, claimed Mr Oko-Jumbo emerged as speaker during plenary on Wednesday. The fact that the statement announcing the emergence of Mr Oko-Jumbo as a factional speaker is being circulated by the spokesperson to Mr Fubara shows that he (Oko-Jumbo) has the governors endorsement. The development is about 24 hours after Governor Fubara declared that the Rivers State has no House of Assembly. Rivers Assembly The Rivers legislature is a 32-member assembly. One lawmaker died shortly after the 2023 general elections, leaving 31 members. Out of 31 members, 27 are loyal to the immediate past governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, now the minister of FCT, while four are loyal to Governor Fubara. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Wike, who was instrumental to the emergence of Mr Fubara as governor, has since fallen out with Governor Fubara, a development that split the assembly into two factions. Martins Amaewhule is the speaker of the Wike-backed faction, while Edison Ehie was the speaker of the four-member faction backed by Governor Fubara. The political feud between Messrs Fubara and Wike steadily deteriorated, prompting the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, who midwifed a peace deal between them after the seats of Mr Wike-backed lawmakers were declared vacant following their defection to the APC. After the peace deal, Mr Ehie resigned as speaker and also from the assembly. He was appointed chief of Staff to Governor Fubara, leaving the governors faction with just three lawmakers. It is not clear if Mr Oko-Jumbos emergence as speaker has the backing of the other two lawmakers With their overwhelming majority, the pro-Wike lawmakers, after their return to the assembly, have been at loggerheads with Governor Fubara. They have, for at least six times, overrode the governors veto on bills passed by the assembly. Speech by factional speaker In his acceptance speech, Mr Oko-Jumbo thanked the members for electing him as the new speaker sequel to the resignation of the former factional speaker, Mr Ehie. The factional speaker, Mr Oko-Jumbo, said: This is in line with Section 92(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (CFRN 1999) as Amended. He described Mr Amaewhule as a former speaker. You will agree with me that after the House last sat on the 13th of December, 2023, and adjourned sine dine, there has been an avalanche of legislative rascality perpetrated by the 25 former members of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly, led by the former Speaker, Mr Amaewhule. These former members, being fully aware of the provisions of Section 109(1)(g) of the CFRN 1999, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Party (APC) on the 11th of December, 2023. Consequently, the Mr Ehie-led Assembly, on the 13th of December, 2023, wrote to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declaring the seats of the 25 lawmakers vacant in line with Section 109(1)(g) and (2) of the CFRN 1999. My distinguished colleagues, there are a plethora of cases pending in our courts further to the defection of the former lawmakers. Speaking further, Mr Oko-Jumbo described the Wike-backed assembly as illegal and declared that actions taken by them were null and void. All laws, plenary sessions and actions taken by the illegal House members are hereby declared void and a nullity in the eyes of the law by the judgment of Lord Denning in the celebrated case of MacFoy v UAC (1961) 3 All ER 1169. Lord Denning held in that case that you cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand. Particularly, Lord Denning stated: If an act is void, then it is in law a nullity. It is not only bad but incurably bad. There is no need for an order of court to set it aside. It is automatically null and void without more ado, though it is sometimes more convenient to have the court declare it to be so. You cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stay there. It will collapse, he added. Mr Oko-Jumbo called on the executive arm, the judiciary and the general public to disregard every law enacted by the illegal assembly members. The factional speaker urged Governor Fubara to desist forthwith from further dealings with the other faction of the assembly. Those members are merely floating and do not have any landing ground or anywhere to berth their ship since their defection to the All Progressives Congress on the 11th of December, 2023. This House is the legally and constitutionally recognised House of Assembly by the defection of the other members and is ready to receive correspondences from and work with the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Fubara. Distinguished colleagues, he said. Mr Amaewhule, the speaker of Mr Wike-backed faction, did not respond to a request for comment on the development when contacted on Wednesday night. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The House of Representatives has asked Vice President Kashim Shettima to convene an emergency meeting of the board of Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) to resuscitate the 252MW Gbarain power plant in Bayelsa State. The lawmakers made the call on Thursday following a motion of urgent public importance moved by Oboku Oforji (PDP, Bayelsa) during plenary. Mr Shettima is the Chairperson of the Board of NDPHC, an entity that owns Gbarain power plants and several power plants in the country. Other members of the board include Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and Nasiru Idris of Kebbi State, the Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas) and Ekperikpe Ekpo. In the motion, Mr Oforji said the Gbarain power plant which was built at a cost of $400 million had been abandoned for the past four years after an inferno that gutted the plant. Mr Oforji stated that NDPHC has shown a lack of capacity to effectively resuscitate the plant after the inferno. He explained that the Bayelsa State Government had to rehabilitate some parts of the plant while the core parts lay in waste. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The lawmaker said despite the importance of the power plant to Bayelsa State and the Niger Delta region, NDPHC has failed to replace the burnt equipment at the power plant. Bayelsa State government undertook the rehabilitation and restoration of power supply through the 60MVA,132/33KV power transformer which is currently supplying the Gbarain power station auxiliaries and the host communities through the 215 MVA33/11KV injection substation which was not functioning before the intervention, Mr Oforji said. The lawmaker explained that the power plant is linked to gas infrastructure that will ensure constant power supply. He noted that despite the strategic importance of the power plant, NDPHC plans to abandon it instead of resuscitating the plant. READ ALSO: Faulty presidential aircraft forces VP Shettima to cancel US trip Saddened that rather than resuscitate the power plant which is built with $400 million, and valued today at over $800million, the management of the NDPHC is proposing to designate the 252MW power station as a construction site, thereby abandoning its primary responsibility of running it to the benefit of the state, the Niger Delta and the nation at large, Mr Oforji said. Following the presentation of the motion, the House ruled that the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company should appear before the House Committee on Power and shed light on the state of the company and the Gbarain Power Plant in particular. Members voted in support of the bill when it was put to vote by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Some Badagry communities of Lagos State, on Thursday, decried the prolonged power outage of over 18 months in the area by the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC). Some residents of the communities in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said the outage had paralysed the economic and social activities of their communities. NAN reports that the Badagry communities affected by the outage include Jegba Quarters, Posikoh, Huntoh, Farakoh, Igbaho and Awahjigoh in Badagry Local Government. Arowolo Lukuman, the chairman of the Electricity Committee of the area, said the outage was due to a fault in their transformer on 22 October 2022. We reported the fault to EKEDCs office in Badagry and Agbara. They asked us to contribute money which we did; after which some technical crew from the Agbara office came to fix the fault but a few days later, the transformer exploded again. We met their officials at Agbara and Marina on the issue, they told us that the community is owing over N4.5 million to the company, out of which we should pay at least N2.5 million before they can repair it, he said. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Joseph Gbebe, another landlord in Jegba Quarters, said the residents had met the Chairman of Badagry Local Government, Olusegun Onilude, who promised to buy a new transformer for them. But he later changed his mind because the transformer he bought for a community in Badagry had not been energised. The official of Eko Disco advised us to collect the money from the council chairman to pay off our debt instead of buying a new transformer. We are in complete darkness but our neighbouring communities have electricity, he said. Kehinde Akapo, a fashion designer at Posikoh, said most of his customers had abandoned him due to the outage. According to Mr Akapo, he rented his shop in September and the outage began a month later. I cannot ask the landlord to refund my money. I charge higher than other designers where they have electricity supply, so many of my customers withdrew. We are appealing to EKEDC to repair and restore the supply, then we will renegotiate how to pay the debt. I wasnt aware of any debt before I rented my shop, they should consider our plight, he said. Segun Idowu, manager of a cool spot in the Marina area of Badagry, said he spends close to N40,000 daily to buy petrol to power his generators. Mr Idowu appealed to the management of EKEDC to fix the transformer and restore supply to communities in the area. Iyabode Ashogbon, a landlady at Jegba Quarters, said most of her tenants had packed out of her building due to the outage. Christiana Emmanuel, a frozen foods seller, said she could no longer continue with the business. According to her, she now sells liquid soap due to the outage. She appealed to the electricity company to restore supply to the communities. When contacted, Segun Kosoko, the Public Relations Officer, Agbara District Office, EKEDC, said electricity consumers under the Palace 1 transformer allegedly owed N20.17 million as of May 2023 and not N4.5 million. According to him, we have held a series of meetings with consumers in those communities and told them that for the transformer to be repaired or replaced, they have to pay 60 per cent of what they owe. The managements directive is that part of the debts should be paid. For the transformer to be repaired, they have to make appreciable payments against their debts in their electricity bills. The last payment by residents in those communities was just N38,500 in May 2023, he said. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Ibadan Division of the Court of Appeal has temporarily relocated to Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, where the appellate court is handling a backlog of over 100 cases. Four panels began sitting on Thursday, with three panellists each at the Judiciary Complex in Kobape, on the outskirts of Abeokuta. Described as an intervention week, the court is using the period to handle the cases which emanated from Ogun State and constitute 80 per cent of cases before the court. The state Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade, addressing journalists on the development, noted that the cases, mostly on commercial activities, constituted the bulk of cases before the appellate court. He said this explained the temporary relocation of the court from Ibadan in Oyo State to Ogun State. Statistically, the bulk of cases handled by the Ibadan Division of the Court of Appeal emanate from Ogun State. It is long due for the state to have its division of the court of appeal, he stated. The President of the Court of Appeal, Monica Dongban-Mensem, a Justice, has been present in the state to monitor the intervention exercise. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Meanwhile, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has solicited the creation of the states Division of the Court of Appeal to aid quick dispensation of justice. Mr Abiodun made the request when he received the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta. He said the setting up of the Ogun Division of the Court would ease the workload of judges in the Ibadan Division. My plea is that this initiative that you have resuscitated, perhaps we can have it repeated periodically and this will be as a precursor to the request that we made sometime in 2020 when I wrote to the then President, asking that he should please consider setting up the Ogun State Division of the Court of Appeal. That request is strengthened by your trip here because you also alluded to the fact that when you were in the Ibadan Division, most cases were from Ogun State, he said. The governor, who commended the Appeal Court President for working tirelessly to ensure quick disposition of appeals in all the divisions through her decongestion initiative, noted that this would lead to an efficient justice delivery system in the country, as justice delayed is justice denied. According to the Appeal Court president, about 150 cases are to be heard and concluded in the scheme, which is being handled by 10 panels. I am sure these cases would span between criminal, commercial and civil cases, and this will immediately unlock enterprises and commercial activities, and strengthen social order that otherwise would have been stopped because of the dragging of the cases for many years, the governor said. He disclosed that his administration had carried out several reforms aimed at repositioning the justice system, including the implementation of the Multi-Court House Scheme, as well as the appointment of 22 judges in the state. Speaking earlier, the Appeal Court president, Ms Dongban-Mensem, said her visit to the Ibadan Division was to reduce appeal cases that had been dragging due to lack of time, occasioned by election and commercial appeals. She disclosed that the Division had one of the highest workloads of all the divisions of the Courts of Appeal, adding that the situation was made worse by the depletion of judges as a result of posting, promotion, retirement or death. She regretted that the Ibadan Division of the court, which had two divisions in the past, was reduced to one, hence the current workload. She, however, assured that something would be done to address the imbalance. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print NEW YORK, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The eight-county New York area continues to be home to the greatest concentration of Jewish people of any metropolitan area in the United States, according to UJA-Federation of New York's Jewish Community Study of New York 2023. Released today, the study, is based on nearly 6,000 questionnaires that were completed during the spring of 2023. The study examines and reports on community size, demographics, poverty, mental health, Jewish ritual observance, and participation in Jewish programs. "The 2023 Jewish Community Study of New York offers a comprehensive snapshot of our community. Particularly in this challenging moment, these insights will help guide funding decisions so we can reach people where they are and ensure the strength of our Jewish community and the institutions serving them," said Eric S. Goldstein, CEO, UJA-Federation of New York. In the report, UJA does not make direct comparisons about the change in Jewish population from 2011 the year of the last New York Jewish population study to 2023 because of methodological differences between the two studies, including mode differences in how the two surveys were conducted (telephone interviews compared to web-based surveys), survey identification processes, and weighting procedures. As a result, when considering the change in the population over time, the 2023 study presents a historical view (looking back to studies in both 1991 and 2002) to provide long-term population trends. Over the past three decades, the New York area has experienced broad stability in the total number of Jewish adults and children in the eight-county area, with the Jewish population hovering around 1.4 million people. Key findings: Total Jewish Population: Jewish Adults Jewish Children Jewish People Bronx 29,000 4,000 33,000 Brooklyn 305,000 157,000 462,000 Manhattan 237,000 40,000 277,000 Queens 126,000 23,000 150,000 Staten Island 35,000 2,000 38,000 Subtotal 732,000 227,000 960,000 Nassau 177,000 45,000 222,000 Suffolk 77,000 7,000 85,000 Westchester 88,000 16,000 105,000 Subtotal 343,000 68,000 412,000 Total 1,076,000 296,000 1,372,000 Poverty Nearly 1 in 5 Jewish households (20%) is poor or near-poor, with incomes under 250% of the federal poverty guideline. In the eight-county area, 147,000 Jewish households are poor or near-poor, representing about 428,000 people. More than a third of children in Jewish households (36%) live in or near poverty. Jewish poverty is concentrated in Brooklyn , the Bronx , and Staten Island . , the , and . 33% of Jewish households received government benefits. Denomination 20% of Jewish households identify as Reform. 19% of Jewish households identify as Orthodox. 15% of Jewish households identify as Conservative. 47% of Jewish households report no or some other denominational identification. There are approximately 430,000 Jews who live in Orthodox households, comprising 249,000 adults and 181,000 children. Demographics In 2023, there were an estimated 13,000 Holocaust survivors living in Jewish households in the eight-county area, 92% of whom lived in New York City . The largest number of these individuals live in Brooklyn , accounting for 65% of the total number of survivors in the eight-county area. . The largest number of these individuals live in , accounting for 65% of the total number of survivors in the eight-county area. 14% of Jewish households include a person who identifies as LGBTQ+. The overall percentage of married couples who are intermarried is 37%. In the eight-county area, 28% Jewish adults are above the age of 65. One in eight Jewish adults (12%) identifies as non-white (Black, Asian, multiracial, or other) and/or Hispanic. This includes the 7% of Jews who did not identify as white in our study, plus an additional 5% who identified as white and Hispanic. The U.S. Census is prohibited from asking questions about religion, so the 2023 Jewish Community Study of New York is the prime source of information about the Jewish community in the current moment. The survey collected data from a cross-sectional, representative sample of New York-area adults who live in a Jewish household. The geographic scope is the New York eight-county area the five New York City boroughs, Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester counties. A complete methodological report can be found online at: https://communitystudy.ujafedny.org/methodology. UJA-Federation contracted with the research firm SSRS to design this study and collect the data. The margin of error for the entire sample of adults in Jewish households is 1.5 percentage points. SOURCE UJA-Federation of New York Charli XCX Accepts ASCAP Global Impact Award NEW YORK, May 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, the only US PRO to operate on a not-for-profit basis, announces the winners of the 2024 ASCAP Pop Music Awards. Olivia Rodrigo and co-writer Daniel Nigro, who ruled the pop charts in the past year with "vampire" and "bad idea right?" are this year's ASCAP Pop Music Songwriters of the Year. It is the second win for Rodrigo, who first scored the honor in 2022. Chappell Roan presents Nigro with his award tonight at an invitation-only event in Los Angeles celebrating this year's ASCAP Pop Music Award winners. British avant-pop and electronic sensation Charli XCX receives the ASCAP Global Impact Award for the enduring worldwide popularity of her music. Charli is gearing up for the release of her sixth solo album, BRAT on June 7 and a North American tour with Troye Sivan, who will present her with the award. "Calm Down," performed by Rema and featuring Selena Gomez wins ASCAP Pop Song of the Year. Co-written by Rema, Gomez, Michael "LONDON" Hunter, Amanda "Kiddo AI" Ibanez and Andre Vibez, the song topped the Billboard Pop, Adult Pop and Rhythmic Airplay charts, and hit #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Calm Down" is published by Hook Like Behavior, Kobalt Music Publishing, Livelihood Music Company, SMG Tunes, Sony Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group and Warner Chappell Music. Publisher of the Year goes to Universal Music Publishing Group for songs including "Calm Down," "Cuff It" (Beyonce), "Dance the Night" (Dua Lipa), "Barbie World" (Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice with Aqua), "Lavender Haze" (Taylor Swift), "Paint the Town Red" (Doja Cat), "Star Walkin' (League of Legends Worlds Anthem)" (Lil Nas X) and "Sure Thing" (Miguel). Other 2024 ASCAP Pop Music Award-winning songwriters include Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff ("All I Want for Christmas Is You"), Dua Lipa ("Dance the Night"), Noah Kahan ("Dial Drunk"), St. Vincent ("Cruel Summer"), Meghan Trainor ("Made You Look") and Leon Thomas ("Snooze"). The ASCAP Pop Music Awards honor the songwriters and publishers of the most-performed ASCAP pop songs of 2023. The winning songs are determined by data on terrestrial and satellite radio and for programmed and on-demand audio streams, all provided by Luminate Data LLC in accordance with ASCAP's publicly available rules. More information on the 2024 ASCAP Pop Music Award winners is available at www.ascap.com/popawards24 . About ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a membership association of more than 975,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers, and represents some of the world's most talented music creators. In 2023, ASCAP reported record-high financial results of $1.737 billion in revenues and $1.592 billion available in royalty distribution monies to its members. Over the last eight years, ASCAP has delivered a 7% compound annual growth rate for total revenues, and an 8% compound annual growth rate for total royalty distributions to members. Founded and governed by songwriters, composers and publishers, it is the only performing rights organization in the U.S. that operates on a not-for-profit basis. ASCAP licenses a repertory of over 19 million musical works to hundreds of thousands of businesses that use music, including streaming services, cable television, radio and satellite radio and brick and mortar businesses such as retail stores, hotels, clubs, restaurants and bars. ASCAP collects the licensing fees; identifies, matches and processes trillions of performances every year; and returns nearly 90 cents of every dollar back to its members as royalties. The ASCAP blanket license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. ASCAP puts music creators first, advocating for their rights and the value of music on Capitol Hill, driving innovation that moves the industry forward, building community and providing the resources and support that creators need to succeed in their careers. Learn more and stay in touch at www.ascap.com , on Twitter and Instagram @ASCAP and on Facebook . SOURCE ASCAP - American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Scholarship Covers Tuition and All Expenses DENVER, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Jade Araujo, an enrolled member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) in Massachusetts and a descendant of the Tlingit and Koyukon Athabascan tribes in Alaska, is the third person to have been awarded the American Indian College Fund Law School Scholarship. Araujo is a senior at Stanford University who will graduate in June with a degree in political science and will enter Harvard Law School in the fall. She is the daughter of Todd Araujo (Aquinnah Wampanoag) and Jaeleen Kookesh (Tlingit and Koyukon Athabascan). left to right: Jade, Antone, and Maya Araujo in their Tlingit regalia. The American Indian College Fund Law School Scholarship was funded by a $1 million gift from an anonymous donor. It covers tuition and all costs of attendance for an American Indian or Alaska Native law student enrolled in Harvard Law School's three-year course of study. The scholarship goal is to eliminate financial hurdles to earning a Juris Doctor degree at Harvard Law School and to increase the number of Natives with a law degree to ensure the rights of Indigenous people and their nations are upheld. Araujo is the third scholar to receive this prestigious scholarship from the College Fund. She credits Eleanor Hebert (Aquinnah Wampanoag), her paternal grandmother, for igniting her interest to attend Harvard Law School. Araujo says she is interested in the rigor and level of academic resources at Harvard, as well as its history with and proximity to the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribal lands on Martha's Vineyard. The first Native American graduate of Harvard University, Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck, was Aquinnah Wampanoag. Araujo notes she also has Cape Verdean ancestry and is drawn to Boston's large Cape Verdean community. Araujo comes from a family with a background steeped in the law. Both of Araujo's parents attended law school and her father was the first-ever Aquinnah Wampanoag attorney. Her late maternal grandfather, Albert Kookesh, was one of first Alaska Natives to attend law school and was a fierce advocate for Alaska Native rights. Araujo was raised in Juneau, Alaska on Tlingit land. It was there, she said, surrounded by Alaska Native leaders like her mother and grandfather, where she was inspired by the innovative ways tribes can use the law to protect their cultures and secure their futures. As an intern for U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts), Araujo learned the skills needed to be an effective government leader. She conducted background research for the Honoring Promises to Native Nations Actlegislation that would reaffirm the nation-to-nation relationship between the federal government and Tribal Nations and strengthen federal programs that support Native communities, such as Native education, health care, and housing. She also interned at the White House in the Office of Legislative Affairs, where she met members of Congress and wrote memoranda for White House staff on Congressional hearings and events. Araujo's experience in Washington, D.C. gave her valuable insight into the need for a background in, and knowledge about, important policy issues and how they will impact citizens. She also began to understand the importance of communicating with constituents about how laws will be implemented, as it often takes time for the impact of the law to be seen. Araujo's main interest is constitutional law. "I have seen the ways Supreme Court decisions have impacted Tribal communities, such as Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta, which limited tribal sovereignty." Whether it is the Indian Child Welfare Act, water rights, or jurisdiction over cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous women, she believes Native people schooled in the law are needed to represent their communities, as much of what happens in Indian Country hangs on the decisions of the nine Supreme Court justices. In addition to Indian Country needing more Native lawyers, Araujo said more Native law clerks are needed at the federal level because many judges and justices have little experience with Federal Indian law. She explained that this gives rise to "confusing and contradictory decisions that undermine tribal sovereignty at almost every turn." She added, "I would also love to see a Native Supreme Court justice!" It is not just lawyers, judges, justices, and legislators that are important in safeguarding Native communities' rights. Every citizen plays a role through their vote, making it important that Native people register and cast their ballots. "People's voices inform elected officials as to where to go with their policy." In her spare time, Araujo enjoys spending time with her family. In addition to her parents, she has a twin sister (Maya) attending the University of California, Los Angeles and a younger brother (Antone) who will graduate from high school next month. Jade says they provide her with the most humor and support in her life. She also loves movies and dancing. She participated in a traditional Tlingit dance group throughout her childhood. She is currently a member of the Stanford American Indian Organization, Alaska Native Student Association, and Stanford Women Politics, which connects her to women on campus interested in law and policy. She also spent a quarter abroad in Madrid, Spain through Stanford's overseas studies program. There, she was a practicum student at Fundacion Mujeresa foundation for women's rightson their violence prevention team. "I am so honored and humbled to have been chosen to receive this scholarship," Araujo said. About the American Indian College Fund The American Indian College Fund has been the nation's largest charity supporting Native higher education for 34 years. The College Fund believes "Education is the answer" and provided $17.4 million in scholarships and other direct student support to American Indian students in 2022-23. Since its founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than $319 million in scholarships, programs, community, and tribal college support. The College Fund also supports a variety of academic and support programs at the nation's 35 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators and is one of the nation's top 100 charities named to the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit www.collegefund.org. Journalists The American Indian College Fund does not use the acronym AICF. On second reference, please use the College Fund. SOURCE American Indian College Fund 20 of the Nation's Most Talented Artists, All YoungArts Award Winners, Receive High Honor Bestowed by the President of the United States MIAMI, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- YoungArts congratulates the 161 high school seniors selected for the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Presidential Scholars, with special acknowledgment to the 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts (full list below), YoungArts award winners who were nominated for the honor by YoungArts. The U.S. Presidential Scholars awardone of the nation's highest honors for high school students who exemplify academic excellence, leadership qualities and community serviceis presented on behalf of the President of the United States and honors up to 161 graduating high school seniors of high potential each year. To be selected as a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, students must have attended National YoungArts Week. The 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts Clive Chang, President of YoungArts, said, "YoungArts is proud to celebrate the incoming class of U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts. These studentswho have so impressively demonstrated academic and artistic excellence, along with commitment to and leadership in their communitiesrepresent the next generation of artistic changemakers who will continue to use their skills and creativity to help us broaden our understanding of the world. YoungArts is thrilled to support them today, and to invest in their lifelong creative freedom." "The 161 high school seniors selected for the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Presidential Scholars program represent the best of our nation's schools and inspire hope in the bright future of this country," said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. "On behalf of President Biden, I am delighted to celebrate their accomplishments, and encourage these scholars to continue to aim high, lift up others, and embrace opportunities to lead." The 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts are: Name Hometown City, State School YoungArts Discipline and Winner Year Paola Alvarez Ramirez Miami, FL New World School of the Arts Visual Arts, 2024 Detola Badmus Elmont, NY Fiorello H. Laguardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts Voice, 2024 Edward Chen Irvine, CA Orange County High School of the Arts Dance, 2023 Lauren Cheng Burlingame, CA Burlingame High School Design, 2024 Patrick Flanagan Dallas, TX St. Mark's School of Texas Photography, 2024 Ale Fonseca Miami, FL Miami Arts Studio 6-12 @ Zelda Glazer Voice, 2024 Niveah Glover Jacksonville, FL Douglas Anderson School of the Arts Writing, 2022 Brian Guan Dublin, CA Dublin High School Writing, 2024 Hannah Hong Yorktown, VA Grafton High School Visual Arts, 2024 Iris Hur Paramus, NJ Bergen County Academies Classical Music, 2023 Ian Kim Glendale, CA Harvard-Westlake School High School Campus Photography, 2022 Jessie Leitzel Mount Pleasant, SC Charleston County School of the Arts Writing, 2024 Gabrielle Liberman Summit, NJ Kent Place School Voice, 2024 Erin Park Chino, CA Chino High School Dance, 2022 Chase Phillips Louisville, KY duPont Manual Magnet High School Theater, 2024 Nalin Reed Trussville, AL Alabama School of Fine Arts Theater, 2022 Christian Trimmingham Richmond, VA Interlochen Arts Academy Theater, 2024 Ming Wei Yeoh Chanhassen, MN Minnetonka High School Writing, 2024 Nicholas Yoo Ramsey, NJ Delbarton School Classical Music, 2024 Harmony Zhu Cresskill, NJ The Brearley School Classical Music, 2023 Interviews can be facilitated, and images are available upon request. Media Contacts: Dave Adams, YoungArts [email protected] Sara Ory, Polskin Arts [email protected] SOURCE YoungArts Acclaimed esports content creator Eiya is proud to announce the first-ever MMO Awards, airing Saturday, August 31, 2024. DALLAS, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The first-ever MMO Awards aims to recognize Massively Multiplayer Online games and the impact they've had on the gaming industry over the past year. From the developers and titles to the content creators, esports competitors and community members, the MMO Awards will comprise awards categories and exclusive content that celebrate every facet of the genre. It will also feature special appearances by recognizable figures from throughout the MMO category. "I'm so excited to be able to showcase the diverse range of personality, talent, and creativity within the MMO space at a scale that has never been done before," said Gillian "Eiya" Long, founder and host of the MMO Awards. Having spent the past 10 years serving as a content producer, host, and caster for some of the genre's premier live-streamed events, Long is thrilled by the opportunity to celebrate MMOs on a grand stage. She hopes this event will bring more awareness to the genre and create an annual celebration that MMO fans can anticipate for years to come. "I truly believe this event can become a staple in the community," Long said. "Something that MMO fans will anticipate for years to come, so they can personally witness it grow to new heights year after year." To help in the planning and execution of the first-annual MMO Awards, Eiya brought on the help of EverEmber Creative, a content agency based out of Dallas, Texas that focuses on the gaming and streaming space. Prior to the event, EverEmber Creative developed supporting content for OTK's 2024 Games Expo and Filian's First-Annual Vtuber Awards. "When Eiya had the idea for an MMO awards show, we jumped at the opportunity," said Kevin von Atzigen, co-founder and CEO of EverEmber Creative. "An event of this magnitude and reach can really only be helmed by someone like her, and we're thrilled to partner with her and help bring this vision to life." "The MMO Awards will be a night to remember for fans, creators, devs, and beyond," Long said. "And for the first time ever, we'll have the privilege to celebrate our community, together." The MMO Awards will air Saturday, August 24 at 8 p.m. EDT officially on Eiya's Twitch channel (twitch.tv/eiya) and will simulcast on the streams of approved streamer partners. For more information, visit https://mmoawards.com. Contact: Austin Reed ***@everembercreative.com Photo(s): https://www.prlog.org/13019135 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE The MMO Awards Company debuts catalog of validated, recombinant, specific antibodies against difficult protein targets, providing only the highest quality reagents for life sciences research PHILADELPHIA, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Emerging from stealth mode today, Cell Surface Bio (CSB) launches VeRSaMAb research antibodies with the vision of delivering "antibodies that always work," answering the call of the scientific community for reliable reagents with uncompromising quality. Providing monoclonal antibodies that are extensively validated, recombinantly cloned, and exquisitely specific, CSB is being built to transform the >$10 billion antibody reagent market where currently half of the antibodies sold do not work as designed. A scientist at Cell Surface Bio describing confocal immunofluorescence data obtained using a CSB antibody. View Cell Surface Bio's mission and the VeRSaMAb catalog Validated Antibodies with Unparalleled Specificity VeRSaMAbs are produced at CSB and extensively characterized to ensure reliable results in customers' experiments every time. Now available for purchase, VeRSaMAbs are: V alidated for flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, and other applications for flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, and other applications R ecombinantly cloned for batch-to-batch consistency, enhanced detection, and reproducible results cloned for batch-to-batch consistency, enhanced detection, and reproducible results S pecific for only the target of interest as assessed across 6,000 native proteins of the Membrane Proteome Array Transforming Life Science Reagents "Cell Surface Bio was created by scientists for scientists," explained Benjamin Doranz, PhD, Co-founder of Cell Surface Bio. "Every researcher I've met, myself included, knows the frustration of time wasted in the lab running experiments with antibodies that simply do not work. Our goal is to provide researchers with only the highest quality monoclonal antibodies that are fully validated and engineered for the highest sensitivity of detection, so that they always work in our customers' experiments." A spin-out of Philadelphia's Integral Molecular, CSB leverages the parent company's 20+ years of expertise developing and characterizing therapeutic antibodies that target complex and conserved proteins on the cell surface. CSB's VeRSaMAbs are derived using the same next-generation platform used to isolate best-in-class drugs, featuring high-throughput mRNA immunization, Lipoparticles (virus-like particles) for high-concentration presentation of structurally intact membrane proteins, divergent species (chickens) to generate antibodies against conserved epitopes, and optimized protocols for the isolation of rare antibodies, even for membrane proteins embedded in a lipid bilayer. VeRSaMAbs are available for a wide range of protein targets across scientific fields, including immunology, oncology, and virology, and CSB's catalog will continue to expand as MAbs are validated. Visit CSB to suggest new antibodies to add to the catalog! About Cell Surface Bio Cell Surface Bio's mission is to provide researchers with only the highest quality antibodies, because as fellow scientists, we know that your time in the lab is valuable. CSB's VeRSaMAb antibodies are built on 20+ of expertise in discovering and characterizing antibodies against the most difficult cell surface proteins. VeRSaMAbs are Validated, Recombinant, and Specific to ensure reliable results every time. Follow CSB on LinkedIn. Press Contact: Soma Banik, PhD, Director of Public Relations Cell Surface Bio [email protected] cellsurfacebio.com SOURCE Cell Surface Bio TOKYO, May 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund announced today a total investment of approximately JPY 1.64 billion (USD 10.8 million1) in four projects for the development of new drugs for malaria and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).2 The GHIT Fund invests in the development of new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics for neglected infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and NTDs, which predominantly affect the world's vulnerable and underserved populations. These R&D projects must involve partnerships between Japanese and non-Japanese organizations, and the four new projects consist of diverse partnerships including Japanese pharmaceutical companies and universities, as well as non-Japanese research institutions and universities. The GHIT Fund will invest approximately JPY 444 million (USD 2.9 million1) in two malaria projects: the development of malaria chemoprevention drug through a partnership among Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Nagasaki University, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), and therapeutic drug development led by Eisai Co., Ltd., the Scripps Research Institute, and International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB). For NTDs, the GHIT Fund will also invest approximately JPY 1.2 billion (USD 7.9 million1) in two projects: drug development for onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis led by Eisai Co., Ltd., University Hospital Bonn, and Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, and the development of a treatment for Chagas disease led by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation and Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi). The GHIT Fund plays a catalytic role in matching Japanese and global partners to accelerate R&D resulting in the support of over 180 development partners since 2013. Through global partnerships, the GHIT Fund aims to promote open innovation in R&D and create an environment that enables the rapid delivery of products to patients in need. Please refer to Appendix 1 for a detailed description of each project and its development stage. As of March 31, 2024, the GHIT Fund invested in 36 projects, including 12 discovery projects, 16 preclinical projects, and 8 clinical trials3 in the portfolio. The total amount of investments since 2013 is JPY 33.2 billion (USD 219 million) (Appendix 2). 1 USD1 = JPY151.33, the approximate exchange rate on March 31, 2024. 2 These awarded projects were selected and approved as new investments from among proposals to RFP2023-001 for the Product Development Platform, which was open for applications from November 2022 to July 2023. 3 This number includes projects in the registration phase. The GHIT Fund is a Japan-based international public-private partnership (PPP) fund that was formed between the Government of Japan, multiple pharmaceutical companies, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The GHIT Fund invests in and manages an R&D portfolio of development partnerships aimed at addressing neglected diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases, which afflict the world's vulnerable and underserved populations. In collaboration with global partners, the GHIT Fund mobilizes Japanese industry, academia, and research institutes to create new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics for malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical disease s. https://www.ghitfund.org/en Appendix 1. Project Details G2023-218 Project Title Lead optimization and candidate selection of a novel long-acting injectable which targets malarial electron transport chain for malaria chemoprevention and prophylaxis Collaboration Partners 1. Shionogi & Co., Ltd. (Japan) 2. Nagasaki University (Japan) 3. National Institute of Infectious Diseases (Japan) 4. Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) (Switzerland) Disease Malaria Intervention Drug Stage Lead Optimization Awarded Amount JPY 332,074,377 (USD 2.2 million) Status New project Summary [Project objective] The objective of this project is to identify a preclinical candidate for long-acting injectables (LAI) in malaria chemoprevention. A promising lead series has been identified, in collaboration with Nagasaki University, Shionogi, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), which targets malarial electron transport chain, a well validated target for antimalarial medications. The project aims to optimize the lead and obtain a preclinical development candidate that meet MMV's preclinical candidate criteria. [Project design] The project aims to provide a preclinical candidate in two years. A frontrunner compound will be evaluated for the in vivo safety and DMPK studies. In parallel, a lead optimization study will be conducted in search for the second runner candidate with even greater promise than the frontrunner candidate. The most promising compounds will be subjected to extensive in vivo safety and pharmacokinetics studies to satisfy MMV's preclinical candidate criteria. Project Detail https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfoliodetail/detail/221/en G2023-108 Project Title Preclinical development of a novel mechanism-of-action antimalarial Collaboration Partners 1. Eisai Co., Ltd. (Japan) 2. The Scripps Research Institute (USA) 3. International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) (India) Disease Malaria Intervention Drug Stage Lead Optimization Awarded Amount JPY 112,000,000 (USD 0.7 million) Status Continued project Summary [Project objective] The goal of this proposal is to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetic and efficacy profiles of next-generation cPheRS-inhibitor antimalarials, with potentially lower cost of treatment and improved safety profiles. [Project design] Promising, recently generated novel antimalarial compounds will be synthesized and profiled in in vivo efficacy studies, exploratory safety studies and multi-species pharmacokinetic studies with the goal of selecting a preclinical development candidate. Project Detail https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfoliodetail/detail/218/en G2023-211 Project Title Pre-clinical development of the macrofilaricide corallopyronin A (CorA) to treat onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis. Collaboration Partners 1. Eisai Co., Ltd. (Japan) 2. University Hospital Bonn (UKB) (Germany) 3. Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) (Germany) Disease Onchocerciasis Lymphatic filariasis Intervention Drug Stage Pre-Clinical Development Awarded Amount JPY 904,017,487 (USD 5.9 million) Status New project Summary [Project objective] The objective of this project is to progress CorA through final preclinical development activities to prepare for the first in human trial (phase 1). [Project design] To achieve this goal, we will conduct the following studies to improve our knowledge of CorA and produce GMP drug substance that will be used in the phase 1 trial. Because CorA is a predicted substrate of enzymes that detoxify substances in the body, we will determine the metabolism of CorA by the enzymes that are predicted to metabolize CorA. Prior to applying for a phase 1 trial authorization, new drugs must be shown to be nontoxic. Therefore, we will conduct a GLP toxicity study, including measuring plasma levels of CorA. With the latter data, we will refine our PK/PD model that will allow us to determine the best human dose and regimen for the phase 1 trial. Our research and innovation packages will provide us with a better understanding of the chemical nature of CorA (e.g., can it be crystalized or co-crystallized?) that may be used to improve the production or stability of CorA. With the GHIT funding we will also produce CorA material for the phase 1 study, including highly pure standards needed for bioanalysis of plasma samples in the phase 1 study. Project Detail https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfoliodetail/detail/220/en G2023-209 Project Title Lead optimization of a novel chemical series for Chagas disease Collaboration Partners 1. Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (Japan) 2. DNDi Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (Switzerland) Disease Chagas Disease Intervention Drug Stage Lead Optimization Awarded Amount JPY 294,532,531 (USD 1.9 million) Status Continued project Summary [Project objective] The main objective of this two-year project is to deliver optimized lead candidate(s) meeting the efficacy and in vitro safety requirements described in the DNDi Target Candidate Profile (TCP). Fulfilling the TCP efficacy criteria compound(s) would be ready to enter preclinical development enabling studies addressing the complementary safety, DMPK (Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics) and CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls) criteria of the TCP. The lead optimization efforts will focus on a novel spirocyclic series (Spiro 5) active against T. cruzi infection. In addition, this project aims at identifying the mechanism of action of this new series. [Project design] DNDi and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Co. (MTPC) aim at developing through a two-year lead optimization collaboration a novel and very promising T. cruzi active series identified from a high throughput screening of a 51,200 MTPC proprietary library and progressed to date to lead stage. The project partners plan to chemically derivatize the lead series using a well-defined and diversified medicinal chemistry strategy to improve its in vitro T. cruzi potency, maintain its favorable DMPK properties while mitigating any safety liabilities. In parallel DNDi and MTPC plan to elucidate the mechanism of action of the series notably with the expert support of University of Dundee and make use of this information to guide the lead optimization program. Project Detail https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfoliodetail/detail/219/en *All amounts are listed at an exchange rate of USD1 = JPY151.33, the approximate exchange rate on March 31, 2024. Appendix 2. Investment Overview (as of March 31, 2024) Investments to date Total investments: 33.2 billion yen (USD 219 million1) Total invested projects: 125 (36 active projects and 89 completed projects) To learn more about GHIT Fund's investments, please visit Investment Overview: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/overview/en Portfolio: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfolio/en Advancing Portfolio: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/advancingportfolio/en Clinical Candidates: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/clinicalcandidates/en For more information, contact: Nancy Moss, 254-729-991-028, [email protected] Mina Ohata at +81-36441-2032 or [email protected] SOURCE Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund) Securing the endorsement of Family Wealth Report demonstrates Aquilance's position as a preeminent partner for HNW families when managing complex wealth TRUMBULL, Conn., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Aquilance, a leading provider of financial administration services for high-net-worth families, individuals, and family offices, continues to gain recognition for its proprietary technology and white glove service. This year, the firm is proud to announce that it has once again been selected as a winner in the 'Billpay' category at the Annual Family Wealth Report Awards. Aquilance was also named a winner for Best Billpay Solution in 2023. The annual Family Wealth Report Awards identifies the most innovative and exceptional firms, teams and individuals serving the family office, private wealth, and trusted advisor communities in North America. What empowered Aquilance to retain its title as a leader in Billpay servicing once again was the expansion of new technology and services that are uniquely geared toward the needs of HNW clients. The firm has maintained a steady eye on the specific pain points faced by affluent families and family offices, and updated its offerings to become an indispensable asset that is relied upon daily. As a result of working with Aquilance, wealthy families have a clearer understanding of their financial picture, allowing them more time and freedom to focus on other priorities. "It's an honour to be recognized once again for our continued client success in such an important category," noted Joe Farren, President of Aquilance. "Having this acknowledgement two years in a row demonstrates not only the demand for what we offer, but the fact that our products and services have become a critical component of our clients' personal financial management needs. It's incredibly validating to be acknowledged for the impact we have had on their lives. Congratulations to our entire team, and to this year's other winners as well." Stephen Harris, ClearView Financial Media's CEO, and publisher of Family Wealth Report was first to extend his congratulations to all winners and highly commended companies. "Every category winner and highly commended firm has been subjected to a rigorous and independent judging process and should be rightly proud of the success they have achieved this year. We have seen a marked increase in entrants and interest in all our global awards programmes and Family Wealth Report is no exception. These awards are so beneficial as they give organizations and individuals the opportunity to clarify their strategic thinking, have it independently validated, be recognized internally and externally and to celebrate in style with their peers." Winners and highly commended companies were announced on May 2nd at the Gala Ceremony at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Manhattan, New York. For more information about Aquilance, please visit www.aquilance.com. About Aquilance Aquilance was founded in 1987 to address the complex financial administration needs of families and individuals of wealth. Currently serving hundreds of families, Aquilance provides a diverse suite of services which includes personal bookkeeping and billpay, consolidated accounting across multi-entity family structures and complex investment partnerships, performance reporting, ILIT administration and much more. The firm's mission of over thirty years continues to be enriching quality of life for families by eliminating time spent on managing complex finances, and empowering effective decision making and legacy planning by delivering timely and accurate reports to clients and their advisors. About ClearView Financial Media Ltd ("ClearView") ClearView Financial Media was founded by Chief Executive, Stephen Harris in 2004, to provide high quality 'need to know' information for the discerning private client community. London-based, but with a truly global focus, ClearView publishes the WealthBriefing group of newswires, along with research reports and newsletters, while also running a pan-global thought-leadership events and awards programme. Media Contact: Ryan Walker R.J. Walker & Co. [email protected] SOURCE Aquilance Arlo received highest award honor within the Innovation of the Year, Consumer Products Industries category SAN JOSE, Calif., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Arlo Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: ARLO), a leading smart home security brand, proudly announces it has been named a Gold Stevie Award winner in the Innovation of the Year - Consumer Products Industries category in The 22nd Annual American Business Awards. As the only smart home security brand in the Consumer Products category to receive a Stevie Award, the recognition speaks to Arlo's ongoing innovation and dedication to providing customers with a robust ecosystem of award-winning hardware, software, and services. The American Business Awards are the U.S.A.'s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. More than 3,700 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories. More than 300 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this year's Stevie Award winners. Arlo was recognized for its significant business achievements and strong growth record in 2023, including surpassing 2 Million paid subscribers, debuting innovative new products and services, and receiving more than 25 awards and editorial recognitions from leading organizations. "Arlo has achieved major milestones in 2023, which led to this incredible honor of receiving a Gold Stevie Award," said Matthew McRae, CEO of Arlo. "This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team at Arlo. We're incredibly grateful for the recognition and will continue to innovate and deliver top-notch products and services to our customers." "While growth in much of the world economy has recovered slowly from the COVID-19 pandemic, the American economy continues to show remarkable resilience and growth," said Stevie Awards president Maggie Miller. "Our 2024 Stevie winners have contributed to that successful recovery through their innovation, persistence, and hard work. We congratulate all our winners in the 2024 ABAs and look forward to celebrating their achievements during our June 11 awards banquet in New York." Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2024 Stevie winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA . About Arlo Technologies, Inc. Arlo is an award-winning, industry leader that is transforming the ways in which people can protect everything that matters to them with advanced home, business, and personal security solutions. Arlo's deep expertise in AI- and CV-powered analytics, cloud services, user experience and product design, and innovative wireless and RF connectivity enables the delivery of a seamless, smart security experience for Arlo users that is easy to set up and interact with every day. Arlo's cloud-based platform provides users with visibility, insight, and a powerful means to help protect and connect in real-time with the people and things that matter most, from any location with a Wi-Fi or a cellular connection. To date, Arlo has launched several categories of award-winning connected devices, software, and services. These include wire-free, smart Wi-Fi and LTE-enabled security cameras, video doorbells, floodlights, security system, and Arlo's subscription services: Arlo Secure and Arlo Safe. With a mission to bring users peace of mind, Arlo is as passionate about protecting user privacy as it is about safeguarding homes and families. Arlo is committed to implementing industry standards for data protection designed to keep users' personal information private and in their control. Arlo provides enhanced controls for user data, supports privacy legislation, keeps user data safely secure, and puts security at the forefront of company culture. About the Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in nine programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, and the new Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com . Supporting sponsors of The 2024 American Business Awards include Melissa Sones Consulting and SoftPro. SOURCE Arlo Technologies, Inc. BANGALORE, India, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Automotive Air Filters Market Segment By Type (Air Intake Filters, Cabin Air Filters), By Vehicle Type (Passenger Cars, Light Commercial Vehicles, Heavy Commercial Vehicles), By Propulsion (ICE and Hybrid Vehicles, Electric Vehicles ), By Sales Channel (Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Aftermarket). The Global Automotive Air Filters Market was valued at USD 4.7 Billion in 2020, and is projected to reach USD 7.8 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 5.4% from 2021 to 2030. Get Free Sample: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/ALLI-Auto-3C504/Automotive_Air_Filters_Market Major Factors Driving the Growth of Automotive Air Filters Market The market for automotive air filters is expanding due in large part to the strict emission rules that are in place all over the world. These requirements require advanced filtering technologies to be used in order to limit the hazardous pollutants that cars release. Furthermore, the growing global automobile production and sales along with the growing consumer awareness of the value of clean air in cars drive market expansion. Additionally, improvements in performance and durability via technical developments in filter materials and designs have led to an expansion in the market for vehicle air filters. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/ALLI-Auto-3C504/automotive-air-filters TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF THE GLOBAL AUTOMOTIVE AIR FILTERS MARKET Because they guarantee the engine runs efficiently, air intake filters are essential components of light commercial vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICEs) as well as hybrid cars. By removing impurities like dust, grime, and debris from the air that enters the engine, these filters protect the engine's lifetime and performance. Clean air intake filters help ICE light commercial cars meet strict environmental laws by optimizing combustion, which improves fuel economy and lowers emissions. Similar to this, air intake filters in hybrid cars keep the engine's air supply clean, which improves the system's overall effectiveness. Reliability in air intake filters becomes more and more important as the demand for light commercial vehicles rises worldwide. Vehicle makers must achieve fuel economy and pollution criteria through effective engine performance. In order to optimize combustion and lower emissions, clean air supply to the engine is made possible by air intake filters. As automakers concentrate on improving engine performance for all vehicle classes, there will likely be a steady increase in demand for premium air intake filters. The necessity for replacement filters and routine maintenance propels the aftermarket sector to a substantial share of the automotive air filter market. Owners of automobiles, both private and commercial, should change their air filters on a regular basis to maintain peak performance and extend engine life. Additionally, the aftermarket market gives producers the chance to launch cutting-edge goods and meet particular client needs, which further boosts the automotive air filters market growth. The fast growth of the electric vehicle (EV) industry offers a distinct prospect for producers of automotive air filters. EVs still need cabin air filters to preserve the purity of the air inside the vehicle, even though they have fewer parts than internal combustion engine (ICE) cars. The need for cabin air filters designed specifically for electric cars is anticipated to develop along with the global adoption of EVs, which will propel the market for automotive air filters even higher. Due to its capacity to lower pollutants and fuel consumption when compared to conventional internal combustion engine cars, hybrid vehicles are becoming more and more popular. Because hybrid cars include both electric motors and internal combustion engines, the engine part of the car needs air intake filters. There will be a corresponding rise in demand for air intake filters for hybrid cars as the market for these vehicles grows due to government incentives and environmental concerns. Buy Now: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=ALLI-Auto-3C504&lic=single-user AUTOMOTIVE AIR FILTERS MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS Europe would exhibit the highest CAGR of 6.3% during 2021 - 2030 Purchase Regional Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/ALLI-Auto-3C504/Automotive_Air_Filters_Market Key Companies: Cummins Inc General Motors Company Hengst SE CabinAir Sweden AB K&N Engineering, Inc MAHLE GmbH Denso Corporation Ahlstrom-Munksjo Oyj Toyota Boshoku Corporation Robert Bosch GmbH Valeo SA Freudenberg Filtration Technologies SE & Co. KG UFI FILTERS spa Hollingsworth & Vose GmbH MANN+HUMMEL International GmbH & Co. KG Donaldson Company, Inc Parker Hannifin Corporation Sogefi S.p.A ALCO Filters Ltd Hanon Systems Purchase Chapters: https://reports.valuates.com/request/chaptercost/ALLI-Auto-3C504/Automotive_Air_Filters_Market SUBSCRIPTION We have introduced a tailor-made subscription for our customers. 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DISCOVER MORE INSIGHTS: EXPLORE SIMILAR REPORTS! - Automotive Filters Market - Automotive Air Filter Housing Market - Automotive Cabin Air Filter Market - Automotive Intake Air Filter market is projected to reach USD 6797.7 Million in 2029, increasing from USD 4670 Million in 2022, with a CAGR of 5.5% during the period of 2023 to 2029. - Automotive Air Filter Cartridge Market - Automotive Engine Air Filter Market - Car Air Filter Market - Automotive Air Purifier Parts Market - Filters (Fluid, ICE and Air Filters) Market - Chemical Air Filters market is projected to reach USD 2208 Million in 2029, increasing from USD 1644 Million in 2022, with a CAGR of 4.2% during the period of 2023 to 2029. - Commercial Engine Intake Air Filters market is projected to reach USD 1126.6 Million in 2029, increasing from USD 901 Million in 2022, with a CAGR of 3.1% during the period of 2023 to 2029. - Activated Charcoal Air Filters market was valued at USD 1619 Million in 2023 and is anticipated to reach USD 2084.6 Million by 2030, witnessing a CAGR of 3.6% during the forecast period 2024-2030. - High-Temperature Air Filters Market - Flat Air Filter market is projected to reach USD 453.5 Million in 2029, increasing from USD 374.3 Million in 2022, with a CAGR of 2.3% during the period of 2023 to 2029. - V-form Air Filter Market - Air filters for Paint Booths Market - Air Filter Rolls Market - Automotive Microcontrollers (MCU) Market revenue was USD 7194 Million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 11620 Million by 2029 with a CAGR of 7.0% during the forecast period (2023-2029). DISCOVER OUR VISION: VISIT ABOUT US! Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains a detailed research methodology employed to generate the report. Please also reach our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources. YOUR FEEDBACK MATTERS: REACH OUT TO US! Valuates Reports [email protected] For U.S. Toll-Free Call 1-(315)-215-3225 WhatsApp: +91-9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt3WNrOgis4&t=16s Blog: https://valuatestrends.blogspot.com/ Pinterest: https://in.pinterest.com/valuatesreports/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/valuatesreports Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valuatesreports/ https://www.facebook.com/valuateskorean https://www.facebook.com/valuatesspanish https://www.facebook.com/valuatesjapanese https://valuatesreportspanish.blogspot.com/ https://valuateskorean.blogspot.com/ https://valuatesgerman.blogspot.com/ https://valuatesreportjapanese.blogspot.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082232/Valuates_Reports_Logo.jpg SOURCE Valuates Reports GURGAON, India, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Azure Power Global Limited (the "Company" or "Azure Power") (OTC: AZREF), a leading sustainable energy solutions provider and renewable power producer in India, today announced that Mr. Brijesh Mehra has been appointed as a non-executive Director of the Company and of Azure Power India Private Limited as the nominee of CDPQ Infrastructures Asia Pte Ltd., effective May 08, 2024. Mr. Mehra shall also assume the role of Chairman of the Board of the Company and of Azure Power India Private Limited. Azure Power appoints Chairman of the Board of Directors Mr. Mehra is a veteran in the banking industry with over 35 years of experience across several capacities including overseeing businesses across India and multiple South Asian geographies. In his last role at RBL Bank, Mr. Mehra was responsible for the Wholesale business of the Bank. Prior to joining RBL Bank, Mr. Mehra was Country Executive India and as well as Southeast Asia/India Cluster Head of Corporate and Institutional Banking at Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). He holds a bachelor's degree from Delhi University and an MBA from Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad. Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Sunil Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, Azure Power, said, "We are pleased to have Brijesh join our Board as the Chairman. We believe that his rich leadership experience, excellent insights about the business environment and deep understanding of financial and capital markets will be valuable assets for the Company's transformation journey." Commenting on the appointment, Mr. Brijesh Mehra said, "I am delighted to join the Azure Power team. The Indian renewable energy space is thriving, and Azure Power is well situated to capture its growth potential. I look forward to working with the other members of the Board to lead Azure Power through its next phase of growth." About Azure Power Azure Power develops, constructs and operates renewable energy projects to provide innovative solutions to its customers' needs. Since 2009, Azure Power has grown rapidly to become a leader in accelerating India's energy transition. For more information about Azure Power, visit: www.azurepower.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. Words such as "may," "will," "should," "likely," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "believes" and similar expressions are used to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and beliefs and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the statements in this press release. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to the Company as of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. For more information: Contact [email protected] Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2408859/Azure_Power_Chairman.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2408820/Azure_Power_Logo_New.jpg SOURCE Azure Power NEW YORK, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global behavioral rehabilitation market size is estimated to grow by USD 16.89 billion from 2023 to 2027, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 3.95% during the forecast period. To understand more about this market - Download a FREE Sample Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Behavioral Rehabilitation Market 2023-2027 Report Attribute Details Base Year 2022 Forecast period 2023-2027 Historic Data for 2017 - 2021 Segments Covered Type (Outpatient, Inpatient, and Residential) and Therapy (Counseling, Medication, and Support services) Key Companies Covered Acadia Healthcare Co. Inc., Addcounsel Ltd., Advocate Health Care, American Addiction Centers, Athena Behavioral Health, Aurora Behavioral Health System, Baxter Regional Medical Center, BHG Holdings LLC, Centene Corp., Haven Behavioral Healthcare Inc., Headspace Inc., Kliniken Schmieder Foundation and Co. KG, Niznik Behavioral Health, People Care Inc., Promises Behavioral Health LLC, RHA Health Services, Springstone Inc., THE BALANCE, Universal Health Services Inc., and Veda Rehabilitation and wellness Pvt. Ltd. Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW) Region Outlook North America Europe Asia Rest of World (ROW) 1. North America - North America is estimated to contribute 35%. to the growth of the global market. The Behavioral Rehabilitation Market report forecasts market growth by revenue at global, regional & country levels from 2017 to 2027. In North America, particularly in the US, the market sees significant revenue contributions due to prevalent disorders like internet addiction and gaming. The availability of various treatments further boosts revenue. Government and private initiatives, such as Addiction Free Forever and Greenway Recovery Center, along with organizations like the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), play crucial roles in raising awareness about substance abuse. NIDA is actively involved in the NIH's Helping to End Addiction Long-term initiative, focusing on opioid use disorders. The US leads the global market revenue due to increasing awareness and the presence of numerous treatment centers and innovative procedures. This trend is expected to continue driving market growth in the region. 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 Outpatient 1.2 Inpatient 1.3 Residential Therapy 2.1 Counseling 2.2 Medication 2.3 Support services Geography 3.1 North America 3.2 Europe 3.3 Asia 3.4 Rest of World (ROW) 1.1 Fastest growing segment: During the projected period, the outpatient segment is expected to experience substantial growth in market share. This growth is attributed to the ability of patients without severe obsessions to manage their behavior outside supervised settings. The segment's expansion is primarily driven by its lower service costs compared to inpatient and residential programs. For example, the average cost of an outpatient treatment session is less than USD 500, whereas an inpatient program may incur around USD 900 per day due to additional expenses such as accommodation, meals, and medication. In 2017, the outpatient segment was the largest, valued at USD 27.37 billion . The increasing number of specialists focusing on addiction rehabilitation for behaviors like Internet usage, shopping, gaming, or gambling is expected to enhance personalized counseling options, thus boosting adoption rates. Moreover, the segment benefits from fewer restrictions on daily activities compared to inpatient and residential rehabilitation, along with lower treatment costs and increased social exposure, enabling patients to function within their normal environments. Get a glance at the market contribution of rest of the segments - Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes! Research Analysis In the Behavioral Rehabilitation Market, the focus is on providing effective treatments for a range of mental health disorders and addictive behaviors. Utilizing therapies like Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), facilities like Acadia Healthcare and Behavioral Health Group (BHG) offer comprehensive care for patients dealing with depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and personality disorders. Telemedicine services enable accessible treatment options for individuals in need, reducing barriers to care. With a National Mental Health Services Survey tracking prevalence and social stigma, efforts are directed toward understanding and addressing mental health needs. Residential and outpatient programs cater to various levels of care, ensuring recovery patients receive the support they require. Wellness Ambulatory Care focuses on holistic approaches to address self-destructive and unhealthy behaviors. As the market evolves, attention is given to enhancing memory, attention, and overall brain function post-injury or during recovery from addiction. Through these efforts, the aim is to reduce suicide rates and improve overall mental health outcomes. Market Overview The behavioral rehabilitation market caters to mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, and self-destructive behaviors through therapies and treatments. With a focus on inpatient capacities, it addresses the needs of patients requiring intensive care. Behavioral therapies target mood episodes, substance misuse addictions, and behavioral addictions, aiding recovery. Brain injuries are managed within these facilities, ensuring holistic treatment. The market acknowledges the prevalence of anxiety disorders and tailors treatments accordingly. By providing effective interventions for depression patients and those with various mental disorders, it supports individuals in regaining mental well-being. This market is driven by a commitment to addressing behavioral health challenges and promoting recovery through accessible, evidence-based interventions. 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 May is Better Hearing Month (BHM) CHICAGO, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Our ability to hear plays an essential role in how we interact with the world, communicate with others, and enjoy life's simple pleasures. Yet, many of us unknowingly suffer from hearing loss and overlook the subtle signs. The signs of hearing loss often vary between people, so the best way to assess your hearing health is to schedule an appointment with a hearing care professional. Experience the interactive Multimedia News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9259851-beltone-hearing-loss-may-better-hearing-month/ WARNING SIGNS OF HEARING LOSS: Experience ringing in your ears Often ask others to repeat themselves Difficulty understanding conversations in large groups & noisy settings You find telephone conversations increasingly difficult You've been told that you talk too loud MJ DeSousa, an Audiologist and Director of Patient Experience at Beltone, shares the warning signs of hearing loss that people should be aware of and why it's important to detect these signs early and schedule an appointment with a hearing care professional to assess your hearing health. For more information please visit: www.beltone.com MORE ABOUT MJ DESOUSA: MJ DeSousa, an Audiologist and Director of Patient Experience at Beltone, brings over 35 years of expertise to her role. She earned her Masters of Clinical Science in Audiology from Western University in London, Ontario and has extensive experience as a practicing Audiologist and in corporate leadership within the hearing industry. At Beltone, DeSousa is dedicated to educating hearing care professionals across North America, ensuring they provide the highest standard of patient care. Produced for: Beltone SOURCE Beltone VICTORIA, Seychelles, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading cryptocurrency exchange, Bitrue has today announced that it has completed the integration of USD Coin (USDC) and Tether (USDT) on the NEAR Protocol Network. Deposits and withdrawals will be opened at 8:00 UTC, May 10, 2024. NEAR Protocol has integrated native support for USDC and USDT, enhancing its utility and appeal to developers, traders, and institutional players. This strategic move facilitates faster transactions, boosts security, and simplifies the user experience, eliminating reliance on third-party bridges. The integration is expected to attract institutional investors, foster economic growth, and position NEAR Protocol as a leader in blockchain technology and decentralized finance (DeFi). To commemorate the occasion, Bitrue will be hosting an "Ask Me Anything" session on their Twitter account , with questions taken directly from their user base. A call for questions from the community has already been put out, and the most popular or incisive questions will be asked to Altan Tutar, a Core Contributor of NEAR Protocol on May 9, 2024 at 13:00 UTC. Additional flexible staking campaigns on Power Piggy will also be launched thereafter. NEAR protocol is an established cryptocurrency organization that has already entered into partnerships with major web3 firms including Polygon and EigenLayer, as well as with tech giants such as Alibaba and Google. Their revolutionary technology enables extreme abstraction of interchain operability in the web3 space, allowing developers to easily leverage the most powerful aspects of all blockchains, and for consumers to interface with their technology without even realizing that they are using blockchain at all. "It's always a great pleasure to welcome a new member into Bitrue, and with NEAR we're thrilled to list a project that already boasts such a robust infrastructure and enthusiastic community." said Robert Quartly-Janeiro, Chief Strategy Officer and Spokesperson for Bitrue, before adding, "More news of upcoming partnerships will be shared very soon." NEAR has had a very successful Q1 in 2024, with its price outpacing many stalwarts in the space such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, and its adoption growing by 42% as measured by daily active addresses. Bitrue has planned for a very aggressive 2024, identifying and listing coins at a rapid pace that it believes will be of value to its traders. New projects wishing to list on the exchange can contact Bitrue directly, or find company representatives at all major cryptocurrency conferences around the globe. About Bitrue Launched in July 2018, Bitrue is a diversified digital asset exchange that supports trading, loans and investments. Bitrue aims to utilize blockchain technology to bring financial opportunities to everybody regardless of their location or financial position. It has offices in Asia and Europe, and continues to develop new features at a rapid speed to fully service the new wave of the digital economy. More information is available at Bitrue's website . SOURCE Bitrue BOSTON, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a new report, experts from The Brattle Group examine the rapidly changing landscape of load drivers and how they complicate load forecasting for utilities and system operators. The authors find that improved forecasting the projection of future peak demand and energy consumption with the inclusion of these new drivers will be an essential component in the transition to a decarbonized electricity system that is both reliable and affordable. The report, Electricity Demand Growth and Forecasting in a Time of Change, provides an overview of several new and emerging demand drivers that will affect the growth and patterns of load in the coming decades and the ways in which utilities are currently including them in their forecasts. The new drivers include data centers, the expansion of manufacturing and industrial processes, the electrification of transportation and buildings, and cryptocurrency mining. The potential impact of demand-side resources including distributed generation (DG), energy efficiency (EE), and demand response (DR) that can partially offset these load drivers is also considered. "Currently, there is a wide spectrum among utilities in how they account for these new drivers," said Brattle Principal T. Bruce Tsuchida. "The future net load growth spurred by the new drivers is vast, and our analyses suggest that given this growth, along with the change in load characteristics and other associated uncertainties the industry will require a revamped approach to load forecasting moving forward." Notable findings from the report include: The combined speed and magnitude of the new growth drivers point towards a sustained period of high electric demand growth for many parts of the US, though it is likely that growth will vary substantially across regions and even within a utility's footprint. This highlights the importance of longer-term forecasting specific to each area's circumstances. The potential to moderate the growth of both electricity consumption and peak load through DG, EE, and DR programs is also material; however, the degree of moderation will likely vary substantially based on the programs implemented in a given area. With the expected net load growth, advanced and granular forecasting that fully includes these resources will be necessary. Though public documents show that many utilities have made significant progress in incorporating these changing drivers into their forecasts, very few forecasts appear to reflect the full set of new drivers. The report also includes a discussion of the costs of over- and under-forecasting load, both individual drivers and as a whole. The authors find that, in today's world where many of the new drivers are policy-driven (by, for example, decarbonization targets or industry onshoring policies), the costs and long-lasting impact of under-forecasting are much larger than those of over-forecasting. Electricity Demand Growth and Forecasting in a Time of Change was coauthored by Principal T. Bruce Tsuchida, Managing Energy Associates Dr. Long Lam and Akhilesh Ramakrishnan, Senior Advisor Peter Fox-Penner, Energy Specialists Sylvia Tang and Adam Bigelow, and Senior Energy Analyst Ethan Snyder. The full report can be found on Brattle's website: https://www.brattle.com/insights-events/publications/electricity-demand-growth-and-forecasting-in-a-time-of-change/. ABOUT BRATTLE The Brattle Group answers complex economic, finance, and regulatory questions for corporations, law firms, and governments around the world. We are distinguished by the clarity of our insights and the credibility of our experts, which include leading international academics and industry specialists. Brattle has 500 professionals across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. For more information, please visit brattle.com. SOURCE The Brattle Group Galletly's appointment as CEO marks an exciting chapter for Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, which recently closed a funding round that includes well-known investors such as Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary and fellow Guest Shark and prolific food investor Matt Higgins. The investment aims to scale the business through franchise restaurant growth, consumer product expansion, team building, accelerated marketing efforts, and adjacent acquisitions. In his role as CEO, Jeff will steward all aspects of the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop business, overseeing operations in current locations across North America, while focusing on business growth, franchise expansion, culinary and technology innovation and winning with consumers every day. He will also enhance comprehensive support, training, and operational resources to existing franchisees in the United States & Canada, in addition to leading further domestic and international franchise expansion. Brooklyn Dumpling Shop's omni-channel strategy includes broadening the brand's consumer product footprint, presently spanning e-commerce and in retailers including Walmart, Shoprite, and Stew Leonards, amongst others. "We are experiencing an evolution in dining as consumers seek fresh, fast-casual experiences and innovative concepts that combine great food, digital convenience, and hospitality," Galletly said. "Brooklyn Dumpling Shop has been at the forefront of this evolution and I am honored to join the team and provide ongoing support for our franchisees to grow our brand, craft memorable guest experiences, and solidify our position as leaders in taste, innovation, and technology." Galletly has held a number of leadership positions in restaurant franchising & operations, development, marketing, strategy, and private equity. Jeff's contributions to the food service industry include expanding Tim Horton's Asia-Pacific locations and having led Operations and Marketing Intelligence for Burger King North America. "With his extensive record of visionary leadership and dedication to operational excellence, Jeff is well equipped to lead the company into its next phase of growth," shared strategic investor Kevin O'Leary, Chairman of O'leary Ventures. Matt Higgins, CEO of private investment firm RSE Ventures, added, "As a new investor in Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, I'm thrilled to see Jeff come on board as CEO. He's well known in the industry as someone who leads from the front, builds great teams, and tackles the hard work of scaling franchises domestically and abroad." Of Jeff's hire, Robert Cummins, founding partner of Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, music executive and restaurateur, shared, "We're thrilled to hand the keys of Brooklyn Dumpling Shop to such a proven industry force. Jeff's extensive leadership with legacy brands will drive our company into our new era and beyond." Believing "everything's better in a dumpling," Brooklyn Dumpling Shop offers distinct dumplings, burgers, bowls and more, combining bold and craveable flavors. The diverse array of offerings, unique only to Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, includes specialty dumplings such as Korean BBQ, Mac & Cheese, and Smashed Apple Pie. In February of this year, the business became international with its first shop in Calgary opening as part of a 100 unit Canadian master franchise deal. Currently, Brooklyn Dumpling Shop boasts 11 locations in major cities including New York, Dallas, Austin, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Calgary with a number of additional locations slated to open in 2024, including new markets Miami and Vancouver. The company will also continue expanding its consumer product business with select retail partners. Today, May 9th, the company is celebrating the grand opening of its second corporate location on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The grand opening will feature a charitable donation from the company to nearby Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's (MSK) Cycle For Survival . 100% of proceeds will go directly to MSK for rare cancer research. For more information about Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, please visit brooklyndumplingshop.com . About Brooklyn Dumpling Shop Having opened its first location in May 2021, Brooklyn Dumpling Shop blends the best of craveworthy dishes and fine-dining techniques into unrivaled dumplings, bowls and morewhile ushering in a new era of fast-casual dining through a technology-forward experience and 100% digital ordering. Offering high-quality, innovative fan favorite dumplings such as Korean BBQ, Mac & Cheese and Smashed Apple Pie, signature creamy peanut sauce and exclusive smashed burgers, every bite provides craveable taste and value for hungry guests seeking distinct, crave-worthy experiences. Brooklyn Dumpling Shop currently has 11 locations operating across the US & Canada, including the company-owned flagship location in Manhattan's East Village and the newly renovated Upper East Side location, celebrating its grand opening today, May 9. Everything's better in a dumpling! About Jeff Galletly Jeff Galletly is the CEO of Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, the 100% digital restaurant that's redefining the fast casual space with a digital-forward experience and distinct innovative dumplings, bowls & more. Jeff's extensive background in restaurant operations & franchising, development, marketing, strategy, and private equity has been honed through various roles at Restaurant Brands International (RBI), where he most recently was Vice President & General Manager of Tim Hortons USA. Previously, Jeff was Vice President & General Manager of Tim Hortons Asia-Pacific, Head of Operations for RBI Asia-Pacific, Head of Operations for Burger King North America and Head of Marketing Intelligence and other successive marketing roles for Burger King North America. Prior to RBI, Jeff was an investor at private equity funds Wingate Partners and VMG Partners, as well as marketing & strategy roles at PepsiCo. He began his career at McKinsey & Company. Jeff holds an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and BA from Colgate University. Brooklyn Dumpling Shop Media Contact: [email protected] For media inquiries related to Kevin O'Leary, contact Nancy Cheung: [email protected] SOURCE Brooklyn Dumpling Shop Cboe and Metaurus collaborate to develop three new US equity indices: the Cboe US Large Cap 100 Index, the Cboe US Large Cap Lead 50 Index, and the Cboe US Large Cap Lag 50 Index Leverages combined strengths of Cboe's derivatives-based indexing capabilities and Metaurus' Dynamic Reassignment SM technology technology Plans to develop tradable futures products based on indices, subject to regulatory review CHICAGO, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (Cboe: CBOE), the world's leading derivatives and securities exchange network, and Metaurus Advisors, LLC (Metaurus), an asset management company focusing on financial innovation, today announced plans to collaborate on three new US equity indices: the Cboe US Large Cap 100 Index, the Cboe US Large Cap Lead 50 Index (the Cboe Lead 50), and the Cboe US Large Cap Lag 50 Index (the Cboe Lag 50). The indices are targeted to launch by the end of 2024. Metaurus Advisors, LLC The Cboe US Large Cap 100 Index is designed to be an equal-dollar-weighted index comprised of 100 of the largest US stocks by market capitalization, rebalanced quarterly, that replicates the sector capitalization weightings of the largest companies listed on US exchanges. The Cboe Lead 50 and Cboe Lag 50, both equal-dollar-weighted indices, are designed to measure the total returns of the top 50 and bottom 50 performing companies, respectively, within the Cboe US Large Cap 100 Index on a quarterly basis. In addition, under an agreement between Cboe Exchange, Inc. and Metaurus, Cboe has the exclusive rights to use aspects of Metaurus' patent application to construct indices based on US equity securities, including the Cboe US Large Cap 100, Cboe Lead 50, and Cboe Lag 50 indices. The latter two indices are designed to provide real-time insight as to how returns of the top 50 and bottom 50 individual stocks that make up the Cboe US Large Cap 100 vary over a fixed quarterly timeframe and are expected to be a gauge for realized dispersion, a key component to portfolio returns. The collaboration furthers Cboe's growing global index business and builds on Cboe's proven track record in creating and disseminating some of the industry's most innovative index offerings, including the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX Index), and its suites of Strategy Performance Benchmark indices and Target Outcome indices. "These indices will utilize Cboe's world-class index innovation capabilities, combined with the simple, yet powerful, patent-pending technology developed by Metaurus, to help traders further understand how individual stocks contribute to the overall performance of the broader market," said Rob Hocking, Senior Vice President and Head of Product Innovation at Cboe Global Markets. "Dispersion is a critical aspect of market return, and Cboe is pleased to collaborate with Metaurus to provide the marketplace with indices that can be used as a measure of return dispersion on a real-time basis." "The team at Metaurus has been in the business of financial engineering for over 35 years," said Richard Sandulli, Co-CEO of Metaurus. "Our Dynamic ReassignmentSM technology and collaboration with Cboe allow us to work with the leading derivatives exchange to develop new, cutting-edge solutions and bring them to commercial viability. The Cboe US Large Cap 100, the Cboe Lead 50, and the Cboe Lag 50 indices build on our collective expertise in bringing novel investment products to the broader market." Cboe Labs, Cboe's product innovation hub, plans to develop tradable futures products based on the Cboe Lead 50 and the Cboe Lag 50 indices to be listed on Cboe Futures Exchange, subject to regulatory review. About Cboe Global Markets Cboe Global Markets (Cboe: CBOE), the world's leading derivatives and securities exchange network, delivers cutting-edge trading, clearing and investment solutions to people around the world. Cboe provides trading solutions and products in multiple asset classes, including equities, derivatives, FX, and digital assets, across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Above all, we are committed to building a trusted, inclusive global marketplace that enables people to pursue a sustainable financial future. To learn more about the Exchange for the World Stage, visit www.cboe.com . About Metaurus Advisors, LLC Metaurus Advisors LLC is an SEC-registered investment advisor whose partners have decades of experience developing cutting-edge derivative and structured products. Metaurus' growing IP portfolio is the basis for multiple strategies utilized in both public and private investment formats. Metaurus is committed to helping investors unlock the sources of investment return. Please visit www.Metaurus.com for more information. Cboe, Cboe Global Markets, Cboe Volatility Index, and VIX are registered trademarks of Cboe Exchange, Inc. or its affiliates. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners. Neither Cboe Global Markets, Inc. and its affiliates nor Metaurus recommend or make any representation as to possible benefits from any securities, futures or investments, or third-party products or services. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. is not affiliated with Metaurus. Investors should undertake their own due diligence regarding their securities, futures, and investment practices. This press release speaks only as of this date. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. disclaims any duty to update the information herein. Nothing in this announcement should be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell any securities or futures in any jurisdiction where the offer or solicitation would be unlawful under the laws of such jurisdiction. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Nothing contained in this communication constitutes tax, legal or investment advice. Investors must consult their tax adviser or legal counsel for advice and information concerning their particular situation. Neither Cboe Global Markets, Inc. and its affiliates nor Metaurus make any warranty or guarantee, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or any use whatsoever, accuracy, completeness or timeliness, the results to be obtained by recipients of the products and services described herein, or as to the ability of the indices referenced in this press release to track the performance of their respective securities, generally, or the performance of the indices referenced in this press release or any subset of their respective securities, and shall not in any way be liable for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. There are important risks associated with transacting in any of the Cboe Company products discussed here. Before engaging in any transactions in those products, it is important for market participants to carefully review the disclosures and disclaimers contained at: https://www.cboe.com/us_disclaimers/. Trading in futures and options on futures is not suitable for all market participants and involves the risk of loss, which can be substantial and can exceed the amount of money deposited for a futures or options on futures position. You should, therefore, carefully consider whether trading in futures and options on futures is suitable for you in light of your circumstances and financial resources. You should put at risk only funds that you can afford to lose without affecting your lifestyle. For additional information regarding the risks associated with trading futures and options on futures and with trading security futures, see respectively the Risk Disclosure Statement Referenced in CFTC Letter 16-82 and the Risk Disclosure Statement for Security Futures Contracts. Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain information contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. SOURCE Cboe Global Markets, Inc. The science-driven pioneer in dog day care closes out Q1 with 40 stores in operation, new strategic leadership appointments and its biggest multi-unit sale yet. MILWAUKEE, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Central Bark , the premier whole dog care franchise, closes out Q1 as an increasingly dominant player in the $143 billion pet industry , thanks to its standout approach that integrates cutting-edge techniques in comprehensive dog care with the latest advancements in canine behavioral science. Central Bark finished 2023 with its highest system revenue in its history, an accomplishment driven by strong trends, novel marketing and operations initiatives, and superior franchise execution. To start 2024, Central Bark kicked off its 20th anniversary during its 15th Annual Franchise Convention, an event that saw record-breaking attendance from suppliers and franchisees alike. The brand also recognized its highest performing franchisees for their performance in 2023, awarding top tier stores for median sales reaching $1,094,861 with a notable high of $1,480,971. Impressively, 46% of Central Bark's locations exceeded the average unit volume of $767,776, signaling robust growth and profitability across the network. Additionally, the establishment of a National Franchise Advisory Board (NFAB) was announced with the awarded Franchisee of the Year, Mike Roth of Orlando, FL as President. The brand also achieved a significant milestone in Q1 by awarding its first 5-location multi-unit franchise agreement in Pennsylvania. Central Bark added to its already-robust leadership team with strategic appointments and new hires. Athena Olson assumed the role of Director of Operations, while Kristen Risby joined as Vice President of Marketing, and Jason Perras took on the position of Chief Financial Officer. Each of these individuals brings a wealth of industry and franchising expertise and experience to the corporate team. Central Bark enhanced its digital footprint with the launch of a strategic marketing partnership with SOCi , focusing on optimizing online reviews, social media engagement and business listings with social media and website chatbots launching in Q2. In a move towards sustainable growth and enhanced customer experience, Central Bark introduced its new recurring revenue membership model across 22 of its 40 locations, with seven more in the pipeline. This initiative aims to foster long-term relationships with customers while providing added value and convenience. All stores will be on this new model by the end of the year. "As a franchisee and now the President of the Central Bark National Franchise Advisory Board (NFAB), I am extremely excited by everything we've achieved so far as a brand," said Roth. "From our membership model to our strategic marketing initiatives, enhanced services, and steadfast focus on the latest in canine behavioral science, we're impacting thousands of dogs and their families across the country for the better. It's rare that you can own a business centered around something you are so passionate about, but with Central Bark, you absolutely can." The company's expansion efforts remain steadfast, with 40 stores now open and operating nationwide. Three new locations were inaugurated in Spring, Texas; Henrietta, New York; and Asheville, North Carolina; with ten additional openings slated for later this year. As Central Bark continues to redefine the standards of excellence in pet care, its Q1 success sets a promising trajectory for the remainder of 2024 and beyond. About Central Bark: The Central Bark franchise system was founded in 2003 and now operates under the name Barkley Ventures Franchising, LLC. For more than 20 years, the brand has grown to nearly 40 locations across more than a dozen states. The company has hosted over two million dog visits. Central Bark participates in VetFran, the International Franchise Association's (IFA) veteran program, and offers a franchise fee discount to qualifying veterans. Central Bark is also an IFA MinorityFran participant. For more information about franchising with Central Bark, visit centralbarkusa.com/franchising or call 866-799-2275. SOURCE Central Bark PARIS, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The former French prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin has highlighted the profound significance of President Xi Jinping's three-day visit to France, particularly amid the current turbulent geopolitical landscape and global uncertainties, saying it is not only timely but essential for fostering a deeper mutual understanding and strengthening collaborative efforts between the two nations. Former French prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin reads China Daily in an exclusive interview with the newspaper in Paris, France on Monday. [Wang Mingjie / China Daily] "The visit of President Xi Jinping to France marks a pivotal moment, especially when the world faces such perilous challenges," Raffarin said in an exclusive interview with China Daily. "We cannot envision the world's future without considering China, and, likewise, it is not in China's interest to disregard Europe." He emphasized the necessity of continuous dialogue with China, stating: "We need to have a very regular dialogue with China. I think that Emmanuel Macron is the leader of the West who best understands Xi Jinping's thinking, having spent many hours discussing with the Chinese president." The latest discussions between Xi and Macron are expected to cover urgent global issues, including climate change and strategic geopolitical questions. Raffarin expressed his satisfaction with the focus of the talks, recognizing their importance not just for France or China, but for the entire world. "These discussions are vital, as the world navigates through a dangerous period," he said. Raffarin, who served as prime minister from 2002 to 2005, asserted that France holds a unique position in Europe, having established a model for engaging in meaningful discussions with China, choosing cooperation over confrontation. "France probably has the closest relationship with China within Europe, despite differing viewpoints. We share a vision of a multilateral world," he explained. During the interview, Raffarin laid out what he sees as the key areas for enhancing cooperation between France and China, emphasizing cultural exchange, environmental preservation and the establishment of new multilateral regulations as foundational elements of the partnership. "We need to focus on cultural questions to understand the societies between France and China better. Furthermore, protecting our planet for future generations is now a priority, necessitating a global consensus, particularly among the young people," Raffarin said. He also touched upon the need for common regulations in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, or AI, suggesting they could form the basis for the reform of global multilateralism. Addressing strategic misalignments in global politics, particularly regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the 75-year-old emphasized a strong and balanced Europe is beneficial for China. Looking ahead, Raffarin voiced his concern about the current direction of global politics, advocating strongly for cooperation over confrontation. "In a world leaning toward confrontation, we need to steer back toward cooperation," he said. "This is the only way forward for a stable and prosperous global community." He added that he views Xi's visit as a cornerstone for not only reinforcing the China-France relationship but also setting a precedent for how major global powers should interact in an increasingly multipolar world. As tensions continue to rise on various fronts, the collaboration between China and France could indeed play a crucial role in navigating the complex web of international relations, he noted. Raffarin welcomed Xi's commitment to expanding access and welcoming French companies and investment into China, underscoring the need for reciprocal relations between China and Europe. "What we seek is reciprocity," he said. "The rules that apply to Chinese companies in Europe should similarly apply to European companies in China." By WANG MINGJIE SOURCE China Daily The two countries signed 18 bilateral cooperation documents in areas such as green development, aviation, agrifood, commerce and people-to-people exchanges after the two presidents' official talks at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Monday. They also issued four joint statements on the situation in the Middle East, artificial intelligence and global governance, partnership in the fields of biodiversity and oceans, and agricultural exchanges and cooperation. This year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and France, with the latter being the first major Western country to establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level with China. Observers said that in an era in which mistrust often defines interactions between the West and China, the vibrant comprehensive strategic partnership between China and France stands as a beacon of hope, demonstrating that trust and collaboration are not only possible but essential for progress and prosperity. A successful sojourn: https://x.com/XisMoments/status/1788129714055586191 https://x.com/XisMoments/status/1788129189344018799 During their talks, the two presidents highlighted the countries' friendly relationship as well as the potential and prospects of cooperation. They pledged to step up the countries' cooperation in traditional areas such as aerospace, aviation and nuclear energy, expand collaboration in emerging areas such as green energy, smart manufacturing, biomedicine and AI, and jointly uphold multilateralism, the United Nations Charter and international law. Xi said that China is ready to maintain strategic communication with France, respect each other's core interests, unleash the great potential of mutually beneficial cooperation, and facilitate growth and balance in bilateral trade. Expanding opening-up He reaffirmed the nation's commitment to expanding opening-up, saying that China has fully opened up its manufacturing sector and will move faster to expand market access in the service sector, such as in telecommunications and medical services. While saying that China welcomes investment by more French companies, Xi expressed the hope that the French side will provide a good business environment and stable development expectations for investment and cooperation by Chinese companies in France. China welcomes visits by more people from France, and will extend the short-stay visa-exemption policy for citizens from 12 countries, including France, to the end of 2025, bring the total number of French students in China to more than 10,000, and double the number of young Europeans on exchange programs to China in the next three years, Xi said. He also pledged to increase dialogue and communication with France in areas including AI governance and reform of the international financial system. Macron said that as the world faces many pressing challenges, the profound and rich France-China relationship is at a critical juncture of building on the past and looking to the future. The two sides, through mutual respect, a long-term perspective and strengthened cooperation, will play an important and positive role in addressing global challenges and opposing any logic of bloc confrontation, he said. Macron assured Xi that France will continue to open its market to China and will not adopt discriminatory policies against Chinese companies. David Gosset, founder of the China-Europe-America Global Initiative, said that as France and China translate their affinities into concerted action, they forge pathways for enhanced synergies between the European Union and the world's second-largest economy. As the world continues to evolve and confront new challenges, Gosset said that the partnership between France and China will remain essential in shaping a more peaceful, prosperous and sustainable future for all. During their talks, Xi and Macron also exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual interest, including the Ukraine crisis and the Palestine-Israel conflict. While meeting the media with Macron following their talks, Xi called on all parties to resume engagement and dialogue to build mutual trust in order to address the Ukraine crisis. China opposes attempts to use the Ukraine crisis to scapegoat or smear a third country or to stoke a new Cold War, he said. https://x.com/XisMoments/status/1787812645602766938 On the Palestine-Israel conflict, Xi urged the international community to work together for an immediate, comprehensive and sustainable cease-fire in Gaza. "We support Palestine's full membership in the UN, and support restoring to Palestine its legitimate national rights and restarting the two-state solution, so as to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East." Xi and Macron also met on Tuesday at Col du Tourmalet in southwestern France, before Xi left for a state visit to Serbia. https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202405/08/WS663ab1cea31082fc043c5c59.html SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED New technology enhancements enable Travel Advisor efficiency including 'Online' multi-destination booking platform, integration of an AXUS itinerary tool and a new Classic VIP Connect program SAN JOSE, Calif., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Classic Vacations, the #1 rated global luxury travel company, is proud to continue its digital transformation by strengthening their robust Online Booking platform and unveiling new technology enhancements. Classic's offering of products and choices for Travel Advisors, which is greater than any other travel provider, is further enhanced with the integration of AXUS's itinerary tool and a brand-new Classic VIP Connect program. Classic Vacations has created an accessible, customizable, and streamlined experience that meets Travel Advisors "where," "when," and "how" they want while designing and executing luxury vacations for their clients. Classic Vacations Empowers Travel Advisors through Digital Transformation Post this Classic's investment in technology aims to help Travel Advisors successfully manage and grow their businesses. Their recently announced Online Booking Platform is central to this mission and the foundation from which new software, tools and solutions help solve pain-points for Advisors and support their growth. Classic's Online Booking Platform has already proven to be transformational by allowing Travel Advisors to book a multi-destination, multi-room itinerary, with an ability to secure their booking based on real time rates and availability. The updated experience includes access to Classic's exclusive 'Preferred' 5-Star inventory some of which is not available online elsewhere. This technology sets Classic apart from all their peers and is the first time anyone has offered these capabilities, especially when combined with Classic's best-in-class luxury portfolio of highly curated hotels, affiliate products and vacation rentals. In addition, Advisors have exclusive access to Classic's specialized packaging service to add experiences, tours, air, rail, ground transportation, and more. In the initial weeks of introducing the new Online Booking Platform, Classic reported over 100% increase in sales online. Within days of launch, 25% of new bookings already incorporated more than one hotel, and due to the intuitive interface and ability for Travel Advisors to easily share information with their clients, the company has seen increased retention and substantial growth in quote-to-book conversions during the first week of Beta usage. "A multi-destination booking platform has been on Travel Advisors' wish list for years," said Melissa Krueger, CEO of Classic Vacations. "Now, with the update to AXUS and the addition of our Classic VIP Connect program, we are offering an extraordinary array of tools, empowering Travel Advisors to carry out curated bookings with unparalleled efficiency and ease. We are proud to invest in our valued Travel Advisors and are committed to the continuation of enhancing their experience with Classic Vacations." AXUS, the third-party itinerary tool popular among luxury Travel Advisors, aggregates one itinerary for advisors who are booking different pieces of travel for their clients. AXUS allows Advisors to incorporate reservations at hotels, restaurants, excursions and more into one comprehensive design. Classic VIP Connect offers a personalized touch and is available to any Travel Advisor who books a hotel from Classic's 'Preferred' collection. Classic will now automatically send a personalized note to the Advisor's hotel partner on their behalf, alerting the hotel about their VIP client's arrival and further ensuring a seamless vacation. Classic Vacations, which is owned by The Najafi Companies, takes pride in continually enhancing their online booking features, always driven by the needs of the modern-day Travel Advisor. To learn more about Classic Vacations and its enhanced technology for Travel Advisors, please visit www.classicvacations.com or call 1800.221.3949. MEDIA CONTACT: Quinn PR [email protected] ABOUT CLASSIC VACATIONS Founded in 1978, Classic Vacations is the #1 rated luxury vacation platform owned by The Najafi Companies. Over the past four decades, Travel Advisors have relied on Classic to help create and support millions of exceptional travel experiences for their clients. In doing so, Classic not only facilitates special vacation memories, but also helps travelers see a world beyond their immediate community. Classic has grown to represent over a hundred destinations around the world and offers a full line of accommodations, from mid-tier to luxury (including suites, villas, and residences), competitive pricing, first class and private transportation options, and unique tours and excursions in Abu Dhabi, Africa, Asia, Canada, Caribbean, Costa Rica, Dubai, Europe, Fiji, Hawaii, Mainland USA, Maldives, Mexico, Oman, Seychelles, and Tahiti. For more information, visit www.classicvacations.com/travel-agent/login or call (800) 221-3949. ABOUT THE NAJAFI COMPANIES The Najafi Companies is an entrepreneurially driven private investment firm which makes highly selective investments across industries with significant holdings in consumer, hospitality, sports, media, ecommerce, and technology. By funding its investments with internally generated capital and utilizing a strategy of concentration, not diversification, Najafi is empowered to think long-term, remain highly flexible and operate in true alignment with management. The team's passion is to create value in areas that are underserved or undergoing rapid transformation. The Najafi Companies continues its mission to "do well and do good" and partner with world-class, entrepreneurial teams. Headquartered in Phoenix with offices in LA and NY. SOURCE Classic Vacations SAN ANTONIO, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCO) (the "Company") today reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. "We delivered first quarter consolidated revenue of $482 million, an increase of 10.1%, or 9.3% excluding movements in foreign exchange rates, reflecting record first quarter results in our America, Airports and Europe-North segments excluding sold markets and movements in foreign exchange rates," said Scott Wells, Chief Executive Officer of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. "The trends we saw late last year largely continued into the first quarter, including improving demand among advertisers in all regions and key verticals in our America business segment. "We are executing on our strategic plan, which is aimed at enhancing the profitability of our business, focusing on our higher-margin U.S. markets and investing in our technology and sales resources to elevate our ability to serve a broader range of advertisers. We believe that our first quarter results indicate that we are effectively pursuing business across a greater number of channels. "We continue to actively manage and strengthen our balance sheet as evidenced by our recent successful refinancing activities that extended our 2025 and 2026 maturities and created flexibility supporting the M&A process in Europe. We are positive about the trends we are seeing in our business and remain on track in delivering growth this year." Financial Highlights: Financial highlights for the first quarter of 2024 as compared to the same period of 2023, including financial highlights excluding movements in foreign exchange rates ("FX")1: (In millions) Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 % Change Revenue: Consolidated Revenue2 $ 481.8 10.1 % Excluding movements in FX1,2 478.1 9.3 % America Revenue 249.8 5.8 % Airports Revenue 76.9 43.0 % Europe-North Revenue 139.4 8.5 % Excluding movements in FX1 136.1 5.9 % Net Loss: Loss from Continuing Operations (88.7) (4.3) % Adjusted EBITDA1: Adjusted EBITDA1,2 96.7 53.6 % Excluding movements in FX1,2 96.3 53.0 % America Segment Adjusted EBITDA3 95.5 17.3 % Airports Segment Adjusted EBITDA3 19.1 204.6 % Europe-North Segment Adjusted EBITDA3 14.3 99.7 % Excluding movements in FX1 13.8 92.5 % 1 This is a non-GAAP financial measure. See " Supplemental Disclosures " section herein for more information. 2 Financial highlights exclude results of discontinued operations. See " Supplemental Disclosures " section herein for more information. 3 Segment Adjusted EBITDA is a GAAP financial measure. See " Supplemental Disclosures " section herein for more information. Debt Activity: On March 18, 2024, we issued $865.0 million aggregate principal amount of 7.875% Senior Secured Notes Due 2030 (the "CCOH 7.875% Senior Secured Notes") and used a portion of the proceeds therefrom to prepay $835.0 million of borrowings outstanding under our Term Loan Facility. At the same time, we amended our Senior Secured Credit Agreement to, among other things, refinance the $425.0 million remaining principal balance on the Term Loan Facility and to extend its maturity date from 2026 to 2028, subject to certain conditions. On March 22, 2024, our indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, Clear Channel International B.V. ("CCIBV"), entered into a credit agreement comprising two tranches of term loans (the "CCIBV Term Loan Facility") totaling an aggregate principal amount of $375.0 million, which mature in 2027, and used the proceeds therefrom to redeem all of the outstanding CCIBV 6.625% Senior Secured Notes Due 2025 (the "CCIBV Senior Secured Notes"). Please refer to the " Liquidity and Financial Position " section of this earnings release for additional details. Guidance: Our expectations for the second quarter of 2024 are as follows: Second Quarter of 2024 % change from prior year (in millions) Low High Low High Consolidated Revenue1,2 $ 547 $ 572 3 % 8 % America 290 300 1 % 4 % Airports 82 87 15 % 22 % Europe-North1 155 165 3 % 10 % 1 Excludes movements in FX 2 Excludes results of discontinued operations Our expectations for the full year of 2024 have not changed from the guidance we provided in our earnings release issued on February 26, 2024, except for loss from continuing operations and Adjusted Funds from Operations ("AFFO"). Our updated expectations for the full year of 2024 are as follows: Full Year of 2024 % change from prior year (in millions) Low High Low High Consolidated Revenue1,2 $ 2,200 $ 2,260 3 % 6 % America 1,135 1,165 3 % 6 % Airports 345 360 11 % 16 % Europe-North1 635 655 2 % 6 % Loss from Continuing Operations1 (150) (120) (5) % (24) % Adjusted EBITDA1,2,3 550 585 3 % 9 % AFFO1,2,3 80 105 (4) % 26 % Capital Expenditures2 130 150 (10) % 4 % 1 Excludes movements in FX 2 Excludes results of discontinued operations 3 This is a non-GAAP financial measure. See " Supplemental Disclosures " section herein for more information. Expected results and estimates may be impacted by factors outside of the Company's control, and actual results may be materially different from this guidance. See " Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements " herein. Results: Results provided herein exclude amounts related to discontinued operations for all periods presented. Revenue: (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, % Change 2024 2023 Revenue: America $ 249,777 $ 236,049 5.8 % Airports 76,926 53,789 43.0 % Europe-North 139,393 128,503 8.5 % Other 15,656 19,079 (17.9) % Consolidated Revenue $ 481,752 $ 437,420 10.1 % Revenue excluding movements in FX1: America $ 249,777 $ 236,049 5.8 % Airports 76,926 53,789 43.0 % Europe-North 136,086 128,503 5.9 % Other 15,266 19,079 (20.0) % Consolidated Revenue excluding movements in FX $ 478,055 $ 437,420 9.3 % 1 This is a non-GAAP financial measure. See " Supplemental Disclosures " section herein for more information. Revenue for the first quarter of 2024, as compared to the same period of 2023: America: Revenue up 5.8%: Revenue up in all regions Higher billboards revenue driven by increased demand and digital deployments; growth in both print and digital Digital revenue up 7.9% to $84.2 million from $78.0 million from National sales comprised 34.5% of America revenue, compared to 33.1% in the prior year Airports: Revenue up 43.0%: Strong demand across portfolio Digital revenue up 44.1% to $42.6 million from $29.6 million from National sales comprised 55.2% of Airports revenue, compared to 60.1% in the prior year Europe-North: Revenue up 8.5%; excluding movements in FX, up 5.9%: Higher revenue in the U.K., Sweden and Belgium , mainly due to increased demand and digital deployments; partially offset by loss of transit contract in Norway and , mainly due to increased demand and digital deployments; partially offset by loss of transit contract in Digital revenue up 12.5% to $73.5 million from $65.3 million ; digital revenue, excluding movements in FX, up 9.1% to $71.3 million Other: Revenue down 17.9%; excluding movements in FX, down 20.0%: Loss of contract in Singapore ; partially offset by higher revenue in Latin America Direct Operating and SG&A Expenses1: (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, % Change 2024 2023 Direct operating and SG&A expenses: America $ 154,684 $ 154,698 % Airports 57,940 47,525 21.9 % Europe-North 124,264 121,565 2.2 % Other 16,617 18,710 (11.2) % Consolidated Direct operating and SG&A expenses2 $ 353,505 $ 342,498 3.2 % Direct operating and SG&A expenses excluding movements in FX3: America $ 154,684 $ 154,698 % Airports 57,940 47,525 21.9 % Europe-North 121,488 121,565 (0.1) % Other 16,404 18,710 (12.3) % Consolidated Direct operating and SG&A expenses excluding movements in FX $ 350,516 $ 342,498 2.3 % 1 "Direct operating and SG&A expenses" as presented throughout this earnings release refers to the sum of direct operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization) and selling, general and administrative expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization) 2 Includes restructuring and other costs of $0.8 million and $0.2 million during the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively 3 This is a non-GAAP financial measure. See " Supplemental Disclosures " section herein for more information Direct operating and SG&A expenses for the first quarter of 2024, as compared to the same period of 2023: America: Direct operating and SG&A expenses flat: Higher compensation costs largely driven by increased headcount and pay increases Offset by lower credit loss expense driven by improved collections and specific reserves recorded in the prior year Site lease expense down 0.2% to $82.8 million from $83.0 million driven by the renegotiation of an existing contract Airports: Direct operating and SG&A expenses up 21.9%: Site lease expense up 21.4% to $44.0 million from $36.3 million driven by higher revenue from driven by higher revenue Higher compensation costs largely driven by higher sales commissions Europe-North: Direct operating and SG&A expenses up 2.2%; excluding movements in FX, down 0.1%: Site lease expense down 4.1% to $54.4 million from $56.7 million ; site lease expense, excluding movements in FX, down 5.8% to $53 .4 million driven by contract loss in Norway from ; site lease expense, excluding movements in FX, down 5.8% to .4 million driven by contract loss in Offset by higher compensation costs Other: Direct operating and SG&A expenses down 11.2%; excluding movements in FX, down 12.3%: Lower costs driven by loss of contract in Singapore Partially offset by higher site lease expense in Latin America Corporate Expenses1: (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, % Change 2024 2023 Corporate expenses2 $ 40,126 $ 36,180 10.9 % Corporate expenses excluding movements in FX3 39,791 36,180 10.0 % 1 Certain costs that were historically allocated to the Company's Europe-South segment and reported within SG&A expenses, totaling $1.9 million during the three months ended March 31, 2023, have been deemed to be costs of continuing operations and are now reported within corporate expenses for all periods presented. 2 Includes restructuring and other costs (reversals) of $2.5 million and $(0.1) million during the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. 3 This is a non-GAAP financial measure. See " Supplemental Disclosures " section herein for more information. Corporate expenses for the first quarter of 2024, as compared to the same period of 2023, up 10.9%; excluding movements in FX, up 10.0%: Higher employee compensation costs, including share-based compensation Higher restructuring and other costs Loss from Continuing Operations: (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, % Change 2024 2023 Loss from continuing operations $ (88,663) $ (92,605) (4.3) % Adjusted EBITDA1: (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, % Change 2024 2023 Segment Adjusted EBITDA2: America $ 95,464 $ 81,365 17.3 % Airports 19,082 6,264 204.6 % Europe-North 14,325 7,172 99.7 % Other 200 369 (45.8) % Total Segment Adjusted EBITDA 129,071 95,170 35.6 % Adjusted Corporate expenses1,3 (32,365) (32,204) 0.5 % Adjusted EBITDA1 $ 96,706 $ 62,966 53.6 % Segment Adjusted EBITDA excluding movements in FX1: America $ 95,464 $ 81,365 17.3 % Airports 19,082 6,264 204.6 % Europe-North 13,806 7,172 92.5 % Other 29 369 (92.1) % Total Segment Adjusted EBITDA 128,381 95,170 34.9 % Adjusted Corporate expenses excluding movements in FX1,3 (32,054) (32,204) (0.5) % Adjusted EBITDA excluding movements in FX1 $ 96,327 $ 62,966 53.0 % 1 This is a non-GAAP financial measure. See " Supplemental Disclosures " section herein for more information. 2 Segment Adjusted EBITDA is a GAAP financial measure. See " Supplemental Disclosures " section herein for more information. 3 Certain costs that were historically included in Segment Adjusted EBITDA for the Europe-South segment have been deemed to be costs of continuing operations and have been reclassified to Adjusted Corporate expenses for all periods presented. AFFO1: (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, % Change 2024 2023 AFFO1 $ (16,324) $ (43,660) 62.6 % AFFO excluding movements in FX1 (16,784) (43,660) 61.6 % 1 This is a non-GAAP financial measure. See " Supplemental Disclosures " section herein for more information. Capital Expenditures: (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, % Change 2024 2023 America $ 8,823 $ 16,808 (47.5) % Airports 1,639 4,751 (65.5) % Europe-North 9,360 7,066 32.5 % Other 1,358 1,921 (29.3) % Corporate 2,855 2,830 0.9 % Consolidated capital expenditures $ 24,035 $ 33,376 (28.0) % Markets and Displays: As of March 31, 2024, we operated more than 310,000 print and digital out-of-home advertising displays in 19 countries as part of our continuing operations, with the majority of our revenue generated by operations in the U.S. and Europe. As of March 31, 2024, we had presence in 83 Designated Market Areas ("DMAs") in the U.S., including 43 of the top 50 U.S. markets, and in 12 countries throughout Europe, excluding markets that are considered discontinued operations. Number of digital displays added (removed), net, in first quarter Total number of displays as of March 31, 2024 Digital Printed Total America1: Billboards2 23 1,854 33,410 35,264 Other displays3 5 611 13,669 14,280 Airports4 (16) 2,437 10,337 12,774 Europe-North 348 15,604 227,370 242,974 Other5 (160) 1,063 3,851 4,914 Total displays 200 21,569 288,637 310,206 1 As of March 31, 2024, our America segment had presence in 28 U.S. DMAs. 2 Billboards includes bulletins, posters, spectaculars and wallscapes. 3 Other displays includes street furniture and transit displays. 4 As of March 31, 2024, our Airports segment had displays across nearly 200 commercial and private airports in the U.S. and the Caribbean. 5 The decrease in Other displays was driven by the loss of a contract in Singapore. Clear Channel International B.V. CCIBV, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and the borrower under the CCIBV Term Loan Facility, includes the operations of our Europe-North and Europe-South segments, as well as Singapore, which is included in "Other." The financial results of Singapore have historically been immaterial to the results of CCIBV, and revenue and expenses for this business were further reduced in the first quarter of 2024 due to the loss of a contract. As the current and former businesses in the Europe-South segment are considered discontinued operations, results of these businesses are reported as a separate component of Consolidated net income (loss) in the CCIBV Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss) for all periods presented and are excluded from the discussion below. CCIBV results from continuing operations for the first quarter of 2024 as compared to the same period of 2023 are as follows: CCIBV revenue increased 3.8% to $139.5 million from $134.4 million . Excluding the $3.3 million impact of movements in FX, CCIBV revenue increased 1.4% as higher revenue from our Europe-North segment, as described in the above "Results" section of this earnings release, was partially offset by the loss of a contract in Singapore . . Excluding the impact of movements in FX, CCIBV revenue increased 1.4% as higher revenue from our Europe-North segment, as described in the above "Results" section of this earnings release, was partially offset by the loss of a contract in . CCIBV operating loss was $6.5 million compared to $18.1 million in the same period of 2023. Liquidity and Financial Position: Cash and Cash Equivalents: As of March 31, 2024, we had $193.2 million of cash on our balance sheet, including $59.3 million of cash held outside the U.S. (excludes cash held by our business in Spain, which is a discontinued operation). The following table summarizes our cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2024 on a consolidated basis, including both continuing and discontinued operations: (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 Net cash used for operating activities $ (34,818) Net cash used for investing activities1 (27,331) Net cash provided by financing activities 5,279 Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (760) Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ (57,630) Cash paid for interest $ 127,140 Cash paid for income taxes, net of refunds $ 6,075 1 Includes capital expenditures for discontinued operations of $2.2 million. Debt: In March 2024, we issued $865.0 million aggregate principal amount of CCOH 7.875% Senior Secured Notes, which mature in April 2030, and used a portion of the proceeds therefrom to prepay $835.0 million of borrowings outstanding under the Term Loan Facility. At the same time, we entered into an amendment to the Senior Secured Credit Agreement to, among other things, refinance the $425.0 million remaining principal balance on the Term Loan Facility and to extend its maturity date from August 2026 to August 2028, subject to certain conditions. The new refinanced term loans were issued at a 1% discount, and we used the proceeds therefrom, along with the remaining proceeds from the CCOH 7.875% Senior Secured Notes issuance and cash on hand, to pay off the original term loans, to pay $14.9 million of accrued interest on the prepaid and refinanced Term Loan principal, and to pay $12.5 million of fees and expenses related to these transactions. At March 31, 2024, we accrued an additional $2.7 million of unpaid fees and expenses related to these transactions, which we expect to pay in the second quarter of 2024. In March 2024, CCIBV entered into the CCIBV Term Loan Facility totaling an aggregate principal amount of $375.0 million, which matures in April 2027. The CCIBV Term Loan Facility, which was issued at 1% discount, is comprised of two tranches of term loans: fixed rate term loans in an aggregate principal amount of $300.0 million that bear interest at 7.5% per annum, and floating rate term loans in an aggregate principal amount of $75.0 million that bear interest equal to Term SOFR plus 2.25% per annum (subject to a floor rate of 5.25% per annum). We used the proceeds from the CCIBV Term Loan Facility, along with cash on hand, to redeem all of the outstanding $375.0 million aggregate principal amount of CCIBV Senior Secured Notes, which were scheduled to mature in August 2025, and to pay $11.8 million of accrued interest related thereto and $3.9 million of related transaction fees and expenses. At March 31, 2024, we accrued an additional $1.9 million of unpaid fees and expenses related to this transaction, which we expect to pay in the second quarter of 2024. After giving effect to these debt transactions, we anticipate having cash interest payment obligations of approximately $309 million during the remainder of the year, including the first semi-annual interest payment on the CCOH 7.875% Senior Secured Notes in October, and $425 million in 2025, assuming that we do not refinance or incur additional debt. Our next debt maturities are in 2027 when the $1.25 billion aggregate principal amount of 5.125% Senior Secured Notes Due 2027 and the $375.0 million principal amount outstanding under the CCIBV Term Loan Facility become due. Please refer to Table 3 in this earnings release for additional detail regarding our outstanding debt balance. TABLE 1 - Financial Highlights of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. and its Subsidiaries: (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 Revenue $ 481,752 $ 437,420 Operating expenses: Direct operating expenses1 260,837 252,603 Selling, general and administrative expenses1 92,668 89,895 Corporate expenses1 40,126 36,180 Depreciation and amortization 54,290 64,208 Other operating expense, net 1,439 3,920 Operating income (loss) 32,392 (9,386) Interest expense, net (107,655) (102,500) Loss on extinguishment of debt (4,787) Other income (expense), net2 (8,346) 8,780 Loss from continuing operations before income taxes (88,396) (103,106) Income tax benefit (expense) attributable to continuing operations (267) 10,501 Loss from continuing operations (88,663) (92,605) Income (loss) from discontinued operations3 (420) 57,183 Consolidated net loss (89,083) (35,422) Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests 584 (510) Net loss attributable to the Company $ (89,667) $ (34,912) 1 Excludes depreciation and amortization. 2 Other expense, net, for the three months ended March 31, 2024 includes $11.8 million of debt modification expense related to the debt transactions the Company completed in March 2024. 3 Loss from discontinued operations for the three months ended March 31, 2024 reflects the net loss generated during the period by operations in Spain. Income from discontinued operations for the three months ended March 31, 2023 was driven by a gain of $96.4 million from the sale of our former business in Switzerland, partially offset by the income tax expense related to such sale and net loss collectively generated during the period by operations in France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. Weighted Average Shares Outstanding (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 Weighted average common shares outstanding Basic and Diluted 483,720 478,501 TABLE 2 - Selected Balance Sheet Information: (In thousands) March 31, 2024 December 31, 2023 Cash and cash equivalents $ 193,236 $ 251,652 Total current assets1 818,693 957,401 Net property, plant and equipment 647,293 666,344 Total assets1 4,559,443 4,722,475 Current liabilities (excluding current portion of long-term debt)2 795,409 883,116 Long-term debt (including current portion of long-term debt) 5,652,102 5,631,903 Stockholders' deficit (3,546,492) (3,450,743) 1 Total current assets and total assets include assets of discontinued operations of $128.5 million and $131.3 million at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. 2 Current liabilities includes liabilities of discontinued operations of $64.9 million and $68.8 million at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. TABLE 3 - Total Debt: (In thousands) March 31, 2024 December 31, 2023 Debt: Term Loan Facility Due 20281 $ 425,000 $ 1,260,000 Revolving Credit Facility Due 20262 Receivables-Based Credit Facility Due 20263 Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings 5.125% Senior Secured Notes Due 2027 1,250,000 1,250,000 Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings 9.000% Senior Secured Notes Due 2028 750,000 750,000 Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings 7.875% Senior Secured Notes Due 20301 865,000 Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings 7.750% Senior Notes Due 2028 995,000 995,000 Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings 7.500% Senior Notes Due 2029 1,040,000 1,040,000 Clear Channel International B.V. 6.625% Senior Secured Notes Due 20254 375,000 Clear Channel International B.V. Term Loan Facility Due 20274 375,000 Finance leases 4,093 4,202 Original issue discount (9,060) (2,690) Long-term debt fees (42,931) (39,609) Total debt 5,652,102 5,631,903 Less: Cash and cash equivalents (193,236) (251,652) Net debt $ 5,458,866 $ 5,380,251 1 On March 18, 2024, we issued $865.0 million aggregate principal amount of CCOH 7.875% Senior Secured Notes and used a portion of the proceeds therefrom to prepay $835.0 million of borrowings outstanding under our Term Loan Facility. At the same time, we amended our Senior Secured Credit Agreement to, among other things, refinance the $425.0 million remaining principal balance on the Term Loan Facility and to extend its maturity date from 2026 to 2028, subject to certain conditions. 2 As of March 31, 2024, we had $43.2 million of letters of credit outstanding and $106.8 million of excess availability under the Revolving Credit Facility. 3 As of March 31, 2024, we had $48.9 million of letters of credit outstanding and $89.2 million of excess availability under the Receivables-Based Credit Facility. 4 On March 22, 2024, CCIBV entered into the CCIBV Term Loan Facility, totaling an aggregate principal amount of $375.0 million, and used the proceeds therefrom to redeem all of the outstanding $375.0 million aggregate principal amount of CCIBV Senior Secured Notes. Supplemental Disclosures: Reportable Segments and Segment Adjusted EBITDA The Company has four reportable segments, which it believes best reflect how the Company is currently managed: America, which consists of the Company's U.S. operations excluding airports; Airports, which includes revenue from U.S. and Caribbean airports; Europe-North, which consists of operations in the U.K., the Nordics and several other countries throughout northern and central Europe; and Europe-South, which consists of operations in Spain, and prior to their sales on March 31, 2023, May 31, 2023 and October 31, 2023, respectively, also consisted of operations in Switzerland, Italy and France. The Company's remaining operations in Latin America and Singapore are disclosed as "Other." The Company's Europe-South segment met the criteria to be reported as discontinued operations during the third quarter of 2023. As such, results of this segment are excluded from this earnings release, which only reflects continuing operations, for all periods presented. Segment Adjusted EBITDA is the profitability metric reported to the Company's chief operating decision maker for purposes of making decisions about allocation of resources to, and assessing performance of, each reportable segment. Segment Adjusted EBITDA is a GAAP financial measure that is calculated as Revenue less Direct operating expenses and SG&A expenses, excluding restructuring and other costs. Restructuring and other costs include costs associated with cost savings initiatives such as severance, consulting and termination costs and other special costs. Non-GAAP Financial Information This earnings release includes information that does not conform to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), including Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Corporate expenses, Funds From Operations ("FFO") and Adjusted Funds From Operations ("AFFO"). The Company presents this information because the Company believes these non-GAAP measures help investors better understand the Company's operating performance as compared to other out-of-home advertisers, and these metrics are widely used by such companies in practice. Please refer to the reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures below. The Company defines, and uses, these non-GAAP financial measures as follows: Adjusted EBITDA is defined as income (loss) from continuing operations, plus: income tax expense (benefit) attributable to continuing operations; all non-operating expenses (income), including other expense (income), loss (gain) on extinguishment of debt and interest expense, net; other operating expense (income), net; depreciation, amortization and impairment charges; share-based compensation expense included within corporate expenses; and restructuring and other costs included within operating expenses. Restructuring and other costs include costs associated with cost savings initiatives such as severance, consulting and termination costs and other special costs. The Company uses Adjusted EBITDA as one of the primary measures for the planning and forecasting of future periods, as well as for measuring performance for compensation of Company executives and other members of Company management. The Company believes Adjusted EBITDA is useful for investors because it allows investors to view performance in a manner similar to the method used by Company management and helps improve investors' ability to understand the Company's operating performance, making it easier to compare the Company's results with other companies that have different capital structures or tax rates. In addition, the Company believes Adjusted EBITDA is among the primary measures used externally by the Company's investors, analysts and peers in its industry for purposes of valuation and comparing the operating performance of the Company to other companies in its industry. As part of the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA, the Company also presents the non-GAAP financial measure of "Adjusted Corporate expenses," which the Company defines as corporate expenses excluding share-based compensation expense and restructuring and other costs. The Company uses the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts ("Nareit") definition of FFO, which is consolidated net income (loss) before: depreciation, amortization and impairment of real estate; gains or losses from the disposition of real estate; and adjustments to eliminate unconsolidated affiliates and noncontrolling interests. The Company defines AFFO as FFO excluding discontinued operations and before the following adjustments for continuing operations: maintenance capital expenditures; straight-line rent effects; depreciation, amortization and impairment of non-real estate; loss on extinguishment of debt and debt modification expense; amortization of deferred financing costs and discounts; share-based compensation expense; deferred taxes; restructuring and other costs; transaction costs; foreign exchange transaction gain or loss; and other items, including adjustment for unconsolidated affiliates and noncontrolling interest and nonrecurring infrequent or unusual gains or losses. The Company is not a Real Estate Investment Trust ("REIT"). However, the Company competes directly with REITs that present the non-GAAP measures of FFO and AFFO and, accordingly, believes that presenting such measures will be helpful to investors in evaluating the Company's operations with the same terms used by the Company's direct competitors. The Company calculates FFO in accordance with the definition adopted by Nareit. Nareit does not restrict presentation of non-GAAP measures traditionally presented by REITs by entities that are not REITs. In addition, the Company believes FFO and AFFO are already among the primary measures used externally by the Company's investors, analysts and competitors in its industry for purposes of valuation and comparing the operating performance of the Company to other companies in its industry. The Company does not use, and you should not use, FFO and AFFO as an indication of the Company's ability to fund its cash needs or pay dividends or make other distributions. Because the Company is not a REIT, the Company does not have an obligation to pay dividends or make distributions to stockholders and does not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future. Moreover, the presentation of these measures should not be construed as an indication that the Company is currently in a position to convert into a REIT. A significant portion of the Company's advertising operations is conducted in foreign markets, principally Europe, and Company management reviews the results from its foreign operations on a constant dollar basis. The Company presents the GAAP measures of revenue, direct operating and SG&A expenses, corporate expenses and Segment Adjusted EBITDA, as well as the non-GAAP financial measures of Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Corporate expenses, FFO and AFFO, excluding movements in foreign exchange rates because Company management believes that viewing certain financial results without the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency rates facilitates period-to-period comparisons of business performance and provides useful information to investors. These measures, which exclude the effects of foreign exchange rates, are calculated by converting the current period's amounts in local currency to U.S. dollars using average monthly foreign exchange rates for the same period of the prior year. Since these non-GAAP financial measures are not calculated in accordance with GAAP, they should not be considered in isolation of, or as a substitute for, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures as an indicator of operating performance or, in the case of Adjusted EBITDA, FFO and AFFO, the Company's ability to fund its cash needs. In addition, these measures may not be comparable to similar measures provided by other companies. See reconciliations of loss from continuing operations to Adjusted EBITDA, corporate expenses to Adjusted Corporate expenses, and consolidated net loss to FFO and AFFO in the tables set forth below. This data should be read in conjunction with the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Form 10-Qs and Form 8-Ks, which are available on the Investor Relations page of the Company's website at investor.clearchannel.com. Reconciliation of Loss from Continuing Operations to Adjusted EBITDA Three Months Ended March 31, (in thousands) 2024 2023 Loss from continuing operations $ (88,663) $ (92,605) Adjustments: Income tax (benefit) expense attributable to continuing operations 267 (10,501) Other (income) expense, net 8,346 (8,780) Loss on extinguishment of debt 4,787 Interest expense, net 107,655 102,500 Other operating expense, net 1,439 3,920 Depreciation and amortization 54,290 64,208 Share-based compensation 5,277 4,031 Restructuring and other costs 3,308 193 Adjusted EBITDA $ 96,706 $ 62,966 Reconciliation of Corporate Expenses to Adjusted Corporate Expenses Three Months Ended March 31, (in thousands) 2024 2023 Corporate expenses $ (40,126) $ (36,180) Share-based compensation 5,277 4,031 Restructuring and other costs (reversals) 2,484 (55) Adjusted Corporate expenses $ (32,365) $ (32,204) Reconciliation of Consolidated Net Loss to FFO and AFFO Three Months Ended March 31, (in thousands) 2024 2023 Consolidated net loss $ (89,083) $ (35,422) Depreciation and amortization of real estate 46,806 64,754 Net gain on disposition of real estate (excludes condemnation proceeds)1 (5,588) (94,231) Adjustment for unconsolidated affiliates and non-controlling interests (1,198) 129 Funds From Operations (FFO) (49,063) (64,770) Less: FFO from discontinued operations (335) (34,204) FFO from continuing operations (48,728) (30,566) Capital expendituresmaintenance (6,940) (9,224) Straight-line rent effect (1,275) 997 Depreciation and amortization of non-real estate 7,484 7,191 Loss on extinguishment of debt and debt modification expense 16,610 Amortization of deferred financing costs and discounts 2,902 2,887 Share-based compensation 5,277 4,031 Deferred taxes 66 (11,389) Restructuring and other costs 3,308 193 Transaction costs 6,174 526 Foreign exchange transaction gain (3,817) (8,839) Other items 2,615 533 Adjusted Funds From Operations (AFFO) $ (16,324) $ (43,660) 1 Net gain on disposition of real estate for the three months ended March 31, 2023 includes a gain of $96.4 million from the sale of our former business in Switzerland. Reconciliation of Loss from Continuing Operations Guidance1 to Adjusted EBITDA Guidance1 Full Year of 2024 (in millions) Low High Loss from continuing operations $ (150) $ (120) Adjustments: Income tax expense attributable to continuing operations 4 4 Other expense, net 6 6 Loss on extinguishment of debt 5 5 Interest expense, net 424 429 Other operating expense, net 17 17 Depreciation and amortization 215 215 Share-based compensation 24 24 Restructuring and other costs 5 5 Adjusted EBITDA $ 550 $ 585 1 Guidance excludes movements in FX Reconciliation of Loss from Continuing Operations Guidance1 to AFFO Guidance1 Full Year of 2024 (in millions) Low High Loss from continuing operations $ (150) $ (120) Depreciation and amortization of real estate 184 184 Net gain on disposition of real estate (excludes condemnation proceeds) (1) (1) Adjustment for unconsolidated affiliates and non-controlling interests (6) (6) FFO from continuing operations 27 57 Capital expendituresmaintenance (42) (47) Straight-line rent effect (8) (8) Depreciation and amortization of non-real estate 31 31 Loss on extinguishment of debt and debt modification expense 17 17 Amortization of deferred financing costs and discounts 12 12 Share-based compensation 24 24 Deferred taxes (7) (7) Restructuring and other costs 5 5 Foreign exchange transaction gain (4) (4) Other items 25 25 Adjusted Funds From Operations (AFFO) $ 80 $ 105 1 Guidance excludes movements in FX. Conference Call The Company will host a conference call to discuss these results on May 9, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The conference call number is 866-424-3432 (U.S. callers) or +1 215-268-9862 (international callers). A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available on the "Events and Presentations" section of the Company's investor website (investor.clearchannel.com). A replay of the webcast will be available after the live conference call on the "Events and Presentations" section of the Company's investor website. About Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCO) is at the forefront of driving innovation in the out-of-home advertising industry. Our dynamic advertising platform is broadening the pool of advertisers using our medium through the expansion of digital billboards and displays and the integration of data analytics and programmatic capabilities that deliver measurable campaigns that are simpler to buy. By leveraging the scale, reach and flexibility of our diverse portfolio of assets, we connect advertisers with millions of consumers every month. Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this earnings release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the "Company") to be materially different from any future results, performance, achievements, guidance, goals and/or targets expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The words "guidance," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "forecast," "goals," "targets" and similar words and expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, such as statements about our guidance, outlook, long-term forecast, goals or targets; our business plans and strategies; our expectations about the timing, closing, satisfaction of closing conditions, use of proceeds and benefits of the sales of our European businesses; expectations about certain markets; the conduct of, and expectations about, international business sales processes; industry and market trends; and our liquidity, are forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and are difficult to predict. Various risks that could cause future results to differ from those expressed by the forward-looking statements included in this earnings release include, but are not limited to: continued economic uncertainty, an economic slowdown or a recession; our ability to service our debt obligations and to fund our operations, business strategy and capital expenditures; the impact of our substantial indebtedness, including the effect of our leverage on our financial position and earnings; the difficulty, cost and time required to implement our strategy, including optimizing our portfolio, and the fact that we may not realize the anticipated benefits therefrom; our ability to obtain and renew key contracts with municipalities, transit authorities and private landlords; competition; regulations and consumer concerns regarding privacy, digital services, data protection and the use of artificial intelligence; a breach of our information security measures; legislative or regulatory requirements; restrictions on out-of-home advertising of certain products; environmental, health, safety and land use laws and regulations, as well as various actual and proposed environmental, social and governance policies, regulations and disclosure standards; the impact of the processes to sell our businesses comprising our Europe-North segment and our businesses in Latin America; the impact of the recent dispositions or agreements to dispose of the businesses in our Europe-South segment and the potential dispositions of our other international businesses, as well as other strategic transactions or acquisitions; third-party claims of intellectual property infringement, misappropriation or other violation against us or our suppliers; risks of doing business in foreign countries; fluctuations in exchange rates and currency values; volatility of our stock price; the impacts on our stock price as a result of future sales of common stock, or the perception thereof, and dilution resulting from additional capital raised through the sale of common stock or other equity-linked instruments; our ability to continue to comply with the applicable listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange; the restrictions contained in the agreements governing our indebtedness limiting our flexibility in operating our business; the effect of analyst or credit ratings downgrades; our dependence on our management team and other key individuals; continued scrutiny and changing expectations from investors, lenders, customers, government regulators, municipalities, activists and other stakeholders; and certain other factors set forth in our filings with the SEC. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date stated, or if no date is stated, as of the date of this earnings release. Other key risks are described in the section entitled "Item 1A. Risk Factors" of the Company's reports filed with the SEC, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. The Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements because of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. NEW YORK, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global combined heat and power market size is estimated to grow by USD 9.35 billion from 2024 to 2028, according to Technavio. This growth is expected to occur at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.29% during the forecast period. To understand more about this market - Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes! Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Combined Heat and Power Market 2024-2028 Report Attribute Details Base Year 2023 Forecast period 2024-2028 Historic Data for 2018 - 2022 Segments Covered Product (Natural gas, Coal, and Others) and End-user (Industrial, Commercial, and Residential) Key Companies Covered ABB Ltd., Ameresco Inc., Capstone Green Energy Corp., Caterpillar Inc., Cummins Inc., FuelCell Energy Inc., General Electric Co., Helec Ltd., HoSt Holding B.V., Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., Kraft Power Corp., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., MTT bv, Robert Bosch GmbH, Rolls Royce Holdings Plc, Siemens Energy AG, Traton SE, Veolia Environnement SA, Wartsila Corp., and 2G Energy AG Regions Covered APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and Middle East and Africa Key Trends Fueling Growth Advancements in combined heat and power system technologies: Advancements in combined heat and power (CHP) systems have significantly shaped the global market. Notable improvements include enhanced efficiency through advanced turbines and engines, integrating renewable sources like solar and wind, and better utilization of waste heat. Micro-CH systems have expanded CHP to residential and small commercial users, offering energy independence and cost savings. Intelligent control systems optimize CHP operation, while hybrid systems combine various energy sources for flexibility. These innovations have boosted market growth, fostering higher efficiencies, increased renewable integration, and widespread adoption of micro-CH systems. Further developments in CHP technology are expected to drive market expansion globally. For more insights on the market trends with forecast market size and historic data (2018 - 2022) - Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes! Major Challenges: High cost associated with combined heat and power units Many countries utilize combined heat and power (CHP) systems for their eco-friendly advantages. However, their widespread adoption faces challenges due to high upfront expenses. For instance, ENE-FARM, a PEMFC-based CHP system, incurs an operating cost 116% higher than traditional power systems. Fuel cells, integral to CHP, are costly despite declining prices. Although fuel cells date back to the 1960s, commercial development began in the 1990s. While natural gas abundance in the US and ongoing R&D efforts lowered fuel cell costs, they remain pricier than alternatives like engines. Consequently, subsidies are crucial for fuel cell competitiveness. Initially aiding adoption, subsidies diminish over time, requiring increased investments for sustained affordability. Such factors hinder global CHP market growth, particularly in developing nations. To know more about the market opportunities impacted by market dynamics, click here to- Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes! Segmentation Overview Product 1.1 Natural gas 1.2 Coal 1.3 Others End-user 2.1 Industrial 2.2 Commercial 2.3 Residential Geography 3.1 APAC 3.2 Europe 3.3 North America 3.4 South America 3.5 Middle East and Africa 1.1 Natural gas- The natural gas sector is set to grow notably in the coming years. Combined heat and power technology, or cogeneration, lets us make electricity and useful heat at once from one fuel. Natural gas is chosen for this because it burns cleanly, is efficient, and easy to find. It's good for the environment too, emitting fewer greenhouse gases and air pollutants than other fossil fuels. This makes it a sustainable choice. The market's seen big growth lately, with natural gas playing a big part in that. Lots of industries, like manufacturing, healthcare, and residential buildings, are turning to natural gas for their energy needs. These systems provide steady electricity and heat for things like heating spaces and water, as well as for industry. All these reasons are driving the growth of this sector, pushing the market forward. Get a glance at the market contribution of rest of the segments - Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes! Analyst Review The Combined Heat and Power (CHP) market encompasses various sectors such as biogas, gas turbines, reciprocating engines, solar panels, wind turbines, and hydrogen. With a focus on utilities, industrial applications, hospitals, nursing homes, laundries, hotels, universities, schools, prisons, private and sporting facilities, the market addresses emissions reduction and energy efficiency goals. In response to environmental regulatory pressures, CHP systems offer a reliable solution, particularly for commercial and industrial facilities. They optimize energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by utilizing natural gas supply efficiently. This technology benefits from the resilience and reliability of electric power generation, especially in times of increased demand or lockdowns. By integrating conventional and renewable energy sources, CHP systems contribute to the electricity grid's stability and provide reserve capacity. They are widely adopted by small-to-medium-sized industrial facilities, power plants, and commercial buildings to enhance energy sustainability while meeting operational needs. Overall, CHP systems play a crucial role in the global energy landscape, balancing the requirements of various sectors while minimizing emissions and maximizing energy efficiency. Market Overview Gas pretreatment is vital for reducing GHG emissions in industrial operations, especially in industries reliant on natural gas-based fuel types like Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems. With lockdowns affecting discretionary spending, industries seek cost-effective solutions like CHP to optimize energy usage. CHP integrates industrial boilers to efficiently produce heat and power, minimizing waste. The market for CHP systems benefits from this demand, offering sustainable energy solutions amidst economic constraints. Gas pretreatment ensures the smooth operation of industrial boilers within CHP setups, contributing to lower emissions and cost savings. As industries prioritize sustainability and cost efficiency, CHP emerges as a practical solution, supported by effective gas pretreatment methods and a focus on reducing GHG emissions. 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 Product Natural Gas Coal Others End-user Industrial Commercial Residential Geography APAC Europe North America South America Middle East And Africa 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 LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As the highly anticipated 2024 National Restaurant Association Show approaches, ComplianceMate is gearing up to exhibit its dynamic foodservice software at Lakeside Booth 9016 in Chicago, Illinois from May 18-21, 2024. The annual National Restaurant Association Show has been bringing the foodservice industry together for over 100 years. As a previous recipient of the National Restaurant Association Show's esteemed Kitchen Innovation Award, ComplianceMate is thrilled to return for the ninth consecutive year to showcase its latest advancements in restaurant operational efficiency and food safety compliance. "The quick return on investment is the difference maker," said Thom Schmitt, VP of Sales. Post this ComplianceMate's patented software is designed to transform the way the foodservice industry: monitors humidity and temperatures optimizes operational processes automates work logs achieves HACCP compliance audits food safety performance "By leveraging our patented technology, organizations can expect improved audit scores, rapid return on investment, and substantial savings in food loss, with an average of $10,000 saved over just 6 months," said Thom Schmitt, VP, Sales at ComplianceMate. Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about how other top restaurant brands are using ComplianceMate to drive great customer experiences and manage profitability. Attending? Book your one-on-one demo with us at Booth 9016. Not attending? Book your virtual demo here . About ComplianceMate ComplianceMate provides the world's leading patented temperature sensor software system used to ensure regulatory compliance and operational efficiencies. The principal product offering has streamlined HACCP compliance checklists and cooler monitoring for all types of foodservice and related industries across multiple continents. With wireless temperature sensors and automated workflows, customers can view the certified data to make evidence-based decisions about operational processes. Organizations achieve improved audit scores and see a rapid ROI of up to 260% annually. CONTACT: Becky Ballard - Sales / Account Manager 1000 Hurricane Shoals Rd. NE. Suite A-100 Lawrenceville, GA 30043 Office: (877) 275-1159 Website: www.ComplianceMate.com Cell: (678) 346-0380 Email: [email protected] SOURCE ComplianceMate SYDNEY, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- D2UNet, a leading supplier of network equipment and security solutions, today announced a new distribution agreement with Be Broadband Technology Ltd. (BBT.live), a provider of a groundbreaking Network Security as a Service (NSaaS) platform. This strategic partnership will allow D2UNet to offer its customers in Oceanian countries region access to BBT.live's industry-leading NSaaS platform. Addressing the Evolving Network Landscape The rapid growth of enterprise cloud services, mobile device proliferation, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) adoption, and the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) have significantly increased network complexity. Traditional Wide Area Network (WAN) services and on-premise security appliances struggle to keep pace, leaving businesses vulnerable to unauthorized access and cyberattacks. BBT.live's NSaaS: A Secure and Simplified Solution BBT.live's cloud-based NSaaS platform, BeBroadband as a Service, is a robust solution that comprehensively addresses these challenges. It eliminates the need for expensive, complex WAN optimization and security appliances, offering a full range of functionalities, including Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), Security Service Edge (SSE), and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), along with UTM (Unified Threat Management) and NGFW (Next Generation Firewall) capabilities. By unifying security policies across cloud and physical data centers, BeBroadband as a Service simplifies operations and creates a secure environment. Businesses can leverage everyday internet access and mobile device connectivity with low latency, regardless of user location. Key Benefits for Businesses: Reduced Costs: Eliminate high-cost appliance installation, streamline network management, overcome communication capacity limitations, and avoid outdated software security and sizing issues. Eliminate high-cost appliance installation, streamline network management, overcome communication capacity limitations, and avoid outdated software security and sizing issues. Enhanced Security: Benefit from robust, centrally managed security features that protect against evolving cyber threats. Benefit from robust, centrally managed security features that protect against evolving cyber threats. Simplified Management: The user-friendly cloud-based platform simplifies network configuration and security policy management. The user-friendly cloud-based platform simplifies network configuration and security policy management. Scalability and Agility: The platform seamlessly scales to accommodate business growth and adapts to changing security needs. D2UNet and BBT.live: A Partnership for Network Security Success "We're delighted to partner with BBT.live to offer their cutting-edge NSaaS solution to our customers in Oceania," said Dineshwar Lal, CEO at D2UNet. "BBT.live's cloud-based platform aligns perfectly with our commitment to providing advanced, cost-effective security solutions. By adding this innovative offering to our portfolio, we empower businesses of all sizes to significantly strengthen their network defenses and achieve an optimal security posture." "We are thrilled to join forces with D2UNet, a well-respected distributor with a strong presence in the Oceanian countries region," said Erez Zelikovitz, EVP Chief Product and Revenue Officer at BBT.live. "Their extensive network and deep understanding of the IT security landscape will be invaluable in extending our reach and empowering businesses in Oceania to benefit from our innovative NSaaS platform." This partnership signifies a shared commitment to providing businesses with the tools to combat evolving cyber threats and achieve a more secure digital environment. As part of this partnership, D2UNet has set and secured subscription commitments for BBT.live's NSaaS platform by the end of 2024. This target reflects their confidence plan in the solution's value proposition for businesses across Oceania. It aligns with their overall Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy for rapid market penetration, which is very fast in the NSaaS market. About D2UNet D2UNET is a leading network equipment and security solutions supplier headquartered in Sydney, Australia. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services designed to meet the evolving needs of businesses of all sizes. D2UNet is committed to providing its customers with innovative, reliable, and cost-effective solutions to optimize their network performance and security posture. www.d2unet.com.au About Be Broadband Technology Ltd. (BBT.live) Be Broadband Technology Ltd. (BBT.live) is a pioneering provider of a cutting-edge Network Security as a Service (NSaaS) platform. Headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, and NJ, USA, BBT.live empowers businesses to configure their network security needs quickly and efficiently through a user-friendly cloud-based platform. BBT.live's solution delivers robust security protection, scalability, and cost-effectiveness for businesses of all sizes. BBTlive.jp Media Contacts: D2UNET: Shaya Lal VP Marketing, D2UNet +61 425 565 938 [email protected] BBT.live: Jack Lehman VP MarCom, BBT.live +1 201 615 8974 [email protected] SOURCE D2UNet SAN FRANCISCO, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Datometry, the pioneer in database system virtualization, announced today that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, honored Datometry by naming it one of the Coolest Database System Companies of the 2024 Big Data 100. The award recognizes vendors offering next-generation relational database systems with significant impact and practical relevance. CRN's Big Data 100 is a critical resource for solution providers who help their customers transform their organizations. Specifically, CRN recognized Datometry for its pioneering work in database system virtualization, a novel and powerful technology that empowers enterprises to break the vendor lock-in of legacy database systems. Datometry's partners and customers have established a unique track record of moving even the most demanding workloads at a fraction of the time and cost compared to conventional migration approaches. By adding support for Oracle and PostgreSQL databases, Datometry has recently extended its product lineup to capture the operational database market, in addition to analytical workloads. "We're honored to be included in the list of Coolest Database Vendors 2024 by CRN," said Mike Waas, CEO of Datometry. "Solution providers are at the heart of enterprise modernization. With our product portfolio, we are addressing a rapidly accelerating market demand for portability and mobility of database workloads." The 2024 Big Data 100 list is available online at www.CRN.com/BigData100. About Datometry Datometry is the leader in database system virtualization. With Datometry Hyper-Q, enterprises can run their existing applications directly on next-generation databases without needing costly and risk-laden database migrations. Datometry counts leading Fortune 500 and Global 2000 enterprises worldwide among their customers. For more information, visit www.datometry.com About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end users. Backed by over 40 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com Media Contact Kristin Diodonet Datometry [email protected] SOURCE Datometry Today we welcome South African guitarist Derek Gripper who joins me in studio to talk about his current tour, his new album with kora master Ballake Sissoko, his concert tonight in Ottawa, and to play a few tunes! Derek Gripper has had an extraordinary winding career as a musician, starting his education on the classical violin. Later, he picked up the classical guitar. Gripper began playing bass guitar in a band, where he met the Indian percussionist Sivamani who invited him to India, where Gripper spent some time learning Carnatic music. After his trip to India, he wanted to focus on the classical guitar and explore and stretch its capabilities. He had an eight string guitar made with a removable fretboards, so fretboards with different tunings could be easily switched in. He pursued different music and music theory. In 2011, this all led him to the kora music of Toumani Diabate. Gripper's perspective change and he saw Diabate as a composer as well as the famed musician and heir to generations of musicians. He developed a technique to perform Diabate's kora music on guitar and transcribed his recordings into scores. He recorded his first album of Diabate's music in 2012. In 2016, he was invited by Toumani Diabate to visit Mali where he played with him and experienced firsthand the tradition and way Griots approached and passed on their repertoire. He has just released a new album with Ballake Sissoko. Playing tonight at the Kailash Mital theatre at Carleton University! https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/derek-gripper-live-in-ottawa-kailash-mital-theatre-tickets-874104358667 Derek Gripper's brand new album with Ballake Sissoko: https://newcape.bandcamp.com/album/ballak-sissoko-and-derek-gripper DENVER, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA) today announced that its chief financial officer, Joel Ackerman, and its group vice president of investor relations, Nic Eliason, will participate in a fireside chat with investors at BofA Securities 2024 Health Care Conference on Tuesday, May 14th, 2024 at 5:00 pm Pacific Daylight Time. To view the live webcast, visit the BofA page and create a free registration. About DaVita Inc. DaVita (NYSE: DVA) is a health care provider focused on transforming care delivery to improve quality of life for patients globally. The company is one of the largest providers of kidney care services in the U.S. and has been a leader in clinical quality and innovation for more than 20 years. DaVita cares for patients at every stage and setting along their kidney health journeyfrom slowing the progression of kidney disease to helping to support transplantation, from acute hospital care to dialysis at home. As of March 31, 2024, DaVita served approximately 258,600 patients at 3,092 outpatient dialysis centers, of which 2,665 centers were located in the United States and 427 centers were located in 12 other countries worldwide. DaVita has reduced hospitalizations, improved mortality, and worked collaboratively to propel the kidney care industry to adopt an equitable and high-quality standard of care for all patients, everywhere. To learn more, visit DaVita.com/About. Contact Information [email protected] SOURCE DaVita TORONTO, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Denison Mines Corp. ('Denison' or the 'Company') (TSX: DML) (NYSE American: DNN) is pleased to report that the nominees listed in the management proxy circular dated March 28, 2024 (the "Circular") for the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held in Toronto today (the "Meeting") were elected as directors of the Company. View PDF version David Cates, Director, President and CEO of Denison commented, "The Board and management of Denison extend their sincere gratitude to Mr. Ron Hochstein, who did not stand for re-election at the Meeting, for nearly 25-years of service on the Board since his appointment in 2000. As Director, Board Chair, and the Company's previous CEO, Ron made countless invaluable contributions to the strategic direction of the Company and development of several members of the management team. Under Ron's oversight as Board Chair, Denison has emerged from an extended period of challenging uranium markets with an incredibly exciting Saskatchewan-based project portfolio and a team motivated to deliver on the development of the Company's flagship Phoenix deposit. Ron continues to have a significant ownership position in the Company and has graciously agreed to serve the Company as an advisor to the Board in support of our efforts to develop Phoenix. On behalf of the Board, I'm also pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Jennifer Traub as the Company's new Board Chair. Jennifer is a partner in the Securities Group, and Co-Chair of the Mining Group, at Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP and has been recognized as a legal leader in the Canadian resource sector. Jennifer joined the Denison Board in 2021, contributing her dynamic advisory and leadership experience to Denison's governance, and the Board and management are pleased she has agreed to this expanded role." All other items of business presented to its shareholders at the Meeting, as more particularly described in the Circular, were approved. Detailed results of the vote by proxy for the election of directors are set out below. Nominee Votes For % For Votes Withheld % Withheld David Cates 384,833,396 99.58 % 1,619,036 0.42 % Brian Edgar 383,841,473 99.32 % 2,610,960 0.68 % Jong Ho Hong 385,348,852 99.71 % 1,103,581 0.29 % David Neuburger 382,086,817 98.87 % 4,365,616 1.13 % Laurie Sterritt 381,856,131 98.81 % 4,596,301 1.19 % Jennifer Traub 371,577,666 96.15 % 14,874,765 3.85 % Patricia Volker 381,607,250 98.75 % 4,845,181 1.25 % The Company has provided more details on the results of all matters considered at the Meeting in its Report of Voting Results which has been filed under its profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar. About Denison Denison Mines Corp. was formed under the laws of Ontario and is a reporting issuer in all Canadian provinces and territories. Denison's common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (the 'TSX') under the symbol 'DML' and on the NYSE American exchange under the symbol 'DNN'. Denison is a uranium mining, exploration and development company with interests focused in the Athabasca Basin region of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. The Company has an effective 95% interest in its flagship Wheeler River Uranium Project, which is the largest undeveloped uranium project in the infrastructure rich eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin region of northern Saskatchewan. In mid-2023, the Phoenix Feasibility Study was completed for the Phoenix deposit as an ISR mining operation, and an update to the previously prepared 2018 Pre-Feasibility Study was completed for Wheeler River's Gryphon deposit as a conventional underground mining operation. Based on the respective studies, both deposits have the potential to be competitive with the lowest cost uranium mining operations in the world. Permitting efforts for the planned Phoenix ISR operation commenced in 2019 and have advanced significantly, with licensing in progress and a draft Environmental Impact Study submitted for regulatory and public review in October 2022. Denison's interests in Saskatchewan also include a 22.5% ownership interest in the McClean Lake Joint Venture ('MLJV'), which includes unmined uranium deposits (planned for extraction via the MLJV's SABRE mining method starting in 2025) and the McClean Lake uranium mill (currently utilizing a portion of its licensed capacity to process the ore from the Cigar Lake mine under a toll milling agreement), plus a 25.17% interest in the Midwest Joint Venture's Midwest Main and Midwest A deposits, and a 69.35% interest in the Tthe Heldeth Tue ('THT') and Huskie deposits on the Waterbury Lake Property. The Midwest Main, Midwest A, THT and Huskie deposits are located within 20 kilometres of the McClean Lake mill. Taken together, the Company has direct ownership interests in properties covering ~384,000 hectares in the Athabasca Basin region. Additionally, through its 50% ownership of JCU (Canada) Exploration Company, Limited ('JCU'), Denison holds additional interests in various uranium project joint ventures in Canada, including the Millennium project (JCU, 30.099%), the Kiggavik project (JCU, 33.8118%) and Christie Lake (JCU, 34.4508%). In 2024, Denison is celebrating its 70th year in uranium mining, exploration, and development, which began in 1954 with Denison's first acquisition of mining claims in the Elliot Lake region of northern Ontario. Follow Denison on X (formerly Twitter) @DenisonMinesCo CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain information contained in this news release constitutes 'forward-looking information', within the meaning of the applicable United States and Canadian legislation concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Denison. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as 'plans', 'expects', 'budget', 'scheduled', 'estimates', 'forecasts', 'intends', 'anticipates', or 'believes', or the negatives and/or variations of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results 'may', 'could', 'would', 'might' or 'will be taken', 'occur', 'be achieved' or 'has the potential to'. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information pertaining to the following: Denison's expectations with respect to the Wheeler River project; the composition of the Denison Board; expectations regarding Denison's joint venture ownership interests and the continuity of its agreements with third parties. Forward looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made, and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Denison to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Denison believes that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be accurate and results may differ materially from those anticipated in this forward looking information. For a discussion in respect of risks and other factors that could influence forward-looking events, please refer to the factors discussed in Denison's Annual Information Form dated March 28, 2024 under the heading 'Risk Factors'. These factors are not, and should not be construed as being, exhaustive. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Any forward-looking information and the assumptions made with respect thereto speaks only as of the date of this news release. Denison does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information after the date of this news release to conform such information to actual results or to changes in Denison's expectations except as otherwise required by applicable legislation. SOURCE Denison Mines Corp. SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., May 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Discover the World, the renowned global specialist in travel representation, is thrilled to announce a strategic partnership with Saudia, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia. Discover the World brings to the table an impressive track record in business development with many leading industry brands making them a logical partner to elevate Saudia's iconic brand, exciting new product and guest experience and unique destination network. Aiden Walsh, Head of Airline Development at Discover the World commented, "It's a privilege for us to join forces with Saudia and embark on this transformative journey together. We are committed to implementing a dynamic sales solution that elevates Saudia's presence within all channels of the travel trade community to amplify the essence of 'Welcome to Arabia' and beyond, positioning Saudia as the airline of choice." Arved von zur Muehlen, Chief Commercial Officer at Saudia, emphasized, "As we chart our course to strengthen travel trade partnerships our collaboration with Discover the World marks a significant milestone. This exciting venture will enable us to foster deeper connections with travel and tourism agencies, delivering unparalleled services while driving demand and boosting sales." Discover the World and Saudia are poised to redefine the travel experience, creating lasting impressions and shaping the future of the industry. About Discover the World Discover the World has earned a reputation as an innovative global sales representation leader in the travel industry through a worldwide network of 85 offices in more than 60 countries. With a portfolio of over 100 clients utilizing its sales, marketing and business process outsourcing services, the work of Discover has a direct positive impact on the growth of its clients and trade industry partners every day. www.discovertheworld.com About Saudia Saudia was established in 1945 and has scheduled flights to over 100 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. The company is one of the Middle East's largest airlines. SAUDIA is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) and has been a member of SkyTeam since 2012. www.saudia.com SOURCE Discover the World CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As of 9 a.m., Duke Energy has restored power to more than 180,000 customers impacted by severe storms that occurred Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. The majority of customers are expected to be restored by tonight, with some customers in the hardest-hit areas experiencing power outages into Friday. "We are committed to working as quickly and safely as possible to get the lights back on for our customers," said Jason Hollifield, Duke Energy's Carolinas storm director. "Our crews will continue to restore power after many areas experienced extensive structural damage." Duke Energy will continue to update estimated restoration times throughout the day for all customers. "We appreciate our customers' patience as we work to restore power and encourage them to prepare for another round of potentially damaging storms in the Carolinas later today," said Hollifield. Important safety tips If you are driving and come across a utility crew working along the road to repair power, move over or slow down to keep crews and yourself safe. It's not just a good idea it's the law. Stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging. Consider all lines energized, as well as trees, limbs, fences or anything in contact with lines. If a power line falls across a car that you're in, stay in the car. If you MUST exit the car due to a fire or other immediate life-threatening situation, do your best to jump clear of the car and land on both feet. Be sure that no part of your body is touching the car when your feet touch the ground. A generator can be very useful during a power outage but remember to always follow the manufacturer's instructions to ensure safe and proper operation. Please watch for utility crews and turn the generator off when crews are in your area. The electrical load on the power lines can be hazardous for crews making repairs. If rising water threatens your home or if you evacuate your home turn off your power at the circuit breaker panel or fuse box. If your home or business is flooded, Duke Energy cannot reconnect power until the electrical system has been inspected by a licensed electrician. If there is damage, an electrician will need to make repairs and obtain verification from your local building inspection authority before power can be restored. Electric current passes easily through water, so stay away from downed power lines and electrical wires. Don't drive over and don't stand near downed power lines. Downed lines will be hard to see in the rain and can potentially be hidden in standing water. If you encounter large pools of standing water, stop, back up and choose another path. Outage reporting To stay informed about the status of power outages, customers should sign up for Outage Alerts. If already enrolled, take this time to ensure all contact information is accurate and up to date using the Manage Alerts link at duke-energy.com/OutageAlerts . Customers experiencing an outage during a storm can report it the following ways: Visit duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or mobile device. Use the Duke Energy mobile app download the Duke Energy App from a smartphone via Apple Store or Google Play. Text OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may apply). Call the automated outage reporting system at 800.228.8485. Customer service specialists will be available to manage customer calls should the need arise, with additional corporate responders from across all Duke Energy jurisdictions available to assist as needed. For storm or power restoration updates, follow Duke Energy on Twitter (@DukeEnergy) and Facebook (Duke Energy). Duke Energy Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition, keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear. More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition. Duke Energy Carolinas Duke Energy Carolinas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 20,700 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2.9 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 24,000-square-mile service area in North Carolina and South Carolina. 24-Hour: 800.559.3853 SOURCE Duke Energy Following in the footsteps of global giants in cell phone sales and electric vehicle manufacturing, India-based startup DYNEM by EMotorad is poised to revolutionize e-bike industry with construction of world's biggest integrated e-bike gigafactory in India PUNE, India, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2017, the world's largest phone seller first started assembling its phones in India. Since then, the company has made significant advancements and is gradually moving its manufacturing to India. India now reportedly produces 20% of its global productions and exports worth $10 billion. Tech-giant and leading American EV manufacturer too are reported to be seeking a site for its $3 billion factory in India. They've been scouting for locations in Gujarat and Maharashtra. India-based startup DYNEM by EMotorad begins constructing the worlds biggest integrated e-bike factory in Maharashtra. With all critical elements in place, like working population, infrastructure, intellectual capital, and more, India is showing huge manufacturing potential. India is ready to host the 'World's Biggest E-cycle Integrated Gigafactory' named DYNEM. Spanning across four phases of development and an initial manufacturing capacity of 500,000 e-bikes annually, DYNEM is expected to manufacture EV components like batteries, motors, displays, and chargers in-house starting August 2024. In line with industry 4.0 standards and built on Gen-2 platforms, the gigafactory is slated to amp up production to 4X by the end of its 4-year completion. "DYNEM is strategically poised to serve as a one-stop e-solution for U.S. and European e-bike companies. With advanced battery technology, cutting-edge motor systems, and comprehensive logistical support, we ensure that we meet the expansive needs of these markets with precision and reliability," said Rajib Gangopadhyay, Co-Founder and Corporate Strategist, EMotorad. India has the least amount of import duties, customs, and tariff for importers from Europe and the USA, which go as low as 0 to 2.5%. DYNEM's potential to allow e-bike companies to find manufacturers with low tariff and legal anti-dumping solutions that give an edge to e-bike companies procuring from India. DYNEM is a complete e-bike manufacturer that provides drive train solutions, including an initial production capacity of 500,000 e-bikes per year or battery, motor, display and charger to meet the exact requirements and the spares. DYNEM is set to be the biggest integrated e-bike factory in the world. While most manufacturers produce one component at scale, the combination of all elements and mechanical components of an e-bike makes them poised to gain substantial market share in the global e-bike landscape. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2408596/DYNEM_e_bike_factory.jpg SOURCE DYNEM by EMotorad "The Spritz was designed to evoke that sunshine-on-your-face-not-a-care-in-the-world feeling synonymous with kicking back and enjoying a refreshing, bubbly beverage. With The Spritz, we're declaring that 'spritz season' should be a state of mind," remarked Lauren Selman, Director of Global Growth & Innovation at Sazerac. "Many ready-to-drink offerings don't deliver on both flavor and style, but The Spritz does. Nailing the taste experience was a critical part of our creation process, and we're confident even the most seasoned spritz connoisseurs will be reaching for The Spritz all summer and beyond." Light and effervescent, The Spritz offers sophisticated and versatile cocktails with three flavors to choose from: Traditional - Inspired by classic spritz flavors and featuring notes of Mandarin orange and herbal liqueur. Limone - Limoncello and notes of blood orange, grapefruit, carraway, and orange blossom. Hugo - Elderflower and notes of mint and lemon. "We intentionally designed The Spritz with a sleek bottle shape, vivid colors, and innovative pop-top technology to stimulate the senses and be more than just a liquid in a can. From the satisfying 'pop' you hear while opening the bottle to the appealing aroma from the cocktail and the visual of bubbles dancing in your glass, The Spritz is an ideal drink and experience for any occasion," Selman explained. Starting May 2024, The Spritz will debut in select markets, including Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, and Washington, before becoming available nationwide in September 2024. Each boldly colored bottle of The Spritz contains two 6 oz servings. The new-to-world, ready-to-drink cocktail can be enjoyed with fruit, on ice, or chilled in a wine glass. Each flavor of The Spritz is available in packs of four for an SRP of $14.99 (local taxes and fees will vary). For more updates, follow The Spritz on Instagram @TheSpritzAperitif. About The Spritz Every season is The Spritz season with The Spritz ready-to-drink cocktails. Inspired by the classic namesake cocktail, The Spritz is crafted with quality ingredients and offered in three light and refreshing flavors at just 80 calories per serving: Traditional, Limone, and Hugo. 'Spritz season' is a state of mind, so grab your friends, pop open your favorite flavor, and let The Spritz transport you to wherever you want to go. About Sazerac Company With over 400 years of history, Sazerac is one of the world's largest distilled spirits companies. Now in the fourth generation of the current family ownership, Sazerac strives each day to bring the finest spirits to consumers and communities around the world. Over 500 of the world's most extraordinary brands are part of the Sazerac portfolio, including Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Eagle Rare, Weller, The Last Drop Distillers, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, Southern Comfort, Wheatley Vodka, Meyers's Rum, White X Cognac, Sazerac de Forge Cognac, Paddy's Irish Whiskey, and many more. Sazerac is also the steward of many fine distilleries internationally, including Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, United States; Domaine Sazerac de Segonzac in Cognac, France; Paul John Distillery in Goa, India; and Lough Gill Distillery in County Sligo, Ireland. Additional impressive locations can be found in New Orleans, Montreal, London, Cork and Sydney, to name a few. To learn more visit www.sazerac.com. The Spritz Traditional: The Spritz, Premium Vodka and Orange Liqueur with Certified Colors, 6% Alc/Vol, Sazerac Company, Louisville KY The Spritz Hugo: The Spritz, Premium Vodka and Elderflower Liqueur with Certified Colors, 6% Alc/Vol, Sazerac Company, Louisville KY The Spritz Limone: The Spritz, Premium Vodka and Limoncello Liqueur with Certified Color, 6% Alc/Vol, Sazerac Company, Louisville KY SOURCE Sazerac LARGO, Md., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Employ Prince George's is pleased to announce the signing of two crucial pieces of legislation by Governor Wes Moore on April 25, 2024. Employ Prince George's was joined for this momentous occasion by leaders from WorkSource Montgomery, Harris Jones & Malone, and our House and Senate bill sponsors, all of whom partnered and advocated for these groundbreaking workforce development initiatives. These bills, House Bill 372/Senate Bill 354 (Rent Court Workforce Solutions Pilot Program) and House Bill 650/Senate Bill 511 (Report on Apprenticeship Mentoring Ratios), make significant strides towards enhancing opportunities and support for the job seekers and businesses in Prince George's County and beyond. Source: Employ Prince George's From left to right: (1) Jessica Issoufou, Deputy Director of Workforce Services, WorkSource Montgomery; (2) Zach Buster, Intern, Sen-ator Washington's Office; (3) Jeffrey Swilley, Chief of Staff, EPG; (4) Grason Wiggins, Lobbyist, Harris Jones & Malone; (5) Senator Alonzo Washington; (6) Vicki Stevenson, AIP Navigator, EPG; (7) Ardy Kamali, Director, Advocacy & Compliance, EPG; (8) Lakita Green, Manager, Apprenticeship Innovation Program; (9) Delegate Adrian Boafo; (10) James LeBlanc, Director of Community Impact, Work-Source Montgomery; (11) Sarah Van De Weert, Director of Government & Board Relations, WorkSource Montgomery; (12) House Bill 372/Senate Bill 354: Rent Court Workforce Solutions Pilot Program The Rent Court Workforce Solutions Pilot Program is a pioneering initiative that will support residents who are navigating the intersection of housing insecurity and employment stability. Spearheaded by Senators Jeff Waldstreicher (Montgomery) and Michael Jackson (Prince George's) and Delegates Kevin M. Harris (Prince George's) and Vaughn Stewart (Montgomery), this legislation will provide targeted workforce development resources and support to individuals facing eviction proceedings. In a time when housing affordability is a growing concern, this innovative program provides the Prince George's County and Montgomery County Workforce Development Boards with funding to place full-time staff in the District Courts of their respective counties on days when rent court is in session. These workforce development professionals will engage with and provide tenants facing eviction with access to financial resources, free upskilling opportunities, employment, and apprenticeship opportunities. Funding for this program will begin in FY2026 (July 1, 2025) and run concurrently through FY2028 (June 30, 2028). "We are thrilled to see Governor Moore's commitment to addressing the critical issues of housing insecurity and workforce development through the signing of House Bill 372 and Senate Bill 354," said Walter Simmons, President & CEO of Employ Prince George's. "This legislation allows us to address an underlying cause of evictions by reaching people who need workforce development services the most, when they need it the most," he added. Senator Waldstreicher remarked, "The passage of Senate Bill 354 represents a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to empower individuals and promote economic stability in our communities. This legislation will connect tenants who are behind on their rent to employment opportunities so they can stay in their homes." "The passage of this crucial workforce development/housing bill marks a significant step in Prince George's County's efforts to tackle root causes of eviction and the day-to-day hardships of those residents living right above the poverty line, while also rebuilding our labor force and building a strong economy. It was an honor to sponsor this legislation and bring these pivotal resources back to Prince George's County," said Delegate Harris. House Bill 650/Senate Bill 511: Report on Apprenticeship Mentoring Ratios The Report on Apprenticeship Mentoring Ratios was initially introduced as an effort to increase Maryland's apprentice-to-journeyworker ratio from 1:1 to 3:1 for all nontraditional (i.e., non-building trades) apprenticeship occupations. This vital legislation, championed by Senator Alonzo Washington (Prince George's) and Delegate Adrian Boafo (Prince George's), saw broad support from businesses, nonprofits, Maryland's local workforce development boards, economic development entities, and chambers of commerce. Ultimately the bill emerged from committee with a modified scope. Under the amended bill, the Maryland Department of Labor must submit a comprehensive apprenticeship report to the General Assembly by October 1, 2024. The report will analyze Maryland's apprenticeship programs and policies, including increasing apprenticeship mentoring ratios for nontraditional apprenticeships, waivers for increased apprentice-to-journeyworker ratios, industries and occupations best suited for higher apprenticeship ratios, and strategic recommendations for expanding mentoring ratios in newly registered nontraditional apprenticeships in Maryland. The goal will be to modernize apprenticeship operations in Maryland to ensure it is growing, inclusive, and equitable for all businesses and job seekers. "One of the primary barriers to apprenticeship participation, particularly for small businesses, is the administrative burden involved. Navigating regulations, paperwork, registering apprentices with relevant bodies, and covering tuition costs all pose significant challenges. A higher apprenticeship ratio for industries like IT, food service, lodging, and healthcare would certainly incentivize more small businesses to participate," said Walter Simmons. "That's what this bill was about meeting the lofty apprenticeship goals set by the General Assembly and the Apprenticeship 2030 Commission. As it stands, our State will struggle to reach those goals without expanding the apprenticeship ecosystem to include ALL Maryland businesses and job seekers. That's why Employ Prince George's eagerly anticipates reviewing the report's findings and will continue to advocate for a higher nontraditional apprenticeship ratio next session." "House Bill 650 is an important first step towards ensuring equitable opportunities in our workforce," said Delegate Boafo. "I look forward to the Maryland Department of Labor's report on apprenticeship ratios and their recommendations for how to increase participation in apprenticeships. By making apprenticeships more accessible, we're not just building careers, we're constructing pathways to prosperity for all Marylanders." Along with the two landmark workforce development bills, Employ Prince George's secured a total of $850,000 in funding for multiple workforce development efforts. Three capital projects received funding, including a Heavy Equipment Operator Training Program in Brandywine, MD and the renovations of Prince George's County's first reentry job center, the Bridge Center at Adam's House, as well as the Prince George's County Youth Career Center. "It was a pleasure working with our regional partner, Employ Prince George's, to advocate for these resources and policy changes. Both of these bills will surely bolster our local workforce development efforts to serve our most vulnerable residents and expand apprenticeship opportunities," said Anthony Featherstone, Executive Director of WorkSource Montgomery "We are honored to have been able involved in the legislative process and are appreciative to the General Assembly and Governor for supporting these important pieces of legislation." Employ Prince George's extends its sincerest gratitude to Governor Moore, the Maryland General Assembly, WorkSource Montgomery, and all stakeholders involved in championing these pivotal pieces of legislation. As a leading advocate for workforce development in the region, Employ Prince George's remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing policies and initiatives that empower individuals, strengthen communities, and propel economic growth. For further information about Employ Prince George's and its workforce development programs, please visit www.employpg.org. Employ Prince George's (EPG) provides workforce intelligence and solutions for the job seeker and business. EPG's mission is to contribute to the economic vitality of Prince George's County by providing a demand-driven system that delivers qualified workers to business and provides job seekers with opportunities for careers in high-demand/high-growth industries. For more information, please visit employPG.org. SOURCE Employ Prince George's Among the top 82 hospitals ranked in New Jersey, Englewood Hospital was the highest-ranking hospital in Bergen County. ENGLEWOOD, N.J., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Englewood Hospital has been named a top hospital in New Jersey by Jersey's Best magazine. In partnership with Castle Connolly Top Doctors, Jersey's Best magazine awarded Top Hospital designations for hospitals with more than 350 beds, and for those with 350 beds or fewer. All told, 82 hospitals across New Jersey were ranked and Englewood Hospital was the highest-ranking hospital in Bergen County in the category of 350+ beds. Englewood Hospital was also named a top hospital for the treatment of specific medical conditions and ranked third in the state for the treatment of high-risk pregnancy and childbirth; prostate cancer; breast cancer; knee and hip replacement; congestive heart failure; neurological disorders; coronary artery bypass surgery; pain management; and stroke. Patient reviews of Englewood Hospital also elicited high satisfaction rates and special mentions of cleanliness and excellent communication with patients and their families. "Being recognized as the premier hospital in Bergen County is a tremendous honor," said Warren Geller, president and CEO of Englewood Health. "This accolade underscores the exceptional expertise, empathy, and unwavering commitment of our healthcare team at Englewood Hospital." The top hospitals list was compiled following a rigorous vetting process in which Jersey's Best magazine and Castle Connolly performed analytics on patients' post-discharge evaluations and a nation-wide physician survey. For the complete list and more information about the rankings and methodology, visit Jersey's Best Hospitals List. About Englewood Health Englewood Health is one of New Jersey's leading healthcare systems. Through its hospital and network of physician practices, urgent care centers, and imaging centers, the health system delivers nationally recognized inpatient and outpatient care. Englewood Hospital, founded in 1890, consistently earns high marks for clinical excellence and patient safety. It is recognized as a 2022-23 Best Regional Hospital by US News & World Report, holds the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade 'A' (fall 2023), and was named a Leapfrog Top Teaching Hospital (2023). Englewood Hospital is nationally recognized for nursing excellence, earning a fifth consecutive designation by the Magnet Recognition Program in 2021. The Englewood Health Physician Networka coordinated network of more than 600 office-based and hospital-based providersoffers primary care, specialty care, and urgent care at more than 100 locations in five counties across northern New Jersey. Englewood Health's focus on health equity and population health encompasses outreach to underserved communities to enhance individual and public health, prevent disease, support lifelong wellness, reduce the burden of mental health challenges and substance use disorders, and meet the cultural, social, and holistic needs of specific populations. With its high-quality, culturally sensitive inpatient care, outpatient services, and community health and wellness programs, Englewood Health delivers a healthcare experience that puts patients at the center. Media Contact: Office of Communications Englewood Health 201-894-3499 [email protected] SOURCE Englewood Health First quarter revenues of $1.165 billion , down 3.8% year-over-year GAAP income from operations was 9.5% of revenues and non-GAAP income from operations was 14.9% of revenues for the first quarter First quarter GAAP diluted EPS of $1.97 , an increase of $0.24 , and non-GAAP diluted EPS of $2.46 , a decrease of $0.01 on a year-over-year basis For the full year, EPAM updates expected revenues to now be in the range of $4.575 billion to $4.675 billion , updates expected GAAP diluted EPS to now be in the range of $7.34 to $7.64 and narrows expected range for non-GAAP diluted EPS to $10.00 to $10.30 For the second quarter, EPAM expects revenues to be in the range of $1.135 billion to $1.145 billion , GAAP diluted EPS to be in the range of $1.52 to $1.60 and non-GAAP diluted EPS to be in the range of $2.21 to $2.29 NEWTOWN, Pa., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- EPAM Systems, Inc. (NYSE: EPAM), a leading digital transformation services and product engineering company, today announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024. EPAM Reports Results for First Quarter 2024 and Updates Full Year Outlook "Our solid performance in the first quarter of 2024 reflects our level of adaptability to a challenging demand environment, which we now believe is unlikely to improve this year to the degree we expected one quarter ago," said Arkadiy Dobkin, CEO & President at EPAM. "As we look forward to an eventual rebound in demand, we are refining our global operations and investing in optimized and AI-enabled delivery, consulting, partnerships, generative AI capabilities and client-centric talent." First Quarter 2024 Highlights Revenues decreased to $1.165 billion , a year-over-year decrease of $45.5 million , or 3.8%. On an organic constant currency basis excluding the impact of the exit from Russia , revenues were down 4.8% compared to the first quarter of 2023; , a year-over-year decrease of , or 3.8%. On an organic constant currency basis excluding the impact of the exit from , revenues were down 4.8% compared to the first quarter of 2023; GAAP income from operations was $110.5 million , a decrease of $9.8 million , or 8.2%, compared to $120.4 million in the first quarter of 2023; , a decrease of , or 8.2%, compared to in the first quarter of 2023; Non-GAAP income from operations was $173.6 million , a decrease of $4.7 million , or 2.6%, compared to $178.3 million in the first quarter of 2023; , a decrease of , or 2.6%, compared to in the first quarter of 2023; Diluted earnings per share ("EPS") on a GAAP basis was $1.97 , an increase of $0.24 , or 13.9%, compared to $1.73 in the first quarter of 2023; and , an increase of , or 13.9%, compared to in the first quarter of 2023; and Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $2.46 , a decrease of $0.01 , or 0.4%, compared to $2.47 in the first quarter of 2023. Cash Flow and Other Metrics Cash provided by operating activities was $129.9 million for the first three months of 2024, compared to cash provided by operating activities of $87.3 million for the first three months of 2023; for the first three months of 2024, compared to cash provided by operating activities of for the first three months of 2023; The Company repurchased 396 thousand shares of its common stock for $120.6 million during the first quarter of 2024 under its share repurchase program. During the first quarter of 2023, the Company repurchased 30 thousand shares of its common stock for $8.5 million under its share repurchase program. As of March 31, 2024 , the Company had $214.5 million remaining under its share repurchase authorization; during the first quarter of 2024 under its share repurchase program. During the first quarter of 2023, the Company repurchased 30 thousand shares of its common stock for under its share repurchase program. As of , the Company had remaining under its share repurchase authorization; Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash totaled $1.990 billion as of March 31, 2024 , a decrease of $52.7 million , or 2.6%, from $2.043 billion as of December 31, 2023 ; and as of , a decrease of , or 2.6%, from as of ; and Total headcount was approximately 52,800 as of March 31, 2024 . Included in this number were approximately 47,050 delivery professionals, a decrease of 0.7% from December 31, 2023 . 2024 Outlook - Full Year and Second Quarter Full Year As the Company enters the second quarter, client demand is not improving to the degree originally expected. As a result, EPAM now expects the following for the full year: The Company expects revenues to now be in the range of $4.575 billion to $4.675 billion for the full year reflecting a year-over-year decline of 1.4% at the midpoint of the range. The Company expects that revenues on an organic constant currency basis excluding the impact of the exit from Russia will decline approximately 2.0% at the midpoint of the range; to for the full year reflecting a year-over-year decline of 1.4% at the midpoint of the range. The Company expects that revenues on an organic constant currency basis excluding the impact of the exit from will decline approximately 2.0% at the midpoint of the range; For the full year, EPAM expects GAAP income from operations to now be in the range of 10.0% to 10.5% of revenues and non-GAAP income from operations to now be in the range of 15.0% to 15.5% of revenues; The Company expects its GAAP effective tax rate to now be approximately 20% and continues to expect its non-GAAP effective tax rate to be approximately 24%; and EPAM expects GAAP diluted EPS to now be in the range of $7.34 to $7.64 and narrows expected range for non-GAAP diluted EPS to $10.00 to $10.30 . The Company now expects weighted average diluted shares outstanding for the year to be 58.7 million. Second Quarter EPAM expects the following for the second quarter: The Company expects revenues will be in the range of $1.135 billion to $1.145 billion for the second quarter reflecting a year-over-year decline of 2.6% at the midpoint of the range. The Company expects that revenues on an organic constant currency basis excluding the impact of the exit from Russia will decline approximately 3.0% at the midpoint of the range; to for the second quarter reflecting a year-over-year decline of 2.6% at the midpoint of the range. The Company expects that revenues on an organic constant currency basis excluding the impact of the exit from will decline approximately 3.0% at the midpoint of the range; For the second quarter, EPAM expects GAAP income from operations to be in the range of 9.0% to 10.0% of revenues and non-GAAP income from operations to be in the range of 13.5% to 14.5% of revenues; The Company expects its GAAP effective tax rate to be approximately 25% and its non-GAAP effective tax rate to be approximately 24%; and EPAM expects GAAP diluted EPS will be in the range of $1.52 to $1.60 for the quarter, and non-GAAP diluted EPS will be in the range of $2.21 to $2.29 for the quarter. The Company expects weighted average diluted shares outstanding for the quarter of 58.8 million. Conference Call Information EPAM will host a conference call to discuss the results on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. EDT. The conference call will be available live on the EPAM website at https://investors.epam.com. Please visit the website at least 15 minutes prior to the call to register for the event. For those who cannot access the live webcast, a replay will be available in the Investor Relations section of the website. About EPAM Systems Since 1993, EPAM Systems, Inc. (NYSE: EPAM) has used its software engineering expertise to become a leading global provider of digital engineering, cloud and AI-enabled transformation services, and a leading business and experience consulting partner for global enterprises and ambitious startups. We address our clients' transformation challenges by fusing EPAM Continuum's integrated strategy, experience and technology consulting with our 30+ years of engineering execution to speed our clients' time to market and drive greater value from their innovations and digital investments. We deliver globally but engage locally with our expert teams of consultants, architects, designers, and engineers, making the future real for our clients, our partners, and our people around the world. We believe the right solutions are the ones that improve people's lives and fuel competitive advantage for our clients across diverse industries. Our thinking comes to life in the experiences, products and platforms we design and bring to market. Added to the S&P 500 and the Forbes Global 2000 in 2021 and recognized by Glassdoor as a Best Workplace in 2023 and 2024, our multidisciplinary teams serve customers across six continents. We are proud to be among the top 15 companies in Information Technology Services in the Fortune 1000 and to be recognized as a leader in the IDC MarketScapes for Worldwide Experience Build Services, Worldwide Experience Design Services and Worldwide Software Engineering Services as well as a leader in the 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Custom Software Development Services, Worldwide.* Learn more at www.epam.com and follow us on LinkedIn. *Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Non-GAAP Financial Measures EPAM supplements results reported in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles, referred to as GAAP, with non-GAAP financial measures. Management believes these measures help illustrate underlying trends in EPAM's business and uses the measures to establish budgets and operational goals, communicate internally and externally, for managing EPAM's business and evaluating its performance. Management also believes these measures help investors compare EPAM's operating performance with its results in prior periods. EPAM anticipates that it will continue to report both GAAP and certain non-GAAP financial measures in its financial results, including non-GAAP results that exclude stock-based compensation expenses, acquisition-related costs including amortization of acquired intangible assets, impairment of assets, expenses associated with EPAM's humanitarian commitment to its professionals in Ukraine, unbilled business continuity resources resulting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, costs associated with the geographic repositioning of EPAM employees based outside of Ukraine impacted by the war and geopolitical instability in the region, employee separation costs incurred in connection with a restructuring program including the Company's exit from Russia, certain other one-time charges and benefits, changes in fair value of contingent consideration, foreign exchange gains and losses, excess tax benefits related to stock-based compensation, and the related effect on income taxes of the pre-tax adjustments. Management also compares revenues on an "organic constant currency basis excluding the impact of the exit from Russia" and an "organic constant currency basis," which are also non-GAAP financial measures. These measures exclude the effect of acquisitions by removing revenues from an acquired company in the twelve months after completing an acquisition and foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations by translating the current period revenues into U.S. dollars at the weighted average exchange rates of the prior period of comparison. In addition, revenues on an "organic constant currency basis excluding the impact of the exit from Russia" reflect the decision to exit from Russia by removing revenues from clients located in Russia in both the current period and prior period of comparison. Because EPAM's reported non-GAAP financial measures are not calculated in accordance with GAAP, these measures are not comparable to GAAP and may not be comparable to similarly described non-GAAP measures reported by other companies within EPAM's industry. Consequently, EPAM's non-GAAP financial measures should not be evaluated in isolation or supplant comparable GAAP measures, but rather, should be considered together with the information in EPAM's consolidated financial statements, which are prepared in accordance with GAAP. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes estimates and statements which may constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the accuracy of which are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Our estimates and forward-looking statements are mainly based on our current expectations and estimates of future events and trends, which affect or may affect our business and operations. These statements may include words such as "may," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "estimate" or similar expressions. Those future events and trends may relate to, among other things, developments relating to the war in Ukraine and escalation of the war in the surrounding region, political and civil unrest or military action in the geographies where we conduct business and operate, difficult conditions in global capital markets, foreign exchange markets and the broader economy, and the effect that these events may have on client demand and our revenues, operations, access to capital, and profitability. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied include general economic conditions, the risk factors discussed in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and the factors discussed in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, particularly under the headings "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Risk Factors" and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although we believe that these estimates and forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, they are subject to several risks and uncertainties and are made based on information currently available to us. EPAM undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities law. EPAM SYSTEMS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Unaudited) (In thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 Revenues $ 1,165,465 $ 1,210,941 Operating expenses: Cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) 834,334 855,901 Selling, general and administrative expenses 198,453 211,887 Depreciation and amortization expense 22,146 22,782 Income from operations 110,532 120,371 Interest and other income, net 15,042 11,521 Foreign exchange loss (1,919) (4,608) Income before provision for income taxes 123,655 127,284 Provision for income taxes 7,412 24,992 Net income $ 116,243 $ 102,292 Net income per share: Basic $ 2.01 $ 1.77 Diluted $ 1.97 $ 1.73 Shares used in calculation of net income per share: Basic 57,837 57,702 Diluted 58,931 59,298 EPAM SYSTEMS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) (In thousands, except par value) As of March 31, 2024 As of December 31, 2023 Assets Current assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,983,721 $ 2,036,235 Trade receivables and contract assets, net of allowance of $8,403 and $11,864, respectively 931,409 897,032 Short-term investments 61,625 60,739 Prepaid and other current assets 106,398 97,355 Total current assets 3,083,153 3,091,361 Property and equipment, net 222,244 235,053 Operating lease right-of-use assets, net 135,754 134,898 Intangible assets, net 80,756 71,118 Goodwill 595,220 562,459 Deferred tax assets 197,474 197,901 Other noncurrent assets 59,976 59,575 Total assets $ 4,374,577 $ 4,352,365 Liabilities Current liabilities Accounts payable $ 27,247 $ 31,992 Accrued compensation and benefits expenses 438,216 412,747 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 122,900 124,823 Income taxes payable, current 33,962 38,812 Operating lease liabilities, current 36,205 36,558 Total current liabilities 658,530 644,932 Long-term debt 25,787 26,126 Operating lease liabilities, noncurrent 110,368 109,261 Other noncurrent liabilities 104,207 100,576 Total liabilities 898,892 880,895 Commitments and contingencies Equity Stockholders' equity Common stock, $0.001 par value; 160,000 shares authorized; 57,933 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2024, and 57,787 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2023 58 58 Additional paid-in capital 1,039,647 1,008,766 Retained earnings 2,496,757 2,501,107 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (61,352) (39,040) Total EPAM Systems, Inc. stockholders' equity 3,475,110 3,470,891 Noncontrolling interest in consolidated subsidiaries 575 579 Total equity 3,475,685 3,471,470 Total liabilities and equity $ 4,374,577 $ 4,352,365 EPAM SYSTEMS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Financial Measures to Comparable GAAP Financial Measures (Unaudited) (In thousands, except percent and per share amounts) Reconciliation of revenue decline as reported on a GAAP basis to revenue decline on an organic constant currency basis excluding the impact of the exit from Russia is presented in the table below: Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 Revenue decline as reported (3.8) % Foreign exchange rates impact (0.5) % Inorganic revenue growth (1.0) % Impact of exit from Russia 0.5 % Revenue decline on an organic constant currency basis excluding the impact of the exit from Russia (4.8) % Reconciliation of various income statement amounts from GAAP to non-GAAP for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023: Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 GAAP Adjustments Non-GAAP Cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)(1) $ 834,334 $ (23,016) $ 811,318 Selling, general and administrative expenses(2) $ 198,453 $ (34,093) $ 164,360 Income from operations(3) $ 110,532 $ 63,058 $ 173,590 Operating margin 9.5 % 5.4 % 14.9 % Net income(4) $ 116,243 $ 29,003 $ 145,246 Diluted earnings per share $ 1.97 $ 2.46 Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 GAAP Adjustments Non-GAAP Cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)(1) $ 855,901 $ (25,821) $ 830,080 Selling, general and administrative expenses(2) $ 211,887 $ (26,539) $ 185,348 Income from operations(3) $ 120,371 $ 57,897 $ 178,268 Operating margin 9.9 % 4.8 % 14.7 % Net income(4) $ 102,292 $ 44,301 $ 146,593 Diluted earnings per share $ 1.73 $ 2.47 Items (1) through (4) above are detailed in the table below with the specific cross-reference noted in the appropriate item. Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 Stock-based compensation expenses $ 22,357 $ 16,011 Humanitarian support in Ukraine (a) 659 2,440 Unbilled business continuity resources (b) 7,370 Total adjustments to GAAP cost of revenues(1) 23,016 25,821 Stock-based compensation expenses 22,434 22,568 Cost Optimization Program charges (c) 7,017 Humanitarian support in Ukraine (a) 2,620 3,617 Other acquisition-related expenses 1,223 241 Geographic repositioning (d) 721 212 One-time charges/(benefits) 78 (99) Total adjustments to GAAP selling, general and administrative expenses(2) 34,093 26,539 Amortization of acquired intangible assets 5,949 5,537 Total adjustments to GAAP income from operations(3) 63,058 57,897 Foreign exchange loss 1,919 4,608 Change in fair value of contingent consideration included in Interest and other income, net 1,050 300 Provision for income taxes: Tax effect on non-GAAP adjustments (14,395) (11,514) Excess tax benefits related to stock-based compensation (20,866) (6,022) Net discrete benefit from tax planning (e) (1,763) (968) Total adjustments to GAAP net income(4) $ 29,003 $ 44,301 (a) Humanitarian support in Ukraine includes expenses related to EPAM's $100 million humanitarian commitment in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine to support EPAM professionals and their families in and displaced from Ukraine. These expenses are incremental to those expenses incurred prior to the crisis, clearly separable from normal operations, and not expected to recur once the crisis has subsided and operations return to normal. (b) Given the uncertainty in the region introduced by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, EPAM has assigned delivery professionals in locations outside of the region to ensure the continuity of delivery for clients who have substantial delivery exposure to Ukraine or other delivery concerns resulting from the invasion. These employees are not billed to clients and operate largely in a standby or backup capacity. These expenses are incremental to those expenses incurred prior to the crisis, clearly separable from normal operations, and not expected to recur once the crisis has subsided and operations return to normal. (c) Cost Optimization Program charges include severance and facilities charges incurred in connection with the program initiated in the third quarter of 2023. Consistent with the Company's historical non-GAAP policy, costs incurred in connection with formal restructuring initiatives have been excluded from non-GAAP results as these are one-time and unusual in nature. (d) Geographic repositioning includes expenses associated with the relocation to other countries of employees based outside of Ukraine impacted by the war and geopolitical instability in the region, and includes the cost of accommodations, travel and food. These expenses are incremental to those expenses incurred prior to the crisis, clearly separable from normal operations, and not expected to recur once the crisis has subsided and operations return to normal. (e) One-time benefit related to the implementation of tax planning to disregard certain foreign subsidiaries as separate entities for U.S. income tax purposes. Consistent with the Company's historical non-GAAP policy, the benefit related to the implementation of tax planning has been excluded from non-GAAP results as it is one-time and unusual in nature. EPAM SYSTEMS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Reconciliations of Guidance Non-GAAP Financial Measures to Comparable GAAP Financial Measures (Unaudited) The below guidance constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws and is based on a number of assumptions that are subject to change and many of which are outside the control of the Company. Actual results may differ materially from the Company's expectations depending on factors discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Reconciliation of expected revenue decline on a GAAP basis to expected revenue decline on an organic constant currency basis excluding the impact of the exit from Russia is presented in the table below: Second Quarter 2024 Full Year 2024 Revenue decline (at midpoint of the range) (2.6) % (1.4) % Foreign exchange rates impact 0.6 % 0.3 % Inorganic revenue growth (1.5) % (1.2) % Impact of exit from Russia 0.5 % 0.3 % Revenue decline on an organic constant currency basis excluding the impact of the exit from Russia (at midpoint of the range) (3.0) % (2.0) % Reconciliation of expected GAAP to non-GAAP income from operations as a percentage of revenues is presented in the table below: Second Quarter 2024 Full Year 2024 GAAP income from operations as a percentage of revenues 9.0% to 10.0% 10.0% to 10.5% Stock-based compensation expenses 3.4 % 3.8 % Included in cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) 1.7 % 1.9 % Included in selling, general and administrative expenses 1.7 % 1.9 % Humanitarian support in Ukraine (a) 0.3 % 0.3 % Cost Optimization Program charges (c) 0.2 % 0.2 % One-time charges and Other acquisition-related expenses (f) % 0.1 % Amortization of acquired intangible assets 0.6 % 0.6 % Non-GAAP income from operations as a percentage of revenues 13.5% to 14.5% 15.0% to 15.5% (f) EPAM has not included the impact of potential future One-time charges including asset impairments, unusual gains and losses, expenses incurred in connection with future cost optimization actions, and Other acquisition-related expenses, if any, because the Company is unable to predict these amounts with reasonable certainty. Reconciliation of expected GAAP to non-GAAP effective tax rate is presented in the table below: Second Quarter 2024 Full Year 2024 GAAP effective tax rate (approximately) 25 % 20 % Excess tax benefits related to stock-based compensation 0.9 % 4.6 % Tax effect on non-GAAP adjustments (1.9) % (0.6) % Non-GAAP effective tax rate (approximately) 24 % 24 % Reconciliation of expected GAAP to non-GAAP diluted earnings per share is presented in the table below: Second Quarter 2024 Full Year 2024 GAAP diluted earnings per share $1.52 to $1.60 $7.34 to $7.64 Stock-based compensation expenses 0.66 3.01 Included in cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) 0.33 1.50 Included in selling, general and administrative expenses 0.33 1.51 Humanitarian support in Ukraine (a) 0.05 0.21 Cost Optimization Program charges (c) 0.05 0.17 One-time charges (f) 0.01 Other acquisition-related expenses (f) 0.02 Amortization of acquired intangible assets 0.11 0.40 Change in fair value of contingent consideration 0.02 Foreign exchange loss 0.02 0.08 Provision for income taxes: Tax effect on non-GAAP adjustments (0.18) (0.79) Excess tax benefits related to stock-based compensation (0.02) (0.44) Net discrete benefit from tax planning (e) (0.03) Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share $2.21 to $2.29 $10.00 to $10.30 SOURCE EPAM Systems, Inc. First and only contact force pulsed field ablation (PFA) system designed to transform treatment for millions with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. Preliminary data of VCAS study will be presented at HRS 2024 in Boston, Mass. CARDIFF-BY-THE-SEA, Calif., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Field Medical, Inc., a pioneer in pulsed field cardiac catheter ablation technology, today announced the initiation of its first-in-human study for the FieldForce Ablation System at Na Homolce Hospital in Prague, Czech Republic. The Ventricular Catheter Ablation Study, VCAS, will enroll up to 60 patients at up to 5 sites world-wide. The VCAS investigational study is a critical step towards demonstrating safety and performance of the FieldForce Ablation System, developed specifically to address the limitations of existing pulsed field ablation (PFA) and radiofrequency (RF) ablation systems, including a more time efficient treatment protocol for the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias. Preliminary results will be presented on May 16, 2024, at the Heart Rhythm Scientific Sessions in Boston, Mass. Field Medicals FieldForce Catheter tip (A). The FieldBending technology utilizes an innovative internalized electrode within a fluid lumen seen in the cutaway (B). Voltage is delivered between the external and internal electrodes resulting in desirable electric field characteristics. The FieldForce Catheter is the first and only contact force PFA catheter optimized for the ventricles. "The FieldForce Ablation System, as the first contact force PFA system for ventricular ablation, is demonstrating significant promise early in our trials," said Vivek Reddy, MD, Director of Electrophysiology for the Mount Sinai Health System. "This is my first experience with a technology capable of achieving rapid complete transmural left ventricular (LV) ablation, offering highly targeted treatment options and an efficient workflow. Although these results are quite preliminary, the potential of this system to revolutionize catheter ablation of complex ventricular arrhythmias is profound, potentially surpassing the current standard of care. The scientific community will benefit from the comprehensive results from the completed study." PFA Adoption and Transition from Atrial to Ventricular Arrhythmias PFA has revolutionized the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) over the past decade, thanks to pioneering work by Field Medical CEO Steven Mickelsen, MD, founder of Farapulse which was subsequently acquired by Boston Scientific. His development of PFA technology marked a significant shift in cardiac electrophysiology, enhancing safety and reducing procedure times. This innovation set a new standard in the industry, leading to widespread adoption and the transformation of ablation practices. With PFA's proven success in atrial settings, Field Medical is now poised to extend these benefits to ventricular arrhythmias, signaling a pivotal evolution in the management of complex ventricular cardiac conditions. Ventricular Arrhythmia Burden It is estimated that ventricular arrhythmia impact over 6 million patients in the US and Europe. Ventricular arrhythmias, including ventricular tachycardia (VT) and premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), and pose a substantial risk, often leading to sudden cardiac death if not adequately managed. Current ventricular catheter ablation methods involve lengthy procedures and significant risks associated with thermal ablation, like conventional RF ablation. Field Medical's PFA technology aims to address these challenges by providing the first and only contact force PFA catheter optimized to work in the ventricle. This novel technology may enable predictable, time efficient, and safe treatment option. FieldBending takes advantage of non-intuitive physics to deliver intense, yet brief, electric fields designed to safely reduce procedure times dramatically. "Our vision at Field Medical is to transform VT ablation into a widely available, one-hour outpatient procedure with improved safety outcomes," said Steven Mickelsen MD, CEO of Field Medical. "With the promising early data for our VCAS study, in much the same way that PFA transformed AF, the FieldForce Ablation System is optimized to transform how ventricular arrhythmias are treated, offering hope to millions of patients worldwide. With the strong investor support, renown physician engagement and the groundbreaking potential of our technology, we are set to redefine the standards of cardiac ablation once again." About VCAS Study Field Medical's VCAS Study is a pivotal segment of a prospective safety and feasibility study, assessing the innovative FieldForce Ablation System in patients with ventricular arrhythmias. The VCAS-I group focuses on individuals suffering from ventricular tachycardia (VT), while the VCAS-II group targets those experiencing frequent premature ventricular complexes (PVCs). This study is instrumental in evaluating the performance of Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA), thereby potentially reducing procedural time compared to traditional Radiofrequency (RF) ablation. The trial aims to demonstrate that PFA can safely treat and improve overall outcomes for patients with challenging ventricular arrhythmias. For study information, visit clinicaltrials.gov NCT: NCT06203262. About Field Medical, Inc. Founded in 2022, Field Medical is at the forefront of developing second-generation pulsed field ablation (PFA) technologies, designed to meet the technical and safety challenges of modern cardiac ablation procedures. Under the leadership of Dr. Steven Mickelsen, CEO, a globally recognized expert in pulsed electric field technology, the company has pioneered the proprietary FieldBending technology. This innovation was developed to concentrate therapeutic effects and reduce unwanted far-field effects, with the potential to improve patient outcomes while simplifying the clinical experience for physicians. Field Medical focuses on expanding the applications of PFA beyond atrial fibrillation (AF) to address complex ventricular arrhythmiasa condition affecting over 6 million people in North America and Europe alone, often leading to sudden cardiac death, heart failure and significant clinical symptoms if not managed effectively. The company's comprehensive product portfolio, including the FieldForce Catheter, FieldForce Ablation System, and the FieldFlex Sheath, is specifically optimized to work in complex ventricular environments. For more information, visit www.fieldmedicalinc.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X. The FieldForce PFA Ablation System is an investigational device and is limited by Federal (or United States) Law to investigational use. SOURCE Field Medical, Inc. Dennis Fujan, a candidate for the Nebraska Legislative District 23 seat, says the state needs elected leaders with, "strong conservative leadership," in Lincoln, and he is hoping residents of Saunders, Colfax and Butler counties push him to the state capital to represent them. During an April 17 candidate forum hosted at Cedar Bluffs High School, Fujan joined the five other candidates seeking to replaced term-limited Rep. Bruce Bostelman. Fujan, who identifies as a Republican, told the attendees at the forum that he was proud of the students who had coordinated it with Cedar Bluffs High School teaches and was glad to see them being involved in politics. "I am from Prague, rural Prague. I grew up around Malmo, I returned home after (being in) the U.S. Navy. My reasons for running are basically based on my faith, my family and farming," he told the crowd of about 100. "Farming has been my whole life. I think agriculture is the No. 1 industry in the state, and so what I am going to do is provide (representation) that makes sure agriculture stays strong. When agriculture is strong, Nebraska is strong." He also explained some of his core beliefs. "I stand for the Second Amendment. I am pro-life. I think we need to control our border. I'm in favor of protecting veteran's benefits," he added. According to a flier he handed, Fujan described himself as former post commander of the American Legion Post 232; director of the Saunders County Farm Bureau; a volunteer for 25 years on the Prague Volunteer Fire Department; and director of the Nebraska Rural Radio Association Board. "My promise is to work every day for a better tomorrow for our farmers and small towns, our children and grandchildren, and defend our God-given and Constitutional freedoms," he stated in his campaign flier. He also listed legislative priorities if elected of growing rural communities; lowering property taxes; defending the Second Amendment; protecting "innocent life;" supporting parental rights and local control of schools; and protecting military veterans benefits. Fujan is the only candidate in the District 23 race to be endorsed by the Nebraska Farm Bureau. The Nebraska primary election is Tuesday, May 14, and the general election is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Fujan is running against five other candidates: Larissa Schultz, Allie French, Jacob Wolff, Alan Zavodny and Jared Storm. MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- First Horizon Corporation (NYSE: FHN or "First Horizon") announced today First Horizon President and CEO Bryan Jordan has signed the Statement of Support for the Guard and the Reserve. The Statement is facilitated by Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) and has been signed by a wide range of companies and organizations across the United States. First Horizon leaders and associates join ESGR representatives for the Companys signing of the Statement of Support. Pictured l. to r.: Dr. Anthony C. Hood (Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer), Erin Pryor (Chief Marketing Officer), Amy Moffitt (Regional Marketing), Alexander Rogers (ESGR), Bryan Jordan (President and CEO), Ernest Benson (ESGR), Sonja Lavender (Senior Business Analyst and U.S. Army Reserve), John Gurney (Sales Manager and U.S. Army Reserve) The Statement of Support Program is the cornerstone of ESGR's effort to gain and maintain employer support for the Guard and Reserve. The intent of the program is to increase employer support by encouraging employers to act as advocates for employee participation in the military. By signing the statement, First Horizon pledges that: We fully recognize, honor, and comply with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. We will provide our managers and supervisors with the tools they need to effectively manage employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve. We appreciate the values, leadership, and unique skills Service members bring to the workforce and will encourage opportunities to hire Guardsmen, Reservists, and Veterans. We will continually recognize and support our country's Service members and their families, in peace, in crises, and in war. "First Horizon is honored to sign this statement of support and understands that supportive employers are critical to maintaining the strength and readiness of the Nation's Guard and Reserve units," said First Horizon Chairman, President and CEO Bryan Jordan. For more information on First Horizon's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts, please visit Diversity and Inclusion First Horizon Bank. About First Horizon First Horizon Corp. (NYSE: FHN), with $81.8 billion in assets as of March 31, 2024, is a leading regional financial services company, dedicated to helping our clients, communities and associates unlock their full potential with capital and counsel. Headquartered in Memphis, TN, the banking subsidiary First Horizon Bank operates in 12 states across the southern U.S. The Company and its subsidiaries offer commercial, private banking, consumer, small business, wealth and trust management, retail brokerage, capital markets, fixed income, and mortgage banking services. First Horizon has been recognized as one of the nation's best employers by Fortune and Forbes magazines and a Top 10 Most Reputable U.S. Bank. More information is available at www.FirstHorizon.com . SOURCE First Horizon Corporation Dr. Pierre Kory to transition from operational role to co-founder and president emeritus WASHINGTON, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The FLCCC Alliance announced today that Dr. Joseph Varon, one of the original co-founders of the organization, has been named president and chief medical officer; he has also been appointed to the board of directors. A globally recognized front line physician and highly published scientist, Dr. Varon is fluent in seven languages and is also the founder of multiple businesses, possessing outstanding organizational leadership skills that the FLCCC requires to execute the strategic plan formulated last fall to significantly expand its breadth of focus, reach, and global impact. Three other founding FLCCC physicians/scientists have also stepped into expanded leadership roles pursuant to the strategic plan. Dr. Umberto Meduri, the world's leading expert in corticosteroid treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and severe pneumonia, has been appointed senior fellow medical and research integrity; Dr. Fred Wagshul, a leading Ohio-based pulmonologist who developed revolutionary treatments for asthma, has been appointed senior fellow pulmonary medicine; Dr. Jose Iglesias, medical director of the John J. DePalma Renal Institute of Central Jersey and a specialist in hypertension, critical care, and septic shock medicine, has been appointed senior fellow nephrology. Dr. Pierre Kory is finalizing the transition of his responsibilities to Dr. Varon over the next 45 days. With the full encouragement and support of the FLCCC Alliance, Dr. Kory is shifting his primary focus to his rapidly growing private practice, Leading Edge Clinic, which is focused on the care of a growing number of patients suffering from vaccine-related injuries. In addition, he plans to devote more time to writing for his Substack blog at pierrekorymedicalmusing.com while also continuing his efforts as a powerful spokesman through his international advocacy work. "I have immense gratitude for Pierre's dedication to the FLCCC. We could not be where we are today without him," said Dr. Paul Marik, co-founder and chief scientific officer. "I wish Pierre well as he focuses more on his patients and am glad that he and I will still work together on vaccine injury and cancer treatment." "The FLCCC became something far beyond what we could have imagined just four years ago, and I couldn't be prouder of what we accomplished," said Dr. Kory. "I am excited to focus more on my practice and look forward to a continued collaboration on the FLCCC observational cancer study." The FLCCC's strategic growth plan process began over six months ago, initiated by the formation of an executive committee comprised of three of the FLCCC's five independent directors who possess significant entrepreneurial and public company organizational leadership experience. This committee will continue to work in collaboration with the FLCCC's management team and staff, including Dr. Varon, to execute its new strategic plan. The organization recently initiated the public unveiling phase of the plan at the FLCCC's annual conference in Phoenix, Arizona, in February 2024 with its new "Honest Medicine" mission that seeks to restore trust, integrity, and the doctor-patient relationship to the medical system. "Ours is the very rare exception where an early-stage and high-growth organization can effectively make the successful transition from the 'start-up' to the 'leadership-expansion and growth' phase without having to look outside of the organization to harness the talent that is required to do so," said Dr. Varon. "Our board and management team could not be more excited about our strategic plan and the seamless execution of its first phase." "We've appointed Dr. Varon to this core executive leadership role while simultaneously deepening the bench under him, with original founding FLCCC physicians in whom we have supreme confidence, to elevate our growth and execute our important mission to restore trust and integrity in medicine and protect the sacrosanct doctor-patient relationship," said Kelly Bumann, executive director of the FLCCC Alliance. "And with the continued generosity of our supporters, the best is yet to come as we accelerate the FLCCC's core mission to deliver 'Honest Medicine' globally." About the FLCCC Alliance The FLCCC Alliance was organized in March 2020 by a group of highly published, world renowned critical care physicians and scholars with the academic support of allied physicians worldwide. Known for its lifesaving protocols for preventing and treating COVID-19 in all stages of illness including "long COVID" and post-vaccination syndrome, the FLCCC has since broadened its scope with the development of various treatment guides for several conditions and illnesses, including sepsis, metabolic disease, cancer, and depression. The organization's larger mission is one driven by Honest MedicineTM and puts patients above profits and emphasizes long-term wellness via the prevention of disease and the empowerment of physicians and their patients. For more information visit flccc.net. Media Contact: Damon Elder Spotlight Marketing Communications (949) 427-1377 [email protected] SOURCE FLCCC Alliance NEW YORK, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global geopolymers market size is estimated to grow by USD 12.86 billion from 2024 to 2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 25.57% during the forecast period. To understand more about this market - Download a FREE Sample Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Geopolymers Market 2024-2028 Report Attribute Details Base Year 2023 Forecast period 2024-2028 Historic Data for 2018 - 2022 Segments Covered Product (Cement and concrete, Furnace and reactor insulators, Composites, and Decorative artifacts) and Application (Construction, Coating application, Fireproofing, and Others) Key Companies Covered Alchemy Geopolymer Solutions LLC, BASF SE, CEMEX SAB de CV, Ecocem Ireland Ltd., Geopolymer International, Geopolymer Solutions LLC, JSW STEEL Ltd., Kiran Global Chem Ltd., Pyromeral Systems, RENCA Inc., Schlumberger Ltd., smartfix Industries, Terra CO2, Uretek India Pvt. Ltd., Wagners Holding Co. Ltd., and Zeobond Pty Ltd. Regions Covered APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and Middle East and Africa Region Outlook APAC North America Europe South America Middle East & Africa 1. APAC - APAC is estimated to contribute 36%. to the growth of the global market. The Geopolymers Market report forecasts market growth by revenue at global, regional & country levels from 2017 to 2027. Analysts from Technavio have detailed the regional trends and drivers shaping the market. The surge in construction and infrastructure projects, coupled with rapid urbanization and industrialization in India and China, is fueling market expansion. Governments across APAC, including China , India , and Japan , are promoting sustainable infrastructure development to mitigate carbon emissions, further propelling market growth. Geopolymers are gaining popularity as viable alternatives to conventional cement and concrete due to their superior strength, durability, and eco-friendly nature. As geopolymers find increased application in building construction, awareness among governments and the public about the advantages of geopolymer concrete is growing. Consequently, these factors are poised to drive market growth in the APAC region throughout the forecast period. For more insights on APAC's significant contribution along with the market share of rest of the regions and countries - Download a FREE Sample Segmentation Overview Product 1.1 Cement and concrete 1.2 Furnace and reactor insulators 1.3 Composites 1.4 Decorative artifacts Application 2.1 Construction 2.2 Coating application 2.3 Fireproofing 2.4 Others Geography 3.1 APAC 3.2 Europe 3.3 North America 3.4 South America 3.5 Middle East and Africa 1.1 Fastest growing segment: The cement and concrete sector is set to experience substantial growth in the upcoming period. Cement plays a crucial role in developing economies, serving as a primary material in concrete production for constructing buildings, infrastructure, and industrial facilities. With high cement production already, further increases are expected. Geopolymer concrete, made from waste materials like fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), is gaining traction. Utilizing geopolymer concrete reduces carbon emissions by decreasing the reliance on Portland cement and utilizing waste. Geopolymer cement and concrete find applications in pavements, retaining walls, water tanks, and more due to their favorable binding properties. Consequently, the geopolymer cement and concrete segment will drive the global market's growth in the forecast period. Get a glance at the market contribution of rest of the segments - Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes! Research Analysis The Geopolymers Market is witnessing a growing demand driven by its environmentally friendly nature and cost-effectiveness. Geopolymer materials offer a sustainable alternative to traditional construction materials like Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), contributing to reducing CO2 emissions in the cement industry. These materials utilize industrial by-products such as fly ash and aluminosilicate sources, minimizing waste and lowering the carbon footprint. Geopolymer cement concretes (GPCCs) exhibit impressive mechanical properties, including high tensile strength and resistance to fire, making them ideal for a variety of applications. In the construction market, there's a rising utilization of geopolymers for repairing bridges, tunnels, roads, and pavements, thanks to their durability and lower energy consumption during production. Moreover, the use of geopolymers in toxic waste immobilization offers a sustainable solution for environmental remediation. With increasing awareness of the need to reduce CO2 emissions and pollutants, the demand for geopolymers and their associated products like adhesives is expected to continue to grow, creating opportunities for innovation and expansion in the market. Market Overview The global market for geopolymers is witnessing significant growth due to increasing awareness about environmental sustainability and the need to reduce CO2 emissions. Geopolymers, made from aluminosilicate materials and industrial by-products like fly ash, offer a solution to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions associated with traditional cement production. These materials, often used in construction applications such as precast panels, road and pavement repair, bridge construction, and tunnel lining, boast mechanical properties and resistance to fire, making them ideal for infrastructure projects. Geopolymer cement concretes (GPCCs) are gaining traction in the construction market due to their lower carbon footprint and high tensile strength. With rising demand for environmentally friendly alternatives, the utilization of geopolymers is expected to increase further, driving the market forward. Additionally, the use of geopolymers contributes to reducing energy consumption in chemical processes and burning fuel, further cementing their position as sustainable alternatives in the construction industry. 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 Four artists have designed reusable bags to honor their home state with proceeds benefitting local nonprofits LANDOVER, Md., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Giant Food, the leading greater Washington, D.C. regional grocery chain, has teamed up with four artists from D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware, to create reusable bags that represent each artist's local community. As part of Giant's Community Bag Program, for every $2.75 reusable bag purchased, Giant donates $1 donated to a local nonprofit. Throughout the month of May, each of the artists chose a local nonprofit to receive the donations. Giant Foods Local Artist Bags from L to R: The D.C. Artist Bag designed by Marcella Kriebel, the Virginia Artist Bag designed by Grace Manno and Dashiell Kirk, the Maryland Artist Bag designed by Ann Gill and the Delaware Artist Bag designed by Brad Almond. "With the help of our customers, we've achieved significant accomplishments through our Community Bag Program, including saving over 585,000 single plastic bags and helping over 1,700 non-profit organizations last year alone," said Felis Andrade, Director External Communications and Community Relations of Giant Food. "We're excited to spotlight local artists whose creative designs celebrate the core of Maryland, D.C., Virginia and Delaware while also supporting the local charities that mean the most to them." In 2019, Giant Food launched its Community Bag Program, which is designed to empower customers to support local nonprofit organizations while working to reduce single-use paper and plastic waste in the environment. To date, Giant and its customers have raised over $580K and provided 684,990 meals to 1,748 different non-profit organizations and 405 hunger organizations through the program. This month, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware stores will each carry their very own reusable bags created by their state's local artist. The artists and their chosen benefiting nonprofits include: Marcella Kriebel : Marcella is a watercolorist, muralist and the author and illustrator of two cookbooks, "Mi Comida Latino" and "Comida Cubana." She is known for her vibrant artwork that celebrates the world through food and culture. Marcella designed the D.C. bag which will benefit the D.C. Central Kitchen. : Marcella is a watercolorist, muralist and the author and illustrator of two cookbooks, "Mi Comida Latino" and "Comida Cubana." She is known for her vibrant artwork that celebrates the world through food and culture. Marcella designed the D.C. bag which will benefit the D.C. Central Kitchen. Ann Gill : Ann is a local artist based in Hyattsville, Maryland . Born in Washington, D.C. , her family roots run deep in the region. She has been creating art since she was a child, and her work is influenced by street pop art. Ann designed the Maryland bag with proceeds benefiting Words, Beats and Life Inc. : Ann is a local artist based in . Born in , her family roots run deep in the region. She has been creating art since she was a child, and her work is influenced by street pop art. Ann designed the bag with proceeds benefiting Words, Beats and Life Inc. Grace Manno and Dashiell Kirk : Grace and Dashiell are two artists who formed FOND Collective based in Richmond, Virginia . Some of their favorite mediums include illustration, print design, animation and sculpture. Together, Grace and Dashiell designed the Virginia bag and chose Our Stomping Ground as the benefiting organization. : Grace and Dashiell are two artists who formed FOND Collective based in . Some of their favorite mediums include illustration, print design, animation and sculpture. Together, Grace and Dashiell designed the bag and chose Our Stomping Ground as the benefiting organization. Brad Almond : Brad is a graphic designer, illustrator and part-time musician. He resides in Wilmington, Delaware with his wife, two children and their cat. Brad grew up fascinated by the colorful, stylized worlds of film, video games and cartoon shows. He designed the Delaware bag and chose Urban Promise Wilmington as the benefiting organization. Customers can purchase their Local Artist Community Bag at any Giant store. For more information, please visit: https://giantfood.2givelocal.com/program/community-bag/ About Giant Food Since opening its first location over 88 years ago in Washington, D.C., in 1936, Giant has been an integral part of the communities and customers it serves. Giant is committed to being a Better Neighbor and has designated four main giving pillars that address local Food Insecurity, Military Support, Pediatric Cancer Research, and Social Equality. Giant is headquartered in Landover, Md., and operates 164 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia with approximately 20,000 associates. Included within the 164 stores are 154 full-service pharmacies and 28 Starbucks locations. Giant fits all the ways today's busy customers want to shop - in-store or online. With 162 Giant Pickup locations and delivery options available in all of its markets, customers have even more convenient options at their fingertips to get the best products and prices whenever and however they choose. For more information on Giant Food and its charitable efforts to make a positive difference, visit giantfood.com/pages/better-neighbor-report. SOURCE Giant Food WENZHOU, China, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global applications for 2024 Young Scientist Sustainable Development Goals Award (Young Scientist SDGs Award for short) are open from April 30, 2024 until July 31, 2024 (Beijing time). Global Applications for 2024 Young Scientist SDGs Award are Officially Open There is a greater need than ever for international collaboration and open sharing amid the pressing shared challenges of sustainable development. Recognizing that the future of science and technology is dependent on today' s youth, the Wenzhou Growth Foundation for World Young Scientists and the World Association of Young Scientists (WAYS (preparatory)) are cooperating with the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS) to initiate the "Young Scientist Sustainable Development Goals Award" (Young Scientist SDGs Award). This award aims to inspire adherence to principles while fostering innovation and free exploration. The award also encourages young scientists to take on important roles that prepare them to lead the way toward our sustainable future. The award acknowledges the remarkable achievements made by young scientists who have made significant original innovations and breakthroughs in core technologies, contributing to sustainable development and advancing human civilization. Selected Directions of the Award SDG3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), SDG13 (Climate Action), SDG14 (Life Below Water), SDG15 (Life on Land), SDG Interactions (Multiple SDGs), a total of 8 areas from the 17 SDGs of United Nations are selected as the directions of the award. Qualifications Young scientists under the age of 45 worldwide (born on or after January 1st, 1979), regardless of gender and nationality, who have achieved the following results in the above award directions are eligible to participate in the selection: 1.Conduct groundbreaking fundamental research in the field of natural sciences to contribute to the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 2.Provide essential technological or engineering support in the field of science and technology industries to advance the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and achieve significant practical outcomes. Previous award winners cannot reapply, and those with conflicts of interest are ineligible to participate. Application Method Applications for the Award can be submitted either by self-nomination or nomination by others. Self-nomination requires the applicant to fill in the online application (https://yssdgsaward.wyss.org.cn/) before the deadline. Applicants nominated by others need to be recommended by renowned experts or organizations in the same research field with a letter of recommendation, and the applicant should complete the online application form before the application deadline. For any questions or concerns regarding nominations, please contact [email protected]. Prize The number of applicants entering the final evaluation (finalists) shall not exceed 16, with no more than 5 ultimately awarded the Young Scientist SDGs Award. Each recipient will receive a prize of 1 million Chinese Yuan (pre-tax) for personal use. They will also be recommended to become members of the World Association of Young Scientists, and be recommended to participate in high-level international conferences such as the World Young Scientist Summit and relevant activities of the United Nations. Supportive services will be actively provided, giving priority to supporting and promoting the landing of research output projects. They will be provided with local talent benefits. Individuals entering the finalists will be provided with all the benefits besides the monetary prize. Award Ceremony The 2024 Young Scientist SDGs Award ceremony will be held during the main session of the 2024 World Young Scientist Summit in early November 2024. Recipients will have the opportunity to showcase themselves to the world and may be invited to deliver keynote speeches during the summit. Information on the Inaugural Laureates At the opening ceremony of the 2023 World Young Scientist Summit, three young professors were given the inaugural Young Scientist SDGs Award. They are Professor Henry Snaith from the University of Oxford, Professor Xiong Wen (David) Lou from City University of Hong Kong, and Professor Zhang Qiang from Tsinghua University. SOURCE 2024 World Young Scientists Summit Organizing Committee BEIJING, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Although Serbia and China are geographically thousands of miles apart, the distance between the hearts of the two peoples is close. Chinese President Xi Jinping said the Chinese people have always cherished a special bond of friendship with Serbia, when attending a welcome banquet held by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, Serbia, on Wednesday, noting that Serbian athletes Novak Djokovic and Nikola Jokic, and movie director Emir Kusturica are household names in China. Although films like The Bridge, Walter Defends Sarajevo, and Underground are beloved by Chinese audiences, who draw inspiration and spiritual strength from them, for Kusturica, affectionately known as "Uncle Ku" by Chinese movie fans, his connection with China goes beyond the passion for and emotion evoked by movies themselves. In June 2016, the internationally recognized film director appeared in China as the Jury President for the Golden Goblet Award's main competition at the 19th Shanghai International Film Festival, coinciding with President Xi's historic visit to his homeland. In 2024, before Xi's second visit to Serbia, Kusturica returned to China as the Jury President for the Tiantan Award at the 14th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF). In a recent exclusive interview with the Global Times, Kusturica expressed his firm belief in the friendship between China and Serbia. "I think President Xi's visit will bring us more opportunity to develop cooperation between the two countries... I hope that this brotherhood friendship will continue," he told the Global Times. Bright future Kusturica has always been pleased that the movie Walter Defends Sarajevo, in which he made his debut on the big screen when he was just 18 years old, "had been seen by almost all Chinese people." Born in 1954 in Sarajevo, former Yugoslavia, Kusturica has witnessed significant historical events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall and the breakup of Yugoslavia. Known for his films' revelry, absurdity, and dark humor, Kusturica incorporates carnival-style performances and vibrant colors that evoke nostalgia. His works, offering a balm for emotional wounds and sparking contemplation on Serbia's grounding, also make him one of the few cinematic masters to have won awards at all of Europe's three top events - the Venice Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival, and the Cannes Film Festival. He believes that the "Slavs seal" on his movies serves to make difficult subjects more poetic and humorous than in other meticulously crafted films. And when discussing crafted movies with the Global Times, Kusturica also openly expressed his confidence in Chinese cinema, praising the quality and popularity of Chinese films and foreseeing a bright future for the industry. Kusturica has also visited local film schools and witnessed the abundance of talented filmmakers and well-equipped facilities. "I believe that in China, you will have a chance to develop your stories with these talented people," he said. "The civilization of China is different from Europe, but it has a lot in common with other civilizations," Kusturica said, noting that "seeking common ground while preserving differences" has been well represented by China's film industry, According to his observation, in China, people are increasingly realizing that culture is actually at the forefront of civilization, and Chinese films have successfully defended their own culture. "It is very wise to tell Chinese people's own story, and develop China's own film industry, rather than blindly imitating Europe and America," Kusturica said. Against the backdrop of a tumultuous history and a reality intertwined with joy and sorrow, Kusturica has always used movies to contemplate grander themes such as politics, war, nationality, and history. Solidarity in new 'bombardment' In Kusturica's view, China can present the world with different philosophical reflections. Making a movie is not like making an atomic bomb and then throwing it into the world causing harm to many people, but it is about observing people's behavior and caring for the public, Kusturica said at the film master class held at the BJIFF on April 24. "Currently, China's development scale is huge and has gained discourse power in many fields. Some countries try to suppress China's development. However, in this context, I still see China persisting in defending its cultural traditions and see Chinese movies expressing the cultural perseverance and spiritual outlook of the Chinese people," Kusturica emphasized. Kusturica believes that China's economic scale and soft power are the country's most powerful defenses, and are continuously demonstrating positivity on the global stage. During the master class, Kusturica said he saw Chinese people traveling around the world, and "they did not bring gunfire and bullets; they brought peace, and brought a continuous potential for development to other countries." In 1999, the relations between China and Serbia continued to move forward due to the deep intersection and resonance of historical destiny, political ideals, and national emotions. Twenty five years later, Kusturica believes that the friendship between China and Serbia can still bravely bear a new form of "bombardment" together. Kusturica said he hopes China will get stronger, noting that Serbia "could certainly be closer to you" than it is now. SOURCE Global Times Raise a Can and Toast Graza's Sustainably-Minded Nitrogen-Sealed Refill Cans NEW YORK, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Beloved olive oil brand and pantry staple, Graza , today announced the on-shelf debut of its nitrogen-sealed "beer can" refills nationally in select Whole Foods Market stores, and online at www.graza.co . Graza's founders Andrew Benin and Allen Dushi knew that large-bulk containers were not ideal for maintaining olive oil quality as they invite rapid oxidation, but a quality refill option was necessary. Together, they set out to create a refillable option that maintained maximum integrity of the EVOO and is perfectly portioned for Graza's first-to-market squeeze bottles. From there, the idea for "beer can" refills was born. "We've been dreaming up our second innovation in the olive oil category since we launched in January of 2022," said Graza CEO and Co-Founder, Andrew Benin. "Having the support of a world-class retail supplier in Whole Foods Market is a superpower. We are excited to bring our perfectly-portioned beer can refills to Whole Foods Market shelves, empowering customers to procure Graza EVOO that has been nitrogen-sealed for maximum freshness in a lightweight and fully recyclable can." With the addition of Graza's Sizzle "Refill" Cooking EVOO and Drizzle "Refill" Finishing EVOO, current Graza customers can refill their Graza Squeeze Bottles, and customers who have their own olive oil carafes can buy 100% recyclable Graza refills to use at home. "We have been champions of the Graza brand since they came to market two years ago, so when Andrew and Allen told us they wanted to create an EVOO refill solution, we were immediately onboard," said Brooke Gil, Principal Category Merchant of Olive Oil at Whole Foods Market. "The beer cans are such a creative way to execute something that almost every kitchen has, and as their leading retailer we're excited to bring this innovation to our customers." You might be wondering: why the beer can format? Apart from being made from 100% recyclable aluminum, the beer can is a culturally celebrated and familiar vessel, providing Americans with joyous beverage experiences from seltzer, soda, and beer, to non-alcoholic beverages. "Emotional resonance is high," explained Benin. "Plus, EVOO beer cans are lightweight, providing optimal shipping conditions that keep costs as low as possible for our customers. Beer cans are also 100% opaque, protecting our oil from the oxidative force of light." To learn more about Graza, please visit graza.co or follow their journey on Instagram @getgraza . About Graza: Graza makes top-notch, super-fresh, extra virgin olive oil more accessible, affordable, and easy to use. Founded in 2021 by Andrew Benin and Allen Dushi, whose personal mission is to enable all home cooks to have a blast in the kitchen using amazing olive oil for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Graza was born with Drizzle and Sizzle. The EVOO was launched in fun, first-to-market chef-inspired squeeze bottles. In May 2024, Graza launched its second innovation Graza's Sizzle "Refill" Cooking EVOO and Drizzle "Refill" Finishing EVOO, available nationally at select Whole Foods Market stores, and online at graza.co. Using Picual olives from Spain, Graza is able to make the freshest, most desirable olive oil in the world. To learn more about Graza, please visit graza.co or follow on Instagram ( @getgraza ). Media Contact Power Digital [email protected] SOURCE Graza New Law Makes Connecticut the 43rd State to Prohibit Greyhound Racing ARLINGTON, Mass., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The largest greyhound protection group in the world thanked Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont for signing a bill to outlaw greyhound racing today, calling the new law a victory for everyone who cares about dogs. "The end of dog racing in Connecticut has finally come because of the hard work of dedicated lawmakers on both sides of the aisle," said GREY2K USA President and General Counsel Christine A. Dorchak. "Greyhound advocates everywhere applaud Governor Lamont's enthusiastic stand against this cruel industry. Connecticut now joins 42 other states that have already rejected this outdated and inhumane form of gambling." Greyhound racing is now illegal in 43 states, and only continues to exist at two tracks in West Virginia. After dog racing gradually declined for decades, Florida voters outlawed the activity in 2018 by a vote of 69% to 31%, closing twelve operational racetracks. A bill to prohibit gambling on greyhound racing nationwide was introduced in the 117th Congress and earned the support of 105 cosponsors and more than 250 humane groups, anti-gambling organizations and local animal shelters. All mainstream animal protection groups oppose greyhound racing due to animal welfare concerns. At the last two remaining dog tracks in West Virginia, state records indicate that 666 greyhounds were injured in 2022 including 218 dogs that suffered broken bones and five greyhounds that died. Thousands of dogs also endure lives of confinement at West Virginia tracks, kept in cages barely large enough for them to stand up or turn around for long hours each day. About GREY2K USA Worldwide Formed in February of 2001, GREY2K USA is the largest greyhound protection organization in the United States with more than 300,000 supporters. As a non-profit 501(c)4 organization, the group works to pass stronger greyhound protection laws and end the cruelty of dog racing on both national and international levels. GREY2K USA also promotes the rescue and adoption of greyhounds across the globe. For more information, go to www.GREY2KUSA.org or visit GREY2K USA on Facebook , Twitter or Instagram . CONTACT: Christine A. Dorchak, Esq. 617.981.0490 [email protected] SOURCE GREY2K USA 34 Lives Begins Implementation Study to Give Unused Human Kidneys a Second Chance WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 20, 2024, the 34 Lives perfusion team rescued a human kidney that had been deemed not usable. The rescued kidney was successfully transplanted into a recipient who had been on dialysis for almost two years. The Purdue Research Park-based company is on a mission to decrease the number of kidneys in the US that are recovered with the intent to transplant but subsequently not used. "34 Lives has developed an innovative service that enables us to provide previously unavailable information regarding the health of hard-to-place kidneys, allowing them to be placed with increased confidence by transplant professionals," explained Chris Jaynes, Co-Founder at 34 Lives. The company is conducting an Implementation Study throughout the US that will document 80 rescued kidneys in collaboration with 10 Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) and four transplant hospitals: Indiana University Health, Mt. Sinai (NY), University of Wisconsin, and University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital. Dr. Bill Goggins, Professor of Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine, who performed the transplant, said, "Speaking for myself, I believe the data that 34 Lives provided helped me to better assess the donated kidney that was at risk of being discarded. I am pleased to report that the recipient is doing very well and went home five days post-transplant without any medical complications. While we expected her kidney to have a slow start and that she might need a run of dialysis after transplant, the kidney started right away, and she did not." Dr. Giselle Guerra, Medical Director of the Kidney Transplant Program at Miami Transplant Institute, added, "Dr. Bill Goggins is one of the top transplant surgeons in the country who now has performed the first kidney transplant optimized with the normothermic machine. The transplant doctors working with 34 Lives are excited with what the future holds. The 34 Lives warm perfusion service is going to help decrease the discard rate of kidneys recovered for possible transplant in the US. Everyone in the study is committed to optimizing kidneys that may be considered marginal and transplanting more individuals who await this life-altering surgery. It's the reason we all got involvedto transplant more kidneys and save more lives." Julie Bergin, CEO of the participating OPO Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA), commented, "Our organization is proud to be part of the effort to give unused kidneys a 'second chance', and to increase the number of patients who are given the gift of life. This new technology improves the opportunities for our donor heroes to save and heal more lives." Every day in this country, approximately 34 lives are lost as patients on the national transplant waiting list are removed either die or become too ill to stay on the list. "In 2023, over 8,500 kidneys were recovered with the intent to be transplanted but, for a variety of reasons, were unused. We are thrilled to be working with OPOs and transplant hospitals across the country to reduce that number and save lives," added Kathleen St. Jean, Co-Founder, 34 Lives. The news comes in the wake of recent congressional hearings that have called for immediate transformation and innovation regarding organ transplantation. According to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), over 123,000 Americans are on the national transplant waiting list; more than 101,000 need a kidney. To learn more about the work of 34 Lives, visit the website at https://34lives.com/ About 34 Lives 34 Lives is a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) headquartered in the Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette, Indiana . The firm is committed to saving the lives of patients awaiting kidney transplant by providing innovative solutions that can give hard-to-place kidneys a second chance and enough time to make it to a waiting patient. . The firm is committed to saving the lives of patients awaiting kidney transplant by providing innovative solutions that can give hard-to-place kidneys a second chance and enough time to make it to a waiting patient. A Central Preservation and Assessment Service to Optimize Donor Kidney Allocation, OPTIMAL, the firm's research protocol, can be found at ClinicalTrials.gov. [Identifier NCT06263023] 34 Lives has been funded by the National Kidney Foundation Innovation Fund, Ballad Health, the Niswonger Foundation, and individual investors. SOURCE 34 Lives, PBC SAN FRANCISCO and SUZHOU, China, May 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Innovent Biologics, Inc. (Innovent) (HKEX: 01801), a world-class biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and commercializes high-quality medicines for the treatment of oncology, autoimmune, cardiovascular and metabolic, ophthalmology and other major diseases, announces that the Phase 3 clinical trial (DREAMS-2) of mazdutide (Innovent R&D code: IBI362), a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) and glucagon receptor (GCGR) dual agonist, in Chinese subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D) met the primary endpoint. The study results suggested that mazdutide was superior compared with dulaglutide for glycaemic control, and mazdutide also showed multiple cardiometabolic benefits in T2D patients including weight loss, blood lipid, blood pressure, serum uric acid, liver enzymes, etc. DREAMS-2 (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05606913) is a multi-center, randomized Phase 3 clinical study to compare the efficacy and safety of mazdutide and dulaglutide in Chinese subjects with T2D who have inadequate glycemic control with metformin monotherapy or combination therapy of metformin with other oral drugs. The study enrolled 731 subjects to receive either mazdutide 4.0 mg, mazdutide 6.0 mg or dulaglutide 1.5 mg for 28 weeks. The primary endpoint was the change from baseline to week 28 in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels. The study used a non-inferiority design, and further superiority testing was performed after non-inferiority was achieved. The primary endpoint was successfully met, showing a robust glucose-lowering efficacy of mazdutide After 28 weeks of treatment, mazdutide 4.0 mg and mazdutide 6.0 mg showed non-inferiority to dulaglutide 1.5 mg in terms of improvement in HbA1c level from baseline. Based on these results, the superiority test was further performed, and both mazdutide 4.0 mg and 6.0 mg achieved superiority to dulaglutide 1.5 mg. The key secondary endpoints showed mazdutide's superior benefits in both glucose-lowering and weight loss Statistical superiority was achieved in the following endpoints in both mazdutide 4.0 mg and mazdutide 6.0 mg groups after 28 weeks of treatment, including the change from baseline in HbA1c (superiority), percent change from baseline in body weight, proportion of subjects with HbA1c < 7.0% and weight loss of 5%, and proportion of subjects with HbA1c < 7.0%*. Mazdutide showed comprehensive benefits beyond glucose-lowering and weight loss in multiple cardiometabolic indicators (blood pressure, blood lipids, serum uric acid, and liver enzymes) Mazdutide also showed significant advantages compared with dulaglutide in various indicators, including the proportion of subjects with HbA1c 6.5%, changes in fasting blood glucose and seven-point fingerstick blood glucose from baseline, the proportion of subjects with body weight loss of 5% and 10%, absolute change in body weight from baseline, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), triglyceride (TG), serum uric acid (UA), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), etc. Favorable safety and tolerability profile Gastrointestinal adverse reactions were the most common adverse events, most were mild to moderate in severity , transient, and mainly occurred during the first 12-week titration period. No severe hypoglycemia occurred; the incidence of moderate or severe hypoglycemia was comparable to that of dulaglutide; and the incidence of hypoglycemia was lower in indirect comparison to reported in registrational studies of other GLP-1 drugs. No signal of increased cardiovascular risk throughout the treatment period, similar to dulaglutide. The overall safety profile was consistent with that observed in previous clinical studies of mazdutide and no new safety signals observed. Mazdutide is the first GLP-1R/GCGR dual agonist in the regulatory review status, with the first new drug application (NDA) for chronic weight management under review by the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). DREAMS-2, as one of the registrational clinical studies of mazdutide, will provide high-quality evidence of mazdutide for Chinese population with T2D. Innovent plans to read out the results of another DREAMS-1 Phase 3 clinical study in mid-2024 and submit to the CDE an NDA for the treatment of T2D with mazdutide. Detailed data from the DREAMS-1 and DREAMS-2 studies will be further analyzed and published at academic congresses or in clinical journals. Professor Lixin Guo, the principal investigator of the clinical study, Department of Endocrinology in Beijing Hospital, said: "In China, T2D patients often have a variety of chronic diseases as comorbidities, such as obesity, hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease, hypertension and so on. Therefore, the management of T2D should take into consideration the improvements in blood glucose, blood lipid, blood pressure and other aspects. In endocrine and CVM areas, GLP-1-based drugs are the hotspot of research and development for the healthcare industry as well as for clinicians, especially multi-target drugs that are potentially more efficacious and can provide more metabolic benefits. DREAMS-2 is the first Phase 3 clinical study head-to-head with dulaglutide in China, which has high clinical significance and academic value. The results of this study showed that mazdutide, compared with dulaglutide, has a stronger glycaemic lowering effect and favorable safety profile. More importantly, mazdutide provided more comprehensive benefits in weight loss, blood lipid, blood pressure, blood uric acid, liver enzymes and other aspects. I look forward to the NDA submission of mazdutide in T2D, and wish it to benefit hundreds of millions of diabetic patients in China." Professor Yang Wenying, the principal investigator of the clinical study, Department of Endocrinology in China Japan Friendship Hospital, said: "China has the largest number of T2D patients in the world, and the prevalence of T2D among adults in China has reached 11.9%. Together with other investigators of the DREAMS-2 study, I am pleased to see that mazdutide, as a new generation of GLP-1R/GCGR dual target agonist, has met the primary endpoint and demonstrated superiority in change from baseline in HbA1c and multiple metabolic benefits compared with dulaglutide. DREAMS-2 is a landmark study as it is the first successful registrational study of a GLP-1R/GCGR dual target agonist in T2D. I believe that in the near future, mazdutide will provide a new and better choice for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in China." Dr. Lei Qian, Vice President of Clinical Development of Innovent, said: "There is a huge population of diabetes in China. Innovative drugs that are more effective, safer and more convenient are urgently needed. In the DREAMS-2 study, mazdutide showed comprehensive superiority to dulaglutide, one of the most-described glucose-lowering drugs in the world. We will further analyze the study data, and strive to submit an NDA for T2D as soon as possible this year, so as to help more Chinese T2D patients to achieve target blood glucose levels and acquire metabolic benefits. At the same time, we look forward to the performance of mazdutide in the DREAMS-3 study, a head-to-head study with semaglutide." About Diabetes According to the global overview of diabetes published by the International Diabetes Federation in 2021, China ranks first in the number of patients with diabetes globally, with an estimated number of more than 140 million in 2021 and 174 million in 2045 [1]. Poor glycemic control can lead to irreversible microvascular and macrovascular complications, such as decreased visual acuity, blindness, renal dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy, myocardial infarction, stroke and amputation [2]. The high incidence of diabetes, with serious complications, are of serious threat to human health. At present, there are many therapeutic regimens for diabetes. In addition to effectively controlling blood glucose, the development of new hypoglycemic drugs has begun to include the additional benefits of weight loss, cardiovascular risk reduction and kidney protection for patients with diabetes [3]. About Mazdutide (IBI362) Innovent entered into an exclusive license agreement with Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) for the development and potential commercialization of OXM3 (also known as mazdutide), a GLP-1R and GCGR dual agonist, in China. As a mammalian oxyntomodulin (OXM) analogue, in addition to the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists on promoting insulin secretion, lowering blood glucose and reducing body weight, mazdutide may also increase energy expenditure and improve hepatic fat metabolism through the activation of glucagon receptor. Mazdutide has demonstrated robust weight loss and glucose-lowering effects in clinical studies, as well as multiple cardio-metabolic benefits, including reducing waist circumference, blood lipids, blood pressure, blood uric acid, liver enzymes, liver fat content and improving insulin sensitivity. Currently, a total of five Phase 3 registrational studies are underway, including GLORY-1 (4 mg and 6 mg) in Chinese overweight or obese subjects, GLORY-2 (9 mg) in Chinese obese subjects, DREAMS-1, DREAMS-2, and DREAMS-3 (mazdutide in subjects with type 2 diabetes). Among them, GLORY-1 study and DREAMS-2 study have reached the endpoints. About Innovent Innovent is a leading biopharmaceutical company founded in 2011 with the mission to provide high-quality biologics that are affordable to all. The company discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes innovative medicines that treat some of the most intractable diseases. Its pioneering therapies treat cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic, autoimmune and eye diseases. Innovent has 10 products in the market, 3 new drug applications under the NMPA review, 5 assets in Phase III or pivotal clinical trials and 18 more molecules in early clinical stage. Innovent partners with over 30 global healthcare leaders, including Eli Lilly, Roche, Sanofi, Adimab, Incyte and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Guided by the motto, "Start with Integrity, Succeed through Action," Innovent maintains the highest standard of industry practices and works collaboratively to advance the biopharmaceutical industry so that first-rate pharmaceutical drugs can become widely accessible. For more information, visit www.innoventbio.com, or follow Innovent on Facebook and LinkedIn. Statement: Innovent does not recommend the use of any unapproved drug (s)/indication (s). * Note: This is based on efficacy estimand. The study used efficacy estimand and treatment-regimen estimand for statistical analysis, and they showed a high degree of concordance in the conclusions. Forward-looking statement This news release may contain certain forward-looking statements that are, by their nature, subject to significant risks and uncertainties. The words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend" and similar expressions, as they relate to Innovent Biologics ("Innovent"), are intended to identify certain of such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend to update these forward-looking statements regularly. These forward-looking statements are based on the existing beliefs, assumptions, expectations, estimates, projections and understandings of the management of the Company with respect to future events at the time these statements are made. These statements are not a guarantee of future developments and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company's control and are difficult to predict. Consequently, actual results may differ materially from information contained in the forward-looking statements as a result of future changes or developments in our business, the Company's competitive environment and political, economic, legal and social conditions. The Company, the Directors and the employees of the Company assume (a) no obligation to correct or update the forward-looking statements contained in this site; and (b) no liability in the event that any of the forward-looking statements does not materialise or turn out to be incorrect. References: [1]. Sun H, Saeedi P, Karuranga S, et al. IDF Diabetes Atlas: Global, regional and country-level diabetes prevalence estimates for 2021 and projects for 2045 [published correction appeals in Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2023 Oct; 204: 110945]. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2022; 183: 109119. doi: 10.1016/j.diabres.2021. 109119 [2]. Gregg EW, Sattar N, Ali MK. The changing face of diabetes complications. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. Published online 2016. doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587 (16) 30010-9 [3]. Nauck MA, Quast DR, Wefers J, Meier JJ. GLP-1 receptor agonists in the treatment of type 2 diabetes-state-of-the-art. Mol Metab. Published online 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2020. 101102 SOURCE Innovent Biologics New program administrator helping to design and implement insurance programs across industries WAUKEE, Iowa, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Holmes Murphy, one of the nation's largest employee-owned and controlled insurance brokerages, is thrilled to announce the launch of Innovative Program Solutions (IPS). IPS is a full-service Managing General Agent (MGA) practice. The company will be focused on designing specialized insurance programs to help businesses in targeted industries drive down expenses and loss ratios with custom solutions created by industry experts who have decades of experience. IPS is led by Tim Anders, a highly respected and successful insurance industry veteran with more than 35 years of experience in underwriting, new program development, program management, and leadership. Prior to joining Holmes Murphy's family of brand companies, collectively called PLUS, and leading IPS, Anders worked with companies such as Ryan Specialty, Breckenridge Insurance, Zurich, and Atlantic Mutual, and dealt with programs across a variety of industry classes and coverages. "Innovative isn't just in our name it's in our nature," said Tim Anders, President, IPS. "Our team and our extensive network of insurance and industry experts are committed to creating best-in-class programs for our broker and carrier partners, driving down costs, and providing expertise you won't find anywhere else." IPS will focus on delivering desired outcomes for all stakeholders. By creating solutions customized to the needs of each program, IPS will identify shortcomings and areas where losses and expenses can be reduced and work with carriers and brokers to implement programs designed to solve unique problems. IPS' broker partners will be well positioned to offer new programs within their targeted growth areas and will have access to functional expertise and emerging technologies and tools, creating a strong market-facing value proposition. "Program business is an industry that produces more than $80 billion in premiums every year, most of which is written by Target Markets members," said Anders. "Carriers have increasingly looked to MGAs, like IPS, to provide expertise, innovation, and effective underwriting approaches in specific lines of business, helping them to grow and enter new markets. We believe by launching IPS, we'll be able to tailor unique insurance solutions for our clients' needs through closer partnerships with their carrier partners and positively influence their impact on evaluation and management of risk." "The vast network of experts we have here at Holmes Murphy and in our subsidiary brands is a crucial part of the work we are able to do for our clients," said Tom Stewart, President of the PLUS division of Holmes Murphy. "By creating Innovative Program Solutions, we will help to ensure every program is tailored to each business by providing dedicated resources while working to manage costs." About Innovative Program Solutions Innovative Program Solutions focuses on driving target financial outcomes for all stakeholders. We value agent expertise and relationships and strive to identify an accurate alignment of risk and offer programs designed to solve unique challenges. We work with a variety of carriers and brokers to provide best-in-class programs tailored to the unique needs of our partners. Our team provides decades of experience and distinctive insight across industries. For more information, visit https://www.holmesmurphy.com/solutions/programs/. Contact: Jena Brown 515-345-8934 [email protected] SOURCE Holmes Murphy TEL AVIV, Israel and ZURICH, Switzerland, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Swiss-Israeli fintech startup okoora has been named as the winner of the 2024 Digital Banking Award in the Forex Management category by IBS Intelligence, a leading global financial technology research, news analysis, and advisory firm. A ceremony announcing all the 2024 Digital Banking Award winners was held last month in Bengaluru, India. The fourth edition of the Digital Banking Awards by IBS Intelligence evaluated over 60 technology projects across multiple geographies. "The Digital Banking Awards epitomize the transformative shift in banking, celebrating both digital pioneers and traditional institutions for their adaptability and innovation," said Nikhil Gokhale, Director of Research and Digital Properties at IBS Intelligence. "IBS Intelligence recognized this year okoora's excellence in Forex Management, with their innovative ABCM platform and commitment to empowering businesses of all sizes with effective currency risk management solutions." "We are honored to be recognized by IBS Intelligence as the winner of the 2024 Digital Banking Award for Forex Management," said Benjamin Avraham, CEO and founder of okoora. "This is further validation of okoora's innovative, AI-based approach to assisting companies of all sizes with their currency management operations. This award is a testament to our team's dedication and commitment to delivering solutions that empower our clients." Okoora, which has already gained 15,000 registered clients, is the creator of the Automated Business Currency Management (ABCM) integrated cloud platform that manages global payments, transactional banking, and currency risk management. Okoora is also the first company in the world to offer an API in the field of currency risk management. Okoora has taken significant strides toward expanding into new markets over the past year, particularly in Europe. At the end of last year, it opened a new branch in Limassol, Cyprus. The company plans to launch a new office in another European country in the beginning of the second half of the year. This move is part of a longer-term plan to serve the millions of businesses, especially small and medium-size enterprises, operating within the EU. About Okoora Okoora, established in 2021 by Benjamin Avraham, the founder of Ofakim Group Israel's premier financial risk management firm, currently boasts a committed team of 100 professionals across Israel, Switzerland, Germany, India and Cyprus. With sights set on further European expansion, okoora is gearing up to expand its workforce, aiming to bolster its operational capacity and provide outstanding service to its growing clientele. Okoora, which achieved profitability in 2023, operates as a bootstrap and is self-financed. SOURCE Okoora LOS ANGELES, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- IDrive Backup , a leading provider of Cloud Backup and storage services, is proud to announce that their Microsoft Office 365 backup solution is fully compliant with a range of strict industry standards, providing customers with peace of mind that their data is secure, protected, and adheres to regulations of various industries. IDrive's commitment to data security is exemplified by its adherence to stringent standards such as: SOC 2 Type 2 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI) The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) All certifications mentioned above reflect IDrive's dedication to maintaining the highest levels of security, privacy, and compliance across a wide range of industries. By choosing IDrive for Microsoft Office 365 Backup, customers can rest assured that their data is handled in accordance with the most up-to-date regulations and standards. Whether it's protecting sensitive healthcare data under HIPAA, or ensuring financial data meets SEC/FINRA requirements, IDrive's Office 365 Backup solution is designed to meet the diverse needs of businesses across different sectors. With this solution, IDrive users can backup multiple Office 365 accounts into a single IDrive account, protecting users against data loss scenarios that are not covered by Microsoft. For example, if an Office 365 file is corrupted, it will be corrupted across all synced user devices, making that file unrecoverable. With IDrive, previous versions of files are retained so users can easily restore and pick up where they left off. Office 365 backup with IDrive provides comprehensive data protection, ensuring that all data is backed up, and eliminating the risk of accidental deletion, ransomware attacks, or service outages. With a user friendly, intuitive interface, users are able to easily manage and restore their backups, empowering them to quickly recover data whenever necessary. IDrive remains committed to providing customers with a secure and reliable backup solution for their Office 365 data that not only meets but exceeds industry standards. Their compliance with all industry standards demonstrates their dedication to data security and customer trust and satisfaction. IDrive Microsoft Office 365 Backup is an available add-on for all plans including Mini, Personal, Business, Team, and Enterprise for $20/seat/year for unlimited storage. It is also available as a stand-alone plan for the same cost. For businesses looking to safeguard their Microsoft Office 365 data while ensuring compliance with industry regulations, IDrive offers a comprehensive backup solution that combines cutting-edge technology with a steadfast commitment to security and compliance. About IDrive IDrive Inc. is a privately held company specializing in cloud storage, online backup, file sharing, remote access, compliance and related technologies. Core services include IDrive, IDrive e2, RemotePC and IBackup. The company's services help over 4 million customers back up over 500 Petabytes of data. SOURCE IDrive Inc. BOGOTA, Colombia, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Corporation for the Development and Productivity of Bogota-Region, Invest in Bogota, has been awarded as the best investment promotion agency in Latin America and the Caribbean at the prestigious Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) event, the world's leading platform to discuss effective investment promotion strategies and facilitate opportunities for economic development, placed in Abu Dhabi. During 2023, Invest in Bogota channeled significant foreign investments to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. Its strong strategy was focused on the development and implementation of methodologies, analyses and technical processes to track investment trends, the drivers of investment flows understanding, and the identification of key segments and niches, such as knowledge-intensive services, value-added manufacturing, and smart infrastructure. As a result, 2023 marked the Corporation's best year in generating new opportunities (355) and attending new and established companies (332), materializing 41 investment projects valued at USD 231 million, and generating over 6,000 direct formal jobs. Additionally, a support program was provided to 12 strategic infrastructure projects for the city. Regarding the attraction of world-class events, Bogota's Convention Bureau generated 307 opportunities and realized 63 events, representing an economic impact of USD 23 million, with the attendance of 38,650 people and 77, 288 hotel room nights. Isabella Munoz, Executive Director of Invest in Bogota, highlighted: "This recognition reaffirms Bogota-Region as a platform for business expansion and growth, thanks to attributes such as efficient and qualified human talent, economic stability, and strategic geographic location." This award will enhance Bogota's visibility internationally among potential investors and decision-makers, consolidating the city's leadership in the top Colombian investor countries, such as United States, Spain, Mexico Chile and China and sparking interest in new markets like Asia and the Middle East. To maintain its position as a regional leader, the corporation faces some challenges. it will be a priority to align with the country's energy transition, attracting investments in renewable energies, energy efficiency, and clean technologies. Additionally, efforts will be focused on strengthening the agricultural sector through the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies and consolidating a knowledge-based society, attracting investments in research, development, and innovation (R&D&I). Foreign direct investment will be a catalyst for economic recovery, generating quality jobs and improving the quality of life in Bogota-Region. Invest in Bogota reaffirms its commitment to driving socio-economic development, competitiveness, and internationalization, and positioning the city as the preferred destination for doing business in Latin America. Media Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Invest in Bogota OMAHA, Neb., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --The nation's largest laser hair removal provider, Milan Laser Hair Removal, congratulates Jared Widseth, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, for being honored with the 2024 OnCon Icon Award. Widseth was named among the Top 10 Corporate Counsel by OnConferences, a global community of top executives. Jared Widseth - General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Milan Laser Hair Removal OnCon Icon Award winners are selected annually by peer vote based on their considerable impact on their organization and/or previous organizations, strong contributions to their professional community through thought leadership, innovation within their role, and exceptional leadership. "I am honored and humbled to be recognized by OnConferences, especially alongside such tremendous legal professionals," said Widseth. "I'd like to express my gratitude to my peers for voting, and to the Milan Laser Hair Removal team. This achievement would not be possible without the continued support of my colleagues, who are dedicated to the growth and success of our company, live our core values, and maintain the highest standards in all aspects of our business. I am proud to play a role in driving Milan Laser forward." In his role, Widseth advises and counsels Milan Laser on all legal matters, including regulatory compliance, labor and employment, risk management, intellectual property, government affairs, mergers and acquisitions, and investor relations. Before joining Milan Laser in 2021, Widseth held roles in Employee Relations, Litigation Management, and Reputation Risk for Target Corporation. Additionally, he served as a Minneapolis Civil Rights Commissioner for the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights. Widseth holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and history from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and earned his Juris Doctor from Marquette University Law School. "Since we welcomed Jared to our organization three years ago, Milan Laser has experienced exponential growth in a relatively short period," said Shikhar Saxena, M.D., co-founder and CEO of Milan Laser Hair Removal. "He has played a pivotal role in guiding our legal strategy and navigating its complex landscape as we expand our footprint and position our company for the future. Jared's recognition is well-earned and much deserved." About Milan Laser Hair Removal Founded in 2012 by two board-certified medical doctors in Omaha, Nebraska, Milan Laser Hair Removal is the nation's largest laser hair removal provider. Milan Laser is a premier employer with 350 locations in 35 states and 2,000+ employees nationally. Laser hair removal is all Milan Laser does, performing more than 80,000 treatments each month. Milan Laser provides life-long results for all genders and skin tones in a safe, judgment-free environment, and highly trained medical professionals perform all treatments. For more information, visit www.milanlaser.com. About OnConferences OnConferences is a leading organization dedicated to bringing together top executives from various industries to encourage collaboration, innovation, and thought leadership. Through conferences, awards, and networking opportunities, OnConferences provides a platform for the world's top executives to connect and share insights, fostering growth and development within their respective fields. Contact: Bettia Williamson Sr. Brand Strategist [email protected] Phone: (914) 309-1808 SOURCE Milan Laser NEW YORK, May 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, continues to investigate potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of JBS S.A. (OTC: JBSAY) resulting from allegations that JBS may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public. SO WHAT: If you purchased JBS securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=22976 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. WHAT IS THIS ABOUT: On February 28, 2024, Reuters published an article entitled "New York sues meatpacking giant JBS over climate claims." The article stated, in pertinent part, that "JBS, the world's largest beef producer, was sued on Wednesday by New York state's attorney general, which accused it of misleading the public about its impact on the environment in order to boost sales. Attorney General Letitia James said JBS USA Food Co, the Brazilian company's American-based unit, has "no viable plan" to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, making its stated commitment to achieving that goal false and misleading." On this news, JBS' American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") fell $0.22 per ADR, or 2.4%, to close at $9.02 per ADR on February 28, 2024. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A. RALEIGH, N.C., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- JT International U.S.A., Inc. (JTI) announces plans to relocate its US Headquarters from New Jersey to North Carolina. The move will bring over a hundred new jobs to Raleigh. JTI is one of the fastest-growing tobacco companies in the US, with its leading global flagship brand LD. The headquarters will open later this year in One North Hills Tower at North Hill in Midtown Raleigh, one of the newest office buildings in Raleigh. "It's great to see another international company choose North Carolina for its top-flight workforce, number one business environment and extraordinary quality of life," said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. JTI's Group of Companies already has a major economic impact on North Carolina with hundreds of contracted tobacco farms and a large buying station located in Wilson, NC. "We are proud to welcome JTI's leadership and headquarters to North Carolina," said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. "As a leading buyer of North Carolina tobacco, this move to Wake County is a great sign of their long-term interest in working with our growers and will help us further build on this important trade partnership." JTI USA has earned the prestigious "Top Employer" status for nine consecutive years and began recruiting employees in the Raleigh area over the past few weeks. "I am pleased to welcome JTI and the more than 100 high-paying jobs they are bringing to Raleigh," said Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin. "Their decision to move their headquarters here clearly demonstrates the quality of life we offer and the quality of our talent pool. We wish them much success in the future." The new jobs at JTI USA will be in various fields, including sales, customer service, and administration. The company is also looking for people with marketing, finance, and human resources skills. "We are very excited to be joining Raleigh's diverse community. Raleigh is an ideal location for our new headquarters because it is a vibrant and growing city with a top of its class talent pool for recruitment of new employees. We are already hiring in the Raleigh area, and we are excited to open our new office later this year." said General Manager and President Corrado Mautone. Click here to find out more about JTI's current job postings in Raleigh. JT International U.S.A., Inc. (JTI USA) is a leading tobacco company selling its brands LD, Wave, Wings, and Export A. Previously headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey, the company employs more than 250 people across the USA. JTI USA is part of the JTI Group of Companies, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, employing about 46,000 people globally. For more information, visit www.jti.com . SOURCE JT International U.S.A., Inc. GREENWICH, Conn., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Southfield Capital, a premier lower middle market private equity firm, announced today that Kelvin Group ("Kelvin"), a platform dedicated to building a collaborative group of the largest independent industrial and commercial mission-critical mechanical services companies in the U.S., has completed the acquisition of Dahms Refrigeration Services ("DRS"), a regional industrial and commercial refrigeration services provider headquartered in Norristown, PA. The acquisition of DRS will be integrated into Kelvin's RD&S business unit and represents Kelvin's eleventh acquisition since partnering with Southfield. DRS is a refrigeration services provider focused on providing plant service and ongoing maintenance to engine rooms and plant equipment across various sectors, including cold storage warehouses, milk & cheese processing, meat packing, food preparation, dairy product production, poultry services and frozen food production. In addition, DRS offers custom refrigeration and HVAC systems for manufacturing and production facilities. "With the acquisition of Dahms, we're enhancing our service offerings in the Mid-Atlantic market and reinforcing our position as a leader in the industry," said Harry Gray, CEO of Kelvin Group. "The addition of their skilled employees brings valuable knowledge to the RD&S team, positioning us for even greater success in meeting the evolving needs of our customers." "This partnership not only marks a new chapter for our team but also opens up exciting opportunities for growth and innovation," said Dan Dahms, former owner of DRS. "By leveraging our years of experience alongside the resources and expertise of RD&S and Kelvin Group, we will now provide even greater value to our clients. I am incredibly excited about the promising future ahead as we embark on this journey together." Southfield Principal, Chris Grambling, commented on the transaction, "We are excited to join forces with the DRS team. DRS represents RD&S's first acquisition under Kelvin Group and expands our service capabilities, significantly enhancing the value we can provide for our customers in the Mid-Atlantic." Deerpath Capital Management and Crescent Capital Group provided debt financing. G2 Capital Advisors served as the buy-side advisor to Kelvin. Finn, Dixon & Herling provided legal counsel to Kelvin and Southfield Capital. About Kelvin Group Kelvin Group is a leader in the field of industrial and commercial mission-critical mechanical services, process safety management and environmental compliance. Its turnkey solutions provide design/installation and ongoing service and preventative maintenance of world-class mechanical systems for leaders in the food and beverage, cold storage, pharmaceutical, educational, health care, and process industries. Once engaged with customers, it assists business owners achieve mandated health, safety, environmental and regulatory compliance standards. For more information, please visit www.kelvin.cool. About Southfield Capital Southfield Capital is a private equity firm that invests in high-growth, lower middle market companies in the outsourced business services sector. The firm targets companies with $4 - 15 million in EBITDA and partners with management to scale the business through a combination of organic and acquisition growth strategies. For more information, please visit www.southfieldcapital.com. Southfield Capital, LLC 140 Greenwich Avenue Greenwich Connecticut 06830 Telephone: 203.813.4100 www.southfieldcapital.com SOURCE Southfield Capital BOSTON, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Liberty Mutual Holding Company Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively "LMHC" or the "Company") reported net income attributable to LMHC of $1.535 billion for the three months ended March 31, 2024, versus a net loss attributable to LMHC of $74 million for the same period in 2023. "For the first quarter, we reported net income attributable to LMHC of $1.5 billion driven by strong core underwriting results and a $663 million after-tax benefit from the gain on the sale of our GRM West Operations," said Tim Sweeney, Liberty Mutual President & Chief Executive Officer. "Underwriting results continue to improve, with a 2.8 point improvement in the underlying loss ratio to 62.1% for the first quarter driven by rate execution and other underwriting actions. Catastrophe losses were in line with expectations for the quarter and improved 2.3 points from the prior year. In total, the loss ratio improved 5.9 points to 69.5%. Our US Retail Markets segment saw 5.2 points of improvement in the underlying loss ratio compared to the prior year driven by targeted rate actions continuing to earn in and favorable frequency trends. Despite higher current year large loss activity, Global Risk Solutions total combined ratio improved 3.9 points from the prior year to 94.2%. Our ongoing expense management program drove a 2.5 point reduction in the consolidated expense ratio to 26.3%. Overall, it was a strong quarter and we are pleased with the solid progress we continue to make on profit improvement as we march towards our 95% combined ratio target in 2025." The tables below outline highlights of LMHC's consolidated financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2024. Net Written Premium ("NWP") by Business: Consolidated NWP by business was as follows: Three Months Ended March 31, $ in Millions 2024 2023 Change US Retail Markets $6,545 $6,943 (5.7 %) Global Risk Solutions 4,376 4,219 3.7 Corporate and Other 37 (7) NM Total NWP $10,958 $11,155 (1.8 %) Foreign exchange effect on growth 0.1 NWP growth excluding foreign exchange1 (1.9 %) 1 Determined by assuming constant foreign exchange rates between periods. NM = Not Meaningful Consolidated Results of Operations: Three Months Ended March 31, $ in Millions 2024 2023 Change Revenues $12,475 $11,928 4.6 % Underlying PTOI before limited partnerships income 1,926 1,094 76.1 Catastrophes (824) (1,075) (23.3) Net incurred losses attributable to prior years: - Asbestos and environmental1 - - - - All other2 6 (104) NM Pre-tax operating income (loss) before limited partnerships income 1,108 (85) NM Limited partnerships income (loss)3 159 (84) NM Pre-tax operating income (loss) 1,267 (169) NM Net realized losses (92) (49) 87.8 Acquisition & integration costs (21) (12) 75.0 Restructuring costs (6) (2) 200.0 Pre-tax income (loss) 1,148 (232) NM Income tax expense (benefit) 270 (50) NM Consolidated net income (loss) from continuing operations 878 (182) NM Discontinued operations, net of tax 663 115 NM Consolidated net income (loss) 1,541 (67) NM Less: Net income attributable to non-controlling interest 6 7 (14.3) Net income (loss) attributable to LMHC 1,535 (74) NM Net income (loss) attributable to LMHC excluding unrealized impact4 1,543 (63) NM Cash flow provided by continuing operations $901 ($18) NM 1. Asbestos and environmental is gross of the related adverse development reinsurance (the "NICO Reinsurance Transaction", which is described further in Reinsurance). 2. Net of earned premium and reinstatement premium attributable to prior years of $8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024, and ($5) for the same period in 2023. 3. Limited partnerships income includes LP, LLC and other equity method income within net investment income in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations and revenue and expenses from direct investments in natural resources. 4. Excludes unrealized gains on equity securities, unit linked life insurance, and the corresponding tax impact. NM = Not Meaningful Combined Ratio: Three Months Ended March 31, CONSOLIDATED 2024 2023 Change (Points) Combined ratio Claims and claim adjustment expense ratio 62.1 % 64.9 % (2.8) Underwriting expense ratio 26.3 28.8 (2.5) Underlying combined ratio 88.4 93.7 (5.3) Catastrophes 7.2 9.5 (2.3) Net incurred losses attributable to prior years: - Asbestos and environmental - - - - All other1 0.2 1.0 (0.8) Total combined ratio 95.8 % 104.2 % (8.4) 1. Net of earned premium and reinstatement premium attributable to prior years. 2. The combined ratio, expressed as a percentage, is a measure of underwriting profitability. This measure should only be used in conjunction with, and not in lieu of, underwriting income and may not be comparable to other performance measures used by the Company's competitors. The combined ratio is computed as the sum of the following property and casualty ratios: the ratio of claims and claim adjustment expense less managed care income to earned premium; the ratio of insurance operating costs plus amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs less third-party administration income and fee income (primarily related to the Company's involuntary market servicing carrier operations) and installment charges to earned premium; and the ratio of policyholder dividends to earned premium. Provisions for uncollectible premium and reinsurance are not included in the combined ratio unless related to an asbestos and environmental commutation and certain other run off. Restructuring and acquisition and integration costs are not included in the combined ratio. Equity: As of March 31, As of December 31, $ in Millions 2024 2023 Change Unassigned equity $31,526 $29,991 5.1 % Accumulated other comprehensive loss (5,250) (5,127) 2.4 Non-controlling interest 196 196 - Total equity $26,472 $25,060 5.6 % Subsequent Events In April 2024, GRS announced a single unified strategy in Asia Pacific, critical to seize the significant opportunity in the region. This includes the introduction of Liberty International Insurance ("LII"), a single demand pillar incorporating Liberty Specialty Markets ("LSM") and Asia Retail Markets ("ARM") businesses to drive our strategy. This change will be effective for second quarter reporting. Management has assessed material subsequent events through May 8, 2024, the date the financial statements were available to be issued. Financial Information The Company's financial results, management's discussion and analysis of operating results and financial condition, accompanying financial statements and other supplemental financial information for the three months ended March 31, 2024 are available on the Company's Investor Relations website at www.libertymutualgroup.com/investors. About Liberty Mutual Insurance At Liberty Mutual, we believe progress happens when people feel secure. By providing protection for the unexpected and delivering it with care, we help people embrace today and confidently pursue tomorrow. In business since 1912, and headquartered in Boston, today we are the eighth largest global property and casualty insurer based on 2023 gross written premium. We also rank 86th on the Fortune 100 list of largest corporations in the US based on 2022 revenue. As of December 31, 2023, we had $49.4 billion in annual consolidated revenue. We employ over 45,000 people in 29 countries and economies around the world. We offer a wide range of insurance products and services, including personal automobile, homeowners, specialty lines, reinsurance, commercial multiple-peril, workers compensation, commercial automobile, general liability, surety, and commercial property. For more information, visit www.libertymutualinsurance.com. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements This report contains forward looking statements that are intended to enhance the reader's ability to assess the future financial and business performance of the Company. Forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements that represent the Company's beliefs concerning future operations, strategies, financial results, investment market fluctuations, or other developments, and contain words and phrases such as "may," "expects," "should," "believes," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends" or similar expressions. Because these forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions that are subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control or are subject to change, actual results could be materially different. Contact: Investor Relations Media Relations Robert Pietsch Rich Angevine 857-224-6655 617-833-0926 SOURCE Liberty Mutual Insurance SAN FRANCISCO, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- San Francisco area-based Life360, Inc. (Life360 or the Company) (ASX: 360) today reported unaudited financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. Life360 Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Chris Hulls said: "Life360's Q1'24 results showed continued momentum, with net Paying Circles additions nearly doubling to 96 thousand from 54 thousand in Q4'23, achieving a new first quarter record. In addition, our efforts in relation to both our free members and international expansion are paying off, with 4.9 million new Monthly Active Users ("MAUs"), also a new first quarter record. The market opportunity is on a global scale, and we believe we have significant headroom to grow as we expand to new regions, and launch new features that expand our relevance to different life stages. This momentum has continued so far in Q2'24 with the achievement of 32 thousand net Paying Circle additions during the month of April. "We continue to make meaningful progress on our path to profitability, narrowing our Net Loss and delivering our sixth consecutive quarter of positive Adjusted EBITDA1, and fourth consecutive quarter of positive Operating Cash Flow. Our commitment to balancing fiscal responsibility, with prudent investment to position the business for long-term success, is reflected in Q1'24 revenue growth of 15% YoY, while operating expenses increased just 3% YoY. This operating leverage demonstrates that we are on track to reach our target of sustained positive EBITDA1 in CY25. "Last quarter we introduced a new advertising offering which is now live in production with U.S. members and early results are promising. We have completed the development work that allows for programmatic ads, and expect to be set up for direct sales at scale by the end of June. As expected, initial revenue from this new advertising offering in Q1'24 was minimal due to our measured approach; we anticipate more significant growth, although still a modest overall revenue contribution, in the second half of CY24, and substantial scaling in the coming years as we begin to leverage our extensive first-party location data to provide contextually relevant offers. We believe we are strongly positioned to serve ads to our members in a manner that is privacy-first and complementary to the user experience. "In the context of indirect monetization, we are also excited to announce the signing of a non-binding letter of intent to partner with, and make a small investment in Hubble Network, Inc., a space technology company led by Life360 Co-founder, Board director and former CTO, Alex Haro. Hubble's proprietary satellite technology enables two-way communication between ground-based Bluetooth devices, such as Tile, and its newly-launched satellite constellation. This potential partnership is intended to open another low effort, high margin revenue stream and would allow us to potentially monetize the latent demand for enterprise tracking services via Tile, a venture we had previously set aside to focus on consumer offerings. By integrating our Bluetooth finding network with Hubble's satellite technology, we hope to be able to offer global tracking solutions for assets without relying on cellular connections. Additionally, this collaboration would position us to enhance the tracking capabilities of our consumer devices, potentially surpassing those offered by Google and Apple. While currently only two prototype satellites are operational, Hubble plans to launch a full constellation that will eventually provide global coverage. We believe our potential partnership with Hubble will lead the development of this combined phone and satellite network, primarily targeting enterprise applications such as tracking pallets on ships. Subject to execution of definitive documentation, we expect an initial launch of the network in early 2025 and no related revenue during 2024." Q1'24 Financial Highlights Total Q1'24 revenue of $78.2 million , a YoY increase of 15%, with total subscription revenue of $61 .6 million, up 19% YoY and Core subscription revenue (Non-GAAP) 2 of $57 .0 million, up 23% YoY. , a YoY increase of 15%, with total subscription revenue of .6 million, up 19% YoY and Core subscription revenue (Non-GAAP) of .0 million, up 23% YoY. Annualized Monthly Revenue (AMR) of $284.7 million , up 19% YoY. , up 19% YoY. Q1'24 Net Loss of $(9.8) million . . Positive Adjusted EBITDA 1 of $4 .3 million and EBITDA 1 loss of $(4.1) million compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $0.5 million and EBITDA of $(12.6) million , respectively, in Q1'23. of .3 million and EBITDA loss of compared to Adjusted EBITDA of and EBITDA of , respectively, in Q1'23. Positive Operating Cash Flow of $10.7 million , an improvement of $19.9 million from Q1'23. , an improvement of from Q1'23. Quarter-end cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of $74.6 million , an increase of $3.9 million from Q4'23 despite significantly higher RSU settlement tax payments in the quarter, primarily due to the higher fair market value of issued stock. Q1'24 Operating Highlights and CY24 Outlook Q1'24 global MAU net adds of 4.9 million, a Q1 record, were up 31% YoY to approximately 66.4 million, with significant momentum, particularly in a seasonally lower period for MAU growth. Q1'24 global Paying Circle net additions of 96 thousand were a Q1 record, up 21% YoY to 1.9 million, supported by improved conversion and retention. Preliminary Average Revenue Per Paying Circle ("ARPPC") benefits from the UK triple-tier membership launch in October 2023 and price increase for existing subscribers in January 2024 . The Australia and New Zealand triple-tier membership launched in late April 2024 , following a price increase for existing subscribers. and price increase for existing subscribers in . The and triple-tier membership launched in late , following a price increase for existing subscribers. CY24 guidance maintained: Consolidated revenue of $365 - $375 million ; Adjusted EBITDA1 of $30 million - $35 million ; EBITDA1 loss of $(8) million - $(13) million ; year-end cash balance of $80 million - $90 million . 1 Adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA are Non-GAAP measures. For more information, including the definitions of Adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA, the use of these non-GAAP measures, as well as reconciliations of Net Loss to each of Adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA, refer to the "EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA" and "Supplementary and Non-GAAP Financial Information" sections below. 2 Core subscription revenue (Non-GAAP) is a non-GAAP measure. For more information, including the definition of Core subscription revenue (Non-GAAP) a description of the use of this measure, refer to the "Non-GAAP Core subscription revenue" and "Supplementary and Non-GAAP Financial Information" sections below. ANZ launch Life360 launched the full triple-tier product offering to 100% of members in Australia and New Zealand in late April. Enhanced features for subscribers include breakdown assistance, emergency services dispatch with crash detection and digital safety for the whole family. Prices were increased for existing subscribers ahead of the launch which, combined with the pricing impact from the triple-tier introduction, is expected to result in a significant increase in ARPPC. To date the rollout has proceeded smoothly, with the expected impact of temporarily increased churn following the price increases. Details of the new Australian Membership plans can be found here and New Zealand Membership plans here. The media release announcing the launch can be found here. Key Performance Indicators (in millions, except ARPPC,ARPPS, ASP, and percentages) Q1 2024 Q4 2023 Q1 2023 % QoQ % YoY Core3 Monthly Active Users (MAU) - Global 66.4 61.4 50.8 8 % 31 % U.S 38.8 36.8 31.7 5 % 22 % International 27.5 24.6 19.1 12 % 44 % ANZ 2.2 2.0 1.6 8 % 36 % Paying Circles - Total 1.9 1.8 1.6 5 % 21 % U.S 1.4 1.3 1.2 5 % 16 % International 0.5 0.5 0.4 7 % 39 % Average Revenue per Paying Circle (ARPPC) $ 123.97 $ 124.17 $ 120.70 % 3 % Life360 Consolidated Subscriptions 2.5 2.4 2.1 4 % 17 % Average Revenue per Paying Subscription (ARPPS) $ 102.02 $ 102.17 $ 97.98 % 4 % Net hardware units shipped (standalone)4 0.5 1.7 0.6 (68) % (6) % Average Selling Price (ASP) $ 16.50 $ 11.50 $ 17.22 43 % (4) % Annualized Monthly Revenue (AMR) $ 284.7 $ 274.1 $ 239.5 4 % 19 % 3 Core metrics relate solely to the Life360 mobile application. 4 Net hardware units shipped (standalone) represents the number of tracking devices sold during the period, excluding hardware units related to bundled Life360 subscription and hardware offerings, net of returns by our retail partners and directly to consumers. Global MAU increased 31% YoY to 66.4 million, with Q1'24 net additions of 4.9 million. U.S. MAU increased 22% YoY, with Q1'24 net adds of 2.0 million. International MAU increased 44% YoY, with Q1'24 net adds of 2.9 million. ANZ MAU increased 36% YoY to 2.2 million. increased 36% YoY to 2.2 million. Q1'24 global Paying Circle net additions of 96 thousand were a first quarter record, with a strong performance in both U.S. and international markets. U.S. Paying Circles increased 16% YoY on the back of both higher registrations and improved conversion and retention metrics. International Paying Circles maintained strong momentum, up 39% YoY. UK Paying Circles increased 23% YoY, with a modest uptick in Q1'24 churn, as expected, due to the price increase to existing subscribers in January 2024 . The UK triple-tier membership launch and price increase to existing subscribers helped drive 53% higher ARPPC in the first six months relative to the pre-launch baseline. These metrics are outperforming the Canada launch which at the same point achieved 31% ARPPC growth. ANZ achieved record quarterly net subscriber additions and a 47% YoY increase in Paying Circles. . The UK triple-tier membership launch and price increase to existing subscribers helped drive 53% higher ARPPC in the first six months relative to the pre-launch baseline. These metrics are outperforming the launch which at the same point achieved 31% ARPPC growth. ANZ achieved record quarterly net subscriber additions and a 47% YoY increase in Paying Circles. Q1'24 global ARPPC increased 3% YoY. U.S. ARPPC increased 8% YoY, benefiting from price increases for existing U.S. Android subscribers in Q2'23. Q1'24 global ARPPC was stable QoQ with the positive impacts from price increases offset by the higher mix of international Paying Circles in lower priced territories. Q1'24 net hardware units shipped was modestly down YoY for the standalone hardware business, and Average Selling Price was slightly lower YoY due to a higher mix of multi-pack units. Tile's product refresh is on track for the Q4'24 holiday season. March 2024 AMR increased 19% YoY, benefiting from accelerating subscription revenue momentum over the course of Q1'24. Operating Results GAAP Revenue Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 ($ millions) (unaudited) Subscription revenue $ 61.6 $ 51.7 Hardware revenue 10.2 10.0 Other revenue 6.5 6.5 Total revenue $ 78.2 $ 68.1 Q1'24 total subscription revenue increased 19% YoY to $61 .6 million. Q1'24 Hardware revenue increased 2% YoY to $10 .2 million, with benefits from bundling, fewer discounts offered, and fewer returns, offsetting lower Average Selling Price and standalone units shipped. Q1'24 Other revenue of $6 .5 million was in line with the prior period as the Company maintained its single aggregated data arrangement. Non-GAAP Core Subscription Revenue Core subscription revenue (Non-GAAP) is defined as subscription revenue derived from the Life360 mobile application, including all revenue related to bundled Life360 subscription and hardware offerings, and excluding non-core subscription revenue, which relates to other hardware related subscription offerings, for the reported period. Core subscription revenue represents revenue derived from and the overall success of our core product offering. Core subscription revenue (Non-GAAP), increased 23% YoY supported by the 21% YoY increase in Paying Circles, and 3% higher ARPPC. Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 ($ millions) (unaudited) Subscription revenue (GAAP) $ 61.6 $ 51.7 Non-Core subscription revenue (GAAP)5 (5.8) (5.5) Bundled offerings6 1.2 Core subscription revenue (Non-GAAP) $ 57.0 $ 46.2 5 Non-Core subscription revenue (GAAP) represents GAAP subscription revenue recognized in relation to subscriptions offered in connection with our hardware offerings. 6 Bundled offerings represents the GAAP revenue recognition of subscription revenue allocated to hardware revenue which is recognized at a point in time rather than ratably over the subscription period. Bundled offerings only represent bundled Life360 subscription and hardware offerings. GAAP Gross Profit Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 ($ millions, except percentages) (unaudited) Gross Profit $ 60.0 $ 49.8 Gross Margin 77 % 73 % Gross Margin (Subscription Only) 85 % 84 % Q1'24 gross profit margin increased to 77% from 73% in the prior year period, driven by an improvement in subscription margins resulting from price increases, as well as an increase in hardware margins which reflected cost efficiencies. GAAP Operating Expenses Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 ($ millions) (unaudited) Research and development $ 27.3 $ 27.2 Sales and marketing 24.7 24.3 Paid acquisition & TV 6.0 6.3 Other sales and marketing 6.9 7.7 Commissions 11.8 10.3 General and administrative 14.4 13.2 Total operating expenses $ 66.4 $ 64.7 Q1'24 operating expenses increased 3% YoY, largely due to higher general and administrative costs primarily related to compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Excluding variable commissions, operating expenses were virtually unchanged YoY, despite the revenue increase of 15% YoY, reflecting cost reduction measures undertaken beginning in Q1'23, and the related efficiencies achieved across the business as we continue to demonstrate operating leverage. GAAP Cash Flow Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 ($ millions) (unaudited) Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities $ 10.7 $ (9.2) Net cash used in investing activities (1.1) (0.4) Net cash used in financing activities (5.7) (4.7) Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash 3.9 (14.3) Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash at the End of the Period $ 74.6 $ 76.1 Life360 ended Q1'24 with cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of $74.6 million , an increase of $3.9 million from Q4'23. , an increase of from Q4'23. Q1'24 operating cash flow of $10.7 million was offset by $1.1 million used in investing activities related to payments for internally developed software, and $5.7 million used in financing activities related to taxes paid for the net settlement of equity awards, partially offset by proceeds from the exercise of options. was offset by used in investing activities related to payments for internally developed software, and used in financing activities related to taxes paid for the net settlement of equity awards, partially offset by proceeds from the exercise of options. Q1'24 net cash provided by operating activities of $10 .7 million was higher than Adjusted EBITDA of $4.3 million primarily due to timing of receipts and payables. See EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA section below for definition and reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA To supplement our consolidated financial statements prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, we use certain non-GAAP financial measures, as described below, to facilitate analysis of our financial and business trends and for internal planning and forecasting purposes. Non-GAAP financial measures include earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA"), adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("Adjusted EBITDA") and Adjusted EBITDA Margin. EBITDA is defined as net loss, excluding (i) convertible notes and derivative liability fair value adjustments, (ii) provision for income taxes, (iii) depreciation and amortization and (iv) other income, net. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net loss, excluding (i) convertible notes and derivative liability fair value adjustments, (ii) provision for income taxes, (iii) depreciation and amortization, (iv) other income, net, (v) stock-based compensation, (vi) workplace restructuring costs, and (vii) inventory write-offs. These items are excluded from EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA because they are non-cash in nature, because the amount and timing of these items are unpredictable, or because they are not driven by core results of operations and render comparisons with prior periods and competitors less meaningful. The following table presents a reconciliation of Net loss, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA: Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 ($ thousands, except percentages) Net loss $ (9,777) $ (14,071) Net loss margin (12) % (21) % Add (deduct): Convertible notes fair value adjustment7 608 (72) Derivative liability fair value adjustment7 1,707 (14) Provision for income taxes 1,394 108 Depreciation and amortization8 2,295 2,273 Other income, net (311) (843) EBITDA $ (4,084) $ (12,619) Stock-based compensation 8,261 8,955 Workplace restructuring costs9 105 3,254 Write-off of obsolete inventory10 916 Adjusted EBITDA $ 4,282 $ 506 Adjusted EBITDA margin 5 % 1 % ___________________ 7 To reflect the change in fair value of the September 2021 Convertible Notes and derivative liability associated with the July 2021 Convertible Notes. 8 Includes depreciation on fixed assets and amortization of acquired intangible assets. 9 Relates to non-recurring personnel and severance related expenses in connection with the workplace restructuring announced on January 12, 2023. 10 Relates to the write-off of raw materials that have no alternative use to the Company following the decision to halt development. Q1'24 delivered a positive Adjusted EBITDA contribution of $4.3 million versus $0.5 million in Q1'23 as a result of continued strong subscription revenue growth and improved operating leverage. Earnings Guidance11 Life360 has maintained CY24 earnings guidance and expects to deliver the following metrics which include both the early revenue and set-up costs for the new advertising business: Consolidated revenue of $365 million - $375 million , with Core subscription revenue (Non-GAAP) 12 growth of at least 20% YoY; - , with Core subscription revenue (Non-GAAP) growth of at least 20% YoY; Positive Adjusted EBITDA 13 of $30 million - $35 million ; of - ; EBITDA 13 loss of $(8) million to $(13) million ; loss of to ; Positive Operating Cash Flow for each quarter of CY24; and Year-end cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of $80 million - $90 million . The forecast includes the Q2'24 conversion into equity (rather than cash payment) of the remaining convertible notes originally issued in connection with the acquisition of Jiobit, amounting to $3 .5 million, offset by expected higher outflows from RSU settlements. The company expects to continue to be Adjusted EBITDA positive on a quarterly basis going forward, and to achieve positive EBITDA in the first half of CY25. 11 With respect to forward looking non-GAAP guidance, we are not able to reconcile the forward-looking non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA measure to the closest corresponding GAAP measure without unreasonable efforts because we are unable to predict the ultimate outcome of certain significant items, which are fluid and unpredictable in nature. In addition, the Company believes such a reconciliation would imply a degree of precision that may be confusing or misleading to investors. These items include, but are not limited to, litigation costs, convertible notes and derivative liability fair value adjustments, and gains/losses on revaluation of contingent consideration. These items may be material to our results calculated in accordance with GAAP. We are also not able to reconcile the forward-looking Core subscription revenue (Non-GAAP) measure to the closest corresponding GAAP measure without unreasonable efforts because we are unable to predict the economic impact of certain significant items which include, but are not limited to, the impact from bundled offerings, which can be unpredictable in nature. In addition, the Company believes such a reconciliation would imply a degree of precision that may provide misleading results to investors. These items may be material to our results calculated in accordance with GAAP. 12 Core subscription revenue (Non-GAAP) is a Non-GAAP measure. For more information, including the definition of Core subscription revenue (Non-GAAP) a description of the use of this measure, refer to the Non-GAAP Core Subscription Revenue section above and the "Supplementary and Non-GAAP Financial Information" section below. 13 Adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA are non-GAAP measures. For more information, including the definitions of Adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA, the use of these non-GAAP measures, as well as reconciliations of Net Loss to each of Adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA, refer to the "EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA" section above and the "Supplementary and Non-GAAP Financial Information" section below. Investor Conference Call A conference call will be held today at 9.30am AEST, Friday 10 May 2024 (Thursday 9 May U.S. PT at 4.30pm). The call will be held as a Zoom audio webinar. Participants wishing to ask a question should register and join via their browser here. Participants joining via telephone will be in listen only mode. Dial in details Australia: +61 2 8015 6011 U.S.: +1 669 444 9171 Other countries: details Meeting ID: 953 9950 0725 A replay will be available after the call at https://investors.life360.com Authorization Chris Hulls, Director, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Life360 authorized this announcement being given to ASX. About Life360 Life360, a family connection and safety company, keeps people close to the ones they love. The category-leading mobile app and Tile tracking devices empower members to stay connected to the people, pets, and things they care about most, with a range of services, including location sharing, safe driver reports, and crash detection with emergency dispatch. As a remote-first company based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Life360 serves approximately 66 million monthly active users (MAU), as of March 31, 2024, across more than 150 countries. Life360 delivers peace of mind and enhances everyday family life in all the moments that matter, big and small. For more information, please visit life360.com. Life360's CDIs are issued in reliance on the exemption from registration contained in Regulation S of the US Securities Act of 1933 (Securities Act) for offers of securities which are made outside the U.S. Accordingly, the CDIs have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act or the laws of any state or other jurisdiction in the U.S. As a result of relying on the Regulation S exemption, the CDIs are 'restricted securities' under Rule 144 of the Securities Act. This means that you are unable to sell the CDIs into the U.S or to a U.S. person who is not a QIB for the foreseeable future except in very limited circumstances until after the end of the restricted period, unless the re-sale of the CDIs is registered under the Securities Act or an exemption is available. To enforce the above transfer restrictions, all CDIs issued bear a FOR Financial Product designation on the ASX. This designation restricts any CDIs from being sold on ASX to U.S. persons excluding QIBs. However, you are still able to freely transfer your CDIs on ASX to any person other than a U.S. person who is not a QIB. In addition, hedging transactions with regard to the CDIs may only be conducted in accordance with the Securities Act. Forward-looking statements This announcement and the accompanying conference call contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Life360 intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements regarding Life360's intentions, objectives, plans, expectations, assumptions and beliefs about future events, including Life360's expectations with respect to the financial and operating performance of its business, including subscription revenue, hardware revenue, advertising revenue, other revenue, consolidated revenue and ability to create new revenue streams, such as advertising; its strong position to deliver targeted advertising in a manner that is complementary to the user experience; Adjusted EBITDA, EBITDA, and operating cash flow; its commitment to balance fiscal responsibility with prudent investment to position the business for long-term success; its capital position; future growth and market opportunity; plans to launch new features and products; the impact of past price increases and expansion of product offerings in the UK, Australia and New Zealand on future results of operations and subscriber churn; scaling its MAU base; the expected timing of Tile's product refresh; its ability to establish a strategic partnership with Hubble; its ability to improve upon the finding capabilities of competitors and open its API to third parties; as well as Life360's expectations of any changes to the information disclosed herein. The words "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "project", "predict", "will", "forecast", "estimate", "likely", "intend", "outlook", "should", "could", "may", "target", "plan" and other similar expressions can generally be used to identify forward-looking statements. Indications of, and guidance or outlook on, future earnings or financial position or performance are also forward-looking statements. Investors and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as they involve inherent risk and uncertainty (both general and specific) and should note that they are provided as a general guide only and should not be relied on as an indication or guarantee of future performance. There is a risk that such predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. Subject to any continuing obligations under applicable law, Life360 does not undertake any obligation to publicly release the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this announcement, to reflect any change in expectations in relation to any forward-looking statements or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. Although Life360 believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, Life360 can give no assurance that such expectations and assumptions will prove to be correct and, actual results may vary in a materially positive or negative manner. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainty, assumptions and contingencies, many of which are outside Life360's control, and are based on estimates and assumptions that are subject to change and may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. For example, there is a risk that Life360 will be unable to realize the potential benefits of the proposed collaboration with Hubble because (i) the letter of intent is non-binding and there are no assurances that Life360 will successfully negotiate and executive definitive documentation with Hubble on favorable terms or at all; (ii) if we fail to reach exclusive, definitive agreements with Hubble, our competitors could execute such agreements in lieu of or as well as us; (iii) a competitor of Life360 may gain access to Hubble's technology, or develop or acquire rights to similar or better technology; (iv) our competitors may develop superior technology; (v) Hubble may not be successful in launching a sufficient number of satellites to provide coverage that is commercially beneficial to Life360; (vi) the functionality of this technology is not expected to be optimized until 2028 when the full expected constellation of satellites is in orbit; and (vii) Hubble's technology may be unable to support Life360 products or a sufficiently large number of devices to make the Life360 partnership commercially beneficial. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include risks related to the preliminary nature of financial results, risks related to Life360's business, market risks, Life360's need for additional capital, and the risk that Life360's products and services may not perform as expected, as described in greater detail under the heading "Risk Factors" in Life360's ASX and SEC filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 29, 2024 and other reports filed with the SEC. To the maximum extent permitted by law, responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise is disclaimed. This announcement should not be relied upon as a recommendation or forecast by Life360. Past performance information given in this document is given for illustrative purposes only and is not necessarily a guide to future performance and no representation or warranty is made by any person as to the likelihood of achievement or reasonableness of any forward-looking statements, forecast financial information, future share price performance or any underlying assumptions. Nothing contained in this document nor any information made available to you is, or shall be relied upon as, a promise, representation, warranty or guarantee as to the past, present or the future performance of Life360. GAAP Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss (Dollars in U.S. $, in thousands, except share and per share data) (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 Subscription revenue $ 61,579 $ 51,664 Hardware revenue 10,188 9,984 Other revenue 6,460 6,495 Total revenue 78,227 68,143 Cost of subscription revenue 9,315 8,045 Cost of hardware revenue 8,012 9,426 Cost of other revenue 887 842 Total cost of revenue 18,214 18,313 Gross profit 60,013 49,830 Operating expenses: Research and development 27,258 27,197 Sales and marketing 24,733 24,316 General and administrative 14,401 13,209 Total operating expenses 66,392 64,722 Loss from operations (6,379) (14,892) Other income (expense): Convertible notes fair value adjustment (608) 72 Derivative liability fair value adjustment (1,707) 14 Other income, net 311 843 Total other income (expense), net (2,004) 929 Loss before income taxes (8,383) (13,963) Provision for income taxes 1,394 108 Net loss $ (9,777) $ (14,071) Net loss per share, basic and diluted $ (0.14) $ (0.21) Weighted-average shares used in computing net loss per share, basic and diluted 68,535,626 65,592,780 Comprehensive loss Net loss $ (9,777) $ (14,071) Change in foreign currency translation adjustment 1 24 Total comprehensive loss $ (9,776) $ (14,047) GAAP Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Dollars in U.S. $, in thousands) (unaudited) March 31, 2024 December 31, 2023 Assets Current Assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 73,401 $ 68,964 Accounts receivable, net 37,036 42,180 Inventory 6,338 4,099 Costs capitalized to obtain contracts, net 961 1,010 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 13,720 15,174 Total current assets 131,456 131,427 Restricted cash, noncurrent 1,202 1,749 Property and equipment, net 684 730 Costs capitalized to obtain contracts, noncurrent 940 834 Prepaid expenses and other assets, noncurrent 5,606 6,848 Operating lease right-of-use asset 933 1,014 Intangible assets, net 44,281 45,441 Goodwill 133,674 133,674 Total Assets $ 318,776 $ 321,717 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Current Liabilities: Accounts payable 9,388 $ 5,896 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 25,063 27,538 Convertible notes, current 4,057 3,449 Deferred revenue, current 35,513 33,932 Total current liabilities 74,021 70,815 Convertible notes, noncurrent 1,161 1,056 Derivative liability, noncurrent 1,924 217 Deferred revenue, noncurrent 1,196 1,842 Other liabilities, noncurrent 634 723 Total Liabilities $ 78,936 $ 74,653 Commitments and Contingencies Stockholders' Equity Common Stock 71 70 Additional paid-in capital 534,679 532,128 Accumulated deficit (294,920) (285,143) Accumulated other comprehensive income 10 9 Total stockholders' equity 239,840 247,064 Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity $ 318,776 $ 321,717 GAAP Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Dollars in U.S. $, in thousands) (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 Cash Flows from Operating Activities: Net loss $ (9,777) $ (14,071) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 2,295 2,273 Amortization of costs capitalized to obtain contracts 341 439 Amortization of operating lease right-of-use asset 81 Stock-based compensation expense 8,261 8,955 Compensation expense in connection with revesting notes 72 Non-cash interest expense, net 128 92 Convertible notes fair value adjustment 608 (72) Derivative liability fair value adjustment 1,707 (14) Non-cash revenue from investment (446) (496) Inventory write-off 916 Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions: Accounts receivable, net 5,144 2,145 Prepaid expenses and other assets 3,272 (1,340) Inventory (2,239) 1,113 Costs capitalized to obtain contracts, net (398) (498) Accounts payable 3,492 (4,274) Accrued expenses and other current liabilities (3,073) (4,628) Deferred revenue 1,381 189 Other liabilities, noncurrent (89) Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 10,688 (9,199) Cash Flows from Investing Activities: Internal use software (1,089) (348) Purchase of property and equipment (26) Net cash used in investing activities (1,089) (374) Cash Flows from Financing Activities: Proceeds from the exercise of stock options and warrants 2,401 714 Taxes paid related to net settlement of equity awards (8,110) (5,731) Proceeds from repayment of notes due from affiliates 314 Net cash used in financing activities (5,709) (4,703) Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash 3,890 (14,276) Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash at the Beginning of the Period 70,713 90,365 Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash at the End of the Period $ 74,603 $ 76,089 Supplemental disclosure: Cash paid during the period for taxes 56 Supplementary and Non-GAAP Financial Information We report our financial results in accordance with GAAP, however, management believes that certain non-GAAP financial measures, such as EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Core subscription revenue (Non-GAAP), and the other measures presented in the tables below provide useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our results of operations, as well as providing useful measures for period-to-period comparisons of our business performance. Moreover, we have included non-GAAP financial measures in this media release because they are key measurements used by our management team internally to make operating decisions, including those related to operating expenses, evaluate performance, and perform strategic planning and annual budgeting. Our non-GAAP financial measures are presented for supplemental informational purposes only, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies and should not be used as substitutes for analysis of, or superior to, our operating results as reported under GAAP. Additionally, we do not consider our non-GAAP financial measures as superior to, or a substitute for, the equivalent measures calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. As such, you should consider these non-GAAP financial measures in addition to other financial performance measures presented in accordance with GAAP, including various cash flow metrics, net loss and our other GAAP results. Non-GAAP revenue consists of total revenue excluding the impacts of bundled Life360 subscription and hardware offerings to present the overall success of our standalone subscription and hardware offerings. Non-GAAP Subscription revenue is broken down into U.S. and international to present our expansion and penetration into new international markets. Non-GAAP cost of revenue is presented to understand subscription margin economically independent of hardware bundling and non-GAAP operating expenses are presented to understand operating efficiency. Non-GAAP cost of revenue and Non-GAAP operating expenses present direct and indirect expenses adjusted for non-recurring, non-cash expenses, such as stock-based compensation, depreciation and amortization, workplace restructuring costs, write-off of obsolete inventory, and convertible notes and derivative liability fair value adjustments. A reconciliation of GAAP financial information to Non-GAAP financial information for revenue, cost of revenue, gross margin, and operating expenses has been provided as supplementary information below. GAAP U.S. and International Subscription Revenue to Non-GAAP U.S. and International Subscription Revenue Reconciliation Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions) 2024 2023 U.S. Subscription revenue, GAAP $ 54.5 $ 45.7 Bundled offerings, GAAP 1.2 Total U.S. Subscription revenue, Non-GAAP14 $ 55.7 $ 45.7 International Subscription revenue, GAAP $ 7.1 $ 6.0 Bundled offerings, GAAP Total International Subscription revenue, Non-GAAP14 $ 7.1 $ 6.0 GAAP Revenue to Non-GAAP Revenue Reconciliation Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions) 2024 2023 Subscription revenue, GAAP $ 61.6 $ 51.7 Bundled offerings, GAAP 1.2 Total Subscription revenue, Non-GAAP14 $ 62.8 $ 51.7 Hardware revenue, GAAP $ 10.2 $ 10.0 Bundled offerings, GAAP (1.2) Total Hardware revenue, Non-GAAP14 $ 9.0 $ 10.0 Other revenue, GAAP 6.5 6.5 Bundled offerings, GAAP Total Other revenue, Non-GAAP14 6.5 6.5 Total revenue, GAAP 78.2 68.1 Total bundled offerings, GAAP Total revenue, Non-GAAP14 78.2 68.1 14 Non-GAAP revenue consists of total revenue excluding the impacts of bundled Life360 subscription and hardware offerings based on relative stand-alone selling price (SSP) to present the overall performance of our standalone subscription and hardware offerings in U.S. and international markets. GAAP Cost of Revenue to Non-GAAP Cost of Revenue Reconciliation15 Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 (in millions) Cost of subscription revenue, GAAP $ 9.3 $ 8.0 Less: Depreciation and amortization, GAAP (0.3) (0.3) Less: Stock-based compensation, GAAP (0.2) (0.1) Less: Severance and other, GAAP (0.1) Cost of subscription revenue included in Adjusted EBITDA, Non-GAAP $ 8.9 $ 7.6 Less: Hardware bundling adjustment, GAAP 1.9 Total Cost of subscription revenue, Non-GAAP $ 10.7 $ 7.6 Cost of hardware revenue, GAAP $ 8.0 $ 9.4 Less: Depreciation and amortization, GAAP (0.9) (0.9) Less: Stock-based compensation, GAAP (0.2) (0.2) Less: Severance and other, GAAP (0.1) Cost of hardware revenue included in Adjusted EBITDA, Non-GAAP $ 6.9 $ 8.2 Less: Hardware bundling adjustment, GAAP (1.9) Total Cost of hardware revenue, Non-GAAP $ 5.0 $ 8.2 Cost of other revenue, GAAP $ 0.9 $ 0.8 Total Cost of other revenue, Non-GAAP $ 0.9 $ 0.8 Cost of revenue, GAAP $ 18.2 $ 18.3 Less: Depreciation and amortization, GAAP (1.2) (1.2) Less: Stock-based compensation, GAAP (0.3) (0.3) Less: Severance and other, GAAP (0.2) Cost of revenue included in Adjusted EBITDA, Non-GAAP $ 16.6 $ 16.6 Total Cost of revenue, Non-GAAP $ 16.6 $ 16.6 15 For the definition of cost of revenue, Non-GAAP, refer to the Supplementary and Non-GAAP Financial Information section above. GAAP Gross Profit to Non-GAAP Gross Profit Reconciliation Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 (in millions, except percentages) Gross Profit, GAAP $ 60.0 $ 49.8 Gross Margin %, GAAP 77 % 73 % Bundled offerings, GAAP Depreciation and amortization, GAAP 1.2 1.2 Stock-based compensation, GAAP 0.3 0.3 Severance and other, GAAP 0.2 Gross Profit, Non-GAAP $ 61.6 $ 51.5 Gross Margin %, Non-GAAP 79 % 76 % GAAP Subscription Gross Profit to Non-GAAP Subscription Gross Profit Reconciliation Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 (in millions, except percentages) Subscription Gross Profit, GAAP $ 52.3 $ 43.6 Subscription Gross Margin %, GAAP 85 % 84 % Bundled offerings, GAAP (0.7) Depreciation and amortization, GAAP 0.3 0.3 Stock-based compensation, GAAP 0.2 0.1 Severance and other, GAAP 0.1 Subscription Gross Profit, Non-GAAP $ 52.1 $ 44.1 Subscription Gross Margin %, Non-GAAP 83 % 85 % GAAP Operating expenses to Non-GAAP Operating Expenses Reconciliation16 Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 (in millions) Research and development expense, GAAP $ 27.3 $ 27.2 Less: Stock-based compensation, GAAP (5.3) (4.8) Less: Severance and other, GAAP (2.8) Total Research and development, Non-GAAP $ 21.9 $ 19.6 Sales and marketing expense, GAAP $ 24.7 $ 24.3 Less: Depreciation and amortization, GAAP (1.1) (1.1) Less: Stock-based compensation, GAAP (0.6) (0.9) Less: Severance and other, GAAP (0.7) Total Sales and marketing expense, Non-GAAP $ 23.0 $ 21.7 Other sales and marketing expense, GAAP $ 6.9 $ 7.7 Less: Depreciation and amortization, GAAP (1.1) (1.1) Less: Stock-based compensation, GAAP (0.6) (0.9) Less: Severance and other, GAAP (0.7) Other sales and marketing expense, Non-GAAP $ 5.2 $ 5.1 General and administrative expense, GAAP $ 14.4 $ 13.2 Less: Stock-based compensation, GAAP (2.0) (2.9) Less: Severance and other, GAAP (0.1) (0.6) Total General and administrative expense, Non-GAAP $ 12.3 $ 9.7 Total Operating expenses, GAAP $ 66.4 $ 64.7 Less: Depreciation and amortization, GAAP (1.1) (1.1) Less: Stock-based compensation, GAAP (7.9) (8.7) Less: Severance and other, GAAP (0.1) (4.0) Total Operating expenses, Non-GAAP $ 57.3 $ 51.0 16 For the definition of operating expenses, Non-GAAP, refer to the Supplementary and Non-GAAP Operating Information section above. Note: The financial information in this announcement may not add or recalculate due to rounding. All references to $ are to U.S. dollars. SOURCE Life360 HENDERSON, Nev., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lithion Battery Inc. ("Lithion" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has been awarded a $8.0 million firm fixed-price contract with the Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C. ("Navy") for research and development activities associated with advancement and improvement in current and future shipboard electric power and energy systems. Anovion Technologies, located in Chicago, IL and Halocarbon, located in North Augusta, SC, will be subcontractors on the effort, with Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials, located in Madison, WI, Arkema, located in King of Prussia, PA, IntraMicron, located in Auburn, AL, and the University of Texas at Arlington providing additional support. The research and development activities will primarily be performed by Lithion at its cell manufacturing facility in Henderson, Nevada with an expected completion date by January 2025. About Lithion Battery, Lithion is a vertically integrated manufacturer of cells and rechargeable and non-rechargeable battery modules and packs serving the industrial, medical, robotic, military / defense and energy end-markets. Lithion works closely with original equipment manufacturers and end users to provide high-quality power solutions for critical applications where reliability is paramount. Working closely with customers while producing Lithium Iron Phosphate and other lithium-ion cells and battery modules and packs out of Lithion's North American based manufacturing operations, allows the Company to reliably deliver product to customers - products which are controlled by highly customizable battery management systems. Highly differentiated product coupled with reliable supply allows Lithion to provide the electrification solutions customers require. Lithion Battery awarded contract with Navy Post this About Halocarbon, Halocarbon is a global leader in fluorocarbon-based additives and engineered fluids, serving diverse industries with innovative solutions for energy storage, electronics, aerospace, and more. With a legacy of excellence spanning decades, Halocarbon continues to push the boundaries of science and technology to address the evolving needs of its customers worldwide. About Anovion Technologies, Anovion Technologies is a U.S.-owned and based advanced materials business focused on the supply of premium, anode-grade synthetic graphite. As a leader in clean-energy production of lithium-ion battery materials, Chicago-based Anovion is a key domestic source of this critical material that powers electric vehicles, energy storage systems, medical devices, and military and defense applications. Our strategic vision focuses on growth and innovation, positioning Anovion as a climate tech-driven leader in the U.S. energy transition and helping to secure the domestic supply chain for lithium-ion batteries. To learn more about Anovion Technologies, please visit www.AnovionTech.com. SOURCE Lithion Battery Inc. ORLANDO, Fla., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- LSQ, a leading provider of working capital and payments management solutions, recently announced the creation of a $25 million supply chain finance (SCF) program with a large Kentucky-based specialty energy company serving the metals manufacturing industry globally. The new SCF program allows the company to provide third-party-funded early-payment opportunities to their suppliers while standardizing payment terms to create working capital for the entire supply chain. "We are seeing more and more emphasis put on working capital management - especially among exporters," said Miguel Serricchio, Chief Channel Development Office at LSQ. "A supply chain finance program is a great way to free up liquidity for both buyers and suppliers and we are eager to help drive growth for our new client." EXIM Supply Chain Finance Guarantee The new facility for the energy firm is backed by the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) as part of their Supply Chain Finance Guarantee Program. The program incentivizes lenders to fund SCF programs by reducing risk, increasing availability, and lowering costs by providing a 90-percent guarantee to lenders who fund supply chain finance programs for U.S. exporters. "EXIM's support was critical in making this SCF facility possible," said Serricchio. "By providing the guarantee, they are leveling the playing field for U.S. exporters as they look to compete in global markets and, by extension, supporting American jobs." Building on an Existing Relationship The new facility is not the energy firm's first engagement with LSQ: they have been a long-time supplier participating in U.S. Steel's EXIM-backed SCF program. "We are excited every time we get the opportunity to work with a new company," said LSQ Senior Vice President Lori Sternola. "This relationship is doubly rewarding since it's based on an existing relationship and LSQ's ability to provide exemplary service and working capital to our SCF suppliers. It's a testament to our customer success and product teams and the work they do to support our buyers and suppliers." About LSQ | lsq.com LSQ is a market leader and pioneer in working capital finance and payments solutions. For nearly 30 years, LSQ has leveraged innovative technology, credit and risk expertise, and proprietary data that empowers thousands of businesses to optimize their working capital, automate and accelerate payments, manage collections, and mitigate risk. Every year, we accelerate billions of dollars in payments to businesses and their suppliers through our LSQ FastTrack platform to help them obtain the funds they need to grow and thrive. LSQ is headquartered in Orlando, Florida. Learn more at www.lsq.com . SOURCE LSQ Funding NEW YORK, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lument Finance Trust, Inc. (NYSE: LFT) ("we", "LFT" or "the Company") today reported its first quarter results. Distributable earnings for the first quarter were $7.6 million, or $0.15 per share of common stock. GAAP net income attributable to common shareholders for the first quarter was $5.8 million, or $0.11 per share of common stock. The Company has also issued a detailed presentation of its results, which can be viewed at www.lumentfinancetrust.com. Conference Call and Webcast Information The Company will also host a conference call on Friday, May 10, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. ET to provide a business update and discuss the financial results for the first quarter of 2024. The conference call may be accessed by dialing 1-800-836-8184 (U.S.) or 1-646-357-8785 (international). Note: there is no passcode; please ask the operator to be joined into the Lument Finance Trust call. A live webcast, on a listen-only basis, is also available and can be accessed through the URL: https://app.webinar.net/Mdk5ymjEwRV For those unable to listen to the live broadcast, a recorded replay will be available for on-demand viewing approximately one hour after the end of the event through the Company's website https://lumentfinancetrust.com/ and by telephone dial-in. The replay call-in number is 1-888-660-6345 (U.S.) or 1-646-517-4150 (international) with passcode 31313. Non-GAAP Financial Measures In this release, the Company presents certain financial measures that are not calculated according to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"). Specifically, the Company is presenting distributable earnings, which constitutes a non-GAAP financial measure within the meaning of Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K and is net income under GAAP. While we believe the non-GAAP information included in this press release provides supplemental information to assist investors in analyzing our results, and to assist investors in comparing our results with other peer issuers, these measures are not in accordance with GAAP, and they should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, our financial information calculated in accordance with GAAP. The methods of calculating non-GAAP financial measures may differ substantially from similarly titled measures used by other companies. Our GAAP financial results and the reconciliations from these results should be carefully evaluated. Distributable Earnings Distributable Earnings is a non-GAAP measure, which we define as GAAP net income (loss) attributable to holders of common stock computed in accordance with GAAP, including realized losses not otherwise included in GAAP net income (loss) and excluding (i) non-cash equity compensation, (ii) depreciation and amortization, (iii) any unrealized gains or losses or other similar non-cash items that are included in net income for that applicable reporting period, regardless of whether such items are included in other comprehensive income (loss) or net income (loss), and (iv) one-time events pursuant to changes in GAAP and certain material non-cash income or expense items after discussions with the Company's board of directors and approved by a majority of the Company's independent directors. Distributable Earnings mirrors how we calculate Core Earnings pursuant to the terms of our management agreement between our manager Lument Investment Management, LLC ("Manager") and us, or our management agreement, for purposes of calculating the incentive fee payable to our Manager. While Distributable Earnings excludes the impact of any unrealized provisions for credit losses, any loan losses are charged off and realized through Distributable Earnings when deemed non-recoverable. Non-recoverability is determined (i) upon the resolution of a loan (i.e. when the loan is repaid, fully or partially, or in the case of foreclosures, when the underlying asset is sold), or (ii) with respect to any amount due under any loan, when such amount is determined to be non-collectible. We believe that Distributable Earnings provides meaningful information to consider in addition to our net income (loss) and cash flows from operating activities determined in accordance with GAAP. We believe Distributable Earnings is a useful financial metric for existing and potential future holders of our common stock as historically, over time, Distributable Earnings has been a strong indicator of our dividends per share of common stock. As a REIT, we generally must distribute annually at least 90% of our taxable income, subject to certain adjustments, and therefore we believe our dividends are one of the principal reasons stockholders may invest in our common stock. Furthermore, Distributable Earnings help us to evaluate our performance excluding the effects of certain transactions and GAAP adjustments that we believe are not necessarily indicative of our current loan portfolio and operations and is a performance metric we consider when declaring our dividends. Distributable Earnings does not represent net income (loss) or cash generated from operating activities and should not be considered as an alternative to GAAP net income (loss), or an indication of GAAP cash flows from operations, a measure of our liquidity, or an indication of funds available for our cash needs. GAAP to Distributable Earnings Reconciliation Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Information Net Income attributable to common shareholders $ 5,795,183 Adjustments for non-Distributable Earnings Unrealized loss (gain) on mortgage servicing rights Unrealized provision for credit losses (4,627) 1,776,873 Subtotal 1,772,246 Other Adjustments Adjustment for income taxes 10,892 Subtotal 10,892 Distributable Earnings $ 7,578,321 Weighted average shares outstanding - Basic and Diluted 52,249,299 Distributable Earnings per weighted share outstanding - Basic and Diluted $ 0.15 About LFT LFT is a Maryland corporation focused on investing in, financing and managing a portfolio of commercial real estate debt investments. The Company primarily invests in transitional floating rate commercial mortgage loans with an emphasis on middle-market multi-family assets. LFT is externally managed and advised by Lument Investment Management LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. Additional Information and Where to Find It Investors, security holders and other interested persons may find additional information regarding the Company at the SEC's Internet site at http://www.sec.gov/ or the Company website www.lumentfinancetrust.com or by directing requests to: Lument Finance Trust, 230 Park Avenue, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10169, Attention: Investor Relations. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements included in this press release constitute forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the safe harbor contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act, as amended. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. You can identify forward-looking statements by use of words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "estimate," "plan," "continue," "intend," "should," "may," "will," "seek," "would," "could," or similar expressions or other comparable terms, or by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company's beliefs, assumptions and expectations of its future performance, taking into account all information currently available to the Company on the date of this press release or the date on which such statements are first made. Actual results may differ from expectations, estimates and projections. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements in this press release and should consider carefully the factors described in Part I, Item IA "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, which is available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, and in other current or periodic filings with the SEC, when evaluating these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond the Company's control. Except as required by applicable law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE Lument Finance Trust, Inc. C$ unless otherwise stated TSX/NYSE/PSE: MFC SEHK: 945 TORONTO, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Manulife Financial Corporation (Manulife) announced today that each of the following 13 nominees proposed to be elected at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders held earlier today has been elected. The detailed results of the vote for the election of directors are set out below. NAME OF NOMINEE VOTES FOR % VOTES WITHHELD % Nicole S. Arnaboldi 956,867,793 98.85 % 11,101,542 1.15 % Guy L.T. Bainbridge 950,912,017 98.24 % 17,057,318 1.76 % Susan F. Dabarno 957,211,482 98.89 % 10,757,853 1.11 % Julie E. Dickson 962,872,247 99.47 % 5,097,088 0.53 % J. Michael Durland 964,510,026 99.64 % 3,459,309 0.36 % Roy Gori 964,673,579 99.66 % 3,295,756 0.34 % Donald P. Kanak 963,919,759 99.58 % 4,048,254 0.42 % Vanessa Kanu 963,182,714 99.51 % 4,785,299 0.49 % Donald R. Lindsay 949,330,595 98.07 % 18,638,740 1.93 % C. James Prieur 955,489,422 98.71 % 12,479,913 1.29 % May Tan 963,006,243 99.49 % 4,961,770 0.51 % Leagh E. Turner 962,505,326 99.44 % 5,462,687 0.56 % John Wong 964,256,896 99.62 % 3,711,117 0.38 % Anna Manning was nominated for election as a director at the meeting. However, due to her personal circumstances she did not stand for election and her appointment has been deferred. Anna is an accomplished executive and we are very excited that she has agreed to join Manulife's board, and we expect she will be appointed in the next quarter. We look forward to welcoming her to the board at that time. Final voting results on all matters voted on at the Annual Meeting will be available shortly on our website (www.manulife.com/annualmeeting) and will be filed with Canadian and U.S. securities regulators. About Manulife Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we provide financial advice and insurance, operating as Manulife across Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. Through Manulife Investment Management, the global brand for our Global Wealth and Asset Management segment, we serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2023, we had more than 38,000 employees, over 98,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 35 million customers. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges, and under '945' in Hong Kong. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com . SOURCE Manulife Financial Corporation COLUMBIA, Mo., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- MEM, a leader in the workers compensation industry, is proud to recognize 50 agencies with Signature Partner status in 2024. Signature Partners are leading agency partners with strong premium growth, retention and loss ratios. "Strong partnerships are key to our success, and these Signature Partner agencies are dedicated to their clients and the industry," said Rene Eslinger, Chief Revenue Officer for MEM. "They share our focus on delivering exceptional service and value to our mutual policyholders, and we look forward to continuing this successful partnership." The following agencies were recognized with Signature Partner Status in 2024, representing an achieved level of combined written premium achieved as of Dec. 31, 2023: American Agency Insurance Group, Inc. (AAIGI) Acrisure Affiliated Insurance Agency, LLC American Family Brokerage, Inc. Armfield, Harrison & Thomas Arthur J Gallagher Risk Management Services, Inc. AssuredPartners Bassett Insurance Combined Agents of America, LLC (CAA) Cadence Insurance CBIZ Higginbotham Insurance Agency, Inc. Cornerstone KC Charles L. Crane Agency Company Daniel Boone Agency, LLC DeWitt Insurance Ellington Insurance GlobalGreen Insurance Haas & Wilkerson Heartland Group Heffernan Insurance Brokers HUB International IMA Insurance Source Integrated Transportation Insurance Services of San Francisco (ISU) JBLB/MB & Associates Keystone Koury Insurance Lockton Companies, LLC Marsh - Cline Wood Marsh - JW Terrill Marsh & McLennan Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance Brokerage, Inc. Mitchell Insurance NEC Insurance, Inc. Newton & Company Nixon & Lindstrom One Digital Robert E Miller RSC Insurance Brokerage, Inc. Specialty Risk Management Stafford & Stafford Sunstar The Daniel & Henry Co. Twin Lakes Insurance Agency USI Insurance Services, LLC Valley Insurance Agency Alliance, LLC (VIAA) Virtus LLC Walnut Risk Weiss Insurance MEM proudly serves employers through an extensive network of independent insurance agents. Signature Partner designation is earned each year based on performance the previous calendar year. Signature Partners are indicated by a shield icon when listed with MEM. About MEM MEM provides work comp insurance to companies of all sizes. Across Missouri, employers turn to MEM for our personalized approach and comprehensive safety programs. We protect employees, save lives and help organizations move forward with confidence. Learn more at www.mem-ins.com. SOURCE MEM 7 U-Haul stores are participating in disaster relief efforts after Tuesday's destructive storms LANSING, Mich., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- U-Haul is offering 30 days of free self-storage and U-Box container storage to residents impacted by the tornadoes that tore through several counties in southern Michigan this week, leaving widespread damage in their wake. The impact of these storms was felt in Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Branch and Cass counties, among other areas. Many victims are now dealing with substantial home, business and property damage. Access to dry and secure U-Haul self-storage rooms and portable storage containers is essential for communities during the clean-up process after natural disasters. Melissa Pearl, U-Haul Company of Central Michigan president, has made seven facilities available to offer the disaster relief program across the affected region. "U-Haul is a proud part of these communities, and great communities work together through the tough times when disaster strikes," Pearl said. "We want people to know we are available to help." The 30-day free offer applies to new self-storage and U-Box rentals and is based on availability. The U-Box offer is limited to on-site storage at U-Haul facilities (does not include delivery to or pick-up from residential locations). People seeking more information or needing to arrange storage services should contact their nearest participating facility: U-Haul Moving & Storage of Battle Creek 5740 Beckley Road Battle Creek, MI 49015 (269) 924-0893 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Benton Harbor 1529 M 139 Hwy. Benton Harbor, MI 49022 (269) 927-4494 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Jackson 2925 E. Michigan Ave. Jackson, MI 49202 (517) 784-0065 U-Haul Moving & Storage of Kalamazoo 1004 Portage Kalamazoo, MI 49001 (269) 345-7141 U-Haul Moving & Storage at Jolly & Cedar 5020 S. Cedar Lansing, MI 48910 (517) 394-0075 U-Haul Moving & Storage of South Lansing 1030 Pierpont St. Lansing, MI 48911 (517) 882-1278 U-Haul Moving & Storage at Waverly Road 901 S. Waverly Road Lansing, MI 48917 (517) 316-1001 In addition to its 30 days free self-storage disaster relief program, U-Haul is proud to be at the forefront of aiding communities in times of need as an official American Red Cross Disaster Responder. About U-HAUL Founded in 1945, U-Haul is the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers with more than 23,000 rental locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. The enhanced U-Haul app makes it easier for customers to use U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 to access trucks anytime through the self-dispatch and self-return options on their smartphones through our patented Live Verify technology. Our customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to 192,200 trucks, 138,500 trailers and 44,500 towing devices. U-Haul is the third largest self-storage operator in North America with 967,000 rentable units and 83.3 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities. U-Haul is the top retailer of propane in the U.S. and the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. Get the U-Haul app from the App Store or Google Play . Contact: Jeff Lockridge E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 602-760-4941 Website: uhaul.com SOURCE U-Haul TSX and OTC: MPVD TORONTO, May 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. ("Mountain Province", the "Company") (TSX: MPVD) (OTC: MPVD) today announces financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024 ("the Quarter" or "Q1 2024") from the Gahcho Kue Diamond Mine ("GK Mine"). All figures are expressed in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted. Financial Highlights for First Quarter 2024 938,000 carats sold, with total proceeds of $89.4 million ( US$66.1 million ) at an average realised value of $95 per carat (US$70) . ( ) at an average realised value of per carat . Adjusted EBITDA 1 of $50.0 million . of . Earnings from mine operations of $30.4 million . . Net income of $6.8 million or $0.03 basic and diluted earnings per share2. 1Cash costs of production, including capitalized stripping costs, and adjusted EBITDA are non-IFRS measures with no standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS. See "Reconciliation of non-IFRS measures" at the end of the news release for explanation and reconciliation. Operational Highlights for First Quarter 2024 (all figures reported on a 100% basis unless otherwise stated) 805,557 ore tonnes treated, a 5% increase relative to Q1 2023, (Q1 2023: 766,786 tonnes treated;) 1,264,887 carats recovered, 4% lower than the comparable quarter (Q1 2023: 1,319,603 carats) Average grade of 1.57 carats per tonne, a 9% decrease relative to Q1 2023 (1.72 carats per tonne) Cost per carat recovered, including capitalized stripping of $56 /carat, and cost per tonne processed, including capitalized stripping of $88 /tonne. Sales Highlights for First Quarter 2024 As previously released, during the first quarter 938,000 carats were sold for total proceeds of $89.4 million (US$66.1 million), resulting in an average value of $95 per carat (US$70 per carat). These results compare to Q1 2023 when 961,024 carats were sold for total proceeds of $128.7 million (US$95.0 million), resulting in an average price of $134 per carat (US$99 per carat). Mark Wall, the Company's President, and Chief Executive Officer, commented: "Despite a softer rough diamond market than this time last year, the Company continued to show sustained profitability at current prices, recording and Adjusted EBITDA of $50 million, as well as Net Income of $6.8 million. I look forward to sharing the results of our upcoming revised technical report on the GK mine, which will bring the market up to date on the latest mine plan at GK, as well as bring to light some net-positive pit design changes which we believe should bring incremental carats into the mine plan. We expect to be able to share the results of this updated technical report near the end of Q2 2024." Gahcho Kue Mine Operations The following table summarizes key operating statistics for the Gahcho Kue Mine in the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023. Three months ended Three months ended March 31, 2024 March 31, 2023 GK operating data Mining *Ore tonnes mined kilo tonnes 1,947 428 *Waste tonnes mined kilo tonnes 5,938 8,507 *Total tonnes mined kilo tonnes 7,885 8,935 *Ore in stockpile kilo tonnes 3,458 1,420 Processing *Ore tonnes processed kilo tonnes 806 767 *Average plant throughput tonnes per day 8,857 8,247 *Average diamond recovery carats per tonne 1.57 1.72 *Diamonds recovered 000's carats 1,265 1,320 Approximate diamonds recovered - Mountain Province 000's carats 620 647 Cash costs of production per tonne of ore, net of capitalized stripping ** $ 51 99 Cash costs of production per tonne of ore, including capitalized stripping** $ 88 155 Cash costs of production per carat recovered, net of capitalized stripping** $ 33 58 Cash costs of production per carat recovered, including capitalized stripping** $ 56 90 Sales Approximate diamonds sold - Mountain Province*** 000's carats 938 961 Average diamond sales price per carat US $ 70 $ 99 * at 100% interest in the Gahcho Kue Mine **See "Reconciliation of non-IFRS measures" at the end of the news release for explanation and reconciliation. ***Includes the sales directly to De Beers for fancies and specials acquired by De Beers through the production split bidding process Financial Performance Three months ended Three months ended (in thousands of Canadian dollars, except where otherwise noted) March 31, 2024 March 31, 2023 Sales $ 89,438 128,657 Carats sold 000's carats 938 961 Average price per carat sold $/carat 95 134 Cost of sales per carat* $/carat 63 85 Earnings from mine operations per carat $ 32 49 Earnings from mine operations % 34 % 37 % Selling, general and administrative expenses $ 3,542 4,007 Operating income $ 26,760 41,091 Net income for the period $ 6,864 28,224 Basic earnings per share $ 0.03 0.13 Diluted earnings per share $ 0.03 0.13 Conference Call The Company will host its quarterly conference call on Thursday, May 9th, 2024 at 11:00am ET. Title: Mountain Province Diamonds Inc Q1 2024 Earnings Conference Call Conference ID: 63370213 Date of call: 05/09/2024 Time of call: 11:00 Eastern Time Expected Duration: 60 minutes Webcast Link: https://emportal.ink/3xw1s6L Participant Toll-Free Dial-In Number: (+1) 888-390-0546 Participant International Dial-In Number: (+1) 416-764-8668 A replay of the webcast and audio call will be available on the Company's website. Reconciliation of Non-IFRS measures This news release refers to the terms "Cash costs of production per tonne of ore processed" and "Cash costs of production per carat recovered", both including and net of capitalized stripping costs and "Adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Taxes Depreciation and Amortization (Adjusted EBITDA)" and "Adjusted EBITDA Margin". Each of these is a non-IFRS performance measure and is referenced in order to provide investors with information about the measures used by management to monitor performance. These measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. They do not have any standardized meaning under IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Cash costs of production per tonne of ore processed and cash costs of production per carat recovered are used by management to analyze the actual cash costs associated with processing the ore, and for each recovered carat. Differences from production costs reported within cost of sales are attributed to the amount of production cost included in ore stockpile and rough diamond inventories. Adjusted EBITDA is used by management to analyze the operational cash flows of the Company, as compared to the net income for accounting purposes. It is also a measure which is defined in the Notes documents. Adjusted EBITDA margin is used by management to analyze the operational margin % on cash flows of the Company. The following table provides a reconciliation of the Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin with the net income on the condensed consolidated interim statements of comprehensive income: Three months ended Three months ended March 31, 2024 March 31, 2023 Net income for the period $ 6,864 $ 28,224 Add/deduct: Non-cash depreciation and depletion 22,104 25,318 Share-based payment expense 242 340 Fair value gain of warrants (541) (146) Gain on lease (55) - Finance expenses 10,337 10,161 Derivative losses 2,340 1,065 Deferred income taxes 2,325 1,820 Current income taxes 150 750 Unrealized foreign exchange losses 6,187 645 Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and depletion (Adjusted EBITDA) $ 49,953 $ 68,177 Sales 89,438 128,657 Adjusted EBITDA margin 56 % 53 % The following table provides a reconciliation of the cash costs of production per tonne of ore processed and per carat recovered and the production costs reported within cost of sales on the condensed consolidated interim statements of comprehensive income: Three months ended Three months ended (in thousands of Canadian dollars, except where otherwise noted) March 31, 2024 March 31, 2023 Cost of sales production costs $ 32,728 49,116 Timing differences due to inventory and other non-cash adjustments $ (12,393) (11,835) Cash cost of production of ore processed, net of capitalized stripping $ 20,335 37,281 Cash costs of production of ore processed, including capitalized stripping $ 34,927 58,241 Tonnes processed kilo tonnes 395 376 Carats recovered 000's carats 620 647 Cash costs of production per tonne of ore, net of capitalized stripping $ 51 99 Cash costs of production per tonne of ore, including capitalized stripping $ 88 155 Cash costs of production per carat recovered, net of capitalized stripping $ 33 58 Cash costs of production per carat recovered, including capitalized stripping $ 56 90 About Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. Mountain Province Diamonds is a 49% participant with De Beers Canada in the Gahcho Kue diamond mine located in Canada's Northwest Territories. The Gahcho Kue Joint Venture property consists of several kimberlites that are actively being mined, developed, and explored for future development. The Company also controls more than 113,000 hectares of highly prospective mineral claims and leases surrounding the Gahcho Kue Mine that include an Indicated mineral resource for the Kelvin kimberlite and Inferred mineral resources for the Faraday kimberlites. Kelvin is estimated to contain 13.62 million carats (Mct) in 8.50 million tonnes (Mt) at a grade of 1.60 carats/tonne and value of US$63/carat, at February 2019. Faraday 2 is estimated to contain 5.45Mct in 2.07Mt at a grade of 2.63 carats/tonne and value of US$140/ct, at February 2019. Faraday 1-3 is estimated to contain 1.90Mct in 1.87Mt at a grade of 1.04 carats/tonne and value of US$75/carat, at February 2019. All resource estimations are based on a 1mm diamond size bottom cut-off. Qualified Person The disclosure in this news release of scientific and technical information regarding Mountain Province's mineral properties has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Dan Johnson, P.Eng., a director of Mountain Province Diamonds and Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Caution Regarding Forward Looking Information This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian and United States securities laws concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to operational hazards, including possible disruption due to pandemic such as COVID-19, its impact on travel, self-isolation protocols and business and operations, estimated production and mine life of the project of Mountain Province; the realization of mineral reserve estimates; the timing and amount of estimated future production; costs of production; the future price of diamonds; the estimation of mineral reserves and resources; the ability to manage debt; capital expenditures; the ability to obtain permits for operations; liquidity; tax rates; and currency exchange rate fluctuations. Except for statements of historical fact relating to Mountain Province, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "anticipates," "may," "can," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "projects," "targets," "intends," "likely," "will," "should," "to be", "potential" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "should" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are based on a number of assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of Mountain Province and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from results anticipated by such forward-looking statements include the development of operation hazards which could arise in relation to COVID-19, including, but not limited to protocols which may be adopted to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and any impact of such protocols on Mountain Province's business and operations, variations in ore grade or recovery rates, changes in market conditions, changes in project parameters, mine sequencing; production rates; cash flow; risks relating to the availability and timeliness of permitting and governmental approvals; supply of, and demand for, diamonds; fluctuating commodity prices and currency exchange rates, the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated. These factors are discussed in greater detail in Mountain Province's most recent Annual Information Form and in the most recent MD&A filed on SEDAR, which also provide additional general assumptions in connection with these statements. Mountain Province cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. Investors and others who base themselves on forward-looking statements should carefully consider the above factors as well as the uncertainties they represent and the risk they entail. Mountain Province believes that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Although Mountain Province has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Mountain Province undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Statements concerning mineral reserve and resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements to the extent they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered as the property is developed. Further, Mountain Province may make changes to its business plans that could affect its results. The principal assets of Mountain Province are administered pursuant to a joint venture under which Mountain Province is not the operator. Mountain Province is exposed to actions taken or omissions made by the operator within its prerogative and/or determinations made by the joint venture under its terms. Such actions or omissions may impact the future performance of Mountain Province. Under its current note and revolving credit facilities Mountain Province is subject to certain limitations on its ability to pay dividends on common stock. The declaration of dividends is at the discretion of Mountain Province's Board of Directors, subject to the limitations under the Company's debt facilities, and will depend on Mountain Province's financial results, cash requirements, future prospects, and other factors deemed relevant by the Board. SOURCE Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. STOCKTON, Calif., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/-- Starting May 14, National Alliance for Hispanic Health, El Concillo, Little Manilla Rising, University of California, San Francisco and Davis in Stockton, CA will host the All of Us Journey, a traveling educational exhibit that brings the National Institutes of Health's All of Us Research Program to communities across the United States. The Journey features interactive activities, videos, games, quizzes, and moreall designed to demonstrate the power of participation in health research. Interested attendees will learn how they can help shape the future of health for themselves, their families, and their communities for generations to come. Attendees will also have the opportunity to register for the All of Us Research Program during their visit. WHAT: Stockton is one stop on the All of Us Journey's national tour. The public are invited to attend and learn how they can help change the future of health as participants in the All of Us Research Program. WHEN and WHERE: Tuesday, May 14 to Wednesday, May 15, 2024 10am-4pm El Concilio 224 South Sutter St Modesto, CA 95202 Thursday, May 16 to Friday, May 17, 2024 10am-4pm Community Medical Centers 701 Channel St Stockton CA 95202 Saturday, May 18,2024 10am-3pm Health and Healing Clinic Trinity Presbyterian Church 1002 W 8th St, Stockton, CA 95206 Wednesday, May 22,2024 2pm-6pm Golden Valley Health Centers 737 W Childs Ave Merced, CA 95341 See the full list of events in Stockton from May 3 to May 18 here. The All of Us Research Program, led by the National Institutes of Health, aims to recruit at least one million participants that reflect the diversity of the United States. All of Us will help researchers understand more about why people get sick or stay healthy. To learn more about the All of Us Research Program and upcoming events, visit https://www.joinallofus.org/onthego . About the All of Us Journey All of Us is a registered service mark of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). The Journey is managed by Montage Marketing Group in collaboration with Scripps Research Translational Institute, and funded by the National Institutes of Health award OT2OD035580 . For more information contact: Jennifer Reyes, Outreach Engagement Manager Phone: 703-454-9168 ext: 144 Email: [email protected] Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2170002/All_of_Us_Research_Program_Logo.jpg SOURCE Montage Marketing Group Proposed Regional Bond Measure Seen as Way to Close the Gap SAN FRANCISCO, May 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Enterprise Community Partners (Enterprise) and the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) today released the Bay Area Affordable Housing Pipeline 2024 Report, which analyzes affordable housing projects in various stages of predevelopment and identifies solutions for moving them toward completion. The updated research reveals there are now 433 projects in various stages of predevelopment that would create more than 40,896 affordable homes across the nine-county Bay Area. These would account for nearly a quarter of the 180,000 affordable homes the state's Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) Plan determined are needed in the Bay Area by 2031. Affordable housing developments typically are supported by a capital "stack" investment that includes a commercial mortgage; Low-Income Housing Tax Credits; tax-exempt bonds; and additional local, regional and state dollars that fill the gap between the cost of the development and the financing secured through debt and equity. The new report calculates that the hundreds of Bay Area projects now in the predevelopment pipeline need $9.7 billion in public funds to move forward, and that a $20 billion regional bond measure proposed for the ballot in Bay Area counties this fall would help close this gap. "We've been stuck in an affordable housing crisis that has overwhelmed the region. The November ballot presents an opportunity to unlock thousands of affordable homes for Bay Area residents," said Heather Hood, VP and Northern California Market Leader at Enterprise. "We expect voters to have a chance to end our housing crisis and deliver the dignified, healthy homes the Bay Area community needs and deserves." The predevelopment pipeline includes projects in all nine Bay Area counties. These include more than 10,000 units in both Alameda and Santa Clara counties, with another 8,400 affordable homes pending development in San Francisco and more than 3,000 units in both San Mateo and Sonoma counties. Project pipelines in other Bay Area counties range from over 300 affordable homes in Solano County to 1,173 units in Marin County; nearly 1,500 homes in Napa County; and over 2,500 units in Contra Costa County. Each Bay Area city, town or county currently is working on its own to meet the challenges of housing affordability and homelessness. "The need for affordable housing transcends jurisdictional boundaries. BAHFA's proposed bond measure would finally allow our Bay Area to take a regional approach to a regional problem," said BAHFA Director Kate Hartley. "With significant new resources for every county, we can build at scale, deliver equitable solutions, and create a better way to deliver the affordable homes Bay Area residents need. The updated Bay Area Housing Pipeline research brief was presented at today's regularly scheduled meeting of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's Bay Area Housing Finance Authority Oversight Committee. About Enterprise Community Partners Enterprise is a national nonprofit that exists to make a good home possible for the millions of families without one. We support community development organizations on the ground, aggregate and invest capital for impact, advance housing policy at every level of government, and build and manage communities ourselves. Since 1982, we have invested $54 billion and created 873,000 homes across all 50 states all to make home and community places of pride, power and belonging. About the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority Established by the state legislature in 2019, BAHFA's mandate is to create regional solutions that meet the Bay Area's affordable housing needs. It is the first regional housing finance authority in California. BAHFA works together with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). SOURCE Metropolitan Transportation Commission According to new thought leadership research from global HR research and advisory firm McLean & Company, HR leaders must guide organizations past the enticing promises of the theoretical skills-based organization toward more realistic opportunities. TORONTO, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - As the idea of a skills-based organization gains popularity, global HR research and advisory firm McLean & Company explains that becoming an organization that makes talent decisions through the lens of skills requires much more resourcing than simply updating current talent acquisition and management practices. In a new thought leadership resource for HR, What It Means to Become a Skills-Based Organization, McLean & Company explains that though a skills-based approach to talent management can come with benefits, such as improved employee retention and enhanced organizational agility, most organizations are not yet ready for this type of transformation. The path forward to skills-based decision-making is intentional and demanding, requiring support from HR to make realistic choices around the right approach for each organization's unique needs. According to the new resource from global HR research and advisory firm McLean & Company, organizational operating models exist on a spectrum and range from job-based to skills-based. Skills-aware operating models exist between the job-focused and skills-focused models and present what many organizations may find to be a more realistic and attainable approach to talent management. (CNW Group/McLean & Company) McLean & Company, the HR division of Info-Tech Research Group, defines a purely skills-based organization as one that "makes all talent decisions through the lens of skills and skills intelligence, which is the ability to identify, grow, and leverage abilities at the individual and organizational levels." The skills-based operating model is inherently agile and can pivot to address change quickly and effectively, but the shift from a job-based model requires a complete reconceptualization of an organization's relationship with what work is. "HR leaders are influential decision-makers regarding the feasibility, appropriateness, and scope of a skills-based transformation," says Jodi Callaghan, director of HR Research & Advisory Services at McLean & Company. "HR's strategic interpretation of the sensationalized promise of skills enables organizations to translate the noise into realistic opportunities for the organization. Presently, a fully skills-based organization is an idea rather than fact, with most organizations using a traditional job-based model. However, operating models exist on a spectrum, with the lesser-known skills-aware model offering a more attainable option for many organizations as they look to shift toward an increased focus on skills. Becoming skills-aware leverages skills in some HR practices, with opportunities given to employees based on skills, potential, and career goals, and bridges the gap between job-based and skills-based models." To help HR leaders navigate the intentional and demanding path to skills-based decision-making, the global firm has organized the new resource into four easy-to-follow sections. The sections, which are outlined below, have been designed to help HR understand the variations of what it means to be skills-based, what the potential outcomes are, and what organizations need to know to complete the transformation. Overview. Section one of the firm's resource explains the theory and foundation of skills-based organizations, the associated spectrum of operating models, and the organizations best suited for this type of transformation. Draws and drawbacks. Section two highlights what is influencing the re-popularization of the idea and promise of skills-based organizations as well as potential unintended outcomes of becoming skills-based. Obstacles to transformation. Section three outlines the challenges of moving along the skills-based spectrum and how organizations can be proactive when planning to address them. HR leaders will also find guidance on current philosophies of work, challenges with evaluating skills, the relevance and half-life of certain skills, and the current and future states of skills intelligence. Visualize the future. Section four provides sample questions to determine the organization's readiness for transformation, presents real-world examples of organizations with effective skills-based practices, and covers the fundamental conditions required for change. The final section also offers a list of resources to support movement along the skills-based spectrum. While some organizations are motivated by a sense of urgency and the unique set of challenges they face, McLean & Company advises HR leaders that organizations must first meet some fundamental conditions before moving along the skills-based spectrum, such as leadership buy-in, cross-functional collaboration, and resourcing. Regardless of why an organization is looking to become more skills-based, these fundamental conditions are crucial. Desire and will alone are not enough to move along the skills-based spectrum. To access the full resource, please visit What It Means to Become a Skills-Based Organization. To attend upcoming free webinars on a variety of topics or explore the publicly available archive of recorded sessions, please visit McLean & Company's webinars page. Register for Signature 2024 To register for Signature, the premier industry conference for future-focused HR leaders hosted by McLean & Company from October 27 to 29 at the Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada, please visit the official Signature event page. Media interested in connecting with McLean & Company analysts for exclusive, research-backed insights and commentary on psychological safety in the workplace, DEI, generative AI in HR, HR trends in 2024, the future of work, and more can contact Senior Communications Manager Kelsey King at [email protected]. About McLean & Company Through data-driven insights and proven best-practice methodologies, McLean & Company offers comprehensive resources and full-service assessments, action plans, and training to position organizations to meet today's needs and prepare for the future. McLean & Company is a division of Info-Tech Research Group. Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected]. SOURCE McLean & Company Protected by Oka's Carbon Protect insurance solution, the premium credits will be made available to corporations through credit provider Clima and Australian insurance broker PSC Paragon. PARK CITY, Utah and SYDNEY, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Marking the start of its global expansion, Oka , the leading US carbon-credit insurer, has entered a customer agreement with Australian carbon solutions platform Clima . Oka + Clima Partnership Clima connects companies globally with the largest range of carbon credits in Australia, as well as to high-integrity global projects. Through Oka, clients will now also gain exclusive access to some of the first insurance-protected credits in the country. The premium credits come pre-wrapped in Oka's innovative insurance solution, minimizing the due-diligence burden on buyers while insulating them from post-issuance risks.1 PSC Paragon (Australia) is the insurance broker working with Oka and Clima to provide the insurance. Pivotal Moment for Climate Action Oka and Clima join forces in a critical year for corporate climate action worldwide. In January, the Australian government published draft legislation that would require large Australian businesses to disclose their climate-related financial risks and opportunities, in line with international reporting standards. Under growing regulator, shareholder, and customer pressure to disclose and decarbonize, thousands of companies operating in global markets particularly those in sectors with hard-to-abate emissions require reliable offsetting solutions to meet their net-zero targets. Oka and Clima are committed to providing businesses with a transparent, reliable, and seamless route to the voluntary carbon market (VCM), reducing their obstacles to climate progress. Commenting on the partnership, Oka Founder & CEO Chris Slater said: "Climate change is a global problem that requires coordinated global solutions. To that end, we couldn't be more fired up to bring our first-of-its-kind insurance solution to international markets nor could we imagine a more fitting non-US market in which to expand first, given the rapidly accelerating pace of carbon and climate action in Australia. We very much look forward to working with Clima a company that shares our values and ambition to unlock trust and transparency in the VCM. Commenting on the partnership, Clima CEO Guy Dickinson said: "Clima is dedicated to making carbon markets more transparent, and so we're delighted to be first to the Australian market with Oka-insured carbon credits. Not only do the insurance-wrapped credits meet an unprecedented standard for quality, but we're also excited by their potential to unlock new corporate demand. We look forward to working together to build a truly international voluntary carbon market." About Clima Australia About Oka, The Carbon Insurance Company About PSC Paragon (Australia) Oka is a global INSURTECH100 and ESGFINTECH100 company. Follow Oka on LinkedIn . Follow Clima on LinkedIn . Media Contact Chris Slater [email protected] LEGAL DISCLAIMER Clima Australia is a product of Clima Solutions Pty Ltd ABN 97 672 833 635 | Corporate Authorised Representative 001307950 of Wholesale AFS license 536315. Carbon Protect is an insurance policy available to certain eligible owners of carbon credits in jurisdictions where Carbon Insurance Agency, LLC is licensed as a surplus lines insurance producer. Eligibility is determined based on applicable underwriting criteria, and coverage is always subject to the terms and conditions of an applicable policy. Carbon Insurance Agency, LLC has authority to enter into contracts of insurance on behalf of the Lloyd's underwriting members of Oka syndicate 1922 which is affiliated with Carbon Insurance Agency, LLC and managed by Asta Managing Agency, a managing agent at Lloyd's. 1 invalidation and reversal risk coverage is subject to the terms and conditions of an applicable policy SOURCE Oka, The Carbon Insurance Company OrthoXel is delighted to announce 510(k) clearance for the Vertex Hip Fracture Nail (HFN). CORK, Ireland, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vertex HFN offers an innovative approach to fracture fixation, aiming to enhance patient outcomes and streamline surgical procedures. The current approaches to hip fracture treatment often encounter hurdles such as instability, which leads to high cutout rates, limited patient mobility post-surgery, persistent pain during recovery, and nonunion complications. OrthoXel's Vertex HFN combats these clinical challenges head-on, offering a highly stable and versatile product. OrthoXel Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance for their Vertex Hip Fracture Nail (HFN) Vertex Solution The foundation of the Vertex system rests on three key pillars: stability, versatility, and usability. Stability - The primary aim of surgical intervention for hip fractures is stabilization, Vertex achieves this with a unique design. Two proximal interdigitating screws produce enhanced screw fixation. The radially fluted nail stem ensures rotational and overall construct stability, particularly in the intertrochanteric and metaphyseal regions of the femur. Versatility - Vertex empowers surgeons with unprecedented flexibility in fracture management. The versatile design offers three proximal construct options to accommodate various fracture types, patient anatomies, and intra-operative requirements. Select between two interdigitating lag screw configurations, with inferior or superior screw placement or, alternatively, a solid lag screw is available for a conventional proximal construct. Usability Vertex redefines the user experience with its intuitive design and integration into existing surgical workflows. Both implants and instruments feature radiographic guides and cues that allow for enhanced visualization during surgery. Douglas R. Dirschl MD, Professor and Chairman of Orthopedic Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, Texas) was engaged throughout product development of the Vertex system with OrthoXel: "With the exciting news of Vertex's FDA 510(k) clearance, I eagerly anticipate this innovative nail providing benefit to my patients and those of other fracture surgeons. The Vertex's design offers enhanced stability as well as the flexibility to tailor treatment to individual patient and fracture needs. Like with their Apex nail, the OrthoXel team has once again demonstrated excellence and innovation in product design." Jason Strelzow MD, Director of Orthopaedic Trauma and Residency Program Director at The University of Chicago Medicine, (Chicago, Illinois) also contributed to the development of Vertex adding: "I am very excited to see the Vertex nail reach the market. Working with the development team they have created a one-of-a-kind system taking advantage of the existing knowledge of hip fracture nails and generated a novel, innovative design that addresses the biggest concerns around hip fracture fixation. The fluted interference fit, combined with enhanced head/neck fixation through the interdigitating screw design provides an exciting and potentially game-changing tool for these injuries." About OrthoXel Founded in 2014, OrthoXel continues to add to its revolutionary orthopaedic trauma portfolio. They currently offer the unique Apex Nailing Systems Apex Tibial and Femoral (Antegrade and Retrograde) the only axial micromotion-enabled nailing systems designed to stimulate callus formation and reduce recovery time for patients. With the addition of FDA 510(k) clearance for their Vertex system, OrthoXel has expanded its lower extremity portfolio to increase its commercial footprint throughout the US. "This groundbreaking technology signifies more than just a product launch; it represents a paradigm shift in hip fracture treatment. With unprecedented stability, versatility, and usability, the Vertex HFN empowers surgeons to redefine standards of care and usher in a new era of excellence in orthopaedic surgery." - Charles Daly, Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of OrthoXel. For more information visit: https://www.orthoxel.com/products/vertex-hip-fracture-nailing-system/ Press Contact: Thomas Twomey, Sales & Marketing Manager Email: [email protected] Tel: (US) +1 (646) 661 3167 (IE) + 353 (0) 21 242 9500 SOURCE OrthoXel WASHINGTON, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Panhandle Power Solutions (PPS) , a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC), an Alaskan Native Corporation, that services utility and investment-grade commercial clients in the renewable energy sector, today announced it will serve as the EPC for a new battery energy storage system for Whetstone Power , a developer of sustainable energy infrastructure. The contract underscores PPS' commitment to providing full-spectrum specialty Engineer Procure Construct (EPC) services that support the energy transition for its commercial clients. The Colorado-based, 202.2 MWh battery energy storage system will showcase state-of-the-art technologies that will help provide peak load-shaving capabilities to a local electric utility. It marks a significant milestone in the state's sustainable energy infrastructure and, once complete, will play an important role in enhancing grid resiliency and optimizing energy resources. "It is with great excitement that PPS has been entrusted as the EPC by Whetstone Power for this project," commented Robin Hurst, Vice President of Renewables at PPS. "We are a resourceful and resilient organization committed to the highest standards of engineering, procurement, and construction. The PPS team is excited to bring this dedication, as well as our commitment to safety and environmental standards, to this project. Over the next six months, we look forward to meeting the needs of our client and deploying this clean energy project in Colorado." PPS has just broken ground on the project, which is expected to be completed by October 1, 2024. To date, the company has deployed more than 1.5 GW of distributed generation and utility-scale clean energy projects across the United States. To learn more about PPS, please visit https://www.panhandlepower.us/ . About Panhandle Power Solutions (PPS) PPS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC), an Alaskan Native Corporation. With offices in Washington, D.C., and northwest Florida, PPS was founded in 2008 and served as a federal contractor providing general construction and electrical services to the nation's most critical defense facilities. The company was acquired in 2019 by BBNC and has expanded to serve utility and investment-grade commercial clients in the renewable energy sector while maintaining the legacy of its federal roots. In 2023, PPS joined BBNC's Industrial Group, Bristol Bay Industrial (BBI). As a BBI member company, PPS adds to BBI's already robust electrical capabilities. For more information about PPS, visit the company website or follow their LinkedIn page for recent news and updates. Media Contact Shannon Furey [email protected] 732-995-1638 SOURCE Panhandle Power Solutions Prism Bank continues to expand its Board of Directors by appointing seasoned investment banker to the lineup. OKLAHOMA CITY, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Prism Bank, a growing financial institution with a vision to reach the milestone of becoming a billion-dollar bank by 2030, announces the addition of Mr. DeWitt Ray III to its Board of Directors. This appointment underscores Prism Bank's commitment to strategic growth and excellence in financial service offerings. Ray brings a wealth of experience to Prism Bank with a rich history spanning over 35 years in finance, investment banking, and advisement roles. His recent endeavors include working with Commerce American Corp to invest in financial service companies, and advising several noteworthy banks in Oklahoma. In 2022, he took on the role of CFO for Oklahoma Heritage Bank in Ada, underlining his hands-on understanding of current financial trends and banking operations. In his prior professional chapters, Ray established deep connections within the Oklahoma market as an investment banker, and his foundational work with Commerce Street Capital solidified his reputation as a trusted banking expert. With a track record that includes co-founding several financial institutions and private equity groups, Ray's vast expertise is anticipated to significantly contribute towards achieving Prism Bank's strategic goals. "It is an honor to have someone with DeWitt's expertise joining our board," said David Hardy, President & CEO of Prism Bank. "His insights and understanding of the financial landscape will undoubtedly play a crucial role in the future growth of our bank." Board Chairman Tony Caldwell echoed this sentiment, stating, "I'm excited to have DeWitt Ray join the Board of Prism Bank. His years in business and investment banking with Commerce Street Capital will bring valuable knowledge and skill to us as we continue to grow our bank to $1 Billion dollars in assets." Outside of his professional interests, Ray enjoys leading a ministry at Watermark Church in Dallas, engaging with racing sports, and cherishing family time with his children DeWitt IV and Savannah. With the appointment of DeWitt Ray III, Prism Bank is further poised to achieve its objective of significant growth while continuing to deliver quality banking services to its clients. For additional information about Prism Bank, please visit prism.bank. Prism Bank is a community bank serving customers across central Oklahoma. For more than a century, Prism's passionate team and entrepreneurial culture has addressed the diverse needs of its communities. Prism Bank fuels success for every facet of your life and business. To learn more about the organization and its services, visit prism.bank. SOURCE Prism Bank The Paramedics of Property Damage Honor Local Heroes with National Superhero Day Awards TAMARAC, Fla., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a demonstration of its commitment to community service, PuroClean one of the country's leading property restoration and remediation franchises marked National Superhero Day by recognizing heroes nationwide for their exceptional service and dedication. Among these heroes, Tamarac, FL, firefighter James Murad was honored with a national award for his outstanding contributions to his South Florida community. Murad's unwavering dedication and selfless service have been nothing short of courageous acts and tireless efforts, which have saved countless lives and properties. As part of the award presentation, PuroClean presented firefighter Murad with an engraved crystal trophy as the national awardee, and a medallion, superhero cape and mask as the local winner. PuroClean National Superhero Day "I am deeply humbled and grateful to receive this award from PuroClean on National Superhero Day," said Murad. "It is truly an honor to serve alongside such dedicated individuals in the fire department, and I share this recognition with my fellow firefighters who work tirelessly to keep our community safe every day." PuroClean spotlighted other heroes across the nation, notably: The PuroClean Cares National Superhero Day campaign is a powerful testament to the extraordinary acts of kindness, courage, and selflessness exhibited by these individuals nationwide. Born out of a collective desire to honor those who go above and beyond, this celebration shines a light on the profound impact of everyday heroes across the U.S. "In every community, there are unsung heroes, who wholeheartedly commit themselves to the betterment of others," stated Steve White, President and COO of PuroClean. "As significant pillars in the fabric of their communities, it is our duty to take the lead in recognizing and championing these extraordinary individuals alike. We hope these awards serve as a reminder that their acts of kindness never go unnoticed." For more information about PuroClean and their commitment to supporting local heroes, visit https://www.puroclean.com/blog. About PuroClean PuroClean is a leading, world-class service brand for property water damage remediation, fire and smoke damage mitigation, mold removal, and biohazard clean-up services, working with both residential and commercial customers across the US and Canada. Founded in 2001, PuroClean is a diverse, fast-growing network of nearing 500 North American franchise locations, each independently owned and operated. With a commitment to respond within two hours, the professionals at PuroClean are thoroughly screened, insured, and trained in utilizing the latest cutting-edge mitigation technology to complete the remediation task at hand. For more information about PuroClean, call 800-775-7876 or visit www.PuroClean.com. SOURCE PuroClean MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Tender Offer The Republic of Uruguay (" Uruguay ") previously announced an offer to purchase for cash (the " Global Tender Offer ") its bonds of each series of Global Bonds listed in the table below (collectively, the " Old Global Bonds " and each Old Global Bond, a "series" of Old Global Bonds), subject to the terms and conditions contained in the Offer to Purchase, dated Wednesday, May 8, 2024 (the " Offer to Purchase "). Uruguay has instructed HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. (in such capacity, the " Billing and Delivery Bank "), to accept subject to proration and other terms and conditions contained in the Offer to Purchase, valid preferred tenders and non-preferred tenders in aggregate principal amounts of Old Global Bonds per series as set forth below. The Global Tender Offer expired, as scheduled, on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at 12:00 noon New York time for non-preferred tenders and at 2:00 p.m. New York time for preferred tenders. The maximum purchase amount is (i) Ps.2,560,373,000 principal amount for the 2027 UI Bonds (as defined below) and (ii) Ps.0 principal amount for the 2028 UI Bonds (as defined below). The aggregate principal amount of preferred and non-preferred tenders of Old Global Bonds and the aggregate principal amount of preferred and non-preferred tenders of such Old Global Bonds that have been accepted are shown in the table below. Appropriate adjustments will be made so that purchases are made in the minimum denominations set forth in the Offer to Purchase. Old Global Bonds Aggregate Principal Amount of Preferred Tenders Aggregate Principal Amount of Preferred Tenders Accepted Aggregate Principal Amount of Non-Preferred Tenders Aggregate Principal Amount of Non-Preferred Tenders Accepted 4.250% Global UI Bonds due 2027 ("2027 UI Bonds") Ps.2,560,373,000 Ps.2,560,373,000 Ps.0 Ps.0 4.375% Global UI Bonds due 2028 ("2028 UI Bonds") Ps.1,595,367,041 Ps.0 Ps.210,705,000 Ps.0 In accordance with the Offer to Purchase, the purchase price to be paid per Ps. 1,000 principal amount of each series of Old Global Bonds tendered and accepted pursuant to the Global Tender Offer will be equal to the fixed price indicated in the table below (the " Purchase Price "). Old Global Bonds Outstanding Nominal Principal Amount as of Wednesday, May 8, 2024 ISIN CUSIP Common Code Nominal Purchase Price (per Ps.1,000 Principal Amount)(1) (2) (3) 2027 UI Bonds(4) Ps. 9,914,541,000 US760942AU61 760942AU6 029507929 Ps.1,030.00 2028 UI Bonds(5) Ps. 32,848,290,345 US917288BD36 917288BD3 071903796 Ps.1,050.00 (1) The Purchase Price and Accrued Interest of the Old Global Bonds shall be converted into U.S. dollars at an exchange rate of Ps.38.516 to US$1.00. (2) In addition, investors will receive Accrued Interest, as described in the Offer to Purchase. (3) The nominal principal amount of Old Global Bonds validly tendered and accepted will be adjusted by a factor (the "Adjustment UI Factor") to reflect the increase of the UI index from the issuance date of the Old Global Bonds to the Global Tender Offer Settlement Date, which is expected to be Tuesday, May 14, 2024. As of the expected Global Tender Offer Settlement Date, (i) the Adjustment UI Factor for the 2027 UI Bonds would be 3.6647, which is the ratio of 6.0104, the value of the UI index at the Global Tender Offer Settlement Date, over 1.6401, the value of the UI index at the time of the issuance of the 2027 UI Bonds and (ii) the Adjustment UI Factor for the 2028 UI Bonds would be 2.5995, which is the ratio of 6.0104, the value of the UI index at the Global Tender Offer Settlement Date, over 2.3121, the value of the UI index at the time of the issuance of the 2028 UI Bonds. (4) The principal amount of the 2027 UI Bonds outstanding, as adjusted by the Adjustment UI Factor is Ps. 36,333,818,403. (5) The principal amount of the 2028 UI Bonds outstanding, as adjusted by the Adjustment UI Factor is Ps. 85,389,130,752. Holders of Old Global Bonds held through the Depository Trust Company (" DTC ") that have been validly tendered and accepted pursuant to the Global Tender Offer must deliver their accepted Old Global Bonds to the relevant Dealer Manager (as defined below) no later than 3:00 p.m., New York time, on the Settlement Date. Holders of Old Global Bonds held through Euroclear Bank SA/NV (" Euroclear ") or Clearstream Banking, societe anonyme (" Clearstream ") that have been validly tendered and accepted pursuant to the Global Tender Offer must deliver their Old Global Bonds to the Billing and Delivery Bank, at the latest, using the overnight process, one day prior to the Settlement Date and must not use the optional daylight process. The Settlement Date is expected to occur on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase. Failure to deliver Old Global Bonds on time may result (i) in the cancellation of your tender and in you becoming liable for any damages resulting from that failure, (ii) in the case of preferred tenders (a) in the cancellation of any allocation of Uruguay's new Global UI Bonds maturing in 2045 (the " New Bonds ") in the New Bonds Offering (as defined below) in respect of your related indication of interest and/or (b) in the cancellation of your tender and in your remaining obligated to purchase your allocation of New Bonds in respect of your related indication of interest and/or (iii) in the delivery of a buy-in notice for the purchase of such Old Global Bonds, executed in accordance with customary brokerage practices for corporate fixed income securities. Any holder whose tender is cancelled will not receive the purchase price or accrued interest. All Old Global Bonds that are tendered pursuant to tender orders placed through a Dealer Manager and are accepted as instructed by Uruguay will be purchased by the Billing and Delivery Bank in such amounts as Uruguay shall determine and subject to the terms and conditions of the Offer to Purchase. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Offer to Purchase, only the Billing and Delivery Bank will be liable for the payment of the purchase price and accrued interest for Old Global Bonds validly tendered and accepted by Uruguay as described in the Offer to Purchase. Uruguay will not be liable under any circumstances for the payment of the purchase price and accrued interest for any Old Global Bonds tendered in the Global Tender Offer by any holder. The Billing and Delivery Bank shall only have the obligation to sell to Uruguay the Old Global Bonds validly tendered and accepted for purchase that the Billing and Delivery Bank has actually purchased pursuant to the Global Tender Offer on the Settlement Date. Tender orders that are not for permitted tender amounts have not been accepted. Subject to the conditions to settlement of the Global Tender Offer, Old Global Bonds accepted for purchase will be settled on a delivery versus payment basis solely with the Billing and Delivery Bank on the Settlement Date, in accordance with customary brokerage practices for corporate fixed income securities. Uruguay has agreed to apply a portion of the net proceeds of its new bonds offering announced on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 (the " New Bonds Offering ") to purchase the Old Global Bonds accepted pursuant to the Global Tender Offer from the Billing and Delivery Bank at the applicable purchase price plus accrued interest in accordance with the Offer to Purchase. The Global Tender Offer is subject to the underwriting agreement relating to the New Bonds Offering and the dealer manager agreement relating to this Global Tender Offer not being terminated prior to or at the time of the settlement of the Global Tender Offer. HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., Santander US Capital Markets LLC and Itau BBA USA Securities, Inc. acted as Dealer Managers for the Global Tender Offer. Morrow Sodali International LLC is the information agent in connection with the Global Tender Offer (" Information Agent "), and questions regarding the Global Tender Offer may be directed to the Information Agent or any of the Dealer Managers using the contact information below: Morrow Sodali International LLC Attention: Debt Services Team 333 Ludlow Street, South Tower Stamford, CT 06902 Email: [email protected] Telephone: +1 203 658 9457 (Stamford) / +44 20 4513 6933 (London) Offer Website: https://projects.morrowsodali.com/uruguay HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. 66 Hudson Boulevard New York, New York 10001 United States of America Attention: Global Liability Management Group Toll Free: +1 (888) HSBC-4LM Collect: +1 (212) 525-5552 Email: [email protected] Santander US Capital Markets LLC 437 Madison Avenue, 10th Floor New York, New York 10022 United States of America Attention: Liability Management Group Toll Free: +1 (855) 404-3636 Collect: +1 (212) 350-0660 Itau BBA USA Securities, Inc. 540 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor New York, New York 10022 United States of America Attention: DCM Collect: +1 (212) 710-6749 Local Tender Offer In addition to the Global Tender Offer, Uruguay announced yesterday, May 8, 2024, a local offer to purchase for cash (the " Local Tender Offer ") certain Treasury Notes and/or Monetary Regulation Bills, subject to the terms and conditions described in the information memorandum dated Wednesday, May 8, 2024 (the " Local Information Memorandum "). The Local Tender Offer is conditioned upon (i) the allocation of the New Bonds Offering, in an amount, at prices and on terms acceptable to Uruguay in its sole discretion and (ii) the New Bonds Offering not being terminated prior to the settlement of the Local Tender Offer. The Local Tender Offer is scheduled to expire tomorrow, Friday, May 10, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. The Local Information Memorandum may be obtained from Uruguay. The Dealer Managers are not acting as dealer managers for the Local Tender Offer. Questions regarding the structure of the Local Tender Offer may be directed to Uruguay at: Victoria Buscio (email: [email protected], Telephone: + 598 (2) 1712 2785) Gabriela Tobias (email: [email protected], Telephone: + 598 (2) 1712 2786) Antonio Juambeltz (email: [email protected], Telephone: + 598 (2) 1712 2957) Jessica Gerpe (email: [email protected], Telephone: + 598 (2) 1712 2957) Questions regarding the tendering process may be directed to the Central Bank of Uruguay at: Fabio Malacrida (email: [email protected], + 598 (2) 1967 1102) Marcelo Vidoni (email: [email protected], + 598 (2) 1967 2444) Veronica Vitette (email: [email protected], + 598 (2) 1967 2426) Important Notice This announcement is not an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell the Old Global Bonds. The Global Tender Offer will be made only by and pursuant to the terms of the Offer to Purchase, as may be amended or supplemented from time to time. The distribution of materials relating to the New Bonds Offering and the Global Tender Offer, and the transactions contemplated by the New Bonds Offering and Global Tender Offer, may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Each of the New Bonds Offering and the Global Tender Offer is made only in those jurisdictions where it is legal to do so. The New Bonds Offering and the Global Tender Offer are void in all jurisdictions where they are prohibited. If materials relating to the New Bonds Offering or the Global Tender Offer come into your possession, you are required to inform yourself of and to observe all of these restrictions. The materials relating to the New Bonds Offering and the Global Tender Offer do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer or solicitation in any place where offers or solicitations are not permitted by law. If a jurisdiction requires that the New Bonds Offering or the Global Tender Offer be made by a licensed broker or dealer and a Dealer Manager or any affiliate of a Dealer Manager is a licensed broker or dealer in that jurisdiction, the New Bonds Offering or the Global Tender Offer, as the case may be, shall be deemed to be made by the Dealer Manager or such affiliate in that jurisdiction. Owners who may lawfully participate in the Global Tender Offer in accordance with the terms thereof are referred to as "holders." Stabilization/FCA No securities are intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in any Member State of the European Economic Area ("EEA"). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client, as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, "MiFID II"); (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97 (as amended, the "Insurance Distribution Directive"), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended or superseded, the "Prospectus Regulation"). Consequently, no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (as amended, the "PRIIPs Regulation") for offering or selling any securities or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA has been prepared and therefore any offering or selling of any securities or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation. No securities are intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the United Kingdom (the "UK"). For these purposes, (a) a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 2017/565 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("EUWA"); (ii) a customer within the meaning of the provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 ("FSMA") and any rules or regulations made under the FSMA to implement the Insurance Distribution Directive, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (8) of Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the EUWA; or (iii) an investor who is not a qualified investor as defined in Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation, and (b) the expression "offer" includes the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for the securities. Consequently, no key information document required by the PRIIPs Regulation, as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (the "UK PRIIPs Regulation"), for offering or selling securities or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the UK has been prepared and therefore any offering or selling of securities or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the UK may be unlawful under the UK PRIIPs Regulation. The expression "UK Prospectus Regulation" means the Prospectus Regulation, as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the EUWA. Neither this communication nor any other offer material relating to the Global Tender Offer is being made, and this communication has not been approved, by an authorized person for the purposes of section 21 of the FSMA. This announcement is for distribution only to persons who (i) are outside the UK; (ii) have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended, the "Financial Promotion Order"); (iii) are persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) ("high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.") of the Financial Promotion Order; or (iv) are persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000) in connection with the issue or sale of any securities may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). This announcement is directed only at relevant persons and must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this document relates is available only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons. ANY DISCLAIMERS OR OTHER NOTICES THAT MAY APPEAR AFTER THIS MESSAGE ARE NOT APPLICABLE TO THIS COMMUNICATION AND SHOULD BE DISREGARDED. SUCH DISCLAIMERS OR OTHER NOTICES WERE AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED AS A RESULT OF THIS COMMUNICATION BEING SENT VIA BLOOMBERG OR ANOTHER EMAIL SYSTEM. SOURCE The Republic of Uruguay Firearms from notorious Depression-era outlaws, Floyd Hamilton and Ford Bradshaw, will be offered at Rock Island Auction Company's May Premier Auction BEDFORD, Texas, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rock Island Auction Company (RIAC) will offer firearms from a pair of Depression-era outlaws, including one from a member of Bonnie and Clyde's "Barrow Gang," during its May Premier Auction, May 17-19, in Bedford, Texas. The three-day auction will offer the Winchester Model 1895 of Public Enemy No. 1 Floyd Hamilton, and the Remington Model 11 shotgun of Ford Bradshaw that was with him when he was killed. The Winchester Model 1895 rifle was Floyd Hamilton's trusted companion while serving as an integral member of Bonnie and Clyde's notorious "Barrow Gang." Hamilton's criminal exploits with Bonnie and Clyde include the daring Eastham Prison Farm rescue in 1934, as well as assisting the couple while they were fugitives. Following Bonnie and Clyde's deaths, Hamilton carried on the duo's legacy, cementing himself as a prominent figure of Depression-era criminal history and earning the FBI's title of "Public Enemy No. 1." The rifle, left behind during a shootout with lawmen, comes with a handwritten note from Hamilton and carries a pre-auction value of $7,500 - $15,000. The Remington Model 11 shotgun was owned by Depression-era outlaw Ford Bradshaw, whose bold bank robberies rivaled those of Bonnie and Clyde and Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd. Bradshaw's rural raids, noted for their audacity and violence, later elevated him to the FBI's "Most Wanted" list. He was eventually killed during a confrontation with lawmen in an Arkoma, Okla. roadhouse. The historic shotgun, found in Bradshaw's car outside the roadhouse, carries a pre-auction value of $5,000 - $10,000. "The Prohibition and Depression-era outlaws are part of this incredibly fascinating time in American history," says Kevin Hogan, President of Rock Island Auction Company. "Here we are, approaching the 90th anniversary of Bonnie & Clyde's death and we're still talking about their deeds. Arms owned by the like of Bradshaw and Hamilton embody this undeniable allure people still have for the era and its lawlessness." The two firearms formerly owned by these outlaws are just a glimpse into the nearly 2,100 lots featured at RIAC's May Premier Auction. The world's number one firearms auction house is pleased to host its first premier auction of 2024 at its state-of-the-art facility in Bedford, Texas. For additional information on Rock Island Auction Company and other highlights of the May event, visit: www.rockislandauction.com. About Rock Island Auction Company: Rock Island Auction Company is the world's no. 1 auction company for firearms, bladed weapons and militaria. Founded in 1993 by its current CEO Patrick Hogan, RIAC continues to lead the industry with record sales numbers and its extensive and well-crafted marketing efforts. The company's 150,000 square-foot Illinois campus consists of two buildings and serves as the company's hub for catalog and content production. The 90,000 square-foot Bedford facility opened in December 2023 and will host six of the company's 18+ auctions each year. RIAC actively seeks consignments, be it a single weapon or a collection of hundreds, an item valued at $1,000 or $1 million. Media Contact: Mattie Van Gundy (713) 409-1835 [email protected] SOURCE Rock Island Auction Company Prestigious International Annual Awards Program Recognizes Standout Digital Health & Medical Technology Products and Companies DALLAS, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Scout , a premier provider of clinical trial services, announced its Scout Portal platform has clinched the "Best Patient Portal" award for the second consecutive year at the 8th annual MedTech Breakthrough Awards. Hosted by MedTech Breakthrough , an independent entity recognizing excellence in digital health and medical technology, this accolade underscores Scout's role in enhancing patient involvement in clinical trials. Built to meet the unique requirements of sponsors, studies, and patients around the world, the Scout Portal simplifies participant travel and payment processes, ensuring higher commitment and retention rates in clinical trials. Its accessibility from any device, translation into over 200 languages, and round-the-clock customer support remove language and time barriers, facilitating global participation. "Our mission to tackle the industry's most pressing challengeretaining trial participantsis at the heart of what we do. Winning this award for the second time reaffirms our dedication to setting new benchmarks in patient care within clinical trials," says Scout CEO Paige Bingham. The MedTech Breakthrough Awards, recognizing health technology innovation globally, received entries from over 18 countries. Steve Johansson, managing director, praised Scout for making trials more accessible. "The biggest challenge in the industry is clinical trial patients adhering to and remaining in their respective trials," said Johansson. "For the second year in a row, we recognize Scout for providing a seamless, stress-free experience for patients participating in clinical trials." Scout's comprehensive Scout Clinical service suite extends beyond the Scout Portal, encompassing full management of travel and payment logistics. Offering multiple payment options and catering to diverse travel needs, Scout ensures a smooth, hassle-free experience for clinical trial participants. This recognition highlights Scout's innovative platform and significant impact on clinical trial processes and participant experiences, marking another milestone in Scout's journey towards revolutionizing patient-centered care in medical research. About Scout Scout empowers the life sciences industry with people-first solutions: Scout Meetings, Scout Clinical, and Scout Academy. We specialize in face-to-face, virtual, and hybrid clinical meeting planning, patient payment, travel, and logistics support, and virtual collaboration and education. Since 1995, we have been a trusted partner excelling in customer service, regulatory compliance, and project delivery for leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Our deep understanding of international regulations and adaptable network of resources is built on operational experience in 108 countries. With white-glove attention to detail and a customizable, comprehensive range of services, Scout makes the complex easier. Learn more at scoutclinical.com . About MedTech Breakthrough Part of Tech Breakthrough , a leading market intelligence and recognition platform for global technology innovation and leadership, the MedTech Breakthrough Awards program is devoted to honoring excellence and innovation in medical & health technology companies, products, services and people. The MedTech Breakthrough Awards provide a platform for public recognition around the achievements of breakthrough healthcare and medical companies and products in categories that include Patient Experience & Engagement, Health & Fitness, Medical Devices, Clinical Administration, Connected Healthcare, Medical Data, Healthcare Cybersecurity and more. For more information visit MedTechBreakthrough.com . Tech Breakthrough LLC does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in our recognition programs, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with award designations. Tech Breakthrough LLC recognition consists of the opinions of the Tech Breakthrough LLC organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Tech Breakthrough LLC disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this recognition program, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. SOURCE Scout Hosted by Jeannie Mai, the evening also honored Kimora Lee Simmons, Naiomi Glasses, and Shoba Lonappan for their commitment to transforming lives through global cleft care NEW YORK, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Last night, Smile Train , the world's largest cleft-focused organization, hosted their 25th anniversary gala at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. The gala was a major milestone event, celebrating a quarter century of unwavering commitment to ensuring every person has access to high-quality comprehensive cleft care, as well as the organization's two millionth surgery. Smile Train celebrates two millionth surgery at 25th anniversary gala. The event took place at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City on May 8, 2024. Susannah Schaefer, President and CEO of Smile Train, opened the momentous evening stating "Smile Train's impact has only grown. Through economic crises, wars, and even a global pandemic I think the results speak for themselves - tens of thousands of surgeons and interdisciplinary medical professionals trained, millions of successful surgeries, tens of billions of dollars in global economic impact, and a galaxy of smiles!" Jeannie Mai, TV personality and executive producer, hosted the event, which brought together Smile Train's global network to celebrate the charity's impact of lighting up children's lives with smiles. The evening honored Kimora Lee Simmons, Naiomi Glasses, and Shoba Lonappan for their efforts to transform children's lives and smiles forever. Multi-platinum recording artist Jordin Sparks joined with a musical performance, and DJ Jazzy Jeff hosted the afterparty. Kimora Lee Simmons ; Entrepreneur, creative director, and Smile Train Ambassador received the Goodwill Ambassador Award, presented to a member of Smile Train's family who selflessly and proudly advocates for their work. "A child's smile is universal I recently had the opportunity to visit Peru [with Smile Train]. I was able to bring the well-wishes and support of hundreds of women who believe in Smile Train's work. I also had the opportunity to hear the stories of children and families who are transformed by these surgeries. Let's keep changing the world for these kids." Naiomi Glasses; Dine weaver and designer Smile Maker Award, recognizing a cleft-affected person who inspires others with their courage and spirit. "I'm proud of what I get to do. What I'm most proud of is that I can represent my Dine, my people, to the world. I am often the only Native person in the room. I am often the only cleft-affected person in the room. And that is always an incredible opportunity to share my story, on behalf of all the people who might be overlooked. So for any of the Native kids and their families who are cleft-affected, and wondering if they can find the resources to get to the big city for treatment, I am here to say you can. And if there's a little boy or little girl out there who has BIG dreams and wants to live them someday, I hope you can look at me and see that you can. And for the cleft-affected kids who get bullied at school because they look different, I'll tell you the same thing my mom told me: you are beautiful, you can do and be anything you want in this life." Shoba Lonappan ; Nurse and Smile Train Partner Teach a Woman to Fish Award, celebrating a philosophy core to Smile Train's work since its founding by empowering local caregivers and providers to care for children with clefts. "For me, the most rewarding part of my work is meeting the children after they have recovered from surgery. They are happy and smiling, just like a healthy child should, and so are their parents. For me, this is the best feeling in the world. Smile Train has been a wonderful partner. You help us give these patients the care they need. You help us "teach a person to fish." These children come to our clinic helpless and afraid. With your support, they leave ready to integrate into society and enjoy a brighter, happier future. Your generosity is changing lives here in Thrissur, and all over the world." Smile Train is the only cleft-focused organization with a sustainable and local model of supporting cleft surgeries and other forms of essential care to include oral health, speech services, ENT, and audiology. To date, Smile Train has empowered more than 2,100 medical professionals across 95+ countries to provide more than 2 million free, high-quality, life-changing cleft surgeries to people in need. The organization has also ensured a bright future for cleft treatment and care, hosting 60,000+ training opportunities for medical workers and partnering with more than 1,100 health centers. Kate Bosworth and Justin Long served as co-chairs of the Honorary Gala Committee alongside Kenyan Drake, Howie Mandel, Chanel Iman, Christie Brinkley, Elizabeth Gillies, and Reba McEntire. Bank of America served as the Platinum Sponsor. For more information about the event, please visit smiletrain25.com . ABOUT SMILE TRAIN: Smile Train empowers local medical professionals with training, funding, and resources to provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children globally. We advance a sustainable solution and scalable global health model for cleft treatment, drastically improving children's lives, including their ability to eat, breathe, speak, and ultimately thrive. To learn more about how Smile Train's sustainable approach means donations have both an immediate and long-term impact, please visit smiletrain.org . MEDIA CONTACT: Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis [email protected] SOURCE Smile Train Winners represent achievements in disability employment nationwide VIENNA, Va., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SourceAmerica, an AbilityOne authorized enterprise that creates employment opportunities for people with disabilities, announced the winners of its national achievement awards at its annual Xforce Conference in Orlando, Florida on May 8, 2024. The SourceAmerica achievement awards recognize nonprofits, employees and business partners for their exceptional work ethic, success and leadership in advancing inclusion for people with disabilities in the workforce. These awards highlight successes in disability employment, especially when approximately 63 percent of working age people with disabilities do not have jobs. "SourceAmerica is dedicated to creating opportunities for inclusive and diverse work environments where every individual has the opportunity to thrive," said Richard Belden, SourceAmerica president and chief executive officer. "These awards serve as a testament to the incredible contributions of people with disabilities, breaking barriers and proving that diversity is a key driver of success." Learn more about the outstanding accomplishments of the 2024 Achievement Award winners: Jason Sodano, New Leaf Inc., Oak Harbor, Washington William M. Usdane Award for outstanding achievement and exceptional character Jason Sodano has been awarded the William M. Usdane Award, which celebrates an AbilityOne Program employee with a disability who has exhibited outstanding achievement and exceptional character. Sodano, who has autism, has worked for New Leaf for more than 13 years in various roles, and has become a standout employee for his award-winning perfect attendance and his dedication to performing his duties. Currently working as a janitor at the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Sodano focuses on in-depth cleaning and sanitation in the base gym that serves up to 1,700 military personnel in a day. During his time at New Leaf, Sodano has received multiple company awards, consistently exceeds quality control standards in his department, and is known for his willingness to advocate for himself, his coworkers and his position. Minh Van Bui, Endeavors Unlimited, Houston, Texas Evelyne Villines Award for advancement into management Minh Van Bui, who currently works as the Houston area manager for Endeavors Unlimited, is the recipient of the Evelyne Villines Award, which honors an individual with a disability who has advanced from work on an AbilityOne contract into management (supervisory or leadership) within the nonprofit agency, or into private or government employment. Minh, who is deaf, has worked for Endeavors Unlimited for more than four years and has risen to team leader for the Houston region where she manages more than 30 people on teams throughout the area. Throughout her tenure, she has helped fuel growth at Endeavors Unlimited by expanding the team, allowing them to take on more contracts, and recognizing the abilities of people with disabilities and promoting from within whenever possible. Stacey Buckner, ServiceSource, Fayetteville, North Carolina Tom Miller Advocacy Award for outstanding achievement and self-advocacy Stacey Buckner is the recipient of the Tom Miller Advocacy Award, which recognizes an employee with a disability who has demonstrated outstanding achievement and remarkable passion for self-advocacy on a local, state or national level. After suffering a stroke and traumatic brain injury in 2008, Buckner faced a long and difficult recovery. She worked with ServiceSource to secure employment within the AbilityOne Program at Fayetteville Veterans Affairs Medical Center. There, Buckner took a deeper interest in the needs of homeless veterans. Through partnering with ServiceSource, Buckner has launched several nonprofits focused on the mental and physical health of local Fayetteville veterans, including Off-Road Outreach, a program that provides showers, laundry, clothing and meals; Veggies for Vets, a fresh food program serving more than 50 veterans weekly; and the Big Tiny Project, a planned tiny home community granting up to 180 days of free transitional housing to homeless and at-risk veterans in Fayetteville. Buckner has also been recognized as a CNN 2023 HERO . James W. Murray III, Training, Rehabilitation & Development Institute (TRDI), Valdosta, Georgia Honor Roll for Veterans Award for outstanding achievement in their work James W. Murray III, a 25-year Air Force veteran, is the winner of the Honor Roll for Veterans Award, which pays tribute to a veteran with a service-related disability who has exhibited outstanding achievement in their work. Murray has service-related disabilities, including shoulder and back injuries, and currently works as an aircraft servicer at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia, where he is a natural leader of the team and puts his Air Force experience to great use. In one instance, Murray declared a ground emergency and acted quickly to help save a multimillion-dollar jet that caught on fire, while also keeping everyone safe from harm. In his free time, Murray also serves his country through his other passion, baking. Murray often bakes for the troops at Moody Air Force Base Camp. NONPROFIT AGENCY AWARDS FOR INNOVATIVE WORK METHODS, PRODUCTS OR SERVICES TAC Industries (Fresh Abilities), Springfield, Ohio Innovation Award Winner TAC Industries has been named the Innovation Award Winner, which honors a nonprofit agency in the SourceAmerica network that developed innovative work methods, products or services during 2022. TAC Industries created the Fresh Abilities restaurant, a farm-to-table quick service restaurant on the Clark State College campus, which functions simultaneously as an employment center and a training program for workers with disabilities. TAC developed a curriculum that includes over 100 hours of classroom instruction and hands-on skill building. TAC's partnership with Clark State benefits employees who receive employment and training, as well as students, faculty and employees of the university who have access to healthy food, as well as college administration, which can divert funds previously spent on food service to other student-focused areas. Canyon Ranch Resort, Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona, Tucson, Arizona Business Partnership Award for commercial business partnering to increase employment for people with disabilities Canyon Ranch Resort is the recipient of the Business Partnership Award, which honors a small to large commercial business that has partnered with a SourceAmerica-affiliated nonprofit agency to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Canyon Ranch Resort worked directly with Catholic Community Services after COVID-19 to fill several vacancies at the hotel. Through this partnership, several competitive integrated job opportunities were created and filled, many of which are held by people with disabilities. Canyon Ranch worked closely with Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona to ensure its operations are fully inclusive of individuals with disabilities and creates pathways for each individual who wants to start a career at the resort. About SourceAmerica SourceAmerica connects government customers and other organizations to a national network of AbilityOne authorized providers that hire a talented segment of the workforcepeople with disabilities. Established in 1974, SourceAmerica is committed to increasing economic and social inclusion and advocating for a more accessible future of work for people with disabilities. SourceAmerica, an AbilityOne authorized enterprise, harnesses the momentum and boosts the capability of its network and customers as a leading job connector for the disability community. To learn more, visit SourceAmerica.org and follow @SourceAmerica on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. SOURCE SourceAmerica Elite Distinction Confirms srcLogic's Consistent Excellence in Pega Delivery to Government Clients VIENNA, Va., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- srcLogic, a leading partner of Pega, the leading enterprise AI decisioning and workflow automation platform provider, today announced earning the Government Elite distinction in the Pega Partner program. Government Elite distinction is reserved for top performing partners with the most distinguished impact on the Pega ecosystem in the government segment. Government Elite Partners must meet a high skill threshold and demonstrate consistent project delivery and client success. srcLogic continues to enable the government's largest and most complex organizations to achieve success with the low-code Pega Platform. The Government Elite distinction serves as an endorsement of srcLogic's commitment to staying at the forefront of the latest Pega technologies, our adoption of the Pega Express delivery methodology, and our deep-rooted expertise in the public sector realm. srcLogic also supports the Pega Government ecosystem as a Pega Authorized Training Provider. "Our commitment to Pega, our clients, and their mission is a top priority," said Emily Camardo, Director of Operations, srcLogic. "Continued investment in the training and professional development of our team has helped extend the reach of the Pega Platform and improved our client experiences. This distinction solidifies our standing as a leader in the public sector." "The expertise of Pega partners like srcLogic is critical in enabling our public sector clients to accelerate their digital transformation endeavors with agility," said Judy Buchholz, senior vice president, global partner ecosystem, Pega. "We are eager to continue our joint efforts, leveraging our collective strengths to support our clients in achieving their strategic goals." "Achieving Government Elite status is a powerful reflection of the hard work and commitment srcLogic continues to put into its partnership with Pega," said Jen Pratt, General Manager, US Government, Pega. "We look forward to continuing our work together to deliver critical outcomes for our government clients and their constituents." For more information about srcLogic, please visit srclogic.com. About srcLogic srcLogic provides Pega implementation and training services with 100% US-based, Pega Certified Consultants. Pega is all we do. Our commitment to innovation and continuous training delivers production applications to clients with highly skilled surgical teams in months not years. In addition to expert Pega delivery, srcLogic, a Pega Authorized Training Partner (ATP), provides hands-on, immersive Pega developer training, mentoring, governance, and best practices to ensure long-term sustainable success. SOURCE srcLogic Strategar's success is rooted in its commitment to honesty and transparency in promoting clients' missions and values, and creating effective advertising strategies and campaigns that further those goals. From sustainable food systems and agriculture to education and multicultural marketing, their specialty is strategizing for marketing problems and creating solutions that connect with audiences. Some of their clients include Visit Dallas, The Texas Department of Agriculture, Dallas ISD, Texas A&M-Kingsville Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), and Kroger. Led by Yareli Esteban , the agency has earned accolades for its service and community involvement including supplier of the year in its class in 2022 and 2023 by the Dallas Fort Worth Minority Supplier Development Council, which represents over 1K certified companies. "We are thrilled to be acknowledged in the Longhorn 100 Awards," said Yareli Esteban, CEO of Strategar. "At Strategar, we believe in the power of authenticity and community-centric marketing. This recognition reaffirms our dedication to connecting brands with their audiences in meaningful ways. Strategar's inclusion in the Longhorn 100 is a testament to our leadership and continued growth while doing work that has a tremendous impact in our region." The Longhorn 100 Awards, hosted by the Texas Exes , recognizes the remarkable achievements of UT alumni on a global scale; the event celebrates innovation, financial growth, and the enduring spirit of the Longhorn community. For more information about Strategar, visit Strategar.com. **About Strategar** Strategar is a woman-led advertising agency with over a decade of experience in connecting brands with communities. Grounded in honesty and transparency, they prioritize promoting their clients' missions, values, and campaigns to create meaningful connections with audiences. **About the Longhorn 100** The Longhorn 100 is an annual awards event recognizing the 100 fastest-growing businesses worldwide led by the Texas Exes, University of Texas alumni. Celebrating entrepreneurial excellence, the event fosters networking opportunities and inspires future generations of Longhorn entrepreneurs. For more information, visit TexasExes.org/longhorn100. SOURCE Strategar LLC The global Synthetic Natural Gas Market is anticipated to grow at a higher level. There are various drivers responsible for the growth of the market such as government policies and incentives and technological advancements among others. Investments in infrastructure for gasification, methanation, and distribution networks constitute the backbone of the synthetic natural gas (SNG) market. This strategic allocation of resources is pivotal for ensuring the seamless production and widespread adoption of SNG as a viable energy source. Technological advancements enable the creation of more dependable and cost-effective synthetic natural gas technologies, hence propelling market expansion. Download an Illustrative overview: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=30021783 Browse in-depth TOC on "Synthetic Natural Gas Market" 150 - Tables 100 - Figures 200 - Pages Synthetic Natural Gas Market Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2024 $23.9 billion Estimated Value by 2029 $68.4 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 23.4% Market Size Available for 20192029 Forecast Period 20242029 Forecast Units Value (USD Million/Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Synthetic Natural Gas Market by source, technology, application, and Region. Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and RoW. Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Increased focus on waste-to-energy projects Key Market Drivers Technological advancements in Synthetic natural gas Infrastructure Coal, by source, is expected to be the segment during the forecast period. Public perception plays a crucial role in shaping the trajectory of coal-derived SNG projects. Concerns about air pollution, climate change, and sustainability have led to heightened scrutiny of fossil fuel-based energy sources, including coal. Negative perceptions of coal's environmental impact, such as its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and its association with local air pollution and health issues, can lead to opposition from communities, environmental groups, and policymakers. Furthermore, public perception can affect the market demand for SNG produced from coal by influencing consumer preferences, investor decisions, and corporate sustainability goals. Companies operating in industries sensitive to public opinion, such as utilities and energy providers, may face reputational risks and market backlash if they are perceived as supporting or investing in coal-derived SNG projects without adequate environmental mitigation measures. The Anaerobic digestion & fermentation, by technology, is expected to be the largest segment during the forecast period. Waste management needs are increasingly pressing in modern societies, particularly concerning the management of organic waste. Anaerobic digestion and fermentation technology present a compelling solution to this challenge by efficiently converting organic waste into energy. As urban populations grow and consumption patterns evolve, the volume of organic waste generated continues to rise, placing strain on traditional waste management systems. Inefficient disposal of organic waste not only contributes to environmental pollution but also represents a significant missed opportunity for resource recovery. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing region in the Synthetic Natural Gas Market. Robust economic growth in the Asia Pacific region drives increased energy consumption across various sectors, including industry, transportation, and residential. As economies expand, there is a greater demand for energy, including cleaner alternatives like SNG, to fuel industrial processes, power generation, and transportation networks. Rapid urbanization, population growth, and increasing per capita income levels in many Asia Pacific countries drive up overall energy demand. This trend is particularly pronounced in emerging economies experiencing a surge in industrialization and infrastructure development. Consequently, there is a heightened focus on diversifying the energy mix and securing sustainable sources of energy, including SNG, to meet the growing needs of a burgeoning population and expanding economies. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=30021783 Key Market Players of Synthetic Natural Gas Industry: Some of the major players in the Synthetic Natural Gas Market are Basin Electric Power Cooperative (US), Air Liquide (France), EnviTec Biogas AG (Germany), Verbio SE (Germany), Kinder Morgan (US). The major strategies adopted by these players include new product launches, acquisitions, contracts, agreements, partnerships, joint ventures, collaborations, investments, and expansions. Recent Developments of Synthetic Natural Gas Industry: In April 2024 , Air Liquide continues to expand its capacities in biomethane, also known as Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) in the U.S., with the construction of two new production units. These units, located in Center Township, Pennsylvania , and Holland Township, Michigan , will treat waste sourced from dairy farms. , Air Liquide continues to expand its capacities in biomethane, also known as Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) in the U.S., with the construction of two new production units. These units, located in , and , will treat waste sourced from dairy farms. In April 2024 , Brightmark RNG Holdings, a joint venture between Chevron USA Inc. and Brightmark, has opened its Eloy Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) center, producing pipeline fuel by capturing methane from dairy operations. Eloy RNG will produce RNG using anaerobic digesters at the Caballero Dairy farm in Arizona . , Brightmark RNG Holdings, a joint venture between Chevron Inc. and Brightmark, has opened its Eloy Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) center, producing pipeline fuel by capturing methane from dairy operations. Eloy RNG will produce RNG using anaerobic digesters at the Caballero Dairy farm in . In April 2024 , AMERESCO, A leading cleantech integrator specializing in energy efficiency and renewable ENERGY, DEVELOPED and construct advanced technology biogas cogeneration facility for the Sacramento Area Sewer District located at the EchoWater Resource Recovery Facility which will cost nearly USD 140 million . , AMERESCO, A leading cleantech integrator specializing in energy efficiency and renewable ENERGY, DEVELOPED and construct advanced technology biogas cogeneration facility for the Sacramento Area Sewer District located at the EchoWater Resource Recovery Facility which will cost nearly . In March 2024 , Electrochaea and Erik Thun AB have signed an agreement to enter negotiations on the off-take of e-methane to be produced by Electrochaea' s subsidiary BioCAT Roslev Aps in Denmark for usage as maritime fuel in the vessels operated by Erik Thun AB. The primary interviews conducted for this report can be categorized as follows: By Company Type: Tier 1 - 65%, Tier 2 - 24%, and Tier 3 - 11% By Designation: C-level - 30%, D-level - 25%, and Others - 45% By Region: North America - 10%, Europe - 25%, Asia Pacific - 35%, and the Rest of the World 30% Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=30021783 Synthetic Natural Gas Market - Key Benefits of Buying the Report: The report defines, describes, and forecasts the global synthetic natural gas by source, technology, application, and Region. It also offers a detailed qualitative and quantitative analysis of the market. The report comprehensively reviews the major market drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges. It also covers various important aspects of the market. These include an analysis of the competitive landscape, market dynamics, market estimates in terms of value, and future trends in the synthetic natural gas market. The report provides insights on the following pointers: Government initiatives at the national and international levels amplify the impact of investment on the synthetic natural gas market. Robust policy frameworks, often accompanied by financial incentives, subsidies, and regulatory support, encourage widespread adoption of synthetic natural gas. Factors such as high initial cost and lack of infrastructure restrain the growth of the market. The growing energy transition towards renewable energy sources and rapid urbanization are expected to present lucrative opportunities for the players operating in the synthetic natural gas. Product Development/ Innovation: The synthetic natural gas market is witnessing significant product development and innovation, driven by the growing demand for environmentally friendly, safe and sustainable products. Companies are investing in developing advanced synthetic natural gas technologies for various applications. The synthetic natural gas market is witnessing significant product development and innovation, driven by the growing demand for environmentally friendly, safe and sustainable products. Companies are investing in developing advanced synthetic natural gas technologies for various applications. Market Development: Air Liquide collaborated with Dentro il Sole (DIS) to operate as an electrical contractor for constructing two biomethane production units in Italy . These units have a production capacity of 50 GWh per year. Air Liquide collaborated with Dentro il Sole (DIS) to operate as an electrical contractor for constructing two biomethane production units in . These units have a production capacity of 50 GWh per year. Market Diversification Basin Electric Power Cooperative plans to construct up to 583 megawatts of natural gas generation plant under its subsidiary Dakota Gasification Company near the existing Pioneer Generation Station, northwest of Williston, North Dakota . Basin Electric Power Cooperative plans to construct up to 583 megawatts of natural gas generation plant under its subsidiary Dakota Gasification Company near the existing Pioneer Generation Station, northwest of . Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of market shares, growth strategies, and service offerings of leading players, like include Basin Electric Power Cooperative (US), Air Liquide ( France ), EnviTec Biogas AG ( Germany ), Verbio SE ( Germany ), and Kinder Morgan (US), among others in the synthetic natural gas market. Related Reports: Fuel Cell Market - Global Forecasts to 2028 Biomethane Market - Global Forecasts to 2030 Hydrogen Market - Global Forecasts to 2030 Get access to the latest updates on Synthetic Natural Gas Companies and Synthetic Natural Gas Industry Growth About MarketsandMarkets: MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America's best management consulting firms as per a survey conducted by Forbes. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1951202/4609423/MarketsandMarkets.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets CHICAGO, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Arizton's latest research report, the Indonesia construction equipment market is growing at a CAGR of 4.17% during 2023-2029. To Know More, Click: https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/indonesia-construction-equipment-market Indonesia Construction Equipment Market Research Report by Arizton Indonesia Construction Equipment Market Report Scope Report Attributes Details Market Size- Volume (2029) 36,510 Units Market Size- Volume (2023) 28,568 Units CAGR- Volume (2023-2029) 4.17 % Historic Year 2020-2022 Base Year 2023 Forecast Year 2024-2029 In 2023, the Indonesian government increased infrastructure development projects, including constructing airports, railway lines, roadways, highways & bridges across the country. The government invested $407 billion under the Nation Strategic Plan; the fund was directed in 200 different PPP projects in 2023. The demand for hydraulic excavators is growing due to the rise in public infrastructure projects, which include the extension of railways tracks, airports & renovation of bridges & highways across Indonesia in 2023. Several road construction & housing projects were under progress in different countries in the Indonesian market in 2023. The demand for large crawler excavators is growing in Indonesia due to extensive use in nickel and coal mining projects. In 2023, the Indonesian government started a new nickel smelter in the North Morowali region of Central Sulawesi. The smelter produced 13 million tons of nickel ore annually. In addition, the government has also planned to invest in various public infrastructure projects in Jakarta. Investments are also directed toward the construction of businesses, a financial center for global research, and the development of emerging technologies such as clean energy and 5G technology. The sales of crawler excavators are expected to grow due to rise in smart city projects in Jakarta, Bandung, & Surabaya. These tools can also operate in rough terrains efficiently, which makes them ideal for smart city projects. In contrast to developed economies such as Western Europe, North America and other medium and large excavators are in higher demand. Vendor Insights Caterpillar, Kobelco, SANY, Hitachi Construction Machinery, and Komatsu are leaders in the Indonesia construction equipment market. These companies have strong market share and offer diverse sets of equipment. construction equipment market. These companies have strong market share and offer diverse sets of equipment. Toyota Material Handling, Kubota, Liu Gong , Yanmar, and JCB are niche players in the Indonesia construction equipment market. These companies offer low product diversification and have a strong presence in the local Indonesian market. , Yanmar, and JCB are niche players in the construction equipment market. These companies offer low product diversification and have a strong presence in the local Indonesian market. Volvo Construction Equipment, Zoomlion, Takeuchi, and XCMG are emerging in the Indonesia construction equipment market. These companies are introducing new technologically advanced products to challenge the market share of market leaders in the country's market. construction equipment market. These companies are introducing new technologically advanced products to challenge the market share of market leaders in the country's market. SAKAI , Sumitomo, Hyundai Construction Equipment, and Liebherr had an established presence for a significant period in the Indonesia construction equipment industry, coupled with diverse product offerings. These companies generally lag behind competitors in providing innovative and advanced product technology. Indonesia Construction Equipment Market Dynamics Drivers Government Investments in Public Infrastructure Projects through PPP Model Skilled Labor Shortage due to High Dependency on Foreign Labor Rise in Mining Projects Drive Compact Equipment Trends Intense Rivalry between Chinese and other OEMs in the Indonesian market Adoption of Electric & Hydrogen Fuel Technologies Application of Mini Excavators in Palm Oil Plantations Challenges Surge in Building Material Prices Hampers the Construction Projects Skilled Labor Shortage due to High Dependency on Foreign Labor Government Policy to allow Foreign-Manufactured Used Equipment, Hampering Sales of New Equipment Buy this Research @ https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/indonesia-construction-equipment-market Post-Purchase Benefit 1hr of free analyst discussion 10% of customization Prominent Vendors Caterpillar Komatsu Volvo Construction Equipment Hitachi Construction Machinery Kubota SANY JCB Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co. Ltd. (XCMG) Kobelco Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Co. Ltd Hyundai Construction Equipment Other Prominent Vendors Liebherr LiuGong Yanmar Sumitomo Construction Machinery Takeuchi Toyota Material Handling Manitou SAKAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD KATO WORKS CO., LTD. GEHL MERLO Group Bobcat Terex Corporation CNH Industrial Mecalac AIRMAN Shandong Lingong Construction Machinery (SDLG) Hidromek Rokbak Distributor Profiles PT Indotruck Utama United Tractors Multicrane Perkasa PT. Airindo Sakti PT. Sumitomo Construction Machinery PT. Badak Prima Lestari PT. United Equipment Indonesia ALTRAK 1978 Market Segmentation Type Earthmoving Equipment Excavator Backhoe Loaders Wheeled Loaders Other Earthmoving Equipment (Other loaders, Bulldozers, Trenchers) Road Construction Equipment Road Rollers Asphalt Pavers Material Handling Equipment Crane Forklift & Telescopic Handlers Aerial Platforms (Articulated Boom Lifts, Telescopic Boom lifts, Scissor lifts) Other Construction Equipment Dumper Tipper Concrete Mixer Concrete Pump Truck End Users Construction Mining Manufacturing Others (Power Generation, Utilities Municipal Corporations, Oil & Gas, Cargo Handling, Power Generation Plants, Waste Management) Key Questions Answered in the Report: Who are the key players in the Indonesia construction equipment market? What is the growth rate of the Indonesia construction equipment market? How big is the Indonesia construction equipment market? What are the trends in the Indonesia construction equipment industry? Which are the major distributor companies in the Indonesia construction equipment market? How big is the Indonesia construction equipment market? What is the growth rate of the Indonesia construction equipment market? Who are the key players in the Indonesia construction equipment market? What are the trends in the Indonesia construction equipment industry? Which are the major distributor companies in the Indonesia construction equipment market? Check Out Some of the Top Selling Research Report: Philippines Construction Equipment Rental Market - Strategic Assessment & Forecast 2024-2029 Thailand Construction Equipment Rental Market - Strategic Assessment & Forecast 2024-2029 Indonesia Construction Equipment Rental Market - Strategic Assessment & Forecast 2024-2029 Southeast Asia Construction Equipment Market - Strategic Assessment & Forecast 2024-2029 Get the Detailed TOC @ https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/indonesia-construction-equipment-market Why Arizton? 100% Customer Satisfaction 24x7 availability we are always there when you need us 200+ Fortune 500 Companies trust Arizton's report 80% of our reports are exclusive and first in the industry 100% more data and analysis 1500+ reports published till date About Us: Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovative and quality-driven firm that offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients worldwide. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services. We offer comprehensive market research reports on consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare, life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals, materials, I.T. and media, logistics, and packaging. These reports contain detailed industry analysis, market size, share, growth drivers, and trend forecasts. Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports. Contact Us Call: +1-312-235-2040 +1 302 469 0707 Mail: [email protected] Contact Us: https://www.arizton.com/contact-us Blog: https://www.arizton.com/blog Website: https://www.arizton.com/ Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2408866/Aritzon_Construction_Market.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/818553/Arizton_Logo.jpg SOURCE Arizton Advisory & Intelligence MIAMI, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 50 ceramic companies from the Spanish delegation showcased their latest collections and cutting-edge products at Coverings 2024, North America's premier international tile and stone exhibition and conference. Held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA from April 22 - 25, 2024, this year's fair emphasized Spain's position at the forefront of innovation in the industry. MAINZU, Fondant ARCANA, Black & Cream During the exhibition, Tile of Spain manufacturers presented a captivating array of novelties, featuring new surface materials that embody advancements in technology, the integration of sustainable solutions, and state-of-the-art graphics, with each new offering meticulously designed to meet needs of modern installers, architects, designers, and end-users. Below is a highlight of key trends from Spain that underscore the macro-diversity of new and emerging ceramics: HUMAN TOUCH Spanish manufacturers are adopting a new approach to ceramic design by honoring its origins as a hand-made material. Novel collections celebrate the craftsmanship and artisanal appeal of traditional tiles, as subtle variations of Earth-tones, natural textures and softer forms become protagonists. VISUAL AUTHENTICITY The biophilic movement has evolved beyond the superficial representation of organic matter, opting for a deeper exploration of the outside world. This thematic shift sees interior details drawing inspiration from the overarching essence of geographical terrains as opposed to the mere imitation of nature. Spanish companies have taken note, curating full-field ceramics and individual tiles with profound visual variance that depict cyclical environmental changes. BALANCING ACT Diversity and versatility in architecture and design have never been more celebrated than they are today. The once-taboo practice of mixing colors, metals and materials within a room is now embraced with enthusiasm. As digital augmentation in the ceramic realm continues to advance, the desire to incorporate multiple contrasting elements within a single piece of tile signifies a departure from traditional design norms, encouraging creativity and individuality. PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENTS Achieving equilibrium between aesthetics and ergonomics in design is a delicate task, but the metamorphosis of ceramic slabs and larger formats, particularly from pioneering Spanish brands, is simplifying the process, while maintaining visual integrity. Porcelain tiles have become more than just a surface covering for walls and floors; they are a flexible element that can be applied across countertops, exterior facades, staircases, retail displays, water features and more. The inherent properties of these substantial tiles such as ease of maintenance, durability, resistance to stains, scratches and fire and its ability to withstand extreme changes in weather, enhance the functionality and quality of a space as well as the well-being of its occupants. RADIANT NEUTRALS Like any facet of ceramic design, in-vogue colorways emerge and develop based on input from multiple industries. With many institutions offering their own take on leading "it" colors, it's clear that neutrals continue to reign with a slight spectrum shift towards warm flesh-tones. Ceramic manufacturers follow suit with new lines that utilize a range of nudes, symbolizing a deeper understanding of color psychology and its impact on mood and perception. Contact: Frank Advertising Catherine Hoy/Kristen Pirrocco Phone: 732-644-3285/609-731-4976 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Tile of Spain LELAND, N.C., May 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Tri-Tech Forensics, Inc. (Tri-Tech), a leading provider of tactical emergency medical solutions and human identification kits, is pleased to announce the acquisition of SAM Medical (SAM Medical), a globally renowned provider of innovative medical devices and trauma care solutions including tourniquets, hemostatics, splints, pelvic binders, and intraosseous access systems. The acquisition of SAM Medical marks a significant expansion of Tri-Tech's proprietary offering of emergency medical products, further solidifying its leadership position in the emergency medical market following its recent acquisition of Hartwell Medical in January. SAM Medical acquired by Tri-Tech Forensics Post this SAM Medical logo Founded by Dr. Sam and Cherrie Scheinberg, SAM Medical has a distinguished history of revolutionizing emergency medical care products for the trauma management field. As a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon and Vietnam War-tested trauma surgeon, Dr. Scheinberg pioneered many cutting-edge and life-saving products over the years, including the widely known SAM Splint. The company also is well known for its SAM XT Extremity Tourniquet and SAM IO Intraosseous Access System, among other innovative products. Dr. Sam Scheinberg's visionary contributions to the field of emergency medicine have earned him and the team at SAM Medical widespread recognition, and Tri-Tech will continue this legacy of innovation and dedication to improving patient outcomes. SAM Medical will continue its focus on developing high-quality medical devices and solutions for emergency responders, healthcare professionals, and individuals in need of critical care. Tri-Tech recognizes the importance of preserving the unique culture, autonomy and expertise that has made SAM Medical a trusted name in the medical industry for 40 years. SAM Medical will continue to be led by Mr. Randy Reed and the talented team that has been instrumental in the company's success to date, along with steadfast support from Dr. Sam and Cherrie as brand ambassadors. The proven track record of the SAM Medical team will drive innovation across product development to enhance the quality of care available to patients worldwide. "We are confident that joining the Tri-Tech family of companies will provide a bright future for SAM Medical," Dr. Sam Scheinberg said. "Tri-Tech's commitment to excellence and dedication to supporting those on the front lines of emergency care align perfectly with our values. I believe that the team Cherrie and I have built over the years will continue to thrive and make a meaningful impact in the field of emergency medicine under their stewardship." "Dr. Scheinberg's pioneering spirit and his team's focus on products to enhance patient outcomes has been vital in advancing the field of emergency care," said Mr. Jim Seidel, CEO of Tri-Tech. "We have enjoyed partnering successfully with SAM Medical over the years and honored for them to become an integral part of the Tri-Tech family. We are committed in supporting SAM Medical in its continued innovation, growth and success." About Tri-Tech Based in Southeastern North Carolina, Tri-Tech is a leader in providing emergency medical supplies and human identification solutions to first responder and law enforcement markets throughout the world. With more than 40 years of experience, Tri-Tech is the nation's most proficient developer and manufacturer of human identification solutions in the market today. Tri-Tech's premiere DNA collection kits have become the gold standard for DNA collection. The company's Rescue Essentials brand is a leading provider of custom medical kits to local, state and federal agencies large and small. And its Hartwell Medical brand is a leader in patient transport, immobilization, and airway management products. For more information, visit tritechforensics.com , rescue-essentials.com and hartwellmedical.com. About SAM Medical Based near Portland, Oregon, SAM Medical is at the forefront of developing proprietary medical products that are vital for saving lives. With a legacy spanning more than 40 years, the dedicated team at SAM Medical have been designing and producing innovative medical products that have become indispensable for a wide range of applications. SAM products are trusted globally by a wide array of caregivers supporting emergency medical services, wilderness explorers, sports medicine specialists, worldwide security forces and pre-hospital emergency providers. Their innovative approach to medical device engineering has made them a key player in the emergency medical industry. Innovations include the SAM Splint, SAM XT Extremity Tourniquet, SAM IO Intraosseous Access System, SAM Chest Seal, SAM Junctional Tourniquet (SJT), SAM Pelvic Sling, ChitoSAM, and SAM Soft Shell Splint. For more information, visit sammedical.com. SOURCE Tri-Tech Forensics First quarter performance of $298 million in revenue, up 4% sequentially, and 58% gross margin Strong cash flow from operations of $139 million and free cash flow of $124 million * in Q1 2024 Definitive progress made on Smart and Safe Florida adult use initiative and federal rescheduling of cannabis to Schedule III TALLAHASSEE, Fla., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Trulieve Cannabis Corp . (CSE: TRUL ) (OTCQX: TCNNF ) ("Trulieve" or "the Company"), a leading and top-performing cannabis company in the U.S., today announced its results for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. Results are reported in U.S. dollars and in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles unless otherwise indicated. Numbers may not sum perfectly due to rounding. Q1 2024 Financial and Operational Highlights* Revenue of $298 million increased 4% sequentially and year over year , with 96% of revenue from retail sales. Strong first quarter sales were driven by higher retail traffic and average basket size. increased 4% sequentially , with 96% of revenue from retail sales. Strong first quarter sales were driven by higher retail traffic and average basket size. Achieved GAAP gross margin of 58%, with gross profit of $174 million . . Reported net loss of $23 million , an improvement of 31% sequentially and 64% year over year . Adjusted net loss of $10 million * excludes non-recurring charges, asset impairments, disposals and discontinued operations. . Adjusted net loss of * excludes non-recurring charges, asset impairments, disposals and discontinued operations. Achieved EBITDA of $85 million *, or 29% of revenue and adjusted EBITDA of $106 million *, or 36% of revenue , up 21% sequentially and 35% year over year. *, or 29% of revenue and adjusted EBITDA of *, or 36% of revenue Generated cash flow from operations of $139 million and free cash flow of $124 million *. and free cash flow of *. Cash at quarter end was $327 million , inclusive of $50 million in tax refunds, from amended returns, related to our tax challenge of 280E received during the first quarter. , inclusive of in tax refunds, from amended returns, related to our tax challenge of 280E received during the first quarter. Opened three new dispensaries in Cocoa Beach , Palm Bay , and Pinellas Park, Florida . , , and . Ended the quarter with 31% of retail locations outside of the state of Florida . *See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below for additional information and a reconciliation to GAAP for all Non-GAAP metrics. Recent Developments Smart & Safe Florida initiative for adult use will be included on the ballot for the November 2024 election. If passed by voters, sales are anticipated to begin in May 2025 . election. If passed by voters, sales are anticipated to begin in . Department of Justice confirmed progress on federal rescheduling of cannabis to Schedule III, which would allow research and remove 280E tax burden. Opened one retail location in North Palm Beach, FL. Currently operate 196 retail dispensaries and over 4 million square feet of cultivation and processing capacity in the United States . Management Commentary "With strong performance in our core business and several meaningful catalysts on the horizon, the outlook has never been brighter," said Kim Rivers, Trulieve CEO. "The team has done a phenomenal job carrying forward the momentum from last year, driving further improvements in production and retail. Given our financial performance and significant scale in key markets, Trulieve is best positioned for the coming wave of growth catalysts." Financial Highlights* Results of Operations For the Three Months Ended (Figures in millions except per share data and % change based on these figures) March 31, 2024 March 31, 2023 change December 31, 2023 change Revenue $ 298 $ 285 4 % $ 287 4 % Gross Profit $ 174 $ 150 16 % $ 154 13 % Gross Margin % 58 % 53 % 54 % Operating Expenses $ 128 $ 133 (4 %) $ 125 2 % Operating Expenses % 43 % 47 % 43 % Net loss** $ (23) $ (64) 64 % $ (33) 31 % Net loss continuing operations $ (23) $ (34) 32 % $ (37) 36 % Adjusted net loss $ (10) $ (18) 43 % $ (23) 55 % Basic and diluted shares outstanding 189 189 189 EPS continuing operations $ (0.16) $ (0.18) 9 % $ (0.19) 17 % Adjusted EPS $ (0.05) $ (0.09) 44 % $ (0.12) 58 % Adjusted EBITDA $ 106 $ 78 35 % $ 88 21 % Adjusted EBITDA Margin % 36 % 27 % 31 % *See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below for additional information and a reconciliation to GAAP for all Non-GAAP metrics. **Net loss includes discontinued operations and non-controlling interest. Conference Call The Company will host a conference call and live audio webcast on May 9, 2024, at 8:30 A.M. Eastern time, to discuss its first quarter 2024 financial results. Interested parties can join the conference call by dialing in as directed below. Please dial in 15 minutes prior to the call. North American toll free: 1-844-824-3830 Passcode: 3368806 International: 1-412-542-4136 Passcode: 3368806 A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available at: Trulieve Cannabis Corp Q1 2024 Earnings A powerpoint presentation and archived replay of the webcast will be available at: https: //investors.trulieve.com/events The Company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, will be available on the SEC's website or at https://investors.trulieve.com/quarterly-results . The Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for the period and the accompanying financial statements and notes will be available under the Company's profile on SEDAR and on its website at https://investors.trulieve.com/quarterly-results . This news release is not in any way a substitute for reading those financial statements, including the notes to the financial statements. Trulieve Cannabis Corp. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (in millions, except for share data) March 31, 2024 December 31, 2023 ASSETS Current Assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 320.3 $ 201.4 Restricted cash 6.6 6.6 Accounts receivable, net 5.9 6.7 Inventories 209.4 213.1 Prepaid expenses 17.4 17.6 Other current assets 20.3 23.7 Notes receivable - current portion, net 4.4 6.2 Assets associated with discontinued operations 0.9 2.0 Total current assets 585.3 477.3 Property and equipment, net 672.1 676.4 Right of use assets - operating, net 97.2 95.9 Right of use assets - finance, net 58.0 58.5 Intangible assets, net 901.7 917.2 Goodwill 483.9 483.9 Notes receivable, net 6.3 7.4 Other assets 12.8 10.4 Long-term assets associated with discontinued operations 2.0 2.0 TOTAL ASSETS $ 2,819.3 $ 2,729.1 LIABILITIES Current Liabilities: Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 82.8 $ 83.2 Income tax payable 1.2 Deferred revenue 2.1 1.3 Notes payable - current portion 3.8 3.8 Operating lease liabilities - current portion 10.5 10.1 Finance lease liabilities - current portion 7.8 7.6 Construction finance liabilities - current portion 1.6 1.5 Contingencies 4.4 4.4 Liabilities associated with discontinued operations 3.1 3.0 Total current liabilities 117.2 114.8 Long-Term Liabilities: Private placement notes, net 363.6 363.2 Notes payable, net 115.0 115.9 Operating lease liabilities 93.6 92.2 Finance lease liabilities 61.6 61.7 Construction finance liabilities 136.4 136.7 Deferred tax liabilities 217.0 207.0 Uncertain tax position liabilities 278.0 180.4 Other long-term liabilities 5.0 7.1 Long-term liabilities associated with discontinued operations 40.9 41.6 TOTAL LIABILITIES $ 1,428.3 $ 1,320.4 MEZZANINE EQUITY Redeemable non-controlling interest $ 7.7 $ SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Common stock, no par value; unlimited shares authorized. 187,253,410 and 186,235,818 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. $ $ Additional paid-in-capital 2,054.1 2,055.1 Accumulated deficit (663.7) (640.6) Non-controlling interest (7.0) (5.9) TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY 1,383.3 1,408.6 TOTAL LIABILITIES, MEZZANINE EQUITY, AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 2,819.3 $ 2,729.1 Trulieve Cannabis Corp. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) (in millions, except for share data) Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 Revenue $ 297.6 $ 285.2 Cost of goods sold 123.8 135.0 Gross profit 173.8 150.2 Expenses: Sales and marketing 61.1 60.7 General and administrative 40.2 39.3 Depreciation and amortization 27.8 29.6 Impairment and disposal of long-lived assets, net of (recoveries) (1.4) 3.4 Total expenses 127.7 133.0 Income from operations 46.1 17.2 Other income (expense): Interest expense, net (14.7) (21.2) Interest income 3.3 1.1 Other (expense) income, net (2.7) 4.1 Total other expense, net (14.2) (16.0) Income before provision for income taxes 31.9 1.2 Provision for income taxes 55.4 35.5 Net loss from continuing operations (23.5) (34.3) Net loss from discontinued operations, net of tax benefit of zero and $(0.5), respectively (1.4) (31.3) Net loss (24.8) (65.6) Less: net loss attributable to non-controlling interest from continuing operations (1.4) (1.0) Less: net loss attributable to redeemable non-controlling interest from continuing operations (0.3) Less: net loss attributable to non-controlling interest from discontinued operations (0.5) Net loss attributable to common shareholders $ (23.1) $ (64.1) EPS Numerator Reconciliation Net loss attributable to common shareholders $ (23.1) $ (64.1) Net loss from discontinued operations 1.4 30.8 Adjustment of redeemable non-controlling interest to maximum redemption value (8.8) Net loss from continuing operations available to common shareholders $ (30.6) $ (33.3) Net loss per share - Continuing operations: Basic and diluted $ (0.16) $ (0.18) Net loss per share - Discontinued operations: Basic and diluted $ (0.01) $ (0.16) Weighted average number of common shares used in computing net loss per share: Basic and diluted 189.5 188.9 Trulieve Cannabis Corp. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (in millions) Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 Cash flows from operating activities Net loss $ (24.8) $ (65.6) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 27.8 30.4 Depreciation included in cost of goods sold 13.5 13.6 Non-cash interest expense, net 0.4 1.4 Impairment and disposal of long-lived assets, net of recoveries (1.4) 31.0 Amortization of operating lease right of use assets 2.6 2.6 Accretion of construction finance liabilities 0.2 0.4 Share-based compensation 5.2 2.4 Proceeds received from insurance - inventory and business interruption 1.5 Change in fair value of derivative liabilities - warrants (0.3) Non-cash change in contingencies (3.7) Allowance for credit losses 3.0 (0.2) Deferred income tax expense (benefit) 10.0 (7.9) Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Inventories 3.5 0.3 Accounts receivable 1.5 1.6 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 1.0 (1.8) Other assets (2.4) 1.9 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 1.0 9.2 Income tax payable 2.7 (13.4) Other current liabilities (5.4) Operating lease liabilities (2.2) (2.5) Deferred revenue 0.8 (4.5) Uncertain tax position liabilities 97.6 9.8 Other long-term liabilities (2.1) 1.2 Net cash provided by operating activities 139.2 0.4 Cash flows from investing activities Purchases of property and equipment (15.6) (13.7) Capitalized interest 0.1 (0.6) Purchases of internal use software (5.0) (2.0) Proceeds received from insurance recoveries on property and equipment 0.5 Cash paid for licenses (3.5) Proceeds from sales of long-lived assets 0.3 Payments received from notes receivable 0.3 0.2 Proceeds from sale of held for sale assets 0.7 0.6 Net cash used in investing activities (19.0) (18.8) Cash flows from financing activities Proceeds from redemption of non-controlling interest 3.0 Proceeds from equity exercises 0.2 Payments on notes payable (0.9) (3.4) Payments on finance lease obligations (1.9) (2.0) Payments on construction finance liabilities (0.8) (0.3) Distributions to subsidiary non-controlling interest (1.1) (0.1) Net cash used in financing activities (1.6) (5.8) Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted 118.6 (24.2) Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, beginning of period 208.0 213.8 Cash and cash equivalents of discontinued operations, beginning of period 0.3 5.7 Less: cash and cash equivalents of discontinued operations, end of period (2.5) Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, end of period $ 326.9 $ 192.8 The consolidated statements of cash flows include continuing operations and discontinued operations for the periods presented. Non-GAAP Financial Measures (Unaudited) In addition to our results determined in accordance with GAAP, we supplement our results with non-GAAP financial measures, including EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin %, adjusted net loss (income), adjusted net income (loss) per diluted share and free cash flow. The Company calculates EBITDA as net income (loss) before net interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization; adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) before net interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization and also excludes certain extraordinary items; adjusted net income (loss) as net income (loss) less certain extraordinary items; and free cash flow as cash flow from operations less capital expenditures. Our management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in conjunction with GAAP financial measures to evaluate our operating results and financial performance. We believe these measures are useful to investors as they are widely used measures of performance and can facilitate comparison to other companies. These non-GAAP financial measures are not, and should not be considered as, measures of liquidity. These non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools in that they do not reflect all of the amounts associated with our results of operations as determined in accordance with GAAP. Because of these limitations, these non-GAAP financial measures should be considered along with GAAP financial performance measures. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. Investors are encouraged to review the reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. A reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures to such GAAP measures can be found below. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered supplemental to, and not a substitute for, our reported financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP. Reconciliation of Non-GAAP EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin % (Unaudited) The following table presents a reconciliation of GAAP net loss to non-GAAP EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin %, for each of the periods presented: (Amounts expressed in millions of United States dollars) Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 March 31, 2023 December 31, 2023 Net loss attributable to common shareholders $ (23.1) $ (64.1) $ (33.4) Add (deduct) impact of: Interest expense, net $ 14.7 $ 21.2 $ 20.6 Interest income $ (3.3) $ (1.1) $ (1.8) Provision for income taxes $ 55.4 $ 35.5 $ 45.4 Depreciation and amortization $ 27.8 $ 29.6 $ 27.2 Depreciation included in cost of goods sold $ 13.5 $ 12.1 $ 14.5 EBITDA (Non-GAAP) $ 85.0 $ 33.2 $ 72.5 EBITDA Margin % (Non-GAAP) 29 % 12 % 25 % Impairment and disposal of long-lived assets, net of (recoveries) $ (1.4) $ 3.4 $ 1.2 Legislative campaign contributions $ 9.2 $ 10.5 $ 0.5 Acquisition, transaction, and other non-recurring costs $ 3.7 $ 1.9 $ 10.7 Share-based compensation $ 5.2 $ 2.4 $ 3.2 Other expense (income), net $ 2.7 $ (4.1) $ (0.7) Discontinued operations, net of tax, attributable to common shareholders $ 1.4 $ 30.8 $ (1.8) Gain on debt extinguishment, net $ $ $ 2.2 Adjusted EBITDA (Non-GAAP) $ 105.8 $ 78.1 $ 87.8 Adjusted EBITDA Margin % (Non-GAAP) 36 % 27 % 31 % Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Adjusted Net Loss (Unaudited) The following table presents a reconciliation of GAAP net loss to non-GAAP adjusted net loss, for each of the periods presented: For the Three Months Ended (Amounts expressed in millions of United States dollars) March 31, 2024 March 31, 2023 December 31, 2023 Net loss attributable to common shareholders $ (23.1) $ (64.1) $ (33.4) Net loss (income) from discontinued operations $ 1.4 $ 30.8 $ (1.8) Adjustment of redeemable non-controlling interest to maximum redemption value $ (8.8) $ $ Net loss from continuing operations available to common shareholders $ (30.6) $ (33.3) $ (35.2) Add (deduct) impact of: Adjustment of redeemable non-controlling interest to maximum redemption value $ 8.8 $ $ Fair value of derivative liabilities - warrants $ $ (0.3) $ Acquisition, transaction, and other non-recurring costs $ 3.7 $ 1.9 $ 10.7 Legislative campaign contributions $ 9.2 $ 10.5 $ 0.5 Impairment and disposal of long-lived assets, net of (recoveries) $ (1.4) $ 3.4 $ 1.2 Adjusted net loss (Non-GAAP) $ (10.2) $ (17.7) $ (22.8) Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Adjusted Loss Per Share (Unaudited) The following table presents a reconciliation of GAAP loss per share to non-GAAP adjusted loss per share, for each of the periods presented: For the Three Months Ended (Amounts expressed are per share except for shares which are in millions) March 31, 2024 March 31, 2023 December 31, 2023 Net loss attributable to common shareholders $ (0.12) $ (0.34) $ (0.18) Net loss (income) from discontinued operations $ 0.01 $ 0.16 $ (0.01) Adjustment of redeemable non-controlling interest to maximum redemption value $ (0.05) $ $ Net loss from continuing operations available to common shareholders $ (0.16) $ (0.18) $ (0.19) Add (deduct) impact of: Adjustment of redeemable non-controlling interest to maximum redemption value $ 0.05 $ $ Fair value of derivative liabilities - warrants $ $ 0.00 $ Acquisition, transaction, and other non-recurring costs $ 0.02 $ 0.01 $ 0.06 Legislative campaign contributions $ 0.05 $ 0.06 $ 0.00 Impairment and disposal of long-lived assets, net of (recoveries) $ (0.01) $ 0.02 $ 0.01 Adjusted net loss per share (Non-GAAP) $ (0.05) $ (0.09) $ (0.12) Basic and diluted shares outstanding 189.5 188.9 189.0 Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Free Cash Flow (Unaudited) The following table presents a reconciliation of GAAP cash flow from operating activities to non-GAAP free cash flow, for each of the periods presented: For the Three Months Ended (Amounts expressed in millions of United States dollars) March 31, 2024 March 31, 2023 December 31, 2023 Cash flow from operating activities $ 139.2 $ 0.4 $ 131.5 Payments for property and equipment $ (15.6) $ (13.7) $ (9.4) Free cash flow $ 123.6 $ (13.3) $ 122.1 Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes forward-looking information and statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to the Company's expectations or forecasts of business, operations, financial performance, prospects, and other plans, intentions, expectations, estimates, and beliefs and include statements regarding the Company's growth opportunities and and the Company's positioning for the future. Words such as "expects", "continue", "will", "anticipates" and "intends" or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current projections and expectations about future events and financial trends that management believes might affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs, and on certain assumptions and analysis made by the Company in light of the experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors management believes are appropriate. Forward-looking information and statements involve and are subject to assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual events, results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future events, results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking information and statements herein, including, without limitation, the risks discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and in our periodic reports subsequently filed with the United Sates Securities and Exchange Commission and in the Company's filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . Although the Company believes that any forward-looking information and statements herein are reasonable, in light of the use of assumptions and the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in such information and statements, there can be no assurance that any such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance upon such forward-looking information and statements. Any forward-looking information and statements herein are made as of the date hereof and, except as required by applicable laws, the Company assumes no obligation and disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking information and statements herein or to update the reasons that actual events or results could or do differ from those projected in any forward looking information and statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise. About Trulieve Trulieve is an industry leading, vertically integrated cannabis company and multi-state operator in the U.S., with leading market positions in Arizona, Florida, and Pennsylvania. Trulieve is poised for accelerated growth and expansion, building scale in retail and distribution in new and existing markets through its hub strategy. By providing innovative, high-quality products across its brand portfolio, Trulieve delivers optimal customer experiences and increases access to cannabis, helping patients and customers to live without limits. Trulieve is listed on the CSE under the symbol TRUL and trades on the OTCQX market under the symbol TCNNF. For more information, please visit Trulieve.com . Facebook: @Trulieve Instagram: @Trulieve_ X: @Trulieve Investor Contact Christine Hersey, Vice President of Investor Relations +1 (424) 202-0210 [email protected] Media Contact Phil Buck, APR, Corporate Communications Manager +1 (406) 370-6226 [email protected] SOURCE Trulieve Cannabis Corp. LACI Adopts Transportation Technology Innovation Zone at the Warner Center in the San Fernando Valley; Merger Also Adds to LACI's National City Climate Innovation Challenge LOS ANGELES, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) is pleased to announce that Urban Movement Labs (UML) has merged into LACI. The merger will strengthen LACI's capacity to accelerate progress toward the bold transportation electrification targets set by the time the world arrives for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Given the legacy of UML's focus on mobility innovation nationally, the merger bolsters LACI's national City Climate Innovation Challenge whose first cohort includes NYC, DC, Los Angeles, and six other local governments across the US working on piloting zero emissions delivery via local 'innovation sandboxes'. As part of the merger, LACI will carry forward the Transportation Technology Innovation Zone (TTIZ) at the Warner Center in the San Fernando Valley. Through the TTIZ, LACI will invite zero emissions mobility, charging, and other solutions into a dedicated, permanent 'innovation sandbox' to better serve the needs of over 14,000 Angelenos who call Warner Center their home as well as the 45,000 people who work in the community. The TTIZ will also tie to the work of LACI's public-private Transportation Electrification Partnership. (TEP) launched in 2018 as well as the related Clean Energy Partnership (CEP)'s transportation energy nexus targets. "We are excited to announce that the Urban Movement Labs is merging into LACI, expanding our capacity to increase investment in transportation electrification infrastructure, EV and mobility startups, and green job creation in LA and beyond," said Matt Petersen, LACI President and CEO. "Whether it is the work UML did to create the TTIZ at the Warner Center in LA or advancing mobility innovation nationally, the merger strengthens LACI's capacity to scale startups, create green jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions." "LACI is a world-class climate innovation organization, and I am excited to continue working together on key policy measures to accelerate progress on transportation electrification and clean energy here in LA by the time the world arrives in 2028," said Senator Henry Stern. "Through the TTIZ here in the 27th district, we can test and explore different emerging cleantech startup solutions to meet the needs of Angelenos and beyond." "Increasing access to zero-emissions transportation options is critical to advancing climate action, reducing air pollution, and improving public health," said Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel. "Thanks to LACI's expertise and leadership, we will explore clean and reliable transportation electrification innovations at the Warner Center while laying the groundwork for future zero emissions mobility solutions." "LACI is leading the way to bring new, zero emissions transportation and clean energy innovations to the San Fernando Valley through its Transportation Technology Innovation Zone at the Warner Center," said Lindsey P. Horvath, Chair, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. "LACI's unique model can help the Warner Center reduce emissions, create green jobs, and increase access to mobility solutions for the regionall critical as we prepare for significant events including the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games." "I am excited to work with LACI to advance climate action and sustainable mobility solutions here in the 3rd council district," said Councilmember Bob Blumenfeld. "The 'innovation sandbox' that LACI is creating with the TTIZ will provide an opportunity to pilot solutions and scale what works." "Urban Movement Labs has proven itself as a groundbreaking public-private partnership, exemplifying how an organization can successfully facilitate innovation in collaboration with city governments," said Francis Pollara, Co-founder of UML. "Merging with the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, we are proud to carry forward this legacy and accelerate policies and innovation that aid Los Angeles and other cities in achieving their goals. As a new LACI Advisory Council member, I look forward to partnering with LACI to continue our impact." "LADOT's partnership with the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator has already advanced Zero-emission projects citywide," said LADOT General Manager Laura Rubio-Cornejo. "With LACI now leading development of the Transportation Technology Innovation Zone, we look forward to testing innovative models that will inform new efforts to scale up zero emission mobility policies and technologies citywide." With the support of state funding secured by Senator Henry Stern and Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel for the TTIZ, LACI will work in collaboration with Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, the Warner Center Association, and LACI's TEP members to issue and seek zero emission technology solutions that can be deployed in service of the community's needs. The first priority will be an electric on-demand micro-transit shuttle in a pilot to explore meeting the needs of the Warner Center community. The partners will also work to identify a broader set of solutions relating to mobility, charging and delivery. UML launched in 2019 as a public-private partnership to help LA reduce its reliance on single-occupancy vehicles while finding new zero emissions mobility options that can translate to other cities around the world by fostering collaboration between communities, local governments and mobility innovators. UML first launched the TTIZ test bed at Warner Center in early 2021 in partnership with the Warner Center Association and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT). Contact: Cameron Edinburgh 213.647.1441 [email protected] SOURCE Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator Addition of NetCloud Private Networks expands portfolio of private cellular solutions to support business, industry, and mission-critical applications CHICAGO, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- UScellular has added NetCloud Private Networks from Cradlepoint, part of Ericsson, to expand its portfolio of private cellular solutions. The company already offers Ericsson Private 5G and Ericsson's Mission Critical Networks to its customers. By building on these capabilities, UScellular is able to support even more customers across varying areas of business. Some existing private cellular network ecosystems are pulled together piece by piece from different providers, which requires additional training and agreements. This makes it difficult for enterprise IT teams to have seamless visibility across the entire network. NetCloud Private Networks is an end-to-end private cellular network solution that removes these complexities to simplify building and operating private networks. UScellular is able to support even more customers across varying areas of business. Post this "With the addition of NetCloud Private Networks to our portfolio, we can better address business challenges for customers of all sizes to connect business, industry and mission critical applications," said Kim Kerr, senior vice president, enterprise sales and operations for UScellular. "The agility, flexibility and scalability of NetCloud Private Networks helps improve coverage, security, mobility, and reliability for applications where Wi-Fi may not be enough." NetCloud Private Networks supports enterprises who need more scalable, reliable and secure connectivity than they are getting today with traditional Wi-Fi solutions. There is significant opportunity in warehouses, logistics facilities, outdoor storage yards, manufacturing and retail operations environments to provide more connectivity. This will alleviate manual work, improve safety, and provide increased visibility. "UScellular is a leader in this space by showing how a public carrier enhances the value of private network solutions," said Manish Tiwari, head of private cellular networks, Cradlepoint and Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Networks. "By adding NetCloud Private Networks to their portfolio of Ericsson private networks solutions, UScellular unlocks new opportunities for organizations to have local network coverage and address their reliability and security challenges. With solutions available to cater to both OT and IT in industrial and business environments, their customers have a choice in adopting the right private network solution for their use-cases with secure, policy-based wireless connectivity at scale." UScellular provides a range of solutions from public/private hybrid networks, MVNO models, localized data (aka CUPS) and custom VPN approaches. Private 5G offers unparalleled reliability, security and speed, enabling seamless communication and automation. For more information, go to https://business.uscellular.com/products/private-cellular-networks/. About UScellular Business UScellular is the fourth-largest full-service wireless carrier in the United States, providing national network coverage and industry-leading innovations designed to elevate the customer experience. The Chicago-based carrier provides a strong, reliable network supported by the latest technology and plays a critical role in helping businesses of all sizes navigate the wireless ecosystem, delivering advanced technology, increased network security and reliability. To learn more about UScellular's business solutions, visit one of its retail stores or uscellular.com/business. For more information, contact: Chris Bauer UScellular Media Relations [email protected] SOURCE UScellular CARMEL, Ind., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- WorldTrips, a leader in the global travel insurance industry based in Carmel, Indiana, is proud to announce that it has been named a Top Workplace by the IndyStar for the second year in a row. This prestigious award celebrates the best places to work in the Indianapolis area, recognizing companies that excel in creating a positive work environment and fostering a culture of professional growth and satisfaction among employees. A Testament to Employee Satisfaction and Company Culture WorldTrips credits its repeat recognition to its steadfast commitment to fostering a supportive and engaging work environment. "We are deeply honored to receive the Top Places to Work award once again," said President and CEO Mark Carney of WorldTrips. "This accolade is a testament to our dedicated team and our commitment to a company culture that supports their growth and well-being." The Top Places to Work awards are based on rigorous analysis of survey responses from employees, which makes the recognition especially meaningful as it directly reflects the sentiment and satisfaction of the company's workforce. MORE: CNN Underscored Awards WorldTrips "Best Financial Strength" Continuous Growth and Employee Development WorldTrips has made significant investments in employee development programs that encourage continuous learning and career advancement. "We believe that our people are our greatest assets. Providing them with the resources they need to succeed, and grow is fundamental to our mission," says Traci Troutman, Human Resources Manager for WorldTrips. In addition to internal development initiatives, WorldTrips has implemented several employee wellness programs aimed at promoting a healthy work-life balance, which have been exceptionally well received. MORE: WorldTrips Wins Gold Stevie Award Community and Industry Impact Beyond the office, WorldTrips remains committed to impacting the community positively and setting standards within the travel insurance industry. The company's innovative approaches to customer service and comprehensive coverage options set them apart in the marketplace and underscore their reputation as a leader in the industry. About WorldTrips WorldTrips, based in Carmel, Indiana, is a full-service organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of travel medical and trip protection insurance products designed to address the insurance needs of travelers worldwide. WorldTrips is a member of the Tokio Marine HCC group of companies. WorldTrips' Atlas Journey trip protection insurance products are underwritten by Tokio Marine HCC's U.S. Specialty Insurance Company (USSIC). USSIC is a Texas-domiciled insurance company operating on an admitted basis throughout the United States. For more information about WorldTrips, please visit WorldTrips.com. WorldTrips Insurance Services CA License Number 0G39705. Media Contact: [email protected] SOURCE WorldTrips Lisbon-based label partners with New York-based menswear boutique for exclusive pop-up shop experience NEW YORK, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, May 10, emerging premium menswear brand Y.Chroma will be debuting its first-ever pop-up shopping experience at Rothmans NY , the largest independently owned menswear store in the country. Y.Chroma's made-in-europe products will be available in Rothmans through Tuesday, June 25, as part of the brand's first in-store shopping offering. Y.Chroma to Launch First-Ever Pop-Up Retail Experience For the first time, customers will have the opportunity to sample the brand's most in-demand looks, including award-winning pieces such as the Skyline Pant, Sevilla Shirt and Varial Shirt-cut Jacket series. This exciting partnership will allow for new and existing customers to experience the Y.Chroma brand like never before. "We're pleased to partner with Rothmans, a force in the menswear industry, for Y.Chroma's first in-store pop-up experience," said Max Israel, Founder and Creative Director of Y.Chroma. "Choosing Rothmans as our venue for our first New York brick-and-mortar presence was an easy choice. They're iconic, and generations of New York men have trusted them to bring the best of the best." Designed with the men of Generation X in mind, Y.Chroma has set its sights on challenging the status quo of how mainstream professional men dress what Israel refers to as the "forgettability uniform" of the blue blazer or polar fleece vest. With styles rooted in the skate and surf-aesthetic, Y.Chroma has established itself as a brand that looks beyond individual pieces and resonates with individuals undergoing a transformative style journey. "Y.Chroma will make a great addition to Rothmans' brand portfolio," said Ken Giddon, co-owner of Rothmans. "We take pride in discovering rising brands to offer a unique selection for our customers and Y.Chroma fits right into that approach. We're confident that our customers will be drawn to this new addition, given the style and quality of Y.Chroma's products." Since Y.Chroma's 2022 launch, the brand has emerged as among the fastest growing brands in the menswear industry a rare success story. The brand is projected to surpass their 2023 sales 700% by the end of the year. Y.Chroma was also highlighted as one of the eight emerging menswear brand's at this year's New York Fashion Week . "I looked around this packed room at our show during New York Fashion Week and realized we have this almost religious following of New York customers. It was fantastic, and I knew we needed to find a way to make Y.Chroma more accessible to them," said Israel. "The enthusiasm is remarkable, and we are grateful for the significant growth we've experienced this year. Introducing an in-store shopping experience will undoubtedly propel our expansion efforts even further." Y.Chroma will be available in Rothmans' Union Square store location at 222 Park Ave S, New York, NY 10003, from Friday, May 10 to Tuesday, June 25. Store hours are from 11am-6pm Monday-Saturday and 12pm-6pm on Sunday. About Y.Chroma Apparel: Founder and Creative Director Max Israel's mission is to provide a fresh alternative by offering a transformative wardrobe system that combines skate and surf roots with vibrant colors and made-in-europe super-premium textiles. Y.Chroma's approach goes beyond selling individual pieces, instead offering hundreds of versatile outfits that empower men to express themselves with confidence. By teaching and inspiring customers through studio videos of each garment, Y.Chroma aims to help men revitalize their style and embrace their individuality. With a focus on European craftsmanship and a fusion of sophistication and surf culture, the brand presents a collection available for purchase online, inviting customers to experience a blend of simplicity, inspiration, and unparalleled quality in their personal style. For more information, please visit www.ychroma.com and follow Y.Chroma on Instagram and Facebook . About Rothmans: Rothmans is a unique, family-owned and operated men's clothing business with stores in New York City, Scarsdale, and Bronxville. It is one of the largest independent men's stores in the country. Rothmans features an incredible variety of expertly curated labels and offer exceptional customer service. Style advisors are available to make recommendations to help individuals select an outfit, define their personal style, or build their wardrobe. The brand was named by MR Magazine, the leading trade magazine in the menswear industry, as the Readers' Choice "Top Men's Clothing Store" in the country. For more information, please visit www.rothmansny.com and follow Rothmans on Instagram and Facebook . SOURCE Y.Chroma Apparel Peng Liyuan visits Buda Castle, has tea with Hungarian first lady Xinhua) 21:55, May 09, 2024 BUDAPEST, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, on invitation visited the Buda Castle and had tea with Zsuzsanna Nagy, wife of Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok, here on Thursday. The two first ladies appreciated the exhibition of Hungarian Herend porcelain and traditional embroidery craftsmanship. Peng said she is impressed by the exquisite Hungarian porcelain and superb embroidery craftsmanship. Porcelain and embroidery are common symbols of the civilizations of China and Hungary, Peng said, adding it is hoped that artists from both countries strengthen exchanges and mutual learning, and promote cultural integration. The two first ladies listened to a briefing on the restoration of the Szent Istvan Hall of the Buda Castle. Appreciating the exquisite restoration skills of Hungarian experts, Peng raised her hope that the two sides would strengthen cooperation in the protection and restoration of cultural relics, so that historical legacies could be better passed on. Hungary is a beautiful country and its people are hospitable, Peng said during her friendly and cordial chat over tea with Nagy. There are many similarities between the cultures of China and Hungary, and the two peoples share a deep sense of affinity, Peng said. The friendship between the two countries has a solid foundation, she said, adding she hopes that the friendship between the two countries will be passed on from generation to generation and grow stronger over time. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Kou Jie) 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 Ghodegaon : , May 9 (IANS) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has slammed NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar nominee Amol Kolhe for "wasting five years as an MP" and urged voters to support Shivajirao Adhalrao, the MahaYuti candidate for Shirur Lok Sabha seat, to ensure progress. "Kolhe was only busy shooting and wasted five years. In order to address pending issues like roads, railways, and dams, assistance from the Centre and state government is required. Therefore, elect a person who can actually work," Pawar said at a campaign meeting in Ghodegaon of Shirur Lok Sabha seat on Wednesday. The Deputy CM said after his party (NCP) joined the MahaYuti government, "it carried out works worth Rs 600 crore in Ambegaon". "Compensation of Rs 17 crore was paid for the loss of Hirda Vanaspati within eight days. Through district planning, Rs 68 crore funds were allocated for Ambegaon. Had we not been in power, would we be able to do all this work?" he said, adding, "We solved the issue of onion export ban. We will soon resolve the issue of milk prices as well. More infrastructural work can be done if we remain in power. Bear this in mind and vote for Adhalrao." Adhalrao in his speech said that he raked up issues of bullock cart racing and railway works. "It took Madhu Dandavate 28 years to bring Konkan Railway. I have also been pursuing for Pune-Nashik railway for the last 13 years. I have been striving for bullock cart racing for the last 25-30 years. I took on three cases, fought cases in the High Court and Supreme Court, spent money, and eventually won... What did the incumbent MP do?" he said. Adhalrao further said, "I ensured roads in Banakarfata-Ghodegaon-Bhimashankar-Taleghar-Rajgurunagar by urging Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. I spent funds of Rs 2.5 crore for the Wada-Ghoda road. The work on the monument of Sambhaji Maharaj worth Rs 190 crore is underway in Vadhu. Kolhe adopted Kopri village where women still used to walk down 2 km to fetch water. My people have ensured that tankers reach them for the last two months. The one who has never worked... needs to be shown his true place by the people." Kolhe and Adhalrao are pitted against each other once again after the 2019 elections. It was Kolhe as the nominee of NCP (united) who had defeated Adhalrao, who contested as the Shiv Sena (united) candidate in the last elections. Adhalrao had won from the Shirur constituency as the Shiv Sena (united) nominee in the 2004, 2009 and 2014 elections. Washington, May 9 : US President Joe Biden has threatened Israel with further restrictions on the supply of military equipment were Israel to carry out a major military offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. "I made it clear that if they (Israel) go into Rafah... I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities a" that deal with that problem," Biden told broadcaster CNN in an interview, stressing "they haven't gone in Rafah yet". On Wednesday, the US said it paused a large shipment of weapons to Israel amid ongoing concerns in Washington about military operations in the southern Gaza city. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said it had been clearly communicated to Israel that the US government did not support Israel's long-threatened all-out offensive in Rafah, the southern city in the Gaza Strip that is seen as the last place of refuge for civilians in the territory. He said the Israeli side has yet to present a credible plan that guarantees both the protection of the civilian population in Rafah and their access to humanitarian supplies. Israel describes Rafah as the last major Hamas stronghold in Gaza. --IANS/DPA sha/ Jerusalem, May 9 : Israel's army has announced that it is continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement issued on Wednesday, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. The army said that a tank division and an armoured brigade have been operating on the ground in eastern Rafah, while attack drones carried out strikes from the air, Xinhua news agency reported. They attacked about 100 "targets" in the region, including militant infrastructure and "suspicious buildings" from which Hamas fighters fired at Israeli soldiers, the army said. Israel launched the ground assault on Rafah overnight between Monday and Tuesday, citing its aim to eliminate four Hamas battalions that remain in the southern city. Troops gained "operational control" over the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing on Tuesday, a key entry point for humanitarian aid from Egypt to the famine-stricken Gaza, and shut it down. Washington, May 9 : The US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly voted to kill a resolution to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson. The House on Wednesday voted 359-43 on a motion by Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia to oust Johnson from his post, with seven Democrats voting "present", Xinhua news agency reported. Greene called up her resolution to remove fellow Republican and House Speaker Johnson on the House floor Wednesday evening. But House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, immediately motioned to table the measure. "A remarkable number of House Republicans joined with Democrats to rescue the speaker, who has only been in the job for a little over six months," reported The Washington Post, adding that Johnson earned grudging respect from more traditional Republicans for ensuring the government didn't run out of funding and sending aid to US allies and Israel and Ukraine, but he only did so with Democratic support, infuriating members like Greene. Johnson has also been emboldened by the backing of former US President Donald Trump, who reiterated his support for the Louisiana Republican over the weekend, said the report. It's the second time in less than a year that Republicans have sought to remove their own party's speaker. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California was voted out of the job in October through a motion filed by a fellow member of the Republican Party. Greene has called for Johnson's removal in recent weeks, mostly over the US aid package for Ukraine. It's the latest sign of continued Republican infighting. Jerusalem, May 9 : Commander of Hamas' naval unit in Gaza City, Ahmed Ali, was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has announced in a statement. IDF and Shin Bet security agency said on Wednesday that an attack drone killed Ali in the Palestinian enclave, Xinhua news agency reported. "Over the last few years, Ali has been involved in managing projects of Hamas' Naval Unit in the Gaza Strip," according to the statement. During Israel's seven-month onslaught in Gaza, Ali was responsible for attacks on Israel and against ground troops operating in the Gaza Strip. Cairo, May 9 : The negotiations held in Egypt for a truce between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip have seen "remarkable progress", yet some points of disagreement remained unresolved, Egyptian media has reported. "The discussions continued from 10 a.m. (0700 GMT) amid remarkable agreement, yet some controversial points remained," Al-Qahera News TV channel on Wednesday quoted an unnamed high-ranking source as saying. Egypt has been exerting "relentless efforts" to keep the negotiation on track, stressing to all participating parties the danger of escalation and failure to adhere to the path, according to the report. Earlier in the day, Al-Qahera reported "Egypt is ready to deal with all scenarios." On Tuesday, Egypt hosted delegations from Hamas, Israel, Qatar and the US to reach a comprehensive truce in Gaza. The Israeli army launched a military operation in Rafah on Monday night, where more than one million internally displaced Palestinians have sought refuge since Israel's offensive began on October 7 last year. Maval : , May 9 (IANS) In 2019, the Maval Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra shot into the limelight more for the loser than the winner. Parth Pawar, the son of current Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar, was defeated by (undivided) Shiv Sena's heavyweight Shrirang C. Barne in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Ostensibly bulldozing the then-undivided party, Ajit Pawar had secured a ticket for his son Parth. At that time the Shiv Sena and NCP were in opposite camps and the sitting MP Barne trounced Parth Pawar by a significant margin of 2.15 lakh-plus votes, embarrassing the powerful Pawar clan in the state. However, after the vertical splits in the Shiv Sena (June 2022) and NCP (July 2023), the two erstwhile enemies are now together in the MahaYuti government which includes the BJP. Under the changed political equations in 2024, the ruling Shiv Sena has nominated Barne for a hat-trick performance, while Shiv Sena-UBT led by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has fielded Sanjog B. Waghere-Patil as an MVA-INDIA bloc candidate, and the Prakash Ambedkar's Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi has nominated Madhavi N. Joshi here. Despite a crowd of 33 candidates in the fray, Maval will be one of the few direct 'Sena-versus-Sena' confrontations in the state during the 2024 LS polls, but the NCP has quietly deployed the 2019 runner-up Parth Pawar to campaign for his mother Sunetra Pawar in Baramati and certain other seats it is contesting. Both the MVA and ruling MahaYuti have made winning Maval a prestige issue with top bigwigs from either side campaigning furiously for their respective candidates. The parliamentary constituency, which came into existence in February 2008 after the delimitation exercise, first elected Gajanan Babar of Shiv Sena (2009), followed by an ex-Congressman Barne who bagged it in 2014 (Shiv Sena) and 2019 (Shiv Sena), sailing through easily in the two aBJP wavesa -- (undivided) Shiv Sena was an NDA partner then. Considered a fortress of the (undivided) Shiv Sena, Maval is made up of six assembly segments -- sprawled equally (three each) in Pune and Raigad districts -- of which two each are held by the NCP and BJP, one by the Shiv Sena and one by an independent. The assembly segments held by NCP are Maval (MLA Sunil Shelke) and Pimpri (SC reserved) (MLA Anna D. Bansode); the BJP won Panvel (MLA Prashant Thakur) and Chinchwad (MLA Ashwini L. Jagtap, who was elected in a by-poll last year after the demise of her husband, sitting BJP MLA Laxman Jagtap); the Shiv Sena hold Karjat (MLA Mahendra Thorve); and Independent Mahesh Baldi from Uran. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in) Mumbai, May 9 : Actress Hina Khan, who has been travelling for promotions for her upcoming film 'Shinda Shinda No Papa', has returned to "aamchi Mumbai" for a day and expressed how much she missed her bed. Hina took to her Instagram stories on Thursday, where she first shared a picture of the airport and wrote: "Home sirf ek din ke liye." The actress then shared a video of herself from her car and shared details about her work life. "So, we are here in Mumbai just for a day, though, but acha lag raha hai. I am going to see mom. I have missed my bed so much, and I am going to see everyone else. I am very happy. We had a premiere in Chandigarh yesterday, and today we have it in Mumbai," she said. The actress said that she will also be travelling to Uttarakhand to complete the shoot of a project. Hina concluded by saying: "Tomorrow, I fly back to Uttarakhand. I have some part of the schedule left. Khatam karke aana hai Aamchi Mumbai, home. Feels good." Set to release on May 10, 'Shinda Shinda No Papa', a Punjabi film, also stars Gippy Grewal and Shinda Grewal. Air India Express flight IX 343 Kozhikode Dubai is now airborne at 1.40 PM. Captain Michale Saldanha on command with First Officer Akhilesh Kumar.. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, May 9 : Over 70 flights were cancelled on Thursday following the mass sick leave taken by the cabin crew of Air India Express, sources said. "A total of 292 AIX flights will operate today, 74 stand cancelled," sources told IANS. The airline's cabin crew went on mass sick leave claiming that despite promises of job security, salary preservation, and recognition of seniority and expertise, there has been a noticeable deviation from these assurances. The Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU), representing a segment of cabin crew members, had also earlier written to Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran, addressing employee grievances and expressing concerns about the ongoing situation within Air India Express Limited, especially after its acquisition by Tata. The union has accused the airline of mismanagement and unequal treatment of staff, claiming that these issues have adversely impacted employee morale. Meanwhile, Air India Express CEO Aloke Singh in a letter to his colleagues said that act is certainly not representative of the 2,000-odd cabin crew colleagues in the company who continue to respond to the call of duty and serve our guests with dedication and pride. "Since last evening, over 100 of our cabin crew colleagues have reported sick prior to their rostered flight duty, at the last minute, severely disrupting our operations. Because this action was mostly by colleagues assigned L1 role, the impact was disproportionate, disrupting 90+ flights even though other colleagues reported for duty," read the letter sent on Wednesday. Mumbai, May 9 : There is a triangular contest in the Shirdi reserved Lok Sabha constituency where the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has renominated the sitting MP Sadashiv Lokhande against the former MP and Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Bhausaheb Wakchaure and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) nominee and former Congress leader Utkarsha Rupawate. The entry of Rupawate has made the contest tough for both Lokhande and Wakchaure. For these three nominees the contest is an acid test as this is likely to be the last election in the reserved constituency if the delimitation process begins in 2026. Even though the election is slated for May 13, campaigning by the three candidates has been very lacklustre largely also because of the ongoing heatwave. A total of 20 candidates are in the fray. There are 16,77,335 voters comprising 8,64,573 males and 8,12,684 females in the constituency. For the Shinde faction it is a challenge to retain supremacy as the party has given yet another chance to Lokhande despite strong resentment from within the party, allies and various organisations due to his lack of connect with the people at the grassroots despite being at the helm for five years. Lokhande, who was elected as the Shiv Sena (united) nominee during the 2014 and 2019 elections, is struggling to score a hat-trick due to the major anti-incumbency factor against him. After the Eknath Shinde rebellion in June 2022, Lokhande switched to his side, ditching his former boss Uddhav Thackeray. Despite these odds, Lokhande is banking on strong support from BJP stalwart and the cooperation baron Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil who is also a minister in the Mahayuti government. This apart, Eknath Shinde has been personally engaged in charging up the party machinery for Lokhande's victory. Shinde's appeal to the voters is "Vote for Lokhande means a vote for Modi to make him the Prime Minister for the third time." Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently addressed a rally appealing to the voters to elect Lokhande for the speedy transformation of Shirdi constituency which houses a Sai baba temple and a functional airport that has opened up new opportunities to spur development across sectors. In the case of Wakchaure, who was elected as the Shiv Sena (united) candidate in the 2009 elections, it is an opportunity to seek votes based on his past performance and thereby increase the presence of Shiv Sena (UBT) in the constituency. Wakchaure is cashing in on the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s strong organisational structure up to Shakhas coupled with the active involvement of Congress veteran Balasaheb Thorat, former minister Shankarrao Gadakh and Legislator Lahu Kanade. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has made the Shirdi seat a prestige issue to consolidate the party's position, especially after the split. Uddhav Thackeray has urged the voters to elect Wakchaure for the speedy development of the constituency. However, the entry of VBA nominee Rupawate has made the task difficult for both Lokhande and Wakchaure as they fear that the division of votes may impact their poll prospects adversely. Rupawate is banking on her work in the Congress and connect with the people of the constituency. She hopes to mobilise votes exploiting the discontent against Lokhande and Wakchaure. Incidentally, the three candidates are focussing on local issues instead of national ones. The incomplete work of the Nilwande Dam, long-pending Ahmednagar-Manmad highway, problems faced by industrial units in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation-run industrial estates, volatility in the prices of onion and other agricultural produce are some of the key issues being flagged during the campaign which will conclude on May 11. (Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@ians.in) London, May 9 : North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) countries should agree to spend 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence, at an upcoming summit in Washington, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron will urge on Thursday. In his first major speech as foreign secretary, Cameron will call on Britain and its allies to "out-compete, out-cooperate and out-innovate" their adversaries in an ongoing "battle of wills." Cameron will say July's summit "must see all allies on track" to meet the commitment set out in 2014 to spend 2 per cent of GDP on defence, and then "move quickly to establish 2.5 per cent as the new benchmark for all NATO allies." According to NATO, two-thirds of the alliance's 32 members expected to meet or exceed the 2 per cent target in 2024, up from 11 in 2023. Last year only five NATO states, Poland, the US, Greece, Estonia and Lithuania, spent more than 2.5 per cent of their GDP on defence, something the UK has pledged to do by the end of the decade. In his speech, Cameron is also expected to criticise some of Britain's allies for not doing enough on defence, saying NATO needs to "adopt a harder edge for a tougher world." He will say: "If [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's illegal invasion teaches us anything, it must be that doing too little, too late, only spurs an aggressor on. "I see too many examples in this job of this lesson not having been learnt. "Take the Red Sea, where ship after ship has been attacked. While many countries have criticised the Houthi attacks, it is only the US and Britain that have been willing and able to step up and strike back at them." He is also expected to cite some European countries' apparent unwillingness to invest in defence "even as war rages on our continent," and say others are "so cowed by accusations of colonialism that they will not condemn practices like female genital mutilation." The speech, to be delivered at the National Cyber Security Centre, is one of two interventions the foreign secretary is expected to make on Thursday, going on to address the Lord Mayor's Easter Banquet at Mansion House in the City of London. --IANS/DPA svn New Delhi, May 9 : The Tata-owned Air India will operate 20 Air India Express (AIX) routes to help the latter amid an ongoing strike by cabin crew members, said an airline official on Thursday. "Air India Express is making every possible effort to minimise the inconvenience caused to our guests by this unexpected situation. We will be operating 292 flights today. We have mobilised all resources and Air India will support us by operating on 20 of our routes," said the airline in a statement issued on Thursday. Since Tuesday, over 300 cabin crew members have gone on mass sick leave alleging that despite assurances of job security, salary preservation, and recognition of seniority and expertise, there has been a visible departure from these commitments during the transition from AirAsia to Air India Express. In 2023, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) gave its go-ahead to the Tata Group's initiative to merge the budget airline AIX Connect (previously known as AirAsia India) with Air India Express. "Since last (Tuesday) evening, over 100 of our cabin crew colleagues have reported sick prior to their rostered flight duty, at the last minute, severely disrupting our operations. Because this action was mostly by colleagues assigned L1 role, the impact was disproportionate, disrupting 90+ flights even though other colleagues reported for duty", read the letter by CEO Aloke Singh on Wednesday. \Meanwhile, 74 flights were cancelled on Thursday owing to staff shortage. "While we will continue to engage with our cabin crew colleagues with a commitment to address any concern, we are taking appropriate steps against certain individuals as their actions have caused grave inconvenience to thousands of our guests," said the spokesperson. Kolkata, May 9 : All the major political parties in West Bengal including the Trinamool Congress, CPI(M) and Congress have questioned the timing of the release of the report of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), revealing a declining Hindu population against a rising minority population from 1950 to 2015. They have described the EAC-PM report as nothing but a political ploy in the midst of the Lok Sabha elections. According to the CPI(M) Politburo member and the party's state Secretary Mohd Salim, the Union government "should come out with a proper Census to reveal the truth about population distribution, instead of coming out with such reports by some advisory council of the Prime Minister which operates as per the agenda of the ruling party in the country." "The Census that was to be done in 2021 was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Had the Census been done, the real picture of population distribution would have been revealed. So, in my opinion this latest report of the EAC-PM being released in the midst of the polls was done with a political motive to serve the agenda of the RSS," Salim said. The Trinamool Congress' Rajya Sabha member Samirul Islam told IANS that from this report released in the midst of the polls it is evident how fear of defeat has gripped the BJP. "Because of this fear the rank and file in BJP is playing all sorts of cards. This exercise started quite some time back and is continuing in the midst of the polls. But all such ploys will not work this time," Islam said. The All India Congress Committee (AICC) member from West Bengal, Subhankar Sarkar said that it is better to describe the "Economic Advisory Council" as "encounter acknowledgement council". "I can speak in the context of West Bengal. As of the latest Census in 2011, the rise in the Hindu population in West Bengal was much more than that of Muslims. So how can they say that Hindus in India are in danger? The Economic Advisory Council should better concentrate on burning issues like the Hunger Index and unemployment among others," Sarkar said. Seoul, May 9 : South Korea is closely communicating with Indonesia regarding its adjusted proposal to reduce its cost-sharing for the KF-21 fighter jet programme, a foreign ministry official said on Thursday. Indonesia has recently suggested to the Seoul government to cut its share of payment and pay about 600 billion won (US$442.3 million) in total for the KF-21 jet project by 2026, a decrease from the initial 1.6 trillion won, Yonhap news agency reported. "South Korea and Indonesia are continuing close communication and consultations between relevant authorities to smoothly conclude strategic cooperation projects, such as the joint development of fighter jet," the official told reporters. In 2016, Indonesia had agreed to pay 20 per cent of the total development cost of 8.1 trillion won, in return for receiving one prototype model and technology transfers that would allow it to produce 48 units in Indonesia. On Wednesday, Seoul's state procurement agency hinted at accepting Indonesia's proposal, saying that it will finalise its decision as early as late May so as not to cause delays in the development project. "We are pushing for measures to adjust the scale of the technology transfer to Indonesia in line with the adjusted cost sharing," Noh Ji-man, director general of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration's KF-X Program Group, said in a press briefing. Kolkata, May 9 : The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) deployment for eight Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal for the fourth phase on May 13 will see an increase of 42 per cent, sources said. Sources in the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office said that a total of 578 companies of CAPF will be deployed for the fourth phase which is substantially high compared to the figure of 406 in the third phase. "At the time of the fourth phase of polls, a total of 596 companies of CAPF will be deployed in West Bengal. Out of them, 578 companies will be deployed on poll duty, while the remaining will be kept on reserve. Out of the 578 companies, 430 companies will be deployed at the polling stations, while the remaining 148 companies will be kept for formation of quick response teams," a CEO office insider said. The eight Lok Sabha constituencies in the state that are going for polls in the fourth phase on May 13 include Baharampur in Murshidabad district, Birbhum and Bolpur in Birbhum district, Krishnanagar and Ranaghat in Nadia district, Bardhaman-Purba in East Burdwan district and Bardhaman- Durgapur and Asansol in West Burdwan district. Lucknow, May 9 : A day after the working paper of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) showed that the share of the majority Hindu population has declined in the country while that of the Muslim population has increased, the Samajwadi Party and Congress have questioned the timing of the release of the report. Congress spokesman Surendra Rajput said that the timing of the release of the report was designed to give credence to the Hindu-Muslim narrative being pursued by BJP in the ongoing elections. "The report cites the period between 1950 and 2015. Why does it not talk about the period after that? Moreover, the EAC report is bound to be tailored to suit the ruling party's convenience," he said. Senior Samajwadi leader Shivpal Yadav, on the other hand, said that the ruling party was in a "tearing hurry" to release details of Hindu-Muslim population. "We have been demanding a caste census but they are turning a blind eye to this demand because it will not fetch them votes. The Hindu-Muslim population ratio will now make them scare Hindus and derive political mileage. We do not accept such reports," he said. According to the EAC-PM, the share of the majority Hindu population declined by 7.82 per cent from 84.68 per cent to 78.06 per cent between 1950 and 2015 while that of Muslim population rose by 43.15 per cent to 14.09 per cent from 9.84 per cent during the period. The paper, authored by EAC-PM member Shamika Ravi, consultant Apurv Kumar Mishra and Young Professional Abraham Jose, said the Christian population share rose 5.38 per cent from 2.24 per cent to 2.36 per cent during the period. The share of Sikh population increased by 6.58 per cent from 1.24 per cent in 1950 to 1.85 per cent in 2015. Even the share of the Buddhist population witnessed a noticeable increase from 0.05 per cent to 0.81 per cent. "On the other hand, the share of Jains in the population of India decreased from 0.45 per cent in 1950 to 0.36 per cent in 2015. The share of the Parsi population in India witnessed a stark 85 per cent decline, reducing from 0.03 per cent share in 1950 to 0.004 per cent in 2015," the report noted. Islamabad, May 9 : Gunmen in southwestern Pakistan executed at least seven people in their sleep, in what police on Thursday said was the second incident of ethnic terrorism in the same region within a month. The attack occurred in the volatile coastal town of Gwadar where Pakistan's political ally China is building a deep-sea port, a project opposed by the West and locals alike. The victims were from the central province of Punjab and were running a barber shop in the town, local police chief Mohsin Ali said. It was the second incident targeting people from Punjab in the militancy-infested province of Balochistan in around three weeks. Last month militants off-loaded nine bus passengers and killed them in an execution-style shooting. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a nationalist militant group that opposes Chinese investments in the province, claimed the previous attack, saying the agents of spy agencies were targeted. No group has so far claimed responsibility for Thursday's attack, but police said they suspect the BLA. Much of the violence in the region is seen against the Chinese projects to connect its Muslim-dominated region of Xinjiang with the Arabian Sea through Pakistan to reach markets in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and beyond. Baloch militant and political groups accuse China of stealing their land and resources including several hundred kilometres of shores. --IANS/DPA svn Bengaluru, May 9 : Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) on Thursday announced the results of the Class 10 Board examination with girls outshining the boys and students from rural areas surging ahead. The state achieved 73.40 per cent of results with 6.31 lakh students passing the exam out of 8.69 lakh students who took the examination. The girl students have gained the upper hand over boys with 81.11 per cent of them passing the exam. The passing percentage of boys stood at 65.90. A total of 74.17 per cent of rural students passed while in urban areas 72.83 per cent of students managed to pass the board exams. Udupi district topped the results with 90 per cent result followed by Dakshina Kannada (92.12 per cent) and Shivamogga (88.67 per cent) districts. The Yadgir district stood at last with only 50.59 per cent of students managing to pass the board exam. Ankita Basappa Konnuru studying in the government-run Morarji Desai Residential School in Mudhol town of Bagalkot district in north Karnataka emerged as the topper by scoring 625 marks out of a total of 625. Seven students secured 624 marks, 14 secured 623 marks, 21 got 622 marks, 44 got 621 and 44 students scored 620 out of 625 marks. Bengaluru South district obtained 79 per cent result and stood at 12th position in the state. Bengaluru North district secured 77.09 per cent result and stood at 14th rank in the state. Bengaluru Rural obtained 83.67 per cent results and stood at 9th place in the state. A total of 78 schools in the state obtained zero results and the overall passing percentage in the state has come down by 10.49 per cent. In 2023-24, 83.89 per cent of students passed and this time the passing percentage of students stood at 73.40 per cent. Among the Scheduled Caste community students, 70.79 per cent cleared the exam and 69.22 per cent of students from Scheduled Tribe passed the exams. The results were announced by School Education and Literacy Department Principal Secretary Ritesh Kumar Singh, KSEAB Chairperson N. Manjushree and Director H.N. Gopalakrishna. I-T raids were aimed at damaging my image, says BRS MLA. Image Source: IANS News Surat, May 9 : The Income Tax Department on Thursday launched a series of raids against business groups in Gujarat's Surat and Morbi. Sources said that over 100 officials were investigating 12 locations of the Aishwarya Group in the Surat textile industry and a business group involved in the ceramic sector in Morbi. The coordinated raids and surveys targeted the textile giant and were extended to affiliated enterprises, including a notable coal businessman linked to the Group, said officials. They are under scrutiny due to suspected financial irregularities, the sources said. Further investigations stretched to Morbi, where the business group involved in the ceramic sector also underwent scrutiny by tax officials. Additional details were awaited. "The authorities are exploring the possibility of uncovering substantial undisclosed financial transactions through these operations," said sources. Panaji, May 9 : In an apparent jibe at BJP and Congress, the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) on Thursday alleged that both parties fought the election creating fear among people saying 'religion is in danger'. "Earlier, elections were not fought on religious lines. Political parties seek votes by saying 'Religion Khatre me hai' (religion is in danger). Both Congress and BJP have done this to influence voters," RGP Supremo Manoj Parab said while addressing a press conference along with MLA Viresh Borkar. He said that it is a bad trend to seek votes on religious lines. "They (Congress and BJP) used religion to seek votes. No religion is in danger. Basically, it is the existence of these political parties which is in danger. Hence, they are using religion. If this continues, then riots will also take place in Goa," he cautioned. He said that religion will be protected by gods. "We need to keep faith in them and not in politicians (who seek votes on the religion lines)," he said. He said that Congress and BJP have failed to raise the issues of Goa and also failed to speak on Mhadei, migrant influx, dual voting card and other issues grappling the state. Parab said that the main reason for contesting both Lok Sabha seats was to raise local issues in Parliament. "National parties failed to raise it," he said. MLA Borkar said that RGP is working to protect the identity of Goa. "BJP and Congress tried to defame us during the election campaign. But our workers campaigned for the cause of the state," he said. Imphal, May 9 : Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said that immigrants from across the border threatened the survival of indigenous people in the state and the government would not allow it to continue. Singh in his series of social media posts without naming Myanmar said that till May 7, a total of 5,457 illegal immigrants have been detected and biometric data of 5,173 of them have been collected while the deportation process is underway. "In this crucial juncture, we have noticed certain homegrown groups, based out of Western countries, criticising the steps taken up against illegal immigration by giving a communal tone and propagating it as violations of religious freedom," the Chief Minister said. "Ironically, this lobby is quiet about Western countries' stance against illegal immigration but raises objections to the actions taken in Manipur, India. This selective outrage raises concerns about the agendas and propaganda pursued by these groups with secessionist tendencies." Singh, who also holds the home portfolio, during the past few days has been posting on various social media about aspects of illegal migrants in Manipur from neighbouring Myanmar. Manipur shares around 400 km of international border with Myanmar. Works for fencing of the 20 km of the mountainous borders are now underway. The Chief Minister had said that the influx of illegal immigrants from Myanmar led to the emergence of 996 new villages in the state in the past 18 years. "The unnatural growth of 996 new villages since 2006 and illegal immigration from Myanmar is a threat to the indigenous people and national security. The immigrants have set up settlements by encroaching upon forest lands, leading to deforestation and environmental degradation," a Manipur government report said. It added that the immigrants have engaged in illicit activities such as poppy cultivation, further exacerbating the socio-economic and ecological challenges faced by the region. In response to these challenges, the Manipur government has initiated several measures aimed at addressing the issue of illegal immigration and its associated impacts. The report, accessed by IANS, said the state government following the advice of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been collecting biometric data of the illegal immigrants and geotagging their settlements. According to the report, the state government has taken various measures to curb the illegal influx from across the border. The measures include enhancing security along around 400 km India-Myanmar border in Manipur, engagement of indigenous communities, empowering them to safeguard their rights and interests against encroachment and exploitation and urged the Central government to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar. The FMR allowed citizens residing close to both sides of the border to move 16 km into each other's territory without a passport or a visa. The Manipur Chief Minister had said that 877 square km of forest cover in the northeastern state were destroyed in 34 years (1987-2021), primarily for the illegal cultivation of poppy, which has been used to manufacture various drugs. Singh, who also holds the Home portfolio, said that forest cover in Manipur was 17,475 sq km in 1987 and in 2021, it was destroyed to 16,598 sq km, primarily for the cultivation of poppy. The eviction of unauthorised encroachers carried out ever since the BJP government led by him came to power in Manipur in 2017 and 291 encroachers were evicted from the Reserve Forest and Protected Forest throughout the state, the Chief Minister had said. It was never targeted towards any particular community, Singh pointed out. Manoj Bajpayee on his 100th film Bhaiyya ji: 'Never imagined Id be able to do even 10 films'. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, May 9 : Padma Shri awardee Manoj Bajpayee, who is gearing up for the release of his 100th film 'Bhaiyya ji', shared that he never thought that he would be able to do even 10 films. The actor spoke with the media at the trailer launch of the film in the Andheri area of Mumbai on Thursday. He shared that he considers himself very lucky to have reached where he is today. At the risk of sounding modest, Manoj told a huge turnout of the media that many artists do the hard work each day but it's the love of the audience that has allowed him and empowered him to tell the stories of his choice as an actor. "I never thought I'll do more than 10 films but life has been kind that I'm here with my 100th film. It's not like that I alone do the hard work, all artists hustle hard everyday but it's because of God and the audience that I have reached this place". Manoj's journey in cinema has been quite dramatic. After trying for the National School of Drama, when he didn't get into the institute, he learned acting from Barry John. Manoj has been a good friend of Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan since their theatre days as both of them had a common guru in Barry John. Manoj made his foray into the cinema 30 years ago with the critically acclaimed 'Bandit Queen' in which he had a small role. He then caught the attention of Ram Gopal Varma who eventually cast him as Bhiku Mhatre in the cult-classic 'Satya', a film which disrupted the storytelling style in Hindi cinema and bolstered the progress of independent films. With 30 years of profession behind him, Manoj is now all set to star as a desi action hero in 'Bhaiyya Ji'. Produced by Vinod Bhanushali, Kamlesh Bhanushali, Samiksha Oswal, Shael Oswal, Shabana Raza Bajpayee, and Vikram Khakhar under the banners of Bhanushali Studios Limited, SSO Productions, and Aurega Studios production, the film is set to release on May 24, 2024. Lucknow, May 9 : A man was axed to death on Thursday and three people, including his wife, her paramour and his friend have been arrested in Kushabhari village on the outskirts of Lucknow. The victim was identified as 35-year-old Pradeep Gautam. Rekha, the wife of the deceased, admitted to having killed Pradeep along with her lover and his friend because he refused to accept her affair. Rekha's lover Sonu Pal and his friend Raju Gautam, residents of the same village, have also been arrested, the police spokesman said. The body has been sent for post-mortem. Details are awaited. Tel Aviv/Beirut, May 9 : Israel on Thursday criticised US President Joe Biden's threat of an arms freeze in the event of a further advance in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. Far-right Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote on X on Thursday that the Palestinian Islamist Hamas loves Biden. To make his message clear, he placed a heart emoji between the words "Hamas" and "Biden." Israeli opposition politicians criticised Ben-Gvir for endangering Israel with such statements. However, Ben-Gvir is not a member of the war cabinet and is therefore not directly involved in key decisions in the Gaza war. In an interview with broadcaster CNN, Biden had said that the US would not supply the weapons for a full-scale invasion of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, which is overcrowded with hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees. The US government had already withheld a delivery of ammunition because of Israel's actions in Rafah. US media reported that the delivery comprised 3,500 bombs, including 2,000-pound bombs. According to analysts, Israel is using these in the fight against Hamas, for example to destroy the Islamists' underground tunnels. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin made it clear to Congress on Wednesday that Washington expects Israel to take precise action in Gaza to protect civilians. However, 2000-pound bombs could cause "collateral damage." Senior Israeli officials have expressed "deep frustration" over the withheld delivery and warned that it could jeopardize indirect negotiations on a ceasefire and the release of hostages, two informed sources told the Axios news portal. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz posted on X: "Israel will continue to fight Hamas until its destruction. There is no war more just than this." Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote in a statement that Israel had received a reminder "that our war of independence is still ongoing." In the course of its founding in 1948, the state was also confronted with a US arms embargo. "Today, once again, we will achieve a complete victory in this war, despite President Biden's resistance and an arms embargo. We simply have no other choice, because this war is an existential struggle and anything less than a comprehensive victory would jeopardise the existence of the Jewish state." Since the Israeli army took over the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing on Monday, around 80,000 people have fled the city, which is overcrowded with refugees, according to UN figures. Israel expanded its presence on Tuesday by sending troops to the eastern side of Rafah. "The toll on these families is unbearable. Nowhere is safe," the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinians in the Near East or UNRWA said on X, adding: "We need a #CeasefireNOW." Meanwhile, an Israeli strike on a car in southern Lebanon Thursday, killed at least four people, Lebanese civil defence and security sources said. The attack set the car ablaze on a road in the town of Baflieh in south Lebanon. It was not initially clear whether the victims were members of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah or other militias operating from Lebanon. The Israeli military said it was investigating the matter. On Wednesday, Israeli strikes on two areas in southern Lebanon killed three members of the Islamic Jihad in the town Khyiam and two from he pro-Iranian Hezbollah in Adissyeh. Since the beginning of the Gaza war seven months ago, there have been daily military confrontations between Israel's army and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon at the border. There have already been fatalities on both sides. Mutual shelling has caused severe destruction in towns on both sides of the border, resulting in either the evacuation or departure of around 150,000 people from the combat zone. --IANS/DPA svn Gandhinagar, May 9 : The Election Commission has announced repolling on May 11 at a booth in Parthampur village in Gujarat's Dahod Lok Sabha constituency after a booth-capturing incident was reported on May 7. Dahod is a Scheduled Tribes reserved seat, where BJP's Jasvantsinh Bhabhor is seeking a third consecutive term. Prabha Taviad is the candidate from the Congress. Following the emergence of a video from the Santrampur Assembly constituency, which is part of the Dahod Lok Sabha seat, authorities acted promptly. Vijay Bhabhor, identified as the son of the incumbent BJP MP Jasvantsinh Bhabhor, is said to have broadcast live from a polling station in Santrampur taluka, Mahisagar district, via his Instagram account. Although the video was subsequently deleted, it had already been widely shared, sparking significant outcry. In the video, Vijay is heard claiming ownership of the voting machine in Gujarati, asserting that the "machine belongs to my father". In response to the incident, the Central Election Commission has mandated a fair and transparent polling process for the upcoming repolling date. Two individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident, and a show cause notice has been issued to the polling staff on duty, including the Presiding Officer, Assistant Presiding Officer, and two Polling Officers. The Congress party's spokesperson Manish Doshi expressed concern and claimed it was an attempt by the BJP to capture booths. The party demanded repolling not only at the affected booth but also in others suspected of similar violations. Stanlow : , May 9 (IANS) EET Fuels (or "the Company", formerly Essar Oil UK), which owns and runs the Stanlow Manufacturing Complex, one of the most advanced refineries in Europe, today announces the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Stanlow Refinery. Stanlow (UK), May 9 (IANS) EET Fuels (or "the Company", formerly Essar Oil UK), which owns and runs the Stanlow Manufacturing Complex, one of the most advanced refineries in Europe, today announces the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Stanlow Refinery. Established in 1924 as a bitumen production site, Stanlow has been a vital pillar of the UK's energy sector for a century, providing essential products and transportation fuels and supporting both the nation's and North West's economic growth. The Centenary celebration will last several months and will encompass a series of events and initiatives that recognise Stanlow's significant contribution to the Cheshire community, the North West region, and the UK as a whole. At the same time, the Company will use the Centenary to recognise, celebrate and give thanks to the communities connected to Stanlow while demonstrating its long-term commitment to support these communities long into the future. EET Fuels will celebrate colleagues, both past and present, and acknowledge the generations of men and women who operated the refinery with dedication, powering growth and innovation across the UK's manufacturing and transportation industries, and the economy as a whole. The Company will work with local organisations to bring to light the history of Stanlow and share the importance of Stanlow to the UK economy. Further details of the events, visits and charitable activities will be made in due course. Prashant Ruia, Chairman of EET, commented: "For a century, Stanlow has kept Britain moving. We are immensely proud of the refinery's heritage and its unwavering commitment to supplying high-quality products and fuels safely and reliably. We want to recognise the thousands of colleagues who made this happen. And the Stanlow story is only just beginning. The massive transition strategy we are implementing, with the ambition of making Stanlow the world's first low carbon refinery, as well as the UK's leading producer of hydrogen as part of the HyNet consortium, is set to re-position Stanlow and the North West of England for the next 100 years and beyond, ensuring this iconic facility remains at the very heart of the UK's industrial future." Development under Essar ownership Essar Group acquired Stanlow in 2011. Since then, Essar has nurtured the close ties it has with its communities and invested over $1 billion in improvement initiatives. Today, the Stanlow refinery remains a key national asset, with over 20,000 litres of crude entering the refinery's operations every minute. Every year, Stanlow produces over 16 per cent of the UK's road transport fuels and remains a prominent supplier to some of the North West's major retail fuel brands and supermarkets, Manchester Airport, leading commercial airlines and the region's trains and buses. Stanlow employs over 700 people and a further 700 indirectly as part of the local supply chain. It also offers graduate and apprenticeship opportunities. Deepak Maheshwari, CEO, EET Fuels, said: "Stanlow has continuously adapted and innovated over the past century to meet changing social, environmental and market needs and expectations. We are committed to securing the refinery's continued success for generations to come, while also playing a leading role in the UK's transition to a lower-carbon economy." Chennai, May 9 : The Madras High Court vacation bench has directed the prison authorities to consider the plea of A. Kamala, mother of YouTuber Savukku Shankar, for shifting her son from Coimbatore prison to any other jail as she feared a threat to his life and had complained of custodial violence. The division bench of the Madras High Court comprising Justices A.D. Jagadish Chandira and R. Kalaimathi on Thursday closed the habeas corpus petition (HCP) filed by A. Kamala and passed the orders after hearing senior counsel R. John Sathyan for the petitioner and Additional Public Prosecutor E. Raj Thilak for the prison authorities. The judges also took note that Shankar had been taken to Coimbatore Government Medical College Hospital on Thursday to examine his complaint of pain in the right forearm. Meanwhile, the Coimbatore District Legal Service Authority (DLSA) has submitted a report to the Coimbatore Judicial first class magistrate stating that the prisoner had complained of pain in his right forearm and therefore, it was essential to take an X-ray and also get an opinion from a plastic surgeon. The Magistrate had passed an order on Wednesday directing the Coimbatore prison authorities to take him to the medical college hospital forthwith for examination. The first-class judicial magistrate had refrained from going into the merits of the allegations of custodial violence. This was because it was not clear whether the injuries had been sustained due to the alleged attack or during a road accident that occurred on May 4 when the prisoner was transported to Coimbatore after his arrest in Theni. The Additional Public Prosecutor stoutly denied any kind of attack on the prisoner by the prison officials. Advocate John Sathyan appearing for Shankar said that the petitioner will take up the issue of custodial violence with the Human Rights Commission. Savukku Shankar was arrested on May 4 by the Coimbatore Police for his alleged defamatory statement against women police personnel. New Delhi, May 9 : The portals of the holy Kedarnath Dham are set to open on Friday. While the preparations for the ceremonial opening of the temple are in full swing, the devotees have started assembling in large numbers in adjacent Sonprayag and Gaurikund, for the first darshan of the deity. The portals will be thrown open for devotees at 7 AM morning on Friday (May 10). One major highlight of this yearas opening ceremony is that the temple is being decorated with 20 quintals of flowers. The pictures of the decorated temple, as it surfaced on social media gave a mesmerising look. Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) President Ajendra Ajay told newsmen that the flowers reached the holy temple via helicopters and the devotees are ecstatic and elated over such arrangements. Earlier in the day, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami took to his X handle and welcomed the devotees to Kedarnath Dham. "Hearty welcome and greetings to all the devotees in Shri Kedarnath Dham in Chardham Yatra-2024... Hail Lord Kedar!" the CM wrote. Meanwhile, Lord Kedarnathas Panchmukhi Doli left for Kedarnath Dham today while devotees and school children chanted mantras and showered flower petals. The district administration along with local shopkeepers welcomed the aDev Dolia on the Kedarnath pedestrian route. The doors for Kedarnath Dham along with two other holy shrines Gangotri and Yamunotri will open on May 10 while the gates of Badrinath will open on May 12. The Char Dham Yatra holds profound spiritual significance in Hinduism. The devotees get to chance to undertake the yatra from April-May to October-November. The Himalayan temple, visited by lakhs of people every year remains closed during the winters. Bengaluru, May 9 : Former national general secretary of the BJP, C.T. Ravi has expressed concern over the decline in the Hindu population and an increase in the Muslim population between 1950 and 2015. Talking to IANS on Thursday, he warned against overlooking the historical consequences of such shifts, pointing to examples like the creation of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh due to demographic changes. Ravi emphasized that demographic shifts can lead to feelings of insecurity and threaten the stability of the Constitution. He argued that if the population demographics continue to change, there could be a loss of cultural and religious freedoms, with festivals and celebrations coming under the control of specific groups. He also raised concerns about issues such as cow slaughter and 'love jihad' going unchecked. In light of these concerns, the BJP leader proposed two solutions. Firstly, he advocated for increased societal awareness to prevent religious conversions and encourage resistance against demographic changes. Secondly, he called for legislative measures to address these issues, suggesting that laws need to be enacted to maintain social harmony and protect the rights of all citizens. Ravi cautioned against forgetting the historical significance of regions like Pakistan and Afghanistan, which were once part of India, and highlighted the need to educate future generations about the realities of India's partition and the plight of refugees. He stressed the importance of acknowledging historical events and learning from them to prevent similar challenges in the future. Jalna : , May 9 (IANS) Ranked among the BJP's safe seats, this time Jalna, Maharashtra's 'mosambi hub', is witnessing a high-profile electoral war between a central minister and his old political foe from the Congress. Jalna (Maharashtra), May 9 (IANS) Ranked among the BJPas safe seats, this time Jalna, Maharashtraas amosambi huba, is witnessing a high-profile electoral war between a central minister and his old political foe from the Congress. The Mahayuti-BJPas heavyweight candidate, Minister of State for Railways, Raosaheb Danve, a 5-time sitting MP, is now aiming for a adouble hat-tricka in Jalna which he converted from a mercurial constituency to a party bastion since his election to the LS from here in 1999. This time, Danve is pitted against his old rival of the 2009 LS elections from the newly-delimited constituency, the Congressa Dr. Kalyan V Kale. They had a tough fight but Danve scraped through narrowly, trouncing Dr. Kale with an 8,000-vote margin. Apart from Danve and Dr. Kale, there is also the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA)as nominee Prabhakar D Bakale in the fray. Subsequently, in 2014 and 2019, the Congress changed its candidate, fielding Vilas K. Autade, which proved to be a boon for the BJP, and Danve increased his winning margins massively a" 17 per cent and 28 per cent, respectively. At that time, of course, he was ably aided by the two-consecutive PM Modi awavesa in the country, which also considerably consolidated the BJPas influence over Jalna, as in other parts of the state. Though the circumstances have changed drastically in the last 15 years, with no perceptible wave around now, this time Jalna is also simmering with Maratha anger arising out of the six-month-long agitation launched here from August 2023. This, local political observers aver, could lead to a flood of negative voting in many state LS constituencies in 2024, spelling doom for several candidates across parties, particularly affecting the ruling alliance, and making the outcome unpredictable. It may be recalled that the Shivba Sanghatana leader Manoj Jarange-Patil had pushed the Mahayuti government of Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP to the brink with his massive agitation, processions, four rounds of hunger strikes, and mammoth rallies for Maratha quotas. Though the agitation officially ended in January, the Marathas were far from satisfied with the governmentas aassurancesa, and Jarange-Patil even flirted briefly with Prakash Ambedkaras VBA to launch a fourth political front in the state. Sprawled across two districts, Jalna and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the Jalna LS constituency comprises six Assembly segments, of which three are held by the BJP, two by ruling ally Shiv Sena and one by the Congress. They are the BJPas Phulambri (MLA Haribhau Bagade), Bhokardan (MLA Santosh Danve, son of Raosaheb Danve), Badnapur-SC (MLA Narayan Kuche); Shiv Senaas Sillod (MLA Abdul Sattar) and Paithan (MLA Sandeepanrao Bhumre, currently contesting the adjoining Aurangabad LS seat); and Congressa Jalna (MLA Kailash Gorantyal). A commercial hub with a rich history, Jalna is famed in the state for its luscious and highest production of amosambisa (sweet lemons) which are savoured across the country and even abroad, its powerloom-handloom units, the thriving beedi industry, hybrid-seeds manufacturing, steel-rolling mills, etc. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in) Bengaluru, May 9 : The Karnataka BJP has slammed the Congress over Sam Pitroda's 'racial' remarks, stating that the party is indulging in "racial abuse" of people. Bengaluru, May 9 (IANS) The Karnataka BJP has slammed the Congress over Sam Pitroda's 'racial' remarks, stating that the party is indulging in "racial abuse" of people. "The people of South India have a history of 5,000 years. Without knowing the facts, Congress has called us South Africans while attempts are being made to disturb the peace," Karnataka Leader of the Opposition (LoP) R. Ashoka said while addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters. He said that the statement by Sam Pitroda reveals the mindset of the Congress. "The racial inclinations and making remarks over skin colour are in the DNA of the Congress. Before the controversial remark, Congress MP from Karnataka D.K. Suresh had made similar comments. Now, Sam Pitroda has made a remark that will divide the country," he said. He said that with this development, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, through his party, has assured racial discrimination. "Racist ideology had resulted in deaths. Great personalities like Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi launched an agitation against racism. The Congress has now divided the minds of the people on skin colour. They have called people with a 5,000-year history Africans. What colour does the Congress want to paint the Vokkaligas, Lingayats, and Dalits living in Karnataka with?" he said. He said that even as Sonia Gandhi hails from Italy, the Congress leaders force us to accept her as an Indian. "We have also agreed that she is the daughter-in-law of this country. The Congress should reveal from which country Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hail," Ashoka said. He said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has assured 'African guarantee' in the state. "The Congress is treating Hindus as second-grade citizens. The British made a law which said children are not eligible to become rulers. Now, the Congress is bringing a similar law for the biological children not having rights over the property of their parents," he said. Sam Pitroda found himself amid a storm a day ago, over his controversial statements, the latest being his racist observation of the country's diversity. "A diverse country, where people on the East look like Chinese, people on the West look like Arab, people on the North look like White and people in the South look like Africa," Pitroda said while speaking exclusively to the Statesman. Islamabad, May 9 : Suspected militants blew up a girls' school in north-western Pakistan, stoking fresh fears about the safety of female students whose education has been targeted by Islamists for years. The compound of the privately-owned school was partially damaged when the bomb went off during the night on Wednesday in the town of North Waziristan near the Afghan border, local police official Amjad Suhail said. No one was killed or wounded. The mountainous town of North Waziristan has long served as headquarters for Islamist militants linked to al-Qaeda and its affiliated Haqqani network of the Afghan Taliban. The Pakistani military forced out the Haqqani network from its territory through a series of offensives that began in 2014. The Pakistani Taliban, a group that follows the same hardline version of Islam as their Afghan counterparts but have a different organisation, have bombed girls' schools before. Hundreds of schools were bombed in Waziristan and Swat, the hometown of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, between 2007 and 2009 when the Pakistani Taliban ruled these regions. A Taliban militant climbed on top of Yousafzai's school bus and shot her in the head in 2012 when she was 15 for openly opposing the Talibanas restrictions on girls' education. The latest incident in North Waziristan was a rare incident of targeting girls' school after a year. "It has increased fears," former local member of parliament Ali Wazir said. The Pakistan Taliban, who have killed around 80,000 people in years of violence, have been seeking a resurgence since Kabul fell to their Afghan counterparts in 2021. --IANS/DPA svn London, May 9 : UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak bears ultimate responsibility for a Tory party mired in chaos, a senior Conservative has said as a poll indicated a 30-point lead for Labour. Tees Valley Mayor Lord Ben Houchen said the Conservatives are "fighting each other like rats in a sack" and the blame for the partyas difficulties "ultimately lies with Rishi." Lord Houchen held on in Tees Valley in a rare bright spot in an otherwise dismal set of local election results for the Conservatives a week ago. He told BBC Radio Tees: "Things don't look great for the Conservative Party at the moment. There is still a way through but that way through is getting narrower by the day." He said there is general disaffection with politics among voters rather than a desire to back Labour, so there is still the chance for the Conservatives to turn things around. "If the Government actually got on and delivered some real things and showed themselves to be competent, and did the things that people wanted them to, then there is a way through to be able to get some of that respect back, some of that confidence back from the public and to help reduce what is a very large gap at the minute," he said. The Conservatives suffered a mauling from the electorate in last weekas contests, losing nearly 500 council seats, the West Midlands mayoral race and the Blackpool South by-election. Sunak's woes deepened with the defection of MP Natalie Elphicke to Labour in protest against his record on housing and stopping small boat crossings of the English Channel. The scale of the difficulties facing Mr Sunak was underlined by a YouGov poll for The Times newspaper which showed Labour on 48% and the Tories on 18 per cent a" just five points ahead of Reform UK among people who said they would vote and expressed a preference. The poll, which surveyed 2,072 people between May 7 and 8, gave Labour its biggest lead since Liz Truss was in office in October 2022. Asked if Sunak is to blame for the Conservativesa problems, Lord Houchen said: "Ultimately it always rests on the shoulders of the leader, all responsibility goes back to the top, itas the same in my job as well. Ultimately, youare the one responsible for it." "But there are lots of people who are involved in the problems with the Conservative Party. Itas a bit of chaos at the minute, right, isnat it?" "Thereas lots of people fighting with each other in the Conservative Party, there are defections going on, and ultimately the public do not vote for parties who are not united and are not presenting a united front and also arenat talking to the public." "If they're fighting with each other like rats in a sack instead of saying to the public athis is what weare going to do for youa, that doesnat win elections." "Obviously, it ultimately lies with Rishi but there are lots of people that need to get their act together, stop messing about and start talking to the public about what they can offer them, rather than just fighting with each other." --IANS/DPA svn Panaji, May 9 : Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar on Thursday dismissed a disqualification petition filed by Congress against former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and MLA Michael Lobo. Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Amit Patkar filed the disqualification petition on July 11, 2022, against its then-two leaders Digambar Kamat and Michael Lobo for anti-party activities, who later joined the BJP. Speaking to media persons, Amit Patkar said that the result was expected as the Speaker works on the instructions of the BJP government. "Our legal team is evaluating what has to be done next. We demand that the Speaker start hearing of other disqualification petitions filed against eight MLAs, who switched parties," Patkar said. He said that the Speaker had submitted an affidavit to the High Court stating once this petition is disposed of pending petitions will be heard. "As per the Supreme Court's judgement, he has to decide on these petitions within 90 days. Still, if he fails, then we will take further legal remedies," Patkar said. In July 2022, Congress removed Michael Lobo as Leader of the Opposition alleging he was one who hatched a conspiracy, along with former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, by hobnobbing BJP to split Congress MLAs. Patkar said that the Supreme Court judgment says anti-party activities amount to voluntarily giving up party membership. "We have evidence against them to prove that both were involved in anti-party activities and were trying to split MLAs," he said. Later on September 14, 2022, former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, Michael Lobo, Delilah Lobo, Kedar Naik, Sankalp Amonkar, Rajesh Faldesai, Aleixo Sequeira and Rudolf Fernandes merged the Congress into BJP, reducing Congress to 3 MLA's in 40 members assembly House. Subsequently, Congress had filed a disqualification petition before Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar against all eight MLAs, who had switched to the BJP on September 14. Two more individual petitions were filed by former AICC secretary Girish Chodankar and Dominic Noronha against these 8 MLAs. Claiming that the merger of these 8 MLAs is invalid, Chodankar had pleaded to disqualify them as members of the Goa State Legislative Assembly under Article 191 (2) para 2 of Constitution of India r/w para 2 (1) (a) of tenth schedule of the constitution of India. Congress leaders on many occasions have alleged that Ramesh Tawadkar is delaying the hearings of these petitions. --IANS sbk/dan Chandigarh, May 9 : JJP leader and Former Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Thursday asked Governor Bandaru Dattatreya to order a floor test after three Independent MLAs withdrew support to the BJP government, while the Congress demanded that it should resign on moral grounds as it was now "in the minority". Chautala, in a letter to the Governor, sought his intervention under Article 174 as the Nayab Singh Saini government does not command a majority. "The Nayab Saini government was formed with the support of six Independents. While three have withdrawn support, one Independent MLA resigned from the House and his resignation was accepted on April 30. The government no longer has the numbers, necessitating a floor test," it read. The Congress demanded the President's rule in the state and sought time to meet the Governor on Friday. Leader of Opposition and two-time Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda said the government should resign on moral grounds as "itas in the minority". Talking to the media in Bhiwani town, Hooda said the Congress delegation of 30 legislators would be reaching Chandigarh. He said 45 of the 88 legislators in the Assembly - 30 of the Congress, 10 of the JJP, three Independent legislators, who have switched sides to the Congress, Independent MLA from Meham, Balraj Kundu, and INLD MLA Abhey Chautala were against the government. Two days ago, Independent MLAs Sombir Sangwan (Dadri), Randhir Singh Gollen (Pundri) and Dharampal Gonder (Nilokheri) withdrew support to the BJP government and announced that they would back the Congress. However, Chief Minister Saini clarified that his government was not in any trouble. His predecessor, Manohar Lal Khattar, and colleagues claimed that many MLAs were in touch with the BJP and there was "nothing to worry about". The new government was formed in March after the BJP severed its four-and-a-half-year-old ties with the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), led by Chautala. Saini succeeded Khattar, who was fielded from Karnal for the Lok Sabha elections. New Delhi, May 9 : A team of US researchers on Thursday announced the development of a novel artificial intelligence-(AI) based tool that can instantly predict whether a person exhibits suicidal thoughts and behaviours. The tool, which focuses on a simple picture-ranking task along with a small set of contextual/demographic variables was on average 92 per cent effective, said researchers from the universities of Northwestern, Cincinnati, Aristotle, and Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard School of Medicine. "A system that quantifies the judgement of reward and aversion provides a lens through which we may understand preference behaviour," said first author Shamal Shashi Lalvani, a doctoral student at Northwestern University. "By using interpretable variables describing human behaviour to predict suicidality, we open an avenue toward a more quantitative understanding of mental health and make connections to other disciplines such as behavioural economics," Shamal added. In the study, published in the journal Nature Mental Health, researchers noted that the tool may help medical professionals, hospitals, or the military to assess who is most at risk of self-harm. The findings, based on a survey of 4,019 people aged 18 to 70 across the US, revealed that the software was able to predict suicidal desire without a plan; current and specific thoughts; plan of suicide; and strategies to prevent self-harm. Tel Aviv, May 9 : Israeli police have raided the offices of broadcaster Al Jazeera in the city of Nazareth, confiscating equipment belonging to the Arab-language TV channel. The raid comes several days after the Israeli government banned Al Jazeera, both blocking access to Al Jazeera's content in Israel and banning the broadcaster from operating. Israel's communications minister signed a closure order for the broadcaster on Sunday, and Al Jazeera's office in the Ambassador Hotel in East Jerusalem was raided that same day. Israel accuses the channel of biased reporting in the Gaza war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had already announced his intention to close the TV network's facilities operating in Israel more than a month ago. Israel's parliament had previously approved a measure widely known as the Al Jazeera law that enables the government to shut down and ban foreign broadcasters if they are classified as a risk to state security. The broadcaster has categorically rejected the Israeli accusations and described the ban as a "criminal act" that violated human rights and the fundamental right of access to information. Al Jazeera said it would take all possible action against the move and defend the rights of the broadcaster and its employees. --IANS/DPA svn Kolkata, May 9 : Amid allegations of molestation against West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, the Governor's House on Thursday showed 69-minute CCTV footage of the Raj Bhavan premises dated May 2 to around 100 'common people'. On May 2, a temporary female staff at the Raj Bhavan filed a police complaint accusing the Governor of 'outraging her modesty', triggering a political storm in the state. Denying the charge vehemently from the beginning, the Governor on Wednesday announced that the CCTV footage of the Raj Bhavan will be screened at the Governor's House for the common people, barring Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and members of the police force, on Thursday. In the CCTV footage screened in three parts, the Governor could not be seen in any frame. The footage from May 2 showed recordings of two CCTV cameras installed in the North Gate of the Raj Bhavan from 5.32 p,m. to 6.41 p.m. The screening event was titled 'Sach Ka Samna'. Although the Governor was not spotted in the footage, the complainant was seen twice -- once entering the police post inside the Raj Bhavan premises, and then coming out of it and entering an adjacent room. Heavy deployment of police was seen in the footage on account of the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Raj Bhavan on the night of May 2. Since the announcement of the screening on Wednesday, the Governor's office received hundreds of applications from the common people seeking to attend the event. The CCTV cameras inside the Governoras House are maintained by the Public Works Department, while the monitoring is done by the Kolkata Police. IANS src/ Chennai, May 9 : Eight people, including two women, were killed in a blast at a fireworks factory in Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu's Virudhanagar district on Thursday, while several others were injured, officials said. Police and fire personnel reached the spot for rescue operations and the injured, which include two in serious condition, were being taken to the Virudhunagar government medical college and hospital. Further details were awaited. Sivakasi is the "fireworks capital" of India with an annual turnover of Rs 6,000 crore and employing more than 1 lakh people directly and around two and half lakh people indirectly. Mumbai, May 9 : Manoj Bajpayee, who comes from Bihar, opened up at a media interaction on Thursday on how people from his state, UP and "even Chhattisgarh" were treated with contempt elsewhere in the country. The actor spoke about how some people still have a stereotypical view of their counterparts from Bihar, whom they consider to be less intelligent. Without mincing words, he said those with a regional mindset only expose their narrowness and it shows that something is wrong with them. The actor was speaking during the trailer launch of his film 'Bhaiyya Ji' when he was asked if the tagline of the film, 'Bhaiyya nahi, Bhaiyya ji kaho', has a subtext. Pulling the media person's leg, Manoj said, "Kuch na kuch vivaad toh hona hi chaahiye, hai na (We need to have some argument or the other, don't we)? See, whenever someone tells you something negative with regards to your background or your ethnicity, it means that the problem is with the other person, not with you." He added: "A sane person will never make negative remarks about your caste, your religion or the region where you come from." He said the message of the film is that people from UP and Bihar, too, are humans and they deserve respect. "Mazaak mat udaao izzat do, aadar do, people from UP, Bihar and even Chhattisgarh are addressed as 'Bhaiyya' jokingly, which should not be the case," the actor noted. Karimnagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with BJP candidate for Karimnagar Lok Sabha seat, Bandi Sanjay and others during a public meeting amid ongoing Lok Sabha Elections. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, May 9 : Propelling the BJP-NDA's 'Vijay Rath' forward at an unprecedented pace in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with his unmatched oratory prowess and relentless energy, has reduced the opposition parties and their leaders to mere spectators. As the office-goers were returning home on Wednesday evening, PM Modi was participating in a massive roadshow through the streets of Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh with Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan. The Prime Minister started the day in faraway Telangana by offering prayers at Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy temple in Karimnagar around 9.30 AM. A little over half an hour later, he was addressing a public programme in the same constituency. Around noon, he was addressing another rally in Warangal. Hot and humid Rajampet in Andhra Pradesh was the PM's next stop as he addressed another gathering post 4 PM. In between, PM Modi met not just many leaders and workers from his and coalition parties but also interacted with the locals, including stopping his cavalcade to meet a kid in Lakshmipuram village while on his way to Warangal. Tuesday was no different. Immediately after casting his vote in Ahmedabad, PM Modi travelled to Madhya Pradesh to address poll rallies in Khargone and Dhar. Later in the day, he was in Ahmednagar and Beed in Maharashtra spotlighting his government's achievements over the last 10 years while tearing into the opposition INDIA bloc at the same time. Analysts, who at the start of the election campaign believed that PM Modi has stolen a march over the opposition, are now of firm belief that he is miles ahead of opposition leaders - including 'challenger' Rahul Gandhi from Congress - when it comes to travelling the length and breadth of the country to ensure a third term for his government. Calling him a 'superhuman', they reveal that PM Modi has already crossed the century mark when it comes to addressing rallies besides also giving more than two dozen interviews to regional, national and international news outlets since March. And, after a long tiring day, the Prime Minister has still found time to connect with the masses through various road shows in different corners of the country. On the other hand, keen observers have also taken note of the rather lackadaisical approach of the opposition parties, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, that has already pushed the alliance on the backfoot. Insisting that the 'challenger' has largely been missing, they reveal that since the 'Nyay Yatra' ended on March 17, Rahul Gandhi has addressed only 39 public meetings till May 8 - many of them planned poorly and held in areas where the Congress may not have much chance of emerging victorious. They also point out that, unlike PM Modi, the Congress MP has not given any interview to put across the viewpoint of the INDIA bloc. As temperatures rise, it seems that it is only the BJP which is heating up the election campaign for the remaining phases. With the launch of a 'Viksit Bharat' campaign, it is also quite clear that the party is already looking at 2047 and not just June 4, 2024, when the election results will be announced. Hyderabad, May 9 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi was pleasantly surprised with the spirituality of eminent breast surgeon P. Raghu Ram when the latter felicitated him with a specially-made 'Vastram'. The surgeon, who along with S. Vijayanthi met the Prime Minister in Hyderabad on Tuesday night, said 'vastram' was gifted to him from Linga Bhairavi Mandir. Raghu Ram is the founding director of KIMS-Ushalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases and CEO of Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation. "When I said to Narendra Modi ji that the principal source of his strength and power emanates from his late Amma's blessings and that my prayer and wish is that the Vastram from Maa Bhairavi Temple gives him even more energy through the divine Devi Shakthi in his selfless service to the nation, he was touched and remarked you're a doctor and you are spiritual too," revealed the doctor. The breast surgeon explained to him his take on the strength of spirituality and meditation. "The Prime Minister was pleasantly surprised that I spend two hours in the prayer room every day and was in admiration of my knowledge in this aspect of life," the breast surgeon added. After the meeting, PM Modi had shared on 'X' that Raghu Ram is a Padma awardee and has done pioneering work in curing breast cancer. "We discussed aspects relating to healthcare infrastructure in India. He also appreciated our Government's efforts in this regard." Ragu Ram complimented PM Modi for having taken the landmark decision to extend the Ayushman Bharat facilities to senior citizens, which promises to be a "game changer" in terms of providing the much-needed financial assistance to the ever-increasing elderly population in the country. As Breast cancer is the commonest cancer affecting women in India, PM Modi and Raghu Ram discussed ways in which Breast cancer Care and Cancer Care in general could be improved in the country. Ensuring that the population-based breast cancer screening programme that is being implemented under the auspices of National Health Mission (NHM) becomes even more robust, making available several more population-based breast cancer registries particularly in rural areas and cancer to be classified as a "Notifiable Disease", are some of the areas discussed during the meeting. Raghu Ram revealed that PM Modi autographed the editorial page of the very first quarterly issue of 'Pink Connexion', South Asia's first and one of its kind breast health magazine. Rome, May 9 : A new dispute is brewing between Italy and private German aid organisations over the handling of boat refugees in the Mediterranean. Despite a ban by the right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the German non-governmental organisation (NGO) Sea-Watch said it was continuing its flights to spot refugee boats. A video posted by Sea-Watch showed a small private plane taking off from the island of Lampedusa towards the central Mediterranean, one of the most important routes for refugees from Africa to Europe. At the beginning of this week, Italy's aviation authority, which reports to the transport ministry of right-wing Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, issued several decrees. Accordingly, no more flights of this kind are allowed to take off from Lampedusa and three other airports in the south. This is also justified on the grounds that it would jeopardise the safety of migrants. Violations could result in the confiscation of aircraft and heavy fines. Sea-Watch has said that it intends to defy the ban. "The flight ban is politically motivated and legally untenable," a spokesman said. "In the middle of the European election campaign, Italy is trying to get rid of the last witnesses to European crimes in the Mediterranean. We will not be intimidated by this." There has been a dispute between the aid organisations and Rome for many years. Salvini - formerly Italy's interior minister - has already suffered several defeats in court. --IANS/DPA svn Bengaluru, May 9 : In a twist to the sex video scandal in Karnataka involving Prajwal Revanna -- the sitting JD-S MP who has been renominated from Hassan -- the National Commission for Women (NCW) said on Thursday that one of the woman complainants in the case has claimed that she was forced by a group of people to lodge a false complaint after being threatened with harassment. The NCW said in a statement, "One woman complainant came to the Commission to register a complaint against three individuals dressed in civil uniform, allegedly introducing themselves as Karnataka Police officials and forcing her to give a false complaint in this case. "The woman claimed that she received calls from random numbers threatening her to lodge a complaint. It has come to light that this complainant was forced by a group of individuals to file a complaint under the threat of potential harassment and false implications." The complainant has sought protection for her family, underscoring the seriousness of the situation, the NCW said, adding that it has asked Karnataka DGP Alok Mohan to provide appropriate security to the woman. Prajwal Revanna is the grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, and son of JD-S MLA H.D. Revanna, who has been arrested for his alleged role in the kidnapping of a victim of the sex scandal involving his son. The NCW statement added, "In a separate development, it has been noted that the 700 women who submitted online complaints are affiliated with a social activist group and have no direct involvement or association with the primary complainant in the case. "The NCW stands firm in its condemnation of any form of violence or sexual abuse perpetrated against women. The recent developments surrounding the Prajwal Revanna case have prompted the NCW to take swift and decisive action." In response to the distressing reports circulating in the media, the NCW initiated suo motu action, demonstrating its commitment to upholding the rights and dignity of women, the statement said. "A letter was promptly dispatched to the Director General of Police (DGP), urging immediate action and accountability within a stringent timeline of three days. The timely submission of the action taken report by the concerned authorities revealed several significant findings," the NCW said in the statement. "A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been established to probe the matter thoroughly. Notably, there is a commendable presence of female officers entrusted with conducting investigations, ensuring sensitivity and empathy in handling such cases," it said. The report indicates the registration of two cases based on complaints of sexual abuse by the victims, alongside an additional complaint filed for abduction by a victim's relative, the Commission said. "However, no victim has come forward to register a complaint with the NCW in this case," the NCW clarified. The NCW remains committed to thoroughly investigating their concerns, and maintaining ongoing communication with the Karnataka Police authorities, the statement added. The NCW reiterates its commitment to justice and protection for women, emphasising the importance of evidence-based inquiry over premature judgments, it said. Mumbai, May 9 : The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Thursday found itself in an embarrassing situation after a purported video showed a March 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict allegedly roaming around and campaigning for its Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat candidate. The video, which has gone viral on social media, shows Ibrahim Musa, also known as Baba Chouhan, seeking votes for the SS (UBT) Mumbai North West nominee Amol G. Kirtikar -- son of Gajanan Kirtikar, who belongs to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. This has attracted strong reactions and comments accusing the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidates of supporting terrorists who killed Mumbaikars, and hence, "this (electoral) battle is not only a fight between nationalist forces and divisive gangs but also between India-Pakistan". Taking strong umbrage at the alleged developments, ruling MahaYuti ally Shiv Sena spokesperson Raju Waghmare said "seeing all this would have tormented the heart of HinduHridaySamrat Balasaheb Thackeray" and warned that the people of Mumbai will teach a lesson to those who hobnob with traitors. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Andheri MLA Ameet Satam also flayed the development contending that the terror accused had campaigned for Kirtikar in Andheri West on Wednesday evening. Ibrahim Musa was arrested, found guilty and was convicted for supplying weapons to Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt during the December 1992-January1993 Mumbai riots and the subsequent terror blasts of March 12, 1993. The SS (UBT) has not yet reacted to the serious accusations and allegations on social media and in rival political circles. New Delhi, May 9 : India on Thursday reminded Maldives that it has been a key provider of development assistance to the island nation and several projects funded by New Delhi have benefited the lives of thousands of people in the country. "India has been a key provider of development assistance to the Maldives. Our projects have benefited the lives of people of your country; contributed directly to the quality of life. They range from infrastructure projects and social initiatives to medical evacuation and health facilities," External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said during his meeting with Moosa Zameer, Foreign Minister of Maldives, who is on his first official visit to India since assuming office. In his opening remarks, Jaishankar mentioned India extending financial support to Maldives "on favourable terms" in the past and also mentioned New Delhi being the "first responder" on numerous occasions. "Our cooperation has also enhanced the security and well-being of your country through shared activities, equipment provisioning, capacity building and training. It is in our common interest that we reach an understanding on how best we take our relationship forward," said the EAM. The meeting, Jaishankar stated, was an opportunity to discuss the mutual relationship and chart out future directions. "As close and proximate neighbours, the development of our ties is obviously based on mutual interests and reciprocal sensitivity. As far as India is concerned, these are articulated in terms of our 'Neighbourhood First' policy and 'SAGAR' vision," he said. In spite of the recent sour ties between the two neighbouring countries after President Mohamed Muizzu came to power in Maldives last year, India recently announced limited exports of essential goods including sugar, wheat, rice, onions and eggs as a goodwill gesture. "A pleasure to meet with Dr. S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India, in New Delhi. We reflected on our long history of bilateral partnership shared by mutual respect and understanding. We exchanged perspectives on increasing engagement and exchanges between Maldives and India, both bilaterally and in the international arena," Zameer posted on X after the meeting with Jaishankar. Patna, May 9 : Bihar's Nalanda Lok Sabha constituency is always in the limelight as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar shows special interest in his home district. Under CM Nitish Kumar's care, Nalanda is far ahead in terms of overall development and Rajgir and Pawapuri have been developed into major tourist hubs. As a result, no matter which JD(U) leader contests from Nalanda, it remains a stronghold of Nitish Kumar since 1996. Though the Lok Sabha elections will be held here in the seventh phase on June 1, campaigning has already gained momentum. CM Nitish Kumar has done a roadshow here, while election meetings are being held continuously by the Grand Alliance. Nalanda Lok Sabha constituency has an interesting history. In the first General Election of the country held in 1952, Nalanda was known as Patna Central Lok Sabha and then Kailashpati Sinha of the Congress got the honour of becoming the first MP by winning this seat. After that, the Congress bagged this seat six times but has not won it since 1989. From 1996 to 2019, this seat was held by the George Fernandes-Nitish Kumar-led Samata Party and JD(U) only. The JD(U)'s Kaushalendra Kumar has been defeating his rivals for the last three elections and is ready to score a fourth victory this time. This is because no matter who contests the elections on a JD(U) ticket, it is believed that CM Nitish Kumar himself is contesting from here. In this Lok Sabha election, the contest for this seat is mainly between the NDA and INDIA bloc candidates. While the NDA has once again shown confidence in Kaushalendra Kumar, he has been pitted against Sandeep Saurav by the CPI(ML). In 2009, Kaushalendra Kumar as an NDA candidate defeated the LJP's Satish Kumar. In 2014, the JD(U) separated from the NDA and contested the elections. The contest for Nalanda was tough but Kaushalendra Kumar was successful in defeating LJP candidate Satyanand Sharma. In 2019, Kaushalendra Kumar won as an NDA candidate and this time he defeated HAM's Ashok Kumar Azad, who was part of the Grand Alliance. Nalanda is globally renowned for its ancient and rich heritage. In ancient times, Nalanda University was the world's largest and best centre of education. Many monuments related to Buddha and Mahavira also make one realise the importance of Nalanda in the country's religious history. The total number of voters in Nalanda is 22,37,750 including 11,90,971 male and 10,46,709 female voters. About 26 per cent of the voters here are Kurmis while about 17 per cent are Yadavs and 12 per cent are Muslims. The Kushwaha voters are 10 per cent of Koeri voters. Apart from this, Dalit and Extremely Backward Caste voters also have significant numbers. Out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, Nalanda is one among three in the state under which there are seven Assembly seats Asthawan, Biharsharif, Rajgir, Islampur, Hilsa, Nalanda and Harnaut. Among these seven Assembly seats, except for Islampur, all the seats are held by the NDA. JD(U) MLAs won 5 seats and one seat went into the account of the BJP. Ram Jeevan Singh, a Professor of political science at Magadh University told IANS, "Nalanda District is considered the home district of CM Nitish Kumar. A number of development projects have been completed and some are underway. A four-lane highway connecting Bakhtiyarpur to Rajauli in Nawada District crossing Nalanda is one of them. There is no doubt that JD(U) has the upper hand here but at the same time it is also true that Kaushalendra Kumar has not made any major achievements as an MP." "However, domination by Kurmi voters is also a factor here. In Bihar, there is no bigger Kurmi leader than Nitish Kumar and this also goes in his favour," he said. Hyderabad, May 9 : A student from Telangana, pursuing his masters from a university in the US, has been reported missing in Chicago for a week, as per his family. The Consulate General of India in Chicago said, in a post on X, that it was deeply concerned to learn that Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi has been incommunicado since May 2. It said it was in touch with the police and Indian diaspora to locate/reestablish contact with Chintakindi. Chintakindi had gone to the US in December 2023 and was pursuing a master's degree from Concordia University in Wisconsin City. Chicago police have also issued a statement about the student, urging residents to provide any information about him. Chintakindi hails from Warangal district and his family is worried about his whereabouts. It has requested the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian embassy in the US to help trace him. According to his family members, he was in regular touch with them. His father Sadanandam said he last spoke to him through a WhatsApp call on May 2, and Chintakindi told him that he was busy with some work. Later, Sadanandam tried to reach him but he remained offline. After waiting for two days, Chintakindias family members contacted his roommates. They informed him that he left the room on April 30 saying he was going to meet someone from Texas who had come to meet him. He told them that he would return in two days but did not return. At the familyas request, his roommates lodged a complaint with Chicago police. Sadanandam approached Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, who wrote a letter to the Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar, seeking assistance to trace the missing student. Last month, a student from Hyderabad, who had been missing since March 7, was found dead in the US city of Cleveland. Mohammed Abdul Arfath, pursuing his master's degree in Information Technology at Cleveland University, Ohio, had not been in touch with the family since March 7 and his family here had received a ransom call. --IANS ms/vd Islamabad, May 9 : Thursday (May 9) marks one year to the time when supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) expressed their anger against the country's powerful military establishment by engaging in violence, riots, attacks on military installations and a 'call for resistance' -- a narrative that Khan successfully injected in his supporters since his ouster from power in April 2022. Today, both PTI and the military establishment mark May 9 as a 'black day' by labeling each other as the victim and an aggressor. The current ruling federal government -- along with its coalition political partners who control the provincial set-ups in Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab -- condemn PTI and Imran Khan for brainwashing supporters who carried out targeted violent attacks on sensitive military installations across the country, last year. The military establishment also remains vocal on the issue. "The Armed Forces of Pakistan, along with Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and Services Chiefs, strongly condemn the criminal acts perpetrated on May 9, 2023. On this one of the darkest days in our national history, politically motivated and brainwashed miscreants in an act of rebellion, deliberately resorted to violence against state institutions and vandalised sacred symbols of the state and the sites belonging to national heritage," read a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The military establishment maintains that it showed "utmost restraint" during the orchestrated violence, highlighting that the malicious attempt to trigger confrontation between the protesters and the armed forces was thwarted. The ISPR has made it clear that the culprits behind the riots and attacks will not be spared. "It is precisely for this reason there can neither be any compromise with the planners, facilitators and executors of May 9 tragedy nor they would be allowed to hoodwink the law of the land. Bringing the real culprits to justice is paramount to ensure that in the future, no one dares to desecrate memories of our heroes and the symbols of our unity through such an unwarranted conduct in the future," an ISPR statement stated. The PTI and the military establishment's rigid stance against each other is quite visible even after one year as both sides are not willing to concede ground. "The PTI needs to acknowledge that it acted in an extremely irresponsible manner by leading its supporters towards such an unacceptable reaction. Thousands were targeted in reprisals by the state, and the events of the day accelerated the expansion of unelected forces and their influence in the state's legislative and administrative apparatus," said senior political analyst Javed Siddique. "On the other hand, the state too, is not innocent. Rather than acting with restraint, it responded with extreme measures that reminded us of the past dictatorships," he added. Telangana student missing in US, father says spoke to him last on May 2. Image Source: IANS News Hyderabad, May 9 : A student from Telangana, pursuing his masters from a university in the US, has been reported missing in Chicago for a week, as per his family. The Consulate General of India in Chicago said, in a post on X, that it was deeply concerned to learn that Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi has been incommunicado since May 2. It said it was in touch with the police and Indian diaspora to locate/reestablish contact with Chintakindi. Chintakindi had gone to the US in December 2023 and was pursuing a master's degree from Concordia University in Wisconsin City. Chicago police have also issued a statement about the student, urging residents to provide any information about him. Chintakindi hails from Warangal district and his family is worried about his whereabouts. It has requested the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian embassy in the US to help trace him. According to his family members, he was in regular touch with them. His father Sadanandam said he last spoke to him through a WhatsApp call on May 2, and Chintakindi told him that he was busy with some work. Later, Sadanandam tried to reach him but he remained offline. After waiting for two days, Chintakindias family members contacted his roommates. They informed him that he left the room on April 30 saying he was going to meet someone from Texas who had come to meet him. He told them that he would return in two days but did not return. At the familyas request, his roommates lodged a complaint with Chicago police. Sadanandam approached Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, who wrote a letter to the Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar, seeking assistance to trace the missing student. Last month, a student from Hyderabad, who had been missing since March 7, was found dead in the US city of Cleveland. Mohammed Abdul Arfath, pursuing his master's degree in Information Technology at Cleveland University, Ohio, had not been in touch with the family since March 7 and his family here had received a ransom call. Bengaluru, May 9 : The special MP/MLA court in Bengaluru on Thursday adjourned the bail plea of JD-S MLA H.D. Revanna in a kidnap case to May 13. H.D. Revanna, the son of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, has been arrested for his alleged role in the kidnapping of a victim of the sex scandal involving his son Prajwal Revanna, the sitting JD-S MP who has been renominated from Hassan. The JD-S MLA is presently lodged in the Bengaluru Central Prison on the outskirts of the city after the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) sent him to judicial custody till May 14 in connection with the case on Wednesday. In the court on Thursday, H.D. Revanna's counsel C.V. Nagesh argued that the case lodged against H.D. Revanna was against the law, as there was no mention of evidence against him in the remand petition filed by the SIT. He also claimed that H.D. Revanna was arrested unnecessarily, as he could have been released after questioning and called back for the same whenever needed. "There was no allegation of the victim being forced or trapped. There was no demand. H.D. Revanna is a politician and there are political reasons behind his arrest. The incident took place on April 29 and the FIR was filed on May 2. There was no kidnap or illegal detention. The victim was a maid at H.D. Revanna's residence and the kidnap charges don't apply," he claimed. SIT counsel Jayna Kothari argued that the victim was kidnapped to ensure that a case is not registered against Prajwal Revanna under IPC Section 364 (A), which attracts life imprisonment and capital punishment. If bail is granted, there is a possibility of the accused influencing the probe, he said. There are many more victims in the case who might be threatened if the bail is granted, he claimed. Imphal, May 9 : Manipur Police with the support of local people rescued an Assistant Sub-Inspector of CRPF, Lensat Sitlhou, who was abducted by armed attackers from Imphal West district on Wednesday, the police said on Thursday. The police said that Sitlhou was abducted on Wednesday morning while en route his village Shantipur on a scooter from National Highway 2. The ASI, who was rescued on Wednesday night, was reportedly assaulted by his abductors. A search is on to nab the kidnappers. On April 27, two CRPF personnel, including a sub-inspector, were killed while two others were injured after a camp of the paramilitary force was attacked in Bishnupur district. New Delhi, May 9 : Healthcare workers assisting endoscopic gastrointestinal procedures in operation theatres may be exposed to dangerous toxin levels equivalent to smoking a cigarette during each procedure, increasing "significant health risks", a new study revealed on Thursday. The study, led by researchers at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in the US, noted that smoke-producing endoscopic procedures include a procedure that uses electrical current to remove polyps. "Surgeons in the operating room have regulations and guidelines to mitigate smoke exposure, but that does not exist for gastrointestinal endoscopy," said lead author Trent Walradt, a research fellow at Brigham. "If you're doing four or five procedures a day, that's five cigarettes a day. Over the course of a week, it's like you're smoking a pack of cigarettes. That's not acceptable," added Chris Thompson, director of endoscopy at Brigham and principal investigator on the study. The team assessed gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures that produce smoke, such as procedures to stop bleeding, reduce the size of the opening to the small intestine after gastric bypass, or remove cancerous and precancerous polyps near the muscle. The results showed that during these procedures the peak level of volatile organic compounds reached twice the maximum safe level determined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) -- similar to smoking a cigarette. Elevated levels of ultrafine particles and fine inhalable particles less than 2.5 micrometres were found during all the procedures, with the highest average levels occurring during argon plasma coagulation -- a procedure that uses argon gas and an electrical current to cauterise (burn) and remove tissue. The findings will be presented at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2024 in Washington, DC --IANS rvt/vd Bengaluru, May 5 : A JD-S delegation led by former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy met Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot on Thursday, and sought his intervention for a CBI probe into the sex video scandal involving JD-S MP Prajwal Revanna that is currently being investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Karnataka Police. Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna is the grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, and son of JD-S MLA H.D. Revanna, who has been arrested for his alleged role in the kidnapping of a victim of the sex scandal involving his son. JD-S state unit chief Kumaraswamy is the younger brother of H.D. Revanna. After meeting the Governor, Kumaraswamy said, "It is impossible to expect a free, fair, and impartial inquiry from the SIT, as it is influenced and misguided by the state government. Therefore, the intervention of the Governor has been sought to recommend the case for a thorough inquiry by the CBI." Kumaraswamy also claimed that a conversation between BJP leader Devaraje Gowda and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has exposed the collusion, conspiracy, and involvement of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Deputy CM in the SIT probe. "There is a vested interest in tarnishing the image of former Prime Minister Deve Gowda and the JD-S," he said. Kumaraswamy also claimed that it is a well-known fact that Shivakumar was behind the distribution of more than 25,000 pen drives (containing alleged videos of sexual abuse involving his nephew Prajwal Revanna) in bus stands, parks, and other public places throughout the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency. "The SIT investigation is biased, partial, and not transparent. It is also not as per the established procedures as they are threatening the alleged victims to file complaints," Kumaraswamy alleged. The state government has failed to stop the circulation of the alleged videos, causing a lot of agony, sorrow, and humiliation to the families of the victims, he claimed. The activities of the SIT are controlled and monitored by the state government on a day-to-day basis, Kumaraswamy alleged, adding the SIT is working at the behest of the Chief Minister and the Deputy CM. The former Chief Minister also appealed to the Governor to advise CM Siddaramaiah to drop Shivakumar from the Cabinet as he is the "mastermind in the circulation of the obscene videos". New Delhi, May 9 : The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to Uday Sarup, accused of murdering 23-year-old PhD student Neha Sharma in the zoology lab of the Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Agra, in March 2013. Without going into the merits of the case, Justice Sanjay Kumar Singh cited the long incarceration period of the accused for granting bail. "This court is also of the view that though detailed discussion on merit is not required but at least, order rejecting or granting bail must reflect basic reason for the same." Sarup was arrested a month after the incident and charged under Sections 302 (murder), 376 (rape), and 511 (attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life) of the IPC. After police filed a charge sheet, the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). In 2014, the court granted bail to the accused under the aforementioned sections. However, after the CBI filed a supplementary charge sheet in 2015 under Sections 302, 376 and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence), Sarup was again taken into custody in 2016. Meanwhile, the father of the victim had moved the Supreme Court against the court order granting bail to the accused. The plea was disposed of in 2019 since the accused had been taken into custody again. The CBI alleged that Sarup, whose advances had previously been rebuffed by the victim, meticulously orchestrated the murder. In its charge sheet, it said that Sarup had raped and killed the young woman after finding her alone in the lab. While granting bail to Sarup, Justice Singh noted that there were no eyewitnesses to the incident, as per the prosecution's case, and the post-mortem report revealed no signs of rape, as the genital organs of the deceased were found non-gravid. The judge noted that the initial pathology report did not find spermatozoa in the vaginal smear slide. However, the court noted that the prosecution's case heavily relies on a CDFD report, with DNA evidence linking the accused to the crime scene. Moreover, the court noted that statements of all 55 prosecution witnesses have been recorded, leaving no possibility of tampering with the evidence. Given the lengthy detention period, the applicant's cooperation with the trial, and the absence of witness tampering possibilities, the court concluded that bail was warranted. Further, the court imposed certain conditions for bail saying that Sarup must cooperate with the trial process, shall abstain from criminal activities, and shall not leave the country. Sarup is the grandson of retired IAS officer Prem Kumar. His grandfather was also the president of the Dayalbagh Satsang Sabha. The Agra police had earlier framed charges of murder on Yashveer Sandhu, a lab technician. However, the CBI removed the charges against him, maintaining that Sarup and Neha were the only ones present at the spot at the time of the crime. What exactly Piedmont Virginia Community College President Jean Runyon said to convince the Louisa County Board of Supervisors that a documentary called Israelism by two Jewish filmmakers wasnt antisemitic remains unclear. Though it must have done the trick, as the board unanimously voted Monday night to overturn the resolution it had passed just one week prior that cut off the countys funding to the school, a sum of $6,000 this year. Since that time, Ive had several conversations and meetings with the president of the community college, who forwarded me the community colleges protocols and policies concerning affirmative action, concerning discrimination, concerning antisemitism, said Louisa County Chairman Duane Adams before the vote at Mondays meeting. Those answers satisfied my concerns. I passed that information along to the board earlier today. Adams and his fellow members on the board said that Runyons explanations of the community colleges inclusion, diversity and equity protocol and her assurances that PVCC administration was aware of the challenges both going on nationally and on a statewide level assuaged their concerns that Jewish students were facing antisemitism due to the screening of Israelism, which examines how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is portrayed in American Jewish institutions. The Daily Progress has requested a copy of the documents Runyon provided supervisors. At press time, that request was still being processed. Public agencies have five days to respond to such inquiries under the Freedom of Information Act. A week ago Monday, the board voted to strike all funding to PVCC from its budget with a resolution that briefly mentions the screening of Israelism hosted on April 19 by the Students for Justice in Palestine group at PVCC. Antisemitism remains a serious concern on a worldwide basis, and the Board of Supervisors condemns any discrimination in the strongest terms, the resolution reads. Outside of the resolution being read aloud, there was little discussion among supervisors before the text was unanimously adopted. That was not the case this week. Though no community members took the opportunity to address the board during the meetings public comment section, Supervisor R.T. Williams Jr. said that he, as well as other supervisors, received a really interesting phone call after suspending PVCCs funding from a community member, though he was unsure if they were indeed a constituent as the call came from a Texas area code. I want to make it clear, just so that no one thinks that a couple of untimely phone calls and cussing and ranting at me makes a difference, said Williams, peering over his reading glasses at the seven people in attendance at Mondays meeting. Thats not why I changed my mind. I didnt change my mind. We just wanted to hear from them. Williams continued, saying that the best way to deal with these things is to engage in discussions and work to educate oneself on the matter, an effort the board has made in his view. Supervisor Manning Woodward echoed his colleagues sentiment saying, With the president of Piedmont sending the information that she sent out, that has satisfied my concerns about the safety and any type of things going on at Piedmont that shouldnt be. It was the initial view of the board that the screening of the film Israelism was among those things going on at Piedmont that shouldnt be. The film, by American Jews about American Jews, was released in February of last year, months prior to Palestinian terror group Hamas Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel. That attack killed roughly 1,200 people, and Hamas took another 240 or so hostage. Since then, Israel has laid siege to the Palestinian territory of Gaza and the death toll has climbed to more than 34,000, the overwhelming majority of those Palestinians, and the overwhelming majority of those Palestinians women and children. A summary of Israelism posted on the International Movie Database describes it thus: When two young American Jews witness the way Israel treats Palestinians, their thoughts become conflicted. They are raised to unconditionally love Israel, but a deepening generational divide grows over modern Jewish identity. Though Louisa Countys resolution cites the film as the grounds for its decision, Adams said he was unaware of the film when The Daily Progress first reached out on April 30, the day after the resolution was passed. I dont think there was anything to do with a film screening, Adams told The Daily Progress by phone. I have no idea what the film was about. According to a post on Adams Facebook page a day before the film screening, his issue was with the Students for Justice in Palestine group itself, which he referred to as a blatantly antisemitic organization. While Adams and the rest of the board argued that their intention was to ensure that the college does not support antisemitic activities on its campus, others were left wondering if the resolution was an attempt to restrict students First Amendment rights. So, Free Speech is cool as long as you agree with the subject of the Free Speech. Gotcha, said one Reddit user on an online thread discussing the boards resolution last week. Several others on the social media platform, as well as on Adams Facebook page, questioned his lack of clarity on how the film screening was potentially an antisemitic activity. Adams stopped responding to The Daily Progress last week when this question was also raised. So a movie made by Jews with Jewish lead actors is antisemitic and discriminatory against Jews? Please make it make sense, commented another Reddit user, who said they were going to boycott any business in the county until this stupid political ploy is dropped. The community college has yet to comment on the boards change of heart. However, PVCC did release a statement after the original resolution was passed, requesting the Louisa County board reconsider as the College plays a crucial role in supporting the community. Founded in 1972, the school has provided affordable, accessible education to hundreds of thousands of students. Its service area includes the counties of Louisa, Albemarle, Buckingham, Greene, Fluvanna and Nelson as well as the city of Charlottesville, all of which contribute funding to its operations. Albemarle County contributes the most to the school with $24,048, the city of Charlottesville gives $12,317, while Nelson and Buckingham counties give just over $1,000 each. PVCC is committed to fostering a safe environment for freedom of expression, reads the colleges statement following the suspension of funds on April 30. Like the Board, the College condemns any discrimination in the strongest terms. New Delhi, May 9 : A report by the Economic Advisory Council to PM on the rising Muslim population and declining Hindi populace made for a good political fodder on Thursday. The report, besides sending ripples in political space, triggered a war of words between parties. The report found that between 1950 and 2015, the Hindu population in the country declined by 7.82 per cent while the Muslim population grew at 43 per cent. Union Minister and firebrand BJP leader Giriraj Singh said that the drastic rise in the Muslim population was a matter of concern and if not addressed timely, will have serious ramifications. Giriraj Singh said: "In 1947, the population of Hindus was 88 per cent while that of Muslims was 8 per cent. Today, Hindus have been reduced to 70 per cent while Muslims have seen rise by many percentage. Data says they are at 14 per cent but I say their population is not less than 20 per cent. If corrective steps are not taken immediately, it will have serious repercussions." Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said it was right that country's demography was changing. "In every state across the country, Muslim population was on an uptrend while that of Hindus are on a decline. This is a fact based data and there is nothing imaginary about it," he said. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya blamed the Congress for unhindered growth of one community at the cost of other. "Hindus have seen consistent decline while Muslim population have been soaring. Congress party is to blame for this. It only pursued appeasement of one community and brought no population policy. There is an urgent for Uniform Civil Code," he said. BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi told IANS that in 1950s, the population of Muslims was comparatively less while the number of learned Muslims was higher. "Earlier, their icons were people like Ustaad Bismillah Khan, Ustaad Zakir Hussain, Ghulam Ali while today, people like Zakir Naik, Ishrat Jahan, Yakub Memon, Atiq Ahmed and more have emerged as their representatives. This has much to do with rise in their population," he said. "The rise in their population resulted in their degradation. Muslim community should introspect into this rather than reacting with anger over findings," he added. BJP spokesperson RP Singh said that there is no doubt that the imbalance in Hindu-Muslim population, as compared to 1950, is the result of bad policies of Congress regimes. "They amended and tailored the laws to suit their demands. They gave concessions in Muslim Personal Law and made titled laws, this led to such imbalance," he added. Congress leader Udit Raj, replying to query on the EAC-PM report, slammed the current dispensation for not conducting Census in 2021. "Census is due for long. This government is deliberately delaying it. Unless, there is a detailed survey, we won't get to know the real demography," he said. Former Congress veteran Acharya Pramod Krishnam hit out at the INDIA bloc for plunging numbers of Hindus. He said that the Opposition wants to divide the majority, so that it succeeds in pushing its dangerous agenda. Manu Gaur, the TAXAB president also raised concerns over the changing demography and said that an effective population policy was the need to time to arrest this disparity. All India Muslim Jamaat chief Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Barelvi said that there was not truth in this report. "Every community has seen growth in their numbers, over the years. It's understood that those belonging to poor and deprived sections will have bigger families but this can't seen through a religious prism," he said. "When people get literate and become well-equipped, they tend to limit their numbers as they understand its benefits," he said further to prove his point. Agartala, May 9 : In a bid to improve the quality of education and performance of teachers and students, the Tripura government would soon introduce the e-attendance system for teachers and students in all 4,912 government schools, an official said on Thursday. A top Education Department official said that the digital move, being introduced under the Vidya Samiksha Kendra, would bring transparency in the entire academic system and better functioning of schools. "The entire process to cover the e-attendance system for teachers, students in all 4,912 government schools would be completed in a two-year time," the official told IANS, refusing to be named. The Vidya Samiksha Kendra, which was first launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gujarat in 2022, was envisioned by the Union Education Ministry as a "force multiplier" that would amplify the existing capabilities of people in the education system, enabling a transformative impact on the desired educational outcomes. After implementation of the e-attendance method in all schools, the geo-tagging system would also be introduced to bring all necessary aspects available online, the official pointed out. He said that after completion of the process of e-attendance system covering all the schools, the Chief Minister, concerned ministers and senior officials from their offices would monitor the performance of the teachers and schools. Currently, necessary training of headmasters and all concerned are going on to make them familiar about the new digital system. The Tripura government has already introduced the e-attendance system in some government offices, including the civil secretariat, headquarters of the administration, here. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, who also holds the Education Department, recently launched the state's first Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK) in Agartala to help students fulfil their dreams through quality education, real-time monitoring, and support of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The centre is geared towards digitising educational data to provide the stakeholders with real-time visibility into the progress of various educational initiatives, enhancing the existing capabilities, and enabling transformative impact through coordinated efforts to drive improvements in the education sector. The VSK will serve as an institutional framework designed to facilitate integrated and collaborative data analysis for informed decision-making in the field of education. In total, 37,761 teachers are now involved in 4,912 government schools in the state while 6,94,539 students are enrolled in Elementary, Secondary and Higher Secondary level of school education. (Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in) Thiruvananthapuram, May 9 : The Kerala Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA), a body of doctors working in the government hospitals, has complained about the alleged breaking of protocols by Thiruvananthapuram District Collector Jeromic George, who had summoned a doctor home to treat an infection. KGMOA officials said that last week, George called up a senior state Health Department official and asked for a doctor to be sent to his official residence as he is suffering from a fungal infection of the toenail and wants it to be examined. Surprised by this demand, the health official, at first, did not take any action and soon came another call, where George, according to the KGMOA, repeated his demand authoritatively. The health official then called up the officer in charge at the state-run General Hospital and asked for a general surgeon to be sent to the residence of the Collector immediately. "On getting the order, a doctor, who was seeing outpatients, quickly left for the residence of George. He had to wait for a while as the Collector was in a meeting. After a wait, the doctor attended to the health issue of the Collector and returned to the hospital," said the KGMOA official. When this news spread, it later surfaced that this was not the first time that the Collector had called a doctor to his home for a medical need. "What the Collector has done is not going to be accepted again. We will have no other option but to protest," said a KGMOA official. New Delhi, May 9 : Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) on Thursday reported a 30 per cent decline in consolidated net profit of Rs 4,789.57 crore for the January-March quarter financial year 2023-24 compared to the corresponding figure of Rs 6,870.47 crore in the same period last year. The decline in the government-owned company's profit comes amid volatile crude oil prices during the quarter which led to an increase in input costs that could not be fully passed on to consumers. BPCL said its board has recommended the issue of bonus shares in the ratio of 1:1 i.e. one new bonus equity share of Rs 10 each for every one existing equity shares of Rs 10 each fully paid up, subject to the approval of shareholders through postal ballot. "The Board has fixed Saturday, 22nd June 2024 as Record date to determine the eligibility of shareholders to receive bonus shares," the company said in an exchange filing. The company's board has also recommended a final dividend of Rs 21 per equity share (pre-bonus) for the year 2023-24, which works out to a final dividend of Rs 10.5 per share after the dividend. BPCL average gross refining margin worked out to $14.14 per barrel for the year ended March 31 this year compared to $20.24 per barrel a year earlier. The company is "cautiously optimistic" and expects crude oil prices to remain in the range of $83-$87 per barrel in the near-future, BPCL Chairman and Managing Director G. Krishnakumar said. "We are planning to expand our refining capacity to 45 million metric tonnes per annum and add 4,000 new fuel stations by FY2029," he added. He also said that BPCL is setting up two petrochemical facilities, which will triple its gas output by fiscal year 2029. New Delhi, May 9 : The Finance Ministry on Thursday held a workshop for CEOs and MDs of 12 public sector banks and other financial institutions to provide them with insights into the best practices for AI adoption and risk mitigation in the banking sector. Vivek Joshi, Secretary, Department of Financial Services (DFS), chaired the workshop on the 'State of Artificial Intelligence in Banks' as part of its lecture series. The IT industry association NASSCOM made a presentation to update the bankers on the latest state of play of AI in banks. The workshop served as a platform for participants to learn about various case studies and strategies for implementing AI in the banking sector. By leveraging the expertise of industry leaders, the workshop aimed to enhance the understanding of AI technologies and their potential impact on the financial services industry. The industry experts discussed how AI can be used to enhance customer service, make better decisions regarding credit, detect fraud and defaults, manage risks early, and boost employee productivity and efficiency. The workshop also addressed the emerging challenges of AI in terms of data governance, cybersecurity, transparency and compliance. The event featured several industry experts who shared their experiences and insights on AI. Besides DFS Secretary, attendees included senior officials from the DFS, CEOs, MDs, CTOs, and CDOs from public sector banks, as well as MDs and CEOs from various financial institutions under administrative control of DFS and delegates from NASSCOM. Lucknow, May 9 : In line with his allegiance to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Panch Pran' (five pledges), which include removing vestiges of slavery from the face of India and respecting heritage among others, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has dropped a hint of changing the name of Akbarpur. "Uttering the name of the city leaves a bad taste in mouth. Rest assured, all these things will change. We must eradicate all remnants of colonialism from our nation and honour our heritage," the chief minister said, according to an official release. Beyond Akbarpur, numerous districts within the state seek name changes and these include Aligarh, Azamgarh, Shahjahanpur, Ghaziabad, Firozabad, Farrukhabad, and Moradabad. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, after assuming office in 2017, has embarked on a mission to eradicate symbols of historical subjugation. This endeavour has seen numerous roads, parks, intersections, and buildings in the state christened in the honour of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In Lucknow alone, one can traverse Atal Bihari Vajpayee Road, navigate through Atal Chauraha, access the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Conference Centre, cross Atal Setu, and arrive at Atal Bihari Kalyan Mandap. Additionally, the iconic Mughalsarai railway station, the fourth busiest junction in the country, underwent a name change to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction. Just before the 2019 Kumbh Mela, the state government rechristened Allahabad to Prayagraj, a move rooted in reclaiming the city's historical identity. Saints contend that the original name of this historic locale was Prayagraj, which the Mughals altered to 'Allahabad'. Concurrently, Faizabad was renamed Ayodhya, and the Jhansi railway station was also renamed after Rani Lakshmi Bai. Recently, the municipal bodies of Aligarh passed a resolution demanding the city's renaming to Harigarh, while Firozabad was proposed to be renamed Chandra Nagar. A similar proposal was also made in Mainpuri, where a demand was made to change the district's name to Mayapuri. Minister of State for Secondary Education Gulab Devi has demanded that the name of her home district, Sambhal, be changed to Prithviraj Nagar or Kalki Nagar. Former BJP MLA Devmani Dwivedi demanded that the Sultanpur district name be changed to Kushbhawanpur. This city was founded by Kush, son of Lord Rama. BJP MLA from Deoband assembly seat of Saharanpur, Brajesh Singh, has also demanded that Deoband be changed to Devvrind. Deoband is known for the Islamic seminary Darul Uloom, but it is claimed that the place has been referred to as Devvrind in ancient Hindu scriptures. Similarly, Alka Rai, former BJP MLA from the Mohammadabad seat of Ghazipur, has demanded that the name of Ghazipur be changed to Gadhipuri. New Delhi, May 9 : The Delhi High Court has reaffirmed the principles of transparency enshrined in the Right to Information Act, 2005, stating that difficulty in collating information is not a valid ground for denying access to the information. Justice Subramonium Prasad said that public authorities cannot refuse information merely because it is not readily available in one place or would take time to compile. The court said that the objective of the RTI Act is to promote transparency in government operations, and this objective cannot be undermined by the state government citing the voluminous nature of the information sought. The case stemmed from an RTI application filed by Probhjot Singh Dhillon seeking details about disciplinary actions taken by the Delhi government's Education Department against teachers conducting private tuitions in the national capital. The Central Information Commission (CIC) had directed the Delhi government to provide the requested information, noting the "cavalier attitude" of the Public Information Officer (PIO) in handling the application. Rejecting the Delhi government's plea challenging the CIC's order, Justice Prasad said that disciplinary proceedings against teachers, whether in government or aided schools, must be disclosed to the public. He said that even if the information is not consolidated in one place, efforts must be made to collate and provide it to the applicant. The court noted that information regarding penalties imposed on teachers for conducting private tuitions in both government and private schools should be accessible to the public. It stressed that the government must endeavour to gather and furnish the requested information. Consequently, Justice Prasad directed the Delhi government to furnish the information sought by Dhillon regarding disciplinary actions against teachers in both government and private schools for conducting private tuitions. --IANS spr/vd Jaipur, May 9 : On the eve of Akshaya Tritiya, which is also associated with child marriage in Rajasthan, a 17-year-old girl was freed from the shackles of the evil practice as her child marriage was annulled before she attained adulthood on Thursday. Sugandha (name changed) was married at the tender age of 10 and sent to her in-law's place at 16, before being freed from the bondage at the age of 17. Daughter of a daily wager at a village in Jodhpur district, she bore the brunt of child marriage for seven long years. Under societal pressure, her aGaunaa -- a custom in North India associated with the consummation of marriage -- was performed following which she was sent to her in-law's house at the age of 16, where her husband and in-laws reportedly subjected her to verbal abuse. The family court in Jodhpur has now finally annulled the child marriage of Sugandha and freed her from the shackles of the evil practice. Sugandha got information from the women's police station about the campaign against child marriage run by Kriti Bharti, Managing Trustee of Jodhpur's Saarthi Trust, who is also a rehabilitation psychologist and child & women's rights advocate. After she met Bharti and narrated her ordeal, the latter filed a case about five months ago for the annulment of Sugandha's child marriage. Annulling Sugandha's child marriage, the judge of Family Court No. 2, Pradeep Kumar Modi, said that everyone must take responsibility for eradicating this evil practice from the society. Chennai, May 9 : In the wake of a Rottweiler dog attacking a five-year-old girl in Chennai, the Tamil Nadu Animal Husbandry Department on Thursday banned any import, breeding, or sale of 33 breeds of dogs that have been termed "dangerous" for people. According to the Animal Husbandry Department statement, the dog breeds that are banned are Tosa Inu, Fila Brasileiro, American Bulldog, Caucasian Shephard, Kangal Shepherd Dog, Terriers, Mastiffs, Tornjak, Cane Corso, Wolf Dogs, Akbash, Pitbull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Boerboel, Central Asian Shepherd Dog, South Russian Shepherd Dog, Japanese Tosa and Akita, Rottweiler, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Canaria, Moscow Guard, and Bandog. It stated that the dogs in the above list should undergo sterilisation surgery immediately to prevent reproduction. The Union Animal Husbandry Department has already recommended bans on various dog breeds, including Rottweilers, Pitbulls, American Bulldogs and others considered dangerous. It has directed the state governments and Union Territories to ensure that licenses are not given for the sale, breeding, and keeping as pets of such dogs that are dangerous to human lives. Patna May 9 : The police in Bihar's Araria arrested a sharpshooter belonging to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang from Jogbani town in the district bordering Nepal on Thursday. The accused, identified as Krishna Kumar alias Jay Prakash, a resident of Bikaner in Rajasthan, was absconding since last year. Confirming the arrest, Amit Ranjan, the SP of Araria, said that Kumar was living in Nepal from where he crossed the border and came to Jogbani to withdraw cash from an ATM. When he was withdrawing the cash from the ATM near the Jogbani railway station, the police nabbed him. "We initially arrested him in an ATM fraud case. During interrogation, it appeared that he was a sharpshooter of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. His father's name is Shanta Ram, a resident of Bikaner. He was arrested in an extortion case in Bikaner in 2023. Since he was reportedly a minor then, he was kept at a remand home in Bikaner from where he fled to Nepal. "He was in touch with his gang members through an internet VPN. The gang members used to send him money through various apps and he used to come to Jogbani to withdraw the cash," the officer said. "We received a complaint from a shopkeeper after his bank account was frozen. Our team was closely monitoring various ATMs and found him as a surprise catch. The accused confessed to his links with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang during interrogation," he added. The SP said that the Rajasthan Police have been informed about Kumar's arrest. Many left the University of Virginias virtual town hall Tuesday with more questions than answers about the schools crackdown on a small anti-war protest on Grounds Saturday, which saw 27 people arrested and several more pepper-sprayed and pushed off the public universitys campus. Faculty at the school were so disappointed they volunteered to host their own honest town hall Thursday to address community concerns as well as a troubling disparity between the universitys account of events and what was witnessed firsthand. Faculty said they were disturbed by the manufactured responses during the administrations town hall. All of the questions posed to administrators during the hourlong meeting were curated by university officials, and none of the participants were allowed to speak, so it remains unclear who or where the questions were coming from. Chief among the questions the university has failed to address: Who were the four mysterious men in black who UVa President Jim Ryan said joined the encampment Friday night near the University Chapel and posed a threat to the safety of the community? If they wore masks and helmets as Ryan said, how did university police identify these individuals as known to law enforcement? Where were UVas on-site medical personnel who UVa Police Chief Tim Longo claimed treated everyone who had been exposed to pepper spray? What are UVas official rules on erecting recreational tents on Grounds, and why were guidelines referring to those rules changed hours before police broke up the protest encampment on Saturday? Faculty leading Thursdays town hall acknowledged they didnt have answers to all of these questions, but their primary objective was piecing together their own timeline that made sense and spotlighting the many ways the universitys official timeline has diverged from what was personally witnessed by faculty, students, members of the public and the press present during the crackdown. We want to set the record straight on events as they unfolded, Tessa Farmer, an associate professor in the Global Studies and Anthropology departments, and a member of the Faculty for Justice in Palestine group, said on Thursdays call. None of the after-the-fact justifications that we have heard explain, let alone justify, people being assaulted, pepper-sprayed, arrested and banned from their homes. Speaking truth to power, however, does explain this violence; thats the logic that makes events on Saturday make sense. Faculty expressed concern about the mysterious men in black that Longo said Tuesday had responded to protesters call for more participants, and who the university determined posed a safety threat. At least four persons who responded were known to law enforcement, and at least four persons who responded had been engaged in organized work in the past around historical events that have occurred here that resulted in violence, Longo said Tuesday, without identifying which historical events he meant. At least two of these were known to law enforcement personnel as participating in violent acts elsewhere in the commonwealth, added Ryan, without identifying which violent acts he meant. None of the faculty members who had spent time during the week at the demonstration saw any men in black, they said Thursday. Assistant professor of English Laura Goldblatt said shed participated in several conversations with Longo who never raised any concerns about the presence of potentially dangerous individuals to her. On Friday evening especially, there were many very young children around playing tag and having a good time. That would have been a moment to say these children are at risk, but there was no mention of that, Goldblatt said on the call. She said shes skeptical of the universitys claim that a threat of outside agitators was a significant factor in its decision to call in the Virginia State Police. Instead, Goldblatt said the men in black were an excuse for the university to follow the lead of other universities in the country and the commonwealth who forcefully removed anti-war protesters from their campuses using police officers and state troopers. Goldblatt said that shows of force have been unique to campus protesters opposed to Israels monthslong war in the Palestinian territory of Gaza, which at last count had killed more than 34,000 people, the majority of those Palestinian women and children. It rather seems like this is kind of a playbook thats an option on the table of how to deal with these particular kinds of protests about the ongoing genocide in Gaza and Palestine, said Goldblatt. Many who were in Charlottesville in 2017, have pointed out university administrators allowed a torch-wielding mob of avowed White supremacists to march across Grounds on Aug. 11 of that year and police on the scene did not declare an unlawful assembly until the racists came to blows with a small group of student counterprotesters. Walter Heinecke, an associate professor in the School of Education and Human Development, said he was there seven years ago. He recalled pulling students to safety while police did nothing and watching as students and faculty were getting beaten and pepper-sprayed by neo-Nazis. I think its an unfortunate and difficult irony to see the police attacking our students in one version and the police not doing anything to protect our students in the other version, said Heinecke. Another disparity between what the university reported and what was witnessed firsthand: the presence of medical personnel to treat those hit by pepper spray. At Tuesdays town hall, Longo said that everyone exposed to pepper spray on the scene Saturday was treated by medical personnel on site. Kathryn Laughan, an associate professor of nursing who treated several students of her own accord, said Thursday that she did not see any kind of organized medical first aid response beyond what had been organized by students and perhaps community members themselves. The Daily Progress also witnessed multiple people, many of whom appeared to be students, exposed to pepper spray. They either treated themselves using personal water bottles or received assistance from the other members of the public who had gathered at the scene. No one with The Daily Progress reported seeing any medical personnel move in to treat individuals, which includes a Daily Progress reporter who was pepper-sprayed alongside other members of the local media. Several UVa professors who had either served as faculty liaisons for students in the encampment or simply as bystanders on Saturday took turns laying out a timeline of events as they unfolded, supplemented with pictures and videos taken throughout the day. The demonstration started April 30, the last day of spring semester classes. Despite calls for more people to join, after hitting a peak of 80, attendance suffered and fell to roughly 25 by Saturday morning. Goldblatt was present at the demonstration Thursday night, describing it as very peaceful and very bucolic. She also revealed some new information, that three angry men approached the protesters at around 1 a.m. Friday, but those in the encampment successfully deescalated the situation before reporting it to Student Services. All of the eyewitnesses who spoke Thursday said that the protests atmosphere remained calm and safe up until the point when university, local and state police began to arrive on Grounds late Saturday morning. Many of us who were present on Saturday believe that it was the police who rioted and were aggressive, not our students, nor community members, said Oludamini Ogunnaike, an associate professor of religion. I believe that it was the police assembly and violent aggression that was unlawful, not that of our students or faculty or community members. But I also believe that the reason that they were treated violently is not because they set up tents, nor because they were protesting, but rather because of what they were protesting. Ogunnaike noted that the demonstration was so peaceful that he felt comfortable bringing his children to visit, which is why he said he was confused by the assault charges Longo mentioned on Tuesday. Longo said that in his final attempts to have protesters take down their tents on Saturday morning, a group of 45 people clustered tightly around the space I was approaching and told him that they had a duty to fight for their cause, they had a duty to win and they had nothing to lose. Longo said he was afraid that he and his colleagues would be encircled and they would have to defend themselves. On Thursdays call, faculty showed a video of that encounter that depicted a slightly different scene from what Longo described. The video shows Longo standing with a fellow officer in front of the tents where roughly 15 protesters can be seen holding umbrellas and chanting at the two officers. After about a minute, Longo, with his hands clasped behind his back, turns his back to the protesters and walks away. Longo brought up the protesters use of umbrellas several times on Tuesdays call, saying they were used in an aggressive manner. Fahad Ahmad Bishara, an associate professor of history, argued the umbrellas were employed as shields not offensive weapons. Given that the protesters were ultimately pepper-sprayed, one might understand why an umbrella might be a useful device, said Bishara on Thursday. Another device at the scene that administrators took issue with: tents. Another disparity between administrators timeline and what was witnessed firsthand: UVas tent policy. Early on, the university had told protesters that it was the schools policy that recreational tents are forbidden without a permit. Protesters complied by that rule until some found that the universitys printed guidelines actually say that recreational tents do not require a permit. On Tuesday, Ryan admitted that someone on his team changed the language in the university guidance so that the document was consistent with what UVa had been saying was official policy, mere hours before police broke up the encampment. He conceded, however, Im not sure this was the right judgement. It concerns me because you cant change policies without getting faculty input into the policy change process. Im not quite sure how policy can be changed on the fly, Heinecke said Thursday. That was concerning to us. It was definitely just unclear to the folks in the encampment about what was the actual policy. University administrators have maintained there was no confusion over the tent policy, but accounts from the encampment contradict that. Heinecke said that protesters believed that the tents were exempt after finding the printed guidelines. Furthermore, Heinecke said he pointed out to police on the scene last week that there were several tents erected across Grounds for sporting events and social gatherings without permits, even just down the road at the beach volleyball courts. Faculty closed the town hall Thursday by demanding the university and the University Judiciary Committee, a student organization that adjudicates school policy violations, drop all charges against the students and school employees who are now facing trespassing misdemeanors. There were 27 people in total arrested on Saturday though this number has been revised down and up over the past week including 12 students, four employees, three who are either former students or employees and eight who are unaffiliated with the university. Farmer on Thursday said that the charges against students, employees and members of the public had been very unevenly applied, as several others counterprotesting at the same scene, some of whom cheered on the violence, left free men. We had a number of students who were cheering on the cops, Farmer said. We had students who said pretty vile things to the encampment, and they were let go, they were not addressed. So we have a really uneven application of the UJC rules. Imphal, May 9 : Top Army officers, led by Eastern Command chief Lt Gen R.C. Tiwari on Thursday met Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey and discussed the security situation in the ethnic violence-hit state, the Raj Bhavan said. A Raj Bhavan official said that the Army officials highlighted the security preparedness of the Army and Assam Rifles to face any eventuality in the state and also highlighted various activities taken up to ensure safety among the masses. The army officials highlighted the relief activities taken up to support displaced families in different parts of the state, the official said, adding that they also informed the Governor that the Army would always work to maintain peace and stability in the northeastern region in general, and Manipur in particular. The Governor appreciated the Army and Assam Riflesa efforts and asked them to extend all possible support to the administration to restore complete peace and tranquillity in the State. Spear (III) Corps chief Lt. Gen H.S. Sahi and Inspector General, Assam Rifles, South, Major General Ravroop Singh accompanied the Eastern Command chief. --IANS sc/vd New Delhi, May 9 : The Enforcement Directorate has seized Rs 20 lakh in cash and high-end luxury cars while it froze Fixed Deposits (FDs) worth Rs 1 crore, as part of an investigation into a multi-crore bank loan fraud linked to the promoters and group companies of Shree Raj Mahal Jewellers, an official said on Thursday. The action came after raids were conducted at 11 locations on Tuesday in Delhi-NCR belonging to the Shree Raj Mahal Jewellers Pvt Ltd, Ginni Gold Pvt Ltd, Ashok Goel, Pradeep Goel, Praveen Kumar Gupta (promoters/directors) and several shell companies related to them. "During the search operations conducted on Tuesday, cash amounting to Rs 20.50 lakh, five high-end luxury cars, including Mercedes and BMW and FDs worth Rs 1 crore held by the promoters in the name of dummy entities/ persons, various evidence related to assets/ bank accounts held through several shell companies by the promoters were recovered and seized," the financial probe agency said. ED has said that several FIRs have been filed against the promoters and group entities of Shree Raj Mahal Jewellers for allegedly defrauding banks of Rs 232 crore. New Delhi, May 9 : Indian naval ships Delhi, Shakti, and Kiltan have completed their Singapore visit that was scheduled from May 6-9 as part of the operational deployment of the Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet to the South China Sea. According to the Indian Navy, the visit of the naval ships aimed at undertaking bilateral engagements, and discussing areas of mutual interest and cooperation, reaffirming the commitment to enhance maritime security and stability in the region. Rajesh Dhankhar, the Flag Officer Commanding of Eastern Fleet, and the commanding officers of the ships also had an interaction with the Fleet Commander of the Singapore Navy at its naval headquarters. The visit provided an opportunity for discussions on enhancing naval cooperation and interoperability between the navies of both India and Singapore. A deck reception was hosted onboard INS Shakti, wherein personnel from both navies, the Indian diaspora in Singapore, and the local diplomatic community had the opportunity to interact with each other, furthering the bonds of friendship and mutual respect, an official said. As part of the Indian Navy's commitment to maritime education and outreach, local schoolchildren were invited to visit the Indian ships. The children were given guided tours of the ships, where they learned about naval operations, India's rich maritime history and heritage, and also the importance of maritime security. Hyderabad, May 9 : Nearly 1.76 lakh employees on poll duty in Telangana have cast their votes in Lok Sabha polls at Voter Facilitation Centres (VFCs), officials said on Thursday. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vikas Raj said on Thursday that the process of voting by postal ballot has almost completed for most categories who are eligible to vote by postal ballots except service personnel. A total of 2,64,043 employees on poll duty have applied for postal ballot/Election Duty Certificate (EDC). While 2,29,072 employees opted for postal ballots, 34,973 employees opted for EDC. The process of casting their vote through postal ballot is at an advanced stage, the CEO said. A total of 1,75,994 employees cast their votes in the VFCs till May 8. VFCs will continue to function till May 10. The CEO said 15,970 postal ballots have been electrically transmitted to the service voters through the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBMS). Out of these, 170 polled EPBS have been received by the Returning Officers by May 8. In the absentee votersa category, a total of 23,247 applications were received. Out of this, 21,651 persons have cast their votes through home voting or at postal voting centres up to May 8. The process of home voting has been completed in all parliamentary constituencies. The process of voting at Postal Voting Centres (PVCs) was completed on Thursday. The CEO revealed that 324 certifications have been given for political advertisements through the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC). A total of 8,481 FIRs have been filed for the violation of the Model Code of Conduct while Rs.301.03 core worth of cash and inducement articles were seized. Polling in all 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state is scheduled on May 13. --IANS ms/vd New Delhi, May 9 : A total of 25 cabin crew members of Air India Express who were terminated after they reported sick on Tuesday and Wednesday have been reinstated following a meeting at the office of the Chief Labour Commissioner (CLC) and the airline management here on Thursday. Since Tuesday, over 200 cabin crew members have gone on mass sick leave alleging that despite assurances of job security, salary preservation, and recognition of seniority and expertise, there has been a visible departure from these commitments during the transition from AirAsia to Air India Express. On Thursday, Delhi Regional Labour Commissioner Ashok Perumalla had issued a notice to the Air India Express Employees Union and the airline management for their appearance for conciliation proceedings at 2 p.m. at his chamber in Delhi's Dwarka area. "Today, both parties held conciliation proceedings. After detailed discussions, deliberation, persuasion and on appeal from Conciliation Officer and Chief Labour Commissioner (central), the representative of the union (members of cabin crew) agreed that all the cabin crew members who have reported sick will report for duty with a fitness certificate immediately," read a note by the CLC. "On appeal of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) the management agreed to reinstate 25 cabin crew who have been terminated on May 7 and May 8 for reporting sick as a concerted action immediately. The management will review the cases of these cabin crew as per service regulations," it further read. "The representatives of the management assured that all the issues of cabin crew raised before the management and during conciliation proceedings will be looked into and resolved. The conciliation proceeding is adjourned and fixed for May 28 at 3 p.m.," the note added. Over 80 flights were cancelled on Thursday following the mass sick leave taken by the cabin crew of Air India Express, said an official. "We will be operating 283 flights today. We have mobilised all resources and Air India will support us by operating on 20 of our routes. However, 85 of our flights stand cancelled and we urge our guests booked to fly with us to check if their flight is affected by the disruption before heading to the airport," said the Air India Express spokesperson. "We are pleased with the progress we made at the conciliation meeting and welcome our cabin crew colleagues back at work. This will help us swiftly restore our flight schedule and fulfil our commitments to our guests. "We sincerely apologise to those inconvenienced by these unintended disruptions. It is not in keeping with our usual service standards, and we will review it internally to ensure accountability. "As we gradually bring our operations back to normalcy, we urge our guests booked to fly with us to check their flight status before heading to the airport. If their flight is cancelled, or delayed beyond 3 hours, they may opt for a full refund or reschedule to a later date without any fees," the spokesperson added. --IANS ssh/pgh Srinagar, May 9 : A total of 52,100 Kashmiri migrant voters are eligible to exercise their franchise on May 13 when the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat goes to the polls, the Election Commission of India said on Thursday. aOverall, 1,13,873 Kashmiri migrants, including 56,290 males, 57,582 females, and belonging to the third gender, are registered to cast their votes for the three Lok Sabha seats in the Valley -- Srinagar, Baramulla, and Anantnag-Rajouri. aThe ECI has set up 26 polling stations for the migrants, out of which 21 are in Jammu, four are in Delhi, while one is in Udhampur. Transport facilities will be available where there is more concentration of migrant voters on the polling date," ECI officials said. There has been an increase in the number of migrant voters registered for the polls this time as compared to the elections held in the past, the poll panel said. The ECI has made two options available to the Kashmiri migrants for voting. They can do so by filling up an M-form, which is prior information to cast their votes at the special polling stations set up for them, or they can vote through postal ballots for which they have to fill up Form-12C. The Srinagar Lok Sabha seat goes to the polls on May 13, Baramulla on May 20, while polling in Anantnag-Rajouri will be held on May 25. Hyderabad, May 9 : Alleging that the BJP wants to finish off the Constitution, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday vowed to protect it. Asserting the Constitution protects the poor, weaker sections, Dalits, tribals, backwards classes, farmers, and workers, he said by talking about changing the Constitution, the BJP and RSS were attacking not just the poor but the very spirit of the nation. Addressing public meetings in Medak and Medchal Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituencies in support of Congress candidates, he claimed that this is the first election where the BJP and the RSS have clearly said that if they win, they will change the Constitution, scrap it, and finish it off. "If India's poor feel empowered, it is because of the Constitution. This is not an ordinary book. This is the voice of your heart," he said, displaying a copy of the Constitution. Rahul Gandhi said Congress and crores of people fought and gave their blood to prepare the Constitution. "(Mahatma) Gandhi ji, (Dr BR) Ambedkar ji and (Prime Minister Jawaharlal) Nehru ji for years fought, shed their sweat and blood to give this book," he said. He also claimed that the BJP wants to scrap reservations while Congress wants to increase it beyond 50 per cent. He said the Modi government privatised public sector undertakings and encouraged the contract system to do away with reservation. He said if voted to power, the Congress would conduct a caste survey so that the backward classes, Dalits, tribals, minorities and poor from the general category, who are in the majority, know what their population and their share and power is. He claimed that this would change politics forever as the truth would come out before all. "Two to three per cent people are running the country. All institutions, companies and government are in their hands," he said. Alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi worked to benefit 22-25 billionaires, he said that the time has come to make crores of lakhpatis. "We are going to do a historic work which you have not even dreamt of. No government in the world has done this and after this, every government will do it," he said. Exuding confidence that the INDIA bloc will form the government at the Centre, he said it would make a list of poor families and deposit Rs 8,500 every month in the bank account of a woman of every poor household. "With one stroke, we will eliminate poverty in India and Telangana. When you spend money on buying clothes, medicines and other essentials, these goods will be manufactured by India's small and large companies. Your children will get jobs in the same companies. In a way, we will be jumpstarting the Indian economy," he said. Alleging that PM Narendra Modi made crores of youth unemployed, he said the coming government will launch the new scheme 'Pehli Naukri Pakki'. All unemployed youth will get jobs in public and private sector companies, government hospitals and government for one year with the best training and they will be paid Rs 1 lakh each. Claiming that there are 30 lakh government vacancies, he promised that the INDIA bloc government would start filling these vacancies from August 15. Accusing PM Modi of waiving off loans to the tune of Rs 16 lakh crore of billionaires but not of farmers, Rahul Gandhi promised that farm loan waiver would be the first thing their government would do. He also reiterated the promises to give a legal guarantee to Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers, to increase the wages of MNREGA workers from Rs 250 to Rs 400 per day, and to double the income of ASHA and Anganwadi workers. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Congress candidate from Medak, Neelam Madhu and party candidate from Malkajgiri, Sunitha Reddy were present. Hyderabad, May 10 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi travelled on a state roadways bus in Greater Hyderabad after addressing a public meeting on Thursday night and interacted with the surprised passengers. The Congress leader, who was accompanied by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, boarded the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) bus after the public meeting at Saroornagar in Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency. Rahul Gandhi distributed aPanch Nyaya brochures among passengers and enquired about the implementation of the free bus travel scheme by the Congress government in the state. The Congress leader, interacting with the passengers, explained to them the promises made by the Congress in its national manifesto for various sections like women, youth, farmers, and workers. Passengers were surprised to find Rahul Gandhi travelling with them and many took selfies with him. Earlier, Rahul Gandhi, in his speech at the public meeting, again charged the BJP with planning to do away with the Constitution and vowed to protect it. He also promised to hike reservations and listed various promises that the INDIA bloc government, if voted to power, would implement for the benefit of various sections of the people and to revitalise the economy and provide jobs. Jaipur, May 9 : Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani on Thursday condemned the statement made by Syed Sarwar Chishti, the Secretary of Anjuman Committee, an organisation of Khadims in Ajmer Sharif Dargah, against Jain saints and demanded an apology from him. He said that "Sarwar Chishti has insulted the Indian Sanatan culture by commenting on the Jain saints and hence should apologise". The Speaker added: "Sarwar Chishti has commented on Jain saints calling them "those without clothes". Asceticism and ascetics have the highest place in Indian Sanatan culture. Jain saints' pure conduct is a symbol of purity and chastity in society. The statement made by Anjuman Committee Secretary Syed Sarwar Chishti against Jain saints is "extremely disgusting, unfortunate, and indicative of their distorted mentality". The comment he has made regarding the clothes of Jain saints is an insult to the entire Jain society and Sanatan culture." Sarwar Chishti should apologise to the entire Sanatan culture and the Jain community, he added. A group of Jain monks and several leaders of the Visva Hindu Parishad on Tuesday visited 'Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra', an ASI-protected mosque in Rajasthan's Ajmer, and claimed that originally a Sanskrit school and a Jain temple existed there. The Speaker said: "'Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra' has always been in the collective memory of people as a Sanskrit school. People of Ajmer know what importance it had in the form of a centre of education during ancient times in the Sanatan culture. How it was captured over time and how it became a "shed two-and-a-half days" is a matter of research. A letter will be written to the Archaeological Survey of India to know the truth about this place." Jaipur, May 10 : A working paper released by the Economic Advisory Council (EAC) to the Prime Minister has again brought the focus back on the changing nature of religious demography in the desert state. Jaipur, May 10 (IANS) A working paper released by the Economic Advisory Council (EAC) to the Prime Minister has again brought the focus back on the changing nature of religious demography in the desert state. According to the working paper released recently, India's Hindu population decreased by 7.82 per cent between 1950 and 2015, from 84.68 per cent to 78.06 per cent, while the Muslim population went up from 9.84 per cent to 14.09 per cent during this period, marking a 43.15 per cent rise. Vikrant Singh from the NGO Jansankhya Foundation told IANS that a few years back, the BSF released a report that flagged concerns over increasing radicalisation of Muslim population in the border district of Jaisalmer. The report released in December 2018 found rising prevalence of "Arab customs" in the bordering villages, Singh said. Now itas not the border cities alone, but the demography is changing in almost all the cities in Rajasthan as one particular community can be seen residing in the older pockets of the cities and towns, he claimed. Earlier, there used to be diversity in the older parts of the towns, which seems to be changing now with the Hindus migrating to the newer pockets in many cities in the state now, he said. aThis trend can be spotted in cities like Barmer, Jaisalmer, and Pokhran and other border areas," he told IANS. The BSF report also found a high growth rate -- 22-25 per cent -- in Muslim population as compared to 8-10 per cent among other communities in the areas bordering Pakistan in the state. Singh claimed it is a fact that extremism is rising and hence there is a need to implement policies on a secular basis and bring in popular control measures, irrespective of religion. Rules such as those with more than two kids cant contest panchayat elections should be implemented through out the nation, he said. Nimisha, a BJP leader in Jaipur, also told IANS that there is a lack of diversity in the pockets of the state where the two communities used to live together before. However, Rajasthan Congress General Secretary Swarnim Chaturvedi argued that the figures released in the PM panel report are not based on population census. He also questioned the intention of the government, saying it wants to benefit from polarisation and hence comes the report in the middle of the Lok Sabha elections. Cairo, May 10 : Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan's Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh have warned against the humanitarian catastrophe of the ongoing Israeli military operation in the Palestinian city of Rafah, according to the Egyptian Presidency office's statement. The two leaders made the remarks during a meeting in Cairo, where they reiterated the two countries' "full rejection" of the Israeli invasion of Rafah, the southernmost city of the besieged enclave, said the statement on Thursday as quoted by Xinhua news agency report. "The Israeli operation impedes the only safe exit of the wounded and sick Palestinians and hinders the delivery of humanitarian and relief aid," they emphasised. The ongoing conditions require the international community to take its responsibilities for reaching an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and to push forward for the recognition of an independent Palestinian state which will help in achieving regional security and stability, the statement added. The Israeli army launched a military operation in Rafah on Monday night, where more than one million internally displaced Palestinians have sought refuge since Israel's offensive began on October 7 last year. 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General information about Mauritania where Mbout Airport is located in the city of Mbout. General information include capital of Mauritania, currency and conversion rate of Mauritania currency, Telephone Country code, exchange rate against US Dollar and Euro in case of major world currencies etc... MBR - Mbout Airport IATA Code Dark Horse will publish writer Mark Millars The Magic Order series, the story of a family of magicians battling supernatural evils in a real-world setting, in a two-in-one library edition format, with the first volume set to be released on January 14, 2025. The publisher also announced new editions of the third and fourth volumes in the series, due out this October 9 and December 11, respectively. A Netflix series is in the works. Millar is the cocreator, with Bryan Hitch, of Marvels The Ultimates, and his writing credits include Marvels crossover event Civil War and DCs the Authority. He is also the creator of the Millarworld, a shared universe of original comics, including Kick-Ass, Jupiters Legacy, and Kingsman: Secret Service, many of which have been developed as films and television series. In 2017, he sold the rights to the Millarworld to Netflix and went to work for the network as a senior executive. He originally created The Magic Order as a live-action series, then developed it into a comic. Its kind of the reverse of what I used to do when we created comics which become movies, he told PW. Now I create franchises and try to translate the best ones into comic books. Image Comics originally published The Magic Order series and collected it into five volumes. In December 2023, Millar announced that Dark Horse would be the new publisher of all his Millarworld comics, including both new titles and new editions of existing ones, and Dark Horse has already announced new editions of the first two volumes in the series. The library edition will bring together volumes one and two of The Magic Order as a hardcover with an 8 x 12.875 trim size. Ive always made sure we pay better than Marvel or DC, so we have an unparalleled line-up of artists, and if youre a hardcore reader, as I am, you want those pages as big as possible, Millar said. This is just the perfect way to showcase the level of talent were working with. Millar spoke with PW by email about The Magic Order and his plans for rolling out his older and newer work with Dark Horse. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity. Since Dark Horse is publishing both your new and your previous work, this seems like an opportunity to present the Millarworld stories in a new way. What are your plans? Just for fun, Ive slightly rethought the way I release my work, and instead of doing that dribble of comics every month, Im quite excited by the idea of occasional hurricanes. That is, disappearing for a little while and then mass releasing five titles at once. A friend of mine said she never heads to the store unless theres a bunch of things she wants to buy, and I like the idea of people who enjoy my books leaving with an armful. Im actually a pretty slow writer compared to my peers, producing less than half the number of books a typical guy in my line of work gets through, so this is a cunning way of giving the illusion of crowding the shelves. It also means that, if youre in the store for three of the books, you might pick up the other two. Why did you choose to launch the reprints with the first trade paperback of The Magic Order and the Dark Horse Library Edition program with The Wanted and Big Game? Dark Horse is an exceptional publisher with an enormous reach, especially in the mainstream bookstore market. We wanted to take full advantage of this and really just put our best foot forward. Wanted, Big Game, and The Magic Order are among our biggest ever hits, produced with the greatest artists Ive ever worked with and boasting some of the stories Im most happy with creatively. The opportunity to present them in these gigantic library-edition hardcovers was just too good to pass up. I had a carpenter come in and build new cabinets and shelves in my office to accommodate these big beasts. Thats how excited I am. Im literally having my office rebuilt in anticipation! What was your original inspiration for this world, and how have you tweaked it along the way? I love juxtaposing two very different things in a story. When I did Superman: Red Son, I took an American icon and hammered the iconography into the ideological opposite, telling the Superman story from the other side of the world and through the prism of Stalins Soviet Union. Kick-Ass is a superhero story where the lead character doesnt have a single super-power. Kingsman is about spies and beautiful clothes and expensive cars, but starring a kid from a [housing] estate like the one I grew up on suddenly in this world of tremendous privilege (which I guess was much like my own journey to America). So when I started a magical story, I didnt want to take the Gormenghast route or make this like Narnia, with ethereal beings and beautiful faeries and all the typical imagery weve seen in a century of these archetypes. I loved the idea of flipping it and making it look like The Sopranos. The idea of something as gritty as The Wire, where the subject matter is high fantasy, just really appealed to me. It also feels like an entry point for people who dont normally read this kind of material. Game of Thrones did this very wellin its first season. My wife isnt into genre material at all, but shes a massive, massive history buff and so she was tricked into watching this show which looks, to all intents and purposes, like the English War of the Roses. Then suddenly the final episode has a dragon hatching from an egg. Thats what I wanted to do here: use the HBO crime show color palette, but youre two eps in before you realize youre in Tolkien meets Tarantino. How did you strike a balance between your characters magical powers and the limitations that keep them from being omnipotent? Thats a really good question. When youre dealing with magic, almost anything is possible, and so its easy to lose the stakes. But if you make the stakes the human drama, then no matter how crazy it gets, the whole thing is relatable. The basic premise of The Magic Order is that this secret society is the reason youve never seen a ghost. All the old horror movies and mythical monsters were true, but this secret cabal of wizards who live among us have driven them all back into their shadows and allow us to blissfully live our lives in ignorance. To make this concept more relatable, I made it a family drama. The lead character, Leonard Moonstone, is an older guy whos dying and hes worried about who, among his wayward children, will have the discipline and experience to keep the world safe when hes gone. So the drama comes from the main interaction between him and his children as much as all the various forces around the world out to destroy him. I learned this from Stan Lee. He might be writing a story about Norse Gods fighting in Asgard, but its still about two quarreling half-brothers and their relationship with their father at the crux of it. The best fantasy or superhero or science fiction story always has a human heart. Why did you choose to have different artists for each volume, and how did that affect your writing? Really just expediency, to be honest. All the artists I love tend to take a while, and so I write the scripts at once and have them all drawing at the same time. On one of my books, an artist I worship took almost 4 years to draw 27 pages, so to give a perfectionist hundreds of pages over multiple volumes is difficult when youre operating at this level. Six issues per volume by the same artist meant I didnt have to do that horrible thing comics did in the past, with fill-in artists completing other peoples stories. It also meant I could work with some amazing people I hadnt worked with before from around the world. Will there be more new Magic Order stories? No, this was always a five-volume story. I created a spin off series to get going if the show hits big, and Id like to do this as a comic book at some point, but Im juggling too many other things at the moment, and it would be years before I ever got around to it. But this five-volume story is about Leonard and Cordelia Moonstone and their incredible family and what happens when people use black magic even to do something good. To help other people. And the terrible price Cordelia pays. It has a beginning, a middle, and volume five is the end. Ive done this job since I was 19 and I'm lucky enough to have a certain level of success in various media, but theres nothing Ive done which has pleased me as much as The Magic Order. When we have people over to the house for the first time and they ask me what I do this is the book I always give them. Im really proud of it. Carrie Mullins. St. Martins, $29 (304p) ISBN 978-1-250-28506-5 This perceptive debut study from Mullins explores what the novels of Gustave Flaubert, Virginia Woolf, Alice Walker, and others reveal about social attitudes toward motherhood. Likening the stars of Bravos Real Housewives franchise to Pride and Prejudices Mrs. Bennet, Mullins argues that both are obsessed with ostentatious wealth and believe a womans currency is her looks. Mullins contends that while Jane Austen uses Mrs. Bennet as a foil to her daughter Elizabeths more progressive version of womanhood, characterized by valuing ones intellect and happiness, the Real Housewives shows leave their stars superficiality unexamined. Nella Larsen portrays motherhood as an unending bout of anxiety in her 1929 novel, Passing, Mullins writes, faulting Larsen for insinuating that marriage, while necessary for a woman to achieve financial security, makes wives sexually undesirable by turning them into, in the case of protagonist Irene, overbearing, unattractive worrier[s]. Elsewhere, Mullins opines on how the unrelenting busyness of Mrs. Weasley in J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter series conflates constant activity with good mothering, and how Offreds objectification by a repressive society in Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale dramatizes how antiabortion policies reduce women to their reproductive capacity. Mullins draws unexpected connections and manages the difficult task of finding fresh perspectives on much studied works of literature. The result is a discerning feminist examination of the Western canon. Agent: Laura Mazer, Wendy Sherman Assoc. (May) Correction: An earlier version of this review conflated the author with a novelist of the same name. A number of authors have left the U.K.'s Society of Authors following its vote on whether to make a statement on Gaza. The vote took place on May 2, and saw SoA members vote on three resolutions: on AI, ending fossil fuel investment in the books industry, and commenting on Gaza. The member resolution on Gaza, proposed by 66 members and organized in collaboration with Book Workers for a Free Palestine, asked the SoA to issue public statements: in support of a permanent ceasefire in Gaza condemning the targeting of Palestinian writers and journalists by the Israeli government affirming the rights of those affected to receive justice for those killed by the Israeli government affirming support for publishing workers facing direct or indirect censorship for their solidarity with the Palestinian people condemning the destruction of Palestinian cultural infrastructure by the Israeli government, including, but not limited to, libraries and universities The resolution was opposed by the SoA management committee, which recommended that members voted against it. 786 members voted for the motion and 883 against, with 239 abstentions. In January, the SoA said that it does not comment on "general political issues," but Verso Books pointed out that this "wasn't their rationale in 2022 when, three days after the Russian invasion, the SoArightlydeclared its solidarity with 'all Ukrainian people, and in particular with Ukrainian writers, illustrators, translators, journalists, and others whose lives and livelihoods are so entwined with the right to think, speak, write, and create freely.' " (The SoA, however, has changed its remit since then.) Authors who have announced that they are leaving the Society of Authors include Sophie Anderson, Karin Celestine, A.M. Dassu, Nizrana Farook, Arden Jones, Jennifer Killick, Sinead O'Hart, Vikki Patis, Anne Rouse, Sunny Singh, Rashmi Sirdeshpande, and Louie Stowell. In her resignation letter, Singh wrote: "I resign with...relief from this organization where a majority of members cannot bring themselves to critique the murder of fellow writers, or raise their voice to call for a ceasefire for an ongoing genocide." She told BookBrunch that she plans to continue her work through the Jhalak Prize, which aims to celebrate books by writers of color in Britain and Ireland. Rashmi Sirdeshpande told BookBrunch: "The SoA has a poor track record when it comes to caring for and representing its diverse membership and this vote (the way it was conducted and the shocking rhetoric around it) was the final straw for me. I know there is great value to 'being in the room,' but how can we writers of color be in the same room as people who consider us antisemitic, 'extremists,' and 'Hamas groupies' for standing for peace?" Vikki Patis also commented to BookBrunch, saying: "The decision to cancel my Society of Authors membership was not one I took lightly. The Authors with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses group is vitally important to me as a disabled author, and I have been a judge for the ADCI Prize for two years, both of which do so much good. I still believe in a lot of what the SoA does, but I have been uneasy with the lack of action with regard to transphobia and racism in particular for some time now, and this vote was the last straw." On X, formerly Twitter, A.M. Dassu added: "I don't feel the SoA is representative of its diverse membership nor does it protect them," continuing: "There is great division, and I want to be part of a trade union that is supportive of all members and manages to unite them.... There is a clear bias within management, the ManCom is not representative of its membership." Fossil Free Books, a group of workers in the literary industry that calls for an industry "free from fossil fuels and fossil fuel finance," released a statement following the vote saying that "we are disappointed that our trade union still refuses to: condemn the genocide in Gaza, support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, or express solidarity with Palestinian writers and publishing workers here in the U.K. who face job loss and censorship for speaking out." Since then, the organization released another statement, requesting feedback from its members to "join our next trade union working group meeting and be part of the collective decision-making process" in "evaluating the pros and cons of staying in the SoA, as well as considering forming a new chapter of another union instead." Authors that voted against the resolution include Victoria Goldman, Marnie Riches, Francesca Simon, Sarah Ward, and Hilary Freeman, who lost a family member in the Hamas attacks in October 2023. The Guardian has reported that Freeman "consulted U.K. lawyers for Israel with a view to mounting a legal challenge against the SoA releasing a statement if the motion was carried, saying it was against the SoA's remit." When approached by BookBrunch for comment, the Society of Authors said it was preparing a statement on the issue, but the statement has yet to be received. This story first appeared in the U.K. newsletter BookBrunch. China's Tianjin issues negative list for outbound data Xinhua) 22:07, May 09, 2024 TIANJIN, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The China (Tianjin) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) on Thursday released a pioneering data exit management negative list to facilitate the cross-border data flows of companies. The list includes 13 main classes and 46 sub-classes of outbound data that require safety assessment while providing detailed descriptions and examples of these categories, said Liu Zhiyong, an official of Tianjin's municipal bureau of commerce. Cross-border data flows are essential in the global digital economy. Negative lists can help enterprises solve problems such as the vague definition of important data and a lack of specific identification standards, said Zuo Xiaodong, a professor at the University of Science and Technology of China. The release of the negative list will help Tianjin attract more export-oriented enterprises and multinational companies, and provide experience for the optimization of China's cross-border data flow management system, said Liang Yiming, vice head of Tianjin's Binhai New Area, where the pilot FTZ is located. Since its establishment in 2014, the Tianjin pilot FTZ has implemented 615 institutional innovation measures, 42 of which have been promoted nationwide. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Kou Jie) Israel is on the brink of having to fight Iranian-backed terrorists on a second front, in Lebanon. In the last six months, more than 100,000 civilians on both sides of the border have been displaced from their homes by Hezbollah terror attacks and Israeli retaliation operations. The border is a powder keg thanks to years of gross negligence by the international community in allowing Hezbollah to ignore its demand to disarm in southern Lebanon. With diplomacy failing to produce results, President Biden is the only leader able to stop the march toward the guns of August, and he must act now. In 2006 war, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1701, which effectively ended Hezbollahs unprovoked war against Israel and demanded the total disarmament of any military groups in southern Lebanon and the deployment of the formal Lebanese army and UNIFIL peacekeeping forces in the area. Hezbollah, however, uses its overwhelming influence on the Lebanese government to prevent any attempt to implement the U.N.s demands through the deployment of the Lebanese army in the area. Thus, Israels security was left in the hands of UNIFIL peacekeepers who stood by and meekly observed as Hezbollah gradually rebuilt its military infrastructures, using Shia villages as a cover for its operations, and weapons flowed into the area. Hezbollah was, therefore, well-positioned to begin launching daily attacks on Israel with Iranian-supplied rockets and missiles after Hamas terrorists attacked on October 7th. Since then, it has succeeded in practically paralyzing civilian life in northern Israel and caused considerable damage to civilian and military infrastructures. More than 80,000 Israelis have been internally displaced and remain so, indefinitely, while the IDF combats a terrorist threat that should have been removed long ago. From the Israeli perspective, the cession of fire along the border and the return to the status quo ante are far from satisfying its security needs. Furthermore, Hezbollah's deadly use of anti-tank missiles against Israeli civilian and military infrastructures adjacent to the border over the past months has made it clear that a fully-armed Hezbollah must be pushed away from the border so that civilians will be out of those weapons' effective range. Just as critical to the Israelis is moving 3,000 of Hezbollah's highly trained Radwan commando forces away from its position along the border, as these forces pose an imminent threat to the safety of the villages and towns on the Israeli side. While Israel presses the case for full implementation of Resolution 1701, it knows that UNIFIL will not fulfill its mandate at the eleventh hour, Hezbollahs cost-benefit calculations are optimistic, and tens of thousands of Israeli civilians will not have their security guaranteed without a significant change on the ground. This dynamic leaves little hope for a diplomatic solution and press reports indicate that Israel is getting ready to carry out a limited ground assault into Lebanon to secure a 10 km wide security zone that will be empty from Hezbollah terrorists. To avert this move, which will almost certainly lead to an all-out war, President Biden should direct his administration to dissuade, deter, and begin to disarm Hezbollah in southern Lebanon on its own. This will require President Biden to order the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group back to the eastern Mediterranean, resupply Israel with emergency military aid that will replenish stockpiles of weapons used to combat Hamas, join Israel and champions of a strong Lebanon in Washington in demanding full implementation of Resolution 1701, and demonstrate an unwavering commitment to cutting off Irans ability to support Hezbollah with money and materiel through swift and strict sanctions enforcement. When Tehran has faced a cash crunch, Hezbollah has weakened. It is past time to abandon failed policies that have allowed Iran to bankroll its terror proxies and restore the squeeze that hit Hezbollahs operations in 2019. These steps can be directed by Washington and executed without buy-in from Europe, the U.N., or other multilateral groups and it will change Hezbollahs calculus in the short term. As this begins to restore calm, the U.S. should lead the effort in finding a creative solution to disarming Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. This may include building support for a NATO-led mission to prevent the outbreak of war and a humanitarian crisis, protect trade interests, and prevent the kind of migratory crisis that befell Europe at the start of the Syrian civil war. The world is walking towards catastrophe. Israel cannot accept for much longer the continuation of the current situation in its northern parts. Without a major change in Western policy, Israel may be forced to take greater risks to change the facts on the ground. Communities in northern Israel must have their security guaranteed and the international community to maintain whatever legitimacy it wants to retain must be led by the U.S. to enforce its demands. Dror Doron is a senior advisor at United Against Nuclear Iran and served for 17 years in Israels government. He was an analyst and then senior analyst in the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel, where he regularly briefed senior decision-makers on developments in the Middle East, particularly on Hezbollah. Rachel Walters / Instagram By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 05/09/2024 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. : Before the 90 Days couple Rachel Bear and Jon Walters have shared an update on his spousal visa and their relationship six years after their long-distance love story aired on the TLC reality series.Jon, who lives in the U.K., took to Facebook on Tuesday, May 7 and shared some unfortunate news about his marriage to Rachel, who lives in the United States."Dear Friends, it's over. I will not be joining Rachel and [her two] girls in the USA," Jon wrote."The future we wanted for so long isn't the future we will have. We knew before we started that it would be hard but we always had hope to keep us going when things got tough.": Before the 90 Days' second season documented Jon and Rachel, who met on a karaoke app, meeting in-person for the first time, getting engaged and tying the knot in May 2018.But the couple knew Jon's criminal past was going to be an issue when they finally applied for Jon's visa to the U.S. in 2019, and they've been waiting for its approval ever since.(Rachel, who was expecting another man's baby when she met Jon, said she couldn't move to England because she shared custody of her eldest daughter, Ella, with her ex-partner).Jon said the couple's "situation is hopeless" in his Facebook post, adding, "I don't know what the next chapter in our life will look like."Jon continued, "I'm a husband and father by invitation and have never taken that for granted. We aren't the perfect couple, I know I'm far from the husband and father I want to be or wish I could be, but a long distance relationship are only ever meant to be temporary."Jon admitted he and Rachel "need time and space" to wrap their minds around what just happened and "figure out what happens next.""I don't know what else to say other than thank you for all the support over the years and being here every step of the way," Jon concluded.A day after Jon's Facebook posting, Rachel posted an Instagram video titled "Final Visa Update" in which she announced the couple has decided to split up and end their marriage."It absolutely pains me to post this," she wrote in a lengthy text statement set to somber music. "This isn't the update we wanted to share. This isn't the ending we were hoping for. Nor is it the finale we were thinking would happen.""Long distance relationships can be brutal on the toughest of couples. We fought hard for a long time and stayed strong for over 7 years, waiting. However, the distance for so many years... and so much consecutive time spent apart, time after time, has taken its toll.""We have, unfortunately, grown too far apart. The decision has been made, on our end, to not continue," Rachel announced."The visa journey is sadly over. It's the end of an era and was not an easy decision to have to make."Rachel then asked the couple's fans to give the alums privacy and time."Please give us the privacy and time to adjust to our new reality," she wrote."Thank you to everyone who have stuck it out with us through all these years. Here's to the cherished read page and to new chapters... Social media life is To Be Continued... I love you all."Rachel was a 33-year-old from Albuquerque, New Mexico, when she first traveled to England to meet Jon, a 34-year-old from England, in late 2017 after the pair had established a relationship through video chat and phone calls for a year-and-a-half.On : Before the 90 Days' second season, Jon couldn't wait to become a father figure for Rachel's baby and move to the U.S.But Jon explained on the spinoff there are numerous assault charges and five convictions under his belt from younger years when he would get into physical fights with people.Part of Jon's record is a guilty plea to bodily harm without intent, which stemmed from an incident when he was in college.Rachel and Jon announced in March 2019 that they had saved enough money , $11,000, to begin the visa process and eventually reunite their family. A couple of months later, Rachel and Jon reunited in the U.K. to celebrate their wedding anniversary.Rachel and Jon continued documenting their love story for fans on their YouTube Channel, and Jon became the father figure in the life of Rachel's infant, her second child.When a fan asked Rachel and Jon during a Q&A session on Instagram Stories whether they'd ever appear on a future season of , they replied, "A happily married couple doesn't make great TV. It makes even worse TV if they are just working and saving for a visa.""Maybe in the future," they continued, "Until then, subscribe to our YouTube."Rachel and Jon added it would be "boring" for people to watch them on given there is no baby, engagement or wedding storyline to share.In December 2019, Jon revealed the couple had finally had submitted Jon's spousal-visa application when commenting on one of Rachel's Instagram photos."Where does his visa stand? [Were] you able to save up the $11,000?" a follower asked Rachel.Jon then commented, "Yes we did," and added, "Our visa application is in -- it's a long wait now, but the hard part is over. Thanks for asking."In August 2021, Rachel and Jon announced Jon finally had his interview for a spousal visa -- which they had filed an application for three years earlier -- but Jon had been denied a visa due to a criminal conviction on his record."When I went to the embassy, I took a load of paperwork, I took everything I thought I would need and I thought I would have the opportunity to ask for forgiveness. However, the lovely guy who was working at the embassy said, 'Unfortunately, I don't have the authority to give a visa to anyone with a criminal conviction,'" Jon recalled in an Instagram Live session.However, the news didn't come as a surprise to Jon or Rachel, as they both said they had anticipated that outcome.The couple had therefore already filled out a waiver application and pre-paid a lawyer.After Jon wasn't granted his visa, the pair's lawyer submitted the waiver application, which consisted of 200 pages and cost $930 in filing fees."So now, we definitely have the final stretch between now and six to nine months," added Jon, who apparently received a receipt for the submission very quickly.Jon previously suggested in an Instagram Live session that he didn't think the ruling was fair since his crime was not of "moral turpitude," meaning it wasn't deviant behavior, nor would it shock a community."I was never actually sent to prison. I was given a conditional discharge. My actual offense on paper doesn't illustrate what actually happened and it was one punch. I wasn't in a gang, it wasn't a crime, I didn't beat people up," Jon explained, according to In Touch Weekly."It's just something that happened and the U.S. is very good at forgiving people, they expunge crimes, punishments all the time. And I think that if someone looked at what happened and what my punishment was, they're going to see that it's not even a big deal. So that's what we're hoping for."Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage! Rocket Science announced the cast of the movie Monsanto Wednesday. Glen Powell, Anthony Mackie and Laura Dern will star. ADVERTISEMENT John Lee Hancock directs and co-wrote with Michael Wisner, Alexandra Duparc, Ned Benson, based on the true story of the cast of the Johnson v Monsanto Co. case. Powell plays attorney Brent Wiser, representing Dewayne "Lee" Johnson (Mackie) in a case against chemical company Monsanto. Johnson was a groundskeeper using the Monsanto chemical weed killer, Roundup. Dern plays Monsanto toxicologist Dr. Melinda Rogers, who testifies that Roundup is safe. Johnson claimed the frequent use of Roundup at work caused his non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. The jury awarded Johnson $289 million in 2018 but the judge reduced the award to $78 million according to NPR and further to $21 million on appeal according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Johnson is still alive. "I've always been fascinated by true stories of ordinary people against extraordinary odds," Powell said in a statement. "This story encapsulates that spirit with a critical issue that affects us all." Powell stars in the upcoming films Hit Man and Twisters. Mackie returns to Marvel in the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World. Dern is currently starring in the Apple TV+ series Palm Royale. The University of Georgia had 11 undergraduates selected as Boren Scholars in the spring of 2024, ranking them second in the nation as a top-performing institution for Boren Scholarships, according to a UGA Media Relations press release. The university also ranks second for total number of Boren Awards in 2024, which is the combined number of Boren Scholarships and Fellowships. The top-notch faculty at Crotonville, including Noel Tichy, Ram Charan, Vijay Govindarajan, along with GE's top leaders Jack Welch, Gary Reiner, Bill Conaty, Jeffrey Immelt and Susan Peters, together delivered sought-after programmes on leadership to generations of early-stage leaders, mid-tier and senior managers from all over the world, recounts Indrajit Gupta. IMAGE: The Crotonville campus. Photograph: Kind courtesy Ge.com A couple of weeks ago, when GE announced it was selling off Crotonville, its iconic centre for leadership training and learning, it sparked off an interesting debate about the future of leadership development. At its peak, especially during the Jack Welch era, Crotonville was accorded a pre-eminent status for churning out a steady stream of highly capable, global leaders who not only helmed GE's multiple businesses but later were among the most sought-after CEO picks for US corporations. The top-notch faculty at Crotonville, including Noel Tichy, Ram Charan, Vijay Govindarajan, to name just a few, along with GE's top leaders such as Welch, Gary Reiner, Bill Conaty, Jeffrey Immelt and Susan Peters, together delivered highly curated and sought-after custom programmes on leadership to generations of early-stage leaders, mid-tier and senior managers from all over the world. For any high-performing GE manager, it was a privilege to not just be invited to attend a leadership programme at Crotonville, but also an opportunity to engage with top business and thought leaders, both formally in the classroom and informally over dinner. It allowed them to switch off from the day-to-day running of the business to reflect on the future, and present to senior leaders, often leading to handpicked future roles. Most of all, Crotonville represented a huge commitment from GE's top leadership that systematic leadership development, talent management and career development made unquestioned business sense. After all, the principle was that leaders helped build culture and culture was in turn shaped by leaders willing to pay it forward. To be sure, in November 2021, ever since GE decided to carve up its three global businesses -- aviation, healthcare and energy -- the writing on the wall was already apparent for Crotonville. As its first outsider to be made CEO, Larry Culp may have viewed the economics of running and maintaining an expensive 60-acre campus in upstate New York with substantial overheads as a needless expense, especially since he would not have had the emotional linkages to GE's past heritage and legacy. However, its demise does raise several larger questions about how modern day global corporations may be run, how future leaders are likely to be groomed for global careers, and even how corporate cultures could be shaped. The biggest among them is the short-termism that has gripped corporate America and its obsession with shareholder value creation. That virus has, in turn, percolated down to markets around the world, including India. Crotonville inspired Four Acres at Unilever UK and Singapore and Gulita at HLL, Tata's management training centre in Pune, the A V Birla group's Gyanodaya, and many others, including SBI, Infosys, L&T, and Bharat Petroleum, to establish their own versions of corporate universities. The fact is that a growing number of CEOs view leadership development as an expense that needs to be curbed and are unwilling to underwrite what is clearly a high gestation project. At one level, there is a reason to pause. Corporate executive tenures are shortening, corporate longevity itself is dropping alarmingly, and there has been a huge expansion in the leadership development 'industry', with universities, business schools and management consulting firms stepping up to the plate. With the growth of emerging markets, the need for a large physical space in the US or Europe has become somewhat harder to justify. Yet there are two different points of view that merit evaluation. One, while the US corporate world has been swept up by this wave of transaction-driven culture, there are those that believe that Asian companies would do well to instead preserve their relationship-based cultures and invest in building leaders for tomorrow. The fact that there is robust demand for GE and Unilever HR leaders across India and China is a signal. Besides, a large corporate university with the pomp and show of a Crotonville or Four Acres may not be necessary. But GE could have considered turning Crotonville into a part revenue-generation engine, based on the utilisation the leaders were willing to commit. Two, accepting high leadership churn and over-relying on hiring talent laterally can sometimes become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The more you move away from a structured approach to designing careers, the weaker the glue that binds and sustains corporate cultures becomes. Many companies routinely nominate some of their top leaders to high badge value programmes at Harvard, Wharton and Stanford. However, while it is seen as a huge perk, there is a question mark about whether they make any real difference to the organisation when the executive returns. As at Crotonville, the concept of 'in TAC teams' working on specific challenges, developing a shared understanding of how to solve them, is a powerful way to drive relevance, context and meaning. More often than not, these action learning projects, conducted in-house, help deliver business results that not only cover their costs but also yield significant returns. Most firms struggle to find the right balance between experiential or applied learning and conceptual learning. Above all, it is about top leaders demonstrating commitment to the process of leadership development. At Gulita, that commitment was visible from successive generations of chairmen, say HUL managers, who went through the paces in the eighties and nineties. By the next decade, however, that commitment had begun to wane. In the future, when major corporations think about investing in culture and values, it remains to be seen how much emphasis they will place on leadership development in general and on building their own in-house leadership academies. Indrajit Gupta is co-founder at Founding Fuel. Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com 'Every year, the marble industry is shrinking due to tiles. It has already decreased by 20-25 per cent in recent years.' Kindly note the image has been published only for representational purposes. Photograph: Kind courtersy Adelina ZW/Pixabay The heartland of India's marble industry, Kishangarh, a once-thriving hub renowned for its exquisite marble craftsmanship, is grappling with a perfect storm of adversities: From the encroaching dominance of ceramic tiles to the burden of taxation, to the proliferation of cheap Chinese substitutes, and more. The rapid expansion of tile showrooms is threatening the livelihoods of more than 25,000 workers involved with the town's marble industry, which has shrunk by 25 per cent in recent years, traders said. "With the rapid proliferation of tile showrooms, we fear unemployment is imminent," said Mahesh Kholase, a marble seller at Stone Studio on Makrana Road, pointing across the street where one such tile store had opened. "In the past two years, over 10 tile showrooms have emerged nearby." Kishangarh's marble and granite industry, located in the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) Industrial Area, spans 50 km and includes 1,500 large units, 4,000 dealers, and 25,000 workers. The industry generates a daily business turnover of over Rs 16 crore, according to the Kishangarh Marble Association. "Every year, the marble industry is shrinking due to tiles. It has already decreased by 20-25 per cent in recent years," says Vishesh Patni, vice-president of sales operations, Asian Marbles. Over 90 per cent of the tiles sold in India, including Kishangarh, originate from Morbi district in Gujarat's Saurashtra region. Morbi hosts over 1,000 tile factories and reportedly boasts an annual turnover of approximately Rs 50,000 crore. As tiles gain dominance, marble industry players are urging for a reduction in GST rates to bolster the domestic natural resources sector. Both marble and tiles are currently taxed at an 18 per cent rate, but the marble industry is pushing for a decrease to 12 per cent. "We have forwarded our demands for tax reduction to the government. Ideally, the tax on marble should be 5 per cent, as we previously paid a 5 per cent VAT," said Sampat Rai Sharma, CEO, Kishangarh Marble Association. The expansion of the tile industry threatens not just marble dealers and sellers, but also cutters, polishers, and others involved in the industry. "We're skilled in stonework. How will we survive if only tiles dominate the market? The government should help us not only by reducing GST but also by providing incentives to marble workers," said Mohd Taslim Khan, a worker from Bihar overseeing marble cutting at Godawari Stones. Industry experts highlight cost-effectiveness and variety as key factors driving buyers towards tiles over marble or granite. While there are approximately 1,000 types of marble and granite stones available in the country, only a few hundred are generally accessible. Tiles with patterns similar to those of marble and granite are widely available in the market. "Leveraging its cost advantage, the tiles industry provides replicas of a wide range of natural stone patterns, spanning from standard to ultra-luxury varieties," explained Patni. Premium Makrana marble ranges from Rs 1,000 to Rs 7,000 per square feet, while Italian marble can cost up to Rs 50,000 per square feet. Replica tiles of these varieties are available at one-tenth of the cost, said industry players. Additionally, the installation cost of marble is Rs 100, which is double that of tiles, says Trilok, a manager at Ranka Tiles, which sells Morbi-made tiles. "People used to prefer marble for its durability, but now, with home renovations occurring within 20-30 years, people are less inclined to spend solely for marble's durability." Besides the domestic concerns regarding Morbi tiles and GST, the growing market share of synthetic Chinese Italian marble and graphite substitutes is also causing concern. "Currently, Chinese stone is being utilised in kitchens, stairs, and dining tables for its translucent properties and non-water absorbent features. Although this product is currently manufactured exclusively in China, its demand is increasing," said Patni. While industry players acknowledge that Chinese imports are detrimental, they anticipate an increase in the future. "Customer is the king. If there is demand, people will import," remarked Sharma. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com 'Chandrababu is wiser and a very good administrator.' 'Jagan is the opposite. He is not very wise, not a good administrator.' IMAGE: YSRC leader Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy addresses an election meeting for the Lok Sabha and state assembly polls at Hindupuram, in Sri Satya Sai, Andhra Pradesh, May 5, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Andhra Pradesh votes in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections and for a new state government on May 13, 2024. The current ruling party, the YSR Congress, has decided to go it alone, while the main Opposition party the Telugu Desam Party has allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party and actor Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party. The Congress, buoyed by its win in neighbouring Telangana's assembly elections last year, has allied with the three Communist parties to make up the third front. "Chandrababu Naidu was pressurised to join the BJP alliance. Nothing astute about it," state Communist Party of India's secretary K Ramakrishnan tells Rediff.com's A Ganesh Nadar. We have seen three phases of polling so far, four more to go. What is your assessment of the outcome nationwide At the time of announcement of election they created an atmosphere of their victory. Their party getting 370, and the NDA over 400. After three phases we are seeing that INDIA is gaining. In Tamil Nadu and Kerala they will not win a single seat. Even in Maharashtra they are going to lose badly. What gives you the confidence to say so, what are you basing your assessment on? I am going by press reports and other information we get from our party. Even the tone of the BJP leaders has changed. In Andhra the TDP has given them too many seats. They don't have even 1% vote share. IMAGE: Congress leader Y S Sharmila addresses an election rally at Rajahmundry Rural in East Godavari, April 8, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo How do you see the electoral outcome in Andhra, in the light of Narendra Modi's southern push? On paper the BJP-TDP-JSP alliance seems strong. Will the combination deliver at the hustings? The regional parties in Andhra are very strong. The national parties's strength is negligible. In Tamil Nadu the regional parties are strong, but they need allies like the Congress, PMK, VCK, MDMK to make the winning margin. In Andhra the regional players do not need anyone to ally with them. They are capable of winning on their own. That is why the YSR Congress is going on its own. The TDP was forced to go with the BJP because they threatened him with the cases against him. The Left was wooing Chandrababu Naidu before he decided to go with the BJP. Astute as he is, Naidu must have chosen the winning side? Naidu was pressurised to join the BJP alliance. Nothing astute about it. How much does ideology matter in politics? Has it been replaced by expediency? There was a time when ideology mattered, not any more. Now what matters is cadre strength and more important, financial strength. The INDIA group does not seem very cohesive. Is anti-BJP or anti-Modi its only glue? For instance, will the Left be a part of a government with Mamata Bannerjee in it? Or vice versa? The regional parties have their state interest and their own agenda. But what is important is that they are secular. Both Jagan and Chandrababu are secular. If we get a majority we will form the government with a common minimum programme. Has the Opposition alliance held any talks on the likely scenarios post-June 4? If we win we will form the government, If we lose we will form a strong Opposition. How do you manage to oppose the Congress in Bengal and Kerala and ally with them in the rest of the country? In Bengal we are with the Congress fighting Mamata, we are fighting them only in Kerala. There's nothing wrong. We will work together with a common minimum programme. IMAGE: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Narendra D Modi along with Telugu Desam Party President Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan holds a roadshow in Vijayawada, May 8, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo The new capital city Amravati doesn't have an airport, doesn't even have a railway station. Is it a good choice? Wouldn't Vijayawada or Visakhapatnam have been a better choice? When Chandrababu announced Amravati as the new capital on the floor of the House Jagan supported the idea. But when he became chief minister he neglected it and announced three capitals, which was put down by the high court. Even then he neglected Amravati. Chandrababu Naidu and Jagan Mohan Reddy, how do you compare the two? Chandrababu is older, wiser and a very good administrator. Jagan is the opposite. He is younger, not very wise, not a good administrator and very dictatorial. The Congress in the last election did not do very well, but yet you allied with them. We are a part of the INDIA group at the Centre and so we have to go with the Congress here as a part of that alliance. Will Modi's visits to the state have any effect? There will be some effect, but not positive. Has Rahul Gandhi's padyatra had any effect in Andhra? He spent only three days in Andhra. He spent a lot of time in Karnataka and Telangana and you saw the effect there. Photograph: A Ganesh Nadar for Rediff.com IMAGE: Andhra Pradesh CPI Secretary K Ramakrishna. Andhra has a lopsided development, while one end is well developed the other end is not. That is the case with every state, not only Andhra. Because of this lopsided development there is a lot of internal migration within the state. We need to develop both industry and agriculture. With every election the Communists seem to be losing space. Where do you go from here? In the current Parliament we have five members. This will definitely go up. Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com 'There is a huge wait in Kashmir for compassion from the prime minister of India.' Photographs: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com IMAGE: Waheed-ur-Rehman Para is thronged by people when he steps out of the car during his roadshow in Srinagar, May 7, 2024. Wherever he goes he draws huge crowds in Srinagar, from where he is fighting the Lok Sabha elections. He is the up and coming star of the Peoples Democratic Party and is a youth icon as more and more people want to know what Waheed-ur-Rehman Para is saying in his speeches. But then, he is also a terror accused on bail. A special court in Jammu and Kashmir had framed terror charges against Para stating that he was an asset for Pakistan-based terror groups. In 2018, when the PDP was in an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party in Jammu and Kashmir, then home minister Rajnath Singh spoke highly of Para as a youth icon. But post the repeal of Article 370 and the split between the BJP and PDP, everything changed for Para. In 2021 he was jailed on terror-related charges. "Things have changed, I won't disagree, but this peace is through the barrel of force. This peace is through UAPA and jails," Para tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com. What are the issues you are focusing on in this election, the first after Article 370 was repealed? This election is about giving voice to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. After August 5, when Article 370 was revoked, there is silence and suffocation among the people of Jammu and Kashmir. And to get rid of that silence we want the people of Kashmir to get their voice, so the strategy we have adopted is to go door to door campaigning. This will build up confidence among the people and they will get rid of the fear and the suffocation they are feeling right now. This election in a way is an attempt to heal the people. What is the reaction of Kashmiris regarding Article 370's revocation? There is a lot of anger among the people against revoking Article 370 and it is directed against local political parties too. But then people realise that mainstream politics is the most potent sought after weapon to express their anger and dissent. There is no other option but vote and fight democratically. And they know that Mehboobaji (PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti), our leader, has a pro-Kashmir and pro-people stance that is making an impact in our campaign. This is also helping us to mobilise people for the elections. IMAGE: 'We are not against India but definitely pro-Kashmir,' Para says in the interview conducted in his car during a roadshow in Srinagar, May 7, 2024. There is no electricity in Kashmir, at best you get 8-10 hours in Srinagar. In other places like Baramulla you don't get more than two hours of electricity a day, so how do you give hope to voters in this kind of situation? Things are bad in terms of unemployment and electricity. Tariff rates have shot up. Jobs have been snatched away from locals and given to outsiders. Investments have reduced by 50 percent and the involvement of locals in many projects of J-K is missing. There is a sense of exclusion in Kashmir and people do not feel that they are stakeholders. What we are trying is to revive hope among the people of Kashmir. People are feeling very cynical and dejected at this point of time. Critics of the central government say that they feel as if a collective punishment has been given to Kashmir. Do you feel that way too? The central government sees Kashmir through the prism of development in terms of real estate and infrastructure. We on the other hand talk of human issues of Kashmir. Kashmiris seek compassion and empathy. They want the people of India and the Government of India to be compassionate towards the youth of Kashmir and towards the people who have suffered here. We are not against India, but definitely pro-Kashmir. We want every Indian to empathise with Kashmiris. We have nothing the against people of India or the Indian State. We just want to articulate what our people feel. IMAGE: Para remains popular with the people, as was seen by the enthusiastic response he got when he addressed crowds during his roadshow. Has there been a healing touch by the central government to Kashmiris after the repeal of Article 370? The feeling in Kashmir is that the Indian government thinks of it as a territorial issue rather than a human security issue. There is a huge wait in Kashmir for compassion from the prime minister of India. Cases of hartal and stone pelting have stopped completely, will you say this has happened due to the revoking of Article 370? Things have changed, I won't disagree, but this peace is through the barrel of force. This peace is through UAPA and jails. We are not against the idea of peace, but what we want is that peace should be sustainable. This peace must not come through security, but through society. This peace should come through compassion and not through jails. This peace needs the involvement of the people of Kashmir. This is where our peace example and their peace example differ. Kashmiri ko dil nahi jeet paye, saari ladayi dil ki hai zameen ki nahi (the central government could not win hearts. The entire fight is about winning hearts and not land). Kashmir is not a real estate issue, but a human issue. Right now forget about winning hearts through talks, because right now they are not talking also. Do you feel Article 370 can ever be restored because the Supreme Court too did not support your cause? We are optimistic. Kashmiris have a lot of resilience, they will wait with patience. We will wait for something good to come out. We will try our level best to restore our dignity and special status given to us by the Indian Constitution. Our issues are much bigger than the abrogation of Article 370. Dialogue with Kashmiris is still absent. 'Sheikh Abdullah ruled the state with secular values. Post 1953, when he was sacked, corruption took over governance.' Photograph: Keystone Features/Getty Images from the Rediff.com Archives IMAGE: Sheikh Abdullah addresses a meeting in Gandhi Park in 1949. Moosa Raza, who served as Jammu and Kashmir chief secretary in 1989-1990, passed into the ages on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. He was 87. Two years ago, Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com spoke to Mr Raza, the author of Kashmir: Land of Regrets, to find out more about the Kashmir he knew during his tenure in the state. Mr Raza, who was born and raised in Tamil Nadu, was an IAS officer of the 1960 batch from the Gujarat cadre. He was J&K chief secretary when Dr Rubaiya Sayeed, then Union home minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's daughter, was kidnapped, which he wrote about in his book, an excerpt of which you can read in the first link on the left. First Part of the Interview: 'No hate calls from Kashmir mosques on January 19, 1990' The success of the film Kashmir Files started a debate in the country about who was responsible for the events that happened in Kashmir in 1990, which led to the rise of terrorism. What is your take on it? I left Kashmir in January 1990. The exodus of Kashmiri Pandits happened after that. When they left Kashmir, Jagmohan was ruling the state as its governor because (chief minister) Farooq Abdullah and his cabinet had resigned. I was also not there at the time when the exodus happened. Before Jagmohan, Governor K V Krishna Rao (the former army chief) was in charge and he too had left the state. The situation in J&K was single-handedly taken care of by Governor Jagmohan. Therefore, the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits took place during Jagmohan's time. What was the triggering point for the alienation of Kashmiri Muslims from the Indian State? It started from 1953 after Sheikh Abdullah was arrested and exiled from J&K. After that, Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad was appointed as prime minister of J&K. He was given the designation of PM instead of chief minister, which came into use in later years. Kashmiris were not very happy with Bakshi becoming the head of their state. I was undergoing my IAS (Indian Administrative Service) training in 1960 when Bakshi was ruling the state. We met many poor Kashmiris at that time and got a first-hand experience of Bakshi's rule. We went to Gulmarg and met a horse owner who took us for a ride. He told us halfway down the hill that he wants his fee of Rs 10 before we reached the plains. I told him that we have not reached the spot so how can I pay you? He told us if we pay at the destination, the contractor will take a cut of Rs 5. I asked him why doesn't he lodge a complaint? "To whom should I complain?" he asked, "the contractor is Bakshi saab's man and the money goes all the way to the top." Similar was the case of shikara boatmen and houseboat owners whom I met. The alienation (with the Indian State) started from that point only. The state government did not intervene. When I reached a village near Gurez, which is close to the Pakistan border in 1988-1989, the villagers told me that I was the second IAS officer of chief secretary level who had come after 25 years to see them. Before me there was a gentleman called Nirmal Mukherjee who visited them as chief secretary. Did things not improve when Indira Gandhi brought back Sheikh Abdullah from exile and reinstated him in J&K? By the time Sheikh Abdullah came back from exile, the corrupt system had overtaken the J&K administration and politics. I recall I had gone to meet (the late) Maulana Ataulla Suhrawardy at his home for a meal. He was a minister in the Farooq Abdullah government. He told me that when Sheikh Abdullah came to power in 1975, he tried his best to stop corruption in J&K but failed. Sheikh Abdullah started an anti-corruption crusade, but his own supporters went with a delegation and told him that he was not in J&K for last the 20 years during which they went through very difficult times financially. In other words, they wanted Sheikh to look the other way on the issue of corruption. According to Suhrawardy, Sheikh's supporters told him that during the governments of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed (1953-1962), Ghulam Mohammed Sadiq (1964-1967) and Syed Mir Qasim (1971-1972), their supporters made a lot of money and were now staying in huge mansions whereas Sheikh's supporters lived in penury. Moreover, they told him that they were not sure for how long Indira Gandhi would let him continue as the chief minister and whether he will be sent on exile again. So, they requested Sheikh that he let them earn some money too, as they had only seen poverty after India's Independence for being his supporters. IMAGE: Sheikh Abdullah receives Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at Srinagar airport on September 24, 1949. Photograph: Photo Division, Government of India Does it mean Jawaharlal Nehru's move to arrest Sheikh Abdullah in 1953 and send him to exile, because he was planning to demand independence for J&K, was a mistake? He (Nehru) acknowledged that in a letter to (senior Congress leader) Karan Singh, who is the son of (the last maharaja of Kashmir) Hari Singh. He admitted it was not a right step. But his hypocrisy was that he did not release Sheikh and bring him back to J&K. He could have done that after convincing Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad, but he did not do that. Why was it necessary to arrest and exile Sheikh Abdullah? Many books have been written on this issue. Sheikh has himself written about this in his autobiography (Aatish-i-Chinar). If you read those, you will get the answer. Is it true that Nehru was upset over Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee's mysterious death in Kashmir and he felt that Sheikh was somehow responsible for it? He (Mookerjee) died mysteriously, that is true, but there was no evidence that the J&K government or any of its leaders were involved in it. No proof was found of the state government's complicity. Even today, there is none. How did the J&K issue became a Hindu-Muslim problem? Why did people abandon the cause of Kashmiriyat? It is a long history and it started right from the day when Mughal Emperor Akbar captured Kashmir. The (Sunni) Muslims of Kashmir accepted Mughals as their ruler, but the Shias started a huge revolt against them. When Jehangir ascended to the throne, he often visited Kashmir. He used to love the place and became popular among Kashmiris. Post Mughal rule, the Afghans conquered Kashmir (1747-1819) and they ruled the state brutally by torturing its Muslim population. Kashmiri Pandits became the administrators of Afghan rule and supported them when they were torturing Kashmiri Muslims. Many ministries of the Afghans had Kashmiri Pandits even in Kabul. So the Afghan rulers, who were themselves Muslims, were good to Kashmiri Pandits but not to Kashmiri Muslims? They only wanted money from Kashmir and they used Kashmiri Pandits to solve the taxation problems and get money out of the state. After the Afghan rule, Sikh rule came (in 1819) for 30 years and they demolished many mosques. I have mentioned all this in my book (Kashmir: Land of Regrets). Did this happen during Maharaja Ranjit Singh's time? Soon after Maharaja Ranjit Singh. His advisor Gulab Singh, who established Dogra rule, was a very cruel man. He used to skin Kashmiris alive. Dogra rule was very bad for Kashmiri Muslims. So historically, Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri Muslims never got along. What happened during Partition? Sheikh Abdullah was a genuinely secular man. He made J&K a secular state after Hari Singh acceded to India and left the state. So communal trouble got buried in 1947 post Sheikh's rule? He did that. He maintained a very balanced rule in the state by keeping every community happy. He kept Kashmiri Pandits in his cabinet who were given senior positions. He ruled the state with secular values. Post 1953, when he was sacked, corruption took over governance. Did any communal tension exist between Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims from 1953 to 1989, when terrorism broke out? One has to understand the concept of collective memory among Indians. This is true for Kashmiri Muslims and even Gujarati Hindus. The Gujarati Hindus became collectively communal after the raids of Mahmud Ghaznavi on the Somnath temple in the 10th century. Bards have written songs about his atrocities historically. The Gujarat riots of 2002, where Muslims were at the receiving end, happened because of the collective memory of Hindus against Ghaznavi. This collective memory is not easy to erase from people's mind. Even today, anti-Muslim sentiment is working in North India because of the collective memory of Hindus against the Muslim invaders who looted and plundered. I am not talking about all Hindus, but there is a high percentage of Hindus who think like that. Nine workers, including five women, died and 10 others were injured in a blaze at a fireworks-manufacturing unit in Sivakasi on Thursday, a senior police official said. IMAGE: Police inspecting the firecracker unit blast site in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, May 9, 2024. Photograph: ANI on X The workers, including five women, were killed in the accident at a fireworks-manufacturing unit near Sengamalapatti in Sivakasi in the district. Seven rooms where the firecrackers were stocked were completely gutted, police said. Police and fire service personnel rushed the injured to the government hospital in Sivakasi. A senior police official said the cause of the fire was being ascertained and added that the unit is a licenced one. Reacting to the incident, President Droupadi Murmu said she was saddened to learn about the loss of many lives due to the explosion at the firecracker factory near Sivakasi. "I convey my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for speedy recovery of the injured," she said in a post on social media platform X. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar also expressed pain over the loss of lives in the tragic fire accident and offered his condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for the recovery of the injured. Stating that he was deeply pained by the loss of precious lives in the tragic fire accident, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi said in a post on X: "My heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and prayers for the swift recovery of the injured." Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, who expressed condolences over the incident, directed the district authorities to provide appropriate medical care to the injured and save lives. Expressing grief over the death of the workers in the explosion, Chief Minister Stalin said that immediately after receiving information about the accident, he directed the district collector to promptly launch a rescue operation. It was learnt that more than 10 persons were injured and they required medical attention, he said. "I have directed the officials to ensure appropriate life-saving treatment for the injured," Stalin said in a release. The state government will extend relief to the affected families after obtaining due consent from the Election Commission (as the Model Code of Conduct is in force till June 4), he said, and extended his deepest condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families. "The mishap happened at 3 pm today. Nine workers died and 10 were injured. Initial investigation on the cause of the fire accident is on," Virudhunagar Superintendent of Police K Feroze Khan Abdullah said. Speaking to reporters in Sivakasi he said the factory owner possesses a licence, which is valid till 2026. Asked how the fire broke out at the unit, the SP said, "It could be due to employment of untrained workers or overcrowding in a room. And a foreman should supervise the work." It was only three days ago that the police conducted an awareness meeting among the fireworks manufacturers to prevent accidents. Even the district administration frequently conducted safety meetings, he said. "But in spite of all these, the accident has happened. We will check for violations," Abdullah said. Meanwhile, Jharkhand Governor C P Radhakrishnan, Odisha Governor Raghubar Das, and BJP state chief K Annamalai too expressed condolences over the deaths. Two Indian-origin brothers wanted in connection with the murder of a 22-year-old MTech student from India have been arrested by Australian police, media reports said. Abhijeet Abhijeet, 26, and Robin Gartan, 27, were arrested on Tuesday in the New South Wales country town of Goulburn police are preparing to extradite them to Victoria, the Goulburn Post reported. The brothers were on the run since the early hours of Sunday after Navjeet Sandhu from Noble Park was killed and a 30-year-old man, also from Noble Park, was injured at an Ormond home in Melbourne's southeast. Police on Thursday charged Gartan with murder and attempted murder while Abhijeet was charged with affray, the report added. They faced Goulburn Local Court on Thursday morning where their extradition to Victoria was granted. The brothers are set to front the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday. Emergency services were called to the house on North Road at about 1 am following reports of a dispute. Navjeet was fatally attacked with a knife by another student when he tried to intervene in a dispute between a few Indian students over some rent issue, according to the deceased victim's uncle Yashvir in Karnal, Haryana. "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 shouts and saw there was a scuffle. When Navjeet tried to intervene asking them not to fight, he was fatally stabbed in the chest with a knife," Yashvir said. He added that like Navjeet, the alleged accused also hails from Karnal. Navjeet's friend, whom he was accompanying, also sustained injuries in the incident, the uncle of the deceased said. The injured man is married to the woman, while the man who died was his friend. A weapon was found at the home and will be forensically tested. On Monday, Detective Inspector Dean Thomas told media that police believed the brothers lived at the Ormond home, where a party was held on Sunday, News.com.au reported. India on Thursday said Canada has informed it about the arrest of three Indian citizens in the case of killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar but it has not provided any "specific" evidence or information on the matter yet. IMAGE: Designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was slain in June 2023. Photograph: Courtesy Twitter (Now X) "Let me first make it clear that no specific or relevant evidence or information has been shared by the Canadian authorities till date," external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. "You will therefore understand our view that the matter is being pre-judged," he said at his weekly media briefing. Last week, Canadian authorities charged three Indian nationals with the murder of Nijjar. It is reported that they entered Canada on student visas. "Obviously, there are political interests at work. We have long maintained that separatists, extremists and those advocating violence have been given political space in Canada," Jaiswal said. "Our diplomats have been threatened with impunity and obstructed in their performance of duties," he said. "We have also pointed to the Canadian authorities that figures associated with organised crime with links with India have been allowed entry and residency in Canada," he said. Jaiswal said the two countries are currently engaged in discussions on issues such as the activities of pro-Khalistan elements and threats against Indian diplomats in Canada. He said many of India's extradition requests are pending with Canada. "We are having discussions at the diplomatic level on all these matters," he said. India Tuesday hit out at Canada for providing "safe haven" and political space to criminal and "secessionist" elements, in a sharp reaction to pro-Khalistan elements displaying an effigy of the Indian prime minister in an offensive manner at a parade in Ontario's Malton area. India also accused Canada of allowing "celebration and glorification" of violence and expressed concerns over the security of Indian diplomats in that country and that it expects Ottawa to ensure that they are able to carry out their responsibilities without fear. India's strong reaction came two days after the 'Nagar Kirtan' parade in Malton displayed a "float" that contained an effigy of the Indian prime minister reportedly within a cage. The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September last year of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar. New Delhi rejected Trudeau's charges as "absurd". Last week, Canadian authorities arrested Karan Brar (22), Kamalpreet Singh (22) and Karanpreet Singh (28). Days after Trudeau's allegations in September last, India asked Ottawa to downsize its diplomatic presence in the country to ensure parity. Subsequently, Canada withdrew 41 diplomats and their family members from India. India has been asserting that its "core issue" with Canada remained that of the space given to separatists, terrorists and anti-India elements in that country. The Congress, the Jannayak Janta Party and the Indian National Lok Dal have approached Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, stepping up their efforts to topple the Haryana's Bharatiya Janata Party government after it was reduced to a minority in the state assembly. IMAGE: Jannayak Janta Party chief Dushyant Chautala. Photograph: ANI Photo In separate letters to the Governor, the Jannayak Janata Party and the Indian National Lok Dal have sought a floor test in the assembly. The Haryana Congress on Thursday sent a letter to the Governor's office seeking time on Friday to meet him and present a memorandum on the present political situation in the state. On Wednesday, JJP leader Dushyant Chautala wrote to the governor, saying the Saini government no longer commands a majority and there should be an immediate floor test. INLD's Abhay Singh Chautala also wrote to the Governor on Thursday, stating that "in view of the fact that the BJP government has lost its majority, the party demands that the government should be immediately asked to convene the Vidhan Sabha to hold a floor test to prove that it still enjoys its confidence". Even as the opposition parties stepped up their efforts, three JJP MLAs are learnt to have met BJP leader and former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Panipat. Speaking to reporters in Bhiwani, Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the Congress has 30 MLAs but raised doubts whether all 10 JJP MLAs were onboard with their party, in a reference to some JJP MLAs indicating their support in recent days to the BJP. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini maintained that his government is not in trouble. He said on Thursday that his government won a confidence vote in March and if it comes to seeking the trust vote, "I will do it again when the time comes". "You ask Dushaynt Chautala how many MLAs he has got," Saini told reporters in Karnal, challenging the claim that his government has lost the majority in the House. Hitting out at Dushyant Chautala, Saini said the former deputy chief minister has lost people's trust. "In the Lok Sabha polls, people will know the candidates he has put up where they stand," the CM said. Saini's predecessor Khattar claimed that many MLAs are in touch with the BJP and there is "nothing to worry about". "Their arithmetic is not like they are thinking," said Khattar referring to opposition claiming that government is in a minority. Senior BJP leader Om Prakash Dhankar also said the state government is stable and there is no danger to it. Three Independent MLAs on Tuesday withdrew support to the BJP government and announced they would back the Congress. The government which has the support of two other Independents is now two short of the majority mark in the 90-member state assembly. However, the House at present has an effective strength of 88 with Karnal and Rania assembly seats being vacant. The BJP has 40 MLAs, the Congress 30 and the JJP 10 in the House. INLD and Haryana Lokhit Party has one member each, while the total number of Independent MLAs are six. In its letter, the Congress said that a party delegation led by Deputy CLP leader Aftab Ahmed and B B Batra, chief whip CLP, wants to meet the governor on May 10. On Thursday, Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the "minority" dispensation should resign on moral grounds. "We have also sought time from the governor," Hooda said when asked to comment by reporters on the JJP writing a letter to the governor. Hooda was campaigning in Bhiwani for party's Lok Sabha candidate Rao Dan Singh. "We are 30 MLAs...regarding JJP, it would have been better had they paraded 10 MLAs before the governor. "There is no dispute about our MLAs. Some of their (JJP's) MLAs are supporting someone else...let them go to the governor with their 10 MLAs," Hooda said. After withdrawal of support by the three Independents, Hooda said the Saini government is in a minority. "On moral grounds, it should resign. President's rule should be imposed...we are demanding fresh elections in the state," the former chief minister said. In his letter to the Governor, INLD's Abhay Chautala said, "In the present case, Nayab Singh Saini government has clearly lost its majority and has no legal or moral right to remain in office." Abhay Chautala said that in case the Governor finds that in the present circumstances it is not possible to convene the assembly for the floor test then he may "recommend President's rule" in the state. Taking on both the BJP and the JJP whose alliance ended after Saini replaced Khattar as Chief Minister in March, Hooda said, "They entered into an agreement to break the alliance. People understand this. People know there is a direct fight between the Congress and the BJP (in the Lok Sabha polls), others are 'vote kaatu' (vote-cutting) parties." JJP leader Dushyant Chautala on Wednesday said that the Congress has to think whether they will take a step to bring down the "minority" BJP government. Chautala had also said that if Hooda takes steps to topple the Saini government, his party would support the move. However, the BJP government appears safe for now. Under the rules, a no-trust motion against a government can't be moved within six months of the previous one. In this case, the BJP government in Haryana had faced the no-confidence motion in February. Later, after Nayab Saini took oath as chief minister, his government won the trust vote on March 13. The assembly elections are due in Haryana in October this year. The Janata Dal-Secular on Thursday petitioned Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, seeking his intervention recommending a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the sexual abuse charges against Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna. IMAGE: JD-S leader HD Kumaraswamy addresses a press conference regarding the ongoing alleged pendrive issue of Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, in Bengaluru, May 7, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo The party led by former prime minister HD Deve Gowda claimed that it is "impossible to expect an impartial inquiry" from the Special Investigation Team, which is probing the case, as it is allegedly being influenced and misguided by the state government. A delegation of party leaders led by former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy submitted a memorandum to the governor. In it, they alleged that deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is the "mastermind" behind the circulation of nearly 3,000 videos of Prajwal allegedly sexually abusing several women, and requested the governor to advise Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to drop the DCM from the cabinet. The 33-year-old JD-S Lok Sabha poll candidate from Hassan, Prajwal Revanna, who is Kumaraswamy's nephew and the grandson of HD Deve Gowda, is facing sexual abuse charges. The scandal has raised a political storm, with the ruling Congress and BJP-JD-S engaged in a slugfest. While the Congress government has formed a SIT to probe the cases, the BJP and JD-S -- National Democratic Alliance partners -- have demanded that the cases be handed over to the CBI, and action be taken against those behind the wide circulation of the explicit videos. The JD-S has already suspended Prajwal from the party. "...it is highly impossible to expect a free, fair and impartial inquiry from the Special Investigation Team, as the team is influenced and misguided by the state government. Therefore, we seek the kind intervention of His Excellency in recommending the case for a thorough inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation," the petition read, detailing the developments in the case so far. "Investigation conducted by SIT is biased, partial and not transparent as the investigation is not as per established procedures as they are threatening the alleged victims to file complaints without governing their privacy and modesty," it claimed. "It is a well-known fact that Shivakumar is behind the distribution of more than 25,000 pen drives (containing about 3,000 explicit videos) in bus stands, parks and other public places throughout Hassan parliamentary constituency," the JD(S) alleged, adding that "the state government has utterly failed to stop the circulation of alleged videos causing a lot of agony, sorrow and indignity to the families of victims." The regional party further noted that the state government has failed to arrest and act against persons like "Navin Gowda who was directly involved in circulation of videos" through social media platforms and through the distribution of pen drives containing obscene material depicting women allegedly being exploited by Prajwal -- in spite of a specific complaint against him in Hassan Crime Police Station. "We also appeal to His Excellency (governor) to advise the chief minister to drop Shivakumar from the cabinet as he is the mastermind in the circulation of videos containing obscene scenes of women," it added. Earlier in the day while speaking to reporters, Kumaraswamy alleged that the SIT probing into the sexual abuse charges against Prajwal Revanna, is "losing track". The former chief minister, while maintaining that he wants the guilty to be punished in accordance with the law, raised questions on the progress of the probe by the SIT constituted by Karnataka's Congress government. Also raising questions regarding the investigation against Prajwal's father and his brother, MLA H D Revanna, who is facing kidnapping charges, Kumaraswamy asked why the woman who was allegedly kidnapped has not been produced before the court days after she was rescued. "It has been how many days since the kidnapped woman was brought here? Has her statement been recorded under section 164 of CrPC (statements recorded by magistrate)? Has she been produced before the judge? It has been five days, why has the woman not been produced before the judge? From where was she brought? Was the 'mahazar' done? Was she brought from some farmhouse as claimed and reported in the media?," he asked. Revanna was remanded into judicial custody till May 14 by a magisterial court here on Wednesday. He was in the custody of the SIT after being arrested in the alleged case of kidnapping a woman. The case was filed based on a complaint by her son, who also accused the MLA's son Prajwal Revanna of having sexually assaulted her. According to the police, the abducted woman was subsequently rescued. In the backdrop of a woman employee of Raj Bhavan levelling molestation charges against him, West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Thursday showed CCTV footage of the premises of May 2 to common people. IMAGE: West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose. Photograph: ANI Photo Footage from two CCTV cameras at the main (north) gate from around 5.30 pm of May 2 were shown to a few people at the Central Marble Hall on the ground floor of Raj Bhavan. A contractual woman employee of Raj Bhavan on Friday lodged a written complaint with the Kolkata Police alleging that she was molested by Bose in the governor's house on April 24 and May 2. Bose had on Wednesday said he would show the footage to common people, barring 'politician' Mamata Banerjee and 'her' police. In the over an hour-long footage, the woman, dressed in blue jeans and top, was seen going to the police outpost, with a large number of policemen deployed on Raj Bhavan premises for the scheduled visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi had on May 2 stayed the night at Raj Bhavan, before addressing three political rallies in West Bengal on May 3. A Raj Bhavan official said, "At least 92 people mailed or called us up, expressing their willingness to see the CCTV footage. However, only a few turned up. The intention was to let people judge the incident." One of the visitors, who identified himself as Professor Tushar Kanti Mukherjee, said he saw the footage and could not find any abnormality in the behaviour of the woman. Pranam Chacha, apan beti ko vote dena (greetings uncle, please vote for your daughter), said 25-year-old Delhi School of Economics (DSE) graduate Shambhavi Choudhary, who was trying to connect with the people of Samastipur, a town 80 km from Patna, which votes on May 13. IMAGE: Sunny Hazari goes canvassing for votes in Samastipur. Photograph: Courtesy, sunnyhazari_inc/X The huge crowd, mostly women, was trying to engage with one of the youngest candidates in this Lok Sabha election. A third-generation politician and daughter of Ashok Choudhary, Bihars rural works minister, Shambhavi is contesting from the Samastipur reserved constituency on a ticket of Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). Dynastic politics sees it as natural for somebody to do something that their parents have been doing. It's a very natural thing that you usually grow up in that environment and start aspiring for this thing. Not just in politics, you would see the same thing in the case of children of doctors, engineers or businessmen, said Shambhavi while talking to Business Standard in Samastipur. She added that the talk of nepotism in Bollywood and politics is because we are in public life. And, people have the right to pass judgements on us. So that's why this gets highlighted. I am a well-educated person who deserves to be in politics. We are looking forward to such people as a woman who's educated, who comes from a political family, who is a Dalit, and who is from Bihar, she added. A former Samastipur MP, JD-U minister Maheshwar Hazaris son Sunny Hazari (33), is the Congress candidate. A National Institute of Technology (NIT) Patna graduate, Sunny is well known through his father in his constituency. Business Standard tried to reach out to Sunny and Maheshwar for a week, but neither was available. One of Sunnys aides said, He is extremely busy campaigning. However, compared to Ashok, Maheshwar has a stronger hold in the constituency. Professor DM Diwakar, former director of AN Sinha Institute of Social Studies, Patna, told Business Standard that, Dynastic politics has become a tool of convenience for political parties. The BJP does not hesitate to accept it when it comes to its own alliance or party candidates. The same goes for the others. This acceptance of dynastic politics is new. There is a need to understand the difference between monarchy and dynastic politics. In dynastic politics, too, there is a need for support from the people. Only by work will you get the vote and support from the people, Manoj Kumar Jha, member of the Rajya Sabha from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) told Business Standard. On May 4, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the name of Shambhavi in his rally, saying, From Samastipur, our daughter Sambhavi Choudhary ji, the youngest candidate in the whole country, is contesting the election this time. Please give your blessings to her. She should win the election. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi blesses NDAs Samastipur candidate, Lok Janshakti Party's Shambhavi Choudhary, during a public meeting, Darbhanga, May 4, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Since 2014, the Paswan family has held the Samastipur seat. In 2014, the younger brother of Ram Vilas Paswan, Ram Chandra Paswan, won twice. After Ram Chandra Paswans death, his son Prince Raj won from this seat. We will vote for Modi jis initiative. Though, the new face Shambhavi is also appealing to us. However, it will be interesting to see how she will work. Or whether after winning the election, will she flee from this constituency to Delhi, asked Veena Devi, who also resides in Samastipur. Alok Paswan (name changed), 35, a resident of Kusheshwar Asthan, Samastipur constituency, said, Sunny is not that visible on the ground. But Shambhavi is coming to meet us. However, we respect Maheshwar jis work a lot. The seat has definitely become interesting after this, he said. Shambhavi said that in Bihar, people still talk in terms of caste. So, political parties play the caste game. It's very important to know the people you are designing policies for. If you don't have the correct data, you can never design correct policies, she said. In October 2023, the then Nitish Kumar government in Bihar released findings of a caste survey, which revealed that Other Backward Class (OBC) and Extremely Backward Class (EBC) constituted 63 per cent of the states total population of over 130 million. The Unreserved or General category constituted 15.52 per cent, while Scheduled Castes accounted for 19.65 per cent. The survey found that 81.99 per cent of Bihars total population was Hindu, followed by 17.7 per cent Muslims. Rubbishing the allegations by the United States on India for a foiled assassination plot against pro-Khalistan radical Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Washington, DC has not yet provided any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the case. IMAGE: Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Photograph: Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters "According to the information we have, Washington, DC has not yet provided any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the preparation of the murder of a certain GS Pannun. Speculation on this topic in the absence of evidence is unacceptable," the official spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Wednesday (local time). She said that the US does not understand the national mentality, as well as the historical context of the development of the Indian state and it disrespects India as a state. Zakharova's remarks came in response to a media query on Moscow's reaction to accusations against an Indian official of a foiled 'assassination' plot, and the American news publication The Washington Post stating that India is trying to do the same as Russia and Saudi Arabia against its enemy. "The Washington Post, it seems to me, should use the term 'repressive regime' and everything you quoted in relation to Washington, DC. It is difficult to imagine a more repressive regime than Washington, both in domestic and international affairs. Now directly about your question," Zakharova said, according to the readout of the briefing released by the Russian Foreign Ministry. "Regular unfounded accusations by the United States against New Delhi (we see that they groundlessly accuse not only India but also many other states) of violating religious freedoms are a reflection of the United States' misunderstanding of the national mentality, the historical context of the development of the Indian state and disrespect for India as a state . I am sure that this also comes from the neocolonial mentality, the mentality of the colonial period, the period of the slave trade, and imperialism," she said. Population growth rates are not linked to religion and the total fertility rate among all religious groups is declining, with the highest decrease observed among Muslims, NGO Population Foundation of India has said amid a debate over the increase in the population of minorities in India. Image used for representational purpos eonly. Photograph: ANI Photo According to a recent working paper compiled by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, the share of the Hindu population decreased by 7.82 percent between 1950 and 2015 in India, while that of Muslims increased by 43.15 percent, suggesting that there is a conducive environment in the country to foster diversity. The study led to a slugfest among political parties, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party alleging that the "appeasement politics" of the Congress-led to the increase in the population of Muslims in the country. In a statement, the Population Foundation of India said it is deeply concerned about recent media reports "misreporting" the findings from the study to spread alarm regarding the growth of the Muslim population in the country. "The study's focus on changes in the share of majority and minority religious groups globally over a 65-year period should not be used to incite fear or discrimination against any community," it said. According to census figures, the decadal growth rate for Muslims has been declining over the past three decades. Specifically, the decadal growth rate for Muslims decreased from 32.9 percent in 1981-1991 to 24.6 percent in 2001-2011. "This decline is more pronounced than that of Hindus, whose growth rate fell from 22.7 to 16.8 percent over the same period," the NGO said. The census data is available from 1951 to 2011 and is quite similar to the data in this study, indicating that these numbers are not new, the organisation said. Noting that the TFR among all religious groups is declining, it said the highest decrease in the TFR from 2005-06 to 2019-21 was observed among Muslims, which dropped by 1 percentage point, followed by Hindus at 0.7 percentage point. "This trend underscores that the fertility rates are converging across different religious communities," it said. The NGO, which promotes and advocates for the effective formulation and implementation of gender-sensitive population, health and development strategies and policies, said such interpretations are not only inaccurate but also misleading and baseless. "The media's selective portrayal of data to highlight the increase in the Muslim population is an example of misrepresentation that ignores broader demographic trends," said Poonam Muttreja, executive director, Population Foundation of India. Fertility rates are closely linked to education and income levels, not religion, she added. "States with better access to education, healthcare and socio-economic development, such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu, exhibit lower TFRs across all religious groups. For example, the TFR among Muslim women in Kerala is lower than the TFR among Hindu women in Bihar," the NGO said. Successful family planning programmes in Muslim-majority countries like Bangladesh and Indonesia have resulted in lower birth rates compared to India. These countries have achieved this through higher levels of female education, greater employment opportunities and better access to contraceptive choices. This clearly shows that fertility decline is influenced by development factors rather than religious affiliation, Population Foundation of India added. "The most effective way to manage population growth is through investment in education, economic development and gender equity. Our analysis indicates that women's education is the most critical factor in reducing fertility rates. Therefore, interventions should focus on providing education and family planning services irrespective of religion," Muttreja said. There are several population issues the world is grappling with. "Population Foundation of India urges the media to refrain from using demographic studies to create fear and division. It is essential to present data accurately and contextually, highlighting the role of education, income and socio-economic development in shaping demographic trends. We advocate for policies that promote inclusive development and gender equity to ensure a balanced and harmonious society," the NGO said. A special court for UAPA cases here is likely to pronounce the verdict in the murder case of rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar on Friday. IMAGE: Dr Narendra Dabholkar. Photograph: Courtesy Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti/Facebook Dabholkar (67), a well-known anti-superstition crusader, was shot dead while on a morning walk on Omkareshwar Bridge here on August 20, 2013. Additional sessions judge A A Jadhav of the special court for cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is likely to pronounce the judgement on Friday, said special public prosecutor Prakash Suryawanshi. The prosecution examined 20 witnesses while the defence examined two witnesses during the trial. The accused were opposed to Dabholkar's crusade against superstition, the prosecution had stated in its final arguments. The case was initially probed by the Pune police. The Central Bureau of Investigation took over the probe in 2014 following a Bombay high court order, and arrested Dr Virendrasinh Tawade, an ENT surgeon linked to the Hindu right-wing organisation Sanatan Sanstha, in June 2016. According to the prosecution, Tawade was one of the masterminds of the murder. Sanatan Sanstha, to which Tawade and some of the other accused were linked, was opposed to the work carried out by Dabholkar's organisation, the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (committee for eradication of superstition, Maharashtra), it claimed. The CBI first named fugitives Sarang Akolkar and Vinay Pawar as the shooters in its charge sheet. But later it arrested Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar, and claimed in a supplementary charge sheet that they had shot Dabholkar. Subsequently, the central agency arrested advocate Sanjeev Punalekar and Vikram Bhave as alleged co-conspirators. During the trial, advocate Virendra Ichalkaranjikar, one of the defence lawyers, had questioned the CBI's flip-flop over the shooters' identity. The accused were booked under Indian Penal Code sections 120 B (conspiracy ), 302 (murder), relevant sections of the Arms Act, and section 16 (Punishment for terrorist act ) of the UAPA. While Tawade, Andure and Kalaskar are in jail, Punalekar and Bhave are out on bail. Dabholkar's murder was followed by the murders of three other rationalists/activists in the next four years: communist leader Govind Pansare (Kolhapur, February 2015), Kannada scholar and writer M M Kalburgi (Dharwad, August 2015) and journalist Gauri Lankesh (Bengaluru, September 2017). It was suspected that the culprits in these four cases were linked to each other. The Congress on Thursday accused the Modi government of aiding 'drain of wealth' from ordinary Indians to crony corporates, and said it will end this practice if it comes to power at the Centre. IMAGE: Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh. Photograph: ANI Photo The Congress attack came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Rahul Gandhi had stopped 'abusing' Adani and Ambani and whether his party received money from them in return. 'On June 4, as the Congress-led government takes power, we will rapidly accelerate economic growth while ensuring that ordinary Indian families are the biggest beneficiaries. We will end the 'drain of wealth' from Indian families to crony corporates,' Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a statement. 'The 'Hum Do Hamare Do' effect: Net household savings fell by 9 lakh crores in the last three years. Real household savings are at their lowest since 2014. PM Modi has overseen a 'drain of wealth' -- from Bharat ke Parivar to Modi ka Parivar,' Ramesh also said in a post on X, while sharing his statement. The Congress leader, in his statement, said 150 years ago, Dadabhai Naoroji's 'Drain Theory' explained how the wealth of India's people was being taken away and sent to England. 'Since 2014, we have seen a similar 'drain of wealth' from Bharat ke Parivaar (India's families) to Modi ka Parivaar (Modi's family). This is the intentional effect of the prime minister's 'Hum Do Humaare Do' policy of favouring his cronies,' he said. 'With each passing day of Modi's Anyay Kaal, this 'Drain of Wealth' breaks a shameful new record. The National Accounts Statistics released on 7 May, 2024 show that India's net household savings have decreased by Rs. 9 lakh crore in three years,' he claimed. Ramesh alleged that India's households are depleting their savings and falling into debt due to 'the economic mismanagement, incompetence, and anti-people policies of the Modi government'. He noted that loans to households have increased from 7 lakh crore to 14 lakh crore in last three years. Citing figures to highlight there is a crisis for Indian households and consumers, he said in September 2023, the Reserve Bank of India bulletin showed India's net financial savings at just 5.1 per cent of the GDP, which was the lowest in 47 years. 'In a real sense, the BJP government is responsible for ripping away mangalsutras, as its economic failures have pushed gold loans to a record high. Outstanding gold loans have crossed Rs. 1 lakh crore for the first time in India's history, as per RBI data,' the Congress leader alleged. 'Any growth that has happened since 2014, has been only for the crony industrialist friends of the Prime Minister: Today, 21 billionaires have more wealth than the poorest 70 crore Indians combined,' he alleged. 'Today, the richest 1% have 40% of India's wealth - this is higher than it was during the British colonial times, and is among the worst in the world. This is the reality of Modi's Anyay Kaal. While Hum Do, Humaare Do have prospered, ordinary Indian families have suffered under failed economic policies like demonetisation, badly-designed GST, and unplanned lockdowns,' Ramesh also claimed. Congress leader P Chidambaram, meanwhile, said the party's manifesto on economy has promised to support the private sector and every kind of enterprise -- large, medium, small and micro. "Regulatory oversight will be based on clearly enunciated laws and rules that will be applied fairly and without discrimination. We will ensure a level playing field for all. We are opposed to monopolies and oligopolies and crony capitalism. 'We will ensure that no company or person arrogates to itself or himself the financial or material resources or the business opportunities or the concessions that ought to be available to every entrepreneur,' he said in a post. In a stern warning to Israel, United States President Joe Biden on Wednesday (local time) said that he would halt some shipments of American weapons to Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a major invasion in Rafah, CNN reported. IMAGE: Palestinian children carrying pots wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen, amid shortages of aid supplies, after Israeli forces launched a ground and air operation in the eastern part of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Photograph: Hatem Khaled/Reuters It is the first time that Biden has made such a statement, adding that the weapons sent could also be used in the operation to target the population centres. "Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers," Biden told CNN's Erin Burnett in an exclusive interview, as he referred to 2,000-pound bombs that Biden paused shipments of last week. "I made it clear that if they go into Rafah -- they haven't gone in Rafah yet -- if they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities - that deal with that problem," Biden said. The seven-month battle between Israel and Hamas has reached a turning point with the president's declaration that he was willing to tie American weaponry to Israel's behaviour. Amid a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the president is facing intense pressure to restrict arms shipments, even from members of his party. Amid the ongoing ground offensive in Rafah, United States Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin also confirmed on Wednesday that the US is pausing a shipment of 'high-payload munitions' to Israel, as the operation has no plan for the residing civilians in the region, reported CNN. "We're going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself, but that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah," Defence Secretary Austin said at a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing. The remarks of Austin come amid mounting airstrikes, and at a time when the Israeli Prime Minister's Office has also reaffirmed the continuation of military operations in Rafah to 'exert military pressure on Hamas'. "We've been very clear ... that Israel shouldn't launch a major attack into Rafah without accounting for and protecting the civilians that are in that battlespace," Austin said, according to CNN. Austin also stressed that the weapons shipment was not included in the supplemental budget package that Congress just approved, which contained lethal aid for both Israel and Ukraine. The US has not made 'a final determination' about what will happen with the arms shipment, Austin stated. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated their ongoing targeted strikes against Hamas terror targets in eastern Rafah. The crossing was one of the primary routes for supplies into the besieged Gaza Strip. In mid-December, Israeli authorities announced its reopening in response to rising US pressure and a severe humanitarian situation in Gaza. While the responses of the candidates were predictable, depending on which side they belonged to, an interesting point slipped through when Rahul Shewale cited the Dharavi Redevelopment Project as a scheme that would add to Mumbai's importance. No big infrastructural project in Mumbai, he said, could be successful without the Centre's nod. Jyoti Punwani reports. IMAGE: Congress Mumbai North Central candidate Varsha Gaikwad being questioned at the forum. All Photographs: Jyoti Punwani Can there be greater proof that what matters most in Mumbai is commerce? Finance and real estate dominated the debate between Mumbaikars and their Lok Sabha candidates held on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Redevelopment (of old buildings), transformation of slums into high rises, and the Dharavi redevelopment project were recurring themes voiced by the six candidates who turned up at the invitation of the Free Press Journal newspaper, the Praja Foundation and the Mumbai Press Club. Three of the participants were from the INDIA alliance -- the Congress' Varsha Gaikwad, the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Anil Desai and Arvind Sawant -- and three from the ruling Mahayuti: The BJP's Mihir Kotecha. the Shinde Sena's Rahul Shewale and Yamini Jadhav. On a day when the prime minister attacked India's two biggest industrialists, Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, the Adani-helmed Dharavi Revedelopment Project Private Ltd was fiercely attacked in Mumbai's old and stately landmark, the Indian Merchants Chamber, for being non-transparent and geared towards benefiting Adani, not the residents of India's largest slum. The sharpest attack came from the Congress' Varsha Gaikwad, the MLA from Dharavi. Having won the assembly seat four times, she had been keen on fighting from there as MP, but had to settle for the Mumbai North Central constituency, because Uddhav Thackeray wanted the Dharavi seat for his party. His candidate, sitting Rajya Sabha MP Anil Desai, was also critical of the project, but he spoke in measured tones. The preoccupation with real estate surfaced with the very first candidate to take the floor. The BJP's Mihir Kotecha, the sitting MLA from Mulund and its candidate from Mumbai North East, spoke of his vision of a "slum-free Mumbai". As per the 2011 census, 42% of Mumbai lives in slums. Asked by a journalist to spell out what that meant for the slum-dwellers whose labour sustains Mumbai, Kotecha spoke of "in setu development" in the form of SRA (Slum Rehabilitation Authority) buildings, which would, he claimed, uplift the lives of the slum-dwellers. The word "redevelopment" ran like a refrain through Rahul Shewale's vision for his constituency, Mumbai South Central, which includes Dharavi. Defending the Dharavi project, the Shinde Sena candidate and sitting MP said he was born in Dharavi, and had been involved in designing the redevelopment project. *** IMAGE: Rahul Shewale, the Shiv Sena's Mumbai South Central candidate being questioned by Anuradha Sengupta and Kavitha Iyer. The second theme that dominated the debate was Mumbai's status as the financial capital of the country. Was this status falling because of the shifting of key projects to Gujarat, including the International Finances Services Centre? While Mumbai paid the most amount of taxes, what did it get in return? While the responses of the candidates were predictable, depending on which side they belonged to, an interesting point slipped through when Rahul Shewale cited the Dharavi Redevelopment Project as a scheme that would add to Mumbai's importance. No big infrastructural project in Mumbai, he said, could be successful without the Centre's nod. Shewale cited two examples to substantiate his point. Had the Railways not agreed to give up their land for the Dharavi project, it could not have taken off. Similarly, had he not persuaded the environment ministry to agree to grant, in one go, environmental clearances for all the buildings proposed to be built in Dharavi, the project would have taken years. The flip side of this was shown up by INDIA alliance candidate Arvind Sawant, the sitting MP from Mumbai South, belonging to Uddhav Thackeray's Sena. The Centre had refused to let the Metro Car Shed be located in the suburb of Kanjurmarg, he pointed out, when Uddhav Thackeray was the chief minister. But now, with the BJP in power, the Centre had agreed to grant that very land for the car shed. Sawant also punctured Kotecha's grandiose talk about high rises improving the lives of Mumbai's slum dwellers, alleging that the towers were built so close together that those living below the 10th floor got no sunlight. *** IMAGE: Journalist Sahil Joshi questions Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) Mumbai South Central candidate Anil Desai. Mumbai boasts of the wealthiest municipal corporation in Asia. Corruption in the BMC, and the delay in holding elections to it (and to all municipal bodies in Maharashtra) also featured in the debate. Well-known RTI and anti-corruption activist Kamlakar Shenoy lashed out at the various lapses of the BMC: Its "Mumbai beautification" scheme, which he described as an exercise in illegality and corruption; granting permission for high rises without bothering about providing essential civic amenities such as schools and hospitals in the vicinity; indulgence towards builders who left residents in the lurch... "Isn't it the duty of elected representatives to look at all this?" he asked Rahul Shewale and Yamini Jadhav. Shewale had been chairman of the BMC's all-important standing committee four times; Jadhav's husband Yashwant was chairman till the BMC ended its term in 2022. Jadhav herself is a three-time corporator, and now a sitting MLA. There was not much the two could say in defence. Shewale protested that he himself had never been involved in any of these corrupt activities; Yamini Jadhav took Shenoy's allegations as "suggestions" which she would consider. Stung by a remark from a citizen that "nobody who gets elected does any work", she declared that she continued to work despite having had cancer surgery. "I'm not a cancer survivor but a cancer warrior," she said. *** IMAGE: S Balakrishnan, Editor, Free Press Journal, questions Yamini Jadhav, the Shiv Sena's Mumbai South Lok Sabha candidate. But apart from land and money, the two driving forces of Mumbai, the debate also threw up questions on Maharashtra's new politics: The split in parties. Both the Shiv Sena and the NCP had seen sections break away under the leadership of Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar respectively, to join the BJP-led NDA. Shinde is now Maharashtra's chief minister and Pawar the deputy CM. Yamini Jadhav made a vain effort to defend herself and those who had left the Sena along with her in June 2022. Though nobody had used the word 'gaddar' (traitor), she herself asked the audience to define it. "I didn't leave the Sena; I am in the real Sena that follows Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology," she said. As part of the undivided Shiv Sena, Jadhav was being investigated along with her husband by the Income Tax department as well as the Enforcement Directorate. After the couple joined the Shinde Sena however, those investigations went cold. Jadhav refused to talk about this topic, saying it was sub-judice. The second twist in Maharashtra politics that has confounded many, is the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena's new closeness to the minority it had always demonised: Muslims. Anil Desai made embarrassed attempts to explain his party's new stand. Sena chief Bal Thackeray's Hindutva was actually "nationalism", said Desai. Asked about the 1992-1993 riots in which the Sena had been found by a judicial commission to have played a major role, Desai claimed that Bal Thackeray was also the one who ended the riots. Fears that if the Sena returned to power, its animosity towards "outsiders", and its emphasis on "Marathi asmita" would dominate policy in Mumbai were also raised. Kotecha blamed the INDIA alliance for bringing in the old "Gujarati-Marathi" divide. Sawant tried hard to dispel these fears. "Vikas can't be done alone; every community has developed Mumbai," he said. Urging the audience to try and understand the concept of "Marathi asmita", he said Uddhav Thackeray's slogan of 'Mi Mumbaikar', which included all communities living in the city, best summarised the Sena's approach. *** IMAGE: Shiv Sena (UBT) Mumbai South candidate Arvind Sawant with journalist Anuradha Sengupta. The debate showed that in one respect, the Sena had not changed. Arvind Sawant was asked by a youth whether, if the INDIA alliance came to power, it would be as intolerant of dissent as the BJP. "Will you allow criticism of Bal Thackeray?" "No I will not," retorted Sawant. "Say 'Balasaheb Thackeray'. Dissent should be decent. This refusal to say 'Balasaheb' shows your lack of culture and arrogance." Maharashtra has also seen the strange alliance between historically sworn enemies, the Congress and the Shiv Sena. Asked to explain their new relationship, Varsha Gaikwad said that while it was true that she had always opposed the Shiv Sena, she had been pleasantly surprised to find that as CM, Uddhav Thackeray had given her full freedom both as education minister, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Dharavi was particularly affected and saw the first Covid death. When Gaikwad was given the ticket from Mumbai North Central, Uddhav, whose residence falls in her constituency, had told the press that for the first time he would be voting Congress. "I had already created history as the first woman president of the Mumbai Congress. Now I'll create history as the first Congress candidate to get a vote from a Thackeray," said Gaikwad. *** IMAGE: Bharatiya Janata Party's Mumbai North-East candidate Mihir Kotecha answers Kavitha Iyer's questions. In the visions articulated by the Congress' Varsha Gaikwad and the BJP's Mihir Kotecha, one saw the two extremes that characterise Mumbai. Kotecha, fighting from a constituency he has always lived in, spoke of providing cable cars and a world class aviary to boost tourism for the city's residents. Gaikwad, fighting from a constituency where she is a newcomer, listed the threat of eviction faced by employees of Air India as the Tatas and Adani moved in to take over their colony for airport expansion. Speaking of the vast Muslim-dominated slum settlement of Mankhurd in his constituency, Kotecha condemned it as a "drug den full of criminals". Gaikwad, speaking of the fishermen's colony of Khar Danda, promised to provide water to its residents. It was a shame that in an area considered posh, Mumbai's original inhabitants still lacked water, she said. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Mostly clear skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low 34F. NW winds at 10 to 15 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly clear skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low 34F. NW winds at 10 to 15 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Axis Communications has handed out 34 accolades during its Oceania Partner Awards for 2024 at its annual Partner Summit. Held at Denarau Island in Fiji, the awards celebrated companies that distinguished themselves as pioneers of innovation this past year, according to the vendor. We are immensely grateful for the dedication of our partners, whose contributions have been instrumental in our success this past year, said Wai King Wong, Axis regional director for Oceania. Together, weve navigated todays dynamic technology landscape to go beyond and deliver cutting-edge security solutions. Thanks to these valuable collaborations, we have been able to strike a balance between optimising current strategies and exploring new avenues for growth. I am looking forward to what we can achieve in 2024 and beyond. Awards were handed out for top performing partners per region and for various categories. The winners this year are: Regional awards NSW: JD Security QLD: Link Enterprise Solutions ACT: Wormald Security VIC: PMT Security SA: BST Systems WA: SEME Solutions TAS: TMR Systems New Zealand: Advanced Security Group Oceania region: Convergint Fastest growing partner in Australia: H3C Plus Fastest growing partner in New Zealand: Nextro Category awards Retail segment partner Australia: PMT Security Retail segment partner New Zealand: Focus Digital Security Solutions Government segment partner Australia: Optic Security Government segment partner New Zealand: Advanced Security Group Critical infrastructure partner Australia: Royal Eagle Critical infrastructure partner New Zealand: Advanced Security Group Smart cities segment partner Australia: Link Enterprise Solutions Smart cities segment partner New Zealand: Evotek Technologies Banking segment partner Australia: ARA Security Banking segment partner New Zealand: Securitek Transportation segment partner Australia: ARA Security Transportation segment partner Australia: Nextro Special partner awards Axis intercoms partner: Advanced Security Group E2E champion partner: JD Security Audio Awards: Link Enterprise Solutions Top distributors Top distributor Australia: Dicker Data Top distributor New Zealand: Channel Ten Security Highest YoY Growth in Australia: Central Security Distribution (CSD) Highest YoY Growth in New Zealand: Channel Ten Security E2E distributor Australia: VSP Solutions E2E distributor New Zealand: Sektor Hall of fame Hamish McKenzie Channel Ten Security Luke Morgan Link Enterprise Solutions Last year, the overall Oceania region partner award was won by ARA Security, and New Zealand partner of the year went to Advanced Security Group. MongoDB has switched its former regional director for the UK and Ireland, Abi Nourai, over to lead the companys Australia and New Zealand (A/NZ) divisions. As regional vice president of Australia and New Zealand, Nourai will collaborate with MongoDBs regional leadership team to work on its sales development and growth strategy while also looking over talent acquisition and brand awareness. He takes over from Anoop Dhankhar, who held the role from March 2022 to May 2024. Nourai has spent nearly five years at the data platform vendor, with the bulk of his time as the UK and Ireland regional director. He also had a brief stint from February this year as regional director for the north A/NZ region. Prior to this, he held positions at Open Kernel Labs and Medallia. Already making an impact within MongoDB, Abi has demonstrated exceptional skill and dedication in developing his team and building a strong culture of pipeline generation to fuel individual and regional success, said Simon Eid, senior VP for Asia Pacific (APAC) at MongoDB. I look forward to seeing Abi achieve new successes in this role and drive strong growth in A/NZ as we make AI [artificial intelligence] more accessible to customers. Four Chinese warships are joining the Golden Dragon exercise, making it their biggest-ever joint sea drills. This photo taken on Dec. 3, 2023 and obtained on Dec. 5, 2023 from Cambodias Defence Minister Tea Seihas Facebook page shows a general view of the two visiting Chinese warships docked at the Ream Naval Base near Cambodias port city of Sihanoukville. A major military exercise between China and Cambodia, the Golden Dragon 2024, is going to take place on May 16-30, a Cambodian official source said. The Royal Gendarmerie a branch of Cambodias armed forces said on its Facebook page that the drills will be held under the theme Counter-terrorism Operations and Humanitarian Relief at two main locations in Kampong Chhnang and Sihanoukville provinces. General Chhum Sucheat, spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, also told a press conference in Phnom Penh that the exercise will begin on May 16. This is the sixth Golden Dragon joint exercise between the two militaries since 2016. It was canceled in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chhum Sucheat was quoted in Cambodian media as saying that the two Chinese vessels, which have been docking in Cambodias Ream naval base since last December, are there to help train the Cambodian navy and prepare for the joint exercise. The military spokesman rejected allegations that the Chinese navy had been using facilities at Ream as a military base. The prolonged training focuses on technical skills in the use of ships and weapons as well as other new technologies, according to Chhum Sucheat, who added that the Chinese side was also testing the quality of the upgraded Ream naval base which China helped develop. Cambodia is planning to purchase similar warships to those docked at the base, the general said. Naval drills The two Chinese warships at Ream are believed to be China-built Type 056 guide-missile corvettes. The 1,500-ton vessels are fitted with anti-ship missiles as well as torpedoes and can carry a helicopter. Besides the two corvettes, the Chinese navy has also dispatched two more warships to Cambodia for training exercises with the Cambodian navy. Beijings Ministry of National Defense said on Thursday that training ship Qijiguang and landing ship Jinggangshan are on their way to train together with Cambodian naval personnel in May. The Jinggangshan, a Type 071 amphibious landing ship that can carry up to 800 troops, also took part in the Golden Dragon 2023 and conducted an unprecedented maritime exercise with the Cambodian navy in the waters off Sihanoukville. With the four Chinese warships present, the maritime drills this year are expected to be more extensive. Staff from the two navies will train in maritime counter-terrorism operations as well as search-and-rescue at sea. Military ties between China and Cambodia have deepened in recent years, with Beijing providing aid, equipment and training to Cambodian forces. In 2021, the United States imposed an arms embargo on Cambodia over concerns about deepening Chinese military influence. Edited by Taejun Kang. 'This is a threat' ahead of May 26 elections, a party official says. Updated May 10, 2024, 03:51 p.m. EDT. Cambodian authorities arrested three opposition party members on Thursday one leader from a new party and two members of an older party ahead of a range of elections on May 26, activists told Radio Free Asia. Sun Chanthy, 44, president of the National Power Party, formed last year, was questioned by police after being arrested at Phnom Penh International Airport upon his return from Japan, where he addressed Cambodian supporters. Charged with incitement, he was detained at Phnom Penh Municipal Police headquarters. On Friday evening, a Phnom Penh Municipal Court judge ordered authorities to transfer him to a remote prison in Pursat province's Phnom Kravanh district for allegedly "inciting serious social security unrest." According to a statement from the Ministry of Justice, the charge stemmed from a social media comment Sun Chanthy made that criticized the governments policy on issuing "poverty cards," or IDs for the poor to receive free medical treatment or subsidies. It said he had "twisted information" to suggest that the cards would only be distributed to those who join the ruling Cambodian People's Party, or CPP. Chea Mony, vice president of the National Power Party, traveled with Sun Chanthy to Japan and witnessed Thursday's arrest, saying it had to do with upcoming provincial, municipal, district and Khan council elections. Chea Mony said that during the visit to Japan, Sun Chanthy did not make political statements that would have disrupted Cambodia's social order or national security. There was no effect on national security according to accusations by the court, Chea Mony told Radio Free Asia. The council election is coming. We dont need to explain, [but] this is a threat ahead of the election. This is a repeated action to scare the pro-democrats, he said. The party doesnt have any plans to incite anyone. New party The National Power Party was formed in 2023 by breakaway members of the Candlelight Party, the main political organization opposing the government under the CPP. The CPP has ruled the country since 1979, often arresting political opposition members on politically motivated charges ahead of elections to ensure its own politicians retain power or win new seats in contested areas. In response to the arrest, the National Power Party issued a statement calling on the government of Prime Minister Hun Manet to release Sun Chanthy without any conditions and to restore political space so that the party can participate in the democratic process. Adhoc staffers Ny Sokha, (foreground, C), Yi Soksan, (rear C) and Nay Vanda arrive at an appeals court in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, June 13, 2016. (Heng Sinith/AP) In the arrest warrant issued on May 7, Chreng Khmao, prosecutor of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, ordered police to bring Sun Chanthy to the internal security office of the Phnom Penh Municipal Police before May 23 for questioning on the incitement charge. But the warrant didnt mention what Sun Chanthy said during his Japan visit that brought about the charge. On Friday, Sun Chanthy's wife, Yean Srey Yan, told RFA that the Phnom Penh Municipal Court had prohibited her from visiting her husband in detention. She called his arrest a "political threat" to those fighting for democracy and the national interests. She demanded that the court release him because he was simply expressing his views as a politician and said the government should be "open to criticism from all people." "My husband and I won't be made afraid," she said. "This arrest shows the Cambodia [government] is threatening politicians who love the country by charging them with various crimes." Yean Srey Yan said she was traveling to see her husband in Pursat Prison. Attempts by RFA to contact the prosecutor in Sun Chanthy's case and Phnom Penh Municipal Court spokesman Plang Sophal for further clarification went unanswered Friday. Candlelight Party members arrested Also on Thursday, police arrested two members of the Candlelight Party in Kampong Cham province Dum Khun, second deputy head of Ampil commune in Kampong Siem district in Kampong Cham province, and Sim Sam On, commune councilor of Ampil said former Candlelight Party leader Ly Kim Heang. They were detained by Kampong Cham provincial police, she said, adding that authorities provided no reason for their arrest and prevented family members from visiting the two men. On Friday, authorities released both of the men. RFA was unable to reach Kampong Cham Police Chief Heng Vuthy for comment on their detention and subsequent release. Speaking after being freed, Sim Sam On told RFA that authorities had accused him of "using a motorbike that was bought without paying tax," but let him go after questioning him. I am worried about my security to be able to continue my political activities in the community, he said. The Candlelight Party had issued a statement following their arrest which suggested that it constituted a threat aimed at eliminating legitimate political activities, and called for their release. Since the beginning of 2024, more than 10 members of the Candlelight Party have been detained by authorities, including six officials from Kampong Cham province. Ny Sokha, president of Adhoc, Cambodias oldest human rights group, warned that the government's reputation would deteriorate and that it would face more pressure from the international community if it continued to arrest opposition party members. This will affect the governments reputation on the world stage, he said. Translated by Yun Samean for RFA Khmer. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster. This story has been updated with details about Sun Chanthy's case, comments by his wife, and information about the release of Dum Khun and Sim Sam On. The Fujian still needs months of trials before launching test flights with modern catapult system. Satellite imagery shows Chinas third aircraft carrier Fujian has returned to Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard after completing an eight-day maiden sea trial. In a Planet Labs image from May 9, 2024, obtained by Radio Free Asia, the Fujian was seen moving back to its berth at Jiangnan, where it was built and fitted out over the last six years. During the sea trial that began on May 1, the carrier tested its propulsion and electrical systems and other equipment, and achieved the expected results, according to China Military Online. It will conduct follow-up tests according to established plans, the Peoples Liberation Armys news outlet said. If previous experience is any guide, we can expect three to five months of sea trials to ensure the integrity of the hull and propulsion systems, said Robert Farley, a senior lecturer at the University of Kentucky. If everything goes well, Fujian could begin flight operations this year, Farley said, adding that it could take a year or more for the aircraft carrier to actually be operational. Sailors assigned to China's third aircraft carrier Fujian conduct maiden sea trial in an undated photo. (China Military Online) Fujian will likely host Shenyang J-15 fighters, as well as the next generation J-35s, JL-10 trainer jets and the new Xian KJ-600 fixed-wing AEWC (airborne early warning and control) aircraft. The airplanes would be launched from the carriers deck by a modern system called Catapult Assisted Take-Off Barrier Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) that so far has only been used by the U.S. and French navies. It is the first Chinese aircraft carrier equipped with CATOBAR. Chinas first two flattops Liaoning and Shandong use a ski jump-style launch system. The CATOBAR system is able to launch more and heavier aircraft than the ski jump system. At 80,000 tons, Fujian is of the same size as a U.S. Nimitz-class carrier but smaller than the new Gerald R. Ford carrier of 100,000 tons. Even after commissioning the Chinese will still have lots to learn, so we can expect Fujian to operate at a slower pace than a U.S. supercarrier, even given the differences in size, said Farley. However, at the end of this process China will have a very advanced carrier, probably more advanced and capable than the carriers currently operated by France or the United Kingdom, the maritime affairs expert told RFA. Strategic platform The Chinese navy released a number of photographs and a nearly eight-minute video showing the Fujians movements during the sea trial. Chinese experts were quoted by the Global Times as saying that the successful maiden voyage has laid a solid foundation for future test voyages, and marks a concrete step toward its commissioning into the navy. The fleet of three aircraft carriers would boost the navys combat capability and serve as strategic platforms to safeguard Chinas sovereignty, they said. Chinas third aircraft carrier moving back to berth at Jiangnan Shipyard, Shanghai, on May 9, 2024. (Planet Labs) China already has numerically the largest navy in the world with an overall battle force of over 370 ships and submarines, compared with the U.S.s 293 ships and submarines. It also has the largest coast guard fleet in the world, besides a powerful maritime militia. A report by the U.S. think-tank Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments said that in addition to its three aircraft carriers, China may build another two in the next 10 years. No one would ever go through the process of learning CATOBAR operations just to build one carrier, so I expect that we'll see at least one more ship of Fujian's type, Farley said. Edited by Mike Firn. Fighting between junta and ethnic armed groups is pushing people from their villages, according to residents. Civilians who fled villages in southern part of Hsihseng township, on May 8, 2024. Updated May 09, 2024, 08:22 a.m. EDT. Clashes have forced more than 20,000 people from their homes in Myanmar, residents and rescue teams told Radio Free Asia on Thursday, exacerbating what the United Nations has warned is a deepening humanitarian crisis. The junta, which took power in a 2021 coup, has faced growing resistance from allied insurgent groups since October last year in several parts of the country. Over recent days, some 10,000 people had been forced to flee fighting in Kachin State in the north and even more had fled clashes in Shan State in northeastern Myanmar, residents and an aid worker in the conflict zones told RFA. In Kachin State, fighting has intensified in Mansi and Momauk townships since ethnic minority Kachin insurgents attacked junta positions on Wednesday, a resident said. Junta forces had withdrawn from Momauk while many civilians had also fled, they said. There are no people in the city, and many homes have also been damaged, said the resident who declined to be identified for security reasons. More than 10,000 people had left villages across Mansi and Momauk townships, residents estimated, while in Shan States Hsihseng township, an even greater number of people had fled from their homes, people there said. The United Nations said last week more than three million people have been displaced due to fighting in Myanmar, with numbers increasing significantly in the past six months since insurgents battling the junta that seized power in 2021 stepped up their offensives. In the town of Mansi, another resident told RFA that the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and allied fighters had been attacking junta camps. The insurgent group has been on the offensive since February, fighting the military regime for land and trade routes in the resource-rich state. They were fighting over Mansi city until today. All the civilians have fled, the Mansi resident said. Three people were killed by the artillery and airstrikes. Some people fled to Bhamo and some fled to Man Wein Gyi. On Monday, the KIA captured a bridge from junta forces in Mansi township. The next day they seized a camp in Mogaung, several townships away, and junta-affiliated police stations in Mansi he added. KIA information officer Col. Naw Bu told RFA the junta was retaliating with heavy weapons and airstrikes. The junta has not released any information about its operations in Kachin State. RFA attempted to contact the states junta spokesperson, Moe Min Thein for comment, but he did not answer phone calls. More than 8,000 people live in Mansi and 10,000 people in Momauk township, according to a 2014 census, indicating that over half of the population has fled the area. In Shan State to the south, the estimated number of people in Hsihseng township fleeing battles between the junta and the Pa-O National Liberation Army ethnic minority insurgent group, is considerably higher, a rescue worker told RFA Wednesday. As far as we know, there are about 50,000 people who had to flee, said the worker who declined to be identified, adding that out of this group, only 10,000 couldnt be accounted for in Hsaik Hkawng San Pya village. They came in droves and they havent received any help yet. RFA was not able to verify the estimated number of people displaced. Those fleeing Hsaik Hkawng were being given shelter in monasteries, and as of Thursday morning, more people were coming in urgent need of food and shelter, he added. RFA attempted to contact Shan States junta spokesperson, Khun Thein Maung, for confirmation on the number of refugees fleeing Hsihseng township, but he did not respond to enquiries. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn. Updated to correct name of Hsaik Hkawng San Pya village. At least 40,000 ethnic Rohingyas have been forced to flee intense clashes between junta troops and the rebel Arakan Army in two townships in western Myanmars Rakhine state since the start of the week, and are now facing a humanitarian crisis, the displaced told RFA Burmese on Thursday. The fighting in Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships came amid widespread gains in Rakhine state by the Arakan Army, or AA, that prompted the junta to implement a draft to shore up depleted troop losses. As part of its efforts, the military has reportedly forcibly recruited Rohingyas into pro-junta militias which it says must be formed to protect their Muslim faith in majority Buddhist Rakhine state. But observers say the junta is trying to stoke ethnic tensions in the region to slow the Arakan Armys advance. Nay San Lwin, a Rohingya rights activist who is monitoring the situation, said that the 40,000 first began to flee on Monday and hail from more than 10 villages, including Buthidaungs Ka Kyet Bet, Ah Lel Chaung and Ba Gon Nar villages, and Maungdaws Paung Zar and Hla Baw Zar villages all of which are located in close proximity to the fighting. Rohingyas are not allowed to take shelter at IDP [internally displaced people] camps, so they will not receive humanitarian aid, he said. Between 40,000 and 50,000 Rohingyas including women, children, the elderly and the disabled have been forced to flee from the villages in Buthidaung and Maungdaw. Nay San Lwin said that the number of displaced was confirmed after speaking to Rohingyas from the villages by phone over the last three days. Rohingya sources say the situation in Rakhine state has grown increasingly complex in recent weeks and that members of their ethnic community are being exploited and oppressed by both the military and the AA. Rohingya activists estimate the Rohingya population of Buthidaung to be around 200,000 and of Maungdaw to be some 80,000, totaling nearly 300,000 people. Those who have fled since Monday account for nearly 15% of the Rohingya population in the two townships. Warned to flee by AA A Rohingya resident of Maungdaw township who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, told RFA that his escape was prompted by warnings of impending clashes from the AA. "The AA told us that there would be a fight here, so we fled," he said, adding that the ethnic rebels advised seeking shelter in urban areas to avoid junta heavy artillery and airstrikes. The AA didnt attack us, they urged us to flee. Attempts to contact AA spokesperson Khaing Thukha about the situation in the two townships went unanswered Thursday. Destroyed homes in Wai Thar Li village, Rakhine state, Myanmar, May 7, 2024. (Citizen Journalist) Armed conflict escalated in Maungdaw in May, and the Rohingya resident said that while the junta has bombarded the township, the pro-junta No. 5 Border Guard Police Force, based in Maungdaws Myo Thu Gyi village, has opened fire every day. A Rohingya from Buthidaung called the situation there life-threatening. "We are not safe at all and have already been targeted in an airstrike, he said. I have fled with all of my family members from the conflict areas. People from six or seven villages have run away Now we are facing difficulties getting food. He went on to say that Rohingyas from Maungdaw and Buthidaung had been unable to flee to urban areas and were forced to take shelter in nearby villages. Ethnic Rakhines also at risk Other residents told RFA that ethnic Rakhines have also been fleeing Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships. On Tuesday, RFA reported that junta troops and their pro-junta Rohingya militias set fire to nearly 50 houses in Maungdaws Shwe Yin Aye and Wai Thar Li villages from May 6-9. RFA was unable to reach Attorney General Hla Thein, the juntas spokesperson for Rakhine state, for comment on the situation in Maungdaw and Buthidaung on Thursday. In a message posted to the social media platform Telegram on Wednesday, AA spokesperson Khaing Thukha accused the junta of forcibly recruiting Rohingya from camps for the displaced in neighboring Bangladesh, where nearly 1 million languish after fleeing ethnic violence in Rakhine state in recent years. He also condemned insurgent groups the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, the Arakan Rohingya Army and the Rohingya Solidarity Organization for claiming that they had aligned with the AA to fight junta troops. Fatima Khatun, a Rohingya survivor of a capsized refugee boat, cleans her temporary shelter in Meulaboh, Indonesia, on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. (Reza Saifullah/AP) The same day, Rohingya refugees told RFA that the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army and the Rohingya Solidarity Organization had forcibly recruited at least 500 people for military service from camps for displaced Rohingyas in Bangladeshs Coxs Bazar between April 29 and May 8. The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, the Arakan Rohingya Army and the Rohingya Solidarity Organization have not made any announcement about recruitment at the camps. Residents of Rakhine state say that more than 2,000 Rohingyas have been forcibly taken for conscription from the capital Sittwe, and the townships of Kyaukphyu, Buthidaung and Maungdaw since February, when the junta announced it was implementing the military service law. More than 166,000 people have fled their homes amid the conflict in Rakhine state, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The fighting began in November, when the AA ended a ceasefire agreement that had been in place with the military since it seized power from Myanmars democratically elected government in a February 2021 coup detat. Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. Fijis former strongman prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, left a Suva court house in handcuffs Thursday after being sentenced to one year in prison for obstructing justice a ruling that bars him from seeking public office for nearly a decade. Acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo also sentenced suspended Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho to two years prison for abuse of office. The pair were found guilty in March after facing trial for their roles in halting a 2020 police investigation into alleged financial mismanagement at the University of the South Pacific. Temo said Bainimaramas sentencing and the conditions of his imprisonment had taken into account his health problems. Although he will be in the state's custody, he is to be treated humanely, he said. Bainimarama and Qiliho were escorted in handcuffs from the Suva court house for transport to prison minutes after the sentencing, anxiety visible on their faces. The former leader used a handkerchief to conceal the cuffs holding his wrists together. Fijis suspended police commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho is escorted to prison from a Suva court after being sentenced on May 9, 2024 to two years in prison for abuse of office. (BenarNews) Ahead of his sentencing, there was a heavy security presence in the capital and around the High Court. Defence lawyer Devanesh Sharma said Bainimaramas legal team had hoped for a suspended sentence and an appeal is on the table. However, we have to be practical about this. The sentence falls on the lower scale but we will go back and look at our options, he said. Bainimarama, who came to power in a 2006 coup that he argued was needed to preserve racial harmony in Fiji, held sway over the Pacific island country for 16 years with a combination of military force, legal harassment of political opponents and a draconian media law that stifled the press. He moved Fiji closer to China after the United States, Australia, France and New Zealand imposed sanctions after the coup and he later became known as a Pacific islands advocate for action to limit climate change. Fijis Crimes Act allows a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment for conspiring to defeat justice. Under Fijis constitution, Bainimaramas conviction makes him ineligible to run for public office for eight years. Temo in his ruling said Bainimarama had taken an oath of allegiance as prime minister and his actions were a breach of the publics trust. Qiliho had clearly abused his role as the countrys top police officer, he said. Fijis former prime minister Frank Bainimarama arrives at Suva court to be sentenced on May 9, 2024 for obstructing justice. (BenarNews) Bainimaramas years in power ended in December 2022 after his Fiji First Party dropped below 50% of the vote in national elections, allowing opposition parties to form a coalition government led by Sitiveni Rabuka. Both men are former coup leaders Rabuka in the late 1980s with two coups that sought to reassert indigenous Fijian political power. A purge of Bainimarama appointees from important public positions followed the change in government along with the removal of restrictions on the media and a slew of investigations into alleged abuses of office. Bainimarama still commands a significant following in Fiji, a country of nearly 1 million people. The initial enthusiasm for Rabukas coalition government has faded amid cost-of-living increases, slowing economic growth and scandals involving government ministers. Former Fiji Times editor-in-chief Netani Rika, who was forced out of the newspaper by the Bainimarama government, said the country could have gone down a better path if a quarter century ago it had openly addressed tensions between iTaukei indigenous Fijians and Fijians of Indian descent I think it's a sad day, It should not have come to this, he told RFA affiliate BenarNews. I feel sad especially for the families of both men. I feel sad because this is a waste of a year for Bainimarama and two years for Qiliho. Their families will suffer the most, he said. It is high time they do something about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We need to take issues out once and for all. Had we done that, we would have never seen a day like this. Hours before the sentencing, Bainimarama tweeted his dismay at the latest scientific report to predict the world would not achieve its goal of limiting average temperature rise to 1.5C. He did not mention his legal woes. Put another way: the worlds experts expect the erasure of low-lying island nations, he wrote. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization. They rip up banners and block the demonstrators with flags of China. A Tibetan protester shouts surrounded by Hungarian police next to a Tibetan flag on Gellert Hill opposing Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Budapest, Hungary, May 9, 2024. Pro-China activists harassed Tibetan protesters in Budapest, Hungary, on Thursday during Chinese President Xi Jinpings visit, ripping a big Free Tibet banner they had displayed, the protesters said. The pro-China activists also waved at least 16 Chinese flags to hide from view Tibetan flags the protesters were holding, and blocked a Tibetan flag hanging on a bridge under which Xis motorcade had to pass under to go to a welcome reception. Hungarian police standing nearby did not intervene, the Tibetan supporters said. These guys just came and ripped our banner, and they are still allowed to be here, pushing us further and further out, Chime Lhamo, campaigns director of Students for Free Tibet, told journalists on the street. Is this a free country? After the street encounter, the protesters were followed by what appeared to be about eight undercover police officers on their way to the Budapest airport, said one of the activists. Tibetan protesters displayed Tibetan flags next to Chinese national flags on Gellert Hill to oppose Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Budapest, Hungary, May 9, 2024. (Denes Erdos/AP) Over the last few days, we were followed, harassed and intimidated by undercover Hungarian police, as well as Chinese people and police everywhere in the city, Tenzin Yangzom from the International Tibet Network, told Radio Free Asia. Everywhere in the city is swarmed by them. We had come here to peacefully protest Xis genocidal policies in Tibet, East Turkistan, Hong Kong and beyond and the treatment of Tibetans, Hong Kongers, Uyghurs and Chinese people, she said. Paris protests Xi arrived in the Hungarian capital of Budapest late Wednesday for the final leg of his five-day European tour that started in Paris and continued in Serbia. His arrival in Paris on May 5 was met with protests, with Tibetan activists unfurling a large white banner on a bridge that said Free Tibet. Dictator Xi Jinping, your time is up! as his motorcade passed under it. In Budapest,Tibetan protesters tried to hoist another such banner with the same message, this time in black, along with the Tibetan flag, on the Elizabeth Bridge, under which Xi's motorcade would have had to pass on its way to the presidential palace in Budapest on Thursday morning. But the Chinese activists disrupted them again. Hungarian police headquarters in Budapest did not immediately respond to RFAs request for comments and confirmation. Tibetan activists and supporters prepare for a three-day protest in central Budapest, Hungary, on May 8, 2024, prior to a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping. (Attila Kisbenedek/AFP) Ahead of Xi's arrival, Tibetans had gathered in central Budapest to protest his visit to Hungary and call for an end to human rights abuses in Tibet, which China annexed in 1951. But Xis motorcade managed to avoid the Tibetan protesters in Budapest by taking an alternate route from the airport into Budapest. It is very difficult to stage protests here because there are many Chinese spies and police officials who are here, Lhamo told Radio Free Asia. Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, one of Europes staunchest admirers of the Chinese Communist Party, has persistently opposed any criticism in the European Union of Chinas human rights violations against Tibetans, Uyghurs and Inner Mongolians, as well as its policies in Hong Kong. Additional reporting by Tenzin Dickyi for RFA Tibetan. Edited by Tenzin Pema for RFA Tibetan, and by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster. He was one of 3 city bosses fingered in connection with the countrys biggest fraud case. Former Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Le Thanh Hai at the National Assembly in Hanoi on May 20, 2015. Updates story at 2:40 pm on May 10, 2024. Vietnams Communist Party recommended disciplining Le Thanh Hai, the former secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and a former Politburo member, state media reported. Its Central Inspection Committee announced the proposal on Wednesday in relation to the Van Thinh Phat corruption scandal, but did not say which level of discipline it would impose. The Vietnamese Communist Party has four levels of discipline: reprimand, warning, dismissal, and expulsion. In April, Truong My Lan, the chairwoman of Van Thinh Phat, was sentenced to death for masterminding a massive fraud that led to US$27 billion in losses at Saigon Commercial Bank. The case showed that the citys Party Committee had violated the principle of democratic centralism and working regulations, and lacked responsibility, leadership and direction. As a result, it said, the committee and other organizations violated party regulations and state laws relating to land use, finance, investment, planning and construction of Van Thinh Phats projects and bidding packages implemented by the Progressive International Joint Stock Company. The Central Inspection Committee also said it would discipline Le Hoang Quan and Nguyen Thanh Phong, two former chairmen of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee in connection with the scandal. Hai and Quan were also disciplined back in 2020 for violations and shortcomings in connection with the Thu Thiem urban development project in Ho Chi Minh City. Phong was disciplined in 2022. The Politburo ordered the dismissal of Hai as secretary of the citys Party Committee for the 2010-2015 term, while Quan and Phong received warnings. The long-running blazing furnace campaign continues to net regional and national officials as Vietnams communist party tries to stamp out corruption in its ranks. Translated by RFA Vietnamese. Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang. Corrects story to say that the three officials will be disciplined, not that they have been arrested. Tens of thousands of Armenians rallied in Yerevan on May 9 over a border-demarcation agreement that cedes some land to Azerbaijan. The leader of the protest, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanian, called on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian to resign over the deal. The outspoken archbishop has vowed to continue leading his peaceful protest in the capital. The parent companies of Indonesian telcos XL Axiata and Smartfren have reportedly asked permission from telecoms regulator KemKominfo to carry out a long-planned merger of the two companies and seem likely to get it. In an interview with Reuters published on Wednesday, Minister of Communication and Informatics Budi Arie Setiadi said that Malaysias Axiata Group and Indonesias Sinar Mas have sought approval of the merger of the two units. Budi told Reuters that he has had several meetings with executives from XL Axiata and Smartfren to discuss the merger, and that a deal could be reached later this year. Budi also said he supports the merger so that Indonesia's telecommunication ecosystem becomes healthier. XL Axiata and Smartfren are the two smallest operators in Indonesia. Third-ranked XL Axiata has 58 million customers, while fourth-ranked Smartfren has 32 million. The combined company would be a stronger competitor against the countrys other two major operators: Telkom Indonesia's Telkomsel and Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison. Budi said it would be more manageable to have just three telcos in Indonesia. After that, we can improve quality of the services," he told Reuters. Smartfren president director Merza Fachys told Reuters in response to Budi's remarks that "shareholders would have the final say" on any merger deal. XL Axiata spokesperson Henry Wijayanto said the firm was "always open to establish strategic collaborations". Rumours of a potential merger between XL Axiata and Smartfren have been circulating for almost three years. An earlier Bloomberg report claimed the merger would create a US$3.5 billion company. In December 2023, Axiata Group announced plans to make XL Axiata a stronger player in Indonesias growing fixed broadband and fixed mobile convergence (FMC) sectors. Under that plan, Axiatas fixed broadband subsidiary Link Net agreed to transfer its business to XL Axiata and continue as a wholesale fibre company. The deal will make XL Axiata the second largest fixed broadband operator in Indonesia behind Telkomsels IndiHome. XL Axiata credited its fast growing FMC business for driving growth in revenues and normalized net profit in its 9-month results for 2023. Georgias ambassador to France has resigned in protest against the so-called foreign agent bill, becoming the first senior official to do so amid ongoing demonstrations in the capital, Tbilisi. In a posting on Facebook on May 9, Gotcha Javakhishvili said the proposed legislation, which has passed on two readings in parliament already, would steer Georgia away from further integration within Europe. "The current tensions and climate generated by the revived draft law in our relations with our foreign friends and partners make my mission...extremely difficult," wrote Javakhishvili, who was appointed Georgian ambassador to France in 2022. He said that while he did not personally know any Georgian officials or diplomats who were "openly pro-Russian," he believed the draft law "may be a kind of tactic to achieve a certain goal." "I no longer see my role and resources in this direction: the move towards Europe," Javakhishvili said. Weeks of protests against what critics call "the Russian law" -- legislation pushed by the ruling Georgian Dream party despite widespread anger from much of the country -- have been met with tough police actions to disperse crowds, while roving bands of thugs have targeted demonstrators. In Washington on May 9, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the United States was deeply troubled by actions taken against those protesting the draft law. "We are aware of increased reports of harassment and physical assault of civil society and opposition activists and journalists. We condemn this and we call for a full, independent, and timely investigation," Miller said. Miller said Washington had enjoyed a successful partnership with Georgia for more than 30 years and would like that to continue. "There is still time to work collaboratively with Georgia, but the Georgian government needs to change course for that to be the case," he said. The comments came as reports emerged that Ucha Abashidze, a military expert, blogger, and activist, was arrested at his home in Tbilisi, accused of illegally purchasing and storing weapons. As police searched Abashidze's home, a crowd gathered outside to protest. An unspecified number of arrests were reported. Earlier, Georgia's Interior Ministry said an investigation has been opened into the assault of three protesters -- one of whom is an opposition politician -- during a rally against the law in Tbilisi late on May 8. Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri said on May 9 that the attacks by unidentified assailants on international relations specialist Gia Japaridze, activist Lasha Gvinianidze, and Dimitri Chikovani, a member of the National Movement opposition party, would be investigated fully and that he condemns "all kinds of attacks." Separately, police announced that six protesters who took part in rallies against the "foreign agent" bill have been detained for alleged public disturbance offenses, police announced at a briefing on May 9. The six are accused of attacking a police officer and damaging private property, Tbilisi police chief Sulkhan Tamazashvili told the briefing. The tens of thousands of Georgians who have taken to the streets in Tbilisi and other cities faced violent reprisals by riot police, which included chemical spray and tear gas, water cannons, and the alleged use of rubber bullets on protesters and journalists. The government has denied the use of rubber bullets, but several protesters have shown wounds consistent with those inflicted by such projectiles. Tamazashvili told the media on May 9 that one of those detained allegedly threw a blunt object at a law enforcement officer during a protest on April 16, which caused an eye injury. He added that, during the same April 16 protest, one participant allegedly damaged a police vehicle. Three other people are accused of damaging surveillance cameras during rallies on May 1 and May 2, while another person allegedly damaged the entrance door into parliament and threw a stone into the the parliament's courtyard, injuring a firefighter and a member of the rescue services. Three more incidents are under investigation, Tamazashvili said, adding that there have been no arrests yet in connection with them. In the latest protests, Georgians demonstrated in cities across the country on May 8. Following the harsh police crackdown on earlier protests in Tbilisi, smaller rallies in Zugdidi, Kutaisi, and Gori took place without incident. One protest organizer, Zviad Tsetskhladze, said opponents of the bill had created a group that will try to provide financial support to individuals who are dismissed from their public-service jobs over their opposition to it. The controversial bill says media outlets, NGOs, and other nonprofits must register as "pursuing the interests of a foreign power" if more than 20 percent of their funding comes from abroad. The government insists the law is in line with EU standards and is only intended to increase "transparency" and prevent "harmful foreign influence" in the country's political scene. Human Rights Watch rejected that stance on May 9, saying it threatens fundamental rights in the country. Georgian parliamentarians and government officials formally defend the bill as providing transparency, but they make no secret of its intended purpose, said Hugh Williamson, the rights watchdog's Europe and Central Asia director. By labeling independent groups and media as serving foreign interests, they intend to marginalize and stifle critical voices in the country that are fundamental for any functioning democracy. The legislation is expected to face a third and final reading that could come as early as May 13, with Georgian Dream and its allies seemingly in control of enough votes to carry the bill and potentially override a veto that has been promised by President Salome Zurabishvili. 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. With reporting by Reuters Several Georgian opposition figures were severely beaten on May 8 amid a government crackdown on mass demonstrations over a controversial bill affecting organizations that receive international funding. Surveillance footage appears to show five men attacking a member of a Georgian opposition party outside his home in Tbilisi. Despite the assault, the man said Georgian demonstrators would "win" their fight against the so-called "foreign agent" bill. Russian President Vladimir Putin used a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Masud Pezeshkian, to cement their growing bilateral ties that have raised concern in the West as war rages in Ukraine and the Middle East. The two leaders met in Ashgabat on the sidelines of a conference in the capital of the tightly controlled Central Asian country of Turkmenistan on October 11. It was the first of two meetings between the men, with another scheduled at the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan that runs on October 22-24. It was the first of two meetings between the two, with another scheduled at the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan that runs on October 22-24. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters ahead of the meeting that while the talks will focus on bilateral relations, "the situation in the Middle East definitely will not be ignored and will also be on the agenda." The meeting was the first between the two since Pezeshkian assumed office on July 30 after winning an election to succeed his hard-line predecessor, Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May. Relations between Moscow and Tehran have strengthened since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. "Pezeshkian is trying to gauge to what extent Iran can rely on Russia for help," Touraj Atabaki, professor emeritus of Middle East and Central Asia social history at Leiden University in the Netherlands, told Radio Farda. "Russia wants to stand with Iran due to Iran's support in its war on Ukraine but Moscow doesn't want to darken its relationship with Israel further and cut all ties," he added. Since the early months of the Ukraine war, Russia has been accused of using Iranian-made Shahed and Mohajer-6 drones, many of which have been found after being shot down over Ukrainian cities and battlefields. Iran initially denied arming Russia before relenting and admitting that it had supplied a "limited number of drones" to Moscow before the war. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Tehran continues to deny that its drones are being used by Russia against Ukraine. That has not stopped the United States and the European Union from imposing sanctions on Iran for helping Moscow. Last month, the EU said it had "credible" information provided by allies suggesting that Iran has supplied short-range ballistic missiles to Russia to help Moscow wage war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, tensions in the Middle East have been heightened since Tehran launched some 200 missiles at Israel on October 1, saying the attack was in response to the killing of Tehran-backed militant leaders and a general from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Israel has vowed to launch a "deadly, precise, and surprising" attack on Iran in retaliation, while it continues to pound targets in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip that it says are aimed at Iran-backed proxies. At least 30 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded on October 11 by Israeli strikes in Jabalia in northern Gaza, according to the territory's civil-defense agency. The recent spiral of violence was sparked by the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas that killed around 1,200 people and saw some 250 taken hostage. Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. The fighting in Gaza prompted another Iran-backed group, Hezbollah, to fire missiles into Israel in support of Hamas. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU blacklists its armed wing but not its political party. The Israeli military has launched massive air strikes on Beirut and southern Lebanon in response, as well as a ground incursion into southern Lebanon intended to destroy the Iran-allied militant group, whose political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament. Israel faced condemnation on October 11 after its forces fired at what it said was a threat near a UN peacekeeping position in Lebanon. Israeli soldiers had responded to "an immediate threat" around 50 meters from the UNIFIL post, the military said. "An initial examination indicates that during the incident, a hit was identified on a UNIFIL post...resulting in the injury of two UNIFIL personnel," the statement added. The army pledged to carry out a "thorough review." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the firing as "intolerable" and "a violation of international humanitarian law," while the British government said it was "appalled" by reports of the injuries. U.S. President Joe Biden said he was "absolutely" asking Israel to stop firing at UN peacekeepers, while the French, Spanish, and Italian leaders issued a joint statement expressing "outrage." French President Emmanuel Macron renewed his call for an end to exports of weapons used by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon, while saying the UN peacekeepers had been "deliberately targeted." In Iran, more than three dozen hard-line lawmakers on October 10 demanded the government revise its nuclear doctrine to pursue atomic weapons. In a letter to the Supreme National Security Council, they said Western powers could not control Israel, thus making nuclear weapons "Iran's option to create deterrence." Iran has been hit with waves of crippling economic sanctions for its nuclear program, which has seen a sharp increase in its uranium enrichment capacity after the United States under former President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 landmark deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that restricted Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful civilian purposes, but government officials caused alarm recently by saying it could change its "nuclear doctrine" if it is attacked or its existence is threatened by Israel. With reporting by Reuters and AFP SKOPJE -- Longtime university professor Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova is preparing for the transition from teaching politics to practicing it following her landslide victory to unseat incumbent North Macedonia President Stevo Pendarovski. Her triumph, more than doubling Pendarovski's support alongside a win in parliament for her nationalist allies, is likely to fuel a more confrontational approach toward the European Union by the Balkan country of around 2.4 million people, who have endured a bumpy Westward path. North Macedonia is a member of NATO and an EU candidate country, although its accession to the latter has been hobbled by ethnic and cultural disputes with its neighbors. "My paths lead first to the Balkans, and, of course, Brussels is not excluded either," Siljanovska-Davkova, 70, said on election night. She coasted to a 35-percentage-point win over Pendarovski, who is aligned with the country's previous center-left, pro-EU leadership, and quickly pledged to represent "all citizens, all ethnic groups, [all] party members" in a country where ethnic Macedonians dominate with a sizable Albanian minority and other, smaller ethnic groups. First Female President Siljanovska-Davkova is the first female president in the history of North Macedonia, which seceded from the former Yugoslavia following a referendum in 1991. She has previously called herself a champion of justice in everyday life, particularly in the area of women's rights, and an "emancipated woman with traditional family values." WATCH: North Macedonia Elects First Female President As Right-Wing Nationalists Score Big While she is an independent, each of her two presidential bids has been supported by the right-wing nationalist Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Democratic Party for Macedonian Unity (VMRO-DPMNE), which has been in opposition for the past seven years and won a resounding victory in the parliamentary elections. And Siljanovska-Davkova has publicly embraced the nationalist current that has filled the gap left by an erosion of public faith in Brussels' promise of EU enlargement. Pointedly, she refuses to use the word "North" before the country's name in public speeches, a snub directed at the divisive Prespa Agreement made with Greece in 2019 that resolved the countries' name dispute. The agreement, which mandated that Macedonia become North Macedonia, initially cleared the path for North Macedonia's further Western integration. The Prespa issue, according to Siljanovska-Davkova, is still "legally and politically open." In her electoral program, she said the agreement was "adopted in violation of national law" and was a "serious violation of the collective and individual human rights of the citizens of Macedonia." But that needn't prove a hindrance in regional relations, according to Aleksandar Krzalovski, the executive director at the nongovernmental Macedonian Center for International Cooperation (MCMS). He predicted to RFE/RL's Balkan Service that Siljanovska-Davkova would acquit herself well in relations with other countries in the region. "Maybe she lacks diplomatic experience at that level," he said, "but I believe she will do well in that domain and will initiate and maintain good relations with her neighbors herself." Constitutional Law Expert A law graduate, Siljanovska-Davkova has taught law and politics at universities since the late 1980s. Since 2004, she has been a full-time professor of constitutional law, modern political systems, and local self-government at the Justinian I Law Faculty in Skopje, authoring more than 200 academic papers on constitutional law. A member of the Macedonian legislative constitutional commission that effectively paved a path to independence from Yugoslavia, Siljanovska-Davkova's political career began almost immediately after the then-former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's bloodless secession following a referendum in 1991. At the suggestion of the Liberal Party, she became a minister without portfolio in the SDSM-led government of Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, which governed from 1992-94. She became a parliamentary deputy again in 2020 and has sat on the Venice Commission, the Council of Europe's advisory body of experts on issues of constitutional law. This is her second attempt to become the country's president. In 2019, she lost the presidential runoff to Pendarovski by about 58,000 votes, a deficit of around 8 percentage points. Fight Over The Constitution After ruling for the past seven years, analysts said that Pendarovski's Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) was punished by voters for its perceived failure to tackle corruption and economic woes but also for its support of a constitutional amendment demanded by EU member Bulgaria. Sofia has requested that North Macedonia change the preamble to its constitution to include Bulgarians among North Macedonia's constitutive peoples and has linked the issue to Skopje's EU accession process. In July 2023, North Macedonia's SDSM-led government adopted the text of a possible constitutional amendment that included the mention of several peoples, including Bulgarians, but VMRO-DPMNE and other opposition parties prevented its passage. MCMS executive director Krzalovski said the constitution issue will be "the most pressing problem" for North Macedonia in the near future. On the campaign trail, the victorious VMRO-DPMNE repeatedly told voters that the EU negotiation framework can be changed. "I expect that in these six months there will be intensive work on the [issue] and overcoming it and possibly adoption of the constitutional amendments with some modifications," Krzalovski said. "Will VMRO-DPMNE succeed in that or not? And what will they accept in the end as a final solution? But I expect movement by the end of the year." Although North Macedonia's presidency is primarily ceremonial, Siljanovska-Davkova has pledged to build a consensus with the government but also with the opposition. "The point of European integration is Europeanization according to the Copenhagen criteria," reads her election program, before citing the agreement that was reached with French diplomatic help in 2022 as a road map to lifting Sofia's veto on North Macedonia's path toward the EU. "In the [2017] Agreement on Friendship, Good Neighborliness, and Cooperation, there is not a single part [regarding] changing the constitution of the Republic of Macedonia." In public appearances, Siljanovska-Davkova has mostly tended to stick to legalistic, noncontroversial responses. However, in an interview last month with RFE/RL's Balkan Service, she said that the head of state doesn't decide whether or not to amend the constitution. But if lawmakers in the new parliament passed such changes, she said, "Of course, I will respect that, because the parliament is the constitutional body. I don't have a problem." 'A Huge Responsibility' With a five-year term and a two-term limit under the constitution, Siljanovska-Davkova will become North Macedonia's sixth president since independence. "Is there a bigger change than that, that for the first time in this country, a woman becomes president?" she said on election night. "Is there a greater inspiration for smart women? There is none. When I surround myself with women similar to me, women in the model of [the late Czech dissident and President] Vaclav Havel[women] who can express a position and defend it, that is a reforming step for me." North Macedonia's president is constitutionally responsible, among other duties, for granting mandates for the composition of governments, appointing and dismissing ambassadors, and signing international agreements on behalf of the country. They can also veto laws by returning them to parliament for reconsideration. The head of state is also the supreme commander of the Macedonian armed forces and president of the country's security council, appointing and dismissing the director of the national Intelligence Agency. Siljanovska-Davkova will turn 71 on May 11, one day before Pendarovski's current mandate expires. "The prize [of the presidency] is priceless to me," she said in Skopje on May 8, as early returns showed her and the VMRO-DPMNE coasting to victory, "but [it] is also a huge responsibility." Written by Andy Heil based on reporting by RFE/RL Balkan Service correspondent Sunchica Stojanovska Zoksimovska in Skopje In Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, hundreds of supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan took to the streets of the city of Swat to demand the release of their leader. Khan is in prison on charges of corruption and abuse of power. In Peshawar, hundreds of activists from the religious party Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI) held a protest rally on May 9, demanding new elections. Party leaders claim that the February elections were rigged. Two villagers in the Donetsk region chose to escape the Russian occupation of their village by walking across the front line in April. Ivan Vivsyanyk, 88, had no interest in the Russian passport he was told to accept, and Lidia Stepanivna, 98, felt the same. Each decided to take their chances, heading off onto a highly hazardous 10-kilometer walk west to free Ukrainian territory. Kenya has reportedly begun talks on data sharing with the European Union (EU) a process that could enhance Kenyas income from digital trade. This is because the talks, if successful, could see Kenyan data protection standards recognised and classified as being on a similar level to those of EU members. As the Kenyan Business Daily news service explains, this could pave the way for the free flow of personal data between both jurisdictions without any additional regulatory restrictions. In turn this could mean a boost in digital trade, access to Europes vast data economy and opportunities for Kenya to make use of important resources such as research data. The development would also unlock investment opportunities in business process outsourcing (BPO) and digital services exports. Still, this isnt a done deal yet. Over the next three months, EU representatives in Kenya will be working closely with local authorities to explore the possibility of building a safe data bridge between the two economies. The key is reaching an adequacy decision; this means that a country outside the EU is recognised as providing a similar level of protection for personal data as the level of protection within the EU itself. As a result, personal data can flow freely between both jurisdictions without any additional regulatory restrictions or conditions. The talks come soon after the signing of an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and Kenya a deal that could result in tariff-free and quota-free access of local exports to the EU. The Business Daily points out that this deal was the culmination of an eight-year negotiation process. Presumably a data-sharing deal is expected to happen a lot sooner. A County Roscommon business has been served with a closure order. D Candy, a business located on Main Street in the heart of Roscommon Town was ordered to close its premises on April 19th by the HSE. This comes as the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today (Thursday) reported that 21 closure orders were served on food businesses during the month of April for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020. The Closure Orders were issued by Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE). D Candy was closed under the FSAI Act, 1998 with the closure order issued on April 19th. Some of the reasons for the Closure Order on the Roscommon business include adequate procedures not being in place to control pests, adequate facilities had not been provided for the cleaning and disinfecting of food storage areas and equipment while the walls were in a poor state of structural repair with extensive dampness, mould growth and flaking paint. Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI, said that the high number of Closure Orders needing to be served in April is alarming. Twenty-one Closure Orders served in one month is the highest number since November 2019, when the same number were also issued. Amongst the reasons for the Closure Orders in April, a lack of adequate procedures to control pests was frequently cited. This resulted in evidence of widespread mice and cockroach activity, which leads to a serious risk of food being contaminated and poses a grave and immediate danger to public health. Food businesses must ensure that their food business is properly pest proofed, and that they take effective action if there is a pest infestation. Each month, we issue the list of Enforcement Orders as a deterrent, but it seems that last month, food safety fell off the list of priorities for quite a number of food businesses. Consumers have a right to safe food and food safety must always be a top priority for food businesses. There are no excuses. Food safety is a legal requirement for all food businesses, she said. By Cate McCurry, PA Civil rights campaigner Bernadette McAliskey has said that working class people are carrying the burden of guilt for the Republics rise in right-wing politics. The 76-year-old activist said that politics in Dublin is moving to the right and the working class are being pilloried for it. At the moment, particularly within Irish politics, we are seeing a move to the right, she said. Civil rights campaigner Bernadette McAliskey (Niall Carson/PA) But the people who are carrying the burden of guilt for it are working class and unemployed people. They are the people who are being pilloried for being right wing. They are the people who are suffering from the problems of right-wing gutless government. Thats not an anti-southern position. If you want to really see cowardness, gutlessness and incompetence, have a look at what we have to put up with in the north (of the border). I think we have that local, national and international need like we never did before to protect and hold the line for human rights, for the broad left against neoliberal. Were looking at that drift to the right. Were looking at shameless greed being held up, were looking at governments that havent even in the wake of homelessness everywhere and crisis everywhere the courage to cap the private sector rents. Havent even the courage to do the minimal act. The veteran civil rights campaigner made the comments as she backed Clare Dalys European re-election campaign. The former TD was first elected to the European Parliament in 2019. Ms McAliskey described Ms Daly as a thorn in the side of Europe. Former TD for Dublin Central Maureen OSullivan, TD for Galway West Catherine Connolly, MEP Clare Daly and civil rights campaigner Bernadette Devlin McAliskey as Ms Daly launched her European re-election campaign in Dublin (Cate McCurry/PA) A thorn from Ireland in the side of Europe is needed to hold to account our Irish politicians who wont stand up, she added. We see increasing fragmentation on the left and we see greed on the could-be left. In a crowded field, particularly in this constituency (Dublin), I think it is crucial that people know what needs to be done. I think for Ireland at a crucial point to lose that voice would not simply be a disaster for the constituency, it would be a disaster for a generation of people who look to this voice which is a thorn in the side of Europe. Ms Daly said: When I stood for election, I said I was going to be a thorn in the side of the establishment. My slogan was Daly is Different and now its Still Different, Still Daly. In the course of the mandate, its actually become a sort of bad thing to be different, if you were to read a lot in the papers. They want everybody to be the same, to be the yes men and women of Europe, but for us to be Euro-critical is very clearly pro-European because citizens all over Europe are highly critical of the policies that Europe are implementing. None clearer than the fact that they have sided with the genocidal Israeli attack on Gaza, not only being silent in the face of that but actually supporting and enabling that complicity. We have been able to use the parliament to be a beacon for international law, for humanity in calling those to account. Independent TD Catherine Connolly also spoke at the campaign launch. I absolutely support Clare. Her honesty, her integrity, her workload. I wish there were more like her, she said. I wish I could canvass every day for her on the streets of Dublin and I will do my best in the limited time that I have. We need that thorn to be recognised as the new establishment. Access Bank Group, a multinational bank, says it has today launched an innovative solution in collaboration with payments giant Mastercard to expand access to cross-border payments and remittances to and from the African continent. By leveraging the network and treasury capabilities of the Mastercard Move Partner Programme (described as a global community of technology innovators collaborating for success in digital payments around the world), Access Bank, through its Access Africa platform, aims to empower individuals and businesses to enjoy instant, traceable, seamless and cost-effective international transactions. The newly launched solution is now operational across Africa, with expansion plans in place for further penetration across the continent. Customers in Access Banks operating countries in Africa are now enabled to send and receive cross-border payments globally through, to and from various channels including bank accounts, mobile wallets, cards and cash. The solution, say the partners, offers a global gateway for businesses and individuals that are leveraging Access Bank Groups deep understanding of African markets and forward-looking vision that aims to realise customers' aspirations through innovative product sets. Bringing together Mastercards multiple complementary network assets and the treasury capabilities of Mastercard Move, this collaboration offers customers more choices with their payment means. Fable Fintech, an Express Partner of the Mastercard Move Partner Programme, was the technical implementation partner of the solution, collaborating with both Access Africa and Mastercard Move experts. This is the latest in a number of remittance announcements in the African market in 2023 and 2024. Its hardly surprising. As the partners point out, cross-border remittances continue to play an important role in Africas economy, with flows to sub-Saharan Africa increasing by approximately 1.9% in 2023 to US$54 billion. The Corvin Castle, a living legend of Transylvania The Corvin Castle or the Hunyadi Castle is a gothic architecture monument, and one of the best preserved in south-eastern Europe. Located in Western Romania, this massive building is one of the regions main tourist attractions The Corvin Castle; photo: Daniel Onea Daniel Bilt, 09.05.2024, 14:00 Along the years this construction has become part of various rankings, being declared one of the most beautiful castles in the world but also one of the most frightening. According to Sorin Tincu, director of the Corvin Castle Museum, the monument in Hunedoara, has various facets to be discovered by the visitors. Sorin Tincu: The Castles history starts in the 14th century being in tight connection with iron metallurgy and manufacture, which defined the existence of this region throughout its history. In fact, Hunedoaras German name is Eisenmarkt or the Iron Fair. A small triangle-shaped fortified building with only one defence tower was first built on its premises. The building was in strong connection with the iron ore exploitation in the area and also with a nobleman who owned an estate here. This fortified building was presented around 1409 by King Sigismund of Luxembourg to a Romanian nobleman named Voicu as a token of appreciation for his services to the royal crown. There is no information on the construction stages of what we call today the Corvin Castle, which we can attribute to Voicu, but what we know for certain is that it was his son, Ioan of Hunedoara who kicked off its building works. Here is Sorin Tincu again. Sorin Tincu: The construction of this marvelous castle knows two stages. In the first stage, Ioan of Hunedoara enlarged the fortification by adding seven new defence towers. A new thing in the Transylvanian architecture of that time was the round defence towers. This type of towers, which were present everywhere in the 15th century Europe, was first built in Transylvania by Ioan of Hunedoara at this castle. After his death, the construction was being carried on by his youngest son, Mathias Corvin, who added one of the first Renaissance structures in Transylvania, a section known as Logia Mattia. The castles third and last major contributor was the Transylvanian prince, Gabriel Bethlen, who also added a series of civilian and military constructions. According to museum director Sorin Tincu, visitors are first invited to the Hussars Court. But in order to get there, we must cross the Zlasti rivulet. Sorin Tincu: In order to cross this water, we must use a bridge, which in the past used to have a mobile segment. In case of an attack, the bridge was lifted. The trip takes the visitors towards the gate tower where we have the dark side of the castle so to say, as it has on its either side, the prison and the torture chamber. From here the visitor is led to the ground floor of Logia Mattia, where they are given a general presentation of the castle. The tour continues with the kitchen of the military guards and then to a terrace overlooking the Hussars Court and the surroundings. Then the visitor goes to the castles interior yard, which next takes him to the recently-refurbished Knights Hall, maybe one of the most representative rooms of the castle. There they can learn one of the castles legends. Sorin Tincu: After the Knights Hall, visitors go to the monuments well. Legend has it that three Turkish prisoners worked here for 15 years to carve it in stone being promised freedom in exchange. However, after having completed the work instead of being freed, they were executed. Legend also says that one of them apparently wrote on the wall, water you have, heart you dont. Then the visitors are invited to the gothic lapidarium, which has on view a series of gothic components removed during the restoration works of the 19th and 20th centuries. Next comes the so-called Artillery Terrace or the Ammunition bastion another construction added in the 17th century. Then visitors can go to a place known as the Bears Cave where another legend has it that prisoners used to be thrown to the captive bears. During the summer season, the castle hosts a series of events of sound and colour. The event schedule is a rich one as director Sorin Tincu says. Sorin Tincu: I am going not to mention the less important events, such as monthly arts events or roving exhibitions, which are so many especially in the months of May, June and August. Id like to mention the European Castles Fair, a major event we are already preparing for. Its also the Museums Nights to take place on May 18 and which also brings 15 thousand, even 20 thousand visitors to the Hussars Court. Another major event is the Medieval Festival to take place in late August, where we are recollecting the personality of Ioan of Hunedoara. We also have a series of smaller events, such as the Medieval Robotics Day, in which students who are robotics enthusiasts are meeting here in a genuine medieval-modern competition. We are welcoming the end of the year with a concert of carols staged at the castles chapel. Over 20 areas in the Corvin Castle have been refurbished through a European project of five million Euros. Last year the monument was visited by roughly 400 thousand people. (bill) May 9, 2024 UPDATE A roundup of local and international news. Newsflash Newsroom, 09.05.2024, 20:00 EUROPE DAY Romania marked, on May 9, Europe Day. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said in a message that Europeans want to live in free societies with a functional rule of law, and maintaining peace is the challenge of the moment. In his turn, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said that, after joining the European Union, Romania benefited from over 64 billion euros in European funds, money that it received in addition to the amount it contributed with to the EU budget. 42 out of 100 interviewees believe that their future MEPs should have, as priority, fighting for Romanians to have the same rights as the other European citizens and for Romanias full integration into the Schengen area, that is, including land borders. We remind you that, every year on May 9, the historic moment of 1950 is celebrated, when the then French Foreign Minister, Robert Schuman, proposed placing coal and steel production under the control of a common authority. The proposal, known as the Schuman Declaration, is believed to be the cornerstone of the European Union. Romania joined the EU in 2007. May 9 has another historical significance for Romania, as it also marks the Day of the proclamation of the State Independence. RUSSIA On May 9, Russia celebrated Victory Day against Nazi Germany, seen as the most important Russian military triumph. On this key holiday for Kremlin propaganda, President Vladimir Putin launched, on Thursday, a new attack against the West and threatened, once again, with Moscows nuclear arsenal. He said the West risked provoking a global conflict and warned that no one would be allowed to threaten Russia. The Kremlin has been claiming for years that Russia would be the target of Western aggression and used this pretext to justify the invasion of Ukraine. The invasion was denounced by most of the international community and defined as a war of conquest of the imperial type. ELECTIONS On Friday, the election campaign begins in Romania for the European and local elections held simultaneously on June 9th. In September, Romania will host presidential election, and in December elections for the national parliament. On June 9, in the elections for the European Parliament, Romanian citizens can vote anywhere in the country or abroad, while for the local elections they can cast their vote only at the polling stations where they have their domicile or residency. More than 900 polling stations will be opened abroad, almost twice as many as during the previous European Parliament elections. European institutions warn citizens about the increased risk of misinformation and manipulation generated by actors outside the community space. The European Commission has released an audio-video clip about disinformation that will be broadcast in the media of all member states. People entitled to vote are advised to have a critical attitude towards the content disseminated in the online media, to analyze and not to believe everything they read. UKRAINE Romania could be a logistic center for the reconstruction of Ukraine, the Romanian Minister of Economy, Radu Oprea, said Thursday at a conference dedicated to investments in Central and Eastern Europe held in Bucharest and attended by representatives of the financial-banking system, of the business community and public authorities of the countries in the area. If we know how to handle the grains (70-80% of Ukrainian grains transit Romania and reach all corners of the world) it is obvious that we also know how to ensure the safety of people and equipment, Minister Oprea also said. We remind you that the situation in Ukraine was also the hot topic in Washington, in the talks the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis held with the US President Joe Biden. Iohannis said that Romania is aware of the key role it plays in helping Ukraine achieve victory and peace, succeed economically and join the EU. The Romanian President also mentioned the possibility of Romania finding a solution for the transfer of a Patriot anti-missile system to Ukraine. FILM The 28th edition of the European Film Festival started in Bucharest on Thursday, on Europes Day, and will end in Chisinau on June 8. The Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) kicked off the festival with Blagas Lessons, a Bulgarian-German co-production directed by Stephan Komandarev, which got the Crystal Globe for Best Film and the Ecumenical Jury Award at the International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary. According to the ICR, the festival this year includes 40 feature films, 34 national premieres and two selections of short-reels. (EE) Cooperation for Ukraine The situation in Ukraine was on the agenda of the talks between the Romanian defence minister and his British and Georgian counterparts Photo: LukasJohnns / pixabay.com Corina Cristea, 09.05.2024, 13:50 While on a visit to Bucharest, the British Armed Forces Minister Leo Docherty had talks which he described as very wide-ranging and positive with his Romanian counterpart Angel Tilvar and with the defence chief of staff, and visited the British troops deployed to the Mihail Kogalniceanu base in the south-east of Romania. The British official praised the strong relations between the two countries, Romanias steadfast contribution within NATO, and the joint effort to support Ukraine. That is not just about Ukraines security, but about the Black Sea regional security. And the work that we are doing together to improve and enhance security at the Black Sea is hugely important; its not just important for our two countries, its not just important to the region, its actually important to the world, because a huge proportion of the worlds grain supplies and other economic activity takes place in the Black Sea, Leo Docherty said, and warned that 2024 is a very important year for the war started by Russia. Regional security in the context of Russias war of aggression was also the topic of discussions held by the Romanian defence minister in Bucharest with his Georgian counterpart, Irakli Chikovani. In Central and Eastern Europe, Romania is a role model in many respects, from defence of NATOs eastern flank to consolidating democracy, the rule of law and human rights, the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said in his turn upon receiving the Distinguished International Leadership award from the Atlantic Council in Washington D.C. The Romanian official emphasised that most Allied countries in the eastern flank are making progress in raising their budgets for defence and in upgrading their military infrastructure and equipment. Our countries were able to act together, with determination, and to represent a strong deterring force against Russian expansionism, while at the same time staying true to our fundamental trans-Atlantic democratic values, Klaus Iohannis added. He also said that Romania was in the front line through its efforts to help Ukraine, and mentioned that over 7.5 million Ukrainians crossed the border into Romania searching for shelter, safety and free passage. Nearly 40 thousand Ukrainian children are now studying in Romanian classrooms. Millions of tonnes of humanitarian aid have reached Ukraine from and through Romania. Romania also helped Ukraine to preserve a vital economic lifeline, using our unique maritime connections and facilitating the transit of close to 40 million tonnes of grainsabout 70% of Ukraines grain exports, via the Romanian Danube and Black Sea ports, the Romanian president explained. And all these efforts continue for as long as necessary, because Romania is aware of the key role it plays in helping Ukraine secure its victory and peace, its economic stability and its EU accession, the president of Romania concluded. (AMP) Election campaign to start in Romania In Romania, the campaign for the local and European Parliament elections officially begins on Friday, and for the first time abroad, more than nine hundred polling stations will be organized. EP and local elections in Romania on June 9 (Photo credits: AEP) Mihai Pelin, 09.05.2024, 14:00 In exactly one month, Romanians are expected to the polls to elect their representatives in the European Parliament, as well as their future mayors, local and county councilors. The campaign for the local and European Parliament elections due on June 9 officially begins on Friday. If for the EP election Romanian citizens can vote anywhere in the country or abroad, for the local elections they can cast their vote only in the constituencies where they are domiciled or reside. The candidacies for the local elections that remained definitive will be displayed both at the headquarters of the county electoral offices, at the headquarters of the Central Electoral Bureau, and on the website of the Permanent Electoral Authority. After the printing of the ballots, a sample will be made public, for the citizens to get familiarized with them and identify the political competitors for whom they are going to vote, and thus be able to vote having all the necessary information, explained the president of the Permanent Electoral Authority, Toni Grebla. In order to make things clear, he also explained how the people who will be at their domicile or residence address on the election day will be able to vote for the local officials: The Romanian citizens having their domicile in the country vote only in the constituencies which they are assigned to for the local elections. For the citizens who reside in a place other than that where they are registered in the permanent electoral lists, they can vote only on the condition that the residence, the non-domicile visa was obtained more than 60 days before the date of June 9. Those who go to vote on June 9, will receive five ballots four for the local officials and one ballot for the list or independent candidate for the European Parliament elections. As in previous elections, an IT specialist will check the submitted ballots to eliminate the risk of a multiple vote. Toni Grebla explained that for the European Parliament elections, the novelty is that approximately 900 polling stations will be organized abroad for all Romanians with the right to vote: For the European Parliament elections, there is only one electoral constituency, at country level, and there is only one list of candidates for the EP elections for each political competitor. So, there is a ballot that is identical both for the citizens who vote in Romania and for those who vote abroad, regardless of where they have their domicile or residence. All they need is to be Romanian citizens with the right to vote. Toni Grebla also made a series of clarifications regarding the election posters, claiming that non-compliance with the rules will attract the punishment of the guilty. The European Commission has also launched a campaign to warn citizens about the risks of disinformation and the ways in which it can be fought against. Furthermore, a new web page provides access to all useful information in this regard. (LS) Indian shares opened lower on Thursday as higher bond yields and looming uncertainty over the ceasefire deal in Gaza overshadowed solid trade figures from China. The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex was down 200 points, or 0.3 percent, at 73,267 in early trade while the broader NSE Nifty index was down 59 points, or 0.3 percent, at 22,243. Larsen & Toubro tumbled 3.6 percent after posting in line Q4 results. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation both fell over 1 percent ahead of their earnings results. Automakers were seeing broad-based gains. Hero MotoCorp soared nearly 6 percent while Maruti Suzuki India, Eicher Motors, Bajaj Auto and Mahindra & Mahindra were up 1-3 percent. Kotak Mahindra rose 0.6 percent on reports it is ramping up transition. Bank of Baroda rallied 2.3 percent as the RBI lifted a ban on onboarding customers through bob World, the lender's mobile banking application. Canara Bank added 1.5 percent on reporting an 18 percent rise in Q4 net profit. Tata Power fell more than 2 percent after reporting Q4 results below estimates. TVS Motor Company soared 5 percent after quarterly profit rose 18 percent year-on-year. SBI gained half a percent ahead of its earnings release. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Russia continues to wage a war against Ukraine despite losing hundreds of soldiers every day, according to UK military advisor, Nicholas Aucott. Russian military is suffering an average loss of 899 soldiers per day, Aucott said at a meeting of OSCE in Vienna. He says Russian casualties in the more than two years-old war have crossed 465,000. "Not only is this an act of aggression against a sovereign nation, it also is a testament to the contempt in which Putin regards his own people and the lengths to which he is prepared to go," said the British military expert. Aucott accused Russia of attacking civilian and critical national infrastructure with imprecise munitions. Last week a Russian airstrike targeted the city center of Odesa, killing five people and injuring 30. Meanwhile, the relentless bombardment of Kharkiv continues, resulting in daily casualties, regular power outages and interruptions in water and heating supply. "Russia continues its attacks around Chasiv Yar utilizing Storm-Z penal units, wasting lives in a grotesque approach that typifies the depths to which President Putin's regime is prepared to go. Now, out of a pre-war population of 12,500, only 682 civilians remain in Chasiv Yar, with no running water or power supply for over a year," Aucott said. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Political News 2023 saw another climate record tumble, with Latin America and the Caribbean registering their hottest ever recorded temperatures, according to the UN's weather monitoring agency. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) attributed the temperatures to a "double whammy" of El Nino and long-term climate change, leading to droughts and wildfires combined with extreme rainfall and hurricanes. "Unfortunately, 2023 was a year of record climatic hazards in Latin America and the Caribbean," said the agency's head, Celeste Saulo. "El Nino conditions during the second half of 2023 contributed to a record warm year and exacerbated many extreme events. This combined with rising temperatures and more frequent and extreme hazards due to human-induced climate change." According to WMO, the 2023 mean temperature was the highest on record, 0.82C above the 1991-2020 average and 1.39C above the 1961-1990 baseline. The year was "exceptional" for Mexico, where temperatures exceeded 45C, or 113F, at many weather stations, with a high of 51.4C on August 29. It also experienced the fastest rate of warming in the region. Extreme heatwaves affected central South America from August to December, with the mercury soaring in parts of Brazil to above 41C in August. Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina all recorded their highest September temperatures. In Uruguay, the 2023 summer was the driest among the last 42 years on record. The extreme weather also claimed many lives, along with massive wildlife, ecosystem and economic losses. The Category 5 Hurricane Otis in Mexico resulted in dozens of fatalities and damages costing billions of dollars, while severe droughts disrupted river flow into the Panama Canal, paralyzing international shipping. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Elon Musk-owned Neuralink said that its first brain implant device developed a problem as several neural activity-recording threads retracted from the patient's brain. In January, the neurotechnology startup implanted "telepathy", a device designed to be implanted in the skull, with ultra-thin wires, connecting it with a region of the brain that controls movement intention. After the successful implant, the company shared a video on X/Twitter showing its patient Noland Arbaugh moving a mouse and playing chess on the computer with his mind. But a few weeks after the surgery, Neuralink noticed that a number of threads retracted from Arbaugh's brain, reducing the number of effective electrodes and leaving the patient unable to move cursor with his mind. "In response to this change, we modified the recording algorithm to be more sensitive to neural population signals, improved the techniques to translate these signals into cursor movements, and enhanced the user interface," Neuralink said. The company said that the adjustments have improved bits-per-second, a unit to measure speed and accuracy of cursor speed. Neuralink also considered removing the implant, but later discarded the idea as the malfunction has not yet posed a serious threat to the 29-year-old patient's safety, the Wall Street Journal reports. Meanwhile, the company's blog post also highlighted that the device has helped Arbaugh to "reconnect with the world". For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News China signs AEO customs agreements with Burundi, Iceland Xinhua) 22:10, May 09, 2024 SHENZHEN, May 9 (Xinhua) -- China signed customs agreements on mutual Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) status with the Republic of Burundi and Iceland at the ongoing 6th WCO Global AEO Conference in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, on Thursday. Enterprises with AEO status can enjoy a series of preferential management measures, such as priority processing, reduced frequency of supervision and optimized services, which effectively reduce the cost of international trade and enhance the international competitiveness of enterprises. The AEO system, initiated by the World Customs Organization (WCO), aims to facilitate customs clearance for enterprises through customs agencies' authentication of enterprises with high levels of legal compliance and safety, and a high credit status. China has so far signed mutual AEO agreements with 28 economies, covering 54 countries and regions, ranking first in the world in terms of the number of agreements and the number of countries and regions with AEO mutual recognition. The latest customs statistics show that, as of the end of April, there were more than 5,800 enterprises with AEO status in China, accounting for 36.3 percent of China's foreign trade value. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Kou Jie) Indonesia will become the third South East Asian nation to gain SpaceXs satellite service Starlink after the government granted the Elon Musk company, permission for operation with aims to expand connectivity to remote locations. Minister Budi Arie Setiad told Reuters, Starlink gained a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) permit to operate as an internet service provider for retail customers, after it met all requirements to commercially operate in Indonesia. A week-long trial will be held in Indonesias new state capital Nusantara this month with a launch to follow. The minister did not detail how much SpaceX paid for its licence. The company will work with local network access providers to comply with Indonesian regulations. SpaceX was given permission to provide Starlink internet services in Malaysia in 2023, and it signed a deal to operate in the Philippines in 2022. Reuters reported, Starlink is the dominant satellite provider as it owns 60% of the 7,500 satellites in orbit. In the build up to this annoucnement, SpaceX signed an MoU with the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Associationsigned an MoU with the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association, pledging to deliver connectivity to remote locations in the archipalego nation. Grundberger: 'Havana is a kind of socialist Vatican whose dogmas are not questioned' DIARIO DE CUBA talked with the author of 'La Galaxia Rosa. Como el Foro de Sao Paulo, el Grupo de Puebla y sus aliados internacionales socavan la democracia en America Latina'. There are political groups that undercut democracy in Latin America, groups that do not distinguish between the democratic and totalitarian left, groups that have been nurtured by the regimes in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, validating them. These include the Sao Paulo Forum, Progressive International, the Puebla Group and the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO). Those groups are portrayed in the book The Pink Galaxy. How the Sao Paulo Forum, the Puebla Group and Their International Allies Undermine democracy in Latin America. Sebastian Grundberger/X We talked to the author. "I think the damage is considerable," said Grundberger on the phone from Montevideo in his conversation with DIARIO DE CUBA, referring to the influence of these groups on politics in the region. "In the last 20 years we have seen a decline in democracy in Latin America, with all the polls showing it. During this time the vast majority of governments have been leftist, and I think one can deduce that there is a relationship between the two. There's not always a very clear separation between democratic vs authoritarian and dictatorial spaces of the Left, and that is my thesis in the book." These groups are like big sacks in which potential germs mix with some very rotten fruit. "Legitimate people and organizations are associated democratically with dictatorships, such as the Communist Party of Cuba. The first time that happened was when the Sao Paulo Forum was founded, where Lula da Silva and Fidel Castro came together to create to this alliance. What I argue is that these unions, these planets of the pink galaxy, in the end serve to enable autocracies and are support platforms for dictatorships," Grundberger asserted. He also said that "Cuba's role is absolutely key; it is, perhaps, one of the most important actors, or the most important of all. This is demonstrated by several things; for example, Havana is being used by different planets in the Pink Galaxy as a kind of meeting place. A few days ago a meeting of Progressive International ended there, in which, incidentally, very important figures from the Puebla Group also participated, such as former Colombian President Ernesto Samper. One realizes that in none of these spaces in the Pink Galaxy does anyone dare criticize Cuba in the slightest. This is why I say that Havana is a kind of socialist Vatican whose dogmas are not questioned." Grundberger also argues that these organizations are part of a carnivorous left, as defined by Alvaro Vargas Llosa, that "portray themselves as progressive, somehow managing to give people the impression that they are democratic or progressive, when, basically, what they really do is follow the same path as the more authoritarian and hard left, with anti-colonialist anti-neoliberal and anti-imperialist rhetoric, but only criticizing the United States, never China or Russia. I think that the moderate left, unfortunately, has a very difficult time making inroads into these lines." The author pointed out that his goal in his book is to address "all those who identify with the democratic left and who empathize in some way with the Puebla Group and the Sao Paulo Forum." He went on: "I encourage people to simply visit the websites of these organizations and read the statements their meetings produce, and to reflect on whether they wish to continue identifying with their absurd defense of the Cuban dictatorship, their lack of absolute criticism of the regime in Caracas, their failure to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and many other elements that are not indicative of a democratic organization." Grundberger insisted that "they engage in a completely selective interpretation of democracy and human rights. They cite them to attack dissidents they wish to discredit, but they do not care when their friends or allies fail to respect them. This is what I try to show in the book; that, for them, democracy is not an end in itself, human rights are not an end, as such; they are not an inherent value. Rather, they are a means to an end. The goal is to gain and amass power or, as the Sao Paulo Forum says in one of its statements, to achieve a 'socialist society,' and that is precisely where I see the danger of these institutions." These organizations are characterized by their double standards. "For example, one thing that strikes me is that at one of its recent meetings the Sao Paulo Forum adopted two resolutions, one of them on El Salvador, strongly criticizing Nayib Bukele. On the one hand they decry the silencing of dissidents, opposition media and civil society in El Salvador, which is happening. Then they turn around and express total and strict solidarity with the dictatorship in Cuba, where all the same kinds of things they condemn in El Salvador are also occurring," he said. The rhetoric of these organizations is completely selective and Grundberger believes that "it is important that we, as democrats, believing in human rights, regardless of whether we are center-right, center-left, liberal, progressive, or whatever, stand united against the adversaries of democracy, instead of supporting violators of human rights when they are 'on our political side.'" In addition, these groups are exploited by Russia, China and Iran as mechanisms of political, ideological and economic influence in Latin America. "Having these types of allies, and strengthening them more and more, behooves these regimes, but I think that Latin America is so essential that it's hard to say what will happen in the coming years. Although, I think that these groups in the Pink Galaxy are strong right now, and the way to oppose them, offering a democratic counterpoint, is to observe them and reveal what they do," underscored Grundberger. He concluded that, rather than advancing a grand thesis, what this book is about is "drawing a picture of all these actors, how they are intertwined, who they are and how they work, drawing the conclusion that they act in a very coordinated way, based on a common ideology, so it is valid to look at them as a coordinated entity, and it this which I call the Pink Galaxy." You can access a PDF of the book here Senate President Pro Tem Chuck Winder, R-Boise, was allegedly the target of manipulated audio messages over the weekend. The Idaho State Senate Majority caucus released a statement Monday evening condemning the deepfake robocalls. This call, crafted by an out-of-state group, was disseminated to constituents in Senator Winders district, spreading fabricated statements with the intent to manipulate voter perception ahead of the primary election, the emailed statement said. The political action committee Make Liberty Win reportedly sent texts and left voicemails to voters over the weekend, targeting Winder and others, KTVB reported Monday. The texts were identified as coming from the Virginia-based committee, and were sent the same day as the voicemails, KTVB reported. The voicemails seem to take audio from floor debate this year and play it out of context. This year, the Legislature passed a law requiring synthetically generated calls that misleadingly represent candidates ahead of elections to disclose that the media was synthetically created or manipulated. HB 664 was targeted at the rising prevalence of AI-generated images and audio and allows the candidate who has been misrepresented to seek injunctive relief from the courts or sue for damages against the group or individual who created the media. The Idaho governors budget chief will take the helm of the states largest agency, according to an announcement that included other major staff and cabinet changes. Gov. Brad Little announced on Tuesday that Alex Adams will be the new director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Adams had served as the administrator of the Division of Financial Management (DFM) since 2019. Lori Wolff, who has been Littles director of operations since 2023, was named the new administrator of DFM. Little also promoted Sara Stover, his director of cabinet affairs, to deputy chief of staff. All three of these intelligent people are valued members of my team, Little said in a news release. I am grateful they continue to dedicate their talents to public service, and I am excited to see what they will accomplish for the people of Idaho in their new roles. Adams, Wolff and Stover will officially be in their new roles June 5. The health agency had been headed by interim director Dean Cameron since the beginning of 2024. The previous director, Dave Jeppesen, had announced his retirement in November 2023. Adams had also served as interim director of the Idaho Public Charter School Commission and the executive director of the Idaho Board of Pharmacy. Prior to his work with the state of Idaho, he was vice president of pharmacy programs at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, a national trade association. Adams has a doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of Toledo in Ohio and a master of public health degree from Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. As administrator of DFM, Adams has played a major role in helping craft the governors proposed budgets and was deeply involved in working with lawmakers to write legislation that included some of Littles top priorities. A recent example was this years centerpiece school facilities funding bill, HB 521. Wolff, who now steps into the budget chief role, had also been the administrator of the Division of Human Resources and interim director of the Governors Office of Energy and Mineral Resources and the Department of Administration. She had worked for the health department for 18 years, including as the deputy director and division administrator. She was born in Salmon, Idaho, and has a masters degree in public administration from Idaho State University. Stover took the role of director of cabinet affairs in 2022, in which she worked with agency directors to align agency operations with the Governors priorities, according to the news release. She has also served as Littles senior policy advisor for health care. Stover has been working in the executive branch since 2001. She worked for the Division of Financial Management under previous Govs. Butch Otter, Jim Risch, and Dirk Kempthorne, and was also a policy aide for Risch and Kempthorne. Karl Karey White III, died Sunday, March 17, 2024, at rest in his home in Post Falls. Karl was born Aug. 17 1942, in Savannah, Ga., to Pauline Young White and Karl White Jr. Throughout his life Karl was a great tinkerer and this propensity was never better encapsulated than in an oft retold story of a youngster with a soot-blackened face and missing eyebrows attempting, unsuccessfully, to convince his mother nothing had happened to cause that explosion she heard in the basement. Karl graduated from Penncrest High School in Media, Pa., where he met and later married Kathryn Wood. They were married 42 years until her death and together had four children. Gas bubbling up from a lava-covered surface on the super-Earth exoplanet 55 Cancri e may feed an atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide, according to new research. 55 Cancri e is one of five planets orbiting the Sun-like star 55 Cancri A that is located 40 light-years away in the constellation of Cancer. Discovered in 2004, this planet has a radius twice Earths, and a mass 8 times greater, making it a so-called super-Earth. 55 Cancri e orbits its host star at a distance of 0.015 AU about 25 times closer than Mercury is to our Sun every 18 hours. The planet is also tidally locked, meaning that it doesnt rotate like Earth does instead there is a permanent day side and a night side. Previous studies of 55 Cancri e using data from NASAs Spitzer Space Telescope suggested the presence of a substantial atmosphere rich in volatiles like oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. But astronomers could not rule out another possibility: that the planet is bare, save for a tenuous shroud of vaporized rock, rich in elements like silicon, iron, aluminum, and calcium. The planet is so hot that some of the molten rock should evaporate, said Dr. Renyu Hu, an astronomer at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. To distinguish between the two possibilities, Dr. Hu and colleagues used Webbs NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) instruments to measure 4- to 12-micron infrared light coming from 55 Cancri e. Although Webb cannot capture a direct image of the planet, it can measure subtle changes in the light from the whole system as the planet orbits the star. By subtracting the brightness during the secondary eclipse, when the planet is behind the star, from the brightness when the planet is right beside the star, the astronomers were able to calculate the amount of various wavelengths of infrared light coming from the dayside of the planet. This method, known as secondary eclipse spectroscopy, is similar to that used by other research teams to search for atmospheres on other rocky exoplanets, like TRAPPIST-1b. The first indication that 55 Cancri e could have a substantial atmosphere came from temperature measurements based on its thermal emission, the heat energy given off in the form of infrared light. If the planet is covered in dark molten rock with a thin veil of vaporized rock, or has no atmosphere at all, the dayside should be around 2,200 degrees Celsius. Instead, the MIRI data showed a relatively low temperature of about 1,540 degrees Celsius, Dr. Hu said. This is a very strong indication that energy is being distributed from the dayside to the nightside, most likely by a volatile-rich atmosphere. While currents of lava can carry some heat around to the nightside, they cannot move it efficiently enough to explain the cooling effect. When the researchers looked at the NIRCam data, they saw patterns consistent with a volatile-rich atmosphere. We see evidence of a dip in the spectrum between 4 and 5 microns less of this light is reaching the telescope, said Dr. Aaron Bello-Arufe, also from NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This suggests the presence of an atmosphere containing carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide, both of which absorb these wavelengths of light. A planet with no atmosphere or only vaporized rock in an atmosphere would not have this specific spectral feature. This is exciting news, said Dr. Yamila Miguel, an astronomer at Leiden Observatory and the Netherlands Institute for Space Research. Weve spent the last ten years modeling different scenarios, trying to imagine what this world might look like. Finally getting some confirmation of our work is priceless. The authors think that the gases blanketing 55 Cancri e would be bubbling out from the interior, rather than being present since the planets formation. The primary atmosphere would be long gone because of the high temperature and intense radiation from the star, Dr. Bello-Arufe said. This would be a secondary atmosphere that is continuously replenished by the magma ocean. Magma is not only crystals and liquid rock, theres a lot of dissolved gas in it, too. In all likelihood, any atmosphere surrounding the planet would be more complex and quite variable as a result of interactions with the magma ocean. In addition to carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide, there could be gases like nitrogen, water vapor, sulfur dioxide, some vaporized rock, and even short-lived clouds made of tiny droplets of lava condensed from the air. While 55 Cancri e is far too hot to be habitable, the scientists think it could provide a unique window for studying interactions between the atmospheres, surfaces and interiors of rocky planets, and perhaps provide insights into the early Earth, Venus and Mars, which are thought to have been covered in magma oceans in the past. Ultimately, we want to understand what conditions make it possible for a rocky planet to sustain a gas-rich atmosphere, a key ingredient for a habitable planet, Dr. Hu said. The findings were published in the journal Nature. _____ R. Hu et al. A secondary atmosphere on the rocky exoplanet 55 Cancri e. Nature, published online April 15, 2024; doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07432-x Where were you when Idaho began slipping into a Christian-themed theocracy? Were you already living here and watched as it unfolded? Or was the transformation underway by the time you arrived? Either way, theres no denying the Gem State has become a place where Gods will is routinely invoked inside the state Capitol. Just like the Taliban in Afghanistan, religious scolds long on judgment, short on forgiveness have been infiltrating state government for years. Keep in mind that Idaho wasnt always a righteous Republican fiefdom. Thirty years ago, the governor was Cecil Andrus a pragmatic Democrat with a wide environmental streak. The congressman for North Idaho was Larry LaRocco, a two-term Democrat who won reelection by more than 50,000 votes carrying every county in the 1st Congressional District. The Attorney General was Larry Echo Hawk, a Democrat, and the state controller was J.D. Williams, also a Democrat. You read that right: 30 years ago, Democrats outnumbered Republicans on the Idaho Land Board, three to two. At that point, the governors mansion had been occupied by a Democrat for 24 years. The tide turned decisively on election day in 1994. Andrus had declined to seek reelection, and Republican Phil Batt defeated Echo Hawk in the race for governor. By todays standards, Batt was a pretty bland Republican, but Idahos political pendulum has been swinging farther and farther to the right since he left office. Now behold what this rising GOP tide has delivered. The state legislature is in thrall to an Idaho Republican Party that celebrates armed militia members and ridicules the need for caution during a global pandemic. The state GOP has declared jihad on old-school Republicans, the kind who focus on actual problems faced by constituents; today, such politicians are denounced as RINOs Republicans in name only. This new GOP has shifted its focus to far-right issues such as domestic terrorism. To provide cover for home-grown militia members who might, yknow, kill a few people with pipe bombs, the state legislature tried mightily to amend the states Terrorist Control Act so it could only apply to people working with foreign terrorist organizations. In other words, youd be a domestic terrorist if you were building bombs for Hamas, but you would not be a domestic terrorist if you were building pipe bombs with your locally-born white supremacist buddies. Three-quarters of the Idaho Senate voted to approve that preposterous exemption, but it failed to advance in the House after public outcry began to boil over. Discover more Ai business tools: Quuu is an AI-driven social media tool designed to help business managers grow their audience on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and more. This innovative platform automatically curates and schedules engaging, tailored content for daily sharing in your brands voice. One of the key benefits of Quuu is its intelligent content curation, which uses AI to understand your brands tone and audience. This ensures that the content shared is specifically tailored to your brands unique characteristics and audience, optimizing engagement. Quuu also offers features such as brand tone analysis and audience engagement insights to further enhance your social media strategy. Another standout feature of Quuu is its daily automation capabilities. By analyzing your audiences online behavior, Quuu determines the most effective times to share content for maximum engagement. This eliminates the need for constant monitoring and manual scheduling, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business while Quuu optimizes your posting schedule. With Quuu, you can expect increased engagement on your social media platforms, as well as a variety of content types to keep your audience interested. As a highly rated tool with positive reviews from users like blogger Ryan Robinson, Quuu is a valuable investment for businesses looking to elevate their social media presence. If youre ready to transform your social media strategy and join successful brands leveraging Quuu, getting started is super simple. Sign up today and see the difference Quuu can make in helping you reach your audience and generate more likes, shares, and conversations online. Quuu Features Personalized settings for customized content AI assistant for efficient content curation Automated scheduling for optimal posting times Diverse content formats to keep audience engaged Advanced social media analytics for performance tracking Customizable design options for brand consistency Mobile-friendly platform for on-the-go management AI-powered insights for data-driven decision making Quuu Pricing Quuu offers monthly pricing starting at $19.79 per social media profile with AI personalized to your brand. Yearly plans include 2 months free. Features include 6 curated posts per day, 125,000 tokens for AI chat, content templates, and more. A 7-day free trial is available. Visit quuu.co for more. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter , Facebook and Instagram. A new report by Sophos shows a surprising trend: Ransomware attacks on Australian organisations are down, but the cost to recover from them has exploded. The average ransom payment jumped a staggering 297% to a whopping US$6 million, even though only 54% of businesses were hit compared to 70% in 2023. Australian organisations that paid the ransom reported an average payment of US$6 million, up from $1.51 million in 2023, and more than $2 million above the global average ($3.96 million). However, ransoms are just one part of the cost. Excluding ransoms, the survey found the average cost of recovery for Australian organisations reached US$2.37 million, an increase of more than $500,000 from the $1.72 million recovery cost Sophos reported in 2023. Despite the soaring ransoms, this years survey indicates a considerable reduction in the rate of ransomware attacks with 54% of Australian organisations being hit (59% globally), compared with 70% of Australian organisations in 2023, and 80% in 2022. While the propensity to be hit by ransomware increases with revenue, globally, even the smallest organisations (less than US$10 million in revenue) are still regularly targeted, with just under half (47%) hit by ransomware in the last year. The 2024 report also found that 76% of ransom demands made towards Australian organisations were for US$1 million or more, with the average ransom demand being $6.8 million, suggesting ransomware operators are seeking huge payoffs. Unfortunately, these increased ransom amounts are not just for the highest-revenue organisations surveyed. Nearly half (46%) of global organisations with revenue of less US$50 million received a seven-figure ransom demand in the last year. We must not let the slight dip in attack rates give us a sense of complacency. Ransomware attacks are still the most dominant threat today and are fueling the cybercrime economy. Without ransomware we would not see the same variety and volume of precursor threats and services that feed into these attacks. The skyrocketing costs of ransomware attacks belie the fact that this is an equal opportunity crime. The ransomware landscape offers something for every cybercriminal, regardless of skill. While some groups are focused on multi-million-dollar ransoms, there are others that settle for lower sums by making it up in volume, said John Shier, field CTO, Sophos. Compromised credentials were the most common roost cause of an attack for Australian organisations, used in 37% of incidents. This was followed by exploited vulnerabilities, used in 32% of attacks. This is in line with in-the-field incident response findings from Sophos most recent Active Adversary report. With 49% of attacks leading to data encryption, it is worrying that 66% of Australian organisations that had data encrypted paid the ransom the second highest rate reported by any country surveyed. This an increase from both last years rate of 53% and the 2024 global average of 56%. Other notable findings from the report include: Australian organisations are getting slower at recovering from attacks with 36% fully recovered in up to a week, down from 46% in 2023. 33% took between one and six months, a significant increase on the 17% last year. The average ransom payment for Australian organisations came in at 101% of the initial ransom demand received. 58% of Australian organisations that had data encrypted used multiple recovery methods to get data back, above the global average of 47%. Eighty-four percent of Australian organisations hit by ransomware in the past year said that the cybercriminals attempted to compromise their backups during the attack. In 66% of instances, backup compromise attempts were successful, the highest rate of any country. In 20% of incidents where data was encrypted, data was also stolen a slight increase from last years 17%, but still below the global average of 32%. Managing risk is at the core of what we do as defenders. The two most common root causes of ransomware attacks, exploited vulnerabilities and compromised credentials, are preventable, yet still plague too many organisations. Businesses need to critically assess their levels of exposure to these root causes and address them immediately. In a defensive environment where resources are scarce, its time organisations impose costs on the attackers, as well. Only by raising the bar on whats required to breach networks can organisations hope to maximise their defensive spend, said Shier. Sophos recommends the following best practices to help organisations defend against ransomware and other cyberattacks: Understand your risk profile, with tools such as Sophos Managed Risk which can assess an organisations external attack surface, prioritise the riskiest exposures and provide tailored remediation guidance Implement endpoint protection that is designed to stop a range of evergreen and constantly changing ransomware techniques, such as Sophos Intercept X Bolster your defenses with round-the-clock threat detection, investigation and response, either through an in-house team or with the support of a Managed Detection and Response (MDR) provider Build and maintain an incident response plan, as well as making regular back-ups and practicing recovering data from backups Data for the State of Ransomware 2024 report comes from a vendor-agnostic survey of 5,000 cybersecurity/IT leaders conducted between January and February 2024. Respondents were based in 14 countries across the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific. 330 Australian respondents feature in the report. Organisations surveyed had between 100 and 5,000 employees, and revenue ranged from less than US$10 million to more than $5 billion. Read the State of Ransomware 2024 report for global findings and data by sector on Sophos.com. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The Australian franchise industry, a $135 billion powerhouse, is facing a potential overhaul. The catalyst for this change?Concerns over a significant power imbalance between franchisors and individual franchisees Minister for Small Business Julie Collins has disclosed the governments stance in response to the Independent Review of the Franchising Code of Conduct, chaired by former Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) deputy chair Michael Schaper. Schapers review has put forward 23 recommendations concerning the Franchising Code of Conduct, which is set to expire in April 2025. While affirming the integrity of the Code, Schaper has pinpointed areas necessitating enhancement. The ACCC has underscored its limited capability to address every Code violation, primarily focusing on systemic competition concerns. This limitation means the watchdog can only intervene after a breach occurs, hampering its ability to promptly prevent or mitigate harm to franchisees In light of these persistent challenges, the ACCC has proposed a novel licensing scheme coupled with ongoing compliance requirements, alongside mandatory arbitration for non-compliant franchisors, as a potential resolution. Backing this proposal, Schaper has prompted the government to assemble a Treasury taskforce to evaluate its feasibility through a cost-benefit analysis, with input from the franchising sector. Minister Collins has emphasized the governments commitment to rectifying power imbalances within the sector, striving for equity to benefit all stakeholders. Beyond the contemplation of a licensing scheme, the government has either fully accepted or accepted in principle all recommendations. This encompasses empowering the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) to champion for franchisees, expanding its Tax Concierge service to provide affordable legal counsel, and authorizing the public identification of non-compliant franchisors. The concept of a licensing regime is a bold suggestion for a franchise sector that is already more highly regulated here than in other comparable economies and ASBFEO looks forward to contributing to the feasibility work of the proposed taskforce, Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Bruce Billson said. We believe there is scope in franchising for the Government to consider a non-regulatory approach to activating the existing option for parties to agree to arbitration under the Franchising Code of Conduct by urging franchise systems to pre-commit to binding arbitration where disputes cannot be resolved through alternative dispute resolution. Franchisors that make such a positive commitment to binding arbitration should be allowed to have this recognised in the Franchise Disclosure Register. But there also needs to be more effective enforcement by regulators, such as the ACCC, of the Code and other legal protections that already exist, particularly around unfair conduct and anti-competitive behaviour. The Governments response to the Schaper Review further support good and fair commercial relationships in franchising. In helping with franchising disputes, we are often disappointed when mediation and conciliation does not produce a resolution for both parties. Currently, it is only the well-resourced and patient that can further pursue their interests via existing legal channels, unless the regulator steps up and in. This can distort the bargaining position of the parties and willingness to find an early mediate resolution, and is why we advocate for a responsive, affordable and restorative Court-based mechanism that can ensure all parties can benefit from Code protections and legal provisions intended to support fair and reasonable commercial dealings. Furthermore, the government intends to escalate financial penalties for severe Code breaches, with maximum fines set at $187,000, and the potential imposition of penalties up to $18,780 for Code violations. Franchisees will also receive safeguards akin to those enjoyed by new vehicle dealership agreements, guaranteeing fair returns on investments and compensation in the event of early agreement termination. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Its an education-meets-small business success story in Sterling Heights, where Sortegories, headquartered in the Macomb County community, was recently acquired this April by 95 Percent Group, an Illinois-based education company. Sheryl Ferlito, a Special Education Literacy and Intervention Supervisor at Chippewa Valley Schools, co-founded Sortegories, an interactive online literacy tool.Ferlito co-authored and co-founded Sortegories with Nancy Chapel Eberhardt, an educational consultant in Connecticut. The literacy experts built a digital learning tool that improves students reading fluency and comprehension through interactive practice activities. Sortegories learners range from pre-K through 8th grade, and benefit a diverse spectrum of learners."Our mission has always been to help as many students as possible to learn to read and we feel integrating with 95 Percent Group's product network will exponentially speed the pace at which we'll fulfill that goal," reads a statement from Sheryl Ferlito, co-author of Sortegories. "Sortegories is the perfect student-directed, digital practice tool complement to 95 Percent Group's ecosystem of science of reading products and resources."Sortegories will be integrated into the 95 Percent Groups One95 Literacy Platform, an online platform for core instruction and intervention digital resources. Based in Illinois, 95 Percent Group itself belongs to the portfolio of New York-based private equity firm Leeds Equity Partners, which did not disclose terms of the transaction."Sortegories expands 95 Percent Group's best-in-class ecosystem of literacy resources with the addition of a high-quality, digital practice tool, says Scott VanHoy, Partner at Leeds Equity Partners. We look forward to working with Nancy and Sheryl, as well as to the continued success of Sortegories as part of 95 Percent Group.Got a development news story to share? Email MJ Galbraith here or send him a tweet @mikegalbraith Cody Samuel Bakpak Durden Bakpak Durden A mural by Detroit artist Bakpak Durden. Bakpak Durden's mural is inspired by the work of a Port Austin poet. Port Austins famous collection of (mostly) barn art has gotten bigger.Detroit artist Bakpak Durden recently completed a mural on a barn located at 538 Sand Road and owned by Leah and Brian Hatch. The work, commissioned by 53 North, is entitled Confronting Loneliness and depicts two vultures surrounding a fire, set against a light blue background. It was inspired by the poems of Port Austin poet Jane Mayes.53 North co-founder James Boyle said the organization was looking for a mural with a local connection with themes related to community poets and writers. Several artists were invited to submit a proposal for the project, and Bakpak stood out.The trajectory of (Durden's) career and (the artist's) interest in the subject matter was where we wanted to be, Boyle said, and (Durden's) work is just unquestionably quality.Durden, 32, is an up-and-coming artist who has had recent showings at the Cranbrook Art Museum, the Muskegon Museum of Arts, The Stamps Art Gallery and the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit in Michigan. Durden's work has also shown in other parts of the country -- at galleries in California, Florida, Pennsylvania and others.The artist is known for a hyperreal style inspired by Baroque and Afro-Surrealist movements that create a deconstructed cinematic experience.Durden is largely self-taught and grew up in an artistic family, including a grandmother who was a musician and a writer, another grandmother who was a seamstress, and a mother who also sewed and painted.Everyone did something, and I just was in the midst of that, Durden said.Growing up, Durden focused primarily on drawing and took art classes while attending West Bloomfield High School and Wayne State University in Detroit. But it wasnt until 2018 Durden got into painting. Durden said a friend offered paint and gave them a 15-minute crash course on the rules.From there, Durden learned more through videos on the internet and by studying famous Renaissance and Baroque paintings. Of particular interest were the more emotional, raw qualities of Baroque painting -- like the work of Caravaggio -- as opposed to the more idealistic style of Renaissance art.Durden often portrays subjects in a transitional state, emphasizing a connection to the surrounding communities and featuring their signature Delta triangle motif, symbolizing change.The ability to move people off of the visual strength of something, because it is so visceral and profound, is what drew me in, the artist said.While both Durden and Mayes share a love of nature, Mayes authenticity is what attracted them to her poetry.There are some of Janes poems, that are just like, damn dude, thats really real, Durden said. Im like yeah, I want to do something with that one.For the barn mural, Durden was particularly inspired by Mayes poems Birthday Buzzards, Paranoid Painter and Loneliness from her Drawn in Dust collection. The poems represent ideas that frequently need addressing, like the tendency for good things to be twisted into bad thoughts or the blurriness between isolation and solitude.I kind of make things that are sad, but thats like life, Durden said. I dont try to make them sad; I just make them very real.Mayes said sad feelings are often the most impactful.The depressing thoughts and memories are stronger really and last longer than the happy ones she said, because they go so deep into your heart.While the poems explore themes of mortality and seclusion, Durden said there are no limits on how people can interpret the mural.I want [people] to feel exactly how theyre going to feel, the artist said. It should definitely make you feel something.Leah Hatch said the work is amazing and represents the circle of life to her. She said while buzzards might not be the most beautiful animals, they serve an important purpose.They do all the hard work for us, and I look at them, and I have a much more appreciation of what they do and how they contribute to our lives, she said.For Mayes, it is a message of hope.Through art like this, Bakpak helps us through the darkness of bias that creeps into our lives, she said.Durdens mural is the fourth piece of barn art in the 53 North series and the fifth work in total following last years addition of The Deity sculpture, by Hygienic Dress League. The other barns include Scott Hockings Celestial Ship of the North, which is an ark made from a deconstructed barn, and Caite Newells Secret Sky, a structurally modified barn that features an acute angle carved from its side, which projects light and shadows onto the farm. The series also includes the "Walden'' and "American Gothic '' barn murals, also by Hygienic Dress League, which inspired Leah Hatch's interest for her own barn mural.When it was established in 2013, 53 North was inspired by the art drawn from Detroits de-industrialization and sought to take that concept and apply it in a rural setting, Boyle said. Similar to the economic shifts that happened in Detroit and its resulting abandoned buildings, Boyle saw a parallel with the loss of family farms and its subsequent abandoned barns. The organization aimed to unite city art with country culture to cross the urban/rural divide, and Boyle said the artists have developed close bonds with the community.Theres a deep [and two-way] relationship thats kind of built as these projects get made, he said. To see the exchange of ideas between a community and Detroit artists, I couldnt have imagined how great that would be.Erica Hobbs is a writer based in Detroit with a passion for arts and culture and travel. She has reported for numerous news outlets including the Detroit News, Fodors, Business Insider, Reuters, WDET and AnnArbor.com (now the Ann Arbor News), among others. John Grap The Battle Creek Community Foundation has named Mary Muliett as its new president/CEO, John Grap The Battle Creek Community Foundation has named Mary Muliett as its new president/CEO, John Grap The Battle Creek Community Foundation has named Mary Muliett as its new president/CEO, The fifteen members of the United Nations Security Council voted in late April on a resolution to ban nuclear weapons in space. Thirteen representatives voted for the resolution; China abstained; and just one Russia voted against it. On April 24, Russia vetoed a resolution that would have reaffirmed the shared goal of all States on preventing an arms race in outer space and urged exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes, said Robert Wood, United States Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs. It would have affirmed the obligations of all States Parties to the Outer Space Treaty not to place any objects carrying nuclear weapons, or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction, in orbit around Earth a treaty that 115 countries have joined, including Russia and China, he said. It would have also called on Member States not to even develop nuclear weapons specifically designed for placement in orbit. And it would have reduced the risk of a nuclear detonation in space. Russias defense of the veto before the UN General Assembly consisted of a list of accusations against the United States and Western nations, including supposed plans to deploy weapons. Russia then presented its own resolution calling for a ban on the deployment of any weapons in outer space. Russias resolution is designed to divide rather than unite Member States, said Ambassador Wood. Make no mistake this is a diplomatic facade that hides Russias true intentions. The truth is that Russia currently has several conventional anti-satellite weapons already in orbit, one of which it tested in 2019. Moreover, Russian has repeatedly threatened satellites for targeting with weapons, to include commercial satellites. Indeed, There is credible information that Russia is developing a new satellite carrying a nuclear device, said Ambassador Wood. We have heard President Putin say publicly that Russia has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space. If that were the case, Russia would not have vetoed this resolution. Russias actions cast significant doubt as to whether it will uphold its existing legal obligations under the Outer Space Treaty and raise concerns about what this could mean for international peace and security, said Ambassador Wood. This is why it is so critical for all of us to raise our voices today in support of the Outer Space Treaty and its clear prohibition on placing nuclear weapons in orbit. Chinas exports rose 1.5% in April, while imports surged 8.4%, beating forecasts, according to data released by the customs agency on Thursday. Economists had tipped imports to increase 4.8%. The figure also reversed a 1.9% fall in March. Exports to the US fell 2.8%, while shipments to Russia were 13.56% lower year on year. "The notable increase in imports suggests potential policy stimulus driving the surge. However, the rise in exports may exacerbate tensions with US leaders contemplating tariff hikes," said Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management. Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com Property investor and developer Derwent London has said that healthy demand has driven rental growth since the start of 2024. The company, which owns nearly 70 buildings across Central London worth a combined 4.9bn, signed new leases totalling 5.4m over the year to date, with a further 4.3m under offer. In the first quarter, 2.4m of lettings were signed at 9.2% above the estimated rental value (ERV) as of December, "with activity across the portfolio", Derwent said. Some 3.0m have been signed so far in the second quarter. Meanwhile, by 31 March the EPRA vacancy rate had reduced to 3.7% from 4.0% at the start of the year. Some 58% of space that was available to occupy in January has either been leased or is under offer, with good ongoing interest in the balance, the company said. "We are seeing further strengthening in occupational demand for our well-located, design-led buildings. Rental growth has increased as demonstrated by our leasing performance against ERV," said chief executive Paul Williams. The stock was up 0.6% at 2,231.12p by 0847 BST. Steel plant symbolizes China-Serbia 'ironclad' friendship 15:45, May 09, 2024 By Ren Yan ( People's Daily Aerial photo taken on Aug. 16, 2021, shows the Smederevo steel plant of HBIS Serbia. (HBIS Serbia/Handout via Xinhua) For tourists visiting the historic Serbian city of Smederevo, the sunset over the Danube River near the Smederevo Fortress is a must-see. However, for locals, the most reassuring sight is the white smoke billowing from the chimneys of the blast furnaces at Smederevo Steelworks. Founded in 1913, Smederevo Steelworks was once hailed as "the pride of Serbia." Many local families have members employed at the steel mill, and residents have developed a habit of checking the smokestacks each morning. If smoke is visible, it indicates that the plant is operating normally, providing a sense of stability for the community. The steel plant had previously faced difficulties due to aging equipment and poor management. In April 2016, China's HeSteel Group (HBIS) acquired the plant, helping it overcome the crisis and regain vitality. "Three generations of my family work at the steel plant," an elderly local resident told me. "It was a Chinese company that helped the plant in times of adversity, allowing us to see the light of a better life again." Inside the spacious hot rolling workshop, machines rumble and hot steam rises. The neatly stacked steel products signify the ironclad friendship between China and Serbia, a profound and special relationship that has grown stronger over time. The friendship between China and Serbia is based on mutual respect, trust, and support, strengthened by mutual assistance and solidarity during tough periods. In 2008, after a devastating earthquake struck Wenchuan county in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Serbia immediately provided disaster relief supplies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, China aided Serbia by prioritizing and delivering multiple batches of medical protective equipment and sending an expert team to the country. In Chinese, "iron" is a positive description of strong friendships between people or nations. The Chinese people call Serbia an "ironclad friend" of China. In Serbia, Chinese people can also readily feel the warm feelings and goodwill the Serbian people hold towards them and China. When I passed by a small courtyard in Belgrade, capital of Serbia, a few days ago, I met an elderly lady trimming plants. She had once traveled on the Hungary-Serbia railway, and, after learning that I was from China, she immediately cut a rose and gave it to me. "Thank you, Chinese friends! You helped us build roads and bridges, allowing Serbia's economy and society to develop better. I present this vibrant rose to the Chinese people with my respect," she said. Even mountains and seas cannot distance people with common aspirations. The Danube River flows tirelessly, a constant witness to the ever-strengthening and evolving ironclad friendship between China and Serbia. (Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming) In todays fast-paced world, the demand for digital convenience has become the norm rather than exception. Recognizing this shifting landscape, Bank of Maharashtra is taking significant strides forward through its Internet Banking Platform. Serving as a bridge between traditional banking and digital innovation, the bank introduces an enhanced suite of online banking features through Mahaconnect and MahaSecure. This move not only underscores the Banks commitment to technological advancement but also caters to the evolving financial needs of customers. Mahaconnect: Your Banking Companion Mahaconnect emerges as the ultimate banking companion, offering a secured platform for a wide array of digital banking operations. From e-payment of taxes to utility bill settlements and standing instruction, opening of fixed deposits, customers can seamlessly conduct transaction with utmost convenience and reliability. What sets Mahaconnect apart is not just its user-friendly interface but also the robust security, ensuring the safety of every transaction. Empowering Financial Management For individuals keen on meticulous financial management, Mahaconnect provides a plethora of features for account enquiries right from checking of account balances, accessing mini-statements and many other similar transactions can be completed. Moreover, Mahaconnect extends beyond mere transactional functionalities by allowing users to request services such as stop-payment of cheques, demand draft issuances and even opening new deposit accounts all from the comfort of your place. Streamlined Access Accessing Mahaconnect is hassle-free and straightforward. In order to activate Internet Banking, users can directly download the form from Bank of Maharashtras official website or from any branch. Upon submission, customers received their user IDs and passwords on registered E-mail address of the Bank, unlocking a world of online banking services at their fingertips. MahaSecure: Enhanced Security In the realm of digital banking, security is paramount. Bank of Maharashtra addresses this concern with MahaSecure, protected by the advanced REL-ID security framework, MahaSecure ensures the highest level of security. Whether accessing banking services via desktops, laptops, smartphones or tablets, customers can rest assured knowing that their financial information is safeguarded against potential digital threats. Activating MahaSecure easy, beginning with downloading the app and following a series of simple steps to secure one's banking activities. Users receive activation credentials on their registered mobile number after downloading the application. Access can further be secured by logging into Internet banking at https://www.mahaconnect.in and then entering the activation code on a mobile number. The next step asks users to provide a 4-digit PIN, a secret question, and an answer for future logins. Ensuring a Safe Digital Banking Journey To further enhance security, Bank of Maharashtra offers essential advice to safeguard customers digital banking journey: Refrain from using public computers for banking activities. Follow good password hygiene by choosing complex passwords and changing them periodically Log out of sessions properly to prevent unauthorized access. Disable the browser's Auto Complete feature to ensure login details are not stored. Accessible Assistance and Support For any queries or technical support, Bank of Maharashtras helpdesk is readily available. Customers can unlock user IDs or retrieve passwords through toll-free numbers (1800 233 4526/ 1800 102 2636) or by reaching out via email(mahaconnect@mahabank.co.in), ensuring a smooth and hassle-free online banking experience. Bank of Maharashtras Internet Banking platform mirrors the changing landscape of the financial sector. By providing a blend of essential services via Mahaconnect and MahaSecure, the Bank stands at the forefront, offering its customers the ability to manage their financial lives securely and conveniently, from any location, at any time. As digital convenience continues to reshape banking practices, Bank of Maharashtra remains committed to empowering its customers with innovative solutions that streamline their financial journey in the digital age. To get more information, please visit: https://bankofmaharashtra.in/internet-banking The benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty50, are expected to continue their volatile trend on Thursday, May 9, 2024. This is due to the weak global cues and a muted start signalled by GIFT Nifty futures. Although the GIFT Nifty futures showed slight gains and were trading at 22,388.50, they were still lower compared to Nifty50 futures. Larsen & Toubro: The company has reported a net profit of Rs 4,396 crore for the March quarter, which is a 10 percent increase from the previous year. This figure has surpassed the estimates. Despite a 5 percent decrease in order inflows for the last quarter, the company has seen a 31 percent growth in order inflows for FY24, surpassing Rs 3 trillion. As of 31 March, the company's consolidated order book stands at Rs 4.8 trillion, which is a 20 percent increase from the previous year. Piramal Enterprises: The company announced its decision to merge with its unlisted subsidiary Piramal Capital & Housing Finance, thus avoiding a mandatory public share sale by the unlisted arm. The merger is expected to be completed in nine to 12 months. Bank of Baroda: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has lifted restrictions on the Bank of Baroda (BoB), allowing the bank to onboard new customers to its mobile banking app, Bob World. Tata Power: The net profit of the company in Q4 rose by 15 percent to Rs 895 crore, driven by a strong demand for energy due to heatwaves and increased economic activity in India. The primary revenue source, the transmission and distribution segment, grew by 8.80 percent to Rs 9,025 crore. Overall, revenue from operations increased by 27 percent to Rs 15,847 crore. Tata Power has planned to increase its capital expenditure to Rs 20,000 crore for FY 2024-25. Hero Motocorp: The company announced a standalone net profit of Rs 1,016 crore, marking an 18 percent YoY increase. A final dividend of Rs 40 per share for FY24 was also declared. TVS Motor: In Q4, the company's net profit grew by 18 percent YoY, reaching Rs 485 crore. There was an increase of 24 percent in revenue from operations, totaling Rs 8,169 crores. Additionally, the company's operating EBITDA improved by 100 basis points, reaching 11.1 percent compared to the previous year. BSE: The company's Q4 consolidated net profit rose 20.7 percent YoY to Rs 106.9 crore and consolidated revenue from operations increased by 110.04 percent to Rs 544.8 crore. HDFC Life: The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI) has approved the appointment of Keki Mistry as the non-executive chairman of HDFC Life. Godrej Agrovet: The company reported a threefold YoY jump in net profit at Rs 65.5 crore for Q4. The company's revenue from operations increased 1.9 percent to Rs 2,134.3 crore. NBCC (India): The company has secured projects worth Rs 400 crore, including the development of Amrapali Vananchal City in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, and Amrapali Cosmos in Aluva, Ernakulam district of Kerala. Kirloskar Oil Engines: The company's net sales increased by 21 percent to Rs 1,378 crore, while standalone net profit grew 26 percent to Rs 128 crore in Q4. Gujarat State Petronet: The company reported a 22.2 percent YoY increase in net profit at Rs 663.1 crore for Q4. The company's revenue from operations increased 5.9 percent to Rs 4,522.2 crore. Asahi India Glass: Inox Air Products has signed a 20-year agreement with Asahi India Glass (AIS) to supply green hydrogen to the glass maker's new facility in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan. ABB India: The company is anticipated to announce a growth of 15-18 percent in quarterly revenue compared to the previous year, which amounts to approximately Rs 2,845.2 crore. Additionally, the net profit of the company is expected to rise by 22-33 percent from the previous year. The Q4FY24 results of the company will be released on Thursday, May 9. Delta Corp: The company is planning to establish a platform for real estate development that will focus on residential redevelopment in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and plotted development in and around MMR, Alibagh, Khopoli, Karjat, and Pune. This platform will be formed in collaboration with Alpha Alternatives Fund Advisors LLP and its affiliates (AA group) as well as Peninsula Land. The total investment in this venture will be Rs 765 crore. Axis Bank: Axis Bank is targeting mid-sized multinational companies in its corporate banking division and is hiring Asian expatriates to assist in winning business in this area, which is the fastest-growing business for the bank. Mahindra & Mahindra: The The Mahindra and Mahindra merger with Mahindra Heavy Engines (MHEL), Mahindra Two Wheelers (MTWL), and Trringo.com (TCL) has been approved by the National Company Law Tribunal's Mumbai bench. India Shelter Finance Corporation: The company's net profit in the March quarter rose by 47 percent to Rs 78 crore, driven by a 40 percent expansion in business. The company's assets under management increased to Rs 6084 crore by the end of March. Navneet Education: The company has agreed to sell a 5.12 percent stake in K12 Techno Services to Venturi Partners for Rs 225.2 crore. Navneet Learning LLP, a subsidiary of Navneet Education, will retain a 14.35 percent stake in the company. ESAF Small Finance Bank: The bank's Q4 net profit dropped 57.2 percent YoY to Rs 43.4 crore. However, net interest income increased by 18.4 percent, and gross non-performing assets stood at 4.76 percent. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Twenty-nine new police officers have been assigned to Staten Island, officials said. First Executive Assistant District Attorney Tom Ridges joined the NYPD for the new officer orientation Wednesday at the 121st Precinct stationhouse in Graniteville. While Staten Island remains the safest borough in New York City by far and the safest community of its size in country, theres no doubt that a historically depleted police force has hampered law enforcements ability to investigate, deter, and solve crime, said District Attorney Michael E. McMahon. However, after persistent public calls from my office, Im proud to announce that 29 new officers have been assigned to patrol our beloved borough. McMahon pointed out that the influx of officers brings the boroughs headcount to approximately 750 NYPD officers, which he believes will help keep Staten Islanders safe. I am grateful to the mayor and our partners in the NYPD for heeding our clarion call, McMahon said. McMahon has previously called for more police officers in the borough. Last June, he pointed to a historic low in terms of the head count for the Police Department, citing 200 fewer cops in the borough than there were the year before. That same month, Chief Jeffrey Maddrey announced that 40 additional cops from outside of Staten Island would come to the borough to assist officers, specifically in the 120th Precinct, following an uptick in gun violence. Yankees legends Tino Martinez and Nick Swisher weighed in on the current state of MLB umpiring at the premiere for YES Networks The Story of My Number on Monday at Manhattans Paley Museum. The controversy surrounding umpires and bad calls is nothing new, but continues to be a heated issue, especially with the technological advances being tested in the minor leagues. Its always been that way, Martinez told Fox News Scott Thompson. Theres good umpires and theres bad umpires. Some umpires enjoy being bad umpires. They like to get on the fans nerves and those guys know who they are. I think thats part of their deal, but its unclear to players in certain games, especially the playoffs and World Series. Want to bet on MLB? See the best NYC Sports Betting sites Yankees fans erupted in chants of UMP YOU SUCK when captain Aaron Judge was ejected during last Saturdays 5-3 win over the Detriot Tigers. It was the first time in Judges career hed ever been ejected. Thats terrible, Martinez said. Aaron Judge never loses his temper and he didnt in that situation either. He walked away, he wasnt in the umpires face. He walked away like he shouldve done, and he put him out, which was a little too much by the umpire. Last month, Texas Rangers pitcher Max Scherzer suggested a relegation system for umpires, with the worst ball-strike umpires being demoted to the minors. We need to rank the umpires, Scherzer told the Dallas Morning News. Let the electronic strike zone rank the umpires. We need to have a conversation about the bottom lets call it 10% whatever you want to declare the bottom is, and talk about relegating those umpires to the minor leagues. Swisher said he agreed with Scherzers idea of implementing a system for umpires. Listen, man, theres some systems in place that we have as athletes, Swisher told Fox News Digital. If you dont post [good stats], prepare and compete properly at the big league level, you get demoted to the minor leagues. So, I think the same should be for umpires as well. Why should you not want to have a tier system, just like what Max Scherzer was saying? I thought there was a lot of validity to that. State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Postal Code With the US being the worlds largest producer and exporter of oil and gas, there is also stronger interest in the sector there and better support from US and international investors. While the market dynamics have seen some UK and European companies, particularly (but not exclusively) tech and biotech companies, shift their listings to the US, they are not the primary reason energy companies have considered the move. Nor is the post-Brexit decline in the status of Londons market a major factor, although what was once the global hub for resources investment has been fading as some of its larger listings, like BHPs UK listing, have disappeared or as will happen if BHP succeeds with its Anglo-American bid -- London-listed miners have been acquired. The US companies are pursuing growth strategies. Their trans-Atlantic competitors arent. The more material influence on the oil majors valuations than the nature of their domestic markets is the extent to which policymakers and investors in the UK and Europe have responded to climate change and the way that has, and is, shaping the growth strategies of companies like TotalEnergies, Shell and BP. Exxon and Chevron are aggressively growing their oil and gas production volumes and investing in increasing their output even as, across the Atlantic, TotalEnergies, Shell and BP are pursuing carbon emissions reduction-related strategies that will eventually see their volumes decline. Loading The US companies are pursuing growth strategies. Their transatlantic competitors arent. Shell and BP have received significant criticism recently for slowing the rate at which their fossil fuel volumes are scheduled to fall. BP, for instance, had a 2020 plan to cut its oil and gas production by 40 per cent by 2030 from 2019. Last year, the target was shifted to 25 per cent by 2030, with the 35 to 40 per cent target for its own carbon emissions revised to between 20 and 30 per cent. Shell, which had said it would reduce its output by 1 or 2 per cent a year through to the end of the decade, last year restated its plan. It now expects flat volumes through to 2030 and, where it had planned to reduce investment in oil and gas and increase its spending on low-carbon products, it will now invest $US40 billion in oil and gas by 2035, against the $US10 to $US15 billion it will spend in those low-carbon products. The backlash against BP and Shell was strong because European and UK fund managers, retail investors and their governments are far more committed to environmental, social and governance policies than most US fund managers and other investors. In the US, where President Joe Biden has presided over a massive increase in US oil and gas production and Donald Trump is promising to drill, baby, drill if he regains the presidency, there has recently been something of a backlash against ESG investment policies. The stronger emissions reduction frameworks in Europe and the UK (and successful legal actions by environmental activists) have forced their oil and gas companies to pursue strategies that have resulted in them constraining their oil and gas investment and production while building a presence in greener technologies and fuels. Loading From the companies perspective and that of prospective investors less concerned about fossil fuels the pressure to reduce their oil and gas production and invest in renewables and hydrogen will deliver lower returns than the more aggressively pro-fossil fuel strategies pursued by Exxon and Chevron. When BP unveiled its new timetable for responding to climate change, it said that it generated returns on investment of 15 to 20 per cent from its fossil fuel projects. The returns from bioenergy were about 15 per cent, but they were only 6 to 8 per cent from renewables like solar and wind. Its not surprising that it decided to invest more in oil and gas and biofuels than in renewables. Theres a relatively recent view among the majors, one that arguably was held earlier and more strongly by the US companies, that the transition to cleaner energy is going to take longer and, if it is to be relatively smooth, will require more investment in fossil fuels to maintain energy supply than was once projected. That view doesnt sit well with ESG-sensitive European or British investors. At the same time, the significant and still-growing presence of lower-returning assets in their portfolios and the absence of the production growth strategies of Exxon and Chevron deter those investors less fussed about investing in fossil fuels. The sheer size of the combined operations makes it one of the biggest lithium brine projects in South America. Pan Asia is in discussions with geophysics and drilling service providers and plans to begin drilling at the Pink project as soon as possible. A strategic advantage at Tama Atacama is altitude. Management says at some 800m to 1100m, it is one of the lowest brine projects in its South American peer group, has major road and energy infrastructure passing by or through all holdings and it is only about 40km to 60km from the coast. The popular coastal holiday destination of Iquique is about 75km by road from the Pink prospect and has a deep-water port and commercial airport. Importantly for the proposed lithium brine production, the project sits in a hyper-arid environment, with little to no rainfall and extreme evaporation conditions. Pan Asia Metals chairman and managing director Paul Lock said: The low-cost philosophy often falls on deaf ears during the price-cycle high, but the importance of a projects actual or potential cost curve position becomes very apparent at the commodity price-cycle low. PAMs South American and South East Asian projects are located in very low cost environments and proximal to lithium chemical and EV/Li-ion battery manufacturing. Both projects are set apart from their peer groups on a number of levels, offering strategic advantages which are difficult to emulate. Management says lithium has come off a three-year low of about US$13,000 (AU$19,743) a tonne from December through February and despite the price-cycle low, low-cost projects still pumped out profits. Macquaries Metals and Mining research team recently published a cost curve identifying low-cost sources of lithium, which included South American brines as the lowest-cost and high-grade lepidolite. However, the company adds that the lithium source is not the only factor worth considering as environment and proximity are also important. The salt flats of Chile host two of the worlds biggest lithium operators SQM and Albemarle in South Americas celebrated Atacama region. SQM produces lithium carbonate at its Salar del Carmen plant, which is close to the northern Chilean port city of Antofagasta, from solutions with high lithium concentrations extracted from the Salar de Atacama. Albemarle began to produce lithium carbonate at its La Negra facility from lithium brines back in 1984. In 1998, a lithium chloride plant in La Negra was brought on-stream where production capacity has been expanded to meet the needs of the growing demand. Dubbed the Lithium Triangle, the area between Chile, Bolivia and Argentina, contains about 54 per cent of the worlds lithium reserves. The United States Geological Survey says Chile alone has 9.6 million tonnes of lithium reserves and accounted for 30 per cent of global lithium production last year. Pan Asia Metals Tama Atacama project is near the Chilean port city of Iquique. In April last year, the Chilean Government announced a broad restructuring of the local lithium industry that will see it partner with local leaseholders. Private companies producing lithium in Chile must now adopt the direct extraction method in order to link up with the government and operate in the country. Direct extraction refers to a growing suite of technologies that directly extract lithium salt from brine through processing rather than the existing method that allows the sun to dry out the lithium brine after it has been distributed into massive ponds. The brine is a salty solution sitting below the earths crust, generally below salt lakes. The raw brine is about three times as salty as sea water and the salt-rich solution has a high mineral concentration that includes lithium and a host of other minerals. While it is still early days for Pan Asia and its Chilean brine venture, the government has released a policy framework allowing companies to apply for a special lithium operation contract. About 1200sq km of Pan Asias tenements meet the framework requirements. Plans are already in place for a drill campaign aimed at identifying lithium-bearing aquifers at depth. Once identified, management has its sights set on defining an initial mineral resource before the end of the year. Pan Asia is also seeking to raise up to $2 million through a private placement with professional and sophisticated investors through an offer of 13c per share. The raise includes $165,000 in board participation, with 15.4 million shares on offer and funds will be used to conduct field work and geophysics at Tama Atacama, in addition to initial reconnaissance drilling at the site. While it is the companys first foray into lithium brines, it is no stranger to exploring for the important battery metal. Just today, Pan Asia revealed it had identified a big lepidolite pegmatite swarm measuring 800m long and 350m wide at its Reung Kiet lithium project in Thailand. Hand-held X-ray fluorescence analysis of 46 rock chip samples from the swarm returned highly-elevated pathfinder elements including rubidium and caesium. The company has identified a mineral resource estimate of 14.8 million tonnes at a grade of 0.45 per cent lithium oxide, or about 164,500 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent, at Reung Kiet. Pan Asia says it will continue to explore its Thailand tenements as it looks to take advantage of being one of the only lithium explorers in Southeast Asia and it is in pole position to supply the regions burgeoning battery industry due to its geographical location. Management also plans to use funds from its placement on testwork and a prefeasibility study (PFS) at Reung Kiet, in addition to developing a mineral resource at the nearby Bang I Tum prospect, just a few kilometres north of its major Thailand site. But the market will no doubt keep a close eye on what the company can deliver at its new Chilean operation where it holds a sizeable chunk of land in an area with known lithium brine production. One of the driest places on Earth may just become a river of hope. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au 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 Joel Bray reached adulthood he gave God an ultimatum. For 18 years hed been a dutiful member of the Pentecostal church, but whenever his fellow faithful spoke in tongues or fainted in ecstasy, hed have to pretend. Hed never felt the presence of the Holy Spirit, and he endured the sermons that spoke of his queerness as a sin. Finally he decided his relationship with the Lord was a little too one-sided. He walked into an empty church one mid-week morning. OK, God, he said aloud. I know Im queer. You know Im queer. But I think Im done with the church and I think Im done with you. Its been 18 years, so I just wanted to give you one last right of reply. He waited for a clap of thunder or some white doves to descend. Nothing. But I remember this very clear sense of relief, he says now. A softening. In a way it was my first spiritual experience, ironically. I never looked back. I never went to church again, never talked to God again, and I became one of the gayest people I know. Built a whole art practice around it. Joel Bray: I wanted to become one of those really famous, really rich evangelists. Credit: Simon Schluter Today, Bray is one of Australias most lauded choreographers, with a swag of awards under his belt and a distinct authorial voice. His works are spaces in which his Wiradjuri kin and nightclub peers can dance shoulder to shoulder, contemporary dance floors drawing together history, family and the complexities of identity. Until now, though, hes never included his religious upbringing in that mix. Homo Pentecostus fuses dance and text as Bray reckons with the legacy of the church in ways that have surprised even him. It could very easily have been that this inner-city, atheist, queer man makes a show about how ridiculous the Pentecostals are in their fundamentalist faith, and how homophobic they are. It could have been a show that the audience could anticipate. Advertisement But during development he teamed up with actor Peter Paltos, who by coincidence had been a Pentecostal in his late teens and early 20s. Paltos has since left the church but, unlike Bray, he doesnt consider himself a non-believer. Ive maintained a spiritual practice. A non-denominational Christian-ish New Agey practice outside the church. As soon as Paltos began working with Bray, the whole dynamic of Homo Pentecostus began to shift. Having this person going actually I do believe in something has meant that the work has become less about dragging the Pentecostal church through the mud and much more exploring what it means to be a queer person in 2024 and engaging with spirituality, Bray says. Joel Bray, right, with Peter Paltos, who brought a shift in focus to the work. Credit: Simon Schluter Those outside the Pentecostal church might vaguely know it as the happy-clappy, song-and-dance wing of Christianity. They believe in the Bible and Jesus and everything, but theyre glossy. Theyve updated the image and the branding. Instead of the music being an organ, its a rocknroll band. Instead of wearing robes, the pastor is wearing jeans and a T-shirt. It feels like the religion of our era in late-stage capitalism, Bray says. Its got that Steve-Jobs-giving-a-keynote thing. I was drunk on that power. I was preaching at 16 to a congregation of adults ... and everyones going amen! Joel Bray Paltos wasnt raised in the church, but for a while it seemed like the best option going. I come from a family that is Armenian, Egyptian and Greek, so theres Orthodox roots on both sides. Its pretty churchy. It felt like there was no escaping that, and Pentecostalism, because of being glossy and alt and rocknroll and teen-friendly, it was a good way to not be queer, basically. The church promised both men a way of dealing with sexuality through denial. Or, as the Pentecostalism called it, faith healing. That experience makes its way into Homo Pentecostus. It was tragicomedy. It was weird, wonderful and horrible all at the same time, so it makes wonderful theatre, says Bray. Advertisement As a dancer, Bray has found that his history in the church has left roots deep in his body. During a pre-development period, he was improvising with another dancer who had been raised a Mormon. She was doing all these movements that were very linear, getting down on her knees and pointing her fingers and it was very kind of judgmental. Whereas I was all hands up in the air, very circular, rolling around, falling, speaking in gibberish. Joe Bray and Peter Paltos both spent time in the Pentecostal church. Credit: Simon Schluter Loading He had a realisation: you can take the choreographer out of the church, but you cant take the church out of the choreographer. It makes sense in hindsight. For the most formative 18 years of my life I had moved in this certain way and hadnt clocked that its in every show I do. For those who know his previous work, which includes Daddy, I Liked it, BUT and Biladurang (memorably staged in a hotel room), its not such a revelation. Perhaps more than any of his contemporaries, Brays practice is known for producing a sense of communal experience among strangers. Theyre rituals that might be described as participatory or immersive, but unlike most forms of audience interaction theyre the kinds of ceremonies that invoke a sense of connection and welcome rather than deer-in-the-headlights terror. Joel Bray in, clockwise from top left, Chunky Moves Dharawungara, Daddy (also bottom left) and Biladurang. What is a surprise, however, is how Brays ability to weave beguiling theatre was this close to being used for very different ends. Not long before he left the church, hed been planning to become a Pentecostal pastor himself. I was drunk on that power. I was preaching at 16 to a congregation of adults. And then when youre preaching, everyones going amen!, so maybe thats why I make participatory work, because I need my audience to be constantly responding. Advertisement After time as Manning Clarks research assistant from 1966-68, she joined the Australian Public Service as a policy analyst in 1974. Here she worked on the childrens commission and in the office of womens affairs within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, where she could influence policy on childcare, womens refuges and community health centres. After the fall of the Whitlam government in 1975, Ryan began a distinguished academic career spanning more than four decades. An emeritus professor at the University of Newcastle, she previously held academic appointments at three Australian universities, beginning in 1977 in the school of humanities at Griffith University, later taking up leadership roles as a professor in womens studies at Flinders University and foundation professor of Australian studies at the University of Newcastle, where she was also head of school in humanities. Whitlam Supergirls Dany Torsh, Eva Cox, Suzanne Baker, Anne Summers, Elizabeth Reid and Ryan in 1973. Credit: Canberra Times She was a leader in the developing field of Australian womens history, taking a position first as reader and then professor of womens studies at Flinders University between 1986 and 1998. This period was notable for key publications on abortion, womens magazines and her Bibliography of Australian Womens History (with Susan Magarey, 1990). Ryan became a target in what were known as the Australian history wars of the early 2000s when her critics downplayed the role of colonial frontier violence in Australian history. Ryans own response to the history wars was what Curthoys called a rigorous, public-facing study of frontier violence and massacres, initially in Tasmania and then across the continent. She helped to show that rather than being rare, massacre was a key tool of colonisation and far more extensive than historians had previously realised. Ryan felt that cartography provided the best means for a wider audience to read the results of this research, identifying location, context and sources of evidence. By degrees, the digital massacre map emerged. Based at the University of Newcastle, the interactive online map was created and co-curated by Ryan and a team of scholars. Stage four of the project was completed in 2022, with an updated estimate of more than 400 frontier massacres that took place from the late-18th through to the early-20th centuries. The map attracted international attention and recognition followed. Loading Described as nation defining, and as a cartographic memorial, a shimmering testimony to a moral truth which is at once overwhelming and undeniable, the map won a slew of major honours in 2018/19: the Australian & New Zealand Cartographic Societys GeoCart Award for Best Digital Map; the NSW Premiers History Award for Digital History, and the Walkley Award for Indigenous Affairs Reporting, shared with the Guardian Australia team that produced The Killing Times. As a historian of violence, Ryan co-edited several ground-breaking anthologies such as Theatres of Violence (with Philip Dwyer, 2012), Remembering the Myall Creek Massacre (with Jane Lydon, 2018) and Aftermaths: Colonialism, Violence and Memory in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific (with Angela Wanhalla and Camille Nurka, 2023). Violent Empires: Killing and Colonialism in the Age of Revolution, 1780-1820, a book co-authored with Philip Dwyer, Barbara Mann and Nigel Penn, is scheduled for publication in 2025. In the final weeks of her life, Ryan was working on a book about her mothers contributions to feminism and the labour movement. In recent years, Ryan gained many awards. In 2018, she was elected a fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and in 2019 became a member of the Order of Australia. The award citations recognised her outstanding contribution to higher education, particularly to Indigenous history and womens studies. A Festschrift in late 2020 at the University of Newcastle featuring presenters from all parts of her academic career testified to the breadth and depth of her intellectual life and its widespread influences. She was a recipient of one of the Australian Academy of the Humanities inaugural lifetime achievement awards in 2022. She was central to the expansion of interdisciplinary approaches to the past and present, which she had first developed through her post at Griffith University. Ryan also played an instrumental role in shaping the University of Newcastles frontier campus on the NSW Central Coast at Ourimbah. As head of school she was visionary, innovative and a champion of interdisciplinarity, envisioning it as a vital tool for colleagues to prepare students for a changing future. Her vision and support were also vital in linking the creative arts with the local community on the Central Coast. Ryan was also known for her love of fashion, which she reinvented to create her own style: a penchant for the colour red and the occasional quirky accessory, sometimes accompanied by a stylish hat. She was also fond of the odd fancy dress, testifying to her wry sense of humour and her whimsical side as well as her ability not to take herself too seriously. One of her great talents lay in making and nurturing friendships, as well as in creating networks in both her personal and professional life. A member of a small group of six friends forged in the senior years of high school, these friendships endured for a lifetime notwithstanding geographical distance. Two of those friends, Gabrielle and Jeanette, were at her bedside in the final days. An outpouring of deep respect for Lyndall Ryan the woman and scholar followed her passing. Professor Alan Lester from the University of Sussex noted: Her work on the frontier massacres map will always be a vindication of truth telling in history. Ryan was was visionary, innovative and a champion of interdisciplinarity. Long-term friend Professor Anne Summers lamented: Such a loss. Such a brilliant mind. And a good fun friend. Others did not know her personally but were nevertheless profoundly influenced by her work. Glad to have the brightness of research, evidence, compassion, justice that Ryan forged and represents to hang onto in these times. As the Australian Historical Association perceptively noted: Few in our profession have had a greater impact on the way Australians understand their collective past. Note, I said talk, not berate or lecture. Since October 7, so much of the debate around Gaza has felt like a lecture aimed at inflaming the situation further, particularly at the expense of anyone visibly identifying as Jewish or Muslim. Supporters of Israel and Palestine shake hands after they sit down to discuss the war in Gaza at the Monash encampment. Credit: Justin McManus One of the sad legacies of our individualistic response to COVID-19, particularly in Victoria, appears to be our inability to stop and listen to another side. University lecturers unskilled in managing poor behaviour in class have been struggling with some students, who missed years of learning about respectful debate in high school. It is not surprising that some Jewish students and staff feel threatened. Some of the rhetoric yelled at them can sound brutal. Vigorous debate should never spill into abuse. The Israeli militarys actions in Gaza are actually brutal more than 30,000 deaths and counting, a large proportion of those children, according to Gazas health ministry, and the systematic destruction of basic supports for life in a territory that is home to more than 2 million people. In my own industry-focused university, the RMIT students have been late to the protest party, with students at both Melbourne and Monash universities joining their US counterparts weeks ago. Its not entirely surprising. Theres generally only a small subsection of students who can afford to protest. The students of 2024 that I observe often work multiple jobs to afford to live while studying, and those who hail from lower socio-economic groups or migrant backgrounds are largely terrified of being caught in a police or a university disciplinary action. Loading But the 25 tents set up on RMITs artificial grass lawns on Monday night signalled to the university at large that the students are back, and they want to engage in the big issues. Understanding whats going on in Gaza, and why it has come to this, is a conversation that takes longer than a recorded university lecture, and what better way for those long conversations to occur than around a heater on a cold autumn night. Jewish people are among the campus campers and their sympathisers. They are among the most interesting voices, because of the position from which they speak. Its been a long time since there were student demonstrations on campus. Before COVID-19, Students for Climate Change were making regular and noisy protests about the need for us to do things differently. I miss their reminders that we all need to do better. I have wondered why there havent been some about Ukraine, particularly after reports this week that Russia has been using chemical choking agents, in violation of international laws banning their use. Maybe its because the atrocities are not being committed in our name, in that Australia and the US alliance are perceived to clearly be on the right side in that one. Loading Student protests do work. There is a well-known and much-celebrated history of protests in the US that have helped end wars and halt some forms of racial discrimination. Australias student protest history has generally followed the US, with debates around the Vietnam War, capitalism, gender and race, as well as Indigenous issues and logging in native forests. The closest my own university has come to a serious protest was decades ago when students, upset by the introduction of up-front university fees, smashed into a Swanston Street finance office and occupied it for 27 days. Its hard to know when the Palestinian encampments might disband this time. While the Students for Palestine have called for all universities globally to disclose which military contractors they work with, and to divest from them, the RMIT students have gone a step further, demanding that the Sir Lawrence Wackett Defence and Aerospace Centre close. The centre lists partnerships with firms Thales, BAE, Raytheon, the US Department of Defence, and Lockheed Martin. Loading For a young person concerned about defence contractors, such demands make sense. For university administrators, perhaps the link is not so clear. Theres an old saying, attributed to various historical figures, that if youre not a liberal at 20, you have no heart, and not a capitalist by 40, you have no brain. Perhaps this generation of students can come up with a solution that is both heart and brain. Because every generation before them has been unable to do anything to find a sustainable long-term peaceful existence in the Middle East. Brisbane City Councils Labor opposition has questioned why the Schrinner administration decided to send almost as many people to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games as the state government, despite not being directly responsible for Games delivery in 2032. The councils civic cabinet, chaired by Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, approved travel for deputy mayor Krista Adams, Central Ward councillor Vicki Howard and three senior council officers to go to Paris for a total cost of $123,500. Brisbane City Council will spend nearly $125,000 sending representatives to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Credit: Getty It was understood Adams would pay for her own flights, as she already had plans to be overseas on personal travel. Labor opposition leader Jared Cassidy said it was right that, as a future host city, Brisbane be represented at the Paris Games. The maximum speed limit across two inner-Melbourne suburbs has been dropped to 30km/h after the state government approved a two-year council trial aimed at reducing serious crashes. The new limit will apply to vehicles and trams on almost every street in Fitzroy and Collingwood, capping them at lower than the 40km/h school zones across the state. New 30km/h speed limit signs have been put up across local streets in the City of Yarra. Credit: Jason South The only thoroughfares not included are major state-managed roads Johnston, Nicholson and Hoddle streets and Alexandra and Victoria parades. But the City of Yarra is also campaigning for limits on its exempt roads Nicholson, Alexandra Parade, Johnston, Victoria and Hoddle to be reduced to either 40km/h or 60km/h. A council in Melbournes west has banned a developer from selling any more properties until it builds a new road and a bridge near a dangerously congested intersection that is the only way in and out of an emerging housing estate. Residents of the incomplete Creekstone estate in Tarneit on Melbournes western fringe fear it is only a matter of time until someone is hurt or killed in a car crash due to the worsening traffic chaos, and complain that they also have no safe way to walk or ride out of their neighbourhood. Residents of Creekstone estate in Tarneit, where the Wyndham council has barred the developer from selling any more properties until it installs traffic lights at the only road in and out. Credit: Justin McManus Their pleas over many months have prompted Wyndham City Council to take a hard legal line in its dispute with the developer, Macson Developments. It is refusing to issue the company with any more of the statements of compliance it needs to sell new home and land packages until the infrastructure is built. Macson estimates that the councils ultimatum will stall development on about 1000 planned homes in the estate. Thank you for joining us on state budget day. A warning. Get your umbrellas out the Bureau of Meteorology says Perth will be battered by thunderstorms on Friday as it issues a severe weather warning for the south west. Senior Meteorologist Angus Hines said the rain was a due to a cold front heading our way bringing an end to this unseasonably warm week weve been having. He said temperatures in Perth on Thursday were nearly 5 degrees above the average for this time of year at 27 degrees. Storms are predicted for Friday. Credit: Eddie Jim He said most places across WA were between two and five degrees above the norm for this time of the year, bringing with it high fire danger ratings. But that will all change tomorrow with a cold front approaching from the south west. It looks like it will be a bit of a vigorous front, Hines said. It will bring with it some rain and some storms. Hines said the majority of the weather will be seen between Geraldton and Albany. He said the storm could bring heavy rain, which could cause some flash flooding and damaging winds which could bring down trees and cause power outages. The potential is even there for some large hail, which can damage property and can damage crops as well, Hines said. Good night and we look forward to your company again tomorrow. The sight of a university student pledging unconditional support for a listed terrorist group takes the argument about campus protests well beyond a relaxed discussion on youthful ideals. A few weeks ago, it might have been possible to shrug off the protests as free speech with no consequences, but the camps are now a political test for all sides. Seven months after Hamas terrorists crossed into Israel and murdered an estimated 1200 people and committed rape and torture against women it seems unfathomable that a young Australian could have any sympathy for the group. Yet, that is what Australian National University student Beatrice Tucker declared last week. At the pro-Palestinian encampment at Monash University on Wednesday, a clash developed with security when pro-Israel supporters attempted to storm the stage where speeches were being conducted. Credit: Justin McManus I actually say that Hamas deserves our unconditional support, she told the ABC in Canberra. Tucker said she disagreed with the Hamas strategy, but she would not condemn the October 7 attacks. Bear in mind the government has classified Hamas as a terrorist organisation for years. Yes, the Palestinian side says more than 34,500 of its people have died since Israel went to war in Gaza. The killing is horrific. The fact remains that Hamas engages in terrorism. Hundreds of protesters are now camped on university lawns in support of Palestine and against Israel, while vice chancellors wonder about how to respond and Jewish community leaders demand action to break up the camps. Australia has not seen the violence of protests in the United States but tempers are raw. It is not hard to see the fury could turn into fighting. Sydney and Monash universities have urged students protesting against the war in Gaza to stop using phrases such as intifada and from the river to the sea, as Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus dismissed a request from Australias top tertiary institutions for urgent legal advice on the slogans. Dreyfus noted that people could already make a complaint under section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, under which it is an offence to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate another person or a group of people, if they were concerned about the use of the phrases. A clash developed at a pro-Palestinian encampment at Monash University on Wednesday when pro-Israel supporters attempted to storm a stage where speeches were being conducted. Credit: Justin McManus The Group of Eight leading universities wrote to Dreyfus on Wednesday requesting formal advice on whether the pro-Palestinian call for an intifada was in breach of federal law. Intifada is an Arabic word for popular uprising, but the Anti-Defamation League, founded a century ago to counter the vilification of Jews, argues it is a slogan that calls for indiscriminate violence against Israel. 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 Some books can be challenging (Christou: Ive not read the book, May 9). For instance, the polyamory implied in Snow White shacking up with seven dwarfs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, could well be about exploring self-identity, then theres that cross-dressing wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. The point is, dont take books out of the library that you are uncomfortable with or do not want your children to read. Just stop bullying the rest of us with different beliefs to yourselves by dictating what we can and cannot choose to do. Alicia Dawson, Balmain Time to book. Credit: Cathy Wilcox Im appalled by the decision by six members of Cumberland Council to ban a book from the local library which features families with same-sex parents. No child has a choice about the family they are born into, but they should have a right to read books about families like theirs. What message do these councillors think that they are sending to children with same-sex parents? How do they think the children will feel: Confused, hurt, anxious? We already have a mental health epidemic among our youth. The six Cumberland councillors can only exacerbate this problem by not affirming the value of all children, no matter what family they live in. Sandra Bassin, Coogee Under what law can a council, indeed any level of government, ban gay parenting books? Or any parenting books? Or any gay books? Does the Anti-Discrimination Act (NSW) not apply to local councils? Deborah Corrigall, Cammeray In the 1970s, a local councillor moved that the library manager (myself) remove from the library any copy of the Little Red Schoolbook, a controversial publication written by two Danish schoolteachers. When pressed by another councillor in the ensuing debate, his response was I wouldnt read the filthy thing, I heard about it in the Catholic Weekly. Motion lost. History repeats in Cumberland. Nora Hinchen, St Leonards I suspect that there are many people in the Cumberland Council area that find the holy books in the council libraries offensive for their anti-science, illogical, misogynistic, racist, homophobic, and violent content. Is there any consideration to ban these tomes? I hope not. I enjoy historical fiction. Paul Doyle, Glenbrook That a mere six people can rid a library of any book already on the shelves and used by library members is totally unacceptable. It is a self-righteous and discriminatory action to be deplored by the community at large. Councillors are not elected to be censors. Shame on those voters. Gabrielle Merten, Bondi Beach Advertisement Does Councillor Steve Christou not understand how libraries operate? That you, or the parent of a child, choose which books you do or do not borrow? That no one is being forced to read a particular book. Perhaps someone would be so kind as to explain this to him. Helen Robilliard, Rodd Point Its disturbing the councillors power and influence is accompanied by so little knowledge and understanding. Christou clearly hasnt got a clue about what sexualisation is, which in this day and age in a person in public office is, quite frankly, frightening. And for them to believe that in a diverse and multicultural society, or any society for that matter, its possible to align a public library collection with one set of beliefs is, just as frankly, plain witless. Prue Nelson, Cremorne Point In 2021, I began working in western Sydney, spending time in the various LGAs that make up this fantastic part of Sydney. The recent decisions by councillors at Cumberland Council dont reflect my experience of the warm, kind and generous communities that Ive encountered. Ive met many wonderful people from a range of cultural and religious backgrounds who have been nothing but genuinely welcoming, inclusive and engaged with this resident of, dare I say it, Newtown. Michael Sharp, Newtown Labors drinks the Kool-Aid on nations gas-led recovery The Albanese governments stubborn commitment to gas demonstrates a woeful lack of forward-thinking and planning for the future (Labors promise: cheap gas for years, May 9). Australia, along with every other country, should be in the process of phasing out fossil fuels, including gas, if we are to avoid the worst of global heating, climate change, more frequent extreme weather events, and huge financial costs. Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin (ACT) Natural gas is a relatively clean fossil fuel, and while we are still developing renewable energy sources, it should be extracted and used. Theres no point leaving it in the ground if there is a genuine domestic need and demand for it. The only issue is the price we must pay for it. Gas extracted in Australian territory must first be offered to Australian households at a fair price, and the excess can then be flogged off to overseas purchasers for whatever they are willing to pay. Greg Cantori, Alfords Point Some take the view that renewables on their own cant provide the reliable energy supply that we need. And, unfortunately, it seems that Labor has drunk the Kool-Aid. Recently, Australian energy producers have been advocating that they are doing a good thing by producing gas, as the sun and wind cant be relied on to produce energy all the time, whereas gas can be turned on and off when needed. Havent they heard of batteries which can store power for later use? Or a network (noting that in a country the size of Australia, there should be sunshine or wind somewhere)? Are they really concerned about doing the right thing by us or for themselves? David Rush, Lawson Advertisement We produce and export more gas than almost any country in the world. We are, therefore, one of the worst contributors to climate change. When will this government take the enormous threat of climate change seriously, and dispense with the lie of a gas led recovery. We need to be a good global citizen, follow the pleas and guidelines of the IPCC and keep fossil fuels in the ground; not act in the very selfish way we are. Peggy Fisher, Manly ALPG. Credit: Matt Golding What? Outrageous! An outbreak of sanity? From a Labor government? The Greens and Peter Dutton will go nuclear. I even forgot to put sugar in my coffee. Urk. Look, face it this is our only practical solution, just so long as fracking is banned. Dont make a bad situation any worse. Now, one question for our PM: What will you do with Chris Wind or Nothing Bowen? Hogtied and gagged in some dingy Canberra basement, perhaps? Les Tomlinson, Berowra Heights My promise: Labor, youve lost my vote. I will no longer vote for the lesser of two evils, we need meaningful action on climate change now. Peter Newberry, Kingsford New airport needs reliable rail links, not buses stuck in traffic Southwest Sydney is missing out on a fast rail to Western Sydney Airport (Itll be faster by train to old airport than by bus to new one, May 9). The decision to run rapid buses that only come every half hour and take more than an hour from Campbelltown to Western Sydney Airport is a missed opportunity to enact a near shovel-ready project to extend the South West Rail Link from Leppington. Campbelltown to Western Sydney Airport via Glenfield interchange on Sydney Trains would be possible in about 50 minutes with trains running more often than every half hour. Roydon Ng, Berala Advertisement Transport for NSW is planning to run buses every 30 minutes to the new curfew-free airport from 5am to 10 pm. Thats a bus service over a span of 17 hours for a 24-hour airport. This must be the first international airport with no curfew for planes but a curfew for public transport to get there. Doug Walker, Baulkham Hills Didnt we read just a few days ago how hard it is to find all the new bus drivers when the Sydenham to Bankstown rail line soon closes for a year, or (probably) more, during construction of a new metro line? Good luck, then, with finding drivers willing to compete with traffic snarls, and co-operate with shift and changeover requirements on the multiple routes to and from the new airport. Investment in more efficient and faster rail services is surely a better idea than adding more lumbering, prehistoric bus services. Frederick Jansohn, Rose Bay Teal appeal Shaun Carney bemoans the state of Australian politics with the electorate deserting parties and foresees minority government with the messiness that involves (Albaneses is an experimental government and it looks like the experiment is failing, May 9). But people have not deserted politics. The enthusiasm underlying the rise of the teals was remarkable. They embraced a way of getting rid of a terrible Coalition government which had deserted Menzies founding principles. The teals look set to contest the next election with even more candidates. It is not an accident that they are mostly women. I think the electorate has had enough of toxic masculinity. Having the teals with the balance of power doesnt frighten many voters. Gary Barnes, Mosman Illustration by Dionne Gain Choose your weapon I would love to hear the argument for why primitive weapons such as axes, knives and swords need to be openly and legally sold in suburban shopping precincts (Rambo-style knives for sale at Westfield, May 9). Is it to protect oneself from the terrifying attack of a domestic moggy or those vicious flocks of squawking lorikeets? Maybe the occasional slathering beast-from-hell labradoodle needs dispatching? And why do these items only seem to be available from tobacco, vape or key cutting outlets? Bill Young, Killcare Heights Advertisement Growing pains It is with some amusement and, sadly, a sigh, that I saw Chatswood High School is now the third-largest high school in the state (Revealed: Sydneys most overcrowded primary and high schools, May 8). Many in the Chatswood community recall the protracted fight by teachers, parents and the community opposing Department of Education plans to close the school on its present site and replace it with a smaller one in a distant carpark within the University of Technologys campus at Ku-ring-gai. A community meeting was addressed by a department demographer, whose projected figures for the years ahead argued diminishing enrolments. One only had to step outside and witness the newly constructed high-rise apartments and the cranes looming over the Chatswood skyline to view this with considerable scepticism. The community won the battle and proud new buildings have recently been built. It is difficult to imagine the situation we would now be facing if the initial plans had proceeded. David Grover, Chatswood Ref by numbers One thing that might help in referees getting more respect from players is for the refs to stop calling players by their names and revert to using the players playing numbers (Warning to players over ref dissent, May 9). Put some distance between ref and player. Tony Everett, Wareemba Back to school In Frankfurt in 2001, I was mystified to observe in a department store window a dozen unhappy looking men sitting at childrens desks watching a teacher at a blackboard (Letters, May 9). My German friend explained that they had lost their drivers licences and were undergoing public re-education. It was also pointed out that it was illegal for a learner driver to be taught by a friend or relative, and that learners had to complete a formidable period of training, including driving in snow and on the somewhat terrifying German autobahns. Peter Craig, Dulwich Hill Advertisement The NSW government will introduce changes to bail laws to make it harder for men deemed a high risk of committing future domestic violence offences to be released from jail, as Premier Chris Minns concedes the rate of violence against women has reached emergency proportions. Speaking after yet another high-profile alleged domestic violence incident when a woman was stabbed outside an Alexandria gym on Wednesday, Minns revealed he would introduce a bill next week to toughen bail laws for domestic violence offenders seen to be the highest risk of reoffending. Premier Chris Minns has promised tougher bail laws for high-risk domestic violence offenders. Credit: Sam Mooy But Minns played down the likelihood of major reforms around expanded ankle bracelet monitoring, saying the high number of incidents of violence against women, coupled with the limited data on its effectiveness, meant the government was more focused on bail reform. Almost 40,000 Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders (ADVO) have been issued in NSW in the past 12 months. The cost of building Western Australias new rail system has ballooned again, with an eye-watering $700 million in additional funding allocated to the project in this years state budget. Stage one of the Labor governments flagship Metronet project climbed $2 billion in 2023 alone, taking the total cost of the network to around $11.5 billion. The cost of Metronet has blown out - again. Credit: WAtoday WA Treasurer Rita Saffioti, delivering her first state budget on Thursday, revealed that cost would climb again to more than $12 billion. The state government will cover the blowout to the tune of $254 million, while the Commonwealth will contribute $453 million a total of $707 million. Jerusalem: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a US threat to withhold some arms would not prevent Israel from continuing its offensive in Gaza, indicating it might proceed with an invasion of the packed city of Rafah against the wishes of its closest ally. President Joe Biden urged Israel not to go ahead with such an operation over fears it would exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophe in the Palestinian enclave. On Wednesday (Thursday AEST), he said the United States would not provide offensive weapons for a Rafah offensive, raising pressure on Netanyahu. Benjamin Netanyahu at a wreath-laying ceremony marking Holocaust Remembrance Day at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre, in Jerusalem on Monday. Credit: AP But in a statement released on Friday (AEST), Netanyahu said if we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails. But we have much more than fingernails. Ive known Joe Biden for many years, 40 years and more, Netanyahu said in an interview on Dr. Phil Primetime broadcast on Merit Street Media in the US. We often had agreements, but weve had our disagreements and weve been able to overcome them. I hope we can overcome them now. PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- On Wednesday, May 8, 2024, the newly appointed Council of Ministers (CoM) of Sint Maarten, including the Minister Plenipotentiary and his Deputy, received an insightful presentation from Maria van der Sluis-Plantz, the current Councilor of the State for the Kingdom on behalf of Sint Maarten, as part of the Leadership Excellence through R.I.S.E. (Relationship Building, Insight, Skills and Empowerment) Onboarding Program. This session was designed to thoroughly acquaint the new ministers with the governance structure of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, optimally preparing them for their roles. Councilor van der Sluis-Plantz's presentation offered a detailed overview of the general structure, highlighting its various governing bodies, including the Kingdom Government, the Supreme Court (Hoge Raad der Nederlanden), and the High Councils of State. Particular emphasis was placed on the Council of State of the Kingdom, an esteemed institution since 1531. Councilor van der Sluis-Plantzs role is instrumental in ensuring that Sint Maarten's interests are well-represented within the Kingdom. She actively contributes to the Council's deliberations, advocating for the needs and priorities of Sint Maarten and the other Caribbean constituents of the Kingdom. Additionally, the presentation addressed the ongoing political dynamics within the Netherlands and its relationship with the European Union (EU). As part of the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs), Sint Maarten enjoys a unique political cooperation and commercial partnership with the EU, enhancing its strategic position within the region. The onboarding session also served as a preparatory step for the courtesy visit by the delegation of the Permanent Committee of Kingdom Relations of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament, that took place in the same morning of Wednesday, May 8, ensuring that the ministers were well-prepared to engage in informed discussions. The Council of Ministers remains committed to equip its leaders with the necessary skillset and knowledge to effectively govern. PHILIPSBURG:--- Honorable Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina and members of the Council of Ministers convened with members of the Permanent Committee Kingdom Relations (KOREL) from the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament during a courtesy visit. The delegation comprised of: Wieke Paulusma, Acting Chair of the Committee, Delegation Leader (D66), Peter van Haasen (PVV), Raoul White (GroenLinks-PvdA), Ingrid Michon-Derkzen (VVD), Faith Bruyning (NSC), Edson Hato (VN ACS - Representative of the Netherlands, Aruba, Curacao and St. Maarten) and Chris Johnson (Head VNP- Representative of the Netherlands in Philipsburg). The delegation, led by Wieke Paulusma, Acting Chair of the Committee, included representatives from various Dutch political parties along with officials representing the Kingdom's interests in the Caribbean region. The members of the Permanent Committee Kingdom Relations (KOREL) from the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament acknowledged the diverse contexts and distinct administrative structures of the territories and the Netherlands, emphasizing the importance of tailoring approaches to address specific matters. Despite the Dutch Government being in a caretaker status, the insights gained from these discussions will be disseminated. The forthcoming Interparliamentary Kingdom Consultations (IPKO) meeting, scheduled for the beginning of June 2024, will delve further into the establishment of the Dispute Committee ('Geschillencommissie'), a crucial entity for effectively addressing and resolving disputes within the Kingdom, which is still pending establishment. The meeting highlighted the critical necessity for continuous training to bolster capacity building in Sint Maarten. It was stressed that individuals receiving training in the Netherlands should return to their respective territories to contribute. Furthermore, exploring job exchange opportunities between the Netherlands and Sint Maarten was recognized as a means to enhance the island's short- and medium-term workforce. Additionally, avenues for securing funding through the European Union for various initiatives will be further investigated. Members commended the country for its adeptness in transforming challenges into unique opportunities for growth and development, particularly in combating climate change. They also praised the effective collaboration observed among the islands within the Kingdom. The Second Chamber delegation noted the strong willingness among the islands to collaborate in addressing regional issues. Renewable energy projects were identified as crucial opportunities for sustainable development. Regarding healthcare for the islands of Saba and St. Eustatius, connecting all stakeholders within the Dutch Government and the Kingdom is imperative. Sint Maarten expressed its readiness to assist the Netherlands in this endeavor. Prime Minister Mercelina emphasized the priorities he seeks support for in the Netherlands during the visit, focusing on key issues vital to the advancement of St. Maarten. "Today's discussions were instrumental in conveying St. Maarten's urgent needs and aspirations to our Dutch counterparts," stated Prime Minister Mercelina. We emphasized the importance of establishing a Dispute Regulation for the Kingdom, a crucial step towards ensuring fair and just governance within our shared entity." Highlighting the challenges faced by St. Maarten, Prime Minister Mercelina drew attention to the significant debt burden hindering the island's progress. "We discussed the pressing issue of St. Maarten's crippling debt, which poses a significant obstacle to our development trajectory," remarked Prime Minister Mercelina. "Addressing this challenge is paramount to realizing a promising future for our nation." Prime Minister Mercelina also underscored the need for stronger collaboration between educational institutions, particularly in expanding opportunities within key sectors such as tourism. "We seek to forge a closer working relationship with educational institutions to bolster our workforce, particularly in vital sectors like tourism," emphasized Prime Minister Mercelina. "By investing in education and skills development, we can drive sustainable growth and prosperity for St. Maarten." Proposing a vision for a more inclusive Kingdom, Prime Minister Mercelina advocated for honoring the unique identities and differences among the constituent countries. "We believe in enriching the concept of an inclusive Kingdom by celebrating the diversity and distinctiveness of each member," expressed Prime Minister Mercelina. "Our shared future lies in recognizing and embracing our differences, fostering a more cohesive and resilient Kingdom." The discussions concluded on a positive note, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to dialogue and cooperation for the mutual benefit of St. Maarten and the Kingdom at large. PHILIPSBURG:--- In a move that speaks volumes about their priorities, three coalition members, now reduced to six Parliamentarians, have opted to travel to Paraguay for ParlAmericas alongside the Secretary-General of Parliament, halting Parliament meetings in St. Maarten. Despite the coalition repeatedly stressing the urgency of maintaining the full fifteen members in Parliament, the coalition has chosen to proceed with their trip rather than address critical affairs of Parliament. The pending affairs of Parliament include crucial meetings, such as the approval of credentials, which still lingers due to the irresponsible manner in which the Presidium handled the resignation of the two departing members of Parliament, now Ministers, and the approval of new Members of Parliament. Earlier this week, the National Alliance and United People's Party (NA/UP) factions urgently requested a parliament meeting to approve the incoming MPs' credentials. However, despite the majority of Members of Parliament being present on the island, the coalition has yet to officially respond to this pressing request, which they claim to deeply care about. "The decision to cripple Parliament's operations raises serious questions about the commitment of the coalition to their duties and responsibilities as elected representatives. Why cripple the operations of Parliament when a meeting could easily be convened in their absence?" MP Doran stated. This deliberate obstruction not only undermines the democratic process but also reflects poorly on the coalition's willingness to prioritize the needs of the people of Sint Maarten and approval of their own coalition members' credentials. It is important to note that the coalition members were a no-show on Thursday, May 2, 2024, for the meeting regarding approving the incoming MPs' credentials. At least one of these missing members was on the airwaves, expressing dissatisfaction with his coalition. "How can the other Coalition members then cast blame on the opposition for not approving the credentials of their members?" It is their members that are infighting and sabotaging the operations of the coalition. "I am extremely disappointed with the rhetoric the coalition is playing to present a different picture to the public of St. Maarten. We, the "Super 7", have submitted an urgent public meeting request to seek clarity on the legitimacy of the booked resignation letters of the two former MPs and to approve the credentials of the two incoming MPs who are members of their coalition. However, we have not received any formal reply to our meeting request dated May 7 nor our follow-up email dated May 8, despite pointing out that urgent meetings are to be held within 48 hours according to the Parliamentary rules of order. This lack of response again demonstrates their disregard for Parliament's rules of order and us as fellow Members of Parliament. This blatant disregard has left us with no choice but to retract our urgent request as most of our MPs will be travelling on Monday for a week. While the 2 x 4 coalition publicly expresses the urgency of the matter, their actions tell a different story," said MP Omar Ottley. As the NA/UP factions continue to advocate for accountability, transparency, and effective governance, it is imperative that the coalition reevaluates its priorities and takes immediate steps to address its major internal issues so that the operations of Parliament do not continue at this level of amateurism. For further inquiries or comments, please contact Members of Parliament Egbert Jurendy Doran and Omar E.C. Ottley at the provided contact information. St. Martin:--- BPW Concordia SXM, a beacon of empowerment in the Caribbean, proudly hosted its second open house event at the prestigious Grand Case Beach Club Hotel. This event, held under the theme "Count You In Empowering Women Through Self-Investment," marked a significant milestone in the organization's journey toward fostering a community of empowered women. Since its acceptance into the International Federation of Business and Professional Women's organization on March 9th, 2017, BPW Concordia SXM has been dedicated to advancing the cause of women in business and the professions. The open house served as a platform to display the organization's commitment to empowerment and inclusivity. Facilitated by the esteemed Dr. Christine Walwyn, a prominent figure in the business and professional community of St. Kitts and Nevis, the event provided attendees with valuable insights on self-investment and personal development. Dr. Walwyns expertise and passion resonated deeply with the audience as she emphasized the importance of prioritizing emotional, economic, social, spiritual, and physical well-being. In addition to Dr. Walwyns inspiring address, the open house also highlighted the core mission of BPW International, focusing on networking, skill-building, and economic empowerment. Special guest, Regional Coordinator for North America and the Caribbean, Dawne Williams, commended BPW Concordia SXM for its resilience in adversity and extended a warm invitation to attend the upcoming BPW International Congress in St. Kitts from November 17th through 21st, 2024. During the event, founding member Suzanne Scantlebery introduced the BPWC LinkOpp (Link Opportunities) Partner program, which seeks to collaborate with businesses and organizations to achieve success in mutually beneficial initiatives. The launch of the BPW Concordia SXM Job Board, which provides a platform for job seekers and employers seeking resources, was also unveiled. The success of the open house would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of the planning committee, Kathia Magdeleine (event chair), Catherine Magdeleine, Cathy Questel-Gamiette, Suzanne Scantlebery, Emelinda Lake, Meredith Concincion, Sharanne Gibbs, and Luciana Yamamoto. BPW Concordia SXM extends heartfelt gratitude to all attendees and sponsors, including Mr. and Mrs. Danielle Chance Glasgow, Mrs. Marcia Hodge Rogers, and Ms. Mary Bryson. BPW Concordia SXM opens its doors for community partnerships with ALL (men, women, organizations, and businesses). Membership is open to all women from ages 18 to 35 (Young BPW) and members 35 years and up. Membership is open to all women who want to improve their professional skills while building a strong local, regional, and international network. With open doors for membership and partnerships, BPW Concordia SXM looks forward to continuing its empowerment mission and invites all interested individuals to join the movement as we are stronger together. Founded in 1930, BPW International develops the professional, leadership, and business potential of women on all levels through mentoring, networking, skill building, and economic empowerment programs and projects around the world. iPad 'Crush' ad causes uproar amid AI anxiety San Francisco, May 8 (AFP) May 08, 2024 An ad for the new iPad Pro caused an uproar Wednesday for showing an industrial-sized hydraulic press crushing objects linked to human creativity -- such as a record player and trumpet -- into a sleek tablet. Social media users immediately criticized the ad, which was posted on X by Apple CEO Tim Cook, as painfully tone-deaf at a time when the creative community is worried about its future with the emergence of generative AI. "The destruction of the human experience. Courtesy of Silicon Valley," wrote actor Hugh Grant on X. Set to the song "All I ever need is you" by Sonny and Cher, the one-minute ad titled "Crush" sees the pile of creative artifacts, also including a piano and paint cans, explode under the pressure of Apple's press. "I'm not sure 'wanton destruction of all the good and beautiful things in this world' was really the vibe you were trying for," wrote X user Judd Baroff on X. The ad links to viral TikTok videos of industrial presses and other machines that are watched by millions on the platform. Many critics pointed to the iconic 1984 commercial that launched the first Mac computer and depicted Apple as a hammer-throwing rebel against a monolith big brother. "Forty years ago, Apple released the 1984 commercial as a bold statement against a dystopian future. Now you are that dystopian future. Congratulations," wrote X user Yuval Kardov. Apple did not immediately answer AFP's request for a comment. The ad comes as ChatGPT and Dall-E creator OpenAI, as well as other AI giants, are facing lawsuits from artists and publishers saying that their material was used to train AI models without permission. TikTok says will label AI-made videos automatically San Francisco, May 9 (AFP) May 09, 2024 TikTok on Thursday said it will begin labeling AI-generated content automatically from several platforms, including OpenAI's Dall-E and the company's own tools and generators. Authentication has become a major concern in the fast development of AI, with authorities worried about the proliferation of deepfakes that could disrupt society. "AI-generated content is an incredible creative outlet, but transparency for viewers is critical," said Adam Presser, Head of Trust & Safety at TikTok. The automatic labeling of AI-generated or edited content would be a first for social media platforms. TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, said it would begin testing a label "that we eventually plan to apply automatically to content that we detect was edited or created with AI." The company told the Financial Times that this will include content made using Adobe's Firefly tool, TikTok's own AI image generators and OpenAI's Dall-E. It also said it was joining a coalition of technology and media groups, led by Adobe, that incorporate industry-wide labeling into AI-generated products, sometimes called watermarking. The technology from the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (or C2PA) sets a technical standard to better flag and identify the provenance of AI-generated content. "By partnering with peers to label content across platforms, we're making it easy for creators to responsibly explore AI-generated content, while continuing to deter the harmful or misleading AI generated content that is prohibited on TikTok," Presser said. TikTok said that the auto-labeling will be gradual at first, but as more platforms mark their AI-generated content according to the C2PA standard "we'll be able to label more content." OpenAI, the Microsoft-backed artificial intelligence company behind the popular image generator Dall-E and ChatGPT, on Tuesday also joined the initiative and announced the launch of a tool aimed at detecting whether digital images have been created by AI. TikTok's effort to provide assurances on AI comes as the company is facing a legal ultimatum to either divest from its Chinese owner or be banned from the United States. UK's Cameron to urge NATO countries to boost defence spending London, May 8 (AFP) May 08, 2024 UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron will on Thursday urge NATO partners to soon start spending 2.5 percent of GDP on defence, during a major speech in which he will call for a more muscular approach to Western foreign policy. Cameron -- a former UK prime minister -- will say that countries need to take more assertive action to protect their interests from emerging threats, including from Russia and Iran. "We are in a battle of wills. We all must prove our adversaries wrong -- Britain, and our allies and partners around the world," Cameron will say, according to excerpts released by the foreign ministry. Cameron will use the keynote address at the National Cyber Security Centre in London to call for NATO countries to boost defence spending above a two percent target agreed 10 years ago. He will call on countries in the 32-member Western defence alliance to "out-compete, out-cooperate and out-innovate" adversaries. "The upcoming NATO summit must see all allies on track to deliver their pledge made in Wales in 2014 to spend two percent on defence. "And we then need to move quickly to establish 2.5 per cent as the new benchmark for all NATO Allies," Cameron is due to say. Last month, UK leader Rishi Sunak announced during a visit to Poland that London would gradually boost defence spending to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2030. He singled out "an axis of authoritarian states", including Russia, Iran, North Korea and China. Cameron will argue that the UK needs to invest in old alliances, including the G7 of the world's richest nations and the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network with the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. But he will add that Britain also needs to forge new partnerships, like the AUKUS alliance with the US and Australia, post-Brexit. "We need to adopt a harder edge for a tougher world. If Putin's illegal invasion teaches us anything, it must be that doing too little, too late, only spurs an aggressor on," he will say. "We need to be tougher and more assertive," Cameron is expected to add. Cameron, who resigned as prime minister in 2016 after Britons voted to leave the European Union, was plucked from the political wilderness by Sunak to be foreign secretary last November. Australia, Tuvalu to launch climate and security pact this year Sydney, May 9 (AFP) May 09, 2024 Australia and Tuvalu said Thursday they have agreed to launch a landmark climate and security pact this year, after smoothing over the Pacific island's sovereignty misgivings. "We share an intention for the treaty to enter into force as soon as possible in 2024," they said in a joint statement. The 11-page treaty was hailed as a historic response to climate change when it was signed in November 2023, offering Tuvalu's 11,000 residents the right to live in Australia if their low-lying homeland is lost to rising sea levels. The pact also commits Australia to defending Tuvalu in the face of natural disasters, health pandemics and "military aggression", but only upon its request for aid. It is being pursued at a time of heightened concern among Western allies about China's expanding security ties with Pacific island states. But Tuvalu's government had raised concerns about a clause saying it must "mutually agree" with Australia on any security or defence deal with other countries. Despite those worries, Prime Minister Feleti Teo told AFP after taking office in February that he had no intention of revoking the deal. In an "explanatory memorandum", the two sides agreed that the clause reflected the depth of Australia's security guarantee "and will be implemented in the spirit of respect and amicable consultation". "Tuvalu does not need permission from Australia before it starts to talk with other partners," said the diplomatic note, which is not legally binding. "Australia does not have unqualified rights of access to Tuvalu's territory or airspace, nor the right to establish military areas in Tuvalu," it added. - Treaty termination option - The memorandum said the defence and security clause would only apply in a "narrow set of circumstances" and would not affect deals with other Pacific island states. If either side decided the demands were "unreasonable", they could suspend the clause's obligations or terminate the treaty by mutual agreement or unilaterally. They also agreed the pact would not limit Tuvalu's liberty to enter into diplomatic relations with other states. Tuvalu is one of just 12 states that still have formal diplomatic relations with Taipei rather than Beijing. The memorandum was hammered out during a visit to the island state by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Pacific Minister Pat Conroy. "Australia and Tuvalu are neighbours and friends. Australia's support will help Tuvaluans to continue to live and prosper in their territory, retaining their deep, ancestral connections to land and sea," Conroy said in a statement. "We will continue listening and delivering on Tuvalu's priorities to ensure the long-term prosperity of its people." Before the treaty enters into force, Tuvalu and Australia said they would submit it to further parliamentary scrutiny and public consultation. China planes, ships detected around Taiwan as US destroyer passes Strait Taipei, May 9 (AFP) May 09, 2024 Taipei's defence ministry said Thursday it had detected 23 Chinese warplanes and five navy warships around the island, a day after a US warship sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait. The military presence around Taiwan comes less than two weeks before its inauguration of incoming president Lai Ching-te, who Beijing regards as a "dangerous separatist". China, which claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, frequently sends warplanes and naval ships around the island. The 180-kilometre (110-mile) Taiwan Strait separates Taiwan from China and is an important transport artery for cargo ships. Taipei's defence ministry said 23 Chinese warplanes and five navy vessels were detected around Taiwan in the 24 hours leading up to 6 am Thursday (2200 GMT). "8 of the aircraft crossed the median line," the ministry said, referring to a line bisecting the Taiwan Strait that is unrecognised by Beijing. The Chinese military presence coincided with a US warship -- the USS Halsey -- sailing through the narrow body of water on Wednesday. The destroyer "conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit on May 8 through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law," the US 7th fleet said Wednesday. It added that the Halsey's transit "demonstrates the United States' commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations as a principle". "No member of the international community should be intimidated or coerced into giving up their rights and freedoms," it said. In a statement late Wednesday, Chinese naval colonel Li Xi, spokesman for the Eastern Theatre Command, called the US warship sail-through "public hype". He added that the Eastern Theatre command had also organised naval and air forces "to monitor the passage of the US ship through the entire process". "Troops in the theatre remain on high alert at all times and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security," the statement said. Before Taiwan's January elections, China had warned Lai would bring "war and decline" to the island -- making the lead-up to his May 20 inauguration a closely watched period as tensions soar between the two sides. China has said it will not renounce the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Lai, like outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen, does not recognise China's claim on the island. burs-dhc/cwl Russia defence concerns dominate Lithuania presidency vote Vilnius, May 9 (AFP) May 09, 2024 Lithuania votes Sunday in a presidential election dominated by security concerns as the NATO and EU member plans to boost defence spending to counter the perceived threat from neighbouring Russia. The Baltic state of 2.8 million people fears it could be next in Russia's crosshairs if Moscow wins its war against Ukraine, which began with an invasion in 2022. "Lithuania's understanding of the Russian threat is unanimous and unquestionable, so the main candidates are following suit," Eastern Europe Studies Centre director Linas Kojala told AFP. Opinion polls give the incumbent, 59-year-old former banker Gitanas Nauseda, a comfortable lead over the other seven candidates, who include Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte and prominent lawyer Ignas Vegele. The Lithuanian president steers defence and foreign policy, attending EU and NATO summits, but must consult with the government and parliament on appointing the most senior officials. While the top three candidates agree on defence, they share diverging views on Lithuania's relations with China, which have been strained for years over Taiwan. - Defence budget - Lithuania, a former Soviet republic now in the European Union and NATO, is known as a top donor to Ukraine and a big defence spender, with a current budget of 2.75 percent of GDP. The Simonyte-led government is expected to come forward with proposals within several weeks that could help increase defence spending to three percent. Lithuania notably intends to use the funds to purchase tanks and additional air defence systems, and to host a German brigade, as Berlin plans to complete the stationing of around 5,000 troops by 2027. None of the top candidates appear to question these plans, but Vegele has pledged to ask for a defence audit to effectively manage finances if he is elected. - Run-off vote likely - Observers believe Nauseda will be reelected in a run-off at the end of the month. He appears unlikely to garner enough votes -- over 50 percent -- to score an outright win. Nauseda is projected to receive more than 35 percent of the vote in the first round, according to the latest opinion poll, which gives Vegele 12 percent and Simonyte 10. Vegele, a 48-year-old lawyer who gained prominence after speaking out against mandated vaccination during the pandemic, presents himself as an alternative to established politicians and vows more transparent governance. Simonyte, 49, is a fiscal conservative with liberal views on social issues. She notably supports same-sex partnerships, which still stir controversy in the predominantly Catholic country. Simonyte is running for president for a second time after losing to Nauseda in the run-off of the 2019 election. "Simonyte is supported by conservative party voters and liberal people, while Nauseda is a candidate of the left in terms of economic and social policy," Vilnius University analyst Ramunas Vilpisauskas told AFP. Meanwhile, "Vegele will get support from those who simply want change", he added. - Tension over Taiwan - The uneasy relationship between Nauseda and his rival Simonyte's ruling conservatives has at times triggered foreign policy debates, most notably on Lithuania's relations with China. Bilateral ties turned tense in 2021, when Vilnius allowed Taiwan to open a de facto embassy under the island's name in a departure from the common diplomatic practice of using the name of the capital Taipei to avoid angering Beijing. China, which considers Taiwan a part of its territory and bristles at support for the island that might lend it any sense of international legitimacy, downgraded diplomatic relations with Vilnius and blocked its exports. This sparked controversy among Lithuanian politicians, with some urging a restoration of relations for the sake of the Lithuanian economy. "China's reaction to the opening of the office was harsher than predicted, and that sparked the debate," Kojala said, adding that China's response was hurting local businesses. Nauseda said during the election campaign: "I would see the need to change the name of the representative office." Simonyte pushes back against the name change, while Vegele backed Nauseda by telling the BNS news agency that "opening a representative office with this name was a reckless move". Israel says Biden threat to stop arms 'very disappointing' Jerusalem, May 9 (AFP) May 09, 2024 Israel's ambassador to the United Nations expressed disappointment Thursday at US President Joe Biden's threat to stop certain arms supplies to Israel if it invades the crowded Gaza city of Rafah. "This is a difficult and very disappointing statement to hear from a president to whom we have been grateful since the beginning of the war," Gilad Erdan told Israeli public broadcaster Kan radio, in Israel's first reaction to Biden's warning. Israel has defied international objections by sending in tanks and conducting "targeted raids" in the border city, which it says is home to Hamas's last remaining battalions -- but is also crowded with displaced Palestinian civilians. "If they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used... to deal with the cities," Biden said in an interview with CNN, in his starkest warning to Israel since the start of the war. "Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs," Biden said. "It's just wrong." Erdan responded that Biden's comments would be interpreted by Israel's foes Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah as "something that gives them hope to succeed". "If Israel is restricted from entering an area as important and central as Rafah where there are thousands of terrorists, hostages and leaders of Hamas, how exactly are we supposed to achieve our goals?" he said. "This is not a defensive weapon. This is about certain offensive bombs. In the end the State of Israel will have to do what it thinks needs to be done for the security of its citizens." AFP journalists reported heavy shelling in Rafah early Thursday, and the Israeli military later said it was also striking "Hamas positions" further north in the centre of the Gaza Strip. On Tuesday, Israeli forces seized Rafah's border crossing into Egypt, which has served the main entry point for aid into besieged Gaza. Monitor, Iraqi group say Israel hits facilities in Syria Beirut, May 9 (AFP) May 09, 2024 Israeli strikes on Syria early Thursday targeted facilities belonging to Iraq's Al-Nujaba armed movement, a war monitor and the pro-Iran group said, with Damascus saying an unidentified building was attacked. Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria since the outbreak of the civil war in its northern neighbour in 2011, mainly against army positions and Iran-backed fighters. But the strikes increased after Israel's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip began on October 7, when the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group launched an unprecedented assault on Israel. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said "Israeli air strikes targeted a cultural centre" and a "training facility" of the Iraqi Al-Nujaba movement in the Sayyida Zeinab area south of Damascus. Three members of the group were wounded according to the Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria. A source within the Iraqi faction, requesting anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media, confirmed that a "cultural centre" belonging to the group was destroyed in the "Israeli" attack, but reported no casualties. Al-Nujaba does "not have a declared military base in Syria", the source added. Syria's defence ministry said that "at around 3:20 am today, the Israeli enemy launched an air attack from the direction of the occupied Syria Golan Heights targeting a building in the Damascus countryside". The attack caused "some material damage", said the statement carried by state media, adding that air defence systems shot down some of the missiles. The Sayyida Zeinab area is home to an important Shiite Muslim shrine that is protected by pro-Iran groups, including Lebanon's Hezbollah, alongside the Syrian army, according to the Observatory. The Al-Nujaba movement is part of a pro-Iran alliance in Iraq that Washington has blamed for numerous attacks on its forces. Israel rarely comments on individual strikes on Syria, but has repeatedly said it will not allow its arch-enemy Iran to expand its presence there. An April 1 raid blamed on Israel levelled Tehran's consulate in Damascus and killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards, two of them generals. That strike prompted Iran to launch a first-ever direct missile and drone attack against Israel on April 13-14 that sent regional tensions spiralling. burs-jos/lg/srm Zelensky officially appoints ex-army chief ambassador to UK Kyiv, Ukraine, May 9 (AFP) May 09, 2024 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday officially appointed former commander-in-chief of the armed forces Valery Zaluzhny, 50, as ambassador to the United Kingdom. The popular former general led the Ukrainian army from before Russia's invasion on February 24, 2022, until his dismissal by Zelensky in February, when he was replaced by Oleksandr Syrsky. Zaluzhny was credited with spearheading some of Ukraine's most successful battles against Russia, including the liberation of Kherson city in November 2022. His celebrity was such that he even featured in street art. Although he avoided the political spotlight, he was regularly cited as a possible rival to Zelensky given his popularity across society. The failure of Ukraine's much-vaunted counter-offensive last year and public disagreements with Zelensky over the course of the war led to his dismissal. Ukraine has been without an ambassador to the UK since July 2023. Zelensky sacked the then incumbent, Vadym Prystaiko, after he criticised the president's response during a row over British military aid. Zelensky first announced he would be naming Zaluzhny as his envoy to London, a key backer of Kyiv, back in March. On Wednesday the president officially dismissed Zaluzhny from the military on health grounds and on Thursday published a decree confirming the new appointment. Ukrainian media reported in March that Zaluzhny had been found unfit for military service during a medical examination in winter. Europe must 'deliver' on Ukraine aid: EU Parliament chief Kyiv, Ukraine, May 9 (AFP) May 09, 2024 European Parliament Chief Roberta Metsola on Thursday urged Europe to follow through with the aid it has promised Ukraine and increase support to the war-torn country. She was in Kyiv on Europe Day to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who praised the European efforts but said Russia had used delays to gain momentum on the battlefield. "We are painfully aware that Ukraine urgently needs more equipment and air-defence systems to defend itself against the aggressor," Metsola said. Ukrainian officials and soldiers have repeatedly warned they lack ammunition to defend themselves against sustained Russian assaults as the war stretches into its third year. "We Europeans need to deliver, we need to take responsibility, we need to intensify our support," she said. On Wednesday, EU members states agreed to use billions of euros in profits from frozen Russian central bank assets to arm Ukraine and fund its post-war reconstruction, which Kyiv had been pushing for. The EU had also promised to provide Ukraine with one million shells by March 2024, but fell short of that target. "There were supplies -- and once again, thank God and thank you -- but not in the amount that was voted," Zelensky said. Ukrainian troops would be able to stop Russia's initiative in the east as soon as the aid arrived, he said, while warning that Russia was "taking advantage" of any delay. He also praised the increase in Ukraine's domestic production of weapons. Zelensky and Metsola held the news conference in Kyiv as Russia celebrated its annual Victory Day marking the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. At the end of the conference, air raid sirens sounded. "This is (Russia's) real attitude to peace. Their real attitude to the fight against Nazism," Zelensky said. Taiwan says 12 more Chinese ships detected in beefed-up presence Taipei, May 9 (AFP) May 09, 2024 Taiwanese defence and coast guard officials said on Thursday dozens of Chinese warplanes and ships had been detected around the island, less than two weeks before self-ruled Taiwan's inauguration for a new president. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has said it will not rule out using force to bring the island under Beijing's control. The Chinese military presence around the island announced by Taipei, which included another 23 warplanes and five naval vessels in the 24 hours leading up to 6 am, also came a day after a US warship sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait. The Coast Guard in Taipei said late on Thursday it had detected 12 Chinese ships around its outlying island of Kinmen. Kinmen, administered by Taipei but located five kilometres (three miles) from the Chinese city of Xiamen, has seen heightened tensions in recent months, with Chinese coast guard ships maintaining a presence around it. The Taiwan Coast Guard said a fleet of seven ships "belonging to China's maritime and fishery departments entered our restricted waters" around 3 pm local time (0700 GMT), about 4 nautical miles southwest of Kinmen. "We suspected the fleet, together with three Chinese fishing, boats, were engaged in maritime exercises," it said. Around the same time, "another fleet of four Chinese coast guard ships entered our prohibited and restricted waters... and another ship sailed outside our waters." The vessels left about 90 minutes later, the coast guard said, noting that this was "the fourth formation of Chinese coast guard ships sailing in Kinmen waters" in May. It was also the first time that Chinese coast guard ships "and other Chinese official ships" had sailed together at the same time, it said. "This has seriously undermined cross-strait peace, stability and navigation safety, hurt the feelings of people on both sides of the strait, and is unhelpful for peaceful exchanges across the Taiwan Strait," the coast guard said. China has stepped up patrols around Kinmen after a series of deadly fishing incidents earlier this year. A Chinese speedboat carrying four people capsized near Kinmen on February 14 while Taiwan's coast guard was pursuing it, killing two people. Another Chinese boat capsized in the area in March, also resulting in the deaths of two crew members. Taiwan's coast guard had defended its actions but the row has added to tensions, already high after Taiwan's elections in January won by Vice President Lai Ching-te. Lai, like outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen, rejects China's claim on Taiwan. - Warship sail-through - Thursday's maritime presence around Kinmen came after Taiwan's defence ministry said it had detected nearly two dozen Chinese warplanes and five navy ships around the island in the 24 hours leading up to 6 am Thursday (2200 GMT). That coincided with a US warship sailing through the Taiwan Strait, a narrow 180-kilometre (110-mile) body of water separating the island from China, on Wednesday. The USS Halsey destroyer "conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit on May 8 through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law", the US 7th fleet said. It said the Halsey's transit "demonstrates the United States' commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations as a principle". Chinese naval colonel Li Xi, spokesman for the Eastern Theatre Command, called the US warship sail-through "public hype". He added in a statement late on Wednesday that the Eastern Theatre command had also organised naval and air forces "to monitor the passage of the US ship through the entire process". "Troops in the theatre remain on high alert at all times and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security," the statement said. China had warned before Taiwan's elections that Lai would bring "war and decline" to the island, making the lead-up to his May 20 inauguration a closely watched period. UK's Cameron calls for Israel to produce 'clear plan' for Rafah London, May 9 (AFP) May 09, 2024 Foreign Secretary David Cameron on Thursday indicated that the UK would not follow the United States in warning Israel that it would halt sales of arms that could be used in an assault on the Gaza city of Rafah. US President Joe Biden has said Washington could cut supplies of weapons if Israel goes ahead with an attack on the city, where the UN says some 1.4 million people were sheltering. But Cameron told reporters following a speech in which he urged NATO partners to boost defence spending that there was "a very fundamental difference" between the UK and United States. "The US is a massive state supplier of weapons to Israel," he said. "We do not have a UK government supply of weapons to Israel, we have a number of licences, and I think our defence exports to Israel are responsible for significantly less than one percent of their total. "That is a big difference." Cameron added that UK arms sales would remain subject to "a rigorous process" so they are not complicit in any violations of international humanitarian law. He also reiterated that the UK would not support a major Israeli operation in Rafah "unless there was a very clear plan for how to protect people and save lives". "We have not seen that plan, so in the circumstances we will not support a major operation in Rafah," he added. Israel has already defied international objections by sending in tanks and conducting "targeted raids" in eastern Rafah, which it says is home to the last remaining battalions of Hamas militants. Cameron's comments came after he made a major address advocating for a more muscular approach to Western foreign policy. The former UK prime minister said countries need to take more assertive action to protect their interests from emerging threats, including from Russia and Iran. "We are in a battle of wills. We all must prove our adversaries wrong: Britain, and our allies and partners around the world," he added. Cameron used the speech at the National Cyber Security Centre in central London to call for NATO countries to boost defence spending above a two percent of gross domestic product target agreed 10 years ago. He called on countries in the 32-member Western defence alliance to "out-compete, out-cooperate and out-innovate" adversaries. - 'Harder edge' - "The upcoming NATO summit must see all allies on track to deliver their pledge made in Wales in 2014 to spend two percent on defence. "And we then need to move quickly to establish 2.5 per cent as the new benchmark for all NATO allies." Last month, UK leader Rishi Sunak announced during a visit to Poland that London would gradually boost defence spending to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2030. Cameron argued that the UK needs to invest in old alliances, including the G7 of the world's richest nations and the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network with the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. But he added that Britain also needs, post-Brexit, to forge new partnerships, like the AUKUS alliance with the US and Australia. "We need to adopt a harder edge for a tougher world. If Putin's illegal invasion teaches us anything, it must be that doing too little, too late, only spurs an aggressor on," he said. Cameron, who resigned as prime minister in 2016 after Britons voted to leave the European Union, was last November plucked from the political wilderness by Sunak to be foreign secretary. He has spent much of that time touring the globe, giving a higher profile to the UK on the world stage than in recent years, when the country's focus was on Brexit and its chaotic aftermath. Trump accuses Biden of siding with Hamas Washington, May 9 (AFP) May 09, 2024 Donald Trump accused Joe Biden Thursday of siding with Hamas when he threatened to stop sending US weapons to Israel as it wages war against the Palestinian militant group in Gaza, calling the president's stance "disgraceful." Biden warned Wednesday of halting weapons supplies if Israel pushes ahead with its long-threatened Rafah ground offensive, his most direct warning yet over the civilian impact of the war. "Crooked Joe is taking the side of these terrorists, just like he has sided with the Radical Mobs taking over our college campuses," Trump posted on his Truth Social network, referring to the protests against the war that have spread across US universities. Speaking later to reporters outside the courtroom before entering his hush money trial in New York, Trump said that "what Biden is doing with respect to Israel is disgraceful." "He's totally abandoned Israel and nobody can believe it," the presumptive Republican presidential nominee who will challenge Biden in the November election, said. Under increasing pressure from the left of his own party to limit arms shipments, Biden paused delivery last week of 1,800 2,000-pound (907 kilogram) bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs. His administration has also previously taken smaller steps to show displeasure with Israel, including imposing sanctions on extremist settlers and letting through a UN Security Council resolution that supported a ceasefire. The Gaza war began with Hamas's 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. Israel in response vowed to crush Hamas and free the captives. It began a military offensive that has killed more than 3,900 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. New round of peace talks launched between S.Sudan, rebels Nairobi, May 9 (AFP) May 09, 2024 South Sudan's government launched a new round of peace talks with rebel groups on Thursday in Nairobi, with Kenya mediating after earlier negotiations fell apart in 2022. Previously, talks between the government and a coalition of rebel groups -- which did not sign a 2018 peace agreement that ended a five-year civil war -- were brokered in Rome by a Catholic association with ties to the Vatican. But the government withdrew from the negotiations in November 2022, accusing the rebels of using the talks "to buy time as they prepare for war." The Rome-based Community of Sant'Egidio, a Catholic association that has been working to restore stability to violence-wracked South Sudan, adjourned the talks in March last year. Following a request from President Salva Kiir, Kenya agreed to step in as mediator, appointing former army commander Lazarus Sumbeiywo to lead the talks. Sumbeiywo previously mediated a 2005 peace deal between Khartoum and South Sudanese rebels, paving the way for South Sudan's independence from Sudan six years later. The world's newest nation has suffered from chronic instability since winning independence, including a civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people between 2013 and 2018. As the talks were officially launched, Pagan Amum, leader of Real-SPLM (Real-Sudan People's Liberation Movement), spoke on behalf of the rebel coalition, the Non-Signatory South Sudan Opposition Group (NSSOG). "South Sudan is threatened with disintegration and collapse into chaos and disorder. It is gripped by multiple crises," he warned. "We are the founding mothers and fathers of this new nation, our historical task is to lay the foundation of this new nation... To achieve that, we have to... overcome that hatred that has filled our hearts," he said. "I believe this is our last opportunity and we must take this seriously and engage in dialogue." The groups represented in the negotiations include the South Sudan United Front, Real-SPLM, South Sudan People's Movement and the National Salvation Front-Revolutionary Command Council, a splinter faction of the National Salvation Front which has refused to join the talks. Kiir told an audience that included Kenyan President William Ruto that his government was ready to negotiate "in good faith and with an open mind", saying he hoped the rebels had "similar convictions and a similar desire for peace". Negotiations between Juba and the rebel groups began in 2019 but have failed to curb violence in the south of the country, despite a ceasefire signed in January 2020. One of the world's poorest nations despite oil resources, South Sudan has endured natural disasters and an economic crisis, with political infighting fuelling further violence. Some nine million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN. The crisis is compounded by the return of hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese refugees fleeing Sudan's brutal war. strs-amu/kjm Putin says nuclear forces 'always' on alert in Victory Day speech Moscow, May 9 (AFP) May 09, 2024 President Vladimir Putin on Thursday warned his nuclear forces were "always" on alert and added that Moscow would not tolerate any Western threats, in an address at the annual Victory Day parade. In a defiant speech on Red Square before thousands of soldiers dressed in ceremonial attire, Putin heaped praise on his army fighting in Ukraine and accused "Western elites" of fomenting conflicts around the world. "Russia will do everything to prevent a global clash, but at the same time we will not allow anyone to threaten us. Our strategic forces are always on alert," Putin told the crowd. "Russia is now going through a difficult, crucial period. The fate of the Motherland, its future depends on each of us," he said. The May 9 parade commemorates the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II and has become the Kremlin's most important public holiday as Putin puts the country firmly on a combat footing. Putin has used nuclear rhetoric throughout the conflict but has grown increasingly belligerent since last year, pulling out of a nuclear test ban treaty and a key arms reduction agreement with the United States. Earlier this week, he ordered the Russian military to hold nuclear drills involving the navy and troops based near Ukraine, raising fears he could use the powerful weapons on the battlefield. In comments recorded on Tuesday but released by the Kremlin after the parade, Putin vowed to modernise his army's weaponry and said Russia would use whatever foreign parts it could get to make them. "Modern military technology is changing very fast. If we want to be successful, we always have to be one step ahead," he said in a meeting with army commanders. - 'Russia is with you' - Putin has repeatedly framed the current fight against Ukraine as an existential battle against "Nazism", a message he reiterated in his address Thursday. "We bow our heads before the memory of civilians killed by barbaric shelling and terrorist attacks by neo-Nazis," he said. "Those on the front line, on the line of contact -- are our heroes. We bow before your steadfastness and self-sacrifice, selflessness. All Russia is with you," he continued. Two women were killed Thursday by Ukrainian shelling of Russia's border regions, which have been regularly attacked by Ukraine since the conflict began. Shelling on a village street in the Belgorod region close to the border killed one, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Further west in the Kursk region, a woman was killed by a direct hit on a house in a village near the border, while another woman suffered shrapnel wounds, Governor Roman Starovoyt wrote on Telegram. An overnight aerial attack on the city of Belgorod, around 30 kilometres (20 miles) from Ukraine, injured 11, Gladkov said earlier. Security in Moscow was tight ahead of this year's parade, amid repeated Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory and after an Islamic State group attack on a concert hall near the capital in March killed dozens. Other parts of Russia including the western Kursk and Pskov regions cancelled their parades due to security concerns. The Moscow parade featured columns of Russian military equipment but was notably scaled back compared to past years as Moscow mobilises its resources for the Ukrainian front. "We come to see it every year," said 44-year-old Yelena Melikhova, who watched the procession of military equipment heading to Red Square. "It's very touching, very exciting." Svetlana Sycheva, 48, said she was filled with "pride" while watching the parade. "Even in such difficult times we have the opportunity to rejoice, and to feel the emotions that we have just experienced," she told AFP. - 'We will win' - Russia often invites representatives from countries it deems "friendly" to the event, though attendance had dwindled even before it sent troops into Ukraine in early 2022 amid a stand-off with the West. Nine world leaders attended Thursday's parade -- the heads of ex-Soviet republics Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan -- as well as the leaders of Cuba, Laos and Guinea-Bissau. The 71-year-old Putin has ruled Russia since the turn of the century, securing a fresh six-year mandate in March after winning presidential elections devoid of all opposition. Russia's army held off a much-hyped Ukrainian counter-offensive last year, and it has since made gains on the front lines as Kyiv struggles with ammunition and manpower shortages. Thursday's festivities come two days after Putin vowed at a lavish inauguration to "overcome all obstacles, realise everything we have planned, and together, we will win". Israel army says three troops hurt in Rafah tunnel blast Jerusalem, May 9 (AFP) May 09, 2024 The Israeli military said three soldiers were wounded in an explosion Thursday in a "booby-trapped shaft" in Rafah, the south Gaza city where troops launched an incursion earlier this week. "Earlier today (Thursday), three IDF (army) soldiers were moderately injured as a result of the explosion of a booby-trapped shaft in eastern Rafah," the military said in a statement. "The soldiers were evacuated to the hospital to receive medical treatment," it added. The announcement came after Israel defied vociferous international opposition to any major military operation in Rafah by sending ground troops into eastern areas of the city in "targeted raids". Israel says Rafah is the last redoubt of Hamas's remaining fighters but the city on the border with Egypt is also crammed with displaced Palestinian civilians. US President Joe Biden has threatened to stop some arms deliveries to Israel if it goes ahead with a full-scale assault on Rafah, where the UN says 1.4 million people are sheltering. The Gaza war began with Hamas's 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, of whom Israel estimates 128 remain in Gaza, including 36 officials say are presumed dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 34,904 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. BUDAPEST, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived here Wednesday for a state visit to Hungary. In a written speech upon his arrival, Xi said China and Hungary are good friends and good partners of mutual trust. "I am delighted to pay a state visit to the beautiful country of Hungary at the gracious invitation of President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban," he said, extending heartfelt greetings and best wishes to the Hungarian government and people on behalf of the government and people of China. Noting that Hungary is known for its time-honored history and profound cultural heritage, Xi said the Hungarian people are industrious, intelligent, open, inclusive, pioneering and creative. In recent years, the government and people of Hungary have been forging ahead with determination, making impressive progress in economic and social development, he said. "As a good friend and a comprehensive strategic partner, we in China, both the government and people, heartily rejoice over your achievements." In 1949, Hungary was one of the first countries to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. In 2004, the two countries decided to forge a friendly and cooperative partnership. In 2017, the bilateral relationship was elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership, upgrading and speeding up the mutually beneficial cooperation and strengthening the popular support for traditional China-Hungary friendship, Xi noted. In recent years, the two sides have seen frequent high-level exchanges, deepening mutual trust, fruitful outcomes in Belt and Road cooperation, vibrant people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and close coordination and collaboration in international and regional affairs, he said. "Together, we have set a fine example of building a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation," Xi said. This year marks the 75th anniversary of China-Hungary diplomatic ties, bringing an important opportunity for the growth of bilateral relations, he said. Xi said he looks forward to meeting with President Sulyok, Prime Minister Orban and other Hungarian leaders, and they will jointly outline a new blueprint for cooperation and development, with a view to steering the China-Hungary relationship forward in big strides and taking it to a higher level. "I believe that no matter how the international landscape evolves, China and Hungary will always view and approach the bilateral relationship from a broad perspective and a long-term view," he said. "Through vigorous and determined endeavors, we will work together toward the goal of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and make our due contribution to world peace, stability, development and prosperity," he added. "I am confident that, with the two sides' concerted efforts, this visit will be a complete success and usher in an even brighter future of the China-Hungary relationship," he said. Orban and his wife waited at Budapest Airport to welcome Xi. Hungarian Air Force sent fighter jets to escort Xi's plane after it entered the country's airspace for a state visit. Chinese President Xi Jinping's plane arrives in Budapest, Hungary, May 8, 2024. Xi arrived here Wednesday for a state visit to Hungary. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) People welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping in Budapest, Hungary, May 8, 2024. Xi arrived here Wednesday for a state visit to Hungary. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan) Editor: WXL The Old Brewery has a thousand-year history of production tracing brewing back to 1089. The site has since housed constant activity: a world-famous tapestry works, a pottery works and the seat of power for Thomas Cromwell during the reign of Henry VIII. With such a rich history, it's feels like the perfect home for Londons new local studios. Next week, the 77th Cannes Film Festival gets underway and as the worlds leading film makers head towards France, many will stop off for meetings in London but this time theres a new stop off point to add into their busy schedules The Story Works, here in Hollywood-on-Thames. JERUSALEM, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Militants in Gaza fired eight rockets from the Rafah area toward the Kerem Shalom Crossing area in Israel shortly after it reopened on Wednesday, injuring one Israeli soldier, according to the Israeli army. The soldier sustained light injuries and received medical treatment at the scene, the army said in a statement. Earlier on Wednesday, the army reported additional launches from the Rafah area that fell short of crossing into Israeli territory and instead landed in the Gaza Strip. The Kerem Shalom Crossing, a key entry point for humanitarian aid into the Palestinian enclave, reopened on Wednesday after Israel closed it on Sunday following the killing of four soldiers in a mortar attack. Editor: ZAD * FIRST NAME * LAST NAME * EMAIL Your email address * PASSWORD Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Show * YEAR OF BIRTH You must be at least 18 years old to create an account 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909 1908 1907 1906 * Required fields I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice CREATE ACCOUNT I'LL TRY LATER Already have an account? SIGN IN By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Peter Weir responded: Majority of Executive in a sensible place on this. Fundamentally public health and the saving of lives is the only consideration which is why the CMO (chief medical officer) is the critical person to follow rather than Dan from Derry ranting down the phone to their local SF (Sinn Fein) MLA. We need to be the grown ups in the room, and measured and reassuring is the right tone and policy. People are just desensitised to the point of ignoring a genocide taking place, and I think every singly person in parliament, in upper management, any single person who has any strategic power who is not doing something for Palestine has blood on their hands and needs to be aware of that and needs to get their heads out of the sand. In a statement on Thursday, Ms Elphicke said she condemned "his behaviour towards other women and towards me", adding it was "right that he was prosecuted" and she was "sorry for the comments that I made about his victims". The president of the Union of Jewish Students, Edward Isaacs, outside No 10, following a meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and university leaders (Yui Mok/PA) Of this, 500,000 will be dedicated to supporting the work of the University Jewish Chaplaincy, which helps students deal with incidents of antisemitism. In the autumn statement in November, the Chancellor announced that 7 million of extra support would be committed to tackle antisemitism in schools and universities. In line with the sectors clear commitment to freedom of speech, it is important that universities allow and support students and staff to debate and discuss this crisis, and the challenging issues it raises, but within the law, and with respect and tolerance. The current conflict has raised tensions across many communities and we have been clear there is no place for intolerance on our campuses. She said: Universities have taken the rise in antisemitism on campuses since October 7 very seriously and will continue to work hard to ensure the safety of Jewish staff and students. Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK (UUK), said the meeting with ministers and the UJS had been positive and she welcomed the opportunity to have a discussion about how to avoid an escalation of campus tensions. In 2023, 182 university-related antisemitic incidents were recorded by the CST compared with 60 incidents in 2022 a rise of 203%. Representatives from Jewish charity the Community Security Trust (CST) also attended the meeting alongside vice-chancellors from a number of leading universities where student protests are currently taking place. And you know, those lines are lines that we need to be clear about. (Protesters) cant be harassing people. Nor should they also be stopping other students just going about their education She added: The reality is you have to look at those situations and what is targeted, what is inciting hatred or is actually moving into harassment. Asked whether she thinks Mr Sunak is clear on the difference between antisemitism and legitimate protest against Israeli army action, Ms Keegan told Times Radio: Its not straightforward in every case. She said: They cant be harassing people. Nor should they also be stopping other students just going about their education. Ms Keegan told BBCs Radio 4 Today programme that protests should not be targeted at individual Jewish students or lecturers. A spokesperson for Newcastle University said: Our attempts at constructive dialogue with protesters were not taken in the spirit intended and the protest escalated to a completely unacceptable level. On Wednesday, some students at Newcastle University where a pro-Palestinian encampment is in place missed their health and wellbeing appointments after protests meant they could not enter a university building. Her comments came after more than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the Cambridge Union on Wednesday evening to protest against a talk by billionaire tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel , who is founder of American software company Palantir. There is always a contagion fear and obviously there are some groups that are encouraging this as well. When asked whether there is a fear that events in the US will be replicated in the UK, Ms Keegan said: Theres always a fear of that. She told Sky News: What we dont want is our campuses becoming unsafe environments for students or staff and going down the route that you see in other places like the US. Ahead of the roundtable with university leaders, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said vice-chancellors needed to show leadership in response to protests over Israeli military action in Gaza at UK universities. Universities have taken the rise in antisemitism on campuses since October 7 very seriously and will continue to work hard to ensure the safety of Jewish staff and students The Prime Ministers official spokesman said it was up to universities to deal with such investigations. At the meeting, Mr Sunak and leaders at 17 British universities discussed taking disciplinary action against students found guilty of antisemitism or glorification of terrorism, or any form of intimidation or violence. Mr Dabby-Joory added: We hope the universities will take their duties far more seriously. We hope they will show zero tolerance to antisemitism of any form. He said: We think actions will speak louder than words. Guy Dabby-Joory, head of campaigns at the UJS, said there had been discussions in the meeting on ensuring any criminal behaviour at protests would be met with an appropriate response. He added that Jewish students have faced a year like no other in terms of the volume of antisemitism on campus. These are not meaningless political statements, these are direct calls for violence and they have no place on campus. Mr Isaacs said: Fundamentally, red lines have to be drawn. We are seeing language emanating from these encampments and protest movements such as calls to globalise the intifada. He told the PA news agency: The burden is now on vice-chancellors to ensure we dont see scenes in the US replicated in the UK. Make education a priority with help from these acclaimed resources Police ease restrictions on London pro-Palestine march following row with organisers King clocks up more than 100 days of engagements in scaled-back second year UK and US spy chiefs working ceaselessly for Gaza ceasefire Mr Isaacs, who attended the roundtable meeting at Downing Street on Thursday, said direct calls for violence have no place on campus. Tensions have continued to ratchet up in standoffs with pro-Palestine protesters at US university campuses and thousands of demonstrators have been arrested since the protests began last month. In a statement, the university said: A small group of tents has been set up on campus by individuals protesting in support of Palestine. The university is operating as normal with exams and other activity continuing as planned. A camp was also set up at the University of Birmingham on Thursday, which said it was monitoring the situation to ensure safety and minimise disruption. It comes as student encampments against the war in Gaza have been set up at more than a dozen universities in the UK, including Cambridge and Oxford. Rishi Sunak called for universities to remain bastions of tolerance during the roundtable with vice-chancellors. Vice-chancellors from a number of leading UK universities were summoned to a meeting with the Prime Minister at No 10 on Thursday to discuss antisemitism on campuses and keeping Jewish students safe. Edward Isaacs, president of the Union of Jewish Students (UJS), urged universities to take swift and decisive action to protect Jewish students. University leaders should ensure red lines are drawn between free speech and inciting violence in pro-Palestinian protests on campuses, the leader of a Jewish student group has said. I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice . Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy . Already have an account? SIGN IN I'LL TRY LATER You must be at least 18 years old to create an account Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app. Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism. Thank you for registering Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Mr Flynn also said his group booed during Golans dress rehearsals this week, adding: This song is a propaganda song. OK, it was originally called October Rain and now its called Hurricane, you can see there, its the same melody; the lyrics have been changed at the request of the EBU (European Broadcast Union), but it is the same song. It also told Irish finalist Bambie Thug to change their body paint, which referenced the artists call for a ceasefire, before going on stage as the EBU maintains this could have broken the rules that are designed to protect the non-political nature of the event. WASHINGTON, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted to kill a resolution to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson. The House voted 359-43 on a motion by Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia to oust Johnson from his post, with seven Democrats voting "present." Greene called up her resolution to remove fellow Republican and House Speaker Johnson on the House floor Wednesday evening. But House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, immediately motioned to table the measure. "A remarkable number of House Republicans joined with Democrats to rescue the speaker, who has only been in the job for a little over six months," reported The Washington Post, adding that Johnson earned grudging respect from more traditional Republicans for ensuring the government didn't run out of funding and sending aid to U.S. allies and Israel and Ukraine, but he only did so with Democratic support, infuriating members like Greene. Johnson has also been emboldened by the backing of former U.S. president Donald Trump, who reiterated his support for the Louisiana Republican over the weekend, said the report. It's the second time in less than a year that Republicans have sought to remove their own party's speaker. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California was voted out of the job in October through a motion filed by a fellow member of the Republican Party. Greene has called for Johnson's removal in recent weeks, mostly over U.S. aid package for Ukraine. It's the latest sign of continued Republican infighting. Editor: ZAD U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 8, 2024. The United States has withheld one shipment of near-term weapons aid to Israel due to "serious concerns" that a looming large-scale military operation in Rafah by Israeli forces would cause significant loss of civilian lives, the State Department said on Wednesday. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told senators on Capitol Hill as he testified on the Pentagon's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal that the Pentagon is "going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself." "But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah," he added. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) WASHINGTON, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The United States has withheld one shipment of near-term weapons aid to Israel due to "serious concerns" that a looming large-scale military operation in Rafah by Israeli forces would cause significant loss of civilian lives, the State Department said on Wednesday. Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the State Department, confirmed the halt of security assistance to Israel at a press briefing, telling reporters that the administration of President Joe Biden is reviewing other shipments as the situation in Rafah unfolds. "We have very serious concerns about a potential Rafah operation. We have concerns about what that would mean for the civilian population," Miller said, adding that such concerns on the U.S. side stemmed from "the way Israel has conducted its operations in the past and what the impact on the civilian population has been." Miller's confirmation of the delay came days after multiple U.S. media outlets reported on the administration's move, with Axios - which first published such a report - citing a senior administration official as saying that weapons being put on hold included 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs. "We also have concerns about the impact of any potential operation on the delivery of humanitarian assistance," Miller said, urging Israel to open the Rafah crossing so that humanitarian assistance would continue flowing into Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement early Tuesday that its troops "managed to establish operational control of the Gazan side" of the Rafah crossing following a "precise counterterrorism operation" launched overnight against Hamas. Miller said the IDF's incursion into Rafah was conducted without U.S. approval, adding that Washington considered it to be the "first priority" that the Rafah crossing be kept open. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told senators on Capitol Hill as he testified on the Pentagon's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal that the Pentagon is "going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself." "But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah," he added. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 8, 2024. The United States has withheld one shipment of near-term weapons aid to Israel due to "serious concerns" that a looming large-scale military operation in Rafah by Israeli forces would cause significant loss of civilian lives, the State Department said on Wednesday. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told senators on Capitol Hill as he testified on the Pentagon's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal that the Pentagon is "going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself." "But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah," he added. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 8, 2024. The United States has withheld one shipment of near-term weapons aid to Israel due to "serious concerns" that a looming large-scale military operation in Rafah by Israeli forces would cause significant loss of civilian lives, the State Department said on Wednesday. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told senators on Capitol Hill as he testified on the Pentagon's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal that the Pentagon is "going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself." "But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah," he added. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 8, 2024. The United States has withheld one shipment of near-term weapons aid to Israel due to "serious concerns" that a looming large-scale military operation in Rafah by Israeli forces would cause significant loss of civilian lives, the State Department said on Wednesday. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told senators on Capitol Hill as he testified on the Pentagon's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal that the Pentagon is "going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself." "But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah," he added. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (Front) testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 8, 2024. The United States has withheld one shipment of near-term weapons aid to Israel due to "serious concerns" that a looming large-scale military operation in Rafah by Israeli forces would cause significant loss of civilian lives, the State Department said on Wednesday. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told senators on Capitol Hill as he testified on the Pentagon's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal that the Pentagon is "going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself." "But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah," he added. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 8, 2024. The United States has withheld one shipment of near-term weapons aid to Israel due to "serious concerns" that a looming large-scale military operation in Rafah by Israeli forces would cause significant loss of civilian lives, the State Department said on Wednesday. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told senators on Capitol Hill as he testified on the Pentagon's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal that the Pentagon is "going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself." "But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah," he added. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) Editor: ZAD The First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, warmly welcomed at the White House the wife of the President of Romania, Carmen Iohannis, who is in Washington with the Romanian head of state. ''Carmen, it was so wonderful to have you at the White House after you graciously welcomed me to Romania two years ago. I will never forget seeing how you and the Romanian people opened your arms to refugees fleeing Ukraine. It was, and still is, truly inspirational,'' Jill Biden wrote on her Facebook account on Thursday. She accompanied the text with a photo in which she appears with Carmen Iohannis, at the White House, both standing, and another one from her visit to Romania in May 2022. In that photo, the two first ladies are in a classroom at a school in Bucharest, sitting on chairs and holding hands. President Klaus Iohannis is on a working visit to the USA. On Tuesday, he was received by President Joe Biden at the White House. Romania has set an example in many areas in Central and Eastern Europe - from defending the Eastern Flank of NATO, to investing in democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, said president Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday evening, in Washington D.C., upon receiving the Distinguished International Leadership award. "Starting in 2001, a few years before we joined NATO, and then throughout our two decades of membership, Romania and the Romanian people have made bold, brave, and determined decisions to strengthen the democratic fabric of our society, live up to our transatlantic security commitments, and turn our country into an anchor of strategic stability, prosperity, and progress in a still troubled part of Europe," said the head of state. "These Romanian efforts have consequences that go far beyond our national borders; they in fact have helped strengthen Europe and the transatlantic alliance, and they deserve to be recognized," he continued. He went on to emphasise the strategic importance of our region, by recalling a speech of the current US president, Joe Biden. "In 2011, Vice President Joe Biden was on this stage, for the same award and at the time made a very powerful statement about America's engagement in Central Europe. He said: 'The time for Central Europe has come. You have shown yourselves ready for our common challenges, willing to tackle them, and able to overcome them. That's why in America, we no longer think in terms of what we can do for Central Europe, but rather in terms of what we can do together with Central Europe', said Iohannis. He also mentioned, in his acceptance speech, the Bucharest 9 Format initiative, as "an initiative spearheaded in 2015 by Romania and Poland that includes all Eastern Flank nations and provides a robust platform to coordinate our security resources within NATO." He said that most countries on the Eastern Flank "have started to make progress in raising defense budgets and upgrading our military infrastructure and equipment. That is how our countries have been empowered to act with unity and resolve and to put up a strong deterrent against the Russian expansionism, while at the same time holding true to our core transatlantic democratic values." Also, president Iohannis talked about the war in Ukraine: "As President of Romania, I can tell you that Romania has truly been standing out in the first line through its efforts to help Ukraine. Over 7.5 million Ukrainians have crossed the border into Romania seeking refuge, safety, and safe passage. Almost 40.000 children are now studying in Romanian classrooms. Millions of tons of humanitarian assistance have crossed into Ukraine through and from Romania." He also recalled how "Romania also helped Ukraine maintain a vital economic lifeline, leveraging our unique maritime connections and facilitating the transit of almost 40 million tons of grain - almost 70% of Ukrainian grains exports through the Romanian ports on the Danube River and the Black Sea." He then emphasised that "all these efforts continue, for as long as it takes, because we know that Romania plays a key role in helping Ukraine achieve victory and peace, succeed economically, and integrate into the European Union." "We are working together to enhance our collective security, advance freedom and economic progress, and make sure that democracy continues to deliver. It is our shared responsibility and you can count on our ability to carry through. Because the United States has no better ally than Romania. I dedicate this award to all Romanians and to the partnership and friendship between Romania and the United States of America.," said the Romanian head of state, in ending his speech. (StatePoint) With the all-white kitchen design trend on the decline, you may be wondering how to make updates that appeal to todays sensibilities. The key is infusing color and depth into your space. Heres how: Consider Earthy Wood Tones Earthy wood tones easily transform a predominantly white space and there are many ways to incorporate this look in your kitchen. Options can be as involved as refinishing your kitchen island with a wooden countertop or swapping in wood cabinet finishes, to as simple as introducing a rolling bar cart into the space. Displaying a few wooden kitchen elements, such as cooking utensils, cutting boards and a napkin holder, can round out the look. Embrace Matte Black Matte black appliances are gaining in popularity for good reason they can elevate your kitchen into a glamorous foodie oasis, and a place where cooking, eating, and gathering with loved ones brings you joy. Its helpful if those appliances pair form with functionality. When it comes to cooking ranges, check out Verona, which offers professional-style Italian-made appliances that combine artistry with the latest cooking technology innovations. The brands Ultima Midnight 36-inch Range is fully matte black from cooktop to legs for a sleek look and is available in dual fuel or induction. Alternatively, the Maestro collection from another Italian brand, Lofra, boasts strong versatile design and the highest technical performance. Both brands are exclusively imported by EuroChef USA. For more information, visit eurochefusa.com. Incorporate Brass Accents Brass accents can provide dynamism and depth. Consider adding brass hardware to your fridge and updating your faucet and sink basin in a gold or bronze tone. For your cooking range, get inspired by the models available in Lofras Dolcevita Collection, which can be customized with brass trim, and gold knobs, providing pops of color in unexpected places, and with 30-60-inch models available, can accommodate kitchens of all sizes. Beyond the trim of your appliances, you can mix these metals into your space by swapping in new cabinetry hardware and by adding in an eye-catching brass pedant above your dining area or prep space. Displaying your brass cookware on hooks or a rack can offer a rustic and homey feel to an otherwise austere space. If you spend a lot of time in your kitchen, as many individuals and families do, consider updates that add color, depth and comfort to the space. ***** Serbian Ambassador to China: reaching new heights in cooperation between Serbia and China 16:23, May 09, 2024 By Ren Yan, Wang Di, Sheng Chuyi ( People's Daily Being proud of having the highest level of relations with China, Serbia considered the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the country as its most important foreign diplomatic event this year, said Maja Stefanovic, Serbian ambassador to China, during a recent interview with Peoples Daily. Maja Stefanovic, Serbian ambassador to China. (Photo/Embassy of Serbia in Beijing) China and Serbia decided on Wednesday to build a community with a shared future, upgrading their relations from the comprehensive strategic partnership established eight years ago. Stefanovic emphasized that this visit has strengthened the ironclad Serbia-China friendship and propelled the two countries relations to a new level. Both countries firmly supported each other's core interests and major concerns, extending a helping hand when it is needed the most, Stefanovic noted. She added that from high-speed railway systems to highway construction, with Chinas firm support, these projects not only enhance connectivity within Serbia and boost people-to-people communication, but also create job opportunities and stimulate economic growth for Serbia. During the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in 2023, China and Serbia signed a free trade agreement, focusing on eliminating tariffs on 90 percent of goods. With the China-Serbia Free Trade Agreement set to take effect on July 1 this year, the high-standard mutual opening up between China and Serbia will surely enter a new stage. We consider it one of the most important agreements concluded between the two countries in the field of economy, said Stefanovic, believing that the agreement will enhance trade and cooperation in sectors such as the automotive industry, technology and agriculture. Stefanovic has forged an inseparable bond with China ever since coming to the country for the first time as an international student in 1993. People to people contacts are one of the most important segments of our relations, since they are a prerequisite for the expansion and development of overall relations between Serbia and China, Stefanovic pointed out. With policies such as visa-free travel and direct flights between the two countries, Stefanovic envisioned a future marked by increased tourism, educational exchanges, and cultural understanding. (Web editor: Hongyu, Wu Chengliang) An aerial drone photo taken on May 7, 2024 shows China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, during its maiden sea trials. China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, completed maiden sea trials on Wednesday. (Photo by Ding Ziyu/Xinhua) BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, returned to Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard at around 3 p.m. Wednesday after completing its maiden sea trials. During the eight-day sea trials, the Fujian tested its propulsion and electrical systems and other equipment, and achieved the expected results. In the next stage, the aircraft carrier will conduct follow-up tests according to established plans. An aerial drone photo taken on May 1, 2024 shows China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, during its maiden sea trials. China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, returned to Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard at around 3 p.m. Wednesday after completing its maiden sea trials. (Photo by Pu Haiyang/Xinhua) An aerial drone photo taken on May 1, 2024 shows China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, during its maiden sea trials. China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, returned to Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard at around 3 p.m. Wednesday after completing its maiden sea trials. (Photo by Pu Haiyang/Xinhua) A staff member performs manual meteorological detection on the deck of the Fujian, China's third aircraft carrier, on May 7, 2024. China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, returned to Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard at around 3 p.m. Wednesday after completing its maiden sea trials. (Xinhua/Li Yun) This photo taken on May 3, 2024 shows China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, during its maiden sea trials. China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, returned to Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard at around 3 p.m. Wednesday after completing its maiden sea trials. (Xinhua/Li Yun) An aerial drone photo taken on May 1, 2024 shows China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, during its maiden sea trials. China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, returned to Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard at around 3 p.m. Wednesday after completing its maiden sea trials. (Photo by Pu Haiyang/Xinhua) Editor: GSY JEFFERSON CITY A bipartisan bill that would outlaw all child marriages in Missouri has run into resistance from Republicans in the Missouri House that could prevent it from becoming law. The legislation, filed by Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder, a Scott City Republican, and Sen. Lauren Arthur, a Kansas City Democrat, would prohibit anyone under 18 from obtaining a marriage license. Current law allows 16- and 17-year-olds to get married with parental consent. The GOP-controlled state Senate approved the bill on a nearly unanimous vote of 31 to 1 last month. But the legislation has since stalled in a House committee with just more than a week left in this years legislative session which ends on May 17. Supporters of the bill say the opposition illustrates some lawmakers extreme and archaic views on marriage. Missouri previously had one of the nations most lenient laws surrounding child marriage and the states current law has been criticized as a loophole that leaves thousands of teenagers open to abuse and exploitation. Any explanation used to justify opposition is nothing more than, you know, an excuse to protect predators, Arthur said in an interview. The committees chair, Rep. Jim Murphy, a St. Louis-area Republican, said in an interview that there arent enough votes within the committee to get it to the House floor. Seven of the 14 committee members oppose the legislation and disagree with raising the states marriage age, he said. Its on the going 16 to 18, Murphy, who supports the bill, said of the opposition. Theres just enough members in that committee that dont think thats a good idea. One of those lawmakers is Rep. Dean VanSchoiack, a Savannah Republican and vice chair of the committee. VanSchoiack said in an interview that he knows people who got married as minors, including a woman at roughly age 17. The couple, he said, is still madly in love with each other. Why is the government getting involved in peoples lives like this? Van Schoiack said. What purpose do we have in deciding that a couple who are 16 or 17 years old, their parents say, you know, you guys love each other, go ahead and get married, you have my permission. Why would we stop that? Rehder, who is running for lieutenant governor, pushed back in an interview. The government does tell people when they can get married because we do have an age limit right now, she said. The fact that he feels that its OK for a parent to make a decision for a child, that is a lifetime decision, is offensive. The legislation is personal for Rehder, who was married at age 15 to her 21-year-old boyfriend in 1984. A year earlier, her sister, at age 16, married her 39-year-old drug dealer, she has said. As a child that did get married, she said, I would say I have a lot more insight to this issue than what he does. Rehder remains optimistic that the bill could pass this year, saying she believes a majority of House lawmakers would support it. She hopes she can attach the language as an amendment to another bill so it can reach the House floor. But even if the legislation can get past a committee vote, it could still run into some resistance from other Republicans in the House. One of them is Rep. Hardy Billington, a Poplar Bluff Republican. Billington, in an interview with The Star, claimed that the legislation could cause pregnant teenagers to have abortions when they cant get married even though abortion is already almost entirely banned in Missouri. My opinion is that if someone (wants to) get married at 17, and theyre going to have a baby and they cannot get married, then chances of abortion are extremely high, he said. Rehder said that she was surprised at the opposition to the bill. Its just a lingering of generational thought, you know, of what used to be normal, she said. Its just not any longer and its not that its not just normal, but its harmful. Lawmakers in 2018 set the states minimum marriage age at 16 with the approval of one parent or guardian. The law came after The Star revealed that Missouri had among the nations loosest marriage law for 15-year-olds. It previously allowed children even younger to marry with a judges approval. Missouri does, however, ban marriage between a minor and anyone 21 or older. The states statutory rape law also prohibits those 21 or older from sexual intercourse with anyone under 17. But opponents of the current law say it still does not go far enough and have pushed for the bill from Rehder and Arthur. Before the 2018 law went into effect, 88% of minors who were married in Missouri were age 16 or 17, Fraidy Reiss, the founder and executive director of Unchained At Last, a nonprofit seeking to end child marriage nationwide, previously told reporters. The law, Reiss said, has failed to protect 88% of the people it was intended to help. Arthur said that lawmakers need to think of young girls who have been affected by child marriages in Missouri. But aside from educating her colleagues about the importance of the legislation, she said voters need to elect different people to the General Assembly. It is a common sense position that children should not get married, she said. It is an extreme view to think that children should be allowed to engage in that kind of contract. For Rehder, the opposition to her bill was rather interesting. This is about banning child marriage, she said. Marriage is a decision that should be made by adults. Its as simple as that. JEFFERSON CITY Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday signed off on $2.2 million to fund a deployment of Missouri National Guard soldiers and Highway Patrol troopers to bolster Operation Lone Star, an effort by Texas to police the U.S.-Mexico border. Parson made the announcement at a news conference in Texas, just north of the town of Eagle Pass, which has served as a backdrop to Texas fight with the federal government over immigration enforcement. The reason we are down here is the total failure of the Biden administration, said Parson, echoing a sentiment hes expressed on other occasions this year. The battle that were fighting down here at the border, is keeping it from happening in our own borders in our own state in Missouri, he said. Parson said the states National Guard and Highway Patrol have had over 4,000 encounters in less than two months in Texas, and theyve deterred five national terrorists coming across this border. Missouri National Guard Adjutant General Levon Cumpton said the troops mission is to prevent illegal immigration and to prevent illegal trafficking. According to a statement from Parsons office issued Wednesday, Soldiers routinely intercept undocumented migrants on foot and in vehicles and observe them until U.S. Customs & Border Protection officers respond to take custody and process. Since March 15, approximately 50 Missouri Guard soldiers have been serving side by side with the Texas Guard, the statement said. The additional funding for Missouri troops in Texas was broadly supported by Democrats and Republicans in the state Senate and House when it came up for a vote in both chambers. The Wednesday news conference marked Parsons second trip to Texas this year. In February, he went to Eagle Pass to join Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and 13 Republican governors for a briefing and news conference on Operation Lone Star. Later that month, he announced the activation of roughly 200 Missouri Guard members to assist in the construction of physical barriers and with security patrols as needed. Parson also authorized the deployment of the Highway Patrol to Texas and at the time said up to 22 patrol members could be sent. Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, a Parson ally, in April led a contingent of officials to Texas to meet with highway patrol officers. Kehoe is running to replace the term-limited Parson as governor. While immigration at the southern border has been a central campaign issue for Republicans both in Missouri and nationally this year, Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in 2021. The crisis at our southern border continues to escalate because of Biden administration policies that refuse to secure the border and invite illegal immigration, said Abbott in a news release announcing the operation that year. Parsons executive order this year declaring a state of emergency in order to provide resources in support of securing the Texas/Mexico border is in effect until June 13. This legislation is a supplemental appropriations bill for the current fiscal year, House Bill 2016. Kurt Erickson of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. An Okinawa-based Marine arrested April 18, 2024, on suspicion of attempting to rob a convenience store has been rearrested in connection to an earlier robbery at store a half-mile away. (Keishi Koja/Stars and Stripes) CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa A U.S. Marine suspected of attempted assault and robbery of an Okinawa convenience store on April 18 was officially charged Wednesday with attempted theft, said a spokesman for the Naha District Public Prosecutors Office. Lance Cpl. Andrew Torres, 20, of the III Marine Logistics Group at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, was then rearrested on suspicion of an April 3 convenience store robbery, according to a spokesman for Okinawa prefectural police. After the April 18 incident, police said a man in black pants and a black hooded sweatshirt carried a knife into a Lawson between 12:53 a.m. and 1:03 a.m., went behind the counter and tried to open the cash register. The store is in the Nodake district of Ginowan city. The clerk, watching a security camera in the back office, saw the man at the register, ran from the store and called police from his cellphone, a police spokesman said last month. No customers were in the store at the time. Officers arrested Torres running from the parking lot, with no money from the store in his possession. Torres has been held by Okinawa city police since then, the police spokesman said by phone Thursday. After he was charged Wednesday, Torres was immediately rearrested on suspicion of the April 3 convenience store robbery in Ginowans Aragusuku district, the police spokesman said. In that case, police say Torres threatened a clerk with a knife and stole about $840 worth of yen. Under the Japanese judicial system, prosecutors, not police, decide whether to file charges. Some government spokespeople in Japan are required to speak to the media only on condition of anonymity. Ma Sai makes a filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. Ma's Filigree Mosaic art, a city-level intangible cultural heritage in Tianjin, attracted the attention of the whole country when an accessory made with it appeared on the head of a Chinese actress during the Spring Festival Gala of the Year of the Dragon, staged by China Central Television, also called CCTV. Filigree Mosaic art, first seen in the Spring and Autumn period (770 B.C.-476 B.C.), greeted its peak season in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The craft, having a history of more than 2,000 years, goes through complicated procedures and was listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage in 2008. Two main steps are involved in the craft, namely making filigree and making mosaic. Using malleable materials such as gold and sliver to make thin threads and then forming different shapes is called filigree art. Inlaying pearls or gems on shaped metal frames is called mosaic art. Imparted by palace artisans for royal family, Ma's Filigree Mosaic art dated back to the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) to the 1920s. Ma Sai, an inheritor of the craft who was born in the 1990s, has been working in the field for over 14 years. "I like handmade work since childhood. I learned the art from my parents, who enlightened me during their daily work." In the early time, Ma Sai's family made filigree mosaic accessories mainly for export. With the withering of foreign market, the craft was almost lost. Noticing the popularity of traditional Chinese culture, Ma Sai tried to apply this craft to the making of traditional Chinese accessories. People's enthusiasm for Hanfu, a traditional wearing during the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-220 A.D.), brought new vitality to Ma's Filigree Mosaic art. "The popularity of Hanfu gave me the confidence to carry on the craft," said Ma Sai. He visited various museums, read lots of books, and gradually turned designed patterns into real products. To promote the products, Ma released videos he shot and edited on the internet. He also opened accounts on new media platforms, where he shared products and craft and won popularity among young people. He also encountered his love during a Hanfu show. Min Fangping, deeply moved by Ma's efforts in carrying on the traditional art, decided to work with him at his studio to explore more possibilities. Nowadays, Ma Sai's studio mainly makes accessories for the use of video props, head decorations of Hanfu and brides headdress in traditional Chinese weddings. His artworks win him fame in the circle for their delicacy and refineness. He enrolled a dozen of villagers in his studio, and also accepted an apprentice Ma Hongli who was born in the 1980s. "I hope more young people will join us, thus we'll create filigree mosaic artworks that belong to our time," said Ma Sai. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo) An enthusiast for Hanfu tries a head decoration of filigree mosaic at a studio in Tianjin, north China, March 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) This photo taken on March 23, 2024 shows filigree mosaic artworks displayed at the Wuqing museum in Tianjin, north China. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) Ma Sai makes a filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo) Ma Sai makes a filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo) Ma Sai (R) and his girlfriend Min Fangping watch filigree mosaic artworks they made displayed at Wuqing museum in Tianjin, north China, March 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) Ma Sai makes a filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo) Ma Sai introduces to a visitor during a show themed on Ma's Filigree Mosaic art at Wuqing museum in Tianjin, north China, March 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo) This undated file photo shows a Ma's filigree mosaic artwork. (Photo by Zhong Xia/Xinhua) Ma Sai (R) talks with his mother on filigree mosaic art at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran) This undated file photo shows a Ma's filigree mosaic artwork. (Photo by Zhong Xia/Xinhua) Ma Sai fixes a filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran) This photo taken on March 23, 2024 shows filigree mosaic artworks displayed at the Wuqing museum in Tianjin, north China. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) Ma Sai makes a filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran) Ma Sai checks a filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran) This undated file photo shows a Ma's filigree mosaic artwork. (Photo by Zhong Xia/Xinhua) Ma Sai (L) and his girlfriend Min Fangping talk on details of making filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Tianjin, north China, March 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) This undated file photo shows a Ma's filigree mosaic artwork. (Photo by Zhong Xia/Xinhua) This undated file photo shows a Ma's filigree mosaic artwork. (Photo by Zhong Xia/Xinhua) Ma Sai puts a filigree mosaic artwork on the head of an enthusiast of Hanfu at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran) Ma Sai draws patterns for a filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran) This undated file photo shows a Ma's filigree mosaic artwork. (Photo by Zhong Xia/Xinhua) Ma Sai (L) and his girlfriend Min Fangping arrange filigree mosaic artworks before a show themed on Ma's Filigree Mosaic art at Wuqing museum in Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo) Ma Sai makes a filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo) Ma Sai (R) and his girlfriend Min Fangping carry filigree mosaic artworks before a show themed on Ma's Filigree Mosaic art at Wuqing museum in Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran) An enthusiast for Hanfu tries a head decoration of filigree mosaic at a studio in Tianjin, north China, March 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) Ma Sai makes a filigree mosaic artwork at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) Ma Sai (R) talks with his girlfriend Min Fangping on filigree mosaic design patterns at his studio in Liuzhuang Village of Wuqing District of Tianjin, north China, March 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran) Ma Sai (R, back) and his girlfriend Min Fangping (L, back) watch a Hanfu enthusiast posing for photos in Tianjin, north China, March 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran) Ma Sai (R) talks with a staff member at a cultural and creative products store in Wuqing Distric of Tianjin, north China, March 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ran) Editor: GSY A Navy contractor inspects a water pipe that connects to a granular activated carbon system at the Red Hill well near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, in April 2022. (MarQueon A. D. Tramble/U.S. Navy) HONOLULU Medical problems reported by residents of military housing in Hawaii in late 2021 were not caused by tap water contaminated by Navy jet fuel, a toxicologist said Wednesday in Hawaii federal court. I concluded that they were not toxicological, Robyn Prueitt testified on behalf of the U.S. government, the defendant in a civil suit brought by military families alleging physical and mental illnesses from consuming the water. Prueitt, who works for the environmental consulting firm Gradient, testified her conclusion was based upon the existing medical literature about the effects of JP-5 jet fuel exposure on human health and on the estimated amount of jet fuel in the plaintiffs tap water. There are no reliable human studies of JP-5, she said. The 17 plaintiffs, who lived in military communities near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in late 2021, say exposure to the tainted water sparked a host of medical problems, including headaches, nausea, dizziness, brain fog, anxiety and tremors. Plaintiffs testified last week that some medical issues remain after two years and in some cases have grown worse. U.S. District Court Judge Leslie Kobayashi, who is hearing the case without a jury, has said numerous times from the bench that the purpose of the trial is to determine the cause of the alleged injuries and what compensation, if any, the plaintiffs should receive. Plaintiffs attorney Kristina Baehr cross-examined Prueitt based on the toxicologists previously submitted, sworn declaration in the case. Prueitt testified that stress from the incident itself and the perception of the individuals could have manifested in the conditions felt by the plaintiffs. Certain health symptoms can occur in individuals in response to an odorous chemical that is perceived to be unpleasant or unhealthy at exposure concentrations lower than the toxicity threshold, but these symptoms are a result of stress-induced responses to perceptions of the odor as a health risk (i.e., a non-toxicological mechanism), Prueitt stated in her declaration. Baehr cited several studies examining the effects of JP-5 fuel on health that Prueitt did not include in her review, including a 2023 study in the Journal of Water and Health titled Community health impacts after a jet fuel leak contaminated a drinking water system: Oahu, Hawaii, November 2021. I did not consider reports that have self-reported symptoms, Prueitt said. These types of studies are published all the time, she said. It doesnt mean they are reliable. Earlier in the day, Walter Grayman, an environmental and civil engineer, testified for the defense about modeling he had formulated to determine levels of JP-5 jet fuel in the Navys water system between Nov. 24 and Dec. 5, 2021. His model found that the contamination was limited to certain areas of the water system and that it was diluted relatively quickly during the 12-day period he analyzed. His findings contrasted with modeling done by the plaintiffs water expert, Paul Rosenfeld, who testified earlier in the trial that JP-5 fuel entered the Navys water system in enough density to produce sheens on water in many homes. Rosenfeld testified Tuesday that his well-mixed model considered that hydrocarbon liquids such as diesel and jet fuel will dissolve when mixed with water if the petroleum liquid is less than 5 milligrams per liter. Concentrations greater than that will leave a sheen atop water, which residents across the Navys water system reported through early December 2021, he said. The entire system is highly interconnected, Rosenfeld testified Tuesday. Prueitt testified that she based her conclusions using Graymans model. Questioned further by Baehr, Prueitt acknowledged that if Graymans model did not offer accurate JP-5 concentrations then her conclusions would be off by that much. Air Force Senior Airman Payton Rogers, a 216th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron systems operator, performs operational checks on the large multi-band antenna at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., in November 2022. (Joseph Courtney/U.S. Air National Guard) An Air Force proposal to transfer some operations jobs from the National Guard to the active-duty force will set the Defense Department back decades and hurt the recruiting and retention of part-time troops trained to fight, a retired Army general warned Thursday. Weve provided nearly half the combat power of the Army, 30% of the combat Air Force power, weve been in the fight since 9/11, so why would you now relegate the Guard to this administrative and training role, said Retired National Guard Maj. Gen. Francis McGinn, president of the National Guard Association of the United States. He said he opposes the proposal to Congress from Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall to take nearly a dozen units from the Air National Guard that perform space missions and move them into the Space Force. Those troops would have the choice to join Space Force and be subjected to the rigors of active-duty military service or retrain for a new job in the Guard. This thing is half-baked at this point, he said. Theyre asking them to jump into the abyss right now with a lot of risk. Thats our pushback from our membership. Losing the trust of those service members and removing those types of jobs from the Guard, McGinn argued, is coming at a time when the military has struggled for the past two years to meet its recruiting goals. A shrinking number of young Americans meet the standards to serve, and, for those interested in space, civilian jobs can offer higher pay and more flexibility. As of March, the Air National Guard is about 7% shy of its recruiting goal for fiscal 2024, which ends Sept. 30, according to the Defense Department. In the previous year, the Air National Guard only reached 61% of its goal of 11,745 new members. For the past month, the Guard association and a bipartisan collection of 140 House members, senators and state governors have campaigned strongly against the Air Forces proposal. Members of Congress have asked their colleagues on the House and Senate Armed Services committees to pull the proposal from inclusion in this years defense spending bill, where it sits awaiting approval. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall receives a tour of a mobile ground station on Nov. 3, 2023, from Air Force Col. Stephanie Figueroa, commander of the 233rd Space Group at Buckley Space Force Base, Colo. (Benjamin Kimball/U.S. Air National Guard) An April report analyzing the decision stated readiness for those units will temporarily drop because some people serving in the Guard will not choose to accept membership into the Space Force and will need to be replaced. Kendall wrote in the report that housing the units outside of Space Force has created management and leadership issues and uncertainty about their future for the affected units and people. Surveys have shown 70% to 80% of Guard members affected would rather retrain or retire instead of joining Space Force. The report said 578 jobs in nine units spread across six states are affected by the decision. Of those jobs, 224 are full time, and 354 are part time. The estimated cost is $84.4 million, with about $50 million spent on transferring units from the Guard to Space Force. The transfer would take about five years, according to the report. However, the Guard association puts the number of affected personnel closer to 1,000 from 14 units in seven states. More so, airmen assigned in a support position to those units will not be taken into the Space Force, and the states will be obligated to find a new unit or position for them. If you have an F-16 [fighter jet] unit, its like saying Im only going to take the pilots. Im not going to take the refuelers, Im not going to take the maintainers. Then you really dont have an F-16 unit, youve got a bunch of pilots, McGinn said. I think what they are trying to do is just that. The Air Force analyzed two other scenarios for the Air National Guard units, according to its report. The first was to leave the units where they are, and the second was to create a Space National Guard, which has the support of the Pentagons National Guard Bureau and the National Guard association. However, Kendall determined these two options are inconsistent with the intent of Space Forces creation more than four years ago. Kendalls proposal to move the units also circumvents the authority that governors have over their states National Guard troops. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who leads the National Governors Association, and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, vice chairman of the association, have warned the move could set precedent to further exclude governors from Guard decisions. The governors of all 50 states and five U.S. territories agree on the issue. Federal law requires consultation and approval from governors on any decisions to move National Guard units, plain and simple, Cox and Polis said Thursday in a prepared statement. Until Air Force leaders withdraw [the proposal], they are in violation of federal law. We cannot have productive conversations on this matter until [the proposal] is set aside. Governors are united on this point. The two met with Kendall on Wednesday and said they were disappointed Kendall did not commit to withdrawing the proposal. An action like this will violate the trust of the brave women and men who have volunteered to serve our states and our nation, the governors wrote last month in a letter to Kendalls boss, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Cox and Polis said they will continue to engage with Austin in hopes of finding a choice to which all parties can agree. Gerald Francis Long. (Coconino County Sheriffs Office/Facebook) (Tribune News Service) Gerald Francis Long was discharged from the U.S. Army in 1972. Months later, the Minnesota man told family he was heading to the West Coast, the Coconino County Sheriffs Office in Arizona said in a May 8 news release. This would be the last time his family would ever see or hear from him from again. For decades, his whereabouts were a mystery. Now, using forensic genetic genealogy, deputies said they identified remains found in remote Arizona in 1975 as Long. Runaway pig leads to remains As farmers were chasing a runaway pig along Meteor City Road, east of Flagstaff, on April 19, 1975, deputies said the farmers stumbled upon skeletal remains. The man was nicknamed Munsingwear Doe after a Munsingwear brand jacket found with the remains, deputies said. While both detectives and cold case volunteers created leads, deputies said none of these efforts led to an identification. For the next 49 years, the mans identity would remain a mystery, according to deputies. Then came advancements in DNA technology. Genetic genealogy to ID Deputies said they partnered with Intermountain Forensics in 2023, a forensic genetic genealogy company, in hopes genetic genealogy could finally close the case. Genetic genealogy uses DNA testing coupled with traditional genealogical methods to create family history profiles, according to the Library of Congress. With genealogical DNA testing, researchers can determine if and how people are biologically related. The company created a DNA profile for the unknown man, which was uploaded into genealogy databases, deputies said. Longs family told deputies he was a member of the Army from 1969 to 1972 and served in the Vietnam War. His family also told deputies they had not heard from him since October 1972 when he told them he was headed west. After getting this information from family, deputies said the FBI Laboratorys Latent Print Unit compared Longs fingerprints to those of the unknown man. They were a match, deputies said. A family member of Longs also provided DNA to confirm the mans identity, deputies said. This month, the companys scientists confirmed that Munsingwear Doe was Gerald F Long, deputies said. While the mans identity is no longer a mystery, deputies said Longs cause of death was not determined in 1975 and remains unknown today. 2024 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The souk in Muharraq, Bahrain, has myriad shops offering everything from clothing and household goods to perfumes, spices and gold jewelry. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes) On historic Muharraq Island, north of Manama, Bahrain, theres a duality to the souk, which blends traditional market life and architectural innovation while underscoring Bahrains recent architectural revitalization to boost tourism. The souk entry connects directly to the Pearling Path, a UNESCO World Heritage site that recalls the time when pearling dominated the local economy before the discovery of oil. At the heart of the structural revival is Swiss architect Valerio Olgiatis 72,000-square-foot Brutalist concrete structure, which serves as the Pearling Path visitors center. A distinctive entry point to the Muharraq souk is the 72,000-square-foot Brutalist concrete structure designed by Swiss architect Valerio Olgiati. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes) Swiss architect Valerio Olgiatis structure in Muharraq, Bahrain, towers over the remnants of an amara, which was a combination of a market, factory and warehouse. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes) This building, located over the remnants of an amara a combination of market, factory and warehouse features geometric cutouts in the ceiling that offer ample shade. Olgiati described it as an urban room with the scale of a public park, providing a communal space for residents and tourists. While exploring Muharraq souk, I saw how restored traditional homes and modern architectural statements seamlessly blend despite their juxtaposition. The market is a labyrinth of alleys, but instead of feeling lost, there is a sense of adventure in deciding whether to turn left or right. People exploring the streets of Muharraq, Bahrain, will most likely come across the many stray street cats that wander the neighborhood and are fed by residents. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes) Expect to be bombarded by shopkeepers calling out, haggling over prices as they hawk goods ranging from gold jewelry to counterfeit Nike items. The place abounds in chaos, which peaks in the evenings, but all that bustle sets the regions markets apart from any other. Visiting on quieter days allows for more intimate exploration. However, the real treasure lies in engaging with people and gaining a deeper understanding of their crafts and culture. I was invited into a traditional bakery, where bread was made in a tannour, a time-honored clay oven. Bahrain hadnt even reached its peak summer temperatures yet, and standing near the heat radiating from the oven gave me a tremendous respect for the bakers work. A baker in Muharraq, Bahrain, preps dough for bread before baking it in a traditional tannour oven April 28, 2024. Plain and sweet options are available. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes) A baker prepares to pull bread from a traditional tannour oven at a bakery near the souk in Muharraq, Bahrain, on April 28, 2024. Bread from local bakeries is a cheap and delicious food option to enjoy while exploring the souk. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes) Bread bakes in a tannour oven at a Bahraini bakery near the Muharraq souk on April 28, 2024. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes) In a swift movement, he slapped the dough against the inner wall of the tannour, where it sticks, held in place by the intense heat. It took only seconds for the dough to puff up and bubble to a golden brown. With a hooked metal rod, the baker carefully peeled the bread from the stone wall of the tannour. I was deeply moved by his generosity when he offered me bread without asking for anything in return. Interestingly enough, Bahrainis make up only 47.8% of the islands population while the rest are from other countries, which leads to a rich exchange of cultural practices and perspectives. A Bahraini flag waves in the distance in the the town of Muharraq. The souk there features a blend of architectural styles and is near the Pearling Path, a UNESCO World Heritage site. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes) Traditional facades are still prevalent at the souk in Muharraq, Bahrain, despite concerted efforts by the country to modernize its architecture. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes) The souk in Muharraq, Bahrain, still maintains a lot of its traditional facades, but it has been updated with modern construction amid a push by the country to boost tourism through architectural revitalization. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes) The Muharraq souk stands out as more than just a traditional Middle Eastern market. Its an immersive combo of architecture, culture, history and commerce. Make sure you have comfortable walking shoes, and choose your visiting time based on whether you prefer a mob scene or a more intimate experience. Youre all but guaranteed to leave with your hands, heart and stomach full. The souk in Muharraq, Bahrain, still maintains many of its traditional facades but has been updated with modern construction as part of the countrys architectural revitalization efforts. The richly textured facade of storefronts feels both futuristic and traditional. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes) Sophia bookstore is nestled in the souk in Muharraq, Bahrain, and also offers a cafe for shoppers. The richly textured facade of storefronts feels both futuristic and traditional. (Shannon Renfroe/Stars and Stripes) Address: Road 53, Al Muharraq, Bahrain Hours: 9 a.m-11 p.m. daily Cost: Taxi, $8 from NSA Bahrain, Juffair area (street parking is available and Pearling Path Car Park is nearest to the souk) Whether youre craving a tasty meal or seeking to unwind with a drink, Pacific Grill may be the perfect spot near Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes) Just steps away from Yokosuka Naval Bases main gate, right off Blue Street, is a new bar and grill that specializes in meats infused with tropical flavors. The meal selection at Pacific Grill may be small, but youll find some big flavors here. The staff is welcoming and helpful, offering attentive service that makes you feel right at home. Whether youre craving a tasty meal or seeking to unwind with a drink, this atmosphere makes Pacific Grill the perfect place to go. Whether youre craving a tasty meal or seeking to unwind with a drink, Pacific Grill may be the perfect spot near Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes) The owner is a native of the Yokosuka area and has a bar named Toms in the Honch area near the base. To celebrate its recent opening, Pacific Grill has been offering happy hour every day from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., when selected drinks and shots are 500 yen. Youll find a variety of finger foods and sandwiches to choose from. The main menu features things like Spam musubi a popular snack in Hawaii beef meatballs in a mushroom sauce and a salmon poke bowl. The salmon poke bowl from Pacific Grill, near Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, features a tropical salsa with pineapples. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes) My salmon poke bowl arrived with a tropical salsa featuring pineapples a light, healthy meal but other menu items are just as good if youre very hungry. Theres grilled pork with mayo, grilled beef with mango-pine salsa, grilled salmon with mango salsa and a grilled tropical teriyaki chicken bowl. For a quick bite, happy hour or indulging in a leisurely dinner, Pacific Grill promises a fun and comfortable dining experience. Pacific Grill Location: Fujikake, Bldg. 1F, Cho-2-10 Odaki, Yokosuka Shi, Kanagawa 238-0008 Hours: Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday; 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday. Prices: Appetizers cost between 700 yen and 1,000 yen; entrees, from 1,100 to 1,500 yen; beverages, 300 to 800 yen. Dress: Casual Directions: About an 8-minute walk from Yokosukas main gate. Information: Phone: 050-8888-4977 Power lines in Redondo Beach, Calif. (Jay L. Clendenin, Los Angeles Times/TNS) The U.S. electric grid is a cornerstone of our national defense. Ninety-five percent of U.S. military bases rely on the civilian grid for power, meaning even short-term disruptions to electricity can impact a vital mission happening in real time on the other side of the world. These disruptions are not uncommon, and they can add up; in 2021, defense installations across the country suffered more than 6,000 energy disruptions, amounting to more than 3,000 days of lost power. After 22 years of serving in the U.S. Army, I can testify that energy security is essential to securing the future of our country. While deployed in Iraq, I protected fuel supply lines on combat tours from sabotage attempts. Later, as director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, I led the response to floods, tornadoes, and other extreme weather impacting the grid and, by extension, the lives of the people of Illinois. Now I work with the Department of Defense to address the impacts of recent events such as Winter Storm Uri, when 12 bases in Texas lost electricity service, or Hurricane Ida in 2022, when customers in Louisiana were without power for more than three weeks, exceeding the 14-day planning horizon for backup power on military bases. While leading the resilience program at PJM Interconnection, the worlds second largest grid operator, I saw the scale at which DOD consumes energy, and learned that the current electric grid cannot fully support national defense needs. A major factor is our current incremental approach to planning transmission the big lines that move electricity from where its generated to where its used by customers which is inefficient and insufficiently comprehensive. We cannot continue operating under this status quo. Over the past two years, the rise of data centers and U.S. manufacturing facilities have resulted in an unprecedented surge in electricity demand growth, with some individual projects expected to surpass 1,000 megawatts the amount required to power roughly 750,000 homes. Securing reliable electricity for military installations and defense communities, states, and regions will require transmission planners across the U.S. to account for expected energy demand in the U.S. to reach the highest levels in half a century, all while the grid undergoes a massive transformation in how electricity is generated and consumed. But rising demand is not the only factor threatening reliability our grid was not designed to withstand the ever-increasing quantity and severity of extreme weather events, from heat waves to winter storms. Since 2000, theres been a 67% increase in major power outages from weather-related events. When extreme weather hits, transmission is key to importing power from nearby states not impacted by the event. This ability to quickly move large quantities of electricity is the key differentiator between a rapid system recovery and the type of impact seen in Texas during Winter Storm Uri, when nearly 5 million customers lost power for up to three days. As these extreme weather events multiply in the coming years, well-planned transmission is increasingly important to ensure that power can be moved from where its available to where its needed most. Our electric grid needs an update one that is forward-looking and comprehensive in the face of a developing economy and changing environment. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, an independent agency that regulates transmission, is currently considering a regional planning and cost allocation rule that could help solve this challenge. The rule requires planners to take a long-term assessment of the changing demand and future resource mix, as well as specifying a comprehensive set of transmission benefits and a procedure for assigning costs in line with those benefits. This will require elected officials at the local, state and federal level to undergo robust transmission planning and grid expansion to support national defense needs. Without rapid and persistent action at the national and regional scales, vulnerabilities to the systems that support our most critical needs will soon outpace our ability to address them. Jonathon Monken served in the U.S. Army for 22 years. He is a former senior director of the PJM Interconnection and currently a principal at Converge Strategies LLC. RSF soldiers on a motorbike drive by a destroyed tank belonging to the defeated Sudanese armed forces, on a main street in El Geneina, Sudan, on Feb. 20. (Diana Zeyneb Alhindawi for The Washington Post) NAIROBI Gunmen spraying bullets at fleeing children; a mother with a child on her back shot dead; terrified teenage girls summarily executed as they fled a massacre in the Darfur city of El Geneina all deaths meticulously documented in a devastating Human Rights Watch report that may be a grim foreshadowing for the next city under siege in Sudans civil war. The report, released Thursday, is the first comprehensive documentation of the scale of the attacks on El Geneina that culminated in its November capture by Sudans Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group now fighting the nations armed forces. Researchers interviewed more than 200 people and drew on visual evidence and satellite imagery to document mass killings and ethnic cleansing of the Black African Masalit tribe. The United Nations has said between 10,000 and 15,000 people were killed by the RSF in El Geneina, a city of around 540,000. El Fashir, the final regional capital in the western Darfur region still under government control, has now been surrounded by the RSF and fears a similar fate. We saw what happened in El Geneina, so we fear dying in a horrific way as well, said Ahmed Saleh, who has volunteered for a local self-defense group. We have no choice but to fight because we have nowhere to go if the RSF gets here. The people of El Fashir, home to nearly 2 million residents and 800,000 displaced civilians, say the kinds of abuses described in the report are why they are growing increasingly desperate. RSF fighters and allied militias have attacked and burned numerous villages as they encircled the city, and residents say trucks carrying food are stopped from entering unless they pay bribes at checkpoints. The whole area around me is on alert, and almost all of the young men carry weapons, Saleh said. There is no place for us other than El Fashir. We cannot leave. We can only be buried here. The 13-month-old civil war pits Sudans military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the paramilitary RSF and its allied militias. In the vast arid western region of Darfur, regional capitals have fallen one after the other to the RSF, including El Geneina in November. Survivors who escaped the city told Human Rights Watch researchers that RSF fighters and their allies had fired into columns of fleeing civilians, and one described children and infants ripped from their parents arms before the family was slaughtered. Men and boys were especially targeted, and one teenage boy was instructed to slit the throats of his friends. A senior adviser and delegation member of the RSF, Ezzaddean Elsafi, denied that the group has committed atrocities and said the report contains huge disinformation and many false news, notably accounts that his group singled out the Black Masalit tribe. There is no discrimination against Masalit tribe. They are currently living peacefully in many cities in west Darfur including El Geneina, he said. Many people were killed in the city, he said, but they were from multiple ethnic groups, and the RSF did not target civilians. RSF soldiers watch over the border crossing post into Adre, Chad, in West Darfur, Sudan, on Feb. 20. (Diana Zeyneb Alhindawi for The Washington Post) He also denied that the RSF is taking bribes at checkpoints outside El Fashir. El Fashir has so far held out while the rest of Darfur has fallen because it is also home to its own powerful, heavily armed ethnically based armed group many coming from the Black Zaghawa tribe that fought its own war against the government in the 2000s. For two decades, it battled the military and the allied Janjaweed an ethnically Arab paramilitary force that later became the RSF and turned on the army before a 2020 peace deal ended the war. That conflict resulted in accusations of genocide against Sudans then-ruler. The showdown for El Fashir has been looming ever since the former rebels allied themselves with the government against the RSF. To swell the citys defenses, reinforcements of former rebel fighters have careened down from Libya, where many work as mercenaries, in dust-choked convoys. The entire city is under siege, one member of civil society in El Fashir said. People are terrified. All the news that is coming across is that El Fashir will be attacked very soon. RSF members have made many videos warning the people of El Fashir that they are coming. He spoke on the condition of anonymity because RSF forces went after leaders, activists and lawyers in El Geneina, with fighters going house to house with a list of people to target. A conflict over El Fashir would be catastrophic for innocent civilians trapped in the city. Many would be killed. Significant bloodshed in El Fashir would likely expand and metastasize the conflict across Darfur and possibly beyond, said Toby Harward, the United Nations deputy humanitarian coordinator for Sudan. We cannot allow history to repeat itself in Darfur. Members of Haitis new transitional presidential council. (United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti/TNS) (Tribune News Service) Haitis new transitional presidential council, already mired in controversy over the way it has made key decisions, is once more doing an about-face. This time its over how many votes will be needed to make important decisions such as selecting the countrys next prime minister, and who among them should be in charge of coordinating priorities, signing accords and meeting with foreign dignitaries. The decision comes amid an internal crisis that risks the councils unraveling and has led to tense negotiations over the past week. As a result, the majority of the councils seven-voting members has agreed to invalidate the choice of Edgard Leblanc Fils as president of the council, and institute instead a rotating presidency among four of them, several people with knowledge of the councils workings have told the Miami Herald. The council has also agreed that it will take a super-majority of five of the seven voting members to make decisions when a consensus cant be reached on major decisions. A document finalizing the new agreement is expected to be signed Wednesday. The reversal arose after a crisis of the groups own making when its first major decision after being installed, electing a president among their seven voting members, led to controversy and nearly the councils implosion. Last week, after summoning journalists to witness a public vote on the election of the groups leader, the council then announced that such a vote would no longer be needed. An indissoluble majority bloc made up of four members had decided among themselves to choose Leblanc, a former president of the Haitian Senate and candidate for president of the republic. The new so-called unbreakable political alliance had also decided, in violation of their own procedures, who should replace the former prime minister, Ariel Henry. They designated a former minister of youth and sports, Fritz Belizaire. The announcements immediately plunged the group into controversy. The three members of the minority bloc accused the other four, along with the four sectors of Haitian society that had named them, of violating the April 3 political accord they all signed, and which dictates how they should function. Others accused the majority bloc and the political party leaders aligned with them of cutting a backroom deal to control important government ministries with the goal of lining their pockets and taking charge of the electoral machinery ahead of general elections. The elections, which have not yet been scheduled, is among the measures the council will be tasked with organizing. The latest reversal marks the second time in less than a week the group has changed its mind. Last week, the majority bloc announced that members would return to their original political agreement to choose a prime minister from a pool of applicants, and have since been accepting applications. But the conflict within the council has led to lost time while adding to doubts about whether the formula of a multi-headed executive will work in Haiti, and whether the group can put aside self-interest and political rivalries to address the various crises confronting Haiti. The country has not seen a commercial flight land at its main seaport since March 4 and is facing deepening hunger amid skyrocketing prices, a closed government seaport and gang-controlled roads blocking goods from moving. The members of the presidential council have the heavy responsibility of leading this transition and demonstrating good governance and transparency in their decisions in order to restore confidence among the population in their leaders and elites, a network of Haitian civil society associations and organizations said in a statement. Since March 11 when Caribbean leaders, meeting in Jamaica, helped brokered a deal to set up the presidential council, members have struggled to gain their footing and accomplished little. Theyve managed to get sworn-in and meet with the head of the police and army. This week they also decided to write to Kenya President William Ruto asking for the deployment of his police officers to lead the Multinational Security Support mission to help Haitian police battle gangs. Most of their time, however, has been consumed with addressing internal differences and negotiating to avoid unraveling. As a result of the friction, there has been little time to meet with the outgoing cabinet, or to renew a state of emergency that was instituted after armed groups launched coordinated attacks in late February against key infrastructure in hopes of bringing down the government. On Tuesday, the United Nations noted that two months into the coordinated attacks, Haiti continues to be affected by multiple crises. In the north of the country recent floods and landslides have led to the deaths of at least 17 people and flooded more than 4,000 homes, while in the capital, the population continues to flee their homes.. More than 90,000 people have been forced out of their home in recent weeks in Port-au-Prince and into makeshift encampments. In a statement related to the violence in the capital, the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Haiti, Bruno Maes, this week strongly condemned the humanitarian impact of the repeated attacks in the Solino neighborhood and the surrounding areas of Port-au-Prince. The siege of the civilian population in Solino, including women, children and men who find themselves without access to water, food and fuel, is a blatant violation of the basic humanitarian norms, Maes said, urging gang leaders to stop the attacks so that the population can live without fear in their homes, in complete safety, and so humanitarian actors can assist those affected. 2024 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Gen. Charles Flynn, commander of the U.S. Army Pacific, speaks at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I., in 2023. (U.S. Army) Chinese military expansion is pushing Asian nations into closer strategic partnership with the United States that has parallels to NATO in Europe, the top Army commander for the region said Wednesday. We can help them protect and defend their territorial integrity and national sovereignty, Gen. Charles Flynn said during a teleconference with reporters. Flynn, 60, is commander of the U.S. Army Pacific, which has 107,000 soldiers and civilian workers spread across 9,000 miles including Alaska, Japan, South Korea, Guam, American Samoa, and Saipan. Chinese military and commercial operations throughout the Pacific region have other nations worried about counterbalancing Beijings influence and power, he said. The sense of the insidious, incremental and irresponsible behavior -- and thats how I frame the way the Chinese are acting out there -- has created a groundswell on the work that we do, Flynn said. Chinese actions have created a more receptive attitude in many Asian and Pacific nations to work with the U.S. Army on shoring up their own forces and cooperating in mutual defense with neighboring states. They appreciate a stable and secure region, Flynn said. U.S. Army Pacific has its headquarters at Fort Shafter in Hawaii, where there will be a meeting of army commanders from 15 nations and representatives of more than 15 others next week at the LANPAC Symposium & Exposition. The event could help cement the military cooperation between the United States, its allies in the Pacific, and other nations. Flynn said he has pointed out in previous forums that three of the largest land wars in the past 60 years -- World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War have all happened in the U.S. Army Pacifics area of operations. Now the command is being asked to assist in ways to build resistance to Chinese dominance and increased Russian military presence in Asia, he said. The stability of the region is also challenged by the regime in North Korea. From wargames in Thailand to improved infrastructure in the Philippines to training security forces in Mongolia, Flynn said Wednesday that the region allows the U.S. military to practice major logistical moves -- taking equipment and troops from the West Coast, Alaska and Hawaii to Southeast Asia, northern Japan and the Arctic Circle. This is just a massive piece of Earth, he said. Its also a testing ground for weapons, which face sopping humidity and saltwater corrosion in Thailand during exercises there and sub-zero temperatures and wilderness conditions during multinational wargames in Alaska. Were building new capabilities into the region, from intelligence capabilities to long-range precision fire to integrated air and missile defense, Flynn said. We can sustain that capability. He said year-round training exercises in different nations and environments teach practical lessons on what works, what needs improvement, and what needs to be changed. When we put that capability out there, really in a very granular way, from the maintainers to the commanders, to the noncommissioned officers and warrant officers, the effects of those conditions on the equipment can be repeatedly challenged, Flynn said. When we introduce our soldiers and their leaders and these capabilities into the environment and those conditions, theres great insights and lessons from that. He said military cooperation between nations in the Pacific region will take time to integrate in a way comparable to the NATO. The ability to move troops, weapons, and supplies across vast distances, weather, and terrain is a work in progress. Does it mean we have everything we need? Flynn asked. No. But what it does mean is that the Army recognizes that the investments out here are incredibly important. Flynn pointed to American help in improving airfields in the Philippines and a plan to deploy more supplies across the region to sustain troops in a protracted conflict as signs of progress in weaving together a unified response, particularly to China. The sum total of our structures, I would say, impacts in a very positive way out here, he said. Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Belgrade for a state visit to Serbia at the invitation of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, May 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) Precious moments of goodwill and friendship are a signature of Xi's short but significant stay in Serbia, which lasts no more than 24 hours. BELGRADE, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up his state visit to Serbia on Wednesday, bundling up a multitude of deals and a strengthened bond of friendship with the country. At the end of a fully-packed day, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic bid farewell to Xi at the Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, where he had welcomed the Chinese president the day before. Earlier in the day, Xi and Vucic signed a joint statement on the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, an upgrade of relations from the comprehensive strategic partnership established in 2016. The deal makes Serbia the first European country to build such a community with China. Countries like Laos, Pakistan and Thailand have also endorsed a high-level engagement of the kind with China. "With this agreement, Serbia is leading the way in its relations with China," said Ivona Ladjevac, deputy director at the Institute for International Politics and Economics in Belgrade. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic hold talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) Aleksandar Mitic, a research fellow also with the institute said this improvement of strategic cooperation should be viewed very positively. "It is not directed against anyone." Serbia has long been known as "the gateway to the Balkans" on the European continent. "Everything that has been done so far and will be done in the future can serve as an example to other countries in the region and throughout Europe to get involved as much as possible," said Mitic. "The principle of mutual benefit can really work." In support of the building of the China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, Xi has announced six measures when he met the press together with Vucic. Notable among the measures are a free trade agreement between China and Serbia which will take effect on July 1 and an exchange program under which Serbian youths and young Serbian scientists are invited to visit China in the next three years. "The sky is the limit," said Vucic, referring to the scope of cooperation with China. "For Serbia, it obviously brings a great deal," said Aleksandar Pavic, a Serbian political expert. "The opening of the Chinese market with the Free Trade Agreement, academic exchanges ... those are very, very important." "China offers a hand of cooperation on an equal footing, and offers great opportunities without conditions," Pavic said. "We've grown weary of the zero-sum game for far too long." The substantial deals added new testimony to the special bond of ironclad friendship enjoyed by China and Serbia. Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony held by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) Precious moments of goodwill and friendship are a signature of Xi's short but significant stay in Serbia, which lasts no more than 24 hours. A telling moment was the grand welcoming ceremony held by Vucic on Wednesday morning with the impressive attendance of more than 10,000 Serbian people. Crowds were waving the national flags of both countries and chanting "China! Serbia!" with applause and cheers pervading the atmosphere. "We are here to show our friendship with China, and we want our Chinese friends know that we cherish it very much," said Milos Tosic, a college professor present at the event. Tosic told Xinhua that it is not only his opinion, but one shared "by all the people here today." At a welcoming banquet around noon, Xi shared his nostalgic memory with Vucic, reminiscing about the Yugoslav film "The Bridge" and the song "Bella Ciao," which have become the fondest memories in his youthful days. "China will work together with the friendly people of Serbia and make tireless efforts to build a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era," Xi pledged in his concluding remarks at the banquet toast, opening up a vista for the two countries. Editor: ZAD The Seacor Lee visits Basco Sea Port on Batan Island, Philippines, May 5, 2024. The U.S.-flagged support vessel delivered aviation fuel for the Balikatan exercise. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes) BASCO SEAPORT, Philippines U.S. and Filipino army divers began clearing debris this week from this strategically important harbor on the northern Philippine island of Batan. The improvements, which include deepening the harbor to allow visits by larger vessels, may take years, Capt. Ander Thompson, commander of the 7th Engineer Dive Detachment at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, said at the port on Sunday. Soldiers from the Hawaii-based 25th Infantry Division helicoptered onto Batan that day to rehearse an air assault the sort of mission they may need to execute if conflict breaks out over Taiwan or in the South China Sea. Batan about 120 miles south of Taiwan and several nearby islands are next to the Bashi Channel, which links the Philippine and South China seas, where Beijing has territorial disputes with many of its neighbors, including the Philippines. A soldier from the 7th Engineer Dive Detachment at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, fuels a boat while working at Basco Sea Port on Batan Island, Philippines, on May 5, 2024. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes) The channel is a route for Chinas navy to the east coast of Taiwan and the Pacific. Its also a potential transit point for U.S. forces headed to the Taiwan Strait from Guam. The air assault was part of the annual Balikatan exercise involving 16,000 mostly U.S. and Filipino troops that began April 22 and wraps up with a ceremony Friday. While helicopters buzzed over Batan, army divers equipped with rock-breaking equipment and a large crane prepared to clear the harbor. Large rocks protrude from the water during low tide, blocking access to a pair of concrete boat ramps. The port includes a 400-foot pier that can accommodate cargo ships. A U.S.-flagged support vessel, the Seacor Lee, was there Sunday delivering aviation fuel for the Armys helicopters. U.S. soldiers from the 7th Engineer Dive Detachment at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, are helping to remove large rocks blocking access to boat ramps at Basco Sea Port on Batan Island, Philippines. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes) Thompson said the work crew 17 U.S. divers and signal soldiers and nine divers from the Philippine armys 525th Construction Battalion will work until early June, but the project is a multiyear effort. The divers are using power tools to break up the rocks so that the crane can remove them. Its hard to say what the port might be used for in the future, but it could accommodate U.S. Navy ships, Thompson said. In March, the Philippine Inquirer reported on talks between U.S. and local officials over the port project. The Philippine Navy and the Armed Forces are always preparing for any eventuality across the spectrum of conflict from peace to crisis to wartime, a Philippine Navy spokesman, Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, said in the report. The project is a response to Chinese threats, said Grant Newsham, a retired Marine colonel and senior researcher with the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies in Tokyo. A soldier from the 7th Engineer Dive Detachment at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, secures a boat while working at Basco Sea Port on Batan Island, Philippines, on May 5, 2024. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes) It is true of course that improved port facilities in the Batanes islands do help the local economy and are also useful in responding to natural disasters (i.e. typhoons) that blow through this area frequently, he told Stars and Stripes by email March 20. But at the end of the day, the interest being shown to this part of the Philippines is driven by the [Chinese] aggression. The deepened port should, at a minimum, be able to support U.S. and Philippine destroyers and smaller vessels, Newsham said. It would be extremely useful in the event of conflict over Taiwan and even shore-based anti-ship missiles on the island could cover a large area, Newsham said. Chinese ships trying to swing around the southern end of Taiwan or even land troops in the southern part of Taiwan will find themselves running a gauntlet of anti-ship missiles, he said. And the coverage provided by missile-armed ships operating out of Batanes makes things even worse for [China] as the missile ranges are extended and from different attack vectors as well. The guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey steams through the Taiwan Strait on May 8, 2024. (U.S. Navy) Chinas military labeled a U.S. guided-missile destroyers Wednesday trip through the Taiwan Strait as provocative and dispatched aircraft and ships in response, state media reported. The USS Halseys passage through the 110-mile-wide channel that separates mainland China from Taiwan demonstrates the United States commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations as a principle, the U.S. 7th Fleet said in a news release that night. No member of the international community should be intimidated or coerced into giving up their rights and freedoms, the Navy said in its release. The United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows. The U.S. routinely sends warships and, less frequently, aircraft, through the strait in transits it usually describes as a routine means of traveling between the South China Sea and East China Sea. U.S. ships use the Taiwan Strait to transit between the two and have done so for many years, 7th Fleet spokeswoman Lt. Jamie Moroney told Stars and Stripes in an email Thursday. The transit was routine and was not in response to any specific event, she said. China considers Taiwan, a functionally democratic island, to be a breakaway province that must be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. It typically condemns Navy trips through the waterway as aggressive and destabilizing for the region. Within an hour of the announcement, Beijing issued its statement on the Halseys transit. Naval Senior Capt. Li Xi slammed the U.S.s provocative move, the state-sponsored China Military Online wrote just after midnight Thursday. Chinas Eastern Theater Command organized naval and air forces to monitor the Halseys passage and said 7th Fleet had publicly hyped the situation, it wrote Wednesday in a post to its official Weibo account. Moroney said all interactions with foreign military forces during the transit were consistent with international norms and did not impact the operation. The transit comes just as Chinese President Xi Jinping is wrapping up a five-day tour of Europe, where hes visited France, Serbia and Hungary to strengthen ties. He arrived in Hungary late Wednesday night, The Associated Press reported that day. The Halseys passage through the strait is at least the third for a U.S. destroyer this year. The guided-missile destroyer USS John Finn made the last two announced transits on Jan. 24 and March 5, evoking similar responses from Beijing. A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon made its own trip through the Taiwan Strait on April 17. Chinas Eastern Theater Command at the time said it scrambled fighter jets to monitor the surveillance aircrafts movements. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel visits Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, on Jan. 19, 2024. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes) CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa Okinawa prefecture has objected to the U.S. ambassadors upcoming visit to two islands east of Taiwan because he is planning to travel on U.S. military aircraft, according to official and media accounts. The U.S. military asked the prefecture for clearance to use the Ishigaki and Yonaguni airports on May 17 for transportation of personnel, a spokeswoman for the prefectures Military Base Affairs Division told Stars and Stripes by phone Wednesday. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel is expected to visit Japan Ground-Self Defense Force bases and meet city officials on both islands, according to a May 1 report by public broadcaster NHK that cited unnamed government officials. The islands proximity to Taiwan and the Senkaku islets, a Japanese possession, puts them center stage as regional tensions simmer between China and the United States. A Camp Ishigaki spokesman confirmed by phone Wednesday that the base had been notified of the ambassadors visit, but he declined to provide further details. U.S. Embassy Tokyo, U.S. Forces Japan and the Okinawa Defense Bureau did not immediately respond to phone and email requests for comment Thursday. The prefectures Airport Division approved the Yonaguni stop but rejected the one at Ishigaki because it is not possible to park the aircraft during the requested time, a division spokesman said by phone Wednesday. The base affairs spokeswoman said the prefecture discourages U.S. military aircraft from visiting the islands. Civilian airports were built for civilian aircraft; our policy is that the U.S. military should refrain from using the airport except in case of emergency, the spokeswoman said. We are requesting it to assure a safe and smooth operation of those aircraft. The prefecture appealed Wednesday to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Okinawa Liaison Office and Okinawa Defense Bureau to ask the U.S. military to refrain from using both airports. This request does not have a legal binding power, and the U.S. military can use the airport if there is an open spot during the requested time, the base affairs spokeswoman said. It is customary in Japan for some government officials to speak to reporters on condition of anonymity. In March, the prefecture similarly asked the U.S. Navy to cancel a three-day port call at Ishigaki, a popular tourist destination, by the USS Rafael Peralta. The guided-missile destroyer made its rest stop, but local dockworkers went on strike in protest during its stay. Yonaguni and Ishigaki are approximately 70 miles and 160 miles east of Taiwan, respectively. Camp Ishigaki opened with anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles in March 2023. Japan plans to install an upgraded version of its Type-12 surface-to-ship missile there and on two other islands by 2026 to counter perceived threats from China and North Korea. The Ground Self-Defense Force established a surveillance station at Camp Yonaguni and held a training exercise with U.S. Marines on the island in February, The Washington Post reported in March. Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada in April 2023 ordered a Patriot missile-defense system deployed there following reports that North Korea planned a satellite launch. President Joseph R. Biden departed Yokota Air Base, Japan, May 24, 2022. During his first visit to Japan since being elected, he met with Japanese government officials in order to strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance. (Jessica Avallone/Air Force) TEL AVIV - Israel is recalibrating the next steps of its war against Hamas following warnings by President Biden that the United States will cut off offensive weapons shipments if the Israeli military advances into Rafah, the southern Gazan city that is harboring more than 1 million Palestinians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to respond to Bidens unprecedented policy shift. But Yaakov Amidror, a former national security adviser to Netanyahu, said that the surprise warning has caught Israel off guard and will compel the war cabinet to reconsider whether and how it will enter Rafah - if it will bear the consequence of going in without American support, or if it will stop the operation, which will allow Hamas to be unharmed in the area. The public rupture, which included Bidens assertion that civilians have been killed by the U.S.-made munitions supplied to Israel, comes after months of disagreement between the two countries over Israels conduct in the war, and as cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Cairo teeter toward collapse. On Thursday, Hamas said that it was sending its delegation back to Doha, Qatar, and that it remained committed to the cease-fire outline that it announced on Monday, even as Israels moves threatened negotiations. Israel maintains that the agreement Hamas approved is different from the one on the table. Several Israeli officials did respond to Bidens threat and repeated Israeli vows to dismantle Hamass four remaining battalions in Rafah and seal off the border with Egypt, where Israel says Hamas has a subterranean tunnel network designed to facilitate the smuggling of weapons. Israel will continue to fight Hamas until its destruction, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote Thursday on X, without mentioning the crisis. There is no war more just than this. Israels envoy to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, described Bidens decision as disappointing and frustrating. It could harm Israels ability to obtain one of this wars main objective - toppling Hamas, for a better future for the entire region, he said in a radio interview. Any pressure on Israel, any limitations on it, even from close allies who care for our interests, are being interpreted by our enemies as something that gives them hope, he added. The far-right members of Netanyahus ruling coalition were more defiant in their responses, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich insisting that Israel would still achieve complete victory in this war despite President Bidens pushback and arms embargo. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was blunter, tweeting, Hamas [heart emoji] Biden, suggesting that the militant group loves the U.S. president. The two ministers are key to the ruling coalition but not part of Israels war cabinet. On Tuesday, Netanyahu announced that the Israeli military, with full agreement of the war cabinet, had seized the border area near the Rafah crossing to provide military pressure that is a necessary condition for the return of our hostages and to destroying Hamas. Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on southern Israeli communities that killed about 1,200 and resulted in 253 hostages, Israel has vowed to destroy the militant group. In the course of seven months of fighting, more than 34,000 Gazans have been killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Biden said that 2,000-pound bombs supplied by the United States have been among those dropped by Israel in densely populated neighborhoods. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah - they havent gone into Rafah yet - if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, Biden said. Were not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells. Amidror, the former adviser to Netanyahu, said that on the tactical level, Israel could continue the fight in Gaza, and even later in Lebanon, but that the lack of American support would harm Israeli military readiness in the long term. He said that it was also unclear for Israel if Biden was speaking categorically, or if he was saying that the United States would not support Israel in Rafah if it does not evacuate the civilian population - which the Israeli military has said it was committed to achieving. Overnight Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces raided and conducted airstrikes in Gaza City, in the northern part of the Strip, targeting 25 locations that included military structures, terror tunnels, observation posts, sniper posts, and additional terror infrastructure, the IDF said in a statement. An estimated 80,000 people have evacuated from eastern Rafah in recent days, according to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, the largest aid agency in the enclave. The Israeli incursion has shut the two main crossings into southern Gaza, Rafah and Kerem Shalom. While Israeli authorities said Kerem Shalom has been reopened, keeping their promises to the U.S. administration, aid agencies say trucks are not going through. Hamas has also periodically targeted the Kerem Shalom crossing, including on Sunday, when four Israeli soldiers were killed in what Israeli described as a Hamas mortar attack. The United States has repeatedly urged Israel to allow more aid into the enclave, especially in the north, which the World Food Program said has been subject to a full-blown famine. For months, the United States has said that it would refuse to support a wide-scale IDF offensive in Rafah without a comprehensive plan to ensure the protection of the more than 1 million civilians who have taken shelter there. The Israeli army has said it has been in discussions with the U.S. officials and with international aid organizations over strategies to relocate civilians to humanitarian islands in the center of the Strip. The U.S. administration, however, has said that it has yet to be presented with satisfactory plans. The administration has also clashed with Israel over its lack of a long-term strategy in the war and its vision for the governing and rebuilding of Gaza after the war is over. A majority of Israelis believe that the absolute victory against Hamas repeatedly promised by Netanyahu is unlikely, according to a February poll by the Israel Democracy Institute. Hazem Balousha in Cairo contributed to this report. Smoke rises over Gaza following an Israeli airstrike on buildings near the separating wall between Egypt and Rafah on May 7, 2024. (Ramez Habboub/AP) Rafahs threadbare health network is collapsing when people there need it most. The citys largest hospital was shuttered two days ago in a panic after Israel ordered 100,000 Palestinians in southeastern Gaza to evacuate. Small clinics that accommodated hundreds of people a week closed as well, with staff members forced to flee the violence. Bodies lay where they fell, in the red zone that the few ambulances available could not reach because of Israeli bombardment, a Palestinian Red Crescent spokeswoman said Tuesday. Border crossings remained closed Thursday, stranding critically ill patients waiting to be evacuated to Egypt and preventing international doctors and badly needed medical supplies from getting in. Israels military operations in Rafah this week have overwhelmed health care workers, who were already struggling to treat displaced Palestinians suffering from malnourishment, explosive injuries and an array of diseases, which doctors say are spreading rapidly through the citys filthy and overcrowded tent camps. Children were most at risk, as they have been throughout seven months of war. Thousands of infants in southern Gaza are acutely malnourished, and nearly all children under 5 in the area are suffering from one or more infectious diseases, according to UNICEF. Israel has called its operations limited. Doctors said it was nothing of the sort, as munitions fell on an area smaller than the Istanbul Airport complex, packed with more than a million people. There are no words to express the catastrophe of what we are experiencing today, said Suhaib al-Hams, the director of the Kuwait Specialized Hospital in Rafah, which remained open but critically unprepared for what had come: a flood of patients with brain and head injuries, limbs that needed amputating, and burns so severe they could not be treated with our simple capabilities, he said. There were not enough doctors, he said, and not enough beds. The Israeli militarys evacuation order Monday and its seizure of the Rafah crossing along Gazas border with Egypt a vital artery for aid, fuel and humanitarian workers appeared to be the start of its long-threatened invasion of the city, which it says is home to Hamass last intact battalions. President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he would halt the shipment of offensive weapons to Israel if ground forces moved into Rafah. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers, he said. As residents began to flee Monday, Hamas officials announced they had accepted an Arab cease-fire proposal, and the news briefly sparked celebrations in the streets. But Israel said the terms proposed were unacceptable, and the airstrikes have continued. The cheering could still be heard Monday evening as ambulances started arriving at the European Hospital in Rafah, said Mohammed Abdelfattah, a Palestinian-American doctor from California who is volunteering there. He walked to the emergency room and saw an infant girl with pink toenails and little feet, with the breathing tube. She had suffered severe trauma from a strike. Her mom was sitting behind her, just screaming that she wished it was her and not the baby, Abdelfattah recalled. A colleague caressed the girls foot. Someone was doing CPR on the baby, and she didnt make it, he said. That night, doctors started clearing the Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital, Rafahs largest, located in the evacuation area, said Marwan al-Hams, the hospital director. The medical teams were unable to hold on due to the danger, he said. Every moving person is a target. Some patients were sent home and others to different medical facilities, he said in an interview Tuesday, as he and his colleagues finished closing up the hospital. Its services, including Rafahs only dialysis center, could not be easily replaced, he said. Today, we had to close two of our medical clinics ahead of schedule despite the overwhelming needs, Moses Kondowe, the leader for Project Hopes team based in Rafah, wrote in a message to colleagues Wednesday. These medical points are in underserved displacement camps and are the only access to health care many people have. If the violence continues and health services remain suspended, he warned, we can expect to see malnutrition, pregnancy complications, and other health conditions like Hepatitis A and cholera increase. Southern Gaza was already in the throes of a health crisis, said Nick Maynard, a British volunteer surgeon who left Rafah on Monday. In addition to explosive injuries, patients had terrible infective complications as a direct result of malnutrition, he said during a media briefing Wednesday. Some suffered horrific and humiliating complications from abdominal surgery related to malnutrition, exacerbated by the lack of supplies like colostomy bags. Two young women he treated last week a 16-year-old and an 18-year-old died as a direct result of malnutrition, he said. There will far more of that in the coming months. Cindy McCain, head of the World Food Program, said Sunday that northern Gaza was in the midst of a full-blown famine that was spreading south. As medical facilities closed, the European Hospital was now Rafahs last lifeline, said Ricardo Pires, a spokesman for UNICEF, who said he feared it could suffer the same fate as Gazas other hospitals during the war, including the al-Shifa medical complex in Gaza City and Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. If this one becomes a war zone as the other ones did and weve seen even mass graves being reported outside these hospitals what will happen with childrens health care? Abdelfattah said the majority of patients who arrived at the hospital were children. They were in the intensive care unit, the emergency room, the burn unit. The had facial fractures or burns covering 60% of their bodies. Its been hard to see them, he said. The hospital was in a dire state. There was no soap and no sanitizer, and infection control was nonexistent, he said. Theres multi-drug-resistant bugs just spreading like crazy. There are flies in the ICU. Ive seen flies in the operating room, he said. Mahmoud Sabha, another volunteer doctor at the hospital, from Dallas, said in a message to friends that patients were very scared. They ask me where they should go. Before they were sedated, some patients recited the Muslim invocation of faith, fearing the worst. They are scared they will be abandoned, Sabha said. Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Budapest on Wednesday to pay a state visit to Hungary. In a written speech upon his arrival, Xi said China and Hungary are good friends and good partners of mutual trust. Here are some highlights. - As a good friend and a comprehensive strategic partner, we in China, both the government and people, heartily rejoice over your achievements. - Together, we have set a fine example of building a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation. - I believe that no matter how the international landscape evolves, China and Hungary will always view and approach the bilateral relationship from a broad perspective and a long-term view. - Through vigorous and determined endeavors, we will work together toward the goal of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and make our due contribution to world peace, stability, development and prosperity. Editor: WXL Marine Corps Cpl. Gavin White, a fixed-wing aircraft loadmaster assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, runs through a preflight checklist for a KC-130J Super Hercules aircraft at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, April 21, 2024. (Phuchung Nguyen/U.S. Marine Corps) WASHINGTON U.S. military bases in the Indo-Pacific region are sorely lacking hardened aircraft shelters, leaving them vulnerable to devastating airstrikes in a potential conflict with China, lawmakers warned. Recent war games show the U.S. would lose 90% of its aircraft on the ground, rather than in air combat, due to insufficient base protection, a group of Republican lawmakers wrote in a letter to the secretaries of the Air Force and Navy. Unclassified analysis suggests China has enough weapons to overwhelm our air and missile defenses protecting those bases, they wrote. Strikes on U.S. bases could immobilize vital air assets, disrupt logistical chains, and significantly weaken our ability to respond in a conflict. Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan, the chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and 11 other lawmakers are urging Pentagon leaders to act. They are calling for the construction of more hardened aircraft shelters, which are reinforced hangars used to protect military aircraft, as well as underground bunkers and other passive defenses. China has built more than 400 hardened aircraft shelters in the past decade, and the U.S. has only constructed 22 on bases in Japan and South Korea, according to recent research. There are no such shelters in the Northern Mariana Islands or Guam, an island commonly referred to as the tip of the spear of U.S. power projection in the Indo-Pacific. The shelters do not provide complete protection from missile attacks, but they would force China to use more force to destroy each aircraft and increase the survivability of American air assets, lawmakers argued. They acknowledged it might not be feasible or sensible to construct shelters at all U.S. bases in the Indo-Pacific but described the slow pace of construction as deeply troubling. The limited investment into hardened aircraft shelters is a symptom of a broader problem within the [Defense Department]: We are spending hardly any money on military construction to improve base resilience in the Indo-Pacific, lawmakers wrote. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command has provided Congress with a list of $11 billion in priorities that are unfunded under the White Houses 2025 defense budget request, including $3.3 billion in military construction. The Pentagon will spend about 2% of its current construction budget on base resilience projects in the region, less than was spent in 2023, according to the letter. If our bases in the Indo-Pacific lack the resilience to survive attacks and continue operating, our ability to deter China and respond quickly in the Taiwan Strait will be greatly diminished, lawmakers wrote. The U.S. considers China its greatest competitor and threat and believes Beijing is readying for an invasion of Taiwan, an island China considers its rightful territory. Chinese investment in defense has climbed in recent years, as has its fleet of naval and merchant ships. Chinas growing dominance at sea prompted four lawmakers this week to release congressional guidance for a national maritime strategy. The report notes China has 230 times more shipbuilding capacity than the U.S. We must act now, before it is too late, and make a once-in-a-generation investment in the future of Americas maritime power, said Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla. Underinvestment has reduced the U.S.-flag shipping fleet to fewer than 200 vessels while China boasts more than 7,000 ships, according to the report. Americas maritime industry brings American goods to market but also supports the U.S. military during wartime. Lawmakers are recommending the U.S. infuse funds into its domestic shipbuilding industry, fully fund and reinvigorate the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies, prepare for resource competition in the Indo-Pacific with allies and provide the resources necessary to ensure naval forces can defend the freedom of the seas. The competition between the United States and Communist China will define the 21st century, Rubio said. Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Carlos Ruiz waves an American flag at the end of a naturalization ceremony for 60 new American citizens on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, aboard the USS Bataan. Ruiz, a native of Mexico, is a naturalized citizen. The Navy hosted the ceremony aboard the amphibious assault ship docked in the port of Miami during the citys Fleet Week. (Corey Dickstein/Stars and Stripes) MIAMI Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Carlos Ruiz talked Tuesday about becoming a U.S. citizen as he watched 60 new Americans swear allegiance to the United States for the first time aboard the USS Bataan. In the ceremony like this, it doesnt hit you until youll notice the people are all staring at their [naturalization] certificates you see your name on that certificate, and it feels like youre just being born again, Ruiz said, recalling the moment the magnitude of his decision dawned on him. You feel like now youre a card-carrying U.S. citizen. You feel like, I am part of it. I could do anything now. The top enlisted Marine smiled wide as he led the newest group of American citizens in the Pledge of Allegiance from a stage set up inside the amphibious assault ship docked this week at the port of Miami for its first Fleet Week. Some 12 years earlier, it was Ruiz already a Marine gunnery sergeant and serving as a drill instructor affirming his allegiance to the United States. Ruiz continues to carry a copy of his naturalization certificate with him in the form of a photograph on his phone. Just in case, he said, no one believes I am a U.S. citizen. Ruiz and Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro participated in the ceremony Tuesday hosted aboard the Navy ship as symbol of American might for its newest citizens. Like Ruiz, Del Toro is a naturalized citizen, who immigrated from Cuba as a child refugee and earned his citizenship in 1978 just before entering the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md. Del Toro said he wanted to host a naturalization ceremony aboard the Bataan this week as a reminder that there is a price for Americas freedoms. The ship, he noted, is named in honor of the American prisoners of war who in 1942 were forced by their Japanese captors to endure a brutal 65-mile trek to a prisoner-of-war camp in the Philippines during World War II. Some 1,000 Americans died on the march. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro congratulates a new American citizen during a naturalization ceremony Tuesday, May 7, 2024, aboard the USS Bataan. The Navy hosted the ceremony aboard the amphibious assault ship docked in the port of Miami during the citys Fleet Week. (Corey Dickstein/Stars and Stripes) Freedom does not come cheap, the Navy secretary said after the ceremony. Its not necessarily free. It has to be earned, and it is earned by the citizens of our great country, people who come to this nation from all across the world, you know, to live the American dream and fulfill the American dream. Del Toro implored the 60 new Americans who came from 24 countries to find some way to serve and give back to their new country. Perhaps, he joked, they should join the Navy or Marine Corps, telling them he could swear them into the military shortly after the ceremony. He used his and Ruizs experiences as examples of what immigrants can accomplish when afforded the opportunities. Del Toro graduated from the Naval Academy in 1983 and served 22 years in the Navy as a surface warfare officer, reaching the rank of commander before retiring. In 2021, he became Navy secretary, the top civilian in charge of the Navy and Marine Corps. Ive come to believe that what truly makes this country great is you, Del Toro told the new American citizens. Every single one of you sitting in those seats and I dont care whether youre a maid working in a hotel room like my mother did for many, many years or you grow up to perhaps become the secretary of the Navy you and the role that you play in our country is as significant as anyone else in making this great country the country that it is. Ruiz said he hoped some of the new citizens would at least consider military service. Without the Marine Corps, Ruiz said, he doubts he would be an American citizen. Sixty new Americans from 24 countries are sworn in as U.S. citizens during a naturalization ceremony aboard the USS Bataan on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. The Bataan was visiting Miami as part of its Fleet Week. (Corey Dickstein/Stars and Stripes) The top enlisted Marine whose job is to advocate for the enlisted force and advise the Marine commandant on enlisted issues came to the United States as an 11-year-old from his native Mexico when his parents wanted him to attend better schools and learn English. His mother moved him to Buckeye, Ariz., from where he enlisted in the Corps after graduating high school. Ruiz served for years deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan and earning a Bronze Star Medal with combat V for valor before beginning his efforts to become a U.S. citizen. At times, he considered leaving the Marine Corps and returning to Mexico. But ultimately, he said, the Marines and the United States felt like home. Last year, 29 years into his service, he was selected to become the Corps top enlisted Marine. Id like to say that without the Marine Corps I still would have fallen in love with this country anyway, and I would have chosen to stay, Ruiz said. But the people that I met in the service, they are what pulled me toward this, and they made me realize this is pretty awesome. Ruiz was inspired to earn his citizenship after his father earned his and as he realized he would need a security clearance granted only to American citizens to continue to serve. It was a lot of effort, especially working on earning his citizenship while also working to make new Marines at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. Its a long journey, he said. And then it happens. And its surreal. After the ceremony on Tuesday, Ruiz said he would probably flip through his phone to look at his naturalization certificate and relive his efforts to become an American citizen. He said he hoped his adopted country would give the new Americans sworn in Tuesday the kind of opportunities it has provided him. Just a kid from Mexico, right, could barely speak English, and somehow here I am, Ruiz said. The people here today, theyre going to keep staring at their certificates with their names on it, and I know what theyre feeling. It felt like [I was] watching myself in their chairs. And theyre probably going to go do amazing things. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough was not notified that VA leaders planned to give big bonuses to more than 180 senior executives in Washington until they were awarded. (Craig Hudson for The Washington Post) Veterans Affairs leaders improperly handed out almost $11 million in bonuses to more than 180 senior executives last year, with several taking home more than $100,000, a new investigation has found. The bonuses came from funds that Congress earmarked to recruit and keep staff needed to process billions of dollars in new veterans benefits not to reward top officials in Washington. When Secretary Denis McDonough learned of the payments in September, he ordered all of the executives to repay VA. But the bonuses still are being recouped eight months later because many who received the money had already spent the checks, and some are challenging the order, according to a 92-page report by Inspector General Michael Missals office, obtained by The Washington Post ahead of its public release on Thursday. The episode exposes a litany of blunders and missing safeguards within VA as its top leaders disregarded rules to hand payouts to all career senior leaders in the D.C. headquarters of the health and benefits systems then failed to keep McDonough and others informed about the plan, Missals office found. The missteps clearly had the potential to damage the confidence placed in VA by veterans, employees, taxpayers and members of Congress, the report said. In his response to a draft of the report, McDonough concurred with numerous recommendations, including the need for better assessments of future bonuses, a new review of previous awards and more oversight from VAs legal office. McDonough also pledged to decide whether the leaders who approved the improper payments should face discipline. VA intends to learn from [the] findings to execute on these important authorities to better effect for Veterans, and consistent with congressional intent, VA policy, and best management practices, the secretary wrote. The vast majority of the payouts investigated by the inspector general went to senior executives inside the massive veterans health system, led by Shereef Elnahal, undersecretary for health. Elnahal signed off on 148 bonuses to headquarters executives averaging $61,666 but repeatedly did not notify McDonough, investigators found. The report also concludes that Joshua Jacobs, Elnahals counterpart leading another arm of VA, the Veterans Benefits Administration, approved 34 bonuses at an average of $50,000. He told McDonough that he was awarding bonuses to some headquarters executives but did not make clear that all of them would receive the money, investigators found. The highest bonus was $106,473, and seven executives took home over $100,000. Neither Biden administration appointee, both of whom were confirmed by the Senate last year, conducted an analysis of whether bonuses were justified for any of the 182 senior leaders in Washington who received them, and provided no data to document that any of the executives were at risk of quitting and should be paid extra to keep them at VA, the report found a process that ran contrary to VA policy and lawmakers intent for the funds. Multiple offices from human resources to the legal department that should have flagged the bonuses did not, causing what investigators described as a breakdown in leadership and controls and missed opportunities at multiple levels. The report also cites insufficient transparency by top health system officials, excessive deference by personnel officials who showed an apparent reluctance to question whether the awards were proper even when their subordinate staff raised concerns and missed opportunities by VAs legal office. Before the bonuses were approved over two pay periods in August and September, there had been various opportunities in the preceding months for review and discussion among the secretary and his top staff, the report found, as well as multiple layers of review from senior officials outside the health and benefits systems. When he canceled the headquarters bonuses in September, McDonough told members of Congress that his agency had made a policy error and was overly broad in the way [it] implemented and executed this authority. Bipartisan leaders of the House and Senate committees that oversee VA told McDonough soon after that disclosure that the bonuses went against their plans. The use of incentives to boost pay of senior executives at VA rather than bolster staffing for critical shortage positions requiring highly skilled individuals was contrary to congressional intent, the lawmakers wrote. McDonough asked the inspector general to investigate in September, and Missal launched a probe of how the bonuses were awarded. His office, however, did not look at similar bonuses awarded last year to 187 senior executives working outside of D.C. in hospitals and regional health and benefits offices. McDonough did not move to cancel those awards, which came to an average of $50,000 and added another $10 million expense; the inspector general found they were outside the scope of this investigation. McDonough did not comment in the report about why he left these bonuses in place. The bonuses were all awarded thanks to an unusual incentive program Congress included last year in the Pact Act, which provides billions of dollars for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits and other health hazards. Anticipating an increase in veterans enrolling in VAs health care system and a surge in disability claims, lawmakers wanted to help the agency recruit new hires and retain employees with high-demand skills including in human resources, information technology, housekeeping or medical care or in occupations facing labor shortages and whose employment serves a critical need. Senior executives were not explicitly excluded by the legislation. But those who work in Washington are relatively removed from implementing the Pact Act and generally responsible for setting policy as opposed to working on the ground. By October, VA had extended these incentives to more than 29,000 new hires and those at risk of leaving in various fields totaling approximately $255 million. About 92 percent of this money went to employees in 35 occupations essential to the day-to-day operation of VA facilities, according to the report. In March 2023, Elnahal announced at a conference that senior executives stationed outside of Washington would receive bonuses of 25 percent of their annual base pay under the program. He and his team then decided to extend the awards to executives working in the D.C. headquarters. In contrast, standard bonuses for the highest-performing senior executives at VA do not exceed 10 to 12 percent of base pay. Jacobs then concluded that his senior leaders should get them too, the report says. Some other top officials reached an opposite conclusion, though. Leaders of the National Cemetery Administration declined to pursue any bonuses because they did not believe they had a justifiable reason to do so, the report found. Elnahal told investigators that when he later signed off on awards for headquarters staff, he was not aware that the health system had so many senior executives. I had no idea that we had upwards of 150 of them, he said, according to the report. I think if I had known that, my management instinct would be to get the same level of justifications together and the costs [as for the field executives]. In the report, investigators disputed his recollection, citing an emailed spreadsheet Elnahal received that listed each leader who was due to receive a bonus. Elnahal explained in a follow-up interview that he was traveling and viewed the email on his phone, but had not opened each tab of the spreadsheet to see the full list. Elnahal also told them that shortly before the bonuses were scheduled to go out, he was out of the office and asked his staff to confirm that the Secretary was aware and that they had been cleared to proceed. Elnahal said that due to miscommunication, he mistakenly believed the secretary was aware of the bonuses. The justification for the headquarters awards was thin, the report found, with no details about the executives skill sets and whether they were in high demand. The approach focused instead on the outcome VA leaders wanted, a generous pay bump, and then compiled generic justifications for the additional pay that cited the importance of these executives in leading their administrations or offices. Since the executives already had been hired by VA, retention, not recruitment, appeared to be the goal. But Jacobs told investigators that senior executives on the benefits staff had a turnover rate of just 2.4 percent and that retention numbers are better than the six-year average even though workloads had been increasing. There did not appear to be a valid retention concern supporting these incentives, the report found. It further noted that as a result, the blanket award of [bonuses] to all central office executives at the highest allowable percentage without sufficient justification was inconsistent with both the PACT Act and VA policy. McDonough told investigators that he was mindful of the cost of incentives and had tried to slow the process for several months by seeking answers. He said he was told that a only small number of Washington executives would receive bonuses. But he and his acting deputy were caught off guard when the agencys chief financial officer notified them in mid-September that a total of 367 senior leaders a figure that includes the group outside of D.C. headquarters as well had already been paid $19.7 million, with another 21 in the queue, the report said. All but a handful of the headquarters bonuses had gone through without the secretarys knowledge, the report found. The bonuses were unnerving to a number of officials who learned about them at the time. I cant even give a GS employee a special contribution award for $250 without writing an entire page about how great they are and forms and process, a senior human resources executive told investigators. And this, with a stroke of a pen and three sentences, theyre saying these folks are critical because theyre critical, giving all these people this huge amount of money. Similarly, Deputy Counsel for Legal Operations Brent Pope said that when he reviewed the health systems justification after the awards were questioned by the secretary, it was thin. I honestly couldnt believe it. I said, Is that all that was there? Pope told investigators that he was incredulous that senior executives in the health system were all given 25 percent and the justification was two sentences. Yet the awards went through VAs massive bureaucracy - noticed but not stopped. VA is now in the midst of a legal review of the effort to recoup the bonuses. McDonough told the inspector generals office that he will ask VAs Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection to determine, based on Thursdays report, whether any disciplinary action is warranted against the leaders involved in the bonuses. Among the inspector generals recommendations is that McDonough also thoroughly investigate whether the bonuses to staff outside D.C. were also properly awarded. In this screenshot from video, retired Lt. Col. Harlan Chapman sits for an interview with the U.S. Naval Academys Stockdale Center in 2021. Chapman, a Marine held for seven years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, died Monday at 89 in his Arizona home, according to his obituary. He is believed to be the Marine who spent the longest time imprisoned during the war. (TheStockdaleCenter/YouTube) Retired Lt. Col. Harlan Page Chapman, a Marine held for seven years as a prisoner-of-war during the Vietnam War, died Monday at the age of 89 in his Arizona home, according to his obituary. He is believed to be the Marine who spent the longest time imprisoned during the war. Chapman is survived by his wife Frances Fran Chapman, according to the obituary in the Chronicle-Telegram, the newspaper in Lorain County, Ohio, where Chapman was born and lived until 2015. Chapman graduated from Elyria High School in 1952 and then Miami University in Oxford, graduating in 1956. After graduating college, he was commissioned as a Marine Corps officer. After flight school in 1964, Chapman joined Marine Fighter Squadron 212 and deployed one year later to Vietnam with Carrier Air Wing 16 aboard the USS Oriskany, an Essex-class aircraft carrier. On Nov. 5, 1965, Chapman was shot down in North Vietnam during a bombing mission south of Hanoi. His target was a railroad and highway bridge deep within enemy territory when he came under fire. He was able to parachute out of the aircraft relatively unharmed, but, once on the ground, was immediately surrounded by North Vietnamese soldiers, according to his obituary. He would remain in prison until Feb. 12, 1973, when he was released through the Paris Peace Accords. He spent a total of 2,670 days in prison. Retired Lt. Col. Harlan Chapman is shown in this screenshot from a video interview with the U.S. Naval Academys Stockdale Center in 2021. Chapman, a Marine held for seven years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, died Monday at the age of 89 in his Arizona home. (TheStockdaleCenter/YouTube) Upon his return, Chapman was greeted by Gen. Louis Wilson Jr., who welcomed him back to the Marine Corps, according to The War that Would Not End by Charles Melson. Thank you, general, but I never left, Chapman responded. The Marine Corps presented Chapman with the Legion of Merit for his endurance through the entire imprisonment. Despite harsh treatment from the time of his capture and long periods of solitary confinement, Lt. Col. Chapman refused to cooperate with his captors, and actively participated in establishing and maintaining a prisoner organization and communications system, the award citation states. Although subjected to extreme cruelties for days at a time, he exerted himself in a positive leadership role and displayed examples of resistance for his fellow prisoners to emulate. He also received the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, two Bronze Stars and a Prisoner of War Medal, according to his obituary. His superior leadership abilities in the face of adversity were a source of strength to his fellow prisoners of war and contributed greatly to unity of purpose and inspired morale among all the prisoners, his Bronze Star citation states. Chapman received beatings, interrogations, deprivation and torture for attempting to facilitate communication among prisoners, he told the Chronicle-Telegram in 2015. His wife said this interview was one of the few times he spoke about the ordeal. After retirement in July 1976, Chapman returned to Ohio and ran a real-estate appraisal business with his wife in Vermillion for more than 25 years. He did later return to Vietnam to see where he had been held captive, according to the newspaper. We visited the shoot-down site in Hanoi. We traveled the countryside all the way from the Chinese border to Saigon (the former capital of South Vietnam, now named Ho Chi Minh City). It was a very meaningful tour, Fran Chapman told the newspaper. These trips were really healing and informative for spouses and family. There was no bitterness that I heard from him or any of the other people. Chapman was diagnosed in 2017 with Parkinsons disease and early-stage dementia. He remained an avid reader, even as he struggled to understand, according to his obituary. Chapman will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. A date is not yet scheduled. Cillian Rafferty (22) was disqualified from driving for eight years and jailed for four months. A banned driver who drove a stolen car at speed and on the wrong side of the road has been put off the road for eight years. A judge told Cillian Rafferty (22) he was lucky that no one was injured during the incident. Judge Maire Conneely fined Rafferty 300, disqualified him from driving for eight years and imposed a four-month prison sentence, consecutive to a lengthy sentence which he is already serving. The defendant, with an address at Easton Row in Leixlip, Co Kildare, admitted counts of dangerous driving as well as uninsured and unlicensed driving. Garda Kyle Jackson told Blanchardstown District Court that he was on mobile patrol on Snugborough Road, Dublin 15, shortly before 10pm on January 27, 2022, when he signalled for a black Hyundai to stop. Gda Jackson said the car failed to stop and drove a speed through a roundabout. Gardai signalled for the driver to stop, but he failed to do so, driving at speed and on the wrong side of Snugborough Road, causing other road users to take evasive action to avoid a collision. Gda Jackson said the car drove on to Ballycoolin Road, on the wrong side of the road, again failing to stop. The driver drove into Barnlodge estate, before driving into a dead end. Gda Jackson said Rafferty reversed the vehicle, but lost control, causing the car to spin and strike the kerb. Rafferty got out of the vehicle and was arrested by gardai. He was later asked to produce his insurance and driving licence, but he was disqualified from driving at the time. Gda Jackson said the car had been taken in Lucan earlier in the night. There was considerable damage to the front and rear bumpers of the car, but the vehicle had been taken with the keys in the ignition. The court heard that Rafferty had 19 previous convictions and was serving a lengthy sentence for motor traffic offences. He is not due for release until July 2026, the court heard. Defence solicitor Valerie Buckley said Rafferty co-operated with gardai and made admissions to his behaviour. Ms Buckley said the defendant was a young man who had a troubled past and had experienced a very difficult childhood. She added that Rafferty accepted his actions were very serious and he was lucky that the consequences had not been greater. Ms Buckley also said that the defendant was doing well in custody and had completed a number of courses. Judge Conneely said Rafferty had put other road users at risk by driving at speed and on the wrong side of the road. Cooper attempted to mislead the authorities by claiming that he was a Ukrainian refugee called Roman Petrov A globe trotting cocaine gangster who went on the run across Ireland has finally been jailed in England. Paul Cooper was one of three remaining members of an organised crime group that have been sentenced for supplying and dealing class A drugs across Britain. At Manchester Crown Court on Thursday May 2, Irish tourist Cooper and fellow gangsters Liam Duggan and Charles Ebbrell were sentenced to a total of 19 years for their involvement in a crime gang supplying Class A drugs across Manchester and beyond. Two other members of the group were already sentenced in 2020 - Ryan Ridgeway received six years after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine and Anton Nash received 15 years. Greater Manchester cops began their investigation into the organised crime group around January 2020 when they raided the rural home of Ridgeway in Cheshire. By the time their investigations were complete, Paul Cooper had already relocated to Ireland. Detectives initially found one kilo of cocaine with a street value of 110,000 in the kitchen of one of the gangsters four years ago. Cops initially arrested Ridgeway and his two accomplices, Cooper and Charles Ebbrell. Manchester Police tracked down the other members of the gang and their movements though ANPR, CCTV and phone work. Some of the crew's loot They established that Cooper and Ebbrell travelled to a KFC in Stoke-on-Trent, in Ridgeways Audi A3 in January 2020. At KFC, they met with Nash who supplied them with a 1kg block of cocaine. This deal 'was facilitated' on the phone by a fifth member of the gang, Liam Duggan, who acted as a middleman. Following the drug deal, Nash returned to Birmingham but Cooper and Ebbrell returned to Ridgeways flat, arriving back moments just as cops moved in. Ryan Ridgeway was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine in June 2020. The 36-year-old drug dealer claimed he knew nothing about the cocaine and that his flat had been hijacked by gangsters. On 18 June 2020, Ryan Ridgway was sentenced to six years in prison, after pleading guilty to Possession with intent to supply. In June 2020, officers from Stockport executed a search warrant at Anton Nashs home address and subsequently arrested him suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A, money laundering and possession of a firearm. Suriname (Getty) Following the search of his home, a loaded gun and 400,000 in cash was uncovered. The cocaine kingpins provided no comment answers to detectives questions, Manchester Police report. On 31 March 2023, Anton Nash pleaded guilty was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. Following his release from custody in February 2020, Paul Cooper fled the UK to avoid prosecution. Detective Constable McCarthy tracked Cooper across Ireland before he managed to make his way down to the Mediterranean. Cops traced the on-the-run criminal to Spain and then Portugal before eventually locating him in Paramaribo, Suriname, South America. Cooper was arrested on 6 June 2023 in an international operation. He was found to be in possession of cannabis and guns upon his arrest in the tropical location. Cooper attempted to mislead the authorities by claiming that he was a Ukrainian refugee called Roman Petrov but was subsequently deported back to the UK. Detective Sergeant Leanne Banks, of Stockports Challenger police squad, said: The sentencing that the three men received at court is satisfying news for the investigation team. As a unit, we have worked tirelessly investigating this groups involvement in the supply of drugs, not only in Manchester but across the country. All of the men in this group had a complete disregard for the law and their illegitimate enterprise was fuelled by their own greed. We hope that the public can see that we remain committed to removing dangerous individuals like Ebbrell, Duggan and Cooper from our streets which will undoubtedly make Greater Manchester a safer place. The seriousness of these crimes should not be underestimated, the amount of drugs they were transporting and supplying are substantial. We will always listen to our communities' concerns surrounding drug dealing and need your information and intelligence to help us put dangerous criminals behind bars and any issues that are fed to us can sometimes hugely assist our on-going investigations. Charles Ebbrell failed to appear in court to hear the judge sentence him to six years 9 months in jail. His now a wanted man after a warrant was issued for his arrest. Andrew Byrne, of The Butter Yard, Fleurville Road, Blackrock, Co Dublin is charged with possession of cannabis and having it with intent to sell or supply A FATHER-of-one drove a rented van into a business park to collect a pallet containing 900,000 worth of cannabis that was under garda surveillance, it is alleged. Andrew Byrne (52) was arrested by detectives who had information about the location of the drugs and were waiting for an unknown person to collect them. He was refused bail when he appeared in court today charged over the seizure in west Dublin. Judge Mark OConnell remanded him in custody for DPP directions. Mr Byrne, of The Butter Yard, Fleurville Road, Blackrock, Co Dublin is charged with possession of cannabis and having it with intent to sell or supply. The offences are alleged to have happened at North West Business Park, Ballycoolin on May 7. Detective Garda Stephen Gillespie told Blanchardstown District Court he arrested the accused for the purpose of charging him at Clondalkin garda station at 7.45pm yesterday. Mr Byrne was charged at 8.35pm and made no reply after caution. He was handed copies of the charge sheets. Objecting to bail, Det Gda Gillespie cited the nature and seriousness of the allegations. He said gardai attached to the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau received confidential information about the movement of drugs in north Dublin and a joint operation was carried out with Revenue. The court heard gardai became aware that a palette containing 45kg of cannabis was delivered to a logistics firm. It was due to be collected by an unknown person on May 7 and gardai kept it under observation. The accused entered the yard in a white Ford Transit van and parked, Det Gda Gillespie said. It was a GoVan he had rented and he was the sole occupant of the vehicle. After his arrest, the accused had said in interview he was due to be paid 1,500 for collecting the palette, Det Gda Gillespie said. The alleged value of the drugs was 900,000 he added. Applying for bail, defence solicitor Andrew Vallely said the charges were serious and the accused could be in custody for months before DPP directions were available. Det Gda Gillespie said a file would be prepared for the DPP and gardai would be asking for a further more serious drugs charge to be proffered. Mr Byrne had residence and work history in the jurisdiction and was previously employed as a carpenter, Mr Vallely said. He was prepared to abide by bail conditions including signing on at a garda station, being contactable by phone and keeping a curfew. His passport had expired and he would undertake not to apply for another, Mr Vallely said. Det Garda Gillespie said there were no conditions that would alleviate his concerns over bail being granted. Judge OConnell refused bail and remanded the accused in custody to appear in Cloverhill District Court on May 16. He recommended medical attention for the accused in custody after hearing Mr Byrne suffered from sleep apnoea. Mr Byrne has not yet entered pleas to the charges which are under Sections 3 and 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act. The victim would spend most of the time in the foetal position thinking of happier things." A former Donegal priest, Eamonn Crossan, from Letterkenny, has been given half a decade in the slammer for crimes committed against a minor in the 1980s and 1990s. Crossan (73), a former priest of the Diocese of Raphoe, appeared at Letterkenny Circuit Court via Videolink on Wednesday, where a five-year sentence was imposed on him. He is currently being detained in the Midlands Prison. Crossan pleaded guilty to nine sample charges out of a total of 96 charges in relation to one victim, a boy who was aged between 10 and 15 at the time of the offences. The court heard that the victim in this case went to cops after he heard Crossan had been convicted of sexually abusing another youngster in 2021. The court was told that he was a regular visitor at the boy's home and that the boy first remembered something happening when he was only ten years of age. The victim told gardai it became regular for him to stay over and that the abuse progressed very quickly, and that he would feel embarrassed and ashamed after the sick events. He would spend most of the time in the foetal position thinking of happier things." The incidents became so regular that it became normalised, and he would stay over in the priest's bed hundreds of times, he said. In the wake of the sentencing, Monsignor Kevin Gillespie reiterated an apology on behalf of the Raphoe Diocese. Monsignor Kevin Gillespie In a statement this morning, Msgr Gillespie said: On behalf of the Diocese and with a deep sense of shame for his actions, I sincerely reiterate my apology to the victim. Conscious that the quest for justice is only one part of the journey of healing, nevertheless I hope that the vindication provided by todays sentencing will in some way bring support and consolation to them, their family and friends. "I encourage anyone who may have been abused, or is suspicious of any abuse, to report it to the state authorities, or the diocesan Safeguarding Office immediately. "To report a concern or complaint of child abuse, either current or historical, please contact Margaret Northage, the Designated Liaison Person for the diocese on 086 2183 011. You are advised to also contact statutory authorities. In a victim impact statement, read out in court, Crossans victim spoke of how any sense of a normal childhood was stolen from him. "I felt sick to my stomach. I will not let you steal another day of my life. If there is a God then there is almost definitely a hell and that is what is waiting for you." Elaine White (41) is facing more than 10 counts of theft. Elaine White (41) has not yet indicated a plea to the charges A Dublin woman accused of stealing more than in 11,500 from a cargo company has been sent forward for trial. Elaine White (41) was served with the book of evidence when she appeared on bail before Blanchardstown District Court. The accused, of Griffith Road in Finglas, is facing more than 10 counts of theft. It is alleged that on various dates between March 10, 2019, and January 31, 2020, she operated a computer or caused a computer to be operated, with the intention of making gain for herself. On April 24, 2019, it is alleged that Ms White stole 100 by fraudulently increasing tax credit, for and on behalf of a logistics company. On various other dates in 2019, it is alleged that Ms White stole cash by transferring money from the same company into her personal bank account. It is further alleged that Ms White stole a 1,500 lodgment cheque on August 8, 2019; 246 in respect of a fraudulent invoice on December 11, 2019; and 3,690 by making an unauthorised alteration in respect of the standard cut-off rate for payment on December 31, 2019. It is also alleged that she stole 1,515 by the unauthorised alteration of an income-tax payment on January 31, 2020. Ms White is alleged to have stolen a total of 11,983. A state solicitor said the book of evidence had been served on the accused, who goes forward to the next sittings of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Maire Conneely gave Ms White the formal alibi caution. Judge Conneely assigned defence solicitor Peter Connolly and one junior counsel on free legal aid. Ms White has not yet indicated a plea to the charges. The suspect, who is originally from Sligo, was taken into custody by police in Merseyside earlier this week An associate of gangster Barry Young has been arrested in Liverpool in a major development in the investigation into the murder of Robbie Lawlor. The man, who is originally from Sligo, was taken into custody by police in Merseyside earlier this week A source has described the arrest as extremely significant and said the Sligoman is suspected of playing an integral role in the murder of the feared gangland enforcer. He will now be questioned by the PSNI within the next few days after being flown into Belfast under tight security. Due to the fact Belfast is in the UK, he will not have to be extradited in order to be quizzed by police in the North. The arrested man is well-known to gardai in Sligo and has previously appeared before the courts on drugs charges. He is a known associate of drug trafficker Barry Young, who is currently serving an 11-year sentence for drug dealing. Barry Young - Sligo criminal - pic courtesy of RTE Robbie Lawlor was shot dead in Belfast in April 2020 in a complex plot involving a range of criminal gangs. At the time of his murder, Lawlor had become one of the most erratic criminals operating in Irelands underworld and was the chief suspect in a number of gangland murders. Lawlor became heavily embroiled in the Drogheda feud and inflamed the dispute after his release from jail in December, 2019. He was suspected of an active involvement in the murder and dismemberment of Drogheda teenager Keane Mulready-Woods. Among the gun murders Lawlor was suspected of, was the shooting of Kenneth Finn (36) in Coolock in February, 2018 he was a right-hand man and best pal of Mr Big. Finns killing is currently being treated as the primary motive for the murder of Lawlor in Belfast. Arrests, cash seizures and other matters linked to the Dundon-McCarthy gang in the aftermath of the fatal shooting are now being described as a smokescreen devised by Mr Big to disguise his involvement in Lawlors murder, according to sources who consider him Irelands most devious criminal. Sligo gang boss Barry Young is also believed by gardai to have forged close links to Mr Big. Young (39) became one of the countrys most significant drug suppliers and rose to control a gang operating in the west of Ireland over the course of a two-decade long criminal career. Mark Desmond Young became a key figure in the drugs trade in the North and was suspected of supplying cocaine and cannabis to a number of gangs operating in Belfast and Border regions. During his sentencing hearing, the Special Criminal Court heard how Young directed a drug dealing gang with 20 members that sold massive amounts of cannabis all over the west of Ireland. Young pleaded guilty to directing the activities of the gang, which had an international character but operated in the Sligo, Donegal, Leitrim and Galway areas where it was involved in drug-dealing, intimidation and money laundering. The court was told that drug seizures linked to the gang totalled more than 628,000, while Young himself had 40,000 in ready cash despite his only stated income being social welfare payments. Young also dispatched enforcers that he described as head-the-balls and Dirty Harrys to collect on drug debts, the sentencing hearing was told. At the three-judge court, Detective Garda Inspector Ray Mulderrig told Fiona Murphy SC, for the State, that Young was arrested by detectives from Sligo at Dublin Airport on January 11 of this year on his way to Spain in a bid to escape his life of crime and drug debts. The experienced officer has led the detailed investigation into Youngs drug trafficking network for many years. Det-Insp Mulderrig told Ms Murphy that gardai seized Youngs phone and discovered thousands of messages, images, videos and calls relating to Youngs criminal activities in running the Sligo-based gang. Det-Insp Mulderrig said Young had 81 previous convictions at the time of his arrest and had been twice sentenced for drug-dealing, with the last conviction for that offence in 2006 when he was sentenced to six years imprisonment. He is due to appear before Dublin's Children's Court, Dublin 7 this morning at 10.30am A teenage boy is due in court today after the discovery of drugs worth 117,400 and a sawn off shotgun in wasteland on Tuesday. He is due to appear before Dublin's Children's Court in Smithfield, Dublin 7 this morning Thursday May 9 at 10.30am. The youngster was charged in relation to the seizure of cocaine, cannabis and the firearm found in Blanchardstown with further searches taking place on Wednesday. The boy had been arrested at the scene and was detained under Section 30 Offences Against the State Act, 1939 at a Garda Station in North Dublin. Gardai initially uncovered suspected cocaine with an estimated value of 59,500. Following that find, a second search was conducted in the same deserted area. During this search, suspected cocaine with an estimated value of 52,500 as well as 5,400 of cannabis and the sawn off shotgun were found. The drugs and firearm seized will be sent for further examination. Investigations are ongoing, gardai stated. "This seizure forms part of Operation Tara; an enhanced national anti-drugs strategy, which was launched by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris on 2nd July 2021. The focus of Operation Tara is to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute drug trafficking networks, at all levels - international, national, local - involved in the importation, distribution, cultivation, production, local sale and supply of controlled drugs, gardai added. Josh Itseli was gunned down on Monday night. A 20-year-old man has become the first gangland gun victim of 2024 after he was brutally murdered in Drimnagh on Monday. Josh Itseli was shot with an AR 15 semi-automatic rifle after the car he was in was ambushed and rammed by rival gang members At the time of his death, Itseli was facing crack cocaine charge and gardai believe the murder was linked to the drugs trade. Niall speaks to Eamon Dillon about the savage murder on the streets of the south inner city. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content MORE EPISODES Sex offenders are sent to Castlereas Grove to live in chalets with extra freedoms Two dozen sex offenders, including child rapists, are now serving their time in a prison unit known for its cushy regime. Record numbers of sex offenders are behind bars with more than 800 now serving time for crimes such as rape, sexual assault and possessing child abuse images. The Grove at Castlerea is made up of separate chalets in which prisoners look after themselves, cook their own food and enjoy greater freedom to mix with each other. Inmates are usually sent there ahead of being released or before they are sent to an open prison, according to Sunday World sources. Among those in the chalets are Declan Hannon, who fought a legal battle to keep his anonymity after being sentenced to seven years for child rape in 2019. He had repeatedly raped a nine-year-old girl in the late 1980s, telling her it was their secret, in what a judge described as the brutal and cynical rape of an innocent child. He shares a chalet with Tinder rapist Peter Loughran, who attacked a woman in her home after meeting her on the dating app. He was sentenced to seven and a half years in 2021. During the attack, Loughran banged the womans head off the floor and slapped her in the face when she started praying aloud. Another resident at The Grove is Liam ODwyer, who was obsessed with a child and is serving an 11-year sentence. He was convicted of sexual assault and rape which took place in his then partners bedroom between October 1996 and December 2001 when the girl was aged between 12 and 17. One of ODwyers housemates is singing priest Terry Loughran who got four and a half years last year after being convicted of sexually assaulting a teenager he had groomed. The well-known Limerick priest was described as a sexual predator who assaulted the teenager in parish houses in Co Limerick, in St Patricks College, Maynooth, on trips abroad and in hotel rooms. The victim was aged between 14 and 17 at the time from May 1998 to January 2001, while Loughran was in his late 30s. Former Longford teacher Cian Cooney, who sexually exploited a 13-year-old he befriended on Facebook, is in The Grove but is due for release this year. Well-known in GAA circles, Cooney had worked as a PE and geography teacher at a well-known south Dublin secondary school. The increasing number of sex offenders in prison is proving a headache for staff who have to keep them separate from other inmates for their own safety. With overall prisoner numbers also going up, staff also have to keep members of rival gang factions apart and sex offenders are being sent to prisons where they previously would not have been detained, sources told the Sunday World. The Midlands Prison has 400 sex offenders while Arbour Hill has more than 200. These make up the bulk of the sex offenders behind bars. But even the high-security Portlaoise prison is holding a small number of sex offenders including Eoin Berkeley, who is serving 14 years for attacking a Spanish student. He terrorised the teenager for 21 hours, drugging and tying her up as he raped her in a tent near Sandymount in Dublin. Berkeley also told her he had killed six people, making her believe he would murder her too, before she finally escaped when her fell asleep. There are also sex offenders in Mountjoy and Cork prisons as well as the Training Unit which is part of the Mountjoy complex. Inmates there include former Fianna Fail councillor, Fermoy town mayor and solicitor John Hussey, who was jailed for five years for the sexual assault of an eight-year-old girl during a childrens sleepover party in his home in 2003. In her victim impact statement, the woman said she could not grasp 20 years ago how any adult would want to hurt a young child for their own gratification. There are also prisoners in the system who are designated as if they are sex offenders because of the nature of their crimes, but have not being convicted of sexual offence. When challenged they became argumentative straight away but also spun a sob story He runs an aviation business in Dubbo, in western New South Wales, a long way from the usual haunts of young Irish people on work visas. Compton told ABC Western Plains radio presenter Jess McGuire he fell for the scam even though the warning signs were there. Im running on a shoestring so any loss hurts; a loss that goes nowhere just into criminal hands is really bad. To just blow money and give it to the wrong people, that really hurts. The three men arrived one evening and spoke to a friend staying there who thought they didnt feel quite right. He admits that should have been enough for him to have said something and sent them on their way. But when they came back he listened to what they had to say and agreed they could carry out a job to lay 200 metres of tarmac. He gave up his blurb of what he was selling they first start off with why they have come here on a cold call. They say the ground is wet where theyre working and they cant lay the tar or the asphalt and theyve got it coming and they cant stop it coming in from Sydney or wherever. Which is just b****x as I now know, they would never do that they need to get rid of it somewhere and they want to make their money back so I can get it at cost. He later discovered they used the same story in other areas. It cost him a bit over AU$7,000 (4,300) and he quickly realised it was a shoddy job. When challenged they became argumentative straight away but also spun a sob story. They started throwing on the guilt trips poor me were just trying to get our money back, were running at a loss, theyve done a good job for you. I thought they were Irish. One of them claimed to be Scottish but there was no way; he certainly wasnt Scottish. He said he paid them directly into a bank account over the internet which he discovered had only been set up the month before. It is imperative that legislation is swiftly reviewed to ensure we can combat this insidious form of abuse. THE use of electronic tracking devices by criminals to stalk a victim may not be illegal in this country. There are now fears that planned new legislation may not include their use in stalking cases under anti-harassment laws. Last month Declan Mr Nobody Brady admitted his role in the Kinahan Cartel murder of innocent man Noel Kirwan in which an electronic tracker on his car was used by his killers. The Special Criminal Court was told Brady had cut his links with the Kinahan gang and is already serving a lengthy sentence for firearms and money laundering offences. The tracker had been placed on Mr Kirwans Ford Focus car in which he was sitting when he was shot six times in December 2016. The device was linked to a laptop discovered in an apartment where a toothbrush with DNA matching Bradys was also found. As well as tracking people drug gangs have used devices such Apple Air tags to track drug shipments and have been discovered among seizures all over the world. During a recent Oireachtas debate Sinn Feins Lynn Boylan described as deeply concerning the threat posed by tracking devices such as Apple AirTags. Referring to the case of Irish actor Aine ONeil, highlighted by the Sunday World last year, assurances are need they cant be used in such a way in Ireland, according to the senator and EU candidate. Read more Army carry out controlled explosion of suspicious device discovered in Kildare She received notifications on her phone that an AirTag was tracking her every movement to work, to meet friends, to the supermarket. The emotional toll inflicted upon her led to her being forced to abandon her dreams of working as an actor and producer in LA due to incessant tracking and the inability to disable the tag. We urgently need assurances that tracking devices cannot be exploited for stalking purposes under Irish legislation. In a speech in the Senate by Junior Minister Sean Fleming on behalf of the minister he said that planned legislation on harassment may apply to the use of electronic tagging devices like AirTags in the context of stalking. Senator Boylan said it was deeply concerning that discussions have not already taken place between government departments on tightening up the regulations. It is imperative that legislation is swiftly reviewed to ensure we can combat this insidious form of abuse. Last year the Sunday World revealed how Irish actor and producer Aine ONeill gave up her Hollywood career after being targeted by an unknown stalker who hid one of the tracking devices in her car. She is one of three people who have been allowed to bring a lawsuit forward against Apple for failing to forsee problems with the product. US lawyer Gillian Wade who is part of the legal team previously told the Sunday World that the Apple device has ruined some peoples lives. Apple released a product it knew would be abused and did so with knowing there were still ways it needed to be made safer. Originally marketed as a device to help people keep track of objects like keys or laptops, there have been dozens of cases in the US where they have been misused in sinister stalking incidents. Apple are accused of failing to take adequate steps to ensure the safety of the product, which sells in Ireland for 39, before it was released on the market. The couple were flooded with congratulations on social media, many from well-known faces Paul and Eddie got hitched at an intimate ceremony in the capital Broadcaster Paul Ryder married his long-term partner Eddie McCann earlier today in a sweet wedding ceremony attended by close friends and family. Paul (37), who stars on Ireland Am on Virgin Media AM also has a show on Dublin radio station 98FM, got hitched to Belfast-based personal trainer Eddie at an intimate ceremony in the capital. Friends and family gathered for the black tie affair in the swish surroundings of Dublins Powerscourt Townhouse Centre. Paul would be familiar with the premises as it hosts weekly late night gay clubs. Paul and Eddie got hitched at an intimate ceremony in the capital The 37-year-old is also a well-known part time drag queen on Dublins gay scene. Paul and Eddie first hit it off on social media by commenting on each others pictures and posts, before going on a date to the Hudson Rooms cafe in Clondalkin. The couple got engaged in the River Lee hotel in Cork in November 2022. After the celebrations in Dublin today they are planning a 10 day honeymoon in Tenerife. Among guests at the wedding was fellow Ireland AM star Alan Hughes, with whom Paul started in panto at the age of 16. The couple were flooded with congratulations on social media, many from well-known faces. Aww huge congratulations, gushed Rosanna Davison, who added emoji posts of a smiley face with love hearts and also a giant red heart. Telly and radio star Laura Fox raved: Gorgeous! Congratulations to you both xx. Fellow Ireland AM star Alan Hughes added: Congrats, followed by a series of emojis of clapping hands and red hearts. Paralympian and Dancing With The Stars contestant Ellen Keane exclaimed: Congratulations, adding a smiley face with love hearts and a giant red heart. Apprentice UK star Pamela Laiird followed up with Huge congratulations and three smiley love heart emojis. KidsCan is welcoming the governments announcement of a new early childhood food programme to support 10,000 preschoolers living in poverty. Since 2019, the charity has been providing food and clothing for children in early childhood centres in areas of high deprivation, after teachers cried out for support. It now supports 205 centres nationwide. The early years are fundamental hunger from poverty doesnt begin at five, KidsCan CEO and founder Julie Chapman says. Research shows this is a crucial period of brain development which sets a child up for life. The right food plays a big part, and were really happy that this funding will mean more children in poverty get the fuel they desperately need. Early childhood teachers are seeing increasing hardship, and over 5,000 children in 150 centres are now waiting for KidsCan support. The charity will be putting its hand up to be a provider of the new government programme, in the hope it can reach every child on its waitlist. Research from Waikato University showed KidsCans programme was making a valuable difference to preschoolers wellbeing. Every child receives morning tea of fresh fruit and yoghurt, and either a hot lunch or sandwiches five days a week. Centres select from a range of recipes supported by the Heart Foundation including chicken stir fry, tuna pasta salad and lasagne with vegetables. Ingredients are delivered to them each week. Teachers reported children had more energy, were more engaged, and sickness reduced. Many centres also share the recipes with families to make at home. KidsCan was also approached by the government to share its knowledge from 18 years of feeding children at school. The charity supports 889 schools nationwide, providing breakfast food and snacks, which complement the Ka Ora, Ka Ako programme. It also delivers hot meals to schools who dont qualify for government lunches, but still have hungry students. Schools order what they need each term from products including yoghurt makers and sachets, tinned fruit, spreads, fresh bread, baked beans, muesli bars, and nuts. Heat and eat meals include curries, soups, beef bolognese, pasta and rice made by companies including Pitango and Campbells. KidsCan believes that feeding students in school is more important than ever. With 36,000 more children in poverty than last year, unfortunately more children are getting their main nutrition at school, says Julie. Were pleased that Ka Ora Ka Ako will continue for every student currently receiving it - and we would love to see a continued focus on providing fresh, nutritious lunches that children want to eat. We provide predominantly shelf-stable food support to reach as many children as possible across New Zealand, shipping over 1.5 million items from our warehouse every term. Its cost effective, it can be easily stored by schools, and it reduces waste. Food insecurity has skyrocketed over the past three years, and we aim to alleviate hunger for as many kids as we can. Particular favourites are the fruit pots, fresh bread with spreads, butter chicken with rice and beef bolognese with pasta. Our fresh food provision is constrained by funding, but we think it is important that Ka Ora, Ka Ako includes fresh food. KidsCan won't be tendering to provide school lunches under the reimagined government programme - it does not have the capacity to support such a large scheme. The charity will continue its current provision, including breakfast, warm jackets and shoes and socks so students get to class ready to learn. Right now, 87 schools are waiting for support, many of them previously decile 5 and 6 who dont receive Ka Ora, Ka Ako. KidsCan is working to reach these children as quickly as possible. The speech will be livestreamed at the top of this page from about 7.30am. Finance Minister Nicola Willis is making a pre-Budget speech to the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce in Stokes Valley. The government's Budget will be unveiled on May 30. Previous finance ministers have used pre-Budget speeches to reveal where some savings have been found, and the fiscal rules they have set themselves. Willis says her speech will focus on the short, medium, and long-term goals of the Budget. The Budget is expected to lay out the government's tax relief package with Willis earlier saying it will also include plans to rebuild business confidence and restore the Crown's finances. Figures released by Treasury indicate the government books were worsening as the tax take fell. Treasury figures show a deficit of $5.04 billion for the nine months ended March, $619 million more than forecast in the December financial update. However, Willis says tax cuts in the Budget will be fully funded and will go ahead. In a pre-Budget statement earlier this month, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Education Minister Erica Stanford announced that from next year the government expected all public schools to teach students to read in a "proven literacy approach". -RNZ. A 10-personnel Royal New Zealand Navy contingent has completed a six-week deployment supporting the Fiji Ministry of Fisheries to counter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in Fijis Exclusive Economic Zone, which covers 1.29 million square kilometres. An eight-person Deployable Boarding Team from HMNZS Matataua - the RNZNs littoral warfare support unit along with two Junior Warfare Officers embarked the United Kingdoms Royal Navy vessel HMS Tamar in Auckland in March before beginning a sweep of Fijis waters for vessels fishing illegally, as well as other illicit activity including poor crew welfare, pollution or involvement in the shark fin trade. Partnering with Fijian fishery officers, the boarding teams from HMS Tamar intercepted and boarded 23 vessels. Petty Officer Physical Training Instructor Marc Thomas climbs aboard HMS Tamar. All vessels were complying with the terms of their licences, though several were found to have minor infractions with their long-line fishing practices. Local authorities indicated this could be due to a recent policy transition which is still being communicated to vessels. Lieutenant Jack Walters, officer in charge of the DBT, says it was a great opportunity to represent the RNZN and Aotearoa while supporting our international partners. There is an estimated loss of FJ$600m (approx. NZ$440m) to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the Pacific region each year, says Lieutenant Walters. This combined effort has strengthened deterrence and enforcement in the region, which has a direct correlation to the prosperity of our Pacific Island neighbours. Its heartening to see that there were no concerning reports from any of the vessels we observed or boarded. HMS Tamar is a capable platform enabled by a professional and passionate crew, and weve appreciated the opportunity to work with our UK counterparts for enhanced relations and counter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Sub Lieutenants Darren Pace and Elliot Bell on the bridge of HMS Tamar. Sub Lieutenant Darren Pace was one of the two Junior Warfare Officers on board, and says the opportunity enabled them to experience life on a foreign warship and gain valuable exposure to boarding operations, including holding watches on the bridge alongside their RN counterparts. Being able to work with other nations on operations are the exact experiences I joined the New Zealand Defence Force for, he says. Conducting bridge watches on HMS Tamar was an awesome opportunity to gain and maintain navigation skills that will support our career development. Petty Officer Seaman Combat Specialist Jordan McHugh and Able Hydrographic Systems Operator Mya-Marie Wells on board a vessel of interest. The DBT team - which was stood up last year - is a specialist capability providing a ready-to-go resource that can support an RNZN ship or vessels of partner nations on operations. HMS Tamar is a Batch 2 River-Class Offshore Patrol Vessel of the RN. Alongside its sister-ship HMS Spey, it is forward-deployed to the Indo-Pacific as part of the UKs enduring commitment to the region. A boarding team prepares to approach a vessel of interest. The national electricity grid operator is warning of possible insufficient power generation to meet households' demand on Friday. Transpower has issued a notice saying there was a risk that power generation and reserves will not meet demand between 7.30am-8.30am. It says if power generators can't provide enough electricity, Transpower will manage demand to avoid a grid emergency. "The system operator may instruct the grid owner to disconnect feeders without further notice to connected parties," it says. MetService has forecast temperatures to plunge overnight, with Tauranga expected to fall to five degrees. In 2021, almost 34,000 households lost power on one of the coldest nights of the year, as insufficient supplies were arranged for the surge in demand. An industry panel fined Transpower $150,000 for its role in the blackouts. -RNZ. From eating coral worms in Samoa to fermented skate in Korea and Chinese chicken wings, celebrity chef and TV host Andrew Zimmern has eaten foods across the globe. Now he is bringing his expertise and his suggestions for a tasty trip to Upstate New York. Zimmern will be part of Catskill Cuisine, a weekend of gourmet meals in the Sullivan Catskills, featuring several Food Network celebrity chefs who will be making meals and meeting guests. He will also be in attendance with Central New York native, Chef Anne Burrell. Zimmern is an Emmy-winning and four-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef and writer. He is best known for Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern of which he was the creator, executive producer and host, Family Dinner, Whats Eating America, The Zimmern List and more. He has also been a judge on the popular Iron Chef reality food competition show. In an interview with Forbes, Zimmern spoke about his love of the Hudson Valley and his favorite restaurants in the area. Heres what he suggests: Catskill Cuisine will take place May 10-12 at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the home of the original Woodstock music festival. NY Cannabis Insider (NYCI) hosts unique and interactive business-to-business events across the state that bring together business owners and industry leaders to network and discuss topics essential to the New York State cannabis industry. The next meetup and networking event is scheduled for May 14 in Buffalo and will be held at Riff City. Details and tickets available here. This State of the State will dive into whats working, whats not, what needs to happen next, and what those looking to get into the industry should consider before making the leap. There will be a chance for attendees to interact directly with the speakers during and after a Q&A, along with open networking time to meet others in the industry. This is a unique opportunity for attendees to hear from and understand the challenges/needs currently affecting the industry. NY Cannabis Insider is the premium resource for all things cannabis in New York, said Sean McKenzie, CAURD licensee and chair of policy and regulations of the New York Cannabis Retail Association. As this once-in-a-lifetime industry develops, with numerous issues, characters, and storylines emerging, NYCI provides a space for industry stakeholders to exchange ideas through its renowned publication and event series. NY Cannabis Insider will host an industry meetup in Buffalo on May 14, 2024.NY Cannabis Insider Panelists sharing their perspectives include: Michael Casacci is the owner of the House Of Sacci cannabis brand found in over 40 dispensaries across New York State. As one of the first licensed cannabis growers in NYS, Casacci began a father and son operation, purchasing a 40,000-square-foot greenhouse in Western NY and has spent the last two years turning that facility into a dreamscape of cannabis cultivation. Melissa (Missy Fogarty) is a dynamic and multi-faceted individual, known for her passion for advocating plant medicine, entrepreneurship, and holistic wellness. As the owner of the Pothead Parent brand, Melissa has pioneered a movement that celebrates the intersection of cannabis culture and responsible parenting, challenging stereotypes and promoting informed discourse. Reggie Keith is a proud native of Buffalo, NY. After graduating from the Buffalo Arts Academy, he continued his education at one of Charlottes Historically Black College & Universities: Johnson C. Smith University. Today he is the proud founder and CEO of Canna-House, Western NYs premier cannabis club and resource center. Their mission is to positively impact the quality of life of cannabis consumers via events, products, content, advocacy and lifestyle. Edward Lukaszek is the CEO of Biotrax Testing Laboratory Inc. and involved in all day-to-day activities as well as all business operations. NY Cannabis Insider events are attended by industry professionals and entrepreneurs looking to start their own cannabis business, as well as those from cannabis-adjacent businesses such as legal, security, retail, banking, finance, construction, engineering, business consultation and medical expertise. NY Cannabis Insider events are THE must-attend cannabis industry events for New Yorkers, says event participant Jordan Isenstadt of Marino PR. It never fails to amaze me how many important, high-level industry insiders show up for their well-produced events. I recommend their events to all my clients. Click here for more details and to purchase tickets. Sponsors and vendors are the businesses shaping the industry locally and regionally. Look for them at the event for advice and help with your cannabis business: AmeriCU is a NYS chartered credit union offering specialty banking that prides itself on prompt, superior member service with local representatives who are always a phone call away. Cannabis Workforce Initiative is a collaboration between the New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University and the Workforce Development Institute. Its mission is to promote and support social equity in the adult-use cannabis market by providing quality workforce development and legal education. CannDelta Inc. offers cannabis consulting services that include licensing, cannabis business plans, business strategy, operational support, and ongoing compliance and helps its clients navigate cannabis regulations to optimize compliance and help clients to succeed in their respective industries. Jeffrey Hoffman & Associates PLLC is a firm that focuses on clients in the cannabis industry, including licensees in the adult-use cannabis market, patients and practitioners in the medical cannabis space, and cannabis adjacent product and service providers. The Roaring 420s Lounge (established 2021) is a 100% volunteer-operated private membership club dedicated to the safe consumption of cannabis and the growth of the local industry. Sensi Media Group is one of the fastest-growing nationally recognized media enterprises in North America. They are well known as an industry leader and culture creator whose core values elevate people and cultivate community. They publish print and digital magazines, create community events, and connect people in local markets with a focus on fun-loving, healthy lifestyles. NY Cannabis Insiders next industry networking event will be held on June 13 in Syracuse. For more information, visit https://www.advancemediany.com/ny-cannabis-insider-live/. Follow NY Cannabis Insider on LinkedIn for event announcements. Editors Note: On Tuesday, May 7, Chris Hagan, 37, was killed in a motorcycle crash near Skaneateles Lake when the Harley Davidson he was riding collided with a Toyota Highlander. Earlier this year, syracuse.coms Steve Featherstone spent weeks talking with Chris and his family friends for a feature story about a young hunters first buck. Chris had taken up teaching 15-year-old Wyatt Farwell how to hunt after Wyatt lost his dad after a bout with Covid. Were re-publishing Chris and Wyatts story here, with the blessing of both families. *** Wyatt Farwell, 15, looked out the back door of his home in LaFayette, holding his fathers rifle at his hip. Somewhere in the cold winter woods beyond the chicken coop lurked a fox that had recently killed five of his chickens and a duck. Wyatts mother, Brooke, watched from the dining room. Wyatt always wanted ducks, she said. Ducks ducks ducks. Wyatt leaned his rifle against the wall and sat down next to his mother. I think it was just because Pa had them when he was a kid, he said. Wyatt started raising ducks in first grade, Brooke said, following in his fathers footsteps. Later, they added chickens and turkeys to the flock, built a coop and pens to hold them all. One of Wyatts Pekin ducks even won Grand Champion at the State Fair. But raising poultry wasnt all blue ribbons and fuzzy chicks. They often lost birds to hungry foxes and coyotes, Wyatt said. Sometimes the killing seemed wanton and cruel, like the time a fisher slaughtered 60 of their chickens in a single night. And sometimes birds just died. Wyatt understood all that. Thats simply how life was at the Farwell homestead, the place at the end of a dead-end country road with a chicken coop out back, janky vehicles in front, and on occasion, deer carcasses hanging from the swing set. Life was always a little off the rails around here, Brooke said, but beneath the chaos everything had a purposewith one exception: the death of her husband, Aaron Farwell, or Pa as they called him. He died suddenly at home two and a half years ago. He was only 47 years old. Sometimes it doesnt seem real, said Brooke, adding that her dreams often felt more real than her thoughts. Its almost worse when I dream about it, she said. Its almost like reliving it. I dont really dream that much now, said Wyatt. But every once in a while I have a dream about him, that Im still with him, working or hunting. Wyatt Farwell (left) poses with a buck that his father, Aaron Farwell (right), harvested in 2020. Aaron died in 2021. He was only 47 years old.Brooke Farwell A rite of passage Aaron had Covid in early October 2021, but he recovered in time to take Wyatt out for the annual youth hunt on Columbus Day weekend. He was determined to get Wyatt his first buck, an important milestone in the life of any deer hunter. But they came home empty handed. A month later Aaron was dead. Aaron grew up hunting, but he never pushed it on his boys. Levi, now 11 years old, has so far shown little interest in it; Wyatt, on the other hand, went so far in the other direction that he acquired Aarons knack for falling asleep in the woods. Unlike Aaron, Brooke didnt grow up in a hunting family. When they began dating in 1989, my mindset was, its just about killing, she said. But she changed her mind after Aaron chastised her once for not swerving to avoid a squirrel in the road. Thats when she realized that he loved animals, and hunting was a big part of that. What pains her now is knowing that Wyatt will never get to experience certain rites of passage, like getting his first buck with his dad. Even if she knew how, it wouldnt be the same if she took Wyatt hunting. As a mom, you have a role, Brooke said. And its not like women cant do it, but theres something different about guy time. And I appreciate that, I understand that. Brooke enlisted Aarons friend, Chris Hagan, for help initiating Wyatt into the fraternity of deer hunters. Aaron had first met Chris one day after church. He was looking for a carpenter; Chris was looking for a plumber. They agreed on a work exchange and hit it off. After Aaron died, Chris and his wife, Keisha, were there for Brooke. They didnt avoid her out of some misguided sense of propriety, or give her questionable advice, like getting rid of Aarons old truck, as some had suggested. Theyre just very stable, steady people, Brooke said. Theyve gone through loss themselves. Chris and Keishas son, Donovan, died as an infant. They have two girls now, but had Donovan lived hed be the same age as Wyatt. Brooke believed that putting Wyatt and Chris together might fulfill a need each of them had beyond whatever obligations they felt toward Aaron. Her instinct proved right last November when Wyatt finally got his first buck. 15 1 / 15 Wyatt Farwell's first buck A fatherly figure thing Chris, it must be noted, had taken Wyatt hunting many times since Aarons death, including overnight trips to Pennsylvania. The experience made him question whether hunting was really Wyatts thing. During hunts, Wyatt was wicked fidgety, Chris observed recently over pizza at Brookes house. Or Wyatt would fall asleep, he added, or get distracted by an old propane cylinder laying in the weeds. And for reasons Chris simply cannot fathom, Wyatt had a weird aversion to pooping in the woods. I spent three years wondering if Wyatt was doing something Aaron would want him to do, said Chris. Theres a fine line there where it starts becoming work. On November 24, 2023, one week into gun season, Chris decided to give Wyatt one more shot. He and his buddy, Casey, took Wyatt deer hunting on private land near Weedsport. They each vowed not to baby him. I feel like thats a fatherly figure thing, Chris explained. If he wants it, well help him, and if he doesnt want it, were going to find out real quick. Wyatt Farwell, 15, of LaFayette poses with his first buck, a 203-lb eight pointer that he harvested last fall on private land near Weedsport.Chris Hagan The hunt They climbed into an elevated blind before sunup, ate some sandwiches, then Wyatt took a two-hour nap. Around midday, Chris nudged Wyatt as a four-point buck approached the blind. Wyatt got ready to shoot it, but Chris didnt want to risk pissing off the landowner by taking a young buck. So they waited for something bigger to come along. Instead, another hunter unwittingly strolled through their entire set, kicking up a doe and ruining any chance they had of seeing another buck. Oh, I was ticked! Chris said. Im sitting there fuming, and two minutes later Wyatt is elbowing me. Wyatt pointed toward a field about 200 yards away where a buck was trailing behind the kicked-up doe. Even from that distance they could tell it was a monster. The buck disappeared into a tree line and reappeared moments later moving up a trail toward their blind. Wyatt put his eye to the scope of the rifle Chris had set up on a tripod, but the angle was off. He couldnt get a line on the buck, which was now barreling right at them, its massive eight-point rack weaving between the trees. Without exchanging a word, Chris handed Wyatt another rifleAarons .30-30 Thompson Center Contenderand Wyatt swung it to his shoulder. In my memory I tossed him the gun, Chris joked. Brooke laughed. Like an old western. I went to pull the hammer back and it was already done, Wyatt said. Wyatt squeezed off a shot. The buck didnt shrug or kick. It just spun around and ran in the opposite direction. Chris thought Wyatt had missedI wanted to cry, dude, he saiduntil the buck dropped 40 yards away. Brooke was working at Target when she got a text from Chris telling her to go find a place to cry. She put down the clothes she was folding and fought back tears as photos of Wyatt and his buck pinged her phone. This was Wyatts favorite part of the story. And you were like He cupped his hands around his mouth and let out a long, plaintive howl. Brooke narrowed her eyes at him. I dont think I howled. The whole store heard you, said Wyatt, bouncing out of his chair, and your coworkers came and checked on you! I had a couple tears, Brooke said. I was holding it back really good. Then I went back to work. Chris was so pumped that he dragged the enormous buck to the four-wheeler by himself, breaking the unwritten rule that relegates deer-dragging to the youngest, least-experienced hunters in the party. Brooke pointed at Chris and said, You babied him! Chris acknowledged that hed broken his vow, but he had a good reason. Every so often he had moments that made him stop and think, I didnt get to do this with my son, he said. Dragging Wyatts deer was such a moment. Chris turned to Wyatt. I couldnt be more proud of you in that moment than if you were my son, he said. I was like, all right dude, Ill drag this thing to Kansas if I have to. Wyatt Farwell, 15, of LaFayette, poses with his late father's rifle, a .30-30 Thompson Center Contender, which Wyatt used to kill his first buck last fall. His father died in 2021.Steve Featherstone | sfeatherstone@syracuse.com The stars aligned They had to cut the feet off Wyatts buck so it would fit on the scale at Chriss pole barn. It weighed 203 pounds, the biggest deer I ever laid hands on, by far, said Chris. The taxidermist he later brought it to estimated that its rack scored around 160 points. Everybody who sees pictures of Wyatts buck agrees that its special. But the best hunting stories are rarely about the size of a deer, or how many points it scored. For the small group gathered in Brookes dining room, Wyatts hunting story would forever bind them together. The stars aligned, Brooke said. It just all worked out. I dont believe in destiny, said Chris. But man, I felt like we had somebody He swallowed hard and nodded. Yeah, there was some help on that one, dude. Keisha had given Brooke an album of photos from the hunt. The last page makes Brooke tear up every time. Its a composite photo of Wyatt standing in a field, holding his buck by its antlers. Behind Wyatt, just over his shoulder, is Aaron. Their smiles are identical. Wyatt Farwell, 15, has raised ducks at his home in LaFayette since the first grade. His father, who died in 2021, also had ducks as a boy.Steve Featherstone | sfeatherstone@syracuse.com The fox and the flock The story of Wyatts first buck is bittersweet for Brooke. While it shouldve been Aaron with him that day, she said, she knows he will always be a part of that story. He always has beenand always will bea guiding force for Levi and Wyatt, long after theyve grown into men. Brooke came to his realization four months after Aarons death, on her first wedding anniversary alone, cooped up at home with Wyatt and Levi, sick with Covid, and bereft with grief. Making matters worse, a fox had been prowling around again. The stinking fox kept taking the birds that we had raised with Aaron, Brooke said. It really was upsetting, said Wyatt. He remembers grabbing his dads rifle, slipping outside, and shooting the fox. I dont even know how I hit it, he said. I couldnt even see through the scope. Brooke keeps a video on her phone of Wyatt running through the snow toward the house, holding the dead fox by the tail and grinning ear to ear. Good job, bud! she shouts in the video. Something shifted in Brooke that day. What Wyatt did for the birds, for his familyfor herwas a gift of sorts, she said. Seeing him step into a role for which Aaron had prepared him took away a bit of her pain and sadness. He was protecting the flock, she said, he knew what to do. *** The Hagan family has started a GoFundMe to benefit Chriss wife and two daughters left behind after he died. Sign up for the CNY Outdoors Newsletter Enter your email address to get weekly updates on CNY outdoors news delivered to your inbox: Steve Featherstone covers the outdoors for The Post-Standard, syracuse.com and NYUP.com. Contact him at sfeatherstone@syracuse.com or on Twitter @featheroutdoors. You can also follow along with all of our outdoors content at newyorkupstate.com/outdoors/ or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/upstatenyoutdoors. Washington Rep. Brandon Williams plans to host a town hall meeting in Clay this month, marking his first public meeting in Onondaga County in more than a year. Williams, R-Sennett, said today that the meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. May 29 at Clay Town Hall, 4401 Route 31. Williams resumed holding in-person town hall meetings last month after going nearly a year without an open-forum event. He met with residents April 25 at VVS High School in Verona, Oneida County. The first-term Republican also plans to host a town hall meeting in Madison County this month. That meeting will be at Morrisville-Eaton Middle-High School, 5061 Fearon Road in Morrisville at 6:30 p.m. May 20. Last year, Williams held town hall meetings in Camillus, Chittenango, Rome, Morrisville and New Hartford. He canceled two planned town hall meetings in Onondaga County (Fayetteville and Clay) in May 2023 when House members were called back to Washington to vote on a bill that raised the nations debt limit. Political analysts in Washington have consistently ranked Williams among the most vulnerable House members in the 2024 election. Two Democrats -- DeWitt Town Councilor Sarah Klee Hood and state Sen. John Mannion, D-Geddes -- are waging a primary campaign to take on Williams in November. The primary election is June 25. The new 22nd Congressional District established by state lawmakers this year spans all of Onondaga and Madison counties, and parts of Cayuga, Cortland and Oneida counties. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 Washington President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he would not supply offensive weapons that Israel could use to launch an all-out assault on Rafah the last major Hamas stronghold in Gaza over concern for the well-being of the more than 1 million civilians sheltering there. Biden, in an interview with CNN, said the U.S. was still committed to Israels defense and would supply Iron Dome rocket interceptors and other defensive arms, but that if Israel goes into Rafah, were not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells used. MIAMI (AP) Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the mans family said Wednesday. Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, who was based at the Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, was in his off-base apartment in Fort Walton Beach when the shooting happened on May 3. The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Strong interest in Teagasc Forestry One-to-One Clinics Almost 500 landowners recently availed of the opportunity to have a confidential, independent and objective appointment with an experienced Teagasc Forestry Advisor by attending a one-to-one clinic. The clinics gave landowners an opportunity to discuss forestry in the context of the suitability of a specific land parcel and planting trees in the context of their whole farm. This nationwide series of forestry clinics placed a strong focus on forest creation opportunities under the new Forestry Programme 2023-2027. The initial schedule of 36 clinic days was increased to 70 clinics in order to accommodate the very high level of demand from farmers, landowners and existing forest owners. The Teagasc forestry clinics facilitated awareness raising and informed decision making on forest creation options. Clinic attendees had many queries clarified on a broad range of topics. These included key issues such as land types and forest project eligibility, interactions of forestry with farm enterprises and schemes, discussion on the range of Forest Types (FTs) available under the new Forestry Programme and options under the Native Tree Area Scheme. Promotion around this clinic series also prompted many aditional email and phone enquiries beyond the actual clinics. Many landowners attending the clinics showed a strong interest in the Native Tree Area Scheme. Popular options explored under the Afforestation Scheme included native forests (Forest Types 1 and 2), Agroforestry (Forest Type 8), continuous cover forestry (Forest Type 10) and mixed high forests (Forest Type 12). Landowners interested in the Forest Types available under the Afforestation Scheme had proposed areas for planting mainly within the 6 to 9 hectares range. Landowners with a focus on the Native Tree Area Scheme generally had smaller proposed areas, consistent with the scheme threshold per scenario of 1.3 hectares, which includes allowable areas for biodiversity enhancement. The clinics also made landowners aware of the main eligibility criteria for planting. Factors such as soil type (peat soils over 30cm depth), protected bird areas (e.g. breeding waders), site elevation and current ACRES involvement impact on the options open to the landowner. Frances McHugh, Teagasc Forestry Development Officer said that; The clinics gave landowners an opportunity to discuss forestry in the context of the suitability of a specific land parcel and planting trees in the context of their whole farm. Frances McHugh explained that, while landowners were attracted by the financial supports for forestry, the decision to plant is a permanent land use change, so it is important for landowners to discuss every aspect of planting, and be informed prior to proceeding with an application. The large attendance at the forestry clinics clearly demonstrated that many landowners are interested in planting trees and had a real appreciation of the benefits of trees - be it timber production, carbon sequestration, biodiversity or a desire to create a legacy for the next generation. Teagasc forestry staff are available to provide ongoing advice and to support decision making on new forest creation options for landowners and on sustainable management options for existing forest owners. A countrywide series of forest walks exploring the importance and benefits of active forest management is now underway and will run up to May 17. All are welcome to attend. For further details, contact your local Teagasc forestry staff or log onto. www.teagasc.ie/forestry In context: Prior rumors and leaks have created a somewhat murky picture of Sony's upcoming PlayStation 5 Pro console, but new documentation might clarify some details. The mid-generation refresh, expected to ship later this year, reportedly offers significantly improved ray tracing performance, machine learning-based upscaling, and other new features that developers could use to enhance graphics significantly. Eurogamer has acquired documents from Sony's developer portal that shed new light on how the PlayStation 5 Pro's architecture improves upon the original model. The upgraded console uses a combination of increased horsepower and new functionality to boost performance and image quality. The new information confirms earlier rumors that the PlayStation 5 Pro features 60 compute units compared to the standard console's 36. However, this means the new model's GPU operates at a base clock speed of 2.18 GHz, slightly lower than the original PS5's 2.23 GHz. The three-percent difference is unlikely to degrade performance, and the PS5 Pro can boost to 2.35 GHz in limited scenarios. Moreover, it might feature 256 KB of L1 cache compared to its predecessor's 128 KB. Although the new model reaches a theoretical 33.5 TFLOPs on paper, more than tripling the base PlayStation 5's 10.23 TFLOPs, Sony's documentation says that practical rasterization performance should only increase by about 45 percent. However, the L0 cache doubles from 16 KB to 32 KB to help improve ray-tracing performance. Prior rumors indicate that the PlayStation 5 Pro might run RT operations between two and four times faster, possibly due to new hardware based on AMD's upcoming RDNA 4 GPU architecture, which leakers claim is completely different from RDNA2. Other helpful new features include hardware support for variable rate shading (VRS) and mesh shaders. Both technologies have been available for some time but have only seen limited use in games, partially due to lack of full support from the PS5. Mesh shaders enable games to render significantly increased geometric detail, and are primarily responsible for Alan Wake 2's notoriously high PC system requirements. Meanwhile, VRS saves performance while maintaining image quality by reducing the resolution of portions of the screen players are less likely to notice, such as areas covered in total darkness. It remains unclear how much game developers would utilize the features just for PlayStation 5 Pro, as the console will likely comprise a small portion of total PS5 sales. Those features would likely combine with the previously leaked PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, Sony's answer to Nvidia DLSS, which would upscale games from lower resolutions using machine learning to increase framerates. Sony appears to be making it as easy for developers to implement the technology as possible, hoping they will add it to many older titles. Sony hasn't officially confirmed its plans to launch the PlayStation 5 Pro, but the console is expected to arrive later this year. Details on pricing and the inclusion of a disc drive are unclear. A hot potato: Apple has a very long history of creating memorable commercials, from the iconic "1984" ad that introduced the Macintosh computer, to the "Get a Mac" campaign starring Justin Long and John Hodgman. Its new ad for the iPad Pro, however, is likely to be remembered for the wrong reasons. Update: Since we published this story, Apple took the rare step of apologizing for the commercial advertising its latest iPad Pro only a day later after the backlash. The company has also decided not to run the ad on TV. "Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad of ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad," Tor Myhren, vice president of marketing communications at Apple, told Ad Age, an advertising trade publication. "We missed the mark with this video, and we're sorry." As we've come to expect, Apple's Let Loose event included an advert for the product on show, the iPad Pro. The commercial has the high production values and stylishness we're used to seeing in Apple ads, but the way it depicts the latest tablet has led to plenty of backlash online, including from celebrities. The ad, which you can see above, shows a giant press being slowly lowered, crushing a number of musical instruments, classical sculptures, books, paints, games, cameras, and more. When it retracts, we see an iPad Pro left in its place. Apple's message is obviously that everything being crushed can essentially be replicated using a very thin iPad Pro: reading books, making music, playing games, watching TV, drawing, etc. CEO Tim Cook pushed this point home on X when he asked, "imagine all the things it'll be used to create." What an incredible self own by Apple, lol at a time when artists, musicians and creatives are more worried than ever that tech companies are trying to crush them into dust for profit, along comes Apple and makes an *ad* whose whole message is: yes that is exactly what we're doing https://t.co/zDnvZ8GPYI Brian Merchant (@bcmerchant) May 8, 2024 While Apple has used this sort of message in the past, it comes at a time when fears that technology is killing human creativity and costing jobs have peaked. Actor Hugh Grant was particularly scathing, replying to Cook's post with, "The destruction of the human experience. Courtesy of Silicon Valley." The destruction of the human experience. Courtesy of Silicon Valley. https://t.co/273XB3CfnF Hugh Grant (@HackedOffHugh) May 8, 2024 Justine Bateman, the filmmaker and actor who advised SAG-AFTRA on AI issues, wrote "Truly, what is wrong with you?" Beyond actors, there are plenty of musicians, writers, artists, and plenty of other professions worried about AI's impact on their livelihoods. Apple talked at length about the M4's enhanced AI performance during its Let Loose event. The iPad Pro is being hailed as the company's first true AI device ahead of what will likely be a very AI-focused WWDC in June. I don't think I've ever seen a single commercial offend and turn off a core customer base as much as this iPad spot. Achieves the opposite of their legendary 1984 spot. It's not even that it's boring or banal. It makes me feel bad? Bummed out? Michael J. Miraflor (@michaelmiraflor) May 8, 2024 James Kochalka, the comic book artist, writer, animator, and rock musician, highlighted the problematic destruction in Apple's ad. "I'm definitely the target audience for the new iPad Pro but this ad is tone-deaf and insulting to artists of every kind. We think of our tools with reverence and respect, and enjoy a healthy dialogue with them. Our tools are like trusted companions on the journey of art." As per the BBC, the ad appears to have caused particular offense to people in Japan, with several saying it "lacked respect." "The act of destroying tools is arrogant and offensive to us Japanese," one person explained, while another said that musicians value their instruments "more than life itself." Others have noted how the ad stands in contrast to the famous 1984 ad, with Cupertino having taken the place of IBM, its then rival, as the faceless megacorporation Apple was rebelling against. One of the most damning criticisms came from Y Combinator founder Paul Graham, who said that the late Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs "wouldn't have shipped that ad. It would have pained him too much to watch." The big picture: The Chips and Science Act is on track to achieve its intended goal of boosting domestic semiconductor manufacturing. According to a fresh report from the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), approximately 28 percent of all advanced logic chips (those made on processes newer than 10 nanometers) will be produced in the US by 2032. Europe and Japan are also forecasted to collectively push their advanced chip production to around 12 percent during the same period. Put another way, the US is expected to grow its fab capacity by 203 percent between 2022 and 2032. Assuming nearly a third of the world's advanced chip production in just one decade is a significant shift, and there are inevitably going to be some losers as a result. Per the SIA, Korea and Taiwan are expected to be hit the hardest. Korea's advanced chip production is forecasted to dip down to just nine percent by 2032, from 31 percent in 2022. Similarly, Taiwan's share could fall 22 percent over the same period, from 69 percent in 2022 to just 47 percent in 2032. Zooming out to look at the bigger picture, the US was responsible for just 10 percent of global chip production (of all kind) in 2022. That figure is expected to climb to 14 percent by 2032. Without the Chips Act, the US would likely have seen its total chip production decline to just eight percent by 2032. Rival China, meanwhile, is forecasted to account for just two percent of advanced chip production by 2032. Neither country had any capacity to make such chips as of 2022. The US Chips Act was signed into law in August 2022, and set aside $39 billion in subsidies specifically intended to support chip manufacturing within the US. A handful of awards have already been doled out with recipients including Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., and Samsung. As of late April 2024, about half of the act's financial incentives had already been accounted for. Image credit: Pixabay The United States National Security Agency (NSA) is now fighting against ransomware gangs through a mix of cyber and psychological warfare. After taking down its websites on the dark web, the NSA's latest strategy reportedly looks to sow paranoia amongst hackers. In remarks at the RSA Conference in San Francisco, former NSA Director of Cybersecurity Rob Joyce and his replacement, Dave Luber, claimed that the US was attempting to take action against ransomware groups, many of which had their headquarters in Russia. Rob Joyce used the well-known ransomware group Lockbit as an example to illustrate the most recent tactic by first locating, charging, and endorsing a Lockbit top executive. According to Joyce, one of the main components of the operation was the FBI's takeover of Lockbit's dark web website and the infrastructure supporting its online activities back in February. After being taken down, the Lockbit gang swiftly moved to another website. But Joyce said that would have just served to strengthen the FBI's position. Joyce states that the new website could incite distrust among hackers since everyone in that community would wonder if Lockbit or the FBI indeed owns it if it suddenly appears. NSA's Other Actions Against Ransomware Gangs According to the Justice Department, in the Lockbit case, senior leader LockbitSupp, a 31-year-old Russian named Dimitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, offered his services to law enforcement for information about who his rival ransomware competitors were. Joyce also said that governments worldwide are focusing a lot of attention on areas where a community can offer insights into an ecosystem, see the seams and fractures between them, and peel people off for advantage. Dave Luber concurred with the assessment and stated that the agency has provided information that the FBI and Justice Department might utilize to take action against suspected hackers. The two also discussed the threat posed by China and hacktivist groups that are aiming to disrupt US essential infrastructure, including water systems, and may potentially destabilize the country. Joyce, who left the NSA in March, said there were no significant repercussions from the most recent hacking attempts on US water infrastructure. However, he iterated his worries against state-sponsored hacking units that could meddle with US critical infrastructure. Luber responded that the US has been attempting to strengthen security at US businesses and critical infrastructure providers by ensuring that weak and default passwords are eliminated from IT systems and that software patches are applied promptly for equipment and software susceptible to vulnerability. Biden's Warnings Against Cyberattacks The Biden Administration issued similar cautions to state governors last March, alerting them to the possibility of an Iranian and Chinese computer attack on US water management systems. A letter from the White House and the Environmental Protection Agency urges governors to bolster their cybersecurity defenses against potential attacks and prepare in advance. The letter to governors was purportedly written by EPA Administrator Michael Regan and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. It instructed them to ensure that all of their states' water systems thoroughly assess their current cybersecurity protocols. Regan and Sullivan claim that even the most fundamental cybersecurity protections are usually absent from water facilities, which might mean the difference between a destructive cyberattack and normal business operations. According to reports, these potential attacks might severely impair the essential supply of safe and clean drinking water and place a significant financial strain on the affected populations. To describe the nature of these dangers, the letter requests the governors' support in implementing vital safeguards for water systems against the escalating risks and consequences of cyberattacks. (Photo: Tech Times) Google Phone introduces a new feature for Pixel smartphones called 'Audio Emoji,' which will provide additional reactions for users to use whenever they are on a call. The feature is now available in the beta. Since the inception of emojis, various instant messaging and social media platforms have widely used them alongside texts, but now, they are making them available for audio calls. Apart from this, Google also unveiled its latest smartphone release, centering on the budget variant of its devices, the Pixel 8a. Audio Emoji is Here for Pixel, Available on Beta The latest from Google's blog, The Keyword, brings news about two releases from the company, but first off, it announced the arrival of Audio Emoji, a new feature for the Phone app. It will first arrive on the Pixel 8a said Google, and this feature centers on offering users to be more expressive during calls, and to share their reactions to the other party with a click. Tapping on the Audio Emoji found on Google Phone's interface would trigger a fitting sound that best describes what a person wants to convey. Apart from this, Google said that a visual effect would also play on the screen if the call was on the speaker and not in contact with the skin. Read Also : Google Announces Free AI Editing Tools are Coming to Google Photos How to Use the Audio Emoji Feature? The internet company said that Audio Emoji is available for Google Phone, and this means, users need to be on a call to launch these reactions. It is as simple as tapping an emoji on the keyboard like with the traditional text, but doing so would play an audio reaction, with an example by Google centering on the hand-clap emoji sharing applause sounds. Google's Pixel and its Apps Thanks to Google's massive focus on apps and features for its devices, Pixel smartphones offer many features. This focus on development provides a significant experience for Pixel, the first to get Google's updates and new features. The recent one centers on the Circle to Search function, which helps bring translations immediately. Alongside this, there have been massive leaks and speculations about the Pixel 8a smartphone coming this year, best known for its release during the first half of the year. A Google engineer reportedly confirmed that the said budget smartphone is still coming this year, similar to previous releases of the company, now confirmed that it will arrive before I/O 2024. Google is gearing up for the release of Pixel 8a this May, and alongside this, a new Pixel feature is taking shape for users to enjoy on the Phone app. The Audio Emojis would be available for callers to use, offering sounds that replicate the emoji to share their reaction to the other end of the call. They are now in beta and will soon be available widely, like Pixel 8a. AlphaFold 3 extends beyond protein structures to model DNA, RNA, and all molecular structures vital to life. This advancement promises transformative applications in medicine, agriculture, materials science, and drug development. Advancing Molecular Modeling with AlphaFold 3 Google DeepMind's latest AI innovation, AlphaFold 3, marks a significant leap forward in molecular modeling. Beyond merely predicting protein structures, this cutting-edge AI can now model the intricate arrangements of DNA, RNA, and all life-sustaining molecules. These advancements carry significant implications for a wide array of scientific fields, potentially revolutionizing drug discovery and development. Moreover, they offer the potential to enhance agricultural techniques and practices and advancements in materials science. By harnessing the power of AI, researchers can explore the complexities of molecular interactions with unprecedented precision and insight, paving the way for groundbreaking discoveries and advancements in biotechnology and beyond. Pushing the Boundaries of AI-Assisted Biological Modeling Google DeepMind's recent unveiling of AlphaFold 3 signifies a significant leap forward in the realm of AI-assisted biological modeling. This latest iteration boasts a remarkable 50 percent enhancement in predictive accuracy compared to its predecessors, marking a substantial milestone in structural biology. According to DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, AlphaFold 3 represents a pivotal step in harnessing AI to delve deeper into the complexities of biology. Hassabis stressed that the breakthrough achieved with AlphaFold 2 laid the groundwork for transformative research endeavors, and AlphaFold 3 builds upon this foundation to further propel scientific exploration and understanding. AlphaFold 3 is equipped with a comprehensive repository of molecular structures. When researchers input a selection of molecules they aim to merge, AlphaFold 3 employs a diffusion technique to produce a three-dimensional model of the resulting structure. This diffusion method mirrors the approach utilized by AI image generators, such as Stable Diffusion, to compose images. Also read : Scientists Unlock New Pathways in 3D Protein Functional Research Utilizing Deep Learning DeepMind is not only introducing the model but also offering the AlphaFold Server research platform to certain researchers at no cost. This server, driven by AlphaFold 3, enables scientists to generate predictions of biomolecular structures without constraints related to computational resources. According to Hassabis, the server is accessible for academic and noncommercial purposes. However, Isomorphic Labs collaborates with pharmaceutical partners to leverage AlphaFold models in drug discovery initiatives. Google has announced its collaboration with the scientific community and policymakers to ensure responsible model deployment. According to Google, some biosecurity experts have raised concerns that AI models could potentially facilitate threat actors in designing and engineering more transmissible or harmful pathogens and toxins. Before its launch, the company collaborated with domain experts, biosecurity professionals, and industry specialists to assess the potential risks associated with AlphaFold 3. The 2024 Polestar 2 Long Rande Dual Motor lease is now reportedly $299 for 27 months, exclusive of a $3,299 due at signing. Thanks to the $10,000 Polestar Clean Vehicle Incentive, the lease is roughly $120 less per month. The deal is only available until May 31. According to a vehicle research portal, a $50 monthly payment reduction and a $2,050 reduction will be required at signing. Consequently, the monthly effective cost decreased by $126, from $547 to $421 before taxes and fees. Amazingly, the Polestar 2 Dual Motor and the Single Motor versions have the same lease pricing, making the Polestar 2 Dual Motor (list price $55,300) a considerably better deal to lease. Electrek states that essentially makes the Dual Motor variant an upgrade for free. The automaker's first entirely electric vehicle, the Polestar 2, debuted in 2019. It debuted in the middle of 2020, and in August of 2023, the 150,000th car came off the assembly line. Polestar's official website says the customer's monthly lease payment may change depending on the MSRP. The $3,000 down payment, the $299 first month's payment, and the $0 security deposit are all due at signing. Additional fees payable at signing include registration, license, tax, title, and dealer fees. Any applicable taxes are not included in the advertised payment. EV Incentives The Polestar Clean Vehicle Incentive is only one of the many incentives centered on electric vehicles. Just this January, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stated that it will spend $1 billion to buy nearly 2,700 clean school buses in 280 school districts across 37 states. Almost $2 billion has been granted through the EPA's Clean School Bus Program, financing about 5,000 electric and low-emission school buses nationwide to date. The Environmental Protection Agency suggested a fast ramp-up into electric vehicles over a year ago. If the rule had been implemented, two-thirds of all sales vehicles would have been electric by the end of this decade. Recently, the EPA put the brakes on that plan. To satisfy strict pollution standards, the administration permits plug-in hybrids, or cars with gas engines and EV-like batteries, to play a considerably more significant role in the electric transition than forcing automakers to sell more EVs. According to sources, federal experts state that the rule will reduce pollution almost as much as the original proposal, which included emissions that were harmful to human health and planet-warming emissions totaling over 7 billion metric tons. It also does not favor electric vehicles over other vehicle types. The new regulation is anticipated to cut pollution from passenger cars by almost half by 2032 compared to 2026. Republicans on Biden's EV Push Recently, Republican lawmakers have stepped up their efforts to undermine President Biden's climate policy, concentrating on the EPA emissions rules and EV tax credits. The Republican action targets two major cornerstones of Biden's climate measures: the EPA's recently completed standards to reduce tailpipe emissions and tax incentives for EV purchases. Republican lawmakers are introducing bills and legal actions to oppose these policies, claiming that they will negatively affect consumers and businesses. Twenty-five Republican attorneys general filed a lawsuit last month challenging the EPA's mandate to cut automobile greenhouse gas emissions by 2032. They claim these rules will negatively impact the auto industry and its workforce. (Photo: Tech Times) There are many games developed by Nintendo for the digital video game industry, stretching into as much as 50 years since the first one, but its top-selling game of all time is unexpected. While it is unbelievable, the best-selling game of Kyoto's renowned Japanese multimedia company is from the present; more particularly, it was released on the Switch console. One might think that Nintendo's top game would be from its early success with the Super Mario platformer franchise or its The Legend of Zelda games, but no, it is not. What is Nintendo's Top-Selling Game of All Time? Nintendo's 2024 fiscal year financial report shed light on the company's top-selling game, and this revelation finally ends the debate about what the company's most-sold title of all time is. It was recently revealed that this is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the remastered version launched on the Nintendo Switch in 2018, featuring the iconic Super Mario franchise characters and more from other Nintendo games. It was revealed that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has sold a total of 61.97 million units already since around six years ago, and counting. Moreover, it not only takes the top-selling game from Nintendo, but it is also the best-selling game on the Switch console, among all the other releases. Well-Deserved and Received by the World Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the standalone Mario Kart game available on the Switch, excluding the retro titles from the Nintendo Switch Online. It is also known as the remastered, optimized, and improved version of the Mario Kart 8 game which originally launched on the Wii U. That being said, Wii U's Mario Kart 8 sold over 8 million copies on the previous-gen console, making it a total of more than 70 million copies sold for the specific title, a well-deserved recognition for the iconic racing game. Nintendo's Renowned Game Franchises The Nintendo company and its many developments have had their name tried and tested over time. Since then, it has been regarded as one of the best video game companies in two centuries and is not backing down soon. Super Mario's fame is known worldwide, and is among those who put Japanese gaming on the map, and it is so popular, it has its special commemorative day celebrated every March 10. Moreover, there are also iconic RPGs and previous platformers like Mario and The Legend of Zelda, which grew in popularity and became a worldwide hit, including its most recent release, Tears of the Kingdom. The company is also known for making the likes of Donkey Kong, Kirby, Super Smash Bros., and more, which are still highly regarded franchises in the industry. Thanks to its revolutionary take on gaming, compelling stories and lives, as well as innovative consoles, Nintendo's legacy is not an easy feat to outshine. That being said, Nintendo's top-selling game is a known title from Wii U, but the specific best-selling game is the remastered Switch version, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe capturing the hearts and adrenaline-fueled minds of gamers around the world. The United States is looking to add another restriction against China and Russia as the Biden Administration is reportedly planning to ban the Republic's access to US artificial intelligence software and models, reported first by Reuters. According to three people familiar with the situation, the Commerce Department is weighing a fresh regulatory effort to limit the export of closed-source or proprietary AI models, whose training data and software are kept secret. Any move would be in addition to several other steps taken over the past two years to prevent the transfer of advanced artificial intelligence chips to China to impede Beijing's development of this cutting-edge technology for military use. The Chinese Embassy said China strongly opposes the action and would take the appropriate steps to protect its interests. It condemned the move as a classic act of unilateral bullying and economic pressure. Nothing is currently preventing US AI behemoths like Microsoft-backed OpenAI, Alphabet's Google DeepMind, and Anthropic from creating some of the most potent closed-source AI models and selling them to nearly anybody in the world without government regulation. China's AI Sector China's industry leaders called for an emphasis on new research for both hardware and software when they admitted in late March that their country was falling behind the US in the race for generative artificial intelligence. Liu Cong, vice president of iFlytek, a Chinese AI business, admitted that China perceives itself as lagging behind global leaders during a panel discussion on generative AI at the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan province. Even while the country has been racing to catch up, he continued, the main objective must be the realization of independently controlled and operated hardware and software, especially in key language models. Other US Restrictions on China The proposed limitations on AI models come just one week after ZTE, Huawei, and other telecom companies could be barred from approving wireless technology nationwide by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). According to reports, the bipartisan proposal to ensure that companies voicing security concerns do not sway test labs and telecom certifying bodies that certify wireless technologies for the US market will be put to a vote by the FCC this month. Last week, the FCC declared that Huawei test laboratories would not be permitted to participate in the equipment authorization procedure. Given that the lab's accreditation was about to expire on Tuesday, the FCC denied Huawei's request to prolong it. The plan would permanently prohibit Huawei and other companies listed by the FCC as national security concerns from participating in the equipment authorization program. FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement that the company must ensure that the individuals in charge of its equipment authorization program and the program itself can handle the difficulties brought on by recurrent and ever-changing supply chain and security threats. Related Article: US Urges China and Russia to Ban AI from Nuclear Weapon Control Forever (Photo: Tech Times) The European Union (EU) has called on Elon Musk's social network X (formerly Twitter) to clarify a reduction in content moderation resources, citing concerns about disinformation ahead of the upcoming European elections in June. EU Requests More Information About X's Reduction in Content Moderation Resources This move is part of the EU's investigation into X, initiated in December under legislation to combat illegal online content. Similarly, the EU has launched a probe into Meta's Facebook and Instagram platforms over worries that they are not doing enough to combat disinformation. The European Commission has expressed the need for more information from X regarding its content moderation activities and resources. This request follows X's transparency report from April, which revealed a nearly 20% reduction in the team of content moderators compared to the October 2023 report. Additionally, X has decreased linguistic coverage within the EU from 11 languages to seven. The Commission has requested that X provide comprehensive internal documents and information about these changes. Risk Assessments on X's Generative AI Use According to the EU's press release, the Commission is also asking for the platform's risk assessments related to the implementation of generative AI tools within the EU and other relevant areas under investigation. Specifically, the Commission seeks detailed insights and internal documents regarding X's content moderation resources, particularly concerning the reduction in the team of content moderators as reported in the Transparency report. Moreover, the Commission is interested in understanding the risk assessments and mitigation measures associated with generative AI tools concerning electoral processes, illegal content dissemination, and rights protection. The investigation into X, initiated in December 2023, aims to assess potential breaches of the Digital Services Act (DSA) related to risk management, dark patterns, advertising transparency, content moderation, and data access for scholars. The recent request for information represents a step forward in the ongoing investigation, building upon prior evidence gathering and analysis, including X's Transparency report from March 2024 and responses to previous requests for information regarding mitigation measures for risks associated with generative AI. X must furnish the specified details concerning content moderation resources and generative AI to the Commission by May 17, 2024, and address any additional inquiries by May 27. Article 74 (2) of the DSA grants the Commission the authority to levy fines for inaccuracies, omissions, or deceptive information submitted in response to these inquiries. Failure to meet these deadlines may lead to the imposition of periodic penalty payments if the Commission requests the information through formal decision-making after non-compliance. Uber is expanding its offerings for Uber One members, aiming to enhance its subscription revenue with more exclusive perks and events. More Perks for Uber One Members During Uber's first-quarter earnings call, Uber's CFO, Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah, announced plans to introduce additional benefits for Uber One members, including exclusive events and experiences. These offerings are designed to surprise and delight members, enhancing the overall value of the subscription service. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi highlighted Uber One's financial success, revealing that membership fees have surpassed a $1 billion run rate. This metric reflects Uber's estimated annual revenue based on current subscription earnings, demonstrating the substantial growth of its subscription service since its launch in November 2021. Uber One, priced at $9.99 per month or $99.99 annually, provides various benefits, such as waived delivery fees for eligible food and groceries, discounts on select deliveries and pick-up orders, preferred pricing on certain rides, and more. The company also teased upcoming member-exclusive experiences, with some members already receiving invitations to special events like a party featuring rapper Post Malone at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas. Uber emphasized its robust performance in its quarterly financial report, with significant growth in key metrics. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi underscored the company's ability to achieve consistent, profitable growth, highlighting the increasing number of individuals who earn flexibly on Uber's platform. Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah, Uber's CFO, highlighted the company's adherence to its multi-year growth framework, noting a 15% increase in audience and a 6% rise in frequency during the first quarter. Read Also : Uber Investigates Account that Directed Driver to Ohio Home, Leading to Tragic Shooting Death Uber Records 2.6 Billion Trips Uber recorded 2.6 billion trips during the quarter, marking a 21% YoY increase and averaging approximately 28 million trips per day. Uber's revenue grew by 15% YoY to $10.1 billion, or 15% on a constant currency basis. Combined Mobility and Delivery revenue surged 19% YoY to $8.8 billion, maintaining a 19% growth rate on a constant currency basis. Uber achieved a new quarterly record for Adjusted EBITDA, soaring 82% YoY to $1.4 billion. This growth underscores the company's operational efficiency and financial strength. Additionally, the company reported $172 million in income from operations, representing a significant YoY increase of $434 million. It also logged a net loss attributable to Uber amounting to $654 million. This figure includes a $721 million net headwind (pre-tax) attributed to net unrealized losses related to the revaluation of Uber's equity investments. In terms of free cash flow, the company generated $1.4 billion during the first quarter, reflecting its ability to generate positive cash flows from operating activities after accounting for capital expenditures. Overall, Uber concluded the first quarter with unrestricted cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments totaling $5.8 billion. "Our results this quarter once again demonstrate our ability to deliver consistent, profitable growth at scale," Khosrowshahi said in a press release statement. AI ethicists from the University of Cambridge have expressed grave concerns about the psychological impact of AI chatbots designed to simulate conversations with deceased loved ones and the potential for them to digitally "haunt" people. The Rise of Deadbots These technologies, known as 'Deadbots' or 'Griefbots,' use artificial intelligence to mimic the language and personality of the deceased based on their digital footprint. Companies offering these services tout them to provide a postmortem presence, enabling users to engage with AI versions of lost family members or friends. Researchers from Cambridge's Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence (LCFI) highlight significant ethical challenges posed by the development of these technologies, particularly due to the absence of robust safety standards and regulations. "Stalking by the Dead" One concerning scenario described by researchers involves companies using deadbots to subtly promote products or services, exploiting vulnerable individuals for financial gain under the guise of a deceased loved one. Additionally, the researchers caution about the potential for surviving family members to receive unsolicited notifications, reminders, or advertisements from AI chatbots, effectively creating a form of digital "stalking by the dead." While some individuals may initially find solace in interacting with AI versions of their deceased loved ones, researchers warn that continuous emotional interactions could become overwhelming over time. Moreover, individuals may feel powerless to suspend or terminate these AI simulations if the deceased had previously signed lengthy contracts with digital afterlife services. Dr. Katarzyna Nowaczyk-Basinska, a study co-author, underscores the ethical complexities inherent in recreating deceased individuals using AI. She points out concerns regarding the dignified treatment of the deceased and the potential exploitation of grieving individuals for financial motives. The researcher notes that the emergence of platforms offering AI recreations of the deceased underscores the need for stringent design protocols and ethical guidelines to safeguard the rights and dignity of both data donors and users. Read Also : AI Priest Gets Demoted After Saying Babies Can Be Baptized with Gatorade, Making Other Wild Claims Digital Hauntings From Dead Loved Ones Companies like 'Project December' and 'HereAfter' offer services utilizing AI to recreate deceased individuals. These platforms leverage advanced AI models to generate text and voice-based interactions that mimic the personality and communication style of the deceased. Another co-author, Dr. Tomasz Hollanek, emphasizes the emotional vulnerability of individuals forming strong bonds with AI simulations of deceased loved ones. He advocates for dignified methods and rituals to retire these AI chatbots, proposing digital funerals or other cultural ceremonies. The researchers advocate for design protocols preventing the exploitation or misuse of AI chatbots for advertising purposes. They stress transparency and informed consent in developing and deploying digital afterlife services. "These services run the risk of causing huge distress to people if they are subjected to unwanted digital hauntings from alarmingly accurate AI recreations of those they have lost. The potential psychological effect, particularly at an already difficult time, could be devastating," Hollanek said in a press release. "We need to start thinking now about how we mitigate the social and psychological risks of digital immortality, because the technology is already here," Nowaczyk-Basinska added. The findings of the researchers were published in the journal Philosophy & Technology. Tesla's recent decision to terminate 500 employees responsible for expanding its Supercharger network has stirred debate and speculation about the company's strategic direction and the implications for the broader electric vehicle (EV) industry. This move, characterized as a cost-cutting measure, has drawn attention from industry analysts and experts, including Fernando Suarez, a business professor at Northeastern University. Why Tesla Laid Off its Workers Behind the Supercharger Network Suarez provided insight into the complex motivations behind Tesla's actions. From Tesla's perspective, the decision to downsize its Supercharger expansion team aligns with shifting market dynamics and strategic imperatives. Despite concerns about the impact on EV drivers and charging infrastructure, Suarez argues that Tesla's move reflects broader trends within the automotive sector. Tesla's Supercharger network, renowned for its fast charging capabilities, has been pivotal in driving EV adoption in the United States. With approximately 6,000 station locations and 28,000 charging ports, Tesla has established a dominant position in the market. However, recent developments have altered the competitive landscape, prompting Tesla to reassess its approach to charging infrastructure. According to Suarez, the maturation of the electric vehicle market has fundamentally changed Tesla's operating environment. As new competitors enter the market, Tesla faces intensified pricing pressures and operational challenges. Suarez underscores the significance of market maturity, noting that Tesla's previous market dominance is no longer sustainable in an era characterized by heightened competition and efficiency imperatives. "Tesla enjoyed a situation that was very unusual - they were basically left alone for 10 years," Suarez said in an official statement. "When competition came, as in the last year when Tesla had to slash prices, sales were down, 10% of its workforce was laid off, and its stock fell, you transition to a different state in the industry - a state in which efficiency is super important." Moreover, the push towards standardization in EV charging represents a pivotal inflection point for Tesla. In response to evolving industry standards and regulatory frameworks, Tesla has sought to make partnerships with other automakers to enable non-Tesla vehicles to utilize the Supercharger network. However, this move comes at a cost, as Tesla must allocate resources to adapt and expand its infrastructure to accommodate diverse EV models. "That Would Be Temporary" Tesla's decision to refocus on its core automotive operations underscores a broader strategic shift within the company. As Tesla grapples with financial constraints and market pressures, the company is compelled to prioritize its core automotive business over ancillary ventures like charging infrastructure. Suarez suggests that Tesla's decision reflects a calculated trade-off between short-term cost reduction and long-term strategic alignment. Despite concerns about the potential impact on EV adoption and environmental progress, Suarez remains optimistic about the resilience of the EV charging market. "From the societal point of view, maybe this is actually not a good thing because it will delay the deployment of the EV industry and the progress of the industry in the U.S.," Suarez said in a statement. "But that would be temporary." A recent study has uncovered startling statistics about the risk of genetic Alzheimer's disease among a significant segment of the American population. The study, led by Dr. Juan Fortea from the Sant Pau Research Institute in Barcelona, Spain, suggests that over 6 million Americans face the possibility of developing genetic Alzheimer's, driven by the APOE4 gene, with a striking 95% strike rate by the age of 65. The APOE4 Gene Dr. Fortea, the director of the Memory Unit at the Neurology Service of Sant Pau Hospital, highlighted the significance of this research, indicating that individuals carrying two copies of the APOE4 gene, known as APOE4 homozygotes, demonstrate distinct biological markers associated with Alzheimer's disease. These findings challenge conventional understanding, suggesting that the APOE4 gene may not just be a risk factor but a primary driver of genetic Alzheimer's. The study underscores the prevalence of this genetic predisposition within the population. Dr. Fortea noted that 2-3% of individuals with duplicated APOE4 genes could represent a staggering 6.62 to 9.93 million Americans. This genetic susceptibility is inherited through a genetic lottery, where individuals inherit the same APOE gene from both parents. The researchers drew their conclusions after evaluating a substantial cohort of individuals, analyzing data from brain donors and clinical cohorts across Europe and the United States. Their analysis revealed that APOE4 homozygotes exhibited Alzheimer's-related biomarkers at an earlier age than individuals with other APOE gene variants. Read Also : New Research Links Air Pollution to Alzheimer's, Identifying Magnetite Particles as Potential Triggers for Symptoms The Need for Early Preventive Strategies The study's findings may have profound implications for understanding Alzheimer's disease and devising preventive strategies. Dr. Fortea emphasized the need for individualized prevention approaches and clinical interventions tailored to this genetic population. The study suggests that monitoring individuals with two copies of the APOE4 gene from an early age could be critical for implementing effective preventive measures. Dr. Alberto Lleo, a researcher at the Dementia Neurobiology Group at IR Sant Pau, highlighted the importance of these findings in advancing personalized treatment approaches. He emphasized that having two copies of the APOE4 gene not only increases the risk of Alzheimer's but also accelerates its onset. Moreover, Dr. Victor Montal, who contributed to the study during his tenure at Sant Pau and now researches the molecular structure of the APOE gene at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, emphasized the necessity of early monitoring for preventive interventions. "These data represent a reconceptualization of the disease or of what it means to be homozygous for the APOE4 gene. This gene has been known for over 30 years and was known to be associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease," Dr. Juan Fortea said in a press release statement. "But now we know that virtually all people who have this duplicated gene develop the biology of Alzheimer's. This is important because they are between 2 and 3% of the population." The study findings were published in the journal Nature. WhatsApp has reportedly been functioning seamlessly for some users in China without the need for virtual private networks (VPNs), despite the longstanding ban on the service. This development is particularly notable in a country known for its stringent internet controls, often referred to as the Great Firewall. What happened so far with this surprising revelation? WhatsApp Access in China's Major Cities Reports from Beijing and Shanghai indicate that users have been able to send and receive messages on WhatsApp, a service owned by Meta Platforms Inc., without the typical requirement of VPNs. This anomaly comes as a shock given the Chinese government's rigorous censorship of foreign social media platforms, which usually include services like Signal and Instagram. According to Bloomberg, the exact number of people who have managed to use WhatsApp during this period remains uncertain. The phenomenon has not gained significant attention on domestic platforms such as Weibo, China's counterpart to Twitter. WhatsApp's user base in China is considerably smaller compared to Tencent Holdings Ltd.'s WeChat, which boasts over a billion users. In contrast, only several million in China use WhatsApp. Official comments on the matter are scarce; WhatsApp representatives have declined to comment, and the Cyberspace Administration of China has not responded to inquiries. Background on Internet Censorship in China For years, Beijing has prohibited the use of foreign messaging and social media platforms, implementing a campaign designed to suppress dissent and maintain the Party's control over content. This has allowed domestic apps like WeChat and Weibo to flourish. Despite the restrictions, Chinese users have continued to access Western media via VPNs. Unlike many local services, WhatsApp offers end-to-end encryption, making it challenging for authorities to monitor. Technical Glitches or Policy Shift? Historically, users in China have occasionally reported temporary access to otherwise blocked services, which experts often attribute to glitches in network restrictions. However, the recent ability of users in China's largest cities to access WhatsApp for an uninterrupted two-week span is unusually prolonged. Some speculate that this could be due to network testing or changes in firewall configurations. Interestingly, this extended access period started around the same time Apple Inc. was instructed to remove WhatsApp and other social media apps like Threads and Signal from its Chinese app store, as per FoxBusiness. This move was part of Beijing's effort to tighten its internet firewall and eliminate loopholes. The unexpected accessibility of WhatsApp in China raises questions about whether there has been a change in policy or if this is merely a temporary glitch. What's more, the situation highlights the ongoing challenges and complexities of internet governance in China, where state control clashes with the global nature of technology and communication. As it stands, the future of WhatsApp's availability in China remains questionable, leaving users and observers watching closely for any signs of a permanent policy shift or a return to the status quo. FTX, a bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, has proposed a plan to discharge its $11 billion debts, boosted by bitcoin prices. John Ray III, who took over after Sam Bankman-Fried left the exchange, said he would repay creditors with interest, perhaps topping $16 billion after asset liquidation, according to a report from The Guardian. In a prepared statement, FTX CEO John Ray expressed satisfaction with the proposed Chapter 11 plan and assured creditors of full repayment with interest. Ray noted that the firm is "pleased to propose a Chapter 11 plan" securing the recovery of "100% of bankruptcy claim amounts plus interest for non-governmental creditors." FTX's fiat-currency debt contrasts with its speculative digital assets and startup holdings, boosting its position. Bitcoin's value has risen since the exchange's November 2022 collapse, boosting liquidation. FTX Has More Than Enough Funds to Pay Debts While legally entitled to full repayment, former customers, who make up a large number of creditors, may regret selling their Bitcoin holdings at cheaper prices during the exchange's turbulent era. In March, FTX sold its $824 million stake in AI firm Anthropic, which helped it recover. During his trial, Bankman-Fried cited projected creditor repayments to reduce his 25-year sentence for fraud that brought down the firm. However, Judge Lewis Kaplan denied this claim, comparing it to speculative gambling with stolen money. Notably, before paying previous depositors, the court must approve the repayment plan. FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves Manhattan Federal Court after a court appearance on June 15, 2023 in New York City. The Right Man for The Job of Resolving FTX Bankruptcy Ray's decision to join FTX, despite Bankman-Fried's concerns, demonstrates a shift in leadership focus from operations to debt resolution. John J. Ray III became CEO in November 2022 to lead the firm through bankruptcy. Ray, who had supervised Enron's collapse, called FTX his worst challenge shortly after taking over. In the company's media release, he thanked various government agencies and the "customers and creditors of FTX for their patience throughout this process." FTX is still a corporation, but its future is unknown. Early in 2023, Ray established a task committee to explore the possibility of reviving FTX.com, the crypto exchange. On Tuesday, FTX reported that it had recovered $14.5 billion to $16.3 billion in collapsed exchange assets. FTX expects 98% of its creditors to get 118% of their permitted claims pending clearance from the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District Court of Delaware, per CNN. Despite the asset seizure and mismanagement disclosures, rebuilding FTX has many of the same obstacles as any company with a tainted reputation. However, bitcoin trade dynamics may require special treatment. Binance, a rival to FTX, considered buying the faltering exchange before its late 2022 collapse, according to Inquirer. However, the company's founder and former CEO, Changpeng Zhao, was sentenced to four months in prison for child sex abuse, drug trafficking, and terrorism funding on the network. Despite these scandals, Binance remains the largest cryptocurrency exchange. Apple's macOS is not safe right now as evident by the presence of the new data-stealing malware dubbed "Cuckoo" which can target your MacBook or Mac anytime.Apple's macOS has come under attack by a new malware, dubbed 'Cuckoo,' known for its capability to steal sensitive data from users. If you're operating on macOS, whether on Intel or ARM silicon chips, here's everything you need to know to protect your devices. How Does 'Cuckoo' Malware Attack MacOS Computers Discovered by cybersecurity firm Kandji, the 'Cuckoo' malware is engineered to target macOS systems meticulously. It searches for files related to specific applications on Macs, aiming to extract valuable data. As per Fox News, this malware can access a variety of information, including hardware specifications, active processes, and data from apps like iCloud Keychains, Apple Notes, web browsers, Discord, Telegram, Steam, and even cryptocurrency wallets. It also has the capability to capture screenshots, adding to its versatility in data theft. How Annoying is Cuckoo Cuckoo spreads through deceptive websites promoting a tool purportedly capable of converting music from streaming services into MP3 files. This so-called tool is available in both free and paid versions, enticing users to download and install it. Upon installation, Cuckoo activates using LaunchAgent, leading to persistent pop-ups and significant disruption. Geographic Sensitivity Interestingly, Cuckoo is programmed to deactivate if the device is located in countries like Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Armenia, suggesting the malware originates from or is intended to spare these regions. Protecting Your macOS Device To defend against Cuckoo and other related malware, Times Now urges users to be vigilant when browsing the internet, especially when downloading apps that do not have trustworthy sources. Aside from that, you can protect your macOS devices through the steps below: Reliable Antivirus Software: Equip your macOS with tested antivirus software, ensuring it updates automatically and performs regular system scans. This is your first line of defense against malicious software. Equip your macOS with tested antivirus software, ensuring it updates automatically and performs regular system scans. This is your first line of defense against malicious software. Regular Updates: Keep your operating system and all applications up to date. Keep your operating system and all applications up to date. Activate Firewall: Utilize macOS's built-in firewall to monitor and block suspicious activity, enhancing your system's security. Utilize macOS's built-in firewall to monitor and block suspicious activity, enhancing your system's security. Caution with Unsolicited Requests: Be wary of unexpected requests for computer access or software installation. If it wasn't requested, don't engage. Be wary of unexpected requests for computer access or software installation. If it wasn't requested, don't engage. Strong, Unique Passwords: Employ strong, unique passwords for different accounts and enable two-factor authentication to increase security. Employ strong, unique passwords for different accounts and enable two-factor authentication to increase security. Data Backup: Regularly back up important data to external drives or cloud services to ensure data recovery in the event of an attack. Consider keeping sensitive files on a hard drive as an extra precaution. Regularly back up important data to external drives or cloud services to ensure data recovery in the event of an attack. Consider keeping sensitive files on a hard drive as an extra precaution. Password Management: Use a password manager to securely store and manage your passwords, eliminating the burden of remembering complex combinations. By adhering to these guidelines, you can enhance your cybersecurity posture and protect your digital life against the 'Cuckoo' malware and other emerging threats targeting macOS users. If MacBooks have malware, the iPhones have been struggling to eradicate spyware through the years including the infamous Pegasus and LightSpy. TikTok is looking to implement automatic labeling for AI-generated content in response to growing concerns about the potential misuse. AI-generated content from Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, Adobe, and Midjourney will soon be identified and labeled on TikTok. Reuters reports that this move comes amid fears that AI-generated content could be exploited to interfere with elections, particularly in the United States. TikTok Rolls Out Automatic Labeling of AI-Generated Content CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 12: The TikTok logo is displayed at TikTok offices on March 12, 2024 in Culver City, California. According to a recent blog post, TikTok intends to use a digital watermark called Content Credentials to label images and videos uploaded to its platform that have been generated using AI. Adam Presser, head of operations and trust and safety at TikTok, stressed the importance of transparency. "We also have policies that prohibit realistic AI that is not labeled, so if realistic AI appears on the platform, then we will remove it as violating our community guidelines," Presser told the press. The company already labels content generated within its app and is now extending this practice to include content generated outside the platform. By partnering with the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), TikTok aims to provide users with clearer context about the origin of AI-generated content. Read Also : TikTok Vows Legal Battle Against Potential US Ban TikTok Partners with Industry Leaders to Promote Responsible Content Creation The Content Credentials technology, spearheaded by C2PA, has gained traction among tech industry leaders. TikTok's adoption of this technology aligns with similar initiatives by other major platforms, including YouTube and Meta. Through Content Credentials, both the maker of the AI tool used to generate content and the platform distributing the content must agree to use the industry standard for effective labeling. TikTok has recently joined the Adobe-led Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI), becoming the first video-sharing platform to implement Content Credentials. In addition to labeling AI-generated content, TikTok is launching media literacy resources to help users navigate misinformation online. Developed with guidance from experts such as Mediawise and WITNESS, these resources aim to educate users about AIGC labeling and empower them to think critically about the content they encounter on the platform. Mediawise, a program of the Poynter Institute, will release 12 media literacy videos throughout the year to enhance users' understanding of AI-generated content labeling. Despite these proactive measures, TikTok remains vigilant against the potential misuse of AI-generated content. The company's policies firmly prohibit harmfully misleading AI-generated content, whether labeled or not. TikTok has also signed an industry pact to combat the use of deceptive AI in elections and continues to invest in proactive detection models to identify and remove harmful content from its platform. Stay posted here at Tech Times. The automation trend in call centers is moving toward AI solutions that could continue. According to TechSci Research, the worldwide contact center AI industry might reach $3 billion by 2028, up from $2.4 billion in 2022. A recent poll indicates that 50% of contact centers plan to integrate AI within a year as these companies want to decrease expenses and streamline operations. Entrepreneur Evie Wang acknowledges this AI trend in call centers, per a TechCrunch report. He urged operators to employ AI-powered voice bots as this strategy can lower operational costs and wait times. Due to rapid AI breakthroughs, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) CEO K Krithivasan expects AI will drastically reduce call center demand within a year, changing a sector that has historically generated many jobs in Asia, notably in India and the Philippines. Krithivasan told the Financial Times that generative AI might transform call centers, reducing the number of customer phone calls. He emphasized predictive technologies that can anticipate consumer questions and resolve difficulties, reducing call center use. AI Begins to Transform Call Centers Wang co-founded Retell AI, a platform that lets firms use AI-driven voice operators to manage customer questions and appointment scheduling. To ensure efficient and smooth interactions, Retell's agents use speech models and customer service-specific large language models (LLMs). Retell serves contact center operators and SMBs with significant call volumes, including healthcare firm Ro. Retell's low-code toolset lets customers design bespoke speech agents or incorporate proprietary LLMs. Retell's early experiments showed promise, but voice realism needed refinement. The platform's low latency and script adherence might change call center dynamics. Given the problems with LLMs, systems such as Retell may not be suitable for sophisticated inquiries. Despite these obstacles, Retell has a growing client base and $4.53 million in funding from Y Combinator. Wang is also optimistic about Retell, pointing out that LLM and voice synthesis are major accelerators for conversational AI. Moreover, industry analysts expect Retell to solve technological hurdles and leverage AI capabilities as it refines its solutions. TCS, a Tata Group company and worldwide IT services leader, has invested heavily in generative AI initiatives. By March, the company's pipeline of generative AI projects had doubled to $900 million. ChatGPT Maker Says AI Development Will Cause More Job Displacements Policymakers worldwide worry about AI-driven automation replacing white-collar jobs like contact center representatives and software developers. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently expressed worries about AI's influence on the workforce, per a previous TechTimes report. He warned that AI progress may displace rather than supplement jobs, suggesting that the industry will see job eliminations, function changes, and new vocations as artificial intelligence continues to progress. Altman led OpenAI's ChatGPT big language models, which became popular consumer applications in late 2022. After this accomplishment, tech companies invested heavily in AI and innovated, starting an AI race. Sam Altman observed that human ambition to enhance capabilities drove the rapid advancement of technology, raising expectations for AI. Moreover, the OpenAI CEO noted the range of opinions on AI system behavior norms, emphasizing the difficulty of creating a uniform AI code of conduct. AI offers intriguing potential, but Krithivasan advised against overestimating its immediate advantages and insisted on a long-term view. Contrary to Sam Altmant's view, he believes that, as companies gear toward AI adoption, the demand for technological skills will rise worldwide. Australia, Tuvalu to launch climate and security pact this year Sydney, May 9 (AFP) May 09, 2024 Australia and Tuvalu said Thursday they have agreed to launch a landmark climate and security pact this year, after smoothing over the Pacific island's sovereignty misgivings. "We share an intention for the treaty to enter into force as soon as possible in 2024," they said in a joint statement. The 11-page treaty was hailed as a historic response to climate change when it was signed in November 2023, offering Tuvalu's 11,000 residents the right to live in Australia if their low-lying homeland is lost to rising sea levels. The pact also commits Australia to defending Tuvalu in the face of natural disasters, health pandemics and "military aggression", but only upon their request for aid. The deal is being pursued at a time of heightened concern among Western allies about China's expanding security ties with Pacific island states. But the Tuvalu government had raised concerns about a clause saying it must "mutually agree" with Australia on any security or defence deal with other countries. In an "explanatory memorandum", which is not legally binding, the two sides agreed that the clause reflected the depth of Australia's security guarantee "and will be implemented in the spirit of respect and amicable consultation". Australia unveils plans to keep burning gas beyond 2050 Sydney, May 9 (AFP) May 09, 2024 Australia unveiled plans Thursday to keep burning natural gas beyond 2050, saying its reliance on the fossil fuel would not derail a pledge to reach net zero emissions in the next 30 years. Resources minister Madeleine King said gas "will remain an important source of energy" in Australia, outraging environmental groups who branded the Future Gas Strategy a "climate disaster". "Gas plays a crucial role in supporting our economy," King said, arguing it would stabilise the country's electricity grid as renewables were ramped up. Australia has pledged to reach net zero emissions by 2050, and has recently touted plans to overhaul its economy with massive investments in clean energy production. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended the gas strategy, saying it would not imperil Australia's climate commitments. "It is consistent with the long position that we have held, my government is committed to a net-zero future," he said. "Gas power generation is something that firms renewables." Australia will also continue to ship gas overseas under the plan. Such shipments currently account for about 14 percent of the country's export earnings. Australian Conservation Foundation spokesman Gavan McFadzean said the strategy was a "climate disaster" that needed to be abandoned. "Gas is a highly polluting fossil fuel, the burning of which is supercharging bushfires, heatwaves, coral bleaching and flooding in Australia and around the world," he said. "To replace one fossil fuel with another is not a clean energy transition." Anti-mining group Lock the Gate said the gas plan was a looming "fossil fuel disaster". Barclays faces questions over climate and Gaza at AGM Glasgow, May 9 (AFP) May 09, 2024 Shareholders denounced Barclays for fossil fuel financing at the British bank's annual general meeting on Thursday, which also saw pro-Palestinian activists urge it to stop bankrolling arms in the war in Gaza. The meeting saw about 30 demonstrators outside the venue in Glasgow carrying Palestinian flags and child-sized coffins calling for an immediate ceasefire. Others criticised what they said were "climate crimes" and demanded an end to "financing fossil fuels". In a letter, shareholders from the ShareAction group, which claims to be a "responsible investment" association, called on the bank to stopo financing fracking. Hydraulic fracturing is a method used to extract natural gas and oil from deep rock formations, and is considered hazardous for the environment by climate activists. The letter, written on behalf of "investors worth $1.24 trillion in assets under management", is asking Barclays to "commit to explicit restrictions on financing companies which are exclusively focused on fossil fuel extraction". The group also calls on the bank to "make its fracking policy global to cover North America". Barclays is regularly singled out by environmental defenders as one of the main hydrocarbon-financing banks in Europe. In January, the European Central Bank said most major banks under its supervision had not yet brought their credit policies in line with the Paris climate agreement, exposing themselves to high transition risks. bur-str/phz/bc Flood-hit Kenya pays tribute to victims of dam burst Mai Mahiu, Kenya, May 9 (AFP) May 09, 2024 Thousands of people paid tribute Thursday to the 61 people killed last month when a makeshift dam ruptured in central Kenya, following heavy rains that have plunged the country into turmoil. The tragedy near the Rift Valley town of Mai Mahiu was the deadliest single incident during a particularly brutal rainy season that has claimed 257 lives and displaced almost 55,000 households since March in the East African nation. The disaster struck before dawn on April 29, when torrential downpours burst the dam, sending torrents of water and mud gushing down a hill. The deluge cut off a road and washed away homes, devastating the village of Kamuchiri and killing 61, according to local MP Jane Kihara. Thousands of people -- victims' relatives, residents as well as political leaders -- gathered to honour the dead in Mai Mahiu, a few kilometres from the scene of the tragedy. Under a large tent, dozens of portraits of victims, including many children, were exhibited in front of flowers and candles, an AFP journalist at the scene said. An emotional crowd listened to speeches by religious and political leaders, including Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua who read a message from President William Ruto. "In these difficult times, we stand in solidarity with those who have been affected by the disaster," he said. The government warned on Wednesday that heavy rains were expected in 31 of Kenya's 47 counties. Water levels of Lake Victoria -- the largest in Africa -- and Lake Baringo are expected to continue to rise, raising the threat of further flooding. The authorities have also warned that all five dams comprising the Seven Forks hydropower project pose "an increased risk of flooding" in the counties of Garissa, Tana River and Lamu located downstream. A total of 192 dams have been identified as "high risk" and populations living near 178 of them have been evacuated, according to the government. The rains have also battered the rest of East Africa, compounded by the El Nino weather pattern. At least 475 people have died in Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Somalia, according to government data and figures from the UN humanitarian agency OCHA compiled by AFP. Scientists win World Food Prize for work on Global Seed Vault Paris, May 9 (AFP) May 09, 2024 Scientists Geoffrey Hawtin and Cary Fowler, who on Thursday received the prestigious World Food Prize for "their work to preserve the world's heritage of seeds", are on a mission. Their vocation is to safeguard as many seeds as possible so that one day the world can benefit from their genetic characteristics. Their work is all in the name of protecting global food security. Hawtin and Fowler helped set up a world reserve of seeds dug into a glacier on the Norwegian archipelago Svalbard in the Arctic -- where 1.25 million samples are now stored for preservation in the cold. It was for this work they were named the 2024 winners of the World Food Prize, awarded to individuals who have increased the quality, quantity, or availability of food worldwide. The goal is always to conserve as many agricultural seeds as possible, 75-year-old British-Canadian agronomist Hawtin told AFP. "What actually changed a little bit since it opened in 2008 is the material going into it," he said. After mainly collecting seeds from "domesticated" plants like wheat and barley, the reserve is now welcoming more wild species that are more or less related to cultivated plants. The latter mainly "have genes that are particularly interesting with climate change", he said. - Countless experiments - The domestication of plants is "the result of thousands of years and countless experiments," said Fowler, a 74-year-old American seed specialist and the US Special Envoy for Global Food Security. It would be "arrogant" to think that current genetic engineering tools, even the most sophisticated, could reproduce those experiments, he added. That would be "a more expensive way of getting the diversity that we already have contained in the seeds in the seed banks". Hawtin said that while gene editing had a huge role to play, the "problem is what to edit". "There are tens of thousands, if not more, genes that in some way or another affect the plant's response to just the climate change, which could be heat, which can be cold, which can be drought, which can be flooding," he said. He said he doubted that even artificial intelligence could allow "the full level of understanding" needed for such an approach. He nevertheless predicts the rise of digital seed banks where more and more information detailing the genetic characteristics of plants will be stored. - Saved in Syria - Both men began their careers in the 1970s. The aim then was not yet to adapt to climate change but to produce as much wheat, maize and rice as possible. "There were famines in Ethiopia and in India and, most of the concern then was for filling people's stomachs," Fowler said. To achieve this, experts at the time recommended concentrating on seeds with the highest yields and making massive use of fertilisers and pesticides. Since then, they have understood the importance of developing more durable agricultural systems and enlarging the range of crops grown, said Fowler. As the Special Envoy for Global Food Security, he promotes the use of traditional crops in Africa. Often neglected by research programmes in favour of corn, wheat and rice, they are potentially more nutritious and better adapted to the environment. Hawtin began his career in the Middle East, meeting with farmers and collecting vegetable seeds in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Lebanon and Jordan and then cross-referencing them. Not wanting to just throw them away, he started to keep them. - Seed banks 'caught in the middle' - Three decades later, the war in Syria forced the Aleppo seed bank, where the agronomist had once worked, to "evacuate" its samples with urgency. Many of them went to the Svalbard seed bank. Some, including vegetable seeds collected by Hawtin and his team, have already been withdrawn from the reserve to join collections in Morocco and Lebanon. "Two weeks ago, I was in Morocco, and I saw some of that material being planted out in the fields in Morocco and being tested for resistance to drought," Hawtin said. The fact that the global reserve was used up so quickly leaves the scientists with a hint of bitterness. "It's like an automobile insurance policy. You never want to be in a situation where you have to use it," Fowler said. "I'm sorry to say it, but I think there will be more situations of conflicts around the world and of natural disasters with, unfortunately, seed banks getting caught in the middle," he added. The World Food Prize, worth $500,000, was set up in 1986 by Dr Norman E. Borlaug who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work in global agriculture. It is presented every year in Iowa, the United States. 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 Are you happy in your life? Its a challenging question, but its also the title of the first episode of Joel Edgertons twisty new sci-fi series Dark Matter, in which he plays alternative versions of himself. So its an obvious ask: Are you happy with your life, Joel? Joel Edgerton, with his Ernest Hemingway beard, at the premiere of Dark Matter in Los Angeles. Credit: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Yeah, I am, but its an interesting thing, right? says Edgerton. Because we walk past each other on the street, and we run into colleagues, and we ask the question, How are you? and we generally always say great or good. But in ourselves, we have other, more complicated, conversations going on about where we feel we are and what were missing, and then what we hoped for, or the things that werent satisfied for us in our life. I dont know anyone, including myself, that is happy 100 per cent of the time. But Im aware of how lucky I am. And for all the ups and downs, many ups and downs, I can say that I feel like life is far better for me now than I ever imagined it would be, but Id still have my days and I still suffer my anxieties. Im happy in my life and I do wonder what else I could have been, but I wouldnt choose to go and swap it out. Joel Edgerton plays physicist Jason Dessen in the multiverse sci-fi thriller Dark Matter. The 49-year-old hell be 50 next month is talking over Zoom from Los Angeles, ahead of the premiere of the nine-part Apple TV+ series. Hes wearing a fetching navy crocheted shirt and his beard is in full bloom. Im glad you noticed, he says, laughing about his bushy beard. Im moving into my Ernest Hemingway phase. Advertisement The last time I spoke to Edgerton was in 2018, when he was in Sydney to promote Boy Erased, the film he wrote, directed and starred in. Back then, he was keeping up a frenetic pace, working on two to three films a year, and living between LA and Sydney. Hes slowed down a bit since being a dad to toddler twins will do that but what has really changed is his approach to television. Since his 2001 breakout on the small screen in Tens big hit The Secret Life of Us, in which he played bogan tradie Will, Edgerton has rarely appeared in a TV series. Theres been a handful of shows The Underground Railroad and a guest appearance in Obi-Wan Kenobi are two of the biggest but Dark Matter marks a definite shift in his approach to work. Joel Edgerton with Deborah Mailman (left) and Abi Tucker in The Secret Life of Us. During COVID, I was watching so much TV, and I used to be a snob about film versus television, says Edgerton. And I realised, while Im watching a lot of television, now Im really enjoying it, and Im watching actors get to explore character over more than an hour and a half, in a series of eight or nine or 10 episodes. And I thought the writing on television was really fantastic. Succession is so great, for example, the writing is so muscular and awesome. And the performances and the actors look like theyre having so much fun. Joel Edgerton as Owen Lars in Obi-Wan Kenobi, one of the few TV series he has starred in. Credit: Lucasfilm / Disney+ So when I read this book [Dark Matter], and realised they were making a series, I was like, This is a real challenge Ive never had before, playing two versions of the same character and exploring all these ideas and challenges Ive never had, in a cool story that reflects things that I think about a lot myself, so I got really into it. Advertisement In Dark Matter, based on Blake Crouchs 2017 bestseller of the same name, Edgerton plays Jason Dessen, a Chicago physicist living a quiet life with his wife, Daniela (Jennifer Connelly), and their teenage son Charlie. After meeting an old friend at a bar one night, Jason is attacked on his way home by an alternative version of himself, drugged and then taken to a large metal box. When he wakes up, Jason has entered another timeline in which his life is radically different to the one he left behind. The impostor, meanwhile, slips into Jasons Chicago life and begins to ingratiate himself with family and friends. The only catch, however, is that impostor Jason isnt an exact copy, hes the man Jason would have become if he had made a different decision at a critical point in his life. Hes got more swagger and more bravado and doesnt want to give up his new life. Edgerton with Jennifer Connelly, who plays his wife Daniela, in Dark Matter. For Edgerton, that meant splitting his performance in half and finding the nuances in each personality. It also meant considering the two Jasons in a more personal way: one was a workaholic, who pursued success at any cost, while the other chose his family over career. And that was where it hit close to home. By suddenly being in a position in life where youre dedicated to a partner and youve made the choice to have a family, the byproduct of that is you have to give part of yourself away and be selfless, says Edgerton. And keeping your eye on other people is more important, or super important, in your life. And I think that humbles you, and creates an empathy in you that you may not have had before. So which Jason does he prefer? Advertisement Youve got to root for Jason one, he says, laughing. But I mean, that doesnt say one is more interesting than two. I remember being on the set and realising that members of the crew were talking about if they were on Team Jason One or Team Jason Two, because theres a certain fun and delectability to watching Jason as an impostor step into the home and try and presume to be a parent to a teenager when hes had zero experience. But at the same time, one of the wonderful things as well, as the show was developed, youre starting to understand how much of an infraction it is for Jason to go and presume to get his old girlfriend back, knowing she has no real physical experience with him, and to presume to be able to sort of assume that intimate role is such a violation. Joel Edgerton at Dark Matters premiere with Jennifer Connelly in Los Angeles. Credit: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP In many ways, its a sci-fi Sliding Doors (without much rom or com), a multiverse thriller that deals in what-ifs: what would my life be like if I had made this decision instead of that one? Its really just a focused way of looking into things that I think about a lot, says Edgerton. In terms of how have all of my choices in life, and all the hands Ive been dealt, led me to who I am and where I am today? And the kind of person, and my outlook on life, is based on all of those things nature plus nurture. Im very grateful for everything I have in my life, and my family, and I wouldnt change anything, but Ive also evolved into a place where even the things I used to think that I regretted in my life, I realised now are a part of who I am and I accept that. Has he ever thought about what his other path would be? Advertisement Depends what category of life youre talking about, he says. If it was career, I had fancied at some point that Id go off and go to fine art school and be a painter. And I do wonder whether Id be showing in a gallery or whether I would have just packed up my brushes and kicked a hole in my studio wall by now. Edgerton also has the inevitable task of convincingly explaining the quantum physics brain bender Dark Matter is based on: the thought experiment that is Schrodingers cat, in which a hypothetical cat is thought to be alive and dead simultaneously. You know, of all my average skill set, quantum mechanics is not one of them, he says, laughing. As an actor, when you realise youre punching above your weight in terms of playing a certain career, whether its anaesthesiologist or some sort of medical practitioner or a lawyer or something, where theres verbal gymnastics and trying to encapsulate concepts for an audience in an understandable fashion, you go, All right, well, Im pretty certain my IQ is somewhere smack bang in the middle. So I gotta pretend to be smarter than I really am right now. Good luck. Loading And the trick to delivering it in a believable manner? You just say the words with no expression, he says. And if you look like you believe, the audience will believe its true. The other TV project Edgerton has had a hand in recently is the special Bluey episode, The Sign, in which he played a policeman. That, more than anything, is a sign that his approach to life and work has changed. Advertisement The travel for travel crew are the most earnest. Watching a ruddy-faced Martin Clunes giggle with joy at seeing a little penguin in Tasmania is delightful, but it also makes me wonder: doesnt he have anything better to do? Surely, theres an episode of Midsomer Murders waiting for him at home? Joanna Lumley gets a pass because she has a terrific jolly hockey sticks attitude, with genuine curiosity about the world. Each of the shows falls into loose categories: travel for travel (a novel idea, I know), travel for comedy, and travel for food. Im not including the gazillion travel cooking shows hosted by chefs, as they are an entire subset of their own that usually involve sweating, nudity and spices (or all three at once). In Conan OBrien Must Go, the US talkshow host drops in on foreign fans, but its really just an excuse to get dressed up as a viking or tango in Argentina. Credit: Binge Whether theyre on planes, trains or automobiles, theyre everywhere: Martin Clunes: Islands of America/Australia/the Pacific; Miriam Margolyes Almost Australian/Australia Unmasked; Travel Man with either Joe Lycett or Richard Ayoade; Tony Robinson (too many to name); train travel (insert your favourite clapped out actor or politician here); Joanna Lumley in Russia/Japan/India etc; Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy; Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico; Eugene Levys The Reluctant Traveller and Conan OBrien Must Go . The travel for comedy crew (Lycett/Ayoade/OBrien/Levy), meanwhile, gambol their way through the trip, with a guaranteed set up with wacky locals and even wackier food. The point is not the travel, its the gags collected along the way. Ayoade was a master of this, with the first nine seasons of Travel Man, but Levy whinging through Europe is tiresome at best. We get it, you dont like it! Maybe stay at home. In Conan OBrien Must Go (Binge), one of the most recent additions to the genre, the US comedian drops in on his foreign fans, but its really just an excuse to get dressed up as a viking or tango in Argentina. Ever the master of self-deprecation, OBriens intro sums it up best: He scavenges in distant lands uninvited, fuelled by a bottomless hunger for recognition, and the occasional selfie. Loading The travel for food crew are the standouts, with Tucci leading the pack. Hes elegant and erudite. Effortlessly conversing in Italian hes Italian on both sides, dont you know and enhancing the experience for everyone. He finds joy in pizza, pasta, wild rabbits and offal. Whatever the locals are cooking, hes eating, often in a pair of slim-fit chinos and black skivvy that belie the amount of carbs hes consuming. Critically, it doesnt feel like hes taking the mickey, as he takes the country he is in seriously and respects its culture. Perhaps its because hes Italian on both sides did he mention that? but also because its a country he has worked and holidayed in for decades. He has personal relationships with many of those featured in Searching for Italy (SBS On Demand), which makes for genuine and warm interactions. There is no sense a producer is hiding off camera, prodding him with a long stick to interact with the locals. He may be an actor did he mention he was in Big Night with Isabella Rossellini? but hes not making any of this up. Locally, were good at making destination TV (Deadloch did wonders for Tasmania), but not so great at sending our own on wild, pointless adventures. Our travel shows mostly have the air of a school excursion: worthy and a bit dull, depending on who the teacher is. National treasure Julia Zemiro is an excellent headmistress, having tripped around the east coast with SBSs Great Australian Walks. She effortlessly mixed the personal and the political with wit, charm and lashings of curiosity. Advertisement Eating outComing soon Six new venues set to get Melbourne sizzling this winter A spot for Greek mezze from the wood-burning oven, an all-day bistro on a buzzy city strip and two venues from one of the citys most dynamic young chefs. You wont want to snooze on these. Emma Breheny May 9, 2024 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share Whether you feel an Armenian-shaped hole in Melbournes dining scene or youre always searching for the perfect city bistro open morning to night, the citys restaurant tastemakers have got all that and more in the works. With these new openings, winter is set to be anything but dreary. Elios Place owners, siblings Elisa and Adam Mariani. Supplied Elios Place This day-to-night spot a few steps from the bustling crossroads that is Flinders Lane and Swanston Street aims to be the place you head whether youre in the city for work or youre on holidays or youre coming into town for a gig or a theatre show, says Elisa Mariani, who is opening the venue with brother Adam. Named after their late father, Elios (which joins the siblings other city venues Maverick and Greta) will channel his welcoming disposition and Italian respect for good food and wine, but with farther reaching influences (Spain, France, Britain) on its menu. Mornings will be all about European breakfasts and pastries; lunch and dinner share the same menu (except for sandwiches to go); and each day therell be aperitivo with drinks specials. Pasta and focaccia will be made in-house. With Studio Co & Co (Roccos Bologna Discoteca) on board, its set to be a stunner. Advertisement Opens mid-2024. Shop 1, 238 Flinders Lane, Melbourne. Tzaki Fans of Greek food are becoming spoiled for choice in Melbourne, with more beyond the Hellenic heartland of Oakleigh. Tzaki in Yarraville is the latest, opening this winter under the eye of chef Alex Xinis (ex-Press Club, Hellenic Republic). By day, itll trade as a takeaway cafe offering Greek pastries and flatbreads. At night, it flips to a buzzy mezze bar modelled on those of Athens, pouring Greek wines and tsipouro (a distilled grape spirit). Xinis plans to serve wood-roasted octopus, red mullet with braised chickpeas, and saganaki made with metsovone, a smoked cheese from northern Greece. The rooms warm orange tones, popping against galvanised steel and other contemporary design touches, nod to the open-flame cooking in the kitchen. Advertisement 31 Ballarat Street, Yarraville, tzaki.com.au Mr Vincenzos Chef Matti Fallons bold and boisterous debut restaurant, Colt Dining, was a short-lived jolt of energy for Mornington. A fire just three weeks in brought it to a screeching halt, but the chef hasnt given up. A fresh new concept, Mr Vincenzos, will open in a new site across from the beach-facing Mornington Park in June, serving a likeable menu of Italian in a laid-back setting with a sea-facing terrace and decor inspired by the 1970s. Big bowls of goats cheese and burnt butter ravioli to share will join T-bone steaks with marsala and mushroom sauce, plus Nashville hot chicken sporting a grana padano crumb.However you want to eat, well feed you, says Fallon. 784 Esplanade, Mornington, mrvincenzos.com Mulberry Group founder Nathan Toleman (left) and chef Tom Sarafian have partnered on the opening of Sarafians first restaurant. Kristoffer Paulsen Advertisement Zareh and Sarafian Tom Sarafians long-awaited debut restaurant is landing in central Melbourne this winter. But hes not stopping there. Zareh serving dishes from Armenia, Lebanon, North Africa and more will be joined by a delicatessen and daytime venue named Sarafian. The chef was last in a kitchen full-time at Bar Saracen, so anticipation for his return to restaurants is high. More information at: instagram.com/zareh.melbourne and instagram.com/sarafian.melbourne Mulberry Group founder Nathan Toleman with Molli bar manager Kayla Saito and chef Aleksis Kalnins. Tim Harris Molli and Little Molli Advertisement Between opening Zareh and Sarafian, The Mulberry Group (Lilac Wine, Hazel, Dessous) is also finding time to open another twin-set of venues. Landing in Abbotsford this June, Molli is a neighbourhood bistro and wine bar with an open kitchen in which chef Aleksis Kalnins will cook mostly on a Josper charcoal oven. The adjoining Little Molli will function as coffee pit-stop, sandwich counter, delicatessen and grocer, with items for the deli also available to snack on with wine. 20-30 Mollison Street, Abbotsford, molliabbotsford.com.au Circl Shaking up the way wine is served, this two-storey city venue will tread the line between bar and restaurant, offering 150 wines by the glass and opening a rare bottle every week to share it with more people. Opening mid-June, Circl is led by former Ten Minutes by Tractor sommelier Xavier Vigier who is assembling a crack team front-of-house to talk people through the depth and breadth of the wine list. Elias Salomonsson (ex-Scott Pickett Group and Vue Group) is in the kitchen. The fit-out, rich in copper details, is by March Studio. 22 Punch Lane, Melbourne, instagram.com/circlwinehouse/ Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up A 45-year-old man who allegedly stabbed his former girlfriend in the head outside an Alexandria gym had twice breached apprehended domestic violence orders put in place to protect the woman in the lead-up to the attack. Police charged the alleged attacker Anthony Monteleone on Thursday with wounding with intent to murder and contravening an AVO. The man is arrested on Thursday over the alleged stabbing. Credit: NSW Police The stabbing at Alexandria on Wednesday has increased pressure on the Minns government to reform domestic violence and bail laws, and also address knife crime, after a spate of high-profile alleged crimes. Ten days before the attack, Monteleone had been given a non-custodial 18-month intensive correction order after twice breaching apprehended domestic violence orders put in place to protect the former girlfriend. WARNING: This article contains graphic detail that may distress some readers. A woman who was violently attacked for five hours by her former partner is suing the supplier of a personal safety device and a security firm which failed to alert police despite her repeated requests to please help me. Peta was assaulted by her former partner for more than five hours, despite making several desperate pleas for help. The case raises serious concerns about the monitoring of the body-worn technology, which was the recipient of a Commonwealth government grant as part of its national plan to reduce violence against women and their children. It also comes amid a surge in violence against women that prompted protests in cities across the country and an urgent national cabinet meeting last week to consider new measures to tackle the crisis. A 10-year-old Queensland boy has been charged after an Italian tourist was allegedly sexually assaulted while walking down a street in the states far north. The alleged assault happened about 10am on Wednesday, after the 24-year-old woman walked past the boy, police said. The alleged assault took place at Lake and Shields streets in the Cairns CBD. Credit: Brian Cassey She suffered bruising to her face and head. Police said the boy, from Manoora in Cairns, had been charged with several offences after the tourist was allegedly assaulted on the corner of Lake and Shields streets in the citys CBD. The government this week argued continuing with the project would have added years to the delivery timeline and cost hundreds of millions more. The Age has asked for the exact cost of mitigation and for a copy of the engineering report, which Premier Jacinta Allan on Wednesday said was handed to the government in the last couple of weeks. Four senior planning and health sources who did not want to be named because it could jeopardise their employment suspected there were other factors at play, questioning the governments argument that shielding the hospital from EMI made it unviable. Loading Its absolute rot that they are blaming EMI, one health source said. Its absolute bunkum. This all comes down to them not wanting to spend the money building a new hospital. The governments plan to instead build the new hospitals in Parkville for $2.3 billion, with additional floors likely to be added to the Royal Womens Hospitals and the ageing Royal Melbourne Hospitals, was also criticised by a health planning source. They said there was limited space in the precinct for construction work, it would significantly disrupt day-to-day operations of the hospitals, and relocating the Royal Melbourne Hospitals helipad was problematic. The proposal also throws into disarray a plan to redevelop the Royal Melbourne Hospital, they said. Its anticipated the hospital will have to accommodate an additional 60,000 patient admissions every year by 2036. Tender documents for the Arden project from 2023 stated that the site of the Parkville hospitals had no room to grow. It was previously envisaged the proposed Arden hospitals would accommodate some of these low-acuity patients while the Royal Melbourne Hospital was redeveloped. Professor Sumeet Walia, an engineering expert from RMIT University, said hospitals around the world shielded themselves from the impacts of electromagnetic interference and vibrations using large sheets of copper and other metals that line walls. This is what was put in place at existing hospitals in Parkville, to protect them from electromagnetic interference from the suburbs nearby Metro Tunnel rail station. Some equipment can also be placed in what is known as a Faraday cage, a metal enclosure that protects its contents from external electric fields. EMI is like noise to this medical imaging equipment, Walia said. It interrupts the signal that is being used to generate that image so it can result in really bad quality images which can result in sort of things like misdiagnosis. He said shielding could cost thousands of dollars per square metre. The government in 2020 first announced $10 million in planning work to rebuild the hospitals in the new Arden suburb. Responses provided to parliamentary estimates state this planning work was not officially completed until June 2023, after the project had been announced. An artists impression of Arden Station. Credit: Department of Transport This is fully costed, fully funded, Andrews said, announcing details of the major election commitment in October 2022. Theres been substantial planning money already spent. Pallas on Thursday said the government had indicated at the time of the Arden hospital precinct announcement that engineering work was still to be done. Victoria has only ever budgeted $2.3 billion for the first stage of the project. Construction was due to begin next year and about a dozen contracts have already been advertised. Allan on Wednesday said electromagnetic interference was always a known issue for both stations. But as weve gone in and undertaken further investigation, our expert engineers have gone in and done further site examinations, the building envelope that was previously thought to be available at Arden has been reduced as a consequence of the EMI at that site, she said. The Arden precinct structure plan, designed in 2022, had the objective of ensuring the development is not unduly impacted by noise, vibration and electromagnetic interference. A killer drove at his girlfriend and a group of people who came to her aid two months before he stabbed her to death in her apartment. The new details of family violence were heard as Ricardo Barbaro faced the Victorian Supreme Court for a pre-sentence hearing on Thursday. The 37-year-old was last year found guilty of murdering his partner Ellie Price at her South Melbourne home in the early hours of April 29, 2020. Police found her body five days later with stab wounds and a cut to her neck. ATAR dystopia Australian Education Union official Justin Mullaly says the stress of the ATAR system too often meant students couldnt achieve expected outcomes. The current VCE already includes a significant component of school-assessed coursework, in which teachers provide the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) with a score for each student based on their performance during the year ( Students are suffering with ATAR and NAPLAN, educators say , 9/5). Examinations provide the rest of the assessment. To further reduce the exam component of assessment risks erosion of academic rigour. It goes further into a dystopian world where no one can ever be disappointed because their lives do not match their expected outcomes. Rod Wise, Surrey Hills Give the $400 bonus away Kudos to the state school principal ( Letters, 9/5 ) who honestly stated that most of their students families dont need the $400 government payment. This incentive, though excellent, appears to be policy on the run without due thought given to the unintended consequences (of yet again over-funding rich schools). Perhaps principals of such wealthy state schools could ask their parent cohort if they are prepared for the funding to be transferred to the nearest disadvantaged primary school? Principles, anyone? Fiona White, Alfredton States big mortgage The Victorian state budgets so-called efficiency-driven overhaul of the public health system is no such thing. Its an economy drive to find money to meet instalments due on assets bought and built at too high a price and financed by debt, with payments now massively inflated by interest rate rises. Expenditure cuts have to be made elsewhere, and health, education and transport between them make up 80 per cent of the state budget. They must take the brunt ( Pallas strips elite cancer unit of 75 per cent of its budget , 9/5). On a household level, its a scenario depressingly familiar to millions of Australians struggling to pay off what are now onerous mortgages. I just wish the Victorian government would be honest about its own financial difficulties. Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills Speed is not drivers right Congratulations to the City of Yarra for its trial to reduce speeds down to 30km/h in Fitzroy and Collingwood. Having travelled in those suburbs and many others in inner -city Melbourne and a number of other sites across the country, that is about all you travel at anyway on average due to traffic, traffic lights and pedestrian crossings. It turns out that it is much less stressful on the drivers, and it dramatically reduces the risk of collisions. Thirty versus 50km/h has only 36 per cent the kinetic energy and gives the driver 67 per cent more reaction time. Our community addiction to car travel has fed a culture of travelling rights to get there quickly, as against travelling responsibly and getting there safely and stress-free. Car travel expectations from the 1950s are pixieland compared to the same in the 2020s. Thirty or 40km/h should be the norm across the state in urban backstreets and shopping-commercial strips. Re the latter, its just good for business. Mike Seward, Port Fairy Slow speeds delay buses As Yarra Council chant two wheels good, four wheels bad, its the pedestrians and public transport users who suffer as usual. Slower speed limits mean slower buses, slower trams and longer traffic light cycles, meaning longer waits for pedestrians at crossings too. Despite the demonisation of cars, as a pedestrian and tram user, the motorists are the only ones who diligently stop for pedestrian crossings. This year I have been hit by four bikes and scooters at crossings and on the footpath. I often feel that Id be safer walking on the road. As usual, government believes that nobody lives more than five kilometres from the city. Those living in affordable suburbs dont matter at all. David Barry, Mitcham ALPs bitter blow In 2022, Australia voted for a government that promised to act on climate change. Reading about Labors new future gas strategy is therefore a bitter blow (Labor backs development of more new gas fields, 9/5). Just like coal, gas is a dirty, dangerous and polluting fossil fuel. Extracting and burning said gas is risking the health, water supplies, and culture of those living in close proximity, especially Indigenous Australians. Gas is also a major contributor to climate change and should not be expanded as part of any credible net-zero strategy. It seems, sadly, that Albaneses Labor cares more about the interests of giant gas corporations than the interests of regular Australian communities. How deeply disappointing. Sarah Brennan, Hawthorn Not clean, not leadership The governments Future Gas Strategy (Labor backs development of more new gas fields, 9/5) would see Australia opening massive new gas fields and continuing to burn and export the fossil fuel well beyond 2050. Resembling the Morrison governments gas-fired recovery,this strategy punishes the millions of Australians who voted in the Albanese government on the strength of their commitment to climate action. It also flies in the face of their Future Made in Australia vision to help regions that have traditionally relied on fossil fuel production transition to clean energy. To replace one highly polluting fossil fuel with another is neither the clean energy transition nor the climate leadership we need. Karen Lamb, Geelong Sorry, not sorry Re Qantas perfects the art of the non-apology (9/5) and its gross misuse of the refund system: Qantas low-cost sibling, Jetstar, gave me the option of a credit or refund in 2022 for a booking I cancelled due to contracting COVID-19. I selected the option of a refund. However, a credit was issued to me in line with their policy. I have tried to use this credit a few times, and have been faced with the prospect of paying $500 more for the flight than if I booked it online via Jetstars website. Of course, you are not permitted to use your credit on their website. Two years later, I cannot replicate that planned trip without paying substantial additional monies to Jetstar. It also could not guarantee that my wife could obtain a seat on the same trip. I do have a letter from Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tullys office, stating that they are very happy that they cannot help me further. This being a direct quote from the letter. It seems that they cannot help me at all. I will be making it my mission to ensure they spend substantially more than the credit value to keep responding to me. They certainly do not want to ensure I remain as a valued customer. But its owner, Qantas, can pay a $100 million fine without blinking. Or they could have kept their word and refunded the money in 2022, retaining a customer who travels regularly. No amount of advertising will erase the memory of their failed customer service. Peter Rebbechi, Kilmore Victoria Police are raising concerns with universities daily about ongoing pro-Palestine student encampments but have been told officers are not welcome on campus. Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said police were meeting with security staff to outline their fears that simmering tensions could boil over and become violent. Counter-demonstrators clash with university security at Monash on Wednesday. Credit: Justin McManus Officers have already been called to Monash University, when pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel groups clashed. As protests were this week established at other Melbourne campuses, universities have sought legal advice from federal authorities on how to respond. Patton told ABC radio on Thursday he was concerned that the longer the encampments remain, the greater the chances are that tensions will escalate. He said some of the protesters were not university students. Perth bikie Troy Mercanti is no longer facing charges after a woman who accused him of backhanding her and sexually assaulting her at his Karrinyup home last week withdrew her accusations. The 56-year-olds lawyer Paul Holmes appeared on his behalf in Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday, where he was told the complainant in the matter no longer wanted to proceed with the allegations. Perth bikie Troy Mercanti has had rape and assault charges against him dropped. Credit: Ezra Holt Earlier in the week, the same court heard confronting allegations about what happened after the woman met Mercanti and Perth businessman John Kizon on a night out in Northbridge on May 2. The court was told the group left the nightclub and went back to Mercantis mothers Karrinyup home, where the victim and Mercanti consumed alcohol and cocaine. The nations biggest universities are seeking legal advice from federal authorities on how to respond to protesters who call for an intifada against Israel amid a political row over public chants that back the use of violence. The universities have written to Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus to gain formal advice on whether the pro-Palestinian demand is a breach of federal law, setting up a crucial decision on ways to ban the protesters from university grounds. Students and supporters attend a rally protesting Israels war in Gaza at an encampment at University of Sydney. Credit: Kate Geraghty Intifada is an Arabic word for resistance, used in protests to refer to an uprising against oppression, but the Anti-Defamation League, founded a century ago to counter the vilification of Jews, argues it is a slogan that calls for indiscriminate violence against Israel. Vowing to act immediately if they have clear legal authority, the universities also want advice on calls that Palestine should be free from the river to the sea because of longstanding concern the words are antisemitic and seek the destruction of the state of Israel. Student organisers at the Monash camp said the university told them on Thursday that any student using the two phrases could face disciplinary action, while the University of Sydney has urged students camping in solidarity with Palestine to reconsider using the phrases, but stopped short of threatening consequences. Senior police have been working with university leaders in new critical incident response teams in Sydney and Melbourne, and Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton told ABC radio on Thursday that universities were keeping police informed of incidents. But he warned that if local protests escalated in the same way they have in America, where students have occupied buildings, then policing them will be increasingly difficult. He warned of antisemitism but did not denounce specific phrases, noting they could be interpreted in multiple ways. Some Jewish groups have called on universities to clear out the camps or risk creating no-go zones for Jewish students and fomenting antisemitism. Monash University, which is also investigating students on both sides of recent protests for misconduct, said it had provided CCTV footage to police and stressed it would not tolerate any racism, including antisemitism and Islamophobia. A Latrobe spokeswoman said, while police had been out to its campus, the university hadnt called them as the protests had been peaceful so far, without incident. University of Melbourne student Dana Alshaer was born on the West Bank and knows well the names of weapons companies whose bombs and drones are now raining down on Gaza. In November, she and fellow students started a group protesting university funding ties to many of those companies, such as Lockheed Martin and BAE, that has since morphed into the camp, with more than 50 tents now dotted across the universitys south lawn. Jaan Schild helps run Students for Palestine in Victoria, now home to the most student protest camps in the country. Credit: Jason South This was something we could do, she said, but she added that security concerns had been high at the camp since Yemini and other pro-Israel groups marched up to the lawn last week. We dont engage, she said. But weve had pro-Israel guys walking through the camp, harassing us. Weve been sent threats someone will poison [our donated food]. Alshaer said non-Palestinians at the protests who had made inflammatory comments so far should not be seen as speaking for the community. Of course we stand against antisemitism, she said. But there is also a genocide going on. We stand against that. Planning permission granted for Limavady Distillery Planning permission has been grated for Irish whiskey brand Limavadys new distillery. Established in 1750, the original Limavady Distillery closed in 1915. Limavady returned via brand owner and master distiller Darryl McNally, who is descended from the distillerys original owners. The new distillery will be built on McNallys family farm and will act as the brand and production home for the whiskey. It will be located in Limavady, near Coleraine in Northern Ireland. The distillery will be designed by Scottish company Organic Architects, which has specialisms in distillery construction, eco-distilling, and conservation. Organic Architects founder Gareth Roberts commented: This project is unusual in that the new distillery will be located on the McNally family farm, signifying a return to home soil for the founder Darryl McNally. It is a beautiful rural site, so it has taken time to design a sensitive building which is acceptable to the local authority. Limavadys single malt Irish whiskey was launched in 2022. The small-batch whiskey is currently made in partnership with WhistlePig, and uses 100 per cent Irish barley. 9 May 2024 - Lucy Schofield Racist Pitroda stirs another row NEW DELHI : Says, people of East look like the Chinese and those of the South look like Africans CONGRESS leader Sam Pitroda triggered another controversy on Wednesday with his people of the East look like the Chinese and those of the South look like Africans remarks, with the ruling BJP latching on to his racist comments and claiming that those have exposed the Opposition partys divisive politics. The Congress, however, distanced itself from Pitrodas remarks, describing those as unfortunate and unacceptable, and saying the party completely dissociates itself from the comments. In a podcast, Pitroda, the head of the Indian Overseas Congress, said, We have survived 75 years in a very happy environment where people could live together, leaving aside a few fights here and there. We could hold the country as diverse as India together. Where people in the East look like the Chinese, people in the West look like the Arabs, people in the North look like, maybe, white and people in the South look like Africans. It does not matter. All of us are brothers and sisters. We respect different languages, different religions, different customs, different food, Pitroda said in the interview that was widely circulated on social media. Dissociating itself from Pitrodas remarks, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said on X: The analogies drawn by Mr Sam Pitroda in a podcast to illustrate Indias diversity are most unfortunate and unacceptable. The Indian National Congress completely dissociates itself from these analogies. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, latched on to Pitrodas remarks to hit out at the Congress and said, the Opposition party is getting increasingly unmasked as the Lok Sabha polls progress. It claimed that Pitrodas racist comments have betrayed the Congresss bid to divide the country on the lines of race, religion and caste. BJP leaders Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Sudhanshu Trivedi claimed that Pitroda has highlighted the idea of India that Congress bigwigs, such as Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, believe in. Pitroda has been a mentor to Rahul Gandhi, who has often run down the Indian democracy and the countrys institutions during his foreign trips, Chandrasekhar said. Trivedi said the ongoing Lok Sabha polls have now become a battle between those under the influence of a foreign mindset in their definition of India and an India that is aatmanirbhar (self-reliant) and brimming with self-pride. Sam, Pity-roda on you! Union Minister Anurag Thakur said on X. While for us, all Indians look like Indians, the Congress insists on categorising them based on foreign ethnic lines such as Chinese, Arab, White and African. Only a party with a colonial mindset like Congress could indulge in such deplorable racism. Having failed to stir division between the North and the South, Congress now seems intent on sowing ethnic discord. Its only a matter of time before the Shehzada, following in the footsteps of his mentor, champions this divisive strategy, Thakur said. Union Minister and BJP candidate Smriti Irani attacked the Congress on Pitroda's alleged remarks and alleged that it (Congress) tries to divide the countrymen on the basis of who is of which colour and who belongs to which region. Another disgusting truth has come to light today that this party (Congress) tries to divide the countrymen on the basis of who is of which colour and who belongs to which region and dares to insult them, Irani said while talking to reporters in Amethi. In the podcast interview to a media house, Pitroda said, As a Gujarati, I love dosa, I love idli. That is my food, that is no longer South Indian food. That is the India I believe in, where everybody has a place and everybody compromises a little bit.... That idea of India, which is rooted in democracy, freedom, liberty, fraternity, is being challenged by the Ram temple and Ram Navami and the Prime Minister going to temples all the time and talking not as a national leader, but as a leader of the BJP. That view centres around the Ram temple, God, history, heritage, Bhagwan Hanuman, Bajrang Dal and all kinds of issues. I respect their view, he added. There is another group which says our founding fathers fought against the British Raj not for a Hindu Rashtra, but for a secular nation. Pakistan decided to create a nation based on religion and see what happened to them. We are a shining example of democracy in the world, Pitroda said. Earlier, the Congress leader had stirred up a controversy by talking about the inheritance tax. 3rd phase has blown third fuse of Cong, I.N.D.I. Alliance: Modi HYDERABAD, MOUNTING an attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday demanded that the party should explain to people why it has stopped raising the Ambani-Adani issue as its Shehzada used to do for the past five years and asked if it has struck a deal. Have tempo loads of notes (money) reached the Congress that it has stopped targeting Ambani-Adani, Modi said while addressing an election rally at Vemulawada. Ever since elections have been announced, these people (Congress) have stopped abusing Ambani-Adani. I want to ask from Telangana soil, let the Shehzada announce, how much has been lifted from Ambani-Adani. Has tempo loads of notes (currency) reached the Congress? What deal has been arrived at, that abusing Ambani-Adani has stopped overnight, he asked. Certainly something is fishy. For five years, (they) abused Adani-Ambani and it stopped overnight. It means you have received some tempo loads of chori ka maal (loot). You have to answer the nation, the Prime Minister said. The Congress has been attacking the Modi government, accusing the Prime Minister of favouring the top five industrialists in the country, including Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani. Modi also said the phase has blown the third fuse of Congress and its I.N.D.I. Alliance. He added four phases of polling are left and with the blessings of the people, the BJP and NDA were marching toward victory. Attacking the Congress and K Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS in Telangana, Modi said while the BJP believes in the nation first principle, for the two parties it is family first. The BRS and Congress openly criticise each other on corruption, but it is a common factor between these parties, he charged. Taking a veiled swipe at Rahul Gandhi and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, he said there is a lot of discussion up to Delhi on the double R (RR) tax in the state. Modi on Wednesday offered prayers at Sri Rajarajeshwara Swamy temple at Vemulawada, about 150 km from here. The temple priests applied tilak on Modis forehead and gave Vedic blessings. Air India Express cancels 74 flights due to cabin crew shortage; to operate 292 flights Mumbai, May 9 (PTI) Faced with cabin crew shortage, Air India Express on Thursday cancelled 74 flights and said Air India will operate services on 20 of its routes to minimise disruptions. A section of cabin crew has reported sick to protest against alleged mismanagement at the airline, which has resulted in the cancellation of more than 90 flights since Tuesday night. "We will be operating 292 flights today. We have mobilised all resources and Air India will support us by operating on 20 of our routes. However, 74 of our flights stand cancelled and we urge our guests booked to fly with us to check if their flight is affected by the disruption before heading to the airport," the airline said in a statement. In case their flight is cancelled or delayed beyond three hours, the carrier said the passengers may opt for a full refund or reschedule to a later date without any fees. The number of cancelled flights at 74 translates to around 20 per cent of the airline's scheduled daily flights. Earlier in the day, sources said the airline has issued termination notices to 25 cabin crew members who had reported sick and asked others to join back for duty by 4 pm on Thursday. Against this backdrop, Air India Express said it is taking appropriate steps against certain individuals. "While we will continue to engage with our cabin crew colleagues with a commitment to address any concern, we are taking appropriate steps against certain individuals as their actions have caused grave inconvenience to thousands of our guests," it added. Democracy is alive in hearts of people in Mahatma Gandhis country; we have never witnessed such elections Staff Reporter State Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan, on Wednesday, welcomed a visiting international delegation from the Philippines and Sri Lanka at Nirvachan Sadan in the city. The delegation, which arrived on May 5 to observe and study Indias electoral system, shared their experiences from May 5 to 7. They lauded the vibrant spirit of democracy still alive in the land of Mahatma Gandhi, emphasising that Indians celebrate elections as a festival unlike anything theyve seen before. The delegation expressed awe at the deep-rooted faith and enthusiasm exhibited by every voter, showcasing a resolute commitment to democracys advancement. Over the three days of observation, they gleaned invaluable insights and were profoundly inspired by Indias electoral process. The delegation vowed to recommend the adoption of various effective facets of the Indian electoral system in their respective countries. Sundaram Arumanayagam, Commission Member of Sri Lankas Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Make Recommendations for Election Law Reforms, said that on the day of voting, we saw that every person appointed in the election was doing his job very well. No one was interfering in others work. Voters were standing patiently waiting for their turn. There were excellent voting arrangements in all the polling stations. Commission member Nimalka Fernando said that Indias election system is overwhelming. We are extremely impressed and would recommend similar election arrangements in Sri Lanka. Director of the Philippines Commission on Elections Celia B. Romero said that they closely observed all the processes from distribution of voting materials to completion of voting. It was a wonderful experience. The name of each candidate, his party, his photograph and his election symbol were also displayed in the EVM. Here the voter is provided a very simple and easy means to identify and select the candidate of his choice. This is an exemplary system. Associate Commissioner of the Commission on Elections, Socorro B. Inting said that the Indian electoral system provides opportunities to voters for their participation by following an inclusive process. We are inspired by your system of connecting voters to the polls. She congratulated the Election Commission of India and State Chief Electoral Officer Rajan for conducting free, fair and peaceful elections. Justice Wewage Priyasath Gerard Depp, Chairman of Sri Lankas Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Make Recommendations for Election Law Reforms, said that a good picture of the Indian electoral system has been imprinted in our hearts forever. We are surprised by the voting system through EVMs. How efficiently you conduct elections using EVMs. Here every voter has his own identity card. Due to this, no voter faces any difficulty in voting. We will recommend a similar co-ordinated election system for our country. Significantly, other representatives of the International Delegation include Leslie N. C. Conquilla, Executive Assistant, Commission on Elections of the Philippines and Alisandaralage Senanayake, Commission Member, Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Make Recommendations for Election Law Reforms of Sri Lanka, Commission Member Ahmed Lebbe Mohammed. Salim, Commission Member Nimalka Fernando, Commission Member Vitharanage Dipani Samantha Rodrigo, Commission Member Alan Carmichael Vere Tambinayagam David and Commission Secretary Madhava Devasurendra. State CEO Anupam Rajan honoured all the members said that your hospitality has been an exciting opportunity for us. Rajan told the International Delegation that on May 7, we conducted simultaneous voting till 6 pm in all urban, rural and remote areas of nine Lok Sabha parliamentary constituencies. This process was completed with inclusive management. For this, a huge arrangement of human resources and logistics has to be made. Rajan also apprised the delegation about the vote counting process to be held on June 4. On this occasion, Additional Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Kaul, Joint Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Khatri, Basant Kurre, Tarun Rathi, Vivek Shrotiya and Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Pramod Shukla and other officials were also present. Foreign Scholarships: High Court strikes down income criteria By Dheeraj Fartode In a landmark decision, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has struck down Clause D(2) of the Government Resolution dated June 27, 2017, pertaining to the Utpanna Maryada (Income Limit) for foreign scholarships. The ruling came in response to a writ petition filed by Mayur Sanghrakshit Patil, a 28-year-old student from Nagpur, addressing the inequalities in scholarship distribution based on income thresholds. Patil, belonging to the Scheduled Caste category, contested the clause on grounds of unfairness, highlighting its adverse impact on economically disadvantaged students. Patil has been selected in Duke University (USA), but due to weak economic background and denial of education loan by banks to him, he has been deprived of his right to education. Thus, the benefit of the said scheme is availed by the students who are economically stable and can themselves sustain the education abroad. His annual family income, standing at Rs 2,78,000, placed him within the lower-income bracket. The petitioner has filed information regarding students and the income of their guardians. The court noted that the information in the table (on the right), in fact, portrays a very dismal picture, since students whose guardians have substantial income and who are well-placed in life also are indicated to have been granted the benefit of the scholarship, which results in defeating the very purpose of the scheme to grant scholarships to persons who could not afford higher education in Foreign Countries. The courts scrutiny revealed the discrepancy caused by Clause D(2), which exempted students admitted to the top 100 QS World Ranking institutions from income criteria. This exemption led to financially stable students availing benefits intended for economically deprived candidates, thus distorting the schemes purpose. Additionally, the court noted the Governments inconsistent stance on income criteria, with revisions being made due to factors such as COVID-19. Despite discussions proposing a revision to a maximum family income of Rs 8 lakh, no formal amendment was enacted, leaving the 2017 resolution intact. The verdict stressed the necessity of preserving the scholarships original intent, aimed at supporting backward caste students in accessing higher education. By nullifying Clause D(2), the court aims to rectify the imbalance in scholarship distribution and uphold fairness in access to educational opportunities. The division bench of Justice Avinash Gharote and Justice M S Jawalkar directed authorities to reassess Patils scholarship application within two weeks, considering the implications of the ruling. Adv P R Agrawal represented the petitioner while AGP N R Patil appeared for the respondents. If Oppn comes to power, it will put lock at Ram Temple: Shah LAKHIMPUR KHERI, HITTING out at the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said if the coalition of Opposition parties comes to power after the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, it will put a lock at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Addressing a rally in support of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra, Shah also accused the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of defaming the BJP and Narendra Modi by saying if the Prime Minister gets 400 seats in the ongoing election, reservation will be done away with. Referring to SP leader Ram Gopal Yadavs statement in which he said the Ram Temple issue is bekar (useless), Shah said, Ram Gopal says the temple is useless. Remember me, though it is not going to happen, if the Opposition parties come to power, they will put a Babri naam ka tala (Babri lock) at the Ram temple. Accusing the Congress of stalling the Ram temple issue for 70 years, he said, When you made Modi the Prime Minister for the second time, he not only won the legal dispute involving the Ram Janmabhoomi, but also performed the bhoomi puja (groundbreaking ceremony) of the Ram Temple and its pran pratishtha (consecration) was held in January. Claiming that Opposition parties did not attend the consecration ceremony of the temple as they were afraid of their vote bank, the BJP leader said, All of you know who comprise their vote bank. Uttar Pradesh will never support those who shy away from Lord Rams work. On the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Shah said, Modi has brought a law to give citizenship to those Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains who came to India from Pakistan. A lot of them in Kheri did not have citizenship. (Congress leader) Rahul (Gandhi) and (SP president) Akhilesh (Yadav) say they will withdraw the CAA. Now, no one can do that. Slamming the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), he said, If the INDI alliance gets the majority, who will be its Prime Minister? Will Sharad Pawar, Mamata (Banerjee) didi, (M K) Stalin, Akhilesh or Rahul become the prime minister? It does not even have a prime ministerial candidate. It neither has a leader, nor a policy nor determination. After the first three phases of the Lok Sabha polls, Modiji has crossed 190 seats.... In the fourth phase, under Modijis leadership, we are strongly heading towards 400 seats, while the SP, BSP and Congress have been wiped out, Shah said. Lakhimpur Kheri will go to polls in the fourth phase of the election on May 13. The counting of votes will be taken up on June 4. Mahs remote hamlet gets polling station for first time PUNE, NONAGENARIAN Baburao Akhade was among 41 eligible voters from the remote hamlet Burudmal under Baramati Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra who for the first time didnt have to trek 12 km to cast their votes, which was the case until 2019 elections. Voting was held for 11 of 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in the State in the third phase on Tuesday. This is the first time that officials established a polling station in a nearby school for eligible electors enabling us to take part in the festival of democracy- elections, in our hamlet. Located 35 km away from Bhor town in Velhe tehsil of Pune district, Burudmal is the smallest polling station with 41 eligible voters under the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency. By 3 pm on Tuesday, 39 voters, including a first-timer, had exercised their franchise, registering a 95 pc turnout. This has happened for the first time in our lifetime that a polling station has been set up near our houses here in Burudmal. Till the last elections, we all had to go on foot to Sangvi Velvade Khore (valley) to cast votes, which is almost 12 km from here, said 90-year-old Akhade, the senior-most voter among the flock. But this time, a polling station was set up in a school, located just next to our houses, giving us much-required comfort in the scorching summer heat, he said. Rs 2,200 cr liquor scam: SEOIACB searches documents in Dhillons house at Bhilai Staff Reporter Durg, A team of State Economic Offences Investigation and Anti Corruption Bureau (SEOIACB) officials along with liquor businessman Trilok Singh Dhillon alias Pappu Dhillon on Wednesday reached his residence at Nehru Nagar (East), Bhilai and searched for documents. Few days ago on April 12, the SEOIACB during raid in Dhillons residence had sealed some rooms and almirah in the house and in continuation of the raid, the EOW officials again reached the house and searched for documents in the sealed places. Dhillon was later produced before a Special Court in Raipur from where he was sent to jail on judicial remand till May 16. Notably, the SEOIACB has been probing Dhillons role in Rs 2,200 crore liquor scam occurred during previous Congress regime. Last month, the EOW raided Dhillons house and had seized foreign liquor from Pappu Dhillons son Jasjeet and a separate case in this regard was also registered. Meanwhile on Wednesday morning, a team of the SEOIACB officials reached Dhillons residence Dhillon Mansion in Bhilai in four to five different vehicles and carried out search in the house. Dhillon was also present with the team and the SEOIACB officials inspected the documents present in the sealed rooms and almirah. As part of safety measure, police personnel were also deployed in the entrance of the house while vehicles of SEOIACB officials were also seen parked outside the house in front of entry gates. Any official confirmation in this regard remained unavailable and it could also not be known that what was found during the search. Meanwhile, Pappu Dhillon who was absconding was earlier arrested by the SEOIACB from Kochi and after his remand ended on Wednesday, he was again produced before the court from where he was remanded to judicial custody The Edo State Government has said it has no court matter with the Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin, Omo NOba NEdo Uku Akpolokpolo. It was learnt that there were reports on social media, suggesting that there was a current court case initiated by the government against the revered traditional ruler. However, the state government described the insinuation as the handiwork of enemies of the state. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Special Adviser (media projects) to Governor Godwin Obaseki, Crusoe Osagie, urged residents of the state and the general public to disregard the reports. The Edo State Government has no case in court against our revered Royal Father, Omo NOba NEdo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin, the statement read. The rumour making the rounds on social media of an impending court case is the handiwork of enemies of the State and should be disregarded. As a matter of fact, in the matter being referenced by the purveyors of the fake news, the Edo State Government is a defendant, which means the State government is being sued. The State Government maintains a cordial relationship with the Royal Palace and holds the Omo NOba NEdo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, Ogidigan, in high esteem. According to the governors spokesman, the rumour is fabricated, fake, and should be discountenanced in its entirety. He reiterated the state governments commitment to sustaining a harmonious relationship with all stakeholders in the state. The Rock is the home of The Morning Rumble with Rog, Bryce, Mulls and Mel, Rock Drive with Jay & Dunc, Not For Radio, The Rock 2000, The No Repeat Workday and just all round good bants. Struggling to find a decent radio station? Unfortunately, we can't help you with that. But if you're keen to hear our average-to-mediocre banter sandwiched between some bloody good rock music, then look no further. Stream The Rock on rova Not in New Zealand? We feel sorry for ya, it's a pretty rad little country. But you can stream us from anywhere in the world via the rova app - download it now from the App Store or Google Play. Or if you're still rocking one of those old school radios, or your car has one of those fancy band expanders - then listen to The Rock everywhere in the country by tuning into one of the frequencies below. 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Trinamul Congress leadership alleged that BJP has been threatening those women with dire consequences, who had gone to Sandeshkhali police station to withdraw their false complaints. Dr Shashi Panja, state minister for Women and Child Development and Social Welfare alleged that the women who had gone to withdraw their false allegation of rape had been threatened with dire consequences by the local BJP leaders. BJP had orchestrated the drama and now they are threatening the women, who had gone to withdraw false complaints. She said Trinamul Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had said that in days to come more such doctored videos by the BJP would come to light. Advertisement The people of Bengal have seen the video and heard the mandal pradhan saying how the conspiracy had been hatched by the BJP. It is really shameful. The women were bribed to make false allegations. She said Trinamul Congress is keeping a tab on the situation. The Trinamul Congress posted on its X handle: Since May 4, the entire @BJP4India machinery has been desperately trying to dismiss the Sandeshkhali expose & cover up their heinous crimes. But truth can never be hidden for long! Will @BJP4Bengal now discredit the voices of Bengals women, narrating how they were coerced to file fake rape/molestation complaints? PM @narendramodi & HM @AmitShah No matter how hard you try, you wont be able to stop the wave of truth that is rising in Bengal to wash away all the Bangla-Birodhi forces! MP Sagarika Ghosh said, It is disgusting that the BJP is threatening the women of Sandeshkhali who have told the truth about the manner in which they were forced to file fraudulent rape complaints. After the viral video showing the conspiracy of Sandeshkali came out, some women have now said that they had been pressurized to file false cases. Acomplainant narrated how they were forced to file fake rape complaints without even knowing the contents of the complaint at the behest of Delhis Mahila Commission. We dont want to be associated with any false complaintsnobody is even talking to us in our neighbourhood. When I asked them to rescind the false complaint, I was chased away, said a woman on television. Visva-Bharati University (VBU) in Bolpur celebrated Rabindra Jayanti for the first time after Rabindranath Tagores abode Santiniketan bagged the Unesco World Cultural Heritage Site tag last year. Acting vice-chancellor of VBU, Professor Sanjay Kumar Mallick took part in the celebrations on Rabindra Jayanti today. The celebrations started with baitalik, Brahma upasana, chanting of Vedic mantras. Cultural events took place this morning today. Advertisement The main cultural event took place at Madhabi Bitan. Besides faculty members, students, ashramites, alumni and other locals were also present during the celebrations throughout the day. On 17 September 2023, Santiniketan received the World Cultural Heritage Site tag. It is the only living university to receive such status in the world. Rabindranath Tagore had spent a majority of his time at Santiniketan and was associated with several works. Earlier VBU used to publish cultural books on the occasion of Rabindra jayanti, but since the past five years, publication has been stopped due to shutting of the printing press. We really feel proud that Santiniketan has received the Unesco tag and this year the Rabindra Jayanti celebration has become even more special, said veteran ashramite Supriyo Tagore. Since the retirement of VC Professor Bidyut Chakraborty last year, there has been no further controversy and slowly the central varsity has returned back to its normalcy. The strained relationship with the state government has also now been a matter of the past and relationships have improved after the present acting vice-chancellor took over the charge last year. Poush Mela last year and Basant Utsav this year have also been celebrated along with the help of the state government at Santiniketan and Bolpur. Higher Secondary candidates from the district crowded the top 10 list of the state with 13 of them staking their claim to the coveted list. The Twin sisters from Chandannagar have a birth time difference of only a minute and are students of Krishna Bhabani Nari Sikha Mandir,Chandannagar. Senha Ghosh ranked 4th with a grand total of 493, while her twin sister Soha Ghosh ranked 10th with a grand total of 487. The twins studied together, they said their parents were the main source of inspiration and thanked the school and private tuitions teachers for their help and guidance. The twin sisters aim to go ahead with honours in economics, both love to play chess and watch movies, both are of the same view that hard work always pays. Both Rudra Dutta from Konnagar, a student of Mahesh Sri Ramakrishnan Ashram Vidyalaya, Rishra and Abhra Kishore Bhattacharya from Chinsurah, a student of Hooghly Collegiate School ranked 6th with a grand total of 491. Advertisement Rudra said, I am really overjoyed to attain 6th rank in the state level with a grand total of 491. I would like to go ahead with medical science. Besides studies, stress was also laid on character building, developing the art of concentration through meditation. Much importance was given towards games and sports, the guidance from the school, inspiration from the teachers and parents helped me achieve the 6th rank in science group. Ritabrata Das from Chinsurah, a student of Hooghly Collegiate School and Md Sahid from Arambagh, a student of Arambagh High School ranked 7th with a grand total of 490. Md Sahid said his parents and teachers were his inspiration. He used mobile phone only to support his studies. Sahid likes playing guitar and wants to become a doctor. Asmit Kumar Banerjee from Konnagar, a student of Mahesh Sri Ramakrishnan Ashram Vidyalaya, Rishra and Somsubhra Karmakar from Arambagh, a student of Arambagh High School ranked 8th in the state with a grand total of 489. Somsubhra said, self confidence, obedience and respect for parents and teachers are the key words for success. He wants to become a doctor to serve the poor villagers in Arambagh. Both Pritha Dutta from Chandannagar, a student of Chandannagar Banga Vidyalaya and Bristi Pal from Chinsurah, a student of Chinsurah Balika Bani Mandir ranked 9th in the state level with a grand total of 488. Srijani Ghosh from Chandannagar, a student of Krishna Bhabani Nari Sikha Mandir, Bristi Dutta from Begumpur ,a student of Begampur High School ranked 10th with a grand total of 487. Bristi Dutta comes from a financially weak family. His father earns very little. Bristi is determined not to give up studies fighting against all odds she was helped by the teachers and other well wishers. I am happy with my performance, my struggle and hard work has paid off, said Bristi. Following the mass sick leave taken by the cabin crew of low-cost airline Air India Express resulting in disruption of flight operations, the airlines CEO Aloke Singh, said in a letter to the employees that the act is certainly not representative of the 2,000-odd cabin crew colleagues who continue to respond to the call of duty and serve the clients with dedication and pride. The protesting cabin crew members claimed that despite promises of job security, salary preservation, and recognition of seniority and expertise, there has been a noticeable deviation from these assurances. Since last evening, over 100 of our cabin crew colleagues have reported sick prior to their rostered flight duty at the last minute, severely disrupting our operations. Because this action was mostly by colleagues assigned the L1 role, the impact was disproportionate, disrupting 90+ flights even though other colleagues reported for duty, read the letter accessed by IANS. Advertisement Singh said the disruptions have cascaded across the network, forcing us to curtail the schedules over the next few days. We had to do this to cope with the non-availability of crew and to recover schedules. This act is certainly not representative of the 2,000-odd cabin crew colleagues in the company who continue to respond to the call of duty and serve our guests with dedication and pride. I am thankful to all who are standing by the airline in this hour of crisis, the letter read. It added that colleagues from operations, network, commercial, airport services, and IOCC have been working hard to mitigate the impact of the disruptions. A curtailed schedule is being rolled out for the next few days. Colleagues from across the company and the group have pitched in to support operations we owe all our deep gratitude. If there are concerns that need to be addressed, the company leadership is available for any discussions. All channels remain open department townhalls (one pre-scheduled for Thursday), monthly all-hands townhall, besides formal and informal reach out to leaders. In particular, senior cabin crew colleagues who have seen the airline evolve from a small, niche operator to what we are today a rapidly growing, 350+ flights-a-day carrier, with a strong network footprint across India, Gulf and SE Asia have a deeper stake in helping build and achieve the vision we have set for ourselves, Singh said in the letter. After over 90 international and domestic flights of the airline were cancelled, the Ministry of Civil Aviation sought a detailed report from Air India Express regarding the disruptions of flight operations, urging the airline to address the issue promptly. Additionally, the airline has been instructed to ensure that passenger facilities adhere to the norms set by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU), representing a segment of cabin crew members, had earlier written to Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran, highlighting employee grievances and expressing concerns about the ongoing situation within Air India Express, especially after its acquisition by the Tata group. The union accused the airline of mismanagement and unequal treatment of staff, claiming that these issues have adversely impacted the employee morale. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the top destination for Indian migrants, says a report released by the United Nations (UN). The World Migration Report 2024 by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), a UN body, said that there were 3.47 million Indians in the UAE in 2020, 2.7 million in the United States (US) and 2.5 million in Saudi Arabia, It said that India received more than $111 billion in remittances in 2022, the largest such amount and the first country to surpass the $100 billion mark in a single year. Mexico, China, the Philippines and France were the other top four remittance-recipient countries. Advertisement In over 50 years, the share of international migrants in the world population has increased from 2.3 per cent (84 million) in 1970 to 3.6 per cent (280 million) in the mid-2020s, it said. Mexico was the second-largest remittance recipient in 2022, a position it also held in 2021 after overtaking China, which historically had been the second-biggest recipient after India, said the report. India was well above the rest, receiving more than $111 billion, the first country to reach and even surpass the $100 billion mark, the report highlighted. The Mexico-to-US corridor is the largest in the world, meaning how many people born in the South American country immigrated and now live in the US. Syria-to-Turkey and Russia-to-Ukraine are the second and largest corridors , largely attributed to displacement caused by civil unrest and military invasions. In terms of receiving the international remittances, the report said that India, Pakistan and Bangladesh rank among the top 10 recipients, marking the significance of labour migration in South Asia. The report noted that while remittances are a lifeline for many in the subregion, migrant workers face financial exploitation, excessive debt due to migration costs, xenophobia, and workplace abuse. In terms of immigrants, India ranked thirteenth by hosting 4.48 million such people. Further, it also highlighted that the climate shapes internal migration, with many people in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh moving out and their remittances being used for daily consumption, including food. It highlighted that changing social structures due to migration and the prevalence of traditional gender roles have made food security outcomes worse for women-headed households. The World Migration Report, released on Tuesday, is published every two years since 2000. The Delhi Police arrested two persons for allegedly beating a man to death in Delhis Rohini area, the police said on Thursday. According to the police, a joint team of Special Staff, Rohini District, and Police Station Begumpur cracked the blind murder case within 24 hours, as initially, the police had just received information about a man lying unconscious. During questioning, the duo disclosed that on the day of the crime they, along with their third accomplice, had come to meet the deceased, and had taken him to an abandoned DDA land in the area and later assaulted him with sticks and threw him in the mud. Advertisement A manhunt is on to track down the third accomplice of the accused persons in the case, while further investigation was in progress. The two accused have been identified as Deepanshu alias Tillu Gujjar and Neeraj alias Bonga, while the weapons of offence, two sticks (dandas) used in the commission of the crime, have been recovered from their possession, the police said. On Tuesday, at about 11:10 pm a PCR call regarding an unconscious man was received at Begumpur Police Station, and when the local police team reached the spot, Ambedkar Chowk, Kali Mata Mandir, Begum Vihar, they found a man lying unconscious in the mud. A police team promptly shifted the unresponsive person to BSA Hospital, Rohini where he was declared dead by the team of doctors. The body of the deceased was sent to the hospital for postmortem, while the deceased was identified as Gagan alias Chintu, a resident of Begum Vihar. On a preliminary inquiry, the cops found that the deceased was working in a cloth store in Karol Bagh and was living alone on rent. During the probe, the police teams scanned footage of around 350- 400 CCTV cameras in the vicinity of where the deceased was found. They noticed that on Tuesday the deceased, along with two people, had gone to Sector 20 Rohini where he confronted one of the accused with whom he had an old enmity. Both of them had a minor scuffle and thereafter, all of them left the place. Later, on the basis of technical surveillance and human intelligence, the two were identified and apprehended. The beauty pageant world has been stirred with surprise as Miss Teen USA 2023, UmaSofia Srivastava, decided to step down from her crown, just days after Miss USA 2023, Noelia Voigt, made a similar announcement. UmaSofia took to her social media platforms to share her decision, expressing that her personal values no longer fully aligned with the direction of the organization. She emphasized her commitment to advocacy for education and acceptance despite her resignation. In her statement, the 17-year-old expressed gratitude for the support she received from her family, state directors, fellow queens, and fans throughout her journey. She reflected fondly on her time representing New Jersey as a first-generation Mexican-Indian American on the national stage. Advertisement UmaSofia plans to focus on completing her junior year of high school as part of the National Honor Society and kickstart the college application process. She highlighted her academic achievements, attributing them to her hard work. Organizers of the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants released a joint statement expressing their respect and support for Noelia Voigts decision to step down. They affirmed that the well-being of their titleholders remains a top priority, understanding the need for self-prioritization. UmaSofia Srivastava made history as the first entrant from New Jersey to be crowned Miss Teen USA. She previously held the title of Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2023, succeeding Isabella Galan. Her victory at Miss Teen USA 2023, held in Reno, Nevada, marked a milestone as she became the first titleholder of Indian-Mexican descent. Her win followed the footsteps of Faron Medhi in 2022, making her the second consecutive titleholder of Indian descent. A resurgent BRS might upset the apple cart of both the BJP and the Congress in Telangana, converting the straight, largely bipolar fights in the Lok Sabha elections into triangular ones. With barely a couple days left before polling on 13 May, the regional party has shown grit and resilience, refusing to leave the electoral ground open to either of the two national parties even after its leaders were poached right and left by BJP and Congress. Most of the 17 seats in Telangana are witnessing intense fight on the ground, particularly in constituencies like Medak, which includes BRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Raos Assembly constituency Gajwel and Mahabubnagar which is home to chief minister A Revanth Reddy. Advertisement Compared to Andhra Pradesh, where elections for Parliament and the Assembly are being held simultaneously, the Lok Sabha polls in Telangana seemed to be a tame affair with the arc lights mostly focussed on the Hyderabad seat, thanks to the media interest over Asaduddin Owaisis challenger, BJPs Madhavi Latha. However, the rest of Telangana is also witnessing a fierce battle between the three parties, thanks to some shrewd political thinking by Rao, better known as KCR. The resurgence of the party might cost dear not only the ruling Congress but also the BJP, which was hoping to increase its tally by wresting a sizable portion of BRS votes. The BRS is offering a tough fight to the BJP in Karimnagar and in Secunderabad, particularly in areas where Congress is on a weaker turf. Its presence converted many sure seats to ones where either the BJP or Congress has an edge. Significantly, a large number of candidates propped up by both Congress and the BJP are actually ex-BRS leaders. At a time when everyone chose to write off the BRS as a weak contender decimated by desertions, KCR given a boost to the party by nominating candidates from backward classes, particularly in constituencies with large chunks of BC votes. In Chevella, which includes the IT hub, he nominated a Mudiraj community leader Kasani Gnaneshwar since the LS seat has 3.5 lakh SC voters. In Zaheerabad bordering Karnataka, where both the BJP and Congress fielded candidates from Lingayat community, the BRS chose to field a Munnuru Kapu candidate as they are numerologically dominant in the region after its sitting MP BB Patil joined the BJP. Moreover, KCR himself is crisscrossing the constituencies in his modified bus, holding roadshows and addressing small, roadside meetings. Most of the crowd in large public meetings are mobilised, that too from their own cadres and dont mean much, pointed out political analyst M Sridhar. According to him, the crowds at KCRs roadside meetings were a testament to the growing groundswell in support of the BRS. During the Assembly elections last year, KCR had addressed one or two large meetings every day and that had been his style over the years. This time, he was seen having snacks at roadside eateries while interacting with the locals. He is mostly raising local issues like water, power and farmers woes, particularly highlighting the unfulfilled promises of the Congress government and striking a chord among ordinary voters. BRS working president KT Rama Rao said, By and large people today are vexed with Congress within a short span of time, just five months, more importantly BJP has been a non starter due to their non performing government at Delhi. He claimed the BRS would win 10 to 12 seats but even if it doesnt the pink party will definitely rain on the parade of BJP and Congress on 4 June. Air India Express has terminated at least 25 cabin crew members, a day after hundreds of employees reported sick at the last minute, resulting in disruptions to flight operations. According to sources, the management terminated cabin crew members who took sick leave between Tuesday and Wednesday. The airline considered their sick leave a pre-meditated and concerted abstention from work without any justifiable reason and sacked them for their unprofessional behaviour, which resulted in inconvenience to over 10,000 passengers. Advertisement The decision to terminate the employees was made as their actions violated the conditions outlined in their employment contracts, leading to their immediate termination, the sources said. This comes a day after Air India Express, a Tata Group carrier, was forced to cancel more than 80 international and domestic flights after a large number of cabin crew called in sick at the last minute. According to the sources, some 300 staffers reported sick at the last minute and switched off their mobile phones, resulting in delays and cancellations in dozens of flights. In a statement, the airline said the Air India Express management is currently trying to reach out to the crew, who went on mass sick leave in protest against the new employment terms of the airline. Following the disruption of services, the Ministry of Civil Aviation shot off a notice to Air India Express and demanded a detailed report on reasons behind frequent flight cancellations experienced by the airline. The ministry also emphasised the situations urgency and called for a prompt resolution to minimise passenger inconvenience. Furthermore, they reminded Air India Express of their obligation to adhere to passenger care regulations established by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). BJP leader Navneet Rana issued a threat to the Owaisi brothers in their own bastion quoting the infamous provocative remark of AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi that if the police were withdrawn for 15 minutes, his community would ensure that the population ratio of the country is evened out. Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, while sidestepping his brothers statement, dared Rana to go ahead with her challenge while state Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy slammed the BJP for resorting to cheap drama to garner votes. Rana, the BJP candidate from Amravati in Maharashtra, made several provocative remarks against the Owaisis during her campaigning for the party candidate from Old City, Madhavi Latha. She said, The younger one had asked to withdraw the police for 15 minutes so that we could show you what we can do. I am here to tell him, you might need 15 minutes, but we require just 15 seconds. Advertisement She further said if the police are withdrawn, you wont be able to even recall from where you have come from and where you have gone in just 15 seconds. She made an appeal to the people of the constituency to vote for Madhavi Latha to ensure that Hyderabad does not turn into another Pakistan. In a controversial statement in 2013, Akbaruddin said if the police were withdrawn for 15 minutes, they (alluding to his community) would show 100 crore Hindus what his community could do to them. He had been widely condemned for his crude remark and was even arrested and incarcerated. When asked about Navneet Ranas remark as also his brothers ultimatum that landed him in jail, albeit for a brief period, the senior Owaisi said, We are not scared; let her (Rana) take even an hours time instead of 15 seconds. Daring Rana to go ahead with her threat, he said, In Delhi, the prime minister is yours, RSS is yours. Do whatever you want to do. Just tell us where to go, and then go ahead and do as you wish. Reacting to the reference to Pakistan, Asaduddin Owaisi recounted how Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made an unscheduled stopover at Nawaz Sharifs residence in Pakistan. Begani shadi mein Abdullah deewana (gloating over the celebrations of the unrelated), what was that? They think Muslims in India are Pakistanis, He asked. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said, As they (the BJP) are not getting votes, they are trying to create such controversies to garner some votes. Here, people are aware and smart; they do not get into such controversies. They cannot get votes like this. They are doing this drama to get votes. I suggest them to stop all the drama. The Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat has been with the AIMIM since 1984 when Salahuddin Owaisi, father of the Owaisi brothers, won the seat. He was succeeded by Asaduddin in 2004. The constituency comprising mostly the Old City area has both Hindu and Muslim electorates. While the AIMIM does face some opposition from a section of the Muslim community, who do not support the party, there is a section of Hindu voters who prefer to vote for the party owing to their accessibility. Amid political crisis in Haryana following the withdrawal of support by three independents to the Nayab Singh Saini-led BJP regime, former BJP ally and Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader Dushyant Chautala on Thursday offered to give outside support to the Congress in order to bring down the government. Chautala also said that the Governor has the power to order a floor test. The withdrawal of support by three independents from the Saini government triggered a political crisis in the state with the Opposition claiming the state government has lost the majority. The government that was formed two months back, is now in the minority because two of the MLAs who supported them one from the BJP and the other an Independent have resigned. Three Independent MLAs who were supporting them, have withdrawn their support and have written to the Governor. JJP has clearly said that if a No Confidence Motion is brought against this government, we will support the motion. Advertisement We have also written to the Governor about it. Now, Congress has to take this step (seeking a floor test). Congress will have to decide if they are going to take any steps to corner the current BJP, Chautala said. He further demanded that the Governor implement Presidents Rule in Haryana if the state government doesnt have the majority. The Governor has the power to order a floor test to see if the government has the strength and if it doesnt have the majority, immediately implement Presidents Rule in the state, he added. The three MLAs are Randhir Golan from Pundri, Dharmpal Gonder from Nilokheri and Sombir Singh Sangwan from Charkhi Dadri. All of them decided to extend support to Congress. At present, the 90-member strong Haryana Legislative Assembly has an effective strength of 88 members. Two seats have fallen vacant after former Chief Minister Manohar Lal resigned from Karnal to make way for Nayab Singh Saini, who replaced him as the Chief Minister. The second seat fell vacant after Independent MLA Ranjit Chautala from the Rania constituency, supporting the government, resigned from his Assembly membership after joining the BJP. As per the current strength of the House, the majority mark is 45. Meanwhile, Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda said that the BJP-led state government has no moral right to remain in power. The way three independent MLAs have withdrawn their support and supported Congress in Haryana, the government here has come into the minority. A minority government has no moral right. This government should resign immediately on moral grounds, Hooda told reporters. The BJP, if voted to power in Odisha, will provide jobs to 3 lakh unemployed youths, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said while addressing a poll rally at Kalimela in Malkangiri located at the southernmost tip of the State. Youths are rendered jobless in Odisha and question papers are also being leaked. Once BJP forms government in the State, three lakh youths will get jobs on the basis of merit, he added. Taking a dig at the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD Government in the State, he said an entire generation of voters in Odisha has only seen BJDs misrule. A vote for the BJP will ensure holistic development for the state. Advertisement BJP in power in the State will provide Rs 50,000 cash incentives to women in two installments every year. Widow pension will be increased to Rs 3000 every month, Sarma said in a bid to woo women voters. PM Modi giving people free rice. CM Patnaik gives nothing to the people of Odisha. Whatever he gives, he only gives to Pandian (5T Chairman VK Pandian and CMs second in command), he said on a lighter note. With Kalimela area being home to rehabilitated Bengali-speaking refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan, he said if the BJP government comes to power, it will carry out recruitment of Bengali language teachers in places having Bengali-speaking people. He further predicted the downfall of the 24-year-old BJD government and double engine governance in the State and Centre. There is no more possibility of a BJD Government in Odisha. Both in Delhi and in Bhubaneswar, the BJP will come to power and people will reap the benefits of Modis guarantee, he said. In a scathing attack on the Congress, SP, and BSP, BJP national president JP Nadda on Thursday alleged that the INDI alliance aims to shield the corrupt and foster nepotism. The BJP chief presented a long list of scams extending from the Aam Aadmi Party to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and all the governments before 2014. He emphasised the BJPs commitment to eradicating corruption. Addressing an election meeting in Chitrakoot and Fatehpur, Nadda said that these corrupt people are currently either in jail or on bail. Advertisement He cited the alleged corruption involving former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, P Chidambaram, and Lalu Yadav. He remarked that while Congress previously divided people along religious and caste lines, their current leaders are fragmenting the country on the basis of complexion. He accused the Congress of consistently endorsing the Tukde Tukde gang. He said that India currently holds the second position in the world in terms of export of medicines, while 25 crore people have risen above the poverty line. India is no longer a backward country. In terms of economic condition, it has come down from 11th to fifth position. The BJP national president also targeted the opposition on the issue of Ram temple in Ayodhya. The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd (IREDA) has incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) located in GIFT City, Gujarat for green financing. In a statement, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy said the subsidiary has been named as IREDA Global Green Energy Finance IFSC Limited. The ministry said the subsidiary was officially incorporated on May 7, and on February 8, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) gave its No Objection letter to set up the finance company in IFSC GIFT City. Advertisement Commenting on the development, Chairperson & Managing Director (CMD) of IREDA Pradip Kumar Das, said that IREDAs presence in GIFT City signifies a momentous step in its mission to pioneer innovative approaches to green financing. This subsidiary not only positions IREDA to extend its global reach but also acts as an offshore platform for securing competitive funding to drive the renewable energy sectors growth, aligning with the Government of Indias ambitious Panchamrit targets, he said. The CMD added that IREDAs entry into the IFSC is anticipated to unlock fresh business prospects and establish its global footprint in the renewable energy sector. This strategic step is in line with IREDAs vision of facilitating sustainable development through renewable energy investments, both domestically and internationally. With IREDAs presence in the IFSC, we anticipate greater access to innovative financing alternatives and enhanced collaboration with international investors, encouraging the advancement of renewable energy projects in the country and abroad, he mentioned. For Q4FY24, IREDA reported a net profit of Rs 337.38 crore, up 33.03% on a year-on-year basis. It reported a bottomline of Rs 253.62 crore in the same quarter a year ago. Amit Malviya, Bhartiya Janta Partys in-charge of the National Information and Technology Department on Wednesday targeted the Congress party over the report of Economic Advisory Council to the PM (EAC-PM) and said that if the country is left to Congress, then there would be no country for Hindus. Taking to his official X handle, Amit Malviya tweeted, Share of Hindus shrunk 7.8% between 1950 and 2015. The Muslim population grew by 43%. This is what decades of Congress rule did to us. Left to them, there would be no country for Hindus. The remarks of Amit Malviya come amidst the report of EAC which said that in India, the share of the majority Hindu population decreased by 7.82 per cent between 1950 and 2015 (from 84.68 per cent to 78.06 per cent), while the share of the Muslim population, which in 1950 was 9.84 per cent, increased to 14.09 per cent in 2015a 43.15 per cent increase in their share. Meanwhile, Keshav Prasad Maurya, Uttar Pradeshs Deputy Chief Minister also held the Congress responsible for the decrease in the Hindu population and claimed that the Muslim population due to the partys Muslim appeasement politics. Speaking with ANI, Keshav Prasad Maurya said, This is a topic of concern and this imbalance in the populationrise in Muslim population and decline in Hindu population, has happened because of the Congress Muslim appeasement. Advertisement Maurya added further, Congress party worked like the Muslim League and therefore, the country witnessed an imbalance in the population. That is why, the country needs Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Just like Hindus, Muslims will only marry one person. Ye nahi ki ham 5 aur hamare 25 ke formule se santulan bigde, and then the demand for another Pakistan rises in the country. To prevent such things from happening, Uniform Civil Code is important. According to the EAC report, the share of the Christian population rose from 2.24 per cent to 2.36 per centan increase of 5.38 per cent between 1950 and 2015. The share of Sikh population increased from 1.24 per cent in 1950 to 1.85 per cent in 2015a 6.58 per cent rise in their share. Even the share of the Buddhist population witnessed a noticeable increase from 0.05 per cent in 1950 to 0.81 per cent. On the other hand, the share of Jains in the population of India decreased from 0.45 per cent in 1950 to 0.36 per cent in 2015. The share of the Parsi population in India witnessed a stark 85 per cent decline, reducing from 0.03 per cent share in 1950 to 0.004 per cent in 2015. The Metro Rail unit of the Delhi Police has apprehended a man for allegedly molesting a minor boy in the Delhi Metro, the police said on Thursday. It was on May 3 that a minor boy wrote on social media alleging that while he was travelling by metro to his residence, it was at the Rajiv Chowk, a person started touching him inappropriately while he boarded the train. Initially he thought that it was by mistake but the accused continued to molest him till they reached Kashmere Gate. Advertisement Subsequently, the matter was taken up for investigation and a case was registered at the Police Station Rajiv Chowk Metro under Sections 355 of the Indian Penal Code and 8 POCSO Act. Accordingly, a team of special staff metro led by Inspector Sameer Srivastava, I/C Special Staff of Metro unit and SHO Rajiv Chowk Metro, comprising other officials was constituted. During the probe, the investigation team scanned through the CCTV footage of around fifteen Metro stations from starting from Rajiv Chowk to Jahangir Puri Metro station, in a bid to identify the accused who committed the shameful act with the minor. The police further said that during the probe they noticed that the accused alighted at Metro Station Jahangir Puri. Later, they checked the travel history of the accused, to which they found he had boarded the train from Kaushambi. Accordingly teams were dispatched to further establish, verify his identity and whereabouts to the Jahangir Puri and Kaushambi Metro stations. The footage of CCTV cameras around the proximity of Kaushambi Metro Station was also scanned that resulted in tracing the man who was found using service road after alighting from the Metro. The police put in more efforts and a number of shopkeepers, guards and locals were enquired about the accused with his photograph and finally he was tracked down to Village Khera Khurd, North- West Delhi and was apprehended by the team of special staff. The accused was found to be a Graduate and working in an organisation under the daily wages scheme. All the members of the investigation team who have nabbed the culprit are being suitably rewarded. Secretary, School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, Sanjay Kumar, chaired a meeting to discuss on strategy to achieve the broader objectives of Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE), at Ambedkar International Centre in the national capital on Thursday. Representatives of the Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD), states, and autonomous bodies of the Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSE&L) attended the meeting. As envisioned under the National Curriculum Framework-Foundational Stage (NCF-FS) a continuum of pre-school education and School education is required for seamless transition and quality ECCE. Advertisement Speaking on this occasion, Sanjay Kumar set the context of the meeting and highlighted the importance of every stakeholder in quality ECCE. Kumar reiterated that it was heartening to see various initiatives taken by MoWCD and various states/UTs. The need to have three Balvatikas for 3 to 6-year-olds for pre-primary in all CBSE and Kendriya Vidyalayas having Class 1 was emphasised during the meeting. Co-locating Anganwadis with primary schools in villages was recommended in coordination with WCD, in a decentralised manner to get a proper preschool education and smooth transition to Grade 1. It was also suggested that Jaadui Pitara should be used at government schools with pre-primary classes for a well-rounded learning experience. It was suggested that the NCERT can work with state officials to assess existing learning toys, ensuring alignment with NCF-FS goals. It was also suggested that MoE and WCD should collaborate to link Poshan Tracker and UDISE+ data to track pre-primary to Class 1 transitions. States can define parameters and use Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for Jaadui Pitara materials to ensure transparency and efficiency in procurement. Discussions were also held on the standardisation of branding for programmes such as NIPUN Bharat, Jaadui Pitara, e Jaadui Pitara and Vidya Pravesh across states to enhance visibility and recognition. It was suggested that the adopted and adapted version of Jaadui Pitara should correspond with the prescribed learning outcomes curated by NCERT for Jaadui Pitara. The NCERT should support SCERTs in following the designated Learning Outcomes. The need for proper training of preschool teachers and Anganwadi Worker (AWW) was also discussed at length during the meeting. Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma said that he expects that the central government would uphold the existing Free Movement Regime (FMR) with Myanmar. He conveyed that he had personally raised this concern with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, urging them not to revoke the FMR. This comes after the Mizoram Assembly passed a resolution on February 28 opposing the Centres decisions regarding the India-Myanmar border fencing and the abolition of the FMR. Advertisement The meeting, attended by leaders of the Zo Reunification Organisation (ZORO), discussed plans for peaceful rallies along the India-Myanmar border on May 16. ZORO, headquartered in Aizawl and advocating for the reunification of Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi tribes across India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, aims to protest against the border fencing and FMR revocation. With Mizoram sharing a 510-km-long border with Myanmars Chin state and ethnic ties between the Mizos and Chins, the issue holds significant importance. The ongoing situation has led to over 34,000 individuals seeking refuge in various parts of Mizoram since the military coup in Myanmar in February 2021. The Mizoram government, along with civil society organisations and student bodies, strongly opposes the Centres plans, fearing adverse impacts on the close ties between ethnic communities of both nations. The share of the majority Hindu population in India decreased by 7.82 per cent between 1950 and 2015 (from 84.68 per cent to 78.06 per cent), while that of the Muslim population, over the same span of 65 years, rose from 9.84 per cent to 14.09 per cent, showing an increase of 43.15 per cent in its share. This is revealed in a study Share of Religious Minorities A Cross-Country Analysis (1950-2015), released by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), as part of the EAC-PM Working Paper Series, conducted by Dr Shamika Ravi, Member of the EAC-PM, along with Consultant Apurv Kumar Mishra and Young Professional Abraham Jose. The study says the share of the Christian population in India rose from 2.24 per cent to 2.36 per cent an increase of 5.38 per cent in its share, over the period 1950 to 2015. Advertisement The share of the Sikh population increased from 1.24 per cent in 1950 to 1.85 per cent in 2015 a 6.58 per cent rise. Even the share of the Buddhist population witnessed a noticeable increase from 0.05 per cent in 1950 to 0.81 per cent in 2015. On the other hand, the share of Jains in the population of India decreased from 0.45 per cent in 1950 to 0.36 per cent in 2015. The share of the Parsi population in India too witnessed a 85 per cent decline, going down from 0.03 per cent share in 1950 to 0.004 per cent in 2015. Our analysis shows that the world has become more heterogeneous in the previous six decades. In 1950, the starting point for our study, the share of the majority population in a society was 75 per cent. The share of majority religion in countries around the world has reduced by 22 per cent from 1950 to 2015, the study said. While in every continent, more countries witnessed a decrease in the share of the majority religious group than an increase, Africa was subject to the most extreme swings 21 out of the 40 countries which witnessed extreme changes are in the continent, the study said. Further, the 35 high-income OECD countries in the study witnessed a 29 per cent decrease in the share of the majority religious denomination which is notably higher than the 22 per cent reduction globally, the study said. Indias performance is consistent with larger global trends, the study said. Within its immediate neighbourhood in South Asia, India has witnessed the biggest decline in the majority population (7.82 per cent), only next to Myanmar which has witnessed a 10 per cent decline in its majority population over 65 years. On the other hand, the share of the minorities as a composite group has increased significantly. Contrary to the noise in several quarters, careful analysis of the data shows that minorities are not just protected but indeed thriving in India, the EAC-PM study said. This is particularly remarkable given the wider context within the South Asian neighbourhood where the share of the majority religious denomination has increased and minority populations have shrunk alarmingly across countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Afghanistan, the study said. Indias performance suggests that there is a conducive environment to foster diversity in the society, the report said. It is not possible to promote better life outcomes for the disadvantaged sections of society without providing a nurturing environment and societal support through a bottom-up approach, the report said. By way of illustration, India is one of the few countries which has a legal definition of minorities and provides constitutionally protected rights for them. The outcomes of these progressive policies and inclusive institutions are reflected in the growing number of minority populations within India, the study said. The study has observed that it is not surprising, therefore, that minority populations from across the neighbourhood come to India during times of duress. India has been a nourishing environment for the Tibetian Buddhists who had to escape from China and have found a comfortable home in India in the last six decades. Similarly, Matuas who took refuge in India due to religious persecution in Bangladesh have been assimilated into the Indian society. India also hosts a significant population of refugees from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Myanmar and Afghanistan. Given its plural, liberal and democratic nature, India has continued its civilizational tradition of harbouring persecuted populations from several countries over the last six decades, the study said. Indias performance in reduction of its majority population of Hindus is remarkable, considering the wider context of the South Asian neighbourhood where the share of the majority religious denomination has increased and minority populations have shrunk alarmingly across countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Afghanistan, the study said. In the Indian subcontinent, the Working Paper said all Muslim majority countries witnessed an increase in the share of the majority religious denomination except Maldives where the share of the majority group (Shafii Sunnis) declined by 1.47 per cent. In Bangladesh, there was an 18 per cent increase in the share of the majority religious group which is the largest such increase in the Indian subcontinent. Pakistan witnessed an increase of 3.75 per cent in the share of the majority religious denomination (Hanafi Muslim) and a 10 per cent increase in the share of total Muslim population despite the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. The EAC-PM study has not gone into the causes of the population changes but believed the nature and extent of change in the share of the minority population in a country is a strong indicator of its relative wellbeing within a country. Amid tension between India and the Maldives over the operation of Indian aviation platforms in the archipelago, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, on Thursday, held talks with visiting Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer on bilateral issues as well as regional developments. As close and proximate neighbours, the development of our ties is obviously based on mutual interests and reciprocal sensitivity, Dr Jaishankar told the Maldivian minister. He said as far as India is concerned, it has already articulated its commitment to The Neighbourhood First policy and the SAGAR vision. Advertisement India, Dr Jaishankar said, has been a key provider of development assistance to the Maldives. Our projects have benefited the lives of people of your country; contributed directly to the quality of life. They range from infrastructure projects and social initiatives to medical evacuation and health facilities. We have also extended financial support on favourable terms in the past. India has been a First Responder on numerous occasions for Maldives. Our cooperation has also enhanced the security and well-being of your country through shared activities, equipment provisioning, capacity building and training, he added. Noting that the world today is passing through a volatile and uncertain period, the Indian minister said that in such times, as was noticed during Covid, natural disasters and economic difficulties, close partnerships with neighbours are of great value. The Maldivian minister said he discussed with the Indian leader the possibility of a visit by Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu to India. On discussions on debt relief measures, Mr Zameer said, Economic cooperation with India has been an integral part of the Maldivian economy. So, obviously, if there is any debt in any country that we are in, we need to discuss based on those figures. So, I did discuss that and we will continue to be engaged. He acknowledged that the Maldivian people have benefited from the debt that the country has received and also from a lot of grants that it has received from the Indian government. Following damage to some loaded Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), four polling stations in the Betul Lok Sabha constituency of Madhya Pradesh would witness re-polling on 10 May. Voting was conducted in Betul in the third phase of polls on 7 May. However, when the polling parties were returning in a bus to store the loaded EVMs in the strong room, the bus caught fire resulting in damage to some EVMs. The incident had occurred near the village Sonora Gaura in Betul late at night on 7 May. Advertisement According to officials, the indelible ink during the re-polling would be applied on the middle finger of the left hand of voters, as it was already present on their index fingers from the initial voting process. Officials said that a local holiday has been announced on 10 May in the areas going to re-polling. All liquor shops would also remain closed, as a dry day has also been announced. The four polling booths where voters would cast their votes again, have been set up at Government Primary School Kunda, Raiyat, Government Integrated High School, Raiyat, Government Integrated High School, Chikhlimal and Government Integrated High School, Rajapur. The main contest at Betul is between BJP candidate two-time MP Durgadas Uikey and the Congress Ramu Tekam. Betul was among the nine Lok Sabha constituencies of Madhya Pradesh, which went to polls in the third phase on 7 May. A day after the US federal commissions report criticised New Delhi over alleged violations of religious freedom, the Russian foreign ministry has claimed that Washington aims to destabilise India during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. According to the state-owned Russia Today news channel, foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that Washington made unfounded accusations about religious freedoms in India without understanding the countrys national mentality and history. The reason [behind the US accusations] is to unbalance the internal political situation in India and complicate the general elections , she said. Advertisement This, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said amounted to interference in Indias internal affairs. Earlier on Thursday, India dismissed the report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) which accused the ruling BJP of reinforcing discriminatory nationalist policies, saying the organisation is completely biased and does not understand this countrys diverse, pluralistic and democratic ethos. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is known as a biased organization with a political agenda. They continue to publish their propaganda on India masquerading as part of an annual report, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing. We really have no expectation that USCIRF will even seek to understand Indias diverse, pluralistic and democratic ethos. Their efforts to interfere in the largest electoral exercise of the world will never succeed, he added. The USCIRF, in its report released yesterday, alleged that last year, the Indian government failed to address communal violence disproportionately affecting Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Jews, and Adivasis (indigenous peoples). In 2023, religious freedom conditions in India continued to deteriorate. The government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), reinforced discriminatory nationalist policies, perpetuated hateful rhetoric, and failed to address communal violence disproportionately affecting Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Jews, and Adivasis (indigenous peoples). Continued enforcement of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and anti-conversion and cow slaughter laws resulted in the arbitrary detention, monitoring, and targeting of religious minorities and those advocating on their behalf, the report has said. Its the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat, the political nerve-centre of western Odisha, that has drawn added attention of all than the remaining 20 Lok Sabha seats going to polls in Odisha. The high-octane parliamentary polls in Sambalpur are being keenly watched as BJP heavyweight and Union Education Minister is waging a battle in direct electoral politics after 15 years hiatus. Pradhan had plunged into direct polls a decade-and-a-half back and won the Deogarh Lok Sabha seat. Since then, he has represented Rajya Sabha from different States. The poll fight, according to observers, will be between Pradhan and Biju Janata Dal organising secretary and Odisha Chief Ministers close confidante Pranab Prakash Das. Both Pradhan and Das are outsiders in Sambalpur, where regional pride and identity often takes centre-stage in local politics. While Pradhan hails from industrially-rich Angul district, Das is a native of Jajpur district, rich in mining resources and industrial infrastructure. Advertisement The Congress has fielded Nagendra Pradhan from the seat which he earlier represented on a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ticket in 2014. If ground-level feedback trickles, Congress candidate Pradhan is lacking way behind the high-voltage electioneering of the BJP and the BJD. In 2019, BJPs Nitesh Gang Deb, who was denied ticket this time, won the seat by around 10,000 votes. For both the BJP and the BJD, now locked in an intriguing race to relegate one another to political background in States politics, stakes are high with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and BJD supremo apparently bent on upsetting the BJPs applecart in Sambalpur. Pradhan, who has left no stone unturned in extensively covering the seven Assembly segments coming under the parliamentary constituency, banks on PM Modis charisma and grass-root cadre base of the party to come out victorious in the polls. Its a crucial poll battle for the incumbent union minister to keep intact his hold and relevance in national politics, Nomination of three-time MLA Das in Sambalpur battleground is perceived as a strategic move by BJD President Patnaik. Das, being the regional partys organizational secretary, was in constant touch with party leadership and workers much before the polls. This, according to BJD circles, is coming in handy to revitalise the party unit and campaigners. Das, who is making electoral debut for Lok Sabha polls, pinned the hope that his party will win the seat because of Naveen Patnaiks popularity and series of development works implemented by the State Government in western Odisha. For both Pradhan and Das, the principal contenders in the polls, stakes are high. With voters largely maintaining silence on their choice of leader to represent them in the Lok Sabha, its early to judge the winnability prospects of candidates in the fray. The state of Odisha emerges as a battleground where alliances dissolve, friendships sour, and ambitions clash with unwavering determination. The recent face-off between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, once described as allies, underscores the volatile nature of political dynamics in the region. The transformation from camaraderie to confrontation between the two reflects a larger narrative of shifting loyalties and opportunistic manoeuvres. Their exchange of barbs and challenges signals the onset of a no-holds-barred electoral duel, where past alliances are relegated to mere footnotes in the pursuit of power. Berhampur, the epicentre of this political storm, witnesses a clash of turncoats as erstwhile loyalists defect to rival camps in a bid to secure electoral fortunes. Such defections not only highlight the fluidity of political allegiances but also expose the underbelly of opportunism that pervades the electoral landscape. At the heart of this electoral tug-of-war lies the quest for dominance in Odisha, a state that has been ruled with considerable success by Mr Patnaik. Mr Modis fervent appeal for a decisive change is made to a populace that is beginning to wonder if its ageing leader still has it in him to rule the state, while Mr Patnaiks sharp retort reflects a determination to remain in power. Amid the fervour of electoral rhetoric and strategic manoeuvring, it is imperative to recognise the pivotal role of the electorate in shaping the course of Odishas political landscape. The voters, often portrayed as mere spectators in the political theatre, wield the power to chart the trajectory of their states destiny. Their discerning judgement, informed by lived experiences and aspirations for a better tomorrow, will ultimately determine the outcome of this electoral saga. As Odisha braces itself for the impending four phase ~ phases four to seven of the general election ~ electoral showdown starting May 13, it is the voices of its citizens that will resonate the loudest. The ideological fault lines that once demarcated political boundaries are now blurred, as pragmatism supersedes principle in the quest for electoral supremacy. Advertisement The BJPs aggressive foray into Odisha, buoyed by past electoral gains and bolstered by strategic alliances, poses a formidable challenge to the entrenched dominance of the BJD. Yet, amid the cacophony of political rhetoric and power plays, the concerns of the common citizen remain a glaring reality. Issues such as healthcare access and the implementation of welfare schemes serve as litmus tests for political efficacy, exposing the chasm between promises made and realities faced. The BJPs criticism of the BJD governments reluctance to adopt central schemes like Ayushman Bharat reflects a broader debate on the balance of power between the Centre and the states, while the BJDs steadfast commitment to its own welfare initiatives underscores a defiance of central hegemony in matters of governance. The battle for Odisha transcends mere electoral arithmetic. It embodies a clash of visions, a contest of ideologies, and a struggle for the soul of a state yearning for progress and prosperity In a world already on edge due to geopolitical tensions, the recent announcement by Russia regarding tactical nuclear weapon drills is nothing short of alarming. The spectre of nuclear confrontation, long relegated to the annals of history, has once again reared its ugly head, reminding us all of the precariousness of our global situation. The pretext for these drills, according to Russia, lies in what they perceive as threats from Western powers, particularly France, Britain, and the United States. This comes amid the on-going conflict in Ukraine, where Russias invasion has sparked international condemnation and a surge of support for the embattled nation from the West. However, the decision to incorporate nuclear scenarios into military exercises represents a dangerous escalation, one that risks plunging us into a new era of nuclear brinkmanship. While it is tempting to dismiss Russias actions as mere sabre-rattling, we cannot afford to underestimate the gravity of the situation. The use of tactical nuclear weapons, even in a simulated scenario, sends a chilling message to the world: that the threshold for nuclear warfare may be lower than it imagined. In a world already grappling with existential threats such as climate change and pandemics, the addition of nuclear brinkmanship to the mix is nothing short of reckless. The world community must respond with a unified voice against this escalation. Diplomatic channels must be kept open, and dialogue between all parties involved must be prioritised. Now more than ever, the need is for cool heads and steady hands at the helm, individuals committed to de-escalating tensions. Moreover, we must use this moment as an opportunity to reassess our collective approach to nuclear deterrence. The Cold War doctrine of mutually assured destruction may have kept the peace for decades, but in todays interconnected world, where rogue actors and non-state actors pose new threats, we need a more nuanced and multilateral approach to nuclear disarmament. Advertisement Ultimately, the events unfolding before us serve as a stark reminder of the fragility of the world order. We cannot afford to be complacent or naive about the risks we face. Now is the time for vigilance, for diplomacy, and for a renewed commitment to peace. The alternative is too grim to contemplate. As we navigate these turbulent waters, let us not lose sight of our common humanity. It is incumbent upon all of us, as global citizens, to work towards a future where the threat of nuclear annihilation is but a distant memory. Leaders on both sides must exercise restraint and prioritise dialogue over brinkmanship. The stakes could not be higher, and the consequences of failure are too dire to contemplate. As citizens of this fragile planet, we must demand accountability from leaders and insist on a path towards de-escalation and peace. The time for action is now, before its too late. Tech giants Microsoft and Google have moved the Delhi High Court against its single-judge benchs order directing search engines to proactively remove non-consensual intimate images (NCII) from the internet without requiring specific URLs. The companies argue that implementing such directives is technologically unfeasible and exceeds the existing legal framework. During proceedings before a division bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, Microsoft stated that complying with the single-judges directions is not feasible due to technological limitations and that the directives go beyond established legal boundaries. Advertisement The appeals by Microsoft and Google challenge a judgment delivered by Justice Subramonium Prasad on April 26. It was revealed that Google has also filed a similar appeal, which is scheduled for consideration on May 9. The court has decided to review both cases simultaneously. Justice Prasad had cautioned social media intermediaries that they risk losing their liability protection if they fail to adhere to the timeframe specified under the Information Technology Rules for removing non-consensual intimate content. He had said that search engines possess the necessary technology to remove NCII content without requiring victims to repeatedly seek the courts intervention, and cannot claim helplessness in removing or disabling access to links containing illegal content. Representing Microsoft, senior advocate Jayant Mehta argued that the single judges reliance on Metas tool for content removal is misplaced, as Bing, Microsofts search engine, does not host any content. He contended that complying with the courts order to proactively search for and remove such content throughout the database is not feasible given current technology limitations. Mehta also pointed out the impracticality of deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to execute the directives, as AI would struggle to differentiate between consensual and non-consensual images. The US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly voted to kill a resolution to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson. The House on Wednesday voted 359-43 on a motion by Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia to oust Johnson from his post, with seven Democrats voting present, Xinhua news agency reported. Greene called up her resolution to remove fellow Republican and House Speaker Johnson on the House floor Wednesday evening. But House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, immediately motioned to table the measure. Advertisement A remarkable number of House Republicans joined with Democrats to rescue the speaker, who has only been in the job for a little over six months, reported The Washington Post, adding that Johnson earned grudging respect from more traditional Republicans for ensuring the government didnt run out of funding and sending aid to US allies and Israel and Ukraine, but he only did so with Democratic support, infuriating members like Greene. Johnson has also been emboldened by the backing of former US President Donald Trump, who reiterated his support for the Louisiana Republican over the weekend, said the report. Its the second time in less than a year that Republicans have sought to remove their own partys speaker. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California was voted out of the job in October through a motion filed by a fellow member of the Republican Party. Greene has called for Johnsons removal in recent weeks, mostly over the US aid package for Ukraine. Its the latest sign of continued Republican infighting. US President Joe Biden has threatened Israel with further restrictions on the supply of military equipment were Israel to carry out a major military offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. I made it clear that if they (Israel) go into Rafah Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities that deal with that problem, Biden told broadcaster CNN in an interview, stressing they havent gone in Rafah yet. On Wednesday, the US said it paused a large shipment of weapons to Israel amid ongoing concerns in Washington about military operations in the southern Gaza city. Advertisement State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said it had been clearly communicated to Israel that the US government did not support Israels long-threatened all-out offensive in Rafah, the southern city in the Gaza Strip that is seen as the last place of refuge for civilians in the territory. He said the Israeli side has yet to present a credible plan that guarantees both the protection of the civilian population in Rafah and their access to humanitarian supplies. Israel describes Rafah as the last major Hamas stronghold in Gaza. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 9. May 9 marks the 79th anniversary of the historic Victory over fascism, Trend reports. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Victorious Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva visited the grave of Major General of Tank Troops Hazi Aslanov, who was twice awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The head of state and the First Lady placed flowers at his statue and paid tribute to all Azerbaijanis killed during the war. The people of Azerbaijan made a significant contribution to the historic Victory over fascism. Azerbaijani citizens played a tremendous role in achieving this Victory, with 600,000 sons and daughters sent to the frontline. More than 300,000 of them heroically died in battles. Over 130 representatives of Azerbaijan were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for their bravery during the war, and more than 170,000 soldiers and officers received various orders and medals. Azerbaijani divisions covered a glorious battle road from the Caucasus to Berlin, with hundreds of our compatriots fighting as part of guerrilla groups. Azerbaijani oil played a crucial role in this Victory. Azerbaijan was a major supplier of fuel and lubricants to the Soviet army, supplying 90 percent of engine oil, 80 percent of gasoline and 70 percent of oil. The historic heroism of the sons of Azerbaijan has always been treated with utmost respect. National Leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev paid special attention and took great care of war veterans during his time in power, describing them as the golden fund of our people. President Ilham Aliyev has also focused on resolving the social problems of war veterans, providing them with financial assistance on the eve of 9 May, Victory Day. By an Order of the President of Azerbaijan dated May 2, 2024, veterans of the 1941-1945 war were provided with 2,000 manats, while widows of soldiers killed during or after World War II, individuals who selflessly worked in the rear at the time, employees of special forces who performed tasks for the benefit of the army and navy within the operational boundaries of the frontlines or combat navies during World War II, persons awarded medals and badges for the defense of Leningrad during World War II, as well as persons involved in the defense of the besieged city of Leningrad received one-time financial assistance amounting to 1,000 manats. This demonstrates once again that comprehensive attention and care for war veterans is one of the top priorities of state policy in Azerbaijan. For the fourth consecutive year, the people of Azerbaijan are celebrating the Victory over fascism in the 1941-1945 war with even greater pride, following our Victory in the 44-day Patriotic War. The justice that our people had aspired to for 30 years has finally prevailed, and Azerbaijan has restored its territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders under the leadership of President and Victorious Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev. The memory of all our sons and daughters who died in the struggle for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, as well as during the 1941-1945 war, will forever live in the hearts of the people. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 9. The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Almaty is a step forward, advisor of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, chairman of the Baku Political Scientists Club Zaur Mammadov said, Trend reports. He made this statement while commenting on the upcoming meeting of Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Ceyhun Bayramov and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Almaty. Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov, according to him, have known each other for a long time and have already held joint meetings. "Last year, several meetings, even multi-day meetings, were held in the US, after which, direct or circumstantial meetings began to be held regularly. Nowadays, we do notice positive changes in relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. We hope that Armenia's decision regarding the four villages, along with the upcoming changes to its legal regulations, can pave the way for the signing of a peace treaty. Let us hope that this is only the beginning, and that it will not end with the villages alone returning. The return of villages does not mean that the problem is completely solved. Delimitation and demarcation will continue, and at the same time, it is the constitutional changes and normative legal acts that are the main issue between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Baku's main desire. Because if Armenia today, in its legal normative acts, makes claims to the territory of the neighboring country, it may lead to the fact that in the future, after the change of power, Armenia will again be set against Azerbaijan," he noted. Mammadov stated that the text of the peace treaty will also be a topic of discussion in Almaty. "We can name it a peace treaty, or an initialed document before the peace treaty, which will probably be engraved with a statement that this treaty, which will be signed between Azerbaijan and Armenia, will annul the decisions made in the country up to this point and will be considered the supreme document between the parties. This would be great progress to prevent disagreements and possible conflicts in the future. Additionally, communication issues will be discussed. Of course, when we discuss communication, we're referring to the road line's final opening to Zangezur. Last but not least, the meeting will be held in Almaty, where the parties signed the agreement in 1991. This time, the foreign ministers will discuss the text of the peace treaty. This is certainly a step forward. And most importantly, holding the meeting in a neutral country excludes geopolitical conflicts of interest and can make communication more effective," he added. Azerbaijani MP Elshan Musayev commented on the upcoming meeting between the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia, telling Trend that the recent processes, in particular the return of four villages and the beginning of the realization of delimitation, proved that in the absence of outside interference, everything goes in the right direction and the two states find common language faster. According to him, expectations are high for the meeting in Almaty, and there is a belief that the foreign ministers of the two countries will achieve serious results. "Moreover, the forces that are doing "everything possible" to destabilize the situation in the region should also be given a clear message that there is no need for their mediation, as both Azerbaijan and Armenia can solve all disputes between themselves. As we know, the main topic of discussion in Almaty is the text of the peace treaty, and we hope that at the press conference that Jeyhun Bayramov and Ararat Mirzoyan will hold afterward, we will get good and encouraging news about the agreement of this text. Why not? In my opinion, there are no obstacles to this. Everything has its turn. It is enough for Armenia not to succumb to external influences from now on, to act adequately until the end, as in the issue of four villages, to be as resolute as we are, and to realize the importance of peace. That's all. After that, no one will be able to hinder this process and prevent the conclusion of a peace treaty," he added. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Air India Express, which was forced to cancel more than 100 flights since Tuesday night after a section of cabin crew went on mass "sick leave" to protest against the alleged mismanagement at the Tata Group-owned airline, terminated around 30 employees (cabin crew members). According to airline sources, the employees were sacked after they did not report to work, and due to their behaviour, thousands of passengers suffered. Media reports suggest that the airliner will terminate more employees and the management is expected to hold a townhall meeting with the cabin crew on Thursday. In an e-mail to the affected employees, the airline said their decision to go on sick leave "pointed to a pre-mediated and concerted abstention from work without any justifiable reason". Their move "violated the Air India Express Limited Employees' Service Rules as are applicable to you". According to the e-mail, the employees were rostered for a flight on Tuesday, but they informed the Scheduling team at the last moment that they were sick. "It is noted that at around the same time, an overwhelming number of other cabin crew members have also reported sick and not reported for their duties. This clearly points to a pre-mediated and concerted abstentation from work without any justifiable reason." The airline noted that their action caused " tremendous inconvenience" to passengers. "You will no longer be considered an employee; you will no longer have access to official mails, servers, other communication; and you and your dependants shall not be eligible for any employee-related benefits provided by the company," the e-mail read. The cabin crew shortage has resulted in the cancellations of more than 100 flights since Tuesday night and around 15,000 passengers have been affected. More than 200 cabin crew had reported sick. Flight disruptions happened at various airports, including Kochi, Calicut, Delhi and Bengaluru. Domestic as well as international services, including to various Gulf countries, have also been hit. There has been discontent among a section of the cabin crew of Air India Express for some time after the start of the process to merge AIX Connect, formerly AirAsia India, with itself. Late last month, a union representing a section of the Air India Express cabin crew alleged that the airline is being mismanaged and there is a lack of equality in the treatment of the staff. In a message to the airline's staff, Air India Express CEO Aloke Singh on Wednesday said the decision of the cabin crew to call in sick had severely disrupted the operations. "The disruptions have cascaded across the network, forcing us to curtail the schedules over the next few days. We had to do this to cope with the non-availability of crew and to recover schedules," Singh said. Singh also said the company leadership is available for any discussions if there are concerns that need to be addressed. Tata Motors shares rose over 2.8 per cent to reach Rs 1,040.75 per share on Thursday around 11.30 am ahead of the auto major's announcement of its Q4 results on Friday. This comes amid analysts predicting robust results for the company supported by operating leverage advantage, favourable commodity trends and strong volume growth across its various segments. Its vehicle sales in the domestic and overseas market for Q4 FY24 was recorded at 2,65,090 units compared to 2,51,822 the same quarter in FY23. The number of passenger vehicles sold surged 15 per cent to 1,55,651 in the March quarter while the commercial vehicles sold slumped by 6 per cent to 1,09,439. In FY24, Tata Motors received its highest-ever grant of 333 patents, taking its total granted patents to over 850. The company has also filed 222 patents and 117 design applications in FY24, the highest in its history. The filings span across a wide spectrum of product and process innovations, addressing key automotive megatrends such as connectivity, electrification, sustainability, and safety (CESS). The company is also expected to cut its net debt to near zero in the March quarter. Tata Motors is planning to invest $1 billion in a new plant in Tamil Nadu to manufacture luxury cars under Jaguar Land Rover. 'Wednesday', one of the most watched Netflix series ever, has evidently captured the audiences attention like none other. The Netflix originals captivating charm, dark characters and thrilling plot have made it appealing to audiences worldwide. Fans who are awaiting more of the quirky Addams family and their adventures can rejoice in the fact that season 2 has officially begun filming. The new setting of Ireland may provide a shift to Nevermore. At the heart of the show is the enigmatic Wednesday Addams played by Jenna Ortega, characterized by her deadpan delivery and sarcasm. Season 1, revolves around her chase with a bloodthirsty monster, while also being entangled in a love triangle. It gave us a perspective of the mischief and madness in the intriguing Nevermore Academy, and set the stage for the continuation of the ghoulish ride. Jenna Ortegas portrayal of Wednesday Addams has garnered praise for its depth and subtlety, thus establishing her as a bankable star. This season, Jenna has assumed the role of producer, being more creatively involved in the process. She had previously expressed her discomfort with the show focusing more on romance, stating that she believed it didnt fit the character. Thus, she emphasized that this second season is ditching the love interest and instead showcasing more elements of horror. While Season 1 balanced both love and horror, season 2 is avoiding it altogether, making it a perfect Gothic Horror series. Joining Ortega in this new season are a cast of acting legends as well as fresh faces, with each individual portraying their unique talents. Emma Myers returns as Enid, a werewolf who is also Jennas best friend, while Bianca reprises her role as Joy Sunday, a siren student in the academy. Wednesdays family, portrayed by Catherina Zeta-Jones as her mother Morticia Addams, Luis Guzman as her father Gomez and Issac Ordonez playing her brother Pugsley, will gain more prominence in the second season, showcasing more of the twisted Addams Family. The portrayal of this dynamic is a continuation from the previous season. Along with these family members, Grandmama Addams played by Joanna Lumely, provides intrigue to the story, by delving into her family more. The directors have stated that the relationship between Morticia Addams and her daughter will be expanded on and given more focus. The world expands with new additions such as Thandiwe Norton, playing a mysterious Dr Fairburn or the famed Steve Buscemi as the principal of Nevermore Academy. Billie Piper, Evie Templeton, Owen Painter and Noah Taylor add to the star-studded cast. Speculation is at its height, with viewers wondering if they are playing supernatural creatures or new students at Nevermore Academy. Notably absent from the show is Percy Hynes White who played Xaviers. There were demands to take him out of the show after allegations of sexual assault surfaced. With a talented cast, expanded storylines and increased emphasis on horror, season 2 promises a mysterious and captivating experience for viewers. While fans await the date, we can be sure that Wednesdays return will bring suspense and comedy. Days after three Indians were arrested in Canada in connection with the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, New Delhi said there has been no official communication from Ottawa in this regard. Canada has informed us about the arrest. But we have not got any formal communication, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday. He said Canada has not yet shared any specific or relevant evidence or information with India on the alleged involvement of the Indian nationals in the killing of Nijjar. "Let me first make it clear that no specific or relevant evidence or information has been shared by the Canadian authorities in regard to this matter till date. You will therefore understand our view that the matter is being pre-judged, Jaiswal said during a media interaction. The spokesperson reiterated Indias charges that separatists, extremists and those supporting violence are being given political space in Canada. Obviously, there are political interests at work, he added. Jaiswal noted that many of those associated with organised crimes in India have been given entry and residency in Canada, while many extradition requests made by New Delhi are still pending. Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey on June 18, 2023. The killing sparked a wave of protests, with some Sikh groups circulating posters that threatened Indian diplomats in Canada by name. The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Prime Minister Trudeau's allegations in September last year of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. New Delhi rejected Trudeau's charges as "absurd". Last week, three IndiansKaran Brar, 22, Kamalpreet Singh, 22, and Karanpreet Singh, 28were arrested and charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. The threewho are alleged to be members of a hit squad appeared separately by video in the Surrey provincial courtroom on Tuesday to acknowledge the charges of first-degree murder and conspiring to commit murder and to agree to have their cases adjourned to May 21 to give them time to consult with their lawyers. Canadian foreign minister Melanie Joly said her government stands by the allegations that India had a role in the killing of Nijjar. Canada's position has always been clear. Our job is to protect Canadians and we stand by the allegations that a Canadian was killed on Canadian soil by Indian agents. Now, the investigation by the RCMP is being done, she said. Russian diplomacy was at its effective best when a foreign ministry spokesperson in Moscow blamed the US for trying to interfere in the Indian electionsan obvious wedge in the warming India-US bilateral relations. For once, India didnt have an answer. On Thursday, during the weekly briefing, the Indian foreign ministry spokesperson evaded a direct response to a question seeking Indias reaction to the Russian position. All Randhir Jaiswal, MEA spokesperson, could say was that it was grossly wrong for any foreign power to interfere in Indias elections and that such an effort could never be successful. Significantly, in a recent interview, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had alluded to foreign interference in the ongoing polls. He had said: I can see that there is an attempt by some in the world to influence our elections. They are not just giving their opinions but are trying to influence our polls. But they will not be successful. It is not easy for India to directly confront the US because of the formers role as one of the principal nations that is at the forefront of a US-led effort to counter China. There is also an ongoing India-China border dispute that has worsened after a still continuing military standoff in eastern Ladakh. At the same time, India is historically heavily dependent on Russia for much of its military equipment. All said, diplomatically, India has maneuvered with finesse in the Ukraine conflict, a position that has won accolades in the strategic community. On Wednesday, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova had dived into the simmering controversy between India and the US by directly accusing the US of interfering in the ongoing Indian parliamentary elections. The latest Russian position can be seen as an effort to drive a wedge between a growing camaraderie between the US-led West and India especially when it came to countering China. While many European nations see Russia as a primary threat, the US sees China as the biggest challenger to the US prime hegemonic status that it has come to be after the end of the Cold War and the disintegration of the erstwhile USSR. Saying that the US mentality stems from neocolonialism and is the mentality of the colonial period, Zakharova said: This does not only apply to India. The reason is the desire to unbalance the internal political situation in India in order to complicate the general parliamentary elections taking place in the country. Of course, this is part of interference in India's internal affairs." The Russian spokesperson also accused the US of not having presented any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indians in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar and in the Gurpatwant Singh Pannun murder plot. On the recent criticism of India of curbing religious freedom in a report the US State Department body, Zakharova called it disrespectful to India as a country and a state. She said: regular unfounded accusations by the United States against New Delhi of violating religious freedoms are a reflection of the United States misunderstanding of the national mentality, the historical context of the development of the Indian state and disrespect for India as a state. On Monday, three Indian Navy warshipsINS Delhi, Shakti and INS Kiltanberthed in Singapore as part of the operational deployment of the Indian Navy to the hotly contested South China sea. India will participate in one of the largest naval war games called RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific) which will take place in and around Hawaii from June 29 to August 4, 2024. Dozens of warships, submarines and thousands of sailors from 26 countries will participate in the exercise. Among others, the core component of RIMPAC includes the US-led western bloc countries. The Manipur government has detected 5,457 illegal immigrants in the Kamjong district and measures are being taken for their deportation, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said. Singh poster on X, 5,457 illegal immigrants detected in Manipur. Biometric data of 5,173 of them recorded. The Manipur chief minister said process is underway to deport illegal immigrants. Biren Singh said certain home groups are criticising the steps taken by the government against illegal immigration at this crucial juncture. This is a situation where the survival of indigenous people are at stake and we will not allow it to continue. Ironically, this lobby is quiet about Western countries' stance against illegal immigration but raise objections to the actions taken in Manipur, India. This selective outrage raises concerns about the agendas and propaganda pursued by these groups with secessionist tendencies, he tweeted. "The biometrics of those staying at Phaikoh, Huimi Thana/Sangkalok refugee camps are being obtained, an official told PTI. The CM said his government has been providing humanitarian aid to all illegal immigrants. We have been handling this situation with utmost sensitivity," he said. Earlier this month, at least 38 more illegal immigrants from Myanmar, who had crossed over to Manipur, were deported through Moreh town in Tengnoupal district, Singh had informed. A total of 77 such immigrants were deported in the first phase, he said. -with PTI inputs. The Mumbai Crime Branch arrested a fifth accused in connection with the firing incident outside the Bandra house of popular Bollywood actor Salman Khan. According to the police, the arrested accused, Mohammad Rafiq Chaudhary, had also done recce outside the houses of two other actors apart from Salman Khans house. He shot a video of Khan's house and sent it to gangster Anmol Bishnoi. "The shooters, Pal and Gupta, were apprehensive about carrying out the firing until Bishnoi reassured them that they would gain virtue by completing the task. Further investigation is underway in recce outside the houses of two more actors," the police said. On April 14, two motorbike-borne people opened fire outside Salman Khan's residence in the Bandra area of Mumbai. The police had so far arrested four people in connection with the incident. Meanwhile, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday allowed a second post-mortem examination of Anuj Kumar, who died in police custody following his arrest in the case. Kumar, who was accused of supplying firearms and bullets, was arrested on April 26 from Punjab and remanded to police custody till April 30. He was found dead in the toilet of the lock-up of the crime branch in the commissionerate complex at Crawford Market here on May 1. A third militant was killed in an encounter that resumed after a lull of 24 hours at Redwani in Kulgam district. The operation against the militants began on the intervening night of May 6 and 7. Earlier, two militants, including a top Lashkar commander, were killed after the encounter started in the area. A Joint Operation, that commenced on the intervening night of 06-07 May in the general area Redwani Payeen, Kulgam, has been concluded after a relentless vigil of approximately 40 hours. 03xTerrorists have been eliminated along with the recovery of war-like stores, inflicting yet another hit on the terror ecosystem, the Army said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. Security forces killed the third militant, who was holed up at the site of the encounter on Wednesday evening. The militant was neutralised after he opened fire at the security forces who were conducting a search operation in the area, after killing two militants, including a top Lashkar commander, Basit Dar, carrying a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head. These militants were also gunned down by the Army at the same spot on Wednesday. Security forces have retrieved the bodies of two militants from the encounter site. The killing of the three militants comes in the wake of an attack on an Indian Air Force convoy in Poonch on May 5 in which IAF personnel got injured. One of the injured, Corporal Vikky Pahade, later succumbed to the injuries. The attack took place in the Shaistar area of Poonch. Militants, according to officials, had taken positions on heights overlooking the road and fired indiscriminately on two IAF vehicles. The security forces quickly retaliated after which the militants fled from the spot. The security forces have detained some people for information about the militants and also released their sketches, and announced an award for information on them. Poonch and Rajouri in the last two years have witnessed several ambushes by militants on security forces in which more than 20 security force personnel, mostly from the Army, have lost their lives. Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 9. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on providing Azerbaijani cultural figures with a personal pension of the President of Azerbaijan, Trend reports. Guided by Article 109, Clause 32 of the Constitution of Azerbaijan, and in accordance with the Decree of the President of Azerbaijan "On the establishment of a personal pension of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan" dated June 11, 2002, No. 715, it was decreed to: 1. grant a personal pension of the President of Azerbaijan for merits in the development of Azerbaijani culture to the following persons: Omar Eldarov Boyuk Khanym Aliyeva Khanlar Hashimzade Farhad Israfilov Agil Malikov Sevda Mammadaliyeva Lalazar Mustafayeva. 2. task the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan with resolving issues arising from this decree. Karan Brar, one of the alleged members of a hit squad arrested in Canada in connection with the murder of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year, entered Canada on a 'study permit'. According to media reports, Brar had, in a video on social media in 2019, claimed that it took him merely days to obtain the permit. Brar (22) Kamalpreet Singh (22) and Karanpreet Singh, (28) all Indian nationals residing in Edmonton, were arrested and charged on Friday with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Brar had reportedly applied for a student visa through EthicWorks Immigration Services in Bathinda of Punjab and got it days later. Canada-based Global News reported that EthicWorks' Facebook page had a promotional video featuring Brar, the caption of which read: "Congratulations Karan Brar for the Canada study visa...One more happy client from Kotkapura." Another social media post by Brar showed that he moved to Edmonton in 2020. The news report comes even as Immigration Minister Marc Miller refused to field questions on how the suspects came to Canada. Local police had claimed that the suspects had entered Canada over the past five years and were suspected of involvement in the world of drug trafficking and violence. The three arrested had appeared separately by video in court on Tuesday to acknowledge the charges of first-degree murder and conspiring to commit murder and to agree to have their cases adjourned to May 21 to give them time to consult with their lawyers, the Vancouver Sun newspaper reported. The US is attempting to destabilise India amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, alleged the Russian foreign ministry after a US panel report accused New Delhi of violating relgious freedom. "The reason [behind the US accusations] is to unbalance the internal political situation in India and complicate the general elections [...]," RT News quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying. She added Washington's actions clearly constitute interference in India's internal affairs as it lacks simple understanding of India's national mentality and history, as America continues to make "unfounded accusations" about religious freedoms. This comes after United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) renewed its recommendation to the US Department of State to declare India a "Country of Particular Concern". India's Ministry of External Affairs had earlier slammed the US panel, with its spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal saying, "The US Commission on International Religious Freedom is known as a biased organisation with a political agenda. They continue to publish their propaganda on India masquerading as part of an annual report." The Russian ministry also said that there is no evidence linking India to Khalistan terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun's murder plot in the US. "According to the information we have, Washington has not yet provided any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the preparation of the murder of a certain GS Pannun. Speculation on this topic in the absence of evidence is unacceptable," added Zakharova. On May 8, President Joe Biden made an unusual public statement, giving a clear indication that the weight of electoral politics is influencing his Israel policy. As Israel mulls a full-scale offensive on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Biden said he would stop sending bombs and other munitions to Israel if it went ahead with the invasion. I made it clear that if they go into Rafahthey havent gone in Rafah yetif they go, I am not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, said Biden. On the same day, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told a senate committee that the US had formally asked Israel not to launch a major offensive against Rafah. Israel should not launch a major attack without accounting for and protecting the civilians that are in the battle space, he said. He informed the committee that the Biden administration had already put on hold a shipment of high-payload munitions to Israel, keeping in mind possible ground operations in Rafah. The paused shipment include 1,800 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds each and 1,700 bombs weighing 500 pounds each. The state department is considering whether to give Israel 6,500 Joint Direct Attack Munition guidance kits that could convert ordinary bombs to precision-guided weapons. Biden, meanwhile, acknowledged for the first time that Israel used American weapons to kill civilians. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs, said Biden, referring to weapons supplied by the US. The Biden administration has already warned Israel that a full-blown invasion of Rafah would be a red-line that could hurt bilateral relations. But the government headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is driven by far right leaders whose support is crucial for the government's stability. And they believe that a major assault on Rafah is required to dismantle four of Hamas's six remaining battalions. Humanitarian workers worry that it would lead to massive collateral damage as nearly 1.5 million people have taken refuge in Rafah. Israeli forces seized the main border crossing from Gaza to Egypt on May 7, sealing off a critical access point to deliver much-needed aid to the embattled enclave. It conducted airstrikes, sent in battle tanks and has ordered the immediate evacuation of 110,000 civilians. The immediate provocation behind the latest Israeli action was a series of rocket attacks by Hamas on the Kerem Shalom crossing in which four Israeli soldiers were killed. We are conducting a limited operation in Gaza to kill terrorists and dismantle the infrastructure being used by Hamas terrorists, said an Israeli military spokesperson. He asked civilians in Rafah to move to an expanded humanitarian zone near Khan Younis, located to the north of Rafah. So far, the Israeli manoeuvre appears limited in scope, and does not look like a full scale invasion. As Netanyahu refuses to budge, aid, especially military supplies, is the key leverage for Biden. The US has provided Israel aid worth $158.7 billion since the Jewish state was formed in May 1948of that, $124.3 billion has been for the military. At present, the annual aid outlay is $3.8 billion, according to a deal signed by president Barack Obama. An additional $15 billion was approved by the Biden administration a week ago under a bill passed by the Congress. US presidents have employed their leverage over Israel only rarely. The last president to do so was Ronald Regan, who delayed the supply of arms to Israel back in 1980s to demonstrate his displeasure on the invasion of Lebanon and the attack on Iraqi nuclear reactors. A few years later, president George H.W. Bush temporarily froze loan guarantees worth $10 billion when he found out that the money was being used to expand settlements in the West Bank. He also wanted to nudge the Israelis to come to the negotiating table with the Palestinians to launch a peace process. Yet, in the case of Biden, the break with Israel, especially with Netanyahu, appears deep. With Netanyahu's steady shift to the far right, his ties with the US, especially with Democratic administrations, have soured considerably. During the ongoing Gaza war, Netanyahu has been completely oblivious to suggestions from the Biden administration about minimising civilian casualties and exploring the possibilities of a ceasefire. The differences in opinion have become all the more pronounced regarding the future of Rafah. While Netanyahu insists on a ground invasion, Biden has repeatedly made clear his opposition to that. Biden has dispatched CIA director William Burns to the Middle East to broker peace between the warring parties. Burns met with Netanyahu two days ago to personally convey Biden's warning that Israel needed to spare Rafah to ensure continued American support. The Burns-Netanyahu meeting on May 8 happened against the backdrop of truce negotiations in Cairo during which Hamas announced that it had accepted a ceasefire and hostage deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar. While Israel has sent a delegation to Cairo, it is unlikely to accede to the demands by Hamas, especially the condition of a path to sustainable calm. Hamas means a permanent end to the war, complete withdrawal from Gaza and lifting the blockade. Netanyahu said those were quite far away from Israel's core concerns and that he intended to keep up the military pressure. For Biden, time is running out as he enters the home stretch of his reelection campaign. Adopting a sterner position against Netanyahu is an acknowledgment of the fact that the wider Democratic coalition does not want to give Israel a free pass. The progressive wing of the party keeps on reminding Biden that the war has already caused more than 34,000 deaths, of which a majority are civilians. Over the years, the US has provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Israel. We can no longer be complicit in Netanyahu's horrific war against the Palestinian people, said Senator Bernie Sanders, the democratic socialist from Vermont, after Biden announced his plan to withhold aid. Biden has so far been reluctant in adopting a tough position against Israel as conventional wisdom suggests that no candidate can expect to win the presidency by alienating the Jewish state and the overwhelming support it enjoys in the United States. But the ongoing Gaza war seems to have shifted that narrative, at least to a limited extent, as seen from the campus protests and also from various opinion polls. The Republicans, meanwhile, offer full-throttled support for Israel. They have criticised Biden for threatening to suspend aid. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote a joint letter to Biden, asking him to rethink. Israel faces an existential and multi-front threat... and daylight between Israel and the US at this dangerous time risks emboldening Israel's enemies and undermining the trust that other allies and partners have in the US, they said. Speaking in the senate, McConnell said Biden's move was influenced by political pressure from his party's anti-Israel base and the campus communists who decided to wrap themselves in the flags of Hamas and Hezbollah. Unless Biden can persuade Netanyahu to cut a deal with Hamas and achieve at least a temporary truce, Gaza could easily be a disaster for him this election cycle. Disruptions during his public meetings and the unending campus protests are already hurting his campaign. The president will have to walk a fine line balancing criticisms about anti-Semitism, while at the same time addressing the concerns of the young voters and also the Arab and Muslim supporters of the Democratic Party to maintain his edge in the battleground states and retain the White House in November. Viewed of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. A group of radical pro-Hamas demonstrators at George Washington University (GWU) sparked outrage by calling for the beheading of senior school administrators over their refusal to support anti-Israel protests. Video footage shows protesters chanting Guillotine, guillotine, guillotine, guillotine and threatening university President Ellen Granberg and other officials, including Provost Christopher Alan Bracey. The demonstrators held a mock trial, sentencing the administrators to death and livestreaming the event on Instagram. Written materials from the radical left-wing Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) were posted around the protest encampment. University President Ellen Granberg condemned the protesters, urging local police to intervene, as the school was unable to restore order on its own. The demonstration has grown into what can only be classified as an illegal and potentially dangerous occupation of GW property, Granberg said. Since the weekend, police have arrested at least 35 people as the campus protests enter their 14th day. The university has called for police intervention, citing an unprecedented situation that they are not equipped to manage alone. NOTE: The video below has been edited due to severe profanity. The profanity was laced around the calls for the beheadings and calls for faculty to be hung on the gallows. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 9. With the start of border delimitation, Azerbaijan and Armenia took a huge leap toward rapprochement. Following the April 19 meeting of both countries' commissions, Armenia consented to return four villages in Azerbaijan's Gazakh region, which it previously occupied. This development underscores the effectiveness of direct bilateral talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia, contrasting with negotiations involving external parties that often yield only vague declarations and necessitate prolonged follow-up discussions. Numerous times, including at the highest level, Azerbaijan has emphatically declared its commitment to regional peace. Consistently, the country has advocated for the resolution of regional issues solely through bilateral channels. Azerbaijan's actions have consistently aligned with its stated goal of achieving peace with Armenia. Conversely, Armenia tends to seek the involvement of Western parties at every opportunity, diverging from the path of direct bilateral engagement. Polish political analyst and candidate of political sciences Jakub Korejba told Trend, commenting on the results of the commission meeting, that delimitation and then demarcation of the border are steps towards normalizing relations between the states. Therefore, the accord to begin border delimitation between Armenia and Azerbaijan marks a historic milestone. It signifies a transition from non-constructive, conflict-ridden relations towards constructive, mutually beneficial bilateral ties. In essence, it signifies the initiation of a normalization process, wherein both parties acknowledge and uphold each other's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Undoubtedly, this marks a historic transformation in the South Caucasus region, he said. According to the analyst, the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan entails a rejection of involving external actors in shaping their relationship. Over the years, Armenia has essentially elevated this matter to the realm of international politics, thereby making it contingent upon the decisions of external forces. Armenia is currently not veering away from this strategy. Instead, it is merely substituting one external ally, Russia, with another, France. Until Armenia shifts away from this stance, reaching a peace treaty will remain unattainable. Such a treaty serves the interests of Armenia and Azerbaijan, rather than those of external powers, Korejba said. As highlighted by the Polish political analyst, external forces have consistently nudged Armenia towards revanchism and aggression, exacerbating conflict instead of fostering peace. In essence, external forces, regardless of who they are, benefit from maintaining a state of tension, anticipating conflict, or even the possibility of war. It's only when Armenia begins to engage with Azerbaijan directly, on a bilateral level, that the prospect of forging a lasting and strategically thoughtful peace agreement becomes viable, he added. It's safe to say that Armenia's endeavors to engage third parties in the normalization process with Azerbaijan won't expedite peace in the region. Instead, it's likely to prolong the negotiation process. As previously observed, the priorities of third parties do not lie in facilitating regional peace but in advancing their agendas. In turn, PhD fellow in Public, Comparative, and International Law of La Sapienza University of Rome and geopolitics expert Valentina Chabert told Trend that Azerbaijan and Armenia are steadily progressing towards normalizing their relations with each passing day. The results of the 8th meeting of the delimitation commission between the countries can be deemed successful and beneficial for enhancing regional stability. It serves as a testament to the efficacy of bilateral negotiations among the involved parties. With continued diplomatic efforts in this vein, we may anticipate similar progress in addressing other issues between the two nations in the future, she said. Chabert added that a realistic and dispassionate analysis shows that many issues remain to be discussed. Simultaneously, diplomacy requires time to yield results. Nonetheless, even if a peace treaty isn't finalized in the upcoming months, encouraging advancements like the 8th meeting of the countries' delimitation commission offer optimism for the region's eventual attainment of stability, peace, and development at the earliest possibility, the Italian expert added. It becomes evident that bilateral dialogue holds the key to success in the normalization process between the two nations. With the peace agreement reached with Azerbaijan and the subsequent unblocking of transport routes in the region, Armenia stands to enhance its relationships, engage in trade with neighboring states, and partake in regional initiatives, thus reaping substantial economic rewards. Therefore, Armenia must relinquish attempts to involve third parties with their agendas in the region's normalization process. Instead, Armenia should opt for direct negotiations with Azerbaijan, focusing on bilateral cooperation for the future advancement of its nation and the betterment of its people's welfare. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Several vulnerable House Democrats have accepted campaign funds from the Pritzker family, owners of Hyatt Hotels Corporation, who have also bankrolled groups involved in anti-Jewish protests across the US. According to FEC data, the Pritzkers have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to these Democrats, as well as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and House Majority PAC. The Pritzker family founded the Libra Foundation, which funds smaller nonprofits active in anti-Israel protests. These groups include The Climate Justice Alliance, Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity, and the Immigrant Defense Project, which have participated in marches and demonstrations criticizing Israels actions in Gaza. The Pritzkers, along with George Soros, also fund the Tides Foundation, which supports progressive groups like Adalah Justice Project, involved in the recent Columbia University protest. Democrats receiving Pritzker funding include Reps. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska), Mike Levin (D-Calif.), Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.), Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Susan Wild (D-Pa.), Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.). (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Some Republicans in Congress are pushing to require a citizenship question on the questionnaire for the once-a-decade census and exclude people who arent citizens from the count that helps determines political power in the United States. The GOP-led House on Wednesday was expected to vote on the Equal Representation Act which would eliminate noncitizens from the tally gathered during a census and used to decide how many House seats and Electoral College votes each state gets. The bill is unlikely to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate, the White House opposes it and there are legal questions because the Constitution says all people should be counted during the apportionment process. But the proposal has set off alarms among redistricting experts, civil rights groups and Democratic lawmakers as a reprise of efforts by the Trump administration to place limits that would dramatically alter the dynamics of the census, which plays a foundational role in the distribution of political power and federal funding. Still, opponents say the idea, once on the ideological fringe, has never gotten so far in the legislative process. In March, senators rejected similar Republican-sponsored language in an appropriations bill. That push was seen as an effort to bolster the Republican agenda on immigration before the November elections, with Donald Trump as the partys presumptive nominee against Democratic President Joe Biden. Its taking it closer to reality than it has ever been, said Steve Jost, a former Census Bureau official in the Obama and Clinton administrations. This is part of a cohesive strategy in the GOP of getting every single possible advantage when the country is so closely divided. The 14th Amendment requires that congressional seats be distributed among the states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State. Besides helping allocate congressional seats and Electoral College votes, census figures guide the distribution of $2.8 trillion in federal money. We ask all kinds of questions on the census anyway so whats wrong with asking, Are you a citizen? Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said Wednesday during debate on the House floor. Similar efforts failed before the last census in 2020 when the Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration from adding a citizenship question to the census form. Following that defeat, the government under Trump tried to discern the citizenship status of every U.S. resident through administrative records and sought to exclude people who were in the U.S. illegally from the count used for apportioning congressional seats. Biden, in one of his first acts as president in January 2021, signed two orders revoking those Trump directives. During a House Rules Ccommittee hearing Monday, Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Utah, said including noncitizens in the nations head count skews representation away from American citizens and is tied to Bidens border crisis because it helps places with large numbers of people who arent citizens. Localities sympathetic to the presidents agenda are poised to directly benefit, Burgess said. According to critics, the citizenship question was inspired by the late Republican redistricting expert Tom Hofeller. He had written that using citizen voting-age population instead of the total population for the purpose of redrawing of congressional and legislative districts could be advantageous to Republicans and non-Hispanic whites. Republican supporters of the legislation contend counting people who are in the U.S. illegally helps Democrats. Knowing how many people who arent citizens in the U.S. is the best way to obtain accurate information, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., said at the hearing. If Trump becomes president, his administration could take steps to add a citizenship question without making the procedural mistakes cited by the Supreme Court in its 2019 ruling, said Jeffrey Wice, a redistricting expert. This is really a replay of the fight that Trump started, Wice said. They have more time, should he win in November, to avoid the mistakes and go through a much more deliberative census planning process. The Biden administration says the GOP bill would increase the cost of conducting the census, make it more difficult to obtain accurate information and violate the 14th Amendment. Results from a Census Bureau simulation last year indicated a significant number of noncitizens were missed in the 2020 census. Some civil rights groups said that was evidence the Trump administrations citizenship-question push contributed to an undercount for some racial and ethnic minorities. The Constitution is the Constitution, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md. said during floor debate Wednesday. The rest of this strikes me as election-year rhetoric. (AP) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has challenged Donald Trump to a head-to-head debate for when both address a Libertarian convention later this month, a move that comes as the presumptive GOP nominee has ramped up both criticism of Kennedys independent bid and demands that President Joe Biden meet him on a debate stage. Arguing that he is drawing a lot of voters from your former supporters, Kennedy said to Trump in an open letter posted Tuesday to X that the Libertarian convention provides perfect neutral territory for you and me to have a debate where you can defend your record for your wavering supporters. Trump has been bullish in calling on Biden to debate him ahead of the November general election but has shied away from other rivals previous debate entreaties. Trump skipped the 2024 GOP primary debates, saying it was unnecessary because voters know him and his record. Kennedy, who last year challenged Biden for the Democratic nomination before launching an independent bid, has argued that his relatively strong showing in a few national polls gives his candidacy heft. Polls during the 2016 presidential campaign regularly put libertarian Gary Johnsons support in the high single or low double digits, but he ultimately received only about 3% of the vote nationwide. In the open letter to Trump, Kennedy said their debate could show the American public that at least two of the major candidates arent afraid to debate each other. Kennedy wrote that convention organizers are game for us to use our time there to bring the American people the debate they deserve! Spokespeople for the Trump campaign and the Libertarian Party did not immediately return messages seeking comment on Kennedys debate challenge. Kennedy and Trump are scheduled to appear on separate days before attendees at the Libertarian National Convention in Washington, D.C. later this month. Both candidates have been courting support from libertarian-leaning voters, although Kennedy who is working to appear on all 50 ballots, a state-by-state petition process has ruled out officially running as a Libertarian candidate. In recent weeks, Trumps campaign has ramped up its attacks against Kennedy, who has appealed to disaffected Democrats and Republicans looking for an alternative to the pending rematch of the 2020 election. Last month, Trump wrote on Truth Social that RFK Jr. is a Democrat Plant, a Radical Left Liberal whos been put in place in order to help Crooked Joe Biden. MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trumps candidacy, has also issued its own critical posts and created an anti-Kennedy website. Leaving court one day last week after his hush money trial, Trump told reporters that he didnt feel threatened by Kennedys bid. (AP) Making future military aid to Ukraine contingent on the country participating in peace talks with Russia. Banning Chinese nationals from buying property within a 50-mile radius of U.S. government buildings. Filling the national security sector with acolytes of Donald Trump. One of several groups trying to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration if the former Republican president wins in November is out with a new policy book that aims to articulate an America First national security agenda. The book, shared with The Associated Press before its release Thursday, is the latest effort from the America First Policy Institute. Like the Heritage Foundations Project 2025, the group is seeking to help Trump avoid the mistakes of 2016, when he entered the White House largely unprepared. Beyond its policy efforts, the institutes transition project has been working to draft dozens of executive orders and developing a training program for future political appointees. Heritage has been building an extensive personnel database and offering its own policy manuals. Both groups stress they are independent from Trumps campaign, which has repeatedly tried to distance itself from such efforts, insisting that the only Trump-backed policies are those the candidate articulates himself. Still Fred Fleitz, the books editor, noted that he and retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who served for a time as Trumps acting national security adviser and wrote several of the chapters, have been in frequent touch with the former president, soliciting feedback and discussing topics such as Ukraine at length. We hope this is where he is. Were not speaking for him, but I think he will approve, said Fleitz, who formerly served as the National Security Councils chief of staff. He said he hopes the book will serve as a guidebook that will be an intellectual foundation for the America First approach to national security thats easy to use. Its a grand strategy, added Kellogg. You dont start with the policies first. You start with the strategies first. And thats what weve done. The group casts the current trajectory of U.S. national security as a failure, thanks to a foreign policy establishment it accuses of having embraced an interventionist and globalist approach at the expense of Americas national interests. While short on specifics, the book offers some guideposts to how a future Trump administration could approach foreign policy issues such as Russias war against Ukraine. Trump has said, that if elected, he would solve the conflict before Inauguration Day in January, but has declined to say how. The books chapter on the war spends more time discussing how the conflict unfolded than how to end it. But it says the U.S. should make future military aid contingent on Ukraine participating in peace talks with Russia. It predicts the Ukrainian army will likely lose ground over time and advises against the U.S. continuing to send arms to a stalemate that Ukraine will eventually find difficult to win. But once there is a peace agreement, it says the U.S. would continue to arm Ukraine as a deterrent to Russia. The authors seem to endorse a framework in which Ukraine would not be asked to relinquish the goal of regaining all its territory but would agree to diplomacy with the understanding that this would require a future diplomatic breakthrough which probably will not occur before (Russian President Vladimir) Putin leaves office. It acknowledges that Ukrainians will have trouble accepting a negotiated peace that does not give back all of their territory or, at least for now, hold Russia responsible for the carnage it inflicted on Ukraine. Their supporters will also. But as Donald Trump said at the CNN town hall in 2023, I want everyone to stop dying. Thats our view, too. It is a good first step. The book blames Democratic President Joe Biden for the war and repeats Trumps claim that Putin never would have invaded if Trump had been in office. Its main argument in defense of that claim is that Putin saw Trump as strong and decisive. In fact, Trump cozied up to the Russian leader and was reluctant to challenge him. The bulk of the chapter is spent laying out an at times erroneous timeline of Bidens handling of the war. Going forward, it suggests Putin could be persuaded to join peace talks if Biden and other NATO leaders offer to put off NATO membership for Ukraine for an extended period. It suggests that the U.S. instead establish a long-term security architecture for Ukraines defense that focuses on bilateral security defense. It provides no explanation of what this would entail. It also calls for placing levies on Russian energy sales to pay for reconstruction in Ukraine. The book is critical of Trumps transition efforts in 2016, bemoaning a broad lack of preparation before Trump took office. The tumultuous transition of 2016/2017 did not serve President Trump and the nation well and slowed the advancement and implementation of his agenda, the authors wrote. For instance, they note that before the election, Democrat Hillary Clintons transition team had submitted more than 1,000 names for future security clearance. Trumps team submitted just 25. The group says it has identified roughly 1,200 national security-related positions that the next administration will need to fill and urges it to be ready on Day 1 with Trump loyalists who adhere to the America First approach. Its not about retaliating against people or trying to politicize government positions. Its about making sure government workers do their job and keep politics out of their work, Fleitz said. The book describes China as the nations most pressing national security threat, eager to displace the U.S. as the worlds premier power. It proposes a hawkish policy that builds on approaches from both the Trump years and the Biden administration with the goal of making Beijings policies largely irrelevant to American life. It elevates economic concerns with China to those of national security and proposes a reciprocal approach that would deny Beijing access to U.S. markets in the same way American companies have been denied in China. The book also recommends more rigorous screening of cyber and tech companies owned by U.S. adversaries, especially China, to make sure they are not collecting sensitive information. It also recommends that Chinese nationals be banned from buying property within a 50-mile radius of any U.S. government property. It calls for visa restrictions on Chinese students wishing to study in the United States and for the banning of TikTok and other Chinese apps out of concerns for data privacy. Trump, however, has spoken out against a law that would force TikToks sale or block U.S. access. The analysts views of what an America First policy looks like often reflect the writers personal focuses. For Ellie Cohanim, a former Trump deputy State Department envoy charged with monitoring and combating antisemitism, America First looks a lot like a shopping list for the Israeli military. The U.S. should rush Israel a squadron of 25 Lockheed Martin F-35s, one squadron of Boeings F-15 EX, and a squadron of Apache E attack helicopters, Cohanim wrote. The U.S. should give some of its billions of dollars in military funding to Israel in Israeli currency so Israel can spend it at home, and Washington should push Arab states to foot the bill for the rebuilding of Gaza and accept Israels shelving any political talks with the Palestinians pending an indefinite period of compulsory deradicalization for the Palestinian people, she wrote. (AP) United Airlines announced on Wednesday that it will be canceling its daily flights to Tel Aviv, Israel, through June 5. The airline made the decision after closely monitoring the situation and will continue to assess upcoming flights with the safety of its customers and crew members in mind. According to the airlines statement, the cancellation will also affect the second daily Tel Aviv flight, which will be suspended through June 19. This move comes as part of United Airlines commitment to ensuring the well-being of its passengers and crew, and the airline will continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments as necessary. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) In an appearance on Fox News Special Report on Tuesday, Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) expressed his support for Israel and criticized the Biden administrations delay in arms sales to the country. Fetterman praised President Bidens speech earlier in the day, acknowledging his strong support for Israel, but disagreed with the decision to withhold munitions. Fetterman emphasized that the US should send arms to Israel immediately, without conditions, as the country is engaged in a war. He said, I have no conditions. I never have, and I cant imagine I ever will. When asked about the apparent contradiction between Bidens ironclad support for Israel and the slow-walking of arms sales, Fetterman replied that he disagrees with Biden on this point, and that If anyone should have conditions, it should be on Hamas and its enablers, and its benefactors. Regarding Israels military actions, Fetterman deferred to Israels judgment, saying, They would know the situation more than I do. He emphasized that Hamas is responsible for the conflict and its consequences, including Palestinian civilian deaths, which Israel seeks to minimize. Fetterman concluded, Hamas sees that as just their own kind of collateral damage. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) The IDF announces that a soldier was killed in a Hezbollah mortar and missile attack on an army position near the northern community of Malkia on Wednesday. The deceased soldier is identified as Staff Sgt. Haim Sabach HYD, 20, from Holon, serving in the Border Defense Corps 869th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit. Additionally, the IDF reports that another soldier sustained light injuries in the attack. His death increased the total number of IDF soldiers killed since October 7th to 615. A total of 14 IDF troops were killed in attacks on the Lebanon border since October 8. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Former U.S. President Donald Trump excoriated US President Joe Biden for his comments to CNN on Wednesday that he will halt arms shipments to Israel if it launches a full-scale invasion of Rafah. Crooked Joe Biden, whether he knows it or not, just said he will withhold weapons from Israel as they fight to eradicate Hamas Terrorists in Gaza, he wrote on his Truth Social account. Hamas murdered thousands of innocent civilians, including babies, and are still holding Americans hostage, if the hostages are still alive. Yet Crooked Joe is taking the side of these terrorists, just like he has sided with the Radical Mobs taking over our college campuses, because his donors are funding them. Biden is weak, corrupt, and leading the world straight into World War III. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Thirty Chareidi youths (aged 18-20) were drafted on Thursday morning to Israels Border Police for their mandatory IDF service, Israel Police announced on Thursday. It is the first time in history that a special track with suitable conditions for Chareidim was opened in the Border Police. Previously, only the IDF had special tracks for Chareidim. The new recruits began their service at the Tel HaShomer induction center, where they received their uniforms. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Our electric and gas company, Scottish Power have said that our meters have come to the end of their life expectancy. As a result they must be replaced by smart meters. Is there anything we can do? We don't really want a smart meter. On the meter: Suppliers are pushing households to install smart meters, but you don't have to accept Angharad Carrick of This Is Money replies: Smart meters have been around for over a decade and were introduced to help households stay in control of their energy bills. They replaced traditional meters, including prepayment key meters, and suppliers say they provide more accurate readings. The Government has plans to have them in 80 per cent of households by 2025. But some people, like you, don't want them. Some households have complained of inaccurate readings which have led to higher bills, and want to take the readings from traditional meters themselves. Others have said they feel they have been bullied into accepting a smart meter and been made to believe it is compulsory. Your supplier, Scottish Power, told you that your non-smart meter had come to the end of its life, which is usually between 15 and 20 years. Technically you do not need to have a smart meter in your home, and they are not compulsory. Suppliers offer them to customers if they don't already have one, but they are not under any obligation to accept. However, suppliers do insist on installing a smart meter if your current meter is coming to the end of its life, as yours is, and can't be replaced by another non-smart meter. They often say that some non-smart meters are no longer being manufactured and are under obligation to install a smart meter if the old one is deemed unsafe. You said that Scottish Power kept contacting you about replacing your current, traditional meter with a smart one because it had but you did not want to. I asked Scottish Power how they knew your meter had come to the end of its life, but it did not provide an answer. A spokesman for Scottish Power said: 'ScottishPower, as with all suppliers, are obligated to replace all traditional meters with Smart Meters by the industry regulator, Ofgem. 'Installed meters come with a certified life from manufacturers, and suppliers monitor and record each meter on an ongoing basis to track when they're coming to the end of their certified life, which is typically between 15-20 years. This can vary based on the type of meter. 'Smart meters offer many benefits over their traditional, non-smart meters - allowing customers to record and track consumption.' It seems that your smart meter was installed between 15 and 20 years ago and needs replacing. It is worth noting that you are entitled to ask for evidence of this, which your supplier should provide. If it doesn't, you can refuse. If you do have to accept a smart meter, there is another option if you're not happy with your data being sent to your supplier automatically. Some suppliers allow you to set up your smart meter in 'dumb' mode, which switches the 'smart' functionality. Unfortunately, Scottish Power did not tell me whether this option was possible. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 9. Anatolian Phoenix - 2024 international search and rescue exercises continue in the Turkish Konya city, the press service of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry told Trend. A briefing was held for exercise participants, providing essential details on safety protocols, assigned tasks, and their sequence, as well as information on the terrain's relief, structure, and climate where search and rescue operations will be carried out. Following the exercise plan, members of the simulated terrorist group were neutralized and apprehended. The primary objective of the exercise, which includes a contingent of servicemen and aviation assets from the Azerbaijani army, is to enhance the competency and expertise of military personnel, fostering mutual coordination and experience-sharing among participants from various countries. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Independent regulation has not been an unalloyed success, as users of the sewage-tainted water utilities and those wronged by get-rich-quick energy upstarts could testify. So the City regulator Nikhil Rathi found himself in a difficult spot before the Treasury Select Committee. Ahead of the hearings, the chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority faced a fusillade from City minister Bim Afolami who attacked non-core work such as naming-and-shaming of wrongdoers. The criticism came hard on the heels of complaints from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and 16 City trade bodies. Anyone expecting a retreat will be bitterly disappointed. Rathi pointed out that victims of costly bad behaviour, notably retirees at the Port Talbot steel plant in Wales, were blissfully unaware that they were being targeted by rogue advisers. Disclosure: City watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority wants to name and shame companies it is investigating They would have been warned had the individuals and firms involved been named. Even more frighteningly there is an unidentified firm out there, possibly a start-up lender with millions of customers, that has been under investigation for years but its identity is shrouded in mystery. Ministers have a right to question independent regulators. If successive environment or business secretaries had been alert to the financial engineering of vampire kangaroo Macquarie, during ownership of Thames Water and now Southern, people might not be swimming this summer in polluted waterways and beaches. One should not be surprised that the City establishment has risen up as one against name-and-shame and persuaded the Treasury it is a bad thing. There is potential damage to Tory fund-raising and support. Hunt also needs buy in to the effort to reinvigorate risk-taking and fund-raising in the Square Mile. It suits the financial community if sinners, insider traders, crypto currency dealers, misfiring auditors or deposit takers, are able to avoid publicity. This insulates them for three to five years while the firms victims are exposed to financial loss, pain and ruin. Rathi rightly put out name-and-shame for consultation. If he felt under pressure to resign or were to be sacked for doing his job, defending the consumer against the producer interest, it would be a disgrace. No one in the City should be scared of transparency and disclosure. Fashion malfunction Recapturing its glory days is going to be a big ask for Boohoo. The online fast fashion group looked to be the retailer of the moment when it snapped up fallen brands Debenhams, Warehouse and Dorothy Perkins during the pandemic. Since then high street stalwarts Primark and M&S have sizzled back to life and Singapore-based Shein has seized territory from UK upstarts. Boohoo joins the struggling pandemic brands which have hit hard times. In the US, exercise champs Pelotons stock market value plunged to $1billion (800million) from $50billion (40billion). Sales at Boohoo plummeted 17 per cent to 1.5billion last year, losses reached 160million and debt levels are rising. The group has done itself no favours with investors through its flawed governance and revelations of poor working conditions in British factories. Shares are now at one-tenth of their peak value, which means that big payout to founder Mahmud Kamanis son Umar, founder of Pretty Little Thing, should not be made. Customers have deserted at a worrying rate, with an 11pc drop of active users. Everyone wants to see UK start-ups do well but the lavish lifestyle of the owners in contrast to threadbare factories is not a good look. Exit route The valuation gap for UK shares, in spite of the recent FTSE 350 advances, is still making it a happy hunting ground for predators. Latest in the line of fire are the North Sea oil engineer Wood Group and AI chipmaker Graphcore. The former has told Dubai-based Sidara to desist for the time being at least. SoftBanks approach for Graphcore is more tricky. Doubtless SoftBank boss Masayoshi Son will come up with research funding, which Graphcore needs. But SoftBank is not a buyer to be trusted with British intellectual property. Airline stocks flew as the industry bounced back after a brief sell-off fuelled by concern over lower summer prices. British Airways owner IAG rose 3.7 per cent, or 6.6p, to 184p while Easyjet added 2.9 per cent, or 14.6p, to 524.8p and Wizz Air increased 5.3 per cent, or 110p, to 2192p. The gains came a day after Ryanair boss Michael OLeary warned that ticket prices were likely to rise by less this summer than previously thought. The industry continues to rebound following the pandemic when lockdowns brought travel to a standstill. Shares in IAG, which publishes first-quarter results tomorrow, are up almost a fifth this year. Record high: AstraZeneca rose 1.3%, or 156p, to 12,274p, making it the most valuable company on the FTSE 100 ahead of Shell, with a market capitalisation of 190bn The FTSE 100 hit a new high of 8365 early on before easing back to settle up 0.5 per cent, or 40.38 points, at 8354.05. The FTSE 250 rose 0.4 per cent, or 78.91 points, to 20,491.99. AstraZeneca neared a record high as it faced renewed controversy over its vaccine for Covid. The stock rose 1.2 per cent, or 146p, to 12,264 just shy of its record close of 12,294p in April last year. Astra is the most valuable company on the FTSE 100 ahead of Shell with a market capitalisation of nearly 190billion. The latest rally came as the drug maker pulled its Covid jab amid waning demand. It was hailed for saving lives and helping the world emerge out of lockdowns but it also came under scrutiny for causing fatal blood clots. But the shares are up more than 16 per cent this year, boosted by strong demand for its cancer drugs. Stock Watch - Brighton Pier Group A cocktail of woes from the cost of living to poor weather and train strikes has hurt the Brighton Pier Group. The owner of Brighton Pier and the Lightwater Valley Theme Park in North Yorkshire reported an 8.8million loss in the 12 months to Christmas Eve, in stark contrast to the 7.6million profit it made in the 18 months to Christmas Day, 2022. It now plans to charge a 1 tourist admission fee. Shares tumbled 10.3 per cent, or 4.5p, to 39p. Informa, the worlds largest exhibitions group, raised its share buyback programme by around 50 per cent to 500million. The company behind the Taylor & Francis academic research business and China Beauty Expo trade show in Shanghai, also signed an AI deal with Microsoft. Shares gained 2.3 per cent, or19p, to 850.4p. Engineer Renishaw sank after revenues fell 4 per cent to 502.9million in the nine months to the end of March while profits plunged by more than a quarter to 86.8million. Shares fell 4.2 per cent, or 175p, to 3980p. Shell fell 0.2 per cent, or 5p, to 2890p after agreeing to sell its refinery and petrochemical assets in Singapore. Boohoo racked up a 160million loss and fell 0.1 per cent, or 0.04p, to 35.26p after the fashion firms sales slumped almost a fifth in the year to the end of February. Mike Ashleys retail empire is closing in on a deal to become the British partner of Ted Baker, Sky News reported. Frasers rose 0.9 per cent, or 7p, to 823p. Alliance Pharma chief executive Peter Butterfield, has quit and will be replaced by consumer health veteran Nick Sedgwick. It fell 8.3 per cent, or 2.65p, to 29.35p. Don Robert, the chairman of video games developer Keywords Studios bought more than 50,000 worth of stock, lifting it 7.5 per cent, or 88p, to 1267p. Land Securities sold its hotels for 400million to Ares Management and EQ but dipped 0.5 per cent, or 3.5p, to 683p. Three antique programmes produced by STV Groups studio arm have been recommissioned by the BBC. It follows several other commissions this year. STV rose 2 per cent, or 5p, to 250p. Millions of UK consumers are in the dark over a mystery firm being probed by the City watchdog because of rules that prevent it being named, MPs were told yesterday. Nikhil Rathi, chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), revealed the investigation was under way as he defended proposals to lift the veil of secrecy. Rathi is at war with ministers, including Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, and the financial sector over plans to make it easier for the FCA to name companies it is investigating. His remarks came hours after City minister Bim Afolami attacked naming and shaming and a plan to impose equality quotas. The regulators need to... stop doing things like that, Afolami told a conference. Secret probe: FCA chief exec Nikhil Rathi (pictured) is at war with ministers and the financial sector over plans to make it easier for the FCA to name companies it is investigating Rathi defended naming and shaming amid suggestions by MPs on the Treasury select committee that it was bonkers and damaged UK global competitiveness. He talked of a long investigation into a firm. Rathi said: That is the kind of case where we might think that we would want to confirm an investigation is under way. The concern would be there are several million consumers using this firm. We are investigating it and have had discussions with this firm for three years. Rathi said the case did not meet the threshold for naming, which can only be done under exceptional circumstances. The FCA would change this so that it can identify companies that it is investigating. Car loan refunds FCA chief Nikhil Rathi said it is considering redress for thousands of consumers overcharged for car loans. The FCA has been looking into claims related to motor finance between 2007 and 2021 and it may force companies to pay compensation. He said it would take next steps in September. The probe has prompted Lloyds Banking Group to set aside 450million and analysts estimate the bill could be 16billion drawing comparisons with the payment protection insurance (PPI) scandal that cost lenders 50billion. But Rathi told MPs: I think its unlikely were going to find nothing to report, but I also would not want the committee to think that this is going to be on the same scale as PPI. Rathi said victims of the British Steel Pension Scheme scandal missed out because of secrecy. We had intelligence about problematic financial advisers and they were being investigated, he told MPs. Steel workers in Port Talbot were not aware we were investigating they were calling our contact centre. 'All they got was the information this firm was on the register, nothing else was disclosed. They then took advice and potentially lost their life savings. Rathi said the FCA would review the reaction to its plans. FCA chairman Ashley Alder said: We werent expecting such a stern reaction. A coalition of 16 trade associations has written to Hunt to object. He has urged a rethink. Afolami, at an FT crypto summit, said the FCA should stop focusing on things that are non-core, like naming and shaming or this diversity consultation, and focus on conduct and making sure the system works. He added: It is perfectly legitimate for the Chancellor or anybody else to say wed like you to think again. Target: Oil industry engineer Wood Group has rejected a takeover bid from from Dubai-based rival Sidara Oil industry engineer Wood Group has rejected a takeover bid from foreign predators after becoming the latest London-listed company to be targeted. It turned down a 1.4billion offer from Dubai rival Sidara because it fundamentally undervalued the company, Wood said. The rejection came as it emerged Bristol chipmaker Graphcore is a target for Japanese investment giant SoftBank. The pair are just the latest firms to land in the cross-hairs of foreign buyers, fuelling concerns British companies are undervalued and face an onslaught of merger and acquisition activity. Global fund network Calastone warned sentiment around the market remained negative despite the FTSE 100 hitting record highs. British investors piled into funds last month as they looked to take advantage of tax incentives on Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs). UK savers added 1.93billion to equity funds and 422million to fixed income funds in April, according to Calastone. But most of it went into global, North American and European funds, with 665million withdrawn from UK investments. That took the total taken out of UK funds to 21.3billion in 35 consecutive months of selling. The relentless negativity on UK-focused equity funds was undiminished, Calastone wrote. That has left London-listed companies undervalued and vulnerable to buyers looking for a bargain. Shares in Wood, which is based in Aberdeen and specialises in engineering and maintenance in the energy sector, soared 16.9 per cent, or 27.9p, to 192.9p after interest from Sidara became public. Last month Wood investor Sparta Capital urged bosses to consider its UK listing and mull a sale amid the companys dwindling share price. Before yesterday, shares were down by over a third in the past year. Meanwhile, Japanese conglomerate SoftBank is said to be in talks to snap up Graphcore. Founded in 2016, Graphcore designs processing units for artificial intelligence software. It was once valued at 2.2billion and was touted as a potential rival to US behemoth Nvidia. But it posted a 46 per cent decline in revenues to 2.2million last year. The UK has seen a steady flow of companies bought up so far this year. Cyber-security group Darktrace backed a 4.25billion takeover by US private equity firm Thoma Bravo last month, Australian mining giant BHP is in talks to buy Anglo American, and Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky is eyeing Royal Mail owner International Distributions Services. Others have also agreed to be bought, including packager DS Smith, haulier Wincanton and housebuilder Redrow. Last orders: Brewdog boss James Watt is dating former Made in Chelsea star Georgia Toffolo (pictured) The boss of Brewdog is stepping down following a string of controversies since setting up the Scottish brewer 17 years ago. James Watt will hand over the reins to chief operating officer James Arrow but will remain as a non-executive director. He will also keep his 21 per cent stake. Watt, who is dating former Made in Chelsea star Georgia Toffolo, set up Brewdog with Martin Dickie in 2007. But his tenure has been marred by controversy, with the firm accused by former workers in 2021 of having a culture of fear, with toxic attitudes towards junior staff. He said: There have been highs and lows, up and downs, crazy successes and incredibly hard challenges. When I look back on the last 17 years (119 Dog Years) my overwhelming feeling is gratitude. He said he was grateful for the tough times too, for the lessons learned. Chairman Allan Leighton said: Few have accomplished what he has. From humble beginnings, Brewdog has grown to become the worlds leading craft brewer. A company controlled by millionaire hedge fund boss Sir Paul Marshall has lost a legal battle with South Africa over 34million of silver rescued from a Second World War shipwreck. The UKs Supreme Court sided with the government in Pretoria which argued it did not owe Marshalls salvage company payment for finding the treasure in the Indian Ocean. The silver was bought by the then Union of South Africa from India in 1942 but lost when the ship was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. Argentum Exploration found the 2,364 silver bars in 2017 from the wreck of the SS Tilawa. The passenger ship was sunk en route to South Africa, resulting in the death of 280 people. Hoard: Argentum Exploration found 2,364 silver bars in 2017 on the wreck of the SS Tilawa was attacked and sunk during its journey to South Africa in 1942 Argentum, controlled by Marshall, retrieved the bars at a depth of 2.5km in 2017 and took them to the UK to claim salvage rights, with the treasure valued at 34million in 2020. It accepted South Africa owned the loot but claimed compensation for finding them. However, the Supreme Court yesterday ruled the country had sovereign immunity from Argentums claim. The parties have agreed a settlement. Marshall, who has a fortune of around 680million, heads Marshall Wace, a hedge fund with 52.3billion in assets. He is an investor in broadcast channel GB News but recently stepped down from the board amid rumours he is considering a bid to buy The Daily Telegraph newspaper. Direct Line lost 434,000 car insurance customers over the past year after it sharply hiked premiums. It said its own-brand motor policies fell to just over 3.2million at the end of March. Premiums for those renewing their policies climbed 38 per cent to an average 515 a year while for new customers they rose 25 per cent to 599. It is the latest headache for chief executive Adam Winslow, who has had to fend off a 3.1billion takeover bid from Belgian suitor Ageas. But investors shrugged off the setback and shares rose 1.3 per cent, or 2.4p, to 191.1p and are up 5 per cent this year. Price hikes: Direct Line revealed in a trading update that its own-brand motor policies fell to just over 3.2m at the end of March Winslow is battling to turn around fortunes after a turbulent 2023, when previous boss Penny James stepped down amid a profit warning. Direct Line later admitted that it had under-priced policies and said it had been unusually exposed to weather claims. It has since raised motor premiums to make up for the soaring cost of repairs. Winslow, who joined in March, is aiming to cut costs by 100million and has not ruled out job cuts. He will announce a new strategy in July. Yesterdays update revealed a more resilient performance in home insurance, where the number of policies fell from 2.5million to 2.45million, despite premiums going up 27 per cent for new customers and 13 per cent for existing policy holders. Overall, gross written premiums were up by 11 per cent to 892.2million in the first three months of the year. They were up by 18 per cent to 424.3million for motor insurance and climbed 14 per cent to 147.3million for home. Bad weather led to around 33million of claims. Winslow said: We have seen a positive start to 2024 trading, with double-digit gross written premium growth in our motor, home and commercial businesses and overall growth of 15 per cent. With new executives announced recently Winslow added: I am confident that with the new leadership team in place, we can deliver cost savings of at least 100million by the end of 2025. Keith Bowman, equity analyst at Interactive Investor, said it Direct Line made a robust start to the new financial year. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 9. A total of 712 former IDP families are planned to return to Azerbaijan's liberated Jabrayil city, Trend reports via AzTV. According to the relevant footage, work on this return is rapidly progressing. The 'I State Program of the Great Return to the Liberated Territories of Azerbaijan' is rebuilding Jabrayil and creating a modern infrastructure. Following the liberation of its territories from Armenian occupation in 2020, Azerbaijan initiated the long-awaited 'Great Return' program, which envisions the return of IDPs to their native lands. To date, the former IDPs have returned to Lachin and Fuzuli cities, as well as the villages of Talish (Aghdara district), Aghali (Zangilan district), and Zabukh (Lachin district). Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 9. The captain of a Scandinavian Airlines aircraft operating a Copenhagen-Tokyo flight sent a request for an emergency landing at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, the Heydar Aliyev International Airport press service told Trend. The reason for this was the sudden deterioration in the health of one of the passengers. The Airbus A350 aircraft successfully landed at Baku airport at 20:56 local time. Immediately after landing, the passenger was handed over to the ambulance crew. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 9. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) plans to increase investments in Azerbaijan, Head of EBRD Azerbaijan, Nataly Mouravidze told Trend in an exclusive interview. ''Our current portfolio of projects in Azerbaijan stands at 937 million euros,'' noted Mouravidze, emphasizing the importance of the bank's contribution to the economy of the region. ''Last year alone, we invested 156 million euros in the Azerbaijani economy out of more than 3.6 billion euros invested over the three decades of our activity here,'' she added. The head of the EBRD emphasized that, in addition to these figures, an important aspect is the focus of investments on the development of Azerbaijan's green economy. ''Whether it be our investments in Green Cities in Ganja, a solar power plant in Garadagh or the largest utility-scale wind power plant being built in the Absheron and Khizi regions,'' she said. Natalia Mouravidze assured that plans to further expand the EBRD's investment activities in Azerbaijan remain unchanged, which confirms the strategic partnership between the bank and this country in the field of economic development ''We are committed to supporting Azerbaijan's economic progress and its green transition. We are excited by our strong prospects of cooperation with Azerbaijans public and private sectors to finance several strategically important projects for the country and also to support financial institutions and local businesses,'' Mouravidze noted. The head of the EBRD emphasized that each project is assessed individually in order to ensure a positive impact on the growth and development of the country. She also mentioned that talks with the private sector are presently taking place on a number of important projects, the specifics of which cannot yet be revealed due to preparations. Mouravidze stressed that Azerbaijan is taking important steps to develop the Middle Corridor trade route. ''Our economists also see that important steps are being taken to develop the Middle Corridor trade route and promote renewable energy,'' she notes. According to her, there is growing support for information technology sector development and the digitalization of the economy in Azerbaijan. ''New tax legislation provides incentives for the IT industry, while capital market development is benefiting from a new digital platform that enables online securities issuance by market participants. We believe that further investment in connectivity, improved legislative and regulatory frameworks for renewable energy, and further investments in the non-oil sector will lead to sustainable diversification of the economy and robust growth in the future,'' she added. Talking about the prospects of the country's economic development, Mouravidze emphasized the need for sustainable investment in various sectors, which contributes to creating a favorable environment for business development and attracting international investors. Analyzing current trends and prospects, the head of EBRD in Azerbaijan expressed confidence in the successful development of the country and support for its economic reforms by international financial institutions. Responding to a question on the potential expansion of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC), Mouravidze noted that the EBRD is ready to consider cooperation with Azerbaijan in the expansion of the SGC. Mouravidze underlined that the EBRD has been a long-standing partner of Azerbaijan for three decades and emphasized the establishment of extremely favorable relations with the country's Ministry of Energy. The EBRD has previously supported the Southern Gas Corridor by financing Shah Deniz II, TANAP, and TAP. We realize that the potential of the SGC can be expanded, and if a decision is made, we would be happy to consider cooperation with Azerbaijan. However, for the Bank to finance this project, it must be aligned with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the Bank's approach to fossil fuels, including reducing the risk of carbon lock-in by creating the future potential for low-carbon gas transportation, she concluded. To note, the EBRD's loan portfolio in Azerbaijan as of February 29, 2024, was estimated at 937 million euros. The loan portfolio is designed for the implementation of 32 projects. The majority of the portfolio (90 percent, or 848 million euros) is aimed at investments in sustainable infrastructure, seven percent (64 million euros) at investments in the industry, trade, and agricultural sectors, and three percent (26 million euros) at investments in financial institutions. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 9. On the margins of the Baku negotiations, Bulgaria's Acting Minister of Energy Vladimir Malinov said the documents agreed by Azerbaijan and Bulgaria's leaders and companies will deepen bilateral cooperation and enable new projects, Trend reports. "Our strategic cooperation's successes and deepening issues were examined. The intergovernmental commission on cooperation between the two nations' first-week July meeting will allow us to cement Baku agreements and develop the discussed problems," Malinov noted. Along with vital energy cooperation, he claims that Bulgaria also wants to form partnerships in the defense industry, the building industry, and the transportation sector. "We need to move forward to preserve a sustainable engagement with Azerbaijan, which leads to success," emphasized the minister. To note, Azerbaijan currently covers half of Bulgaria's gas needs, starting its deliveries since January 2021. Bulgarian representatives attend the Baku Energy Week in Azerbaijan on a regular basis and plan to return this year. Iteca Caspian company and the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan have also invited representatives of Bulgaria to the Rebuild Karabakh exhibition scheduled for October. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 9. Trend reports that Azerbaijan's National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (ASK) and the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association have agreed to cooperate, according to a statement from Azerbaijan's National Confederation of Enterprises. "ASK head Mammad Musayev and the Bulgarian association's board member Kiril Zhelyazkov signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Baku on May 8," the statement noted. The document states that the institutions will carry out joint activities on the implementation of investment projects, the organization of training, business missions, and exhibitions in order to strengthen their economic ties. The statement emphasized the joint development of projects of interest for Azerbaijan and Bulgaria. May 8 marked the formal visit of the Bulgarian President to Azerbaijan, accompanied by a group of Bulgarian businesses and companies. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 9. Energy cooperation between Bulgaria and Azerbaijan is developing at an increasing pace, and already in 2024, Azerbaijan will cover 55 natural gas needs of this Balkan state, Trend reports. The foundation of gas cooperation between the two states was laid on September 13, 2013, when Bulgarian holding Bulgargaz EAD signed a 25-year contract with the Shah Deniz consortium for the purchase of gas from this Azerbaijani gas condensate field in the Caspian Sea in the amount of one billion cubic meters of gas per year. "Bulgargaz EAD was among the nine European companies and holdings that signed long-term agreements for the purchase and sale of Shahdeniz gas in the fall of 2013, thanks to which the final investment decision on the full-scale development of this field was approved in Baku on December 17, 2013, which launched the process of creating the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) and allowed Azerbaijan to enter the European market with its gas from December 2020. The SGC project influenced Bulgaria's decision to build a connection to this gas corridor, the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB), as well as to consider the possibility of transiting Azerbaijani gas through Bulgaria to other European countries. SOCAR and Bulgartransgaz signed a Memorandum of Understanding on July 18, 2017, which reflected the opportunities for cooperation between the two companies on the prospects of creating additional natural gas supply routes through Bulgaria to other markets in Southeast Europe, SOCAR's participation in the Balkan Gas Hub, as well as the transit of additional volumes of natural gas from the South Gas Complex beyond the volumes agreed in 2013 with the Shah Deniz consortium. All the set tasks have been realized, and Azerbaijan has fulfilled and is fulfilling all its commitments. Particularly, despite the delay in the construction of the IGB (the foundation of this gas pipeline was laid on May 22, 2019, and the pipeline was commissioned in the summer of 2022), Azerbaijan ensured gas supplies to Bulgaria already from the beginning of 2021 through the Kulata-Sidirokastro delivery point on the existing gas pipeline from Bulgaria to Greece with a capacity of 10 million cubic meters of gas per day. Thanks to this, Bulgaria received more than 300 million cubic meters of gas in 2021. The combination of this route and the commissioning of the IGB gas pipeline on October 1, 2022, allowed Azerbaijan to supply a total of 600 million cubic meters of gas to Bulgaria in 2022. Following the negotiations between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Bulgarian President Rumen Radev in Baku on May 8, 2024, the results of gas supplies from Azerbaijan to Bulgaria in 2023 and plans for 2024 were announced in a press statement. President Ilham Aliyev stated in his speech that "1 billion, 250 million cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas was transported to the Bulgarian market last year." "Our calculations indicate that by the end of this year, the volume of export supplies of Azerbaijani gas to Bulgaria will amount to 1.5 bcm. That is, expressing the language of the European Commission, Azerbaijan is expanding its activities in the European space as a pan-European gas supplier and spares no effort to support the solution of issues related to energy security," the head of state noted. According to him, Bulgaria has become an important transit country for gas transportation. "Azerbaijani gas is currently exported from the territory of Bulgaria to its neighboring countries, and undoubtedly, the number of these countries will grow in the future. That is, this is a concrete result of our cooperation, a logical outcome of our very strong bilateral relations, as our cooperation should have concrete results. That is, the main goal of cooperation is to achieve better results. We see it both in the growth of trade turnover and cooperation in the energy sector," the press statement of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said. Meanwhile, through the territory of Bulgaria, Azerbaijani gas goes to Romania and Serbia. Bulgarian President Rumen Radev stressed after negotiations in Baku on May 8 that Azerbaijan has become an important and decisive partner for Bulgaria in the energy sector and plays an important role in diversifying Bulgaria's gas supply. "In the fall of 2022, with the participation of President Ilham Aliyev in the city of Sofia, we started using the IGB gas network and thus the Southern Gas Corridor connected to Central and Eastern Europe," the Bulgarian President said. SOCAR representative office has been operating in Sofia since April 25, 2023, which not only deals with projects in Bulgaria but also covers the entire Balkan region. Viewing Azerbaijan as a reliable strategic partner, Bulgaria expressed interest in SOCAR's assistance in the gasification of its small towns, and this initiative was reflected in the Memorandum of Understanding signed on May 8, 2024, between the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and the Bulgarian holding Asarel (one of the largest industrial holdings in the Balkan region). The project of laying a "green" energy cable for future energy supplies from Azerbaijan's renewable energy sources facilities through Georgia and the Black Sea to Europe was also discussed during the negotiations in Baku. "Azerbaijan is working very actively in this direction with partner countries, including Bulgaria. We believe that the feasibility study of this project, which will be ready in a few months, will be an excellent basis for the start of work. Thus, Azerbaijan will prove itself as a supplier to Europe not only of oil and gas but also of "green" energy," President Ilham Aliyev emphasized on May 8. The Head of State also stated that he invited President Radev to Azerbaijan to participate in the COP29 conference. According to President Ilham Aliyev, the potential for cooperation between the two countries is wide. Besides, Bulgarian companies will take part in "Baku Energy Week" in June, and the regular meeting of the Commission for Cooperation between the governments of Azerbaijan and Bulgaria will be held in early July. Therefore, the interaction between the two countries is progressive and important not only for bilateral but also for multilateral cooperation. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel A Dublin woman has appealed for help to save her "better half". Sage Jaffrey has asked for help so her "most important companion", Morgana, can get medical treatment. "In what feels like the worst time ever to be asking for money, when people are needing money to literally escape genocide and so many important gofundmes are going around... I'm asking whoever is in a position to do so to donate for some medical treatment for Morgana, my better half," said Sage on a GoFundMe page Morgana needs surgery to remove a potentially life-threatening tumour, right on her shoulder blade. She also needs a scan to analyse a mass. "She has been by my side for almost 12 years and she has saved my life in so many ways and need her healthy and happy for at least another half a dozen years. Right now I am living from 100 paycheck for a gig here or there to 100 from a bar shift here and there, and don't have a regular income and no savings, and it makes me really ashamed to ask, but Morgan needs urgent care now to remove it asap and stop the mass from growing further," Sage explained. Ireland is moving closer to formally recognising the state of Palestine but the Taoiseach has refused to confirm the date this will take place. Simon Harris said he has spoken to his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez this week and they have formed a clear plan to recognise Palestinian statehood. The two leaders have been in regular contact about appealing to other European states to sign up to their plan for a joint declaration recognising Palestine. Mr Harris said they have a clear plan. We spoke again at the weekend. Were in regular contact in relation to this, Mr Harris said. Im in regular contact with the Tanaiste (Micheal Martin) and the leader of the Green Party, Minister (Eamon) Ryan. There is never a wrong time to do the right thing. The right thing to do right now is to recognise the state of Palestine. Why do we do that? We do that because we must keep the hope and the destination of a two-state solution firmly to the fore. That is how you resolve this conflict in the Middle East and that is how you bring stability to the region. You cannot say you believe in a two-state solution and not recognise that there are two states. Ireland recognises the state of Israel, its right to security, peace and Ireland wishes to recognise the state of Palestine and wishes to see those two states live side by side. Myself and Prime Minister Sanchez have an understanding that we wont put into the public domain a specific date and thats for a very straightforward reason because theres still conversations ongoing with other leaders of other countries and I intend to have further conversations with other leaders of other European countries. But as Ive said, as the Tanaiste says, as Mr Ryan says, the time is coming closer to do the right thing, for Ireland to show leadership with a number of other countries in terms of taking forward the two-state solution proposal which has to recognise the existence of two states. Social Democrats TD Cian OCallaghan said that more than 14,000 children have been killed in Gaza by Israeli authorities. Israel is slaughtering people in their tens of thousands and still the world sits idly by, entirely absent from implementing any sanctions, or even threat of sanctions from the European Union, the Dublin Bay North TD said. From the outset, the EU has not just acquiesced the carnage, it has been complicit, there has yet to be a joint statement from EU leaders in which Israels barbarism is even mildly criticised. I acknowledge and welcome that Ireland (and) a minority of other EU member states, have been calling for action. But its now three months since the former Taoiseach (Leo Varadkar) and the Spanish prime minister wrote to the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to request an urgent review of the EU-Israel trade deal. As far as we know, von der Leyen has not even bothered to reply to that letter, never mind review or suspend the deal. Tanaiste Micheal Martin said the death toll and the horrors unfolding in the Gaza Strip are quite shocking. He told the Dail there are currently 17,000 unaccompanied children in Gaza. He added: When I visited Rafah, we saw CT scanners that were denied access which were being donated, a lot of other hospital equipment being denied access by the Israeli authorities on the grounds of dual use. A green sleeping bag denied because it could be used as a camouflage, a childrens education pack denied because it included small scissors, croissants with chocolate, orange juice denied because they were considered luxury items. It is unbelievable what has been denied to the people of Palestine in Gaza by the Israeli authorities, given the enormity of the starvation and hunger that people are experiencing. Im clear that the people of Gaza are being collectively punished. Israeli has obligations in terms of facilitating full, safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian aid into and throughout the Gaza. We have been clear that all restrictions of the work of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) and other humanitarian groups must be immediately lifted. Women canvassing in upcoming elections have been issued new safety guidance to "avoid going alone or in the dark" and to canvass in pairs. The chilling warning comes from support groups Women for Election and See Her Elected in conjunction with the Gardai ahead of upcoming local and European elections on 7th June. Campaigning has already began for many candidates. Other safety guidelines recommended to women on the campaign trail include travelling in pairs, never entering a person's residence, and having a code word to use with other canvassers in cases of emergency. In the guidelines, the support groups pointed out that "woman candidates in particular may experience a disproportionate level of unacceptable behaviour, including online abuse and harassment". The guidelines inform candidates and canvassers on how to navigate social media during their campaigning, as well as how to respond to dangerous phone calls and criminal attacks. It comes amid rising concerns for politicians safety. Taoiseach Simon Harris has recently criticised people who protested outside the homes of politicians, saying that families and homes should be out of bounds, after demonstrations were held recently outside Integration Minister Roderic OGormans home. Justice Minister Helen McEntee recently had two bomb threats on her home, which caused her husband and young children to be evacuated late at night. A man who referred others to buy false insurance policies has been given a two-year suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Victor Titov (48) of Ardbrae Park, Vevay Road, Bray, Co Wicklow, pleaded guilty to three sample counts representing 14 charges of fraud, carried out on dates between March 2015 and June 2017. The court heard that Titov was the middle man who referred people from within the Moldovan community to the main culprit or ghost broker, Egidijus Aleliunas. Aleliunas (43) of Paddocks Way, Adamstown, Lucan, was sentenced to five years in prison in February, after he admitted to money laundering, deception and fraud offences over a seven-year period. Aleliunas made almost 500,000 from selling false insurance policies while Titov made between 500 and 700 over a period of 18 to 24 months, earning 50 for each person he referred to Aleliunas. The court heard that Titov was responsible for losses of almost 7,000 incurred by seven policy holders whom he had referred to Aleliunas. Three other co-accused, all relatives of Aleliunas, previously received suspended sentences of two years for their roles in the bogus scheme which was valued at 4m overall. Judge Martin Nolan said Titov must have known, or else was reckless, as to what the main culprit was doing. The court heard that Titov did not carry out the functions of a ghost broker himself, but acted as the intermediary in the scheme, referring people to Aleliunas and thereby facilitating the fraud. Dominic McGinn SC, defending, said Titov believed that he was helping people to get cheaper insurance but that he recognised in hindsight that it wasn't legitimate. Titov has been in Ireland for nearly 20 years. He referred a total of seven customers to Aleliunas to buy false insurance policies, the court heard. The leadership of the Northern Ireland Policing Board have requested an urgent meeting with the Chief Constable following revelations around surveillance powers. It emerged at a hearing of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) in London on Wednesday that police in Northern Ireland undertook six-monthly trawls of the phone data of troublemaker journalists to see if they were in contact with officer sources. It came during the hearing of a case examining allegations that investigative reporters Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney were subject to unlawful covert intelligence by the police. Evidence presented to the tribunal on Wednesday suggested that Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) spying operations extended to several other reporters operating in the region. On Wednesday the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) accused the PSNI of shocking and despicable behaviour, and called for the service to come clean. In a statement on Thursday, the Northern Ireland Policing Board said its chairman Mukesh Sharma and vice chairman Brendan Mullan are seeking a meeting with PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher. Following discussions around yesterdays Investigatory Powers Tribunal, the chair and the vice chair of the board have requested an urgent meeting with the Chief Constable to seek further clarification and assurance around whether surveillance powers have been used lawfully, proportionately and appropriately in the past, the Policing Board spokesperson said. At the June board meeting, the boards human rights advisor John Wadham will also provide members with an assessment on whether authorisation policies and procedures were correctly adhered to. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 9. Preparing to host COP29 in November puts Azerbaijan on the cusp of a historic moment; the nation views the honor not just as a reflection of the international community's high regard for it, but also as a golden chance to enact substantial actions to address climate change, Azerbaijani ambassador Sultan Hajivev to Kenya wrote for The Standard newspaper, Trend reports. The article points out that inclusivity is the foundation of the Azerbaijani approach. COP29 necessitates that all stakeholders get involved. We can build better alliances and achieve more effective achievements in the battle against climate change if we listen to the ideas and opinions of individuals from different groups. The Ambassador highlighted that there is still a long way to go, despite the accomplishments at COP28, particularly in the areas of funding, adaptation, and dealing with loss and damage caused by climate change. There is an increasing financial need for climate action, and traditional development-oriented financing, although necessary, will not be sufficient. "It is really important for the international community to make fundamental changes in its approach and way of thinking to effectively address climate challenges. One of Azerbaijan's important steps is to declare 2024 the 'Year of Solidarity for a Green World'. This not only emphasizes our commitment to the global fight against this problem but also focuses our attention on strengthening partnerships at the national, regional, and international levels," the Ambassador noted. The COP29 team is actively engaging with various partners and negotiating groups, realizing that collective action is critical to success, he added. "In our endeavor, we seek to bridge the divide between the global south and the global west. COP29 should be a factor that enhances efficiency and integration by bringing together countries that have historically had limited ties and partnerships. The evolving partnership between Azerbaijan and Kenya is a case in point. Although our countries have good relations, we realize the need to further strengthen our cooperation, especially against the backdrop of Kenya's important role in addressing climate change. That is why COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev met with President Ruto in March within the framework of the UN Environment Assembly," the article says. "Events such as COP29 or the recent sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) are important examples of how the nations of the world can collectively coordinate their efforts to protect the environment. The leadership shown within the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in advancing the global environmental agenda is commendable, and we must continue this momentum. The COP troika mechanism, which combines the chairmanships of COP28, COP29, and COP30, plays a crucial role in maintaining this momentum. However, it is more than just a mission for Kenya and Azerbaijan. If we are to achieve a limit to the global temperature rise of 1.5C, we must accept that there must be a comprehensive approach to addressing such a complex problem," the Azerbaijani ambassador emphasized in the article. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 9. U.S. companies are interested in participation in COP29 to be held in Azerbaijan in November this year, U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mark Libby said, as he toured the Baker Hughes facilities and met with the Country Representative, Zaur Allahverdizade and the management team, Trend reports via the embassy. Baker Hughes, a U.S. company and major supplier of oil and gas equipment and services, employs over 300 people in Azerbaijan and collaborates closely with SOCAR Upstream. The Ambassador heard about Baker Hughes green energy initiatives and diversity and inclusion policy. He noted the importance of a regulatory framework for green energy and highlighted U.S. companies interest in Azerbaijans renewable energy sector, including their participation in COP29, reads a message from the embassy. Azerbaijan will host the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in November this year. The decision was made at the plenary meeting of COP28 held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Within two weeks, Baku, having become the center of the world, will host about 70,00080,000 foreign guests. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Rio Earth Summit in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference in the climate system. The acronym COP (Conference of Parties) stands for Conference of Parties, which is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. The parties to the convention are 198 countries. Unless the parties have decided otherwise, COP is held annually. The first COP event was held in March 1995 in Germany's Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn. Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 9. The Azerbaijan Renewable Energy Agency (AREA) under the Ministry of Energy is examining prospects for cooperation with Chinese enterprises in the usage of battery and pumped hydro storage technology, Trend reports. This was announced during a meeting between the AREA Director Javid Abdullayev, and representatives of the Chinese engineering corporations Powerchina Huadong and China Southern Power Grid. The parties discussed Azerbaijan's renewable energy projects and the potential for Chinese companies to participate in them. To note, the country plans to increase the share of renewable energy sources in the country's energy balance to 30-33 percent in the coming years through several projects utilizing solar, wind, and hydropower. At the same time, Azerbaijan is exploring opportunities for energy storage using storage devices and studying foreign experience in this area. Currently, the country produces 8 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 9. The EU sees the development of alternative routes for oil supplies from Kazakhstan as vital, Kestutis Jankauskas, EU Ambassador to Kazakhstan, told Trend. "Kazakhstan is trying to diversify its oil supplies to Europe and world markets. One option is to ship it via the Caspian Sea and Azerbaijan. The amount of trans-Caspian oil transit has been growing for the last two years, but it is limited due to a lack of port and shipping infrastructure. Developing and having alternative export routes is always important," he said. According to him, Kazakhstan has been an EU energy partner for decades, currently supplying over 8 percent of the EUs oil consumption. "This became even more important after Russian oil stopped entering the EU market. The majority of that oil flows via the CPC pipeline, and the EU exempted oil not originating from Russia from its sanctions," Jankauskas noted. Speaking about the Trans-Caspian route, the ambassador pointed out that this transport corridor provides a possibility to send cargo between Europe and Central Asia, the EU, and China without crossing countries under sanctions. As its infrastructure continues to improve, it will also offer faster delivery compared to the sea route. "For the corridor to function properly and offer a viable alternative transportation route, all countries along it should work together, enabling smooth shipment procedures. That involves not only countries in Central Asia, but also Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia and Turkiye," he added. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan's trade turnover with the EU countries amounted to $42.6 billion from January through December 2023. The volume of trade turnover increased by 1.7 percent compared to the same period in 2022 ($41.8 billion). At the same time, in the structure of trade turnover, exports to the EU countries for the above period amounted to $31.7 billion, which is 6.4 percent less than from January through December 2022 ($33.8 billion). In addition, imports from the EU countries from January through December 2023 increased by 36.1 percent and amounted to $10.9 billion. In 2022, imports amounted to $8 billion. Furthermore, Kazakhstan produced 90 million tons of oil in 2023, which is 6.9 percent higher than in 2022. Oil exports also increased and amounted to 70.5 million tons, which is 9.6 percent more than the previous year. Moreover, Kazakhstan plans to increase oil production in 2024 to 90.3 million tons. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, May 9. Currently, the project development phase of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is in full swing, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov said at the anniversary meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Moscow, Trend reports. According to the presidential press-service, he also emphasized the importance of aligning the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) with the One Belt, One Road Chinese initiative. "With projects like the North-South transport corridor being developed, Kyrgyzstan is making great strides to improve the transport connection among member states," he said. There have been agreements to create new border crossings and boost the capacity of existing checkpoints with China, as pointed out by Zhaparov. Along with that, all 14 of Kyrgyzstan's border checkpoints along the EAEU customs border are technologically furnished and fully equipped. "Fast transit through digital platforms requires closer cooperation between the EU and other nations to eliminate legal and infrastructural obstacles and coordinate the efforts of regulatory bodies," he said. The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, a planned 454-kilometer rail line, is intended to connect China's and Uzbekistan's railways through Kyrgyzstan's territory and further link up with the European railway network through Turkmenistan, Iran, and Turkiye. Jack Cashill is Kansas City's foremost conservative scribe and this week he unleashed an EXCEPTIONAL attack on the madness which drives the mainstream media machine and so much of our political discourse. Here's what even the harshest critics of KCPD must acknowledge . . . Activist outcry and faulty progressive narratives powered the conviction of a former KCPD detective in a case that was so glaringly misreported that even local news scribes have trouble recalling the facts. From our perspective . . . The most shameful moment of legal debate was the OUTRIGHT LIE THAT THE KCPD DETECTIVE PLANTED A GUN which as repeated so often that even veteran journalists struggled to parse fact from fiction. Mr. Cashill gives us another dutiful rundown of the case that still awaits pardon from Missouri Governor Parson. Moreover, Mr. Cashill shares valuable insight into ongoing culture war against law enforcement which continues to jeopardize local public safety. Here's the crux of his thoughtful analysis . . . Today, almost every urban area has a DeValkenaere or two, a white police officer presumed guilty of killing a black man, a grave offense found in no criminal code but applied as though it were. These media dramas inevitably feature black men as innocents honor students, gentle giants, little boys with Skittles and whites, ideally cops, as evil. Kansas Citys Cameron Lamb, the media told us, was the loving father of three boys. What makes this case noteworthy is that DeValkenaere has a Republican attorney general, Andrew Bailey, willing to fight for him. In the respondents brief Bailey prepared for the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, Bailey described in detail how the algorithms played out for DeValkenaere that December day in 2019 . . . What Bailey did not mention in his brief is what the media could not mention enough: The white Devalkenaere shot a black man. In Democratic strongholds like Jackson County, that is the algorithm that drives justice and that has been driving would-be officers away from Kansas City. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . American Spectator: Mammas, Dont Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cops -- Fear the algorithms, not just the danger. Developing . . . Right now we start with a #TBT memories of Paris & from their long ago reality show debut that's earning a restart as we check pop culture, community news and to headlines. Check TKC news gathering . . . Biker Lady Rolls Out . . . Gail Worth, owner of Gail's Harley Davidson in Grandview, is retiring after 25 years The familiar face of motorcycle sales in Kansas City and the Midwest is preparing to ride off into the sunset Golden Ghetto Gets Walk-able?!? Overland Park recommends changes to 79th Street corridor Downtown Overland Park could eventually be a destination for walkers and cyclists. Building Better Retail Convenience store renovation bringing new life to 27th and Benton One Kansas City developer is venturing into her first commercial retail project to provide what her community needs. EV Charges Local Auto Industry GM to end production of the Chevy Malibu this fall, will prep Fairfax for Bolt production General Motors Co. will halt production of the Chevrolet Malibu sedan this fall at its Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas to prep for production of the new Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle, the automaker confirmed Wednesday. Latino Jam Session Awaits Los Lobos w/Making Movies at Ameristar Casino Star Pavilion Los Lobos with special guest Making Movies at Ameristar Casino Star Pavilion in Kansas City, MO, on Friday, May 10, 2024. Nepo Retro Comeback Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are returning to reality TV Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are ready to rule reality TV together once again. The Hilton heiress, 43, and the fashion designer, 42, are now working together on a new show. White House Diss Track Released Joe Biden's Campaign Disses Donald Trump Using Kendrick Lamar 'Euphoria' Lyrics Joe Biden's campaign has dissed Donald Trump with a video soundtracked by Kendrick Lamar's "Euphoria." NextGen MAGA Debuts Barron Trump: Donald Trump's youngest son to play role at Republican convention He will be among those who nominate his father, Donald Trump, as a candidate for November's election. By The Numbers House passes bill to exclude illegal immigrants from census by adding citizenship question The House of Representatives voted to add a citizenship question to the census and block illegal immigrants from skewing the redistricting and Electoral College apportionment processes. South Of Border Tragic Deets Chilling details emerge about alleged killer of Australian and U.S. surfers in Mexico The suspect's girlfriend reportedly told investigators he showed up at her house and told her he had done something to "three gringos." Vlad War Never Waits Ukraine energy infrastructure hit in Remembrance day attack The attacks come as Ukraine marks a major national holiday celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany. Haters Target Creatives Israel in spotlight at Eurovision semi-final as pro-Palestinian protests loom The second semi-final of this year's Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Sweden on Thursday, with Israel's performance expected to draw attention due to large pro-Palestinian protests planned in host city Malmo. Media Titans Call Truce Jerry Seinfeld apologizes to Howard Stern after saying he was 'outflanked': 'It was bad and I'm sorry, Howie' Jerry Seinfeld is clarifying comments he made about Howard Stern's show and comedy chops: 'It was bad and I'm sorry, Howie. I still love you. Please forgive me.' Old School Pipes At Risk Sexually Transmitted Infections Have Surged, and Age Is No Barrier Older daters are not getting adequate screening and protection from S.T.I.s. Here's how to be a safer sexually active senior. Royal Life Lesson Winning baseball = more fans It's so simple. John Sherman and the gang need to remember that opening the pocket book can also bring in more money, but it is more important than just money. Newspaper Goes Buzzfeed It's illegal to let these 19 'noxious weeds' grow in your yard in Kansas and Missouri You might even face a fine if you knowingly allow these plants to flourish on your property. We explain how to identify and eradicate them. Forecast For Today . . . Beautiful and sunny in the metro for the next couple of days Another stretch of stormy weather coming in a few days Collective Soul - Shine peaked at Billboard #1 in the mainstream rock category in 1994. Today the old school grunge knock-off serves as the song of the #TBT day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now. There's a lot to consider this evening and right now rising star, musical diva and hottie Sabrina inspires our quick collection of pop culture, community news and top headlines for loyal readers. Check TKC news gathering . . . Home Team Springs Forward Royals bounce back against Brewers This team can flush it quickly. The Dotte Deals With FAIL KCK residents, district leaders weigh what's next after voters said no to school bond proposal KCK voters rejected a $420 million bond package Tuesday night that would have paid for renovations to KCKPS schools, and paid for build new school buildings, a public library and an aquatic center. NIMBY Stays Losing In JoCo 'Much is at stake': Olathe council approves Cedar Creek apartments over neighbor uproar Olathe City Council OK'd rezoning for a mixed-use apartment & townhome project at the southeast corner of Cedar Creek & Valley parkways. BIG MONET!!! Worth millions, Nelson-Atkins 'luminous' masterpiece must be auctioned off next week "It's bittersweet, if I'm being honest," said a Nelson-Atkins curator. "It is one of our flock that is getting away." Suburban Splash & Future Summer Police Hot Spot Blue Springs announces opening date for new water park Blue Springs announced it plans to open Blue Surf Bay Waterpark for the first time on May 24. Creative Accommodations Welcome to the Jungle: Inside Kansas City's First Immersive Art Hotel Room - IN Kansas City Magazine Artist Patty Carroll brought out the big cats for The Panther Room, a new livable art installation inside 21c Museum Hotel Kansas City. The room is inspired by one of Carroll's photographs, Panther, from the series titled, Anonymous Women, Domestic Demise. The photograph, depicting a prone woman in a black dress who can easily be... Discounting Summer Sounds Score $25 tickets to dozens of Kansas City concerts Live Nation's Concert Week features $25 tickets to dozens of shows in Kansas City and across the country Twenty-Something Cashes In Sabrina Carpenter shows off her toned frame in Marc Jacobs campaign Sabrina Carpenter followed up the splash she made on the Met Gala carpet with boyfriend Barry Keoghan in a sizzling new campaign for Marc Jacobs this week. White House Warns Holy Land Biden says he would halt additional weapons shipments if Israel invades Rafah The president's comments to CNN follow news that one shipment of bombs is already on hold out of concern about the impact on civilian lives. MAGA Moves Reconsidered Will Trump take the stand in his criminal trial? As prosecutors near the home stretch of their criminal case against Donald Trump, one of the biggest questions looming over the historic trial is whether the former president will take the stand in his own defense. Stormy Fades From Favor Legal experts hammer Stormy Daniels' testimony at Trump trial: 'Disastrous' responses will 'backfire' Some legal experts and pundits have questioned whether Stormy Daniels' testimony and cross-examination damaged her credibility, and wondered whether Trump's team could use it. MTG Takes The L House blocks Greene's resolution to oust Johnson The House on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted to protect Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from a conservative coup, torpedoing an effort by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to oust the GOP leader from the top job. The chamber voted 359-43-7 on a motion to table Greene's motion to vacate, preventing the removal resolution from hitting the floor... End Of And Era . . . R.I.P. Boy Scouts | National Review The Boy Scouts of America has announced its intention to change its name to "Scouting America," which offers no compelling reason to join or maintain it. Even MAGA Endures Fatigue 'This is not the time': Trump on Greene's failed motion to oust Speaker Johnson All four of Utah's Representatives voted to table Greene's motion to vacate. Hipster Fest Coming Soon The Spring Swing at West Bottoms Heritage Days The Spring Swing at West Bottoms Heritage Days in Liberty Courtyard (14th and Hickory) on Saturday, May 11, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is FREE. New Boss For Good Deeds Kauffman CEO: Foundation's reset aligns Mr. K's intent with KC's needs of the moment "Mr. K had very distinct philosophies and ideas around how he wanted this work done," said Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace. "One of the things he talks about, though, is that he wanted future leaders to make sure that the work that we were doing still matches the current time." Forecast For Tonight . . . Drier conditions in the back half of the week Spotty storms will end this evening, then mostly clear conditions with lows in the mid-50s settle in on Wednesday night. And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now. A desperate editorial backs up a losing argument but here's the bigger picture . . . A sketchy fiscal note probably won't convince Missouri voters that they should vote against more cash for Kansas City's police budget. In fairness, here's a quote from the newspaper's argument to the contrary . . . "Politicians in the General Assembly should not dictate how much we spend on law enforcement. Every other city in the state controls its own police budget. Kansas City should, too . . . "We urge Kansas City public servants and community and civic leaders to raise awareness of the negative impact that a yes vote would have on the citys ability to provide basic services to its constituents." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . In a long-form piece that's lilting, meandering and mostly pointless . . . Kansas City's top ranking progressive Latina newsie scribe shares some highlights from local & regional student protests in the shadow of recent student uprisings over the war in Gaza. In fairness . . . The flowery prose of Mary Sanchez is needed because there really wasn't much to Midwest protest that faded quickly after a week and as soon as study time for finals took hold. Here's what we think is her main point regarding diversity, equity and the disillusions of youth . . . "Todays university student populations are much more diverse. Protesting students can often speak from their firsthand experiences of living in the Middle East. Many have family abroad or hold an affinity due to their Muslim faith. "They expect the values of the universities where they are enrolled to respect their backgrounds, and to show it through socially conscious investments. "In some ways, the issues today feel more complicated for students and administrations to navigate, said several former student activists." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . This isn't dark web gossip or even the talking points disseminated by social media bots offering high praise for Vlad and his empire of human misery . . . It's mainstream news fact that war across the world is hitting local tech with deets supported by mainstream sources and even hinted at by the feds . . . Cyber criminal organizations with ties to Russia appear to be responsible for the attacks on Wichita, Jackson County and KC Scout. Kansas City, Missouri officials have said little about the attack on the city's computer system, and it's unclear who is responsible. Bridget Patton, spokesperson for the FBI, declined to say whether the FBI is investigating but said it is "aware of both incidents," referring to the Wichita and Kansas City network outages. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Russian Cyber Group Takes Credit for Kansas Ransomware Attack The entity claimed responsibility for a Wichita incident confirmed Sunday, that prompted the shutdown of the City Hall computer network. As a result, many departments moved to paper and cash-only operations. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, May 9. President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov in a statement to the Eurasian Economic Commission, emphasized the need of electronic supplemental documentation for products, particularly those that are transported via multiple modes of transportation, Trend reports. Zhaparov highlighted this during his speech at the anniversary meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Moscow, according to the presidential press service. "Modern digital solutions should become the main driving force in ensuring fast and efficient customs and tax administration," he said. Additionally, he proposed exploring mechanisms for transferring ready-made platform solutions between EAEU countries. In his speech, Zhaparov pointed out that over the years of Kyrgyzstan's participation in the Eurasian Economic Union (since 2015), mutual trade with member states has increased by 76 percent, from $2.5 billion to $4.4 billion in 2023. When you visit Thailand, do not miss out on Wat Rong Khun, better known as the White Temple. This stunning attraction in Chiang Rai is a masterpiece beyond traditional Buddhist temple norms. It is a recent creation, having opened to the public in 1997, and quickly soared to the top of must-see lists for travelers. The brainchild of local artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, Wat Rong Khun reflects his unique vision and personal funding as he sought complete creative control. The result is a dazzling complex where every detail complements the overarching theme, even down to the artistically designed traffic cones. Before you step into the main building, take a moment to appreciate the intricate white architecture and the detailed murals that blend traditional spiritual themes with modern cultural icons. Remember, as you cross the bridge, you must remove your shoes, respecting the site's sanctity. Here are the things you need to know before visiting Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand. The Vision of Chalermchai Kositpipat Wat Rong Khun is the life's work of Chalermchai Kositpipat, who envisioned a place that would blend traditional Buddhist values with striking contemporary art. His approach was not about building another temple for worship, but rather a piece of living art that invites reflection and inspiration. The funding and design are all his own, allowing for complete creative freedom that shines through every corner of the temple. This freedom is evident in the smallest details, from the elegantly designed gates to the murals that challenge traditional religious iconography. The Iconic Bridge and Gate As you approach Wat Rong Khun, you will first encounter the striking bridge leading to the main temple gate. This bridge represents the journey from suffering to enlightenment, crossing over a sea of outstretched hands, symbolizing unrestrained desire. The gate itself is guarded by two large, fearsome creatures that serve as protectors of the temple. Crossing this bridge is like entering a different place, where art and spirituality merge in an unforgettable visual narrative. Related Article : Why Thailand Is the Ultimate Destination for Mango Sticky Rice Lovers Inside the Main Building Once you pass through the gates, the main building awaits. Although photography inside is prohibited, the images you see will stay with you. The interior is surprisingly intimate, adorned with murals incorporating elements from Buddhist teachings and modern culture, including references to popular movies and celebrities. Artistic Details You Should Not Miss Around the temple, you will find several areas rich with artistic expression that deserve your attention. Look for the intricate sculptures and statues that populate the temple grounds. Each piece tells part of the story of Wat Rong Khun, contributing to the overall narrative that Kositpipat wishes to tell. The Golden Building Do not overlook the golden building situated in the temple complex. In contrast to the pervasive whiteness of Wat Rong Khun, this structure is dedicated to more earthly matters. It houses the restrooms. Yet, even here, the design does not cease to amaze. Gold color highlights themes of worldly desires and the materialistic aspects of life, standing as a counterbalance to the predominantly white temple that symbolizes purity and spiritual ascension. Practical Tips for Your Visit Planning your visit to Wat Rong Khun is essential. The temple is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., but arriving early can help you avoid the crowds. There is an entrance fee for foreign visitors, which is modest but vital for the temple's ongoing maintenance and restoration. Dress respectfully, as this is a place of worship and spiritual contemplation. Lastly, bring a pair of socks because you will need to remove your shoes before entering the main building, and the ground can be quite hot or cold, depending on the weather. China has extended its visa-free travel policy for citizens from 11 European countries and Malaysia until 2025. The move is part of China's strategy to increase tourism and strengthen international relationships after the global decline in travel due to the pandemic. The policy allows travelers to visit China for up to 15 days without a visa. China Unveils Extended Visa-Free Travel Boost The visa-free policy, first introduced in early 2024 for a year, has now been extended. It includes Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland. Visitors from these countries can enter China for up to 15 days without a visa. Euronews reported that the decision aims to improve the exchange of people between China and Europe and open China more to the world. The Foreign Ministry of China shared this information in November, explaining that the goal is to support better quality interactions and more openness. Tourism and international travel to China dropped significantly because of strict COVID-19 measures, which included mandatory quarantines. These restrictions were lifted last year, but the number of international visitors is still not as high as before the pandemic. In 2023, around 35.5 million foreigners entered or left China, much lower than the nearly 97.7 million in 2019. China had allowed visa-free entry to citizens from Brunei, Japan, and Singapore before the pandemic, but paused it during the health crisis. Visa-free entry resumed for Brunei and Singapore in July last year, but not for Japan yet. Online travel bookings from Europe to China have increased significantly, with Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen being popular destinations. The beachside city of Sanya and Chengdu are also becoming favorite spots for European travelers. By making it easier to visit, China hopes to attract more tourists and investors, helping to boost its economy. Related Article : Thailand Welcomes Chinese Tourists with Visa-Free Entry to Boost Tourism China Sees Jump in Road and Rail Travel During Public Holiday On Wednesday, the first day of a major public holiday in China, more people traveled by car and train, reflecting a cautious spending approach amid economic challenges. As the five-day holiday started, which included May Day, people avoided higher airline costs by driving or booking early to take advantage of lower prices. Although travel has picked up since China ended its strict COVID-19 restrictions at the end of 2022, the money spent on these trips hasn't increased much. This slow spending is limiting the positive effects on the broader economy. China aims to achieve a 5% economic growth in 2024, a target that experts believe will be difficult to reach without additional economic boosts, as per Reuters. Recent data indicates a slowdown in China's manufacturing and service sectors. For instance, the price of domestic economy flights fell 38% by the end of April compared to the beginning of the month, with an average ticket costing just under $97. The roads were especially busy, with an estimated 58 million cars each day during the holiday. Railways also saw heavy traffic, carrying over 20 million passengers on Wednesday alone. The rise in travel reflects a 17% increase from last year during the same period, showing a cautious but steady recovery in travel habits. Air India Express canceled over 90 flights starting Tuesday evening after about 300 cabin crew members called in sick and turned off their phones. The airline, owned by the Tata Group, faced disruptions on both international and domestic routes. The incident occurred as the crew expressed dissatisfaction with their job conditions following a merger. Air India Express Cancels Flights as Crew Protest Conditions Sources inside the company revealed that the cabin crew are unhappy with changes made post-merger. These changes include demotions despite successful interviews, alterations to their compensation, and restrictions on voicing concerns. Management is reportedly trying to reach the affected crew to address these issues and ease tensions. According to Travel and Tour World, an official from Air India Express confirmed the sudden illness reports from the crew led to numerous flight delays and cancellations. The airline is actively working to manage the situation and minimize inconvenience to passengers. Those whose flights were canceled have been offered a full refund or the option to reschedule. The cancellations have caused significant frustration among travelers, many of whom learned about the disruptions only upon arriving at the airport. In response, Air India Express has issued apologies and assured passengers that they are addressing the operational challenges as swiftly as possible. This disruption comes at a sensitive time for Air India Express, which is merging with AIX Connect, formerly known as AirAsia India. The integration process has been complicated by the cabin crew's grievances, reflecting broader challenges concerning mergers and employee satisfaction in the aviation industry. Related Article: IndiGo Airlines Pilots Benched After Collision with Air India Express Air India Express Receives Backlash Amid Cancellation Issues Air India Express flights were abruptly canceled after a sudden strike by the cabin crew, leaving many passengers in a bind. According to the airline, owned by the Tata Group, those affected by the cancellations will receive a full refund or can reschedule their flights for free. Although a refund link has been sent to passengers, some have reported difficulties accessing it. The airline has advised that the link should be functional soon and directed passengers to the 'Manage Booking' section on its website for immediate assistance. On the social media platform X, Air India Express encouraged passengers to either reschedule their flights within the next seven days or opt for a full refund through their chatbot, Tia. Despite these options, several passengers reported issues with both the chatbot and phone support. In response, the airline has asked for passengers' PNR numbers to provide further help. On Manorama revealed that many passengers expressed that refunds alone would not solve their urgent travel needs. Some travelers voiced concerns about losing their jobs or facing visa expiration if they did not reach their destinations promptly. For example, one woman needed to return to her job in Sharjah by May 9, but the only available flight was on May 10, which would be too late. No accommodation or alternative arrangements were provided by Air India Express, adding to the travelers' frustrations. This cancellation wave comes as discontent among the airline's cabin crew has grown, particularly following the merger process with AIX Connect, formerly known as AirAsia India. Air India Express has apologized for the inconvenience and is actively working to resolve the situation, ensuring such disruptions do not reflect their usual standard of service. This is your chance to turn dreams into reality with Aurora Expeditions' 2025-26 season. Imagine sailing across crystal-clear icy waters, witnessing the untouched wilderness of Antarctica, or exploring the rugged beauty of Australia and New Zealand's Subantarctic Islands. Such a perfect adventure for an adventurous person like you! Aurora Expeditions is rolling out a spectacular offer-Early Bird rates slashing prices by up to 25% on select voyages. Think about that for a second. Not only do you get to hop on the adventure of a lifetime, but you also get to do it without breaking the bank. This season, Aurora Expeditions introduces eight bold new itineraries and welcomes a shiny new vessel, the Douglas Mawson. Each trip is a blend of thrill and education, designed to fuel your passion for the wild and expand your understanding of these remote landscapes. Save Big and Dive Deep with Aurora Expeditions Who does not love a great deal, especially when it leads to an epic adventure? With Aurora Expeditions, you can save up to 25% on your next big adventure, making this the perfect time to book that dream trip. This discount is not just about saving money-it is your gateway to experiencing some of the most remote and breathtaking places on Earth. During the 2025-26 season, Aurora Expeditions offers more than just stunning views. You will sail aboard purpose-built ships like the brand-new Douglas Mawson, designed to get you closer to the action while ensuring your comfort and safety. These ships are small enough to provide an intimate setting but large enough to feature all the amenities necessary for a journey to the world's extremities. If you are interested in joining this expedition, you can request a quote or contact them to see what is best for you and your journey. About Aurora Expeditions Back in 1991, Greg and Margaret Mortimer founded Aurora Expeditions, inspired by the spirit of adventure that was embodied by Sir Douglas Mawson's historic ship. Their mission was clear from the start: to bring small groups of like-minded travelers to some of the most spectacular regions on Earth, turning them into champions for conserving these pristine areas. Today, more than thirty years later, Aurora Expeditions continues to blaze trails with the same fiery passion for adventure. They prefer keeping their groups small, which provides more peace and quiet and allows you to adapt swiftly if weather or water conditions change. This flexibility often means you can enjoy more excursions and landings. Expeditions vary from 8 to 30 days, giving you the freedom to choose how long you want to explore and what parts of the world you want to see. If you're interested in focusing on one region or combining trips for an extended adventure, they have options to suit every explorer's schedule and interests. You will travel with a top-tier expedition team of experts in remote areas to enrich your journey. Aurora Expeditions is an adventure provider and a proud Certified B CorporationTM, committed to leading the way in sustainable expedition travel. Ever heard of the Spanish Steps before? If you haven't, you might make the assumption that the Spanish Steps can be found somewhere in Spain due to its name. Believe it or not, that's not exactly the case. The Spanish Steps can actually be found in Rome, Italy, and it is one of the Italian capital's well-known destinations. It has a grand total of 135 steps as well as three terraces. But how exactly did a set of steps in Rome end up being known as the Spanish Steps? The History of the Spanish Steps To start with, Spanish Steps is not the official name given to these steps. The official name happens to be Scalinata della Trinita dei Monti. These 135 steps connect Piazza di Spagna, which can be found at its base, to the Trinita dei Monti, a French monastery church. The staircase was not funded by an Italian or Spaniard despite its nickname and its location. Instead, it was commissioned by a French diplomat named Etienne Gueffier. It said that the French wanted a symbolic connection of sorts between France and Spain as represented by Piazza di Spagna and Trinita dei Monti. The Spanish Connection So what does this have to do with how the Spanish Steps got its well-known nickname? The answer lies in Piazza di Spagna. Translated in English, Piazza di Spagna is pretty much the "Spanish Square." Piazza di Spagna got its name from the fact that the Spanish embassy to the Holy See is located in the square. Given its location, the steps eventually became known to the public as the Spanish Steps. What to Keep in Mind During Your Visit As it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Rome, do expect crowd when visiting the Spanish Steps. While it is common to find locals and travelers alike sitting on the steps, watch out for the police. This writer and her husband, along with others, were asked by police not to sit on the steps during their visit in March 2024. While the Spanish Steps are an attraction in their own right, don't forget to explore the area. Piazza di Spagna is home to Fontana della Barcaccia, a work of sculptor Pietro Bernini. He is the father of the famed sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini. On the other end of the Spanish Steps, you will find the Sallustiano Obelisk. From there, you can head to Trinita dei Monti, which is a must-visit for both its interior and exterior. By Alex Greenwood, May 9, 2024 WARRENSBURG, MO - The University of Central Missouri's Board of Governors approved the FY 2025 operating budget during a plenary session held on April 24 at the Missouri Innovation Campus in Lees Summit. The session also included the establishment of new degrees and certificates, as well as recognition of several students, faculty and staff. The FY 2025 general fund anticipates $9.6 million in new revenue from sources such as tuition, state appropriations and investment income. This budget, contingent upon the final budget reconciliation in June, includes allocations for salary increases, facility enhancements and other operational needs without tapping into reserve funds. The University of Central Missouri employs an incremental budgeting approach for its FY 2025 general fund. This involves rolling forward $3 million from FY 2024 one-time projects and distributing new revenues, estimated at $12.6 million, across various institutional priorities. These revenues include an expected $7.5 million from increased tuition due to higher credit hour production and a recent tuition adjustment, about $1.9 million from additional state appropriations as recommended in Governor Parsons budget, and roughly $0.2 million from increased investment income. The Auxiliary Enterprises operating budget for FY 2025, which includes the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, University Housing, University Union and other services, is set at $30.8 million. New academic offerings approved by the board include an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in Special Education. Additionally, undergraduate certificates in Agricultural Safety, Agritourism, Greenhouse Management and Precision Agriculture will be introduced in the Department of Agriculture to enhance vocational skills and workforce employment opportunities. These programs are subject to approval by the MDHEWD Coordinating Board and HLC. In other decisions, the board awarded a $550,921 contract to Godard & Son Roofing Company Inc. for roof replacement at the Administration Building. It also expanded the Ellucian contract to include Talent Management Suite modules and entered a three-year agreement with Encoura for undergraduate recruitment services. The board recognized numerous students, faculty and staff with awards and commendations for their achievements at UCM. The session also celebrated the contributions of university personnel, conferring emeritus status on three distinguished individuals for their dedicated service: Dr. Douglas Hatridge, former assistant director of the Central Regional Professional Development Center (RPDC), serving from June 2, 2003 to June 30, 2014; Mr. Jeff Murphy, director of University Communications, serving from September 11, 1989 to April 30, 2024; and Mr. Richard Wilbur, custodian, serving from December 3, 1998 to April 30, 2024. Russian forces carried out more than 20 strikes on the Nikopol district, Dnipropetrovsk region, on May 9, killing two people and injuring eight others. Serhii Lysak, head of the region's military administration, reported this on Telegram, according to Ukrinform. "It is an extremely difficult day for the Nikopol district. Non-stop strikes from morning to evening. Artillery, Grad MLRS, kamikaze drones. In total, more than two dozen attacks," the post reads. According to Lysak, Nikopol was hardest hit by shelling. Two people were killed and eight injured in the city. Among them are 15- and 16-year-old girls. They are in a fair condition. The attacks damaged eight high-rise buildings, 25 private houses, 16 outbuildings, greenhouses, almost 30 solar panels, power lines and gas pipelines. A kindergarten, a fire department, a charity building, a bank, and shops came under attack. About ten vehicles were damaged, including a rescue service vehicle and an ambulance. The Marhanets, Pokrovsk, Chervona Hryhorivka and Myrove communities were also hit, Lysak said. Federal Chancellor of Austria, Karl Nehammer, says it is unacceptable to allow replacing the concepts of criminal and victim in the war of aggression Russia is waging against Ukraine. The head of the Austrian government said this during a solemn event in Vienna on the occasion of liberation from National Socialism and the end of the Second World War, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine is causing so much suffering, it has brought the injustice of war back to European soil. Although it was after the Second World War that we managed to wrest from each other this commitment to never fight again, effectively putting an end to the killing of millions that had been going on for centuries in Europe," he said. The Austrian chancellor stressed that everyone must be vigilant when someone is trying to pass off a criminal as victim in Russia's attack on Ukraine. "We must be vigilant when we think and talk about defensive democracy and defense, so as not to allow the criminal to become a victim as radicals sometimes try to do as regards Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine," Nehammer emphasized. According to the chancellor, it is also necessary to be vigilant in the matter of a terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel. In this context, he noted that the suffering of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip could end with the capitulation of Hamas and this should be a "clear demand from the West." As Ukrinform reported, the right-wing populist Austrian Freedom Party (FPO), known for its pro-Russian position, used an anti-Ukrainian poster in its campaign for the European Parliament elections. Read also: Ukrainian diplomats and community commemorate victims of Mauthausen camp in Austria In this regard, the Embassy of Ukraine sent an official note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria, condemning the strategy of the FPO to manipulatively and distortedly portray the reasons and essence of Russia's full-scale aggression, "which, among other things, is an insult to the Ukrainian people that creates grounds for justifying Russias war crimes in Ukraine". Photo: Presidents Office TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, May 9. Trade turnover volume between Uzbekistan and Iraq amounted to $22.1 million in 2023, Trend reports. This was announced at a meeting between Deputy Chairman of Uzbekistans Chamber of Commerce and Industry Umidjon Safarov and Charge d'Affaires of Iraq in Astana Jaber al-Tamimi. The sides noted that Uzbekistan's trade turnover with Iraq amounted to $12.1 million in 2022. The parties discussed signing a Memorandum of Cooperation between the two countries' Chambers of Commerce and Industry to improve cooperation. They also agreed on joint events, business forums, and B2B meetings with Uzbek and Iraqi business circles. The attendees also addressed logistics, commerce, and economic relations, and given Iraq's high demand for Uzbek products, a proposal was made to start buying textile, food, and agricultural items. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan's foreign trade turnover volume amounted to $62.6 billion in 2023. The exports reached $24.4 billion, while the imports totaled $38.1 billion. The largest volume of foreign trade turnover was recorded with China (21.9 percent), Russia (15.8 percent), Kazakhstan (7 percent), Turkiye (5 percent), and Korea (3.7 percent). In recent weeks, a wave of pro-Palestinian protests has swept across universities in the United States, leading to significant discussions and actions regarding the divestment of school endowments from companies with ties to Israel. This movement, largely led by student activists, has gained momentum, resulting in both support and backlash from various quarters. The Rise of Pro-Palestinian Protests The protests, which began as a response to the escalating violence in Israel and Palestine, quickly evolved into a broader call for solidarity with the Palestinian people and condemnation of Israel's actions. Students, particularly those associated with groups like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), organized rallies, sit-ins, and other forms of peaceful demonstrations to raise awareness about the situation. One of the key issues driving these protests is the question of divestment. Activists argue that universities should not invest in companies that contribute to what they perceive as human rights violations and injustices against Palestinians. They have called on universities to review their investment portfolios and divest from any companies that are involved in the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories or that profit from the conflict. READ MORE : Colleges Face Pro-Palestinian Protests With Divestment Demands Divestment Decisions: Sacramento State and Beyond The most significant development so far has been at Sacramento State, where administrators have agreed to divest from all "corporations and funds that profit from genocide, ethnic cleansing, and activities that violate fundamental human rights." While the school stated that it currently has no direct investments that violate these principles, it committed to reviewing its index and mutual funds to ensure alignment with a human rights-based approach to investments. This decision sets Sacramento State apart from other universities, such as Columbia and George Washington, where administrators have resisted calls for divestment. At these institutions, protesters have faced police intervention and arrests, highlighting the contentious nature of the issue. Other universities, including Northwestern, Brown, Rutgers, Johns Hopkins, the University of Minnesota, and the University of California, Riverside, have also seen some progress. These institutions have made incremental concessions to protesters, agreeing to review their investments and commit to greater transparency. While these actions fall short of full divestment, activists see them as important steps forward. Challenges and Backlash Despite these gains, the road to divestment remains fraught with challenges. Donors, alumni, and some Jewish groups have expressed strong opposition to the divestment movement, viewing it as biased and potentially antisemitic. Some donors have threatened to withdraw their support if universities proceed with divestment, putting pressure on administrators to tread carefully. Republicans have also weighed in on the issue, criticizing universities for what they see as capitulating to the demands of protesters. Rep. Virginia Foxx, chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, has announced plans to hold a hearing to investigate the agreements made between universities and protesters, labeling them as "shocking concessions to unlawful antisemitic encampments." The Way Forward As the debate over divestment continues, it raises broader questions about the role of universities in addressing social and political issues. Student activists argue that universities have a responsibility to uphold human rights and ethical standards in their investments. They see divestment as a tangible way for institutions to show solidarity with oppressed communities around the world. However, opponents of divestment argue that universities should remain neutral on political issues and focus on their core mission of education. They warn that divestment could have unintended consequences, such as limiting funding for academic programs and scholarships. Ultimately, the question of divestment is likely to remain contentious and complex, reflecting broader tensions and divisions within society. As universities grapple with these challenges, they will need to carefully consider the ethical, financial, and political implications of their investment decisions. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators made their voices heard at a press conference held by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at the University of Florida, Gainesville. The event, intended to showcase the state's handling of recent protests, took a turn as protesters gathered to express their support for Palestine and call for divestment from Israel. The scene underscored the deep-seated emotions and complex issues surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict, highlighting the challenges faced by political leaders in managing such sensitive situations. Tensions Flare at UF Press Conference During Governor DeSantis' speech, the volume of "Free Palestine" and "Stop the U.S. war machine" chants increased, highlighting the protesters' intense emotions. Despite efforts to maintain order, the demonstrators' presence created a charged atmosphere, with emotions running high on both sides. The protests come in the wake of recent violence in the region, including Hamas' incursion into southern Israel and Israel's military campaign in Gaza. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of thousands of Palestinians, many of them civilians, leading to widespread international condemnation and calls for action. READ MORE: Universities Wrestle With Misinformation Amid Pro-Palestinian Protests Calls for Divestment and Change The protesters' demands for divestment from Israel reflect a broader movement seeking to pressure governments and institutions to take a stand on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Similar protests have taken place at universities and institutions across the United States, with activists calling for an end to what they see as Israeli occupation and oppression of Palestinians. While Governor DeSantis expressed gratitude for the university's efforts to maintain order, he faced criticism from protesters who accused him of ignoring the plight of the Palestinian people. The protesters were not satisfied by the governor's pledge to allocate funds for safety enhancements in public schools, Jewish Day Schools, and historically Black colleges and universities, seeing it as a distraction from the primary concern. Challenges for Political Leaders The protests at the University of Florida highlight the challenges faced by political leaders in addressing complex and deeply divisive issues such as the Israel-Palestine conflict. While freedom of speech is a fundamental right, balancing the interests of different groups and ensuring public safety can be a delicate balancing act. Governor DeSantis' handling of the protests is likely to come under scrutiny, with critics accusing him of failing to address the root causes of the conflict. Despite the protests, the governor's decision to proceed with the press conference underscores the importance of political leaders' ability to engage with complex issues and maintain composure in the face of opposition. Looking Ahead As tensions in the region continue to simmer, the protests at the University of Florida serve as a reminder of the deep divisions that exist over the Israel-Palestine conflict. While political leaders may differ on the best path forward, it is clear that addressing the root causes of the conflict and finding a lasting solution will require courage, compassion, and a willingness to engage with opposing viewpoints. In the meantime, the protests at UF are likely to spark further debate and discussion on college campuses and beyond as activists and supporters on both sides of the issue seek to make their voices heard. As the world watches, the challenge for political leaders will be to navigate these turbulent waters with wisdom and foresight in the hope of finding a path to peace and reconciliation in the region. (@ChaudhryMAli88) The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Thursday organized ceremony to express solidarity with Armed Forces of Pakistan and condemn May 9, 2023 vandalism ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th May, 2024) The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Thursday organized ceremony to express solidarity with Armed Forces of Pakistan and condemn May 9, 2023 vandalism. Speaking on the occasion Member National Assembly Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has said that May 9 2023 catastrophic incidents were the conspiracy to disrupt countrys development and inflict harm to its defense as well as its integrity. He said that attacks on military installations and defiling of martyrs memorials were the ugliest acts and the day will be remembered as the darkest day in the history of Pakistan, when a politically instigated mob resorted to destruction across the country, damaging public property and military installations. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that one year has passed but neither the nation has forgotten nor will forget the criminals who committed this heinous offense adding that such tragedy had never been witnessed which was actually meant to weaken and malign the defenders of Pakistan. He said that the events were the result of conspiracy and those involved their faces will be exposed at all costs and will be held accountable. Adding that the vandalism and arson at the defence installations and disrespect of the martyrs memorials were the heinous crimes which the enemies of Pakistan have never dared to even think of. He also condemned the malicious social media campaign against state institutions, saying that a mechanism must be evolved to check and counter such disinformation campaigns. President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari while condemning the May 9 vandalism said that entire business community is standing shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces of Pakistan, adding that priority of each and every citizen is Pakistan and its armed forces and that we are well aware of those of May 28 and also well aware of those of May 9. Assuring the business communitys full support to the government of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the armed forces of Pakistan who are doing their best to put the economy of the country on track, he demanded that Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry should be inducted in the cabinet because of his services for the business community and the citizens of Islamabad. In his address Secretary General United Business Group Zafar Bakhtawari said that the ICCI ceremony has given a message to the world that entire Pakistani nation is united and no one will be allowed to cast a jaundice eye upon it. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday, appreciating the Swiss companies doing business in Pakistan, invited more firms from the country to invest in Pakistan, particularly in the renewable energy and IT sectors ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th May, 2024) Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday, appreciating the Swiss companies doing business in Pakistan, invited more firms from the country to invest in Pakistan, particularly in the renewable energy and IT sectors. The deputy prime minister, talking to Ambassador of Switzerland Georg Steiner, who called on him here, said that Pakistan attached high importance to its ties with Switzerland, according to a Foreign Office press release. He said that the two sides had the potential to expand cooperation in trade and investment, climate, tourism and migration. Referring to the Memorandum of Understanding on Disaster Management signed between the two countries last year, the deputy prime minister hoped that it would foster greater cooperation between the two sides, enabling them to utilize technology and expertise to address natural calamities in the future. Regional dynamics and multilateral issues were also discussed in the meeting. Ishaq Dar also appreciated Switzerlands role in the multilateral arena as well as the countrys contributions to humanitarian and peace-building efforts. Pakistan and Switzerland have close relations marked by regular interactions. The Swiss Foreign Minister visited Pakistan last July and Bilateral Political Consultations were held in January this year. (@ChaudhryMAli88) N'Djamena, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th May, 2024) Chad's Prime Minister Succes Masra on Thursday claimed a "resounding" first-round victory in this week's presidential election, shortly before official results were due to be released. In a speech posted on his Facebook page, Masra said a count of the votes by his team "establishes the victory in the first round, that of change over the status quo". "The victory is resounding and without blemish," he said. Masra went on to say the team of General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, who was proclaimed transitional president three years ago by the army, would soon announce that he had won and "steal the victory from the people". Masra, a former opposition leader appointed prime minister in January, urged Chadians to "mobilise peacefully. .. to prove our victory". Monday's vote was intended to end three years of military rule in Chad, a country crucial to the fight against militancy across the Sahel desert region. Election results had not been expected until May 21, but officials said Thursday they would be announced in the evening. Supporters of Masra, a 40-year-old economist, have been holding their own count of the ballots in parallel to the official one authorised by the junta-appointed ANGE election agency. Masra had been a fierce opponent of the regime before it named him prime minister after he returned from exile. He has faced accusations of being a stooge by the opposition, which has been violently repressed and leading figures barred from standing. (@FahadShabbir) XI'AN, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th May, 2024) The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in northwestern China announced on Wednesday that it will collaborate with its French counterpart on the restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and the protection of the Terracotta Warriors. The collaborative research conducted with France's Fondation des Sciences du Patrimoine primarily focuses on the protection of wooden remains and earthen archaeological sites, according to the museum located in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Specifically, the research on protecting wooden remains will involve joint efforts to preserve and restore the fire-damaged wood from Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and the Mausoleum of Emperor Qinshihuang. Moreover, joint efforts will be made to conduct studies on their historical significance. The research will also include wood species identification, preservation status assessment, degradation mechanisms and protection techniques and methods. In the future, the two parties will explore the material properties and historical value of wooden remains and archaeological earth sites of the two UNESCO World Heritage sites together. Meanwhile, this Sino-French cooperation also touches on developing practical conservation technologies and method systems for cultural relics and jointly cultivating young talents in the field of cultural heritage protection. Teams raced against the clock Thursday to deliver aid to flood-stricken communities in southern Brazil before the arrival of new storms forecast to batter the region again Porto Alegre, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th May, 2024) Teams raced against the clock Thursday to deliver aid to flood-stricken communities in southern Brazil before the arrival of new storms forecast to batter the region again. Some 400 municipalities have been affected by the worst natural calamity ever to hit the state of Rio Grande do Sul, with at least 107 people dead and hundreds injured. More than 164,000 people have been forced from their homes in the state capital Porto Alegre -- a city of some 1.4 million people -- and hundreds of other cities and towns. Many in the region have no access to drinking water or electricity, or even the means to call for help, with telephone and internet services down. A total of 136 people were reported missing and nearly 1.5 million have suffered damages in flooding the government and experts have linked to climate change. Rescuers in boats and on jet skis were on Thursday traveling on streets turned into rivers, looking for people trapped in their homes or those reluctant to leave for fear of looting. In the town of Canoas outside the state capital, a horse was hauled from a rooftop by rescuers in inflatable boats, according to images on local media. The state's Guaiba River, which runs through Porto Alegre, reached historic levels this week, and officials have warned five dams were at risk of rupturing. "The focus is still on rescues... but we are working very hard on delivering humanitarian aid," Sabrina Ribas, a spokeswoman for civil defense force that handles disaster relief, told journalists. These efforts may be hindered in the coming days, she added, given warnings of new downpours from Friday to Sunday. Skopje, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th May, 2024) North Macedonia appeared to be on a collision course with its EU neighbours Greece and Bulgaria, as the nationalist opposition swept parliamentary and presidential elections on Wednesday. The country's right-wing VMRO-DPMNE party earned an easy victory, with the ruling Social Democrats (SDSM) conceding defeat before any official results were announced. Fireworks echoed through the capital Skopje as news of the landslide victory spread. "I congratulate our political opponent VMRO-DPMNE with this victory in the elections," said Dimitar Kovacevski, the former prime minister and leader of the ruling SDSM. The announcement even came before VMRO-DPMNE's party chief and likely incoming prime minister, Hristijan Mickoski, had time to give his own victory speech. "We succeeded. Macedonia won. It's a historic win for the people," Mickoski told supporters after the SDSM conceded. The state election commission later reported that VMRO-DPMNE won at least 59 seats in the 120-seat parliament, with roughly 92 percent of votes counted. The SDSM won just 19 seats, with the rest divided among a slew of smaller parties. The nationalist party's success will likely have a major effect on the Balkan country's dream of joining the European Union. (UroToday.com) The 2024 American Urological Association (AUA) annual meeting held in San Antonio, TX between May 3 and May 6, 2024, was host to the Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO) session Dr. Robert Svatek gave a brilliant talk on immunology in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and the role of immunology in neoadjuvant therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Dr. Svatek began his presentation by discussing how the field of bladder cancer immunology and immunotherapy has exploded in the last couple of decades. He shared a slide featuring the FDA-approved agents in bladder cancer, which are steadily growing. Currently, there are over 17 FDA-approved agents in bladder cancer. He discussed how chemotherapy could be similar to indirect immunotherapy and he highlighted 4 mechanisms of action of chemotherapy that directly affect the immune system: Immunogenic Cell Death: Triggered by tumor antigens and "danger signals" Mitigating Immunosuppressive cells: Chemotherapy can kill regulatory T cells (Tregs) Activating T cells: Gemcitabine enhances dendritic cell cross-presentation of tumor antigen to CD8+ T cells Sensitization of cells to T cell killing: Cisplatin - makes cells more permeable to granzyme A comparison was made between innate immunity and adaptive immunity. Innate immunity typically involves a rapid, nonspecific response mediated by macrophages, natural killer cells (NK), and dendritic cells (DC), while adaptive immunity initiates a slower but highly specific response to an antigen. Adaptive immunity is usually mediated by T cells (helper and cytotoxic) and B cells. Notably, both innate and adaptive immunity involve T cells and natural killer cells in their responses. The adaptive immune response is mediated by T cells and antigen-presenting cells (APCs), these cells interact through a process called antigen presentation. APCs, such as dendritic cells, macrophages, and B cells, capture antigens from pathogens or other foreign substances and process them into smaller peptides. These peptides are then displayed on the surface of the APCs bound to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. When T cells encounter APCs presenting antigen-MHC complexes that match their specific T cell receptor (TCR), they become activated. This activation process involves multiple interactions and signaling events. Dr Svatek mentioned that co-stimulatory molecules on the surface of the APC, such as CD80/86, bind to co-stimulatory receptors, such as CD28 and CTLA-4 on the surface of the T cell. This interaction provides the second signal necessary for full T cell activation and proliferation. Once activated, T cells differentiate into effector T cells, such as cytotoxic T cells or helper T cells. The PD-1 pathway, also known as the programmed cell death protein 1 pathway, is a key regulatory mechanism in the immune system that plays a critical role in controlling and inhibiting T-cell activation and maintaining immune tolerance through 4 mechanisms: Reduced TCR Signaling Reduced Cytokine Production Reduced Target Cell Lysis Metabolic Reprogramming Furthermore, PD-1 is highly expressed in tumor-infiltrating T cells (TIL) and these are functionally exhausted. PD-1 or PD-L1 Blockade can revive exhausted TILs, enhancing their function to recognize and attack tumor cells (IFN-Y) Additionally, there is another key player in immunology for bladder cancer. This is the NK cell. Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG), one of the most commonly used intravesical therapies for bladder cancer, acts particularly through the activation of NK cells. BCG is taken up by antigen-presenting cells (APCs), such as macrophages and dendritic cells, which then present BCG-derived antigens to T cells. This activates T cells, leading to the production of cytokines such as interferon-gamma (IFN-). IFN-, in turn, activates NK cells, which play a crucial role in the innate immune response against tumor cells by inducing apoptosis and releasing cytotoxic granules. These cytotoxic granules contain perforin and granzymes towards tumor cells. Perforin creates pores in the tumor cell membrane, allowing granzymes to enter and induce apoptosis, a process of programmed cell death. Granzymes activate caspases within the target cell, leading to DNA fragmentation and cell death. Additionally, NK cells express death receptors such as Fas ligand (FasL) and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), which engage with corresponding receptors on tumor cells, initiating apoptotic signaling pathways. In a study assessing the prevalence of intratumoral via flow cytometric analysis of bladder tissue from 28 patients with non-invasive and invasive bladder cancer, the investigators found that NK cells predominated among bladder intratumoral lymphocytes. Intratumoral CD56bright NK cells showed increased cytokine production and cytotoxicity compared to their CD56dim counterparts and were associated with improved cancer-specific (CSS) and overall survival (OS) independent of pathologic tumor stage.1 Moreover, intratumoral CD56bright NK cells produced more IFN- and were more cytotoxic (% cell death) than intratumoral CD56dim NK cell. Dr. Svatek concluded his presentation with the following key points: Successful cancer therapy is equal to immunotherapy. We have to understand the principles of T cell cytotoxicity, including memory, which determines the durability of response, and specificity, which minimizes the side effects of immunotherapy. The T cell costimulatory receptor CD28 is a primary target of PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies. NK cell cytotoxicity, when highly regulated, prevents autoimmunity against tumoral cells, and it can also be "trained" through epigenetic or metabolic programming. The presence or absence of immune cells does not tell you about their function. Presented by: Robert Svatek, MD, MSCI, Urologic Oncologist, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX Written by: Julian Chavarriaga, MD - Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO) Clinical Fellow at The University of Toronto, @chavarriagaj on Twitter during the 2024 American Urological Association (AUA) annual meeting held in San Antonio, TX between May 3rd and May 6th, 2024 Reference: College of Business and Economic Development Faculty Member Featured in WalletHub Article Thu, 05/09/2024 - 10:22am | By: David Tisdale Dr. Srinidhi Kanuri, an associate professor in The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) College of Business and Economic Developments School of Finance, was recently featured in an article in WalletHub, a personal finance website, titled Best American Express 0% APR Credit Cards in which Dr. Kanuri answers questions focused on the profile of American Expresss financial products. Dr. Kanuris areas of expertise include commodities, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, market inefficiency, and pension funds. At USM, he teaches courses in principles of finance, investments, and security analysis. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 9. Indirect negotiations held last week on May 1 in a Persian Gulf country between Iranian and US delegations ended inconclusively, a senior source in Iran's Supreme National Security Council told Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida, Trend reports. According to him, the meeting discussed Iran's nuclear issue, the reduction of tensions in the region, and Tehran's ability to maintain calm in the Gaza Strip in return for restoring the earlier unwritten agreement on the nuclear deal between Tehran and Washington. The Iranian source added that both sides made their demands at the meeting. However, it was decided to hold another meeting at a location to be agreed upon later. The source informed that the Iranian delegation was advised by the US side to go back to the prior arrangement that was made in Oman. The proposal urges an undeclared return to the terms of the nuclear deal. Thus, in return for Iran's enrichment of uranium above 3.67 percent and compliance with the limits set by the agreement (JCPOA) in 2015, Washington will stop imposing some sanctions against Iran without any formal announcements, when conditions of trust will be created between the two sides. Besides, the Iranian source said that the US delegation urged Iran to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and allow the agency to conduct a comprehensive inspection of Iran's nuclear facilities before proceeding with any agreement between the two sides to determine the pace and scope of uranium enrichment. The US side noted that a formal return to the nuclear agreement (JCPOA) must be accompanied by talks on Iran's regional activities, missile program, and drone and missile deliveries to Russia. According to the Iranian source, the Iranian delegation responded to US demands for verification by noting that Iran has provided the IAEA with accurate reports on its nuclear facilities and that there is no provision for verification under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Agreement (NPT). Moreover, it should be noted that in August last year (2023), an indirect agreement was achieved between Iran and the US through the mediation of Qatar. Based on the agreement, Iranian and US citizens detained in the two countries were released, as well as Iranian funds frozen in other countries. To note, the Comprehensive Plan of Joint Action on Iran's nuclear program was implemented between Iran and the P5+1 group (the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany) in January 2016. The US announced in May 2018 that it was withdrawing from the plan and imposed sanctions on Iran in November of the same year. Iran has announced that there will be no restrictions on the Iran nuclear deal in 2020. In late 2020, the Iranian parliament adopted a strategic plan to counter the sanctions, citing the non-fulfillment of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed between Iran and six countries and the imposition of sanctions on Iran. Based on the decision of the Iranian parliament, as of February 23, Iran stopped the implementation of additional measures and an additional protocol included in the nuclear deal. As a consequence, the monitoring mechanism of the IAEA was reduced by 2030 percent. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Recipients of UW College of Arts and Sciences awards are, from left, Oliver Walter, Dean Scott Turpen, Clair Uding, Daniel Auerbach, Jamie Snyder, Jean Garrison, Valerie Pexton, Nancy Small, Catherine Hartmann, Adam Blackler, Christina Hassija, Kasey Stanton, Briana Doering and Christina McDonnell. Not pictured is Melissa Morris. (Matthew Idler Photo) The University of Wyoming College of Arts and Sciences recently held its annual awards banquet, honoring current and former faculty members, as well as alumni. The event is held each May to honor the tradition and history of excellence in the College of Arts and Sciences and to celebrate current individuals within the college. Before the ceremony, the Student Jazz Quartet -- featuring Sean Clark, of Gillette; Trisha Cates, of Torrington; and Alex Bryan and Ryan Emmett Larsen, both of Casper -- performed. Dean Scott Turpen handed out awards that recognized outstanding alumni; outstanding former faculty; extraordinary merit in teaching and research; and the Beatrice Gallatin Beuf Golden Apple Award. This years award recipients come from across the College of Arts and Sciences, Turpen says. Their dedication to superb teaching and cutting-edge scholarship and creative activity exemplifies the spirit of excellence we strive for in our academic community. This years College of Arts and Sciences award recipients are: Outstanding Alumni Awards Christina Hassija, who earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from UW in 2011, was recognized with an Outstanding Alumni Award. During her time at UW, she earned the John P. Ellbogen Outstanding Graduate Assistant Teaching Award. After graduating, Hassija completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Center for PTSD at the Palo Alto VA Medical Center and Stanford University, centered on the implementation and dissemination of evidence-based psychotherapies for post-traumatic stress disorder. She was hired as an assistant professor at California State University-San Bernadino in 2013. Hassija became chair of the Department of Psychology in 2020, and she then became dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences in 2023. Her passion lies in creating opportunities for and mentorship to students from diverse ethnic, social and socioeconomic backgrounds. Jean Garrison, who also received an Outstanding Alumni Award, earned her bachelors degree in political science from UW in 1990, graduating with honors. After completing her Ph.D. at the University of South Carolina and teaching at Boston University, she returned to UW in 2000 as a faculty member in political science and international studies. Since then, she has served in many roles at UW, including as director of the International Studies Program, the Center for Global Studies, the Office of Engagement and Outreach and the Malcolm Wallop Civic Engagement Program. Her international research in American foreign policy, energy security and U.S.-China relations has led to several books, articles and international fellowships. Her work in civic engagement focuses on creating partnerships across all levels of education in Wyoming to promote greater understanding of civics and public service in Wyoming. Garrison has won various awards, including the Outstanding Merit in Research and Advising Award, Mortar Board Top Prof Award and the UW Presidential Stewardship Award. Outstanding Former Faculty Award Oliver Walter, who received the Outstanding Former Faculty Award, joined the UW Department of Political Science in 1970 with concentrations in American government and survey research. After serving as department head for eight years, he became dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 1989 and held this position until his retirement in 2013. During this time, he led the colleges 28 departments and seven programs. In addition to awards that included Pi Sigma Alpha Outstanding Political Science Professor, Mortar Board Top Professor and the service award from UWs International Board of Advisers, Walter championed public outreach, service and collaboration. He recognized the importance of international relationships and established student and faculty exchanges with Taiwan and China. A hallmark of his legacy continues with the Wyoming Election Survey, providing data biannually since 1972 on Wyoming citizens political perspectives and voting patterns. Walter earned his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in 1972, as well as his masters and bachelors degrees from Washington State University in 1966 and 1964, respectively. Extraordinary Merit in Teaching Awards -- Adam Blackler, Department of History. -- Catherine Hartmann, Department of Philosophy and Religion. -- Christina McDonnell, Department of Psychology. -- Valerie Pexton, Department of English. -- Jamie Snyder, Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology. Extraordinary Merit in Research Awards -- Briana Doering, Department of Anthropology. -- Melissa Morris, Department of History. -- Nancy Small, Department of English. -- Kasey Stanton, Department of Psychology. -- Clair Uding, Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology. Beatrice Gallatin Beuf Golden Apple Award -- Daniel Auerbach, Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology. Congratulations to all of the award recipients, Turpen says. Their achievements inspire us all and reflect the breadth of excellence within our college. For more information about this event, email the College of Arts and Sciences Deans Office at asdean1@uwyo.edu. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 9. The Armenian opposition announced the start of impeachment proceedings against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in the country's parliament, the leader of the Tavush for the Name of the Motherland opposition movement, Archbishop Bagrat said this during the rally, Trend reports. According to the information, this statement was made after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan did not respond to the oppositions demand for resignation. Bagrat also announced plans for consultations with the three parliamentary factions and planned acts of civil disobedience. 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. U.S. Halts Anti-Dumping Probe into Vietnam Steel Rolls The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) has officially halted its investigation into steel rolls imported from Vietnam, as reported by Vietnams Trade Remedies Authority under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The DOC announced its decision on April 30, concluding the anti-dumping probe that began on August 7, 2023. Dexstar Company, a U.S. entity, had petitioned the DOC to review steel rolls produced in Vietnam using Chinese components. These rolls fell under the scope of anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders imposed by the U.S. on similar Chinese products. After reviewing gathered information and documents, the DOC declared its intent to cease the investigation on March 15, 2024. Transcript: The Inside Story: The Gaza War, Widening Crisis. Episode 142, May 9, 2024 Show Open: The situation in Gaza reaches a critical point... as Israel urges civilians in Rafah to evacuate... and 1.4 million Palestinian refugees say they say they have nowhere else left to go. world leaders call on Israel to stop any planned offensive in Rafah, with neighboring Egypt calling it an escalatory action, and Jordan calling it a massacre in the making. In the US. University students continue their protests in support of the Palestinian people causing some schools to cancel graduation. All this... with Presidential elections just 6 months away. NOW... on The Inside Story, Gaza War, Widening Crisis. The Inside Story: ANITA POWELL, VOA White House Correspondent: Welcome to The Inside Story, Im VOA White House correspondent, Anita Powell. The search for an elusive ceasefire continues in Gaza. There are signs of progress in ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel. But even as both sides look for solutions, Israel continues its military march into Gaza... and the White House walks a political tight rope urging Israeli restraint while voicing unequivocal support for the Jewish State. VOAs Patsy Widakuswara reports. PATSY WIDAKUSWARA, VOA White House Bureau Chief: Palestinians mourn over loved ones killed in Israeli airstrikes on Rafah Tuesday while thousands continue to flee following a limited Israeli ground operation overnight in the eastern part of Gaza's most southern city. Yoav Gallant, Israeli Defense Minister: This operation will continue until we eliminate Hamas in the Rafah area and in the entire (Gaza) Strips area, or until the return of the first hostage. PATSY WIDAKUSWARA: Israels operation in Rafah is intended to pressure Hamas. The militant group agreed to a cease-fire proposal on Monday. But Israel said the plan did not meet its demands to eliminate Hamas from post-war Gaza. Eitan Shamir, Bar-Ilan University: Because Israel's war objective was to make sure that Hamas doesn't control anything, any longer, anymore, the meaning is that Israel is going to basically to lose the war in that sense. PATSY WIDAKUSWARA: As Palestinians seek safety, negotiations between Israel and Hamas continue in Cairo. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby on Tuesday expressed optimism. John Kirby, White House National Security Spokesperson: A close assessment of the two sides positions suggests that they should be able to close the remaining gaps, and we're going to do everything we can to support that process and achieve that outcome. PATSY WIDAKUSWARA: Not many analysts share that optimism. Beyond swapping hostages for peace, both Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar are looking toward their own political survival, said former U.S. negotiator for the Middle East Aaron David Miller. Aaron David Miller, Carnegie Endowment for Peace: In a conflict, where two combatants believe that the stakes are existential, that vital national interest or in the case of [Yahya] Sinwar, his personal survival is at stake, the influence of external parties is limited. PATSY WIDAKUSWARA: The stakes are also high for President Joe Biden, whose electoral success in November is in part tied to reaching a cease-fire. President Joe Biden: My commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad. Even when we disagree. PATSY WIDAKUSWARA: Hamas has warned Israel there will be no cease-fire if military action continues in Rafah. Patsy Widakuswara, VOA News, Washington. ANITA POWELL: While ceasefire talks continue so does the Israeli offensive in Gaza and the mounting human toll. According to the Gaza Health Ministry the offensive has resulted in more than 33,000 Palestinian deaths. What many people see as Israels indiscriminate use of force in Gaza has been the catalyst for ongoing pro Palestine student protests across the nation. But US officials say there is also a worrying rise anti-Semitic incidents across the country. Natasha Mozgovaya reports. President Joe Biden: This ancient hatred of Jews didn't begin with the Holocaust didn't end with the Holocaust either. NATASHA MOZGOVAYA, VOA Correspondent: At the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's annual remembrance ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, President Joe Biden had a message for American Jews and the state of Israel. President Joe Biden: Let me reassure you, as your president, you're not alone. You belong. You always have and you always will. My commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad, even when we disagree. NATASHA MOZGOVAYA: The Antisemitism Worldwide Report for 2023 published Sunday by the Anti-Defamation League and Tel Aviv University revealed a 103% increase over the previous year in acts of violence, vandalism and harassment targeting American Jews. Jonathan Greenblatt, Anti-Defamation League CEO: Unprecedented levels of antisemitism engulfed Jewish communities in capitals all over the planet. It was the worst year for anti-Jewish hate in America that we've ever seen since we started doing this work 45 years ago. NATASHA MOZGOVAYA: According to the report, nearly three-quarters of American university students have witnessed an antisemitic incident in some form since the beginning of the academic year. Many pro-Palestinian protesters, however, insist they are not antisemites. Zho Ragen is a pro-Palestinian protester at the University of Washington in Seattle. Zho Ragen, Pro-Palestinian protester: We have a lot of Jewish students amongst us, amongst the organizers here. This isn't about antisemitism. This is about being staunchly anti-Zionist because there are people who are being displaced from their land and exterminated with U.S. taxpayer dollars. NATASHA MOZGOVAYA: Noa Tishby, co-author of the new book Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew, says the term Zionism, which simply indicates Jews right to their own home in the land of Israel, has been hijacked and demonized. Noa Tishby, Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew: There's nothing wrong with criticizing Israeli government policies. That is not what is happening on campuses in America right now. They literally say, Resistance by all means necessary. They are praising October 7th. These people are calling to take down the single Jewish state in the world. NATASHA MOZGOVAYA: Tishby says while Biden's staunch support does make the community feel safer, it doesnt take away her conviction that another Holocaust could happen again if hateful trends are left unchecked. Noa Tishby, Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew: October 7th felt to the Jewish community like a repeat of the Holocaust, when we heard the same stories of mothers hugging their children while they're being burnt alive, and children and teens and kids hiding in cabinets and decapitation and mutilation and rapes. I call it the atrocities of October 7th and the atrocities of October 8th, because October 7th happened, and it took a little less than two hours for the anti-Zionist, anti-Israel, antisemitic organizations to start praising it. NATASHA MOZGOVAYA: She says that antisemitism is also often an indicator of the presence of deeper problems in a society, and that seeking a scapegoat rarely stops with one group only. Natasha Mozgovaya, VOA News. ANITA POWELL: The world is watching closely the protests on college campuses across the United States against Israel's conduct of the war in Gaza. Reactions to both the protests and the arrests of some students vary widely, from pride and solidarity to alarm and condemnation. VOA's Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports from the State Department. CINDY SAINE, VOA's Senior Diplomatic Correspondent: Colombia University in New York City has been the epicenter of pro-Palestinian protests that have spread across America. Students are calling on their universities to disclose and then divest all their funds related to Israel and to end all academic partnerships with Israel. They are also calling on the United States to stop sending military aid to Israel. The protests are now spreading elsewhere in the world, including demonstrations Tuesday at Berlins Free University in Germany. Students in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, as well as in Gaza, have praised the American protests. Iran has criticized the police crackdown on some campuses, with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei tweeting out his support for U.S. students. Alex Vatanka, Middle East Institute: Some of the key adversaries of the United States around the world, the likes of Russia, China, Iran, are trying to use this protest movement to really raise more fundamental question about the health of the American democracy and such issues as, as whether America is what it claims to be. CINDY SAINE: One university in Iran even offered to take in expelled American students or any fired professors, though the Middle East Institutes Alex Vatanka told VOA he does not expect there to be a rush of U.S. colleges students buying plane tickets to Tehran. Another expert at the University of Chicago says he does not believe the protests will have the staying power of the massive U.S. student demonstrations against the Vietnam War in the late 1960s. Paul Poast, Associate Professor, University of Chicago: Even though these are organic, and even though these are people who care deeply about this issue, by and large, this is not as salient of an issue for large segments of the U.S. population, in the same way that the Vietnam War with the draft, for example. CINDY SAINE: Chinese leaders have been largely silent on the protests. On a recent visit to China, where anti-government protests are strictly banned, Secretary of State Antony Blinken praised the campus protests. Antony Blinken, Secretary of State: And in our own country, it's a hallmark of our democracy that our citizens make known their views, their concerns, their anger at any given time. CINDY SAINE: But Blinken again criticized the silence of protesters about the militant group Hamas, saying they should stop hiding behind civilians, release the hostages they are holding and lay down their arms to save Palestinian civilians. Cindy Saine, VOA News, the State Department. ANITA POWELL: Major news organizations have brought coverage of the protests on U.S. campuses to audiences around the world, but as Robin Guess reports, some of the best reporting of the unrest has originated close to home, led by student journalists. ROBIN GUESS, VOA Correspondent: New York City police arrested protesters this week [April 30] at Columbia University. But before they took action, they attempted to clear the campus of student journalists. By the time police stormed and cleared Hamilton Hall of the occupying protesters, student journalists told VOA, there werent many of them left to report on events. Meghnad Bose, Columbia University Student Journalist: The NYPD severely restricted the actions of the press, including several members of the student press who were on campus. Some who were outside Hamilton Hall and were removed from campus entirely. Now this is very troubling because they werent there to document and bear witness to a police action. Bose and Columbia's other student journalists say press freedoms were violated. Nonetheless, their work has inspired others. Franziska Wild, Georgetown University Student Editor: Especially listening to the Columbia radio broadcasts. I think that that is a pretty helpful lesson for all student journalists to know that official narratives exist, but our reporting is allowed to challenge them. ROBIN GUESS: On the West Coast, riot police cracked down on a pro-Palestinian encampment Thursday at the University of California, Los Angeles. Student journalists were on the front line when police moved in to tear down the encampment and arrest protesters. Their newspaper said at least four of their reporters were attacked by unknown assailants. George Dutton, UCLA Professor: I do think what they are doing speaks to the clear and profound importance of student journalists at academic institutions to provide regular updates to faculty and students as to whats happening on their campuses, especially under the current circumstances. ROBIN GUESS: Student journalists say safety is a chief concern. Some are reporting in pairs. Others wear large press credentials. Their coverage is earning high praise. The Pulitzer Prize Board, which presents awards for outstanding achievements in U.S. journalism, recognized the nations student journalists for tirelessly covering the protests in the face of personal risk. Legal watchdogs are keeping an eye on events as well, noting that student journalists have been pepper sprayed, hit with rubber bullets and disciplined by universities for their reporting. Jonathan Falk, Student Press Law Center: When student journalists are lumped in together with the protesters they are trying to cover, it is a disservice to everyone. At George Washington University, student journalists covered the lead-up to the campus conflicts for months. This encampment is a joint effort of eight schools in the Washington area. Many journalists have been here since the first tent was pitched in mid-April. Eddy Binford-Ross, Georgetown University Student Journalist: They told us, 'Hey, theres something going on. You guys should get ready. So with the rest of the news team, we sat down and put together a coverage plan. ROBIN GUESS: Some student journalists told VOA they simply continue doing what they did before their campuses became international stories and their work garnered recognition: report the campus news. Robin Guess, VOA News. ANITA POWELL: This week, Israel ordered the Qatar-based Al Jazeera news channel to cease all operations... Israeli police raided their offices and confiscated their equipment. Al Jazeera officials blasted the move by Israel calling it a criminal act and the Foreign Press Association called it a dark day for democracy. The action came after the Netanyahu government passed a law passed in early April allowing the government to shut down media networks it deems a national security threat. The Netanyahu government has been critical of Al Jazeera for years, accusing the Qatari network of inciting violence against Israel in its reporting. Al Jazeera officials say they will pursue legal options to allow its journalists to continue to work in Israel and Gaza. ANITA POWELL: Since April 18th, over 2-thousand people have been arrested for taking part in pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses across the country. To get a feel for what they want and whats motivating them, I spoke with Denora Getachew, the CEO of Dosomething.org. Its website calls it one of the countrys largest nonprofits devoted exclusively to helping young people make social change. I began by asking Denora what impact she believes these nationwide protests are having on Capitol Hill and at the White House. Denora Getachew, CEO, Dosomething.org: These protests are really going to have an impact on the 2024 election cycle both at the top of the ticket as it relates to the presidential election, but also all the way down the ballot. What we know to be true is that young people's distrust in government and major US institutions has been building and has contributed to this new age of activism activation on college campuses. Do something members who range in age from 13 to 25 years old, have told us that they don't believe that lawmakers consider their voices a national policy looks like an overwhelming majority of them. So only 17% of young people actually believe that lawmakers are hearing their voices. ANITA POWELL: Thank you so much for speaking to VOA today. ANITA POWELL: Though the generation that witnessed World War 2 dwindles with each passing year, the relevance of what they saw resonates with the history made today. As Kane Farabaugh reports from Skokie, Illinois, a Japanese diplomats act of defiance during World War 2 saved thousands of lives. It is the theme of an ongoing effort by an American musician to pay tribute to the man known as Japanese Schindler. KANE FARABAUGH, VOA Correspondent: World renowned cellist and musician Kristina Reiko Cooper weaves a multi-cultural narrative in many of her performances around the globe. Kristina Reiko Cooper, Musician: My mother is Japanese and my father is American. KANE FARABAUGH: And her husband is Jewish. Through him, Cooper learned of the story of Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat stationed in Kaunus, Lithuania during World War 2 who issued visas to Jews fleeing the advancing Nazi army, defying the Japanese government he served. Kristina Reiko Cooper, Musician: I know what it means to go against authority in the Japanese culture, that just doesnt happen. KANE FARABAUGH: Over a two-month period in 1940, Sugihara issued more than 2000 visas to Jewish families enabling them to travel through the Soviet Union to Japan with transit to another country. Chaya Small was among them, a 6-year-old who escaped Hitlers genocide in Europe in 1940. Chaya Leah Walkin Small, Holocaust Survivor: He saved my life. He saved my home. He saved everything. KANE FARABAUGH: Small and her immediate family spent the war in a ghetto in Shanghai, China. They were the only members of their once large extended family to survive the Holocaust. Smalls says her parents spent much of their life afterwards seeking ways to express their thanks to Sugihara. Chaya Leah Walkin Small, Holocaust Survivor: We couldnt find him. He became ostracized. KANE FARABAUGH: In post-war Japan, Sugihara lived in relative obscurity until his death in 1986. Cooper learned while his act of mercy might have barely registered in history books and was overlooked by his own country during his life, it was never forgotten by those he saved. Kristina Reiko Cooper, Musician: It wasnt until the end of his life that he knew he even saved one person much less thousands. Chaya Leah Walkin Small, Holocaust Survivor: I am grateful to god every day for all the miracles he has done for us, because Sugihara was not normal it was a miracle. KANE FARABAUGH: Sugihara earned the honor of Righteous Among the Nations, one of Israels highest honors.Leah Rauch, Director of Education, Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center: It something that not a lot of people know about. KANE FARABAUGH: Something Leah Rauch says the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center tries to correct through its exhibits honoring Sugihara, and through public engagements like a performance by Kristina Cooper. Kristina Reiko Cooper, Musician: Today Im playing a program with a solo cello and a shakuhachi, which is a traditional Japanese instrument. KANE FARABAUGH: Coopers performance is an extension of a larger project honoring Sugihara, incorporating choir and symphony in a grand concert that premiered at Carnegie Hall in New York City in 2023. Whether a massive concert, or a scaled down duet, Cooper seeks to keep Sugiharas legacy alive through music. Kristina Reiko Cooper, Musician: Its the universal language. You dont need words. You dont need visuals you dont need an understanding of another language - you listen, and you absorb, and it goes straight to the soul. So, we are hoping that we can bring the story of Sugihara and what he stood for through our music. KANE FARABAUGH: For Cooper, who now lives in Israel and is a convert to Judaism, Sugiharas gesture isnt just a history lesson. Kristina Reiko Cooper, Musician: This quiet modest Japanese man was responsible for the existence of my husband and my three children and life as I know it. KANE FARABAUGH: Coopers father-in-law also received a Sugihara visa. Her three children are among tens of thousands of descendants alive today because of Sugiharas actions, which is why, to Cooper, the music is more than a tribute - something survivors like Chaya Small understand while watching her perform. Chaya Leah Walkin Small, Holocaust Survivor: Its a different way of saying thank you. It was her way of expressing her gratitude. Kristina Reiko Cooper, Musician: Thank you for my beautiful children, thank you for my amazing husband. Thank you for my amazing life. Thank you for everything you did. KANE FARABAUGH: Chiune Sugihara is now a household name in Japan. While some historians have raised doubts about the significance of him issuing the visas . Chaya Leah Walkin Small, Holocaust Survivor: I attribute that to politics. KANE FARABAUGH: survivor Chaya Small says she owes her life to the man she wishes she could have met in person. Chaya Leah Walkin Small, Holocaust Survivor: I would be so in awe I would be so in awe for saving us, for giving us back a country, a world, a people. KANE FARABAUGH: Kane Farabaugh, VOA News, Skokie, Illinois. ANITA POWELL: Six months remain in the U.S. presidential race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. In the latest installment of our series USA Votes 20-24, correspondent Scott Stearns looks at what is ahead for the campaigns in the run up to Election Day. SCOTT STEARNS, VOA Correspondent: Joe Biden and Donald Trump have six months left to convince American voters to give them a second term. Trump will spend some of that time in state or federal court answering four separate indictments including charges of unlawful retention of national defense information and falsifying business records. He says prosecutors are interfering in the election. Donald Trump, Republican Presidential Candidate: Everything was legal. And they're doing this because it's politics. They want to get Biden elected. That's the only reason. SCOTT STEARNS: The court appearances are reducing Trumps time campaigning, but he says what he calls a political hoax is only making him more popular with voters. Donald Trump, Republican Presidential Candidate: It's a, it's a terrible, terrible thing happening in our country. And hopefully November 5th, the most important day in the history of our country. In my opinion, that's called Election Day. Hopefully it's going to change because these people are destroying our country. SCOTT STEARNS: The Republican Party last nominated Trump for president at its semi-virtual 2020 convention in North Carolina. This years Republican convention is in the state of Wisconsin in July. Before then, Trump will need to choose a new running mate. Among those he is believed to be considering for vice president are Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, and New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. As the incumbent president, Biden has the advantage of White House events to keep voters attention. On the campaign trail, Biden is becoming more pointed in his attacks on Trump while claiming credit for a stronger economy. Joe Biden, U.S. President: Construction of new factories has more than doubled in our administration. Meanwhile, meanwhile, Donald Trump still thinks windmills cause cancer. That's what he said. By the way, remember when he was trying to deal with Covid? He said just inject a little bleach into your veins. He missed - it all went to his hair. SCOTT STEARNS: The Democratic Party last nominated Biden for president at its semi-virtual 2020 convention in Wisconsin. This years Democratic convention is in the state of Illinois in August. Biden is running again with Vice President Kamala Harris, who has been active in campaigning for restoring federal abortion protections overturned in the case Roe v. Wade. Kamala Harris, U.S. Vice President: Donald Trump was the president who took away the protections of Roe. Joe Biden will be the president who puts the protections of Roe back in place." SCOTT STEARNS: Before Novembers Election Day, Biden and Trump are expected to debate. Both men say they are ready. No date has been set. Scott Stearns, VOA News. ANITA POWELL: Thats all for this week. Thanks for watching I'm Anita Powell at the White House. Stay up to date with all the latest news at VOANews.com. Catch up on past episodes at our free streaming service, VOA Plus. Well see you next week for The Inside Story. ### The World Health Organization (WHO) says Africa has a shortage of health care workers. The issue was addressed in Namibia this week at a forum in Windhoek. Speaking at the first WHO Africa Health Workforce Forum held in the capital, Namibias minister of health and social services, Kalumbi Shangula, warned that Africas shortage of health workers will impede the continent from achieving universal health coverage by 2030. In order to reach universal health coverage by 2030 as envisaged in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals report, Africa needs to invest in training programs, offer incentives for health practitioners to remain in their home countries, and create initiatives to attract health professionals in the diaspora back to the continent. Shangula spoke at the Africa Health Workforce Investment Charter event this week. The number of Africans who have left the continent in search of greener pastures in other parts of the world are staggering," Shangula said. "It is a matter that needs to be addressed as a top priority for African governments and indeed all those who wish to see a shift in the historical as well as current trends. Africa has a ratio of 1.55 health workers per 1,000 people. That is below the recommended WHO threshold of 4.55 health workers per 1,000 people. Africas Center for Disease Control Director-General Jean Kesaya says achieving universal health coverage by 2030 will require an additional 1.8 million health workers on the continent. He says the critical shortage is projected to reach about 6.1 million by 2030 and is made worse by recurrent public health emergencies faced by countries on a daily basis. In 2023 alone, Africa recorded 166 disease outbreaks and the trend I see in 2024 is not good," Kesaya said. "AU member states are far from realizing the 2017 AU Assembly decisions that called for rapid recruitment, training and deployment of 2 million institutionalized community health workers by 2030. Global Health Director for the Africa Diaspora Development Institute (ADDI) Lee Whitaker says the institution has opened doors for diasporan healthcare workers to return to Africa and reverse the brain drain. He says the organization has access to over forty-five-thousand black African physicians in America and only needs an invitation from the heart of any African state to come abroad. Dr. Arikana Chihombori is the president of the ADDI, an organization that is mobilizing the African diaspora to return and invest in the continent. Let the diaspora come in and invest in for-profit-clinics in Africa as well as for volunteer work in Africa," Chihombori said. "It has to be balanced! Because if they are going to leave their work where they are in Europe, in America, they can be here a little bit longer if they are going to make money and also donate some of their time. So a program that allows them to make money while they are stopping Africans from going to India and at the same time also giving to those who are less fortunate is actually a program that can be sustained but to completely hundred percent volunteer is not going to work, its not sustainable. The forum, which was attended by health dignitaries from all over the world, concluded Wednesday with the launch of the Africa Health Workforce Investment Charter that aims to mobilize and sustain development, performance and retention of the health workforce in African Union countries. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 9. Israel's claims about the alleged easing of trade sanctions imposed by Turkiye have no relation to reality, Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat wrote on his X page, Trend reports. "The statements of the Israeli Foreign Minister are absolute fiction. They have nothing to do with reality. We support the government's decision on trade with Israel. It remains valid," the minister noted. Bolat added that the sanctions will remain in effect until a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the delivery of humanitarian aid are ensured. What's the future of artificial intelligence in Africa? When that question is entered into the AI platform ChatGPT, it answers that it "holds immense potential for transformative impact across various sectors," notably health care, agriculture and education. Human experts tend to agree, and AI is fast becoming the latest frontier in U.S.-China competition on the continent. "To advance in AI research and innovation, African countries will need significant investments in computing infrastructure," said Chinasa T. Okolo, a Center for Technology Innovation fellow at The Brookings Institution. "The U.S. and China could potentially be good partners to help with such initiatives." In the coming years, researchers predict AI companies will run out of data in English and Western languages but that is not the case in Africa where much more data is still needed, Okolo said. "Thus, by investing in Africa, companies from AI superpowers like the U.S. and China stand to gain valuable data that they could use to build services and systems to be sold back to African countries," she said. South Africa's AI drive One country on the continent that is rapidly pursuing AI is South Africa. At a government summit on AI in April, Mondli Gungubele, the minister of communications and digital technologies, said, "The era of generative AI is just beginning, and as a country and a continent we cannot and must not allow ourselves to be left behind." South Africa has already established the Artificial Intelligence Institute of South Africa, or AIISA, and it is rolling out "hubs" at universities across the country. It was created to ensure that the country's industries and sectors benefit from AI, said Hitekani Magwedze, spokesman for the ministry of communications and digital technologies. "Through the AIISA, we have now created AI hubs in manufacturing and services, farming and agriculture, automotive and transportation, and military and defense," with more sectors planned, Magwedze told VOA. "South Africa has global partnerships with major countries such as U.S. and China in the G20 and BRICS," he said. "These leading countries see South Africa as a gateway into Africa and the developing countries agenda." Magewedze said AI can help with unemployment, inequality and poverty in the country. In May, Tshwane University of Technology will launch a new AI Career Tech Center in collaboration with U.S. tech giant, Intel. "The AI hubs across the country are partnering with strong partners from the international community to achieve the objectives of the AI institutes," said Anish Kurien, Acting Director of the university's AIISA hub. Earlier this month, South Africa's Department of Defense launched a Defense Artificial Intelligence Research Unit at the country's military academy. "There is a need for African solutions to African challenges, and AI is an enabling technology of the [Fourth Industrial Revolution] which will play a role in solving many of the social issues facing our beloved continent," Wayne Dalton, the deputy director of the new research unit, told VOA. When asked about U.S.-China involvement, Dalton said, "South Africa's AI strategy and goals are in their infancy" but "there will be plenty of opportunities for the U.S. and China to help us achieve these goals." The increased focus on AI in South Africa comes at a time when public opinion has increased for China and slightly decreased for the U.S., according to a new Gallup report released in April. Trends in public opinion may not necessarily apply to collaboration on the AI front, and African nations will partner with parties that can offer the most value, said Okolo. "While the U.S. government has provided substantial aid to African countries, China took a different approach by leading with infrastructure investments, which will increasingly become important as African countries aim to bolster their telecommunications and data infrastructure," she said. China and US interest The U.S. has already invested in AI in Africa. Silicon Valley giant Google opened its first AI lab in Ghana, while IBM has research facilities in Kenya and South Africa. At an American Chamber of Commerce Business Summit in Nairobi last month, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced a partnership to enable U.S. companies to invest in AI and data centers in Kenya. Lisa Walker, managing director for Africa operations at Prosper Africa, a U.S. government trade initiative, told VOA the organization is advancing partnerships under U.S. President Joe Biden's Digital Transformation with Africa strategy. "Prosper Africa launched the Africa Tech for Trade Alliance in April of last year. Today, there are 24 private sector partners under this Alliance including industry leaders like Google, AWS, Intel, Cisco Systems, Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, UPS, DHL, FedEx and others," she said. China also has taken an interest in AI in Africa. For over a decade, China has been investing in the continent's internet infrastructure and connectivity through President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative. In April, a China-Africa Internet Development and Cooperation Forum was held in the China's southeastern coastal city of Xiamen and attended by representatives from some 20 African countries. "Africa is an important participant in scientific and technological progress. The development and application of AI is of great significance to the developing countries, including China and African countries," Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, told VOA. As for U.S.-China competition in AI, Liu said, "China is willing to carry out communication, exchanges and practical cooperation with all parties, including Africa and the United States, on AI global governance to ensure that AI always develops in the direction of human civilization and progress." During their meeting in San Francisco last year and a recent phone call, Liu said, Chinese and U.S. leaders agreed to promote cooperation in the field of AI. Liu added that the two sides will soon hold the first intergovernmental dialogue on AI. Prosper Africa's Walker had a different take when asked about U.S.-China competition, saying U.S. companies had "incomparable brand value." "It's the focus on mutual growth, local job creation and shared prosperity that continues to set American tech companies apart from international competitors," she said. However, Brookings Institution fellow Okolo is more pessimistic about U.S.-China involvement in Africa. "While I've seen rising interest in Africa from the U.S. and China, I believe it's honestly hard to say how well these countries are interested in specifically working with African countries to advance AI innovation," said Okolo. "While American and Chinese researchers often collaborate with each other in academic AI research, these countries themselves are vying to be leaders within the 'AI race.'" According to the recently released AI Index Report from Stanford University's Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, the U.S. was the leading source of top computer programs known as AI models last year, with 61 compared to China's 15. However, it found that China led globally in terms of AI patents with 61.1%, while the U.S. accounted for only 20%. Relief supplies for the Gaza Strip left Cyprus on a U.S. container ship Thursday morning, Cypriot officials said. The U.S. vessel Sagamore, filled with aid from Britain, Cyprus and the United States, left the port of Larnaca, Cypriot government spokesperson Yiannis Antoniou said. U.S. military engineers have been working to install a temporary pier on the Gaza coast to unload maritime aid deliveries. The project has experienced delays because of heavy seas off the coast, forcing builders to assemble the pier in the Israeli port of Ashdod. "The platform is expected to be ready by the time the ship arrives in order for the aid to be unloaded and distributed to Palestinians in need," Antoniou said. U.S. President Joe Biden ordered the construction of the platform in March. Donor countries are trying to find other ways to send aid to Gaza. U.N. agencies warned that Israels restriction of deliveries could contribute to an emerging famine in Gaza. Relief is desperately needed in Gaza after Israel ordered an evacuation of at least 100,000 Palestinians from Rafah, Gazas southernmost city, where most of the territorys population has clustered. Israel seized the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing on Tuesday, while shutting off the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing, drawing criticism from humanitarian groups. Israel said Wednesday that it had reopened Kerem Shalom. The Israel-Hamas war was triggered by the October 7 Hamas terror attack on southern Israel, which killed 1,200 people and led to the capture of about 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials. More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Israel warned it could "deepen" its operation in Rafah if talks failed to secure the release of the hostages. Air Vanuatu said on Thursday it had cancelled international flights for the rest of the week, as the Pacific Island nation's government considered placing its national carrier into voluntary administration. All of Air Vanuatu's international flights between Thursday and Sunday are canceled, and all later flights are under review, the airline said in a statement. "The Vanuatu Government is now considering placing Air Vanuatu ... into voluntary administration," and Ernst & Young has been appointed to advise the government, the statement said. Air Vanuatu operates only four aircraft among the country's islands - which rely heavily on tourism - and to Australia, New Zealand and other South Pacific islands. The airline on Wednesday had said several flights were cancelled because of extended maintenance requirements for its aircraft. Virgin Australia flights between Brisbane and the Vanuatu capital Port Vila are still scheduled, data from FlightRadar24 shows. Australian carrier Qantas Airways said it is supporting its codeshare customers who were booked onto Air Vanuatu flights. Australian budget airline Bonza last week entered voluntary administration, cancelling flights after its aircraft leasing partner terminated its relationship with the firm. Chad's opposition, civil society groups and some election observers are condemning violence, threats and fraud, including the stuffing of ballot boxes, to favor transitional president General Mahamat Idriss Deby after the central African states May 6 presidential polls. Deby's main challenger, Prime Minister Succes Masra, is asking for international assistance, saying he is under surveillance and faces threats to his safety after at least two people were killed in the election. Masra says there has been persistent violence and threats against him and his supporters since election day. The Transformers, the party Masra leads, said on Facebook Wednesday that their candidate's residence is under drone surveillance, but gave no further details. The party denounced what it called threats and serious violence to intimidate their supporters, who they say have also been arbitrarily arrested since Monday's vote. Masra charged that Chads National Elections Management Agency, known as ANGE, is rigging the vote in favor of Deby. Masra urged civilians to defend what he called their will expressed at the ballot box against massive electoral fraud. Chad's Coalition of Moral Authorities for Mediation, or CONAMM, an association that includes traditional rulers, clerics, former government ministers and youth and women leaders, complained of massive fraud and intimidation during the polls. Speaking on Chads state television Thursday, CONAMM's secretary-general Baniara Yoyana said there were many irregularities including seizing and stuffing of ballot boxes in favor of Deby by government officials. He added such irregularities are pushing civilians who think that their democratic rights are being abused to riot. Chad's opposition and civil society say a government soldier who attempted to stuff ballot boxes in favor of Deby died in a hospital after he was assaulted and stabbed by angry voters near Moundou, Chad's second-largest city. They also say a civilian was killed on election day in Moundou following a dispute in a polling station. Chad's government acknowledges the killings but denies troops were ordered to vote and rig the election in favor of Deby. The central African states officials say ANGE is a permanent, independent and impartial body and refute what they say are allegations Deby wants to rig the election and proclaim himself Chad's president. Civil society groups and CONAMM say Chad may descend into chaos if the government and ANGE fail to ensure the results they will publish reflect the aspirations of Chad's citizens as expressed in Monday's polls. Saleh Kebzabos duty as Chad's government-appointed state mediator is to preempt and negotiate an end to potential crises and threats. He said he is pleading with all citizens to be calm and maintain peace while waiting for the official proclamation of Chad's May 6 presidential elections results by the country's constitutional council, which is the only body empowered to proclaim definitive results. Kebzabo said results civilians appear to be contesting are fake because Chad's Constitutional Council has not proclaimed any. Kebzabo said tensions are also provoked by a ban on filming or taking photos of result sheets in polling stations and publishing them on social media and radio and television. ANGE says it imposed the ban because opposition parties may manipulate results they film to ignite violent clashes. The European Union said Tuesday that Chad officials denied nearly 3,000 civil society members it financed from observing the presidential election. Deby was proclaimed transitional president in April 2021 after his father, Idriss Deby Itno, was killed in a gun battle with rebels following 30 years in power. He promised an 18-month transition to democracy but then extended it by two years. He is seen by many observers as the likely winner of the May 6 presidential polls, whose result will be proclaimed by Chad's Constitutional Council on May 21. The opposition and civil society accuse Deby ruling with an iron fist and say he is not ready to relinquish power. But Deby says he will hand over power if defeated. The European Union has agreed in principle to a deal that would use the proceeds from frozen Russian assets to supply weapons for Ukraine. The bloc said the first payments could be made by the summer, despite calls by Washington for its European allies to go much further and fully seize Russias billions for the benefit of Kyiv. EU officials welcomed the agreement. Writing on X, formerly Twitter, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday, "there could be no stronger symbol and no greater use for that money than to make Ukraine and all of Europe a safer place to live." The EUs Trade Commissioner, Valdis Dombrovskis, wrote that the first $1 billon should be available by the summer, mainly for military support. "Russia will pay directly for its crimes," Dombrovskis said. Assets frozen Western financial institutions and companies are holding billions of dollars of cash and assets of Russias central bank, which were frozen by Europe and the United States in the wake of Moscows February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. About 70% of the assets, amounting to more than $200 billion, are held in Brussels at Euroclear, a financial services company and clearing house that specializes in cross-border securities transactions and the safe-keeping of assets. The United States, along with Britain and Canada, have been pushing for those assets to be fully seized and used to help Kyiv fight Russias invasion. Last month, Washington passed legislation allowing it to seize Russian foreign currency reserves within the United States to fund weapons for Ukraine. European caution However, Europe is being more cautious. European Union ambassadors meeting in Brussels Wednesday agreed in principle to use only the interest earned on the Russian assets. Ian Bond, a foreign policy analyst and Russia specialist at the Center for European Reform, said Brussels could go further. "What the EU is talking about is not seizing the principal - but using the interest, which might amount to seven or $8 billion a year and using that for the benefit of Ukraine," Bond told VOA. "Its a worthwhile sum of money, but it is a tiny sum of money compared to the amount of damage that Russia has done to Ukraine and the amount of money that Ukraine needs to keep its government services and its war effort going." The deal should be fully signed off at an EU finance ministers meeting on May 14. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the bloc must act quickly to support Ukraine. "The funds available there can be used not only for procurement (of weapons) within Europe, but also outside Europe. Because what really matters now is that weapons can be delivered as quickly as possible," Scholz said Monday during a visit to Latvia. EU fears Some in Europe fear that the U.S. plan to fully seize Russias assets would trigger a lengthy legal battle and may prompt other countries like China to sell their euro investments, destabilizing the currency. Neutral EU states, including Hungary and Austria, objected to using the profits to buy Ukraine weapons. The EU has secured their agreement by ringfencing around 10 per cent of the Russian windfall profits for humanitarian aid. Russian retaliation Russia last month warned the West against seizing its assets. "Russian assets must remain untouched because otherwise there will be a severe response to Western thievery," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on Telegram April 28. There are concerns in Europe that Moscow will retaliate by seizing more assets belonging to Western companies still operating in Russia. Those companies may find little sympathy in the West, suggests analyst Ian Bond. "My view on that is these companies have had two years to get out of the Russian market. If they stayed in, it was because they thought it was okay to continue to earn money in Russia, despite the fact that it was waging a brutal war of aggression against one of its neighbors. And if they lose their shirts now, that's their tough luck," he said. "There are European assets in Russia that the Russian government could seize. And it has in some cases already seized the assets of Western private companies in Russia. But I dont think that the amounts would match up," Bond added. EU officials hope the deal will be fully implemented by June, when Hungary is due to take over the rotating EU Council presidency. Analysts say there are concerns within the EU that Hungarys Prime Minister Viktor Orban could try to block the deal if it isnt fully signed off by then, as he seeks to maintain close ties with Russia. The European Union has agreed in principle to a deal that would use the proceeds from frozen Russian assets to supply weapons for Ukraine. As Henry Ridgwell reports, allies in Washington want the EU to go much further The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visits Turkey on May 13 for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The leaders hope to ease tensions that have brought the two NATO members close to armed confrontation several times in recent years. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. Camera: Berke Bas. Media mogul Jimmy Lai's trial for "conspiracy to collude with foreign forces" and "conspiracy to publish incitement" is set to drag on longer than the 80 days initially planned. As of Thursday, the 73rd day of the trial, only six of 14 scheduled witnesses had testified. Lai, the 76-year-old founder of Hong Kong's Next Media and three companies owned by Apple Daily, which has been out of operation for nearly three years, was charged under the Hong Kong version of Chinas national security law. Lai and his newspaper supported Hong Kongs 2019 pro-democracy movement, which the controversial law has been used to crush. If found guilty, he could be sentenced to life in prison. Lai, who is also a British citizen, has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The trial, conducted by three judges designated under the national security law, began December 18, three years after Lai was arrested, and has been slower than expected. During cross-examination by the defense this week, Chan Tsz-wah, who was charged along with Lai but is now a witness for the prosecution, admitted he gave false statements to officers during interviews with police in October 2020, saying he was trying to distance himself from Lai and his personal assistant. Legal experts say the admission will make all sides view Chans testimony with caution, which could stretch out his questioning time. "So generally speaking, even if the court listens to and accepts his testimony, how much weight it will give his words is another matter," Hong Kong lawyer Frankie Siu told VOA. Siu noted the trial is also slow because it is in English, while witness testimony is in Cantonese and has to be interpreted. Chung Kim Wah, former assistant professor in the Department of Applied Social Science at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, told VOA the prosecutor may also be trying to bolster the governments charges through a lengthy trial. "And through the statements of several accomplice witnesses, especially one or two of them, they hope to create the image that Jimmy Lai premeditated and colluded with the United States." Rights groups and U.S. officials have condemned the trial as politically motivated. In April, two U.S. lawmakers proposed a bill to rename the street and mailing address for the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Hong Kongs de facto embassy in Washington) to "Jimmy Lai Way" to honor the jailed media entrepreneur. Lais case is the first in Hong Kong of "colluding with foreign forces" since Beijing enacted Hong Kong's national security law in 2020. Beijing says the security law is needed to maintain stability, but has used it to arrest, jail and try hundreds of pro-democracy activists, stifling Hong Kongs once vibrant civil society. In March, Hong Kong lawmakers unanimously and quickly approved their own sweeping national security law known as Basic Law Article 23, strengthening the government's ability to silence dissent. VOAs Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report. Humanitarians and medical professionals working in the Gaza Strip warned Wednesday that a full-scale Israeli military operation in Rafah would be a catastrophe and said the safe, mass evacuation of civilians is not possible. About 1.3 million Palestinians are sheltering in Rafah in southern Gaza after moving repeatedly from other parts of the strip to escape bombings and fighting. On Monday, Israel dropped leaflets on a 30-square-kilometer area in eastern Rafah, telling residents to move to the coastal town of Al Mawasi, which the United Nations says is already overcrowded and lacking safety and essential humanitarian services. Ghada Alhaddad, a spokesperson in Gaza for the British aid group Oxfam, said people do not know where to go, and tents are popping up all over Al Mawasi and in the central town of Deir al-Balah. Even on the sidewalks, on the pavement, on the streets, in the graveyards, in the courtyards of hospitals, in the courtyards of the schools there are tents that are being built, she told reporters on a briefing call with doctors and humanitarians from several aid agencies. The population is so deteriorated after seven months of war, with many, including children, maimed by bombs or malnourished, that they are not healthy enough to relocate on foot for most their only option. Children and elderly who are so starved that they can barely walk these people cannot just pick up and walk and relocate to another area, Alexandra Saieh, head of humanitarian advocacy and policy at Save the Children International, told reporters. The concept of a safe zone is a lie, Helena Ranchal, director of international operations for French charity Medecins du Monde (Doctors of the World), said from Nablus in the West Bank. There is not a safe area anymore in Gaza. She echoed the concerns expressed this week by many human rights advocates and aid workers about the Israeli-ordered evacuations that civilians must be protected and have their basic needs met. All of these criteria were not met, and these displacements constitute forcible transfer in grave breach of international humanitarian law, she said. Malnutrition rising Israel began targeting Hamas battalions in eastern Rafah on Monday, and also took control of the Rafah border crossing, which is the main humanitarian entry point into Gaza. It has been closed since. Israel closed a second crossing, Kerem Shalom, after a Hamas rocket attack killed four Israeli soldiers on Sunday. It said the crossing had reopened on Wednesday, but the U.N. said no aid had passed through yet. A third crossing, Erez, has been open only sporadically, humanitarians said. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told his troops Tuesday that the Rafah operation would continue until we eliminate Hamas in the Rafah area and the entire Gaza Strip, or until the first hostage returns." Humanitarians say the shutdown of the border crossings and the halt to the entry of supplies, including fuel, could risk the near-term collapse of their aid operations, even without a full-scale military operation in Rafah. The whole aid operation runs on fuel. So, if the fuel is cut off, the aid operation collapses and it collapses quickly, said Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International. That means water cant be pumped, lights cant be kept on in hospitals, vehicles cant distribute aid. He said it comes as the threat of famine is growing across Gaza, not just in the north but also in central and southern Gaza. If there is a Rafah invasion, that will certainly push things past the tipping point, because then the aid operation will collapse, and then we will see really skyrocketing mortality related to famine, Konyndyk said. Doctors who have worked in Gaza agree. British surgeon Nick Maynard has been to Gaza twice since the war started with British charity Medical Aid for Palestinians. He was evacuated from Rafah on Monday. He told reporters he treated patients who had developed complications and severe infections that were the direct result of malnutrition, because they have weakened immune systems. I operated on many patients in the last two weeks who had awful complications from their abdominal surgery related to inadequate nutrition, he said. Particularly those with [their] abdominal wall breaking down. So literally, their intestines end up hanging outside. He said malnutrition directly contributed to the deaths last week of two young female patients, ages 16 and 18, both with survivable injuries. We will see far more of that over the coming months, Maynard said. Doctors and aid workers are also worried about the impending summer heat. A recent three-day heat wave saw temperatures hit 37 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit). They say clean drinking water is already in short supply, and severe heat will make dehydration a major contributor to deaths. Already more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, and more than 78,000 injured, according to the Gaza-run Health Ministry. Hamas killed 1,200 people in Israel during its October 7 terror attack. The U.N. office for humanitarian affairs said Wednesday that all the main medical facilities in Rafah could soon become inaccessible or inoperable. One of the three hospitals in Rafah Al-Najjar was vacated Tuesday because it is located in the area under the current evacuation order. The World Health Organization said Al-Najjar has the only dialysis department still operating in Gaza a lifeline for 200 patients with kidney failure. The humanitarians stressed that the only way to help everyone in need is for the fighting to end. The solution and we are asking for that since the beginning is a cease-fire, Ranchal of Doctors of the World said. A cease-fire now. Chinese President Xi Jinping is wrapping up his European tour with a final stop in Hungary, where he is expected to discuss Ukraine and investments in Hungarian infrastructure, energy and electric vehicle manufacturing. Hungarian soldiers on horseback were part of a warm welcome Xi received Thursday when he met with Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok at Budapest's Buda Castle. In remarks during his meeting with Sulyok, Xi said Beijing is ready to raise ties with Budapest to a higher level, according to Chinas state-run Xinhua News Agency. He also said the two countries friendship does not target any third party. Xis stop in Hungary is the third and final stop on his first European tour in five years. He also visited France and Serbia. During his first stop in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen pressed Xi to ensure fair trade with Europe and use his influence on Russia to end the 2-year-old war in Ukraine. In Budapest, Xi is scheduled to meet with Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has strengthened his countrys political relations with China since he came into power in 2010. Hungary has become an important investment and trade partner for China at a time when other European Union countries have started distancing themselves from the East Asian country. China and Hungary are expected to sign 16 to 18 new cooperation agreements, including a potential large-scale infrastructure project within China's Belt and Road project, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said. Beijing has invested billions in Hungary and sees it as an important gateway to the 27-member EU. Xi has said he wants Hungary to promote the development of China-EU relations when it assumes the rotating EU presidency in July. Hungary hosts several Chinese electric vehicle battery plants. China is also financing a major high-speed rail project linking the capitals of Hungary and Serbia. Xi and Orban plan to announce specific agreements later Thursday, Gergely Gulyas, Orban's chief of staff, said Thursday at a news conference. Budapest residents faced road closures and increased security on Thursday as supporters and critics of Xi gathered in the city to demonstrate. Xi is set to leave Hungary on Friday. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters. Known for its breathtaking beaches, world-class resorts, and vibrant nightlife, Los Cabos is one of the most popular vacation destinations in Mexico. However, the postcard-perfect views hide a disturbing reality: Los Cabos has one of the highest crime rates in the world, with approximately 300 murders every year. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by Express. The city has long been known for its stunning coastline, offering visitors a variety of activities: from whale watching to deep-sea fishing and snorkeling. However, while the sandy shores and vibrant nightlife make Los Cabos a top vacation destination, the region's murder rate suggests otherwise. With 111.3 deaths per 100 thousand people, it is one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Much of the violence is related to crime and drugs, as well as intergroup conflicts, which have increased in intensity in recent years. ADVERTISIMENT Despite the high crime rate, millions of tourists continue to visit the resort every year. The region's tourism industry has taken significant steps to ensure visitor safety by creating a dedicated tourist police force, beefing up security at major recreation centers, and implementing surveillance in areas with high tourist traffic. These efforts have largely kept violence away from the areas most frequented by travelers, allowing them to enjoy relatively safe vacations. ADVERTISIMENT Foreigners are attracted to Los Cabos for its natural beauty, adventure, and fine dining. The city's beaches are among the best in Mexico, some of which have received the Blue Flag for environmental compliance and cleanliness. The city also offers authentic Mexican cuisine and fresh seafood that attracts food lovers from all over the world. Although Los Cabos continues to be a popular tourist destination, local authorities are aware of the need to address the underlying issues that cause high crime rates. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! An Iranian court has sentenced prominent filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof to jail time for "collusion against national security," his lawyer Babak Paknia said Wednesday. Rasoulof's film "The Seed of the Sacred Fig" is to be shown at the main competition at Cannes Film Festival this month. The director, who is in his early 50s, has been sentenced to eight years in prison but will only serve five, Paknia said in a post on social media platform X. According to the lawyer, the appeals court confirmed the verdict and included "flogging, a fine, and confiscation of property." He said that the court had found Rasoulof guilty of "collusion against national security." Official media in Iran have yet to publish the verdict. On April 30, Paknia said Iranian authorities had summoned for questioning some crew members involved in the production of "The Seed of the Sacred Fig," adding that they were under pressure to have it withdrawn from the Cannes festival. Some crew members have been questioned in recent weeks while actors had also been questioned and barred from leaving Iran, the lawyer said. It was not immediately clear how many people involved in the production have been questioned. Rasoulof won the Golden Bear, the Berlin Film Festival's top prize, in 2020 with his anti-capital punishment film "There Is No Evil." He was detained in July 2022 and released the following year after a wave of nationwide protests that began in September 2022 subsided. Paknia had previously said that it was not clear whether Rasoulof would be allowed to leave Iran to attend the Cannes festival in southern France. Appearances at the Cannes Festival have in recent years been increasingly contentious for Iranian directors and actors. Prominent director Saeed Roustaee was sentenced to six months in prison for the screening of his film "Leila's Brothers" at the 2022 festival. Iranian authorities said at the time it had been shown without authorization. The film's star, Taraneh Alidoosti, was released in early 2023 after almost three weeks in jail over her support for the protest movement that broke out in 2022. The monthslong demonstrations were sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly flouting Iran's strict dress code for women. Iran has long had a thriving cinema scene, with figures like Jafar Panahi and Asghar Farhadi winning awards around the world. The U.S. has paused some arms shipments to Israel over a disagreement about military action in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Opponents of Prime Minister Netanyahu blame him for damaging the Israel/U.S. relationship, while allies of Netanyahu go so far as to claim Biden is helping Hamas. A look at graduation ceremonies at colleges that were the scenes of violent anti-Israel protests, Ukrainians and Russians living side-by-side in a Norwegian mining village, and a look at politics in South Korea and the push there to increase the birth rate. Plus, in Pakistan, its the anniversary of supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan stormed military properties to protest his arrest. The 12-month grace period for student loan borrowers ended on September 30. The "on-ramp" period helped borrowers who are struggling to make payments avoid the risk of defaulting and hurting their credit score. "The end of the on-ramp period means the beginning of the potentially harsh consequences for student loan borrowers who are not able to make payments," said Persis Yu, Deputy Executive Director at the Student Borrower Protection Center. Around 43 million Americans have student loan debt, amounting to $1.5 trillion. Around eight million of those borrowers had enrolled in the SAVE plan, the newest income-driven repayment plan that extended the eligibility for borrowers to have affordable monthly student loan payments. However, this plan is currently on hold due to legal challenges. With the on-ramp period and a separate program known as Fresh Start ending and the SAVE plan on hold, student loan borrowers who are struggling to afford their monthly payments have fewer options, added Yu. Student loan borrowers who haven't been able to afford their monthly payments must consider their options to avoid going into default. If you have student loans, here's what you need to know. What was the on-ramp period? The Education Department implemented this grace period to ease the borrower's transition to make payments after a three-year payment pause during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this year-long period, borrowers were encouraged to keep making payments since interest continued to accumulate. "Normally, loans will default if you fall about nine months behind on making payments, but during this on-ramp period, missed payments would not move people towards defaulting and then being subject to forced collections. However, if you missed payments, you still be falling behind ultimately on repaying your loans," said Abby Shaforth, director of National Consumer Law Center's Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project. Since this grace period has ended, student loan borrowers who don't make payments will go delinquent or, if their loans are not paid for nine months, go into default. Borrowers who cannot afford to make payments can apply for deferment or forbearance, which pause payments, though interest continues to accrue. What happens if I don't make my payments? Borrowers who can't or don't pay risk delinquency and eventually default. That can badly hurt your credit rating and make you ineligible for additional aid and government benefits. If a borrower missed one month's payment, they will start receiving email notifications, said Shaforth. Once the loan hasn't been paid for three months, loan servicers notify to the credit reporting agencies that the loan is delinquent, affecting your credit history. Once the borrower hasn't paid the loan for nine months, the loan goes into default. If you're struggling to pay, advisers first encourage you to check if you qualify for an income-driven repayment plan, which determines your payments by looking at your expenses. You can see whether you qualify by visiting the Federal Student Aid website. If you've worked for a government agency or a non-profit organization, you could also be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which forgives student debt after 10 years. What happens when a loan goes into default? When you fall behind on a loan by 270 days roughly nine months the loan appears on your credit report as being in default. Once a loan is in default, it goes into collections. This means the government can garnish wages (without a court order) to go towards paying back the loan, intercept tax refunds, and seize portions of Social Security checks and other benefit payments. What if I can't pay? If your budget doesn't allow you to resume payments, it's important to know how to navigate the possibility of default and delinquency on a student loan. Both can hurt your credit rating, which would make you ineligible for additional aid. If you're in a short-term financial bind, you may qualify for deferment or forbearance allowing you to temporarily suspend payment. To determine whether deferment or forbearance are good options for you, you can contact your loan servicer. One thing to note: interest still accrues during deferment or forbearance. Both can also impact potential loan forgiveness options. Depending on the conditions of your deferment or forbearance, it may make sense to continue paying the interest during the payment suspension. What is an income-driven repayment plan? The U.S. Education Department offers several plans for repaying federal student loans. Under the standard plan, borrowers are charged a fixed monthly amount that ensures all their debt will be repaid after 10 years. But if borrowers have difficulty paying that amount, they can enroll in one of several plans that offer lower monthly payments based on income and family size. Those are known as income-driven repayment plans. Income-driven options have been offered for years and generally cap monthly payments at 10% of a borrower's discretionary income. If a borrower's earnings are low enough, their bill is reduced to $0. And after 20 or 25 years, any remaining debt gets erased. What is the latest with the SAVE program? In August, the Supreme Court kept on hold the SAVE plan, the income-driven repayment plan that would have lowered payments for millions of borrowers, while lawsuits make their way through lower courts. Eight million borrowers who had already enrolled in the SAVE plan don't have to pay their monthly student loan bills until the court case is resolved. Debt that already had been forgiven under the plan was unaffected. The next court hearing about this case will be held on October 15. What happened with the Fresh Start program? The Fresh Start program, which gave benefits to borrowers who were delinquent prior to the pandemic payment pause, also closed on September 30. During this limited program, student loan borrowers who were in default prior to the pandemic were given the opportunity to remove their loans from default, allowing them to enroll in income-driven payment plans, or apply for deferment, among other benefits. North Macedonia elected its first woman president Wednesday as the ruling Social Democratic Union of Macedonia suffered historic losses in presidential and parliamentary elections. With nearly all the votes counted, university professor Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, the presidential candidate of the right-wing VMRO-DPMNE opposition party, won nearly 65% of the vote, with incumbent President Stevo Pendarovski winning 29%, according to the countrys State Election Commission. In the parliamentary contest, the VMRO-DPMNE-led coalition Your Macedonia won 43% of the votes, giving it 58 of the parliaments 120 seats, just short of a majority. Although it was uncertain on election day whether the 40% turnout threshold for the presidential election would be reached, due to calls for a boycott, the State Election Commission reported that turnout exceeded 46%. In her first post-election public address, President-elect Siljanovska-Davkova promised to act as the president of all citizens, of all ethnic groups, of party members, of those who are not in parties, because a president, especially not if she is a woman, cannot unite and search for unity if he sticks to party lines. VMRO-DPMNE party head Hristijan Mickoski called the election results a historic victory for North Macedonia and the people of Macedonia, adding that the ruling Social Democratic Union, or SDSM, lost because of "crime, corruption, incompetence, false values, the confiscated state, tenders, nepotism and a hundred other consequences that made the state suffer and the people disappointed." SDSM officials have repeatedly rejected these criticisms. SDSM head Dimitar Kovacevski congratulated the victors Wednesday while telling reporters that his partys loss was disappointing and a heavy blow. EU and NATO considerations The country agreed to change its name from the Republic of Macedonia to the Republic of North Macedonia in 2019 following a decadeslong dispute with Greece over the designation. In a 2018 referendum, voters in North Macedonia approved an agreement with Greece that included changing the countrys name in order to clear the way for its European Union and NATO accession. However, turnout for the referendum was less than the 50% threshold required to validate the results, leaving parliament to approve the change. Mickoski has refused to acknowledge the countrys name change and the 2018 agreement with Greece. The opposition also supports standing firm in ongoing linguistic and historical disputes with neighboring Bulgaria, an EU member that has blocked North Macedonias EU accession negotiations. EU membership negotiations with North Macedonia and fellow-candidate Albania began in 2022, and the process is expected to take years. Commenting Wednesday on North Macedonias elections and their potential effect on the countrys EU accession bid, Deputy U.S. Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Gabriel Escobar said, I am confident and hope that regardless of the elections in North Macedonia, the road to Europe will continue. On Tuesday, European Commission spokesperson Ana Pisonero told reporters in Brussels that North Macedonia has committed itself to constitutional changes and, from our perspective, we believe that all political forces will focus on progress in the EU integration process." Pisonero added: The European Council has clearly stated what the expectations are and we, for our part, fully support the perspective of North Macedonia's membership in the EU, and we hope that we will be able to open the negotiation process as soon as possible." Corruption is an issue The European Commission reported in November that corruption, another hot-button issue, remains prevalent in many areas of North Macedonia. In December, U.S. Ambassador to North Macedonia Angela Aggeler said there was an epidemic of corruption in this country that has affected every sector, every organization, and only by exposing the corrupt actors can we begin to help the country address these issues. The VMRO-DPMNE has accused the SDSM and its junior coalition partner, the Democratic Union for Integration, the third-largest political party and largest ethnic Albanian political party, of causing a corruption pandemic. Wednesday was the third time that Macedonian citizens in the U.S. and elsewhere outside North Macedonia voted in the countrys presidential elections. According to the State Election Commission, more than 2,300 domestic and international observers monitored the voting. A Nigerian investigative reporter has spent more than one week in police detention without being brought to court for allegedly violating the country's cybercrime laws, his employer said, in a case that press freedom groups have condemned as an affront to media freedoms. Under Nigerian law, suspects must be brought to court within 48 hours of their arrest or be released. Daniel Ojukwu went missing on May 1, according to his employer, the Foundation for Investigative Journalism. But the Nigerian news outlet was only informed about Ojukwu's arrest two days after police detained him. The privately owned Foundation for Investigative Journalism said the reporter's arrest was linked to a November story about government corruption. That story alleged that Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, senior special assistant to the president on sustainable development goals, put $106,154 of government money for school construction into a restaurant's bank account. International press freedom groups have called for the journalist's immediate release. "Nigerian authorities must promptly and unconditionally release journalist Daniel Ojukwu and stop harassing and detaining journalists who publish investigative reports into corruption," Angela Quintal, head of the Africa program at the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ, said in a statement. "This is no way to treat journalists who are performing a public service." Ojukwu had first been detained in Lagos but was later transferred to the capital, Abuja. Nigeria's Washington Embassy did not immediately reply to VOA's email requesting comment. Ojukwu's arrest comes not long after more than a dozen armed military men took another journalist, Segun Olatunji, from his home without any explanation in mid-March, according to press freedom groups. The Defense Intelligence Agency released Olatunji after two weeks. Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, considers Nigeria among the most dangerous environments for journalists in West Africa. Earlier this month, RSF ranked Nigeria 112 out of 180 countries in terms of press freedom. Some information in this report came from Reuters. A U.S. treasury official warned of environmental risks from illicit transfers of Iranian oil off Malaysia, news portal Malaysiakini reported on Thursday, as the United States narrows its focus on financing for militant groups routed through Southeast Asia. The United States sees Iran's capacity to move its oil as being reliant on service providers based in Malaysia, a senior U.S. treasury official said this week. The official also said the U.S. was attempting to prevent Malaysia from becoming a jurisdiction where the Palestinian militant group Hamas could raise and transfer funds. Brian Nelson, U.S. Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said one of the main ways Iran raised money was through the sale of illicit oil to buyers in East Asia, Malaysiakini reported. "Many of these shipments traverse the waters around Malaysia and are loaded onto vessels of questionable legitimacy that may also pose major environmental and safety risks," he was reported as saying. Nelson expressed concern for any parties providing "ship-to-ship" transfers of illicit oil as such maneuvers could lead to accidents or oil spills that could threaten Malaysia's coasts. The U.S. Treasury has also seen an uptick in attempts by Iran and its proxies, including Hamas, to raise and move money in Southeast Asia, Nelson added. He urged those who wish to support humanitarian assistance to Gaza to donate to reputable charities to ensure the funds were not diverted elsewhere. Nelson and Neil MacBride, Treasury general counsel, are on a visit to Singapore and Malaysia this week to advance efforts in countering financing and revenue generation by Iran and its proxies. The office of Malaysia's prime minister did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said he conveyed the country's stance regarding sanctions to Nelson during a meeting on Thursday. Saifuddin said Malaysia would comply with United Nations sanctions but would not recognize unilaterally applied sanctions. He told reporters he also informed Nelson that Malaysia had investigated and taken action against an organization with suspected links to Palestinians. He did not name the organization. In mid-April, the United States deployed a Tomahawk missile system to the Philippines, a move condemned by both Russia and China. The medium-range launcher can reach targets up to 1,600 kilometers away. Now, Russia says it plans to ramp up its production of similar missile systems. Kateryna Besedina has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Officials in western Russia said Thursday a Ukrainian aerial attack injured at least eight people. Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the Belgorod region located along the Ukrainian border, said on Telegram the attack also damaged more than 20 buildings. Russias defense ministry said it destroyed 15 rockets and a Ukrainian drone over Belgorod. The governor the neighboring Kursk region, Roman Starovoyt, said Russian air defenses shot down three Ukrainian drones overnight. There were no reports of damage or injuries. Russias defense ministry also reported destroying two drones over the Bryansk region. Ukraines military said it shot down 17 of 20 drones that Russia used in overnight attacks. The Ukrainian air force said the intercepts took place over the Odesa region. There were no reports of damage from the Russian attacks. Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters. The United States is urging other countries to follow its lead in repatriating their citizens from detention centers and displaced persons camps where former followers and supporters of Islamic State have been held since the collapse of the IS "caliphate" in 2019. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday the U.S. had repatriated 11 U.S. citizens from northeast Syria, including five minors. "This is the largest single repatriation of U.S. citizens from northeast Syria to date," Blinken said in a statement. U.S. officials say nearly 50 U.S. citizens have repatriated from Syria in recent years, but it's not clear how many Americans are being held in northeast Syria. "As a part of this operation, the United States also facilitated the repatriation of six Canadian citizens, four Dutch citizens and one Finnish citizen, among them eight children," Blinken said. Since the military defeat of the Islamic State terror group in 2019, thousands of foreign fighters and their families have been detained in camps and prisons in areas under the control of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF. Among those held by the SDF are thousands of Syrian and Iraqi nationals who lived under IS when the group ruled parts of Syria and Iraq starting in 2014. According to Kurdish officials in northeast Syria, around 43,000 people currently live in several detention camps in the SDF-held area. Most of them are Syrian and Iraqi, but several thousand come from at least 60 foreign countries. Thousands of Iraqis have left the camp in coordination with Iraqi authorities. Significant numbers of Syrians have also left in arrangements between the SDF and Arab tribal leaders. While many other countries have been taking back women and children affiliated with IS who are held in two detention centers in northeastern Syria, U.S. officials urge them to step up such repatriation efforts. "The only durable solution to the humanitarian and security crisis in the displaced persons camps and detention facilities in northeast Syria is for countries to repatriate, rehabilitate, reintegrate, and where appropriate, ensure accountability for wrongdoing," Blinken said, reiterating the U.S. commitment to help other nations that wish to repatriate their nationals from northeast Syria. Colin Clarke, director of research at The Soufan Center, said the recent U.S. "repatriation is significant, but I'm not entirely hopeful that it will spur other countries to step up or accelerate their own efforts." "In many countries, including in the West, repatriation remains an unpopular issue politically and something that politicians believe could make them vulnerable," he told VOA. "This is especially true in some European countries where far-right populism has become dominant over the past several years." Rights groups say living conditions have been deteriorating in al-Hol camp, one of two major camps in northeast Syria. The detention camp has witnessed a growing number of security incidents that have resulted in the deaths of many civilians. Local tribunal Authorities in the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria say while a full repatriation of foreign nationals in their custody doesn't seem possible at this time, there is a need to establish a special tribunal for IS foreign fighters in northeast Syria. Aaron Zelin, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, called this proposal "a non-starter." "It's never going to happen. I don't know why people in the Autonomous Administration continue to push this," he told VOA in an interview. "It's not a recognized territory in the international stage, nor do people want their own citizens being tried by other judges that may not be trained on these issues, especially since they're not recognized." Clarke said the Kurdish proposition to have local trials for IS foreign fighters "is a good case in the hypocrisy of the situation." "On the one hand, some countries will protest this and allude to concerns over human rights issues, but at the same time refuse to repatriate these individuals back to their countries of origin," he said. Potential IS resurgence With 900 American troops on the ground, the U.S. has been assisting SDF fighters in combating remnants of IS in eastern Syria. But in recent months, militants affiliated with IS have stepped up attacks against the SDF and forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in eastern and central Syria, respectively. There are fears that an IS resurgence in eastern Syria would impact the situation in the detention camps in the region. "I think people are underplaying the fact that it's not very stable there, and there's a lot of moving parts," Zelin said. "The U.S. isn't going to stay there forever, and to think otherwise is a bit naive." He said Turkey, which views the SDF as a terrorist organization, would attack the Kurdish group if the U.S. leaves Syria, further complicating the issue. "What's going to happen to the prisons? Turkey's not going to guard them. The Assad regime isn't going to care what happens to them. IS will be able to break people out of not only the IDP camps, but also the prisons, as well." This story originated in VOA's Kurdish Service. Yemen's Houthi rebels on Thursday claimed responsibility for two missile attacks in the Gulf of Aden on two Panama-flagged container ships that caused no damage. Meanwhile, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader again threatened that Tehran could build a nuclear weapon if it chose to pursue atomic armaments. The comments by Yemeni military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree and former Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi come as the allies of Hamas continue to pressure Israel over its continuing war on the militant group in the Gaza Strip. The Houthis insist their assaults on shipping through the crucial waterway leading to the Suez Canal and onward to the Mediterranean Sea will continue as long as the war goes on. Meanwhile, Iran launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel amid the war, bringing a yearslong shadow conflict between the two nations out into the light. In a prerecorded statement, Saree claimed attacks on the MSC Diego and MSC Gina. The Joint Maritime Information Center, a U.S.-led coalition of nations operating in the Mideast, said those two missile attacks happened early Tuesday. "Neither were hit and all crew on board are safe," the center said. "The vessels were last reported proceeding to next port of call." The center added that the vessels were "likely targeted due to perceived Israeli affiliation." Both vessels were operating for Geneva-based Mediterranean Shipping Co., which did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Houthis say their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are aimed at pressuring Israel to end its war against Hamas in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians there, according to local health officials. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 others hostage. The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration. Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat. Meanwhile Thursday, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency carried the comments made by Kharrazi, a former foreign minister under reformist President Mohammad Khatami. Speaking to the Al Jazeera news network in an interview that appeared not to have been immediately aired, Kharrazi elaborated on an atomic bomb threat he made to the channel back in 2022 amid tensions with the West over Iran's tattered 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. "If Iran's existence is threatened, we will have to change our nuclear doctrine," Kharrazi said, according to IRNA. "Recently, the military officials also announced that if Israel wants to attack nuclear facilities, it is possible and imaginable to revise Iran's nuclear doctrine and policies and divert from the previous declaration considerations." Tensions have grown between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency since 2018, when then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Tehran's nuclear deal. Since then, Iran has abandoned all limits the deal put on its program and enriches uranium to up to 60% purity near weapons-grade levels of 90%. Meanwhile, tensions between Iran and Israel have hit a new high. Tehran launched a drone-and-missile attack on Israel last month after Israel's apparent attack on an Iranian consular building in Syria killed two Iranian generals and others. The Iranian city of Isfahan then apparently came under Israeli fire in recent weeks, despite being surrounded by sensitive nuclear sites. At the May 9 parade in Moscow, occupiers who committed war crimes against Ukrainians were seated next to dictator Vladimir Putin. We are talking about the invaders of the 55th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces, which killed residents of Kyiv region at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. ADVERTISIMENT It is noteworthy that these invaders were awarded the titles of "Heroes of Russia" for their brutal and cynical crimes. This was reported by the Telegram channel "Agency. News" Telegram channel. Two occupants of the 55th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, which at the beginning of the war held more than 350 residents of the village of Yahidne in Chernihiv region in a school basement for a month, were imprisoned behind Putin's back. Another invader behind the dictator's back was a soldier from the 76th Airborne Division, which committed crimes in the city of Bucha. One of the occupiers along with the dictator was Senior Lieutenant Chalim Chuldum-ol of the 55th Brigade, which was stationed in the village of Yahidne in Chernihiv region in March 2022. At that time, the Russian military herded more than 350 local residents into the basement of a village school and locked them in. The Ukrainians spent 28 days in conditions similar to a concentration camp. ADVERTISIMENT Another criminal next to Putin was Major Boris Dudko, a soldier of the 76th Airborne Division from Pskov, which was involved in the torture of civilians in Bucha in the spring of 2022. The third occupier on the parade with Putin was Captain Serhiy Bacherikov, who serves in the 27th Separate Brigade of Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense of the Western Military District. As a reminder, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin cynically compared World War II veterans to the invaders who are now fighting against Ukraine during a speech at the May 9 parade in Moscow. The Kremlin leader said that both of these generations "showed heroism." ADVERTISIMENT Earlier it was reported that Russia organized another victory parade on May 9, when the aggressor country celebrated the day of victory in World War II. On this day, the leaders of six countries, as well as one prime minister, came to bow to the Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin, who is currently waging a bloody war in Europe. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! In his daily address, Ukraines president thanked everyone who has been eliminating the consequences of what he described as the Russian Nazis attack Wednesday in regions across Ukraine. This is how the Kremlin marks the end of World War II in Europe, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, in a reference to Victory in Europe Day, also known as V-E Day, celebrating the end of the war on May 8, 1945. Ukrainian officials said the massive Russian aerial attack that included 55 missiles and 21 drones damaged a power generation facility in the region of western Ukraine. DTEK, Ukraine's largest private electricity company, said Russian missiles inflicted serious damage on three of the companys six thermal power plants in Ukraine. Ukrenergo CEO Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, interviewed by the Ukrainska Pravda media outlet, said electricity imports would not make up for power shortages. He said hydropower stations had also been hit, clarifying an earlier company statement omitting hydro stations from the list of affected facilities. Power cuts for industrial users, he said, were "almost guaranteed," but interruptions for domestic users would depend on how well they reduced consumption. Maksym Kozytskyi, regional governor of Lviv, said on Telegram that Russian cruise missiles struck the generation facility in the Chervonohrad district, as well as a critical energy infrastructure site in the Stryi district. There were no reports of casualties. Andriy Rakovych, regional governor of the Korovohrad region northeast of Odesa in central Ukraine, reported one person injured and 13 homes destroyed in a Russian missile attack. Officials in Vinnytsia, southeast of Lviv, also reported a Russian strike in attacks targeting critical infrastructure facilities. Ukraines air force said the countrys air defenses shot down 39 of the 55 missiles and 20 of the 21 drones. On the front lines in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian soldiers were able to stop Russian forces Wednesday in the town of Krasnohorivka. The enemy is cut off from the supply of ammunition. Our defenders have full fire control over both Krasnohorivka and the outskirts of the town, Nazar Voloshyn, the spokesperson of the group of forces, told Army TV on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Kosovos foreign minister, who is also the deputy prime minister, said there is only one solution to Russias war on Ukraine. It can only be Russia to lose the war and Ukraine to win this war, Donika Gervalla-Schwarz said in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday. Otherwise, Europe should prepare for other conflicts in our continent. She said Kosovos support for Ukraine is unconditional, despite Ukraines failure to recognize Kosovos independence. Ukraine hasnt recognized the Republic of Kosovo as a state, but we really believe that we know exactly what Ukraine is going through, she said. Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, but the young nation still suffers from aggressions from Serbia and its ally, Russia. Some information for this report was provided by Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. Israeli officials objected Thursday to U.S. President Joe Bidens decision to pause a shipment of some weapons to Israel amid concern over Israels plan to expand a military operation in Rafah that the United States does not support. Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan called the move a difficult and very disappointing statement to hear from a president to whom we have been grateful since the beginning of the war. Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir posted on X, formerly known as Twittter, Hamas loves Biden. Biden told CNN in an interview aired Wednesday night that the U.S. would continue to supply Israel with defensive arms, such as Iron Dome munitions. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they havent gone in Rafah yet if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, that deal with that problem, he said. Bidens decision followed discussions with Israel on how it will operate differently against Hamas there than they have elsewhere in Gaza, a senior administration official said in a statement sent to VOA. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. A ground assault on Rafah, in the southern part of Gaza, would endanger the lives of 1.3 million civilians who evacuated from the north and central parts of the territory to seek safety from Israels military response to Hamas October 7 attack on Israel. Administration officials have repeatedly said the U.S. will not support a Rafah invasion unless Israel provides a credible plan on how it would protect civilians. In an April 4 phone call, Biden warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he would withhold military aid unless Israel changes its war conduct. Deliberations on withholding arms began in April as Israel seemed closer to a decision on Rafah, the official said. Since then, the Israelis have not fully addressed our concerns, and the decision to pause the arms transfer was executed last week. The shipment was supposed to consist of 1,800 907-kilogram (2,000 pound) bombs and 1,700 226-kilogram (500 pound) bombs. The administration said it is mainly concerned with the end-use of the 2,000-lb. bombs and the impact they could have in dense urban settings as we have seen in other parts of Gaza. The official said other equipment under review includes Joint Direct Attack Munition kits that convert so-called dumb bombs into precision-guided munitions. The paused shipments are drawn from previously appropriated funds, not from the supplemental appropriations that Congress passed in April. We are committed to ensuring Israel gets every dollar appropriated in the supplemental, the official said, highlighting the recent approval of $827 million worth of weapons and equipment, the latest tranche of foreign military financing. The pause marks the first time the U.S. leveraged a weapons transfer to influence Israels war conduct since Hamas October 7 terror attack. Former President Donald Trump accused Biden in a social media post early Thursday of "taking the side of Hamas. Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Bidens Democratic Party praised the move, including Representative Ayanna Pressley, who said the United States has a clear obligation to stop the massacre of innocent civilians. Democratic Representative Seth Moulton said he was even more skeptical of Israels plan for Rafah after meeting with the Israeli ambassador. I've always said that Israel must defeat Hamas. The question is whether invading Rafah ultimately helps or hurts that cause, Moulton said. I support President Bidens decision. Lawmakers push back In a Senate hearing Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told lawmakers that the administration had not made a final determination on how to proceed with the shipment, in the context of the unfolding events in Rafah. The announcement was welcomed by progressive Democrats but criticized by Republican lawmakers. Democratic Senator Peter Welch praised the Biden administration for pausing deliveries of bombs that have devastated Gaza. The U.S. should continue to support the return of hostages held by Hamas, advance regional stability, and combat antisemitism, but we shouldn't be giving Israel 2,000-pound bombs, Welch said. The presidents apparent inability to keep the most radical voices on his left flank out of the Situation Room isnt just a shameful abdication of leadership its dangerous, Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham called the move absurd. You want to micromanage the war? We dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese after Pearl Harbor. Did anybody in America really worry about that? he said. McConnell and Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson sent a letter demanding answers from the Biden administration on why it had delayed the arms delivery. Reports of the pause in the weapons shipment first surfaced Tuesday on the same day that President Biden reiterated his support for Israel. My commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad, even when we disagree, he said in an impassioned speech Tuesday to honor the memory of the six million Jews killed during the Holocaust and other victims of Nazi persecution. Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. aid, nearly $4 billion a year, most of it in the form of military assistance. The American taxpayer has subsidized Israel's manufactured humanitarian crisis in Gaza, said Ari Tolany, director of security assistance, arms trade and technology at the Center for International Policy. If the administration will continue to arm and train Israel no matter what, Israel has no incentive to change its behavior, she told VOA. The decision follows a whirlwind of events in the past few days regarding the possibility of a cease-fire in Gaza. A deal to end hostilities paired with the release of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinians detained in Israeli jails appeared within reach Monday when Hamas said it has accepted the terms for truce. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected that version of the deal and ordered Israeli forces to carry out a limited operation in eastern Rafah. Report to Congress At the same time the administration missed a Wednesday deadline to submit a report to Congress on whether Israel is violating humanitarian law while using U.S.-supplied weapons in Israels war against Hamas. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said during Tuesdays briefing that the National Security Memorandum "will not be transmitted today. We continue to work to finalize the report. We expect to deliver it in the very near future. Under the National Security Memorandum 20 (NSM20), issued in February, Biden directed the departments of State and Defense report to Congress within 90 days on whether U.S. partners that were provided with American weapons have complied with international and U.S. laws. That includes the Leahy Laws, two legislative provisions named for Senator Patrick Leahy that mandate the U.S. cut off assistance to any foreign military or law enforcement units if it determines there is credible evidence of human rights violations. Israel provided its assurances of NSM20 compliance in March, and the State Department was due to report to Congress on Wednesday whether it finds Israel's assurances credible. The delay could be due to a substantive disagreement being resolved or just regular bureaucracy, rather than an effort to created added pressure on Israel, said Josh Paul, former director of the State Department agency that deals with weapons transfers. But we will see what the report says, Paul told VOA. If it becomes an extended delay, that could be indicative of a rewrite. Human rights groups and independent observers have for weeks called for a suspension of American weapons transfers to Israel, alleging they have been used in violation of international humanitarian and human rights law. In April, Paul, alongside other former administration officials and academicians, submitted a report detailing what it said were unlawful Israeli attacks on civilians using American weapons. Amnesty International submitted a similar report ahead of the NSM20 deadline. VOA congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson and Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb and State Department bureau chief Nike Ching contributed to this report. Ukraine can reduce the effectiveness of Russian strikes on the power system, in particular through decentralized generation. As explained by Ukrenergo, this principle means that instead of several large power facilities, many smaller ones are put into operation, which makes it possible to minimize the consequences of the possible destruction of any of them, as the damage will be relatively minor. ADVERTISIMENT Maria Tsaturyan, Communications Director of NPC Ukrenergo, told OBOZ.UA about this. She emphasized that it is now very important to create conditions for attracting both Ukrainian and foreign investors to create decentralized generation. "This is a priority task that can be solved within a few years. According to estimates, in two or three years it is already possible to increase the amount of this distributed generation and build these facilities," said Tsaturyan. She emphasized that, first of all, it is necessary to change certain regulations in the Ukrainian wholesale electricity market "to make our energy sector more attractive to private investors." According to her, the investor himself, after building a distributed generation facility, "will become a player in two large segments of the Ukrainian electricity market" if given the opportunity to: ADVERTISIMENT sell balancing energy; receive payment for reserves. The importance of decentralized generation for Ukraine According to Tsaturyan, the creation of such a system will provide the Ukrainian energy system with greater resilience. After all, "if one of these facilities is damaged, the others could operate and provide power to the population, critical infrastructure, and industry." "It is necessary to reformat the work of the power system architecture so that instead of, say, 20 large powerful facilities, which are a tasty prize for our enemy - because when such a large facility is hit, a fairly significant amount of capacity disappears from the power system at once - ... there are 100-200 small ones that will be dispersed throughout Ukraine. And they are especially concentrated around, for example, industrial regions or large cities such as Kharkiv, Dnipro, Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa," she summarized. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZ.UA, Tsaturyan also admitted that Ukrainians will have a difficult summer and winter after a series of massive Russian attacks on the energy sector. Power engineers have already begun preparations for the 2024-2025 heating season, but the power system still has to withstand the summer heat before the cold weather begins. During this period, there may be a shortage of electricity, which means that, as a last resort, consumers may be disconnected from the grid on schedule. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Photo: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof has been sentenced by the Islamic Revolutionary Court to eight years in prison, flogging, and confiscation of property. The ruling came down just days before the start of the Cannes Film Festival, where Rasoulof is premiering his newest film in competition, The Seed of the Sacred Fig. After learning that the prison sentence was going to be implemented on short notice, Rasoulof has managed to leave Iran, and he is currently staying in an undisclosed location in Europe. Below, the latest on his exile. Rasoulof sentenced to jail, flogging, confiscation of property May 8, 2024: Rasoulofs lawyer, Babak Paknia, posted on X that the director was sentenced to eight years in prison, flogging, and confiscation of property for (translated from Persian) signing statements and making films and documentaries, which the court sees as examples of collusion with the intention of committing a crime against the countrys security. This ruling is the latest act of persecution by the Iranian government against Rasoulof, who has been arrested numerous times for his films alleged propaganda against the system. His work deals with topics including capital punishment and the persecution of writers. One such film, A Man of Integrity, won Un Certain Regard at Cannes in 2017. Authorities confiscated Rasoulofs passport and banned him from leaving the country that same year. In 2023, he was invited to serve on the Un Certain Regard jury but was banned from traveling abroad yet again on charges of propaganda against the regime for his 2022 posts criticizing state violence against protesters. Iranian filmmakers Jafar Panahi and Mostafa al-Ahmad were also jailed during this wave of crackdowns against dissenting speech. At the time, the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk issued a statement directed at the Iranian government, titled Let Mohammad Rasoulof Go! Panahi was released from prison in March 2023 after going on hunger strike. Rasoulof is not yet in prison following this latest sentencing. Rasoulof forced into exile in Europe May 13, 2024: Rasoulof shares a statement dated May 12 revealing that he made it to Europe a few days ago, after his sentence was confirmed in the court of appeal. He managed to leave the country despite the Islamic Republic confiscating his passport in September 2017 and writes that he predicted his eight-year sentence would be worsened following the news of his new films release at Cannes. I didnt have much time to make a decision, it reads. I had to choose between prison and leaving Iran. With a heavy heart, I chose exile. He writes that he does not feel it is my place to complain about my sentence in light of so many cruel and strange decisions issued by the Islamic Republic. He cites the imprisoned rapper Toomaj Salehi, who the Iranian regime has sentenced to death. The scope and intensity of repression has reached a point of brutality where people expect news of another heinous government crime every day, he continues. The criminal machine of the Islamic Republic is continuously and systematically violating human rights. According to Rasoulof, a number of actors who worked on The Seed of the Sacred Fig left Iran prior to Islamic Republic intelligence learning about the film, but many of the cast and crew who remained in Iran are now being persecuted and pressured by authorities. Interrogators have pressured members of the film crew to try to convince Rasoulof to withdraw the film from Cannes. They were trying to convince the film crew that they were not aware of the films story and that they had been manipulated into participating in the project, he added. The statement continues: Despite the vast limitations I and my colleagues and friends faced while making the film, I tried to achieve a cinematic narrative that is far from the narrative dominated by the censorship in the Islamic Republic, and closer to its reality. I have no doubt that restricting and suppressing freedom of expression cannot be justified even if it becomes a spur for creativity, but when there is no way, a way must be made. The worlds cinema community must ensure effective support for the makers of such films. Freedom of speech should be defended, loudly and clearly. People who courageously and selflessly confront censorship instead of supporting it are reassured of the importance of their actions by the support of international film organizations. As I know from personal experience, it can be an invaluable help for them to continue their vital work. Many people helped to make this film. My thoughts are with all of them, and I fear for their safety and well-being. Additionally, the CEO of the films French producing partner, Parallel45, Jean-Christophe Simon, says they hope that Rasoulof will now be able to attend the Cannes premiere of The Seed of the Sacred Fig, in spite of all attempts to prevent him from being there in person. Photo: Netflix The uproar around Baby Reindeer and the real-life counterparts of the Netflix show made its way to U.K. Parliament this week. Netflix policy chief Benjamin King told lawmakers that the show took every reasonable precaution in disguising the real-life identities of the people involved in that story. Based on Richard Gadds Edinburgh Fringe show, Baby Reindeer takes elements of Gadds real life and dramatizes them. King said Netflix didnt want to totally anonymize the characters because that would undermine the veracity and authenticity of the show. Ultimately, its obviously very difficult to control what viewers do, particularly in a world where everything is amplified by social media, he said, according to Deadline. I personally wouldnt be comfortable with a world in which we decided it was better that Richard was silenced and not allowed to tell the story. The real Martha (who stalks Gadds character, Donny) will appear on Piers Morgan Uncensored Thursday. Actor Sean Foley informed police that he has been wrongly identified as the real Darrien (who assaults Donny). Gadd has asked fans not to play guessing games with the identities of these people, as its not the point of our show. Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Emma Alpern On first view of Tuesday nights sold-out Freedom to Write for Palestine reading, the event seemed almost indistinguishable from what that corner of the city has seen in recent weeks. For blocks, I had walked behind someone (an author, perhaps?) wearing a keffiyeh around their shoulders, only for them to peel off in the direction of Washington Square Park the site, along with bits of New York University property around it, of near-constant student-led protests and encampments, the most recent of which had been cleared less than a week before. Judson Memorial Church, which sits on the southern edge of the park, had its doors flung open, and a dozen or so people were standing outside in the 80-degree heat. I made my way inside, where the front rows were already filling up with a crowd of all ages wearing hijabs, protest-slogan T-shirts, and recently unburied summer dresses. The event, benefiting We Are Not Numbers, a writing nonprofit in Gaza, was held in response to a series of issues that have destabilized the American PEN chapter in recent months. PEN Americas delayed and, many believe, inadequate response to Israels occupation of Gaza led just under half of nominated authors to drop out of the running for its literary awards; nine out of ten nominees withdrew from consideration for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award, which comes with a $75,000 prize. Many others, including Naomi Klein and Isabella Hammad, withdrew from its prestigious annual World Voices Festival. In response, the organization canceled both the awards ceremony and the festival, which were set to be held this spring. (Winners were chosen, but cash prizes that could not be awarded because the winner had withdrawn were allocated elsewhere, and the $75,000 prize was donated to the Palestine Childrens Relief Fund at the direction of Jean Steins estate. PEN Americas gala is still scheduled for later this month.) Over the course of two hours, as the audience watched from folding chairs, 18 authors and translators and one musician, Huda Asfour, who sang and played the oud got up to speak in front of a duo of carved stone angels and a verse from Matthew on the wall behind them. They included Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow, and Sabrina Imbler, who both withdrew from the World Voices Festival; the poet Evie Shockley, who withdrew from the PEN awards; and Esther Allen, a writer and translator who co-founded World Voices in 2004 with Salman Rushdie and Michael Roberts, as well as Mark Nowak, Seth Goldman, and Lorraine Garret of the Worker Writers School, whose members typically perform at the festival. A large portion of the room seemed to have some connection to PEN America itself. There were laughs at in-jokes and hisses at the mention of PEN executive Suzanne Nossels salary. I am not cool enough to get an invitation to decline, but I have secondhand declination, said emcee Derecka Purnell, a writer and lawyer. The night was just about trying to provide a base and a focal point and a point at which the writers who are pulling out of something communal, instead of being left alone, also get to be in community, Omar Robert Hamilton, co-founder of the Palestine Festival of Literature, which organized the event along with Writers Against the War on Gaza and Amplify Palestine, told me earlier in the afternoon. I think when authors are faced with organizations that are trying to impose this silence on them, trying to have events and festivals and awards that claim theyre above politics what does that mean? Thats just a total fallacy. And thats whats being rejected. Hari Kunzru, a novelist and journalist who read an excerpt from a 2017 piece he wrote after a visit to Palestine, told me his decision to withdraw from the World Voices Festival was not made lightly. Hes unhappy with some media coverage of the boycott, including a recent piece in The Atlantic. It seems to imply that theres this kind of evil group of writers who are intimidating their peers into silence with some kind of authoritarian position, which I think is a disgusting slant, he said. But whats happened is that the different groups of people have kind of come to these conclusions in different ways. Its been very scattered, and its been to do with people following their own conscience. As a former English PEN deputy president, he said, my relationship is one of somebody who thinks that PENs mission is very important. I think PEN needs a reset in the U.S., and it might be very useful for American PEN to look at how other countries are doing things. The thing I want to acknowledge is that some of the people whove withdrawn are very established writers and can make these kinds of gestures without much cost to themselves, Kunzru said. But some of the people who have withdrawn are, for example, debut novelists for whom a prize nomination is the biggest thing thats happened to them. Its quite a big sacrifice to turn it down and yet they have. The reading opened with comments from the novelist and We Are Not Numbers mentor Nancy Kricorian, who harshly criticized the U.S. wing of the organization. While PEN America has organized a street rally in support of Ukrainian writers imprisoned by Russia and taken a delegation of Ukrainian writers to meet with Congress, she said, it has yet to organize any event on behalf of Palestinian writers who have been imprisoned and killed by Israel. PEN Americas call for a cease-fire, she said, came only after over 1,000 writers had signed a letter denouncing the organization for its inaction. (The organization has pushed back against criticisms, claiming to have offered direct assistance to Palestinian authors, citing statements about the war it has made since October 7, and forming a working group to review its work going back ten years.) PEN Americas priorities so often align with the U.S. governments own foreign-policy goals that one writer quipped, PEN America has turned into an outpost of the U.S. State Department, Kricorian said. When she mentioned PEN America United, the organizations union, cheers erupted. The translator Nicholas Glastonbury, who read a poem after participants performed works by Gazan writer Haya Abu Nasser and Palestinian American Fady Joudah, was even less equivocal. You think about the work that goes into making Israel-slash-Palestine a common sense, a whole empire, brutalizing and bombing the world over in order to preserve this lexical gesture and entire literary apparatus conscripting the cultural capital of its most middling writers in the service of this declension, this move to innocence that attempts to make Palestine unthinkable on its own, he said. The audience broke into giggles and claps at his mention of middling writers. The room quieted when Mahmoud Alyazji, a young writer from Gaza, read a piece about his friend Mohammed Zaher Hamo, who was killed by an Israeli air strike in November, as a slideshow of images of Hamo played behind him. Before I sleep, I have this image of your body under the rubble that flashes into my mind and makes me sick, he read. I pick up my phone and go to our photos. I look at you carrying that watermelon on the beach and smiling in hopes it will wipe out the cruel image of your cold body. Afterward, a scattering of people hung around for a while, talking by the stage and grabbing copies of The New York War Crimes. The space this glorious radical church, as one person described it was echoey and a little humid, with portraits of people like Audre Lorde and Bayard Rustin gazing down from overhead. Im someone whos been to a fair number of readings, but to be in this incredible space with these stained-glass windows of thinkers and writers, and also to hear from writers who were relaying poems from writers who were not able to be here, was incredible, said Sophie van Well Groeneveld, who came with friends from her creative-writing graduate program. As chairs were folded and put away, readers and audience members lingered in clusters in the warm night air. Across the street, the park was still buzzing with activity and music. Tina Shepard, Jack Wetherall, and Lizzie Olesker in Shimmer and Herringbone. Photo: Maria Baranova Fifty years into whatever weve chosen to do with our lives, may we all be as vigorous, mischievous, and curious as Talking Band. The companyfounded by Ellen Maddow, Tina Shepard, and Paul Zimet in 1974is celebrating half a century of experimental theater-making, and in barely three months, its premiered as many new shows. The Following Evening, written for Maddow and Zimet by Abigail Browde and Michael Silverstone of 600 Highwaymen, was a gorgeous meditation on coupledom, creative labor, and the passage of time; in its own way, so was Existentialism, based on the work and lives of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir and directed by the companys longtime collaborator Anne Bogart. Do the members of Talking Band repeat themselves? Only inasmuch as expert composers do. Heres Rhonda, a sales clerk at the eponymous clothing store in the new Shimmer and Herringbone (written by Maddow and Zimet and directed by Zimet), talking to a customer who is both wearing and trying on plaid flannel: Rhonda: Did you find what you were looking for? Gus: Im not sure yet. Ill see how these look on me. Rhonda: You like plaids. Gus: I do. Rhonda: Have you read The Book of Tea? Gus: No. Rhonda: The guy who wrote it calls the Tea House The Abode of the Unsymmetrical. If you have a live flower you dont have a painted one; if it is snowing outside you dont show white plum blossoms. He says repetition is regarded as lack of tact. Gus (indicating his armful of shirts): I call this variation. Rhonda: Variations good. Especially after this winter. Gus: You can say that again. Rhonda: That would be repetition. The whole exchange takes no more than 30 seconds, and, like so many of the riffs and runs in Shimmer and Herringbone, it feels like a perfect microcosm of Maddow and Zimets writing. Its playful, erudite (without a breath of condescension in the delivery), peppered with wit, and glistening with wry double meanings. Did you find what you were looking for? Well, Rhonda, how long do you have? Later, another customer named Colin (Jack Wetherall) asks Rhonda (Maddow, whos just magical) whether a colorful shirt is too frivolous. For what? she asks. For these times, he replies ruefully. Rhonda pauses and then looks into the invisible mirrorout toward the audiencealong with him. You mean, she says, do you have a right to be happy? For Maddow and Zimet, any setting is an opportunity to peep through a specifically shaped pinhole out into the infinite mystery. Starting with clothing, they can reflect on identity (private, public, performed), on the intimacy of the dressing room and the psychological freight of the mirror, the existential echoes of tiny choices and the ephemera we collect and outgrow. Shimmer and Herringbone is structured around a series of interactionsat first fleeting, then increasingly entwinedin and around said clothing store. (Is it a thrift shop? A boutique with inexplicable taste? The delightfully chaotic combination of garments on stage provides no answer.) Theres Rhonda, Maddows wonderful sales associate quippy, upbeat, cosmically curious and calm, and sporting a bright red Edna Mode bob (Olivera Gajic designed the shows lighthearted whirl of costumes). Theres Gus (James Tigger! Ferguson), the chronic plaid-wearer, who chats with Rhonda about Chekhov and eventually reveals that a windfall inheritance from his aunt has elevated him from humble teacher to owner of the building in which Shimmer rents the ground floor. Wetheralls Colin, an aging TV idol of the General Hospital variety, moves in upstairs, thanks to Grace (Louise Smith), another shop regular whos a trendy, harried real-estate agent. (Her speech to Rhonda about the eerie erasure of character involved in staging a houseyou paint the walls dove white, put in cream carpets hang seascapes in the living roomis another moment that resonates beyond the literal.) Grace, for her own emotional reasons, is currently avoiding her best friend, Lilly (the spot-on Lizzie Olesker), a frazzle-haired, pigeon-obsessed ornithologist. And Lillys no-nonsense daughter, Bree (Ebony Davis), is just visiting, although shes getting more and more fascinated by Melanie (Tina Shepard), an elderly stranger with an ever-transforming appearance, a mysterious backstory, and a mien as haughtily queenly as her balance is unsteady. Everyone is a delight, and Shepard is absolutely grand. At once dainty and iron-spined, she stares chin-up into the distance with the kind of hard, strange gaze that convinces anyone who passes that she must be looking at something and she is, whether or not they can see it. Shes weird, a little witchy, and devastatingly blunt. Pigeons? she snorts when Lilly reveals her lifes work. I hate em. All they do is coo and poo and screw. Through their chance encounters at Rhondas clothing shop, all Maddow and Zimets characters are headed for a wild night of the soul a kind of bacchanal of insomnia, where reality is transcended, magical basements are discovered, and people start to speak their hearts, to see and be their fuller selves. (After all, how could the first ever King of Boylesque be content with nothing but jeans and plaid flannels?) How do you know its a he? Colinwho has emerged, radiant, in a black dress and reintroduced herself as Coleenasks Lilly, whos holding a pigeon. Lilly explains that, while its really hard to tell with pigeons, the most reliable way is to turn them over and gently press their feet down: If the feet spring back when you release your hand, its a male. Coleen and Grace both consider this. Im not sure if my feet would spring back or stay put. Maybe a little of both, muses Coleen. Grace nods. Maybe, she says, it would depend on who pushed them down. Theres a beautiful expression that, at some point, passes over the face of everyone in Shimmer and Herringbone. Its that look you get when you learn something new, a funny little fact from the universes limitless library, and you look up, cock your head slightly, and, half smiling, go, Huh. Maddow and Zimets work dances constantly with that moment with vital injections of realization and wonder, the antidote to all thats inward-turning and self-serious. I must remind myself how fucking beautiful the world can be, sings Rachel Feldhaus, one of the shows musicians, a string trio that scores the plays action with looping, entrancing music also written by Maddow. Repetition, variation, discovery, awe, back to work it turns out we are still talking about how to make a play, and how to be a person. Isnt it amazing, reflects Gus, that there is so much different music when there are so few notes? Up at A.R.T., Peregrine Teng Heards Redemption Story is also moving through variations on a theme. Heard is the artistic director of the Associates, a theater company that creates new plays exploring, in their words, the paradox at the heart of American modes of identity. Here, America takes one of its most popular synecdochic forms: Hollywood, specifically the gritty-shiny dream factory of L.A. in 1971. Though were in the year of The French Connection and Dirty Harry, Heards play and Sarah Blushs direction often aim to evoke the noir of the 1940s. Characters light cigarettes with sultry indifference; actors pivot a spotlight on a rolling floor-mount to catch each other in the accusing glare or carve out menacing silhouettes; and Heards protagonist, an aging actress named Connie Lee (Christine Toy Johnson), speaks with the Tennessee Williamsish height and flourish of one of those dames whose entrance spells trouble. Ive got my sunset haze on, Connie, doped up, purrs at Billy Jay (Jose Espinosa), a beautiful young man shes taken under her wing. Dont break the haze. And later, still to Billy: Youve got destiny draped across your shoulders like a cape of diamonds. Connies heyday was the 40s and 50sthus the plays stylistic vernacularbut can it really be called a heyday when your whole career was built on exploitation? Connie is East Asian, and as her friend Eva (Dee Beasnael) reminds her, They killed every character you played. A former actor and a Black woman who decisively stepped away from industry racism to run her own diner, Eva has more than a raised eyebrow for the romanticism Connie still wears like her own diamond cloak. But Connie cant, or wont, help it. When Billy Jay rolls into town with a scrubbed face, a single suitcase, and the golly-gee dream of making it big on the radio, she slips his name to a producer and him into her pocket. Her reasons for wanting to make the kid into a star are manifold and messy: Shes got plenty to atone for, and plenty of her own buried suffering goading her on. Jose Espinosa and Emily Stout in Redemption Story. Photo: Travis Emery Along with everybody else in Redemption Story, Connie wants well, its right there in the title. Everyone, from the hungry-eyed model Florence (Emily Stout) to the aspiring actor Baker (Gregory Saint Georges) to Connies estranged son, Harrison (Mitchell Winter), is seeking the new, purified life, the second chance. For all its mystery, noir isnt necessarily a subtle genre, and that heavy underlining of theme wants to feel intentional in Heards play, though it doesnt always stick the landing. Thats true in general of the piece, which comes in and out of focus as it goes. The show is most acute in its observance of the disturbing, still-familiar power constellation among the characters: Its clear who pours their lifeblood out for the industry while being stereotyped and stepped on, and who gets to walk into rooms with only a square jaw and a glinting smile and win the part and, to her credit, Heard doesnt hammer this stuff home; she simply shows it in action. Espinosas Billy Jay is also a huge asset: His vacillation between cornfed, charming-despite-yourself naivete and furtive, ambitious, even possibly sinister unknowability isperhaps a little ironicallythe plays most compelling character arc. But theres also a two-thirds-of-the-way-there feeling to much of Redemption Story, especially in Blushs direction. The production is noir-ish, but it doesnt go all out it pauses somewhere between high style and relatable realism when it could take the plunge. During certain scenes, I realized I was hearing the swell of Max Steiner strings or the shady skulk of Bernard Herrmann horns and cymbals, but only in my own head. At other moments, the conversation on stage began to feel underpowered, dropping in palpable stakes as it dropped the trappings of a more formal container. Especially since Heard is pushing the broken, beguiling Connie further and further away from the plays titular state of grace, it feels as if she and Blush could both risk painting with bolder brushes. After all, theres more than a touch of evil at work in the forces that Redemption Story sets out to explore. Shimmer and Herringbone is at Mabou Mines through May 19. Redemption Story is at A.R.T./New York Theatres through May 19. Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania conducted a study to understand the impulsive and inattentive behavior of children in the early grades. After all, when it is difficult for a child to maintain attention or sit still, it interferes with their own learning and can disrupt the work of the entire team. ADVERTISIMENT The study found that as the school week ends, children become more and more "uncontrollable". At the same time, the peak of "disobedience", impulsivity, and inattention falls on Friday. The results are published in the journal Child Development. A total of 62 children from five grades took part in the study along with their classroom teachers. The children wore accelerometers (devices that record the direction and speed of an object in space) to determine how mobile they are at school. Using this data in conjunction with the teachers' comments, the researchers were able to determine which days of the week the children were most inattentive and unruly. ADVERTISIMENT The study found that it becomes more difficult for children to control their behavior with each passing school day. The lowest rate of self-regulation and attention span was on Friday. On that day, children were the most impulsive and naughty. According to the researchers, training in perseverance can improve concentration. The ability to "physically calm down" is directly related to academic success and patience (the ability to resist impulse). Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! Climate change may expand the habitat of mosquitoes that transmit pathogens such as malaria, dengue fever, and Zika virus. Diseases caused by malaria mosquitoes claim more than 2 million lives every year. ADVERTISIMENT American scientists have reported a change in the geographical range of dangerous insects. Representatives of the Los Alamos National Laboratory published the results of their research in the Journal of Climate Change and Health (JCCH). According to the study, nine species of mosquitoes have responded resiliently to climate change, indicating a potential threat. High temperatures can lead to the migration of insects to the north, to the poles. At the same time, areas near the equator may become too hot for living things. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! ADVERTISIMENT Taxi drivers to demonstrate in Rome on day of strike. Taxi drivers in Italy are to stage a nationwide strike on 21 May, trade unions have confirmed, after recent talks stalled with industry minister Adolfo Urso in Rome. Unions say they failed to receive the assurances they had sought from the minister on a range of issues affecting their sector, particularly in relation to the regulation of digital platforms. In a social media post, the minister said he had raised "concerns related to the limited availability" of taxis in large Italian cities, a sore point for the powerful taxi driver unions which have long resisted attempts to issue new licences. Cab drivers are set to stage a demonstration in the centre of Rome on the day of the strike, in Piazza di S. Silvestro from 11.00 to 17.00, leading to changes in the routes of some city buses. The industrial action is backed by Italy's main taxi drivers' trade unions which say that taxi services will be guaranteed for the elderly, people with disabilities and the sick. Last October taxi drivers staged a 24-hour strike in protest over the government's so-called Asset decree that allows city authorities to issue up to 20 per cent more licences to cope with demand. Milan announced in March that it would issue a public tender for 450 new taxi licences, while last month Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri said the city "will have a thousand new permanent taxi licences" before the start of Jubilee Year 2025 when the Italian capital expects an influx of extra millions of pilgrims and tourists. Article originally published on 9 May, updated on 20 May. All Saints' Anglican Church in Rome hosts its annual Strawberry Tea with a vintage clothes and craft market on Saturday 11 May from 10.00 to 18.00. The event will include a tea room offering a selection of classic British and herbal teas, coffee, scones served with strawberry jam and fresh clotted cream, quiche, cakes and sweet treats. The market will offer vintage clothes and household goods, second-hand books, artisanal and handcraft gift items, good-as-new toys, home baking, a raffle, children's activities and face painting. There is free admission to the event which will be held at All Saints' Anglican Church on Via del Babuino 153 in the historic centre of Rome. 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. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has allocated $190 million for the program "Ensuring Energy Supply, Resilience, and Sustainable Operation of Ukraine's Power Grids". As part of the program, the organization will provide energy assistance to Ukraine over the next five years. ADVERTISIMENT This was announced by USAID Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman. According to her, the program is designed to support both Ukraine's power grid and centralized gas and heat supply. "The United States' continued support for Ukraine reflects our commitment to helping the country secure its sovereignty, economic prosperity, and democratic institutions. Securing Power, Advancing Resilience and Connectivity will help keep the lights on in the homes of millions of Ukrainians, giving them the tools and inspiration to continue to defend their homeland," said Isobel Coleman. "With last week's passage of the Supplemental National Security Act, the United States will also provide at least $1.4 billion in additional funding to support Ukraine's economic recovery," she added. USAID has provided nearly $1 billion in energy assistance to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion began, including more than $475 million in emergency support over the past two winters to rebuild energy infrastructure. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZ.UA, the latest combined Russian attack on Ukraine was aimed at our energy system, in particular, generation and gas infrastructure. Although most of the enemy missiles and Shaheds were shot down, there were some hits. Therefore, experts are currently working to increase energy generation. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Social Democrat candidate Sinead Ellen Griffin is representing Waterford City South in the upcoming local elections and has her eyes set on being a voice for the Generation Locked Out. Born and raised in Waterford, Sinead was an active member of Waterford Youth Council for a number of years and represented the county as a member of Dail Na Nog. She subsequently made the move to Dublin, however, became priced out of the city and returned to her childhood home in Waterford where she has been living since. She told the Waterford News & Star: I made the decision that I would come back to Waterford thinking I could rent here, but I couldnt find anywhere I could afford. My only option was to live at home. Im so fortunate for that opportunity, but at the same time, Im 34 in June, I feel very lost and I dont know where to go. Living at home, Ive had to put my own personal life on hold." She said that the current housing crisis combined with a failing mental health service is exacting a heavy toll locally. You feel so abandoned and unimportant when you find yourself struggling to live independently and I think that can really destroy a persons sense of self. On top of that, we have a very ineffective mental health system that is legitimately criminal, and I think the housing crisis is only going to exacerbate that issue." Employed in the city centre, Sinead said she was additionally concerned about a rising rate of antisocial behavior which is impacting local businesses: "I dont know anyone who is enamored with the current state of the city centre, and people should have a right to go into their place of work and feel safe." Speaking on being a new voice to bring such issues to light, she said: For me, the instigator to go for the local elections was proportional representation. As a democratic country, and as a democratic city, if we want to have change that will allow for growth, people need to be heard. Currently, in Waterford Council there is no one for my generation or younger. People are not being correctly represented, and theyre not being heard. I want people to know that they can really make a difference, and that starts locally." A fundraising campaign with a 70,000 target has been launched for Abbeyside Church. Water damage is threatening the structural integrity of the church's bell tower and locals have decided to take action to preserve the building. Parish Priest Fr. Ned Hassett said, Time has taken its toll on our bell tower. To safeguard this heritage for future generations, a conservation program is imperative. Please only donate if you can genuinely afford it. Fr. Hassett added that this is phase one of a wider conservation project that will also include the conservation of the building's chancel. Donations can be made via idonate.ie/fundraiser/saveourabbey Multiple rescue efforts were carried out recently in Waterford. The South East Mountain Rescue Association assisted a fallen walker in the Comeragh Mountains last week, after she slipped on wet ground. The walker who was with a local club, injured her ankle and club members looked after her while SEMRA members responded. The casualty was ready to be carried out by SEMRA when the Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 117 appeared overhead on a training flight. They were able to land and the casualty was carried into the helicopter for transport to hospital. All team members got safely off the hill at 6.19pm and a stand down was issued. Meanwhile, Waterford Marine Search & Rescue volunteers launched its lifeboat in the early hours last week to reports of a person in distress at Rice Bridge. Waterford City Fire and Rescue Service and An Garda Siochana also took part in the efforts, and thankfully the person was located safe and well, on land and all units were stood down. Fine Gael Senator, John Cummins, has said housing initiatives backed by his party are driving higher output and home ownership across the country. Speaking in the wake of the recent publication of the Quarter 1 Housing For All report, Senator Cummins said it displayed the impact Government backed initiatives are having. In the first three months alone, a record setting 11,956 new homes began construction, a 63 per cent increase on the same period in 2023, he said. Additionally, the popularity of the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, with 4,376 applications approved nationwide show clearly that these supports are delivering, he added. He said approval to extend the waiver for development levies and the rebate for water connection charges, will further ensure that progress continues. Senator Cummins said that if the current pace continues the 47,824 housing units will have commenced by the end of the year. He said that would feed through to the completion statistics for 2025 and thats why both schemes were extended. Perhaps given the overwhelming evidence of commencement statistics for the past five months, opposition parties will come out and admit that their disapproval of these measures was misguided at best, he said. We want to ensure this good work continues, he added. Senator Cummins said around 500 first time buyers are purchasing new homes every week in Ireland and many are doing so with the support of Government backed schemes which, according to him, opposition parties want to abolish. The First Home scheme, which launched in July 2022, aims to bridge the gap for eligible purchasers between the maximum mortgage they can attain through a participating lender and the price of a new home, with maximum ceiling prices applying in different parts of the country, he said. Today we are announcing a further 40 million in state funding for the scheme, he added. The Help to Buy Scheme has to-date assisted 46,875 individuals and families in providing first-time-buyers with up to 30,000 in the form of an income tax rebate towards the cost of a deposit. As a party, we want to see this extended for a further five years to give certainty to prospective purchasers or those wishing to build their first home, he said, before adding: On vacancy, an issue I am exceptionally passionate about, we now have over 4,300 approvals issued under the hugely popular Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant." South East Technological University in Waterford is to host the Irish Knowledge Transfer Association (IKTA) annual conference. The event will take place on May 10, at SETU Arena. A spokesperson for the university told Waterford News & Star the event will offer a dynamic platform for stakeholders in knowledge transfer enabling them to convene, exchange insights, and explore emerging trends and opportunities in the field. Commenting ahead of the event, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Peter Burke TD, said: IKTA members are the crucial link between our world-class research sector and innovative enterprise in Ireland. They build connections throughout our universities and Technological Universities forming relationships with businesses, helping them harness research and build new and exciting products and services. Through my Department, I am delighted to be funding these Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Offices, in partnership with the European Regional Development Fund, said Minister Burke. The conference will begin with an opening address by Dr James OSullivan, Head of Innovation & Commercialisation at SETU, and he will set the stage for a day of discussions and networking opportunities. Prof. Veronica Campbell, President of SETU, will welcome the attendees, from all over the island of Ireland, and she will highlight the significance of collaboration and innovation in driving knowledge transfer forward. The keynote address titled, Impact and Opportunities in Knowledge Transfer', will be delivered by Dr Declan Weldon, Director of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Engagement at the University of Glasgow. Dr Weldon's insights promise to shed light on the transformative potential of AI in the realm of knowledge transfer. Dr Christian Stafford, the recently appointed Head of Knowledge Transfer Ireland will also address the conference to discuss progress to date in building a national KT system and future challenges and opportunities. The event will also feature panel discussions on emerging models of research commercialisation and attendees will hear case studies from spinout companies that have emerged from across the Irish University system. "We are excited to host the IKTA Annual Conference, bringing together key stakeholders to explore the evolving landscape of knowledge transfer," said Dr James OSullivan, Vice Chair of IKTA. "This event offers a unique opportunity to exchange ideas, foster collaboration, and drive innovation that will shape the future of knowledge transfer in Ireland and beyond, he added. Meanwhile, Mr Stafford, expressed delight at being invited to speak at the event. The event itself marks the maturation of the knowledge transfer ecosystem and KTI and EI are very happy to support the conference, he said. The state, through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) and EI has invested significant resources in the KT ecosystem to deliver impact for the economy and society, he added. He went on to comment: A significant and successful system has been built up but as an open and high-growth knowledge economy, it is critical that the innovation ecosystem continues to evolve and be challenged to be more effective and impactful. The most recent announcement of funding for the KT system via KT Boost, will see over 30M invested, co-funded by ERDF, over the next four years with the aim of delivering significantly enhanced impact via the creation of high-performing start-ups from research and increases in industry-academic collaboration, particularly involving SMEs. We look forward to collaborating with IKTA members to support the successful delivery of KT Boost objectives and maximise impact for all stakeholders, said Mr Stafford. The conference is supported by Knowledge Transfer Ireland and Enterprise Ireland. A new static speed safety camera will be installed on the N25, on the outskirts of Waterford City, as part of the latest speed safety initiative from An Garda Siochana under the Governments Road Safety Strategy. The initiative aims to reduce speeding, which is the main contribution to road deaths and the static speed safety cameras have been proven to reduce speeding internationally. Nine static speed cameras are expected to be fully operational nationwide by Autumn, this year, at a cost of approximately 2.4 million from the Garda budget. The locations of the nine cameras have been selected on the basis of speed data and where fatal and serious road traffic collisions have occurred over the last seven years. The camera to be operational on Waterfords N25 will be located between Glenmore and Luffany. Road users will be advised of the location of the camera, when its in operation, through road signage. The other eight cameras will be located on the N59 (Galway), R772 (Wicklow), N14 (Donegal), N80 (Carlow), Dublin (Dolphins Barn), N17 (Mayo), N22 (Cork), and N69 (Limerick). In addition, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has requested that the Assistant Commissioner of Roads Policing, Paula Hilman, develop a business case for the introduction of a further 100 static speed cameras. Speaking on the initiative, Assistant Commissioner Hilman, said: "Static speed safety cameras have been proven in other countries to be highly effective in changing driver behaviour and reducing speed, which is a key contributor to road deaths. Speed cameras slow drivers down. The lower speeds people drive at, the lower the number of road deaths, she said. The number of GoSafe speed vans will also increase from 55 to 58 in the coming weeks. Site visits are ongoing to progress the engineering for the installation of the static cameras. We have a housing crisis, but we also have a hidden housing crisis, which is student accommodation. That was the message last week from Patrick Curtin, former President of the Students' Union at SETU's Waterford campus and upcoming local election candidate. During a recent housing meeting in Waterford City, Mr Curtin addressed the persistent challenges confronting students in securing affordable accommodation within the area. He said students are paying a sickening amount of rent, and that the average cost of a single room in Waterford is between 600 and 700 per month. In Waterford at the moment we have less than 1,200 bed spaces for student accommodation and only 426 of them are owned by the university, he said. A lot of purpose built student accommodation is from private developers," he added. "After ten years this, purpose built student accommodation is allowed to be repurposed and put into public use. So that means goodbye to students. Mr Curtin went to comment: We need to build purpose built student accommodation that is owned by the state, and manage and controlled by the university. By doing this, were taking students out of homes in housing estates and freeing these up for families." "That tackles two parts of the housing crisis: housing students and housing families," said Mr Curtin. "The government needs to up the ante on this." SETU was awarded a 1 million for the Waterford, Carlow and Wicklow campuses, but that wasnt to buy land, wasnt to start developing properties, that 1 million was just to design and get a plan put in place," he said. At the former WIT just before Covid, we were ready to build, but the Government wouldnt fund it, because there was no framework for ITs at the time to borrow from the European Central Bank or from the Government. Were still facing that problem as a technological university By Rebecca Black, PA Stormont Economy Minister Conor Murphy is standing down from the Executive on medical grounds. Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill said former Executive minister Deirdre Hargey will replace him as minister on an interim basis. Earlier this week Ms ONeill released a statement to say that Mr Murphy would not be giving evidence to the UK's Covid-19 Inquiry as scheduled on Wednesday as he had received medical advice to rest. Conor Murphy is standing down as Minister tonight on medical grounds. My colleagues and I all wish Conor a full and speedy recovery. I am nominating Deirdre Hargey to step in as Economy Minister on an interim basis pending Conors return."https://t.co/9NcrHtxplg Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) May 8, 2024 On Wednesday evening, Ms ONeill said Mr Murphy was standing down that night as minister on medical grounds. Conor has been advised by his doctor to rest and will undergo further medical tests, she said. My colleagues and I all wish Conor a full and speedy recovery. I am nominating Deirdre Hargey to step in as Economy Minister on an interim basis pending Conors return. An encampment and blockage established by students at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) calling for the university to cut ties with Israel over its actions in Gaza will end following discussions between the protesters and TCD's senior management. The demonstrations began on Friday when tents were pitched on campus and access to the Book of Kells was blocked over the weekend. In response, university authorities cut off public access to the grounds. Following a meeting between demonstrators and representatives from the university on Monday, Trinity announced a series of measures it would take in response to the concerns raised by students taking part in the protest. The encampment and blockade on campus will end today following successful talks between university senior management and protestors. Plans are underway to return to normal university business for students, staff & the public. Read the full statement: https://t.co/Q2zJKKwAig pic.twitter.com/W9C8cjv5Tp Trinity College Dublin (@tcddublin) May 8, 2024 While outgoing students' union president Laszlo Molnarfi described the measures as a "partial victory", he said the demonstrations would continue until all of their demands were met. On Wednesday evening, TCD released a statement confirming: "The encampment and blockade on Trinity College Dublins campus will end today following successful talks between the universitys senior management and the protestors. The agreement was reached at a meeting this afternoon (Wednesday)." After the agreement on Wednesday, Mr Molnarfi described the resolution as an "unprecedented" result. "Students, staff and the public united have pushed Trinity towards boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS)," he said, adding that he hopes the protest will inspire other students. "It shows the power of grassroots, students and staff fighting for a just cause of Palestinian liberation and to end complicity with Israeli genocide, apartheid and settler colonialism. "Students over the world are standing up for what is right." Solidarity Senior Dean Prof Eoin O'Sullivan, who led the talks with the protesters on behalf of the university, said they are glad an agreement has been reached, adding they are "committed to further constructive engagement on the issues raised". In its statement, TCD reiterated its position regarding some of the concerns raised by the protesters. "We fully understand the driving force behind the encampment on our campus, and we are in solidarity with the students in our horror at what is happening in Gaza," the statement said. It added that the university will complete a divestment from investments in Israeli companies "that have activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and appear on the UN Blacklist in this regard", which they expect to be completed by June. It also pointed to the establishment of a new taskforce, which was announced on Monday, and measures to support Palestinian scholars. The university added: "With the encampment and blockade of the Book of Kells removed, plans are being put in place to return to normal university business for staff, students, and members of the public." -Additional reporting by Press Association. In 2020 the Walker Street public housing estate in Northcote was demolished. Most of the land the parts that look out over the Merri Creek was handed over to developers to be sold, with a section retained for social housing. It was a controversial decision, and one which has now been documented in a new film Things Will Be Different which follows two of the last residents to vacate. When the documentary begins, we meet Najat a single migrant mother of four whose last name is not given and William Gwynne. We were campaigning for two years to try and stop the government from knocking down the estate, Gwynne tells this masthead. Id only been there for three years when I got the notice. L-R Celeste de Clario Davis (filmmaker), William Gwynne (activist and documentary subject), Lucie McMahon (filmmaker) Credit: Justin McManus In 2017, the Victorian state government introduced a policy called the Public Housing Renewal Program (PHRP), which states that it will redevelop 11 public housing estates around Melbourne. The redevelopment entails a relocation of all residents, as well as the entering of a contract with a private developer to demolish buildings and rebuild new homes, the majority of which will be private apartments, with some managed by a community housing provider in partnership with the developer. This program has seen opposition from the public and activist groups, in particular the Save Public Housing Collective (SPHC), especially as residents have been forced to leave their long-term dwellings some after as long as six decades or put on waiting lists that take years to be approved. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin cynically compared World War II veterans to the invaders who are now fighting against Ukraine in a speech at the May 9 parade in Moscow. The Kremlin leader claimed that both of these generations showed "heroism." ADVERTISIMENT The dictator also once again threatened the civilized world with Russian strategic forces that are on alert. Putin's speech on Red Square was broadcast by propagandistic Russian media. Traditionally, the speech of Russia's chief war criminal consisted of unfounded accusations against the West and hints of readiness to use strategic nuclear weapons. Putin complained that Western countries were allegedly building "colonial policies on hypocrisy and lies." "Revanchism, mockery of history, the desire to justify the current followers of the Nazis are part of the general policy of the Western elites to incite new regional conflicts, ethnic hatred, and to contain independent centers of world development," the war criminal said. Once again, the dictator stated that Russia would not allow anyone to threaten it, but he himself threatened that the Russian strategic forces were always on alert. At the same time, the war criminal cynically lied that Russia, a terrorist country, was allegedly "doing everything to prevent a global clash." ADVERTISIMENT In his address, Putin also mentioned the Russian invaders who invaded Ukraine, killed civilians and wiped out settlements. The dictator cynically compared the invaders to World War II veterans who fought back against the Nazis in the 1940s. As a reminder, the terrorist country Russia has once again announced military exercises of non-strategic nuclear forces . The Russian Defense Ministry said that the events are being held on behalf of Vladimir Putin in order to improve the readiness of nuclear weapons to perform combat missions. Earlier it became known that Russia blocked the UN Security Council resolution banning 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. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! A concerned parent at the Perth school attended by a teenager shot dead by police on Saturday contacted authorities in the weeks before the attack over fears students were being radicalised. In a letter dated April 3, the Rossmoyne Senior High School mother claimed a year 11 student at the school named Mohammed was using the schools prayer room to try and convert her year 8 son to Islam. The parent said she had seen screenshots of a prayer room group chat between students which alarmed her, including a reference to the children watching videos of Zakir Naik, a controversial figure who has been accused by Indian authorities of spreading Islamic extremism. Messages contained information about conversion to Islamic religion inducing fear to world end, targeting other students for conversion, the letter read. Washington: President Joe Biden has confirmed the US will stop supplying weapons to Israel if it follows through with its planned invasion of Rafah, in a significant policy shift over Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip. As outrage over the war continues, Biden also acknowledged for the first time that 2000-pound (900 kilogram) bombs supplied by the US have been used against civilians in Gaza where more than 34,500 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. US President Joe Biden and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Credit: AP Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centres, he said in an interview with CNN. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they havent gone in Rafah yet if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, to deal with that problem. Ukrainian politician Oleksandr Kubrakov has been fired from his post as Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction and Head of the Ministry of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure. He did not submit a resignation letter, as is usually the case with such personnel changes. ADVERTISIMENT The relevant decision was made by members of the Verkhovna Rada at a meeting on May 9. This was reported by the Telegram channel "Iron MP" of MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak. "An interesting detail... Usually, ministers write a letter of resignation themselves, but here they collect signatures from MPs for the relevant resolution. The committee also met in the morning, and then the parliament has to vote. So it's like an initiative of MPs to demote a minister," he explained before the vote. As a result, 272 out of 320 MPs present in the hall voted in favor of the resolution, while 35 did not vote and 13 abstained. Before that, Kubrakov reacted to the news of his dismissal, saying that he had not been discussed with him and had not even been invited to a meeting of the faction and the relevant committee, although he was ready to report on the work of the department he headed. ADVERTISIMENT "I am always ready for an open dialog and a detailed report on the work of the Ministry in all areas of my responsibility... We have managed to launch a number of important initiatives and projects for the state. Regarding the vote for the draft resolution by the Verkhovna Rada, we have come a long way in 5 years of joint work. With an absolute majority, we are moving in the same direction. Everyone makes decisions in accordance with their beliefs and is responsible for it," he wrote on Facebook. It is noted that on the same day, the Prime Minister is to be presented with a proposal for candidates for the positions of Minister of Infrastructure and Agrarian Policy (instead of Solsky, who resigned amid a corruption scandal). ADVERTISIMENT As OBOZ.UA previously reported, the Ministry of Infrastructure was officially merged with the Ministry of Regional Development in December 2022. At that time, the new structure was headed by Oleksandr Kubrakov, a former MP from the Servant of the People party, an entrepreneur, an expert in the IT and mobile communications markets, who is also a member of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said it is too early to assess the impact of the weapons transferred by Washington after a long pause on the battlefield in Ukraine. Not all of the allocated equipment has been delivered to the front line yet. ADVERTISIMENT It will take time for the Ukrainian Defense Forces to receive "some of the allocated capabilities." The head of the Pentagon said this on Tuesday, May 8, when presenting the budget request of the Ministry of Defense for the fiscal year 2025 in the United States Senate, Voice of America reports. According to him, when the Pentagon was waiting for funding approval, it prepared to "deliver these things as soon as possible and support Ukraine." "We're prepositioning some critical items in anticipation of the potential for funding, such as air defense equipment and artillery ammunition," Austin said. He emphasized that without the assistance Ukraine is receiving after Congress approved the additional funding, it would be "very difficult" for the country to defend itself against the superior strength of the aggressor country Russia's army. ADVERTISIMENT According to Austin, Russia has suffered heavy losses as a result of the actions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, but with the help of Iran and North Korea, it was able to "get back on its feet." "We saw Russia engage North Korea, which provided a lot of ammunition and missiles. The drones provided by Iran really helped and began to turn the tide for Russia," the Pentagon chief said. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Russian troops are making progress on the frontline in Ukraine, but the occupiers' progress is limited. Ukraine can still win this war, but it needs more active arms supplies from the West. ADVERTISIMENT This was stated by Admiral Rob Bauer, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, in an interview with VRT on Wednesday, May 8. According to him, the Russians' success cannot be called strategic. "It is not too late for Ukraine. The Russians have made progress, but it is still very limited and not strategic," the top NATO official said. Bauer acknowledged that the pause in the supply of weapons to Ukraine, in particular from the United States, had consequences for Ukrainians on the battlefield. However, the most important thing now is that supplies have resumed. Nevertheless, the West should be more active in the issue of weapons, as its stocks are running out. "The most important thing is that we continue to send aid. And the longer the war lasts, the more difficult it becomes. Many countries have been supplying weapons and ammunition from their stockpiles for two years now, but they are not endless. There are two things we can do: study our supplies even more deeply and force the defense industry to produce much more and faster," the military said. ADVERTISIMENT According to his forecasts, it will take at least a year to achieve an increase in arms production in the West. "We will have to overcome this period so that Ukraine can prepare for the next counteroffensive. But it will not be easy. The country has about 450,000 Russians in the occupied territories," Bauer said. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Fianna Fail Senator Lisa Chambers has issued a resounding call for increased investment in critical infrastructure to support the development of offshore wind energy in the West and Northwest of Ireland. The European election candidate in the Midlands Northwest constituency has stressed that without significant investment in the grid and ports, the region will be unable to harness its vast offshore wind potential, impeding progress towards renewable energy targets and perpetuating economic disparities. Drawing upon her previous statements, Senator Chambers has highlighted the urgent need for infrastructure development in the West and Northwest, citing the region's significant underdevelopment compared to the rest of the country. Senator Chambers stressed the west and north west region infrastructure development is at 37% of the EU average, while Dublin is at 115% of the EU average. "If we are serious about tilting the balance back in favour of our region we must invest in key infrastructure that is needed for development," she added. She has highlighted the crucial role of robust infrastructure in unlocking economic growth and job creation opportunities, particularly in the renewable energy sector. Expressing dismay at the lack of plans from EirGrid to address grid investment deficits in the region, Senator Chambers questions the absence of a comprehensive plan from Minister for the Environment, Climate, and Communications Eamon Ryan. She stated that without a clear roadmap for infrastructure investment, the West and Northwest will continue to lag behind, missing out on the potential benefits of offshore wind energy development. "Investing in the grid and ports in the West and Northwest is not just about addressing infrastructure deficits; it's about unlocking the region's full potential," Senator Chambers said "We cannot afford to overlook the immense opportunities that offshore wind energy presents for economic growth and sustainability. Minister Ryan must prioritise the development of a comprehensive plan to ensure that the West and Northwest are not left behind." Senator Chambers has echoed previous statements regarding the offshore wind energy potential off the west coast, emphasising the need for urgent action to capitalise on this abundant resource. She has stressed that failure to invest in critical infrastructure will hinder progress towards Ireland's renewable energy goals and perpetuate economic disparities between regions. "Time is of the essence, we cannot afford to delay investment in infrastructure any longer," Senator Chambers said. "The West and Northwest deserve equitable opportunities for economic growth and prosperity. Minister Ryan must act now to ensure that Ireland's offshore wind potential is realised for the benefit of all." Mayo Mountain Rescue and the Coast Guard came to the assistance of a young student who fell while walking down Croagh Patrick and was hospitalised yesterday. The voluntary organisation, who provide 24 hour 999 and 112 emergency cover on the hills and mountains of the county, said the incident happened on Wednesday afternoon. A spokesman said their full team attended a callout today at 1.30pm to assist a member of a school group who were climbing Croagh Patrick. "A young student fell while descending the summit cone and sustained a head injury. "MMRT responded and requested assistance from Coast Guard Rescue- 118 helicopter. "The young man was quickly located, treated by R-118 medic and, with help from MMRT, winched aboard R-118 helicopter for transport to Mayo University Hospital," he added. The rescue operation was stood down at 3pm and Mayo Mountain Rescue said they "wish this young man a very successful recovery". Russian occupation forces broke through to the territory of a refractory plant in Krasnohorivka, Donetsk region. The enemy was blocked there by the Ukrainian Defense Forces. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by Lieutenant Colonel Nazar Voloshyn, spokesman for the Khortytsia operational and strategic group of troops, on Army TV on May 8. He noted that the occupants entered the town in small assault groups. "The enemy is entrenched on the territory of the refractory plant. The enemy was blocked by the efforts of our units, in particular the 59th Brigade, and is still there," said Voloshyn. The enemy army groups are cut off from the supply of ammunition, he added. ADVERTISIMENT Meanwhile, our Defense Forces fully control both Krasnohorivka and the outskirts of the town. Over the past day, Ukrainian defenders killed about 30 occupants on the approaches to the town. Voloshyn also said that the enemy is conducting assaults near Netaylove and is trying to storm the eastern part of Pervomaiske. "They are also coming in small groups near Nevelske, counterattacking, and our soldiers are repelling them," the spokesman added. As reported by OBOZ.UA, fierce fighting between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and the Russian occupiers is taking place in the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove directions in Donetsk region. The enemy has deployed four additional brigades to these frontline areas. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Midlands North-West European Election candidate Chris MacManus has commended the staff and management at Mayo Local Enterprise Office in Castlebar. The current sitting Sinn Fein MEP for Midlands North-West said he was delighted to meet with the management and staff of the Mayo Local Enterprise Office recently. Mr MacManus insisted they provide an amazing service to the people and local businesses of Mayo. Partly funded by European Regional Development Fund they provide courses for business start-ups, and last year alone provided 1000 people with training programmes," he said. Services such as this serve a great purpose and I look forward to returning in the near future." A local councillor says he is hopeful that works will soon begin along the N59 Ballina to Crossmolina Road, writes Paul O'Malley. Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) has highlighted multiple "very dangerous" locations on the busy route in a recent safety survey. Fine Gael Cllr John OHara said he has repeatedly called for action on the N59 road where fast-flowing traffic has created difficulties for motorists exiting junctions. This dangerous situation was highlighted to me by the residents living in these locations," Cllr O'Hara explained. "I brought this as a motion into a municipal district meeting and it was then brought to the attention of TII, which agreed to carry out a survey. It highlighted eight locations as being very dangerous and identified them as locations to carry out health and safety measures at. The eight locations can be seen on the map above. Cllr OHara said Mayo Co Council will need to engage with local landowners for the purpose of land acquisition for these works. I am hoping that work can begin in the next few months. This will require landowners to allocate small amounts of ground to make those locations safe to enter and exit, he said. Environment Minister Eamon Ryan has pushed back on Mayo Senator Lisa Chambers series of claims about off-shore wind and described them as misinformed and inaccurate. The Green Party leader said the European Parliament candidate in her electioneering in recent days has made numerous claims that the progress of floating off-shore wind along the West Coast is being impeded or is not being progressed by him. Senator Chambers stated earlier this week that Minister Ryan is refusing to pull the trigger on the starting gun that would transform Ireland into a global renewable energy giant, delivering its greatest economic dividend in the process. The issue here is very simple. Ireland has among the best winds in the world, floating wind energy investors are itching to get at it, but they cannot because the minister is refusing to allow zoning of the west coast," she added. However, Minister Ryan has defended himself and insisted the claims are not correct. He said just last week he launched the Future Framework for Off-Shore Wind, which is the countrys evidenced based strategy for harnessing wind in the Atlantic Seas from 2030. Minister Ryan also launched the DMAPs or Designated Maritime Area Plans for the South Coast, which signals the start of the countrys plan-led development of our wind resource. He insisted that Senator Chamber's claims are not giving an accurate assessment of whats viable now. I would more than anyone love to see floating off-shore wind deployment today because that is our big opportunity, but Im sorry, I have to inform some of our colleagues in Government that its not yet commercial, its not yet technically available and its not viable today, he added. Minister Ryan has criticised Senator Chamber's claims. To say to the West of Ireland, if only we had a Minister who was willing to bet on that. Thats not honest with people, thats not giving an accurate assessment of whats viable and whats cost effective," he said. "It will be, and when it is, we will be ready. " Minister Ryan said they have their evidenced-based Future Framework and they launched the Shannon Foynes Taskforce report last year, which focuses on the potential of that port location. "We will continue with testing for off-shore floating which we are already doing off our West Coast and we will continue to co-operate with other countries who are also working in this area. In the meantime, what we do have, and what will benefit the entire country, is huge potential for fixed bottom off-shore wind along our East and South Coasts and also off our West Coast. "And thats not just me or the Department talking. Thats the leading players in the market, and I think they are correct. "So, we will focus on fixed bottom first and we will absolutely be on the cutting edge with regard to Atlantic wind, leading out on the potential for floating turbines. The general consensus on greenways is that they confer great favour on those areas chosen to house them in the form of fantastic recreational assets that bring welcome pedestrian and cycle traffic along their route, which in turn opens opportunities for local businesses to capitalise on. Or so we are told. The ongoing saga over the extension of the Westport-Louisburgh section of the Great Western Greenway between the leafy suburb of Belclare and the picturesque village of Murrisk suggests, however, that it might be time to press pause on this messaging loop around the greenway idyll. It was roundly acknowledged and agreed by members of the Westport-Belmullet Municipal District at their monthly meeting last week that greenways do indeed draw the crowds and have opened up the townlands between Westport and Achill to a new global audience that is lapping up everything Mayo from culture and arts to history. However, the broader theme at the meeting was one of horror at the actions of Mayo County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland in their thrust towards commandeering and slashing open the lands owned by farmer families and private citizens to plop a sturdy strip of infrastructure in place so that all the world can breeze by on their walks and cycles. With temperatures in the room rising to the level of a good Sunday roast, it has to be noted that the council also deserves acknowledgement and recognition here as a number of very brave senior staff who are n the direct firing line of all those opposing the development turned up on the day of the meeting and stood their ground. Special mention must go here to senior executive engineer (SEE) with the National Roads Office in Mayo County Council, Paul Hyland, who was the subject of a blazing attack by Westport Fianna Fail councillor, Brendan Mulroy, who raged at the audacity of the SEE for having disclosed that 12 landowners in the contentious Murrisk area had so far entered talks with the council regarding the proposed route - and this just minutes after the SEE had outlined a national Code Of Practice local authorities must follow on greenway developments, that include multiple criteria, with confidentiality at the top of the list. We talked earlier about a land grab and then you mentioned a dozen landowners," declared Cllr Mulroy, adding: Fine. I would also mention the word confidentiality. Thats a very big word. If you say you have spoken to 12 landowners already, that is not confidentiality. That is divide and conquer, to say that at a public meeting, with the media also present. That is a way to drive a wedge through that community out there, and people will say, its not me, not me, or me. You have sown a seed of doubt with people. The Westport councillor further opined: We talk about land like its flippantly land. Do you know the first person involved in this route is 86 years old, and the pain he is going through? You have thrown those 12 people to the wolves. This has now taken a new twist. For you to come in here and talk about confidentiality and then say 12 people, that is not confidentiality. You would never name or number people in these discussions. "You have tried to put a divil between the people of Belclare and Murrisk this evening. Why mention the number of people you have spoken to? I am staggered you would say it. If you had said you are just negotiating with people I would have accepted that, but now you have created a problem. Taking Cllr Mulroy squarely on, the SEE contended: How is it confidential? We will deal with anyone who wants to deal with us. We are willing to speak to anyone who wants to talk to us." Mr Hyland then added: I dont think I have breached any confidentiality but that is your business to interpret it whatever way you want. With the Sunday roast now truly cremating, Cllr Mulroy thundered: How dare you say it is none of my business. It IS my business, I am an elected representative, I was elected to represent the people and that is my job. You threw a curve ball in here. You are all about confidentiality and then you tell us you are talking to 12 people. It is unbelievable. To which the SEE replied: I did not say anything about anyone. I said we are talking to people and would continue to do so, in confidence. Mentioning a number does not expose anyone. Every one of the landowners affected is welcome to talk to us and they can retain their views and opinions. All we are trying to do is assess facts, not divide and conquer. For the purpose of clarification, the SEE added: We are obligated and funded by TII and their remit is the rollout of national greenways and active travel and new roads. It is part of the condition of funding that these greenways are built to a particular standard and on land that will be owned by the local authority. There has been a lot of information put out there about eight-metre and 10-metre greenways being put down but that is not a fact. The offline route here, which is our preferred route, will be three-metres wide, nothing else. With the debate veering into even more controversial territory following the mention of potential compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) of land where owners would not agree to sell, Cllr John OMalley charged: Ye seem to think it is no problem to just decide you are going to go through peoples farms that have been there for years and years. These peoples fathers and grandfathers grafted through that. This is the connection to land that farmers have. You dont seem to have any problem ploughing through this land just to get your greenway. You say you spoke to 12, but how do we know you did? You just put that out so people will talk about that. I guarantee you, if it goes to CPOs, that greenway will be a failure. It wont work and will be the worst thing that ever happens for a greenway project. He elaborated: For you to think you can bulldoze peoples lands because you say you have to go up the middle of their land to avoid the rivers and floodlines. One man told me his clothesline would have to be removed. What is this to do to people, to railroad them through a bloody greenway? I can tell you I have been talking to people who said, 'If you continue doing this, we will close the greenway from Westport to Achill'. The SEE contended: Just to explain, the CPO is the last instrument of resort available to local authorities, But even if we have to go down that road, as part of it we also have to look at alternatives, so it is also about having considered options. An Bord Pleanala could then refuse to make the CPO or propose changes, so it is not a give, and at this stage, we are not even contemplating that as we do not want to do that. To which Cllr Mulroy replied: You can dickie it up however you want but ultimately if a person doesnt agree with it, that land will be taken. Evidently, in terms of those involved in the proposed greenway extension project through scenic Murrisk, Cloonagh and Croagh Patrick, both public representatives and council staff are simply doing their jobs. You might wonder though, are not farmers in the greenway target area also entitled to continue doing their jobs, without undue interference to their place of work ie their beloved land? By David Young, PA Police in Northern Ireland are facing heavy criticism following court claims that intelligence officers routinely accessed the phone data of journalists in the region. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) accused the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) of shocking and despicable behaviour. Ian McGuinness, organiser of the NUJ who attended Wednesdays hearing of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) in London, voiced his concern at the revelations aired in court. It is the type of behaviour we would expect in an authoritarian state and not a modern democracy, he said. Journalists exist to hold power to account and that includes writing stories about the PSNI which that force may not like. Writing a story about the PSNI and protecting your confidential sources whilst doing so is not a crime. The NUJ is calling, yet again, for the PSNI to come clean. As it emerged Police Service of Northern Ireland regularly spied on journalists, NUJ Irish Organiser Ian McGuinness said: This is shocking and despicable behaviour by the PSNI. It is the type of behaviour we would expect in an authoritarian state and https://t.co/Ik4KCvCqMi NUJ (@NUJofficial) May 8, 2024 In particular, the force needs to state when it started spying on multiple journalists phone data, who the journalists were, how many times each journalist was spied upon, and must give a commitment that it will desist from doing this ever again, simply to uncover legitimate sources for stories. Amnesty International also raised serious concerns about the disclosures. Patrick Corrigan, Amnestys Northern Ireland programme director, said it appeared there had been industrial-scale spying operations against journalists. Todays evidence is explosive, he said after attending Wednesdays hearing. The Investigatory Powers Tribunal has received written evidence from Durham Constabulary which points to the PSNI undertaking routine, six-monthly, industrial-scale spying operations against those it considered to be trouble-making journalists. This is a chilling revelation that has only emerged through lengthy court proceedings. That such clearly unlawful acts appear to have been custom and practice in the PSNI would demonstrate a complete contempt for the principle of press freedom. There must now be full accountability. Patrick Corrigan of Amnesty International condemned the chilling revelation Photo: PA. It is time for the chief constable (Jon Boutcher) to come clean about the extent of police spying operations against journalists, lawyers and others. Meanwhile, we would urge all journalists in Northern Ireland who suspect they may have been among those targeted by the PSNI for covert surveillance to lodge complaints with the Investigatory Powers Tribunal urgently. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has branded the revelations a scandal and called for full disclosure of the truth from the police and intelligence services involved. Mr Eastwood, who joined reporters Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney at the Royal Courts of Justice for the latest hearing in the IPT case, said: The widespread, systemic and routine surveillance of journalists and others undertaking public interest investigations in Northern Ireland has been nothing short of a scandal. Surveillance by police and intelligence services has been used as a form of summary punishment against those seeking to shine a light on injustice or wrongdoing and it is absolutely unacceptable. The process of this hearing itself has underscored the approach from state agencies, which has been to frustrate the administration of justice with late disclosures and obfuscation. We stand with Trevor, Barry and all those who have undertaken public interest journalism in the north they have challenged authority and the use of power in the interests of people who often feel powerless. On Thursday, May 9, the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were headed by a new commander. Oleksandr Trepak was promoted. ADVERTISIMENT The corresponding decree (No. 314/2024) was signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The text is published on the website of the President's Office. From November 3, 2023, until May 9, 2024, the SSO was commanded by Serhiy Lupanchuk, but he was dismissed by decree (No. 313/2024). As a reminder, since the end of 2020, Trepak has served as the Chief of Staff Deputy Commander of the Special Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He is 47 years old, a fourth-generation military officer, Brigadier General (2021), and Hero of Ukraine (2015). During his officer service, he held various positions in the intelligence units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and served in several types of intelligence: military, radio, and information. ADVERTISIMENT Trepak (call sign "Redut") has been opposing Russian aggression since 2014. From August 27 to October 3, 2014, he was a senior military commander for the defense of the territory of Donetsk International Airport. He was in direct charge of repelling all attempts to storm and seize the airport. He personally organized counter-sabotage and counter-ambush work on the outskirts of the airport, which made it impossible for militants to cut off the supply routes for food and ammunition to Ukrainian soldiers. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! In late April, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe announced that it would not observe the elections in Lithuania. The OSCE said that the country demanded that delegations from some countries be excluded from the list of observers, but the organization could not accept such a condition. ADVERTISIMENT The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed this information, Delfi writes, adding that the ministry officially invited the OSCE to observe the elections. But without the participation of Belarusians and Russians. "Lithuania, in compliance with its international obligations, invited representatives of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and OSCE countries, except the aggressor Russia and its ally Belarus, to observe the elections," the country's Foreign Ministry said. They rightly noted that inviting representatives of Belarus and Russia to the elections would be "a mockery of democracy." "The international isolation of the criminal regimes of Russia and Belarus is a consistent and principled direction of Lithuania's foreign and domestic policy, which we intend to continue," the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry added. ADVERTISIMENT The presidential election in Lithuania will be held on May 12. Eight candidates are running in the election campaign, including current President Gitanas Nauseda, who is running for a second term, and Prime Minister Ingrida Simonite. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Hungary has made yet another scandalous statement about helping Ukraine in the full-scale war waged against it by the aggressor country Russia. Budapest said it would not participate in the 100 billion euro NATO fund proposed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to help Kyiv. ADVERTISIMENT This statement was made by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, who called Stoltenberg's idea "crazy." The Hungarian Foreign Minister was quoted by Reuters. Szijjarto confirmed that Budapest had previously opposed the plan. "Hungary will stay away from the crazy NATO mission, despite all the pressure," the Hungarian minister said. Earlier, government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said that Hungary would not support NATO's proposals, which "could bring the Alliance closer to war or turn it from a defensive coalition into an offensive one." As a reminder, Jens Stoltenberg initiated the creation of a five-year fund of allied contributions totaling $100 billion for Ukraine. The relevant package is to be signed by the leaders of the Alliance member states at the July summit in Washington. As reported by OBOZ.UA: ADVERTISIMENT , Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto is not the first to make a scandalous statement about Ukraine. Earlier, he said that the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine would mean the beginning of World War III. According to him, if the Alliance sends its troops to the territory of Ukraine, it could cross a "red line." Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was outraged by the fact that the West was too active in helping Ukraine. He believes that this is leading to the suffering of the European middle class. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! According to the latest estimates provided by the Spanish agricultural union COAG, in the 2023-2024 season, around 400,000 tons of lemons cannot be sold and will go to waste about 27% of the planned production. Losses from this massive waste are estimated at 120 million ($129 million). Spanish farmers have blamed the problem on various factors: lemons entering the European Union from Turkey, Egypt, Argentina, and South Africa; investment funds altering the market; supermarkets that only want aesthetically perfect fruit; the rise in pests; climatic adversities... However, some in the sector openly recognize that the main reason for the disaster is the disproportionate rise in the number of hectares cultivating lemons on Spains Mediterranean coast. One of these critics is the World Citrus Organization (WCO), which cites the excessive rise of lemon crops in Spain as the main cause for the disaster. The WCO does not understand why the entry of foreign lemons is criticized when Spanish lemons are found across Europe. Spain is the leader in the market, it is the one that controls the situation, it is always easy to blame someone else, but we must accept that we are in markets in which there must be a minimum level of competition, WCO Secretary General Philippe Binard tells EL PAIS by phone. Lets look at what happened with the tractor demonstrations in Europe, our headquarters are in Brussels, the Belgians complained about the Dutch, the French about the Spanish, the Spanish about the Moroccans.... The Interprofessional Association of Lemon and Grapefruit (Ailimpo) which represents the producers, cooperatives, exporters and the processing industry of the lemon sector in Spain has not only distanced itself from the criticism of foreign lemons, it has also admitted that lemon cultivation needs to be reduced in Spain to rebalance supply and demand. Ailimpo proposes a different path to what was seen in some of the tractor protests: apart from tax reductions, improvements in agricultural insurance and promoting increased consumption, it is also committed to a more environmentally friendly model it supports regenerative agriculture or the management of lemon farms as forests as a means of generating carbon and biodiversity credits. For Jose Antonio Garcia, director of Ailimpo, there is no doubt where the problem lies: Production has got out of hand, he says. The data speak very clearly. The cultivation area has gone from 36,000 hectares eight years ago to nearly 53,000 hectares today. He explains that lemon farmers decided to plant more trees due to the very striking returns on the crop. This move prompted other investors to get involved. In the end, it is an exercise in simple mathematics. If the market is able to absorb 1.1 million tons of lemons, and the estimated production for this season is 1.5 million, there are 400,000 tons that are going to stay in the fields. Farmers throw lemons at a protest in Malaga last March. Daniel Perez (EFE) Pedro Gomariz, head of citrus at COAG, acknowledges the excess production in the country, but says it is one of many factors. The exaggerated amount of lemon from third countries that is entering the European Union is one of the big factors, it is unfair competition, because they are also entering with [phytosanitary] products that are not allowed here, and on top of that they are entering with pests that are not hitting us, says the farmer, whose arguments have so far not been proven. They are coming from Turkey, South Africa, Egypt, Argentina. They are flooding the European market with lemons that compete with ours, but without having to meet the same standards as us, treated with products that we do not have here, with much cheaper labor and often subsidized by the state, insists Gomariz. While these complaints are common, the data on lemon consumption in the EU analyzed by Ailimpo, between October 2023 and March 2024, shows a quite different situation. In those six months, the total demand for these citrus fruits in the EU (excluding domestic consumption in Italy and Spain) was 403,000 tons, of which 302,000 came from Spanish fields, while the rest 87,000 tons came from Turkey. In other words, three out of every four lemons consumed in EU countries in this period were grown in Spain. According to Ailimpo, these figures are also similar to what was recorded in previous years, meaning they are unlikely to have played a significant role in the disaster of the current lemon season, which runs from September to June. Gomariz also blames the disaster on supermarkets oligopolistic practices, decisions by investment groups, and weather events, while downplaying the importance of the spike in lemon cultivation. The life of a lemon tree is like a Gauss bell. Its harvest increases, at 15 to 20 years it reaches its maximum and from 20 onwards it begins to decrease. So, of course, there is a lot of new lemon destined for the replacement of plantations, he says. This is the elephant in the room that no one wants to see, says Garcia, who notes that in the last eight years, seven million lemon tree seedlings have been sold in nurseries in the country. These are really very typical dynamics of the agricultural sector. We have seen it in other products such as the persimmon, we are seeing it with the pistachio, with the almond tree, they are cycles where the farmer sees profitability in the crop and there is an explosion of cultivation. Garcia acknowledges that other factors are at play, but believes this is the biggest reason for the current disaster. It is true that there are investment funds involved in the lemon sector, but they have not invested a single euro in new plantations, he says. For Ailimpo, whats most important right now is to address the losses of this disastrous season. But the organization also believes that green measures are key to ensuring long-term economic profitability. We have closely followed the development of regenerative agriculture in citrus in California, and we believe that the future really lies there, says Garcia. He explains that his organization is trying to design a system of green practices to improve CO absorption, which will allow the sector to generate carbon credits. It seems like science fiction, but it is already working in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, where agricultural activity is also generating biodiversity credits. Because when we think about biodiversity, we think about lizards, birds, bees, but we always forget what biodiversity there is in the soil. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The local police in Coin, a small town in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia, have located a 17-year-old who was raised in a forest in Switzerland without contact with society. Swiss authorities had been searching for her since her father ran away with her and her two older sisters, and had activated an international search warrant to take the minor away from her father. After being transferred to a regional youth center, she was flown back to Switzerland, where she has become a ward of the state. She will turn 18 in late May. The discovery, reported by Diario Sur on Wednesday, was accidental. It happened on March 18, when a patrol from the Coin local police noticed a dirty vehicle with a damaged wheel that looked like people might be living in it. Next to the car was an unkempt-looking man and a young woman in dirty clothes. The police checked their ID and entered their names into their database. An alarm went off in the SIRENE service an acronym for Supplementary Information Request at the National Entries which establishes cooperation on information sharing between countries in the Schengen area. The information warned that the minors whereabouts were unknown, that she was in a dangerous situation and that, if located, local security forces should transfer her to a safe place due to the high flight risk posed by her father. The patrol reported it to the Juvenile Prosecutors Office and regional youth protection services, which contacted the Swiss authorities. The latter confirmed that the young woman had grown up with her two sisters in a forest in Switzerland, where they were raised by their father in total disconnection from any public administration and from other people. The daughters had not seen their mother for six years. Diario Sur reported that, according to Swiss social services, both parents have mental health problems and the daughter has the intellectual ability of a small child, and would require protection until her return. The 17-year-old was flown back home on May 3 in the company of Swiss officials. She has been placed under the care of the Swiss government. The closure of Al Jazeeras offices in Jerusalem, after Israel branded the network a threat to national security, culminates a long history of disputes, not without its chapters of bloody confrontation, between the Qatari media network and the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel has always distrusted Al Jazeera. Its leaders, regardless of their ideological or political affiliation, have seen in it a well-oiled machine of incitement to terrorism and a loudspeaker for the Islamist movement Hamas. The Qatari network has not inspired confidence among the traditional and traditionalist powers of other countries, either. However, it is hard to understand, especially from a Western perspective, how Israel, a state widely defined as the only democracy in a region whose regimes are autocratic and allergic to freedom of the press, is thus violating the right to information, a basic foundation for any democracy worthy of the name. Resorting to the drastic and retrograde decision to close Al Jazeeras headquarters conceals the purpose of silencing the reality of the war in Gaza, and is part of an extensive series of systematic attacks to silence the uncomfortable voice of the Qatari network. The Israeli state thus joins a select club of countries with authoritarian governments that have vetoed this outlet. Previously, the chains bureaus had been raided in circumstances similar to the current ones in Rabat, Tunisia, Cairo, Baghdad, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, New Delhi and a long list of capitals. In reality, Al Jazeeras relationship with Israel is not much different from its history with other dictatorial regimes in the Arab world. Founded in 1996, this network is one of the few that has remained in Gaza after October 7. Its correspondents, deployed throughout the Strip, have been privileged witnesses almost the only ones of an unprecedented war, and they have reported at all times on the atrocities committed by the Israeli army. Since the start of the war, Israel has deliberately and repeatedly made attempts on the lives of several of these correspondents and their families. The most iconic case is that of Wael al-Dahdouh, head of Al Jazeeras Gaza bureau, whose wife, several of his children one of them also an Al Jazeera journalist, Hamza Dahdouh and a grandson have been killed in Israeli attacks. The closure of the networks offices by Israel is nothing more than another desperate attempt at intimidation, with the aim of hiding the immoral war acts committed in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli army, whose genocidal intention is conspicuous, and ostentatious, in the expression of Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Qatari network has presented versions of events that frequently contradicted the official account of the Israeli government. This perspective contrasts deeply with the censored information from the official media outlets of that country. Zein Basravi, an Al Jazeera journalist in Ramallah (West Bank) rightly said one day that the war between Israel and Palestine is one of the main reasons why our channel exists. This conflict is symbolic and moral capital for the network, almost a raison detre. For this reason, Al Jazeera is not considering under any circumstances a change in its editorial line on the situation in the Middle East. Israels closure of its premises is unlikely to affect its work. On the contrary, with acts of this nature, the networks detractors are contributing to its popularity and confirming its credibility among the masses who continue to see in it a true platform for oppressed voices in the Arab world. Anass Ben Salah is a journalist for the Al Jazeera network. According to Spanish government sources, May 21 is the date that is being considered by Spain and other European Union countries to recognize the Palestinian State. On that day the last meeting of ministers will be held before the campaign for the elections to the European Parliament begins on June 9, and the sources consulted advocate taking a decision of this importance out of the electoral debate. The Spanish government is coordinating with other European countries willing to take the step to try to achieve a simultaneous recognition. Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris revealed last Monday that he had spoken with his Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sanchez. 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, the taoiseach said. Prime Minister Sanchez and I are both eager to make progress on this very shortly and we agreed to remain in close contact, he added. Sanchez also noted that the conversation with Harris had sped things up. This morning I had a conversation with the prime minister of Ireland about the willingness of both governments to recognize the Palestinian state and to coordinate our efforts to bring it to fruition. The two-state solution is the only way to achieve a future of peace, security, and stability in the region, said the Spanish prime minister. Coordination with Ireland to announce the recognition on the same day, in two separate Cabinet meetings, is advanced, but the talks also include the heads of government of Malta and Slovenia, who last March 22 on the margins of the European Council also committed themselves to the recognition of the Palestinian state. Sanchez has the backing of the leftist coalition Sumar whose leader, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Labor Minister Yolanda Diaz, has called for recognition to come sooner than the anticipated May 21 announcement. However, the conservative opposition has its doubts. Sanchez does not need to call a vote in Congress as it is an exclusive decision of government, but he has committed himself to consulting the groups and taking the debate to parliament. The main opposition Popular Party has already pointed out that, although it supports the two-state solution and the recognition of Palestine something it previously approved in 2014 in a bill agreed with the Socialists it believes that this is not the right time to do so. In recent weeks, several Caribbean countries (Trinidad and Tobago, Bahamas, Jamaica, and Barbados) have recognized the Palestinian State. To date, 142 of the 193 member states of the United Nations have taken this step. On April 19, the United States vetoed Palestines accession as a full member of the UN, even though it had the support of 12 of the 15 countries sitting on the Security Council. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Thursday that recognition of the Palestinian state will take place very soon, but declined to confirm the date. We are talking with several of our European colleagues to analyze the best time to make that recognition, he said at the entrance of an event commemorating Europe Day, together with the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, a staunch advocate of the two-state solution. Albares was scheduled to travel to Washington on Thursday, where he will explain Spains decision to his U.S. counterpart Antony Blinken. The United States, Israels main ally, has spoken out against unilateral recognition of Palestine, but has not been belligerent on the issue. On April 12, a State Department spokesman assured that the U.S. supports the two-state formula but believes that the best way to achieve it is through dialogue and negotiation between the parties and with other countries in the region. However, he added: Each country must make its own decisions regarding when and where it makes recognitions of this type. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The members of the commune of Oloncito lit a bonfire and cooked fish and green bananas to endure the nights vigil on the shores of a mangrove area called Esterillo de Oloncito. Twenty-three years ago, they fought for the authorities to declare this place a protective forest and vegetation, a status that grants them constitutional rights. Oloncito is a small Ecuadorian commune in the province of Santa Elena where around 300 families live. The mangrove that they are monitoring to prevent its destruction contains 2.5 hectares of endemic trees, birds and five species of mangrove that reach all the way to the Pacific. The community is currently in a dispute with the presidential family, which spends part of its leisure time at their beach house just 500 meters from the commune. In mid-2023, the residents saw unusual activity: technicians showed up to measure the land. They then learned that there was a luxury real estate project being planned, called Echo. Spanning 6,300 square meters, its promoters are planning to construct four buildings with 24 homes, green areas, parking spaces and a boardwalk. This is all the information they had until May 6, when heavy machinery arrived to cut down the forest and fill in the estuary. The community members opposed it, and the next day the area was surrounded by police and military tanks. Since then, the forest is being permanently monitored by the residents. The project is being carried out by a company named Vinazin S.A, founded by the president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, in 2016. Five years later, Noboa sold it to Daniel Correia, administrative manager of the shipping company of the corporation owned by the presidents family, one of the richest in the country. In 2022, the presidents wife, Lavinia Valbonesi, bought the companys shares, as evidenced by the records of the Superintendency of Companies. Today, she is the sole shareholder of the company that intends to cut down the forest in Oloncito. The real estate project of the presidents wife obtained environmental permits from the Ministry of the Environment, led by Sade Fritschi, a 26-year-old minister who has been questioned over her lack of experience managing one of the most important and complex portfolios in Ecuador. At the time of her appointment, her resume showed experience as a cashier at her familys restaurant, waiting tables, organizing tourist tours and working as a sales representative until she became director of Noboas election campaign in Galapagos. She did not hold any university degrees until last April, when two records showed up in the registry of the Ministry of Higher Education. Despite the impact on a protective forest that is legally untouchable, the permit was granted to Valbonesis company two weeks after Noboa assumed power. A simple permit was authorized that can be processed by anyone online, without considering the impact that a work of this magnitude can have on the population of Oloncito, which does not have a sewage system and is preserving a protective forest, explains Andrea Fiallos, director of the Iguana Foundation, which works on environmental conservation. The land where the sea-facing complex will be built has belonged to the Noboa family for many years, says Fiallos. With the passage of time and the impact of the El Nino phenomenon of 1983, there has been erosion of the mangrove, and the limits of the land have changed. Now the family intends to recover that lost land by filling in the estuary. Feasibility studies were carried out by Geosismica, a company founded by Noboas super minister, Roberto Luque, who was assigned the portfolios of Transportation and Public Works. After the energy crisis, Noboa also entrusted him with the Ministry of Energy. EL PAIS has tried to contact Valbonesi and the Ministry of the Environment, but received no reply. This newspaper also reached out to the general manager of Vinazin S.A, Maria Beatriz Moreno, who also holds the position of national president of Noboas political party, ADN. After two days of silence, the president himself spoke out the way he usually does: on the social network X, where he implied that his opponents are trying to discredit him. This Government does not wear itself out in the attempts of obvious politicians to start a campaign ahead of time, the president wrote. Noboa broke his silence after the Prosecutors Office decided to initiate an investigation into the real estate project. There is no political flag here, responded Jhon Reyes, president of the commune. What they oppose, he said, is the cutting down of the protective forest. The population of Oloncito relies on the revenue generated by tourism in the coastal area and is concerned that the work includes filling in part of the estuary, which is one of the tourist attractions that they have managed to recover since the declaration of a protective forest 23 years ago. The inhabitants are also concerned that filling the estuary will reduce the flow through which the rainwater drains, which in the winter creates a strong current throughout the Chongon-Colonche mountain range that ends in Oloncito. Without the estuary, the commune could flood and even disappear, as has happened in many other areas of the country. After criticism about the felling of 21 carob trees and the presence of police and military tanks, operators withdrew from the site on Wednesday. Even so, the community members remain vigilant with the uncertainty of not knowing what step the first ladys company will take next. Valbonesi is one of the most visible faces of the government due to her high popularity on social media, where she shares her family life and her social work at the presidential palace, Carondelet, even though she does not have an official position or a budget to execute projects within the government. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic hold talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. [Xinhua/Li Xueren] BELGRADE, May 8 (Xinhua) China and Serbia have decided on Wednesday to build a community with a shared future, an upgrade of their relations from the comprehensive strategic partnership established eight years ago. The decision was declared by visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic, during their meeting in the Serbian capital. Xi stressed that the ironclad friendship between China and Serbia has stood the test of the changing international landscape, saying that such friendship is characterized by profound historical roots, solid political foundation, extensive common interests and strong popular support. Over the past few years, Xi said, under the leadership of him and Vucic, the bilateral relationship has leapfrogged with historic progress, and since the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016, in particular, the bilateral relationship has been enriched in substance and expanded in scope, which has become an example for China's friendly relations with other European countries. Actions speak louder than words, Xi noted. He said China will stand shoulder to shoulder with Serbia, share weal and woe like passengers in the same boat, carry forward the spirit of the ironclad friendship, maintain and grow their friendship, and jointly safeguard fundamental and long-term interests of the two countries. As the two sides pursue their respective national development and revitalization, China will join hands with Serbia to advance the building of a community with a shared future in the new era, he added. Xi stressed that Serbia is China's first comprehensive strategic partner in Central and Eastern Europe, saying that their bilateral cooperation has injected strong impetus into their respective development and rejuvenation, and brought tangible benefits to the two peoples. Under the new circumstances, Serbia has become the first European country to build with China a community with a shared future, which speaks volumes about the strategic, special and high-level China-Serbia relations, he said. The China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, Xi said, is an upgrade of the ironclad friendship between China and Serbia, adding that it also represents their common values and objectives, namely, joint pursuit of development, win-win cooperation and mutual success. These are the common aspirations of China, Serbia, and all countries that are committed to independence, peace and development, he added. By building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, the two sides should keep deepening and expanding high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and collaboration between China and Central and Eastern European countries, thus contributing to their respective modernization, Xi said. The Chinese leader called on the two sides to highlight the strategic nature of the bilateral relationship and keep to its general direction, saying that China supports Serbia in upholding independence and pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions, and supports its efforts in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The two sides, Xi said, should continue to offer each other firm support, deepen strategic cooperation, and safeguard their respective political security and fundamental interests. He urged China and Serbia to stay committed to practical cooperation and deliver welfare for the two peoples, saying that high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Serbia has achieved remarkable results. The two sides should steadily advance cooperation in traditional areas such as transportation and energy infrastructure, make sure the entire Serbian section of the Belgrade-Budapest railway go into operation as scheduled, jointly operate well their major cooperation projects, create more small and beautiful livelihood projects, and continue to generate positive economic and social impacts, he said. With the China-Serbia Free Trade Agreement set to take effect on July 1 this year, the high-standard mutual opening up between China and Serbia will surely enter a new stage, Xi said, adding that China will continue to import more high-quality agricultural specialties from Serbia. The Chinese side will invite 300 young Serbians to China on study and exchange programs in the next three years, said Xi, adding that China welcomes the opening of direct flights from Belgrade to Shanghai by the Serbian side so as to comprehensively deepen people-to-people exchanges. Xi also called for opening up new prospects of cooperation with a focus on the innovation dimension in bilateral relations and making innovation cooperation a new growth driver in the relationship. China will support 50 young Serbian scientists in taking part in scientific research exchanges in China in the next three years, Xi said, adding that China is ready to work with Serbia to strengthen cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) and endeavor to ensure humanity properly develop and utilize AI. It is important for China and Serbia to jointly reject hegemonism and power politics, and oppose bloc politics or bloc confrontation, Xi said, adding that the two sides should join hands to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, practice true multilateralism, and promote international fairness and justice. For his part, Vucic extended the warmest welcome to Xi and noted that China is Serbia's most sincere friend. Although Serbia is a small country, China always fully respects its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and provides valuable support for its economic and social development, he said. Vucic hailed Xi as a great world leader. He said that under Xi's strong leadership, China has made remarkable achievements, and it has become a beacon of development and progress of the world and is playing an increasingly important leading role in international affairs. The Communist Party of China seeks to enhance the well-being of not only the Chinese people, but also people across the world, he said, adding that the Serbian people are full of gratitude and respect for China, especially for President Xi, and feel truly proud to be an ironclad friend to such a great nation. Serbia firmly supports China's legitimate position on issues concerning its core interests including on Taiwan, he said, adding that there is but one China in the world, and that Serbia will, without hesitation, continue to unswervingly provide China with firm support. Vucic noted that China's investment in and cooperation with Serbia have greatly facilitated the latter's economic and social development and improved Serbian people's living standards, saying that since 2016, in particular, thanks to the personal commitment and support by Xi, the HBIS Smederevo steel plant has had immensely positive socioeconomic impacts. The transformative changes in the steel plant's development prospects have also boosted the confidence and raised the hope of the people, he added. Serbia's future is closely linked with China, he said, adding that Serbia looks forward to intensifying exchanges with China in all areas and at all levels, and to strengthening cooperation with China in various fields including infrastructure, new energy, innovation, artificial intelligence and people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Serbia will actively advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with China, and work to ensure that the Serbian sector of the Belgrade-Budapest railway will be completed as planned, he said. Vucic said Serbia welcomes investment cooperation from more Chinese businesses and looks forward to opening more direct flights, adding that building on the entry-into-force of the bilateral Free Trade Agreement, Serbia is ready to expand economic and trade cooperation with China. The announcement on deepening and elevating the comprehensive strategic partnership and building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era marks a new milestone in the history of this bilateral relationship, he noted. Serbia firmly supports and will actively participate in the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative put forth by Xi, he said, adding that his country will stay in close strategic coordination with China in multilateral fora, jointly oppose hegemonism and power politics, uphold the purposes of the UN Charter, and defend international fairness and justice. After the talks, the two presidents signed the Joint Statement on Deepening and Elevating the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Building a China-Serbia Community with a Shared Future in the New Era. They also witnessed the exchange of multiple cooperation documents including on Belt and Road cooperation, green development, digital economy, e-commerce, infrastructure, economic and technical cooperation, information and communication, agri-food, and the media. Xi and Vucic also had a joint meeting with the press. Prior to their meeting, Vucic accompanied Xi to the platform of the Palace of Serbia. On the square in front of the Palace, some 15,000 Serbian people were waving national flags of China and Serbia to express the warmest welcome to Xi. The Chinese leader waved to the crowd, which burst into jubilant, prolonged applause and cheers. Later in his meeting with Vucic, Xi said that he was deeply touched when he was greeted at the airport by President Vucic together with many senior government officials who held a grand welcoming ceremony for his visit. He also said he was deeply moved by the genuine friendliness toward China from the Serbian people who are good friends of the Chinese people. In this combo photo, Chinese President Xi Jinping, accompanied by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic prior to their talks, is greeted by thousands of Serbians in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024. Xi and Vucic on Wednesday held talks here. [Xinhua/Huang Jingwen, Ding Haitao] Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony held by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic prior to their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. Xi and Vucic on Wednesday held talks here. [Xinhua/Pang Xinglei] Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony held by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic prior to their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. Xi and Vucic on Wednesday held talks here. [Xinhua/Pang Xinglei] Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony held by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic prior to their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. Xi and Vucic on Wednesday held talks here. [Xinhua/Li Xueren] Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic hold talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. [Xinhua/Li Xueren] Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic hold talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. [Xinhua/Liu Bin] Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic sign a joint statement on the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, after their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024. In the joint statement, the two countries decided to deepen and elevate the China-Serbia comprehensive strategic partnership. [Xinhua/Huang Jingwen] Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic jointly meet the press after their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024. [Xinhua/Liu Bin] Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic jointly meet the press after their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024. [Xinhua/Ding Haitao] Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic jointly meet the press after their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024. [Xinhua/Huang Jingwen] (Source: Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Budapest for a state visit to Hungary at the invitation of Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban, May 8, 2024. Xi was warmly welcomed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his wife at Budapest Airport upon arrival. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi] BUDAPEST, May 8 (Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived here Wednesday for a state visit to Hungary. In a written speech upon his arrival, Xi said China and Hungary are good friends and good partners of mutual trust. "I am delighted to pay a state visit to the beautiful country of Hungary at the gracious invitation of President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban," he said, extending heartfelt greetings and best wishes to the Hungarian government and people on behalf of the government and people of China. Noting that Hungary is known for its time-honored history and profound cultural heritage, Xi said the Hungarian people are industrious, intelligent, open, inclusive, pioneering and creative. In recent years, the government and people of Hungary have been forging ahead with determination, making impressive progress in economic and social development, he said. "As a good friend and a comprehensive strategic partner, we in China, both the government and people, heartily rejoice over your achievements." In 1949, Hungary was one of the first countries to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. In 2004, the two countries decided to forge a friendly and cooperative partnership. In 2017, the bilateral relationship was elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership, upgrading and speeding up the mutually beneficial cooperation and strengthening the popular support for traditional China-Hungary friendship, Xi noted. In recent years, the two sides have seen frequent high-level exchanges, deepening mutual trust, fruitful outcomes in Belt and Road cooperation, vibrant people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and close coordination and collaboration in international and regional affairs, he said. "Together, we have set a fine example of building a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation," Xi said. This year marks the 75th anniversary of China-Hungary diplomatic ties, bringing an important opportunity for the growth of bilateral relations, he said. Xi said he looks forward to meeting with President Sulyok, Prime Minister Orban and other Hungarian leaders, and they will jointly outline a new blueprint for cooperation and development, with a view to steering the China-Hungary relationship forward in big strides and taking it to a higher level. "I believe that no matter how the international landscape evolves, China and Hungary will always view and approach the bilateral relationship from a broad perspective and a long-term view," he said. "Through vigorous and determined endeavors, we will work together toward the goal of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and make our due contribution to world peace, stability, development and prosperity," he added. "I am confident that, with the two sides' concerted efforts, this visit will be a complete success and usher in an even brighter future of the China-Hungary relationship," he said. Orban and his wife waited at Budapest Airport to welcome Xi. Hungarian Air Force sent fighter jets to escort Xi's plane after it entered the country's airspace for a state visit. Chinese President Xi Jinping's plane arrives in Budapest, Hungary, May 8, 2024. Xi arrived here Wednesday for a state visit to Hungary. [Xinhua/Yin Bogu] People welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping in Budapest, Hungary, May 8, 2024. Xi arrived here Wednesday for a state visit to Hungary. [Xinhua/Zhang Fan] (Source: Xinhua) This photo taken on Aug. 4, 2023 shows the Chain Bridge spanning the Danube River in Budapest, Hungary. [Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua] BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) Hungarian students Bonita Varga and Tamara Imre were thrilled to hear from Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2023, soon after they wrote to him ahead of the Spring Festival in January of that year. "My wife and I were glad to receive your letter during the Spring Festival in the Year of the Rabbit. I still remember interacting with teachers and students at the Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual School in 2009," Xi said in his reply letter, referring to the school that Varga and Imre attended. In their letter to Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, Varga and Imre expressed their gratitude after winning the Chinese Ambassador Scholarship for a second time, and conveyed festive greetings on behalf of all the students at the school. The two Hungarians had been studying Chinese at the school for 12 years by that time. Varga, whose Chinese name is Hu Lingyue, describes learning the Chinese language as "a beautiful thing." And Imre, whose Chinese name is Song Zhixiao, says that she enjoys binge-watching Chinese video websites. They both have an appreciation for Chinese calligraphy. Varga and Imre both hope to work as translators in the future, and they said that Xi's reply had been a source of encouragement to continue studying the Chinese language. Their letter expressed their aspirations to study at Chinese universities and contribute to the Hungary-China friendship. Commending their goals, Xi said that they were welcome to study at Chinese universities after graduating from high school. The two Hungarians' hard work paid off. In September last year, they were admitted to Capital Normal University in Beijing. In his reply letter, Xi also expressed the hope that more young Hungarians will learn about contemporary China, as well as the country's history and culture, and strive to become envoys carrying forward and developing the China-Hungary friendship. Xi's ties with the bilingual school began in 2009 when he visited it during a trip to Hungary as China's vice president. It is the first full-time public school in Central and Eastern Europe that teaches through both its local language and Chinese. It has 20 classes and more than 500 students. Zsuzsanna Erdelyi, head of the school, remembers that Xi smiled throughout his visit, speaking with the students about Chinese poems and songs for children. "The temperature dropped suddenly that day," she said, noting that Xi had been aware of the change and urged the students to return inside as soon as possible. Xi brought presents of teaching materials and educational tools, and assured the school that he would support and help with its development, Erdelyi said. "I think he fulfilled this promise to the maximum and created many opportunities for the students studying here so that they could be taught well." When the bilingual school was founded in 2004, most of its students were native Chinese speakers or from multiracial families, she said. "Today, most of the students are native Hungarian speakers." The Chinese language has been incorporated into Hungary's national educational system and has become a college entrance exam subject in the country, she added. The school is a prime example of increased exchanges and cooperation between Hungary and China. Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, China and Hungary have in recent years maintained a high level of development in their relations. Quality agricultural products from Hungary, such as beef and wine, have entered households in China, and technologies that Hungarian companies have developed to empower interaction have been applied in Chinese museums and exhibition venues. New electric vehicles from Chinese brands NIO and BYD can also be seen frequently on the streets of Hungary. Hungary is the first European country to sign a Belt and Road cooperation document with China. And Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) for three consecutive times. "China is willing to continue working with Hungary to be good friends and partners who trust each other and pursue win-win cooperation, and to take the China-Hungary comprehensive strategic partnership to new levels," Xi said when he met with Orban during the BRF last year. As this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary, Xi's upcoming state visit to the European country is expected to elevate bilateral relations to a new level and yield more fruitful results. (Source: Xinhua) Adam Hassa, sitting in a refugee camp in Adre, Chad, last July, shows photos of his son and father, who he claims were killed by the Rapid Support Forces in West Darfur. When war broke out in Sudan in April 2023 between the regular army and the powerful Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, initially in the capital Khartoum, one of the greatest fears was that the fighting would spread to the hard-hit land of Darfur. This vast region in the west of the country is the fiefdom of the RSF and is marked by deep-rooted ethnic tensions, so there were fears that the conflict would take on a dimension of its own. Those omens were soon fulfilled and the advances of the RSF in the region have been accompanied by numerous atrocities. Violence against civilians in Sudan is widespread, but in Darfur it takes on a markedly ethnic character against local non-Arab communities, with the intention of wiping them off the map in campaigns that more and more observers and human rights organizations believe could amount to genocide. The atrocity of the crimes in Darfur are alarming given the recent history of the region. They come two decades after former President Omar al-Bashir launched a devastating counterinsurgency campaign there against armed movements of non-Arab communities rising up against his policies of marginalization and plunder. Al-Bashirs regime exploited local tensions arising from the growing competition between non-Arab farming communities and Arab pastoralist communities for increasingly scarce natural resources. Many considered that Al-Bashirs offensive led resulted in the ethnic cleansing of non-Arab communities, mainly Massalit, Fur and Zaghawa. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed, a scorched earth policy was applied against entire villages and large tracts of land, vast territories were forcibly depopulated, and sexual violence against women and girls was used systematically. Part of the militias to which the state delegated the campaign were institutionalized years later as the Rapid Support Forces. Massacre in Geneina The largest atrocities so far have been perpetrated in the capital of West Darfur, Geneina, which is mostly populated by the Massalit community. Between late April and early November 2023, the RSF and allied militias carried out a campaign of ethnic cleansing according to a report released Thursday by Human Rights Watch. The massacres in Geneina were in some ways the chronicle of a tragedy foretold. The convulsive period that began in Sudan in 2019 with the fall of Al-Bashir, attempts to redefine Darfurs political and security architecture, and the withdrawal of United Nations and African Union peacekeepers led to great instability and left Geneina, which suffered three large-scale attacks in just three years, dangerously exposed. Between 2019 and now [there have been] numerous major attacks on the same Massalit civilian population, and in none of these cases has there been any accountability, notes Mohamed Osman, one of the authors of the HRW report. It is carried out by the same groups, the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias, [and] there is no accountability, no real investigations, and no prioritization of civilian protection. Just 10 days after clashes broke out between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum in April 2023, the two engaged in brief fighting in Geneina. And what followed was two months of systematic attacks and looting by paramilitaries and allied militias in Massalit-majority neighborhoods and internally displaced people (IDP) centers. The situation deteriorated seriously on June 14, when the Massalit self-defense groups collapsed and the governor of West Darfur, Jamis Abbakar, was arrested and killed. A first mass exodus then took place in two directions: toward Chad and to Ardamata, a northern suburb of Geneina that hosts a garrison of the regular Sudanese Armed Forces. From dawn the following day, the paramilitaries and their allied militias set about expelling, house by house, those who had stayed behind. They also ambushed those who fled, who were subjected to widespread beatings, executions, and extortion, according to HRWs exhaustive report. The escape roads were strewn with corpses. In early November the final blow came. The RSF and their allies stormed Ardamata. Survivors told HRW that they again opened fire on fleeing civilians, executed people in their homes, detained hundreds, including children, carried out mass looting and set fire to residential areas. The RSF, which recruits mostly from Arab communities in Darfur, were central to all these attacks and the abuses that accompanied them, and the HRW report notes that Arab tribal militias apparently provided the majority of men. Another armed group of unclear origins, but allied with the paramilitaries, was also involved and some witnesses claimed to have seen foreign fighters in their ranks. Opposing them were Massalit self-defense groups and an armed movement led by Abbakar - the Sudanese Alliance - which were much smaller and less well-armed, and thus unable to stop the coup. The army and police failed to intervene. The string of atrocities in the campaign against Geneina was harrowing: widespread killings in houses, streets and checkpoints, the use of explosives in densely populated areas, targeted killings of prominent members of the community, rape, torture, and arbitrary arrests. The paramilitaries also deliberately looted, vandalized and burned down Massalit neighborhoods, attacked clinics and medical personnel, markets, critical infrastructure, and prevented community members from accessing places of refuge, food, and water, in an apparent attempt to severely undermine their ability to one day return, HRW concludes. A United Nations panel of experts asserted that the assaults were planned and coordinated, according to a document leaked in December, which estimated the number of people killed at between 10,000 and 15,000 according to intelligence sources. HRW also documented significant coordination between the attacking forces in and around Geneina. Sudanese refugees who fled the violence in the Darfur region near the border between Sudan and Chad, May 8, 2023. Zohra Bensemra (REUTERS) Scorched earth Although Geneina suffered the largest campaign of atrocities in Darfur, it was not the only place targeted. Numerous other non-Arab majority towns, particularly in West Darfur, have suffered similar assaults. Between April and July 2023 alone, paramilitaries and their allies attacked and burned at least seven villages in the region, according to HRW. The best documented case is the town of Misterei, from which the army withdrew in April, leaving it vulnerable to a possible attack. This came the following month, when the RSF and allied militias stormed the town in SUVs, on motorcycles, on horseback and on foot. They killed about 100 Massalits, shot those trying to flee, and looted and burned hundreds of homes, according to a report by the Raoul Wallenberg Centre of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. In North Darfur, a stronghold of non-Arab armed movements, similar massacres have also occurred. Last June, paramilitaries and allied militias stormed Kutum, a town 120 kilometers from the provincial capital, El Fasher, killing more than 40 people and wounding dozens, according to the Raoul Wallenberg Centre, which has documented a similar attack in at least one town with a majority Fur population. This report, which was endorsed by some 30 experts, concludes that the atrocities carried out by the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias in West Darfur are intended to destroy the Massalit community in whole or in part, and thus constitute a case of ongoing genocide. The institute also believes there is reason to believe that these forces are committing genocide against other non-Arab groups. The United Nations special adviser on the prevention of genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, stated in November that several of the attacks in Darfur could constitute acts of genocide. Soon after, the United States determined that the situation has disturbing echoes of the genocide that began nearly 20 years ago in Darfur. The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, announced as early as July 2023 that his office is investigating crimes in West Darfur. All these precedents mean that the worst is now feared in North Darfur. In April, the RSF launched a major offensive in the state and is now preparing to attack El Fasher, one of Sudans most populous cities and a haven for hundreds of thousands of displaced people. Its population is mostly from non-Arab ethnic communities that form the bulk of many local armed groups, so an assault could trigger one of the most destructive battles of the war. Geneina highlights the brutality of the Rapid Support Forces against the non-Arab civilian population, Osman warns. But at the same time, the international community failed to respond and now we see a massacre unfolding, or possibly unfolding, in El Fasher. We are seeing strong messages from international leaders and actors not to attack, but civilians are still in danger, he adds, which is why the humanitarian expert believes it is time to start considering the deployment of a civilian protection mission. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Southeast is lashed by more severe weather after deadly storms and tornadoes hit Tennessee Fragility of devolution highlighted as Senedd reflects on 25th anniversary This article is old - Published: Thursday, May 9th, 2024 The first minister warned that devolution remains fragile as Senedd members reflected on the 25th anniversary of the first election to the then-National Assembly. Vaughan Gething described the findings of an independent commission on Wales constitutional future as a wake-up call of the fragility of devolution as we know it. Mr Gething said the report highlights the opportunity costs of doing nothing to actively improve democracy and civil engagement in Wales. He told the chamber, also known as the Siambr: We have real challenges before us, and we cannot ever be complacent about our ability to achieve more for Wales. A better future for Wales needs us to take action and continue the devolution journey. The first minister highlighted successes of devolution so far, including carrier bag charges, free prescriptions, Wales opt-out system for organ donation and a new curriculum. Modern Wales Andrew RT Davies criticised those on the right of Welsh politics including some in his own party who argue the Senedd should be abolished. I dont agree with that, said the Tory group leader. And I will argue every time with anyone who says that Wales should put its parliament to one side and go back to a 1950s, 1960s model of government. Thats not the modern Wales we want to see. Mr Davies disagreed that devolution sets a trajectory towards inevitable independence as he called for a relentless focus on utilising current powers to improve peoples lives. Raising concerns about low turnout, he said the legitimacy of the Welsh Parliament will grow if a greater proportion of people vote in Senedd elections. He said: There is a lot of work to do and the big job of work is to get the people of Wales engaged as to what we can do as a parliament and what you can do as a government. Missed opportunities Rhun ap Iorwerth called for more innovation in the delivery of public services in Wales, with devolution providing a buffer against the headwinds of Westminster and beyond. The Plaid Cymru leader highlighted that Wales Governance Centre data shows a majority of people want more devolution, with support for independence almost tripling since 1999. He urged the Welsh Government to carve a distinct path for constitutional change in Wales. Mr Iorwerth lamented missed opportunities to make strides towards tackling challenges around the economy, health, education and child poverty. He said: Let us ensure the next 25 years focus on proving the true value of devolution, by tackling those challenges and strengthening our democracy. Community agitators Jane Dodds paid tribute to former Lib-Dem members Mick Bates and Aled Roberts, two very loyal and committed public servants, who died in recent years. The Lib Dems leader in Wales pointed out that her predecessor, Kirsty Williams, guided backbench legislation on nurse staffing levels through the Senedd onto the statute book. Ms Dodds, who represents Mid and West Wales, told the chamber her mother was part of a stakeholder group that helped in the development of the then-Assembly. She wasnt a politician at all; she was a community agitator, she said. And thats where, I think, we should be going back to: listening to those community agitators, making sure that we involve everybody across Wales. We have an awesome opportunity to continue to change Wales, to make it more radical, progressive, surprising and inspiring, but we do need to get back to listening. Outward-looking Vikki Howells, a Labour backbencher who represents Cynon Valley, said it should be a matter of pride that the Senedd has not only endured but matured. She said: Its not always been an easy journey, but we all owe a debt of gratitude to those who came before us and worked hard to establish a confident, outward-looking parliament. Luke Fletcher, who was three at the time of the 1999 election, pointed out that a generation has grown up with the Senedd. The Plaid Cymru MS for South Wales West stressed that delivering improvements to peoples lives must be the focus of the next 25 years. John Griffiths, who is one of the four sitting members first elected in 1999, called for new constitutional arrangements to recognise the reality of a devolved UK. Failure Adam Price, the former Plaid Cymru leader, raised concerns about low turnout, with less than half of the electorate voting in the six Senedd elections since 1999. He said I think the failure to achieve more than 50% turnout in any of the elections since the creation of the institution is a problem that we have to solve, isnt it? Because the longer that continues, the more it will erode the legitimacy but also the effectiveness of this institution. Mr Price, a former MP, who represents Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, urged Wales to introduce mandatory voting for the 2030 election. Mr Gething said he personally supports compulsory voting but the Welsh Government does not yet have a fixed position, suggesting it is not among his administrations priorities. Incredible Heledd Fychan, the Plaid Cymru MS for South Wales Central, highlighted that Wales was the first UK nation to introduce free access to museums. She said: It was a huge success; within a year, we saw an increase of 88% in those accessing our national collections, going from 764,599 to 1.4 million, which is incredible. Samuel Kurtz, the Conservative MS for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, who was seven in 1999, urged the public to have their say at the ballot box. Closing the statement on May 7, Elin Jones, who is the speaker or Llywydd, stressed that it is the peoples Senedd, not a politicians parliament. She said: We were elected to look forward, and to plan for the future, and thats what were doing here, for the next 25 years, and, indeed, the next century. By Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter The following speech was given by Maxim Goldarb, head of the Union of Left Forces For a New Socialism party, at the International May Day 2024 Online Rally, held Saturday, May 4. International May Day 2024 Online Rally I want to salute everyone who is watching this video in celebrating this Day of Workers Solidarity. I urge you to keep your heads up. Everything will work out. The Left Movement of Ukraine, which I am leading today, is in a very difficult situation. It has been banned by the Ukrainian nationalist, oligarchic regime ruling our country since 2014. All leftist, socialist, and communist parties are banned. Their activists and leaders are either in forced emigration, or in prison. Some have been murdered. These are todays realities in our country. And this is on the legislative level. That is, in accordance with current Ukrainian laws. If a person goes out to celebrate May Day with a red flag, he will be beaten by neo-Nazis who are controlled by the secret service, and then thrown in jail for a few years. Such are the realities of today. Just a few days ago, Pyotr Tochko died. He was the founder of the Union of Left Forces of Ukraine, the party I lead, and a world-renowned historian and academician. He was 86 years old when he died under house arrest. Criminal prosecution had been brought against him. The charge for alleged treason was preposterous, stupid, and absurd. Undoubtedly, the criminal prosecution hastened his demise. I can cite a lot of such examples. You know about many of them yourselves. Despite everything, we do not give up, we keep our heads high. We are confident in our victory, we are confident that, in Ukraine, in the end, no matter what, normal, healthy socialism will triumph. We are confident that we will eventually lead Ukraine out of the dark and terrible corner where it has been led today by the oligarchic regime and its puppets. So I want to wish you, dear comrades, strength of spirit, and to tell all of you that we are in solidarity with you. We are in solidarity with all normal people, who are fighting for human rights and the rights of labor all over the world. I am confident that the time will come when those who labor will receive the product of their labor. This will be just, normal, and humane, the way we want it to be. Im sure that the time will come when all those who have caused suffering and harm to mankind, all those bigwigs, imperialists, oligarchs, their mongrels, Nazis and fascists, will be harshly judged by the people in every country. Happy holiday to you! Happy May Day! The following speech was given by Will Lehman, an autoworker at Mack Trucks in Macungie, Pennsylvania and member of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees, at the International May Day 2024 Online Rally, held Saturday, May 4. International May Day 2024 Online Rally On behalf of American autoworkers and the American working class, I want to extend revolutionary greetings to the brothers and sisters attending this May Day rally all over the world. This holiday is about us, the international working class. Labor knows no borders. Last year, many North American autoworkers went through an important fight over the exploitative conditions that we confront in the factories. In plant after plant, workers had ratified strike authorization votes by 90 percent or more, demonstrating an immense desire to fight. Where the fight went wrong was where it began in the hands of the UAW bureaucracy. The first action the UAW bureaucrats took was to weaken any strike action as much as possible. The stand up strike was devised as a way of dividing us up and limiting any negative effect to automaker profits as much as possible. Workers need to study the international and historical experience of the workers movement. As a class, we will not find a substitute for serious study of the past. And we can also learn from recent history. Last year our fight was betrayed and dead-ended by the UAW bureaucracy. It is of immense importance that we analyze the struggle that we went through and draw the necessary political conclusions from it, so we do not suffer the same losses again. What workers need to understandone of the most important lessons from these past selloutsis that they are not the results of individual union leaders. The pseudo-left tried to make American autoworkers believe that Shawn Fain was some sort of union militant who would reform the union. But as soon as he got installed in office in a bogus election, Fain arranged the sellout that is already causing layoffs and plant closures. The same thing happened in the Teamsters, where drivers were told that Sean OBrien was a union reformer. Then he too forced a sellout contract on the workers. Fain and OBrien are now busy making the rounds with Biden and Trump. President Joe Biden stands with Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers, at the United Auto Workers' political convention, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, in Washington. [AP Photo/Alex Brandon] The lesson is that the unions cant be made to represent workers by changing the figures at the top. The bureaucracy represents its own, separate interests from rank-and-file workers. It is committed to the profits and wealth of the corporations that it actually represents. Because the bureaucracy is committed to defending the profits of the corporations, it is committed to the increased exploitation of autoworkers. When that does not satisfy the corporate profit drive, the unions are ready to support layoffs and plant closures. Like they are committed to the profits of their corporations, the union bureaucracies are committed to their own capitalist countries. That is why everywhere they are rallying to the cause of war, like Shawn Fain is in the US with his talk of making American factories an arsenal of democracy. What we as workers need to connect as a class is that the fight against exploitation is the same fight as the fight against war. The connection becomes easier to make when we pose the questions: Whose class interests does the war serve? And whose class interests does the exploitation of workers as a class serve? The answer is the class that owns the plants and other means of production, the class that gets rich off of our sweatthe capitalist class. That is the same American capitalist class that is handing over the weapons to destroy Gaza and that is trying to launch a world war against Russia and China. Workers have to understand that in any major war we will be the ones asked to sacrificeand not only our wages, but our lives. The fight against exploitation in the factories and imperialist war abroad cannot be won by relying on the trade union bureaucracies and the two capitalist political parties. The lessons of both recent struggles and those of the past cannot be forgiven and forgotten, they must be thoroughly learned. And once learned, it is our responsibility to share those lessons with our co-workers. As we meet today, the Biden administration and both parties of the American ruling class are carrying out an unprecedented and dictatorial police assault on students protesting against the Gaza genocide on college campuses across the US. Over 1,000 youth and students have been arrested. Similar crackdowns are taking place in Germany, Australia and internationally. As workers, we must rally to the defense of students. They need our support, and their fight is our fight. Virginia State Police assaulting anti-genocide protesters on the University of Virginia campus, May 4, 2024. Brothers and sisters, we, the workers of the world, have the power in our hands to put an end to imperialist war once and for all. It is we who produce all the wealth of society. It is we who run the factories, the plants, logistics and transportation. But we workers have to learn the lessons of history. And we have to recognize our own class interests, and how to understand who is lying to us and who is telling us the truth. The World Socialist Web Site and International Committee of the Fourth International always tell workers the truth. Again, Happy May Day to my brothers and sisters the world over! Stop imperialist war, fascism and dictatorship! End the exploitation of the working class! Build the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees! Join the ICFI and take up the fight for socialism! Israel, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, continues to focus on attacking while negotiating a possible ceasefire. The army is holding the positions it gained in the early hours of Tuesday in Rafah, in the southeast of the Palestinian enclave. It has not advanced on the ground, nor has it occupied the urban area or carried out large-scale incursions into densely populated parts of the city. But the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Wednesday that troops were carrying out a precise counterterrorism operation within specific areas of eastern Rafah to weaken Hamas. At the same time, airstrikes are continuing over densely populated areas, as the southern tip of the Gaza Strip, where Rafah is located, is now housing around 1.5 million people who are not receiving humanitarian aid, the United Nations has denounced. More than 24 hours have elapsed since the Israeli assault and takeover of the strategic border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. The decision to invade the Rafah area without entering the population center confirms the strategy outlined by Netanyahu, who insists that Hamas fundamentalists have four battalions there. The idea is to use this operation as a weapon of pressure against the fundamentalist militia in the ceasefire negotiations that will allow for the release of hostages. At the same time, the Israeli leader is caught in the middle of a complicated political and social balancing act where he must take into account the internal counterweights that keep his government under threat, and the international pressure to not destroy Rafah, where it is assumed that the majority of the some 130 hostages still in the Strip are being held. It is estimated that several dozen of them may have died. Their relatives also pressure Netanyahu every day with demonstrations. Ceasefire talks in Cairo In parallel, an Israeli delegation remains in Cairo, which the local media has described as low-profile, enough to suggest the indirect contacts with the Hamas leadership to reach a ceasefire agreement have not ended. There has been no progress in the Egyptian capital but the negotiators will continue there, an official source told Reuters Wednesday. Meanwhile, CIA director William Burns traveled to Israel Wednesday after holding meetings in Qatar and Egypt, the two leading mediating countries alongside Washington. The head of U.S. intelligence will meet with Netanyahu, in addition to holding other talks with the intention of ironing out differences with Hamas. The White House has defended the presence of the Israeli military inside Rafah, despite criticizing the intention to invade the area in recent weeks. Washington expressed reservations, especially since Israel had no plan to safeguard the hundreds of thousands of civilians packed into the south of the Strip. The vast majority have already been displaced from other parts of Gaza and headed south after Israel promised it was a safe zone. People are wondering where to go, says Mohamed Al Najjar, a 23-year-old law student, via voicemail messages from the Tel Al Sultan neighborhood in western Rafah, as he watches cars loaded with families drive by. That is the farthest area about five kilometers (3.1 miles) from the border crossing taken by the occupying troops, so Al Najjars family has no plans at the moment to leave the building in which some 50 people of all ages are sheltering. We live in a permanent state of confusion, not knowing what to do, because there is no safe place in Rafah. The streets of the city echo with the cries of innocent lives lost, families torn apart and homes reduced to rubble. We stand on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe of unprecedented proportions, warned Rafah Mayor Ahmed Al-Sofi in an appeal to the international community to intervene, reports Reuters. There has been continuous shelling in this area throughout the day. No fuel or aid has been coming in, he added. A major concern for the United Nations and humanitarian organizations is how the arrival of Israeli troops in Rafah will complicate providing aid to displaced Gazans. Israel announced Wednesday that it was reopening the Kerem Shalom border crossing, which has been closed since Hamas launched an attack last Sunday that killed four Israeli servicemen. Late on Wednesday, an Israeli military spokesman told Efe news agency that Israel had closed the crossing again, following an alleged new attack by Hamas. The Rafah crossing, the other route through which humanitarian aid enters the Strip, remains closed. Palestinians gather to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen in Rafah, May 8, 2024. Hatem Khaled (REUTERS) Humanitarian aid The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warns that no aid in the form of food or fuel is reaching Gaza, which is disastrous for the humanitarian response, said UNRWA spokeswoman Louise Wateridge. In the area around Kerem Shalom, which Israel claims to have reopened, there are ongoing military operations and it is an active war zone. We are hearing continuous shelling in this area throughout the day, she added. Israel has released a video taken with a drone showing the movement of trucks in Kerem Shalom. Without fuel all humanitarian operations will stop. Hospitals in the south of Gaza only have three days of fuel left, which means services may soon come to a halt, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, stated on X. One of the three hospitals in Rafah, Al-Najjar, is no longer functioning due to the ongoing hostilities in its vicinity and the military operation in Rafah. Faced with the uncertainty of a potential more destructive military advance, around 10,000 people have left their homes or tents since Monday for a place they consider safer, according to UNRWA data, after Israel issued evacuation orders to the inhabitants of several neighborhoods in eastern Rafah. However, there is no safe zone in Gaza, according to citizens and humanitarian organizations, contradicting the maps with which Israel tries to guide the evacuations particularly to the Al Mawasi encampment area north of Rafah which in reality are forced population displacements considered illegal by the United Nations. In Rafah I saw amputee children living in tents because the hospitals were full. Those children are now being told, along with many others, to go to areas like Al Mawasi, which are considered safe. There, UNICEF reported a couple of weeks ago the case of a boy, Mustapha, who left home to get parsley for dinner and was shot in the head. Mustapha was killed in the so-called safe zone of Al Mawasi, James Elder, spokesman for the UN agency, said from Geneva on Monday. Mohamed Al Najjar sends EL PAIS a video of a deserted street in Rafah, with shuttered stores, full of garbage, and with the wind blowing plastic bags among the squawking of birds. This street was crowded until two days ago! Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The six-year-long UK public inquiry into the contaminated blood scandal is to announce its findings this month, on May 20. During the 1970s and 1980s, major pharmaceutical companies supplied Factor 8 blood products infected with the hepatitis and HIV viruses, leading to the deaths since of thousands of people in the UK and internationally. Around 30,000 people in the UK were infected with hepatitis C and/or HIV after receiving contaminated blood or blood products, including 380 children. At least 3,000 died and the rest were left severely ill. The death rate among survivors is extremely high, with roughly one person affected dying every four days, and many having their lives destroyed. Bottles of Factor VIII haemophilia treatment [Photo by JJEv810 - Own work / CC BY-SA 4.0 So horrific are the events and the subsequent decades-long cover-up by successive governments that gruesome details are still emerging in the weeks up to the publication of the Inquirys report. In April, the BBC revealed new documents showing medical trials involving children had taken place for more than 15 years, with many infected with hepatitis C and HIV. The practises, recalling the hideous medical experiments of the Nazi Angel of Death Josef Mengele, involved carrying out trials on children with blood clotting disorders. In many cases this was done without families consenting to the children taking part. The majority of the children who were enrolled in the trials are now dead, many dying decades before their natural life span. The BBC reported on a number of cases: Luke OShea-Phillips, now aged 42, has haemophiliaa blood clotting disorder that means he bruises and bleeds more easily than most. The BBC notes, He caught the potentially lethal viral infection hepatitis C while being treated at the Middlesex Hospital, in central London, which was administered because of a small cut to his mouth, aged three, in 1985. Documents seen by the BBC suggest he was deliberately given the blood product - which his doctor knew might have been infected - so he could be enrolled in a clinical trial. The doctor wanted to find out how likely patients were to catch diseases from a new version of heat-treated Factor VIII. Though he had never been treated for his condition before, Luke was given heat-treated Factor VIII to stop his mouth bleeding. The BBC confirmed the existence of a letter from Lukes doctor, Samuel Machin, to another doctor, Peter Kernoff, based at Londons Royal Free Hospital. Machin detailed the treatment of Luke and another boy, asking: I hope they will be suitable for your heat-treated trial. Speaking to the BBC, Luke said, I was a guinea pig in clinical trials that could have killed me There is no other way to explain itmy treatment was changed so I could be enrolled in clinical trials. This change in medication gave me a fatal diseasehepatitis Cyet my mother was never even told. The BBCs report states, Documents reveal doctors knew Luke had contracted hepatitis C as early as 1993, but he was not told until 1997. One medical record states a positive test result and says: Have not discussed with patient or family. Luke is now clear of the disease after successful treatment, but many others involved in the trial have perished. Among them are many from Treloars College, a disabled childrens specialist boarding school near Alton, in Hampshire, England, with an NHS haemophilia unit on site. The BBC reports that the schools doctor, Anthony Aronstam, who like Machin and Kernoff is now dead, used his unique cohort of boys for extensive clinical trials. One series of experiments considered whether using three to four times more Factor VIII than normally required by a child would help to reduce the number of bleeds he had. This involved repeated injections with infected Factor VIII products and follow-up blood tests. The high concentrations of infected blood products were administered to the boys without theiror their parentsconsent. The majority (75) of the 122 pupils attending Treloars College between 1974-1987 have died of HIV and hepatitis C infections. Large numbers of people are living with the consequences of these medical experiments without even knowing it. According to a BBC analysis of statistics submitted to the Inquiry and Freedom of Information requests submitted to infected blood support schemes, About 1,750 people in the UK are living with an undiagnosed hepatitis C infection after being given a transfusion with contaminated blood. If not detected and treated, hepatitis C remains in the body for years, increasing the chances of a horrific death. One of the victims who died last year, Maureen Arkley, was diagnosed with hepatitis C and died five months later of untreatable liver cancer, weighing less than four stone. Maureen had an operation in 1976 involving multiple blood transfusions and was never tested for hepatitis C over the next five decades. Besides grotesquely unethical research motives, financial incentives were at play. In November 1976, the Telegraph writes, Immuno AG, an Austrian company that was a major supplier to the Department of Health, was seeking a licence change to allow it to supply a blood product from those paid to donate in the US According to the minutes of a meeting of medics in the company, it had been proven that there was a significantly higher hepatitis risk from a concentrate known as Kryobulin 2 made from US plasma However, The company had concluded there was a preference in the UK for the cheaper US option. The memo of the meeting said: Kryobulin 2 will be significantly cheaper than Kryobulin 1 because the British market will accept a higher risk of hepatitis for a lower-priced product. The paper reports on a letter from January 1981 showing St Thomas Hospital in London was offered thousands of pounds in rebates for buying Factor VIII made in the US by Bayer and Baxter Healthcare. For every 250,000 units purchased, Dr Geoffrey Savidge, director of St Thomas haemophilia centre, was offered 400, equivalent to almost 2,000 today. Again, the risks were known. When the first three people with haemophilia came down with AIDS in the US in July 1982, writes the Telegraph, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warned the fatal illness could be caused by a blood-borne agent in Factor VIII. In December 1982, Bayers Cutter Laboratories discovered chimpanzees had developed AIDS-like symptoms after also being treated with Factor VIII, according to an internal memo. However, the company didnt warn patients about the potential risks. The paper adds, Revlon Healthcare-owned Armour Pharmaceuticals suppressed evidence from 1985 to 1986 that HIV had been discovered in its safe version of Factor VIII, which had been heat-treated to kill viruses. Two Conservative governments (1979-1997) and two Labour governments (1997-2010) ensured that a systematic cover-up took place. The BBC reported how the Inquiry has also heard how several batches of minutes and background papers involving the work of the Advisory Committee on the Virological Safety of Blood were shredded between 1994 and 1998. The files were destroyed at a time when officials were told there was considerable potential for litigation over infected blood and after ministers were charged in France over the scandal in poisoning haemophiliacs. In 2019, the Inquiry heard of medical records going missing without a trace for those infected after blood transfusions. An interim report published by the Inquirys Chair Sir Brian Langstaff last year concluded that wrongs were done at individual, collective and systemic levels and that parents and children who suffered bereavements as a result of infected blood should receive 100,000 interim compensation payments. Whether this is acted on by the Sunak government remains to be seen. Even if so, it in no way compensates for the thousands of deaths and decades of ruined lives. Nor would it see justice done. The Inquiry is governed by the Blair Labour governments 2005 Inquiries Act, which excludes determining any persons civil or criminal liability. Such cruel and murderous crimes should be punished by the courts. A full criminal investigation should be launched, with all those who played a part in the distribution, administering and covering up of infected bloodwhether in political or corporate circles or within the National Health Servicecharged and brought to trial. The launch of Israels long-planned assault on Rafah, the last unoccupied part of the Gaza Strip, has created a humanitarian catastrophe, displacing tens of thousands of Palestinians and threatening the entire population with starvation. A tent camp housing Palestinians displaced by the Israeli offensive is seen in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. [AP Photo/Hatem Ali] On Monday, the Israeli military dropped leaflets over portions of Rafah, instructing over 100,000 people to leave the area immediately. This was followed on Tuesday by an Israeli offensive to seize the Rafah crossing to Egypt, leading to the total suspension of the entry of humanitarian aid into the territory. No aid trucks have entered Rafah since Sunday, the UN said, warning that fuel stocks in Gaza will be depleted within days. Much of Gaza, particularly in the north, is already suffering a full-blown famine, Cindy McCain, the head of the World Food Program, said Saturday. And every day that the Rafah crossing is shut down, the more desperate the humanitarian situation becomes. Andrea De Domenico, head of operations in the Palestinian territories for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said Tuesday that most food distribution in southern Gaza was halted Monday. He added that unless more supplies are allowed in, the treatment of more than 3,000 children with acute malnutrition will be interrupted. While Israeli officials claimed they would reopen the Rafah crossing Wednesday, UN officials made clear that it remained effectively closed due to ongoing military operations in the area. The crossing area has ongoing military operations and is an active war zone, said UNRWA spokesperson Louise Wateridge. We are hearing continued bombardments in this area throughout the day. No fuel or aid has entered into the Gaza Strip, and this is disastrous for the humanitarian response. Gazan officials said Israeli forces carried out an attack on border employees Wednesday when they attempted to retrieve aid near the crossing. With that crossing now being closed, our whole humanitarian operation on the ground is compromised, said Ricardo Pires, a spokesman for the United Nations Childrens Agency. If the crossing is not urgently reopened, the entire civilian population in Rafah and in the Gaza Strip will be at greater risk of famine, disease and death, he said. An estimated 1.2 million displaced people are currently crowded in Rafah under squalid conditions, without sufficient food, water, sanitation or medicine. This figure includes over 600,000 children who are highly vulnerable and at the edge of survival, the United Nations Childrens Fund wrote. Over 1 million Gazans are facing catastrophic food insecurity, with one-third of children under the age of two suffering from acute malnutrition. The acute starvation of the population is coupled with the effect of perpetual bombing. The Euro-Med Monitor reported Wednesday, In less than 48 hours, this bombardment has resulted in the destruction of approximately 18 homes, the majority of which collapsed on top of their occupants heads, killing 52 Palestinians, including 17 children and 14 women. Israels evacuation orders for sections of Rafah have caused panic, with people attempting to flee without adequate transportation and fuel. Food prices have surged. Since 6 May, tens of thousands of people, many of whom have already been displaced multiple times, have been forced to leave Rafah governorate in search of increasingly limited options for safety, the UNs humanitarian office wrote. It added, the few sites to which people are already relocating are without adequate latrines, water points, drainage, or shelter, but humanitarian agencies are unable to improve conditions with no fuel and other supplies coming in. Despite repeated claims by the United States that an attack on Rafah had not begun, the United Nations was categorical that an offensive was underway. On 7 May, a ground operation by the Israeli military began in eastern Rafah, including the areas of Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings as well as some 31 square kilometers where residents were ordered to evacuate on 6 May, the UN noted. I am disturbed and distressed by the renewed military activity in Rafah, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday. The United States has publicly stated that it opposes a full-scale Israeli assault on Rafah, even while making clear the US would continue to fund and arm the Israeli regime if the assault took place. On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden said that the United States would consider blocking the transfer of some weapons to Israel if they go into Rafah. Biden said, if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically, to deal with Rafah, to deal with the citiesthat deal with that problem. The syntax is muddled, to put it mildly, but Biden appeared to be referring to delaying shipments of 2,000-pound bombs that Israel has used to flatten entire city blocks and kill hundreds of people at a time. Earlier in the day, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told a Senate committee that the US had stated that Israel shouldnt launch a major attack into Rafah without accounting for and protecting the civilians that are in that battle space, and again, as we have assessed the situation, we have paused one shipment of high payload munitions. Last week, the US temporarily held up a shipment of 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs to Israel, US media sources reported. Biden was categorical, however, that the United States would continue to provide other weapons to Israel, declaring, Were going to continue to make sure Israel is secure. He added, Were not walking away from Israels security. This was in keeping with Bidens declaration in March, There is no red line that I am going to cut off all weapons. Writing in the New York Times, journalist Peter Baker noted, The Biden administration is still allowing most other weapons to be sent to Israel, and in fact, officials emphasized that no final decision has even been made on the bombs that are currently in limbo. Bakers article continued, officials said they would still provide every dollar of aid authorized in the new congressional package. Over the past seven months, the United States has provided over 100 separate arms shipments to Israel. The US provides Israel with $3.8 billion in annual funding, and Biden just signed into law a bill that sends billions more. The United States has provided more than $160 billion in weapons and funding to Israel since it was founded. On Wednesday, Gazas media office reported that a third mass grave has been found at Shifa Hospital, containing at least 49 bodies, and that seven mass grave sites had been found at Gazan hospitals so far, containing more than 520 bodies. According to press reports, some of the bodies had been decapitated. On Monday, a group of UN experts issued a statement declaring, We are horrified at details emerging from mass graves recently unearthed in the Gaza Strip. Over 390 bodies have been discovered at Nasser and Al Shifa hospitals, including of women and children, with many reportedly showing signs of torture and summary executions, and potential instances of people buried alive. Thousands of university and college students across Bangladesh staged demonstrations on Monday, joining the wave of international student protests opposing the imperialist-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza. The protesting Bangladeshi students also condemned the brutal police crackdown on students at university campuses and colleges across the US where they are also campaigning against Israels barbaric war. Bangladeshi students wave Palestinian flags as they march during a pro-Palestinian demonstration at the Dhaka University in Bangladesh, May 6, 2024 [AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu] Dhaka University was the main centre of Mondays protests with students participating from other campuses and colleges. According to the Bangladesh-based New Age, other demonstrations were held at universities in Jahangirnagar, Chittagong, Comilla, Rajshahi and the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology. Significant numbers of students also protested at Shah Azizul Haque College in Bogura and Mymensinghs Agricultural University. Palestinian students enrolled at these universities and university lecturers also participated. The students at the rallies and marches carried banners with slogans such as Free Palestine, Stop Genocide! Down with Zionism! Ceasefire in Gaza now! The rally at Dhaka University, which was joined by several university lecturers, was under the banner Solidarity with Free Palestine Movement in American Universities! Solaiman Khan, a 23-year-old Dhaka University student, told Arab News: The US and some other big players always speak in favor of freedom of speech. But what we have seen at university campuses in the US is a shame for all world leaders. He added: The youth [of Bangladesh] have come onto the streets against this sort of hypocrisy from the superpowers of the world. Another student said: We are here for the basic human rights of Palestinian people, for liberty, peace, harmony and justice. We Bangladeshis know about war, we know about peace, we know conflicts and sufferings, we know the tragedy of colonisation, occupation, suppression and repression and we [know] the sufferings of the Palestinian people. Issaq Nomura, a Palestinian studying in Bangladesh, told the Dhaka Tribune, The first protest started at Columbia University, spread to universities across the USA and is now at universities all around the world. We stand today in solidarity with these people [students]. I want to shout my heart out to students back in my home Palestine. There are 300,000 Palestinian students in Gaza who cannot go to their schools or their colleges or universities. Mondays nationwide demonstrations were preceded by an anti-genocide protest by Dhaka University students on Sunday. Mosaddek Ibne Mohammad Ali, who attended that event, told the media: What Israel has been doing to the people of Gaza is clearly a war crime and genocide. The Netanyahu administration has violated all the humanitarian laws. This illegal war must be stopped for the sake of humanity. He condemned the Biden administrations unwavering support for Israel and recalled previous US imperialist wars: They violated the laws of democracy in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and now they are violating democracy in their own country [by] attacking and imprisoning the students. Dhaka University law professor Nakib Mahmud Nasrullah supported the demonstration declaring that Israels genocidal attacks on Gaza were a global question. It is not just an important issue for Muslims to stand with the people of Palestine Netanyahu and Biden are the direct supporters of this war and they are war criminals. This weeks protests were mainly organised by the Bangladesh Students League, the student wing of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas ruling Awami League. Its president, Saddam Hussain, read out a Memorandum of Peace at the end of Mondays protest at Dhaka University. The memorandum condemned the witch-hunting of students at US universities, noting the students were defying intimidation and repression, demanding divestment from the arms that fill the machinery of oppression and genocide In line with the Awami Leagues pro-capitalist policies, Hussain made a futile appeal to the world leaders, including the US and other major powers, for peace. But these are the very same forces who fully support and provide billions of dollars in weaponry for the Netanyahu regimes criminal war. Hussain called for these imperialist powers to stand in solidarity with the oppressed, to fight for justice, peace and equality now. Addressing a press conference on May 2, Prime Minister Hasina also criticised the arrest of the US students as a breach of human rights and questioned whether it was part of the US democracy. Hasinas comments about human rights and democracy are completely hypocritical and exposed by her governments repression of opposition parties and its violent assaults on the basic rights and jobs, wages and living standards of Bangladeshi workers and the poor. Bangladeshi student protests are an expression of the growing global opposition of young people and workers against the bloody war being carried out by the fascistic Netanyahu regime, backed to the hilt by the imperialist powers. Campus university encampments and other protests have spread across the US and to Canada, Germany, France, Australia, Spain, Rome, Japan and Lebanon and continue despite police crackdowns. So far, about 2,500 US student protesters have been arrested on false allegations of violence in the US, but all the violence is being perpetrated by the National Guard and militarised police in riot gear, to break up the university encampments. Similar police attacks have been reported in France, Germany and the UK. However, to end the genocide in Gaza, requires a revolutionary perspective and program. The International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) and the World Socialist Web Site have called on students to turn to the international working class, the only social force that can halt the Netanyahu regimes criminal attacks, the NATO-led war against in Russia in Ukraine and rapidly escalating preparation for a US-led military conflict with China. The WSWS is providing extensive coverage of the student protests globally, including live updates, and outlining a revolutionary socialist and internationalist perspective to prevent a catastrophic war between nuclear-armed powers. We urge Bangladeshi students and workers to regularly read and circulate the WSWS. David Banks, chancellor of New York Public schools, May 8, 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington. [AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin] On Wednesday, the heads of three large public school districts in the United States became the latest school officials to testify before the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education on the alleged rise of antisemitic behavior on school campuses. Previous hearings under the umbrella of the Committee on Education and the Workforce featured testimony from Ivy League presidents, some of whom, such as former Harvard President Claudine Gay, were forced to step down after balking at fully embracing the committees equating of opposition to genocide against Palestinians in Gaza with antisemitism. Witnesses at the latest hearing included David Banks, chancellor of New York City Public Schools, Karla Silvestre, president of the Montgomery County Board of Education in Maryland, and Enikia Ford Morthel, superintendent of the Berkeley Unified School District in California. Wednesdays degrading spectacle was the latest in a series of public witch-hunts led by the Republicans, with support from the Democrats. In order to block the development of a mass movement against war and its source, the capitalist system, the Republicans and Democrats are throwing down the ideological gauntlet to school administrators, teachers and presidents: Those who refuse to toe the US/Israeli line will be slandered, investigated and terminated. The hearings on Capitol Hill, which began after Israel launched its war of annihilation on Gaza following the October 7, 2023, Hamas raid, have nothing to do with combating antisemitism and everything to do with intimidating, isolating and crushing anti-war resistance among students, youth and workers. The Republican-led committee is dominated by far-right representatives who have pledged their fealty to Donald Trump, an admirer of Adolf Hitler and promoter of the antisemitic and anti-immigrant Great Replacement Theory. Wednesdays hearing marked a qualitative development in the US government crackdown on the democratic rights of the working class. It was the first hearing that featured as witnesses K-12 public school officials. It was chaired by Florida Rep. Aaron P. Bean. Like virtually every Republican, Bean promotes the Great Replacement Theory, a fascist conspiracy theory that claims rich Jewish people and organizations, and their Democratic Party allies, are systematically importing non-white people into the United States in order to rig elections against Republicans (real Americans) and subjugate white Christians. Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Florida speaks during a hearing on alleged antisemitism in K-12 public schools, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington. [AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin] On May 3, less than a week before the hearing was held, Rep. Bean tweeted that New York Senator Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish official in Congress, was refusing to stop the border invasion by design. Two weeks prior, on April 17, Bean tweeted that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who is also Jewish, supports the border invasion. The day before, on April 16, Bean wrote on Twitter: I voted twice to impeach Secretary Mayorkas, not once, but TWICE. Its time for the Senate to hold a trial, render a verdict, and hold Sec. Mayorkas accountable for his role in the border invasion. Bean has tweeted about the border invasion and criminal aliens over a half-dozen times since the start of the year. All the witnesses for Wednesdays hearing were drawn from more liberal districts, to help Republicans portray antisemitism as a left-wing problem. In reality, antisemitism is a hallmark of the fascist right, which is why neo-Nazis like Nick Fuentes and Kanye West are welcomed in the Republican Party and at Trumps dinner table. Seeking to placate the right-wing politicians, the school officials touted their commitment to stamping out anti-Israel sentiment. In his opening statement, Banks emphasized that he was a former school safety officer, and that he was appointed to his current position by former New York police officer and current Mayor Eric Adams. Mayor Adams condemned and I condemned the heinous acts of Hamas, Banks assured the committee, adding: We have removed, disciplined or are in the process of disciplining at least a dozen staff and school leaders, including removing a principal in the middle of a school year. We have suspended at least 30 students, we have involved the NYPD Banks also noted that the district was working with several pro-Zionist Jewish organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, which has spearheaded, along with the Biden White House, the campaign to equate opposition to Israel with antisemitism. Bean opened the hearing by asking every school official if Israel had the right to exist as a Jewish state. Every witness answered Yes. Bean then asked, From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free, is that antisemitic? Banks, the head of the New York public schools, responded that most Jewish people would agree that it is, and as such, it is not allowed in our schools I would say its antisemitic. Silvestre and Ford Morthel included a caveat, but likewise agreed that the phrase was antisemitic. All the officials agreed with the sentence: Hamas actions on October 7 were a terrorist attack. Wednesdays hearing underscored the terror within the ruling class of the potential for the anti-genocide encampments, walkouts and protests at college campuses across the US and internationally to spread further and link up with workers. Unable to justify its war crimes, the ruling class seeks to deflect and slander anti-war opposition and suppress the democratic rights of students and workers. Despite massive police repression and threats of expulsion, students throughout the United States and internationally continue to protest the genocide in Gaza, including through the establishment of encampments on universities. On Wednesday, Jake, a history student at Cal State-Los Angeles and participant in the Gaza solidarity encampment launched at the school on May 1, spoke with this author. The Gaza solidarity encampment at Cal State Los Angeles, May 2024. [Photo: Students For Justice in Palestine at California State University Los Angeles] Asked to comment on the claim that opposition to genocide against the Palestinians is antisemitic, Jake replied: Its the classic strategy of trying to tie all criticism of Israel to antisemitism, to delegitimize it. This has always been the goal of Zionist organizations, who want to delegitimize any sort of criticism, including by Jews who criticize Israel. Its all pretty disgusting, but thats its own uniquely kind of disgusting form of smearing criticism of Zionism and of Israel. Were not antisemitic, of course. I would just like to reiterate that we have a problem with Israel because of its nature as a settler colonial state and because of the genocide that is currently perpetrated. We would have a problem with any genocide going on right now. Reflecting on the bipartisan campaign to smear anti-genocide protesters, Jake added: Democrats for a long time have basically had, on both foreign policy and domestic economic policy, essentially identical opinions to Republicans. They have no problem with Israel, and no problem with Zionism, or just imperialism in general. We saw that as far back as the Iraq War. Tons of Democrats voted for the Iraq war and supported it. Memorial for the martyrs of Gaza at Cal State Los Angeles. [Photo: Students For Justice in Palestine at California State University Los Angeles] Jake explained that, like other encampments established at over 120 universities throughout the world in the last three weeks, the Cal State LA encampment was demanding that the university cut financial ties to Israel. He said: We want our school to do that. We want to engage in a full academic boycott of any partnership with institutions, universities, and organizations that invest in, support and legitimize the Zionist regime of Israel. Even beyond the fiscal situation of a lot of students, which is, I thinkmaybe dire is the wrong word, but uniquely precarious for a lot of Cal State LA students. We have a very high working class population in the student body, as well as a very high non-white population in the student body The continued funding for Israel and genocide is the focus of a lot of these universities, or at least, a higher priority than their students. At Cal State LA, one of our buildings where classes are held, King Hall, was discovered at the beginning of the semester to have asbestos in it. And since then, it has been discovered it also has mold and lead in it. So a university certainly should be spending the money on that, on fixing that, rather than on genocide. And the fact that they havent, really shows that they dont care about their students as much as they should, at least. Jake said that since the encampment was established last week, A lot of people have come by to support us, including teachers with Faculty for Justice in Palestine. Anti-genocide students and their supporters rally at Cal State Los Angeles, May 2024. [Photo: Students For Justice in Palestine at California State University Los Angeles] Asked to comment on the role of the police in suppressing encampments, including over 2,500 arrests in the last three weeks, Jake observed: The police exist to maintain the current order, right? In the United States they continue to partnership with Israel, the LAPD, and I believe a lot of other police departments around the United States, are actually trained by the IDF So it makes a lot of sense that they are the ones suppressing these protests. He continued: Its very exciting to see strikes and industrial labor action. It is something that can actually make a difference aside from voting the political parties. I believe definitely there needs to be more action. Im a history student. Over the course of the 20th century, a lot of that radicalism was drained away from the trade unions, in large part due to violent suppression from the government and from capital. So the labor unions that remain are the ones who are inoffensive to the government, and that means that they are not organizations that can necessarily be trusted in a moment like this when we need to make decisions that are against the dictates of capital and against the interests of the American government. I do appreciate that rank and file workers in these unions do support Palestine and want action from their unions. But I think similarly to how we feel about Joe Bidens politics, I think that the rank-and-file members need to take things into their own hands in order to force that. Brazils President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (Workers Party - PT) attended last Wednesdays May Day rally called by Brazils largest trade unions, including the PT-controlled CUT. Elected with their unanimous and unprecedented support in 2022, the Lula government is carrying out a corporatist agenda to integrate the unions into the Brazilian state to help suppress the class struggle in Brazil. Lula and the candidate for mayor of Sao Paulo, Guilherme Boulos (PSOL), during the May Day rally in Sao Paulo [Photo: Ricardo Stuckert/Twitter] Under the theme For a fairer Brazil, the May Day rally served on the one hand, for the Brazilian trade union federations and the elements of the Brazilian pseudo-left gathered in the Socialism and Freedom Party (PSOL), to prepare for this years municipal elections, particularly in Sao Paulo, Brazils largest city where the rally was held. On the other hand, the union bureaucrats hailed the reconstruction of Brazil that the Lula government is allegedly carrying out as they look for ways to reverse both the unions financial collapse and their decline in membership . The unprecedented unity of the Brazilian trade union federations in the May Day rallies since the election of the fascistic ex-president Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022) was explained by Sergio Nobre, president of the CUT, who said that it was fundamental to the election of President Lula. In addition, these rallies also provided important spaces for coordinating with bourgeois politicians with the aim of building an alliance with significant sectors of the bourgeoisie dissatisfied with the Bolsonaro government that culminated in their support for Lulas election. Lula entered the stage alongside the leader of the Homeless Workers Movement (MTST) and federal deputy Guilherme Boulos, from PSOL, who is the PT-backed candidate for mayor of Sao Paulo this year. After introducing several of his governments ministers who accompanied him on stage, Lula said that the election in Sao Paulo will be a real war, with Boulos running against the Bolsonaro-backed candidate and the citys current mayor, Ricardo Nunes. Lula called on every person who voted [for him] in 1989, in 1994, in 1998, in 2006, in 2010, in 2018... 2022, to vote for Boulos for mayor of Sao Paulo. A split from the PT that emerged in 2004 in response to the regressive pension reform of Lulas first term (2003-2006), the PSOL has in recent years moved closer to the PT in what is portrayed as a broad front against bolsonarismo. Boulos, the leading advocate of this front in the PSOL, praised Lula at the May Day Rally, saying that he is the best president in history. The scale of political opportunism on display at the May Day rally was inversely proportional to the size of the crowd. Even Lula couldnt suppress his irritation at the lack of effort needed to bring [a] larger crowd than the 2,000 people present, predominantly union bureaucrats holding large banners to mask the rallys fiasco. The trade union federations had expected 50,000 people to attend. The demonstration was held for the first time outside of the center of Sao Paulo. According to CUT president Sergio Nobre, the eastern region of Sao Paulo was chosen because it is an area with a high concentration of workers. Contrary to Lulas claim in his speech that the rally was poorly called and that this and other problems of his government supposedly stem from a lack of communication with the population and fake news what actually exists is a broad hostility on the part of the workers towards the unions and his own government. The unions long history of collaboration with the corporations and the state has led to repeated workers struggles being isolated and diverted into the dead ends of fruitless negotiations and bourgeois politics. This dynamic was seen graphically on the Friday before the May Day rally, when APEOESP, the Sao Paulo teachers union, was forced to call an assembly to relieve the enormous pressure among teachers against the growing attacks by Bolsonaros ally, governor Tarcisio de Freitas. On that occasion, the PT and PSOL-affiliated union bureaucrats were booed and heckled numerous times by a significant number of the more than 10,000 teachers present when they did everything they could to prevent the calling of a strike that could quickly get out of their control. Situations like this, which have become increasingly frequent in Brazil and worldwide, are not merely the work of corrupt union leaders who could be replaced and the unions reformed, as the pseudo-left claims. The root of the unions betrayals lies in the change in the dynamics of the capitalist economy over the last 50 years. Capitalist globalization has completely undermined even the most modest reformism of the unions, which have become incapable of even minimally defending the wages, working conditions, and jobs of the working class. As a result, the rate of unionization and union revenues in Brazil have collapsed in recent years, a process that accelerated with the 2017 labor reform of President Michel Temers government (2016-2018). Among other measures, it ended the compulsory union tax, which was inspired by Benito Mussolinis fascist regime in Italy and instituted in 1943 by Getulio Vargas corporatist Estado Novo dictatorship. From 2017 to 2022, union tax revenue fell from 1.5 billion reais (US$ 296 million) to 13 million reais (US$ 2.6 million) for trade unions and from 213 million reais (US$ 42 million) to 1.9 million reais (US$ 374,000) for trade union federations. The rate of unionization among workers in Brazil fell by 37 percent between 2012 and 2022, from 16 percent to 9 percent. The Brazilian trade union federations see the Lula government as an ally in their bid to minimize the damage, according to Ricardo Patah, the president of Brazils third largest trade union federation, the UGT. To this end, they are counting on the support of the Lula government for a bill that they will present to the Brazilian Congress this month, which establishes a fee to be paid by workers and employers involved in collective bargaining. Workers, whether they are union members or not, would decide the amount of the fee in assemblies. On the other hand, the Lula government has revived a series of tripartite councils and working groups, made up of representatives from unions, business, and the government, and has further integrated the unions into the state. This and other corporatist measures, such as the re-creation and strengthening of the Ministry of Labor, were outlined in April 2022 in the document Pauta da Classe Trabalhadora (Working Class Agenda) that the trade union federations delivered to then-candidate Lula. The real character of the tripartite initiatives, which assume some common interest between capital and labor, was exposed in a bill drawn up by a working group that the Lula government presented to the Brazilian Congress at the beginning of March to regulate the work of app drivers. Lula said at the time that it was a very important day because For some time now, no one in this country has believed that it would be possible to establish a negotiating table between workers and employers and that the result of this table would be to conclude a different organization in the world of work. CUT and the other trade union federations have also supported this bill. However, many scholars and drivers have denounced the bill, dubbing it the UBER bill for ensuring the interests of the largest app-based transportation company. Although it guarantees some rights for drivers, such as social security and paying at least one minimum wage, it keeps drivers as self-employed platform workers with no employment relationship. Significantly, since the bill was sent to Congress, app drivers have held a series of demonstrations. Folha de S. Paulo also reported on May 1 that drivers of apps that transport passengers are against the possibility of unionization that is included in the bill to regulate the category. The anti-worker character of the UBER bill was further exposed in Marinhos speech delivered on national radio and TV on the evening of April 30 to celebrate May Day. Cynically, he said that Its necessary to fight against the precariousness of work, in Brazil and in all parts of the world, adding: Thats why President Lula and US President Joe Biden signed an unprecedented partnership last year in New York for workers rights and in defense of decent work. While for Lula and his ministers, Biden is the most pro-worker president in history and a guardian of world democracy, he has been denounced in the pro-Palestinian protests as Genocide Joe and, with his recently passed record arms budget for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan, is bringing the world closer than ever to a nuclear world war. An attempt by elements of the Brazilian pseudo-left outside the PSOL to hold a May Day with class independence and internationalism was nothing more than a cover for imperialism and the Lula government. This rally was called by the CSP-Conlutas trade union federation, controlled by the Morenoite Unified Socialist Workers Party (PSTU). Like other pro-imperialist organizations around the world, the PSTU and CSP-Conlutas have portrayed the Ukrainian war as a fight for national self-determination against Russian imperialism, supporting the arming of the Ukrainian resistance by the US and NATO. CSP-Conlutas has also maintained a close relationship with pro-corporate unions in the US, having met in April with UAW President Shawn Fain, while attending the conference of Labor Notes, both supporters of Biden and the pro-war Democrats. In Brazil, they have been sowing the illusion that it is possible to advance a purely national and union struggle against the 2016 pro-corporate high school, 2017 labor, and 2019 pension reforms, as well as against the austerity measures of the Lula government that continue the attacks of the Temer and Bolsonaro governments, such as the new fiscal framework. They disregard the global capitalist nature of these attacks and reject an international struggle accordingly. The Revolutionary Workers Movement (MRT), the sister organization in Brazil of the Socialist Workers Party (PTS) in Argentina, has also advocated that this struggle be carried out by putting pressure on the CUT and the other trade union federations. With policies like these, the Lula government, the trade union federations, and the pseudo-left in Brazil are working to politically disarm the Brazilian working class and youth and thus paving the way for a nuclear world war. In contrast, the International Committee of the Fourth International and the World Socialist Web Site held a May Day rally on May 4, pointing out that the genocide in Gaza and the war in Ukraine are the initial fronts of a developing Third World War, which threaten to envelop Brazil and Latin America as a whole. What is required is the broadest international unity of the working class based on a socialist perspective to stop this threat. We call on everyone to study the presentations made on May Day and take forward this fight against war based upon the independent mobilization of the international working class in the struggle for socialism. The US has fired another shot in the escalating economic war with China by imposing new bans limiting the sale of semiconductors to Huawei. The Financial Times (FT) revealed this week that the Biden administration had revoked export licences that allow Intel and Qualcomm to sell their chips to the hi-tech Chinese corporation. Biden administration imposes new trade measures on Huawei [AP Photo/Patrick Semansky] The US commerce department confirmed the new bans to the FT but provided no details nor the specific reasons. A spokesperson declared in the vaguest terms that the US makes such decisions to protect our national security and foreign policy interests, taking into consideration a constantly changing threat environment and technological landscape. Washingtons concerns about national security and claims of unfair economic practices obscure the more fundamental reason for efforts to cripple Huawei. The rise of Chinese hi-tech companies such as Huawei highlight the historic decline of US imperialism which is prepared to resort to all methods to maintain its global economic and military dominance. Huawei is highly competitive in key international markets, including mobile phones, laptops and 5G networking equipment, with American hi-tech giants. It devotes huge sums to research and development. According to a backgrounder report published by the US Council on Foreign Relations last year, Huaweis R&D budget for 2021 was more than $21 billiona figure comparable to the top American hi-tech corporations such as Amazon and Alphabet (Googles parent company). As a percentage of sales, its R&D budget was double that of the US companies. The Wall Street Journal noted this week that Huawei was still the worlds top company in 2023 in the number of patent applications filed. Last August, Huawei released its Mate 60 Pro smartphone powered by an advanced Chinese-made 7-nanometre semi-conductor, demonstrating a technological capacity that the US had been seeking to block with previous bans. Moreover, the release took place as US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo was in China to pressure Beijing for more concessions. In April, Huawei released its first artificial intelligence (AI) enabled laptop, the MateBook X Pro laptop, based on Intels Core Ultra 9 chip. Leading US Republican anti-China hawks responded by demanding that the Biden administration step up efforts to hobble Huaweis technological advance. Marco Rubio, the vice-chair of the Senate intelligence committee, and Elise Stefanik, a leading House Republican, wrote to Raimondo demanding she revoke export licences for Huawei. Clearly concerned that previous punitive measures had failed, they declared: It is clear from these trends that Huawei, a blacklisted company that was on the ropes just a few years ago, is making a comeback. Beijing yesterday condemned the latest US move against Huawei, pointing out that the ban obviously gave the lie to Washingtons claims that its measures were narrowly restricted to items that purportedly affected national security. The US restrictions on exporting purely civilian consumer chip products to China and the implementation of a supply cut-off to a specific Chinese company represent a clear case of economic coercion, a Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson said. The spokesperson said the US ban not only contravenes World Trade Organization rules but also severely harms the interests of US companies. Yesterday, Intel said its sales would take a hit as a result of the export ban. Its shares fell by 2.9 percent yesterday and have lost nearly 38 percent so far this year. In comments yesterday, Raimondo branded Huawei as a threat without offering a shred of evidence. She disingenuously claimed that the latest ban did not represent a change in policy but was simply an extension to sweeping bans put in place in March to prevent the sale of the most advanced chips used in AI technology, as well as the equipment necessary for their manufacture. The US economic war against Huawei began under the Trump administration. It implemented a series of bans on the use of Huawei equipment by the Defence Department, then added other federal agencies. In 2019, Trump signed an executive order prohibiting US companies from doing business with Huawei and the Commerce Department added the corporation to its entity list, which requires licences to sell it US goods. US allegationsnever substantiatedthat Huawei equipment could be used by the Chinese government for espionage and even sabotage and therefore constituted a national security threat, amount to the pot calling the kettle black. In 2013, Edward Snowden, a US National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower, exposed the extent of the NSAs massive spying operations, not only on rivals like China but on its own allies and US citizens. While American intelligence agencies may be concerned about Chinese spying, a less publicised fear is that the use of Huawei equipment in the US and other countries could be a barrier to their own spy and cyberwarfare operations. Biden has not only upheld Trumps restrictions against Huawei and other Chinese hi-tech corporations but extended them. A series of bans culminated in March last year in restrictions on the sale of the most advance semi-conductors and related manufacturing equipment to any Chinese company. The US also sought to extend the ban to other countries, by threatening penalties against foreign companies that used US parts in the manufacture of chips or chipmaking equipment sold to China. Washington inveighs against Chinese government assistance to companies like Huawei as impermissible state subsidies. However, alongside this weeks ban on sales by Intel and Qualcomm to Huawei, on Tuesday the US National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced $420 million in grants for companies from the United States and its military allies to build phone network gear that can compete against that produced by Huawei. The economic war on Chinese corporations is not simply restricted to hi-tech telecommunications but is taking place across a broad front. That includes heavy tariffs on a wide range of Chinese goods and punitive measures against other hi-tech Chinese products such as electric vehicles (EV). Moreover, it takes place alongside a vast US military build-up and strengthening of military alliances throughout the Indo-Pacific in preparation for war with China. Already involved in an escalating war against Russia in Ukraine and backing Israels genocide in Gaza, the US is plunging recklessly towards war with China, which it regards as the chief threat to its dominant position. The escalating global crackdown on the student protests raises the need for the working class to intervene against war and police dictatorship. Protests against the genocide are developing internationally, in defiance of police repression backed by every major party. This week, academics at The New School in New York City set up their own encampment, and professors at the University of Wisconsin staged walkouts in defense of students. High school students are beginning to take part in large numbers in the demonstrations. Protests are emerging all over Europe, from Britain to Germany. Thousands at the pro-Palestine rally in Detroit, Michigan October 28, 2023. The repression of students is also international in scope. Every capitalist party in every country slanders students as antisemitic, even though hundreds of those who have been arrested are Jewish. Police have turned large portions of major cities, such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, into armed camps. German police have already shut down an anti-war convention and attacked an encampment at the Free University in Berlin. The British government is preparing the same. Meanwhile, Genocide Joe Biden has given a green light to the next stage in the genocide. Israel has begun the assault on Rafah, where 1 million Gazans are taking refuge with nowhere to go. Tens of thousands could be killed. The attacks on the protests against genocide show the continuity between imperialist foreign and domestic policy. The genocide itself is only one part of a global counter-revolution, ripping up core democratic rights and normalizing mass murder as a legitimate policy tool. As they help carry out genocide in Gaza, the imperialist powers are risking nuclear holocaust in their proxy war against Russia. Britain is arming neo-Nazis in Ukraine with long-range missiles to strike deep within Russia, and French President Emmanuel Macron is openly proposing deploying NATO troops to the front lines. They see both conflicts as two fronts in an expanding world war and are preparing a third front against China. The working class must enter the fight against imperialist war. As Will Lehman, a socialist autoworker who ran for UAW president, said at last weekends May Day rally: What we as workers need to connect as a class is that the fight against exploitation is the same fight as the fight against war: The connection becomes easier to make when we pose the questions: Whose class interests does the war serve? And whose class interests does the exploitation of workers as a class serve? The ruling class makes money hand over fist from these wars. But the workers of the world are forced to shoulder their terrible cost. Workers and their children are the ones being frogmarched into the military. Hundreds of thousands of workers and poor people have already died in Ukraine and Palestine. To free up money for war, a massive attack on workers social position is underway. US corporations have announced a million layoffs since the start of last year, with automation and AI being used as key weapons against jobs. Macron declares the end of the post-Cold War peace dividend, while Germany is remilitarizing and openly floating the return of the draft. The US ruling class is eyeing massive attacks on Social Security to fund the endless expansion of its trillion-dollar war budget. The working classwhose labor is the source of all wealth, united across national borders by global production, and whose interests are diametrically opposed to imperialist waris the most powerful social and political force in the world. It must be brought to bear to end the wars, connected with its struggle against capitalist exploitation. The ruling class is so terrified of the peaceful student protests because it knows they can arouse the working class. A statement last week by the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC), which called for international strike action to force an end to the police attacks, articulates the growing mass anger from below. Within this context, a strike vote at United Auto Workers Local 4811, which covers 48,000 graduate student workers across California, is extremely significant. It is a sign that there is a growing recognition that the fight against genocide requires the methods of the class struggle. The vote by UAW members also raises the need for intervention by industrial workers. Tens of thousands of UAW members are grad students, a highly exploited layer of campus workers, but hundreds of thousands more work in the factories and defense plants. The UAW membership must demand strike action as the starting point of a broader counter-offensive by the entire working class. A GM worker from Flint said, Its the working classs turn to stop business as usual and demand change. If the Flint sit-down strike took place today, it would be denounced as terrorist, because it stopped production. The worker concluded: This new principle is itself terrorism against the working class, and we need to take the power back by stopping production and showing who really is in charge. The mobilization of the working class against war requires a fight against the pro-war, pro-capitalist union bureaucracy. Having been forced by rank-and-file anger to call a strike vote, the UAW is delaying the vote to stall for time. It has made clear that its aim is to shut down the protests with a corrupt agreement like that reached at Northwestern University. The bureaucracy is desperate to prevent the student movement from linking up with the working class. The enormous potential for this is shown by a series of recent strike votes, including by lecturers at the University of Michigan, autoworkers at Daimler Trucks, and, earlier this week, at the Stellantis Warren Stamping plant near Detroit. But the bureaucracy is defying the rank and files demands for strike action and imposing sellouts, as it has at Daimler, is attempting to do at the University of Michigan, and will try to do at Warren Stamping. For months, the bureaucrats in the UAW, and the union bureaucracy as a whole, have combined nominal support for a ceasefire with ironclad support for Genocide Joe and the Democrats. UAW President Shawn Fain dines with billionaires and warmongers at the White House and holds up the unions role in war production in World War II as the model for today. Last week, Fain even vetoed a proposal to divest the union from its investments in Israel, according to Payday Report. But the objective growth of opposition to the war and the deep anger over the sellouts the bureaucracy has carried out have undermined these shabby maneuvers. There is enormous anger over the UAWs endorsement of Biden and growing calls for this to be rescinded. Graduate students are furious over Local 4811 officials role in allowing police into the encampment at UCLA, where they attacked students. Above all, the bureaucracy is terrified that the outbreak even of a local strike could spark a far broader movement. But this is exactly what must happen. Workers must take the strike vote in California as a call to action. The working class must mobilize to impose its response to the warorganizing, in the face of inevitable resistance from union bureaucrats, rank-and-file strike votes and strike committees to prepare industrial action. This includes not only autoworkers, but manufacturing workers more broadly, dockworkers, railroad workers, healthcare workers, teachers, university faculty and staff, and others. The student movement anticipates a deeper revolutionary movement in the working class. The cause of imperialist war is a world capitalist system that, mired in terminal crisis and faced with economic and social ruin, is compelled to stake everything on war and dictatorship. The progressive solution to this crisis is based on the working class taking power, expropriating the Wall Street warmongers, marshaling societys resources to meet human needs, and ending the arbitrary and obsolete national divisions that give rise to war. The following speech was given by Cheryl Crisp, the national secretary of the Socialist Equality Party (Australia), at the International May Day 2024 Online Rally, held Saturday, May 4. International May Day 2024 Online Rally I join my comrades throughout the International Committee of the Fourth International in sending our revolutionary greetings from the Socialist Equality Party in Australia to all those listening worldwide. The central task of this May Day meeting, which is the fight against imperialist war, acquires increased urgency as the world is closer to another global conflagration than at any point since the end of World War II. Multiple fronts are developing in what are the opening shots of World War III. In Ukraine, NATO and the US proceed undeterred to prosecute war against nuclear-armed Russia. In the Middle East, the barbarism of Israels war of extermination against the Palestinian people in Gaza has now extended to its main target, Iran. Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Syria are also in the crosshairs of US imperialism. As this reckless and bloodcurdling program of war extends, the preparations for open conflict between the US and China accelerate at a frightening speed. The fact that this is being spearheaded in this region by the Albanese Labor government must be a dire warning to the working class in Australia and internationally. The Australian Labor Party is the party of war. It has transformed the northern regions of the country into a staging ground for imperialist conflict against China while supplying arms to Ukraine and Israel for their wars. There have been 322 munition shipments from Australia to Israel in the last six years. Based on Freedom of Information, the number of shipments per year has increased since Labor came to power, particularly in the 2022-23 year, despite denials by government ministers. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, right, meets with US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese at Point Loma naval base in San Diego, US, on March 13, 2023. [AP Photo/Stefan Rousseau] The signing of the AUKUS coalition between the US, UK and Australian governments in 2021, targeting China, has been ratcheted up under Labor. The government has hailed the enhanced security treaty signed between Japan and the US to ensure a more seamless command structure for war against China. With the agreement of the Biden administration, the UK and Australian governments have signed new military and intelligence pacts committing both to respond jointly if either is threatened militarily. This is in addition to the QUAD pact between Japan, Australia, India and the US, and the top-level Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network, including Canada and New Zealand, all targeting China. Already, permanent bases in north and west Australia for UK and US military personnel and weaponry have been established. Every announcement by the Defence Department is accompanied by increased military expenditure that is being extracted by cuts to government spending on social services, including health, education, housing and infrastructure. The working class is being forced to pay the price for the imperialist wars. During the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors in Australia who fought against government policy to allow the virus to spread and for health and public measures to ensure the safety of the population were persecuted and vilified. More than 20,000 people who died of COVID-19 after 2021, when restrictions were dispensed with, paid the ultimate price for those decisions. Dr David Berger (Image: Supplied) [Photo: Imagen suministrada/WSWS] Today, in the face of the onslaught against health workers in Gaza, where hundreds of doctors and health workers have been murdered and hospitals destroyed, doctors here who have opposed Israel and the Australian governments defense of these actions have also been persecuted, doxxed and investigated by health authorities. As Labor develops its war plans that place the Australian population on the front line of what would inevitably be a nuclear conflict between the US and China, it has tried to ram through the most dictatorial laws against immigrants in Australia. The aim is clearto deflect the anger and opposition of ordinary people onto immigrants. This is in line with the most right-wing and fascistic regimes internationally. Laws being enacted mean immigrants, including refugees, who are slated for deportation by the government must either sign their own deportation orders or face anything from one to five years jail. If they still refuse to sign, they can be jailed again. Countries that will not accept their deported citizens will have their entire population banned from entering Australia. The countries already mooted are Russia, China, Iran and South Sudan. It is undeniable that millions have been shocked and horrified at the genocidal slaughter being carried out by Israel against the Palestinian people, with support, funding and arming by the US and other imperialist countries, including Australia. Protests have taken place globally and in Australia have been sustained weekly since October 13. The protests are driven by a burning sense that one cannot sit by any longer and do nothing. It is an entirely justifiable reaction to the imperialist catastrophe inflicted on Gaza and one which members of my own generation felt when confronted with the crimes of the Vietnam War. But protests did not prevent the imperialist war then, and they wont now. The source of the descent into global war is the contradictions of capitalism itself, not the individual politicians who represent it. They cannot be appealed to because this is a system that cannot be reformed. The experience of the protests testifies to this reality. As the protests continue, so too does the bombardment by Israel with bombs on Gaza supplied by the US, UK, Germany and Australia. The F-35 bombers used to reduce Gaza to rubble would not get off the ground without the components produced only in Australia. Organisations of the pseudo-left, such as the Socialist Alliance, Socialist Alternative and Solidarity in this country, promote the fraud that the governments prosecuting and aiding the war can be appealed to and pressured, and will respond to petitions and delegations. This lie only serves to tie the opposition to war to the coattails of Labor, the trade unions and parliament. Only a unified, independent socialist and internationalist movement of the working class against war, which means the overthrow of capitalism, can halt the descent into barbarism and provide a future for mankind. It is that perspective that is being fought for by the IC and all its sections. I urge you to join our party. On May 6-7, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited France for a two-day summit with President Emmanuel Macron. While the summit marked the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and the Peoples Republic of China, it was centered on the NATO powers demands on China to cut ties with Russia and Iran, amid the war in Ukraine and the Israeli genocide in Gaza. The summit unfolded under the shadow of French and British threats to deploy ground troops in Ukraine and launch long-range missile strikes on Russia. As Russian officials threaten to retaliate with potentially nuclear strikes, Macron demanded Xi cut off Chinese aid to Russia in the Ukraine war. However, they agreed only cosmetic gestureslike calling a world truce during the 2024 Paris Olympic games, and Chinas decision to postpone sanctions on French exports of cognac liquor. Xi rejected Macrons demands on Ukraine, however, as well as European threats of far-reaching trade sanctions targeting Chinese exports of electric vehicles and other critical goods. At a press conference after the first day of talks in Paris, Macron warned of a historic turn where threats are at unprecedented levels, and the risk of fragmentation of the world is considerable. He said the Xi-Macron summit aimed to avoid precisely any formation of blocs and instead to build convergences. However, Macron thereupon promptly demanded that Xi bow to the NATO blocs demands that China cut off ties with Russia and Iran, its key suppliers of energy and raw materials. He called on China to prevent Russia from threatening Europe over Ukraine. Firstly, we obviously discussed Russias war of aggression against Ukraine, he said, demanding Chinese authorities to abstain from selling any weapon, any assistance to Moscow and report to European authorities any Chinese firm violating this rule. He also denounced Iran, whose uncontrolled nuclear development poses many risks and called on China to fully coordinate with us on this issue. Macrons demands were presented, if anything, even more stridently by European Union (EU) Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who had traveled to France for the summit. She demanded Beijing use all its influence on Russia to end its war of aggression against Ukraine and help Europe with de-escalating Russias irresponsible nuclear threats. She also called on China to slash its exports to Russia of dual use products that can have both civilian and military uses, like microchips or construction and digging machines. Von der Leyen said: More effort is needed to curtail delivery of dual-use goods to Russia that find their way to the battlefield. And given the existential nature of the threats stemming from this war for both Ukraine and Europe, this does affect EU-China relations. Denouncing Chinese exports of electric vehicles and other high-technology products as Chinas surplus production, von der Leyen threatened extensive tariffs on Chinese goods: Europe will not waver from making tough decisions needed to protect its economy and security. Xi responded, however, by rejecting the demands of Macron and von der Leyen virtually all down the line. On Ukraine, he defended Chinese ties with Russia, saying: China did not start the Ukraine crisis, nor is it a party to or a participant in it. Instead of being an onlooker, we have been playing an important role for peace. The special representative of the Chinese government on Eurasian affairs is on his third round of shuttle diplomacy. At the same time, China opposes attempts to use the Ukraine crisis to scapegoat or smear a third country or to stoke a new cold war. Xi did not address Iran in his public statements, but instead criticized the genocide in Gaza carried out by Israel, which is armed by the NATO powers and recently bombed Iran. Xi said: This prolonged tragedy is a test for human conscience. The international community must act. We call on all parties to work for an immediate, comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza. Xi also dismissed von der Leyens claim that China has a surplus production capacity that is a threat to Europes economy. The so-called problem of Chinas overcapacity does not exist, he said. The insoluble conflict between the EU imperialist powers and China points to the deep-rooted, and intractable, crisis of the world capitalist system. The major powers are incapable of working out a deal to avert a catastrophic war that could erupt across Europe and spread around the world. This flows particularly clearly, in this case, from the incompatibility of world economy and production with the nation-state system: the issue of how world markets for cars, semiconductors or other manufactured goods will be divided provokes bitter conflicts. The imperialist powers stand exposed for backing the genocide in Gaza, and threatening a catastrophic escalation of the Ukraine war they have provoked with Russia. As for China, it has undoubtedly overseen a massive and historic economic expansion over the last three decades by tapping into the resources of the world economy. However, its Stalinist regime has no viable or progressive response to the imperialist powers relentless war escalation against Russia, Iran and Gaza, or China itself in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. Having abandoned its anti-imperialist pretensions in the 1980s during its restoration of capitalism, it can make no appeal to mass antiwar sentiment in the international working class. Xis open letter in Le Figaro published Monday exemplifies its bankrupt, national perspective. Hailing the strategic vision of General Charles de Gaulle, who restored relations with the PRC in 1964, Xi proposed a global strategic Sino-French partnership for cooperation in the world, adding: Since the foundation of the New China 70 years ago [in the 1949 revolution], China has never started a war. This does not provide a viable basis for world peace, however. Not only Washington but also EU imperialist powers like France are pressing for war with RussiaMacron most obviously, with his call to send ground troops to fight in Ukraine. Moreover, the calculations that led de Gaulle to tighten relations with the Soviet government in 1960 and then recognize the PRC in 1964 are now utterly rejected in the French ruling class and political establishment. It is worth recalling the speeches de Gaulle gave, in a period when French imperialism, after the searing experience of World War II and Nazi occupation, felt the need to make concessions to mass support in the working class to the Russian and Chinese revolutions. In 1960, calling for closer relations with the Soviet Union, he warned of the danger of global nuclear war: Two camps face each other, and one decision in Moscow or in Washington could lead to a large part of humanity being crushed in a few hours. In this situation, France considers that there is no territorial or doctrinal struggle that is greater than the need to prevent this horrific peril. De Gaulle called to limit NATO-Soviet tensions, to rule out provocative acts and remarks and thus the risk that one day, suddenly, for whatever reason, the world could be again at war. He also called for categorical measures of disarmament applied preferably to devices capable of transporting bombs at strategic distances, that is, long-range nuclear missiles. Not only Macron but the entire French political establishment has repudiated such sentiments. Its criticisms of Macron notwithstanding, there is overwhelming support in ruling circles for arming Ukraine in the pursuit of territorial goals, building up Frances nuclear arsenal, and provocatively denouncing Putin. All of this has brought Europe to the brink of total war. In 1964, to justify recognizing the PRC, de Gaulle appealed to sympathy in the French population, only two decades after the Nazi occupation of France, for Chinas war against Japanese occupation during World War II. Pointing to this conflict, which cost 20 million Chinese lives, as well as to previous US and European wars on China, de Gaulle said: This countrys entry into contact with modern nations was very harsh and costly. The many European, American and Japanese demands, interventions, expeditions, and invasions were for it so many humiliations and dismemberments. Thus, so many national shocks and also the determination of elites to transform at all costs their nation, so that it could reach the status of the countries that had oppressed it, led China to revolution. De Gaulle was a bourgeois politician who, from 1958 to 1962, oversaw a bloody French colonial war in Algeria. He did not have revolutionary or anti-colonial sympathies. However, in the interests of pursuing French imperialist foreign policy, he could make carefully calibrated statements about the importance of avoiding a catastrophic nuclear war, or the heroism of the 1949 Chinese revolution. Macron and the French capitalist class today, overseeing a completely degraded regime, are plunging ahead towards a nuclear war, while promoting the unsubstantiated and false claim that China is committing a genocide of the Uighurseven as the NATO powers back a real genocide in Gaza. This underscores one fundamental political reality: There is no way forward in the struggle against genocide and war on a national perspective, appealing to capitalist national governments. The way forward is the unification of the working class in an international, revolutionary movement against imperialist war and genocide, and for socialism. The Democratic Party is intensifying its effort to prevent third parties and independent candidates from getting on the ballot and challenging President Joe Biden this year, according to reports by Politico, the New York Times and other media outlets. The report in the Times, published April 29, notes the vast resources that right-wing independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been compelled to expend in his push for ballot status: The effort has already cost his campaign hundreds of thousands of dollars, and a supporting super PAC at least $2.4 million more, federal campaign finance records show. It has involved a number of professionals who specialize in getting people on the ground with clipboards and petitions and helping candidates navigate the complicated process. Their success is what will make or break Mr. Kennedys campaign. Kennedy has paid a single firm with expertise in ballot access, Texas-based Accelevate2020, $689,000 for campaign consulting, and the campaign is advertising for full-time petition signature collectors in New York state, offering $40 an hour on Craigslist. While Kennedy himself is a multi-millionaire, his campaign is being financed by billionaire Timothy Mellon, heir to a banking fortune, and his running mate Nicole Shanahan, the ex-wife of Google founder Sergei Brin, one of the 10 richest Americans. Nicole Shanahan and Sergey Brin seen at the 8th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at NASA Ames Research Center on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019, in Mountain View, California. [AP Photo/Peter Barreras] The politics of his campaign are thoroughly reactionary, a combination of right-wing demagogy about slashing the federal deficit and eliminating corporate corruption of the Democrats and Republicans, all-out support for the Israeli genocide in Gaza, coupled with opposition to the war in Ukraine, and support for cutting military spending overall. Add to this Kennedys signature preoccupation with denouncing vaccination, including essential protections for children, as well as the vaccines against COVID-19 that have saved millions of lives. This photo was posted on anti-vaccine profiteer Charlene Bollinger's Instagram on July 18, 2021. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. poses with fascist Trump supporters Michael Flynn (left), Roger Stone (right), and Bollinger. [Photo: Charlene Bollinger] Neither his right-wing nostrums nor his famous name have protected Kennedy from attack by both the Democrats and more recently Trump, with both sides in the capitalist political duopoly fearing any outlet for popular discontent outside the two-party system. A follow-up report in the Times Tuesday outlined the many obstacles created by the Democrats and the Republicans to make it more difficultand in some states nearly impossiblefor candidates outside the two-party system to run against them. Some states have rules against people coming in from out of state to help a campaign procure signatures; others have rules that restrict a campaigns ability to hire paid canvassers instead of relying solely on volunteers. Some states allow months for independent candidates to gather signatures, while others have short windows. Some states require a vice presidential nominee on the petition. The work of actually gathering thousands of signatures, and ensuring that all these rules are met, is grueling and often costly. The Politico report, published May 3, gives considerable detail about the internal discussions among Democratic-aligned super PACs after their success in pushing the No Labels group of conservative Democrats out of the election. The right-wing group, financed by billionaires Harlan Crow (real estate) and Michael Smith (LNG gas), recently declared that it would not nominate a candidate for president, largely because it had failed to convince any prominent corporate politician to challenge Biden and Trump. The coalition of pro-Biden fundraisers is now turning its sights on Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Politico wrote, message-testing anti-Kennedy advertising and monitoring Kennedy campaign events in order to collect negative information on his campaign. This could include a multimillion-dollar ad campaign, depending on where Kennedy obtains ballot status, particularly in the so-called battleground states. The effort to suppress any challenge to the two-party monopoly already involves considerable resources. According to Politico: To date, the campaign against Kennedy has largely focused on research and legal challenges. The Democratic National Committee hired veteran staffers to coordinate their push back against Kennedy, particularly through media stories about Kennedy. Theyve also filed Federal Elections Commission complaints against Kennedys allies. The outside groups, like Clear Choice PAC and American Bridge, are diving into opposition research and messaging. MoveOn, a 10 million-member organization, reassigned staffers from No Labels-focused efforts toward Kennedy, as well as bringing on additional staff. Kennedy has ballot status in Michigan after gaining the nomination of the Natural Law Party, a political formation established by the transcendental meditation religious cult. The party was largely disbanded in 2004 but retains a ballot line, only in Michigan, by means of third-party campaigns for minor offices where it was the only alternative to the Democrats and Republicans on the ballot. The Kennedy campaign claims it has obtained and filed enough petition signatures to get on the ballot in Nevada, New Hampshire and North Carolina. It is currently petitioning in Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania, and has announced plans to do the same in Wisconsin. All these states are expected to be closely contested in November, and in all these states the Democrats will challenge Kennedys petitions. The Democratic Party campaign to deny ballot status to third parties and independent candidates is by no means limited to Kennedy, the Politico report notes. It includes Green Party candidate Jill Stein and independent Cornel West, a former left Democrat and supporter of Biden against Trump in 2020. Cornel West stumping for Bernie Sanders in Birmingham, Alabama, January 2016. [Photo by Darrell Nance / CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 In March, it was widely reported that the Democratic National Committee had set up a special unit with a sizeable budget to coordinate efforts to force third-party candidates to play by the rules, which means making use of various anti-democratic legal technicalities to prevent political opponents from obtaining ballot status. Most of the legal challenges to Kennedy, and presumably to Jill Stein and Cornel West, are likely to fail. But they have the additional benefit, from the standpoint of the Democrats, of diverting time and resources which these independent efforts would otherwise devote to campaigning. Similar methods have been employed by the Democrats against the Socialist Equality Party in previous election campaigns, notably in Midwestern states like Ohio, Michigan and Illinois, where Democrats mobilized lawyers to check nominating petitions and seek to invalidate thousands of signatures on spurious grounds. Both the Democrats and Republicans have already engaged in such sordid tactics this year in two congressional campaigns in Michigan. In one case, the Republicans challenged petitions by Democrat Curtis Hertel in the district which includes Lansing. In the other, Democratic incumbent Shri Thanedar challenged a prospective primary opponent, fellow Democrat Adam Hollier, in the district that covers much of Detroit and the Downriver suburbs. Both challenges are anti-democratic, seizing on supposed errors in paperwork. The Republicans claim that Hertel made fatal errors in his candidate affidavit and nominating petitions by listing the office he is seeking as US Congress rather than US House of Representatives. Thanedar challenged 791 of the 1,555 signatures filed by Hollier to meet a requirement of 1,000 valid signatures, claiming that the signers are not registered or registered at a different address, are duplicates, or live outside the district or the signatures are forged (based on claimed similarities in handwriting). Just when everything seemed to suggest that President Dina Boluarte of Peru had overcome the Rolex scandal, involving a collection of high-end watches and expensive jewelry that were not included in her asset disclosure, her pending accounts with the mirror have once again put her up against the ropes. An investigation by the weekly outlet Hildebrandt en sus Trece asserts that the president was absent from the government headquarters and did not attend any official activity for two weeks between June and July 2023 in order to undergo rhinoplasty and other surgical interventions aimed at rejuvenating her looks. June 28, 2023, was her last public appearance after participating in a ceremony to decorate members of the National Police, and she resumed her duties on July 10, after 12 days of post-surgery rest, according to the news outlet. The woman who has governed Peru since December 2022 did not feel comfortable with her own image, and constantly questioned the photographers in her press office, to the point of blaming them for her low popularity. Her ratings in a year and a half in office have never exceeded 20% and they are now at their lowest point: 7%. The surgeon who operated on her, according to the investigation, is Mario Cabani Ravello, known for having previously operated on more than one public figure in Peru, including the TV talk show hosts Magaly Medina and Maria Pia Copello. It was definitely for an aesthetic issue and not for health reasons, said the reporter Sonia Suyon, author of the investigative piece, who checked the story with several sources at government headquarters. On July 5 there was a Cabinet meeting and we were informed that she was not present, she said. The podcast La Encerrona notes that the official accounts of the presidential office showed Boluarte participating in different events during those days. But it turns out that these events had occurred in the past. On July 1, for example, there was a post on X showing the head of state with students from a school in the Lambayeque region. But on the presidencys Flickr account there are identical images, dated June 23. These are not the only posts with a notable time lag. The Government Palace published older images to cover up the lack of public appearances by Dina Boluarte, and thus confuse us, says Jonathan Castro, editor of La Encerrona. Fredy Hinojosa, a spokesperson for the presidential office, declined to comment on the presidents cosmetic surgeries, arguing that it was a private matter. The Constitution establishes the right to personal privacy. This includes the President of the Republic. I am not going to comment on acts that are part of the private sphere, he said. The Cabinet chief, Gustavo Adrianzen, argued that since Boluartes agenda is public, there will be no problems clearing up any remaining doubts, but at the same time he did not rule out the possibility that she was absent for medical reasons. Any one of us can become ill, unfortunately. I dont know if there was a leave for it, but I reiterate that the presidents agenda is public and its contents will be disclosed for the dates requested. Congresswoman Ruth Luque, of the leftist New Peru for Good Living party, has filed a request to access the presidents agenda between June 29 and July 9, 2023, the records of the Cabinet meetings during the same period of time, and documentation showing a medical leave for personal reasons, as well as the resulting salary deduction. Luque maintains that if Boluartes absence were proven, it would mean she violated the Constitution by failing to communicate her absence to Congress to be replaced by the leader of the Chamber. It is a constitutional violation because constitutional procedures have not been followed. The Presidency cannot be without a person to manage and represent it. Mrs. Boluarte must go to the plenary session to provide explanations, she said. Clara Elvira Ospina, head of the investigative news outlet Epicentro TV, sheds more light on why the absence of the head of state is not a private matter. When President Biden had a colonoscopy under general anesthesia, he handed power over to Vice President Kamala Harris for an hour and 25 minutes while he was under sedation. In Peru, the president leaves for 12 days and no one finds out. An encounter between an Australian helicopter and a Chinese fighter jet on Saturday has been exploited by Australia and the US to again ratchet up tensions with Beijing. Australian Labor government figures together with the corporate media have made inflammatory accusations that Chinas military placed lives in danger and risked triggering an armed clash. Royal Australian Navy in joint operations with US Navy, December 2023 [Photo: Facebook/Joint Operations Command] The incident is the latest of several near misses between Australian and Chinese forces. As with those previous encounters, the Chinese government has rejected the Australian version of events as a concoction. It has alleged that the Australian military conducted a provocation as part of the broader US-led military build-up to war with China. In a statement on Monday, the Australian Department of Defence claimed that the HMAS Hobart naval destroyer had been undertaking routine activities over the weekend, as part of a US-led coalition enforcing United Nations sanctions against North Korea. During these activities, a Royal Australian Navy MH-60R helicopter launched from HMAS Hobart was intercepted by a PLA-AF fighter aircraft, the statement claimed. The PLA-AF aircraft released flares across the flight path of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) helicopter. In media appearances on Monday, Labors Defence Minister Richard Marles repeated the accusations and the Defence Departments declaration that the Chinese actions were unsafe and unacceptable. He said he had made representations to Beijing along these lines. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese weighed in pledging to protest the incident directly with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. The Biden administration also rapidly weighed in. US assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific Daniel Kritenbrink, who is in Australia, declared the incident to be part of a pattern of a more aggressive and assertive Chinese military. The US and Australia, he declared, would continue to fly, sail and operate wherever they wished even in the face of such activities. Media coverage in Australia has either uncritically repeated the government line or gone further complaining that the Chinese ambassador has not been called in and declaring that the relationship with Beijing is not normal. The media have generally reacted with hysteria to any Chinese naval activities away from its mainland, such as in the disputed South China Sea, not to speak of those anywhere near Australia. The HMAS Hobart was in the Yellow Sea, which is some 6,800 kilometres from Australia. The sea is a semi-enclosed waterway between the Chinese mainland and the Korean peninsula. The enforcement of punitive UN sanctions targeting North Korea is a threadbare pretense for military operations in airspace and waters close to the Chinese mainland. In a press conference on Tuesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jan said: What truly happened was an Australian military aircraft deliberately flew within close range of Chinas airspace in a provocative move that endangered Chinas maritime and air security in the name of enforcing UN security council resolutions. Denouncing what he described as Australias risky moves, Lin said China took necessary measures at the scene to warn and alert the Australian side. Yesterday, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang added that the Chinese navy was conducting exercises in the Yellow Sea over the weekend. He claimed that the HMAS Hobart dispatched a ship-borne helicopter three times to conduct close-in reconnaissance and disturb the normal training activities of the Chinese side. Unfazed, the Australian press claimed that China was changing its story. However, approaching Chinese waters and spying on activities by the Chinese military in those waters, are hardly mutually exclusive. The explicit purpose of the Hobarts operations is surveillance, and given the proximity to China, there is no reason to believe such surveillance would only target North Korea. Australian claims to be upholding international lawthat is, US and UN sanctions imposed on North Koreaare highly selective. The US and its allies, including Australia, blithely dismiss statements from United Nations officials condemning Israels onslaught against the Palestinians of Gaza and calling for a ceasefire, instead continuing to back the Zionist genocide. Whatever exactly occurred on Saturday, it is part of a pattern. Australian forces conduct activities far from Australian shores, and near their Chinese counterparts, under the leadership of the US. These operations occur entirely behind the backs of the population. They are only reported when an encounter occurs, which is then used to blacken China and accuse it again of violating the rules-based order, i.e., Washingtons rules. Last November, Australia claimed that a Chinese destroyer had ignored communications from the HMAS Toowoomba, an Australian frigate, that it was engaged in diving operations. The Defence Department and Minister Marles declared the Chinese destroyer had used sonar, jeopardising the health of the divers, a claim Beijing flatly rejected. That incident occurred in or near Japanese waters. In June 2022, Australia had asserted that a Chinese military plane intercepted an Australian P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea on May 26. This had resulted in a dangerous manoeuvre and a safety threat to Australian personnel. The Chinese branded the incident an Australian provocation. These events have occurred under conditions of a further US and allied military build-up, explicitly targeting China. Australia is being rapidly militarised, including the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines through the AUKUS pact with the US and the UK. That is just part of a broader program, which includes vastly expanded US basing arrangements, including bombers and other strike capabilities. Australias own defence forces are being completely overhauled, with the explicit aim of preparing to fight a major war in the Indo-Pacific, above all through the acquisition of missiles and other offensive weaponries. Washington is overseeing the consolidation of a string of anti-China alliances. It is actively stoking territorial disputes, particularly that between the Philippines and China over parts of the South China Sea. That has also included close encounters between Philippines and US allied military and Chinese forces. The latest incident underscores the recklessness of this program, aimed at ensuring US hegemony in the region and globally. As the US is creating the conditions for a nuclear war with Russia in the Ukrainian conflict and backing the mass slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza, Washington and its allies are carrying out activities that threaten disaster in the Indo-Pacific. The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) in Australia has been campaigning for the freedom of Ukrainian socialist Bogdan Syrotiuk as part of the global campaign of the world Trotskyist movement. Nearly 1,500 people from around the world have signed an online petition initiated by the World Socialist Web Site calling for Bogdans release. Meetings of the IYSSE university clubs in Australia unanimously passed the following resolution: This meeting of the IYSSE demands the immediate freedom of Ukrainian socialist Bogdan Syrotiuk. Syrotiuk is 25 and in poor health. He was arrested by the Security Service of Ukraine on fraudulent charges of serving the interests of Russia. In fact, Bogdan is an intransigent opponent of the capitalist Putin regime and its invasion of Ukraine. He opposes the NATO-instigated Ukraine-Russia war and fights for the unity of the working class in Ukraine, Russia and throughout the former Soviet Union. If found guilty by a kangaroo court, Syrotiuk is threatened with a prison sentence of 15 years to life. The arrest is the latest example of the fascistic Ukrainian regime of Volodymyr Zelensky brutally suppressing left-wing and anti-war voices. The IYSSE demands the immediate release of Bogdan Syrotiuk. We resolve to campaign among students and youth as part of the fight to build a global fight for his freedom. This struggle is an essential component of the fight against imperialist war, genocide and dictatorship. Bogdan is a member of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists (YGBL), a Trotskyist youth organisation active in Ukraine and throughout the former Soviet Union. The YGBL, in political solidarity with the International Committee of the Fourth International of which the IYSSE is the youth and student arm, fights for a unified movement of the world working class against imperialist war and the capitalist nation-state system. The concern in the Zelensky regime and the imperialist centres is that this perspective is gaining support in the Ukrainian working class, threatening NATOs imperialist proxy war against Russia. Students and youth from around Australia submitted statements of support for the campaign to free Bogdan. We are publishing these statements below and call on others to send statements to iysseaus@gmail.com. *** Gabe, Sydney The arrest of Bogdan Syrotiuk goes against the principles of a free and fair society. Freedom of opinion and association are essential democratic rights. The violation of these freedoms shows that Ukraine is a police state that silences dissidents to maintain control over the consciousness of the population and suppress political opposition. Bogdan fights for the unity of Russian and Ukrainian workers and an international anti-war movement of the working class. This cuts across the lies of Zelensky and his defenders that the only way to end the war with Russia is to lean into the military aims of US and European imperialism. Alongside Bogdans arrest, students protesting against Israels genocide in Gaza are being suppressed around the world. This is a glaring signal that police state measures like those used in Ukraine could be employed by governments worldwide to silence opponents of imperialism and war. Ibrahim, Western Sydney University I condemn the imprisonment of Bogdan, a young 25-year-old Ukrainian citizen, by the Zelensky regime. He was arrested on completely falsified and fabricated grounds of serving Russian interests. Bogdan is a member of the Trotskyist and socialist movement which, by definition, stands against Putins oligarchical capitalist regime and also has a vocal history criticising Putins regime. This fact clearly demonstrates the intellectual dishonesty of Zelensky and the Ukrainian establishment. Ibrahim This is one of many clear examples of the ruling classs willingness to ruin the lives of its citizens through imprisonment and other forms of torture. The basis that a citizen is vilified and unjustifiably imprisoned is because they reveal the established powers corruption. In this case, Bogdan exposed the role of NATO and the US in creating the conditions for this war, which poses to the world the danger of nuclear annihilation and is being waged by the openly fascistic Zelensky government at the expense of the Ukrainian people. I call on all students, young people, and workers to demand Bogdans freedom! Daniel, University of Melbourne I am compelled to address the severe injustice inflicted upon Bogdan Syrotiuk, a young Trotskyist leader targeted by the Ukrainian authorities. Bogdans arrest on spurious charges signifies a deliberate effort by the Zelensky regime to quash voices of dissent, highlighting a serious breach of political freedoms. His voice was meant to unite us this May Day; instead, he is unjustly confined. Daniel I urge you to act swiftly: sign our petition, mobilise your networks, and demand his immediate release. We must not let his crucial call for worker unity be stifled. Stand with us to free Bogdan Syrotiuk now! Miranda, University of Melbourne Bogdan Syrotiuk is a young Trotskyist leader who has been unfairly arrested in Ukraine on false accusations of supporting Russia. Those who defend this decision and Zelensky argue that his government is fighting against dictatorship for the sake of democracy and the self-determination of Ukraine. The framing of Bogdan proves that this is not the case, rather they are threatened by any opposition to the capitalist oligarchies in both Ukraine and Russia. Miranda Bogdan was meant to deliver a speech for May Day calling for the international proletariat to unite, and anyone who supports that message should help by signing our petition demanding his release. Gracie, Victoria University in Melbourne Gracie Bogdan Syrotiuk is being inhumanely and wrongly persecuted for holding socialist beliefs and justly standing against the actions of the Ukrainian and Russian governments. He is vehemently opposed to war and there is no crime in this. He should not be forced into the horrendous conditions he now faces, nor should anybody be vilified for expressing anti-imperialist sentiments. Its crucial that people sign this petition so he is released as soon as possible. Matt, Brisbane The arrest and detainment of Bogdan Syrotiuk by the Zelensky regime must be condemned and opposed by all workers and students. His immediate release is an urgent demand, for the conditions he is being held in, as well as the looming threat of life imprisonment, pose imminent threats to his life. Matt Bogdan, a socialist in Ukraine and a principled opponent of the war, has been charged with bogus accusations of serving the interests of Russia. In fact, Bogdan has campaigned for the unity of the Ukrainian and Russian working classes, along with the international working class of all countries, which is the only social force that can put an end to the unrelenting drive towards militarism and a third world war. The arrest of Bogdan must not be seen as an isolated incident, but rather as the most recent example of widespread attacks on free speech and democratic rights for any who speak out against war and genocide. These attacks, not only from the Zelensky regime, but also the Biden administration as well as governments in Europe and Australia, are taking on an increasingly fascistic character as opposition to the NATO escalation of war in Ukraine as well as Israels ongoing genocide of the Palestinians continues with mass demonstrations. The campaign for Bogdans freedom is inescapably linked up with the campaign to oppose the drive towards war by the imperialist powers, in particular the United States, as well as the corresponding attacks on the working class and students across the globe. The World Socialist Web Site and the International Committee of the Fourth International have started a petition on change.org calling for the immediate release of Bogdan. It is vital that this petition reaches the highest possible audience and gains a large number of signatures, to demonstrate our opposition to this latest infringement on free speech. Please sign it and share with others. Free Bogdan! Student protests have spread across Europe since the Israeli military launched its long-planned assault on Rafah. Inspired by anti-genocide protests on campuses across the United States defying a nationwide crackdown coordinated by the Biden administration that has led to thousands of arrests, students are occupying university halls and facilities across the continent. It also comes as anti-genocide protest camps have spread at universities in Britain, including at Oxford and Cambridge. Students demonstrate outside La Sorbonne university, Monday, April 29, 2024 in Paris [AP Photo/Christophe Ena] Protesters are demanding an end to the US and EU-backed genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, an immediate ceasefire, an end to European arms deliveries to Israel, and humanitarian aid for Gaza. In some countries, they face violent police crackdowns, with at least 200 arrests across Europe in recent days. In others, terrified by the precedent of the May 1968 French general strike, when General Charles De Gaulles violent crackdown on students triggered an eruption of working class struggle, governments are allowing protests to proceed. In Germany, police brutally dispersed the student encampment on the Free University of Berlin set up by over 100 protesters on Tuesday, after the university administration called for a crackdown. Wearing keffiyehs and waving Palestinian flags, students shouted Free, free Palestine! Israel is a terrorist state, and Shame on you Germany. Berlin police reported some arrests for incitement to hatred and trespassing. At Leipzig University, students set up tents in the courtyard and barricaded the entrances. Police are reportedly preparing to raid the campus. In France, police used tear gas and pepper spray to break up an anti-genocide student protest at the Sorbonne, arresting 86 people. Students chanted Free Palestine, Israel, get out! Palestine is not yours, We are all the children of Rafah and Ceasefire in Gaza now. Police broke up a separate demonstration at Sciences Po, another Paris university. In the Netherlands, several hundred protesters demonstrated around the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam campuses. Inside UvA, protesters built barricades using desks and railings to block off the canal side. Riot police used a bulldozer to knock down barricades and detained 169 people. Footage aired by national broadcaster NOS showed a mechanical digger smashing down barricades and tents. Amsterdam police said on X this was necessary to restore order. The day before, Zionist thugs charged students at the UvA encampment as police refused to intervene, recalling similar fascist assaults against student protesters at UCLA in the United States. Protests spread to Swiss universities in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich. At the Swiss University of Zurich, students rushed the campus, chanting, We are all children of Gaza, accusing the EU and Switzerland of financing Israels genocide. Demonstrators staged a sit-in, chanting Free free Palestine. Students have also occupied the Geopolis building halls at the University of Lausanne, following a protest by 1,000 people. In Austria, dozens of demonstrators have camped on the campus at the University of Vienna, erecting tents and stringing up banners. In northern Europe, protests in the Scandinavian countries have also erupted. In Finland, a Students for Palestine solidarity group set up an encampment at the University of Helsinki. In Denmark, students set up a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Copenhagen. In Sweden, terrified at pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the countrys third-largest city, Malmo, which is set to host the Eurovision Song Contest where Israel will participate, officials are mobilising hundreds of police and bringing in reinforcement officers from Denmark and Norway. In Italy, students at the University of Bologna set up a tent encampment this weekend. Groups of students organised similar peaceful protests in Rome and Naples. Italy has continued to export arms to Israel despite assurances last year that the government of neo-fascist Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was blocking such sales. In Greece, a thousand anti-genocide protesters carrying Palestinian flags and banners rallied in central Athens. They were assaulted by riot police with batons, tear gas and stun grenades as they tried to move toward the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, beneath the Parliament building, and then to scale the gates of the Egyptian embassy. Western-backed Egyptian dictator General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, known as the Butcher of Cairo, is a leading accomplice in the genocide, closing the Rafah crossing to Palestinians. Some student protests are for now being tolerated, in the countries whose governments are posturing as somewhat sympathetic to Palestinians, whilst continuing economic and military deals with the Zionist regime. What started with a small camp in the University of Valencia last week has now engulfed all of Spain. Student occupations are being held in Madrid, Barcelona, Pamplona, Malaga, Alicante and Seville. In many Spanish universities, thousands of lecturers have come out in support of the rallies. University Minister Diana Morant of the Socialist Party (PSOE)-Sumar government has cynically said she is proud of the demonstrations, though her government continues to sell weapons to Israel even after falsely claiming such sales had ceased. Morant asked the right-wing Popular Party, which is calling for a crackdown, to stop lying, inventing hoaxes, misinforming to harass these students. They should stop saying that university students are defending a terrorist group like Hamas because what they are doing is defending peace. Morants remarks are in line with the governments attempts to feign sympathy with Palestinians by calling to recognise a Palestinian state and organising nominally pro-Palestinian rallies with the union bureaucracies. These are meant to placate mass global opposition to the genocide, without in any way deviating from support for the Zionist regime. Similarly in Belgium, where some 100 students occupied part of Ghent University and protests began at Free University of Brussels, Minister of Development Cooperation Caroline Gennez called on EU states to stop exporting arms to Israel. Deputy prime minister Petra De Sutter called for sanctions in Nieuwsblad newspaper, saying: It is time for sanctions against Israel. The rain of bombs is inhumane. Just weeks before, Nicole De Moor, Junior Minister for Asylum and Migration, revoked the refugee status of Mohamed Khatib, the European Coordinator of Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, labeled a hate preacher by Belgian authorities. Belgian police have banned Samidoun protests. Students across the United States and Europe are taking a courageous stand. The struggle against genocide, war and militarism, however, cannot be limited to demands for universities to sever relations with Israeli universities or divest from banks and corporations backing Israel. To overcome police repression, block weapons deliveries to Israel, and halt the genocide in Gaza, the working class must be mobilized in struggle, as in May 1968 in France. Workers must defend student anti-genocide protesters, whose struggle against militarism and repression is vital for the working class. Capitalism is descending into a mortal international crisis. US-NATO imperialism is dragging mankind towards a nuclear catastrophe, relentlessly escalating war against Russia in Ukraine. The United States, Britain and France are publicly discussing resorting to missile strikes and ground war against Russia, while Russian officials are warning they may launch nuclear counter-strikes on NATO countries. Mass protests must be organised in every country to demand the end of the genocide in Gaza, the withdrawal of NATO forces from Ukraine and an immediate end to the conflict. The issues students have raised cannot be resolved in universities, but rather 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. Capitalist barbarism must be countered with the programme of world socialist revolution. For Russian society, Victory Day has become a reminder of the stalemate of its special military operation in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin presided over his third military parade on Thursday in Moscows Red Square since ordering his Armed Forces to take Kyiv. The Great Patriotic War, as Russia refers to the triumph over the Third Reich in World War II, took the Soviet Union four years to achieve. Russia is now going through a difficult, milestone period, the fate of the Motherland, its future, depends on each of us, Putin told his troops from the pulpit, where the presence of international leaders could be counted on the fingers of two hands. The cold and a flurry of snow in the middle of May did not help the military parade. Neither did the fact that it fell on a Thursday giving Russians the opportunity to enjoy a four-day long weekend nor that for security reasons other parallel events were suspended both in Moscow and in the rest of the country. Very few people came out to view the march of vehicles through the center of the capital, where for the first time the authorities suspended the parade of the so-called Immortal Regiment. This initiative a citizens march where participants carry portraits of grandparents and parents who suffered in World War II arose spontaneously last decade, but ended up being appropriated and politicized by the Kremlin. Russias holiest day has in previous years constituted a show of force by the military. On this occasion, however, the only armored vehicle crossing Red Square was an old World War II T-34 tank, followed by some six dozen vehicles, mostly armored transports the Tigr-M, Taifun-K and several BTRs and several missile launcher systems that are deployed in the bombardment of Ukraine: the state-of-the-art S-400 missile system and the 9K720 Iskander hypersonic missile launcher. Also on parade was the spearhead of Russias nuclear forces, the Yars intercontinental ballistic missile. Russia will do everything to avert a global confrontation. At the same time, we will not allow anyone to threaten us. Our strategic forces are always combat ready, Putin said in his second threat to the West this week. On Monday, the Kremlin issued an order to its non-strategic nuclear forces, the second line of Russias arsenal in terms of destructive capability and capable of delivering a first strike in a hypothetical conflict, to conduct exercises. Problems with supplying the front line may have prompted the Kremlin to play the nuclear card. Satellite images of Russian weapons depots analyzed by the Institute for the Study of War suggest that Moscow is largely sustaining its war effort with material withdrawn from stockpiles rather than from the manufacture of new weapons and vehicles. There is no family in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and many other eastern European countries that would not have suffered the loss of a loved one at the front during World War II. Today, the Kremlin tries to draw a historical thread between the pain caused by Hitlers Germany to justify its invasion of Ukraine. Revanchism, mockery of history, and the desire to justify the current followers of the Nazis are part of the general policy of Western elites to foment more and more regional conflicts, Putin said. A nod to China The Russian leader rewrote the history books during his speech to justify his expansionist ambition. During the first three long, difficult years of the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet Union, all the republics of the former Soviet Union fought the Nazis practically one on one, while almost the whole of Europe was working for the military power of the Wehrmacht, the Russian leader declared. By the time Germany launched its invasion of the USSR in June 1941 on the borders of what had been Poland two years earlier, the United Kingdom was already resisting the Luftwaffes scourge, French partisans were fighting underground, and Hitlers war machine was being confronted in the Balkans and North Africa. Putin also declined to mention the 1939-1941 Molotov-Ribbentrop treaty of non-aggression in place with Berlin until Hitler set his sights on Moscow. The president also provided a nod to Beijing, his main economic and political supporter in the Kremlins military campaign against Ukraine, in recalling the courage of the people of China, who fought for their independence against the aggression of militaristic Japan. Tension between Moscow and Tokyo is rising. The Kremlin has strengthened its military collaboration with the North Korean regime, while Japan has sent aid to Ukraine. In the background is the dispute over the Kuril Islands, seized by the USSR during World War II. Moscow recently banned foreign ships from entering the archipelagos waters. The Kremlin did not invite the leaders of countries it considers unfriendly for failing to support its offensive on Ukraine. However, neither did it have a massive representation from the rest of the world. Present on the guest rostrum were the leaders of the five Central Asian republics with which Moscow has close economic and political relations Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan and four other allied countries Belarus, Cuba, Laos, and Guinea-Bissau. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Whoopi Goldberg knows that life is short, and doesnt want to waste time. The New York actress, who has lived long and fast, will turn 69 on November 13, but had no intention of waiting till her 70th birthday to take stock of her life. On May 7, she released her memoir Bits and Pieces: My Mother, my Brother, and Me. The books title along with the dedication (This book is for all those who knew my mother and my brother) sums up the essence of the work: remembering her mother, Emma, who died suddenly in August 2010, and her brother, Clyde, who died even more unexpectedly in May 2015, aged 65. But the intimate portrait of her beloved family also includes Goldbergs reflections on her personal and professional career. In the memoir, the actress and TV presenter writes about the people who helped her rise to fame: from directors such as Mike Nichols and Steven Spielberg to actors Maggie Smith (who stayed with her for five hours in the dressing room of a London theater after she learned of her mothers death, until she was able to leave for the United States); Elizabeth Taylor, with whom she maintained a loving friendship based on philanthropy (and who taught Goldberg to ask for a gift from each studio she worked for) and Marlon Brando, who after a telephone conversation appeared by surprise at her house playing the piano. Goldberg who was born Caryn Johnson writes about her humble beginnings, being raised by a single mother (who never revealed her age) in the projects in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York. The actors journey is portrayed as that of a girl with a simple life, who was taught everything she knows about life by her mother, a woman ahead of her time, modern in her thinking and her way of living. A girl who was devastated by her mothers death. Its a journey, in which Goldberg also writes about her mistakes, successes, divorces, experiences of racism, battle with drug addiction and private family stories. And in which, despite everything, she defines herself as the luckiest woman in the world. One of these intimate stories is particularly striking: in the memoir, Goldberg writes that, at one point in her childhood, her mother disappeared. She comes home from school and finds her mother in a strange state, as if she were lost. Her mother is taken to a hospital and disappears from her and her brothers life for no less than two years. They hear nothing of her, and dont know whether she will return or not. Goldberg doesnt remember much of what happened in the meantime, but she does remember that her father (a gay man, who never raised her or had much of a relationship with Goldberg) and her maternal grandfather (who also didnt raise Emma) were the ones who admitted her mother to a medical center. When Emma returns, she is somewhat disoriented, according to the memoir, until everything returns to normal. It is not until years later that Emma reveals what had happened to her. She tells her now-adult children that she had been put through electroshock therapy for years, which weakened her and damaged her memory. When she returned, she recognized them, but did not remember that they were her children. She never visited a doctor again, not even a dentist, and changed her profession from nursing to teaching. Goldberg takes solace in their early deaths by stating that this way she never had to make medical decisions for them. Whoopi Goldberg and her mother, Emma Johnson, in March 1986. Ron Galella (Getty Images) Goldbergs relationship with her mother has been the pillar of her life. Emma Johnson supported the actress from the start, using her limited resources to give her culture, education and a taste for the arts and books. In fact, Goldberg writes that she is often asked: Why do you sound so white? Its a racist question that continues to surprise her, and that her mother put down to ignorance. Her mother always supported her, even when she wanted to be an actress as a child. And when she became pregnant at age 18, and wanted to keep the child. A year earlier, Goldberg had married her drugs counselor Alvin Martin, who was helping her after she started taking drugs at age 16. The two separated shortly afterward. Goldberg has been married three times and has since said that being in a relationship is not for her. Say to the next person: No, thank you, her mother recommended. Motherhood was not for her either. In the memoir, Goldberg acknowledges that she never forgot the physical pain of childbirth, nor her inability to breastfeed little Alex. She was very young when she became a mother and had barely started her career. I just wanted to act, but I didnt know how to build a career or how to get a job, she says in her biography. She wanted to be a film actress in Hollywood, but she started with theater in New York and then in Texas, before finally moving to California. She dragged her daughter to all these destinations until she finally got her break in New York, where thanks to director Mike Nichols she made the leap to Broadway. While on Broadway, she was spotted by Spielberg, who chose her for a role in The Color Purple. It was her first big movie opportunity, and landed Goldberg her first Oscar nomination. She would have to wait for her second for her role as Oda Mae in Ghost (which screenwriters had opposed, but Patrick Swayze pushed for her) to win the award. Whoopi Goldberg and her daughter Alex Martin at a party in Atlanta, Georgia, in October 2019. Paras Griffin (Getty Images) As a young mother, Goldberg had to ask for social aid from the state of California money which she later wanted to return. And then, for long periods of time, she did not see her daughter: It was her mother who took care of Alex. Emma left her New York apartment and flew to California (with just two paper bags as luggage, leaving everything behind, even her signed Beatles records and her childrens birth certificates). In the memoir, Goldberg acknowledges that she was not a perfect mother and that while she has a good relationship with her daughter now, she is not very maternal. I would never win an award for best mother, she writes. You can have it all. But youve got to walk away from the idea that its going to look like some movie. Having it all is as messy as you can get, she continues. When Alex was just 15 years old, she became pregnant: on her 34th birthday, Whoopi Goldberg became a grandmother. She thinks it was her daughters revenge for the fact that she was away from home for so long. Years later, Alex told her that she thinks she got pregnant as a teenager because she wanted a person who didnt know who Whoopi Goldberg was. Alex Martin today has three children and a granddaughter. In 2014, at 58 years of age, Goldberg became a great-grandmother. Whoopi Goldberg and her brother Clyde K. Johnson, in an archive photograph published by the actress. Getty Images In the 1980s, at the peak of her fame, Goldberg once again became addicted to drugs. For a year she was a very high functioning adult, until she started hallucinating, suffering from clumsiness, and staying in bed for 24 hours. In a hotel in New York, alone on her birthday, she was discovered by one of the cleaners, sitting on the floor with her face covered in cocaine. They were both scared of each other, and she was so ashamed that she stopped using hard drugs. Goldberg, however, continues to take marijuana and has even owned cannabis marketing companies. Fortunately, she managed to overcome her addiction very quickly. When Emma died in 2010, Goldberg and her brother who moved to California to be with his sister and mother decided to throw her ashes in a place that made her happy: Disneyland Park, in south Los Angeles. It is a common. albeit prohibited, practice, and Goldberg says that she knew it would make her mother happy. Losing her brother just five years later to an aneurysm left her stunned, but not surprised, because she says part of Clydes essence was gone when their mother died. She was their pillar, and they were hers. Because of my mom, I was able to go from being Caryn Johnson, the little weird kid from the projects who no one ever expected to achieve all that much, to being me. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The Sonoran Desert toad (Incilius alvarius, also known as the Colorado River toad or bufo toad) releases a poison through its skin that contains a psychedelic compound with therapeutic potential. The 5-MeO-DMT molecule, which is secreted naturally by the parotid glands of this amphibian, has hallucinogenic properties: when consumed, it causes temporary distortions of vision, sound and time perception. But the trips triggered by this compound may also impact mental health, and the scientific community is investigating its properties to treat depression and other mental disorders. A study published on Wednesday in the journal Nature provides further insight into this type of psychedelic and its medicinal possibilities. Researchers from the Icahn Faculty at Mount Sinai in New York mapped the molecular bases of 5-MeO-DMT in the brain and analyzed how it interacts with the same serotonin receptor that is used in other antidepressants. The researchers believe the study provides crucial information to facilitate the development of new neuropsychiatric therapies. Amid the growing interest in psychedelic medicine, many scientists are looking at the therapeutic potential of 5-MeO-DMT. It is already being tested in humans, in a handful of trials for treatment-resistant depression. But the mechanism of action i.e. how the compound impacts the brain remains unclear. Scientists are paying special attention to how it and other psychedelics interact with brain receptors that activate a key neurotransmitter for regulating mood: serotonin. This chemical substance serves as a communication route for neurons, allowing them to send messages to each other. It also helps regulate various functions, such as mood, digestion, temperature, sleep and sexual function. Low concentration of serotonin is associated with the development of depression and other mental disorders. Some conventional antidepressants, such as Prozac, try to raise serotonin levels. Daniel Wacker, author of the study published in Nature, admits that what they know about the effects of 5-MeO-DMT, comes from anecdotal reports: The psychedelic induces altered states of consciousness, which are often described as trips and cannot be equated to a high like that produced by cannabis. Trips involve [...] hallucinations, but also so-called subjective effects that can range from pleasant mystical experiences and feelings of unity to negative experiences including fear, paranoia and vomiting. 5-MeO-DMT in particular has been associated with ego dissolution, that is, feelings of oneness with the universe, which could contribute substantially to the sustained antidepressant effects of psychedelics. However, this has not yet been demonstrated so far, and other studies, including ours, suggest that other mechanisms could also contribute to the antidepressant effects of 5-MeO-DMT2. His research focused on analyzing, in animal models, how this compound interacts with a group of serotonin receptors closely related to anxiety circuits in the brain. While there have been some studies indicating that other receptors may play a role in the actions of 5-MeO-DMT, the psychoactive effects of psychedelics in general have been primarily attributed to actions at the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. 5-MeO-DMT has already demonstrated considerable therapeutic effects in humans, although these reports are anecdotal and cannot be equated with controlled clinical trials. Furthermore, the mechanisms by which 5-MeO-DMT and other psychedelics might treat psychiatric disorders are currently unknown. Our studies suggest that for 5-MeO-DMT, binding and activation of the serotonin 5-HT1A receptor could play a critical role, says Wacker by email. Behind that alphanumeric nickname (5-HT1A), hides one of the 13 groups of receptors activated by serotonin that regulate numerous physiological processes, including many brain functions, intestinal motility and even the reproductive system, explains the scientist. 5-HT1A is the most expressed serotonin receptor in the brain, where it regulates body temperature, memory and learning, mood, and other aspects of human physiology. Interestingly, 5-HT1A is the primary molecular target of several prescription antidepressants, such as vilazodone, buspirone, and gepirone. 5-MeO-DMT binds to the same 5-HT1A pocket that serotonin normally binds to, but interacts with the receptor differently compared to serotonin, as we demonstrate through structures at the atomic level in our work, he adds. A woman receives help after participating in a psychedelic therapy session with 5-MeO-DMT at a retreat outside Tijuana, Mexico, in 2022. MERIDITH KOHUT (New York Times / ContactoPhoto) The researchers analyzed how the compound interacted with these receptors, and modified specific sites of the hallucinogen to evaluate, in mouse models of depression, its potential as a therapeutic agent. Our studies provide crucial insights into an understudied class of psychedelics and related compounds that may facilitate the development of new neuropsychiatric therapeutics that target 5-HT, the study concludes. Victor Perez, who is head of Psychiatry at the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona and has a clinical trial underway (Phase II) with 5-MeO-DMT for treatment-resistant depression, explains that Wacker and his team propose what are part of the mechanisms of action, but do not resolve all the unsolved questions. We do not know how the patients improvement occurs. A lot remains to be done and I dont know if we will know what the final mechanism of action is. But it is striking that patients with depression that does not remit to individual treatments and is tremendously desperate, after this therapy, within a few hours, experience a qualitative change [remits the depressive symptomatology]. They are substances with tremendous potency and, if done in the right places [under health control], they are quite safe drugs, Perez explains. Clinical implications Wackers findings shed a little more light on what happens in the brain when this psychedelic from the venom of the Sonoran Desert toad is taken. But the research also reveals the complexity of these mechanisms of action, admits the scientist: Our research shows that the mechanism by which 5-MeO-DMT acts in the brain is probably more complex than previously assumed, since its clinical effectiveness potentially depends on 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors. This finding could have clinical implications, as the drug could have known 5-HT1A-related side effects, as seen with other 5-HT1A drugs (sleep disorders, headaches, etc.). Regarding this study, Oscar Soto, president of the Spanish Society of Psychedelic Medicine, points out that this field of research will allow scientists to better identify how [this compound] affects one receptor or another. It opens the door to developing new specific molecules to specifically bind to a specific receptor, says Soto, did not take part in the research. Soto is a psychiatrist at the Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Deu in Spain, where three clinical trials are testing 5-MeO-DMT and another psychedelic compound, psilocybin, in patients with treatment-resistant depression. Regarding the hallucinogen extracted from the venom of the Sonoran Desert toad, Soto says that it induces a process of brain plasticity and an altered state of consciousness that is complex and different from other psychedelics. According to the doctor, this leads to an acute improvement in symptoms. A characteristic of altered states of consciousness is ineffability, the difficulty of describing that state: many people talk about feeling like they are disappearing, there are not so many visual alterations, but sometimes, they lose track of time. Sometimes you dont even remember your own experience, he says. The trip is short, between 10 minutes and half an hour, but he warns that they are complex experiences, and it is important that the patient feels safe and not alone because it can be a difficult process to navigate. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Jasmine Newland, center, cooks traditional Tai Dam cuisine with her family in a scene from "Refugees Welcome," a documentary about the Tai Dam community's arrival in Iowa. The documentary premiered May 8, 2024 on the Very Local streaming platform. A new documentary tells the story of one decision by an Iowa governor to open his heart and the state for refugees, which ultimately led to a modern-day love story for his grandchild. "Refugees Welcome" is the story of then-Iowa Gov. Robert Ray's push for Iowa to accept Tai Dam refugees, an ethnic minority fleeing from persecution in their homelands of Vietnam and Laos. Little did Ray know that decades later, his grandson would fall in love with the daughter of the same Tai Dam refugees he welcomed to Iowa. Producer Laura Ling said she hopes viewers find a sense of common humanity in the documentary and see beyond the differences argued about today. "We found that there's such a rich story here, one of really important history," said, Ling, who also serves as vice president of programming for Very Local, the streaming platform behind the documentary. "But also the lessons we can learn from it through a modern-day lens." What is the 'Refugees Welcome' documentary about? The documentary follows a Tai Dam refugee family, the Vongs, who fled to Iowa to avoid persecution. Before coming to Iowa, the Tai Dam fled from Vietnam and Laos after the countries fell to communism in 1975. Much of the federal government was reluctant to allow the Tai Dam refugees to resettle in America. But Ray, a Republican and Iowa's 38th governor, advocated for lawmakers to welcome the Tai Dam into America and offered Iowa as their home regardless of the resentment toward Asian refugees. Ling spent her career in journalism reporting on human rights. So when she heard about the struggles and challenges faced by the Tai Dam refugees she knew she found another important story to tell. As a proud Asian-American, Ling hadn't known about the Tai Dam's experience until she visited Des Moines. Ling was not only invested in telling the story of the Southeast Asian minority group but also in Ray's decision to aid them. "I was so struck by his leadership and his gesture and action of humanity," Ling said. 'Refugees Welcome' shares Tai Dam community's historic story with a modern-day twist Jasmine Vong, the daughter of Tai Dam refugees, and former Gov. Robert Ray's grandson Jeffrey Newland will wed in an August ceremony at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. The story continues today through Jasmine and Jeffrey Newland. The two met in high school and became college sweethearts. After dating for some time, the couple discovered they were descendants of a nearly five-decade-long partnership. They got married in August 2023 after Ray died in 2018. Jasmine Newland is the daughter of Tai Dam refugees, the Vongs, while Jeffrey Newland is Ray's grandson. Without the governor's efforts to welcome the Tai Dam to Iowa, the two might not have met. Now they feel fortunate to be able to share their family's story. "We're both just excited to carry on these traditions moving forward," Jeffrey Newland said. "You know, complete opposite parts of the world that have become intertwined and we still want to cherish those values that our elders have created. And make sure our new development is aware of the history." The Newlands recently welcomed the birth of their first son William Newland. The couple is excited to pass down their family history to him. While many locals may know the Newlands' love story, Ling hopes the story intrigues viewers outside of Des Moines to learn more about the Tai Dam. "Two people whose relationship might not have happened if it weren't for the actions of Gov. Ray," Ling said. "We also wanted to shine a spotlight on the refugee experience and the struggles involved." Even though the documentary features the Newlands' wedding and personal story, Jasmine Newland said the biggest thing she hopes people take away from the documentary is the story of the Tai Dam people, which is now one of hope. "It was a pretty dark time a couple of decades ago," Jeffrey Newland said. "They were not Iowans, but they became Iowans just because a door was open and an opportunity was given. My grandfather always instructed me to no matter who they are, give people your undivided attention and show respect." How to watch the 'Refugees Welcome' documentary about Iowa's Tai Dam community The documentary is coming out during Asian American Pacific Islander Month in honor of the Tai Dam's story. The "Refugees Welcome" premiered May 8 on the Very Local app. The app is available on all mobile and connected TV devices. Very Local is owned by Hearst, the parent company of KCCI-TV. Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Tai Dam refugees path to Iowa shown in 'Refugee Welcome' documentary Jenna Bush Hager got emotional recalling her beautiful love story with husband Henry Chase Hager. On the May 10 episode of TODAY with Hoda & Jenna, Jenna teared up when Hoda Kotb reminded their studio audience in Bermuda that it was her co-host and Henry's 16th wedding anniversary. "Why am I crying?" Jenna said with a laugh. "His birthday was yesterday. He turned 46. He had turned 30 the day before we got married, so I feel really lucky to have met somebody that has given me three beautiful little babes," she said of their children. "We've created a life together and I'm pretty proud of us." Jenna then noted the reason they've stayed together for so long is because they've grown together with one another over the years. "Henry is the best," she said. "He's introduced me to all sorts of things that I love. He was an Eagle Scout, so we go hiking together, we do all these things. But what's cool is we're both interested in growing and he's not the type that's like, 'Oh, I don't want to go see that show, or I don't want to do that.' He's open and that's so fun." Jenna and Hager's relationship spans two decades. Sparks first flew between the pair back in 2004, when Henry was working for Jennas dad, former President George W. Bush. It wasnt long before Jenna knew Henry was the one, and the rest, as they say, was history. Today, the couple shares three children, and Jenna often offers a glimpse into their life as a family of five over on her Instagram. Jenna Bush Hager Family (@jennbhager via Instagram) Heres what to know about Jenna and Henrys relationship through the years. Jenna met Henry when he was working for former President George W. Bush in 2004 Jenna met Henry through mutual friends while he was working on former President George W. Bushs 2004 reelection campaign. He worked for my dad, Jenna said on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna in 2019. A friend of mine from college was like, his intern at work, and we were going to watch the Texas game, and they were like, Can we bring Henry? A few years ago, Jenna shared a throwback photo in her Instagram story of the first picture she and Henry ever took together, dating back to December 2004, when she was 23 and Henry was 26. We have been together 1 million years, she joked in the caption. The couple's worst first date involved the Secret Service As the presidents daughter, Jenna had to deal with some extra complications when dating such as the presence of the Secret Service. She recalled one awkward moment when Henry accidentally crashed into a Secret Service car in Arlington, Virginia, as he was driving up a hill to reach a gas station before running out of fuel. My worst first date involved the Secret Service, lets just leave it at that," Jenna said on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna in 2021. It was with Henry, and his car ran out of gas and went backwards and hit the Secret Service. Were you scared or laughing? Hoda Kotb asked her. I was laughing, but he was horrified, Jenna recalled. Henry once snuck out of the White House 'walking as fast as he could' At one point while they were dating, Jenna said Henry had to sneak out of the White House the morning after their relationship reached a certain level." Henry said he woke up (the next morning) and he looked around and he was, like, Aaaaaaaah because he worked for my dad, Jenna recalled with a laugh on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna in 2022. She said Henry was walking as fast as he could to get out of the White House while trying to play it cool. He said to get out of the White House was as hard to get in, Jenna told Hoda. The people that guard the White House are looking to see whos running (inside). Usually, people dont run out. Jenna added that Henry was wearing his clothes from the night before, pulling on the gate. When she shared the funny story on the air on TODAY, Jenna revealed this was this first time she was telling her parents about the incident, too. Do you think my parents are going to enjoy that? I mean, Im 41 almost, and we have three children! she said. Jenna knew Henry was the one for her early on: 'I was completely myself' Jenna knew Henry was the perfect person for her pretty early on. I do think one of the reasons why I knew really soon Henry was the one is I was completely myself, and he loved it, she told Hoda on TODAY in 2020. She explained that with previous boyfriends, she had pretended to be somebody she wasnt to impress them like when she told a high school boyfriend she was an avid skier, even though she had never skied in her life. And then comes Christmas and he said, Well, my familys going on a ski trip and since you love it, too, Id love for you to go, she recalled of the little white lie she told her high school beau. And I went into my parents and I was like, Mom and Dad' ... it finally caught up with me." But with Henry, she could just be herself. I do think you reach a certain point where you kind of are who you are, right? she added. Jenna proposed to Henry first, months after they started dating: 'What are we waiting for?' Jenna was so sure of her feelings early on, she proposed to Henry after just three months of dating. After three months of dating I mightve had a Christmas cocktail and we were dancing, and I said, This is it, I know it, lets just get married, what are we waiting for? Jenna shared on TODAY in February 2020. He smiled, and he was like, Im crazy about you, but youre young." Jenna shared more details on the proposal on TODAY in August 2023, and revealed her sister, Barbara Bush, was there when the moment happened. I was 22 years old. My sister was standing with us, we were dancing, and Barbara started shuffling backwards. She was like, What is happening here? She recalled Henry saying he loved her, too, and she said, Me too: Lets get married! However, Henry didnt take her tipsy proposal completely seriously. He said no, but then five years later we got married, Jenna recalled. He didnt say no, he just was like (laughing). Henry asked the president for his daughters hand in marriage in 2007 Henry asked Jennas father for his blessing during a Fourth of July weekend retreat in 2007 at Camp David in Maryland. Henry was so nervous about asking the then-president for his permission to marry Jenna that he read the Bible in preparation, Jenna told TODAY guest host Justin Sylvester in August 2023. To make the situation even more nerve-wracking, Henry had trouble grabbing a moment alone with the president. He called my dad. Hes like, Id like to come speak to you. Hes like, Im taking a nap. Come in a couple hours, Jenna said on TODAY. So (Henry) had to sit and stew. When Henry did finally speak to Jenna's father, he came prepared. And then he had like a seven-point plan of why he wanted to marry me and how he was going to take care of me, and my dad goes, Henry, I said yes. You dont need to go through anything else, Jenna recalled, adding that he said to her mother, former first lady Laura Bush: Laura, Henrys proposing, and that was that. Good thing he did it. Jenna and Henry got married in 2008 Jenna wed Henry on May 10, 2008, at her parents Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas. Image: Henry Hager And Jenna Bush Wedding (The White House / Getty Images) She remembers a sweet moment she shared with her dad on their special day. I think my dad picked me up in a pickup truck, in his pickup truck, and he said, You look beautiful, baby, and then we both just wept, she told Hoda on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna in 2021. She also shared that on their wedding day, Henry stood at a cross that her dad had helped build. Its still there, so we have our Christmas services there that we put together, our kids have gotten to stand on it, she said. The couple welcomed their first child, Mila, in 2013 Jenna and Henry welcomed their first child, Margaret Laura Mila Hager, on April 13, 2013. Mila is named after both of her grandmothers: Laura Bush and Henrys mother, Margaret. Baby Mila had been due in May, but she came early in April after Jenna went into labor at her baby shower. I felt like my stomach was going 'blop blop,' and somebody across me goes, Girl, youre going to have that baby right now. And then it was like, three, two, water break, she recalled on TODAY in April 2023. She said Henry went into panic mode when he heard her water had broken although at first, Henry thought Jenna was pranking him. Henry thought we were playing a joke on him, because Barbara and I have ganged up on him, Jenna said. The couple welcomed a second daughter, Poppy, in 2015 Jenna and Henrys second daughter, Poppy Louise Hager, was born on Aug. 13, 2015. Poppy was named after Jennas grandfather, former President George H.W. Bush, whose nickname growing up was Poppy. We are proud to name her after a man we so adore, Henry told TODAY in 2015. Henry also shared that Poppys middle name was inspired by the middle names of his and Jennas grandmothers, Louise and Lewis. Poppy, Mila and Henry have joined Jenna before at TODAY. (Nathan Congleton / TODAY) Jenna and Henry's third child, Hal, was born in 2019 Jenna and Henry welcomed their third child and first boy, Henry Harold Hal Hager, on Aug 2., 2019. On Hals recent fourth birthday, Jenna shared his birth story on TODAY. She revealed that she wasnt allowed to enjoy celebratory treats immediately after Hals birth because she'd had a C-section. I had Hal for an hour, and my sister arrived with tacos and doughnuts, Jenna told Hoda, and the nurse said I wasnt allowed to eat breakfast tacos and doughnuts. Jenna says she also recently told Hal about the details of his birth. I FaceTimed him this morning and said, Hal, did you know that in one hour, four years ago, you were cut out of my tummy? Jenna shared on TODAY. Hal was apparently not expecting this news. He goes, Cut out of your tummy? Jenna said. Youre so literal, Hoda told Jenna, laughing. Henry celebrated Jennas 40th birthday with a hilarious prank on TODAY When Jenna celebrated her 40th birthday in 2021, Henry gave her an unforgettable on-air surprise. In honor of his wifes milestone birthday, Henry went undercover as an NBC page and asked people on the street what they knew about Jenna including asking people to guess her age. One person guessed she was 32, while another person scolded Henry for asking the question in the first place, because youre not supposed to ask a lady how old she is. That was tough, Henry said afterwards of his brief time as an NBC page. Im going to get a coffee, warm up and never try this again. He also added a sweet message to his wife. Jenna, youre an amazing anchor. Youre so good at this job, he said. I dont know how you do it. I love you. Happy birthday! The couple celebrated their 15th anniversary: 'I love him. A lot.' Jenna and Henrys love is as strong as ever. In May 2023, Jenna celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary with a sweet Instagram post. Jenna Bush Hager, Henry Hager (@jennbhager via Instagram) She shared photos from their wedding day, as well as a candid pic of her and Henry riding the subway together, and another cute photo showing them smiling during a boat ride. 15 years with HHs hand in mine, she wrote in the caption. I love him. A lot. Jenna talked about Henry's loving gift during the pandemic: 'It's the little things' During TODAY with Hoda & Jenna on March 21, Jenna opened up about how Henry surprised her with a thoughtful gesture during the COVID-19 pandemic. "During COVID, it was one of those days that was everlasting: doing the show from our kitchen, feeling a little isolated, having no child care, immediately going from the show to getting the kids on Zoom, then cooking for the millionth time," Jenna told Hoda. But then, Jenna walked into her and Henry's room to find a candle lit and a letter written by her husband. "I came into our room, Henry had lit a candle, thats it, and wrote a lovely letter about how even though this was a scary, kind of fraught time, that there would be no better partner hed rather do it with," Jenna continued. At this, Hoda let out a surprised laugh and wiped her eye from getting emotional. Jenna then explained what she thought the loving gifts meant to "lay down and chill." "'I see you and I know youre tired and I know youve picked up a lot, and just chill for a minute,'" Jenna explained of the Henry's message behind the two gestures. "It is the little things, right? I think thats the most beautiful sentiment, and its a tiny, little thing," Hoda answered. Jenna Bush Hager celebrates Henry's birthday and their wedding anniversary Jenna celebrated Henry's 46th birthday on Instagram May 9 when she shared a bunch of photos of Henry and their kids together. She penned the caption, "Happiest birthday to the best who never took to social media! Henry Hager we you with all we are! Been together for 20 birthdays.....(still feel 26!!)." Alongside her sweet caption, Jenna shared 10 photos featuring Henry. In the first snap, the couple poses for a mirror selfie with daughters Mila and Poppy, who are wearing Taylor Swift gear. Other pics show Henry smiling with Jenna and hanging out with their son Hal. The couple also celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary on May 10. Jenna recalled their love story on the May 10 episode of TODAY with Hoda & Jenna. On the show, she said she felt lucky to be married to Henry and have three beautiful little babes with him. Weve created a life together and Im pretty proud of us, she said. This article was originally published on TODAY.com EXCLUSIVE: Lizzy Greene (A Million Little Things) is set to star in and executive-produce High Tide, a survival thriller that strands a group of friends on a swiftly submerging tidal island deep in the Pacific, where they are soon hunted by the oceans greatest predator. Greene will play Hannah who, mourning the death of her sister, takes off around the world. Her journey leads her to Fiji and on a tour of an isolated atoll a volcanic island that disappears with each high tide. But when the group are stranded, the rapidly rising ocean begins to reveal its terrifying inhabitants. More from Deadline Having led five seasons of ABCs popular drama A Million Little Things, Greene is next set to star in Netflixs upcoming series Ransom Canyon, which is currently in production, across from Josh Duhamel, Minka Kelly and James Brolin. High Tide, which is due to launch production this fall in South East Asia, marks the feature debut of director David Straiton, a TV veteran of shows series including Narcos, The Originals, Hemlock Grove and Shooter. Script comes from Erik Patterson and Jessica Scott (Abandoned). Scott Einbinder (Killer Joe) produces for 5X Media together with Matt Bierman (Deep Blue Sea franchise). Architect has launched worldwide sales ahead of Cannes, and is co-representing North American rights with 5X Media. Crew includes cinematographer Aron Levy (Snowpiercer), production designer Andrew Orlando (Halo) and special effects impresario Todd Masters (Dune). 5X Medias expansion this year comes under the direction of former Keshet International CEO Alon Shtruzman (La Brea) and former Bunim/Murray Productions CEO Gil Goldschein (Keeping Up with the Kardashians). They now serve as co-CEOs and equity partners in 5X with Einbinder, who launched the company in January 2023 and is its executive chairman. Straiton said: High Tides soul sets it apart. At its core is a story of a young woman dealing with past trauma, a secret and trying to find peace and her way back into the world. Lizzy possesses the same soulfulness, sense of hope and inner courage as Hannah, whose strength will be forged in the terrifying trials to come. Greene added: Im thrilled to collaborate with the talents of director David Straiton and producers Scott Einbinder at 5X Media and Matt Bierman. Its going to be an exhilarating journey, and I couldnt be more excited to be part of such a dynamic team. Exploring Hannahs odyssey amidst the backdrop of practical & special FX in our shark-centric tale is going to add a great dimension to the storytelling process. Itll be a challenge, and Im eager to dive into the creative waters with this incredible team. Architects Calum Gray commented: You couldnt ask for a more ingenious and thrilling high concept than High Tide. Its so concrete, so memorable. For a survival thriller, its the perfect cocktail of a treacherous, ultra-challenging environment and a single-minded, relentless antagonist. It will thrill global audiences to their core. The excellent Lizzy Greene plays a hugely relatable and highly sympathetic character who we will root for, while David and his seasoned team will craft around her a paradisal, exotic but dangerously immersive world. Architect is in post-production on The Bayou and pre-production on The Swallow, both survival thrillers for Tea Shop Productions. Greene is repped by Verve Talent and Literary Agency, Brave Artists Management and Gang, Tyre. Straiton is repped by Buchwald and 5X Media. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava has resigned from her position just days after Miss USA Noelia Voigt stepped down from hers. In a statement published to Instagram, Srivastava wrote, After careful consideration, Ive decided to resign as I find that my personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization. Srivastava won Miss NJ Teen USA in March 2023 and went on to compete in and win Miss Teen USA in September. She said the decision to step down comes after months of consideration. While this was certainly not how I saw my reign coming to a close, I am excited to continue my advocacy for education and acceptance, start applying to colleges, and share some exciting new projects on Thats Fan Behavior with those of you who plan to stick around, she wrote in the Instagram caption for her statement. What Miss Teen USA said about resigning and her future In her statement, she expressed her gratitude for the experience shes had as Miss NJ Teen USA and the support shes received from her state directors, family, sister queens and fans. While she did not comment directly on her experience as Miss Teen USA, she said, The experience of representing my state as a first generation, Mexican-Indian American was fulfilling in itself. Srivastava did not clarify what differences between her and the Miss USA organization caused her to depart the role. She said that her advocacy work for organizations such as The Lotus Petal Foundation and the Bridge of Books Foundation were her TRUE purpose and shared her plans to continue such work. While this was certainly not how I saw my reign coming to a close, I am excited to continue my advocacy for education and acceptance, start applying to colleges, and share some exciting new projects, Srivastava wrote in the posts caption. Miss USA also resigned earlier this week The Miss Teen USA and Miss USA pageants are both affiliated with the Miss Universe organization. Miss Teen USA contestants must be between 14 and 19 years old and cannot be married or have children, while Miss USA is open to contestants over age 18 regardless of marital or parental status. Although Miss Teen USA and Miss USA are separate pageants, the winners often work together. Srivastavas announcement comes days after Voigt posted a similar statement to declare her own resignation, in which she expressed her gratitude for Srivastavas love and support. Voigts statement indicated that she had chosen to step down from the Miss USA title for her mental health. Voigts mother, Jackie VoigtBriceno, posted a comment on Voigts announcement applauding her for the move. As your mother, it has been a huge relief to see my Noelias personality restored, she wrote. We are extremely proud of you for your selflessness in standing up for what is right while also prioritizing what is best for you. I observed how your personality changed and how your light faded. It broke our hearts. We are so happy today to see you being you again. Welcome home. Did Miss USA sign an NDA? Several commenters noticed that the first letter of each sentence of Voigts statement spelled out the phrase I AM SILENCED, although Voigt could not be reached for comment to address whether that was purposeful. Miss Florida USA Caroline Dixon, who competed in the Miss USA 2023 pageant, posted a statement to Instagram Wednesday supporting Voigts decision to resign. In her statement, she also asked the Miss USA organization to release Voigt from the NDA clause of her contract so that she is free to speak on her experiences and time as Miss USA. Voigt posted Dixons statement to her Instagram but did not directly comment on it. Representatives from Miss USA and Miss Utah USA could not immediately be reached for comment. Miss Teen USA 2023 UmaSofia Srivastava is stepping down from her title two days after Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt resigned. Srivastava, 17, announced her resignation in an Instagram post in a nearly identical format to Voigt, writing that she feels her "personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization." "After months of grappling with this decision, I have made the choice to resign from the title of Miss Teen USA 2023. I am grateful for all the support from my family, my state directors, my sister queens, and the fans who have cheered me on since I won my state title. I will always look back on my time as Miss NJ Teen USA fondly, and the experience of representing my state as a first generation, Mexican-Indian American at the national level was fulfilling in itself," she wrote. Miss Teen USA 2023, UmaSofia Srivastava (Chance Yeh / Getty Images ) Srivastava continued, "After careful consideration, I've decided to resign as I find that my personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization. However, I will continue my relentless advocacy for education and acceptance, with my multi-lingual children's book 'The White Jaguar' and with the organizations that I have had the privilege to work with long before starting competing..." The teen wrote that she is looking forward to finishing 11th grade as part of the National Honor Society, as well as starting applications for colleges. She also teased a "new writing project" that is expected to be released this year. In the caption to the post, Srivastava thanked her supporters and wrote that this was "certainly not how I saw my reign coming to a close." "At the end of the day, I am so lucky to have had the privilege of this experience, but if this is just a chapter, I know that the story of my life will truly be incredible," she wrote in part. Voigt commented on the post, "I LOVE YOU! So proud of you my angel." The Miss Teen USA posted on Instagram May 8 a photo of Srivastava on the evening of her title win and wrote, UmaSofia, we are wishing you all the best. Thank you for your service as Miss Teen USA, with a crown emoji. We respect and support UmaSofias decision to step down from her duties, the organization wrote in a caption. The well-being of our titleholders is a top priority. We are currently reviewing plans for the transition of responsibilities to a successor, and we will soon announce the crowning of the new Miss Teen USA. TODAY.com reached out to the Miss USA organization for comment, but did not hear back by the time of publication. In 2023, Srivastava made history as the first Mexican-Indian Miss New Jersey Teen USA, according to the pageant. Along with working with several foundations, Srivastava wrote and illustrated her own children's book, is a pianist and runs a blog called That's Fan Behavior. In school, she co-founded a diversity and inclusion campaign and is a member of her mock trial and Model UN teams. Srivastava's announcement comes one day after former Miss USA 2023 resigned from the coveted title to focus on her mental health. In a message on social media, Voigt wrote, in part, I realize this may come as a large shock to many. Never compromise your physical and mental well-being. Noelia Voigt (Chelsea Lauren / Shutterstock for Miss USA) Along with thanking people for their unwavering support, Voigt also expressed her gratitude for my darling beloved Miss Teen USA, UmaSofia. On the Miss USA Instagram page, the organization shared a photo of Voigt after her win and wrote, Thank you, Noelia, for your service as Miss USA. We wish you the best in this next chapter. In a similar message to that of Miss Teen USA, the Miss USA organization captioned the post, 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. This article was originally published on TODAY.com Miss Teen USA announced shes stepping down Wednesday, two days after Miss USA said she is resigning and relinquishing her crown. UmaSofia Srivastava, 17, posted on Instagram: After careful consideration, Ive decided to resign as I find that my personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization. Srivastava added: I am grateful for all the support from my family, my state directors, my sister queens, and the fans who have cheered me on since I won my state title. I will always look back on my time as Miss NJ Teen USA fondly, and the experience of representing my state as a first generation, Mexican-Indian American at the national level was fulfilling in itself. The resignation comes the same week Noelia Voigt relinquished her crown as Miss USA, citing her mental health. UmaSofia Srivastava (Chance Yeh / Getty Images for Supermodels Unlimited) Last week, the social media director for the Miss USA organization also announced she was resigning. Claudia Michelle said on Instagram she had observed Voigts mental health decline and observed disrespect to Srivastava and her family. "I feel the way current management speaks about their titleholders is unprofessional and inappropriate; I disavow workplace toxicity and bullying of any kind," Michelle wrote. Laylah Rose, CEO and president of the Miss USA organization, said in a statement to NBC News on Wednesday that the well-being of all individuals associated with Miss USA is my top priority. All along, my personal goal as the head of this organization has been to inspire women to always create new dreams, have the courage to explore it all, and continue to preserve integrity along the way. I hold myself to these same high standards and I take these allegations seriously, she said, without elaborating on what allegations she was referencing. Srivastava said she will continue to advocate for education and acceptance. She cited the response she has received, from both children and adults, about a childrens book she wrote, The White Jaguar, as having forged her legacy. This work has always been my TRUE purpose, Srivastava wrote. According to a summary of the book, its a story about a jaguar that is separated from her parents during a fire. The jaguar, which realizes it looks different from other jaguars, has to find its way home during a journey of self-love, the summary says. Srivastava also said shes looking forward to finishing her junior year in high school and applying to colleges. Most importantly, thank you to those who support me for who I am and have always been, not for who Ive momentarily become, she said. Voigt announced on Monday she was resigning as Miss USA to prioritize her mental health. Voigt, 24, who captured the crown in September, posted on Instagram that she was stepping down. Deep down I know that this is just the beginning of a new chapter for me, and my hope is that I continue to inspire others to remain steadfast, prioritize your mental health, advocate for yourself and others by using your voice, and never be afraid of what the future holds, even if it feels uncertain, Voigt said. The Miss USA organization said in a statement on Monday that it respects Voigts decision and has accepted her resignation. We respect and support former Miss USA Noelia Voigts decision to step down from her duties, it said. The well-being of our titleholders is a top priority, and we understand her need to prioritize herself at this time. The pageant said it is reviewing plans for the transition of responsibilities to a successor and will make an announcement soon. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Its not easy being a momjust ask Brooke Shieldss character, Lana, in Netflixs newest rom-com, Mother of the Bride. One minute, your daughter is holding you close and insisting that she cant have her wedding without you, and the next, shes threatening to throw you out of her big day in Thailand because youve upset her corporate parent by skinny-dipping at their resort. Mothers, youve all been there before, right? Anyone? On the surface, Mother of the Bride follows Lana as she tries to process the fact that her daughter Emma (Miranda Cosgrove) is engaged to a man she never met. To make things even spicier, the groom to be, RJ (Sean Teale), also happens to be the progeny of Lanas grimiest college ex, Will (as played by certified zaddy Benjamin Bratt)a not-so-fun fact the entire group finds out together when they arrive in Thailand for the destination wedding. Sadly, none of this is really the meat of the story. It turns out, Emmas most complicated relationship is not with her brilliant perfectionist of a mother, or with her charming but possibly performative fiance, but with her own deep desire to become *checks notes* a brand ambassador? Oh, boy. From her name to her life aspiration, Ms. Emma Rose Winslow is about as generically Gen Z as a character can get. In the entire hour-and-a-half-long runtime of this film, she never looks happier than in the beginning, when she announces to her mother that shes locked down a six-figure brand sponsorship deal with a high-end hotel chain. I know its not grad school, she tells her motherwho just secured another year of funding for her ground-breaking lab at Johns Hopkinsbut this is what I want to do with my life! (Somehow, Lana manages to be genuinely supportive.) In keeping with the persistent narrative that younger generations do not have much sex, Emma and her fiance also have about as much chemistry as any couple that has never kissed with tongue. Brooke Shields and Benjamin Bratt Sasidis Sasisakulporn/Netflix The emotional entanglements pile high in this movie: Lana still hasnt forgiven Will for ghosting on their epic romance decades ago in college, and she warns Emma that RJ seems to exhibit a lot of the same emotional aloofness that his father once did. This does not help shrink Emmas stress as she tries to plan a last-minute wedding in Phuket, sponsored by the hotel chain thats decided to make her its face. On a practical level, Mother of the Bride leaves a lot of questions unanswered. For instance: Are Emma and RJs friends all millionaires or something, because how else can they all afford last-minute tickets to Thailand on a few weeks notice, all for a weekend wedding? Also, do they maybe just not have many friends, because why else would they ask their parents to serve as the maid of honor and best man? Also-also, are Emma and RJ concerned about mixing business with pleasure, considering hes also the guy that helped her grow her lifestyle socials in the first place? How does his role in her career impact their relationship? After hanging out with all of these people for 90 minutes, I still have no idea! Brooke Shields Sasidis Sasisakulporn/Netflix Instead of an amusing character study, we get a rote paint-by-numbers game. Lanas barely repressed rage toward Will manifests in clumsy gags like accidentally pulling him into a pond when he tries to help her pick up her purse. At dinner, her chair leg manages to slam down on his foot. During a game of pickleball, she accidentally lobs a ball right into his ugh, dont make me say it. If that wasnt enough to confirm shes still got feelings, theres also her competitive response when she finds out that hes given their kids a multimillion-dollar condo in Tribeca as a wedding present, when all she got them was the most expensive item on their registrya state-of-the-art cappuccino maker. If only all of us could have such expensive interpersonal tension! Sean Teale and Miranda Cosgrove Sasidis Sasisakulporn/Netflix Meanwhile, Emma is living in a wedding fever dream thanks to her very expensive wedding planner, the corporate rep Camala (Tasneem Roc). Shes got centerpieces from the same vendor who did Meghan and Harrys wedding (lol), a five-figure wedding dress from the next Vera Wang, Daisy St. Daisy, and bridesmaids dresses from the equally important designer Klaus von Klaus. (Yes, this is played as a self-aware bit, and no, that doesnt quite make up for how goofy it is.) Lana tries to warn her daughter that perhaps this wedding is turning into a bit of an impersonal circus, but Emma is simply too excited by the number of people who will be streaming her wedding to care. Its right around the moment that she asks her mother to read a pre-written speech at the rehearsal dinner that I stopped caring about her altogether. You can see the moral of this movie from a mile away. According to her mother, Emma is losing herself, but even by the end, when she stands up to Camala, its unclear who this clout-chasing brunette really is. Shes the human equivalent of walking down the aisle to Pachelbels Canon in D (which is, of course, her actual processional song). Shes beautiful, polished, and completely forgettable. She has no quirks or defining traits outside of her brand-safe ambitions, and because of that, her final-act epiphany flops into the hotel swimming pool with barely a splash. That said, its hard to blame Cosgrove for any of this; the script gives her basically nothing else to work with. Chad Michael Murray, Wilson Cruz, Michael McDonald, Rachael Harris, Brooke Shields, and Benjamin Bratt Sasidis Sasisakulporn/Netflix At least the grown-ups get to have more fun in this moviealthough that said, supporting actors Wilson Cruz (who plays Wills brother, Scott) and Rachael Harris (seen here as Lanas hard-partying sister, Janice) are tragically under-used. While the kids spend all their time working and scoping out good backdrops for photo shoots, they get to actually enjoy Thailandor at least, their resort. They go skinny-dipping, play racket sports, and get stranded by broken-down Jeeps. Chad Michael Murray even shows up as a flirtatious doctor and Hemsworth hottie named Lucas, whose abs help distract Lana from her drama with Will. Its not often that the 40-year-old moms get to have more fun in a rom-com, and for that, I must respect this movie. Dont get me wrong; Mother of the Bride is not a particularly bad movie. Really, the shortcomings of its emotional storytelling feel pretty in keeping with the modern rom-com, which can sometimes preoccupy itself with self-awareness at the expense of actual emotional stakes. If anything, its all just sort of forgettable. It goes down easy like an overpriced hotel Mai Tai, and once the hangover has left your system, youll probably never think about it again. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. For centuries, prophets of various kinds have been telling us we live in the end times. Sometimes they know the date and lead their flock to a hilltop and wait, only to walk back down again so far. Secular novelists also like this theme quite a lot. On the Beach tells us the apocalypse will be an atomic cloud circling the earth. But that was 1957. More: Prize-winning book explores American South | DON NOBLE Cormac McCarthys The Road describes an earth so sterile nothing will grow, and recently Silas House in Lark Ascending paints a picture of what might happen if the wildfires of the Western U.S. and Canada join together and roar east, all the way. House is in harmony here with James Baldwin who, in, his title, quotes the Negro spiritual: Don Noble God gave Noah the rainbow sign, No more water, the fire next time! Michael Ferris Smith is an impressive Mississippi novelist with seven titles, and has already had two of his books made into films. In "Salvage This World," he sees the end of the world coming, sure enough, and, it will be water, again. Ferris home territory is southwest Mississippi, the section above Louisiana. The rains have come. It is hurricane season year around. Agriculture is impossible; the fields are flooded. There are few services. Hospitals, schools, stores and of course malls are closed. Most people have left, searching for jobs and drier, higher ground. One gas station now has a sign NO GAS HERE: BEER AND LIQUOR ONLY. Now THERE is a sign of end times. (Luckily, there are a few gas stations functioning, because these rural characters spend a lot of time ridin around, and do their best thinking behind the wheel on country roads.) Just how bad things are is illustrated beautifully by Wade, who scrapes together a living salvaging scrap, the best of which comes from defunct and abandoned HVAC units. There is no more control of heating, ventilation or air conditioning. Those days are gone. Wade is the father of Jessie, grandfather of Jace and father-in-law of Holt, but conventional family ties are shot. These four, long-estranged, are all in flight from Elser, a tent revival prophet attracting huge crowds, whose message is, the end is near and it is YOUR fault. She howls and the congregation fills her baskets. Part of her message is that Mississippians should reject what "they," the government, presumably, tell them. Do you want to die where They tell you to die or do you want to live where the rain can wash away your sin?" Elser had the keys to The Bottom and Wade, who worked on her tent crew for a while, stole them. Much of Salvage This World is the brutal, ruthless efforts of Elsers gang of thugs to find and retrieve these keys to the (presumably heavenly) kingdom at any cost in blood and cruelty. The Bottom is both a real place and mythological. To be found on no maps, it may have been the dying place for some Confederate soldiers or an old Civil War cemetery or a fortress or defunct insane asylum. People had opinions, although "Nobody was sure how this was known about a place none of them had ever seen." Mississippians and Faulknerians know that the Big Bottom is the Tallahatchie River bottom, the last pristine wilderness, located in the Delta and the place of Major de Spains hunting camp in The Bear. It is, in Faulkner, a paradise lost to logging, to agriculture, to the incursions of civilization. In this novel, The Bottom itself seems to be an inverse paradise, a hellish place reminding me of the underwater lair of Grendels mother. No matter, to these fanatics it is real enough. Don Nobles newest book is Alabama Noir, a collection of original stories by Winston Groom, Ace Atkins, Carolyn Haines, Brad Watson, and eleven other Alabama authors. Salvage This World Author: Michael Ferris Smith Publisher: Little Brown and, Co. Pages: 258 Price: $28 (Hardcover) This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Novel explores apocalypse and religion in Mississippi | DON NOBLE EXCLUSIVE: Element Pictures is coming off the back of yet another buzzy awards season with its absurdist comedy Poor Things, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, notching 11 Oscar nominations and coming home with four wins, including Best Actress for Emma Stone. But just when it feels like the companys trajectory cant get higher, the Irish-Anglo production, distribution and exhibition banner is hitting the Croisette this year with no less than three films in the Cannes official selection. Lanthimoss Kinds of Kindness, which reunites him with his long-term writing partner Efthimis Fillipou and Poor Things stars Stone and Willem Dafoe, will compete for the Palme dOr, while French actor Ariane Labeds directorial debut September Says and I Am Not a Witch director Rungano Nyonis sophomore feature On Becoming A Guinea Fowl are both screening in the Un Certain Regard section. Its especially significant to Element co-founders and co-CEOs Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe as this marks the most Cannes selections the Irish-Anglo outfit has had at the festival in one year and, markedly, with three projects that the company has nurtured from development to final cut. (The company is featured as one of Deadlines Cannes Disruptors 2024). More from Deadline Its a great result, Lowe tells Deadline. We couldnt be happier with the mix of titles we have heading to Cannes this year. It feels like a big achievement and reflective of the range of projects we like to work across. From left: Margaret Qualley, Jesse Plemons and Willem Dafoe in Cannes Competition film Kinds of Kindness. Lanthimoss latest Competition contender (both The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer competed for the Palme dOr in 2015 and 2017, respectively) stars Stone and Dafoe along with Jesse Plemons, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie and Hunter Schafer. Its an anthology broken into three parts: Its seven cast members appearing in effectively three separate films, says Guiney. The film was shot while Poor Things was in post-production, which explains the quick turnaround. There were a lot of visual effects for Poor Things, so there was an opportunity to do this, Guiney explains. Thats why its present so early. Lebeds debut September Says, which is produced by Elements Chelsea Morgan Hoffman along with Irish producer Lara Hickey, is based on Daisy Johnsons novel Sisters. It follows the story of September who gets suspended from school resulting in her sister July asserting her own independence. Meanwhile, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, the second feature from Zambian-Welsh writer-director Nyoni is described as a family drama set in Africa. Our thing is working with people who are auteurs in a way, and who have a very particular point of view, says Guiney. Then its just about us trying to help them do what they do. One of the things we are good at is working with filmmakers who have very different kind of approaches and styles and ambitions in terms of what theyre trying to do and its our job to help that rather than suggest that there is only one kind of Element style. Our house style is actually not having a house style. Indeed, the Room and The Favourite producers have built a solid reputation on both sides of the Atlantic as being one of the most talent-friendly European businesses in the market, with Lanthimos, Lenny Abrahamson, Joanna Hogg, Sally Rooney and Sebastian Lelio being some of the directors and writers they do repeat business with. Element also has strong ties with companies such as Fox Searchlight, BBC Film and Film4. Because we have worked with so many different artists who have such particularly distinct ways of working, you have to wrap your arms around that, says Guiney. Its very exciting and the Cannes titles are all fantastic and all saying very different things. For us this comes from fascination and fandom just a desire to see movies and be a part of those conversations. In 2022, Fremantle acquired a majority stake in Element, which Lowe says has been really impactful in allowing the company to be more strategic with its choices on both the film and television side. Emma Stone in Poor Things Its enabled us to double down on the things that we love doing, which is working with really talented filmmakers and helping them make the best version of their films, he says, adding that the company has a big development slate on the TV side and is looking to build on the success its already had with productions like Normal People and Conversations with Friends. Crucially, Element Pictures is giving back to the Irish film community in an unparalleled way and this can be clearly seen with its recent successful launch of Storyhouse, a new screenwriting festival that celebrated storytellers and storytelling. The two-day event, which was held in March at its Light House Cinema in Dublin, kicked off its inaugural year with a host of writing talent such as Poor Things scribe Tony McNamara, Element collaborator Abrahamson, Holy Spiders Ali Abbasi, How to Have Sex writer-director Molly Manning-Walker and One Day writer David Nicholls, who all participated in insightful conversations about their process of writing. We want to do it again next year for sure, says Guiney of the festival. What I was happiest about was that it was this original idea of writers talking to writers that really defined us and I was really struck by the generosity of the people we invited and how they spoke about their experience, which made it all really inspiring. Lowe adds: Now were going to take stock and make sure we build off of it so that next year is even better, but still has the same intimacy. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. From Princess Madeleine of Sweden in Florida to Prince Joachim of Denmark in Washington, D.C. to the former Princess Mako of Japan (now, after marriage, Mako Komuro) in New York City to Princess Martha Louise of Norway and, perhaps most famously, Prince Harry of the United Kingdom in Californiathe United States may not have a royal family, but it has hodgepodged together one from royals around the world. And the U.S. is about to become home to another European royaland an heir to the throne, to boot. Princess Elisabeth of Belgium is moving stateside to attend Harvard University, where the 22-year-old will enroll in a masters program this summer, People reports. Princess Elisabeth of Belgium After having recently successfully completed the admission tests, Her Royal Highness Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant, will begin a masters degree in public policy this summer at Harvard University (Harvard Kennedy School) in Boston, the Palace said in a statement , per translation. The two-year course will complete her university education following her bachelors degree in History and Politics at the University of Oxford (Lincoln College). The Princess was also selected for an Honorary Award from the Fulbright program, the international exchange program in the field of education of the United States Department of State. Princess Elisabeth of Belgium The update from the Palace was shared alongside one of Elisabeths glamorous birthday portraits, released on the eve of her 22nd birthday last October. Like many young modern heirs, Princess Elisabeth has focused on her education and occasionally dipped her toes into official duties by shadowing her parents, People reports. In March, she joined her dad [King Philippe] at the Castle of Laeken to receive a special guestformer U.S. President Barack Obama. (Himself a Harvard grad, by the way, specifically Harvard Law School.) Attending school in the U.S. is a chip off the old block, as Philippe too pursued his masters degree in the U.S.he studied for two years at Stanford, where he earned a masters in political science. Princess Elisabeth of Belgium Princess Elisabeth of Belgium Elisabeth also holds an International Baccalaureate from the United World College of the Atlantic in Walesa popular choice for teens from several royal familiesand trained at the Royal Military Academy in Brussels, where she took an officers oath last September. Princess Elisabeth of Belgium Though there are currently no female monarchs globally after the death of Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom in September 2022 and the abdication of Queen Margrethe of Denmark this past January, the lack of women on the throne will one day end in addition to Belgium, the future is female across many European countries, as future monarchs of Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, and Norway will all be led by a woman. Sometimes, when it comes to a holiday, you want the best of both worlds. A beach is a must, of course. But so might be somewhere more elevated, where you can wander along meandering trails, point your camera at widescreen views and escape (some of) the heat. Europe is awash with such geographical alliances; places where epic curves of coast and ragged-hemmed mountains sit almost side by side. From the stylish hotels of the Cote dAzur to the olive groves of Cyprus, here are 10 options for going both high and low 1. Cote dAzur Sea: Nice The Cote dAzur needs no introduction; nor does Nice need to sell itself to those seeking coast and culture in equal measure. It is all there in one stylish package the Promenade des Anglais running parallel to the Mediterranean; the likes of Plage de Carras and Place de lOpera awash with sun-seekers. Vieux-Nice brings the baroque grandeur of the citys 17th-century cathedral, the blooms of the Marche aux Fleurs, and the restaurants of Rue Saint-Francois de Paule; Castle Hill no longer has its castle but the views are wondrous. How to do it: Five nights at the four-star Splendid Hotel & Spa, flying from Heathrow on August 30, costs 598 a head, via British Airways Holidays (0344 493 0787; ba.com/holidays). Mercantour National Park is just as charming as the French Riviera - Getty Summits: Mercantour National Park One element of the Rivieras charm that does perhaps need explaining is just how swiftly you can escape its cities for higher ground. Mainland France is home to a mere eight national parks, and one of them waits scarcely 30 miles north of Nice. The Parc National du Mercantour offers a remarkable tranche of Alpine scenery elevated villages (like the gorgeous Belvedere) locking arms with water features such as Lac dAllos and epic peaks including Cime du Gelas. Hiking trails crisscross the lot (see mercantour-parcnational.fr). 2. Corsica Sea: Porto-Vecchio Frances biggest island in the Mediterranean remains something of an unboxed package for British tourists. Barely 40,000 of us travel per year to what shimmering in a prime position towards the middle of Europes great sea should be an obvious destination. The French, unsurprisingly, are far more clued-up on its joys. And with 668 miles of coastline to play with, there is no need for things to feel too crowded. The south-east has an elegant charm luxurious villas dotted in the hills around the bijou resort-town of Porto-Vecchio. How to do it: Simpson Travel (020 3468 3602; simpsontravel.com) has a range of properties in the Corsican south-east. These include Les Lofts de Palombaggia a four-bedroom retreat with a pool, available in the week starting September 22 for 2,971 per person, based on two sharing (flights included). Summits: Aiguilles de Bavella Corsicas geography gets straight to the point. The island offers some of Europes sharpest ascents from coast to clouds, and you really can be higher up, and at a cooler temperature, in a matter of minutes. From Porto-Vecchio, a short journey north-west will propel you into the Barocagio-Marghese massif and some truly spectacular scenery. The Aiguilles de Bavella pointed teeth of red granite which bite into the horizon above the village of Zonza would make a drive of many more miles worth every moment of effort. 3. Spain Sea: Lloret de Mar The Costa Brava issues a summer siren call to families, softening Spains north-eastern corner into a 100-mile sequence of sandy beaches. Lloret de Mar has one of the best of them a broad arc dotted with pleasing resorts. For those taking to its sands with children in tow, the nearby Water World (waterworld.es) provides splashes and giant slides galore. How to do it: A seven-night getaway for a family of four to the three-star Rosamar Maritim resort, flying from Stansted (to Girona) on July 6, starts at 559 per person, including bags and transfers through Jet2 Holidays (0800 408 0778; jet2holidays.com). Lloret de Mar is one of the best sandy beaches in Spain - Getty Summits: La Garrotxa Natural Park The Pyrenees loom on the periphery of the conversation wherever you are on the Costa Brava, but you do not have to drive to Andorra to lay eyes on mountainous magnificence. The Parc Natural de la Zona Volcanica de la Garrotxa (see parcsnaturals.gencat.cat) delivers precisely this 50 miles north of Lloret de Mar, wrapping its arms around 40 volcanic crags. That the area has not seen serious seismic activity since the 15th century does nothing to diminish its beauty. Not least in the case of Santa Margarida, where a hermitage destroyed in 1428, subsequently rebuilt exists precariously within the crater. 4. Greece Sea: Central Macedonia From the north tip of Corfu to the south coast of Crete, Greece is alive with popular resort areas, pulsing with international tourists during summer. Central Macedonia is not one of them. With the exception of Halkidiki, this north-easterly part of the mainland is rather a mystery to visitors. All the more reason to visit its westerly reaches and the stretch of shoreline that curves between second city Thessaloniki and the Pelion peninsula. Plaka, 50 miles from the former, offers tavernas and hotels, but none of the crowds of Mykonos. How to do it: A seven-night stay at Cavo Olympo (a five-star, adults-only property, right on the beach at Plaka) from July 6 costs from 1,999 per person, including breakfast (flights extra), through Expedia (020 3024 8211; expedia.co.uk). Summit: Mount Olympus Peer inland from Plaka, and you are looking into one of the hearts of ancient mythology. Mount Olympus, which swells up immediately to the south-west, was probably not the only peak to be considered holy in ancient Greece but by the fifth century BC, it had coalesced into the accepted home of the gods; Zeus seated on his cloudy throne. There is no guarantee that you will meet the old boy if you venture onto slopes now protected as a national park (olympusfd.gr/en), but wander any of its hiking trails and you are tackling what never mind legend and hoary tales is Greeces tallest mountain (9,570ft/2,917m). 5. Slovenia Sea: Portoroz Admittedly, Slovenia does not have a great deal of coastline just 29 miles, where it dips a (little) toe into the Adriatic. But it makes the most of this miserly allocation, especially on the narrow stub of a peninsula which juts out directly above the Croatian border. Here, the small city of Piran dispenses that postcard version of the Balkans, all orange roof tiles and pale churches. The adjacent resort town of Portoroz offers comfortable hotels aplenty. How to do it: A seven-night stay from July 6-13 at the four-star Grand Hotel Portoroz, not including flights, costs 1,538 via Booking.com. The coastal city of Piran is a must-visit in Slovenia - Getty Images/iStockphoto Summits: Bled The shortness of the Slovenian coast is mirrored in the size of a country which does not take up too much of the European landmass. Indeed, go 100 miles north-east of Portoroz, and you are practically in Austria. You may also be in Bled, a spa town of rare beauty spreading out around the lake of the same name, the summits of the Julian Alps replayed on its placid surface. Bike trails dissect the area. You may prefer to stand and stare or rest by the water, at the Grand Hotel Toplice (sava-hotels-resorts.com). 6. Cyprus Sea: Limassol The Mediterranean provides few more reliable propositions for sunshine than the biggest island-nation within it and almost every metre of Cypruss 110-mile-long south coast is a suitable spot for sitting and admiring the waves. You might pitch up in westerly Paphos, where ancient ruins adorn the front. There is also much to recommend Limassol, midway along that southern shore where a 12th century castle mixes with restaurants and hotels. How to do it: A seven-night getaway to Limassols five-star Amara resort, flying from Gatwick on July 14, starts at 2,143 per person, via Sovereign (01293 324 638; sovereign.com). Summits: Troodos Mountains Cypruss size it is the Mediterraneans third biggest island, smaller than only Sicily and Sardinia translates into peaks and paths. The Troodos Mountains swarm across its midriff in olive groves and pine needles, reaching a rooftop where Mount Olympus (another one) bothers the skies at 6,404ft (1,952m). You can ski here in winter; summer is more likely to draw you towards the Kalidonia Waterfall, near Pano Platres. The national tourist board suggests a raft of hiking routes, including a Troodos option that starts close to Limassol. See visitcyprus.com. 7. Croatia Sea: Rovinj Pirans prettiness is replicated a few miles and one country due south where Croatia and the Istria peninsula stick to the Balkan template of revitalised medieval citadels dreaming on the shore. Umag, Novigrad and Porec all deal the same card with aplomb, but Rovinj plays it best climbing up to the 18th century elegance of the Basilica of St Euphemia, then dropping back down towards gentle Adriatic coves and hotels of pleasing modernity. How to do it: A week at the four-star Island Hotel Istra, flying from Bristol (to Pula) on July 6, starts at 974 per person, with easyJet Holidays (0330 551 5151; easyjet.com/holidays). After a morning on the beach, you can summit the peak of Ucka in the afternoon - Alamy Summits: Ucka Istria lends itself to the opportunity that comes with small places of steep topography a two-tone day; a morning on the beach, an afternoon on high. It rises sharply into the Ucka range a line of peaks which shapes the east side of the peninsula, granting epic glimpses of the Bay of Kvarner to those who reach the ridge. Much of the area is safeguarded as Ucka Nature Park (pp-ucka.hr/en). All of it can be found a 50-minute drive from Rovinj. 8. Albania Sea: Sarande The least appreciated piece of the Adriatic jigsaw presents the same combination of high and low, and in as dramatic a fashion as Slovenia and Croatia with the caveat that, if you opt for a week in Albanias most attractive resort-town, the sea you will be staring at is the Ionian. Sarande sits in the far south of the country, just 22 miles north of the Greek border, and borrows plenty from its neighbour. Indeed, you can see Corfu heat-hazing in the distance, both from the town waterfront and the beaches of Ksamil a nearby village. How to do it: A seven-night stay at the El Primero Hotel from July 6-13 costs from 1,018 per person through Booking.com (not including flights). Summits: Llogara National Park Take a 50-mile northward drive out of Sarande, and you encounter Llogara National Park (see national-parks.org/albania/llogara). This protected zone is remarkable for several reasons. Although tiny just under four square miles it showcases a location where the Ceraunian Mountains rear up on the very edge of the waves. There are fir forests and alpine meadows. And there are views. On clear days, you can see Italy across the water. On any day, you can spot the Karaburan Peninsula where the Adriatic and Ionian meet. 9. Italy Sea: Venice There can be more to Italys great lagoon city than canals, churches and Renaissance art (though these should all be part of a spell in its company). Venture 15 miles north-east, along the mainland coast, and you encounter Lido di Jesolo a resort town ideal for day-trips into Venice, but also for lazy afternoons on a beach that stretches out for eight miles. How to do it: A half-board week for a family of four at the Hotel Ambasciatori Palace, flying from Gatwick on August 26, costs 708 per person, with Tui (020 3451 2688; tui.co.uk). Italy's sandy beaches stretch as far as the eye can see - Getty Images/iStockphoto Summits: Alta Badia It isnt a hop or skip from Venice a northbound trek of 75 miles but the ragged majesty of the Dolomites justifies the journey. Your route should take you into Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park (dolomitipark.it), where peaks like Schiara and Talvena claw the sky and maybe to Alta Badia (altabadia.org), the ski zone whose vistas are as lovely in summer as winter. Linger at the Berghotel Ladinia in Corvara (berghotelladinia.it). 10. Mallorca Sea: Port de Soller There are many reasons to visit the biggest of the Balearic Islands and many places to stay. Palma is as intriguing and vibrant a Spanish city as any on the mainland; Magaluf has plenty of bars to sustain its noisy reputation; Pollenca and Alcudia illuminate the north-east coast as reliable destinations for family escapes. But you might just as easily head for Mallorcas quieter north-west flank where Port de Soller is one of the options. How to do it: A week at the four-star Fergus Style Soller Beach, flying from Manchester on October 21, costs 579 a head with Love Holidays (01234 975 975; loveholidays.com). Summits: Serra de Tramuntana A considerable bonus of choosing the Mallorcan north-west for a holiday is its proximity to the islands mountain spine. The Serra de Tramuntana, which runs south-west to north-east across the top of the landmass, is a geographical wonder hailed as a Unesco World Heritage Site for its physical significance. Professional cyclists use it as an out-of-season training camp, pedalling doughtily in the shadow of Puig Major, the ranges highest member (4,711ft/1,436m). You can scarcely ignore this behemoth if you stay in Port de Soller it is on the doorstep. You can find hiking tips at seemallorca.com/walking/guide. This article was first published in July 2022 and has been revised and updated. 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 Taizhou Zoo in China is under scrutiny after it was discovered that visitors to their zoo expecting to see Panda bears actually waited in line to see animals that just looked like Panda bears, adorable Chow Chow dogs that had their hair dyed to resemble the amazingly rare bears. Even though these Pandas aren't actually Pandas, the dogs sure do look cute. The Sun reports "Tens of thousands of people visited the "panda dogs" every day from May 1 to May 5, Chinese media Jiupai News reports. Clips taken by visitors appeared to show the pups with black ears, limbs, and dark circles around their eyes, but their canine features were still very much apparent. The dyed pets sparked a wave of complaints against Taizhou Zoo as furious visitors claimed they were mislead into believing they would see real pandas. Related: Pandas Are About to Make a Comeback to the United States Some people complained that it was cruel to dye the dogs to look like pandas, but actually there are some hair colors that are totally safe for pets. I'm not a huge fan of dying an animal's fur, but if someone uses pet safe dye that's really up to the owner. Why the Zoo May Have Pulled This Stunt Giant Pandas are an endangered species and amongst one of the world's most threatened animals with only less than 2,000 of these beautiful creatures in the wild. More than 300 giant Pandas live in captivity in various facilities around the globe. When the National Zoo had Giant Pandas, visits to the National Zoo between Sept. 26 and Nov. 9 roughly the start of Panda Palooza to the bears departure day increased 179 percent over the same period in 2022, said Ellie Tahmaseb, a spokeswoman for the Smithsonians National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. More than 250,000 people entered the National Zoo over that six-week period last year, including guests from Alaska, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Guam. People love seeing Giant Pandas and they draw huge crowds to zoos. Where can you see these beautiful Animals in the United States? The Associated Press reports that It will still be months before the San Diego Zoo gets new pandas, the first such bears sent to the United States by China in decades. For now, the only U.S. zoo left with any is in Atlanta. But globally there are many places to check out the cuddly black-and-white bundles of fur as they munch on bamboo, climb trees and lounge on their backs.Globally you can see these creatures in Moscow, Mexico City and Berlin. 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. Is flying out of Erie a good deal? Comparing costs with Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh School is almost over for students, which means travel season isn't far away for families in northwestern Pennsylvania. Local residents have choices when booking vacation flights. They can depart from Erie International Airport, or drive to nearby airports in Buffalo, Cleveland or Pittsburgh. But which is the most affordable choice? Flight prices can vary, but here is a look at the costs for various trips scheduled for early June based on information on Expedia's website May 8. The first flight I compared was American Airlines (Erie's only carrier) to Charlotte, North Carolina, leaving Friday, June 7 and returning Monday, June 10. Flying out of Erie? Have to stop in Charlotte Why Charlotte? Because it is the Erie airport's only commercial destination. Here are the prices for American Airlines flights: Erie to Charlotte, $455 nonstop, round trip Cleveland to Charlotte, $392 nonstop, round trip Pittsburgh to Charlotte, $507 nonstop, round trip Buffalo to Charlotte, $220 nonstop, round trip The terminal at Erie International Airport is shown in Millcreek Township on June 1, 2023. Factoring in the cost of driving to the other cities and airport parking (it's easier for family/friends to give you a ride to the Erie airport), Erie is comparable to Cleveland and a better deal than Pittsburgh. But Buffalo's deal simply can't be beat. How about other destinations? Let's look at American Airlines flights to San Francisco, departing June 7 and returning June 14: Erie to San Francisco, $443, one stop, round trip; 9 hours, 28 minutes Cleveland to San Francisco, $401, one stop, round trip; 8 hours, 16 minutes Pittsburgh to San Francisco, $403, one stop, round trip; 7 hours, 22 minutes Buffalo to San Francisco, $421, one stop, round trip; 8 hours, 41 minutes Here are American Airlines flights to Orlando for the same dates: Erie to Orlando, $283, one stop, round trip; 5 hours, 7 minutes Cleveland to Orlando, $304, one stop, round trip; 4 hours, 47 minutes Pittsburgh to Orlando, $327, one stop, round trip; 3 hours, 43 minutes Buffalo to Orlando, $325, one stop, round trip; 4 hours, 34 minutes GoErie.com and Erie Times-News journalist David Bruce is shown in Erie on June 7, 2023. Flying American Airlines out of Erie is less expensive than flying the same airline out of any of the other cities, which also include a layover. Other airlines offer non-stop flights, lower prices However, you aren't limited to American Airlines when you fly out of Buffalo, Pittsburgh of Cleveland. You also get nonstop options. Let's look at the best nonstop flights for San Francisco considering all airlines: Cleveland to San Francisco, $370, United Airlines Pittsburgh to San Francisco, $401, United Airlines Buffalo to San Francisco, $376, one stop (no nonstop flights), Delta The nonstop, round trip flights to Orlando are much less expensive, due to the popularity of discount airlines to that particular city: Cleveland to Orlando, $168, Frontier Airlines Pittsburgh to Orlando, $102, Spirit Airlines Buffalo to Orlando, $217, Jet Blue Convenience main reason why many travelers prefer Erie airport Still, many Erie travelers still prefer to fly out of Erie International Airport, said Ann Denny, owner of Miller Travel Services. "We've seen about the same numbers of people who prefer to fly out of Erie as we did five, 10 years ago," Denny said. "Some don't care what it costs, others want to fly out of Erie for the convenience. They don't want to deal with driving two hours to another airport." The main issue is the Erie airport's single commercial destination. Those who want to fly to New York City or Las Vegas still have to take a flight to Charlotte and change planes. Airport officials and business leaders have been meeting with airlines to lobby for new service and destinations. And the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership is growing a Fly Erie fund to provide a subsidy to airlines for Erie service. "We could really use another location, like Chicago," Denny said. HERE to HELP: Have a consumer question you'd like us to help you with? Leave a message with David Bruce at 870-1736, send an email to david.bruce@timesnews.com or send mail to 205 W. 12th St., Erie, PA 16534. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: How expensive are flights from Erie? Let's compare to CLE, PIT, BUF We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. A traditional English dish that's often served during holidays and special occasions, beef Wellington is a rich, savory indulgence. It's typically prepared by wrapping a beef tenderloin or filet mignon in flaky puff pastry, along with duxelles a mixture of mushrooms, shallots, and herbs and often a second protein, such as prosciutto or pate. Preparing beef Wellington from scratch requires a bit more work than simply throwing a couple of steaks on the grill, but when done right, the end result can be a luxurious and dazzling centerpiece for any feast or banquet or even just a particularly fancy night at home. That being said, for those looking to enjoy a delicious, flaky beef Wellington without the added prep work, there's another option: frozen beef Wellington. Fully prepared frozen Wellington is available through a number of gourmet online sellers as entree portions, while some retailers also offer a Wellington alternative as bite-sized appetizers. In evaluating your best bets for a low-prep, frozen Wellington, we looked at customer ratings to see which ones pleased palates most. Take a look at our list of frozen beef Wellington, ranked from worst to best. Read more: 20 Frozen Foods Costco Shoppers Swear By 9. By Chef Ramsay Beef Wellington Bites Chef Ramsay beef Wellington bites - Walmart Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is a mercurial personality, as famous for his short temper as he is for the high-end offerings at his family of restaurants, including Ramsay's Kitchen and Hell's Kitchen. One of the signature dishes at both establishments is beef Wellington, which has become practically synonymous with Ramsay himself. Various videos of the English chef preparing beef Wellington are in ample supply on YouTube, including the world's largest beef Wellington for Guinness World Records. Ramsay's frozen beef Wellington bites are considerably smaller and far less labor-intensive to prepare. Part of a line of Ramsay-branded frozen foods available at Walmart and Costco, they come in packages of five for $7 at Walmart, which is much more affordable than a meal at his Las Vegas or Atlantic City restaurants. They're simple to prepare, at just 18 minutes in the air fryer, but consumers seem to be split on the miniature take-home version of Ramsay's beef Wellington. The TikTok crowd in particular seemed to enjoy them, with one user describing them as amazing. That sentiment isn't universal, though, and on Walmart's website, one reviewer complained that they were oversalted while another said that the beef had too much gristle. And over on Reddit, multiple posters complained of difficult-to-find mushrooms, chewy steak, and overly high prices. Others have taken note that Ramsay, who is known for criticizing restaurants that serve frozen food, is now selling the same product under his own name. 8. Wellingtons L.A. Classic Wellington Wellingtons L.A. classic Wellington - Wellingtons L.A./Instagram Wellingtons L.A. opened in 2020, offering deliveries of frozen signature classic beef Wellington plus creative menu alternatives such as the Cheeseburger Wellington and Breakfast Wellington, featuring scrambled eggs and sausage. It received a high-profile boost courtesy of an appearance on ABC's "Shark Tank" in fall 2023, and while none of the Sharks took founders Arya and Anastasia Alexander up on their investment, the company used the publicity to its advantage, offering a discounted Shark Tank Pack, featuring four personal beef Wellingtons and Truffle Welly sauce. The company has received generally positive reviews from consumers, earning a rating of 83% on delivery service Goldbelly, with many users posting raves about its signature Wellington. One customer said, "the flavors and tenderness were magical," while another said it was better than beef Wellington they tried at restaurants. A few dissenters registered complaints, however, as one reviewer found the meat lacking in flavor, while another said that the pastry was soggy. Reviews on Yelp were less forgiving, with an overall rating of only 2.5 stars out of 5. One customer said that despite their overall pleasure with the puff pastry, they found the meat too tough and chewy. Several others expressed disappointment with the overall flavor, especially for the price, which is $39 per Wellington. Several reviewers also expressed dissatisfaction with the company's customer service, which is perhaps one of the unintended side effects of a small business learning to meet the demands of a growing audience sent by prime-time TV. 7. Today Gourmet Foods Of NC Beef Wellington Today Gourmet Foods of NC beef Wellington - Amazon Today Gourmet Foods of NC prides itself on delivering high-quality foods at the best prices as its top priority. Some of the offerings on its online catalog include Maryland crab cakes as well as game meats such as venison, wild boar, and elk. It also sells a large selection of cuts of beef, which include a 9-ounce beef Wellington, which can be purchased directly from Today Gourmet Foods' website, as well as its Amazon and eBay storefronts. Today Gourmet Foods earned nearly universal praise from eBay buyers for its beef Wellington, including from one customer who described them as "beautiful beef Wellington delights." However, it's not all good news, and a few Amazon users didn't share the sentiments of those writing on eBay. Some complained of smaller than expected proportions, while others said that the meat was tough and overdone. Others found the pastry casing to be underdone, leading to an unpleasant texture. 6. Harry & David Beef Wellington Entrees Harry & David beef Wellington - Harry & David Harry & David is a celebrated name, as a company well known for its gift baskets full of edible treats. The business began in 1934 as a way for brothers Harry and David Rosenberg to sell pears from their Oregon orchards and has since expanded its catalog to include everything from holiday chocolates and Moose Munch snacks to kitchen utensils. Among the offerings in its broad selection of meats are spiral sliced ham and ribeye steaks, as well as its beef Wellington, sold as a pack of four 8-ounce entrees. Among Harry & David's own customer reviews, the overall opinion of this particular item is split down the middle. With an overall rating of 3 stars, the truth is that the beef Wellington has a long way to go before catching up to the reputation of the company's famous pears. For instance, while one five-star reviewer said they've never been disappointed with numerous orders of beef Wellington from Harry & David, another customer decried the beef as being flavorless and not worth the steep cost of $79.99. 5. Appetizers USA Beef Wellington Appetizers USA beef Wellington bites - Appetizers USA Appetizers USA specializes in the very thing its name suggests: appetizers. As both a wholesaler providing food to caterers and a direct-to-consumer retailer, its online menu is stocked with social nosh staples such as spring rolls, sliders, chicken tenders and vegetable kabobs. It also offers a bite-sized beef Wellington appetizer, made in the classic style but in a more compact package, currently available in trays of 50 each. On Appetizers USA's own website, users writing reviews expressed near-universal praise for these crispy compact meat morsels. One customer extolled the flavor of the beef along with the flakiness of the puff pastry, proclaiming, "I'm proud to pretend I made it!" The company also sells its beef Wellington bites through Amazon. However, opinions there appear more divided. While many praised the appetizer, a number of buyers complained that the beef was flavorless, while one especially dissatisfied customer said they were so unimpressed that they actually threw out the whole batch. 4. Kansas City Steaks Beef Wellington Kansas City Steaks beef Wellington - Kansas City Steaks/Instagram Kansas City Steaks has been selling prime cuts of beef since 1932, when it originally opened as a local butcher shop. In the 1980s, the company shifted its focus to a mail-order catalog of meats delivered directly to customers. Today, it offers dozens of cuts of beef, along with other items such as lobster tails, crab cakes and hamburgers. Its beef Wellington is available through both the Kansas City Steaks website as well as on Amazon. You can find cuts of 8 ounces apiece and in counts of two, four, six, or 12. When thawed, the Wellingtons bake in the oven for 22 to 25 minutes with no additional preparation necessary. Reviews on both the Kansas City Steaks website and Amazon are mostly positive, rated at 3.7 and 3.8 stars out of five, respectively, with the tenderness of the beef and the ease of preparation cited among customers' favorite qualities. Yet one customer took issue with the too-high ratio of dough to meat, while Amazon customer Becky said the flavor was a little bland. It's worth pointing out that this is one of the more expensive frozen beef Wellingtons out there, at $84.95 for two. However, the price per item drops with each increase in quantity. Still, some may find the price to be a bit too high against the less-than-stellar reviews. 3. Magic Kitchen Beef Wellington En Croate Magic Kitchen beef Wellington en croate - Magic Kitchen With a 19-year history in offering both frozen a la carte and complete meals, Magic Kitchen preceded many of the more recent meal-service subscriptions that are now commonplace. Its variety of dishes is both diverse and inclusive, with menus that appeal to omnivores and vegans alike, as well as senior meals and diabetic-friendly options. Alongside dishes such as shepherd's pie and chicken cordon bleu, Magic Kitchen offers beef Wellington in orders of one, two or four servings of 7 ounces. While most customers don't include more than a word or three in their reviews of Magic Kitchen's beef Wellington en croate, the words they do use such as "tasty" and "delicious" are encouraging, to say the least. And while one customer did seem a little frustrated that their pastry didn't end up with a golden brown color that they expected, they went on to say they still planned on ordering the beef Wellington again. 2. Mackenzie Limited Beef Wellington Mackenzie Limited beef Wellington - Mackenzie Limited/Instagram Founded in 1988 with the purpose of bringing top-quality British foods to a mail-order market, Mackenzie Limited has expanded its menu of direct-to-consumer offerings to over 400 items. Some of its best-selling dishes include jumbo lump crab cakes, shepherd's pie and its signature dish, Mackenzie Scottish Smoked Salmon, a staple of its catalog since its earliest days. Mackenzie also offers more than two dozen cuts of beef, including its beef Wellington, which is available in both entree-sized portions and as a bite-sized appetizer. Its meal-sized beef Wellington is available in packages of four 8-ounce servings for $99.95, and bakes in under 30 minutes after being defrosted overnight. Mackenzie says the dish will impress your guests, and its customers seem to agree wholeheartedly. For one, they've given the meal a 4.24 out of 5-star rating on Mackenzie's website. Customers praised the beef Wellington for being tender and easy to prepare, and one even claimed it the best beef Wellington they've ever had. Even those who may not necessarily like the dish overall still seemed to respect the product. One reviewer who described beef Wellington as "not my thing" still gave the item a respectable four stars. Mackenzie's sibling brands, Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes and Impromptu Gourmet, also offer this dish through their online catalogs. 1. Allen Brothers Beef Wellington Allen Brothers beef Wellington - Allen Brothers/Instagram Allen Brothers began in 1893 in Chicago's Union Stockyards meat market and has since brought its prime cuts of beef to restaurants as a wholesaler as well as via direct-to-consumer internet sales. Its online catalog isn't limited to beef, with a selection of other meats available, including poultry, lamb, pork, bison, and elk. Yet its beef Wellington is a cut above the rest, with Allen Brothers' indulgent recipe including layers of duck and goose liver pate, as well as black truffle bruxelles. As such, it's a little pricier than the single-serving or appetizer-sized Wellingtons it's up against, but the raves from customers speak for themselves. On Allen Brothers' website, the beef Wellington features an impressive average customer rating of 4.9 stars (out of 5), a nearly universal level of satisfaction from customers. While a few customers did note that this particular beef Wellington was a bit pricey, at $289.95 for four 9- to 10-ounce filets, praise for both flavor and texture was off the charts. As one customer put it, "Proportions of beef, mushroom truffle pate, and pastry are perfect. Beef was superb. I think this is a new family tradition." Allen Brothers offers two other beef Wellington variations. One is a mini beef Wellington appetizer, while the other is a 3-pound Wellington tenderloin roast. Customer satisfaction for both of these is comparably high to the individual-sized cuts, though one customer did say that slicing the full-sized roast proved a little more challenging than expected. Methodology beef Wellington - Yevgeniya Abayeva/Shutterstock Our criteria for determining the best and worst frozen beef Wellington is based on reviews from customers who have tried them. We looked at customer ratings and feedback on individual brands' websites, as well as what customers were saying on social media networks such as Reddit and TikTok. While we included a few different portion sizes, including entrees and appetizers, our evaluation didn't take into account vegetarian or vegan Wellingtons, or alternatives featuring chicken or fish. In addition to star or number ratings, we considered specific feedback from customers about flavor, texture, portion size, and overall satisfaction. Read the original article on Mashed Hadley Webb looks for the perfect bracelet as a group of 2nd graders look to pick out a free gift to give for Mothers Day Tuesday morning, May 7, 2024, at Cherryville Elementary School. Susan Eason, the owner of Party Girls Catering in Cherryville, received a Christmas gift from her granddaughter in 2022 that inspired her. I was the only one that got a gift because she could only afford one, Eason said. The following year, she got to work collecting donated new and lightly used jewelry that the children could take for free, and gift to their mother, grandmother or caretaker. The gift Eason received from her granddaughter in 2022 was purchased at a yearly school fundraiser where children can find gifts for their family. The fundraiser takes place around Christmas time and is a great program to raise money for the school, Eason said. Since she did not want to be competition for the fundraising efforts, Eason decided to focus her program on Mothers Day. Turning to the community, Eason collected new and used jewelry from her church, friends and families with help from her sister, Mary Underwood, and other friends and family members. Last year, the group of volunteers helped more than 800 children find gifts for their loved ones. Doug Underwood attempts to help Grayson Wright pick out a piece of jewelry as a group of 2nd graders look to find a free gift to give for Mothers Day Tuesday morning, May 7, 2024, at Cherryville Elementary School. This year, in addition to the usual donations from church members, friends and the Cherryville American Legion Unit 100, the group also received a 700-piece donation from a local family that wished to remain anonymous. Donations for this years program even came from as far as New York, Eason said. All donations received go straight to the sunroom of Easons mother, 81-year-old Ann Craft, who personally sorts and sanitizes every piece. Craft sanitized nearly 2,000 pieces of jewelry for this years program. I couldnt do it without my sister, her husband, and the Perrys, Eason said. This year the group served more than 600 children between Cherryville Elementary and W.B. Beam Intermediate School. Susan Eason helps Jeremy Leiva choose a gift as a group of 2nd graders look to pick out a free gift to give for Mothers Day Tuesday morning, May 7, 2024, at Cherryville Elementary School. At an event on Tuesday, May 7, students at Cherryville Elementary School were assisted by Eason and the group, who asked them what their mother or caretakers favorite color was or helped them find jewelry alternatives when they said their parents dont often wear any. Students left with decorative paper fans, fake plants, clip on earrings and similar items. According to Eason, one of the most rewarding aspects of the program is hearing from parents who still enjoy the jewelry they were gifted in a previous year. Students pick out a free gift to give for Mothers Day Tuesday morning, May 7, 2024, at Cherryville Elementary School. This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Group helps students shop for mom for Mother's Day Harry and Meghan are visiting Nigeria heres why it should be on your holiday wishlist The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are heading to Nigeria for a non-official royal visit - Getty Far from being a country counter, I do have a casual, meandering ambition one day to visit all 54 African nations. Nearly two thirds of the way through, several gaps on my map remain. One is far larger than the others. Its the most populous country in Africa; a cultural powerhouse with a rich, complex heritage. I grew up listening to the socially conscious lyrics and storming Afrobeat rhythms of Fela Kuti; Ive read books by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; and Ive danced the orishas from Yoruba mythology. Yet like so many people in the UK I know nearly nothing about Nigeria. The fact that this west African country is responsible for so many cultural exports shouldnt be surprising. At present, the population exceeds 228 million and predictions suggest it could overtake the United States by 2047 to become the third-most populated country in the world. The current population in Nigeria exceeds 228 million - Getty In comparison, based on current visitor figures, the star-spangled juggernaut receives 28 times the number of tourists. Despite historical links to the British Empire, Nigeria which gained full independence in 1960 has never found the same favour with English-speaking foreigners as former colonies such as Botswana, Zambia and Kenya. This month, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to raise the destinations profile during a non-official royal visit. Aside from talks regarding the Invictus Games, theres a personal motivation for the trip: last year, Meghan told listeners to her Archetypes podcast that a genealogy test had revealed she shared Nigerian heritage. An itinerary has not been announced but if they do find a few moments to do some sightseeing, where should the couple go? Lagos, the biggest city, is the gateway for most international travellers; both Virgin and British Airways operate direct flights from London with journey times of less than seven hours. The Nike Art Gallery (which has nothing to do with the sportswear giant) is the largest modern exhibition space in west Africa, while Balogun Market is the place to pick up bright fabrics screaming with prints as loud as the sprawling open-air set-ups noisy, hawking traders. The Makoko waterfront in Lagos is Africa's biggest megalopolis - Getty All along the west African coast, the dark spectre of a devastating slave trade looms heavily, compelling millions of Afro-Americans potentially even Meghan to visit poignant historical sites and finally pass back through the doors of no return. Nigerias focal point is the small beach town of Badagry, just outside Lagos and the site of a former slave market. Native Eye, one of the few tour operators organising holidays to the final frontier of African travel, includes a visit as part of its 12-day Lost Kingdoms of Nigeria itinerary, focused on historical sites and tribal cultures. Further highlights include the Afro-Brazilian architecture and fetish market of Yoruba town Abeokuta, a hike to find the abandoned mud brick buildings of Idanre Hills, and an audience with an Ife priestess in the World Heritage-listed Sacred Grove of Osun a forest filled with sculptures of Yoruba gods. The best opportunity to appreciate the variety of Nigerias 500 ethnic groups comes with a trip far off the beaten track into lands occupied by the Kamberi people. Despite the devastation wrought by oil, gas and illegal logging, pockets of wilderness survive largely due to the work of passionate conservationists and NGOs. The Cross River National Park, on the border with Cameroon, is home to one of the worlds rarest species of great ape: the Cross River gorilla. Take a hike up Idanre Hills - Getty Although the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises against all but essential travel to the area due to the risk of terrorist activity, Gashaka-Gumti National Park is receiving significant investment from the privately-owned ANI Foundation, which hopes one day to bring tourists to spot chimps and pangolins against a backdrop of volcanic landscapes. Nature could be one of our biggest assets, says Noo Saro-Wiwa, the UK-based Nigerian author and travel writer, whose travelogue and memoir, Looking for Transwonderland, details a rediscovery of her motherland years after the imprisonment and murder of her political activist father, Ken Saro-Wiwa. She recalls taking a canoe ride along the clear blue-green water of the Azumini river, north of the Niger Delta, which she describes as the most beautiful region in the country when not polluted by oil. Markets take pride of place in Nigeria - Getty Our rainforests, flora and fauna are stunning but under threat, she adds. The government should be looking after them, but instead the responsibility falls on the shoulders of private foundations, which rely on charity. A lack of investment in infrastructure also holds Nigeria back from realising its full potential. The constant power cuts make life difficult for Nigerians, let alone tourists, says Saro-Wiwa. Transport links arent great, either: travel between cities is done mainly by road or short flights that are often delayed. Only a few trains connect the different regions. Hotels arent good value, and high unemployment fuels organisations like Boko Haram in the north, which creates instability that can affect travel insurance. Shes right. A quote for a seven-day single-entry policy through insurers Battleface is 109 double the amount for a similar-length trip to Kenya. Visas are also more expensive and trickier to obtain in comparison with other African countries; biometrics and a letter of invitation are among the many requirements for a 90-day single-entry visa costing 217 upwards. Lagos: the gateway for most international travellers - Getty Currently, only roughly a third of the country is classified by the FCDO as safe for travel. Warnings of terrorist attacks, kidnappings, street crime and scams are hardly the persuasive prose of travel blogs and brochures. Alia Shoaib, a journalist who recently relocated to Nigerias leafy, sleepy administrative capital, Abuja, says she feels comfortable and safe, although warns against walking at night or travelling between cities by car or train. The Nigerians Ive met are so warm, lively and interesting, and have been so welcoming to me as a foreigner. The more time Ive spent here, the more Ive realised what a culturally rich and dynamic country it is, she says. If the government were able to address problems and make it safer to move around the country, I think it could thrive as a tourism hot spot. Saro-Wiwa, who has found fondness for a place she once feared, is equally optimistic of its appeal for the right kind of person. Its not an easy place if youre a tourist, not a traveller. You need a curious mind, and to understand the value of a destination that doesnt exude chocolate-box beauty. 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. I'm a Brit living in the US. I dread Mother's Day because my mom lives over 3,000 miles away. I'm a Brit living in the US. I dread Mother's Day because my mom lives over 3,000 miles away. My 93-year-old mom lives over 3,000 miles from me across the Atlantic. Mother's Day is hard because I don't get to celebrate with her. I envy families who are together on Mother's Day and can make their moms feel special in person. In the run-up to Mother's Day this year, my inbox has been flooded with holiday specials. They're mostly from restaurants, florists, candle stores and medispas offering discount Botox. Every time I receive a new email with Mother's Day in the subject line, I can't help but feel sad. Some companies have given people the option to unsubscribe from the content in case, like me, they're triggered by it. But there is so much other spam you can't filter out that it makes little difference. My mom lives in northern England, 3,300 miles from my home in New York. I moved to the US from my native UK nearly two decades ago. I never get to celebrate Mother's Day with her anymore. I don't want to go for Mother's Day lunch She's 93 and can't visit me due to her health and the cost of travel insurance. I can't fly to meet her because airplane tickets to the UK are expensive. We can only splash out once a year for Mom's birthday in late summer. As a result, I prefer to ignore Mother's Day altogether even if it means telling my kids and their dad not to buy me gifts or a greeting card. My husband suggested we go out for Mother's Day brunch a few years ago. "Everybody does it," he said. I declined. I would only get upset if we were surrounded by families toasting their moms as she sat beaming at the table. The author with her mother when she was a newborn. Courtesy of the author. I can't even escape it at home. Our wonderful next-door neighbors have a big grill-out every year to honor their beloved matriarch. They have a huge family, and a dozen cars will park outside on the street, Relatives from multiple generations mingle in the backyard. The squeals of young children's carry over the fence as they play. I wish my kids could enjoy the same tradition with my mom. Kind strangers unwittingly conjur the same kind of emotions. People I don't know often say "Happy Mother's Day" as they walk by or serve me in a store. I smile, but my heart aches. My mom would think I being ridiculous about the holiday As for my mother-in-law, 94, she lives 2,400 miles away in Portland, Oregon. My somewhat cynical husband isn't bothered about them getting together. He said his mom and he have agreed that Mother's Day is a "Hallmark holiday" that boosts the profits of jewelers and manufacturers of face cream. If Mom were reading this, she'd tell me with a typical British stiff upper lip not to be silly. She'd say she was thrilled to receive the card I sent her from across the pond and the delivery of a plant from her local nursery. I'm luckier than others who no longer have their mom in their lives, whether she's passed away or they are estranged. But I can't hide my feelings. Do you have an interesting story about your relationship with a family member to share with Business Insider? Please send details to jridley@businessinsider.com. Read the original article on Business Insider "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Patio umbrellas and cantilever umbrellas provide both style and shade to any patio or backyard area. However, most dont come with a basewhich is an essential accessory for stability and safety. The best patio umbrella stands are made of materials like concrete or steel, heavy enough to prevent your umbrella from taking flight. There are also hollow plastic bases designed to be filled with sand or water. A good umbrella stand should last at least five years. Most high-quality stands cost $100 or more, and its well worth the investment. Since you likely already own your own patio umbrella, the stand you buy must be compatible with it. Along with material, the type, size, and weight are just a few top considerations, plus there are nice-to-have features, including wheels at the base so you can easily move it to wherever the sun is. To help you navigate the options and narrow down your selection, weve rounded up some of the best umbrella stands in a range of styles and sizes. The Best Umbrella Stands What to Consider Type Shape, finish, and decorative details aside, umbrella stands look more or less the same. But there's a difference in type, depending on how and where it's being used. Freestanding umbrella stands can be placed anywhere on a patio or deck, whereas through-table umbrella stands are made specifically for outdoor dining tables. As you may guess, freestanding umbrella stands like our top pick are generally heavier than models supported by a tables center hole. This makes them sturdier and capable of holding your umbrellas upright on their own. Stands made exclusively for under-table use are usually smaller and lighter than their freestanding contemporaries. This makes them more discreet and less noticeable when installed; holding your umbrella upright without infringing on anyones leg room. Size and Weight The base has to be sturdy enough to support the canopys weightand the right size to accommodate the pole. Luckily, umbrella stands usually list compatible umbrella sizes, though as a rule of thumb, 9-foot-wide umbrellas require a base thats 50 pounds or more. If you have an umbrella larger than 9 feet wide, consider getting a stand that can be filled for added weight. These stands have wide bottom compartments that can be filled with sand or water to accommodate larger umbrella sizes. As for the pole, most are a standard 1.5 to 2.5 inches, so compatibility is typically less of an issue. Material Many umbrella bases made from heavy materials, like concrete or cast iron. These require very little setup and are durable by design. Because they are naturally heavy, all you have to do is slide in your umbrella in, and its ready to go. These are typically more expensive than other options, but should make up for that due to their longevity. If youre looking for a less expensive stand, there are also several plastic stands that have empty interiors. These are filled with water, sand, or a combination of both for weight. As a result, they are much lighter when empty. This makes them more maneuverable if you plan on moving your umbrella to multiple spots on your patio. Wheeled Base Because patio umbrella stands typically weigh at least 50 pounds, they are cumbersome to move around. Many combat the relative lack of mobility by adding wheels to the base. So when it's time to move your patio umbrella, simply tilt back and roll. Some have four wheels beneath the base instead of two for an even push and pull without tilting. If your patio umbrella is large, with a canopy that spans 11 feet or more, a four-wheel base is easier and safer than a two-wheeled one which requires tilting. There are also higher-end models with locking castors, which are the easiest to move. How We Selected We here at Popular Mechanics have been covering outdoor umbrellas and outdoor equipment for a long time, and cross referenced all of our research for this article with many of the related articles we have previously published. Alongside our internal work, we also heavily researched several options including many from popular, trusted brands like California Umbrella, Abba, and Best Choice Products. We considered the weight and features of each base, as well as its compatibility with different size umbrellas, selecting options that are versatile and easy to use. The previous writer of this article personally owns the Best Choice Products Fillable Mobile Umbrella Base, which we cover below. She liked it for its mobility and easy locking mechanism. Round Base Umbrella Stand Our best overall pick provides stability and durability in a classic, minimalist design that works with any patio style. This heavy-duty umbrella stand is generally suitable for 9-foot umbrellas, and it comes in four different finishes to match your umbrellas pole and frame. The umbrella stand is made from powder-coated steel which prevents rust and corrosion over time, so feel free to leave it out in the rainy season as well as the summer. The interior is filled with concrete, which adds the majority of the 50 pound total weight. Shop Now Round Base Umbrella Stand amazon.com $67.00 Water-Filled Patio Umbrella Stand You can support a freestanding umbrella up to 9 feet in diameter with the umbrella stand. Its made of recycled plastic and finished with a protective powder coating that gives it a cast iron appearance. Because it has an empty interior, this is an incredibly maneuverable stand. It weighs less than 15 pounds and can be carried in one hand and placed anywhere on your patio. When filled with water or sand, the stand weights up to 50 pounds. This stand is compatible with poles between 1.5 and 2 inches in diameter and can be hosed down to clean. Just keep in mind that you may need to tighten the knob occasionally, as it may loosen over time. Shop Now Water-Filled Patio Umbrella Stand amazon.com $76.96 Tomeika Cast-Iron Free-Standing Umbrella Stand With the design-forward exterior, this umbrella stand has a fluted look that adds a bit of flair to the otherwise utilitarian device. We love the style it adds with both its black and bronze finishes, depending on which one you choose. The heavy-duty 50-pound cast iron base features a stem with two knobs to keep poles up to 1.5 inches in diameter secure. The two knobs provide more security on your patio umbrella pole than most other options which come with just one. The stand is versatile, approved for through-table use and for most freestanding market umbrellas up to 9 feet wide. The one caveat is that it isnt listed as having a protective coating, so the cast-iron umbrella stand may rust if not protected from the elements. Shop Now Tomeika Cast-Iron Free-Standing Umbrella Stand wayfair.com $114.99 Fillable Mobile Umbrella Stand The Best Choice Products Mobile umbrella stand is equipped with four locking wheels, making the most mobile option on our list. Our tester loved that it rolls smoothly across wood, gravel, and even shortly trimmed grass with ease. The base is made from heavy-duty plastic that holds up well season after season, even when left out in the rain. Our tester also found that its easy to fill, as you can rest it on its side to fill it up with either water or sand for a maximum weight of 123 pounds. Because its significantly heavier than other bases, its suitable for umbrellas with a canopy diameter up to 12 feetideal if youre looking to create a large shaded area in your yardand after several months of use, its never once tipped over, even on windy days. Shop Now Fillable Mobile Umbrella Stand amazon.com $69.99 Camryn Rabideau Cast Stone Umbrella Base With an interwoven pattern and a bronze finish, this umbrella stand shows off a beautiful design without an expensive price tag. The stand is made mostly of composite materials that have been molded together for a sturdy, dense construction. Add to that a powder-coated bronze finish on the outside, and you can expect this umbrella base to last for several seasons without issue. The stand is also notably compact, measuring just 18 inches across. This helps it fit comfortably under tables without infringing on anyones leg room. That said, be careful using umbrellas with a canopy larger than 9 feet, because the 22 pound base may tip over if used freestanding. Shop Now Cast Stone Umbrella Base amazon.com $34.99 Free-Standing Umbrella Stand For cantilever umbrellas that require cross-brace stand, this is an extremely sturdyand reasonably pricedoption. The base is made up of four plastic plates, each of which can be filled with up to 50 pounds of sand or water for a total of up to 200 pounds. As a result, the angled weight of a cantilever umbrella is always held in check without tipping or wobbling in the wind. The plates have built-in handles that make them easy to move and position into place, and they rest on top of the umbrellas cross-base bottom to keep it in place. However, it can be a bit tricky to get sand into the small spouts, so youll likely need a funnel to get this stand set up. Shop Now Free-Standing Umbrella Stand wayfair.com $60.99 Square Steel Plate Umbrella Stand If you want an umbrella stand with a minimalist look that doesnt stand out, we recommend this square steel plate option featuring a low-profile design. The 42-pound stand has holes in all four corners where you can anchor it to decking with screws for added stability, or plant into your lawn using stakes. Its also a smart pick to get the most clearance underneath an outdoor dining table. The flat bottom means no legs are pressed up against a bulky stand under the table. Other highlights include a coupler that provides a snug fit on different pole sizes up to 1.8 inches in diameter and a power-coated finish for protection against rust. It may not be the best choice as a freestanding base, unless your patio umbrella is smaller than 9 feet. Shop Now Square Steel Plate Umbrella Stand amazon.com $86.99 Portable Steel Umbrella Base Stand Dont let your umbrella stand be a bulky eyesore. With a open box design, this umbrella base doubles as an outdoor planter. The box holds up to 150 pounds of soil and plant material, and the bottom even has drainage holes, preventing root rot and improving aeration. The stand can also be filled up with rocks or sand if you arent planning on planting flowers. There are also two adjustment knobs on the stem to secure umbrella poles up to 2 inches in diameter. The base has wheels on one side, allowing you to tilt it up to move it, but keep in mind that it can be quite heavy to shift when its filled up, and moving it may disrupt any planted flowers or herbs. Shop Now Portable Steel Umbrella Base Stand amazon.com $84.99 You Might Also Like What you need to know if you're planning a road trip to Kentucky Kingdom Kentucky Kingdom is less than two hours from Indianapolis by car, and it's opening this weekend. But this year, you'll have more chances to make the trip. In 2024, the amusement park will be open for 134 days, according to a news release. Special celebrations are a part of the schedule, including the new Christmas at Kentucky Kingdom experience Nov. 29, 2024, through Jan. 4, 2025. Two other inaugural celebrations added to the schedule for 2024 include Petal Palooza and the Red, White and Bluegrass Bash. Here's what you need to know about Kentucky Kingdom for 2024: When does Kentucky Kingdom open in 2024? Kentucky Kingdom opens to season passholders for Preview Night on Friday, May 10, 2024, and gates open to the public on Saturday, May 11, 2024. When does Hurricane Bay open in 2024? Will it be open Memorial Day weekend? Hurricane Bay opens Memorial Day weekend in 2024, starting on Saturday, May 25. Who owns Kentucky Kingdom? Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay is owned by Herschend Family Entertainment. Where is Six Flags' Kentucky Kingdom & Hurricane Bay located? Kentucky Kingdom is located at 937 Phillips Lane in Louisville. What time does Kentucky Kingdom open? What are amusement park hours? Kentucky Kingdom opens at 11 a.m. ET most days but hours vary daily. For a schedule of park hours, visit kentuckykingdom.com. What time does Hurricane Bay open? What are water park hours? Hurricane Bay opens at 11 a.m. ET most days but hours vary daily. For a schedule of park hours, visit kentuckykingdom.com. What time does Kentucky Kingdom close? Kentucky Kingdom closes at 7 p.m. ET most days but hours vary daily, especially on weekends. For a schedule of park hours, visit kentuckykingdom.com. What time does Hurricane Bay close? Hurricane Bay closes at 6 p.m. ET most days but hours vary daily. For a schedule of park hours, visit kentuckykingdom.com. How much is parking at Kentucky Kingdom in 2024? Parking at Kentucky Kingdom & Hurricane Bay is $12 per car and $25 per bus, according to the website. Park goers who plan ahead can visit during Free Parking Days to save some cash. How much are Kentucky Kingdom tickets? There are multiple ticket options depending on the frequency of your visits to the amusement park. Here are your options: How much is a day pass at Kentucky Kingdom? Kentucky Kingdom offers single-day and two-day admission price options to match your length of stay: One-Day General Admission Single-day ticket prices range from $29.99 to $49.99 depending on the day of the year. Discounts are available for children ages 4-9 and seniors ages 62 and older. Two-Day General Admission Two-day ticket prices range from $39.99 to $57.99 depending on the day of the year. Special ticket prices are also available for military and first responders and their families ages 10 to 61 starting at $29.99. Group tickets are also available beginning at $39.99 for single-day tickets and $44.99 for two-day tickets. Select special pricing offers also available including Education in Motion on May 17, 20 or 22; Homeschool Day on June 4; Teacher Appreciation Day on June 11; Summer Camp Days on June 12, June 26, July 10 and July 24; Boy Scout Day on June 18; and Girl Scout Day and June 25. How much is a 2024 Kentucky Kingdom Season Pass? There are three tiers for season passes at Kentucky Kingdom. The last day for reduced pricing is Sunday, June 9. Silver Pass Save $25 now when you buy a pass for $79.99. Benefits include: Unlimited visits Free parking 3 Bring-A-Friend discounts Exclusive events 10% food, retail and photo discounts 10% cabana discounts Gold Pass Save $25 now when you buy a pass for $89.99. Benefits include: Unlimited visits Free parking 3 Bring-A-Friend free tickets (May, June, August) 3 Bring-A-Friend discounts Exclusive events 20% food, retail and photo discounts Free soft drinks 20% cabana discounts Free souvenir cup Hurricane Bay early access Diamond Pass Save $60 now when you buy a pass for $144.99. Benefits include: Unlimited visits Free parking 4 Bring-A-Friend free tickets (unrestricted) 4 Bring-A-Friend discounts (unrestricted) Exclusive events 20% food, retail and photo discounts Free soft drinks 20-50% cabana discounts Free diamond tumbler Hurricane Bay early access Early access to seating at shows Free 2024 Kentucky Kingdom Pre-K Season Pass Children ages 3 to 5 can obtain a free Pre-K Season Pass for 2024. Parents only need to register a qualifying child online and activate the child's pass in person on any operating day at the park. Kentucky Kingdom Sunshine Guarantee Pass Some rides and attractions may be closed during inclement weather to ensure guest safety. The park does not offer Sunshine Passes (rain checks) or refunds under these circumstances. However, when inclement weather requires Kentucky Kingdom to close the majority of rides for at least a 90-minute window during a visit, the facility provides Sunshine Passes to guests who had a paid admission ticket for that specific day. Sunshine Passes allow guests to visit Kentucky Kingdom another day during the season at no charge. Season pass and complimentary ticket holders are not eligible. Kentucky Kingdom hotels Kentucky Kingdom has special offers through preferred hotel and specially discounted tickets during stays. Visit lodging.kentuckykingdom.com for participating hotels. Customers can also call 888-255-1214 for unpublished rates and exclusive offers, according to the website. Kentucky Kingdom rides Kentucky Kingdom family rides Kentucky Kingdom Pre-K rides Kentucky Kingdom roller coasters Kentucky Kingdom family thrill rides Kentucky Kingdom family water rides Hurricane Bay rides Hurricane Bay family rides Hurricane Bay Pre-K rides Hurricane Bay rivers Hurricane Bay slides Hurricane Bay thrill rides Hurricane Bay wave pools Kentucky Kingdom map Visit kentuckykingdom.com to download the amusement park map. A Six Flags' Kentucky Kingdom & Hurricane Bay map is available to download from the amusement and water park's website. Kentucky Kingdom 2024 dining There are plenty of locations inside the park to grab a bite to eat or find refreshments: Kentucky Kingdom restaurants and eateries Kentucky Kingdom 2024 dining There are plenty of locations inside the park to grab a bite to eat or find refreshments: Kentucky Kingdom restaurants and eateries Kentucky Kingdom 2024 Memorial Day Weekend Military Picnic Kentucky Kingdom 2024 events Kentucky Kingdom information, policies and special services Visit kentuckykingdom.com for more information on park policies and special services. Chris Sims is a digital content producer at Midwest Connect Gannett. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Kentucky Kingdom: When it opens, how to get tickets and what to ride KYODO NEWS - May 9, 2024 - 16:40 | World South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday at a press conference to mark the second anniversary of his presidency that his country and Japan are ready to move forward based on mutual trust built over the years, while noting historical issues may act as a hindrance. "There are discrepancies between the stances of the peoples of South Korea and Japan over historical and other issues. But, regarding South Korea-Japan ties, we should think about what to do for our future generations," Yoon said. He added that the two countries must cooperate in dealing with North Korea's nuclear weapons development and securing leadership in the global community. Yoon's People Power Party suffered a crushing defeat in a general election on April 10, with the main opposition Democratic Party and its affiliate retaining a parliamentary majority. Bilateral ties, which have improved since Yoon took office on May 10, 2022, hit their lowest point after South Korea's Supreme Court in 2018 ordered two Japanese companies to compensate South Korean plaintiffs over wartime forced labor. In March 2023, Yoon's administration decided to compensate the plaintiffs in a series of cases involving forced labor during Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula between 1910 and 1945 with money from a South Korean government-backed fund, rather than seeking restitution directly from the Japanese companies that were sued. On Thursday, Yoon made an address ahead of the press conference and announced a plan to establish a new ministry to tackle the country's low fertility rate, which marked a fresh record low of 0.72 in 2023. "In order to overcome the problem of the low fertility rate, which is considered a national emergency, we will implement all of the nation's capabilities," Yoon said while vowing to carry out a range of policies, including those designed to ensure a better work-life balance for workers and greater parental leave flexibility. He asked the opposition-controlled National Assembly to actively cooperate with him in revising a law so that the new ministry could be launched. Besides those held with foreign leaders, the press conference was the first held by Yoon since August 2022, which marked his first 100 days in office. Yoon has been criticized for not speaking with enough reporters and answering their questions. Related coverage: Japan PM sends offering to war-linked Yasukuni shrine for spring rite U.S., Japan, South Korea share concerns over yen, won depreciation Japan, South Korean leaders agree to deepen ties, including with U.S. There's no shortage of European countries with excellent pastries. France gives us treats like macarons, eclairs, and madeleines. Italy brings cannoli, baba al rum, and biscotti. And let's not forget Austria: the home of Linzer torte, Sachertorte, and apple strudel. Yet, one country that's often left out of pastry discussions is Portugal. Whether that's due to its small size, somewhat secluded location in Europe, or its 48-year dictatorship, Portuguese pastries haven't garnered as much attention as their European counterparts. Nonetheless, Portugal's pastry culture is rich, diverse, and worth a second look. Several key factors have shaped the country's pastry tradition. One was the country's prosperous sugar trade on Madeira Island and with Brazil, a former colony. Another came from the creativity of monks, Catholic nuns, and home bakers, all of whom put a unique spin on these sweet creations. As a result, Portugal's modern-day pastry offerings present a delightful array of choices. Having lived in Lisbon for a year and a half and indulged in countless pastry adventures along the way, I'm excited to share which Portuguese treats are truly worth your time, along with some top recommendations for where to find them. Read more: 25 Most Popular Snacks In America Ranked Worst To Best Pastel De Nata Two egg tarts against white background - Darya Lavinskaya/Shutterstock Even if you haven't explored Portugal or its pastry scene, chances are you've heard of (or tasted) the famous pastel de nata (singular for pasteis de nata). These delightful treats, which translate to "cream pastries," can be found as far away from Portugal as London, Japan, and New York City. With their crispy, flaky pastry crusts filled with rich egg custard caramelized to perfection and finished with a dusting of cinnamon and powdered sugar, what's not to love? The origins of pastel de nata can be traced back to the 18th century, when resourceful monks at the Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon turned surplus egg yolks, left over from starching clothes, into sweet creations. Every guidebook will tell you to sample them at Fabrica de Pasteis de Belem, a pastry shop next door to the monastery. But take it from a local -- the huge crowds, 45-minute waits, and rushed service detract from the experience. My advice is to try them at Manteigaria instead. This chain has branches throughout Lisbon, including right across the street from Fabrica de Pasteis de Belem. There's hardly ever a line, the pastries are just as indulgent, and you'll be served with a smile. Pastel De Feijao Yellow pastry resting on tile counter - rfranca/Shutterstock If you're well-acquainted with not-too-sweet Asian desserts, the concept of combining pastries with beans won't sound strange to you. However, it might be a bit peculiar for the uninitiated. If you find yourself in the latter group, try to keep an open mind before trying pastel de feijao (bean pastry). These small, round pastries might be mistaken for their more famous counterpart, the pastel de nata. However, their flavors couldn't be more different. Pastel de feijao features a delicate pastry shell filled with a jam made with white beans, sugar, egg yolks, and almonds. As with many of Portugal's pastries, a bitter espresso best complements the extreme sweetness. This recipe dates back to the late 19th century in Torres Vedras, a town located approximately 30 miles north of Lisbon. These treats quickly gained popularity and were transported to the capital by train before finding their way into pastry shops across the city. One such establishment was Confeiteria Nacional, which has been serving an array of pastries since opening in 1829. For that reason alone, it's the best place to try pastel de feijao in Portugal. Pao-de-lo Sponge cake resting in paper-covered pan - AnaMarques/Shutterstock Pao-de-lo is Portugal's take on sponge cake. It joins the ranks of Italian pan di Spagna, French genoise, and Sephardic pan de Espana. As the names suggest, all these cakes trace their roots back to 16th-century Renaissance Spain. For that reason, you may also see it called pao de Espanha (bread from Spain) or pao de Castela (bread from Castile). This recipe even journeyed beyond Europe and took on new forms, including evolving into what is now known as castella in Japan. While the core ingredients of eggs, sugar, and flour remain consistent, there are many regional variations across Portugal. For example, Guimaraes, a city in Northern Portugal, integrates lemon zest into its version of the cake. Travel a bit south to Vizela, where the typically round cake is transformed into a rectangle and drenched in sugar syrup. Then there's pao-de-lo de Ovar, a moist, gooey variation that boasts a Protected Geographical Indication from the European Union. Although this cake is traditionally enjoyed during Christmas and Easter, it can be found year-round. A Padaria Portuguesa, a local cafe chain with outlets throughout the greater Lisbon area, is one reliable spot. But for those eager to taste the famed Ovar version, I recommend Confeitaria Cardoso or Pao-de-lo Sao Luiz. Ovos Moles De Aveiro Small white pastries sitting on white plate - Mauro Rodrigues/Shutterstock Portuguese pastries often have deep connections to their places of origin, and ovos moles are no exception. This egg yolk-based pastry proudly hails from Aveiro, a charming town in western Portugal. Like many other Portuguese pastries, ovos moles emerged from the creative kitchens of a convent, where thrifty nuns repurposed leftover egg yolks, a byproduct of their habit-starching endeavors, into treats. Mixing these yolks with sugar and water birthed a decadent filling encased in a dough identical to Catholic communion wafers. What sets ovos moles apart from other pastries is their shape. Seashells, clams, barrels, and nuts are common, each reflecting Aveiro's history and culture. Seashells and clams nod to the town's coastal location, barrels pay tribute to its salt-carrying vessels of centuries past, and nuts reflect local agriculture. If you have a hankering for these treats, a visit to Aveiro is a must, as it's the only place to get authentic pastries. But even within Aveiro, you've got to choose wisely. Ovos moles bear a Protected Geographical Indication from the European Union, so they're hard to find outside of the region. For the most authentic experience, I recommend stopping by Confeitaria Peixinho. The shop was established in 1856 and is one of the longest-running retailers of one of these timeless sweets. Queque Muffin and cookie on white plate - lisbopatisserie/Instagram While the spelling might throw you off, "queue," pronounced "ke-ki," serves as Portugal's version of muffins. But you wouldn't know that looking at them. Instead of the domed, mushroom-like shape of muffins in other countries, Portuguese queques have a smaller, higher dome and look more like a crude rendition of suns or flowers. They're flavored simply, reminiscent of pao-de-lo, the Portuguese sponge cake, but with the crucial addition of butter. This ingredient gives them a dense texture and a distinct creamy, slightly salty taste. You'll often find a version with walnuts, too. Queques might not win any beauty contests or innovation awards, but what they lack in flair, they make up for in reliability. I always order them from A Padaria Portuguesa, a chain with 70 branches in Lisbon and its suburbs, but they're pretty much the same everywhere. No matter where you get them, queques are a tasty addition to your morning coffee or afternoon tea. Bolo De Arroz Muffin and milky coffee on white plate - tastytravels/Shutterstock Entering a bakery in a foreign country where you're unfamiliar with the offerings and don't speak the language is daunting. Without another option, you might resort to using Google Lens to identify pastries, gesturing your preferences to the amused staff, and hoping for the best. Thankfully, Portugal's bolo de arroz ("cake of rice") eliminates the guesswork when it comes to choosing your next breakfast or snack. These muffin-like delights are served in paper wrappers clearly labeled with their name. The name "bolo de arroz" refers to rice flour, a key ingredient that gives the pastry its light, fluffy texture reminiscent of sweet cornbread. Unfortunately for gluten-free folks, though, these treats also contain all-purpose flour. A generous amount of butter keeps them moist and adds rich, creamy flavor notes. The ingredient list also features lemon zest, which provides a subtle hint of freshness. However, what truly sets them apart is a crispy and sugar-coated crust, which offers a delightful contrast to the soft muffins underneath. Travesseiros De Sintra Puff pastries dusted with powdered sugar - tastytravels/Shutterstock Just a 40-minute train journey from Lisbon lies Sintra, a picturesque town nestled amidst hills and lush greenery that once served as a royal sanctuary. While most visitors flock to the area to see the palaces, the town itself boasts a charming array of local shops, eateries, and cafes that offer a taste of local specialties. Among these are the famed travesseiros de Sintra, or "Sintra pillows" delicate puff pastries filled with a blend of egg yolks, almonds, sugar, and a closely guarded secret ingredient. Although several shops in Sintra offer travesseiros, none are as renowned as Casa Piriquita. This family-owned bakery was established in 1862 and has stood the test of time, surviving the two world wars and Portugal's dictatorship. Piriquita initially gained favor with King Carlos I for its queijada, a fresh cheese-based pastry. What kept it going was the ingenuity of Constancia Luisa Cunha, the daughter of the bakery's founder. In the 1940s, she resurrected an old recipe for travesseiros that developed into the iconic pastry visitors know and love to this day. Jesuita Glazed pastry on white plate - Fabio Jose da SilvaSantos/Shutterstock Jesuitas are triangular puff pastries filled with a cinnamon-infused egg yolk cream, topped with an egg white glaze. Some variations feature toasted almonds and powdered sugar toppings. As the name suggests, this Portuguese pastry has religious roots and belongs to the category of doces conventuais, or convent sweets. These desserts, which originate from recipes developed by monks or nuns, typically feature three main ingredients: water, sugar, and egg yolks. Among the more than 150 pastries in this group are well-known treats like pastel de nata, pao-de-lo, and ovos moles. According to legend, Jesuitas were created over a century ago by a Spanish pastry chef who collaborated with Jesuit priests in Bilbao, Spain, before introducing the recipe to Confeitaria Moura in Santo Tirso, Portugal. The pastries' triangular shape and beige color were said to resemble the robes worn by Jesuit priests. For those with a sweet tooth willing to embrace a bit of messiness, I recommend trying Jesuitas at Confeitaria Moura, which has been making the treats since 1892. The brand has three locations in Porto and Santo Tirso. Pao De Deus Puffy bread topped with powdered sugar - homydesign/Shutterstock With a name like "bread of God," it's natural to expect something divine from this pastry. I can't offer any guarantees, but if you're a fan of sweet bread and coconut, there's a good chance you'll be enchanted from the very first bite. This pastry comprises a brioche-like bun crowned with a grated coconut, sugar, and egg crust. Portuguese folks enjoy it for breakfast or as an afternoon snack, either as is or filled with ham and cheese (known as "misto," meaning "mixed"). Though it's now a daily indulgence, the origins of this bread trace back to All Saints' Day on November 1st. Following Lisbon's tragic 1755 All Saints' Day earthquake, hungry residents went door to door with the plea, "pao, por Deus" ("bread, for God's sake"). Those able to offer something did so willingly, and this generous spirit inspired the pastry's name. A Padaria Portuguesa, a popular chain, specializes in this bread. Locals love it for its slightly undercooked texture and perfectly balanced sweetness. Bola De Berlim Hand holding filled donut in napkin - Leonardo Macedo/Shutterstock When you think of beach snacks, what comes to mind? Probably ice cream, fresh fruit, and perhaps even hot dogs. Donuts likely don't make the list unless you happen to be in Portugal. One of the country's favorite seaside treats is bola de Berlim, a hole-less, deep-fried donut filled with egg custard often sold by street vendors. During World War II, Portugal's neutral status attracted Jewish refugees from Germany. Many ended up working in food service and shared the recipe for these "Berlin balls." Over time, the recipe evolved to suit local tastes, including transitioning from the original jam-filled version to a custard-filled rendition suited to the Portuguese palate. The shift from cafes to beaches was also natural once people discovered how much the salty air enhanced the sweetness of the sugar-topped pastry. Today, alongside the classic plain and custard-filled versions, you can find bola de Berlim filled with Nutella, dulce de leche, lemon cream, and more. If you can't make it to the beach, grab one from Sacolinha or Orabolas in Lisbon. Queijada Round almond cakes on plate - dealemmar/Instagram Before paper currency became standardized, people used all sorts of unconventional items for trade: salt, animal skins, and cheese, just to name a few. But you may have never heard of pastries being used as currency. In the 13th century, the land we now know as Portugal was divided into kingdoms, and residents had to pay the king to live on the land. Instead of money, Sintra inhabitants paid with queijadas small cheesecake-like pastries with crunchy dough shells. This tasty form of payment lasted until the mid-18th century. The fact that queijadas were accepted as legal tender underscores their deliciousness. The appeal lies in requeijao, a locally sourced cow's milk cheese akin to ricotta, which imparts a unique flavor reflective of the region's terroir. The closely guarded recipe adds to the mystique. While the ingredients requeijao, sugar, eggs, and cinnamon are standardized, their exact proportions are shrouded in secrecy. If you think the original queijadas sound amazing, there are also variations made with carrot, orange, nuts, or coconut. You can try them at renowned pastry shops like Casa Piriquita or Dona Estefania, among others in Sintra. Salame Chocolate roll pastry on checkered tablecloth - Mauro Rodrigues/Shutterstock Although its name and cylindrical shape bear a passing resemblance to cured meat, in the world of Portuguese pastries, "salame" takes on a sweeter meaning. Instead of pork, salame is made out of chocolate and crushed biscuits. The mixture of cocoa powder, eggs, sugar, and butter provides the foundation, while tea biscuits often known as Maria cookies or Marie biscuits are used to simulate the appearance of fat in traditional salami. Additionally, variations may include chopped almonds or hazelnuts for added crunch. While most of the pastries on this list are consumed in the morning, salame is almost always reserved for an afternoon pick-me-up, especially when paired with a Portuguese coffee drink. Something else that distinguishes it from other pastries is its limited availability. Based on my experience, your best bet is Salamaria in Lisbon, a shop specializing in the dessert. Here, alongside the classic chocolate version, you'll discover creative riffs ranging from red velvet to Snickers, several of which are vegan. Toucinho Do Ceu Slice of yellow cake on white plate - marialvaoficial/Instagram If there's one thing to say about Portuguese pastries, it's that their names are descriptive. Some, like pastel de nata and pastel de feijao, leave little mystery as to their contents. Others, such as travesseiros de Sintra, honor both their birthplace and shape. Then there are intriguing outliers like toucinhos do ceu, meaning "bacon of heaven." While the name might not provide much clarity on the pastry's ingredients, it certainly sparks curiosity. After all, when has anything involving bacon ever disappointed? Unfortunately for all of the pork lovers out there, these confections don't actually contain any bacon. Rather, the name references a key ingredient: lard. In this convent sweet, lard replaces butter -- which showcases Portuguese pastry-making's inventive spirit. Like other desserts in the Portuguese pastry canon, toucinhos do ceu were born from the resourcefulness of convent nuns who made treats using the ingredients they had on hand. In addition to lard, toucinho do ceu contain sugar, almond flour, orange zest, and lots and lots of egg yolks. The result is a dense, golden torte that's sliced into triangles and dusted with powdered sugar before serving. Try them at Alcoa, a Lisbon pastry shop specializing in convent sweets. Read the original article on Tasting Table Cities around the world have been trying to figure out how to deal with an influx of visitors creating more noise and mess in their locales. The latest to enter the ring: Milan. The Italian mecca of fashion and design will implement an ordinance next week aimed at addressing late-night revelers who crowd the citys streets, The New York Times reported on Thursday. Set to last until November 11, the law will cut back on the availability of food and drinks to go after midnight. It will also see outdoor seating at restaurants and bars shut down at 12:30 a.m. on weekdays and 1:30 a.m. on weekends. More from Robb Report Its a nightmare, one resident told the Times about the late-night scene. Living in Milan has become really difficult, said another. Along with the restrictions, the city will use 170,000 euros ($180,000) to help bar owners enlist private security to keep people from hanging out outside their businesses, The New York Times noted. And Milan is trying to update police contracts so that more officers can work nights and enforce the law. Unsurprisingly, the rules have upset many business owners in the metropolis, as they feel like theyre being punished for their customers actions. Marco Barbieri, the secretary general for the Milan sect of an Italian retailers association, told the Times that his group would push back against the ordinance. He thinks some 30 percent of Milans 10,000 restaurants and bars will be affected by the restrictions. Others worry that it will stop people from doing the most Italian of things: going for a late-night gelato run. Marco Granelli, the Milan council member in charge of public security, shut down such fears, though: Its clear that ice cream, pizza, or brioches dont create overcrowding, he told The New York Times. While the new rules have an overt end goal, its unclear how theyll actually play out. One bar manager said the crowds typically outnumber the police officers, so enforcement may be difficult. And a 20-something in Milan pointed out that young people are generally pretty good at finding their way around prohibitive laws. The late-night streets of Milan may get a bit quieter then, but shutting them down completely wont be too easy. Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Mother's Day dining options in the Hornell area: Where to take mom on Sunday Nothing says Mother's Day like treating mom to a meal. Whether it's an old family favorite restaurant or a Mother's Day buffet, dining out is a fun and traditional way to tell mom how much she's loved. Here are some Hornell and Wellsville area restaurants where you can enjoy a meal with mom on Sunday. Texas Hot, 132 N. Main St., Wellsville, is open from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Mothers Day. Enjoy a classic hot with fries and gravy in a cozy Wellsville institution that has been around more than 100 years. Italian Villa, 196 Seneca St., Hornell. Take mom out for homemade Italian specialties and American classics served in a warm family atmosphere. Special Mother's Day hours are 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Celebrate Mother's Day by dining out at La Cabana Mexican restaurant, 7425 Seneca Road North, Hornell. Open noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday. La Cabana, 7425 Seneca Road, Hornell, is open on Mothers Day from noon to 8 p.m. The traditional Mexican restaurant with a popular following is sure to add some spice to mom's celebration. Applebees, 1006 Route 36, Hornell is a popular destination for holiday get-togethers, with food and drink specials daily. The neighborhood bar and grill is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Mothers Day. Railhead Brewing Company, 40 Park Drive, Hornell is open noon to 5 p.m. on Mother's Day. Stop by and you will find a chill, relaxed atmosphere in which to enjoy locally-produced beer and wood-fired pizza. A Mother's Day favorite Sunday brunch in Angelica American House and Hotel, 128 W. Main St. in Angelica serves its Famous Sunday Brunch year-round and it offers a perfect Mothers Day setting. Servings are 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Adults, $17.99; children ten and under, $8.99; three and under, free. All the favorites, including hand-carved roast beef and ham, made to order omelets, sausage gravy with biscuits, waffles with fruit toppings, assorted dinner entrees, real mashed potatoes and gravy. Dessert table includes fruits and pastries. Special Mother's Day brunch options in Hornell, Wellsville It's getting late to make buffet reservations, but these two Mother's Day brunches have something for everyone. Be sure to check if they are still accepting reservations before planning a visit. Wellsville Country Club, 3006 Riverside Drive, Mothers Day brunch is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Adults, $32.99; children, $11.99; three and under, free. Reservations only by calling 585-593-6114. The last seating is at 2 p.m. The brunch buffet includes ham and turkey carving stations, biscuits and gravy, eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, bagel bar with lox, waffle station, yogurt bar, salad bar, lemon dill salmon, pasta primavera, fingerling potatoes, along with mac and cheese and chicken fingers for the kids. Industry: Alstom misses Brightline West high speed rail bid. What it means for Hornell workforce. The Main Place, 251 Main St. Hornell. Mothers Day brunch is 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. For reservations, call 607-968-1148. Adults, $30; children 6-11, $15; children five and under, complementary. The breakfast menu includes scrambled and skillet eggs, home fries, sausage and bacon, Belgian waffles and French toast bar, carving station with roasted turkey breast and gravy. There is also homemade macaroni and cheese, boneless sweet and sour wings, roasted vegetables and more. Follow Neal Simon on Twitter @HornellTribNeal. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Hornell, Wellsville area restaurants open on Mother's Day You know it's spring when the birds are singing, flowers are blooming and Operation Fresh Start is launching a neighborhood cleanup. Volunteers will show up to spruce up designated neighborhoods from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, the Rev. Angus Thompson, pastor of New Jerusalem Church, said. They'll break for lunch at noon at New Jerusalem. Among them will be members of the Air Force, Army and Navy, members of New Jerusalem and Shiloh Baptist Church and students, including from Hirschi. Operation Fresh Start volunteers Tonette Williams, right, and Jamal Buckery take part in neighborhood revitalization efforts May 6, 2023. Thompson said Operation Fresh Start organizers are happy that young people will have an opportunity to help senior citizens in the designated neighborhoods. We think its therapeutic for both the young and the old," he said. "We pray the young people will come away from this experience the better. Theyll find out there are a lot of senior citizens who would love to have their assistance. If you're interested in lending a hand with a rake, a paintbrush or another appropriate implement in it, call New Jerusalem Church at 940-767-2067 and ask for Johnnie Williams. If they have lawnmowers or trailers to use for the revitalization efforts, someone will be at the church at 7:45 a.m. Saturday morning to direct them. In any case, bring gloves and a rake if you have it. The designated neighborhoods for Saturday's spring cleanup are the Kemp Addition, East and West Lynwood, and areas around Hirschi High School and Booker T. Washington Elementary School, he said. As for the schoolchildren volunteering, Operation Fresh Start organizers want residents to be aware the kids are not allowed to go inside of a home although servicemembers might, Thompson said. The students volunteers should wear closed-in shoes and long pants and avoid playing with any animals they see in the area, he said. Operation Fresh Start volunteer Kerry Woodard lends a helping hand in a neighborhood cleanup May 6, 2023. Dumpsters for the Operation Fresh Start cleanup will be at New Jerusalem; Hirschi's east parking lot, East Lynwood Park, the Kemp Addition and parking lot of Washington Elementary. Big items such as refrigerators, motor oil, batteries and construction materials are among the items that cannot be put in the dumpsters. If bringing items to a dumpster, go ahead and put them into it. This saves work for volunteers. Thompson said residents who don't live in the designated neighborhoods should call the church first before cutting tree limbs and putting them out for pickup because volunteers are focusing on the areas chosen for cleanup on Saturday. In addition, Operation Fresh Start organizers have requested the city to help with areas near the railroad tracks in the Kemp Addition by towing away structures such as inoperative mobile homes, for instance. Weve made a lot of progress," Thompson said. "We want to maintain the progress that we have made. We dont want people to become lax and revert back. Donations from Home Depot are expected that will help with the cleanup. Were happy for their support, Thompson said. Volunteers from the Air Force, Army and Navy will be painting three houses, he said. Were going to give a trophy for the best job done," Thompson said. More: Spay and neuter campaign, 'It's Hip to Snip,' launching Saturday in Wichita Falls More: WFISD honors teachers of the year Trish Choate is serving as the interim editor for the Wichita Falls Times Record News, San Angelo Standard-Times and Abilene Reporter-News. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@gannett.com. Read her recent work here. Her X handle is @Trishapedia. This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Operation Fresh Start will have a spring cleanup Saturday New list names most beautiful restaurant in each New England state Some lucky Eateries in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, and Rhode Island have landed on a new list naming the most beautiful restaurants in each state. People magazine says it published The 50 Most Beautiful Restaurants in America list in celebration of its 50th anniversary and 2024 Beautiful Issue. These super-stylish stunners deliver unforgettable dining experiences, People wrote. There are mountaintop chalets with modern rustic touches, glammed-up Art Deco mansions with a view, and mirror-and-glass paneled sky-high stunners. Wusong Road in Cambridge, Massachusetts, checked in as the Bay States most beautiful restaurant. Maximalism reigns at this tiki restaurant, with thatched overhangs, 1970s-era peacock chairs, and tropical wallpaper, People wrote of Wusong Road. Three Chimneys Inn in Durham, New Hampshire, was Peoples choice for New Hampshires most beautiful restaurant. Choose from three ultra-cozy roomshello, fireplacesto enjoy this historic inns take on traditional New England fare, People wrote of Three Chimneys Inn. Cara in Newport, Rhode Island, checked in as the Ocean States most beautiful restaurant. A gorgeous former mansion in Newport Beach is the intimate setting for this fine-dining restaurant with Atlantic Ocean views, People wrote of Cara. If youre planning a trip to Vermont, People has chosen The Hermitage Inn in Dover as the states most beautiful restaurant. This serene, historic inn has one upscale and one more laidback dining room, both featuring rustic decor befitting the state, People wrote of The Hermitage Inn. Youll have to travel to New Haven, Connecticut and dine at Siena, to find the states most beautiful restaurant. Vibrant stained glass windows and a sleek, turquoise-hued bar set the tone for the Blake Hotels lively lobby restaurant, People wrote of Siena. And rounding things out in Maine, Earth at Hidden Pond in Kennebunkport, Maine, was Peoples choice for the most beautiful restaurant. Nature is on display at this Kennebunkport restaurant, where rough-hewn chairs and statement log walls add to the cozy vibe, People wrote of Earth at Hidden Pond. To view Peoples full ranking, click here. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW This rooftop restaurant in Miami Beach was named one of the most beautiful in the U.S. In a town where beauty is valued highly, Mila in Miami Beach just became more desirable. The Mediterranean-Asian restaurant just off Lincoln Road which is fond of calling itself MediterrAsian, which may or may not annoy you was just named one of the most beautiful restaurants in the country. For a celebration of its 50th anniversary and its annual 2024 Beautiful Issue, People magazine joined forces with OpenTable to choose the 50 most gorgeous restaurants in the country. A particularly attractive spot was chosen in each state, and Floridas was the indoor-outdoor stunner Mila, which was praised for warm reclaimed woods, striking sculptures, and greenery galore. Marine Giron-Galy, partner and chief branding officer of Riviera Dining Group, said she was thrilled with the accolades. Is this new luxury steakhouse the most opulent in Miami? Heres your first look The view from Mila restaurant just off Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. Were honored to be recognized as one of the most beautiful restaurants in the nation and the most gorgeous restaurant in Florida, she said. Our goal with Mila and all RDG venues is to blend architectural beauty and culinary artistry, inviting guests to enter an immersive world of exquisite design and understated luxury. Founded by Giron-Galy and Gregory Galy, Mila opened in the early days of 2020. The hot spot is known for upscale cuisine and stylish cocktails as well as its considerable visual attributes, which include a 3,000-square-foot water feature. Even the Michelin Guide has taken note, adding Mila as a recommended restaurant. Its hard to ignore the sensory overload that greets diners as they exit the elevator and enter this titanic-sized establishment, says the Michelin Guide. There are two full bars one indoors and a second out on the terrace both beloved by the citys hip and trendy. Wood-carved artwork, natural materials and a plethora of foliage blend seamlessly to ensure a unique setting. The stunning water feature and bar at Mila restaurant in Miami Beach. Mila also boasts MM, a private club for members located on the second floor below the main restaurant, with a special food and drink menu from Chef Michael Michaelidis. Also on the premises is Mila Omakase, a 10-seat Japanese restaurant curated by executive chef Reiji Yoshizawa. Mila has also just launched a Golden Hour happy hour from 6-7:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday with special cocktails, wines and appetizers as well as the Hoeski Tasting Experience for just $20, which includes hamachi crudo, tuna nigiri, wagyu gyoza, salmon crispy rice and tomato avocado salad. Along with a few other cities across the country, Miami earned a separate story on other beautiful restaurants in the city, which include Sexy Fish, Dirty Fish Steakhouse and Komodo in Brickell; Amelias 1931 in Miami; Red Rooster in Overtown; Giannis at the former Versace Mansion, Los Fuegos, Jaya at the Setai and Queen on Miami Beach; Sofia in the Design District; and Amal in Coconut Grove. One of the large tables at Mila restaurant in Miami Beach. Mila Where: 1636 Meridian Ave. Rooftop, Miami Beach Hours: 5:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Sunday-Friday; 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 6 p.m.-2 a.m. Saturday More information and reservations: mila-miami.com or 786-706-0744 The interior of Mila restaurant in South Beach. Heres a complete list of all the Miami area restaurants that have Michelin stars The No. 1 spot is a five-way tie between Canada, Malta, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain. Allard Schager/GETTY IMAGES For LGBTQIA+ travelers, safety and inclusivity are important factors in vacation plans, and the latest Gay Travel Index once again sheds light on destinations that exceed expectations, fit the bill, or fall short. Since 2012, Spartacus has used a meticulous rubric for grading and ranking countries from the most queer-friendly to the least, providing a reliable metric for locals and travelers alike for which countries are improving, and which are getting worse. The intensive rating system features 18 categories that range from anti-discrimination laws and transgender rights to oppressive religious influence, prosecution, and the death penalty. Zero points are the neutral mark, with points added or deducted based on human rights or lack thereof. Both positive and negative, points are weighed against the severity of local law or customs. For instance, countries that still punish homosexuality with the death penalty get more deductions than countries that have the death penalty but dont act on it. In a five-way tie for first place this year, as the most queer-friendly destinations with 12 points each, are Canada, Malta, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain, followed closely by Australia, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Norway, and Uruguay. The U.S. earned a lukewarm ranking of 41, with a total of just four points. On the opposite end, the most hostile countries remain Saudi Arabia, Iran, Chechnya, and Afghanistan, all of which still practice the death penalty for homosexuality. Notable this year was Norway, rising from 17 to 8, thanks largely to its reversal of conversion therapies. Estonia also leapt up from 15 spots to 32, due to the nation legalizing same-sex marriage. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom tumbled from 9 to 21, losing points for diminished LGBT marketing and hostile locals. The U.S. also lost ground, falling from 35 to 41 due to religious influence and hostile locals. Russia took the biggest plummet, from 177 in 2023 to 205, losing an additional five points for its increased prosecutions of LGBT people. The index also ranks the 50 states individually, with unique-to-U.S. categories like hate crime laws, gay and trans panic defense, and queer infrastructure, while the censorship category reflects the various Dont Say Gay-style laws across the country. With 14 points, New York earns the No. 1 spot for its LGBT protections, lack of censorship and conversion therapies, and concerted efforts put into LGBT marketing and infrastructure. California, Colorado, Nevada, and Oregon are all tied for second, followed by Washington, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New Mexico. Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Montana are some of the least queer-friendly states, with Oklahoma in last place for the second year in a row, due to censorship, lack of trans rights, and as tragically evidenced by the recent murder of non-binary student Nex Benedict hostile locals. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. We spoke with 5 Mississippi moms about what they want on Mother's Day. Here is what they said Mom, mama, mommy, stepmom...mother, no matter what name they go by, they are the superhero that holds a title so special in their loved one's lives. Mothers Day is celebrated annually on the second Sunday of May and every mother is celebrated in a special way. Maybe they are showered with gifts from family, cute little "I love you mom" cards from their child(ren), flowers from a spouse or significant other, or maybe even brunch with their girlfriends. This year, the Clarion Ledger talked to five different moms about motherhood and what would make their day perfect to them. What would be on their Mother's Day bucket list? Below are 25 things these special mothers said they would want to do on their Mother's Day: Mom balances all that life brings: Mother's Day: Jackson mom of 4 has 'scheduled routine' down to a science Brandy Donald, Clinton Brandy Donald. Brandy Donald is a 40-year-old mother of two from Clinton, who became a mom at the age of 19 to her son De'Anthony Bunch and to her daughter Brooklyn Joiner 15 years later. In 2019, Donald faced a tragic loss after her son De'Anthony died in a car accident at age 15. Donald on motherhood: "Though I was a teenage mom, I consider myself to be a great mother because I have persevered in the face of adversity and kept going," said Donald. "Even through grief, I still had to keep going because I had another child that needed me and by the grace of God, I am still standing today." Donald's bucket list: All-expenses-paid day trip to New Orleans A day at the spa A paid day off work to relax A day at a nice hotel with room service Dinner with my daughter and mom Brandy Donald and her son De'Anthony Bunch. Brooklyn Joiner, daughter of Brandy Donald. Kallie Law, Flowood Kallie Law and her son DJ Archie. Kallie Law is a 23-year-old mother of one from Flowood, who found out she was pregnant her senior year of high school with her son DJ and is now expecting a baby girl due this August. Law on motherhood: "I had to change a few things in my life for the best interest of my son," Law said. "So I decided to go to nursing school locally to become a nurse to be able to better provide for him." Law's bucket list: A nice brunch A pretty walk in the neighborhood or park Some quality time with my son Get a relaxing pedicure Enjoy the day with no laundry, cooking or cleaning Debra Gibson, Jackson Debra Gibson on her 61st birthday in Madison. Debra Gibson is a 61-year-old mother of two daughters, Victoria and Lisa Gibson from Jackson, and grandmother to three granddaughters. Gibson on motherhood: "My ability to provide whatever was necessary for my girls and I to excel in life is what makes me a great mom and grandmother," Gibson said. "I chose to be a wise woman, Proverbs 14:1, teaching my girls to pray with a purpose, obey God's word and authority, respect each other, spend time together and impart strong morals of integrity; let's not forget the financial responsibility that a wise woman must exhibit and just being able to give them the opportunity to experience more in life than what I experienced." Gibson's bucket list: Peace and quiet A spa day A mini vacation A steak dinner Shopping Victoria Gibson, daughter of Debra Gibson. Lisa Gibson, daughter of Debra Gibson. Janiyah, Jalen, and Harmony, granddaughters of Debra Gibson. Lottie Joiner, Jackson Lottie Joiner and her 2-year old daughter, Isabella Joiner. Lottie Joiner is a 51-year-old mother to 2-year-old daughter Isabella from Jackson. Joiner on motherhood: "I wouldnt say Im a great mom, but Im a work in progress and learning each day. My priority is making sure that my daughter is safe, healthy and in a nurturing environment that helps her grow and develop," Joiner said. "My goal is to provide her with the tools to become a successful, productive citizen and instill in her that she is beautiful, smart, creative, and talented. Each day I make choices that I believe are in her best interest. Of course, there are times I dont get it right and could do some things better. I am grateful to have the opportunity to have this motherhood experience and all that comes with it." Joiner's bucket list: A spa day that includes a manicure, pedicure, facial and massage A deep house cleaning (I would like to throw in my car too) Five healthy meals for the week prepared by a renowned personal chef A photo shoot with my daughter Quality time with family at a nice spot with beautiful flowers overlooking a body of water (I may just take a nap) More: Looking for something your children can do this summer? 2024 summer camps are here Arnisha Jones, Jackson Arnisha Jones of Jackson, center, juggles all that life hands her. With four children, NeVael Jefferson, 11, from left, Nyla Jefferson, 7, and four-month-old twin sons Amari, held by Jones, and Khamari, held by the twins' father Curtis Spires Sr., she has her hands full on Monday, April 29, 2024. Just weeks after she gave birth to the twins, she was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. Jones is currently undergoing chemotherapy. Arnisha Jones is a 31-year-old mother of four, who was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer a month after giving birth to twin boys early this year. Jones on motherhood: "Since I've found out I had cancer, my kids, my boyfriend and my family, we try to do outings probably every weekend now just to kind of keep my mind off things," Jones said. "My mom and my boyfriend, they have been there for me every step of the way helping me whenever I need anything or just when I want to get some rest; they are wonderful." Jones bucket list: To be kid-free for the day Take a day trip to the coast or Alabama Have some "me" time Spend the day shopping Simply rest Know an event coming up or have a good story idea? Reporter Kiara Fleming can be reached via email KDFleming@jackson.gannett.com and on X @Ki_dajournalist This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mother's Day 2024: What Mississippi moms say they want StockPlanets via Getty Images How do you and your partner handle a disagreement? Does it ever get heated? Do you talk it out and move on? Or something in between? Im in the refreshing position now in that I dont fight with my long-time partner. At most, we bicker lightly, and Im grateful for it, as Ive been tangled up in a few vicious arguments as a younger man, with screaming and all the nastiness that accompanies it. Researchers have studied the commonalities and differences between how happy and unhappy couples fight. And these patterns are worthy of examination. A look at trends from positive couples Charles Duhigg and a team of researchers ran a study of couples across the United States, which was documented in his book, Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection. It was comprehensive and unlike any other in history. They discovered that all couples fight to some degree but they varied significantly not just in style, but in their impact on the relationship. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement One of their initial hypotheses was that happy and unhappy couples fight about different things. Researchers initially thought that unhappy couples fight about big things splitting bills, managing childcare, and how they spend their time. They also assumed happy couples only fought about trivial things. The opposite was true. Happy couples are more likely to fight over things that mattered. Per Dr. Amy J. Rauer, professor of child and family studies at the University of Tennessee, happy couples argue with a solution in mind. They make it their goal to shrink an argument, rather than enlarge and elongate it. Conversely, unhappier couples often had a disconnect on what an argument was actually about. One partner would think it was about the expression of emotions, while the other was focused on solving the problem. The partner who was emotionally focused often got mad that they werent having their feelings heard and understood. Whereas the solutions-oriented partner was confused as to why their partner kept getting more upset, and getting frustrated that they were being too dramatic. Its hard to write an article like this without immediately thinking of examples from my own life. Many years ago, I went through this firsthand and reacted to it completely wrong. My ex-girlfriend got extremely emotional during discussions. Shed gladly elevate to a screaming match, and go shout for shout if you wanted to, until her vocal chords blew out. I went from being solutions-oriented, and perhaps overly cerebral with a problem, to being completely derailed, jumping into the shouting match, which was a testament to my own immaturity. And I can confirm firsthand that raising your voice solves nothing, unless your goal was poisoning the well of a relationship. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Partners in happy relationships tended to lean back more in these heated discussions, taking time to listen, and pausing before replying. They didnt even think about arguments from an adversarial view. They exercised control over themselves and demonstrated to the other person that they were actually listening and cared about their feelings. They spoke to specific concerns the other person was sharing, and brainstormed ideas and compromises to solve the problem. There was a clear goal in mind rather than escalating. Being responsive to a partner is fundamental to happy relationships. Per Dr. Amy Canevello, this means, They are warm, sensitive to their partners feelings, and want to make their partners feel comfortable, valued, listened to, and understood. For example, one of the sources of heartburn Im going through with my spouse, is the potential of moving. Shes an academic and really loves the idea of living in a big city, like New York City, or Washington DC. She loves the career prospects of those cities and the lifestyle they offer. Its a non-starter for me. Life is too inconvenient, busy, loud, and expensive in big cities. Ive been-there-done-that. Weve had ongoing discussions that have at times been uncomfortable. But Ive made quite a few concessions and listed out states and cities Id be happy to live in or near. And Ive softened my initial hard stances on places Ive refused to live. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It hasnt always been easy, but Ive reexamined my assumptions and considered that I could possibly enjoy living in places Id written off. She has also loosened her criteria of only living in a big city. And that give-and-take has helped us navigate through the biggest disagreement weve faced without having to throw dishes at each other or raise our voices. Which, Id argue, is a testament to our conviction for each other, and the health of the partnership. Conversely, the saddest thing is that near the end of a toxic relationship, blowouts can happen over the most trivial things. I was speaking with a fellow divorcee, Beth, who jokingly said, I knew that when the mere way he chewed Pringles chips was driving me nuts the end was nigh. The other counterintuitive finding about happy couples With hard-to-solve problems, some couples strategically chose not to engage with them very often because they knew they wouldnt be able to solve them easily. Instead, they focused on problems they could resolve, and delayed confronting the final boss of their relationship. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Over engaging with a hard-to-resolve topic can force a couple to think about their overall compatibility more in a bad way. But continually resolving smaller disputes banks up successes they can cash in when they are ready to cross a difficult bridge. Conversely, unhappy couples tend to try to control each other during arguments. They use phrases like, You need to stop talking, Well, you need to work more, No, you need to stop spending so much. Which only escalates the fight. They also think about arguing from a spectrum of being good at it like you are a lawyer. Assuming that winning and losing are end goals of the discussion makes the dynamic far too competitive. Some tips for controlling an argument from spilling over Years ago, I learned from a marriage counselor about the importance of controlling the scope of an argument. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement If youre having an argument about, say, splitting the cost of rent keep the discussion about that. Resist the urge to hurl in your grievance about your partners dog barking at night, or your mother-in-law being difficult during the holidays. Keep it focused. And if the other person tries to bring in other stuff, resist the whataboutism because thats how arguments end up escalating rapidly. And that isnt always easy. If you grew up seeing your parents shouting and arguing all the time, as I did, its easy to fall into that trap and start arguing in an unhealthy way. Per licensed psychotherapist, Sharon Martin, humans have a remarkable and troubling ability to repeat the trauma and toxic patterns we grew up around. We were shown these patterns of behavior when our brains were vulnerable and still developing. Repeating that modeled behavior is innate. It also becomes a subconscious way of taking ownership and mastery over the toxicity we witnessed. But this doesnt need to be the case. As a reminder for you, and for me, remember to slow down your disagreements and listen to the other person. Pause before replying. Make it a goal to shrink the problem rather than blow it up. If it becomes an emotional argument, reframe it to be solutions oriented. And always resist the urge to shout. Its verbally abusive and rarely solves anything in a relationship. The Global Leadership Academy Charter Schools in West Philadelphia is breaking the mold. By going beyond a classrooms confined corners, the school is taking learning to an extraordinary levelglobally. Recently, more than 50 students from the academy have had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the history and culture of the Bahamas. This extended their understanding far beyond their textbooks. Dr. Naomi Johnson Booker, the schools founder and CEO, has made it her mission to prepare students not just academically but as future leaders of the world by sharing the world with them. This approach has led them to travel from China to Kenya, East Africa, and the Bahamas. Each destination is specifically chosen to enrich the students knowledge and worldviews. The Trip to the Bahamas photo credit: Peter Hansen The latest educational voyage to the Bahamas was particularly significant. The eighth graders went deep into the history of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, a chapter of history often glossed over in conventional curricula. The Bahamas offered a repository of artifacts that brought the experiences of enslaved Africans to life. It also provided a visceral learning experience that no classroom lecture could parallel. These students, most of whom live within a ten-block radius of their schools and have limited exposure to the world beyond, found themselves a thousand miles away on a transformative journey. For many, this was an opportunity to trace the steps of their ancestors. Krystian Massiah-Clark, an eighth grader, noted the striking differences between the lives of enslaved people in the Bahamas and those in America. They were able to buy land, they were able to sell their food. They were able to grow their own food, said Krystian Massiah-Clark, speaking to 6abc. The students were astonished by the ability to buy land and grow their own food, demonstrating that the narrative of slavery is not monolithic but varied across different regions. Furthermore, the schools program is not just about history lessons. Its also about breaking barriers and building confidence in students, most of whom live in poverty. School trips are tied to the curriculum. Each grade goes on different experiences related to their studies. Bridging the Educational and Social Gap For Students Dr. Booker emphasizes that these trips bridge an exposure gap between these students and their more advantaged peers. These trips have taken students to several locations, from civil rights movement sites in Alabama to the Underground Railroad in Canada. Despite the schools academic struggles, with low proficiency rates in math, the overwhelming demand for enrollment3,500 applications for 700 spotsspeaks volumes about the unique value parents and students place on this education model. These experiences are there to educate and empower students to expand their horizons and aspire for a future without limitations. The impact of such trips is manifold. Some students have been motivated to pursue higher education, while others have initiated community service projects. The lessons learned and confidence gained from these global experiences have the potential to shape these young minds in ways that traditional schooling may not. KYODO NEWS - May 9, 2024 - 14:26 | All, Japan Official campaigning for the Shizuoka gubernatorial election began Thursday, with the outcome likely to decide the future of Japan's beleaguered high-speed maglev train project that was delayed by opposition from the outgoing governor. Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu has been an outspoken critic of Central Japan Railway Co.'s Linear Chuo Shinkansen, citing environmental concerns as his reason for opposing the project. The line from Tokyo to Osaka is planned to pass through a short section of Shizuoka Prefecture's north with trains traveling up to 500 kilometers per hour. The line's first leg from Tokyo to Nagoya was originally planned to open in 2027, but the company conceded on March 29 that it had abandoned hopes of hitting the target amid long-running opposition from Shizuoka Prefecture. Among the six candidates running for the May 26 election, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party-backed Shinichi Omura, 60, has pledged to show results within a year from talks to resolve the maglev issue. Yasutomo Suzuki, 66, approved by the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Democratic Party for the People, is also pledging to make progress on the rail link. The Japanese Communist Party's candidate Daisuke Mori, 55, is calling for construction work to be suspended, citing the recent emergence of remote work as reducing the need for high-speed rail links. On April 3, Kawakatsu abruptly announced his intention to step down amid controversy over remarks he made to inductee civil servants that denigrated the intelligence of physical laborers such as agricultural workers. His decision came days after Central Japan Railway, or JR Central, confirmed it had given up on the 2027 target. Kawakatsu said his choice was also informed by the rail project delay, saying he had "achieved a major objective of my duty." The maglev train project was intended to roll out in two phases, with the Nagoya leg set for 2027 and the Osaka extension in 2037. There are no plans for the trains to stop in Shizuoka. JR Central has said the new line could bring economic benefits from faster transit times, and serve as a vital backup in the event of disasters from powerful earthquakes involving potential tsunami that could affect rail lines nearer the coast. Apart from transportation issues, the vote is another test of public opinion about Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and comes after his LDP lost three House of Representatives seats in by-elections on April 28 amid fallout from a slush funds scandal within the ruling party. The other three candidates in the gubernatorial race are Masafumi Yokoyama, 56, the head of a local political group, and independents Takeshi Murakami, 73, and Satomi Hamanaka, 62. Related coverage: Shizuoka governor quits after disparaging comments about farmers Bullet train services resume after suspension in eastern Japan Japan railway firm pushes back maglev plan, possibly to 2034 or later Pam Septer and Erica Danielson, both of Adel, check out a crocheted heart at the Hooked by Elizabeth booth during the Fiber Festival of Perry on Saturday, May 13, 2023, at the Hotel Pattee. May Sip & Shop 4-7 p.m. Friday, May 10 at Perry businesses. Enjoy an after-hours shopping experience at Perry Businesses on Friday, May 10. Shop warm-weather apparel, decor, gifts and more while sipping complimentary refreshments at each location! Refreshments and in-store offerings vary per location. Participating businesses include Backward's Boutique, Ben's Five and Dime, Betsy Peterson Designs, Blonde Sisters Boutique, Mary Rose Collective, Perry Flowers by Donna Jean and Susie's Shop. Find more information on the Perry Chamber's Facebook page. Annual Plant Sale and Van Meter City-Wide Garage Sales 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday, May 11 at City Maintenance Building (behind Casey's), 700 Debra Dr., Van Meter. The Van Meter Parks and Rec Department will host its annual plant sale on Saturday, May 11. The event will feature a variety of hanging baskets, porch pots, accent plants and more. Cash, check, credit/debit and Venmo will be accepted. All proceeds will go back to the community to fund events like the annual Easter egg hunt, Yoga in the Park, Halloween festivities and more. While you're out and about, be sure to wander around town and check out the garage sales throughout the city. Look for a list of sales on the City of Van Meter's Facebook page. Pick up a list of locations at City Hall this week or at Casey's on Saturday. Mother's Day Weekend Hike 10-11 a.m. Saturday, May 11 at Voas Nature Area. Lets celebrate the moms of our world with a hike at Voas Nature Area! On the Saturday morning of Mother's Day Weekend, we'll take a walk and discuss how some wild mothers take care of their own young. Registration is required through DCCB's Eventbrite page. Fiber Festival of Perry 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday, May 11 at Hotel Pattee. This year's Fiber Festival of Perry will include three beginner classes, including Beginning Drop Spindle, Beginner Knitting, and 2D Needle Felting. Tickets are available at www.atelierat1109.com. Visit the Hotel Pattee for our amazing selection of local vendors that will have yarns, spinning wheels, drop spindles, woven and knit goods, fiber arts supplies and so much more for sale. Plus view quilts and learn from the members of the Perry Piecemakers Quilt Guild in lower level as well as demonstrations by the Des Moines Weavers and Spinners Guild in the Courtyard Cafe. Twisted Sunset Sisters Fiber Mill will host an open house from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on May 11. Swing by 1118 W 3rd St. in Perry and see how fluff becomes yarn. Atelier at 1109 artists have created a yarn bomb display in Soumas Court in downtown Perry. This display not only includes the annual light posts decorated in new handknit wrappings, but an approximate 14 feet x 14 feet crocheted display and numerous themed fiber pieces throughout Soumas Court to go along with this year's theme, Alice in Fiberland. Scan and Collect Day 1 p.m. Saturday, May 11 at Carnegie Library Museum. Do you have old photos or historical materials that should not be lost forever? Bring items to donate or bring photos and the Perry Iowa Historical Society will scan them that day and return them to you. Help us save Perry's history. Mother's Day Brunch at Pattee Cafe 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Sunday, May 12 at Pattee Cafe. Mothers Day is right around the corner. Treat Mom to a specially created brunch including four different Chef stations at the Pattee Cafe. Reserve your table by calling (515)465-3511. Mother's Day Brunch at Perry Elks Lodge 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sunday, May 12 at Perry Elks Lodge. The Perry Elks will host a Mother's Day brunch on Sunday, May 12. The event is open to the public. The menu includes pancakes, eggs, egg casseroles, bacon, sausage, ham, biscuits & gravy, pork loin, cheesy potatoes, green beans, rolls, milk, juice, tea, coffee and many, many desserts. Moms will receive a free mimosa and a special gift. A full cash bar will be available. The cost is $25 for adults, $10 for children 12 and under and free for children two and under. Reservations are recommended by calling Steve at 515-490-6257, Diane at 515-971-4296 or the lodge at 515-465-3791, mailbox option #4. Wall of Witnesses Nominations Saturday, May 15. Hometown Heritage is taking nominations for the 2024 Wall of Witnesses. Nomination forms can be picked up at the Carnegie Library Museum or online at hometownheritage.org/wall-of-witnesses-nomination.html. The deadline for new nominations is May 15. The new nominees will be considered together with nominees from previous years. The 2024 unveiling ceremony is planned for September 2024. Job Fair 12-5 p.m. Thursday, May 16 at National Guard Armory, 2930 Willis Ave., Perry. IowaWORKS and PerryNext will be hosting a large job fair on Thursday, May 16 at the National Guard Armory for the community of Perry and the impacted Tyson employees. Nearly 100 employers will be on hand looking to hire employees. This event is free and open to the public. If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the event, contact Sara Bath by May 10 at sara.bath@iwd.iowa.gov. Dallas Center Poppy Distribution 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Friday, May 17 and 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Saturday, May 18 at Dallas Center post office, Casey's, Board & Batten, Korner Kone Eats N' Treats, Legion Hall. During the month of May, the Dallas Center Legion Auxiliary distributes red paper poppies that are a reminder of the sacrifice our service men and women have made for our country. The poppies that will be distributed in Dallas Center are handmade by disabled veterans living in Iowa. Poppies will be given to any individuals who want to wear or display their poppy to honor the fallen and support the living who have worn the uniform. If any individual feels inclined to, the auxiliary will collect donations that are used to support disabled veterans living in Iowa. Volunteers will be distributing paper poppies outside the Dallas Center post office and Casey's. Poppies will also be available inside Board & Batten, LLC and at Korner Kone Eats N' Treats. Members of the Dallas Center Legion and the Auxiliary will be present at the Legion Hall with cards to sign for veterans, coloring pages for kids, poppies to pass out and membership information for both organizations. Waukee Firefighters Association Pancake Breakfast 7-11 a.m. Saturday, May 18 at Waukee Public Safety Building. Come to the Waukee Public Safety Building for pancakes, fire truck rides and inflatables on Saturday, May 18. Remember to bring $5 for pancakes and non-perishable food items for the local food pantry. Kids 4 and under eat free. Mobile Food Pantry 8:30-10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 18 at Crossroads Church, Perry. Crossroads Church will host a mobile food pantry from 8:30-10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 18. PerryNext Panel Discussion 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 22 at La Poste. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Tom Burkgren, Perry leader and subject matter expert in agricultural economics and community development. This discussion will focus on the following key topics:. Pork Industry Update, PerryNext Response, Addressing Workforce Issues, Community Resources and Business Attraction and Marketing Efforts. The community is encouraged to attend this informative panel discussion to learn about efforts addressing the upcoming closure of the Perry Tyson plant. Thankful Band Jazz Trio 1: 30 p.m. Friday, May 31 at Woodward United Methodist Church, 108 W 5th St., Woodward. The Woodward Public Library will sponsor The Thankful Band on Friday, May 31. Founded out of the prolific and prodigious Iowa jazz scene, fun and upbeat group The Thankful Band is a piano-based trio made up of some of Iowas finest jazz musicians. Drummer Chris Clausen, bassist Bridget Shoemaker, and pianist Nick Rueckert play a variety of styles and songs that traverse the history of jazz from the 1920s to now. With over 25 years combined professional recording and gigging experience, this accomplished group of musicians aims to spread a jazz message of positivity and good vibes wherever they play. To submit events to be included in the Around the County round-up, email news@adelnews.com or news@theperrychief.com. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Things to do in Dallas County this weekend, May 10-12 Conservation chat, nature's colors, tree planting, pond life and painting landscapes are all part of public events scheduled this spring by the Delaware Highlands Conservancy at the Van Scott Nature Reserve near Beach Lake. The first event, Conservation Conversations, is online only. Some of these events require advance registration, and two of them carry a fee. For program details and to register, visit DelawareHighlands.org/events or call Education and Volunteer Coordinator Rachel Morrow at 570-226-3164 ext. 2. Van Scott Nature Reserve is located at 571 Perkins Pond Road, Beach Lake, off Route 652. The Conservancy was given the 144-acre property, a former dairy farm, in 2020. The extensive meadow and woodland walking trails are open daily at no cost. Here is the lineup of organized activities set for May and June, as listed in the press release: Conservation Conversations (Zoom event) When: 5:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 16 "Join the Conservancys Land Protection Coordinators for a free Zoom gathering to learn about Delaware Highlands Conservancy and how we can help you protect your land. What is a conservation easement and what property characteristics do we look for? What are the steps and costs associated with placing a conservation easement on your property? Are there any financial benefits for the landowner? Following a brief presentation, you will be invited to join the conversation and get your questions answered," the press release said. Finding the Rainbow Scavenger Hunt When: 12-4 p.m. Friday, May 17 "Spring has arrived and color is starting to peek out into our world again! Drop by anytime between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to see if you can find all the colors of the rainbow at the Van Scott Nature Reserve. A small prize will be awarded to those who complete the scavenger hunt." There are two ponds as well as wildflower meadows both hilly and level, woodlands, wetlands and a tributary to Beach Lake Creek at the 144-acre Van Scott Nature Reserve near Beach Lake. Hiking on the more than three miles of trails is available free, every day. Photo by Nicole DeCarolis. Volunteer Tree Planting at the Reserve When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, May 18 "Volunteer with the Delaware Highlands Conservancy as we partner with Wayne County Conservation District to plant trees for the Keystone 10 Million Trees project at the Van Scott Nature Reserve. Together we will plant a total of 850 trees! While you are volunteering you will learn how to plant trees as well as the important reasons they are being planted. Work gloves will be provided; advance registration is required." Pond Investigation When: 1-3 p.m. Saturday, May 25 Cost: $10 for Conservancy members, $15 for non-members, $5 for kids 12 and under "Join us as we take an in-depth look into life in a pond! During our pond investigation, you will be getting your hands dirty looking for insects known as macroinvertebrates. We will use our findings to determine the quality of our pond! Space is limited and prior registration is required." This is a scene along one of the more than three miles of connecting trails at the 144-acre Van Scott Nature Reserve near Beach Lake. The public trails are open daily at no charge. Paint & Sip with Jill Carletti When: 12-3 p.m. Saturday, June 22 Cost: $50 per person (includes a $25 donation to the Conservancy to support its work protecting the farms and forests, clean waters, and wildlife habitat of the Upper Delaware River region) "Join accomplished local artist Jill Carletti for a beginner-friendly Paint & Sip party in the pavilion at the Van Scott Nature Reserve! Surrounded by beautiful scenic views, you will create your own painting to take home with guided instruction from Jill. Your canvas and all supplies will be provided. The Conservancy will provide light refreshments, or bring your own favorite beverage to sip while you paint. Space for the program is limited and advance registration is required." Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588. This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Delaware Highlands Conservancy hosting events at Van Scott Nature Reserve Dogs have been humanitys stalwart companions for tens of thousands of years. Unfortunately, not every dog is as genetically healthy as they deserve to be, thanks largely to our meddling. Over the past few centuries, human-guided breeding has split dogs into hundreds of distinct breeds, based on specifically desired physical characteristics. And sometimes, these characteristics, or the inbreeding needed to create them, can lead to a high risk of health problems. Scientists, animal welfare advocates, and some breeders have long been trying to bring attention to the plight of these less-healthy dogs. And while there are many in these communities who believe that its still possible to steer breeding practices in a positive direction, at least some countries have recently taken action to heavily regulate or effectively ban the breeding of certain dogs. Some organizations, such as the Brachycephalic Working Group, have launched public outreach efforts to discourage the buying and selling of specific breeds. Of course, every dog alive today is a good boy or girl worthy of being part of a family. But for people who are interested in letting a dog occupy their home and heart, here are some breeds known to be less healthy than others. French Bulldogs Image: Shutterstock (Shutterstock) Their health risks: Frenchies belong to a group of canines known as brachycephalic dogs. These dogs have a much flatter muzzle and skull than other breeds, making them more susceptible to breathing problems, among other health issues. A study last December found that Frenchies in particular were more likely to develop 12 out of 32 common disorders than non-Frenchies, including narrowed nostrils, skin infections around their wrinkly faces, and difficulty giving birth. Some breeders have recently also gone out of their way to breed hairless French bulldogs, a designer dog trend that alarmed many veterinarians, since the lack of hair would likely raise their odds of sunburn or other skin problems. Bernese Mountain Dogs Image: Shutterstock (Shutterstock) Their health risks: Bigger dogs are generally more likely to have a shorter lifespan and a greater risk of health problems than smaller breeds. And these lovable goofs are sadly no exception. Bernese mountain dogs and other large breeds are known to be more vulnerable to canine hip dysplasia, a deformity in how the hip develops that can eventually lead to chronic arthritis. They also belong to an ancestral group of canines known as mountain dogs, and a 2020 study found that these breeds may live three to four years shorter on average than other dogs. An increased risk of early death remained even after taking size into account. English Bulldogs Image: Shutterstock (Shutterstock) Their health risks: Like their French counterparts, English bulldogs are a brachycephalic breed with more than their fair share of issues. Aside from a shorter lifespan and breathing problems, a recent study found that theyre much more likely to develop so-called cherry eyesa condition that causes a protruding red mass to form in the corner of the eye, which then raises the risk of infections. This February, a court decision in Norway ended the breeding of English bulldogs within the country. Great Danes Image: Shutterstock (Shutterstock) Their health risks: Great Danes are another large dog susceptible to hip and other skeletal problems. But even compared to many other hefty breeds, Danes have a short lifespan, with the average Dane living between 8 and 10 years and many only until age 6. Their brief existence and higher risk for cardiovascular disease has apparently even led some vets to nickname them the heartbreak breed. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Image: Shutterstock (Shutterstock) Their health risks: At first glance, Cavalier King Charles spaniels may not look as recognizably unhealthy as some other breeds, such as a constantly panting bulldog. But theyre also brachycephalic, and they have their own laundry list of elevated health risks. In particular, most spaniels will inevitably develop mitral valve disease, which causes the valve to not close properly, allowing blood moving through the heart to sometimes flow backwards. The condition often leads to other heart problems, including heart failure, and its considered to be the breeds leading cause of death. The Cavalier King Charles spaniel was the other breed beside the English bulldog that Norway decided to ban this year. Irish Wolfhound Image: Shutterstock (Shutterstock) Their health risks: Irish wolfhounds may have the shortest life expectancy of any breed around, perhaps due to their very large size. Pet owner surveys have found that while some may live up to 13, their average age of death is 6 to 7. Their most common cause of death, by a wide margin, appears to be cancer, followed by cardiovascular disease. Pugs Image: Shutterstock (Shutterstock) Their health risks: Pugs, in this writers humble opinion, are some of the most beautifully tragic creatures in the world. But their ever-wrinkled faces and flattened skulls make them prone to a bevy of health issues, including labored breathing and skin fold inflammation that can lead to nasty skin infections. They also often cant walk right, and they can develop a neurological condition thats become so synonymous with the breed that its known as pug dog encephalitis. There has been some debate about whether the breeding of these pugs should be banned as well, but a small community of breeders have also started to outcross pugs with other dogs in an effort to create healthier retropugs that resemble what they used to look like centuries ago. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Want to go birdwatching? Check out these places in, near Baton Rouge BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) Are you looking to go birdwatching with your friends and family? Baton Rouge has several parks and wildlife sanctuarys where you can go enjoy what Louisianas wildlife has to offer. Visitors to these parks, wildlife sanctuaries, nature centers and lakes will get to experience watching several different types of birds that are present throughout the various seasons. Whether you want to explore the different bird species through nature trails or sit on a park bench near the lake, these places in the capital city offer visitors a chance to sit back and watch the birds. Check out these places where you can go birdwatching in, near Baton Rouge. Where to find spring drinks like matcha, coffee with rose, lavender in Baton Rouge Amite River Wildlife Sanctuary in Prairieville sits on over 30 acres of land and features cypress tupelo swamp with palmetto and areas of pine, according to their website. The wildlife sanctuary features a mourning dove, yellow-billed cuckoo, chimney swift and killdeer. Location: 45141 Manny Gautreau Road, Prairieville. The Tickfaw State Park in Springfield features the sights and sounds of its four ecosystems. Visitors to the Tickfaw State Park can explore several areas to watch different Louisiana birds and other wildlife. Location: 27225 Patterson Road, Springfield. The Blackwater Conservation Area in Baker sits on over 50 acres of land and offers fishing, a lake, nature trails and a conservation area. The conservation area gives guests the opportunity to enjoy outdoor recreation and explore the wildlife the area has to offer. Location: 9385 Blackwater Road, Baker. Sherbune Wildlife Management Area in Krotz Springs offers several amenities including hunting, trapping, camping and a shooting range. The management area features places for visitors to watch their favorite bird. Location: Krotz Springs. The Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center is a 103-acre facility that is dedicated to education, conservation, recreation and tourism, according to their website. The nature center features an exhibit building with many animals and the nature trails allow visitors to explore Louisianas wildlife. Location: 10503 North Oak Hills Pkwy., Baton Rouge. The Mary Ann Brown Nature Preserve in St. Francisville features around two miles of walking trails for visitors to the nature preserve to explore. According to their website, the nature preserve offers an opportunity for bird watching. Location: 13515 Louisiana 965, St. Francisville. The Capitol and DOTD Lakes in downtown Baton Rouge is a great place to relax and enjoy the great outdoors. The lakes can be a good place for bird watching, especially during the fall and winter. Location: Near I-110 and Capitol Lake Drive, Baton Rouge. Want to go birdwatching? Baton Rouge is likely to see these spring birds Hooper Road Park in Baton Rouge offers several amenities including a mountain bike trail, outdoor walking trail, lake and nature trails. The park is a great spot for bird watching as the trails take you through over 200 acres of woods within the park. Location: 6261 Guynell Drive, Baton Rouge. The City Park Lake and University Lake System is a perfect place to take a walk around the lakes and to watch the several bird species that are around. Location: Near the intersection of May Street and Dalrymple Drive, Baton Rouge. The Comite River Conservation Area in Baton Rouge features mountain bike and nature trails. It covers over 100 acres and allows visitors to stroll through and explore Louisianas wildlife. Location: 8900 Hooper Road, Baton Rouge. The Highland Road Community Park in Baton Rouge is a great place for the entire family to go hang out and enjoy the great outdoors. Some of the birds that you might see throughout the park include a hooded warbler, Kentucky warbler and white-eyed vireo. Location: 14024 Highland Road, Baton Rouge. Latest News For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to BRProud.com. A new feature at a local YMCA was inspired by a sacred place in the Holy Land. The Earlywine Park YMCA recently dedicated a prayer wall that allows Y patrons to leave their written prayer requests to God in cracks and crevices found along the bricks. Paul Urquhart, executive director of the Y at 11801 S May, said the prayer wall was modeled after the Western Wall located in the Old City of Jerusalem. Often called the "Wailing Wall" and considered one of the most sacred sites in the world, it is the last remaining outer wall of the ancient Jewish temple. Attendees pray during the recent dedication ceremony for a new prayer wall at the Earlywine Park YMCA in Oklahoma City. Urquhart said after he learned about a prayer wall at a Houston-area YMCA, he took the idea to a longtime donor who was interested in the Christian foundation of the YMCA. The donor liked the idea and agreed to fund the installation of the wall. Urquhart said he got the OK from Kelly Kay, president and chief executive officer of the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City, and it was installed. The Young Men's Christian Association, popularly known as the YMCA, was founded in 1844 in London. The organization's mission statement is "To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all." Urquhart said the faith principles it was founded under and the "for all" in its mission statement are often reflected in many ways. The prayer wall is one example, as is a local YMCA deciding to host an Eid festival for Muslim Afghan refugees in the Oklahoma City metro area. Prayers written on paper are placed in the crevices of a new prayer wall at the Earlywine Park YMCA, 11801 S May Ave. "We are a diverse community and some people will have a faith, some people will have no faith, but you are welcome to come in and use the space and we want to serve," Urquhart said. He said Y members have responded favorably to the prayer wall. Visitors to the Western Wall in Jerusalem often pray there and place notes leave notes with prayer requests in the walls crevices and cracks. In keeping with this tradition, on any given day, the YMCA wall features children's prayer requests written in their youthful scrawl on folded pieces of paper, and adults also leave prayers written on paper provided near the wall. Urquhart said many times, the prayers are anonymous but sometimes they are not. Linda Carr places a written prayer in the crevice of a new prayer wall during a recent dedication ceremony for the wall featured at the Earlywine Park YMCA in Oklahoma City. "Some (prayers) are very heavy, but also some very light, but I love the fact that it has taken off and people are feeling comfortable about using the space to write a request or even just to go up and lay hands on the on the wall and say a prayer," he said. Urquhart said he has been taking about 40 and 50 prayer requests down from the wall each Sunday before the YMCA opens. He said this is a way to start the new week of with a clean slate, and he can then pass the prayers along to members who are "prayer warriors" and members of a local church that meet at the Earlywine Park YMCA who have all agreed to pray for each individual request. Paul Urquhart, executive director of the Earlywine Park YMCA, speaks during a prayer wall dedication ceremony at the YMCA in south Oklahoma City. More: YMCA steps in to bring a little bit of home to Afghan refugees celebrating Eid ul-Fitr Just as Urquhart got the idea for the prayer wall from another YMCA, a local pastor said he's inspired people in other states to consider such a feature for their local YMCAs. The Rev. Steve Chiles, senior pastor of Shartel Church of God, said his Facebook posts featuring pictures and commentary of the Earlywine Park YMCA prayer wall have been popular. Chiles said the Earlywine Park YMCA is about two miles from his church at 11600 S Western and he serves on the Earlywine Park YMCA board. He said his church partners with the Y in several ways, including allowing the organization to host its youth recreation activities in the church gymnasium, and the church is also the site of one of the Earlywine Park YMCA day camps. A person attending the recent Earlywine Park YMCA Prayer Wall Dedication Ceremony places his written prayer in the crevice of the prayer wall at the south Oklahoma City Y. Like Urquhart, the minister emphasized the YMCA's faith-based roots and commitment to serving the community. "One of the things we're just very aware of is that there are many people who come, they have lots of challenges in their life, they have health issues, they have financial issues, they have relationship issues, they have family members struggling with addiction issues, and many of them don't have a place where they can basically reach out for support, or help or prayer," Chiles said. "I think the prayer wall gives our members a safe place to express their concerns, to place their request and know that there are caring people who are going to see their need. ... And, I think that that's just really critical for people I think everybody just needs to know that they're cared for." This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: A new prayer wall has been installed at the Earlywine Park YMCA in OKC South Carolina Rep. Josiah Magnuson, R-Campobello, left, listens as House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, D-Columbia, right, asks questions during a budget debate on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins) COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) A bill that would have consolidated six South Carolina heath care agencies and was overwhelmingly passed by both chambers of the General Assembly died on the session's final day Thursday in a procedural move by a member angry he was mocked by his colleagues. Republican Rep. Josiah Magnuson has been against the bill from the start, saying it would create a health care czar who could take over like a dictator if there was another pandemic emergency like COVID-19. So when the House needed unanimous support to take up the bill one last time minutes before the 5 p.m. Thursday end-of-session deadline, Magnuson objected and stood his ground even as bill sponsor Republican Sen. Tom Davis came over and held a heated conversation with other party members that had many in the chamber stopping to watch and security sergeants hovering nearby. After the session ended, Magnuson said he was offended that he and his fellow Freedom Caucus members roughly 15 of the most conservative House members had been mocked all week. Magnuson said one colleague had a puppet with bright red hair, just like Magnuson, wearing a tin hat with a Freedom Caucus sticker. He said Davis has had nothing but insulting things to say about the group that often tries to use obstructing tactics to stall bills and social media posts that other Republicans say are ambiguous or misleading to achieve goals outside of what most Republicans in the House want. They have basically ridiculed me, Magnuson said. They have completely eradicated any credibly they have with me. The bill follows up last year's breakup of the state Department of Health and Environmental Control that spun off the environmental functions. The 2024 proposal would have created a new Executive Office of Health and Policy. It would have combined separate agencies that currently oversee South Carolina's Medicaid program, help for older people and those with mental health problems, public health and drug and alcohol abuse programs. The consolidated agency would have come under the governor's cabinet. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster supported the bill in his State of the State speech. It was a pet project of Republican Senate Finance Committee Chairman Harvey Peeler and backed by Republican House Speaker Murrell Smith It passed the Senate on a 44-1 vote and the House on a 98-15 vote. A stunned Davis stormed back in the chamber after the gavel fell and told Peeler what happened. Staffers in both chambers shook their heads. I'm interested in delivering good health care options for the people of South Carolina," Davis said. And we had some people over in the House today that failed the people of South Carolina over petty political differences. The bill had a tough slog at times. More conservative senators tried to tack proposals on that would prevent businesses from requiring employees to get vaccines that had not been approved by the federal government a holdover complaint from the COVID-19 pandemic. Others didn't like their interpretation that the new director of the bigger health care agency could get nearly unlimited powers to quarantine, require vaccines or arrest people who didn't follow orders in a health care emergency. Supporters of the bill said that couldn't happen. The death of the health care bill was considered a win by the Freedom Caucus, which often feels shut out of the best committee assignments and that their ideas get no traction in committee or the House floor. Caucus Chairman Republican Rep. Adam Morgan said it was a bad bill from the start. Sometimes your bills die," Morgan said. You play stupid games, win stupid prizes. Smith said this kind of move by the Freedom Caucus doesn't help their cause in a chamber where almost all progress comes from working together. He said the bill will continue to be a priority and that the General Assembly returns sooner than some might realize. It will be a six-month delay, but I don't think that disrupts anything we are doing," Smith said. A pro-Palestine protestor in an encampment at UCLA on May 1, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. The camp was declared 'unlawful' by the university and many protestors have been detained. Pro-Palestinian encampments have sprung up at college campuses around the country with some protestors calling for schools to divest from Israeli interests amid the ongoing war in Gaza. (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images) OPINION: Heres a guide for engaging in legitimate protest, based on the insights, experiences and historical lessons of Americas most qualified dissidents. Editors note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the authors own. Read more opinions on theGrio. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation are men who want crops without plowing up the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. Frederick Douglass, If There is No Struggle, There Is No Progress Perhaps no demographic in U.S. history is more experienced at challenging the status quo to change their country for good than Black Americans. For 400 years, we have been engaged in a struggle to make the world recognize our humanity. Whether it is race-based servitude, American apartheid or ethnic cleansing, every inch of Black progress required a down payment of blood, sweat and tears. If you are Black, protest is part of your cultural heritage. To be clear, the desire to change the world is not exclusive to Black people. Most humans regardless of their race, nationality or religion want to live in a world free of oppression, inequality and war. But while privilege provides some people a direct path to social, political and economic change, others must fight for every inch of progress. Even if you are not Black, you can still stand in solidarity with the oppressed people of the world. Take, for instance, the multiracial coalition of students protesting the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza. While the pro-Palestinian participants goal are simply to end Benjamin Netanyahus obvious intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, many of the neophyte activists have been blindsided by the public reaction. Luckily, theGrio is here to help. As part of our effort to make America great at least once, we put together this introductory guide to welcome newcomers to the protest space. These simple rules are based on 400 years of experience, expertise and lessons learned by Black America. If you use it wisely, you will not only be a force for change but be able to do it respectfully. Rule 1: Do what Black people did. No disrespect, but everything you want to know about protest, Black people already did it. African-Americans either invented, beta-tested or helped legalize the tactics and strategies employed by all modern protest movements. If not for Black protesters, the right to assemble, engage in peaceful demonstration and even the peaceful expression of unpopular views would not exist in its current form. Black-led protest movements were instrumental in helping white women gain the right to vote, immigrants gain the right to be Americans and every American gain the constitutional right to an education. Black college students invented the sit-in, and Rev. Dr. Leon Sullivan created the international model for institutional humanitarian divestment, which the brave students at Columbia University now use. When white boys became so concerned with income inequality that they occupied Wall Street, Martin Luther Kings Poor Peoples Campaign had erected a tent city on the National Mall a half-century earlier. The Black Panthers, the Black Armed Guard and the Deacons for Defense and Justice defended their neighborhoods long before Kyle Rittenhouse and the Oath Keepers joined their fellow white boyz in da hoods. There is no need to develop new strategies or create a unique game plan. We already did that. Rule 2: Hate America. If you genuinely believe that all men are created equal, then you probably want your fellow countrymen to have the rights afforded by the American Constitution. Any real American should also believe that all men are created equal and are endowed with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If you are truly a patriot, you have likely pledged your allegiance to a republic with liberty and justice for all. But, unlike the flag-waving, troop-loving people who perform patriotism as an act of whiteness, if you want your country to live up to its promises, you must actually do something. If youre wondering why so many people consider your fight for Palestinian human rights to be unpatriotic, just remember that Colin Kaepernick, Martin Luther King Jr., W.E.B. Du Bois and anyone who has ever shined a spotlight on this countrys mistreatment of its Black citizens were considered to be un-American. Meanwhile, the racial terrorists of Reconstruction, the confederate secessionists, the suffragettes who supported lynching, the segregationists who spat on Black children, the Obama birthers, the QAnoners and even the Jan. 6 insurgents all considered themselves to be patriots. Not only did they honestly believe they were protecting their beloved country, but anyone who opposed them turned into an enemy of the state. Once you know that 85% of Americans in 1965 believed that communists were involved in the demonstrations over civil rights, its not hard to understand why Marsha Blackburn thinks students protesting the genocide in Gaza are funded by pro-Hamas billionaires and pose a severe national security threat. But before you let a random Karen convince you to leave America and fight for that thing you believe, remember that the Ku Klux Klan, the American Nazi movement of the 1930s and the people who currently want to make their country great again all share a familiar slogan to describe their patriotic approach to protest: America First. Rule 3: Choose a side. Perhaps you believe one of the most advanced militaries in the world has the duty to avoid slaughtering non-combatant civilians. Maybe you object to a government starving its citizens by preventing access to humanitarian aid. If you simply consider Palestinians to be human beings, then you must also answer one question: Why are you pro-Hamas? News When it comes to protests, there is no gray area, just shades of white. According to American rationale, anyone who believes employers, college admissions and government agencies should consider the historical factors that created structural inequality is an anti-white supporter of reverse racism. If you think law enforcement officers should be held accountable for police brutality, you are anti-cop. If you are brave enough to utter the words Black lives matter, you must also specify the value of white lives, blue lives and all lives. Then again, its possible to believe that abortion is personally wrong and still feel each woman has the right to make her own reproductive decisions. Most importantly, you must remember that there are no sides. The people who make these bad-faith arguments arent interested in solving a problem or litigating the issue. There is no counterargument that justifies inhumanity, oppression or wanton genocide. After all, Ida B. Wells had to convince white women that her anti-lynching advocacy didnt mean she was pro-rape. The same New York Post that objected to the antisemitic protests in a column essentially telling people to go back to Africa didnt have a problem with its cartoonist portraying Barack Obama as a chimpanzee. Conservatives who championed diversity of thought and free speech on college campuses are now urging colleges to embrace cancel culture and suspend student protesters before the negroes attack. I know it doesnt make sense, but you must remember the words of the great American hero Peter Parker: With great oppression comes great responsibility. Or something like that. Rule 4: Know your role. Have you studied your Marxist agenda enough to qualify as a radical leftist? Would you like to be a part of a woke mob, or are you more of an outside agitator? Do you even have what it takes to rouse a rabble? Aside from labeling you as an unpatriotic, antisemitic, terrorist sympathizer who hates America, the people who oppose your fight will undoubtedly redefine your position, misrepresent your cause and smear reward you with one of the following new titles: Dont spend too much time trying to decide if you want to become a professional Antifa agitator or a woke radical leftist. Unfortunately, you dont get to choose. Rule 5: Forget your rights. One of the most common rookie mistakes peaceful protesters make is assuming that people in power are governed by something known as the law. When confronted by authority, they will often quote the clause of the Constitution and cite the exact court case that protects their freedom of speech, right to assemble and the authority to petition the government. However, as any veteran of Black protest movements can tell you (hold on for a second while I switch to all caps): HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA There is no such thing as law or order. If laws actually existed, you wouldnt be here in the first place. The Leahy Law prevents the U.S. government from providing funds to foreign security forces where there is credible information implicating that unit in the commission of gross violations of human rights. Ive heard a tale of a constitutional amendment that forbids states from depriving any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law, but its probably just a rumor. If due process existed, surely someone wouldve stopped the Texas Dept. of Safety and the University of Texas from arresting protesters with no evidence of a crime. Did the House Committee on Un-American Activities or the FBI use the Constitution to spy on civil rights activists? Was George Wallace abiding by the law when he sent Alabama State Troopers to break John Lewis skull? Instead of arguing the technicalities of the law, you must remember that this countrys highest court once proclaimed that Black people had no rights which the white man was bound to respect. Trust me, I know. Rule 6. Resort to violence. While I do not promote, support or condone the use of violence, I am acutely aware of one thing America believes: There is no such thing as a peaceful protester. Painting outspoken groups of Black people as dangerous, anti-white thugs is part of an age-old tradition that dates back to the New Orleans Massacre. And the Camilla Massacre. And the Colfax Massacre. White-owned mainstream media. Its as American as pumpkin pie (apples arent actually native to North America). No matter how peaceful your actions are, youll be accused of promoting violence or disrupting peace. But, as one unpatriotic, communist rabble-rouser said: True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice. The Civil Rights Movement used passive resistance, but the FBIs COINTELPRO program still aimed to pinpoint potential troublemakers and neutralize them before they exercise their potential for violence. In 1965, 41% of white Americans believed either some or most Negroes would like to use violence in their demonstration. Just in case you think things have changed, 40% of whites described the Black Lives Matter movement as dangerous in 2020. The data shows that the George Floyd demonstrations were less violent than the civil rights rallies. This rule does not apply to white people. The Joe Scarborough who cherry-picks incidents of antisemitism to condemn Columbias student human rights activists is the same slick-haired, demagoguing blowhard who defended his conservative Tea Party colleagues who spat on a Black Congressman and called a civil rights hero a n*gger. The Moaning Joe who was just trying to help the people too stupid to scorn student activists is the same guy who broadcast multiple giggle fests with a white supremacist presidential candidate in 2016. But before you even listen to blowhards whine about your form of protest, remember the words of that famous outside agitator: Yes, it is true that if the Negro accepts his place, accepts exploitation, and injustice, there will be peace. But it would be an obnoxious peace If peace means accepting second-class citizenship, I dont want it. If peace means keeping my mouth shut in the midst of injustice and evil, I dont want it. If peace means being complacently adjusted to a deadening status quo, I dont want peace. If peace means a willingness to be exploited economically, dominated politically, humiliated and segregated, I dont want peace. Martin Luther King Jr. These people dont care about unity, harmony or world peace. They dont care about Black people, dead Palestinians or Jewish victims of terror. Silencing dissent is their ultimate goal. Trust me, I know. Rule 7: Dont do what white people did. Its only natural to wonder if you are on the right side of history. Theres nothing wrong with exploring and examining yourself. A reasonable person should wonder how their actions affect others. But if you are unsure whether or not you are doing the right thing, dont base your self-analysis solely on people you offend or the intensity of the backlash you receive. Instead, you must remember this: White people are probably wrong. When it comes to freedom, justice or equality, the vast majority of white Americans have been on the wrong side of every movement in American history. They massacred the indigenous people of America because they genuinely believed their God wanted them to bring the infidels and savages, living in those parts, to human civility. They were wrong. Because white people thought they were superior to Africans, they created a race-based, constitutionally enforced international human trafficking system based on violence and the threat of violence. That was wrong. They were wrong about Manifest Destiny. They were wrong about Black codes and separate but equal and lynching laws and civil rights and that that integration would destroy the amicable relations between the white and Negro races. They were wrong about voting rights. They are wrong about diversity, equity and inclusion. They were not just wrong about Black people. They were wrong about womens rights. They were also wrong about Chinese immigrants. They were wrong about Japanese Americans. They were wrong about Catholics. They were wrong about Jews. They were wrong about Sharia law and radical Islamic jihad. They were wrong about immigrant crimes. They were wrong about the war on drugs. They were wrong about terrorism. They are wrong about the Lost Cause. They were wrong about economic anxiety. They were wrong about COVID-19. They were wrong about the 2020 election. Not only are they wrong about Black history and critical race theory, but they are also wrong about white history. While individual white people may have objected to slavery, lynching, Jim Crow, police reform immigration and inequality, there is not a single movement in the history of this country that has enjoyed the support of white Americans. Not one. And yes, they have the right to be concerned about the recent student protests. But why would you ever consider the opinion of someone who is always, always, always wrong? Rule 8: Theyre not like us. Even if they dont use picket signs and sit-ins, everyone wants to be heard. Unfortunately, most Americans cant storm a capitol building and walk away with a slap on the wrist. You could try voting but, because of Americas redlining, gerrymandering, voter suppression and other remnants of Americas racial history, Black people cant simply vote their way out of oppression. If you were rich, you could just use your money to influence your desired political agenda. But, because of economic inequality and the racial wealth gap, not everyone can buy their own politician. Non-white people cant use racism and white fear to build a political constituency. Some of us arent privileged enough to live in neighborhoods with well-funded schools that prepare us for elite colleges that enable us to connect with other privileged, well-funded, politically connected people who can promote our interests. Our power comes from solidarity, unity and self-determination. All we have is our voices and our unkillable desire to be free. And that is enough. Rule 9: How not to win. If changing your adversaries hearts and minds is your goal, you will surely lose. The end of race-based slavery didnt make confederates see the light; people are still protecting their statues and their flag. When the Supreme Court dismantled its separate but equal precedent, segregationists didnt suddenly say: Yall won. Even after Brown vs. Board of Education, segregationists mounted a campaign of massive resistance. Most white Americans still thought civil rights protests were not justified a full year after the passage of the Voting Rights Act. Two years after Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 86% of white Americans still felt civil rights protests hurt the advancement of negro rights Persuading people to reject their wrong-headed ideology has never been the goal of organized protest and peaceful resistance. Racists dont just stop being racists and genocidal governments dont get bored with massacring their citizens. We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, King explained. it must be demanded by the oppressed. No one willingly relinquishes their privilege or reverses course unless they have no other choice. Collectively applying pressure is the only way to create real change. Rule 10: Be disrespectful. If youve reached this point, you should understand why protest, by definition, is not respectful. Your actions are supposed to make people uncomfortable. If a person, institution or country does not respect your humanity, you should not respect them. Yes, change is slow, and progress may sometimes seem impossible especially when the world maligns your movement. But the converse of Frederick Douglasss quote is also true. If there is struggle, there will be progress. This is why we protest. The entire country once respected the Supreme Courts separate but equal decision. But Jim Crow did not die, a Black resistance movement strangled it to death. America did not give us our civil rights; a nonviolent army of well-trained activists took them. This country never seriously tried to be a democracy until rebellious Black Americans put the entire nation in a chokehold and made America submit. Resistance is not futile. Protest is the most American way. The people with power will never ever ever ever respect a movement that disrupts the status quo. It cannot happen. They dont hate the rain or dislike the ocean. They hate that they cant stop this rising tide, and they can feel it coming. Theyre angry because they cant silence our voices. Theyre mad because they know exactly what we want and exactly who we are: We are the thunder and the lightning. We are the awful roar. We are the end of them, and they know it. Whats more and I say this will all due respect: We are inevitable. Michael Harriot is a writer, cultural critic and championship-level Spades player. His NY Times bestseller Black AF History: The Unwhitewashed Story of America is available in bookstores everywhere. The post 10 rules for protesting respectfully appeared first on TheGrio. 12 construction projects underway, starting soon in Macon Co. DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) 12 major construction projects are either underway or scheduled to begin in Macon County over the coming months, IDOT announced. Officials said the upcoming construction season is expected to be one of the busiest ever. The 12 projects, all under the scope of the Rebuild Illinois capital plan, will represent a state investment of nearly $195 million to improve safety and mobility. Rebuild Illinois is revitalizing communities and neighborhoods by investing in projects and people in the Decatur area and throughout the state, Governor Pritzker said in a statement. Through the largest capital program in state history, IDOT will be delivering improvements to build a more resilient, accessible and equitable system of transportation for generations to come, while creating jobs and enhancing local quality of life. Champaign-Urbana MTD proposes new services changes, collecting public input The following projects are planned to take place in Macon County over the next two years: Illinois Route 121 from U.S. 36 through Mt. Zion Resurfacing, bridge joint replacements and ADA improvements like sidewalk ramps and modernized traffic signals. Started in 2023, scheduled to be complete in July Illinois Route 121 from I-72 to University Avenue Resurfacing and ADA improvements Started in 2023, scheduled to be complete in November U.S. Route 51 north of Forsyth to I-72 Resurfacing and ADA improvements Started in April, scheduled to be complete in summer 2025 U.S. Route 36 ( from Illinois Route 48 to Church Street ) and West Eldorado Street (from Illinois Route 48 to U.S. Route 36) Resurfacing, bridge joint replacements and ADA improvements Started in April, scheduled to be complete in summer 2025 U.S. Route 51 from the DeWitt/Macon County line to Forsyth Resurfacing Started in 2023, scheduled to be complete this summer Illinois Route 121 from just east of Burgener Drive in Mt. Zion to west of Illinois 128 Resurfacing Started in March, scheduled to be complete in November Brush College Road and Faries Parkway Grade separation, including two overhead train tracks Started last fall, scheduled to be complete in 2026 South leg of Brush College Road is closed, other lane closures occurring in the area Reas Bridge Road Bridge replacement over Lake Decatur Started last fall, scheduled to be complete in 2026 Down to one lane, controlled by temporary traffic signals Illinois Route 48 from north of U.S. 51 to south of Bowman Road Resurfacing Starting this summer, scheduled to be complete this fall U.S. Route 36 over Lake Shore Drive Bridge replacement Starting in September, scheduled to be complete in late 2025 Illinois Route 105 at Long Creek half-mile east of Oakley Road Bridge replcement Starting November, scheduled to be complete in late 2025 Main Street from just north of Eldorado Street in Harristown to North Glasgow Road Resurfacing Starting this summer, scheduled to be completed this fall Unless noted otherwise, all of these projects will maintain one lane of traffic in each direction. When we invest in upgrading and maintaining our infrastructure, everyone wins, said state Rep. Sue Scherer (D-Decatur). These Rebuild Illinois projects are just part of our effort to reinvest in Central Illinois, and prioritize improvements that will help families get around, help businesses move their products efficiently, and help Decatur grow. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. 16-year-old charged with attempted murder in case of driver hit by gunfire in Worcester Worcester police at the crash scene on Paine Street late at night April 30. WORCESTER A 16-year-old male has been arrested in connection with an incident where the driver of a sport utility vehicle slammed into a house April 30 on Paine Street, police say. Police said previously that the male driver had been shot just before the crash. Police have not released the driver's identity nor provided an update on his status. Witnesses reported he had been shot in the head. The suspect, who was not identified by police because he is a minor, is charged with armed assault to murder, possession of a loaded firearm without a license to carry and possession of ammunition without a firearms identification card. Damage to the Paine Street home on the day after the crash. The driver was rushed to a hospital with serious injuries. The crash occurred about 9:15 p.m. April 30 at 73 Paine St., off Harlow Street. The vehicle toppled a fence before crashing into a porch. Lorrie Carlson, a resident of the house, told media the day after that she had been awakened by sounds of a "pop, pop" and "boom, boom." This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Teenager charged with attempted murder in shooting of Worcester driver Nine bodies were found Wednesday in a northern Mexican state reeling from a wave of drug cartel-related violence, authorities said, in the second such discovery in as many days. A homicide investigation was launched after the bodies of nine men were found in the city of Morelos in Zacatecas, the state prosecutor's office said. It came just one day after nine bodies were found on an avenue in the city of Fresnillo, also in Zacatecas state. Messages addressed to a criminal group were found with those remains, authorities said. The bodies were dumped near a market two days after gang members blocked roads and burned vehicles in response to the capture of 13 suspected criminals. A pickup truck was being examined for evidence, officials said. The state prosecutor's office said five of the victims in Fresnillo had been identified and their bodies handed over to relatives. Members of the investigative police stand next to bodies wrapped in blankets and covered with duct tape left by unknown persons on a street in Fresnillo, Zacatecas, Mexico, May 7, 2024. / Credit: JESUS ENRIQUEZ/AFP/Getty Fresnillo is considered by its residents to be the most dangerous city in Mexico. Around 450,000 people have been murdered across the country since 2006, when the government launched a controversial anti-drug offensive involving the military, according to official figures. Cartel activity and violence in Zacatecas Zacatecas, which has one of the highest per-capita homicide rates of any Mexican state, is a key transit point for drugs, especially the powerful synthetic painkiller fentanyl, moving north to the U.S. border. Zacatecas has been the scene of bloody turf battles between the Jalisco and Sinaloa drug cartels. The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration told CBS News in 2022 that the two cartels were behind the influx of fentanyl that's killing tens of thousands of Americans. Last September, a search team looking for seven kidnapped youths in Zacatecas found six bodies and one survivor in a remote area. Authorities in Zacatecas confirmed that a U.S. resident was among four people killed in the state around Christmas 2022. Earlier that year the bodies of five men and one woman were found dumped on a roadside in Zacatecas, and the bodies of eight men and two women were found crammed into a pickup truck left near a Christmas tree in the main plaza of the state capital. The U.S. State Department has issued a "do not travel" advisory for Zacatecas, warning Americans to avoid the state due to the threat of crime. "Violent crime, extortion, and gang activity are widespread in Zacatecas state," the advisory says. Key takeaways from Stormy Daniels' testimony in Trump trial What we learned from Stormy Daniels' testimony in Trump trial Violence erupts amid Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud KYODO NEWS - May 9, 2024 - 10:27 | All, Japan Japan's real wages in March decreased for the 24th consecutive month, the longest decline since comparable data became available in 1991, falling 2.5 percent from the same month a year earlier, government data showed Thursday. Real wage growth, seen as crucial for Japan to completely emerge from its long fight against deflation, has lagged behind price hikes, eroding households' purchasing power as prices for everyday goods have continued rising due to high raw material costs and a weak yen. The latest losing streak surpasses the one logged between September 2007 and July 2009, around the time of the global financial crisis triggered by the collapse of U.S. securities firm Lehman Brothers. Nominal wages, the average total monthly cash earnings per worker including base and overtime pay, grew 0.6 percent to 301,193 yen ($1,940), up for the 27th straight month, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The data came after the annual labor-management wage talks in the spring saw the most favorable outcome in three decades for workers at major companies, while Finance Ministry data shows only around 20 percent of small and medium-sized companies raised pay by more than 5 percent. "The results of the 'shunto' wage negotiations were not reflected in the March data," a labor ministry official said. With the results likely to be included in the April figures at the earliest, the focus would be on whether real wages will turn positive for the first time in two years. The consumer price index, used to calculate real wages, climbed 3.1 percent in the reporting month, far surpassing the 0.6 percent gain in nominal wages. By sector, monthly pay in services related to people's daily lives saw the largest increase of 5.4 percent, while the mining and quarrying sector saw the sharpest fall of 11.6 percent. Excluding bonuses and nonscheduled payments, average wages rose 1.5 percent to 279,234 yen, while overtime and other allowances were down 1.5 percent at 19,703 yen, the data showed. The average monthly nominal wages of full-time workers grew 0.8 percent to 386,795 yen, while those of part-time workers increased 2.5 percent to 108,036 yen. Total working hours per worker fell 2.7 percent from a year earlier to 136.2. Related coverage: BOJ chief flags risk of weak yen swaying prices, hints at rate hike Japan's inflation slows to 2.6% in March but rate hike still likely Japan's real wages decline for record-tying 23rd month in Feb. 19-year-old NC murder suspect barricades himself inside Cobb County home, police say A teen wanted for a North Carolina murder was found hiding in a Cobb County home, according to police. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] On April 15, police in Greenville, N.C. were called to the area of West 3rd Street and White Street. Officers found Jahsijah Montejah Jahson, 24, suffering from a gunshot wound in the yard of a home on W. 3rd Street. He died at the scene. TRENDING STORIES: Greeneville officers began searching for suspects connected to the homicide. Two days later, police arrested Zyquan Malik Johnson, of Walstonburg, in Rocky Mount for his involvement. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Detectives then began looking for a second suspect, identified as JahQuore Connor, 19, of Farmville. Early morning Wednesday, with the help of North Carolina authorities, Marietta police, and Cobb County police, Connor was arrested. Officials said he barricaded himself in a home in Marietta. No other details were released. IN OTHER NEWS: The Senate voted on Thursday to pass a major federal aviation bill ahead of a key Friday deadline. The bipartisan Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill would renew authority for the agency for the next five years and aims to improve aviation safety, enhance protections for passengers and airline workers and invest in airport and air travel infrastructure nationwide. The House will next need to pass the legislation. The bill would authorize more than $105 billion in funding for the FAA as well as $738 million for the National Transportation Safety Board for fiscal years 2024 through 2028. Among a wide range of provisions, the legislation seeks to address the nations shortage of air traffic controllers with directives aimed at expanding hiring, includes strengthened consumer protections for refunds for flight cancellations and delays, and would implement technology to reduce the risk of runway collisions. Although there is broad bipartisan support for the legislation, the package touched off contentious debate over some of its provisions. One flashpoint centered around flights at Reagan National Airport just outside of Washington, DC with a group of Washington area Senate Democrats who oppose adding more longer-distance flights in and out pressing for an amendment vote to strip it out of the package. Ultimately, however, there were no votes on amendments. Some lawmakers argue that adding flights will give consumers more choices and bring down prices, while others say it would increase congestion and delays at the airport. The House voted on Wednesday to pass a one-week extension for federal aviation programs, a stopgap move intended to head off a looming end-of-week deadline. Congress is up against a Friday deadline to reauthorize FAA authorities. This will move that deadline to next Friday, May 17. The Senate passed that weeklong extension via unanimous consent on Thursday night, giving the House until next week to send the package to President Joe Bidens desk for his signature. This story and headline have been updated to reflect additional developments. CNNs Greg Wallace contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Two people are injured after a Freedom Transit Bus crashed into a building on 11th Street and Garr Street in Charleroi Thursday morning. SEE PICTURES FROM THE CRASH HERE There were 10 people on the bus when the crash happened. The two injured passengers were taken to the hospital, but their injuries are not life-threatening. They were crying, they were upset. They were all sitting along that wall there, neighbor Lisa Shulnes said. They had the paramedics checking them all out. They all seem like they were in pretty good shape, nothing serious. The bus was coming down Garr Street, crossed 11th Street and crashed into the storage building. Chief Whiten said that the bus may have lost its brakes or something was happening on the bus that caused the crash. The roof of the bus had to be cut off to get it out of the building. Charleroi Fire Chief Robert Whiten said that they are not sure what exactly happened. This morning the bus came down one of the steeper hills, Chief Whiten said. Were not sure if he lost his brakes or maybe something was going on the bus and distracted the driver. We got a call to see and there is the bus right through the front of the building. Freedom Transit tells Channel that the bus was operated sub-contractor Tri-County Access, who is investigating the crash. State Police are also conducting their own investigation. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NO TRENDING NOW: Aldi to slash prices on 250 summer essentials 2 people injured when bus crashes into building in Washington County Man accused of domestic abuse kidnapping attempt in South Strabane Giant Eagle parking lot VIDEO:Person injured, dog killed in house fire in Carrick DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Shawn Sant, Franklin Countys long-serving prosecutor, and Blanche Barajas, a Pasco City Council member and former mayor, are taking aim at higher office. The two are the latest to file to run for election in 2024. May 6-10 is filing week in Washington state for those seeking certain federal, state and local offices. The Aug. 6 primary will narrow field of candidates in individual races to two. Finalists will advance to the Nov. 5 general election, which will be dominated by the race for U.S. president. Sant, who has served as county prosecutor since 2011, is running for the Benton Franklin Superior Court seat being vacated by Judge Sam Swanberg. Swanberg is stepping down on May 17 ahead of a hearing before the Commission on Judicial Conduct on whether he violated codes guiding judicial behavior. Sant is the second candidate to seek the job. Bronson Brown, who is a Benton County Superior Court Commissioner as well as legal counsel to the Kennewick School District, also filed this week for the position. Sant previously ran for a Superior Court judge position, but did not advance beyond the primary. Judge Dave Petersen was the eventual winner. Sant won his current term as prosecutor in 2022. If elected to the bench, he will have to give up the prosecutor position. If he is not elected, he can continue as prosecutor until his current term expires in 2026. Pasco Councilwoman Blanche Barajas joined the race to unseat Franklin County Commissioner Rocky Mullen, a Republican. Barajas is running as an independent. Fellow challenger Ana Ruiz Kennedy has filed as a Democrat. Other key filings in state, federal, local races: U.S. Senator Chuck Jackson, Independent Paul L. Giesick, Democrat Dr. Raul Garcia, Republican Henry C. Dennison, Socialist Workers David Titon, Nonpartisan Mel Ram, Republican Not filed by 5 p.m., Wednesday: Maria Cantwell, Democrat, incumbent U.S. House Washington 4th District Dan Newhouse, Republican, incumbent Tiffany Smiley, Republican Jerrod Sessler, Republican Washington State Legislature District 8 House: Position 1: Stephanie Barnard, Republican, incumbent House Position 2: April Connors, Republican, incumbent District 9 House Position 1: Mary Dye, Republican, incumbent House Position 2: Joe Schmick, Republican, incumbent. Senate: Mark G. Schoesler, Republican, incumbent District 14 House Position 1: Chelsea Dimas, Democrat Senate: Curtis King, Republican Senate: Maria Belstran, Democrat District 16 House, Position 1: Mark Klicker, Republican, incumbent House, Position 2: Skyler Rude, Republican, incumbent Senate: Perry Dozier, Republican, incumbent Benton County Commission Commissioner District 1: Jerome Delvin, Republican, incumbent Commissioner District 1: Jeff J. Smart, Republican Commissioner District 3: Will McKay, Republican, incumbent Benton Public Utility Commission Position 3: Barry Bush, incumbent Franklin County Commission District 1: Stephen Bauman, Republican, appointed incumbent District 1: Paul L. Frenzel, Republican District 2: Rocky Mullen, Republican, incumbent District 2: Ana Ruiz Kennedy, Democrat District 2: Blanche Barajas, Independent Benton Franklin Superior Court Judge Position 1: Dave Petersen, incumbent Position 2: Joe Burrowes, incumbent Position 3: Diane N. Ruff, incumbent Position 4: Norma Rodriguez, incumbent Position 5 (no incumbent): Bronson J. Brown Position 5 (no incumbent): Shawn P. Sant Position 6: Jacqueline Stam, incumbent Position 7: Jackie Shea-Brown, incumbent Franklin Public Utility Commission District 3: Stu Nelson, incumbent District 3: Pedro Torres 20 Columbus City School buildings could face closure. Here's what to know about the plan The Columbus City Schools Board of Education heard initial recommendations for possible school closures and consolidations Tuesday night from the Superintendent's Community Facilities Task Force. The recommendations include nine different scenarios and a number of possible ways students could be moved around to other schools, either by moving programs, consolidating area schools or closing buildings. In all, 20 Columbus City Schools buildings are facing potential closure. After the district successfully passed a nearly $100-million levy in November, district officials said it would close some of the 113 school buildings in the state's largest district, The Dispatch previously reported. The Superintendent's Community Facilities Task Force was formed in early 2024 and includes nearly two dozen members of the public, parents and educational professionals. The group has met six times since February to piece together its recommendations. One member, John Coneglio, who is president of the Columbus Education Association representing teachers and others, resigned before the task force completed its recommendation report because he believes the group's goal was mass school closings. What schools are at risk of closing? There are 20 schools that could potentially close as part of consolidations, changing district lines and moving students to other buildings around the district. The schools are: Buckeye Middle School, 2950 Parsons Ave., South Side Fairwood Alternative Elementary School, 726 Fairwood Ave., East Side Siebert Elementary School, 385 Reinhard Ave., Merion Village Moler Elementary School, 1201 Moler Road, South Side Marion-Franklin High School, 1265 Koebel Road, Marion-Franklin, South Side West Broad Elementary School, 2744 W. Broad St., Hilltop Valleyview Elementary School, 2989 Valleyview Drive, Valleyview Heights Lindbergh Elementary School, 2541 Lindbergh Drive, Brookshire Everett Facility (Old Everett Middle School), 100 W. 4th Ave. Victorian Village Cranbrook Elementary School, 908 Bricker Blvd., Cranbrook, Northwest Side Hubbard Elementary School, 104 W. Hubbard Ave., Short North Duxberry Park Alternative Elementary School, 1779 E Maynard Ave., Argyle Park, North Central North Linden Elementary School, 1718 E. Cooke Road, North Linden Northtowne Elementary School, 4767 Northtowne Blvd., Forest Park East Innis Elementary School, 3399 Kohr Blvd., Walnut Creek, Northeast Side Johnson Park Elementary School, 1130 S. Waverly St., Eastmoor, East Side Sherwood Middle School, 1400 Shady Lane Road, East Side Broadleigh Elementary School, 3039 Maryland Ave., Broadleigh, East Side McGuffey Road building that houses Columbus Alternative High School (CAHS would move to a new building) 2632 McGuffey Road, North Linden Old Eastmoor Middle School, Eastmoor, East Side Columbus City Schools Board of Education listen to public comment about the potential closing of schools. Why are there so many different plans? Community Facilities Task Force Co-Chairs Al Edmondson and Jim Negron presented nine different scenarios to the board that included which schools might close or consolidate. The scenarios, they said, considered several criteria in their creation: Increase more equitable service delivery opportunities across the district Increase access to additional academic and extracurricular programming Standardize grade levels Honor prior taxpayer investments Consider all areas of the district for consolidation options Columbus City Schools spokeswoman Jacqueline Bryant said task force co-chairs "believe the number of scenarios presented is appropriate and aligned with the current and future state of the district." When asked if the district would ultimately pursue just one of the scenarios or if multiple scenarios could be enacted, Negron did not directly answer the question. Rather, he said he wants to hear from the community. "I don't live in a world of hypothesis, so we have to trust the process," Negron said. Bryant said final task force recommendations will be based on community feedback and "what they want to see in the future of education in Columbus City Schools." After the final recommendations are complete, Bryant said the board of education will review and consider them in their decision process Community Facilities Task Force Co-Chairs Al Edmondson, left, and Jim Negron presented nine different scenarios to the board that included which schools might close or consolidate during the Columbus City Schools board meeting. Why is Columbus City Schools considering closing and consolidating schools? Throughout the district's levy campaign last year, Board of Education Member Jennifer Adair warned that a levy failure would mean an unpleasant timeline for shuttering some of the district's buildings. Passing the levy didn't remove the need to close buildings, which Adair said is still a high priority, but the district can focus on strong engagement with the public during the process. "And we now have the ability to really look at this now through an equity lens, and not just a financial one." Adair previously told The Dispatch. "And so, we're grateful to the community for allowing us that." Columbus City Schools is the state's largest school district with about 46,000 students, but enrollment peaked at 110,173 during the 1971-72 school year. Superintendent Angela Chapman said that half of the district's buildings are more than 50 years old and many operate under capacity. Several parents raised concerns at Tuesday's meeting about the district closing school buildings as Columbus is growing. Bryant said Michael Wilkos, United Ways vice president of community impact, spoke at the task force's February meeting and at the districts CCS Elevate Panel Discussion to give a historical overview of the region. "Wilkos provided a historical overview of the demographics and economic viability of central Ohio and the impact it is having on the City of Columbus changing landscape; systematic changes, redistricting, and families with moving out of the inner city and to the suburbs," Bryant said. "According to Wilkos and the United Way study, the city is growing, but not growing in terms of families moving into the city." Superintendent Angela Chapman speaks to the preliminary process for the potential consolidation of schools Tuesday during a Columbus City Schools board meeting. What is the district's timeline to decide? Chapman said that the scenarios are initial recommendations and feedback from the community will inform any final approvals to be made in June. "I would say to all of our parents, community members and stakeholders, to take a deep breath," Chapman said before the board went into executive session. "These are initial recommendations that have been submitted to begin the conversation about where we go from here." The district will hold a number of in-person and virtual community forums and "gallery walks" over the next month for people to share feedback on the scenarios with the board. See below for a full list of dates, times and locations for those forums. The board will hear final recommendations and vote to approve a plan in June, according to the district's released schedule. Once approved, the final plan will be implemented at the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year. "This is work that will take years to really figure out," Board of Education President Christina Vera said. Columbus City Schools Board of Education President Christina Vera speaks Tuesday during a meeting in which initial recommendations were made by the Superintendent Facilities Task Force about closing schools in the district. What is the future plan for any potentially closed schools? Bryant said there are "no concrete plans or decision on the future of any potentially impacted building." When are public forums planned? The district has in-person and virtual forums and "gallery walks" scheduled over the next month across the city for community members to share feedback on the scenarios with the board. Chapman said gallery walks will include maps of the proposed scenarios to give community members an idea of what they would look like. A capacity crowd listens Tuesday as the preliminary proposal from the Superintendent's Facilities Task Force about the potential closings of schools is presented at a Columbus City Schools board meeting. An overflow room was set up due number of people in attendance. They will take place at: May 16 at 9:30 a.m. at the Columbus Metropolitan Library Shepard Branch at 850 N. Nelson Rd. May 16 at 9:30 a.m. at the Columbus Metropolitan Library Parsons Branch at 1113 Parsons Ave. May 16 at 5:30 p.m. at East High School at 1500 E. Broad St. May 16 at 5:30 p.m. at the Columbus Education Center Assembly Room at 270 E. State St. May 22 at 10:30 a.m. at the Whetstone Community Center at 3923 N. High St. May 22 at 11:30 a.m. virtual session May 23 at 9:30 a.m. at the Barnett Community Center at 1184 Barnett Rd. May 23 at 9:30 a.m. at Community Grounds Cafe at 1134 Parsons Ave. May 23 at 5:30 p.m. at Old Orchard Elementary School at 800 McNaughten Rd. May 23 at 5:30 p.m. at Briggs High School at 2555 Briggs Rd. May 29 at 11:30 a.m. virtual session May 30 at 9:30 a.m. at the Schiller Community Center at 1069 Jaeger St. May 30 at 9:30 a.m. at Bottoms Up Coffee Cafe at 1069 W. Broad St. May 30 at 5:30 p.m. at Community Refugee & Immigration Services at 4645 Executive Drive May 30 at 5:30 p.m. at the Columbus Education Center Assembly Room at 270 E. State St. June 1 at 11 a.m. Radio One Town Hall. Community members can call in to ask questions live on FM 107.5/106.3 and FM 95.5. Sheridan Hendrix is a higher education reporter for The Columbus Dispatch. Sign up for Extra Credit, her education newsletter, here. shendrix@dispatch.com @sheridan120 This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Here's which Columbus schools might close and when to attend a forum Authorities removed four puppies from the vehicle, but one of the dogs was euthanized due to the extent of their injuries, per the Orange County Government Orange County Animal Services The Bernedoodle puppies rescued from a hot car at Disney Springs on May 4 Authorities from Orange County, Florida, responded to a call about four puppies stuck in a hot car at a Disney Springs parking garage on May 4 The pet owner parked the car in a covered garage and left the window cracked, assuming it would be enough protection for the puppies, according to a release from the Orange County Government One of the Bernedoodle puppies pulled from the car died after the incident; rescuers adopted the three remaining dogs One puppy is dead, and three others are safe after a hot car rescue in Florida. According to a release from the Orange County Government, the owner of the puppies, who is not identified, recently purchased the four Bernedoodles from a breeder. On May 4, while driving with the dogs, the pet parent stopped at Disney Springs to have dinner with family. The dog owner parked at a covered Disney Springs garage and left the puppies in a locked, unairconditioned car with a window cracked open, "assuming the covered parking garage and cracking a window would be okay for the dogs," the release added. According to Weather Underground, the temperature in the Orlando area reached 86 degrees on the evening of May 4. The inside temperature of a car parked outside in 85-degree weather can reach over 100 degrees in 10 minutes, per the ASPCA. Orange County Animal Services Two of the Bernedoodle puppies saved from the hot car at Orange County Animal Services The Orange County Government noted that a garage security guard noticed the pups in distress and called for help. When help arrived the puppies had been stuck in the hot car for 90 minutes. "One puppy was found unresponsive and, despite intervention by paramedics and the Veterinary Emergency Clinic, euthanized due to the extent of the injuries. The remaining three puppies were able to recover with medical assistance and have been adopted by Central Florida Tourism Oversight Districts Fire Department staff," the Orange County Government release shared about what happened next. Related: Rescued Puppy Left in Hot Car with Mouth Taped Shut at a Casino Is Enjoying New Forever Home The Orange County Government said it shared this story "to highlight the importance of not leaving pets in cars, no matter the location." "Every summer, we deal with cases like this, where someone runs into a store, the mall, or similar venue and opts to leave their pet in the car, assuming it'll be a short trip," Diane Summers, the manager of Orange County Animal Services, said in a statement. "It's heartbreaking and infuriating for our staff and animal-loving community when pet owners make this mistake as preventable tragedy can and does occur." Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Orange County Animal Services A Bernedoodle puppy with one of their rescuers "People have this misconception that shade or cracking the window will alleviate any concerns of overheating, it's simply not the case, an animal should never be left in a car, especially during the summer months of Florida," Summers added. The release also shared that the Orange County Sheriff's Office is reviewing the incident. Related: Dog in Critical Condition Rescued from 123-Degree Hot Car in Time For a Second Chance at Life According to a May 8 Facebook post about the rescue from Orange County Animal Services, "In the state of Florida, the law clearly states that it is illegal to leave an animal locked inside a parked vehicle, unattended, and without adequate ventilation." Despite this law, the agency spends time each year training its staff and community about the dangers of leaving pets unattended in parked cars. "We at OCAS just ask our community to please remember that they are more than just pets. They are more than possessions. To remember that they need us, more than we need them. And that most of the time, they cannot survive without us. We shouldn't put these gentle hearts at risk. Please, keep them safe. Keep them home," Orange County Animal Services added on social media. According to the Orange County Government release, people who see an unattended pet stuck in a locked car without air conditioning should contact law enforcement immediately. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. A 4-year-old girl was killed and four members of her family injured after two gunmen unloaded a barrage of bullets into a residence in Texas in a targeted shooting, authorities said Thursday. The shooting occurred Wednesday evening at a residence in San Antonio and was captured on neighbors' surveillance cameras, authorities said. A man and woman in their mid-20s and their three children were shot at the residence, according to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar. All five victims were transported in critical condition to San Antonio Military Medical Center. The 4-year-old has since died from her injuries, Salazar said at a press briefing on Thursday. The other victims -- including children aged 7 and 8 -- are currently in stable condition, Salazar said. PHOTO: Authorities respond to a shooting at a home in San Antonio, Texas, May 8, 2024. (KSAT) The shooting occurred around 7:40 p.m. CT at a townhome on the 6700 block of Windsor Hollow Drive. In surveillance footage released by the sheriff's office, two gunmen are seen pulling up alongside the residence in a vehicle believed to be an Infiniti, Salazar said. They then run up to the house and fire weapons similar to a Draco -- a "small AK-47-type weapon" that fires a "devastating round," Salazar said -- before fleeing in the vehicle. Both are wearing ski masks. Thirty rounds were recovered from the scene, Salazar said. PHOTO: The Bexar County Sheriff's Office released images of a suspect sought in a shooting that occurred in San Antonio on May 8, 2024. (Bexar County Sheriff's Office) PHOTO: The Bexar County Sheriff's Office released images of a suspect sought in a shooting that occurred in San Antonio on May 8, 2024. (Bexar County Sheriff's Office) "This was not a drive-by shooting where they shot from the street," Salazar said. "They wanted to get out and get up close and personal and they wanted to empty enough lead into that home to make sure that they inflicted maximum damage. To make sure that they killed somebody." One adult was "miraculously" unharmed in the shooting, Salazar said. A second unit attached to the townhome was not shot at, he said. "I have no doubt that they were after the people in that home, for whatever reason," Salazar said. MORE: Biden says US will not provide Israel with weapons to use in major Rafah invasion Salazar said there are persons of interest they are investigating in the shooting, though he was not able to provide additional details. "We're pretty certain we're hot on their tracks," he said. PHOTO: The Bexar County Sheriff's Office released images of a vehicle sought in a shooting that occurred in San Antonio on May 8, 2024. (Bexar County Sheriff's Office) Salazar said they plan to pursue capital murder charges in the shooting. Authorities do not believe there is an imminent threat to the public, he said Wednesday night. The sheriff's office's organized crime group and criminal investigation division are investigating. 4-year-old killed, 4 family members injured in targeted shooting in San Antonio, Texas: Sheriff originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The shooting took place on the 6700 block of Windsor Hollow Dr., with officers finding five victims of gunshot wounds at the residence Bexar County Sheriff's Office Three children and two adults have been left in critical condition following a shooting in San Antonio Texas on the evening of Wednesday, May 8. County Sheriff Javier Salazar revealed at a press conference on May 8 that police responded to an alert regarding the shooting at around 7:40 pm local time. The Bexar County Sheriff's Office tells PEOPLE that the incident took place on the 6700 block of Windsor Hollow Dr. in San Antonio, with officers finding five victims with gunshot wounds at the residence. PEOPLE also reached out to the San Antonio Police Department for further comment, but they did not immediately respond. 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. Bexar County Sheriff's Office Related: Deputies Who Fatally Shot U.S. Airman Roger Fortson Burst Into Wrong Apartment, Attorney Says What we know at this point is about 7:40 this evening we received a call for a shooting out here with several hits, Salazar said in the press hearing. When deputies arrived they found that five victims had been shot, three of which are children under the age of 10. The sheriff added in the press release and his office confirmed again to PEOPLE in a statement that the youngest of the victims was 4 years old, while the adults were in their 20s to 30s. He later revealed in Spanish that the children were ages 4, 7 and 8, and shared that the 4-year-old was a little girl. All five victims were transported to SAMCI (San Antonio Military Medical Center) in pretty serious condition, Salazar continued. "Thats the latest information Im able to release with regard to the injuries. Bexar County Sheriff's Office The officer went on to explain that they had some leads that were following up on, adding that their organized crime group was at the scene following up. Answering reporters' questions on the scene, Salazar said that a gray car had driven near where he was standing before two suspects got out on foot, walked around the front of the residence and then started shooting into the residence with long rifles. He also noted that there may have been 20 to 25 shots fired with all five victims being inside the residence. I believe at least several of them were related, he added, noting that all the people inside were injured. Related: Man Suspected of Murdering Surfers in Mexico Told Girlfriend He 'Killed' 3 Men, Court Hears The officer also said he believes the residence was the intended target, explaining, There was some information that there was some words exchanged with somebody that we believe to be a suspect. There was also reportedly inquiries about whether there were children inside. At this point, Im working on the premise that whoever shot into the house knew that there were kids, Salazar said. And Ill be honest with you if God forbid one of those children should come to pass, that charge is easily going to be upgraded to capital murder. Authorities were unable to determine which way the suspects took off, adding that two suspects were on the run. We dont feel like this was a random shooting, the people here unfortunately knew who they were shooting at and I dont know that anyone can necessarily take great solace in that but just knowing that this is a targeted event, the public in general doesnt have anything to worry about out here, Salazar said. The sheriff's office tells PEOPLE they are continuing to conduct an investigation of the incident. Anyone with information is advised to contact BCSO at 210-335-6000 or email BCSOTIPS@bexar.org. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. The severe weather continued to wreak havoc across portions of the U.S. on Wednesday causing widespread damage and leaving more than 200,000 without power AP Photo/George Walker IV) Three people have died after strong storms and at least one confirmed tornado ripped across the southeastern region of the U.S. on Wednesday, May 8. Among the victims are 22-year-old Bryce Edward Hentnick, who was killed when a tree fell onto his car in the Lone Mountain area in Claiborne County, Tenn., according to CBS affiliate WVLT-TV. Another person died after a tornado touched down in Columbia, a city 50 miles south of Nashville, the Associated Press reported. Residents described toppled power lines and homes ripped from their foundations as the storms blew through the area. Related: 1 Dead in Oklahoma as Tornadoes Touch Down in Multiple States amid Severe Weather Outbreak I get up and look out, and it was all hell breaking loose outside, Columbia resident Bob Booth told the AP. Then the top half of one of my trees goes down across the road. Widespread power outages were reported in the northeastern part of the state, while the Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary ground stop at Nashvilles airport. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. As the storm system continued to push eastward, one person near Charlotte, N.C. died when a tree fell onto a vehicle, according to CBS affiliate WNCN-TV. Debris littered the area in the wake of the powerful storms. Related: Dad Drowns After Rescuing 3 Kids from North Carolina River: Hes a Hero, Son Says The county sustained major storm damage on the western end of the county, as well as the city of Gastonia and several other municipalities, Gaston County officials said in a statement posted to Facebook. The severe weather has left more than 200,000 customers without power in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia, according to PowerOutage.us. Earlier this week, Oklahoma and portions of the midwest were affected after tornadoes struck Missouri, Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, per the AP. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Students walk through the University of North Dakota campus in Grand Forks on March 1, 2024. (Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor) A committee has chosen three finalists to fill an upcoming vacancy on the State Board of Higher Education. The nominating committee on Wednesday chose Sanford Health executive Donald Campbell of Mandan, electrician Alan Goos of Fargo, and Williston bank executive Patrick Sogard as finalists from a group of 10 applicants. State Board of Higher Education member John Warford. (Photo courtesy of North Dakota University System) Gov. Doug Burgum will appoint the new board member to replace John Warford, who chose not to seek another four-year term on the board. Warfords term ends June 30. The eight-member Board of Higher Education oversees North Dakotas 11 public colleges and universities. Campbell, Goos and Sogard were all unanimous choices, according to a news release from the Department of Public Instruction. Campbell is a vice president and chief human resources officer for Sanford Health. Goos is an electrician for Advanced Electrical Systems LLC of West Fargo who holds a doctorate degree in chemistry. Sogard is an attorney and chairman of American State Bank & Trust Co. of Williston. The state constitution requires four of the nominating committees five members to agree on each finalist. State Superintendent of Schools Kirsten Baesler chairs the nominating committee. The post 3 finalists named for higher ed board seat appeared first on North Dakota Monitor. KYODO NEWS - May 9, 2024 - 11:33 | All, Japan Japan Airlines Co.'s newly appointed top executive Mitsuko Tottori said she will press ahead with diversity in its workplace and businesses, as she looks to devise the carrier's post-COVID growth strategy as its first female CEO. Tottori said she is confident that JAL will have female employees filling at least 30 percent of all management positions in the year through March 2025, meeting the goal one year ahead of plan. "Everybody at the company is working toward our shared goal. I don't find it particularly challenging," Tottori said in a recent meeting with a group of media organizations. The figure stood at 29.8 percent as of the end of March this year, she said. Her appointment on April 1 is unusual in the global airline industry not just because she became JAL's first female CEO but also because she started her career as a flight attendant at Toa Domestic Airlines Co., which was renamed as Japan Air System Co. and later merged with JAL, eventually rising to the top position. When Tottori joined TDA in 1985, many of her female colleagues left the company after marrying, as few people in their workplace understood why women should continue working after marriage and there were few measures in place to keep married women at work, but she said the situation has changed. "We have ramped up efforts to make women feel more comfortable working so they can continue their careers after various life events," Tottori said. JAL has introduced measures such as fertility treatment leave and a more flexible promotion system. Under the current business plan covering five years through March 2026, the airline plans to hire more foreign nationals in Japan and promote measures to have its employees work at firms outside the JAL group on temporary assignments, providing them with new work experiences. JAL joins the less than 1 percent of major Japanese companies led by women. Of some 1,800 companies listed in the top-tier Prime section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, female presidents accounted for only 0.8 percent as of January last year, according to a joint survey by Kyodo News and Teikoku Databank. Tottori also follows an increasing number of female top executives named in recent years by airlines in the United States, Europe and other regions such as JetBlue Airways Corp., Qantas Airways Ltd. and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. The industry seeks to improve the gender gap. In 2019, the International Air Transport Association launched the "25by2025" initiative, a voluntary commitment calling on airlines worldwide to increase the number of women in senior positions and underrepresented areas by 25 percent or up to a minimum of 25 percent by 2025. The new CEO said she wants to boost revenues from non-airline operations, such as the business related to rewards points, to make its earnings base more stable. The airline industry was reeling from a plunge in air travelers during the coronavirus pandemic. "The pandemic has ended and now the company is back on a growth track," Tottori said. "We hope to make this company more sustainable." To widen its business portfolio, acquisitions are being considered as an option, although there are no specific targets at the moment, she said. Having spent the first three decades of her career as a flight attendant and as a manager overseeing them, she said her strength lies in keenly grasping customers' needs, adding she hopes to see more JAL flight attendants rise through the ranks in the future. "Some of them may become future management members," she said. "Our (management side) job is to offer more opportunities so they can gain more experiences." Related coverage: JAL's annual net profit grows 2.8-fold on travel demand rebound Japan saw over 16,000 deaths from COVID-19 in May-Nov. 2023 JAL flies 1st freighter in 13 years amid high online shopping demand Two skiers were killed and a third was hospitalized following an avalanche on Utah's Lone Peak Thursday, according to the Unified Police Department of Salt Lake City. The skiers were believed to have been buried by an avalanche in the backcountry, according to police. The deceased victims were described as two men, ages 32 and 23 years old, Sgt. Aymee Race told reporters. Their bodies were recovered Friday morning, according to police. MORE: Survivor of deadly California avalanche: 'I felt every type of fear possible' The skiers were ascending a slope called the Big Willow Aprons and had switched from skiing to boot packing and were near the top when the avalanche occurred, according to police. "The person in the lead was caught and carried downhill on the lookers right side of a ridge or fin of rock. That person was partially buried and was able to self-extricate. The other two were caught and carried downhill on the lookers left side of the ridge feature. Those two were fully buried and unfortunately did not survive," according to a report from the Utah Avalanche Center. PHOTO: Search underway for 3 skiers missing in Utah avalanche on Lone Peak, May 9, 2024. (KTVX) The hospitalized skier was being treated for minor injuries after he was able to extract himself from the snow and attempted to rescue his two friends before calling for help, according to Race. Search and rescue professionals have not been able to get to the accident site because avalanche conditions are too dangerous, authorities said. Recovery efforts were paused Thursday afternoon due to snow falling on the mountain again, police said. The recovery operation has been suspended until Friday, the Utah Avalanche Center told ABC News. MORE: Avalanche near skiers in French Alps caught on camera Large, dangerous avalanches are rare this late in the ski season because daytime warmth typically stabilizes the snowpack, the Utah Avalanche Center's Craig Gordon told reporters. A recent storm of about 30 inches changed weather conditions very quickly, raising the danger dramatically, Gordon said. He added that this area on the north side of Lone Peak is steep and technical, complicating rescue efforts. As is often the case for nearby ski resorts with big resources, Alta Ski Area told ABC News earlier in the day it had dispatched a ski patroller and avalanche rescue dog to assist with the search and rescue effort. There have been 15 avalanche fatalities in the U.S. in the 2023-2024 season -- including the two from Thursday's accident -- according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. 2 skiers dead in Utah avalanche; 1 digs himself out: Police originally appeared on abcnews.go.com LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) The State Capitol Building held its 30th annual State of Michigan Candlelight Memorial Service to honor law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. On Monday, dozens of people gathered together to remember fallen police officers and those who are still serving in the line of duty. Honoring fallen police officers at the state capitol. (Photo: WLNS) The memorial is organized yearly by the Michigan Concerns of Police Survivors or mi-cops. For more information, visit their website here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. 38 years later: Maine authorities seeking publics help to solve 1986 cold case of missing teen Nearly four decades ago, 17-year-old Kimberly Moreau disappeared in Maine. Now, state police are hoping someone in the New England area will come forward with more information about what happened to Kimberly, in a decades-old case that investigators are calling an unsolved homicide. On Thursday, which marked the 38th anniversary of Kimberlys sudden disappearance, Maine investigators issued a public plea for any information to help solve the cold case. The 17-year-old was last seen in Jay at around midnight on May 9, 1986, when she was with an unidentified person she met earlier in the day, state police said. She has not been seen since. Extensive searches have been conducted throughout the region and several people have been interviewed. Foul play is suspected, state police said. Anyone with information on the disappearance of Kimberly Moreau is urged to contact the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit at 207-657-5710. Members of the public may also report information using the leave-a-tip form at this link. Jay is a small town north of Lewiston and west of Waterville. The towns population was 4,620 at the 2020 Census. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) A pet owner could face felony charges after leaving four Bernedoodle puppies inside a hot car at Disney Springs last Saturday. The 13-week-old pups, a mix between a Bernese mountain dog and a poodle, had just been purchased from a breeder. A security guard saw the puppies in distress inside a hot car in a parking garage. First responders arrived to find one puppy unresponsive. Despite life-saving measures, the puppy died. WATCH: Bobcat prowls Wesley Chapel backyard before snatching duck mid-flight According to the Orange County Animal Services (OCAS), the puppies were left in the car for about 90 minutes. OCAS said the owner had just picked up the puppies from a breeder and stopped to have dinner with family at Disney Springs, and assumed that since they were in a covered parking garage and had the windows cracked, things would be okay for the dogs. Every summer we deal with cases like this, where someone runs into a store, the mall, or similar venue and opts to leave their pet in the car, assuming itll be a short trip. Its heartbreaking and infuriating for our staff and animal-loving community when pet owners make this mistake as preventable tragedy can and does occur, Orange County Animal Services Director Diane Summers said. The three remaining puppies have recovered and were adopted by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Districts Fire Department staff. 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People have this misconception that shade or cracking the window will alleviate any concerns of overheating. Its simply not the case. An animal should never be left in a car, especially during the summer months of Florida, she added. Judd: Mom murdered 4-year-old by tying arms together, throwing him into pool Just two weeks ago, Animal Services dealt with a similar incident at a Goodwill in Orlando when a 7-month-old Shih Tzu was left inside a car. When Orange County Fire Rescue rescued the puppy, the cars temperature was 140 degrees. Fortunately, the puppy was able to recover at one of OCAS local partner veterinary emergency clinics and was released to a rescue group. The Orange County Sheriffs Office is investigating both incidents. Agricultural Crimes Unit investigators believe they will have probable cause for felony animal cruelty charges against the Bernedoodles owner. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. 4 flight attendants smuggled millions in drug money out of the US using the crewmember lane at JFK, prosecutors say 4 flight attendants smuggled millions in drug money out of the US using the crewmember lane at JFK, prosecutors say 4 flight attendants smuggled drug money from New York to the Dominican Republic, prosecutors said. The attendants, who held 'Known Crewmember' status, used a special security lane. Prosecutors said they transported about $8 million in cash, receiving a fee in return. Four flight attendants have been charged in connection with a yearslong scheme to smuggle "millions of dollars of drug money" from New York to the Dominican Republic on commercial flights, federal authorities said Wednesday. The flight attendants Charlie Hernandez, 42; Sarah Valerio Pujols, 24; Emmanuel Torres, 34; and Jarol Fabio, 35 were all arrested on Tuesday on various charges, including the operation of an unlicensed money transmission business. According to a pair of federal indictments unsealed by the US Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York, all of the defendants held "Known Crewmember" status with the Transportation Security Administration. Using this status, they could access a special security lane at John F. Kennedy International Airport without undergoing typical passenger screening procedures. "Flight attendants are ideal for smuggling bulk cash" for this reason, a Homeland Security Investigations special agent wrote in the indictments. By "abusing their privileges as airline employees," the flight attendants managed to transport about $8 million in "bulk cash" from the US to the Dominican Republic over several years, US Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement. The indictments said the smuggling occurred from at least 2014 until as late as 2023. Hernandez was accused of smuggling at least $2.5 million in narcotics proceeds from the US to the Dominican Republic, while Pujols, Torres, and Fabio were each accused of having smuggled narcotics proceeds, or cash they understood to be narcotics proceeds, worth at least $1.5 million. In one of the indictment documents, an HSI special agent outlined sting operations in which a cooperating witness provided $60,000 in government funds to Fabio in 2023 and Torres in 2022. The pair believed the money was the proceeds of narcotics trafficking and needed to be transported, according to the indictment. In separate incidents, a year apart, Torres and Fabio met another informant in the Dominican Republic to deliver the cash, which was then returned to law enforcement, prosecutors said. The interactions were recorded. In December 2019, an informant gave Hernandez $121,215 in cash, of which $61,215 was handed over to Pujols. Pujols was stopped by Customs and Border Protection agents at JFK. The special agent said in the indictment that Pujols claimed to have about $1,000 on her, but agents found about $60,000 in three bundles concealed in her purse. She was fired from her job, according to the indictment. Delta Airlines confirmed to NBC News that two defendants worked for them. In a statement provided to Business Insider, a Delta spokesperson said: "Delta has cooperated fully with law enforcement in this investigation and will continue to do so." It's unclear which airlines the other two defendants worked for. Legal representatives for Fabio and Torres did not immediately respond to BI's request for comment. The other defendants' attorneys were not listed on court documents. In the statement announcing the unsealing of the indictments, HSI Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo said the defendants "took advantage of airport security checkpoints by using their trusted positions as flight attendants." He said the investigation "exposed critical vulnerabilities in the airline security industry" and has "illuminated methods that narcotics traffickers are utilizing." Read the original article on Business Insider Every so often, a cause ignites a sustained fury on college campuses across the nation. In 2020, it was Black Lives Matter. In 2011, it was Occupy Wall Street. In the 1980s, it was apartheid in South Africa. Right now, its the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. Since college protests tend to draw comparisons to the 1960s, its helpful to know more about that heritage. Here are five books about the history of campus demonstrations: America Divided: The Civil War of the 1960s This primer on the politics and history of the 1960s recounts the Cuban missile crisis and moves through the many events that led to and fueled student activism, including the Vietnam War and key moments in the Civil Rights Movement. Published in 1999 and now in its fifth edition, it is co-written by Hamilton College history professor Maurice Isserman, who studies leftist movements, and Michael Kazin, a Georgetown University expert on U.S. politics and social movements in the 19th and 20th centuries. Harlem vs. Columbia University: Black Student Power in the Late 1960s Given how prominent the Columbia demonstrations have been this year, its worth delving into the impact of a historically white, male bastion like the Ivy League school that abuts New Yorks Harlem. Stefan M. Bradleys 2009 history focuses on the intertwined rises of Black and student power in response to Columbias attempt to build a largely segregated gymnasium in the small green park that separates it from Harlem. Freedoms Orator: Mario Savio and the Radical Legacy of the 1960s It took until 2009 for someone to write a definitive biography of Savio, a visionary who sensed how campus protests could change America. But New York University historian Robert Cohens 544-page tome, based on personal papers, recordings of speeches and countless interviews, brings to life accomplishments of a major leader of the Berkeley Free Speech Movement. His Bodies Upon the Gears speech in 1964 could easily be adopted as the mantra of todays pro-Palestinian movement. The New Student Activists: The Rise of Neoactivism on College Campuses Months before the murder of George Floyd sparked BLM protests and years before Hamas attacked Israel, Villanova education professor Jerusha O. Conner published her examination of how 1960s-style activism had returned to college campuses. Still, her examination of the current generation of student activists helps explain why theyve been so effective at drawing attention and making change. Among other misconceptions, she debunks the myth that student activists today are fragile snowflakes operating from a sense of entitlement. The Channels of Student Activism: How the Left and Right Are Winning (and Losing) in Campus Politics Today For a more contemporary look at student activism, pick up this slim volume by Johns Hopkins sociologist Amy J. Binder and Northern Illinois University sociologist Jeffrey L. Kidder that analyzes how the well-funded national conservative movement is building its own army of campus activists to remarkable effect. The authors argue that voices from the left and the right are being channeled into two distinct forms of mobilization and why that has profound consequences for the future of American politics. 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: Steve Friess, University of Michigan Read more: Steve Friess 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. 5 things to know about US aid to Ukraine This article was published on Dec. 15, 2023 From the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the U.S. government has been a staunch supporter of Ukraines war effort. The Biden administration has repeatedly produced emergency spending packages to support the Ukrainian government and military. That funding has so far amounted to US$113 billion. But public opinion polls suggest that Americans support for Ukraine was waning even before Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel and the ensuing Israel-Hamas war drew international attention away from Ukraine. Political scientist Jessica Trisko Darden, author of Aiding and Abetting: U.S. Foreign Assistance and State Violence, explains how recent efforts by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to hold up aid to Ukraine reflects the perception that the U.S. is spending too much money on Ukraine at the expense of other domestic priorities, such as increased security at the U.S. southern border. 1. How much aid has the US provided to Ukraine so far? So far, the U.S. has approved about $113 billion in aid to Ukraine through four supplemental emergency appropriations, which are a way of requesting funds outside of the normal budgetary process. The majority of this aid has been for military purposes. The more than $62.3 billion provided in military assistance includes at least $23.5 billion worth of U.S. weapons from the Department of Defense. In contrast, about $3 billion has been for humanitarian assistance. Advocates for increased U.S. aid have pointed out that much of the military assistance to Ukraine actually supports the U.S. defense industry. Those advocates also argue that the war in Ukraine is devastating Russias military assets, and the current approach is much cheaper than facing an expansionist Russia. A Ukrainian serviceman loads a truck with American Javelin anti-tank missiles on Feb. 11, 2022. Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images) But critics argue that the unprecedented amounts of U.S. military aid to Ukraine are draining U.S. military stockpiles and potentially degrading military readiness. Others have called for additional oversight for aid to Ukraine, given the countrys history of government corruption. 2. What aid is the Biden administration currently requesting for Ukraine? The current request before the House includes $105 billion in security assistance for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and the U.S. southern border, with more than $61 billion of the package for Ukraine. In comparison, $6.4 billion is being requested for U.S. border operations. This aid package is separate from the defense appropriations bill passed by the Senate on Dec. 13 and the House on Dec. 14, which includes $600 million in military aid for Ukraine and funding for the creation of a special inspector general to oversee aid to Ukraine. That bill awaits President Joe Bidens signature. Voting on the special funding request was initially delayed by the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. But current Speaker Mike Johnson has done little to advance a vote, despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys December 2023 meetings in Washington, D.C., with Biden and members of Congress to plead for more assistance. 3. What is the reason for the current congressional holdup? The House Republican leadership has refused to pass the Biden administrations emergency aid bill without additional commitments for increased security at the southern border of the U.S. Some lawmakers remain opposed to an additional emergency spending bill and would rather see this Ukraine aid integrated into the regular budgetary process in 2024. Regardless of the reasoning, with Congress holiday recess fast approaching, it is unlikely that the current impasse will be resolved before 2024. 4. What will Ukraine do if it doesnt get US aid? One option is for Ukraine to seek increased contributions from other supportive nations. So far, 46 countries have provided some form of military aid to Ukraine. Those countries include the U.K., France and Germany, as well as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Bulgaria. A residential building destroyed by Russian shelling on April 4, 2022, in the eastern part of Ukraine. Alex Chan Tsz Yuk/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Japan has contributed more than $7 billion in economic assistance during the war. In all, the European Union has provided the lions share of financial assistance at almost $80 billion. But no other country has the military resources at its disposal to even come close to matching the level of military assistance that Congress is currently considering. Further delay in U.S. military assistance, or a radical decrease in the amount proposed, will have significant impacts on Ukraines ability to fight the war. 5. Where do the presidential candidates stand on Ukraine aid? While Biden, of course, is a strong supporter of Ukraine, Republican presidential candidates have been airing a wide range of views on additional aid to Ukraine. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is a strong supporter of U.S. aid to Ukraine, for example, while former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are against it. Even if the Russia-Ukraine war ends in 2024, congressional debates over assistance to Ukraine will continue, no matter who is elected president. Thats because the U.S. is likely to be one of the primary donors helping to rebuild Ukraine, which already has suffered an estimated $150 billion in war-related damage. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Jessica Trisko Darden, Virginia Commonwealth University Read more: Jessica Trisko Darden is Director of the Security and Foreign Policy Initiative at William & Mary's Global Research Institute. 6-year-old Ohio girl missing after wandering from her home, sheriffs office says A statewide Endangered Child Advisory has been issued for a 6-year-old girl who was last seen at her home Thursday morning, according to the Pike County Sheriffs Office. At 6:45 a.m., the sheriffs office received a call that 6-year-old Airies Marie Flannery possibly wandered off from her home into the area of Hopper Road. Family members told WBNS Flannerys mother passed away a few years ago and there are times when she would run off saying she was looking for mommy. >> 4 of 5 tornadoes in Warren County rated; Third Butler County tornado confirmed from Tuesday The sheriffs office said she was last seen wearing a long-sleeved tie-dye shirt, dark blue pants, and rainbow Crocs. Pike County Sheriffs deputies, the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility Search and Rescue Team, search and rescue K9s, Portsmouth ambulance, and other local fire departments are searching the area. Anyone with information on Flannerys whereabouts is asked to contact the sheriffs office at 740-947-2111 ext 1. Photo taken on April 11, 2024 shows a soldier of the Congolese Army standing guard in Goma, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Plunged into conflict with armed rebels and overwhelmed by one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, North Kivu province, the epicenter of hostilities located in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is grappling with a "worrisome" and "unpredictable" situation, warned the military governor of the province, Peter Chirimwami. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen) by Xinhua writers Shi Yu, Alain Uyakani GOMA, DRC, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Plunged into conflict with armed rebels and overwhelmed by one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, North Kivu province, the epicenter of hostilities located in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is grappling with a "worrisome" and "unpredictable" situation, warned the military governor of the province, Peter Chirimwami. "WORRISOME" AND "UNPREDICTABLE" SITUATION Chirimwami made these remarks in a recent interview with Xinhua in Goma, the capital city of the province, where fighting has been ongoing between the DRC military and multiple armed groups for years, leading to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. According to Chirimwami, the rebel group known as the March 23 Movement (M23) has been advancing and strengthening its frontlines, particularly since February, in the southern part of the province. Additionally, the province is facing a resurgence of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), rebels affiliated with the Islamic State group, in the north. In response to the violence perpetrated by the M23, the ADF and about a hundred other armed groups in the region, the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri have been under a state of siege since May 2021, during which the civilian administration has been replaced by military and police authorities. Despite joint operations with the Ugandan armies, government forces have been unable to halt the advance of the rebel groups, Chirimwami said. The ADF has recently committed massacres against civilians and kidnappings. The M23 aggression has intensified since February 2024, advancing to Sake, a strategic township considered the last barrier to Goma, both located in the southern part of the province. On Wednesday, fresh clashes were reported early in the morning on several hills overlooking Sake, with heavy and light weapons fire heard throughout the Goma city. On May 3, five rockets fell on several displaced camps along the Goma-Sake axis, resulting in the deaths of at least 18 displaced persons, mostly women and children, according to the United Nations. The organization warned that shelters in the area are highly exposed to elevated risks of insecurity and protection. "WE ARE BESIEGED" With the main roads between Goma and its surroundings cut off by the M23, the city, home to about two million people, has seen its population increase over several months due to the wave of displaced persons, and is now on the brink of suffocation. Despite the appearance of calm on the ground, the situation on the frontlines is far from peaceful. "All exits are practically blocked by the M23," Chirimwami said, noting that the province "has only one opening left," Lake Kivu, where civilian boats plying between Goma and a few villages in the neighboring South Kivu province are within artillery range of the M23. "We are almost besieged. But it is not very serious because we have developed a resilience methodology," said the major general. In November 2012, M23 rebels took control of Goma and occupied it for about 10 days. However, Chirimwami believes that the M23, which is once again attempting to capture the provincial capital, is deluding itself. "The enemy's intention is to take control of Goma. They wanted to cut off all arteries to force us out of the city. I think they are mistaken because we are here. We are in the city (of Goma)," Chirimwami said. Nevertheless, Goma is on edge due to the influx of civilians into displaced camps, which risks exacerbating the already precarious humanitarian crisis, with food supplies heavily affected by the M23's advance. According to a report in February 2024 by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), a humanitarian organization, the fighting threatens to isolate Goma and compromise humanitarian aid to millions of people. "The progressive isolation of the city hampers the ability of international humanitarian organizations to reach displaced persons in the eastern region, exacerbating an already disastrous situation," the NRC warned. "DEFENSIVE LINE IS THERE" With the departure of a regional force deployed by member countries of the East African Community (EAC), the DRC now relies on joint military operations with the Southern African Development Community (SADC). "We have SADC with us, so we have a force that allows us to resist for a long time," Chirimwami said, without providing further details about the upcoming plan. "But I know they are doing a good job, and they will continue to do so." Composed mainly of military elements from South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi, this SADC force, with an offensive mandate, has replaced the EAC regional force since January 2024. "Sake is still under our control. The defensive line is there. We continue to attack the rebels," Chirimwami said. "We and the people are certain that we are capable of resisting." After decades of violence and conflicts, the eastern part of the DRC is facing one of the most severe, complex and neglected humanitarian crises in the world, according to the United Nations. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees reported in March 2024 that two years of cyclical conflict in North Kivu have forced over 1.3 million people to flee their homes in the DRC, leading to a total of 5.7 million internally displaced persons across the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri. "With all the crises in the world, it is urgent to resolve the plight of displaced persons," Chirimwami emphasized. Enditem (Xinhua correspondent Wang Guansen also contributed to the story.) Photo taken on April 11, 2024 shows a soldier of the Congolese Army standing guard in Goma, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Plunged into conflict with armed rebels and overwhelmed by one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, North Kivu province, the epicenter of hostilities located in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is grappling with a "worrisome" and "unpredictable" situation, warned the military governor of the province, Peter Chirimwami. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen) Photo taken on April 11, 2024 shows a soldier of the Congolese Army playing the trumpet in Goma, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Plunged into conflict with armed rebels and overwhelmed by one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, North Kivu province, the epicenter of hostilities located in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is grappling with a "worrisome" and "unpredictable" situation, warned the military governor of the province, Peter Chirimwami. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen) Photo taken on April 11, 2024 shows a soldier of the Congolese Army standing guard in Goma, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Plunged into conflict with armed rebels and overwhelmed by one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, North Kivu province, the epicenter of hostilities located in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is grappling with a "worrisome" and "unpredictable" situation, warned the military governor of the province, Peter Chirimwami. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen) Photo taken on April 11, 2024 shows the military governor of North Kivu province Peter Chirimwami interviewed in Goma, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Plunged into conflict with armed rebels and overwhelmed by one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, North Kivu province, the epicenter of hostilities located in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is grappling with a "worrisome" and "unpredictable" situation, warned the military governor of the province, Peter Chirimwami. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen) Photo taken on April 11, 2024 shows soldiers of the Congolese Army on patrol in Goma, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Plunged into conflict with armed rebels and overwhelmed by one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, North Kivu province, the epicenter of hostilities located in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is grappling with a "worrisome" and "unpredictable" situation, warned the military governor of the province, Peter Chirimwami. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen) A 70-year-old Illinois man is accused of gunning down his neighbor in a racially motivated attack, then barricading himself in his home, authorities say. At about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 7, a Lockport Township neighborhood erupted in gunfire, the Will County Sheriffs Office said in a news release. Witnesses called 911 and watched as John P. Shadbar, armed with a rifle, fired shot after shot at his 45-year-old neighbor sending dozens of rounds of ammunition flying from several different vantage points outside, according to deputies. The woman, whom officials have not publicly identified, was critically wounded after she was shot once in the chest. The bullet pierced through her torso and went out the back, and she also was shot in her hand, deputies said. Investigators believe the shooting was racially motivated. Shadbar had made racially insensitive statements to the womans biracial children in the past and even threatened to kill them, the sheriffs office told WLS. Neighbors said they were aware of the bad blood between them but didnt expect violence. I never thought it would go this far, never did, neighbor David Dempsky told the station. Shadbar retreated to his home after the shooting and barricaded himself inside, officials said. Deputies gathered outside, a crisis negotiator was brought in, and Shadbar eventually surrendered, authorities said. He was arrested on charges of attempted murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, deputies said. Additional charges will likely follow, deputies said. The neighbor was taken to a hospital in critical condition but has since undergone surgery and is recovering, deputies said. Lockport is a roughly 35-mile drive southwest of Chicago. Customer angry over McDonalds order shoots, kills man trying to calm him, TX cops say Accused carjacker kills dad of 7 just hours after release from jail, Indiana cops say Man is fishing with woman when acquaintance approaches, beats him to death, IN cops say A dramatic helicopter rescue at sea by Brevard-based military personnel has captured international attention. The rescue from a cruise ship sailing off the Atlantic coast involved a child with a medical emergency. The 920th Rescue Wing said it successfully conducted the civilian medical airlift operation of a patient aboard the Carnival Venezia while the cruise ship was more than 350 nautical miles off the East Coast on Saturday. The rescue involved a child with a medical condition and the child's mother. Details about the patient were not disclosed. Personnel fly over the Canaveral Venezia cruise ship, preparing for the medical rescue. In a statement from the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Space Force Base, officials said that, within hours of receiving the call for assistance, the 920th Rescue Wing prepared and launched a rescue force consisting of two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and two teams of combat rescue officers and pararescuemen to fly to the cruise ship. The personnel safely removed the patient from the ship for transport to a medical center. When the mission commander arrived on location, two HC-130J aircraft circled the airspace to assess the situation and assumed on-scene command. Then, HH-60 helicopters approached the ship to execute the rescue. Officials said pararescue personnel were hoisted down, and immediately began preparing the patient. Then the patient and his mother were hoisted up into the helicopter, where the boy received medical attention while on route to a hospital. Personnel performed a medical rescue via helicopter from the Carnival Venezia cruise ship. Everyone in the wing mobilized with exceptional speed," said Capt. Dylan Gann, a pilot with the 301st Rescue Squadron. "By uniting our efforts, we saved crucial time, delivering life-saving assistance six hours ahead of other response teams. Our collective determination and efficiency ensured the successful rescue and transport of the individual in need. Reaching the ships remote location required three helicopter air-to-air refuelings. Those refuelings involve connecting a probe from the helicopter to a drogue on the HC-130J aircraft, allowing fuel transfer mid-flight. Officials said, as part of this mission, the wing assembled an operations center battle staff to coordinate all aspects of the rescue. This included everything from personnel to monitor weather in the rescue zone to flight doctors used to find the right treatment facility for the patient. The information was transmitted to the rescue force while they were on the way to the scene. They said the mission encompassed more than eight hours, with the patient successfully transferred to a hospital in the United States. In commenting on the rescue, Lt. Col. John Lowe, 920th Operations Group commander, said: This is what ready now looks like. These real-world missions are what our countless hours of training have prepared us for. Rescue was able to plan and execute this mission without hesitation. This combined arms team is highly trained in their field while understanding what role they play in the bigger picture and led to the successful completion of the mission." The Carnival Venezia had been on a 10-day cruise from New York City to the Eastern Caribbean when the medical emergency occurred. In a statement, Carnival Cruise Line said: "Carnival Venezia's team worked with United States Coast Guard and Air Force officials to adjust its course Saturday so a medical helicopter could rendezvous with the ship when a guest on board needed treatment ashore. The ship then resumed its route to New York, arriving as scheduled Monday morning." Based at Patrick Space Force Base, the 920th Rescue Wing is Air Force Reserve Commands only combat search-and-rescue wing. Its primary mission is to plan, lead and conduct military rescue operations and missions to deny adversaries exploitation of isolated personnel. Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com, on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54 The 920th Rescue Wing conducted a civilian rescue operation of a medically ill child aboard the Carnival Venezia cruise ship 350 miles off the East Coast. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: 920th Rescue Wing performs cruise ship rescue in medical emergency Sen. Mujtaba Mohammed speaks at Wednesday's press conference organized by N.C. Asian Americans Together (Photo: Ahmed Jallow) Representatives from the nonprofit advocacy group North Carolina Asian Americans Together called on state lawmakers Wednesday to protect voter ID exceptions, establish an independent redistricting commission, and support DEI initiatives and ethnic studies. The advocates spoke at a Legislative Building press conference alongside a small group of Asian American and Pacific Islander lawmakers. Later in the afternoon, advocates met with legislators to lobby for those issues. Speakers at the press conference, which coincided with the Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month, discussed the significance of diverse representation in state government, and the significance of Asian American voters in the upcoming election. Democratic Senator Jay Chaudhuri of Wake County, one of four Asian Americans serving in the General Assembly, said that in a battleground state like North Carolina, where, in 2020, Donald Trump won by only 74,000 votes and a Supreme Court race was decided by 401 votes, 172,000 registered Asian American voters could be the difference. Asian Americans can literally determine the future of our state and the future of our country, said Chaudhuri. We are a small but powerful bloc in the swingiest of swing states. We can be the margin of victory for years to come. With a growth rate of 68 percent between 2010 and 2020, Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial demographic in North Carolina, according to the 2020 Census. The Asian American population, which has grown to more than 450,000 statewide, spans more than 20 ethnicities with over 40 different languages spoken. Rep. Maria Cervania (D-Wake), Sen. Mujtaba Mohammed (D-Mecklenburg), and Rep. Ya Liu (D-Wake), the three other AAPI legislators in the General Assembly, also spoke at the press conference. Cervania said, Because of the strength of our votes, we are pulling up chairs at the tables that once they turned us away from. Liu, who like Cervania is serving her first term in office, said she will continue pushing for support for HB 619, a bill she cosponsored last year. The bill would require elementary, middle and high schools to teach the impact of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders on American history. Sen. Mohammed, who is serving his third term, underscored the importance of representation, particularly for young people. They need to be able to see themselves in their elected officials. They need to know that there are elected officials that look like them and are going to have their back. Founded in 2016, NCAAT seeks to get more members of the states Asian American community to get involved in the political process. For her part, Chavi Khanna Koneru, the executive director of the group, spoke out against House Bill 10, the controversial immigration bill that will require sheriffs to cooperate with ICE. The bill is set to be voted on this short session. HB 10 isnt intended to protect the freedoms of immigrants; rather, it infringes on our freedoms and is in direct conflict with our rights by mandating detention even in unjust cases, Koneru said. We stand with our community allies against this bill and are dedicated to advocating for the rights of each and every immigrant in our state. The post AAPI advocates, lawmakers promote election reforms, voting rights, DEI at Raleigh lobby day appeared first on NC Newsline. Kim Godwin announced Sunday to employees at ABC that she is stepping down from leading the networks news division. Godwin, the first Black woman to head the news division for a major television network, ends her tenure after various forces within and outside the company questioned, doubted and curtailed her leadership. Godwin steps down after criticisms of ABC News Godwin reportedly told employees Sunday about her decision to step down after three years in her role. Anyone whos passionate about what we do knows theres no other business like it, so this was not an easy or quick decision, the note said, according to the New York Times. 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 had initially been hired by ABC News as an executive vice president in charge of promoting diversity before she took the top spot at the news division. Since assuming that role three years ago, Godwin had been criticized for the sagging ratings of the networks GMA show, which was losing ground to rival programs on NBC and CBS. Godwin was also criticized for her handling of the public revelation that ABC morning anchors T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach, then married to other people, were in a romantic relationship; Godwin initially kept the pair on the air together before they were eventually fired. Godwins leadership questioned and undermined The Los Angeles Times reported that people within the news division did not like that Godwin reportedly led Happy Birthday singalongs at morning meetings and emphasized life-work balance, among other complaints made against her leadership style. She was also unpopular for getting rid of long-time executives within the division as part of a larger set of cutbacks implemented by Disney in 2023. Godwin appeared to lose the confidence of Disney, ABCs parent company; in February, Disney appointed Debra OConnell as president of News Group and Networks, placing her above Godwin and essentially curtailing Godwins authority over the news division. Questions about bias In the lead-up to Godwins resignation, anonymously sourced articles critical of her were published by outlets such as CNN, which claimed she was in hot water with her bosses and skating on thinner and thinner ice. The reporting contrasted Godwin with OConnell, who was described as a well-liked and respected media veteran. Prior to the announcement of Godwins departure from her position at ABC News, the National Association of Black Journalists issued a statement supporting Godwin. Their release condemned anonymous reporting that they saw as undermining Godwins authority and ignoring support that she enjoyed within ABC News. According to the statement, sources within ABC News who supported Godwin thought the opposition to her was racially motivated and driven by her not fitting into the good old boy network. Godwins departure marks another instance of Black leaders and particularly Black women in positions of power coming under scrutiny and, according to some, unfair standards. Time will tell how ABC and Disney handle her departure and what it means for the future of broadcast news. One woman died and seven people were hospitalized after a man set fire to a boarding house room hosting two lesbian couples. The woman has been identified as Pamela Cobas, one of the four LGBTQ+ women in the targeted room. The other three were severely burned and are currently being treated for their injuries, according to local police via the Buenos Aires Herald. The fire was started by a 62-year-old man using rags doused in a flammable substance, forcing the the evacuation of the boarding house in Barracas, Buenos Aires Monday night. While police have not yet revealed the suspected motive, the Argentine LGBT Federation said in a statement that the attack is potentially one of the most abhorrent hate crimes in recent years." One victim is being treated at the Burn Victims Hospital for severe burns covering 90 percent of her body. She is currently in critical condition, police said. The other two are being treated at a local hospital, where one is under respiratory assistance for the burns covering 50 percent of her body. The other, while unable to testify about the attack so far, is "responding well to care." The attacker also received medical treatment at a separate local hospital for an apparent self-inflicted neck wound. He has been kept in police custody since being discharged. The Argentine LGBT Federation attributed the violence in part to the recent gutting of government programs under President Javier Milei, who in February shut down the nation's anti-discrimination agency, the National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism (INADI). Hate crimes are the result of a culture of violence and discrimination, sustained by hate speech currently endorsed by several government officials, the Federation continued. The only spaces to which those of us who are victims of these attacks can resort are being emptied or eliminated by the current government. ... We will support them and help them and their families in whatever they need, and will follow the case in court so justice is served." BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) Abolitionist Place Park is Downtown Brooklyns newest community jewel. It officially opened to the public on Wednesday. After years of anticipation, Abolitionist Place, Downtown Brooklyns newest public greenspace, has officially opened its gates to the community. The long-awaited 1.15-acre park is a verdant oasis in the heart of the bustling neighborhood, providing much-needed open space for residents, workers, and visitors alike. For Paul Travis, a local worker whose office overlooks the park, the opening is a momentous occasion he has witnessed unfold over the past two decades. Its a phenomenal result, Travis exclaimed, recounting the construction journey he observed from his window. By Monday afternoon it was jammed with people, working in the neighborhood, living in the neighborhood, shoppers. Its gonna be a tremendous success, I think. Brooklyns Fifth Avenue Committee gets $3M boost to modernize its community hub Abolitionist Place honors Brooklyns abolitionist history and Underground Railroad ties, a past that Travis finds deeply meaningful. Im gonna be using the park to relax and just enjoy a very diverse neighborhood. Very unique in New York, he said. You really see it in the park. So its a terrific place to hang out. Andrew Kimball, president and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), acknowledged the complexities of developing urban parks like this one. It can be complicated in dense urban areas, getting it right, Kimball admitted. However, the final product is a triumph, featuring a play area, lawn, dog run, plantings, water feature, and ample seating designed by renowned landscape architects Hargreaves Jones. Regina Myer, president of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, emphasized the parks role as a community hub. Its really embracing our city and giving back, and we have it right here in Downtown Brooklyn, Myer said. Myer also underscored the significance of the parks name, stating, We needed to memorialize the abolitionist movement here in Brooklyn. So many brave people worked hard to support and move forward the abolitionist movement right here in this neighborhood. As the ribbon was cut Wednesday, Myer acknowledged Abolitionist Places dual purpose of recognizing the past while paving the way for a more inclusive future. For Travis, the park represents a long-awaited gathering space where he can immerse himself in the areas vibrant diversity. Theres not a lot of neighborhoods in America really as diverse as this neighborhood, he mused. You really see it in the park. He looks forward to spending warm summer evenings relaxing on the lawn after work, watching a cross-section of New Yorkers come together in this special place. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. In small towns around Springfield, residents have been demanding more accountability from elected officials. Organizing online groups, filing petitions and documenting meetings, these citizen advocates have become increasingly significant players in the local government scene. While the way townspeople organize and the actions they take vary, one thing remains the same dissatisfaction with local leaders and how their cities are run. When things go awry at city hall, residents' collective action is often what forces a new direction. "Maybe it's easier in a small town, because it's not like you can look around and say somebody else will do it for very long before you realize nobody else is going to do it and that that somebody has to be you," said Dayna Ault, who spearheaded the reorganization of a citizens group in Fair Grove. "You're the one that's got to step up. You can't wait for somebody else to do it." Willard aims for trust, accountability Willard made headlines in the fall as city government spiraled: One former mayor, Corey Hendrickson, pleaded guilty to felony charges as the Board of Aldermen moved to impeach the then-current mayor, Sam Snider, who announced his resignation hours before the hearing. As the drama unfolded, residents Angie Wilson and Megan Applegate recognized the need for a forum where residents could learn about the situation and discuss what was happening. Met at times with dismissive attitudes from local leaders, the two were further motivated to keep attending meetings and dig into how the city was run, with the shared goal of making Willard more transparent, consistent and trustworthy. Megan Applegate speaks to the Willard Board of Aldermen on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. Even before Willard's boardroom conflicts boiled over, Brad Mowell, known online as Man of Missouri (MoM), had been documenting the happenings within city hall and questioning local leaders and their motives on his MoM blog. Mowell, who now lives in Strafford but still has property in Willard, grew up in the Willard area and said the city remains close to his heart. When Mowell started to write about Willards local politics in the summer of 2022, he planned to focus on how financial systems beyond local municipalities shape policy decisions that people tend to take for granted. But local government soon took up more and more of Mowell's time and eventually he became known as the de facto community reporter and self-proclaimed "rabbit hole explorer," submitting open records requests and informing residents of what was happening at the city. "It really wasn't a decision," he said. "It was just kind of like, people really ought to know about this, nobody else is telling them so you know, I guess I should tell them." Although he considered leaving the reporting world behind at times, as Willard's leadership struggles persisted Mowell decided he needed to continue, despite the criticism he received from some residents. With the new year, Mowell did finally step away from documenting city hall and government happenings, passing the baton to Wilson and Applegate, whose citizens Facebook group acts as a forum for discussion and disseminating information. Both women credit Mowell's reporting for giving them a deeper understanding of city government; Mowell, for his part, believes the pair has had a larger impact on the city than his articles. Since creating the Facebook group, Wilson and Applegate have started posting citizen minutes of the board meetings, informing local residents of upcoming agenda items of interest and spearheading an effort to audit the city. "There was such a necessity, you know, for information to citizens to get out," Applegate said. "People are starved for information and they want to know what's going on. It's a place where you can be honest and find out information that's going on." Megan Applegate and Angie Wilson of Willard collect signatures for the state to audit the city at polls during the April 2 election. Over 300 resident signatures are needed for the audit to be completed. The two women have been collecting signatures for a state audit for more than a month, after the Willard Board of Aldermen did not vote to request an audit yet budgeted roughly $100,000 in anticipation of a petition from the citizens. Community members calling for an audit have pointed to Hendrickson pleading guilty to fraud and embezzlement at Prime Inc., where he worked at the same time he served as Willard's mayor. Hendrickson is scheduled to be sentenced June 24. Megan Applegate and Angie Wilson of Willard collect signatures for the state to audit the city at polls during the April 2 election. Over 300 resident signatures are needed for the audit to be completed. Beyond their efforts to audit the city, the pair spread the word about water rate increase discussions that the city had not adequately posted ahead of time. As a result of Applegate's complaints regarding the Sunshine Law violation, Willard's board is required to undergo open records training. Interest in government service has spiked, as well 11 candidates expressed interest in filling two vacancies on the board in November. The duo said their work has likely contributed to the city moving more swiftly to record meetings and establish an official city Facebook page. A community page on the social media platform that Mowell established a decade ago had acted as a city information page until it was passed on to Hendrickson and is now managed by the wife of a current alderman. Multiple residents have said they have previously been blocked from the page either for posting something negative about the city, sharing one of Mowells articles, or other reasons. Angie Wilson speaks to the Willard Board of Aldermen on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. Mowell said he started the group in the early 2010s as a way to let people know what was happening and had hoped it would continue to be a place for people to have questions answered and foster more government transparency. Although the city now has an official Facebook page to post announcements, without the ability to post comments, Wilson and Applegate said they believe there is still a vital role that their citizen group plays. "I think a lot of people look at Facebook and don't realize how important it is," Wilson said. "I guess it would be similar to how people maybe used to gather in a coffee shop and discuss things or talk about things at church. In a small town like Willard, we've become a little disconnected physically. So, Facebook is where we gather and we can talk about things, so our group allows that and encourages it." Not everyone agrees. Current Willard Mayor Sam Baird said he much prefers one-on-one conversations over the phone or in person and thinks social media has not been a positive factor in engaging with the community. Appointed mayor following Sniders resignation, Baird began posting video updates about the city on his personal Facebook page. In some of the earlier videos, he calls out "keyboard cowboys and malcontents." Willard Mayor Sam Baird presides over the Willard Board of Aldermen meeting on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. Wilson and Applegate said that behavior discourages and intimidates residents who may already feel hesitant to reach out to their elected officials. Baird said that is not his intention and he hopes those with positive and productive feedback would understand whats meant by his comments. More: Willard mayoral tie heads back to voters for a runoff election June 18 "I can see maybe if you didn't listen to everything I said, you could be discouraged," he said. "My guess is the people who are open-minded and listen to what I actually said, are not going to be scared off by the use of the term malcontent, hope not." While the move to remove Snider prompted an influx of folks at board meetings, Baird said he is glad to see some continue to attend and remain interested in city hall business. He sees a difference between airing frustrations with government and being driven to find solutions. "For me, civic engagement really means a positive interaction working for the betterment of our community, not just grinding your axe," he said. "Every alderman out there wants input, it doesn't have to be an agreeable opinion, we need to hear from our constituents and it's really hard to get anything ... you almost have to get somebody upset before they'll take the effort to reach out." Despite Wilson and Applegates creation of a community forum, Baird believes that civic engagement will not carry on once the dust settles and government runs smoothly without drama because of the energy and time it takes to remain involved. Mowell, who previously also served as alderman, agreed, but said citizens showing up should not have to be a requirement for work to get done properly. "I was elected to do this so that all of these people who elected me didn't have to come down there and do it themselves," Mowell said. "And so therefore, it was my responsibility to keep them informed." Fair Grove's second movement Ault, who organized the Fair Grove Citizens in Action group, knew how much work would be required after being involved in similar political engagement a decade ago. "There would have to be somebody who cared enough to keep caring and to keep this in front of everybody," she said. "People are going to have to stay awake and there's going to have to be a group that cares enough about the city, that even when things are going well, they stay alert." Fair Grove residents hold up signs in support of Ben McMains in front of Fair Grove City Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. People gathered to show their support of McMains's appeal to remain as the school resource officer. Her organization efforts were revitalized when a Fair Grove school resource officer was decommissioned by the Fair Grove Board of Aldermen. During a closed session appeal hearing, city hall was filled with community members outraged by the decision, which was ultimately upheld. Only a couple months before, the citys police staff had dwindled to a single full-time officer the police chief and other officers all resigned, citing the aggressive attitudes of certain aldermen. It was Fair Grove's third police chief to leave the post since 2020, leading many in the city to question what was causing the turnover. In Ault's view, the city settled and snoozed away when things were going well after the groups efforts in the 2010s. She said this is the reason the city found itself back at square one. More: Fair Grove community backs former SRO during appeal hearing, but aldermen don't budge Joan Gentry is the voter registration chair for the League of Women Voters of Southwest Missouri, which includes the work of an Observer Corps, whose members attend public meetings to observe, note the issues discussed and pay attention to proceedings to ensure they follow Sunshine Law. Gentry said observers currently attend Springfield Public Schools' board meetings, Nixa and Ozark school board meetings and Christian County Library board meetings. Gentry said attending meetings and noting what is happening is a necessary part of democracy, and waiting until things go awry could mean it is too late to make an impact. "People should be there to observe their government in action during good times and bad," she said. "You can't just assume that if everything is quiet that everything is good, you have to be there observing what's happening." Ahead of a city election on April 2, Ault said many of the Fair Grove group's efforts were focused on campaigning for people to run against board members the citizens found problematic. The group ran a write-in campaign that would have resulted in the write-in candidate, Kelly Petty, winning against incumbent Jeffrey Danderson by nine votes. However, due to erroneously issued ballots on the day of the election, the race is heading back to the polls June 18. This time, Petty will be listed on the ballot. Ault said her previous experience has allowed her to be smarter and more organized in getting the group up and running. She's also been able to delegate the work the Citizens in Action group consists of volunteers divided into three committees each with their own focus: legal, media and campaign. Since revitalizing the group, Ault has passed on the leadership to others in the community. While she has seen firsthand how interest and involvement fade as city leaders align more with the wants and needs of their constituents, this time around, she said the group is motivated to work on issues beyond the board following elections. More: Fair Grove to hold special election for alderman following mix-up at polls Power of grassroots organization In small towns, it is not uncommon for "everyone to know everyone." While small business owners have reported unease about speaking out on certain city issues for fear of losing customers, Ault said in her experience this insider knowledge has been an asset, especially when it comes to recruiting board candidates for elections. Across these towns, the value in disseminating information is at the core of successful rallying. In Willard, Mowells reporting and Applegate and Wilsons citizen minutes and Facebook group all focused on getting news out. In Fair Grove, a newsletter informed residents about what local government was doing and made the case that change was needed. "Making them aware that there was a problem, making them aware that that there was a group trying to do something about the problem those two things I think are huge," Ault said. Many of the community organizers said they've been asked to run for the boards they seek to hold accountable. Mowell and Ault both have served as aldermen in their respective communities, though Ault said she was hesitant to run. "One of the reasons I didn't is because I had more power being in charge of ... Citizens in Action than I did being on the board," she said. "There's so much you can't do and you can't say once you're on the board, your hands are tied, your lips are sealed." Applegate said she felt similarly, especially when calls to run for a seat came from aldermen, that sitting on the board would limit her ability to speak up. While Mowell was outspoken and lead the way in informing citizens during his tenure as alderman in 2014, he said transparency must be a commitment for municipalities. "Municipalities as a whole, in my experience, have a momentum to only report the good and to cover the bad up, and I would like to see that change," Mowell said. "I was all about, 'let's put it all out there.' I always had an idea, I was all about keeping a book of mistakes ... Sometimes you got to look at your mistakes and learn from them, that way you don't repeat them." Megan Applegate listens as the Willard Board of Aldermen meet on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. At the core of their continued engagement with local government is a love for the communities they live in. Ault said those who helped her run the citizens group the first time around had all left town, the dissonance at city hall playing a part in their flight. "I love living in Willard. I think Willard has a lot of potential," Wilson said. "My feeling is a city like Willard will not remain the same, it will either improve or it will decline. And if these problems are not addressed, it's going to decline, and I don't want that." Keeping up community pressure Community members have been at work in elsewhere in the Ozarks. In Christian County, a Clever Concerned Citizens group on Facebook formed in September after Clever's director of public works resigned, citing harassment from two aldermen. Linda Eutsler, founder of the group, said in an emailed statement that citizens were motivated to look into the two aldermen and eventually uncovered personal history that they believed made them unsuitable as representatives of the city. The group spoke at meetings and collected more 300 signatures for a petition to remove the two aldermen. The city attorney launched an investigation into whether grounds for impeachment existed, but there was no formal censure. "Although we failed to remove these aldermen, the community is more involved in what is happening in Clever and the importance of who we elect," Eutsler noted in the statement. Eutsler continues to use the group as a way to keep citizens informed about what is happening in city hall. More: In campaign for 5th term, Greene County sheriff faces first opposition since 2008 Gentry, of the League of Women Voters, emphasized that citizen input and their attention can have real impact on the decisions made by local elected bodies both at the polls and in meeting rooms. She pointed to the Springfield school board's decision to find a new spot for Pipkin Middle School as one example and noted that, even when community members don't comment directly at meetings, their presence and observations inform future outcomes. "As voters, they need to be not only, obviously registered, but they also need to be educated," she said. "One way to be educated is to participate in or observe, attend, serve on ... boards." Marta Mieze covers local government at the News-Leader. Contact her with tips at mmieze@news-leader.com. This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Grassroots small town citizen groups keep government accountable LIVE: Adam Montgomery to be sentenced. Heres how long he could spend in prison TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Adam Montgomery, the father of 5-year-old Harmony Montgomery, is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday after he was convicted of killing her about two years before she was reported missing by her mother in 2021. Harmony Montgomerys body has never been found. Prosecutors are asking for Montgomery to be sentenced to 56 years to life, according to NBC Boston. He was not present at his trial. His sentencing is expected to begin at 1 p.m. Harmony Montgomery was in foster care while Adam Montgomery was in prison for armed robbery and armed assault. After his release, he was eventually granted custody in February 2019, following years of supervised visits. In 2022, News Channel 8 spoke with Harmony Montgomerys uncle, Kevin Montgomery, who moved to New Port Richey in 2020. We loved her, a lot of us that loved her didnt have rights, Kevin Montgomery said. We didnt have rights to make the parental decisions. Court documents say Kevin Montgomery contacted the New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth and Families in July 2019 after he observed Harmony with a black eye. He also told investigators he saw Harmony being forced to stand in the corner for hours and her father ordered her to scrub the toilet with her toothbrush. Montgomery was last seen in October 2019 while in the custody of her father, Adam Montgomery. Crystal Sorey, Harmonys mother, lost custody of her daughter in 2018 while struggling with substance abuse issues. In December 2021, Manchester Police announced they had received a report of Harmonys disappearance, spurring a multi-state missing person investigation. Less than a week later, police arrested Adam Montgomery on charges related to failing to have Harmony in his custody. He would later face additional charges while in police custody, including assault and gun charges. NewsNation and the Associated Press contributed to this report. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) Health leaders across the United States are working to address the maternal health crisis, as Black women are nearly three-times more likely to die during childbirth than any other race. Last month, several organizations hosted panel discussions and events to raise awareness for Black maternal health. Previously: Portsmouth Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. set to host free community baby shower Norfolk State University assistant professor Dr. Stephenie Howard serves on the Virginia Child Fatality Review team, which is working to developing recommendations for prevention and education. While reviewing child death rates in the Eastern Virginia region, she noticed a trend of Black babies dying at a higher rate than others. There are medical disparities with Black women who are dying at higher rates, Howard said. Theyre having more complications during pregnancy and childbirth. We also see that Black infants are dying at higher rates than other infants. It is [a result of] systemic factors. It is the lack of resources. It is the limited housing and affordable housing opportunities. It is larger, broader issues that are creating and increasing risks in Black and Brown communities. Howard noticed that Black families with a doula (or birthing mother) have a more positive experience during childbirth. She started to investigate the causes of infant deaths, including sudden infant death syndrome or accidental suffocation and strangulation, to see if doulas share safe sleep practices with clients. Theres a lot of distrust with medical providers and other helping professionals, social workers included, Howard said. It is based on a history of malpractice, biased treatment, and harmful practices in Black and Brown communities. Howard and Shannon Dancy, a NSU research assistant published their findings on Reducing Infant Deaths in Virginia: The Role of Doulas Serving Black Caregivers. What we heard was that doulas help families to figure out how to make safe sleep work for their family, their lifestyle and the environment, Howard said. Doulas can be lifesaving resources. They are accessible. Theyre there to help us. They are sensitive to culture. Having both your medical professionals, social workers and nurses, but also having doulas, is a really great opportunity. NN convening event focuses on maternal health Melissa Herd, acting regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region III Acting Regional Director, told WAVY.com that doulas are advocates for families. Theyre not there to replace the nurse or the physician, but to come alongside birthing families. Herd joined health leaders at Gethsemane Baptist Church in Newport News for a two-day Maternal Health Convening. We are coming together to look at some of those root causes and recognize that there are systemic racism and policy issues, number one, but there is also implicit bias in terms of the individuals that are trying to serve these populations, said Dr. Cynthia Romero, EVMS Brock Institute director. There are ways that we can be culturally humble and also attentive to the way that [we] interact with others, and treat each individual, especially pregnant individuals and people of color, with humility, with kindness and compassion. The work is far from over, the hope is to bring together people from academic institutions, historically Black colleges and universities and faith-based organizations to address this crisis. Kenda Sutton-El, Birth in Color executive director and founder, is pushing for legislation to create an infant mortality review team. Its alarming because it is happening to not only the moms, Sutton-El said, but now, we have the infants that arent even making it to age one. Learn more about doula or midwife resources For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) On the first night that a new urban camping ban goes into effect in Portland, organizations that work with the homeless say the ordinance still needs clarification. Though Portland City Council faced a number of setbacks, initially, they unanimously passed the new regulations for camping on public property Wednesday. That was only after a number of revisions to Mayor Ted Wheelers proposal were added. The ban went into effect immediately. The concerns raised by advocacy groups for the homeless include that the ordinance may make things harder for people when it initially gets enforced. There are also a number of other short-term and long-term challenges that need to be addressed. Man arrested after alleged murder of 53-year-old man in Aloha Were again rushing to penalize people who are just trying to survive on the streets, said Juan Chavez, an attorney with the Oregon Justice Resource Center. The new revised camping ban prohibits homeless people from camping on public property or public streets and sidewalks if they have access to reasonable alternative shelter. If shelter is not available, the ordinance still bans camping on sidewalks and private property. We need to find out what reasonable means, said Blanchet House Executive Director Scott Kerman. And then we need to make sure that we are developing the kinds of shelter, village, other types of opportunities that will help people with a wide variety of needs and challenges in their lives. Creating enough shelter beds and affordable housing is something Multnomah County has struggled with delivering over the years. Bronze otter Slider stolen from Nadaka Nature Park, Gresham police say We dont have the adequate infrastructure to house and protect people in a safe manner, Chavez said. And yet we are passing a law that could lead to excessive punishment when truly there arent enough options for people. Under the new ban, people who are offered shelter can accept it or face penalties. Violators can be punished with a fine of up to $100, up to seven days in jail or both. If you are really, really poor, $100 might as well be $100,000, Kerman said. A lot of people who are, who are really suffering from significant and persistent mental health, as well as substance use disorder, and jails are not necessarily the ideal location for them to be. There was a daytime camping ban passed by the city council last June but its on hold with legal challenges underway like whether the original ban violates someones right to sleep. Mayor Wheeler said this latest idea to get rid of tents is the best legal alternative at this point. Washington defeats Oregon in U.S. News and World Reports annual state rankings We actually have beds and we have services for people who are dealing with addiction, Wheeler said. Is it just a way of trumpeting, you know, harsh punishment for people? If its ever enforced, I think itll be challenged either both in the criminal courts but also probably in the civil courts, Chavez said. The new ordinance also bans the use of fires or gas heaters at campsites and bans campers from setting up any structures. It also requires campers to keep all their personal belongings within two feet of their tent. The new policy is already in effect. The mayor said notifications will be sent out so everyone knows the rules as it is enforced. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. BUDAPEST, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed on Thursday his readiness to work with Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok to carry forward the traditional friendship, deepen political mutual trust, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, and steer the China-Hungary relationship to higher levels. Xi made the remarks when holding talks with Sulyok at the Sandor Palace in Budapest. Noting that Hungary is one of the first countries to recognize New China, Xi said since the establishment of their diplomatic ties, China and Hungary have always respected each other, treated each other as equals, and pursued mutual benefit. The bilateral relationship has stood the test of the changing international landscape and continued to grow in depth from a friendship across the continent, to a friendly and cooperative partnership and then to a comprehensive strategic partnership, Xi said. The China-Hungary relationship is now at its best in history, he said, adding that the traditional friendship has taken deep roots in the hearts of the people, and cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful outcomes. This year marks the 75th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, Xi said. Noting that China-Hungary relations have maintained steady development over the past 75 years, Xi said the two sides should sum up valuable experience and chart the course forward. First, Xi said, both sides should treat each other as equals, follow a development path suited to their respective national conditions, and firmly hold their destiny in their own hands. China-Hungary friendship from generation to generation does not target any third party, nor should it be dictated by any third party, he added. Second, the two countries should uphold mutual trust and mutual assistance, always understand each other, and firmly support each other in safeguarding their respective sovereignty, security, and development interests, Xi said. Third, the two sides should adhere to win-win cooperation, expand cooperation in various fields within the framework of the Belt and Road cooperation, and synergize their respective development strategies, he said. Both countries should also uphold fairness and justice, stand on the right side of history, and strive to make positive contributions to the cause of peace and development of mankind, he added. China is comprehensively promoting the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation with Chinese modernization, which will bring great opportunities to the world, Xi said. China welcomes Hungarian friends to board the "express train" of Chinese modernization, and stands ready to work with Hungary to continuously deepen political mutual trust, promote greater synergy between Chinese modernization and Hungary's Eastern Opening strategy, tap the potential of practical cooperation, and continuously expand bilateral exchanges in various fields, he said. Xi said China is willing to work with Hungary to continuously lead in the right direction of the Belt and Road cooperation as well as cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries, and to deepen and substantiate bilateral cooperation. It is hoped that Hungary will take the opportunity of taking on the rotating presidency of the European Union (EU) in the second half of this year to promote the steady and sound development of China-EU relations, Xi added. For his part, Sulyok noted that this year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Hungary and China, saying that since the establishment of ties, the two countries have always adhered to the spirit of mutual respect and mutual trust in developing bilateral relations. Since the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries was established in 2017, bilateral cooperation in various fields has achieved positive results, he added. He also thanked Xi for proposing the Belt and Road Initiative, saying that Hungary has benefited a lot from infrastructure connectivity and other cooperation. The Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by Xi, which call for strengthening international dialogue and cooperation, are crucial for tackling various challenges facing the world and preventing bloc confrontation, he said, adding that the Hungarian side highly appreciates those initiatives. Sulyok confirmed that it is Hungary's established policy to strengthen cooperation with China. He said Hungary looks forward to closer exchanges with China, strengthening the synergy of development strategies, and promoting key cooperation projects such as the Hungary-Serbia railway to bring more benefits to the people. Sulyok said he believes that Xi's historic visit will elevate the comprehensive strategic partnership between Hungary and China to a new and higher level. Noting that China has advanced technology and experience in green transformation and clean energy, he said more Chinese enterprises are welcome to invest and conduct cooperation in Hungary. He also expressed the hope that the two sides can continue to cooperate in the management of the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school and the Confucius Institute for stronger bilateral cultural and language exchanges and cooperation. Also on Thursday, Xi attended a welcome ceremony jointly held by Sulyok and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest. AUSTIN (KXAN) The Travis County Sheriffs Office issued an arrest warrant for a man deputies said shot and killed a man at a bar in southeast Travis County early in the morning of Friday, May 3, according to court documents. TCSO said the homicide happened at a business located in the 5600 block of South U.S. 183, which is close to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Deputies said they initially responded to a call there at about 12:25 a.m. for reports about a disturbance involving a gun, according to a news release. Related: Deputies search for suspect in deadly shooting in southeast Travis County Deputies said they found a man dead in the parking lot with several gunshot wounds. The sheriffs office reported that witnesses saw the suspected gunman drive from the scene northbound on U.S. 183 in a white Ford two-door pickup truck with a toolbox in the trucks bed. They also released photos and a description, saying he is Hispanic, in his 20s-30s and last seen wearing a white short-sleeved polo, jeans, white Nikes with a black swoosh and a white ball cap over a blue durag. The suspect was identified in an affidavit for an arrest warrant as Cesar Marquez, 32. He faces a charge of first-degree murder. Several witnesses talked to deputies, one of them was the victims girlfriend, who told deputies she had been dating the victim since January. Other witness statements revealed that the victim and girlfriend had an argument at the bar after the girlfriend had spoken to her ex-boyfriend, Marquez, according to the affidavit. The victim then walked outside, and Marquez followed, the affidavit said, and the shooting happened in the parking lot shortly after. Deputies watched security footage from the bar and corroborated the witnesses statements, and were able to identify Marquez as the suspect. A warrant for arrest on a first-degree murder charge for Marquez was filed on May 7. The affidavit stated that his whereabouts were still unknown. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Aid on its way to US-led Gaza pier, but delivery is unclear JERUSALEM The first aid ship bound for an American-built floating pier to be installed in Gaza departed early Thursday. But its unclear when the corridor will be up and running, and humanitarian groups say there are still major obstacles to getting food to starving Palestinians in the war-ravaged enclave. Cyprus announced the ships departure even though the U.S. military has not yet installed the pier and questions remain as to how the aid will be distributed. Even when the route is up and running, it wont be able to handle as much aid as Gazas two main land crossings, which are currently inaccessible. The U.N. says most of the territorys 2.3 million Palestinians suffer from hunger and that northern Gaza is already experiencing full-blown famine. Humanitarian workers fear an even more dire situation if Israel launches a long-promised invasion of the southern city of Rafah, which is the main distribution point for aid and where some 1.3 million Palestinians have sought refuge, most having fled from fighting elsewhere. US military finishes Gaza pier, but plans to move it into place paused Israel seized the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt on Tuesday, and its unclear when it will reopen. Israel reopened its side of the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing Gazas main cargo terminal after a rocket attack over the weekend, but the U.N.s main provider of humanitarian assistance says aid cannot be brought in on the Palestinian side because of the security situation. A recently reopened route in the north is still functioning, but only 60 trucks entered on Tuesday, far below the 500 that entered Gaza each day before the war. International aid groups warned this week that a distribution network is at risk of collapse across the territory because of the closure of Rafah, which was used to import fuel. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said it only has enough stocks to maintain operations for a few days and has started rationing. The threat of a full-scale invasion of Rafah, where many aid groups have warehouses and staff, is also disrupting distribution. President Joe Biden said Wednesday that the United States would not supply offensive weapons for an all-out invasion, in the latest escalation of tensions between the two close allies. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayahu brushed off the threat in a statement issued Thursday, saying If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails. But we have much more than fingernails, he added. Earlier, Israels far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote a post on the platform X with a heart between the words Hamas and Biden. He and other ultra-nationalist members of Netanyahus coalition support a large-scale Rafah operation and have threatened to bring down his government if it doesnt happen. Israels limited military incursion into Rafah has meanwhile already complicated what had been months of efforts by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt to broker a cease-fire and the release of hostages captured in Hamas Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war. CIA Director William Burns headed back to the United States as planned on Thursday after attending talks in Cairo and meeting with Netanyahu this week, a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door international efforts. Hamas also said its delegation had left Cairo and was returning to Qatar, where it maintains a political office. Egypts state-owned Al-Qahera TV said that the Cairo negotiations were continuing. It did not say whether Israels delegation was still there, and there was no comment from the Israeli government. The war began with Hamas surprise attack into southern Israel, in which it killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 250 hostage. The militants are still holding some 100 captives and the remains of more than 30 after most of the rest were released during a cease-fire last year. The war has killed over 34,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Israels offensive, waged with U.S.-supplied munitions, has caused widespread devastation and forced some 80% of Gazas population to flee their homes. Biden announced the construction of the floating pier two months ago as part of efforts to ramp up humanitarian aid to Gaza. Maj. Pete Nguyen, a Pentagon spokesman, said Thursday that parts of the pier are still in the Israeli port of Ashdod awaiting more favorable seas before being moved into position off Gaza. He said the U.S. vessel Sagamore, which left Cyprus, would transport aid to another ship, the Roy P. Benavidez, which is off the coast of Gaza. In the coming days, the U.S. will commence an international community-backed effort to expand the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza using a floating pier, he said. Hadjicostis reported from Nicosia, Cyprus. Associated Press writers Ellen Knickmeyer and Lolita Baldor in Washington contributed to this report. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) The 920th Rescue Wing, an Air Force Reserve Command combat search and rescue unit, airlifted a critical patient and his mother while they were 350 miles off the coast of the U.S. On May 4, the wing received a call asking for aid. The wing sent two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircrafts and two teams of combat rescue officers and pararescuemen to fly to the cruise ship and airlift the boy. The 920th Rescue Wing successfully conducted a civilian medical airlift operation of a critical patient aboard a cruise ship 350 miles off the eastern coast of U.S. May 4, 2024. The mission, carried out by two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and two teams of pararescuemen required three air-to-air refuelings to complete. The more than 8-hour mission covered more than 1,200 miles round trip over open ocean. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Darius Sostre-Miroir) The 920th Rescue Wing successfully conducted a civilian medical airlift operation of a critical patient aboard a cruise ship 350 miles off the eastern coast of U.S. May 4, 2024. The mission, carried out by two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and two teams of pararescuemen required three air-to-air refuelings to complete. The more than 8-hour mission covered more than 1,200 miles round trip over open ocean. (Courtesy pgoto) The 920th Rescue Wing successfully conducted a civilian medical airlift operation of a critical patient aboard a cruise ship 350 miles off the eastern coast of U.S. May 4, 2024. The mission, carried out by two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and two teams of pararescuemen required three air-to-air refuelings to complete. The more than 8-hour mission covered more than 1,200 miles round trip over open ocean. (Courtesy photo) An HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter receives fuel from an HC-130J Combat King II during a civilian medical airlift operation of a critical patient aboard a cruise ship more than 350 miles off the eastern coast of U.S. May 4, 2024. The mission, carried out by two HH-60s, two HC-130Js, and two teams of combat rescue officers and pararescuemen required three air-to-air refuelings. The more than 8-hour mission covered more than 1,200 miles round trip over open ocean. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Darius Sostre-Miroir) An HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter receives fuel from an HC-130J Combat King II during a civilian medical airlift operation of a critical patient aboard a cruise ship more than 350 miles off the eastern coast of U.S. May 4, 2024. The mission, carried out by two HH-60s, two HC-130Js, and two teams of combat rescue officers and pararescuemen required three air-to-air refuelings. The more than 8-hour mission covered more than 1,200 miles round trip over open ocean. (Courtesy photo) An HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter receives fuel from an HC-130J Combat King II during a civilian medical airlift operation of a critical patient aboard a cruise ship more than 350 miles off the eastern coast of U.S. May 4, 2024. The mission, carried out by two HH-60s, two HC-130Js, and two teams of combat rescue officers and pararescuemen required three air-to-air refuelings. The more than 8-hour mission covered more than 1,200 miles round trip over open ocean. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Darius Sostre-Miroir) The 920th Rescue Wing successfully conducted a civilian medical airlift operation of a critical patient aboard a cruise ship 350 miles off the eastern coast of U.S. May 4, 2024. The mission, carried out by two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and two teams of pararescuemen required three air-to-air refuelings to complete. The more than 8-hour mission covered more than 1,200 miles round trip over open ocean. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Darius Sostre-Miroir) An HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter receives fuel from an HC-130J Combat King II during a civilian medical airlift operation of a critical patient aboard a cruise ship more than 350 miles off the eastern coast of U.S. May 4, 2024. The mission, carried out by two HH-60s, two HC-130Js, and two teams of combat rescue officers and pararescuemen required three air-to-air refuelings. The more than 8-hour mission covered more than 1,200 miles round trip over open ocean. (Courtesy photo) The 920th Rescue Wing successfully conducted a civilian medical airlift operation of a critical patient aboard a cruise ship 350 miles off the eastern coast of U.S. May 4, 2024. The mission, carried out by two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and two teams of pararescuemen required three air-to-air refuelings to complete. The more than 8-hour mission covered more than 1,200 miles round trip over open ocean. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Darius Sostre-Miroir) The 920th Rescue Wing successfully conducted a civilian medical airlift operation of a critical patient aboard a cruise ship 350 miles off the eastern coast of U.S. May 4, 2024. The mission, carried out by two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and two teams of pararescuemen required three air-to-air refuelings to complete. The more than 8-hour mission covered more than 1,200 miles round trip over open ocean. (Courtesy photo) Police investigation at Ridge Community High School briefly shuts down parent drop-offs Everyone in the wing mobilized with exceptional speed, said Capt. Dylan Gann, 301st Rescue Squadron pilot. By uniting our efforts, we saved crucial time, delivering life-saving assistance six hours ahead of other response teams. Our collective determination and efficiency ensured the successful rescue and transport of the individual in need. The Rescue Wing said it took three helicopter air-to-air refuelings to reach the ship. Once on location, pararescuemen were hoisted down and the boy and his mother were hoisted into the helicopter. The boy received medical attention on the way to a hospital. This is what ready now looks like. These real-world missions are what our countless hours of training have prepared us for, said Lt. Col. John Lowe, 920th Operations Group commander. Rescue was able to plan and execute this mission without hesitation. This combined arms team is highly trained in their field while understanding what role they play in the bigger picture and led to the successful completion of the mission. The boy and his mother were successfully transported to a U.S. hospital after 8 hours and more than 1,000 miles flown, according to the Rescue Wing. The 920th Rescue Wing is based at Patrick Space Force Base in Florida. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Air Force airman killed by Florida deputies who were at wrong apartment, attorney says Air Force airman killed by Florida deputies who were at wrong apartment, attorney says An Air Force airman who was fatally shot at his Okaloosa County, Florida, apartment Friday was killed by a deputy after law enforcement burst into the wrong home, civil rights attorney Ben Crump said Wednesday. A woman said that she was on a FaceTime video call with Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, when he was killed and that he was alone and there was no disturbance, which law enforcement said was the reason for the call, Crump said. The Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office said that Friday afternoon, our deputy responded to a call of a disturbance in progress where he encountered an armed man, and the deputy shot him. According to the woman on the FaceTime call, whom Crump did not identify, Fortson heard a knock at his door, asked Who is it? got no response and could not see anyone through the peephole, Crump said in a statement. military air force airman killed by Okaloosa Sheriff (U.S. Air Force) There was a second, aggressive knock, Crump said, citing the womans account. Concerned, he did what any other law-abiding citizen would do and retrieved his legally-owned gun, but as he was walking back to the living room, police burst through the door. When they saw the gun, they shot Roger six times, Crump said in the statement. "The witness has said that she saw Roger on the ground stating, 'I cant breathe,' after he was shot," Crump said. She has also said the police were in the wrong apartment as there was no disturbance in the apartment and he was alone." A sheriffs spokesperson Friday night did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the claim that police were at the wrong apartment. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said it is investigating the shooting at the request of the sheriff's department. It did not provide any additional information, citing the active investigation. The state attorney's office is also conducting an independent review, the sheriffs office said. Sheriff Eric Aden said in a statement that all of us at the Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office are saddened about the fatal officer involved shooting over the weekend. At this time, we humbly ask for our communitys patience as we work to understand the facts that resulted in this tragic event, he said. Hurlburt Field, the Air Force base where Fortson was assigned, said in a statement that Fortson entered active duty on Nov. 19, 2019. He was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron. The 1st Special Operations Wings priorities are providing casualty affairs service to the family, supporting the squadron during this tragic time, and ensuring resources are available for all who are impacted, the base said. Okaloosa County is in the Florida Panhandle, east of Pensacola. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com (WHTM) The U.S. Air Force and National Guard Bureau have rescinded a plan to establish a low flyover area in the Pennsylvania Wilds. Governor Josh Shapiro and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn applauded the decision, saying the land is instrumental for rural tourism and wildlife. The state said DCNR and a coalition of partners fought the Duke Low Military Operations Area plan for five years. The plan was intended to accommodate myriad military aircraft at close to ground level, according to DCNR. Areas that wouldve been impacted by the plan included Cameron, Clinton, McKean, Potter, and Tioga counties. The area is also home to 10 state parks with five others nearby that include the homes of elk and other wildlife. The Pennsylvania Wilds, which is nearly as large as Yellowstone National Park, is home to dozens of state parks, game lands, forests, and an impressive array of wildlife. These remarkable natural landmarks help sustain a $1.7 billion outdoor recreation and tourism industry that is vital to Pennsylvanias economy, said Governor Shapiro. My Administration fought to protect the Wilds and I am glad that this final decision protects our people, our environment, our natural resources, and this entire region that is so critical to our Commonwealth. The flyover plan was due to include the A-10 Warthogs, however, in 2022 the U.S. Air Force announced decommissioning plans for the aircraft. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources had argued against the establishment of an air space for soon to be obsolete aircraft. abc27 has reached out to the U.S. Air Force for comment on the plans. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. Ukrainian air defense units destroyed 17 of 20 Shahed-type drones that Russia launched overnight, the Air Force reported on May 9. The drones were launched from the occupied Crimean peninsula. Missile units and mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Air Force intercepted the drones over Odesa Oblast. Local authorities didn'd provide any information on the aftermath of the attack. Drone attacks are a daily occurrence in Ukraine, affecting various regions across the country. Ukraine suffers a critical shortage of air defense systems due to delays caused by Congress in passing U.S. military aid, giving Russian forces the opportunity to launch renewed assaults on energy infrastructure. Russia's latest attack overnight on May 8 against Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, and Vinnytsia oblasts, mainly targeted energy infrastructure. At least three thermal power plants were damaged, according to Ukraines largest private energy company DTEK. The company did not specify the location of the plants but said that the equipment was damaged "seriously." Read also: Military: Russian assault groups break into Krasnohorivka, blocked at local plant Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Donald Trumps attorney Alina Habba thinks its a violation of the First Amendment to be prohibited from attacking witnesses. Fox News presenter John Roberts asked Habba Thursday afternoon, seemingly referring to Trumps former fixer and attorney Michael Cohen, about why the prosecutions star witness can say anything that he wants and then the former president is not allowed to respond? We have a dual system of justice and a very unconstitutional gag order, Habba said, standing outside of the courthouse in Manhattan while Trumps hush-money trial was on break. As his legal spokeswoman, I am nervous about what I cant say, and that is also unconstitutional. Habba: As his legal spokeswoman, I am nervous about what I cant say and that is also unconstitutional. pic.twitter.com/52ITZDmLF2 Acyn (@Acyn) May 9, 2024 Under the gag order, Trump is barred from speaking publicly about courtroom staff, prosecutors, jurors, witnesses, or their family members. He has already been fined $10,000 for 10 violations, with Judge Juan Merchan threatening jail time if the former president violates the order again. Trump may have come close Wednesday when he vented on Truth Social about how sleazebags, lowlifes, and grifters that you oppose are allowed to say absolutely anything that they want. On Thursday, Trumps legal team asked Merchan to modify the gag order, saying that Trump should be allowed to reply to adult film actress Stormy Danielss testimony against him. The prosecution responded that Trumps attacks put witnesses and court staff in danger, noting the increase in threats against the Manhattan district attorneys office and their family members. Merchan ultimately sided with the prosecution, noting that Trump does not have a good track record of measured responses, and denied the motion to modify the gag order. And with good reason: Trump has a history of attacking witnesses in his court cases. He couldnt refrain from violating a gag order in his bank fraud trial, attacking Judge Arthur Engorons principal law clerk, Allison Greenfield. Even earlier than that, he had a gag order imposed in his Washington, D.C., trial related to his efforts to subvert the 2020 election. Regardless, its ridiculous to suggest that intimidating witnesses to an alleged crime is protected speech under the Constitution. But its no surprise that Habba is making this argument, considering her own record of legal missteps and unhinged assertions. She made the boneheaded move of stating that she didnt have high hopes for Trumps acquittal in the hush-money case late last month, and also seemed to admit his guilt in attempting to state that he did nothing wrong. She claimed that the New York state law requiring Trump to attend all of his criminal trial proceedings violated his right to due process because he couldnt attend his trials in other locations. And none of this includes her missteps in his defamation trial earlier this year, where she was reprimanded a whopping 12 times in one day. Trump is facing 34 felony charges for allegedly paying off Daniels through Cohen before the 2016 election to try and cover up an affair with her. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (Good Things Utah) The Alzheimers Foundation of America is hosting a free educational conference in Utah on May 15th the public is encouraged and welcome to attend. The conference will greatly benefit many local families and will feature top local experts related to memory loss and Alzheimers Disease. AFAs Educating America Tour connects communities across the country with information about Alzheimers disease, brain health, caregiving and more. Each tour stop provides a free concepts in care educational conference to the community where participants can learn from local and national experts and ask questions about topics such as: Healthcare Caregiving Elder law Advance planning The latest developments in Alzheimers research And much, much more! Educating America Tour: Salt Lake City, UT May 15 @ 10:00 am 1:00 pm MDT Embassy Suites by Hilton West Valley, 3524 Market Street, West Valley City, UT 84119 For more information visit alzfdn.org. National Toll-Free Helpline: 866-232-8484 Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Good Things Utah For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. NAIROBI, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The 69th edition of the United Nations Civil Society Conference opened in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Thursday with delegates renewing the call for strengthening international cooperation to solve global economic, social and environmental challenges. Over 2,000 participants, drawn from governments, UN agencies, civil society, academia, industry and think tanks, are participating in the two-day conference, to be held under the theme of "Shaping a Future of Global and Sustainable Progress." As the first UN civil society conference to be held in the Global South, it will serve as a precursor to the Summit of the Future that will take place in New York in September. Amina J. Mohammed, deputy secretary-general of the United Nations, said in a televised address that the Nairobi summit took place against a backdrop of monumental global challenges that require solidarity to tackle. Civil society organizations are in a vantage position to offer solutions to the climate crisis, escalating geopolitical tensions, conflicts and inequality that threaten the survival of multilateralism, Mohammed said, adding that governments should partner with civil society to help deliver climate justice, sustainable development goals, peace, security, human rights and inclusive multilateralism. The meeting will feature workshops, exhibitions and interactive dialogues aimed at charting a new, sustainable and just future for the planet and humanity. Guy Ryder, under-secretary-general for policy at the United Nations, said that besides exploring a common approach to achieving the UN 2030 goals, the summit will also discuss pertinent issues like the safety of emerging technologies, financing for development and youth-led innovations. Ryder said that civil society groups attending the Nairobi summit are expected to forge lasting partnerships that can help revitalize multilateralism, the quest for global peace, inclusive growth and stability. Carole Ageng'o, co-chair of the 2024 UN Civil Society Conference, said it will drive the global conversation on how to achieve a more resilient, green, just and equitable planet for all citizens. The need to restructure multilateralism and align it with the aspirations of future generations will be a key highlight of the conference in Nairobi, Ageng'o said. Florence Syevuo, the executive director of SDGs Kenya Forum, said that civil society groups from the Global South should be at the front line of promoting action on the climate crisis, poverty, divisions and strife. U.S. President Joe Biden speaks by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from the White House in Washington By Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden spent months urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to protect Gaza civilians, but the U.S. decision to pause some military aid to Israel was linked directly to a pointed phone call they had a month ago, a U.S. official said. In the April 4 call, soon after seven World Central Kitchen aid workers were killed in an Israeli air strike, Biden gave Netanyahu an ultimatum: protect citizens and aid workers, or else U.S. policy would change. Biden had been pressed by international allies and many of his fellow Democrats at home to condition billions in U.S. aid to Israel over the massive death toll from its Gaza assault for weeks. Among many difficult calls between the two leaders, the April 4 conversation was pivotal, the official said. Until then, Biden had not threatened to hold back assistance despite increasingly tense conversations. Last week, the White House acted on the ultimatum. The United States withheld a shipment of thousands of heavy bombs, out of concern over Israel's slow-rolling assault in Rafah, where Washington opposes a major Israeli invasion without civilian safeguards. "Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers," Biden said Wednesday night, his first public words about the weapons pause. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin suggested to reporters Wednesday more weapons could be withheld. While Biden's weapons pause is nowhere near as severe as President Ronald Reagan's 1982 ban of cluster bomb sales to Israel, it is a turning point in the testy relations between Israel and its most reliable ally, one that has provided military aid, fighter jets and support at the United Nations. "This isn't a halt to all offensive weapons sales to Israel, but it's a ratcheting up the pressure that the U.S. really doesn't want the Rafah operation," said Bruce Riedel, a 30-veteran of the CIA and now a Middle East expert at the Brookings Institution. On Thursday, Israel struck eastern Rafah as a ceasefire-for-hostages deal appeared to crumble, and the U.S. warned that Israel's military strategy was a mistake. A second US official said the administration had intended to keep the weapons pause quiet but they spoke up after the Israelis leaked the news. The public nature of the move could work in Biden's favor, some supporters say. There have been "months and months of discussion about What are the messages being conveyed by this government to the Israeli government and 'To what extent do they take it seriously," said Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of the liberal Jewish advocacy group J-Street. "The fact that this became public is part of the message, said Ben-Ami. "Its a message to the world thatyou cant have carte blanche with American aid." Biden's Republican opposition, which almost universally supports Netanyahu, has been scathing in its criticism, accusing the US president of undermining Israel's security. "If any Jewish person voted for Joe Biden, they should be ashamed of themselves," Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Thursday on social media. DEFYING BIDEN Biden considers his ability to negotiate with foreign leaders - even those he frequently disagrees with like Netanyahu - a hallmark of his presidency. His administration has said it is keeping far-right Netanyahu close because it has greater influence over the Israeli leader that way. Netanyahu's open defiance of Biden's advice on Rafah has tried Biden's image as a foreign policy expert, while increasing pressure at home. After Biden pushed him to not to attack Rafah Monday, Netanyahu rejected a Gaza ceasefire deal accepted by Hamas, and began airstrikes in Rafah. A third U.S. official told Reuters then that the Israelis did not appear to be negotiating a ceasfire-for-hostage deal in good faith. Netanyahu's decision to move ahead came just days after 57 of the 212 Democrats in the House of Representatives signed a letter calling on the Biden administration to take every possible measure to dissuade the Israeli leader from an all-out assault on the city near the Egyptian border. Top U.S. officials from Biden on down spent weeks publicly and privately stressing Israel should outline a plan for Rafah that would minimize harm to the hundreds of thousands sheltered there after fleeing Israeli bombing in the north. As far back as a Feb. 11 Biden-Netanyahu phone call, Biden "reaffirmed his view that a military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the more than one million people sheltering there," the White House said. As concerns over Israel's Rafah plans grew, Biden officials were also raising questions about the legality of earlier phases of Israel's Gaza campaign. Several senior U.S. officials have advised Secretary of State Antony Blinken that they do not find "credible or reliable" Israel's assurances that it is using U.S.-supplied weapons in accordance with international humanitarian law. Last week U.S. officials said the Israelis had given them a broad brush idea of what they were planning in Rafah but did not provide a full-blown concept on how to protect Gaza civilians, a key U.S. demand. "Right now, the conditions are not favorable to any kind of operation. We've been clear about that," Austin, a retired four star general, told reporters last week. "It's necessary to take care of the civilian population that's in that area before anything else happens." Austin's appeals on humanitarian aid to Rafah had also become a fixture of his private, weekly calls with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, including on Sunday night. But then on Monday, Gallant's office issued a statement expressing that military action was required, "including in the area of Rafah." (Reporting by Steve Holland, Phil Stewart, Nandita Bose, Jeff Mason and Humeyra PamukEditing by Heather Timmons and Alistair Bell) Ann Coulter tells Vivek Ramaswamy she would never vote for him because youre Indian Failed 2024 Republican primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy praised Ann Coulter for having the guts to make racist remarks directly to his face on his podcast this week. Ms Coulter, a conservative firebrand with a history of openly racist remarks, appeared on the businessmans podcast, Truth, on Wednesday for an episode titled, The N Word: Nationalism. Mr Ramaswamy welcomed Ms Coulter by telling her that he is a fan. She replied that he is bright and articulate and notes that she wouldnt be allowed to say that to him, if he was an American Black. She goes on to say that, even though she agreed with him more than most other GOP primary candidates, she would not have voted for him to be president because he is Indian. She said: I agreed with many, many things you said during your campaign, in fact probably more than most other candidates when you were running for president. But I still would not have voted for you because youre an Indian. She then claimed that the core national identity in the United States is a WASP - a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. [That] doesnt mean we cant take anyone else ina Sri Lankan, a Japanese, or an Indianbut the core around which the nations values are formed is the WASP, she continued. Mr Ramaswamy was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Indian immigrant parents and is an American citizen. He would not have been eligible to run for president if he was not born in America. Additionally, the Constitution of India does not permit holding of dual nationality by Indian nationals. Mr Ramaswamy did not balk at Ms Coulters remarks, and the pair discussed their shared disdain of dual citizenship. He pushed back on Ms Coulters idea that Americans whose families have been in the US for centuries were more American. He argued that the children of immigrants could be more loyal to the US than a WASP, seventh generation descendent of some rich guy on the Upper East Side in Brooklyn that pretends to hate this country because its the cool thing to do. Following the podcast, Mr Ramaswamy posted on X that he agreed with Ms Coulter on dual citizenship but disagreed with her reasoning on why she wouldnt vote for him. However he added that he admired her guts for telling him. .@AnnCoulter told me flat-out to my face that she couldnt vote for me because youre an Indian, even though she agreed with me more than most other candidates. I disagree with her but respect she had the guts to speak her mind. It was a riveting hour. The TRUTH podcast is back https://t.co/neVjKSs6e9 Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) May 8, 2024 Ann Coulter told me flat-out to my face that she couldnt vote for me because youre an Indian, even though she agreed with me more than most other candidates, he wrote. I disagree with her but respect she had the guts to speak her mind. It was a riveting hour. Congressman Ted Lieu, whose family immigrated to the US from Taiwan, said that he wasnt surprised by Ms Coulters racism but expressed sympathy for Mr Ramaswamys response. I wasnt surprised that Ann Coulter made a racist statement about Vivek, he posted on X. What surprised me is the weakness and lack of self respect of @VivekGRamaswamy. Hes actually promoting this episode and praising the person who spewed raw racism to his face. I feel sorry for Vivek. For the first time, Sourcing Journal is bringing its live event experience to Los Angeles. The inaugural Sourcing Journal x Rivet Sustainability LA event on Sept. 26 will invite the industry to The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills to gather, learn and get inspired to transform their businesses. Themed Sea Change, the full-day conference will present case studies and actionable insights showing how to propel environmental and social responsibility forward. More from Sourcing Journal Sourcing Journal bringing a live event to California has been in the works for some time, and frankly, is long overdue, said Sourcing Journals editor-in-chief Peter Sadera. As a key manufacturing hub and the home of some of our industrys most successful and progressive brands, we are eagerly anticipating the event. From thought-provoking panels to educational conversation, LA Sustainability will bring the world-class experience of an SJ event to the West Coast. The agenda will reflect Sourcing Journal and Rivets extensive coverage of sustainability in the fashion supply chainfrom raw materials to retail. Brands and retailers will take the stage to share their successes as well as suggestions for what to doand not doto garner the best outcomes. When it comes to sustainable legislation in the United States, where California goes, other states tend to follow. Recently, The Golden State has rolled out laws that protect fair pay for workers and prohibit the use of PFAS, also known as forever chemicals. A session will dive into what to expect next in sustainability laws from California and beyond. In an industry that has now predominantly outsourced production operations, L.A. is a final bastion of apparel manufacturing in the United States. Although it may no longer be the norm, there is a case for Made in America fashion. Making clothing and footwear domestically offers sustainability benefits, including reduced transportation emissions, quicker response to actual demand and visibility into factories practices. Added denim focus While the day will present content applicable for the entire fashion and textile industry, there will be denim-specific sustainability highlights throughout. Although some issues are present across soft goods sectors, sessions will cover some key action items in the denim world, including curbing water usage and enhancing circularity. In recent decades, Los Angeles has become a center for premium denim, as jean-centric brands set up headquarters in the area. Manufacturers have followed suit, opening facilities for cut and sew, finishing and more nearby, shortening the supply chain and facilitating collaboration. As the global hub for denim supply chain news, Rivet is looking forward to providing L.A. denim brands and manufacturers a platform to share their sustainable journeys with our first in-person event alongside Sourcing Journal, said Angela Velasquez, executive editor of Rivet. Though the denim industry is known for being an early adopter of sustainable innovations, the event is an opportunity for denim leaders to break out of their silos and learn how other apparel categories are navigating sustainability. Registration will be opening soon for Sourcing Journal x Rivet Sustainability LA. Inquire here for more information. It was just past 1 p.m. on the first Friday in May, and a two-day festival of dangerous ideas was about to begin in a glassy warehouse on the Brooklyn waterfront. Winston Marshall, former lead guitarist of the once enormously popular folk rock band Mumford & Sons and the conferences lead organizer, bounded onstage. About a minute into his spiel about why hed created the event, he momentarily lost his train of thought. The important thing is Im drawing a blank, he said, laughing lightly. Then, getting back on track: The why is community; the why is to engage in difficult conversations. Youre going to see lots of random, weird things, he added, gesturing vaguely around the room, and it would all become clear if wed dig in, look around, and explore. Dissident Dialogues took place last weekend at the Duggal Greenhouse, the Brooklyn Navy Yard event space where Hillary Clinton celebrated her presidential primary victory in 2016. According to Marshall, around 800 people were there. (It looked more like 400 to me, but the crowd was dwarfed by the venue, a onetime shipbuilding facility with 70-foot ceilings and a 35,000-square-foot interior that can hold up to 3,000 people.) The scale was more rave or rock fest than lecture series, and more Texan than Brooklyn. Fog machines bookended the stage. Swedish pop star Robyns 2010 hit Dancing On My Own was playing when I walked in, followed by Kanyes 2022 song Eazy (No more counselin, I dont negotiate with therapists). There was a podcasting booth for the many speakers with podcasts; a table hosted by Pitchstone Publishing, a North Carolinabased press the reps described as traditional liberal (sample book title: Liberal Bullies: What Psychology Teaches Us About the Lefts Authoritarian Problemand How to Fix It); and an exhibit on Disrupting Uyghur Genocide, which urged attendees to contact brands whose supply chains are tainted and avoid companies with close ties to the Xinjiang government. The audience was mostly white and over 35, with lots of women and few people of color. Sartorial choices ranged from jeans, T-shirts, and athleisure to business casual to full-on Fox News power babethink Jay Roachs 2019 movie Bombshell. Marshall began his journey from rock star to festival organizer when he quit Mumford & Sons in 2021 after a Twitter backlash occasioned by a congratulatory tweet he sent to right-wing influencer Andy Ngo, author of Unmasked: Inside Antifas Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy. The criticism wounded Marshall, who has said he left the band to avoid tarnishing his bandmates. Three years later, hes still not over it, and I can see why: Most people, apparently including Marshall, would rather be a rock star with a massively successful band than the guy who quit the band to write pointless op-eds condemning the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement. He clearly misses being onstage, and its easy to wonder if he organized Dissident Dialogues to stay in the limelight. Marshalls father, Sir Paul Marshall, is a hedge fund manager with an estimated net worth of 680 million pounds, or roughly $850 million. The elder Marshall has a long history of criticizing Islam and funding right-wing and/or Christian causes; Winston is a self-described Christian Zionist. Father and son seem to have joined forces to bring bold ideas to Brooklyn; the website lists UnHerd, a U.K. media venture launched in 2017 to widespread ridicule, as an event partner. (Sir Paul is the founder and publisher of UnHerd, which now boasts a readership larger than that of the New Statesman; more than half of its readers are in the United States and Canada.) The conferences major sponsor was Ground News, a news aggregator service devoted to breaking media bias; minor sponsors include the free-speech advocacy group Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, and an organization called ThirdRail. The younger Marshall insists that he is not a conservative and claims to be equally repulsed by political extremism on the left and the right. Yet despite his hatred of extremes, he personifies what historian Tariq Ali calls the extreme Centre: He holds a hodgepodge of often contradictory right- and left-wing views, which in his mind make him a free-thinking radical and in practice help uphold the status quo. His self-conception as a bold purveyor of dissident ideas and victim of cancel culture is difficult to reconcile with his actual identity as the multimillionaire scion of a right-wing plutocrat poised to become the most powerful figure in U.K. media since Rupert Murdoch. In December, Marshall announced he was marrying Melissa Chen, a journalist at a conservative magazineThe Spectatorthat his father was, as of June 2023, thinking of buying. One day, Chen tweeted this year, I hope [Marshall] will no longer be defined by or asked about his cancelation from his band; and that the experience of leaving something he loved so much in order to be free, would be the least interesting thing about him. The most interesting thing his cancelation has yielded so far is Dissident Dialogues: 18 hours of talks, panel discussions, historical raps, and standup comedy by speakers such as Steven Pinker, John McWhorter, Thomas Chatterton Williams, and Kathleen Stock, on such confused and disparate topics as, Why Civilised People Undermine Civilisation, The Uyghur Story, What is the Future of Feminism? Lucretius, Are We Past Peak Woke? The End of Gender Medicine, and Debate: Israels War on Hamas is a Just War. Several of the attendees, most of whom had paid between $299 and $2,999 to be there, told me they wished there had been more of the debate, discussion, disagreement and discovery the organizers had promised. Others enjoyed it for what it was: an opportunity to meet their favorite anti-woke podcasters, YouTubers, and social media influencers in person. It was, a young woman named Vita told me, Twitter come to life. It was an apt description. The very first talk, Why Civilised People Undermine Civilisation, was delivered by Michael Shellenberger, the author of San Fran-sicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities, who has racked up a million followers on X by relentlessly owning the libs. His presentationwhich featured a bizarre series of slides documenting the opioid crisis, the proportion of college students who are disciplined or threatened with discipline for expression, the frequency with which the establishment press writes about racists and racism, the Seven Pillars of Civilization, and how police are almost exclusively presented as the bad guys in Hollywood films (they are?)was meandering, disjointed, and mercifully brief. Shellenbergers comment that its, We Shall Overcome, not We Shall Remain Victims Forever drew scattered laughs. The debate over whether Israels War on Hamas is just was one of only two discussions I attended where there was substantive disagreement among the panelists. An online poll revealed that 71 percent of the audience saw Israels war as just before the debate began. As the only participant clearly aligned with the contemporary U.S. left, commentator and lawyer Briahna Joy Gray, who served as Bernie Sanderss national press secretary in 2020, was jeered by the audience throughout. Having unwittingly chosen a seat near a vocally pro-war group of women, I heard them mock Grays voice, manner, and appearance (Shes a clown with clown makeup!) and shout at her while she was speaking. At one point, podcaster and journalist Michael Moynihan sneered at Grays suggestion that Palestinians be granted the right of return: Its not as if seven million Danes would be coming in, he said. When Gray suggested the comment was racist and asked what he meant by it, he said that Danes had never vowed to destroy Israel. Few left the Israel debate feeling optimistic or enlightened. Another poll showed that by the end of the debate, the share of the audience who believed Israels war is just had risen by three percentage points. (Its unclear whether that means people changed their minds after listening to the arguments or that more figured out how to log into the app and record their opinion.) As soon as it was over, Gray strode off the stage, tossed her mic to the moderator, podcaster Konstantin Kisin, and left as quickly as she could, pausing only to whip off her heels and throw on some flats. This is the most Islamophobic, racist audience Ive ever seen, she told Kisin, her voice shaking. Its disgusting. I hope someone drops a bomb on this entire building. As the audience streamed out of the venue, I heard an older woman grouse to the young man walking beside her, My feet hurt; my ass hurts; those chairs are hard. Then, with heavy sarcasm, Whats on the agenda for tomorrow? Do Jews have the right to exist? When I cornered Marshall as he was walking offstage on the second day, he said his three main goals for the conference were to increase diversity of opinion, foster community, andhe flashed a rakish grinfun. But its tough to expand ideological diversity when the majority of speakers and large swaths of the self-selected audience hold similar or identical views. To the extent that Dissident Dialogues had a unifying theme, it was, I have the right to say silly, false, and/or hateful things without alienating friends and colleagues or being mocked online. (As Chen recently tweeted, Its a lot harder to speak truth to friends than truth to power.) Worldviews should be challenged, not coddled, declared a sign brought to us by Ground News. It was an odd sentiment to encounter at an event dominated by people with careers, large public platforms, and/or ownership stakes in powerful media companies who believe they are the ones being persecuted and silenced. Equally strange was spending two days at an event meant to defend free speech and hearing next to nothing about the ongoing violent crackdown on student protesters around the country. (Two speakers characterized the student protesters as terrorists, idiots, or Hamas supporters; only journalist Lee Fang, formerly of The Intercept, noted during a panel on censorship that the vast majority of people fired for controversial speech in the last seven months have been critics of Israel.) As comedian Bridget Phetasy pointed out during her set, only one of the speakers had ever faced a life-threatening consequence for dissenting: Masih Alinejad, an Iranian who lives in Brooklyn and has been threatened with assassination for criticizing the Iranian government. (In one of several digs at student protesters, Phetasy said, We may be LARP-ing as dissidents, but at least were not LARP-ing as Palestinians in Gaza.) Perhaps because a sizable number of the speakers were British, there was strikingly little talk of the upcoming U.S. presidential election. At one point, Phetasy likened the conference to CPAC for people who are voting for Trump on the down-low. But when she asked how many attendees were voting for Trump, I saw just one hand shoot up. Phetasy looked surprised. I thought you all were dissidents! she said, then, Whos the dissident candidate? RFK Jr.! Woo! somebody shouted. The audience members I met were so earnest I began to feel indignant on their behalf. Unlike the speakers, they werent there to plug a podcast, a news outlet, or a personal brand, and most couldnt pay $2,999 to hobnob with Dawkins and the former Mumford son in the VIP lounge. (When I asked Marshall if the speakers were paid, he said, Yes. When I asked if hed mind saying how much, he said, No, I wont tell you that. Its confidential.) Most audience members were there to discuss ideas with people they didnt have to worry about offending. Ahmed Almadlouh, a 36-year-old graduate student at Columbia University, told me hed heard about the conference from a friend who admires Richard Dawkins. (Almadlouh said his initial thought was, Isnt [Dawkins] that old racist atheist?) He grew up in Saudi Arabia and moved to the U.S. a year and a half ago. The back of his T-shirt read, BRINGING YOU TO THE LIGHT SINCE 380 BCE, a reference to Platos allegory of the cave. He told me he was there because he wanted to get better at holding two contradictory positions at once and being able to defend both, a skill he thinks is important to his future work as an educator. He quoted Whitman (I am large, I contain multitudes) and mentioned that hed studied with the social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, of The Coddling of the American Mind fame. He seemed genuinely interested in being exposed to a variety of perspectives, and was disappointed by the conferences lack of ideological diversity; he wished it had featured more left-wing speakers. Sam Speiser, a sweet, shy 19-year-old Lafayette College student whose father drove him to the conference from their home in New Jersey, told me he was given a free ticket after writing an essay about why he wanted to attend. He had two books with him: The God Delusion, Dawkinss 2006 book arguing against the existence of God, and Norman Finkelsteins 2000 book The Holocaust Industry, which argues that the pro-Israel American Jewish establishment has exploited the memory of the Holocaust for political and financial gain. Sam described his own views as pretty middle of the road and said they hadnt changed much as a result of the conference. He expressed sympathy for Gray and added that the two liberals on the Israel panel had been eaten alive (Grays only ally in the Israel debate was Joseph Jake Klein, a writer who admires Ayn Rand and criticizes what he sees as identity politics). A tall young Black woman in rectangular glasses, a gold chain necklace, and a black lace maxi dress noticed Sam, who is white, before I did. She began loudly berating him for his choice of reading material. The God Delusion? she said disdainfully. Do you really think were animals? Is that what you think we are? Sam blushed and mumbled something about not knowing. When I introduced myself as a reporter and asked if I could interview them, Sam said sure. The young woman said, I dont want to put myself out into the ether unless I choose to put myself out into the ether. When I promised not to use her name, she agreed that I could quote her answer to my question about what she does: Im a student. Im going to be a student for life. I want to live in a house where I can be pregnant with nothing but ideas and pursue my creative work. When she walked away, Sam looked visibly relieved. Unlike many of my fellow attendees, I had only heard of a few of the speakers beforehand. Not being the target audience, I did not leave eager to subscribe to their podcasts or diagnose my own ideological blind spots with the help of Ground News. As I left the Duggal Greenhouse, I thought about people like Sam and our need to belong, our hunger for community and connectionand how easily and often elites exploit that desire to sell us $299 to $2,999 worth of snake oil. In this photo taken using a drone, people walk between rows of tulips at the Harrison Tulip Festival, in Agassiz, British Columbia, on Thursday, May 2, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP) May 3 - 9, 2024 People walk between rows of tulips in Canada, celebrities attend the Met Gala in New York City and new citizens take the Oath of Allegiance during a naturalization ceremony in Miami. This gallery highlights some of the most compelling images in North America published in the past week by The Associated Press. The selection was curated by AP photo editor Patrick Sison in New York. ____ Follow AP visual journalism: AP Images blog: http://apimagesblog.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apnews AP Images on X: http://twitter.com/AP_Images A federal appeals court dismissed Hunter Bidens latest attempt to get his gun case thrown out on Thursday, all but ensuring the presidents sons appearance in court next month. Biden had gone to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, hoping to have the three-judge panel overrule prior decisions by Delaware District Judge Maryellen Noreika, who is overseeing the trial, and has consistently swatted down Bidens many attempts to get the charges dismissed. The legal team of special counsel David Weiss, who brought the felony charges against Biden, succeeded in convincing the appeals court that it did not have the jurisdiction to review the case. This appeal is dismissed because the defendant has not shown the District Courts orders are appealable before final judgment, the three-judge panel wrote in their order on Thursday. Bidens lawyer, Abbe Lowell responded to the decision in a statement. In reviewing the panels decision, we believe the issues involved are too important and further review of our request is appropriate, Lowell said. Bidens legal team can now choose to pursue a review from the full bench, or they can ask the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the case. Judge Noreika confirmed that the trial is set to begin on June 3rd. In September, Biden was indicted on three criminal counts of illegally acquiring a firearm by submitting a form which falsely stated that he was not using narcotics. He pleaded not guilty to all counts. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. YINCHUAN, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Nine people were killed in a traffic accident in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Thursday morning, said local authorities. The accident happened at about 7:40 a.m. on a section of the national highway in Qingtongxia City, where a truck collided with a car, leaving nine dead and two injured. The injured people were rushed to local hospital and their injuries are not life-threatening, according to the regional public security department. The cause of the accident is being investigated. An appeals court refused to toss Hunter Bidens federal gun charges, paving the way for the presidents sons criminal case to proceed to trial in June. A three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the younger Bidens appeal Thursday, saying it lacked the jurisdiction to review the matter. Biden had asked the court to overturn the trial judges previous decision that the case should move forward to trial. This appeal is dismissed because the defendant has not shown the District Courts orders are appealable before final judgment, the order reads. It did not consider the merits of the appeal. Abbe Lowell, Bidens attorney, suggested in an emailed statement that his client might seek further review. In reviewing the panels decision, we believe the issues involved are too important and further review of our request is appropriate, he said in the statement. In a separate scheduling order released Thursday, Judge Maryellen Noreika affirmed June 3 as the start date of the trial and laid out additional pretrial deadlines. The news comes after Noreika declined to dismiss the gun charges last month, when the presidents son argued he was being wrongfully targeted for political purposes. Noreika said in her ruling that Hunter Bidens legal team did not provide concrete evidence to back up their claims that outside influences tainted the special counsels decision to pursue the case. The pressure campaign from Congressional Republicans may have occurred around the time that Special Counsel decided to move forward with indictment instead of pretrial diversion, but the Court has been given nothing credible to suggest that the conduct of those lawmakers (or anyone else) had any impact on Special Counsel, she wrote. It is all speculation. Special counsel David Weiss brought three gun-related charges against the presidents son last September two counts for failing to disclose drug use when seeking to buy a weapon and another for unlawful possession of a firearm while addicted to a controlled substance. Biden pleaded not guilty to all charges after a deal with the government fell apart. Under the agreement, he would have pleaded guilty to two tax offenses in order to avoid a formal gun-related charge under specific conditions. He would have also entered a pretrial diversion program in connection with a gun charge. After the deal was placed on hold, Lowell accused prosecutors of changing their decision on the fly. One, they wrote something and werent clear what they meant. Two, they knew what they meant and misstated it to counsel. Or third, they changed their view as they were standing in court in Delaware, he said of the prosecutors at the time. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. On Thursday the Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Hunter Biden's effort to have a federal gun charge dismissed, clearing the way for a possible trial start date in June. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI May 9 (UPI) -- The Third Circuit Court of Appeals Thursday ruled against Hunter Biden's effort to have a federal gun charge dismissed, without ruling on the merits of the appeal. Biden's trial could start June 3. The president's adult son was indicted for allegedly lying about drug use on a federal form filled out to obtain a gun in 2018. According to his lawyers, he owned the gun for just 11 days and never fired it. A three-judge panel of the court rejected Biden's appeal because they decided that before a final judgment in the case Biden could not appeal. "This appeal is dismissed because the defendant has not shown the District Court's orders are appealable before final judgment," the decision said. Unless a new plea agreement is reached, Hunter Biden's trial is set to begin in June. In a statement, Biden attorney Abbe Lowell said, "In reviewing the panel's decision, we believe the issues involved are too important and further review of our request is appropriate." That's an indication Lowell may ask the full Third Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Philadelphia to hear the appeal. In April, Biden lost an appeal before U.S. District Judge Maryellen Norieka, in which he had argued his prosecution was selective and vindictive. A Thursday order by Norieka set a June 3 trial date and Biden is scheduled to appear for a pretrial conference in court May 24. According to the appeals court filing Thursday, Biden's appeal before that court argued the indictment violated a non-prosecution provision in a "diversion agreement" he and the government had previously signed. Biden also argued in his appeal that he was vindictively and selectively prosecuted and the indictment violated separation of powers principles because "it was improperly motivated by the Legislative Branch and political pressure." Biden's third motion to dismiss, according to the appeals court filing, said the prosecuting U.S. Attorney's appointment as a special counsel violated a legal requirement that special counsel be "selected from outside the United States Government" and the Special Counsel "improperly used an appropriation established by Congress for "independent" counsel without the requisite independence." Special Counsel David Weiss indicted Biden in September 2023 for allegedly making false statements to a firearms dealer when he knew he was "an unlawful user of and addicted to any stimulant, narcotic, drug and any other controlled substance" while possessing the gun. That's a felony. Biden also faces tax charges. Hunter Bidens latest attempts to throw out his federal gun case were rejected in back-to-back rulings Thursday, teeing up a high-stakes criminal trial next month in Delaware. The presidents son had asked the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals to dismiss the charges by overturning prior decisions from the trial judge that let the case move forward. But the appellate panel instead rejected Hunter Bidens appeals, which related to his defunct plea deal and his claims that the case was tainted by political bias. Hours later, the trial judge, Maryellen Noreika, rejected Hunter Bidens remaining motion to dismiss the case based on Second Amendment grounds. The rulings pave the way for the first-ever trial against the child of a sitting US president. Theyre also a victory for special counsel David Weiss, who is prosecuting Hunter Biden in two separate criminal cases and is fending off aggressive pushback from his lawyers. With the gun case intact, Hunter Biden now faces a legally and politically perilous summer, with back-to-back trials while his father focuses on the 2024 campaign. The gun trial is slated to begin in early June unless the parties reach a plea deal or some other agreement to resolve the case, which is always possible. A separate tax trial is scheduled to begin in late June. In reviewing the panels decision, we believe the issues involved are too important and further review of our request is appropriate, Bidens lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement about the appeals court ruling, suggesting that he may ask the full Philadelphia-based 3rd Circuit to rehear the appeal. Prosecutors claim Biden illegally purchased and possessed a revolver in 2018, which violated federal law because he was using illicit drugs at the time. He has pleaded not guilty to all three felony counts. His attorneys have argued that the charges trample his Second Amendment rights and that possessing an unloaded gun for 11 days was not a threat to public safety. Noreika, a Trump appointee who was confirmed with wide bipartisan support in the Senate, refused to dismiss the gun indictment last month. She also previously presided over Hunter Bidens botched plea deal hearing last summer. Hunter Biden is also facing a federal tax indictment, and that trial is slated to begin in late June in California. He has pleaded not guilty to all nine charges in that case, which revolves around millions of dollars he made in Ukraine, in China and through other overseas deals. Appeals court loss Weiss team successfully argued that the appellate court didnt have jurisdiction to review whether Noreika made any mistakes earlier this year while rejecting Hunter Bidens motions to dismiss the gun case. This appeal is dismissed because the defendant has not shown the District Courts orders are appealable before final judgment, the three-judge appellate panel wrote in a four-page ruling. They turned away his attempts to review lower-court decisions about the legality of Weiss appointment and whether last years botched plea deal which wouldve resolved the case was still active. In rejecting his appeal Thursday, the 3rd Circuit panel said those types of deals with prosecutors do not implicate a right not to be tried and wouldnt give Hunter Biden additional avenues to pursue appeals. The decision was unanimous and based on procedural grounds. The three-judge panel included one Republican appointee and two Democratic appointees, including Judge Cindy Chung, who was put on the bench by President Joe Biden. Further, the ruling could make it harder for Hunter Biden to appeal his loss in the Second Amendment challenge, which Noreika rejected Thursday. Second Amendment challenge Hunter Bidens attorneys argued the three gun charges should be tossed out because the firearm-possession statute used against him violated the Second Amendment of the US Constitution. The specific statutes involved in the case make it a crime to lie on federal firearm forms about using illicit drugs, and also make it illegal to own a gun while using those drugs. Hunter Bidens attorneys, citing a recent decision from the 5th Circuit which does not cover the state of Delaware, where he was charged argued that under the Second Amendment, an individual can no longer be denied gun ownership due simply to past drug use. But the trial judge disagreed in her ruling Thursday. The current state of the law on the facial constitutionality of (the statute) is decidedly not in Defendants favor, Noreika wrote. No appellate court has agreed with his position, and possibly only one district court has found (the statute) unconstitutional on its face. This Court ultimately sides with the great majority of cases upholding the facial constitutionality of (the statute). In the 5th Circuit case, US v. Daniels, the conservative-leaning appeals court said the federal gun law that prohibits users of illegal drugs from possessing firearms was unconstitutional. In reaching that conclusion, the appeals court cited a landmark 2022 Supreme Court decision that changes the framework that lower courts must use when analyzing gun restrictions. Prosecutors handling Hunter Bidens case have called the 5th Circuit decision mistaken. They also noted Hunter Bidens own admission to using illicit drugs while he allegedly purchased and possessed a revolver in 2018. Discovery dispute Noreika on Thursday also rejected an attempt by Hunter Biden to obtain internal Justice Department documents that could shed light on any attempts by former President Donald Trump and his appointees to interfere with the long-running criminal investigation. As part of an effort to find evidence that Hunter Biden was being politically targeted, his attorneys asked for any documents about him that involved Trump, former Attorney General Bill Barr, other top Justice Department officials or several US attorneys. But the judge turned down that request Thursday. She previously rebuffed Hunter Bidens bid to throw out the case because of the supposed politicization, noting that even though Trump did call for Hunter Bidens prosecution while he was president, the charges were filed under President Joe Bidens watch and with oversight from Bidens appointees. Defendant has failed to show how any of the requested communications among former DOJ and Executive Branch officials could constitute exculpatory evidence as applied to him and the three firearm-related offenses being pursued here, Noreika wrote Thursday. This headline and story have been updated with additional developments. CNNs Holmes Lybrand and Devan Cole contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com From week-old chicken taquitos to broken sinks, 90-degree salad mix, one roach and grease-stained walls, health inspectors found subpar food conditions in 15 Nashville restaurants in April, the most recently available data. Tennessee Department of Health inspections of more than 1,300 restaurants, food trucks and other food service kitchens in Davidson County returned a median score of 98 out of 100. Then there are the restaurants that didn't break 70. Joanie Garza, a public health inspector with the city, uses a thermometer to check the temperature of meat in warm holding during a restaurant inspection on June, 6 2023, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Listed below, in alphabetical order, are the 15 restaurants that received a score of 69 or below on initial inspections in April, released this week. All restaurants are in Nashville unless otherwise specified. Restaurants are given a chance to correct issues, and sometimes a follow-up inspection is completed the same day. A full list of April inspection scores can be found at the end of this article. Want to learn more about restaurant health inspection in Tennessee? See our explainer. The Tennessean also posted a searchable database with health inspection scores dating back to August 2022. Inspections can be found at the end of this article. Full inspection reports can be found on the website of the Tennessee Department of Health. More: Dining safely in Nashville: What you need to know about restaurant health inspections Best City Crepe and Tacos (food truck) Score = 68 Date of inspection: April 18 Examples of violations: Hand sink blocked with dirty dishes; lettuce was 84 degrees and salad mix was 90 degrees; employee came into the truck from outside and began handling food without first washing hands. See the full inspection report. Follow-up score = 93 Date of follow-up inspection: April 25 907 Gallatin Pike South Chipotle Score = 66 Date of inspection: April 8 Examples of violations: Flies were seen around the back door; dishes on a shelf for clean items still had food debris on them; floors were dirty throughout the kitchen. See the full inspection report. Follow-up score = 88 Date of follow-up inspection: April 19 4216 Century Farms Parkway Dierks Bentley Whiskey Row Score = 63 Date of inspection: April 9 Examples of violations: The ceiling was excessively dirty and walls around the fry station were stained with grease; hand washing sink at fry station blocked by a 20-quart container of grease; damaged cans were in the storage rack. See the full inspection report. Follow-up score = 89 Date of follow-up inspection: April 18 400 Broadway El Aguaje Mexican Restaurant Score = 67 Date of inspection: April 1 Examples of violations: Raw beef tongue was stored above tomatoes in a cooler; a box of flour tortillas was stored on the floor; floors were in poor repair and could not be easily cleaned. See the full inspection report. 1501 N. Gallatin Pike, Madison Flamie's Hot Chicken Factory Score = 64 Date of inspection: April 22 Examples of violations: Floors in the kitchen had excessive grease buildup; cardboard was used as floor mats in the kitchen; the employees did not demonstrate basic food handling knowledge. See the full inspection report. Follow-up score = 91 Date of follow-up inspection: May 2 3231 Gallatin Pike Hard Rock Cafe Score = 58 Date of inspection: April 30 Examples of violations: Winged insects were seen in the serving area; spoiled fruit was found in a cooler; water was pooling in the dish pit room. See the full inspection report. 100 Broadway Hong Yun Buffet Score = 64 Date of inspection: April 18 Examples of violations: Raw chicken was sitting out at room temperature on an extremely dirty cart; the ceiling tiles and the floors were dirty; the can open blade was very dirty; shelves were dirty. See the full inspection report. Follow-up score = 92 Date of follow-up inspection: May 6 721 Madison Square, Madison Mas Amigos Score = 66 Date of inspection: April 25 Examples of violations: Chicken taquitos in the prep cooler were a week old and should have been thrown out; buttermilk sitting on the window sill was 62 degrees; 200 pounds of cooked and raw ingredients were embargoed by the inspector for not being properly stored. See the full inspection report. 2615 Nolensville Pike Munchiies (food truck) Score = 69 Date of inspection: April 20 Examples of violations: Cart had no way to keep hot dogs cold before they were cooked; the hand sink had no water; hot dogs stored in a cardboard box on the ground. NOTE: Cart closed due to violations. 975 Main St. Nashville Underground (kitchen) Score = 61 Date of inspection: April 29 Examples of violations: Banana pudding in the prep area was moldy; a bag of raw chicken was thawing in the "sanitized" section of the three-compartment sink; kitchen vents were excessively dirty. See the full inspection report. 105 Broadway Roy's Royal Room Score = 68 Date of inspection: April 25 Examples of violations: A cook put raw beef on the grill with hands and then picked up hamburger buns without washing hands; hand sink was blocked with pizza dishes; a cook was seen not properly washing and sanitizing a bowl. See the full inspection report. Follow-up score = 95 Date of follow-up inspection: May 2 3807 Gallatin Pike Sindoore Indian by Nature Score = 69 Date of inspection: April 26 Examples of violations: A roach was crawling on the wall behind the prep area; open cans of tomatoes and diced fruit were stored uncovered in the walk-in cooler; raw chicken in the cooler was 54 degrees, while cooked chicken sitting out was at room temperature. See the full inspection report. 457 Donelson Pike Sushi and Pho 88 Score = 68 Date of inspection: April 8 Examples of violations: A pear inside a cooler had green mold; the cooler holding fish for sushi was 47 degrees; a package of frozen hamachi fish was thawing at room temperature at the sushi bar. See the full inspection report. Follow-up score = 95 Date of follow-up inspection: April 23 2119 Belcourt Ave. Tasty and Delicious #2 (food truck) Score = 65 Date of inspection: April 17 Examples of violations: The hand sink had no water and was obstructed by speakers and a power strip; raw ground beef stored in the cooler was stored above lettuce and onions; condensation from the air conditioner was dripping into an open container of relish. See the full inspection report. Follow-up score = 96 Date of follow-up inspection: April 18 Weenie Fever #3 (food truck) Score = 65 Date of inspection: April 20 Examples of violations: The hand sink was broken, so the employees could not wash their hands; dishes could not be washed because the three-compartment sink was broken; frozen beef franks were stored in a cardboard box and not in the cooler. See the full inspection report. Follow-up score = 97 Date of follow-up inspection: April 20 975 Main St. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville restaurant April inspections: winged bugs, warm hot dogs Arizona State researcher on leave over video showing him cursing out woman in hijab A researcher at Arizona State University has been placed on leave as the university investigates a heated confrontation caught on video of him cursing out a woman wearing a hijab. Viral video from the rally shows Jonathan Yudelman, the postdoctoral scholar, approaching a woman who was wearing a hijab. Yudelman has his arms raised and saying, Im literally in your face thats right. The unidentified woman backs away with her hands in front of her and tries to back away from Yudelman and another man, who was also filming. She tells them that they are disrespecting her religious boundaries. You disrespect my sense of humanity, bitch, Yudelman responds. In the video, the other man, not known to be affiliated with the university, tells her, You dont like it go back to jihad. The university said in a statement that Yudelman is on leave pending the outcome of an investigation into the incident. The altercation happened Sunday during a pro-Israel rally in Tempe, Ariz. The school said the investigation is following university procedures for employee discipline. The university said since the exact incident happened on a city sidewalk, not campus, the matter has also been referred to the Tempe Police Department for a criminal investigation. Yudelman was placed on leave Monday and is not permitted to come to campus, teach classes, or interact with students or employees. Prior to the filmed incident, Yudelman resigned from his position, effective June 30, the university said. He was not scheduled to teach additional courses over the summer until his resignation date. Arizona State University protects freedom of speech and expression but does not tolerate threatening or violent behavior, the university said. While peaceful protest is welcome, all incidents of violent or threatening behavior will be addressed. Arizona State is one of the many college campuses across the country that has seen demonstrations over the last several weeks from pro-Palestinian protesters calling on the university to divest from Israel. Students filed a lawsuit against the university for infringing on their rights to free speech, after the on-campus demonstrations led to dozens of arrests, The Arizona Republic reported. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A video showing a confrontation between a man and a woman wearing a hijab during a pro-Israel rally at Arizona State University is further highlighting the roiling tensions on college campuses across the US over the Israel-Hamas war and a steep increase in reported antisemitic and anti-Muslim incidents. Here are the latest developments: Arizona State University investigation: A scholar at ASUs School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership will not return to teach at the university after a video under investigation by university officials shows him confronting and cursing at a woman wearing a hijab during a pro-Israel rally on campus, ASU announced Thursday. He is no longer permitted to be on campus and will never teach here again, ASU President Michael Crow said in a statement to CNN regarding Jonathan Yudelman, who the university had placed on leave following the May 5 incident. Massachusetts Institute of Technology protesters arrested: At least nine pro-Palestinian student protesters were arrested Thursday afternoon on MITs campus, according to Francesca Riccio-Ackerman, a spokesperson for MIT Scientists Against Genocide Encampment. This marks the first time demonstrators have been detained on MITs campus in connection to the pro-Palestine protests, according to the group. Videos provided to CNN by the Boston Party for Socialism and Liberation show protesters being detained and hauled out of the crowd. In another video, a protester can be seen being thrown on the ground by an officer attempting to remove people from the entrance to the garage. MIT on Monday ordered demonstrators to peacefully clear an encampment or face disciplinary action after efforts to reach an agreement broke down. By Wednesday, 23 students were suspended, with some receiving eviction notices from MIT, according to Riccio-Ackerman. CNN has reached out to MIT for comment on the suspensions and eviction notices. More than 800 UCLA faculty and staff call for chancellors resignation: Hundreds of University of California Los Angeles faculty and staff signed a letter calling for the immediate resignation of Chancellor Gene Block, saying those involved in recent protests on campus have been wronged by the schools administration, the group announced Thursday. The group is calling for legal and academic amnesty for students, faculty and staff who were arrested during protests on campus, Matt Barreto, a professor of Chicano studies and political science, said at a Thursday news conference. CNN has reached out to Block for comment. The letter also calls for a vote of no confidence from the UCLA academic senate and the union representing librarians and non-senate faculty throughout the University of California system. We condemn the UCLA administration for enabling a terrorizing Zionist attack and orchestrating a violent police offensive against its students, said a member of a group of medics who provided medical support to protesters during demonstrations. Pennsylvania governor calls for UPenn to disband encampment: The University of Pennsylvania needs to disband the growing pro-Palestinian protest encampment on its campus that has gotten even more unstable and out of control, Gov. Josh Shapiro said Thursday. It is past time for the university to act, to address this, to disband the encampment and to restore order and safety on campus, Shapiro said at an unrelated event. After a third round of negotiations did not result in an agreement on Tuesday, protesters set up more tents in the center of UPenns College Green Wednesday evening. The university confirmed to CNN on Thursday that it issued mandatory temporary leaves of absence for six students involved with the encampment. The students were informed they may not enter academic buildings, be present on campus and participate in university programming including classes and graduation-related events, according to a statement posted to the protesters UP Against the Occupation Instagram account. No criminal charges for The New School protesters: The New School university in New York wont pursue criminal charges against student protestors who were arrested on May 3, and the university has asked the district attorney to drop all charges, according to interim president Donna E. Shalala. She called the recent events on campus difficult and upsetting in a message to the university community, adding there are many things that we will want to work on together in the days ahead. The university is working to expedite conduct reviews for student protestors, according to Shalala, and also expects to soon announce a significant educational effort about investment principles and the history of divestment at The New School. University of Southern California officials censured: USCs Academic Senate voted 21-7 Wednesday to censure the universitys president and provost over their recent decisions to remove pro-Palestinian protesters from campus and change graduation plans, according to the student-led USC Annenberg Media. The resolution calls for a task force to investigate administrative decisions and provide a public report. Hundreds of Columbia University students sign letter addressing tension on campus: The letter, titled In Our Name: A Message from Jewish Students at Columbia University, calls out reported antisemitic incidents on campus that have forced us into our activism and forced us to publicly defend our Jewish identities. Columbia has been the focal point of pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses and more than 100 people were arrested last week after barricading themselves in the universitys Hamilton Hall. Emory undergraduate students vote no-confidence in school president: A little more than 40% of undergraduates at the university participated in the vote against university president Gregory L. Fenves, the Emory Student Government Association said, with 73% voting in favor of the referendum. The vote came less than a week after Emorys College of Arts and Sciences faculty senate overwhelmingly approved a vote of no confidence against Fenves. The votes are a symbolic condemnation of the universitys choice to call in outside law enforcement officers who arrested students and faculty during a pro-Palestinian protest on campus on April 25. The vote results may now go to the Board of Trustees, who would have the discretion to remove Fenves. While we take any concerns expressed by members of our community seriously, Emory community members are sharing a wide range of perspectives that are not reflected in the motion passed by SGA, Emory spokesperson Laura Diamond told CNN. Dozens arrested at George Washington University: More than 30 protesters were arrested at or near George Washington University early Wednesday as the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC, worked to clear a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus, officials said. Encampments were also cleared in recent days at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. House lawmakers question liberal cities school officials over antisemitism: School officials from New York City; Berkeley, California; and Montgomery County, Maryland, were questioned Wednesday over their response to alleged antisemitic incidents by members of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education. The session marked the first such congressional hearing to focus on K-12 schools. Video of now-ousted scholar prompts university investigation The video that led to postdoctoral research scholar Jonathan Yudelmans dismissal and sparked an investigation at Arizona State was recorded Sunday during a pro-Israel rally on the schools campus in Tempe, according to CNN affiliate KPNX. The 58-second video shows a postdoctoral research scholar, Jonathan Yudelman, continually moving toward a woman in a hijab as she tries to move away from him. Youre disrespecting my religious boundaries, the woman can be heard saying. She has not been identified. Yudelman replies, You disrespect my sense of humanity, b-tch. Its unclear what happened before and after the video was recorded, and CNN is working to confirm who recorded it. The clip has been posted to various pro-Palestinian social media channels. The same day, Yudelman was interviewed by a KPNX news crew covering the rally. It was important to come out and make a statement for the community, Yudelman told the outlet. I see whats going on all across the country campuses being taken over by supporters of terrorism and Jewish students being intimidated. Its unclear if Yudelman made this statement before or after the confrontation with the woman. Arizona State is aware of the allegations against Yudelman and is investigating, a university spokesperson told CNN. The Tempe Police Department is also aware of the incident and is investigating, the department told CNN. Yudelman did not respond to CNNs request for comment. The Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned Yudelmans behavior in the video as disgusting and dangerous in a statement on Tuesday and called for ASU officials to terminate his employment if the allegations against him are verified. Before the altercation, Yudelman had submitted his resignation from ASU, which was set to take effect on June 30, ASU said in a news release on Wednesday. USC president and provost censured The resolution to censure the University of Southern Californias president and provost says there is widespread dissatisfaction and concern among the faculty about administrative decisions and communication related to the removal of pro-Palestinian protesters from campus and changes to graduation plans. The censure of USC President Carol Folt and Provost Andrew Guzman passed in the universitys Academic Senate after a chaotic three-hour session Wednesday afternoon, the USC Annenberg Media reported. The resolution calls for the immediate creation of a task force to investigate these events and the associated administrative decisions and communication, and to provide a public report of its findings by September 15, 2024; and calls on the President of the University to cooperate fully with the task forces investigation. The vote to censure comes after the university announced last month it canceled valedictorian Asna Tabassums commencement speech over security concerns. The intensity of feelings, fueled by both social media and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, has grown to include many voices outside of USC and has escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement, the university said. Tabassum, a first-generation South Asian American Muslim, said she was shocked and profoundly disappointed in the decision. As pro-Palestinian demonstrations on the campus escalated, the schools main stage commencement ceremony was canceled and the Los Angeles Police Department has helped campus police clear encampments on the campus. We would like to speak in our name More than 500 Columbia students have so far signed the In Our Name letter, which was shared online by Columbia assistant professor Shai Davidai and many others, including Eden Yadegar, president of Students Supporting Israel at Columbia University. The letter says they are average students, most of whom did not choose to be political activists. We do not bang on drums and chant catchy slogans. We are average students, just trying to make it through finals much like the rest of you, the letter says. Those who demonize us under the cloak of anti-Zionism forced us into our activism and forced us to publicly defend our Jewish identities. In the letter, students express their pride in Israel and the diverse voices coming from the Jewish people. Our love for Israel does not necessitate blind political conformity. Its quite the opposite, according to the letter. All it takes are a couple of coffee chats with us to realize that our visions for Israel differ dramatically from one another. Yet we all come from a place of love and an aspiration for a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike. The letter also calls out reported antisemitic incidents on campus in recent months. Students at Columbia have chanted we dont want no Zionists here, alongside death to the Zionist State and to go back to Poland, where our relatives lie in mass graves, according to the letter. One thing is for sure. We will not stop standing up for ourselves. We are proud to be Jews, and we are proud to be Zionists, the letter says before ending on a hopeful note. While campus may be riddled with hateful rhetoric and simplistic binaries now, it is never too late to start repairing the fractures and begin developing meaningful relationships across political and religious divides, the letter says. Our tradition tells us, Love peace and pursue peace. We hope you will join us in earnestly pursuing peace, truth, and empathy. Together we can repair our campus. CNNs Rob Frehse, Melissa Alonso, Jillian Sykes, Nick Valencia, Jade Gordon, Devon Sayers, Cindy Von Quednow, Cheri Mossburg, Joe Sutton, Danny Freeman, Isabel Rosales, Taylor Galgano, Sharif Paget, Rob Frehse and Zenebou Sylla contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Mary Lois Hardin, board member of the L.C. & Daisy Bates House Museum Foundation, welcomes guests at an event on May 8, 2024 at Second Baptist Church in Little Rock that celebrates the installation of a Daisy Bates at the U.S. Capitol. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) More than a hundred people filled the pews at Little Rocks Second Baptist Church Wednesday to watch the unveiling of civil rights leader Daisy Lee Gatson Bates statue in the National Statuary Hall. The native Arkansan is the third African American woman to receive the honor. The local celebration that preceded the formal ceremony in Washington, D.C., at times felt like a proper church service as speakers offered prayers and song, and praised God for the historic occasion. Guests inside the worship center on John Barrow Road responded with applause, amens and shouts of approval as speakers shared their memories and words of respect for Mrs. Bates. Best known as a mentor to the Little Rock Nine, a group of African American students who integrated Central High School in 1957, Bates was also, along with her husband L.C. (Lucious Christopher) Bates, publisher of the Arkansas State Press, a newspaper focused on civil rights and other issues in the Black community. Daisy Bates Statute Daisy Bates is the third African American to have a statue installed in the U.S. Capitols Statuary Hall. (Screenshot from livestream) Several speakers praised Daisy Bates pursuit of an equitable education for all, including Crystal Barker, southwest region director for Delta Sigma Theta, a sorority of which Bates was an honorary member. Barker challenged the audience to not become complacent and to continue Bates work by coming together and fighting because our democracy is on the ballot. We cant just sit here and celebrate the fact that she did all of that, Barker said. The question is, what are you doing today for social justice and social activism? We cannot allow the things that are trying to attack our education system to become what its trying to become. Ms. Bates and other people fought for these rights for us to have equal education. Paula Rogers, a retiree who previously served as education manager for University of Arkansas at Little Rock Children International, attended Wednesdays event and told the Advocate that while Bates did much to improve educational equality, theres just so much work to be done. Critical Race Theory, all of the information that is being suppressed in the local schools about the history of Blacks, I think she would be furious right now if she saw what was really going on in the suppression of education and equality, she said. Tension around the discussion of race in Arkansas classrooms stems from a ban on indoctrination, like Critical Race Theory, through an executive order and the LEARNS Act, a wide-ranging law that made several changes to the states education system. The Arkansas Education Department abruptly removed an AP African American Studies pilot course from the states approved course list just before the start of school last August due to concerns over indoctrination. A federal judge on Tuesday partially granted a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the section of the LEARNS Act that bans indoctrination. While she didnt have a personal relationship with Bates, Rogers said she was in her presence a number of times and remembers the civil rights leader as a phenomenal and classy woman who exuded excellence and social justice. Mary Lois Hardin also knew Bates and recalled her sophistication, beauty and articulation. Hardin is a board member of the L.C. & Daisy Bates House Museum Foundation, which hosted Wednesdays Little Rock event. I thought it was long overdue, but then I realized it was right on time, Hardin said. ..Its really almost a serene, spiritual effect for me today to see that she is finally getting her just due. Were finally honoring her properly, and Im proud of Arkansas for doing this. The idea of honoring Bates in Statuary Hall is at least two decades old. Former state Rep. Jeremy Hutchinson, a Little Rock Republican, filed a 2001 bill to honor the Huttig, Arkansas, native in D.C., though he later withdrew the legislation. In 2019, Hutchinsons uncle, then-Gov. Asa Hutchinson, signed into law a bill sponsored by Sen. David Wallace, R-Leachville, to install statues of Bates and musician Johnny Cash, which will be unveiled in September. Congress in 1864 authorized states to donate up to two statues for inclusion in Statuary Hall inside the U.S. Capitol. Arkansas chose to install statues of Uriah Rose, founder of the Rose Law Firm and the American Bar Association, and James Paul Clarke, former U.S. senator and Arkansas governor, in 1917 and 1921, respectively. Those in favor of their replacement have noted their obscurity as well as controversial ideologies. Rose was a secessionist and Clarke was a white supremacy advocate. Its really almost a serene, spiritual effect for me today to see that she is finally getting her just due. Were finally honoring her properly, and Im proud of Arkansas for doing this. Mary Lois Hardin, L.C. & Daisy Bates House Museum Foundation Board member Bates eight-foot-tall bronze statue was crafted by Benjamin Victor, an Idaho-based artist who now has four statues in Statuary Hall. Bates is positioned next to Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy and Mississippis contribution to the collection. She also faces a statue of Rosa Parks, both of whom attended the 1963 March on Washington. Bates spoke briefly at the event, the only woman to do so. Bates bronze likeness depicts her holding a newspaper in one hand and a pen and notebook in the other, a nod to her work as a journalist and publisher. Bates was also a member of the NAACP and a button engraved with the organizations name is included on her lapel. The civil rights leader also appears to be in motion, taking one step forward, a reminder of her lifes work of pushing society forward. I think she would be overjoyed, overly joyed [about the ceremony] and I can imagine her husband would love to write this in his newspaper as to what happened today, Hardin said. Citing poet Langston Hughes work I, Too, Bates museum foundation board president Charles King told guests at the Washington D.C. ceremony that the struggles Bates endured because of racism highlight the countrys division, but her statue represents unity. The song of America was not the tune for Daisy Bates, King said. I have to believe the Almighty had a bigger and better song for Daisy it appears that the America that Daisy sang and the America that America sang were two different songs, until today. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Arkansans honor Daisy Bates as statue unveiled at U.S. Capitol appeared first on Arkansas Advocate. Lee County School District Superintendent Micheal Stone discusses the progress his Delta district has made in addressing its fiscal challenges during an Arkansas State Board of Education meeting on May 9, 2024. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) The Arkansas State Board of Education on Thursday voted to remove the Lee County School District from its fiscal distress status, but state officials will continue to monitor the districts finances for the next three years. Superintendent Michael Stone told the Advocate he felt great about the boards decision and said his Delta district has implemented systems and procedures to keep us out of trouble fiscally. Just keep doing what were doing, Stone said. Celebrate this moment and then get back to work. One of those new processes is a financial procedures manual. Stone, whos finishing his second year with the district, said they didnt previously have standard operating procedures for financial tasks written down. Additionally, Stone said the district has found ways to cut spending and will save between $900,000 and $1 million through attrition (not replacing four retiring employees) and through rightsizing staff. Stone said the district wont offer contracts to six or seven staff members for the 2024-2025 academic year to better align staff size with student enrollment. Arkansas Department of Education Associate Deputy Commissioner Eric Saunders described Stone as a heavy recruiter and a staunch supporter of the school district as a product of the community himself. District enrollment steadily decreased from 620 in 2020 to 576 in 2023, but increased to 617 in 2024. Stone said increased enrollment will also help finances because it means more state funding. Putting those systems in place like that, putting the focus back on the kids and what the kids need is what were doing to not only move the needle on academic success, but I think they play a tandem to each other academic, fiscal I think it works together because whatever you do fiscally should impact what we do academically, Stone said. Although the Board of Education is removing the fiscal distress designation, the state education departments Fiscal Services and Support Unit will keep monitoring Lee County. State officials will also continue providing wraparound services as a district classified as needing Level 5 Intensive Support. The district requested the support in May 2021 after facing academic and financial challenges. The state assumed authority over Lee County in March 2019 for violating standards of accreditation and designated the fiscal distress status two months later. The fiscal distress status is set to expire on June 30. There are four districts currently under state authority Lee County, Earle, Marvell-Elaine and Helena-West Helena. Last June, the state board released Earle from its fiscal distress status and approved a gradual release from state control. The day-to-day operations of Marvell-Elaine are being managed by a charter management organization under the states first transformation contract. A provision of the LEARNS Act, the contract permits public school districts with a D or F-rating or in need of Level 5 Intensive Support to partner with an open-enrollment public charter school or another state board-approved entity to create a public school district transformation campus. Sheila Whitlow, an associate deputy education commissioner whos been working closely with the district, told the Advocate shes ecstatic that Lee County is being recognized for its hard work. One of the districts successes is its affordable teacher housing project. In February, Lee County celebrated the groundbreaking of construction on four duplexes at a former Marianna elementary school site. The $3.9 million project, which is being funded using American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) money, will be used as a recruitment and retention tool. Stone said Thursday the duplexes are expected to be complete by July 1, just in time for school to start on July 25 at this district, which follows a year-round calendar. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Arkansas education board removes Lee Countys fiscal distress status appeared first on Arkansas Advocate. A former soldier was convicted on May 6 of the 2001 murder of a 19-year-old pregnant soldier after the conclusion of an investigation spanning 22 years and two continents. Shannon Wilkerson was convicted Monday by a federal jury in Pensacola, Florida, for the murder of Amanda Gonzales, according to a Justice Department press release. Wilkerson managed to evade justice for over two decades after Gonzales body was found in her barracks in Hanau, Germany, on November 5, 2001. Advancements in DNA technology, as well as an inability to account for Wilkersons whereabouts between when Gonzales was last seen on Nov. 2 and when her body was found on Nov. 5, eventually helped land a conviction. The prosecution alleged that Wilkerson was wearing a sweatshirt hed borrowed from a friend during that time, according to court documents. The owner of the sweatshirt said he had not provided the clothing to anyone else. The government conducted a DNA test on the sweatshirt in 2021 using previously unavailable technology. Thats when Jeffrey Fletcher, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Laboratory forensic biologist who examined the sweatshirt, identified something significant. Fletcher found a mixture of DNA on the sweatshirts sleeve that was at least 4,000 times more likely to have originated from Gonzales, Wilkerson, and the owner of the sweatshirt than from an unknown person, Wilkerson, and the owner of the sweatshirt, the prosecution said in the release. Despite the damning evidence, Wilkersons defense sought to pin the murder on Chinu Kim, a soldier who lived in the room next to Gonzales and who killed two mechanics five years after the death of Gonzales. Kim was convicted in 2010 for two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to two life sentences without the possibility of parole. United States Attorney Jason Coody poked holes in the defenses argument, noting, among other things, that Kim was too small in stature to match the killer in the Gonzales case. Amanda Gonzales wounds indicate she was overpowered quickly by a large, strong individual, said Coody, according to court documents. The prosecution also argued that Kim had been interviewed in prison and made no mention of killing Gonzales despite having already been sentenced to life without parole. The Justice Department also mentioned a potential motive alongside the conviction announcement. Timothy R. Langan Jr. of the FBIs Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch said that Wilkerson murdered Gonzales with the belief that she was pregnant with his child. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, the head of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, praised the tenacity of the department in their pursuit of solving the case. Many dedicated law enforcement officers and prosecutors persisted for years, pursuing every available lead and never wavering in their search for evidence to hold the victims killer to account for his heinous crime, Argenteri said in the release. Wilkerson is set to be sentenced on Aug. 8 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. The FBI New York Field Office, along with the Department of Armys Criminal Investigative Division, led the investigation. An arrest has been made in a brutal beating in Hollywood that left a man apparently unconscious on the Walk of Fame. Video of the early Monday morning attack drew attention on social media and TMZ, and the Los Angeles Police Department said in a news release that officers responded to that reported altercation in the 6700 block of Hollywood Boulevard and found a severely injured male victim. The victim, who has not been identified, was treated for several injuries at a local hospital, police added. On Wednesday, police arrested Hollywood resident Jorge Luiz Garcia, 27, on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon, police said in a news release. According to the LAPD, Garcia pepper-sprayed the other man, knocked him to the ground and continued to punch the victim while he was lying unconscious on the ground, resulting in severe injuries to the victim. The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office for the filing of possible charges. This arrest did not appear in a search of jail records. Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 213-972-2971. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). To report information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. URUMQI, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang has stressed that Xinjiang should work to improve people's wellbeing and promote long-term stability while striving for high-quality development. Li made the remarks during his inspection tour in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from Tuesday to Thursday. Noting that Xinjiang is promoting the construction of the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt, Li said it should better link inland regions with countries along the route, and build itself into a bridgehead for opening up to the west. After being told that the number of overseas visitors to Xinjiang has increased significantly following the implementation of the visa-free policy, the premier said that international exchanges should be strengthened in the fields of trade, education, medical care, culture and tourism. When visiting local companies, Li said Xinjiang should support the development of competitive industries that take advantage of local strengths such as energy, farm produce processing and equipment manufacturing. He asked local authorities to boost people's employment and incomes, and promote unity among all ethnic groups. Li also urged Xinjiang to push all work to a higher level and make greater contributions to the overall development of the country. Asa Hutchinson, the former governor of Arkansas and one of Donald Trumps sharpest critics on the GOP presidential debate stage, said he wont be voting for President Joe Biden in November. And while the likely rematch of the 2020 election has left many voters unenthusiastic about the prospect of either winning, Hutchinson said he thought American democracy would survive either way. Im not going to vote for Biden, Hutchinson told HuffPost Wednesday as he was leaving the U.S. Capitol after a visit, reiterating a stance first disclosed in March. Hutchinson, along with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, was one of former President Donald Trumps most vocal critics during the GOP presidential primary season. Early on, Hutchinson, a former federal prosecutor, said Trump should drop out because of the array of federal and state charges against him. Other prominent Republicans have recently said they wont vote for Trump but also wont vote for Biden, who will be the only other major party nominee on the ballot. Former House Speaker Paul Ryan said Tuesday that he wouldnt be voting for Trump but would instead write in his pick, which he said he also did in 2020. Christie, also a former federal prosecutor, said he, too, would not vote for Trump but also could not bring himself to vote for Biden, describing him as past the sell-by date. Christie said, If the American people are stupid enough to nominate these two guys, doesnt mean I have to be stupid, too. Not every anti-Trump Republican has picked that route, though. Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan said Monday he would vote for Biden instead of a criminal defendant without a moral compass. While critics of the no-Trump-no-Biden school say the narrow margins in swing states and the potential consequences of a second Trump win make that approach untenable, Hutchinson disagreed. I see one candidate thats very dangerous, Donald Trump, for America. I see Joe Biden as reflecting bad policies in America. Our democracy is resilient enough to survive either, but it might challenge it, he said. People are all struggling. Some will vote for a third party. Some Republican friends will write-in candidates. Others say were going to do the team thing, and we need to support Donald Trump. Ive indicated Im not going to do that. Trump, for his part, has appeared to give no credit for what his critics decide to do once theyve said theyre not voting for him. In a post on his social media site Thursday, Trump railed against Ryan, saying he should be fired from his position as a board member of FOX Corporation, the parent company of FOX News. Trump posted, Ryan is a loser, always has been, and always will be. He was the WEAKEST & MOST INCOMPETENT Speaker of the House in its History. Related... Atlanta airman killed by Florida deputy, but lawyer says they went into the wrong apartment An active-duty airman from Atlanta who was stationed in Florida died last week after he was shot by a sheriffs deputy who entered his apartment. U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, died on May 3 after being shot by an Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office deputy in his apartment, according to the familys attorney. National civil rights lawyer Ben Crump and Fortsons family held a news conference on Thursday morning in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] A woman who was on FaceTime with Fortson at the time of the shooting said he was alone and there was no disturbance, which is what law enforcement cited as the reason for responding to the apartment, according to Crumps attorney. She said that Fortson heard a knock at the door and he called out to see who it was, but didnt get a response. She said there was then a loud, very aggressive knock on the door. Fortson looked through the peephole but didnt see anyone. Thats when he went to get his gun, which he legally owned. When he walked back into the living room, deputies came through the door, saw the gun and shot him six times, Crump said in a news release. Fortson was taken to the hospital and later died. TRENDING STORIES: Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden also held a news conference on Thursday afternoon. He said that claims that deputies burst through the door or were in the wrong apartment are incorrect. During the news conference, Aden showed body camera video from the deputy involved in the incident. It shows him knocking on Fortsons door several times and announcing he is with the sheriffs office. Moments after Fortson opened the door, the deputy fired several shots and Fortson can be seen falling back. All of us at the Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office are saddened about the fatal officer-involved shooting over the weekend, Sheriff Aden said in a statement. Fortson was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron. He had been on active duty since November 2019. A spokesperson for Crumps law firm confirmed that Fortson and his family are from Atlanta. He graduated from McNair High School in DeKalb County. Sheriff Aden says the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the officer-involved shooting and the State Attorneys Office will also review the case. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: A Gate gas station employee was shot during an attempted robbery early Thursday morning, according to the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office. The shooting happened around 3 a.m. Investigators said the suspect walked into the store with a gun and demanded money from the safe. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Read: Residents at Jax 55 and over community trapped in their homes yet again because of broken elevator As a clerk was putting money into the bag, the suspect fired his weapon, hitting the clerk several times. The gunman got away without any money. The store has the suspect on surveillance video, but investigators said it didnt show his face. They said he was wearing a burgundy hoodie and dark pants. Read: Body camera video shows Jacksonville police, neighbors saving toddler after near drowning Two employees were in the store at the time of the shooting, no customers. The victim is expected to survive. Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call JSO at 904-630-0500 or give an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS. Read: DCPS board members blast new police chief for credibility issues over ties to Kent Stermon case [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Lawyer Benjamin Crump said Florida deputies entered the wrong apartment, killing U.S. airman Roger Forston last Friday. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI May 9 (UPI) -- Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said that Florida's Okaloosa County deputies arrived at the wrong apartment when they shot and killed an active duty Air Force airman last Friday. A witness who was on a FaceTime call with Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, during the incident said he was alone in his apartment when deputies burst into his unit in response to a disturbance, Crump said in a statement Wednesday. Fortson was shot six times after authorities barged in and died at a local hospital. Crump said Fortson had armed himself after hearing unexpected aggressive knocks at his door and deputies declined to identify themselves. Fortson was on his iPhone speaking to a witness via FaceTime at the time of the incident. Crump said Fortson asked who was at the door and he did not get an answer. "Concerned, he did what any other law-abiding citizen would do and retrieved his legally owned gun but as he was walking back to the living room, police burst through the door," Crump said in a statement. "When they saw the gun, they shot Roger six times. "The witness has said that she saw Roger on the ground stating, 'I can't breathe.' She has also said the police were in the wrong apartment as there was no disturbance in the apartment and he was alone." Crump demanded the release of body-cam video from police. "It is imperative to correct the record and acknowledge the wrongful entry into Roger's home," he said. Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden said that the deputy involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave and has asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to conduct a review. "All of us at the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office are saddened about the fatal officer-involved shooting over the weekend," Aden said in a statement. "At this time, we humbly ask for our community's patience as we work to understand the facts that resulted in this tragic event. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump on Thursday said Florida police officers violated the constitutional rights of Roger Fortson, a 23-year-old active-duty senior airman who was fatally shot by a Florida sheriffs deputy on May 3. Speaking from Florida with Fortsons family at his side, Crump urged the Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office to tell the truth about what happened the night Fortson was killed. They thought he was a bad guy, Crump said. But he was a good guy. They killed a good guy. They took from his mama a good guy. They took from his brother and sister a good guy. They took from his father a good guy. They took a patriot from us. According to Crump, Fortson was alone in his apartment on the night of the shooting when he heard a knock at the door. Fortson asked who was at the door but didnt get a response. Minutes later, there was an aggressive knock on the door, but Fortson was unable to see anyone when he looked out the peephole. Fortson then retrieved his legally owned gun. As he was walking back to the living room, police burst through the door. Upon seeing the gun, police shot Fortson six times. According to a witness, whom Crump said was on FaceTime with Fortson during the shooting, Fortson fell to the ground stating, I cant breathe, after he was shot. He was transported to a hospital, where he died. The witness, according to Crump, said there was no disturbance in the apartment and that Fortson was alone when police burst in. In a statement released last week, the sheriffs office said that a deputy was responding to a call of a disturbance at Fortsons apartment complex and reacted in self-defense after encountering an armed man. But attorneys for Fortsons family lambasted the police department for a disingenuous narrative that smears Fortsons name by implying he had committed a crime. Tell the truth, Crump said. Thats not so hard to do. The truth is this is about the Constitution, because in the state of Florida, I mean, we encourage gun ownership, said Crump. Roger had a right to the Second Amendment and he also had a right to the Fourth Amendment, to be free of unlawful searches and seizures. Especially in his home. Attorney Brian Barr, who is representing Fortsons family with Crump, added that the young airman could have been anyone. Every one of us sit in our houses every day, and every one of us, if somebody we dont know comes into our house, are going to defend ourselves? Barr said. He lost his life because they knocked on the wrong door. Barr added that the attorneys and family just want transparency from the Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office. We want to see the body cam video. We want to know what happened. We want the mistakes to be owned, said Barr. And were not going away until that transparency happens, and were not going to let them forget Roger. Thats not going to happen, not on our watch. Crump said the family would meet with Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden on Thursday. He expected body camera footage of the shooting to be shared with the family at the meeting. Following the familys press conference, they met with Aden. In his own remarks on Thursday, the sheriff said that the previous press conference falsely stated the deputy entered the wrong apartment and implied that he burst through the door into Mr. Fortsons residence. Four and half minutes of body camera footage, released to the press after Aden met with Fortsons family, shows a deputy responding to a call and asking a man on site if there was a fight. He then encounters a woman who tells him the fight is in unit 1401. The woman tells the deputy that arguments at the unit appeared to happen frequently but this time it seemed to be getting out of hand. Two weeks ago, I was walking by their apartment and I was hearing someone yell, like, shut the f up you stupid b-word and stuff like that, the woman tells the deputy. The deputy proceeds up to the fourth floor of the apartment complex. Upon reaching unit 1401, he knocks on the door but no one responds. He knocks twice more, and on the second knock calls out, Sheriffs office, open the door. He does this once more before the door is opened. When the door is opened, the officer tells Fortson to step out. As Fortson begins to exit his apartment, the deputy opens fire, shooting off five shots immediately, and proceeds to yell, Drop the gun! Fortson, on the ground, responds, Its over there! Drop the gun! the officer repeats. I dont have it! Fortson replies. The officer responds, Do not move, before calling in that shots have been fired. On Thursday, Aden said he has asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to conduct a criminal investigation, as is required under these circumstances. He added that no determination has been made as to whether the deputys actions were justified or not. Here in Okaloosa County, we pride ourselves on our commitment to transparency and accountability. These investigations take time, but I want to assure you that we are not hiding, covering up or taking any action that would result in a rush to judgment of Mr. Fortson or our deputy, Aden said. Aden added that the video footage shows the deputy announced himself and Fortson indicated that he did acknowledge it was law enforcement and still arrived at the door with a firearm in his hand. Still, Aden said, he hopes a peaceful resolution will be met on the matter. I told Mr. Fortsons family this afternoon that they have my word, if the shooting is found to be unjustified their sons name will be fully vindicated. Updated at 5:53 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. AUSTIN (KXAN) An Austin pediatrician assisted in bringing a Ugandan boy and his mother to the United States for an open heart surgery, nonprofit HeartGift Foundation said in a release. HeartGift helps connect children from around the world with free heart surgeries with congenital heart defects. Dr. Lori Hines traveled to Uganda to bring two-year-old Aaron and his mother to Austin for Aarons procedure at Dell Childrens Medical Center. Austin pediatrician Dr. Lori Hines helped guide two-year-old open-heart patient Aaron from Uganda to Austin for heart surgery through the Austin nonprofit organization HeartGift Foundation. (Courtesy HeartGift Foundation) Two-year-old Aaron from Uganda, pictured with his parents. (Courtesy HeartGift Foundation) Two-year-old Aaron is an open-heart-surgery recipient through the Austin-based nonprofit organization HeartGift Foundation. (Courtesy Jama Pantel) Two-year-old Aaron is an open-heart-surgery recipient through the Austin-based nonprofit organization HeartGift Foundation. (Courtesy Jama Pantel) Austin pediatrician Dr. Lori Hines helped guide two-year-old open-heart patient Aaron from Uganda to Austin for heart surgery through the Austin nonprofit organization HeartGift Foundation. (Courtesy HeartGift Foundation) Two-year-old Aaron is an open-heart-surgery recipient through the Austin-based nonprofit organization HeartGift Foundation. (Courtesy HeartGift Goundation) Austin pediatrician Dr. Lori Hines helped guide two-year-old open-heart patient Aaron from Uganda to Austin for heart surgery through the Austin nonprofit organization HeartGift Foundation. (Courtesy HeartGift Foundation) Austin pediatrician Dr. Lori Hines helped guide two-year-old open-heart patient Aaron from Uganda to Austin for heart surgery through the Austin nonprofit organization HeartGift Foundation. (Courtesy HeartGift Foundation) Austin pediatrician Dr. Lori Hines helped guide two-year-old open-heart patient Aaron from Uganda to Austin for heart surgery through the Austin nonprofit organization HeartGift Foundation. (Courtesy HeartGift Foundation) Hines is a volunteer medical transporter with Samaritans Purse, which works in partnership with HeartGift. Hines has helped host families from Uganda, Bolivia, Mongolia and Honduras over the past 13 years. PAST COVERAGE: Austin nonprofit performs 25 pediatric open-heart surgeries overseas Hines works as a pediatrician at Bee Well Pediatrics in Austin, per the release. While in Austin, Aaron has had plenty of new friends in tow Hines four children, three dogs, a cat and a dozen chickens. The kids and their parents are special, Hines said in the release. You get close with them and there are definitely tears when they are healed and go home. She will accompany Aaron and his mom back to Uganda during their trip home. More details on HeartGift Foundations work is available online. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. (Bloomberg) -- Australia is calling for the development of new natural gas resources to ensure it remains affordable and the nation continues as a major exporter, the latest shift by the center-left Labor government toward greater support for the fossil fuel. Most Read from Bloomberg The government released a long-term framework, called the Future Gas Strategy, on Thursday to establish gass role in the transition to cleaner energy, as it looks to meet a target for net zero by 2050. That will open it up to criticism to pandering to the A$72 billion ($47 billion) liquefied natural gas export industry, which argues that the nation faces a domestic shortfall as new projects have been stalled by onerous regulations. The strategy makes it clear that gas will remain an important source of energy through to 2050 and beyond, Minister for Resources Madeleine King said in a statement. Gas plays a crucial role in supporting our economy. We will need continued exploration, investment and development. The new strategy has been received warmly by the industry, with Australian Energy Producers Chief Executive Samantha McCulloch calling it a clear indication of the ongoing role and importance of natural gas. But environmental groups and left-wing lawmakers are furious, with Greens leader Adam Bandt calling Labor climate frauds. Instead of electrifying homes and businesses, Labor has caved into the big coal and gas corporations who want to mine giant climate bombs, Bandt said in a statement. Prime Minister Anthony Albaneses government was elected in May 2022 with a strong mandate to take tough action on climate change, and Australia is replacing its aging fleet of coal-fired power generation with renewables and has introduced fuel-emission standards. The new gas strategy echoes major energy producers including Chevron Corp. and Shell Plc, who say the fuel is needed in the energy transition. Read More: Gas Is Here to Stay for Decades, Say Fossil Fuel Heavyweights There are currently no alternatives to natural gas including in the processing of critical minerals or some high heat manufacturing uses, which we hope well be able to use hydrogen for, King said in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corp. But in the meantime, you cant have wishful thinking that that might happen without having the backup. As part of the strategy, King has threatened to look at strengthening use it or lose it provisions in the Commonwealths lease-retention policies, to encourage faster development of potential sites. Speaking at a press conference in Canberra on Thursday, McCulloch said substantial new investment would be needed in the Australian market to avoid shortfalls. Australia exports almost all of the gas it produces and its massive LNG facilities are among its worst polluters. Some of the biggest buyers including Japan and South Korea have raised concerns about future supply and King has visited both nations to assure them all contracts will be honored. --With assistance from Paul-Alain Hunt. (Updates with reaction from industry.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Australia and Tuvalu strike new security deal that eases the tiny nation's sovereignty concerns FILE - In this photo provided by the Tuvalu government, the newly elected Prime Minister Feleti Teo, right, is sworn into office during a ceremony in Funafuti, Tuvalu, on Feb. 28, 2024. Australia struck a new security deal with Tuvalu on Thursday, May 9, 2024, after critics complained that a previous pact created an Australian veto power over any other agreement the tiny South Pacific island nation pursued with a third country, such as China. (Tuvalu Government via AP, File) MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Australia struck a new security deal with Tuvalu on Thursday after critics complained that a previous pact created an Australian veto power over any other agreement the tiny South Pacific island nation pursued with a third country, such as China. Tuvalu Prime Minister Feleti Teo and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong committed to a new memorandum of understanding that addresses the sovereignty concerns of Teos government, which was elected in January. Its quite significant, the security guarantee that the treaty provides is something that is quite unique, Teo said at a joint press conference in his tiny nation with a population of around 11,500 people. Teos predecessor, Kausea Natano, struck a landmark treaty agreement in November last year that offered Tuvaluans a lifeline to escape rising seas and increased storm that threaten their country, a collection of low-lying atolls about halfway between Australia and Hawaii. Australia would initially resettle up to 280 Tuvaluans a year under the treaty. The deal also committed Australia to help Tuvalu in response to major natural disasters, pandemics and military aggression. The treaty also gave Australia a veto power over any security or defense-related agreement Tuvalu wants to make with any other country, including China. Meg Keen, director of the Pacific Island Program at the Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based think tank on international policy, said the new agreement made no substantive changes to the treaty announced last year. Teo is re-assured that provisions related to the veto-of-third-party arrangements are not intended to impinge on Tuvalus sovereignty, but rather to ensure effective responsiveness/coordination and interoperability in times of crisis response, Keen said in an email. There are provisions, if either party feels this understanding is not being honored, to withdraw, Keen added. Australia on Thursday announced an investment of more than 110 million Australian dollars ($72 million) into Tuvalu's priority projects including AU$50 million ($33 million) toward creating Tuvalus first undersea telecommunications cable. The Tuvalu agreement is part of the coordinated efforts of the United States and its allies to curb Chinas growing influence in the South Pacific, particularly in the security domain. Campaign issues at the January election included whether Tuvalu should switch its diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing. Teo told the AP in March in his first international media interview since taking power that his government would maintain diplomatic ties with self-governing Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory. Signs are posted in the young adult section of the Autauga-Prattville Public Library on Feb. 23, 2024. (Ralph Chapoco/ Alabama Reflector) Groups critical of restrictive library policies at the Autauga-Prattville Public Library filed suit Thursday against the library, alleging the policies violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama on behalf of Read Freely Alabama, an organization that has challenged restrictions; the Alabama Library Association and individuals and children who use Autauga-Prattville Public Library. The lawsuit challenges policies that a newly-installed board of trustees overseeing the library approved in February. The plaintiffs are challenging the selection criteria of the policy that board members adopted, and requests the court grant a permanent injunction enjoining the library from enforcing that section of the library board policies. They are overbroad, the complaint says. They discriminate on the basis of content. And they are vague. Messages were left on Thursday with board chair Ray Boles and Laura Clark, an attorney for the library. The Autauga-Prattville Public Library has been mired in controversy for more than a year since a parent complained about a book she borrowed that contained inclusive pronouns. Some parents formed a group called Clean Up Prattville that eventually morphed into Clean Up Alabama, who took their concerns to the library board and then county commission and city council meetings, reading passages from books they claimed are sexually explicit and inappropriate for children. Clean Up Alabama managed to convince county commissioners to appoint new members to the library board who aligned with their views. Members also managed to convince Gov. Kay Ivey to recommend changes to the APLS administrative code and for the ALPS to disassociate itself from the American Library Association. The new board adopted new policies in February that impose rules on a wide range of operations related to the library. The lawsuit focuses on one section of the Selection Criteria. For the avoidance of doubt, the library shall not purchase or otherwise acquire any material advertised for consumers ages 17 and under which contain content including, but not limited to, obscenity, sexual conduct, sexual intercourse, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender discordance, the policy states. Age-appropriate materials concerning biology, human anatomy, or religion are exempt from this rule. Minors younger than 18 years old are subject to the selection criteria and will not be able to borrow books that contain the themes mentioned in the selection criteria. Staff may purchase books and remove items from the shelves that contain those themes for children who are 17 years old and younger. Staff will also place a label on any books, even those in the adult section, that mention those issues. First, these policies are fatally overbroad, said Jessica Anne Morton, senior counsel with Democracy Forward, an organization representing the plaintiffs. Everyone agrees the First Amendment allows governments to protect against true obscenity, but these policies go so far beyond that. They take a sledgehammer approach, and so the policies, on their face, include so many things that are well beyond obscenity, including gender identity and sexual orientation. The controversy has led to a complete turnover in the membership of the local library board over the last year, and contributed to the firing of former director Andrew Foster. Foster filed a lawsuit against the library last month. The facially overbroad restrictions, the lawsuit alleges, violates patrons free speech rights by restricting patrons right to constitutionally-protected materials that are not obscene. The lawsuit also claims that the Selection Criteria discriminates based on content. Specifically, each policy unconstitutionally interferes with minors right to check out and read library material protected by the First Amendment, through the imposition of restrictions based on content broader than obscenity (such as sexual conduct, sexual intercourse, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender discordance), the lawsuit states. The lawsuit also alleges that the policy violates due process because it does not specifically outline what should be prohibited from the collection. The Selection Criteria Policy and the Library Cards for Minors Policy each deprive the Plaintiffs of their Fourteenth Amendment right to Due Process because of their vagueness, the lawsuit states. Specifically, both the Selection Criteria Policy and the Library Cards for Minors Policy fail to provide a person of ordinary intelligence fair notice of what is prohibited, and are so standardless that they encourage discriminatory enforcement. Angie Hayden, a member of Read Freely Alabama, said the adoption of the new policies earlier this year certainly solidified their concerns. They happened so quickly that we knew, for certain then, that we needed to start investigating our options, she said. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Autauga-Prattville Public Library sued over policies restricting book access appeared first on Alabama Reflector. ISLAMABAD, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Unknown armed assailants launched an assault on a house in the Gwadar district of Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province early Thursday morning, resulting in the killing of seven laborers, said police. Local police said that some unknown gunmen stormed the house and opened fire at workers sleeping in the rooms, leaving seven of them dead and another injured in the Surbandar area of Gwadar. Police and rescue teams rushed to the site after the incident and shifted the bodies and the wounded to a hospital. Chief Minister of Balochistan Sarfraz Bugti condemned the attack and reaffirmed the government's determination to root out terrorism and its supporters from the province, pledging to take decisive action against those responsible for such acts. Pakistan's Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi expressed sadness and extended condolences to the bereaved families, emphasizing the government's commitment to bringing justice to the victims. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. AUSTIN (KXAN) Every year, families spend thousands of dollars on childcare in Texas. According to research at the University of Texas at Austin, the cost adds up to nearly 14% of the states average median household income. But even with the high costs, childcare advocates said caretakers are not paid a livable wage. Its a problem both local and national groups discussed on Wednesday. RELATED COVERAGE: Child care in Travis County is the most expensive in Texas, new data show Its extremely expensive University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs Professor Steven Pedigo said running a childcare center can be very challenging. Its extremely expensive. Youve got the facility cost that youre providing, Pedigo said. Weve got certain requirements by the number of teachers and or assistants that have to be in a classroom. Youve got food costs. Its going to take a partnership between both public and private sectors to help, according to Pedigo. Think about how the state actually puts more dollars in just in this space, Pedigo said. How do we incentivize the private sector to kind of help step up at the table to actually maybe alleviate some of these costs? RELATED COVERAGE: Trickle of closures: More children, less child care in Central Texas as relief funds end Along with the cost issue, Pedigo said there is a supply issue as well. 50% of all counties in the state of Texas are childcare deserts. Steven Pedigo, University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs Professor A recent policy brief by researchers at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, including Pedigo, outlined different opportunities to improve the current childcare system. Possible solutions included: Economic incentives: better reimbursement rates, tax exemptions, low-interest loan A streamlined Texas Rising Star accreditation process: remove barriers to expansion Employer child care assistant program: help employees afford care Childcare as an economic booster This is an issue childcare advocates addressed on Wednesday. Texas own Employers for Childcare Task Force held a virtual townhall. Business leaders were joined by childcare providers, advocates and other stakeholders to discuss ways to expand access to affordable childcare for working families. Our inadequate childcare system in our state today is costing Texas over $11 billion every year. Thats lost productivity. Thats lost tax revenue. Kelsey Erickson Streufert, Texas Restaurant Association Public Affairs Officer Kelsey Erickson Streufert is an executive committee member with the task force. Streufert said a lack of affordable childcare really impacts working parents. Either they cant find high quality childcare, or if they find it, it is going to cost them more to put their child or children into that childcare system than they can make in many different types of jobs, Streufert said. RELATED COVERAGE: Texas Restaurant Association creating child care pilot program for hospitality employees Its one of the reasons that the Austin chapter of the Texas Restaurant Association is working to create a childcare pilot program for hospitality employees. The collaboration is happening at a local level to make sure that were addressing that challenge for our folks here in the Austin area, Streufert said. So stressed Finding childcare has caused William Alexander and his family anxiety in the past. Its something that youre so stressed about as a parent, Alexander said. We got on waitlists pretty soon after my wife became pregnant. We were on four or five waiting lists. Alexander said cost is a challenge for many. William Alexander said he hopes to see both local and state leaders prioritize addressing the childcare crisis. (Photo: William Alexander) William Alexander said he hopes to see both local and state leaders prioritize addressing the childcare crisis. (Photo: William Alexander) William Alexander said he hopes to see both local and state leaders prioritize addressing the childcare crisis. (Photo: William Alexander) Were struggling to find anything in Austin of any quality below $1,500 a month. In most cases, that doesnt cover food. It doesnt cover snacks. William Alexander, parent RELATED COVERAGE: CapMetro daycare center to stay open for another year, previously at risk of closure Alexander said he hopes to see movement on this issue soon. The childcare center where his daughter goes to is at risk of closing. It just reintroduced us to how challenging this whole process is, Alexander said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) A breakfast and lunch spot specializing in steamed bagel sandwiches, Sullys Steamers, will open its first Tennessee location in the former Which Wich location in north Johnson Citys Hamilton Place. Local leaders discuss Methodists changes to LGBTQ+ stance A building permit was pulled May 3 for 1069 Hamilton Place for an estimated $100,000 worth of work renovating the existing restaurant space. Which Wich closed in December 2019. Jeff and Laurel Jamieson-Wilson will operate the 12th overall location of the South Carolina-based restaurant, which opened its first location in Greenville, S.C. in 2013. Jeff Wilson said they hope to open by the end of July or the beginning of August. The relatively simple menu features 31 bagel sandwich varieties, most stacked with meats and cheeses. The primary trademark is the steaming process, which the companys website claims leaves the sandwiches hot, melty and delicious. Wilson said he and his wife decided to inquire about a franchise after visiting Sullys for the first time during a wedding anniversary trip to Greenville last winter. He said they kept noticing the restaurant was packed, and were hooked by the staff and the food. The restaurant uses a fast casual model, in which patrons order at the counter but staff bring the meal to the table. After a few bites, we looked at each other with the same thought, Wilson said via email. We need to bring this Hot Mess to Johnson City and share it with our community. The website touts the slogan Im a hot mess. Sullys website shows eight stores in South Carolina, two in North Carolina and one in Georgia. Wilson said the store will be staffed with 5-10 full-time employees and approximately 20 employees overall, and added that the Wilsons would like to have a second location near ETSU in the future. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. Twelve years ago, former President Barack Obama made a historic declaration on national television supporting same-sex marriages , a momentous event that would significantly shape the landscape of LGBTQ + rights in America. His declaration came in a pivotal interview with ABC News on May 9, 2012, marking the first time a sitting U.S. president had openly endorsed marriage equality . This endorsement catalyzed a series of events that would lead to the U.S. Supreme Courts landmark Obergefell v. Hodges decision in 2015, legalizing same-sex marriages nationwide. "I've stood on the side of broader equality I hesitated on gay marriage in part because I thought civil unions would be sufficient," the president told out anchor Robin Roberts. "But I have to tell you that over the course of several years, as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors, when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that 'don't ask, don't tell' is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I've just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married," Obama said. Just days before Obamas endorsement, then-Vice President Joe Biden expressed his support for same-sex marriage on NBCs Meet the Press. Bidens comments, which preceded Obamas public endorsement, were crucial in setting the stage for Obamas announcement. Biden openly discussed the fundamental nature of marriage, emphasizing love and loyalty beyond gender. His early and clear support highlighted a significant shift in public attitudes and underscored the evolving perspectives within the highest levels of government. Obama and Biden's endorsements were not just political maneuvers but reflections of their personal growth and the changing tides of society. Prior to 2012, the federal Defense of Marriage Act still defined marriage as between a man and a woman for federal purposes, and many states had enacted bans on same-sex marriage. According to Gallup, only 50 percent of Americans supported the right for same-sex couples to wed at the time. That number has increased significantly , with 71 percent supporting marriage equality in 2023. The response from major newspapers and the public at the time underscored the impact of Obamas statement. The New York Times noted the necessity of strong national leadership to expand equal rights, while USA Today commented on the historic nature of Obamas endorsement as a marker of how far public opinion had shifted. The Boston Globe emphasized the presidents commitment to fairness and equality, aligning him on the right side of history. In the years following these declarations, the Obama-Biden administration continued to support LGBTQ+ rights through various executive actions and legal battles, culminating in the Supreme Courts decision to strike down DOMA in 2013 before it affirmed the constitutional right to same-sex marriage in 2015. The landscape of LGBTQ+ rights continues to evolve, with new battles over transgender rights, religious exemptions, and nondiscrimination protections taking center stage. In recent years, Republicans have attacked the LGBTQ+ community by targeting drag queens, transgender people, books, and curricula that discuss sexual orientation and gender identity. Alarmingly, the ultra-conservative Supreme Court signaled with its Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022 that rights like marriage equality may not be permanent. The 2012 endorsements by Biden and Obama were more than political moments; they were profound affirmations of dignity and equality for millions of Americans. Barrister named Stonewall champion of the year disbarred after false homophobia claim Mr Harwood is a long standing advocate of LGBT+ rights with campaign group Stonewall - Mike Kemp/In Pictures A barrister who championed LGBT+ charity Stonewall has been disbarred after making false homophobia claims. Barry John Harwood was found to have knowingly misled the Bar Standards Board (BSB) after fabricating parts of serious allegations against fellow barristers. Mr Harwood, who was the deputy director of advocacy at City law firm DWF, complained about a colleagues behaviour towards him in March 2019. The barrister alleged his colleague intentionally referred to his romantic partner as husband in emails, despite knowing they were in a civil partnership and not married. Mr Harwood alleged this amounted to homophobia. However, the BSB found Mr Harwood had in fact referred to his partner as husband and the two of them as married in previous WhatsApp messages with the accused. Mr Harwood also claimed the same barrister had bullied another colleague by employing a racist nickname. He alleged that a female staffer they both worked with, whose last name is Wong, complained to Mr Harwood directly that the barrister had nicknamed her Legally Wongers. However, the tribunal found Ms Wong never raised any such concerns with Mr Harwood. Mr Harwood was disbarred by an independent disciplinary tribunal last week and told to pay 5,500 in costs. The barrister watchdog said Mr Harwood failed to act with honesty and integrity, behaving in a way likely to diminish trust and confidence in the legal profession. Mr Harwood is a long standing advocate of LGBT+ rights with campaign group Stonewall and was named the North est senior champion of the year at the charitys regional awards in 2018. He also co-chaired DWFs LGBT+ employee network, OutFront. Mr Harwood left the law firm in April 2019. A former police officer and university law lecturer, Mr Harwood retired as a barrister in 2021 after 25 years, according to his LinkedIn profile. He currently serves as the chief legal officer at Sterling Boulevard, a real estate agent based in Dubai. A BSB spokesman said: Dishonestly and deliberately making false allegations to a regulator, especially in relation to serious matters such as discrimination and harassment, is wholly incompatible with membership of the Bar and the tribunals decision to disbar Mr Harwood reflects this. Mr Harwood was contacted for comment. DWF declined to comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Donald Trumps youngest son is about to join the new family business: leading the Republican conference. After he graduates from high school next week, Barron Trump will assume his role as a Florida delegate to the Republican National Convention. The 18-year-old was selected as an at-large delegate, along with his siblings Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Tiffany Trump, according to a list released Wednesday by the Florida Republican Party. Other family members named on the list include Tiffanys husband, Michael Boulos, and Don Jr.s fiancee, Kimberly Guilfoyle, whose name was misspelled to omit the first L in her last name. Ivanka Trumpthe presumed GOP presidential nominees former star child who left politics in an attempt to salvage her social lifewas not listed. The lineup also includes a wide swath of Trump allies and state-level officials who opted to back Trump over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the presidential race. We are fortunate to have a great group of grassroots leaders, elected officials, and members of the Trump family working together as part of the Florida delegation to the 2024 Republican National Convention, Florida GOP chairman Evan Power said in a statement. With his childrens selection as delegates, Trump is even closer to completely taking over the Republican Party. Eric Trumps wife, Lara Trump, has assumed the reins at the Republican National Committee. Since becoming co-chair in March, Lara has focused all of the RNCs power on putting her father-in-law back in office. Meanwhile, Trump has chosen to fly off to a Minnesota GOP rally on the same day as his sons high school graduation on May 17, even after his attorneys fought to get him the day off in his New York hush-money trial in order to be with his family. We are thrilled to welcome President Trump back to Minnesota, said Minnesota GOP chairman David Hann, announcing that Trump would be headlining the event after the former president was excused from his Friday attendance in New York. I can think of no one more fitting to join us this year than President Trump. Former President Donald Trump greets people after announcing he is running for president for the third time as he speaks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. Son Barron Trump watches. | Andrew Harnik When Republicans converge on Milwaukee July 15-18, a young delegate from Florida will likely get the most attention. His name is Barron Trump. The son of former President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, Barron Trump has been largely shielded from media attention throughout his fathers political career, but now that hes turned 18 and is emerging in the public eye in an important role, thats likely to change. Some fans are already speculating about his own future in politics, imagining a Trump dynasty that extends for decades. Barron Trump For President 2044 pic.twitter.com/hDRrC4rhSK Tex-Mex Trumpian (@TexicanTrumpian) May 9, 2024 The newsletter of James Golden, Rush Limbaughs former sidekick, announced the news about the younger Trump becoming a delegate, saying that he oozes with charm and political acumen. Businessman and conservative commentator Patrick Bet-David recently said that Barron Trump was the most interesting 18-year-old Ive ever met. And the U.K. tabloid the Daily Mail recently quoted a Trump insider saying, I see all the attributes of a future president if he has the appetite for it. More than one person on social media wrote that he is a president in the making. Barron Trump will be president in our lifetime pic.twitter.com/gUKyimqLRy Adam Francisco (@adamfrancisco_) May 9, 2024 The younger Trump is scheduled to graduate from Oxbridge Academy, a private high school in West Palm Beach, on May 17. Its unclear where or if he will go to college this fall, although Newsweek has reported that the elder Trump said he is thinking about the University of Pennsylvania. Barron wont be the only delegate at the GOP convention with the last name Trump. The former presidents sons Eric and Donald Jr. were also on the list of delegates released Wednesday, as was Trumps daughter, Tiffany Boulos. And note to whoever compiled the list of delegates its BARRON, with two Rs. People magazine reported that Donald Trump chose the name and once said on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Its a name Ive always loved but I never had the courage to use. What Would Barron Trump Actually Do as Daddys RNC Delegate? After news broke that Barron Trump would be a delegate at the Republican National Convention it left many people wonderingwhat will the 18-year-old actually do in the role? The Republican National Convention to be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from July 15-18, will see roughly 2,469 delegates casting their votes for a particular candidate. Of those, 2,365 will be bound delegates and 104 will be un-pledged delegates. So for Barron, who will be one of 41 delegates representing the Florida branch of the GOP, he will simply cast the states vote for his daddy Donald as Floridas delegates will all go to the former president. He will be joined by three of his siblings: Eric (who will serve as the chair of the Florida delegation), Donald Jr. and Tiffany will also act as Florida delegates. However, Ivanka is not on the list of delegates as she continues to distance herself from her fathers latest political run. To win the Republican presidential nomination, a candidate will have to receive the support from a majority of delegatesor about 1,235 of them. Delegates for the convention are chosen a number of ways. Some are selected through elections, others are chosen by the GOP state committee, while the rest are given the gig because they hold a leadership role within their states Republican Party. It also seems to help if you have a connection to the presumptive nominee, Donald Trump. Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr.s fiancee, and Michael Boulos, Tiffany Trumps husband, have also been selected as Republican delegates, showing the growing control that Trump has over the party. We have a great delegation of grassroots leaders, elected officials and even Trump family members, Florida GOP chairman Evan Power said. Florida is continuing to have a great convention team, but more importantly we are preparing to win Florida and win it big. Barrons entry into the political arena comes as the 18-year-old prepares to graduate from Oxbridge Academy, a private prep school, on May 17. He was only 11 when he moved into the White House but the Daily Mail reports that he has political aspirations of his own. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Barron Trump has been named a delegate to the Republican National Convention from Florida in what amounts to a political debut for the presidential son. The 18-year-old high school senior, who is former President Donald Trumps youngest child, will join half-siblings Eric, Don Jr. and Tiffany in the Sunshine States delegation to the Milwaukee convention in mid-July. We have a great delegation of grassroots leaders, elected officials and even Trump family members, Florida GOP chairman Evan Power said. Florida is continuing to have a great convention team, but more importantly we are preparing to win Florida and win it big. Barron Trump had up to now been kept completely out of the political spotlight and his parents sought to shield him from scrutiny in the past. Barron has recently been in the news because Donald Trump angrily demanded that Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan allow him to attend his sons high school graduation next week during a day he would normally be required to be in court for his trial on charges tied to hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. The judge eventually relented and Trump permission to attend the ceremony at Oxbridge Academy in suburban West Palm Beach. Donald Trump is now scheduled to speak at a GOP fundraiser in Minnesota that day, raising questions about whether he will actually attend his sons graduation. Barron Trump has not said what he plans to do after graduating or if he plans to attend college. Barron Trump the youngest of Donald Trump's brood, who turned 18 on March 20 is joining his siblings in the family's political endeavors as a newly selected at-large delegate, representing Florida at the Republican National Convention in July. Having yet to even receive his high school diploma, the newly legal Trump has enjoyed a relatively private life, until now, but a Trump campaign official told ABC News that an interest in the family biz has always been there. "Yes, he's on the delegation roster and Barron is very interested in our nation's political process," the campaign official said. NBC News was the first to spread the word that the Florida GOP tapped young Trump for the slot, sharing a statement from Florida GOP chairman Evan Power, saying, We have a great delegation of grassroots leaders, elected officials and even Trump family members. Florida is continuing to have a great convention team, but more importantly we are preparing to win Florida and win it big. Lara Trump, Trump's daughter-in-law, was named co-chair of the RNC back in March. In a clip circulating online, Trump commented, "It's cute," when asked what he thought about his youngest son getting into politics. President Trump reacts to Barron Trump stepping into politics: To me, that's very cute, He's 17!" BOOM! DJT knew Barron just turned 18 years old on Mar 20th, but Why did DJT still say Barron is 17? But why? Translate: Trust The Plan! Enjoy the Movie! pic.twitter.com/zOy8Ydawxh AJ Huber (@Huberton) May 9, 2024 JERUSALEM, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement on Thursday that the Israeli forces will continue their attacks in Gaza despite the U.S. threat to halt some weapon shipments. "If Israel is forced to stand alone -- Israel will stand alone," said Netanyahu in a public speech made on Sunday's Israeli Holocaust Memorial Day and posted on his official X account on Thursday. The Israeli prime minister added that "no amount of pressure" will stop Israel from "defending itself." During a CNN interview on Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden said that he would halt some shipments of U.S. weapons to Israel if Netanyahu launches a major invasion of Rafah, the southernmost city of the Gaza Strip where more than 1 million Palestinians are taking refuge. "We're not walking away from Israel's security. We're walking away from Israel's ability to wage war in those areas," said Biden. The U.S. president admitted that Israel used U.S. bombs on civilians in Gaza. "Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers," said Biden. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday that the U.S. had already paused "one shipment of high payload munitions" to Israel. The United States has sent hundreds of shipments of weapons to Israel since the ongoing conflict broke up on Oct. 7, 2023, according to reports from U.S. news outlets. Barron Trump, former President Donald Trumps 18-year-old son, will be a Florida delegate to the Republican National Convention, the state party chairman said on Wednesday. The younger Trump graduates from high school next week and will serve as one of Floridas 41 at-large delegates when the RNC begins mid-July. The former president is the partys presumptive nominee, but that designation will become formalized during the major convention in Milwaukee. Several of Barron Trumps siblings, including Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Tiffany Trump, will also be at-large delegates. Ivanka Trump, who worked for her father in the White House, has said she will not play an active role in the 2024 campaign. NBC News was the first to report on the selection. We have a great delegation of grassroots leaders, elected officials and even Trump family members, Evan Power, the chairman of the Florida GOP, said in a statement. Florida is continuing to have a great convention team, but more importantly, we are preparing to win Florida and win it big. Barron Trump at the funeral of Ivana Trump on July 20, 2022, in New York City. JNI/Star Max via Getty Images A Trump campaign spokesperson told Politico the teen is very interested in our nations political process. Barron Trumps name has been in the news in recent weeks after the former president currently in court for his hush money trial lamented that the proceedings would keep him away from his youngest sons graduation. However, the elder Trump is now set to headline a fundraising dinner that day in Minnesota. A source close to his campaign said he plans to attend both events. Trump won Florida in 2016 and 2020. Currently, polls show him vastly ahead of President Joe Biden in a potential match-up. Related... Barry Sternlicht Urges Brown, Other Universities to Get Rid of Agitators (Bloomberg) -- Barry Sternlicht, who went to Brown University and then made a fortune in real estate, said schools should force out agitators from campus protests against Israel. Most Read from Bloomberg Sternlicht, head of Starwood Capital Group and a former Brown trustee, recently paused donations to the Ivy League school after it agreed with student protesters to discuss divestment from some holdings tied to the Jewish state. While praising university President Christina Paxson in general terms, Sternlicht assailed that deal and said the intensifying demonstrations have made many students feel unsafe. Encourage free speech and debate, not violence, not hate speech, Sternlicht said in a Bloomberg Television interview late Wednesday with David Westin. No child should have a fear for his safety walking around the university campus. Get rid of the agitators. Colleges have been contending with encampments that have spread across US campuses, where students are protesting against the Israeli bombardment and ground assault in Gaza following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on the Jewish state. While some schools have asked police to crack down on the demonstrations, others including Brown and Northwestern University have negotiated agreements with protesters, who have been pushing for college endowments to exit investments tied to Israel. Under Browns deal, five students will meet with trustees this month to make arguments for divestment. The school also said an advisory committee would make a recommendation about divestment, and its governing body will vote on that measure in October. The university hasnt offered to divest. Read more: Colleges Ripped for Agreeing to Hear Israel Divestment Demands College endowments are derived from donations and investment returns, and at the largest universities they fund significant operations including financial aid for students and professor salaries. Browns investment fund is valued at $6.6 billion, the smallest in the eight-member Ivy League. Sternlicht had kind words for Paxson even as he said he opposed divestment. Christina Paxson is a great president at Brown University, he said in the interview. Shes trying really hard. University administrators have long viewed the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement against Israel as antisemitic because it calls into question the legitimacy of the Jewish state and singles out the policies of one country. Divestment is fiercely opposed by many donors and alumni, and acting on the BDS concept is discouraged by laws in more than half of US states, including Rhode Island, where Brown is based. Separately, Occidental College reached an agreement with protesters to dismantle an encampment and consider a divestment proposal. Occidental will vote on a recommendation by its internal investment committee by June 6, the Los Angeles Times reported. The California school reported an endowment value of about $600 million as of June 2023. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- Spains dramatic intervention to oppose Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SAs hostile bid for Catalan lender Banco de Sabadell SA is blurring the lines between politics and business mere days before a regional election in Catalonia. Most Read from Bloomberg The government has the final say on the deal and is against the form and substance of how Spains second-largest bank, located in the Basque part of northern Spain, intends to absorb its smaller rival, Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said in an interview with state television broadcaster TVE on Thursday. He said the government objects on the grounds that it would be bad for competition and add uncertainty and volatility to Spains financial system. The comments came shortly after BBVA took its 11.5 billion ($12.4 billion) bid directly to Sabadell shareholders after having an initial proposal rebuffed by that lenders board earlier this week. Read More: BBVA Makes $12 Billion Hostile Bid for Sabadell After Snub (2) Even before the Spanish governments intervention, analysts had noted that the offer, which would create a new Spanish banking giant with a joint balance sheet of more than 1 trillion in assets, may struggle to sway shareholders. The rebuke from the government lengthens those odds. By inserting itself so overtly and controversially at the center of one of Europes biggest banking takeover deals in years, the government will inevitably invite criticism about how its putting a thumb on the scale and weighing in on the grounds of domestic politics. The political survival of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hinges on support for his Socialist party from two pro-independence parties and he will be tested this weekend in regional elections that will mark the return of Carles Puigdemont, the Catalan separatist who led a failed secession and was granted an amnesty by Sanchez. Sabadell is a Catalan bank and named after a city near Barcelona. It moved its fiscal domicile to the neighboring region of Valencia in 2017 after hundreds of companies fled Catalonia at the height of a failed independence push. The Socialists are poised to come in first but are expected to fall short of a majority with the two pro-independence parties in second and third place. The optics will focus on how Sanchez is seeking to curry favor with Catalan voters by rushing to protect a local and vulnerable lender. That is not lost on Puigdemont. For some time, theres been a strategy to kill the Catalan banking industry, and that harms both the customers and the region, Puigdemont said in a post on X on Thursday. The hostile offer must be responded to with full force, with all the law and with all reason. Complicating matters further, BBVAs fiscal domicile is in the northern Basque Country, where it is one of the biggest tax payers, meaning it also has important relations with the local, nationalist Basque government. Still, BBVAs Chairman Carlos Torres offered an optimistic interpretation to the governments intervention. We have elections coming up on Sunday and in that sense its a politically charged environment, he told analysts in a call Thursday morning. But I am confident that the government will appreciate the value of the transaction. Torres also has work to do to persuade both sets of shareholders of the merits of a deal that Sabadells board has said significantly undervalues the potential of Banco Sabadell and its standalone growth prospects. The offer, which proposes an exchange ratio of one newly issued BBVA share for every 4.83 Sabadell shares, values Sabadell at a price-to-tangible-book-value of close to 1, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. Suitors offered a median 0.55 times book value in takeovers of European lenders announced over the past three years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. While Sabadell shares rose about 3% to 1.86 euros a share in Madrid on Thursday thats still below the price of around 2 a share implied by the offer. BBVA shares were down around 6%. What Bloomberg Intelligence Says BBVAs new takeover offer for Sabadell hasnt been improved from the rejected one already sent to the preys board, so is likely to be the last attempt, if its also unsuccessful. The final consideration is subject to the share-price volatility of both BBVA and Sabadell, with our calculations showing it represents a premium of less than 10% to Sabadells current share price, valuing the target at a price-to-tangible-book-value of close to 1. Lento Tang, BI analyst --With assistance from Gina Turner. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Beaufort County to keep serving summer meals to kids even after lapse in federal help Beaufort County schools will continue to feed kids over the summer despite Gov. Henry McMaster opting out of a federally-funded summer feeding program. In past years the Summer EBT program offered $120 per eligible child each summer for food. However, in January, McMaster announced that South Carolina would not participate. The money would be put on a card for the family to use, similar to EBT or food stamps. That was a COVID related benefit, extra, McMaster said during a news conference earlier this year, defending his decision to decline from participating in the federal program. Weve got to get back to doing normal business, we just cant continue that forever. In Beaufort County last year 12,000 students qualified for the federal programy. But, Ginger Weekly, Beaufort County School Districts Food Services Accountant, says those kids dont have to go without assistance as Beaufort County will continue feeding them throughout the summer with its Seamless Summer Option program. The program allows anyone aged 18 or under to come to designated sites to get a free breakfast and lunch across the county. There are 28 locations in Beaufort County, including schools, churches and libraries, where kids can go to get meals at no cost. The summer meals follow a similar schedule, or meal pattern, to meals during the school year, Weekly said. During the summer of 2023, Beaufort County served roughly 54,000 meals to kids in need, through the SSO, according to numbers provided by Candace Bruder, spokesperson for the school district. Its set to start on June 10 and run through July 31, Monday through Friday. That is 38 days and up to 76 meals total. Families in need of selected groceries items can also go to one of 30 food pantries in the county, according to the SC Food Access Map. Beaufort narrows new police chief field to two candidates - an insider and an outsider The City of Beaufort announced that two candidates are in consideration for the citys next chief of Police Wednesday. The previous chief, Dale McDorman, retired on Jan. 26, after nearly 30 years with the department and two years as chief. Interim Chief Stephenie Price, who was deputy chief under McDorman, and Chief Kenneth J. Klamar of Sunset Beach, NC are the two finalists narrowed down from five applicants from last week. The inside candidate Price came to the Lowcountry from Kansas City Mo. in 2019, when she joined the Savannah Police Department as assistant police chief. One year later she was picked to lead Blufftons police department. However, in her time as the departments chief she faced challenges. A quarter of the 16 sworn officers resigned in her first 13 months on the job. She defended her efforts at retention and pointed to a national climate of law enforcement hardship as the reason for officers resigning or retiring. Former Mayor Lisa Sulka found the resignations very concerning. An outgoing officer blamed the turnover on a lack of transparency from Price and a preferential treatment of certain officers, according to previous reporting. Price resigned after less than two years as chief. Price joined the Beaufort Police Department as Deputy Chief in early 2023. The outside candidate Klamer has nearly 30 years of experience in police work, according to a press release from the city. He was Chief of Police for Perkins Township in Sandusky, Ohio for eight years before taking a job as Chief in Sunset Beach. Hes been in that position since 2017. From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., the two candidates will be interviewed and will be available to meet the public on Friday, May 17. The two will face a citizens panel, appointed by Mayor Phil Cromer and the city council, in the Police Department Training Room. The interviews are open to the public and will be live-streamed on Zoom, the city said. Starting at 3:00 p.m., the city council will interview finalists. Like the last set of interviews, the public is welcome to attend and the interviews will be live-streamed. Finally, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., the finalists will have a meet-and-greet with members of the public at the foyer of City Hall. SCHUYLER COUNTY, N.Y. (WETM) The Catlin man who was a suspect in a reported shooting that led to a large police presence and hours-long roadblock in Beaver Dams has been arrested. According to the Schuyler County Sheriffs Office, deputies located 40-year-old Rexford Ely Smith on May 8 after an investigation into a menacing incident that began in the Town of Dix. Police say that Smith was believed to be involved in a reported shooting on Mill Hill Road on the morning of May 4. Suspect at large after Beaver Dams shooting and police presence Police investigating the reported gunfire found an ongoing conflict and were led to a secondary location on State Route 414 in the Town of Catlin. The investigation at the secondary location led to a large police presence involving sheriffs offices from three counties and the state police. State Route 414 was closed for about 10 hours during the investigation, and Smith was later named as a suspect. Smith was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon (a class D felony), fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon (a class A misdemeanor), and second-degree menacing (a class A misdemeanor). After his arrest, Smith was taken to the Schuyler County Jail for CAP arraignment. The investigation into the incident that Smith is believed to have been involved in is ongoing at this time. The Chemung County Sheriffs Office, the Steuben County Sheriffs Office, the Watkins Glen Police Department, and the New York State Police Department assisted the Schuyler County Sheriffs Office with the investigation. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. Beloved Calif. Teacher Allegedly Murdered by Her Adult Son: 'Touched Many Students and Colleagues' Lives' Karyn Lombardo, 57, was remembered by a school district official as a teacher who left a profound impact on the Burbank, Calif., community Karyn Lombardo/Facebook Karyn Lombardo A California community is mourning after a beloved elementary school teacher was killed in her family home, and police allege her adult son is the killer. Karyn Lombardo, 57, was found dead by police officers who responded to her Burbank home around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, May 7, following a report of an "unconscious female," according to a press release shared by the Burbank Police Department. Life-saving measures were taken by officers and paramedics, but the woman was pronounced deceased at the scene, police said. Authorities added that Lombardo lived in the home with her adult son and her husband. According to police, a subsequent investigation resulted in the arrest of Lombardos adult son, 25-year-old Kyle Lombardo, on a murder charge. Its unclear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf. Police allege Kyle killed his mother during an altercation inside the home. There are no outstanding suspects or any danger to the community, the release states. In a statement shared with PEOPLE on Thursday, May 9, Burbank Unified Superintendent John Paramo confirmed Karyn's death and said she was teacher at Bret Harte Elementary School in Burbank. She started her career with the school district as a bilingual teacher at Joaquin Miller Elementary in 1990, per the statement. Three years later, in 1993, Karyn transferred to Bret Harte Elementary, where she worked for 30 years in multiple teaching roles, including performing arts chorus, intervention, and kindergarten. "Over the course of her highly accomplished career, Ms. Lombardo touched the lives of thousands of students, parents, and colleagues, who will be mourning this loss in the days to come," Paramo said. "Her dedication, warmth, and passion for teaching touched many students and colleagues' lives. Her profound impact and loss on this community will be deeply felt throughout the City of Burbank." The statement added that the school district is providing mental health resources to students and staff in the wake of the beloved teacher's death. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. According to police, Kyle was being held on $2 million bail and is expected to appear in court on Thursday, May 9. Police are asking anyone with information on the ongoing investigation to contact the departments detectives at (818) 238-3210. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. A beloved teacher who administrators said embodied the spirit of her school was identified as the victim in a murder-suicide, according to Pennsylvania authorities and news reports. Philadelphia police officers discovered Ondria Glaze, 36, shot and killed in an apartment Monday, May 6, WCAU reported. She had reportedly been shot in the face. Her partner, a 42-year-old man, was found dead in the apartment, police told The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW. Its unclear what led to the murder-suicide. Glaze was a teacher at Olney High School and its special education compliance monitor, Michael Roth, the schools principal, said in a statement. At Olney, we have a saying, Olney Love. Ms. Glaze could truly be defined as Olney Love, Roth said. She embodied this mantra and blessed every student and staff member she came across. Glaze worked at the school for more than 10 years, according to a GoFundMe, which said she brought light and joy wherever she went. Miss Glaze was like the sweetest person I ever knew, Kai Sutton, a senior at the school, told WPVI. Every time you see her she was always smiling. In her honor, the school created the Ondria Glaze Olney Love Scholarship. It will be awarded each year to a graduating senior to continue the positive impact that Ms. Glaze had on all of us. Andre Beckett, the schools assistant principal, said he will miss how patient Glaze was with parents and students. She just embodied love and its just the hardest thing to go through, just learning of her death. She just loved everyone, Beckett told WTXF. Elementary teacher found stabbed to death, Washington officials say. Husband is a suspect Beloved teacher killed in hit-and-run, Illinois cops say. Didnt deserve to die alone Man was hired by principal to kill pregnant Missouri teacher, feds say. Hes convicted MANILA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Sixty overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) arrived in the Philippines from Israel on Thursday to escape the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the country's Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said. That has brought the number of repatriated workers to 879 since the conflict erupted in October last year, the DMW said. "This is the largest batch of returning OFWs to come home to the Philippines, availing of the government's voluntary repatriation in the wake of the hostilities that erupted in October," Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said. The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs said "a little over 30,000 Filipinos" live or work in Israel. However, a diplomatic source said the number could be over 40,000, including those undocumented. NEW YORK Harvey Weinstein appeared in a Queens courtroom Thursday morning as prosecutors fought an extradition request to send him back to California following the stunning overturning of his New York rape and sex assault conviction. California authorities have requested that New York City law enforcement officials bring the disgraced media mogul, 72, back to the West Coast, where he is facing additional sex abuse charges. With the New York case against Weinstein overturned, hes technically now a fugitive from the state of California, a law enforcement source said. New York is fighting the extradition request since the disgraced Miramax founder is expected to be retried on the rape case as soon as the fall. The decision to retry Weinstein was announced earlier this month at a Manhattan Supreme Court hearing attended by the movie producer and Jessica Mann, one of two women who he was found guilty of attacking more than four years ago. A state Supreme Court jury determined Weinstein was guilty of criminal sexual act in the first-degree and third-degree rape in 2020, finding he forcibly performed oral sex on Miriam Haley in 2006 and committed third-degree rape in an incident with Mann in 2013. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison, which he was serving at the Mohawk Correctional Facility in Rome, N.Y. where he returned after facing another trial in California that resulted in his December 2022 conviction on rape and sexual assault charges and a 16-year sentence. The stunning April 25 ruling by the New York Court of Appeals overturning Weinsteins New York conviction found the trial court judge, James Burke, shouldnt have permitted testimony by three women Tarale Wulff, Dawn Dunning, and Lauren Young about uncharged allegations of sexual violence. The extradition hearing could have taken place anywhere in New York City, a source said. While Weinstein was convicted in Manhattan, a Queens court was selected because of its proximity to Rikers Island, where Weinstein is currently incarcerated as he awaits his new trial, the source said. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) The White House says it will hold weapon shipments to Israel if Israels military fully invades Rafah. The city in Gaza is housing more than a million displaced Palestinians. The White House insists U.S.- Israeli relations remain ironclad but says it will not supply certain weapons if Israel ignores warnings and invades Rafah. Republicans on Capitol Hill call the decision a gift to Hamas. This is insane, said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.). Republicans are accusing the president of caving to political pressure from the left after a CNN interview Wednesday, the president drew an official line in the sand with Israel. If they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities that deal with that problem, said Biden. So much for that ironclad support, said Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa.). For months now the president has warned Israel a ground invasion into Rafah would spark a humanitarian disaster. We dont want to see an operation go forward and we were making that clear, said State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller. The Biden administration paused a bombs shipment to Israel last week and now the State Department says additional holds are on the table. Thats something that were watching closely, Miller said. South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham says the president is making a mistake. The consequences of this decision, Mr. President, are going to change the region and all the world for the worseIm asking you, Im pleading with you, change course, said Graham. Even Democratic Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman says he disagrees with the presidents call. I really think we really need to be absolutely ready to stand with Israel and provide whatever they need, said Fetterman. Israel is undeterred and is vowing to invade Rafah to take out Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said if Israel has to stand alone to complete their mission they will. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. The Biden administration is expected to propose a rule Thursday that would accelerate the pace at which certain migrants could be processed and denied asylum after having crossing the southern border, according to two sources familiar with the decision. The regulation, which had been in the works for months and will be published by the Department of Homeland Security, seeks to cut down on illegal border crossings. It would specifically target people who are deemed ineligible for asylum because of criminal records or who are assessed to be national security risks, one of the sources said. The asylum process sometimes can take years, and the proposed rule will aim to shorten that time substantially for those deemed ineligible. Migrants cross through a barbed-wire fence. (John Moore / Getty Images) It is not considered the major executive action NBC News has been previewing for months, which could still materialize in the near term. The White House declined to comment. As the Biden administration weighs more sweeping executive action on the border that could affect the asylum process, up Pennsylvania Avenue, Senate Democrats had an initial closed-door conversation Wednesday about what legislative steps they could take. I think the starting point for the discussion is the bipartisan deal that was negotiated, so well start there. Do we subtract a little bit, do we add a little bit? We dont know yet, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told NBC News after the meeting. Everybody realizes we are going to have a meaningful discussion about it in the coming weeks. NBC News reported Monday that Democrats in the Senate could force messaging votes on immigration and border-related provisions that Republicans would most likely block. Republicans blocked the bipartisan package negotiated by Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., in February at the behest of former President Donald Trump. But asked about the administrations actions during his leadership news conference Wednesday, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the Biden administration and congressional Democrats agree that the best thing to deal with the problem on the border is pass legislation. We have strong bipartisan drafted legislation, Schumer said. If Republicans are serious about fixing the border, join us we can only pass it with Republican votes, Democratic votes and Republican votes, and thats what we should do. Senators threw out ideas during the closed-door meeting Wednesday, according to multiple Democrats who spoke with NBC News. Earlier Wednesday, a collection of progressive and Hispanic lawmakers urged Biden to use his executive authority to streamline pathways to citizenship for long-term, undocumented immigrants and expressed concerns with the administrations potential plans to restrict some asylum through unilateral action. As the Biden administration considers executive actions on immigration, we must not return to failed Trump-era policies aimed at banning asylum and moving us backward, Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said at a news conference. I urge President Biden to embrace our values as a nation of immigrants and use this opportunity to instead provide relief for the long-term immigrants of this nation. An NBC News poll released last month found that just 28% of voters approve of Bidens handling of border security and immigration, an issue that consistently polls as a top concern for Americans. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com As Israel has stepped up its military assault on Rafah, the Biden administration has intensified its efforts to prevent its ally from launching its long-promised major ground invasion into the city in southern Gaza -- a step that would cross a red line set by President Joe Biden and one that officials fear could derail negotiations to secure a cease-fire and free hostages imprisoned in the enclave. Although Israel continued to launch strikes on Rafah and maintained control of the critical border crossing there on Wednesday, U.S. officials in Washington have continued to describe the operation as "limited in scope." But for the first time, the Biden administration is openly admitting it paused a delivery of thousands of high payload munitions and is intensely scrutinizing other arms shipments over concern that Israel will soon launch a major incursion into the city where more than a million Palestinians displaced by the conflict are sheltering. Biden told CNN Wednesday that American bombs have been used to kill civilians in Gaza and he doubled down on his administration's plan to withhold weapons that Israel could use as part of a major invasion of Rafah. PHOTO: President Joe Biden steps off Marine One upon arrival at Soldier Field Landing Zone in Chicago, on May 8, 2024. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) MORE: Biden says US will not provide Israel with weapons to use in major Rafah invasion Earlier Wednesday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller declined to say whether the U.S. had communicated any specific terms for lifting the hold to Israel, but suggested the decision would hinge on what happens next in Rafah. "I am not going to get into our internal conversations with the government of Israel," Miller said. "I will say however, we have been pretty clear about what we want to see when it comes to an operation in Rafah -- and that is we don't want to see one unfold." Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Wednesday that Israel would do whatever necessary achieve its mission in Gaza, in what appears to be a response to U.S. pressure to halt its operation in Rafah. "I turn to Israel's enemies as well as to our best of friends and say - the State of Israel cannot be subdued," he said in remarks released by his office. Beyond the latest surge of military action in Rafah, U.S. officials and international aid groups are also gravely concerned over Israel's seizure not only of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, but also the closure of another key gate used to bring in humanitarian aid, the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza. Although the White House said Israel had provided assurances that both gates would be at least partially reopened by Wednesday, the State Department said those promises had not been fulfilled. 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) Miller explained that humanitarian aid had been stopped at Kerem Shalom due to "logistical and security concerns on the ground" and that fuel necessary for distributing that aid through Gaza had not been allowed to enter through Rafah, sending the level of assistance for the enclave plummeting to what he called an "unacceptable" level as a humanitarian crisis continues to unfold in Gaza. "We are making quite clear to the government of Israel that we need to see those decreases reversed. We need to get back to where we were, and we need to see the levels continue to increase and see those sustained, and that is why we need to see Kerem Shalom and Rafah opened," Miller said. Israel's operations in Rafah, a direct response to a rocket attack on IDF troops launched by Hamas from inside the city, could also prove detrimental to ongoing negotiations to free the more than 100 hostages believed to be held captive inside Gaza in exchange for an extended cease-fire. Hamas has indicated there will be no deal if Israeli forces continue to crack down on Rafah, but the militant group has continued to participate in talks -- sending representatives to Cairo for talks on Tuesday. Israel also deployed a delegation to the Egyptian city after Hamas made a public announcement on Monday declaring it had accepted a proposal for the deal. U.S. mediators were caught off guard by Hamas' announcement and initially believed the group had signed off on a framework that had been approved by Israel in late April. However, the State Department said what Hamas had actually done was issue a counterproposal. "We're working through the details of that now," Miller said on Tuesday, adding that the negotiations "maybe have never been more sensitive than they are at this moment." Despite the false start, the U.S. still believes a deal is within reach. CIA Director Bill Burns, one of the Biden administration's most influential negotiators through the course of the conflict, has been in the Middle East since last week and visited Israel on Wednesday in an effort to push a deal over the finish line, according to sources familiar with the talks. A U.S. official described Israel's decision to directly participate in the talks as a positive sign but said coming to an agreement would likely ultimately require Israel accepting some of Hamas' additional demands. The official said one remaining gap concerns the state of the conflict after the prospective deal plays out. Hamas has insisted on a permanent ceasefire, a condition Israel flatly rejects because it would leave Hamas battalions intact inside Gaza. Gallant signaled on Tuesday that negotiators could potentially find common ground -- but said Israel would proceed with a major incursion into Rafah if they didn't. "We are ready to make compromises in order to bring back hostage," Gallant said. "But if this option is not available, we will go and deepen the operation throughout the strip." Biden administration steps up pressure on Israel over cease-fire, hostage talks as Rafah assault intensifies originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Biden administration wants to speed up deportation for some migrants. How will it work? People line up against a border wall as they wait to apply for asylum after crossing the border from Mexico last July near Yuma, Ariz. (Gregory Bull / Associated Press) The Biden administration proposed a rule Thursday aimed at speeding up the deportation process for migrants who are already ineligible for asylum. The change isn't expected to have broad implications, but rather tighten existing rules. It comes as the White House and Democrats play offense on the border and immigration, one of the top issues ahead of the presidential election. The proposed rule we have published today is yet another step in our ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of the American public by more quickly identifying and removing those individuals who present a security risk and have no legal basis to remain here, said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. We will continue to take action, but fundamentally it is only Congress that can fix what everyone agrees is a broken immigration system. Read more: San Diego is now the top border region for migrant arrivals What would the new rule do? Significant immigration court backlogs mean it can take years before migrants who cross the border without authorization are determined to be ineligible for asylum. The new rule would allow asylum officers to make that determination within days. The rule would move up checks for mandatory bars to asylum, such as criminal history or terrorism links, to the initial stage of the process, allowing immigration officers to quickly reject and deport those who don't qualify. It would not restrict more people from applying for asylum. Migrants who intend to apply for asylum must first pass so-called credible fear interviews, which allows them to later make their case before an immigration judge. The regulation would allow asylum officers to check for public safety or national security risks during the credible fear screening. A senior DHS official who spoke to reporters Thursday on the condition that he not be named said the agency is updating procedures to ensure available information, including information that is classified, is shared as early as possible in the immigration process. The rule allows the agency to save taxpayer money because those who are subject to asylum bars are detained throughout the lengthy immigration court process, the official added. Read more: This gentrifying Mexico City neighborhood has a Soho House and a migrant encampment In 2020, the Trump administration implemented a rule similarly instructing asylum officers to apply asylum bars during credible fear screenings. That rule was blocked by a U.S. District Court in California. But the Biden administration says this rule is different because it doesn't require asylum officers to consider bars in all interviews. Instead, asylum officers "would only consider a bar in those cases where there is easily verifiable evidence available" and the officer "is confident that they can consider that bar efficiently at the credible fear stage," the proposed rule states. How many people could be affected? The number of migrants subject to the bars is low, according to the proposed rule. For this fiscal year through April 23, federal records indicate that asylum officers flagged a potential bar in 733 cases. Last fiscal year, asylum officers flagged 1,497 such cases 3% of all positive credible fear determinations. When does it take effect? Proposed rules can take months to finalize, and must go through a public comment period before implementation. That could make for a close timeline before the November election. The DHS official said the agency will accept comments for 30 days starting May 13 and expects to issue the rule fairly quickly after that. How are people reacting? Immigrant rights advocates swiftly condemned the move, saying the change could slow down and weaken the credible fear process. But the DHS official said the rule won't meaningfully increase the time it takes to interview someone. Eleanor Acer, senior director for refugee protection at Human Rights First, said the rule would deny asylum hearings to people who could be eligible for protection. It is both unrealistic and unconscionable to subject people seeking refuge to legally and factually complex bars to asylum during initial fear screenings where they are not likely to be represented by legal counsel," she wrote in a statement. "Some of the bars included in the proposed rule have long baffled legal experts and government lawyers, and ensnared people who are innocent of any wrongdoing. Meanwhile Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security, said in a statement that the rule doesnt go far enough to properly vet migrants. This rule appears to be an unserious, politically motivated attempt to address a significant problem the Biden administration itself created, Green wrote. What else has the Biden administration done to curb border crossings? Last year, the administration began disqualifying migrants from asylum if they enter the U.S. illegally without first requesting humanitarian protection in another country, such as Mexico, along the way. This effectively blocks most people from accessing asylum if they cross unlawfully. At the same time, the administration expanded a phone app, CBP One, that lets migrants in Mexico schedule a time to be processed at official ports of entry. Officials also expanded a program that allows migrants from certain countries, such as Venezuela, fly directly to the U.S. if they have a sponsor. On Wednesday, advocacy groups sued the federal government for records about its policies and practices related to the mobile app, calling it a barrier to asylum because of frequent glitches and months-long waits for an appointment. Read more: Migrants play 'the asylum lottery' on controversial U.S. government app What more is the administration considering? The new asylum rule comes as the administration mulls how else to cut down on illegal border crossings ahead of the election. Biden said in a Univision interview last month that he is considering whether to invoke a sweeping presidential authority to more broadly restrict asylum without congressional authorization. The action would employ a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act called 212(f), which allows presidents to suspend entry of migrants when deemed detrimental to national interests. Former President Trump used that authority to justify restrictions including travel bans against people from predominantly Muslim countries. Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox three times per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. On the heels of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, President Biden gave a speech addressing surging anti-Semitism around the world in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks: just seven and a half months later, and people are already forgetting. Theyre already forgetting that Hamas unleashed this terror, that it was Hamas that brutalised Israelis, that it was Hamas who took and continues to hold hostages. I have not forgotten, nor have you, and we will not forget. That statement was a nod to the Never Again proclamation that became famous after the Holocaust and its tragic connection to the events of just seven months ago. On October 7, the world saw the most devastating slaughter of Jews in one day since the Holocaust, and Never Again took on fresh relevance. Which is why its so disturbing that just a day later, Americans heard Biden say: Were not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells. That red line Biden applied pertains to an Israeli ground operation in Rafah, a city in the south of the Gaza strip where three Hamas battalions and the majority of the Israeli hostages are believed to be holed up. After months of attempting diplomatic means to free the hostages, including half a dozen American citizens, negotiations reached an impasse and the Israel Defence Force (IDF) began a limited ground operation in eastern Rafah. A Rafah invasion is the most significant leverage the IDF holds in its multi-prong efforts to free Israeli hostages being held by the murderous regime. By threatening Israel for continuing its military campaign during a defensive war, Biden isnt just endangering Israel during a war for survival, but endangering American citizens being held in Gaza by Hamas. Jewish Insider reported that the move elicited quick criticism from Israel-backing Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill, and from mainstream Jewish and pro-Israel organisations across the country. Jewish Insider spoke with Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) moments after the Biden interview. The Representative was dumbfounded by the Bidens administrations decision to stall the delivery of guided munitions and guided munition kits, known as JDAMs: How in the hell do you criticise Israel for being imprecise in its bombing and then refuse to deliver them what theyre willing to pay for to make the bombs precise? Sherman said. I mean, my God. The Biden administrations decision is inexplicable: it doesnt just endanger the lives of Israeli civilians and soldiers, not just hostages from dozens of nations, including the United States, but it endangers the lives of Palestinians in Gaza. The President of the United States hasnt just abandoned Israel, he has also abandoned basic common sense. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. No more! Earlier this week, some 3,500 bombs that were meant to be delivered to Israel did not actually make it there. President Joe Biden, long a major arms supplier to Israel, decided that the best way to make his opposition to the Rafah invasion known would be to temporarily stem the flow of weapons. Biden also "said on Wednesday that he would also block the delivery of artillery shells that could be fired into the urban neighborhoods of Rafah," per The New York Times. Note that the Biden administration is not pausing all arms shipments, but rather trying to exert specific pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to rethink the Rafah offensive. "Israeltook control of the Gaza side of a key border crossing to Egypt on Tuesday, securing a strategic corridor as negotiators met in Cairo for talks on a truce and hostage releases," reported The Wall Street Journal. "The seizure of the crossing closed a critical gateway for humanitarian assistance for Palestinians, prompting the U.S. to renew calls to reopen the gate." Bear in mind, also, that the Rafah invasion was not merely to attempt to starve the remaining Gazans in the region through blocking humanitarian aid; an estimated 5,0008,000 Hamas fighters are believed to be hiding in that city in southern Gaza. The Israeli offensive, which has been smaller in scope than originally thought, aims to stamp them out. It remains to be seen whether the Biden administration exerting pressure in this way will affect Israeli military actionsor how the Rafah offensive is perceived on a national stage. Many Republicans in Congress reacted unfavorably to this unilateral action by the Biden administration. "It wasn't the Israelis that started this conflict. And I'm just very concerned that we do not try to micromanage Israel's right to defend itself against the terrorist group backed by Iran," said Sen. Susan Collins (RMaine) at an Appropriations subcommittee hearing yesterday. Of course, the Biden administration is really just interested in using leverage. Once a humanitarian plan for getting refugees safely out of Rafah is communicated by Israel, the White House says the weapons shipments will likely resume. Climate Guy Gavin: California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who continues to very convincingly swear that he's not running for president, seems to be eyeing the climate-concerned demographic of voters. All the way back in 2020, when the grid faced blackouts and the state was roiled by wildfires, Newsom pinned blame on climate change, and majorly misrepresented his prioritization of wildfire management strategies like controlled burns. During a visit to China last year, Newsom made headlines over a glitzy new partnership between California and Shanghai, which Newsom's press office said are "teaming up to fight the climate crisis by cleaning up ports and reducing emissions from the transportation sector." (Whether this has any real effect on emissions coming out of Shanghai seems beside the point.) During an audience with Pope Francis scheduled for next week, Newsom is expected to emphasize how "global temperatures [are] hurtling towards alarming new heights." This is his talk track, possibly responding to the fact that a far greater percentage of California's likely voters tell pollsters that "stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost" compared with a decade ago. "A key part of his strategy has been to ascribe high gas prices and utility bills to corporate greed and gouging while beating back proposals that he believes go too far like Proposition 30, which would have raised taxes on the rich in 2022 to funnel money to electric vehicles," reported Politico. Phrased differently: Newsom does not want to alienate his French Laundry dining companions, and other rich donors who may be considering fleeing the high-tax state, but is very much trying to position himself as someone who takes climate change seriously. Something to watch in the event that Newsom gets elevated out of his Biden-surrogate position and into the presidential campaign spotlight at any point, whether by the cruel tricks of nature or simple patience. Scenes from New York: Over the weekend, a cruise ship appears to have accidentally killed and dragged a 44-foot endangered Sei whale through the East River. Upon being discovered, the whale was towed to New Jersey for a necropsy. More whales have been living in the waters surrounding New York City for the last few yearsI saw whales from Queens' Rockaway Beach two days ago, which is not totally uncommon hereand meeting all kinds of disturbing fates as a result. "The increase in beached whales could be an indication that the whale population as a whole is growing. Or, less optimistically, rising water temperatures could be changing the hunting and migration patterns of whales, pushing them into areas where they're more likely to become injured by human activity," reported Curbed last year. QUICK HITS "Saudi authorities have permitted the use of lethal force to clear land for a futuristic desert city being built by dozens of Western companies," an exintelligence officer told the BBC. Do you feel the Burgumentum? It looks like Congress might take another stab at a border deal, sure to please no one. Sweetgreen is introducing beef to its menu. Some people are worried it won't hit its climate goals as a result. Lots of people are criticizing Ann Coulter's blatant bigotry toward Vivek Ramaswamy during a recent podcast appearance in which Coulter went on Ramaswamy's show. What they're missing, though, is that Coulter's entire argument is that "the core around which the nation's values are formed is the WASP" (wrong!) and that she thinks we need more selective criteria as to which immigrants we let inignoring the contradiction present where Ramaswamy himself fits the criteria she describes, yet is still discriminated against by Coulter. .@AnnCoulter told me flat-out to my face that she couldn't vote for me "because you're an Indian," even though she agreed with me more than most other candidates. I disagree with her but respect she had the guts to speak her mind. It was a riveting hour. The TRUTH podcast is back https://t.co/neVjKSs6e9 Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) May 8, 2024 Pro-Palestine protesters at Princeton don't seem to grasp that their victimhood mentality is getting in the way of their message being taken seriously: NEW: Pro-Palestine protester at Princeton says she is "literally shaking" because she is starving and "immunocompromised." The woman accused the school of purposely "physically weakening" her and her peers. "This is absolutely unfair. My peers and I, we are starving. We are pic.twitter.com/54TL9lIKOV Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 8, 2024 The post Biden, the Arms Supplier appeared first on Reason.com. Biden campaign targets Trump in Arizona over Affordable Care Act. Here's what to know President Joe Biden's reelection campaign is targeting former President Donald Trump's record on health care: specifically past efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The Biden-Harris health care focus is part of a $14 million campaign called "Terminate" that launched Wednesday in battleground states, including Arizona. The campaign slams Trump's prior efforts to "gut and terminate" the Affordable Care Act, which President Barack Obama signed into law in 2010 and has expanded health insurance coverage and preventive care across the United States. Though Trump has previously denounced the Affordable Care Act and its health plans, often called Obamacare, the Trump campaign on Wednesday said that the Republican presidential candidate is not trying to eliminate the Affordable Care Act. Rather, he's running "to make less expensive health care options available for people without eliminating it," Karoline Leavitt, Trump Campaign National Press Secretary wrote in an email. President Joe Biden speaks from the Roosevelt Room of the White House on May 2, 2024, in Washington, D.C. As recently as November, Trump posted "Obamacare sucks" on social media and expressed a desire to replace it. Trump campaign slams Biden for DACA health coverage decision The Trump campaign also criticized Biden for his recent decision to expand eligibility for Affordable Care Act/Obamacare health plans to DACA recipients. Biden is "destroying Obamacare," Leavitt wrote. DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and the group is often referred to as Dreamers. Dreamers comprise about 530,000 people, including 20,130 Arizonans, who who were brought to the U.S. by their parents or relatives illegally as children and are protected from deportation by an Obama-era program. Obamacare plans are private health insurance sold on federal or state exchanges with federal subsidies available to people who qualify. Leavitt wrote that the decision to expand the availability of Obamacare plans DACA recipients means "the border invasion Biden launched will become even larger as the world floods over in search of free government benefits." The Trump Administration plans to "seal the border, deport the illegals, and cut off all government benefits," Leavitt wrote. Biden: Health care should be a basic right Since the Affordable Care Act passed, the rate of uninsured Americans has dropped from 16% or 48.6 million Americans in 2010 to about 7.9% or 25.9 million people in 2022, U.S. Census data says. In Arizona, about 1.2 million people were without health insurance in 2010 or 17% of the population compared with 2022 estimates of about 10.3% or 743,700 people without health insurance, according to KFF, a health policy research organization. Some of the key accomplishments of the Affordable Care Act were to prevent insurance companies from denying coverage to people with preexisting conditions, keeping young people on their parents' insurance plans until the age of 26 and creating a list of "essential health benefits" that must be covered by ACA-approved plans, including contraceptives and mental health care. A "Terminate" campaign ad will air on TV and digital platforms in Arizona for the month of May as part of the Biden-Harris' May push to "ramp up investments to bolster its existing, historic efforts to reach the voters that will decide this election," a campaign statement says. Obamacare is a disaster. We want to terminate it, Trump says in a clip that's included in the ad. "Health care should be a basic right," Biden says in the ad. "Folks, he's coming for your health care and we're not going to let it happen." Republic reporter Rafael Carranza contributed to this story Reach health-care reporter Stephanie Innes at stephanie.innes@gannett.com or at 480-313-3775. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @stephanieinnes. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Biden-Harris campaign highlights Trump's past opposition to Obamacare Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics teams latest reporting and analysis from the campaign trail, the White House and Capitol Hill. In todays edition, senior national politics reporter Jonathan Allen explains how Joe Biden isn't pleasing anyone with his latest move on Israel. Plus, senior national politics reporters Henry J. Gomez and Matt Dixon report on the potential domino effect that could hurt the prospects for two potential Donald Trump running mates. And we recap Day 14 of Trump's New York criminal trial. Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here. Biden is caught in a no-win situation on Israel By Jonathan Allen President Joe Biden is trying to thread the needle on Israels war against Hamas, but his threat to stop sending certain weapons to Benjamin Netanyahus government left some in Washington wondering whether hes lost that thread. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers, Biden said in an interview with CNN Wednesday. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they havent gone in Rafah yet if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities that deal with that problem. Do you have a news tip? Let us know In point of fact, Israel is conducting limited military operations in Rafah, the Gaza city where more than 1 million Palestinians have clustered since the war began in the aftermath of Hamas Oct. 7 terrorist attack on the Jewish state. Biden said Israel has not yet crossed a red line by going into population centers. But at the same time the Biden administration is delaying an official certification that U.S. weapons arent being used to undercut humanitarian efforts to protect civilians, the president is drawing a new rhetorical line in the sand. Some in his own party see that as counterproductive to Bidens policy and political aims. He would like the war to conclude as soon as possible, with the release of Israeli and American hostages held by Hamas, and he would like for pro-Palestinian activists to stop hammering him at home as he seeks re-election. The problem is this message that theyre sending cant accomplish both of those things, said one Democratic lawmaker who spoke on the condition of anonymity to offer candid criticism of Bidens position. Because now, if you want Hamas to release the hostages and they see the U.S. pulling back, it relieves the pressure on Hamas. This lawmaker said that figures to lengthen the war, rather than bringing a conclusion, which in turn threatens to extend Bidens domestic political quandary. If the hostages are not going to be released, then the war is going to continue, with or without U.S. missiles, the lawmaker said. Republicans were quick to condemn Bidens position. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who recently worked with the Biden White House to enact an aid package for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, told Politico that he hopes Bidens remarks were a senior moment. And in an interview with North Carolinas Spectrum News 1, former President Donald Trump said he wouldnt do what Biden did. He just abandoned Israel, Trump said. But progressives welcomed what they saw as a turn in the right direction. Biden has taken the position that 37 Democrats did in voting no on offensive weapons to Gaza that could be used for an invasion in Rafah, said Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., a co-chair of Bidens campaign. That now is the mainstream Democratic position, and the recent vote on the offensive weapons to Israel will be seen akin to the Iraq War one. Last month, Democrats voted 173-37 for a stand-alone measure that provided aid to Israel, including for offensive weapons, before it was wrapped into the larger package of foreign military assistance that Biden signed into law. If Biden is mainstreaming the progressive view, hes doing so at the potential cost of standing with roughly 20% of his partys House contingent and against the vast majority of Republican officials inside and outside Congress. The question for Biden as he tries to manage Israels war from afar is whether hell net more support at home by moving closer to the pro-Palestinian progressives who have given him fits since the start of the war. Trump trial, Day 14: Stormy Daniels spars with the former presidents lawyer during testimony By Adam Reiss, Jillian Frankel, Gary Grumbach and Dareh Gregorian Adult film star Stormy Daniels returned to the stand in Trumps criminal trial Thursday, pushing back during cross-examination on his defense attorneys attempts to discredit her in sometimes bizarre and uncomfortable exchanges. Trumps attorney Susan Necheles grilled Daniels about the $130,000 nondisclosure agreement she signed with Trumps then-attorney Michael Cohen near the close of the 2016 election, and tried to poke holes in her now-sworn statements about the sexual encounter she says she had with Trump, which he denies. Necheles asked her about the number of porn films shes written and directed, and said, You have a lot of experience making phony stories about sex. Wow. Thats not how I would put it, Daniels replied. The sex in the films is very much real, just like what happened to me in that room with Trump. She added, If that story was untrue, I wouldve written it to be a lot better. Madeleine Westerhout, Trumps former White House executive assistant, was called as a witness later in the day. Read more from the Trump trial here The million-dollar question: Will Trump take the stand? He previously said that he absolutely would testify, but has since softened those comments. Read more A potential roadblock for two of Trumps VP contenders By Henry J. Gomez and Matt Dixon Two of Trumps prospective running mates come with politically fraught complications: the Republican governors who would choose their successors. If Trump goes with Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis would be in line to select his replacement perhaps immediately if Rubio resigns and relocates to avoid the constitutional hang-up of having both candidates on the ticket residing in the same state. If Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio becomes vice president, Gov. Mike DeWine would pick a new senator. Both governors have recent, fractious histories with Trump, raising doubts about whether the people they appoint would meet the often rigid right-wing standards of his MAGA movement. And while the succession dynamic will not necessarily sink Rubios or Vances chances of being selected, it is the subject of speculative conversation in both states. DeSantis and Trump are coming off a bitter clash for the GOP presidential nomination. Though there are signs of detente, enough trust issues remain that the idea of handing DeSantis the power of a Senate appointment is one that Trump world is approaching cautiously. In Ohio, Trump campaigned vigorously against DeWines endorsed candidate, state Sen. Matt Dolan, in a recent GOP Senate primary, branding DeWine as a crusty establishment avatar and RINO. Many believe Dolan, who lost the primary to Trump-endorsed Bernie Moreno, would be on DeWines shortlist to succeed Vance. Read more on the Trump veepstakes here Thats all from The Politics Desk for now. If you have feedback likes or dislikes email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com And if youre a fan, please share with everyone and anyone. They can sign up here. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspects Liaoning Academy of Materials in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, May 8, 2024. Ding made a research tour from Tuesday to Thursday in Dalian and Shenyang in northeast China's Liaoning Province. He also presided over a symposium in Shenyang. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) SHENYANG, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang has stressed efforts to strengthen scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, and actively foster and develop new quality productive forces to make new breakthroughs in pursuit of the full revitalization of northeast China. Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during his research tour from Tuesday to Thursday in Dalian and Shenyang in northeast China's Liaoning Province. He also presided over a symposium in Shenyang. In Dalian, Ding said collaborative innovation by bringing together enterprises, academia, and research institutes should be promoted, while enhancing enterprises' leading role in sci-tech innovation. In Shenyang, Ding urged continued efforts in developing the advanced manufacturing sector, and making progress in high-end, intelligent and green development. At the symposium, Ding called for pursuing industrial innovation led by sci-tech innovation, and more efforts in accelerating the development of new quality productive forces. Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspects Dalian University of Technology in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, May 7, 2024. Ding made a research tour from Tuesday to Thursday in Dalian and Shenyang in northeast China's Liaoning Province. He also presided over a symposium in Shenyang. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) President Joe Biden said Thursday that he was concerned Boeing had locked out its firefighters and urged the airplane manufacturer to reach a deal with the workers union as soon as possible. Boeing forced 125 firefighters and other first responders in Washington State off the job early Saturday morning amid a dispute over a new contract. The union, the International Association of Fire Fighters, accused the company of choosing corporate greed over safety. Biden stepped into the feud with a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Thursday afternoon: Collective bargaining is a right that helps employers and employees. Im concerned by reports that Boeing locked out IAFF I-66 members. I encourage folks to return to the table to secure a deal that benefits Boeing and gets these firefighters the pay and benefits they deserve. President Biden (@POTUS) May 9, 2024 A lockout is a work stoppage initiated by the employer rather than the workers, with the aim of gaining leverage in contract talks. The firefighters previous agreement with Boeing recently expired, and the two sides failed to come to terms on a new one. Boeing maintains that it made two competitive offers to the union, but the IAFF said the proposals would leave firefighters with pay and benefits well behind local municipal fire departments. The union accused Boeing of using the lockout to punish, intimidate, and coerce its firefighters into accepting a contract that undervalues their work. Its been a tough year so far for Boeing. The company hasnt managed to escape the news ever since a door panel blew out on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max jet in January, prompting Congressional hearings on Boeings safety practices and an audit by the Federal Aviation Administration. Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun recently announced he would resign at the end of the year. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on his "Investing in America agenda" at Gateway Technical College on Wednesday in Sturtevant, Wisconsin. Evan Vucci via Associated Press Boeing said in a statement Thursday that its offer provides significant pay increases and increased benefits. We remain committed to securing an agreement, the company said. Biden has shown a far greater willingness than his predecessors to wade into union matters at individual companies. Earlier this year he voiced his support for Volkswagen workers who were trying to unionize their Tennessee factory, and publicly congratulated them when they won their election last month. In 2021, he gave a speech denouncing union-busting in the context of a closely watched election at an Amazon warehouse in Alabama. He often touts himself as the most pro-union president in history. Bidens relationship with the firefighters union goes back years. The IAFF was the first major union to endorse Biden during his 2020 run for the White House, and the president spoke at the unions conference in Washington last year. The IAFF has not yet announced an endorsement for president this year. This story has been updated with comment from Boeing. President Bidens move to pause a shipment of heavy bombs to Israel has drawn the fury of Republicans, further polarizing U.S. efforts to deter Israel from launching a bloody campaign in southern Gaza. The U.S. held back some 3,500 bombs that had already been approved for Israel as the White House is growing increasingly frustrated with the civilian toll in Gaza and is concerned about a looming Israeli full-scale invasion of Rafah, a southern city where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering. But the decision to hold back weapons shipments is among the most significant actions that Biden has taken to assert U.S. leverage amid Israels war in Gaza. While progressives have long called for such weapons restrictions, Republicans responded to the move with blistering statements attacking Biden. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and House Armed Services Chair Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said in a joint statement Wednesday they were appalled that the administration paused crucial arms shipments to Israel, accusing Biden of weakening Israeli security. Moreover, this disastrous policy decision was undertaken in secret and deliberately hidden from Congress and the American people, they said. At a time when Israel continues to negotiate in good faith to secure the release of hostages, including American citizens, the administrations shortsighted, strategic error calls into question its unshakeable commitment as an ally. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also came under questioning from Republicans when he testified in front of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday morning. Does this not send the wrong message to our ally Israel and embolden Iran and Iranian-backed groups? said Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.). We should not be signaling to [our] enemies that our support is conditional. Austin responded that the U.S. commitment to Israels security remains ironclad and the White House has provided billions of dollars to the country. But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah, Austin said. We havent made any decisions. We did pause as we reevaluated some of the security assistance that we are providing. Austin repeated that Israel should not launch a major attack on Rafah without protecting civilians and coming up with a plan to protect the civilians sheltering there. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) argued that Hamas and other Iranian-backed proxies are committed to destroying Israel. And youre telling me that if we withhold weapons in this fight, the existential fight for the life for the Jewish state, it wont send the wrong signal? he told Austin during his round of questioning. The weapons on hold are 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs, along with the Joint Direct Attack Munitions kits that convert them into precision-guided munitions known as smart bombs. Heavier bombs are generally more destructive and can result in more indiscriminate attacks, and human rights groups have accused Israel of driving up the death toll with the large munitions. The U.S. has provided billions of dollars in sales every year to Israel, and the White House has continued shipping arms to the country in its war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Last month, Biden signed into law a national security package that includes $26 billion for Israel. But the pressure on Biden has grown from his left flank and reached a fever pitch in recent weeks as college students camp out on university campuses to protest the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where more than 34,000 people have died during the 7-month-old war. Alp Sevimlisoy, a millennium fellow at the Atlantic Council, said Biden is likely to send the munitions he is holding eventually, but may be holding back for now to use the leverage he has to send a message that the war needs to end sooner than later. The Biden administration simply wants Israel to define an endgame and define it quickly, he said. These munitions will go ahead. Theyre just going to go ahead at a time where it doesnt look as though its going to be conflated with any potential operation. Still, Republicans, who have accused Biden of being too soft on the campus protests against Israels war, have been quick to seize on the pause. The GOP has just seen this as a very easy way to attack the Biden administration because on paper, it seems as though theres a little bit of a distrust when supporting Israel, he added. But in reality, weve seen an unwavering support for Israel from President Biden. Israel has also expressed its displeasure over the move. Gilad Erdan, Israels ambassador to the United Nations, told Israeli news station Channel 12 that holding back the bombs was frustrating and a very disappointing decision. Israel began limited operations in Rafah this week after ordering the evacuation of 100,000 Palestinians. Soldiers on Tuesday took over the border crossing that connects to Egypt and is a vital source for desperately needed humanitarian aid in Gaza. Biden suggested to CNN on Wednesday night that if Israel goes into Rafah he will halt offensive weapons sales. Were going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently, he said, but in the event of a full-scale Rafah attack, were not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters Wednesday that there is a review of other weapons shipments as well, also connected to concerns over Rafah and an unacceptable humanitarian aid crisis across Gaza. We have always made clear that our policy determinations are dependent on Israels policy determinations, he said, adding that the Biden administration does not support a large invasion of Rafah because we do not believe Israel has presented a credible, humanitarian plan. As the death toll has soared in Gaza, a growing number of Democrats have called to condition weapons to Israel or only send defensive weapons. Close to 90 Democrats last week urged Biden to consider halting offensive arms to Israel. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the Senates most vocal opponent of supplying weapons to Israel, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has created an unprecedented humanitarian disaster in Gaza and that Biden was absolutely right to halt bomb delivery. But this must be a first step. The U.S. must now use ALL its leverage to demand an immediate ceasefire, the end of the attacks on Rafah, and the immediate delivery of massive amounts of humanitarian aid to people living in desperation, Sanders said in a statement. But Republicans said Biden has his priorities mixed up when it comes to Americas role in the war. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) accused the president in a statement of caving to the America-hating fringe of the Democrat party. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Ted Budd (R-N.C.) sent a letter to Biden questioning the holdup of the bomb sales. It seems everyone is pushing against Israel when we should be pushing against Hamas, Ernst told Fox News on Tuesday. We should not be using our support, our ammunition, our weapons platforms, to leverage against Israel. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. President Joe Biden said he will halt weapon shipments to Israel if it launches a ground invasion on Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza where approximately 1.3 million people are sheltering. If they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities that deal with that problem, Biden told CNN on Wednesday. Were going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently, he said. But its its just wrong. It is the first time that Biden has articulated any sort of restrictions on U.S. arms shipments to Israel in this war. For seven months, as the death toll in Gaza climbed to more than 34,000 and most of its population became displaced, Biden publicly refused to place conditions on U.S. military support for Israels war on Hamas, even as he publicly urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to protect civilians in Gaza and approved airdropping aid to a starving population. But it seems the president may have reached the limits of his support for Israels brutal military campaign in Gaza, which began after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200. Netanyahu has long vowed to launch a full-scale invasion of Rafah to eliminate what Israel has called the last Hamas stronghold. Israels military has continued to bomb cities in Gaza, including Rafah, but amid reports of an imminent invasion, the U.S. announced on Wednesday that it had paused shipments of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. In his interview with CNN, Biden acknowledged that those deadly bombs have been used to kill civilians. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs, he said. But, Biden added, Israels current attacks on Rafah do not meet the threshold for pulling other weapon shipments. They havent gone into population centers. What they did is right on the border, he told CNN. But Ive made it very clear to Bibi and the war Cabinet, theyre not going to get our support if in fact they do go into those population centers. Meanwhile, Republican leaders who have sought to exploit divisions within the Democratic Party to portray themselves as the pro-Israel party criticized Biden over his latest remarks. I hope its a senior moment, because that would be a great deviation in what is said to be the policy there, House Speaker Mike Johnson told Politico. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Before President Joe Biden warned Israel that his administration would refuse to send more weapons, including 2,000-pound bombs that have killed so many innocent people, an Israeli spokesman sat down with broadcaster Piers Morgan. It turned into maybe the most revealing exchange since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel that triggered the unfolding Gaza conflict. Issac Bailey So how many civilians do you believe youve killed? Morgan asked. We dont have exact figures, as you know, its the fog of war, Israeli government spokesperson Avi Hyman answered. Youve got exact numbers for how many Hamas terrorists youve killed, Morgan pressed. Why wouldnt you know how many civilians youve killed? Because obviously our focus is to go after the Hamas terrorists, Hyman returned. If you know exactly how many Hamas terrorists youve killed, you must know how many civilians youve killed, Morgan kept pushing. The exchange went on that way for five minutes. The Israeli spokesman did not answer the question, didnt seem prepared for it. He resorted to the much-used line that Israels military is the best in the world at protecting civilians, a claim Morgan rightly called bunk given that they didnt even know how many innocent Palestinians they had killed. Estimates say Israel has killed northwards of 13,000 children and more than 34,000 civilians overall. Not long after, Biden announced that the U.S. will stop sending American weapons, including those 2,000-pound bombs, if Israel launches an attack on Rafah, which would put even more civilians in harms way. If they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities that deal with that problem, Biden told CNNs Erin Burnett. That led to predictable hyperbolic claims the U.S. was abandoning Israel, that maybe Jews couldnt trust gentiles, that it was a result of antisemitism. We stand by allies, we dont second guess them, Sen. Mitt Romney tweeted. Bidens dithering on Israel weapons is bad policy and a terrible message to Israel, our allies, and the world. An Israeli official angrily announced theyd use imprecise bombs if they couldnt get precise ones from the U.S. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham told Fox News: The only reason they are not dancing in Iran is because they dont believe in dancing. Bidens critics seemed to care as much about the killing of an ungodly number of people as the Israeli spokesman Morgan grilled. Thats been one of the most disturbing developments since Oct. 7. People of conscience grieved with Israel after that horrific Hamas attack. The slaughter of innocent babies and women and children and men was an indescribable evil no matter the events before Oct. 7. People of conscience understood why Israel had to go after Hamas, and hard. It not only had a right to self-defense, but a duty. That was clear. It remains clear. Thats why even as he announced a pause in shipping weapons and artillery shells to Israel, Biden remained steadfast to the countrys defense, making clear the U.S. would remain a strong ally. Were going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently, he said. But it has been frustrating, and horrifying, watching Israel become so committed to rooting out Hamas it seems to not care how many innocent bodies are being left in the wake of their wrath in Gaza. It has been even more frustrating knowing the U.S. has been underwriting and supporting that killing of innocents, which cant possibly make Israel safer in the long term. Thats a lesson the U.S. learned the hard way when we allowed vengeance to guide us after Al Qaeda knocked down the Twin Towers. Thats why I know Biden hasnt abandoned Israel, as some of his critics are claiming. He finally sent innocent, starving Palestinians a long overdue lifeline. Issac Bailey is a McClatchy Opinion writer in North and South Carolina. Displaced Palestinians travel on a cart in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on May 7, 2024. Credit - AFPGetty Images When Israeli tanks rolled into Gazas southernmost city of Rafah this week, seizing control of its vital border crossing with neighboring Egypt, they appeared to be edging dangerously close to President Joe Bidens red line. For months, the American president voiced his opposition to an Israeli invasion of the densely-populated city absent a clear and credible plan to safeguard the more than 1 million people sheltering there. But he never articulated exactly what price the Israeli government would pay if it went ahead with the offensive anyway, as it repeatedly said it would. That is, until this week. On Wednesday, President Biden confirmed reports that Washington had paused a shipment of bombs to Israel amid concerns that the weapons could be used in Rafahand threatened to withhold further arms supplies should a major ground invasion of the city go ahead. I made it clear that if they go into Rafahthey havent gone into Rafah yetIm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, Biden told CNN, noting that this would not apply to defensive weapons, including ammunition for Israels Iron Dome. Were not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells. The move marks a major turning point for Biden, who until this point had refused to put any conditions on U.S. military aid amid ever-growing concerns over Israels conduct in Gaza, where nearly 35,000 have been killed. While the Biden administration has yet to make a public determination on whether it believes Israel has violated U.S. or international law in Gaza, Biden acknowledged in an apparent first that U.S. weapons have been used in the killing of civilians. A young boy looks on as relatives of Palestinians killed in Israeli bombing mourn near their corpses in the yard of the Al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah in on May 3, 2024. AFPGetty Images The fact that he is now openly and explicitly threatening this consequence after months of no consequences, apart from perhaps the U.N. [ceasefire] resolution abstention, is a big deal, Matt Duss, the executive vice president of the Center for International Policy and a former chief foreign policy advisor to Sen. Bernie Sanders, tells TIME. Its a departure from the presidents long-standing view of how the U.S-Israel relationship should work, and its also a sign I think of the absolutely dire situation in Rafah. While the Biden administration contends that Israel has yet to cross its red line on Rafah, noting that Israels seizure of the Rafah border crossing constituted an operation of limited scale and duration, those on the ground say that there is nothing limited about what is currently taking place in the city. On Monday, the Israeli military ordered the evacuation of some 100,000 people from nine area blocks on the southeastern part of the city, urging them to relocate to purported safe zones in the north, from which many were told to flee in the first place. That same day, Israel began conducting airstrikes on the city. By Tuesday morning, at least 23 people were killed, according to hospital records, among them at least six children. The media and analysts are understandably referring to this renewed offensive on Rafah as one that is limited, but I cant say that thats a word that resonates with people in Rafah, says Suze van Meegen, the Norwegian Refugee Councils head of operations in Palestine, who is currently based in Rafah. Between those fleeing the city in panic and fuel shortages that threaten to shut down the enclaves remaining hospitals, bakeries, and water pumps, its the most bleak picture I can imagine, van Meegen says. But the worst of it is the fear that we see. Children in Rafah queue to receive a bowl of food for their families on May 3, 2024. Doaa AlbazAnadolu/Getty Images While Israeli officials were quick to condemn Bidens decision, with the countrys far-right national security minister even going so far as to declare that Hamas Biden, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has remained conspicuously silent. He did, however, post a video to X on Thursday from a speech he made days earlier on Holocaust Remembrance Day, during which he stated that if Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone. (Israels Prime Ministers Office offered no further comment.) The ball is now in Netanyahus court. But should the Israeli prime minister opt to call Bidens bluff with a large-scale invasion, or choose to creep forward into Rafah more incrementally, the pressure will fall on Biden to back up his words with actions. This action by President Biden is welcome. We need to continue using our leverage in support of protecting innocent lives in Gaza, Sen. Peter Welch, who has helped lead calls in Congress for the U.S. to consistently apply the Leahy Law to Israel, tells TIME. My hope is that this sends a clear message that the Netanyahu government hears. Write to Yasmeen Serhan at yasmeen.serhan@time.com. President Biden on Wednesday warned he would stop supplying Israel with offensive weapons like bombs and artillery shells if Israeli forces launch an invasion of Rafah, laying down a clear line amid outcry over the conflict in Gaza. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers, Biden told CNNs Erin Burnett in an interview. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they havent gone in Rafah yet if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities that deal with that problem, Biden added. The White House has urged Israel against sending forces into Rafah without a clear plan to evacuate civilians safely, as the war has already left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead. About a million refugees have settled in Rafah after fleeing fighting in northern Gaza. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 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. And he says that requires going after Hamas leaders hiding out in Rafah. Biden has grown increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu in private, and last month suggested in a call with the prime minister that the U.S. could reassess its support for Israel if it did not do more to protect civilians and humanitarian workers. The U.S. reportedly paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns of a looming full-scale invasion of Rafah. But Wednesdays comments are the first time he has explicitly threatened to cut off the shipment of offensive weapons to the U.S. ally. Were going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently, Biden told CNN. But its, its just wrong. Were not going to were not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells. White House national security communications adviser John Kirby told reporters Tuesday the U.S. was closely monitoring Israels actions in Rafah, after its soldiers took control of a border crossing in Rafah. Kirby indicated it did not rise to the level of a full-scale military operation that U.S. officials had warned against. The operation, Kirby said, was aimed at cutting off Hamass ability to ship arms across the border into Rafah. How theyve described this is not of a size, scale, duration and scope that one could equate to a major ground operation. But again, its just started, Kirby said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The United States wont supply Israel with offensive weapons for use in a ground offensive that endangers the Palestinian civilians whove taken shelter in the border city of Rafah, President Joe Biden has said. Mr Biden explained his position on Rafah in an interview with CNN anchor Erin Burnett during a visit to Wisconsin on Wednesday. But he insisted that he wont stop the flow of defensive weapons like the interceptors used for Israels Iron Dome anti-missile system even if he cuts off the flow of munitions such as shipment of the 2,000 lb bombs he acknowledged putting a hold on. Were going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently, he said. But its, its just wrong. Were not going to were not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells. Mr Biden also said he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel is not going to get our support, if in fact theyre going to these population centres. Displaced Palestinians arrive in central Gaza after fleeing from the southern Gaza city of Rafah in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, on Wednesday, May 7, 2024. (AP) Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centres. But he stressed that the US commitment to Israels ability to defend against and respond to attacks was not in jeopardy even if he was putting some conditions on military aid. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they havent gone in Rafah yet if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities that deal with that problem, he said. Were not walking away from Israels security. Were walking away from Israels ability to wage war in those areas. Mr Biden said Israels actions in Rafah which thus far have been limited havent crossed any red lines with him. But he did acknowledge that the offensive there has caused tension in the region. They havent gone into the population centres. What they did is right on the border. And its causing problems with, right now, in terms of with Egypt, which Ive worked very hard to make sure we have a relationship and help, he said. He also said he has made clear to Israels leaders that the US will not support an assault on Rafahs civilian population, and said he previously warned Mr Netanyahu about an overreaction to the October 7 attacks that would repeat what he deemed as American mistakes made after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Ive made it clear to Bibi and the war cabinet: Theyre not going to get our support if, in fact, they go on these population centres, he said. I said to Bibi, Dont make the same mistake we made in America. We wanted to get bin Laden. Well help you get Sinwar, he continued. It made sense to get bin Laden; it made no sense to try and unify Afghanistan. It made no sense in my view to engage in thinking that in Iraq they had a nuclear weapon. President Joe Biden told CNN in a Wednesday interview that he will withhold certain weapons transfers to Israel if the IDF mounts a major ground operation in Rafah, the first time Biden has explicitly stated that the U.S. is conditioning arms transfers to Israel. Last month, the White House threatened to shift its policy toward Israel if it didnt take additional precautions to protect civilians and Wednesdays interview confirmed that was not an empty threat. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers, and I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they havent gone into Rafah yet if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, to deal with that problem, Biden said. It was also the first time the president acknowledged that U.S.-supplied weapons have been responsible for the death of civilians in Gaza. Were going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks like [those that] came out of the Middle East recently, but its just wrong. Were not going to supply the weapons and the artillery shells that have been used, said Biden. Israel has not yet crossed Bidens red line on Rafah, he said, even as the IDF began a more limited operation in the southern Gaza city this week. But Washington has already held up one shipment, Biden acknowledged. In a speech one day earlier, Biden said at a Holocaust memorial event at the Capitol that his commitment to the security of Israel and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad, even when we disagree. (The Associated Press reported that Biden waited to weigh in on Rafah until after he delivered his Holocaust remembrance address.) A senior Biden administration official told JI after Bidens interview that withholding the arms shipments does not mean Bidens support for Israels security is no longer ironclad. Instead, the official argued that there is a distinction between the U.S. giving Israel access to defensive weapons versus offensive weapons and that the bombs the U.S. is withholding are not needed for defensive purposes. Its ironclad to Israels security, right, like, I mean, they need Iron Dome defense systems. You can argue that they dont need a 2,000-pound unguided munition in order to defend themselves, the official said. He is drawing a distinction in the interview between defensive weapons, which he will always support, and some types of offensive weapons, for instance, the 500-pound, 1,000-pound unguided munitions that Israel would use in a Rafah operation if they decided to move forward with that. Bidens Wednesday comments signal a major shift in U.S. policy toward Israel in its seven-month war against Hamas in Gaza. From close to the beginning of the war, which began with Hamas Oct. 7 attacks that killed more than 1,200 people in Israel, Biden and top administration officials have told Israel to do more to protect civilians and aid workers in Gaza, warning Israel not to follow the path of Americas destructive wars in Afghanistan and Iraq after 9/11. He echoed those concerns again on Wednesday while acknowledging the severity of the Oct. 7 attacks. Nothings like thats happened to the Jewish community since the Holocaust. When I went over immediately after that happened I said to Bibi, Dont make the same mistake we made in America. We wanted to get Bin Laden and well help you get Sinwar, Biden said, referring to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Dont make the same mistake. Focus on and well help you focus on getting the bad guys. In the interview, Biden didnt mention the more than 130 hostages still remaining in Gaza, nor did he refer to Hamas by name. The senior administration official said thats because Burnett did not specifically ask Biden about the hostages. Bidens interview quickly drew condemnation from pro-Israel Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill, some of whom alleged that Bidens decision to halt the arms shipment and pressure Israel on Rafah removes Israels key leverage in the ongoing hostage negotiations. The senior administration official disputed this argument, saying the U.S. continues to exert pressure on Hamas. We have been putting a lot of pressure on them for that and on Hamas for that. If anyone out there would want to conclude, Oh, were not doing that, were only pressuring Israel, that is absolutely not true. Weve been putting a lot of pressure on Hamas and will continue to do that, said the official. Sen. John Fetterman, on X, offered sharp criticism of Bidens decision. Hard disagree and deeply disappointing, he wrote. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) noted to JI, [Biden] came to this Congress and he said pass legislation you cant come to members and get them to vote for your bill, your package, and then throw away part of the package. He added that, legally, the funds appropriated by Congress must be used. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) told JI, I support Israels desire to destroy Hamas in Gaza. They attacked brutally on 7 October, and Hamas has to be destroyed in Gaza to the best that they can. To stand in front of that, that means President Biden wants Hamas to continue to exist in Gaza, which is a continuous threat to Israel. Its wrong. He also alluded to former President Donald Trumps impeachment over his decision to withhold arms sales to Ukraine. View comments (Bloomberg) -- US President Joe Biden said he would halt additional shipments of offensive weapons to Israel if the country launches a ground invasion of Rafah, decrying the potential loss of civilian life as just wrong. Most Read from Bloomberg Were going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently, Biden said in an interview with CNN, referring to air-defense weaponry. But its just wrong. Were not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells. The remarks came after the US paused delivery of about 3,500 bombs to Israel including 2,000-pound (900-kilogram) explosives that could cause massive damage in the densely packed southern Gaza city of Rafah amid mounting frustration over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus conduct of the war against Hamas. The move marked the Biden administrations most serious signal of displeasure since the conflict began seven months ago. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers, Biden said. Netanyahu hasnt publicly responded, though is due to give an interview to US TV to be broadcast later Thursday. Some members of his coalition government were more outspoken, with Itamar Ben Gvir, the far-right national security minister, using a heart emoji to describe the relationship between Biden and Hamas. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Rafah should be attacked and the sooner the better, while Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel cannot be subdued we will achieve our goals in the northern and southern arenas. Read more: US Arms Delay to Israel Brings Anxiety and Talk of Self-Reliance US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the US is reviewing other potential weapon systems. A congressional aide and an administration official, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations, said another pending arms sale has been under review for months a potential $260 million deal between Boeing Co. and Israel for as many as 6,500 tail-kits to convert unguided bombs into GPS-guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions. As tension mounts, Biden administration officials and former officials said the moves have a clearly defined goal: exert as much pressure as possible on Israel to scale back or abandon an invasion of Rafah while being careful not to make a total break with Netanyahus government. More than 1.4 million civilians have taken refuge in the Gazan city near the border with Egypt, having fled a mass bombardment by the Israeli military further north. Read More: Why Israels Plans to Invade Rafah Are So Worrying: QuickTake The administration also wants to preserve space for negotiators from the US, Egypt and Qatar, who have convened in Cairo this week to strive for a cease-fire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. Officials in those talks include Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns, who is trying to bring home a deal whose prospects have whipsawed between hopeful and grim. Read more: Gaza Is Chinas New Wedge Issue to Split US From Global South The pause in arms shipments should not be read as a major break in the relationship, said Mara Rudman, who held senior Middle East diplomatic roles in the Obama and Clinton administrations and is now a professor at the University of Virginia. Consider it as an element in the mix at a key inflection point maximizing efforts to reach a cease-fire that brings out hostages, brings in humanitarian relief and starts to build a pathway to greater sanity all around. Cease-Fire Talks The sides seemed close to a deal at the weekend but the core dispute Hamas desire to make the truce permanent and Israels that it be temporary got in the way. As Israel started moving tanks toward Rafah, Hamas announced on Monday it had accepted an Egyptian proposal. But Israeli officials examining the document said it became clear a number of unacceptable changes had been included. Hamas was no longer offering only living hostages in the first phase but an unspecified mix, while slowing down the pace of releases and increasing the number of Palestinian prisoners wanted in return. The group also baked into the deal that Israeli forces had to leave permanently before it got most of its hostages back. The offer was rejected, and talks continue. Read More: Israel Edges Into Rafah With Tension High Over Stalled Talks It all comes at a critical juncture in the conflict, which has raged since Hamas militants invaded Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and abducting 250 more. Biden is facing domestic pressure for a solution with US elections just six months away, and Israeli strikes on Rafah have the potential to significantly increase the number of civilian casualties and even scuttle cease-fire negotiations entirely. Israel has insisted it needs to complete its mission to destroy Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the US, both in retaliation for Oct. 7 and to prevent a future attack. The US has stepped up its criticism of Israel in recent months, saying its not doing enough to protect civilians and allow aid into the besieged Palestinian territory, parts of which the United Nations says are on the verge of famine. There have been far too many casualties in this battle space, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in congressional testimony Wednesday. Israels bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza have killed almost 35,000 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Bidens decision on arms deliveries was immediately assailed by the Israelis, who privately expressed deep frustration to the US, according to a person briefed on the discussions. Republican lawmakers in Washington were similarly critical, accusing the administration of sending the wrong message to Hamas and other Iran-backed militant groups such as Hezbollah. The pauses call into question your pledge that your commitment to Israels security will remain ironclad, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a joint letter to Biden Wednesday. US officials have signaled they would accept a more surgical, targeted campaign on Rafah, where Israel believes thousands of Hamas fighters are holed up. Biden told CNN that Israels actions in the city including air strikes near border areas had not yet crossed the line. They havent gone into the population centers. What they did is right on the border, he said. Biden told Netanyahu last month, following the killing of World Central Kitchen aid workers in an Israeli strike, that ongoing US support for the war would depend on new steps to protect civilians. Read more: Understanding the Roots of the Israel-Hamas War: QuickTake Ive made it clear to Bibi and the war cabinet: Theyre not going to get our support, if in fact they go on these population centers, Biden said Wednesday, referencing the Israeli prime ministers nickname. The US also stopped far short of halting all military aid to Israel. The US recently signed a foreign-aid package that contains billions of dollars of fresh assistance for Israel. The paused bomb shipment isnt connected to those funds, Austin said. Arms transfers that are under review were drawn from previously appropriated money, and the White House is committed to ensuring Israel gets all the new national security aid, he said. Other developments that could strain the US-Israel relationship include a government memorandum due this week that outlines whether the US believes Israel violated international humanitarian law in Gaza, according to Gerald Feierstein, a veteran US diplomat whos now a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. We still see the administration not being willing to risk an open break or an open confrontation with the Israelis, he said. A lot of it just depends on how things play out in Rafah and whether it gets worse. --With assistance from Tony Capaccio and Erik Wasson. (Updates with Rafah refugees in eigth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. A pupil takes part in a "Chinese Bridge" contest in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman) DAR ES SALAAM, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Fourteen pupils from six primary schools across Tanzania on Wednesday showed their mastery of Chinese language and culture in a "Chinese Bridge" contest for foreign primary school pupils. The competition was held at the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam, in the country's largest city and commercial hub. Ten-year-old Tausi Julius, from Longquan Bodhi Primary School on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam, was the overall winner. She will travel to China later this year to participate in the first global Chinese Bridge contest for foreign primary school pupils. "My travel to China will enable me to learn more about the Chinese language and culture," Tausi told Xinhua. Bonaventure Rutinwa, deputy vice chancellor of the University of Dar es Salaam, praised the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam for promoting mutual understanding and friendly cooperation between China and Tanzania. The Confucius Institute has been instrumental in enhancing cultural exchange and Chinese language learning as an effective approach to further development of Tanzania-China ties, Rutinwa said. Tanzanian pupils receive awards after a "Chinese Bridge" contest in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman) ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) Members of law enforcement agencies from across the Big Country gathered this morning for National Peace Officers Memorial Day. This annual event honors law enforcement personnel who have lost their lives in the line of duty. The memorial included a flag and wreath ceremony, a gun salute, and several leaders from law enforcement agencies around Abilene gave commemorative speeches on behalf of their fallen comrades. Along with these was an End of Watch Call that named many officers who died while serving their community. APD invites Abilene community to the Rodney T. Holder Loop 322 Dedication The memorial was more than simply recognizing those who were lost, as it served to honor the families of the fallen as well. Present at the memorial was Annemarie Holder, the widow of fallen Abilene Police Officer Rodney T. Holder. Officer Holder lost his life in 2010 when his patrol motorcycle was struck while in pursuit of another vehicle. I was texting my children this morning, telling them about just different ways that their dad had been remembered and honored, said Annemarie Holder. Its just such an honor to know that your family member serves their community and is loved and respected as they really are and I think that sometimes thats not shared until theyre gone. Texas honors Fallen Deputy David Bosecker: Memorial service pays tribute to selfless sacrifice & dedication Donna Kleman serves as chaplain for both the Taylor County Sheriffs Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Her daughter served three tours in Iraq and was killed in combat. Through tears, she spoke about how this memorial means so much to the families of these fallen individuals. As a Gold Star mother of a military member that died while serving, the thing that we fear is that they will be forgotten and so we work really hard for the families to say that your loved one: Never forgotten. Always remembered. National Peace Officers Memorial Day is observed on May 15. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) In March the Oklahoma House passed House Bill 3749 by Rep. Jim Grego, R-Wilburton, that would create a revolving fund to restart the prison rodeo at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. As of Tuesday, House Bill 3749 has been placed on pause after Oklahoma Department of Corrections Director Steven Harpe informed the legislative panel his agency was no longer pursuing an $8.3 million appropriation this session. Could the Prison Rodeo make a return? Instead, the agency wants the Legislature to authorize an interim study, according to Oklahoma Department of Corrections Director Steven Harpe. House Bill 3749 is set to direct the fund to be used for complete revitalization of the prison rodeo grounds in McAlester. The last rodeo was held at the facility in 2009, according to prison officials. For many years, the prison held a rodeo in this facility that was very popular with inmates and their families as well as staff, and it drew visitors from across the nation to Southeast Oklahoma, Grego said. The rodeo was discontinued due to a lack of funding and deterioration of the grounds, but we have support now to reintroduce this event and reap the economic reward it will bring. The Prison Rodeo, at the State Penitentiary in McAlester, brought in fans from around the world which boosted the local economy, according to Dan M. Reynolds, the prisons warden from 1991-1994. You had all the hotels full, you had restaurants full, said Reynolds, the prisons warden from 1991-1994. As soon as the rodeo was over, we were in a meeting the following week talking about next years rodeo. Reynolds said the rodeo began in 1940 to help provide medical needs to poor inmates. As it grew in popular, so did the production. Its a big morale boost for the inmates, said Reynolds. Gladiator arena filled with prisoners: OK House approves $8.3M fund for prison rodeo Currently Harpe says, Louisiana is the only state that has a behind-the-walls prison rodeo and although he is confident the rodeo would generate revenue and is committed to getting this done, the agency could not restart it without additional dollars. However, not everyone is onboard. Representative Andy Fugate (D-OKC) said the event still exploits those who participate. These people will sign away their rights for their health. Theyll sign away all of their protections for their health because they are desperate to participate in a spectacle, he said. When its all said and done, what we will create with this is a gladiator arena filled with prisoners who are desperate to earn time off. Rep. Fugates concerns ride the coattails of a recent Federal Bureau of Prisons Institutions survey that points out how the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City is overworking its correctional staff, sometimes forcing employees to work at least three back-to-back double shifts in a week. The survey also exposes a lack of training for staff. Rep. Grego said participating inmates will have to sign a waiver that would prevent the prison from being held liable for any injuries or death resulting from the event. Efforts are now set to move into a interim session during the summer to involve other concert promoters that want to use the facilities in demonstrating to the Legislature a thorough plan with the issue brought back next session. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Former States Attorney Marilyn Mosby became a national figure in 2015 when, a few months into office in Baltimore, she charged six police officers who were involved the death of Freddie Gray with serious crimes, including murder and manslaughter. Young, Black, and charismatic, she developed a reputation on the national stage as a progressive prosecutor. She appeared regularly in the national media as an expert on police accountability and earned headlines for progressive actions including ending the prosecution of marijuana possession and other low-level offenses. On May 1, nine years to the day after Mosby announced charges in the Gray case, she appealed to the public for sympathy for her own legal woes. Ive done absolutely nothing wrong, nothing illegal, nothing criminal, she insisted during an interview with MSNBCs Joy Reid. On May 23, Mosby will be sentenced on three federal charges for fraud and perjury related to the purchase of two homes in Florida. She also mentioned that she is seeking a pardon from President Joe Biden. The NAACP is supporting her request, and a petition is circulating online in support as well. Mosbys dramatic fall from grace is a familiar story in U.S. politics: The career of an otherwise seemingly laudable politician is ended by personal greed and/or issues unrelated to their leadership in office. Yet, the story of Mosbys career is told very differently among Baltimore insiders and close observers. Her progressive bona fides havent been broadly accepted in Baltimore, beginning with her handling of the Gray case. And she has been accused of malicious and vindictive prosecutions. There is an ironic twist to Mosbys journey from prosecutor to defendant: She and her supporters, including Reid, have made similar accusations about the federal prosecutor, Leo Wise, who indicted her and who is currently prosecuting Hunter Biden. Wises anti-corruption efforts in Baltimore brought down a police squad known as the Gun Trace Task Force, a police commissioner, a mayor, a state senator, a prominent attorney, and Mosby. The local media portrayed Wise as cleaning house in the city, but he has his own controversial history. Mosbys case is a tale of two prosecutors, both of whom built their reputations on anti-corruption but faced similar accusations of political targeting. Wises backstory as a bulldog has been told in the media but largely in a way that minimizes Mosbys claims. In 2008, Wise was named as the first chief counsel of the Office of Congressional Ethics. Within two years, he resigned from the role after there were complaints about racial and political targeting. At one point, he had eight open investigations, all of them targeting Black Democratic members of the House. He was also criticized for selecting investigations on a whim; letting investigations become public news, sometimes before elections; and digging into personal finances. The Congressional Black Caucus drafted a resolution to limit Wises discretion. Wise moved to the U.S. Attorneys Office in Maryland in 2010, where he worked mostly on financial fraud and embezzlement cases for several years. Meanwhile, in 2015, Mosby took over as the Baltimore States Attorney. Within four months, her office was consumed by the Freddie Gray case. She faced her first public accusations of a malicious prosecution from the officers in the case and their supporters. The officers filed a lawsuit that was ultimately thrown out by the Supreme Court, so it wasnt taken seriously. They did, however, have a point. Mosby was widely praised for her seemingly bold and progressive charges in the Gray case. Yet, the fanfare around the case overshadowed the fact that Grays cause of death was left mysterious after four trials with no convictions. Prosecutors argued Gray suffered a broken neck from being thrown forward in the van while it was in motion because he wasnt wearing a seatbelt. The judge pointed out that there was no evidence to support that theory, and he faulted the prosecutors for legally unsound charges, like alleging assault while making claims about actions merely being negligent. As the author of an investigative book on the Gray case, I obtained unreleased evidence showing that officers used excessive and deadly force on Gray when they stopped the van around the corner from where they arrested him and took him out of the van to shackle his legs, as some witnesses had told the media. Case files show that prosecutors knew about this evidence from early on and didnt share it with the medical examiner or during the trials. Instead, they explicitly argued in court that the officers did not use force on Gray at all, aside from reckless driving. Case files and notes from Mosbys office further show that prosecutors rushed the charges before investigating most of the evidence and that politics was in play in their decisionmaking. Ultimately, the officers who cried malicious prosecution benefited from Mosbys office not pursuing the stronger brutality case. But they were not wrong that she put a politically expeditious narrative above the facts and law. Not long after the officers were acquitted, Mosby was being publicly accused of a malicious prosecution again, but this time by Baltimore activists. Two months after Grays arrest, in June 2015, Keith Davis Jr. was shot more than 30 times by police who believed he had committed a robbery. Rather than prosecute the officers, Mosbys office prosecuted Davis, who survived, first for the robbery and then, when he was acquitted on those charges, for a murder charge filed days after his robbery acquittal. Police claimed that Davis had murdered someone on the same day of his arrest, despite no apparent motive or connection to the victim. For the next six years, Mosby would not stop prosecuting Davis for the murder, despite two hung juries and two overturned convictions, one resulting from a discredited jailhouse informant. While she appeared on cable news programs and in Op-Eds as an exemplar of a progressive prosecutor, her office turned Davis into the most aggressively prosecuted man in American history, according to legal scholar Colin Miller. Mosbys zeal against Davis is hard to reconcile with her approach in the Gray case. One factor seemed to be her antagonism towards Davis wife, Kelly Davis, who became a vocal opponent. In 2022, a judge accused Mosby of having a presumption of vindictiveness and personal animosity toward the Davis family and their supporters based on statements and actions. Accusations of vindictiveness continued to follow Mosby, including claims of retaliatory and politicized treatment of employees in lawsuits and affidavits. Still, Mosby remained popular and was reelected in 2018. Mosbys reelection took place during a period of intense corruption scandals in Baltimore. Wise was prosecuting a string of high-profile cases, including the Gun Trace Task Force and Mayor Catherine Pugh, who pleaded guilty to fraudulently selling copies of childrens books she had written to nonprofit organizations and other groups in exchange for money and political favor. In 2020, Wise took over as chief of the Fraud and Public Corruption Unit in Maryland. There was one major red flag in Wises Baltimore portfolio, though: His targets continued to be almost all Black. Shortly after he took office, he indicted police commissioner Darryl DeSousa, a Black man, for failure to pay taxes. He did not indict the white police commanders who oversaw the Gun Trace Task Force, one of whom was named in court as a conspirator. Wise did indict two white Gun Trace Task Force officers, but only because they ended up being heard on a wiretap that was tracking a drug crew. The officers had extraordinary records of complaints but were not under investigation until the wiretap. Wise seemed to approach his new role in Baltimore as he did his position in Congress. The Baltimore defense bar also became concerned with his apparent antagonism toward lawyers. He indicted and convicted Kenneth Ravenell, a prominent Black attorney, for money laundering. He then indicted Ravenells own attorney and defense investigator for obstruction of justice. He was unsuccessful in those additional cases. Wise even accused the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of taking laundered money from Ravenell at one point. Mosby was Wises last major corruption target in Baltimore. A year before her indictment, in March 2021, Wises office made it known to the press that Mosby and her husband, Nick Mosby, the City Council president, were under investigation. The Baltimore Office of the Inspector General had published a report showing that Marilyn Mosby was not properly reporting on her extensive travel and was running a questionable nonprofit. Nick Mosby seemed to retaliate against the OIG by seeking to limit its independence. There was a cloud of apparent impropriety around the Mosbys during 2021. Yet, Marilyn Mosby was never indicted for anything to do with the OIG report. Wise finally indicted her in January 2022 for making false statements on financial documents in 2020, which had allowed her to purchase two properties in Floridaarguably minor, victimless crimes. According to the indictment, she had falsely checked a box indicating a COVID-related hardship to access her retirement income, and she wasnt honest about her finances on mortgage applications. Mosbys attorney spoke out, claiming that Wise was leading a racist and selective and vindictive prosecution. He cited examples of Wise making inflammatory statements about her office in the past. He also noted that, as it was an election year, Wise had previously donated to Mosbys two opponents. Sherrilyn Ifill, the former president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, spoke out on Twitter: There must be a federal prosecutor assigned just to Black mayors. The local support for Mosby was limited, though. Especially for activists and city residents who supported Keith Davis Jr., Mosby being prosecuted by an arguably vindictive prosecutor was her just deserts. In 2023, Wise was demoted and removed from his position as anti-corruption chief. He was also removed from prosecuting the Mosby case. His boss, U.S. Attorney Erek Barron, had taken over in 2021 and had put some checks on him. As in Congress, Wise had a brief but intense reign in Maryland that ended with a whimper. He transitioned to the DOJs public integrity section, where he has been attracting controversy during his prosecution of Hunter Biden for tax and gun offensesa case Bidens team claims is politically motivated. Ultimately, Wises impact in Baltimore was to indict a handful of police officers for racketeering and try a series of other financial cases with narrow targets. But the cultures of police brutality, cover-ups, prosecutorial misconduct, and even purchasing political influence in Baltimore largely remain unbothered, and both Mosby and Wise played important roles in limiting the fallout. The Amtrak's California Zephyr (L) stops at the Denver Union rail station during its daily 2,438-mile trip to Emeryville/San Francisco from Chicago that takes roughly 52 hours on March 24, 2017 in Denver, United States. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) More passenger rail through Montana isnt just a hope and a dream, its a plan thats chugging its way to reality, according to a report this week from the Big Sky Rail Authority. And Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is on board. Representatives from the Big Sky Rail Authority updated the Transportation Interim Committee of the Montana Legislature this week shortly after Secretary Buttigieg visited the Treasure State and touted federal investments in infrastructure. Big Sky Rail Authority Chairperson Dave Strohmaier said Montana is moving forward on rail. (Provided by the Big Sky Rail Authority) Big Sky Rail Authority Chairperson Dave Strohmaier said a federal rail study identifies two long-distance routes through Montana as preferred, an east-west line connecting Seattle to Chicago and a north-south line to Billings. Montana is really the epicenter and the beneficiary of two preferred long-distance routes in this study, Strohmaier said. He said getting Montanas routes selected as preferred ones in the Federal Railroad Administration study was one of two key goals the Big Sky Rail Authority accomplished since it came into existence some three years ago. He said the routes would connect urban and rural communities in the American West. At a separate event this week at the Missoula Montana Airport, Buttigieg talked about the ripple effects federal dollars for infrastructure have for customers, workers and economic development. He said the West famously had some of Americas great railroads, but trains have experienced a loss of service, and its one reason the federal transportation department has put planning dollars into rail. In December 2023, the Biden administration announced $8.2 billion in new grants for rail for projects ready to be built and ones in the works, including planning dollars for improved service in Montana. A couple of weeks ago, Buttigieg said he attended a ground-breaking on a high-speed rail line that will run between Nevada and southern California. He said rail is part of the transit system, and a Corridor Identification Program will lead to a plan for implementing more rail. The bottom line is, passenger rail is something we believe in weve done it before in this country, and weve done it well, and theres no reason we cant do it again, Buttigieg said. A lack of long-distance train service exists in an area that includes Montana, according to an Amtrak map. (Screenshot of Amtrak routes) Strohmaier said a couple of major federal initiatives are underway related to rail, and Montana is in the mix in both. He answered questions by phone and also gave a report to the legislature Wednesday where he shared a map that showed the dearth of service in Montana. If folks are wondering about feasibility or not, that train has left the station, Strohmaier said. We are no longer debating feasibility. We are in the planning stage as we speak to make this happen. The planning is underway with a $500,000 grant from a federal Department of Transportation, he said. However, Rob Stapley, with the Montana Department of Transportation, said federal funds are not currently available for operating restored or new long-distance passenger routes. Restoration of the North Coast Hiawatha is estimated to generate $271 million in economic benefits to seven states and cost Amtrak $68 million to operate, according to a 2021 report from the Rail Passengers Association. The report said the cost is offset by the collection of $41 million in fares and other customer revenue. Samanta Beyl of Rosebud County said rail service is important to tourism and for connecting rural Montanans to essential services such as medical care. (Provided by the Big Sky Rail Authority) Samantha Beyl, of Rosebud County, told the committee that southeast Montana represents 20% of the states population and 26% of its landmass, and it is a place rich in cultural and recreational significance. However, Beyl said many communities face challenges in accessing services such as health care, and passenger rail could help take people to cities where medical care is available, such as Billings. In 2023, tourists spent $5.45 billion in Montana, including $1.6 billion on transit, she said, citing the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at the University of Montana. In southeast Montana alone, she said, non-residents spent $868 million in 2022. This underscores the importance of enhancing transportation infrastructure, such as the passenger rail system, to accommodate the growing demand for tourists, said Beyl, a Forsyth City Councilor and member of the Big Sky Rail Authority. The Big Sky Rail Authority is the largest transit district in the state of Montana and a subdivision of state government, Strohmaier said. Leaders include representatives from 20 member counties; three tribal nations, the Crow, Northern Cheyenne, and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes; and Amtrak, the Montana Department of Transportation and BNSF. First, Strohmaier said, the Federal Railroad Administrations long-distance study examines the potential to reopen discontinued routes or new ones of 750 miles or more. That study will wrap up soon, and it identifies both the North Coast Hiawatha, connecting Chicago to Seattle through southern Montana, and a north-south line to Billings, from El Paso or Denver, as preferred, he said. This is a big deal for the state of Montana and something that has been over four decades in the making, Strohmaier said. Additionally, Strohmaier said the North Coast Hiawatha is the only new long-distance route that will be recommended to Congress through another Federal Railroad Administration program, the Corridor Identification Program setting rail priorities. This too is a huge win for Montana, he said. He said a request for proposals to hire a firm to help get the project into the development pipeline will go out within days. The federal rail programs are part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. According to the Big Sky Rail Authority, the North Coast Hiawatha was discontinued in 1979, leaving a vast expanse of the Greater Northwest Region and some of Montanas largest cities without passenger rail service. The North Coast Hiawatha is named in two federal programs as a priority. (Screenshot of report to Transportation Interim Committee) Next steps for the plan include answering the burning questions people have asked for so long, said Strohmaier. Where will the stations be located? What will the schedules look like? What are the necessary infrastructure investments? What will the trains themselves be like? said Strohmaier, also chairperson of the Board of Missoula County Commissioners. He said a $500,000 federal grant supports the planning process, and a shovel-ready project should be ready for implementation in 2.5 to three years. The collaboration includes the Federal Railroad Administration and eight states including Montana. Strohmaier said he met briefly with Buttigieg this week, and the secretary was aware of efforts in Montana and enthusiastic about them. One question people have asked is whether a train could run through Butte in the future, but its a heavier lift than Helena because of the lack of an active rail line east of Butte, Strohmaier said. However, he said Butte remains in the mix for the long game. Short term, lets just get the doggone train running through southern Montana (and) figure out transit connections through communities that might not initially see a rail stop, Strohmaier said. But absolutely, Butte is still in the mix as far as rail connectivity at some point in time. He also said infrastructure work near Malta is underway with a $15 million federal DOT grant. He said upgrades near Malta are important because its a chokepoint for passengers and freight. This week, Strohmaier and an Amtrak official were headed to Havre for a meeting focused on the Empire Builder. He said a concern along the Hi-Line is if Montana adds passenger rail elsewhere, it will mean a loss of rail along the Hi-Line. Only with a strong Empire Builder can we have a strong and vital and sustainable North Coast Hiawatha, Strohmaier said. The post Big Sky Rail Authority: We are no longer debating feasibility appeared first on Daily Montanan. Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans voted to recommend the full Senate reject HB 1711 over the objections of the committees two Democrats. (Getty Images) With the help of 25 Republicans, Democrats passed a bill in March that would put New Hampshire on the long list of states that provide certain mental health records for gun background checks. Late Wednesday, Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans voted to recommend the full Senate reject it over the objections of the committees two Democrats. It was unclear Thursday when the Senate will take up House Bill 1711, which was filed in response to the November fatal shooting of a state hospital security guard by a former patient who had his guns confiscated in 2016 over mental health concerns. Under the bill, records of an involuntary commitment to a psychiatric facility would be reported to the federal background database. It would not apply to individuals who are held and committed on an emergency basis. Before voting to recommend the bill be defeated, Sen. Bill Gannon, a Sandown Republican, criticized the bill as a confiscation of legally owned firearms without due process. The bill, however, would require a court hearing before guns are taken, during which the individual would be represented by legal counsel. It would also include a legal path to regain the right to own guns. And under federal law, it is illegal for an individual who has been committed to a psychiatric facility to purchase or possess firearms. This is the confiscation of firearms from individuals based on psychological and bureaucratic assessments, Gannon said. Its bypassing due process that should accompany any infringement on our constitutional Second Amendment rights. Gannon added, The most troubling aspect of the bill is it doesnt require a criminal act to strip a citizen of their rights, just merely the judgment of unfitness (by) officials is enough to seize legally owned firearms. The legislation would apply to limited situations. That would not include people who voluntarily seek hospital admissions or are held on an emergency basis prior to a court hearing. It would apply to people who are charged criminally and found incompetent to stand trial or not guilty by reason of insanity, and people who are not facing criminal charges but are involuntarily admitted because of dangerousness. An effort in the House to limit it to people facing criminal charges failed in the House. The sponsors, Rep. Terry Roy, a Deerfield Republican, and Rep. David Meuse, a Portsmouth Democrat, knew theyd face a fight from Second Amendment rights groups and Republicans. The two have never agreed on gun bills and they hoped their unlikely alliance on this one would overcome that opposition. Republican Sens. Sharon Carson of Londonderry and Daryl Abbas of Salem joined Gannon in opposing the bill. Democratic Sens. Shannon Chandley of Amherst and Cindy Rosenwald of Nashua voted in support of it. Chandley called the legislation a small but important step toward preventing gun violence. The post Bill adding mental health records to gun checks hits a hurdle with some Senate Republicans appeared first on New Hampshire Bulletin. House Bill 3278 passed both chambers of the Oklahoma Legislature despite criticisms over it removing a requirement that students take a world language in high school. (Getty Images) (This image cannot be republished without a Getty subscription) OKLAHOMA CITY Both chambers of the Oklahoma Legislature have agreed to require a fourth math credit for students to graduate high school, but some have complained it comes at the expense of foreign language classes. House Bill 3278 is on the cusp of heading to the governors desk after the state House passed Senate amendments to the bill in a 73-14 vote on Thursday. Along with adding a fourth math credit to graduation requirements, it mandates that students take six units that relate to their goals after high school, whether thats going to college or starting a career. The six credits could include core subjects English, math, science or history and could apply to a range of elective courses, fine arts, college concurrent enrollment and internships. Among the options for the six pathway units is taking a non-English language. Democratic lawmakers, foreign language teachers and tribal nations reacted with alarm that a world language credit wouldnt be required. State law currently mandates students complete two units of a non-English language or two units of computer science. Should HB 3278 become law, world language classes would be strongly encouraged to students but not mandatory. Computer science could count for math. The high school class of 2030 would be the first to graduate under the regulations. Leaders of the Cherokee Nation and Muscogee (Creek) Nation said they oppose the bill over concerns that it could reduce enrollment in tribal language courses that have become increasingly popular in Oklahoma public schools. Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. urged lawmakers to block or amend House Bill 3278 over concerns it could hurt tribal language programs. (Photo by Janelle Stecklein/Oklahoma Voice) We have invested more in our language revitalization efforts than at any other time in our history because our language is a cornerstone of our culture and way of life, Cherokee Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. Maintaining a world language requirement not only fosters a diverse educational experience but also directly supports the learning of Native languages. The Oklahoma Foreign Language Teachers Association also advocated against the bill. The group circulated a sample email for members to send to lawmakers that said removing foreign language requirements will set a precedent for a less well-rounded education, and could cripple our students competitiveness in the global workforce. Completion of world language credits would still be considered in college admissions and scholarship qualifications. The bills author, Rep. Rhonda Baker, R-Yukon, said schools would continue to make world language courses available for students who want or need to take them. She said the legislation adds rigor to math education, with the hope that fewer students would need remediation once they attend college. Math is the most common remedial subject in Oklahomas higher education system, state data shows. It also encourages students to take courses that relate to their post-high-school plans, Baker said. The beauty of this bill is it provides flexibility so theyre not honed in on being forced to take a course, she said during debate on the House floor. They get to actually choose whats relevant to them. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Bill that adds math credit, subtracts world language requirement passes House appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. (COLORADO) A new bill by the Colorado legislature will create new pathways for Colorado public schools to receive federal funding for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and air quality (HVAC) improvements. HB24-1307, better known as the HVAC Improvements for Public Schools bill, will help school districts secure matching funds through the state to ensure the work is done by qualified workers. The bill was introduced in February and this past week. The new legislation requires schools to satisfy certain requirements including ventilation verification periodic inspections, HVAC adjustments, upgrades, and replacements. This bill is a win-win-win for schools, jobs, and our environment, said District 61 Representative Eliza Hamrick. Almost every teacher I know has a story about a school in their district that needs improvements, and HB24-1307 is a great first step in getting schools the funding they need to support students and staff across the state. According to a press release, the average age of Colorados school facilities is 40 years old. Most recently, schools have taken heat days caused by the lack of functioning air conditioning. This bill will help schools save money on energy bills by increasing the efficiency of systems and will improve indoor air quality and temperature for students and staff. Colorados students and staff deserve to have HVAC systems that keep schools a comfortable temperature to work and learn, said District 22 Senator Jessie Danielson. By connecting schools to qualified contractors, this bill helps Colorado meet the moment and get the most out of the federal funding available to our school districts so we can say goodbye to heat days. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. DENVER (KDVR) A bill that would help schools access infrastructure grants for HVAC systems cleared the Senate on Tuesday and returned to the House for representatives to consider the Senates amendments. Under the bill, schools would be required to satisfy certain requirements concerning installation, inspection, and maintenance of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in schools if school administrators decide to make HVAC infrastructure improvements using federal funds. Colorado will have abortion on the ballot this year According to the bills sponsors, this would allow schools to apply for state and federal grants to upgrade HVAC systems. Its hard to learn and teach in classrooms that are hot and have poor air quality, said Sen. Janice Marchman, a Democrat representing Loveland. Across America, school districts are securing federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds to directly improve health and safety in public schools. Marchman said that Colorado statute does not allow bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds to be distributed to school districts, a measure that would be changed under the bill. Colorado has missed out on billions of federal dollars because, without this bill, schools are ineligible for federal grant funding in Colorado, Marchman said. This bill will help Colorado school districts access critical federal funding that will allow them to install or update their heating and air conditioning systems. The lack of HVAC in some schools has also presented issues for instruction. In September 2022, 32 Denver schools ended classes early because of extreme heat, and another four decided not to open at all during the heat wave. In August 2023, even more schools had to close for student and staff health. Bill requiring up-front concert ticket prices heads to Polis for signature Every year schools across our state cancel classes due to heat days because far too many schools still lack access to basic air conditioning, said Sen. Jessie Danielson, a Democrat representing Wheat Ridge, in a release. Those are extremely valuable lost hours of learning that make a real impact on our students. This bill would help make schools more competitive for critical federal dollars that will help make our learning environments safer and more comfortable so students can focus on what matters most: learning. The bill also ensures that schools can only employ certified contractors for the HVAC work. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Bill headed to Gov. Shapiros desk would ban hand-held cellphone use while driving Pennsylvania is poised to become the 27th state to ban hand-held cellphone use while driving. Wednesday, House Democrats announced the bill has passed both chambers of the General Assembly and is headed to the governors desk to be signed into law. In Pennsylvania specifically, in 2022, we know that almost 12,000 people were in distracted driving crashes, said Tiffany Stanley, AAA East Centrals Public and Community Relations Manager. Handheld cellphone use is already illegal in every state that borders Pennsylvania. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found in a study back in 2022 that 93% of motorists believed that it was dangerous to text and drive, yet four out of 10 of them admitted to doing it within the past 30 days. According to Stanley, distracted driving claimed 3,500 lives nationwide in 2021 around nine per day. Pull off the road, look at your phone in your car or get out and look at it, but make sure youre not driving, because all it takes is a few seconds, if youre not paying attention, and thats how accidents happen, said North Hills driver, Edward. He and other drivers who spoke with Channel 11 support the new bill. I think its a good idea because too many people arent paying attention, Edward said. I support it because I think its going to save lives, its going to increase safety, and ultimately its just going to help people be a little bit more aware of whats going on around them, said driver, Tyler Whiteford. The bill allows for hands-free or Bluetooth phone conversations as well as using your phone for GPS navigation and in emergencies. It bans holding your phone up to your ear, in front of you, or any type of texting, typing, or scrolling. There will be a one-year warning period after the law takes effect. After that, drivers who get caught will be fined $50. Anything you need to do you can just press the little speaker button and say, Call so and so, or honestly if its a text, it can wait, said Whiteford. The bill also calls for distracted driving to be a larger focus in driver education. It will require at least one distracted driving question on all drivers license exams. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: PNC working to resolve duplicate debit transactions in customer accounts Stormy Daniels brings up Ben Roethlisberger during Donald Trump hush money trial Bear drags mans body from car after fatal accident, police say VIDEO: Irwin church looking to identify 2 teens who allegedly tampered with organ, sound system DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) -- China and members of the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) have held multiple rounds of consultations and achieved "positive progress," the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Thursday. China filed a formal application to join the DEPA in November 2021 and a working group was set up in August 2022 for negotiations on China's accession to the pact. The fifth meeting of chief negotiators of the working group took place in Auckland, New Zealand, on Tuesday, during which China exchanged in-depth views with Chile, New Zealand, Singapore and the Republic of Korea on the progress of the talks and related topics, MOC spokesperson He Yadong told a press briefing. China will make joint efforts with DEPA members in a bid to achieve new progress in the negotiations, He added. A bit of alleged unsolicited advice may have compromised the judge in Donald Trumps $454 million New York bank fraud trial. New Yorks judicial oversight body has opened an investigation into a conversation between Judge Arthur Engoron and real estate attorney Adam Leitman Bailey that allegedly occurred in the weeks leading up to the seismic judgment against Trump. I actually had the ability to speak to him three weeks ago, Bailey told NBC New York on February 16, the day that Engorons decision was due. I saw him in the corner [at the courthouse] and I told my client, I need to go. And I walked over and we started talking. I wanted him to know what I think and why. I really want him to get it right. Bailey also said that Engoron had had a lot of questions about prior fraud cases and that they went over it. Ultimately, however, Engorons ruling went in a direction that Bailey did not advise: utilizing the statute to effectively shut down Trumps New York real estate operation, which Bailey believed would hurt the local economy. A spokesperson for Engoron denied in a statement that the unaffiliated attorneys comments held any weight with the judge as he made his decision. No ex parte conversation concerning this matter occurred between Justice Engoron and Mr. Bailey or any other person. The decision Justice Engoron issued February 16 was his alone, was deeply considered, and was wholly uninfluenced by this individual, Al Baker, a spokesman for the New York States Office of Court Administration, told NBC in a written statement. The New York state rules of conduct specify that a a judge shall not initiate, permit, or consider ex parte communications, or consider other communications made to the judge outside the presence of the parties or their lawyers, though there is wiggle room for a judge to obtain the advice of a disinterested expert if the judge gives advance notice to both parties in the case with the possibility of issuing their own responses. A member of the Trump defense team, Christopher Kise, claimed that the conversation could cast doubt on Engorons entire process. The code doesnt provide an exception for Well, this was a small conversation or Well, it didnt really impact me or Well, this wasnt something that I, the judge, found significant, Kise told NBC. No. The code is very clear. The family of the Black airman slain by Florida police in his own home last week held an emotional press conference Thursday morning, describing their loved one as a true patriot and someone who exemplified the American dream. Roger Fortson, a 23-year-old senior airman with the United States Air Force, was a good person who respected authority and followed the rules, they said. Roger wanted to show us how to love unconditionally, said Fortsons mother Meka Fortson, while holding back tears and gripping a framed photo of her son in his Air Force blues. Roger wanted to show that it was more to life than making a fool of himself. An unnamed deputy with the Okaloosa County Sheriffs Department fatally shot Fortson on May 3, according to a press release issued Wednesday from the Ben Crump Law firm. Fortson was on a video call with his girlfriend when he heard a knock at the front door to his apartment. When he asked who was there, there was no verbal response but a more aggressive knock on the door came a few minutes later. Fortson didnt see anyone when he checked through the peephole and grabbed his legally-registered firearm as a precaution. A few minutes later, police barged through the door, saw Fortsons gun, and allegedly shot him six times while his girlfriend remained on the video call. I cant breathe, Fortson said after being shot, the press release stated. NEWS ALERT: @AttorneyCrump has been retained by the family of Roger Fortson, a 23-year-old active-duty Senior Airman who was fatally shot by a Florida sheriffs deputy on Friday, May 4. pic.twitter.com/lEuOo3F5yh Ben Crump Law, PLLC (@BenCrumpLaw) May 8, 2024 Fortson was eventually taken to a hospital, where he died. His mom Meka Fortson said she drove to Florida from Atlanta after she got a call from Fortsons girlfriend that he had been shot. She recalled that authorities were not initially very communicative with her about what happened or the status of her sons health. So, I walk through the [hospital] door. When I see three men in blue Air Force uniforms, thats when I knew my child was dead before any word was uttered, Meka Fortson said. The only thing those three men could tell me was how exceptional my child was. Fortson enlisted with the U.S. Air Force after graduating from high school in Atlanta. He was his mothers third son out of five children, and did everything for the sake of his family, Crump said. [Fortson] was trying to help his family have a better life. His dreamlike so many young people who dont come with a silver spoonwas to give his mother a home. He was trying to make sure his [siblings] knew that their big brother was going to make sure that they had a chance at the American dream, and thats why he was sacrificing so much for them, Crump added. Fortson was injured during a tour in Kuwait and had plans of becoming a pilot. Roger Fortson was the best America had to offer, Crump said. He had always wanted to serve in the United States Air Force, and he was living his dream. By doing so, he was going to make it better for his mother and his siblings and his family so they could have a better chance at their American dream. Roger Fortson with his little sister. Courtesy of Fortson family In a previous press release, the Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office said the department was responding to a call of disturbance when officers encountered Fortson. However, according to Fortsons girlfriend, he was alone in his apartment, there was no disturbance, and police had entered the wrong apartment. During Thursdays presser, attorney Ben Crump said the police had an idea that they may not have had the right location because they knocked on a series of doors before settling on Fortsons home. They have a duty to make sure they were at the right apartment before they busted in the door, Crump said. [Fortson] was the good guy, and he did not deserve to be killed like this and then have these false narratives placed on his life, on his legacy. No, thats not American. That is un-American. The Okaloosa County Sheriffs Officejust outside of Pensacolapreviously said it was saddened about the fatal officer involved shooting. Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden said the deputy involved in the shooting was immediately placed on administrative leave and asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate. At this time, we humbly ask for our communitys patience as we work to understand the facts that resulted in this tragic event, Aden said in the departments press release. At a separate press conference later Thursday, Aden said it was incorrect that the deputy from the Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office went to the wrong address and burst through Fortsons front door. While this is a criminal investigation, no determination has been made as to whether the deputies actions are justified or not. Here in Okaloosa County, we pride ourselves in our commitment to transparency and accountability. These investigations take time. But I want to assure you that were not hiding, covering up or taking action that would result in a rush to judgment of Mr. Fortson or our deputy. In bodycam footage of the incident presented at the presser, the deputy who responded to the call speaks with a woman in the apartment complex about a possible domestic dispute at 4:30 p.m. The woman gives the apartment number she suspected the noise may have come from, and the officer waits outside of the door to see if he hears anything. He knocks and waits a few seconds around the corner, somewhat out of view of the front door, before going back to knock and announce that he was with the sheriffs office. The front door opens, the deputy tells Fortson to step back, but its not visible if the airman is holding a gun or aiming it at the deputy. The deputy fires six shots. Drop the gun! the deputy directs. Its over there, Fortson says, lying on the ground. Drop the gun! the officer yells again. I dont have it! Fortson responds. Do not move! the officer shouts, but its clear that Fortson is incapable of doing so. In February, an independent probe found that an officer from the same police department shot and handcuffed an unarmed man, the Washington Post reported. According to the investigation, the officer mistook a fallen acorn for a gunshot. The officer later resigned. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement told The Daily Beast in a statement Thursday that it was investigating the May 3 shooting. The [Florida Department of Law Enforcement] use-of-force cases are independent, fact-finding investigations. The results are referred to the State Attorneys office to determine further action, the department said, adding that it could not provide any more information during the active investigation. Crump said any law-abiding citizen should be troubled by Fortsons death and police officers dismissal of him legally owning a gun in his own home. This truly is about the Constitution. When you think about the people who we want to have guns in America, [Fortson] is Exhibit A. I mean he was trained to use a firearm. Hes a military trained officer. Hes very responsible. He respects authority. Hes very diplomatic, Crump said. He was protecting us so that we could have all those constitutional rights. [Fortson] was a patriot for all of us. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A Black U.S. Air Force airman was on the phone with his girlfriend one afternoon when he heard someone pounding on the door of his apartment in the Florida Panhandle. After looking through the peephole and noticing that it was covered, he grabbed his gun and a sheriffs deputy responding to a disturbance call stormed inside, attorneys say. His girlfriend listened in as he was shot six times. Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, was killed May 3 in his off-base Fort Walton Beach apartment by a deputy with the Okaloosa County Sheriffs Department. Fort Walton Beach is located between Pensacola and Panama City. Fortson was based at the Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, located just outside Fort Walton Beach. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, whos on the team representing Fortsons family, said a deputy was responding to a disturbance call at the apartment complex when they entered the wrong unit. Crump, based in Tallahassee, has been involved in several high-profile cases in which Black people were killed at the hands of law enforcement including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Fortsons death shares similarities to those of other Black people killed by police while inside their homes. In 2020, as Black Lives Matter protests shook the U.S., Taylor was killed in her Louisville, Kentucky, apartment when police executed a no-knock search warrant targeting her ex-boyfriend. Two years before, a white Dallas police officer gunned down Botham Jean, who didnt have a gun on him, after mistaking his apartment for her own. Everyone should be troubled by this, Crump said during a news conference Thursday. Any law-abiding citizen who feels they have a right to the Fourth Amendment and Second Amendment should be very troubled by this matter. Holding a frame with a photo of her 23-year-old son, Meka Fortson broke down as Crump demanded answers. The attorney urged the sheriffs office to do the right thing and respect Fortsons name and legacy. They took my son, she said, her voice muffled as she sobbed. Meka Fortson recounted the day she found out that something happened to her son. She said she rushed to the hospital to see him, and when she entered his hospital room, three men in Air Force uniforms and a black folder with a pen. Thats when I knew, she said. A fatal mistake? Attorneys know what happened during and leading up to the shooting, because Fortsons girlfriend witnessed it from a FaceTime call, Crump said. Earlier that day, Fortson had been playing video games with friends from the Air Force, Crump said. When he arrived home about 30 minutes before the shooting, he called his girlfriend, as he routinely did. Around 4:30 p.m., Fortson heard someone knocking on his door, and he asked who it was, Crump said. He didnt hear a reply, so he looked out of the peephole, but didnt see anything because it appeared to be covered. Attorney Benjamin Crump speaks during a press conference held to urge President Joe Biden to nominate a Black female judge to replace Judge Marcia Cook, who died this year, at Carlton Fields on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 in Miami, Florida. They have many positions, Crump said of the federal bench in the southern district of Florida. Were just seeking one. Not knowing who was behind the door, Fortson grabbed his gun, which Crump says was legally obtained. Fortsons girlfriend, the attorney said, then heard the deputy kick the door and multiple shots ring out. She overheard the deputy walking through the apartment and announcing his presence. At that point, Fortson was on the ground, struggling to breathe, according to Crump. He had been shot six times, bullets hitting him on the chest and left arm. At a news conference Thursday, Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden said he met with Fortsons family earlier that day. He noted there are many questions the investigations must answer before it determines whether the deputys actions were justified. The deputy, whose name hasnt been released, was placed on administrative leave as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigates the shooting. Aden, however, said the deputy didnt enter the wrong apartment. What we do know at this time is that the deputy announced himself, Mr. Fortsons comments indicate that he did acknowledge it was law enforcement at his door, and that he arrived at the door with a forearm in his hand, Aden said. The deputy knocked on the correct door. He did not cover the peephole or otherwise obscure its view. The sheriff also urged that the agency isnt covering up or taking any action that would result in a rush to judgment of Mr. Fortson or our deputy. I told Mr. Fortsons family this afternoon that they have my word, he said. If the shooting is found to be unjustified, their sons name will be fully vindicated. Footage captures final moments Crump, however, contended the deputy knocked on several doors before they burst into the wrong apartment, killing Fortson. Body camera footage released by the sheriffs office reveals that the deputy was called to the complex due to a reported disturbance involving a woman in apartment 1401. The deputy went up the elevator and walked over to the front of the unit, according to four minutes of footage. He knocked on the door, moving over to the side. A dog could be heard barking, but no one answered the door, the video shows. The deputy, for the second time, moved away to the other side of the wall. Seconds later, the deputy knocked again and announced that he was with the sheriffs office, according to the footage. Fortson holding a gun that was pointed downward opened the door. The deputy ordered Fortson to step back, but immediately shot the airman several times, the video captures. Fortson collapsed, and a small dog ran away amid the hail of bullets. Drop the gun, the deputy shouted. Its over there, Fortson replied. I dont have it. Over his radio, the deputy announced that he fired his weapon and called for emergency medical services. He told Fortson who was on the floor not to move. Seconds later, the footage ended. The best America had to offer In a camouflage-printed dress, Meka Fortson reminisced about her son, who she called a gift. Affectionately nicknamed Mr. Make-it-happen, Fortson enlisted after graduating from high school in Atlanta with the dream of becoming a pilot. Mika Fortson, the mother of Senior Airman Roger Fortson, holds a photo of her son as civil rights attorney Ben Crump speaks to reporters on Thursday, May 9, 2024. Fortson, she said, was a role model to his four brothers and sisters. He was a quiet kid who blossomed in the Air Force and always sought to take care of his family. He came back to the U.S. from Kuwait, where he was serving, after his mother was hit by a truck in October. Fortsons death has left his loved ones in shambles, Crump said. Fellow service members have reached out to the Fortsons to express how special he was to them. Fortson, Crump added, was the best America had to offer. He served in the military, respected authority and was a responsible gun owner. Look at that picture. Just look at that picture, Crump said. If that doesnt say patriot, I dont know what does. An earlier version of this story incorrectly said Trayvon Martin was killed by law enforcement. He was not. He was shot to death by a neighborhood watch volunteer, George Zimmerman. Since our report last week on the in-custody police death of Frank Tyson, his family has made a shocking claim about his deadly previous law enforcement encounter. Tyson was released from prison two weeks before his death after serving a 24-year sentence for grand theft auto and kidnapping. But his family claimed during a May 2 news conference that the police framed him for the crime, WKYC-TV reported. Their evidence, which appeals courts dismissed, included affidavits from two key witnesses who allegedly recanted their testimony and accused the prosecutor of telling them to lie. What is worse, the wrongful conviction or the wrongful death? civil rights attorney Ben Crump asked at the press conference. Robbed of his liberty for 24 years because of a racist, uncompassionate criminal justice system. Disturbing police body-cam footage shows Canton, Ohio, police officers Beau Schoenegge and Camden Burch taking Tyson into custody on April 18 at an AMVETS bar where authorities claim Tyson fled after a single-car crash. Tyson, 53, is seen face-down in handcuffs, telling the officer with a knee on his back that he cant breathe. They left Tyson unconscious on the ground for several minutes before bothering to check on his condition. Tyson was later pronounced dead at an area hospital. Below is the disturbing video of Tysons fatal arrest. Rev. Al Sharpton delivered the eulogy Wednesday at Tysons funeral. The civil rights leader demanded accountability. This was not in the family plan. [Frank Tyson] did 24 years under questionable circumstances. Just got out of jail, and just a few days later killed by a policeman, Sharpton said. He did his time for what you accused him of a crime. Well now, where is the policeman that put his knee on his back and the other policeman? And when he was begging for his life told him to shut the f up? Well, if you made Frank pay for something his family said he didnt do, we come to tell you those two police need to pay for what we know they did. Meanwhile, damaging news surfaced about one of the officers involved in Tysons death: It turns out that Burchs personnel file revealed some credibility issues, according to WOIO-TV. Burch, 24, reportedly neglected to disclose to the police department that he was fired from Target for theft before joining the force in 2022. The NAACP sent a letter to the Department of Justice for a federal investigation. Nearly 4 years after the tragic death of George Floyd, we are forced to bear witness to yet another unarmed Black man cry out for air at the hands of law enforcement. This is unconscionable, the organization stated. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. When temperatures in Cambodia hit a staggering 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in April, Sek Seila, an 11-year-old student studying in the capital Phnom Penh, was promptly sent home from school. Like hundreds of millions of other children in many parts of South and Southeast Asia, Sek Seila has had to cope with unprecedented setbacks due to record-breaking heat like sudden school closures, and having lessons and activities canceled or disrupted. School this year has been difficult, he says, adding that stifling heat and high humidity levels in poorly ventilated classrooms have been difficult to endure. My classroom does not have air conditioning, Sek Seila told CNN. His class of 43 students pass around mini hand-held fans during lessons on most days to keep cool. Its very unpleasant and uncomfortable, he says. On some days, it can even get so hot that it feels like your skin is burning. The hot weather has also been brutal in many South Asian countries where, science shows, climate change has brought stronger and more frequent extreme weather events, like life-threatening heatwaves leaving nearly half a billion children exposed and vulnerable. A dangerous heatwave hit Bangladesh in April, shutting down schools across the country many of which were poorly equipped and lacked essential cooling resources, such as fans and air-conditioning, to support and protect students from health risks like dehydration, migraines and heat stroke. More than 33 million children were impacted as a result of the heatwave, according to groups like Save the Children and UNICEF. The worst hit were poor children in rural areas whose families couldnt afford devices like laptops and tablets to facilitate remote learning, UNICEF says. It hasnt been easy for many children in a country as hot as Bangladesh, where they have been facing blast-furnace heat almost every day, said Sheldon Yett, a UNICEF representative for the region. This year was hotter than last year and we know that global warming is only going to get worse, Yett said. Besides serious health risks, we cannot ignore childrens education needs, which have already been severely impacted after the Covid pandemic. Poorest countries suffer most The UN and its agencies say developing countries are at the forefront of the climate crisis and bear the brunt of prolonged extreme weather like heatwaves, tornadoes and cyclones, as well as severe storms and flooding. Every child has a right to a safe and healthy environment, Yett said. We want to see schools open for children to learn but everything needs to be done in a safe way. Experts and educators in Cambodia and the Philippines told CNN that March and April have been extremely difficult for schools. We dont allow children outside when temperatures get too hot, said Bong Samreth, who teaches at a public school in Phnom Penh. But it can feel just as hot and uncomfortable indoors in classrooms without fans or air-conditioning, he says, adding that he often sees students sweating through their uniforms at their desks. We do our best to look after them, especially the young ones, and the past few months have been very trying. Climate change continues to impact poverty rates and schools in the Philippines, often ranked as one of the worlds most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change and where schools are still recovering from some of the longest pandemic closures. Children huddle around a small desk and mini-fan to take classes remotely as schools were shut amid extreme heat in Tondo district in Manila, Philippines on May 03, 2024. The heat index shot up to 53 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country. - Ezra Acayan/Getty Images The educational gap between impoverished Philippine children and those in urban areas has been widening, said child welfare and advocacy group Save the Children Philippines, adding children in rural areas, unable to attend school, have been at a particular disadvantage. It also isnt uncommon to see groups of up to 70 students crammed into a single classroom with just one or two electric fans for cool air circulation and ventilation, the group says. Volunteers have also raised issues from students about insufficient clean drinking water at school, meaning they cannot keep hydrated during the day as well as lacking shaded outdoor recreational areas. Classes have not been consistent, said Benjo Basas, a social sciences teacher in Manila, adding that almost the entire month of April had been disrupted by massive school closures after heat in many areas became unbearable impacting around 7 million children. Students were unable to concentrate during class, Basas told CNN, an especially stressful issue given that important final-term examinations were just around the corner. Mirasol Mamaat, a high-school teacher in the countrys northern Pangasinan province, said dozens of students had become sick after recent heat index levels which measure how hot it really feels outside hit alarming highs of more than 51 degrees Celsius (124 degrees Fahrenheit). For some impoverished students, we will do home visits to check in on them and deliver study materials like we did during the pandemic, she said. Governments urged to act Governments in South and Southeast Asia have given practical advice on avoiding heat strokes and heat exhaustion, but few have come up with long term plans to address the worsening effects of the climate crisis. In a directive to all public schools in late-April, Cambodian education minister Hang Chuon Naron announced that school would be reduced by two hours during times of soaring daily temperatures. Students were advised to drink plenty of water and to avoid staying out in the sun for too long without sunshades or protection, he said. Loose, lightweight and light colored clothing was also advised for students to protect them from sunburns and heat exposure. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday said his administration is looking to revert the upcoming academic year to start in June and end in March, saying it will be better for the kids. Much of South and Southeast Asia experiences the hottest temperatures in April, May and June before monsoon rains bring much needed relief. A student drinks water outside a school in Banda Aceh, Indonesia on May 7, 2024. - Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP/Getty Images Nonethless, as extreme weather conditions become the norm, meeting the needs of children in poor and vulnerable countries is more important than ever, experts say. We always say that children will inherit the world but what kind of world are they going to inherit if its going up in ashes? said Joy Reyes, a climate justice lawyer from the Philippines. The impact of pollution driven by the burning of fossil fuels cannot be underestimated, climate experts say. There now needs to be a fundamental change among governments about how energy is generated. Governments have the responsibility of providing clean energy and infrastructure it should not be left to companies or individuals, said Glory Dolphin Hammes, CEO of IQ Air, an environmental research company that closely monitors global air quality, conditions and temperatures. Cleaner air, keeping climate change at bay this needs to be the future. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com 'Bleak outlook': What nurses in Mass. say about pay, quality of care, understaffing Twenty percent of Massachusetts-based nurses intend to leave the field in two years or less, citing deteriorating quality of care delivered in hospitals, understaffing, low pay and other challenges, according to survey results released Monday. Eighty percent of registered nurses (RNs) say the quality of care has worsened in the past two years, and 49 percent say it's "gotten much worse," according to the survey from the Massachusetts Nurses Association that coincides with the start of National Nurses Week. Direct care community hospital nurses are feeling the staffing crunch most acutely, the survey says. Beacon Research, which conducted the survey on behalf of the nurses union, polled 510 RNs the majority of whom are not MNA members from Feb. 27 through March 11. "Registered nurses across the Commonwealth continue to have a bleak outlook on the state of care in hospitals," the survey states. "They see an ongoing deterioration of conditions and don't think hospital management or lawmakers are listening to their concerns or doing enough to protect the quality of patient care." The majority of bedside nurses reported not having time to provide care and attention to their patients, needing to care for too many patients at one time, not having enough beds for all patients, and inadequate pay. The Massachusetts Statehouse is seen in a file photo. A quarter of nurses say they were aware of a patient's death due to the care load. Nearly 40 percent of nurses said they wouldn't feel safe admitting a family member to the unit where they work. Why are nurses leaving the profession in Massachusetts Of the one in five nurses who plan to leave the profession, 37 percent said they are departing because of burnout, exhaustion or lack of support from employers, an 11 percentage point increase compared to last year. Boosting salaries is the top way employers can retain nurses, followed by limiting how many patients can be seen at once, according to the survey. Three-quarters of nurses say lawmakers are not taking action to resolve "unsafe staffing levels in hospitals." Just over 60 percent of nurses say that hospital administrators are not responsive to their feedback about unsafe staffing levels and patient loads. "Nurses are clamoring for real solutions to fix the awful conditions that are driving them away from the profession and leaving patients in unsafe, overcrowded environments," Katie Murphy, MNA's president, said in a statement. "Unfortunately, our annual survey shows that healthcare executives and state officials are failing to respond to nurses' concerns." Nurse survey cites workplace safety concerns Nurses who responded to the survey also sounded the alarm about workplace safety. Some 64 percent of nurses said that workplace violence and abuse is a "serious problem," a similar level compared to last year but a 22 percentage point increase compared to March 2021. Over the past two years, 68 percent of nurses said they personally experienced at once instance of workplace violence or abuse. The Cape Cod Times is providing this coverage for free as a public service. Please take a moment to support local journalism by subscribing. This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Massachusetts Nurses Association releases survey showing bleak outlook The blind spot in the states most expensive election so far this year The race for the district attorney spot in the Second Judicial District, which includes all of Bernalillo County, is the most expensive so far in the state. Pictured are incumbent Sam Bregman, left, who has raised more than $400,000 and his opponent Damon Martinez, who has raised about $300,000, including $170,000 of loans he made to his campaign. (Courtesy of Second Judicial District and the Martinez campaign Facebook). The primary race for Albuquerques top prosecutor job is the most expensive in the state so far, between incumbent Sam Bregman and challenger Damon Martinez. But a gap in disclosure laws means voters have less information about one candidates finances and potential conflicts than the others. The sharp increase in spending in the Second Judicial District may reflect increased public anxiety about crime and public safety in the states biggest city and elsewhere. Bregman has reported raising more than $400,000 so far this election, making him the highest earner of any non-federal candidate in New Mexico. Martinez has pulled in about $300,000 making him the second-highest fundraiser though he loaned himself $170,000 of that, according to state campaign records. Candidates will file an update about their fundraising May 13. As the current Second Judicial District Attorney in Bernalillo County, Bregman is required under state law to go a step further releasing not just information about how much hes raised and spent but also disclose more about where his personal income comes from, his role on governing boards and his spouses finances. Martinez and every other district attorney challenger, however, are not legally required to do the same, according to state law, elections ethics watchdogs, and officials with the secretary of states office and New Mexico Ethics Commission. Source NM has asked Martinez and other district attorney candidates to voluntarily provide the information their incumbent opponents have made public. Well publish those if we get them. State law requires state agency heads to file disclosures, which means elected DAs must file them. And candidates for statewide or legislative offices must disclose, as well. Since the statute reads to include only candidates seeking statewide office, those that are merely candidates for DA would likely not need to file financial disclosure statements, Jane Kirkpatrick, a spokesperson at the state Ethics Commission, said in an email. At the same time, countywide disclosure ordinances also exclude district attorneys, because they can only impact candidates, elected officials and employees at the county level, said Jaime Diaz, the deputy county clerk for Bernalillo. Since district attorneys are not part of the court system, rules around judicial disclosures also do not apply to them, either, said an Administrative Office of the Courts spokesperson. Bregmans disclosure shows his appointment to the states Racing Commission in 2021 and his wife Jackies employment as an attorney and real estate broker in Albuquerque. He left the commission after his January 2023 appointment to the district attorneys office. Bregmans campaign received nearly $25,000 from track owners and current commissioners. He said in an email that the donations came from people who knew him from his time there, describing them as all law-abiding people who want to continue to push for safer communities." Source NM asked whether Martinez would provide more information about his finances to the public, even though hes not legally required to. Martinez campaign manager Doug Gibson said Wednesday the campaign is discussing it. My statement is: Were not saying that were not doing it, he said in an interview. Gibson said such questions create a manufactured, higher ethical standard for Martinez over other DA candidates across the state. Though he has the most money in his campaign coffers among challengers, Martinez is not alone among DA candidates statewide who didnt file personal financial disclosures. Of 13 candidates seeking to unseat incumbent district attorneys, 11 did not file them, according to a Source NM review of secretary of state filings. Dede Feldman, a former state lawmaker and spokesperson for Common Cause New Mexico, said voters deserve to know who signs candidates paychecks and where potential conflicts of interest lie. Thats also true for district attorney candidates, she said. It's not a good look when candidates do not disclose their finances, she said. Martinez is a longtime public official who has served as United States Attorney, along with other prominent roles. He ran for Congress in 2018, where he was required to disclose earning a combined $100,000 as a private attorney and federal prosecutor, and owning two rental homes in Las Cruces, among other income sources. In past elections and this time around, Gibson stressed that Martinez is complying with all relevant laws. We take compliance very seriously and we have complied with all requirements for candidacy, he said in an email Wednesday. Martinez and Bregman are both Democrats. Because there is no Republican running, the primary election June 4 will determine who becomes DA for the Second Judicial District covering Bernalillo County, where about one-third of the states population lives. Races across the state District attorney elections for nine of the states 14 judicial districts are contested this year, in both primary and general elections. Five candidates are in the running for the job in Las Cruces, including defense attorney Michael Cain. He is one of two candidates who opted to file a disclosure report, where he noted that his wife is a probation officer. Cain, running in his first campaign, said he thought it was a requirement to fill out the disclosure form. I just did what they told me, he said. Im a transparent guy. Jack Fortner, running against District Attorney Rick Tedrow in San Juan County, filed a disclosure, but only because hes required to do so as a University of New Mexico regent, he said. He left most of the form blank, filling out just enough to affirm that doesnt have any state contracts or other ties that could conflict with his role as a regent. All 14 incumbents filed financial disclosures as required by law but with varying degrees of completeness. For example, incumbent District Attorney Clint Wellborn in the Seventh District which oversees Torrance, Catron, Sierra and Socorro counties listed the exact addresses of nine Socorro properties he owns. Tedrow, the DA overseeing San Juan Country, however, just said he owned seven commercial and two residential properties without saying where. In McKinley County next door next door, District Attorney Bernadine Martin disclosed that she earned more than $5,000 in gambling winnings in the past year. The law requires filers to note whether they earned more than $5,000 in outside income, a field most candidates and incumbents left blank. Feldman said more candidates need to file disclosures, but that wont go nearly far enough.They also need to take them more seriously. The issue of candidates signing blank or erroneous forms has plagued election watchers for years, and the now-defunct New Mexico Ethics Watch issued a three-part report in 2017 saying New Mexico falls woefully short when it comes to meaningful financial disclosure among lawmakers and public officials. The chief duty of elected officials is to act in the public interest, and not their private interests. But when no one knows what their private interests are, there's no way to really enforce conflict of interest, she said. Top takeaways in Bernalillo County The big money race for Albuquerques next top prosecutor hasnt always been this expensive. In 2020, when then-District Attorney Raul Torrez ran unopposed in both the primary and general elections, he only raised and spent about $67,000. Bregman was appointed to the position by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in January 2023. He is the frontrunner in donations, raising $417,601.01 across 500 donations since June of last year. Martinez has lent his campaign $170,00 and raised $132,200 from nearly 200 donations, according to his campaign filings. Bregmans horse-racing industry donations include an $11,000 one-time donation from Ruidoso racetrack owners, and another $11,900 from three current racing commission members who he served with. In an emailed statement, Bregman said the commissioners support him to get the job done. They have witnessed, like hundreds of other donors to my campaign, the progress we've made so far and would like to see me continue in the roles that I am serving in now, he wrote. Bregman has not loaned his campaign any money, as of the April 1 filing, but did credit himself for $296 for an in-kind donation of food and drink. He also received the use of an Albuquerque Isotopes Suite and food last year, valued at $2,000. As of April 1, the latest campaign finance filing, the candidates were neck-in-neck in spending, with both spending $98,000 each in their respective campaigns. Bregmans largest single purchase was $39,500 for digital advertisements. Digital ad spending totaled more than $46,000. Cumulatively, hes spent more than $25,600 on campaign consultants Patricia Mattioli in Albuquerque and Brittany Silvas in Washington, D.C. Bregman also donated $1,200 to four candidates statewide. That includes $250 for Michelle Kavanaugh in Bernalillo County Clerk race. $500 for Sen. George Munoz (D-Gallup) and gave Albuquerque Democrats Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero $200 and House Speaker Javier Martinez another $250. The Martinez campaign spent $14,800 on polling and survey research, its single largest purchase, which totaled to $25,000. Campaign consulting cost Martinez more than $53,000 in expenses. That was split between three firms: Albuquerque-based firm Gibson Political Strategies; Elections in Motion based in Shaker Heights, Ohio; and Indigo Strategies in Washington, D.C. Martinez did not donate to other campaigns, nor did he report any in-kind donations. Early voting started Tuesday, May 7 and will continue until June 1. Primary Election day is Tuesday, June 4. The post The blind spot in the states most expensive election so far this year appeared first on Source New Mexico. The U.S. Pentagon is preventing the Russian military from using Starlink internet terminals operated on the battlefield in Ukraine, John Plumb, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy at the U.S. Department of Defense, said in an interview with Bloomberg on May 9. Starlink, recognized for its superior security compared to cellular or radio signals, is deemed crucial for Ukrainian operations. Last year, the Pentagon reached an agreement with SpaceX to financially support access for the Ukrainian military. Earlier this year, Ukraine's military intelligence chief told the Wall Street Journal that Russian forces in Ukraine are using thousands of Starlink satellite communications terminals made by Elon Musk's SpaceX. According to Plumb, the U.S. has become heavily involved in working with the government of Ukraine and SpaceX to counter Russian illicit use of Starlink terminals." Ukraine heavily depends on Starlink, having reported last year that approximately 42,000 terminals were in operation across the military, hospitals, businesses, and aid organizations. At this time we have successfully countered Russian use, but I am certain Russia will continue to try and find ways to exploit Starlink and other commercial communications systems, Plumb said. "It will continue to be a problem, I think weve wrapped our heads around it and found good solutions with both Starlink and Ukraine. The American official did not specify what tactics are being used to block Russian access to Starlink terminals inside Ukraine. Read also: US Democratic congressmen open investigation into Musks SpaceX, Russian alleged usage of Starlink Following the publication of Budanov's interview with the WSJ, two Democrats in the U.S. Congress, Jamie Raskin and Robert Garcia, opened an investigation into Elon Musk's SpaceX company, demanding information on Russia's alleged usage of the Starlink satellite internet terminals. Ukraine's military intelligence said that Russia has allegedly been purchasing Starlink terminals from "Arab countries," citing intercepted communications. Elon Musk denied that SpaceX had sold Starlink units to Russia and said Starlink would not connect to any devices there. Both military intelligence and media reports said that Russian forces connected Starlink in occupied Ukraine, not on Russian territory. Plumb affirmed that SpaceX has become a "reliable partner" in Ukraine. To me, theyre a very reliable partner, and they are also innovating at speed, providing services that are useful to the Defense Department. SpaceX began providing the Starlink terminals to Ukraine shortly after the Russian full-scale invasion in February 2022. Read also: Budanov: Russia using thousands of SpaceX Starlink terminals in Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A Boeing 737 plane skidded off the runway during takeoff at an airport in Senegal, the countrys transport minister said Thursday, leaving multiple injured. Transport Minister El Malick Ndiaye said 10 people were injured when the Air Senegal flight operated by TransAir went off the tarmac at Blaise Diagne International Airport, which serves the capital of Dakar. Local media reports citing press communications from the airport say 11 people were injured, including four seriously. Another Boeing Plane Narrowly Avoids Disaster After Landing Gear Failure Intense video footage shared on Facebook by the Malian musician Cheick Siriman Sissoko purportedly showing the aftermath of the crash depicts a panic scene of people evacuating the plane, which he also said had caught fire. People can be heard screaming while flames are visible on one side of the aircraft. A Transair Boeing 737-38J aircraft (6V-AJE) received substantial damage after it did a Runway excursion at Blaise Diagne International Airport (AIBD) on Thursday, 9 May 2024 at around 1 am.#aircraft pic.twitter.com/Sg3X8tsa8B FL360aero (@fl360aero) May 9, 2024 Ndiaye said the incident occurred at 1:14 a.m. following an acceleration stop during takeoff. He said the plane was carrying 79 passengers, four cabin crew members, and two pilotsone of whom was among the injured. The injured were taken to a hospital for treatment while the rest of the passengers were taken to a hotel. The minister also ordered an investigation into the cause of the incident and apologized to airport passengers whose flights were delayed as a result. Separately on Thursday, another Boeing 737 suffered an issue while landing at GazipasaAlanya Airport in Turkey, the local Hurriyet newspaper reports. According to Abdulkadir Uraloglu, the Turkish transportation minister, the nose landing gear of the aircraft belonging to Corendon Airline was broken, causing one of the planes tires to burst and damaging a strut at the front of the jet. Corendon Europe isletmesindeki Boeing-737-800 tipi ucagn burun inis takm krlms; bunun sonucunda lastigi patlams ve on dikmesi zarar almstr. Her zaman oldugu gibi olayn ardndan ilgili tum birimlerimiz sahaya inmis ve teyakkuza gecmistir. Cok sukur ki, 184 yolcuda ve 6 pic.twitter.com/BZuDczMaer Abdulkadir URALOGLU (@a_uraloglu) May 9, 2024 Fortunately, there were no injuries to 184 passengers and 6 crew members, Uraloglu said. He added that the runway would be temporarily closed and flights diverted to other nearby airports, and that an investigation into the cause of the incident has been launched. At the end of the technical process, the aircraft will be withdrawn from the runway, Uraloglu said. I extend my best wishes to all our passengers. Incredibly, the mishap was the second accident involving a Boeing plane in Turkey in as many days. On Wednesday, a Boeing 767 cargo plane operated by FedEx made a dramatic landing at Istanbul Airport after it, too, had a problem with its front landing gear. Video of the aircraft touching down showed sparks flying from the jet as it scraped along the runwaythough thankfully no one was injured. The Daily Beast has contacted Boeing for comment on the latest incidents. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Budapest on Wednesday for a state visit to Hungary. This year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Hungary. This trip is expected to open a new chapter of cooperation and friendship between the two countries. Follow Xinhua's Ma Zheng for more on-site details. Produced by Xinhua Global Service MOUNTAINBURG, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) Highway 71 Water District No. 1 issues a boil order on May 8 for parts of Mountainburg due to a water main break. According to a press release, a boil order has been issued for customers from the intersection of Highway 71 and Highway 348 at the Simmons Quick Stop to Mote Terrace and Winn Mountain Loop. The release says the boil order affects around 40 customers. According to the release, the boil order will be lifted when the Arkansas Department of Health notifies Highway 71 Water. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24. The Republican Party is in disarray. You only have to look as far as the U.S. House of Representatives to find evidence of it. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., has been doing what she does best: Making headlines for her antics. In March, she filed a motion to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson. Last week, she said she was planning to bring the motion to the floor soon. Those plans have since failed spectacularly, thanks to both parties voting Wednesday against Greene's motion to vacate. Members of both parties actually booed her. I'm glad that Republicans stood up to her absurd effort. It's one of the first times in a long time that we've seen them back away from their party's most extreme members. What Greene ultimately proved is what many of us have known for almost a decade: The divisions that Donald Trumps presidency exacerbated are evident in the Republican Party. It's good to see her lose again to more sane members of Congress. But the Republican Party has more work to do, given how far members have strayed. What the Republican Party should be doing to beat Biden Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., hold a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol on May 1, 2024. President Joe Biden is trailing Trump in the polls, so youd assume Republicans would use everything in their arsenal to destroy any hopes of reelection by showing signs of unity to voters who are on the fence. They could use this time to promote their presidential candidate or hammer home the idea that Biden is to blame for the civil unrest on college campuses or the increased cost of living. They could even use this time to announce a vice president who unifies the party or start being productive in Congress. Instead, they're allowing the moment to slip away by focusing on the continual eroding of abortion rights and by continuing to lie about elections. Why cancel graduations?: Columbia cancels commencement ceremony because of student protests. It's the wrong choice. Biden is vulnerable, and it doesn't seem like Republicans know what to do about that. Instead, Republicans let infighting within the party take center stage, like Wednesday's big House vote. This should be disappointing to anyone who still believes that there are two formidable parties in the United States. President Joe Biden speaks about his Investing in America agenda in Sturtevant, Wis., on May 8, 2024. A new poll from USA TODAY/Suffolk University found that 1 in 4 registered voters are saying they might change their votes ahead of November, and voters who have decided are evenly split between Biden and Trump. It feels like Republicans could take full advantage of this moment by just showing leadership. Instead, they're missing the mark. Republicans are acting very predictable Republicans have taken a clear stance on student protesters, decrying antisemitism and calling the pro-Palestinian movement a radical left revolution. They also dont seem to exert much energy to fight this perceived travesty, apart from Speaker Johnsons trip to Columbia University and Colorado Rep. Lauren Boeberts visit to George Washington University. Trump's campaign is also trying to capitalize on it, highlighting purported connections between Biden donors and student activists. Former President Donald Trump leaves the criminal court in New York City on May 7, 2024. These moves amount to nothing more than unsuccessful attempts to hijack the conversation over the Israel-Hamas war, and everyone can see through them. Even GOP voters have changed their feelings on the war after months of conflict: A Gallup poll from March saw an increase in the number of Republicans disapproving of Israel's military action when compared with polling from November. I'd rather see Republicans at least speaking with their own voters on the ground, taking the time to educate people on why they support Israel. I'd rather they focus on passing policies that support their agenda or condemning the racism exhibited by a now-expelled fraternity brother who mocked a Black woman during a recent pro-Palestinian protest. It seems like they could be saying more that would actually win voters. Republicans need to regroup: If Marjorie Taylor Greene is the future of the Republican Party, I don't want it For Republicans, this conversation should be an easy way to win over disaffected voters. Instead, they're using it to stoke the fires of the same base they continually rely on, Trump supporters who were always going to vote for the party. Issues with both parties this election cycle Truthfully, neither party seems willing to admit that it has propped up a pair of weak candidates for the November election. Trump has spent the weeks ahead of the Republican National Convention in court as a defendant in a New York criminal trial. Biden, meanwhile, has been MIA save for his administration announcing that it intended to reclassify marijuana on the Drug Enforcement Administration's substance list and condemning student protesters while making minimal effort to change the country's allegiance to Israel. The Republicans could really be honing in on some issues at this moment. The economy is doing well, but Americans are still feeling the high cost of living every day. Biden hasn't been able to convince voters of his economic achievements, which gives Republicans something they can use to convince voters that things were better four years ago than they are today. If Republicans are thinking ahead, theyll use this time to rebuild their base and remind them of what they feel is at stake in this election. They would be using the fear of college students as a rallying cry for law and order. Instead, they have to deal with Greenes antics that put conservatives in the news for all the wrong reasons. Greene's move to oust the speaker didn't come to fruition. What she has accomplished, however, is making the Republican Party look foolish ahead of November. Good news for Democrats, but bad news about the state of democracy overall. Follow USA TODAY elections columnist Sara Pequeno on X, formerly Twitter, @sara__pequeno and Facebook facebook.com/PequenoWrites 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: Biden can lose to Trump if Republicans decide to unify and govern Border police: Number of Ukrainian men fleeing to Slovakia more than doubles The number of military-age men caught fleeing Ukraine and attempting to cross into Slovakia more than doubled in the first four months of 2024, compared with the same period of 2023, the Slovak border police said on May 9. 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. Speaking to AFP, Slovak border police said 338 Ukrainians were detained and released in the first four months of 2024, compared to 166 over the same period in 2023. "In the first week of May, we captured 45 men on the green border," spokesperson Agnesa Kopernicka said, adding: "In the same period of last year, this number was four." Ukraine is updating the legal framework around conscription and introducing harsher penalties for draft evasion to ramp up mobilization in 2024. On April 29, State Border Guard Service Head Andriy Demchenko said more than 30 men have died while attempting to cross Ukraine's mountainous western border to evade mobilization. As Ukraine faces the challenge of mobilizing more men for its army, a November 2023 report by the BBC indicates that around 20,000 Ukrainian men have illegally crossed the border and escaped mobilization. Many men end up crossing the border illegally with the help of smugglers, who demand vast sums only to leave the men to cross a river or mountain alone, Demchenko said. "Every day we refuse border crossings to about 120 people," Demchenko said. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the State Border Guard Service has uncovered about 450 criminal networks that smuggle people across the border. Subscribe to Ukraine Daily newsletter News from Ukraine in your inbox Subscribe Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Two detained after child fatally shot in Seattles Magnolia Neighborhood Police say a child was shot and killed Wednesday night in Seattles Magnolia Neighborhood. Around 6:30 p.m., Seattle Police were called to a report of a shooting in the 3000 block of 21st Avenue West. When officers arrived at the scene, a woman told police her child had been shot. Seattle Fire Department medics pronounced the child dead at the scene. At least one neighbor who lives nearby said that he thought it was an argument at first and saw a man speed off in a car. I was in my townhouse and I heard four bangs outside and didnt know what it was. I kind of went about my day and headed to the gym. Now Im finding out theres a crime scene in front of my house, he said. Officers from the SPD homicide and crime scene investigation units were called in. Police detained two people who were being interviewed by detectives. What led up to the shooting is under investigation. Hawaii News Now (HNN), a news service operated by a consortium of TV stations, reports that in 2022 and 2023, Oahu police arrested almost 300 people for driving under the influence who had breathalyzer scores below the legal limit of 0.08, 69 of them with scores of 0.00. "When I was a policeman, I never had anybody blow triple zeros," said Jonathan Burge, a defense attorney specializing in traffic cases and former Honolulu Police Department (HPD) officer. Burge claims there are unofficial quotas for officers, particularly for those working DUI task forces funded by federal dollars. Deputy HPD Chief Keith Horikawa, in a statement to HNN, said "supervisors may have goals and standards that are pertinent to their unit to help guide the personnel under their command." HNN reports that even when charges are dropped, the arrest remains on the records of adult drivers unless they pay to have it expunged. Last year, the Honolulu Prosecutor's Office rejected more than 80 percent of the DUI cases referred by HPD. The post Brickbat: This Blows appeared first on Reason.com. Lord Cameron has asked Israel for a very clear plan for how civilians will be protected in its operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. On Rafah, we are clear that we would not support some major operation in Rafah unless there was a very clear plan for how to protect people and save lives, and all the rest of it, the Foreign Secretary said. We have not seen that plan, so in the circumstances we will not support a major operation in Rafah. It comes after Joe Biden threatened to halt weapon shipments to Israel if it launches an invasion of Britain. Lord Cameron said the scale of Britains arms exports to Israel was different to the US. Follow the latest updates below 03:02 PM BST Thanks for following todays live blog Todays live coverage has ended. Well be back soon with all the latest updates from the conflict. Here is a summary of the day: Israel has likened Joe Bidens threat to halt the shipment of weapons to Britains Munich Pact with Nazi Germany. Israeli defence minister has told his countrys enemies and friends that it would do whatever necessary to achieve its war aims in Gaza. Israel has massed tanks near populated areas of Rafah after US President Joe Biden warned he would halt weapon shipments if Benjamin Netanyahu greenlights a large-scale invasion of southern Gaza. A ship carrying aid to a pier built by the United States off Gaza left Cyprus on Thursday. Some 80,000 people have fled Rafah since Israeli tanks entered eastern areas of the city on Monday, said the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). Syrian air defences shot down Israeli missiles fired from the Golan Heights towards Damascus, Syrias defence ministry said Thursday. An adviser to Irans supreme leader has said that the Islamic Republic will not hesitate to send arms to Hamas. 02:33 PM BST Israel will achieve war aims, says defence minister Israeli defence minister has told his countrys enemies and friends that it would do whatever necessary to achieve its war aims in Gaza. I turn to Israels enemies as well as to our best of friends and say the State of Israel cannot be subdued, Yoav Gallant said on Thursday. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant standing with soldiers by a self-propelled artillery howitzer during a visit to a position along the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel near Rafah We will stand strong, we will achieve our goals we will hit Hamas, we will hit Hezbollah, and we will achieve security. We have no choice, we have no other country. We will do whatever is necessary, and I repeat whatever is necessary, in order to defend the citizens of Israel, to remove the evil threats against us, and to stand up to those who attempt to destroy us, Mr Gallant said. 02:09 PM BST Malmo braces for pro-Palestine protest as Eurovision heats up Police have ramped up their presence in Malmos central Stortorget square ahead of planned pro-Palestine demonstrations in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. Israels Eurovision contestant, Eden Golan, performing tonight at the Malmo Arena. Organisers of a pro-Palestine march scheduled for this afternoon have warned of potential traffic disruptions. Anti-Israel protesters carry a communist flag with the hammer and sickle as they move toward a pro-Palestine demonstration in Malmo, Sweden today. Israel's representative will sing in the Eurovision Song Contest tonight pic.twitter.com/F2XEPAJiNU Visegrad 24 (@visegrad24) May 9, 2024 01:51 PM BST Israel move on Rafah aims to obstruct ceasefire talks, say Hamas Israels military operations in Rafah and its border crossing aim to obstruct the efforts of the mediators, Hamas official Ezzat al-Rishq said. He added that Hamas had sent a delegation to the talks in Cairo and that it was still committed to accepting a ceasefire proposal presented by mediators. 01:40 PM BST Israeli tanks mass around Rafah following Biden arms threat Israel has massed tanks near populated areas of Rafah after US President Joe Biden warned he would halt weapon shipments if Benjamin Netanyahu greenlights a large-scale invasion of southern Gaza. Hamas and Islamic Jihad forces said their fighters struck Israeli forces on the outskirts of Rafah, firing anti-tank rockets and mortars at Israeli positions. Residents in the east of Rafah also reported the sound of explosions in battles between Palestinian fighters and approaching Israeli troops. Israeli tanks seized the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Tuesday, cutting off a vital aid route and forcing 80,000 people to flee the city this week. Mr Biden acknowledged that US bombs have killed Palestinian civilians in the seven-month-old offensive. He made it clear on Wednesday that if Israel go into Rafah, ... Im not supplying the weapons. 01:18 PM BST Gaza war continues to cause unimaginable suffering, says WHO The World Health Organization (WHO) said the war in Gaza continues to cause unimaginable suffering. The war in #Gaza continues to cause unimaginable suffering. This 7-year-old girl, Jana, has severe acute malnutrition and dehydration. @WHO and partners successfully transferred her and her caregivers from Kamal Adwan hospital in the north of Gaza to the @IMC_Worldwide field pic.twitter.com/KPS9Y1ABzL WHO in occupied Palestinian territory (@WHOoPt) May 9, 2024 After more than 200 days of conflict, 1.1 million people are experiencing catastrophic food insecurity. The lack of food and safe drinking water has increased the spread of diseases, WHO said on X. 12:59 PM BST Ship carrying aid to US-built pier off Gaza leaves Cyprus A ship carrying aid to a pier built by the United States off Gaza left Cyprus on Thursday. The US flagged Sagamore left the port of Larnaca this morning. US officials have said the ship will be used to offload supplies onto a floating pier built to expedite aid into the besieged enclave. 12:39 PM BST Israel must continue Rafah operation more vigorously, says Israeli official Israels war cabinet is in agreement on the need to intensify its operations in Rafah, a senior Israeli official said. Israel must continue the operation in Rafah more vigorously, expand it and occupy the city, the official quoted by Israel Hayom newspaper said. There is unanimity in the cabinet on this matter. The official added that Israel needs to send a message to both its allies and foes that it is not dependent on the US. Beyond the operational aspects, Israel must do this to show the Biden administration and the international community that we are not an American protectorate, but an independent state. The official added that the Rafah operation would demonstrate Israel can manage militarily without US assistance if needed. The main damage from Bidens decision will be suffered by the president himself politically within the US and to the US standing in the world due to harming its ally. 12:20 PM BST UK system of arm exports to Israel is different from US, says Cameron Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Britains system and scale of arms exports to Israel are different from those in the United States. He said the sales are relatively small and policed by strict procedures. Lord Cameron was responding to a question on whether Britain would follow the US after it warned that it would withhold weapons from Israel in case of a major invasion of Rafah. Theres a very fundamental difference between the US situation and the UK situation, Lord Cameron said. The US is a massive state supplier of weapons to Israel ... we do not have a UK Government supply of weapons to Israel, we have a number of licenses, and I think our defense exports to Israel are responsible for significantly less than 1 per cent of their total. 12:01 PM BST Pictured: Climate activists hold mock coffins in Glasgow Activists from climate groups and Palestine solidarity groups were pictured on Thursday holding coffins decorated with the national flag of Palestine. They were demonstrating outside the SEC Armadillo, the venue of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Barclays, in Glasgow. Activists from climate groups and Palestine solidarity groups hold mock coffins - Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images 11:53 AM BST Biden threat to halt weapon shipments likened to Munich Pact by Israel Israel has likened Joe Bidens threat to halt the shipment of weapons to Britains Munich Pact with Nazi Germany. Joe Biden can be [Winston] Churchill but he is choosing to be Chamberlain, he chooses dishonour and will get both dishonour and war, Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu wrote on X. Mr Eliyahu was quoting Sir Winston Churchills famous critique of former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. Last night, the US president publicly threatened for the first time that he will stop supplying US weapons if Israel goes ahead with a planned ground invasion of Rafah. Mr Biden explicitly conditioned the transfer of American weaponry on Israels military actions as he acknowledged that US bombs have been used to kill civilians in Gaza. Despite Mr Bidens warnings, AFP journalists reported heavy shelling in Rafah early on Thursday, and the Israeli military later said it was also striking Hamas positions further north in the centre of the Gaza Strip. 11:48 AM BST Israel to continue the war, says foreign minister Israeli foreign minister said his country will continue the war on Gaza until Hamas is destroyed. Israel will continue to fight Hamas until its destruction. There is no war more just than this. " Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) May 9, 2024 Israel will continue to fight Hamas until its destruction, said Israel Katz. There is no war more just than this. 11:35 AM BST Israeli officials criticise Bidens disappointing arms threat Two top Israeli officials voiced criticism of US President Joe Biden on Thursday for his threat to halt specific arms supplies to Israel. This is a difficult and very disappointing statement to hear from a president to whom we have been grateful since the beginning of the war, Israels ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, said. If Israel is restricted from entering an area as important and central as Rafah where there are thousands of terrorists, hostages and leaders of Hamas, how exactly are we supposed to achieve our goals? he added. Israels far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said his government would pursue its goals in Gaza despite the US threat. We will achieve complete victory in this war despite President Bidens push back and arms embargo, he said in a statement. 10:18 AM BST Pictured: Amsterdam student protests Students from the University of Amsterdam are protesting against the attacks on Gaza. Police forcefully intervene, arrest dozens and assaulting others in Pro-Palestinian protesters - Mouneb Taim/Anadolu via Getty Images Police officers try to remove a pro-Palestinian protester - REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw 10:01 AM BST Why did the US stop selling 2,000-pound bombs to Israel? The United States is reevaluating near-term security assistance, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told a Senate hearing on Wednesday, in the context of unfolding events in Rafah. Weve been very clear...from the very beginning that Israel shouldnt launch a major attack into Rafah without accounting for and protecting the civilians that are in that battlespace, Mr Austin said. The decision was taken due to concerns about the end-use of the 2,000-pound bombs and the impact they could have in dense urban settings as we have seen in other parts of Gaza, said a US official speaking on condition of anonymity. The delivery of weapons potentially destined for use in Rafah underwent thorough scrutiny by the US administration, the official added. US officials disclosed that the decision was reached last week, with US President Joe Biden directly engaged in the process. Mr Biden confirmed the pause personally in a CNN interview on Wednesday. 09:43 AM BST Gaza death toll surpasses 34,900 The latest report from the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza indicates that the number of people who lost their lives during the ongoing conflict has climbed to 34,904. 78,514 people have sustained injuries over this duration. 09:25 AM BST Riot squad, pro-Palestine students clash at Amsterdam University A Dutch riot squad clashed with pro-Palestinian protesters overnight as officers moved in to clear barricades at the University of Amsterdam. Police reported at around midnight that they had arrested 32 individuals for violence, destruction, assault, and incitement both at the university and on a major thoroughfare in the centre of the Dutch capital. Local television footage showed dozens of police officers dressed in riot gear engaging in physical confrontations with a group of protesters as they cleared an area in front of the Binnengasthuis building in Amsterdams city centre. The protests were fueled by students demanding that the University of Amsterdam sever ties with Israel over the conflict in Gaza. 09:08 AM BST 80,000 people fled Rafah since Monday Some 80,000 people have fled Rafah since Israeli tanks entered eastern areas of the city on Monday, said the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). Since Israeli Forces military operation intensified on 6 May, around 80,000 people have fled Rafah, seeking refuge elsewhere. The toll on these families is unbearable, said on Thursday. Nowhere is safe, the agency added. An estimated 1.5 million people had packed into the southern Gaza city of Rafah in search of refuge over the last several months of war. 08:49 AM BST Israeli opposition leader urges firing of security minister Israeli opposition Leader Yair Lapid has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fire national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir after he tweeted Hamas loves Biden. Hamas Biden (@itamarbengvir) May 9, 2024 If Netanyahu does not fire Ben Gvir today, he is endangering every soldier in the IDF and every citizen in the State of Israel, Mr Lapid said. Mr Ben Gvir was responding to the threat from US President Joe Biden to withhold arm safes to Israel if Israel invades the southern Gaza city of Rafah. 08:34 AM BST Israel strikes Iran-backed group in Damascus Syrian air defences shot down Israeli missiles fired from the Golan Heights towards Damascus, Syrias defence ministry said Thursday Al-Nujaba Movement, affiliated with Iran, said in a statement that the target was its cultural office in the Zainabiya area of Damascus. The attack resulted in material damage only, with no reported casualties, Irans Tasnim news agency reported. 08:15 AM BST Pictured: Police clear protestors in US Police cleared protestors from George Washington University early on Wednesday, hours after dozens marched to the home of the schools president. Pepper spray was used on demonstrators and dozens were arrested. Officers of the Metropolitan Police Department pepper spray demonstrators at George Washington University - Sage Russell, GW Hatchet via AP 07:58 AM BST Iran to change nuclear doctrine if existence threatened An adviser to Irans supreme leader has said that the Islamic Republic will not hesitate to send arms to Hamas. Iran has provided any possible support to Hamas. If it is possible to send weapons to Hamas now, we will not hesitate, but there is no way to support Hamas with weapons now, Kamal Kharrazi said. He also indicated that Iran may reconsider its nuclear doctrine if faced with existential threats from Israel. Kharrazi clarified that Iran currently has no plans to develop nuclear weapons, but if its survival were jeopardised, it might have to reassess its military strategy. We have no decision to build a nuclear bomb, but should Irans existence be threatened, there will be no choice but to change our military doctrine, he said. Regarding potential attacks on Irans nuclear facilities by Israel, Kharrazi warned that Irans deterrence measures would be altered in response. In the case of an attack on our nuclear facilities by the Zionist regime, our deterrence will change, he added. He emphasised that Iran has the capability to develop such weapons if necessary. 07:45 AM BST Houthis targeted ships in Gulf of Aden Yemens Iran-aligned Houthis targeted two ships, the MSC DEGO and the MSC GINA, in the Gulf of Aden using a number of ballistic missiles and drones, the groups military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a televised speech on Thursday. Sarea said the group also targeted the MSC VITTORIA in the Indian Ocean and again in the Gulf of Aden. 07:43 AM BST Israel says Biden threat to stop arms very disappointing Israels ambassador to the United Nations expressed disappointment on Thursday at US President Joe Bidens threat to stop certain arms supplies to Israel if it invades the crowded Gaza city of Rafah. This is a difficult and very disappointing statement to hear from a president to whom we have been grateful since the beginning of the war, Gilad Erdan told Israeli public broadcaster Kan radio, in Israels first reaction to Mr Bidens warning. Mr Erdan responded that Mr Bidens comments would be interpreted by Israels foes Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah as something that gives them hope to succeed. If Israel is restricted from entering an area as important and central as Rafah where there are thousands of terrorists, hostages and leaders of Hamas, how exactly are we supposed to achieve our goals? he added. This is not a defensive weapon. This is about certain offensive bombs. In the end the State of Israel will have to do what it thinks needs to be done for the security of its citizens. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. A child-murdering Brooklyn gang member who fatally shot a 22-month-old boy in his stroller in 2020 will spend the next 50 years to life behind bars. Dashawn Austin, 28, and two of his fellow Hoolie Gang members learned their fates at a sentencing before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on Wednesday, after they were convicted in a pair of trials last month. Little Davell Gardner Jr. was sitting in a stroller on July 12, 2020, outside the Raymond Bush Playground on Madison St. in Bedford-Stuyvesant, when Austin and a second shooter, looking to add to the death count of a bloody gang war, opened fire. One of his bullets tore into the toddlers stomach, and Davell spent some of his final moments in his mothers arms on a final car ride to Interfaith Medical Center. He was buried in a Cocomelon-themed coffin. [Austin] prepared for that shooting. Grouping up. Changing clothes. And making sure he had reinforcements, Assistant D.A. Michael Diamond wrote in an April 22 letter to the judge. This wasnt an accident. This wasnt a mistake. Defendant Austin did everything he could to kill that night. This was a mass shooting [at] a family barbecue. Austin was convicted of Davells murder, as well as the March 3, 2020 murder of 900 Gang rival Janile Whitted. Akeem Artis, 27, who drove Austin to the cookout, was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter and attempted assault but acquitted of murder. Chun sentenced him to 40 years Wednesday. Travis Scott, 36, who was convicted of murder for the Dec. 4, 2018 shooting death of 35-year-old Tyree Walker, and attempted murder for shooting and paralyzing another man, 23, that night, was sentenced to 40 years to life. Fellow Hoolie Gang member Jayquan Lane, 31, who was also convicted of Whitteds murder, will be sentenced June 18. Todays lengthy sentences must send a message to those engaged in gun violence that it will not be tolerated in Brooklyn, Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez said Wednesday. Senseless gang rivalries perpetrated by these defendants left six people injured and three people dead. Little Davell never got to celebrate his second birthday. Ana Maria Knezevich's husband David was arrested this week after she went missing in Madrid on Feb. 2 National Center for the Missing in Spain Ana Maria Knezevich. The family of missing South Florida woman Ana Maria Knezevich is hoping for her safe return. On Wednesday, May 8, a news conference was held in Fort Lauderdale, where 40-year-old Ana's brother, Felipe Henao, urged anyone with information to come forward. If anybody out there has any information about her whereabouts, we still have hope that we can find where my sister is, Henao said, per WSVN. If shes out there, somewhere, I just want to tell her we all love her, we miss her, we support her, were her voice. Ana who had traveled from South Florida to Spain in December following her "nasty divorce" from her husband of 13 years, David Knezevich, 36, per the Associated Press went missing in Madrid on Feb. 2. Earlier this week, it was reported that her husband David had been arrested by U.S. federal agents three months after her disappearance. He was charged with kidnapping, according to the criminal complaint viewed by PEOPLE. 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 While speaking at the news conference, Henao thanked his sister's friends for everything they've done so far, and said, "As you can see, my sister is very loved. She has many friends and I didnt expect to see a room so full, and this is because of all the love my sister spreads, WSVN reported. Im who I am in this country because of her. I came here, she fed me, she gave me a roof, she gave me a job, she guided me and I am truly grateful for her. Thats why I fight for her, Henao, who was joined at the conference by their mother and other loved ones, continued, per the outlet. We trust the American authorities, the justice system, we trust that theyre going to make justice for my sister. Thats what we all want, Henao said. I really want to thank the FBI. They answered all my calls. Every day I talk to them since Ive learned about this. I just hope she is out there and we can find her soon. "It's been [a] very devastating time for us, we're still in shock," Henao said, according to WPLG. "The last time I spoke to her on the phone was on January 24," Henao added, per WTVJ. "She was happy and optimistic about the future." Per WSVN, Ana's friend, Sanna Rameau, also claimed to have received "bizarre messages" from her phone after Ana went missing, that she doesn't believe were sent by her. On May 6, Policia Nacional, the Spanish international police, confirmed on X (formerly known as Twitter) that David had been detained at Miami International Airport "for his alleged relationship with the disappearance of his wife." David Knezevich Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. A complaint seen by PEOPLE stated that Ana was last seen by security cameras as she was entering her apartment building "on or about February 2" in Madrid around 2:30 p.m local time. "That same day at approximately 9:27 p.m., the building's surveillance camera captured a male wearing a helmet entering 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 uses to disable a surveillance camera by painting the lens," it continued. The man was then reportedly 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 complaint stated that the man had "physical characteristics that resemble those of Knezevich." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. During the recent "May Day" holiday, the cultural and tourism market across the province was bustling with activity, with several tourist attractions in northern Anhui setting new historical records for both visitor numbers and tourism revenue. During the "May Day" period, Shouxian, a national historic and cultural city, leveraged technology to promote the evolution of the cultural and tourism industry. It delved into the millennia-old cultural heritage of the ancient city, innovated the expressions of the cultural and tourism industry, and endowed natural landscapes and cultural history with new meanings, creating a unique and in-depth cultural and tourism experience in the ancient city. On the eve of "May Day," the major project "Archaeological China" announced the interim excavation results of "Tomb No. 1 at Wuwangdun," confirming that the tomb is the largest, highest-ranked, and most complex high-level Chu state tomb ever scientifically excavated to date. On May 1st, Huainan City hosted the "Wuwangdun and Chu Cultural Relics from Huainan Area Special Exhibition" at the city's museum, where a selection of relics unearthed from the Wuwangdun tomb was presented to the public for the first time. During this year's May Day holiday, Shouxian capitalized on the trend of the tourism market moving towards more localized experiences by interactively showcasing the Chu cultural relics from the Anhui Chu Culture Museum with some of the artifacts from the Wuwangdun tomb, drawing numerous visitors. During the "May Day" holiday, museums across the province launched over 300 various exhibitions, creating new synergies with combinations such as "Cultural Heritage + Tourism" and "Art + Tourism." With its profound historical and cultural heritage, Shouxian successfully attracted nearly 2.1 million visitors. Source: Anhui Daily GAZA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- A delegation from Hamas for ceasefire talks departed Cairo for the Qatari capital of Doha on Thursday, Ezzat Al-Rashq, a member of the Hamas Political Bureau, said in a statement. Al-Rashq confirmed the group's commitment to a proposal received from Egyptian and Qatari mediators, adding that Israel's military actions in Rafah aim to "block all efforts made by mediators to reach ceasefire in Gaza." Over the past three days, Egypt hosted delegations from Hamas, Israel, Qatar, and the United States to reach a "comprehensive truce" in the Gaza Strip. On Monday, Hamas accepted the Egyptian proposal of reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, while Israel expressed its rejection of the current copy of the proposal. Concurrently, the Israeli military has intensified its operations in Rafah and took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, a crucial passage for humanitarian aid going into the enclave and wounded civilians leaving the strip. Bud Light sales remain flat more than year after the brand faced a conservative boycott from consumers angered over its teaming up with influencer Dylan Mulvaney. AB InBev, which owns Budweiser and Bud Light, said overall global sales topped $14.5 billion, but sales in the U.S. declined 9.1% during the Jan.-March 2024 period. Sales to retailers were down 13.7%, "primarily due to volume decline of Bud Light," the company said. However, the world's largest beer maker says its revenue rose 2.6% during the first three months of 2024, in its quarterly financial report released Wednesday. Sales of higher-priced products helped revenue increase as total worldwide volume of beer sold fell 1.3%. A Bud Light beer advertisement is projected onto the Sphere in Las Vegas on Feb 10, 2024. A sauceless summer?: Huy Fong pepper supplier problem stalls Sriracha production Bud Light sales decline continues AB InBev has seen U.S. sales decline since the boycott, which arose after Mulvaney posted a video on Instagram about the company's $15,000 March Madness giveaway contest and showed a promotional Bud Light can with her face on it. Criticism followed with conservatives calling for a boycott of Bud Light and Kid Rock releasing a video in which he shot and destroyed cases of Bud Light with an assault weapon. Subsequently, Modelo Especial overtook Bud Light in May 2023 as the best-selling beer in the U.S. Constellation Brands, which also owns Pacifico, has the rights to distribute Modelo and Corona in the U.S., while AB InBev does so in markets outside of the U.S. AB marketing push extends to UFC, Olympics In recent months, Bud Light became the official beer of the UFC , while another Anheuser-Busch beer, Michelob Ultra, became the first beer brand to be an Olympic sponsor in 40 years. Bud Light sales may continue to fall off because those who boycotted "haven't forgotten and they've found new light beer brands to purchase or discovered spirits-based (ready-to-drink cocktails) or perhaps even cannabis to purchase," Bump Williams, whose firm Bump Williams Consulting of Shelton, Connecticut, services the alcoholic beverage industry, told USA TODAY earlier this year. But AB InBev may have weathered the Bud Light controversy storm. The previous financial quarter is the last in which it compares to pre-boycott sales figures. "ABI has got its (likely) hardest quarter of 2024 out of the way with little to no bruises," Barclays analyst Laurence Whyatt told Reuters. The company, which also makes Busch Light and imports such as Stella Artois, impressed analysts with North America volumes down less than expected, and record volumes in some markets including Brazil and South Africa. "We're excited with the momentum behind our brands," CEO Michel Dimitrios Doukeris said in an interview with analysts about the quarter's performance. Sales of Michelob Ultra and Busch Light, as well as vodka seltzer brand Nutrl and Cutwater canned cocktails showed "very strong growth," he said. AB InBev shares hit their highest level on the New York Stock Exchange since mid-March and were up nearly 7% over the previous five days. Contributing: Jessica Guynn, Gabe Hauari and Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY Network and Reuters. Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider. What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bud Light US sales down after Dylan Mulvaney boycott as AB InBev grows A business owner has pleaded guilty to dumping thousands of gallons of hazardous substances into an Ohio river, killing more than 40,000 fish, officials said. Theres a right way and a wrong way to do business, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said in a May 7 news release. When your business pollutes Ohios natural resources, you will be held accountable. The Kenton Man pleaded guilty to negligently discharging a pollutant without a permit violating the Clean Water Act in 2021, the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Northern District of Ohio said in a news release. The man is accused of dumping 7,000 gallons of hazardous wastewater containing ammonia into the Scioto River. Misdemeanor resolutions are virtually nonexistent in federal court, but I was pleased that the government recognized this as a fair and just resolution because (he) never intended to discharge a pollutant into the river or to cause any harm to the environment, the mans attorney Lindsay K. Gerdes told McClatchy News May 9. The waste involved in the April 17, 2021 incident originated from two freight facilities Cessna Transport Inc. and A.G. Bradley Inc. owned and operated by the 72-year-old, officials said. According to Cessna Transports website, the company specializes in transporting hazardous substances such as sulfuric and nitric acids, as well as propane and anhydrous ammonia. McClatchy News reached out Cessna Transport for comment on May 9 but did not immediately hear back. Contact information for A.G. Bradley was not available. The contaminants flowed about 18 miles downstream from where it was illegally dumped, in an area routinely used for recreational fishing, according to officials. The fish kill was reported by a fisherman in Hardin County, according to authorities. The discharge killed 43,094 fish, including black bass, flathead catfish, sunfish, and minnows, valued at $22,508.60, officials said. This type of behavior is unacceptable, U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko said in a statement. The Scioto River is home to abundant fish and other wildlife, and it is a valuable community resource, flowing through more than 230 miles of Ohio. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 12. Hardin County is about a 70-mile drive northwest from Columbus. Liquid nitrogen mishap kills 750,000 fish in rivers in Iowa and Missouri, officials say Fisherman was fatally electrocuted while casting line at Florida pond, lawsuit says Saving tigers was the last US aid project in Russia. Now that funding is in danger As Californians get ready to turn on their air conditioning this summer, the states utility regulator approved a hotly contested change to residential electricity rates. In a unanimous vote Thursday, the agency authorized a flat fee of up to $24.15 and cuts to electricity costs by 5-7 cents per kilowatt-hour. The change stands to affect 11 million customers of investor-owned utilities starting late next year. Regulators called it a key step to slashing carbon emissions from homes, arguing the fixed charge will help stabilize utility revenue and curb rising costs of Californias clean energy transition. The proposal has stirred fierce debate in recent months, reviving a battle between allies of investor-owned utilities and proponents of rooftop solar. At the heart of this conflict are questions about who will pay to supply more California homes with clean electricity into the future, a debate thats playing out amid rising energy prices. The transition to all electric homes, cars and trucks is truly transformative. It means that we can ratchet down our use of petroleum and natural gas. It also means that our electricity rate design needs to evolve to meet this moment in time, said California Public Utilities Commission president Alice Busching Reynolds. The change does not add any costs or fees, Reynolds said, but rather changes the way existing costs are divvied up Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric bills. The flat rate, she said, will simply now cover some of the infrastructure costs to serve you. The CPUC has framed the measure, which is roughly based on income, as geared toward making electricity costs more equitable. Under the rule, low-income customers are eligible for a discounted flat rate of $6 if they are enrolled in the states CARE program, and $12 if they already benefit from whats called the FERA program. A highly charged debate The vote follows months of debate that pitted lawmakers against the governors office, advocates of rooftop solar against utilities and environmental advocates against one another. Opponents argue that the change in billing policy wont meaningfully encourage customers to adopt electric vehicles and heat pumps and will instead discourage energy conservation while punishing rooftop solar customers. Greg Sparks, left, and Rob Hawley, foreground, join a coalition of renters, seniors, affordable housing advocates and environmentalists protesting outside the California Public Utilities Commission meeting at Warren Alquist State Energy Building in Sacramento on Thursday. The CPUC approved a $24 monthly fixed charge on residential consumers who get their electricity from PG&E and other providers. The CPUCs proposal is exactly what Californians should be worried about, a big utility tax that is twice the national average and totally uncapped, said Bill Allayaud, director of government affairs for the Environmental Working Group, in a statement. Protesters outside the CPUC Thursday vehemently opposed the commissions vote and marched to the legislature Thursday, calling on lawmakers to cap the fixed charge. Many utilities across the U.S. include a fixed charge in customers monthly electricity bills, at about $11 a month on average. Simply put, this is a blank check to profitable utilities that gives them a guaranteed revenue stream for the costly projects that drive expensive electricity rates, Allayaud said. Consumers by contrast will now have two ways for their bills to go up. Households that use high amounts of electricity are likely to see savings in their monthly bills, as well as low-income households who qualify for the discounted fixed charge. Smaller households, low energy users and homes with installed solar panels are likely to see their bills rise. In the state legislature, Democratic lawmakers have found themselves caught between calls to prioritize energy conservation from fixed charge opponents and promises of more equitable energy prices from the measures supporters. When a proposal to roll back the fixed rate plan was discussed in a committee hearing last month, all 14 lawmakers abstained from voting shelving the controversial measure. But lawmakers have themselves to thank, having directed the CPUC to study and consider authorizing a fixed charge on electricity bills when Gov. Gavin Newsom stuck last-minute language favored by utilities into a budget trailer bill in 2022. Those origins led to widespread criticism that the CPUC and utilities themselves were able to influence the policymaking process to their benefit without enough public input. Californians currently pay the second-highest electricity rates in the nation after Hawaii. PG&E customers saw new rate hikes this year, with the average household paying an additional $34.50. Extreme weather, drought and drastic swings in temperature and wildfires are all fueled by climate change they also impact utility costs. Under the previous system, California ratepayers would pay for wildfire risk mitigation and other major investments directly in energy prices. Many environmental groups, such as the Natural Resources Defense Council, feared that status quo would make prices skyrocket dangerously. The idea of electricity rate design, they argued, is to separate those investments from a lower cost of energy. Electricity should be cheaper than fossil fuels and electric bills for our lowest income customers should continue to be affordable. This decision is a good first step in that direction, said Mohit Chhabra, senior analyst at NRDC, in a press briefing. Win for utilities, loss for solar Much of the opposition to the CPUCs rule has come from companies and advocates connected to Californias rooftop solar industry, which relies on high electricity prices to make rooftop solar panels a worthwhile investment for homeowners. Solar advocates say the change is certain to hurt the pocket book of their customers. That industry is still smarting from the CPUCs decision last year to slash returns on what had long been a lucrative investment for California homeowners. This proposal will drastically change the value proposition for customers and for our business, said Erin Weber Kiel, government affairs manager for major rooftop solar company Sunnova. We have not seen a fixed charge get proposed anywhere near this high nationally. This highly charged debate underscores a push from the rooftop solar industry and other smaller, distributed energy sources, for more power over the future of Californias energy system against state-sanctioned monopoly utilities. This is a conflict between two industries. I think their narratives have been largely shaping the public discourse, said Ruthie Lazenby, a fellow with the UCLA Emmett Institute on Climate Change & the Environment. Watchdogs must keep investor-owned utilities from needlessly raising rates, she said, but universally affordable electricity for all will need utility scale clean energy. In a recent report on the fixed charge debate, she called on more leaders to engage in this issue. This policy has become controversial because the solar industry hates it and wealthy people with rooftop solar hate it. Utilities like it, and we all hate utilities. But the truth is just because its good for utilities doesnt mean its bad for the public, in this case. California Attorney General wont decide on governor run until after election, he says California Attorney General Rob Bonta wont say if hes running for governor until at least November, he told The Sacramento Bee during a quick one-day trip to Washington D.C. Bonta flew in on a redeye flight for an event about promoting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, like himself, with Vice President Kamala Harris, who was Californias attorney general from 2011 to 2017. He met with the states U.S. senators and will fly out tonight. Bonta, a Democrat who became attorney general in 2021, sat down with The Bee for a 45-minute interview at a downtown hotel in the afternoon. Not until after the 2024 election will Bonta, 51, declare his political future. Im very grateful that many folks are encouraging me to run for governor. Ill make a decision at the right time, he said. That time is not now. It will be after the election. Of his potential gubernatorial opponents, Bonta said its far too early to have announced. Honestly, the fact that people announced four years before, it just seemed premature to me, he said. Like, getting sworn in and then announcing that youre going to run for something four years later? Thats just me, it just seemed early. I wanted to do the job. I have a consequential job. Compared to the 2026 candidates for governor who have announced including Democrats Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, California schools chief Tony Thurmond, state Sen. Toni Atkins of San Diego and former state Controller Betty Yee Bonta has the most campaign cash for a run. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, a former California congressman, is also mentioned as a possible candidate. For now, Bontas focused on being Californias chief lawyer. He discussed several issues hes working on in a 45-minute interview with The Sacramento Bee on Thursday. Homelessness and housing laws Bontas office has sued several California cities on housing policy, citing state laws that require towns updating plans based on community needs. He pointed to several issues contributing to Californias homelessness crisis notably a lack of affordable housing. We need 2 to 3 million more units by 2030. Were not on pace to get there, he said. The median price for a home in California is over $800,000. Its too much. Its not affordable. He said solutions included enforcing tenant protections for people without stable housing against evictions for retaliatory or arbitrary reasons and CARE Court, a statewide system of county mental health courts meant to compel treatment for those with severe mental illnesses. Bonta touted Proposition 1, which narrowly passed in states March 5 primary election, to unlock more money for homelessness housing and behavioral health treatment centers, restructuring Californias Mental Health Services Act. He noted there is a political pendulum swinging away from treating unhoused people with compassion because now people are at wits end with homelessness. The pendulum swings come from emotional decisions, he said. When fear or anger go up, reasonable policy-making goes down. And so I try to be a voice of reason, and not everyone listens to me. Privacy protections and TikTok Bonta, whose office is investigating TikTok and suing Meta over whether the social media platforms are addicting and subsequently harming children, did not comment on a recent law President Joe Biden signed that would ban TikTok nationwide if its China-based parent company doesnt sell in nine months to a year. But Bonta said that the First Amendment argument and others in TikToks lawsuit against the law were compelling. Californias investigation into TikTok has been ongoing for two years. Bonta expressed frustration with the speed. The lack of action means that more kids get exposed and harmed, and thats from anecdotal data with my own kids to Surgeon General data about the whole country, Bonta said. He also decried a federal measure on data privacy protections that, as written, would preempt California law. California has stringent privacy protections. He said hed support the bill, the American Privacy Rights Act, if a clause about preempting state laws on the issue was removed: I think theres like Americans who will benefit from the floor. Itll raise their privacy protections up to a base level. Currently in California, Bonta described consumers who go to a website have control over if a company can keep, use and sell the information. That could go away if the federal law undercuts Californias. If you like to shop and get makeup at Sephora: You go onto their website and you buy makeup and they know that you like certain kinds of rouge or lipstick. And you cant say I dont want to share this. You cant say, I dont want this to be sold, Bonta described. And then you start getting advertisements that you never asked about, that ask you if you want such-and-such a product or you get outreach from another company that has bought your information. California man gave random homeless woman $20 to watch granddaughter while he got drunk, sheriff says California man gave random homeless woman $20 to watch granddaughter while he got drunk, sheriff says A Northern California man paid a random homeless woman $20 to babysit his granddaughter as he got drunk, touching off a massive law enforcement search for the girl, authorities said. Jason Warren, 54, gave the homeless woman $20 on Monday to take his granddaughter to a thrift store while he went into a nearby bar for four hours, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. Later, a "highly intoxicated" Warren appeared in a parking lot in the 5300 block of Auburn Boulevard in Sacramento, pleading for help to find his 7-year-old granddaughter, who "had been kidnapped for human trafficking," deputies said he claimed. The exterior of The Cinder's Bar (Google Maps) The sheriff's department launched a search with a helicopter, drones and a dog before the homeless woman heard announcements from the copter and returned to the parking lot with the child, deputies said. "The female confirmed that Warren had given her money to take the child to the thrift store. She went on to tell Deputies that Warren was highly intoxicated and she did not think he could care for the child," the sheriff's statement said. "The female took the child to her 'camp' to get food. Deputies spoke with the child, who corroborated the ordeal." The girl didn't appear to have been physically harmed by her stay with the homeless woman, Lauren Jope, 34. "I"m glad that I was walking when I was, because, you know, she could have been left with some man or somebody who doesn't want to watch her," Jope told reporters Tuesday. "I just wanted to make sure she was safe, she's OK." A short time after their initial meeting, Jope said, Warren was intoxicated and she feared for the girl's safety. "The guy was totally belligerently drunk and just kind of scary. He turned into a totally different person, and so I got his granddaughter away until things kind of simmered down," she said. Sheriff's Sgt. Amar Gandhi praised Jope for her actions in the moment. "We were miraculously lucky that it was Lauren that stepped in," Gandhi said. "She's a guardian angel. ... I can't sing her praises high enough." Warren was booked on suspicion of child endangerment. He was released from custody Wednesday, jail records showed. "She was about 28 to 30 yeas old ... I could tell by her character that she was a decent person. I trusted her like I would trust my sister or my cousin," Warren told KTXL-TV of Sacramento in a jailhouse interview. Warren said he doesn't understand why he's being blamed. "I didn't do anything wrong," he said. "Everything I did, I told God, 'It's your will, God, not my will. Let your will be done. You put this lady in my path so that I could have someone watch my granddaughter.'" The girl's aunt has full custody of her, deputies said. She had asked Warren to care for his granddaughter while she went to work, officials said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com During a sleepover in August 2017, three 14-year-old boys, two of whom were about to start attending St. Francis High School in Mountain View, California, took a picture of themselves wearing dark green acne masks. One of the boys, who was hosting the other two, had severe acne, and his friends applied the masks in an act of playful solidarity. They took the picture because they thought they looked "silly." Three years later, after another teenager obtained the picture and posted it online, the two St. Francis students were falsely accused of posing in blackface and forced to leave the school under the threat of expulsion. This week a California jury awarded the boys, identified as A.H. and H.H. in their lawsuit against the school, $1 million in damages, plus a tuition reimbursement of about $70,000. "A photograph of this innocent event was plucked from obscurity and grossly mischaracterized during the height of nationwide social unrest," the boys' familes said when they filed their lawsuit in 2021. The photo came to light in June 2020, a month after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd. "St. Francis became involved in a number of racial scandals," NBC News reports, "including one where recent graduates of the school posted a meme about Floyd's death on Instagram." Because of that context, A.H. and H.H. argued, St. Francis officials rushed to judgment, tarring the students as racist and disrupting their lives without giving them a chance to explain the photo. "The boys did not use the facemasks or take the photograph with any ill-intent, bias or prejudice, let alone in connection with any racist sentiments or epithets," the lawsuit said. "Defendants took it upon themselves to use the innocent and wholly unrelated photograph of the boys to make the malicious and utterly false accusation that the boys had been engaging in 'blackface,' and to recklessly assert that the photograph was 'another example' of racism" at St. Francis. That false accusation, according to the complaint, interrupted the boys' educations, destroyed their local reputations, and forced their families to move. The jury agreed that St. Francis had treated the boys unfairly, thereby violating an oral contract. More controversially, the jury accepted a claim under the California Supreme Court's "common law doctrine of fair procedure," which extends due process requirements to private actors such as unions, hospitals, insurers, and professional organizations. Last year, the court ruled that the doctrine also applies to private universities. But according to the attorneys who represented A.H. and H.H., this is the first time the doctrine has been applied to a private secondary school. "This case is significant not only for our clients but for its groundbreaking effect on all private high schools in California, which are now legally required to provide fair procedure to students before punishing or expelling them," said Dhillon Law Group partner Krista Baughman. "The jury rightly confirmed that St. Francis High School's procedures were unfair to our clients and that the school is not above the law." Karin Sweigart, another lawyer at the firm, emphasized that it took four years to definitively refute the school's erroneous claim about the supposedly racist nature of the photo. "The jury's verdict finally cleared our clients' names after four long years of repeated personal attacks from St. Francis High School," she said. "Schools are supposed to protect and nurture children, not sacrifice them when it is convenient for public relations purposes." The school's representatives said they "respectfully disagree with the jury's conclusion" about "the fairness of our disciplinary review process." They added that the school is "exploring legal options," including a possible appeal. The plaintiffs' attorneys note that "St. Francis expelled the boys within 24 hours, without considering their evidence or offering any hearing." They add that "the school's actions led to significant personal, educational, and emotional consequences for the students." The boys' parents amplified that point. "We would never wish the pain, humiliation, and suffering St. Francis has inflicted on our families on anyone," they said, "but we are thankful that the jury has spoken," "vindicated our boys," and "forced St. Francis to finally take responsibility for their repeated personal attacks." Even with "time to reflect and contemplate after the heat of the moment had subsided," the parents said, St. Francis officials "don't regret their actions" and "would do the same thing today." Although the case has consumed "twenty percent of our boys' lives," they said, "the sacrifice is worth it to clear our boys' names" and "to try and make sure that St. Francis can never again assume a child is guilty" without giving him "the opportunity to show [his] innocence." The post California Students Get $1 Million After They Were Expelled for Wearing Supposedly Racist Acne Masks appeared first on Reason.com. Californians could pay more for electricity after vote on Thursday Some Californians are up in arms as a state panel voted to approve a change to electric bills that critics say will negatively impact those who dont use very much electricity. The $24.15-per-month charge, approved by the state Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom as a budget revision in 2022, was solidified by a 4-0 vote from the California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday. As CalMatters notes, there are also $6- and $12-per-month tiers for lower-income people. The fee is intended to be offset by lower rates for power used, about 5 to 7 cents per kilowatt hour, according to state Capitol reporter Eytan Wallace. The measure is backed by the states three largest power companies, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. Those companies Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric argued that the changes encourage people to ditch cars and appliances that run on planet-warming fossil fuels and replace them with vehicles, stoves and heaters that operate on electricity from solar panels and wind turbines, the Times reports. Critics, however, say the fee will result in higher bills for those with smaller homes and apartments, which generally use less electricity while benefiting the generally wealthier people in larger homes. There is a trend nationwide of utilities trying to move more of the payments they extract from ratepayers into fixed fees because they get that money no matter what, Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, told the Times. This is easy money. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. At a campaign rally in Texas last year, Donald Trump listens as a choir of men imprisoned for their actions on Jan. 6, 2021, sing the national anthem. Footage of the U.S. Capitol attack plays on the video screen behind him. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Of all the promises that Donald Trump has made for a second term as president, hes all but certain to fulfill one if hes reelected: pardoning most, if not all, of the rioters who've been arrested, pleaded guilty or been convicted by judges or juries for their roles in besieging the nations Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and injuring roughly 140 police defenders. Thats nearly 1,400 people unbelievable patriots all, in Trumps noxious telling who tried to overturn a free and fair election. Most of the former presidents other campaign vows deporting millions whove long lived in this country, deploying federal troops against protesters, spending government funds at whim and gutting the civil service, for example can be stopped by Congress or the federal courts. Many likely would be. A presidents pardon power, however, is virtually unlimited, as the Supreme Court held in 1886. And Trump, though not alone among presidents in this, has abused that power before. What could be more abusive or obscene than unilaterally absolving the would-be insurrectionists, nearly 900 currently, who have been fairly prosecuted and sentenced according to the rule of law that a president is sworn to uphold? Yet, like so many of his outrageous statements, Trumps pledge to wipe the criminals records clean and spring jailed hostages on the first day we get into office doesnt shock as it should. Its just Trump being Trump, shooting off his mouth. Read more: Calmes: Donald Trump's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad second term But this vow isnt like the implausible claims that hed build a 2,000-mile border wall and Mexico would pay for it, or that hed ban all Muslims from the country. A reelected Trump could and likely will make good on the vow that would erase accountability en masse for the fatal, antidemocratic violence on Jan. 6. Hes committed. Since his first 2024 campaign rally in Texas more than a year ago, Trump typically opens the events with a recording of the so-called J6 Prison Choir , made up of insurrectionist inmates at the D.C. jail, singing the "Star-Spangled Banner" over his taped recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. Each time, Trump salutes and reiterates his pardon promise. (The Washington Post identified some of the orange-clad choristers in a jailhouse video as defendants charged with assaulting police, including Officer Brian D. Sicknick, who died a day later.) As Trump tells the rallygoers, Our people love those people. Read more: Calmes: That scowl. The gag order. Frightened jurors. Who's on trial, a former president or a mob boss? He isnt wrong: A CBS News/YouGov poll conducted in January found that nearly two-thirds of adults opposed pardons, but two-thirds of Republicans favored them. To restore a little shock value to Trumps promise, it helps to put a face on those people. So get acquainted with Ryan T. Nichols, a 33-year-old Texan who was a leader in Trumps hallowed J6 Prison Choir. Just last Thursday, Nichols was sentenced in the U.S. District Court in Washington to five years in prison and fined $200,000 the largest financial penalty to date for a Jan. 6 defendant after prosecutors argued that he was in a class of his own among the rioters. Take it from Nichols: Late on Jan. 6, he posted a video of himself in a hotel room, showing off his weapon a crowbar and shouting in the third person, Ryan Nichols grabbed his fing weapons and he stormed the Capitol. And he fought! For freedom! Ryan Nichols stands for violence, he raged in another video that prosecutors played. Read more: Donald Trump puts America on notice again: If he loses, he won't go quietly This was after Nichols, wearing body armor and other tactical gear, had spent hours at the Capitol in the thick of the mayhem. He shows up in many clips: Theres Nichols wielding his crowbar . There he is shooting a canister of pepper spray stolen from the police against the officers who are trying to defend the building, the lawmakers within and Vice President Mike Pence. And there he is, bellowing into a bullhorn to goad the mob. If you have a weapon, you need to get your weapon! he shouts in footage cited in the January 2021 affidavit for his arrest. In another hes yelling, This is the second revolution right here, folks! ... This is not a peaceful protest. Before he traveled to Washington, Nichols posted on Facebook that he would be bringing the wrath of God, and theres not a thing you can do to stop it. He arrived with another Texan and two firearms. He later wrote to a judge, in an unsuccessful bid to be released on bail, that hed gone to the capital because I believed that is what the president asked us to do. Read more: Calmes: I watched a Trump rally so you don't have to. But you need to know what he's saying After his arrest, Nichols spent about two years in the D.C. jail before he was released pending trial after complaining of poor medical treatment for a post-traumatic stress disorder dating to his Marine Corps service in Japan. When he finally pleaded guilty in November to reduced charges assaulting law-enforcement officers and obstructing an official proceeding senior U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth, a Ronald Reagan appointee, sent him back behind bars. At his sentencing last week, Nichols apologized to the victims of Jan. 6, including members of Congress, police officers and D.C. residents, said hed stay on his meds and was no longer a danger to society. The judge acknowledged the apology but said the court has not had great success in determining the sincerity of Jan. 6 defendants. Lamberth then slapped Nichols with prison time and the record fine. Which Nichols deserved. He may have been in a class of his own, as prosecutors claimed, but he wasnt the worst of the anti-democracy offenders . Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio got 22 years in prison and Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes got 18 years. Trump says he would undo all those convictions and sentences in a flash. And thats one more reason voters should reject him in November. @jackiekcalmes Get the latest from Jackie Calmes Commentary on politics and more from award-winning opinion columnist. Sign me up. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. SYDNEY, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Australian police confirmed on Thursday that a 45-year-old man was arrested after a domestic violence-related stabbing seriously injured a woman at a gym in Sydney's inner south. Emergency services were called to a fitness facility on O'riordan Street in Alexandria at around 12:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, following reports of an alleged stabbing. Paramedics treated a 39-year-old woman in the car park of the gym before she was taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in a stable condition. Police believed that the pair involved were known to each other. Following the incident, South Sydney Police Area Command Superintendent Rod Hart said at a press conference that the male offender used a "kitchen-style knife" to attack the victim before getting into a vehicle and fleeing. "We believe they had been in the past -- earlier this year -- in a very short domestic relationship. So this is being treated as domestic violence-related," said the officer. At around 7:50 a.m. local time on Thursday, the 45-year-old man presented himself to Dee Why Police Station, where he was subsequently arrested and taken to Manly Police Station. During an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Thursday morning, Premier of New South Wales (NSW) Chris Minns described the stabbing as a "horrifying and shocking attack." "It's important to say that these events are not rare either, they are common, and the number and frequency of domestic violence offenses in NSW represents an absolute emergency in this state," he told ABC Radio Sydney. Camden man gets 16 years in prison for drug trafficking FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) A Camden man was sentenced on May 9 to more than 16 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. According to a press release, Ronald Antonio Moorehead, 43, pleaded guilty on November 3 to one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. According to court documents, in March 2023, police learned that Moorehead was transporting meth into Northwest Arkansas for distribution. The release says on May 13, detectives surveilled Moorehead inside a vehicle parked in a neighborhood in Fayetteville. Police then approached Moorehead and searched his vehicle. Moorehead was on active parole supervision at the time, according to the release. The release says the search yielded around 500 gross grams of meth and a distribution amount of cocaine. The release says Moorehead had a lengthy criminal history, which included multiple prior convictions related to drug trafficking. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24. (Bloomberg) -- UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron will criticize other European nations for being unwilling to invest in defense as he urges Western democracies to be tougher and more assertive in protecting their interests and values. Most Read from Bloomberg In his first major speech since returning to the government, the former British premier on Thursday will urge NATO allies to deliver on a pledge to spend 2% of economic output on defense, and then increase expenditure to 2.5%, according to remarks briefed by the Foreign Office. Hes also set to warn that doing too little, too late, only spurs an aggressor on. I see too many examples in this job of this lesson not having been learned, Cameron will warn in his speech at the National Cyber Security Centre. While many countries have criticized the Houthi attacks, it is only the US and Britain that have been willing and able to step up and strike back at them. Or defense spend in Europe, where still some seem unwilling to invest, even as war rages on our continent. As concern grows about the rising risk of Russias war with Ukraine drawing in the West, Camerons remarks are a barb aimed at NATO nations that still fall short of the defense spending promise a decade after making it. Though Russias invasion of Ukraine spurred NATO to increase efforts to ramp up defense spending, countries including Canada, Spain and Italy are struggling to get to the 2% target. Germany, Europes biggest economy, has only recently met the goal for the first time. Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks UK government, for its part, has vowed to increase spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030. We are in a battle of wills. We all must prove our adversaries wrong Britain, and our allies and partners around the world, Cameron will say. This cannot go on. We need to be tougher and more assertive. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Candidate for U.S. Senate in Virginia responds to super PAC allegations, misuse of funds After months of dodging questions, embattled Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Hung Cao addressed allegations that he misrepresented how money raised by the Unleash America super PAC would be spent. Instead of explaining why the money raised by the super PAC did not go to Virginia Republican candidates for state office in 2023, Cao called the report that prompted the allegations a hit job by the left," on Tuesday's episode of The John Fredericks show, a live conservative radio and TV show. Cao later appeared to say that he used the money raised by Unleash America to get on Fox, I used that to get on NewsMax talking about national security issues. Cao said he was out of the super PAC by May of 2023. In fact, a memo from his Senate campaign legal counsel said that Cao resigned from the PAC on June 15, 2023. USA Today had repeatedly emailed, called, and texted Caos Senate campaign and had emailed the treasurer listed on Unleash America FEC filings since early February to get answers regarding the PACs expenditures. No response, aside from a memo sent to USA Today from Cao's campaign through an intermediary, was provided. Hung Cao for Virginia campaign's response to questions regarding Unleash America's lack of contribution to Virginia's 2023 candidates. How much money was raised by the super PAC and where did it go? When Cao launched Unleash America in February 2023, the super PAC had one stated goal: To get Republicans elected during Virginias 2023 statehouse contests to support Gov. Glenn Youngkins agenda, as reported by the Staunton News Leader and USA Today. The PAC raised $103,489 in individual contributions from around the country, which Cao called a minimal amount in his Tuesday interview with Fredericks. Caos principal U.S. Senate campaign committee, Hung Cao for Virginia, contributed $45,000 to the super PAC, for a total of $148,489 raised by Unleash America between January and December 2023. After Republicans lost the House of Delegates in Virginia and failed to flip the Senate, analysis of Unleash Americas expenditures showed no support of any kind, in-kind or otherwise, for Virginias Republican candidates. In his interview with Fredericks, Cao said a lot of the money was reimbursed. However, according to Federal Election Commission filings, money raised by Unleash America was paid to people who worked on Caos failed 2022 Congressional campaign as well as his current bid for the U.S. Senate. "Start up costs a lot, you have to have lawyers, you have to have compliance people you have to have start up fees, so a lot of the money was moved over from the old campaign to keep it alive," Cao told Fredericks on Tuesday, apparently referring to the cost to launch his bid for the U.S. Senate. About $12,500 of the money donated to Unleash America was spent on legal fees, according to FEC filings. Another $37,514 from the super PAC was paid to John Ryan ORourke. ORourke is Caos 2024 Senate campaign manager and was his campaign manager during his 2022 bid for Congress. In the same year that ORourke received payment from Unleash America, he also received $96,168 from Hung Cao for Virginia, Caos Senate campaign committee. Another $22,867 of Unleash Americas money went to K2 & Co., a communications firm Cao had employed during his 2022 Congressional campaign and also during his 2024 Senate campaign. K2 & Co. was paid $15,000 by Caos Senate campaign on October 3, 2023. The super PAC also paid $29,403 for list rentals, $18,576 for digital fundraising, $6,398 in meeting and lodging expenses as well as bank fees and $3,904 in earmark fees to WinRed, a fundraising arm of the Republican Party. Did Cao give any money to Virginias 2023 candidates? Not through the super PAC. While FEC filings show that Unleash America did not contribute any of the $148,489 it raised to Virginias Republican candidates in 2023, records kept by OpenSecrets and FollowTheMoney.org show that Cao may have contributed roughly $1,140 to four different candidates in 2023 outside of the super PAC. Hung Cao for Virginia, Caos principal Senate campaign committee, donated $240 to Virginia Sen. Mark Obenshain; $200 to Lee Peters III, who was a candidate for House of Delegates District 65; and $200 to Del. Chris Obenshain. According to FollowTheMoney.org, a person named Hung Cao donated $500 to Juan Pablo Segura, a candidate for Virginia's 32nd Senate District, though it is unclear if that donor is the Cao currently seeking the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Unleash America money used to 'get on Fox' and Newsmax, Hung Cao says EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The Canutillo Independent School Districts Board of Trustees voted on Tuesday, May 8 to forgo closing and consolidating three of its schools for the upcoming school year. With funds from the recently voter-approved multi-million dollar bond, Deanna Davenport Elementary School, Canutillo and Jose Alderete middle schools, will all be relocated from their current grounds to the rapidly growing-areas of Enchanted Hills and the Upper Valley. Had the bond not been approved, the CISD would have closed Davenport Elementary to consolidate it with Bill Childress Elementary; and consolidated the Canutillo and Jose Alderete middle schools. District officials said that the result of Saturdays election has allowed them to consider other cost-cutting measures instead, such as eliminating 28 teaching positions by switching from blocked-scheduling to traditional scheduling, and cutting low-enrollment programs. District officials said they were able to do this without having to let go of any teachers, and the measure has helped them reduce their budget-deficit from $9 million to nearly $4.4 million. We want to do the schools right and we know that takes time. So were planning out for these projects to be done within four years. And hopefully this buys us some time to really stabilize the district and work on other measures to to really bring down that deficit. said CISD Spokesperson Gustavo Reveles. CISD estimates that they could bring in approximately 1,800 students into the district from the areas where they will be relocating the three schools. Reveles explained that decisions on the future of the three schools will have to be revisited every year as their new facilities are being built, to consider what the districts financial outlook is like at the time. However, discussions and a vote on whether or not to consolidate and close some of these schools were not clearly listed on Tuesdays board meeting agenda. Austin Attorney with a focus on government transparency and accountability, Bill Aleshire, said that could have violated the Texas Open Meetings Act. When youre dealing with a subject that has special public interest in it, more interest than just routine matters, the meeting notice requirement is heightened, explained Aleshire. Aleshire said the school names should have been listed clearly, but that there isnt any remedy for people to take action against the district because they did not vote to close the schools. Let the public know what they were considering doing, whether they actually do it or not is a different issue. But if theyre going to consider it, they should tell the public, its that simple for each meeting. Every meeting where theyre going to consider something that that controversial, said Aleshire. Reveles said they acknowledge that the language on the agenda could have been clearer, but that the topic was something they had been informing through other meetings that they would discuss at Tuesdays meeting. He also said that after consulting with the school district lawyers, they feel confident that they were within the Texas Open Meetings Act. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. What should you do if your car gets towed in Iowa? Heres what to know New complaints are emerging about Crow Tow, the city of Des Moines' towing contractor, which also serves many area apartment complexes and businesses. Company owner Randy Crow denies accusations that it engages in predatory towing. Here's what to know about towing in Iowa. When can my car be towed? Your car can be towed for several reasons, including unpaid parking fines, failing to provide proof of insurance and unauthorized parking on private property, according to Iowa Legal Aid. A vehicle also may be towed if it appears to be abandoned, such as a breakdown left on the side of a public roadway, or if it poses a traffic hazard. Examples include parking in violation of snow ordinances, which can block plows, or outside specified parking hours, endangering drivers who aren't anticipating parked cars. Check with your city for specific towing regulations. What do I do if my car is towed? If you find your car has been towed, and there's not posted signage about whom to contact, your best bet is to call the local police department to try to find out where your vehicle has been taken. You'll likely need to know your car's make, model and license plate number, according to Iowa Legal Aid. When you locate your car, you will have to pay any outstanding fines or fees, such as parking tickets, before you are able to drive it home. You will also have to pay towing and storage fees. Under Iowa law, you may file a written challenge to the impoundment, seeking to have any tow-related fees canceled. Keep in mind that governments aren't the only customers for towing contractors. Private property owners also hire the companies to keep parking lots or access lanes clear of uninvited users. Can I get my things from my car when it is towed? If you spot your car being towed, you may try to get your personal possessions and documents out of the vehicle before it is taken away. If you are unable to retrieve your possessions before the vehicle is towed, you will likely have to pay all fees associated with the tow before you are able to get them back. From 2021: Polk County dumps Crow Tow after complaints of thefts, high fees and poor customer service Under Iowa law, if a police agency tows a car, the officer must within 24 hours longer in circumstances like a snow emergency inventory any personal property in the vehicle to ensure it is returned intact. How long do I have to pick my car up after it is towed? The towing authority must provide notice to the last known owner of the car within 20 days, usually by certified letter. After that, the vehicle owner will typically have at least 10 days to reclaim the vehicle and personal property. After that, the car may be auctioned. How strong are Iowa's laws on towing? Not very. A U.S. Public Interest Research Group report shows Iowa is among the states that have no cap in state law on towing rates and charges; no guarantee of access to personal items in a towed car; and no requirement that a tow truck operator release a car for free or for a smaller fee if the driver returns before it is impounded. In 2021, Grace Brombach, U.S. PIRGs consumer watchdog associate, told Car and Driver magazine that Iowa was one of six states with the fewest laws concerning towing. Is there any prospect for improving protections in Iowa? State Rep. Heather Matson, an Ankeny Democrat, is preparing for a renewed push to pass a consumer protection bill that is similar to those in other states. The measure, which had bipartisan sponsors this year, would prohibit frequent sweeping of private lots, among other measures. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: What you should know if your car gets towed in Iowa Caramelo, the Brazilian horse stranded on a roof by floods, is rescued after stirring the nation Firefighters use a raft to transport a horse after rescuing it from a roof, where it was trapped for days amid flooding, after heavy rain in Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Wesley Santos) CANOAS, Brazil (AP) A Brazilian horse nicknamed Caramelo by social media users garnered national attention after a television news helicopter filmed him stranded on a rooftop in southern Brazil, where massive floods have killed more than 100 people. About 24 hours after he was first spotted and with people clamoring for his rescue, a team in Brazils Rio Grande do Sul state on Thursday successfully removed Caramelo, providing a dose of hope to a beleaguered region. The brown horse had been balancing on two narrow strips of slippery asbestos for days in Canoas, a city in the Porto Alegre metropolitan area that is one of the hardest-hit areas in the state, much of which has been isolated by floodwaters. We found the animal in a debilitated state, Cap. Tiago Franco, a firefighter from Sao Paulo deployed to lead the rescue, was quoted as saying in a statement from that states security secretariat. We tried to approach in a calm way. Firefighters and veterinarians climbed onto the mostly submerged roof, sedated and immobilized the horse and then laid him on an inflatable raft all 770 pounds of him. The operation involved four inflatable boats and four support vessels, with firefighters, soldiers and other volunteers. The rescue was broadcast live on television networks that filmed from their helicopters. Social media influencer Felipe Neto sent out updates to his almost 17 million followers on X as the rescue was underway. Afterwards, he offered to adopt him. "Caramelo, Brazil loves you!!! My God, what happiness," he wrote. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's wife, Janja, posted a video of herself sharing the good news with the Brazilian leader, whispering into his ear at an official event. He smiled, gave a thumbs up and hugged her to him. Rio Grande do Sul's Gov. Eduardo Leite also celebrated the rescue, posting on X: All lives matter, we stand firm! Caramelo is recovering at a veterinary hospital affiliated with a university. Mariangela Allgayer, a veterinarian and professor at the institution, said Thursday afternoon on social media that he arrived very dehydrated. He is about 7 years old and, based on his characteristics, was likely used as a draft animal for a cart, Bruno Schmitz, one of the veterinarians who helped rescue and evaluate Caramelo, later told television network GloboNews. Hes also very gentle, Schmitz added, which greatly helped with the administration of sedatives. It was a very difficult operation, well beyond the standards even for specialized teams. I think they had never been through something like this before, but thank God everything went well, he said, then showed Caramelo standing up. The stranded horse is just one of many animals rescue workers have been striving to save in recent days. Rio Grande do Sul state agents have rescued about 10,000 animals since last week, while those in municipalities and volunteers have saved thousands more, according to the state's housing secretariat. Animal protection groups and volunteers have been sharing images of difficult rescues and heartwarming scenes of pets reuniting with their owners on social media. One video that went viral showed a man crying inside a boat, hugging his four dogs after rescuers went back to his home to save them. Heavy rains and flooding in Rio Grande do Sul have killed at least 107 people. Another 136 are reported missing and more than 230,000 have been displaced, according to state authorities. There is no official tally for the number of animals that have been killed or are missing, but local media have estimated the number is in the thousands. Not far from where Caramelo was rescued, pet owners in Canoas celebrated as they waited in line to get donations at a makeshift animal shelter organized by volunteers. So much bad news, but this rescue does give people here some more hope, said Guilherme Santos, 23, as he sought dog food for his two puppies. If they can rescue a horse, why not all dogs that are still missing? We can definitely do this. Carla Sassi, chairwoman of Grad, a Brazilian nonprofit that rescues animals after disasters, said she is meeting with state government officials in Canoas to discuss emergency measures to rescue pets. ___ Sa Pessoa reported from Sao Paulo. ST. LOUIS MetroLink is a lightning rod for conversation across the St. Louis metropolitan area. The light rail system stretches from Scott Air Force Base near Shiloh, Illinois, to Shrewsbury in south St. Louis County, to St. Louis Lambert Airport in north St. Louis County. MetroLink has its share of critics who insist the trains are unsafe and argue against expanding the public commuter service. Earlier this week, an out-of-towner chronicled his trip from St. Louis Airport to the Amtrak station downtown to catch a late-night train back home to Carbondale, Illinois. Matt Weiss, who gave himself the cheeky nom de guerre Midwest Tourism Bureau on social media, arrived at the airport Tuesday evening after attending a transportation conference in Miami, Florida. Normandy High School senior barred from graduation, father demanding answers Weiss loves the Midwest and spends a lot of time traveling for work. He graduated from an architecture school in Cincinnati and now works as an urban planner for a research institute that partners with the U.S. Department of Interior. Prior to moving to Carbondale last November, Weiss lived in Chicago. He still visits friends and family regularly via train. Hes an admitted Cubs fan by proxy. He uses his Midwest Tourism Bureau X account to share his appreciation for the Midwests affordability, comfortability, and more reasonable climate. Weiss has been on the MetroLink a handful of times, most notably to visit the Cahokia Mounds in Illinois or the Transportation Museum in Kirkwood, but his May 7 trip drew many eyeballs and likes on X. Weiss said he felt safe on his MetroLink trip compared to recent experiences on CTA trains in Chicago. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News In the week leading up to his MetroLink ride, Weiss rode public transit in Chicago (CTA), Boston (MBTA), and Miami (Miami-Dade Transit). He said MetroLink compares favorably and touts the agency as impressively reliable. While he had positive things to say about Boston transit, Weiss said hed been ghosted by buses in both Miami and Chicago. That hasnt happened to him in St. Louis. Although the headways between trains in St. Louis might be a little long, having a vehicle come when the schedule eventually says it will come is the most important aspect of a reliable transit system, Weiss said. After getting off at the Busch Stadium MetroLink stop, Weiss said he went looking for a bite to eat before going to the downtown Amtrak station. He saw people congregating at Ballpark Village and got food there. Weiss spoke glowingly of the atmosphere after that nights Cardinals game and said the area felt lively. He contrasted that with the stadiums in Chicago. He said Wrigley Field offers nearby nightlife options, while Guaranteed Rate Field (the former Comiskey Park II) is encircled by large parking lots and the I-90 Expressway. Weiss said he was in downtown St. Louis about 90 minutes before he boarded his train home. Hes heard the stereotypes about safety issues on MetroLink or crime in downtown St. Louis. While hes had uncomfortable experiences on public transit and empathizes with peoples concerns, he remains a supporter and still encourages people to try public transit for themselves and to make up their own opinions. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. U.S. Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) speak at a press conference with the United Steelworkers union March 12, 2024. The unions want the Biden administration to investigate what they call China's "predatory" practices in maritime shipping (Screen capture) With his focus shifting towards the general election, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) has released a new television ad promoting his support for American steel. Its his first campaign ad since the April 23 primary, when he officially won the Democratic nomination to defend his seat. Pennsylvania steel built America. Our bridges, buildings, and skylines, a voiceover actor says at the beginning of the 30 second ad, first viewed by the Capital-Star. But yinz wouldnt believe it. Our own government turned their backs on us. The ad goes on to detail how Chinese steel was used to build infrastructure in the United States, but notes Casey supported the bipartisan infrastructure law signed by President Joe Biden and his administrations guidance from April 2022 requiring federal infrastructure be built with American steel. A worker in a hardhat says take that, China. At the end of the ad, Casey says he will always stand up to China to protect American workers. The Casey campaign told the Capital-Star that the ad will start running in Pittsburgh, Scranton and Harrisburg media markets this week. Previous campaign ads are still airing across the commonwealth. Casey has now released four television ads in the current cycle so far. His previous ads highlight bipartisan legislation he sponsored to provide benefits for veterans who faced toxic exposure to burn pits and fighting big corporations over greedflation and shrinkflation. Republican David McCormick, who will be challenging Casey for the seat in November, has also been on the Pennsylvania airwaves since late March. The two television ads McCormick has released detail his roots wrestling in the state and lessons he learned from graduating from West Point and serving in the military. A super PAC backing McCormicks candidacy announced a $4 million TV ad buy on Wednesday. Caseys latest ad touches on two issues that have become talking points during the campaign: American steel and China. Casey has been endorsed by the United Steelworkers union for a fourth term, while McCormick has also pledged to fight for Pennsylvania steelworkers. Both candidates are also positioning themselves as hawks in regards to the United States policies with China on trade and more. The race between Casey and McCormick, which could determine which party controls the U.S. Senate next year and beyond, will likely be one of the most expensive of 2024. New polling released this week shows Casey with a slight lead. Both an AARP Pennsylvania and Muhlenberg College poll show Casey leading McCormick by 4 points, while former President Donald Trump holds a slim lead over President Joe Biden. The Cook Political Report, a national ratings outlet, says the race for Pennsylvanias U.S. Senate seat leans Democratic. The post New Casey ad focuses on American steel, playing to Pittsburgh audience appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star. The Diocese of St. Augustine and the Department of Catholic Education are hosting a Catholic Schools Job Fair this weekend. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< There will be on-the-spot interviews for teaching, administrative, and support staff positions. The job fair will be held at Bishop Snyder High School Sat., May 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registering for the event is quick and easy. Simply visit www.dosaeducation.org/hiring-fair and complete the registration form. Once registered, each candidate will be scheduled for two back-to-back interviews on the day of the event, maximizing chances of finding the perfect position. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. MOGADISHU, May 9 (Xinhua) -- A United Nations expert on Thursday called on the international community to continue helping Somalia to strengthen its state institutions, including the justice and security sector, and address the negative effects of climate change on the population. Isha Dyfan, the UN Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia, said such assistance should ensure access to basic social services such as water supply, health delivery and education for all children. Dyfan, who is on her third official visit to Somalia, also appealed to the world to strengthen its humanitarian response and reinforce long-term resilience against future disasters in Somalia. She said that such a response should take into consideration the specific protection concerns of women and girls, often disproportionately affected. The Gu rainy season, which just started, has already threatened thousands of people across the country, exacerbating the country's struggles with climate change, Dyfan said. "The weather forecasts for the coming days are likely to increase vulnerabilities, including protection risks and already critical outbreaks of cholera and diarrhea, which have already afflicted hundreds of individuals this year," she told journalists in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. The UN expert, who held a series of meetings with government officials, representatives of UN agencies, as well as key international and regional partners to take stock of the human rights situation, said 4 million children are affected by conflict and the impact of climate change in Somalia. She said that children represent 60 percent to 70 percent of the internally displaced and other vulnerable populations. "Most important challenges facing vulnerable communities include forced eviction and its impact on children as well as inadequate clearing of mines and hazardous materials in liberated areas that put children at risk," Dyfan said. The UN expert said the security situation in the country remains challenging with civilians, especially women and children, continuing to bear the brunt of deadly attacks carried out by al-Shabab militants. "I strongly condemn the continued deadly attacks perpetrated by al-Shabab and urge the government to take all steps to ensure the protection of civilians, and for armed groups to comply strictly with the obligations applicable to them under international humanitarian and human rights law," Dyfan said. She also urged the government to take concrete actions to prosecute state officials involved in human rights violations, ensuring that those responsible are held accountable and that the survivors of such violations are adequately compensated. During her meetings, Dyfan reiterated the need to take all necessary measures to strengthen capacity for investigation and prosecution of sexual and gender-based violence and to promote a safe environment where victims and survivors can report crimes without any fears of reprisals or stigma and to ensure that victims are protected, have access to justice and effective remedies. Thieves riding e-scooters stole two Bronze Age artifacts from the Ely Museum, police say. The stolen items, a gold torc necklace and bracelet, were among the museum's "most prized" objects. Cambridgeshire police have released security footage in the hope someone recognizes the thieves. Authorities are hunting for two people who stole 3,000-year-old gold artifacts from a museum in England. Cambridgeshire police said in a statement that thieves stole a gold torc necklace and a gold bracelet dating from the Bronze Age from the Ely Museum on Tuesday. Police said the two suspects were riding "e-scooters" at the time of the burglary. Security camera footage of the break-in obtained by Business Insider shows two people wearing hoods pushing their way through a window before hurrying through the inside of the museum. Ellie Hughes, the museum's curator, said in a statement that the museum is "devastated" by the loss of the items, which were significant to the "local heritage of the region." "It is a huge blow after the incredible support from the community in acquiring the torc in 2017," Hughes said. "As a culturally significant object, it cannot be replaced. Our priority now is working with the police to locate the stolen objects." A gold bracelet stolen from the Ely Museum. Combridgeshire Police The torc, a type of rigid necklace described by the museum as its "most prized object," was valued at about 220,000 pounds when the museum acquired it in 2017, according to BBC. The torc weighs 730 grams and is made up of almost entirely pure gold, the museum says. A metal detectorist found the piece in 2015 while searching in a field. Museum historians believe the torc was buried to hide it from invading enemies or as an offering to a god. The thieves broke into the museum at about 2 a.m., according to police. Detective Kiri Mazur said police released the footage hoping someone would recognize the two suspects. "I am very keen to hear from anyone who may be able to provide information or saw two people on e-scooters in the vicinity of the museum, car park and pedestrian walkways at the back of the museum, the council offices, and the Grange Car Park, between 12 a.m. and 2 a.m. on Tuesday," Mazur said. Read the original article on Business Insider A trainer walks with a service dog through the Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport while taking part of a training exercise, Saturday, April 1, 2017, in Newark, N.J. All dogs coming into the U.S. from other countries must be at least 6 months old and microchipped, according to new government rules published Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The new rules were prompted by concerns about dogs coming from countries where rabies is common, and applies to dogs brought in by breeders or rescue groups as well as pets traveling with their U.S. owners. | Julio Cortez Beginning Aug. 1, dogs being brought into the United States will need to meet new regulations or theyll be sent away. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its dog importation regulation a move the public health agency said is needed to protect the health and safety of people and animals by ensuring any dog allowed in the country is healthy and wont pose some kind of risk. This is an update to rules made in 1956. Under the new regulations, the dogs must: Appear healthy. Be 6 months or older. Have a microchip. Be accompanied by someone who has a receipt for a form previously submitted online called a CDC Dog Import Form. Every dog entering the U.S. must meet those requirements. Other rules may also apply, based on where the dog has recently been or whether it was vaccinated in the U.S., according to a CDC news release. NPR reported that the U.S. imports as many as 1 million dogs a year. In 2021, amid a surge of pandemic-inspired pet adoption, the CDC suspended importations from 113 countries where rabies is still endemic because of an increase in fraudulent rabies vaccination certificates. The countries from which a dog has not been allowed to enter the U.S. since that time include Brazil, China, Colombia, Kenya, Nepal, North Korea, Russia, Syria, Uganda and Vietnam. One of the major issues is the potential a dog has rabies. The rabies virus variant carried by dogs (dog rabies) was eliminated in the United States in 2007 and CDC wants to prevent the re-introduction of dog rabies into the United States. This regulation builds on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic when a temporary suspension was enacted for the importation of dogs from countries with a high risk of rabies. This suspension will expire when the updated regulation goes into effect on August 1, 2024, the CDC announcement said. The regulation also more closely aligns with the World Organisation for Animal Healths standards for the international movement of dogs from countries with a high risk of dog rabies. Furthermore, it addresses recent challenges seen with international dog importations, such as fraudulent documentation and dogs housed in unsafe conditions if they didnt meet requirements for entry to the United States. The CDC has a DogBot to help dog owners who are traveling with their canine sort out which rules apply based on travel dates, locations and where the creature was vaccinated. Folks are urged to make sure their dogs meet requirements to enter the country before trying. The American Veterinary Medical Associations president told NPR it was pleased with the changes, which will help protect public health and positively impact canine health and welfare. Central High School and Little Rock Nine member watch unveiling of Daisy Bates statue in Washington D.C. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Daisy Gatson Bates played a major role in the integration of the Little Rock Nine at Central High School in 1957. Wednesday in Washington D.C, a new bronze statue of a Civil Rights icon, was unveiled in the Statuary Hall of the United States Capitol. Civil rights leader Daisy Bates and singer Johnny Cash to replace Arkansas statues at the US Capitol This monumental moment in history was celebrated at the historic Little Rock Central High School where Mrs. Daisy Bates mentored the Little Rock Nine. Little Rock Nine member Elizabeth Eckford was in attendance and spoke of Bates determination in her mission of ending segregation. Eckford said Bates lost money as advertising for her newspaper, The Arkansas State Press, was stripped because she wouldnt stop fighting for desegregation. Faced with many challenges in life, Bates never backed down, Eckford said. That was exemplary of the Bates courage and determination, and I thought that was something that they ought to remember, said Eckford, who shared this story with the students. Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Commission Goes to D.C. for native figure to be honored at U.S. Capitol Eckford said it was a tough time when Daisy Bates passed away in 1999, but seeing her statue being unveiled is joyous. She officially represents Arkansas but also symbolic of her being a great American, Eckford said. Students at Central High School are thankful to witness this historic day. She has helped change society here in Arkansas, 12th grader Mikah Foreman said. Addisyn Cain, an 11th grader said, As an Arkansan, its amazing to be getting this type of representation, especially by amazing figures like Daisy Bates. Cain said she felt excited watching the unveiling because when you hear Arkansas in front of thousands of people, you automatically think oh my gosh thats me. Little Rock Nine reflects on 66th anniversary of entering Central High As Daisy Bates statue will stand forever in Statuary Hall, so will her rich history in the hallways of Central High School. Seeing the unveiling of the statue just really touched my heart, Foreman said I really appreciate being educated on all of these topics because its not something that should be silenced, Cain said. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLRT - FOX16.com. (Bloomberg) -- Chads military ruler Mahamat Deby was declared the winner of the nations presidential elections, cementing his rule in a country thats become the last Western military ally in the fight against Islamist insurgents and Russian influence in the region. Most Read from Bloomberg The Central African nation serves as a bulwark of stability in Africas Sahel region, where a series of coups in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso led to the ejection of French troops after their ruling juntas forged closer ties to Moscow. Its also bordered by Sudan, which has been beset by a yearlong civil war, and counts Libya and Central African Republic as its other unstable neighbors. In the runup to the election, Debys administration asked the US to withdraw its troops from an army base in the capital, NDjamena, illustrating that the nations allegiances may be shifting amid a rise in anti-Western sentiment. Western powers will have no option but to work with Deby as the last pro-western and relatively stable country in the region, said Ulf Laessing, Africa program director at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Chad is too important strategically for the West to boycott Deby. Any Western retreat will be immediately filled by Russia and other players which have been already courting Chad. Deby secured 61% of the ballots in the May 6 vote, according to the National Election Management Agency, avoiding a run-off against his main challenger, Prime Minister Succes Masra, who garnered 19% of the vote. Im now the elected president of all Chadians, both those who voted for me and those who didnt, Deby said in a brief address on state-owned broadcaster Tele Tchad late Thursday, as celebratory gunfire rang out across NDjamena. A 40-year-old army general, Deby came to power after the death of his father ex-President Idriss Deby who ruled the country for more than three decades. Hes pledged to invest in expanding access to electricity and water, building infrastructure and boosting security in the landlocked oil-producing nation that ranks among the worlds poorest. Opposition Rejection The results were rejected by opposition parties. Civil society movement Wakit Tama urged Chadians to reclaim our stolen victory in a Facebook post. Masra in a separate statement claimed a resounding victory based on results gathered from polling stations. While he criticized the small group of people that have decided to ignore the will of the majority, he urged his supporters to protest peacefully. The statement was an effort to avoid violent confrontations that have erupted in Chad in the past, said Yamingue Betinbaye, a political analyst and research director at the Anthropology and Human Sciences Research Center. In October 2022, a crackdown by security forces on political protests left at least 128 people dead. The European Union delegation in Chad in a statement May 6 deplored the exclusion of almost 3,000 EU-funded election observers from the polls. Another opposition coalition denounced the elections as neither free nor fair, fueling concern that violence may erupt if the process is seen as tainted. Chads partners will be monitoring events and, unless they escalate, likely accept the outcome, Betinbaye said by phone from NDjamena. Read More: Oil Rich Chads Junta Leader Set to Win Vote as US Ties Fray (Updates with analyst comments from fourth paragraph, Deby comment in sixth graph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. While they may not have taken home the gold, students from South Side High School were able to show off their skills at the 2024 Small School National Championship Tournament last month. On April 27, the group of fast-thinking students competed against 87 other teams at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago to answer questions about science, math, history, literature, mythology, geography, social science, current events, sports and popular culture. Students representing the South Side Area School District in the competition included Allen Cox, Joshua Hogenboom, Sarah Janney, Jayce Nadzam, Jacob Paciello and Nathan Smith, all bringing a unique set of skills to their team. The student team that represented South Side High School at the 2024 Small School National Championship Tournament. "Matches feature a blend of individual competition and team collaboration, since no individual player is likely to be an expert in all subject areas," said representatives for the National Academic Quiz Tournaments. "Participation in quiz bowl both reinforces lessons from the classroom and encourages players to develop new intellectual interests." The group of Beaver County teenagers narrowly beat several schools and made it to the playoffs in the competition, but were unfortunately defeated by the team representing students at West Point High School in Cullman County, Alabama. The division champion was eventually named as Hastings High School from the Hastings-on-Hudson Union Free School District in Westchester County, New York Even though the students didn't get to take home the grand prize of the competition, South Side High School's team was ranked as eighth place in the Traditional Public School Division and was ranked as the best performance out of nine Pennsylvania schools. In addition to this accolade, an all-star honor was given to Paciello for answering 104 tossup questions correctly in the preliminary rounds. Point Park University announces new MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts A new graduate program is coming to Point Park University at the end of this year, offering courses that will help creatives learn how to market their skills and turn their artistic specialties into businesses. Last month, officials for the college announced they will begin to offer a "Master of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts" in December. Throughout this new program, students will work with commercial business and local nonprofits to gain experience in pitching ideas, publication of work and the planning of artistic projects. A courtyard at Point Park University, which is located along Pittsburgh's Boulevard of the Allies and Wood Street. The university is located in several historic buildings around this spot. For most artists and creative thinkers, passion about their work alone is not enough," Kiesha Lalama, managing and artistic director of Point Park's Pittsburgh Playhouse, said in a press release for the announcement. Knowledge of fundraising, marketing, social media and other business applications are essential to making any creative endeavor a sustainable reality." The program will pair these graduate students with a full-time faculty member for a one-on-one mentorship experience that aligns with their academic interests or artistic focuses. According to Point Park University's website, the program will offer in-person laboratory experiences, but students can learn from home with remote learning serving as the primary method of instruction. Point Park University is the perfect confluence for this unique program," said Lalama. "Creative thinkers and artistic entrepreneurs will now have a pathway to realizing their visions and earn a valued M.F.A. degree at the same time." More education news to note: Several school safety grants were awarded to Beaver County school districts by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency's School Safety and Security Committee last month, with nearly $1.2 million going towards mental health resources and improvements to school building security. According to the agency, over $47 million was awarded to schools across the state in this most recent round of funding. The Beaver Valley Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) sponsored the annual Girls' Recognition Night at the Community College of Beaver County on April 11, giving awards to students in the eighth grade who excelled in the subjects of math and science. At the event, several women from STEM fields talked to the students about career opportunities available to them and all of the girls were given free tickets to visit the Carnegie Science Center for their achievements. On April 26, the Pennsylvania Department of Education announced it awarded more than $900,000 in grant funding to support local school districts' new food service equipment purchases in cafeterias. Several districts from Beaver County were announced as recipients, including Aliquippa, the Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit, Hopewell Area and Western Beaver. Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle has announced that nearly 18,000 students who attended The Art Institute between 2004 and 2017 will receive discharges of balances as a part of federal student debt relief actions. This is expected to bring relief for more than $345 million for former students of the Art Institute's campuses. In a notice to parents, the board of directors for the Moon Area School District announced it will hold a public hearing at 6: 30 p.m. Monday, May 13, to decide whether they will close Hyde Elementary School in the spring of 2025. The potential closure of Hyde Elementary has caused many community members to speak out against the suggested plan to consolidate schools, as many of the parents in the area rely on the school's proximity to the Mooncrest neighborhood and the comprehensive support for the ESL community within the building. This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Chalked Up: New master's program at Point Park University CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) The Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District is looking at making new changes for the next service year and is asking the public for feedback on the proposed changes. The changes include a new, on-demand van service for northeast Urbana, replacing the current weekday daytime Ruby 11 route and allowing for enhancement of the 10 Gold route in the area. Other changes are the restoration of previously reduced service, new Saturday service to Apollo Drive through the 100 Yellow route and a new bus stop at Plastipak. Christie Clinic Illinois 5K rescheduled for June Full details about the changes can be found on the MTDs website. There are two other ways people can learn more about the proposed changes through a virtual public hearing recorded on May 6 and an in-person event at Illinois Terminal from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, The MTD is receiving feedback on these changes from the public until May 18 that can be submitted online, by emailing mtdweb@mtd.org or by calling 217-384-8188. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. MIDLAND, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) There are changes coming to a Cabarrus County intersection thats been home to more than a dozen crashes in the last four years. Crews are working on improvements that officials say will make N.C. 24/27 near Bethel School Road in Midland safer. Crews have started the process of making a reduced conflict intersection that will change the traffic pattern in the area. Elizabeth Nervegna has been living in the area for four years. She has noticed the dangers of the highway and has been in contact with local and state representatives. Cabarrus County firefighters pushing for funding amid new budget proposal Speed is definitely a big factor in all these accidents out there, Nervegna said. The most memorable incident came in September 2023, when three people including a child were killed in a multi-car crash on N.C. 24/27 near Bethel School Road. The driver was seriously injured and airlifted to a local hospital. He was later charged for driving under the influence. There was a whole family on board as well, Nervegna said. That was on the main highway. Crews for the N.C. Department of Transportation are now making changes to the road. Theyre creating what is called a reduced-conflict intersection. The traffic pattern changes will prevent drivers from turning left and crossing over into traffic on N.C. 24/27. Instead, drivers will be directed to turn right off Bethel School Road and use a turn-around point. Construction is underway for a reduced-conflict intersection on N.C. 24/27 in Cabarrus County. A NCDOT spokesman says the department conducted a study that showed the RCIs effects. RCIs reduce the number of potential locations, or conflict points, where drivers and pedestrians can collide by almost 50%, and reduce frontal impact crashes by 80%, the study says. Im sad that it didnt happen sooner because it could have really spared the lives and injuries of so many people in accidents through the years, Nervegna said. But were glad that its happening now and it was worth the effort. NCDOT also reduced the speed limit to 45 mph on N.C. 24/27, which Nervegna says is a step in the right direction that she hopes officials continue to support. Cabarrus County intersection with deadly history to be converted into roundabout They actually created a task force with our town, Nervegna said. So now town leaders, the sheriffs department and the DOT are meeting somewhat regularly to discuss issues in this area and kind of relook at what needs to be changed there. The crew from Dominion Energy says the stoplight will be added before the end of the month, but it will take longer for it to fully function. NCDOT officials say the roadway portion of the project should be complete this summer, vegetation will continue through the end of the year. Officials also say any road closures will be reserved for off-peak hours. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. A federal appeals court ruled that a local Catholic high school didnt violate the law when it effectively fired a gay teacher. There are new developments this week in the case surrounding Lonnie Billards firing from Charlotte Catholic High School. Billard had taught English and Drama at the school since 2000, even after retirement. But the school stopped using him as a substitute teacher in 2014 after he posted on Facebook that he was marrying his male partner. The school just decided peacefully were just not going to call him back as a substitute. No ill will, its just if youre gonna teach at a Catholic school and pass on the Catholic faith to the next generation, you need to be supportive of Catholic Church teachings, said Luke Goodrich, an attorney for Charlotte Catholic High School. Billard sued in 2017 saying he was discriminated against because of his sexual orientation. Last year, a federal district court agreed with him, but on Wednesday, an appeals court reversed that decision. RELATED: Court of Appeals hears case of gay Charlotte Catholic teacher fired from job Billards attorney pointed out that the school didnt argue for a ministerial exception in court and said that the law changed while the case was ongoing. That happened in a Supreme Court ruling on a case known as Our Lady of Guadalupe. That decision came out after [the judges] order finding that Lonnie was not a minister under the prior supreme court ruling. So part of what the 4th Circuit is doing here is saying no, we have to apply this most recent supreme court ruling to Lonnies facts, said Luke Largess, Billards attorney. He can still appeal for the 4th Circuit to hear the case again with a full panel of judges, and it could go to the Supreme Court. Largess says theyre still deciding whether to do so. (WATCH: Class action lawsuit tied to plans to close Cabarrus County school) CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) The Charlotte area is showing more support for the families of the officers killed and the officers injured in east Charlotte. The displays since the shooting have ranged from flags at half-staff to people along the roads waving flags or signs of support for police and other law enforcement, or various fundraising activities. Duckworths Grill and Tap House and Link and Pin locations across Charlotte spent Wednesday in fundraising mode, with a portion of their proceeds going to the CMPD Police Foundation. 35 Local McDonalds donating sales to families of fallen, injured officers I have a son who is a deputy marshal with the Dallas Marshals Department, so I have a vested interest in keeping a close eye on this, said Kevin Torrey, an operating partner at Duckworths Grill and Tap House. The fundraiser is something you may not see immediately at the door, but Torrey noted that people are told once they are at the table. The response has been, overwhelmingly, Im so glad were here today, said Torrey. The fundraising effort is part of a larger effort that has been seen across the region which has not gone unnoticed. To see the demonstration and the memorial set up with members of the community (that) have come out to pay their respects, but also show their love and support for the community, really warms my heart, said U.S. Attorney Dena King in a recent interview with Queen City News. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) -- China issued a blue alert for mountain torrents on Thursday evening. From 8 p.m. Thursday to 8 p.m. Friday, mountain torrents are likely to occur in parts of Guizhou and Qinghai, according to the alert, which was issued by the Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration. Mountain torrents could also be triggered by heavy downpours in other areas, the alert warned. Local authorities are advised to strengthen real-time monitoring and flood-warning procedures amid measures to prepare for evacuation. China has a four-tier weather-warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) A Cheektowaga man has been charged in connection with a fatal shooting on Buffalos East Side last month, Buffalo police said Thursday. Officials said Time Thomas, 30, has been charged with second-degree murder in connection. The shooting allegedly took place at Young and Ashley Streets around 8:50 p.m. on April 26, where officers found the victim, 31-year-old Quentin Sims of Buffalo, with multiple gunshot wounds. He was declared dead at the scene. 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. CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) A Cumberland County Chipotle was evacuated earlier this week after a chemical spill. Multiple emergency crews, including the Cumberland County Special Hazards Operations Team (SHOT), were dispatched for a chemical spill inside the restaurant, New Kingstown Fire Company said in a news release. Restaurant employees had already evacuated by the time crews arrived, the fire company said, and workers reported a cleaning chemical in the kitchen had spilled. Cumberland County Chipotle manager charged for alleged lewd acts inside restaurant Crews discovered there was a leak coming from a one-gallon jug of utensil cleaner, and others were contaminated but not leaking, the company said. The fire company noted that the main ingredient in the cleaner is bleach. The jugs were then removed from the restaurant and put outside the building, and when the hazmat team arrived, they handled the cleanup. No one was reportedly injured. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Nittany Insiders Workers were then able to return to Chipotle and the restaurant reopened following the spill. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. CHESTNUT RIDGE A federal appeals court has rejected a citizenry challenge to void the village's zoning law that allows neighborhood houses of worship. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that those seeking to void the 2019 law lacked "constitutional standing" to challenge the zoning. The three-judge panel's 21-page decision found the challengers failed to show how the law allowing houses of worship directly harmed them. The panel ruled the advocacy group, Citizens United To Protect Our Neighborhoods, known as CUPON, lacked "associational or organizational standing" to challenge the law. Local residents attend a public meeting where the Chestnut Ridge Board of Trustees will vote on Places of Worship (POW) law at Chestnut Ridge Middle School Feb. 21, 2019. The decision allows the 2019 zoning law to stand, as the village accepts land-use proposals for houses of worship across the southern Ramapo village. CUPON's second legal action against the adoption of the zoning law concerns the village violating state environmental law. The court cases are pending in the New York Appellate Division. What is the federal case on zoning in Chestnut Ridge about? The village zoning law reached the federal appeals court when CUPON and three residents CUPON leader Hilda Kogut, Robert Asselbergs and Carole Goodman appealed U.S. District Court Judge Nelson Roman's dismissal of their legal action challenging the three-tiered zoning law in October 2022. This embedded content is not available in your region. In their federal legal action, CUPON and the three residents claimed the five-member Board of Trustees violated the constitutional rights of secular residents by using land-use regulations to provide exclusively for the religious needs of Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish residents. The legal action argued the village violated the First Amendment's equal protection clause concerning religion and the 14th Amendment's due process clause. CUPON's action attempted to counter the village's claim that the house of worship law was needed to meet the constitutional freedom of religion requirements and the federal Religious Land Use and Institutional Persons Act, known as RLUIPA. Roman ruled that any financial or social injuries would be speculative from allowing houses of worship in residential neighborhoods. Roman found that none of the three people and CUPON had constitutional standing to pursue the claim. The three individuals lacked municipal-taxpayer, direct-harm, or denial-of-benefits standing and CUPON lacked associational or organizational standing. What the Second Circuit panel said about the plaintiffs' case "Because we agree that neither the Individual plaintiffs nor CUPON had any form of standing, we AFFIRM the district courts judgment," the Second Circuit panel wrote in a 21-page decision reached last month. "In sum, even if it could be argued that the challenged law improperly promotes religion, Plaintiffs point to no cognizable harm that is actual or imminent," the Second Circuit panel ruled. "They claim that they will be directly exposed to newly authorized religious structures without asserting that they have even seen one of those structures or when and where they might ever do so in the future. "And while they contend that the law denies them the same opportunity as religious groups to host large gatherings, they do not assert that they have any particular interest in holding such events," the panel's decision states. "Ultimately, even if Plaintiffs have a sincere objection to the challenged law, our Article III standing doctrine requires them to first establish a real stake in their challenge before bringing it in federal court." Chestnut Ridge officials will not comment on the federal court decision until the state court cases challenging the zoning law are resolved, said attorney Donald Feerick of Feerick Nugent MacCartney in South Nyack. "Summary judgment motions are pending," Feerick said of the state cases. "The Village Board will comment when the state court cases are finished. We are not there yet." Kogut, who leads CUPON-Chestnut Ridge, didn't respond to an email seeking comment on the decision. CUPON's state court challenge to law pending on appeal CUPON's second legal action is back before the New York State Appellate Division. The legal action claims the village violated environmental laws in approving the zoning on appeal by the village. A four-judge panel ruled in March 2023 that village residents had the legal right to challenge the zoning law as property owners who could potentially be harmed by the establishment of houses of worship in their neighborhood. The panel overruled aspects of Supreme Court Justice Paul Marx's finding that the zoning law didn't harm residents so they couldn't move to block the law. The appellate justices found the residents had standing as property owners and the village failed to follow the mandates of the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act. SEQRA requires a municipality to consider the impact on the neighborhood, such as traffic, air, and water issues, and other quality-of-life concerns. The Appellate Division also ruled the Board of Trustees failed to conduct an extensive and precise environmental review on the impact of houses of worship on the neighborhood. The cases have languished in the courts for several years since the Board of Trustees adopted the three-tiered house of worship law in February 2019. There have been several decisions and appeals by both sides. Chestnut Ridge Mayor Rosario Sam Presti listens to opponents make one final plea to protest over Places of Worship (POW) law before the Chestnut Ridge Board of Trustees make a decision during board meeting Chestnut Ridge Middle School Feb. 21, 2019. CUPON and other residents are concerned the law provides carte blanche for congregations to establish houses of worship in any neighborhood. Chestnut Ridge, as well as other Ramapo villages, has seen a large influx of Orthodox and Hasidic Jews buying homes in those communities. To accommodate the growing populations, the Chestnut Ridge Board of Trustees adopted a three-tiered system in January 2019 that includes: Residential houses of worship where a religious leader would live and could hold services for up to 49 people based on the local zoning code. The house would have to meet fire codes and get planning approvals. Neighborhood houses of worship without living areas would require more parking and buffers, and planning board and zoning board variances. The allowable attendance would depend on the size of the house but could top 100 people. Community worship houses on five acres need special permits, and planning and zoning approvals. Mayor Rosario "Sam" Presti has said the board adopted the law to meet constitutional mandates. The board worked on the law with the Orthodox Jewish Coalition, which sued the village in January 2019. "As the practice of ones religion is a constitutional right, the village recognized that its laws needed to continue to reflect the preservation of that right and to assure legal compliance in that regard," Presti said. Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com Twitter: @lohudlegal Read more articles and bio. Our local coverage is only possible with support from our readers. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Chestnut Ridge NY houses of worship zoning challenge rejected by court Chihuahua causes truck to crash into pole, Oklahoma cops say. Heres how it happened Police say a chihuahua is to blame for a truck crash early Thursday, May 9, in Oklahoma. The driver crashed into a pole, police said. Photo by the Tulsa Police Department Despite feeling chest pains himself, the driver told police he was concerned about his dog. Police found the unresponsive pup with a laceration on its head in the pickups floorboard. Paramedics started treatment as other first responders attended to the driver. With a little love from the officers, the Chihuahua began moving, police said in the Facebook post. Both the driver and the dog were taken to a hospital but are expected to make a full recovery, police said. Taco truck employee buys abused 3-month-old pup from man to save it, Texas cops say Beloved otter suddenly dies at Michigan zoo. He was an excellent father and teacher Beach-loving dog with boundless energy has spent 3 years in shelter. He needs a home TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A social media post of children feeding an alligator at a park in Florida made its way to officials, in what couldve easily been a potentially fatal act, according to reports. NBC affiliate WESH said the post was shared with Flagler County deputies on Tuesday, which showed several kids giving the animal food at Wadsworth Park in Flagler Beach. 4 Bernedoodle puppies left in hot car while owner dined at Disney: animal services Weve seen people out here every time we show up, and people are looking for the alligator, Flagler County General Services Director Mike Lagasse told WESH. So its become kind of a common understanding that there may be an alligator that you can feed here, which is not accurate. You know, its against our county ordinances, against state law to feed alligators. That same night, an alligator named Ollie was removed by officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. But two days ago, another gator, in search of food, swam up to the same area. WESH referred to these gators as food-conditioned. WATCH: Big rattlesnake caught hanging out on Dunedin Causeway These gators have been acclimated to people feeding it such that when you walk out on this dock, it approaches and comes to where we are, Lagasse said. Lagasse believes the other gator will need to be removed soon, as these animals can become aggressive while searching for food. NBC affiliate WESH NBC affiliate WESH NBC affiliate WESH NBC affiliate WESH NBC affiliate WESH WESH said Flagler County has added two extra signs around Wadsworth Park in hopes people will not feed the gators. As similar issues with feeding wildlife seem to present themselves every year, the county will also look to educate the public on these dangers. WFLA has reached out to the FWC for the social media post but hasnt received a response. If you are concerned about an alligator in your area, call the FWC at 866-392-4286. Gators are deemed a nuisance if theyre at least 4 feet long and pose a threat to the community. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. In this photo provided by the U.S. Navy, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97) conducts routine underway operations while transiting through the Taiwan Strait Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd class Ismael Martinez/U.S. Navy via AP) TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) Chinas military criticized a U.S. destroyers passage through the Taiwan Strait less than two weeks before the island's new president takes office and while Washington and Beijing are making uneven efforts to restore regular military exchanges. Navy Senior Capt. Li Xi, spokesperson for China's Eastern Theater Command, accused the U.S. of having publicly hyped the passage of the USS Halsey on Wednesday. In a statement, Li said the command, which oversees operations around the strait, organized naval and air forces to monitor" the ship's transit. The U.S. Navys 7th Fleet said the Halsey conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit on May 8 through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law." The guided-missile destroyer transited through a corridor in the strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state, the fleet said in a statement. Halseys transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States commitment to upholding freedom of navigation for all nations as a principle, it said. No member of the international community should be intimidated or coerced into giving up their rights and freedoms. The United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows. China's accusation that the transit was publicly hyped essentially meaning it was played up for maximum political effect has been standard practice when Beijing sees the announcements as a means of pushing back against Chinas claim to some degree of control over who can pass freely through the strait. There was no indication the U.S. Navy had operated any differently in the latest case, nor that the Chinese response was any more vociferous. Taiwans Defense Ministry said it was fully aware of the destroyer's passage. Throughout the transit, the Taiwanese military was closely monitoring the surrounding sea and airspace, and the situation remained normal, the ministry said. The last such passage was on April 17, a day after U.S. and Chinese defense chiefs held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. Military-to-military contact stalled in August 2022, when Beijing suspended all such communication after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. China responded by firing missiles over Taiwan and staging a surge in military maneuvers, including what appeared to be a rehearsal of a naval and aerial blockade of the island. The critical strait is 160 kilometers (100 mile) wide and divides China from Taiwan, the self-governing island democracy where President-elect William Lai Ching-te will be inaugurated on May 20. Lai's Democratic Progressive Party favors Taiwan's de facto independent status under which it maintains strong unofficial relations with the U.S. and other major nations. Taiwan's military heightens its alert status around sensitive dates, such as this January's presidential and legislative elections, wary that China might use its vastly more powerful military to attempt to intimidate voters and sway public opinion in favor of Beijing's insistence that unification between the sides is inevitable. The two sides split during a civil war in 1949, and as recently as 1996, China fired missiles just north and south of the island and held military exercises in an ultimately counterproductive bid to deter voters from backing candidates they opposed. Since then, China has largely kept a low profile around elections, favoring instead to curry favor with business groups and treat unification-oriented politicians and grassroots officials to all-expenses paid visits to the mainland. Although the heavily transited Taiwan Strait is international waters and vital to global trade, China considers the passage of warships from the U.S., Britain and other nations as a challenge to its sovereignty. China sends navy ships and warplanes into the strait and other areas around the island almost daily to wear down Taiwans defenses and seek to intimidate its 23 million people, who firmly back their de facto independence. Taiwan's Defense Ministry said 23 Chinese military aircraft and eight naval ships were detected operating around Taiwan in the 24 hours up to 6 a.m. Thursday. Eight of the planes crossed the median line in the strait and entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone, prompting Taiwan to scramble jets and put coastal missile batteries and naval craft on alert. In addition to sailing through the Taiwan Strait, the U.S. Navy conducts what it calls freedom of navigation operations in which it sails and flies in close proximity to Chinese-held features in the South China Sea, many of them human-made islands that have been 'militarized over the years with air strips, radar stations and other capabilities. China claims virtually all of the South China Sea, a principal maritime highway for global trade, and reacts furiously to such moves, accusing the U.S. of destabilizing the region. It often shadows the U.S. vessels and planes with its own assets, demanding they leave the area immediately. The U.S. claims it has the right under international law to sail in the area and a U.N.-backed arbitration panel has tossed out China's claims, a ruling Beijing ignored. Chinese President Xi Jinping gestures during a meeting with the Serbian president at the Palace of Serbia during the Chinese leader's two-day state visit in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024 With conflicts raging in Ukraine and Gaza, it is understandable that the Government might be wary about picking a fight with a superpower like China, no matter how incriminating the evidence of its hostile intent might be. Our military limitations have already been exposed by the demands made by both other conflicts. Maintaining supplies of weapons to Ukraine has severely reduced the stockpiles available to our own military, while our participation in operations against both the Yemeni-based Houthi rebels and Iran has demonstrated the practical limits of Britains defence capabilities. This is especially true with regard to the Royal Navy and its inability to deploy either of its 65,000-tonne aircraft carriers on major combat operations. This helps to explain why Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, when confronted with damning evidence that Chinese cyber hackers were behind the recent data breach of Ministry of Defence personnel files, preferred to soft pedal as to the true identity of the culprits. Rather than naming and shaming Beijings communist rulers for carrying out what, by any standard, constitutes a direct assault on our national security infrastructure, Shapps simply informed MPs the hack was the suspected work of a malign actor. The furthest Shapps was prepared to go in conceding that a hostile regime might be to blame was to admit that we cannot rule out state involvement. With Rishi Sunak using similarly opaque language to describe the perpetrators, ministers seem determined to abide by their see no evil, hear no evil approach when responding to overt acts of Chinese aggression. This approach is entirely in keeping with the Governments declared policy, enshrined in its recent review of national security priorities, that China should be regarded as an epoch-defining challenge rather than placing it in the same hostile state category reserved for rogue regimes like Vladimir Putins Russia. Putins invasion of Ukraine two years ago certainly justifies Whitehalls conclusion that Moscow constitutes the most acute threat to our national security. He is responsible for the largest conflict Europe has experienced since the Second World War, one that risks the possibility of a direct confrontation with Nato. By contrast, China is far more cunning in its campaign to undermine its Western rivals, even if its tangible support for Moscow has enabled Russian forces to maintain their offensive in Ukraine. Rather than resorting to crude military force, Beijing prefers to rely on less obvious ploys to target its competitors, such as cyberattacks or encouraging elite educational institutions to propagate a decidedly pro-Beijing narrative. At a recent discussion at the Oxford Union, for example, on the relative merits of autocracies and democracies, I was deeply alarmed to hear a senior academic inform the undergraduate audience that China was far better equipped to safeguard the living standards and rights of its people than Western democracies. No mention, of course, was made of Beijings ruthless repression of its minority Uyghur Muslims. While the Government might be willing to tolerate Beijings insidious infiltration of our academic bodies, the mounting evidence of Chinas hostile intent towards the UK and its allies can no longer be discounted. If, as appears highly likely, Chinas elite band of cyber warriors was behind the MoD breach, then the Government has no alternative but to designate Beijing as a hostile regime, irrespective of any impact this might have on Sino-British trade ties. This would not be, after all, the first time Beijing has been implicated in conducting such attacks. Only in March the Government was obliged to impose sanctions against two Chinese nationals and a Chinese company following accusations that China was responsible for conducting malicious cyber campaigns against MPs and the Electoral Commission. Such activities, moreover, are the tip of the iceberg where Beijings state-sponsored attempts to undermine our democracy are concerned. Last years damning 200-page report by the Commons Intelligence and Security Committee, which found that Chinese spy agencies were prolifically and aggressively conducting a range of intelligence-gathering activities against the UK, reached the uncomfortable conclusion, for the Government at least, that its response to the Chinese threat was completely inadequate. To this must be added the evidence of Beijings complicity in causing the global Covid pandemic. As the Sunday Telegraph reported at the weekend, US intelligence officials were so convinced the virus originated from a Chinese lab that they shared their findings with their Five Eyes intelligence-sharing partners, including Britain. The fact that the British Government then apparently ignored the report says more about its disinclination to view China as a hostile actor than the veracity of the intelligence itself. Certainly, after the cyberattack on the MoD, it should be clear to anyone involved in drafting British policy on China that the so-called golden age once envisaged by David Cameron and George Osborne is not just over. All the evidence increasingly suggests that it never actually existed. 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. FILE - A group of people, including many from China, walk along the wall after crossing the border with Mexico to seek asylum, Oct. 24, 2023, near Jacumba, Calif. Beijing and Washington have quietly resumed cooperation on the deportation of Chinese immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally, as the two countries are reestablishing and widening contacts following their leaders' meeting in California late 2023. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File) WASHINGTON (AP) Beijing and Washington have quietly resumed cooperation on the deportation of Chinese immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally, as the two countries are reestablishing and widening contacts following their leaders' meeting in California late last year. After China suspended cooperation in August 2022, the United States saw a drastic surge in the number of Chinese immigrants entering the country illegally from Mexico. U.S. border officials arrested more than 37,000 Chinese nationals on the southern border in 2023, 10 times the number during the previous year, further exacerbating tensions over immigration going into the presidential election. In a statement sent to The Associated Press this week, the Chinese foreign ministry said Beijing was "willing to maintain dialogue and cooperation in the area of immigration enforcement with the U.S. and would accept the deportation of those whose Chinese nationality has been verified. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last month told the U.S. House during a budget hearing that he had an engagement" with his Chinese counterpart to ensure that China would begin to accept removal flights so "we can deliver a consequence" for Chinese immigrants who do not have a legal basis to remain in the U.S. Mayorkas also said there was one deportation flight to China, for the first time in a number of years. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not respond to an AP request for details on the cooperation and the number of Chinese nationals who have been deported or await deportation. Without cooperation from the Chinese government, the U.S. cannot send back Chinese immigrants who have no legal status to stay in the country. It is unclear when cooperation resumed, but a charter flight carrying a small but unknown number of deportees landed in the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang on March 30, according to Thomas Cartwright of Witness at the Border, an advocacy group that tracks deportation flights. The group has not detected other flights to China, but it's possible that some immigrants could have been deported on commercial flights, Cartwright said. The number of Chinese deportees was certainly small on the March 30 flight because the Gulfstream V, which took off from Arizona and stopped in Texas and Alaska before reaching China, typically has a seating capacity of 14. It also made a stop in South Korea before heading back to the U.S., according to Cartwright. But it was a sign that Beijing and Washington are once again cooperating on deportation, after the Chinese government stopped the cooperation in response to a visit by Nancy Pelosi, then the House speaker, to Taiwan. Beijing claims sovereignty over the island and strongly opposes any official contact between the island and the U.S. Beijing also halted high-level military-to-military dialogue, cooperation on anti-narcotics and talks on climate change, plunging relations to a low. It wasn't until November 2023 when President Joe Biden hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping in Woodside, California, that the two sides agreed to restart the military-to-military talks and cooperation in fighting fentanyl. Dialogue on climate change had resumed before then. In April, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell complained that Beijing was doing little to curb the outflow of Chinese migrants. Beijing countered that it firmly opposes any form of illegal immigration and severely cracks down on all forms of illegal immigration organizations." The number of Chinese migrants arrested by the U.S. border patrol peaked in December but it showed a downward trend in the first three months of 2024. ___ Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed. Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest on Thursday on the last stop of his trip to Europe and the two leaders committed to closer ties. They agreed on a "comprehensive strategic partnership" between the two countries, the leaders said in a joint statement broadcast on Hungarian state television. Orban said that the two countries had always been friends and that Chinese companies are securing tens of thousands of jobs in Hungary today. Hungary wants to use the opportunities arising from high-quality Chinese investments in e-mobility and from Chinese technology transfers, Orban said. Xi meanwhile called for a further expansion of relations between the two countries. "We both believe that the traditional friendship between our countries is based on solid foundations," he said. The Chinese president also visited Budapest to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Hungary and China. The delegations signed a slew of intergovernmental agreements on the sidelines of the visit, though no details were provided by Hungarian state television, the only Hungarian broadcaster allowed to attend the ceremony. Even the outlines of the agreed "comprehensive strategic partnership" are vague. Orban merely said the two countries wanted to work together in the nuclear industry, too. "This has not been the case so far," he said. Hungary is the only European Union country participating in China's Belt and Road infrastructure and investment initiative. With friendly relations with Beijing, Orban wants to create a counterweight to the situation in the EU, where he is often isolated. China is building a railway link some 350 kilometres long between the Hungarian capital Budapest and the Serbian capital Belgrade. In Hungary, China is also building large factories for the production of electric cars and the associated batteries. For months, Hungary has seen has seen protests by environmentalists and legal challenges against the Chinese battery factory planned in Debrecen in the north of the country. Xi's trip to Europe ended in Hungary after stops in France and Serbia earlier in the week. HONG KONG, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) and the Saudi Tadawul Group, the operator of the Saudi Exchange, co-hosted the Capital Markets Forum Hong Kong 2024 on Thursday in another step towards closer strategic ties after signing a cooperation document last year. The event was attended by over 650 people from around the world, including financial leaders, investors and those representing regulators and enterprises, among which more than 200 were from Saudi Arabia. China's Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia boast great potential for cooperation, because Hong Kong is an international financial center and Saudi Arabia has set goals on developing its financial market, said Michael Wong, deputy financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, while addressing the forum. A business meet-and-greet event was held on the sidelines of the forum on Thursday and will continue on Friday, with the participation of about 200 investors and over 40 firms. Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to hold talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest on Thursday. Hungary is the last stop on his trip to Europe, which took him to France and Serbia earlier in the week. Hungary is the only European Union country participating in China's Belt and Road infrastructure and investment initiative. With friendly relations with Beijing, Orban wants to create a counterweight to the situation in the EU, where he is often isolated. China is building a railway link some 350 kilometres long between the Hungarian capital Budapest and the Serbian capital Belgrade. In Hungary, China is also building large factories for the production of electric cars and the associated batteries. Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during an event in Berlin. Maurizio Gambarini/Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH/dpa Chinese President Xi Jinping was greeted with military honours in Budapest on Thursday ahead of talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Hungary is the last stop on Xi's trip to Europe, which took him to France and Serbia earlier in the week. Xi and Orban are due to sign more than a dozen bilateral agreements on Thursday afternoon, the government in Budapest said. Hungary is the only European Union country participating in China's Belt and Road infrastructure and investment initiative. With friendly relations with Beijing, Orban wants to create a counterweight to the situation in the EU, where he is often isolated. China is building a railway link some 350 kilometres long between the Hungarian capital Budapest and the Serbian capital Belgrade. In Hungary, China is also building large factories for the production of electric cars and the associated batteries. For months, Hungary has seen has seen protests by environmentalists and legal challenges against the Chinese battery factory planned in Debrecen in the north of the country. Fine brandy, a Tour de France jersey and old grudges against NATO: On his first European tour in five years, Chinese President Xi Jinping is engaging in a diplomatic dance that is seen by some as a concerted Chinese bid to stress-test the transatlantic alliance. With Washington watching warily from the sidelines, Xis whirlwind visit this week has taken him to France, Serbia and Hungary, with a very different tone and agenda at each stop, but with some overarching goals in common. Chinese President Xi Jinping enjoys a drink at a restaurant in the French Pyrenees on Wednesday. (Aurelien Morissard / Associated Press) Taken as a whole, the Chinese leaders European trip is seen as both a charm offensive and a hard-nosed display of realpolitik on matters such as trade and the war in Ukraine at the expense of a united Western front on both. During the visit, Xi has nodded to traditional European centers of power such as France and the European Union but also laid heavy emphasis on deepening ties with autocratic allies on the continents fringe. In the peaks of the cloud-shrouded Pyrenees, Xi accepted a jersey from France's famed bicycle race and joined President Emmanuel Macron in calling for a truce in all global hostilities during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Read more: Pummeled by airstrikes, Ukrainians in Kharkiv live in defiance of Russia In Serbias capital, Xis arrival coincided with the 25th anniversary of NATOs mistargeted bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade an episode that still stirs anti-Western fury among Serbian nationalists. And in Hungary, cementing a Chinese economic footprint within the European Union, Xi offered warm praise for Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the illiberal leader who has been a thorn in the side of European allies in the more than two years since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Read more: Trump and Biden both say theyre tough on China. But whom would Beijing prefer to deal with? Some analysts saw Xis trip as meant to drive home the message that China will seek to counter U.S. influence wherever it can, and pointedly remind even close American allies to consider whether their own interests run counter to those of Washington. Theres lot of press commentary that the Chinese are engaged in a charm offensive,' " Evan Medeiros, the former China director at the National Security Council, said in a video interview with Foreign Policy magazine. While that may be so, he said, the three stops on the tour were specifically chosen in service of advancing Chinese interests in ways meant to undermine the priorities of both the European Union and NATO. Other analysts also described the visit as a simultaneous act of wooing the West and seeking to divide it. It embodies Beijings skillful navigation of the delicate balance between aggressively advancing its economic imperatives and preserving amicable diplomatic relations, possibly even bolstering its sway in certain quarters of the continent, political economist Sona Muzikarova, a political economist, wrote in a commentary for the Atlantic Council. Read more: In Ukraine, relief over U.S. aid vote and fear over what an angry Russia will do next Xis visit came as Europe and the United States are presenting a largely united front in support for Ukraine. But there are some cracks, and China showed signs it might seek to exploit them. Xi, with Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic, greets the crowd at the Serbia Palace in Belgrade on Wednesday. (Darko Vojinovic / Associated Press) Weeks before Russia launched its war in Ukraine, Beijing and Moscow declared themselves in a no limits relationship widely seen as in effect greenlighting Russias February 2022 invasion. But since then, China has portrayed itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine war. That has been met with skepticism in Western quarters, but during Xis stop in France, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, made a point of praising China for playing an important role in de-escalating Russias irresponsible nuclear threats in connection with the fighting in Ukraine. But despite that gesture of conciliation, Von der Leyen and Macron made no visible headway in persuading Xi to use his influence with Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring an end to the conflict. Read more: News analysis: Why Putin is raising the specter of nuclear weapons again Instead, Xi pushed back hard against assertions, primarily by the United States, that China has helped prop up Moscows war effort. With Macron at his side, the Chinese leader declared that his government was not at the origin of this crisis, nor a party to it, nor a participant. And he said the Ukraine war should not be used as a pretext to cast blame, smear a third country and incite a new Cold War. At the same time, Xi expressed broad support for peace, endorsing Macrons call for an Olympics truce a hiatus to hostilities in Ukraine and elsewhere during the Summer Games. But such a halt to fighting appeared unlikely to take hold in Ukraine any time soon. As summer approaches, Russia has been aggressively moving to try to pierce Ukraines defense along the front lines and has launched a near-nightly onslaught of missile and drone attacks meant to smash the countrys power grid. Like most of Xis diplomatic forays, this one is centered heavily on trade. Most countries have their own specific bilateral interests in dealings with China and use high-level meetings to try to advance them. Macron brought up some particularly French concerns, including China's threat of tariffs on cognacs. As a symbolic sweetener for his insistence, the French presidents gift offerings to Xi included an Armagnac from Frances southwest, one of the liqueurs at risk of the damaging Chinese sanctions. And in an equally symbolic move, the Chinese side said that for now, the brandies would have a reprieve. Larger trade issues, though, are proving considerably more contentious. China is upset about a European Union investigation, launched last year, of Chinese subsidies for its domestically produced electric vehicles for export. The EU considers the subsidies a threat to Europes auto industry, but some German carmakers have publicly objected to the investigation, fearing it could launch a trade war and harm joint ventures. Macron and Von der Leyen teamed up during Xi's visit to argue the EUs case on Chinese practices deemed predatory, but the talks did not include officials from Germany, Europes largest economy. Muzikarova, the Atlantic Council political economist, said intra-EU trade disagreements gave China an opportunity to deploy its signature divide and conquer strategy, noting that EU member Hungary has been especially useful to this end. Read more: As tensions grow, more Americans see China as an enemy In Budapest, the last stop on Xis European tour, the Chinese finalized a number of agreements with Orban that will significantly deepen economic ties, even while the EU has taken a more protectionist stance. "We live in a multi-polar world order, and one of the main columns of this new world order is China, the Hungarian leader declared after hosting Xi at his capital's Buda Castle. As Orban has found himself increasingly on the outs with other European leaders over Ukraine, his government's antidemocratic moves and Hungary's warmth toward Russia Xi lavished praise on the Hungarian prime minister. Orban, a darling of U.S. conservatives aligned with presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, has worked to block NATO expansion and EU aid to Ukraine. In March, he made a pilgrimage to Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort and declared that the former president, if reelected, could instantly halt the war by cutting off Ukraine assistance. Read more: On global stage, 'RuPauls Drag Race' Taiwanese winner says the word China hates In an ode that appeared in the pro-government outlet Magyar Nemzet on the eve of his visit, the Chinese leader praised Hungarys independent foreign policy comments seen as encouraging Hungary to continue defying the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the EU. Serbia, for its part, used Xi's visit to highlight its quarter-century-old grievance against NATO over the destruction of the Chinese Embassy in a U.S. airstrike, which came as the alliance moved against Serbia during the Kosovo war. Xi arrived in Belgrade on Tuesday night, coinciding with the bombing anniversary. The two countries, which announced during the visit they are implementing a free-trade agreement beginning in the summer, also offered mutual support over the sensitive issue of territorial claims rejected by most of the rest of the world. Serbia backs China's stance that Taiwan is not a sovereign country but a breakaway province, while Beijing supports the Belgrade government's claim to Kosovo, which declared its independence from Serbia in 2008. Read more: The latest threat to China? The rise of the DINKs 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. How zoning changes can make housing more affordable and help grow Milwaukee's population A new city plan seeks to encourage more housing development to grow Milwaukee's population. Mayor Cavalier Johnson's administration has unveiled a plan to grow Milwaukee's population by changing the city's zoning rules to encourage more housing development. That draft policy, known as Growing MKE, needs Common Council approval. City officials are seeking public input about Growing MKE. They say the plan encourages new housing construction, especially affordable homes, while improving Milwaukee's climate change resilience. Here's what to know. Growing MKE stems from a stretch goal of 1 million residents Growing MKE was drafted two years after Johnson first discussed his vision of eventually increasing Milwaukee's population to 1 million. In 2020, the Census counted just over 577,000 people living in the city. That's a 22% decline from the city's peak, in 1960, of more than 741,000 residents. Milwaukee is the nation's 31st-largest city, placing it just behind Baltimore, Maryland, and just ahead of Albuquerque, New Mexico, according to the Census. With 1 million residents, it would be ranked at No. 10 ahead of such cities as Austin, Texas; Jacksonville, Florida, and San Jose, California. Note: Johnson and other city officials claim the 2020 Census undercounted Milwaukee. They say a more accurate estimate puts the population at around 593,000. Several factors caused population decline Milwaukee's population decline since the 1960s is linked to long-term trends that have affected other older Midwestern cities. Those include a decline in birth rates. Families are having fewer children today compared to 60 years ago. Also, Milwaukee has lost thousands of industrial jobs since the early '80s. That includes the A.O. Smith Corp./Tower Automotive Inc. factory closing on the city's north side. It's now home to Century City Business Park where development has lagged. Another factor is the migration of families to the suburbs propelled in part by "white flight" as more Black and Latino people moved to Milwaukee. Growing MKE focuses mainly on housing Growing MKE focuses on updates to city policies on housing and neighborhoods, and proposed changes to zoning, to encourage housing choice and growth. Milwaukees zoning code was rewritten in 2002 and the citywide housing policy plan was adopted in 2010. Milwaukee since has seen significant changes. "While many elements of the code are working, a detailed analysis showed that barriers to housing growth remain," the plan says. "Innovative zoning code updates are necessary to meet the citys goals for housing choice, equity, affordability, economic development, and climate resiliency," it says. Growing MKE focuses on increased housing. That includes more duplexes such as a recently renovated home in Milwaukee's Lindsay Heights neighborhood. Zoning changes would encourage density Growing MKE's suggested zoning changes would encourage greater density in a city where 40% of the land is restricted to single-family homes. That increased density would include such "neighborhood scale" housing as duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, and buildings with four to eight apartments. Other forms of housing could include tiny homes, such as Veterans Community Project Inc.'s development planned at 6767 N. 60th St., and accessory dwelling units. The latter refers to a house or apartment that shares the building lot of a larger, primary home. Another change would encourage more apartments by eliminating floor area ratios which typically limit a building's floor area in relation to the size of its lot. Instead, zoning would set height limits, setbacks and design standards for apartment buildings. More housing means increased property tax revenue for the city, Milwaukee Public Schools and other local governments, and additional customers for stores, restaurants and other businesses. More housing means greater affordability More density should help meet the city's goal of increasing its affordable housing supply. That comes as Wisconsin's housing supply hasn't grown fast enough to keep up with demand. Zoning codes that restrict housing "can increase housing costs for everyone," according to Growing MKE. Removing barriers which perpetuate racial and economic segregation, and allowing a wider mix of housing types "aim to improve equity by increasing the amount of affordable and attainable housing for all," it says. Milwaukee has a growing number of single-person households, including seniors. That indicates a need to build more smaller housing units, the plan says. Growing MKE takes into account climate change Growing MKE also takes into account the link between climate change and land use and transportation planning. "As we face climate change, opportunities to make it easier for people to walk, use transit, and bike are critical to reduce the amount and impact of driving," the plan says. "There is increasing consensus that compact urban neighborhoods with a mix of uses and housing choices are the most effective at reducing carbon emissions," it says. City officials last year approved a climate and equity strategy. City Hall wants input from Milwaukee residents, others Growing MKE is a draft plan. City officials are seeking public input that could bring possible changes before the Common Council reviews it. Public comments are being accepted online through May 29, at three May open houses, and during office hours at Milwaukee library branches and senior centers in May. More information can be found at the Growing MKE website. Growing MKE will be presented to the Plan Commission and Common Council this summer for their review. Department of City Development staff will then prepare proposed zoning code updates to implement Growing MKE's recommendations. Those also will require council action. Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, X and Facebook. Subscribe to get the BusinessWatch email newsletter. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Growing MKE plan designed to develop more affordable Milwaukee housing EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The City of El Pasos Museums and Cultural Affairs Department is inviting the community to a meet and greet event at the Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC) on Thursday, May 9, according to the City of El Paso. The City says the event will be at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday at the El Paso Museum of History located at 510 N. Santa Fe St. City staff will present an overview of the MACC and the event will serve as an opportunity for the public to share suggestions on upcoming programming at the new facility. The City says the Mexican American Cultural Center is currently under construction with an opening expected later this year. The mission of the El Paso Mexican American Cultural Center is to celebrate the dynamic traditions and resiliency of our border cultures through vibrant arts experiences and creative engagement. The Mexican American Cultural Center is a cultural institution housed under the Museum and Cultural Affairs Departments umbrella, the City said. In 2012, El Paso voters approved a Quality of Life Bond program, which included the Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC) as one of its signature projects, according to the City. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. (COLORADO SPRINGS) On Thursday, May 9, Colorado Springs elected officials, business executives, and community leaders will gather, along with early childhood education professionals, to discuss the citys shortage of childcare options. The Pikes Peak United Way and Joint Initiatives for Youth and Family is holding its first Family Friendly City Summit, to address the childcare challenges Colorado Springs is currently facing, including a workforce crisis in the childcare fields. Early Childhood Education programs are the backbone of our community, said Joint Initiatives CEO SherryLynn Boyles. Economic indicators show that our local economy is dependent on the availability of child care. We know that a significant number of people leave the workforce because of childcare. Even though we have 430 licensed child care centers in the county, most of our community is a child-care desert. Several prominent local figures will speak at the summit, including Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade, President and CEO of the Colorado Springs Chamber, Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer; Colorado Council for a Strong America Director; M. Michael Cook, and UCCS Dean of Business, Dr. Tommy Aicher. Data shows that of the 46,842 children in the county, 17,452 are in early education childcare programs. But many families needs are not being met. There are around 16,000 additional childcare spots needed. Finding child care is a huge challenge in our area, said Cindy Aubrey, Pikes Peak United Way CEO. Weve spoken with employers who have lost employees and are concerned about losing even more due to a lack of quality childcare. The Family Friendly City Summit will be held at Penrose House Pavilion, 1661 Mesa Ave. from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and is by invitation only. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. BRASILIA, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday unveiled an infrastructure building plan worth 18.3 billion reals (about 3.6 billion U.S. dollars), including 1.7 billion reals (about 334 million U.S. dollars) for disaster prevention projects. The Growth Acceleration Program has been launched as Brazil's southern state of Rio Grande do Sul grapples with the impact of devastating storms and flooding that have left at least 100 people dead. Some 91 cities suffering from recurring landslides have been selected to receive slope protection, based on their classification by the federal government as having areas of high or very high risk. "What happened in Rio Grande do Sul is a warning to all of us human beings," said Lula da Silva, referring to the natural disaster. The plan also includes projects to improve disaster prevention, water supply, urbanization in favelas, land regularization and the upgrade of the public transit fleet. This city, very carefully, calls for end to Mideast hostilities. Its a first for Miami-Dade City governments across South Florida moved quickly last October to express support for Israel and condemn an unprecedented and brutal attack by Hamas, which killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took another 250 hostage. In the months since, however, local politicians have largely avoided passing proclamations as Israels retaliation became an increasingly divisive issue, with the death toll of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip reaching an estimated 30,000-plus. On Wednesday, the Doral City Council decided to weigh in on the continuing violence in the Middle East but very carefully. The council unanimously passed a resolution, initially proposed by Mayor Christi Fraga, calling for a permanent end to hostilities in the region and supporting peace and protection for all civilians in Israel and Palestine. At the meeting, Councilwoman Maureen Porras called the move the first ceasefire resolution coming out of South Florida. But Fraga was more circumspect, explaining that the measure was not a ceasefire resolution but meant more as a promotion of unity. Specifically, the resolution acknowledges the suffering and loss of life experienced by everyone impacted by the conflict while calling for an immediate end to all hostilities in Israel, Gaza, and Occupied Palestinian Territories, the release of all hostages, and promoting the unrestricted entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza. It also condemns the recent rise of antisemitic and Islamophobic attacks in Florida and across the nation among other measures to promote safety in the Middle East. In a memo sent ahead of the meeting, Fraga urged the rest of the council to show their support by taking a stand for peace and justice. While the resolution is symbolic, it does make a statement, she said. As a mother I know the world I want to leave my son, Fraga said during a brief discussion about the proposal. This shows that as a community we can come together to recognize human life. Zohra Khorashi, an attorney who lives in Doral, said she brought the idea of the resolution to the Doral City Council in an effort to spotlight the rising death toll of Palestinians and humanize their suffering amid a war that she believes has repercussions for the Palestinian and Muslim communities in Miami. I just felt compelled as a citizen of Doral to reach out to the mayor and see that just as she is being very mindful and inclusive of the Jewish community, as she should, if there is something that we could do, where we can also make the Muslim community living in the city of Doral feel included, she said. Khorashi, a vocal advocate for Palestinian liberation, said that all Palestinians have been unfairly conflated with the actions of Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip and has been labeled a terrorist group by the U.S., resulting in the dehumanization of innocent people. She believes this resolution is an important step in finding common ground. What kind of world do we want to create? A child in Palestine is dying every 10 minutes, and the world could have done something about it, but chose to stay silent, not even a mere acknowledgment of their pain and suffering. In the weeks following the Oct. 7 Hamas raid, many cities in Miami-Dade, including Doral and even the county itself, were quick to show their support for Israel by supporting pro-Israel resolutions, and even boosting financial investments in Israel bonds at the county level. Khorashi points out that there had been little discussion about the plight of the Palestinian people. The intention of the resolution was not in any way, shape, or form to minimize or devalue the suffering of the Israelis or the Jewish community or ignore the atrocities that took place on October 7, Khorashi said. Khorashis cause resonated with Fraga, who responded to Khorashis outreach immediately. The two quickly began working on language for a resolution. Ms. Khorashi wanted to bring something forward that recognized her community but also was sensitive to what was happening to our world, Fraga said at the meeting. Though the issue of the Israel-Gaza war has been fraught with political tension, Fraga, who was a strong conservative voice on the Miami-Dade school board, urged her colleagues to show their support for the resolution which she said is a testament to our unwavering commitment to prioritize the safety, security and well-being of civilians irrespective of their affiliations. Ceasefire too politically charged The passing of the resolution did not come without some complications. Notably absent from the three-page resolution was the word ceasefire, which supporters say was necessary to omit in order to gain official support. The term ceasefire, which is historically understood to mean a stoppage of war on each side, has been viewed in some circles as a call to support Hamas or a denial of Israels right to defend itself against Hamas actions. The resolution comes at a time where talks of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas have been escalating, but nothing has been formally accepted. The hopes for a ceasefire deal dimmed after Israeli tanks began invading Rafah, Gazas southernmost city where more than a million Palestinians have been sheltering, earlier this week. At the meeting, Fraga said the wording intentionally avoided entering the ceasefire debate. We were really careful in crafting this, she said. Councilwoman Maureen Porras asked if the new measure would effectively annul Dorals prior resolution to support Israels right to defend itself. Jalal Jay Shehadeh, a local Palestinian lawyer who helped organize the resolution, told the council that it would not in any way undo their previous resolution for Israel. While the measure is symbolic, Khorashi hoped Dorals support would be a first step and other cities might follow suit. Im hoping that this resolution will set the first brick, she said. It opens up this door to be able to now have these tough conversations, which hopefully lead towards some sort of a peaceful resolution. 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. On the east side of Kinston, North Carolina, historic buildings still bear the original architecture. Whether its on Queen Street, where formerly enslaved people became entrepreneurs, or Gordon Street, the neighborhoods significance is clear. The rural North Carolina town was once known as a thriving tobacco and textile manufacturing industry and the birthplace of funk with musical pioneers like saxophonists Nathaniel Nat Jones and Maceo Parker who played in James Browns band. Its also home to NBA players Jerry Stackhouse and Cedric Cornbread Maxwell. The town, which is the county seat of Lenoir County, is grappling with decades-long change: a loss of industry, population decline, and high poverty rates. East Kinston, mere miles from downtown, is one of the most economically distressed communities in the state. The community situated as a food desert is now 95% Black with a 40% poverty rate, which is higher than the city, state, and national average. In spite of the bleak present, residents are working to reinvigorate its economy through local arts, history and tourism. But, they battle with what is described as an area with the most dilapidated, poorly maintained, or abandoned buildings. Where city officials see an opportunity to clean up the Black neighborhood, some Black natives are seeing their generational wealth slowly wither away. Joseph Askew Sr. has amassed several properties over the years in East Kinston. (Courtesy of Joseph Askew) They want the land, thats the issue, and to get the land, [they] need to condemn the buildings, and then have a developer come in, who is white nine times out of 10, resident Joseph Askew Sr. told Capital B. City officials are tearing down residents properties to remove blight through a process called condemnation. It allows the city to legally declare a building is dangerous to life, vacant, structurally unsound, or in disrepair. They must place a notice on the building, schedule a hearing, and move forward with demolition if an owner is unable or unwilling to make improvements. One of those residents facing demolition is Askew, known locally as Dr. Askew, a community activist and founder of the nonprofit Justice and Liberty For All (JLA Cares) who amassed several properties over the years in East Kinston, making him at one point one of the largest property owners in the neighborhood. Read More: The Fight to Protect One of Americas Last Historic Black communities The city of Kinston already tore down one of his properties. Seven years ago, they planned to bulldoze at least two more of Askews properties: 607 E. Gordon St., where his mother ran Askew Daycare, the first Black nonprofit day care center. The other property, adjacent to 607, is 110 N. Trianon St., where formerly enslaved people lived. They are both listed on the National Park Services National Register of Historic Places. Beyond his personal grievances with officials, Askew told Capital B its all a ploy to take more of his prime real estate, which is located on a major thoroughfare in the city. If they can take his properties, itll be easier to diminish ownership for other Black families in Kinston, a city of nearly 20,000 that is now 69% Black, he said former leaders told him. What happens to the Black man? He gets a lien on him, he gets foreclosed on, and it gives Black people bad credit, and they cant pay the debt, Askew said. He made some repairs. In the citys eyes, it wasnt enough. He and his group, SOUL (Saving Our Unique Legacy), protested, circulated a petition, and attended several City Council meetings in a plea to remove his properties from the citys condemnation list, which started with 150 buildings and ended with 50, according to Kinston City Council meeting minutes. But, officials refused his appeal and prepared for demolition. It put him in debt from spending thousands of dollars on repairs. And he couldnt pay the demolition cost. If the individual cant pay for demolition, the city does the demo and puts a lien on it, ranging from $4,000 to $25,000. The city can then foreclose on the home, and put the property up for auction. Askew wanted to learn the criteria the city used for how it selects and removes certain properties from its condemnation list. What he and others learned: The list of 50 focused on homes or buildings owned by Black folks or located in predominantly Black areas, rather than the white neighborhoods. White properties had been removed from the list without justification properties that he says were, and still are, in worse shape than his and other Black peoples properties. In 2019, Askew, Curtis Washington, and Charlie Gordon Wade III sued the city, including its all-Black council (which made history in 2017) and white leaders in the planning department. The suit halted the demolition of the properties, but theyve been in a legal fight since. They accuse the city of Kinston of racial bias in how it chooses which homes will be demolished or whether they can be removed from the list. The plaintiffsalso made a substantive due process claim, which says that even if race isnt an issue, the process is arbitrary because there are no sufficient guidelines for condemnation. A federal court and superior court dismissed the case, refusing to address the claims. The North Carolina Court of Appeals dismissed the case in December 2022, ruling that the plaintiffs failed to exhaust their administrative remedies at the local level, meaning Askew and others didnt submit a written appeal to the city or finish the local process before proceeding with a lawsuit. Now the case is with the mostly conservative North Carolina Supreme Court, which is set to make a decision soon. The court wont decide on the racial discrimination claim, but whether the Court of Appeals erred in judgment that state law limits residents from taking up grievances against municipalities by way of the courts, said Ralph Bryant, a 30-year attorney who represents Kinston residents. Read More: Rural Georgia Community Keeps Fighting Despite Railroads Win to Take Their Land Depending on how the court rules, the issue could be much more severe. If the city wins, it could have statewide implications, affording local governments more leeway to wrongfully condemn property owned by someone who criticized a powerful politician and forcing them to go through a lengthy process dictated by the city before being allowed to make any First Amendment violation claims in court, according to Justice Anita Earls, a Democrat and only Black justice on the states Supreme Court. City officials refuted the racial bias allegations, adding that an all-Black council cant discriminate against its Black residents. The city argued its team of inspectors looked across the city, not in specific areas, to find properties for demolition. The criteria for condemnation is set forth in statutes, North Carolina code enforcement, the citys housing code, and other ordinances. They used mapping data and three years of police data to identify buildings that were especially problematic from a policing perspective, according to a brief filed on behalf of the city. However, one of the first areas they planned to start: Tower Hill Road, a predominantly Black area because several of the addresses in the top 50 list were close together and one property owner asked the city to demolish her building because she was too frightened to go there because people had been using it illegally, documents for the city show. Despite Plaintiffs repeated speculation that Kinston is trying to snatch property from African American owners, Kinston has never foreclosed to take ownership of a property after Kinston demolished the building, court filings said. Dan Hartzog Jr., counsel for the city of Kinston, declined to comment. Kinston City Council members Mayor Don Hardy, Robert Swinson IV, Antonio Hardy, Felicia Solomon, Christopher J. Suggs, and Barbara Seaforth did not respond to a request for comment. An endless cycle across the country The issue facing Kinston residents is indicative of a continuous cycle of obliterating Black neighborhoods for the sake of blight and economic development. Every city or town has that area in the Black area of town where Black people, because of our socioeconomic status, have left somebody older property or a house, attorney Ralph Bryant said. (Courtesy of Ralph Bryant) In Black neighborhoods, there are usually older and deteriorating homes, which makes them easy targets for demolition. Its worse for low-income neighborhoods that are more likely to fall into disrepair because residents cant afford to fix them. It leads to displacement similar to that which befell The Neck, a historic Black neighborhood in Independence, Missouri, that vanished after the city declared it a slum, then demolished it. Every city or town has that area in the Black area of town where Black people, because of our socioeconomic status, have left somebody older property or a house, Bryant said. They want to fix it up, but they dont have money to fix it up, but that little scrap of property with that old house on it that was left to them is theirs. We dont have much, but its mine. But, residents are using the courts to fight back. Last year, several Black residents living in a historic neighborhood in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against its officials for declaring their homes as blighted and including their homes in an urban renewal zone without notifying them. City officials in Ocean Springs are using a centuries-old practice called eminent domain, a legal process that allows taking private property for public use while paying property owners fair market value. In Ocean Springs, people were in an uproar, which forced the city to withdraw the blight designation, said Dana Berliner, senior vice president and litigation director at the Institute for Justice who served as counsel. Because the city didnt give residents notice, a violation of due process, theyre continuing the lawsuit. The public is often shocked and outraged when these projects and plans become known, and that can make cities back off, Berliner said in a phone call. When you organize and bring to light what is happening, often the people are ashamed of what theyre doing, and theyll proceed as long as no one calls them out on it. The property isnt free For decades, Askew says hes called out city officials (mostly former white leaders) on their wrongdoing. Hes sued the local election board and police department, which he says makes him quite unpopular and served as a reason to take his properties. While he made repairs here and there, its been a struggle to maintain the upkeep for a long list of properties, mainly because the thousands of dollars in expenses outweighs the fixed income Askew receives monthly. Hes made his living as an attorney, educator, pastor, and entrepreneur, but the now-77-year-old retiree spends most of his time with his youth group, which doesnt pay the bills. Hes been met with roadblocks at every turn, he said, specifically from inspectors. Ultimately, they werent satisfied with the repairs. Hes not the only one. Charlie Gordon Wade III, one of the plaintiffs who is no longer on the suit, had property located in Mitchelltown Historic District, a majority-white area. The property, formerly used as one of Wades rental properties, is listed as a historic structure and did not make the top 50 list to be condemned. However, it was still placed on the list for demolition and moved ahead of other properties on that list to be scheduled for demolition because hes Black, he alleged in the lawsuit. The city admits Wades property was not on the top 50 list, but the structure was among the 150 properties identified by the city as eligible for immediate condemnation. Wade, who moved away from Kinston years ago, said hes been harassed by officials in the building department. They also forced his tenants to move out, he said. Even when he made repairs to his property, the building inspectors told him, I had the wrong contractors. Wade said it was an effort to force him to give away his property to white developers in the area. Already, the local arts council, in collaboration with the city, received $650,000 to revitalize Mitchelltown, where an African American Music Trail music park will be. One official came to me one day and said you can just go ahead and sign your property over to the city of Kinston. We will stop this, and we will stop fining you for stuff, he said. I told him I would never do that not give away my property for free. Charlie Gordon Wade III owns this property at 412 N. Mitchell St. The photo was taken in 2018. (Google Maps) Wade, 61, eventually dropped out of the suit. The multiple 90-minute drives from Raleigh to Kinston and lawsuit fees cost him too much. He sold the property for $1,500, a significant loss, to get peace of mind. I didnt want to sell my property because I work hard for my property, and its family property. I have kids and I would like to leave my kids something in the future like this, he told Capital B. I got tired of the letters coming. I got tired of having to meet in front of the City Council like I was a thief taking something just trying to have my own property. The property of the third plaintiff, Curtis Washington, was also not included in the list originally because it is a commercial building. However, after the top 50 list was created, it was noticed that the building is near collapse and it was prioritized for condemnation, according to city officials in court filings. Why the sudden push to demolish properties? Adam Short, a former planning director who now works for Lenoir County, testified that the city began appropriating funds designated for demolition in 2013 after owners failed to make their own repairs. But, in 2017, Kinston ramped up its efforts to take a more targeted approach to improve the appearance of neighborhoods by condemning and demolishing blighted houses. The city increased its demolition fund from $50,000 to $125,000 in 2018. Read More: A Year After Attempted Land Grab, Hilton Head Elders Case Is Settled Even though Askew and Wades properties are listed on the National Register, there arent many protections for such properties unless there is federal involvement such as funding, licensing, permitting, or oversight. On the local level, municipalities create their own regulations regarding condemnation and demolition, according to Lauren A. Poole, historic preservation specialist with the North Carolina State Historic Preservations Eastern Office. In other words, if Askew wanted additional help to improve and protect his historic properties, he would have to contact the states preservation office to find resources or apply for the federal governments Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program. Similar to many government programs, the process takes time, and grants have strict requirements. In some places, city councils are reversing the harm of condemnation and demolition of homes in historic areas as a result of legal action. Earlier this year, the Dallas City Council rescinded a 2010 ordinance that allowed demolition of homes less than 3,000 square feet in historic districts to prevent blight and increase public health and safety. The ordinance disproportionately affected Black and brown lower income residents. The decision comes on the heels of a lawsuit filed by residents from the Tenth Street Historic District, one of the few remaining freedmens towns left in the nation. This brings Askew hope. He jokes that if the city tears down his buildings, theyre gonna have to tear me down with it. No matter what happens, he wont be defeated, he said. I have to pray daily for strength for myself to take on a municipality or another arm of the government because if I dont, then these injustices will continue on, Askew said. I cant live my life knowing when I see something wrong and do nothing. No, I dont sleep good at night, but when I know I fought a good fight its just like the Bible you dont worry about whats going to happen to you as long as you know that what youre doing is right. The post This City Wants to Raze Black Properties, at the Cost of Generational Wealth. appeared first on Capital B News. CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) The Clarksville Police Department is investigating a deadly crash involving a pedestrian. Police said the crash happened at around 9:40 p.m. Wednesday, May 8 on I-24 East near mile marker 0.2, close to the Tennessee Welcome Center. Have breaking come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts The eastbound lanes of I-24 were closed until after 1 a.m. on Thursday, May 9 while police investigated. Drivers were asked to find an alternate route. No other information was released. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. As Mike Braun clinched the GOP gubernatorial nomination in Indiana, we became not just observers of a political spectacle but also witnesses to a profound transformation within the Republican Party a shift that marks a departure from Hoosier practicality to an era dominated by national identity. This year's primary illustrates a seismic shift within the GOP, one that transcends mere political strategies to touch the core of personal allegiance. Under the looming influence of Donald Trump, the party has adopted a politics that prioritizes identity, loyalty, and theatrics. It directly appeals to a base that feels besieged, misunderstood, and neglected by conventional political elites. Its a politics of gut feeling, of friend versus foe, of us against them. It is, at its core, a reactive movement reactive against a rapidly changing world that many feel ignores them. Beyond Indianapolis, Indiana's landscape reflects this populist trend. Figures such as Mike Braun and Suzanne Crouch, despite their wealth and political tenure, manage to embody an authentic connection thanks in part to their Southwestern Indiana roots. In places like Jasper and Evansville, their hometowns, community bonds keep egos in check and require you to roll up your sleeves literally. Contrast this with Eric Doden and Brad Chambers, who both seem more at home in a board room or country club. Since 2016, the political elite in Indianapolis have struggled to engage the partys populist wing, often missing opportunities to connect. Instead of embracing grassroots events like tractor pulls at the Putnam County Fair, they seem to prefer engineering and law firm mixers, distancing themselves from core supporters. Sen. Mike Braun speaks to a crowd after winning the G.O.P nomination for governor Tuesday, May 7, 2024, during a watch party at Moontown Brewery in Whitestown. The political divide is further exacerbated by GOP infighting, more pronounced now than it has been in generations. Governor Eric Holcomb seemed detached from his logical successor, Crouch, and Kyle Hupfer, the state party chair, accused her of creating a toxic dynamic in the party. This internal discord underscores a broader struggle within the party to reconcile its emerging populist faction with its traditional establishment both seemingly at odds with one another. As we gaze upon this unfolding narrative, it becomes clear that the GOPs embrace of populism is less a momentary lapse and more a reinvention. The partys new establishment, MAGA Trumpists, seek not only to rally the disaffected but also to redefine what it means to be a conservative in the modern age. It is a bold, albeit risky, gambit that trades the certainties of traditional governance for the allure of charismatic leadership and visceral appeal. The question remains, however: can this new identity sustain itself without sacrificing the intellectual and moral foundations upon which the party was built? As the party charts this tumultuous course, it must confront the reality that while emotional resonance can win elections, it may not always govern effectively. In Indiana, as in much of America, politics has become less about policies and more about the vibes one exudes. This emotional and identity-driven approach has sidelined traditional conservative principles such as fiscal restraint, individual freedoms, and a minimized government footprint. Sen. Mike Braun speaks to a crowd after winning the G.O.P nomination for governor Tuesday, May 7, 2024, during a watch party at Moontown Brewery in Whitestown. Amidst this transformation, figures like former Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Todd Young have cautiously navigated the Trumpian waters, neither fully embracing nor outright rejecting his influence. This delicate balance reflects the broader challenges facing the party, as it grapples with an identity crisis that could alienate a swath of voters uncomfortable with its increasingly abrasive tactics. Its telling that John Hammond III, an Indiana RNC Committeeman, decided to step down and critique the party. Hammond, representing an older, consensus-driven style of leadership, seems out of place in today's polarized climate. His departure is not just a personal decision but a canary in the coal mine for those who still hope for a return to a more traditional, inclusive Republicanism. This shift underscores a significant transformation within the GOP, which now seems intent on emphasizing national issues and identity politics. Such a strategy, while potentially energizing a passionate base, risks alienating a broader electorate uncomfortable with the abrasive and divisive tactics these politics often entail. Looking ahead, the GOP faces a dilemma: can it harmonize these divergent forces, or will it succumb to the prevailing winds of populism and identity politics? The resolution of this tension will not only shape the future of the Republican Party but also define the very nature of governance in America at a time when the stakes are profoundly high. Joshua Claybourn is an attorney and author in Evansville. Find him online at JoshuaClaybourn.com. This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Claybourn: The GOP's shift in the Hoosier heartland Closing of Texas' last sugar mill may prelude concerning pattern for US farmers: 'We are in serious trouble' A megadrought fueled by the overheating of our planet and consequent changing weather patterns has forced the last sugar mill in Texas to close its doors, the Guardian reported. What is happening? In February, the Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers cooperative announced that it would have to shutter its last remaining mill, located in Santa Rosa, a small town in the south Texas borderlands. Due to the megadrought, there wasn't enough water to irrigate the sugarcane plants. While the sources from the cooperative that the Guardian spoke to wanted to use Mexico as a scapegoat, claiming that the country was not upholding a treaty to supply water to American farmers, the true culprit here is climate change. "It's not that Mexico is holding the water because they are bad neighbors. They're using it" to combat the megadrought, Texas A&M agricultural economist Luis Ribera said. According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, the region's current megadrought has brought the driest conditions the American southwest has seen in at least 1,200 years. Why is this concerning? The immediate consequences of the megadrought are plain to see: Crops that were once viable are dying out, and those that rely on them are at a loss in terms of how to proceed. "I wish I could tell you we had all the answers and we were geniuses and we were going to avoid what happened to the sugar mill. But I can't," Dale Murden, a grapefruit and cattle farmer, told the Guardian. "Water going into the spring and summer is as low as it's ever been, and some water districts have already notified customers they're out [of water] for the year. Without rains and inflows we are in serious trouble." Drought has forced Texas farmers to cut back on cotton growing and California farmers to halve their rice crops, and it has also caused a shortage of Sriracha hot sauce, among other things. And it isn't just the United States and Mexico that have been affected by drought. In southern Africa, grain crops have been decimated by drought conditions. What is being done about it? In the near term, the best course of action for Texas farmers is to focus on crops that require the least amount of water. One University of South Carolina anthropologist told the Guardian that farmers should focus on crops that grow naturally in their areas, saying: "Something that you notice across societies that manage to farm sustainably for at least several centuries is that they're emulating relationships that already exist in nature." However, with water drying up at an unprecedented pace, there is no guarantee that even that will remain possible into the future. Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. The closure of a popular womens leadership program has caused uproar among female officials at the state Capitol and across Oklahoma, who say the governors executive order against diversity, equity and inclusion is striking down initiatives meant to improve representation. The University of Oklahoma announced last week the National Education for Womens Leadership program, which encourages young women to engage in politics and public policy, will end because of an anti-DEI executive order Gov. Kevin Stitt signed in December. The program has graduated more than 650 female students from 42 colleges since it was founded in 2002. NEW Leaderships closure heightened concerns about the fate of state-funded programs meant to empower women and minorities. This has far-reaching effects into things that are very important and shape the future of our state and country, Oklahoma Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn said. So if the goal is to only make sure that we have young, white men run for every office young, white, straight, Christian men then I guess were accomplishing our goal. I personally dont believe that should be the goal for our state. More: Budget summit highlights divisions, priorities between Legislature and governor's office Osborn said she was a regular speaker on NEW Leadership panels for the past seven years, starting when she was a Republican lawmaker and committee leader in the state House. Many others working at the state Capitol and in Oklahomas political sphere have ties to the program, either as graduates or volunteers. Stitt has more women in his Cabinet than any other Oklahoma governor, said his communications director, Abegail Cave. To my knowledge, none of them participated in this program, Cave said. I dont think the end of this program will be the end of women in politics in Oklahoma. Rep. Cyndi Munson during the first day of the Oklahoma Legislature Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, Sen. Carri Hicks and Rep. Mauree Turner were selected for NEW Leadership as college students, and several current and former elected officials, Republican and Democrat, have helped lead its workshops and spoken at its events. Connecting with female elected leaders had a huge impact on Munson, D-Oklahoma City, who came into politics as a racial minority and from a family where no one had run for office. In 2015, Munson became the first Asian American woman and NEW Leadership graduate elected to the state Legislature. I think thats something that the governor and, quite frankly, Republicans are going to be shocked by when they see so many of us from both sides of the aisle coming together and really calling them out on these decisions that theyre making that are harming programs that are helping women like us be engaged in the process, Munson said. Just like NEW Leadership trained them to do, the graduates are looking for a solution, said Leslie Blair, who was part of the inaugural 2002 class. Some have suggested starting a nonprofit to keep the program going. More: District court judge declines to take immediate action in St. Isidore of Seville case This is a very important program, and to lose it would be, I think, devastating, said Blair, now the director of communications and legislative affairs for the Oklahoma Municipal League. OUs Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center, where the program was housed, will explore how to support the goals of NEW Leadership in ways that are consistent with the executive order, the centers director Michael Crespin said when announcing the end of the program. What Oklahoma universities are changing to comply with the order OU is planning further changes it says are necessary to comply with the executive order. The universitys Gender and Equality Center will close, and the Multicultural Programs and Services office will change its name, the OU Daily reported. OUs DEI office will convert into the Division of Access and Opportunity, and administrators have considered restructuring its programs. Oklahoma State University rebranded its Office of Institutional Diversity into the Division of Access and Community Impact. Both universities said they are still reviewing which DEI-related programs could be affected but have pledged not to reduce staffing as a result of the executive order. The University of Central Oklahoma said it hasnt taken any action yet but is preparing recommendations for compliance. Gov. Kevin Stitt said he intended for his executive order on diversity, equity and inclusion to stop programs from being based on race. Stitts order prohibits state agencies and public higher education institutions from spending state funds on DEI programs to the extent they grant preferential treatment based on one persons particular race, color, sex, ethnicity, or national origin over anothers. All state agencies and public colleges must comply by May 31. The governor claimed last week it was completely false that his decree caused the womens leadership program to end, despite OU citing the executive order as the only reason for it to close. Stitt said he wants to see more women working in politics and other industries. I want to make sure that we promote first-generation college students, veterans, kids from low income, he said during a Friday news conference. All I said is dont make it based on race. Tulsa-based political consultant Mandy Winton Giessmann said she worried over the executive order since it was signed, but it still came as a shock to learn it would cause the end of NEW Leadership, where she had volunteered for 14 years. Her connection with the program started in 2006 when she gave the participants a tour of the state Capitol, where she worked as a legislative assistant. She returned each year ever since, more recently helping with the political campaign simulation workshop. This is a program that has meant so much to me, as a volunteer, and its meant so much to these young women, and its gone, Winton Giessmann said. One of the things that was great about this program is it brought such a diverse group of women. They were from all over the state. So, it was so cool to see each person bring their personal experiences to the table. And thats something that is so important. Oklahoma Voice is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions: info@oklahomavoice.com. Follow Oklahoma Voice on Facebook and Twitter. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma leaders speak out against anti-DEI executive order Land management officials revealed new clues that will hopefully lead to a breakthrough in the killing of 19 burros along a California highway in 2019. The Bureau of Land Management also offered another $10,000 on top of contributions from several animal rights groups, bringing the total to $36,000 for information that leads to justice in the killing, according to a May 3 news release. The 19 dead burros were just the start of a massacre that left scores of wild donkeys dead by the side of Interstate 15 at the northern edge of the Mojave Desert, SFGATE reported. Federal investigators believe theyve linked vehicles and weapons from the scene of the crime to these 19 of 42 total burro shootings that summer almost five years ago, the outlet reported. Those responsible shot the burros along a 50-mile stretch of the highway northeast of Los Angeles between Baker, California, and Primm, Nevada, in August 2019, ABC10 reported. And they left quite specific clues behind for investigators to follow, including uniquely painted ammunition cartridges and two vehicles of interest, officials said in the release. Investigators want to speak with the owners of a gray or silver 2008 Toyota extended cab pickup truck with flared fenders and a brush guard and another 2008 Toyota extended cab pickup in white with a white camper shell, white rims, sunroof, and brush guard, officials said. Investigators want to speak with the owners of the gray or silver 2008 Toyota extended cab pickup truck with flared fenders and a brush guard, and another 2008 Toyota extended cab pickup in white with a white camper shell, white rims, sunroof, and brush guard, pictured here. Video surveillance captured both trucks traveling together and last seen in Primm, Nev., on August 13, 2019, at approximately 06:32 a.m., in the parking lot of Whiskey Petes Hotel and Casino, officials said. Video surveillance captured both vehicles traveling together and last seen in Primm, Nev., on August 13, 2019, at approximately 06:32 a.m., in the parking lot of Whiskey Petes Hotel and Casino, officials said. Officials provided photos of both trucks from the surveillance footage. Investigators want to speak with the owners of the gray or silver 2008 Toyota extended cab pickup truck with flared fenders and a brush guard, and another 2008 Toyota extended cab pickup in white with a white camper shell, white rims, sunroof, and brush guard, pictured here. Special agents with the bureau identified the specific weapon used as a .30-06 caliber rifle, possibly vintage based on the rifling of the projectiles recovered, that could have been manufactured by Browning, Remington, Springfield, U.S. Military Arms, or Winchester, officials said. While the rifle is chambered for .30-06 Springfield ammunition, agents also believe whoever is responsible used their own reloaded ammo marked with red/orange paint on the bottom of their cartridges, officials said. Special agents with the bureau identified the specific weapon used as a .30-06 caliber rifle, possibly vintage based on the rifling of the projectiles recovered, that could have been manufactured by Browning, Remington, Springfield, U.S. Military Arms, or Winchester. Officials ask anyone with any knowledge or information about the crime to contact the 24-hour WeTip crime reporting system at 909-987-5005 and to leave contact information so investigators can follow up with them and dole out the reward for the information. Burros are federally protected under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, which protects wild, free-roaming horses and burros from capture, branding, harassment, or death; and considers them an integral part of the natural system of public lands managed by BLM, officials said. Beyond the federal protections, burros are also considered iconic to the American West, advocates said in the statement. Wild burros are a treasured part of our shared cultural heritage in the American West, and we are committed to finding and prosecuting those responsible for this senseless crime, BLM Wild Horse and Burro Division Chief Holle Waddell said in the statement. Four animal rights groups contributed to the reward money: $6,500 from the American Wild Horse Conservation, $2,500 from The Humane Society of the United States, $16,000 from The Platero Project Seattle and $1,000 from the Animal Defense Council, officials said. These innocent burros were victims of a senseless act of violence, Suzanne Roy of the American Wild Horse Conservation said in the BLMs statement. The perpetrators of these federal crimes must be brought to justice. Five wild burros found illegally shot dead in Death Valley canyon, rangers say 15 horses shot dead in hateful massacre. Others in cherished herd are wounded Hundreds of wild horses faced eviction from national park then people fought back NAGS HEAD, N.C. (WAVY) The Coast Guard assisted Nags Head Fire Rescue in the rescue of a 70-year-old man Monday evening. According to a release from the United States Coast Guard, watchstanders with Coast Guard Sector North Carolina received a notification from family members of the man, stating that he was overdue from getting underway on an inflatable sailing vessel. An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast was issued, directing the launch of a Coast Guard Station Oregon Inlet 27-foot Shallow-Water Response Craft, a Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City NH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and local rescue crews. Crews arrived to the scene, near Roanoke Island, and located a pontoon from the vessel stuck in a marsh near Jockeys Ridge. The mans boat was later discovered capsized in the middle of the Roanoke Sound by the helicopter crew. No one was found on board. Nags Head Fire Rescue Fireboat 16 later located the individual wearing a lifejacket west of Jockey Ridge State Park. The man was transferred to Outer Banks Hospital after showing signs of severe hypothermia. If he was not wearing a lifejacket, he may have not survived out there, Lt. Cmdr. Nicholas M. Pavlik, the search and rescue mission coordinator for Sector North Carolina said. His diligence to wear protective gear while on the water contributed to his life being saved. As we approach the warmer months of the year, it should be noted that warmer temperatures do not mean warmer water. Always be prepared and check the weather before going out. The Coast Guard wants to remind people of key safe boating tips ahead of the summer boating season: Always wear a life jacket. There is usually very little time to reach for stowed vests when accidents occur. Wearing one at all times reduces the risk of drowning. Federal law requires mariners to have a personal flotation device aboard for each passenger. Have sufficient means of communication including a VHF radio. VHF channel 16 is the international hailing and distress frequency and can be used to reach the Coast Guard during emergencies. Never boat under the influence. It is illegal to operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. There are stringent penalties for violating BUI/BWI laws, which can include large fines, suspension or revocation of boat operator privileges and jail terms. Never turn your back on the water. There are strong rip currents along the Atlantic coast, and sneaker waves are common. Dress for the water temperature, not the air temperature. Even if boaters do not plan to enter the water, they should be prepared for an emergency. Paddleboarders, kayakers and wind surfers who are likely to go in the water should wear a wetsuit to decrease their risk of hypothermia and a life jacket to prevent them from drowning before rescuers can get on scene. File a float plan. A float plan is simply letting family and friends know where you are going and your expected time of return. File a float plan with someone who is not getting underway with you and stick to the plan. A float plan assists responders in the search of an overdue boater who may be in distress. More boating information can be found on the United States Coast Guards website here. Check with WAVY.com for more updates. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. The challengers for Baltimore City Council president have outspent or kept pace with incumbent Nick Mosby, taking the competitive race to television as they attempt to oust the embattled president. Mosby, the council president since December 2020, has been trying to beat back challenges from both Councilman Zeke Cohen and former Councilwoman Shannon Sneed. He defied expectations of some City Hall insiders by entering the race at all. Cash-poor in his campaign fund and his reputation damaged by testimony he delivered during the federal criminal trial of his ex-wife Marilyn Mosby, Nick Mosby waited until the eve of the Feb. 9 filing deadline to officially jump in. Since then, Cohen and Sneed have been outpacing the council president in fundraising while Mosby has struggled to deliver accurate reports to the Maryland State Board of Elections. Cohen, a Democratic councilman who has represented District 1 since 2016, has outspent Mosby nearly 4-to-1 since the start of the year. In April, he made his biggest media purchases to date, dropping $330,000 on television commercials, online advertising and robocalls to city residents. He spent an additional $25,000 on printing. Supporters of Cohens campaign include numerous labor unions and some noteworthy business owners. In his last finance report, he reported maximum $6,000 donations from the Baltimore Teachers Union and Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ. Earlier this year, he reported a $5,000 donation from Bill Stromberg, former CEO of T. Rowe Price, $2,000 from Scott Plank, founder of developer War Horse Cities, and $3,000 from Community Dev. Holdings, a company located at the address of the Cordish Companies. Cohen, who now represents areas including Highlandtown, Fells Point and Canton, has remained largely positive in his advertising for the citywide council president race despite past disagreements with Mosby that have spilled into the public. Cohens television ads have touted support from Baltimore States Attorney Ivan Bates, a Democrat who endorsed him, and featured supporters in the small business community. Sneed, who represented an East Baltimore district before losing a 2020 bid for council president to Mosby, has taken her publicly financed campaign in a different direction lobbing attacks on both Cohen and Mosby. In an online ad funded by Sneed, a narrator accuses Cohen of being funded by developers and bankers. A separate ad takes aim at Mosby, displaying headlines about his unpaid water bills and an accusation made by prosecutors during his ex-wifes trial that he claimed fraudulent charitable contributions on his taxes. Mosby has not been charged with a crime. Baltimore cant afford more corruption. We cant afford Nick Mosby, the ad states. Sneed has run separate ads on television with a more positive spin. In those, she emphasized that her campaign has been funded by public money. Ill be focused on Baltimores problems, not my own, Sneed said in the ad. No skeletons here, said her daughter Rae Sneed as she opened a closet door. The ads are evidence of spending by Sneed that has not been reported on her campaign finance disclosures. Sneed has received $243,000 in public campaign financing, but only reported spending $37,000. Kevin Gillogly, her campaign manager, acknowledged omissions and said her actual spending ahead of the last campaign finance reporting deadline was about $136,400. The campaign plans to amend several past reports to include the expenditures, he said. Gillogly estimated that the campaign has spent another $100,000 on media since the April 26 closing date for those reports. Because Sneed is receiving public financing, her donors can give no more than $150 each. She has claimed contributions from 640 city residents, Gillogly said. I feel like were the ma and pa (stores) running up against Walmart, Gillogly said of the fundraising differences in the campaign so far. But at the same time were in this fight. We fundamentally believe were in this. Polling suggests otherwise. A poll conducted for The Baltimore Sun, University of Baltimore and FOX45 from April 7-11 showed Cohen with 40% of the vote to Mosbys 21% among likely primary voters surveyed. Sneed trailed with 17% support. Another 19%, however, said they remained undecided. 2024 voter guide: Candidates for Baltimore City Council president Mosbys campaign has been less visible than those of his challengers. During a fundraising push in late 2023 Mosby raised $168,700, and hes collected $111,400 since then. Between January and the end of April, he reported spending $148,500, about $68,000 of it for mailings to voters. Mosbys donations have been in question since he submitted a report in early April detailing more than $49,000 in contributions from credit card processor Paragon Solutions. His campaign acknowledged at the time that the donations were an error and said they would file an amendment. That amended report, containing more than 100 new transactions, was filed on April 18, but it still contained numerous errors. A $9,281 donation was listed from Baltimore Gas & Electric PAC, a total that would have been a violation of the states $6,000 maximum if accurate. BGE spokesman Nick Alexopulos said at the time that the PAC had given only $450 to Mosbys campaign. A second amended report was filed May 3 detailing $28,000 in new contributions from at least 23 donors. More than $11,000 of new expenditures were added, and the donation from BGEs PAC was corrected to reflect a $450 donation. In late April, the Maryland State Board of Elections sent Mosby a letter noting the potential errors on his report and ordering him to provide receipts, disbursements and bank statements to support his filings for the entire election cycle. Asked about the mistakes, Mosby said his campaign treasurer, Erika Aisha Dorsey, was new to the job. (Records show she was replaced on Tuesday.) Mosby acknowledged that numerous items were incorrectly entered. She did the best job she could do. She did the first report fine, but made a lot of errors in the second report, Mosby said. Thats why we went out and hired a compliance firm to just go through the entire report. Weve moved on. Newly reported donors to Mosbys campaign include CMDS Management, Dawei Liu and Kevin Pfeffer who each gave $6,000. Clinic Management and Development Services (CMDS) runs a residential treatment center in northeast Baltimore, and Pfeffer is the groups CEO and founder. In 2020, the group tried to open a residential treatment center on Harford Road that was blocked by the Board of Municipal and Zoning Appeals. CMDS sued the city over the decision in 2021, and litigation is ongoing. Roger Hartley, dean of the University of Baltimores College of Public Affairs, said the council president race has been overshadowed, as it often is, by the mayoral race this cycle. But with the incumbent Mosby at risk of losing his seat and the chairmanship of the citys spending board on the line, its far from a sleeper, he said. Usually in a race like that, youre not going to attract a serious challenge if the incumbent is well-liked, Hartley said. Hartley said he doubts the final margin will be as wide as polls have indicated, but if it is, the winner could emerge with a super mandate. That could be a very interesting race, he said. Baltimore Sun reporter Hannah Gaskill contributed to this article. A view of the Colorado Capitol on May 4, 2024. (Quentin Young/Colorado Newsline) When the Colorado Legislature adjourned Wednesday, the bang of the gavel marked the end of regular work by the 74th General Assembly, which first convened after the 2022 election delivered huge Democratic majorities in the state House and Senate. The Democrats, particularly several freshman progressive lawmakers, came to the Capitol with big ambitions, while Republicans set out to do everything possible to constrain them. Now we can begin to assess how it all played out. Let the look-backs begin. First lets talk about tone. The Capitol in many respects is the most hostile workplace in Colorado. Hateful rhetoric and threats have poisoned the environment at the Legislature, and the leadership of the Democratic majority never quite figured out how to handle it. The worst offenders were Christian Republican bigots, starting with the anti-trans theocrat Rep. Scott Bottoms of Colorado Springs, and his sidekick, Rep. Ken DeGraaf, also of Colorado Springs. DeGraaf is a science-free denier of just about any fact you care to back with evidence (climate change, evolution, etc.). Newsline obtained an email that DeGraaf, who is white, wrote in November to a Democratic Black state representative in which he mansplained slavery to her using ugly arguments. At the end of the 2023 session, some Democratic lawmakers pleaded with leadership to better support the caucus and protect individuals from personal abuse. Two Democratic lawmakers, citing the vitriolic environment of the Legislature, resigned late last year. And despite a call for civility from Speaker Julie McCluskie at the outset of the 2024 session, it was clear by this month that member-on-member intimidation continued to mar public business at the Capitol. But public business did get done. This years session began with the same overarching policy debate that also dominated last years session: housing. In 2023, Democrats failed to get a sweeping land-use bill across the finish line. They went at the issue again this year in smaller chunks, and they succeeded in passing several bills that attempt to create more affordable housing in the state. These include bills that will boost the creation of accessory dwelling units, spur denser housing development along transit corridors, eliminate local occupancy limits, and ease parking minimum requirements. Renters scored a major win this year in a Democratic for cause eviction bill, which says landlords can no longer evict someone or decline to renew a tenants lease without a defined reason. The assembly showed it was capable of passing big legislation with broad bipartisan support ... But camaraderie was the exception. It was another (mostly) successful session for gun violence prevention, and the two-year general assembly did as much to rebuke the states overactive firearm fanatics as any other. This year Democrats passed bills that ask voters to approve an excise tax on guns and ammunition with most of the revenue going to crime victim services, require gun dealers to obtain a state permit, standardize concealed carry training, and reinforce state investigations into illegal gun activity. They also made it illegal to have guns in certain sensitive spaces, such as the Capitol itself, where multiple lawmakers are known to carry concealed firearms. While the sensitive spaces measure was being debated, its wisdom was proved in real time when Republican Rep. Don Wilson of Monument left a loaded handgun in a Capitol bathroom. Last year Democrats enacted a three-day waiting period for gun purchases, a minimum age of 21 for buying a gun, a gun industry liability protection roll-back, an expansion of the states Extreme Risk Protection Order law and a ghost gun ban. But one crucial gun policy an assault weapons ban remained elusive across both years of the assembly. A bill to ban the manufacture and sale of AR-15-style and other firearms was introduced in 2023 but didnt even make it out of committee. This year, in a historic vote, the House passed a similar bill, but it died in the Senate on Tuesday, the second-to-last day of the session. The assault weapons ban failure was one of the main examples during the assembly of moderate-Democrat opposition defeating progressive policy proposals. These included a measure to allow overdose prevention centers in cities that approve them and local rent control. The assembly showed it was capable of passing big legislation with broad bipartisan support. This week, as the session came to a close, Democrats and Republicans stood with Democratic Gov. Jared Polis to announce a long-term property tax cut. In these hyper-partisan times, it was no small thing Monday to see House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, standing with Democratic leaders to announce the tax cut bill, gesture to Polis and say, Thank you for your leadership. But camaraderie was the exception. Pugliese and Republican Rep. Ryan Armagost of Berthoud led a cynical attempt to impeach Secretary of State Jena Griswold over her purported role which House Republicans utterly mischaracterized in the lawsuit over whether former President Donald Trump is constitutionally disqualified from holding public office. They failed. But the episode was a harbinger of escalating animosity at the Capitol. The next Colorado General Assembly will convene for its first regular session in January. By that time a person who has all but vowed to rule as a revenge-crazed autocrat could be in the White House, and, as America descends into multiplying political antipathies, state legislating could suffer from ever-coarsening interactions. Voters will decide in November who to send to the state Capitol in 2025. Its more important than ever that they choose candidates who not only believe in democracy but also perform according to democratic norms and values. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post The Colorado legislative session is over. What happened? appeared first on Colorado Newsline. NAIROBI, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) late Wednesday launched a fertilizer and soil health hub to enhance productivity of arable land in West Africa and the Sahel region. Alain Traore, the director for agriculture and rural development at ECOWAS, said the hub is expected to promote sustainable agricultural practices by facilitating the delivery of agronomic gains through efficient resource use. "The hub is expected to contribute to the sustainable transformation of smallholder agriculture for food security, poverty reduction and environmental sustainability," Traore said during the launch of the hub on the sidelines of Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit underway in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. He said the hub is designed to enhance climate resilience and the adoption of best practices in soil health management to help improve yields and profitability of smallholder farming across the West African region. Technical officials at the hub are expected to focus on information dissemination, capacity development, and policy support and resource mobilization, Traore said. Katie Freeman, senior agriculture economist at the World Bank, said the lender is supporting the hub since it offers a roadmap to increasing agricultural productivity in the whole of Africa. The World Bank has donated 10 million U.S. dollars through the Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa project to manage the hub for five years, Freeman said. Part of the funding will be used to improve soil mapping in all the ECOWAS countries, besides improving soil nutrients, she said. Simeon Ehui, director general of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), said the hub will serve as an example for promoting sustainable land management in Africa. The hub will be headquartered at the IITA campus in Ibadan, Nigeria, with a subsidiary hub at the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic in Ben Guerir, Morocco. A Colorado man who pleaded guilty to murdering five people whose remains were found in Colorado in 2020 has been sentenced to five life sentences, court documents show. Adre Baroz, 29, pleaded guilty in February to five counts each of first-degree murder and tampering with a deceased human body, as well as assault and kidnapping charges, according to his sentencing order. Baroz, was accused of planning the murders over a seven-week period, dismembering the victims and burning their remains in pits, CNN affiliate KRDO reported. Baroz was arrested in November 2020, after the remains of three victims were found on two rural properties in Lasauses, Colorado, near the New Mexico border, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. He was ultimately charged in connection to the killings of five people: Myron Martinez, Shayla Hammel, Selena Esquibel, Xavier Zeven Garcia and Korina Arroyo, according to the criminal complaint. Baroz was sentenced on May 3 to the consecutive life sentences and an additional 140 years in prison. CNN has sought comment from Barozs attorney. Three other men, including Barozs brother, according to KRDO, pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the deaths and have been sentenced. CNN has sought comment from their attorneys. The brother, Julius Anthony Baroz, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years in prison, the sentencing order shows. Francisco Ramirez pleaded guilty to three counts of tampering with a deceased human body and was sentenced to 24 years in prison, his docket shows. CJ Dominguez pleaded guilty to tampering with a deceased human body and was sentenced to 12 years in prison, his docket shows. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Colorado one of top states for bad drivers (COLORADO) A new study has found that Colorado ranks near the top for the worst drivers in the country, placing 13th. According to a study released by Munley Law that analyzed nine metrics from the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration including traffic fatalities, drunk driving, DUI arrests, speeding, and seat belt use. Despite technology making cars safer, car accidents remain the leading cause of death for Americans ages one to 54 years old and there were 40,990 fatal crashes last year, writes the press release sent to FOX21. The study found Colorado per 100,000 had 12.25 traffic fatalities, 276.58 DUI arrests, 3.97 drunk driving fatalities, and 4.42 speeding fatalities with 87% seatbelt usage. The study found Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Arizona, and Montana to be the states with the worst drivers. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. (COLORADO) The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) is sending a message to anyone thinking about driving under the influence this weekend. Saturation patrols will be conducted from Friday, May 10, through Sunday, May 12, throughout Pueblo and Fremont counties, CSP said. A saturation patrol is when a large number of officers concentrate in a small area to achieve a specific goalin this case, to lower the percentage of deaths by impaired driving. The upcoming patrols will focus specifically on major traffic arteries in both counties and also feeder roads. According to CSP, over the past five years, there have been 62 fatal crashes in Pueblo and Fremont counties, and 168 crashes where occupants sustained serious bodily injury. Most of those incidents occurred on Monday and Saturday afternoons. The leading cause of those crashes is impaired driving. CSPs mission is to stop this reckless behavior in its tracks and save as many lives as possible. During the saturation patrol, state troopers will be dedicated to detecting and apprehending any driver impaired by or under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both. Excessive speed will also be checked, and troopers will not tolerate driving over the limit, both in terms of speed and substances. From CSP: If you encounter a suspected impaired driver, the driver should be avoided by getting out of the way. Contact CSP after you pull over by calling *CSP (277), 9-1-1, or 719-589-5807. Be prepared to provide the following information: vehicle description, license plate number, location and direction of travel, driver description, and the driving behavior being demonstrated. All emergency calls can be made to 9-1-1. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. To remain in Donald Trumps good graces as one of his lawyers, it helps to be seen as aggressively fighting for his interests even if, by doing so, one actually undermines them. Take the multiple contempt hearings that have now been held in Trumps Manhattan criminal trial. Rather than concede his client crossed a line, maybe confused about what was and wasnt allowed in Judge Juan Merchans gag order, attorney Todd Blanche powered through with a did nothing wrong and would probably do it again defense, claiming a constitutional right to attack jurors and witness. It has, to date, resulted in Trump being found in violation new fewer than 10 times and threatened with incarceration. Following Stormy Daniels at times disturbing testimony on Tuesday, in which the adult film star described in intimate detail an alleged sexual encounter in a hotel room with the former president, it came as no surprise that Trumps defense team sought to undermine her credibility. Given this task was Susan Necheles, who had to that point taken a back seat to her two male colleagues. Shan Wu, a former federal prosecutor writing for The Daily Beast, argued that Necheles like Blanche, a respected criminal defense attorney before joining Trumps legal team erred as soon as the cross-examination began. She chose to try to outdo her two male co-counsel in aggressiveness by starting her examination with a substantively weak question, suggesting that Daniels had rehearsed her testimony, Wu wrote. Indeed, Necheles pushed Daniels to admit that shed undergone several grueling prep sessions, which included brutal mock cross-examinations; Necheles emphasized the word brutal, per a write-up from Lawfare, and her tone was pointed and adversarial. That is, frankly, a dumb way to start, Wu argued. [J]urors are specifically instructed by judges that its proper to prepare witnesses, and that lawyers would not be doing their jobs if they just threw witnesses cold onto the stand, he wrote. What Necheles should have done is kept it simple: establish the fact that Daniels does not know whether Trump falsified business records to cover up the $130,000 hush payment that she received. Instead of going all-out on Daniels, who jurors may find sympathetic, the defense could have stuck to arguing that, legally speaking, she was irrelevant. If Necheles and her co-counsel are performing for their client and even channeling the strongman image Trump likes to project that may prove to be a colossal blunder, Wu wrote. Bullying may work well on the schoolyard, but doesnt often go so well in courts of law. With Daniels appearing on the stand again Thursday, Trumps legal counsel will have an opportunity to try a softer approach. If they elect to go with the same aggression as last time, Ryan Goodman, a law professor at New York University, told CNN that it is likely the strategy backfires. I think it backfires especially if [theyre] going after Stormy Daniels in order to protect Trumps reputation publicly, not [with] the jurors, Goodman commented. If the former presidents team goes after Daniels to the degree that their client would probably like, it could just mean dragging out an embarrassing and damaging spectacle in front of the twelve people, the jurors, who actually matter. It could just mean she testifies more and more about the details as to why she is now saying she felt uncomfortable, and some of the testimony she gave is toward the end of the spectrum of non-consensual sexual encounter, and the more they elicit that it could be worse for him [before] the jurors, Goodman said. Former federal prosecutor Elie Honig agrees that no good can come to the defense by keeping Daniels on the stand. He has argued that her testimony, including that she hates Trump, could help the defense and that the former presidents lawyers should count their blessings and end it there. Trying to catch contradictions in Daniels' account will only result in airing more details that the defense shouldn't want to air, especially if it intends to appeal based on the argument that those details were prejudicial and should not have been heard in court. Do another hour, just remind the jury that she's biased, she hates Trump, and she is desperate to see him behind bars, Honig told CNN. Leave it at that. You don't need to go back in that hotel room. It's the last thing you want to do." Columbia wont get $10M from state for homeless campus, still looking at property for project The city of Columbia wont get $10 million it hoped for from the state budget this year to support Mayor Daniel Rickenmanns goal of building a homeless services campus in the city, but Columbia is still looking at property for the project. The city has been in talks with the state Department of Mental Health to put property on the Crafts-Farrow State Hospital campus under contract for the city to assess if it would be a good fit for a homeless services campus, Rickenmann told The State. But the terms of that contact havent been finalized, and some advocates for homeless residents remain skeptical that the plan is even a good idea. The Crafts-Farrow State Hospital is located on 800 acres near Farrow Road and Interstate 20. It currently houses incarcerated people with mental health needs. The land the city is looking at would be adjacent the the existing hospital. Rickenman still hopes for the city to build the campus, dubbed the Hope Center, which he said would ideally have hundreds of beds, addiction services, dental and medical care, vital records support and more for the citys chronically homeless residents, despite not getting state money for the work this year. Gov. Henry McMaster in January announced he would support giving $10 million of state money to the project, but that money did not make it into the House or Senate budgets this year, the governors spokesperson confirmed. To meet the growing demand for mental and behavioral health services, I am recommending an allocation of nearly $10 million to the Department of Mental Health for a public-private partnership with the City of Columbia and Richland County to pilot a comprehensive resource center with wraparound services to reduce homelessness in the Columbia area, McMaster wrote in the January announcement. The governors office in January also said if the pilot program to launch the Hope Center in Columbia can successfully reduce the number of unsheltered homeless people in the state capital and help connect people with work and permanent housing, the state could pay to replicate the project in Greenville or Charleston. Rickenmann said he had not seen the state budget yet, but if the city doesnt get state support for the project this year, it will ask again next year. If the city does get the $10 million from the state in future budgets, it would still have to come up with an estimated $20 million to pay for what was initially estimated to be a $30 million project. Rickenmann has also said in the past he would like to apply for federal grants and tap private partnerships to secure the remaining money. But the Hope Center project is still in the very early stages of planning and that even though the city is discussing putting the Farrow Road property under contract, that doesnt necessarily mean the city will buy the site, Rickenmann added. The city has 280 days for due diligence after it executes a contract for a site, and Rickenmann said the city would take that time to assess if the property is truly the best fit for the project. At the end of our due diligence period, if we can get it under contract and weve run the gamut of everything, we dont have to close, Rickenmann said. This is the way development works. He referenced attempts to develop the Capital City Stadium property on Assembly Street, which was under contract with a developer, but that developer couldnt close on the site even after 13 contract amendments. In January, the state Mental Health Commission received an update on the citys intent to purchase property on the Crafts-Farrow State Hospital campus. The City of Columbia is researching two property sites located on the Crafts-Farrow campus, and the commissions attorney anticipates the City will submit a contract proposal in the very near future, minutes from that January meeting read. Rickenmann said the city and the Department of Mental Health have not been able to agree on all aspects of that contract, however, and its unclear if they will be able to get the site under contract in the near future. Its also not clear how much the city would spend on the property. An item reading Sale of Surplus Property to City of Columbia appeared on the commissions agenda last week but then was removed a day before the commissions meeting. Rickenmann also plans to host an information session in June that will allow members of the public to hear the citys plans and to ensure the City Council has buy-in from the whole community before it spends money on the campus. He stressed that the city is not closing on any property yet. Community disagreement Ahead of the state Mental Health Commissions meeting last week, when the item regarding the sale of surplus property to the city was still on the agenda, a local legal nonprofit that advocates for low-income people put out a call to action on social media. Your Voice is needed!! a post on S.C. Appleseed Legal Justice Centers Instagram page began. The City of Columbia is pressuring the Department of Mental Health to provide property on Farrow Road for the purpose of moving the homeless population away from downtown, and away from the services and assistance they desperately need. The post also went into detail on why the nonprofit disapproved of the Farrow Road site, including questions about how would-be residents would travel to and from the campus, and if the site is too isolated from the citys core. Appleseeds policy director, Sue Berkowitz, told The State she wanted to see more of the citys plan before it went forward with acquiring a property for the campus. The location is not a good location, Berkowitz said. All we ever hear about is wanting to move homeless people outside of the city, and out on Farrow Road is pretty far away. Berkowitz also said the city has not publicly discussed how the property would be operated, how it would be paid for initially and how it would be maintained into the future. Rickenmann disagrees with Appleseeds characterization of the deal with the Department of Mental Health and said that the site is still in the city limits and that if the site does have full wraparound services, then residents wouldnt need to still travel downtown to access those same services. If the homeless community was getting all the services that they needed today, then we wouldnt be having this conversation. But theyre not, Rickenmann said. Hes also talked about striking a balance between having compassion for chronically homeless residents while also protecting business owners properties and other downtown residents quality of life. The campus idea is not new, and the city hopes to model its program off of similar ones in Houston, Texas, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. Researchers found that Houstons recently opened Housing Navigation Center, which is part of longer-term efforts to curb homelessness in Houston, contributed to a 17% drop in unsheltered homeless residents during its first year of operating. But Columbia-area advocates for homeless residents remain skeptical because its unclear how the Hope Center project will be paid for and who will operate it. Rickenmann said the city does not want to own or manage the campus after its built, but the city does want to help develop the site and then potentially hand it off to private management or nonprofit social service providers. But he added that there are not formal plans for the project yet. We are at the ground level, he said. COLUMBUS,Ga. (WRBL) Local law enforcement participated in the Law Enforcement Torch Run, an annual fundraising event that benefits the Special Olympics. The Torch Run is the largest public awareness fundraiser for the Special Olympics. This year marks 41 years of participation by the Columbus Police Department (CPD). Were the longest running agency in the state of Georgia, said Sgt. Angela Florence with CPDs community relations unit about the significance of the event. She continued, The fact that theyre continuing to be a part of this just shows how much the Columbus Police Department enjoys the citizens of Columbus. In 2023, CPD raised $19,000 for the Special Olympics; they hope to raise over $30,000 this year. MISSING: Search underway for juvenile last seen near Canty Place in Columbus Bush continued, It lets them know that the Columbus Police Department and Sheriff department is really giving something back to the community, said CPD Reserve Office Donald Bush. Were doing something positive for the community. Bush added the departments also want to make Special Olympics athletes feel good. Runners began at the CPD and traveled to the Lake Oliver marina. Sergeant Lyon of the Columbus Police Department shared with WRBL about Thursdays run. It was fun running up Second Avenue. You see the little kids in the school come out cheering so that it always makes you feel good when you see people out there cheering, said CPDs Sgt. Dan Lyon. He said people would stop their cars and ask what the event was as the runners went down the street. The Special Olympics of Georgia will have its state Games on the Emory University campus. The final leg of the Torch Run will be there. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL. Column: Expect campus uprisings to cause headaches for Democrats this election Pro-Palestinian supporters demonstrate in Bruin Plaza after arrests were made at the Westwood campus of UCLA on Monday in Westwood. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) Dont be surprised if these annoying protests on college campuses turn out bad for Democrats. They usually do. If history is any guide, Republicans will capitalize on the divided Democrats perceived weakness and appear to be the stronger party in November. Already, Donald Trump seems to have benefitted from the heavy news media focus on pro-Palestinian protests and their tent encampments. It has drawn attention away from the first criminal trial of a former president in the nations history. Heres a guy charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with hush money paid to a porn actor to cover up an alleged sexual encounter at Lake Tahoe. And for several days, trial coverage was fogged by TV footage of campus protests. That is, until the porn star herself, Stormy Daniels, testified on Tuesday. At any rate, what should have been a two-week bright spotlight on the sins of the GOPs prospective presidential nominee was dimmed by campus turmoil, which included antisemitic chants, threats toward Jewish students and cancellation or reshuffling of commencement ceremonies. One danger for Democrats is that many voters will view the campus disobedience as another sign that America including left-governed California is headed in the wrong direction. For months, polls have shown that voters believe the nation and this state are off on the wrong track. Read more: 55 years after Reagan took on Berkeley, Newsom stays in the background amid roiling campus protests What were now seeing at universities especially major ones like USC, UCLA and Columbia could be viewed as another incidence of failure by institutional and government leaders to act. Theyre not in control. Its another sign like smash and grab thefts at retail stores. And rampant homelessness tent encampments on sidewalks and in parks. Now the tent encampments have sprouted on college campuses and are occupied by privileged students. Students rights are being trampled by protestors and administrators who are unable or unwilling to protect students, state Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher asserted in a statement Tuesday. Thats just an example of what we can expect from the GOP as long as the protests continue. Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested Monday morning at UC San Diego. (Gary Robbins / The San Diego Union-Tribune) In roily times like these, voters tend to look for strength in candidates not wishy-washy politicians trying have it both ways and not offend anyone. M. Steven Fish, a political scientist at UC Berkeley, put it this way in a New York Times op-ed Tuesday: Politics is a dominance competition, and Mr. Trump is an avid and ruthless practitioner of it. He offers a striking contrast with most Democrats, who are more likely to fret over focus-group data and issue ever more solemn pledges to control prescription drug prices. He added: Todays Democrats have grown obsessively risk-averse, poll-driven, allergic to engaging on hot-button issues (except perhaps abortion) and more than a little boring. Agreed, but I dont give Democrats including Gov. Gavin Newsom much credit for pounding away on abortion rights. Theyre trying to make it a hot-button campaign issue. Theres nothing controversial about abortion among Democrats not like taking a firm, unequivocal position on the Israel-Hamas war. President Biden deserves credit for being solid in his support for Israel while trying to broker a temporary cease-fire. On Tuesday, at a Holocaust remembrance ceremony, he decried a ferocious surge in antisemitism. People are already forgetting who started the Israel-Hamas war, Biden said. Theyre already forgetting that Hamas unleashed this terror, that it was Hamas that brutalized Israelis, that it was Hamas who took and continues to hold hostages. In America, we respect and protect the fundamental right to free speech, to debate and disagree, to protest peacefully and make our voices heard. But there is no place on any campus in America for antisemitism or hate speech or threats of violence of any kind whether against Jews or anyone else. Violent attacks, destroying property is not peaceful protest. Its against the law. So, Biden is being strong. His problem, of course, is age discrimination. Hes acting strong, but hes 81 and physically frail and he stutters. So he appears weak to many voters. And hes in particular danger of losing young voters. Polls have shown they harbor an unfavorable view of Israel. Trump is the strongman for his worshipers. Read more: A staggering two weeks at UCLA: Protest, violence, division mark 'dark chapter' Republican Ronald Reagan was the strongman candidate running for governor in 1966 with the invaluable help of free speech, dirty speech and anti-Vietnam War protests at UC Berkeley. Reagan quickly picked up on public anger with the mess at Berkeley. The prestigious school was inaccessible to most Californians. Only an elite sliver of the states high school students were granted admission. Voters felt the privileged kids should study more and demonstrate less. The actor-turned-politician called the protesters a minority of malcontents, beatniks and filthy-speech advocates. And he constantly declared they should obey the rules or get out. He beat the weak-seeming Gov. Pat Brown in a landslide. Then, in 1968, antiwar protests particularly the bloody riot at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago helped elect Republican Richard Nixon president. Democrats were bitterly divided over the Vietnam War, and their nominee, Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, was weak. U.S. combat operations in Vietnam continued for five more years. In 1976, former San Francisco State President S.I. Hayakawa, a Republican, was elected to the U.S. Senate after establishing himself as an iconic hero for standing up to campus antiwar demonstrators. These pro-Palestinian protests cant be equated to the years-long anti-Vietnam war demonstrations. Americas youth was being drafted to die in combat more than 58,000 of them did in an unwinnable, foolish war. Relatively few Americans are directly affected by the Israel-Hamas fighting. The Democratic Party should hope that the campus protests end when the summer breaks begin and dont restart in the fall. 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. Column: He lost by 5 votes and conceded graciously. Trump could learn something here Joe Simitian, center, finished third in a tight congressional contest against fellow Democrats Evan Low, left, and Sam Liccardo. Though he lost by just five votes, Simitian conceded swiftly and unreservedly. (Jose Luis Villegas / Associated Press; Dai Sugano / MediaNews Group; Beth LaBerge / Pool Photo) Joe Simitian long had his eye on a seat in Congress. It would have been a fine way to cap his 40-year political career. "I viewed it as an opportunity to improve the lives of the people I represent in a different way at a different level," the Silicon Valley Democrat said. Little did he know. On election night, March 5, Simitian was running second in a field of 11 candidates vying for a Bay Area House seat. Under California's top-two primary system, that meant a spot in November's runoff against the top finisher, former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. Then, the race turned into a cliffhanger. As more ballots were counted, Simitian bobbed between second and third place, sometimes by just a handful of votes. For a time, the race for second was tied. Finally, last week, the contest ended. Simitian finished third, behind Democratic Assemblyman Evan Low. The margin was five votes. What happened next was striking: Simitian bowed out of the race. Swiftly. Unreservedly. Graciously. "I lost, and I concede," he said in a written statement. "I trust the process, and I accept the result." If only a certain reckless ex-president had acted with as much responsibility and dispatch. Think how much better off the country would have been these last several years. Read more: Column: Presidential foundation was too scared to honor Liz Cheney, so he quit in disgust It's not that hard, really. "It's a pretty simple and straightforward proposition," the Santa Clara County supervisor said in a conversation this week. "If you come up short, you acknowledge that fact, you congratulate the winners and you say thank you to the people who helped get you there. "I mean, I feel like that's something every 8-year-old kid in America should have learned from their folks." Apparently not. Simitian, 71, began his political career on the Palo Alto school board in 1983. Over the next several decades, he climbed the rungs of state and local government. In Sacramento, he wrote California's hands-free cellphone law and legislation expanding green energy and early education. He began raising money for a congressional bid more than a decade ago and finally got his shot at a seat this year when the Democratic incumbent, Anna G. Eshoo, announced she would step down at the end of her term in January. It was a rare opportunity Eshoo has represented parts of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties in Congress for 30 years and there was no lack of interest. Candidates raised nearly $11 million and outside groups chipped in millions more, making the contest one of the most expensive congressional races in the country. The suspenseful count that pushed the primary into a lengthy overtime was "a bit of a roller-coaster ride," Simitian said with notable understatement. "One day you'd be up five. The next day, you'd be down one. The next day, you'd be up three." He exerted little energy on what-ifs and spent no time at all staring sleeplessly at his bedroom ceiling. "Certainly there are things where you think ... I might have done this differently, I might have done that differently," Simitian said evenly. "But you really can't second-guess yourself too much. That's not a productive exercise." Besides, Simitian said, there was the prospect of moving on to a November runoff against Liccardo, his fellow Democrat. "Candidly, my thoughts were more about, if I'm fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go forward, how do we recalibrate?" Simitian said. "How do we chart a course that will be successful" in the general election? When the final results came in, following an official recount, Simitian drafted his concession statement with help from his wife, Mary Hughes, a veteran political strategist. He posted a smiling picture of the two, taken early in the campaign, and announced his exit from the race in a jokey fashion. "The good news is the 16th congressional districts long painful exercise counting the votes is over!" he wrote. "The not-so-good news: we have come up short." Simitian described himself as disappointed, but not sad. "You don't work that hard that long to reach that goal and find that, in the flukiest of ways, your aspirations are unrealized. That's disappointing. There's no question about it," he said, elaborating on his written statement during a lunch break in Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting. But, he went on, "How can I be anything but appreciative of the fact that I've had the opportunity to do the kind of work that I really find satisfying and [notch] a dozen straight election wins before coming up five votes short?" Read more: Column: Kevin McCarthy wants vengeance. Now he's free to pursue it The result of the congressional primary was, of course, infinitesimally closer than the 2020 presidential race, which Joe Biden won clearly and unequivocally by 7 million votes and a not-close margin in the electoral college. Donald Trump's refusal to acknowledge his defeat has not only kept the country on edge the last several years but also set a template for other sore losers, such as failed Arizona gubernatorial hopeful Kari Lake, to make similarly false claims. The result, repeated polls have shown, is a dangerous erosion of faith in our elections and wobbling system of democracy. That's why Simitian's willingness to accept defeat without whining or casting false aspersions stands out though, it should be said, we've come to a sad state in our politics when doing the right thing is seen as somehow an act of chivalry. "It's sort of a simple matter of decency," Simitian said. He's right. We could use a lot more of it these days. Get the latest from Mark Z. Barabak Focusing on politics out West, from the Golden Gate to the U.S. Capitol. Sign me up. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Justice A.A. Birch Building in Nashville, in which a Community Corrections program has operated. (Photo: Brad Freeman, Metropolitan Nashville General Sessions Court) Justice A.A. Birch Building in Nashville, in which a Community Corrections program has operated. (Photo: Brad Freeman, Metropolitan Nashville General Sessions Court) Two years after doing an end-around on the Legislature, the Tennessee Department of Correction appears ready to resurrect Community Corrections programs with $11 million in funding and a new contract, according to a state senator. Republican Sen. Ed Jackson of Jackson confirmed a tentative revamping of the program this week and said he is preparing to send a letter to the Administrative Office of the Courts asking it to notify judges they can feel confident in resuming sentences to the intensive probation program. The Legislature created the program in 1985 as a last chance for offenders who didnt qualify for typical probation programs and otherwise would be headed to prison. The new direction, which remains tentative, comes after lawmakers passed a measure in 2023 prohibiting the Department of Correction from penalizing Community Corrections agencies for supervising offenders sentenced to them based under the 40-year-old law. A Department of Correction spokeswoman by deadline Wednesday to confirm or comment. Tennessee State Sen. Ed Jackson (Photo: John Partipilo) Tennessee State Sen. Ed Jackson (Photo: John Partipilo) Legislators also sent a strong message to correction officials at an August 2023 meeting that they wanted the program to be renewed, instead of shifting all offenders to the states probation program, which is considered understaffed and less effective. A year earlier, Gov. Bill Lees administration despite orders from lawmakers to keep Community Corrections going because of its effectiveness practically wrote the program out of existence with a request for proposals that required different guidelines. Vendors would have to offer either day reporting centers, outpatient treatment or a residential facility, and some werent prepared to make such a shift. Since then, Jackson and other lawmakers have been negotiating resumption of the program, in part, at the request of criminal court judges who believe it works. For instance, Jackson, chairman of a joint correction subcommittee, said he wants the Community Corrections program in Madison, Chester and Henderson counties, which is handling misdemeanor cases, to resume its former practices and start taking felony cases again. Agencies, in effect, would be prepared by July 2025 when a new request for proposals is put into effect. Correction officials met in late April, the day the Legislature adjourned sine die, and took a new outlook. They realized it definitely has merit and this program needs to come back, Jackson said. The department spent about $13.8 million when Community Corrections programs were in full effect statewide, and putting $11 million in the budget marks a philosophical turnaround for the state. Programs across Tennessee were forced to shut down two years ago when correction officials rewrote the guidelines. Five of 18 Community Corrections programs closed, affecting the greater Knoxville area, Nashville and in West Tennessee. Westate Corrections Network in Union City continued to run a Community Corrections program, supervising offenders through a day reporting center, but its clientele dropped to about 75-80 people in four counties (Obion, Weakley, Dyer and Lake) from 175, according to Executive Director Michael Walton. The agencys caseload is rebuilding, he said. A return to full force would help strengthen the Community Corrections Association and ensure probation services are provided based on the decades-old state law, Walton said. The post Community Corrections program making comeback in Tennessee appeared first on Tennessee Lookout. An aerial drone photo taken on May 8, 2024 shows boats cruising on Baiyangdian Lake in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. Baiyangdian, the largest freshwater wetland in northern China, is located in the Xiong'an New Area in Hebei. Since the Xiong'an New Area was established in 2017, the lake's rehabilitation and protection activities have been bolstered. As of 2023, the water quality in Baiyangdian had maintained Grade III in the country's five-tier quality system for three consecutive years. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) An aerial drone photo taken on May 8, 2024 shows tourists walking on the boardwalk in Baiyangdian Lake in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. Baiyangdian, the largest freshwater wetland in northern China, is located in the Xiong'an New Area in Hebei. Since the Xiong'an New Area was established in 2017, the lake's rehabilitation and protection activities have been bolstered. As of 2023, the water quality in Baiyangdian had maintained Grade III in the country's five-tier quality system for three consecutive years. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) An aerial drone photo taken on May 8, 2024 shows the scenery at Baiyangdian Lake scenic spot in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. Baiyangdian, the largest freshwater wetland in northern China, is located in the Xiong'an New Area in Hebei. Since the Xiong'an New Area was established in 2017, the lake's rehabilitation and protection activities have been bolstered. As of 2023, the water quality in Baiyangdian had maintained Grade III in the country's five-tier quality system for three consecutive years. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) An aerial drone photo taken on May 8, 2024 shows boats cruising on Baiyangdian Lake in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. Baiyangdian, the largest freshwater wetland in northern China, is located in the Xiong'an New Area in Hebei. Since the Xiong'an New Area was established in 2017, the lake's rehabilitation and protection activities have been bolstered. As of 2023, the water quality in Baiyangdian had maintained Grade III in the country's five-tier quality system for three consecutive years. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) An aerial drone photo taken on May 8, 2024 shows boats cruising on Baiyangdian Lake in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. Baiyangdian, the largest freshwater wetland in northern China, is located in the Xiong'an New Area in Hebei. Since the Xiong'an New Area was established in 2017, the lake's rehabilitation and protection activities have been bolstered. As of 2023, the water quality in Baiyangdian had maintained Grade III in the country's five-tier quality system for three consecutive years. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) An aerial drone photo taken on May 8, 2024 shows villages in Baiyangdian Lake in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. Baiyangdian, the largest freshwater wetland in northern China, is located in the Xiong'an New Area in Hebei. Since the Xiong'an New Area was established in 2017, the lake's rehabilitation and protection activities have been bolstered. As of 2023, the water quality in Baiyangdian had maintained Grade III in the country's five-tier quality system for three consecutive years. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) An aerial drone photo taken on May 8, 2024 shows villages in Baiyangdian Lake in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. Baiyangdian, the largest freshwater wetland in northern China, is located in the Xiong'an New Area in Hebei. Since the Xiong'an New Area was established in 2017, the lake's rehabilitation and protection activities have been bolstered. As of 2023, the water quality in Baiyangdian had maintained Grade III in the country's five-tier quality system for three consecutive years. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) An aerial drone photo taken on May 8, 2024 shows a tourist dock at Baiyangdian Lake in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. Baiyangdian, the largest freshwater wetland in northern China, is located in the Xiong'an New Area in Hebei. Since the Xiong'an New Area was established in 2017, the lake's rehabilitation and protection activities have been bolstered. As of 2023, the water quality in Baiyangdian had maintained Grade III in the country's five-tier quality system for three consecutive years. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) An aerial drone photo taken on May 8, 2024 shows the scenery at Baiyangdian Lake scenic spot in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. Baiyangdian, the largest freshwater wetland in northern China, is located in the Xiong'an New Area in Hebei. Since the Xiong'an New Area was established in 2017, the lake's rehabilitation and protection activities have been bolstered. As of 2023, the water quality in Baiyangdian had maintained Grade III in the country's five-tier quality system for three consecutive years. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) An aerial drone photo taken on May 8, 2024 shows boats cruising on Baiyangdian Lake in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. Baiyangdian, the largest freshwater wetland in northern China, is located in the Xiong'an New Area in Hebei. Since the Xiong'an New Area was established in 2017, the lake's rehabilitation and protection activities have been bolstered. As of 2023, the water quality in Baiyangdian had maintained Grade III in the country's five-tier quality system for three consecutive years. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) Tourists take a boat touring Baiyangdian Lake in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province, May 8, 2024. Baiyangdian, the largest freshwater wetland in northern China, is located in the Xiong'an New Area in Hebei. Since the Xiong'an New Area was established in 2017, the lake's rehabilitation and protection activities have been bolstered. As of 2023, the water quality in Baiyangdian had maintained Grade III in the country's five-tier quality system for three consecutive years. (Xinhua/Mu Yu) WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (ABC4) Earlier this week, West Valley City announced the West Valley Performing Arts Center will close at the end of the 2024 season. This decision has been met with powerful reactions from the community, many coming together to rally that the building be saved. This decision comes after careful consideration and evaluation of the centers structural integrity and huge costs associated with the repair of the facility, the city said in a press release. READ NEXT: Prosecutors decline to charge man suspected of yelling slurs at U of U womens basketball team The city said that despite their best efforts to navigate fundraising and marketing challenges, the changing landscape of the performing arts industry and the facilitys aging infrastructure have made gathering funds for necessary renovations insurmountable. The closure of the West Valley Performing Arts Center is a deeply regrettable but a necessary step to ensure the long-term stability of West Valley Arts and its continued service to the community, the release states. The press release continues to say that although the doors of the center may close, the city hopes that West Valley Arts programs can continue at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. Community response A Facebook group dedicated to saving the West Valley Performing Arts Center was created Monday when the announcement was made. Already, its garnered more than 2,000 members. At a city council meeting Tuesday night, members of the West Valley City community, performers and patrons of the center spoke about why they want the theater to be saved, and how much it has meant to them. John Sweeney, a director and producer who works with West Valley Arts productions, began his comments by congratulating West Valley Arts on winning Best of State for semi-professional theater in Utah for the second year in a row. He said since the moment he stepped into the theater, his life changed forever. When I walked into that building and saw how beautiful it was, I knew that other cities around the country would want something like that, and thats what West Valley has done, he said. He and other commenters suggested the city partner with the theater community to raise money to keep the center open. The West Valley Performing Arts Center draws in patrons from all over the state right into the heart of West Valley City to experience high-quality theatrical productions. The West Valley Performing Art Center is the heart of this community. We feel very proud of that, said one West Valley City resident. In the meeting, city manager Ifo Pili said the closure of the art center was a recommendation from him, saying that its bleeding money from the general fund. He said there are structural issues that could cost $7.6 million to repair. Im all ears too. Im open to suggestions If theres a group out there that can do this, its probably this group, he said. A petition was made on Change.org to go toward saving the theater. This decision impacts the residents of West Valley City, theatre patrons and artists in Utah including actors, technicians, set designers, intimacy coordinators, musicians, and directors that have been uplifted and enriched by the presence of West Valley Performing Arts Center, a theatre that is committed to diverse and inclusive casting and increasing accessibility to live theatre, the petition said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Cincinnati Public Schools' unions are meeting in May to cast votes of no confidence in Superintendent Iranetta Wright. When Iranetta Wright took over as superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools two years ago, she talked about her passion for collaboration and teamwork. That, she said, was how the district would improve outcomes for kids. "This is a community's work," she said in her inaugural speech. But the district's unions, employees and other community leaders say Wright has instead made herself the face of the district and bullied anyone who went against her, sparking widespread distrust and ultimately hurting teachers, staff and students. "It's all about her," said Fannie Carradine, an administrative secretary in the district's central office and president of the Cincinnati Federation of Office Professionals. The districts unions are rallying against Wright, meeting for votes of no confidence and claiming Wrights leadership style is controlling and inefficient. The state has received complaints regarding Wright's leadership and her use of vacation days and district funds. 'Our district is in chaos.' Cincinnati Public Schools unions to take vote of no confidence An employee said Tuesday the district is threatening to fire her in retaliation for speaking out against the superintendent and her inner circle. Another said she quit due to bullying and harassment at work. Kareem Moffett, a board member, told The Enquirer she senses "an increase in frustration and a mass exodus" coming. We have a culture of fear, Moffett said. The Enquirer requested an interview with Wright more than two weeks before publishing this story to give her an opportunity to respond to claims from current and former employees. The Enquirer emailed Wright at least three more times for comment, but she said an email she sent to her staff on Monday in response to the union votes would serve as her statement. Wright declined an interview and added: I deeply care about the work and input of all of our employees, who are essential to helping improve outcomes for all students. We have worked hard to build a culture of accountability, recognition and celebration. Board member praises superintendent, evaluation satisfactory Ben Lindy, who was board president when Wright was hired, said he thinks Wright is "the most talented superintendent we've had in a long time." Lindy is still on the board. He sees improvements in the district's test scores, transportation efforts and chronic absenteeism as most important, and said employees complained before Wright came to Cincinnati, too. He takes issue with anonymous complaints about Wright. "I don't think you can lead a $650 million organization based on emails that people won't put their name on," Lindy said. The board rated Wright's performance as satisfactory on her most recent evaluation. She scored lowest in the category for communication and collaboration, but the board said she shines in establishing a vision and leading the district toward improved student outcomes. In early May, Ohio's Office of Professional Conduct sent an email to the school board, which was viewed by The Enquirer, alerting board members of a referral, or complaint made about Wright, that states Wright has taken time off without charging vacation days and allowed others she's brought to the district to do the same. Wright uses "criminal tactics to intimidate, harass and bully staff," the complaint alleges, uses programs to hide her emails, uses district dollars to host "large, elaborate gatherings/meals for friends and favorite colleagues" and manipulates data to make it look like the district's kids are performing better than they actually are. In its email, the office stated it was "reaching out to gather information before making any decision on the matter." The school board will next evaluate Wright in December. The board has not discussed terminating her contract before then, Board President Eve Bolton said. But Bolton is aware of employees' opposition to the superintendent and the unions' upcoming votes. "The district is an inclusive and productive environment when it's working well," Bolton said. But the district's current budget issues indicate there are processes and decisions that should be scrutinized, she said. More: Southwest Ohio schools got $745 million in pandemic relief funds. Did they spend it all? Employee resigns over harassment, retaliation Janine De Iorio, Cincinnati Public Schools' former communications crisis manager, sent her resignation letter to district administrators March 4. Two weeks later, she took a deep breath before addressing Cincinnati's school board during public comment. De Iorio told the board she was bullied, harassed and, after she reported a physical assault, retaliated against. I am extremely concerned for the well-being of my colleagues, De Iorio said. Her voice shook. This leadership perpetuates a culture based in fear, intimidation, gaslighting and propaganda. When she was done, De Iorio went back to her seat in the audience and cried. No one on the board responded. De Iorio told The Enquirer she suffered months of bullying from another coworker in 2023, saying the employee made snide comments toward her and would "shoulder check" her in the halls. I was tired of being physically touched when I didnt want to be touched, De Iorio said. She reported the assault under harassment to the district's legal counsel. De Iorio also told her boss, Lisa Lee, about the shoulder-checking. Both women worked under Mark Sherwood, chief communications and marketing officer for the district. In her resignation letter, De Iorio told Sherwood that since he came to the district, shes seen behavior from him and his peers that made her feel uncomfortable, unsafe and unwelcome at work. Wright and Sherwood have been a team for years. They worked together at a public school district in Florida until 2017. When Wright took a job at Detroit Public Schools that year, Sherwood followed. And a month after Wright began in her role as superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools in 2022, Sherwood was hired to lead the district's communications and marketing department. Lee said Sherwood acts as a yes man for Wright. When Lee brought De Iorio's harassment concern to Sherwood, Lee said he didnt want to report it at first. Eventually Sherwood told her he would take care of it, she said. Lee reported it anyway. Sherwood told The Enquirer he followed proper protocols and reported the harassment allegation immediately to both human resources and general counsel. He said he has never restricted staff members' right to report incidents. "I strongly disagree with Ms. De Iorio's comments shared during the board meeting. Ms. De Iorio resigned her employment on her own accord," Sherwood said. After the harassment complaints were filed, both women said, Sherwood started to reassign their job duties to other employees and undermined them in team meetings. De Iorio, who was supposed to craft the district's messages to the community about various crises, said she was finding out about emergency school situations in the news. Lee was reprimanded for unprofessional behavior, including yelling angrily in the workplace and interrupting colleagues during meetings, according to her personnel file. She was issued a warning after a disciplinary conference held in February. De Iorio said she sought therapy to deal with the anxiety the job created. Lee said shes suffered panic attacks and has a cardiologist now to address her work-related stress symptoms. De Iorio and Lee filed union complaints against Sherwood. De Iorio quit before her complaint went to Wright for approval, but Wright reviewed and dismissed Lee's complaint. Lee also filed charges against the district with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, which remain open. Less than three weeks after Lee spoke with The Enquirer, and two days before the story was published, she said she was called into a meeting with the district's legal counsel and human resources without her union representative or lawyer, both of whom she's entitled to have present and told she would be fired if she did not withdraw her complaints. Lee did not sign the separation agreement, and the district deactivated her work email and revoked her work devices. 'I guess she wants the spotlight' De Iorio's complaints mirror concerns outlined in a letter sent to the school board last April from union leaders representing over 200 district administrators, principals and assistant principals. They said Wright established a culture of intimidation and fear, that she embarrasses employees in meetings and micromanages to a fault. Wright said at the time that her leadership style may be different from former district leaders, but she's committed to making adjustments that ultimately align with the board's goals and best serve children. De Iorio said she believed in Wright at first. But not anymore. She said that if adults in the district dont feel supported, children arent going to get the best that you can give. Carradine, who works in the district's central office, said she's received concerning calls from her union members the last several years. Most upsetting to her were consistent complaints that clerical staff at schools were asked to distribute medicine to kids not just bandages or aspirin, Carradine said, but giving shots to diabetic children and counting carbs. Fannie Carradine, administrative secretary for Cincinnati Public Schools and president of the Cincinnati Federation of Office Professionals, is photographed at their office on May 3. "We're not nurses," Carradine said. But when she protested, she said Wright shot back that the district needs "all hands on deck." Carradine has worked with the district for 26 years. She graduated from Cincinnati Public Schools, as have her children. "I truly love CPS. It's the heart of everything that I do. And I know that we have good teachers, administrators and people in here every day that are working really hard to make our students successful," Carradine said. Even so, she said, she knows of several employees that have left meetings with Wright in tears. Meanwhile, most of what Carradine sees of the superintendent is in the selfies Wright posts with students on social media. "I guess she wants the spotlight," Carradine said. That spotlight, other union leaders say, distracts from concerning decisions Wright and her team are making. Michelle Dunn, an organizer with the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers, spoke at a recent school board meeting about millions of dollars the administration has spent on contracts with out-of-state vendors for tasks that could be easily done locally or in-house. "We've had an unprecedented year of unproductive disruption and frustration from this superintendent and her team," Dunn said. "Our thousands of members who have had to work through all the dysfunction and delay share it has never been this bad. And trust me, there would be hundreds testifying just that if it were not for concerns of retaliation." In response to the impending union votes of no confidence, Wright sent a mass email to all staff on Monday. She encouraged her staff to "consider the progress we have made in a short time" and wrote, "I have 100% confidence in each of you." Julie Sellers, president of the teachers union, said the email was "inappropriate, unprofessional and was sent to intimidate employees." The unions are expected to place their votes of no confidence by mid-May. De Iorio has started a new job elsewhere in the city. But when she came to Cincinnati, she had hoped to spend the rest of her career working for Cincinnati Public Schools. "I left the position, I didn't leave CPS," De Iorio said. "My heart is still with the kids." This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Complaints mount against CPS Superintendent Iranetta Wright A 49-year-old inmate serving life without parole for an execution-style slaying in San Bernardino was stabbed to death at Californias High Desert State Prison, officials announced Wednesday. Scott Cook, who was transferred to the facility in Nov. 2000, was discovered at around 9:30 a.m. on May 3 suffering from multiple stab wounds, according to a news release from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He was taken to the prisons triage and treatment area where he was pronounced dead at 9:53 a.m. Cook was convicted in San Bernardino County in 1996 for killing Patrick Lynn Daily, The Sun reported. The 49-year-old and other accomplices forced the victim into the back of his truck, drove the vehicle to Lytle Creek and made Daily get on his knees before Cook shot and robbed him. Inmate, 49, stabbed to death in California prison Officials at CDCR said that two other prisoners, 30-year-old John Patch and 36-year-old Zachary Harris, reportedly attacked Cook with inmate manufactured weapons that were recovered at the scene. Patch was sentenced to life without parole in Dec. 2022 for crimes including second-degree murder with personal use of a dangerous or deadly weapon. Inmate, 49, stabbed to death in California prison Harris was sentenced in July 2021 to 24 years and eight months for crimes that included attempted second-degree murder and possession of a short-barreled shotgun or rifle. 3 dead after grisly murder-suicide involving a spear in Southern California Both suspects were moved to restricted housing while the homicide is being investigated. Prison officials also said population movement on the yard has been limited while members of HDSPs Investigative Service Unit conduct the investigation. So far, investigators have provided no information on a possible motive. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. FILE PHOTO: A view of a makeshift barricade built by residents out of abandoned vehicles to block a road and prevent gangs from entering their community, in Port-au-Prince By Aaron Ross NAIROBI (Reuters) - Civilian contractors have arrived in Haiti to build living quarters for a Kenyan-led international security force meant to counter gang violence in the Caribbean nation, the U.S. military's Southern Command said. The U.N. Security Council approved in October the creation of the Multinational Security Support mission to help Haitian police wrest back territory from alliances of gangs who control most of the capital Port-au-Prince. Kenya pledged 1,000 officers to lead the force last July, but their deployment has been repeatedly delayed, first by court challenges and then by a surge of violence in Port-au-Prince that forced the Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign in March. Kenyan President William Ruto told Reuters last week that the swearing-in of a transition council in Haiti on April 25 had addressed that concern and Kenya was discussing how to proceed. U.S. military aircraft flew civilian contractors to Haiti from May 3 to May 5 to secure equipment and supplies arriving in the country, Southern Command said in a statement to Reuters. "Additional contractors who have recently been transported are there to set up the temporary living area for the eventual arrival of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission," it said. Jamaica, the Bahamas, Barbados, Benin, Chad and Bangladesh have also pledged personnel to the force. The Kenyan contingent that will deploy reassembled this week for the first time since the Kenyan government announced in March that the deployment would be delayed, said a Kenyan security official, who asked not to be named. A Kenyan government spokesperson said in a text message that the deployment was "on course" but did not respond to a question about when it would happen. Foreign governments have been reluctant to participate in the mission. Many Haitians have also been wary of international interventions after previous U.N. missions left behind a devastating cholera epidemic and sex abuse scandals. (Reporting by Aaron Ross; Editing by Susan Fenton) (KRON) A Brentwood police officer found a cache of keys belonging to different makes and models of vehicles after the officer pulled over a car without a rear license plate, police said. The license plate violation traffic stop happened at 4 p.m. Sunday near Lone Tree Way and Canada Valley Road. Police said the driver, 35 year-old Robert Garcia of Antioch, admitted to the officer that he did not have a drivers license. Garcia was also on felony probation for a vehicle theft conviction, police said. Brentwood police said a convicted auto thief had this cache of cars keys when he was pulled over. (BPD photo) After searching Garcias car, the officer found several sets of keys belonging to different makes of cars, along with shaved keys, numerous tools, blades, cutting instruments, a car jack, a flipper device which can be used to hack digital devices, and other tools, the Brentwood Police Department wrote. Garcia was arrested for being in possession of burglary tools, violating his probation terms, and for bringing drugs into the county jail, according to BPD. (Image courtesy Brentwood Police Department) The police department wrote, This incident exemplifies the proactive efforts of our officers in detecting and addressing criminal behavior, contributing to the maintenance of public safety, and the prevention of further criminal activity in the community. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. CORONADO, Calif. (KUSI) Coronado students are getting politically active after cross-border sewage pollution has shut down local beaches for a record number of days. For decades, the sewage crisis was considered an Imperial Beach problem. But it has recently become an issue for Coronado, as well. A Coronado High School student started the club, Stop the Sewage, last spring. Man suspected of killing three surfers identified by Mexican authorities Some people might say, this is just some kids protesting. But actually, when Im back in D.C., talking with the congressmembers, they say, this makes a difference hearing from our constituents, the youth, it actually has an impact, Coronado City Councilmember John Duncan said to KUSI. Watch Dan Plantes report from Coronado in the video player above. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. A council in Yorkshire is abandoning apostrophes from road signs because they cause problems for computer databases - chrisdorney/iStockphoto In 1969, Kingsley Amis wrote a letter of complaint to a magazine created to serve the teaching profession. Its title? Teachers World. Shouldnt that name have an apostrophe in it somewhere? asked the author of Lucky Jim, acidly. But I suppose it is safer to drop it if you arent too sure where it should go. In response, the editor of Teachers World insisted that it wasnt a mistake. On the contrary, he wrote, the apostrophe had been dropped deliberately for modern design reasons. Somehow, that makes it seem even more annoying. Still, if Amis thought that was bad, thank goodness he isnt around today. Hed be utterly aghast because the apostrophe, it seems, is now in greater peril than ever. For proof, see this weeks news from North Yorkshire, where a council has confirmed that it is no longer putting apostrophes on road signs. At first, I assumed this was due to yet more council budget problems. (We would add the right punctuation but we cant afford the paint. We can just about scrape together the cost of the letters, but apostrophes? Get real. For a mere 2,000 a year in council tax, you can hardly expect apostrophes.) For once, however, a shortage of money isnt the reason. Instead, the council claims that it has no choice but to abandon apostrophes because they cause problems for computer databases. Seriously? Are computers really that hopelessly intransigent? If so, we clearly have less to fear from AI than we thought. Computers are scarcely likely to steal all our jobs if they cant manage to do the basics of their own. But even if the councils computers cant cope with apostrophes, why on earth should that stop signwriters using them? Then again, signwriters have been known to have difficulty with apostrophes themselves. In Derbyshire I once passed a shop that proclaimed its owners to be The best signwriters in town. At any rate, people in North Yorkshire are up in arms about their councils decision. And quite right, too. Only a pedant really minds when a grocer omits an apostrophe. But when a council does it, on road signs that were forced to pass every day, it looks so depressingly cheap and shabby a small but sorry symbol of national decline. An emblem of a country that just cant be bothered any more. The powers that be know perfectly well that apostrophe-free road signs are illiterate. Theyve simply decided that its too much trouble to fix them. Hearteningly, an unknown member of the public in Harrogate has used a black marker pen to reinstate the apostrophe missing from a new sign for St Marys Walk. I just hope that this anonymous grammatical vigilante doesnt get caught or he or she could be charged with a very modern crime. Vandalising a sign by correcting 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. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) More than 200 migrant misdemeanor cases of rioting have been dismissed and the defendants discharged after an El Paso County judge determined he had no jurisdiction over the matter. The 214 cases are in relation to the March 21 border riot that happened at Gate 36. During a jurisdiction plea hearing, El Paso County public defender Kelli Childress argued that the state did not follow the proper legal path in transferring jurisdiction, therefore County Court of Law Judge Ruben Morales had no grounds to take on the cases. Childress said the more than 200 cases were moved to a district court after being indicted by the District Attorneys Office but were sent back to county. In order to confer jurisdiction from one court to another, a transfer order needs to give something that was missing on the states end. The state argued that Judge Morales court oversaw misdemeanor cases, and he did have jurisdiction. Ultimately, Morales sided with the public defense and said his hands are tied without the order transfer. Childress said she couldnt understand why the state would choose to indict in the first place and the efforts only wastes resources. My office alone has 1,600 cases awaiting screening by the DAs office, so 800 of those have been waiting more than six months. 400 of those have been waiting more than a year and these cases, somehow, 18 hours after theyre dismissed for no probable cause, those are able to be brought to a grand jury. Its very frustrating, said Childress. The DAs office did not offer comment after the hearing. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. Couple says suspected burglar took a shower before taking their stuff MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) A couple says a suspected burglar took a shower and ate some food before stealing about $400 worth of items from their home in Memphis, Tennessee, last month. Tara Carter and Lucas Healy said the suspect got in through an unlocked door late at night and stayed in the house for nearly an hour. On Tuesday, the Memphis Police Department released surveillance video, seen below, of the suspect walking around the duplex on April 27. They kind of made themselves at home, Carter told Nexstars WREG. Carter said when they got home about two hours later, she realized things were missing, and someone had been in her bathroom. Clothes, a shirt, pants and socks were on the floor, and our whole bathtub was filled with dirty water, including blue soap that was my body wash, Carter said. I kind of just freaked out. She said the intruder also grabbed a can of root beer and a piece of cheese from their kitchen and stole a bag, shoes, and clothing from their closet and laundry. They went through our laundry and took our dirty clothes, Healy said. Game of Thrones actor Ian Gelder dies five months after cancer diagnosis Healy said the camera footage shows the person wearing their clothing before leaving the home. He said the suspect also took a pair of shoes and left some black sneakers behind. Yeah, we still have the shoes. The shoes are sitting by the front door. We just found them a couple of days ago, Healy said. The couple said they felt safe in their cove, but now they feel violated and will be taking extra safety precautions. Luckily, we didnt come home when they were in there, Carter said. I have two cats. That was a big concern. What if they would have harmed them in any way? Authorities havent made an arrest or provided any additional details about the case. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. ANKARA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- A Corendon Airlines's Boeing 737-800 flying from Cologne, Germany, to Antalya, Turkiye, was evacuated on Thursday after experiencing a flat tire and damage to its front strut upon landing at Gazipasa Airport, according to the country's Transport and Infrastructure Ministry. The ministry said in a statement that all 190 people on board the jet airliner were safely evacuated following the emergency, which occurred around 11:00 a.m. local time (0800 GMT). There were no reported injuries among the passengers, and initial assessments indicate no damage to the runway. The ministry stated that incoming flights will be diverted to Antalya Airport while the technical team inspects the Corendon aircraft, which will be towed from the runway. This incident follows a Wednesday event at Istanbul Airport where a cargo plane landed on its fuselage without causing any casualties. The High Anti-Corruption Court on May 9 issued an arrest warrant for Deputy Agriculture Minister Markiian Dmytrasevych. Dmytrasevych is one of the suspects in an embezzlement case involving Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi. Law enforcement services previously did not manage to hand Dmytrasevych a notice of suspicion as he was abroad on a business trip. Dmytrasevych left Ukraine on April 12 and returned in late April, when Solskyi's arrest had been already authorized. KI Insights Visit KI Insights to learn more and subscribe to the insider weekly newsletter visit ki insights Dmytrasevych was taken into custody until July 7 with an alternative of Hr 20.3 million (around $514,600) bail. Solskyi is suspected of illegally appropriating Ukrainian state-owned land worth Hr 291 million ($7.3 million) and attempting to seize another plot worth an additional Hr 190 million ($4.8 million), according to Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU). Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court ordered the minister's arrest on April 26. Solskyi was ordered to be held in custody until June 24, but he posted a Hr 75.7 million ($1.9 million) bail on the same day and was released. The ministry later reported that Solskyi returned to perform his work duties despite the news of his announced resignation. Read also: Agriculture minister accused of illegal acquisition of state-owned land arrested, promptly released on $1.9 million bail Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. CAMP HILL, Pa. (WHTM) As Pennsylvanians get ready for the upcoming 2024 general election, political yard signs will soon start appearing all over the state. Last April, Camp Hill Borough in Cumberland County filed an appeal after their ordinance to limit those signs was thrown out in District Court. Today, the boroughs appeal was also rejected. PAST COVERAGE: Camp Hill Borough appeals ruling on political yard signs The Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday to uphold the Districts ruling siding with the challengers of the ordinance. When the appeal was first made, one Camp Hill resident who opposed the ordinance told abc27 that she felt the limitation would violate her rights. I think they want to violate our First Amendment right and they dont understand how the Constitution works, Anita Burton, a Camp Hill resident said. In a press release following todays ruling, the Borough released the following statement. The Borough is disappointed with the Third Circuits decision and is concerned with the potential sprawling impact it may have on the ability of the Borough and other municipalities to meaningfully regulate signs in pursuit of traffic safety and aesthetics. This is a particular problem in a uniquely dense community like the Borough. At this time, the Borough is evaluating this decision with its legal counsel and is continuing to assess all available legal options. Statement from Camp Hill Borough Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now WHTM Daily Digest The borough also said residents with questions about the ruling can contact Borough Manager, Sara Gibson, at (717) 737-3456 for more information. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. The U.S. Air Force sent two teams of combat rescue officers and pararescuemen to the scene U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Darius Sostre-Miroir The ill passenger was airlifted from the cruise ship, which was 350 nautical miles off the U.S, east coast in the Atlantic A U.S. Air Force rescue crew helped save a cruise passengers life. The 920th Rescue Wing which is the Air Force Reserve Commands only combat search and rescue wing said in a press release that its crew helped transport a critical patient who was onboard a cruise ship to a medical facility for treatment on Saturday, May 4. They said that the ship had been located more than 350-nautical-miles or 402 miles off the eastern coast of the U.S., and within hours of receiving the report of the ill passenger, two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and two teams of combat rescue officers and pararescuemen were dispatched to fly to the ships location to help the individual. Everyone in the wing mobilized with exceptional speed, said Capt. Dylan Gann, 301st Rescue Squadron pilot, in the release. By uniting our efforts, we saved crucial time, delivering life-saving assistance six hours ahead of other response teams. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Darius Sostre-Miroir The 920th Rescue Wing carried out a civil search and rescue operation of a medically ill person aboard a cruise ship on May 4, 2024 Related: Man Rescued 2 Days After Driving Car Over California Cliff and Falling 'Several Hundred Feet' Our collective determination and efficiency ensured the successful rescue and transport of the individual in need, Gann added. The 920th Rescue Wing said that it was a collaborative effort as staff sent weather directed information to the flight teams so that they knew how to reach the location safely, while flight doctors also worked to find the right treatment facility for the patient during the mission. The helicopters eventually reached the location and pararescuemen retrieved the ill passenger and his mother, who were then hoisted up into the helicopter. The passenger received medical attention as he was being transported to the hospital, according to the 920th Rescue Wing. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Darius Sostre-Miroir A photo of the 920th Rescue Wing's rescue operation. Related: Drone Captures Terrifying Close-Up Footage of People Trapped in Pakistan Cable Car Before Rescue: Watch Despite the missions success, the U.S. Air Force division noted that it wasnt an easy one, as due to the cruise ships remote location, the helicopters required three air-to-air refuelings from a probe that transferred fuel mid-flight. However, the 920th Rescue Wing said they were prepared for anything. This is what ready now looks like, said Lt. Col. John Lowe, 920th Operations Group commander, in the release. These real-world missions are what our countless hours of training have prepared us for. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Darius Sostre-Miroir A photo of the 920th Rescue Wing's aircraft used during the mission Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Rescue was able to plan and execute this mission without hesitation, he continued. This combined arms team is highly trained in their field while understanding what role they play in the bigger picture and led to the successful completion of the mission. The 920th Rescue Wing said that over 1,000 miles were flown during the mission and it took eight hours to complete from when all the aircraft left Patrick Space Force Base, Florida. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Critics Say Sen. Katie Britt Hasn't Gotten 'Any Less Weird' After Fox News Bit Its been two months since the State of the Union, but Sen. Katie Britt is still generating social media mockery. The Alabama Republican was widelyridiculed for her bizarre and factually inaccurate rebuttal to President Joe Bidens address earlier this year. She delivered similarly dramatic remarks on Fox News Wednesday. This is why we need President Trump back in the White House, she told host Sean Hannity. He understands the values this nation was built on. He will not bend to the woke mob. He will let our children be children. He will let them grow and thrive, and learn to stand for the flag, to love this country and to be who they are, she continued. Katie Britt tells Hannity that "we need President Trump back in the White House" because he'll teach kids "to stand for the flag" pic.twitter.com/zB5ErwDxH6 Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 9, 2024 Former President Donald Trump is currently on trial for allegedly falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016. She claims they had sex in a hotel room the year after he married his wife, Melania Trump. Trump has also been found liable for fraud, sexual abuse and defamation in civil trials. He faces three other criminal indictments, two related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and another over his handling of classified documents. On Jan. 6, 2021, Trump supporters desecrated the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn Trumps election loss. Rioters carried Trump flags and Confederate flags, and assaulted police with their flagpoles. Trump has pledged to pardon those people, hailing them as patriots. Britts comments were torn apart on X (formerly Twitter). We regret to inform you she has not gotten any less weird, posted anti-Trump network MeidasTouch. See some of the other reactions below. and screwing porn stars while your wife is home with an infant is awesome! Such a good Christian. https://t.co/estPsgeL1u Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) May 9, 2024 The Republican Party is a cesspool of stupidity. Trump populism, devoid of ideas, guiding philosophy or substance. Full of inane slogans and contrived culture war nonsense. They found a new road under Trump - Lowest Common Denominator Blvd. https://t.co/9E83scVdwg Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) May 9, 2024 Did Katie Britt ever apologize for lying to millions after the State of The Union speech. She is a millionaire who wants to keep her tax cuts so she ignores the fact that Donald Trump is a scumbag. pic.twitter.com/YoKtp6cN0x James Tate (@JamesTate121) May 9, 2024 No president in history has engaged in a more un-American act but these frauds are intent on portraying him as some great patriot. https://t.co/eXHqylyL5c Michael Freeman (@michaelpfreeman) May 9, 2024 I love how based on recent trends in the Republican party in like 3 years she's going to write a memoir about skinning the family cat on the kitchen countertop the day before her SOTU response, and she's gonna give unapologetic interviews about it with that same soulless smile https://t.co/bi8yeUjAgf The okayest poster there is (@ok_post_guy) May 9, 2024 The creepy Handmaids Tale lady is back at it again with the fascist takes. https://t.co/kHkpMjGNon Voter Protection Project (@voterprotectpac) May 9, 2024 With Kristi Noem taking heat, Katie Britt sees a comeback opportunity https://t.co/wrBKxpYSan Susan J. Demas (@sjdemas) May 9, 2024 What DJT is teaching children is how to bully, that abuse & cheating is okay, & that one never takes responsibility for their actions. Britt is again displaying her desire to return to a time when women and children had far fewer rights. He's never been an acceptable role model. https://t.co/Ltzlqzb1ID Rita Smith (@VAWNoMore) May 9, 2024 Related... Cuyahoga Falls man sentenced to up to 19 years in prison in Green carjacking, kidnapping Mark Carlson, 45, of Cuyahoga Falls, is escorted by sheriff's deputies after being sentenced to prison Thursday by Summit County Common Pleas Judge Kathryn Michael for kidnapping three children and carjacking two vehicles. Summit County Sheriff Deputy John Lombardi still has daily headaches after Mark Carlson, 45, rammed his police cruiser at 130 mph on Aug. 3 with a stolen vehicle. The collision left Lombardi concussed, cut up and bruised. But that pain, Lombardi said Thursday morning at Carlson's sentencing, is nothing compared to the terror three children felt when Carlson stole their mother's vehicle with them still inside earlier that day. Carjacking: Green kidnapping, carjacking suspect pleads not guilty to 6 felonies "You chose victims who could not defend themselves," Lombardi told Carlson. "There are three children who you have forever burned the image of your face in their minds." Carlson was sentenced to 15 to 19 years in prison for a carjacking spree that saw him fight a driver and kidnap the three children. Carlson took plea deal in April Carlson pleaded guilty in April to four counts of robbery, three counts of kidnapping, one count of felonious assault and one count of failing to comply with a police officer, according to court records. As part of the deal with prosecutors, three counts of abduction, two counts of attempted grand theft of a motor vehicle, two counts of grand theft of a motor vehicle and one count each of endangering children and vandalism were dismissed. "I'm grateful no one was seriously injured and no one was killed in this case," said Summit County Common Pleas Judge Kathryn Michael, who presided over the case. Summit County Sheriff's Deputy John Lombardo talks Thursday with Judge Kathryn Michael after giving a statement about being in a cruiser that was rammed at high speed by Mark Carlson, who was sentenced to prison for kidnapping three children and carjacking two vehicles. Carjacking spree ended in foot chase The carjacking spree took Carlson from Akron to Green and back again. It was in Green, after he stole his first vehicle and attempted to take another, where he fought with a female driver and drove off with her three children. They were ages 2, 5 and 6 at the time of the incident. Leaving the scene, he struck a Taco Bell with the vehicle. That's when he let the two eldest children out before fleeing south on Interstate 77. He dropped the third child off at a Circle K on Massillon Road. Toward the end of the chase, Carlson rammed Lombardi's vehicle and attempted to ram another cruiser, Lombardi recalled Thursday. After the crash, Carlson fled on foot, running into a wooded area where Akron police helped deputies arrest him. "When you rammed my car at 130 mph, you were trying to take me out," he told Carlson. Attorney Troy Reeves who represented Carlson said his client was under the influence of drugs during the spree and described the series of incidents as a "nightmare." "I'm sorry for scaring other people. I'm sorry that it had to happen," Carlson said. "I can't really tell you the reason why it happened; it was like a snowball effect." Mark Carlson, 45 of Cuyahoga Falls, looks away as Summit County Sheriff's Deputy John Lombardi walks past him after giving a statement at his sentencing Thursday in Summit County Common Pleas Court. Mark Carlson's father asks for visitation Before he was sentenced, Carlson's 83-year-old father asked if he could visit his son in prison. In previous prison sentences, he was not allowed to see his son. "I've been a victim in previous cases. I was never allowed to see him," he said. "I'm 83; if that rule was applied now, I might never see Mark again." Although Michael said she would not limit visitations, she explained that she can't dictate how prisons operate. After Carlson received his sentence, two deputies escorted him out of the courtroom. He turned to his dad and smiled. "I love you, dad," he said. Mark Carlson, 45 of Cuyahoga Falls, talks with his attorney Troy Reeves on Thursday during his sentencing in Summit County Common Pleas Court. 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: Mark Carlson sentenced to 15 to 19 years in carjacking, kidnapping Czech president says first batch of shells to arrive in Ukraine in June The first batch of ammunition purchased by allied countries under the Czech-led initiative is expected to arrive in Ukraine in June, Czech President Petr Pavel told German broadcaster ARD on May 8. Czech President Petr Pavel said in February that Prague had identified 500,000 155 mm shells and 300,000 122 mm shells outside Europe that could be bought and sent to Ukraine after the necessary funds were allocated to the initiative. Several countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Canada, Poland, France, Denmark, and Slovenia, have since contributed funds to the Czech initiative, which may result in the delivery of 1.5 million rounds to Kyiv. The first 180,000 pieces of ammunition will be delivered in June, and "there are already contracts for a further five to six-digit number of shells," Pavel told ARD. Pavel acknowledged that the West has been "very cautious in its support" for Ukraine, resulting in "long debates" about weapons deliveries. "If we had skipped this period of reflection and risk assessment, Ukraine would have received this aid months, perhaps even years earlier and the situation could have been different," Pavel said. Pavel launched the initiative against the backdrop of Ukraine losing the key front-line city of Avdiivka in February amid a severe ammunition shortage. Russia has since intensified aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities and gained a foothold along Ukraine's eastern front line. "We should learn from the past and provide assistance now to the fullest extent and as quickly as possible to prevent Ukraine from losing more territory and lives," Pavel said. Read also: Slovak citizens raise funds to buy over 2,500 shells for Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. (KRON) One of the largest seizures of fentanyl in Santa Clara County history happened inside a San Jose couples home, where 13 pounds of fentanyl was found stashed under their babys crib, prosecutors revealed on Thursday. A 1-year-old boy lived inside a home riddled with drugs. The babys father, 27-year-old Octavian Moreno, and mother, 23-year-old Krystal Delgado, stored a backpack under a crib where the baby slept, prosecutors said. Inside the backpack, investigators allegedly found 25,000 fentanyl pills. Moreno and Delgado were arrested when the Santa Clara County Specialized Enforcement Team raided their home on May 7. Officers found the couples one-year-old baby playing in his playpen a few feet away from one of the bags of marijuana. Cocaine was found in a kitchen cabinet next to the babys formula, the District Attorneys Office wrote. During the raid, SCCSET seized 1.5 pounds of cocaine, a loaded gun, 13 pounds of marijuana, digital scales for weighing narcotics, and thousands of dollars in cash, the DAs Office said. Prosecutors said the 13 pounds of fentanyl was packaged as 25,000 pills in plastic baggies. The loaded gun was found in an unlocked drawer in the kitchen, investigators said. The parents will make their first court appearance on Thursday afternoon for an arraignment at the Hall of Justice in San Jose. Prosecutors charged Moreno and Delgado with five felony counts, including child endangerment and possession of narcotics for sale. If convicted, the duo will face up to 18 years in prison. District Attorney Jeff Rosen said his office is determined to hold Moreno and Delgado responsible for criminal and dangerous behavior. This is a county where fentanyl and the callous disregard for its lethality took the lives of two small children Baby Phoenix and Baby Winter. I had hoped that their short lives had gained some meaning as a warning to all parents. I am relieved today that we have not added another name to that tragic list, Rosen said. Baby Phoenix, a 3-month-old girl, died on May 13, 2023 from a toxic combination of methamphetamine and fentanyl while she was at home with her father and her mother was in rehab. Both of Phoenixs parents were drug addicts, according to testimony delivered at a preliminary hearing. Her mother, Emily De La Cerda, died from a fentanyl overdose at home just a few months after Phoenix died. Her father, 38-year-old David Castro, is facing felony child endangerment charges. Baby Winters parents Derek Vaughn Rayo, 27, and Kelly Gene Richardson, 28 waited more than 12 hours before they called 911 to report that their daughter was dead on August 12, 2023, according to the DAs Office. The 18-month-old baby had 15 times the lethal amount of fentanyl in her blood when she died from an overdose, investigators said. Baby Winters parents are the first in Santa Clara Countys history to be charged with murdering their own child with drugs. Two alleged drug dealers who supplied the parents with fentanyl were also charged with murder. The District Attorneys Office wrote, Phillip Ortega, 31, of Gilroy, and Paige Vitale, 32, of San Jose, provided Winters parents with a steady supply of opioids and shared the drugs, while the baby girl wandered inside the drug-littered San Jose residence. Evidence shows that the babysitting dealers left opioids and dirty drug paraphernalia in the open around the house where the baby could find them. Just 2mg of fentanyl, the amount on the tip of this pencil, can be enough to kill an average adult, according to the DEA. (Image courtesy DEA) Fentanyl is a highly addictive opioid thats lethal in very small amounts. Just two milligrams is enough to kill an adult, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Three items from China have been listed as documentary heritage on the Asia Pacific regional register of UNESCO's Memory of the World (MOW) Programme, the National Archives Administration of China said Thursday. The listed items include archives relating to traditional teahouses in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, genealogical records of the communities of Huizhou in east China's Anhui Province, and printing blocks housed at the Dege Sutra Printing House in Sichuan. The decision was approved at the 10th General Meeting of the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific, convened from Tuesday to Wednesday in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. To date, China has 17 items of documentary heritage inscribed on the MOW regional register for Asia and the Pacific. Dad kidnaps 3-year-old son in SC, sets truck on fire with child still inside, cops say A South Carolina man accused of kidnapping his son and leading troopers on a chase that ended in a fiery crash has been arrested, authorities say. The 31-year-old man was arrested Wednesday, May 8, across the Georgia state line after he was accused of attacking his childs mother in Belton, South Carolina, according to a news release from the Anderson County Sheriffs Office. The man left with their 3-year-old son and held him hostage, deputies said. At one point, he threatened to kill the child, who was riding in the front seat of his Ford pickup truck, according to Georgia State Patrol. McClatchy News is not identifying the suspect to protect the identity of the victims. Authorities followed the man onto Interstate 85, and a chase ensued as he crossed into Georgia, troopers said. As they closed in, authorities said they noticed the trucks cabin was filled with smoke. The man lit a fire, then leapt from the drivers side window of his moving truck, leaving his son behind, Georgia troopers said. The truck was going approximately 55 mph. The vehicle hit an embankment and was quickly engulfed in flames, according to authorities. Deputies found the boy on the drivers side floorboard with severe burns after crews extinguished the flames. He was airlifted to a burn center in critical condition, troopers said. The man was also hospitalized after the crash. The 31-year-old was recently arrested on a charge of domestic violence, and his childs mother was granted a protective order against him, according to the sheriffs office. Our hearts are with the childs mother as she faces this unimaginable situation, the Anderson County Sheriffs Office wrote on Facebook. We ask the community for their continued prayers for the 3-year-old boy as he fights inside the trauma center. Troopers said the man faces multiple charges that will be made public at a later date. Anderson County is about a 120-mile drive northwest from Columbia. If you are experiencing domestic violence and need someone to talk to, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline for support at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788. Three siblings die in apparent murder-suicide while mom is at hospital, Georgia cops say 12-year-old faced evil and torment by dad, his girlfriend before death, officials say Man accused of abducting, raping 13-year-olds at Airbnb had plans for OnlyFans, feds say Dad Says 10-Year-Old Son 'Needs a Miracle' After Being Swept Into Storm Drain: 'The Damage Is Substantial' Rutherford County Schools Director Jimmy Sullivan wrote that his son Asher is "not showing much brain activity outside of muscle jerks" Rutherford County Schools Asher Sullivan A Tennessee father is asking for prayers, and a "miracle," after his youngest son was swept into a storm drain on Wednesday, May 8. Jimmy Sullivan, the Director of Schools at Rutherford County, made a Facebook post on Thursday, May 9, saying that his 10-year-old son Asher was "involved in a tragic event" following a storm. Sullivan wrote that somehow Asher "got caught" in a storm drain and "was swept under the neighborhood streets." "He eventually came out in a drainage ditch and CPR was administered for quite some time. His heart beat was reestablished but the damage is substantial," Sullivan wrote, adding that his son's "lungs are severely damaged and he is not showing much brain activity outside of muscle jerks." "Pray for healing for his lungs and most importantly brain activity to occur," he added. "Asher needs a miracle." Related: Florida Teacher and Basketball Coach Found Dead in Storm Drain Near School Gym: 'Tragic Accident' Asher is currently at Vanderbilt Medical Center in stable but critical condition, per WGNS. A neighbor told WSMV that Asher was trying to grab his shoe when he got swept into the drain, and that 50 people including first responders were at the scene. Rutherford County Schools also shared the news to its own Facebook page, writing that there's been "an outpouring of love and support from the community" and that Asher's family needs "tons of prayers" amid the tragedy. Related: Shipwrecked Man's 'Yelling' Helps Search Team Locate Him After 5 Hours Adrift Getty Ambulance stock image A community prayer vigil will be taking place at the RCS District Office at 2 p.m. local time, with all "welcome to attend and show support." RCS also shared on Facebook that all schools were closed on Thursday, citing "several flooding issues tonight, several areas without electricity and several trees down that will impact buses" in the areas of Eagleville and Christiana. NBC News reports that over 200,000 customers were without power across Tennessee, North and South Carolina and Georgia as of 8 a.m. ET on Thursday, and that at least 3 people died in a 24-hour span amid severe weather conditions within those states. Two of those deaths took place in Tennessee. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Dirk Couvson was still lying in the street still bleeding when he made his first phone call after the crash. He called his mother. Lythia Bouie answered the phone at almost 11 p.m., and for a moment, she thought her wisecracking youngest boy was joking. But she heard something terrible in her sons voice, something in the way he said Momma. More than three months later, she could still barely talk about it. Couvson, just 20 years old, said he told her that night, My leg is gone. He had been riding his motorcycle to pick up food on the way home from work Jan. 7. As Couvson was making a left turn from the Business 80 offramp just east of Harvard Street onto Arden Way, someone driving a car blew through a red light and smashed into Couvson. The driver sped off. Couvson never lost consciousness, and he remembered everything, lying on the street. His leg didnt hurt, exactly, but it felt like it was on fire. The police report says they found Couvson around 11 p.m. He was on the ground by the offramp. A passerby had seen a car speed away from the scene, then pulled over and called 911 when he saw Couvson. The witness told police he thought the driver was going 60 mph maybe even faster. The Sacramento Police Department report says investigators found 40 yards of fresh tire marks on Arden heading west through the area of impact. The crash was preceded by a series of mundane decisions. Couvson agreed to work 2:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. that Sunday not his usual shift. He rode his motorcycle not his usual mode of transportation at night. When he got off work, he was hungry. He headed toward the In-N-Out on Alta Arden Expressway. Now, as he struggles to make ends meet on a meager Employment Development Department Disability Insurance payment thats less than a quarter of his previous wages, as he recovers from his injuries and frequently wakes up from nightmares gasping for breath, he keeps asking himself, What if? What if he hadnt told his boss he could work the Sunday shift that day? What if he had never ridden a motorcycle at all? Another what if? a subtler one hovers around Sacramentos City Hall. Municipal workers have already identified Arden Way as part of the high-injury network: Its one of the surface streets with the highest numbers of serious injuries and deaths in vehicle crashes. Sacramento leaders made a Vision Zero pledge seven years ago to fix the citys dangerous streets and to end debilitating and deadly crashes. Sacramento has made some progress, which includes recent safety-enhancing changes to dozens of blocks in the city center. But such evidence-based improvements have not yet been made to Arden Way, where the posted limit is a lethal 40 mph and traffic on the wide street routinely travels much faster. Couvson cant know what would have happened if the city had followed through on its promises more quickly. All he has is the reality: His left leg was amputated shortly after the crash, making him another casualty of a crisis in the citys infrastructure. And the casualties have piled up. UC Berkeleys Transportation Injury Mapping System shows that between 2012 and the end of 2023, seven crashes resulted in serious injuries and three left victims dead on the mile-and-a-half stretch of Arden from Evergreen Street to the city limit. And on Feb. 10, one month after Couvson lost his leg, the Sacramento County Coroners Office said Federico Zacarias Cambrano was found dead about 1,000 feet west of the very same intersection. Hed been in a two-vehicle car crash. The Sacramento Bee is is chronicling all traffic-related deaths on city streets in 2024 not only to show the causes of these fatalities and what can be done to prevent them, but also to memorialize the people we lost. Zacarias Cambrano was 28. His family could not be reached for a comment. When Couvson was informed of the other young mans death, he was incredulous. In the same spot? he asked. Yes the Coroners Office said he was found in his car on Arden Way, 775 feet west of Harvard Street. Couvson paused for a moment. Then he said, Yeah, that streets dangerous. A dangerous road with no money to fix it The city formally agrees with Couvson that the street imperils the people who use it, but Department of Public Works spokeswoman Gabby Miller said there were no plans to implement any emergency changes to the road. Sacramento does have a long-term plan to change Arden Way, but that plan has no funding. Caltrans rejected a grant application in 2023; a grant this year is still under review. Sacramento, Miller said, recognizes that safety of human life is our highest priority, and that traffic deaths and serious injuries are often preventable, are a public health issue and must be effectively addressed. Although road safety is a stated priority, Sacramento allocates no money in its general fund to address the problem, and relies largely on competitive grants. Scrambling to recover and to pay rent In the months after the crash, Couvson and his family have struggled not only with the physical and emotional recovery, but also the financial fallout. As a caregiver at the senior home, Couvson said he made $4,200 a month, but currently, he cannot work. The disability payment he receives from the state is just under $1,000 about $600 less than his rent. Bouie has been helping him keep up with payments for the Carmichael apartment he moved into not long before he sustained his catastrophic injuries. He wanted a place of his own where he could live with his snuggly daughter, Kaili, who turned 1 in March. Dirk Couvson, 20, plays with his daughter Kaili, 1, last month as his mother Lythia Bouie worries about the emotional and financial hardship he faces after he lost his left leg in an accident. They should figure out something about that street it seems dangerous, he said. To cover the rent and copays on all his new medications, theyve relied in part on GoFundMe donations. Financially, Bouie said, its a challenge. She knew her son could have died The night of the crash, Bouie rushed to the hospital. When she got to UC Davis Medical Center, all she knew was that her child had said his leg was gone, and now he was in surgery. Staff did not tell her immediately how he was doing. After 25 minutes, she said, she began to think she wasnt getting answers because the surgeons thought he might die. She started to panic. She thinks it a surgeon came out after another 20 minutes. Thats when they told us, He will make it, but his foot was badly damaged, she said. I was like, Its crushed? They said they had to amputate his foot, and I was like, Is there any way you can save it? No. (The surgeon) came out with some pictures to show us just how bad his foot was. There wasnt even nothing to say. She paused. It was heartbreaking, she said. Hes only 20. Just starting to live his life. A life altered on a road known to be dangerous Between the hospital and rehab, Couvson spent a month in medical facilities. For most of the time, he said, Im just stuck in the room. Cant do nothing, cant get up. He thinks he didnt get out of bed at all for three weeks. His family would visit, And sometimes when theyd leave, I would just start crying. Couvson is a positive person. His mother described him as outgoing and adventurous, an active young man; he wanted to travel. He loves to hike with his friends. Mother and son both recognize that he can still do most of what he wanted to do with his life eventually but the amputation presents some serious hurdles. He hopes hell be able to go back to being a caregiver for elderly people once he relearns how to walk with his prosthetic leg. He loves to chitchat with his clients. Im thankful my son is alive, Bouie said, sitting in her home in South Sacramento. I can still hold him and kiss him and talk to him. But Couvson is a long way from recovering; he expects he wont be walking for a year. In April, he still used a wheelchair to get around. He continued to experience severe pain, sometimes in the left leg below the knee the leg that isnt there. He thinks he may have post-traumatic stress disorder. Sometimes I just close my eyes, maybe like five seconds, to go to sleep, he said. And I just see a car hitting me. And I just gasp for air. Bouie saw her son have one of these nightmares not too long ago. She watched her son jerk awake, breathless, reaching for his leg. To prevent serious collisions like his, Couvson believes the city should figure something out about that street. I dont want nobody else to go through the same thing I went through, he said, but as soon as he said it, he knew it was already too late. Because seven years after Sacramento promised to fix its roads and 34 days after Couvsons leg was crushed another crash on Arden Way killed Federico Zacarias Cambrano. Another Cincinnati-area congressman Wednesday joined 11 Republicans in a failed measure that could have led to the Speaker of the House's ouster. Rep. Warren Davidson along with 10 other House Republicans voted against tabling Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's motion to vacate. The procedural vote blocked a measure that could have removed Speaker of the House Mike Johson, a Republican from Louisiana. Davidson, a Republican from Troy, represents Ohio's 8th Congressional District, which includes all of Butler County and the western half of Hamilton County west of the city limits. Greene and Northern Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie have led the effort to oust Johnson, criticizing him for working with Democrats and using the pejorative term "uniparty" to describe his leadership Warren Davidson represents Ohios 8th Congressional District The effort to oust Johnson failed Wednesday as the House voted 359-43 to table Greene's motion, with 11 Republicans joining 32 Democrats voting against the motion to table. Massie and Davidson were among the 11 Republicans who voted against tabling Greene's motion to vacate. Davidson, in a post on X Tuesday night, didn't clearly state a desire to change speakers. He expressed an interest in opening the floor for debate. Davidson opposed the ouster of the previous speaker, Rep. Kevin McCarthy. On X, Davidson stated he also opposed the "passive-aggressive" tabling of the motion to vacate. "Then, as now, the privileged question on motion to vacate deserves an answer," Davidson said on X, formerly Twitter. "Republicans need to be united around a mission, not a person. The words are so good, but the deeds reveal that for many Republicans, a big government coalition with Democrats is preferable to less government." I opposed the last mutiny removing Speaker McCarthy. I think the evidence clearly shows that mutiny has been disastrous. Nevertheless, I also opposed the passive-aggressive motion to table which neuters the privileged question on motion to vacate. Then, as now, the privileged Warren Davidson (@WarrenDavidson) May 7, 2024 A message to Davidson's office wasn't immediately returned Wednesday night. In a May 3 interview with Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, Davidson indicated he would like Johnson to stay as speaker but to "get him back on track." "Congressman Mike Johnson is a guy that everybody united behind and supported him to become the next speaker of the House," Davidson told Bartiromo. "Speaker Mike Johnson has made all kinds of bad decisions that frankly the majority of the party has not supported." Speaking to reporters after the vote, Johnson thanked his colleagues for the vote of confidence and pledged to continue to do his job. In this moment this country desperately needs a functioning Congress, he said. And thats what an overwhelming majority of the Republican members of this body chose today. USA Today reporters Marina Pitofsky, Riley Beggin and Ken Tran contributed to this report Ohio 8th Congressional District detail " This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What area members of congress supported ousting Speaker Johnson? WASHINGTON (DC News Now) The Mayors Office of Legal Counsel (MOLC) in D.C. said Thursday that it settled two complaints that were filed against one of the citys former deputy mayors. John Falcicchio was accused of harassing two District employees sexually in March 2023, the first one coming just days after he resigned from his position. Subsequent probes and investigations found that Falcicchio made advances towards female staff memberswith these claims. DC Water repairs Northwest water main break; boil water advisory still in place MOLC confirmed on May 9, 2024, that it settled both administrative complaints against Falcicchio on behalf of the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. Officials did not confirm the monetary amount of the settlements or any other terms in accordance with the agreements confidentiality provisions. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) are looking for the communitys help in identifying a man suspected of shooting at his rideshare drivers car. A man is suspected of shooting at his rideshare drivers car. (Courtesy of the Metropolitan Police Department) An MPD police report said that the victim, an Uber driver, had picked up a passenger in Lorton, Va. He had asked to be dropped off in the 2000 block of Rhode Island Ave., NE. MPD said that as the driver was approaching the drop-off location, the passenger got out of the car, pulled out a gun and shot at the car. The driver drove away and called the police. Her car was hit multiple times, but the driver was not injured. An officer recovered nine shell casings from the area of the shooting. Black bear spotted in Northeast DC neighborhood A surveillance camera captured a photo of the suspect (pictured to the right). Anyone who can identify the suspect or has any information about the incident is asked to call MPD at (202) 727-9099 or text the departments tip line at 50411. A reward of up to $10,000 is offered to anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. This deadly disease that kills deer and elk has been detected in California for the first time A deadly disease that has ravaged deer in other parts of North America was found for the first time in California this week. According to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, chronic wasting disease was detected in two deer after samples were examined Monday, marking the first time the fatal disease has been found in deer or elk in the state. The samples came from one deer that was found dead from unknown causes near Yosemite Lakes in Madera County and another deer that was struck and killed by a vehicle near Bishop in Inyo County. The disparate locations of these two detections indicate that CWD has probably been present in California for some time, since the incubation period can be months to years, state wildlife officials said in their announcement Tuesday. Experts said the disease can take as many as two years to develop once an animal is exposed. Once infected, the disease is fatal. Chronic wasting disease, sometimes known as zombie deer disease, is a contagious infection similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, better known as mad cow disease, that attacks the nervous system and disproportionately affects deer, elk and moose in the wild and captivity. It does not affect humans, global health officials say, though experts say keeping it out of the food chain is a priority. Stopping spread, eliminating disease is challenging Since its discovery in 1967 in a Colorado herd, the disease has been found in 34 states and five Canadian provinces. Officials said the disease had been detected in California previously, though not in deer or elk. If left unchecked, the disease could decimate black-tail and mule herds along the Sierra Nevada foothills or reach the coastal prairie mountains areas where many of the states half-million deer live, according to the latest population estimates in 2017. Signs of the disease among animals include weight loss, clumsy movements, drooling, excessive thirst, urination and behavioral changes. Unlike mad cow disease, where cattle are often infected in closer quarters, the disease has stumped scientists for most of its existence as deer, elk and moose members of the cervid family are mostly solitary in the wild. Scientists believe the most common transmission comes from soils that are contaminated by the excrement of infected animals; the abnormal proteins, scientists suggest, can endure for a decade or more after being shed. A map shows distribution of chronic wasting disease among wild and captive animal populations in North America as of October 2023. On May 7, 2024, officials from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the detection of the disease in deer for the first time. Combating the disease also has been difficult. New York is the only known state to have eliminated the disease through early culling of infected populations, according to The New York Times. Officials in Quebec slaughtered as many as 3,500 animals after a September 2018 detection at a managed operation, which had to be shut down, though the disease is still found in the province. The latest outbreak, another first, was detected in British Columbia in two deer samples and has since prompted mandatory testing for deer hunted in specific zones. A deer forages around near Yosemite in 2021. On Tuesday, May 7, 2024, state officials announced the first detection of chronic wasting disease in deer after two samples tested positive for the contagious neurological disease. What state officials are doing to find disease For its part, California wildlife officials have been on guard against the disease, monitoring and testing California elk and deer populations since 2000. The state has carried out more than 6,500 tests and has been working with hunters, taxidermists and meat processors to improve surveillance in recent years. A dashboard produced by CDFW shows which hunting zones have had tests over the years, as well as how the samples were obtained. The dashboard also shows a red 10-mile radius around each positive samples origin. Dr. Brandon Munk, a wildlife veterinarian for the state, said infected animals can transfer the disease easily and these prions can persist in the environment for years, making it very difficult to prevent or control the spread once it has been introduced. The public can help limit the spread of CWD by reporting any signs of illness in deer and elk populations, and hunters should strongly consider testing their harvested deer or elk. Those who encounter sick deer or elk can report it to the department via web form. BUDAPEST/BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Wang Yue, deputy principal and Chinese teacher at the Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual School, said Chinese President Xi Jinping's reply to a letter from students of the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school greatly inspired students. More of them now have a stronger enthusiasm to learn Chinese and to study in China. Erneszt Sandor Durand, a 12th-grade student of the school, has been to many Chinese cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Beijing. As China's importance in the world economy is increasing, so is the importance of learning Chinese, he said, adding that he plans to further his studies at universities in Beijing in the future. Dorina Inges, also a student of the school, said she is quite fascinated with the Chinese culture. She can play guzheng, a traditional Chinese musical instrument, and dance traditional Chinese folk dances. The growing popularity of the Chinese language and culture among the Hungarians also contributes to the school's continuous development over the past two decades. Initially, most students were from Chinese families living and working in Hungary. Currently, the school has 12 grades and 20 classes with more than 530 students, with the majority being native Hungarians. "The bilingual school far exceeds traditional economic, cooperative and other types of relations," former Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy told Xinhua. "It actually encompasses the opportunity for interpersonal connections, the chance for people to get to know each other, to learn and recognize each other's culture and civilization, and to embrace these, encouraging people to be open, curious, and objective in such matters." Guo Jiaming, former deputy principal of the school, told Xinhua that the school's development reflects the good momentum of strengthening China-Hungary relations and growing exchanges between the two peoples. Presently, there are five Confucius Institutes in Hungary, and 12 universities in China offer opportunities to learn the Hungarian language. The Chinese language has been incorporated into Hungary's national education system and has become one of the subjects in the university entrance examination. The cultural centers set up by both sides are also an important platform for cultural exchanges. "It is important to the relations of the two countries to have people who speak both languages well," said Zsuzsanna Erdelyi, principal of the school, expressing her hope to see more intercultural exchanges to promote understanding and friendship between the two peoples. ISTANBUL, May 9 (Xinhua) -- A group of Chinese writers and poets gathered with Turkish audiences in Istanbul on Thursday for an event exploring the depths of Chinese mythology and literature. The event, titled "From Fairy Tale to Fantasy: The Imaginary Journey of Chinese Literature," was organized by Kirmizi Kedi Publishing House in partnership with the Shanghai Writers' Association. Chinese authors delved into the complexities of Chinese mythology, showcasing its rich tapestry of stories and how these ancient narratives continue to influence contemporary literary works. They presented examples from both the "timeless classics" of Chinese mythology and Chinese poetry. Ma Wenyun, deputy president of the Shanghai Writers' Association, highlighted the importance of such gatherings in fostering cultural exchange between Turkiye and China. Ma emphasized the need for increased translation of Chinese and Turkish literature, expressing the association's commitment to expanding such events in the future. Haluk Hepkon, head of Kirmizi Kedi, told Xinhua that these collaborations serve as a bridge between the two cultures, significantly contributing to the introduction of Chinese literature to Turkish readers. In April, Kirmizi Kedi, a prominent publishing house in Turkiye, hosted another event bringing together poets and writers from China and Turkiye for a thought-provoking discussion on "Translation in Literature and Mutual Learning." Deadly tornadoes again rampage through Tennessee: 'Lord please dont let me die' Southbound cars on I-65 stopped on the shoulder in the gray evening light to see a massive, spinning Y in the sky scraping through Columbia. For about an hour, the terror for Maury County residents was on top of them as a tornado ripped through, leaving a two-mile wide path of destruction. People were trapped. First responders hustled along the Columbia/Spring Hill border. There were floods and falling trees. Power went out. With morning light, schools closed. The fear of more trauma from rising water remained. A Rutherford County boy was caught in a storm drain and was still in critical condition. And so many people across Middle Tennessee found themselves thinking the same thing. Again. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Tennessee has endured at least 205 twisters since the start of 2020 (the statistics have not been updated yet in 2024). The memories of deadly storms in March 2020 and December 2023 still seem too fresh. The damage from the May 8 storms stretched across the state, with two confirmed fatalities and thousands of residents losing power for at least a portion of Wednesday evening. One person died in Columbia, and another died in Tazewell in East Tennessee after being hit be a falling tree. Rescues in Maury County "We have had a long night, but we have an amazing group of people checking in on everyone in our community," Maury County Mayor Sheila Butt said. Ryan Whitten pets his two dogs after looking at his damaged home Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Columbia, Tenn. Whitten is missing his third dog, named Dash, and two cats. Severe weather and tornadoes caused damage in Tennessee on Wednesday. Emergency Management Director Jeff Hardy said in addition to downed trees, power lines and structural damage to homes, the storm also caused a fuel tanker to capsize on U.S. Highway 31 north of Burt Drive and south of Carters Creek Pike. It was a long night for first responders. 'A tragedy in our county': Tornado relief continues in Columbia following storm "Approximately 12 people were removed from debris, or from wooded areas with the one confirmed fatality," Maury County Fire Deputy Chief Richard Schatz said. "We had resources from several surrounding counties and municipalities all respond and provide search and rescue teams, as well as additional manpower to the area." The search continued Thursday. Ryan Whitten holds a dog collar that belonged to Dash, one of his three dogs, while walking around in his destroyed home Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Columbia, Tenn. Severe weather and tornadoes caused damage in Tennessee on Wednesday. "A request was made through the Tennessee Mutual Aid system and members from surrounding organizations are responding into the area to conduct secondary searches in conjunction with dog teams, as well to search completely collapsed structures that were checked, but we are going to follow it up with a more detailed search throughout the day," Schatz said. Rep. Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka, highlighted several entities working together in a time of crisis. "Tragedy has befallen our county overnight, but I'll tell you this, the volunteer spirit is alive and well in Tennessee," Cepicky said. "The outpouring of support across the state wanting to help our citizens in need right now has been overwhelming. Law enforcement and emergency responders all working together, coming together so quickly to provide help to those who need it the most has just been an impressive thing to watch." 'Asher needs a miracle' Rutherford County Schools Director James "Jimmy" Sullivan provided new details Thursday about the injuries his 10-year-old son sustained during Wednesday's storm. The boy, whom the director identified as Asher in a social media post, was playing with other children in the water that had accumulated in the street while neighbors gathered to begin the cleanup process when somehow, he "got caught in the storm drain and was swept under the neighborhood streets." "He eventually came out in a drainage ditch, and CPR was administered for quite some time. His heartbeat was reestablished, but the damage is substantial," Sullivan wrote in the post. Asher was taken first to Ascension, and then to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the post noted. "His lungs are severely damaged, and he is not showing much brain activity outside of muscle jerks," Sullivan wrote. "Specially, pray for healing for his lungs and most importantly brain activity to occur. "Asher needs a miracle." Columbia woman says it was 'scariest moment' of her life A home off Cothran Road overlooking Bear Creek was damaged by a likely tornado Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Tammy Johnson, 66, has lived in the home for most of her life and was on the scene with her dog Max the day after Thursday, May 9, 2024. With dust still sticking to her hair, Tammy Johnson, 66, of Columbia was picking up the pieces at her Cothran Road home. Her residence sits on a lush scenic hill overlooking Bear Creek Pike, the main roadway that leads to Columbia's eastern Interstate 65 extension. Johnson was upstairs in bed, almost asleep on Wednesday evening, when her bedroom window blew out. Things just started flying like the Wizard of Oz, she said. When the dust and the debris settled, Johnson and her dog, Max, were unharmed. I just said Lord please dont let me die, Johnson said. It was the scariest moment of my life. A home off Cothran Road overlooking Bear Creek was damaged by a likely tornado Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Tammy Johnson, 66, had lived in the home for most of her life and was on the scene with her dog Max the day after Thursday, May 9, 2024. Her memories are strewn along the front lawn and a gaping hole in the second-story of her home shows inside her bedroom. A statue of Moses holding the Ten Commandments is still standing in her yard. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee tornadoes: Deadly twisters hit hard near Nashville A deaf toddler can hear thanks to a world-first gene treatment that took just 16 minutes Opal Sandy was born deaf but can now hear her mom telling her a story after a revolutionary new gene therapy treatment. Andrew Matthews - PA Images/Getty Images Opal Sandy, a British toddler, was born deaf due to a faulty gene. In a groundbreaking gene therapy trial, she has now regained her hearing. The trial involved injecting a harmless virus containing the correct gene into her ear. A deaf toddler has had her hearing restored after being the first patient treated in a gene therapy trial. Opal Sandy, who is 18 months old, has auditory neuropathy, a condition caused by a faulty gene. The condition means the ear can detect sound but doesn't transmit it to the brain properly. It can cause degrees of hearing loss, but in Opal's case, she was fully deaf from birth. Now Opal, who lives in Oxfordshire in England, can hear almost normally thanks to a 16-minute long gene therapy procedure. Doctors injected Opal's right ear with a harmless virus that carried a working version of the faulty gene while she was under general anesthesia. Within four weeks of receiving the gene therapy, Opal could respond to sound. After 24 weeks, she had hearing levels that were "close to normal," according to a press release from Britain's health service. She can hear whispering in her treated ear, respond to her parents' voices, and has even begun saying words such as "daddy" and "bye-bye" herself. Around 1 in 500 babies are born with hearing loss or develop it in early childhood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US. 50 to 60% of this hearing loss is due to genetic causes. The World Health Organization estimates that unaddressed hearing loss represents a global cost of $980 billion a year in costs such as healthcare and educational support. The "start of a new era" Auditory neuropathy is caused by a faulty gene and isn't usually detected until a child is 2 to 3 years old, when delays in speech are more noticeable. But Opal's was picked up early through gene testing, which she was eligible for because her older sister has the condition. Usually, auditory neuropathy is treated with implants, but Opal was put on a trial at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, England, which is trialing gene therapy on children. Her treatment was part of phase one of the trial, where children are given a low dose in one ear. Phase two will involve a higher dose, still in one ear, and phase three will move on to treating both ears at a dose deemed safe from the previous phases. Opal was the first patient, treated in September 2023 when she was 11 months old. A second child received the therapy and has seen good results six weeks post-treatment, according to a release from Regeneron, the pharmaceutical company that makes the infusion. Professor Manohar Bance, an ear surgeon and chief investigator of the trial, said the results were "spectacular and better than I expected." "This is hopefully the start of a new era for gene therapies for the inner ear and many types of hearing loss," Bance said. Read the original article on Business Insider A Harrison County jury took 45 minutes Thursday to convict Joseph David Heard of capital murder in the beating and suffocation death of his 2-year-old stepson. Afterward, Judge Larry Bourgeois polled the jury to confirm the verdict. The jury will return Friday to determine whether to sentence Heard, 41, to life in prison without parole or death for the Dec 27, 2021, killing of 2-year-old Hayden Lee Bataille. Heards wife, Hailey Lynn Bataille Heard, 24, is already serving a life sentence in her sons murder. Joseph David Heard during his trial for capital murder in the death of his stepson, 2-year-old Hayden Bataille, in Harrison County Circuit Court in Biloxi on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The morning of the toddlers death, Joseph David Heard repeatedly punched the toddler in the gut and the head, and when the toddler cried out in pain, his mother said, the beating only escalated. Joseph David Heard was already angry that morning, two days after Christmas 2021, because the toddler with curly blond hair had soiled his diapers overnight. The torture began when Heard felt like the child took too long to get a juice box out of the refrigerator after his bath. Haydens cries ended only after his mother said she later walked into the living room of their one-bedroom apartment, where the boys stepfather was still beating the child. She testified that she put her hand over her childs mouth and nose, hoping he would stop crying and the beating would end. Hayden turned blue and slipped from consciousness. He died of suffocation. Denials and banana peels for bruising Earlier Thursday, Heard testified in his defense and repeatedly denied abusing the child. Instead, he said he walked into the living room, saw the little boy wasnt breathing and started performing CPR on him to save him. Heard denied any culpability in the crime or any of the abuse, even testifying that he never saw the first bruise on Haydens body the day of the toddlers death. But in body camera footage from Biloxi police at the couples home, Heard acknowledges the bruising and talks about how Hayden likes to play rough. Assistant District Attorney George Huffman points to the defendant, Joseph David Heard, as he addresses the jury during the trial of Joseph David Heard in Harrison County Circuit Court in Biloxi on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Heard faces capital murder charges in the death of his 2-year-old stepson Hayden Bataille. Heard said he had seen bruising on the child in the past, but his wife told him the toddler had fallen off a bed or a couch. As Heard kept up his denials, prosecutors pointed out how a forensic review of his phone showed how he had searched online for ways to make bruises go away. When Heard thought he had found a remedy, he texted his wife to tell her they could use banana peels to make them go away faster. Hailey Heard cries as she testifies in Joseph David Heards trial for capital murder in the death of Hayden Bataille in Harrison County Circuit Court in Biloxi on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Hailey Heard, who is the wife of Joseph Heard, is serving a life sentence for the death of Hayden Bataille, who is her son. Attorney claims mom killed child An autopsy showed the toddler had bruises both old and new all over his face, his head, his abdomen, his back, and his legs, plus old and new broken bones and more. Joseph David Heards attorney, Donald Rafferty, maintains that Hailey Heard caused the toddlers death when she put her hand over his mouth, suffocating him. Assistant District Attorneys George Huffman and Mara Joffe are prosecuting the death penalty case this week before Judge Larry Bourgeois. Assistant District Attorney Mara Joffe addresses the jury during the trial of Joseph David Heard in Harrison County Circuit Court in Biloxi on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Heard faces capital murder charges in the death of his 2-year-old stepson Hayden Bataille. In opening arguments, Joffe told the jury that Hailey Heard had been the victim of repeated domestic violence by Heard and how her sons torture and abuse at the hands of his stepfather was a repeat occurrence during the couples one-year relationship. This is a case about control, Joffe said. Its about this defendant, Joseph David Heard, controlling his wife Hailey Heard and his 2-year-old stepson Hayden through violence, through abuse, and through torture. The torture and abuse that Hailey Heard and her son suffered, Joffe said, was not isolated but was prolonged. They had to do things his way or face punishment, she said. Donald Rafferty makes an opening statement in the trial of his client Joseph David Heard in Harrison County Circuit Court in Biloxi on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. A 911 call, child abuse and toddler covered in bruises When a 911 call came in that morning about an unresponsive child, authorities said the cause was first reported as a possible drowning. But when Biloxi police, firefighters, and paramedics with American Medical Response responded to the call on St. Mary Boulevard, they found the child fully clothed and lying on the living floor. The child was not wet, Biloxi police said. When AMR paramedic Mark Dillard arrived, he said Hayden wasnt moving, then gasped for air twice and stopped breathing. Dillard said that he noticed extensive bruising on the toddler but kept doing what he could to revive the child. A firefighter carried Hayden to the waiting ambulance, and AMR rushed the child down the street to Merit Health hospital in Biloxi. Joseph David Heard listens during his trial for capital murder in the death of Hayden Bataille in Harrison County Circuit Court in Biloxi on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Most horrific scene The emergency room physician, Dr. Leanne Lee, said she attempted additional life-saving measures on Hayden before pronouncing him dead around 7 a.m. on Dec. 27, 2021. It was one of the most horrific scenes Ive witnessed as an ER doctor, Lee said. I had never seen a kid that had sustained so much trauma. Lee described the extensive bruising on Haydens body, along with broken bones in different stages of healing, a burn mark and more. Dr. Leanne Lee points out bruising on a photo of Hayden Batailles body during her expert witness testimony in Joseph David Heards trial for capital murder in the death of Hayden Bataille in Harrison County Circuit Court in Biloxi on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The state medical examiner, Dr. Staci Turner, said an autopsy showed the child died due to suffocation but had also sustained other significant injuries, including swelling in his head. At the trial, Biloxi police read aloud pages of text messages between Heard and his wife. In them, he often sounded off about how Hayden had done something wrong and how he planned to exact his punishment on the child. On some occasions, Hailey Heard said, Joseph David Heard punished the child by making him stand up and move his arms up and down repeatedly for hours at a time. At other times, she said, Joseph David Heard made Hayden sit on his potty chair for hours because the child had soiled his diaper. When Hayden got in trouble at other times, Joseph David Heard told his wife he was going to hit her sons hand, which had a second-degree burn, with a rubber spatula. The exchanges included repeated threats from Joseph David Heard to divorce his wife. She begged him to stay, although she was the one who worked and paid the bills. A photo of the Heards home is shown as investigator Rex Richie testifies in Joseph David Heards trial for capital murder in the death of Hayden Bataille in Harrison County Circuit Court in Biloxi on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Death row inmates are being transferred out of San Quentin. Chino city officials are sounding the alarm A condemned inmate is led to his cell in San Quentin's Death Row. California is shutting down death row and transferring 471 condemned people out of the prison and into the general population at other prisons throughout the state. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) City and law enforcement officials in San Bernardino County say they are outraged after dozens of death row inmates were transferred from San Quentin State Prison to Chino. In a series of press conferences and public statements over the last two weeks, San Bernardino County and Chino officials have called for Gov. Newsom's office and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to remove the condemned prisoners, arguing that Chino's 83-year-old prison cannot securely house the inmates and keep the neighboring community safe. "To think this prison can successfully house the worst of the worst criminals in our state is wrong," said Chino Mayor Eunice Ulloa during a press conference Wednesday. "This is a prison that is in dire need of repair." Since Feb. 26, the state has transferred 324 inmates with death sentences from San Quentin Rehabilitation Center to other state prisons, which accounts for more than half of the 639 inmates with death sentences in state custody, according to the CDCR. Of those transfers, the California Institution for Men in Chino received 39, the third highest number of condemned inmate transfers after the California Health Care Facility in Stockton and the California State Prison in Sacramento. The moves are part of the state's attempts to comply with Proposition 66, which was approved by voters in 2016 to speed up the execution process but also called for death row inmates to work and pay restitution to victims. In 2020, a year after Gov. Newsom placed a moratorium on the death penalty, the state began to transfer condemned inmates out of San Quentin. Over the next two years, California moved 104 people from San Quentin and the Central California Women's Facility to other state prisons as part of a pilot program. The state announced in March it's planning to build on that program and turn the infamous San Quentin prison into a Scandinavian-style prison focused on rehabilitation. But critics argue Prop 66 also required California to follow through on death sentences and Newsom is ignoring that part of the law. "Prop. 66 is the law, but Prop. 66 also calls for CDCR to maintain the death penalty chambers for these condemned inmates that were given the death penalty," said San Bernardino Dist. Atty. Jason Anderson at a press conference Tuesday. "We should never be in a state where portions of the law are chosen and other portions of the law are discarded depending on your rhetoric and your politics." Chino city officials said they were caught off-guard when the CDCR began transferring inmates in February. "These transfers occurred without any proper notice from the state," the mayor said. "It's a recipe for disaster," said Chino Police Chief Kevin Mensen. "These are criminals that should have never been transferred to CIM. They should have remained in San Quentin." Mensen and other local leaders pointed to a 2008 report from the California Office of the Inspector General that called for $28 million in needed repairs to the facility and two escapes in the past 40 years as part of their safety concerns for the neighboring community. "The transfer of death row inmates to CIM creates tangible public safety concerns for local residents," said San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman in the statement. "CIM has a history of infrastructure deficiencies that have resulted in several well-documented recent escapes. Relocating this category of inmate to CIM is irresponsible and ignores the realities of what the facility is capable of handling." Originally known as the "prison without walls," CIM had originally been secured with only one security fence with barbed wire intended mostly to keep cows out of the facility than keeping inmates inside, according to the CDCR. Now, all of the facilities where death row inmates are being transferred to include a "secure and fortified perimeter" that includes a lethal electrified fence, said Albert Lundeen, spokesperson for the CDCR. Chino, specifically, has undergone a series of repairs and upgrades, including improvements to its electrical systems and security lighting, according to the CDCR. All of the death row inmates are also identified as "close custody" wherever they're transferred to, meaning they are under direct supervision when they are involved in work and programming, Lundeen said. "CDCR can assure the public that these individuals will never be housed in the area of the facility that previously experienced a walkway which previously happened in a different area of the prison, in a lower security level area, WITHOUT a lethal electrified fence," Lundeen said. In 2018, an inmate escaped after being trapped in razor wire for 20 minutes and stealing the vehicle of a security guard. He was apprehended after leading authorities on a high-speed chase. In 1983, an inmate named Kevin Cooper also escaped from the prison and killed four people, including 11-year-old Christopher Hughes who was spending the night at a friend's home. "Bad things couldn't possibly happen where we live, except when they do," said Christopher's mother, Mary Ann Hughes during a press conference Tuesday. "[Cooper] literally walked out." The transfers have prompted city officials to reach out to the governor's office, the CDCR and local legislators asking for the 39 inmates to be removed from Chino. Local officials have also reached out to residents expressing outrage over the decision, launching a petition on the city website, asking the governor to move inmates to "other appropriate facilities" until more repairs and improvements are done at the Chino prison. It has garnered 1,000 signatures so far, Ulloa said. 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. By Amanda Perobelli and Leonardo Benansatto PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil (Reuters) -The death toll from severe flooding in southern Brazil has risen to 107, civil defense said on Thursday, as rescue operations continued and authorities began to see the cost of recovering from the devastation in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. In a dramatic symbol of the disaster, rescuers saved a horsethat had been trapped precariously for two days on a rooftop in a badly flooded town. More rains are forecast in the coming days, raising fears that water levels will rise further in the inundated state capital of Porto Alegre and nearby town where streets have turned into rivers. At least 136 people are still missing and more than 165,000 have been displaced from flooded homes and rescued by boats and helicopters. Television images showed the horse straddling the roof of a farmhouse on the outskirts of Canoas, a town north of Porto Alegre. The animal was secured by firemen and loaded into a Zodiac inflatable boat to take it to safety. The floods have destroyed infrastructure and bridges, blocking access to Porto Alegre, where supermarket shelves are empty and looting has been reported at night. Governor Eduardo Leite said initial calculations indicate that Rio Grande do Sul will need at least 19 billion reais ($3.68 billion) to rebuild from the damage, which has extended into farm areas around the capital. "The effect of the floods and the extent of the tragedy are devastating," he said on social media. In Brasilia, the federal government estimated the fiscal impact of the flooding at 7.7 billion reais ($1.49 billion), mostly due to the injection of funds into a support program for small businesses hit by the floods. "This doesn't end here," President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said at an event announcing steps to help the stricken state. Lula said the full extent of Rio Grande do Sul's needs would be known only when the water recedes. ($1 = 5.1588 reais) (Reporting by Amanda Perobelli and Leonardo Benansato in Porto Alegre, Andre Romani in Sao Paulo and Marcela Ayres in Brasilia; writing by Anthony Boadle.Editing by Marguerita Choy) Decomposed body down cliff posed mystery since 1967, CA cops say. Now woman identified A woman has been identified 57 years after her body was found down a steep cliff, California deputies say. The decomposed body, which was found off Highway 1 north of Jenner in 1967, was identified as Lillian Marie Cardenas, the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office said in a May 8 Facebook post. When the womans body was found, she wore a long-sleeved white blouse that buttoned down the back and light-colored pants, Othram Inc., the forensic genetic genealogy company that helped identify the body, said in a May 8 news release. Despite efforts to identify the unknown woman, deputies said her identity would remain a mystery, and she was eventually buried at the countys cemetery. The womans body, however, was exhumed in 2009 in hopes of identifying her, deputies said. Mark Griffin, an anthropology professor with San Francisco State University, examined the body and learned she was a white woman between the ages of 40 and 46, deputies said. The exam also showed she died by homicide, deputies said. A sketch of the unknown woman was created and distributed to the public, Othram said. Her case was also entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, the company said. Deputies said in 2023 they requested the help of Othram in hopes of identifying the woman through forensic genetic genealogy. Genetic genealogy uses DNA testing coupled with traditional genealogical methods to create family history profiles, according to the Library of Congress. With genealogical DNA testing, researchers can determine if and how people are biologically related. Othram said its scientists created a comprehensive DNA profile for the woman, which was used by the genealogy team to dig deeper and produce new investigative leads. This eventually led investigators to identify the woman as Cardenas, who would have been 39 in 1967, Othram said. She was last known to have lived in San Francisco and was estranged from family, deputies said. Now, deputies said they are looking for information from the public about Cardenas life that may help piece together what happened to her. Anyone with information is asked to contact deputies at 707-565-2727 or email sheriff-coldcase@sonoma-county.org. Mom came home to find babysitter dead 47 years ago, CO cops say. Now theres a suspect Remains found by hunter in remote area of Nevada IDd 40 years later, officials say Someone walked into sheriffs office with skull in 2001, cops say. Now its identified Five years ago, in a wheelchair, Julia Hum was admitted to a state mental hospital in Massachusetts. After treatment with targeted deep brain stimulation, she hopes to walk out soon and, for the first time in her adult life, live independently, in her own apartment. Hum, 24, has severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, which once caused her to hurt herself and even affected her ability to eat and drink. My OCD kind of convinced me food and drinks were contaminated, Hum said. Her thoughts told her things like that her food had parasites or harmful chemicals. I was fully aware of how ludicrous these thoughts were, and I desperately wanted to gain weight and eat enough and drink enough and be healthy. But the doubts I had were just so loud, she said. They were screaming, and I couldnt focus on anything else. Her heart rate and blood pressure became so erratic, she needed to use a wheelchair to move around. Doctors used a tube that led into her stomach through her nose to give her food and gave her fluids intravenously. Deep brain stimulation for severe obsessive-compulsive disorder helped Julia Hum earn her high-school equivalency certificate last year. - Courtesy Julia Hum Now, after treatment, shes doing much better. In August, she got her high-school equivalency diploma and posed for a photo with the certificate with a wide smile on her face. Shes no longer hurting herself, and she can eat and drink normally. She says intrusive thoughts are no longer in control. I feel like my OCD was kind of at the helm of the ship before, and now its kind of like a pesky passenger. Its there, but its not taking over my life, Hum said. She and her doctors credit this lifesaving improvement to innovative research that allowed them to more precisely target a dysfunctional circuit with a device called a deep brain stimulator, which acts like a pacemaker for her brain. Deep brain stimulators have been used for two decades for movement disorders like Parkinsons disease and dystonia. More recently, their uses have been expanded to include mood disorders like depression and other neurological conditions such as Tourettes syndrome and OCD. The devices have two electrodes that target a pea-size structure deep inside the brain called the subthalamic nucleus. This node, which looks like a contact lens, contains more than half a million nerve cells. Its a hub for signals passing between the brains outer and inner layers. Its like a switchboard, says Dr. Andreas Horn, a neurologist at the Brain Modulation Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital. Doctors implant the electrodes close to the subthalamic nucleus and then adjust the settings through a pulse generator that is implanted under the skin of the chest. After waiting about two weeks after surgery to let the body heal, they turn on the electricity and adjust the settings to find something that feels good to the patient. Ill suddenly feel lighter, my rituals will slow down, and Ill sit up straighter and feel more energy, as an example, Hum said. Refining deep brain stimulation Hum had a deep brain stimulator implanted in 2021. Her psychiatrist, Dr. Darin Dougherty of the Mass General Research Institute, said it didnt initially give them the results theyd hoped for. It was this kind of cycle where we would find settings that felt really good. They would work maybe for a month or two, and then Id slide backwards again because the initial effects would wear off, Hum said. Deep brain stimulation can be life-changing, but it doesnt work equally well for everyone, and researchers say theyre getting closer to understanding why. In a recent study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, Horn and an international team of researchers took data from more than 530 electrodes implanted in the brains of more than 200 people living with four conditions: Parkinsons disease, dystonia, Tourettes syndrome and OCD. They looked at where the devices were stimulating each persons brain and how much improvement each had. Then, they used these records to map the nerve networks that seem to become dysfunctional in each of the four disorders. The idea is that by learning from a cohort of patients and contrasting who got better with the ones that unfortunately did not get as much better after treatment, we can pinpoint where the optimal site is and maybe the optimal network to stimulate, Horn said. The team used their maps to adjust deep brain stimulators for three patients, including Hum. All of them saw substantial improvement in their symptoms. Dr. Sameer Sheth, a professor of neurosurgery at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston who was not involved in the study, says that the research is encouraging because it uses data from a large number of people but that trying it out in just three people isnt enough to know whether these brain maps are accurate. For the most part, this information has not been tested in the wild in a new set of patients, so thats what this is setting up, said Sheth, who also treats people with deep brain stimulation. If the same good results can be repeated in more patients, then we should act on it. We should implant with this type of profile in mind for this type of patient, lets say a patient with OCD, he said. It gave me my hope back Using the maps created by Horns team and a special type of magnetic resonance imaging called diffusion imaging, doctors can see the fibers they need to stimulate to have the best chance of getting people well, Dougherty said. Each electrode implanted for the therapy has multiple points of contact that doctors can use to stimulate different brain areas. We were then able to see which of those contacts was closest to the fibers that would be most likely to be helpful for Hum, Dougherty said. They made adjustments to Hums settings in August, and she says the difference has been night and day. Its allowed me to focus, Hum said. She notices that she can engage in therapy better, and shes been able to create more distance between her thoughts and her actions. I was able to more accurately label a thought as OCD and really not me and choose to make the decision not to engage in a ritual, she said. She can also eat and drink pretty much everything. When she got her deep brain stimulator, Hum says, my very basic hope was just even to have any sort of life at all, and now its much bigger than that. She wonders if she can go to college, live independently and have a steady job. And she wonders about love. Can I have a solid relationship with maybe a boyfriend and just all the things that Ive kind of missed out on till this point? she said. Hum said its hard to explain the gratitude she feels to the doctors and researchers who helped her. Hope had really gone. I didnt see a future for myself, she said. It kind of re-lit that light and the end of the tunnel. It gave me my hope back. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing on the Department of Defenses' fiscal year 2025 budget request at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI May 8 (UPI) -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed Wednesday that the United States has paused sending a shipment of bombs to Israel over concerns of its impending ground invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Responding to Republican questions about the reports on the matter during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on the 2025 Defense budget, Austin reiterated that the United States' commitment to Israel's defense is "ironclad" and that the paused shipment of weapons was for re-evaluation. "We're going to continue to do what is necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself, but that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah," he said, adding that they have not made a decision on the matter. The hearing was held days after it was reported that a shipment of bombs, including 2,000-pound bombs, had been halted, seemingly in an effort to pressure Israel to reconsider its looming invasion of Rafah, a southern Gazan city were some 1.4 million Palestinians are estimated to be refuging, which is more than half of the enclave's population. Since the start of the war on Oct. 7 with Hamas' bloody surprise attack on Israel, the United States has been fully supportive of its Middle Eastern ally, sending it billions of dollars in military assistance. As the war has continued, devastating the Palestinian enclave and ballooning a death toll into the tens of thousands, the Biden administration has increased its call on Israel to do more to protect Gazan citizens. Israel for months now has argued it needs to enter Rafah to ferret out the remaining Hamas warriors hiding in the city, as the destruction of the Iran-backed militia is one of its tenets of victory in the war. However, the United States, along with other nations and the United Nations, has now openly voiced opposition to the ground campaign, warning that it could equal a humanitarian catastrophe. On Tuesday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the widely expected assault to be "a strategic mistake, a political calamity and a humanitarian nightmare." Austin explained that the United States has been clear to Israel in its demands that it should not launch a major attack on Rafah without accounting for the civilians in the theater. "As we have assessed the situation, we paused one shipment of high-payload munitions and, again, I think we've also been very clear about the steps we'd like Israel to take to account for those civilians before major combat takes place," he said. "We certainly would like to see no major combat take place in Rafah, but certainly our focus is on making sure we protect the civilians." Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., lambasted the decision, accusing the Biden administration of instructing Israel how to fight an existential war and that by withholding the weapons, they were sending the wrong message to adversaries. "If we stop weapons necessary to destroy the enemies of the state of Israel at a time of great peril, we will pay a price. This is obscene. This is absurd. Give Israel what they need to fight the war they cannot afford to lose. This is Hiroshima and Nagasaki on steroids," he said. Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat for Connecticut, was the next to speak, defending the move by stating that the United States has learned from its own previous failed strategies the limitations of fighting terrorism with war. He asked the secretary what lessons learned from the United States wars in Iraq and Afghanistan can be applied to Israel, to which Austin responded that a key lesson was that the protection of civilians was not only a moral imperative but a military one to prevent future terrorism. "You have to protect the people, the civilians in the battle space, otherwise you create more terrorists going forward," he said. "So, it is not only a moral imperative, but it is also a strategic imperative that you protect civilians, and the two are not mutually exclusive. You can do both. And we know how to do that." He continued that the weapons paused are not those from the recently Congressionally approved supplemental act that includes lethal assistance for allies, including Israel. The pause is also to do with the types of weapons included in the shipment, he added, stating for dense city warfare like Rafah, precision munitions are probably better than a 2,000-pound bomb. Those, he said, "could create a lot of collateral damage." "We've been very clear that ... Israel needs to do more to protect the civilians in the battle space and we wanted to make sure that we saw a plan to move those civilians out of the battle space before executing any kind of ground combat operation," he said. "And we would also like to see them do more precise operations." The San Joaquin Delta College Board of Trustees appointed Armando Valerio, a Stockton native and a physical therapist, to serve on the school's governing board Tuesday. Valerio replaces former Area 5 Trustee Kathleen Garcia, who resigned on March 27 amid a lawsuit filed by Delta College to remove her from her seat. The college argued that Garcia violated California Government Code 1099, which prohibits elected officials from simultaneously holding two public offices that are deemed incompatible. The appointment will last until the November election, when Garcia's term was set to expire. Area 5 comprises eastern San Joaquin County, Calaveras County, and southeastern Sacramento County. The San Joaquin Delta College Board of Trustees appointed Armando Valerio, a Stockton native and a physical therapist, to serve on the school's governing board on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. An alumnus of Delta College, Valerio said the college helped him find his way in life. After receiving his associate's degree, he went on to major in physical education at California State University, Sacramento and later received his doctorate at University of the Pacific. Delta College is near and dear to my heart, Valerio said. I firmly believe in the mission of the college. As a trustee, Im excited to work with my colleagues to provide students with a pathway to success, whether they are pursuing a certificate that leads directly to a job, seeking transfer to a four-year university, or simply looking to learn new skills. Previously, Valerio served on the citizens oversight committee for Delta College's Measure L bond and has also worked as a part-time adjunct instructor at the college. Im pleased to welcome Trustee Valerio to the board, and want to thank him for his willingness to serve, Delta College Superintendent Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson said. His extensive work in the community will serve our college well as we seek to strengthen partnerships and spread the word about the possibilities that Delta offers to all residents of our district. Five candidates were interviewed for the Area 5 seat at Tuesday's board meeting. Valerio was then selected and sworn in by Board President Charles Jennings. Under state law, Valerio's appointment is provisional. The public has 30 days from the date of the appointment to file a petition, containing a sufficient number of signatures, with the San Joaquin County superintendent of schools in order to require a special election. If no petition is filed, the appointment becomes effective. Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow. This article originally appeared on The Record: Delta College Board of Trustees appoint Armando Valerio to Area 5 seat U.S. President Joe Biden departs the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 9, 2024. The United States will not send weapons to Israel if they are to be used in a major military operation in Rafah, in southern Gaza Strip, U.S. President Joe Biden told CNN on Wednesday. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) WASHINGTON, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The United States will not send weapons to Israel if they are to be used in a major military operation in Rafah, in southern Gaza Strip, U.S. President Joe Biden told CNN on Wednesday. The president's remarks were his first to address U.S. arms supply to Israel following the administration's decision last week to put the shipment of bombs on hold, a warning that Israel should not launch an invasion in Rafah absent credible protection of civilian lives. "Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers," Biden said, referring to 2,000-pound bombs whose delivery to Israel has been halted. U.S. media reported that also being delayed was the transfer of 500-pound bombs. "We're going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently," Biden said. "But it's, it's just wrong. We're not going to -- we're not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells." The Israel Defense Forces has now taken control of the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing linking Egypt and Gaza. Biden said Israel's actions so far have yet to cross a red line of entering heavily populated areas in Rafah. "They haven't gone into the population centers. What they did is right on the border. And it's causing problems with, right now, in terms of - with Egypt, which I've worked very hard to make sure we have a relationship and help," Biden said. "I've made it clear to (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) and the (Israeli) War Cabinet: They're not going to get our support, if in fact they go on these population centers," he said. Biden's words were interpreted by U.S. media as drawing a red line for the Israeli government. What's also significant is that the president acknowledged that bombs his nation sent to Israel had been used to kill civilians in the conflict in Gaza, indicating that the United States played a role in the slaughter. Earlier in the day, as he testified on the Pentagon's Fiscal Year 2025 budget proposal, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Senators on Capitol Hill that the Pentagon is "going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself. But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah." "We haven't made any decisions," Austin added. "We did pause as we reevaluated some of the security assistance we're providing." For months, Democratic Rep. David Trone has blanketed Marylands airwaves in ads for his Senate campaign. Now, with the primary drawing to a close, Trone faces some pushback in a new ad campaign from a group backing his primary rival, Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. The question for Alsobrooks is whether the new effort will make a difference. Women Vote!, a super PAC tied to EMILYs List, which supports female Democrats who back abortion rights, launched an attack against Trone over the weekend, just 10 days before the states primary on Tuesday. Its the first outside group to engage on Alsobrooks behalf on the airwaves, as she has been swamped by the massive spending advantage Trone has built using his vast personal fortune. While Alsobrooks allies welcomed the help, some lamented that it didnt come earlier. Trones seemingly bottomless wallet, donors prioritizing expensive battlegrounds over blue-state primaries, general fatigue among big political contributors and the prospect of a pricey general election in November in Maryland are just a few possible reasons other pro-Alsobrooks groups didnt spend in the race until now. I think its unfortunate she hasnt gotten more, said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the former House majority leader, who has backed Alsobrooks. I think shes the strongest candidate we have. Stefanie Brown James, a co-founder and the executive director of the Collective PAC, which backs Black candidates and supports Alsobrooks, said: It definitely was not ideal for it to take so long for the resources to come in to get up on the air. But now that that has happened, I think it will make a tremendous difference. On the airwaves EMILYs List decided to spend for Alsobrooks almost a full year after it first announced it was putting its full weight behind her. The group has put out statements criticizing Trone and feted Alsobrooks at high-profile EMILYs List events, which can be helpful for candidates looking to raise money. The group also supported Alsobrooks with staffing, fundraising, candidate guidance and expertise in research and polling, said an EMILYs List source who was granted anonymity to discuss internal efforts. But its affiliated super PAC didnt spend a dime in the race until less than two weeks before the primary. Last weekend, Women Vote! launched a $2 million ad buy that emphasized an attack Alsobrooks has used to criticize Trone linking donations from him and his company to Republicans like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Trone has defended the donations as a way to protect employees as the company does business in red states. David Trone and his companies gave half a million dollars to extreme and MAGA Republicans to win their elections, a narrator says in the new ad. David Trone cares more about his bottom line than our rights. Alsobrooks told NBC News at a rally Saturday with EMILYs List founder Ellen Malcolm that it has meant everything to have the groups backing and emphasized that we do need financial resources to make sure were able to continue to communicate in this race. Trones campaign responded to the ad by highlighting his unblemished record on reproductive rights. Trone spokesperson Onotse Omoyeni claimed in a statement that a conservative donor is using this super PAC to meddle in our Democratic primary, citing a $500,000 donation to the EMILYs List-aligned super PAC from a donor who has given significant amounts to Republicans as well as Democrats and anti-Trump Republican groups. The Trone campaign is running its own response ad, claiming Alsobrooks was responsible for the groups advertising and criticizing her for taking money from lobbyists. Is it too late? It remains to be seen whether the spending will be enough to help Alsobrooks leapfrog Trone in Tuesdays primary. Former Democratic Rep. Donna Edwards, an NBC News contributor who lost her partys last competitive Senate primary in Maryland in 2016, said that while its possible that the money could move the needle, spending at the eleventh hour with absentee ballots having already been sent out could have limited impact. It feels a little bit late to change hearts and minds, and the tenor of the buy, in terms of how negative it is its going so hard against a candidate who has a 100% abortion-rights record seems to me to not be the most effective argument, she said. In 2016, Edwards lost the primary to then-Rep. Chris Van Hollen, despite help from EMILYs List. Women Vote! was a consistent presence on the airwaves for her, spending almost $3 million starting in late 2015. Another group Working for US PAC, which was funded primarily by EMILYs List and one of its top donors spent $1.7 million more backing her in ads and various get-out-the-vote programs. The spending helped narrow the gap between Edwards and Van Hollen, who significantly outraised her. But while Edwards was outraised, the gap between Alsobrooks and Trone is significantly wider. Trone has lent his campaign more than $57 million (including more than $3 million in the final weeks of the primary) and outspent her by more than 9-to-1. That kind of cash, one of the largest congressional self-funding efforts in history, could have scared off Alsobrooks supporters daunted by a seemingly unlimited supply of cash from her top opponent. The expectation that this man has spent that amount of his personal wealth groups wouldn't have been able to match that, said Glynda Carr of Higher Heights, a group that supports Black woman candidates and has endorsed Alsobrooks. You dont need to match him, countered a Democratic strategist, who noted that even some spending from outside groups earlier in the race could have helped boost Alsobrooks name recognition in key areas outside her home base in the Washington suburbs, like Baltimore. In a year when Democrats are staring down expensive races across the country to defend their Senate majority, it can be difficult to engage donors in a primary race, particularly in a blue state. But Democrats may not be able to take Maryland for granted this fall if former Gov. Larry Hogan wins the GOP primary, giving Republicans a top recruit who has already been elected statewide. Brown James of Collective PAC, which raised money for Alsobrooks, suggested Hogans candidacy could have deterred donors from engaging in the primary, because they will most likely have to direct resources to a general election fight in Maryland, as well. She also said fundraising across the board has been slow with donors who are generally fatigued and are eyeing other priorities. But both Brown James and Carr said money isnt everything, pointing to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass victory in 2022 against a wealthy candidate who swamped her on the airwaves. They also noted that Black women, especially those running for statewide office, have historically struggled with fundraising, but Alsobrooks has pulled in strong numbers. She had raised $7.8 million as of April 24. Carr said Alsobrooks has cleared some traditional obstacles for Black female candidates in fundraising and nabbing early, high-profile endorsements. But Trones vast wealth has presented yet another hurdle. The question here is: If all things were equal from a money perspective, what would this race look like? Carr said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Congresswomen Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) joined George Washington University student protestors for a press conference on Wednesday, less than a day after cleared pro-Palestine demonstrators encampment from the school grounds. During the press conference outside the U.S. Capitol, Bush and Tlaib condemned the dismissive response that members of Congress have had towards the national mobilization of pro-Palestine student protestors over the past several weeks. It is incredibly disturbing that my colleagues are so quick to denounce the student protestors, but are silent about why they are protesting, Tlaib said. US Representative Rashida Tlaib (C), Democrat of Michigan, speaks alongside US Representative Cori Bush (L), Democrat of Missouri, and the leaders of the Pro-Palestinian protest encampment at George Washington University. SAUL LOEB via Getty Images Over the past several weeks, students at universities across the country have held demonstrations and set up encampments on their school grounds to protest Israels ongoing attacks on Gaza, which have killed more than 35,000 people so far. While student demands vary by campuses across the U.S., most are demanding that their colleges denounce the Israeli offensive as a genocide against Palestinians, increase transparency around financial and academic ties to Israel and divest from companies linked to Israel. We will not stop in defending these students until [there is an] end in regards to the genocide, [and] until there is an immediate and permanent ceasefire that includes complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, Tlaib said. Were proud to use our positions in office to bring these voices, so you all dont forget why theyre encampments, why there are movements and dissent around this country. Some protestors have successfully been able to reach agreements with their colleges, such as at Northwestern University, Brown University and University of Minnesota.But many others have faced resistance from university leaders who have called for the encampments to be disbanded, leading to police escalation and violent unrest. Police arrested 33 students at the GWU protest early Wednesday morning and used pepper spray against protesters who were trying to break police lines and enter, the Associated Press reported. More than 2,100 people have been arrested during pro-Palestine protests on college campuses nationwide, according to an Associated Press tally last week. Those who refuse to stop the ongoing genocide in Gaza think they can arrest and brutalize their way out of this situation, Bush said on Wednesday. US Representative Rashida Tlaib (C), Democrat of Michigan, speaks alongside the leaders of the Pro-Palestinian protest encampment at George Washington University which was removed by police earlier today. SAUL LOEB via Getty Images Republicans in the House of Representatives have slammed the demonstrators as antisemitic, and have launched an investigation into the protests, the Washington Post reported. President Joe Biden has also called out antisemitism on college campuses. Last week, Biden said that dissent is an essential component to democracy, but that dissent must never lead to disorder. Protest isnt meant to be comfortable. It is meant to be disruptive. And if you dont want folks to protest, then prioritize humanity over profit, humanity over your donors, humanity over your property, Bush said at the press conference. The womens suffrage movement, the civil rights movement of the 1960s and other similar fights for civil liberties used protests in order to achieve meaningful change. This is how justice is won, she said. Related... WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and other lawmakers urged President Biden to protect people who are undocumented but have been in the U.S. for a long time. This is the time for executive action. This is the time to stand up and do what is right, Booker said. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) wants the president to streamline the process to legal status for undocumented spouses, caregivers, and other long-term residents. But millions of undocumented immigrants currently live in fear of separation from their families. A broken immigration system that lacks fairness and due process, which leaves many families with no escape from deportation, Markey said. However, some Republicans question why the Democrats who push for this do not urge the President to take action at the southern border. Its outrageous, Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) said. Schmitt says there are plenty of ways for the president to get immigration back to how it was under the previous administration. So, my hope is that hell come to his senses and actually, you know, reinstate something like remain in Mexico or help the border patrol agents by, you know, building more of the wall, Schmitt said. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) criticized any Republicans who talked about fixing the border when they had the chance to pass the border security bill months ago. The border bill they killed in Congress will linger over them like stink on garbage, Schumer said. Schumer says Democrats will challenge Republicans to join with them again on border reform. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Senate Democrats are venting their fury over Judge Aileen Cannons decision to cancel the start date of former President Trumps federal trial in Florida for mishandling classified documents, accusing the Trump appointee of deliberately slow-walking the case. Cannon, who serves on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, asserted in a five-page order that too many pretrial issues remain unresolved to schedule a later date to hear arguments from federal prosecutors and Trumps defense. The judges decision cancels Trumps May 20 trial date, postponing it indefinitely. The decision sparked outrage among Senate Democrats, who say Cannon has encumbered the trial by unnecessarily raising complex problems of law. They say she has failed to manage her courtroom efficiently, showing a lack of experience on the bench. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), the chair of the Senate Judiciary panels federal courts and oversight subcommittee, said it looks like Cannon is deliberately slow-walking the case. Judges are responsible for managing their calendars and for seeing to it that issues are addressed timely, so it is hard for me not to reach the conclusion that this [judge] is deliberately slow-walking the case to put it into a position where, should [Trump] be elected, he can order that the investigation and prosecution be terminated, Whitehouse said. What does it mean for Trumps charges? Democrats are close to giving up hope that the 40 felony charges accusing Trump of mishandling classified documents, obstructing justice and making false statements will reach a verdict before Election Day. And they fear he will immediately kill the case if he defeats President Biden in November and returns to the Oval Office. Justice deferred is often justice denied. It is profoundly frustrating that the judge is managing this case in a way that is making it highly unlikely that it will be resolved in a timely fashion, said Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Judiciary Committee. Senate Democrats are pointing to a series of rulings by Cannon, a longtime member of the Federalist Society whom Trump nominated to the federal bench in 2020, that are unusual and favorable to the former presidents defense. What has Cannon done? Special counsel Jack Smith, who is handling the case, complained in a 24-page filing last month that Cannon had issued a fundamentally flawed order to file preliminary jury instructions contemplating the possibility that Trump was authorized under the Presidential Records Act to turn classified documents into his personal property. Smiths legal team warned that the adoption of a clearly erroneous jury instruction that entails a high probability of failure of prosecution would create an extraordinary situation and distort the trial. Cannon made another highly favorable ruling for Trump in September 2022, ordering the appointment of an independent arbiter to review the more than 11,000 documents the FBI seized at Mar-a-Lago before prosecutors could fully review the materials. These moves are fueling Democrats suspicions that Cannon is pushing a political agenda from the bench. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) said Cannon bears responsibility for leaving legal questions unresolved for months, delaying the start of the trial. Why are they not resolved? Some of its because she hasnt issued decisions on things that have already been briefed for a while, said Hirono, a member of the Judiciary Committee. I dont think that shes being objective. I think she has an ideological agenda. I also think that shes not very experienced in dealing with trials, she added. If theres a way that she can be reassigned, I certainly would support that. The court for the Southern District of Florida does not list a phone number for Cannons chambers, as it does for other judges. A staff member at the court said Cannon would review any complaints submitted to her in writing via the mail. Other Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee say theres little chance of removing Cannon from the case unless she voluntarily decides to recuse herself. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) called the lengthy delay truly unfortunate. There have been questions from the start as to whether or not she was up to the task of handling a complex case like this in a timely manner, and even more serious questions as to whether her politics had anything to do with the rulings, he said. Who is Judge Cannon? Cannon, 43, graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 2007 and worked for a corporate law firm before becoming an assistant federal prosecutor in Florida. She had limited trial experience and just met the American Bar Associations requirement of 12 years of legal practice when she was nominated for her current position. Durbin said Trump is entitled to his day in court and due process but emphasized a timely trial is important for the cause of justice. The senior Democrat said its unlikely Cannon could be removed from the case. I dont think thats a possibility. My understanding is there would have to be some effort to change venue, and she would be the first judge to rule on that, he said. Whitehouse said the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals could intervene, but that would be quite unusual. Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Judiciary Committee, said Cannon is at it again, doing everything she can to delay. He called it disappointing but not surprising. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), a member of the Judiciary Committee and former state attorney general, called the cancellation of the start of Trumps trial really regretful. Its denying justice to America, he said. I question whether this judge understands the magnitude or the legal import of this trial. Blumenthal said Smith could ask Cannon to recuse herself but expressed doubt he would risk adding to the tension with the judge. There is a procedure to seek recusal, but I also understand the reluctance of a litigant asking for recusal, because it alienates the judge. Its a classic dilemma for justice that a particular judicial officer may be conducting a trial that could be better done by somebody else, he said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Demonstrators march in protest of Chicago's plan to host the Democratic National Convention on March 22, 2024. Credit - Alex WroblewskiThe Washington Post via Getty Images In roughly 100 days, President Joe Biden is set to stand on a stage in Chicago's United Center and accept his party's presidential nomination. The organizers of this year's Democratic National Convention hope America will focus its attention at that moment on Biden's words and the cheers and enthusiasm of the crowd in the arena. But many Democrats fear that voters' attention will be at best divided between the heavily stage-managed activities in the arena and the chaos unfolding just outside it. More than 70 organizations have joined a coalition to March on the DNC when Biden and others in his administration arrive in Chicago. Protest organizers predict it will be the largest protest for Palestinian rights in Chicagos history, with tens of thousands of people showing up from across the country. Our goal is to send a message to Biden that he and his party have been complicit in the genocide that he has had the power since October to stop by turning off the tap of money and weapons to Israel, says Hatem Abudayyeh, chair of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network and a spokesperson for the Coalition to March on the DNC. The group was denied a permit to hold protest marches within blocks of the DNC. Organizers say they plan to march near the convention site with or without a permit and have sued the city alleging First Amendment violations. They say the citys proposed alternative locationfour miles away from United Centeris unacceptable as it will mean they wont be seen or heard by those attending the convention. Protest leaders hope to harness the energy that has powered pro-Palestinian protests on dozens of college campuses in recent weeks, most of which are expected to largely wind down as soon as the spring semester ends. Columbia University and the University of Southern California are among the institutions that canceled commencement ceremonies due to the unrest. For protest leaders the DNC will provide an even bigger national stage. Read more: What Americas Student Photojournalists Saw at the Campus Protests We are very sensitive to the environment that were walking in here in Chicago, DNC Chair Minyon Moore, a longtime Democratic strategist, said at a news conference in April. We know that these protesters are coming. Were trying to create an environment where everyone is welcome. We do protect First Amendment rights, but we also want to reassure you that the people are excited about this convention coming. For Biden, how he handles the escalating protests could shape the political landscape as he works to cast himself as running a more orderly and competent federal government than former President Donald Trump did. To help ensure the event goes smoothly, Biden added a trusted aide, Louisa Terrell, to the conventions leadership team. Terrell started working for Biden two decades ago and most recently served as his director of legislative affairs. While the campus protests have drawn global attention, Bidens advisers don't believe the Israel-Hamas conflict is the main priority for young voters in this election. Yet they are keenly aware that managing the fallout from these demonstrations remains crucial to maintaining support from young people and Muslim Americans. What Biden has done to allow that to happen is inexcusable and unforgivable, Abudayyeh says. And none of us in the Palestinian and Arab community in this country will ever forgive him or his partyThere's nothing that comes out of this President's mouth anymore that anyone from my community cares about. Whether that anger will still burn as strongly in four months is an open question. Biden officials have been working for months to obtain a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict. And Biden just announced he would withhold certain weapons from Israel over concerns that the Israelis might use them in Rafah, where more than one million civilians are sheltering. Yet protest organizers anticipate that frustration with Biden will not ebb over the summer after his months of support for a military campaign in which more than 30,000 people in Gaza have died. Protesters have been a fixture at party conventions for decades, and are expected to also show up at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July. Yet some Republicans predict the DNC protests will be far more intense and more politically damaging. Montana Senator Steve Daines, who heads the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told a group of reporters last week that he thinks the pro-Palestine protests could be a big problem for Democrats in August in Chicago. For decades, every Democrat and Republican political convention has been declared a national special security event by the Department of Homeland Security. That designation puts the Secret Service in charge of coordinating safety planning with the FBI, FEMA, police in Chicago and other federal and state and local agencies. In March, Congress allocated $75 million for both the DNC and RNC for security. DNC organizers are focused on securing the area around McCormick Place, the convention center along the shore of Lake Michigan where official party meetings will take place, and around United Center, the home arena for the Bulls and the Blackhawks and the location for most of the evening proceedings that will draw the biggest audiences. The exact borders of the security perimeter for those locations will be announced at the end of July, said a person familiar with the planning who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions. In Chicago, security training started last year to prepare for many different scenarios, including preparations for civil disturbances and how to share information quickly during an emergency, according to a statement provided by the Secret Services Chicago field office. By the time the Democrats' convention starts in August, security agencies will have conducted multiple tabletop exercises for potential emergencies and led security forces through 400 hours of training, according to the Secret Service. Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling said in March that Chicago police will protect all those exercising their first amendment rights in and around the convention. What we will not tolerate is criminal activity, he added. Violence, vandalism will not be tolerated. Last month, when pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked the road into Chicagos OHare airport, police removed protestors from the roadway within 90 minutes. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker later told CNN that the action showed that the Chicago police were ready for protests around the convention in August. The impending confrontation between pro-Palestinian protesters and authorities at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago has drawn comparisons to 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago, where a violent police crackdown on anti-Vietnam War protesters gained national attention and hurt the partys nominee, Hubert Humphrey. Read More: Violence Was Inevitable: How 7 Key Players Remember the Chaos of 1968s Democratic National Convention Protests We wanted to stop the war, and we thought the best way to do that would be to make as much trouble as possible for the Democrats, Michael Kazin, who attended the DNC protest in 1968 as a member of Students for a Democratic Society, recently recalled to TIME. I think we succeeded in turning off a lot of Americans in the middle from voting for Democrats. Later that year, Republican Richard Nixon won the White House, further escalated the U.S. involvement in Vietnam and started the selective service draft. Kazin, who is now a history professor at Georgetown University and the author of "What It Took to Win: A History of the Democratic Party," recalled most Americans at the time sided with the police over the protesters, even as images of police brutality by the Chicago Police Department during the riot drew outrage. But the parallels for Democrats between 2024 and 1968 go beyond a robust protest movement and a convention in Chicago. Kazin points to how Humphrey ultimately lost to Nixon amid domestic angst over the Vietnam War. Joe Biden is a liberal Democrat, as Hubert Humphrey was, and he's tried to do a lot domestically that people on the left generally like, he says, but at the same time, they don't like his foreign policy, which is similar to what was going on in the mid-to-late 60s. Write to Nik Popli at nik.popli@time.com. DENVER (KDVR) Two brothers have been reunited at the Denver Zoo after an elephant was relocated from the Houston Zoo at the recommendation of The Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Baylor, a 14-year-old elephant named after the Baylor College of Medicine, was brought to Denver at the recommendation of the AZA Asian Elephant Species Survival Plan. Many AZA-accredited zoos across the country participate in the SSP program for the greater good of species in human care, according to a zoo spokesperson. Denver Zoo rescues more than 100 animals from Littleton Seaquest A spokesperson for the Denver Zoo explained to FOX31 that elephants live in a matriarchal social system. Young male elephants leave their maternal herds as they begin maturing, around 8 to 11 years old, so they can live loose in bachelor herds with an older bull that serves as a mentor and teacher for the young male elephants. Baylor is related to each of the elephants at the Houston Zoo, but is not quite ready to enter a breeding herd, according to the Denver Zoo. Thats why AZA chose Denver Zoos bachelor herd as his new home. Baylor, a 14-year-old elephant named after the Baylor College of Medicine, was brought to the Denver Zoo at the recommendation of the AZA Asian Elephant Species Survival Plan. (Photo: Dailyn Souder via Denver Zoo) Baylor, a 14-year-old elephant named after the Baylor College of Medicine, was brought to the Denver Zoo at the recommendation of the AZA Asian Elephant Species Survival Plan. (Photo: Dailyn Souder via Denver Zoo) Baylor, a 14-year-old elephant named after the Baylor College of Medicine, was brought to the Denver Zoo at the recommendation of the AZA Asian Elephant Species Survival Plan. (Photo: Dailyn Souder via Denver Zoo) Baylor, a 14-year-old elephant named after the Baylor College of Medicine, was brought to the Denver Zoo at the recommendation of the AZA Asian Elephant Species Survival Plan. (Photo: Dailyn Souder via Denver Zoo) Baylor, a 14-year-old elephant named after the Baylor College of Medicine, was brought to the Denver Zoo at the recommendation of the AZA Asian Elephant Species Survival Plan. (Photo: Dailyn Souder via Denver Zoo) Baylor, a 14-year-old elephant named after the Baylor College of Medicine, was brought to the Denver Zoo at the recommendation of the AZA Asian Elephant Species Survival Plan. (Photo: Dailyn Souder via Denver Zoo) Last month, one of the Denver Zoos beloved bachelor elephants, Chuck, was relocated to the Houston Zoo for similar reasons. Baylor was reunited with his younger brother, Duncan, who joined the bachelor herd at the Denver Zoo in April 2023. Meet Duncan: Denver Zoos newest Asian elephant bachelor The zoo said Baylor seems to be settling into his new environment well. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Three years after students and their parents filed complaints detailing discrimination due to race, gender and sexual orientation, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights found that the Carroll school district violated students civil rights. Antonio Ingram, assistant counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which is representing several families who filed complaints against the school district, said Southlake Carroll school officials will have 90 days to negotiate a resolution to the violations that were found to have occurred. If there is no resolution after 90 days, the Department of Education could begin enforcement proceedings, including calling upon the Justice Department or withholding federal funds, Ingram said. The Star-Telegram requested interviews with Superintendent Lane Ledbetter and school board president Cameron Bryan, but did not receive a response. Ingram said the Office for Civil Rights officials conducted interviews with students, teachers and parents and determined there was enough evidence to show that Carroll violated students civil rights. This corroborates the narrative of what our clients have been talking about for years, Ingram said. The complaints described discrimination on the basis of race, gender and sexual orientation. Angela Jones, who filed complaints on behalf of her youngest son and other students who were facing discrimination and bullying, said she is glad that the government investigated her complaints. But said she doesnt trust the school board to negotiate in good faith because of past actions, which include scrapping a district and community effort to craft a cultural competence plan and rolling back other protections for marginalized students. Our district takes pride in bucking the system, Jones said. Jones, whose three children were in the Carroll school district, said students repeatedly called her youngest son the n-word and sometimes said filthy n-word, she said. When my son finally told me about it, it broke my heart. I asked why didnt you tell me this sooner, and he said, Im tired of it, Jones said. Jones said after she complained to the school district, the students who were accused of using racial slurs were disciplined, but Jones said she was not told how the students were punished. If the punishments were severe enough, it should have been shut down, and it wasnt, she said. We saw the ugliness from the community, but we knew we were right. After a video surfaced in 2018 of students chanting the n-word, the community and school board members banded together and demanded an end to the bullying and harassment. When the video came out, everybody was up in arms, and then it just flipped, Jones said. A committee that included residents and school district representatives worked on a draft of a cultural competence plan until pressure from conservative groups, including the Southlake Families PAC, led the district to scrap the plan. Southlake Families was spearheaded by Tim OHare, who is now the Tarrant County judge. Meanwhile, Ingram said he is hoping the district will work with the Department of Education to resolve the complaints. This investigation and the findings is about students going to school and feeling safe and that they belong, he said. NEW YORK The citys Department of Investigation has launched a probe into accusations that top NYPD officials flouted local laws by thumbing out what have been criticized as politically charged social media posts, a spokeswoman for the watchdog agency told the New York Daily News on Wednesday. The spokeswoman, Diane Struzzi, said the inquirys being launched in response to investigation requests from Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and the Legal Aid Society. In light of the requests, DOI has begun an investigation of the relevant social media use and exchanges, as well as applicable city policies, Struzzi said. The NYPD press office didnt return requests for comment. But a spokeswoman for Mayor Adams, who has defended police brass amid the social media controversy, said DOIs probe should also scrutinize some of the politicians targeted by the NYPD officials online. It is clear that a small number of advocates and Council members who have gone unchallenged in using their social media to make disparaging comments against the hardworking public servants of our city only support speech that is politically convenient for them, said spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak. We hope this DOI review includes the unprofessional actions of the small number of Council members who have engaged in this behavior. The request from Speaker Adams, submitted with DOIs inspector general for the NYPD on Friday, referenced recent posts on X from NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell, Deputy Commissioner for Operations Kaz Daughtry and other department brass that she alleged violated city laws that prohibit the use of city resources for political purposes. The posts in question include Chell dispatches from his official department X account in which he blasted progressive Queens Councilwoman Tiffany Cabans political views as garbage and urged his followers to vote the change you seek if they dislike her, too. Legal Aids request for DOI intervention called the social media activities from the police officials a clear abuse of the NYPDs authority. City ethics law bars police officials from using city resources, such as department social media accounts, for blatantly political purposes. The NYPDs patrol guide prohibits police employees from engaging in political activities while in official capacity. In addition to the requests for DOI involvement, dozens of local elected officials, including members of New Yorks congressional delegation, sent a letter to Mayor Adams last week demanding that he reprimand Chell for his recent social media posts. The mayor has defended Chell against the pushback, saying the chief is a professional. Though he has vowed on X to continue to be outspoken, the NYPD press office said Tuesday that Chell had canceled a planned Wednesday night appearance at a Republican Party event in Queens after the Daily News inquired about it. The mounting pressure on Chell and other NYPD officials comes amid stepped-up PR efforts on social media by department brass. While facing criticism on some fronts, the NYPD officials have been backed up by local Republicans. NYPD brass have every right to explain their policies and defend their positions as agency leadership on social media, especially against often baseless and politicized attacks from media and elected officials, Queens Councilwoman Vickie Paladino, one of the chambers most conservative members, wrote on X in response to the DOI investigation announcement. Legal Aids request for a probe also asked DOI to investigate whether the NYPD violated legal agreements by keeping dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters detained for more than 24 hours after they were arrested last week during raids on the Columbia University and City College campuses, where demonstrators had set up encampments and occupied an academic building. The NYPD has said it intervened and made arrests on the campuses after being asked to do so by school leaders. Struzzi said DOIs probe is, at least for now, only focused on the social media aspect. _____ POLKTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) Authorities are thanking residents who helped rescue cows from a burning building at a dairy farm near Coopersville. The Ottawa County Sheriffs Office said it happened around 10:15 p.m. Wednesday at a dairy farm on 56th Avenue between Cleveland and Roosevelt streets in Polkton Township, north of Coopersville. A fire broke out inside a large building with cows inside. When deputies arrived, the farms owner, employees, firefighters, and area residents were helping to rescue the cows, according to a sheriffs office news release. The sheriffs office said some cows died but did not have an exact number. A News 8 crew at the scene saw several dead cows on the property. This embedded content is not available in your region. The sheriffs office thanked the residents who helped on the scene. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. HONG KONG, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) said on Thursday it will present an exhibition on historical French fashion from June 26, showcasing over 300 pieces of French costume, jewellery, and accessory from the late 18th to the early 20th centuries from the collection of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris. Titled "The Adorned Body," the exhibition marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. With the exhibition lasting through Oct. 14, it is the first time the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris puts its comprehensive collection of historical French fashion on display in Asia. In five thematic sections, "The Adorned Body" explores the history of men's and women's fashions in France from 1770 to 1910. "We hope to instill visitors' interest in the history of French fashion, as well as the evolution of fashion across time and its impact on global fashion, textile, and design," said Louis Ng, director of the HKPM. The exhibition is an opportunity to celebrate together the links that have united China and France for 60 years, said Christine Macel, director of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris. At the time of the fatal shooting, the 23-year-old was on FaceTime with an unidentified woman who reported the incident's events to the victim's family's attorney U.S. Air Force via AP Senior Airman Roger Fortson The attorney representing the family of the Black U.S. Air Force airman who was killed by Florida deputies said the authorities burst into the wrong apartment when they fatally shot him, reports the Associated Press, Newsweek and NBC News. Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, who was based at Hurlburt Field, was fatally shot on May 3 at his off-base apartment in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. An Air Force spokesperson told Task and Purpose he was a Special Missions Aviator assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron's AC-130J gunships. "We demand accountability for those responsible for his death," civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Fortsons family, said in a statement on Wednesday, May 8. Crump is a prominent civil rights trial lawyer in the U.S. and has represented the families of George Floyd, Trayvon Martin and Breonna Taylor, as well as the residents of Flint, Mich. Crump said in a statement that Fortson was on a Facetime call with a woman at the time of the deadly incident. The woman, who has not been publicly identified, said that Fortson was alone in his apartment when he heard a knock at his door, according to Crump. Crump added that per the woman's account, Forston asked who was knocking but got no response. A few minutes later, he heard a louder knock and checked the people, but didn't see anyone. AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey Ben Crump in New York, on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024. She then said the victim grew concerned and retrieved his gun which Crump said Fortson legally owned. Once he walked from the door to his living room, the deputies burst through the door and saw he was armed and shot him six times, said Crump. Fortson fell to the ground and said, I cant breathe, the woman said, per Crump. He then died at a hospital, per Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden in a Tuesday, May 7 press release. Additionally, the deputy who shot Fortson was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. Related: Florida Boy, 14, Run Over and Killed and Driver Shot During 'Meaningless' Fight: Police Crump said the woman reports that Fortson wasnt causing a disturbance and as a result believes that the deputies had the wrong apartment. The circumstances surrounding Rogers death raise serious questions that demand immediate answers from authorities, especially considering the alarming witness statement that the police entered the wrong apartment, Crump said in his statement. We are calling for transparency in the investigation into Rogers death and the immediate release of body cam video to the family, Crump said. His family and the public deserve to know what occurred in the moments leading up to this tragedy. U.S. Air Force via AP Senior Airman Roger Fortson In the May 7 statement, Sheriff Aden also asked for the communitys patience as [they] work to understand the facts that resulted in this tragic event. He confirmed that the deputies responded to a call of a disturbance on May 3 and reacted in self-defense after encountering an armed man. 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. Representatives for Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office and Crump did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for more information on Wednesday. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Deputy PM Kubrakov's reappointment will not be considered until Infrastructure Ministry divided The issue of reappointing Oleksandr Kubrakov will not be on the agenda until the division of the Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development is complete. Source: Ukrainska Pravda sources in the Servant of the People faction Details: Ukrainska Pravda sources have confirmed that Kubrakovs reappointment will not be voted on in Parliament on 9 May. In the coming days, MPs and the Cabinet of Ministers will divide the ministry into two separate departments the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Ministry of Regional Policy. So far, it is planned that Kubrakov will remain the acting infrastructure minister. At the same time, the question of whether the former deputy prime minister will be appointed to head the newly created ministry remains open. Background: On 9 May 2024, the parliament dismissed Oleksandr Kubrakov from the post of Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine and Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine. The official himself was not present in the session hall. Oleksandr Kubrakov said he was not invited to discuss his dismissal the day before. Support UP or become our patron! Sen. Paul Sarlo on Thursday accused lawyers of "making a lot of money off the taxpayers of New Jersey" by suing over public records denials. (Dana DiFilippo | New Jersey Monitor) Senate lawmakers approved a controversial bill Thursday to retool the Open Public Records Act over a chorus of objectors who warned lawmakers were pushing government secrecy. The Senates budget committee approved the bill in a 10-3 vote after more than three hours of testimony that consisted mainly of warnings that the bill would essentially make the public records law inoperable to residents because it would kill the laws enforcement mechanism. Two Republicans, Sens. Declan OScanlon and Michael Testa, and one Democrat, Sen. Andrew Zwicker, voted no. The bill remains deeply flawed. Many records that are currently available to the public will be cloaked in secrecy or otherwise made more difficult if the bill is enacted, and wrongful denials will be impossible for many to challenge, said Thomas Cafferty, general counsel for the New Jersey Press Association. The bill, which returned to the Legislature with amendments this week after public outcry forced lawmakers away from the proposal in March, would remove a mandate that courts award attorneys fees to requestors who successfully overturn illegally denied records requests. Amendments made Thursday morning require attorneys fees be awarded if there is a legal finding of bad faith or a judge rules a custodian unreasonably denied access or knowingly violated the law, conditions critics said would effectively bar low-income residents from securing legal representation and increase municipal costs by extending litigation. The problem with making it so that it is conditional on the court deciding to award them is youll never be able to find lawyers who are willing to take the case, said Joe Cohn, a civil rights attorney whos running for the 3rd District House seat. Even then, you only have an entitlement when theres a finding of bad faith, which means that every case is going to have discovery That will dramatically increase the cost to the state. Michael Cerra, executive director of the New Jersey League of Municipalities, is among those who spoke out in favor of the bill during Thursdays hearing. (Dana DiFilippo | New Jersey Monitor) Officials from the League of Municipalities and the New Jersey Association of Counties suggested fee shifting needs to be reined in because attorneys who represent records requestors are awarded fees that are higher than those paid to municipal and county attorneys. Although we certainly support the amendments on the fee-shifting piece of it, we would say that it should go further and place a cap. I think $300 is a reasonable cap. We thought maybe $200 or $250 an hour, make it similar to what local governments pay their outside counsels, said John Donnadio, the associations executive director. Critics of the bill say legal fees in records disputes are already reasonable because judges overseeing the disputes do not approve unreasonable fees. Unlike most attorneys representing OPRA requestors, government lawyers or outside counsel retained by governments are paid regardless of whether they win a case. Critics also took issue with a provision in the bill regarding special service fees, which records custodians charge for unusually complex requests. Under the current system, custodians are responsible for justifying special service fees, but the bill says such fees would be presumed to be reasonable. This would allow governments to de facto deny records requests by charging exorbitant fees, and requestors would be responsible for proving the fees are unreasonable, even without access to any of the underlying information, critics said Critics said that provision would also boost legal expenses for towns and counties because it would necessitate expert testimony and depositions in court. Representatives from the New Jersey League of Municipalities and the New Jersey Association of Counties declined to discuss the provision when pressed by legislators at Thursdays hearing. Other critics took umbrage at a provision that would allow governments to sue requestors they believe are seeking to substantially interrupt the performance of government function, worrying it would chill residents from even submitting OPRA requests for fear of retaliatory litigation. The bill would also allow a judge to limit the number or scope of requests the requestor could file if the government prevails. You cant rightly claim that the public has the freedom to access public records while at the same time imposing a looming threat of retribution for people who dare to use that right, said April Nicklaus, deputy executive of Voter Choice New Jersey, a group that favors ranked-choice voting. Sen. Andrew Zwicker is the only Democrat who voted against the bill Thursday. (Hal Brown for New Jersey Monitor) Shifting explanations The bills supporters have presented shifting explanations for the proposal since it was first introduced. Initially, it was pitched as a means of addressing records requests filed by commercial entities, which local officials and representatives from the League of Municipalities and the New Jersey Association of Counties say have choked clerks offices around the state. But little in the bill advanced Friday addresses commercial concerns, and Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen), the chair of the Senate Budget Committee and the bills top sponsor in the upper chamber, on Thursday indicated attorneys fees lay at the heart of the issue. I think youre going to hear its about attorneys fees and about a cottage industry of folks who are making a lot of money off the taxpayers of New Jersey. Im not sure how we could ever resolve that, Sarlo said. Weve done our best. While new exemptions would bar the release of residents addresses and other personal identifying information on documents like pet permits, the latest draft in some ways elevates commercial requestors over others. The bill would allow commercial requestors and no others to pay a fee to receive requested records within seven days, instead of the 14-day response requirement the bill would create for commercial requests. We heard a lot of testimony from county and local folks about the volume of OPRA requests, and there are, in some towns, many commercial requests, but this bill and these amendments do nothing to deal with that, said Dena Mottola Jaborska, executive director of New Jersey Citizen Action. If anything, it actually encourages it more. Custodians seldom fill records requests without seeking an extension, and its unclear what would happen if a custodian sought an extension to a request for which a business had agreed to pay a special service fee meant to help a government meet the costs of producing records. At times, supporters have said the bill would modernize the Open Public Records Act, which was signed into law in 2002, but such provisions are also a relative rarity. A broadened exemption would bar the release of information related to electronic devices and networks instead of just computers and a new exemption would restrict the release of metadata. Provisions in the bill allowing custodians to direct requestors to online record portals are entirely voluntary. The bill provides $4 million in funding to stand up such systems, or about $7,000 per municipality. Transparency promises already broken Lawmakers promises of transparency were already broken before Thursdays hearing even began. In April, Sarlo said amendments to the bill would be released a week before it went to committee. The Legislature shared a draft of the amendments with reporters who requested a copy on Monday, but that draft was not final and did not include new amendments made Thursday morning. Numerous speakers accused the chairman of misrepresenting the depth of the Legislatures engagement with the bills critics. At the start of the hearing, Sarlo said amendments had been added at the request of groups like the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, the League of Women Voters, and the Working Families Party, among others. But representatives for the ACLU, the League of Women Voters, and the Working Families Party on Thursday said that, while they had a meeting with senior legislative staff, their concerns remained unaddressed and they did not play a significant role in shaping the bill. Its all meaningless negotiation, so you can claim that you worked with us, said Joe Johnson, policy counsel for the ACLU-NJ. If I owned a house, I would have bet it all that you would have started this meeting by name-dropping us to try to add credibility to this terrible bill and terrible process, and Id be much richer today for it. The post Despite outcry, Senate lawmakers advance bill overhauling New Jerseys public records law appeared first on New Jersey Monitor. MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) New court documents have shed more light on a road rage shooting that injured a pregnant Florida woman on Sunday. Vincent Steele, 50, was arrested after the Manatee County Sheriffs Office said he shot at a vehicle six to seven times, striking a 36-year-old pregnant woman in the passenger seat. Steele was merging onto US-41 North when he tried to pass a pickup and hit the bumper, losing control of his BMW and ending up in the grass along the shoulder, according to the arrest affidavit. The other vehicle, driven by the pregnant victims fiance and with the victims young daughter in the back seat, stopped on the shoulder following the collision. The family was traveling to see a house in Manatee County. While stopped, the victim and her fiance said they both saw Steele exit his vehicle and approach them with a black handgun. The victim, who is 23 weeks pregnant with twins, said she yelled to her family to take cover and then felt sharp pain in her backside. The fiance sped away, immediately taking the victim to a nearby hospital for treatment, the affidavit says. As of this report, the victim is in stable condition and both the unborn babies have normal heartbeats, according to the sheriffs office. Steele told investigators he grabbed his handgun from his center console following the collision and then approached the victims vehicle in an irate state. He claimed he pulled on the vehicles passenger door handle several times to ask the driver why he had hit his car during the attempted merger. Steele said he drew his weapon and fired shots into the victims vehicle after he saw the driver reach for what Steele believed was a handgun. According to the arrest report, Steele claimed to have stopped shooting after the vehicle sped away, but the investigation found that three of the seven shots were at an angle that suggests Steele fired at the truck as it was leaving. Steele is facing five counts of attempted first-degree premeditated murder, one for each of the three family members in the car and two for the unborn twins. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. 'All they did was give me free publicity': Who stole 130 Howell mayor candidate's signs? Photos of the suspect vehicle police say was involved in the theft of approximately 130 political campaign signs in Howell Township. HOWELL - Over 100 mayoral campaign signs were stolen from around the township and thrown in dumpsters in April, and police need help finding the thief. Around 130 political posters belonging to the "Leggio for Mayor" campaign were stolen from various locations on or about April 23, according to Howell Township Police. The signs were later discarded in dumpsters behind the Ramtown Plaza. The suspect vehicle is a 2018 to 2023 Toyota Camry, police said. "If you have any information about these thefts or recognize the vehicle in the photos, please contact us," Howell Police said. "Your help is crucial in resolving this matter and maintaining the integrity of our community's political processes." Photos of the suspect vehicle police say was involved in the theft of approximately 130 political campaign signs in Howell Township. 'I don't want to leave': Why Howell mechanic is closing shop after 30 years John Leggio, one of the three candidates for the Republican nomination for mayor in Howell Township, along with current Deputy Mayor Ian Nadel and Councilman Fred Gasior. The winner will likely run this fall against Matthew Filosa, who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. Current Mayor Theresa Berger, a Democrat, is not running for re-election. The primary election is June 4.Leggio said that when one of his supporters noticed his yard sign was missing, he notified Leggio, who then called the police. Leggio drove around checking streets and found that the suspect hit multiple streets and houses in the Ramtown section of the township, he said. He gave detectives the list of locations and they launched an investigation. Howell news: Tiny church gets restored to glory by Russian Orthodox community who keep it going Leggio said he is funding his own campaign for this election, which is a contested primary for Republican mayor. "This hurts me because I paid eight bucks a sign," he said. "[But] all they did was give me free publicity, pretty much. They made a crucial mistake." Anyone with information should contact Detective Ortenzi at 732-938-4111, ext. 2894. Howell farmers: We need to host events to stay alive, but township is squashing us Jenna Calderon covers breaking news and cold cases in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Before coming to the Press, she covered The Queen City for Cincinnati Magazine in Ohio. Contact her at 330-590-3903; jcalderon@gannettnj.com This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: 130 Howell mayoral candidate signs stolen, cops investigate They did not discuss this decision with me Deputy PM Kubrakov on his dismissal Oleksandr Kubrakov, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine and Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development, has said that the Prime Minister and his parliamentary faction did not discuss his dismissal with him. Source: Kubrakov on Facebook; MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak on Telegram Quote: "Here is my brief comment on the draft resolution registered in the parliament on my dismissal from the post of Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration and Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine. I am always ready for an open dialogue and a detailed report on the ministry's work in all areas under my responsibility. The faction's leadership and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal did not discuss this decision with me, and I was not invited to the faction and the relevant committee meeting... Regarding the vote for this draft resolution by the Verkhovna Rada, we have come a long way in the five years of our joint work. In an absolute majority of cases, we were heading in the same direction. Everyone makes decisions in accordance with their beliefs and is responsible for it." Details: In December 2022, the parliament decided to appoint Kubrakov as Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine. Zhelezniak noted that Mykola Solskyi, Minister of Agrarian Policy, who was found guilty of seizing state land, would address the Rada before his dismissal, but for some reason Kubrakov would not. Previously: On 9 May 2024, the Verkhovna Rada registered a draft resolution to dismiss Oleksandr Kubrakov from his post. The parliamentary committee for transport adopted the draft resolution and the parliament then dismissed him. Background: Ukrainska Pravda previously reported that MPs from the Servant of the People party faction had decided to divide the Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development into two separate ministries at a faction meeting on Wednesday. The parliamentary committee on the organisation of state power proposed the creation of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Ministry of Regional Development. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal supported this, participating in a meeting of the faction on 8 May. Ukrainska Pravda sources stressed that the parliament planned to relieve Kubrakov from his post on Thursday. The Cabinet of Ministers would then decide to split the ministry. Kubrakov is to be appointed as the Minister of Infrastructure, while the candidate for the Minister of Regional Development has not yet been determined. Support UP or become our patron! I did not feel safe: Teachers facing violence from students are leaving profession After teaching for more than 20 years, one educator decided last December shed had enough. She retired, but it was earlier than planned. I would have loved to continue teaching for another three, five years, but due to the behaviors and the lack of support, and the safety issues, I didnt feel safe, she told Channel 9s Jonathan Lowe. She asked we not use her name or mention the local school where she spent seven years. She said she didnt just feel unsafe at the school, but also wasnt supported. Ive been kicked, Ive been pinched. Students have tried to bite me, Ive had bruises on my legs from that, she told Lowe. A student threatened to throw a chair at me. Another colleague was shoved and punched in the stomach. RELATED: CMS substitute teacher says she wont return to school after being attacked by 2 students But a series of incidents involving a second grade student is what she said pushed her over the edge. This particular second grade student had made threats to shoot all the teachers and shoot all the students, she said. Three weeks later, I encountered that student with a gun, in his front pocket of his sweatshirt. I immediately removed the student from the classroom and restrained him in the hallway while he was fighting to get away from me. She said that gun was actually a realistic-looking toy gun. Even so, she didnt think school administrators took the threats seriously. The student was in second grade and they cant suspend a second grade student, she said. She said it was traumatic for her when the student was put back in her class. That just solidified my decision to leave, she said. I did not feel safe. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Hardly no support Student assaults on teachers, whether verbal or physical, are a concerning trend. Channel 9 partnered with our sister stations across the country to ask teachers about their experiences with student assaults. More than 8,000 teachers in 34 states weighed in, including 857 from North and South Carolina. RELATED: Report: Teachers leaving the profession increased by 42% from last year For example, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teacher said they were just out of physical therapy after a student with previous aggression fits kicked their knee in. A Rowan County teacher described being hit in the face with a lap desk by a student, causing a scratched cornea. They said the student was suspended for just three days before returning to the same classroom. Last year, Lowe spoke with battered and bruised substitute teacher Renata Horton. She got her hands on me, and she jumped behind me and was choking me back here and pulling me on my neck and pulling all my hair, she told Lowe then. Horton was talking about when two female students attacked her in a classroom. Im hurt that I didnt have hardly no support today, Horton had said. Leaving the profession Teachers who took part in our survey described similar experiences. Of those who responded, 70% said violence has caused them to consider leaving the profession, either quitting or retiring. Dr. Susan McMahon led an American Psychological Association task force that studied incidents of violence against teachers. ALSO READ: CMS middle school teacher beaten while breaking up fight, sources say We sort of live in a society where violence is an issue, and I think that schools could be considered a microcosm of our larger society, she said. Dr. McMahon said when educators leave the classroom, theres a direct impact to those who stay. When people are leaving, that stresses the existing people, she said. And then, of course, often people are leaving because theyve had really pretty serious traumatic experiences with violence and aggression. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. More than a third of respondents from the Carolinas said theyd been subjected to physical violence from a student more than once, and 63% said they experienced verbal abuse many times. I think its certainly a crisis in our country, McMahon said. We also asked teachers if they generally feel safe in the classroom. Of the respondents, 64% said yes, but more than half reported feeling afraid to go to school sometimes. In addition, 23% said their school does very little to deter violence. Despite how it ended, the teacher told Lowe she misses the career she loved and she worries the violence is causing lasting damage to her beloved profession. My hope and prayers would be that the public, the school administration, the school board, the government officials would take notice and realize what teachers are going through, she said. (WATCH BELOW: CMS hosts job fair for thousands of potential teachers) I didnt do anything wrong: Man accused of paying homeless woman to care for his granddaughter while he went to a bar SACRAMENTO (KTXL) A grandfather was arrested on Sunday after reportedly giving a homeless woman $20 to watch his granddaughter while he visited a nearby bar, according to the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office. Sunday night, deputies responded to reports of a man asking people to help him find his 7-year-old granddaughter who had allegedly been kidnapped. When deputies met with the man, Jason Warren, they determined him to be highly intoxicated. He reportedly told them he had given $20 to a homeless woman to take his granddaughter to a nearby thrift store. She was about 28 to 30 years old, Warren said, describing the woman he spoke to via a prison phone. He agreed to meet with KTXL to talk about the incident. I knew, I could tell by her character that she seemed like a decent person. I trusted her like I would trust my sister or my cousin. Real life hero: Dad drowns after rescuing 3 kids from North Carolina river After giving the woman the money, Warren allegedly entered a bar where he stayed for about four hours. Meanwhile, the woman, whom the sheriffs office is calling a guardian angel, was with his granddaughter. That woman has since been identified as 34-year-old Lauren Jope. She spoke with KTXL on Tuesday. I was like, Okay thats a big thing you dont know who I am. But I knew that she would be safe with me, Jope said, explaining her interaction with Warren. After being called out for the possible kidnapping, the sheriffs office deployed a helicopter, unmanned aerial systems, and K9 units to help search for Jope and the girl. Jope said she heard the PA announcements from the helicopter and returned with the girl to the parking lot where she said Warren had given her money to take his grandchild to a nearby thrift store. She wasnt scared at all and it seemed like maybe something that had maybe happened before, Jope said. The girl corroborated the womans story and was given a medical check by the Sacramento Fire Department as a precaution. After Property Brothers appearance, Las Vegas couple locked in legal battle over home defects This lady comes in, just out of nowhere, and really, for lack of better terms, shes a guardian angel, Sgt. Amar Gandhi of the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office said Tuesday while describing Jopes actions. Warren was arrested and is facing charges of felony child endangerment and other charges. He is facing a $75,000 bail and will appear in court on Wednesday. When asked by KTXL if he would do this again, Warren said, Yes I would. I didnt do anything wrong. Everything I did, I told God about and I said, Its your will God, not my will. Let your will be done.' The child eventually returned home with her aunt, who had full custody of her, after being cleared by Child Protective Services. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Dine and dash: A couple admitted to running out on more than $1,400 in restaurant bills over 10 months Dine and dash: A couple admitted to running out on more than $1,400 in restaurant bills over 10 months A UK couple confessed to multiple 'dine and dash' offenses, accruing over $1,400 in unpaid bills. Their spree took place over a span of 10 months, with five establishments targeted. 'Dine and dash' offenses are on the increase in the UK, a police official said. A couple from the UK admitted to committing several "dine and dash" offenses, running up unpaid bills worth more than $1,400, according to multiple reports. Bernard McDonagh, 41, and his 39-year-old wife Ann, of Port Talbot, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to failing to pay restaurant bills, the BBC reported. Between August last year and April, the couple ran up vast bills at four restaurants, as well as a Chinese takeout. At one Swansea restaurant, Bella Ciao, they ordered T-bone steaks and double portions of dessert, leaving the restaurant without paying the 329 check, about $410, the BBC reported. In a Facebook post in April, Bella Ciao wrote that a female customer had had her card declined twice. "She then said her son would wait inside while she went out to get her 'other card,'" the post continued. "Of course she does not return and then the son receives a phone call and says he has to go, and does a runner." The restaurant added: "To do this to anyone is disgusting but to do this to a newly open restaurant is even worse!" The Golden Fortune Chinese takeout in Port Talbot, lost the equivalent of $124 to the couple in January, per the BBC. Shirley Xue of the Golden Fortune told Business Insider that it is already a "difficult time" to be running a business, with higher energy bills and suppliers' prices on the increase. Another restaurant targeted by the McDonaghs, the River House in Swansea, wrote in a Facebook post in April that the pair, along with their three children, had run up a bill for 270, roughly $338, without paying. Two other restaurants were hit, with bills of more than $240 on each occasion. The McDonaghs' spree could point to a wider issue. The cost-of-living crisis may be a factor fueling an increase in this type of crime, Donna Jones, a police commissioner in the UK, told MailOnline. She said the crime is "growing." But she noted that the kind of people who dine and dash are often comfortable and are rarely "typical thieves" with drug or alcohol problems, she said. "They're driving away in their own cars," she added. In one incident in November, a group of "posh" elderly customers ordered the most expensive items on a menu without paying the resulting 96.70 tab, The Telegraph reported. The McDonaghs have been released on bail and are due to be sentenced on May 29, according to the BBC. Read the original article on Business Insider by Xinhua writers Liu Zhoupeng, Cheng Lu and Wei Guanyu LHASA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- In the laboratory of Tibetan entomologist Dawa, a delicate grey butterfly, adorned with white stripes and intricate golden circles, has found its final resting place. This specimen, kept behind glass in a display case, represents one of more than 300 newly discovered species that Dawa and his team have unearthed in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. "Each new butterfly serves as a surprise, unveiling the mysteries of biodiversity on the plateau," said Dawa, a 55-year-old associate researcher at the regional institute of plateau biology. For over 30 years, Dawa has been immersed in the taxonomy of insects. "It's about understanding and safeguarding rare species, providing a crucial foundation for maintaining the ecological balance of the plateau area," he said. For Dawa and his colleagues, collecting insects is both an intimate communion with nature and an unyielding battle against nature's harsh elements -- intense ultraviolet rays, unpredictable climate shifts and intricate geography. Every year, they embark on field expeditions, spending over 140 days covering nearly 20,000 km. Their journeys take them through mountains, valleys, grasslands and lakes, with each step a testament to their unwavering dedication. Their most extended expedition led them to the rainforests of Medog County, where humidity, heat and mosquitoes abound. Enduring hunger, sunburn, allergies and insect bites, they collected tens of thousands of highland insect specimens. Xu Yongqiang, a member of Dawa's team, recalls how even a moment's distraction could result in his arm being covered in mosquito bites. He often asks Dawa where his unwavering passion comes from. The answer lies in Dawa's childhood, when he encountered a Cabbage White butterfly among some flowers -- an encounter that sparked his curiosity and desire to learn more about these beautiful creatures. Despite initial hesitation from his parents, Dawa pursued his passion for studying insects. His mother, Lungzin, now fully supports his work. "I read all the popular science articles about plateau insects he posted online. Over the years, I've come to understand him," she said. In 2017, Dawa's team started compiling a catalog for Xizang's butterflies, marking the first time the scientific names of butterflies had been recorded in Mandarin, Tibetan and Latin. This catalog meticulously documents over 600 butterfly species found in Xizang, including morphological characteristics, host plants and distribution information. "The catalog is a work in progress," Dawa said, emphasizing the crucial role butterflies play in assessing and protecting the plateau's delicate ecosystem. Unique plants in the plateau ecosystem rely solely on specific butterfly species for pollination. If these particular butterflies disappeared, these rare plants would face immediate extinction, leading to the demise of the animals dependent on them for survival, Dawa further explained. As the primary component of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, changes in Xizang's biodiversity directly impact global climate and biodiversity. "If my work can contribute even in the smallest way to preserving biodiversity, then it's a mission worth pursuing," Dawa said. Enditem (Xinhua correspondents Jigme Dorje and Tenzing Nima Qadhup also contribute to the report.) The Georgia Water Coalition released its annual Dirty Dozen list for 2024 Thursday, a combination of specific polluted waterways across the state and policies that threaten the health of Georgias water resources. The report identified threats to the following specific waterways: Abercorn Creek, where growth spurred by the Port of Savannah threatens regional water supplies. Altamaha River, where the state continues to allow a pulp mill in Jesup to pollute the river. Conasauga and Ogeechee rivers, where the presence of toxic forever chemicals taints fish and threatens human health. Coosa River, where Georgia Power plans to leave coal ash in one pond at the closed Plant Hammond to remain in contact with groundwater. Flint River in Decatur County, where plans for a $400 million monkey breeding facility have residents worried about the spread of disease. Floridan Aquifer in South Georgia, where growth in coastal counties is straining underground water supplies. Okefenokee Swamp, where the state is poised to issue permits for a proposed titanium mine along Trail Ridge. More generally, the report warned about the drain on energy and water supplies posed by an influx of massive data centers in Georgia and a push to privatize public water resources. Much of the stress on the states waterways stems from the rapid growth in recent years that has won Georgia the status of being the No.-1 state to do business, said Jesse Demonbreun-Chapman, executive director of the Coosa River Basin Initiative, one of the Georgia Water Coalitions more than 260 member organizations. Our success in economic development has had a downside, he said. Joe Cook of the Georgia River Network, who chaired the committee that selected the Dirty Dozen, said the controversy over the proposed monkey breeding facility in Bainbridge drew attention to the role local development authorities play in crafting secret deals offering tax incentives to lure businesses to their communities. The company behind the project, Safer Human Medicine, is looking to house 30,000 monkeys for medical research. Thats more monkeys than there are people in Decatur County, Cook said. The report identified PFAS, a group of manmade forever chemicals used to make fabric stain resistant and fire retardant, as an emerging pollutant. While the carpet and textile industries are phasing them out, theyre still polluting rivers and contaminating fish, especially in the Conasauga and Ogeechee rivers. Gov. Brian Kemp vetoed legislation this week that would have temporarily suspended a state sales tax exemption aimed at attracting data centers. The bills supporters said the two-year pause in the exemption was needed to allow time to study the impacts the industrys rapid growth is having on energy and water supplies. Tax breaks to lure data centers to Georgia have had unintended consequences, Cook said. They use tremendous amounts of energy and water. Finally, the report cited two bills the General Assembly passed this year aimed at privatizing the states water resources. The water coalition criticized measures granting Georgians the right to hunt and fish in the states navigable rivers and streams as inadequate for protecting public access. Another bill the report slammed will allow a private water utility to serve new homes near the Hyundai plant without the consent of local governments. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) State lawmakers are considering a bill to make it easier to involuntarily hospitalize people with mental illness and disability rights advocates are seriously concerned. For months, the Ohio House Behavioral Health Committee has mulled over legislation that would expand the reasons someone can be civilly committed to inpatient psychiatric care against their will. The bipartisan legislation, which its sponsors claim would result in fewer mentally ill people being jailed and better health outcomes for them, would add Ohio to the growing list of states that have expanded ways to involuntarily hospitalize people. Large sculpture honoring homicide victims planned for Downtown after memorial locks removed from bridge While the bill is supported by health care providers, judges, and law enforcement, disability rights organizations are worried the legislation will not help the people its purported to benefit and may in fact seriously harm their chances of recovery or long-term stabilization. Involuntary hospitalization does not address housing insecurity, food insecurity, job insecurity and the other factors that contribute to mental health issues, advocates say, and in many cases can put people at further risk of poverty and homelessness. Its just a cycle that continues and perpetuates, and people just dont get out of it, said Lewis Bossing, senior staff attorney for the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. To initiate civil commitment in most cases, a qualified person including most law enforcement, physicians, licensed mental health workers and public health officials must file a petition for emergency hospitalization, a process commonly referred to as pink-slipping. Under current law, to be immediately hospitalized without consent, a person must present a substantial risk of physical harm to themselves or others, must be unable to care for their basic physical needs due to mental illness, or must post a grave and imminent risk to the substantial rights of themselves or others that would be remediated through mental health treatment. Bill mandating policy on cell phone use in schools heads to governors desk House Bill 249 would add a category of people who could be involuntarily hospitalized. To qualify under the psychiatric deterioration standard, a person must meet all of the following: Their judgment is impaired by a lack of understanding of having an illness or a need for treatment, or both They have refused treatment or are not following a prescribed treatment They have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, delusional disorder, or major depressive disorder They are reasonably expected to suffer mental deterioration if not treated and, because of that, would fall into another category outlined in existing law Its sponsors, Rep. Brett Hillyer (R-Uhrichsville) and former Democratic Rep. Tavia Galonski, said adding a psychiatric deterioration standard allows the legal and health systems to initiate care before a person harms themselves or others and in some cases, ends up with a criminal charge. Intervention can reduce an individuals risk of societal consequences, like arrest, incarceration, homelessness or job loss, Galonski, who resigned in January after being named the Summit County Clerk of Courts, testified last September. The sentiment was repeated in proponent testimony by judges, police officers, and the Ohio Psychiatric Physicians Association. Several acknowledged that 21 states have some form of psychiatric deterioration standard and argued that early intervention leads to shorter hospital stays. Summit County Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer wrote in testimony submitted on behalf of the Ohio Judicial Conference that HB249 enables providers to care for people who refuse or cannot access treatment. She emphasized that emergency hospitalization often does not lead to full civil commitment, and said in Summit County, less than a third of people who are pink-slipped end up making it before a judge in a civil commitment hearing. Former Adena Health doctor admits to inappropriate behavior with staff members The other 70% receive appropriate treatment and are released, her testimony reads. But emergency hospitalization can be harmful in and of itself, Bossing said. People can be held for several days, and in that time may lose their jobs, be unable to provide for their family or their relationships may suffer. And often, Bossing said, forced hospitalization means little more than forced psychiatric medication and release. People are discharged into the same community that lacks adequate support services to keep them stable, he said. Theres no evidence to indicate that just because there is a court order requiring treatment that that treatment is going to be more effective than voluntary engagement of a person, Bossing said. Available research on involuntary hospitalization supports Bossings assertion. The scientific literature indicates that forced hospitalization does not improve peoples long-term mental health, and some studies show people are worse off. A 2019 systematic review published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease found multiple studies showed involuntarily hospitalized people are significantly more likely to be readmitted, have higher rates of suicide and are viewed more negatively by hospital staff than voluntarily admitted patients. A 2008 review of more than 40 studies published in the European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience found similar results. Amid controversial end of the year, OSU president lobbies Statehouse for funds Disability Rights Ohio agrees with Bossing. While it doesnt formally oppose HB249, the organization said in written testimony that the legislature should instead focus on funding community-based services and prioritizing voluntary access to care. Peoples rights should not be jeopardized simply because they have a diagnosis, are experiencing symptoms, or because the community lacks the availability of adequate services and supports to meet their needs, Disability Rights Ohios testimony read. The new category of person subject to civil commitment is further problematic, Bossing said, because it requires the person initiating involuntary hospitalization to make a judgment call about how someone may act in the future. While proponents, including a police sergeant and crisis intervention coordinator, testified that the new laws criteria act as sufficient guardrails for unnecessary hospitalization, Bossing said its an inherently subjective call that is often unreliable. People who have had negative experiences with mental health care have very rational reasons for avoiding treatment, including psychiatric medications, Bossing said. Particularly during a housing crisis, and at a time when states like California have expanded involuntary commitment laws to target rising homelessness, Bossing worries that the people will use homelessness as a proxy for whether someone can care for themselves. But its often not that simple, he said. For many people, the alternative to living on the streets is living in a shelter, or in some sort of hospital both of which are often crowded, chaotic, unsafe, unclean conditions where people often feel victimized or otherwise subjected to kinds of abuse, Bossing said. If it were me, I would pick living in a tent on the street versus being in a shelter. Forbes names Columbus as one of top 10 best cities to move to in 2024 Both Disability Rights Ohios testimony and Bossing emphasized that people need mental health treatment and Bossing acknowledged that in some serious cases, emergency hospitalization may be necessary. But the Bazelon Center, Disability Rights Ohio and other advocacy organizations argue that the state should promote and properly fund the least restrictive care for people and prioritize autonomy in health care decisions. One of the biggest barriers to recovery remains the lack of access to community mental health services, a result of historic underfunding of these systems, Disability Rights Ohios testimony, submitted for Tuesdays hearing, read. Forcing people into institutionalization does not solve this problem. HB249 was scheduled for a committee vote on Tuesday, but before hearing testimony on the bill, House Behavioral Health Committee Chair Gail Pavliga (R-Portage County) announced the vote had been tabled. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. A disgraced Manhattan urologist was convicted Wednesday for sexually assaulting patients, including six boys, under the guise of medical treatment. Darius Paduch, 55, was found guilty by a jury Wednesday in Manhattan federal court on all 13 counts he faced related to his sexual abuse of eight patients, according to the Manhattan US Attorneys Office. Paduch who formerly worked at NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center and Northwell Health carried out the abuse from 2015 through 2019 when he was alone with his patients in the exam room, prosecutors have said. Darius Paduch was convicted on all 13 counts related to his sexual abuse of eight patients. Weill Cornell Medicine The doctor who specialized in infertility and male reproductive health would allegedly instruct his victims to masturbate themselves or he would masturbate them himself. He also used sex toys on them and carried out unnecessary rectal exams without wearing gloves, the feds have claimed. As a unanimous jury has just found, Darius A. Paduch leveraged his position of trust as a medical doctor for his own perverse gratification, Manhattan US Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement. For years, patients seeking needed medical care, many of them children, left his office as victims. Paduch is also being sued by more than 130 of his former patients in a slew of cases for alleged sexual abuse and for allegedly torturing patients with unnecessary medical procedures conducted without anesthesia so he could inflict pain on them. Mallory Allen, a lawyer representing his victims said in a statement that, Justice was served today. For nearly twenty years, patients who trusted him for their medical care and treatment were instead brutalized by his degrading, sexually violating, and medically unfounded acts while the hospitals where he worked looked the other way, Allen said. The jury verdict in the criminal case affirms that these heinous acts will not be overlooked, and the pending civil cases will ensure that the institutions who repeatedly prioritized profits over their patients will face consequences for their indifference in ignoring years of complaints, the statement concluded. Paduch was a urologist at Northwell Health and at NewYork Presbyterian. Twitter / Darius Paduch Paduch also faces a slew of civil cases by over 130 patients who claim they were sexually abused by the doctor. Twitter / Darius Paduch Paduch whos been behind bars since his April 2023 arrest faces up to 60 years imprisonment at his sentencing on the conviction for the charge of inducement of minor victims to travel to engage in unlawful sexual activity and related crimes. Paduchs lawyer Michael Baldassare said his client would seek to appeal. Dr. Darius Paduch has maintained his innocence since the start of this case, Baldassare said. He maintains it to this day and we will continue to fight for him. We will be filing post trial motions and an appeal and will seek all available relief. His sentencing is Aug. 22. GOP candidates Julia Jaddock and Matt Nunn are running against each other for the District 17 open state Senate seat. Northern Kentucky will see a power shift in Frankfort next session as two of its longtime state senators step down after decades in office. Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, and Sen. John Schickel, R-Union, announced last fall they would not run for re-election. With two of Northern Kentucky's five state senate seats up for grabs, Republicans are fighting for the chance to claim them. Both districts, 11 and 17, are Republican strongholds. In District 17, Matt Nunn and Julia Jaddock are running against each other to represent part of southern Kenton County, Grant and Scott counties, and the northwest corner of Fayette County. Thayer has represented the district since 2003. Kentucky state Senate district 17 The Enquirer asked the GOP candidates where they stand on some of the most important issues to voters. Here's what the candidates had to say. Note: Democrat Kiana Fields is also running in District 17. She does not have a contested primary and is therefore not included in this article. Who are the Republicans running for office? Jaddock, 57, attended Western Governors University, an online university based in Salt Lake City. She is a former teacher and currently works and volunteers at the nondenominational Central Church in Georgetown. She's a first-time political candidate. She has four children and is a former business owner. Nunn, 46, attended Eastern Kentucky University. He is the vice president of Enterprise Risk Management at Toyota Tsusho America in Georgetown. He also owns Slainte Public House, an Irish bar that serves food and has live music. He also served in the Kentucky Army National Guard. He's a first-time political candidate. He's married and has two children. How would you describe Jan. 6? Pro-Trump protesters gather in front of the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C. Jaddock: "A few renegades made poor choices that should not have happened. Insurrection is an incorrect word. "There were people that were destructive to property and that kind of thing. But at the same token, when you watch the video footage, people were almost waved into the Capitol and certainly our Capitol police were standing there and people were walking peacefully in it and if that was an area that should not have been entered, 'Why weren't they stopped?' is what I asked myself." Nunn: "I think there's a lot of people there who love their country and are patriots and went there to make sure their voices were heard. I think, just like in most situations, there can always be a small percentage of the population who take things too far and I think that that's quite possibly what happened there. "If you break into a building or you steal things, that's a crime for anybody. There's people who say that they were allowed in or ushered in I don't know, I wasn't there. Now, the level of that crime, you have to look at it. Is it a felony or misdemeanor? What's the actual crime that was committed?" If former President Donald Trump is convicted of a crime, would you vote for him? Jaddock: "Yes, I definitely will. "I believe that the Department of Justice is being used to weaponize (against) our former president. ... I believe he'll be acquitted of any charges and he should be." Nunn: "I would absolutely vote for President Donald Trump. ... In both instances (the charges in New York and Georgia), it looks like they're politically motivated attacks. "I hope that everybody's open minded enough that if they get more information, their opinion can change. But as of today, I'm fully supportive of Donald Trump. I am hopeful that he ends up being our Republican nominee and he's on the ballot this fall. Do any groups suffer from discrimination? What groups? What should done about it? Jaddock: "I think I suffered from discrimination as a young child because I was poor. I think poverty holds some very difficult, heavy weight on people. And what can we do about it? I think we just continue to provide resources. There is a thing called Transform Scott County and they do provide a resource called Circles. I believe that's how we will impact poverty and I really believe poverty is one of the hardest hit areas as far as discrimination." Enquirer note: According to the Transform Scott County website, Circles is an 18-month program that links those living in poverty with churches and adult mentors who help them "establish goals and future plans to help them exit poverty." Nunn: "I think probably every person in this country probably suffers from discrimination in some form or fashion at some point in their life, whether it's their race, their religion, their gender, or their economic status what region of the country they're from. I don't know that we'll ever completely eliminate any of that until the day that Jesus comes back." What if any changes would you make to the immigration system and pathways to citizenship? Jaddock: "I like to look at immigration kind of like a household. I can take on, probably in my household with my income, two or three people. I could bring them in and care for them but when we start putting 20, 30 people in my house, I can't pay the mortgage anymore. So when we look at our borders and when we start just saying, 'OK, my household is just completely open,' well, there's some disconnect of reality. If we have a rule of law, we need to enforce that law and one of them is to protect our borders. So we need that border maintained and protected and let legal immigration happen." Nunn: "We have to secure our border, that is essential. We have to have a pathway to citizenship. We have to have immigration. We always have and I think we always will need immigration. But it needs to be safe and legal and anyone who is not abiding by what our Congress has determined to be safe and legal then they should not be here." What if any role should the government play in healthcare decisions? Jaddock: "The smaller government is, the better off we are. And so let's let free market work that one out. I would love accountability in medical care. When a person walks in, they know the price tag on everything that they that they're buying. I don't see why we can't do that." Nunn: "I think healthcare decisions should be between an individual and their doctor. There are instances where we don't allow an individual and their doctor to have unfettered decision-making ability. We do not allow assisted suicide, for example If we just allow the individual and a doctor to do anything, again, we could have a situation where doctors performing assisted suicides and I don't think that's something that our society wants or needs. And so I think it's up to our society to determine, overall, what's appropriate, and then have those kinds of rules or safeguards in place." Where do you stand on the issue of abortion? Gun rights? Jaddock: "I believe that life begins at conception and we need to protect life. Once life has begun it is not ours to take in that way We need to value the life of the mom first (and then the unborn child)." "I believe that felons at a certain level are not allowed to have firearms and I would agree with that. I think there's some sense there. Red flag (laws)? Absolutely not. That is a slippery slope that erodes the Second Amendment and we need to protect that." Nunn: "I am 100% pro life. I think our legislature got it right. I think it protects both the child and the mothers and so when there's instances where the mother's life is in danger, in jeopardy, then what our current law allows is appropriate." "I'm 100% supportive of the Second Amendment. No restrictions on gun ownership." This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Who is Matt Nunn? Who is Julia Jaddock? Who is running in NKY? Ryan Walters, state schools superintendent, listens Tuesday, April 11, 2023, during the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board meeting to discuss a vote on whether to approve the creation of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. Oklahoma County District Court Judge Richard Ogden declined Wednesday to require backers of the proposed St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School to provide immediate depositions to plaintiffs in a lawsuit seeking to block the school's formation. He also declined to grant a protective order against depositions to the defendants. Ogden granted the stay "pending determination that the court has subject matter jurisdiction" concerning the issue, given that another lawsuit involving St. Isidore, brought by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, is being considered by the state Supreme Court. Attorneys for St. Isidore said a ruling in that case might render the Oklahoma County case moot, although the plaintiffs' attorneys said the lawsuits address slightly different issues. The cases are being eyed closely due to their religious overtones and potential for a precedent-setting ruling. Ogden instead set a May 31 deadline for the plaintiffs to file a motion for a temporary injunction to stop the school from moving forward with its plans. He also set a tentative date for an evidentiary hearing on July 23-24. At that hearing, the plaintiffs' attorneys will be able ask questions of any witnesses called by the defense, said Alex Luchenitser, an attorney for the plaintiffs. More: Oklahoma Supreme Court appears skeptical of argument that St. Isidore would not be a public school During arguments, Luchenitser suggested a temporary injunction could be narrowly tailored to prevent St. Isidore from discriminating on the basis of sex and gender for students and employees. He added the school has already hired employees and admitted students, so the harm is already taking place. Defense attorneys argued the case was based on unfounded hypotheticals and asked for the deposition to be put off for a few weeks or months. Attorney Scott Proctor, representing St. Isidore, said the court should wait to see if students or employees bring discrimination cases before deciding the schools future. Phil Sechler, attorney for the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter Board and the senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom a conservative Christian legal advocacy group said the board didnt think depositions were appropriate at this time. Judge Ogden agreed, saying it was undecided whether the court had subject matter jurisdiction. County case has been quietly active since last year The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board drew national attention when it voted 3-2 in June 2023 to approve the schools creation. The Oklahoma Parent Legislative Action Committee, a non-partisan public school advocacy group, joined nine other parents, faith leaders and public education advocates in filing its lawsuit in July. They contend a Catholic charter school would contradict state law and asked a district judge to block St. Isidore from opening and receiving state funds. The plaintiffs are represented by local attorneys and national groups the American Civil Liberties Union, the Freedom from Religion Foundation and Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU). The case already has seen legal tumult. The original judge assigned to the case, Oklahoma County District Judge Brent Dishman, declined to recuse himself from the case after being asked to do so by plaintiffs' attorneys, who cited a conflict of interest. The plaintiffs appealed and in January, District Judge Amy Palumbo, the countys chief district judge that month, ruled Dishman should be removed. Dishmans sister-in-law is the co-founder of the OPLAC. Dishman also serves on the board of College of the Ozarks, a private religious school in Point Lookout, Missouri, that previously hired several of the defense attorneys in a separate case with similar issues. According to the state Education Department website, charter schools are defined as public schools that are allowed greater flexibility for greater accountability. Catholic officials contend, however, charter schools are private schools, despite their reliance on taxpayer dollars, and a faith-based institution shouldn't be excluded from the state's charter-school funding. Critics argue the concept of a government-funded religious school violates the separation of church and state and could result in discrimination against certain groups. In March, Ogden received dueling filings from each side, with three requests for dismissal and another to force St. Isidore to agree to provide representatives to be deposed by attorneys for the plaintiffs. State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters and the agency he leads, the Oklahoma State Department of Education, also are defendants in the case. Attorneys for Walters said they supported St. Isidore's request to have the deposition requested by the plaintiffs delayed. Similar lawsuit also pending in Oklahoma Supreme Court The other lawsuit involving St. Isidore, filed by Drummond, is awaiting a ruling from the Oklahoma Supreme Court after justices heard oral arguments in the case on April 2.During oral arguments, justices seemed skeptical of the claims of attorneys for the Statewide Virtual School Charter School that what would be the nations first Catholic virtual charter school would actually be a private entity, and not a public school.During the Oklahoma Supreme Court hearing, Drummond said Article 2, Section 5 of the Oklahoma Constitution was at the heart of his case: No public money or property shall ever be appropriated, applied, donated, or used, directly or indirectly, for the use, benefit, or support of any sect, church, denomination, or system of religion, or for the use, benefit, or support of any priest, preacher, minister, or other religious teacher or dignitary, or sectarian institution as such. Sechler, who also argued for St. Isidore in the state Supreme Court hearing, told justices St. Isidore is not a public entity because it is privately owned and operated by representatives of the Catholic Church. He said to not allow the school to receive public funds like Oklahomas 32 other charter schools would amount to religious discrimination that would violate the U.S. Constitution. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Plaintiffs to seek temporary injunction in religious charter school suit Doctor accused of giving unwanted BBLs did surgery on wife that killed her, report says An investigation into a plastic surgeon in Florida revealed he performed unwanted procedures on patients and delayed calling 911 during an operation that ended in his wifes death, a report said. The Florida Department of Health issued an emergency restriction of Dr. Ben Browns medical license on May 2, a little more than five months after his wife, Hillary Brown, died. The 30-page report available through the Department of Health details how Ben Browns Gulf Breeze-based practice called Restore Plastic Surgery became dirty and poorly maintained, according to one medical assistant. Browns family said in a statement they couldnt comment on certain details because of the ongoing investigation. However, this public order was issued without Dr. Brown having any opportunity to dispute the allegations against him through any hearing process, the family said in the statement shared with McClatchy News. These accusations are inaccurate and misleading, and Dr. Brown looks forward to the opportunity to defend himself and present the actual facts through a hearing process in the future. Dr. Brown continues to live an endless nightmare without his wife Hillary by his side, and these inaccurate allegations only further deepen his immense pain. The state report includes testimony that Brown gave unwanted Brazilian butt lifts to at least two women, who said they were left disfigured and in continued pain. When one of the patients confronted him about the unauthorized procedure, he told her he gave her a BBL because he thought she would love it, officials said. In another instance, during an August 2021 consultation, a woman said she declined a BBL after the doctor suggested it. Then he gave her one anyway, officials said. She experienced complications from the procedures, and when she went back for a follow-up scar revision surgery, the experience was pure torture, according to her account in the report. She continued going to Brown for cosmetic procedures, and in February 2023, she went in for a laser treatment, records show. But neither Brown nor his physician assistant performed the procedure, officials said. Browns wife, who was not a licensed healthcare provider, did it, according to Florida licensing records. Investigators said Hillary Brown took on an array of responsibilities at her husbands practice, including laser treatments, injections, removing patients stitches, suturing, and mixing her own anesthetic solution the day of the surgery that turned deadly. On Nov. 21, 2023, Ben Brown was going to do an operation on his wife involving a scar revision, arm liposuction, lip injections and ear adjustment procedures, state officials said. That morning, Hillary Brown mixed her own tumescent solution, an anesthesia thats injected locally into the areas of operation, investigators said. She took a handful of pills, received more medication from a medical assistant and was prepped for surgery, officials said. Ben Brown began the procedures, injecting the solution until he ran out and asked staff to bring him lidocaine, which he injected into his wife undiluted, investigators said. Witnesses said she sutured her own wounds, then her husband began work on her face, again injecting undiluted lidocaine, according to the report. During that time, Hillary Brown said she saw orange and her vision was getting blurry, which is a sign of lidocaine toxicity, health officials said. Then she started having a seizure. Ben Brown is accused of waiting 10 to 20 minutes before calling 911 and telling staff to wait to call as they scrambled looking for the equipment he needed. He tried to figure out what medication she took before he eventually told his staff to call 911 as he began performing CPR, witnesses said. Hillary Brown was taken to a hospital in cardiac arrest with an elevated lactic acid level and suspected lidocaine toxicity, health officials noted. She died a week later. Brown is now accused of malpractice and of showing extreme deficiency in responding to a medical emergency. The report cites several issues, from unwanted procedures to poor sanitation practices, but most egregiously, Dr. Browns treatment of (his wife) was careless and haphazard, officials said. Under his new license restriction, Brown may only perform surgeries in a particular hospital setting, which does not include his clinic, and under the supervision of a doctor. Restore Plastic Surgery appears to be permanently closed, according to an online search. Gulf Breeze is a suburb of Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle. Doctor says Missouri hospital called him IMMEDIATE THREAT TO THE PUBLIC. Hes suing Doctor asks nurse to help her hire hitman to kill ex-husband in Kentucky, feds say Woman develops lesions after TikToker sells her contaminated weight loss drug, feds say Twins learn doctor is their dad and he secretly inseminated mom in 1984, suit says Dr. Garth Warren, Ada County forensic pathologist, testifies during Chad Daybell's murder trial in Boise on Tuesday. Warren performed autopsies on JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan, whom Daybell is accused of killing. | Judge Steven W. Boyce via YouTube Dr. Garth Warren spoke in detail about the autopsies of Joshua JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan during his testimony Wednesday in the Chad Daybell murder trial in Boise. He went over multiple pictures of each autopsy, detailing what he was able to find in the photos. These photos were shown to the jury but not to members of the public in the courtroom. Warren said 7-year-old JJ was suffocated by duct tape and bags that had been placed on his head. He said the photos showed duct tape around his ankles, taping his hands and arms together, and covering his mouth. While the photos of JJ were shown, multiple jurors were crying and wiping their eyes. Bruises were shown on JJ's right arm, and there were "scratch-like abrasions" on his neck. Warren said these show he could have been trying to get the bag off of his head. Chad Daybell was also watching the images of JJ on the screen and occasionally shook his head back and forth. Tylee's body was delivered in multiple bags, and Warren described photos of each bag. A brown paper bag contained multiple smaller brown paper bags with primarily charred bones and some pieces of flesh, he said. Warren testified there were multiple organs and bones he was able to identify, despite them being broken and charred, including her heart and lungs. Warren said he was able to obtain a sample to conduct a toxicology test on 16-year-old Tylee's remains, and they found she had levels of ibuprofen and caffeine in her system but nothing in the report that would explain her death. He said FBI agents provided a deeper analysis of her bones and they discovered "sharp force markings" on them. He said Tuesday that JJ had no evidence of natural diseases, and he did not believe any medical issues contributed to Tylee's death. Tylee's death was determined to be a "homicide by unspecified means," and her body was dismembered and set on fire. Her autopsy took about a week. Tara Martinez, a forensic scientist who responds to crime scenes, testified about analyzing the black plastic that was wrapped around JJ's body on Wednesday. She said she found a couple of latent prints also called hidden prints because they're usually not visible to the naked eye and matched them to Alex Cox, Lori Vallow Daybell's brother. "I was not able to identify anyone else," Martinez said. Zoom shows four angles of the Ada County Courtroom in Boise on Wednesday as forensic scientist Tara Martinez testifies during Chad Daybell's murder trial. | Judge Steven W. Boyce via YouTube Timing issues in reports of Charles Vallow's death Chandler (Arizona) police detective Ariel Werther testified Wednesday about researching cellphone records from the day Charles Vallow, Lori Daybell's then-husband, was shot and killed by Cox. He said he searched for things that could verify pieces of the story they had been given by Lori Daybell and Cox, who claimed he fired the gun in self-defense. Werther said they analyzed Chad Daybell's phone records as well, although he was in Idaho at the time of the shooting death. He said investigators wanted to verify information such as Lori Daybell's reports that directly after her husband was killed, she went to a Burger King, a drug store to pick up flip-flops and to JJ's school. Werther said detectives "pretty quickly noticed" there was a timing issue. Chandler (Arizona) police detective Ariel Werther testifies during Chad Daybell's murder trial in Boise on Wednesday. | Judge Steven W. Boyce via YouTube He testified 911 was called at 8:36 a.m. on July 11, 2019, and Lori Daybell returned to the home at 8:48 a.m. He said most 911 calls are made "fairly quickly" after a shooting and said Lori Daybell told investigators she was at the home when her husband was shot and killed. That was before she drove to the multiple errands, but she was back at the house 12 minutes after 911 was called. Werther said cellphone records placed Charles Vallow's phone which Lori Daybell claimed she had in her car while driving JJ to school at a Burger King close to Lori Daybell's home about 7:55 that morning. He said video at the Burger King shows Lori Daybell driving through the drive-thru at 7:54 a.m. Werther said Charles Vallows phone was near one Walgreens at 8:08 a.m. and then at another Walgreens at 8:16 a.m. Footage shows Lori Daybell purchasing sandals, as she had reported saying they left the home too quickly to grab shoes. At 8:32 a.m., the phone was located at JJs school, and it arrived back at Lori Daybells home at the same time she arrived. Based on his investigation, Werther said it's likely that Charles Vallow's phone arrived at Lori Daybell's home about 7:32 a.m. and left about 7:50 a.m. in the possession of Lori Daybell. Werther said if Lori Daybell left after Charles Vallow was killed, "then there's at least a 45-minute delay between that event and 911 being called." He said the other possibility is that Lori Daybell was not at her home when her husband was shot as she claimed. He said Lori and Chad Daybell communicated with each other throughout that day, starting in the 6 a.m. hour, but the information in their texts or calls is unavailable. Chad Daybell is on trial for first-degree murder in the deaths of Lori Daybell's children, JJ and Tylee, and the death of his former wife, Tammy Daybell, in late 2019. He is also charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder of each of the victims, grand theft and two counts of insurance fraud. Contributing: Daniel Woodruff, KSL-TV Former Tybee Island Fire Chief Jeremy Kendrick was terminated just a week after Orange Crush for violating parts of their personnel ordinance, according to documents obtained by the Savannah Morning News. Former Tybee Island Fire Chief Jeremy Kendrick was terminated just a week after Orange Crush for violating parts of their personnel ordinance, according to documents obtained by the Savannah Morning News. According to the final notice of disciplinary action sent to Kendrick on April 18, he violated the ordinance in three ways: Violation of any lawful official regulation or order, or failure to obey any proper direction made and given by a superior Falsification of any information required by the city Offensive conduct or language in public or toward the public, city officials, fellow employees, either on or off duty. The notice expands on Kendrick's behavior, saying that he was "combative in meetings, and repeatedly treats fellow co-workers and the city manager with disrespect and exhibits bullying behavior." It states that on several occasions Kendrick failed to take directions from interim City Manager Michelle Owens, including when he was asked to manage overtime and allow his department vacation and advised to take certain steps to address the conditions of the fire house. More: Tybee temporarily replaces fire chief position with two retired chiefs as interims According to the letter Kendrick gave a promotion without permission, communicated with staff that all overtime had been cut, implemented a vacation freeze for the department and instructed employees to not relay that information to human resources, among other actions. Kendrick is a Georgia native and 28-year veteran of fire and emergency services, and was appointed to the position in 2021. His predecessor, Matt Harrell, resigned amid sexual harassment allegations. Matt Harrell: HR investigation of former Tybee Island fire chief officially closes, proved inconclusive Kendrick also faced verbal and written reprimands while fire chief for inappropriate behavior, joking and roughhousing according to his personnel file. An investigation last year into a complaint of sexual harassment and retaliation was found to be unsubstantiated, but an expectation of professionalism was communicated with the fire chief and staff. Tybee has posted a job listing for a new fire chief and in the meantime appointed Greg Socks and Jason Waterfield, two local retired fire chiefs, to the interim chief and interim assistant chief positions. A listing for a new assistant chief will most likely be posted after a fire chief is hired. The Savannah Morning News has reached out to Kendrick, who did not immediately return a call for comment. Destini Ambus is the general assignment reporter for Chatham County municipalities for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach her at dambus@gannett.com This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Tybee Island Fire Chief fired for violating personnel ordinance Dog rescued from Phoenix mountain thanks to her 'bright eyes' now available for adoption A two-year-old female Shar-Pei mix who was rescued from the Lookout Mountain Preserve in late April is now ready for adoption, according to the Arizona Humane Society. The pup, now affectionately known as "Bright Eyes," was discovered by a hiker last month, spotting the dog hidden in a small cutout on the side of the Phoenix mountain about half a mile up the trail. Injured and "dangerously dehydrated" upon discovery, the good samaritan stayed with the dog for nearly two hours until emergency animal medical technicians from the society arrived at the scene. On April 24, field operators from the Arizona Humane Society rescued a 2-year-old female Sharpei Mix, now known as "Bright Eyes," who was found injured and "dangerously dehydrated" by a Good Samaritan hiking along the Lookout Mountain Preserve in Phoenix. Had the hiker not stayed with the dog, the humane society's field operations team likely wouldn't have been able to locate Bright Eyes due to her pelt blending in with the natural environment and "how well tucked away she was," said Joe Casados, a spokesperson for the organization. "It was a very dire situation," said Casados. "It very possibly could've been her last day if she wasn't found." While it is unknown how long Bright Eyes had been in the cutout or where she originally came from, the hiker was able to spot her because of her amber eyes, the organization said. A two-year-old Shar-Pei mix was rescued by a 'Good Samaritan' and two Emergency Animal Medical Technicians from the side of Lookout Mountain on April 24. Scared but willing to receive assistance, the dog was carried down the mountain's "slick and narrow trail" by the society's responders Tracey Miiller and Ruthie Jesus. "She's an absolute angel," said Jesus, believing that the good samaritan who found Bright Eyes saved her life. "She knew we were getting her to safety." After two weeks of medical treatment in the care of the staff at the Papago Park Campus, Bright Eyes is now ready for a forever home. "She's incredibly sweet," Casados said. "She's just a joy for everybody that gets to spend time with her." To create lifesaving space for more sick, injured and abused pets like Bright Eyes, the organization is waiving adoption fees through May 10 for adoptable dogs 6 months and older, including Bright Eyes, the organization announced. This is made possible by the BISSELL Pet Foundation, which helps shelters cut fees throughout the year. Those looking to adopt or foster animals in the Valley can visit the Arizona Humane Society website for more information. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Wounded dog rescued from Phoenix mountain ready for adoption MOSCOW, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) has become one of the independent and self-sufficient centers of the emerging multipolar world, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday. Addressing a summit meeting of the EAEU's Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, Putin said the EAEU has become an effective and dynamic integration organization whose work contributes to the development of trade and investment exchanges, the strengthening of commercial ties and the expansion of cooperative relations. "The volume of mutual trade has almost doubled from 45 billion to 89 billion U.S. dollars," said Putin, adding that more than 90 percent of settlements are already carried out in national currencies. He called on EAEU member states to make joint efforts to achieve further integration and comprehensive development within the bloc. The summit kicked off in Moscow on Wednesday to mark the 10th anniversary of the signing of the treaty to establish the union, which was also attended by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The EAEU, which was officially established in January 2015, is a regional bloc consisting of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Armenia. Dog stolen from midtown grocery store may have been dumped in Whitehaven MEMPHIS, Tenn. Rescue groups and individuals in the community have joined the search for a dog taken during a car theft at the Fresh Market on Union Avenue Thursday. Police said the stolen 2013 black Infiniti was used a day later in a bank robbery in West Memphis, AR, and the alleged bank robber was arrested when he crashed the vehicle in downtown Memphis. Dog missing after AR bank robbery, police chase Officers said the missing dog, Yoshi, was not inside the vehicle. The dogs owner said the 15-year-old Shepherd/Husky mix could be in Arkansas or the Whitehaven area of Memphis. Lynn Bugg, said according to an officer handling the case, its possible the man arrested for the bank robbery did not steal the Infiniti. The robber is saying he found the car in Whitehaven around Goodhaven Drive and Millbranch, said Bugg. She said there were no cameras on the grocery store that showed who drove off in her vehicle. We reached out to police to get more information but have not heard back. Reward offered for dog missing after AR bank robbery and chase A $2,000 reward has been offered for information leading to Yoshis safe return. Bugg said Yoshi has lost some of her sight and hearing and is in need of pain medication. The bank robbery suspect, later identified as Freddy Nijil, has been charged with the theft of the Infiniti along with evading arrest in a vehicle and on foot and being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun. If you have seen Yoshi or know where she is, call 901-545-COPS or Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. As the House Ethics Committee probes allegations that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) paid for sex with an underage teen, congressional investigators are hitting a wall: the Department of Justice. The DOJ is stonewalling the committee and refusing to turn over relevant information about its own sprawling criminal probe into Gaetz, frustrating the pace of the congressional investigation and leading the committee to seriously consider issuing subpoenas to the feds, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Witness Told Feds She Was Paid for Sex Parties With Matt Gaetz Currently, the committee has authorized multiple subpoenas to the DOJ for the information but has not served them yet, according to one source. Another source added that it is unusual for the DOJ to push back against the committee to this extent, especially when the relevant investigation isnt active. The feds have in the past been willing to pass information to the committee so long as it doesnt interfere with an active and ongoing investigationwhich the Gaetz investigation is not. Still, its not clear whether talks have broken down entirelyor what DOJs refusal could ultimately mean for the House probebut the source indicated that the committee still holds hope that the feds will be more cooperative. What happens next might be crucial for an investigation that could unearth damaging new information about the Florida congressman and potentially provide grounds for disciplinary action or even expulsionjust as Ethics probe of former Rep. George Santos did. Notably, the Ethics Committee had previously cooperated with the DOJs investigation into Gaetz. The Ethics panel had initiated its investigation into Gaetz shortly after the sex trafficking allegations first became public in 2021, when the House was under Democratic control. But the committee paused that effort when the feds asked them to back down, writing in a summary report that Ethics had deferred consideration of the matter in response to a request from DOJ. The DOJ, of course, ultimately declined to prosecute Gaetz. In February 2023after a 30-month investigation into allegations that Gaetz paid to have sex with a minor half his agefederal prosecutors informed the congressmans attorneys that they were declining to charge him with any crimes. House Ethics Probe Into Matt Gaetz Zeroes In on Sex Trafficking But while Gaetz crowed over that news, the DOJs decision didnt dissuade his colleagues. Months later, the Ethics probe was active once againa development that put congressional investigators immediately at odds with the feds, raising the possibility that the two probes might reach different conclusions. However, the Ethics investigation could not fully ramp up until the panel had completed its extensive and time-consuming probe into Santos. That matter concluded in November with a lengthy and damning final report that prompted Santos expulsion, after which the committee almost immediately fired up the Gaetz investigation. They have worked at a fast pace. Within weeks, Ethics issued the first of what is now several rounds of subpoenas and interview requests with people in Gaetzs circle, including key witnesses who could provide testimony, documents, and other evidence that would be critical to building a case against him. House investigators, for instance, have issued a subpoena for Gaetzs ex-girlfriend, a central witness for the DOJ, and have secured cooperation and evidence from Gaetzs one-time wingman, Joel Greenberg. Most significantly, however, the panel has subpoenaed the formerly underage teen at the center of the allegations, who Gaetz allegedly paid for sex when she was a minor. The congressional team also has the benefit of a roadmap that will allow it to cut straight to the most significant sources, thanks to years of public reporting about the DOJs probe. Thanks to that trove, the extent that Ethics will need the DOJs cooperation is still unclear. While certain evidence might ultimately be inaccessiblesuch as grand jury testimonycongressional investigators also have tools that would allow them to attempt to replicate much of that evidence. One major issue, however, is the timing. The DOJs case file would likely offer shortcuts to crucial witnesses or other pieces of information, while possibly providing insight into unproductive lines of inquiryand thereby saving the committee a lot of time. McCarthy Publicly Blasts Gaetz When Asked About His Downfall as Speaker However, if the DOJ continues to refuse to cooperate at all, that could significantly hinder the committees investigation and potentially stall itat least until the timeline runs into the heart of election season, with voting in the Florida's congressional primaries only about three months away. DOJ, the House Ethics Committee, and a spokesperson for Gaetz all declined to comment for this story. If the committees investigation does, in fact, find evidence Gaetz committed crimes or broke House rules, he could face a similar fate to that of Santos: expulsion. The Trump-allied congressman has publicly decried the Ethics investigation at every turn. After Gaetz moved to oust Kevin McCarthy as Speaker last year, The Daily Beast reported he told colleagues it was because of McCarthys failure to scuttle the probe. Still, the committee has yet to vote to authorize an investigative subcommitteea smaller group of members who are tasked with investigating and ultimately compiling a reportto look into Gaetz. Instead, the investigation still remains on the staff level. While the DOJ did not charge Gaetz with any crimes, they did charge two people associated with GaetzGreenberg and another sidekick, Joe Ellicott. A third man, Stephen Alford, pleaded guilty in 2021 to attempting to defraud Gaetz and his family when he promised them President Joe Biden would pardon Gaetz for the alleged sex crimes if his family gave Alford $25 million to help free an American hostage held in Iran and long presumed dead. Greenberg, a former longtime close friend of Gaetzs, confessed and was convicted of multiple charges related to the alleged sex ring, including having sex with the 17-year-old girl at the center of the Gaetz investigation. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Don Samuels has had it up to here, and hes running for Congress Former Minneapolis City Council Member Don Samuels sat down for an interview in his north Minneapolis home on April 9, 2024. Photo by Max Nesterak/Minnesota Reformer. If youve ever chatted with Don Samuels about his north Minneapolis neighborhood, youd think he didnt like it all that much. Apartments are in disrepair, and black mold has sickened children in the neighborhood. Lead paint is still abundant. Gang leaders have frequented his front lawn. Hes called the city of Minneapolis about 20 times on his neighbor, who seems to be running an off-the-books auto repair shop featuring dilapidated car parts on their lawn. But its not the neighbors who bother Samuels. Its the elected officials who he says have failed him and the community. Samuels recently sued Minneapolis, alleging the city discriminates against his neighborhood by inequitably enforcing the housing code. When someone has poor constituent service, it just pisses me off because we have a council member We have police. We have a governor. We have a mayor, Samuels said in a recent interview. We vote and we get inferior services and resources. Samuels, a former Minneapolis City Council member, said thats why hes taking another run against Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, whom he accuses of chasing international fame while the needs of the district go unmet. Samuels nearly upset Omar in 2022, losing by just 2 percentage points. Omar and Samuels will be on the ballot again in the August primary, which will likely decide who will be the next representative in the indigo 5th Congressional District. Samuels says this year he will win, because two years ago he only campaigned for four-and-a-half months. This time around, Samuels is going to Democratic-Farmer-Labor conventions some of which he missed in 2022. Omar and Samuels will duke it out at the districts endorsing convention on Saturday. Even if he loses the endorsement, Samuels said he will win the primary. A pro-police Democrat Samuels, 74, spent a decade representing north Minneapolis on the City Council, unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2013 and then served a term on the school board. Hes an ordained Baptist minister who immigrated here from Jamaica. Samuels has frequently aligned himself with the police, even as his successors on the City Council announced a campaign to defund and abolish the Minneapolis Police Department. He appeared frequently on Fox News after George Floyds murder during the height of the abolish/defund police movement that coincided with a spike in crime. He also sued Minneapolis in an attempt to force the city to hire more police officers. Members of Congress have limited influence when it comes to crime control. Local police investigate and arrest, county attorneys prosecute, and the state Legislature writes most of the criminal statutes. Still, Samuels says, in neighborhoods like his, crime still resonates, I know. Maybe the press is a little tired of it, but people are still afraid. When I speak about crime, I speak with confidence, and I know the nuances of it. My opponent, really, is naive on those things. Omar endorsed a 2021 ballot initiative that would have given the City Council authority over the police department and was widely viewed as an effort at wholesale change. Samuels campaigned against the measure and for the reelection of Mayor Jacob Frey, and he won on both counts. Samuels campaign is again being run by Joe Radinovich, who is Freys close political adviser. Frey endorsed Samuels in 2022 with a classically Minnesotan passive-aggressive attack on Omar: As our city and nation navigate great challenges, we need partners across all levels of government who prioritize teamwork, collaboration, and a seriousness of approach to match the seriousness of the issues we face, Frey said in a statement. On most other issues, Samuels and Omar agree. Like Omar, Samuels has called for a cease-fire in the current conflict between Israel and Gaza. Samuels said the U.S. should no longer supply Israel weapons without conditions. The world has to say Stop, and the hostages have to be returned, Samuels said. Its doubtful, however, that people in the 5th District think Samuels is going to be a leading voice on international relations. His campaign is an argument about priorities, and he thinks Omars are misplaced and not focused enough on the people in the district. Hes a traditional Democrat he believes the U.S. should take bold measures to combat climate change, expand programs that forgive student debt and better support immigrants. The fact that people from all over the world want to immigrate here is a strength, not a weakness, Samuels says on his campaign website. Immigration is a crucial strength of the nation, and rather than turning on immigration in general, we must turn against our current broken immigration system. Omars allies have sought to portray him as wobbly on abortion, but Samuels says hes in favor of codifying abortion rights into federal law and assisting people who need to travel to another state to get an abortion. Unfortunate sound bites Samuels has long tried to differentiate himself from Omar by promising hed avoid the kinds of Washington online dustups that have been frequent throughout Omars five-and-a-half years in office. If voters want someone who doesnt make news, however, theyre looking in the wrong place. There was the time he called the cops on Neighborhoods Organizing for Change when they were giving away hot dogs during a get-out-the-vote event. And the time when he was on the City Council and he used an impolitic remark to express frustration with education inequities: Ive said burn North High School down! More recently, during an interview with Michael Brodkorb and Becky Scherr local GOP operatives turned podcasters Scherr asked Samuels to expand on his criticism of Omar holding too few town halls and being disconnected from her constituents. To not be responsive and available to those people, to meet with them and find out what their concerns are and to answer their tough questions? Samuels said on the podcast. To not get back to people on the phone? Who do you think you are? And who do you think youre working for? Youre not cute enough, you dont dress well enough, nothing about you is attractive enough to overcome that deficit. Samuels now says he was using you as a collective noun to describe politicians as a whole, not to single out Omar. After the Reformer asked Samuels about the youre not cute comment, Samuels grew animated. He began to raise his voice while listing off the problems plaguing him and his neighbors. He showed the Reformer a group chat with his neighbors about the problems in the community, returning again to the house with the broken-down car on its front lawn. That statement was not just some kind of political thing that, you know, Oh, Don is against Ilhan. Its like, I am against all politicians who refuse to serve us, give us crappy service and then tell us Black Lives Matter and tell us that Were gonna get rid of the police for you, Samuels said. Just get rid of the car on the lot, will you! And stop using catchphrases. At this point, Radinovich interjected and said to keep the conversation moving. The broken-down car near Don Samuels north Minneapolis home he repeatedly complained about in a recent interview. Photo by Max Nesterak/Minnesota Reformer. In August 2020, Samuels and his wife Sondra Samuels, who is CEO of the Northside Achievement Zone, were supervising some local kids and took them on a bike ride to Boom Island. A six-year old boy tragically drowned. Briana Rose Lee, an Omar campaign staffer and former Minneapolis DFL party chair, in 2022 questioned whether Samuels should hold office because of the accidental death. Samuels responded in a tweet Cant swim but can govern, which was panned for being a glib response to the tragedy. Sondra Samuels insurance paid the childs family over $300,000. Samuels quickly deleted the tweet and apologized at the time. He said during the Reformer interview he was shocked when people thought he was being flippant about the childs death. The day the child drowned was the worst day of his life, he said. It was a response of outrage, as in, what does this have to do with political leadership? That was what that response was all about. What the hell did that have to do with me being a congressperson or governing? Samuels said. It was even more painful, because I cant swim, which is kind of a class thing. I grew up in Jamaica. I cant swim I was shocked that it was interpreted as flippant. Samuels said he and his wife spend thousands of hours mentoring and tutoring kids who need it most. If Don Samuels occasionally seems like a man who would like you to get off his lawn or to get your car parts off your lawn dont be fooled, he says. He aims to inject positivity into the nations rancorous politics. I think that policies are great and important, but the thing thats tearing our country apart is relationships, he said. The post Don Samuels has had it up to here, and hes running for Congress appeared first on Minnesota Reformer. Donald Trump has criticized the presiding judge in his hush money trial for threatening to send him to jail if he violates his gag order again. Since the start of the trial, the former president has been found in contempt of his gag order twice, leading to a total fine of $10,000 at $1000 per violation. Donald Trump Blasts Judge Merchan For Threatening Him With Jail Over Gag Order Violations MEGA Earlier in the week, Judge Juan Manuel Merchan fined Trump a second time for violating his gag order, after which he told the former president that subsequent violations might lead to him being incarcerated. Following the ruling, Trump has taken to his Truth Social to lash out at the judge, claiming that he was biased in his ruling. He also bemoaned the fact that he is not allowed to speak as he pleases about his trial. "It is a really bad feeling to have your Constitutional Right to Free Speech, such a big part of life in our Country, so unfairly taken from you, especially when all of the sleazebags, lowlifes, and grifters that you oppose are allowed to say absolutely anything that they want," the billionaire mogul wrote on his social media platform. He added: "It is hard to sit back and listen to lies and false statements be made against you knowing that if you respond, even in the most modest fashion, you are told by a Corrupt and Highly Conflicted Judge that you will be PUT IN PRISON, maybe for a long period of time." Donald Trump Uses Historic Quote In His Rant: 'Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death' MEGA In his lengthy rant about Judge Merchan potentially throwing him behind bars, Trump dragged other big names, including President Joe Biden and the judge presiding over his NYC fraud trial, Judge Arthur Engoron. He said, "This Fascist mindset is all coming from D.C. It is a sophisticated hit job on Crooked Joe Biden's Political Opponent, ME!. Judges Engoron and Kaplan, also of New York, are equally Corrupt, only in different ways." Trump added: "What these THUGS are doing is AN ATTACK ON THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, AND OUR ONCE GREAT NATION ITSELF. OUR FIRST AMENDMENT MUST STAND, FREE AND STRONG." The politician then concluded with a quote from American Founding Father Patrick Henry: "'GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH!'" Judge Merchan Warned The Ex-President That Further Violations Might Lead To Jail Time MEGA While giving his ruling about Trump's latest gag order violation, Merchan warned the former president that further violations would force his hand to send him to jail. "The last thing I want to do is put you in jail," Merchan told Trump while giving his ruling, per Deadline. "You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well." The judge also reiterated his stance in the document that contained his ruling. It read, "It is apparent that monetary fines have not, and will not, suffice to deter Defendant from violating this Court's lawful orders..THEREFORE, Defendant is hereby put on notice that if appropriate and warranted, future violations of its lawful orders will be punishable by incarceration." Donald Trump's Gag Order Violations MEGA Trump was initially fined $9000 due to nine instances of violating his gag order for statements he made on his Truth Social media platform and his presidential campaign website. Each violation carried a $1000 punishment, the maximum the judge could impose according to New York Law. Subsequently, he was again found in contempt of the gag order for one instance out of the four claimed by the prosecution. Like before, he was fined $1000 for the violation, making it a total of $10,000 he was ordered to pay. According to reports, Trump has since made payment for the first fine in two installments, one for $2,000 and one for $7,000. However, it is unclear if he has made payment for the second fine, although he was instructed to do so before the close of business on May 10, 2024. In both instances of the fine, the former president was also instructed to take down the offending posts. The Ex-President Said Judge Merchan Suffers From 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' MEGA Ahead of Trump's hush money trial, he was hit with a gag order that prevented him from talking about the individuals in the case, such as the witnesses, prosecutors, jurors, or their families. The billionaire mogul was issued the order after he had gone on one of his usual rants on Truth Social, attacking both Merchan and his daughter. "Judge Juan Merchan, a very distinguished looking man, is nevertheless a true and certified Trump Hater who suffers from a very serious case of Trump Derangement Syndrome," Trump said, per Newsweek. He added, "In other words, he hates me! His daughter is a senior executive at a Super Liberal Democrat firm that works for Adam 'Shifty' Schiff, the Democrat National Committee, (Dem) Senate Majority PAC, and even Crooked Joe Biden." At the time, Trump also asked Merchan to recuse himself from the trial, citing that his alleged bias against him would prevent the trial from being fair. Barron Trump will assist Republicans in endorsing his father as the party's presidential candidate - Instagram Donald Trumps son Barron is to enter the political arena after his high school graduation as one of the delegates who will officially pick his father to be the Republican candidate for president. The 18-year-old, who is the son of Melania Trump, has been deliberately shielded from public life for much of his childhood. However, he has agreed to step into the spotlight of the Republican National Convention in July as a member of the 125-strong Florida delegation that will endorse Mr Trump as a candidate. Mr Trumps youngest child, who towers over his father at 6ft 7ins, finishes high school on May 17. Under the partys election rules, a presidential candidate needs a majority of votes from convention delegates to officially secure the nomination. Delegates are assigned according to the results of state primary or caucus votes held in the months before. The 2024 convention will be a rubber-stamping exercise for Mr Trump, 77, who has already secured the support of enough delegates nationwide to claim victory over rivals such as Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis. Barron Trump (right) has spent much of his teenage years in the limelight. Pictured in 2020 with his father Donald and mother Melania - Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America Trump family working together In addition to Barron, the Florida delegation at the convention, which takes place from July 15 to 18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will include a host of Trump family members. Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, as well as the presumptive nominees youngest daughter, Tiffany, are on the delegate list. Also chosen are Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jrs fiancee, and Michael Boulos, Tiffanys husband. Mr Trumps oldest daughter, Ivanka, who served as an adviser to her father during his term in the White House, has said she will not be part of his 2024 campaign. Barron Trump, pictured in July 2022, was deliberately shielded from public life for much of his childhood - JNI/Star Max/GC Images The family members attending the convention are all at-large delegates for Florida - the location of Mr Trumps Mar-a-Lago home - as opposed to district delegates who represent specific areas of the state. Eric Trump will serve as the delegations chairman. Evan Power, chairman of the Florida Republican Party, said: We are fortunate to have a great group of grassroots leaders, elected officials, and members of the Trump family working together as part of the Florida delegation to the 2024 Republican National Convention. 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. Bay Plaza looms over the lot, just over a quarter acre, where the Obsidian condo skyscraper would be built on Palm Avenue in downtown Sarasota. Hold public workshop on proposed skyscraper I am deeply concerned about the skyscraper that is proposed for 1260 N. Palm Ave. At about 327 feet, the Obsidian will be the tallest building in Sarasota, taller than the Statue of Liberty, on a tiny .28-acre lot. It will eliminate almost all of the small retail businesses on the block, completely changing the character of Palm Avenue. The project ignores the Sarasota Master Plan, which calls for a walkable downtown lined with shops and restaurants. Although it is not required in the downtown corridor, I am asking for a public workshop about this massive structure. I am not alone. Write to us: How to send a letter to the editor We have submitted a petition to the city with more than 3,000 signatures expressing our opposition to a building that violates numerous codes and also creates potential safety issues for our neighborhood. Will this building open the door to other skyscrapers and change the nature of our cultural mecca into another overbuilt downtown like Miami? Will Main Street be next? Progress is inevitable, but this is the wrong building in the wrong place. If we can have a public workshop, at least we can receive answers to our specific questions and our voices will be heard. Carole Kleinberg, Sarasota Dont change how Venice votes on council Mayor Nick Pachota argues that Venice should follow the election cycle of the Sarasota County commissioners by eliminating our 98-year tradition of annual elections for City Council (Venice council to ask city voters to lengthen terms to four years, end odd-year elections, April 25). Anyone paying attention to how the county routinely ignores its constituents and does the bidding of developers will agree that there is very little about the county commission that Venice government ought to emulate. A photo of Venice City Hall Our mayor should be the principal standard-bearer for Venice as its own entity with its own way of operating. Lets focus on what works best for Venice, and that includes the ability to vote new people onto the council each year. Debbie Gericke, Venice Defending liberty v. deploying violence Nicole Russells May 7 column was another example of misrepresentation and false equivalency by the right. Russell's both sides argument falsely equated the progressive left with the authoritarian, anti-democratic right. Her column painted those on the left pushing for reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, a higher minimum wage and free speech as some sort of radical anti-American fringe. These are mainstream policy positions held by the majority of Americans. Defending human rights, economic justice and civil liberties is core to American values. Russell wrongly minimized the threat posed by the MAGA movement and former President Donald Trump's Republican Party. This movement embraced the lie that the 2020 election was stolen, helped incite the Jan. 6 insurrection and continues to delegitimize American democracy with authoritarian demagoguery. Rioters besiege the U.S. Capitol in a Jan. 6, 2021, file photo. Its dangerous to equate college protests with a strategic effort to overthrow the constitutional order. One side champions progressive policies through legitimate political participation. The other side deploys violence, conspiracies, disinformation and racist hate to undemocratically seize power. American democracy is in crisis and the blame lies squarely with one sides descent into authoritarian extremism not both. We must make that distinction clear. Lisa and Rob Usher, Lakewood Ranch Buchanan should co-sponsor Alzheimers bill Nearly 7 million Americans aged 65 and older live with Alzheimers; 580,000 of them are Floridians. Florida has the second-highest number of seniors living with Alzheimers in the United States. The impact on caregivers is great: 66% of dementia caregivers report a chronic health condition, 14% report poor physical health and 29% report depression. With these alarming figures the Alzheimers Association is racing against time with continuous research. It is imperative that U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, of Longboat Key, co-sponsor the bipartisan BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimers Reauthorization Act of 2024 (S. 3775/H.R. 7218). U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan is a Longboat Key Republican who represents Manatee County and a portion of Hillsborough County. It would renew a nationwide commitment to strengthen Alzheimers public health efforts by promoting early detection and diagnosis, reducing the risk of the disease and supporting the needs of caregivers. Thanks to Buchanan for meeting with Alzheimers advocates for the AIM Advocacy Forum. I look forward to his continued support. Andrea LoPiccolo, Alzheimers advocate, Bradenton Denying climate change a political ploy Your article May 6 titled DeSantis climate messaging deepens was spot-on. Gov. Ron DeSantis is no fool: He knows full well the effect that climate change is already having on our state. So one can only conclude that DeSantis is so selfish and power hungry that he will do whatever it takes to pander to his base, regardless of the consequences to his current and future constituents. How sad, and worrisome. Donald Ullmann, Longboat Key This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Opponents of planned Sarasota skyscraper demand to be heard Draft resolution to relieve Ukrainian Deputy PM from his post registered in parliament The Verkhovna Rada has registered a draft resolution to relieve Oleksandr Kubrakov from the post of Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine. Source: document record on the parliament's website; MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak on Telegram Details: Zhelezniak said that the draft resolution would be considered by the relevant committee on 9 May, and then it would be submitted to the session hall. Update: Zhelezniak said that the parliamentary committee for transport has adopted the draft resolution on relieving Kubrakov from his post. Background: Ukrainska Pravda reported before that MPs from the Servant of the People party faction decided to divide the Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development into two separate ministries at a faction meeting on Wednesday. The parliamentary committee on the organisation of state power proposed the creation of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Ministry of Regional Development. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal supported this, participating in a meeting of the faction on 8 May. Ukrainska Pravda sources stressed that the parliament plans to relieve Kubrakov from his post on Thursday. The Cabinet of Ministers will then decide to split the ministry. Kubrakov is to be appointed as the Minister of Infrastructure, while the candidate for the Minister of Regional Development has not yet been determined. Support UP or become our patron! DUQUESNE, Mo. The lights are turning back on, in Duquesneat least, around city hall they are. PHOTOS: Severe weather rocks Four States We caught up with Duquesne Mayor Bill Sherman, Wednesday who said power is gradually being restored to town with the area around city hall being back online since around 7 p.m. Tuesday. For other residents in the area closer to E 12th St. in Duquesne, lights started to come back on around two oclock Wednesday afternoon. Try and keep an eye on the weather, were supposed to have this off and on for maybe a couple more days. Be weather aware, there are shelter facilities available around Duquesne and different locations. The schools, the one here at city hall is open 24/7 we do not lock the door, said Mayor Sherman. Mayor Sherman is waiting to hear back from representatives from FEMA about the possibility of declaring the area to be in a state of disaster. He hopes to have an update, in the coming days. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. Inmates got spoiled milk and uncooked or burned food, served with dirty cups and utensils. Bed sheets werent washed for weeks. Inmates were threatened with sexual violence by other inmates. Guards, who sometimes failed to conduct safety checks, withheld showers. Prescription medicines werent handed out. Some days there was no running water in the cells, where inmates were stuck indefinitely and, in one case, was denied cleaning supplies after vomiting on the floor. Other days, the hot water heater, furnace or air conditioning were on the fritz. I dont feel safe in this facility, one inmate wrote. These arent scenes from behind the walls of a maximum-security state prison. Instead, theyre among the handwritten complaints submitted by teenagers in the custody of the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice from January 2023 through March 2024, according to a review of documents the Herald-Leader obtained through the Kentucky Open Records Act. Each of these complaints formally known as grievances were determined to be legitimate after a review by department employees. Overall, there were 87 substantiated grievances in that 15-month period at the four facilities examined by the newspaper the juvenile detention centers in Adair, Campbell, Fayette and McCracken counties, which have experienced some of the departments worst incidents in recent years, including riots, escapes and attacks. An emergency crew responded to a riot at the Adair Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Columbia, Ky., in 2022. But thats just a sample. The Department of Juvenile Justice operates 14 juvenile detention centers and youth development centers around the state. They hold hundreds of teenagers in an average year as they await legal action on criminal charges or serve their sentences. The grievances provide a rare glimpse inside Kentuckys juvenile justice facilities, which have been the subject of critical audits and multiple lawsuits alleging abuse, neglect and general mistreatment of youths. The Herald-Leader analysis shows the most common grievances were related to poor sanitation, followed by safety concerns, staff misbehavior and bad or unclean food. Wow, said Laura Landenwich, a Louisville lawyer whom the Herald-Leader asked to review the grievances. Laura Landenwich, argues before a group of attorneys acting as appellate court justices in a moot court at the University of Louisville Brandeis Law School, Friday July 18, 2014 in Louisville, Ky. On August 6th, Landenwich will appear before the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Oh., to argue against Kentuckys same sex marriage ban. Photo by Timothy D. Easley Landenwich represents several juvenile inmates suing the department over their treatment in custody. These are consistent with what we have heard from our clients, she said. In her clients lawsuit, filed in January in U.S. District Court in Bowling Green, youths said they were attacked, humiliated and deprived of health care, education and basic hygiene while held in detention. A 14-year-old boy said he suffered a broken jaw in an assault and had to wait four days until he was taken to a hospital for surgery. Some of the suits allegations, like deprivation of showers and medicine, are similar to those contained in the grievances. Yet the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet is fighting her litigation in court while acknowledging the accuracy of the youths grievances behind closed doors, Landenwich said. The dysfunction in this organization is mind-blowing, she said. Officials say reforms underway In a prepared statement, the Department of Juvenile Justice said reforms are underway to do a better job fixing the problems revealed by teens complaints. I am instituting a new process to the way facilities respond to substantiated youth grievances that will ensure consistency across each of our facilities and in our programs, said newly appointed Juvenile Justice Commissioner Randy White, a former state prison warden. Juvenile Justice Commissioner Randy White Whites predecessor, Vicki Reed, resigned Jan. 1 amid widespread criticism of her job performance. The department also will hire an additional ombudsman to monitor conditions inside its juvenile facilities and provide greater accountability, White said. The ombudsman is supposed to watchdog how youths are treated by the Department of Juvenile Justice, reporting to the commissioner. We encourage juveniles to file grievances and report to the Internal Investigations Branch so that Kentuckys juvenile justice system can continue to make positive changes and create safe and secure environments, White said. How grievances work Under state policy, youths in custody with the Department of Juvenile Justice can file grievances alleging mistreatment, including violations of their civil rights. Designated employees at each facility are named grievance officer. They have three days to read complaints and decide if they raise valid concerns and are accurate based on evidence, such as interviews and a review of security video footage. Once they substantiate a complaint, grievance officers are supposed to decide how to resolve it. For example, complaints about hair in the food at the Adair County juvenile detention center were met with a guarantee that youths could get a second meal tray if the first one was contaminated and a reminder to kitchen employees to wear hair nets. Girls at the Campbell County facility complained that staff wouldnt let them put privacy magnets in the windows of their cell doors in order to temporarily hide their bodies when they used the toilet. The facility said staff would be addressed on this. Also, it said, the magnets gradually are being replaced with window tinting. Youths were separated from each other after threats of sexual violence were reported. Staff were spoken to after grievances revealed that mandatory safety checks and prescription medicine distribution were skipped during their shifts. A supervisor was informed after a complaint revealed that an employee called a boy retarded. Rules posted in the hallway near the classrooms at the Fayette Regional Juvenile Detention Center on Spurr Road in Lexington. Cutting off running water in cells as a form of punishment, as one youth reported at the Fayette County juvenile detention center, is not appropriate, state officials said. That youth also said he vomited in his cell and was denied cleaning supplies necessary to mop up the mess, a claim the grievance officer substantiated. Few employees, aging buildings Grievance officers explained that some complaints such as youths not getting showers, sometimes for days, or the opportunity to call their attorneys or caseworkers were due to inadequate staffing, a long-standing problem at the department. Its been busy, one employee replied to a grievance at the McCracken County facility, where a teenager said he hadnt been allowed to call his attorney for more than a week. I ... will do better in getting these requests filled and done when I can. Other problems were blamed on broken equipment and aging buildings, such as phones and security radios that didnt function properly, no hot water in the showers for extended periods and unreliable HVAC systems that failed to adequately deliver heat in winter or air conditioning in summer. Most of the states current juvenile detention centers opened between 20 to 25 years ago. During this years legislative session, the Department of Juvenile Justice wanted to get $165 million from state Sen. Danny Carrolls Senate Bill 242 for a variety of needs, including building retrofits and long-overdue maintenance. But the bill died in the House. Instead, a fraction of the hoped-for sum was provided in the state budget. Given less money, the department has studied the physical needs of its detention centers to decide how they should be prioritized, said Morgan Hall, spokeswoman for the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet. More funding will be required in the next biennium to fully address all backlogged maintenance issues, Hall said. A grim picture The grievances paint a grim picture of life in state custody for Kentuckians too young to even vote, said Rebecca Ballard DiLoreto, a longtime Kentucky childrens advocacy attorney. DiLoreto helped bring a lawsuit that forced the state to establish the Department of Juvenile Justice in the 1990s, because the existing hodgepodge of juvenile lockups, overseen at that time by the Cabinet for Human Resources, was determined to be so bad that it violated youths civil rights. Based on the grievances filed by the youth in the DJJ facilities, I think Kentucky is back where we were in 1994, DiLoreto said. It is important to remember that most of these children never had the level of due process rights that adults receive before they are incarcerated, she said. They are not entitled to bond or bond conditions while their cases remain in juvenile court. They are not entitled to jury trials. She added: The juvenile system asserts to do everything based on the best interest of the children and public safety. But these conditions violate a childs best interests and do nothing to promote public safety. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets with Zhang Qingwei, visiting vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, who visited Vietnam to attend the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, in Hanoi, Vietnam, May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Hu Jiali) HANOI, May 9 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to promote the building of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future, Zhang Qingwei, visiting vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, said here on Wednesday. Zhang, who visited Vietnam to attend the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, made the remarks when meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Zhang said that China and Vietnam are traditionally friendly neighbors. The profound friendship of "comrades and brothers" forged and carefully cultivated by the older generation of leaders of the two countries continues to flourish. China is willing to work with Vietnam to carry forward the fine tradition of mutual assistance, solidarity and cooperation between the two countries, and promote the building of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future of strategic significance, Zhang said. For his part, the Vietnamese prime minister said Vietnam will always bear in mind the tremendous assistance given by the party, state and people of China in Vietnam's struggle for national independence and liberation. Vietnam is willing to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two parties, intensify high-level exchanges, deepen practical cooperation and push for solid progress in building the Vietnam-China community with a shared future. Historic Mackinac Island late Wednesday saw its first known fire of the season related to an e-bike, Fire Chief Jason St. Onge confirmed to the Detroit Free Press. At 9:45 p.m., the Mackinac Island Fire Department received a report of an alarm at The Twilight employee dorm with smoke coming from the building, according to the fire agency's post on Facebook. "As units made the scene, residents reported it was an E-Bike Battery burning in a second-floor room," the Facebook post said. "Arriving units stretched a line to the back stairs, forced a door and moved in on the fire, which had also activated the sprinklers. Firefighters Joe Cicala, Richard Chambers and Marty Chappell (led) by Lt. Myron Johnson were able to remove the burning battery while advancing the hose line. It should be noted the battery continued to burn while submerged in water. Other firefighters helped evacuate the fire floor and went to the floor above and below to ensure everyone was out of the building." The fire was contained to a second-floor bedroom. One resident was later transferred off the island to McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital in Petoskey for smoke inhalation, the chief told the Free Press. He did not know the condition of the person. About 30 people were displaced by the fire, St. Onge said. The employee dorm is owned by the Grand Hotel, he said. "The Grand Hotel has a policy of no e-bike batteries in any of their buildings. But you can have all these rules and they're very difficult to enforce," St. Onge told the Free Press. "The battery was red and burning while submerged in water." The battery that appears to have caused the fire blew apart, so fire officials are unable to determine the make or model of the battery, St. Onge said. Mackinac Island saw its first fire of the season related to the e-bike battery on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, according to Mackinac Island Fire Chief Jason St. Onge. Dana Orlando, vice president of Grand Hotel sales and marketing, told the Free Press on Thursday afternoon that the resident taken to the hospital had been released from medical care and is expected to fully recover. In an attempt to discourage people from taking e-bike batteries into buildings, Orlando said, We provide exterior charging stations in high-traffic areas, away from buildings, for our team members: a total of 26 accessible charging ports are provided. Orlando added, We understand the risk and the reason we implemented a policy of prohibiting the storage or charging of e-bike batteries within any Grand Hotel building over two years ago. Orlando had no information on whether anyone had been disciplined as a result of the incident. Comments on the Facebook page heap praise on the Mackinac Island Fire Department for its rapid response. Fire chief warns of potential for disaster "We're very fortunate that this was a sprinkled building, with a working sprinkler system," St. Onge said Thursday. "It's an ongoing concern, the e-bike batteries. My concern is when is our luck going to run out?" Mackinac Island Fire Chief Jason St. Onge, seen here in 2021, has expressed concern about the safety risk involving e-bike batteries on an island filled with wooden structures. Two fires have been reported within the past two weeks, he said Thursday, May 18, 2023. A year ago, St. Onge sounded warnings about his concern for the potential of having a fast-burning e-bike battery fire that could devour historic wooden structures after four bicycle battery-related fires within the past year on the island. E-bike battery fires have made headlines in New York and nationally, triggering bipartisan discussion about the need for tighter regulation among policymakers in Washington. On Mackinac Island, the concern includes not just public safety but also the potential impact on Michigans multibillion-dollar tourism industry. Mackinac Island attracts visitors from around the world, attracted specifically by the historic wooden homes and shops. In July 2022, Mackinac Island firefighters were dispatched to a home early in the evening and three people had to be taken to a Petoskey hospital. "It was the first time in our 204-year history we had firefighters hospitalized overnight," St. Onge later told the Free Press. "They had inhalation and respiratory injuries. Deputy Chief Larry Rickley was only 100 yards away when he heard the explosion. He beat all the trucks there and went in without any equipment. He crawled into the building and kicked the battery (charging indoors) out the front door. It was shooting fire." A lithium-ion battery in a box, which was not plugged in, caught fire inside a home around 6 a.m. on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 on Mackinac Island, Fire Chief Jason St. Onge said. A smoke detector alerted the family in time to remove the item from the house before the fire spread. Businesses and local residents are urged not to charge batteries indoors, in hallways or common spaces. Mackinac Island Police Chief Doug Topolski urged travelers headed to the iconic vacation destination in northern Michigan to leave their e-bikes at home. Motor vehicles have been banned on the island for decades, but certain e-bikes are allowed for people with disabilities who both live on or visit the island, per guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Topolski said e-bike violations are also a problem on the island and riders not following the rules risk warnings, tickets and even having the e-bike being impounded. He put out a list of what is allowed and what is not. Bicyclists may ride a Class I e-Bike, which has a motor that provides pedal assistance only when the rider is pedaling and ceases to provide assistance at 20 mph. It has no throttle. Class II e-bikes with throttles that propel the bike and Class III e-bikes that provide assistance when the rider is pedaling, reaching up to 28 mph, are not allowed on Mackinac. Police did, in fact, seize e-bikes in 2023. The chief confirmed in mid-July an estimated 50 to 75 e-bikes had been seized within a three-week period. "I guess the frustrating part is knowing that a lot of people are rationalizing their insistence on a convenience as a necessity and having to deal with the result: a proliferation of e-bikes for anyone who wants the convenience of one," Topolski told the Free Press at the time. "Mackinac Island is not necessarily a 'convenient' place to be, and that's what makes it so great." Topolski told the Free Press Thursday that the island's municipal government has no ordinance that prohibits e-bike batteries in a house. "At this point, its up to the owners of these housing units to police them, he said. Meanwhile, he noted, that Mackinac Island Town Crier newspaper is reporting preliminary election results from Tuesday that indicate Fire Chief St. Onge won a seat on the city council, so it wont surprise me if we get some ordinances with more teeth regarding the storage of e-bike batteries in residential areas. The newspaper reported that St. Onge won the most votes out of five candidates, with 227 votes of 412 cast. The two winners were St. Onge and incumbent Tom Corrigan, with 167. More: Harbour View Inn hotel on Mackinac Island sold to Grosse Pointe couple Contact Phoebe Wall Howard at 313-618-1034 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter @phoebesaid. Read more on Ford and sign up for our autos newsletter. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: E-bike fire evacuates employee dorm on Mackinac Island TYLER, Texas (KETK) The University of Texas System Board of Regents unanimously voted to name Julie V. Philley, MD, the next president of the University of Texas at Tyler. Forbes declares these Texas schools new Ivy Leagues She will begin on June 1, following the retirement of Kirk Calhoun on May 31. Philley is the universitys executive vice president for health affairs and vice provost and is a board-certified physician in pulmonary and critical care medicine. Dr. Philley is a highly respected health, academic, and community leader in Tyler, UT Board of Regents Chairman and former Tyler mayor Kevin Eltife said. She is an East Texas native with a deep understanding of our region and its needs, and she played a front-line role in helping build UT Tylers health enterprise to what it is today. She has the trust and admiration of individuals within the university and throughout Tyler. Ive witnessed her impact over the past twelve years, and we are confident she is ready to grow UT Tyler as a premier academic and health institution. Philley is from Overton and returned to the Piney Woods as an assistant professor of medicine at UT Health Tyler, where she continued research efforts. Panola College announces first female sole finalist for president I am grateful for so many experiences provided to me at UT Tyler that offered a valuable understanding of the complexities of higher education and health care, and I am eager to work in this new capacity with my colleagues and throughout the community to make UT Tyler the best it can be, said Philley. I thank Chairman Eltife, the regents and Chancellor Milliken for their confidence in me and for their ongoing and significant investments that continue to propel UT Tyler forward. Philley was instrumental in launching the UT Tyler School of Medicine. She has also served as the chair of the Department of Medicine and a professor of medicine at the UT Health Science Center. She was named as a board member of the East Texas Medical Center Foundation in 2020. She earned a bachelors degree from Texas Womans University and studied medicine at UT Health Houstons McGovern Medical School, completing an internal medicine residency program at Johns Hopkins University/Sinai Hospital and a fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas. She is married to Richard Lee, the music director for the East Texas Symphony Orchestra and the Tyler Civic Chorale. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com. The Alabama Senate chamber on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. (Stew Milne/Alabama Reflector) Alabama legislators are expected to end their 2024 session Thursday with a budget and several bills still pending. The House and Senate should take up a proposed 2025 Education Trust Fund (ETF) budget. A conference committee approved a final version of the budget Tuesday with mostly minor changes after it came out of conference committee Tuesday. If the House approves the changes made in conference committee, the proposal will move to the Senate. The $9.3 billion ETF includes 2% pay raises for education employees and is about 6.8% bigger than this years $8.8 billion budget. It increases funding for local school boards and many education programs, including the Alabama Reading Initiative and the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative. The states $3.3 billion General Fund budget, which pays for most noneducation services in the state, went to Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday. The final day, known as sine die, comes after a long session and several days of tension between the House and the Senate over funding retiree benefits, passage of bills and a gambling package that dominated the session but died in the upper chamber last week. Before the two chambers adjourned on Wednesday, the House passed fewer bills than previous days. Rep. Chris Blackshear, R-Smiths Station, who spoke on every Senate bill whose sponsor voted against the gambling proposal. Blackshear was the main sponsor of the package. You try to find new ways to generate new revenue to this state. And weve done that this session. Multiple times. But now since that bubble seems to have burst, weve got to make sure that we become more frugal in how we spend our money, Blackshear said. The Senate passed several local and House bills, including a bill sponsored by Rep. Pebblin Warren, D-Tuskegee, requiring students to pass kindergarten or an equivalent program to enter first grade. On the second-to-last day of session, a bill to reform the state ethics law died after a Senate committee decided not to hold a vote on it. Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, the sponsor of the package, later introduced a House Joint Resolution on the floor directing the Legislative Services Agency to hire an outside consultant to consider state ethics laws. The resolution passed on a voice vote. We dont need to reinvent the wheel, he said. If there are 49 other states that have ethics law, lets look and see what theyre doing. There is a national government ethics law. Lets look and see what theyre doing and lets look at a broader aspect of what ethics laws are across this country when we make these decisions. Beside the budget, several other bills could pass on Thursday. HB 385, sponsored by Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-Indian Springs, could lead to the arrest of librarians if a person accuses them of distributing obscene or harmful materials to minors or exposing them to people dressed in revealing clothing. The bill, if passed, would expand the term sexual conduct in state law to include conduct that knowingly exposes minors to persons who are dressed in sexually revealing, exaggerated, or provocative clothing or costumes, or are stripping, or engaged in lewd and lascivious dancing, presentations, or activities in K-12 public schools, public libraries, and other public places where minors are expected and are known to be present without parental consent. HB 130, sponsored by Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, would expand the limitations on teachers addressing sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through fifth grade to kindergarten through the eighth grade. The bill would also limit pride flags in the classroom. HB 195, sponsored by Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, would require any sexual education in public schools to exclusively teach sexual risk avoidance, or abstinence. HB 36, sponsored by Rep. Phillip Ensler, D-Montgomery, would ban the possession of any part or combination of parts designed or intended to convert a firearm into a machine gun. It would make possession a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The four bills await a Senate vote. Either chamber could still vote on a bill to exempt taxes on certain female hygiene and baby and maternal products. Two bills, one from the House and one from the Senate, is set up for final passage in both chambers. The bill would remove state sales tax Alabama levies on baby formula, baby bottles, baby wipes, breast milk pumping equipment, diapers, maternity clothing, and menstrual hygiene products for personal use. It would also allow local governments to remove their local sales taxes if desired. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Education budget pending, tensions building as Alabama Legislature reaches last day appeared first on Alabama Reflector. Canva image A proposal that could have eventually let any Louisiana family with students in public schools use state money for private education was pulled before it could get Senate vote Wednesday evening, though lawmakers could bring it up next week for reconsideration. Lawmakers have yet to provide any funding for what proponents label education savings accounts (ESAs), perhaps an indication of waning support for the legislation. The bills author, Sen. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge, also failed to fight off a Senate floor amendment Wednesday that would require students using ESAs to take end-of-course exams to evaluate their progress. The results would have been used as an accountability measure for private schools that accepted the money. The amendment, from Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews, D-Monroe, was approved in a 20-18 vote. With eight Republican senators in support of the change, the writing on the wall became unfavorable for the passage of Edmonds bill. My heart hurts for the thousands of students in Louisiana that are failing, Edmonds said just before returning his bill to the Senate calendar. It would allow him to bring the bill back up before the session ends June 3. Before Edmonds decision, Sen. Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge, said on the Senate floor that members might want to ponder the bill over the weekend, hinting that the choice to pull the measure before a vote had already been made. The Senate has adjourned for the week and will reconvene Monday. A comparable House version of the bill awaits a hearing in the Senate Committee on Education, which Edmonds chairs. It has lain dormant since mid-April. One notable difference between the two is that Edmonds bill would provide education savings account access to home-school students. An independent estimate has placed the cost of the education savings account measure, called the Louisiana Giving All The Opportunity to Rise (LA GATOR) Scholarship Program, at $520 million once open to all families. Some lawmakers had begun to publicly fret its huge impact on the state budget ahead of a substantial projected revenue drop. Starting June 30, 2025, the expiration of a 0.45% portion of the state sales tax will create a nearly $560 million dip in revenues. In its current version, Edmonds bill calls on the state education department and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to compile a study of educational resources at all Louisiana K-12 schools that receive state funding, with the results due Dec. 1. With the study providing a better idea of the programs cost, BESE and the state would then create the rules to implement LA GATOR. Edmonds proposal calls for the states existing private school voucher program to lapse once an ESA program in place, and these students would become the first-year participants in LA GATOR. The vouchers currently pay for about 5,600 K-12 students from low-income families at poor performing public schools to attend private schools. The following year, the program would be open to kindergarten and existing public school students from families with income at or below 400% of the federal poverty guidelines, which was $31,200 for a family of four as of March 1. As written now, Edmonds bill doesnt provide a start date for universal ESAs that would be available to students regardless of their family income. Its this uncertainty, in part, that has some conservatives apprehensive. Putting our toe in the door with this, its going to be back with more and more demands for revenue that, everyone agrees, is not going to be what it has the last couple of years, Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, said. Edmonds has faced arguments from ESA opponents who see them as taking state resources from fiscally stretched public schools and directing it to private education. Nonpublic schools arent required to provide special education services that are required of public schools in state and federal law, ESA critics noted. During Senate debate on the bill, Sen. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, offered multiple alternatives for what the acronym ESA represents, including experimental spending accounts. Experimental, because we dont know what the result is. It seems like its something thats trending, Duplessis said. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Education savings account bill shelved for now in Louisiana Senate appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. Efforts to legalize medical marijuana in KS failed but thousands are getting weed from MO As Kansas lawmakers fail to pass a medicinal marijuana program, nearly 2,000 Kansans have crossed the state line to obtain medicinal marijuana licenses in Missouri, The Star has learned. Exactly 1,834 Kansans currently hold a medicinal marijuana license in Missouri, according to a report by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services obtained by The Star. An agency spokesperson later confirmed the number, but declined to comment further. Thats likely a fraction of the number of Kansans whove traveled across state lines to purchase recreational marijuana. Kansas is just one of just ten states where marijuana remains illegal and criminalized. It is bordered by three states Oklahoma, Missouri, and Colorado where marijuana is legalized for medicinal use, with some also allowing recreational use. Efforts to legalize medical marijuana have fallen flat in Kansas since 2021 when House lawmakers passed a medical marijuana bill 79-42. Senate leadership later blocked the bill from coming up for a floor debate or vote. This year, pro-cannabis lawmakers made a last-ditch effort to bring a restrictive medicinal marijuana pilot program to a debate and floor vote by using a procedural maneuver to sidestep Senate President Ty Masterson. But the vote failed 12-25. Still, Daniel Shafton, a past president of the Kansas Cannabis Chamber of Commerce and pro-cannabis lobbyist, said the issue has overwhelming support across party lines. Legislative leadership is tanking the efforts, he said. It didnt have the votes on the procedural motion, Shafton said. But dont be fooled. If there was no Hokey Pokey, funny business going on, this has the votes to pass. It has the support. There was no and probably is no combination of words in the English language that could be strung together that would have led to a piece of legislation that would have made it out of committee with the current leadership, he added. Since the session adjourned in late April, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced its plans to reschedule marijuana as a less dangerous drug. The move, if approved by the Department of Justice, would also officially recognize marijuanas medical benefits and its lesser potential for abuse compared to other narcotics. Marijuanas rescheduling could ignite a shift in the Legislatures attitude toward the policy, some lawmakers say. Masterson, an Andover Republican, said medical marijuana already warrants serious discussion especially with the federal government considering its reclassification. He said none of the bills crafted by the Legislature were able to safely and legitimately deliver marijuana to patients, leaving the state open for severe consequences observed in other states. Unfortunately, the hearings demonstrated there were concerns with the bills presented and approaches that deviate from that framework, Masterson said in a statement sent to The Star. As such, they were appropriately tabled. Discussions will no doubt continue in future sessions, especially if and when the federal government acts. Last year, Missouri generated nearly $17 million in medical and recreational marijuana sales. Colorado last year made nearly $1.53 billion in marijuana sales. Supporters frequently argue the state is losing out on large sums of Kansas tax dollars spent in other states. But opponents to bringing cannabis into the state say the economic boost isnt worth the potential downsides. Sen. Mark Steffen, a Hutchinson Republican and an anesthesiologist, said no one in the medical field looks at marijuana as a first-choice medicine when other, FDA-approved methods can treat the same conditions. He said it was clear as a bell that Colorado and Oklahoma have struggled to control marijuana, leading to negative effects like increased crime and homelessness in these states despite its economic benefits. You dont destroy peoples lives for money, Steffen said. If youre willing to sacrifice constituents for tax money, youve got moral problems. Research indicates that medical marijuana can be used to induce eating, relieve pain, reduce anxiety, and treat symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and epilepsy, among other conditions. Potential side effects of the drug are still being studied but can include psychosis and addiction. Rep. Christina Haswood, a Lawrence Democrat who has helped craft medicinal marijuana bills, said the stigma around the drug plays a large role in the stalling of legislation. People need it for legitimate pain relief, she said, not just to get high. This isnt the stereotypical folks who want to get stoned, she said. These are people who need this for pain relief seniors and veterans who want to utilize this. This is a bipartisan issue. Were hearing it from east to west in Kansas that we need to do something about it. Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican, called medicinal marijuana substance abuse that could cause more suicides and human misery. Echoing other marijuana legalization opponents, he emphasized that medicinal marijuana cards are often too easy to obtain. Thompson said helping veterans and the elderly is often used as an excuse, when in reality marijuana sales only benefit a few people. The bills Ive read, all they do is grow government and favor a certain class of folks who want to sell this, he said. Its not about health at all, it has more to do with politics and somebody wanting to get rich off marijuana. In the absence of regulated, legal cannabis, the alternative cannabinoid market in the state is large, supporters say. These products, which can be found in many Kansas gas stations, are unregulated. Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC, which come from the cannabis plant, can produce similar effects to authentic marijuana and make a user feel high. Because they are unregulated and not FDA approved, these products pose a risk to Kansan consumers, said Kelly Rippel, a lobbyist for the Kansas Cannabis Coalition. The bottom line is were looking at serious public health concerns the longer they dont regulate cannabis, Rippel said. People are buying products and they dont know what is in them. The more we go down this path of complete prohibition, lawmakers are just expanding the underground market, and feeding illicit markets if they dont allow a regulated process by which people can consume illegal access products. But with the DEAs rescheduling of the drug, many lawmakers say a medicinal marijuana bill could be passed within the next couple of sessions. But recreational marijuana is likely much further down the line, they say. Whats Next? Many lawmakers are resistant to passing medicinal marijuana because they believe legalizing it for medicinal purposes will lead to recreational legalization soon after, Rep. John Eplee, an Atchison Republican, said. But Eplee, a physician, said the medicine is effectively used to relieve chronic, long-term pain, and that recreational marijuana is far from consideration in the state. There is a big difference between recreational and medical marijuana, he said. Ive heard it said that once you have medical marijuana, it just is a matter of time before you have recreational marijuana. Thats really not true in a lot of states. Im pretty comfortable that in the bills that we tried to pass, there are very appropriate safeguards built into that to allow for safe deployment of medical marijuana in Kansas. Steffen, however, said legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes would lead to rampant use even for those who do not need the drug to treat health conditions. Even restrictive bills that authorize the drug for specified uses could give a card to everybody who wants marijuana. Medical is recreational, he said. Its the same thing. One pig has a little lipstick, the other doesnt. The vast majority of Kansas voters support legalizing marijuana for medicinal and recreational purposes, according to an annual public opinion survey conducted by Fort Hays State University. Unlike Kansass border states, however, Kansas does not have a way to legalize marijuana through ballot-initiative referendums unless state lawmakers first approve. A new PAC, called the Cannabis Justice Coalition, seeks to help elect bipartisan, pro-cannabis candidates in the upcoming election where every Kansas House and Senate seat is up for grabs. Igna Selders, the executive director of the coalition, said Kansans have to use their voice at the ballot box to see real change. We are putting the pressure on everybody up for reelection right now, she said. Because theyve been avoiding the topic, and at this point, it hasnt been front and central. Our biggest mission is to make cannabis legislation the central issue this election cycle. Many lawmakers think cannabis wont be a primary issue in the upcoming election. But Shafton, a pro-cannabis lobbyist, said the numbers reveal that Kansans are willing to break federal and state laws to get marijuana over state lines, showing Kansans are more than ready to see it in their home state. Its important for the public to make sure their elected officials know theyre watching and paying attention and that it is a topic people are willing to cast or not cast a vote for, he said. Because right now legislators arent taking it seriously as something that will actually bring someone to the polls. But, for many, it will. The Stars Jonathan Shorman contributed to this report. Eight civilians injured by Russian army in Nikopol in one day, including children photo The aftermath of Russian attack on Nikopol on 9 May. Photo: Serhii Lysak on Telegram On 9 May, Russian troops bombarded the Nikopol district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast the whole day, killing two people and injuring eight. Source: Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Quote: "A very difficult day for the Nikopol district. Continuous strikes from morning to evening. Artillery, Grad MLRS, and kamikaze drones. There were about two dozen attacks in total. Nikopol suffered the most. Two people in the city were killed. A total of eight people were injured, including girls aged 15 and 16. They are in a moderate condition." The aftermath of Russian attack on Nikopol on 9 May Photo: Serhii Lysak on Telegram Details: Lysak said the blasts damaged eight apartment buildings and twenty-five houses. The roofs of two homes caught fire; the fires have been extinguished. Around 16 outbuildings, greenhouses, nearly 30 solar panels, power transmission lines and gas pipelines also suffered in the attack. Damage was also caused to a kindergarten, a fire station, a charity building, a bank and shops. Twelve vehicles were destroyed, including emergency workers vehicles and an ambulance. Attacks also occurred at Marhanets, Pokrovsk, Krasnohorivka and Myriv hromadas (an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories). The attack on Myriv hromada damaged houses, an outbuilding, and the electricity grid. Background: It was previously reported that two people had been killed and two injured in a Russian attack on the town of Nikopol (Dnipropetrovsk Oblast) on the morning of 9 May. The aftermath of Russian attack on Nikopol on 9 May Photo: Serhii Lysak on Telegram The aftermath of Russian attack on Nikopol on 9 May Photo: Serhii Lysak on Telegram Support UP or become our patron! CHARLESTON, Ill. (WCIA) Eastern Illinois University announced the passing of beloved philanthropist Jan Tarble, whose family established the Tarble Arts Center in her honor. Tarble died on May 1 at 95 years old. She was an arts enthusiast and major benefactor of the Tarble Arts Center through her management of the Tarble Family Foundation. What Jan Tarble and her family have made possible for the people of east central Illinois is remarkable, and there is no way to adequately quantify the impact shes had as our benefactor, said Tarble Arts Center Director Jennifer Seas in a media release. When Newton and Pat Tarble imagined a way to give back to this community, they chose to build an arts center in honor of their daughter, who was an accomplished artist herself. Through Jans continued philanthropy, the center has grown into a state-of-the-art museum providing ambitious and innovative programming that is free of cost, lives beyond the walls of the museum, and touches the lives of so many people. EIU launches IL Small Business Development Center Jan Tarble and former EIU President Dr. William Perry. Photo provided by Eastern Illinois University. EIU officials said the Tarble Arts Center is the only campus facility built solely through donations, starting with $1 million from Jans parents, Newton and Pat Tarble. EIU was Newtons alma mater. He felt that the opportunity to obtain a higher education would not have been possible for him if not for the universitys accessibility. To extend that access even further, he and his wife fulfilled $1 million of the buildings $1.4 million construction project, and made it a mission to bring the arts directly to the rural Eastern Illinois community. Now, the center is not only an educational facility that fosters creativity for EIU students and the greater community, but also an accredited museum that showcases the work of artists from around the world. EIU announces plans to offer direct admission to more high school seniors The Tarble Arts Center could not have grown into where it is today if not for the Tarble family and the Tarble Family Foundation. The Foundation has been dedicated to helping the center transform into an even bigger and better resource over the course of its 42 years. In 2000, Pat Tarble gave another $2 million to go towards an expansion; in 2015, Jan gifted an additional $3 million through the Foundation, which allowed the Education Lab to evolve into the museums Collection Lab and created a $1 million endowed directorship opportunity. The EIU Foundation twice named the Tarble family as Outstanding Philanthropist in 1993 and 2002, respectively. On EIUs Centennial 100 listing in 1995, the Tarbles were credited among the most significant individuals who contributed to EIUs success through its first 100 years. Jans generosity has also provided full scholarships to students through the Excellence in Fine Arts fund, which she established in 1986. In 2007, EIU bestowed Jan Tarble with an honorary degree. Jans passion for the arts, unique vision and philanthropy has had a profound impact on EIUs campus and across east central Illinois, EIU President Jay Gatrell said. Her legacy lives on in the transformational mission of the Tarble Arts Center that will continue to enhance the student experience and quality of life across the region. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Its one thing to have a regular job. However, its another thing when life works out and you get your dream job. Thats the case for Luisa Valenzuela, a teacher at El Dorado High School. As a child, she always had a passion for teaching and architecture. El Dorado High School Teacher Ms. Valenzuela and Aztec Architectural Academy President Andrea Rodriguez. Photos: SISD Since the beginning for me, it was watching spaces and thinking how you can make them better, and I loved the buildings. Not just houses but any building. I just have always admired design, Valenzuela said. Valenzuela graduated with a degree in architecture from UACJ in Juarez, Mexico. She then graduated with a teaching degree from UTEP. Valenzuela also got her masters degree in math at UTEP and graduated with a separate masters degree in architecture from Boston Architectural College. Valenzuela says she taught for several years at an elementary school in Juarez and was also working at an architecture firm in El Paso. However, one day she was offered an architecture teaching position at El Dorado High School and since then her students have won state and national recognition. Valenzuela says she has been teaching for a total of 17 years and has been teaching at El Dorado for 11 years. She is currently an instructor for the Aztec Architectural Academy. I never thought that I was going to teach architecture. So thats the cool part of how life works, Valenzuela said. Valenzuela says the architecture academy is the only academy in the Socorro Independent School District. Valenzuela says the academy is treated as a studio and prepares students for the architecture industry and college. El Dorado High School Teacher Ms. Valenzuela and Aztec Architectural Academy President Andrea Rodriguez. Photos: SISD Everything that we do is something that can apply to real life scenarios. So thats a cool part of the program and I really like it because it allows the students to actually work freely and expand on their designs, and their ideas, and everything but they know they have to apply it in the real world, Valenzuela said. Valenzuela says the academy also helps students with internships and landing a job at an architecture firm. The academy also helps students receive scholarships for future education. Once they leave the class, the students will be able to actually start working as a draftsman for now while they get their license or work in a firm. So basically its preparing them for all of the steps that the architecture field requires, Valenzuela said. Andrea Rodriguez, a senior at El Dorado High School, and the president of the architecture academy went to state this year and says it was fun to challenge herself and to test her skills. It was fun that we competed and we were nervous but everyone was there. Like if you get called up on the stage, you know that behind you theres your group of friends cheering you on and that was really fun, Rodriguez said. Rodriguez says that Valenzuela is an easygoing teacher and is patient when it comes to teaching architecture. She doesnt tell us how to design but she teaches us the skills to be good designers, Rodriguez said. El Dorado High School Teacher Ms. Valenzuela and Aztec Architectural Academy President Andrea Rodriguez. Photos: SISD Rodriguez says she recently got accepted into the University of Arizona and is planning on getting her masters degree in architecture. She also hopes to become a licensed architect in Arizona. Thats where I see myself in the future because Ms. Valenzuela has taught me her love and appreciation for buildings and architecture and I hope that I could become an architect myself, Rodriguez said. Rodriguez also explains that when she was a freshman, she didnt know what she wanted to do and she initially joined the architecture academy because she liked drawing and legos. Rodriguez says that Valenzuela has taught her the meaning of architecture and how to design buildings that beneficially impact society. I think that Ms. Valenzuela has just given me the tools and appreciation for architecture and Im able to see myself now as an architect after four years in the academy, Rodriguez said. 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. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. (FOX40.COM) A veterinarians office in El Dorado Hills has launched a new service that will provide blood to dogs for emergency procedures. Insight Veterinary Wellness Center announced the opening of the Community Canine Blood Bank. The blood bank for dogs is considered the second of its kind in California. The veterinarians office said the blood bank will provide a local supply of canine blood and addresses a critical need for readily blood products to treat injured or ill dogs in emergency situations. Sacramento Zoo releases new renderings for proposed new zoo site We are thrilled to bring this life-saving service to our community, Insight Veterinary Wellness Center owner Dr. Ken Pawlowski said in a press release. As veterinarians, we understand the importance of having access to blood products when every second counts. The Community Canine Blood Bank will help us better serve the needs of our patients and provide peace of mind for pet owners. Insight Veterinary Wellness Center has an emergency department that utilizes blood transfusions for many cases and conditions. The veterinary offices said reasons for the needs for canine blood products are due to emergencies such as immune system attacks of a dogs red blood cells and blood transfusions for bone marrow disease and other life-saving situations. The blood bank is open and accepting donations from healthy dogs that meet the necessary requirement such as: Dogs must be 1 to 7 years old Over 50 pounds Up to date on monthly flea, tick and heartworm prevention. 6-year-old UC Davis hospital patient surprised with Savannah Bananas tickets The veterinarys office said the voluntary blood donor program provides multiple benefits including: Complimentary blood typing Pre-screening and annual lab work/exams Fecal testing every six months Complimentary flea/tick and heartworm preventative Click or tap here for more information on how to donate. We are so thankful to the many selfless owners and sweet pups who have already donated, Pawlowski said. The outpouring of support has been so touching. Its always a challenge having a donor program like this because we consistently need hero dogs to be donors, but we are dedicated to its success. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40. SHIJIAZHUANG, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Sun Yuanliang, a former senior political advisor of northeast China's Liaoning Province, was sentenced to death, with a two-year reprieve, for bribery on Thursday. The Intermediate People's Court of Chengde in north China's Hebei Province found that Sun, formerly vice chairman of the Liaoning Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, abused his power in various positions he held between 1997 and 2022 to assist individuals and organizations on matters related to the requisition of land, bank loans and personnel promotion. In return, Sun extorted and accepted money and valuables worth 159 million yuan (about 22.39 million U.S. dollars). The court also found that between 2018 and 2022, Sun had used his influence to seek undue benefits for others in business operations and civil litigation, and took money and gifts worth 28.16 million yuan in return. Sun will be deprived of his political rights for life, and all his personal assets will be confiscated, the court ruled. Given that Sun confessed his criminal acts and showed remorse, he was granted a lenient sentence, the court said. Scores of passengers used escape chutes to flee a burning plane after it aborted take-off and veered off the runway in Senegal. The incident involving a Boeing 737-300 is the latest disaster for the embattled aeroplane maker facing serious allegations about its safety and quality checks. Footage of the incident at Dakars Blaise Diagne airport showed passengers screaming as they fled the plane and flames arose on one side. Ten among the 79 passengers, two pilots and four cabin crew were injured, officials said. Video clips showed one crew member complaining of a broken foot. There was no immediate official explanation for the incident, but global aviation safety company JacDec claimed that the flight had experienced a hydraulic issue during acceleration for take-off. The plan crashed before takeoff and has closed the airport Transport minister El Malick Ndiaye said the Air Senegal flight operated by TransAir was headed to Bamako, in neighbouring Mali. The incident in the early hours of Thursday comes as Boeing faces scrutiny for its safety record and quality control. One of the manufacturers 737 Max 9 planes operated by Alaska Airlines suffered a mid-air blowout on Jan 5, prompting US regulator the Federal Aviation Administration to launch an audit of production practices. Earlier this week, a Boeing 767 cargo aircraft, operated by FedEx, performed an emergency landing in Turkey after its landing gear failed. Boeing declined to comment on the latest incident. The Telegraph understands the aircraft was 30 years old and delivered by the manufacturer in 1994. The incident briefly closed the airport, but it was open again by mid-afternoon. Online images showed a large hole in the left engine and a wing covered in firefighting foam. Airport managers LAS made up of Turkish group Limak, the publicly-owned airport operator AIBD and another Turkish entity, Summa said: The exact circumstances of the incident remain to be determined, but an investigation is already under way to establish the reasons. Aviation specialists along with representatives of the airline concerned are on site to examine closely the airline log data and interview crew members. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. In 2014, Forbes named Elizabeth Holmes the worlds youngest self-made billionaire and valued her company, Theranos, at $9 billion. However, her empire crashed when a federal grand jury indicted her for committing a massive fraud. After Holmes stepped down as CEO of Theranos, she went to trial for her crimes. The jury found her guilty on four federal charges and sentenced her to 11 years and three months in prison. In March 2004, Elizabeth Holmes dropped out of Stanford University to establish her startup, Theranos. According to CNN, Theranos is a combination of two words: therapy and diagnosis. The Straits Times reported that the organization raised more than $6 million in funding, taking the companys evaluation to $30 million. By 2010, the company raised another $45 million in funding, which takes the companys evaluation to $1 billion. Three years later, Holmes publically promoted her technology and announced that their machine, Edison, can perform various tests with a drop of blood. The outlet also stated that Theranos was valued at $9 billion after raising $400 million in funding in 2014. However, a 2015 report from The Wall Street Journal mentioned that the organization noted above utilized its technology for only a limited number of tests. Moreover, many employees questioned the accuracy of those tests. The FDA also reported that the company used unapproved devices for testing purposes, per The Strait Times. After extensive investigation, in March 2018, the US Securities and Exchange Commission charged Elizabeth Holmes and one of her partners with fraud. CNN mentioned that Holmes and her partner raised over $700 million by defrauding their investors. Holmes went to trial for fraud in August 2021. Where is Elizabeth Holmes now? Before Elizabeth Holmes was charged, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid announced in 2016 that one of the companys labs in California failed to meet safety standards and posed immediate jeopardy to patient health and safety. Two years later, in June 2018, a federal jury indicted Elizabeth Holmes and one of her partners on multiple charges. According to The Wall Street Journal, the jury indicted the duo on two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and nine counts of wire fraud. The outlet mentioned that the trial was supposed to start in July 2020 but couldnt because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Holmes announced her pregnancy, and the court postponed the trial again. Eventually, the trial began in September of that year, and Holmes testified in her defense. CNN reported that 32 witnesses testified during the three-month trial. In the closing arguments, the prosecution team noted that Elizabeth Holmes lied to her investors because she didnt want her business to fail. The prosecutor said, She chose fraud over business failure. She chose to be dishonest with investors and with patients. That choice was not only callous, it was criminal. On the other hand, the defense claimed that Elizabeth Holmes was building a business and not a criminal enterprise. The defense attorney painted Holmes as a visionary who wanted to invent a technology that could perform any blood test. After the closing arguments, CNN reported that the jury deliberated for more than 50 hours to deliver a guilty verdict. The outlet mentioned that the jury found Holmes guilty of one count of conspiracy and three counts of wire fraud. In September 2022, Holmes filed for a new trial because one of the witnesses claimed he felt guilty about his testimony. However, the court denied her request. As a result, the court sentenced her to 11 years and three months in prison. Currently, Elizabeth Holmes is serving her sentence at the Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Bryan in Texas. In 2019, HBO released a documentary titled The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley. The documentary talked about the rise and fall of Holmes. The documentary is available for streaming on HBO Max. The post Who Is Elizabeth Holmes and Why Was She on Trial? appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. Elon Musk says 2024 will be last election actually decided by US citizens Elon Musk has claimed that the 2024 presidential election would likely be the last to be decided by US citizens, blaming an influx of illegal immigrants being allowed to vote. The comments made by the South African-born billionaire on his social media platform, X, came in response to news that Republicans in the House of Representatives passed a bill requiring citizenship status to be added to the ten-yearly census, despite opposition from the White House. Unanimous Democrat opposition to requiring citizenship for apportionment of House seats and Presidential electoral college votes says it all, Mr Musk said on Thursday in a reply to news that Dems voted along party lines on Wednesday and opposed the bill. The Democratic Party goal is to disenfranchise US citizens by importing as many illegal immigrants as possible. Given the massive influx of illegals from every country on Earth, 2024 will probably be the last election actually decided by US citizens, he claimed. Elon Musk, co-founder of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of X Holdings Corp., speaks at the Milken Institutes Global Conference at the Beverly Hilton Hotel,on May 6, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California (Getty Images) Mr Musk often uses his platform to post an array of political views. Despite voting for Joe Biden in 2020, he has openly criticised the Presidents immigration policy, especially regarding the US-Mexico border, but he has also called to make the legal immigration process easier and quicker, which the President has stated he wants to do. This latest post appeared to lean more towards the GOPs viewpoint that immigration, particularly in the southwest, is running unchecked, leading them to pursue the legislation voted on on Wednesday. The bill, known as the Equal Representation Act, was presented under the guise of making the way congressional seat allocations are made, fairer. Currently, numbers are decided by looking at the total population within a state, using data including the decennial census, and that would include those who are non-citizens. By adding in a rule to include citizenship status on the form, GOP lawmakers want to use that data to exclude non-citizens from the population numbers used to determine congressional seats. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a news conference on the steps of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on May 8, 2024 in Washington, DC (Getty Images) We should not reward states and cities that violate federal immigration laws and maintain sanctuary policies with increased Congressional representation, House Speaker Mike Johnson said after Wednesdays vote. Common sense dictates that only American citizens should be counted for electoral apportionment, and the Equal Representation Act ensures that. The states and cities which could be affected include Democrat-leaning New York and California, but also more Republican-supporting states like Texas and Florida, which have the highest foreign-born populations. Despite the bill being aimed at Congressional seat allocations, Mr Musk tied this to non-citizens voting abilities. Between 2018 and 2022, at least 80 per cent of Republican voters were White, while 30-40 per cent of Democrat voters were non-white. In 2024, its expected that the percentage of the populations Hispanic eligible voters will reach a record high, with California home to a quarter of them, according to the Pew Research Center. Figures from the American Immigration Council show there are around 45.2 million people who count as part of the US immigrant population, which is around 13 per cent of the countrys total. Out of those, around 53 per cent are entitled to vote as they are naturalised American citizens, rather than so-called resident aliens, those in the country on work permits or illegal immigrants. The GOP-backed bill would target those who are non-citizens, seeking to keep them away from the ballot box. A resident arrives to vote in the state's primary election at a polling location on April 02, 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin (Getty Images) Earlier this week, the Biden Administration spoke out against the bill, saying it strongly opposed the change, arguing that it would break the Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution, which states the census should simply count the whole number of persons in each state. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that the census remains as accurate as possible and free from political interference, and to upholding the longstanding principle of equal representation enshrined in our Constitution, census statutes, and historical tradition, the White House statement read. Claims, including those from Mr Musk, that introducing this bill would make elections more secure have been widely debunked, with one of the main reasons being that many states and municipalities do not allow non-citizens to vote in elections, anyway. In Novembers election, voters in Kentucky, Idaho, Iowa and Wisconsin will vote to change their constitutions to only allow US citizens to vote, following on from Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, North Dakota and Ohio in recent years. In New York City lawmakers are trying to open up elections to some non-citizens, but the plan is not to allow anyone living in NYC to vote, regardless of immigration status. Instead, those who are permanent residents - green card holders - and some with work authorisations would be allowed to vote in local elections alongside US citizens, rather than the influx of new arrivals seen in recent years Mr Musk appeared to point to. What the Manhattan jury weighing the case against Donald Trump makes of adult film star and director Stormy Daniels testimony this week could hinge on societal perception of lying women, according to a leading feminist legal theorist and former Manhattan prosecutor. All of us are shaped by a culture that casts accusers as unreliable sources of information, Deborah Tuerkheimer, also a professor at Northwestern Law, told Salon. Tuerkheimer, the author of the book Credible: Why We Doubt Accusers and Protect Abusers, said female caricatures such as the gold-digger seeking fortune above all, the scorned woman seeking revenge or the regretful woman ruing consensual sex are ubiquitous. The ready availability of certain stock representations of lying women makes it easy for us to disbelieve, Tuerkheimer wrote in her book. On Thursday, Daniels faced additional cross-examination by Trumps defense team and a round of questions from prosecutors with the defense seeking to portray Daniels as having entirely invented the story of the sexual encounter on the basis of her salacious background, her efforts to make money off the tryst and her animus toward Trump. They're obviously going to try to shame her in front of the jury the best they can, Matt Cameron, a Massachusetts criminal defense lawyer and co-host of the podcast Opening Arguments, said. They were really pushing to try to get her to say that she was doing this for money or that this was all about money. They're going to try to do whatever they can to undermine it." He added: I hate to see witnesses treated that way. That approach makes me uncomfortable, but it's been used for as long as we've had courts." Trumps defense lawyer, Susan Necheles, questioned Daniels at length about alleged discrepancies in various accounts of her 2006 sexual encounter with Trump in his Lake Tahoe hotel suite. You made all this up, right? Necheles asked Daniels, according to The New York Times. Daniels responded: No. Daniels has recounted her story of the tryst in her memoir and numerous interviews, dating back to a 2011 interview for In Touch magazine. Shes repeatedly said that Trump appeared in pajamas, and that the two did not eat in the hotel room even though she was invited for dinner. But Necheles questioned why Daniels would have described the episode as dinner if they never ate, and why Daniels has said Trump was watching television when she entered his suite. "Your words dont mean what they say, do they? Necheles asked Daniels According to The New York Times, Necheles pointed out that Daniels wrote in her memoir that she'd made Trump her "b**ch" at the start of the 2006 encounter, which contrasts to Daniels testimony Tuesday that she felt intimidated by Trump. Youre trying to make me say its changed, but it hasnt changed, Daniel said later, defending her account to Necheles. As part of the defense effort to impugn Daniels credibility and background, Necheles also pointed to Daniels work in the porn industry and her work as a medium. Necheles also honed in on the idea that Daniels is lying to extort Trump for money and fame, pointing to her merchandise lines. Daniels in turn defended her ventures: Not unlike Mr. Trump. On Tuesday, she defended her interview with In Touch Magazine, saying: "I would rather make money than people make money off of me, and at least I could control the narrative." Daniels also defended her tweets insulting Trump, pointing out that he had called her names like horseface first. Daniels insisted she wanted to get her story out even as Necheles questioned her about why she earned nearly $100,000 and kept her story quiet from 2016 to 2018. Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, with prosecutors saying that audio recordings, internal business records and witness testimony prove he was scheming to kill damaging stories ahead of his 2016 campaign in violation of state and federal election law and state tax law. Each count is punishable by up to four years behind bars. Trump denies those charges, as well as the affairs. New York Law School professor Anna Cominsky, director of the schools Criminal Defense Clinic, said that despite all the focus on the particulars of Daniels account, jurors will be asked to focus on whether Trump falsified business records to cover up a damaging story and boost his election bid in violation of election and tax laws. She's necessary from the standpoint of if they're saying that there was a conspiracy to unlawfully affect the election, that's the underlying felony and why the business records were falsified, Cominsky said. If they're saying that's the underlying crime, they have to have some facts to support that crime. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. Cominsky said that Daniels importance comes down to explaining Trumps motivation for the alleged scheme. Daniels lawyer Keith Davidson, in an audio recording, said that Daniels was worried shed lose leverage for a payout if Trump lost the 2016 election as she presumed he would. And so part of that is painting the picture as to why would Trump do this, right? Cominsky said. Why would he want to keep this under wraps and she provides the why, right? This is embarrassing. He was cheating on his wife, supposedly. And also, how will the public view all of this? The voting public, that's the prosecutors theory. And the only person that can provide that part of the story is her. Cominsky said shes not sure how the defense strategy will work with jurors. We've seen through the cross-examination that the defense is trying to make her out to be a liar, Cominsky said. I'm not sure how effective that's going to be with the jury, and I'm not really sure why that matters, because she knows nothing about the documents that are at the heart of this case. Cominsky said the defense strategy of making everyone look like a liar could strain credibility with the jury. At a certain point, the jury's going to say, Yeah, I don't buy that every single person involved was a liar, Cominsky said. Cameron called Daniels testimony compelling and said it will be an uphill battle for the defense to convince a juror to dismiss her account entirely, adding that Daniels testimony does not itself show that she has enriched herself off Trump. Daniels testified this week that she cannot, and will not, pay the half-million-dollar judgment she owes Trump: I don't have the means to pay and I didn't think it was fair. She also testified that the impact of telling her story has had a harrowing effect on her personal life and damaged her financially. Cameron said Daniels had not only [said] that it didn't make her money really, but it cost her a lot of money. She's got a half-million-dollar judgment pending. She can't really say that came out very well for her. Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked Daniels at one point whether "telling the truth about Trump" has been a positive or negative in her life. "Negative," Daniels said. Second gentleman Doug Emhoff urged more men to advocate for abortion rights on Tuesday, saying the key 2024 election issue is about more than just women, but families and all Americans. This is an issue of fairness to women. Women are dying, Emhoff told NBCs Yamiche Alcindor. Its affecting [mens] ability to plan their lives. And its also an issue of whats next, what other freedoms are at risk. And these freedoms are affecting all Americans, not just women. Emhoff was in Atlanta on Tuesday to speak at a panel for abortion rights group Men4Choice, as the Biden campaign targets abortion as its strongest argument to get swing voters on its side this November. He told NBC that the key to making the issue stick is with men and that many dont realize how central the reproductive rights debate is to them. Im talking about this with my other dad friends, Emhoff said. Im talking about it with my son. And its not just because I also have a daughter. I have a son and we talk about it, about how this is going to impact him and how hes going to start a family or not. He also warned that after the Supreme Court rolled back federal abortion protections in 2022, the conservative-dominated court could move on to further reproductive care. What are we coming after next? he asked. So, is it contraception? Is it [the] right to marry who you want to marry, love who you want to love? Read what you want to read? The Biden campaign hopes abortion rights can be a boon in swing states where there will also be a statewide ballot measure up for a vote, like in Florida and Arizona. The Sunshine State has been a surprising target for Democrats in 2024 after the state implemented a strict abortion ban this month. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Emory students vote that they dont have confidence in university president After a week of protests on Emory Universitys campus, the undergraduate student body has held a vote of no confidence in President Gregory Fenves leadership. For days, students and faculty have been calling for Fenves resignation over his handling of the protests over the ongoing Israel-Hamas. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] According to a statement from university officials, the referendum vote passed by 73% to 25%. Less than half of the undergraduate student body cast a vote. Officials say 3,401 of the 8,102 eligible students participated in the Student Government Association vote. University officials say that, in total, 31% of the student body voted in favor of the motion. Last week, the faculty of the Emory University College of Arts & Sciences passed a similar motion by a vote of 358-119. The faculty who participated in the vote of no confidence are also demanding that all charges be dropped and the university pay for all legal fees. Its unclear if this only applies to Emory students and faculty. REALTED STORIES: The full statement from Emory University, shared on Wednesday evening, read: Today, the Emory Student Government Association (SGA) shared that Emory undergraduate students passed a referendum expressing no confidence in President Fenves leadership. Such votes are non-binding and are determined by a simple majority of those who vote. 3,401 of the 8,102 undergraduate students eligible to vote in the referendum chose to do so (42%). Of those who voted, 2,499 voted in favor of the motion (73%), 844 voted against it (25%), and 58 abstained (2%). 31% of the total undergraduate student body voted for in favor of the motion. While we take any concerns expressed by members of our community seriously, Emory community members are sharing a wide range of perspectives that are not reflected in the motion passed by SGA. Channel 2 Action News has reached out to the Emory Student Government Association for a statement, but has not heard back. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The El Paso Community College (EPCC) School of Nursing hosted its Spring Associate Degree of Nursing Pinning Ceremony on Thursday, May 9, according to EPCC. EPCC said the ceremony was held at 10 a.m. at the EPCC Administrative Services Center Auditorium located at 9050 Viscount Blvd, El Paso, TX, 79925. The School of Nursing honored 68 graduates, and Dr. Heather Fowler was selected by the students as the faculty keynote speaker, according to EPCC. Its a really exciting day. I got to work with a lot of these students as a faculty member before becoming the Dean of Nursing, so it was good to see them in classes then the office and now graduating, its very heartwarming. Many of these nursing graduates have been hired already. Its a great thing, we work really well with hospitals in the region, so they have reached out and already hired many of our graduates, so its a wonderful thing, said EPCC School of Nursing Dean Dr. Hafid Guerrero. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) An Erie County legislator is requesting an investigation into the death of an inmate from water intoxication that was first reported by News 4 Investigates, two months ago. That inmate died last year. Erie County legislator April Baskin says that water intoxication death is troubling and wants the county Corrections Specialist Advisory Board to investigate the death. The board is supposed to provide oversight on county jails. Last year, William Hager, died from consuming too much water while being held in the Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden. Legislator Baskin, who for years has been critical of the sheriffs Jail Management Division, has sent a letter to the advisory board requesting that the board ask for a meeting with the Superintendent of the Jail Management Division to learn more about Hagers death. Baskin says shes not prepared to publicly discuss the letter telling News 4 that shes waiting for a response from the advisory board. A local activist group is reacting to Baskins request for an investigation. I think shes been misled in terms of her expectations of the Correction Specialist Advisory Board, I think currently as they exist, its a sham they dont do anything other than rubble stamp or whatever is that the superintendent and jail management says said Baba Eng, program director of Prisoners Are People Too. Baskin is also raising questions about an inmate death in 2021 the letter states she received a state report about the death of an inmate by the name of James Ellis who died from stomach cancer, but never received the proper care. The medical at the holding center, the mental health at the holding center all of it comes under the sheriffs control, the sheriff controls all of that and none of them are acting according to law theyre not doing their job, Eng said. In our interview with the Sheriffs Office, officials declined to comment citing pending litigation, but spoke in general terms about the reforms the Sheriffs Office has made such as launching a body cam program for corrections officers, and that the Sheriffs Office continues to focus on mental health and rehab. ECSO now says that after a review no policies or standards of care were broken. But it appears the county Corrections Board has been inactive for years. Their website says their last meeting was April 24 but theres no minutes of any of their meetings. The next Corrections Advisory Board meeting is May 28. Latest Local News Jeff Preval is an award-winning anchor and reporter who joined the News 4 team in December 2021. See more of his work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo. JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) If youre interested in or already involved in the construction industry, East Tennessees State University is holding an upcoming summit centered around the industry. The summit is May 16 and 17 at ETSUs D.P. Culp Center in Johnson City. Bagel sandwich shop Sullys Steamers coming to JC Both days will last from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost to attend is $75. You can register by calling 800-222-3878 or clicking here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Budapest for a state visit to Hungary at the invitation of Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban, May 8, 2024. Xi was warmly welcomed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his wife at Budapest Airport upon arrival. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) BUDAPEST, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived here Wednesday for a state visit to Hungary. In a written speech upon his arrival, Xi said China and Hungary are good friends and good partners of mutual trust. "I am delighted to pay a state visit to the beautiful country of Hungary at the gracious invitation of President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban," he said, extending heartfelt greetings and best wishes to the Hungarian government and people on behalf of the government and people of China. Noting that Hungary is known for its time-honored history and profound cultural heritage, Xi said the Hungarian people are industrious, intelligent, open, inclusive, pioneering and creative. In recent years, the government and people of Hungary have been forging ahead with determination, making impressive progress in economic and social development, he said. "As a good friend and a comprehensive strategic partner, we in China, both the government and people, heartily rejoice over your achievements." In 1949, Hungary was one of the first countries to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. In 2004, the two countries decided to forge a friendly and cooperative partnership. In 2017, the bilateral relationship was elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership, upgrading and speeding up the mutually beneficial cooperation and strengthening the popular support for traditional China-Hungary friendship, Xi noted. In recent years, the two sides have seen frequent high-level exchanges, deepening mutual trust, fruitful outcomes in Belt and Road cooperation, vibrant people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and close coordination and collaboration in international and regional affairs, he said. "Together, we have set a fine example of building a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation," Xi said. This year marks the 75th anniversary of China-Hungary diplomatic ties, bringing an important opportunity for the growth of bilateral relations, he said. Xi said he looks forward to meeting with President Sulyok, Prime Minister Orban and other Hungarian leaders, and they will jointly outline a new blueprint for cooperation and development, with a view to steering the China-Hungary relationship forward in big strides and taking it to a higher level. "I believe that no matter how the international landscape evolves, China and Hungary will always view and approach the bilateral relationship from a broad perspective and a long-term view," he said. "Through vigorous and determined endeavors, we will work together toward the goal of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and make our due contribution to world peace, stability, development and prosperity," he added. "I am confident that, with the two sides' concerted efforts, this visit will be a complete success and usher in an even brighter future of the China-Hungary relationship," he said. Orban and his wife waited at Budapest Airport to welcome Xi. Hungarian Air Force sent fighter jets to escort Xi's plane after it entered the country's airspace for a state visit. Chinese President Xi Jinping's plane arrives in Budapest, Hungary, May 8, 2024. Xi arrived here Wednesday for a state visit to Hungary. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) People welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping in Budapest, Hungary, May 8, 2024. Xi arrived here Wednesday for a state visit to Hungary. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan) 2030 is a very real date for Ukraine to join the European Union, Katarina Mathernova, the EU ambassador to Ukraine, said in an interview on May 9. In November 2023, the European Commission the Union's executive arm recommended the launch of accession talks with Kyiv but said four additional reforms must be implemented. The European Council then agreed to open accession talks with Ukraine the following month. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal later said that European Council President Charles Michel had named 2030 as a possible target year for further EU enlargement but added that the Commission would work to try to integrate Ukraine on a faster timeline. In an interview with Ukrainian media, Mathernova said that predicting when exactly Ukraine would become a member of the EU is "the same as looking into a crystal ball for predictions." However, she agreed with Prime Minister Shmyhal's assessment that 2030 is a feasible date. "Based on my own observations on life in Kyiv, on interaction with the Ukrainian authorities, representatives of business and media, as well as taking into account the expansion process in the past, which I know well, I believe that 2030 is a very realistic date." The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, also announced during a visit to Kyiv on May 9 that official negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU should begin before the end of the first half of 2024. Introductory negotiations must begin as quickly as possible and I am optimistic that EU member states can approve the negotiating framework in June, Metsola said. "As you know, the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the EU begins on July 1, so it is important to make the necessary decisions before that, during the Belgian presidency." The EU Council presidency rotates among EU members every six months, with Belgium holding the position until June 30. Hungary has repeatedly obstructed EU funding for Ukraine, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has maintained close relations with Moscow. Read also: EU ambassador to Ukraine: Even Putin cant stop Ukraines accession Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Warning: This story contains graphic content A man calling himself a eunuch-maker who mutilated customers and made cash selling extremely graphic videos of the procedures online was sentenced by a British court to a minimum of 22 years in prison on Thursday. Marius Gustavson, a 46-year-old Norwegian, pleaded guilty to a range of charges including conspiring to commit grievous bodily harm and five counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. A sentencing hearing at Londons Old Bailey heard Gustavson described as a lunatic by one of his victims. Sword Attack Rampage Leaves 14-Year-Old Boy Dead, Cops Injured Judge Mark Lucraft said Gustavson had been the leader of a gruesome and grisly enterprise. He also said that Gustavsons business in extreme body modifications was extremely dangerous, according to the BBC, describing some of the procedures as little short of human butchery. Six accomplices, who were also medically unqualified, were also jailed for their role in the surgical operations conducted on seemingly willing volunteers, some of whom were just 16. The court heard how his extremely disturbing pay-per-view website advertised services which included penis removals, castrations, and the freezing of limbs. Gustavson had also got others to perform procedures on him which included having his penis removed and a leg frozen. One man told police in 2020 about the procedures which had been carried out on him. He was strapped to a bed and electrocuted. In a later procedure, he had his testicles clamped. The man also said hed been branded by Gustavson with the initials EM for eunuch maker. Lucraft noted that Gustavson had cooked what appeared to be human testicles which were then plated to be eaten, and kept other body parts as trophies. Court documents further noted that Gustavson had sold human tissue collected during the operations. His business was estimated to have made over $375,000 from a pool of almost 23,000 worldwide subscribers between 2017 and 2021, according to The Guardian. I am entirely satisfied that the motivation of all those involved were a mix of sexual gratification as well as financial reward, the judge said. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. What is Europe Day and what does it represent? What is Europe Day and what does it represent? Every 9 May, Europeans celebrate Europe Day, a commemorative occasion that honours the inception of the continent's political and economic integration, and the enduring peace achieved as a result of the decades-long collective effort. The celebration traces back to 1950, when Robert Schuman, then-French minister of foreign affairs, delivered his landmark declaration proposing that France and Germany two nations with a long and bloody history join their coal and steel production. In doing so, Schuman intended to accelerate the modernisation of both countries after the economic devastation and human carnage caused by World War II while removing incentives that could have fostered unfair competition. By turning such critical industries so inextricably intertwined, the French minister had a higher goal: to render war impractical and futile. "The solidarity in production thus established will make it plain that any war between France and Germany becomes not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible," Schuman said while reading his declaration in the Salon de l'Horloge at the Quai d'Orsay in Paris on 9 May 1950. Cleverly, Schuman left the door open for other countries to come on board and bring about a genuinely united Europe an ambition pursued during the inter-war period that collapsed under the weight of national interests. Schuman's pitch proved successful: West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer said yes almost instantaneously. Slowly, a united Europe came into being A year later, on 18 April 1951, representatives from France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg signed the Treaty of Paris and established the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), a pioneering organisation based on the principle of supranationalism. Under the ECSC, nation-states accepted the transfer of their jealously guarded sovereign competences towards a series of newly-formed European institutions: an independent High Authority, a Common Assembly of national parliamentarians, a Special Council of national ministers and a Court of Justice. Schuman's close aide, Jean Monnet, who is now considered the mastermind behind the landmark declaration, was named the first president of the High Authority. The economic benefits of the ECSC, like the custom-free market that stimulated the trade of coal and steel, convinced member states to go further than the early blueprint and bring more sectors and policy areas under the supranational mandate. The ECSC progressively evolved, first into the European Economic Community and, later, the European Union. The original four institutions eventually turned into the European Commission, the European Parliament, the EU Council and the European Court of Justice that we know today. Robert Schuman (pictured in the centre) is considered one the founding fathers of the European Union. - Jean-Jacques Levy/AP The steady transformation of the political project, the likes of which humankind had never seen, cemented the status of the Schuman Declaration as the true genesis of European integration. "Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan. It will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity," the French statesman said in his speech. Meeting in Milan in 1985, heads of state and government decided to officially name 9 May Europe Day to celebrate peace and unity in the continent. The occasion became one of the main symbols of the European Union, together with the twelve-starred flag, the slogan "In varietate concordia" "United in diversity" and the anthem, based on Beethoven's "Ode to Joy". The 2004 treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe was meant to consolidate these symbols as the bloc's official emblems, but the provision was dropped after the ratification process failed. Interestingly, only two countries, Luxembourg where Schuman was born in 1886 and Kosovo a non-EU state with long-held EU aspirations have established Europe Day as a national holiday. In Romania, it coincides with Independence Day, while Croatia and Lithuania have legally recognised the day but have not made it a public holiday. The other member states celebrate Europe Day in a commemorative manner by hoisting flags and organising a variety of events. In Brussels, the EU institutions hold an open-doors day, and its employees are given a day off work unless the European Parliament is in session. Two Victory Days Europe Day is not the only holiday celebrated on 9 May, and amidst the war in Ukraine, all of the holidays that fall on this date are set to take on a special significance. Besides European integration, 9 May is celebrated in other parts of Europe for another reason: the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. Victory Day is today observed as a national holiday in countries like Russia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, as well as Israel. In Moldova, the pro-EU faction tends to celebrate Europe Day instead. Last year, against the backdrop of the invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decided to rebrand the commemoration as the Day of Europe, a nod to his country's aspirations to join the bloc. "This will be the Day of Europe, which helps us fight in all directions: on the battlefield with weapons and on the diplomatic front with determination, against missile terror and the winter blackout, in the economy and on the legal front," Zelenskyy said. In the rest of the continent, Victory in Europe Day is celebrated one day earlier, on 8 May. The reason why the two parts of the continent celebrate the same holiday on two different dates, however, lies in the fact that Nazi Germany signed its second and last formal surrender late on 8 May 1945, when it was already 9 May in Moscow. And there's more: the EU's Europe Day is not the only Europe Day. The Council of Europe, an international organisation with limited executive powers whose mandate focuses on upholding human rights and democracy, celebrates its own Europe Day four days earlier on 5 May to mark the Council's foundation. The entity encompasses all European nations except Belarus, Russia, Vatican City and Kosovo. Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, is on a visit to Kyiv. Source: European Pravda, citing Stefan Schleuning, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Ukraine Quote: "Ms. Metsola is here, in the city," he said in his speech at the EuroSummit of Civil Society Organisations in Kyiv. Schleuning added that Ukrainians "defend us, Europeans, and the European Union every day." He extended his greetings to Ukrainians on Europe Day and emphasised the importance of this holiday. Shortly afterwards, photos of Metsola's meeting at the Kyiv train station were posted by Ruslan Stefanchuk, Speaker for the Verkhovna Rada [the Ukrainian parliament]. He noted that the European Parliament is "at the forefront" of supporting Ukraine. "It was the first institution in the EU to advocate granting Ukraine candidate status for membership of the European Union. The European Parliament has always had a strong voice when it comes to building an international coalition to support our struggle for freedom and European values, when it comes to supplying weapons to Ukraine and increasing sanctions pressure against Russia. And Ukraine will always appreciate that," Stefanchuk said. Metsola's visit, apparently symbolically scheduled for Europe Day, was not announced in advance, and its details remain unknown. This trip to Ukraine is likely her last as the President of the European Parliament, as Europeans will be electing a new parliament in less than a month. Polls indicate that Europeans are showing a higher level of interest in the European elections this year than five years ago. Support UP or become our patron! The official negotiations on Ukraines EU accession may begin in June 2024. Source: Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, during a press conference in Kyiv on the Europe Day, as reported by a European Pravda correspondent Details: Despite the fact that this decision will be approved by the member states without the participation of the Parliament, Metsola is optimistic about it. "The accession talks must start as soon as possible, and Im optimistic that the framework of negotiations may be approved by the EU member states in June," she stated. As it is known, on 1 July Hungary will start presiding in the Council of Europe, so it is important to adopt all the necessary decisions before that under Belgian presidency. Roberta Metsola also assured Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that despite the elections of the new composition of the European Parliament, Ukraine will still have the support of the Parliament. "The European Parliament will provide Ukraine with all the assistance possible so that it advances in fulfilling all the necessary steps on its path to the EU. And we will remain as open in this support as before," she stated. Metsola added that the European Parliament "was the first European institution which urged others to give Ukraine a candidate status, and then (was the first EU institution which called for) the beginning of accession talks". Background: Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, came to Kyiv on Europe Day on 9 May. At a meeting with Metsola, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated he considered the eventual EU accession of Georgia and Belarus necessary. The elections for the new composition of the European Parliament will be held in June. Support UP or become our patron! European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and German Development Minister Svenja Schulze arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit on May 9. Metsola posted on X that she is "back to the land of the brave. In Kyiv on Europe Day." Europe Day is celebrated on May 9 to highlight peace and unity in Europe, marking the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration in 1950. The declaration laid the foundation for the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, the precursor to the European Union. "The European Parliament is undoubtedly at the forefront of Ukraine's support," Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker of Ukraine's Parliament, wrote on Telegram. "It was the first institution in the EU that advocated granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for membership in the European Union." "The European Parliament has always had a strong voice when it came to creating an international coalition in support of our fight for freedom and European values," something Ukraine will "always appreciate," Stefanchuk said. Schulze said she was in Kyiv ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference, which will be held in Berlin in June. Ukrainians are rebuilding every day, and therefore it is important "not only to provide support with weapons, but also support for civil reconstruction," Schulze told reporters in Kyiv. Read also: Ukraine marks first Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in WWII since official date change in 2023 Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. An air-raid warning disrupted Volodymyr Zelenskyy's joint press conference with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. Source: European Pravda Details: On Thursday 9 May, an air-raid warning was issued in Kyiv due to a potential missile threat to several oblasts, including the capital. At this point, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Roberta Metsola's press conference at the president's office was coming to an end, and Zelenskyy was answering questions about Russia's danger to Ukraines northeast. The president attempted to continue his response, but had to pause because of a loud siren, and congratulated the media on Europe Day. "How are you feeling, Roberta?" he addressed the European guest. "Well, not bad. As you said, it's Europe Day," she laughed. "Thats the Nazis celebrating the 9 May parade," the president added. It is worth noting that the main part of the press conference has come to an end at that time. At this meeting, Zelenskyy, among other things, awarded Robert Metsola the Order of Merit of the first degree "for significant personal merits in strengthening interstate cooperation, supporting state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, a significant contribution to the popularisation of the Ukrainian state in the world". Roberta Metsola was among the first MEPs to visit Ukraine following the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. She travelled to Kyiv on 31 March and saw Zelenskyy on 1 April. At the time, the Russian military was still positioned on the outskirts of Kyiv. During Metsola's visit in May 2024, she predicted that initial negotiations with Ukraine would begin in June. Support UP or become our patron! By Xinhua writers Cao Jiayue, Wang Bin, and Dong Boting BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) -- China's voice on humanitarian affairs is very significant, and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will work with China to mobilize attention around the need to better respect the Geneva Conventions, said Pierre Krahenbuhl, the ICRC's director-general. In an exclusive interview with Xinhua on May 8, the World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, Krahenbuhl shared his insights on the importance of the international humanitarian endeavor in today's world and China's global role in this regard. Krahenbuhl, who took the new post in April, congratulated the 120th founding anniversary of the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC), saying the ICRC and China enjoy a close and trusted relationship that has led to fruitful outcomes over the past years. China is not only very engaged in such areas as natural disaster response, first aid activities, and blood donations but also engaged in international cooperation with the ICRC and other organizations to promote the cause of humanitarianism, Krahenbuhl noted. Over the years, China has carried out a series of international humanitarian rescue efforts, including assistance for quake-hit areas of Turkiye and Syria, the COVID-19 response efforts worldwide, and emergency humanitarian aid to areas that suffered from armed conflicts. Krahenbuhl told Xinhua that the ICRC believes that human dignity must be protected in every possible way in times of conflict. This concept strongly converges with Chinese culture, which emphasizes peace and benevolence. "The more things are complicated, the more things are tense, the greater the risks, the more there is actually a need for communication and dialogue," said Krahenbuhl. He said that in a world filled with uncertainties and turbulence, it is high time to reaffirm the importance of respecting the Geneva Conventions. Krahenbuhl said the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols form the core of international humanitarian law, regulating the conduct of armed conflict and seeking to limit its effects. China was one of the first signatories. "We really look forward to the ongoing attention that China can pay to the importance of protecting international humanitarian law," said Krahenbuhl, adding that the ICRC will work with China to mobilize attention around the need to better respect the Geneva Conventions. Echoing the Chinese leader's assertion last year that "humanitarianism is the greatest consensus that is able to unite different civilizations," Krahenbuhl found it encouraging to see China's steady advocation and support for humanitarianism on many bilateral and multilateral occasions. "China is taking its international role very seriously," Krahenbuhl said, adding that China's voice in humanitarian affairs is very significant. Next year will be the 20th anniversary of the ICRC's regional delegation in Beijing. Krahenbuhl told Xinhua that opportunities for cooperation between the ICRC and China in the years to come are highly expected. "We need to dive deeper and understand better," he said, adding that the ICRC looks forward to more international operational cooperation with China in financial and material support for countries affected by armed conflicts, among other joint programs. It will also work with China in areas related to international humanitarian law. "We are very keen to see this relationship go into the next phase to build further momentum," said the Director-General. Everything you need to know about the possible ouster of Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp recently filed an ouster petition to remove Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert from office due to "willful neglect." Halbert has not been removed from office, but Wamp did request that the state "suspend" her from official capacities while the ouster proceeds. Ousters of public officials are very rare in the state of Tennessee; as of publication, there have only been eight local officials ousted from office, according to the Municipal Advisory Technical Service at the University of Tennessee. During Wamp's public appearance in March regarding the investigation into Halbert, she said because the burden of proof for ouster proceedings are so high, making a solid case was a necessity. "I'm not sure what our chances of success will be but what I'm called to do is to ensure in Hamilton County that we protect the public in this case, I'm here to ensure that there's an elected official who is not neglecting her duties," Wamp said of the ouster petition in March. What was in the Wanda Halbert ouster petition? The 49-page petition cites numerous issues that have happened under Halbert's administration as the Shelby County Clerk over the last few years. Notably, it included Halbert's lack of presentation of her corrective action plan to the Shelby County Commission. Halbert is scheduled to appear at commission committee meetings to present her corrective action plan on May 15. Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert speaks to the media after speaking in front of the Shelby County Board of Commissioners during a budget committee meeting in Downtown Memphis, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. The filing lists incorrect financial reporting, strains on auto dealers in the county, comptroller deficiencies, office closures and Halbert's no-show at a meeting where she was supposed to present her corrective action plan for her office as reasons for the ouster petition. Inaccurate and untimely financial reporting has been an issue for the clerk's office for years, according to the petition. The Hamilton County DA's office has been in Shelby County multiple times to interview individuals for the ouster case, including in March, when Wamp made her first public appearance regarding the ouster. In the petition, it says that a Shelby County Clerk's office employee was questioned regarding the inaccurate reports and a discrepancy of $200,000 to $300,000. The employee said the discrepancy was "not significant given the total amount of the County's annual budget," according to the petition. Halbert has said repeatedly that her office and her employees are due more of the revenue generated by the clerk's office. More: Shelby Co. Clerk Wanda Halbert asks for $2.5 million, delays corrective action plan presentation County news: Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris proposes raise for all county employees, no tax increase Halbert told The Commercial Appeal in January that she was unaware of the Wheel Tax increase passed in July with the 2024 fiscal year county budget. According to the petition, Halbert should have been found personally liable for not charging the Wheel Tax starting July 1. The Shelby County Clerk's office charges a $2 fee on most transactions which goes towards the office's operational costs, the petition states. This money is then put in a special revenue fund where the clerk can pull money from. Because of the county's older technology, the money is not immediately available, which makes the clerk have to pull money from the general fund and later write an expenditure memo so funds can be taken out accordingly, according to the petition. The petition states that Halbert has never written a memo to take out funds for the expenditures for her office. The petition has been filed. What happens next? Halbert is scheduled to appear at the Shelby County Commission meeting to present her corrective action plan on May 15. Halbert had been scheduled to appear at a previous meeting, delayed the matter due to a personal matter. Commissioners moved the presentation to the next Committee Meeting. Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp gives updates during a press conference about the investigation into Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert for incorrect revenue reports on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Shelby County Administration Building in Memphis, Tenn. In the ouster petition, Wamp requested that Halbert be suspended from office. This will only happen if a judge grants the request at an upcoming hearing. A scheduling hearing was initially set for May 15 but has since been removed. As of publication, there was no hearing scheduled. What happens if Wanda Halbert is removed from office? That will be determined if a judge grants the request to suspend Halbert until the case is resolved. In the petition, Wamp requests that Halbert be suspended "until a determination is made on the case." The Shelby County Charter outlines who would take the clerk's place upon vacancy for "County Charter Officers," which includes the Shelby County Clerk. Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert returns to her seat after speaking during a Shelby County Board of Commissioners budget committee meeting in Downtown Memphis, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. "When a vacancy occurs in the office of the county charter officers, the chief deputy, as designated from time to time in writing to the County Attorney, shall serve until the board of county commissioners elects an interim county charter officer. The interim county charter officer shall serve until a successor is elected and qualified in accordance with the Tennessee Constitution, the general laws of the State of Tennessee, and the Charter of Shelby County," the charter states. It is unclear whether the vacancy of the clerk's post because of suspension from office would call for different measures from those measures laid out in the charter. Brooke Muckerman covers Shelby County Government for the Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at (901) 484-6225, Brooke.Muckerman@commercialappeal.com and followed on X @BrookeMuckerman. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What next after ouster petition filed for Shelby County Clerk Halbert? Welcome back to Everythings Political, Capital Bs weekly news, culture, and politics newsletter! In this edition, learn about how a pioneering Black actor lived up to the idea that all art is political, what an Arkansas ruling means for two Black educators in the state, why Louisiana might backtrack on its voting map, whats next for an anti-transgender bill in South Carolina, and how a protest at the University of Mississippi took a nasty turn. On with the show. Daughter of a Revolutionary Film Movement For the actor Barbara O. Jones, cinema had a political dimension. Jones, who has passed away at 82 years old, came up through the L.A. Rebellion, a film movement that emerged at the University of California, Los Angeles in the years after the 1965 Watts Uprising. These artists rooted their work in a cinematic vision that embraced rather than denigrated Black experiences and examined a number of political themes: anti-colonialism, Black Power, second-wave feminism. Directors leaned on the talents of Jones and others to breathe life into their projects. There was Haile Gerimas 1973 short film, Child of Resistance, in which Jones plays an Angela Davis-like advocate whos been locked away. There was also Julie Dashs impressionistic 1991 movie, Daughters of the Dust, in which Jones plays a former sex worker who returns home to her Gullah community to confront the eroding forces of modernity. These rich and poetic explorations of Black life have influenced everyone from 13th director and Queen Sugar creator Ava DuVernay to Beyonce, whose 2016 visual album, Lemonade, echoes the dreamlike tone and imagery of Daughters of the Dust. Today, as Black Americans face a fresh assault on their humanity, the L.A. Rebellions focus on Black pride and strength is an urgent reminder that art, in the right hands, can be a powerful political tool. Classroom Showdown in Arkansas A federal judge on Tuesday guaranteed that two Black educators at Little Rock Central High School, where the Little Rock Nine enrolled in 1957, wouldnt be disciplined under Section 16 of the LEARNS Act for teaching about race or other controversial topics. While the judge didnt block Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders far-reaching law across the state the injunction applies only to the two educators who brought the lawsuit racial justice advocates are hailing the ruling as a major win. The courts ruling makes clear that students right to receive information and ideas was violated, David Hinojosa, an attorney for the plaintiffs and the director of the educational opportunities project at the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said in a statement. The ruling should provide teachers greater comfort in teaching the truth, and challenging students to broaden their perspectives. The Palmetto States Attack on Transgender Americans The move was as unsurprising as it was alarming: The Republican-controlled South Carolina Senate voted this month to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth. The Senates approval of the bill comes at a particularly perilous time for Black transgender South Carolinians. Earlier this year, a man in the Palmetto State was found guilty of a federal hate crime involving the 2019 murder of Dime Doe. Kristen Clarke, the assistant attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justices Civil Rights Division, noted that this case is historic, because this defendant is the first to be found guilty by trial verdict for a hate crime motivated by gender identity under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, signed into law in 2009. Last year, the Human Rights Commission warned that transgender women, and especially Black transgender women, are facing an epidemic of violence. You can read the LGBTQ rights organizations full report on the issue here. The bill now returns to the House. If the GOP-led lower chamber approves it, the bill then goes to Republican Gov. Henry McMasters desk. This bill is an extreme political attack on the well-being of children and on the right of families to obtain evidence-based care for their children, Jace Woodrum, the executive director of the ACLU of South Carolina, said in a statement. Transgender people belong in South Carolina, and we will never stop fighting. Black Louisianans Fight Continues Maybe it was too good to be true. In January, Louisiana Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed into law a map that adds a second majority-Black congressional district. Late last month, however, a three-judge trial panel in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1 to strike down the map for allegedly violating the Constitution. A group of self-described non-African American voters (at least a few are white) brought the challenge, insisting that the map racially stigmatizes them. Their claim is just the latest attempt to push back against efforts to boost racial equality, a task that has become considerably easier since the U.S. Supreme Courts 2023 decision that dismantled affirmative action. This reversal is a slap in the face to Black voters who have already gone through one congressional election under a map that dilutes their votes, Stuart Naifeh, the manager of the NAACP Legal Defense Funds redistricting project, said in a press release. He added, The law is clear that states must abide by the Voting Rights Act and can properly consider race when doing so, as the Supreme Court told us just last year. Black Louisianans have appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court. While the case likely wont affect the 2024 elections the high court avoids changing voting rules and regulations too close to contests theres a good chance that this will be a 2025 fight. Israel-Hamas War Protests Turn Ugly On one side: a lone Black woman advocating for Palestinian rights. On the other: dozens of white men jeering at her, including one whos making monkey sounds and gestures. This was a scene at the University of Mississippi, where Israel-Hamas war demonstrations took a nasty turn earlier this month. Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia seemed to endorse the mens behavior, declaring, Ole Miss taking care of business. (He has since walked back this praise.) The student who mimicked a monkey was kicked out of his fraternity, which condemned his actions as racist and antithetical to the values of Phi Delta Theta. Still, the incident illuminated what some observers suggest might be a growing trend where people use the campus demonstrations to broadcast their racial animus. A White frat boy mocking a Black woman as a monkey isnt about Stand With Israel or Free Palestine. This is protest as performative racism, said Cornell William Brooks, a professor of the practice of public leadership and social justice at the Harvard Kennedy School. Or, as The New York Times Nikole Hannah-Jones put it, Its always good to know how they really feel and what their opposition to the protests is really about. To learn about the echoes between our past and our present when it comes to social justice movements, check out my conversation with Omar Wasow, an assistant professor of political science at the University of California, Berkeley. Figuring out where to stream Daughters of the Dust, Brandon Tensley The post Everythings Political, Including the L.A. Rebellion appeared first on Capital B News. [Watch previous FOX 8 News coverage in the player above.] CLEVELAND (WJW) A former assistant principal at a local middle school charged with strangling a student during an altercation in the schools cafeteria was sentenced to probation. Lindsey Komora, 40, of Northfield, was indicted in December on two felony counts of strangulation as well as a misdemeanor count of assault for the May 4, 2023, incident. As part of a plea deal, she pleaded guilty Monday to the assault charge, while the strangulation charges were dismissed. Ohio man dumps 7K gallons of contaminated wastewater into river, kills more than 40K fish A Cuyahoga County judge sentenced Komora to one year of probation and ordered her to complete 80 hours of community service, as well as an anger management program, court records show. If she violates her probation, she could face up to 180 days in jail. Komora, the former assistant principal of Garfield Heights Middle School, was seen on video putting then-13-year-old RoShon Ballard in a headlock after he began arguing with another student in the schools cafeteria. I dont remember everything, but I remember my friends and my cousin were right there. Then I blacked out, Ballard said at the time. Thats when we got up and we were about to fight when they got the security guard. Got him, but he left and was out of the cafeteria. Hudson senior charged with raping 9-year-old still attends class, sporting events Community wants answers The boys mother Robbin said she was notified of an altercation at the school, but said she didnt know that her son was put in a chokehold until she saw the video on social media. Komora was placed on paid administrative leave following the incident and ultimately terminated on Sept. 30, a Garfield Heights City Schools spokesperson confirmed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. Patric Ferguson, 32, was indicted Wednesday for kidnapping and fatally shooting Robert Howard in January 2021. Photo courtesy of Memphis Police Department/X May 9 (UPI) -- A former Memphis police office has been charged with murder and kidnapping over the fatal on-duty shooting of a man in 2021. Patric Ferguson, 32, was charged Wednesday by a federal grand jury in Memphis, Tenn., with an eight-count indictment, the Justice Department said in a press release. It also charges Joshua Rogers with accessory after the fact for helping Ferguson cover up the crime. Ferguson, who had been a Memphis police officer since October 2018, is accused of shooting 30-year-old Robert Howard on Jan. 5, 2021. He was previously indicted for the crime by the district attorney in Shelby County, Tenn., where he faces first-degree murder and other felony charges. The district attorney's office has said that Ferguson told investigators that he abducted Howard from his residence at gunpoint and killed him in the back of his patrol car. Joshua Rogers was indicted Wednesday for aiding Patric Ferguson in disposing Robert Howard's body. Photo courtesy of Memphis Police Department/X Ferguson then allegedly disposed of Howard's body in Memphis' Wolf River with the help of Rogers, who federal prosecutors also said sold the car used to transport Howard's body to a scrap metal dealership as part of the crime. Rogers has also been charged in Shelby County with counts of accessory after the fact, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. According to a police report produced following the shooting, Memphis officers learned of the crime on Jan. 6 at about 8:30 p.m. when Howard's partner called the authorities to report a missing person. Following a review of the evidence in the case, Memphis police officers arrested Ferguson on a slew of charges. Howard's body was recovered from the river days later, police said. A former roommate of the four University of Idaho students who were found stabbed to death in their off-campus home in 2022 shared the last text she sent to one of the victims, Madison Mogen. Ashlin Couch, a University of Idaho graduate who moved out of the house in May 2022, said in an interview with local news station KXLY she remembered getting an alert from the school that there had been a suspected homicide. "I texted our group of friends and I said, 'Has anyone heard from Maddie?'" Couch recalled. "I remember my last text message to her was: 'Are you OK?' I feel like right then and there, I kind of just knew that something was wrong." Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, 20, were found dead with multiple stab wounds in a Moscow, Idaho, home on Nov. 13, 2022. Though Couch moved out of the home a few months after she graduated in December 2021, she said she kept in touch with her friends Mogen and Goncalves. "It crosses my mind more that that couldve happened while I was there," Couch said. "And, you know, you never know, like how long someone is watching your house." "I mean, I couldn't even walk to my car in the dark for months after it happened," she added. Authorities arrested Bryan Kohberger about six weeks after the slayings after investigators linked his DNA to a knife sheath found near one of the victims, according to court documents. Kohberger, 29, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. A judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf in May 2023. Attorneys for Kohberger submitted an alibi to the court last month, saying he was "out driving alone" on the night of the slayings, according to court documents. "Mr. Kohberger was out driving in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022; as he often did to hike and run and/or see the moon and the stars," Kohbergers attorneys wrote in a filing. A trial date still has not been set due to motions from the defense attempting to change the venue of the trial, as well as allegations that prosecutors have withheld key evidence in the case. The prosecution has denied they were keeping any materials. The three-story home where Mogen, Goncalves, Kernodle and Chapin were found slain was demolished in December 2023. About a year and a half after the slayings, Couch said she wished she was able to say goodbye. "Thats one thing that I just wish that I could do at least one more time," she said. "Like, you know, just give her one last hug. Just to be able to say goodbye." This article was originally published on TODAY.com UPDATE: 6 News report Josh Sanchez reports from the apartment complex that residents received a letter announcing new ownership. The apartment complex has been renamed Evergreen Park Townhomes and Apartments. New owners of the apartment complex formerly known as Autumn Ridge wasted no time in renaming the troubled property as Evergreen Park Townhomes and Apartments. (WLNS) Heres the letter from Beztak Management to residents: The letter sent to residents of the newly named Evergreen Park Townhomes and Apartments received this letter notifying them of the ownership change at the troubled property. (WLNS) UPDATE: This story has been updated to include a comment from Lansing Mayor Andy Schors spokesman on the sale of the property. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) Autumn Ridge, a controversial Lansing apartment complex thats been cited with hundreds of pages of code violations and tried to evict residents who had The property has been in the headlines for years for alleged unsafe conditions from fire safety violations to unsanitary conditions has a new owner. OPV Partners LLC of Southfield sold the property Tuesday. Lansing City Council President Jeremy Garza tells 6 News via text message in response to an inquiry if the property had been sold wrote, Yes, sale was final as of yesterday. Garza represents the area of south Lansing where Autumn Ridge is located. (WLNS) A message to OPV Partners, LLC was not immediately returned. Scott Bean, a spokesman for Lansing Mayor Andy Schor, tells 6 News by text Schor spoke to the new ownership Wednesday. Mayor did talk to the new owner today and the conversation went great, Bean wrote. Mayor is very encouraged after the conversation and excited for a new direction for Autumn Ridge and the residents there. 6 News is still working to identify the company that has purchased the troubled property. OPV Partners has been under scrutiny after multiple lawsuits against the city of Lansing over enforcement of the citys housing codes. 6 News obtained a 361-page report of inspection findings from December 2022 and January 2023. City officials allege the company has taken no action to correct the code violations, and on January 12, 2024, posted red and pink tags throughout the complex at 900 Long Blvd. Red tags mean the property is unsafe to live in. A pink tag means the property is not a registered rental and may have issues requiring repair. A person can continue to live in a pink-tag property. Autumn_Ridge_Inspection_Notices_PacketDownload Court records show the property has not been registered with the city as a rental property since 2018. All of the propertys 618 units are subject to code action by the city, whether as a red-tag or pink tag. Once a property that is either red-tagged or pink-tagged is vacated, it cannot be rented to a new tenant until city code officials have cleared the property as safe and is a registered rental property. The company sued the city in federal court in February alleging, among other things, that the municipality did not have the right to enforce its housing law. Verified Complaint for Declaratory and Other Relief filed 022124 (1)Download Attorneys representing OPV in the federal case did not immediately respond to messages. Some tenants have been withholding their rent and paying it into an escrow account. As a result, they were facing eviction proceedings in 54-A District Court. But Wednesday morning, attorneys representing OPV Partners, LLC in those eviction proceedings withdrew from representation of the company in all the eviction cases before the court. Attorney Jackie Snyder on behalf of attorney Mark Wasvary asked Judge Kristen Simmons of 54-A District Court to allow the attorneys to withdraw. Were asking the court to allow us to withdraw under the Michigan Code of Professional Responsibility, 1.16.b due to an obligation that has not been met by the client to our office, Snyder said. Mark Dotson a professor of law at Cooley Law School said an attorney withdrawing from a case because of conflicts with the client, including whether the client has paid their bills. 6 News reported last month, that eviction cases against tenants in the troubled complex had ramped up dramatically since January. A message was left for Wasvary, but not immediately returned. Since January 10, 2024, OPV attorneys have filed 95 eviction cases in 54-A District Court. Thats 46% more cases than they filed in all of 2023. Court records reveal in 2023, attorneys for OPV filed 65 eviction cases in at least two instances, more than one case was filed against the same tenant. This is a developing story. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. Canadian forests are expected to be much kinder to Minnesotans' lungs this summer. Warm and dry conditions in Canada may cause a few more smoky days than normal in the state. But air quality should be far better than it was last year, when raging fires prompted a record 21 alerts for hazardous air across Minnesota, state forecasters said Thursday. Meteorologists expect parts of Minnesota and most of Canada to go through drought this spring and summer. Elevated temperatures in those areas could cause more wildfires than usual, sending smoke billowing across the state, said Matt Taraldsen, lead meteorologist at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. "At this point last year we already had fires raging in Canada and parts of the Arctic Circle were above 90 degrees Fahrenheit," Taraldsen said. "We're not seeing that this summer and we have increasing confidence that this season is not going to be as catastrophic." Taraldsen released the forecast at the state's emergency operation center in St. Paul, flanked by Gov. Tim Walz and Katrina Kessler, commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Walz said that as extreme wildfires become more common in a changing climate, the state needs to prepare for poor air quality days each spring. He encouraged Minnesotans to pay attention to air quality alerts, which offer real-time updates when dangerous levels of soot, fine particles, ozone and other pollutants are present. "If you have kids with asthma or if you yourself have it you know that last summer was brutal," he said. "And unfortunately it's something that we're going to have to deal with going forward because of the nature of the unpredictable climate that were seeing." Minnesota typically issues five to seven air quality alerts a year, almost always due to wildfire smoke. Given the conditions, forecasters believe the state will likely need to issue at least seven alerts by the end of the summer, Taraldsen said. "The early fire season has been quiet but it's not something we can let our guard down on," he said. "In June, if there's a dry period and if the drought expands we know that will fuel more wildfires and more smoke." Last year, the state was covered with dangerous wildfire smoke for a total of 52 days, as fires burned tens of thousands of square miles of woods across Canada. The rainy start to spring has pulled much of Minnesota out of a lingering drought that lasted nearly all of last year and into a relatively snowless winter. Northern Minnesota and the southeastern corner of the state are still in moderate drought, according to the updated drought map released Thursday. Maddy Maes reads a book and enjoys the sunshine during the final days of her freshman year at Willamette University on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 in Salem, Ore. After a rainy week, the weather is expected to drastically change heading into the weekend. The National Weather Service expects the Willamette Valley to see the hottest days of the year so far and potentially break records. However, the hot temperatures come with danger, as early season water temperatures remain very cold and can often lead to drownings or other incidents. "That usually means many folks tend to take a plunge, but be prepared," said Ashley Massey, public information officer with Oregon State Marine Board. The boat ramp at Wallace Marine Park is closed on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 in Salem, Ore. What to expect High temperatures are expected to come in quickly, reaching 84 degrees by Thursday. Friday is expected to be the hottest day with temperatures reaching close to 90 degrees in the Portland area and 85 to 89 degrees from Salem to Eugene. On Saturday, similar temperatures are expected ranging from 85 to 90 degrees. Portland will likely experience the top end of the range. Then it will cool down to the upper 70s on Sunday. In terms of breaking records, Thursday is unlikely but temperatures on Friday and Saturday could break records. The most recent records for the Portland and Salem areas for May 10 came back in 2019. Portland hit a high of 89 degrees that year, while this year it could reach 91. In Salem, the record high for May 10 is 87 degrees, which is also likely to be in play. Ramona Flatz with the biology department and Lila are stationed at Willamette Universitys campus on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 to provide emotional support to students during finals week. Warm air, cold water and swift currents The sudden and unseasonably warm weather brings a variety of water safety concerns. The National Weather Service's main concern is with cold water safety. It is the first dry and hot weekend ahead, and Mothers Day weekend, so there will be a decent amount of people who are brave enough to jump into the river," said Tyler Kranz, a National Weather Service meteorologist. "Even though there are no flooding warnings, there will be swift currents and frigid temperatures." National Weather Service officials suggest staying out of river and lakes this weekend to stay safe. Even strong swimmers face risks of strong currents and being too cold to stay afloat. In order to stay safe in cold water temperatures and swift currents, those heading to the water this weekend should use life jackets and check water level conditions. Bodies of water may be filled with debris from the winter causing obstructions. Oregon State Marine Board officials urge water users to be prepared with life jackets whether you are on a boat or even near water. If folks hit the water, we do recommend they wear life jackets even on the banks because they are so unstable right now, Massey said. For updated information on water levels or to report obstructions, go to bit.ly/4bmeKl6 The boat ramp at Wallace Marine Park is closed on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 in Salem, Ore. Emma Logan is an outdoors journalism intern for the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at elogan@salem.gannett.com or on X @emmmalogan This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Warm weekend weather in Willamette Valley brings water safety concerns BUDAPEST, May 9 (Xinhua) -- China-Hungary friendship from generation to generation does not target any third party, nor should it be dictated by any third party, Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Thursday. Xi made the remarks while holding talks with his Hungarian counterpart, Tamas Sulyok. deaths of massive stars (supernovae) and gravitational waves will be the topic of the noon Tuesday, May 14, meeting of Friends of Oak Ridge National Laboratory at the UT Resource Center, 1201 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Anthony "Tony" Mezzacappa The speaker will be Anthony "Tony" Mezzacappa, the College of Arts and Sciences Excellence professor and Newton W. and Wilma C. Thomas Endowed Chair of Theoretical and Computational Astrophysics in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UTK), as well as an ORNL corporate fellow (Emeritus). He will speak on Gravitational Waves from Core Collapse Supernovae. Mezzacappa, who specializes in the theory of core-collapse supernovae, works with a group he built that uses supercomputers at ORNL for exascale simulation of supernovae in the universe. Sandwiches, chips, cookies and drinks will be available at 11:15 a.m. at the UT Resource Center for a donation of $10 on a first-come, first-served basis. To view the virtual presentation, click on the talk title on the www.fornl.org website homepage and then click on the Zoom link near the bottom of the page describing the lecture. You can view it the next day by clicking on Past Talks on the left side of the websites navigation bar. Here is Mezzacappas summary of his talk: Einsteins theory of gravity is among the greatest products of the human mind that has emerged over the course of our history. According to Einstein, gravity is a geometric phenomenon, a manifestation of the curvature of the fabric we call spacetime. And this fabric can support, like the surface of a pond, waves that are generated by catastrophic events such as colliding black holes, colliding neutron stars and the explosive deaths of massive stars known as core collapse supernovae. A new window on the universe was opened when in 2015 gravitational waves were detected for the very first time, from the collision of two black holes 1.3 billion light years away. This was made possible by more than 50 years of development by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) Scientific Collaboration. Since then, LIGO has detected many collisions between two black holes and between two neutron stars. The gravitational waves from a core collapse supernova have yet to be detected, and scientists are preparing fervently for this eventuality. Core collapse supernovae are directly or indirectly responsible for the lions share of the elements in the periodic table, the building blocks of life as we know it. The detection of gravitational waves from a core collapse supernova will be important. Moreover, gravitational waves from such a supernova will bring volumes of information about the dynamics of the central engine powering these explosions, something the ORNL-UT supernova group has studied for many years. Before he moved to UTK, Mezzacappa was a group leader for theoretical physics in ORNLs Physics Division and group leader for computational astrophysics in ORNLs Computational Sciences and Mathematics Division. After he joined the ORNL staff in 1996, he created a new research program in theoretical and computational astrophysics. Previously, Mezzacappa held postdoctoral appointments at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He earned a B.S. degree in physics at M.I.T., an M.A. degree in physics from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in physics at the Center for Relativity at the University of Texas at Austin. Mezzacappa received a Department of Energy Young Scientist Award from Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson and a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from President Clinton in 1999 for his contributions to core collapse supernova theory. He was the principal investigator of the first large-scale, multi-investigator, multi-institution computational astrophysics effort in the United States to focus on core-collapse supernovae. It was called the DOE SciDAC Terascale Supernova Initiative. Mezzacappa was elected a fellow of the American Physical Society in 2004 and a UT-Battelle Corporate Fellow in 2005 in recognition of his supernova research and his role, much more broadly, in the development of computational science in the United States. Recently, he was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Mezzacappa has authored or co-authored more than 200 scientific publications and has given numerous invited talks internationally. He and his work have been featured on the National Geographic Channel and in Scientific American magazine. This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Exploding stars and gravitational waves topic or May 14 FORNL talk Extreme racial politics of DEI are crumbling, and the fall began in Arizona Arizonas three major universities probably didnt see themselves as trailblazers when they put a stop to the McCarthy-esque practice of diversity statements a year ago. All three had made certain faculty applicants provide such statements when seeking employment at their institutions. The statements were essentially loyalty oaths to an extreme brand of racial politics that had bubbled up in the moral panic of the summer of 2020. MIT also will stop diversity statements All of this is notable because last week, MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) became the first elite private university in the country to announce it would stop requesting diversity statements from faculty job applicants. We can build an inclusive environment in many ways, but compelled statements impinge on freedom of expression, and they dont work, MIT president Sally Kornbluth said. Influential voices are also rising at another storied institution to end the practice. Harvard Law Schools Randall Kennedy, a liberal committed to the cause of social justice, said, It would be hard to overstate the degree to which many academics at Harvard and beyond feel intense and growing resentment against the DEI enterprise because of features that are perhaps most evident in the demand for DEI statements. Joining his voice was former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers, who called diversity statements an affront to almost every academic freedom value. Loyalty oaths caught fire after George Floyd Arizona State University campus in Tempe on June 26, 2004. While diversity statements pre-date the police murder of George Floyd by many years, they really caught fire following the protests and riots that broke out after his death. Universities across America aggressively started using the statements to enforce fealty to an extreme social-justice dogma of the political left that had long ago captured much of academia. Following the death of Floyd, an African American man, it was no longer acceptable to gradually diversify the universities and other institutions. Diversity would be enforced with an iron fist. And Arizona universities all went along, pushing out on many fronts including hiring. Arizona Regents were pushed to ban DEI Then in August 2023, the Arizona Board of Regents announced the states three public universities would pull the plug on diversity statements. It was not a celebratory moment. At least for the universities. They were pushed to moderate by an old foe they had long viewed as extreme the Goldwater Institute a conservative think tank that had years ago begun imitating the political left with its use of lawyers and the courts to press for social change. Our multiracial society: Has outgrown affirmative action In January 2023, Goldwater, led by Victor Riches, former deputy chief of staff for policy and budget for then-Gov. Doug Ducey, announced it had teamed with another conservative think tank, the Manhattan Institute, to propose reforms to help liberate colleges and universities from the radical leftwing takeover of DEI. Goldwater accused the Arizona universities of breaking federal and state law. Jonathan Butcher, a senior fellow at the think tank, told the Arizona Capitol Times that requiring DEI statements likely violates the First Amendment and Arizona Constitution, which states, no religious or political test or qualification shall ever be required as a condition of admission into any public educational institution of the state, as teacher, student, or pupil. We're the vanguard of a growing movement Through spokespeople, the Regents and Arizona State University said last year that diversity statements were never required. But Arizona Republic reporter Ray Stern put the kibosh to that when he reported that ASU had job postings at that very moment that required faculty applicants to submit a statement addressing how your past and/or present potential contributions to diversity and inclusion will advance ASUs commitment to inclusive excellence. The Arizona schools were not the first to get rid of diversity statements. Texas and Florida state governments, encouraged by Goldwater and Manhattan Institute, had earlier ended the practice. But they were part of the vanguard of reform. Given what has now happened at MIT and is brewing at Harvard, that reform appears to have legs. Phil Boas is an editorial columnist for The Arizona Republic. Email him at phil.boas@arizonarepublic.com. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diversity oaths are on the way out, thanks to Arizona's leadership TechCrunch Fidelity Investments, one of the world's largest asset managers, has confirmed that over 77,000 customers had personal information compromised during an August data breach, including Social Security numbers and driver's licenses. The Boston, Massachusetts-based investment firm said in a filing with Maines attorney general on Wednesday that an unnamed third party accessed information from its systems between August 17 and August 19 "using two customer accounts that they had recently established. We detected this activity on August 19 and immediately took steps to terminate the access, Fidelity said in a letter sent to those affected, adding that the incident did not involve any access to customers Fidelity accounts. Claim: A photograph shows a Jewish professor's office at Columbia University spray-painted with swastikas amid the May 2024 pro-Palestine college demonstrations. Rating: Rating: Miscaptioned Context: The photograph in question shows a Jewish professor's office vandalized with swastikas in 2018. There is no evidence connecting the 2018 incident with the 2024 pro-Palestine demonstration movement. In May 2024, a number of social media posts shared a photograph purportedly showing a Columbia University office vandalized with spray-painted swastikas. For instance, @MOSSADil, an X account with pro-Israel content, shared the image on May 4 with the caption "Columbia University." EllaTravelsWorld a self-described "content creator from Israel" shared the same image on Instagram with the caption, "Columbia University. It was never about Palestine." A meme of the photograph also spread on Instagram with the caption, "This is not Nazi, Germany. This is Columbia University, USA" alongside Hebrew text. (X user @MOSSADil) (Instagram user @haimetgar1) None of the above posts specified exactly when the vandalism occurred, though they were posted in the aftermath of pro-Palestine demonstrations on Columbia's campus. Just before the photographs went up, the university had already called on the New York Police Department, who swept through protest encampments and cleared out a campus building occupied by students, arresting more than 100 protesters. The timing of these social media posts implies they were highlighting purported antisemitism on campus during the 2024 protests. The swastikas were indeed spray-painted onto the walls of a Jewish professor's office at Columbia, but the incident occurred in 2018. As such, the above posts are misleading because they fail to include the context of when the vandalism occurred. We thus rate this claim as "Miscaptioned." The photograph in question showed vandalism in the office of professor Elizabeth Midlarsky, who researched the Holocaust at the Columbia Teachers College. In November 2018, Midlarsky entered her office to find spray-painted swastikas and antisemitic slurs on the wall. Midlarsky who died in 2023 told The Washington Post in 2018, "I was shocked. I couldn't believe it. I'm usually not a fearful person, but they got me. I'm afraid." The NYPD and campus security investigated the incident. Midlarskly said she had "no idea" who was behind it. Around a month before the vandalism occurred, a man wielding an assault rifle and shouting antisemitic slurs killed 11 people at a synagogue in Pittsburgh. The incidents showed a rise in antisemitic hate crimes at that time. Midlarsky attributed the 2018 vandalism incident to a broader increase in antisemitic crimes and a changing culture, according to the student-run newspaper, Columbia Spectator. This was not the first time Midlarsky had been targeted. In 2007, someone spray-painted a swastika on her office door, according to the Columbia Spectator. She told The New York Times she had received offensive materials in her mailbox at least three times. In 2009, according to a CNN report, Midlarsky received an image of a swastika in her mail. The culprits behind those incidents remain unknown. There is no available evidence connecting the 2018 vandalism to the 2024 protests, nor do we know the identities of the vandals behind the antisemitic graffiti from the past incidents. There is no known evidence that the vandals were tied to pro-Palestine activism. As such, posts implying a connection between two separate incidents from different years on Columbia University's campus are misleading. Sources: "Columbia Professors Get Images of Swastikas, Noose in Mail." CNN, April 3, 2009. https://edition.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/03/columbia.university.hate.mail/index.html. Accessed 9 May 2024. "Columbia University Community 'shattered' after Police Raid." BBC News, May 1, 2024. www.bbc.co.uk, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68940438. Accessed 9 May 2024. Ibrahim, Nur. "Columbia University Web Page Commemorated '68 Student Protesters?" Snopes, May 3, 2024, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/columbia-university-1968-vietnam-protest/. Accessed 9 May 2024. Robertson, Campbell, et al. "11 Killed in Synagogue Massacre; Suspect Charged With 29 Counts." The New York Times, Oct. 27, 2018. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/27/us/active-shooter-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting.html. Accessed 9 May 2024. Stanley-Becker, Isaac. "'They Got Me. I'm Afraid.': Swastikas Spray-Painted on a Jewish Professor's Office at Columbia." Washington Post, Nov. 29, 2018. www.washingtonpost.com, https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/11/29/they-got-me-im-afraid-swastikas-spray-painted-jewish-professors-office-columbia/. Accessed 9 May 2024. "Swastika Found at Teachers College." Columbia Daily Spectator, Oct. 31, 2007. https://www.columbiaspectator.com/2007/10/31/swastika-found-teachers-college/. Accessed 9 May 2024. Xia, Karen. "Columbia Teachers College Professor's Office Vandalized with Swastikas, Anti-Semitic Slurs." Columbia Daily Spectator, Nov. 29, 2018. https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2018/11/29/teachers-college-professors-office-vandalized-with-anti-semitic-graffiti/. Accessed 9 May 2024. Surveys have been used to gain insights on populations, products and public opinion since time immemorial. And while methodologies might have changed through the millennia, one thing has remained constant: The need for people, lots of people. But what if you can't find enough people to build a big enough sample group to generate meaningful results? Or, what if you could potentially find enough people, but budget constraints limit the amount of people you can source and interview? This is where Fairgen wants to help. The Israeli startup today launched a platform that uses "statistical AI" to generate synthetic data that it says is as good as the real thing. The company is also announcing a fresh $5.5 million fundraise from Maverick Ventures Israel, The Creator Fund, Tal Ventures, Ignia and a handful of angel investors, taking its total cash raised since inception to $8 million. "Fake data" Data might be the lifeblood of AI, but it has also been the cornerstone of market research since forever. So when the two worlds collide, as they do in Fairgens world, the need for quality data becomes a little bit more pronounced. Founded in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 2021, Fairgen was previously focused on tackling bias in AI. But in late 2022, the company pivoted to a new product, Fairboost, which it is now launching out of beta. Fairboost promises to boost a smaller dataset by up to three times, enabling more granular insights into niches that may otherwise be too difficult or expensive to reach. Using this, companies can train a deep machine learning model for each dataset they upload to the Fairgen platform, with statistical AI learning patterns across the different survey segments. The concept of synthetic data data created artificially rather than from real-world events isnt novel. Its roots go back to the early days of computing, when it was used to test software and algorithms, and simulate processes. But synthetic data, as we understand it today, has taken on a life of its own, particularly with the advent of machine learning, where it is increasingly used to train models. We can address both data scarcity issues as well as data privacy concerns by using artificially generated data that contains no sensitive information. Fairgen is the latest startup to put synthetic data to the test, and it has market research as its primary target. It's worth noting that Fairgen doesn't produce data out of thin air, or throw millions of historical surveys into an AI-powered melting pot market researchers need to run a survey for a small sample of their target market, and from that, Fairgen establishes patterns to expand the sample. The company says it can guarantee at least a two-fold boost on the original sample, but on average, it can achieve a three-fold boost. In this way, Fairgen might be able to establish that someone of a particular age bracket and/or income level is more inclined to answer a question in a certain way. Or, combine any number of data points to extrapolate from the original dataset. It's basically about generating what Fairgen co-founder and CEO Samuel Cohen says are "stronger, more robust segments of data, with a lower margin of error." The main realization was that people are becoming increasingly diverse brands need to adapt to that, and they need to understand their customer segments, Cohen explained to TechCrunch. Segments are very different Gen Zs think differently from older people. And in order to be able to have this market understanding at the segment level, it costs a lot of money, takes a lot of time and operational resources. And that's where I realized the pain point was. We knew that synthetic data had a role to play there. An obvious criticism one that the company concedes that they have contended with is that this all sounds like a massive shortcut to having to go out into the field, interview real people and collect real opinions. Surely any under-represented group should be concerned that their real voices are being replaced by, well, fake voices? "Every single customer we talked to in the research space has huge blind spots totally hard-to-reach audiences," Fairgen's head of growth, Fernando Zatz, told TechCrunch. "They actually don't sell projects because there are not enough people available, especially in an increasingly diverse world where you have a lot of market segmentation. Sometimes they cannot go into specific countries; they cannot go into specific demographics, so they actually lose on projects because they cannot reach their quotas. They have a minimum number [of respondents], and if they don't reach that number, they don't sell the insights." Fairgen isn't the only company applying generative AI to the field of market research. Qualtrics last year said it was investing $500 million over four years to bring generative AI to its platform, though with a substantive focus on qualitative research. However, it is further evidence that synthetic data is here, and here to stay. But validating results will play an important part in convincing people that this is the real deal and not some cost-cutting measure that will produce suboptimal results. Fairgen does this by comparing a "real" sample boost with a "synthetic" sample boost it takes a small sample of the dataset, extrapolates it and puts it side-by-side with the real thing. "With every single customer we sign up, we do this exact same kind of test," Cohen said. Statistically speaking Cohen has an MSc in statistical science from the University of Oxford, and a PhD in machine learning from London's UCL, part of which involved a nine-month stint as a research scientist at Meta. One of the companys co-founders is chairman Benny Schnaider, who was previously in the enterprise software space, with four exits to his name: Ravello to Oracle for a reported $500 million in 2016; Qumranet to Red Hat for $107 million in 2008; P-Cube to Cisco for $200 million in 2004; and Pentacom to Cisco for $118 in 2000. And then there's Emmanuel Candes, professor of statistics and electrical engineering at Stanford University, who serves as Fairgens lead scientific advisor. This business and mathematical backbone is a major selling point for a company trying to convince the world that fake data can be every bit as good as real data, if applied correctly. This is also how they're able to clearly explain the thresholds and limitations of its technology how big the samples need to be to achieve the optimum boosts. According to Cohen, they ideally need at least 300 real respondents for a survey, and from that Fairboost can boost a segment size constituting no more than 15% of the broader survey. "Below 15%, we can guarantee an average 3x boost after validating it with hundreds of parallel tests," Cohen said. "Statistically, the gains are less dramatic above 15%. The data already presents good confidence levels, and our synthetic respondents can only potentially match them or bring a marginal uplift. Business-wise, there is also no pain point above 15% brands can already take learnings from these groups; they are only stuck at the niche level." The no-LLM factor Its worth noting that Fairgen doesn't use large language models (LLMs), and its platform doesnt generate plain English responses a la ChatGPT. The reason for this is that an LLM will use learnings from myriad other data sources outside the parameters of the study, which increases the chances of introducing bias that is incompatible with quantitative research. Fairgen is all about statistical models and tabular data, and its training relies solely on the data contained within the uploaded dataset. That effectively allows market researchers to generate new and synthetic respondents by extrapolating from adjacent segments in the survey. "We don't use any LLMs for a very simple reason, which is that if we were to pre-train on a lot of [other] surveys, it would just convey misinformation," Cohen said. "Because you'd have cases where it's learned something in another survey, and we don't want that. Its all about reliability." In terms of business model, Fairgen is sold as a SaaS, with companies uploading their surveys in whatever structured format (.CSV, or .SAV) to Fairgen's cloud-based platform. According to Cohen, it takes up to 20 minutes to train the model on the survey data it's given, depending on the number of questions. The user then selects a "segment" (a subset of respondents that share certain characteristics) e.g. "Gen Z working in industry x," and then Fairgen delivers a new file structured identically to the original training file, with the exact same questions, just new rows. Fairgen is being used by BVA and French polling and market research firm IFOP, which have already integrated the startup's tech into their services. IFOP, which is a little like Gallup in the U.S., is using Fairgen for polling purposes in the European elections, though Cohen thinks it might end up getting used for the U.S. elections later this year, too. "IFOP are basically our stamp of approval, because they have been around for like 100 years," Cohen said. "They validated the technology and were our original design partner. We're also testing or already integrating with some of the largest market research companies in the world, which I'm not allowed to talk about yet." Update: An update from the WCSO said deputies have apprehended a juvenile suspect. An investigation is still ongoing. FALL BRANCH, Tenn. (WJHL) The Washington County, Tennessee Sheriffs Office (WCSO) is asking for the publics help after a church in Fall Branch was vandalized. A news release from the WCSO states vandals spraypainted the walls and doors of the church and broke property at the Fall Branch United Methodist Church. Local leaders discuss Methodists changes to LGBTQ+ stance The church caretaker told the sheriffs office that the vandalism likely occurred between 8 p.m. Wednesday and 8 a.m. Thursday. Words were spray painted on the exterior of the church in blue. An overhead light bulb and globe were taken apart; the bulb was broken, and the globe was found in the churchs yard. Courtesy of the WCSO Courtesy of the WCSO A spotlight aimed at the church was also moved but not broken. The WCSO reports a piece of marble at the church was also broken in half. There are no cameras at the church, the release states. Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriffs office at (423) 788-1414. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. The relatives of a woman whose dead body was allegedly molested by a police officer will receive $250,000 to end their lawsuit against the city, the Los Angeles City Council decided Wednesday. The settlement, approved on a 14-0 vote, comes five years after the Los Angeles Police Department accused Officer David Rojas of fondling the body of 34-year-old Elizabeth Baggett after she was found dead at her home. After Rojas was arrested, Baggett's family members sued the city, saying they experienced "severe emotional distress" upon learning what happened. They accused the city of negligence, invasion of privacy and mishandling of human remains. The incident took place in 2019, when Rojas and another officer responded to Baggett's residence. Paramedics had covered her body with a sheet. While his partner was out of the room, Rojas lifted the sheet, exposing the dead woman's upper torso, then squeezed her right breast twice, according to the LAPD. Rojas, whose actions were recorded by his own body camera, was later charged with felony sexual contact with human remains. He pleaded not guilty. Appearing at his preliminary hearing in 2021, he said he knew he was being recorded by the body camera and touched the woman only for investigative purposes, not sexual arousal. Rojas, during his testimony, said he touched her breast twice after noticing a mark he could not identify. He said he squeezed the area to determine whether the mark was a wound an account that a judge in the case called extremely unpersuasive. Last year, another judge placed Rojas in an 18-month mental health diversion program, according to court records. Rojas has been relieved of duty but remains on the force in an unpaid capacity while he awaits a disciplinary hearing, said LAPD spokesperson Kelly Muniz. Gloria Allred, a lawyer for the Baggett family, said her clients had no comment. In 2020, Janet Baggett, Elizabeth's mother, said she was "infuriated that this man had so little respect for another human being." The Los Angeles Police Protective League, which represents rank-and-file officers, did not defend Rojas in his criminal case, calling his actions "vile." In 2021, the union said it hoped the criminal charges would "bring some solace to the deceased womans family during their time of grieving. 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. FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) Marcel Harris and his family were asked in December 2023 by a distant relative to help care for a five-year-old boy who had lost his father to cancer. Since then, the family says Fresno County has dragged its feet for five months and given us the run around so many times. Harris is a campus assistant at Phoenix Secondary Academy and, even though he can express his passion for child care through his work, Marcel says being able to foster a child would mean much more to him and his wife. The couple became certified to foster children and Harris says thats when his wife received a phone call from a cousin through marriage asking for help. The cousin told them that her brother had passed away. Her nephew (her brothers son) was taken from his mothers custody due to her drug issues. The cousin asked the Harris family to help her stay in her nephews life by fostering him. Harris says he and his wife worked with the agency that certified them to contact Fresno County and find out if the child had been adopted yet. Harris says thats when they found out the child had not yet been adopted and was living in a home that he could no longer stay in. Thats when Harris and his wife started the process to foster the child but say they were met with an onslaught of obstacles along the way. Before we were supposed to meet him, we were told that our meeting was canceled. Without any real reason why. The only thing we were told is that there were people aheadwho else would be trying to see him? Two months later, Harris says he and his wife received word from Fresno County that the child was still available to foster. Harris says foster care professionals warned him that the child would not speak to him once they met, which he says discouraged him. They would say little things to my wife like, if you get him and we dont know that youll be a good fit. you know? Discouraging things. According to Harris, staff also another comment he didnt care for came in response to Harris saying he and his wife had familial ties to the child. They would say, Youre not really family, and that really hurt me, Harris said, because I know his story, and I made such a good bond with him within just an hour. The cousin who encouraged the Harris family to adopt the child says she doesnt understand why Fresno County would not expedite the process of getting the child into a stable home, considering how much the Harris family cares about children. The cousin also says shes increasingly concerned because she says her nephew is currently in a home without constant supervision. Marcel Harris is still hoping for the best, despite delays in the process, but says Fresno County foster care professionals should receive sensitivity training so no one else experiences what he has witnessed. I think they need to go back and reinvent the wheel when it comes to this, Harris said. In response to the allegations, Fresno County says it is never its intention to discourage anyone from fostering, adding that they follow State regulations and guidelines for the resource family approval process required before individuals can become resource parents. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47. The family of Johnny Hollman, the 62-year-old Atlanta deacon who died after an Atlanta police officer tased him following a minor crash in August 2023, spoke out after reaching a $3.8 million settlement with the city of Atlanta. "[The settlement] will never value my father's life," Hollman's daughter, Arnitra Hollman, told "GMA3" co-anchor DeMarco Morgan in an exclusive interview set to air on Thursday. "$3.8 million will never give us closure. We will live with this pain for the rest of our lives. This is our new normal," she added. PHOTO: A protest march in Atlanta on Sept. 8, 2023, for Johnny Hollman, who died after being tased by police. (WSB) The Atlanta City Council unanimously voted in favor of the settlement on Monday night, agreeing to pay $3.8 million to settle a civil lawsuit filed in January by the Hollman family against the city of Atlanta, former police officer Kiran Kimbrough and Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum. The complaint, a copy of which was obtained by ABC News, alleged that "unlawful use of excessive force" led to Hollman's death after the deacon was tased while resisting arrest for refusing to sign a citation saying that he was at fault in a minor crash. ABC News reached out to the Atlanta Police Department and Kimbrough's attorney, but requests for comment were not immediately returned. Body camera footage shows police tasing death of Atlanta deacon Johnny Hollman Hollman family attorney Harold Spence told "GMA3" that the settlement is a "clear acknowledgment that they understood that there was a wrong that needed to be righted." PHOTO: A family member wears clothing honoring Johnny Hollman, who died after being tased by police, to a press conference on Sept. 8, 2023, in Atlanta. (WSB) The settlement comes amid an ongoing investigation into the deacon's death on Aug. 10, 2023, by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Fulton County District Attorney's office. A spokesperson for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation told ABC News on Thursday that GBI gave the case file to the Atlanta Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office on Nov. 3, 2023. Asked about the settlement and the status of the investigation, a spokesperson for the Fulton County DA's office told ABC News that "because the case is still under investigation at this time, we cannot comment." Hollman family attorney Mawuli Davis said in a statement following the settlement that "While this part of their struggle is coming to a close, this fight for justice will not end until criminal charges are levied." What we know about Atlanta man Johnny Hollman's death at hands of police Hollman's death led to policy changes at the Atlanta Police Department that were announced by the city in November 2023. "What I don't want to see is this happening to anybody else," Arnitra Hollman said. "I don't want this to happen to another family I want policing policies to change. Traffic violations shouldn't call for a death sentence." PHOTO: Atlanta deacon Johnny Hollman is pictured in an undated photo. (Davis Bozeman Johnson Law ) Changes implemented following Hollmans' death include the launch of a civilian response unit to respond to "low risk calls for service," and allowing officers to write "refusal to sign" when an individual refuses to sign a traffic citation, as opposed to requiring arrest, according to a November 2023 city press release. "My thoughts remain with the Hollman family, and while nothing can undo what has been done, my priority was to get this family as close to full closure from this unfortunate tragedy as soon as possible," Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens told ABC News in a written statement following the settlement. "Significant changes to procedures following the incident have been made, which include the new CARES unitwhose first members' training should conclude next month." What the body camera video shows Body camera video released by the Atlanta Police Department (APD) in November 2023 shows an argument ensuing between Hollman and Kimbrough after the deacon refused to sign a traffic citation, saying he was at fault in the minor crash. The one hour and six-minute-long video showed Hollman repeatedly telling Kimbrough he'd done "nothing wrong," while Kimbrough threatens to arrest Hollman if he doesn't sign it. In the video, the interaction appeared to escalate when Kimbrough attempted to arrest Hollman and the deacon resisted. During the struggle, Hollman can be heard eventually agreeing to sign the ticket. A tow truck driver, who was called to respond to the crash, can also be seen in the body camera footage helping hold Hollman to the ground. While being pinned to the ground, Hollman can be heard on the video repeatedly saying, "I can't breathe." The officer first threatened to use his Taser gun on Hollman, and then eventually activated his Taser, video shows. Hollman appeared to become unresponsive almost immediately after being tased. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital. PHOTO: Atlanta deacon Johnny Hollman is pictured in an undated photo. (Davis Bozeman Johnson Law ) Arnitra Hollman told ABC News in an August 2023 interview that her father had "chronic asthma" since he was a child. An autopsy conducted by the Fulton County Medical Examiner's office lists Hollman's manner of death as "homicide." The report, a copy of which was obtained by ABC News, lists "Cardiac dysrhythmia due to use of a conducted energy device in association with hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease," as the cause of death. Kimbrough was initially placed on administrative leave amid an internal investigation but police announced on Oct. 10 2023 that chief Schierbaum "terminated Officer Kimbrough for failing to follow the department's standard operating procedures" during Hollman's arrest by failing to call a supervisor to the scene before attempting to arrest Hollman for failing to sign the traffic citation. Arnitra Hollman was on the phone with him during the incident for more than 17 minutes and was "likely on the phone with her father at the time he took his last conscious breath," according to the complaint. When she arrived on the scene, she found him "on the ground, motionless," the lawsuit alleges. Reflecting on her last conversation with her father as the nine-month anniversary of his death approaches on Friday, Arnitra Hollman told Morgan, "He just kept calling on Jesus' name towards the end. It's like his voice was getting lower and lower and lower." "I still can remember his voice. I can still hear him scream. I can still hear his wallow," she added. "I can still see how he was. He didn't deserve that." ABC News' Alyssa Acquavella contributed to this report. Family speaks out on $3.8 million settlement following Atlanta deacon's death after tasing originally appeared on abcnews.go.com ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. (KSNW) An Oklahoma family is thanking the Arkansas City Fire/EMS director for saving the life of their 2-year-old child. Luna, 2, was eating breakfast at a Ponca City restaurant with her family on Aug. 23 when she got a hold of a quarter. We had just gone to have breakfast. Luna is usually very good at not putting stuff in her mouth, especially money, says Lunas mother, Elaina Howe, in a news release. Ascension recommends business partners suspend connection due to cyber security event Fortunately for Luna, Arkansas City Fire/EMS director Jeri Wheatley was having breakfast with her husband nearby and spotted the little girl in distress. Wheatley sprang into action. I noticed her color had changed. She was turning blue. I stood up and grabbed her out of the chair. I took her away from them and told them I was a paramedic, says Wheatley. I performed a foreign body airway maneuver. It took a couple of times, but the quarter came out, and she threw up on me, and all was right in the world. Howe family presents Arkansas City Fire/EMS Director Jeri Wheatley with Ponca tribal blanket for saving 2-year-old Luna (courtesy Arkansas City) Howe family presents Arkansas City Fire/EMS Director Jeri Wheatley with Ponca tribal blanket for saving 2-year-old Luna (courtesy Arkansas City) Elaina, Luna, and her grandparents, Earl and Bridget Howe, are all members of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma. They recently traveled to Arkansas City to thank Wheatley for her actions that day. Speaking about that day, Earl and Bridget had recently lost their oldest son in a drowning the previous month. Ground broken on Wichita Biomedical Campus We were all emotional and mourning his death, and the thought of losing another family member would have been even more devastating to all of us, says Earl. Im so grateful that Luna was in the same restaurant as this beautiful lady who stepped up while she was off duty. She was just in the right place at the right time for whatever reason. Elaina, Luna, Earl and Bridget presented Wheatley with a Ponca tribal blanket, an important symbol for Native American cultures. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV. The Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school was established in Budapest, capital of Hungary, in September 2004. It is the first full-time public school in Central and Eastern Europe that uses Chinese and the local language for instruction. Over the past nearly 20 years, the school has played a unique role in promoting cultural exchanges between China and Hungary. In early 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping replied to a letter from the students of the school, encouraging the Hungarian youths to learn more about China and become envoys of the China-Hungary friendship. When the school was just founded, it had around 100 students, and now the figure has surged to more than 500. More and more Hungarian students are embracing the Chinese language and culture, and many of them have been admitted to Chinese universities. "Our goal is to nurture a batch of 'builders of Hungary-China friendship,'" said Zsuzsanna Erdelyi, principal of Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school. She told People's Daily that apart from local students, the school also enrolls those from China, so that students from the two countries can learn and play together, which not only helps improve their academic performance, but also fosters profound friendship between them. When a class was over, eleventh-grade students Sanyi and Li Fulin started playing Chinese chess in a corridor. Sanyi once lived in China with his father. He was sent to the bilingual school by his parents after they saw the prospering development of China and the huge potential of Hungary-China cooperation. "It was so difficult for me to learn Chinese as a beginner," Sanyi said. However, as he gained more and more Chinese friends, he has gradually developed a passion in speaking Chinese. "Last year I had a study tour to China, during which I visited Nanjing University. I like it very much and hope I can be admitted to the university one day," Sanyi told People's Daily. To create a better learning atmosphere for the students, the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school holds rich and splendid cultural activities that invite parents and all sectors of Hungarian society. For instance, it has opened a Chinese language class for parents and hosts "Chinese open days" during traditional Chinese holidays, to encourage students and their parents to join fun cultural activities such as Chinese tea brewing, paper cutting and lantern making. Erdelyi said the Chinese culture is charming and joining these activities offers so much fun. Papp Nora and Papp Dora are a pair of twins who have been learning at the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school since they were very young. The two eighth-grade students consider the school their second home. "The teachers always help me with patience and answer my questions," Papp Dora said, adding that Chinese is a very beautiful language. According to her, she likes Chinese calligraphy while her sister loves traditional Chinese costumes. The two practice Chinese together every day. Educated by the school, the twins have developed carefulness, diligence and resilience, which are all important qualities in any stage of life, said Trippon Mariann, mother of the twins and chief economist of a Hungarian bank. She's very optimistic about the potential of the Chinese economy, and believes that learning Chinese would gain her children more advantages for their future development. Li Elizabet Fanni studies at Fudan University, Shanghai. She is one of the earliest students of the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school to study in China. Recently, she served the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, as a volunteer, offering services for Chinese and Hungarian enterprises. "I hope more young Hungarians can visit China and see with their own eyes the development of the country," she said, adding that she and other students will work to contribute to and carry on the Hungary-China friendship. After nearly 20 years of development, the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school has become an important witness to the bilateral relations between Hungary and China, Erdelyi said, adding that Xi's first-ever state visit to Hungary will bring huge encouragement and inspiration to students of the school. An injured boy is treated at a temporary clinic in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) JERUSALEM, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. The army said that a tank division and an armored brigade have been operating on the ground in eastern Rafah, while attack drones carried out strikes from the air. They attacked about 100 "targets" in the region, including militant infrastructure and "suspicious buildings" from which Hamas fighters fired at Israeli soldiers, the army said. Israel launched the ground assault on Rafah overnight between Monday and Tuesday, citing its aim to eliminate four Hamas battalions that remain in the southern city. Troops gained "operational control" over the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing on Tuesday, a key entry point for humanitarian aid from Egypt to the famine-stricken Gaza, and shut it down. An injured man is treated at a temporary clinic in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) An injured boy is treated at a temporary clinic in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) An injured boy is treated at a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) An injured girl is treated at a temporary clinic in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) A man carries an injured girl on a street in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) A man carries an injured girl on a street in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) An injured boy is treated at a temporary clinic in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) An injured child is treated at a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) An injured girl is transferred into an ambulance in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) People leave their home in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) People leave their home in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) People leave their home in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) People leave their home in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) People leave their home in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) People leave their home in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) People leave their home in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) An Israeli self-propelled howitzer fires a shell to the Gaza Strip near the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) Israeli troops are deployed near the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) An Israeli self-propelled howitzer is deployed near the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) An Israeli soldier prepares to launch an unmanned aerial vehicle near the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua) Israeli armored vehicles are deployed near the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua) Israeli armored vehicles are deployed near the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua) Israeli armored vehicles are deployed near the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua) Israeli armored vehicles are deployed near the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, on May 8, 2024. Israel's army announced on Wednesday that it was continuing its ground assault on Gaza's Rafah, reporting approximately 30 casualties since the offensive began on Monday night. According to an army statement, the 30 casualties were militants, while Gaza health officials reported about 35 deaths, including a four-month-old baby. (Ilan Assayag/JINI via Xinhua) QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) The family of Win Rozario stood in unity with members of the Bangladeshi community on the steps of City Hall, demanding that the officers involved in his fatal encounter be suspended and fired. Rozarios mother and younger brother, Noton Eva Costa and Utsho Rozario, were present on March 27th, when 911 received a call for someone in crisis. NY AG releases video of NYPD officers shooting man in Queens Officers Matthew Cianfrocco and Salvatore Alongi responded to the scene. What followed was a tense confrontation upstairs in the kitchen between Win Rozario and the officers. The encounter ended with the officers tasing Rozario, who then picked up a pair of scissors and began moving towards them. They then fired several fatal shots at Rozario killing him in front of his mother and brother. On Wednesday, Rozarios family members spoke about the fatal shooting. I tried to protect my son, said Costa. I begged the police not to shoot. Im really angry and disgusted that the people who are supposed to serve and protect us are the ones that are killing us, said Utsho Rozario. Loyda Colon of the Justice Committee added, What we need from Mayor Adams is for him to suspend the officers immediately without pay. Win Rozario should be alive today if the NYPD had already been removed from mental health. Police ID teen, 16, shot to death in SoHo The Mayors Press Office told PIX11 News on Wednesday that out of respect for the process, the Mayor will not be adding to the lengthy statement he released on Friday expressing his heartbreak over the fatal encounter. Patrick Hendry, the president of the Police Benevolent Association, said on Wednesday, This is a heartbreaking case that underscores the difficult reality police officers face when they respond to many calls As the body camera footage makes clear, they were trying to minimize the risks to everyone in that room and were forced to make split-second decisions based on those risks. Meanwhile, Desi Community advocate Simran Thind says more needs to be done. We see disproportionately that Black and Brown families, working class families, are impacted by these incidents. Thats why we are calling for serious investment into mental health instead of policing. New York Attorney General Letitia James investigation is ongoing. City Hall officials contend the 911 call would not have been re-routed to the B-HEARD mental health assist program announced last year by the mayor because the 911 caller allegedly indicated the person in need was on drugs and acting erratic and then hung up before the dispatcher could verify the address, adding the B-HEARD program does not respond to reports of drug use. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Farmers chasing pig found remains in 1975, cops say. Now theyre identified as veteran Gerald Francis Long was discharged from the U.S. Army in 1972. Months later, the Minnesota man told family he was heading to the West Coast, the Coconino County Sheriffs Office said in a May 8 news release. This would be the last time his family would ever see or hear from him from again. For decades, his whereabouts were a mystery. Now, using forensic genetic genealogy, deputies said they identified remains found in remote Arizona in 1975 as Long. Runaway pig leads to remains As farmers were chasing a runaway pig along Meteor City Road, east of Flagstaff, on April 19, 1975, deputies said the farmers stumbled upon skeletal remains. The man was nicknamed Munsingwear Doe after a Munsingwear brand jacket found with the remains, deputies said. While both detectives and cold case volunteers created leads, deputies said none of these efforts led to an identification. For the next 49 years, the mans identity would remain a mystery, according to deputies. Then came advancements in DNA technology. Genetic genealogy to ID Deputies said they partnered with Intermountain Forensics in 2023, a forensic genetic genealogy company, in hopes genetic genealogy could finally close the case. Genetic genealogy uses DNA testing coupled with traditional genealogical methods to create family history profiles, according to the Library of Congress. With genealogical DNA testing, researchers can determine if and how people are biologically related. The company created a DNA profile for the unknown man, which was uploaded into genealogy databases, deputies said. The Army veteran, originally from Minnesota, said he was headed west in 1972 and was never heard from again, Arizona deputies say. Photo from the Coconino County Sheriffs Office Longs family told deputies he was a member of the Army from 1969 to 1972 and served in the Vietnam War. His family also told deputies they had not heard from him since October 1972 when he told them he was headed west. After getting this information from family, deputies said the FBI Laboratorys Latent Print Unit compared Longs fingerprints to those of the unknown man. They were a match, deputies said. A family member of Longs also provided DNA to confirm the mans identity, deputies said. This month, the companys scientists confirmed that Munsingwear Doe was Gerald F Long, deputies said. While the mans identity is no longer a mystery, deputies said Longs cause of death was not determined in 1975 and remains unknown today. Decomposed body down cliff posed mystery since 1967, CA cops say. Now woman identified Mom came home to find babysitter dead 47 years ago, CO cops say. Now theres a suspect Remains found by hunter in remote area of Nevada IDd 40 years later, officials say Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry, left, sits with Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill as Gov. Jeff Landry speaks on opening day of a legislative special session focusing on crime, Monday, February 19, 2024, at the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry, left, sits with Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill as Gov. Jeff Landry speaks on opening day of a legislative special session focusing on crime, Monday, February 19, 2024, at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge. (Hillary Schienuk/ The Advocate, Pool) With no legislative path forward, Louisiana officials and Black voters are looking to the U.S. Supreme Court for answers on boundaries for the states congressional districts. On Tuesday, a panel of three federal judges ordered the Louisiana Legislature to take another stab at drawing the districts, giving them a June 3 deadline that corresponds with the end of the ongoing regular legislative session. Lawmakers say complying with that order is not possible, as there is no bill still alive that could be amended to include the new congressional maps. The deadline to file new legislation passed in early April. Theres no instrument that allows us to do it, so were just gonna have no option but to sit and wait and see what the judge wants to do, Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, said in an interview. Multiple legislators, including Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-New Iberia, and Sen. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, agree with Henrys assessment. Beaullieu and Duplessis have been actively involved in the redistricting process. That leaves the U.S. Supreme Court to decide what to do. Tuesdays order is the latest update in the case Callais v. Landry, in which a group of non-Black voters sued over the creation of a second majority-Black congressional district. They contend the map, signed into law after a five-day special legislative session convened in January at Gov. Jeff Landrys direction, constitutes an unconstitutional racial gerrymander and violates the 14th and 15th amendments of the U.S. Constitution. The three-judge panel voted 2-1 in favor of the plaintiffs. The two judges who sided with the plaintiffs are federal court appointees of former President Donald Trump, while the dissenter was a nominee of former President Bill Clinton. Attorney General Liz Murril, a Republican defending the map passed earlier this year, intends to appeal the courts decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. The plaintiffs in Robinson v. Landry, a court case filed in 2022 that overturned the redistricting plan adopted that year, have already filed an appeal. A federal court ruled the map the legislature adopted in 2022 violated the Voting Rights Act. The map adopted earlier this year was meant to satisfy plaintiffs in the Robinson case. Today, three federal judges who never spent a day running an election have ignored uncontradicted testimony that we need a map by May 15, and once again turned Louisianas Congressional elections upside down, Murill said in a press release. At a time when concerns about election integrity are higher than ever, this ruling threatens the ability of the Secretary of State to conduct a stable and fair election in a presidential election year in Louisiana. We will be heading this week to the U.S. Supreme Court. Jared Evans, an attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund that represents the Robinson plaintiffs, said the Supreme Court should act because there is not time for the Callais litigation to play out. Republican Secretary of State Nancy Landry, a defendant in the Callais case, had said the maps had to be finalized by May 15 in order for new congressional districts to be used in the November election. The Supreme Court could act immediately or allow the plaintiffs and the district court time to respond to the appeals, Evans said. In the Callais case, the judges found that race was the motivating factor for the drawing of the map, which they said made it an illegal racial gerrymander. They rejected the argument that legislators were motivated by politics. Partisan gerrymandering is legal, but racial gerrymandering is not. A key part of the courts finding that the map constitutes a racial gerrymander is the shape of the new 6th Congressional District, which runs from Caddo Parish in northwest Louisiana down to East Baton Rouge Parish, crossing the center of the state diagonally to pick up communities of Black voters along the way. The Court finds that District 6 does not satisfy the geographically compact and reasonably configured Gingles requirement, the opinion reads. The Gingles test Created by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1986 case Thornburg v. Gingles, plaintiffs must show the existence of three preconditions to prove racial vote dilution: The racial or language minority group sufficiently large and geographically compact to constitute a majority in a single-member district The minority group is politically cohesive The majority votes sufficiently as a block to usually defeat the minoritys candidate of choice In their ruling on the Callais case, the panel said it would enact a remedial map if the Legislature did not adopt one by the end of session. If the Supreme Court chooses not to intercede, the panel could adopt its own map. The opinion in the case is silent as to whether its feasible to draw two majority Black districts, as the court did in the Robinson case, meaning any remedial map it adopts for the fall election is not guaranteed to have two majority Black districts. This could lead to further challenges. As long as we remain non-compliant with the Voting Rights Act, there will be litigation, Duplessis said. Not having a map with two majority of like districts is not complying with the Voting Rights Act. While plaintiffs in the Robinson case supported the map adopted this year, they preferred several others put forward by Black lawmakers that drew a substantially more compact majority Black district. Republicans opposed this measure because it would likely have led to U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Start, losing her 5th District seat, while U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, would likely be re-elected in the 6th District. This was the governors map this was never our map, Evans said. While no lawmaker outwardly said so, Graves was chosen as a sacrificial lamb, perhaps in part because he was widely viewed as insufficiently supportive of Majority Leader Steve Scalises failed bid for U.S. House speaker. Graves also endorsed Stephen Waguespack, one of Landrys opponents in the 2023 gubernatorial election, potentially putting him crosswise with a powerful governor whose interests drove the special session. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Fate of Louisiana congressional districts for fall election up to U.S. Supreme Court appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. Father identified in chase, crash that left 3-year-old burning inside truck along I-85 A man accused of leading deputies on a chase that ended in a crash was identified by police. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Georgia State Patrol was contacted by Anderson County Sheriffs Office of a kidnapping suspect in a Gold 2001 Ford F-150 traveling south on Interstate 85 in South Carolina. Investigators learned that the driver, Joshua Bennett Dornellas, 32, of Anderson, S.C. had his 3-year-old son in the front seat and threatened to kill him. This stems from an incident earlier on Wednesday morning, when Anderson County was called to a home along Harris Avenue in Belton, S.C. The sheriffs office said Dornellas violently assaulted the mother of his child before kidnapping his son. TRENDING STORIES: As Dornellas drove into Georgia, Hart County deputies tried to stop him and a chase began. GSP took over the chase on I-85 southbound at mile marker 172. As the chase approached mile marker 165, several troopers tried to box in Dornellas but were unsuccessful. According to GSP, as the inside of the car began to fill with smoke from a fire intentionally set by Dornellas, he jumped out of the drivers window while traveling at 55 mph. The car hit an embankment and went up in flames with the 3-year-old still inside, according to authorities. GSP said the 3-year-old child was on the floorboard of the drivers side with severe burns. He was quickly flown to Augusta Burn Center in critical condition. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Dornellas was arrested and taken to Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center for the injuries he sustained. He faces a laundry list of charges, which has not yet been released. IN OTHER NEWS: OAK HILL, WV (WVNS) An Oak Hill man was sentenced to prison for failure to register as a sex offender. Ohio man sentenced for drug crime in Fayette County 29-year-old Matthew Buckner, of Oak Hill, was sentenced on May 6, 2024 to one to five years in prison for the felony offense of failure to register as a sex offender required to register for life. On March 13, 2024, Buckner pleaded guilty to the felony offense of failure to register as a sex offender required to register for life, and he will need to serve his sentenced back-to-back with the sentence he is currently serving for a parole revocation. After Buckner finishes serving his current sentence, he will need to serve an additional year in prison before being eligible for parole. Fayette County woman sentenced for felony drug crime West Virginia State Police Troopers performed an address verification on July 14, 2023 for Matthew Buckners house in Oak Hill. Once Troopers were at Buckners house, Buckner told them that he made a Facebook page in his name and it needed added to his registry. Buckner did not report the updated registry information to the West Virginia State Police within ten days as required by state law. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS. China, Russia and Iran are among the foreign adversaries ramping up their efforts to influence the 2024 election with campaigns being aided by artificial intelligence, the FBI warned Thursday. Election threats are more diverse and expansive than ever, a senior FBI official said on a call with reporters. And while each adversary has their own approach with different nuances and prerogatives, sowing discord and undermining democracy is consistent across the board, the official added. China in particular is expanding their influence efforts by creating fake social media accounts to push narratives and sow divisiveness, mirroring efforts deployed by Russia in prior elections. The bureau said artificial intelligence tools are an undercurrent of many of the operations. It doesnt just kind of lower the barrier of entry for people to do work in this space or create fake content, the official said. It also really increases the ability for our sophisticated nation state actors to scale their operations and really build them out larger than weve seen previously. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence noted in its annual threat assessment released in February that Chinese government efforts are based on a desire to sideline critics of China and magnify U.S. societal divisions. Beijings growing efforts to actively exploit perceived U.S. societal divisions using its online personas move it closer to Moscows playbook for influence operations, the report stated. The bureau has also previously warned of Chinas hacking prowess, noting the U.S. is far outnumbered in the number of personnel dedicated to looking for ways to gain access to different systems, including various forms of infrastructure. But officials on Thursday largely focused on Russian efforts to access U.S. election-related systems such as state and local networks and voter registration data. Russia can use their access to those government networks to undermine confidence in the U.S. election integrity and bolster influence operations, the official said. Other top concerns ahead of the election include the mounting threats made to election workers across the country. A survey from the Brennan Center for Justice released earlier this month found 38 percent of election officials said they have received threats, while more than half expressed concern for the safety of their colleagues. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. FILE - An FBI seal is seen on a wall on Aug. 10, 2022, in Omaha, Neb. A senior FBI official says the agency is concerned by the potential that foreign adversaries could deploy artificial intelligence as a way to interfere in American elections and spread disinformation. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File) WASHINGTON (AP) The FBI is concerned that foreign adversaries could deploy artificial intelligence as a means to interfere in American elections and spread disinformation, a senior official said Thursday, describing the technology as an area that's probably going to see growth over the coming years. The threat is more than theoretical given the prevalence of AI deepfakes and robocalls and the way such technology has already surfaced in politics. The official noted an episode in Slovakia early this year in which audio clips resembling the voice of the liberal party chief purportedly capturing him talking about hiking beer prices and rigging the vote were shared widely on social media just days before parliamentary elections. The clips were deepfakes. An incident in the U.S. involved robocalls impersonating President Joe Biden that urged voters in New Hampshire to abstain from voting in Januarys primary election. The robocalls were later traced to a political consultant who said he was trying to publicize the dangers of AI deepfakes. AI technology is a challenge to law enforcement not only because it lowers the barrier of entry for people looking to make mischief but also because it adds to the arsenal of more sophisticated foreign governments that want to interfere in elections, said the official, who was one of several FBI officials to brief reporters on the topic of election security on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the FBI. The three countries of most concern to the FBI in the current election year are Russia, Iran and China. Officials in the past have ascribed different motives and ambitions to the countries in terms of what they hope to achieve by influencing American elections. In the case of Russia, intelligence officials in 2016 and 2020 have said Moscow had a clear preference for Republican Donald Trump and took steps designed to get him elected, including a sophisticated hack-and-leak operation of Democratic emails before he was elected eight years ago. A recent intelligence community report assessed that, in the 2022 midterm election, Russia tried to denigrate the Democratic Party, with a goal of weakening U.S. support for Ukraine, and undermine confidence in the elections. The report said China sought to influence a handful of races featuring candidates from both major political parties, focusing on those with anti-China views and covertly denigrating a U.S. senator. And it said that Iran conducted covert operations aimed at exploiting perceived social divisions. In 2024, FBI officials said, China will likely continue its efforts to sow divisions, and the FBI is watching whether the Ukraine war will motivate Russia's behavior. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf testifies before the U.S. Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Photo via screenshot from Senate livestream. WASHINGTON The commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said at a congressional hearing Wednesday the agency is preparing for the possibility the strain of avian influenza affecting dairy cattle could jump to humans, though he cautioned the probability is low. Robert Califf told senators on the panel in charge of his agencys funding that top officials from the FDA, Agriculture Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are speaking daily to keep a handle on the situation. He also stressed that pasteurized milk is safe. This virus, like all viruses, is mutating, Califf said. We need to continue to prepare for the possibility that it might jump to humans. Califf told senators that the real worry is that it will jump to the human lungs where, when that has happened in other parts of the world for brief outbreaks, the mortality rate has been 25%. That would be about 10 times worse than the death rate from COVID-19, he said. Califf stressed the possibility is low and the CDC continues to maintain its assessment that the current public health risk is low. The H5N1 bird flu strain has had an impact on 36 dairy herds in Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota and Texas, according to the CDC. Two cases have been reported in people one who had exposure to dairy cows in Texas that were presumed to be infected and one in Colorado involved in the culling (depopulating) of poultry with presumptive H5N1 bird flu. Both cases were reported in April, according to the CDC. The Texas case reported eye redness (consistent with conjunctivitis), as their only symptom while the Colorado case reported fatigue for a few days as their only symptom and has since recovered, according to the CDC. Multiple federal agencies involved Califf told the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee during the hearing the Agriculture Department holds jurisdiction over the dairy cows, the FDA is in charge of making sure milk and other foods are safe and the CDC has the responsibility to ensure the safety of farmworkers. The FDA has repeatedly tested milk on store shelves throughout the country and found no live virus, due to pasteurization, he said. The agency is interested in testing milk before the pasteurization process begins, though Califf said theyve had some difficulties getting access to dairy farms. Access to the farms, for example, is really something that has to be negotiated through the states, he said. The farmers and the owners of dairy farms are more comfortable with people that they know that are in their state. So all this has to be coordinated. Califf explained that when cows are milked, that goes into bulk tanks, which is a mixture of a number of cows. Thats a very sensitive area because it does point, if there are infected cows, as to where the infections are, Califf testified. And technically its no problem, but we want to make sure we have trust. And so theres negotiation that needs to go on to make sure theres a safe way to handle the data and that people are not going to be castigated if they happen to have an infected herd. So were working through all that state by state. Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin urged the FDA to coordinate and communicate frequently with farmers and the public. Her home state, she noted, has more than 5,000 dairy herds, making up 22% of the nations total herd count. So this is a big deal for us. The post FDA chief says feds are preparing for low probability of bird flu moving to humans appeared first on Minnesota Reformer. Wetlands at and around the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area are pictured on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Editors note: This article is published through the Great Salt Lake Collaborative, a solutions journalism initiative that partners news, education and media organizations to help inform people about the plight of the Great Salt Lake. GSL logo on collaborative stories | Great Salt Lake Collaborative The Department of the Interior Wednesday announced more than $87 million in funding has been approved by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, providing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners the ability to help conserve, restore or enhance 315,823 acres of critical wetland and associated upland habitat for migratory birds across North America including Canada and Mexico. That money can hopefully help the wetlands at the Great Salt Lake, which make up more than 30 percent of the wetlands in Utah, including those at Farmington Bay, the Bear River and Weber County wildlife management areas. It would also help solve pressing problems of phragmites control at The Nature Conservancys Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve encompassing 4,500 acres along the eastern edge of the lake in Davis County. The Great Salt Lake is home to more than 300 species of birds that breed, nest and feed in an area that is a critical part of the Pacific Flyway. We are grateful for the Migratory Bird Conservation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other partners that allocate funding that benefits migratory birds and other wildlife species, said John Luft, program manager of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Great Salt Lake Ecosystem. Some birds travel thousands of miles to reach the Great Salt Lake from Argentina for example because it is such a critical site for their survival. In fact, this week the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources was excited to announce that nesting pelicans had returned to nest on one of the lakes islands for the first time in 81 years. Wetlands at and around the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area are pictured on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News A Western Grebe swims in the water of the wetlands near the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Wetlands at and around the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area are pictured on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News A female Red-winged Blackbird hangs onto a reed near the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News A male Red-winged Blackbird flys around the wetlands near the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News A Great Blue Heron hunts for food in the wetlands near the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Wetlands at and around the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area are pictured on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News The money could also help Utah Lake, which has been engaged in a decades-long battle to restore the wetlands because of invasion of the phragmites, which is a reed that sucks up water and crowds out other vegetation, nesting habitat. The commission approved more than $84.3 million in North American Wetlands Conservation Act grants matched by more than $139.8 million in partner funds. In addition, the commission approved more than $2.7 million from the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund to conserve habitat on two national wildlife refuges across two states. The acquisitions will expand public opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and outdoor recreational access. The North American Wetlands Conservation Act is one of the most effective tools we have for migratory bird conservation around the country. Funding for wetland and national wildlife refuge conservation projects will be pivotal in maintaining healthy bird populations, uplifting local economies and improving public access to recreational activities for future generations, said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. The funding announced today further supports the Biden-Harris administrations America the Beautiful initiative, which is focused on pursuing locally led, collaborative and inclusive efforts to conserve, connect and restore Americas lands and waters. The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission has helped conserve much of the nations most important waterfowl habitat and establish or enhance many of the countrys most popular destinations for waterfowl hunting and birding. Wetlands are one of the most important ecosystems in the world, providing essential habitat for more than one third of the bird species that breed in North America and billions of migratory birds across the Americas, said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams. Wetlands also help buffer communities from storms, sea level rise and are an important natural mechanism for clean water. Projects made possible through these grants will help protect, restore and enhance wetlands vital to migratory birds and many other species of wildlife and provide recreational opportunities and benefits for all Americans. BUDAPEST, May 8 (Xinhua) -- China and Hungary are good friends and good partners of mutual trust, Chinese President Xi Jinping made the remarks in a written speech upon his arrival here Wednesday for a state visit to Hungary. "I am delighted to pay a state visit to the beautiful country of Hungary at the gracious invitation of President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban," he said, extending heartfelt greetings and best wishes to the Hungarian government and people on behalf of the government and people of China. Noting that Hungary is known for its time-honored history and profound cultural heritage, Xi said the Hungarian people are industrious, intelligent, open, inclusive, pioneering and creative. In recent years, the government and people of Hungary have been forging ahead with determination, making impressive progress in economic and social development, he said. "As a good friend and a comprehensive strategic partner, we in China, both the government and people, heartily rejoice over your achievements." In 1949, Hungary was one of the first countries to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. In 2004, the two countries decided to forge a friendly and cooperative partnership. In 2017, the bilateral relationship was elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership, upgrading and speeding up the mutually beneficial cooperation and strengthening the popular support for traditional China-Hungary friendship, Xi noted. In recent years, the two sides have seen frequent high-level exchanges, deepening mutual trust, fruitful outcomes in Belt and Road cooperation, vibrant people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and close coordination and collaboration in international and regional affairs, he said. "Together, we have set a fine example of building a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation," Xi said. This year marks the 75th anniversary of China-Hungary diplomatic ties, bringing an important opportunity for the growth of bilateral relations, he said. Xi said he looks forward to meeting with President Sulyok, Prime Minister Orban and other Hungarian leaders, and they will jointly outline a new blueprint for cooperation and development, with a view to steering the China-Hungary relationship forward in big strides and taking it to a higher level. "I believe that no matter how the international landscape evolves, China and Hungary will always view and approach the bilateral relationship from a broad perspective and a long-term view," he said. "Through vigorous and determined endeavors, we will work together toward the goal of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and make our due contribution to world peace, stability, development and prosperity," he added. "I am confident that, with the two sides' concerted efforts, this visit will be a complete success and usher in an even brighter future of the China-Hungary relationship," he said. BALTIMORE A federal judge Wednesday dismissed without prejudice a lawsuit against the Maryland State Board of Elections filed by a right-wing coalition seeking to delegitimize election results across the country. U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher said in an opinion filed less than a week away from primary day that plaintiffs United Sovereign Americans, a nonprofit Missouri corporation, and Maryland Election Integrity, a limited liability corporation founded by a South Carolina lawyer, lacked standing. Although the companys mission might theoretically be impeded by the alleged voting violations, the company does not appear to conduct any regular activities for achieving that mission, Gallagher wrote. In short, plaintiffs allege no concrete or particularized injury to members of Maryland Election Integrity but simply generalized grievances applicable to the community as a whole. Courts routinely find such grievances insufficient to demonstrate standing to sue. The suit filed in March sought an injunction requiring Maryland to update and keep accurate the voter rolls and not certify any election because of a number of problems that collectively show that the elections board has lost control of the voting system. United Sovereign Americans, on its website, describes Maryland as a testing ground for a host of similar lawsuits. Harry Haury, the groups chairman, said in a recent interview promoted by the group that Maryland is a model first case and that the organization was building a more robust template as it prepared to file lawsuits in 11 more states and eventually up to 20 total. In the interview on a Lindell-TV program started by Mike Lindell, the MyPillow CEO and fervent supporter of former President Donald Trumps efforts to deny the legitimacy of the 2020 election Haury did not mention any specific issues with Marylands elections. But he said his group was going to go after the officials in various states for what he saw as a lawless elections process. He also said, before the dismissal of the suit Wednesday, that the group would appeal if necessary. Were going to continue fighting it. If at the lower level courts they dismiss it, well appeal up the line and try to get the attention that it merits, Haury said. The United Sovereign Americans website indicates the group is working toward getting a case before the U.S. Supreme Court before the presidential election in November. Annapolis-based attorney C. Edward Hartman III, who represented 2022 Republican gubernatorial nominee Dan Cox when he challenged the State Board of Elections during his statewide race, is representing the plaintiffs in the latest case. He did not return requests for comment about the prospect of an appeal. The courts dismissal came just days before Tuesdays primary and as a week of early in-person voting was set to wrap up on Thursday. Tens of thousands of Marylanders have already cast ballots, and some of those have already been canvassed by local election workers preparing to tally the votes after the polls close next week. High-profile races include the statewide Democratic primary for U.S. Senate a matchup between Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and U.S. Rep. David Trone and the Democratic mayoral primary in Baltimore, primarily between Mayor Brandon Scott and former Mayor Sheila Dixon. Election officials last month had warned that the lawsuit was an attempt to disenfranchise voters ahead of the primary. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, whose office represented the elections board, argued in a motion to dismiss that the court did not have the authority to rule over the case, and that the plaintiffs complaint did not include enough facts to bring the case to trial. Gallagher agreed, granting Browns motion. A plaintiff may not invoke federal-court jurisdiction unless he can show a personal stake in the outcome of the controversy, Gallagher wrote. A federal court is not a forum for generalized grievances, and the requirement of such a personal stake ensures that courts exercise power that is judicial in nature. Browns office declined to comment Thursday. An audit of the State Board of Elections conducted by a legislative committee last year did not find widespread fraud or call into question the integrity of any election results. Coxs legal challenge to the State Board of Elections in 2022 centered on a change to the mail-in ballot process that allowed local elections officials to more quickly prepare those ballots. His effort failed, including a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court that the justices declined to review months after Cox lost in a landslide. In an attempt to increase confidence in the elections process, the state elections officials recently launched an online portal that answers questions related to a variety of rumors and offers a place for voters to report disinformation and misinformation they see on social media. _____ Federal prosecutors have charged former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry in Washington for allegedly lying to investigators in connection with a campaign finance probe of a foreign billionaires political contributions. Fortenberry (R-Neb.) was convicted of the same charges by a jury in Los Angeles in 2022, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the conviction, determining that the case should have been brought in either the then-lawmakers Nebraska district or in Washington. It was unclear until Thursday whether prosecutors would seek to reissue the charges. Fortenberry resigned from Congress following his conviction and was sentenced to probation and community service. The former representative was convicted after a seven-day trial on charges that he lied to the FBI and concealed evidence as they pursued questions about whether Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury had made illicit contributions to U.S. candidates, including Fortenberry, by masking them through straw donors. Prosecutors said some of that cash was delivered by donors who attended a 2016 Fortenberry fundraiser in Los Angeles, which is why prosecutors brought the charges there. Foreign nationals are prohibited by federal law from contributing to candidates for federal office. Chagoury admitted making the improper donations in 2019 and paid a $1.8 million fine. The host of Fortenberrys fundraiser also cooperated with the FBI, which later probed whether Fortenberry was aware of the illegal contributions. Though the fundraiser host told Fortenberry in 2018 about the illegal contributions from Chagoury, Fortenberry never took steps to disclose the issue to the Federal Elections Commission, prosecutors say. Instead, they say he misled the FBI about what he had learned and denied receiving any donations from a foreign source. Fortenberry defended against the charges by arguing that he fully cooperated with government investigators and was charged for forgetting the details of a year-old conversation when he told the FBI he wasnt aware of the foreign contributions. He has also complained about the FBIs tactics, including what he described as a ruse undertaken by one investigator to convince him to speak with agents. Chad Kolton, a Fortenberry spokesperson, said the forthcoming charges are a reflection of an overzealous Justice Department that seems intent on dragging Jeff Fortenberry around the country to face one trial after another until it can secure a conviction that actually holds up. Federal prosecutors should have better things to do than force a distinguished former public servant to incur massive additional legal costs despite already having resigned his office and performed his sentence from a conviction that was ultimately overturned, Kolton said. Fortenberry was first elected in 2004 and represented a district in eastern Nebraska until his 2022 conviction. Two armed men suspected of robbing a courier who was carrying more than $436,000 in cash pickups from multiple cannabis dispensaries in Massachusetts, along with their getaway driver, are facing criminal charges after federal investigators executed search warrants at their homes on Wednesday, court documents show. Steven Madison, Christopher White, and Quentin McDonald were charged with robbery, maliciously damaging or destroying, and conspiracy, according to a complaint filed in the United States District Court of Massachusetts. Madison and White are also facing a charge of felon in possession of a firearm. Residents of Beebe Road in Bridgewater told Boston 25 News that they woke up to the sound of flash bangs around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday as law enforcement officers, including ATF agents, raided Madisons home. Investigators said they found phones connected to the robbery, a gun, and a newly purchased Rolex. I heard that first bang, woke me up. I Heard the second bang, and jumped out of bed, neighborhood resident, Lauren Lang recalled. White was arrested at his home in Raynham, while McDonald was nabbed at his home in Brockton, federal agents said. The courier, who was driving a Ford Explorer loaded with multiple cash pickups from cannabis dispensaries including Provincetown, Wellfleet, Plymouth, Middleboro, and Fall River, pulled up to Bay Coast Bank in Swansea to deposit the money at 12:36 p.m. on February 19, documents indicated. Because the bank was closed for the Presidents Day holiday, the driver planned to leave the money in an overnight drop bin. According to a review of the manifests, the courier was carrying approximately $436,200.89 in cash for deposit at the Bay Coast Bank and another area bank that morning, the complaint stated. Just over $373,000 of this amount was cash that had been picked up by the courier in the stop at a dispensary in Fall River immediately preceding the attempted deposit at the Bay Coast Bank. Two minutes later, at 12:38 p.m., a U-Haul van with an Arizona registration entered the bank parking lot and pulled up next to the couriers vehicle. Two masked men then exited the van, restrained the courier with zip ties, sprayed pepper spray in his face, and fled with bags of cash, the documents stated. The suspect tried unsuccessfully to take the couriers gun and left him in the backseat of the SUV. The courier managed to fire three shots as the U-Haul drove away. Investigators believe the suspects had been scoping out the bank for hours from the parking lot of Prime Storage and awaiting the couriers arrival. About a mile away from the bank on Reed Road, investigators say the suspects set fire to the U-Haul. A man told police that he saw the suspects ditch the burning vehicle and get into a Jeep Grand Cherokee that nearly struck him as it sped off, according to the documents. After the robbery, investigators combed through surveillance video, RMV records, and T-Mobile tower data, ultimately leading them to Madison, White, and McDonald. Its alleged that Madison and White conducted the robbery, while McDonald served as the getaway driver. A review of the available data shows that during the relevant time periods, all three devices connected with towers consistent with them being present at the theft of the U-Haul, at the robbery, and at the burning of the U-Haul, Special Agent Eric Mercer wrote in a criminal complaint. A review of the location records and call detail records show that on the morning of February 19, Madisons phone connected with towers consistent with traveling to Whites apartment in Raynham. Afterward, the records show tower connections consistent with Madison and White traveling to Swansea. Records for McDonalds phone show that his phone traveled from his home in Brockton to Swansea that morning as well. According to Mercer, the T-Mobile data led investigators to Abington, where it was determined that the U-Haul had been stolen before the robbery. Fire investigators say they found Pepper spray in the torched U-Haul. During the raids on the suspects homes, firearms, cash, zip ties, and masks were recovered, investigators noted. All three suspects faced a judge after their arrests. Details on the court hearings werent immediately available. An investigation remains ongoing. Courier Robbery Paperwork 5-8-24 by Boston 25 Desk on Scribd This embedded content is not available in your region. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Feds ask public for help in the search for borderland fugitives The federal government is looking to U.S. and Mexican citizens for help in catching 10 criminals connected with organized crime with the binational initiative Se Busca Informacion. The 10 fugitives are wanted for crimes ranging from human smuggling and narcotics trafficking to murder and are sought by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations and law enforcement from Sonora, Mexico. This is an example ... of sharing information, leveraging authorities, bringing investigative interdiction and intelligence effort focused on transnational crime, Manuel Padilla, senior adviser to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner, said Thursday at a news conference. Launched in 2016 as a joint effort between the U.S. Border Patrol and the Government of Mexico, all along the border, the Se Busca initiative identifies people associated with transnational criminal organizations and crimes on both sides of the border. Manuel Padilla, wnior advisor to the CBP Commissioner speaking at a press conference about the Se Busca initiative on May 9, 2024 in Nogales. Padillo noted how in the past criminal organizations exploited the border to operate with impunity, escaping across the border in both directions to avoid prosecution for crimes. That is no longer the case, Padilla said. "There is a very close relationship with our Mexican partners, both at the state and the federal levels. And that is what makes us a lot stronger going after these common criminals. Francisco Burrola, special agent in charege, of Homeland Security Investigations Arizona said this initiative has proven successes. In El Paso, Texas four criminals targeted by a Se Busca initiative were found in Mexico and brought to justice with the help of Mexican law enforcement officials 30 days after the targets were publicly named, he said. A photo of ten fugitives wanted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Mexican law enforcement as part of the Se Busca initiative. Border and law enforcement officials asked for citizens in the U.S> and Mexico to call their tip line to give them information anonymously about anyone on the list. The number to anonymously report information on these men or any others is 520-310-5914. The WhatsApp application can also be used. Phone lines are open 24 hours a day and calls go directly to Tucson Sector Border Patrol and partner agency call centers. Five of the 10 fugitives are wanted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and were named at the news conference as follows: Miguel Antonio Vallejo was arrested in May 2021 in Nogales for attempting to smuggle five pounds of cocaine inside the oil pan of his vehicle and is wanted by law enforcement. Luis Alberto Lopez, federally indicted on two counts one for possession and one for distribution of child pornography, Burrola said. Jesus Julian Acuna-Escobedo, wanted for smuggling almost 30 pounds of cocaine concealed in wooden blocks. Gabriel Garcia was federally indicted for attempting to smuggle fentanyl concealed within compartments in his vehicle. Omar Alejandro Sanchez, attempted to enter the U.S. With over 100 pounds of heroin and nearly one pound of fentanyl concealed inside a no-factory compartment in his vehicle. Their photos can be found on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website. Reach the reporter at sarah.lapidus@gannett.com. The Republics coverage of southern Arizona is funded, in part, with a grant from Report for America. Support Arizona news coverage with a tax-deductible donation at supportjournalism.azcentral.com. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Feds ask community for help in the search for borderland fugitives The U.S. Department of Education is seeking to negotiate with the Carroll Independent School District in Southlake, Texas, over four students civil rights complaints which three education law experts say signals that the department has substantiated the students allegations of racist and anti-LGBTQ discrimination. The Education Departments civil rights enforcement arm described the next steps in its investigation in a letter Monday to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which represents the students. The development comes three years after the civil rights organization filed federal complaints on behalf of students who said Carroll officials failed to protect them from harassment. The four students, all of whom have either graduated or left the district, reported to the Education Department that they had been subjected to a barrage of racist and homophobic slurs and comments during their years at Carroll. One student said he suffered retaliation after reporting racial harassment to administrators. Another said he contemplated suicide after classmates repeatedly mocked him for his sexual orientation; his family said the district failed to address the bullying. On Monday, the Education Department notified the NAACP Legal Defense Fund that it had contacted Carroll district officials to begin negotiating a resolution agreement in the four complaints a step the agency takes only after finding that students civil rights have been violated, said Katrina Feldkamp, an attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. The Carroll ISD Administration Center in Southlake, Texas. (Nitashia Johnson for NBC News) The Southlake school system which became the focus of national headlines in 2021 after conservative parents rejected a sweeping plan aimed at preventing discrimination will now have 90 days to reach an agreement with the Education Department on steps it will take to address problems identified in the student complaints, experts said. Angela Jones, a Black mother of a former Carroll student who was among those who complained to the Education Department, said she spent years advocating for changes to protect minority students in the affluent North Texas school district. But she was rebuffed by school board members and conservative parents who accused her and others of trying to force a far-left political ideology into classrooms. Jones said she and her family felt validated by the Education Departments finding. Theyre saying to the district, You didnt do it on your own, so were going to come in and make some recommendations for you to do it differently, Jones said. I hope theyll take it seriously, and re-evaluate and negotiate. Angela Jones and her husband, Dr. Wendell Jones. (Nitashia Johnson for NBC News) Photos of the children of Angela Jones and Dr. Wendell Jones at their home in Southlake. (Nitashia Johnson for NBC News) A spokesperson for the Education Department said the agency doesnt comment on pending cases. Carroll Superintendent Lane Ledbetter and the school boards president, Cam Bryan, did not respond to messages requesting comment. The local debate over how to address racism in Carroll schools became a national symbol of the battles over race, gender and sexuality that have swept the country and was featured in the 2021 NBC News podcast series Southlake. The towns fight began in 2018, after a viral video of white high school students chanting the N-word spurred dozens of Carroll parents and students to come forward with stories of discrimination. After the outcry, the school board appointed a committee of volunteers, including Jones, to come up with strategies to address the problem. The result of their work, the Cultural Competence Action Plan, called for mandatory diversity training for teachers and students and changes to the student handbook explicitly prohibiting harassment on the basis of race, gender and sexual orientation, among other changes. Then came the backlash. After the plan was released in the summer of 2020, conservative parents and activists outraged at what they depicted as anti-white and anti-American indoctrination formed a political action committee called Southlake Families PAC, which promised to defeat the diversity plan and elevate Judeo-Christian values in the school district. They raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support a slate of hard-line conservative candidates, launched attack ads accusing their opponents of being radical leftists and, in November 2021, won majority control of the Carroll school board. Two weeks later, the Education Department opened its initial investigations into student complaints. The total number of civil right investigations at the district would eventually grow to eight. The status of the other four open cases is unclear. The probes set the stage for a potential conflict between local voters who opposed the diversity plan and federal officials tasked with enforcing federal civil rights laws. Now that the Education Department has initiated the process to negotiate a resolution with the district in four of the complaints, the federal agency could end up requiring Carroll to implement some of the same types of diversity and inclusion programs that Southlake voters have rejected in landslide elections in recent years. In a video address to the community after the investigations were announced in 2021, Ledbetter, Carrolls superintendent, said the district would absolutely comply if the Education Departments Office for Civil Rights (OCR) ordered changes. But some local activists have called on the district to fight back against what they see as federal overreach. They have spread unsubstantiated theories that the federal investigation was launched in retaliation against conservatives opposed to critical race theory. U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, a Republican whose district includes Southlake, wrote a letter in November 2021 to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, co-signed by Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn of Texas, expressing fears that the Biden administration was weaponizing federal resources to intimidate parents who disagree with the policies of this administration. In a statement four months later, an Education Department spokesperson said the agencys work is in no way retaliatory and OCR serves as a neutral fact-finder with any complaint. In the years since gaining control of the school board, members backed by Southlake Families PAC have made changes that diversity advocates say have made the district less inclusive. The board voted in 2022 to eliminate language explicitly prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender, sexual orientation and religion from the student handbook. And this week, the board adopted a resolution opposing the Biden administrations decision to expand Title IX protections to LGBTQ students. Southlake Carroll ISD board election day (James Breeden for NBC News) Ledbetter and members of the school board did not respond to a question from NBC News about whether it planned to work with the Education Department to reach a voluntary agreement. W. Scott Lewis, managing partner at TNG, a consulting firm that advises school districts on complying with federal civil rights laws, said that if Carroll fails to reach a voluntary agreement with the Office for Civil Rights on how to address discrimination, the agency could impose changes that Carroll would have to abide by or risk losing federal funding or inviting an investigation by the Department of Justice. Another approach that the district could take, Lewis said: Carroll could challenge the Education Departments findings in court. Thats not typically been very successful, Lewis said. Feldkamp, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund attorney, said her clients have asked the Education Department to require Carroll to implement many of the policies that were included in the Cultural Competence Action Plan, including mandatory diversity training for students and staff members. We need to send a message that we will not tolerate Black and brown students being pushed out of school, that it is unacceptable for racism and homophobia to win the day and that our public schools actually are supposed to be educational institutions where all students can feel supported and can thrive, Feldkamp said. On Wednesday, two community activist groups that had joined the civil rights complaints the Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition and Cultural & Racial Equity for Every Dragon sent a letter to Carroll officials calling on the district to agree to remedies that will address the hostile environment and fulfill your responsibility to protect all students. Raven Rolle, a 23-year-old Black Carroll graduate and Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition member, said it shouldnt have taken federal investigations for the district to listen to current and former students like herself whove shared stories of harassment. Raven Rolle. (Courtesy Raven Rolle) Hopefully it sets a precedent for the kids that are currently there and kids who will be there years from now that these things will never happen again, and if they do, theyll be dealt with appropriately, Rolle said. Mia Mariani, a 19-year-old college student living in Pittsburgh, was among the former Carroll students notified this week that the Education Department was taking action in response to her complaint of anti-LGBTQ bullying at Carroll. Mariani, whose story was detailed in the Southlake podcast, was bombarded by a torrent of vulgar messages from classmates on social media mocking her gender identity during a social studies class in the spring of 2022. After reporting the abuse, she secretly recorded her meeting with the principal, who argued that the boys whod harassed her were just wanting to debate politics. After her parents filed a complaint over the schools handling of the situation, senior Carroll administrators investigated and concluded that Marianis complaint did not satisfy the criteria necessary to constitute bullying. Now it appears the Department of Education has found evidence that her rights were violated. Mariani said she was surprised when she got the news Monday. Shes worked to move on from her experiences in Southlake, she said, but hopes her case leads to changes for current and future students. Any change for them, Mariani said, is healing for me. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) A second man has been sentenced to prison after an apartment complex shootout in July, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Michigan says. Terrence Turner, 29, of Benton Harbor, was sentenced to 13 years and nine months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, the office announced Wednesday in a release. A three-year period of federal supervised release was also imposed. Turner pleaded guilty in January, according to the release. The attorneys office says the shootout, which involved multiple shooters, happened July 9, 2023, in a parking lot at the River Terrace Apartments in Benton Harbor. According to the office, one apartment which had a child inside was hit five times during the shootout. Mr. Turners careless acts of violence put innocent lives at risk and todays sentence reflects the seriousness of his crime, said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten in a statement. Another shooter, Shamonte Buchanan, was sentenced in April to five years and 11 months in prison. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. Actress and director KT Curran has addressed some serious issues in fictional plays, short films and features that deal with the dangerous impact of bullying, the ripple effects of stress on emergency workers and how young people navigate decisions about first-time sex and fears of diseases. But she didnt want to take time to create a story to deal with the fentanyl crisis that has claimed tens of thousands of lives across the United States. Her latest film, The Fentanyl Project, which was recently shown at the Sarasota Film Festival, is a documentary with a focus on the impact of the synthetic drug in Sarasota County and two families dealing with the unexpected loss of a child and sibling after taking fentanyl. The film, produced by Currans Wingspan Productions, will be screened on WEDU PBS at 9 p.m. May 16 and is available for viewing anytime on WEDU.org. Curran said Sarasota County school leaders are working to show the film to students in the district because of the dangers of the drug. An image from the Drug Enforcement Agency showing pills with fentanyl made to look like candy. The biggest problem is that there are people who dont know theyre taking it, Curran said. The whole fentanyl story is so multi-layered. You could focus on the border. Is China trying to destabilize our country by flooding the country with cheap fentanyl? Im focusing on the kids who dont know theyre ingesting fentanyl. Its flooding college campuses. Kids are going to a party and taking a pill someone gives them and they dont know theyre going to die." As Sarasota Police Sgt. Jamie Morrison notes, It comes in everything you can imagine, from where it looks like candy as a pressed pill, to where theyre selling it as cocaine. According to Drug Enforcement Agency records, 112,000 people died from fentanyl overdoses last year. Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman says in the film that the synthetic opioid is 100 times stronger than morphine. In my 34-year career, Ive never seen another drug that has the devastating impact that fentanyl has. Fentanyl is regularly used in hospitals. They gave fentanyl to my mother when she had heart surgery. Doctors like fentanyl because its fast-acting, Curran said. It can be a life-saving drug that gets you out of pain immediately, but its incredibly addictive. But its use has extended far beyond hospital emergency rooms. In the film The Fentanyl Project, Nanette Cobb, center, with her daughter Brittany Yauslin Hansche and son, Matthew Craft, talks about the death of her youngest daughter, Nicolette Arecco from a fentanyl overdose. Curran said she first learned about the extent of the danger after talking to a friend, Matthew Craft, whose younger sister Nicolette Arecco died after ingesting fentanyl. He is interviewed with his mother Nanette Cobb and older sister Brittany Yauslin Hansche. The misconception is that theyre drug users, people who used drugs a long time, Cobb says in the film, fighting back tears. It doesnt have to be. It could be their first and last time. The fentanyl that took Nicolettes life was given to her by a friend to help her mourning, to help her grieving for my mother. She thought it was Xanax. As difficult as it was to be filmed talking about her daughters death, Cobb said, If just one person is saved from this, its one person. William Sean Thomas died from an illegal fentanyl poisoning while taking Xanax due to mental health issues. His family talks about his death in the documentary The Fentanyl Project. Elaine Finn, also interviewed in the film, lost one of her three sons, William Sean Thomas, to the drug. The family said at around age 22 he was having some mental health issues and was taking Xanax. His brother, Kevin said he took more and more Xanax. It kind of clouded his mind to make him feel he didnt have a problem, mentally and physically. He said Sean learned how to find the pills online. One time I saw his Xanax bottle. It was from Mexico or some Spanish company, because it was Spanish pharmacy all over it. Sarasota Police Chief Rex Troche said because fentanyl is so inexpensive it has become the drug for a lot of the cartel. A small amount is so potent, he said. For their bottom line, it makes a lot of sense. Authorities and medical experts worry about people buying drugs outside traditional pharmacies who dont know what theyre getting in the pills theyre taking. The problem isnt with prescription drugs, but rather with the way fentanyl is regularly added to other medications, like Xanax or Adderall, that people get online or in pharmacies in Mexico and elsewhere. Medical experts say it takes only tiny amounts of illegal fentanyl to be lethal. UCLA bought all these pills and tested them and 70 percent of the pills were fentanyl or meth or both, Curran said. Theyre putting it in candy boxes. I had so many people telling me they have a family member who had fentanyl poisoning. It is everywhere and we all need to know that and talk about what we can do. The Sarasota City Police Department is providing Narcan, a drug that can counter the dangerous effects of fentanyl if administered quickly, she said. You can get Narcan at Publix or CVS and you often can get it free of charge. If you have a child you may be concerned about, I would definitely want to have it in the medicine cabinet, Curran said. Schools are looking at having it for school nurses and police officers have it in their pocket. Fentanyl is extremely fast-acting. They cant get to people fast enough, she said. Nicolette Arecco died from an illegal fentanyl poisoning in Sarasota. Her family discusses her life and problems with the drug in the documentary The Fentanyl Project. Arts Newsletter: Sign up to receive the latest news on the Sarasota area arts scene every Monday Impact of fentanyl and other drugs: Sartsota families endure lasting effects of opioid addiction Paul Grove, the president and CEO of WEDU, said he bribed his four sons, ages 19 to 25, with pizza to watch the 26-minute film. I think its extremely important for everybody to watch this documentary, he said. It really opened my eyes. This has to be a movement so that people will stop it in its tracks, that we will not have this anymore. WEDU also is working with other PBS stations in Florida to distribute it as widely as possible. Even though the films focus is on the city of Sarasota and Sarasota County, good storytelling translates no matter where you watch it, Grove said. This is not a problem thats Sarasota-specific. Its just a story everybody can say, I cant believe that mom and kids went through that. That translates to anybody in the world. Follow Jay Handelman on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Contact him at jay.handelman@heraldtribune.com. And please support local journalism by subscribing to the Herald-Tribune. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Documentary looks at growing problem of fentanyl deaths in Sarasota A refinery in Anacortes, Wash. (Getty Images) For the last 12 years as Washingtons governor, Jay Inslee has led the state in the epic global battle to save the planet from the harms of climate change. It will be a tough act to follow for Bob Ferguson, the man Inslee wants to succeed him in this years governors race but who has not soldiered on the front lines of the climate fight in his three terms as the states attorney general. Though climate policy is not a cornerstone of Fergusons campaign, the presumed Democratic front-runner has pledged to carry the baton if it is passed to him. This week, Ferguson moved to burnish his environmental credentials, while painting Republican candidate Dave Reichert as out of touch. He cited comments earlier this year by Reichert as evidence that the former congressman doesnt accept the science on causes of climate change and will undo the states work to address its negative impacts. Reichert is heard on a recording of an event in March saying current state policies cannot counter the effects of climate change because only the guy upstairs is responsible for controlling the weather. I believe that the weather is changing, the climate is changing, but the guy upstairs is doing it. We want clean water and clean air, but were not going to be changing the weather with the stuff that were doing, Reichert says in an audio clip Fergusons campaign provided to the Washington State Standard. It was recorded by a campaign worker, the candidate confirmed. In an interview Wednesday, Ferguson said that while Reichert is casting himself as a moderate on the issue, his words tell a different story about how he will govern. Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who is running as a Democrat for governor this year. (Ferguson campaign) Number one, humans are contributing to climate change. Thats a scientific fact. Hes denying that. Number two, hes suggesting theres nothing we can do that impacts our climate. Wrong again, Ferguson said. One can have a debate about whether this policy or that policy is wise, or is the best use of resources. But to be governor of the state of Washington, one cannot begin at a starting point that denies accepted science on this issue. And thats where he is. Ferguson is expected to discuss the comments Thursday evening at a fundraiser for Washington Conservation Action, a leading statewide environmental organization that has endorsed him. In a written statement, Reichert said Thursday, Of course climate change is real. How to address climate change will be one of the greatest challenges future generations will face. Our State should be a leader in the nation on this issue. But leading shouldnt come on the backs of the hardworking families of Washington, like those who can no longer afford to fill up their tanks because of the carbon tax policies created by unapologetic politicians, he said. We all endeavor to protect the future, but we need a clean energy policy that is predictable, reliable, and certainly affordable. Its become a religion Reichert, who served seven terms in Congress after a stint as King County sheriff, traveled to the small town of Tekoa in Whitman County, near the Idaho border, on March 6. Organizers expected him to discuss his campaign and topics of importance to the rural community like farming, water rights, public safety, and climate policies. Ferguson campaign officials provided a roughly two-minute audio clip from the event. The Standard provided a partial transcript to Reicherts campaign. Dave Reichert, a former congressman, is a Republican candidate for Washington governor in 2024. (Courtesy Reichert campaign) At the start, Reichert appears to be responding to frustration over state environmental regulations on local farmers and cattle owners. He voices support for boosting local control for communities instead of the state government dictating to you whats happening in your town. He then pivots to talk more broadly about the states approach to climate policy. We all want to keep Washington green, clean and pristine. Problem is (climate policy) has become a religion. And it has trumped the human beings that live here. And the money that were putting into the effort, were not getting the return, he says. He goes on to criticize investments in bus transit and light rail. Were spending all this money instead of building our highways and our freeways and repairing our bridges and our culverts. The culverts are one of the biggest disasters in the state because they help pollute. If you dont fix those, theyre polluting our rivers and streams right? he is heard saying on the recording. I believe that the weather is changing, the climate is changing, but its the guy upstairs doing it, he says. We can do what we can do to make it clean. We want clean water and clean air, but were not going to be changing the weather with the stuff that were doing. Is it making a difference? Ferguson and Reichert are the leading fund-raisers and sit atop most polls in these early stages of the race for governor. But they are not their parties only candidates. Semi Bird, endorsed by the Washington State Republican Party, and Mark Mullet, a Democratic state senator from Issaquah, with strong business support, are also vying to succeed Inslee. The top two finishers in the Aug. 6 primary will face off in the Nov. 5 general election. To date, none of them have pushed out environmental platforms. Ferguson, Reichert and Mullet have embraced building diesel-powered vessels for the troubled Washington State Ferries, if it is the fastest way to add boats needed to boost reliability of service amid the ongoing threat of cancellations when an existing vessel breaks down. This route would be a retreat from the states drive to electrify the fleet. The governor slammed such a backstep as a brain-dead thing at a news conference last month. And the leader of the state Department of Transportation told lawmakers earlier this year new diesel-powered ferries could not be designed, built and delivered any faster than hybrid-electrics. The costs and benefits of Washingtons climate policies will be a point of debate in the campaign. These include a carbon pricing program, clean fuel standard, and new rules to hasten use of heat pumps rather than natural gas to heat new homes. Collectively these measures are intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Washington to 45% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 95% by 2050. A centerpiece is the law known as the Climate Commitment Act that sets annual emission limits for major emitters, such as oil refiners and utilities, and requires them to buy allowances at state auctions for each metric ton of their pollution. Its brought in $2.1 billion thus far with funding used to buy electric school buses, provide free public transit for youth, expand air quality monitoring, and install electric vehicle chargers. A portion will pay for a one-time $200 credit on residential electricity bills for thousands of low- and moderate-income families by Sept. 15. But it could go away this fall. A citizen initiative on the November ballot would repeal the law if passed. The initiatives backers contend the policy wont significantly move the needle on climate change but is driving fuel, food and energy prices higher as companies pass the new expense onto consumers. Ferguson and Mullet say they will vote against it. Reichert and Bird have said they are supporting it. This wont be the first time Reichert weighs in on a carbon pricing program. In 2009, as a member of Congress, he voted for the American Clean Energy and Security Act to create a cap-and-trade system on greenhouse gas emissions and impose other rules to reduce emissions nationwide. It passed the House but lapsed in the Senate. The post Ferguson goes after Reichert for suggesting guy upstairs is causing climate change appeared first on Washington State Standard. Fewer medical students are applying to residency in states with near-total abortion bans For the second year in a row, fewer medical students are applying to residency programs in states with near-total abortion bans, according to a new data snapshot from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) released Thursday. Students in their senior year in a doctorate of medicine program have applied to fewer residency programs in general, regardless of which state the program is in, since 2022. But the AAMCs new data shows there were larger decreases in applications to residency programs in states where abortion is almost entirely banned, indicating that medical school seniors may be avoiding these places. States abortion-ban status may be correlated with program number and size, but these findings suggest that applicants may be responding to something independent of program size, particularly given two years of similar patterns, the AAMC said in a statement. The number of medical school seniors who applied to a residency program in states with near-total abortion bans dropped by 4.2 percent in 2024 compared to last year. Meanwhile, in states where abortion remains legal, residency applications dipped by 0.6 percent. Those numbers vary depending on physician specialty. In the data snapshot, the AAMC provided detailed application breakdowns for specialties that were the most likely to treat pregnant people and provide abortions, such as pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology and internal medicine. The number of applications to pediatric residency programs in states with near-total abortion bans dropped by 17.3 percent this year the most out of all the specialties In the year after Roe v. Wade was overturned, the number of applications to OB-GYN residency programs in states with near-total abortion bans dropped by nearly 12 percent. In the most recent application cycle, applications to OB-GYN residency programs in states with the most restrictive abortion bans decreased by 6.7 percent, according to the data snapshot. While most OB-GYNs in the U.S. do not provide abortions, most abortions are performed by an OB-GYN. Applications to family medicine residency programs in states with near-total abortion bans among medical school seniors decreased by 7.6 percent in the 2022-23 cycle and by 5.2 percent in the 2023-24 cycle. Meanwhile, applications to internal medicine residency programs in states with near-total abortion bans declined by 7.9 percent in the most recent cycle, compared to 0.3 percent the year before. There are 14 states where access to abortion is almost completely banned, and many of those states are suffering from healthcare provider shortages that are only expected to get worse. Those existing shortages will most likely worsen due to legislation deterring prospective doctors, warned Atul Grover, executive director of the AAMC Research and Action Institute. Rural states have appropriately attempted to attract and retain physicians by incentivizing them to stay in state for college, medical school, and residency training, said Grover in an email to The Hill. States with large rural communities like Kentucky, West Virginia and Mississippi lose more than a quarter of their college graduates to other states every year. Although these policies are effective, they may be undermined if states enact other policies that are viewed by physicians as violating their professional autonomy, he said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. FILE - The then Prime Minister of Fiji Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Sept. 23, 2022, at the U.N. headquarters. Former Prime Minister Bainimarama was sentenced on Thursday, May 9, 2024, to a year in prison for interfering in a criminal investigation while he headed the government of his South Pacific island nation. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File) MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Former Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama was sentenced Thursday to a year in prison for interfering in a criminal investigation while he headed the government of his South Pacific island nation. Acting High Court of Fiji Chief Justice Salesi Temo sentenced the 70-year-old in the capital Suva on a conviction for attempting to pervert the course of justice. Suspended Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho received a 2-year prison sentence on a conviction for abuse of office, The Fiji Times newspaper reported. Bainimarama had led his government for 16 years, first as a military dictator following a 2006 coup and then as a prime minister who was democratically elected in 2014 and 2018. After the 2022 election, he was succeeded by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, who also first seized power as a coup leader in 1987. Bainimarama was prime minister in 2019 when he ended a police investigation into allegations of financial mismanagement at the University of the South Pacific. The university is owned by 12 Pacific Island nations and its main campus is in Suva. The universitys administration had alleged to police that abuses of funding and mismanagement had been happening for a decade. Prosecutors alleged the prime minister and police commissioner ended an active police investigation into former university staff members. Prosecutors said police were continuing their investigation and could lay more charges. A lower court judge had acquitted Bainimarama and Qiliho of the charges last October. But prosecutors successfully appealed to the High Court, which convicted them both. Bainimarama did not react when his sentence was read out, but his wife Mary Bainimarama broke down in tears as she sat by his side in court, Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported. His lawyers said they would appeal, but Temo rejected their application to have Bainimarama released on bail pending an appeals court hearing. Police led Bainimarama from court in handcuffs to a van that took him to a prison outside Suva. BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) -- China strongly opposes the recent U.S. sanctions applied to 20 Chinese companies for allegedly supporting Russia's military-industrial and energy development, the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday. China always opposes unilateral sanctions that lack the basis of international law and the authorization of the United Nations Security Council, the ministry spokesperson He Yadong told a briefing. It is "a typical act of bullying and economic coercion" that the U.S. side has imposed sanctions on Chinese firms for so-called Russian involvement while at the same time maintaining trade with Moscow in Washington's own interests, he said. The U.S. side should immediately stop its unreasonable suppression of Chinese companies, He said, adding that China will take necessary measures to unswervingly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises. One of the finalists in contention to become Duvals next school superintendent is raising some concerns from members of the community. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Those concerns stem from an alleged cover up of a sexual assault scandal in the school district he currently works for, but based on everything Action News Jax has reviewed, he was not involved. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Action News Jax received multiple viewer emails expressing concerns about Dr. Daniel Smith due to his ties to the Loudoun County School District in Virginia. The district was marred in controversy back in 2021 after a student accused of sexually assaulting a fellow student was transferred to a different school within the district. That student was then accused of a second sexual assault at the new school. Parents accused district leaders of mishandling the situation and attempting to cover it up. But theres no indication Smith had anything to do with the scandal. Smith is never named in the grand jury report that investigated the districts handling of the alleged assaults. READ: DCPS board members blast new police chief for credibility issues over ties to Kent Stermon case In fact, Smith was serving as principal of a school in an entirely different district during the scandal. Smith was hired as Chief of Staff for Louden County in April of 2022 after the districts prior Chief of Staff was ousted due to his handling of the alleged sexual assaults. Smith was then named Acting Superintendent in December of that year after the prior superintendent who had overseen the scandal was pushed out by the school board. According to reporting by the Loudoun Times, as Interim Superintendent, Smith pushed forward improvements to case management for problem students and also worked to enhance communication between the district and parents. Given the recent allegations of sexual misconduct by teachers at Douglas Anderson and the districts handling of those allegations here in Duval, there are parallels that could be drawn to the issues Loudoun County faced back in 2021. It was even the subject of a question posed by members of the Duval School Board to superintendent candidates. READ: DCPS to select superintendent finalists at special meeting Tuesday afternoon In his written response, Smith didnt directly address the specifics of the scandal in Loudoun County, but did reference some of the actions he took to address student conduct during his tenure as Acting Superintendent. Drawing from my experience as superintendent of Loudoun County Public Schools, I would facilitate community listening sessions to rebuild trust and gain insights into the issues at hand, Smith wrote. Action News Jax reached out to Smith directly regarding his time in Loudoun. I believe that it is important that I adhere to the interview process as established by the Duval County School Board and I would not want to be perceived as circumventing that process in any way, Smith wrote in an emailed response. Smith added hed be willing to speak with us in more detail after the interview process is complete. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Fire at Brandywine Apartment Complex in Roanoke causes $225K in damages ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department says the blaze that raged through the Brandywine Apartment complex on May 3 caused about $225,000 in damages. On Friday around 11:40 p.m., crews were called to the 2300 block of Winthrop Avenue SW. Upon arrival, firefighters found an apartment building in flames. Bystanders at the scene told firefighters that two people were still inside. Firefighters searched the building and successfully located and removed both people. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Tenants displaced after fire at Brandywine Complex in Roanoke The department said the fire was brought under control within 10 minutes and no one was hurt. The fire resulted in several residents being displaced due to fire, smoke, and water damage. All residents are being assisted by the American Red Cross. The investigation determined the fire was caused by an accident and was cooking-related. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) The Oklahoma State Auditor is a powerful position in the state. The woman leading that agency is Cindy Byrd. She recently released a scathing audit of what is characterized as misspending millions of federal dollars by two state agencies. News 4 reported first reported the audit revealed two state agencies where Oklahoma Secretary of Tourism Shelley Zumwalt previously served in leadership roles awarded an IT-company no-bid contracts worth millions of dollars beginning in 2020. In total, the state has paid the companyOklahoma City based Phase 2more than $21 million from the no-bid contracts. The details of the audit caused the Attorney General to call for the Zumwalts resignation. Zumwalt now leads the Oklahoma Tourism Department and defiantly said she wasnt going to resign. Although it did lead to Gov. Kevin Stitt withdrawing her name for consideration for the Secretary of Tourism position in his cabinet. Zumwalt: I will not be resigning after scathing audit released Byrd joins the panel to discuss the audit, the findings, and what is next. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Florence man accused of attempting to murder and sexually assault victim, deputies say FLORENCE COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) A Florence man is accused of attempting to sexually assault a victim, strangling the victim, and stealing the victims credit card and withdrawing funds, the Florence County Sheriffs Office said. Howard Washington, 36, was arrested Wednesday and charged with attempted murder, assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, and financial card theft. On May 1, at about 3:00 a.m., deputies with the Florence County Sheriffs Office were dispatched to South Jeffords Street in reference to an assault without a subject on the scene, deputies said. According to Investigators, Washington, while armed with a handgun, is alleged to have attempted to commit a sexual assault on the victim, and murder the victim by strangulation, causing the victim to lose consciousness, deputies said. Washington is also alleged to have stolen the victims credit card and later withdrew funds from the account. Washington is being held at the Florence County Sheriffs Office without bond, online records show. * * * Taylor Ford is a digital journalist for News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2023. Taylor is a Florence native and covers the Pee Dee out of News13s Florence Bureau. Read more of Taylors work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. Ben Crump Weighs in with Details in Shooting of Black Air Force Airman by Fla. Cop Updated as of 5/18/2024 at 3:00 p.m. ET Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump is representing the family of Roger Fortson, the Black Air Force airman who was shot and killed by a Florida police officer. He claims the officer targeted the wrong apartment. From the beginning, Crump maintained that Fortson did not hear the officer when he knocked on the door and announced himself, as seen on the body camera video. However, in a press conference this week, Crump played the newly revealed (and edited) audio from the police dispatch the day of the incident. Uh, dont have, uh, any further other than a male and female. Its all fourth-party information from the front desk at the leasing office, the dispatcher is heard telling officers. Crump also showed an additional body camera video showing the moments before the officer approached Fortsons door. The officer is seen walking around the complex with the woman who appeared to be the one reporting the domestic incident. When the officer asks her which door she heard the commotion from, she responds, Im not sure. In the video, the woman then suggests trying apartment 1401: Fortsons home. From there, things escalated and Fortson was shot six times by the officer. Crump argues that Fortson could still be alive if hed located the correct apartment. The attorney accused the cop of using excessive force and in other words, executing Fortson in his own home. The Body Camera Video After an immense amount of pressure, the Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office in Florida released the body camera video in connection to the shooting death of Roger Fortson, a Black Air Force senior airman. In the video, an officer is seen knocking on Fortsons front door saying, Sheriffs office, open the door! The officer waits a breath and knocks again making the same announcement. By the time Fortson partially opens the door, the officer already ordered him to step back. A second later, Fortson is seen in the frame with his hand up cautiously and his firearm in his other hand, down by his side. Drop the gun! the officer excalimed multiple times while Fortson is seen on the ground seemingly suffering a gunshot wound. Authorities confirmed the responding deputy shot Fortson upon seeing his gun out of self-defense. While Fortson laid on the ground, the officer continued telling him to drop his firearm to which he responded, Its over there... I dont have it. The officer then radios for paramedics, per The AP. Crump said the video shows the officer acted with impulse and a lack of proper training. Only after Rogers body was riddled with bullets did the officer instruct Roger to drop his gun. Even after he was shot, Roger intended to comply with the officers commands to drop his weapon... Crump said in a statement. Its unclear if Fortsons family will take legal action with the representation of Mr. Crump. However, he promised to investigate the case to make sure justice is served for the airmans family. What We Knew Before The Body Cam Florida police shot and killed Fortson Friday, May 3. The Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office said in a news release Friday that the officer reacted in self-defense after he encountered a 23-year-old man armed with a gun. But was the officer even supposed to be there? Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump said in a press conference Wednesday that 23-year-old Senior Airman Roger Fortson was at home alone when someone aggressively knocked on the door without announcement. Luckily, he had a witness: a friend on FaceTime, who also heard the knocking. While on the call, Crump said the person on the line heard Fortson call out to ask who it was. When he got no response, he decided to take measures to secure his safety. Concerned, he did what any other law-abiding citizen would do and retrieved his legally-owned gun, but as he was walking back to the living room, police burst through the door. When they saw the gun, they shot Roger six times, Crump said in the conference. Photo: U.S. Air Force (AP) Read more from NBC News: As Fortson walked back through his living room, deputies burst through the door, saw that Fortson was armed and shot him six times, according to Crumps statement. The woman said Fortson was on the ground, saying, I cant breathe, after he was shot, Crump said. Fortson died at a hospital, officials said. The deputy involved in the shooting was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. The woman said Fortson wasnt causing a disturbance during their Facetime call and believes that the deputies must have had the wrong apartment, Crumps statement said. Doesnt this remind you of something? The nation was in an outrage following the shooting and killing of Amir Locke, who was sleeping with his licensed firearm next to him when Minneapolis SWAT officers burst through the home, Upon seeing the firearm, one officer shot at him as he laid on the couch. Body cam footage showed he didnt even have it in hand. Crump and Fortsons family demand the immediate release of the body camera footage related to the incident. The police department asked for the communitys patience in the investigation into what happened. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and States Attorneys Office will also launch probes into the incident, per The AP. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) A Florida man was indicted by a Grand Jury for allegedly trafficking women for sex at a Dauphin County hotel Kerien Smith, 44, would allegedly give the women drugs for having sex with other men at the Roadway Inn in Swatara Township, according to the charges filed by Lower Swatara Township Police. The five-page Grand Jury Presentment states that Smith also raped the one woman multiple times, including at gunpoint while she was in the shower. On Oct. 3, 2018, an undercover detective spoke with two women after arranging to have sex for money, and they reported Smith was their boss and forced them to partake in prostitution-based acts, according to the Presentment. The detective saw text messages between one of the women and Smith about him bringing drugs and sexual items but after he asked how much they made. According to the charging documents, the detective went to Smiths house in Penbrook and watched him arrive at the hotel where he was taken into police custody. Police also found $5,195 in cash on Smith. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now WHTM Severe Weather Alerts Cocaine and fentanyl found in Smiths pocket when he was at the booking center were consistent with the drug request along with other sexual items that he was requested to bring by the one woman, the Presentment states. When the women were interviewed in April 2023, investigators learned that one victim would buy drugs from Smith at his home and he told her that she could not leave but had to have sex in hotels in exchange for money, according to the Presentment. Smith told her he had people watching her and would question her if she tried to leave the hotel. Investigators learned the sexual encounters were arranged over a website and Smith would collect 90% of the money, the Presentment states. Smith faces multiple charges that include felony counts of corrupt organizations, involuntary servitude, trafficking in individuals, promoting prostitution, and rape forcible compulsion along with other charges. Smith is currently locked up in Dauphin County Prison with bail denied due to the nature of the charges, according to online court document. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 22. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. This photo taken on May 9, 2024 shows the passenger plane which skids off the runway at Blaise Diagne International Airport in Dakar, Senegal. Eleven people were injured, four seriously, after a Boeing 737 passenger plane skidded off the runway during takeoff Thursday morning, Senegal's Blaise Diagne International Airport said in a statement. (Senegalese News Agency/Handout via Xinhua) DAKAR, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Eleven people were injured, four seriously, after a Boeing 737 passenger plane skidded off the runway during takeoff Thursday morning, Senegal's Blaise Diagne International Airport said in a statement. Air Senegal flight HC301, heading for Bamako, Mali, "went off the runway during its takeoff phase" at around 1:00 a.m. local time, the statement said. It said that among the 78 passengers on board, 11 people were injured, four seriously. An investigation is underway to establish the causes of the accident, the statement said. The airport has since been closed. The Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office released police body camera video Thursday showing one of its deputies shooting and killing an Air Force airman at his off-base apartment last week. Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, was shot late Friday afternoon by a deputy responding to a call of a disturbance in progress, the sheriffs office said. Okaloosa County is in the Florida Panhandle, east of Pensacola. The video, which lasts just more than four minutes, begins as the deputy arrives at Fortsons apartment complex and ends after Fortson has been shot and the deputy calls for medical assistance. Earlier Thursday, attorneys for Fortson's family had called for the sheriff's office to correct the narrative surrounding his death, saying that he had done nothing wrong before being fatally shot and that the deputy had gone to the wrong door. At a news conference hours later, Sheriff Eric Aden said no determination had been made as to whether the deputys actions were justified. I want to assure you that we are not hiding or covering up or taking action that would result in a rush to judgment of Mr. Fortson or our deputy, Aden said. He said the deputy had not entered the wrong apartment or forced his way into Fortsons residence, and that the deputy twice identified himself. Aden did not take any questions from reporters. Fortsons mother and her attorneys said at a news conference that his girlfriend, who was on a FaceTime call with him throughout the encounter, said that the deputy burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot Fortson when he saw he was armed with a gun. They said the girlfriend, who did not attend the news conference, was distraught. They watched the video after their news conference and before it was released publicly. The video shows the deputy arriving on scene and being directed to apartment 1401 by a woman whose face is blurred. The woman tells him that someone had overheard arguing there. The video shows the deputy knocking and twice saying, Sheriffs office. Open the door. When Fortson opens the door, he appears to be holding a gun that is facing downward. The deputy says, Step back, and fires his weapon multiple times. Fortson falls to the floor. The deputy twice yells, Drop the gun, to which Fortson replies, Its over there. The deputy then calls for medical assistance. He lost his life because they knocked on the wrong door. Mistakes happen. We know that, said Brian Barr, one of the familys attorneys, before the video was released. Humans arent perfect. Good people make mistakes. But good people also own their mistakes. military air force airman killed by Okaloosa Sheriff (U.S. Air Force) He said the sheriffs office, through its statement about the shooting, had misled the public. You go pick it up and read it. Whats it make you think? It makes you think this happened outside. That this kid was in the middle of a disturbance, Barr said. And he did something. He instigated this and lost his life. Thats what it makes it sound like. It sounded justified. Thats what they tried to make it sound like. In its statement, the sheriffs office said: Our deputy responded to a call of a disturbance in progress where he encountered an armed man. The deputy shot the man, who later succumbed to his injuries. Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who is also representing Fortsons family, had also criticized the sheriffs offices account before the videos release. Fortsons mother, Chantemekki Fortson, held a framed photograph of her son in his uniform. She said he had aspired to be in the Air Force since he was a young boy and was living his dream. She described him as compassionate, intelligent, loving and respectful. She implored the sheriffs department, which she said, took my gift, to release more information about the encounter. I need you to get his reputation right, Chantemekki Fortson said. Tell the truth about my son. I know my son didnt do anything to you guys. Please clean my babys reputation. After the videos release, Fortsons family said in a statement: In the four-and-a-half minute, heavily redacted video, it is very troubling that the deputy gave no verbal commands and shot multiple times within a split second of the door being opened, killing Roger. They said the video has provided some answers, but also raised even more troubling questions. They questioned, among other things, why the deputy didnt tell Fortson to drop his weapon before shooting and whether he had tried to initiate lifesaving measures. They also said that even though Fortsons girlfriend initially thought his apartment door had been forced open, she stands by her account and will speak publicly in the near future. The sheriffs office has said the deputy, who has not been publicly identified, heard sounds of a disturbance and reacted in self defense after he encountered Fortson armed with a gun and after he had identified himself as law enforcement. But Fortsons mother and her attorneys said that Fortson was on the FaceTime call with his girlfriend during the entire encounter and that he was home alone when he heard a knock at his door. He asked, Who is it? but didnt get a response, Crump said in a statement Wednesday and at his news conference. Crump said Thursday that Fortson did not see anyone when he looked through the peephole and it appeared as if someone was covering it, citing the girlfriend. The video does not appear to show the deputy cover the peephole. He appears to be standing to the side of the door when he knocks and announces himself the first time. Fortson believed someone was attempting to break into his apartment, Barr said. So he retrieved his gun, which his familys attorneys said was legally owned. As he walked back through his living room, law enforcement burst through the door, saw that Fortson was armed and shot him six times, according to the girlfriends account. He was taken to a hospital where he later died, the sheriffs office said. The girlfriend said she saw Fortson on the ground saying, I cant breathe, after he was shot. She said she believed law enforcement had gone to the wrong unit, because there was no disturbance in Fortsons apartment and he was home alone. Chantimekki Fortson said her sons girlfriend called her while she was still on the FaceTime call. The grieving mother said her son was shot three times in the chest and three times in the left arm. Fortson was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron. Hurlburt Field, the Air Force base where he was assigned, said in a statement that he entered active duty on Nov. 19, 2019. In a statement late Tuesday, Aden said he immediately placed the deputy on administrative leave and asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to conduct an investigation, as required by policy. He said the Florida State Attorneys Office would also conduct an independent review. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement confirmed it was investigating the shooting and declined to comment further. Crump compared Fortsons killing to that of Botham Jean, an unarmed Black man who was shot and killed in 2018 by a white, off-duty Dallas police officer who mistook his apartment for her own. Amber Guyger was found guilty of murder the following year and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Crump represented Jeans family, as well as the families of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, who were also killed by police. CORRECTION (May 15, 2024, 3:50 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misspelled the first name of Roger Forstons mother. She is Chantemekki Fortson, not Chantimekki. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com What Florida teachers told 9 Investigates about violence in the classroom How safe do Florida teachers feel inside their own classrooms? 9 Investigates is revealing the startling results of its exclusive statewide survey. Some experts say we uncovered reveals a crisis in education and teachers under attack. Investigative Reporter Ashlyn Webb spent weeks talking to educators about what theyre up against and what can be done to keep everyones learning environment safe. We warn that the video youre about to see is violent and may be disturbing to some viewers. Just last year, this video went viral, showing a special needs student chasing and attacking a Flagler County paraprofessional. It shows Brendan Depa slamming Joan Naydich to the ground, knocking her unconscious! The attack left her with five broken ribs, a concussion and hearing loss. Everything was taken away from me at 10 a.m., Joan Naydich said, during a sentencing hearing. My life will never be what it was before. SEE: What teachers told us about violence in the classroom 9 Investigates gathered comments from teachers across Central Florida. 9 Investigates gathered comments from teachers across Central Florida. 9 Investigates gathered comments from teachers across Central Florida. 9 Investigates gathered comments from teachers across Central Florida. 9 Investigates gathered comments from teachers across Central Florida. 9 Investigates gathered comments from teachers across Central Florida. 9 Investigates gathered comments from teachers across Central Florida. 9 Investigates gathered comments from teachers across Central Florida. 9 Investigates gathered comments from teachers across Central Florida. 9 Investigates gathered comments from teachers across Central Florida. 9 Investigates gathered comments from teachers across Central Florida. 9 Investigates gathered comments from teachers across Central Florida. 9 Investigates gathered comments from teachers across Central Florida. 9 Investigates gathered comments from teachers across Central Florida. 9 Investigates gathered comments from teachers across Central Florida. 9 Investigates gathered comments from teachers across Central Florida. 9 Investigates gathered comments from teachers across Central Florida. 9 Investigates gathered comments from teachers across Central Florida. 9 Investigates gathered comments from teachers across Central Florida. 9 Investigates gathered comments from teachers across Central Florida. 9 Investigates gathered comments from teachers across Central Florida. Stories of educators being attacked are, unfortunately, all too common. Volusia County paraprofessional Betty Smith took a hit while trying to protect a student who had run into her classroom. He was hiding from another student chasing him. But that other student was determined to fight him. To get me out of the way, the boy took his fist and slammed it into my arm, Smith said. Brevard County teacher Lara Watkins was attacked by a student after a door grazed his sneakers. Because his sneakers were worth more than my whole being, Watkins said. He shoved me. I put my hands out in front of me to keep the distance. He kicked my hand, push my hands away from me and grabbed my wrist. Chest bumped me. As he stood step back from me and went to rear back and to punch me. Photos: What teachers told us about violence in the classroom Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. The only thing that saved her from the punch-- a former student who pulled the attacker away. 9 Investigates teamed up with our sister stations across the country to ask teachers about their experiences with student violence-- their opinions about the causes, and possible solutions. More than 8,000 teachers in 34 states weighed in. Nearly 2,600 teach in Florida. Of the Florida educators that answered our survey, 65 percent said theyve been subjected to physical violence at least once. 47 percent said theyve been subjected to physical violence more than once. Andrew Spar, president of Florida Education Association, says hes not shocked. Read: Sentencing hearing for student accused of beating a local teachers aide continues What weve heard from teachers all over the state that since COVID, theyve seen an increase in the number of misbehavior by students, Spar said. But why are teachers under attack even more now? 84 percent of teachers surveyed say students are less likely to respect teachers authority since the pandemic. Students just they do what they want. They are backed up by their parents, Watkins said. Just in October, Eyewitness News reported on a viral video posted to social media showing two moms in a fist fight on board an Osceola County school bus. An incident report says the fight started over two children arguing on the bus over a toy. Read: 2 mothers get in fist fight on Osceola elementary school bus, over toy Two-thirds of the teachers surveyed blame lack of parent involvement or discipline as a key factor in student behavior--far outweighing things like social media, cell phones, or being below grade level. 9 Investigates found violence in schools has consequences on our workforce. Majority of Florida teachers who responded say they are afraid to go to school. 58 percent said they are considering leaving the profession. Watkins says, after the attack, she considered it. Knowing that it could happen again, I am still on edge, Watkins said. Already, Florida has the highest shortage of teachers in the country, with more than 5,000 vacancies, according to the Florida Education Associations 2023 count of teaching position advertised on district websites. Spar said that behind low pay student behavior is one of the top reasons teachers are leaving the classroom. He said that to tackle the violence the state must first address the lack of resources and funding. Weve called on the state of Florida to increase funding to our schools by $2.5 billion a year for the next seven years. They havent done that. If they did that, we could hire enough school counselors, enough school social workers, enough school psychologists. We could raise the pay of our teachers and staff in our schools so we can deal with the teacher and staff shortage, and well have resources to put into place to make sure that our students are not misbehaving, Spar said. Next week, we will hear from local teachers about what they think needs to happen to keep everyone safer in our classrooms. Email 9 Investigates Ashlyn Webb at ashlyn.webb@wftv.com to share your story. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. In this image taken from video, Florida Power Light employees work inside the company's command center during a hurricane storm drill in West Palm Beach, Fla., Thursday, May 9, 2024. The company is preparing for this year's hurricane season by pretending a major storm already hit. (AP Photo/Cody Jackson) WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) Under blue skies, officials at Florida's largest power company dealt Thursday with the aftermath of a major hurricane that slammed into Miami and Fort Lauderdale or a pretend one, anyway. Florida Power & Light is conducting its annual mock hurricane drill this week, simulating how it would respond if a hurricane struck the state and devastated the power grid. Hurricane Benito, with 135 mph (215 kph) winds, did not really hit on Wednesday, but it was imagined to be even stronger than real hurricanes Idalia and Ian, which seriously damaged portions of the state over the past two years. Ian was one of the worst disasters ever to strike Florida, killing 150 people as it hit the Gulf Coast near Fort Myers in 2022, leaving millions without power. If Benito were a real storm, it likely would cause worse damage, as its imaginary path took it over the state's most-populated area. FPL's territory covers almost Florida's entire Atlantic Coast, much of its Gulf Coast south of Tampa and the far western Panhandle, where about 12 million people, or 55% of the population, reside. Every day we don't have a storm is a day we are preparing for one, said Ed DeVarona, FPL's vice president of power delivery. The National Hurricane Center is predicting the upcoming Atlantic and Gulf season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, will exceed the yearly average of seven tropical storms and seven hurricanes, and that three of the storms will be major. Not all hurricanes make landfall. In Thursday's drill, a computer simulated power outages. Crews working at FPL's emergency operations center had to assess the fake damage and dispatch imaginary crews to make repairs. FPL officials said making assessments has gotten easier over the past decade. Instead of relying on customers to report outages and then sending crews to drive through the area to pinpoint the damage, sensors now tell FPL immediately where there are blackouts and locate the cause. Drones are used to examine lines. These improvements lessen the time crews spend on each repair, meaning they can get more done in a day. Also, more lines are underground and most above-ground wires are anchored by metal or concrete poles, not wood. That means fewer major repairs are needed. I can honestly say that each of these tools ... make it easier for line workers like myself, said Mike Ochoa, a senior line specialist. John Swinney is facing a rebellion from the SNPs LGBT wing over his decision to make Kate Forbes his Deputy First Minister after she said she would have voted against gay marriage. Out for Independence, the partys official LGBT group, said it shared real concerns about her appointment and would be seeking urgent clarification from Mr Swinney and Ms Forbes. The group said it wanted assurances from the First Minister that controversial plans to ban conversion therapy would not be derailed. The Scottish Government plans to make it a criminal offence to attempt to change or suppress a persons gender identity. Its statement was issued shortly after the Scottish Greens warned Mr Swinney he risked reviving the repressive social attitudes of the 1950s by appointing her. Katie Forbes has expressed 'judgmental' views on the LGBT community, children born out of wedlock and abortion - SKULLY/ALAMY LIVE NEWS Patrick Harvie, the Greens co-leader, said Mr Swinney had sacked progressive ministers from his frontbench team and promoted someone who has opposed LGBT peoples legal equality as his second in command. Speaking at Mr Swinneys debut First Ministers Questions after replacing Humza Yousaf, Mr Harvie said Ms Forbes had expressed judgmental attitudes to abortion. He said the new Deputy First Minister, who is a devout Christian, had also expressed the view that people who have families without being married are doing something wrong. Mr Harvie, who was a minister in Humza Yousafs administration, asked Mr Swinney: Is this the Scottish Governments vision for the future of Scotland taking us back to the repressive values of the 1950s? The Greens later voted against Ms Forbes becoming Deputy First Minister, claiming LGBT people were afraid of Ms Forbess inclusion. However, her appointment was approved by 63 votes to 57. Mr Swinney said that he wanted to be First Minister for everyone in Scotland, regardless of their sexuality or marital status. Both he and Ms Forbes said later that they support those values. Ms Forbes, a member of the Free Church of Scotland, triggered uproar in last years SNP leadership contest with Mr Yousaf when she expressed opposition to gay marriage and children being born out of wedlock. She made clear she would not seek to roll back any rights but Mr Swinney questioned at the time whether her views made her an appropriate individual to be SNP leader and first minister. Scottish Greens accuse Kate Forbes of dragging SNP to 'repressive' era - JEFF J MITCHELL/GETTY IMAGES EUROPE The statement by Out for Independence said: We are aware of the real concerns within the LGBTQ+ community at the appointment of Kate Forbes as DFM [Deputy First Minister], given the views she has previously presented. We share those concerns. We will be seeking urgent clarification from the FM and DFM that our progressive LGBTQ+ policies such as a ban on conversion practices will not be stalled or removed from the programme of government. It said the group will be seeking to speak directly to FM John Swinney to address these fears and to make clear that, while we support him in his goal of uniting the party for independence, unity necessitates trust, clarity and equality. Mr Yousaf was forced to announce his resignation last week after botching the handling of his decision to end the SNPs power-sharing deal with the Greens. Mr Swinney was crowned as his successor as SNP leader and First Minister after Ms Forbes agreed not to stand against him. She extracted a high price for her cooperation, with Mr Swinney making her Deputy First Minister and Economy Secretary in his minority government. Mr Swinney has signalled he wants to drag the SNP back to the political centre ground and away from the hard-Left Greens agenda, which has centred on environmental and gender issues. Many LGBT people are worried Mr Harvie challenged him to come clean on the direction his Government will take, before attacking Ms Forbess views on gay marriage, abortion and childbirth outside of wedlock. Im not yet sure that the First Minister acknowledges or understands just how worried many LGBT people and others are in Scotland at the moment, he added. Mr Swinney told Mr Harvie: I want to lead a modern, dynamic and diverse Scotland, a place for everybody, where everybody feels at home, at peace, where they have a place and that their place in our society is protected by my leadership of this country. Describing his very deep Christian faith, he later told MSPs: Nothing can separate us from the love of God and we are equal in the eyes of God, every one of us. Pressed by reporters if Ms Forbes shared his progressive values, Mr Swinney said: Yes, she does actually. Ms Forbes said: I am here to support the First Minister and together we serve all communities in Scotland as we further and progress the rights of every community in Scotland, and I look forward to doing my part in achieving the Governments aims in that regard. Not just that, but when I joined Government yesterday in a clear role to support the First Minister, I signed up to collective responsibility, so I stand by the Governments decisions and agenda to improve and progress the rights of all of Scotlands communities. 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. CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. (WFXR) Captain Matt Mason looked across Curtis Merritt Harbor and reflected: Fishing is something Ive done my whole life. Mason, a charter fishing guide, has worked the sea for more than four decades, much of that guiding trips for summer flounder operating his business, Marshland Charters. Summer flounder is a species of fish native to the mid-Atlantic. Historically, their biomass was centered off the Virginia and North Carolina coasts. A study done by Virginia Tech researchers has found that biomass is shifting north because of warming ocean temperatures. While there is still a strong population of summer flounder, the migration has forced commercial fishermen and recreational guides to change. Well fish for flounder right on up to mid-June, even late June sometimes, said Mason. Then we get the whiting, kingfish we call them, they move in. Of course, the croakers and small blues, they move in also. Bass, Stripers, and Walleye! The Outdoors Bound Podcast with George Noleff Nets and traps at Merritt Harbor in Chincoteague, Virginia (Photo: George Noleff) Sportfishing guides like Mason have adapted by targeting other species, or by fishing for flounder earlier. We start earlier in the year, fishing the colder waters while the flounder are moving in, Mason said. Commercial harvesters have changed by running further north. Ocean harvest numbers are set at the federal level and come under the guidance of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Because historically, the bulk of the summer flounder biomass was off the Virginia and North Carolina coasts, commercial fishermen from both states had the highest harvest quotas. They still do, and many flounder are still commercially harvested from the waters of both states, but to fill the quotas, commercial netters are traveling waters off of New York and New Jersey. Though the fish are caught elsewhere, because they are brought to port in Virginia or North Carolina, they are counted as part of the Virginia or North Carolina quota. More Outdoors Bound Stories on WFXRtv.com Theyve either migrated or the center of their biomass has shifted northward, said Virginia Tech researcher Dr. Holly Kindsvater. Whereas historically, most flounder were off of Virginia and North Carolina, now theyre up off of Long Island and New Jersey, and even moving north toward Nantucket and Massachusetts. What that could mean is fisheries managers could shift flounder harvest quotas to fishermen in those states, as well. Commercial anglers are already adapting. Many have already fished for other species like black drum, croaker, and sea bass. Warming water temperatures have meant fish found further south are now showing up in Virginia waters. We used to catch no red snapper here, now we catch red snapper here, said commercial fisherman and restaurant owner Ray Twiford. The weathers changed. Its got warmer; more fish or different species showing up here all the time. Twiford owns Rays Shanty Restaurant near Chincoteague. He serves customers the fish and seafood he catches in his restaurant and at a seafood market he operates. Commercial fisherman Ray Twiford with a black drum he harvested (Photo: George Noleff) I enjoy it, it gives me peace to go out on the water to catch fish, Twiford said. It gives me something that I can serve to people that I can catch myself and know how fresh it is. On the Chesapeake Bay, there is a similar scenario playing out. Striped bass (striper) is a primary target for commercial and sport anglers there, and though striper numbers have dropped in recent years, the population remains strong. The weather has played a role in the drop. As harvest limits have changed, recreational guides have adapted by targeting other species along with striped bass. My bookings this spring are about 50 percent down, but were making it, said Captain Ray Carver of Loosen Up Charters in Deale, Maryland. Were trying to catch other species like blue catfish and cobia. VDCR offering sessions on nutrient management in June Carver fishes the Chesapeake where emergency regulations have been placed on striped bass to ensure larger fish have a chance to spawn because larger females generally produce more eggs. Carver says catching other species will provide income and provide recreational anglers the chance to experience fishing on the Chesapeake Bay. As for commercial harvest, Virginia is one of the top seafood producers in the country. The seafood industry accounts for a billion dollars a year in Virginia and produces thousands of jobs directly and indirectly. Virginia is the top oyster producer on the East Coast. Virginia producers supply many local seafood restaurants that have staked their reputations and their success on access to fresh seafood. Lisa MacGarvey is a manager at the Great Machipongo Clam Shack in Nassawadox. She says she has not seen a drop in local seafood availability, yet. The watermen culture here has a very rich and long history, said MacGarvey. We have amazing blue crabs, oysters, clams, all of that resource here fresh and local. Fresh Virginia seafood being breaded at the Great Machipongo Clam Shack (Photo: George Noleff) Oysters and clams make up a good part of what MacGarvey serves. While warming ocean temperatures could have an impact on them in the future, so far it has been minimal. Warmer temperatures have also created some opportunities. Until recently, there was no food-quality shrimp harvest in Virginia. That has changed, and for the past few years, a fledgling shrimping industry has sprouted in the Virginia Beach area. It is anticipated to grow. While shrimp are good news, it does little to offset what is happening in towns along the Chesapeake and the Atlantic where commercial and recreational fishing have provided the backbone of the local economy. While numbers and biomass are shifting, species like flounder are still there, just not in the way they were before. I always try to emphasize this is a productive stock; that the fish grows incredibly fast, it should be able to be fished sustainably, Kindsvater said. The torch will be passed: Son of Outdoors TV legend will take the reins We have a lot of people come from out of town because the eastern shore is usually where we catch the first flounder, said Jimmy Vasiliou of Captain Steves Bait and Tackle in Chincoteague. While people in places like Chincoteague are still having to adapt by targeting other species and changing the time of year they fish, they are also embracing tourism, especially eco-tourism. Chincoteague is connected to Assateague Island and the Atlantic seashore by a causeway. Assateague is known around the world for its herd of wild ponies. There is no development on the beach. It is natural and pristine and sits within the Assateague Island National Seashore, part of the U.S. National Park Service. Dozens of hotels have been built on Chincoteague in the past decade, and much of the tourism is directed at the eco-tourism opportunities on Assateague, as well as the wild horses. For a village once known for only its fishing, survival has meant a shift to tourism. They are smart people that live here and have worked on the water for generations, said Cindy Faith. Faith is the Executive Director of the Museum of Chincoteague Island and it is her job to chronicle and preserve the history of the island. She says change is inevitable and Chincoteague will evolve to meet the challenge. They know how to pivot, and I think thats whats happening here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. Former aide and consultant close to U.S. Rep. Cuellar plead guilty and agree to aid investigation FILE - Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, speaks during a hearing of the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Capitol Hill, April 10, 2024, in Washington. In a statement released Friday, May 3, Cuellar denied any wrongdoing amid reports of pending indictments related to the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) AUSTIN, Texas (AP) A top former aide to U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar and a political and business consultant have agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to help the Democrat congressman from Texas launder more than $200,000 in bribes and to assist prosecutors in a federal criminal investigation, according to court documents unsealed this week. Colin Strother, Cuellar's former chief of staff and campaign manager, and Florencia Rendon, a business consultant and former chief of staff for former U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz, struck plea deals in March to ensure their cooperation in a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into Cuellar and his wife. The Cuellars have been charged with accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a bank in Mexico, in exchange for advancing the interests of the country and the bank in the U.S. Cuellar, 68, has said he and his wife Imelda Cuellar, 67, are innocent. In addition to bribery and conspiracy, the couple face charges including wire fraud conspiracy, acting as agents of foreign principals and money laundering. If convicted, they face up to decades in prison and forfeiture of any property linked to proceeds from the alleged scheme. The plea agreements by Strother, 50, and Rendon, 73, are related to laundering money from Mexico. The agreements were ordered unsealed on Wednesday. Both men agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Strother faces up to five years in prison, and Rendon faces up to 20 years. Investigators said Rendon and Cuellar were at a conference in Mexico City in 2015 when they hatched a plan to arrange meetings with executives of Mexican banks needing help with transfers of money from Mexican workers and to draft fake contracts for consulting services to be provided by Imelda Cuellar. According to the indictment against the Cuellars, she performed little or no legitimate work in exchange for payment. Rendon knew the contract was a sham consulting contract and that the payments of $15,000 per month were made to funnel money to Cuellar, the plea agreement said. Rendon would send $11,000 a month to Strother, who would in turn transfer monthly payments to the Cuellars of $10,000. From March 2016 to February 2018, Strother transferred nearly $215,000 to the Cuellars, according to the plea agreement. At one point in 2018, Cuellar confronted Strother in a restaurant parking lot about missed payments to his wife, and Strother produced a spreadsheet on his phone to assure him the payments were up to date, the plea deal said. As long as Strother and Rendon tell the truth, we are not worried, Cuellar attorney Chris Flood said. At the right time the Judge in this case will warn everyone about the credibility of Strother and Rendon if they dont. Attorneys for Strother and Rendon did not immediately return email and telephone messages seeking comment. Cuellar and his wife surrendered to authorities last week and were briefly taken into custody. They made an initial appearance before a federal judge in Houston and were each released on $100,000 bond. The FBI searched the congressmans house in the border city of Laredo in 2022, and Cuellars attorney at that time said Cuellar was not the target of that investigation. Everything I have done in Congress has been to serve the people of South Texas, Cuellar said last week. Before I took action, I proactively sought legal advice from the House Ethics Committee, who gave me more than one written opinion, along with an additional opinion from a national law firm." Cuellar, one of the last anti-abortion Democrats in Congress, narrowly defeated progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros by fewer than 300 votes in a primary race in 2022. HARTSVILLE, S.C. (WBTW) A former Coker University employee is suing the school in federal court alleging that she was fired and routinely harassed because of her race after questioning the handling of the schools Carryforward Fund. Attorney Donald Gist filed the 10-page lawsuit Monday in U.S. District Court in Florence on behalf of Rennie McManus-McCoy. The lawsuit claims the university breached its contract with her, discriminated against her by creating a hostile work environment and violated her civil rights. McManus-McCoy was the universitys director of student support services in 2022-23. In that role, the lawsuit says she was responsible for managing the Carryforward Fund, which helped cover services for students. The lawsuit claims that one of McManus-McCoys supervisors undermined her efforts to manage the fund and that the university disregarded the needs and requirements of the Carryforward Fund. Specifically, McManus-McCoys lawsuit said she told the university about grant requirements but that officials continued with actions and practices entirely contrary to the prescribed guidelines and began to actively retaliate against her after she complained about the alleged violations. McManus-McCoy then complained to the schools human resources department and the vice president of finance, the lawsuit said. That allegedly led to even more harassment. McManus-McCoy also claims in the lawsuit that she was treated differently than her white colleagues and that the university failed to protect her from continued harassment by her supervisor. According to the lawsuit, the university promised McManus-McCoy that her complaints would be addressed but failed to follow through on that promise in any substantive or meaningful way. McManus-McCoy was placed on a performance improvement plan in November, but the lawsuit says the university never complained about the quality of her work or questioned her professional judgment from the time she was hired in October 2022. It also claims the university failed to provide McCoy-McManus with clear direction on projects and did not evaluate her negatively, leading her to think her job performance met or exceeded the expectations and requirements of her position. During a meeting with human resources officials in November, the lawsuit alleges that officials accused McManus-McCoy of being more concerned about spending money than her students. Then, in December, the lawsuit said McManus-McCoy began steps to request time off per the Family and Medical Leave Act. She was to submit her request on Dec. 27 but was fired on Dec. 14., even though her performance improvement plan was not scheduled to be completed until Feb. 7. The lawsuit claims that the university agents breached the terms of her contract and fired McManus-McCoy on the pretextual and fraudulent basis of poor job performance. The lawsuit seeks back pay, front pay, and future earnings with cost-of-living adjustments, along with interest, fringe benefits, retirement benefits, attorney fees, and other litigation expenses. News13 has reached out to Coker University about the lawsuit and the university responded saying that at this time, they have not been served with a lawsuit. Count on News13 for updates. * * * Taylor Ford is a digital journalist for News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2023. Taylor is a Florence native and covers the Pee Dee out of News13s Florence Bureau. Read more of Taylors work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A former Columbus police officer learned his fate after pleading guilty to kidnapping two women and then forcing them to perform sexual acts. A federal judge in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Ohio sentenced Andrew Mitchell to 11 years in prison. The judge also sentenced Mitchell, who was ordered to pay $300 in restitution, to five years of supervised release for the two counts of depriving civil rights and three years of supervised release for tampering with a witness. Were not surprised with the 11 years. Our client understands it. Hes a bit disappointed, but hes going to do exactly what he has to do and continue to be the model inmate, said defense attorney Mark Collins. Man arrested in attempted murder that police say was payback for brothers death The charges stem from a lawsuit claiming that Mitchell, of Sunbury, kidnapped two women under the guise of arrest for prostitution, and then forced them to perform sexual acts for their freedom, Mitchell, who was indicted in a separate case on charges of murder and voluntary manslaughter in April 2019, was indicted on federal charges one week later. Any time a defendant gets sentenced, theres a collateral damage and his family and the child is obviously collateral damage. But the reality is theres way more damage that Mitchell himself did. So Im frankly not very sympathetic, said prosecuting attorney Kevin Kelley. Mitchell, who has been incarcerated in Butler County Jail since 2019, reportedly had two people clean his apartment so that evidence could not be gathered in a search warrant. According to a release from the U.S. Attorneys office, the individuals disposed of evidence including photos, clothing, bedding and rental records, and used bleach extensively in the apartment to clean a bed, couch, ottoman and floor. Mitchell, who was originally charged with three counts of depriving civil rights, five counts of tampering with a witness, victim, or informant, two counts of influence, and one count of destruction or removal of property to prevent seizure, pleaded guilty on Dec. 7 to two counts of depriving civil rights and one count of tampering with a witness. He had previously rejected a plea deal offered at the end of November before changing his plea to guilty the following month. Andrew Mitchell This Oct. 2, 2018, photo shows what is left of an impromptu memorial to the late Donna Castleberry near the scene of her August shooting death behind an apartment house in Columbus, Ohio. Castleberrys familyis still waiting for more information about her death at the hands of an undercover Columbus police officer in the officers unmarked car in August. The FBI is investigating the agencys vice squad after that incident and the July arrest of porn actress Stormy Daniels. (AP Photo/Andrew Welsh-Huggins) Andrew Mitchell Donna Castleberrys family reacts to indictment of Andrew Mitchell in 2019 (NBC4 Photo) A witness to killing of Donna Castleberry says she has been threatened since the shooting. Former Columbus police officer Andrew Mitchell testifies during his murder trial in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas on April 11, 2022. He faces murder and voluntary manslaughter charges in the shooting death of Donna Castleberry, 23, on Aug. 23, 2018. (NBC4 Photo) The defense team for Mitchell, 60, asked that the judge consider the lowest or near the lowest amount of prison time in the prosecutions recommendation of seven-to-11 years in prison. In a sentencing memorandum filed April 26, the defense council cited Mitchells age, character and having no prior record among the reasons for a lighter sentence. Prior to his sentencing in federal court Thursday, Mitchell, who will not be required to register as a sex offender, apologized and accepted responsibility for his actions. Hours after Mitchell changed his plea, the Columbus Division of Police released a statement about its former officer. Andrew Mitchell betrayed his oath, the values of the Columbus Division of Police and the trust of our community. He used his position to target and exploit some of the most vulnerable in our community. We hope the close of this dark, painful chapter brings some measure of peace to everyone he wronged. Family of four escapes north Columbus home destroyed in overnight fire Mitchell was also accused of shooting and killing Donna Castleberry during a 2018 prostitution sting, but was cleared by a Franklin County jury in April. Castleberry died during what was originally described as an undercover prostitution operation. Police said Mitchell was attempting to take Castleberry into custody inside of an unmarked vehicle in the area of Bellows and South Yale Avenue. Police said Castleberry stabbed Mitchell in the hand in the moments leading up to the shooting. No, theres no justice because my sister will never be back. Shes gone forever. The only justice that could have possibly been served would have been his life in jail, said Castleberrys sister Bobbi McCalla. The former Vice Unit officer went to trial twice in Franklin County Common Pleas Court for the killing of Castleberry, before being found not guilty of murder and voluntary manslaughter. In the initial proceedings in April 2022, the judge declared a mistrial when the jury reported three separate times that it was deadlocked. Mitchells cases and the 2018 arrest of porn actress Stormy Daniels were among controversies that ultimately led to the Columbus Division of Police abolishing its Vice Unit. Mitchell retired from the division the day after CPD announced the disbandment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Rep. Chris Cannon, of the 3rd Congressional District, during a debate with his challenger Beau Babka at KBYU studios in Provo, Utah, Oct. 27, 2004. Cannon died unexpectedly Wednesday evening, his brother Joe Cannon confirmed. | Stuart Johnson Chris Cannon, a former representative for Utahs 3rd Congressional District from 1997 until 2009, died unexpectedly Wednesday evening, his brother Joe Cannon confirmed to the Deseret News. Cannon was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Oct. 20, 1950. He attended Brigham Young University for an undergraduate degree and subsequently a law degree. He also attended Harvard Business School. Prior to running for Congress, he was an associate solicitor for the Department of the Interior, from 1984-1986. He played a significant role in acquiring Geneva Steel from U.S. Steel. In 1996, he defeated Democrat Bill Orton by four points and went on to be reelected five times. He was ultimately defeated by Jason Chaffetz in the 2008 primary election and came within less than one-tenth of a percentage point to losing at that years GOP convention. In 1999, Cannon was a member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, and became one of 13 House managers who prosecuted the case against President Bill Clinton in his impeachment trial. He became the chair of the Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee in January 2003 and held that position until he left office. He also served on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property, the House Government Reform Committee, the Subcommittees on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources as well as Regulatory Affairs. Cannon was also a member of the House Resources Committee, serving on the Energy and Mineral Resources and Forests and Forest Health Subcommittees and was elected chair of the Western Caucus. Since his time in Congress, he stayed busy with a number of business and consulting activities. He also loved being a grandfather, associates say. Speaking of Cannons death, Gov. Spencer Cox posted on social media: Abby and I were saddened to learn that Former Congressman Chris Cannon passed yesterday. Congressman Cannon worked hard for the people of Utah, and was a dedicated public servant working on criminal justice, drug policy, regulatory reform and other issues during his time in the House of Representatives. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. My heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Rep. Chris Cannon, posted Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson. He was a great leader and dedicated representative who served his community with passion and integrity. Sen. Mike Lee said on X that he was stunned and saddened by the breaking news of the death of his friend. I will miss his insights, encouragement, and friendship. Sharon and I mourn with his wife, Claudia, along with the couples children and extended family, all of whom are in our prayers as we who knew him try to come to terms with this heartbreaking news. Former Congressman Jason Chaffetz, who defeated Cannon, posted that he hoped we all can thank him for his valiant, patriotic work fighting for the USA. May blessings be with his family. Current representative for the 3dd Congressional District, Rep. John Curtis, said: I am saddened to learn of Chris passing. He was one of a kind. A visionary with big ideas coupled with personality and thoughtful humor. He served the residents of Utahs Third Congressional District well. Cannons former chief of staff from 2003-2008, Joe Hunter, had this to say: In Congress, Chris Cannon was a fighter tough and, yes, stubborn. Privately, he was a different guy. He couldnt walk past a homeless person without digging into his pocket. It took forever to get to lunch or dinner on Capitol Hill. And ... he was really funny. RIP my friend. Cannon is survived by his wife, Claudia and seven of their eight children. His daughter Rachel died from cancer in 2005. Funeral arrangements are pending. This is a developing story and will be updated. A Pakistani expert hails China's green development, saying China is learning from nature and implementing an eco-friendly approach that benefits both current and future generations. Produced by Xinhua Global Service The former head of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency is headed back to school, so to speak. Vanderbilt University on May 8 named retired Army Gen. Paul Nakasone as the director of its nascent Institute for National Defense and Global Security, describing him as one of the nations founding cyberwarriors. Nakasone is expected to join the university June 1, shortly before the institute officially opens its doors. It will be associated with the engineering school but will welcome input from all disciplines, according to an announcement. The move by Nakasone follows a six-year stint overseeing elite military hackers and global intelligence collection. The retired general was last year a keynote speaker at the Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats. Cyberattacks on Guam could sap US forces in Indo-Pacific, Nakasone says The security landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace and in unknown directions, Nakasone said in a statement. To meet these challenges, it is imperative that we approach them in a highly interdisciplinary way. Before stepping down from CYBERCOM and the NSA, Nakasone warned that Chinese cyberattacks on critical infrastructure in Guam or other Indo-Pacific footholds could cripple U.S. military capabilities in the region. He also advocated for a renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a contentious foreign spy program. The measure allows the U.S. government to collect and review communications like emails and text messages of foreigners abroad, including when they are in touch with Americans. Nakasone in December described it as the most important authority that we utilize day in, day out. Former Dothan Fire Medic arrested once again on theft charges HOUSTON COUNTY, Ala (WDHN) A former Dothan Fire Medic facing theft and computer tampering charges from two separate arrests was arrested again this week. On Wednesday, Houston County Sheriffs deputies arrested and charged Jesse Taylor with four counts of theft. Last year, Taylor pleaded guilty to stealing fentanyl from the Dothan Fire Department, where he worked as a fire medic, in 2022. While out on bond for his first theft charge, Taylor was arrested again alongside a Dothan City Official. He was accused of tampering with the county-wide first responder alert system by diverting sensitive messages and information to his device. He also pled guilty to these charges in 2023. Taylor will go in front of Houston County Judge Christopher Richardson on June 18 to discuss the possibility of him receiving probation on his original charges. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com. Making friends with Democrats has not been an emphasis for former President Donald Trump, but he has one nonetheless in a former Illinois governor. Visiting Trump in Mar-a-Lago this weekend with prominent Republicans like House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich is backing the GOP presidential candidate in the November election. Blagojevich served as governor from 2003 through 2009 when he was impeached and ultimately removed for corruption from office by the Illinois General Assembly. His removal from office was prompted by two dozen charges including extorting a childrens hospital for campaign funds and attempting to sell then-President-Elect Barack Obamas U.S. Senate seat. Then-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich speaks with supporters and the press in Peoria in February 2006. Blagojevich recently backed former President Trump during a Mar-a-Lago visit. More: 'He would welcome in anybody.' Friends, family say goodbye to Springfield teen fatally shot A federal judge set a 14-year sentence that was commuted by Trump in 2020, Blagojevich only serving eight years. The former governor endorsed Trump that year and has repeatedly claimed the four indictments against the former president have been politically motivated. What they did to me pales in comparison to what they are doing to President Trump and to our Democracy.Using weaponized prosecutors and courts to interfere in elections has no place in America. Forever grateful to President Trump. pic.twitter.com/lTOwcYAaRF Rod Blagojevich (@realBlagojevich) April 29, 2024 Trump is currently searching for a vice president candidate and, while Blagojevich is an unlikely candidate, he does have the ability to hold federal office. Yet, his removal from office by the Illinois General Assembly meant he could never hold state or local office again, which a federal judge upheld in a March ruling. Not surprisingly, Gov. JB Pritzker won't be joining Blagojevich in backing Trump. Pritzker is a surrogate for President Joe Biden's campaign. "If you think about what happened to jobs, what happened to the economy as a result of Donald Trump's leadership? Nobody wants to go back to that," he said at an unrelated event on Tuesday. Contact Patrick M. Keck: 312-549-9340, pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich endorses Donald Trump Patric Ferguson (in red) speaks through a clear barrier with defense attorney Lauren Fuchs after a court appearance on Jan. 14, 2021. He later leaned around the barrier to communicate better. Ferguson is accused of carrying out a kidnapping and killing while on duty as a Memphis Police Department officer. Fuchs said he's pleading not guilty. A former Memphis police officer was federally indicted Wednesday in connection to a 2021 kidnapping, killing and attempted cover-up, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee said in a press release. Patric Ferguson was indicted on civil rights violations, kidnapping and weapons offenses, along with conspiring with a civilian to cover up the killing and destroying evidence. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Ferguson was on duty when he "kidnapped and shot R.H. in the head, resulting in R.H.'s death." R.H. are the initials for the victim, identified in state court documents as Robert Howard. "Ferguson then allegedly conspired with [Joshua] Rodgers to cover up the fatal shooting by disposing of R.H.'s body in the Wolf River in Memphis," the press release read. "The indictment further alleges that Rogers disposed of the car used to transport R.H.'s body by selling the car at a scrap metal dealership." More: On-duty Memphis Police Department officer accused in man's kidnapping and killing Ferguson was criminally charged at the state level days after the Jan. 5, 2021 shooting. He faces first-degree murder, especially aggravated kidnapping, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, official misconduct and official oppression charges. Though Ferguson was charged and later indicted, the state case has not yet been resolved. It is currently assigned to Shelby County Criminal Court Division 9, which was former Judge Melissa Boyd's courtroom. Boyd resigned in April after facing drug allegations and criminal harassment charges. An affidavit in the state case said Ferguson had incriminating evidence on his cell phone, including searches about how to clean crime scenes and destroy evidence. "Evidence was obtained showing Ferguson purchased cinder blocks, chains and padlocks at a hardware store which investigators later found were used by Ferguson to hide evidence," the affidavit read. "Additionally, surveillance video was obtained by investigators which captured the shooting of the victim while Ferguson was on-duty." More: MPD officer accused of homicide had a minor disciplinary record, recently released documents say The affidavit also said Ferguson gave up his Miranda rights to remain silent and told investigators that he went to the victim's home, encountered him outside, and forced him into the back of the vehicle. "Ferguson then drove to a nearby location where he shot the victim while in the back of the patrol car," the affidavit read. "Ferguson then drove to a nearby location where deposited the victim before later coming back to move the body." He also confessed to recruiting a friend to help move the body. The affidavit says Rogers likewise gave up his Miranda rights and admitted to helping Ferguson move the body "from the first location to Rogers' residence." Rodgers has been out on a $400,000 bail since June 2023. Lucas Finton is a criminal justice reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Lucas.Finton@commercialappeal.com, or (901)208-3922, and followed on X, formerly known as Twitter, @LucasFinton. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Former Memphis cop Patric Ferguson federally indicted for 2021 murder Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt speaks at the awarding of the Josef Neuberger Medal 2022 to H.-J. Watzke in the synagogue. Henning Kaiser/dpa The president of the Conference of European Rabbis, Pinchas Goldschmidt, is due to receive the International Charlemagne Prize in the German city of Aachen on Thursday morning. The Jewish communities in Europe are to be honoured together with the 60-year-old rabbi. The award is intended to send a signal that Jewish life belongs to Europe and that there should be no place for anti-Semitism in Europe, the Charlemagne Prize board of directors explained in its statement. German Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama are expected to give the keynote speech. The award also honours Goldschmidt's commitment to interreligious exchange, for example with Muslim representatives and Pope Francis. Goldschmidt was chief rabbi of Moscow for many years. He left the country after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The honour has been awarded for services to Europe since 1950. The award of honour comes with a certificate and a gold medal. Many former and current heads of state are among the recipients: France's Emmanuel Macron, Poland's Donald Tusk, the late German chancellor Helmut Kohl, former US president Bill Clinton and former British prime minister Tony Blair. Pope Francis and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have also received the award. The award is named after Charlemagne (748-814), whose empire extended over a large part of Western Europe. He often resided in Aachen, now located directly on the border to Belgium and the Netherlands. A former employee of the prominent open source software provider Red Hat filed a lawsuit in federal court Wednesday, claiming he was a victim of Red Hats discriminatory employment policies. Kingsley Wood, who is white, started at the Raleigh-based company in 2015 and most recently worked as a senior sales director. In the lawsuit, Wood alleges that Red Hats emphasis on achieving a more racial and gender diverse workforce contributed to his termination last September. According to the claim, Red Hat aims to have women make up 30% of its global staff and people of color comprise 30% of its U.S. workforce by 2028. Wood accuses his former employer of violating Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which bars discrimination based on race, color, religion or sex. One of the law firms representing Wood in the case is America First Legal, which is headed by Stephen Miller, a Duke University graduate, who served as a senior adviser for former President Donald Trump. In December, America First Legal filed a federal civil rights complaint against IBM, Red Hats parent company, the day after a leaked video from 2021 showed IBM CEO Arvind Krishna and Red Hat CEO Paul Cormier detailing their approaches to achieving a more racially diverse staff. In its latest annual report, IBM describes using a diversity modifier in its executive incentive program, which financially benefits leaders whose hiring efforts better reflect the diversity of their communities. In the 2021 leaked video, published by right-wing political activist and Project Veritas founder James OKeefe, Krishna explained executives who increase the percentage of underrepresented employees and woman would receive a plus on your bonus. In the same virtual meeting, Cormier said some Red Hat executives were let go for not being willing to live up to the standards that we set in this space. Ill be candid, he said. Without exception for privacy, I could name multiple leaders over the last year-plus that were held accountable to the point that theyre no longer here at Red Hat. In a May 3 email, IBM told The News & Observer it had no comment beyond whats in our impact report. Headquartered in downtown Raleigh, Red Hat is open about its investment in diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, hiring efforts. We believe that the more diverse we are, the better we can innovate, serve customers, and contribute to the open source communities in which we participate, the company states on its website. Every day, were working to be a more diverse and inclusive company. In April 2023, Red Hat announced layoffs impacting 4% of its workforce or more than 700 employees. Wood was notified his position was going to be eliminated on July 17. These allegations are baseless, as neither race nor gender played any role in the decision to end this individuals employment with Red Hat, company spokesperson Stephanie Wonderlick said in an email Thursday. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated by Red Hat or IBM, and it has no place in the cultures or practices of either organization. Woods lawsuit against Red Hat alleges other white, male employees lost their jobs at Red Hat around the same time as him. Before being terminated, Wood was working from his home in Idaho after he refused to follow the companys COVID-19 vaccine requirements. In February, Wood filed a discrimination charge against Red Hat with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over his termination. Red Hat employees walk back to their Raleigh headquarters in October 2018. Travis Long/tlong@newsobserver.com@newsobser As the vaccine requirement debate has ebbed, rhetoric around university and corporate DEI policies has heated up over the past year. In an interview last week with Time magazine, former President Trump vowed, if reelected, to combat what he called a definite anti-white feeling in the United States. Its not an easy time to be a champion of diversity, equity and inclusion, the Raleigh corporate culture consulting firm The Diversity Movement wrote in an email earlier this year. In addition to the ongoing effort to repeal DEI initiatives across the University of North Carolina System, several large companies have cut back the diversity programs they had previously bolstered following the 2020 murder of George Floyd. Yvonne Jackson, founder of the corporate culture consulting firm SocialEDG in Chapel Hill, said companies DEI efforts have often mistakenly been viewed through a social justice lens, rather than from a profit-generating perspective. Everyone wants a competitive advantage, she said. But the goal is how to stop looking at equity, diversity, inclusion as a means to just keep people happy, but actually use these to make sure your business is competitive. In the Spotlight designates ongoing topics of high interest that are driven by The News & Observers focus on accountability reporting. Former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) was charged for allegedly lying to the FBI about an illegal campaign contribution, months after an appeals court wiped out his previous conviction. A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., indicted Fortenberry on Wednesday on two counts in connection with statements he gave during interviews about a foreign billionaires illegal $30,200 donation to his 2016 congressional campaign. A jury in Los Angeles previously convicted him in 2022 following a federal investigation, but a federal appeals court overturned the case in late 2023, ruling Fortenberry was not tried in the proper venue. Chad Kolton, a spokesperson for Fortenberry, argued the case should not have been tried again after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled so decisively to reverse the conviction. This case has defined overzealous prosecution from the earliest days of the investigation, and retrying it in D.C. just highlights the prosecutors vindictive obsession with destroying a good mans life, Kolton wrote in a statement shared with The Hill. Federal prosecutors should have better things to do than force a distinguished former public servant to incur massive additional legal costs despite already having resigned his office and performed his sentence from a conviction that was ultimately overturned, he added. Following the 2022 conviction, Fortenberry resigned from his seat and was sentenced to two years of probation, a $25,000 fine and 320 hours of community service. The charges center on statements Fortenberry gave to authorities as they investigated the $30,200 donation to the former congressmans campaign at a 2016 fundraising event in California from Gilbert Chagoury, a Nigerian businessperson. Federal election law prohibits foreign nationals from making contributions in support of any candidate for a federal elected office in the U.S. When speaking with the FBI in his Nebraska home and his lawyers office in D.C., Fortenberry claimed he was unaware of any illegal contributions to his campaign, according to the indictment. Court filings, however, show the bureau listened into an earlier phone call in which a cooperating witness informed Fortenberry that the Nigerian businessman was the likely source of the $30,200 donation. Fortenberry now faces two counts falsifying and concealing material facts and making false statements, per the indictment. The Hill has reached out to the Justice Department for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality is working to address the environmental concerns posed by the Cottonport Monofill site in Avoyelles Parish. LDEQ said the former waste tire facility, abandoned in 2015, poses risks due to thousands of stacked waste tires and tire chips on the property. LDEQ Secretary Aurelia S. Giacometto has formed Tiger Teams. LDEQ said they will develop an action plan to fix this and other long-ignored sites across the state. Giacometto visited the Cottonport Monofill site in mid-April. During her visit, she met with state senators and the mayor of Cottonport. LDEQ said the goal was to speed up solutions to the sites environmental challenges. Oscar Magee, the team leader for the Cottonport Monofill Legacy Project, said they are assessing the site and exploring ways to close it. Magee said they want to keep the environment healthy for Louisiana residents. Gonzales residents express concern about continuing red dust problem The Cottonport Monofill facility joins other environmental sites. The LDEQ has identified them as priorities for remediation, also known as Legacy Projects. The red dust issue with LAlumina, LLC in Ascension Parish is also on the Legacy Project list, LDEQ said. According to LDEQ, Giacometto created these Legacy Projects to confront old environmental concerns. These concerns were caused by abandoned or unresolved hazardous facilities. LDEQ said the team aims to use effective solutions and restore specific hazardous sites to meet Louisianas standards. Latest News For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to BRProud.com. Seven hospitals in Tarrant County will start using a new system to keep birthing mothers safer and keep parents more informed at every stage of the labor and delivery process. The protocol, known as TeamBirth, is in use in more than 150 hospitals across the United States and emphasizes using a simple tool: a white board in the hospital delivery room. The board includes information that parents-to-be might otherwise not know, like the names of the nurse and doctor, said Amber Weiserth, TeamBirth director. The board also includes information about the parents preferences, such as if the new mother wants immediate skin-to-skin contact with the newborn. The TeamBirth system emphasizes a three key components to include birthing parents in decisions about their own deliveries, Weisert said. First, all huddles involving doctors, nurses, and other health care providers happen at the patients bedside, and not out in the hallway out of the patients earshot. Second, there is has to be clear verbal and written through the whiteboard communication between doctor and patient. And lastly, the patient has to be involved in making any decisions about their care, like whether a C-section is appropriate. United Way announced Thursday that seven Tarrant County hospitals would begin using the TeamBirth system. The hospitals that will begin using the system are JPS Health Network, Baylor Scott and White All Saints Fort Worth, and multiple hospitals with the Texas Health Resources system, including Texas Health Fort Worth, Texas Health Southwest, Texas Health Arlington Memorial, Texas Health HEB and Texas Health Alliance. The system should be up and running at all seven hospitals by January 2025, said Leah King, the president and CEO of United Way. The hospitals are the first in Texas to start using the TeamBirth system, King said. An eighth hospital, The cornerstone of the TeamBirth approach, Weiserth said Thursday, is better communication. Has anybody gone to a doctor, and they go out in the hallway, and you know theyre talking about you? Weiserth asked. Team Birth doesnt allow that. We ask that all decisions and conversations be at the bedside by the patient. With them, not about them. By improving communication between the birthing parent and the doctor, experts said people giving birth can have safer deliveries where they are better able to advocate for themselves. Most of the time when there is a medical error, theres a communication issue, said Dr. Angela Chien, the medical director for the Foundation for Health Care Quality. Chien works as an OB/GYN in one of the first hospitals to pilot the program. In hospitals that have used the protocol, both patients and doctors have said the system has improved communication. About 84% of health care providers said they the process clarified C-section decision-making, according to TeamBirth data. The protocol is the United Ways second major program to tackle Tarrant Countys high maternal mortality rate. United Way recently announced a partnership with the Child Poverty Action Lab to train Fort Worth residents to be doulas in their communities. More than 100 doulas have been trained through the United Ways new program, and four trained doulas have been hired through United Ways program and are now working in Fort Worth. Both initiatives received funding through the federal COVID assistance program, the American Rescue Plan Act. School officials say the Uplift Ascend Preparatory campus in Fort Worth is safe and secure after a student allegedly brought a weapon to school Thursday. The charter school was placed on lockdown after the campus received reports of a student with a weapon, Uplift Ascend officials wrote in a letter sent to parents. The student was immediately removed from class and the school notified Fort Worth police, according to the letter. When Fort Worth police responded to the scene, officers apprehended a male student without incident. According to a police call log, police received a call about 2:30 p.m. reporting that a student had a gun at the campus at 3301 Turf Paradise Parkway, in south Fort Worth. More top stories from our newsroom: Sheriff Waybourn should release jail death video or 'he needs to resign' Fort Worth stinks at trash collection, 'missed pickups' Are these Austins best tacos? Cult favorite coming to Fort Worth [Get our breaking news alerts.] The letter says the school is addressing the matter with the student and his family. We take matters like this very seriously and take the safety and security of your scholars and our staff with the highest sense of urgency, the letter states. School officials at Uplift Ascend told parents counselors are available to provide emotional support to students who would like to speak to someone. SANAA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group announced on Thursday that they have conducted attacks on three vessels associated with Israel in the Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean, and Arabian Sea. According to Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea, the operation was a coordinated effort involving naval, drone, and missile forces. The first two vessels, identified as the MSC DIEGO and MSC GINA, were located in the Gulf of Aden. The third vessel, the MSC VITTORIA, was reportedly struck twice, once in the Indian Ocean and again in the Arabian Sea. Sarea did not provide specific dates or times for the attacks but claimed the strikes were precise. Sarea also vowed readiness to intensify military actions in support of the Palestinian people. Meanwhile, an early report from the British Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said MSC GINA and MSC DIEGO, both Panama-flagged container vessels, were attacked by two missiles on Tuesday when traversing the Gulf of Aden. "Neither was hit, and all crew on board are safe," the UKMTO added. The Houthi group, which has taken control of several northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, has been targeting ships linked to Israel since the previous year, citing solidarity with the Palestinian cause. Recently, the group has also threatened actions against similar vessels in the Mediterranean. U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, with his wife, Celeste, at his side, talks to reporters just after a federal jury found him guilty. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN Former U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry faces refiled charges from a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., for allegedly lying to FBI agents about illegal foreign money raised for his 2016 congressional campaign. The grand jury charged Fortenberry with two felonies: falsifying and concealing material facts and making false statements to federal investigators. A federal appeals court had overturned his convictions for three felonies from March 2023 because prosecutors pursued the case in California, where the questionable fundraiser took place and not where the congressman allegedly lied. The court left open the possibility of prosecutors filing the charges again in either Nebraska or Washington. Fortenberrys conversations with federal investigators took place in 2019 at his Lincoln home and at his lawyers office in D.C. The charges allege Fortenberry did not spur his campaign to correct campaign finance forms with accurate information. Based on the new charges and recordings and testimony from his trial in California, Fortenberry denied any knowledge of illegal contributions from the California fundraiser. He did the same during the follow-up interview at his lawyers office in D.C. Recording could be key At trial, prosecutors played a recording of Fortenberry from 2018 speaking by phone with the organizer of the California fundraiser and being told that the $30,000 raised was likely illegal and had been delivered in a paper sack. Part of why Fortenberry was charged with lying, the charges allege, is that he denied being told by the organizer what the recording revealed he had been told. He also denied being aware of the illicit contribution during the fundraiser. Fortenberry argued at trial that he had a bad connection and may have misheard the call. FBI agents began looking into potential foreign contributions to federal campaigns in 2015 from Lebanese billionaire Gilbert Chagoury, who lives in France. Federal law prohibits raising foreign money for federal races. The charges say that Fortenberry had become aware that Chagoury was the source of the money and that the organizer had been distributing money from a foreign national and kept asking to host another fundraiser. Fortenberry had long supported the mission of Chagourys organization, In Defense of Christians, which works to protect Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East. Prosecutors had no immediate comment. Charges called overzealous Fortenberrys spokesman, Chad Kolton, described the charges as political and overzealous. He said prosecutors were dragging Jeff Fortenberry around the country to face one trial after another until it can secure a conviction that holds up. He said that the case should never have been prosecuted the first time and that it should have been dropped after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the California convictions. He blamed the Biden administration and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. Federal prosecutors should have better things to do than force a distinguished former public servant to incur massive additional legal costs despite already having resigned his office and performed his sentence from a conviction that was ultimately overturned, Kolton said. US v. Fortenberry_Indictment_5.8.24 The post Fortenberry charged again for lying after 2016 fundraiser collected foreign funds appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. A paleoartistic reconstruction of the newly named genus Santuccimeryx elissae, standing in front of hackberry bushes. (Illustration by Benji Paysnoe) A paleoartistic reconstruction of the newly named genus Santuccimeryx elissae, standing in front of hackberry bushes. (Illustration by Benji Paysnoe) INTERIOR A team of researchers studying fossil remains found by an intern in South Dakotas Badlands National Park have discovered a previously unknown type of tiny, hornless deer that lived in the area 32 million years ago, the National Park Service announced Thursday. Researchers from the park, the American Museum of Natural History, and California State Polytechnic University say the remains are a new genus. Mattison Shreero and Ed Welsh of Badlands National Park headed the research, which was published this week in the Proceedings of the South Dakota Academy of Science. Park Ranger Mattison Shreero (left) and Education Specialist Ed Welsh hold the fossilized skull found at Badlands National Park. (NPS/M. Feldberg-Bannatyne) Park Ranger Mattison Shreero (left) and Education Specialist Ed Welsh hold the fossilized skull found at Badlands National Park. (NPS/M. Feldberg-Bannatyne) The new deer, Santuccimeryx (Santuccis ruminant), was named after Vincent L. Santucci to honor his contributions to the paleontology program at Badlands National Park. He is the senior paleontologist and paleontology program coordinator in the Geologic Resources Division of the National Park Service. Santuccimeryx belongs to the extinct family Leptomerycidae, whose members were about the size of house cats and lived in North America from about 41 million years ago to about 11 million years ago. They are considered close relatives to the living chevrotains, or mouse deer, from the tropical forests of central and western Africa and southeast Asia. Geoscientists-in-the-Parks intern Tiffany Leone discovered and submitted a visitor site report in 2016 about what turned out to be the first and only known skull of Santuccimeryx. Shreero said in a news release that the find highlights the importance of citizen science. This is the only skull of this animal ever found, she said. And if somebody had walked away with it, or if they just hadnt reported it and it had eroded away, we would have never known about it. What to do if you find a fossil in Badlands National Park Visitors at Badlands who spot a fossil or artifact are asked to leave it in place and submit a report at the Visitor Center, with a park ranger, or by email to Badlands_fossil_finds@nps.gov. They should take a photo of the undisturbed find, preferably with another object or feature in sight to show scale, and document the coordinates or location. The post Fossil researchers discover new genus of deer at Badlands National Park appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight. The sewage odor that neighborhoods surrounding the West Hickman Waste Water Treatment facility have endured is a problem cited by all three candidates in the May 21 primary election for the Fourth District Urban County Council seat. Crime and traffic are also on the list of top concerns for incumbent Brenda Monarrez and her opponents Emma Curtis and Brack Marquette. Monarrez, who narrowly won over Marquette in November 2022, is the first person of Latin American descent to ever serve on the council. She said shes earned the right to keep the job. The 4th District feels heard and sees results from my representation every day, she said. I am not a politician. I am a public servant. If elected, Curtis would be the first transgender member of the 15-seat Urban County Council. She is an independent filmmaker and vice president for recruitment and expansion for the Kentucky Young Democrats. Curtis was a nominee to fill the 93rd District seat that opened when Rep. Lamin Swann died in May 2023, but Adrienne Camuel was eventually selected for the office. The current council race is the first time Curtiss name will appear on the ballot in a primary election. She was an outspoken critic of Senate Bill 150, which restricted medical treatments for transgender youth. Marquette said as an economic development professional and long-time neighborhood association and historic preservation leader, he knows how to lead so all citizens enjoy benefits. No other candidate has a record of success as a state environmental and natural resources agency leader, he said. My proven record on water quality, sewer and other environmental issues in Lexington-Fayette will be of value to citizens and the council as important and costly solutions to environmental services are needed in the years ahead. District Four includes neighborhoods south of New Circle Road between Nicholasville and Tates Creek roads. Candidates for the council seat answered Herald-Leader questions over email and in phone interviews. Emma Curtis Emma Curtis Curtis said the biggest issues facing the 4th District are improving traffic flow and safety on Nicholasville Road, updating sewer and water quality infrastructure, and making local government accessible and transparent. Nicholasville Road has been a nightmare for our community my entire life, she said. Its clear to me that this issue cannot wait. She said a friend recently died after being hit by a car on Nicholasville Road. In order to make Nicholasville Road safe for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, Curtis said the council must expand on an action plan, invest in infrastructure projects for pedestrian safety and community walkability, and improve access to public transportation. The 4th District continues to be plagued by poor air and water quality, foul odors and adverse impacts on quality of life due to broken and outdated sewer and water quality infrastructure, Curtis said. The folks here have been advocating for solutions from our local government since the fall of 2023, but progress has been slow-moving and ineffective. Our council can, and must, do better, she said. Curtis said she is committed to hosting monthly town hall meetings in District 4 and a less formal monthly Coffee with your Councilmember event. I pride myself on two of my greatest strengths: my passion and my ability to connect with people in my community on all sides of an issue, said Curtis. Curtis said she knows as a council member, she will need to work with people who have different opinions than she does and she will listen to everyone civilly and collaborate to find a solution that works for everyone. Residents of District 4 deserve a council member who will show up for them, hear them, and advocate for them both inside and outside of council chambers, Curtis said. She said she worked as a volunteer and citizen lobbyist for organizations such as ACLU of Kentucky, Fairness Campaign and the Clean Slate Initiative, which deals with expungement of criminal records. She was a Voter Engagement Organizer with Kentuckians for the Commonwealth to register voters of all parties and improve turnout in Lexington ahead of the 2023 general election. In terms of something voters may not know about her, Curtis said she loves animals and has a rescue dog named Benny. Hes a 5-year-old black lab mix that she brought home from the Humane Society in 2022. He loves laying in the sunshine, meeting new people and going for long walks at Veterans Park, she said. Brack Marquette Brack Marquette Marquette said he will advocate for safe, affordable housing, improved public transportation to ease traffic congestion, crime reduction and public safety in neighborhoods. He is a committed environmental leader on water quality and sewer issues and has experience managing large government budgets, he said. Marquette said he supports programming to improve inner-neighborhood public transportation, fully staff the police force and end high vacancy rates, and eliminate the sewer smell and processing problems at the West Hickman Sewer plant. Crime deterrence is a complex goal that must be focused neighborhood by neighborhood through every available public and private resource, Marquette said. As a leader with extensive budget management experience, I will take a lead in securing funding and looking for how thorough coordination of services across public and private sectors can make best use of our tax dollar allocations, he said. A northern Kentucky native, Marquette said he settled in Lexington when invited to serve in the administration of former Gov. Martha Layne Collins and married into a wonderful, civic-minded local family. He has two sons, both of whom graduated from local public schools, and devoted much of his life to helping charities and non-profits. Marquette said he led struggling non-profits and restored sound management, budget stability and financial health. Marquette points to extensive leadership in local neighborhoods both in historic areas of the city and in newer developments. He said his leadership has also been sought on local and statewide boards and commissions for workforce and economic development boards, higher education, mental health, public school STEM and financial literacy initiatives. Marquette said he has been asked to serve as the president or on the board of directors of more than 40 Lexington groups, including the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Parks Advisory Board and the LFUCG Board of Architectural Review. Brenda Monarrez Brenda Monarrez Monarrez said police officers must receive the support, tools, training and compensation they deserve. We continue to have a deficit of over 100 police officers. Continuing to incentivize new recruits and offer rewards for continuous service in our police force is vital so that we can continue to increase the number of police officers as well as replace the officers we are losing to retirement and attrition, she said. Im also committed to funding mental health services, youth services, affordable housing and so much more as these affect crime rates. Monarrez said she had facilitated traffic improvements, including adding flashing stop signs and additional signage, along with lowering speed limits. She said shes added changes to make Nicholasville Road safer such as extending the left turn lane on northbound Nicholasville Road at Reynolds Road. The neighborhoods that surround the West Hickman Waste Water Treatment facility have endured sewage odor for years, she said. These residents had been told this was just a normal occurrence and something that they have to deal with due to their proximity to the facility, said Monarrez. In 2024, we have hired an odor specialist and have plans to replace and repair several components of the wastewater treatment plant, Monarrez said. Moving forward, I am committed to not just making sure the facility is running in an efficient manner, but that the city continues to monitor odor and air quality because that was not done before I was in office. Mayor Linda Gortons proposed budget for the next fiscal year includes $6 million and a full-time odor specialist for each treatment plant thanks to Monarrezs advocacy, the councilwoman said. Curtis, who gives her constituents her private cell number, has said she thinks Monarrez lack of accessibility to constituents is an issue. Monarrez said she works 10 to 12 hour days, sometimes every day of the week, which includes her work on council as well as volunteer hours. Monarrez said she is accessible, provides residents with her cell phone number and goes out in person to see the issues. Having sold my business at the end of 2021 allows me to dedicate so much time and effort to give back to the magnificent city of Lexington to continue protecting the values that invited me to come here, raise a family and start a business, she said. She said shes been a single mom for most of her adult life and is now an empty nester. Monarrez said she serves on the Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Coalition board, is an advocate for domestic and sexual violence victims, and works with single mothers and youth. She said she attends all homeowners association, neighborhood and PTA meetings in her district and is a school volunteer who mentors middle school girls. Emma Curtis Age: 27 Family: Partner, mother, step-father Job experience: Currently works as a filmmaker and community organizer. Her most recent film, a documentary about local artist George Szekely, will premiere on KET this year. Worked with Kentuckians for the Commonwealth to register voters in Lexington and provide information about all of the candidates on the ballot ahead of the 2023 general election. Education: BA in Film Studies from Centre College in 2018. Alumna of the Walt Disney Studios Producing and Directing Program. Other offices held: No other elected offices held. John Brack Marquette Age: 70 Family: Two sons Job experience: Retired higher education department chair, state government agency official, banking and utility public relations, economic development and government affairs executive. Education: Doctoral Studies, Speech Communication and Higher Education Administration, Indiana University, 1977 to 1984 ;M.A., Speech Communication, Louisiana State University, 1977; B.A. with Honors in Communication, Georgetown College, Georgetown, Kentucky, 1975 Other offices held: No other elected offices held. Brenda Monarrez Age: 52 Job experience: Business owner, director of human resources, marketing manager, realtor, business development officer (Housing), operations manager for a global corporation. Education: Bachelors in Business Administration, major in management. Other offices held: Currently an Urban County Council member VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) Four historic aircraft will visit the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach this Sunday for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. According to a release from the museum, the C-47 war veterans Thats All, Brother and Placid Lassie will be joined by a Navy R4D Ready 4 Duty and a civilian Western Airlines DC-3 will arrive at the museum on Sunday, May 12 around midday for tours, rides and group flying. N3364 (Courtesy: Tim Savage) Thats All, Brother (Courtesy: Kevin Hong) R4D (Courtesy: Luigino Caliaro) Placid Lassie (Courtesy: J. Willhoff) The aircraft will depart on Tuesday to prepare for the Atlantic crossing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France. The museum will remain open until 7 p.m. on Sunday to allow guests to witness three of the aircraft take a practice flight in preparation for the voyage. Guests will also have the opportunity to ride aboard Thats All, Brother on Monday, May 13. A special tour of the Navy R4D will also take place on Monday, highlighting the role of naval aviation during the Battle of the Atlantic. We are honored to welcome these historic aircraft to our museum, Museum Director Keegan Chetwynd said. Their visit not only pays tribute to the brave souls who served during D-Day but also allows us to share their remarkable stories with our visitors. For more information and to book rides aboard Thats All, Brother, visit the Military Aviation Museums website here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. Going out of their way to let Donald Trump know that they have his back, several Fox News hosts voiced their agreement on Thursday with the former presidents latest claim that the far-left is far more dangerous to America than any foreign adversary. Just as hes done for weeks now, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee addressed the press before the start of Thursdays proceedings in his hush-money trial. At one point, Trump fumed to reporters that Americas problem is from the left and not from the right, adding that progressives from within the country are a bigger danger than China or Russia. Teasing a segment about Trumps comments on Fox News midday chatfest Outnumbered, host Emily Compagno cheerfully noted that the ex-president had just warned the public that the far left is a far greater threat to America than any foreign adversary. Before throwing it to commercial, she declared: Well tell you why we agree. Returning from the break, anchor Harris Faulkner teed up the former presidents remarks by saying he took the time to warn America about the far-left and that Trump does have a microphone and he does know how to use it during the lengthy trial. Washington Examiner editor Kaylee McGhee White, meanwhile, insisted that Trump was right because the far-left and China share the exact same goal. Pointing to college students protesting against the war in Gaza, White claimed that the shared goal is ultimately the destruction of America, its institutions, and the values that we all here cherish. She continued: The far-left is the bigger threat in this situation, because, who controls the institutions? Who has the power in this country? The left. And we see this in a courtroom right now where the former president is facing hundreds of charges on multiple different indictments simply because Democrats are able to bring cases against him in these positions of power. While White asserted that all China has to do at this point is push a few dominoes and the house of cards crumbles within on itself, Faulkner said that the divide between the far-left is driving a narrative that it is dangerous to the country. Suggesting that American progressives are looking to hunt Jews, Faulkner then brought up President Joe Bidens ultimatum to Israel that hell stop weapons shipments if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a ground invasion into Rafah. And now the president says he wants to withhold the weaponry for our greatest ally in the Middle East. I mean, the far-left, are they the people in your party that are dragging him or is going willingly? Faulkner dramatically asked Democratic strategist Kevin Walling. From there, the conversation devolved into a variety of familiar right-wing grievances and MAGA talking points. (And, yes, George Soros was indeed namechecked.) After Walling pointed out that former President Ronald Reagan also paused weapons exports to Israel over concerns about its military actions, for instance, the other hosts reacted by claiming Biden was guilty of the same conduct that led to Trumps first impeachment. (This has become an increasingly familiar refrain within conservative circles.) Elsewhere, Compagno accused the nations far-left of destroying biological women in sports and dismantling college campuses before tying it all directly to Americas adversaries. There is a chaos element that is a stated objective of our enemies such as Russia and China and the communist regimes all over the place, she huffed. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. The military has been called on to blow up the bridge. - Photo: Chip Somodevilla (Getty Images) The enormous Dali container ship has been stuck in Baltimore since it hit and destroyed the Francis Scott Key bridge way back in March. The ship lost power and careered into one of the supports for the bridge, bringing it crashing down and killing six workers on the bridge. Now, engineers are planning to blow up the remnants of the bridge so they can finally re-float the ship and return it to port. Salvage workers at the site of the collapsed bridge are planning to carry out a controlled explosion of sections of the bridge, reports CBS News. If they successfully destroy the section of the bridge that is resting on the bow of the ship, they will be able to refloat the vessel and return it to port. As the site explains: Politely called precision cutting, the controlled demolition will use small charges to split the portion of the collapsed bridge on the ships bow into smaller, more manageable sections. The operation requires careful handling of roadbed material, crushed containers, and bridge fragments currently resting on the vessel, officials said Monday. In order to get the operation under way, workers called in explosives experts from the U.S. Army to help carry out the work. Members of the Corps of Engineers will set the charges at specific intervals along the collapsed section of bridge in order to break it down in the safest and swiftest way possible, reports CBS. The Dali has been stuck in Baltimore for more than six weeks. - Photo: Chip Somodevilla (Getty Images) The work will see engineers remove thousands of tons of steel and roadway from the bow of the Dali ship. And this is no simple task, so nearby residents are being urged to stay away from the work zone in the coming days. In fact, a 2,000 foot safety zone has been put in place and anyone within this area must wear hearing protection when the explosions start going off. As CBS explains: Most of the Safety Zone consists of the Patapsco River, but portion of Hawkins Point falls in its range. Unified Command said focused efforts will be made to prepare those in the area for the event. That effort will include a mobile notification in collaboration with the Maryland Department of Emergency Management. The exact timing of the explosions remains under wraps, as its also reliant on the perfect conditions on the remnants of the bridge. However, officials told the news outlet that they hoped to have the bridge removed and the ship refloated by the end of this week. If that happens, it will mark almost seven weeks since the Dali first struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge back on March 26. This article originally appeared on Jalopnik. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A new family-friendly event has been announced to kick off central Ohios biggest patriotic fireworks celebration. In a news release, the National Veterans Memorial and Museum (NVMM) and Red, White & BOOM! revealed that the inaugural FREEDOM 5K will take place on Saturday, June 29, 2024, just ahead of the downtown Independence Day celebration on Wednesday, July 3. Red, White & BOOM! is excited to partner with the NVMM, bringing these two great Columbus nonprofits together as we extend the downtown holiday celebration, said Rob OBoyle, Red, White & BOOM! president. We are looking forward to spirited strides and sparkling skies! Major garden and building changes coming to Franklin Park Conservatory as part of 25-year plan Designed for all ages, the run and walk will step off at 10 a.m. and take a winding route along the Scioto River passing through Memorial Grove and finishing on the NVMM Rooftop. Thanks to the partnership with Red, White & BOOM! and our collective sponsors, we are kicking off the Independence Day holiday with a FREEDOM 5K celebration to honor our military service members who fought for our freedoms and protect us today, said Colonel Bill Butler, U.S. Army (Retired), NVMM acting president. Registration is now open for the inaugural FREEDOM 5K. Register online at the National Veterans Memorial website. FREEDOM 5K registrants will receive a race bib, shirt, finisher medal and a free admission ticket for a future museum visit. Business leaders on board for new DORA in Columbus Proceeds will allow the NVMM, a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit museum and memorial, to continue sharing the Veteran experience and history through Veteran stories to inspire museum and online audiences to service in their schools, businesses and communities. The FREEDOM 5K is presented by the NVMM and Red, White & BOOM! For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) Officials with the City of Fresno announced on Wednesday that a majority of the citys most prolific taggers have been arrested. The city states the accomplishment comes with the integration of the Fresno Police Departments Graffiti Abatement Team, which was put into action on Feb. 20. In 2024, the team responded to over 34,000 service requests for graffiti, resulting in 97,000 pieces of graffiti being removed. This comprehensive and coordinated approach is intended to identify, arrest, and prosecute the most prolific graffiti vandals within our city and to be able to hold them accountable not only from arresting them, making sure they get jail time, and restitution paying back the victims of this crime, said Mayor of Fresno Jerry Dyer. Pictured below are images provided by Fresno PD of the prolific taggers and arrests followed by who they identify as wanted felony suspects: As a result of the operation, Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama says 19 suspects have been identified and charges have been filed. He adds four suspects are outstanding. [The task force] has looked through over 7,200 different taggings and they have put together the ones that we identified as prolific taggers, Balderrama said. The mayor adds that of the 57 search warrants authored and served by police, seven firearms were seized as well as an illegal marijuana farm. Dyer says those arrested comprised of suspects who caused hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to the city, both public and private properties. Theres a theme here. If youre going to tag in our city, this task force will identify you, arrest you, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law, said Dyer. Anyone who finds graffiti within the City of Fresno can report it through the FresGO App or by calling 311. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) Restaurants and neighbors around the Queen City are still mourning Wednesday after Tommy Cowan, a well-known Buffalo restaurateur, died unexpectedly this week. Tommy Cowan wore a lot of hats in Western New Yorks hospitality scene. Close friends of his told News 4 that in the city of good neighbors, Cowan was the very best. In the eight years of just knowing him, hes just always been just so positive and just such a friend. I mean, if I think of Buffalo, thats who I think of, the bar manager of Aroma on Bryant said. Tommy Cowan was 44 years old when he died on Monday. Cowan was the owner of South Buffalos Doc Sullivans and Forty Thieves in the Elmwood Village. Both restaurants are closed until further notice to give those close to him time to grieve. As great as I could ever be, I dont even think that I could ever fill half the shoes of Tommy, Aroma on Bryants bar manager said. Cowan was also a partial owner of Patricks Rooftop in downtown Buffalo. Jason Frese, the general manager of Patricks, tells us this loss is extremely hard for him and that Cowan was one of his best friends. Other restaurants in the area took to social media this week to show everyone how much Cowan meant to them. Lauren Paveljack, owner of Potters Field Restaurant and Pub in West Seneca, said she wouldnt be where she is today without Cowan. As two female business owners in a very Irish neighborhood, its very uncommon, Paveljack said. Tommy was that guy when he first heard that we were buying a bar, he was like, Were going to dinner. Im going to tell you everything I know. Im going to break it down for you, its super easy. Were going to have a ton of fun, and never that feeling of competition. John Otto, owner of The Riverfield 865, told a similar story. Even though Doc Sullivans is one mile down the street, Cowan always had time to support Otto when opening Riverfield. Otto, a former vice president of the Buffalo Fire Union, explained how Cowan went out of his way for others. Storm of 2022 when nobody can get out of their house and firemen and police were stuck at work, Tommy somehow got into his restaurant, somehow got workers into their restaurant, and they actually made all the food in-house at all their establishments and delivered to firehouses and police stations and hospitals within reach, Otto recalled. A wake for Cowan will be held starting at 4 p.m. Thursday at Cannan Funeral Home. The funeral and celebration of Cowans life will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Our Lady of Victory Basilica. If I could be half the owner that he was, then I would feel amazing about myself, Paveljack said. When you say city of good neighbors, I mean, he really exemplifies that, Otto concluded. Latest Local News Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo. FILE - Former hostage Terry Anderson waves to the crowd as he rides in a parade in Lorain, Ohio, June 22, 1992. Fellow former hostages, family, and coworkers celebrated the life of journalist and philanthropist Terry Anderson, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, as a man who helped others while struggling to heal himself. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan, File) NEW YORK (AP) Fellow former hostages, family and coworkers celebrated the life of journalist and philanthropist Terry Anderson Wednesday, remembering a man who helped others while struggling to heal himself. The news writer became a news subject when he was taken hostage in Lebanon by members of an Islamic extremist group in 1985. At the time, he was chief Middle East correspondent for The Associated Press, had one daughter and his future wife was six months pregnant. He was one of the longest-held hostages in U.S. history, captive for 2,454 days. Anderson died on April 21 at his home in Greenwood Lake, New York. He was 76. The memorial on Wednesday was shown on YouTube by the Overseas Press Club. More than a year into captivity, two new hostages were moved into his jail, men from Northern Ireland and England who spoke at his memorial from the AP office in New York. They said Anderson's hunger for intellectual stimulation had him verbally pounce on them, squeezing them for knowledge of current events, histories of their homelands and any shred of literature they could share. He prodded and poked at something for weeks and weeks until you almost had nothing left to tell him," said Brian Keenan, originally from Belfast, who was teaching English in Beirut when he was kidnapped and later found himself imprisoned with Anderson. Terrys bullish, stubborn nature was a really vital part of our survival together, said John McCarthy, a British journalist and fellow hostage who attended the memorial, crediting him for pestering guards to give them books, a radio at one point and crucially respect. "It was about constantly reminding the men with the guns ... that we were human beings. Terry Anderson received a heros welcome when he was freed in 1991, from the AP and New York state. Mourners remembered how he kept his sense of humor. Louis Boccardi, who had been leading the AP for two-and-half-months when Anderson was kidnapped, had arranged for Anderson to spend time in the mountains in Europe to speak with trauma counselors. 'I havent been in the warm sunshine for six and a half years. And you want me to go to the Alps?' Boccardi recalled Anderson saying. The counseling was moved to the Caribbean. Anderson struggled with PTSD and, his ex-wife revealed at the memorial, was unable to fully heal from his ordeal. But he was rarely idle and pursued healing and growth for others. Anderson taught journalism and led philanthropic efforts to help children and veterans. Terry wanted his students to write with purpose and conviction, to speak the truth through power, with authority and without fear, said Keenan. A Vietnam War veteran, Anderson helped found the Vietnam Childrens Fund, which built 51 schools in that country over decades. On Wednesday, New York State Sen. James Skoufis presented a posthumous Liberty Medal for Anderson's contributions to journalism and his advocacy for homeless veterans in Hudson Valley. Skoufis said that Anderson spent seven years advocating for funding for a veteran's housing program, which was approved only months ago, in the form of a $1 million federal grant. CAIRO, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan's Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh on Thursday warned against the humanitarian catastrophe of the ongoing Israeli military operation in the Palestinian city of Rafah, according to the Egyptian presidency office's statement. The two leaders made the remarks during a meeting in Cairo, where they reiterated the two countries' "full rejection" of the Israeli invasion of Rafah, the southernmost city of the besieged enclave, said the statement. "The Israeli operation impedes the only safe exit of the wounded and sick Palestinians and hinders the delivery of humanitarian and relief aid," they emphasized. The ongoing conditions require the international community to take its responsibilities for reaching an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and to push forward for the recognition of an independent Palestinian state which will help in achieving regional security and stability, the statement added. The Israeli army launched a military operation in Rafah on Monday night, where more than 1 million internally displaced Palestinians have sought refuge since Israel's offensive began on Oct. 7 last year. The Georgia Court of Appeals has agreed to review a judge's lower court ruling allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to continue prosecuting Donald Trump and his co-defendants in a sprawling racketeering case, despite her romantic relationship with former special prosecutor Nathan Wade (right). Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder The Georgia Court of Appeals is expected to take several months to rule on a request from former President Donald Trump and several co-defendants to remove the Fulton County district attorney from the 2020 presidential election interference case. The appeals court ruling means that District Attorney Fani Willis will renew a court battle with defense attorneys over whether Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee erred by rejecting a motion to disqualify Willis from the case after she admitted to a romantic relationship with a special prosecutor she hired in November 2021 to lead the probe into attempts by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia and several other states. The appellate court ruled on the defenses motion within the 45-day window the law allows since the appeal was filed on March 29. The court order further diminishes the chance of the Fulton County District Attorneys office convening a trial this year for racketeering and conspiracy charges against the presumptive Republican presidential nominee and Trumps 14 remaining co-defendants. Trumps attorney Steve Sadow and other defense lawyers have argued that McAfee should not have allowed special prosecutor Nathan Wade to resign on March 15 while allowing Willis to remain on the case, alleging her hiring of Wade and then taking vacations to Aruba and other places with him amounted to prosecutorial misconduct. McAfee wrote in his March 15 court order that there is a need to address a significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team, referring to Willis and Wade. The two admitted to having become romantically involved several months after Willis hired Wade as special prosecutor in November 2021. The GA Court of Appeals has GRANTED President Trump's Application for Interlocutory Appeal from the trial court's order refusing to disqualify Fulton County DA Fani Willis!!! Steve Sadow (@stevesadow) May 8, 2024 McAfee ruled that the Trump co-defendants failed to sufficiently prove there was conflict of interest related to a relationship that saw Wade get paid more than $700,000 by Fulton County before stepping down in March. Four co-defendants have received plea agreements on misdemeanor charges that allow them to serve probation if they testify for the state. Ex-Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter said it is uncommon for a case to be granted an interlocutory appeal which allows an appellate court to review a lower courts ruling before the trial begins. Additionally, it is intriguing that the defendants are appealing a decision made by a judge exercising discretionary judgment rather than an appeal solely based on the law, Porter said. The next step in the legal process is for the attorneys representing Trump and his co-defendants to file a notice of appeal in order to transfer the case from the Fulton County Superior Court to the Court of Appeals. The defense will have 20 days after filing the notice to file briefs with the court, and the state will have another 20 days to respond. Although the Georgia appellate court discourages oral arguments, Porter said he expects the court to approve a request from the defense or state for an in-person hearing. In the end, a panel of judges will either affirm McAfees decision to keep Willis on the case, schedule an additional hearing to evaluate more evidence, or disqualify Willis, thereby preventing anyone else from taking over the case from the Fulton DAs office. Porter estimated that the appellate process would take at least five months to complete. The state or defense could also petition the Georgia Supreme Court to review the decision of the appellate court. Porter said its possible that one of the factors in the appellate court granting the pre-trial review is due the historic legal significance of a potential racketeering trial that has a former president as the lead defendant. The court granted the defendants interlocutory appeal in a one-page document without explaining its reasoning. The Court of Appeals could be trying to more or less clear the decks to get the issue resolved so it doesnt hang over the trial one way or the other. That may be the most charitable explanation. Its hard to say why they do what they do, but its unusual to grant an interlocutory appeal. The appeal came from Trump and co-defendants including former Trump campaign officer Michael Roman, former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani and ex-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. Willis uses criticism to rally Black support Although Willis has come under greater scrutiny since the public learned about her prior romantic relationship with Wade, she is using the criticism against her as a rallying cry for her re-election campaign. A press conference was held at Atlantas Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church on Monday, as a group of influential Black religious leaders announced their endorsement of Willis in the May 21 Democratic primary when she faces Christian Wise Smith, who has served as Atlanta city solicitor and as a Fulton County prosecutor. During her Monday public appearance, Willis referred to a witch hunt against her since she is a Black woman who is willing to stand up to Trump and the GOP machine supporting Trumps nomination. Fani Willis has proven herself to be an effective, fearless, and courageous district attorney determined to defend and prioritize the pursuit of justice throughout Fulton County, said Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, who represents 500 Georgia churches within the African Methodist Episcopal Churchs Sixth Episcopal District. I am proud to call her my friend and look forward to bringing the multi-denominations of Georgias African-American Faith community together to showcase her leadership, passion, and results for Fulton County. Emory University political science professor Andra Gillespie said the dynamics of race have also been used by Trump, who has labeled Black prosecutors like Willis as reverse racists for daring to prosecute him. Andra Gillespie (Willis) has certainly invoked that type of language and imagery, Gillespie said. (Trump) also has tried to besmirch Fani Williss character by making other allegations that seem to be very latent with stereotypes. The first several months of 2024 have also reaped rewards for Willis campaign war chest, bringing in $229,333 in campaign donations between January and April, double the amount raised in the last six months of 2023, according to Georgia campaign finance reports. The winner of the upcoming Fulton DA Democratic primary will have a significant advantage in the Nov. 5 general election in a matchup 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. It will be interesting to look at where her vote support comes from, not just in this primary election thats going to happen in two weeks, but also ultimately in November for the general election for DA, Gillespie said. We forget, because this is a very different context, but that when Willis ran in 2020 for this DA slot, when she was running against Paul Howard, she was the one who garnered a lot of support outside of the African-American community. Trumps legal issues extend beyond Georgia When a grand jury in Fulton County indicted Trump and 18 others on racketeering and conspiracy charges in August, it was the fourth case that Trump faced criminal charges in 2023. In March 2023, Trump became the first former US president to face criminal charges when he was indicted by a New York grand jury on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Trump is currently on trial in New York for allegedly trying to hide hush money paid to keep adult film star Stormy Daniels from disclosing details about an alleged extramarital affair with Trump in 2006. On Tuesday, a U.S. district court judge indefinitely delayed a federal classified documents trial that had been scheduled to start on May 20. The next pretrial hearing in Florida court is now scheduled for July 22 as Trump stands trial for allegedly illegally retaining classified documents and trying to hide them from federal authorities. Trumps federal election interference case is on hold until after the U.S. Supreme Court rules on whether presidential immunity protects Trump from those criminal charges connected to his attempt to overturn the 2020 election. The Supreme Courts decision would set a legal precedent on the extent that presidents could be prosecuted for actions taken while they are in office. Reporter Ross Williams contributed to this report. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A northeast Georgia man is accused of kidnapping his ex-girlfriend and holding her against her will inside a motel room. According to an arrest affidavit, on April 2, a Rome police officer responded to Regions Bank on Turner McCall Blvd. and spoke with a woman who said her ex-boyfriend, Dorian Donte Johnson, kept her against her will in a room at the Ashwood Inn and Suites in Rome. She said Johnson took her cell phone and would not let her call for help. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The victim told the officer that Johnson had been abusive in the past and she was scared for her life. She said she had been up all night and he had been watching her every move. She claimed the only way she was able to get out of the room was to tell him she would go to the bank to get him some money. Once she was at the bank, she went into the bathroom and locked the door. TRENDING STORIES: Johnson tried to get inside the bathroom, but when a bank employee came over to him, he left in her vehicle with her cell phone inside. He was arrested and charged with felony kidnapping. He was booked into the Floyd County Jail. On October 23, 2023, Johnson was arrested and charged with felony aggravated stalking and misdemeanor possession and distribution of marijuana. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Ga. Mom Let Her 3 'Little Angels' Get Food with Ex. He Killed Them All in Murder-Suicide, Police Suspect Police believe Arianny Rodriguez, Carlos Rodriguez and Chadal Rodriguez were killed by their mother's ex-boyfriend Jose Plasencia in a murder-suicide GoFundMe Carlos Rodriguez, Chadal Rodriguez and Arianny Rodriguez A Georgia mother is mourning the violent deaths of her three children aged 9, 11 and 13 whose bodies were found along with a deceased man in a Gwinnett County, Ga., park around 1 a.m. on Wednesday. Arianny Arias Rodriguez, 13, Carlos Michelle Rodriguez, 9, and Chadal Rodriguez, 11, were found dead inside a car with the suspected shooter in what authorities believe was a murder-suicide, Gwinnett County Police said in a statement on Wednesday. Police have identified the suspected shooter as the childrens mothers former partner, Jose Plasencia, 56. At the time of the violence, the childrens mother, Karina Rodriguez, was at a hospital with one of her other children for an unrelated injury, per Gwinnett County police. Plasencia was that childs father. According to authorities, all four children and their mother were at the hospital earlier when Plasencia met up with them. At one point, police say, Karina agreed to let the three children go with Plasencia to get food. It wasn't immediately clear how long the children had been with Plasencia. Around 1 a.m. Wednesday morning, an officer on an area patrol came across what he deemed to be a "suspicious vehicle" on the pedestrian walking trail at the Lucky Shoals Park park, police said in an earlier version of their statement. Inside the vehicle were the four bodies. While police believe it to be a case of murder-suicide, they say they are still awaiting confirmation from the medical examiner's office. 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 GoFundMe following the killings, Karina wrote, "My heart is broken by the tragic loss of my three little angels." She wrote that she is raising funds to have the children buried in her home country, the Dominican Republic. "I am devastated with my heart in pieces, my world was my children and I was mother and father to them so that they never lacked anything," Karina wrote, "and they took the lives of my little angels from me." If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. In The Disappearance of Gabby Petito, the travel vlogger's family spoke about their lives since her disappearance and death. The Disappearance of Gabby Petito examines the investigation when the travel vlogger went missing in 2021. (ITV) What did you miss? Gabby Petito's family have shared a heartbreaking message following their experience when the travel vlogger disappeared and was later found killed in 2021. The social media influencer went missing shortly after she began a fourth-month 'vanlife' journey with fiance Brian Laundrie on 2 July, 2021. ITVX documentary The Disappearance of Gabby Petito charts the investigation into the 22-year-old American's whereabouts at the time. Petito's parents and step-mother appear in the three-part docu-series to share their experience at the time of the investigation. And they urged other parents to make sure they document as much as they can with their children because it is all they have left of their daughter now. What, how and why? Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito embarked on a cross-country road trip in July 2021, it was meant to last four months. The travel vlogger was reported missing in September that year. (ITV) In the documentary, the travel vlogger's father Joe Petito and her step-mother Tara spoke candidly about their lives since her disappearance and death. Petito's father explained that he often looks back at old videos of his daughter and advised fellow parents to make sure they take as many as they can. "I actually go back to her TikTok or the YouTube, videos that people send me where they edit out a certain person just to listen to her and hear her voice," he explained. "I've got my personal videos and stuff, and listen to them. It's all I've got now, and I will say to all the parents that have children, take as many videos as you can." Tara concurred with his sentiment, adding to his emotional advice by saying: "Take those pictures, take those selfies with your children because that's what we have. We have our memories but pictures somehow make those memories come back." Gabby Petito's father Joe (right) and her step-mother Tara (left, pictured in 2021) appeared in the documentary and urged parents to take as many pictures and videos of their kids as possible. (Getty Images) Petito and Laundrie began their road trip across the US on 2 July, 2021, and Petito shared insight into their travels via YouTube and Instagram. On 26 August, 2021, she appeared to share her last Instagram post, with her mother Nicole Schmidt growing concerned about her whereabouts when she sent text messages that were out of character and her social media activity stopped altogether. Petito was reported missing on 11 September. At the time, Laundrie had returned home to Florida alone in the van they had been driving together, and chose not to cooperate with police. On 19 September, Petito's body was found in BridgerTeton National Forest, Wyoming, she had been strangled to death and had suffered blunt force trauma to her head and neck. Laundrie, who had gone missing two days before Petito's body was discovered, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on 20 October. Police found a note in which he confessed to killing Petito during their trip. What else happened on The Disappearance of Gabby Petito? Gabby Petito's body was found in Wyoming on 19 September 2021, and it was later revealed that Brian Laundrie had killed her. (ITV) The documentary examined the various stages of the investigation into Petito's disappearance, including the huge interest that the case drew online and the lengths that internet sleuths went to in order to try and figure out what happened to her. Petito's family also helped share insight into the case and their experience at the time, and they shared several emotional, vulnerable moments onscreen. One such conversation saw Petito's mother break down in tears as she recounted the last time she saw her daughter. "Looking back I remember Gabby was all packed up and ready to go," Schmidt said. "And I remember going into the driveway... it was this hug, a long hug that she gave me, and it was like she was saying goodbye." The Disappearance of Gabby Petito is out now on ITVX. Read more: GAHANNA, Ohio (WCMH) A small business selling gourmet popcorn is closing as the shops owner is battling cancer. The owner of Pams Market Popcorn, Pam Tylka, announced Monday on Facebook that she is closing the popcorn shop this summer. The store, located at 955 E. Johnstown Road, was founded in 2005 in the North Market and relocated to Gahanna 12 years later. The shop is known for its variety of gourmet popcorn flavors, including smores, lavender, cheddar cheese and eggnog. It also serves Windy City-style dishes such as homemade soups, taco salad, Italian beef and chicken salad. Tylka said she has been battling cancer for two years and is now facing new health concerns, so she is stepping away from the shop to focus on her health and spend time with her family. Its been 19 years of my life, Tylka said. Its been great. Ive met so many great people, I have customers who have been with me since day one. Ive watched people get married, Ive watched families children grow up then them get married, its just been a great experience. I did what I wanted to do. Im just very blessed and very lucky. The closure of Pams Market Popcorn may not be the end for the shop. Tylka said she is carefully storing all her popcorn equipment, hoping to reopen in a new location in Gahanna or New Albany in the future. As far as a timeline, she said it all depends on how her health progresses. Im very hopeful that Ill be able to continue and do what I love, Tylka said. Tylka encouraged people to pop over to Pams Market Popcorn for the shops last day on June 22. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Garfield County Associate District Judge Brian Lovell was indicted by the Multi-County Grand Jury on Thursday regarding an incident from February 2023. According to the indictment, Lovell, 59, allegedly fired a gun at his brother-in-laws house in Bison, Oklahoma, on Feb. 12, 2023. Two days later, he claimed the gun had been stolen from his car. RELATED STORY: Some people think theyre above the law: OSBI investigating Garfield County judge after drive-by shooting Lovell was previously indicted on March 1, 2024, for a different incident. He faces eight felony counts for allegedly firing shots into at least five cars at the intersection of Matamoros St. and Santa Maria St. in Austin, Texas, in September 2023. Several cars were hit and witnesses at the scene told police a man in white SUV was seen leaving the area. He was arrested on Sept. 11, 2023, in Texas, on charges of reckless driving and deadly conduct discharge firearm. Judge Brian Noel Lovell's mugshot from Austin, Texas arrest On May 9, 2024, Lovell was indicted by the Multi-County Grand Jury on charges relating to the shooting in February. RELATED STORY: Shell casings link Garfield County judge to second shooting The Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office says he faces two felonies, one count of use of a vehicle to facilitate the discharge of a firearm and a different count of discharging a firearm into a dwelling. He also faces eight felony counts of of deadly conduct discharge of a firearm from the previous indictment. The full indictment can be found here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Gaston County declares State of Emergency, one person killed from storms Gaston County declares State of Emergency, one person killed from storms GASTONIA, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) After Wednesday afternoons severe storms left tens of thousands without power, Gaston County has declared a State of Emergency. Gaston County Board of Commissioners Chairman Chad Brown signed the document as first responders are working to clear roads of downed power lines, broken trees and provide aid to residents in need. Over 112k without power in Charlotte, surrounding counties Browns order reads, in part: I hearby order all county law enforcement officers, county employees and all other Emergency Management personnel subject to my control to cooperate in the enforcement and implementation of provision of the County Emergency Ordinance As of 5:30 p.m., more than 37 percent of Gaston County power customers were without power. Duke Energy reported more than 28,000 customers were out there. Gaston County activated its Emergency Operations Center in response to the storm that brought high winds and hail to the area. Officials say the New Hope Fire Department responded to an extrication with a tree down on a car. One person was rescued and transported to a nearby hospital, while a second person was reportedly killed in the incident. Residents are advised to avoid travel Wednesday evening to allow emergency crews to clean up debris and roadways. Additional wind and rain through the overnight hours are expected. A viewer captured a lightning strike as seen from I-77 in Huntersville. Fallen trees blocked York Road at West 12th Avenue in Gastonia. (Gastonia Police Dept.) This building at U.S. 321 and Radio Street in Gastonia had its front destroyed. A tree fell onto power lines in Mount Holly Wednesday, May 8. (Photo: Adam Wilson) A power pole fell into this building in eastern Gaston County. Police are blocking York Road at West 12th Avenue in Gastonia. (Photo: Gastonia Police Dept.) A tree fell onto cars and power lines at a home off Mount Holly Road Wednesday, May 8. This home in north Mecklen burg County caught on fire Wednesday. (Cornelius-Lemley Fire Rescue) A tree covers the entrance to an apartment complex off Scaleybark Road in Charlotte. The parking lot of this south Charlotte townhome complex is blocked by a fallen tree. Death from tree A York County woman was killed after a tree fell onto her car Wednesday afternoon. According to N.C. Highway Patrol, the storm caused a large tree to fall near N.C. 279 (New Hope Road) near Belmont. It landed on a 2015 Mazda CX-5, which was traveling south. Troopers said the driver succumbed to her injuries at the scene. The passenger, a New York resident, was transported to CaroMont Regional Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. New Hope Road was closed for several hours following the incident. No school for students There will be no school for Gaston County and Cleveland County students Thursday, due to the impacts from Wednesdays storms. Gaston County officials said there are power and internet outages at many of their schools, and that road closures make made travel difficult. It will be an optional teacher workday for both districts. Since school will not be in session on Thursday, end-of-year testing scheduled for Thursday will be postponed. Parents will receive a revised testing schedule from their childs school. Cleveland County School officials noted the the second round of storms forecast for Thursday morning as well. Remaining road closures Several storm-related closures remain overnight Wednesday. The following information comes from the N.C. Department of Transportation: Lowell: N.C. 7 near Rhyne Street is closed until 6 a.m. Ranlo: N.C. 279, Near East Ozark Avenue is closed until 6 a.m. Belmont: North Central Avenue south of Woodrow Avenue is closed until 6 a.m. North Belmont: Hickory Grove Road near Old Hickory Grove Road is closed until 7 a.m. Cherryville: N.C. 279 near Besstown Road is closed until 6 a.m. Bessemer City: N.C. 274 near Kiser Road is closed until 7 a.m. Baby born amid chaos Gaston County EMS Deputy Chief Lance Foulk said during the press conference that a baby was born Wednesday evening right after the storm came through. Authorities reportedly couldnt get to the mother initially but someone eventually got to her and helped deliver the baby. Other Issues Public transportation is being affected Thursday morning as bus routes in Gaston County are expected to be delayed until 10 a.m. Courthouses and county offices will also remain closed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. A gay couple is suing NYC for IVF benefits. It could expand coverage for workers nationwide A gay couple is suing New York City for denying them in vitro fertilization benefits, claiming the citys current health care plan discriminates against gay male employees. The class action lawsuit was filed Thursday by former New York City assistant district attorney Corey Briskin and his husband, Nicholas Maggipinto. The couple claim the citys health care plan has categorically excluded gay male employees and their partners from receiving IVF benefits, despite offering those same benefits to employees in different-sex relationships, single women and women in same-sex relationships. This is the first class action lawsuit to argue that employers must provide gay male employees IVF benefits if those same benefits are offered to other employees, according to a press release from the law firm working with the plaintiffs. If successful, the law firm representing Briskin and Maggipinto says the case could extend fertility benefits to gay male couples across the country. "We're looking to change the entire legal landscape so that gay men are not going to ever be excluded from IVF," Peter Romer-Friedman, the founder of civil rights and class action law firm Peter Romer-Friedman Law PLLC, told USA TODAY. Nicholas Maggipinto, left, and Corey Briskin, right, have filed a class action lawsuit against the City of New York for allegedly violating gay men's the civil and constitutional rights by denying them in-vitro fertilization benefits. 'Still a lot of hurdles': For LGBTQ+ couples, the path to in vitro fertilization is harder Plaintiffs say NYC's 'infertility' definition excludes gay male couples The lawsuit claims that New York Citys health care plan violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by denying them IVF coverage offered to other employees. The issue lies in the citys definition of infertile as the inability to conceive a child through male-female sexual intercourse or through a procedure called intrauterine insemination, or IUI, in which prepared sperm is placed directly in a uterus. Under this definition, same-sex couples can be deemed infertile after 12 months of unsuccessful attempts to conceive. Same-sex and single female partners can be deemed infertile if they are unable to get pregnant with IUI. But the lawsuit argues that this leaves no way for men to qualify as infertile, making it much harder for gay men to have biological children. Plaintiffs estimate that the city's outdated definition has deprived of IVF and family-building benefits to hundreds and possible thousands of city employees. Without such benefits which cover 75% of IVF costs, according to the lawsuit gay couples are left paying more out-of-pocket for the costly procedure. A single round of IVF a medical procedure where eggs and sperm are combined in a lab dish and then transferred into a uterus can cost tens of thousands of dollars. That, combined with surrogacy costs, means gay men can expect to pay more than $177,950 to conceive a biological child, according to estimates from the advocacy group Men Having Babies. Instead, the lawsuit points to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine's recently updated definition of infertility, which includes those who cannot achieve a successful pregnancy due to "medical, sexual, and reproductive history, age, physical findings, diagnostic testing, or any combination of those factors." "(Health care) plans that cover infertility need to stay up-to-date on current medical practices," said Betsy Campbell, chief engagement officer at Resolve, an infertility advocacy organization. "Our hope is that all plans and laws will reflect this updated definition of infertility that is inclusive of all people who are struggling to build their families." Briskin and Maggipinto's fight for IVF benefits The lawsuit says Briskin and Maggipinto have been wanting to grow their family through IVF since 2017. Briskin asked former Mayor Bill de Blasios administration in 2021 to provide him and other gay male employees equal IVF benefits but was denied, according to the lawsuit. The couple filed a discrimination charge against New York City with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission the following year. The city has argued that Briskin and Maggipinto were ineligible for IVF benefits because its health care plan does not provide benefits to surrogates, according to the lawsuit. The couple, in turn, argued that they were not seeking reimbursement for any surrogacy charges and simply wanted coverage for the same IVF services provided to other employees. The couple was granted a right to sue letter from the Department of Justice in March. Is IVF tax deductible? IVF may be tax deductible, but LGBTQ+ couples less likely to get write-offs The lawsuit names Mayor Eric Adams and former mayor Bill de Blasio as defendants. A city hall spokesperson told USA TODAY the city would review the details of the complaint. The Adams administration proudly supports the rights of LGBTQ+ New Yorkers to access the health care they need," reads the statement. "The city has been a leader in offering IVF treatments for any city employee or dependent covered by the citys health plan who has shown proof of infertility, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation." Briskin left his role as assistant district attorney in 2022 but remains covered by the citys healthcare plan through COBRA. Last year, Briskin and Maggipinto went forward with fertility treatment without IVF coverage provided by the city, which they claim would have awarded them tens of thousands of dollars in benefits. The lawsuit says the couple had donor eggs fertilized with their sperm late last year and hopes to transfer the embryos to a surrogate later this year. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NYC sued for denying IVF coverage to gay male employees Savoring Rakija in Serbia is like experiencing the distilled essence of time-honored Sino-Serbian friendship. Each sip reflects the deepening bond between our nations, much like a finely aged spirit. Here's to a friendship that grows more exquisite with each passing year! Produced by Xinhua Global Service Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. (Photo: Alyssa Pointer-Pool/Getty Images) The Georgia Court of Appeals agreed on Wednesday to hear a request filed by former President Donald Trump and eight co-defendants seeking the removal of the Fulton County district attorney from the 2020 election interference case. The appeals court ruling means that District Attorney Fani Willis will renew a court battle with defense attorneys over whether Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee erred by rejecting a motion to disqualify Willis from the case after she admitted to a romantic involvement with a special prosecutor she hired. An appellate panel of three judges ruled on the defenses motion within the 45-day window the law allows since the appeal was filed on March 29. The appeal courts decision further diminishes the chances of the Fulton County District Attorneys office successfully convening a trial this year to consider racketeering charges against the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee and his allies, who are accused of illegally conspiring to overturn the 2020 election in former President Donald Trumps favor. Trumps attorney Steve Sadow and other defense lawyers have argued that McAfee should not have allowed special prosecutor Nathan Wade to resign on March 15 while allowing Willis to remain on the case, alleging her hiring of Wade and then taking vacations to Aruba and other places with him amounted to prosecutorial misconduct. McAfee wrote in his March 15 court order that there is a need to address a significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team, referring to Willis and Wade. The two admitted to having become romantically involved several months after Willis hired Wade as special prosecutor in November 2021. McAfee ruled that the Trump co-defendants failed to sufficiently prove there was conflict of interest related to a relationship that saw Wade get paid about $700,000 by Fulton County before stepping down last month. The appeal came from Trump and co-defendants including former Trump campaign officer Michael Roman, former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani and ex-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. Willis filed a motion on April 8 arguing that McAfee correctly found she had no conflict of interest. Willis also wrote that the testimony given during her disqualification hearing did not reveal a deliberate attempt prejudice the defendants or secure their convictions prior to the trial. Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor John McCosh for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com. Follow Georgia Recorder on Facebook and Twitter. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Georgia appeals court to review decision allowing DA Willis to prosecute Trump case appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. German defence minister, in US, assures Berlin will do more in NATO German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius speaks to journalists after a visit to the United Nations (UN). Britta Pedersen/dpa German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius sought to assure the United States, Germany's most important NATO ally, that Berlin is willing to assume more military responsibility for security in Europe and the world. At the same time, Pistorius called on the US government not to let up on its joint commitment in Europe. "We both will continue to work closely as partners, as allies, and as friends. This is more important than ever in this world, and I'm confident that we can achieve much together," said Pistorius at a meeting with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon. Pistorius was received on Thursday with full military honours at the headquarters of the US Defense Department. The ceremony included an extended honour guard and military band. Pistorius is currently on a visit to both the US and Canada, a trip intended to make Germany's renewed commitment to military defence clear to both North American NATO partners. In the run-up to the NATO summit in Washington in July, Pistorius is seeking to alter a critical view of Germany that emerged in previous years, with multiple US presidents sharply critical of German defence policy and low investment in the country's military. Former president Donald Trump, who hopes to return to the White House next year, was particularly vocal and public with his harsh criticism of Germany. Pistorius said that Germany was prepared to make "more contributions to fair trans-Atlantic burden-sharing." He cited increased German defence spending that now is above NATO's target of at least 2% of gross domestic product (GDP), as well as preparations to permanently deploy a brigade to Lithuania and leadership in a European air defence initiative. In a speech at the Pentagon, Austin himself listed Germany's contributions to the defence of Ukraine and NATO, as well as to security in the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He said "Our two proud democracies are in lockstep," Austin said. The previous day, Pistorius had visited a Boeing plant in Philadelphia where CH47-F Chinook heavy military transport helicopters are produced. Germany has ordered 60 updated versions of the helicopter for its own military, with delivery expected in 2027.\ Germany has placed 23 billion ($25 billion) worth of orders from US firms for weapons and military equipment since Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared a "Zeitenwende," or historic turning point, in the country's defence policy following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Pistorius has described purchase contracts for existing weapons systems as a better way to avoid costly and time-consuming procurement processes, which can be plagued by delays and cost increases due to special requirements. During his trip, Pistorius has made clear that he thinks dramatically more investment is needed in Germany's armed forces to address gaps created in recent decades, and that restrictions on government debt should not be allowed to block needed spending. German defence minister, in US, assures Berlin will do more in NATO Boris Pistorius German Minister of Defense, sits in a Chinook helicopter during a visit to the Boeing company. The minister is meeting his counterparts, diplomats and officers during his military policy trip. Britta Pedersen/dpa German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius sought to assure the United States, Germany's most important NATO ally, that Berlin is willing to assume more military responsibility for security in Europe and the world. At the same time, Pistorius called on the US government not to let up on its joint commitment in Europe. "We both will continue to work closely as partners, as allies, and as friends. This is more important than ever in this world, and I'm confident that we can achieve much together," said Pistorius at a meeting with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon. Pistorius was received on Thursday with full military honours at the headquarters of the US Defense Department. The ceremony included an extended honour guard and military band. Pistorius is currently on a visit to both the US and Canada, a trip intended to make Germany's renewed commitment to military defence clear to both North American NATO partners. In the run-up to the NATO summit in Washington in July, Pistorius is seeking to alter a critical view of Germany that emerged in previous years, with multiple US presidents sharply critical of German defence policy and low investment in the country's military. Former president Donald Trump, who hopes to return to the White House next year, was particularly vocal and public with his harsh criticism of Germany. Pistorius said that Germany was prepared to make "more contributions to fair trans-Atlantic burden-sharing." He cited increased German defence spending that now is above NATO's target of at least 2% of gross domestic product (GDP), as well as preparations to permanently deploy a brigade to Lithuania and leadership in a European air defence initiative. In a speech at the Pentagon, Austin himself listed Germany's contributions to the defence of Ukraine and NATO, as well as to security in the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He said "Our two proud democracies are in lockstep," Austin said. Later, Pistorius said Berlin will pay for the delivery of three HIMARS long-range missile artillery systems from the United States to Ukraine. Pistorius made the decision public on Thursday in Washington after talks with Austin. He said the three systems, which cost tens of millions of dollars, will come from the stocks of the US armed forces and will be paid for by Berlin. The HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) is a multiple rocket launcher artillery system mounted on a lorry chassis. The previous day, Pistorius had visited a Boeing plant in Philadelphia where CH47-F Chinook heavy military transport helicopters are produced. Germany has ordered 60 updated versions of the helicopter for its own military, with delivery expected in 2027. Germany has placed 23 billion ($25 billion) worth of orders from US firms for weapons and military equipment since Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared a "Zeitenwende," or historic turning point, in the country's defence policy following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Pistorius has described purchase contracts for existing weapons systems as a better way to avoid costly and time-consuming procurement processes, which can be plagued by delays and cost increases due to special requirements. During his trip, Pistorius has made clear that he thinks dramatically more investment is needed in Germany's armed forces to address gaps created in recent decades, and that restrictions on government debt should not be allowed to block needed spending. German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius speaks to journalists after a visit to the United Nations (UN). Britta Pedersen/dpa Germany's Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger has lashed out at a letter of support from around 100 educators at Berlin universities in favour of pro-Palestinian demonstrators. "This statement from educators at Berlin universities is staggering. Instead of taking a clear stand against hatred of Israel and Jews, university occupiers are being turned into the victims and violence trivialized," she told Germany's tabloid Bild newspaper in remarks published on Thursday. On Tuesday, around 150 activists attempted to occupy a courtyard and set up tents at Berlin's Free University. The school quickly called in the police and had the area cleared. The police reported on Wednesday that 79 people had been temporarily detained, including 49 women and 30 men, and that 80 criminal investigations and 79 misdemeanours proceedings had been initiated. In a declaration titled "Statement from Lecturers at Berlin Universities," around 100 lecturers from several Berlin universities wrote: "Regardless of whether we agree with the specific demands of the protest camp, we stand with our students and defend their right to peaceful protest. "We call on the Berlin university management to refrain from police operations against their own students as well as from further criminal prosecution," the statement continued. Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner backed Stark-Watzinger. "I have absolutely no sympathy for the authors of this pamphlet," the mayor, who is from the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, told Bild. Stark-Watzinger is a member of the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP). Berlin universities are and will remain places of knowledge, critical discourse and open exchange, Wegner said, "However, anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel are not expressions of opinion, but criminal offences." Germany's Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger has lashed out at a letter of support from around 100 educators at Berlin universities in favour of pro-Palestinian demonstrators. "This statement from educators at Berlin universities is staggering. Instead of taking a clear stand against hatred of Israel and Jews, university occupiers are being turned into the victims and violence trivialized," she told Germany's tabloid Bild newspaper in remarks published on Thursday. On Tuesday, around 150 activists attempted to occupy a courtyard and set up tents at Berlin's Free University. The school quickly called in the police and had the area cleared. The police reported on Wednesday that 79 people had been temporarily detained, including 49 women and 30 men, and that 80 criminal investigations and 79 misdemeanour proceedings had been initiated. In a declaration titled "Statement from Lecturers at Berlin Universities," around 100 lecturers from several Berlin universities wrote: "Regardless of whether we agree with the specific demands of the protest camp, we stand with our students and defend their right to peaceful protest." "We call on the Berlin university management to refrain from police operations against their own students as well as from further criminal prosecution," the statement continued. Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner backed Stark-Watzinger. "I have absolutely no sympathy for the authors of this pamphlet," the mayor, who is from the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, told Bild. Stark-Watzinger is a member of the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP). Berlin universities are and will remain places of knowledge, critical discourse and open exchange, Wegner said, "However, anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel are not expressions of opinion, but criminal offences." The President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, told Bild that the activists were less concerned with the suffering of the people in Gaza than with their hatred of Israel and Jews. The ambassador of the Palestinian Authority in Germany, Laith Arafeh, on the other hand, pointed out the importance of free speech with regard to protests. The ambassador told dpa that the scope for freedom of expression and academic freedom with regard to Israel and the Gaza war was constantly shrinking. "We condemn all forms of fanaticism, including anti-Semitism," he said. "We also condemn the systematic use of false accusations of anti-Semitism against all voices calling for an end to the war." Arafeh stressed that he was not voicing support for the student protests. "I am not in a position to take such position. As a diplomat I refrain from interfering in internal matters," the ambassador explained. "But I do support everyones right to free expression, everyones right to free speech, everywhere all the time. That is a universal human right that should be safeguarded by all, and it is everyones duty to act when it is being violated," he added. The AfD party logo is displayed at an election campaign rally in the Donauhalle. Two lawmakers from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party were attacked and injured in front of the state parliament in Stuttgart before a celebratory event to mark the 75th anniversary of Germany's constitution, police said on Thursday. Bernd Weibrod/dpa Two lawmakers from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party were attacked and injured in front of the state parliament in Stuttgart before a celebratory event to mark the 75th anniversary of Germany's constitution, police said on Thursday. Suspected opponents of the party blocked the information stand of the AfD's state parliamentary faction on Wednesday afternoon on the square in front of the city's opera house and held up banners. Members of the parliamentary group were verbally and physically "attacked," according to police. Two members of parliament suffered slight injuries. The perpetrators fled on foot. Two of the women involved, aged 19 and 23, were stopped. They are under investigation. Police are still looking for the others. A string of attacks aimed at politicians across the country in recent days has prompted outrage and fears about damage to the country's democratic norms. Germany will buy three HIMARS multiple rocket launchers for Ukraine, the country's defense minister announced on May 9. Speaking during a trip to Washington, Boris Pistorius said they would be purchased from the U.S. and handed over to Kyiv. "They will come from the US armed forces and will be paid for by us," he told reporters. HIMARS, whose prowess became a popular motif of internet memes, was a game-changer for Ukraine when it first arrived in the summer of 2022, allowing Kyiv to target Russian forces behind the front lines far more accurately than they had previously. The weapons system its full name is M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System is a multiple rocket launcher system mounted to a 6x6 FMTV truck chassis, providing devastating firepower launched from a highly mobile platform. Its rockets are radar-guided, with a range of around 70 kilometers (over 40 miles). When combined with high mobility, it is the ideal "shoot and scoot" system to target enemy weapons dumps and command posts. HIMARS success stories are too numerous to count, but most recently, they were used against a military training ground in occupied areas of Donetsk Oblast where Russian troops were stationed, killing at least 60, the BBC reported on Feb. 21. Subscribe to Ukraine Daily newsletter News from Ukraine in your inbox Subscribe Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok at the Sandor Palace in Budapest, Hungary, May 9, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) BUDAPEST, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed on Thursday his readiness to work with Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok to carry forward the traditional friendship, deepen political mutual trust, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, and steer the China-Hungary relationship to higher levels. Xi made the remarks when holding talks with Sulyok at the Sandor Palace in Budapest. Noting that Hungary is one of the first countries to recognize New China, Xi said since the establishment of their diplomatic ties, China and Hungary have always respected each other, treated each other as equals, and pursued mutual benefit. The bilateral relationship has stood the test of the changing international landscape and continued to grow in depth from a friendship across the continent, to a friendly and cooperative partnership and then to a comprehensive strategic partnership, Xi said. The China-Hungary relationship is now at its best in history, he said, adding that the traditional friendship has taken deep roots in the hearts of the people, and cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful outcomes. This year marks the 75th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, Xi said. Noting that China-Hungary relations have maintained steady development over the past 75 years, Xi said the two sides should sum up valuable experience and chart the course forward. First, Xi said, both sides should treat each other as equals, follow a development path suited to their respective national conditions, and firmly hold their destiny in their own hands. China-Hungary friendship from generation to generation does not target any third party, nor should it be dictated by any third party, he added. Second, the two countries should uphold mutual trust and mutual assistance, always understand each other, and firmly support each other in safeguarding their respective sovereignty, security, and development interests, Xi said. Third, the two sides should adhere to win-win cooperation, expand cooperation in various fields within the framework of the Belt and Road cooperation, and synergize their respective development strategies, he said. Both countries should also uphold fairness and justice, stand on the right side of history, and strive to make positive contributions to the cause of peace and development of mankind, he added. Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony jointly held by Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest, Hungary, May 9, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony jointly held by Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest, Hungary, May 9, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony jointly held by Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest, Hungary, May 9, 2024. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) Chinese President Xi Jinping and Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok inspect the guard of honor in Budapest, Hungary, May 9, 2024. Xi attended a welcome ceremony jointly held by Sulyok and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban here on Thursday. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok at the Sandor Palace in Budapest, Hungary, May 9, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) Germany to buy rocket artillery systems from the US for Ukraine Boris Pistorius (L), German Minister of Defense, sits in a meeting with his US counterpart (not pictured). The Minister is meeting his counterparts, diplomats and officers during his military policy trip. Britta Pedersen/dpa German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said Berlin will pay for the delivery of three HIMARS long-range missile artillery systems from the United States to Ukraine. Pistorius made the decision public on Thursday in Washington after talks with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. He said the three systems, which cost tens of millions of dollars, will come from the stocks of the US armed forces and will be paid for by Berlin. The HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) is a multiple rocket launcher artillery system mounted on a lorry chassis. Boris Pistorius German Minister of Defense, sits in a meeting with his US counterpart (not pictured). The Minister meets his counterparts, diplomats and officers during his military policy trip. Britta Pedersen/dpa Boris Pistorius German Minister of Defense, sits in a meeting with his US counterpart (not pictured). The Minister meets his counterparts, diplomats and officers during his military policy trip. Britta Pedersen/dpa German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius sought to assure the United States, Germany's most important NATO ally, that Berlin is willing to assume more military responsibility for security in Europe and the world. At the same time, Pistorius called on the US government not to let up on its joint commitment in Europe. "We both will continue to work closely as partners, as allies, and as friends. This is more important than ever in this world, and I'm confident that we can achieve much together," said Pistorius at a meeting with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon. Pistorius was received on Thursday with full military honours at the headquarters of the US Defense Department. The ceremony included an extended honour guard and military band. Pistorius is currently on a visit to both the US and Canada, a trip intended to make Germany's renewed commitment to military defence clear to both North American NATO partners. In the run-up to the NATO summit in Washington in July, Pistorius is seeking to alter a critical view of Germany that emerged in previous years, with multiple US presidents sharply critical of German defence policy and low investment in the country's military. Former president Donald Trump, who hopes to return to the White House next year, was particularly vocal and public with his harsh criticism of Germany. Pistorius said that Germany was prepared to make "more contributions to fair trans-Atlantic burden-sharing." He cited increased German defence spending that now is above NATO's target of at least 2% of gross domestic product (GDP), as well as preparations to permanently deploy a brigade to Lithuania and leadership in a European air defence initiative. Boris Pistorius German Minister of Defense, speaks to journalists at Freedom Plaza. The Minister is meeting his counterparts, diplomats and officers during his military policy trip. Britta Pedersen/dpa Germany will provide Ukraine 45 million euros ($48 million) in the form of a grant for energy restoration, the Ukrainian Energy Ministry announced on May 9. Moscow has recently intensified its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's critical infrastructure, destroying several thermal power plants across the country, including the Trypillia plant, the main electricity supplier to Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Cherkasy oblasts. Russia carried out a large-scale attack on May 8 against Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, and Vinnytsia oblasts, mainly targeting energy infrastructure. At least two hydroelectric power plants were forcibly decommissioned as a result of the attack. The grant will fund the project "Improving the efficiency of electricity transmission," which was officially established during a meeting between the Ukrainian Energy Minister and Germany's Development Minister Svenja Schulze. "It is very important for us that the funds can be directed in different directions to restore and strengthen the stability of transmission system objects under enemy attacks," Halushchenko said. Ukrenegro, Ukraine's state-owned energy operator, signed the grant in cooperation with the German Development Bank, KfW. According to the Ministry, the funds will purchase equipment for energy efficient modernization, automation, and reconstruction of Ukrenegro substations. "Thanks to the support of the German Development Bank KfW during the Russian Federation's military aggression, NPC Ukrenergo has attracted more than 177 million euros ($190 million) in loans and grants to restore and develop the electricity transmission network," the Ministry said. Earlier this week, Ukrenegro announced that imports from Europe will not be sufficient to completely cover Ukraine's energy deficit caused by the May 8 attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Three thermal power plants were damaged in the recent attacks, according to Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK. Earlier on May 8, Ukrenergo said it would be limiting energy supplies for industrial and commercial users between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Read also: Energy Minister: Russian attacks on Ukraines energy infrastructure cause over $1 billion in damage Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Germany will provide Ukraine with a 45 million grant to rebuild Ukraines energy infrastructure. Source: Ministry of Energy of Ukraine Details: Ukraines Energy Ministry said that Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, Chairman of the Board of Ukrenergo, Ukraines main energy operator, and the management of the German KfW Development Bank have signed an agreement to this end. KfW Development Banks support has given Ukrenergo 177 million in loans and grants to restore and rebuild Ukraines energy infrastructure since the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion. Background: On the night of 7-8 May, Russia attacked power generation and transmission facilities in six of Ukraines oblasts. It was reported that restrictions on power consumption might be applied during the evening hours. Subsequently, the Ukrenergo Dispatch Centre was forced to restrict energy supply to industry and businesses from 18:00 to 23:00. Support UP or become our patron! The man who admitted to police he drove the car to and from a double homicide in the Florida Keys denied on the witness stand Wednesday that he knew murder was the plan that night. Instead, Adrian Demblans, 42, said he drove Jeremy Macauley the man being retried for the Oct. 15, 2015, slayings after an appeals court threw out his conviction to the Tavernier home in the Upper Keys so Macauley could deliver money to silence an extortion attempt in a cocaine heist. Prosecutors and Monroe County Sheriffs Office detectives say Macauley killed Tara Rosado, 26, and Carlos Ortiz, 30, inside Rosados Cuba Road home because Ortiz was threatening to go to the police about a cocaine-trafficking operation he and Macauley were involved in unless he was paid off. Demblans is out of prison after serving eight years for accessory after the fact of a murder. In this case, he pleaded guilty months before Macauleys original 2017 trial and agreed to cooperate with detectives and prosecutors in their case against him. Adrian Demblans He contended Wednesday that he only agreed to drive Macauley to Rosados home so he could pay Ortiz money to satisfy him and keep quiet. Macauley and his boss, Rick Rodriguez, found a large haul of between 18 and 20 kilos of cocaine over the summer of 2015 while taking clients out on Rodriguezs charter fishing boat, the Sea Horse, both prosecutors and Macauleys attorney said. The two split the cocaine, the attorneys said. They also paid off the clients on the boat that day with either cocaine, cash or a combination of the two. Detectives didnt have enough evidence to pin anything on Rodriguez, and he was not arrested or charged. He denied to the Herald that he had anything to do with bringing the drugs to shore or the murders. During opening arguments this week, prosecutors said its not clear what Rodriguez did with his piece of the contraband. Rodriguez did not respond to an email from the Herald about the attorneys statements. Macauley, 41, took his share of the cocaine, divvied it up into smaller portions and employed drug-dealing friends, including Demblans and Ortiz, to help him sell it locally, investigators say. Demblans testified that Macauley paid him $600 on consignment for every ounce he sold, which went for $1,200. Jeremy Macauley Macauley, according to prosecutors, shot both Rosado and Ortiz once in the head with a Colt .45 caliber 1911 pistol. Since Ortiz was living with Rosado at her home, along with her three young children, she was killed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, investigators say. Their bodies were found the next afternoon by a neighbor who noticed the children in the front yard of Rosados home. Donald Barrett, Macauleys attorney, is arguing in his retrial this week that his client wasnt with Adrian Demblans that night. Rather, someone else was the trigger man, he said. Retrial ordered A jailhouse witness in October 2016 told prosecutors in a sworn statement that Adrian Demblans identical twin brother, Kristian Demblans, told him he was the one who shot Rosado and Ortiz adding he would have killed the kids had they came into the couples bedroom that night. Macauley, who was convicted of the murders in November 2017 and sentenced to two life prison terms the next month, is being retried because the 3rd District Court of Appeal ruled the jailhouse witness recorded statement should have been heard by the jury during the original proceedings. The witness, Eric Lansford, declined at the last minute to travel from Alabama to testify at the trial because he said he was getting threats that if he showed up, hed be killed. Macauleys attorney at the time, Ed ODonnell, Sr., asked Monroe County Circuit Judge Luis Garcia if Lansfords statement could be played for the jury in his absence. Garcia declined. The appellate judges said his statement was possibly exculpatory, and it was credible since Lansford was one month away from finishing a year-long jail stint for burglary at the time he gave it, and therefore had nothing to gain. Extortion attempt On Wednesday, the third day of the new trial, Kristian Demblans name was mentioned several times, but Barrett, the defense attorney, never came out and said he was the gunman. Rather, he pressed Adrian Demblans on his level of involvement in the murders and for not saying anything about them until well after his arrest and after prosecutors offered him a deal. You knew exactly what was going to happen after driving Macauley to Rosados house, Barrett told Demblans as he took questions Wednesday. Thats not true, he responded. Ortiz was in the throes of a worsening-by-the-day drug addiction when he began threatening Macauley with going to the cops, To make the extortion attempt seem more believable, Ortiz, who was also sending similar messages to Rodriguez, was saying he was a confidential informant to police. But, Demblans told assistant state attorney Aleathea McRoberts he convinced Macauley that wasnt true because he had some ongoing drug business with Ortiz and hadnt been caught. I would have been arrested by now, he said he told Macauley. As the day of the murders approached, Ortiz demanded in a series of text messages that Macauley give him $20,000 and a kilo of cocaine and in exchange, hed keep his mouth shut, Demblans said. Instead, Demblans told McRoberts he devised a plan for Macauley to send Ortiz a photo of $1,600 in cash, tell him it was $3,000, and then deliver it to him in person. The picture looked like a lot of money. He sent Carlos the photo, Demblans said. Carlos said he was okay with it. A couple of guys with loaded .45s The night of the shootings, Macauley asked Demblans to pick him up at his home in Key Largo and drive him 14 miles south to Rosados home to deliver the money, according to Demblans testimony. Demblans said Wednesday that once he got to Macauleys house, he could tell he was high on cocaine. Before they left, Macauley loaded his pistol. Demblans told McRoberts, I didnt think anything of it. Thats because carrying weapons is part of the illegal narcotics trade, Demblans explained, and he was also armed that night with a .45 caliber Glock pistol. On cross examination, Barrett addressed the two being armed as further evidence Demblans knew murder was in the cards that night. Just another Thursday night for you? A couple of guys with loaded .45s going to a drug-dealers house, Barrett said. Macauley stashed his gun in the front pocket of his hooded sweatshirt, and the men drove south. They stopped by Demblans house in Key Largo first, where Demblans traded one of his friends a rock of crack cocaine so she would let him borrow her Toyota RAV4 to drive to Rosados Tavernier home. Carlos Ortiz and Tara Rosado were killed inside Rosados Florida Keys home on Oct. 15, 2015. Jeremy Macauley was convicted of their murders in 2017, but, an appeals court ordered a new trial, which began Monday, May 6, 2024. Demblans said he didnt want to take his red 2004 Chevy Colorado pickup because it had been overheating. Barrett argued Demblans didnt want to take his car because he knew they were on their way to kill Ortiz and he didnt want his vehicle seen at the house. When they arrived at the home, Demblans backed the Toyota into the driveway. Ortiz was standing outside. Macauley and Ortiz walked inside the home while Demblans stayed with the car, he said. Moments later, he said he heard two loud shots coming from inside the home. Not knowing who had been shot Ortiz or Macauley Demblans said he got out of the car with his Glock drawn. When he went inside, he said he saw the bodies of Rosado and Ortiz. I said, We gotta go, Demblans said on the stand. Macauley had grabbed a cell phone from the floor and asked Demblans to help him find another one. Demblans said he replied, It doesnt matter, we gotta go. Macauley wanted the phone because he knew Ortiz not only had the incriminating extortion texts, but also photos taken after the cocaine was found at sea showing Macauley posing with the drugs and cash, prosecutors say. Demblans said they got back into the car and he pulled out of the driveway. But, he then stopped the car, got out, and smoothed out the gravel in the driveway with his feet to cover the tire marks, he said. Prosecutors argue that footage from a security camera mounted on the house next door shows Macauley get out of the car and enter and exit Rosados house. Barrett, and Macauleys previous attorneys, argue the footage is too grainy to make out the identities of anyone shown. After the shooting, Demblans and Macauley traveled north back to Key Largo, investigators say. They drove over a small bridge over a canal on Ocean Bay Drive. As they headed east on the bridge, Macauley threw the pistol over the side into the water, Demblans said. He then turned the car around, and drove west over the bridge, and Macauley tossed the phone he stole from Rosados house. At first it bumped off the railing and fell onto the street, so Macauley had to get out of the car, pick up the phone and drop it in the canal, Demblans told McRoberts. Demblans then returned the RAV4, picked up his pickup and dropped Macauley off at his house, he told both attorneys. It was over now, he said he recalled thinking. Its all over now. Gun and phone found A month later, a snorkeler swimming in the canal found the gun and called the sheriffs office. Detectives were later able to connect the gun to the two shell casings and one bullet found at the Cuba Road home. The other bullet went through the wall, and detectives were never able to find it, Detective Sgt. Barney Sajdak testified Monday. Sheriffs office divers also found the phone Macauley threw in the water. In January 2016, Demblans got word detectives were asking people he knew about the case, and he borrowed scuba equipment from a neighbor, including an underwater metal detector, and dove into the canal looking for the gun and phone, not realizing the items were already in police custody. On Oct. 15, 2015, a gunman who killed a couple in Tavernier over a cocaine-related extortion attempt, threw the gun he used off of this small bridge in Key Largo into the canal below. He told both McRoberts and Barrett he dove the canal at Macauleys request. The sheriffs office arrested Macauley and Demblans in March 2016. Macauley was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of armed robbery and Demblans on accessory after the fact of a murder. If Demblans had not made the deal to cooperate against Macauley, he was looking at 30 years in prison. He was originally sentenced to 10 years, but, Garcia reduced it to eight years after Demblans agreed to help the states case against Macauley for drug-trafficking charges related to the cocaine he brought to shore. Macauley ended up pleading guilty in that case and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Barrett on Wednesday pressed Demblans about why, if he did not know Macauley was going to kill Ortiz and Rosado, he didnt go to police and tell them he was an unwitting accomplice to two brutal murders. Demblans, who said he is now clean, responded it was because he was addicted to cocaine, including crack and heroin. I was too busy smoking crack, Demblans said. From suburbia to addiction, dealing While the rest of the players in this case come from a working-class background, the Demblans brothers grew up in relative prosperity in Palmetto Bay each graduating with bachelors degrees in criminal justice from Florida International University. They started experimenting with drugs in their teens, and progressed to full-blown addictions by the time they reached their 20s, Adrian Demblans said Wednesday. In 2008, Adrian Demblans was convicted of cocaine trafficking and served two years in state prison. I knew how to get it, and I would help people out, he told McRoberts. Little by little. Thats how it starts. In 2010, after getting out of prison, Adrian was the first one to move to Key Largo, where his parents had a second home, and got into the charter fishing boat business, eventually buying a boat from Rick Rodriguez that he renamed the Reel G. The Reel G charter boat belonged to Adrian Demblans, who pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact in the Oct. 15, 2015, murders of Carlos Ortiz and Tara Rosado in the Florida Keys. Kristian, who had a commercial captains license, followed him about a year later, and his brother was able to get him a job on his friends boat. But, he too began getting deeper into addiction and lost that job, Adrian said. While Adrian was sober for a while after serving his time, he drifted back into his addiction. It started as smoking weed again, but that led to cocaine use, then harder drugs like crack and heroin, he said. The Reel G was docked at Whale Harbor Marina in Islamorada and thats when he started hanging out with Macauley, he said. While Adrian said he has been sober for years, his brother has continued to go down a bumpy road. He was arrested this week for a probation violation on a previous driving under the influence conviction and is being held in Monroe county jail on a $50,000 bond, according to sheriffs office records. After he was finished testifying Wednesday, Adrian Demblans spoke to a Miami Herald reporter outside the Plantation Key courthouse and said his brother had nothing to do with the murders. While both were drug dealers at the time, they moved in different circles, and Kristian didnt know Ortiz well nor was he involved with selling Macauleys cocaine, he said. Theyre grasping at straws. Theyre trying to find something, but they picked the wrong thing. My brother really never did have anything to do with Carlos, so I dont see how theyre going to prove a motive, Demblans told the Herald. He also dismissed Lansfords statement about Kristian confessing to him that he was the trigger man. With a jailhouse snitch saying he said this, he said that, how can you really trust a jailhouse snitch? Also, at that point in time, I believe my brother was withdrawing at the jail, Demblans said. Did he say it? Maybe. He could have. He could have not. Who knows. Just because you say something doesnt mean you did it. Demblans added that if Kristian said he was the one who shot Ortiz and Rosado, he could have been him trying to project an image that he was a hardened criminal so fellow inmates wouldnt mess with him. A lot of times you look to say something to give you a little bit of the edge inside. Protection, oh, a tough guy or something, Demblans said. He definitely didnt have anything to do with it. I definitely didnt know what was going to happen. From the Boiling Frogs on The Dispatch Does the public have a right to a speedy trial in a federal criminal case? The defendant has that right, of course, under the Sixth Amendment and the Speedy Trial Act of 1974. But what if the defendant doesnt want his trial to be speedy? What if, for nakedly political reasons, he wants to drag it out as long as he can? Some very good lawyers would tell you that, by setting a timetable for federal prosecutions, the Speedy Trial Act grants the publicrepresented by the Department of Justicea right to an expeditious process even if the defense disapproves. To a bad, failed, libertarian-leaning lawyer like me, that seems suspect: The point of procedural rights like the guarantee of a speedy trial is to protect the defendant from abuses by the immensely powerful state thats trying him, not vice versa. If we all agree that Donald Trump should be treated the same as any other criminal defendant, neither above the law nor below it, then he should have the same right as any other defendant to delay his trial, no? Well, no, actually. The problem with arguing that he should be treated like any other criminal defendant is that he isnt one. Hes already been treated favorably by the justice system in ways that few other criminal defendants would be. One obvious example is the extreme patience the DOJ showed in seeking the return of classified material he had squirreled away at Mar-a-Lago. Try stashing top-secret documents in your home and misleading the feds about it and see how patient they are with you by comparison. Another example is how he continues to flout the gag order imposed on him in his criminal trial in Manhattan with little consequence. Judge Juan Merchan sounded almost apologetic in holding Trump in contempt for a second time on Monday, bending over backward to avoid sentencing him to time behind bars. Its important to understand that the last thing I want to do is to put you in jail, he assured the defendant. You are a former president of the United States and possibly a future president, as well. There are many reasons why incarceration is truly a last step for me. Trump is different. We can pretend otherwise if it makes us feel better about norms but the justice system itself has quit pretending. And the most important difference is this: In less than six months, he could become the first federal defendant in the history of this country to gain the power to dismiss criminal charges that are pending against him. In this very special, singular instant, the public has an extraordinary interest in wanting to see the cases against him proceed speedily for the simple reason that, if he isnt tried before Election Day and ends up winning, hes never going to be tried in those federal cases. Period. On Tuesday we learned that he almost certainly wont be tried before Election Day in the strongest of the four prosecutions hes facing, the classified-documents case in Florida. Trump allegedly absconded with some of Americas most sensitive secrets upon leaving office, then spent two years brazenly concealing them, lying about it, and obstructing efforts to get them backand hes on the brink of getting away with all of it. If he does, public faith in American justice will never be the same. For the past nine years, reading political commentary has meant drowning in anecdotes about Trump voters losing trust in the system. Thats one of the basic arguments against prosecuting him, in fact. If you think the average joes in Youngstown wearing red hats were suspicious of the establishment before, imagine how they must feel watching their leader be buried under criminal charges in the thick of his reelection bid. I take the point, but I also resent how the fascination with Trumps blue-collar popularity tends to implicitly excuse his acts of civic degeneracy. Its way too short a trip from, What terrible hardships led these downtrodden people to turn to this amoral cretin? to We should go easy on this amoral cretin lest we further antagonize these downtrodden people. Focusing on the disillusionment of MAGA voters also has the effect of rewarding Trump for discouraging faith in American institutions. He cultivates that disillusionment deliberately, as all authoritarians do, because it nudges his supporters to shift their allegiance away from the constitutional order and toward him. To believe that we shouldnt charge him because doing so might deepen the popular disaffection hes sowed is to create a very perverse incentive for demagogues eager to hedge their risk of criminal jeopardy. Nine years in, were all sick and tired of hearing how disillusioned real Americans are. Today were going to consider how disillusioned the rest of usunreal Americans, if you likewill be if the justice system cant manage to bring Trump to trial before Election Day despite having had literally years to do so. If our own collective and deepening disillusionment about Trumps impunity had been taken more seriously relative to the din from Youngstown, maybe the justice system would have gotten its act together sooner. Lets talk about Aileen Cannon, whos being pilloried today for her order on Tuesday delaying Trumps classified-documents trial indefinitely. Judge Cannon was dealt a bad hand when that case landed in her lap in Florida. Trump critics already viewed her with suspicion due to the, er, interesting way she handled the initial seizure of sensitive material from Mar-a-Lago. Once she got stuck presiding over the ensuing criminal trial as well, any ruling she issued in the defenses favor was sure to be attacked by Trumps opponents as biased. Worse, the nature of the case assured that it would proceed slowly in order to accommodate the parties review of the relevant classified documents. Cannon was destined to be blamed for that slow pace, fairly or not. Its a tough spot for a relatively inexperienced judge, particularly when the defendant happens to be the man who put her on the federal bench. But it is curious that, rather than move the trials opening from May to July, as special counsel Jack Smith requested, Cannon chose on Tuesday not to even propose a new start date. Its also curious that she blamed the backlog of pending pretrial motions for her decision to delay, since of course its the judge herself whos responsible for handling those expeditiously. In fact, the original hearing on when the trial should begin was held all the way back on March 1; it took her more than two months to arrive at the decision that she hasnt decided yet. Some of her rulings, like requesting proposals for jury instructions from the parties in a trial thats not even on the calendar yet, seem bizarre. And shes been surprisingly solicitous of some of Trumps lamest arguments, like the idea that the Presidential Records Act allows him to magically convert classified material into his personal property. Over and over, Judge Cannon, who was appointed by Mr. Trump, has treated seriously arguments that many, if not most, federal judges would have rejected out of hand, the New York Times delicately noted on Wednesday. Unreal Americans are watching all of that and wondering. Were wondering why, given the extraordinary public interest in seeing this trial take place before Trump gains the power to blow it up, Judge Cannon seems in no hurry to move it along. (Contrast that with the Supreme Court, which has moved at warp speed to decide Trumps claims of absolute immunity in the January 6 case against him.) Were also mindful that the defendant in this matter has a habit of rewarding demonstrations of loyalty by cronies with presidential favors. We dont need to impugn the judges motives to recognize this simple fact: A favorable outcome for Trump makes it very likely that Cannon will be nominated for a higher-court vacancy during his next term whereas an unfavorable outcome all but assures she wont. A lot of faith in the system will be lost if this case sputters out before November, as now seems all but certain. To that one might say, Its not Judge Cannons job to care whether unreal Americans will lose faith if Trump isnt held accountable for his classified-documents chicanery. Its her job to rule fairly on the individual questions before her. I agreebut faith in the justice system among the American right is a recurring concern whenever the system confronts Trump. When that happens, were unfailingly treated to hand-wringing about how much more dangerously alienated real Americans will grow from their countrys institutions upon seeing them confront populisms champion. If you doubt it, consider how the Justice Department has handled all of this. The DOJs anxiety about faith in the rule of law is how, paradoxically, we ended up with the hair-raising spectacle of a presidential nominee facing criminal charges in the home stretch of a national campaign. Populists would have you believe that the DOJ dragged its feet cynically to time the proceedings for maximum interference in that campaign, but the fact that both of the federal cases pending against him now stand a high chance of being quashed by a newly reelected Trump before ever being gaveled in puts the lie to that. The real reason the department dragged its feet in charging him is simple. Mindful that a former president has never been criminally charged, and knowing that half the country has been primed by him to fear and loathe the deep state, the DOJ strained to avoid a confrontation with Trump if one could at all be avoided. It let the rights disillusionment with the justice system influence their willingness to pursue Trump, forgetting that failing to hold him accountable might disillusion everyone else. Take the classified documents case. Eight months passed between the time that the National Archives referred the matter to the DOJ and the FBIs search of Mar-a-Lago, then another 10 months before Trump was indicted by a grand jury in the summer of 2023. Now here we are in March 2024, at dire risk of the trial being short-circuited by the Election Day deadline. But what should the Justice Department have done? Should it have slapped a former president with criminal charges the instant he showed reluctance in returning the material? Of course not. The responsible thing to do to avoid needless civil strife was to politely askand ask, and ask, and askfor the documents back until it became painfully clear that Trump would never voluntarily return all of them. So thats what the DOJ did. It bent over backward to avoid a confrontation because it knew that Trumps supporters would fault the government entirely if that confrontation took place. And Trump knew it too, of course, which is why he felt comfortable holding onto those documents in the first place. The department moved even more slowly in the case against him for trying to overturn the 2020 election, which could have been brought at any point after January 20, 2021, yet ended up taking more than two and a half years to produce an indictment. That too has now become a race against time to reach a verdict before November 5, 2024. Again the DOJ hemmed and hawed over filing charges because it didnt want a confrontation with Trump. And it would have avoided one, I suspect, if he had simply left politics the way defeated presidents usually do. As much as he deserves to be charged for his coup plot, the department likely would have concluded that the civic benefits of letting sleeping dogs lie outweighed those of charging a former political leader who enjoys a huge popular following. The department dragged its feetuntil Trump made clear that sleeping dogs would not be allowed to lie by pursuing the presidency again. Its one thing to let a corrupt politician slide on crimes he committed if hes banished himself from politics and quite another to let him do so when hes waltzing back to the White House. So they charged him, very belatedly. And their reward for being patient and trying to avoid a confrontation is having his trials now play out in the most politically explosive, norms-busting environment possible, with a high probability that the defendant will succeed in terminating them before completion. Unreal Americans are watching all of this and wondering. One thing were wondering is this: When should the DOJ have indicted him in order to minimize the damage to American norms? If the goal was to convince real Americans that the charges against him are legitimatewhich would never, ever happen so long as he continued to lead the partywhat would have been the opportune time to file those charges? There is none, of course. Its a trick question. If the DOJ had pursued Trump aggressively for his coup attempt soon after Joe Biden took office, many of the same people complaining now that it took too long to charge him would have complained that it moved too soon. The country was tense after January 6; Americans were ferociously divided over the election. But sanity had (barely) prevailed and Trump had been expurgated. Why make the situation worse by indicting the defeated candidate? America needed healing, not the gratuitous prosecution of a former president. The same logic applies to the classified-documents case. The DOJ was excessively patient with Trump because it would have been excoriated if it hadnt given him every opportunity to return the material voluntarily with no legal fuss or muss. If you want to indict a former president in this country, especially one who still leads his party, you need an airtight case that he left you no choice. That means waiting until theres no reasonable alternative. So it did. The Justice Department was foolishly considerate of the feelings of Trump voters who were always going to conclude that it had behaved illegitimately in confronting him, whatever the underlying facts might be. If it had charged him quickly, it would be guilty of needless aggression; because it waited to charge him, its guilty of election interference. The truth is that real Americans believe theres no circumstance in which Trump can properly and legitimately be charged for crimes he commits, as the man himself well understands. Absolute immunity is what he and they seek, to borrow a term. Thats what Trump is now on the precipice of achieving, not because the Supreme Court granted it to him as a matter of law but because voters look prepared to grant it to him by reelecting him. And so we have the worst of all worlds, with real Americans disillusioned that he was prosecuted at all and unreal Americans disillusioned that he was prosecuted too late to have any effect. Those of us in the latter group are now left to wonder: If Congress wont restrain Trump by impeaching and convicting him, and if the justice system cant restrain him by holding him accountable in a timely manner, which institutions are left to do so? Were told to have faith in the system. What system? There is one institution left, of course. That would be the election system, although its the great work of Trumps political career to destroy faith in that one as well when it produces outcomes he dislikes. And that work continues, with remarkable success. Still, the election system might come through. It seems to me that the prospect of Trump escaping accountability in the various criminal cases against him if he returns to the presidency is a powerful pitch potentially to disgruntled swing voters. Its hard for Biden to win an argument against Trump on policy. Like it or not, the economic debate will boil down to, Which president kept prices lower? Its also hard for Biden to win an argument on fitness, as most voters consider that question from the standpoint of vitality rather than character. But an argument over the justness of a criminal defendant exploiting executive power to cancel his own trial? Thats viscerally grotesque. It hits you in the gut in a way that airy pronouncements about democracy do not. The same goes for Trumps idiotic promise to pardon the January 6 insurrectionists. I could give you 800 reasons to vote against him in November but, for me, that one suffices. Hes going to get away with it. Biden cant make that point himself on the trail, being the man to whom the DOJ answers, but Democratic surrogates can and will. They should make clear that the choice in November is nothing more or less than whether to grant one candidate the kingly power to place himself formally above the law. If thats the kind of country you want, you know how to vote. If it isnt, ditto. One side or the other will lose whats left of its faith in America depending on how it shakes out. It didnt have to be that way. We know who to blame for the fact that it is. Read more at The Dispatch The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free. Were going to see him again: 81-year-old man missing after EF4 tornado demolishes his Barnsdall home BARNSDALL, Okla. (KFOR)- Days after an EF-4 tornado ripped through the small city of Barnsdall Monday night, 81-year-old Kenneth Wayne Hogue is still unaccounted for. The National Weather Service Tulsa has been surveying the Barnsdall area for damage and preliminary reports classify it as a low end EF-4 as of Wednesday night. Its terrifying and heartbreaking: EF4 tornado rips through Barnsdall, killing one and displacing dozens Law enforcement officials say 30 to 40 homes were damaged or destroyed, including a Barnsdall nursing home. Those who were staying in that facility have been transported to other healthcare facilities. About 25 people, including children were rescued out of dilapidated homes Monday night, according to officials. Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) confirmed one fatality as a result of the storm. Seven to eight people were also injured. The search for Wayne is still ongoing as of Wednesday. Waynes home was located on the west side of Bird Creek. His home was demolished and his family says what they believe to be the trailer framework of his home was found on the east side of the creek. Wayne is a man of God. Plain and simple. Just a man of God. He was caring and honest. [An] 81-year-old man who lived a simple life, said Waynes daughter-in-law, Tamara Hogue. Wayne was in the hospital up until last week. While he was in there, I was waiting for my husband, and it was just him and I. We were talking about his favorite Bible verses. Hogue said Waynes faith was everything. He didnt care who you were. If you gave him five minutes of your time, he was going to tell you about Jesus. That man loves God. Theres no doubt that Gods with him. Wherever he is, Gods with him, added Hogue. Hogue said her husband was on the phone with Wayne minutes before the tornado blew through on Monday. Thats about a seven-minute-long conversation. He said, Son, you just put your trust in Jesus and he was going to sit in his room and listen to the gospel. And he said, If the good Lord is ready for me, then thats where Im going,' explained Hogue. Strangely enough, weve had a peace. I mean, theres a peace in our hearts. I know a lot of people wont understand that, but thats how God works. Osage County Sheriff Eddie Virden told KFOR his department along with several other agencies have been searching for Wayne all over Barnsdall. So far, the Osage County Sheriffs Office confirms it has been a part of five searches for Wayne. Red Cross assists Barnsdall, Bartlesville recovery efforts Its unpredictable as far as location. Were trying to go off of what we would think scientifically would be the search area. But with that, weve had debris reported way, way, way away from the area. We know that some of the material from the tornado reached as high as 20,000 feet. We certainly hope he wasnt involved in that. We hope we get good information. We dont want the family to not have answers. Were going to keep looking until we find something, stated Sheriff Virden. Sheriff Virden added some of the debris from where Waynes home once stood flew into the Bird Creek. The creek sits right behind Waynes residence. Were going to look until theres no place else to look, said Sheriff Virden. Those people coming together and aiding us they were here within just hours of when the impact was. Those numbers gave us the ability to sweep this large damage area and look for poor injured people, trapped people and coordinate. I cant say enough the gratitude we have for all the people that came together. Were going to see [Wayne] again. Hes in heaven. Were going to see him. Kenneth Wayne Hogues daughter-in-law, Tamara Hogue No updates have been provided to KFOR as to Waynes whereabouts as of Wednesday night. Hogue is asking for prayers as law enforcement continues their search. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. 'Gone With the Wind' actress fought against racist housing covenants. That history matters. The rambling Los Angeles home was lavish, the rolling backyard lush. Frequent guests included Hollywood glitterati of the day: Duke Ellington, Lena Horne, Esther Williams and the King, Clark Gable. The hostess and homeowner was Hattie McDaniel, who, in 1939, became the first African American to win the Oscar, for her role as Mammy in Gone With the Wind. Just six years later, she led her neighbors in a legal fight to keep their homes in the upscale Sugar Hill neighborhood. Six white residents sought to enforce covenants written into the deeds of homes in the area forbidding African Americans from owning or residing there. The Queen of Sugar Hill and her friends won that fight. Best-selling author ReShonda Tate, whose new book, The Queen of Sugar Hill, tells McDaniels story, will be in Nashville on Saturday, May 18, headlining the 17th annual Literary Luncheon, hosted by Les Gemmes Inc., Nashville Chapter. ReShonda Tate The event will benefit the Lighting the Path for Girls program, which provides scholarships and other educational opportunities for a select group of young women. All guests will receive a signed copy of Tates new book. LeBron Hill: What Nashville can learn about preserving Black history from Lorenzo Washington Judge rules that court ignored equal rights for too long Restrictive deed covenants like those in Sugar Hill existed all over the United States. One, attached to a property on Hillsboro Pike near Otter Creek Road, reads: Portrait of Hattie McDaniel at the 12th Academy Awards ceremony on Feb. 29, 1940. McDaniel made history that night when she became the first Black performer to win an Oscar. Examples of what her Oscar plaque would have looked like sit in the foreground. No part of said property shall be conveyed and no part thereof shall be sold, aliened, conveyed or devised to any person or persons of African blood or descent, and no person or persons of African blood or descent shall own or acquire title thereto, either in fee or otherwise, or as tenants or lessees, but this covenant does not preclude or prohibit persons of African blood or descent from living on said premises in the capacity of servants. The courts struck down the covenants, starting with the Sugar Hill case. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Thurmond Clarke wrote in his 1945 ruling in the case: It is time that members of the Negro race are accorded, without reservations and evasions, the full rights guaranteed them under the 14th amendment of the Federal Constitution. Judges have been avoiding the real issue too long. Certainly there was no discrimination against the Negro race when it came to calling upon its members to die on the battlefields in defense of this country in the war just ended. Why do parents fear letting their children take risks? They can't learn if they don't try Clarkes ruling became legal precedent, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 outlawed the covenants nationwide. Sadly, Sugar Hill would be bisected and much of it bulldozed to make way for the Santa Monica Freeway, as Interstate 40 would do to North Nashville. Register of Deeds keeps records on covenants and enslaved Tennesseans Documents like the racial covenants, though powerless, are still on the books. They provide witness, especially to young people, of the struggles their forbears endured. The Nashville Davidson County Register of Deeds Office safeguards land documents that pre-date 1796, when Tennessee became a state. Some record the sale of enslaved Tennesseans, and thanks to years of work by Metro Archivist Ken Fieth, they are indexed. As a high school student, my world shattered when Tennessee lawmakers OKed arming teachers As the Register of Deeds Office moves to its new home later this month on Deaderick Street, we eventually plan to display some of these and other historic documents for the public to view. Karen Johnson We see these pages, yellow with age, and we are incredulous, emotional. But we hear stories like Hattie McDaniels, and we are inspired by their fearlessness, their relentlessness and, eventually, their victories. Karen Johnson is Nashville Davidson County Register of Deeds, the first woman and first African American elected to the office. She is chairing the Les Gemmes Literary Luncheon, scheduled for 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at Music City Center, Tickets are available on Eventbrite (search Les Gemmes). This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Gone With the Wind's Hattie McDaniel fought racism and drove change ULAN BATOR, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia exported 24.9 million tons of coal in the first four months of 2024, up 27.1 percent compared to the same period in 2023, the country's Ministry of Finance said Thursday. Mongolia is rich in natural resources, and the mining sector has been one of the main drivers of the country's economic growth for years. Coal is a main export commodity of the landlocked Asian country, which has set itself the goal of exporting at least 60 million tons of coal this year. The country exported 66.7 million tons in 2023, hitting a historic high. The House voted overwhelmingly to protect Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from a conservative coup Wednesday, torpedoing an effort by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to oust the GOP leader from the top job for his willingness to cut deals with Democrats on weighty legislation. The chamber voted 359-43-7 on a motion to table, or dismiss, Greenes motion-to-vacate resolution, preventing the removal proposal from being considered. In an extraordinary move in the deeply divided House, 163 Democrats more than three-quarters of their caucus voted to keep Johnson in power. And in a demonstration of the GOPs support for Johnson, only 11 conservative Republicans voted to send Greenes motion to the floor. The chamber erupted in boos on both sides of the aisle when Greene began reading her resolution. The outcome was not a surprise. Democratic leaders had announced last week that they would protect Johnson from Greenes removal gambit. But it dealt a major blow to the Georgia firebrand, who has alienated a vast majority of the GOP conference including many like-minded Johnson critics and, perhaps more significantly, bucked the position of former President Trump, who has gone out of his way to demonstrate his support for Johnson amid Greenes removal threat. Highlighting that division, Trump on Wednesday praised Greenes spirit but urged GOP lawmakers to vote to sink her resolution in order to unite against Democrats. [I]f we show DISUNITY, which will be portrayed as CHAOS, it will negatively affect everything! Trump wrote on his Truth Social website in a post published minutes after the vote had already taken place. Mike Johnson is a good man who is trying very hard. The vote means that Johnson, who won the gavel in October following the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), will remain in the top job heading into Novembers elections for now. Greene on Wednesday would not rule out a subsequent vote on Johnsons ouster. But the vote puts him in the precarious position of being a GOP Speaker propped up by Democrats, which could earn him the ire of conservatives who have already forecast that he wont lead the party in the next Congress. In brief remarks delivered shortly after Wednesdays vote, Johnson thanked his colleagues for their support. I appreciate the show of confidence from my colleagues to defeat this misguided effort, he said. That is certainly what it was. As Ive said from the beginning and Ive made clear every day, I intend to do my job. I intend to do what I believe to be the right thing, which is what I was elected to do, and Ill let the chips fall where they may, he continued. In my view, that is leadership. The vote came after Greene joined by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who also backed Johnsons ejection had huddled with the Speaker for hours in his office early this week when the pair demanded changes to his leadership approach. The duo wanted assurances that Johnson would bring no more bills to the floor that lacked the support of a majority of the GOP conference. They also wanted to extract a promise that the Speaker would back no more funding for Ukraine. On Tuesday, Greene said the ball was in Johnsons court to respond to those demands. Her move Wednesday to force a vote on his removal indicates he rejected them. We tried to work a process with the Speaker, and when it came very apparent yesterday that he wasnt actually going to put these things into action, that was it, she said. It was like, why are we gonna keep dragging this out? And so we decided to call the vote today. Greene had filed her initial motion-to-vacate resolution more than a month ago, after Johnson had championed legislation to fund the federal government through September. But she escalated the threat Wednesday afternoon by forcing the proposal to the floor for consideration, which came as a surprise to many lawmakers in both parties after it appeared that the Georgia Republican was backing off her threat. Everything that we had heard was that this wasnt coming, Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) said. Im a little shocked, to be honest with you, that it is. But the removal resolution had a very short shelf life. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) immediately motioned to table the measure, setting up the vote that killed it with vast Democratic support. Those dynamics marked a sharp departure from the successful vote to remove McCarthy in October, which Democrats supported unanimously. But Democrats emphasized that their votes were not an endorsement of Johnsons conservative track record, which includes efforts to ban abortion and deny gay rights, but reflected his willingness to cut bipartisan deals on big-ticket legislation and their desire to deny Greene a victory. Our decision to stop Marjorie Taylor Greene from plunging the House of Representatives and the country into further chaos is rooted in our commitment to solve problems for everyday Americans in a bipartisan manner, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said after the vote. We need more common sense and less chaos in Washington, D.C. The vote capped off a weeks-long saga over when and at times, if Greene would move to oust Johnson, which had emerged as a parlor game of sorts on Capitol Hill. Greene filed her motion to vacate in March as the House was voting on a sprawling government funding bill, which the Georgia Republican opposed. The firebrands ire with Johnson grew more pronounced after he backed a measure to reauthorize the U.S.s warrantless surveillance powers. And it hit a boiling point last month, when the Speaker muscled through a foreign aid package that included billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine. Those frustrations led Greene last week to vow to force a vote on Johnsons ouster this week, putting a timeline on the highly anticipated reference after weeks of waffling. But upon her return to Washington this week, Greene requested a meeting with Johnson and huddled in his office for hours Monday and Tuesday, leading many to believe that she may be pulling back the reins on her very public ploy. At the eleventh hour, Greene made a series of demands of Johnson as a final offramp for the ouster vote, including only bringing bills to the floor that have support from a majority of the GOP conference, a practice known as the Hastert rule; committing to not passing any additional aid for Ukraine; defunding special counsels, including Jack Smith, who is investigating former President Trump; and imposing a 1-percent spending cut across the board if Congress does not complete its regular appropriations process by Sept. 30. When the Speaker did not give in to the requests he insisted his talks with Greene were not a negotiation the Georgia Republican said she decided to plow ahead. Were not going to have a House majority if we keep Mike Johnson, she warned last week when vowing to bring her motion to the floor. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Katrina Pierson, who was at the time former President Donald Trump's 2020 Senior Campaign Adviser, greets the crowd during a Women for Trump Holiday Celebration at the Holiday Inn Tyler Conference Center in Tyler. Dec. 10, 2019. Credit: Cara Campbell for The Texas Tribune Ahead of the March primary, Gov. Greg Abbott was raining cash on conservative candidates attempting to oust House Republicans who helped defeat his school voucher push in the last legislative session. But not Katrina Pierson. The former North Texas tea party leader didn't get a dime from the governor, even though she was running against one of his would-be targets: state Rep. Justin Holland, R-Rockwall. Abbott stayed noticeably silent in that race, despite Piersons vociferous backing of vouchers and her high-profile stint as Donald Trumps campaign spokesperson. That quickly changed after the primary elections, which saw the defeat of six anti-voucher Republicans just shy of the number needed to secure a pro-voucher majority in the House, according to Abbotts math. That night, Pierson pushed Holland into a primary runoff, after narrowly leading their three-person race. Two days later, Abbott rallied to her side. Pierson, a onetime Abbott critic who worked to drive him from office just two years ago, now counts the governor among her key allies as she vies to unseat Holland in the May 28 overtime round for House District 33. The governor kicked off his runoff campaign tour with a rally for Pierson, and he is expected to draw from his multimillion-dollar war chest to support her, having already dropped $6 million on an array of March contests. Pierson was the only GOP primary challenger to make it past the first round against an anti-voucher incumbent without support from Abbott, Trump, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick or U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, each of whom backed pro-voucher challengers in a number of other House contests. Like Abbott, Patrick endorsed Pierson after the March 5 primary. She has yet to draw support from Trump or Cruz, however, a snub made all the more notable by her ties to both Republicans: Pierson was an early backer of Cruzs 2012 Senate bid, stumping for the tea party upstart in her spare time before later establishing herself as the face of Trumps campaign. The hesitation among GOP power brokers to embrace Piersons campaign is a sign of her unsteady status within the party as her runoff emerges as one of the marquee battles over school vouchers. Piersons long-standing grassroots ties have won her fervent support among some who fought alongside her during the tea party days, but her reputation for throwing sharp elbows and publicly trashing powerful Republicans, including Abbott, has led others to keep her at arms length. The governors move to back Pierson, meanwhile, reinforces that he is willing to do whatever it takes to get his signature issue across the finish line, even if it means vigorously supporting a candidate who savaged his record and going to war with former allies like Holland, once praised by Abbott as a conservative stalwart. It is also a sign that Hollands critics see him as more vulnerable than ever, after he failed to break 40% in the March primary. Pierson and her allies are hoping to seize on Hollands own outspoken criticism of Trump, along with a handful of key votes he took last year, including his support for a gun control measure and the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton. Abbott, Cruz and Trumps campaigns did not respond to questions about their endorsement decisions. Pierson brushed off concerns about her lack of support from Trump or Cruz, pointing to endorsements she has landed from Paxton and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, along with the more recent backing of Abbott and Patrick. Everyone I have personally asked has endorsed my campaign, Pierson said in an email. Justin Holland is so desperate to hide his Never Trump actions that he is projecting them onto me. Ruffling feathers Pierson, 47, has had a colorful run in state and national politics since she came onto the scene in the nascent days of the tea party, shortly after Barack Obamas 2008 presidential election win. By the time Trump tapped Pierson as his top spokesperson in late 2015, she had already ruffled feathers in Texas GOP circles. Some of Cruzs allies accused her of inflating the role she played as a volunteer for his Senate campaign and sidling up to Cruz when cameras were around charges she dismissed as sour grapes. Pierson inflamed tensions with Cruzworld when, echoing Trump, she suggested Cruz was ineligible to run for president because he was born in Canada, despite having previously defended him on the issue. Pierson has leaned into her bomb-throwing reputation, calling herself a battled-tested conservative fighter in campaign ads. Donald Trumps former campaign manager Brad Parscale, onetime campaign senior adviser Katrina Pierson and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick are shown during a bus tour stop in San Antonio on Sept. 3, 2020. Credit: Christopher Lee for The Texas Tribune She first sought elected office in 2014, waging an unsuccessful primary challenge to U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions in his then-Dallas district. The campaign shed light on Piersons turbulent upbringing, after a report turned up her 1997 arrest for shoplifting from a J.C. Penney in Plano. Pierson, who was 21 at the time, told The Dallas Morning News she had needed the clothes for a job interview and said the episode turned her life around. Born to a 15-year-old mother who depended on drugs and government assistance, Pierson became pregnant at the age of 19 and raised her son as a single mother. Her story of overcoming obstacles helped fuel her rise in a tea party movement whose ripples are still playing out today, as a record number of House incumbents face ouster from insurgent candidates in Piersons mold. Her long-running grassroots ties have won her support from a number of leading hardline activist groups though her candidacy has met a less-than-enthusiastic reception among others. Pierson is a nut case who has no business in elected office, Austin-based GOP strategist Matt Mackowiak tweeted last year in response to a report that Pierson might run. When Pierson joined Trumps campaign in 2015, Mackowiak who has known Pierson since she volunteered for Cruzs Senate campaign also told Politico there is no principle that she isnt willing to abandon for the right price. Pierson is hoping her detractors will be outweighed by high-profile backers like Miller, the agriculture commissioner who, in endorsing Pierson earlier this year, said Trump saw the talent and capability of Katrina Pierson early and made her an important part of his campaign and presidency, adding that Texas is lucky to have her now. Pierson has also won Abbotts support despite having worked for the governors 2022 primary challenger, Don Huffines, who enlisted her as a campaign surrogate. In late 2021, Pierson delivered a scathing rebuke of Abbott, accusing him of catering to Democrats on COVID-19 policies and belatedly shifting to the right at Huffines behest. I, for one, am embarrassed that [Florida Gov.] Ron DeSantis is leading the fight for freedom in this country it is embarrassing while Greg Abbott does nothing, Pierson told congregants at a church down the road from her native Forney, a boomtown of the Dallas suburbs. Pierson, meanwhile, has had a mixed relationship with Trump and his orbit since the 2020 campaign. In the leadup to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Pierson reportedly worked behind the scenes to distance the president from prominent Stop the Steal figures such as Ali Alexander and Alex Jones who were initially expected to be a part of the preceding rally. In text messages from the day after the riot that were made public by congressional investigators in 2022, Pierson said she was glad to have worked to keep the crazies off the stage and shield (Trump) from direct affiliation with groups who led the march on the capitol. She reiterated that stance last week. I am President Trump's key witness for January 6th, Pierson said in an email. The record shows that I protected the President and his family from the grifting troublemakers, which is why I remain on-call in the event that his legal team needs me to testify on the Presidents behalf again. At the same time, Pierson has not displayed the sort of unwavering fealty that Trump typically demands. She has said Trump did generational damage with COVID and [his support for] the vaccine and failed to follow through on his campaign promise of draining the swamp in Washington, D.C. She also criticized Trumps campaign for threatening to blackball GOP operatives who worked for DeSantis, Trumps onetime presidential rival, and said it should be possible to support both Republicans simultaneously. Trump has played an especially active role in down-ballot Texas primaries this year, endorsing 18 GOP legislative candidates, including eight challengers running against anti-voucher incumbents. Even without Trumps support, Pierson has featured her former boss heavily in her campaign, running digital ads that picture the two posing side by side under a tagline Pierson has also used in TV ads: When you go to the polls to vote for President Trump, vote for Katrina Pierson. Holland under fire Holland, a 40-year-old real estate broker and former Heath City Council member, is seeking a fifth two-year term in the House. The challenge from Pierson marks his first truly competitive primary since his initial run for the seat in 2016. The Rockwall Republican provided much of the ammunition for Piersons campaign when he cast a handful of votes last year that angered the GOPs grassroots base. His reelection bid poses a test of whether Texas Republicans can survive such perceived transgressions in an era when even the most strident partisans can see their careers unravel over a single issue. Holland has also been openly critical of Trump in recent years, including when the former president jabbed at Texas Republicans who backed out of the NRAs 2022 annual meeting in Houston, days after the Uvalde school shooting. Holland responded by tweeting that Trump is out of touch and is not a true Statesman and vowed not to support him again. He has also called for a new party leader to restore the GOP to civility and said Trump is not welcome in Texas. Beyond Hollands opposition to school vouchers, Pierson has zeroed in on two other key votes he took near the tail end of the 2023 regular session. Among them is Hollands vote to impeach Paxton, which centered on allegations the attorney general accepted bribes and abused the power of his office to help a friend and campaign donor. Holland was one of 60 House Republicans more than 70% of the chambers GOP contingent who moved to impeach Paxton and suspend him from office; Paxton was later acquitted by the Senate. State Rep. Justin Holland, R-Rockwall, speaks with a colleague on the House floor in Austin on April 18, 2023. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune Holland has also faced backlash from some GOP voters over his vote to advance a bill that would have raised the minimum age to purchase certain semi-automatic rifles specifically those with a caliber greater than .22 and capable of accepting a detachable magazine. Supporters of the measure which would have restricted access to such firearms for anyone younger than 21 argued it might have thwarted the 2022 Uvalde school shooting, in which a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers using an AR-15-style rifle he bought shortly after turning 18. Critics said the measure ran afoul of the Constitution and would not have stopped criminals from accessing semi-automatic rifles. In a surprise move, Holland and another Republican, state Rep. Sam Harless of Spring, joined with Democrats on a House committee to send the bill to the full chamber. It was an especially notable vote for Holland, who had authored a bill two years earlier that made Texas a Second Amendment sanctuary state essentially making it harder for federal officials to enforce new gun control measures. Holland also voted that year for a law that allows Texans to carry handguns without a license or training a measure that, he noted, only applies to people 21 and older. Holland said he knew the gun vote would earn him some grief, but he felt obligated to support the bill after listening to hours of testimony that convinced him it was a reasonable proposal. I definitely think it has caused me some issues, in terms of people who maybe were supporters and couldn't get past it. And I respect them for that, Holland said. Ultimately, I'm the one that has to sleep at night whenever I take a vote, and I take all my votes on principle and not political expediency. And I think that that's what that came down to. Abbott criticized Holland over the gun vote this year, posting on social media that he had voted against gun rights and voted to put Democrats in leadership positions a nod to Hollands support for House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont. Phelan, who faces a runoff of his own, has continued the tradition of appointing Democrats to chair some committees, despite pressure from the right to nix the practice. Holland noted that Abbotts criticism came the day after he announced his endorsement of Harless, who also voted to advance the raise-the-age gun bill and supported Phelan for speaker. Unlike Holland, though, Harless voted against stripping a voucher proposal from a broader education funding bill last fall, the vote that effectively doomed Abbotts voucher bid. Holland said he is not mad at Abbott, though he added, there's just no consistency to the way that the man has behaved. He said the governors scorched-earth approach to the primaries has soured his relationship with any Republican members who survive the purge. He just doesn't seem to be behaving like somebody that expects to be the governor next session, because you have to work with members, Holland said, noting that Abbott has been floated as a potential Trump running mate or Cabinet official. After it's all said and done, and the dust settles, it's difficult to visualize how next session might work, with a lot of the members that do come back." Abbott has found a pair of deep-pocketed allies in his quest to unseat Holland and other anti-voucher lawmakers, including AFC Victory Fund, a super PAC affiliated with the pro-voucher American Federation for Children. The group has spent more than $280,000 on online ads and mailers attacking Holland and supporting Pierson. Another committee, Club for Growth Action, has reserved $4 million worth of TV ads to target Holland and four other Republicans, with half the money slotted for the Dallas-Fort Worth market. The spending has prompted Holland to run his own ads swiping at Pierson for her support from TikTok billionaire Jeff Yass, the Pennsylvania-based GOP megadonor whose priority issues include school vouchers. Though Yass who owns a stake in TikToks parent company has not donated directly to Piersons campaign, he has given $5.7 million to the American Federation for Children-linked super PAC, more than half its funding this cycle. He also made a $6 million donation to Abbott last year and gave $16 million to Club for Growth Action. Holland alleged that Pierson would be a puppet for the people that are trying to buy her vote right now and said her lack of experience in elected office casts uncertainty on how she would vote in Austin. Her best quality is that she's a talented communicator, Holland said. When she talks in front of a crowd, she doesn't really scratch the surface on anything, doesn't ever really directly answer questions about policy. She just kind of answers the way she was trained to talk on TV. Pierson noted that Yass has not contributed a penny to my campaign and said Hollands puppet attack was an attempt to deflect from his own donors, who include Charles Butt, the H-E-B grocery store chairman who backs Republicans opposed to school vouchers. She also bashed him for accepting support from a casino PAC pushing to legalize gambling in Texas. My opponents campaign contributions are far more concerning, Pierson said. Robert Downen contributed to this report. Disclosure: H-E-B and Politico 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. 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. If Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) began the month of May trying to set a new standard for tasteless tweets from a sitting member of Congress, hes off to a great start, thanks in part to a post Wednesday alluding to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy in 1963 and Robert F. Kennedy five years later. Last week, the congressman dished outand later walked backpraise for mostly white Ole Miss students who jeered at a lone Black pro-Palestine protester. Despite how one such student, who has since been expelled from his fraternity, was clearly seen making primate noises and mannerisms at the protester, Collins wrote, Ole Miss taking care of business. On Wednesday, Collins felt compelled to weigh in on how independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was told by a doctor that he had a dead parasite in his brain, The New York Times reported, citing Kennedys comments during a 2012 deposition that was part of his divorce proceedings. In a post that had been viewed nearly 5 million times by Wednesday night, Collins wrote, You either die a Kennedy with a hole in the brain or live long enough to become a Kennedy with a hole in the brain. You either die a Kennedy with a hole in the brain or live long enough to become a Kennedy with a hole in the brain. Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) May 8, 2024 Those who objected to the freshman GOP congressmans post included Fred Guttenberg, the father of Parkland school shooting victim Jaime Guttenberg and a gun control advocate, The Wire creator David Simon, and Collins colleague, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), whose response alluded in part to South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem admitting that she shot and killed her 14-month old puppy in a gravel pit because it misbehaved. Ladies and gentlemen, the party that shoots dogs and assaults women has now decided to defile the name of President John F. Kennedy and mock his assassination to get cheap attention on the internet, McGovern wrote. What kind of messed up person even says this kind of shit? Though Kennedy hasnt responded publicly to Collins post, he did seem to poke fun at the report about his brief medical scare. I offer to eat 5 more brain worms and still beat President Trump and President Biden in a debate, he wrote, adding in a follow-up post: I feel confident of the result even with a six-worm handicap. Kennedy, who insists his longshot campaign is not a spoiler to President Joe Biden after a since-fired New York campaign official admitted that was her goal, has seen many of his family members endorse the incumbent. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) ripped into Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greenes (R-Ga.) attempts to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), accusing her of going off the deep end. Moscow Marjorie has clearly gone off the deep end, maybe the result of a space laser, Lawler told reporters Wednesday. But this type of tantrum is absolutely unacceptable. And it does nothing to further the cause of the conservative movement. Lawlers remark about a space laser refers to a controversial post from Greene in 2018, when she suggested that a laser beam or light beam from space solar generators, controlled by a wealthy Jewish family, might be to blame for devastating wildfires in California. The only people who have stymied our ability to govern are the very people that have pulled these types of stunts throughout the course of this Congress to undermine the House Republican majority, Lawler continued. Lawlers remarks followed the Houses vote Wednesday to block a conservative attempt to boot Johnson from the Speakership. The effort was spearheaded by Greene, who in a surprise Wednesday, moved to force a vote on her motion to vacate against Johnson. In a 359-43-7 vote, the lower chamber passed a motion to table Greenes resolution, preventing it from hitting the floor for a vote. This came as little surprise after several Republicans and Democrats suggested they would protect Johnson as Greene held the threat over him for weeks. Greenes motion to vacate was publicly backed by only two other Republicans Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Paul Gosar (Ariz.) who cited Johnsons policy decisions in recent weeks. Lawler argued the lack of congressional action on several conservative priorities can be at least partly blamed on Greene and others who hamper the Speakers ability to negotiate. Members in our conference who have continually undermined the Speakers ability to negotiate that is why if theyre so upset about the things that havent happened, they should take a look in the mirror, starting with Marjorie Taylor Greene, he said. The New York Republican was one of several GOP members to criticize Greenes efforts. Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) on Wednesday called the attempt a petty political stunt. Some members would rather upend Republicans work instead of advancing the conservative agenda. Americans sent us to Washington to govern, Womack wrote in a post on social platform X. Johnson on Wednesday thanked his colleagues for their support following the failed vote. As Ive said from the beginning, and Ive made clear every day, I intend to do my job. I intend to do what I believe to be the right thing, which is what I was elected to do, and Ill let the chips fall where they may, Johnson said. In my view, that is leadership. The Hill reached out to Greenes office for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Republican Rep. Steve Womack (Ark.) on Wednesday lambasted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greenes (R-Ga.) effort to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), calling it a petty political stunt. Some members would rather upend Republicans work instead of advancing the conservative agenda. Americans sent us to Washington to govern, Womack wrote in a post on social platform X. The Motion to Vacate attempt was only a headline-grabbing, petty political stunt to distract from our duties and raise money. Im glad rationality overwhelmingly prevailed, and we can continue the vital work of the American people under @SpeakerJohnson. I like Mike! he continued. The remark came moments after the House voted to block a conservative attempt to boot Johnson from the Speakership. The effort was led by Greene, who in a surprise Wednesday, moved to force a vote on her motion to vacate against Johnson. The lower chamber voted 359-43-7 on a motion to table Greenes resolution, preventing it from hitting the floor for a vote. Greenes effort was backed by only two other Republicans Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Paul Gosar (Ariz.). Her move Wednesday came after weeks of holding the threat over Johnson, citing his policy decisions. The bipartisan vote did not come as a surprise after several Republicans and Democrats indicated they would protect Johnson from losing the Speakers gavel. The Georgia Republican was met with boos from members of both sides of the aisle when she announced she was moving forward with the effort Wednesday. Greene and Johnson met for hours earlier this week, during which she listed a series of demands for the Speaker. These included only bringing bills to the floor that have the support from a majority of the GOP conference, pledging against additional aid for Ukraine, establishing a 1 percent spending cut across the board, and defunding special counsels, including Jack Smith, who is probing former President Trump. Speaking with reporters a day before the vote, Johnson said he was working through a lot of ideas and suggestions, but he shied away from publicly committing to the requests. Johnson thanked his colleagues for their support following Wednesdays vote. As Ive said from the beginning and Ive made clear every day, I intend to do my job. I intend to do what I believe to be the right thing, which is what I was elected to do, and Ill let the chips fall where they may, Johnson said. In my view, that is leadership. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has become the subject of much bemusement among his Senate GOP colleagues as he has taken a detour from his role as a conservative rabble-rouser to playing the lead on reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Texas senator, long known for stirring up trouble for leadership, has suddenly gone in the reverse as he has prodded Republicans against gumming up the works for the last must-pass bill in Congress for months. But the irony is not lost on lawmakers who have watched Cruzs mischief up close and personal, especially on government spending battles throughout the years. Its been entertaining to be able to watch, one Senate Republican told The Hill before quoting the movie Airplane! Whats the old Hollywood joke? The foots on the other hand. Multiple senators told The Hill that Cruz has been on the receiving end of numerous jokes from colleagues during weekly Senate GOP luncheons each of the past two weeks. Most members have given him high marks for his work on the FAA, but cant help themselves as Cruz tries to keep the bill on track to pass ahead of Fridays midnight deadline and keep unrelated amendments out of a final bill. Lets just say hes taking a lot of ribbing right now in there, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said with a laugh as he stepped out of Wednesdays lunch to take a call. Of course, hes making a pitch that this is different than all the other times when hes insisted on having amendment votes, because this one was much more transparent. People are slightly amused by his compliance. As a second Senate Republican put it, Cruz has been frustrated by the last minute-holds and obstinance of some members. A lot of times, its [been] him. So hes getting a little bit of his own medicine, the member quipped. Its a little humorous. Cruz, the top Republican on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, has been tasked with completing the deal on the FAA that would reauthorize the program for five years. So after more than a decade of giving leadership headaches and accruing seniority, hes been put in what has been unfamiliar territory by negotiating what lawmakers have described as a complex package. He has also tried to argue that the process and structure of the FAA bill should be a model for further bipartisan negotiations. Cruz said he and Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) went through regular order and had a lengthy markup process, with members on and off the committee winning inclusion of amendments and priorities. The bill passed through the panel unanimously, putting it in the position it is now. Cruz is under particular fire this go-around from members as the FAA bill represents the final attempt for lawmakers to attach their pet priorities, most of them unrelated to aviation and travel, to a must-pass legislative item until the fall and, ironically, the push to fund the government for fiscal 2025. He was, of course, one of the architects of the 16-day government shutdown back in 2013 as conservatives pushed to defund the Affordable Care Act. Nevertheless, Cruz is very much in on the laughter, members say. He is widely known in the Senate for his sense of humor. One thing about smart people is theyre smart, Cramer said. I think he gets the joke. Cruz told The Hill that during Wednesdays lunch, one moderate member was having great joy giving me grief at the ongoing battle to keep the FAA push on the rails as lawmakers I just laughed and said, Im not even going to fight back, Cruz said in a brief interview. The massive bipartisan undertaking also comes at an important time for Cruz, as he is up for reelection in November and is staring down a match-up with yet another well-funded House Democrat, Rep. Colin Allred (Texas). The two-term senator remains a favorite for reelection in the Lone Star State, but he has tried for months to burnish his bipartisan bonafides in order to lock down moderates and cut off any avenue for Allred to replicate the scare provided six years ago by former Rep. Beto ORourke (D-Texas). Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) recently declared that Democrats were going to pick off the seat despite decades-long struggles by the party in the state and the uphill climb they face. No Democrat has won statewide in Texas since 1994. Cruz said he plans to campaign on the FAA bill back home in the coming months. One of the main wins for the state in this package is expected to be a direct flight between Reagan Washington National Airport and San Antonio. Cruz noted that San Antonio is home to a large population of active duty service members and veterans, and that a flight to and from an airport thats mere steps from the Pentagon would be of great benefit to the state. Senate GOP leaders readily acknowledge Cruzs past, given his penchant for giving them agita. However, they concede that he has carried a lot of weight on the FAA front and that being put in that type of position can alter ones thinking. Sometimes, when youre in the position of wanting to get an outcome, the legislative process looks slightly different to you than it may at other times, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said, hailing Cruz for handling a difficult bill with a lot of moving parts. People are having fun with it, he added with a laugh. Its all good-natured humor. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) Gov. Jeff Landry visited the southern border on Thursday, May 9 to meet with Louisiana National Guard soldiers and get an overview of Operation Lone Star. He was joined by Brigadier General Thomas Friloux and lawmakers. The governor approved the mobilization of Louisiana National Guard soldiers in March. Fifty soldiers were initially sent to the border to help the Texas National Guard with patrols, according to LANG. They were the first of 150 national guardsmen that would be sent to the border from Louisiana. Biden administration will propose tougher asylum standards for some migrants at the border I dont think Mexico is in control of that border, I think that the cartel seems to have more control over the border in Mexico than the Mexican officials, Landry said during a teleconference. The governor said the mission of sending Louisiana soldiers to Texas has been successful. He said he would wait to hear from Texas governor before proposing that soldiers stay at the southern border. Latest News For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to BRProud.com. Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple is pictured at the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana candidate's forum April 27, 2023, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Baton Rouge. Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple is pictured at the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana candidate's forum April 27, 2023, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Baton Rouge. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator) Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has enacted new laws at the urging of Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple, who has said a more industry-friendly climate should result in lower premium rates for Louisiana residents. Landry signed four bills Tuesday that benefit the insurance industry with new freedoms to raise rates on customers, cancel policies and walk away with lighter legal penalties when they refuse to pay claims. The bills were part of Temples agenda to create what he called a free market for insurance companies in the state. Before winning election last fall, the Republican commissioner spent more than two decades in the insurance sector, owning and managing the kinds of companies he now regulates. Departing from the way his predecessor, Jim Donelon, ran the Louisiana Department of Insurance, Temple has promised less regulation in the hopes of luring more homeowner insurance companies to the state. He has said more competition should lead to lower rates for consumers and end the coverage crisis that followed five costly natural disasters over a 12-month stretch between 2020 and 2021. However, when pressed by skeptical lawmakers, the commissioner has refused to say definitively that the changes will cause homeowner premiums to drop, and consumer advocates have questioned his approach, arguing its a gamble based on creating advantages for the insurance industry. Tim Temples insurance bill package is a win for insurance companies and does nothing to guarantee help for the people of Louisiana suffering through this insurance crisis, Housing Louisiana said in a statement. It will increase insurance company profits by permitting them to drop long time policy holders, raise rates without needed reviews and limit lawsuits when insurance companies break the law. The package included a so-called tort reform measure, Senate Bill 323, sponsored by Sen. Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge, who chairs his chambers insurance committee. The bill makes changes to the states bad faith law enacted after Hurricane Katrina when lawmakers dealt with homeowner insurance companies not treating their customers fairly. The bad faith law allowed a policy holder to collect an additional penalty of up to 200% of the value of the loss if a court ruled the insurance company deliberately avoided attempts to negotiate a claim and pay what it owed after a catastrophe. Talbots bill reduced the penalty to 50% or $5,000, whichever is greater. It also gives insurance companies additional time to pay claims with an extended cure period to work through negotiations with a homeowner. At Tuesdays bill signing, Landry noted Temple recommended the legislation and said the insurance commissioner has committed to reworking the laws if the state doesnt see lower rates. Similar promises were made but not kept after a tort reform package was enacted in 2020 under Donelon to address high auto insurance rates. Donelon and lobbyists with the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry told the public that the changes would reduce auto premiums within a year, but the opposite actually happened. After four years, rates have only increased, dealing a double blow to consumers who are now without some of the tools they previously had to take insurance companies to court. Despite this, Louisiana legislators have made no efforts to try to repeal the failed auto insurance tort reform legislation. Another component of Temples agenda was House Bill 611, sponsored by Rep. Gabe Firment, R-Pollock. It repeals Louisianas unique three-year rule, which prohibits insurance companies from raising deductibles and either canceling or not renewing homeowner policies in effect for more than three years. Under the new law, insurance companies are allowed to cancel up to 5% of their policies each year as long as the covered properties arent all in one parish. The 5% mark is not a hard cap because companies can cancel as many policies as they want with approval from the insurance commissioner. Temple has said the bill was needed to bring more insurance competition to Louisiana. Louisiana, particularly the southern part of the state, has some of the highest property insurance premiums in the nation. An increase in the frequency and strength of hurricanes has fueled rate increases and led some of the largest insurers to stop offering policies in areas below Interstate 10. Temple and other Republicans have argued the three-year rule is the biggest obstacle keeping insurance companies from doing business in Louisiana. Democrats disagree, saying it is the only thing stopping further cancellations and rate hikes. They have also rejected suggestions that Louisianas insurance crisis is the result of burdensome regulations and excessive lawsuits. Republicans have said the three-year rule has forced insurance companies to raise premiums because it prevents them from managing risk through canceling risky policies. The three-year rule already has exceptions that allow insurance companies to cancel policies that become too risky. Reasons include a material change in the risk being insured or if renewing a policy endangers the solvency of the insurer. A third measure signed into law was Senate Bill 295, sponsored by Sen. Heather Cloud, R-Turkey Creek. It allows insurance companies to increase rates without prior approval from the state insurance department. A fourth bill Landry signed is geared to benefit consumers rather than industry. House Bill 120, sponsored by Rep. Matthew Willard, D-New Orleans, repeals the June 30, 2025, termination date of the states fortified roof grant program. The new law keeps the program in place indefinitely, though it is only effective if lawmakers decide to fund it. Housing Louisiana praised senators for approving Senate Bill 484, by Sen. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans. It would expand the Fortify Homes Program to cover any kind of roof upgrade and require Temple to guarantee that insurance companies will premium provide discounts for such improvements. The bill awaits House consideration. Despite Governor Landry and Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple posting a mission accomplished sign, were grateful the Louisiana Senate recognized that something needed to be done to deliver actual relief to the people of our state, Andreanecia Morris, president of Housing Louisiana, said. By unanimously passing SB 484, our senators proved they understand the insurance crisis needs to be fixed for the people, not for the insurance companys profits. We expect our house lawmakers to also side with the people over insurance companies. Greg LaRose contributed to this report. Correction: Although Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple has said the changes will open up the market to more competition and should lead to lower homeowner insurance premiums, he has refused to make any promises regarding rate prices. A previous version of this article made Temples statements on the matter sound more definitive than they actually were. The post Gov. Landry signs Temple-backed insurance package appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. The entrance to the Ohio State Teachers Retirement System headquarters in Columbus. Photo by Marty Schladen, Ohio Capital Journal. After years of complaints about gold-plated salaries, billions in investment fees and lackluster returns, things seem poised to hit the fan at Ohios State Teachers Retirement System. Gov. Mike DeWine on Wednesday issued a press release saying that he was alarmed at the news that a consultant for the $90 billion retirement plan, Aon, was severing its contract. This is a huge red flag, calling into question how STRS is operating and providing oversight, the press release said. The unstated implication is that the governance issues at STRS are so concerning that Aon could not continue its contract in good faith. STRS may now be out of compliance with portions of audit recommendations due to Aon ending the contract. The statement also cited unspecified allegations against members of the pension funds board, to which the governor appoints some members. Additionally, my office has received documents containing some other disturbing allegations regarding the STRS board, the statement said. I have directed my staff to forward these documents to a number of relevant offices, including the Ohio Ethics Commission, the Ohio Retirement Study Council, Attorney General Yost, Auditor Faber, Treasurer Sprague, Secretary of State LaRose, and relevant members of the Ohio General Assembly. I encourage them to review the document and take any action that may be appropriate under any jurisdiction they may have. Retirees have long complained of rarely getting cost-of-living increases while the retirement system awarded huge bonuses to already well-paid investment managers. For example, the system in 2022 handed out $10 million in bonuses just before announcing that the systems investments lost $5.3 billion that year. Last November, the systems executive director, Bill Neville, was suspended amid employee complaints of inappropriate behavior. DeWine himself has fueled some of the controversy at the retirement system. Exactly a year ago, just as reformers were about to achieve a majority on the board, DeWine terminated a reform member. DeWine said the member, Wade Steen, didnt attend board meetings regularly enough. But Steen countered that the charge was trumped up. The Ohio 10th District Court of Appeals said DeWines termination of Steen was unlawful and ordered that Steen be restored to his position. The turmoil at the teachers pension fund isnt the only controversy facing the DeWine administration. DeWine and his lieutenant governor, Jon Husted, havent explained their and their staffs involvement in an epic utility scandal that featured $61 million in bribes and a $1.3 billion ratepayer bailout as the payoff. A former house speaker and a former state GOP chairman are serving lengthy federal prison sentences in the scandal, which has also resulted in two suicides. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Gov. signals looming scandal at teachers pension fund appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. JOPLIN, Mo. Missouri Governor, Mike Parson, signed two pieces of legislation today, House Bill 2287 and Senate Bill 727 that will permanently raise starting pay for teachers and guarantee consistent raises year after year. Another reason Parson says he signed the legislation was the increased funding for head start programs. Joplin School Board members signed a resolution last week urging the governor to veto the bill, but board president, Rylee Hartwell, says the board wholeheartedly supports teacher pay increases. SB 727 is an omnibus bill that, unfortunately, combines several appealing items with several expensive items that could seriously harm public education in our state in the decades to come, says Hartwell. He says one of the items in the legislation Joplin School Board members disagree with is the amount of money legislators have put into the Education Savings Account tax credit program a 50% increase. In our opinion, the ESA expansion (called the MOScholars Program) is a school voucher masquerading as a tax credit, says Hartwell. He says it removes tax dollars from public schools that are required to follow state regulations and provide a quality education for all students, regardless of their background or special needs. Missouri needs to increase its investment in public education, not use state funds to support schools that get to pick and choose which students they want to teach and what rules and laws they want to follow, Hartwell says. Statement from Rylee Hartwell The MOScholars portion of SB 727 also harms public schools ability to hire and retain quality teachers; the current supply of teachers is not enough to keep up with the demand that overnight pop-ups of voucher-funded and vastly under-regulated charter schools would require. Moreover, the State of Missouri cannot guarantee that Joplin Schools or any public districts will continue to receive adequate state funding to ensure our current teachers, support staff, and programs are properly supported with state dollars. SB 727 particularly leaves districts vulnerable to cuts of up to 67% of transportation funds to fund the increases in the formula and voucher programs. And if funding for the $25 million increase needed to pay for MOScholars later fails, the bill allows the state to guarantee the continued support of the vouchers and charter schools before funding the foundation formula. Among the items in this 167-page bill that we would wholeheartedly support without reservation are, for example, a much-needed and state-funded increase to teacher pay and the ability to count average daily membership instead of average daily attendance in our foundation formula. Fulfilling these worthwhile and essential measures alongside the harmful MOScholars Program requirements is deceptive. Governor Parson, on the other hand, only highlights the positive aspects of the legislation like the following: Increases all Missouri teachers salaries by the January Consumer Price Index report, with a cap of 3 percent annually. Increases state funding for early childhood education programs. Increases the funding limit and expands access for Missouris Empowerment Scholarship Accounts. Incentivizes school districts in municipalities larger than 30,000 inhabitants to have 5-day school weeks. Establishes the Elementary Literacy Fund. Increases the small school grant funding program from $15 million to $30 million per year. Protects retirement benefits for educators who continue teaching after retirement. Establishes the Teacher Recruitment and Retention State Scholarship Program. For more information on SB 727, click here. For more information on HB 2287, click here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan were warmly received by French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron on Tuesday at a mountain restaurant in southern France. Before they parted, local villagers sang a shepherd's song, expressing gratitude to Xi and his wife for their visit and inviting them to come back another time. #GLOBALink (Courtesy: Tourism Hautes-Pyrenees) This photo taken on May 8, 2024 shows smoke rising following an Israeli airstrike in a village in Khiam, Lebanon. Three members of The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement, were killed, and three civilians were injured on Wednesday in an Israeli airstrike on a Lebanese southern village, Lebanese military sources told Xinhua. (Photo by Taher Abu Hamdan/Xinhua) BEIRUT, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Three Hezbollah fighters and a civilian were killed on Thursday in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon's southern village of Bafliyeh in the district of Tyre, Lebanese military sources told Xinhua. The sources, who spoke anonymously, said an Israeli drone fired two air-to-surface missiles toward a vehicle, burning it completely and killing three Hezbollah fighters inside of it and a civilian who happened to be in the area. According to the sources, members of the Civil Defense and the Islamic Health Authority headed to the area, equipped with bulldozers, cranes, fire engines, and ambulances to put out the fire in the car, remove the rubble, and transport the bodies of the four victims to a hospital in the city of Tyre, southern Lebanon. Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on Oct. 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas attack on Israel the day before. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. The confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel have killed 457 people on the Lebanese side, including 288 Hezbollah members and 84 civilians, according to Lebanese security sources. A north Georgia councilwoman is no longer facing charges after a grand jury decided not to indict her. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced in January that Roshuanda Merritt, 43, was arrested after investigating allegations that she was distributing marijuana from her home. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Jackson County District Attorneys office confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that a grand jury returned a no bill in the case, meaning Merritt will not be indicted on the charges. In late 2023, Merritt was elected as the Commerce Ward 5 councilwoman, according to the citys website. TRENDING STORIES: Jason Black, an attorney representing Merritt, released a statement to Channel 2 Action News on Thursday. It read, On April 29, 2024, the Jackson County District Attorneys Office presented Ms. Merritts case to a Jackson County Grand Jury. Upon hearing the evidence and testimony provided in that hearing, the Grand Jury made the decision to No Bill the case. This has resulted in an outcome that from the very start we believed would be true. While this has been a painful situation to endure for Ms. Merritt she is thrilled that her name has been cleared and she can close this chapter out in her life. Unfortunately, Ms. Merritts professional and personal reputation have been tarnished because of these outlandish charges and it is her goal to show the community and people around her that she is not the person law enforcement painted her to be. Ms. Merritt will focus on fighting to retain her educational certifications so that she can get back to her beloved career and focus on the children in this community that need her guidance and experience. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: A grandfather has been arrested after paying a homeless woman $20 to look after his 7-year-old granddaughter while he got drunk at a bar for hours, police say. The incident occurred on Monday evening at approximately 7:45 p.m. when deputies from the Sacramento County Sheriffs North Patrol responded to the parking lot of a bar on the 5300 block of Auburn Boulevard in Sacramento, California, when, according to police, a passerby called the emergency services to reports of a 54-year-old man asking people for help because his 7-year-old granddaughter had been kidnapped for human trafficking. MORE: Marathon winner disqualified after taking water from his dad in race: 'I know I won' When deputies arrived on scene, they ended up speaking with the suspect, a 54-year-old grandfather named Jason Warren who they noticed was highly intoxicated from the moment they made contact with him, police said. Deputies arrived on scene and contacted Warren, who was highly intoxicated, according to a statement released by the police on Wednesday. He told Deputies that he had given an unknown homeless woman $20 to take his granddaughter to a nearby thrift store while he went into the bar approximately four hours earlier. Deputies quickly obtained video surveillance footage of the woman leaving with the child. MORE: Man 'purposely' trying to spread HIV through sex with men and teenage boys sentenced to 30 years Sacramento County Sheriffs North Patrol immediately dispatched a sheriffs helicopter, unmanned drones and a sheriffs K9 unit to assist with the urgent search for the missing 7-year-old girl. Approximately a half hour after the search was underway, the woman heard the PA announcements from STAR (the sheriffs helicopter) and returned to the parking lot with the child, according to police. The female confirmed that Warren had given her money to take the child to the thrift store. She went on to tell Deputies that Warren was highly intoxicated and she did not think he could care for the child. The female took the child to her camp to get food. MORE: 2 people and their dog killed when their mobile home explodes in middle of the night Once the mans granddaughter was found, deputies were able to speak with the child who corroborated the ordeal. The child was not in distress and was medically cleared by Fire Department personnel at the scene as a precaution, according to authorities. Through further investigation, deputies were able to determine that the childs aunt had full custody of the child, but asked Warren to care for his granddaughter because she had to go to work, police said following the incident. Deputies conferred with Child Protective Services and determined the child was cleared to return home with her aunt. Warren was arrested for felony child endangerment, among several other charges, and was subsequently transported to the Sacramento County Main Jail, where he is currently being held on $75,000 bail. The investigation is currently ongoing. Grandfather pays homeless woman $20 to watch granddaughter while he got drunk at bar for hours: Police originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A State College Area student was among the 161 high school seniors named as U.S. Presidential Scholars on Thursday. Prithvi Vijay Narayanan, a State High senior, was one of two students selected from Pennsylvania. Scholars are chosen based on their academic accomplishments, leadership, essays and dedication to their communities. Aneri Shethji from North Allegheny Senior High in Wexford was the other scholar selected from Pennsylvania. Narayanan said he was shocked and honored when he heard he had been chosen as a scholar. Almost immediately he called his parents and could hear them yelling and celebrating through the phone. Theres some of these moments where its hard to really explain what the feeling is, he said. And those moments are really rare and far between, and so the fact that I was able to experience that today with my family by my side was really powerful. It was very sweet. Two scholars are chosen from each state, alongside scholars from D.C., Puerto Rico and U.S. families abroad, with an additional 15 chosen at large, 20 from the arts and 20 from career and technical education. Scholars were chosen out of more than 5,700 candidates, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona wrote in a press release Thursday. The 161 high school seniors selected for the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Presidential Scholars represent the best of our nations schools and inspire hope in the bright future of this country, Cardona wrote. On behalf of President Biden, I am delighted to celebrate their accomplishments, and encourage these scholars to continue to aim high, lift up others, and embrace opportunities to lead. Narayanan is State Highs eighth Presidential Scholar and the first since Joey Feffer in 2017, according to a district spokesperson. Were proud of Prithvi for his tremendous accomplishment, a district spokesperson wrote in an email to the CDT. Being named a U.S. Presidential Scholar is a rare honor, one he truly deserves. His record of academic excellence and student leadership throughout his time at State High shows that he certainly belongs in such an elite circle of high achievers. Narayanan is a figure skater, geography bee competitor, Indian classical music artist and former student representative to the State College Borough. In the fall, he plans to attend Yale University to study political science. Im really looking forward to joining the Yale community and finding out what other opportunities are out there for me because I want to continue to grow as a person and continue to explore everything that there is to offer in our world. Despite the individual achievement, Narayanan said the award reminded him of all the people who helped teach him or introduce him to the skills and passions he carries with him today. Ive been in this district since the first grade and Im a proud State Collegian, he said. I was born at Mount Nittany (Medical Center) and Ive been a proud Centre Region resident. Im just so grateful to this community for being that support system, for always pushing me to find the best version of myself and to never give up on my dreams. IS group claims bombing in Afghanistan that killed officers involved in an anti-poppy crop campaign This is a locator map for Afghanistan with its capital, Kabul. (AP Photo) ISLAMABAD (AP) The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a bombing in Afghanistans northeast that killed police officers who were part of an anti-poppy crop campaign. A motorcycle was booby-trapped and exploded, targeting a Taliban patrol in Faizabad town in Badakhshan province, killing and wounding 12 members of the patrol as well as destroying a four-wheel drive vehicle, the group said in a statement late Wednesday. Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said the officers were on their way to destroy poppy crops in the area. The Islamic State groups affiliate in Afghanistan, a major Taliban rival, has conducted attacks on schools, hospitals, mosques and Shiite areas throughout the country. In March, the group said one of its suicide bombers detonated an explosive belt among Taliban gathered near a Kandahar bank to receive their salaries. The Taliban pledged to wipe out the countrys drug cultivation industry and imposed a formal ban in April 2022, dealing a heavy blow to hundreds of thousands of farmers and day laborers who relied on proceeds from the crop to survive. Opium cultivation crashed by 95% after the ban, a report from the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime said last November. Protests are rare in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, but there was a backlash in Badakhshan last week in response to the poppy eradication campaign. It prompted a high-ranking delegation led by the chief of military staff Fasihudin Fitrat to visit the region and negotiate with protesters. Protests erupted last Friday after a man was shot and killed by the Taliban for resisting poppy eradication attempts in Darayum district. Another was killed on Saturday during a protest in Argo district. Changing Delawares education funding formula. Investing in child care and early childhood education. Ensuring equitable resources across all schools and providing teacher support and professional development. These were just some of the topics that the five candidates for Delawares next governor tackled during an education forum hosted by the Vision Coalition of Delaware on Wednesday evening at Polytech High School in Woodside. From left, candidates for Delaware governor include Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, Republican candidate Jerry Price, House Minority Leader Mike Ramone, New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer and former DNREC Secretary Collin O'Mara. PUBLIC POLICY FOCUS: From child poverty to education, here's what experts say should shape public policy Democratic candidates Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer and former Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Collin OMara, along with Republican contenders Jerrold Price and state House Minority Leader Mike Ramone, who most recently filed his candidacy for governor on the Republican line May 6, were in attendance. The candidates fielded questions from leadership of the Vision Coalition as well as students across the state of Delaware. Here are five takeaways: Fixing the funding formula Most of the candidates Wednesday evening agreed that the way Delaware funds its schools needs to change. Delaware was sued in 2018 by Delawareans for Educational Opportunity and the NAACP over the First State being aware of deficiencies in resources provided to lower-income students, students with disabilities and multilingual learners. In December, an independent assessment of Delawares education funding system recommended sizable changes, including shifting to a funding formula based on student needs, not resource-based units. In such a system, money would follow students with higher needs. Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long applauds as Gov. John Carney delivers his State of the State Address at Legislative Hall in Dover, Tuesday, March 5, 2024. The event was rescheduled from January after Carney fell ill. Hall-Long: Were going to have to move that funding formula forward for equity. Meyer: Were not measuring up today. If you go into schools in Wilmington and rural parts of the state with reading and math scores in the single digits. It starts with getting the funding formula right. OMara: Look at the way Delaware reacted to desegregation and the lines that were drawn. We never increased funding and never changed the formula. We just have less and less (equitable) funding for schools. Ramone: Education funding needs to be modified. Education is supported very inconsistently. Delaware teachers should be at the top of the pyramid, not the bottom. Pay them what they are worth. Create an environment where we prioritize our children and the schools. Using funds from other sources Candidates stressed that other avenues for funding for education and early childhood support must be explored. The lawsuit over inequitable funding ultimately prompted a statewide reassessment of properties, which Meyer who was part of the lawsuit as New Castle County executive said helps school boards access up to 10% of new revenue every five years without going to referendum. New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer speaks at a press conference calling for judicial diversity in Delaware on Tuesday April 30, 2024. Meyer suggested making changes to the state tax code, which maxes out at a rate of 6.6% for everyone making $60,000 or more. This makes Delaware one of the highest-income tax states in the region for people making lower- and middle-class salaries. Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and even New York all have lower income tax rates for people who earn about $60,000 annually, according to the Tax Foundation data. Meyer: If a family makes $70,000 today, did you know they pay the same tax rate as someone making $70 million? Its a moral imperative that we fix these things. OMara: I do think the property tax assessment is going to be a piece of (funding sources). I also think we need to look at other funding sources, whether that be the tax code also different revenues with excise taxes. PROPERTY TAX LAWSUIT: Wilmington asks to join lawsuit to force New Castle County property tax reassessment Hall-Long: Funding is absolutely paramount. I can tell you there are all kinds of things sin tax funds (referencing future recreational marijuana sales as a potential revenue source). Ramone: We have money in our government and we need to choose where the best investments are to get the biggest bang for that dollar. Price: I agree with the assessment. Everyone is talking about spending millions of dollars. We need to go through our finances and see if that money is available. I cant promise you something when the money is not there. Expanding child care, early childhood education opportunities Democratic gubernatorial candidates stressed the importance of child care access and expanding early childhood education opportunities as between birth and the age of 5, 90% of a childs brain is developed, Hall-Long said. Hall-Long: Early education has to happen we have to get there. Meyer: We need heavy investment early. Former DNREC Secretary Collin O'Mara has announced he is considering a run for Delaware governor in 2024. He served as DNREC's secretary from 2009 to 2014 before becoming CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, where he currently works. OMara: Delaware is facing three crises: early childhood development, child care and a lack of pre-K. Despite the investments, its still a fraction of what we need. Price: The Republican candidate pledged to help people if they seek help. I cant go into your house and tell you how to raise your children. ADDITIONAL FUNDING: Gov. Carney announces further investment for child care needs in Delaware Ramone: Weve invested a ton of money in child care and pre-K. Do we create an environment where we try to complement what we have in school systems with the private sector? Equity for children of all backgrounds, learning levels Candidates stressed that fixing the funding formula is key to ensuring equitable investments for children from all socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. This was also a sticking point in the recommendations out of the statewide assessment on Delawares education funding system and the lawsuit brought against the state. Hall-Long: Equity runs through everything that weve done. It takes more than one initiative. Its not just money. Its leaning in and making Delaware the strongest place to be for our children. Meyer: We need to make sure the teachers we recruit, not only where possible, speak multiple languages, but also have a culture of tolerance. Our schools ultimately are a reflection of who we are as a community. OMara: They are staffing classes based on the bodies in the class rather than the needs in the classroom. Were trying to have staffing levels that match the needs of the students. Lewes resident Jerrold Price has filed to run for Delaware governor in 2024 on the Republican line. Price: I think a lot of resources are already there, they just have to be used We have to get rid of the disruptive children not get rid of them, just help them. Get them counseling. There are only two genders. Men will not be playing womens sports. Ramone: The House minority leader pointed to ASPIRA Charter School as an excellent education model for English language learners. They took a community, and now the community has a bilingual dynamic to it. They are learning English fluently, and theyve brought the parents in. Providing mental health support for students, educators In recent years, Delaware has passed legislation and earmarked funding to expand mental health support for students. On Thursday, the state House of Representatives extended mental health services to high schools with the unanimous passage of House Bill 200. But even those who were in office during those expansions said more needs to be done given the trauma children carry into the classroom regardless of age. Hall-Long: We have invested the most ever to ensure elementary and middle schools have those supports. Were continuing to work to ensure that resource in high schools. We have a long way to go and its only going to be done with everyone involved in the room here. Meyer: Kids are coming to school with baggage that we cannot see. As county executive, we are the only local government in Delaware that approved wellness centers (at schools). Were also going to do things to support teachers mental health (like reducing class sizes) to ensure teachers remain healthy. EXPANDING SUPPORT: Delaware lawmakers confront worsening mental health crisis for teens with these new bills OMara: Applauded the steps the state has taken so far to provide mental health resources in schools. We need to do it for middle and high schools. Children facing massive trauma it doesnt end in elementary schools, it follows all the way through. Price: A lot of this mental health started because the family structure broke down. Were going to provide counseling, its already there. You cant force people to get help if they dont want it. Ramone: The House representative shared a story about a childhood friend who spent time at MeadowWood Behavioral Health Hospital, and later lived in a group home. She went there and they focused on her needs. Thats what our education needs to do for our children with the smallest cups. 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: Delaware's gubernatorial candidates sound off on education policy If Mississippis child protection agency had been able to find a 4-month-old baby born addicted to pain killers, he might be alive today, according to testimony in a court hearing. Child Protective Services was looking for the parents of Denilson Marcus Elligson because his addiction was reported after he was born at Memorial Hospital in Gulfport. He went through withdrawals while in the hospitals neonatal intensive care unit, according to testimony Wednesday afternoon in Justice Court. CPS looked for the baby but couldnt find him, Gulfport police Detective Justin Clifton testified. He said the couple moved frequently to avoid CPS. After Cliftons testimony, Judge Brandon Ladner denied a request to reduce the $300,000 bond for the babys mother, Angel JaNai Williams, who remains jailed on two felony charges. Gulfport detective questions parents in babys death Clifton had interviewed both the mother and father at the Gulfport Police Department after the baby died. Williams, who initially denied the baby had been abused, faces up to 25 years in prison on charges of contributing to felony child abuse and hindering prosecution. The babys primary caretaker, the father for whom he is named, Denilson Marcus Elligson, is charged with capital murder and faces the death penalty. Capital murder is committed with a second felony, in this case child abuse. Elligson is being held without bond on the capital murder charge. Clifton found the family was at an address on Lewis Avenue that CPS did not have when emergency services responded to a 911 call about a nonresponsive infant on the afternoon of April 23, court records say. The baby was pronounced dead at the hospital. CPS took custody of a 3-year-old in the home, he said. Detective Clifton learned that Child Protective Services had open cases of substantial child abuse involving the parents of the infant, underlying facts in the case say. County Prosecuting Attorney Herman Cox argued against bond reduction for Williams, saying she initially denied the abuse and also eluded CPS, indicating she is a flight risk. Clifton said the baby had at least 16 fractures in various stages of healing. The babys father was his primary caretaker , while Williams worked from around 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. In an initial interview, Clifton said, Williams claimed she did not know why the baby died and denied any drug use. She said Elligson did not abuse the baby, the detective said. Evidence of drug use found in home The babys father admitted that he would pick up the baby and squeeze him with both hands around the rib cage to stop him from crying. Ellingson made a clicking sound to indicate what he heard when squeezing the babys chest, the detective said. The father, Clifton said, stated that he did this numerous times over a two-month period. The baby was found to have at least 16 fractured bones in various stages of healing, Clifton testified. The last time the father squeezed the baby, the baby went limp and was unresponsive, prompting the 911 call.. When the detective later questioned Williams again, she admitted Elligson had abused their baby and that the couple was using drugs. She said that she had used the potent pain killer fentanyl during her pregnancy and was still using it. She said that she and Ellingson took turns using the drug so one of them could watch the children. The baby was taken to the doctor on one occasion, Williams told Clifton, because he had a knot on his side. Learning of the appointment, CPS sent a worker to the followup appointment hoping to make contact with a parent, but neither of them showed up with the baby, Clifton said. When investigators secured a warrant and searched the home, they found no food in the refrigerator and expired canned goods in the cabinets, Clifton said. He said there was what appeared to be powdery drug residue in the house where pills had been crushed and snorted, along with a bong in the bedroom for smoking marijuana. Staff Writer Margaret Baker contributed to this report. Gwinnett family outraged after woman found drunk with cocaine during deadly crash is out on bail Gwinnett family outraged after woman found drunk with cocaine during deadly crash is out on bail Gwinnett County police say bodycam video shows a woman who was driving with drugs in her car and drunk and sleep-deprived. Channel 2s Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson spoke with the mans family who is outraged shes out on bond. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Are you okay? Im okay, sir, Sonal Nandkishor Patel could be heard answering in the video. Patel, who spoke to police moments after a deadly crash, is accused of being impaired and falling asleep on an interstate. Gwinnett police say she caused the crash that killed 29-year-old Omar Ortiz a week after he moved to the U.S. from Cuba. He came to give a great future to the kids, thats why he came here, said Ortizs aunt-in-law, Leticia Almaguer. Police say 40-year-old Patel was behind the wheel of another car while drunk, in possession of cocaine and while sleep-deprived. Ortiz died at the scene. His girl and his boy are going to grow up without a dad, Almaguer said. TRENDING STORIES: He was a passenger in the car with Almaguer when police say Patel crashed into a car stopped on the interstate near Flowery Branch Road. It happened as she and Ortiz headed home at around 4 a.m. on February 4. Patel told police she hadnt slept in up to two days. All that made her stop her vehicle in the middle of a travel lane and caused a severe accident, Cpl. Juan Madiedo of Gwinnett County Police Department said. Police arrested Patel that day and then again this past Monday when they got evidence to charge her with DUI and vehicular homicide. She posted bond twice for the crash despite driving with a suspended license and with a previous DUI arrest in 2007. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] We are very disappointed that she was able to bond out because she is a repeat offender, Karina Deochand of Karma Injury Law said. Deochand represents Ortizs family. While Patel is out on bond, Deochand says the fight for justice isnt over. She is on the hook for a life, Deochand said. Johnson stopped by the suspects house to talk to her but she wasnt home. Ortizs attorneys say the bond is a disappointment but theyre thankful theres a chance the driver could face jail time for the homicide charges. IN OTHER NEWS: Russian media outlets have reported that unknown hackers hijacked broadcasts of the TV provider Ufanet in Bashkortostan and Orenburg in Russias Omsk and Irkutsk oblasts. Instead of the Victory parade on Red Square, viewers were shown footage relating to Russias war against Ukraine. Source: Russian media outlets Sirena and Meduza Footage from the terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall near Moscow. Photo of the hijacked broadcast Details: Sirena reported that instead of the parade, viewers were shown footage of the terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall, a video confirming election fraud, and photos of Russian soldiers fighting against Ukraine with the persons name and the word "murderer" on each one. "Alaberdy Karazhayev, murderer." Photo of the hijacked broadcast The hackers announced Putins impeachment, accusing him of electoral fraud, "starting a war with the closest people [to us]", and inaction during terrorist attacks. "Ballot stuffing in favour of Putin, St Petersburg, School No 260." Photo of the hijacked broadcast Sirena also noted that Ufanet's channels are watched in more than 600 cities and towns. The company's press service said the broadcast had been switched off and they were "taking care of the problem". In addition, Meduza noted that Oleg Kryuchkov, the Russian-appointed advisor to the head of Crimea, has reported that "one of the platforms for broadcasting TV channels" had been hacked. Background: On 9 May, Russians hacked into the satellite feeds of TV channels run by StarLightMedia and Inter in Ukraine and started broadcasting the parade in Moscow's Red Square. On 9 May, a drone attacked a Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat oil refinery in Bashkortostan, Russia, causing a fire to break out. On 20 March, Latvia-based Russian media outlet Meduza conducted a voter turnout count for the presidential "election" in Russia and concluded that it was the most rigged election in the country's history. Support UP or become our patron! Democratic megadonor Haim Saban torched President Joe Bidens decision to pause Israeli weapons shipments in an email to aides on Thursday, urging the administration to reconsider. The Biden administration paused a shipment of thousands of weapons to Israel, including 2,000-pound bombs, amid concerns over Israels intention to expand military operations in Rafah, which could dramatically increase the death toll in Gaza, according to U.S. officials on Tuesday. Israeli-American donor Saban, who hosted a prominent Los Angeles fundriaser for Bidens reelection campaign in February, penned the email to administration aides Steve Ricchetti and Anita Dunn, asking for them to share the message with the president. We, the U.S., as you stated numerous times, believe that Hamas should be defeated. We, the U.S., in this case YOU Mr. President, have decided to stop sending munitions to Israel to achieve a goal that WE/YOU have set up for Israel and ourselves, Sabans missive read. Even beyond Israel, this sends a terrible message to our allies in the region, and beyond that, we can flip from doing the right thing to bending to political pressure. Saban who in a February interview with TheWrap defended Bidens age and track record, saying, He is doing really, in my opinion, a great job then appealed to Bidens desire to be reelected for a second term in November. Lets not forget that there are more Jewish voters who care about Israel than Muslim voters that care about Hamas, he wrote. Bad, bad, bad decision on all levels. Please reconsider. Read the note in full via Axios Barak Ravid below. Democratic mega-donor Haim Saban wrote an email to Biden's aides Steve Ricchetti & Anita Dunn about Biden's decision to put on hold a weapons shipment to Israel: "Let's not forget there are more Jewish voters who care about Israel than Muslim voters who care about Hamas" pic.twitter.com/HdeI9iOL3W Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) May 9, 2024 Saban has been an ardent and generous supporter of Bidens campaign for reelection. His February fundraiser in L.A. ahead of the March presidential primary raised $4.5 million for the campaign. According to OpenSecrets, Saban donated the max $3,300 to Bidens campaign for months, most recently in December, January and March. Of the president, Saban told TheWrap, Theres never been a president as supportive in facts, not only in words, of Israel. If you take everything in general, and most specifically, in these dire times for Israel, hes been pristine. He added that his staunch support had Biden paying a political price, but that without Bidens support, Israel would be fighting this war with stones and sticks. The post Haim Saban, Biden Donor and Fundraiser, Slams Bad Decision to Hold Israeli Weapons Shipment: Sends a Terrible Message appeared first on TheWrap. From the Boiling Frogs on The Dispatch A good sign of whether protests are working is whether sympathizers are mad at the media for covering them. Stop covering the college demonstrations please. pic.twitter.com/gcuiI5iFvR Jarvis (@jarvis_best) May 7, 2024 The point of political agitation is to raise awareness about a cause and ultimately to gain public support for it. If youre begging the press to take the awareness down a notch, chances are your efforts are seriously backfiring. I wonder why. BREAKING: The George Washington University Encampment projects flames onto the American flag with text that reads "Gaza lights the spark that will set the empire ablaze" pic.twitter.com/j5dzcLgbyG Stu (@thestustustudio) May 8, 2024 Im not the patriot that I used to be but I bristled recently at the indignity done to images of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin by decking them out in the trappings of Hamas savages. Basic persuasion requires respecting your audiences cultural sensitivities; making a spectacle of your contempt for them instead does indeed have the makings of a major backfire. At a minimum, if your demonstrations are inspiring frat bros to show up and challenge you to a push-up contest, they havent achieved the gravitas you were aiming for. This isnt just conjecture on my part. As well see, theres statistical evidence that the protests arent working. And yet much depends on how we define that word, doesnt it? If by working we mean whether apologias for terrorism are changing hearts and minds among the public then, sure, the protests are failing. But if we mean whether theyre influencing American foreign policy in ways that favor Hamas, then theyve actually worked shockingly well of late: On Wednesday, Joe Biden announced that hell withhold offensive weapons from Israel if it proceeds with its plan to invade Rafah. The president and his party are reportedly in panic mode over anti-Israel sentiment on the left, the most visible expression of which has been the campus protests. The longer they continue, and the worse that they get, the worse its going to be for the election overall, one unnamed but nervous House Democrat interviewed by Axios said of the demonstrations. Fear of depressed Democratic turnout in November among pro-Palestinian voters, especially those who skew younger, has left the White House desperate for an exit ramp from Gaza. The looming incursion into Rafah has supplied one. Biden now finds himself half-pregnant with respect to Israels war. And in politics, half-pregnancies rarely come to term successfully. The strongest argument in defense of Bidens attempt to short-circuit the Rafah invasion is that the risk of mass casualties is high. As diligent as Israeli forces might be in trying to keep civilians out of the crossfire, beginning with their evacuation of 100,000 Palestinians from the city, itll be urban combat in an environment that houses more than 1 million people. Left-wing disaffection over Gaza may be more of a campfire politically than a forest fire at the moment, but the destruction a Rafah operation will bring will pour gasoline on it. Biden is managing the blaze as best he can by disclaiming American support for the carnage in advance. Faulting him for cutting off weapons conditionally also raises this question: Should American support for allies always and everywhere be unconditional? We stand by allies, we dont second-guess them, Mitt Romney tweeted with disgust at Bidens decision, but that cant be right. When we do an ally a favor, were surely entitled to second-guess the recipient if its national goals begin to diverge from our own. Ask Ronald Reagan. Its fine (and correct, I think) to conclude that U.S. interests do align with Israels with respect to Rafah, but the idea that theres no red line an ally could cross that would justify us tempering our support is loopy. If hawks insist on an all-or-nothing commitment to conflicts involving our international partners, however long they might take and wherever they might lead, future presidents might reasonably surmise that nothing is the wiser option of the two. Theres one more point in Bidens favor. According to some polls, his skepticism of further Israeli military action reflects public opinion more accurately than Congress support for it does. When the people oppose what a U.S. ally is doing and the presidents policy mirrors that opposition, thats democracy in action. It might be poor leadership, as the people are often foolish in their desiresjust look at our presidential options this yearbut Joe Biden answers to the American electorate, not to Bibi Netanyahu. The strongest argument against Bidens decision to cut Israel off is this: What, ultimately, does it accomplish? Wars are fought to achieve political ends, not to frighten the enemy by breaking things. From the start, Israels mission has been to eliminate the terrorist entity responsible for the October 7 pogrom. And from the start, Joe Biden supported that goalor so he said. Israeli forces now believe that achieving it requires an incursion into Rafah. Yet here the president is, trying to pull the plug. Hes spoiling a mission he claimed to believe in, which makes him an unreliable partner. And which places him, rather awkwardly, in the position of using Americas global leverage to assure Hamas survival. Many things will flow from that. One is that Hamas patron, Iran, now has good reason to test the U.S.-Israel alliance with further provocations. If Hezbollah attacks from the north and the war widens, how resolute will a plainly anxious Joe Biden be about supporting Israel with an election approaching? Tehran must be wondering. And if that conflict happens, it will certainly produce many more casualties and do more damage to Bidens reelection chances than an American-backed incursion into Rafah would have. Regional war in the Middle Eastnow thats a forest fire. Speaking of casualties, David Frum reminded readers on Thursday that the White Houses habit of holding back weapons from Ukraine for fear of escalation with Russia (only to ultimately give in and deliver them belatedly anyway in most cases) might have inadvertently prolonged the war by denying Kyiv the tools it needed for victory, assuring many more deaths in the process. Biden is now poised to make the same mistake with Israel. Do we care about minimizing Palestinian suffering or dont we? Maybe we dont: The administration is reportedly weighing whether to block a shipment of Joint Direct Attack Munitions to Israel that would convert dumb bombs into precision-guided ones. Assuring that Israels airstrikes are less accurate than they might be is a funny way to go about trying to protect civilians caught in the crossfire in Rafah. Another consequence of Bidens policy has to do with the Americans being held in Gaza. How is eliminating any strategic leverage on Israels behalf going to help get the hostages home? journalist Josh Kraushaar wondered after Bidens announcement on Wednesday. Israeli pressure on Hamas leaders holed up in Rafah might have forced the group into freeing its captives as part of a ceasefire deal. With U.S. support gone, that pressure is now diminished. Its in Americas interest to see the hostages returned. Its also in Americas interest to see a major Iranian proxy and irritant to the regional peace process liquidated. And its in Americas interest to see the war in Gaza end as quickly and peacefully as possible. Thwarting the Rafah incursion cuts against all of those interests. Even so, this foolishness might be worth it to the White House if it meaningfully improved Bidens odds of a second term. But it wont. The good news for the president until yesterday was that he was on the right side of public opinion in many polls while the Hamas glampers on campus whove spent months hooting Genocide Joe at him were on the wrong one. As I alluded to earlier, public support for the protests currently splits 28-47, with opposition solid even among college graduates. Most polling shows that voters dont care much about the war in Gaza eitherincluding current college students, who rank it last relative to other major policy concerns. And insofar as voters do care about it, the looming Rafah invasion has produced numbers like this: The phrasing of the question there is favorable to Israel, but the results suggest that Biden would be starting from a solid baseline of popular support in backing the incursion. By seeking to thwart it instead, the president will alienate many hawkish Trump-hating voters who were thinking of supporting him this year while doing little to win back the Biden-hating progressives whove turned on him over the war. (Although hell win back a few.) In fact, despite his best efforts to wash his hands of whats coming in Rafah, I suspect hell be pummeled by the pro-Hamas left for it. If not for the last seven months of American support, after all, Israel would be in no position to undertake this attack. All of which leaves Biden half-pregnant, too soft on the Zionists to suit his base and as of yesterday too hard on them to suit anyone else. Especially conservative hawks whove spent the last four months gamely voting for Nikki Haley in Republican primaries and whom the president, in theory, is courting to join his coalition this fall. Our own Jonah Goldberg is already hearing ominous rumblings: Fwiw. Ive heard from a LOT of reliably anti-Trump people I mean really, really, anti-Trump people who have had it with Biden tonight. Anecdotal, to be sure. But very telling in my circle. Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) May 9, 2024 His tweet touched off a massive Twitter barroom brawl among Never Trumpers on Wednesday night that eventually sucked in Steve Hayes, The Bulwarks Tim Miller, and a gazillion liberals. Many flagged Jonahs post as supposed evidence that even the really, really anti-Trump people of the American right are craven partisan hacks desperate for an excuse to come home to MAGA. Its not true, of course. I dislike Bidens new Israel policy but will vote for him anyway, as enabling a government takeover by a proto-fascist movement is a bit too steep a price for giving the IDF a slightly freer hand against Hamas. But not everyone who despises Trump views the choice on the ballot this fall as starkly as I do. Jonah is right to worry that Reaganites, many of whom support Israel ardently, will find Bidens vacillation on this conflict uniquely grievous given the moral stakes presented by October 7. No matter how angry leftists are with the president, their fear and loathing of his opponent and the GOP will weigh on them to suck it up and vote Democratic this fall. For Reaganites, however, that partisan pressure runs the other way due to their antipathy to the liberal agenda. Theyll need affirmative reasons to convince them to take the extraordinary step of crossing the aisle. Bidens steady support for Israel since October provided one. Now that hes half-pregnant, its been badly compromised. And insofar as hes letting electoral concerns guide his judgment on foreign policy, hes guilty of dereliction of duty. A democratically elected leader needs to act in what he determines to be the best interests of his constituents even if those constituents disagree. If Biden believes that an invasion of Rafah is in Americas interest but opposes it simply because he fears itll be unpopular, hes not doing the job he was elected to do. All of that said, let me make a few points to the really, really anti-Trump people out there who are now considering turning to the dark side in November. Youre kidding yourselves if you think you know what Trump will do on any issue (except immigration), and that very much includes Israel. Authoritarian populists with conspiracies on the brain historically have not been great friends to the Jewish people. Insofar as Israel policy matters to your vote, dont bet heavily on a tribalist nationalist movement that craves political scapegoats remaining a staunch ally to Tel Aviv forever. In fact, the guy at the top of that movement has a long habit of implying that American Jews should let a candidates position on Israel decide their vote. (He did it again on Thursday.) Encouraging the perception that Jewish citizens feel loyalty to a foreign state leads nowhere good; Trump might not mean it as a criticism but some of his allies eventually will. Another point, which almost goes without saying: Even respectable members of the party he leads continue to go to great lengths to make excuses for his terrible behavior, which augurs badly if youre inclined to believe that hell be held in check somehow in a second term. This pitiful reaction to Bidens announcement on Wednesday reminded us of it again: This is totally unacceptable. Im old enough to remember when Democrats impeached another President for supposedly withholding foreign aid that had been approved by Congress. Stop the threats Joe. America Stands with Israel! https://t.co/sqU1G2ngDY Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) May 8, 2024 The House has no choice but to impeach Biden based on the Trump-Ukraine precedent of withholding foreign aid to help with reelection. Only with Biden, its true. Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) May 9, 2024 Republican commentators disingenuously echoed the point on television as well. But the problem with Trumps conduct in his first impeachment wasnt that he withheld foreign aid from an ally, as Mike Pence and Tom Cotton surely understand. Its that he used the aid to try to extort that ally for something of personal value to him, namely, dirt on his election opponent. Quid pro quo, remember? Biden isnt demanding a quid pro quo from Netanyahu, hes attempting to influence Israeli policy. Its similar to Trump threatening that hell withdraw the U.S. from NATO if member nations dont meet their obligations to contribute 2 percent of their GDP toward defense spending. Thats extortion of a sort but no one regards it as an impeachable offense because its aimed at procuring a policy shift, not a personal benefit to him. It is true that Biden willhe thinks!benefit personally by winning the election if he can stop the attack on Rafah, but it may well also be true that he believes averting the attack is good policy on the merits by sparing civilians from the Israel onslaught and America from the resulting international backlash. Similarly, if Trump had polling proving that Americans loved his policy of squeezing NATO members, the fact that hed benefit electorally from it wouldnt make it less legitimate. So long as the pressure hes applying is geared toward influencing an allys policies in a way that arguably serves America rather than procuring the political equivalent of a fat envelope for himself, its not an abuse of power. Just a matter of debatable judgment. If Biden asks Bibi for Mossads dossier on Trump in return for weapons, that would be an impeachable quid pro quo. (Not to mention an amazing read, Im sure.) Pence and Cotton know all of this but justifying Trumps grotesque mafia-boss tactics is a duty of all Republicans even five years after the fact. Those who recoil from that but feel inclined to support him anyway in this moment out of understandable outrage at Bidens Rafah policy should consider the many, many other examples well be forced to endure over the next four years if hes reelected. Israel is important. Not setting the constitutional order on fire is too. Read more at The Dispatch The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free. This photo taken on May 8, 2024 shows a scene at the roll-off ceremony of the 6 millionth car produced by BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA) in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province. A BMW i5 electric car rolled off the assembly line on Wednesday in northeast China's Shenyang, the capital city of Liaoning Province, marking the 6 millionth car produced by BMW Group's joint venture in China, BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA). (Xinhua/Pan Yulong) SHENYANG, May 9 (Xinhua) -- A BMW i5 electric car rolled off the assembly line on Wednesday in northeast China's Shenyang, the capital city of Liaoning Province, marking the 6 millionth car produced by BMW Group's joint venture in China, BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA). This came just 15 months after the joint venture's 5 millionth car was produced. The German carmaker announced in April an additional investment of 20 billion yuan (about 2.8 billion U.S. dollars) in the production base in Shenyang. The carmaker said the investment will be used for upgrading and innovating the Dadong plant of BBA, which was founded in 2003. In 2023, the BMW Group delivered a total of more than 820,000 BMW and MINI vehicles in the Chinese market, accounting for about 32 percent of its global sales. This photo taken on May 8, 2024 shows a roll-off ceremony of the 6 millionth car produced by BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA) in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province. A BMW i5 electric car rolled off the assembly line on Wednesday in northeast China's Shenyang, the capital city of Liaoning Province, marking the 6 millionth car produced by BMW Group's joint venture in China, BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA). (Xinhua/Pan Yulong) Harmony Montgomerys Father Gets Up to Life in Prison for Murdering 5-Year-Old Daughter: Reports Adam Montgomery, 34, was convicted in the 2019 beating death of his 5-year-old daughter Harmony in New Hampshire Manchester NH Police Harmony Montgomery The father of 5-year-old Harmony Montgomery was sentenced to up to life in prison this week after being convicted of murdering her, according to multiple news reports. On Thursday, May 9, Adam Montgomery, 34, was handed down the sentence, which CNN reports to be a minimum of 45 years up to life in prison. According to the Associated Press and The Boston Globe, Adam was sentenced to a minimum of 56 years. PEOPLE couldnt immediately confirm the exact sentence. A jury found Adam guilty in February of second-degree murder, second-degree assault, witness tampering, falsifying evidence and abuse of corpse, The Boston Globe, NBC Boston, and WMUR-TV previously reported. Related: Harmony Montgomerys Father Found Guilty of Murdering 5-Year-Old He reportedly never attended his trial but was ordered to attend his sentencing, The Globe reports. Prosecutors said Adam beat his daughter to death in December 2019 after she became incontinent in their car, PEOPLE previously reported. He then took her body around in a duffle bag all over Manchester, N.H., before using a U-Haul truck to dump her remains at an undisclosed location in March 2020. Harmonys remains have never been found and the girl wasnt reported missing until November 2021, when her biological mother, Crystal Sorey, notified authorities, according to unsealed records previously reviewed by PEOPLE. Related: Affidavit Details Last Moments of 5-Year-Old Harmony Montgomery's Life: 'I Think I Really Hurt Her' Sorey shared a victim impact statement at Adams sentencing hearing, telling him, My love for Harmony outweighs my hatred for you, The Globe reports. I wish you nothing but pain and misery for the rest of your pathetic life, she added, per the outlet. Harmonys stepmother, Kayla Montgomery, was also charged in connection with the case and testified against her ex, Adam, who she alleged beat her and forced her to lie to authorities about Harmonys disappearance, CNN reports. Related: Harmony Montgomery's Father Admits Guilt on 2 Counts But Points Finger at Slain 5-Year-Old's Stepmom 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. She pleaded guilty in 2022 to perjury charges and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. However, the outlet reports, citing court documents, that she was released on parole in March. Adams public defender, Caroline L. Smith, told the court on May 9 that her client is innocent, saying he "did not kill his daughter, but did inexplicable things after learning of her death, The Globe reports. If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Vice President Harris in a new interview expressed concern that the Supreme Court and its conservative majority could undo recognized rights after its 2022 ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade. This court has shown itself to be an activist court, Harris told The New York Times. I worry about fundamental freedoms across the board. The vice president said she didnt want to raise any specific legal precedents the court could overturn because she didnt want to sound alarmist. But this court has made it very clear that they are willing to undo recognized rights, she told the outlet. You could even look at Clarence Thomas saying a lot of the quiet part out loud, she said. Just look at what he said and then maybe that gives us some indication. Just look at one of the justices to see where they might go next. Harris has been the face of the White Houses response to the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and set the stage for several GOP-led states to enact strict abortion bans. Her comments echoed President Bidens own criticism of the Supreme Court, which in recent years has overturned precedent protecting the right to an abortion and upended affirmative action. Thomas wrote in a separate opinion on the case that overturned Roe that the court should reconsider all of this Courts substantive due process precedents, including the rulings that affirmed access to contraceptives and protected gay marriage. This is not a normal court, Biden said last year following the affirmative action ruling. Take a look at how its ruled on a number of issues that have been precedent for 50, 60 years sometimes. And thats what I meant by not normal, the president said in a subsequent interview. Across the board, the vast majority of the American people dont agree with majority of decisions the court is making. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) A Harrisburg man was convicted of trafficking over 2,200 pounds of marijuana and hiring gunmen to protect his activities, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office, Middle District of Pennsylvania. According to the U.S. Attorneys office, between 2018 and 2020, Christopher Texidor, 36, and codefendants operated a marijuana smuggling operation out of a used car lot on Paxton Street in Harrisburg. The drugs were arraigned to be mailed in hundreds of packages from California in exchange for cash sent through the mail. GPS tracking devices were used on the packages to follow the drugs and money going through the mail. Millions of dollars worth of marijuana were brought to the Harrisburg area through this scheme and the operation hired gunmen to prevent theft in the system. During one instance, the jury was told during trial, guns, robbery, and kidnapping were used as tools to keep the operation running. In 2019, a thief began stealing the packages and a gunman went after the suspect for months, including shooting up a truck, a Susquehanna Township home, and a Steelton home. The thief was ultimately robbed at gunpoint by the group in February 2020 in Highspire. The jury convicted Texidor of conspiracy to traffic more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, conspiracy to use a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, use of a means in interstate communication to commit a crime of violence, and drug trafficking. Texidors codefendants, William Kuduk, Jonathan Cobaugh, Justin Laboy, Jose Laboy, and Julio Arellano have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Codefendant Jamie Valenzuela pleaded guilty to being the marijuana source from California. He was sentenced to 57 months imprisonment. The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is life imprisonment, as well as a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Dauphin County District Attorneys Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael A. Consiglio and Scott Ford prosecuted the case. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. 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. It has been 838 days since Judge Rodney W. Sippel announced that he would step down from full-time work in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and 466 days since he officially took a reduced caseload. Since then, two more eastern district judges announced theyd step-down Judge Audrey G. Fleissig and Judge John A. Ross. A fourth vacancy is imminent Judge Ronnie L. White will step down on July 30. There are no nominees to replace them. Amid an increasingly politicized federal judiciary, President Joe Biden and Missouris two hard-line Republican senators Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt have repeatedly failed to agree on judicial, U.S. attorney, and U.S. marshal nominees. The result is a shorthanded federal court in the Eastern District of Missouri, where at least 3,516 cases were filed in 2023, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. While the judges have not officially retired from the bench, they have taken senior status which involves a reduced caseload. In the Senate, judicial nominations that were once routinely passed for most of the 20th century have become partisan battlegrounds. The trend is exemplified in Schmitt and Hawley, both of whom have voted against nearly every judicial nominee appointed by Biden. Hawley and Schmitt are both pretty far right, said Russell Wheeler, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, who studies the federal judiciary. I would suspect negotiating with him is a pretty tall order. Biden ultimately has the power to nominate judges and the Senate controlled by Democrats has the power to either confirm or reject the nomination. But a century-old Senate tradition effectively gives home state senators the ability to veto any name put forward by the White House. Between 1956 and 2016, only three judicial nominees were approved by the Senate without the approval of their home state senator, according to the Congressional Research Service. While the tradition has varied over time, Sen. Dick Durbin, the Illinois Democrat in charge of the Judiciary Committee, has generally held that District Court nominees need the approval of home state senators. This is ultimately the Presidents decision to make and to announce, Hawley told The Star. But weve had really productive conversations and I think its in a good place. I think the trendline is good. He may be the only one upbeat about the negotiations. Instead, the White House and senators appear at an impasse, unable to agree on deals that would allow both sides to place consensus nominees. The large ideological gulf between the senators and the White House makes the agreement a challenge. While there has been talk of one-for-one and two-for-one deals, where the White House would put forward some names and the senators would put forward some names, the talks have gone nowhere. The senators, who both served as Missouri Attorney General before taking office, have suggested some candidates who are leaders in the Federalist Society, a conservative legal society, or have been staffers in Republican attorneys general offices non-starters for the White House, according to a senior administration official. Hawley, who sits on the judiciary committee, said he would support good, rule of law judges. But its extremely rare for Hawley to approve of Bidens judicial choices. He has voted against more than 90% of the 150 District Court Judges nominated by Biden and all but one of the 41 Circuit Court Judges. Of the seven judicial nominees he supported, all of them passed the Senate unanimously. He has been absent during nomination votes for at least four judges. Schmitt, too, has opposed most of the 13 circuit court judges and the 82 district court judges who have been confirmed since he took office in 2023. It isnt just judicial nominations. Biden has yet to nominate a U.S. Attorney and U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Missouri the federal attorney and a key federal law enforcement officer with jurisdiction in Kansas City. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat, recommended people for the White House to nominate to the roles particularly a U.S. attorney candidate Cleaver said has been a lifelong prosecutor but they have yet to get approval from Schmitt or Hawley. Ive never had a conversation with Sen. Schmitt but I have had kind of an ongoing conversation with Hawley, Cleaver said. I dont think based on conversations that he has personal opposition to the individual. Im making assumptions that hes just stopping the Democrats. Hawley said he believed the White House has been more focused on judicial vacancies than the U.S. Attorney or U.S. Marshal positions. Since early 2023, the White House has actively engaged the offices of Senators Hawley and Schmitt in an effort to find a path forward on Missouris judicial, U.S. Attorney, and U.S. Marshal vacancies, said Phil Brest, special assistant to the president and senior counsel in the White House counsels office. ...We remain committed to working with the Senators to fill these important vacancies, which are crucial to protecting the safety of Missourians. The Senate has confirmed 192 of Bidens judicial nominees, including Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. But its still short of the 231 judges former President Donald Trump was able to confirm in his first term. While the vast majority of judicial confirmations have come in states with Democratic senators, the White House has been able to find agreement in states like Texas where conservative Sen. Ted Cruz has the power to veto nominees and Louisiana with conservative Sens. John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy. Hawley and Schmitt voted against the nominees from both states. With the presidential election between Biden and Trump neck and neck, Hawley and Schmitt could potentially wait out the Biden administration for a more favorable audience in a Trump administration. Already, the three judicial vacancies in Missouri have lasted longer than the 538 day median for district court nominations in states where there is at least one Republican representative, according to Wheeler. Thats more than double the 243 days that positions were left vacant in states with two Democratic senators. Its not as if these things affect everybody in Missouri on a daily basis, Wheeler said. But for small business owners, for example, who want to get into federal court, theyre likely to see themselves at the end of the longer queue than they might if they were in a state where theyre pretty well judged up. Nurses who went on strike last year sounded the alarm on staffing at area hospitals and medical facilities. Many of them complained that not enough is being done to ensure safe staffing and that its creating dangerous situations. Their feelings were echoed by the Washington State Nurses Association. Nurses hit the picket lines last year In Everett, and in Seattle in 2023, targeting companies like Providence Medical and Virginia Mason. In many cases, labor actions usually focus on pay and benefits, but recently, staffing appeared to take center stage. Dr. Bianca Frogner, Director of the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the University of Washington, has looked at the issue. She said staffing is starting to stabilize, but some specific areas within health care are not back. Long-term care facilities like skilled nursing facilities, rural areas are really struggling to fill in slots, and then certain segments of the health care industry, like those that are trying to figure out mental health care, said Dr. Frogner. Dr. Frogner said long vacancies for open positions, turnover, and retirements are contributing to the lack of staff. Some jobs stay open for weeks and months. In 2023, the Washington Legislature passed new regulations regarding hospital staffing and this year. Hospitals will have to establish staffing committees and submit staffing plans to the Washington State Department of Health. According to a report released this year by Nursing Solutions Inc., a recruitment firm for medical professionals, the registered nurse vacancy remains elevated at 9.9% nationally. Thats 5.8% lower than last year, but healthcare firms still said that close to half 47.8% reported a vacancy rate in excess of 10%. Tufts (University) saw a need for physical therapists in the PNW at large, said Evan Papa, professor at Tufts Universitys School of Medicine. He spoke to KIRO 7 and admitted the issue of training and employing medical professionals like physical therapists prompted Tufts School of Medicine to open a branch of its school in Seattle. Papa said thats a first for the university that has most of its medical school facilities in the Boston area, where the school is located. Seattle really stood out as an area with a record-high need for PTs (physical therapists) thats essentially why we ended up there, said Papa. Striking nurses often said that both patient care and the safety of nurses and other hospital staff is at risk due to staffing levels. Dr. Frogner said its taken 30 months for hospitals to just get back to pre-pandemic staffing levels, but she sees progress continuing. As our economy might lose jobs in other sectors, health care really benefits. Its an opportunity to recruit workers into the health care industry, said Dr. Frogner. PIX11s Arrianee LeBeau shares her story of defying the odds PIX11s Arrianee LeBeau shares her story of defying the odds NEW YORK (PIX11) Sometimes, a person finds their purpose after experiencing a tragedy. In PIX11 anchor Arrianee LeBeaus case, thats absolutely true and its the reason she became a journalist. More Local News On Wednesday, a new series called Heart of the City debuted on PIX11. Its all about sharing unique New York stories of people who are overcomersdefying the odds. What better way to kick off the series than with LeBeaus story? PIX11s Arrianee LeBeau has more in the video player. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. TOPEKA (KSNT) A helicopter mishap at Fort Riley injured two soldiers. Earlier this week, an incident took place on the Fort Riley military base, leaving two soldiers injured. On Tuesday, May 7, an incident involving a Boeing AH-64 took place during Combat Aviation Brigades gunner training, according to Fort Riley 1ID Public Affairs Officer Jefferson Grimes. Grimes told 27 News there were two crew members on board the AH-64. Following the event, the soldiers are receiving the necessary medical treatments for their injuries. The cause of the crash can not be released because of regulations from the U.S. Department of Defense. Topekans are invited to discuss the future of Gage Park According to Grimes, this is the only Class A or Class B helicopter mishap that has taken place at Fort Riley in the last couple of years. Although this mishap injured some soldiers, Grimes told 27 News the Fort Riley community is invested in the well-being of its neighbors. Fort Riley is supported by a tremendous community that is vested in the welfare of the Big Red One. You will not find a more military friendly community anywhere. We appreciate this relationship and the continued support. Statement from Grimes According to the Army Times, this is the fifth incident involving an Apache helicopter in recent months. 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. Her remains were found in 1991 in California. Her killer has finally been identified. A family now has closure 33 years after their loved one was found dead in California because authorities were able to use DNA and forensic evidence to find her killer, officials announced Tuesday. The remains of the victim, 42-year-old Danielle Clause, were found on July 16, 1991 near downtown Ventura, about 70 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The victim was found partially unclothed with multiple blunt force injuries, Retired Lt. Douglas Auldridge, who originally worked on the case, said in a video released by the police department. She was last seen the night of July 15, 1991 speaking to a male driving a small white pickup truck with pinstripes. She had also been sexually assaulted, the Ventura Police Department said in a news release. She was reported missing the next day by her husband, who said she never came home that night. Danielle Clause We tend to over collect evidence because you just don't know what would be important later on in the investigation that could lead to a breakthrough, Auldridge said, adding that investigators collected fingerprints, cigarette butts, trash, papers, rocks and anything else that looks disturbed. They also canvassed the area looking for a white truck that matched the suspects vehicle description. Once we investigated every avenue available at the time, the case was suspended and considered cold, Auldridge said. When the case went cold, it lay dormant for over 25 years before being re-examined by officer Tyler Buck. Crime scene photos from the case of Danielle Clause. Detectives retested crime scene evidence from the case in 2021, then used forensic genetic genealogy to create a family tree for the suspect. They identified her killer as Larry Devon Welch, who died in 1999. There was no known connection between Welch and Clause at the time of her murder, police said. Officer found untested evidence Buck said when he first found out about Clauses case, the file was over 1,000 pages long. He studied the case hoping to find something previous investigators missed. I could see that retired detective Doug Auldridge and his team at the time did a great job documenting the scene, gathering evidence, Buck said in the police departments video. The DNA sample from the case was entered into CODIS, a national database of DNA profiles from convicted offenders, unsolved crime scene evidence and missing people. However, there were never any hits, Buck said. He reached out to the crime scene investigations team and looked through the evidence. They learned the murder weapon, a rock, and the victim's fingernail clippings had never been tested. A family photo of Danielle Clause, a 42-year-old woman who died in July 1991. After a series of meetings, investigators requested in May 2021 that the evidence be tested to compare DNA on the rock and the fingernail clippings to the DNA from the sexual assault kit, said Forensic Specialist Gabrielle Wimer. This test would either confirm or deny that our murder suspect and the rape suspect were one of the same, she said in the video. By September 2021, all the DNA came back as a match to one unknown suspect. The team knew it needed to use modern methods such as familial genealogy to solve the case, which can be expensive, Wimer said, adding that they reached out to multiple agencies to connect the dots. Family photos of Danielle Clause. First cousin of suspect offered DNA, family tree Senior Forensic Genealogist Misty Gillis sent the DNA sample to another agency, Gene by Gene, which specializes in biotechnology and genetic testing, Wimer said. Once the genetic profile was built, Misty uploaded it to all the genealogy databases like AncestryDNA, 23andMe, MyHeritage DNA, FamilyTreeDNA and many more, Wimer said. By July 2022, our genealogists built out part of the family tree of our suspect. They were able to find a living family member who had an interest in familial genealogy. She had already built a family tree herself. Investigators went to connect with her in San Diego, where she gave them a breakdown of her family tree and a DNA sample. Through her DNA sample analysis, we learned that she was a first cousin match, Wimer said in the police departments video. This is a huge breakthrough for us. In revisiting her family tree, we knew she only had two male first cousins and our search was narrowed even further. Now, investigators were focused on those two cousins: Welch and his brother. Only one brother was alive. He lived in Virginia. Larry Welch At this point, we're kind of at a standstill on how to proceed, Wimer said. We didn't have the staffing or the resources available to send two of our detectives out of state to sit and obtain a surreptitious DNA sample. Continuing the investigation with limited resources In October 2023, a cold case sexual assault unit in Ventura further developed a profile on both Welch brothers to help figure out which one may have committed the crime, Erik Nasarenko, Ventura County District Attorney, said in the video. We learned that Larry Welch, the deceased brother, had brown hair and hazel eyes while the living brother had blonde hair and blue eyes, Nasarenko said. This analysis revealed with a high degree of confidence that the suspect had brown or green eyes and brown hair consistent with the appearance of Larry Welch. Still investigators needed DNA from his living brother to confirm he was not the suspect. Virginia State Police helped connect with Welchs brother, who was very helpful, the district attorney said. His brother gave investigators information about Welchs life and gave them a sample of his own DNA. Virginia State Police tested his DNA and ruled him out as a suspect in the victims case. Further, they established that the living brother was a full sibling of the suspect, Nasarenko said. This result confirmed that the suspect DNA found at the crime scene belonged to Larry Welch. Larry Welch (center) Danielle Clause, a 42-year-old woman who was found dead in July 1991. Other factors tying the suspect to the crime Wimer, the forensic specialist, said Welsh owned a white Ford Ranger, had a P.O. box in Ventura the year Clause died, was seen with her around that time and was seen by another witness in the area where her body was found. A drawing of a vehicle involved in the case of Danielle Clause, whose body was found on July 16, 1991. Wimer was able to speak to Clauses sister, Marcie Forte, who said she remembers going to see her sisters remains. I remember she was so badly beaten that she was unrecognizable and I didnt want my mother to see her like that, Forte said in the police departments video. I always prayed that Id be able to know who did this My prayers were answered. Danielle Clause, a 42-year-old woman whose remains were found in July 1991 in Ventura, California. She said her sister was so much more than a victim of a brutal murder. She was a good person with a mighty soul, and she was taken way, way too young, her sister said. Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia the 757. Follow her on Twitter at @SaleenMartin or email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cold case solved: Officials ID killer in Danielle Clause's 1991 death BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Many Chinese cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Xi'an and Chengdu, have adjusted real estate policies, with measures such as eased purchase restrictions and the trade-ins of commercial housing, to further release the housing demand and promote the healthy development of the real estate market. As the latest moves, Hangzhou and Xi'an on Thursday announced the full removal of earlier restrictions related to home purchases. Prospective buyers no longer need to meet pre-existing conditions, such as the local hukou (residence permit), local social security and the number of apartments each buyer is allowed to purchase. Similarly, Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, lifted the restrictions for home buyers from late April. This greatly stimulated the housing market over the May Day holiday in the city. Wei Junqing, sales and marketing manager of a property development company in Chengdu, said the company secured a total transaction volume of 350 million yuan (about 49.3 million U.S. dollars) from May 1 to 5, with the daily number of sold apartments surging by 80 to 150 percent compared with previous days. Zhang Meiyun, a client from north China's Shanxi Province, visited several new properties for sale over the holiday. "Since there are no qualification restrictions for home buyers here, we are planning to buy an apartment for ourselves so that we can settle in the city to stay with our daughter's family," said Zhang. In Beijing, a notice issued on April 30 gave local families with the Beijing hukou permission to buy one additional commercial house outside the fifth ring road even if they already own two apartments in Beijing. Single adults with Beijing hukou and non-Beijing residents who have a record of paying social insurance or income tax in the city for at least five consecutive years are allowed to purchase one more property outside the fifth ring road even if they already own one apartment in the city. In the neighboring Tianjin Municipality, residents with local hukou do not need extra qualifications to buy a new apartment larger than 120 square meters in six districts in the urban area. Those with a Beijing or Hebei Province hukou, or those working there, can enjoy the same purchase policy as residents with a Tianjin hukou. Boosted by these moves, the daily second-hand apartment transaction number from May 1 to 5 rose by 43 percent, 28 percent and 19 percent in Beijing, Chengdu and Tianjin, respectively, according to real estate chain Lianjia. While some cities have taken various measures to ease purchase limits, some cities, including Dalian and Nanjing, have announced trade-in promotions, encouraging residents to trade their old homes for new ones. In Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, 2,000 apartments in the city were brought to the market by the Anju Construction Group on April 27 as a trial trade-in project. Wang Huhao, deputy general manager of the group, said if a client agrees with the trade-in deal, the client should pay the price difference to have a new apartment, and the company will have his or her old home. "The project had attracted nearly 4,000 inquiries as of May 5," said Wang, adding that the old apartments will be further used for the purpose of affordable housing or the settlement of talent introduced to the city. Zhang Hui, deputy head of the Nanjing Real Estate Association, said for customers who buy new apartments to improve their housing, the new trade-in mode has simplified the procedures of trading their old homes in exchange for new ones and also saved the brokerage fee to sell their old homes. A Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau meeting held on April 30 demanded research on policies to reduce housing inventory and improve the quality of newly-added housing, noting that efforts should be pushed ahead to establish a new model of the real estate sector to promote its high-quality development. Chen Wenjing, director of research at the China Index Academy, said the meeting has set the direction for future real estate policies with further optimization and adjustment measures expected. Stormy Daniels' testimony at former president Donald Trump's hush money trial on Tuesday was salacious. The adult film star's allegations -- that she had sex with Trump, and he paid $130,000 to keep her quiet -- are central to prosecutors' claims that he falsified business records to protect his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump has denied the financial charges in this case and has denied Daniels' claims of a sexual encounter. The alleged details Daniels shared from the stand were lurid, touching upon everything from the position she said they had sex in, to the underwear she said he wore. Merchan warned prosecutors and Daniels about going too far in the descriptions of the alleged encounter. "I do think the court instructed the prosecution that there were certain details they couldn't get into," he said. MORE: What Stormy Daniels said on the stand about her alleged encounter with Donald Trump Aside from a rogue raised eyebrow, jurors mostly kept straight faces through it all. Trump, on the other hand, was heard "cursing audibly" at one point during testimony, Judge Juan Merchan said during a sidebar, and the defense was denied a motion for a mistrial based on Daniels' testimony. It's hard to predict what effect Daniels' testimony could have on the case's outcome, and legal experts are divided. Though some think the more prurient details hurt Trump's chances or prevailing, some believe it could have the opposite effect. Daniels' description of her night with Trump served a crucial purpose for prosecutors, said Chris Timmons, a former prosecutor and ABC News legal contributor. PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump appears at court in New York (Jane Rosenberg/Reuters) "Unless jurors can visualize something happening, they're not going to believe or take somebody's word that it actually happened," Timmons said. "Your goal when you try a case is to get the jurors to see a movie of the case in their heads -- it's just ironic, given that [it involves] a porn star." It wasn't just the alleged intimate details that stand to impact the case -- Daniels' testimony about her conversations with Trump, including him allegedly telling her not to worry about his wife, Melania Trump could help build the prosecution's case that the hush money payment was made to protect not his family, but his campaign. "It makes it seem like he wasn't gutted about the way this will affect his marriage or his family -- he doesn't seem like an ordinary, everyday guy hiding an affair," University of Michigan law professor Ekow Yankah told ABC News. "Rather, it seems like they were focused on political damage." Still, some legal experts think the testimony -- though embarrassing -- could actually help Trump's case. While establishing that a sexual encounter occurred is critical to demonstrating why the alleged hush money payment was made, getting too dirty with the details could serve to alienate jurors and possibly even garner sympathy for Trump. MORE: Trump trial: Stormy Daniels tells (almost) all about alleged sexual encounter with Trump "It could hurt [Daniels'] credibility if she offends jurors or they think she's gone too far," Kate Levine, a professor at the Cardozo School of Law, told ABC News. "Another possibility is that the embarrassing nature of the testimony might make the jury feel bad for Trump, in that he has to sit there and have this be splashed around the courtroom, especially if it's clear to the jury this testimony wasn't necessary." "I probably wouldn't have wanted to elicit so much salacious information from the witness at this moment because I wouldn't want to either damage her credibility or make him seem more sympathetic," Levine added. Randy Zelin, a professor at Cornell Law School, said it could make prosecutors look like they are "desperate" to "humiliate" Trump. "All it does, in my opinion, is show the jury how weak the case is," Zelin said. Merchan has repeatedly admonished prosecutors for eliciting too much detail about the alleged sexual encounter. In the end, it's only the jurors who can determine what Daniels' testimony will mean for Trump. "Reading a jury is a really hard thing to do," Yankah said. "I think the DA has to be careful that it doesn't look like they are indulging in some kind of prurient interest -- if the prosecution comes off as sort of just wanting to humiliate him, a jury can be turned off by that." Here's what legal experts say Stormy Daniels' testimony could mean for Trump originally appeared on abcnews.go.com CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) A repeat child sex offender from Hickory was sentenced to 40 years on Thursday, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of North Carolina announced. Roland Watson, 55, of Hickory, will serve 40 years in prison after being prosecuted by the DOJs Charlotte Office and U.S. Assistant Attorney Daniel Cervantes. Queen City News is tracking CRIME in your area >> Latest stories here Court records stated that from 2021 through 2023 Watson sexually assaulted three female juveniles. Phone records obtained by law enforcement also revealed explicit messages and images that were received in exchange for gifts that included candy, documents showed. Watson was previously sentenced in New Jersey on similar charges and also failed to register as a sex offender when he moved to North Carolina, the DOJ said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. They have to go home: Why the Parthenon is returning 248 artifacts to Mexico NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Nashvilles Parthenon has been home to a small, brown ceramic dog for more than five decades, but how it got there is something that has long troubled staff members. The sculpture resembling the Xoloitzcuintli dog breed is just one piece of the collection, consisting of more than 240 different Pre-Columbian artifacts that were likely illegally taken from Western Mexico and donated to the Parthenon in the 1960s and 1970s. When I first started two years ago, that was just my first thought when I saw the collection, that they have to go home. I didnt have any other opinion on it really. It was just an immediate gut feeling. These should go back to Mexico, said Registrar and Assistant Curator Bonnie Seymour. Athens of the South: How the Parthenon became an iconic part of Nashville Like many of the artifacts in the collection, the sculpture may have been buried with the dead to protect them as they went into the afterlife. The Xoloitzcuintli is one of the most ancient dog breeds in the Americas and is seen as a sacred animal or a spirit guide in Mexican culture. This sculpture of a dog is part of a Pre-Columbian collection at Nashvilles Parthenon that will soon be returned to its country of origin. (Courtesy: Parthenon) This stuff represents their ancestors, Seymour said of the artifacts. These are the people that came before them, and they represent the spirit and the soul; and their history; and their culture; and everything about them. Parthenon Director Lauren Bufferd said staff members have known for at least the past 20 years that they shouldnt keep these artifacts, but they didnt know how to legally pass [the collection] on to the next place. Now, in what was a nearly six month-long process of research and consultation with Metro Nashvilles Legal Department, the Pre-Columbian collection will finally be going home. On May 7, the Metro Council approved an ordinance change that legally entitles the Parthenon and Metro Parks to remove the artifacts and return them to their country of origin. WATCH: An aerial view of Nashvilles Parthenon This ordinance says that anything that the Parthenon is getting rid of just needs to go through Metro surplus, Bufferd said. Thats how it is if youre getting rid of office equipment that you dont need anymore. But this is a different situation. So, we worked with Metro Legal, and they looked at the situation and made their suggestions. In a news release sent out after the ordinance was passed, Metro Councilwoman Joy Styles called the Parthenons efforts trail-blazing and said this change will create a local process to re-home art should this ever happen again. Museums wrestle with problematic history of some collections Its something that many museums and universities across the world have been wrestling with as of late as they consider the large role that looting has played in obtaining art and antiquities. Some of those institutions have also begun shifting their policies in order to return indigenous remains and artifacts. However, many questions remain about the legal and ethical issues of retaining and displaying artifacts or repatriating them to their countries of origin. Urban development uncovering, disrupting ancient Tennessee Native American graves Most people have something in their collection where the provenance is shady or incomplete or just flat out looted and everybody knows it, and then you have to deal with what is happening, Bufferd said. These sculptures are part of a Pre-Columbian collection at Nashvilles Parthenon that will soon be returned to its country of origin. (Courtesy: Parthenon) The 248 Pre-Columbian artifacts in the Parthenons possession came from an amateur archeologist who would go on summer vacations to Western Mexico. Even back then it was illegal to take antiquities out of Mexico, but Bufferd said the law was ignored widely. In her research, Seymour said she discovered that the archeologist would essentially have someone on the ground to find places that hadnt been excavated, dig those places up and bring any findings back to the United States. Its a similar story for many Mesoamerican artifacts at other institutions as it became very popular to collect those types of artifacts some 50 to 60 years ago. It even became a pop culture thing for a while, Seymour said. So, Mexico has a lot of missing history because a lot of pieces have been taken, and when you take it like that you lose the context of what the pieces mean and thats a huge loss. These artifacts are part of a Pre-Columbian collection at Nashvilles Parthenon that will soon be returned to its country of origin. (Courtesy: Parthenon) New museum honoring Sumner Countys only Black high school opens In the past, Seymour said the provenance of items was sometimes overlooked by museums, not necessarily out of ill will, but because they often wanted to prevent the artifacts from falling into the black market of art dealing. Where the artifacts will be heading, how to see them Beyond the zoomorphic figures and the Xoloitzcuintli sculpture, the rest of the Pre-Columbian collection at the Parthenon includes ceramic pots, small adornments, musical instruments and even hand tools, all from the Western Mexican region. The term Pre-Columbian refers to the period in the history of the Americas before Christopher Columbus voyage in 1492. The artifacts will be heading to the Institute of Anthropology and History Museum in Mexico City this summer. The exhibit called Repatriation & Its Impact at the Parthenon displays artifacts that will soon be returned to Mexico alongside new artwork. (Courtesy: Parthenon) These things came from graves a good amount of them. Some of them were bought on the street by vendors, which brings into question their authenticity, Seymour said. So thankfully the Mexican people, the Mexican museum will figure that part out. Historic places and people that helped make Nashville Music City However, Nashvillians will still be able to get a glimpse of the artifacts before they return home thanks to an exhibit Seymour helped put together. The exhibit called Repatriation & Its Impact combines the artifacts with new works by Jose Vera Gonzalez, a Nashville-based Mexican artist. Seymour said her goal was to not only educate the public on the positive impact of repatriation, but to demonstrate the cultural significance of these artifacts. The exhibit called Repatriation & Its Impact at the Parthenon displays artifacts that will soon be returned to Mexico alongside new artwork. (Courtesy: Parthenon) I wanted people to see the other side of it, that museums will go out of their way to do this because its the right thing to do, she said. I also wanted to have people see that this isnt just a bunch of artifacts from a long-dead culture that no one knows a lot about, that these connect to actual living people, a living culture that still thrives and grows. Nearly 300 people attended opening day in April, and Bufferd said the concept has been well received by the public and Metro Government. The artifacts will be on display in the Parthenon until July 14. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com A specific date for their return is still being discussed, but Bufferd said the Parthenon plans to have a wonderful sendoff for them once that day comes. With council approving this ordinance, we just couldnt be happier where I still am sort of pinching myself that this is really going to happen, she said. Really, its been an overwhelmingly positive response. Weve not run into any theres been no pushback and nobodys saying, No, you should keep these. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Homelessness advocates and service providers stand outside Providence City Hall on May 8, 2024. At the center of the crowd is Karen Andes, director of Brown Universitys Master of Public Health program. (Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) PROVIDENCE Over a dozen homeless advocates and care providers gathered on the steps of City Hall Wednesday afternoon to demand Providence Mayor Brett Smiley and other city officials halt plans to clear out two of the capital citys largest encampments on Friday. The city plans to give 48 hours notices for people to vacate encampments on Houghton Street and a highway embankment between I-95 and Branch Avenue. Combined, those two sites include roughly 70 people, according to the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness. Speakers at the coalitions rally called the citys timeframe for people to leave unacceptable. This is a violent action, said coalition director Kimberly Simmons. Imagine if someone came to your house, broke in and decided to wake up and move you immediately. The sites have posed serious safety concerns since they were first reported to the city a few months ago, city spokesperson Josh Estrella told Rhode Island Current. Letters sent to homelessness advocates and providers April 30 from the Providence Police Department dont offer specific concerns regarding the Branch Avenue site, but said the Houghton Street encampment needs to be cleared because of soil contamination. As such, it is imperative that the site remain appropriately secured and free of occupants to prevent exposure and to enable necessary mitigation and redevelopment, the letter reads. He also stressed that the encampment clearings are not raids, as suggested by homelessness advocates. The city has a process when an encampment is reported by a member of the public or another entity, Estrella said. This involves a multi-department approach of which Providence Police are one piece. During the rally, Providence City Councilor Miguel Sanchez outlined six demands to city officials. Topping that list is a request for the city to provide 30 days written notice in both English and Spanish. Other demands include prohibiting police from searching tents and backpacks when clearing the encampments, along with banning bulldozers and brush grinders from operating during any evictions. Karen Andes, director of Brown Universitys Master of Public Health program, told the crowd the use of police and heavy equipment will lead to further trauma for unhoused people. Thats not the way we want to treat people in Rhode Island, Andes said. The other big task is for city officials to identify a new parcel of land where displaced people can relocate for temporary housing. State officials are in the process of opening 45 one-room cabins, also called pallet shelters, within the on-ramp to Route 146 South on a lot located off Victor Street. Shelters were initially scheduled to open before the end of the first quarter of 2024, but crews are still awaiting final approvals from the state as it hooks up the shelters to utilities. Thats not the way we want to treat people in Rhode Island. Karen Andes, director of Brown Universitys Master of Public Health program We are still doing site preparation thats needed (utilities work, etc.) and obtaining final approvals for ECHO, but we will reach out when we have more information to share, Housing Department spokesperson Emily Marshall said on April 17, when cabins were mostly constructed. Marshall Wednesday night said crews continue to conduct site work for electric hookups and other utilities, but face equipment shortages making the opening fall behind schedule again. The director of the pallet community previously said residents likely wont occupy the shelters either some time this month or in June. The state is now eyeing a fall opening for the shelters, Marshall said Wednesday. We cannot tell people to move without having another livable, viable piece of land appropriated, Sanchez said. This is only going to create a disaster. Sanchez himself did not name any specific location where a new shelter could be built. Simmons also did not offer any sites, but she said neither has the mayor as the city moves forward on clearing these spaces. Providence City Councilor Miguel Sanchez speaks at a rally outside City Hall Wednesday, May 8, 2024, urging Mayor Brett Smiley to delay plans to clear out two homeless encampments.(Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) In a video recorded by Providence-based journalist Steve Ahlquist earlier in the day, Smiley told reporters its not clear to us where they go. Its a struggle and its a case-by-case basis, which is why we work with providers to try to find the best option, Smiley said. And we know in some cases that there are no good options. Ahead of the rally, Estrella said the city works with providers to provide outreach, support and services to the varying individuals that have occupied the property. Advocates also ask that city officials collaborate with them, along with those living in the two encampments, to better facilitate If you have to move people, let us work together to make that happen effectively, Simmons said. Estrella did not respond to questions on if the city plans to meet any of the coalitions demands. This story was updated to include comment from the Rhode Island Department of Housing on the status of the pallet shelter community now set to open in the fall. The post Homelessness advocates call on Smiley to cancel plans to clear Providence encampments appeared first on Rhode Island Current. The owners of the Brentwood home where Marilyn Monroe lived and ultimately died are suing the City of Los Angeles for the right to demolish the property. Brinah Milstein, of the Milstein real estate dynasty, and her reality television producer husband, Roy Bank, filed a Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit on Monday, alleging illegal and unconstitutional conduct and abuse of power by the city regarding the property they bought in July 2023. According to the Los Angeles Times, they purchased the home for $8.35 million. Their plan was to demolish the home and expand their current residence, which is located next door, according to the lawsuit. The plaintiffs claim they were issued a demolition permit from the city, which was initially held for 30 days to allow for objections. An aerial view of Marilyn Monroes final home in the Brentwood neighborhood on September 14, 2023 in Brentwood, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) An aerial view of a Brentwood home once belonging to iconic actress Marilyn Monroe is seen on Sept. 6, 2023. (KTLA) An aerial view of a Brentwood home once belonging to iconic actress Marilyn Monroe is seen on Sept. 6, 2023. (KTLA) Marilyn Monroe leaves the home she briefly shared with Joe Di Maggio in a car driven by her attorney, Jerry Giesler. (Getty Images) In January, the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission recommended landmark status for Marilyn Monroes home, which could potentially save the home from being demolished. An attorney for the homeowners said in a statement to KTLA, The City invoked an unconstitutional stay of city-issued and vested demo and grading permits, secretly worked with third parties (including for-profit tour operators and a local conservancy organization) to assure their desired outcome. The homeowners claim that no objections were raised and permits were subsequently issued, which led to them incurring over $30,000 in expenses before receiving actual notice of a stay invoked by the city. KTLA reached out to representatives for the city of Los Angeles and Councilwoman Traci Park, who represents the 11th District, where the home is located, for comment but has not yet heard back. Milstein and Bank argue in their lawsuit that the home has had 14 owners since Monroes death, and at least a dozen permits have been issued for remodels over the past 60 years. Meantime, fans of Marilyn Monroe, and conservationists claim the residence is a part of Hollywood history. Monroe died from an overdose in the Brentwood property at the age of 36. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. A couple are in a fight with LA over their right to destroy the home that Marilyn Monroe died in Owners of Marilyn Monroe's former Brentwood home are suing LA for the right to raze the property. They want to expand their current residence, which is located next door. The City Council is considering whether to designate the house where Monroe died a historic monument. The owners of the Brentwood home where Marilyn Monroe lived and later died are suing the City of Los Angeles for the right to demolish the property. Brinah Milstein and her husband, Roy Bank, filed a Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit on Monday, alleging "illegal and unconstitutional conduct and abuse of power" by the city concerning the property they bought in July 2023. According to the Los Angeles Times, they purchased the home for $8.35 million. Their intention was to demolish it and expand their current residence, which is located next door, according to the lawsuit. Monroe died from an overdose in the Brentwood property at the age of just 36. The plaintiffs claim they were issued a demolition permit from the city, which was initially "held" for 30 days to allow for objections. They claim that no objections were raised and permits were subsequently issued, which led to them incurring over $30,000 in expenses before receiving actual notice of a "stay" invoked by the city. Last September, the Los Angeles City Council intervened to temporarily halt the demolition of the home, which KCAL News reported was welcomed by fans and historians. Scott Fortner of The Marilyn Monroe Collection, a superfan and collector, told the news outlet that the "home is the equivalent of Graceland" for Monroe fans. He said the property, which Monroe purchased in 1962 for just over $77,000, represented a new beginning for the iconic star, following her divorce from playwright Arthur Miller. Marilyn Monroe waves from Arthur Miller's convertible as the newlyweds leave their Connecticut home for a picnic in June 1956. Bettmann/Getty Images Fortner said the home also has significance in memorializing Monroe, noting that its front step tiles read "Cursum Perficio" Latin for "my journey ends here." The City Council initiated proceedings last September to consider designating the property a historic cultural monument, a move that would invalidate the demolition permits. However, Milstein and Bank have pushed back. They contend in the lawsuit that Monroe lived in the house for only a short period, less than six months in 1962, and that the house has been "substantially altered" over the years. "There is not a single piece of the house that includes any physical evidence that Ms. Monroe ever spent a day at the house, not a piece of furniture, not a paint chip, not a carpet, nothing," the lawsuit says. The lawsuit also alleges that the city's push for the designation violated its own codes, which has deprived the plaintiffs of their "vested rights as owners of real property" and has caused them "irreparable harm." The City Council will vote on whether to declare the house a historic cultural monument by mid-June. A statement provided by email to Business Insider by the plaintiffs' attorney, Peter C. Sheridan of Glaser Weil Fink Howard Jordan & Shapiro LLP, accused the City of Los Angeles of engaging in "an illegal and unconstitutional conspiracy." Representatives for the City of Los Angeles did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI. Brentwood boasts a rich Hollywood heritage, counting Betty White and Joan Crawford among its former notable residents. However, that rich history, combined with the high value of the land, has created tension when it comes to preservation. Actor Chris Pratt and his wife Katherine Schwarzenegger recently caused an uproar when they demolished a midcentury modern house designed by architect Craig Ellwood to make way for a sprawling mansion. Liz Waytkus, the US executive director of the conservation nonprofit Docomomo, told Dezeen last month that the demolition highlighted a "systemic" problem in the area. "The land has become more valuable than the house, and even if people understand the value of such a home, location and land value often trump architectural significance," she said. Thursday, May 9, 2024: This article has been updated with a response from Peter C. Sheridan, the attorney for Brinah Milstein and Roy Bank. Read the original article on Business Insider FILE PHOTO: Rescuers work to rescue construction workers trapped under a building that collapsed in George JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -Relatives of 44 construction workers trapped under a collapsed building in the South African city of George faced a fourth day of anguished waiting on Thursday as heavy machinery worked at the site in a race against time to find any survivors. Of 81 people who were on site when the five-storey private residential building collapsed on Monday, eight have been confirmed dead and 29 alive, 16 of them in a critical condition, according to the latest figures from George municipality. "A number of families... (are) waiting, not knowing what has happened with their children, with their husbands, their uncles," Thulas Nxesi, South Africa's employment and labour minister, told reporters on site. Nxesi said the government would conduct its own investigation. The cause of the collapse is yet to be established. "We still hope and pray that we can get people out alive," Anton Bredell, a Western Cape provincial minister, said. The identities of the missing have not been made public, but a list of names was circulating among groups of relatives who have congregated at the site since Monday, desperate for news of their loved ones, state broadcaster SABC reported. An earth mover could be seen removing broken slabs of concrete from the collapsed building, now a chaotic pile of masonry and twisted steel reinforcements. Sniffer dogs had been brought in to search the site. The incident has prompted an outpouring of solidarity in George, with local companies providing equipment and volunteers setting up coffee stalls for waiting relatives and rescue workers. Nearly 700 people were involved in rescue efforts on Wednesday. Rescue teams had been hearing trapped survivors, a disaster management official said on Tuesday, but there have been no further updates about that since then. (Reporting by Tannur Anders and Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Estelle Shirbon, Andrew Heavens and Emelia Sithole-Matarise) COLONIAL HEIGHTS A Hopewell man is in custody in Georgia charged with the April 18 shooting death of a woman at Roslyn Landing Park in Colonial Heights. Cynthia Chante Solomon, 36, of Hopewell, was shot to death April 18, 2024, at Roslyn Landing Park in Colonial Heights. A 57-year-old Hopewell man was arrested Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and charged wth her death. Raymont Tasco, 57, was arrested Wednesday at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta on charges of first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. He is being held at the Clayton County Jail in Georgia awaiting extradition to Colonial Heights. He is charged with shooting Cynthia Chante "Cint" Solomon in the predawn hours of April 18. Solomon, 36, also of Hopewell, was found dead in the bank waters of the Appomattox River by a fisherman who told police he heard a gunshot followed by a splash. When he went to investigate, he saw Solomon's body in the water and what appeared to be car headlights backing away from the scene. A Colonial Heights Police spokesperson credited assistance from Hopewell Police, Virginia State Police and Richmond International Airport Police in locating and arresting Tasco. This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Hopewell man charged with woman's death at Colonial Heights park A high-profile real estate lawyer who once told a tenant in a case that they should commit suicide told a New York City news station that he approached the judge in Donald Trumps civil fraud trial to volunteer a bit of unsolicited advice ahead of the potentially ruinous $355 million verdict that was handed down. That interaction is now the subject of an investigation by the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct, sources familiar with the matter told NBC New York Wednesday. Adam Leitman Bailey, an oft-quoted attorney who weighed in on the trial as it proceeded but who had no direct involvement in the case, made the claim in an on-camera interview with NBC New York on Feb. 16, hours before Judge Arthur Engorons ruling was made public. I actually had the ability to speak to him three weeks ago, Bailey said, according to the station. I saw him in the corner [at the courthouse] and I told my client, I need to go. And I walked over and we started talking I wanted him to know what I think and why I really want him to get it right. He told NBC New York that he was hardly a fan of Trump, and that hed explained to Engoron that a fraud statute at play in the case had not been created to help shutter a major company, particularly in a case without obvious victims. The law they discussed is likely the so-called repeated fraud statute, or Executive Law 63(12), which only requires that prosecutors show repeated fraudulent or illegal acts, not necessarily intent to deceive or that anyone actually gets duped or loses money, according to an Associated Press article from January in which Bailey is quoted. (This sets a horrible precedent, he said of the statutes potential use in Trumps case.) Engoron had a lot of questions, you know, about certain cases, Bailey told NBC New York. We went over it. Baileys law firm did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Beast on Wednesday evening. It was not immediately clear if the conversation might have been inappropriate or a breach of state legal conduct rules, which strictly regulate what interactions a judge can have regarding a pending case outside of a courtroom. Through a court spokesperson, Engoron denied any misconduct and said he had been wholly uninfluenced by Bailey. No ex parte conversation concerning this matter occurred between Justice Engoron and Mr. Bailey or any other person, Al Baker, a spokesman for the New York State's Office of Court Administration, said in a written statement to NBC New York. The decision Justice Engoron issued February 16 was his alone, was deeply considered, and was wholly uninfluenced by this individual. Baker did not reply when asked by the station whether Engoron had engaged in conversation with Bailey or asked him questions about precedent. Engorons $355 million penalty included the imposing of interest that would eventually see Trumps tab balloon to an eye-popping $454 million. The judge also barred the former president from serving in top roles at any New York company for three years. The question of outside influence wrought by Bailey in Trumps case nominally falls to the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct. Sources familiar with the matter told NBC New York that the commission is investigating the interaction. The commissions administrator, Robert Tembeckjian, told The Daily Beast in a statement that he had no comment on the matter, citing a confidentiality statute in the judiciary code. Of nearly 3,000 complaints filed with the commission last year, only about 200 resulted in an investigation, according to its data. The vast majority ended without a finding of wrongdoing. In a second on-camera interview with NBC New York in the wake of the judgment, Bailey denied that either he or Engoron had acted improperly. We didnt even mention the word Donald Trump, he said. Asked if he thought the judge understood him to be talking about the Trump case, he quipped: Well, obviously we werent talking about the Mets. The station reported on Wednesday that both Bailey and Baker, Engorons spokesperson, havent responded to any follow-up questions on the matter since February. Apparently something of a well-known character on the New York legal scene, Bailey had his law license suspended for four months by a state appellate court in 2019 over a pair incidents three years prior. In the first, he barged into an arbitration hearing, began snapping photos of witnesses, and said, This will be in the newspaper when I put this in there after we kick your asses. In the other, he told a tenant involved in a case he was litigating that they were worthless and should just kill themselves. You have no idea what you stepped into, Bailey reportedly told the tenant. Welcome to my world. Now youre my bitch. Baileys lawyer said in a statement at the time that he was deeply apologetic for his unfortunate conduct. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. (Bloomberg) -- House Democrats joined with Republicans to block a hardliner attempt to overthrow Speaker Mike Johnson, a rare cross-party alliance formed to reward the GOP leader for help securing $61 billion in aid for Ukraine. Most Read from Bloomberg Yet the speakers reliance on opponents to maintain his leadership position leaves Johnsons political strength in doubt. Democratic leaders havent committed to indefinitely supporting him and hardliners can force a new ouster vote at any time. Eleven Republicans opposed the procedural maneuver Johnson allies used to block a vote on removing him as speaker. Overall, the House voted 359 to 43 to block consideration of an ouster. Hopefully this is the end of the personality politics and the frivolous character assassination that has defined the current Congress, Johnson told reporters as he left the House chamber after the vote. We are better than this. Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of the fieriest voices on the Republican Right, forced the vote on ousting Johnson. She has attacked him for months for making compromises with President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats, and vowed to seek his overthrow after the House passed Ukraine aid last month. House Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democratic leaders announced last week that they would help Johnson block the overthrow attempt, citing his support for Ukraine aid. Traditionally, the opposition party doesnt provide votes to maintain the majority party leaders control of the House. Jeffries declined to say afterward whether Democrats would come to Johnsons rescue again, telling reporters he hadnt given it a thought. But he suggested it would depend on the agenda the speaker pursues. The only thing we ask, he said, is that House Republicans further isolate the extreme MAGA wing. Greene has made several demands of Johnson in recent days, including a public pledge to reject future funding for Ukraine, in exchange for backing down from her campaign to depose him. Late Wednesday afternoon, Greene stood in the chamber and announced, suddenly, that she was seeking recognition for her motion to remove the speaker. In a packed chamber, her remarks immediately raised a chorus of boos and other exclamations from both Republicans and Democrats. She then read her lengthy motion. The Republican House majority is so slender that, if Democrats withhold support for Johnson, just three Republican lawmakers can remove him. Republicans already toppled their previous speaker, Kevin McCarthy, provoking a bitter succession battle that dragged on for weeks. Another leadership vacancy would risk inflaming GOP divisions just as the party seeks to unify behind an election campaign to retain their House majority and return Donald Trump to the White House. After the vote, Trump said saving Johnson was about fighting the Radical Left Democrats. Ousting Johnson, he said on Truth Social, would negatively affect everything. But Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, hinted his future support for Johnson wasnt assured. Were not in a position to remove the speaker, he added, At some point, we may very well be, but this is not the time. And he had words of praise for long-time ally Greene. I absolutely love Marjorie Taylor Greene, he said. Shes got Spirit, shes got Fight, and I believe shell be around, and on our side, for a long time to come. (Updates with Jeffries comments, beginning with seventh paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. CANBERRA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- People with autism are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Australian research has found. In a new study, researchers from the Australian National University (ANU) and the University of Queensland (UQ) found that people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are predisposed to PTSD. PTSD is a mental and behavioral condition that typically develops after experiencing a traumatic event. It can last for months or years, with symptoms including disturbing thoughts, distress in response to trauma-related cues, flashbacks and difficulty concentrating and sleeping. The research found that for people on the autism spectrum, PTSD can be triggered by a single mild stress event such as entering a particularly noisy or unfamiliar environment. Shaam Al Abed, lead author of the study from the John Curtin School of Medical Research at ANU, said that understanding the hypersensitivity to PTSD for people with autism was crucial to developing therapeutic treatments. "PTSD in autism is currently challenging to diagnose," she said in a media release on Wednesday. "If we can understand a bit more about the underlying mechanisms, it will go a long way to making sure people are managing their symptoms appropriately." According to the federal government, over 200,000 Australians have been diagnosed with autism -- a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by challenges in communication and the presence of restricted and repetitive behavioral patterns. The research found that PTSD can lead to the aggravation of repetitive behaviors and other core traits of autism and called for better awareness of PTSD in autism to allow for efficient intervention. Raymond Akers is challenging incumbent Greg Smith in the Republican primary for House District 57. State Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner, has served in the Oregon House since 2001, representing District 57 since 2002. The district encompasses, Morrow, Gilliam, Sherman, Wheeler and portions of Wasco, Jefferson, Marion, Umatilla and Clackamas counties. Smith has largely run unopposed in the past. He serves as co-vice chair of the joint Ways and Means Committee and in the last legislative session was part of the joint Addiction and Community Safety Response committee that led discussions around Measure 110 reform. But in the May 21 primary, he faces Raymond Akers, a union operating engineer and precinct committee person for the Morrow County Republican Party. Akers describes himself in Oregon's voter's pamphlet as a "hard working wage earner my entire life." On his Facebook page, Akers says his motivation in challenging Smith is to be "the conservative alternative to what we've had the last 24 years." The Statesman Journal sent the same questions to both candidates but Smith did not reply by the deadline. Here are Akers' responses. Why Akers is running for the Legislature "For 24 years we have watched our House seat be used in a manner that provides questionable great personal financial gain to its holder," Akers said. Willamette Week and Malheur Enterprise both reported in 2019 and 2024 on Smith's income as a consultant outside the legislature. According to a preliminary review by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission (which dismissed an ethics complaint about his statements of economic impact and whether he had failed to report required sources of income), Smith's gross annual income exceeded $1 million. Akers said he believed "conservative Republican values" had been "traded for dollars and given away." "As a conservative, I believe in the fundamental importance of individual liberties, limited government, fiscal responsibility, and traditional family values. These principles have guided me throughout my life, informing my decisions and actions. I dont believe our conservative Republican values have been voted in the Capitol for a while," he said. "If elected, my conservative Republican values will direct my representation in the Oregon House of Representatives." Why Akers says he is the best candidate for House District 57 Aker said he would be a "strong voice for our conservative values and priorities in the Oregon legislature" and would "fight tirelessly" to uphold district principles. He said he would listen to constituents and form partnerships. What experiences Akers says he would rely on Akers pointed to his time serving on the executive board for what he described as a "a multimillion-dollar union." The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 701 covers all members in Oregon and five counties in southwest Washington. According to their website, the union represents 3,900 heavy-equipment operators, heavy-duty repairers, technical engineers, and stationary engineers. As District 4 representative for the union, Akers said his responsibilities included policymaking and serving as an administrative tribunal. He also worked as an operation manager for an irrigation district with duties including planning, budget creation, oversight, and scheduling. "This has given me a knowledge of fiscal responsibility, managing budgets and assuring quality," Akers said. "This rewarding and demanding job has provided me the skills and understanding that will help me represent all of the District 57 citizens." Akers said he also would rely on his experience as a lifelong resident of District 57. His filing information lists an address in Boardman. "I have and will continue to work at building a deep understanding and appreciation for the unique needs and aspirations of our Eastern Oregon communities," he said. The top three issues Akers said would advocate for in the legislature Akers said he would prioritize protecting and managing the district's natural resources, starting with drinking water. He said he also would prioritize affordable housing by making it easier to build housing. Akers also listed open communication with constituents and supporting job growth and entrepreneurship. "I will make sure that the constituents of House District 57s voices are heard in Salem," he said. "I am dedicated to advocating for good policies, promoting economic prosperity, enabling open communication with all of the constituents, and fostering an environment where business can thrive." Other priorities he cited included lowering fees and taxes, reducing unnecessary regulations, creating opportunities for hard-working Oregonians, and defending constitutional rights, including the Second Amendment. "I will work tirelessly to protect our freedoms and liberties from government overreach and infringement," Akers said. Dianne Lugo covers the Oregon Legislature and equity issues. Reach her at dlugo@statesmanjournal.com or on X @DianneLugo This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Incumbent House Rep. Greg Smith faces opponent in Republican primary LANSING, Mich. (WOOD) The Michigan Senate has approved some of its spending bills for the next fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. After the House passed its own version on Wednesday, the Senate followed suit by bringing many of its pieces of legislation that, when fully passed, will move to the House. Then, the House bills will go to the Senate. In the end, they are likely to head to a conference committee for final negotiation. Sen. Sean McCann, D-Kalamazoo, says this is really the next phase of the process. Were moving the process forward and it does get us to a completion point of sorts where the House passed the budgets out last night and the Senate will pass these budgets today and possibly next week if needed and then switch and, in a way, start all over. But it also really frames up the negotiations, he said. Republican appropriator Sen. Jon Bumstead, North Muskegon, says the Democrats budget could get Republican support, but the minority party will have to see the final product before agreeing to the spending plan. Well, well see whats in the final budget, then well have a sit-down with our members and leadership and decide, you know, what are our handful of priorities, then if we can get those accomplished, he said. If we can, it will be a budget we can agree to. By statute, the budget has to be on the governors desk by July 1, a deadline that has been frequently missed. The new budget goes into effect on Oct. 1. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. Black smoke billows after an explosion at the gas storage tanks in an industrial area in Rayong province, eastern of Thailand, Thursday, May 9, 2024. At least one person was killed and several others injured after a huge fire broke out at gas storage tanks. (Fire & Rescue Thailand via AP) BANGKOK (AP) At least one person was killed and four others were injured after a huge fire broke out at a chemical storage tank in an Eastern Thailand industrial park on Thursday. The fire in Mab Ta Phut Industrial Estate, which was first reported in the morning, was contained more than six hours later. Fire workers estimated it might take more than 10 hours to be able to fully extinguish the flames, according to the Rayong provinces public relations department. About 400 workers and residents have been evacuated to a temporary shelter, the department said. Officials said the tank, which has a storage capacity of 2,500 cubic meters, belongs to the Mab Ta Phut Tank Terminal company, which operates a commercial port and storage terminal for petrochemical products. They said the tank contained Pyrolysis gasoline, a mixture of chemicals commonly used in gasoline blending. Videos and photos from the scene show a huge plume of black smoke and raging fire engulfing a white tank that was standing close to several others. The company said in a statement that it is investigating the cause of the fire and will implement measures to prevent it from happening again. It expressed its condolences and said the company is ready to provide compensation to those affected. In 2021, the company was ordered to cease operations temporarily after another one of its storage tanks erupted and caught fire, killing three and seriously injuring two. The city of Fresno has refused to release important details listed in Fresno police reports related to K-9 officer bites, the American Civil Liberties Union said in a new lawsuit. The ACLU submitted a public records request in March 2023 and, after a year-long fight over the K-9 bite reports, filed a lawsuit in Fresno County Superior Court. The nonprofit published a report in January called Weaponizing Dogs The Brutal and Outdated Practice of Police Attack Dogs, which was written after the ACLU got records from 37 police departments around the state, including Fresno. The request sought reports for police K-9 bites whether intentional or unintentional and other records related to the bites and any investigations that followed. But Fresno Police Departments reports were handed over heavily redacted, making many of them unreadable and a violation of the Public Records Act, according to Shayla Harris, an attorney with ACLU NorCal. We know the reports they did produce were improperly redacted, she said. As a matter of state law and policy, those records belong in the public view. The people of Fresno deserve to know how and why the Fresno police use their K-9s. Fresno also has not answered the ACLUs questions about what was redacted and why, Harris said. The city pointed to attorney-client privilege in some cases or privacy and investigation exemptions, the lawsuit says. Harris said transparency laws say the city if it has to redact any information must make a reasonable effort to redact only the sensitive parts and not large swaths. There are sections titled Narrative, and then there are big gray boxes blocking everything, she said. Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz expressed his confidence in the redacted material, saying a judge recently ruled in Fresnos favor in a case involving the use of Tasers and redacted records. The city of Fresno will continue to abide by all laws regarding the production of public documents, including those related to our use of K-9s, he said. Moreover, the city of Fresno will continue to defend the use of less-than-lethal tools at our disposal. Fresno K-9 bite records and police use-of-force Across the state, police use-of-force with K-9 dogs are used most commonly on people of color, people experiencing a mental health episode and often people who pose no danger to the police, the ACLU report found. For example, Bakersfield released documents that showed that of the people bit by police dogs, Black and Latino people made up 89% despite being just 59% of the population. Officers also do not have control of the dogs, who bite innocent bystanders or do not release a bite when commanded, according to the report. The report cites a few incidents in Fresno that made news, including the October 2021 incident when a dog named Odin attacked an officer, who was hospitalized. While being transported months later to be euthanized on Jan. 4, 2022, Odin bit another officer before that officer shot the dog to death. In another Fresno incident, a K-9 bit an innocent bystander watching police activity in 2015. Hundreds of Jewish Zionist students at Columbia University signed a letter calling for peace amid on-campus antisemitism they said arose in recent pro-Palestinian protests and asserting that "Judaism cannot be separated from Israel" a message that some other Jewish Columbia students reject. "We proudly believe in the Jewish Peoples right to self-determination in our historic homeland as a fundamental tenet of our Jewish identity," the students wrote. "Contrary to what many have tried to sell you no, Judaism cannot be separated from Israel." The more than 500 students who signed, as of Thursday, all listed their full names, school affiliation, and year in school. The letter says that Jewish students at Columbia have been targeted with threats of violence and antisemitic language since the recent eruption of protests on the Manhattan campus against U.S. support for Israel's invasion of Gaza and urging the university to pull its investments from Israel. The authors write that Jewish students were subjected to comments from protesters such as, we dont want no Zionists here, death to the Zionist State, and go back to Poland." The students also say that some Jewish students were blocked from entering shared parts of campus. Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), an on-campus group involved with organizing the protests, did not respond to a request for comment. Hundreds of Jewish students at Columbia University signed a letter decrying antisemitism in recent protests on campus. Jewish Zionist students say they are the 'majority of Jews on campus' Eliana Goldin, a junior at Columbia's School of General Studies who helped pen the letter, said its purpose was to "let the world know what Columbia Jewish students actually think and feel." "There's such a spotlight on Columbia's campus right now, and a lot of anti-Zionist Jewish voices are being amplified, whereas the pro-Israel Jewish voices are kind of getting left behind," said Goldin, president of Aryeh, a pro-Israel student organazation. "We wanted to make sure that our voice was out there as well." But not everyone agrees with the letter. Aharon Dardik, a sophomore at the School of General Studies and lead organizer of Columbia University Jews for Ceasefire, says the letter shut down the opportunity for a broader conversation presented by the recent protests. "It is relying on a sort of assumption that they are already right," Dardik said of the letter and its writers. "And therefore, everything going on, that any disruption to their life, to the war efforts, is unjustified." With around 5,000 Jewish students, according to Hillel, an on-campus Jewish organization, Columbia's student population is just over 20% Jewish, meaning around 11% of Jewish students signed the letter. Goldin said she and the other writers wanted to assert that most Jewish students at Columbia are Zionist. "It's important that we would be able to speak in our own name, and having people sign it, only students, would show that we are a significant, a significant majority," Goldin said. "We're more quiet about it, but we are here and we don't want to stay silent any longer." Dardik said stating that any Jewish student critical of Israel's actions towards Palestinians and in Gaza "is a fake Jew, is not Jewish, doesn't have authentic connections to Judaism or the Jewish community, is deeply offensive and antisemitic." "We want to say that there is a diversity of voices in the Jewish community, and they hear that as us saying that their voice is illegitimate," he added. "I think that says a lot about how they think." Goldin said she wished "the entire world would stop getting involved" in events on Columbia's campus. "The goal of protests is to have all this media attention, and they're achieving it really well. So I wish they weren't getting as much attention as they are," she added. Dardik, who led a protest activity in the encampment, said Zionist students are able to broadly condemn pro-Palestinian demonstrations as "too disruptive" because their position already holds "institutional power." "If nothing changed, Columbia would still continue to fund the Israeli army indirectly through their investments and the Israeli war effort would continue on," he said. "The question here is, how are we going to change the status quo? And their answer is no, and we shouldn't even talk about it." Goldin said many Zionist students felt uncomfortable and unsafe appearing in protests. "They don't want to feel like they have to take a side because they want to be able to criticize the Israeli government while also being a Zionist and still pro-Israel to a large degree." "I think it merits exploration of why," Dardik said of feelings expressed by some Jewish students of being unsafe amid campus protests. He compared those concerns to those of fellow student protesters who told him they feel uneasy with the continued police presence on campus, which the university has said will extend through commencement. "When other communities say that they feel unsafe... it literally is due to a very intimate sense that violence could happen," Dardik said. "A lot of my peers feel unsafe when there's incredible cop presence on campus." The university's administration first called outside police into the campus in late April when President Minouche Shafik asked the NYPD to clear Hamilton Hall, a building on campus, of protesters in a decision that sparked criticism and controversy. The protesters had barricaded themselves inside the building and renamed it "Hind's Hall" after a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed in the conflict in Gaza. The White House condemned the protesters' takeover of the campus building and criticized the protests for "antisemitic smears and violent rhetoric." Andrew Bates, a White House assistant press secretary, condemned the term "intifada" and "other tragic and dangerous hate speech displayed in recent days." As the president of two major on-campus Zionist organizations, Goldin said her groups have been holding smaller talks, as opposed to protests. Holding a "massive protest," she said, "quashes difference and complexity." "The kind of activism we tried to do is more educational, more nuanced, more one on one," she said. Dardik said pro-Israel and Zionist groups on Columbia's campus simply didn't have enough supporters to put up a protest of a similar size. "They don't have the numbers, size, and energy to engage in those protests," he said. Columbia students received word this week that the main commencement ceremony scheduled for May 15 was canceled. The announcement came after protests against Israel's assault on Gaza roiled the campus for weeks, leading to hundreds of arrests. The university's administration also canceled in-person classes in response to the demonstrations. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Columbia Jewish students pen letter condemning 'hateful rhetoric' Hundreds of Jewish Columbia University students signed on to an open letter to the university community on Wednesday, declaring that they are proud to be Zionists while speaking out against the anti-Israel protesters that have engulfed the Ivy League campus since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks. The letter, titled In Our Name, was authored by four students Eliana Goldin 25; Elisha Baker 26; Eden Yadegar 25 and Rivka Yellin, Barnard College 26. By Wednesday night, it garnered more than 400 signatures. Over the past six months, many have spoken in our name, the letter opens. We are here, writing to you as Jewish students at Columbia University, who are connected to our community and deeply engaged with our culture and history. We would like to speak in our name. Most of us did not choose to be political activists, the students wrote. We do not bang on drums and chant catchy slogans. We are average students, just trying to make it through finals much like the rest of you. If the last six months on campus have taught us anything, it is that a large and vocal population of the Columbia community does not understand the meaning of Zionism, and subsequently does not understand the essence of the Jewish People, the letter continued. Yet despite the fact that we have been calling out the antisemitism weve been experiencing for months, our concerns have been brushed off and invalidated. The letter goes on to reference several incidents that have occurred on campus.: We sounded the alarm on October 12 when many protested against Israel while our friends and families dead bodies were still warm. We recoiled when people screamed resist by any means necessary, telling us we are all inbred and that we have no culture. We shuddered when an activist held up a sign telling Jewish students they were Hamass next targets We ultimately were not surprised when a leader of the CUAD [Columbia University Against Apartheid] encampment said publicly and proudly that Zionists dont deserve to live and that were lucky they are not just going out and murdering Zionists. We felt helpless when we watched students and faculty physically block Jewish students from entering parts of the campus we share, or even when they turned their faces away in silence. This silence is familiar. We will never forget. One thing is for sure, the students wrote. We will not stop standing up for ourselves. We are proud to be Jews, and we are proud to be Zionists. In an interview with Jewish Insider, Goldin, a third-year political science major pursuing a dual degree at the Jewish Theological Seminary, said that the letters conclusion was most significant to her because it emphasizes that we want to sit down and have a dialogue. The point of a university is to be able to have complex conversations. We even want to sit down with people who are saying globalize the intifada. The concluding paragraph reads, We came to Columbia because we wanted to expand our minds and engage in complex conversations. While campus may be riddled with hateful rhetoric and simplistic binaries now, it is never too late to start repairing the fractures and begin developing meaningful relationships across political and religious divides. Our tradition tells us, Love peace and pursue peace. We hope you will join us in earnestly pursuing peace, truth, and empathy. Together we can repair our campus. Goldin told JI that the media is not accurately covering what the Jewish community on campus looks like and this was our way of saying what the Jewish community stands for. She noted that the letter took two days of nonstop writing and editing. Its important that the entire world sees there is a strong contingent of Jewish students on campus who are Zionists and willing to stand up and speak for that, Goldin said. The anti-Zionist Jews are speaking for all Jewish students at Columbia right now and theyre getting a lot of attention, so its important for people to see this strong majority of Jewish students who feel otherwise. Goldin said that the letter has caught the attention of Jewish students who hadnt been vocal about support for Israel in the past. I just got an email from someone Jewish who is not involved with the Jewish community, she said. He said the letter really spoke to him and signed on. So I think this has a certain impact within the pro-Israel community. In terms of the anti-Israel community, Im not sure how much of an impact it can make, Goldin continued. But the main purpose of the letter really was to show that amid all the biased media coverage, we will actually speak for ourselves. View comments Viktor Orban, Hungarian Prime Minister, has said during a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Budapest on 9 May that he supports the so-called Chinese peace plan to resolve the war in Ukraine. Source: European Pravda, citing Orban's words at the press conference, quoted by the Hungarian pro-government portal Origo Details: Speaking about Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, the Hungarian prime minister reiterated that "Europe is on the side of war today". According to him, Budapest is the only exception, as it "calls for an immediate ceasefire and peace talks and supports all international efforts to achieve peace". Quote: "We also support the Chinese peace initiative presented by Xi Jinping," Orban added, later calling China "one of the pillars of the new world order." Background: We are referring to a document posted on 24 February 2023 entitled "China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukrainian Crisis" (as Beijing calls Russia's aggression against Ukraine). The statement, dubbed the Chinese "peace plan" in the media, consists of 12 points and calls for a ceasefire and the resumption of negotiations, but does not contain specific steps. The day before, Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited Orban to the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland, which is focused on the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula. Support UP or become our patron! FILE PHOTO: House Oversight Committee meets to vote on whether to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington By Tom Hals WILMINGTON, Delaware (Reuters) -A federal appeals court panel rejected a bid by U.S. President Joe Biden's son to dismiss criminal gun charges, clearing the way for Hunter Biden's June 3 trial, a first for the child of a sitting president. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia said Hunter Biden could not appeal because the lower court had not yet entered a final judgment in the case. Shortly after the appeals court ruled, U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika ordered the trial of up to six days to begin June 3 in Wilmington, Delaware. Hunter Biden's legal team said they will ask the full appeals court in Philadelphia to review the panel's decision. "In reviewing the panels decision, we believe the issues involved are too important and further review of our request is appropriate," said a statement by Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Hunter Biden. Hunter Biden was appealing orders issued last month by Noreika. The judge denied motions to dismiss two counts accusing Hunter Biden of lying about using illegal narcotics when he purchased a Colt Cobra handgun in 2018 and a third count of illegally possessing that weapon. Hunter Biden's legal team had argued that the lower trial court had to wait for the federal appeals court to rule before it could push ahead with a trial. Hunter Biden faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison on the gun charges. The trial will come as Joe Biden is ramping up his campaign for reelection. The Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump, is currently on criminal trial in New York, where he is accused of illegally covering up a $130,000 payment to a porn star to keep her quiet in the run-up to the 2016 election. Hunter Biden is also facing criminal tax charges in California. (Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Bill Berkrot) NANJING, May 9 (Xinhua) -- China Eastern Airlines has announced the launch of a daily passenger flight service starting June 30, connecting Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, with Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia. The outbound flight from Nanjing Lukou International Airport is scheduled to take off at 10:50 p.m. and touch down in Kuala Lumpur at 4:40 a.m. local time the next day. The inbound flight will depart at 5:50 a.m. and reach Nanjing at 11:35 a.m. on the same day. The new flight service comes amid the resurgence of international tourism, with China being one of the largest sources of tourists to Malaysia for many years. Malaysia has granted Chinese tourists visa-free entry for 30 days since December 1, 2023. During the recent five-day May Day holiday, inbound flights and passenger volume at Nanjing Lukou International Airport surged by 79.2 percent and 89.5 percent year on year, respectively, with a significant portion of the influx coming from Southeast Asia. Husband and Wife Dead After Minnesota Mobile Home Explosion, Which Also Killed Family Dog The victims were identified by police as Royce Edward Kreger Jr., 60, and Katherine Ann Kreger, 61 Shari L. Gross/Star Tribune via AP Minnesota explosion Tragedy struck a Minnesota town after a mobile home explosion left a local couple and their dog dead. On Tuesday, May 7, a mobile home explosion occurred around 3:54 a.m. local time, according to a statement from the Mille Lacs County Sheriffs Office. Deputies arrived on scene at the address of 8242 52nd ST and located a large debris field from an apparent explosion which was still on fire at the time. With the assistance of multiple fire departments from the area the fire was extinguished, police said, noting that a first responders found the bodies of two victims while searching the debris. Those victims were identified as Royce Edward Kreger Jr., 60, and Katherine Ann Kreger, 61. "A family dog was also located deceased in the debris," police said. Related: Police Reveal Identities of the 3 People Killed in Florida Mobile Home Plane Crash The victims were husband and wife, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The Mille Lacs County Sheriffs Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. Shari L. Gross/Star Tribune via AP Minnesota explosion Related: Couple Married for Over 60 Years Killed in Pennsylvania House Explosion: 'Best Kind of Parents' The owner of the property told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the couple had been living there for about five years and described Royce as a "very, very dear friend." "He was fantastic," Stuart Bryan. "He took better care of the place than if I lived there." Speaking with the newspaper, Chief Sheriffs Deputy Aaron Evenson said the cleanup and recovery process will be long. "This is mass destruction," he told the outlet, calling it the "largest explosion I've seen." A cause of the explosion remains under investigation. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. icon Semafor Signals Supported by Microsoft logo Insights from Politico, NBC News, and The Atlantic Arrow Down Title icon The News Stormy Daniels finally left the stand on Thursday after more than seven hours of questioning and stirring testimony that rattled the defense in Donald Trumps hush-money trial. Daniels answers caused some in the jury to look away and the former president to curse audibly, according to the court transcript. The adult film actors alleged sexual encounter with Trump and its aftermath is at the center of the narrative the Manhattan prosecutors have woven about Trumps criminal charges of falsifying business records to cover up hush-money payments in service of influencing the 2016 presidential election. Ahead of the election, Trumps personal lawyer Michael Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 to keep silent about her allegations. Trump has denied ever having any kind of relationship with Daniels. Judge Juan Merchan on Thursday denied a second attempt by Trumps legal team to see a mistrial declared in the case. And the drama continues to unfold, with a growing number of Trump allies coming to court to speak up while the usually loquacious former president remains under a gag order. icon SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Trumps allies come to say what he cant Source icon Sources: NBC News, Politico In light of Trumps gag order, political allies of Trump and Republican politicians hoping to woo him have stopped by the trial to act as his megaphone. Trump cant talk about the prosecutors, jury, witnesses, or the judge, but his allies can. Florida Senator Rick Scott, who is vying to be Trumps vice presidential pick, accompanied Trump into the courtroom Thursday. At a morning press conference, Scott mounted the very criticisms that Trump is legally barred from making, Politico reported. He swiped at one of the prosecutors, their families, and Merchans daughter. Other allies, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Eric Trump, have also started coming regularly to the trial after Trump reportedly complained no one was defending him during the initial proceedings. Daniels testimony revives questions about Trumps view of women Source icon Sources: Just Security, The Atlantic Daniels testimony edged close to a topic the judge had forbidden from trial: the fact that Trump has been accused of sexual assault, numerous times, Just Security reported. Daniels is adamant that shes not a victim, but her descriptions of her alleged 2006 encounter with Trump and subsequent cross-examination by the defense captivated the jury, and even made some look uncomfortable. Quinta Jurecic, an editor at Lawfare and fellow at the Brookings Institute, wrote in The Atlantic that Trump s alleged encounter and separate incidents involving women speak to his understanding of the world as rigidly divided between the dominating man and the women he dominates. His 2024 campaign is a promise to enforce that vision as a matter of government policy, she wrote. Evangelicals still love Trump, in spite of and because of his past Source icon Sources: Politico, USA Today Its possible some evangelicals might support Trump because of his sins, not in spite of them, sociologist Samuel Perry argued. Evangelical Christians have embraced Trump as their own, in part because he promised, and delivered, a conservative political agenda in line with their religious views. He delivers for them. They tolerate him, history professor John Fea said. But some evangelicals also think Trumps relationships with women reflect positively on his masculinity, Perry said. Trump is representative of a kind of masculinity that is so masculine that his sexual appetites cannot be contained, Perry said. Semafor Logo PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) Just days into his bench trial on Wednesday, a 27-year-old man from Hyattsville pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of an old man in 2022. Julias Wright was accused of punching and kicking 87-year-old Johnny Shepherd on June 2, 2022. During the trial, the medical examiner testified that Shepherd sustained a brain injury, facial lacerations, nasal bone fractures and other significant injuries that led to his death over one month later. Wright attacked Shepherd after he allegedly opened his car door and hit Wrights girlfriends car. She claimed Shepherd pushed her first and she punched him before calling for Wrights help. DC police search for man accused of shooting at Uber drivers car Surveillance video shows Wright punching Shepherd and knocking him onto the ground. He then punched and kicked Shepherd repeatedly. Shepherd was taken to the hospital and eventually released on hospice care. He later died on July 28, 2022. My heart breaks when I think of the pain that Mr. Shepherd suffered at the hands of Mr. Wright, said States Attorney Aisha Braveboy in a news release. Its incomprehensible that anyone would do this to another human, especially a vulnerable senior citizen. I believe that the overwhelming evidence and strength of our case presentation left Mr. Wright with no decision other than to take full responsibility for his actions. I am pleased that Mr. Shepherds family and friends will be spared the emotional expense of having to continue forward with the trial. I want to thank Assistant States Attorneys Daniel Kim and Rashid Mahdi for their strategic and dedicated work in securing the guilty plea. Wright faces up to 18 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 28. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Mitch McConnell may be retiring, but hes hammering home the candidate quality argument one more time. Meanwhile, Republican candidates in races across the country are taking a turn for the weird, sharing AI-generated pictures and referring to the entire Democratic Party as terrorist sympathizers. The Senate Republican leader sat down with Politico at the beginning of May and identified four races Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland key to his partys victory in the battle for control of the upper chamber in November. But his broader message was one of caution for Republicans in races up and down the ballot: the need for the party to select candidates who can stand up to scrutiny from the media and their Democratic opponents. Its important to not get too excited, because its noteworthy that in the last cycle, not a single incumbent lost. So whats the message? Candidate quality, McConnell told the news outlet. McConnell here is raising concerns hes leveled before, particularly after his partys drubbing in the 2022 midterms. That year, a wave of fringe candidates who surged to victory in Republican primaries around the country lost their respective general elections including Tudor Dixon in Michigan, Kari Lake in Arizona, and Herschel Walker in Georgia, to name a few. Just one Republican eked out a significant victory, almost entirely off the back of Trumps endorsement: JD Vance in Ohio. And if Democrats were happy with their achieved goal of holding on to the Senate in 2022 thanks to candidate quality, they certainly have reasons to feel hopeful after this week. First, theres Bernie Moreno in Ohio. The second-time candidate dropped out of the Senate primary last time around to clear the field for Vance, his one-time rival, after Trump made his endorsement. Despite Republicans winning Ohio in the last three presidential election cycles, Moreno has trailed the incumbent Democratic senator, Sherrod Brown, in polling for months and has not seen a significant bump after being dragged across the finish line by Trump on the eve of the primary. Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump, left, listens as Senate candidate Bernie Moreno speaks at a campaign rally March 16, 2024, in Vandalia, Ohio (AP) Moreno seemingly plans to run a scorched-earth campaign against Brown (is there any other way to run a Trump-endorsed campaign?) In a press release on Wednesday, he referred to his opponent as the most liberal member of the US Senate (a charge Bernie Sanders might take issue with) and derided the entire Democratic Party as the party of terrorist sympathizers. He used the same language to refer to college students protesting the Israeli siege of Gaza on campuses across the country. To a Twitter-pilled Republican operative, this may seem like an aggressive and effective line of attack. And it is the kind of attack that resonates in deep-red Trump country but not necessarily the reddish-purple suburbs of Cleveland, Columbus and college towns across the Buckeye State. There, many suburban voters have a more nuanced view of the situation, not least because their own kids may be among the protesters. Then theres Nancy Mace in South Carolina. Facing another tough primary after she joined a group of far-right Republican rebels to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House, Maces campaign staff is fully embracing the GOPs weirder instincts. Just check out this uncanny-valley AI-drawn image of Donald Trump kissing a Black baby (while she looks on) that her campaign put on Twitter on Thursday: From working on Trumps campaign in 2016 to now being the only Trump ENDORSED candidate in SC-01, we have come a long way Mr. President! pic.twitter.com/sXAKCqrug3 Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) May 9, 2024 This is so creepy, wrote one commenter. Of course, it must be mentioned that the trend for the deeply unusual goes all the way to the top of the ticket: Donald Trump, the presumptive nominee for president of the Republican Party, remains charged with 88 felony counts related to four separate criminal prosecutions. Two stem from his attempts to change the results of the 2020 election. It obviously remains to be seen if this embrace of unorthodox campaigning and red-pilled hyper-onlineism will hurt the party in November. But it certainly seems like McConnell, who is in his last year as leader of the Republican caucus, worries that this will be yet another cycle wherein his party comes up short. McConnells top rival, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, has indicated his own confidence that Republicans were setting themselves up for failure again. When youve never run for office before and you run high up for the Senate and particularly if youve been a business leader where everyone says yes to you youre a crappy candidate, the Democratic leader told Politico. It will get worse for them. NEW IBERIA, La. (KLFY) Several shots were fired at a New Iberia home Wednesday night but nobody was injured, authorities said. New Iberia Police said officers responded at about 11 p.m. Wednesday to a report of shots fired in the 900 block of Russo Road, and found a house had been hit multiple times. No injuries were reported. Officers were able to obtain a description of a suspect vehicle from video surveillance footage in the area, officials said. The vehicle is described as a blue or green 4-door sedan. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to report it to authorities. Information can be reported anonymously by calling the New Iberia Police Department at (337) 369-2306 or the Iberia Parish Crimestoppers at (337) 364-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted by downloading the City of New Iberia app on your smart device. Latest news For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com. Idaho man accused of rape left prison just months before. He was in for domestic violence In our Reality Check stories, Idaho Statesman journalists seek to hold the powerful accountable and find answers to critical questions in our community. Read more. Story idea? Tips@idahostatesman.com. Editors note: This story contains graphic content about alleged sexual abuse. When a Caldwell man was sentenced to 2 years fixed in an Idaho prison for beating and threatening to kill his then-girlfriend and her teenage daughter, the judge handing down his sentence called it just, fair and reasonable, court records and audio reviewed by the Idaho Statesman showed. Now, over two years later and eight months after he was released from prison the same man has been accused of raping a woman. In late April, the Caldwell Police Department arrested 50-year-old Marcus Jackson again, this time on several felonies, after police said he sexually assaulted the 19-year-old and attempted to strangle her. (The victim) stated she has to do anything Marcus wants her to do or she will get beaten, Caldwell Police Officer Bradley Davis wrote in a probable cause affidavit obtained by the Idaho Statesman. In an interview with police following his arrest, Jackson denied raping and strangling the teen, alleging they were friends with benefits, the affidavit said. The woman said Jackson paid $20,000 for her and she wasnt allowed to leave. Concerns about the likelihood of Jackson reoffending were brought up during his 2021 sentencing for domestic violence with a traumatic injury and aggravated assault, with the Ada County Prosecutors Office saying in court he was at an undue risk to commit a similar crime. While Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Tessie Buttram asked for a slightly longer overall sentence, the difference between the minimum amount of prison time she requested and what the judge gave upholding a plea deal between the prosecution and defense was about six months. In the months leading up to that December 2020 arrest, Jackson was charged on two occasions with misdemeanors related to domestic violence one of which was later dismissed, according to court records reviewed by the Statesman. He also previously faced a charge in Nebraska, where he was raised, for the sexual assault of a child in the third degree in July 2016, records showed. Its unclear what happened to that charge. I believe that this is my wake-up call to get back on the right track, and to work on my issues, Jackson said just before he was sentenced to prison by then-4th District Judge Samuel Hoagland in 2021. Hoagland sentenced Jackson to a maximum of 10 years in prison with the possibility of parole after 2 years. I think this sentence is just, fair and reasonable, Hoagland said at the time. It was less than two years later when Jackson was released from prison on parole, an IDOC spokesperson told the Statesman by email, because he was credited for the 268 days he spent in the Ada County Jail before his conviction, court records showed. I pray you never hurt anybody ever again The day before New Years Eve in 2020, Jackson appeared at the Ada County Courthouse for a sentencing hearing on two misdemeanor domestic violence charges, court records showed. He was placed on supervised probation and told he wouldnt face additional jail time. Sometime later that day, he got his ankle monitor removed by the court and immediately drove to the liquor store to buy two fifths of alcohol, which Jackson and his then-girlfriend drank, Hoagland said during the sentencing. That very day that he was sentenced, he committed these horrific crimes against (his then-girlfriend) and her 15-year-old daughter, prosecutor Buttram said during the sentencing, adding that the victims 4-year-old daughter was also present. During the roughly 40-minute fight, Jackson strangled his then-girlfriend, with her 15-year-old daughter who called 911 witnessing parts of the assault, Buttram said. Jackson also threatened both the girlfriend and her daughter with a knife. His then-girlfriend said during the sentencing that their relationship lasted less than a year and was extremely toxic, adding that shed since moved on, rekindling the relationships Jackson destroyed. Her teenage daughter also spoke during the sentencing, calling Jackson a ruthless and disgusting man who didnt care about anyone other than himself. The then-underage girl alleged Jackson touched her inappropriately. You put my family and I through hell, the girl said. Some of the stuff you put us through, no one should go through no matter the age. Buttram asked Hoagland to sentence Jackson to 12 years in prison with the possibility of parole after three years, adding that Jacksons domestic violence evaluation showed he had a high risk to re-offend. Hoagland sentenced Jackson to slightly less time, acknowledging during the process that Jackson accepted responsibility for his actions but did minimize the event. Hoagland added that he received a host of letters in support of Jackson from family, co-workers and his ex-wife. They described him as a church-going, hard-working, honest, polite and respectful man, Hoagland said. Hoagland also shifted some of the blame onto Jacksons ex-girlfriend because she punctured the tires on his vehicle, disregarded the no-contact order and lied to the court in the prior misdemeanor case, he said. She wasnt completely innocent in that, Hoagland said. Thats not to say Mr. Jackson doesnt deserve to be punished for what he did, because he does and he did do it. Hoagland didnt respond to a phone call seeking comment. Buttram acknowledged during the sentencing that the ex-girlfriend minimized her previous misdemeanor case against Jackson to try to get the charges dismissed, but she pointed out that its not uncommon in domestic violence cases especially when the cycle of violence allows an offender to manipulate and break down a victim to keep them in the relationship, she said. I allowed you to abuse me and I still defended you when I shouldnt have. You shoved a wedge between my friends, my family and my girls, Jacksons ex-girlfriend said during the 2021 sentencing. I pray you never hurt anybody ever again. I pray that if you do, you get a greater punishment than you do today. The Ada County Prosecutors Office didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Im done with the abuse: Affidavit details 2024 arrest Just after 9 a.m. on April 28, Jackson and the 19-year-old were inside his RV off Laster Street in southeast Caldwell, near the city limits, when he slammed her head onto his penis and forced it inside her mouth, according to the affidavit. She then attempted to leave. Im done with the abuse and being raped, the teen said she told Jackson, recounting the incident to police. I wanted to go be with my best friend and be safe for one more day. Jackson threatened to torch the womans belongings and then strangled her three separate times, the affidavit said. In one instance, she told police, she saw stars and thought she was going to pass out. She was eventually able to fight off Jackson by punching and kicking him, the affidavit said, and walked two miles to a Sonic Drive-in, flagged down a passerby and asked to use their phone to call police. Davis, who responded to the call, said the woman had discoloration on the left side of her neck. Jackson was arrested later that day at his RV, where he lives, and booked into the Canyon County Jail. Hes being held on a $1 million bond, according to the affidavit and online court records. He has been charged with three felonies: rape, aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, court records showed. Police obtained a warrant to search Jacksons RV and found a Glock 9mm handgun with ammunition, which Jackson is prohibited from owning because of the 2021 domestic violence conviction. If convicted, Jackson could face up to life in prison on just the rape charge, under Idaho law. Mr. Jackson has no place in our community. His actions underscore the definition of pure evil and we will not allow him to continue preying on innocent people any longer, Caldwell Police Chief Rex Ingram said in a prior news release. My heart hurts for the survivor of this horrific attack, and I commend her for being brave. Illinois communities get $150 million for housing upgrades ILLINOIS (WCIA) Illinois housing authorities across the state are getting federal funding to modernize public housing. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced more than $150 million to build, renovate and modernize public housing across the state. The funds will come from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developments Capital Fund Program. A thriving community begins with a safe and secure place to call home, Durbin said. Public housing authorities are the instruments of change that help stabilize neighborhoods that have weathered storms of neglect, providing residents with the resources they need to survive. WATCH: Advocates call for new affordable housing tax credit Duckworth said access to safe and dependable public housing is critically important for families all across Illinois. Along with Senator Durbin, Im proud to advocate for federal funding that helps ensure local housing authorities have the resources they need to support and update the facilities in their communities and support residents in need, Duckworth said. More than 90 public housing authorities are getting funding, including Springfield, Danville, Decatur and Edgar County. The full list of places getting funding includes: Housing Authority of Johnson County $201,513 Housing Authority of Gallatin County $290,330 Housing Authority of the County of Jackson $2,632,236 Housing Authority of Pulaski County $366,418 Massac County Housing Authority $587,701 Housing Authority of the City of Marion $1,105,081 Housing Authority County of Saline $1,589,006 Housing Authority of Pope County $307,913 Housing Authority of the County of Hardin $406,567 Housing Authority of the County of Williamson $2,332,025 Alexander County Housing Authority $1,588,843 Housing Authority of the County of Union $1,127,821 Housing Authority of the County of Franklin $2,322,592 Housing Authority of Jefferson County $1,040,584 Housing Authority of the County of Wabash $335,633 Hamilton County Housing Authority $212,245 Clay County Housing Authority $517,836 Housing Authority of the County of Wayne $553,253 Perry County Housing Authority $1,040,247 White County Housing Authority $288,358 Edwards County Housing Authority $124,870 Housing Authority of Marion County $1,588,141 Springfield Housing Authority $2,459,410 Scott County Housing Authority $266,831 Logan County Housing Authority $478,352 Morgan County Housing Authority $1,364,133 Macoupin County Housing Authority $1,393,831 The Housing Authority of the County of Cass $146,026 Housing Authority of the County of Shelby $283,195 Decatur Housing Authority $1,983,083 Housing Authority of the County of Cumberland $244,152 Housing Authority of the County of Richland $196,472 Housing Authority of the County of Clark $234,836 Housing Authority of the County of Lawrence $414,278 Effingham County Housing Authority $286,777 Housing Authority of the County of Brown $152,199 Hancock County Housing Authority $75,686 Housing Authority of Adams County $331,326 Pike County Housing Authority $594,613 Quincy Housing Authority $1,373,072 Housing Authority of the County of Bond $405,948 Madison County Housing Authority $563,235 Randolph County Housing Authority $569,518 St. Clair County Housing Authority $3,488,889 The Housing Authority of City of East St. Louis $6,711,716 Housing Authority of Greene County $270,107 Housing Authority of the County of Jersey $344,274 Montgomery County Housing Authority $473,946 Housing Authority of Calhoun County $127,477 Granite City Housing Authority $950,788 Housing Authority City of Alton $988,055 Housing Authority of Edgar County $546,436 Housing Authority County of Coles $543,898 Housing Authority of Piatt County $217,043 The Housing Authority of The City of Danville $2,285,013 Livingston County Housing Authority $752,677 DeWitt County Housing Authority $773,414 Housing Authority of the City of Bloomington $1,845,231 Peoria Housing Authority $2,213,739 Housing Authority of the City of Pekin $411,322 Woodford County Housing Authority $124,479 Fulton County Housing Authority $996,167 Warren County Housing Authority $890,701 Housing Authority of the County of McDonough $944,880 The Housing Authority of Henry County $1,339,469 Knox County Housing Authority $1,553,204 Bureau County Housing Authority $745,480 Housing Authority for LaSalle County $2,990,249 Moline Housing Authority $1,312,339 Greater Metro Area Housing Authority of Rock Island County $1,484,129 Mercer County Housing Authority $137,911 Housing Authority of the City of Rock Island $794,607 Rockford Housing Authority $6,141,433 Winnebago County Housing Authority $671,814 Carroll County Housing Authority $221,860 Whiteside County Housing Authority $989,487 Ogle County Housing Authority $640,994 Housing Authority of the County of Jo Daviess $252,375 Housing Authority of the City of Freeport $1,044,810 Lee County Housing Authority $570,609 Housing Authority of the County of Ford $172,496 Kankakee County Housing Authority $755,360 Chicago Housing Authority $58,334,323 Housing Authority Cook County $769,212 Housing Authority of the City of Aurora $2,064,809 Housing Authority of Joliet $2,680,885 Housing Authority of the Village of Oak Park $360,612 Housing Authority of The County of DeKalb $974,985 Housing Authority of the City of Waukegan $1,130,653 Housing Authority of the City of North Chicago $236,450 Housing Authority of the County of Lake $1,629,704 McHenry County Housing Authority $69,619 For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. Improvements to come to this section of Hwy 63 in Visalia VISALIA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) Improvements are coming to Highway 63 in Visalia rather the California Department of Transportation announced upcoming construction on the Highway 63 Visalia Mall pavement preservation project on Wednesday. According to Caltrans, the project limits are on Highway 63 on Mooney Boulevard from 0.2 miles south of Caldwell Avenue to Mineral King. The project will provide new pavement, striping, a dedicated bike lane, and will upgrade curb ramps to Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act standards. The project is expected to begin the week of Monday, May 20, and is expected to be completed in January 2025, but Caltrans says a confirmed start date will be provided closer to the official start of the project. According to Caltrans construction operations will take place as follows: Northbound and Southbound Highway 63 will be reduced to a single lane between 0.2 miles south of Caldwell Avenue to Mineral King Avenue. The project will continue with overnight construction on a Monday through Friday schedule, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. each night. There will be no closures on Saturday and Sunday nights. Lane reduction sections will be no longer than a mile in length. Highway 63 will remain open and accessible to residents and businesses throughout the project. Caltrans reminds drivers to stay attentive and undistracted while driving and to be aware of workers and vehicles in construction and maintenance areas, as well as to slow down while driving through work zones. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47. FILE - Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu speaks during a plenary session at the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit, Dec. 1, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. India has urged pro-China Maldives to ease tensions and improve their strained relationship. The foreign ministers of India and Maldives met in New Delhi on Thursday, a day ahead of a deadline set by the Maldives new president for India to withdraw dozens of its soldiers from the archipelago nation. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File) NEW DELHI (AP) India urged pro-China Maldives on Thursday to ease tensions and improve their strained relationship. The foreign ministers of India and Maldives met in New Delhi a day ahead of a deadline set by the Maldives new president, Mohamed Muizzu, for India to withdraw dozens of its soldiers from the archipelago nation. Tensions between India and Maldives have grown since pro-China Muizzu came to power last year. Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told his Maldives counterpart, Moosa Zameer, that India has been a key provider of development assistance, including infrastructure projects, medical care and health facilities. "It is in our common interest that we reach an understanding on how best we can take our relationship forward, a statement by India's External Affairs Ministry quoted Jaishankar as saying. Zameers response was not immediately known. Regional powers India and China are competing for influence in Maldives, which has a strategic location in the Indian Ocean. Muizzus election sharpened their rivalry as he took a pro-China stand and acted to remove Indian troops stationed on one of Maldives islets. The Press Trust of India news agency said earlier this week that India has withdrawn 51 of its soldiers in two batches from Maldives so far. At least 75 Indian military personnel were stationed in the Maldives. They operated two aircraft donated by India and assisted in the rescue of people stranded or faced with calamities at sea. Muizzu has taken steps to have civilians take over those activities. On Thursday, India's External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said both sides have been working together to ensure the continued operation of Indian aviation platforms. "Accordingly, the deputation of competent Indian technical personnel (civilians) has taken place," he said. Muizzu ran for president on a campaign theme of India out, accusing his predecessor of compromising national sovereignty by giving India too much influence. After taking office, Muizzu visited China ahead of India and said Maldives small size is not a license for anyone to bully it. On his return, he spelled out plans to rid his nation of dependence on India for health facilities, education and medicines. Last year, New Delhi started construction of the Indian-funded Greater Male connectivity project, billed as the largest infrastructure initiative in the island nation, a 6.7-kilometer (4.2-mile) -long bridge and causeway connecting the capital city, Male, with the islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi. India also is helping Maldives to build 4,000 homes and has extended a $100 million line of credit to finance other infrastructure projects. The two countries have signed agreements for cooperation in cybersecurity, disaster management and fishing zone forecast capacity. In 2013, Maldives joined Chinas Belt and Road initiative to build ports and highways to expand trade and Chinas influence across Asia, Africa and Europe. Hoosier teachers packed the Indiana State Board of Education's meeting, held on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in a conference room at the Indiana Government Center in Indianapolis. (Screenshot from the State Board of Education livestream) Teachers from around Indiana spent hours before the State Board of Education on Wednesday, criticizing a new literacy licensure requirement that was adopted by the General Assembly earlier this year. The training requirement requires all Pre-K to Grade 6 and special education teachers to complete 80 hours of professional development on science of reading concepts and pass a written exam. Teachers wont be able to renew their license without doing so. Although the literacy endorsement wasnt on the state boards agenda, educators descended on the meeting, which lasted more than four hours. Most of that was spent on public comments from teachers, as well as union representatives, who said the new training mandate is unfair and overwhelming. Complicating matters further, many of the free training courses are already full, leaving only a few other options for which teachers must pay for out of pocket. No other profession is going to be okay with being told not only do you have to do this to keep your license but you have to do it outside your contracted hours, said Cory Freihaut, a special education teacher from the Vigo County School Corporation who spoke at Wednesdays meeting. Freihaut said hes a single father who works two other jobs, in addition to teaching. He echoed numerous other educators who emphasized that fitting in training over the summer is inconvenient and a hardship for many. Cory Freihaut, a special education teacher from the Vigo County School Corporation, speaks at Wednesdays State Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (Screenshot from the State Board of Education livestream) I understand were getting a stipend, but thats like $15 an hour. I make more than that at the pizza shop I do on the weekends, Freihaut said. I ask that you guys look at shortening that (professional development), because honestly, unless you can provide it in our contracted hours, we shouldnt be doing it. At the meeting, Secretary of Education Katie Jenner noted Indianas reading scores, which have been on the decline for more than a decade. According to data from the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE), in 2023, one in five Hoosier third graders lacked foundational reading skills. She acknowledged concerns, however, and maintained that the state board and education officials want to find solutions and create more flexibility for teachers to complete the training requirements. Jenner noted, too, that 12,000 teachers signed up for the Keys to Literacy training in three weeks. The IDOE announced Wednesday that the state is adding cohorts. Additional sessions were added for spring and summer, increasing the total number of cohorts from 12 to 64 each with approximately 200 educators. More cohorts are also open for both Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 in response to the early demand, according to IDOE. State lawmakers approved the literacy training requirement during the 2024 legislative session as part of an effort to reverse lagging literacy scores among Hoosier students. Under the law, teachers renewing their licenses must earn an Early Literacy Endorsement by 2027. They can do so through Keys to Literacy, a free third-party professional development program, through 2025. Teachers are eligible for a $1,200 stipend for the 80-hour Keys to Literacy training, and the state is covering the cost of the PRAXIS exam. But representatives from the Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA) said education officials should provide more options for teachers to meet the literacy requirement, and also account for teacher expertise such as years spent leading a classroom and attainment of other coursework, like masters degrees, for example. ISTA Treasurer Diana Reed said, specifically, the PRAXIS exam imposes an unnecessary burden on teachers. She additionally raised questions about the efficacy and necessity of the exam and asked that it be removed as a requirement. The literacy endorsement requirements are a great, great source of concern and a high-level issue among my fellow educators. The requirements have increased stress and compounded existing challenges of teacher burnout and retention, Reed told the board. Colleagues have expressed they would rather let their licenses lapse at the next renewal date then be subjected to more hoops and mandates to prove their worth. We are already experiencing a shortage of qualified educators, and these new requirements do not signal to our teachers that their education, degrees obtained, and endorsements earned are valued. Even so, representatives from the nonprofit advocacy groups Stand for Children and the Institute for Quality Education encouraged the board to uphold the literacy requirements. They doubled down that the science of reading training is necessary to improve student literacy. IQE has been supportive of the various literacy focused legislation the past few legislative sessions. And while we recognize that some of these steps may present a challenge to schools and educators, we have confidence in their ability to meet these challenges head on, as they continuously do, so that all aspects of our childrens education are aligned behind the science of reading, said Molly Collins of the Institute for Quality Education. Oftentimes, the step that is best and right for students may not be the easiest. But we are at a critical crossroad in our states future and for the future of our children, and we cannot wait. Our students cannot wait. The post Indiana teachers call on state board to reconsider literacy licensure requirement appeared first on Indiana Capital Chronicle. BANGKOK, May 9 (Xinhua) -- A blaze at a chemical storage tank terminal in eastern Thailand killed one person and injured three others, prompting evacuation orders for nearby communities, the industry ministry said on Thursday. The fire broke out at about 10:45 a.m. local time in Rayong province. According to the ministry's statement, all activities at the facility have been suspended while an investigation and damage assessment are underway. Firefighters are battling to contain the blaze, the ministry said. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) The Ingham County Sheriffs Department searched a home in Mason and seized electronics Tuesday as part of an ongoing investigation of a former Mason official accused of traveling to Indiana to have sex with a 13-year-old girl. Ingham County Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth confirms with 6 News his department assisted police from Bluffton, Indiana Tuesday by executing a search warrant on the Mason home of Seth A. Waxman. He says officials from his department seized electronics from the home during the search. Waxman, 49, was charged Monday in Wells County, IN with multiple felonies. He allegedly traveled to Bluffton, IN. on May 3 to have sex with a 13-year-old girl named Katie, who was in a decoy. He was formally charged in court on Monday, May 6 on one count of child solicitation solicitation to engage in sexual intercourse or other conduct; a charge of legend drug deception, knowingly possessing a contraband legend drug; and possession of a controlled substance, according to court records. Seth Waxman booking photo. Courtesy Photo Wells County Sheriffs Department and Jail Shortly after he was arraigned, he emailed Mason Mayor Russell Whipple his resignation from the Mason Planning Commission where he had served as vice chair. Bluffton is located about 25 miles south of Fort Wayne, IN., and nearly 165 miles south of Waxmans home in Mason. 6 News obtained the Affidavit of Probable Cause filed in the Wells County Circuit Court in Waxmans case. The affidavit has been redacted by 6 News to remove dates of birth, addresses, and some words that may be offensive to readers. Waxman Affidavit redactedDownload The affidavit contained new details on the volunteer sting operation that led to his arrest. The 13-year-old Katie Waxman had been allegedly communicating with since late last month turned out to be a decoy working with the group Predator Catchers, Inc. The organization has a goal to raise awareness about child sexual exploitation as well as take action to end it. A search of a hotel room Waxman rented when he arrived in Bluffton allegedly turned up Sildenafil, testosterone, and Levonorgestrel. Sildenafil citrate is the generic name of the drug known as Viagra. Testosterone is a male hormone often used to boost male performance and health. Levonorgestrel is a generic drug often referred to as Plan B. The drug, when taken after sex without a condom, can prevent a person from becoming pregnant. Court records reveal Waxman allegedly discussed with the decoy when her last period had been. He allegedly told her he wanted to have sex with her without a condom. I want to [redacted] in you because youre close to peak ovulation, court records reveal he allegedly wrote. Records show he began to speak with a decoy on a social app in late April. Officer Benjamin Griner of Bluffton Police Department wrote in his Incident Narrative related to Waxmans arrest that after he reviewed chat logs provided by Predator Catchers, Inc. allegedly between Waxman and the decoy Katie, that the decoy and Waxman repeatedly discussed her age. When the decoy encouraged Waxman to travel to Bluffton on May 3, he initially said he had prior plans. The decoy encouraged him to abandon those plans instead, the officer wrote. Waxman allegedly responded LOL. A minute later, Griner writes in his report, Waxman allegedly wrote; Sorry, I have to go out of state to have sex with a 13-year-old girl. Order of Initial Hearing WaxmanDownload Waxman remains in the Wells County Jail Wednesday night. Wells County Circuit Court Judge Kenton Kiracofe set Waxmans bond at $11,500 cash and $5,000 surety for a total bond due of $16,500. The former Mason official will be in court again on May 24 at 8 a.m. for a status hearing. A pretrial scheduled for June 26 at 1 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. Inside Bidens decision to go public with his ultimatum to Israel over Rafah President Joe Bidens decision this week to make public his ultimatum that a major Israeli offensive in the city of Rafah would result in a shut-off of some US weapons did not come easily or lightly. It came after multiple rounds of phone calls with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, starting in mid-February, urging him to reconsider his plans to invade the densely populated city in southern Gaza that has been a critical conduit for humanitarian aid. Hours and hours of virtual and in-person meetings between Bidens top national security lieutenants and their Israeli counterparts were intended to send the same message, according to officials: There are other ways to go after Hamas, Bidens aides laid out, that stop short of invading a city where more than a million Palestinians have gone to seek safety, officials said. At multiple levels, the president and his team warned Netanyahu that a major invasion of Rafah wouldnt be aided by American weapons. It was a message the White House believed was well understood by the government in Israel, White House officials said Thursday. Still, making those warnings public was a step Biden had long been wary of taking. Doing so would amount to a turning point, and the biggest break in US-Israel ties since the start of the war in Gaza following the October 7 terror attacks by Hamas. Even under pressure from progressives in his own party to take steps to limit humanitarian suffering in Gaza, Biden has been careful to avoid an open rift with Netanyahu. Still, in Netanyahus war cabinet meetings, a decision to go into Rafah appeared imminent. The Israel Defense Forces have now established a presence in Rafah and along its border, choking off two aid entry points and warning of a larger offensive to come. Ultimately, officials said, Biden came to believe his warnings were going unheeded and so he changed course. Last week, Biden signed off on a pause of 3,500 bombs to Israel that administration officials feared would be dropped on Rafah. And on Wednesday, sitting at a community college in Wisconsin for an interview with CNNs Erin Burnett, Biden made explicit to the world what he said hed already made obvious to Netanyahu in private. If they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities that deal with that problem, Biden told Burnett. White House says ultimatum wasnt a surprise The presidents aides said the message shouldnt have been a surprise to their intended recipients in Israel. I can assure you the direct and forthright nature with which he expressed himself and his concerns in that interview with Erin Burnett is consistent with how he has expressed himself to Prime Minister Netanyahu and to Israeli officials, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday. The Israeli government, Kirby said, has understood for some time now the implications a major Rafah offensive would have on the future of American arms shipments. Aware or not of the presidents views, Israeli officials reacted with shock to the public announcement. Netanyahu was defiant. If we need to stand alone, we will stand alone. I have said that, if necessary, we will fight with our fingernails, he said Thursday. Israeli officials also sought to downplay the significance of Bidens announcement. A spokesman for the IDF, Daniel Hagari, said Israel already has the weapons it needs for the missions it is planning. In addition to 2,000-pound bombs, Biden told CNN that artillery could be held up in the event of a Rafah invasion. Despite being smaller in size than the bombs, the Biden administration views artillery as indiscriminate and imprecise weapons that can exact a dangerous toll in urban areas. Doubts over Israels intentions in Rafah Israel has claimed its current campaign in Rafah is limited, a description US officials have echoed. But behind the scenes, doubts linger about Israels intentions, CNN has learned, with limited clarity provided to the US on how it plans to proceed. Throughout the course of the conflict, Bidens frustration with Netanyahu has grown, even as the US president maintained publicly that his support for the state of Israel was unwavering. Biden has made clear that no matter what course the Israel-Hamas war takes, the US would remain Israels most stalwart ally so long as he is president. That conviction, advisers said, was separate and apart from the evolution of the presidents relationship with Netanyahu. Israel is not the same thing as Netanyahu, a senior Biden adviser told CNN. Rafah has hardly been the only irritant in the relationship. In the telling of Bidens close advisers, the IDFs accidental killing in early April of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza one of them an American citizen broke the presidents already strained patience. Upon learning the news, Biden expressed fury, advisers said. He made clear to advisers that he saw the deaths of the aid workers as an unacceptable breakdown in some of the most fundamental ways in which he expected Israel to conduct its war, and that the moment required a new response. His team quickly arranged a phone call with Netanyahu. The come to Jesus moment Several weeks prior, Biden had shared with friends on Capitol Hill in comments that were caught on a hot mic that he and the prime minister were likely headed towards some kind of rupture. He predicted the two leaders were due for a come to Jesus moment. Multiple advisers did not deny that Bidens phone call with Netanyahu in April was, at the very least, as close to such a come to Jesus moment as the two leaders had had up until that point. In the brief call, Biden issued a new warning to Netanyahu: If Israel did not course-correct, the US would reconsider how it supports its ally in the conflict. It marked the clearest signal yet that six months into the war, Biden was starting to seriously consider conditioning US support for Israel. But even then, it was not known what exactly those consequences might look like, and what actions from Israel would ultimately push Biden over the edge. Since their call, the White House has praised Israel for taking steps to increase humanitarian aid, including opening additional crossings. Yet Rafah continued to shadow the relationship, as Israeli officials insisted on the necessity of going after Hamas in the city, even as Biden aides said they hadnt seen a plan to protect civilians there. Meetings between the two sides failed to yield consensus on the issue, according to people familiar with the matter. White House officials were unconvinced by Israels plans to protect civilians and made clear in public statements that an invasion of the city would amount to a humanitarian disaster. The president and his team have been clear for several weeks that we do not support a major ground operation in Rafah, where more than a million people are sheltering with nowhere safe to go, Kirby said on Thursday. The president has said that publicly and he has communicated that repeatedly and straightforwardly to Prime Minister Netanyahu. Bipartisan criticism follows Bidens public ultimatum After Bidens CNN interview, officials stressed the White House position on conditioning aid is a hypothetical one: The US would only pare back the equipment and weaponry provided to its longstanding ally if it launches the invasion of Rafah. That didnt stop the presidents critics from accusing him of renouncing Israel, despite his clear statement that he wasnt walking away from Israels security. Across the GOP spectrum, from former President Donald Trump to Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, Bidens political opponents likened the announcement to a message of an abandonment amid an ongoing war with terrorists. House Speaker Mike Johnson, whod just survived an ouster attempt, even suggested in an interview with Politico that Biden had a senior moment when he made the remark. Some Democrats also voiced criticism. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, a staunch supporter of Israel, said that he disagreed with Bidens plan to withhold some weapons shipments to Israel, warning the move demonstrates to Hamas that theyre winning the PR war. I am concerned about that, and I dont agree with the president, he told CNNs Manu Raju. Sen. Jon Tester, a vulnerable Democrat from Montana, said, I think he should release it when asked about Bidens handling of the weapons shipments. And Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin said he was planning to speak with administration officials about the details of their plan later Thursday. Im trying to find out legally what theyre doing and the reasons for it, he said. So, until Ive had a chance to talk to the administration, Im going to defer making any specific comments. Even though the presidents position amounted to his toughest public stance on Israel since the start of the war, it also appeared to do little to satisfy those in his own party who have agitated for an end to US support. I think its a good step forward. I think weve got to do even more, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont democratic socialist, said on CNN, adding Bidens warning about conditioning weapons should have come a lot earlier. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A nurse cares for babies in the maternity ward of the Emirati Hospital in Rafah, Gaza Strip, on March 8, 2024. Credit - Fatima ShbairAP Photo Bridget Rochios arrived in Rafah from California on May 1 to volunteer at the Al Halal Al Emirati Maternity Hospital with the Canadian medical charity, the Glia Project. In just one week, the 34-year-old midwife has assisted a displaced mother of two from Gaza with giving birth in a hospital elevator and delivered the baby of a pregnant woman who was brought to the hospital by her neighbor after her entire family was killed in airstrikes. She also treated a woman in labor who did not know her baby suffered from a birth defect because of the lack of diagnostic testing or ultrasounds during her pregnancy; after an emergency C-section, the womans baby died the next day. The babys condition would not have been a death sentence if it were not for this depraved war, Rochios tells TIME. Theres no dignified way to be pregnant or to parent when youre under these conditions. Since the war in Gaza began last October, nearly half of Gazas 2.3 million population has fled to the southern city of Rafah, which shares a border between the besieged strip and Egypt. There, Emirati has become one of the few remaining hospitals providing medical care to thousands of pregnant women and new mothers, handling around 60 deliveries every day. According to the United Nations Population Fund, or UNFPA,155,000 women are due to give birth in Gaza in the coming months and struggling to survive and access basic healthcare. Read More: Biden Said Rafah Was a 'Red Line.' Now What? But on Wednesday, May 8, the Emirati Hospital announced it would no longer admit new patients due to a shortage of staff and supplies after the closure of the Rafah border crossing, leaving thousands of pregnant women in limbo. To help fill the gap, UNFPA has stated it will coordinate with humanitarian partners and the Palestinian Ministry of Health to set up alternative health facilities like mobile clinics that can provide different levels of care. The news follows Israeli threats of a major assault on Rafah to defeat thousands of Hamas fighters it says are hiding in the border city. As a result, around 10,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah since Monday, according to a U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees official. Though the staff at the Emirati hospital began to evacuate shortly after the news broke, Rochios, who is still there, says the hospital was already overwhelmed by the number of patients and lack of resources. By the time I arrived, the hospital was pretty unsanitary and I didn't have all the instruments I need as a healthcare provider to give birth, Rochios says, noting the lack of soap, gloves and scissors to cut cords. There are three women in one delivery room, and after they give birth, theyre moved over to postpartum for a couple of hours, Rochios continues, By comparison, in the United States where I work, we keep people in the hospital for a minimum of 24 hours, and usually for two days. As a result, many mothers and newborns miss crucial maternal and infant bonding steps in the postpartum period like skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding. The disrupted access to maternal healthcare has also meant that both mothers and their children are exposed to serious and even life-threatening health risks, leading to a reported rise in obstetric emergencies, as well as infectious diseases like Hepatitis A and a high risk of death among mothers and babies. Once they are released from the hospital after giving birth, they also return to grim conditions in refugee camps that lack basic hygiene. Theres not enough sanctuary pads or access to clean water and nutritious food, or vitamins that women who are recovering from pregnancy and birth desperately need, says Rochios. Until recently, the UNFPA was able to occasionally distribute maternity, postpartum, and reproductive health supplies to Emirati Hospital, in addition to providing one-off cash transfers to vulnerable women. But now, the agency has issued warnings that a ground invasion in Rafah could spell a catastrophe for traumatized pregnant women and new mothers. An attack in Rafah could turn this and other health facilities from places of hope into rubble and dustputting at risk the lives of tens of thousands of pregnant women, it said in a statement. For Rochios, the fear of a ground invasion in Rafahwhich she describes as an elementary school playground because of the sheer number of children in the streetsis palpable. The midwife says that in the past few days, she has heard continuous bomb explosions across the city, as well as the constant sound of drones. Now that the border has closed Im very fearful of what things will look like even within the next week, she says. And so, every time Rochios looks at a baby after helping with the delivery, she wonders: Are you going to survive the war to see your first birthday? Write to Astha Rajvanshi at astha.rajvanshi@time.com. The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct is investigating a conversation between the judge who oversaw former President Donald Trumps civil fraud case and a lawyer who wanted to discuss the case, according to NBC New York. Attorney Adam Bailey, a high-profile real estate lawyer whose law license was once suspended, told the station he approached Judge Arthur Engoron to offer unsolicited advice about the case three weeks before Engoron penalized Trump $454 million. "I saw him in the corner [at the courthouse] and I told my client, 'I need to go.' And I walked over and we started talking I wanted him to know what I think and whyI really want him to get it right, Bailey told the outlet. Bailey, who said he is not a Trump fan, said he knew Engoron because he appeared in court before him hundreds of times and said he explained to him that the law in the case should not be used to shut down a major company. "He had a lot of questions, you know, about certain cases. We went over it," Bailey said. Bailey argued that he didnt think the judge did anything wrong. "We didn't even mention the word Donald Trump," Bailey said, but obviously we werent talking about the Mets. The judge through a court spokesperson told NBC that he was wholly uninfluenced by Bailey. "No ex parte conversation concerning this matter occurred between Justice Engoron and Mr. Bailey or any other person. The decision Justice Engoron issued February 16 was his alone, was deeply considered, and was wholly uninfluenced by this individual, court spokesman Al Baker told the outlet. Baker did not respond to NBCs questions about whether Engoron engaged with Bailey or asked questions. Judges in New York are barred from considering communications outside of the presence of the parties in a case but the rules allow an exception to "obtain the advice of a disinterested expert if the judge notifies the parties in the case and gives them a chance to respond. The state commission is looking at whether the rules were violated in this case. "The code doesnt provide an exception for 'well, this was a small conversation' or 'well, it didnt really impact me' or 'well, this wasnt something that I, the judge, found significant," Trump attorney Chris Kise told NBC. "No. The code is very clear." Retired New York appellate judge Alan Scheinkman told the outlet that if Engoron had any substantive dialogue about the case it should be disclosed. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. "The fact that this lawyer made these statements unprompted during a recorded TV interview should raise serious concerns," he said, calling Baileys allegation very troubling. Professor Bruce Green, director of Fordham Law School's Center for Law and Ethics, told the outlet it is not against ethics rules to discuss a law in the abstract. "Judges don't have to live in a bubble, Green said. "Whether a judge's hallway conversation with a lawyer is permissible or impermissible depends on the conversation." On Thursday, family, friends, and the community came together to honor the life of fallen hero Investigator William Alden Elliott. He was one of the four officers killed in a shootout last week. PREVIOUS STORIES: On Thursday afternoon, a procession made its way along Highway 70 in Newton, which was lined with first responders and community members. Resident Arthur Mason said its important to honor Elliot. We thank God for what they did, Mason said. They gave their lives in the line of duty to protect us, but you have some wicked cruel people in this world. The funeral service for Elliott was held at Catawba Valley Community College. Investigator Elliotts son, Theo wrote a heartfelt eulogy for his father. He wrote in part, My daddy is a hero. He died getting the bad guys, thats what he was good at. >> Read the full obituary here. Elliotts body was brought back to Hickory one week ago. Dozens of people lined the roads to show their support. Some even set up chairs and flags hours before the procession arrived in Catawba County. Elliott and his family lived in Newton, where he graduated from Newton-Conover High School. He was a U.S. Marine and for the past 14 years, worked for the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. He was also on the U.S. Marshals Carolinas Regional Task Force. (WATCH BELOW: Procession to Catawba County honors fallen corrections officer) University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and Stead Family Children's Hospital are seen, Friday, May 8, 2020, on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City, Iowa. The Iowa Supreme Court recently sided with the University of Iowa, reversing a lower court decision and nullifying a decision that would have forced the university to pay nearly $12.8 million in restitution. The state's high court ruled on April 26 that a previous jury decision awarding Cedar Rapids-based Modern Piping, Inc. an eight-figure restitution payment was void. The court did uphold a second decision, which awarded the company less than $22,000. More: La' James cosmetology school to refund more than $200,000 to settle Iowa student loan suit Arbitration awards company $21.5 million for university projects Modern Piping is a mechanical contractor that was hired as one of multiple parties to work on the construction of the Stead Family Children's Hospital in the mid-2010s. The university also contracted the company to work on the construction of the Hancher Auditorium during the same time frame. In 2015, the company filed a claim with the American Arbitration Association that claimed construction-related delays at Hancher had amounted to approximately $1.6 million in added costs. The university was open to arbitrating the claim. More: Gov. Kim Reynolds signs law to raise Iowa students' lagging literacy. The classroom impact: Within a year, Modern Piping amended its claim and added that similar delays with the children's hospital had cost it more than $8 million. The university did not consent to arbitrating both of those together and filed a permanent injunction to halt Modern Piping's claim That injunction stood for nearly nine months as the university began occupying parts of the hospital while construction continued. In January 2017, the court ruled that the University of Iowa's injunction was improperly granted and was therefore dissolved. Modern Piping was later awarded $21.5 million in arbitration for the construction delays. More: Longtime Czech heirloom, current Pagliai's Pizza home on doorstep of historic preservation Court initially granted company additional $12.8 million Modern Piping was awarded a $28 million mechanical contract for the construction of the children's hospital. The company claimed the improper injunction allowed the university to take "advantage" of its contract with construction companies by occupying the hospital early. Modern Piping sought a jury trial that was held in October 2022, according to court documents. During that trial, Modern Piping had an economic expert testify. The person accused the University of Iowa of generating $12.8 million in revenue because they were able to see patients eight months sooner than expected when they began occupying the building in June of 2016. Construction of the hospital wasn't fully complete until May 2017. The expert said the University of Iowa tried to move "into the unfinished Childrens Hospital without having to first arbitrate a partial occupancy agreement." The expert said because the university moved in early it "prevented Modern Piping from arbitrating the partial occupancy dispute like it normally would have done, causing lost contract damages to Modern Piping and benefiting the university," according to court documents. He said had Modern Piping been able to negotiate a contract with the University of Iowa, the company would've sought a bid of $2.5 million for "the additional risk associated with completing its work while the University was partially occupying the Childrens Hospital." The jury determined that the University of Iowa was "unjustly enriched due to the wrongful injunction for nearly $12.8 million and that the reasonable and necessary costs, expenses, and attorneys fees expended by Modern Piping to dissolve the wrongful injunction was nearly $21.8 million. The University of Iowa appealed that decision, and the State Supreme Court ultimately reversed the jury's decision. More: Iowa City's tobacco permit moratorium will address safety concerns, influx of vape shops Ruling delivers critique of company's ability to make claims The temporary injunction was issued in 2016 based on a flawed ruling on the district court level, the court said in its opinion. But it was related to the arbitration talks, not to early occupancy. "Modern Piping argues that the University used the temporary injunction to take partial occupancy of the Childrens Hospital without entering into the separate agreement with Modern Piping required by the general conditions," the decision read. "But the temporary injunction addressed only those claims Modern Piping had already submitted for arbitration, which did not include the partial occupancy issue." More: Meet the latest nominees for the Press-Citizen's Student of the Week Thus, the court ruled that the wrongful injunction did not entitle Modern Piping to "disgorgements" a legal term meaning remedy by surrendering profits of the university-affiliated hospital's profits during the injunction period. That was the basis of the nearly $12.8 million award provided by the jury in 2022. "We believe Modern Piping led the district court astray when it convinced the court that its claim for wrongful injunction entitled it to recover restitution in the form of a broad-reaching unjust enrichment claim, and restitution should be measured as the disgorgement of the benefit provided to the University," Justice Dana Oxley wrote in the opinion. "Under no set of circumstances would a mechanical contractor be entitled to the profits of the business occupying the building it is constructing," she later wrote. Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01. This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Court rules for University of Iowa, reverses $13M due to contractor The Iranian flag flutters in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) organisation's headquarters in Vienna DUBAI (Reuters) -Iran will change its nuclear doctrine if Israel threatens its existence, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader said, the latest comment by an Iranian official that raises questions about what Tehran says is its peaceful nuclear program. Tehran has always said it had no plans to obtain nuclear weapons. Western governments suspect that it wants nuclear technology to build a bomb; its nuclear program has been at the centre of a long-running dispute that has led to sanctions. In April, in the middle of a tense standoff with Israel, which is widely believed to have nuclear weapons, a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander also said Israeli threats could prompt Iran to change its nuclear doctrine. "We have no decision to build a nuclear bomb but should Iran's existence be threatened, there will be no choice but to change our military doctrine," Kamal Kharrazi, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was reported as saying by Iran's Student News Network on Thursday. In 2022, the same adviser said Iran was technically capable of making a nuclear bomb but had not yet decided whether to build one. Khamenei, who has the final say in Tehran's nuclear program, banned the development of nuclear weapons in a fatwa, or religious edict, in the early 2000s. He reiterated that in 2019, saying that building and stockpiling nuclear bombs was "wrong and using it is haram", or religiously forbidden. But Iran's then-intelligence minister said in 2021 that Western pressure could push Tehran towards nuclear weapons. In his latest comments, Kharrazi said: "In the case of an attack on our nuclear facilities by the Zionist regime, our deterrence will change," using a term Iranian official use to refer to Israel. Iran and Israel have long been arch enemies, but what was for decades a shadow war erupted into open confrontation in April, when Tehran launched about 300 missiles and drones against Israel in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Damascus. In response, Israel launched an attack on Iranian territory. Iran is enriching uranium to up to 60% purity, whereas weapons grade uranium is enriched to about 90%. If the current nuclear material on hand were enriched further, it would suffice for two nuclear weapons, according to an official IAEA yardstick. (Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Michael Georgy and Gerry Doyle) icon Semafor Signals Supported by Microsoft logo Insights from Amwaj.Media, Eghtesaad 24, and UNIDIR Arrow Down Title icon The News Iran would be compelled to build nuclear weapons if the countrys existence is in jeopardy, an adviser to Irans supreme leader warned. Kamal Kharrazi emphasized that while Iran has the capability to produce a nuclear bomb, it has so far chosen not to go nuclear. In the case of an attack on our nuclear facilities by the Zionist regime, our deterrence will change, Kharrazi told Irans Student News Network. The remarks are the latest in a string of warnings from Iranian officials that the Tehran will rapidly build nuclear weapons if it feels sufficiently threatened. One senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said in mid-April that threats, and especially Israeli, could lead Tehran to review its nuclear doctrine. Gen. Jim Hockenhull, the head of UK Strategic Command, which includes the UK Defense Intelligence unit, told Semafor last month that statements made by the IRGC are often made for the shaping impact rather than necessarily as a statement of either what might happen or what will happen. Even so, the possibility of this to unravel is clearly there, he cautioned. icon SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. UN watchdog calls Irans nuclear cooperation completely unsatisfactory Source icon Sources: The New Arab, UNIDIR The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Irans nuclear cooperation was completely unsatisfactory after a trip to Tehran earlier this week. Rafael Grossi said that there had been a slowdown in cooperation, and that Iran cut the number of international inspections and retracted the accreditation of IAEA experts. Even so, Grossi said his agency would continue negotiating with Iran, and that it hoped to set out new arrangements soon. Abdolrasool Divsallar, a senior researcher at the UN Institute for Disarmament Research, said that progress may be hard to achieve without the US also making concessions. Given zero progress in US-Iran talks, Tehran predictably takes no new steps, he wrote on X. Talk of the nuclear option goes mainstream in Iran Source icon Sources: Amwaj.Media, Eghtesaad 24, Iran Wonk The ongoing crisis in the Middle East has pushed talk of nuclear weapons to the forefront of Tehrans political debate. A taboo has been broken. Support for nuclear weapons has gone public and mainstream, Mohammad Ali Shabani, an editor of Amwaj.Media and expert on Iranian foreign policy, wrote on X. One prominent moderate Iranian activist said that Israels attack on the Iranian Embassy in Syria destroyed the final justification for Iran not to test its own atomic bomb and enter the nuclear club. An Iranian lawmaker wrote on X that if the permission is issued, it is one week before the first [nuclear] test. The growing discourse could help foster popular support for the nuclear option, Farzan Sabet, an expert in Irans nuclear policy, wrote on his blog Semafor Logo A court in Iran has sentenced acclaimed movie director Mohammad Rasoulof to eight years in prison and flogging for national security crimes, his lawyer said on Wednesday. In a statement on social platform X, Babak Paknia said the court found Rasoulofs films and documentaries to be examples of collusion with the intention of committing a crime against the security of the country. The court also imposed an unspecified fine and ordered the confiscation of Rasoulofs property, Paknia added. CNN has reached out to Iranian authorities for comment. Rasoulof won a Golden Bear for best film at the Berlinale festival in 2020 for There Is No Evil and his film A Man of Integrity was recognized for a Certain Regard honor at Cannes in 2017. The writer-directors latest work, The Seed of the Sacred Fig is due to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in France next week. Ahead of the films release, the director and his production team faced pressure from the Iranian government, his lawyer has alleged, writing last week on X that some actors had been interrogated and barred from leaving the country by officials. According to Paknia, some also alleged they were asked by officials to tell Rasoulof to withdraw the film from the festival. Paknia also wrote last week on X that it was unclear whether Rasoulof would be able to travel to Cannes to attend the screening of his film. In 2022, an Iranian court sentenced Rasoulof to one year in prison and banned him from making films for two years on the charge of propaganda against the system, according to Human Rights Watch. Iranian authorities have previously arrested him multiple times and confiscated his passport because of his work, HRW said. In a statement, Irans Independent Filmmaker Association criticized the latest sentence handed to the director. Once again, the judiciarys verdict against Mohammad Rasoulof proved that the law is only a playground for stubbornness and revenge in the legal system contaminated by government jurisprudence, it said. Independent and freedom-loving cinematographers condemn the invalid judgment of the judiciary against Mohammad Rasoulof and stand by him and all the artists who make fun of government censorship. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com SHENZHEN, May 9 (Xinhua) -- China signed customs agreements on mutual Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) status with the Republic of Burundi and Iceland at the ongoing 6th WCO Global AEO Conference in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, on Thursday. Enterprises with AEO status can enjoy a series of preferential management measures, such as priority processing, reduced frequency of supervision and optimized services, which effectively reduce the cost of international trade and enhance the international competitiveness of enterprises. The AEO system, initiated by the World Customs Organization (WCO), aims to facilitate customs clearance for enterprises through customs agencies' authentication of enterprises with high levels of legal compliance and safety, and a high credit status. China has so far signed mutual AEO agreements with 28 economies, covering 54 countries and regions, ranking first in the world in terms of the number of agreements and the number of countries and regions with AEO mutual recognition. The latest customs statistics show that, as of the end of April, there were more than 5,800 enterprises with AEO status in China, accounting for 36.3 percent of China's foreign trade value. A court in Iran has sentenced renowned director Mohammad Rasoulof to eight years in prison, flogging, a fine, and the confiscation of property for national security crimes, his lawyer confirmed on Wednesday. In a statement on X, Rasoulofs lawyer Babak Paknia wrote that the court found Rasoulofs films and documentaries, along with his public statements, to be examples of collusion with the intention of committing a crime against the security of the country. Paknia added that the judgment was confirmed in a court of appeal and has now been sent for enforcement. 1/2 #__ ( ) . . Babak Paknia (@DrPaknia) May 8, 2024 Rasoulof is one of Irans most prominent directors, and his film The Seed of the Sacred Fig is scheduled to premiere at the Cannes film festival, which starts on 14 May. The director and the festival reportedly were under a lot of pressure from Iranian authorities to pull the film from competition. Producers of the film have also reported harassment and actors were summoned for questioning and have been banned from leaving the country. Last week, Paknia wrote on X that it wasnt clear whether Rasoulof would be able to travel to Cannes to attend his films screening. Mohammad Rasoulof (2nd from R) attends the photocall for Dast-Neveshtehaa Nemisoosand during The 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 24, 2013 in Cannes (Getty Images) In an email to The Guardian, Paknia confirmed the developments: He is accused of making [The Seed of the Sacred Fig] without obtaining a license from the related authorities, alongside accusations that the actresses were not applying hijab properly and were filmed without hijab. All key members of the film are banned from leaving the country and have been investigated by the security forces of the Ministry of Intelligence. Rasoulof has long faced legal persecution in his home country, but this is the harshest sentence among the series of punishments he has been given. Rasolouf was sentenced to six years in prison in 2010, later reduced to one year, after he was accused of filming without correct permits. In 2017, after Rasoulofs film on corruption in Iran, A Man of Integrity, won the Un Certain Regard sidebar at Cannes, his passport was confiscated when he returned to Tehran from Colorados Telluride Film Festival. He was then sentenced to a one-year prison term and a two-year ban on leaving the country. He was also prohibited from any participation in social or political activity two years later by the Islamic revolutionary court. Rasoulof then went on to win the Golden Bear, the Berlin Film Festivals top prize, in 2020 for his film about the death penalty in Iran, There Is No Evil. However, he was unable to attend the film festival because of the travel ban imposed on him and his daughter Baran received the award on his behalf. Baran Rasoulof phones Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof, winner of the Golden Bear for Best Film for the film There Is No Evil at the award winners press conference during the 70th Berlinale International Film Festival Berlin (Getty Images) He was then incarcerated again in July 2022, after he criticised the response of Iranian security forces to protests over a building collapse in Abadan. He was released in February 2023, but barred from attending the Cannes film festival, where he was to serve as a member of the Un Certain Regard jury. Irans Independent Filmmaker Association has criticised the judgment in a statement, reported CNN. Once again, the judiciarys verdict against Mohammad Rasoulof proved that the law is only a playground for stubbornness and revenge in the legal system contaminated by government jurisprudence, it said. Independent and freedom-loving cinematographers condemn the invalid judgment of the judiciary against Mohammad Rasoulof and stand by him and all the artists who make fun of government censorship. Appearances at film festivals for Iranian directors and actors sees a lot of persecution from the government, despite the countrys thriving film industry. Director Saeed Roustaee was sentenced to six months in prison for screening his film Leilas Brothers at the Cannes film festival in 2022. Actor Taraneh Alidoosti, who played the lead, spent almost three weeks in jail over her support for the protests that broke out in Iran in 2022 over the death of Mahsa Amini in custody. Celebrated director Jafar Panahi has been subjected to several detentions and house arrests, with his most recent seven months-long imprisonment ending in February 2023. Days before the premiere of his new film The Seed of the Sacred Fig in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival, acclaimed Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof has been sentenced to eight years in prison and flogging in Iran for national security crimes. Hell also be subjected to a fine and the confiscation of property. In a statement on X, Rasoulofs lawyer Babak Paknia said the court found Rasoulofs films and documentaries to be examples of collusion with the intention of committing a crime against the security of the country. The filmmaker, 52, has been a target of the authoritarian regime for years, and the timing of this sentence appears to be an attempt for the director and the Cannes Film Festival to remove the film from the festival altogether. Ahead of the films premiere, the directors production team already faced pressure from the Iranian government. Paknia wrote last week on X that some actors had been interrogated and barred from leaving the country by officials. According to Paknia, some also alleged they were asked by officials to pressure Rasoulof to withdraw the film from the festival. The Seed of the Sacred Fig Tree is apparently about a judge for the Revolutionary Court in Tehran dealing with the fallout from the nationwide protests that have swept the country in recent years, and he becomes paranoid when his gun disappears. In 2022, an Iranian court sentenced Rasoulof to one year in prison and banned him from making films for two years on the charge of propaganda against the system, according to Human Rights Watch. Iranian authorities have previously arrested him multiple times and confiscated his passport because of his work. In a statement, Irans Independent Filmmaker Association criticized the latest sentence handed to the director. Once again, the judiciarys verdict against Mohammad Rasoulof proved that the law is only a playground for stubbornness and revenge in the legal system contaminated by government jurisprudence, it said. Independent and freedom-loving cinematographers condemn the invalid judgment of the judiciary against Mohammad Rasoulof and stand by him and all the artists who make fun of government censorship. Rasoulof, who won the Golden Bear in Berlin in 2020 for his anti-capital punishment film There Is No Evil, was previously detained in July 2022 for sharing comments denouncing the government crackdown on the nationwide protests that year. He was temporarily released in 2023 due to health concerns, and was later pardoned and sentenced to one year of penal servitude, as well as a two-year ban from leaving Iran on the charge of propaganda against the regime. The director was asked to join the Cannes Un Certain Regard jury last year, but could not attend due to these imposed travel restrictions. Previously, Cannes has criticized the Islamic Republics repression of filmmakers, with the festival calling the imprisonment of Iranian director Saeed Roustaee a "serious violation of free speech in 2023. Roustaee was sentenced to six months in prison over his film Leila's Brothers, which screened at the 2022 edition of the festival. The film depicted economic struggles in Tehran. The 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival will open on 14 May and last until 25 May. An early morning operation to remOve tents which have been pitched by asylum seekers along a stretch of the Grand Canal. The asylum claimants moved into the area after another makeshift migrant camp surrounding the International Protection Office (IPO) on Mount Street, Dublin, was dismantled in multi-agency operation last week. Brian Lawless/PA Wire/dpa The Irish authorities cleared more than 100 tents and moved 163 asylum seekers to other accommodation in Dublin, they said on Thursday. The asylum seekers will have access to food, toilets, showers and health facilities in the other accommodation a government statement said. The authorities placed barriers along the city centre's Grand Canal to prevent people from establishing a new camp. Prime Minister Simon Harris said ministries and the authorities were to meet to discuss the issue. The accommodation of migrants is an important part of the response to increasing immigration, said Harris, calling for a broader approach. The opposition accused the government of lacking a well thought-out solution. Ireland is seeing a growing number of asylum seekers, with more than 610 people arriving in the past week alone, according to the Irish Times newspaper, citing government sources - usually the same number as arrive in a two-month period. According to the government, most are coming from Northern Ireland, with which no border checks take place. Some asylum seekers are coming to Ireland fearing Britain would deport them to Rwanda regardless of their origin, as the Conservative government in London seeks to deter irregular migrants and significantly reduce immigration. London is introducing a policy to send asylum seekers entering the country "illegally" to the east African nation to deter others from crossing the English Channel. Taoiseach of Ireland Simon Harris speaks to the media during an announcement of the Governments new Dublin City Taskforce, at Government Buildings. This follows an early morning operation to remove tents which have been pitched by asylum seekers along a stretch of the Grand Canal, Dublin. Brian Lawless/PA Wire/dpa A man from Irvine has been charged in federal court for allegedly orchestrating a scheme to steal multiple violins worth thousands of dollars, and then robbing a bank when he realized federal investigators were closing in on him. Mark Meng, 57, faces charges for bank robbery and wire fraud, according to the United States Department of Justice. He is expected in court Thursday. Prosecutors allege that Meng, posing as a collector, contacted violin shops across the country in search of valuable violins, which he then asked to be loaned to him so he could decide whether or not to purchase them. After receiving the violins, Meng kept them and eventually sold them to a violin dealer in Los Angeles who was unaware of the scheme. Among the violins stolen was an 1823 Lorenzo Ventapane violin valued at $175,000 and an 1870 Gand & Bernardel violin values at $60,000. Two other violins and a bow worth a combined $100,000 were also among those stolen and sold to the dealer, the DOJ said. The thefts eventually caught the attention of the FBI, which launched an investigation into Mengs dealings. A male suspect seen on surveillance cameras robbing a bank in Irvine on April 2, 2024 (Irvine Police Department) After realizing he was under investigation, Meng allegedly entered a bank in Irvine wearing a hat, sunglasses, a bandana and latex gloves and passed a note to the bank teller that stated: $18,000. Withdraw. Please. Stay Cool! No harm. Thx. The bank teller handed the cash to the suspect, who then he fled the scene in a white minivan, according to charging documents. The suspect's newer model white Toyota Sienna minivan. The DOJ said a latent print left on the robbery note was traced back to Meng and the getaway vehicle was found at his home. He was arrested several days later and has remained in custody since. If convicted on the two felony charges, Meng could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The case is being investigated by the FBIs dedicated Art Crime Team, with assistance from local police in Irvine and Glendale. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Will Israel arms freeze help Biden pull off same trick as Ronald Reagan? 'If they go into Rafah ... I'm not supplying the weapons', said Mr Biden - Alex Brandon/AP Joe Bidens decision to freeze exports of heavy munitions to Israel is a big moment but it is not without precedent. In the early 1980s, Ronald Reagan, then the US president, paused exports of F16 fighter jets and cluster bombs to the Middle Eastern state over its conduct in Lebanon. Just as today, the move was designed to bring to an end a brutal war that had been sparked by a terrorist attack and in which civilian massacres had caused a global outcry. Mr Reagan was trying to bring to heel Menachem Begin, Israels sixth Prime Minister and the founder of the Right-wing political party Likud. Mr Begin had laid siege to Beirut in a bid to finish off the leadership of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) and claim victory over what was then the Jewish states greatest foe. In a prime example of history repeating itself, Mr Bidens target is Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels current prime minister and head of Likud. He too has created a siege and is desperate to finish off his adversaries. Only by being able to claim total victory over Hamas in Gaza does he stand any chance of remaining in power. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah Im not supplying the weapons, Mr Biden told CNN on Wednesday night. Its just wrong. Were not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells. Like Mr Reagan before him, Mr Biden is likely to be guided not just by a gut feel for right and wrong, but by three other pressures one legal, one political and one strategic. Legally, the US is obliged to stop the export of weapons to countries that are deemed more likely than not to violate international law while using them. It is a new standard, introduced by Mr Biden himself last year, and the State Department was supposed to have published an assessment of Israels actions in relation to it on Wednesday. Ronald Reagan, a Republican and former Hollywood actor, was US president from 1981 to 1989 - Michael Evans/Getty Images Given that almost half the 35,000 civilians reported to have died in Gaza perished under heavy bombardment in the first three weeks of the war, it would not be surprising if Israel was found to be in breach. The bombs which did the bulk of the damage in that early blitzkrieg were the type of large diameter 2,000lb and 500lb bombs which have now been put on hold. Asked by CNN, Have those bombs been used to kill civilians in Gaza? Biden responded that they had. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs, he said. The State Departments legal opinion on arms exports to Israel is expected to be published late on Friday. In 1982, Mr Reagan also cited legal concerns over the export of F16 fighter jets to Israel. We are forbidden by law to release those planes, he said amid the war in Lebanon. Politically, Mr Biden is also coming under extreme pressure. He is running for re-election and the polls are tight, with much of his liberal base repulsed by Israels actions in Gaza. His big hope is to force a ceasefire well ahead of the November election something that will open the prospect of a wider peace in the middle east through the normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Biden is desperately trying to score with a grand deal but is running out of time, said the Israeli economist Manuel Trajtenberg. He has two levers: arms and the UN, so he is serious. The final element is strategic. Israel is forging deep ties with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the other Gulf states, but it is still reliant on the US for much of its clout in the region. As Mr Reagan put it back in 1982: Israel can only know real security if it doesnt have to remain an armed camp far beyond what its size warrants. He added that Israels security would only be guaranteed by having neighbours that recognise its right to exist. Reagan limited arms sales to Menachem Begin (L), then prime minister of Israel - UPI Mr Reagans arms freeze did the trick: Israel pulled out of Lebanon, the PLOs leadership moved on and Mr Begin was pushed out as prime minister the following year. So can Mr Biden pull off the same manoeuvre? It certainly presents Netanyahu with a sharp dilemma: whether to push ahead with a full operation in Rafah and lose US support; or hold off and risk losing the support of his hard right coalition members, said Hugh Lovatt, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. He may try to split the difference by limiting himself to an operation along the Philadelphia corridor which the US has indicated is more acceptable. He could also seek to blame Israels current strategic impasse on Biden, arguing that were it not for Biden turning against Israel, he would have defeated Hamas. But there is also the prospect of the arms freezing backfiring. Its problematic, said Sima Shine, an Iran specialist and former Mossad officer. It works against the national pride of the Israeli People. It makes it much more difficult for [moderates] like Benny Ganz to leave the government. Hell be presented as a puppet of the US, harming his chances to win elections. In that sense it plays into the hands of the extremists. In addition, its emboldening our and the US enemies Iran and its proxies. 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. icon Semafor Signals Supported by Microsoft logo Insights from The Washington Post, Financial Times, and The Telegraph Arrow Down Title icon The News Israeli officials have strongly criticized the US decision to halt shipping some heavy bombs to Israel. The freeze could encourage Hamas and indicate there is a growing divide between Israel and its allies, they said. Any pressure on Israel is interpreted by our enemies as something that gives them hope, Israels UN envoy told KAN public radio. Senior Israeli officials told their American counterparts the move could also jeopardize the already perilous hostage negotiations, strengthening Hamas position, Axios reported. Israels far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir went further. In a post on X he wrote Hamas Biden. And in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Ben-Gvir said Trump would have handled the war better than Biden, a comment that drew quick criticism from centrist and opposition Israeli politicians. The US paused the shipment of high-payload munitions to Israel due to concern over the civilian consequences of a major ground operation into Rafah. US President Joe Biden said that if Israel attacked Rafah, the US would stop providing weapons that could be used in the assault. However, the US would keep providing defensive weapons, including Iron Dome interceptors. Were not walking away from Israels security. Were walking away from Israels ability to wage war in those areas, Biden said on CNN. icon SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. US bombs are linked to extensive civilian casualties Source icon Sources: The Washington Post, CNN, The Telegraph The weapons at issue include 2,000-pound bombs capable of leveling entire city blocks. Human rights organizations have said these munitions have already caused extreme civilian harm in Gaza. The bombs, which can be lethal at a range of more than 1,000 feet, have been linked to previous mass-casualty events throughout Israels military campaign in Gaza, The Washington Post reported. The use of 2,000-pound bombs in an area as densely populated as Gaza means it will take decades for communities to recover, John Chappell of the Center for Civilians in Conflict told CNN. Indeed, the bombs are rarely used by Western militaries in urban areas because of the scale of civilian casualties they can inflict. Israel surges as fears of an all-out assault grow in Rafah Source icon Sources: Reuters, Financial Times The Israeli military presence outside Rafah grew on Thursday, as the IDF fired at positions inside the city, while Hamas said they hit Israeli positions, too. Inside Rafah, thousands of Palestinians are bracing for a large-scale attack. Last night was very violent, with nonstop bombardment and the boom of explosions and ambulance sirens, a displaced man from the north of the Gaza Strip told the Financial Times. Israel has told civilians to leave Rafah, but only 80,000 of the more than 1 million civilians in the city have fled, a UN agency said. Aid groups said Israel has told people to go to areas that cant actually accommodate them, with the head of Mercy Corps describing tents stretched endlessly under scorching sun with no relief in sight and no electricity, water, or aid. Semafor Logo Israel due to get billions of dollars more in US weapons despite Biden pause By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Billions of dollars worth of U.S. weaponry remains in the pipeline for Israel, despite the delay of one shipment of bombs and a review of others by President Joe Biden's administration, concerned their use in an assault could wreak more devastation on Palestinian civilians. A senior U.S. official said this week that the administration had reviewed the delivery of weapons that Israel might use for a major invasion of Rafah, a southern Gaza city where over 1 million civilians have sought refuge, and as a result paused a shipment of bombs to Israel. Washington has long urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government not to invade Rafah without safeguards for civilians, seven months into a war that has devastated Gaza. Congressional aides estimated the delayed bomb shipment's value as "tens of millions" of U.S. dollars. A wide range of other military equipment is due to go to Israel, including joint direct attack munitions (JDAMS), which convert dumb bombs into precision weapons; and tank rounds, mortars and armored tactical vehicles, Senator Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters. Risch said those munitions were not moving through the approval process as quickly as they should be, noting some had been in the works since December, while assistance for Israel more typically sails through the review process within weeks. Biden administration officials have said they are reviewing additional arms sales, and Biden warned Israel in a CNN interview on Wednesday that the U.S. would stop supplying weapons if Israeli forces make a major invasion of Rafah. Israel's assault on Gaza was triggered by an Oct. 7 attack by Islamist Hamas militants, which by its tallies killed 1,200. The subsequent Israeli bombardment has killed some 35,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, and displaced the majority of Gaza's 2.3 million people. Separately, Representative Gregory Meeks, top Democrat on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, has put a hold on an $18 billion arms transfer of package for Israel that would include dozens of Boeing Co. F-15 aircraft while he awaits more information about how Israel would use them. Biden's support for Israel in its war against Hamas has emerged as a political liability for the president, particularly among young Democrats, as he runs for re-election this year. It fueled a wave of "uncommitted" protest votes in primaries and has driven pro-Palestinian protests at U.S. universities. None of those weapons agreements are part of a spending package Biden signed last month that included about $26 billion to support Israel and provide humanitarian aid. Risch and Meeks are two of the four U.S. lawmakers - the chair and ranking member of Senate Foreign Relations and chair and ranking member on House Foreign Affairs - who review major foreign weapons deals. 'FINGERNAILS' Netanyahu issued a video statement on Thursday saying Israelis "would fight with their fingernails" in an apparent rebuff of Biden. Republicans accused Biden of backing down on his commitments to Israel. "If the Commander-in-Chief cant muster the political courage to stand up to radicals on his left flank and stand up for an ally at war, the consequences will be grave," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said in a Senate speech. Ten other Senate Republicans held a press conference to announce a non-binding resolution condemning "any action by the Biden Administration to withhold or restrict weapons for Israel." White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Israel was still getting the weapons it needs to defend itself. "He's (Biden's) going to continue to provide Israel with the capabilities that it needs, all of them," Kirby said. Some Congressional Democrats welcomed Biden's action. Senator Chris Murphy, the Democratic chair of the Foreign Relations Mideast subcommittee, cited concern about Rafah. "I do not think it is our strategic or moral interest to help Israel conduct a campaign in Rafah that is likely to kill thousands of innocent civilians and not likely impact Hamas' long-term strength in a meaningful way," he told Reuters. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle. Additional reporting by Mike Stone,Humeyra Pamuk, Trevor Hunnicutt. Editing by Idrees Ali and David Gregorio) Talks for a hostage deal and cease-fire between Israel and Hamas have paused in part because of the ongoing fighting in Rafah, according to two people familiar with the negotiations. Hamas is still willing to negotiate a deal but has largely stepped back from the table because of Israels operation in the city, the people said. Both were granted anonymity to speak freely about the talks. The people stressed that this does not mean talks have broken down completely. Hamas has told Doha that it is willing to keep negotiating. The U.S. has people in the region to participate in future talks, but all those who were involved in the negotiations in recent days have left, they said. CIA Director Bill Burns was heading back to Washington on Thursday after days of trying to negotiate with officials from Egypt, Israel and Qatar to seal a deal that would institute a temporary cease-fire and allow for the release of dozens of hostages from Gaza, along with potentially hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israel. Burns was always scheduled to come back to Washington at the end of this week, one of the people familiar with the negotiations said. But his departure without a deal in hand raises questions about how the ongoing fighting in Rafah will impact the talks in the coming days. His departure does not connote the end of the current round of negotiations, National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Thursday. "We're going to stay engaged in the hopes that we might be able to land something. Its unclear when the formal talks between top leaders, including Burns, will resume, particularly as the fighting on the ground in Rafah shows no signs of slowing down. U.S. officials had been pushing to reach a deal before fighting intensified even more in Rafah which now appears unlikely. Even before this pause, negotiators had been struggling to reconcile conflicting proposals from both sides. Israel at the end of April presented Hamas with a new deal that would lead to the release of 900 Palestinian prisoners 200 more than was included in a previous proposal. Israel also agreed to allow for the flow of Gazans to the northern part of the enclave a key demand from Hamas. That deal called for the release of women and children hostages as well as elderly hostages and those who are in need of immediate medical care. Under the agreement, the hostages would be released in waves. Hamas said recently it does not have 40 hostages that fit in that category, signaling that some may have died in captivity. At an event at the World Economic Forum in Riyadh on April 29, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the proposal extraordinarily generous on the part of Israel and urged Hamas to accept the deal. On Monday, Hamas announced that it had accepted a cease-fire deal, but Israel said the terms Hamas agreed to were far from meeting its demands and that the IDF would move forward with its operation in Rafah. The Biden administration has for months pushed for both Hamas and Israel to agree to a six-week cease-fire with the hope that the pause in fighting would potentially be extended. The broad terms of the deal have been on the table for some time that Hamas would oversee the release of dozens of hostages while Israel released the Palestinian prisoners. Both sides also agreed to allow additional aid into Gaza. But Hamas and Israel went back and forth for months on the ratio of prisoners to hostages and how much access Hamas should get to the north. U.S. officials have previously said that as many as four Americans were still being held in Gaza. But details about their status have been scarce. Its unclear if the bodies of those who have died while being held captive in Gaza will be sent out of the enclave as part of the hostage release. Smoke billows after Israeli strikes on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip amid the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Israeli troops have killed about 50 gunmen since advancing into the eastern part of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip at the start of the week, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Thursday evening. According to army estimates, around 150,000 Palestinians have been evacuated from eastern Rafah since the beginning of the operation. Israeli soldiers have also advanced into parts of Rafah on the border with Egypt, with the army taking control of the border crossing on the Palestinian side. The Times of Israel reported that the Israeli army is not currently planning to extend the call for evacuation to areas of Rafah beyond the east, in light of ongoing hostage negotiations with Hamas. During the Rafah operation, a further 10 tunnel shafts have also been found and preparations are currently being made to blow them up, the IDF said. On Thursday, three Israeli soldiers were injured in a booby-trapped tunnel, according to the military. They were taken to hospital for medical treatment. The lettering and logo of the Arab news channel Al-Jazeera can be seen on the company's premises. Tim Brakemeier/dpa Israeli police have raided the offices of broadcaster Al Jazeera in the city of Nazareth, confiscating equipment belonging to the Arab-language TV channel. The raid comes several days after the Israeli government banned Al Jazeera, both blocking access to Al Jazeera's content in Israel and banning the broadcaster from operating. Israel's communications minister signed a closure order for the broadcaster on Sunday, and Al Jazeera's office in the Ambassador Hotel in East Jerusalem was raided that same day. Israel accuses the channel of biased reporting in the Gaza war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had already announced his intention to close the TV network's facilities operating in Israel more than a month ago. Israel's parliament had previously approved a measure widely known as the Al Jazeera law that enables the government to shut down and ban foreign broadcasters if they are classified as a risk to state security. The broadcaster has categorically rejected the Israeli accusations and described the ban as a "criminal act" that violated human rights and the fundamental right of access to information. Al Jazeera said it would take all possible action against the move and defend the rights of the broadcaster and its employees. An aerial drone photo taken on May 11, 2024 shows the Innovation 5 vessel arriving at Jiangjin Luohuang Port in southwest China's Chongqing. This 10,000-tonne-class sea-going vessel arrived in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Wednesday, becoming the first ship of its size to sail into the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) CHONGQING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- A 10,000-tonne-class sea-going vessel arrived in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Wednesday, becoming the first ship of its size to sail into the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. The Innovation 5, carrying over 5,000 tonnes of food, departed from Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in the eastern coastal province of Zhejiang on April 24. It traveled via the Chongqing-Zhoushan river-sea direct route, which links directly the municipality in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River with the sea. During its voyage, the recently designed ship passed through the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydropower project, in the upper stream of the Yangtze. Due to draft requirements, it is difficult for 10,000-tonne-class ships to pass through the dam. Thanks to the Chongqing-Zhoushan river-sea direct route, the transportation time between harbors in Chongqing and Ningbo-Zhoushan Port has been shortened by about 20 days compared with traditional river-sea intermodal transportation. An aerial drone photo taken on May 11, 2024 shows the Innovation 5 vessel arriving at Jiangjin Luohuang Port in southwest China's Chongqing. This 10,000-tonne-class sea-going vessel arrived in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Wednesday, becoming the first ship of its size to sail into the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) This photo taken on May 12, 2024 shows the Innovation 5 vessel at Jiangjin Luohuang Port in southwest China's Chongqing. This 10,000-tonne-class sea-going vessel arrived in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Wednesday, becoming the first ship of its size to sail into the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) This photo taken on May 12, 2024 shows a scene at the reception ceremony for the first trial sailing of Chongqing-Zhoushan river-sea direct route at Jiangjin Luohuang Port in southwest China's Chongqing. This 10,000-tonne-class sea-going vessel arrived in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Wednesday, becoming the first ship of its size to sail into the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) An aerial drone photo taken on May 11, 2024 shows the Innovation 5 vessel arriving at Jiangjin Luohuang Port in southwest China's Chongqing. This 10,000-tonne-class sea-going vessel arrived in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Wednesday, becoming the first ship of its size to sail into the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) This photo taken on May 11, 2024 shows the Innovation 5 vessel arriving at Jiangjin Luohuang Port in southwest China's Chongqing. This 10,000-tonne-class sea-going vessel arrived in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Wednesday, becoming the first ship of its size to sail into the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) An aerial drone photo taken on May 11, 2024 shows the Innovation 5 vessel arriving at Jiangjin Luohuang Port in southwest China's Chongqing. This 10,000-tonne-class sea-going vessel arrived in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Wednesday, becoming the first ship of its size to sail into the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) This photo taken on May 11, 2024 shows the Innovation 5 vessel about to arrive at Jiangjin Luohuang Port in southwest China's Chongqing. This 10,000-tonne-class sea-going vessel arrived in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Wednesday, becoming the first ship of its size to sail into the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) Senior Israeli politicians have expressed anger and dismay at President Joe Bidens warning that he would halt shipments of U.S. weapons to Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a full-scale ground invasion of Rafahthe city in southern Gaza where over a million Palestinians are sheltering from the conflict. In a CNN interview Wednesday, Biden acknowledged that American-made bombs had been used to kill civilians in Gaza and said hed made it clear to Israel that if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, to deal with that problem. Joe Biden Reveals Ultimatum He Gave Benjamin Netanyahu Over Weapons His comments were his strongest caution yet against launching a full-scale invasion of the citya step Netanyahu claims is crucial in securing victory over Hamas, while Israels international allies fear it would lead to more civilian casualties and deepen an already dire humanitarian crisis. Netanyahu has not directly responded to Bidens warning, but on Thursday he shared a clip on X from a speech he delivered earlier this week. 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 says in the footage. He later adds: If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz also appeared to obliquely respond to Bidens comments in an X post. Israel will continue to fight Hamas until its destruction, Katz wrote. There is no war more just than this. Others were more explicit. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a hard-right leader of a pro-settler party, vowed that Israel will achieve complete victory in this war despite President Bidens push back and arms embargo. We simply have no choice as this war is an existential one and anything other than complete victory will put the existence of the Jewish state in danger, he added in an X thread. Itamar Ben-Gvir, the Israeli national security minister, tweeted simply: Hamas Biden. Gilad Erdan, Israels ambassador to the United Nations, also weighed in, telling Kan public radio that Bidens warning was a difficult and very disappointing remark, according to The Times of Israel. Of course any pressure on Israel is interpreted by our enemies as something that gives them hope, he said. There are many Jewish Americans who voted for the president and for the Democratic Party, and now they are hesitant. Israeli President Isaac Herzog, however, seemed to rebuke some of the right-wingers chastising Biden, whom he described as a great friend of the state of Israel. Speaking at an event commemorating the Allies World War II victory over Nazi Germany, Herzog added: Even when there are disagreements and moments of disappointment between friends and allies, the disputes should be resolved in a certain way, and it is beholden upon all of us to avoid baseless, irresponsible and insulting statements and tweets that harm the national security and the interests of the state of Israel. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Tel Aviv Some of Israel's most senior far-right politicians lashed out Thursday at President Biden after he warned the White House could withhold more weapons shipments to the Israeli military if it launches a major military ground assault on Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah. Israel's ultra-nationalist, firebrand National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a short message on social media suggesting, with a heart emoji, that the militant group Hamas, which Israel has been at war with for seven devastating months in Gaza, loved Mr. Biden for his threat to withhold the weapons. Parliamentarian Dan Illouz, a lawmaker from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's own Likud party, said the U.S. leader's action, "not only jeopardizes Israel but the entire free world." A Jan. 27, 2023 file photo shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (L) at the scene of an attack in a Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem that left seven people dead. / Credit: Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency/Getty Israel's President Isaac Herzog, considered a more moderate politician, who is not a member of Netanyahu's far-right coalition government, appeared to chastise his more extreme colleagues on Thursday. Speaking at an event to mark the allies' victory in Europe over Nazi Germany during World War II, Herzog lauded Israel's "greatest ally the United States of America," thanking Mr. Biden by name for his support "from the first day of the war." "Even when there are disagreements and moments of disappointment between friends and allies, there is a way to clarify the disputes and it is beholden upon all of us to avoid baseless, irresponsible and insulting statements and tweets that harm the national security and the interests of the State of Israel," Herzog added. Speaking Wednesday to CNN, Mr. Biden said it would be "just wrong" if U.S.-supplied weapons were used in attacks that led to mass civilian deaths in a full-scale Rafah ground offensive. If Israel does go ahead with such an operation, he said the U.S. was "not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells used" for it. U.S. officials have confirmed that the Biden administration paused a weapons shipment to Israel last week of 1,800 one-ton bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs over concern that the Israel Defense Forces would drop them on Rafah. The southern Gazan city is one of the most densely-inhabited places on the planet, with an estimated 1.4 million Palestinians having sought shelter there from across the decimated territory. The IDF ordered people in the eastern part of the city to leave this week, sparking a desperate exodus of thousands many of whom had already been forced to flee from other locations multiple times. IDF tanks rolled in to take control of the Gaza side of Rafah's crucial border crossing with Egypt on Tuesday, soon after the evacuation order was issued, and Israel said it was carrying out "a precise counterterrorism operation to eliminate Hamas terrorists and infrastructure" in the area. "They're not going to get our support if in fact they go into these population centers," said Mr. Biden. "We're not walking away from Israel's security we're walking away from Israel's ability to wage war in those areas." Mr. Biden stressed that the U.S. would, "continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently." Netanyahu has said in recent days amid mounting pressure from the U.S. and other global partners to limit the scope of operations in Rafah that if "Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone." He's vowed to go ahead with the Rafah operation, which he's said for weeks is necessary to destroy hundreds of Hamas fighters holed up in the city. Rafah is considered the last stronghold of the group that ruled Gaza for almost two decades, before it sparked the current war with its deadly Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel. Israel says Hamas killed about 1,200 people with that assault and took some 240 others hostage. About 100 of those captives are still believed to be alive in Gaza, including five U.S. nationals. The enclave's Hamas-run Health Ministry, meanwhile, says Israel's retaliatory war has killed almost 35,000 people. Gazan officials do not distinguish between combatant and civilian casualties, and the IDF, without offering evidence, claims to have killed about 10,000 terrorists with its response to the Oct. 7 attack. / Credit: Getty/iStockphoto Since Israel heralded the start of its Rafah operations this week, frightened Gazans have fled daily from Israeli airstrikes, flooding the city's last functioning hospital, the Kuwaiti Hospital, with the dead and wounded. "The health situation in Rafah is now very miserable," Dr. Jamal Al-Humss, the hospital's director-general, told CBS News. He said about 300,000 people in Rafah are now relying on the facility, which he warned was overflowing and understaffed. In recent days, Hamas long considered a terrorist group by the U.S. and Israel has continued to launch rocket and mortar attacks from Rafah. One strike on Sunday killed four Israeli soldiers. Israeli national security expert Chuck Freilich, at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, accepts that there are likely still four Hamas battalions operating in Rafah. But speaking with CBS News on Thursday, he argued that Israel had already won and lost the war with Hamas. "If you look at it from a purely military perspective, I think Israel won the war by the middle of December," he said. "We had essentially destroyed Hamas as a military force." "At the same time, if you mean the overall strategic picture of the war, Israel may have lost. Its international standing is bad, and now we've seen this emerging divide with the United States," said Freilich. "For Hamas, it's an incredible achievement, and for us, it's a very severe problem." CBS News' Tucker Reals contributed to this report. Violence erupts amid Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud 2 skiers killed, 1 rescued after Utah avalanche A look at the growing trend of women becoming single parents by choice Experts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believe that the latest Russian strikes are intended to degrade Ukraine's power grid and depleted air defences before the arrival of US security assistance. Source: ISW Details: The report notes that Russian forces carried out large-scale missile and drone strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure on the night of 7-8 May, further exerting pressure on Ukraine's exhausted air defence capabilities ahead of the arrival of major US and Western security assistance. Analysts note that this is the fifth large-scale Russian missile and drone strike on Ukrainian energy infrastructure since 22 March 2024. In addition, the ISW says Russian troops have also stepped up strikes on Ukrainian transport infrastructure in recent weeks, apparently in an effort to disrupt Ukrainian ground lines of communication and limit the flow of expected US security assistance to the battlefield. Russian forces continue to aggressively attack Ukrainian energy facilities with a limited series of large-scale missile and drone strikes, signalling that Russia is prioritising efforts to disrupt the power grid. Alternatively, it may seek to use a larger number of missiles to weaken the Ukrainian air defence umbrella in close proximity to energy facilities and cause significant damage. To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways on 8 May: Russian forces conducted large-scale missile and drone strikes targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure on the night of 7 to 8 May, continuing to exploit Ukraine's degraded air defence umbrella ahead of the arrival of US and Western security assistance at scale. Recent satellite imagery of depleted Russian military vehicle and weapons storage facilities further indicates that Russia is currently sustaining its war effort largely by pulling from storage rather than by manufacturing new vehicles and certain weapons at scale. Russia is relying on vast Soviet-era stores of vehicles and other equipment to sustain operations and losses in Ukraine at a level far higher than the current Russian DIB could support, nor will Russia be able to mobilise its DIB to replenish these stores for many years. The Georgian State Security Service (SUS) is employing standard Kremlin information operations against Georgians protesting Georgia's Russian-style "foreign agents" bill following the lead of Georgian Dream party founder and former Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. Armenia's efforts to distance itself from Russia are increasingly forcing the Kremlin to acknowledge issues in the bilateral relationship. Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte stated that the Lithuanian government has granted permission for Lithuania to send troops to Ukraine for training missions in the future. Reports indicate that there is an available open-source tool that allows people to search by specific coordinates for Telegram users who have enabled a certain location-sharing setting. Russian forces recently advanced near Svatove, Kreminna, and Avdiivka and in the Donetsk-Zaporizhzhia Oblast border area. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu continues to highlight Russian formations involved in Russias invasion of Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! Eugenia Roccella, Italy's family minister says she was subjected to censorship by the students - Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse ceciliafabiano/Shutterstock An Italian minister was booed off stage after a government decision to allow anti-abortion groups into clinics to persuade women not to terminate their pregnancy. Eugenia Roccella, the family minister in Italys hard-Right coalition, had to abandon an event in Rome after being booed, whistled at and heckled by student protestors. They held up placards which spelt Io decido or I decide, saying the government should have no role in whether women choose to have an abortion or not, a right that has been guaranteed since 1978. The coalition led by Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister, last month sparked controversy after passing legislation which allows pro-life groups into publicly run family planning clinics. Protestors hold up letters spelling out 'Io decido', which means 'I decide' - Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse/Shutterstock Opposition parties called the law an attack on abortion rights. The minister, a member of the hard-Right Brothers of Italy party, later said she had been subjected to censorship at the event, which is intended to address Italys drastically low birth rate. This was just not about censoring me or the government, but a profound hostility towards maternity and paternity, she claimed. The protest swiftly became a broader political row, with Ms Meloni saying it was outrageous that the minister had not been allowed to speak. Ms Meloni, who is staunchly anti-abortion, offered her full and unconditional solidarity to the minister. The spectacle that took place this morning was despicable. Once again, a minister was prevented from expressing their ideas, she wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Its time to say enough is enough. She accused the protesters of censoring Ms Roccella, saying they had stopped her from talking because they dont agree with her ideas. She called on all political parties to condemn with no ifs or buts the actions of the demonstrators. The president of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, also condemned the demonstration, saying that wanting to silence those who think differently is at odds with the foundations of civilisation and of our constitution. But many opposition MPs refused to criticise the protesters. Protest is the basis of democracy, said Angelo Bonelli, an MP from the Green-Left Alliance. He accused the government of allowing religious-fundamentalist organisations to enter abortion clinics and said he fully supported the demonstrators, many of whom were women. Critics of the government say that abortion is one of the areas in which it is beginning to show hard-Right views. Pope Francis is due to participate in the conference on fertility on Friday. Birth rates in Italy have been declining for years, prompting concern for the countrys future. Among EU nations, Italy has one of the lowest birth rates, along with the likes of Malta and Spain. While the right to have an abortion is enshrined in law, in reality it can be hard to access because a high proportion of Italian doctors refuse to perform the operation. Around 68 per cent of gynaecologists identify as conscientious objectors on moral or religious grounds, according to the health ministry. Rates are even higher in southern regions like Sicily, Calabria and Basilicata. 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. Doreen Lawrence took her seat has worked as a race relations adviser for the Labour Party - ANTHONY DEVLIN/GETTY Jack Straw, the former home secretary, was the source of a newspaper story concerning the murder of Stephen Lawrence that the late teenagers mother has alleged was obtained illegally, court documents suggest. Baroness Lawrence is among seven high-profile figures, including the Duke of Sussex and Sir Elton John, who have brought High Court claims against Associated Newspapers Limited, publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. The allegations include the hiring of private investigators to place listening devices inside cars, blagging private records and phone hacking. In the publishers written defence, made public this week, Andrew Caldecott KC and Adrian Beltrami KC strongly denied the claims, warning that the case was without foundation and an affront to the hard-working professional journalists whose reputations and integrity, as well as that of Associated itself, are wrongly traduced. Stephen Lawrence, 18, an aspiring architect, was stabbed to death by a group of up to six white youths as he waited at a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London, in 1993. The Daily Mail was at the forefront of a campaign to bring his killers to justice, famously branding the five men Gary Dobson, Neil Acourt, Jamie Acourt, Luke Knight, and David Norris murderers in February 1997 and challenging them to sue for libel. But among the stories Lady Lawrence has claimed were obtained unlawfully was a front page story revealing that the government planned to launch a new public inquiry into her sons death, which was published by the newspaper five months later, in July 1997. Jack Straw was Home Secretary from 1997 to 2001 - JEFF OVERS/BBC It revealed that Mr Straw, the then-Home Secretary, had decided to establish a major public inquiry, led by a senior judge, and that the Lawrence family was considering bringing a second private prosecution against two of the suspects, Acourt and Norris, as well as an action for damages against all five. The publisher denied that the story was obtained via the misuse of private information or that the information was legally privileged. In fact, it said the main detail had been passed to the newspapers editor directly by Mr Straw. The information that the Home Secretary, Jack Straw, was to set up a major public inquiry into Stephen Lawrences murder was provided to Mr Dacre, editor of the Daily Mail, by Mr Straw who told him that his papers campaign had been a significant factor in this decision, court documents state. The information concerning a private prosecution was said to have been sourced from previous newspaper reports, not least those quoting the familys solicitor Imran Khan, who had said, variously, that the suspects would be sued for damages and that the family would launch civil action. Associated noted that no complaint was made by the claimant or her family at the time of original publication, which would have been expected had the information been closely guarded. Forensic breakthrough Another story, revealing that the five murder suspects faced new charges after a forensic breakthrough, which was published a decade later in November 2007, was sourced from a senior police officer in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) rather than phone hacking, Associated said. It was then confirmed by a Scotland Yard press officer. The source, who was not a member of the re-investigation team, contacted the newspapers crime editor to share the development, which was being discussed among Scotland Yard officers. Associated said Lady Lawrence had not identified what information in the article was private or confidential, nor alleged that the information was contained in voicemail messages. It is denied that the article contained details of the MPS communications with the Lawrence family other than the anodyne fact that the claimant was thought to have been alerted to the dramatic development and the familys lawyers had also been notified, court documents state. The publisher said the information contained in the article was not private or confidential. It said the source was not paid and that information was not obtained through phone hacking. In January 2012, Dobson and Norris were found guilty of being involved in Stephen Lawrences murder and sentenced to life imprisonment after a forensic review of the case found significant new scientific evidence on clothing seized from their homes. Lady Lawrence took her seat in the House of Lords in 2013, and subsequently was appointed a race relations adviser for the Labour Party. No findings have been yet made in the High Court case and the legal claims are in the preliminary stages. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) A woman whose remains were found down a steep cliff off Highway 1 nearly 60 years ago has been identified, the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office announced Wednesday. On Feb. 3, 1967, the womans decomposed remains were found at the bottom of a cliff north of Jenner. The woman was listed as a Jane Doe and her cause of death was listed as multiple skull and rib fractures. How she got the injuries was unknown, according to law enforcement. After efforts to identify her were unsuccessful, Jane Doe was laid to rest at the County of Sonoma Cemetery. Suspect in SF hit-and-run rampage identified In 2009, her body was exhumed with the assistance of anthropology professor Dr. Mark Griffin from San Francisco State University. The examination determined that Jane Doe was a white woman between 40 and 46 years old and that she was the victim of a homicide. Early last year, Jane Does DNA was analyzed by Othram Inc., a forensic genetic analysis company. Through DNA analysis, Othram identified Jane Doe as Lillian Marie Cardenas. Graphic: Sonoma County Sheriff Cardenas, officials said, was born in 1928 and was last known to have lived in San Francisco. She had been estranged from her surviving family prior to her death. The Sonoma Sheriffs Office is looking for information about Cardenas life or death to try and piece together what happened to her. Anyone with relevant information can contact the Cold Case Unit at (707) 565-2727. The Sonoma Sheriffs Office has expanded its genetic genealogy caseload and is working with the California Department of Justice in a polit program to solve more Doe cases. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. JARRELL, Texas (KXAN) At their meeting Tuesday night, Jarrell city council members discussed and responded to allegations made in a sexual harassment and discrimination complaint filed by the citys manager. The complaint alleges inappropriate behavior from three male council members and at least one instance of unwanted touching. In a social media post on May 4, Mayor Patrick Sherek said the council would address harassment and sexual discrimination reported by City Manager Danielle Singh. In the post Sherek wrote in part this complaint is deeply concerning and has the potential for a multi-million dollar lawsuit against our city. At the evening meeting, Sherek read emails between Singh and council members named in the complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Much of the complaint cited inappropriate interactions Singh experienced with Council Member Jeff Seidel. The complaint claims Seidel gave Singh multiple unwanted compliments in person, over the phone, and through texts despite being asked to stop. It also alleges that he rubbed his hands up and down her back and on several occasions told Singh she could not hang with the men. During the meeting, Sherek played a recording of an online conference call between Seidel, Singh, other city personnel, and a vendor. In the recording, Seidel could be heard saying the [Jarrell] government is brand new. Its technologically a virgin so you can do anything you want. In response, Seidel said the recording was out of context and his words were misconstrued. With a broad brush, Jarrell has no technology. I mean it really hasnt been developed, it is a blank canvas, Seidel said. We spoke to Sherek the morning after the meeting, he said this is the second time in Singhs nine months in her role that her job has come before the city council. The complaint alleged that three male council members are working to have Singh fired from the job as retaliation for reporting the harassment, the first attempt taking place at a March city council meeting. Sherek said Singh is still serving as the citys manager following this latest meeting. He said the alleged behavior from members of the council is deeply troubling. I dont know what to do to get those actions to stop. That is the reason why I highlighted some of their behaviors at last nights meeting. It is my job as Mayor and I would feel complicit if I didnt let people know what was going on, Sherek said. City Managers Attorneys and Council Member respond to complaint We reached out to Kaplan Law Firm who is representing Singh and filed her complaint to the EEOC. In a statement, the firm said Singh has pursued this complaint in an effort to keep other women employed with the City of Jarrell from experiencing similar harassment. We are proud to support Danielle Singh in her efforts to stop harassment and discrimination. Our client is a highly successful City Manager, but unfortunately was harassed, discriminated against, and retaliated against all of which threaten to derail her quality work. She first raised these issues to the City, and unfortunately nothing changed. So, she took the next legal steps toward finally putting an end to sexual harassment and gender discrimination at City Hall in Jarrell, so that she and all other women can have a workplace free from sexual harassment, and so women in Jarrell will have the same opportunity to succeed at their jobs as their male counterparts, Singhs attorneys wrote in a statement. We reached out to all members of the Jarrell city council, including Seidel, but only received a response from Council Member Adam Marsh who is also named in the complaint. In a statement, he said Singhs accusations were eye opening but denied any wrongdoing. So, while we have all been advised by our attorney to not speak on the matter, I feel that it is important to make a statement. The EEOC complaint filed by the City Manager was eye opening and definitely deserves to be taken seriously. At no time did I ever diminish the importance of her complaint and allegations. The City Managers one complaint on me in the EEOC document is completely false. I dont know if she misread the email that she referenced in her complaint or if she intentionally falsified the complaint because I requested an executive session on the City Manager for a completely unrelated issue. The email she referenced in her complaint where I used the phrase childlike behaviors was in reference to the release of emails to the public outside of normal procedures, and then the posting of these emails to Facebook. It had absolutely nothing to do with her complaints of sexual harassment or discrimination. I cannot answer why the City Manager would include me in her EEOC complaint using false information. You would need to ask her that, Marsh wrote. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) First Lady Jill Biden arrives in Portland Thursday to fundraise for President Bidens campaign. The First Lady is expected to arrive in the early afternoon. She wont be in the Rose City for long. She has another event on Thursday evening in California. The reception with the First Lady is already sold out, with tickets ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 per person. It isnt known where Biden will be visiting, however, Lake Oswego Police did issue a traffic alert in the city due to a dignitary visit to the metro area. KOIN 6 News will have complete coverage of the First Ladys visit throughout the day. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. CNN President Joe Biden said Wednesday that if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders an invasion of Rafah, in the Gaza Strip, then he will not supply Israel with any more American-made weapons. In an interview on CNNs Erin Burnett OutFront a week after Biden paused weapons shipments, the president also acknowledged that those weapons have been used to kill civilians in the territory. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers, he said. I made it clear that if they go into Rafahthey havent gone in Rafah yetif they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, to deal with that problem, Biden explained. Israels military operations thus far in Rafahlaunching strikes close to the citys border areashavent yet crossed a red line warranting cutting off its weapons shipments, Biden said, though they have inflamed diplomatic efforts. They havent gone into the population centers. What they did is right on the border, and its causing problems with, right now, in terms ofwith Egypt, which Ive worked very hard to make sure we have a relationship and help, Biden said. But Ive made it clear to Bibi and the war cabinet: Theyre not going to get our support if, in fact, they go on these population centers, he explained. Were not walking away from Israels security. Were walking away from Israels ability to wage war in those areas. Biden Reportedly Talked Israel Down From Striking Hezbollah After Hamas Attack Hamas said Monday it agreed to a ceasefire deal drawn up by Egypt and Qatar, though Israel has not accepted it. That same day, Israel ordered over 100,000 Gazans to evacuate Rafah. Burnett also asked Biden whether he can hear the message of pro-Palestine protesters, many of whom have demonstrated on college campuses. Absolutely I hear the message, Biden said. Look, two things: First of all, theres a legitimate right to free speech and protesttheres a legitimate right to do that, and they have a right to do that. Theres not a legitimate right to use hate speech. Theres not a legitimate right to threaten Jewish students. Theres not a legitimate right to block people's access to class. Thats against the law. Is Joe Biden Losing Young Voters With His Israel Defense? Biden then referred to his speech Tuesday during the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museums Days of Remembrance ceremony. I pointed out that, you know, it took seven decades to get to the place where after the Holocaust occurred, and theres still antisemitism. Look whats happened in seven weeks, I meaneverybodys sort of forgotten about what happened in Israelthose 1,200 young kids murdered, he said. I saw pictures [when] I went over there swiftly after [of] a mother and daughter being roped together and then kerosene flame burned to death. Nothing like thats happened in the Jewish community since the Holocaust. Biden then recalled what he told Netanyahu following Hamas terror attack last October. When I went over immediately after that happened, I said to Bibi: Dont make the same mistake we made in America. We wanted to get bin Laden and we will help you get similar. But we went into Afghanistanit made sense to get bin Laden. It made no sense to try and unify Afghanistan, he said. It made no sense in my view, to engage in thinking that in Iraq they had a nuclear weapon. Dont make the same mistake, he advised. Focusand we will help you focus ongetting the bad guys, but weve got to think through what is happening after Gaza, after this is overwhos going to occupy Gaza. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Johnson survives attempt to oust him as Speaker WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene triggered a motion to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson Wednesday night, but it failed with both Republicans and Democrats voting to save him and they say, avoid chaos in the House. After more than a month of threatening to force a vote to oust Speaker Johnson Greene finally made the move. Speaker Johnson relied on Democrat votes on at least two occasions, Greene said. Greene says Johnsons passage of government funding and Ukraine aid with the backing of Democrats is the reason to remove him. Excuses like this is just how you have to govern in divided government are pathetic, weak, and unacceptable, said Greene. Greenes motion was quickly killed. The House voted 359 to 43 to table her efforts letting Johnson keep the gavel another day. Johnson says he appreciates his colleagues support. The country desperately needs a functioning Congress, said Johnson. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries says thats why Democrats stepped in to save the Republican speaker. We need to move forward as a Congress to solve problems for everyday Americans, said Jeffries. Greene said she has no regrets. Im proud of what I did today, she said. Johnson said he hopes this is the end of personality politics in congress and he wants the House to get past this. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese navy vessels Qijiguang and Jinggangshan will visit Cambodia and Timor-Leste from early May to mid-June, according to the Ministry of National Defense on Thursday. The visits will be part of the navy's schedule for a training program in the far seas, during which cadets from Cambodia and other countries will join their Chinese peers to carry out relevant exercises. The mission aims to enhance the naval officer cadets' capabilities of practical operation, and strengthen the Chinese navy's pragmatic cooperation and mutual trust with the navies of the two destination countries to contribute to building a maritime community with a shared future, the ministry said. Johnston will be the next community in the Des Moines metro with cameras that read license plates. The Johnston City Council on Monday approved an agreement with Flock Group Inc. for 11 solar-powered cameras that would be placed in "strategic gateway areas" in Johnston, according to city documents, to capture images of rear license plates of vehicle driving on public roads. The images could be used to gather evidence about vehicles that police suspect were used in a crime; locate stolen vehicles; get an alert about a vehicle associated with a known offender entering Johnston; or help find a missing child or someone in mental distress. Police say the system could make efficient use of limited resources. Flock Safety license plate-reading cameras are set up to scan all vehicles passing on a road. A suspect in an armed robbery in Johnston was linked to other robberies in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids through the system to build probable cause for arrest, according to police. Johnston previously approved an agreement with Flock last year to access data from the cameras' integrated system in other locations, including cities in the Des Moines area. Altoona, Ankeny, Clive, Pleasant Hill, Urbandale, Waukee and West Des Moines are among the 1,500-plus cities across the U.S. with the cameras. More: New traffic cameras are going up in the Des Moines metro: What to know about Flock cameras The three-year contract for the cameras in Johnston will cost $109,500. Where and when the cameras will be placed is to be announced. The Flock cameras are not traffic enforcement devices and don't measure speed, capture images of red light violations or record people running through crosswalks or past stopped school buses, according to information the police department provided to the City Council. The cameras only capture still images of vehicle rears, with no audio or video, and police officers will not be looking at the images live. Johnston owns the footage. The data and images are not disclosed to the public and would be deleted after 30 days under Iowa law. They would be stored longer if used in criminal investigations and would be extracted from the system and logged as evidence. Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst with the ACLU, wrote in a research paper published in March 2022 that Flock is building a system of "mass surveillance unlike any seen before in American life" as it sells products to law enforcement agencies and private customers, such as homeowners' associations. "By pulling all the data recorded by its customers including its police customers into its own centralized servers, Flock not only creates an enormously powerful private-public machine sweeping up data on Americans activities, but puts itself at that machines center," Stanley wrote. "Its bad enough when law enforcement engages in such mass surveillance, but to have such data flowing through a private company creates an additional set of incentives for abuse." Flock's website says that the system is purpose-built to protect citizen privacy and data security. "We believe that privacy is a bedrock of democracy and envision a world where crime is eliminated while maintaining strict privacy protections," the website says. "We do not believe we have to sacrifice safety in service of privacy and have engineered our technologies and systems to adhere to these principles. Flock technology is built for limited, responsible monitoring by the appropriate actors after adverse events, not for 24/7 surveillance." 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: Flock cameras will soon come to Johnston. What you need to know Jon Tester first Democrat to back passage of Laken Riley Act in U.S. Senate Montana Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester confirmed to ABC News that he will announce his intention to co-sponsor the Laken Riley Act. Tester is the first Democrat to cross the aisle in support of the bill. The Laken Riley Act is named for the 22-year-old nursing student who police say was killed on the University of Georgias campus on Feb. 22 by an undocumented migrant. Rileys death prompted strong reactions across the political spectrum. The bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Georgia Rep. Mike Collins and passed with 251 votes in favor, including yes votes from 37 Democratic Representatives. The bill would amend federal law to require ICE to issue detainers and take custody of undocumented migrants who commit theft-related crimes like shoplifting, as defined by state and local laws where they live. The bill would also allow state Attorneys General to sue the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security for injunctive relief if immigration actions like parole, violating detention requirements, or other policy failures harm that state or its citizens. Tester is the first Democrat from the U.S. Senate to say he will support the bill when it comes up for a vote in that chamber. RELATED STORIES: The Montana Democrat faces a tough reelection in November and has been looking to establish himself as a border security hard-liner. Keeping Montana safe is my top priority, which is why Ive repeatedly called on the Biden Administration and Congress to do more to secure the southern border and have worked to get the brave men and women in law enforcement what they need to keep criminals off our streets, Tester said in a statement to ABC News. After hearing from law enforcement officers across Montana, Im backing the Laken Riley Act to make sure that individuals who enter our country and commit a crime are held accountable so that no Montana family has to worry about the safety of their loved ones. In recent months, Tester has become more and more outspoken about the challenges at the southern border. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr is urging the Senate to pass the bill as well. In March, Carr released a statement, saying, in part: This bill would be a step towards preventing such tragedies from ever happening again. On Tuesday, a grand jury indicted Rileys accused killer, Jose Ibarra. According to the indictment, Ibarra is now also charged with spying on a University of Georgia staff member. The indictment accuses him of going to an apartment at University Village Housing Building S and peeping through the window at the woman on the same day he is accused of killing Riley. The documents did not indicate if the peeping incident took place before Riley was killed. The documents also charge Ibarra with asphyxiating Riley along with inflicting blunt force trauma to her head. Ibarra was initially charged with seven counts: malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call, and concealing the death of another. The new indictment adds three charges including aggravated assault with an attempt to rape, tampering with evidence, and peeping Tom. The tampering with evidence charge accuses him of hiding a jacket and gloves to attempt to keep him from getting caught. RELATED NEWS: President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that Israeli forces have not yet launched an anticipated ground invasion on Rafah a red-line move that hed previously said would halt the U.S. supply of weapons to Israel. But as of Thursday, media reports and humanitarians suggest that a ground assault on Rafah had already begun. In an interview with CNN that aired Wednesday night, Biden publicly admitted for the first time that Israel has used U.S. weapons to kill Palestinian civilians. The president also relayed a message to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: The U.S. will withhold shipments of offensive weapons to Israel if the military launches a full-scale ground invasion into Rafah that causes major civilian harm. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they havent gone in Rafah yet if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons, Biden told CNNs Erin Burnett. They havent gone into the population centers, he added, of Israels movements. But media reports dispute the Biden administrations characterization of Israeli actions in Rafah as limited. Amid the destruction caused by Israels Gaza offensive, 1.4 million displaced Palestinians have crowded into Rafah. Earlier this week, Israel dropped flyers ordering more than 100,000 Palestinians in the eastern part of the city to evacuate and flee to Khan Younis or Al-Mawasi towns that do not have the infrastructure to support more refugees. Biden, who spoke to Netanyahu on Monday, said that he made it clear to the prime minister and his cabinet that Israel will not receive our support if in fact they go on these population centers. What exactly is going on in #Gaza now: Israeli occupation and Joe Biden claim that Israeli occupation forces have occupied Rafah Crossing and are carrying out a limited operation. The truth is that the Israeli occupation forces have been operating in all of the city, while a Motasem A Dalloul (@AbujomaaGaza) May 9, 2024 Satellite images that CNN obtained from Planet Labs show that Israel has expanded its assault on Rafah from airstrikes to a ground offensive as of this week. The images, spanning May 5 to May 7, suggest that some of the infrastructure has already been bulldozed, and show what appear to be areas for IDF vehicles to assemble. Footage from Gaza freelance journalist Majdi Fathi posted on Instagram Wednesday show explosions in Rafah and men carrying severely injured children. Hospital records as of Wednesday afternoon showed that more than two dozen people were wounded after Israeli forces struck a part of central Rafah, according to Associated Press journalists on the ground. What we have been experiencing is mass destruction, lethal force being used on the ground against not only the eastern areas but also in the middle and western parts [of Rafah], Al Jazeera reporter Tareq Abu Azzoum said. Azzoum said the expanded attacks include on Al-Mawasi, the overcrowded city that Israel told refugees in Rafah to flee to. According to the Planet Labs images, some IDF vehicles appear to have pushed more than a mile into Gaza from the border crossing into Egypt, which had served as Gazas biggest aid route until Israeli tanks seized it this week. But the truth is that the Israeli occupation forces have been operating in all of the city, while a ground invasion has started in the eastern side of it, Motasem A Dalloul, a journalist with the pro-Palestine Middle East Monitor, posted on X, formerly Twitter. Israeli fighters and artillery have been pounding all parts of the city, including the city centre. Scott Anderson, the deputy director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in Gaza, said the agencys food rations will run out on Friday, according to Politico. The fighting on the ground in Rafah was pretty active today, Anderson told the publication on Wednesday. The other part of all this is, anywhere theres a concentration of IDF it becomes a target. So every crossing today was hit by something. There is a more robust IDF presence now. Theres two brigades, ones a specialist in tunnels and the other one were the perpetrators of the [World Central Kitchen] incident. Those are the two brigades operating now and in south Rafah. Nine-year-old Palestinian boy Khalid Akl, suffering from hepatitis, lies on a stretcher in the corridor of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital while the Israeli army's bombardment of the Gaza Strip continues in Deir Al-Balah, Gaza on May 8, 2024. Baher Hamed Alnahhal/Anadolu via Getty Images There are children and elderly that are so starved that they can barely walk, Alexandra Saieh, head of humanitarian policy from Save the Children, told the publication Middle East Eye. These people cannot just relocate to another area, to so-called safe zones. It is not possible. The White House last week put on hold a shipment of bombs to Israel out of concern for an invasion into Rafah. HuffPost has reached out to the White House for comment. Bidens decision to draw a red line at a Rafah invasion, some seven months into the war, has drawn rebukes from both Republicans and progressives opposed to Israels offensive. Critics on the right have accused the president of abandoning the biggest U.S. ally in the Middle East Critics on the left say the presidents statement implies that Israel is permitted by the White House to continue bombing Rafah and blocking life-saving aid, as long as soldiers do not physically step foot into the city. Given rising domestic opposition to Bidens Gaza policy, the U.S. wants a lower civilian casualty toll than Israel does, Nader Hashemi, a professor of Middle East studies at Georgetown University, told Al Jazeera. Objectively, what has transpired is a minor shift in U.S. support for Israeli policy in Gaza. It has moved from 100% support to 99% support, he continued. Israel can still bomb Rafah with impunity. It can displace the 1.4 million people residing there. It just cannot do this with U.S.-made 2,000-pound bombs that Israel has used in other parts of Gaza. Related... Judge denies Trumps attempt to lift gag order so he can respond to Stormy Daniels testimony Donald Trump pictured speaking to reporters before walking into court on 9 May. On Thursday the presiding judge Juan Merchan denied the former presidents request to lift a gag order placed on him (via REUTERS) Donald Trumps latest attempt to lift a gag order placed on him during his New York criminal hush money trial has been denied. Lawyers for the former president argued that since a key witness adult film actress Stormy Daniels has now left the stand, the order should be lifted so Mr Trump can respond to her testimony. Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the case, denied the motion on Thursday, saying he was concerned about attacks on Ms Daniels and other witnesses. He added: that he was also concerned with protecting the integrity of these proceedings as a whole. The gag order, over which Mr Trump has already been fined $10,000 for violating, seeks to protect protect witnesses, jurors, court staff and their families. Wednesdays proceedings began with Ms Daniels return to the witness stand to face more cross-examination, where she sparred with defense attorney Susan Necheles over alleged inconsistencies in the various tellings of her sexual encounter with Mr Trump in 2006 as well as her career as an adult entertainer. Despite the sometimes fiery clashes she remained calm and firm in her testimony. After her testimony had concluded Trump lawyer Todd Blanche requested the gag order be lifted. Mr Blanche claimed that Ms Daniels story was completely different than her previous accounts, and that Mr Trump was unable to respond to any of the comments made in the press about her testimony. The reasons for protecting her are over, she is no longer a witness, he said. In response Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy accused the defence team of living in an almost alternate reality. There is a proceeding here that this order is designed to protect. Its important to underscore why it was issued in the first place to put in context, he said, adding that the former president was predisposed to firing off comments indiscriminately against anyone he deems worthy of his venom. Mr Conroy added that changing the gag order in the middle of a trial would say to future witnesses that they could be at risk as well. Modifying the gag order now to allow the defendant to attack Ms Daniels and thats what he wants to do, not engage in serious discourse would undermine the integrity of these proceedings, he said. Judge Merchan was skeptical of the Trump teams claims that parts of Ms Daniels testimony were different. He subsequently denied the gag order. It comes just days after judge Merchan threatened to throw the former president in jail for violating the gag order, having previously fined him $10,000 for breaching it ten times. On Monday the judge 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, judge Merchan said. 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 offending posts from his social media platform, Truth Social, and content from his campaign website. Editor's note: This story was updated to add comments from El Paso District Attorney Bill Hicks. More than 200 cases against migrants alleged to have been involved in the March 21 "riot" at the U.S.-Mexico border have been dismissed. County Court of Law Judge Ruben Morales dismissed the 211 cases following a hearing Wednesday, May 8, in which Public Defender Kelli Childress asserted the misdemeanors had improperly wound their way to Morales' court. The crux of Childress' argument centered around the fact that when the cases were moved from district court to county, there was no corresponding transfer order, which is required to confer jurisdiction over a case to another court. More: DA Bill Hicks indicts migrants for rioting after judge dismisses 140 charges "All of those processes were ignored here," Childress said during her opening remarks. Migrants who breached the barriers set up on the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas by Texas National Guard on March 21, 2024. The migrants were hoping to be processed by Border Patrol. The state was represented by Kyle Lasley from the El Paso County District Attorney's Office, who asserted that because Morales' court has jurisdiction over misdemeanor cases, arguments over jurisdiction held no water. "This process argument does not deprive this court of jurisdiction," he said. Morales eventually agreed with Childress, saying his hands were tied without the order transferring jurisdiction over the cases to his court. "If I don't have jurisdiction," the judge said, "there's nothing I can do on these cases" except dismiss them. A migrant observes migrants who breached the concertina wire on the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas on March 21, 2024. The migrants were hoping to be processed by Border Patrol. In a news conference on May 9, District Attorney Bill Hicks argued that his office followed proper procedure and vowed to appeal the dismissal orders. He plans to appeal Morales' dismissals. "Our office feels very strongly that the procedure was proper," Hicks said. "We argued that it was appropriate and proper and we feel very strongly that it was done properly and Morales' order is an inappropriate order." The migrants had faced misdemeanor riot participation charges. Childress said she has another 141 jurisdiction claims pending related to indictments filed in April and chided the district attorney's office for continuing to indict minor misdemeanor cases, which are expensive and take county resources away from more pressing matters. More: DPS releases names of migrants arrested on felony charges in El Paso 'border riot' case Childress said her office currently has around 1,600 cases awaiting the district attorney's review, 400 of which have been sitting for more than a year and 800 that have been on hold for six months. Migrants breach infrastructure set up by the Texas National Guard on the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas on March 21, 2024 "The tenacity with which they're going after these misdemeanor cases that don't even have evidence," Childress said while speaking to reporters after the hearing. "When we've got thousands of cases still in backlog waiting to have their cases reviewed and screened and brought to a grand jury ... and these cases somehow, 18 hours after they're dismissed for no probable cause, those are able to be brought to a grand jury." "It's very frustrating to watch what's happening there and really not understanding," she continued. "I keep hearing the words that this is not a political move and this is not an anti-immigration position, but instead of hearing what it's not, I'd like to hear what it is ... " This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Over 200 border 'riot' cases in El Paso thrown out over technicality South Central Judicial District Judge Bobbi Weiler sentences Rep. Jason Dockter, R-Bismarck, on May 9, 2024, at the Burleigh County Courthouse. Dockter had been found guilty by a jury of a misdemeanor crime. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) A judge ordered a state representative to do 250 hours of community service and pay a $2,500 fine after his conviction for a conflict-of-interest misdemeanor. Rep. Jason Dockter, right, R-Bismarck, talks to his lawyer before being sentenced during his misdemeanor criminal trial at the Burleigh County Courthouse on May 9, 2024. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) Rep. Jason Dockter, R-Bismarck, was found guilty Friday by a 12-person jury of voting on legislation he had a financial interest in. Maybe you can see how the other side lives, Mr. Dockter, South Central District Court Judge Bobbi Weiler told the representative after handing down the sentence. Dockter had helped the Attorney Generals Office secure a lease at a building in south Bismarck. The building at the time was already partially rented by the Department of Health. A company Dockter has partial ownership of later bought the property, and acquired both leases. Dockter then voted on the Attorney Generals Office and Department of Health budgets, which led to the criminal charge. Dockter returned to the Bismarck courthouse on Thursday morning for his sentencing hearing. Prosecutor Ladd Erickson asked in his sentencing recommendation to Weiler that Dockter only pay $325 in court fees. He said that Dockter had no prior criminal record, and that he believed the North Dakota Ethics Commission would be the appropriate agency to decide whether further penalty was warranted. Dockters attorney, Lloyd Suhr, said during the hearing that he agreed with Ericksons recommendation. Weiler asked Dockter if he had anything to say before she made her decision. He declined. Weiler said she was hoping Dockter would have taken the opportunity to apologize to North Dakota residents, whose taxes helped pay for the deal. South Central Judicial District Judge Bobbi Weiler sentences Rep. Jason Dockter, R-Bismarck, at the Burleigh County Courthouse on May 9, 2024, for Dockters misdemeanor crime. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) I look at this as the citizens of North Dakota being the victims and being taken advantage of, Weiler said. Weiler noted the fine was only a fraction of the amount of money Dockter stood to make off the business deal. The representative declined to comment after the hearing. We respect the sentence of the Court just as we respect the decision of the jury. Mr. Dockter has worked with Ministry on the Margins in the past and welcomes the opportunity to do so again in accordance with the terms of the sentence, Suhr wrote in an email to the North Dakota Monitor, referring to a Bismarck organization that works with the homeless. Dockter has six months to complete the community service, which Weiler stipulated the representative would spend serving Bismarcks homeless community. Dockter will also have to pay court fees. Dockter is eligible for the conviction to stay off his permanent record, Weiler said. Dockter has 30 days to appeal the conviction that came on May 3. Suhr said Thursday that Dockter has not yet made a decision on whether he will appeal. Dockters conviction could have implications for the way the state government handles conflicts moving forward. House Majority Leader Mike Lefor, R-Dickinson, in a Wednesday letter asked Rep. OBrien, chair of the Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee, to launch a study of North Dakotas conflict-of-interest regulations. That includes everything from constitutional laws, to legislative rules, state statutes and rules adopted by the Ethics Commission, Lefor wrote in the letter. In its review of provisions related to conflicts of interest, the committee shall strive to correct inconsistencies among various provisions to ensure uniformity, clarify ambiguous language, and report its findings and recommendations to the Legislative Management, the letter wrote. Both OBrien, R-Grand Forks, and Lefor have said they disagree with Dockters conviction. This story has been updated with comment from Lloyd Suhr and next steps for the North Dakota Legislature. The post Judge orders Rep. Dockter to work with homeless, pay fine appeared first on North Dakota Monitor. Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, faces allegations he lied about his drug use during a 2018 gun purchase. On Thursday an appeals court denied a motion to have the charges against him dismissed (REUTERS) Hunter Bidens efforts to have gun charges against him thrown out have been rejected by a federal appeals court in Delaware. The decision, made by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday, cited lack of appellate jurisdiction and paves the way for a trial to begin next month. The presidents son faces allegations he lied about his drug use during a 2018 gun purchase. The defendant in this criminal case appealed three pretrial orders entered on April 12, 2024, denying his motions to dismiss the indictment, the court document obtained by Fox News stated. This appeal is dismissed because the defendant has not shown the District Courts orders are appealable before final judgment. According to Thursdays ruling by district judge Maryellen Norieka, the trial is set to begin on June 3. Mr Bidens lawyer, Abbe Lowell, has suggested that he may ask the full Philadelphia-based 3rd Circuit to rehear the appeal, according to CNN. In reviewing the panels decision, we believe the issues involved are too important and further review of our request is appropriate, Mr Lowell said, per the outlet. The appeal by Hunter Bidens team to have the gun charges against him thrown out was dismissed on Thursday, with judges citing lack of appellate jurisdiction (AP) Last month, judge Norieka dismissed a separate appeal by Mr Bidens team, in which they had challenged both the case and the authority of special counsel David Weiss to bring it. Mr Biden filed a number of challenges to the case, arguing he was still protected under an immunity agreement from a failed plea deal, as well as claiming that the prosecution was politically motivated, though these were dismissed. At best, [Hunter Biden] has generically alleged that individuals from the prior administration were or are targeting him (or his father) and therefore his prosecution here must be vindictive, she judge Norieka wrote in an April ruling. The problem with this argument is that the charging decision at issue was made during this administration by Special Counsel Weiss at a time when the head of the Executive Branch prosecuting Defendant is Defendants father. Mr Bidens defence team had argued last year that the presidents son was selectively charged and that the special counsel buckled under political pressure from GOP figures seeking political gain, including Donald Trump. In January, Mr Weisss office called the Biden legal strategy stunningly weak and wholly unsupported by facts and law, comparing it to a fiction designed for a Hollywood script. Also in April challenges to a nine-count tax case against Mr Biden were dismissed by a California judge. In both the tax and gun cases, Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty. A federal appeals court has rejected Hunter Biden's effort to throw out gun charges against him, paving the way for a trial to begin next month. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday dismissed an effort by the president's son to have his felony gun case in Delaware thrown out, rejecting his challenge to the charges on procedural grounds. The three-judge panel said in its short ruling -- just four pages total -- that it did not consider the merits of Biden's challenge at this stage, instead saying it was the improper time for them to take up such an appeal. MORE: Judge denies Hunter Biden's attempt to dismiss federal gun charges The ruling paves the way for Biden to stand trial in the case, which is set to begin on June 3, according to an order issued Thursday by Maryellen Norieka, the district judge overseeing his case. Biden will next be scheduled to appear in court on May 24 for a pretrial conference. PHOTO: Hunter Biden attends the House Oversight and Accountability Committee markup titled 'Resolution Recommending That The House Of Representatives Find Robert Hunter Biden In Contempt Of Congress,' Jan. 10, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images, FILE) Prosecutors say Biden lied on a federal form about his drug use when he obtained a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver in 2018, after he later acknowledged in his memoir, "Beautiful Things," that he was addicted to drugs around that time. He owned the firearm for 11 days and never fired it, his attorneys have said. Biden was indicted by special counsel David Weiss last September. A previous attempt to have the charges dismissed in April also failed. Judge rejects Hunter Biden's appeal on gun charges, paving way for trial in June originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Judge rules partially in favor of plaintiffs against Arkansas LEARNS Act, also prohibits blocking part of the law Judge rules partially in favor of plaintiffs against Arkansas LEARNS Act, also prohibits blocking part of the law LITTLE ROCK, Ark. A lawsuit filed by Central High School teachers and students regarding the LEARNS Act has been given a ruling, partially in their favor. In a 50-page ruling, a federal judge said topics like critical race theory cannot be banned from teachers lessons. Judge denies part of Arkansas LEARNS lawsuit, partially sides with plaintiffs This is important because of the executive order Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed on her first day in office banning indoctrination, with topics like critical race theory at the forefront of discussion. The state used section 16 of the LEARNS Act as part of its decision last year not to count pilot AP African American studies courses toward state graduation requirements. State attorneys have argued the law isnt to prohibit certain topics or ideas, but rather to prevent teachers from forcing indoctrination on a student or punishing them for not accepting those ideas. The lawsuit claims that section is too vague and violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution. This ruling finally provides some clarity and some comfort that they can teach how theyve been teaching successfully and do it without fear of losing their teaching license, attorney Maya Brodziak said. I think the same goes for our students. Arkansas teacher reacts to executive order prohibiting critical race theory in public schools While the suit is partially good news for the plaintiffs, the judge also denied part of the lawsuit on their side looking to block a section of the Arkansas LEARNS Act. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffins office released a statement after the ruling: Todays decision confirms what Ive said all along. Arkansas law doesnt prohibit teaching the history of segregation, the civil rights movement, or slavery. Im pleased that the District Court entirely rejected the Plaintiffs vagueness claims. And the very limited injunction merely prohibits doing what Arkansas was never doing in the first place. I look forward to continuing our enforcement of the statute as written rather than as Plaintiffs would choose to wrongly interpret it. African American Studies students sue over Arkansas LEARNS Act indoctrination section The full order can be read at ArkansasAG.gov. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. BUDAPEST, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Hungarian Air Force sent fighter jets to escort Chinese President Xi Jinping's plane after it entered the country's airspace for a state visit Wednesday. Judicial races a rarity in Florida, but Broward and Palm Beach counties have some to watch Incumbent judges in Broward County are facing one of their safest years in recent memory, with only three drawing a challenge for the August primary. Theyre even safer in Palm Beach County, where 12 judges are up for reelection and none are opposed. Judicial races are often among the most difficult for voters to weigh, largely because the rules dont allow candidates to criticize each other, make partisan appeals or talk about how they will decide controversial cases. Candidates are left discussing their personal histories and commitments to civic causes. In recent years, Broward has seen its share of incumbents challenged for a variety of reasons, including controversial decisions made from the bench and a public distaste for appointments made by Republican governors in the states bluest county. That doesnt seem to be much of a factor this year. Judge Jessica Marra was appointed to the bench last year by Gov. Ron DeSantis, but her only challenger is Andres Chavez Sanz, a write-in candidate whose name wont even show up on the ballot. Defense lawyer Johnny Weekes is challenging Broward Circuit Judge Stefanie Moon, who was elected to her first term six years ago. And Judge Carol Lisa Phillips drew a challenge from Orlando lawyer Christina Grace Arguelles. In Broward County Court, Judge Kathleen McHugh is the only incumbent facing an opponent, Scott Russell Shapiro. Other county court races do not feature incumbents. Its not unusual for lawyers to challenge each other for seats that are vacated by judges who choose not to run again. Thats whats happening in Palm Beach Countys only county court race: Lourdes Casanova, Douglas Leifert and Jean Marie Middleton are running to replace retiring Judge Ted Booras. In Broward: Alex Arreaza, Woody Clermont and Samuel Ford Stark are competing to replace retiring Judge Robert Diaz. Corey Brian Freidman and Tamar Hamilton are running to replace retiring Judge Robert Lee. And Kathleen Elaine Angione will face Joseph Zager to replace Judge Louis Schiff. Judicial races will be decided in an Aug. 20 primary. In races with more than two candidates, the election will go to a runoff unless one of the candidates gets more than 50% of the vote. Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457. Search terms including 'how do jurors reach a verdict' were found on Asquith's devices - Delmaine Donson/E+ A juror who researched the law on Mumsnet has been spared jail. Suzanne Asquith had been serving on a jury in a child cruelty case in Sept 2022 when she became frustrated with the other members of the jury during heated deliberations, a court heard. The 56-year-old foster carer for guide dogs decided to do online research to arm herself for the debates, as the jury deliberated on a case concerning offences of harm to a child and child cruelty. Another member of the jury subsequently became concerned with Asquiths bullying attitude, Reading Crown Court heard on Thursday. Matthew Knight, prosecuting, said: The juror noted Ms Asquith had made some comments about having found something out or words to the effect: I know we are not supposed to Google but. Police had later arrested Asquith and examined her devices. They discovered search terms such as the word cretin, how do jurors reach a verdict?, does a jury have to be unanimous?. She had also searched the forum site Mumsnet about children being taken into care and, separately, for information about the defence counsel in the case. Mr Knight added: There was no direct searching for that case or those within it. How that impacted on deliberations, no one can really say. Asquith only juror for guilty verdict The court heard the 11 jurors had reached a majority decision that the defendants should be cleared of two charges they faced, with Asquith being the sole juror feeling the defendants were guilty. Verdicts could not be reached for two other charges against the defendants and they were sent for trial with a separate jury. The court heard Asquith has worked for 15 years in regulation with a US organisation involved in geocaching, which had required regular travel to America. Since her conviction she had been working as an invigilator with young children and also as a foster carer, providing a respite service for guide dogs. Hassan Baig said the defendant had expressed the frustrations she felt during the deliberations as she started feeling isolated. She felt at times that she found it difficult to communicate with other members of the jury and she felt at times that they were not following the directions. Where she erred is rather than making a note and putting that before the court so that counsel can see it and the judge will be able to give any clear directions. Mr Baig said Asquith had not wanted to hand a note to the judge after taking part in deliberations where there were personality clashes within that jury room and people talking over people. If she had sent the note, everybody else would know that it would be her sending that note, he explained. Jury told not to do own research Asquith, of Battalion Way in Thatcham, Berkshire, had admitted one count of carrying out research while a member of the jury during the trial period. Judge Amjad Nawaz said the judge in the Sept 2022 trial at Reading Crown Court had given clear directions to the jury about not doing their own research. This is not a case where she has researched any evidence, such as bad character, Judge Nawaz said. But these directions are give so to ensure the trial process is undertaken fairly, that it is open justice on the basis that everybody else involved in the trial process clearly understands that they are all working from the same page of the book. This defendant decided to break ranks. The judge commented there was an unexplained delay in bringing the case after Asquith was arrested on Sept 18, 2022. He also said he had considered the prison population and the pressures on the system so far as prison population are concerned. Judge Nawaz sentenced Asquith to 22 weeks imprisonment, suspended for a period of 12 months, involving a requirement to carry out 20 days Rehabilitation Activity Requirement. 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. By Brendan Pierson NEW YORK (Reuters) - A jury was chosen on Thursday in the criminal racketeering trial of Sung Kook "Bill" Hwang over the 2021 collapse of his $36 billion fund Archegos Capital Management, setting the stage for opening statements and witness testimony next week. The seven women and five men include a neuroscientist, a teacher and a utility company employee. The trial before U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein in Manhattan will delve into the implosion of Hwang's lightly regulated family investment office Archegos, which prosecutors allege caused more than $100 billion in shareholder losses at companies in its portfolio. It is expected to last up to eight weeks but there are not expected to be proceedings on Fridays. Prosecutors accuse Hwang of using financial contracts known as total return swaps to secretly amass outsize stakes in multiple companies without actually holding their stock. His positions were so large they eclipsed that of the companies' largest investors, driving up stock prices, prosecutors say. At its peak, they say, Archegos had $36 billion in assets and $160 billion of exposure to equities. Falling stock prices in March 2021 triggered margin calls that Archegos was unable to meet. That, in turn, led some banks to dump the stocks backing his swaps, causing big losses for Archegos and its lenders, such as Credit Suisse, now part of UBS, and Nomura Holdings. Prosecutors say Hwang and former Archegos Chief Financial Officer Patrick Halligan, who is also on trial, lied about their holdings to sustain their business relationship with global banks. Hwang and Halligan are charged with racketeering conspiracy. Hwang faces an additional 10 counts of fraud and market manipulation, and Halligan an additional two counts of fraud. Each count carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years. The two men have pleaded not guilty and are expected to argue prosecutors are pushing a novel and nonsensical market manipulation theory. Hwang's lawyers have described the case as the "most aggressive open market manipulation case ever" brought by prosecutors. Several attorneys told Reuters it may be a tough case for the government. Archegos head trader William Tomita and Chief Risk Officer Scott Becker have pleaded guilty to related charges and are expected to testify at the trial. (This story has been corrected to say that one of the jury members is a teacher, not speech therapist, in paragraph 2) (Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Michael Erman and Daniel Wallis) (KRON) A Santa Clara County jury has awarded $1 million $500,000 each and tuition reimbursement to two students who sued their administration for allegedly falsely being kicked out of the school in 2021. The now-high-school graduates left Saint Francis High School in Santa Clara after a photo of them wearing a black-paint-like substance was leaked to the public. Despite the now-publicized photo coming across as two boys doing blackface, one of the boys who owned the substance claimed it was actually his acne medication, court filings said. On Monday, the Santa Clara jury decided to side with the teens. East Bay entrepreneur charged for $3M in tax evasion Court exhibits show a photo of three shirtless boys wearing the cream with one flashing rock n roll horns. The photo of the three Saint Francis High boys ended in upheaval when it was released at the peak of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, with many claiming the students outwardly took the photo to do blackface. The boy and his family, however, claim he used the cream as acne medication. The plaintiffs said when his two friends saw him applying the cream, the two boys then followed suit in solidarity. In court filings, the schools attorney says administrators disagreed with the families explanation that the photo was innocent. While two of the boys families say Saint Francis High mishandled the situation and are seeking damages for defamation and breach of contract, the school says it had sole discretion to punish the two students and that the families left voluntarily in June 2021. The former students and their parents initially sought $20 million when they sued Saint Francis High in 2020, shortly after the photo surfaced online. As criticism mounted, school administrators gave the boys a choice of voluntarily withdrawing or being expelled. The students withdrew. Tragically, defendants achieved their goal of portraying (the) plaintiffs as poster children of racism at (Saint Francis High School), resulting in the devastating destruction of the boys young lives, attorneys for the Dhillon Law Group wrote in their court complaint, in which they accused the school of virtue signaling and rushing to punish the teens without a fair investigation. Following Mondays verdict, Saint Francis High must pay both students $500,000 each, as well as a little under $60,000 for tuition reimbursement, court filings said. Concord man elicits sex from minors, watches them overdose repeatedly, prosecutors say The jury rightly found we did not breach our handbook, did not violate the students free speech rights, and did not defame the students. However, we respectfully disagree with the jurys conclusion as to the lesser claim regarding the fairness of our disciplinary review process, Saint Francis High School said in a statement to KRON. As a result of the disagreement, the school claims to explore further legal options, including appeal as there is no legal precedent applying that claim to a high school. Saint Francis High here references the plaintiffs appeal for breach of contract, claiming no school has ever given the option to expel a student without giving them a fair chance for trial among administrators at the school. document-2Download We are grateful for the strong support of our community throughout this case. We look forward to putting this matter behind us so we can return to focusing solely on educating our vibrant student body and living the Catholic values of the Holy Cross tradition, which are rooted in hope, respect, integrity and family, Saint Francis High School said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. Its Just Wrong: Biden Says He Will Withhold Weapons If Israel Invades Rafah President Joe Biden said that the U.S. would stop supplying weapons to Israel if the country proceeds with its siege in Rafah, where the majority of Gazas civilian population remains sheltered. Biden addressed the issue in an interview with CNNs Erin Burnett on Wednesday evening, saying he supported Israels security but drew the line at arming the country for an invasion in Rafah. Its just wrong, Biden said. Were not gonna supply the weapons and the artillery shells used. Here's the full video for those who haven't seen it yet pic.twitter.com/vqxewKM7CU Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) May 8, 2024 The Biden administration confirmed earlier on Wednesday it had paused a shipment of 2,000-pound U.S. bombs that had been authorized for Israel because of ongoing concerns that the bombs would be used in Rafah. The move is the first time Biden has blocked U.S. arms from Israel, as he has explicitly warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against an offensive into Rafah on multiple occasions, given the high likelihood of excess civilian casualties. Theyre not going to get our support if, in fact, they go into these population centers, Biden said later in Wednesdays interview. Rafah, a city near the southern border of Gaza, currently houses over one million Palestinians, many of whom have been displaced from other parts of the region due to the ongoing siege by Israel in the wake of Hamass attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Despite Hamas agreeing to a ceasefire deal over the weekend, Israel rejected a deal in favor of a long-planned assault on the city. Over the course of the past seven months, Israels military actions in Gaza have killed over 34,000 Palestinians, according to data from the Gaza Ministry of Health. The brutal assault has destroyed widespread infrastructure within the Palestinian territory, leading to concerns of famine in northern Gaza. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Teen to be tried as an adult in shooting death of sister Malayshia Solomon LYNCHBURG, Va. (WFXR) The Commonwealths Attorney of Lynchburg has announced the teenage brother of Malayshia Solomon will be tried as an adult in connection to her shooting death that occurred in February 2023. On Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, LPD officers arrived at a home on the 1400 block of Monroe Street and found Malayshia Solomon critically injured from a gunshot wound. She was taken to Lynchburg General Hospital where she later died from her injuries. ORIGNAL REPORTING: Malayshia Solomons mother charged with her death in 2023 Lynchburg shooting In warrants obtained by WFXR News, it was learned that Solomons mom, Karita Michelle Winston, posted a video to her Instagram before the shooting of herself and two kids allegedly singing and dancing while in possession of guns. The warrant said that after the shooting, multiple guns and accessories including magazines, gun boxes, and ammunition were taken from the home. According to warrants, the video showed a total of three guns; however, Winston allegedly only notified the police of two at the home. This led investigators to seize a cell phone and an airsoft gun. Following the investigation, Winston, along with Malayshia Solomons 16-year-old brother, were indicted in connection to the shooting. RELATED STORY: Mom posts video of herself singing and dancing with guns prior to daughter being fatally shot: search warrant In an update on the case from Commonwealth Attorney Bethany Harrison, Solomons juvenile brother, who was charged with Involuntary Manslaughter, is reportedly now being tried as an adult. WFXR News will update this story as further information is released. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) A man was arrested Wednesday after making threats of terrorism on social media, Kalamazoo police say. Police received a tip Tuesday about a man who had made terroristic threats toward citizens, a local church and the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, KDPS said in a release. Officers worked to confirm his identity. KDPS says it found him on Wednesday after receiving a tip around 8:30 a.m. about a man holding a pistol in the 1100 block of S Rose Street near Wall Street. When officers arrived on scene, he was holding a loaded, stolen pistol and also had a loaded homemade shotgun by his feet, KDPS said. A man accused of making terroristic threats had a loaded, stolen pistol and loaded homemade shotgun near his feet, police say. (Courtesy Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety) (He) was positively identified as the same subject who had made the terroristic threats toward the Kalamazoo community the day previous as well as gave admissions to his intentions, KDPS said. The 37-year-old was arrested and lodged at the county jail. KDPS said it was thankful for those who speak up if they see or know something about criminal activity. This embedded content is not available in your region. Anyone with more information about the incident should call the KDPS Criminal Investigation Division at 269-337-8139. To give information anonymously, contact Kalamazoo Silent Observer at 269.343.2100 or at kalamazoosilentobserver.com. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. HELSINKI, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Finland's leading gaming company MyGamez has signed a cooperation memorandum to attend the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in November, as Finnish businesses show increasing enthusiasm for the Chinese market. The document was signed here Tuesday during a symposium focusing on the CIIE, which attracted about 40 representatives from the Finnish business community. By successfully holding the CIIE for six years, China has conveyed a strong signal of its proactive approach to developing trade relationships in both directions, said MyGamez CEO Mikael Leinonen. He expects MyGamez will leverage the platform to expand exchanges with industry peers and partners while deepening the company's understanding of the Chinese market. Gui Yun, counselor for economic and commercial affairs at the Chinese Embassy in Finland, said mutual respect and equal treatment have been maintained between China and Finland despite challenges in the global economy, with practical cooperation yielding positive results in various fields. She highlighted Finland's strengths in technological innovation, information communication, circular economy and green development, and encouraged Finnish companies to export high-quality goods and services to China so as to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results. The CIIE has helped transform China's expansive market into a global opportunity, said Zhang Weimin, assistant president of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). He said the upcoming expo will facilitate smoother trade and investment between Finland and China, enabling the introduction of more high-quality products, technologies and services to both Chinese and global markets. The 7th CIIE is scheduled for Nov. 5-10 in Shanghai. * Serbia has become the first European country to build with China a community with a shared future, which speaks volumes about the strategic, special and high-level China-Serbia relations. * "The China-Serbia friendship, forged with the blood of our compatriots, will stay in the shared memory of the Chinese and Serbian peoples, and will inspire us to march forward with big strides," wrote Xi in a signed article published Tuesday in Politika, a Belgrade-based Serbian daily * "The sky is the limit," said Vucic, referring to the scope of cooperation with China. BELGRADE, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up his state visit to Serbia on Wednesday, bundling up a multitude of deals and a strengthened bond of friendship with the country. At the end of a fully-packed day, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic bid farewell to Xi at the Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, where he had welcomed the Chinese president the day before. Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony held by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic prior to their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) UPGRADED TIES Earlier in the day, Xi and Vucic signed a joint statement on the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, an upgrade of relations from the comprehensive strategic partnership established in 2016. The deal, which was declared by Xi and Vucic during their meeting in the Serbian capital, makes Serbia the first European country to build such a community with China. Over the past few years, Xi said, the bilateral relationship has leapfrogged with historic progress, and since the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016, in particular, the bilateral relationship has been enriched in substance and expanded in scope, which has become an example for China's friendly relations with other European countries. Serbia is China's first comprehensive strategic partner in Central and Eastern Europe, Xi said, adding that under the new circumstances, Serbia has become the first European country to build with China a community with a shared future, which speaks volumes about the strategic, special and high-level China-Serbia relations. "With this agreement, Serbia is leading the way in its relations with China," said Ivona Ladjevac, deputy director at the Institute for International Politics and Economics in Belgrade. The announcement on deepening and elevating the comprehensive strategic partnership and building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era marks a new milestone in the history of this bilateral relationship, said Vucic. The strategic, practical, and innovative nature of promoting bilateral relations will set a benchmark and model for cooperation between the East and the West, Chen Fengying, a researcher at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told Xinhua in a recent interview. Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony held by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) STRONGER IRONCLAD FRIENDSHIP The ironclad friendship between China and Serbia has stood the test of the changing international landscape, Xi said, noting that such friendship is characterized by profound historical roots, solid political foundation, extensive common interests and strong popular support. In a signed article published Tuesday in Politika, a Belgrade-based Serbian daily, Xi wrote that the ironclad friendship between the two countries is ever-growing. "Whatever changes in the international landscape, China and Serbia remain true friends and good partners," he wrote. The Chinese president's arrival coincides with the 25th anniversary of the NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1999, the U.S.-led NATO forces carried out savage airstrikes for 78 days against Yugoslavia, leaving more than 8,000 civilians dead or injured and nearly 1 million more displaced. On the night of May 7, exactly 25 years ago, NATO bombed the Chinese embassy, killing three Chinese journalists, including one from Xinhua. "The Chinese people cherish peace, but we will never allow such tragic history to repeat itself," Xi wrote in the article. "The China-Serbia friendship, forged with the blood of our compatriots, will stay in the shared memory of the Chinese and Serbian peoples, and will inspire us to march forward with big strides." Gordana, a local resident who didn't reveal her full name, referred to the bombing as a "painful memory" to her. "The cooperation between China and Serbia holds the promise of providing my children with a better life than I experienced," she told Xinhua. Precious moments of goodwill and friendship are a signature of Xi's short but significant stay in Serbia, which lasts no more than 24 hours. A telling moment was the grand welcoming ceremony held by Vucic on Wednesday morning with the impressive attendance of more than 10,000 Serbian people. Crowds were waving the national flags of both countries and chanting "China! Serbia!" with applause and cheers pervading the atmosphere. "We are here to show our friendship with China, and we want our Chinese friends know that we cherish it very much," said Milos Tosic, a college professor present at the event. Tosic told Xinhua that it is not only his opinion, but one shared "by all the people here today." At a welcoming banquet around noon, Xi shared his nostalgic memory with Vucic, reminiscing about the Yugoslav film "The Bridge" and the song "Bella Ciao," which have become the fondest memories in his youthful days. "China will work together with the friendly people of Serbia and make tireless efforts to build a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era," Xi pledged in his concluding remarks at the banquet toast. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic sign a joint statement on the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, after their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) FUTURE-ORIENTED PARTNERSHIP During the meeting with Vucic, Xi said the China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era is an upgrade of the ironclad friendship between China and Serbia, and it also represents their common values and objectives, namely, joint pursuit of development, win-win cooperation and mutual success. In support of the building of the China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, Xi has announced six measures when he met the press together with Vucic. Notable among the measures are a free trade agreement between China and Serbia which will take effect on July 1 and an exchange program under which Serbian youths and young Serbian scientists are invited to visit China in the next three years. "The sky is the limit," said Vucic, referring to the scope of cooperation with China. "For Serbia, it obviously brings a great deal," said Aleksandar Pavic, a Serbian political expert. "The opening of the Chinese market with the Free Trade Agreement, academic exchanges ... those are very, very important." "China offers a hand of cooperation on an equal footing, and offers great opportunities without conditions," Pavic said. "We've grown weary of the zero-sum game for far too long." The substantial deals added new testimony to the special bond of ironclad friendship enjoyed by China and Serbia. Past years have seen leapfrog growth of China-Serbia cooperation. Two-way trade in 2023 surged to 4.35 billion U.S. dollars, Chinese customs statistics showed. In 2022, China became the largest source of direct investment for Serbia. After the bilateral free trade 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. Under the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative are flagship projects such as the Smederevo Steelworks and the high-speed railway between Belgrade and Budapest. An integral segment of the Belgrade-Budapest railway is the high-speed train linking Belgrade and Serbia's second-largest city Novi Sad, which has transported some 6.83 million passengers over the past two years. Serbia has long been known as "the gateway to the Balkans" on the European continent. "Everything that has been done so far and will be done in the future can serve as an example to other countries in the region and throughout Europe to get involved as much as possible," said Aleksandar Mitic, a research fellow also with the institute. "The principle of mutual benefit can really work," said Mitic. Serbia, undoubtedly, stands as a reliable partner for China in Europe, said Aleksandar Vojvodic, head engineer of the Clean Serbia Project of China Road and Bridge Corporation. There will be a promising prospect for further enhancement and expansion of existing cooperation, said Vojvodic. (Video reporters: Zheng Xin, Wu Yao, Yin Jiajie, Ma Zhiyi, Shi Zhongyu, Wu Lu, Peng Zhuo, Deng Yaomin, Huang Jingwen, Wang Wei, Xue Guangpu, Wang Chao, Qi Xing; video editors: Zheng Xin, Wei Yin, Li Qin, Meng Ma, Zheng Qingbin, Zhang Yichi) Left to right, Rhode Island College student Savannah Jenard, RIC President Jack Warner, and Jennifer Boulay, interim director of the Hope Scholarship program speak to lawmakers on the House Committee on Finance on May 8, 2024. (Nancy Lavin/Rhode Island Current) Less than 72 hours before Rhode Island Colleges graduating seniors receive their diplomas, lawmakers considered extending the state program that paid tuition for nearly 100 soon-to-be graduates. The discussion before the House Committee on Finances meeting Wednesday stemmed from matching proposals one submitted by Gov. Dan McKee as a fiscal 2025 budget amendment and a second through a bill backed by the Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner would tack on two years to the Hope Scholarship program. The existing 2023 law, and corresponding budget funding, sets up a five-year pilot program running through fiscal 2028 offering free tuition to in-state, full-time RIC students for their third and fourth years. But less than a year into the test-run, state officials and education leaders have made the case that they need more time to see if the scholarship program achieves its intended results. With the five-year program as-is, only one class of high school graduates the Class of 2024 will know about, and be able to qualify for, the last-dollar scholarship before starting college. Eligible students already enrolled in RIC when the law was passed last year including 94 scheduled to graduate during Saturdays baccalaureate commencement ceremony could also benefit from the program. But because they didnt know about it ahead of time, many werent taking the full course load needed to qualify, Mikaila Mariel Lemonik Arthur, a professor of sociology at RIC and president of its faculty union, said in an interview Wednesday. Certainly it benefited some of them, Arthur said of this years seniors. But they really were not able to make choices with the idea that this was possible. McKees office offered a similar explanation. Extending the pilot program is intended, in part, to provide a larger data set to inform decision-making about the future of the Hope Scholarship, Olivia DaRocha, a spokesperson for the governors office, said in an email. The extension makes it possible for two more cohorts (i.e., high school graduates in the Class of 2025 and 2026) to make their college decision and complete a four-year degree through this program. The enrollment, retention, and graduation data from these two additional classes is critical to assess the Hope Scholarships impact. During the 2023-24 academic year, just over 350 juniors and seniors already attending RIC were eligible for the scholarship; 243 ended up actually receiving a portion of the $2.1 million in tuition and fees spent on the program, said John Taraborelli, a RIC spokesperson. As a last-dollar scholarship program, students only receive funds through the Hope Scholarship after other federal aid and grants are applied. Rhode Island College enrollment struggles continue Modeled after the free tuition program at the Community College of Rhode Island known as Rhode Island Promise, the RIC equivalent aimed to boost the urban colleges sagging enrollment while incentivizing students to stay, and finish, their degrees in four years. Over the last decade, RIC has lost 37.1% of its undergraduates, from a 7,505 peak in the 2013-14 school year. Graduate enrollment has been flat, at about 1,100 students, according to college enrollment data. Fall 2023 data shows only a slight uptick in full-time undergraduate enrollment, which increased 5% compared to the prior year, and remains 32% below 10 years ago. Enrollment for the 2024-25 academic year is not yet available, due in part to delays in university deadlines for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), Taraborelli said. However, preliminary undergraduate applications and commitments increased 15% over the prior year, according to data shared by Taraborelli. The Hope Scholarship program offers an avenue to Postsecondary Education Commissioner Shannon Gilkeys ambitious goal of achieving 70% educational attainment among adult residents by the end of the decade. The rate was just over 56% in 2022, according to data from the Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation. Gilkey also pointed to the benefits in relieving student loan debt in a letter Wednesday to lawmakers. Getting a college education in Rhode Island was and remains an expensive investment, but a college degree is a powerful tool for economic mobility for our residents, Gilkey wrote. In late March, Rep. Joseph McNamara, a Warwick Democrat, introduced legislation on Gilkeys behalf proposing a two-year extension to the Hope Scholarship. Less than two weeks later, McKee submitted an amendment to the fiscal 2025 budget offering an identical proposal through a different mechanism. McKees initial fiscal 2025 spending plan already includes $3.4 million for the Hope Scholarship, with an estimated $8.3 million over the next three fiscal years to keep the program alive through fiscal 2028. Extending the programs duration through fiscal 2030 would have an $8.9 million price tag, spread over fiscal 2029 and fiscal 2030, according to information presented by state budget crunchers. Getting a college education in Rhode Island was and remains an expensive investment, but a college degree is a powerful tool for economic mobility for our residents. Postsecondary Education Commissioner Shannon Gilkey in letter to lawmakers Postsecondary Education Commissioner Shannon Gilkey in letter to lawmakers Advocates for the Hope Scholarship, including RIC President Jack Warner, touted its initial success Wednesday. This is making a tremendous difference in the lives of individual students, Warner said, citing significant increases in freshmen enrollment, credit load and participation in semester courses. Savannah Jenard, 21, a junior student at RIC studying sociology, recalled the joy among her family members when they learned she qualified for the scholarship last year. If 18-year-old me knew I would have the opportunity of the Hope Scholarship to finish my degree without the added stress of loans, I can confidently say I would have chosen RIC 10 times over, Jenard said to lawmakers Wednesday. And without the burden of additional student loan debt, Jenard said she feels confident she can afford to pursue a masters degree after she graduates from RIC in 2025. What about the University of Rhode Island? Noticeably absent from the lineup of cheerleaders who came to testify before lawmakers was the University of Rhode Island. The states land grant institution and only public research university does not have an equivalent scholarship of its own. URI President Marc Parlange has lamented how the Rhode Island Promise and Hope Scholarship have drawn students away from URI, in turn limiting access to specialized programs that only URI offers. Anthony LaRoche, a URI spokesperson, referred to Parlanges submitted testimony in 2023 regarding the creation of the Hope Scholarship when asked for comment Wednesday. Parlange in his April 19, 2023, letter urged lawmakers to apply the Hope Scholarship program to eligible URI juniors and seniors. All Rhode Islanders deserve access to the states flagship public research university, Parlange wrote. Arthur, however, pointed out that less than half of URIs students in 2023 were from Rhode Island. URI would like to have it both ways, Arthur said. It would like to be a regional college for Rhode Island and also a national research university that attracts students from everywhere. It cant be both. Warner declined to comment when asked about Parlanges request. The governors office remained noncommittal when asked about Parlanges request to expand the tuition scholarship program to URI. The Governor believes it is important to eliminate barriers to entry for students to access higher education wherever they decide to attend, DaRocha said. We will continue to explore ways to make all three of our higher education institutions more accessible to Rhode Islanders and help ensure that they provide relevant skills and knowledge to meet the needs of todays and tomorrows economy. The legislation was held for further study by the House committee, as is standard practice in an initial hearing. Any proposed budget amendments will be considered by lawmakers as part of their review of the governors spending plan, which must be approved by June 30. The post Keeping hope alive: Lawmakers consider extension to RIC scholarship program appeared first on Rhode Island Current. Rick Weiland of Dakotans for Health announces on May 1, 2024, in Sioux Falls that the group is turning in petition signatures to put abortion rights on the ballot. Heres a look at the status of South Dakotas ballot measures for the November 2024 election now that the deadline for signatures has passed: Seeking certification Right to abortion Type: Constitutional amendmentSignatures submitted: 55,000 Dakotans for Health co-founder Rick Weiland held a press conference May 1 in Sioux Falls to announce that he was handing in 55,000 signatures to the Secretary of State's office that day for his group's abortion amendment. If successful, the measure would enshrine the right to abortion in the South Dakota Constitution and supersede a 2005 state trigger law that took effect when Roe vs. Wade was overturned. Current state law makes it a Class 6 felony for anyone who administers to any pregnant female or prescribes or procures for any pregnant female a means for an abortion, except to save the life of the mother. The Life Defense Fund also announced May 1 that it intends to challenge the legality of the abortion petition based on the "unlawful and misleading actions" of Weiland and his petition circulators. Rep. Jon Hansen, R-Dell Rapids, one of the states leading anti-abortion advocates as co-chair of the Life Defense Fund, has accused Dakotans for Health circulators of leaving petitions unattended and providing misleading information to the public. South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley sent a letter to Dakotans for Health on Oct. 31, 2023, that mentioned "video and photographic evidence" of such encounters and warned of potentially illegal actions taken by petition circulators. Jackley said that his letter was based on "complaints and concerns raised during the petition process" and that violations, if proven, could play a role in the Secretary of State's petition certification process. Open primaries Type: Constitutional amendmentSignatures submitted: 46,500 Joe Kirby of South Dakota Open Primaries told News Watch that his group handed in signatures May 6 and that he is "not worried at all" about certification. "We know the process and we've got more than enough valid signatures," he said. Approval of this amendment would establish top-two primaries for governor, Congress and state legislative and county races rather than having parties hold separate primary contests. The two candidates who get the most votes would advance to the general election, regardless of party. The theory is that open primaries, rather than incentivizing candidates from taking extreme positions to win a partisan primary, will help lower the volume to produce officeholders more reflective of the general electorate. This comes at a time when far-right factions such as the South Dakota Freedom Caucus have gained more traction within the Republican ranks. All registered voters would be eligible to weigh in on which candidates advance to the general election. Currently, Independent voters in South Dakota can vote in Democratic primaries but not Republican contests. Kirby pointed to the 2026 South Dakota gubernatorial primary as an example of how an open primary could be a "good mix of Republicans, Democrats, Independents and Libertarians on the primary ballot." Freedom Caucus chairman Aaron Aylward, a state representative from Harrisburg, told News Watch that the proposal would essentially create "two general elections in South Dakota" and thus was unnecessary. Recreational marijuana Type: Initiated measureSignatures submitted: 29,030 There was a late surge of signature collection from South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, which also helped put the issue on the ballot in 2020 and 2022. The effort got a late start due to concerns about funding and didn't really hit its stride with paid circulators until February. "I think it would have been a mistake to launch a signature drive without knowing we had the resources to do it properly," said campaign director Matthew Schweich. If the recreational marijuana measure makes the ballot, the campaign will have to grapple with possible voter fatigue on an issue that will be put before South Dakota voters for a third consecutive statewide election. In 2020, pro-legalization Amendment A passed with 54% of the vote, clearing the way for recreational marijuana to be implemented in the state. Medicinal pot was also approved by voters that year in an initiated measure. Gov. Kristi Noems administration challenged the recreational marijuana amendment, saying it violated the states requirement that constitutional amendments deal with just one subject. That argument prevailed in a 4-1 decision at the South Dakota Supreme Court. Supporters tried to pass recreational cannabis again in 2022, and South Dakotans rejected that effort, sending Initiated Measure 27 to defeat with 53% of voters against it. Schweich acknowledges making a political miscalculation by going back to the issue in 2022 rather than "taking a breather" and waiting for 2024, a presidential election year with higher voter turnout than midterms. Grocery tax repeal Type: Initiated measureSignatures submitted: 25,000 Dakotans for Health submitted 25,000 signatures on April 24 for a measure to prohibit the state from collecting sales tax on "anything sold for human consumption, except alcoholic beverages and prepared food." Weiland's Take It Back initiative is also involved with the effort, which has public support from the South Dakota State Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. A statewide poll in November 2023 co-sponsored by South Dakota News Watch showed that 61% of registered voters support the proposal, which would eliminate the 4.2% state sales tax on groceries. The measure would not affect the up to 2% sales tax on groceries charged by South Dakota municipalities. The proposal was staunchly opposed by the Republican-dominated Legislature, which approved a cut in the states general sales tax rate from 4.5% to 4.2% during the 2023 session that's due to expire in 2027. The fiscal note for the grocery tax measure indicates it could reduce annual state sales tax receipts by $124 million. Opponents said that could stress the state's budget when combined with the rate change on general sales tax. Weiland notes that Noem promised a grocery tax cut as part of her 2022 re-election campaign, a plan ultimately rejected by lawmakers. Qualified for ballot Work requirement for Medicaid Type: Constitutional amendment (from Legislature) Legislators passed this Senate Joint Resolution during the 2024 session, an effort to amend the constitution to impose work requirements for Medicaid eligibility. Supporters want to add a work requirement for adults who are not physically or mentally disabled but who are eligible for Medicaid under the expansion of the government-sponsored program that South Dakota voters approved in 2022. The move would still need to be approved by the federal government. Opponents frame it as a rebuke of the will of voters and cite the state's 2.1% unemployment rate, which ranks second-lowest in the nation. "Who is on Medicaid and is not working? I can answer that for you, its the poorest of the poor, said Democratic state Rep. Kadyn Wittman of Sioux Falls. References to government officials Type: Constitutional amendment (from Legislature) This is a Senate Joint Resolution from the 2023 session that proposes to change outdated male-only references to South Dakotas governor and other officials in the state constitution and statutes. It's a procedural update in language that is not expected to draw much opposition. This story was produced by South Dakota News Watch, an independent, nonprofit news organization. Read more in-depth stories at sdnewswatch.org and sign up for an email every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. Contact Stu Whitney at stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Keeping track of South Dakota ballot measures for 2024 election A Kentucky mayor wrote his resignation note on the back of an envelope Gabe Brown submitted his resignation as mayor of Walton on the back of an envelope on May 7, 2024. WALTON, Ky. A months-long clash between a Northern Kentucky mayor and city council reached a climax at a meeting Tuesday night with a scribbled two-sentence note on the back of an envelope. "I quit. I'll turn my keys in when I clear out my office this week." It was signed by Gabe Brown, the now-former mayor of Walton, a city of roughly 5,500 people in Boone County, about 20 miles southwest of Cincinnati. More: 'This embarrasses me.' In a Northern Kentucky city, scandal dogs 3 mayors in a row Attorney Bryce Rhoades, who council brought in as special counsel, said the note goes into effect immediately because it does not have a date on it. Now, the six-person city council will have to officially accept Brown's resignation at a meeting Thursday. But the melee is far from over. Walton Mayor Gabe Brown announced his resignation at a special city council meeting March 27. Will the mayor return? Brown's resignation happened after city council members began investigating city expenditures over the past fiscal year, prompted by accusations that Brown may have been misusing public money. Tuesday night, the city council was prepared to issue charges of "misconduct and/or willful neglect" against Brown, the first part of a process to remove him from office, the meeting agenda stated. Brown would not have been eligible to fill the role again until 2026, which is when his term was slated to end. His voluntary exit, however, means the door is still open for him to make a comeback in a special election to fill the seat this fall. That's a plan he alluded to during his three-minute resignation speech in March when he said, "Keep my seat warm and leave my drapes alone. To quote the great poet Wyclef Jean, 'I'll be gone till November, I'll be gone till November. Yo, tell my girl I'll be gone till November.' " Here's a recap of what's been going on in Walton: Walton Mayor Gabe Brown announced his resignation Wednesday night. Here's what he had to say: @Enquirer pic.twitter.com/WYWToEdF0R Jolene Almendarez (@JoleneA1) March 28, 2024 What is Gabe Brown accused of doing? The council censured Brown in March for allegedly misusing a city plow and city vehicle. His purchases with his city-issued credit card were also questioned. Council member Dan Martin said weeks ago council members determined Brown mistakenly spent about $100 for personal uses like parking and that money was repaid last fall. But more has been uncovered during the city council's investigation. Martin told reporters Tuesday night that city council members had to "dig deeper than we ever thought we would need" and did a full financial audit of all charges over the past fiscal year. Is there a criminal investigation? Martin confirmed to reporters that a "mountain of documents" has been handed over to law enforcement agencies. But he said he doesn't know any more details, not even which agency is investigating exactly what. He said the city and city council's attorney would be responsible for working with law enforcement about the details. Martin also added the council's investigation turned up no wrongdoing from any other city employees. Wait, didn't Brown already resign? Yes and no. Brown announced his resignation during a council meeting on March 27, where he said some members, shouldnt be allowed to vote, much less be in an elected office. On March 30, he rescinded his resignation at 11:50 p.m., 10 minutes before his resignation went into effect. It has become clear that the bullying wont end with my resignation and it has become clear the council wants to sully my name and reputation, therefore declaring your desire to fight, he wrote when he rescinded. But there may be more to the story. Brown was reportedly paid $4,000 in January for work he was slated to do as mayor through April. If his resignation had gone into effect March 31, as he intended, he would probably have had to pay that money back. The city has since passed an ordinance eliminating advance payrolls. What's next? The city of Walton will likely have a special mayoral election in November. During a meeting on Thursday, the city council is expected to unanimously accept Brown's resignation. Martin said the rest of that meeting will likely consist of two hours of conversation on water and sewer issues in the city, two topics that were tabled during the special meeting Tuesday so more time could be devoted to the issues involving Brown. A special meeting on May 14 could reveal more information. Council members unanimously voted Tuesday for attorney Rhoades to prepare a report on the findings of their investigation into Brown. "We've been investigating everything, every financial charge the city has issued in the past year. We've been digging. We've been doing a full financial audit," Martin said. He added that while city council members can no longer remove Brown from office, they still want the public to be aware of the findings. "So if Mayor Brown appears on the ballot again, they may understand, they may have the full record of his time in office," he said. The city has 30 days to appoint an interim mayor. In the meantime, the city also approved a resolution to enter into consulting services with Elishia Chamberlain to help the city with its investigation and other legal matters pertaining to the mayor. Chamberlain was the city administrator in Ludlow before Ludlow's mayor at the time Josh Boone fired her. According to previous reporting from The Enquirer, Boone also fired city attorney Fred Johnson days after taking office and the city laid off two public works employees in the first few months of 2019 to help address its more than $200,000 budget shortfall at the time. What does Brown have to say? Brown doesn't appear to have given many interviews, though, he's mentioned he's being bullied by members of the council who disagree with him. But his three-minute resignation speech from March revealed his thoughts on his time in the "lonely, thankless job." On Tuesday, he appeared at the meeting late driving a blue van. He declined to comment on the record to The Enquirer. Gabe Brown left the parking lot of Walton City Hall Tuesday night after he submitted his mayoral resignation. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Northern Kentucky mayor Gabe Brown resigns Disclosure: Body camera footage shows what led up to a deadly shooting and the shooting itself. Viewer discretion is advised. UPDATE (2:31 p.m.): Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden showed body camera footage from a shooting that killed U.S. Air Force Airman Roger Fortson. Aden said deputies did enter the correct apartment and announced themselves when they arrived. The sheriff also said Fortson acknowledged law enforcement was at the door and had a gun. What we do know at this time is that the deputy did announce himself not once but twice, Aden said. Mr. Fortunes comments indicate that he did acknowledge it was law enforcement at the door, and he arrived at the door with a firearm in his hand. The deputy knocked on the correct door. He did not cover the peephole or otherwise obscure its view in any way. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is conducting its own separate investigation of the shooting. UPDATE (2:04 p.m.): The Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office is holding a press conference to speak out about the deadly shooting of an Air Force man. PREVIOUS STORY: OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, along with the family of U.S. Air Force Airman Roger Fortson, held a press conference today about his death. Santa Rosa Beach 4-year-old killed, man injured in crash involving tractor-trailer and cyclist: FHP Fortson, 23, was killed when Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office deputies were called to the Chez Elan Apartments on May 3. We are here at this press conference mainly because we have to correct this narrative, said Crump. Roger Fortson was the best America had to offer. He was a patriot. According to Hurlburt Field, Fortson was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron and entered active duty on Nov. 19, 2019. Crump said there was no disturbance at Fortsons apartment; therefore, they believe deputies had come to the wrong apartment. Fortsons girlfriend was on Facetime with him at the time of the shooting. She talked about how she heard a bang at the door, an aggressive bang, and she talked about how he said, Who is it? and he heard no response, said Crump. She talked about how he went to the door to look through the peephole, but it was as if somebody was covering up the peephole so he couldnt see out of it. Crump continued by saying that the girlfriend heard Fortson continue to say, Who is it, and went to retrieve his gun to protect himself. The girlfriend said she heard shots after he grabbed his gun. Escambia County: SUV crashes into school bus with students on board, FHP says According to Fortsons mother, EMS was never called, and instead, deputies said her son was shot up. The family will watch OCSO body camera footage at noon Thursday. The sheriffs office will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. Thursday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. Kindergarten school teacher killed by son she loved more than anything, CA family says A 57-year-old woman died in her home, and her son was arrested, California officials said. On May 7, Karyn Lombardo was found unconscious in her home where she lived with her son Kyle Lombardo, 25, and husband, according to a news release by Burbank police. Its a loss to the world, Lombardos husband told KTLA. Lombardo was a kindergarten teacher at Bret Harte Elementary, KABC reported. She started working there in 1993. McClatchy News reached out to Bret Harte Elementary and the school districts superintendent for a statement May 9 and was awaiting a response. Over the course of her highly accomplished career, Ms. Lombardo touched the lives of thousands of students, parents, and colleagues, who will be mourning this loss in the days to come, district Superintendent John M. Paramo told news outlets. Her dedication, warmth, and passion for teaching touched many students and colleagues lives. Her profound impact and loss on this community will be deeply felt throughout the City of Burbank. Officers eventually arrested Lombardos son after they said they found evidence that showed he caused her death during an altercation. Police didnt specify what the fight was about or Lombardos cause of death. She loved him more than anything and tried to help him, Lombardos husband told KTLA. All of her students love her. Coming through the system here, there were students who became teachers because of her. Shes a very magnificent person and I think if you ask anybody, I think shes too kind and that she loves to a fault. Lombardos son was arrested and booked for murder, police said. He was scheduled to appear in court May 9, officers said. The investigation remains ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to call 818-238-3210, according to the release. Burbank is about a 10-mile drive northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Man blames toy and a fall for babys horrific injuries, but she was abused, AZ cops say Moms boyfriend starved, burned 2-year-old girl in heinous abuse, Hawaii cops say 14-year-old stabbed while protecting mom from home intruder, Washington police say King glad to be out of cage in first military visit since cancer diagnosis The King told soldiers: 'I do apologise by taking you by surprise,' in what was his first military appointment since returning to public engagements - Jonathan Buckmaster/Pool/Daily Express The King said he was glad to be out of my cage as he embarked on his first military engagement since announcing a return to public duty. His Majesty met staff and families of the 3 Royal School of Military Engineering, the training base for the Armys Royal Engineers. The 75-year-old took on the role of Colonel-in-Chief, which used to be held by Queen Elizabeth II, last March. The King was welcomed on the red carpet with a quarter guard salute after stepping out of the state Bentley. The King met members of the 3 Royal School of Military Engineering, the training base for the Royal Engineers - Jonathan Buckmaster/Daily Express/PA Arriving at Gibraltar Barracks, in Minley, Wilts, he said: Thank you so much I do apologise for taking you by surprise. When this opportunity appeared and I had been allowed out of my cage, I wanted to come to have a look. Lt Col Robert Grant said afterwards: We only had, if you take into account the Bank Holiday, only seven or eight days to pull it all together, but when you get that call is it possible to put a visit for His Majesty? there is only one answer. The King is said to have been frustrated by his enforced time at home as he undergoes treatment for cancer. His doctors have now given him clearance to return to some public duties, with some modifications to protect his health. The King asked Sophie Mairs if she was 'sure she should be here', as she only has six weeks until her baby is due - Jonathan Buckmaster/Daily Express/PA On Thursday, the King chatted to trainees, trainers and their families on a patio at the Officers Mess. Speaking to heavily-pregnant Sophie Mairs, 37, whose due date is in six weeks, the King joked: Are you sure you should be here today? Mrs Mairs, whose husband WO2 Barry Mairs, 38, is in the Engineers, said afterwards: I said I couldnt miss it. Its not every day the King comes to where your husband works. Outside, six-year-old Louis Bacon handed the King a drawing he had made and said: I wanted to make something special. Lucas Stewart, also six, handed the King some honey made on the barracks. On receiving the gift, the monarch said: Oh, just what I need. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. What we know (and don't know) about Milwaukee's plan to handle elections after Claire Woodall Claire Woodall, executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, speaks at one of three media briefings on Election Day at the City of Milwaukee Central Count Facility, 501 W. Michigan Ave. Days after Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson announced that Election Commission Executive Director Claire Woodall would not be reappointed, few details have emerged about how the administration plans to ensure that Novembers closely watched presidential election will go smoothly. Johnson announced Monday that he planned to nominate Election Commission Deputy Director Paulina Gutierrez to take the helm of the commission. Gutierrez was appointed deputy director in early 2023, after the 2022 midterm election. Johnson's spokesman, Jeff Fleming, on Wednesday said Gutierrez would be provided staff, money for equipment and the commission's work, and people from city government to staff polling locations and central count, the single location where the city's absentee ballots are counted. Woodall earlier this year gained approval from the Common Council and Johnson to accept grants for nearly $800,000 for election equipment and $250,000 for voter education. "There's some very knowledgeable people within city government right now who have worked regularly at different locations. I've worked central count on a number of occasions. So, there are people who know the operations and, when needed, we will find outside resources as well," Fleming said. "But, frankly, there's already a high level of confidence that the elections coming up this year will be run well." 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. Fleming did not name specific people who will be available to help and declined to confirm a report from the Associated Press that former Executive Director Neil Albrecht will be returning to help Gutierrez in a volunteer role. Johnson has a "high level of confidence in Paulina," Fleming said, adding that she was brought in to understand and lead the office. Woodall was told last week that she would not be reappointed to the position she has held since 2020, a move that comes six months before the presidential election in which Milwaukee's election administration will again be under close scutiny. Intense election scrutiny expected again in 2024 Former President Donald Trump, the Republican Party's presumptive nominee, has continued to falsely claim that Milwaukee voters in 2020 cast "illegal votes." That year, Trump lost the swing state to Democrat Joe Biden by about 21,000 votes after the state had elected Trump by a similar margin just four years earlier. The Trump campaign paid for recounts of votes in Milwaukee and Dane counties in 2020, and his legal team sought unsuccessfully to have thousands of absentee ballots thrown out in both counties. Intense national scrutiny on Milwaukee and Wisconsin is expected again in the November rematch between Trump and Biden. The Republican National Committee and Trump campaign have announced plans to have a legion of volunteers and attorneys monitor and challenge voting processes in battleground states like Wisconsin. Johnson has downplayed the timing of the change at the Election Commission, telling WISN-TV's Matt Smith earlier this week that he was appointing cabinet positions like the Election Commission executive director now that the April 2 election is over. Gutierrez is now running the office. In a Sunday memo to staff, Gutierrez wrote that she "is building a network of people with experience in elections to support our efforts in this upcoming critical election year. I am also connecting with other jurisdictions and election leaders to assist in my transition as the new Executive Director. The Mayor has assured me that we will be provided with the appropriate resources as we move into the fall to ensure our success." She did not respond to a phone call and text messages seeking an interview this week. 'Transition' in the works with Claire Woodall Woodall is working with the Mayor's Office and the city on how she can help with the transition at the Election Commission, City Department of Employee Relations Director Harper Donahue IV said. And while Johnson and others have said Woodall had been offered a different position at the city, it seemed unlikely to be her next move. The position, which she had detailed in a June email to others at the city, would focus on "voting and civic engagement." Woodall in a text message Wednesday confirmed she was working with the city on a transition but said it does not include the civic engagement position. Cavalier Johnson administration remains largely mum on decision to not reappoint Woodall It remains unclear why Johnson decided not to reappoint Woodall. "It's more of a personnel matter as opposed to a matter of her technical ability to do her job," Johnson told Smith. Fleming declined to expand on why she was not reappointed. "Claire is a very talented person and she will deploy those talents in some very important ways going forward," Fleming said. "Ultimately, the mayor has to make a decision about his cabinet members and in three different cases he chose to put other people into specific cabinet offices." In a Monday statement in which he announced Gutierrez's nomination, Johnson also named different people than the incumbents to the cabinet positions of lead lobbyist and labor negotiator. Alison Dirr can be reached at adirr@jrn.com. Mary Spicuzza can be reached at mary.spicuzza@jrn.com. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What we know about Milwaukee's election plans after Claire Woodall What you need to know about the historic cicada emergence Across the Eastern U.S., trillions of flying, buzzing cicadas are struggling out of the ground and heading for the trees part of the biggest congregation of the insects to emerge since 1803. This historic emergence is happening from the Gulf Coast to Virginia, and from Illinois to the Atlantic. It represents a loud racket for human neighbors, a hungry threat to local trees, a welcome reprieve to moths and butterflies and perhaps most significantly a sudden pulse of protein that can reshape forest ecosystems now waking up from winter. If you live east of the Mississippi and south of the Mason-Dixon line, heres what to know about the buzzing outside the windows. Whats with the buzzing? Its the sound of millions of male cicadas making their mating calls which should last, once it begins, for about a month and a half. If the males songs are successful in attracting a mate, she will lay eggs in tree branches. The eggs then fall to the ground, where cicada nymphs will hatch and burrow into the earth, where they will eat tree sap for the next 13 to 17 years until they emerge to start the process again. Why is this years emergence different? Because cicadas generally emerge in either 13- or 17-year cycles and this year, those cycles overlap. For context in how rarely that happens, the last time the two coincided, Missouri one of the hosts to one of the broods now emerging had only months prior been bought by the new U.S. government from the empire of France. CicadaBroodStaticMapDownload Why those particular cycles? No one knows and 13- or 17-year cicadas often give birth on the opposite schedule. That said, there are a fair number of stragglers that emerge between one and four years before (or after) the main brood. OK, but why do cicadas emerge so infrequently? Its a numbers game, says Chris Simon, a research scientist in the school of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Connecticut. Its a hard life for a cicada: Everything eats them. When theyre tiny and underground, they are torn apart by ants and other invertebrates. As they get bigger, they become nutrient-dense snacks for burrowing mammals such as shrews and moles. And then, when they come out of the ground, they are food, of course, for everything above ground, like small mammals, birds, turtles, snakes, and humans, Simon said. But when a million and a half cicadas emerge per acre, they get protection from safety in numbers, she added. Not all cicadas do this there are nonperiodic cicadas, as well as periodic ones and cicadas, Simon noted, also arent the only creatures that do it. Theres various plants and other animals that do this to try to swamp predators, she said. This strategy of self-protection for the species involves a lot of sacrifice for its individual members. By force of numbers, cicadas effectively satiate their predators, Louie Yang, an entomologist at the University of California, Davis, told Vox a few years ago, when the famous Brood X emerged. What are the impacts of the cicada emergence? A bonanza for birds, as well as basically everything in the ecosystem that likes live prey. Its also a welcome reprieve for everything that would otherwise be preyed upon and a knock-on increase in the impacts caused by those animals, which will survive to eat more plants than they otherwise would. Thats the conclusion of a paper published last October in Science, which found that more than 80 bird species switched from hunting their general prey to focus on cicadas a nutrient pulse that boosts their offspring that year. All told, cicada emergences can completely rewire a food web, study co-author Grace Soltis told the BBC. For predators, these emergences are a huge boom in resources. Its basically like an all-you-can-eat buffet for the hungry predator. This change in predator focus, in turn, allows caterpillar populations to double, and to lay more eggs in oak trees which a 2022 paper in The American Naturalist found could depress the production of acorns for a couple of years after the broods emergence. Does that make the cicadas bad news for oaks? Its more complicated than that: The increased numbers of consumed cicadas mean similarly heightened amounts of nutrient-dense bird and animal poop deposited on the roots of trees, which ultimately enhances oak reproduction, the paper found. When and where can we expect them? The timing is simple, if variable: whenever soil temperatures hit 64 degrees, about 8 inches down. The geography is a bit more complicated. The 13-year brood Brood 19 will come out in the Southeast and Gulf Coast, popping up in Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, the Carolinas and Virginia. The 17-year brood Brood 13 will mostly come out in Illinois and Iowa. As far as we know, they dont overlap, Simon said although she cautioned that discovering this wasnt easy, because the two broods are functionally identical in song and appearance. We only know that they dont overlap because we have mapped [each brood] in other years and other generations, where they came out by themselves. Is climate change impacting this process? Continually, and for millions of years, according to the University of Connecticut. In the biggest picture, periodic cicadas are far older than the current geography of the United States, which was shaped by repeated expansions and melting of glaciers over the past 740,000 years. This means cicadas have survived and their evolution has been shaped by changes on the landscape that far outstrip any near-term changes caused by human burning of fossil fuels. But over the short term, the UConn experts expect that the rise in average temperatures will push cicada emergence earlier as it pushes spring earlier. If the growing season is longer, they can reach maturity faster, Simon said. Another impact comes from increased climate variability weird year-on-year fluctuations from the norm which will disrupt the cues cicadas rely on to time their emergences. At the extreme level, that could lead the insects to abandon the periodic strategy entirely. But also, if extreme climatic conditions reliably and consistently induce straggler emergences of sufficient density to satiate predators, then permanent life cycle switches could occur, according to a UConn fact sheet. But far more significant than human-caused atmospheric climate change is the human-driven change in land use, Simon said. We convert the landscape, we remove their trees, we pave over their burrows underground. And because of that, theres a lot fewer areas where periodical cicadas come out now than in the past, she said. Climate change, she noted, isnt what decimated cicadas in her home region of New England: development did. In the time since the last joint emergence of Broods 13 and 19, the forests of New England were almost entirely removed, with only three rows in between fields and maybe along streams there will be trees left or up in mountains. And so, the cicadas would be wiped out wherever the trees are removed, especially when theyre completely removed for agriculture. The result, she said, was that the size of the northeastern broods are really dramatically decreasing. So, humans are really the biggest problem with the cicadas. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Thursday that it will work with French authorities to promote trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. The MOC and the French foreign ministry recently signed a memorandum of understanding concerning the strengthening of cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises, with the aim of creating a better business environment for cooperation between such firms, MOC spokesperson He Yadong told a briefing. The sixth meeting of the China-France Business Council was successfully held recently, with companies signing 15 cooperation deals in the fields of finance, nuclear energy, aviation, manufacturing and new energy, He added. Over the past 60 years since China and France established diplomatic relations, their bilateral trade volume has seen a nearly 800-fold increase, reaching 78.9 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, He said. Total two-way investment has exceeded 26 billion U.S. dollars over the past six decades while more than 2,000 French companies are currently conducting business in China, He noted. What to know about voting in the June 11 primary in Maine Entrance to the polling station in Portland's Merrill Auditorium. (Jim Neuger/Maine Morning Star) Its not too soon to start making a voting plan for the state primary election that is only a few weeks away on June 11. This election will not only narrow the field for state senators, state representatives, and county commissioners, but also determine which Republican candidate will face off against Democrat Jared Golden to represent Maines 2nd Congressional District. Party candidates who are elected in the primary qualify to appear on the November general election ballot. Heres a closer look at what voters need to know. Who can vote in this primary? Voters enrolled in the Democratic, Republican and Green Independent parties, as well as those who are unenrolled, may vote in the June primary. Unenrolled voters will select either the Democratic, Republican or Green Independent ballot. Anyone enrolled in any other party may not participate in the primary. The deadline to withdraw or change ones enrollment and still be eligible to vote in this primary is May 24. Voters must be in a party for three months before changing to another. All voters can participate in school board referendums. Absentee or early voting In Maine, any voter can apply to vote absentee without having a specific reason. Voters have until the end of the business day on June 6 to request absentee ballots from their municipal clerk. They can be requested online, by mail or by phone. Residents can search the list of municipal clerks and registrars on the Secretary of State website to find more details about obtaining and casting an absentee ballot. Ballots must be completed and returned to the clerk by 8 p.m. on June 11. They can be returned via mail or dropped off in designated, external ballot boxes. For example, Portland has a box outside of City Hall. Ahead of the election, people may also vote absentee in-person at their local clerks office once ballots become available. In Portland, in-person absentee voting begins May 14. The Secretary of State also has a tracking system for residents to check the status of their request as well as their ballot after returning it. New accommodations for voters Maine voters can use the online voter registration portal to register to vote for the first time, update their current registration, or change their party enrollment. New this year, voters who will be at least 65 years old by the next election or who self-identify as having a disability can apply for ongoing absentee voter status, according to the Secretary of States office. The application form can be downloaded online and must be returned to their municipal clerk. Voters who qualify will automatically receive absentee ballots for each statewide, municipal and any other election they are eligible to vote in. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post What to know about voting in the June 11 primary in Maine appeared first on Maine Morning Star. Kolomoisky remanded in custody until July 7 in murder case A Kyiv court on May 9 authorized an arrest warrant for oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky in a murder case. He will be in custody until July 7 without the right of bail. Kolomoisky, one of Ukraine's most infamous business tycoons, was arrested on Sept. 2 for alleged fraud and money laundering related to his oil and gas holdings. He is the wealthiest businessman to have landed behind bars in Ukraine's independent history. On May 8, the Prosecutor General's Office announced he was also suspected of ordering the murder of the head of a law firm more than 20 years ago in Crimea. After the lawyer refused Kolomoisky's demands to annul a decision made at a shareholders' meeting, the oligarch allegedly hired contract killers to assassinate him, according to the investigation. Kolomoisky has denied the accusation. The National Police, who say they now have "indisputable evidence" of Kolomoisky's guilt in the case, wrote in a press release that the assassination attempt happened in the Crimean town of Feodosia in August 2003. Four men attacked the lawyer, beating him and stabbing him, according to the investigators. He survived the attack after his wife intervened and received life-saving medical care, according to the police. The men were later arrested and sentenced to prison. A separate investigation was opened to determine who ordered the lawyer's murder. On May 8, Ukrainian law enforcement officially announced that Kolomoisky was suspected of ordering the assassination. If found guilty, he may be sentenced to between 15 years in jail and life imprisonment. Subscribe to Ukraine Daily newsletter News from Ukraine in your inbox Subscribe Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Kremlin announces withdrawal of its troops from number of Armenian oblasts The Kremlin said that Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan agreed on Wednesday to withdraw Russian military personnel from a number of oblasts of Armenia. Still, some troops will remain on Armenias border with Turkiye and Iran. Source: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov: Russian agency Interfax. According to Dmitry Peskov, the head of the Armenian government said: "Today, due to the changed conditions, there is no such need anymore." "Therefore... Putin agreed, and the withdrawal of our military and border guards was agreed," Peskov said. At the same time, "at the request of the Armenian side, our border guards will remain on the Armenian-Turkish and Armenian-Iranian borders", the Kremlin spokesman noted. "They will remain there and continue to perform their functions," Peskov added. Armenia decided not to participate in financing the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) activities, a military-political bloc that is de facto headed by Russia. In February, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that his country suspended participation in the CSTO. Then he clarified that the country's final decision on participation in the organisation will depend on whether they explain what they see as their "area of responsibility" in Armenia. Support UP or become our patron! Kyiv city officials will begin reducing evening street lighting after Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy system caused major power shortages throughout the country, Serhii Popko, the head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, announced on May 9. Russia carried out a large-scale attack overnight on May 8 against Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, and Vinnytsia oblasts, mainly targeting energy infrastructure. At least two hydroelectric power plants were forcibly decommissioned as a result of the attack. Moscow has recently intensified its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's critical infrastructure, destroying several thermal power plants across the country, including the Trypillia plant, the main electricity supplier to Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Cherkasy oblasts. Popko published a statement on Telegram confirming that the May 8 attack caused a shortage in the country's power grid. Ukraine's state-owned energy operator, Ukrenergo, will be forced to impose power supply restrictions on industry and business between 6 p.m. and midnight. According to Popko, the restrictions may include blackouts for industry and business in Kyiv. He also announced that city officials have decided to minimize evening street lighting. Read also: Ukrenergo: Imported energy wont fully cover deficit after latest Russian attack "We are working on finding the best ways to save electricity without compromising the city's vital functions," Popko said. "We have already decided to minimize evening street lighting. We will not turn off all the lights completely. We will reduce the brightness of the lighting fixtures using the outdoor lighting control system, which will help us achieve overall savings of at least 20%." The limitations will not impact power supplies to household consumers in Kyiv. Popko encouraged Kyiv residents to save money and reduce energy usage between the hours of 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. as these are "the most important load hours for the power system." "Do not turn on all powerful electrical appliances at the same time, postpone washing at night, and turn off lights in empty rooms. By doing so, you will help Ukrenergo avoid potential extreme measures, such as emergency power cuts for household consumers throughout Ukraine." Kyiv introduced similar restrictions late last month following a series of similar attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that Russian attacks have damaged or destroyed over 800 heating facilities across Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukraine's power generation capacity has decreased by up to 8 gigawatt hours (GWh) and needs nearly $1 billion to compensate. Ukraine's largest private energy company, DTEK, said on April 28 that Russian forces have targeted Ukraine's thermal power plants nearly 180 times since the full-scale war started. Read also: Opinion: Russias energy infrastructure attacks are depopulating Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Pro-Palestinian supporters were arrested at the Westwood campus of UCLA on Monday. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) UCLA police say protesters arrested Monday at a university garage had materials that could be "used to unlawfully enter and barricade a building." In a news release Wednesday, campus police said some of those arrested had "heavy-duty metal pipes, bolt cutters, epoxy adhesive, super glue, padlocks [and] heavy-duty chains," as well as literature "encouraging vandalism and violence." Police said they'd seized a copy of the "The Do-It-Yourself Occupation Guide." UCLA has faced criticism for the arrests of the 44 pro-Palestinian protesters 35 of whom, according to police, were students. Participants said they were gathering for a peaceful protest. Some called the actions by police harassment and intimidation. Those who were arrested Monday were escorted from the parking garage to an L.A. County Sheriffs Department bus. Police said four of the group had also been arrested May 2, when more than 200 people were taken into custody at the encampment outside Royce Hall, which police dismantled. Police say items they took from protesters included metal pipes, heavy duty adhesives, bolt cutters, chains and literature. (UCLA Police Department) There was at least one independent journalist 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 disputed that he engaged in any unlawful behavior. None of those arrested have been formally charged with a crime, and UCLA has not specified who had the items in their possession. The arrests capped days of upheaval at UCLA, including a mob attack on the pro-Palestinian encampment late the night of April 30. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Wednesday compared the attack on the camp to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, saying it "came out of nowhere." Shortly before 11 p.m. that night, a large pro-Israeli group arrived on the Westwood campus and attacked pro-Palestinian protesters. The mob ripped down barricades, hurled objects, launched fireworks and sprayed mace, injuring several at the encampment, which had been standing outside Royce Hall since April 25. No one has been arrested in the attack. UCLA police are working with the Los Angeles Police Department and the FBI to identify the assailants. Read more: A staggering two weeks at UCLA: Protest, violence, division mark 'dark chapter' Frankly, it reminded me of Jan. 6, said Bass, a former member of Congress who was at the Capitol complex when rioters stormed the government building in January 2021. Bass has previously spoken in emotional terms about Jan. 6, calling it a tragedy that threatened the lives of journalists, emergency responders and others. Speaking about the level of coordination of the attack, Bass said she had "no idea," although she said she didn't "think that however many people just all woke up at the same time and decided to go to UCLA." Monday's arrests followed avowals by UCLA officials to improve security after the April 30 violence. UCLA's police chief, John Thomas, has faced growing scrutiny after a string of serious security lapses surrounding the incident. Thomas had assured university leadership he could mobilize law enforcement in minutes, according to three sources who were not authorized to speak publicly. The attack, however, spun out over several hours before law enforcement took control. Just days before, Thomas had been asked to create a written safety plan as tensions on the campus skyrocketed, but he never did it, according to the sources. Bass declined to weigh in on Thomas' actions and whether he should resign, saying that it is a university issue. Read more: UCLA sought extra police but canceled requests in days before protest camp was attacked When the initial fight broke out, only six UCLA police officers were at the scene, and they were heavily outnumbered. Bass said that, based on what she knew, she believed the LAPD responded appropriately. In a televised interview with Fox 11, the mayor appeared to criticize the university for its lack of a plan. "So calling a local [police] station while a protest is happening is not going to generate 80, 90, 100 police officers in a matter of minutes. Unfortunately, it took hours," Bass said. "I learned in this process that if you're going to have a big problem like that, you have to notify law enforcement in advance so they can muster the troops." UC President Michael V. Drake has ordered an independent investigation led by Philadelphia's former police chief. Thomas has said he advised UCLA's leadership from the beginning not to allow the encampment because it violated campus rules and he feared it could lead to escalating problems. The chief said he developed a response that relied on private security and made sure to alert the LAPD if problems arose. He acknowledged that he did tell others it would be only minutes for a response, but said he was referring to a general response, not a force large enough to handle the melee that unfolded. Thomas told The Times when a problem broke out, UCLA's leadership authorized him to request mutual aid. But he said the LAPD told him there was a problem with the payment system between the city and the state so the arrangements "couldn't be done by the time of the attack." Read more: UCLA's top cop, accused of security lapse, faces calls to step aside. He defends his actions On Wednesday, Bass rejected the notion that there was some payment delay to the LAPD and that the police force withheld service. "That is absolutely false," Bass said. "LAPD was not notified in time. And so when the request was made of LAPD I don't remember the exact time, but it was between 11 and 11:30 I believe the attack had already been well underway. "LAPD did not have the capacity on such short notice to mobilize full force," the mayor said. Bass said she returned early from Washington, D.C., early the morning after the attack after speaking on the phone with UCLA Chancellor Gene Block and LAPD Interim Chief Dominic Choi. Bass, in the Fox 11 interview, also questioned why the university allowed the counterprotest to take place next to the pro-Palestinian encampment, which had been largely peaceful until then. 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. La Nina is coming, raising the chances of a dangerous Atlantic hurricane season an atmospheric scientist explains this climate phenomenon One of the big contributors to the record-breaking global temperatures over the past year El Nino is now gone, and its opposite, La Nina, is on the way. Whether thats a relief or not depends in part on where you live. Above-normal temperatures are still forecast across the U.S. in summer 2024. And if you live along the U.S. Atlantic or Gulf coasts, La Nina can contribute to the worst possible combination of climate conditions for fueling hurricanes. Pedro DiNezio, an atmosphere and ocean scientist at the University of Colorado who studies El Nino and La Nina, explains why and whats ahead. What is La Nina? La Nina and El Nino are the two extremes of a recurring climate pattern that can affect weather around the world. Forecasters know La Nina has arrived when temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean along the equator west of South America cool by at least half a degree Celsius (0.9 Fahrenheit) below normal. During El Nino, the same region warms instead. Those temperature fluctuations might seem small, but they can affect the atmosphere in ways that ripple across the planet. The tropics have an atmospheric circulation pattern called the Walker Circulation, named after Sir Gilbert Walker, an English physicist in the early 20th century. The Walker Circulation is basically giant loops of air rising and descending in different parts of the tropics. Normally, air rises over the Amazon and Indonesia because moisture from the tropical forests makes the air more buoyant there, and it comes down in East Africa and the eastern Pacific. During La Nina, those loops intensify, generating stormier conditions where they rise and drier conditions where they descend. During El Nino, ocean heat in the eastern Pacific instead shifts those loops, so the eastern Pacific gets stormier. During La Nina, the Walker Circulation intensifies, triggering stronger storms where the air rises. Fiona Martin, NOAA Climate.gov During El Nino, the Walker Circulation shifts eastward, so more storms form off California as warm air rises over the warmer waters of the eastern Pacific. Fiona Martin, NOAA Climate.gov EL Nino and La Nina also affect the jet stream, a strong current of air that blows from west to east across the U.S. and other mid-latitude regions. During El Nino, the jet stream tends to push storms toward the subtropics, making these typically dry areas wetter. Conversely, mid-latitude regions that normally would get the storms become drier because storms shift away. This year, forecasters expect a fast transition to La Nina likely by late summer. After a strong El Nino, like the world saw in late 2023 and early 2024, conditions tend to swing fairly quickly to La Nina. How long it will stick around is an open question. This cycle tends to swing from extreme to extreme every three to seven years on average, but while El Ninos tend to be short-lived, La Ninas can last two years or longer. How does La Nina affect hurricanes? Temperatures in the tropical Pacific also control wind shear over large parts of the Atlantic Ocean. Wind shear is a difference in wind speeds at different heights or direction. Hurricanes have a harder time holding their column structure during strong wind shear because stronger winds higher up push the column apart. La Nina produces less wind shear, removing a brake on hurricanes. Thats not good news for people living in hurricane-prone regions like Florida. In 2020, during the last La Nina, the Atlantic saw a record 30 tropical storms and 14 hurricanes, and 2021 had 21 tropical storms and seven hurricanes. Forecasters are warning that this years Atlantic storm season could rival 2021, due in large part to shift toward La Nina. The tropical Atlantic has also been exceptionally warm, with sea surface temperature-breaking records for over a year. That warmth affects the atmosphere, causing more atmospheric motion over the Atlantic, fueling hurricanes. Does La Nina mean drought returns to the US Southwest? The U.S. Southwests water supplies will probably be OK for the first year of La Nina because of all the rain over the past winter. But the second year tends to become problematic. A third year, as the region saw in 2022, can lead to severe water shortages. Drier conditions also fuel more extreme fire seasons in the West, particularly in the fall, when the winds pick up. During La Nina, the jet stream tends to be farther north, causing drier conditions across the U.S. Southwest. NOAA Climate.gov What happens in the Southern Hemisphere during La Nina? The impacts of El Nino and La Nina are almost a mirror image in the Southern Hemisphere. Chile and Argentina tend to get drought during La Nina, while the same phase leads to more rain in the Amazon. Australia had severe flooding during the last La Nina. La Nina also favors the Indian monsoon, meaning above-average rainfall. The effects arent immediate, however. In South Asia, for example, the changes tend to show up a few months after La Nina has officially appeared. La Nina is quite bad for eastern Africa, where vulnerable communities are already in a long-term drought. Typical La Nina climate impacts, though conditions arent always like this. NOAA Climate.gov Is climate change affecting La Ninas impact? El Nino and La Nina are now happening on top of the effects of global warming. That can exacerbate temperatures, as the world saw in 2023, and precipitation can go off the charts. Since summer 2023, the world has had 10 straight months of record-breaking global temperatures. A lot of that warmth is coming from the oceans, which are still at record-high temperatures. La Nina should cool things a bit, but greenhouse gas emissions that drive global warming are still rising in the background. So while fluctuations between El Nino and La Nina can cause short-term temperature swings, the overall trend is toward a warming world. This article, originally published May 9, 2024, has been updated with El Nino ending. 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: Pedro DiNezio, University of Colorado Boulder Read more: Pedro DiNezio receives funding from NSF. BUDAPEST, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The following is the full text of a joint statement on the establishment of an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era released by China and Hungary on Thursday. Joint Statement Between the People's Republic of China and Hungary on the Establishment of An All-Weather Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the New Era At the invitation of H.E. Tamas Sulyok, President of Hungary, H.E. Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary, H.E. Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China, paid a state visit to Hungary from May 8 to 10, 2024. During the visit, President Xi Jinping held talks with President Sulyok and Prime Minister Orban. In an atmosphere of friendliness, candor and mutual trust, the two sides reviewed the solid foundation of relations between China and Hungary and the traditional friendship between the Chinese and Hungarian people, had in-depth exchanges of views on bilateral ties and international and regional issues of mutual interest, and reached broad consensus. The two sides spoke highly of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Hungary established in 2017, and expressed their satisfaction with the fruitful outcomes of the practical and friendly cooperation over the years. China and Hungary view each other as a priority partner for cooperation, always respect and treat each other equally, and set a good example of mutually beneficial pragmatic cooperation. The two sides agreed to maintain high-level exchanges, strengthen political mutual trust, and deepen cooperation for mutual benefit, so as to keep the bilateral relationship at a high level and bring more benefits to the two peoples. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary, the two sides decided to elevate the current comprehensive strategic partnership to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era. The statement is as follows: 1. The two sides agree to actively use bilateral and multilateral occasions to hold meetings between the leaders of the two countries, and further leverage the role of the leaders' exchanges of the two countries in providing strategic guidance. 2. Hungary respects the great achievements that China has scored in economic and social development, and hopes that the Chinese people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, will build China into a great modern socialist country in all respects, achieve the Second Centenary Goal and advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese modernization. China applauds the major achievements that Hungary has scored in national development, and commends Hungary's peaceful, open and pragmatic foreign policy and its positive role in promoting regional stability and common prosperity of Europe. 3. The two sides firmly support each other in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. China respects Hungary's independent choice of a development path and domestic and foreign policies suited to its national conditions, and supports the efforts made by the Hungarian side to maintain national stability and promote economic development. The Hungarian government remains firm in adhering to the one-China principle, and reaffirms that there is but one China in the world, that the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing China. Hungary opposes all forms of separatist activities at breaking the unity of China. 4. The two sides are willing to promote high-level exchanges, intensify the exchanges and cooperation between the central and local governments, legislatures, and political parties of the two countries at all levels, strengthen experience sharing on governance, and further enhance strategic and political mutual trust. 5. The two sides agreed that their cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has yielded fruitful results, and that the BRI has played a positive role in promoting economic development and improving people's livelihood in both countries. In order to enrich the China-Hungary all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era, the two sides are committed to enhancing synergy between the BRI and Hungary's "Eastern Opening" policy. Leveraging mechanisms and platforms such as the China-Hungary Inter-Governmental Belt and Road Cooperation Committee and the Belt and Road Cooperation Promotion Center, the two sides will pursue deeper and more substantive progress in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, jointly ensure the safety and security and smooth progress of relevant cooperation projects between the two countries, and strive for more fruitful results in practical cooperation. The two sides will further strengthen exchanges and cooperation on economic development policies, and promote the sharing of best practices and experience in key areas. 6. The Hungarian side appreciates the positive role that Chinese enterprises have played in the national development of Hungary, welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Hungary, and is willing to foster a favorable investment and business environment for them. The two sides acknowledge that Hungary has favorable endowments to provide a meeting point for Eastern and Western economies and technologies. The Chinese side will continue to encourage capable Chinese enterprises to invest in Hungary. The two sides will promote orderly cooperation in emerging fields including clean energy, artificial intelligence, mobile communication technology and nuclear energy and technology. The Hungary-Serbia Railway is a landmark project under Belt and Road cooperation, and also a flagship project of Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (China-CEEC Cooperation). The two sides are willing to actively promote the construction of the Hungarian section of the Hungary-Serbia Railway, and jointly promote high-level connectivity in Central and Eastern Europe. The two sides are willing to actively support the sound and steady development of the China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line, and promote connectivity and trade between China and Hungary. 7. The two sides agreed that Chinese modernization will bring new opportunities for economic cooperation and trade between the two countries, and that stronger practical cooperation and closer economic ties serve the fundamental interests for the two peoples of China and Hungary. The two sides will make full use of the China-Hungary Economic Joint Committee and its affiliated working groups on e-commerce and trade, support greater exchanges between trade, investment and industrial promotion agencies as well as business chambers and associations of the two sides, deepen cooperation in digital economy and green development, foster new drivers of trade and economic growth, expand the scope and depth of economic and trade cooperation, and jointly safeguard the stability and security of industrial and supply chains. 8. The two sides spoke highly of the development of the China-Europe Railway Express between China and Hungary, and agreed to establish an inter-governmental cooperation mechanism on the China-Europe Railway Express, promote infrastructure connectivity, and jointly take practical measures to ensure the security of the transport routes and improve the quality and efficiency of the China-Europe Railway Express, so as to provide important support for deepening economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. 9. The Chinese side appreciates Hungary's active participation in the China International Import Expo, the China International Fair for Trade in Services, the China Import and Export Fair and the China-CEEC Expo. China unequivocally supports Hungarian enterprises in taking a bigger part in all kinds of economic and trade expos and fairs held in China. The two sides agreed to deepen cooperation on the facilitation of customs clearance of the China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line to facilitate cross-border trade. The Chinese side welcomes more quality products and eligible enterprises of Hungary to enter the Chinese market. 10. The two sides recognized the huge potential in agricultural cooperation between the two countries and the sound progress made under the framework of the China-CEEC agricultural cooperation mechanism. The two sides will give full play to the role of the China-Hungary high-level working group on agriculture and other mechanisms, in order to strengthen economic, trade and investment cooperation between agricultural enterprises of both sides, widening market access, promote the cooperation of "small and beautiful" projects, and strengthen cooperation in areas such as animal health and joint research and development of deep processing technologies for agricultural products. The two sides agree to establish a working group between the relevant authorities in order to enhance technical exchanges on zoning and compartmentalisation, initiate structured dialogue and promote to achieve a zoning and compartmentalisation agreement in case of animal diseases in an early manner. 11. The two sides will further deepen cooperation on finance, encourage financial institutions of both sides to provide financing support and financial services for trade and investment cooperation, further tap the cooperation potential in green finance and other fields, and continue to jointly issue green Panda bonds. The Hungarian side appreciates the valuable fiscal and financial support of China. The Chinese side supports Chinese financial institutions in setting up branches in Hungary in compliance with regulatory requirements. 12. The two sides are willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation on land and spatial planning, promote the establishment of a regular communication and exchange mechanism, jointly explore ways to promote high-quality development through high-level environmental protection, and jointly address new challenges on the fronts of globalization, urbanization, the green and low-carbon transition, and sustainable development. 13. The two sides are committed to expanding cultural and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation, jointly hosting commemorative activities for the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary in 2024, and continuously consolidating the friendship between the two peoples and the popular foundation of bilateral relations. The two sides will support exchanges and cooperation between the China Cultural Center in Budapest, the Liszt Institute - Hungarian Cultural Center in Beijing and their respective domestic cultural institutions, art academies and groups, and vocational colleges of culture and art, support holding art projects and exhibitions in each other's country, and encourage the translation, publishing and promotion of literary works. 14. The two sides will strengthen coordination and communication on tourism policies, jointly develop tourism routes and design tourism products, to promote the rapid recovery and healthy development of the tourist industry. The Hungarian side highly commends China's implementation of a visa-free policy for Hungary on a trial basis. The Chinese side highly commends the new visa facilitation measures for the management and qualified experts of large key Chinese companies investing in Hungary. The two sides are willing to further enhance their respective levels of visa facilitation and create more favorable conditions for two-way travels in the framework of applicable international and national obligations. The two sides support airline companies of the two countries in increasing direct flights between China and Hungary in accordance with market demand giving further boost to the development of business, tourism and people-to-people contacts. 15. The two sides will further strengthen cooperation in education, support more exchanges between universities and think tanks of the two countries, encourage educational institutions of the two countries to carry out joint research and training projects, and support two-way exchanges of young students. The two sides agreed to give full play to the role of the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school and the Confucius Institutes set up in Hungary, and the Hungarian language courses at Chinese universities, continue to support the youth of the two countries in learning each other's language, and deepen cooperation in language teaching. 16. The two sides will deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in scientific and technological innovation. The two sides agreed to hold a new regular session of the China-Hungary Science and Technology Cooperation Committee within this year, continue to expand people-to-people exchanges on science and technology, strengthen the building of joint scientific research platforms, and further tap the cooperation potential in basic research, applied research and the application of scientific and technological research outcomes. 17. The two sides attach great importance to the health and well-being of the people, and their cooperation on fighting COVID-19 had been pacesetting in the world. The two sides will deepen cooperation on health and work for improved global governance on public health. The two sides will strengthen cooperation in areas such as health policy, prevention and control of infectious diseases and non-infectious chronic diseases, digital health, human resources for health, medical research and traditional medicine. Both sides support the promotion and application of traditional Chinese medicine in Hungary and Central and Eastern Europe. 18. The two sides will continue to promote friendship of sister cities, facilitate friendly exchanges between the youth of the two countries, and expand exchanges and cooperation in such fields as sports, film and television, and media. 19. The two sides share the view that China-CEEC Cooperation has effectively promoted practical cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, and has become an important platform for China and Central and Eastern European countries to deepen friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation as well as a useful complement to China-Europe and China-Hungary relations. In keeping with major initiatives of the EU, China-CEEC Cooperation has facilitated the development of the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership. The Chinese side appreciates the contribution made by the Hungarian side to the development of China-CEEC Cooperation, and supports the Hungarian side in playing a more important role in finance, transportation, tourism, health, science and technology, people-to-people exchanges, environment, business and other areas of cooperation within the China-CEEC Cooperation mechanism. The two sides stand ready to strengthen communication and coordination based on the principle of openness, inclusiveness and mutual benefit to jointly push for new and greater progress in China-CEEC Cooperation. 20. China reaffirms its commitment to the development of China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership, encourages high-level exchanges in order to promote convergence of views on strategic issues, increase human exchanges, jointly address global challenges and promote economic cooperation in a proactive and balanced manner. Hungary, as a member state of the European Union, shares these guidelines and will make its contribution to them. 21. The two sides underline the importance of settling disputes between States peacefully through dialogue and consultations. Hungary pays particular attention to the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by China. The two sides reaffirm the importance of global security and peace. The two sides reaffirm that they will jointly safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order underpinned by international law and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, work for a just and more equitable international order, and firmly safeguard world peace and stability. Stickers are on display inside the facilities department at Southern California Public Radio headquarters in Pasadena, home of LAist. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) Journalists at LAist have been offered buyouts ahead of a potential round of layoffs at the local public radio station that broadcasts under the call sign KPCC-FM (89.3). Kristen Muller, chief content officer at LAist, informed donors by email on Thursday that the company is pursuing a "voluntary buyout program for current employees" in an effort to prevent cuts. All full- and part-time staffers who work at least 24 hours per week are eligible for buyouts. LAist reporter Caitlin Hernandez posted an excerpt from the memo online, along with a link for listeners who wish to donate to the nonprofit parent network Southern California Public Radio. Read more: Long Beach Post staffers laid off after moving to unionize and going on strike "Our hope is that these buyouts will be enough to shrink the gap and avoid layoffs, but that remains unclear," Muller wrote. "In a commitment to transparency, we will continue to share updates with you as the situation evolves." In a statement provided Thursday to The Times, Muller said LAist is "facing a significant budget shortfall" ranging from $4 million to $5 million over the next two years. She cited a decline in advertising, dried-up investment reserves, digital monetization issues "and overall cost increases that have not kept pace with revenue." "We have reduced all non-salary expenses as much as possible," the statement read. "This does not mean we are retreating from our cross-platform ambitions, or our desire to be a daily digital habit for Southern Californians seeking trustworthy news and information," it continued. "In fact, our work has never been more vital, and we are committed to its growth. Read more: L.A. Times to lay off at least 115 people in the newsroom LAist is not the only SoCal media organization that has been struggling. In March, the Long Beach Post laid off nine staffers after newsroom employees moved to unionize and went on strike to protest the impending cuts. Former and striking Long Beach Post journalists have since formed their own media outlet, the Long Beach Watchdog. According to the Watchdog, the National Labor Relations Board is investigating allegations that the Long Beach Post and the Long Beach Business Journal retaliated against workers for moving to unionize under the Media Guild of the West. Melissa Evans, chief executive of the Long Beach Journalism Initiative (which owns the Long Beach Post and Long Beach Business Journal), said in a statement to The Times that the nonprofit's "decision about who to lay off had nothing to do with the unionization effort." Evans said that she informed staff members of the layoffs on Feb. 28 and employees notified the board that they signed their union cards on March 13. The bargaining unit publicly announced its unionization campaign on March 15 and went on strike to protest the cuts on March 21. The layoffs occurred on March 22. "We have ample evidence to show that the layoffs that occurred on March 22 stemmed from an immediate need to right-size our organization, and nothing more," Evans said. "The Long Beach Journalism Initiative is a five-month-old nonprofit that began with no seed money and no endowment, and we simply could not carry the amount of personnel that we retained from our previous chapter as a for-profit under Pacific Community Media," she added. The Los Angeles Times also has undergone layoffs in recent months. The Times cut more than 100 staffers roughly 20% of the newsroom in March, citing heavy financial losses. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. LAKE CHARLES, La. (KLFY) A Calcasieu Parish man wanted on sex offender registration charges since Jan. 2023 was arrested in St. Martin Parish. According to the Calcasieu Parish Sheriffs Office, In January 2023, detectives with the Sex Offender Unit began an investigation in January 2023 concerning convicted sex offender, Albert L. Breaux, 44 of Lake Charles, after he didnt register. New Iberia man arrested after allegedly fleeing LDWF drug bust In December 2022, Breaux failed to report for his quarterly registration update. Detectives later learned Breaux had left his registered address in Lake Charles and didnt notify law enforcement within three days. Both actions put him in violation of his registration requirements. Detectives issued a warrant for Breaux in Jan. 2023. They attempted to locate Breaux, but were unsuccessful. On Wednesday, detectives learned Breaux was found in St. Martin Parish. He was arrested and extradited back to Calcasieu Parish. Breaux was booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center and charged with 2 counts of failure to register as a sex offender. His bond is set at $80,000. Breaux was convicted of forcible rape in 2000 in Orleans Parish. Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Latest Stories For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com. There was a time when Donald Trump was almost melancholy about the January 6, 2021, violent ransacking of the Capitol by his most fervent grassroots supportershard as that is to believe now, given his whitewashing of the events of that day and zealous defense of the culprits. The former president has shifted from lamenting January 6, to hinting that conspiracies were behind the civil unrest that unfolded on that day, to questioning the response of law enforcement, to both-sidesing the actions of the rioters and law enforcement, to ignoring the riot as though it never happened, and finally, to lionizing the rioters as unjustly persecuted freedom fighters. I know, because I interviewed him for my book, In Trumps Shadow: The Battle for 2024 and the Future of the GOP, on May 5, 2021. That was just four months after the ignominious attack intended to block Congress from certifying Joe Bidens 2020 Electoral College victory and extend Trumps presidency despite his loss. As Trump and I chatted about January 6 on that day, he seemed genuinely sorry it happened. At the very least, Trump recognized that what happened was bad, and that the perpetrators were indeed perpetrators who had behaved badly, if not committed crimes. I was not surprised that they went down to the Capitol to cheer. But I was surprised that they went [into] the Capitol. And the relationship with the police, and these peoplethe Capitol police and these peoplewas a very good relationship, Trump told me inside one of the ornate dining rooms at Mar-a-Lago, his winter residence and private social club in Palm Beach, Florida. I wanted to go down there and the Secret Service just wouldnt let me, Trump said. He noted he had spoken to the crowd earlier that day near the White House from behind bulletproof glass, explaining that the Secret Service put the kibosh on him appearing at the Capitol because agents had security concerns. Trump continued: I think if I did go down there, I would have stopped the people from doing anything bad. (emphasis mine.) The most Trump said in that conversation to deflect blame for the riot was to insinuate that some Black Lives Matter and antifa infiltrators were also involved. That was then. But by July 2021, right around the time I hit the final deadline for my manuscript, Trump had dispensed with any and all acknowledgements that January 6 was, well, what it was. Who shot Ashli Babbitt? Why are they keeping that a secret? Who is the person that shot an innocent, wonderful, incredible womana military womanright in the head? And, theres no repercussions? Trump said, in an interview with Fox Business Networks Maria Bartiromo. You have people with no guns, that walked down, and frankly the doors were open and the police in many cases, you know, they have hundreds of hours of tape and theyre not releasing the tape. There was also a lovefest between the police, the Capitol Police, and the people that walked down to the Capitol. Video evidence plainly revealed the events of January 6, 2021, amounted to a violent attack on the Capitol by Trumps grassroots supporters for the purpose of overturning an election the 45th president had assured them was criminally stolen. Federal authorities estimated property damage approaching $3 million and reported injuries to more than 100 U.S. Capitol Police officers. According to the New York Times, 65 officers of Washingtons Metropolitan Police Department also were injured. Even some within Trumps own administration viewed the day as catastrophic. On Friday, January 8, 2021, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted a picture of himself in discussion with National Security Adviser Robert C. OBrien and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe. The point, well-placed sources explained to me for In Trumps Shadow, was to send a message to U.S. allies and adversaries abroad that the senior administration officials had a firm hand on the command and control of Washingtons national security apparatus. Meanwhile, some members of Trumps Cabinet considered invoking the 25th Amendment, a constitutional means to replace an incapacitated president from office, while some senior administration officials resigned. Those who quit in the wake included Education Secretary Betsy DeVos; Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao; Special Envoy to Northern Ireland and former acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, among others. Since Trumps interview with me at Mar-a-Lago on May 5, 2021, he has increasingly defended, and bear-hugged, the people charged and convicted of criminal activity in relation to the January 6 attack on the Capitol. The former president regularly refers to them as J-6 patriots, and hostages, and political prisoners. For instance, in a September 2, 2021, radio interview reported by the Independent, Trump said he had recently met with January 6 defendants and claimed he was helping to pay their legal bills. The 45th president described them as firemen, theyre police men, theyre people in the military, while describing federal prosecutors bringing charges against them as sick radical leftists. In December 2022, roughly two weeks after launching his 2024 presidential bid, CNN reported that Trump filmed a video for a fundraiser hosted by Patriot Freedom Project, a group that provided financial assistance to families whose relatives were facing criminal charges related to January 6. People have been treated unconstitutionally in my opinion and very, very unfairly, and were going to get to the bottom of it, Trump said in the video. In March 2023, as the race for the Republican presidential nomination was getting underway, Trump again lent his bully pulpit to the January 6 defendantssomething his GOP opponents were pointedly avoiding. What theyve done to these people, theyve persecuted these people. Trump said, during a televised town hall hosted by CNN. Theyre living in hell right now. Trump has continued to issue similar statements, both planned and extemporaneous, ever sinceincluding after he effectively won the GOPs 2024 nomination and pivoted to the general election rematch with Biden. The presumptive Republican nominee also has given January 6 defendants prominent and favorable attention at his campaign rallies, playing recordings of the J6 Prison Choir singing the national anthem. This despite at least 730 guilty pleas from the more than 1,300 people charged with criminal offenses, according to the Associated Press. Some Republican insiders who have followed Trumps rise and takeover of the GOP explain his initial concession that the January 6 rioters acted malevolently as, per one GOP strategist I spoke with: an insincere, half-executed survival tactic. Indeed, as the heat on Trump over January 6 intensified, the former president dug in deeper on his defense of the January 6 defendants. He was not dissuaded, not by the exhaustive probe by the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol, nor the multiple criminal indictmentsincluding federal charges related to an alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 election. At least for now, Trumps journey from the rioters critic to superfan has culminated in him telling Time magazine he would absolutely be open to pardoning all of the January 6 convicts. His campaign later clarified in comments to NBC News, saying presidential pardons would be considered individually. As President Trump has promised, he will pardon January 6 protestors who are wrongfully imprisoned by Crooked Joe Bidens Justice Department, and those decisions will be determined on a case-by-case basis, Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said. For Trumps Republican critics, his behavior is easily explained. Hes trying to justify his own behavior and that of his followers on January 6, a GOP operative who opposes the former president said. He thinks the behavior was okay because they bought into his fantasy that he won 2020. Read more at The Dispatch The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A Columbus landlord has been sentenced to jail for failing to maintain living conditions at his 32 rental properties, after city officials found several violations including rat infestations, leaking sewage and broken windows. Joseph Alaura will serve 175 days in jail after he violated his probation from a 2018 case where he repeatedly failed to repair a fire-damaged duplex he owns in the Hilltop neighborhood, according to Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein. The citys code enforcement noted significant violations at the property during a March 2024 inspection and determined that the duplex remains unsafe for human habitation. Alauras property at 698 Stewart Ave. was cited for 16 violations, including no electricity, gas or heat, leaking sinks and sewage lines, a roach infestation. (Franklin County Auditors Office) Once a problem landlord is on our radar, we will stop at nothing to hold them accountable to tenants and the city, said Klein. In this case, the defendant continues to defy court orders and subject vulnerable residents to deplorable living conditions. That kind of brazen disregard for people and the law is unacceptable and the reason why were taking these aggressive punitive measures. The city is arguing Alaura disregarded the courts order to maintain his rental properties. In recent months, probation officers conducted inspections of Alauras Columbus properties and found numerous violations at 17 properties, two of which were vacated after being deemed unfit for human habitation. One property at 698 Stewart Ave. was cited for 16 violations, including no electricity, gas or heat, leaking sinks and sewage lines, a roach infestation, and other parts of the property in disrepair. Another property at 1150 Olney Drive was cited for no heat, inoperable sinks, a rat infestation and extension cords running throughout the house. Other properties owned by Alaura that officers inspected included violations for no water, rodent infestations, broken windows, plumbing issues, and a still-running furnace disconnected from the ducts in one of the homes. Alaura is to report to the Franklin County Jail on Friday to serve his sentence. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) Lansing city leaders including the Mayor, Chief of Police and Councilmembers were on hand Thursday morning in an empty parking lot to announce where a new city hall will be built. The lot is at the intersection of S Grand and E Lenawee across the street from the CATA bus Transportation Center. Proposed location of a new Lansing City Hall. The announcement was made without details about the building other than it would cover a one-acre section of the 12-acre parking lot. This new building will be built using $40 million appropriated by the state of Michigan, according to Lansing Mayor Andy Schor. The property is already owned by the city of Lansing. Its going to reinvigorate this neighborhood, its going to connect to REO town, its going to be right across the street from the CATA hub so anybody who needs to get to city hall its going to be real easy to get here, Mayor Schor told 6 News. Were going to have amenities. Were going to have the Ovation, we have Grewal Hall, weve got businesses and shopping just one street over on Washington. So, its a really good location. This embedded content is not available in your region. Mayor Schor said he hopes the new city hall will be open for business in two years. This announcement comes after months of debate and speculation about buying and moving city hall into the Masonic Temple building, a plan the city council did not support. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. The black line in this image shows a preferred route for the Thornton water pipeline through Larimer County, as of November 2023, while the orange line is the route from the 2018 application. The new route is shorter than the last proposal and moves the pump station to a different location on land owned by Water Supply and Storage Company. The Larimer County commissioners approved the city of Thornton's application to build a 10-mile segment of water pipeline through the county to convey water to its growing city on Wednesday night. For Thornton, it's a breakthrough after 30 years of planning. For many in Larimer County, it feels like something has been lost. The commissioners were unanimous in their approval but also in lamenting what they said was a lack of authority to require the water to be run through the Poudre River. Commissioners Kristin Stephens, Jody Shadduck-McNally and John Kefalas all said they believed the permit application, now with 83 conditions, met the criteria set by the county's 1041 regulations that govern the permit process. No Pipe Dream and Save the Poudre, two groups opposed to the pipeline, said commissioners should have rejected the application and they are considering legal options. Kefalas showed emotion while expressing gratitude for the community who participated in the process, including anti-pipeline activist groups No Pipe Dream and Save the Poudre. "Undeniably, the Poudre River, as it flows through the heart of Fort Collins, represents the lifeblood of our community, and that is why so many people have spoken passionately and forcefully on its behalf," he said. "Frankly, I have anguished over this proposal because my decision is one of the most important and difficult ones that I will make in my tenure as a commissioner here in Larimer County, representing the interests of our community," Kefalas said. He shared that since 1976, he has walked, run and bicycled along the Poudre River and has spread ashes, swam and tubed in it. "Larimer County can encourage the river conveyance option but cannot require this as part of the 1041 application," he said. He said while advocates have suggested that Thornton's 2023 application is no different than the one submitted a few years ago, "I must respectfully disagree, as the pipeline proposal and process have been different." Kefalas said the county legal counsel's "prudent" interpretation of a 2002 Colorado Court of Appeals ruling, which sided with commissioners in their decision to reject but also said the county couldn't require the water to be run through the Poudre, indicates what could be decided if the matter returns to the courts. "Along with conditions of approval and enhancements, I believe this is the best we can do to help protect the Poudre River, help preserve critical farmland, open space and natural habitats, and minimize the impacts to landowners and communities," he said with a sigh. Prior to the vote, Shadduck-McNally said she has been conflicted throughout the entire application process, including up until "this moment," because of her love for the outdoors, noting that she regularly walks the headwaters of the Poudre, the Big Thompson and the Colorado rivers. "I wish there was a way to allow the water to stay in the river as long as possible," she said. "Something that I struggle with is how do we save and protect and speak for the river thats just way overappropriated?" Thornton representatives have said that the water they are conveying is already being taken out of the river at a diversion point to the Larimer County canal. No additional diversions will be made after the project is complete, they've said. Shadduck-McNally said she looked thoroughly and critically at the 3,000-page application to make sure it complied with the criteria and believes the county's higher standards did lead to a stronger application from Thornton. "This is the system that we have in Colorado the Colorado water system and the Colorado water court system and I wish it was different, but its the system that I cant change today. Water court and water decrees are serious business." She said the addition of conditions to address issues regarding topsoil, wetlands, air quality, dark skies and migratory birds helped the project meet the criteria. Stephens said that because requiring the Poudre River conveyance option would exceed the county's 1041 jurisdiction, the commissioners' decision is instead about what alignment would work best for the community. "The pipeline that was proposed by Thornton is probably the best of what feels like a bad solution," she said, noting that it is shorter, goes through fewer properties and Thornton "did a pretty good job of interacting with community around pipeline routing." "I wish that was the option, that we could say just, you know, 'Let's send it down the river,' " she said. "Because that's what our community wants, and it feels less harmful to our community. ... We cant do that." She believes the updates made to the 1041 regulations since Thornton's first application aren't perfect but are better than they used to be because they now consider things like air quality, bird habitat and the impacts on the carbon footprint. She said the county can use this application process to beef them up in the future. And she conceded to an argument made Wednesday night by the attorney representing Thornton, Carolynne White, who said Larimer County still has oversight of the project to make sure it complies with the criteria and conditions. Karen Wagner of No Pipe Dream said she could tell it was a tough decision for the commissioners but she believes they could have rejected the application based on No Pipe Dream's assertion that the application was not complete. "The only thing we really gained from our years of effort is a shorter pipeline and that pipeline running through fewer properties, but some of the people are just going to have their lives totally disrupted with this pipeline carving through their property," she said. "So, I'm sad for them." "I know it was a hard decision, but I and No Pipe Dream think they could have made a different decision," she said. Wagner said the board will meet to decide its next steps, and any lawsuit would require fundraising, she said. Gary Wockner, executive director of Save the Poudre, said in approving the application, the commissioners violated their own land use code. "Nearly 100% of public comment from constituents asked the commissioners to require Thornton to send the water down the Poudre River," he said in an email to the Coloradoan. A statement from Brett Henry, interim city manager of Thornton, said the city has engaged in "open and constructive dialogues with the local community" and approach "has always been to not just meet but exceed regulatory and community outreach requirements." "As Thornton moves forward, we remain dedicated to minimizing construction impacts and maximizing the ecological and conservation-related benefits of this project," he said. "We are not merely users of the Poudre River; we are deeply invested in its health and resilience. Our future, much like Larimer's, is inextricably linked to the well-being of these critical water resources." New conditions added This week, several new conditions were added or updated. Notable updates include conditions that: Allow Thornton to revise the alignment by 100 feet on either side as long as it doesn't cross a property line, is approved by the property owner and meets the overall criteria. Require Thornton to retain a soil scientist, agronomist or agricultural engineer to help property owners impacted by construction to protect or reestablish soil health. Require Thornton to retain an arborist to create a tree inventory and develop plans for them. Removal requires Thornton to demonstrate why it is infeasible to avoid impacts to tree. If the project cant retain a tree, Thornton will replace it. Direct Thornton to coordinate with Northern Water, also in the process of planning the Northern Integrated Supply Project pipeline in the area, to co-locate their infrastructure in order to minimize disruption to property owners. Require Thornton to create an air quality management plan to reduce air pollution emissions during construction. Require Thornton to create two exterior lighting management plans for pipeline construction and pumphouse area after construction is done to minimize light pollution and disturbance to residents and wildlife, particularly migratory birds. About the Thornton pipeline project The pipeline would carry water through Larimer, Weld and Adams counties to a treatment plant in Thornton to support its growing population. Thornton first applied for the 1041 permit for the Larimer County portion of its pipeline in 2018. That application was denied in 2019 by the commissioners, who said the project failed to meet more than half of the criteria. The city sued Larimer County, but a state appeals court upheld the decision in 2022. Thorntons permit application is for a water transmission line that's 10.4 miles long and 42 inches in diameter as well as its corresponding pumphouse. It would carry up to 14,000 acre-feet of water per year to Thorntons treatment plant. The entire pipeline project is 70 miles, and Thornton says 85% of it is either in place, under construction or in design. Larimer County commissioners held two prior hearings on the application they approved Wednesday, and that's when public comment was accepted. Commissioners also received hundreds of letters of feedback from the community. During the hearings, many residents implored commissioners to reject the application and require Thornton to run its water through the Poudre River rather than building a pipeline. They detailed their concerns about the impact on things like wildlife and habitat, wetlands, soil, flooding, trees, existing infrastructure like canals and the Poudre River. Gary Wockner, executive director of Save the Poudre, asked commissioners to pause and to appoint a working group for this matter due to the amount of information involved and the time frame for a decision. At Monday's hearing, Todd Barnes, the city's communication director, said those who spoke in opposition didn't demonstrate how the city is not meeting the criteria. He said the 1041 criteria doesn't require the city to provide an enhancement like that. Residents speaking against the pipeline conceded that the city has rights to the water, but they said it doesn't have the right to disturb Larimer County properties and wildlife. Thornton's representatives said the project doesn't affect the Poudre River at all because it wouldn't divert any additional water. What are the county 1041 criteria? You can read more details on the categories on the countys website. This is a developing story that will be updated. Previous reporting by Coloradoan reporter Ignacio Calderon is included in this report. This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Larimer County commissioners approve Thornton pipeline application EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) As the Israel-Hamas war continues to rage in the Middle East hundreds of thousands of miles away, Mohammed Eltanany is pleading for help as he tries to get his family out of Gaza. Eltanany is a doctor in the Borderland. He left Gaza before the war broke out in October, but his younger brother and family were not able to, and they are stuck. Whenever I get a chance to talk to them, I hear stories about people dying everywhere. They are just falling on the streets, and there is no place to even bury them, Eltanany said. It costs thousands of dollars to evacuate his family from Gaza. Since he could not count on all the funds, he began a GoFundMe page in March, and in a matter of two months, he has been able to raise $36,143. Eltanany said Las Cruces has become a home away from home. I was surprised by how supportive this community was, he said. Even at the University, a lot of students stepped up, and they helped me raise the money, Eltanany said. Hoping to be reunited with his family, he traveled to Egypt recently but was not able to get them out of Gaza because the border closed. Eltanany has worked with various organizations to help get his family out, and right now, his family is hoping to be next in line to be evacuated. The family has been displaced numerous times. They are facing hunger struggles, and going back to their hometown is not an option at this point. They have lost everything, Eltanany said. His dream is for his family to live a peaceful life before it is too late. Just waking up to the peaceful day where there is no shooting, there are no rockets falling on them, where they have food on their plate. Just a safe place to live in. And just to go back home, maybe as a safe place where they can just go to school like regular kids, said Eltanany If you are interested in helping Eltanany here is the link to the GoFundMe page: Fundraiser by Mohammed Eltanany : Help us evacuate our family from Gaza (gofundme.com). For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A driver with a suspended drivers license allegedly crashed into a City of Las Vegas truck while under the influence and with an open bottle of alcohol in the car and two children as her passengers, documents said. Antoinette Coleman, 58, faces several charges, including DUI, driving with a suspended license, and failing to provide proof of insurance, records said. On Friday, May 3, a Las Vegas Metro police officer witnessed Coleman crash her unregistered car into the city vehicle near Vegas and Tonopah drives, documents said. Colemans driving privileges are suspended in Nevada, police said. Police said Colemans car smelled of alcohol, documents said. Police later found an open bottle of brandy in the glove compartment, they said. Antoinette Coleman, 58, faces several charges, including DUI, driving with a suspended license and failing to provide proof of insurance, records said. (LVMPD/KLAS) While in the hospital, an officer had to handcuff Coleman to her bed as she was causing several disruptions, police said. Police have cited Coleman three times for driving without a valid license since 2000, records said. As of Thursday, she owed $740 for a ticket issued in April 2023 for failing to provide proof of insurance. Pro Temp Judge Lauren Diefenbach initially set Colemans bail at $38,000. On Thursday, Judge Joe Bonaventure released Coleman on her own recognizance as prosecutors had not yet filed a criminal complaint against her. Coleman was due to return to court on June 6. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A Henderson woman facing DUI-related charges after a deadly DUI crash told police she drank and smoked at a party before driving and did not know where she was, according to an arrest report obtained by 8 News Now. On Monday, May 6, at around 12:15 a.m., officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to a collision at the intersection of Bermuda Road and East Erie Avenue. According to police, the victim, identified as Shawn Smith, was driving south on Bermuda Road approaching the East Erie intersection when a driver, later identified as Katie Lucier-Fant, 30, rear-ended him at a high rate of speed. An investigation showed that Lucier-Fant did not slow down or use due care as she approached the victims vehicle. Lucier-Fants vehicle traveled more than 280 feet after the collision. The victims vehicle traveled more than 400 feet after it was rear-ended, according to the report. Medical personnel took both Smith and Lucier-Fant to a hospital. Hospital staff pronounced Smith dead shortly after 1 a.m. before he was resuscitated. Hospital staff later again pronounced him dead at 2:13 a.m. When officers arrived, Lucier-Fant was still sitting in the drivers seat, the report stated. Officers observed that she had bloodshot, watery eyes and said there was a strong odor of an unknown intoxicating substance coming from her breath and person. Police spoke to Lucier-Fant while she was in the hospital. She was not able to stand or walk due to injuries sustained from the crash. Lucier-Fant admitted to officers that she drank and smoked before driving and told police she was returning home from a pool party, the report stated. Lucier-Fant also told police that she did not know where she was, but admitted to driving and crashing her vehicle. The report stated that her speech was slow and slurred. Lucier-Fant faces charges of DUI resulting in death, reckless driving resulting in death or serious bodily harm, and driving without a valid drivers license. Her next court appearance is scheduled for May 13. A booking photo of Lucier-Fant was not immediately available. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. BUDAPEST, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said here Thursday that his country does not identify with the rhetoric of so-called "overcapacity" or "de-risking." He made the remarks during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is on a state visit to the European country. What are the latest obstacles to bringing humanitarian aid into Gaza, where hunger is worsening? JERUSALEM (AP) One major land crossing into Gaza was shut down after a Hamas rocket attack, another by an Israeli incursion. And only a trickle of aid is entering through a third crossing that just opened in recent weeks. The latest developments threaten to worsen the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza more than seven months into the Israeli onslaught launched in response to Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. The head of the U.N. food agency has said northern Gaza is already experiencing "full-blown famine" and experts say nearly all of the territory's 2.3 million Palestinians are facing severe hunger. The Israeli offensive has caused widespread devastation and made domestic food production nearly impossible, leaving Gaza totally dependent on aid groups for food, medicine and basic goods. Aid workers say airdrops and plans to deliver aid by sea are no substitute for land deliveries. Here's a look at the state of Gaza's crossings: KEREM SHALOM The Kerem Shalom crossing in the southeastern corner of Gaza is the only one designed to handle large deliveries of cargo. It was shut down on Sunday after a Hamas rocket attack killed four Israeli soldiers. COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of Palestinian civilian affairs, says the crossing reopened on Wednesday and released a video showing trucks entering from the Israeli side. But the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, the main provider of aid in Gaza, says no aid has actually entered Gaza from Kerem Shalom because of the security situation on the Palestinian side. Foreign aid is typically trucked in from the Israeli side, unloaded in a central area and then picked up by Palestinian drivers who take it to distribution points. Hamas has continued to launch rockets and mortar rounds at Israeli troops stationed near the crossing, including a strike on Wednesday after it reopened, and Israel regularly launches airstrikes in and around the nearby city of Rafah. RAFAH An Israeli tank brigade captured the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt on Tuesday, forcing it to shut down. Israel said the limited incursion was part of its efforts to dismantle Hamas' military and governing capabilities. Rafah is the main entry point for fuel needed for vehicles and generators that are essential for humanitarian efforts. The U.N. says it is already rationing fuel and does not have enough to maintain its operations in Gaza for longer than a few days. Rafah is also the only crossing that people can use to enter or leave Gaza. Palestinian officials say dozens of patients who were set to travel for medical treatment have been left stranded. It remains unclear how long Israel plans to hold the crossing or when it might reopen. EREZ Israel recently began allowing the U.N.'s World Food Program to deliver aid through the Erez crossing in northern Gaza, which suffered heavy devastation in the first months of the war and has been largely isolated by Israeli forces. The U.N. food agency says a famine is underway in northern Gaza and that infectious diseases are spreading rapidly, with some 90% of children having fallen ill. Some 300,000 Palestinians remained in northern Gaza after Israel ordered the entire region evacuated in October. The Erez crossing, which in the past was limited to foot traffic, has been turned into a cargo thoroughfare. COGAT said 60 aid trucks entered the north on Tuesday. AIR AND SEA Jordan, the United States and other nations began airdropping aid into Gaza earlier this year, but aid agencies describe that as a costly, last-ditch effort that cannot meet mounting needs. The United States has also completed the construction of a floating pier and causeway for the delivery of aid by seas but has not yet installed it on the Gaza coastline because of bad weather. A ship loaded with U.S. aid and bound for the new pier nevertheless departed Cyprus on Thursday. Officials say they expect about 90 truckloads of aid a day initially and that it will quickly grow to about 150 a day. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees says an average of more than 250 trucks were entering Gaza through Rafah and Kerem Shalom before the rocket attack and the incursion. Before the war, some 500 trucks were entering Gaza through the two southern crossings. ___ Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war The Latest | Palestinians flee Rafah as Netanyahu vows to widen Gaza assault despite US warnings Displaced Palestinians arrive in central Gaza after fleeing from the southern Gaza city of Rafah in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, on Thursday, May 9, 2024. The Israeli army has ordered tens of thousands of people to evacuate Rafah as it conducts a ground operation there. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) Tens of thousands of displaced and exhausted Palestinians have packed up their tents and other belongings and fled the southern city of Rafah for other parts of Gaza, according to the United Nations. Israel has repeatedly threatened to invade Rafah, saying it's the last stronghold of Hamas militants. Some 1.3 million Palestinians over half Gaza's population had sought refuge in the city. Where are we supposed to go? Where is the world, thats just watching us? said Ahmad Abed, who has an 8-month-old daughter. Its like were sheep. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that a U.S. threat to withhold some weapons would not deter Israel from expanding its offensive in Gaza. A limited Israeli operation earlier this week captured the Gaza side of Rafah's border crossing with Egypt, throwing humanitarian operations into crisis. The death toll from the war in Gaza has soared to more than 34,500 people, according to local health officials, and caused vast destruction to apartments, hospitals, mosques and schools across several cities. The U.N. says northern Gaza is already in a state of full-blown famine. The war began Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250 others. Israel says militants still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others. Currently: What are the latest obstacles to bringing aid into Gaza, where hunger is worsening? Biden says U.S. wont supply weapons for Israel to attack Rafah, in warning to ally. Israel says it reopened a key Gaza crossing after a rocket attack. The U.N. says no aid has entered. Has Israel followed the law in its war in Gaza? The U.S. is due to render a first-of-its-kind verdict. Police break up another protest by pro-Palestinian activists at the University of Amsterdam. Follow APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war Here's the latest: U.N. SAYS MORE THAN 80,000 PEOPLE HAVE FLED RAFAH AS ISRAELI FORCES POUND THE CITY UNITED NATIONS Some 80,000 Palestinians have fled Israeli shelling and airstrikes in Gazas southern city of Rafah by Wednesday night, the United Nations says. The exodus is increasing by the hour and could be close to 100,000 by Thursday evening. Some 1.3 million Palestinians over half Gaza's population had sought refuge in Rafah. There's no safe place in the Gaza Strip, said U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. Speaking to reporters Thursday, he said frightened civilians are heading north to cities like Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah both of which lack food, shelter and health care. The U.N. World Food Program reports its main food warehouse for Gaza, which is in Rafah, is now inaccessible, Haq said, with only one bakery in the city still working: Supplies of food and fuel are running out. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, reported that its facilities have almost no fuel Thursday and were rationing what is left, Haq said. If no fuel arrives, some hospitals could shut off their generators in three days, he said. The U.N. spokesman said no aid or fuel has entered Gaza in recent days from Rafah, after Israeli forces took control of the border crossing this week. Israel said it has reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing, and Haq said the U.N. thinks some aid is entering Gaza. However, he said, both Israel and Hamas are required under international humanitarian law to ensure that aid can be delivered to people in need. Currently this is almost impossible because of the security situation, Haq said. We continue to engage with all involved on the resumption of the entry of goods, including fuel, he said. As a result of Israeli military activity in Rafah, the medical aid group Project HOPE said it closed its clinics and mobile medical points in Rafah on Thursday. Life in Rafah right now is a nightmare, Project HOPEs team leader in Gaza, Moses Kondowe, said in a statement. There is bombing and shelling constantly, nearly every 10 minutes. Thousands of people are stuck here with nowhere to go. The situation is unbearable. PATIENTS FORCED FROM A HOSPITAL IN RAFAH FIND SHELTER IN NEARBY MEDICAL CENTER, BUT DOCTORS SAY RESOURCES ARE LIMITED KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip Kidney dialysis patients who were evacuated from one of Rafahs main hospitals have moved to the Nasser hospital in nearby Khan Younis. Fighting in Rafah forced the exodus of patients Wednesday from Abu Youssef al-Najjar hospital. That facility was the last one in Gaza for dialysis and one of the main hospitals receiving wounded from Israeli airstrikes on Rafah in recent weeks. Patients like Ibrahim Abu Hashem are relieved. We were very worried the day the Israelis entered, took control of the hospital, and we had to evacuate, he said in an interview while undergoing dialysis. But thank God, Nasser hospital prepared and set things up, and that eased our emotional well-being. However, Nasser hospital is in bad shape after Israeli forces raided the medical center in recent months hundreds of bodies were found buried outside the hospital. Dr. Atef al-Hout, the hospitals director says the dialysis unit was completely burned down during the raid and fighting, and a new one had to be set up quickly by repairing damaged and older machines. He said there's currently 25 machines for some 600 patients. Is this enough? Absolutely not, he said in his office. Certainly, for 600 patients we would need at least 45 dialysis machines. But the conditions dont allow us to have more. WHERE ARE WE SUPPOSED TO GO? PALESTINIANS FLEE RAFAH FOR OTHER PARTS OF GAZA AHEAD OF PROMISED ISRAELI OFFENSIVE DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip On foot, in vehicles or riding donkey carts loaded with belongings, a stream of displaced Palestinians fled Rafah in southern Gaza on Thursday for the relative safety of the territory's center, as Israel threatens to expand its ground offensive in the south. Its an all-too-familiar scene for Palestinians who had sought safter in Rafah after escaping fighting elsewhere in Gaza. Families set up tent camps on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea near the central city of Deir al-Balah. Upon arrival, dozens rushed to collect water near a building for UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. More wait in the heat. The situation is difficult and continues to worsen, Wafaa Masarei said as she rested beside her children and their few belongings: boxes, bags of clothes, pots, mattresses, a plastic jug. Her two kids sought protection from the sun under a table and blankets. Ahmad Abed, who has an 8-month-old daughter, says hes fed up from constantly moving drags on. He feels there's no safe place for his family, even in the schools being used as makeshift shelters. Where are we supposed to go? Where is the world, that is just watching us? he said. Its like were sheep. UNRWA WILL CLOSE ITS JERUSALEM OFFICE AFTER ISRAELI PROTESTERS SET FIRE TO PERIMITER TWICE JERUSALEM The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees is closing its Jerusalem compound after Israeli protesters twice set fire to its perimeter. Philipe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of UNRWA, said no one was injured but that staff had to put the fires out themselves because firefighters and police were slow to arrive. He shared video of Thursdays protest, in which the crowd can be heard chanting Burn the U.N. in Hebrew. In a post on the platform X, Lazzarini called it an outrageous development, saying once again, the lives of UN staff were at a serious risk. He said that in light of the appalling incident he had taken the decision to shut down the compound. On Tuesday, protesters damaged the gate of the compound, prompting the U.N. to lodge a protest with Israeli authorities. Israel has accused UNRWA, which is the largest provider of humanitarian aid to Gaza, of having links to Hamas and other Palestinian militants, some of whom allegedly took part in the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war in Gaza. UNRWA denies any links to such groups. It immediately fired the employees when it was informed about the allegations pertaining to Oct. 7 and launched an internal investigation. An independent review last month found that UNRWA had submitted full lists of its thousands of staffers to Israel every year since 2011, without Israel expressing concern about any of them. The review said the agency has robust procedures to uphold the U.N. principle of neutrality but cited gaps in implementation. NETANYAHU VOWS TO FIGHT WITH OUR FINGERNAILS AS U.S. SAYS IT WON'T SEND WEAPONS FOR RAFAH ASSAULT JERUSALEM Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu minister said Thursday that his country will stand alone if it has to in its war against Hamas after President Joe Biden said the U.S. would not provide offensive weapons for Israels long-promised assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails, he said. But we have much more than fingernails. Netanyahu's comments come amid a deepening crisis in relations with the United States. Israel says that Rafah is Hamas last stronghold in Gaza, and Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to invade the city despite widespread international opposition due to concerns over the more than 1 million Palestinian civilians huddled in the city. Bidens comments about providing weapons were the latest sign of steadily deteriorating relations between Israel and its closest and most important ally after seven months of Israels war against Hamas. ISRAELI ACTIVISTS OPPOSED TO HUMANITARIAN AID FOR GAZA BLOCK MAJOR HIGHWAY TEL AVIV, Israel Israeli activists opposed to sending humanitarian aid to Gaza have blocked a major highway in southern Israel, snarling traffic and leading to at least a dozen arrests, according to a protest group leading the efforts. Over the past week, activists with the Tzav 9 organization have blocked trucks that arrived from Jordan bound for Gaza. These trucks are taking food to Hamas, and Hamas are murderers, rapists and terrible, terrible people, said Ruben Frankenburg, as he placed himself in front of a truck bound for Gaza near the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel. He added that Israel was being forced by the Americans to give them this food. Another protester claimed the humanitarian aid was allowing Hamas to continue to fight. Theres no other place in the world that one side gives the supplies to the other side, its crazy, its nuts, said protester Yonatan Godalis, as he stood blocking an 18-wheeler and holding an Israeli flag. The protests have caused traffic jams across the country, including shutting down parts of the countrys main highways. On Thursday, activists also blocked the road near the town of Mitzpe Ramon, halting traffic up Israels iconic desert highway and a main artery toward the south and the Gaza Strip. The protests have caused delays and headaches for drivers but no aid has been halted from reaching the crossings, according to COGAT, the Israeli military branch responsible for handling the humanitarian aid. ISRAEL RAIDS NAZARETH OFFICES OF AL JAZEERA TEL AVIV Israel raided the Nazareth offices of the Qatar-based Al Jazeera satellite news network, days after the government shuttered the network's offices in Israel. On Thursday, the Ministry of Communications said forces confiscated equipment from the office in northern Israel that had been used to transmit live broadcasts of Al Jazeera on Wednesday. Israel wont let Hamas broadcast from here, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi wrote on X. Al Jazeeras headquarters in Doha, Qatar, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Israel ordered the local offices of Al Jazeera to close Sunday, escalating a long-running feud between the broadcaster and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus hard-line government as Doha-mediated cease-fire negotiations with Hamas hang in the balance. Since the order, the broadcaster has moved many of its English-language service correspondents operating in Israel to Amman, Jordan. Others still operate from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. 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. FIRST SHIPMENT OF AID TO THE U.S.-BUILT FLOATING PIER IN GAZA LEAVES CYPRUS NICOSIA, Cyprus A shipment of humanitarian aid has left a port in Cyprus and is on its way to a U.S-built pier in Gaza, the first delivery to the newly built ramp, Cyprus foreign minister said Thursday. The U.S. vessel, loaded with much-needed humanitarian assistance, departed from the Larnaca port with the aim of transferring as much aid to Gaza as possible through the maritime corridor, said Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos. The trip comes about two months after U.S. President Joe Biden gave the order to build the large floating platform several miles (kilometers) off the Gaza coast that will be the launching pad for deliveries. ISRAELI DRONE STRIKE ON CAR IN LEBANON KILLS 4, GROUP SAYS BEIRUT Lebanons Civil Defense paramedic group says an Israeli drone strike on a car in a Lebanese village near the border with Israel killed four people. Hezbollah announced hours later that three of its fighters were killed Thursday adding that in retaliation for their death in the strike in the village of Bafliyeh it attacked Israeli military posts in Kfar Giladi, northern Israel, with explosive drones. Hezbollah claimed in a statement that it struck an operations room and inflicted casualties among the troops. Hezbollah started attacking Israeli army posts along the Lebanon-Israel border a day after the Israel-Hamas war broke out on Oct. 7. Since then, more than 350 people have been killed in Lebanon, including 275 Hezbollah members and more than 70 civilians and non-combatants. In Israel, 15 soldiers and 10 civilians have been killed. Foreign officials have been visiting Lebanon over the past month in attempts to bring calm to the border, but Hezbollah has repeatedly said it will not stop fighting until there is a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. ISRAEL'S NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER IMPLIES THAT HAMAS LOVES BIDEN TEL AVIV Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir implied in a post on the social platform X that Hamas loves Biden, using a heart emoji a day after U.S. President Joe Biden said he would not supply offensive weapons that Israel could use to launch an all-out assault on Rafah. Biden, in an interview with CNN on Wednesday, said the U.S. was still committed to Israels defense and would supply Iron Dome rocket interceptors and other defensive arms, but that if Israel goes into Rafah, were not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells used. There is widespread concern over the well-being of the more than 1 million civilians sheltering in Rafah. Ben Gvir, who used a heart emoji in his tweet regarding Biden and Hamas, has pushed for a punishing military response and has threatened to leave the government if Israel does not carry out a wide-ranging military operation in Rafah. Hamas exercises and games have only one answer: an immediate order to occupy Rafah! he wrote on X on Monday. ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE KILLS 8 PEOPLE, INCLUDING 4 CHILDREN CAIRO An Israeli airstrike on a residential building killed eight people including four children late Wednesday, according to hospital records. The strike hit a residential building in Tel al-Sultan in western Rafah. Israels military took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing early Tuesday after issuing evacuation orders for eastern parts of the city, home to some 100,000. It then sent tanks to seize the nearby Rafah crossing with Egypt, shutting it down. Associated Press journalists heard sporadic explosions and gunfire in the area of the Rafah crossing overnight Tuesday, including two large blasts early Wednesday. On Wednesday afternoon, hospital records showed at least 25 people were wounded when Israeli artillery fire struck part of central Rafah, an area that Israel did not tell Palestinians to evacuate ahead of its operation. The military had no immediate comment. ISRAELI SOLDIER KILLED BY MORTAR LAUNCHED FROM LEBANON AS TENSIONS RISE TEL AVIV An Israeli soldier was killed by a mortar launched from Lebanon, as tensions between Israel and Lebanon continue to rise during the war in Gaza. The soldier was killed on Wednesday and the army announced the death on Thursday. It was the third fatality in a week in Israel on the northern border from launches from Lebanon. The Israeli army said fighter jets struck Hezbollah military structures in southern Lebanon on Wednesday in response. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also toured Israels northern border on Wednesday and warned that a war with Hezbollah would have a heavy cost for Israel and a catastrophic one for Hezbollah and Lebanon. He added that while Israel was open to a diplomatic solution on the northern border, the army was also preparing for a possible military operation to allow citizens to return to their homes. Tens of thousands of civilians have been evacuated from Israel and southern Lebanon since the war began. A total of 15 soldiers and 10 civilians have been killed in Israel by Lebanese launches. In Lebanon, more than 370 people have been killed by Israeli strikes, including more than 70 civilians and non-combatants. ISRAELI STRIKE HITS BUILDING IN DAMASCUS SUBURB, SYRIAN MEDIA SAY DAMASCUS, Syria Syrian state media say an Israeli strike on a building in a suburb of the capital Damascus caused damage but no casualties. Iraqs al-Nujaba Movement, which is backed by Iran, said one of its cultural centers in the Damascus area was struck and vowed a forceful and effective retaliation. Al-Nujaba is one of many Iran-backed groups that sent fighters to Syria over the past years to help President Bashar Assads forces during the countrys 13-year conflict. State news agency SANA cited a military official as saying that Syrian air defenses shot down some of the Israeli missiles before they reached their targets early Thursday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said the strike targeted Iran-backed fighters in the southern Damascus suburb of Sayida Zeinab. It did not report any casualties. There was no comment from Israels military on the strike. Israel rarely acknowledges such strikes, although it has carried out hundreds over the past years, mainly targeting Iran-backed fighters such as Lebanons Hezbollah group. The strike was the second on Syria since an April 1 attack blamed on Israel blew up the Iranian Consulate in Damascus, killing seven people, including two Iranian generals. Iran responded days later by launching hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel. Most were shot down, Israel said. YEMEN'S HOUTHI REBELS CLAIM 2 ATTACKS IN GULF OF ADEN Yemens Houthi rebels on Thursday claimed two missile attacks in the Gulf of Aden on two Panama-flagged container ships that caused no damage, while also saying they targeted a ship in the Indian Ocean in a previously unreported assault. The claims by Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree come as the tempo of the rebel attacks have waned in recent weeks as theyve been targeted by repeated airstrikes launched by a U.S.-led coalition warship in waterways crucial to international trade. The Houthis insist their assaults will continue as long as Israels war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip goes on. Saree in a prerecorded statement claimed attacks on the MSC Diego and MSC Gina. The Joint Maritime Information Center, a U.S.-led coalition of nations operating in the Mideast, said those two missile attacks happened early Tuesday. BIDEN SAYS U.S. WON'T SUPPLY WEAPONS FOR ISRAEL TO ATTACK RAFAH President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he would not supply offensive weapons that Israel could use to launch an all-out assault on Rafah the last major Hamas stronghold in Gaza over concern for the well-being of the more than 1 million civilians sheltering there. Biden, in an interview with CNN, said the U.S. was still committed to Israels defense and would supply Iron Dome rocket interceptors and other defensive arms, but that if Israel goes into Rafah, were not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells used, that have been used. The interview marked Bidens toughest public comments yet about the potential Israeli military operation and followed his decision to pause a shipment of heavy bombs to Israel last week over concerns that the U.S. ally was moving closer to an attack on Rafah despite public and private warnings from his administration. U.N. IS NEGOTIATING WITH ISRAEL AND EGYPT TO RESUME FUEL SHIPMENTS INTO GAZA UNITED NATIONS The United Nations is engaged in intensive discussions with Israeli and Egyptian authorities to restart fuel shipments to Gaza as soon as possible in order keep providing humanitarian operations. U.N. humanitarian staff in Gaza are rationing fuel to stretch whats available for as long as possible, but it is clear that it is a matter of hours, if not days, where we will have no more fuel, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Wednesday Between May 1 and May 5, a daily average of 48 trucks carrying more than 160,000 liters of fuel entered Gaza through the now-closed Rafah crossing with Egypt, Dujarric said. The U.N. spokesman confirmed that nothing has entered Gaza from the Kerem Shalom crossing, which Israel said it reopened Wednesday, because fighting is still ongoing. With rockets falling and other military activities, there is an issue of safety of humanitarian personnel, he said. A THIRD MASS GRAVE IS FOUND AT SHIFA HOSPITAL, GAZA'S HEALTH MINISTRY SAYS JERUSALEM Dozens of bodies were buried in a mass grave on the grounds of Shifa hospital in northern Gaza, where Israeli forces staged two major operations during the war, the Health Ministry in Gaza said Wednesday. It is unclear who was buried in the grave or how they died. The Health Ministry says it was the third mass grave found at Shifa since the war began. A two-week Israeli raid in March left Gaza's largest medical complex in ruins. Mass graves have also been uncovered at other hospitals Israel raided. In some cases hospital officials said they had been dug purposely to bury the dead until it was safe to move the bodies to a final resting place. Israel says it has nothing to do with the mass graves, claiming the people buried there either died in battle or were patients who died in the hospital. The United Nations has called for a clear, transparent and credible investigation of the mass graves. CIA DIRECTOR IN ISRAEL AS MEDIATORS PUSH FOR A CEASE-FIRE WASHINGTON -- A U.S. official says that CIA Director William Burns is in Israel as international mediators push for a cease-fire. The official said Burns arrived on Wednesday and was meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door negotiations. The official gave no details on the discussions. But Burns has been in the region meeting with Egyptian and Qatari officials in recent days. He had been scheduled to travel to Israel from Qatar earlier this week, but that meeting was postponed without explanation. All three countries have been involved in months of talks aimed at halting the seven-month war between Israel and Hamas. Hamas announced on Sunday that it had accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire plan. But Israel says the proposal does not meet its core demands. By ELLEN KNICKMEYER No worker should be afraid of reporting their employer for violating labor laws out of fear of being prosecuted for their immigration status, bill sponsor Sen. Teresa Ruiz said. (Dana DiFilippo | New Jersey Monitor) Immigrant workers are more reluctant to speak out about injustice in the workplace, report injuries, or cooperate in investigations out of fear of revealing their immigration status to authorities. Now, a new bill would allow the state to levy hefty fines against employers threatening to use their workers immigration status against them during labor disputes. An example would be if a boss threatens to tell authorities that a worker came to the country illegally to pressure that worker into not reporting the employer for paying less than minimum wage. No worker should be forced to turn a blind eye to their employers unlawful behavior out of fear of being prosecuted for their immigration status, bill sponsor Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex) said in a statement. Businesses found to have exploited their workers based on their immigration status would face fines of up to $1,000 for the first violation, up to $5,000 for the second, and up to $10,000 for any subsequent violations. The fines would be in addition to any fines related to violations of state labor laws. But the bill is not enough for immigrant advocates who want to see more enforcement of existing laws and more serious consequences. Erik Cruz Morales of the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice said the bill is only a small first step toward tackling a bigger issue. Morales said New Jersey should consider revoking business licenses from companies with multiple labor law violations. Even a $10,000 fine could be a slap on the wrist for companies bringing in millions of dollars, he noted. Lawmakers should also look into beefing up the Law Against Discrimination to cover discrimination against immigration status, Morales said. Morales said many immigrant workers fear filing complaints against their employers for breaking existing law say, paying less than the states $15.13 minimum wage let alone reporting them for violating a new law related to their immigration status. People are avoiding interacting with public government or filing a case, from what weve heard from people. Theyre like, Im undocumented, what rights do I have in this country? Im just going to stay quiet and get my $12 an hour, even though its $15, he said. New Jersey is home to more than 2 million residents born out of the country and an estimated 440,000 undocumented immigrants, according to the Migration Policy Institute. While undocumented workers are protected by federal labor laws to prevent discrimination and are entitled to worker rights like breaks, minimum wage, and overtime, their immigration status often discourages them from fighting unfair work treatment, according to researchers at the University of Chicago. They found that undocumented workers are more likely to face discrimination and exploitation in the workplace. Ruiz said the bill would protect workers rights and hold businesses accountable for exploitative behavior. The bill would help employees no matter what their immigration status is, she said. It unanimously advanced out of the Senate Labor Committee Monday with no discussion. The companion bill still faces a vote in the Assembly Labor Committee. The post Lawmakers eye fines for businesses that coerce workers over immigration status appeared first on New Jersey Monitor. Rutgers president Jonathan Holloway testifies in front of the Senate Budget Committee Thursday. (Sophie Nieto-Munoz | New Jersey Monitor) Rutgers University President Jonathon Holloway took heat from lawmakers in both chambers Thursday over the student-organized anti-war encampments that were dismantled peacefully last week after university officials ordered them to clear. Lawmakers pressed Holloway for explanations on why Jewish students werent included in negotiations over protestors demands, how university officials would deal with future protests, and whether Rutgers is a safe and respectful environment for all of its students. As the father of a Rutgers graduate and the father-in-law of a Rutgers graduate, I dont know if I could answer to my children whether their children would be safe at Rutgers right now, said Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic), who is Jewish. Holloway said its a precarious time on college campuses since protests have erupted over the war in Gaza. Rutgers is home to both the nations second-largest Jewish student population and second-largest Palestinian student population, he said, adding that, as the president of a public university, he has a duty to protect students right to free speech while also ensuring their safety and education. Holloway stood by the universitys move to speak with four student protestors and come to an agreement to avoid the protest devolving into violence. He said around 125 police officers from the university, the city of New Brunswick, and the State Police were on standby in case the encampment wasnt cleared out in time, or if matters escalated. Our strategy was so that protests continued strictly within the bounds of the First Amendment, but to make clear that crossing the lines such as disrupting university business, interfering with exams, and impeding student progress would result in swift and sure action, Holloway said. In contrast to the University of California, Los Angeles, and Columbia University where protests turned violent, hundreds were arrested, and graduation ceremonies were canceled Rutgers students completed their final exams, and the university-wide commencement will take place Sunday, he said. Holloways appearance at the Statehouse Thursday was ostensibly for budget hearings before committees in the Senate and Assembly. But lawmakers on both panels peppered him largely with questions about the encampments. Rutgers students launched their Gaza solidarity encampment April 29 on Voorhees Mall, drawing varying numbers of students and people not affiliated with Rutgers. It was one of dozens that have popped up on college campuses across the country. The students made a list of 10 demands, including one that calls for Rutgers to divest financial holdings linked to Israel and cut its partnership with Tel Aviv University. After an early morning protest that disrupted hundreds of final exams, university administrators held a meeting with four student protestors and agreed to some demands, but none that included divesting. Rutgers officials said they would enroll 10 displaced Palestinian students to finish their education at Rutgers and start plans for an Arab Cultural Center on campus. When Schaer asked why the university didnt include people with various ideologies in these discussions, Holloway said administrators were focused on the emerging and increasingly unstable situation. In a perfect world, we would do exactly that, but in a very rapidly shifting, and I think declining and divisive environment, we did not have the luxury of time on our hands, he said. Sen. Declan OScanlon asked Holloway why university officials didnt make counterdemands to the protestors, a comment that garnered applause from people in the audience wearing Rutgers: no to antisemitism shirts. Holloway repeated that the situation was changing so quickly, university officials didnt want to escalate it. OScanlon said he believes Princeton University handled the encampments on its campus better by not negotiating with protestors and sending in police to deal with the disruption, sending a clear message that they wouldnt give in to protestors demands. There, 13 protestors were arrested, and university officials relocated the protest to a smaller courtyard. I think this situation is happening because you missed the decision early on to nip in the bud. But were humans, we make mistakes, we learned from this, OScanlon said. Trenton lawmakers are not the only ones interested in grilling Holloway. Hell face questioning in front of a congressional committee later this month along with other college presidents on their handling of the protests on campus. And U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Donald Norcross said they sent a letter to Holloway to address the concerns of Jewish students who felt threatened and targeted even before the encampment. They want to know what steps the university is taking to include Jewish students in its decisions. Members of Rutgers Jewish community have made urgent requests of the administration, as far back as December, pleading with them to take several reasonable steps that would ensure their safety and welcomeness on campus. As far as we can tell, these requests have been largely ignored. As a Jewish faculty member said, We played nice and got little; SJP [Students for Justice in Palestine] broke every rule in the book and got rewarded with amnesty, the two congressmen said in the letter. The post Lawmakers grill Rutgers president on Gaza solidarity encampments appeared first on New Jersey Monitor. Hate chants in school hallways. Students doing the Nazi salute. These are just some of the hate incidents lawmakers say have been happening in some K-12 public schools since the October 7 Hamas attack against Israel. It was the focus of a House subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill Wednesday. Students marched through the halls, disrupting class chanting, kill the Jews, said subcommittee Chairman Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL) about reported incidents in NYC. One student was caught on security camera appearing as Hitler forming a Nazi salute. Three swastikas were drawn on teachers walls in one week. We must do more to protect Jewish students and Jewish Americans who are threatened and harassed and attacked because of who they are, said Ranking Member Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR). At the same time, we must do more to address the rise in Islamophobia and other forms of discrimination and hate as well. Read: Only On 9: Security guard who tackled gunman at Sanford event venue speaks out The panel heard from public school officials about the skyrocketing reports of hate incidents. Weve had 281 incidents since October 7, said David Banks, Chancellor of New York City Public Schools. Approximately 42 percent were antisemitic, and 30 percent were Islamophobic. So, this is an issue that ranges on both sides. When questioned about how hes handled the hate incidents, Banks said they have fired and disciplined some staff members and have disciplined students. Read: Its the only way: Local woman says shes forced to divorce husband as medical costs stack up We have removed, disciplined, or are in the process of disciplining at least a dozen staff and school leaders, including removing a principal in the middle of a school year, said Banks. We have suspended at least 30 students. Weve involved the NYPD when hate crimes are committed. President of the Montgomery County Board of Education in Maryland, Karla Silvestre, said starting this summer, all staff will have mandatory hate-bias training. The suffering caused by antisemitism and hate, and racism interferes with students learning and well-being, said Silvestre. Read: Temperatures are hitting record highs Thursday The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) cautioned lawmakers and school officials to balance protecting free speech with protecting people from threats. It is a bedrock constitutional principle that outside of school, government may not penalize speech because listeners find it offensive or disagreeable, said ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Emerson Sykes in his testimony. Inside school, however, under the Supreme Courts decision in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District authorities may punish any student speech that leads to or might lead to substantial disruption even if the disruption is caused by others who find the idea expressed offensive or disagreeable. With the conversation focused on our schools, school leaders said teaching kids not to hate is essential to breaking the cycle. The true anecdote to ignorance and bias is to teach, said Banks. Our students cannot grow up to view anyone as the other. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Lawmakers react to US pausing weapons shipment to Israel WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) The Israeli Defense Secretary confirmed the U.S. is withholding a military shipment to Israel. The move comes as Israel prepares for a military invasion of Rafah, despite U.S. warnings. We are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments, said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. At a Senate hearing, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed the U.S. put a hold on a bomb shipment last week because of U.S. concerns the bombs could be used in Israels invasion of Rafah, a Gazan city holding more than a million Palestinian civilians. There have been far too many, far too many casualtiesand I think I think we should do everything possible to ensure that were protecting civilians and providing for their welfare, Austin said. Republicans are slamming the decision. This is obscene. It is absurd, said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham says pausing aid only puts a target on Israels back. If we stop weapons necessary to destroy the enemies of state of Israel at a time of great peril, we will pay a price, Graham said. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell accused the president of siding with Hamas sympathizers. Pressure from his partys anti-Israel base and the campus communist who decided to wrap themselves in the flags of Hamas, said McConnell. Secretary Austin insists U.S. support for Israel remains ironclad. He told senators the U.S. will continue to ensure Israel can defend itself. Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer whos been critical of Israels leadership during the war says he trusts the White Houses strategy. I have faith in what the Biden administration is doing, Schumer said. Israels government calls the decision disappointing but says its operation in Rafah is critical to defeating Hamas. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Senior Airman Roger Fortson was shot and killed by a Florida sheriff's deputy May 3, 2024, at his off-base residence near Hurlburt Field, Florida. (Air Force) Senior Airman Roger Fortson was home alone in his off-base apartment causing no trouble and FaceTiming with a woman when a Okaloosa County Sheriffs deputy, responding to the wrong address for a disturbance, broke through his door and fatally shot him Friday, an attorney for the airmans family said Wednesday. Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney hired by Fortsons family, detailed the account in a news release, which was also posted on Twitter Wednesday, asking for transparency and the immediate release of body camera footage of the incident. Air Force IDs airman fatally shot by Florida sheriffs officer Fortson, 23, was shot six times, said Crump, who attributed his account of the shooting to the woman, a witness who the airman had been FaceTiming with during the incident. According to that woman, Crump said, Fortson heard a knock on his door, and when he asked who it was didnt get a response. A few minutes later, there was a very aggressive knock, but Fortson didnt see anyone when he looked out the peephole. Concerned, he did what any other law-abiding citizen would do and retrieved his legally-owned gun, Crump said. As Fortson walked back to his living room, police burst through the door and shot him six times, Crump said, adding that the witness said they saw Fortson on the ground saying, I cant breathe. The Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office said a deputy encountered Fortson with a gun while responding to a disturbance around 4:30 p.m. local time Friday at an apartment located at 319 Racetrack Road NW in Fort Walton Beach, just several miles from Hurlburt Field, where Fortson served as a gunner on the AC-130J Ghostrider in the 4th Special Operations Squadron. NEWS ALERT: @AttorneyCrump has been retained by the family of Roger Fortson, a 23-year-old active-duty Senior Airman who was fatally shot by a Florida sheriffs deputy on Friday, May 4. pic.twitter.com/lEuOo3F5yh Ben Crump Law, PLLC (@BenCrumpLaw) May 8, 2024 Fortson died at a local hospital, officials said. Few other details have been released about the shooting, including the type of disturbance the sheriffs office was responding to. The office late Tuesday declined to release body camera footage, an incident report and other recordings related to the shooting to Air Force Times, citing an ongoing investigation. According to an unverified audio recording of a dispatch call posted on Facebook, police received a disturbance call related to a male and female and that it was called in by an apartment complexs leasing office. The recording refers to a Black male who had been shot multiple times in the chest. Fortsons apartment complex declined to comment to Air Force Times. The deputy who shot Fortson, who has not been identified, has been placed on paid administrative leave and Okaloosa Sheriff Eric Aden said Wednesday afternoon that he has asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to handle the investigation into the matter. While he asked for the communitys patience, Crump demanded immediate answers. The circumstances surrounding Rogers death raise serious questions that demand immediate answers from authorities, especially considering the alarming witness statement that the police entered the wrong apartment. The narrative released by law enforcement, which falsely suggests that Roger posed a threat, is deeply troubling and inconsistent with the details provided by that witness: Roger was home alone, causing no disturbance, when his life was tragically cut short by law enforcement, Crump said in a statement. Crump could not be immediately reached for comment. He is a well-known civil rights attorney who has represented families in high-profile cases involving Black people killed by law enforcement, including George Floyd, Michael Brown and Breonna Taylor. Hurlburt Field has said in social media posts that the base is supporting Fortsons family and offering assistance to grieving airmen. The Okaloosa Sheriffs Office faced scrutiny last year after a deputy mistook a falling acorn striking his patrol vehicle for a gun shot and fired at his SUV while a suspect sat inside restrained. According to an internal investigation, Deputy Jesse Hernandez believed the shot came from inside his vehicle. The suspect, who is Black, was uninjured in the shooting. The sheriffs office determined Hernandez use of force was not reasonable and he resigned in November. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The Las Cruces Police Department continues investigating what led to the incident of April 30, 2024 that resulted in one person dead and 14 others injured. According to LCPD, Pamela Kaye Nelson, 67, was injured in the crash and taken to an area hospital, where she later died. The Las Cruces Fire Department released the ages and genders of the 12 injured who received medical attention from fire crews the day of the incident. Two victims either declined to provide their age or were treated by other emergency medical providers. Of the 12 injured whose ages were provided, 11 are women, and one is a 70-year-old man. The women range in age from 26 to 88. Eight of the injured are older than 60. Two of the injured are store employees. 1 dead, 14 hurt after SUV crashes into Las Cruces store Shortly before 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 30, Las Cruces police, fire, and other first responders were dispatched to the crash at 2340 N. Main St. Investigators learned a 2015 Ford Explorer crashed through the glass and aluminum facade near the self-checkout area and veered right as it passed through the store. The 69-year-old driver of the Explorer, the only occupant of the vehicle, escaped serious injury. She went to a local hospital later that day on her own accord. Preliminary information from the investigation indicates the driver mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake as she pulled into a parking space in front of the store. Savers has since reopened for business. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. Russia held its Victory Day celebration in Moscow on May 9, a heavily militarized holiday marking the end of World War II. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed that over 9,000 military personnel and over 70 pieces of equipment were featured in the Victory Day parade. The leaders of Cuba, Laos, Guinea-Bissau, Kazakhstan, and Belarus were among the foreign leaders who joined Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for the event. Russia relies on "the memory of the military brotherhood of our fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers," and the "friendship of people of different nationalities" for the ability to work "together for the sake of the future," Putin said in his speech. Sign up for our newsletter WTF is wrong with Russia? Sign up Putin referred to the Soviet Union as a country that not only "defeated Nazism," but also "helped the peoples of the African continent and Asia both during the period of their anti-colonial struggle and after they gained state independence." The day is celebrated by those who "realize the enduring value of justice, equality, and humanism," Putin claimed. Against the backdrop of Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine, the historical memory of World War II has been weaponized by Russia as part of its attempt to frame the invasion of Ukraine as a continuation of Russia's struggle against the West. Media reports emerged earlier in May that the Russian authorities had created a display of Western military hardware allegedly captured in Ukraine as part of a World War II memorial in Moscow. The display reportedly showcased a variety of German-made equipment, accompanied by a sign that read, "history is repeating itself," as well as a U.S. Abrams tank. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law in 2023 officially changing the date of Ukraine's World War II commemoration to May 8, aligning it with most of Europe and indicating a full break from the Soviet-era holiday. Around 6 to 7 million Ukrainians were killed during World War II, including about 1.5 million Ukrainian Jews. As a percentage of the population, Ukraine suffered greater losses in the war than Russia. Read also: Never again? Again. (Photos) Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The leaders of Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands, along with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, confirmed their participation in the upcoming global peace summit following phone calls with President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 8. The peace summit will be held in Switzerland on June 15-16, and will focus on peace in Ukraine under the terms of Zelensky's 10-point peace formula, a plan that calls for a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied Ukrainian lands. Zelensky spoke with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz about continued defense cooperation between Ukraine and Germany and preparations for the Ukraine Recovery Conference, according to the President's Office. Discussions with Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's Prime Minister, centered on ammunition supplies, supporting Ukraine's energy sector, and expediting the transfer of F-16 jets to Ukraine. Zelensky also discussed defense cooperation with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and thanked the Netherlands for a recent military aid package worth one billion euros ($1.07 billion). In his phone call with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejcinovic Buric, Zelensky thanked the Council for setting up the Register of Damage in Kyiv and welcomed plans to establish a special tribunal on Russian war crimes. A number of countries and world leaders have confirmed their participation in the global peace summit. Earlier on May 8 Zelensky announced that Cape Verde had become the first African nation to agree to participate in the talks. Read also: Never again? Again. (Photos) Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest, Hungary, May 9, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) BUDAPEST, May 9 (Xinhua) -- China and Hungary decided Thursday to elevate bilateral relations to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era. The decision was announced during the talks between visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Hungary, ushering in a new and important opportunity for the development of bilateral relations, Xi said. The two sides should continue to be good friends of mutual trust and assistance, and good partners of win-win cooperation, Xi said, calling on the two countries to take the establishment of the all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era as an opportunity to inject new and strong impetus into bilateral cooperation and create a better future for the two peoples. China-Hungary relations are currently at the best period in history and their comprehensive strategic partnership has maintained high-level development. With deepening political mutual trust and fruitful cooperation in various fields, the two countries have set a model for building a new type of international relations, Xi said. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest, Hungary, May 9, 2024. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) AUSTIN (KXAN) Austin and state leaders will host a ribbon-cutting Wednesday as the new 240-bed replacement facility for Austin State Hospital is set to open after years of work and hundreds of millions of dollars spent. According to a release, the Texas Legislature and Gov. Greg Abbott approved roughly $305 million for the new psychiatric hospital, which will replace the facility thats been open since 1861. According to a release, that hospital offers inpatient mental health services to people in 26 counties. It also offers services for youth in 77 counties throughout Central Texas. Austin State Hospital is almost finished. Will it be effective? The new building will be 375,000 square feet with 240 rooms, giving each patient their own room and bathroom, KXAN has previously reported. Construction of the facility took into account research on what has been shown to be effective in helping people recover from mental health disturbances, project officials said. There will be lots of natural light, therapy rooms, classrooms, exercise rooms, an arts and crafts room and other therapy spaces throughout the facility. Patients will also have access to social interaction spaces, such as a cafe and a bank, designed to help them prepare for life outside of the facility, the project leaders told us last year. Desperate need for more beds KXAN reported last year that the waitlist to enter Texas mental hospitals is historically high, with thousands of mentally incompetent people sitting in jail for months or years in need of treatment. While the new facility does not increase the number of beds, the number of counties this hospital will serve has decreased. The Austin State Hospital is part of a larger system of state hospitals the Texas Legislature has recently pumped funding into. The Austin State Hospital project is one of seven renovations. Houston recently opened its state hospital, and Dallas has received funding for one, Austin State Hospital officials said. Following the addition of new state hospitals, the number of counties the Austin State Hospital serves has gone down from 38 counties to 26. Mayor floats therapeutic housing idea as new Austin State Hospital set to open Still, Austin leaders like Mayor Kirk Watson are already looking at ways to expand capacity at the new facility. The mayor previously floated the idea of therapeutic housing near the hospital to serve the people moving in and out of that facility. It could be an option for people who have nowhere else to go but arent quite ready for a full hospitalization. And for patients transitioning out of care who are experiencing homelessness, a possible lifeline. What that will do is not only better stabilize people that are addressing a brain health issue that are living on the street homeless, but what it will also do is it will create even more beds at the state hospital, he said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Investigative Summary: Allegations of sexual misconduct against a former Lutheran pastor have split a North Austin congregation and sparked an extensive church investigation. KXAN spoke with people alleging abuse, dug into the pastors long history of ministry and followed the churchs effort to move forward with accountability and transparency. Editors note: This story has been updated to reflect the synod council adopted a recommendation to reject a pastors retired status, after the unanimous vote of a Committee of Deans within the church. AUSTIN (KXAN) For decades, Dr. Helen Maidment carried mixed memories of Gethsemane Lutheran Church in North Austin. On one side, there was the joy of a fulfilling spiritual and social life centered around the church. Her husband started a church camp, and they hosted parties with church friends. But in the shadows, there were things that werent so good, Maidment told KXAN. woman looking at photo albums That was the other side: pain from the disturbing memory of a sexual assault, she alleges, by Gethsemanes former pastor in 1998. Maidment said she pushed that memory to the back of her mind, but it weighed on her for decades, at times even making it hurt to breathe. Last November, it was finally too much, she said. So, she came forward and called Bishop Sue Briner, who oversees the Southwestern Texas Synod a collection of Lutheran congregations that includes Gethsemane and are part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, or ELCA. Briner initiated an investigation that turned up many more allegations beyond Maidments. The revelations of sexual misconduct caused an upheaval for the church. In February, Gethsemanes longtime senior pastor submitted his letter of retirement after some of the women who came forward accused him of knowing about the sexual misconduct and failing to act. The pastor said he refutes accusations he knew of misconduct, and it was his time, at the age of 82, to move on to the next chapter. EXPLORE: The Accused KXANs investigation of the Catholic Churchs disclosure of priests accused of abuse According to Briners investigative report, there were at least 20 people with credible allegations against Gethsemanes former assistant pastor, Vance Daniel, who died in 2000. KXAN began looking into the allegations after receiving copies of Briners report in the mail and multiple emails from women who alleged abuse. KXANs investigation would ultimately involve more than two dozen record requests filed in jurisdictions across the country where Daniel worked, as well as conversations and interviews with multiple women who said they were abused. The allegations against Daniel date back nearly 50 years to his time at Hutto Lutheran Church, where he worked in the 1970s and early 1980s before Gethsemane. Maidment said her incident happened in 1998. The exact day is etched in her memory because she had just learned of her fathers death. Forcing me back Maidment recalls she was finishing a grueling shift at Austins Brackenridge Hospital, where she worked as a kidney specialist. She slept fitfully that night and was exhausted the next morning when she heard someone at her door. It was Daniel; he had dropped by unannounced. By that time, Daniel was retired. Maidment figured he came to console her. I let him in, and the next thing I knew, he was all over me, Maidment said. He was forcing me back against the sofa and trying to force me down. Maidment, a small-statured woman disabled in her childhood by polio, said she managed to kick Daniel off her. He then hastily left the house, she said. The next time she saw him, Daniel acted as if nothing had happened, she said. Maidment said she made the decision not to go to police at that point because she didnt want to be stopped from traveling back to her native New Zealand to mourn with her family. She told an associate pastor about the incident a few years later, but nothing was done about it, she said. Maidment said she decided to push the memory back and carry on, remaining at the church until 2016. woman holding photo of herself and priest Now, shes learned her allegations are far from the only ones. Church investigative findings People alleging they were victims of Daniel date back to his time at Hutto Lutheran Church, including confirmation-aged children, according to the churchs investigation. It added, these allegations included groping womens chests and inner thighs, as well as pinning one of them to the wall during counseling. During the course of the investigation, Briners committee did 35 interviews and corresponded with 70 individuals, according to the report KXAN obtained. Five women said they went to Karl Gronberg, the former senior pastor of Gethsemane, and informed him of the abuse, but nothing was done. After he failed to act, several of them went with their husbands to two bishops. Nothing was done, and, as a result, Pastor Daniel was able to victimize more women, according to the investigation. KXAN spoke with another woman who came forward during the investigation. She asked that her name not be revealed in this story because of the nature of the allegations and her desire for privacy. Misconduct ignored? Like Maidment, Gethsemane was a cornerstone of this womans life. She was in the choir and did weekly Bible studies. Her children were baptized at the church roughly 40 years ago. It was a church family, she said. It was good, good times. But that changed one day, she said, when Daniel gave her a hug. During the embrace, Daniel rubbed his body against me in a way she described as inappropriate. From that point forward, she recalled how she held books in front of her whenever she was around Daniel to block him from an embrace. Later, during a discussion at Bible study, she said another woman brought up her own discomfort with Daniel. Then that opened the floodgates, she added. She said the women and their husbands invited Gronberg to one of their houses and explained the allegations to him. However, she claims nothing was done, even after the group escalated its complaint to two bishops in place at the time. The alleged sexual misconduct happened in the mid-80s. It was a different time, in terms of reporting sexual abuse or misconduct, and women, generally, werent coming forward to report abuse, she said. They felt they wouldnt be taken seriously, and they didnt consider going to the police, she said. They just wanted Daniel removed, at least from duties dealing with the congregation. She didnt want to go to the churchs council over it, and she didnt want the church to be split over the allegations. So rather than having a scandal, we simply left, she said. We all left about the same time, and we went to different churches and started a safe home at a different church. Both of the former bishops who allegedly failed to act have since died, according to Briners investigation. Cloudy history Daniels pastoral work with the Lutheran Church stretched across Texas and the Southeast back to the mid-1940s. He died in 2000 at the age of 81, according to church records. KXAN filed record requests at more than 30 law enforcement offices with jurisdiction where Daniel was a pastor. The locations include Salisbury, Sanford and Kings Mountain, North Carolina; as well as Decatur and Albany in Georgia; and Harlingen, Sugarland, Hutto and Austin in Texas. No police department, sheriffs office or district attorney in those areas has provided any record of complaints, arrests or charges against Daniel. Several departments did not respond to KXANs requests. It is possible that any records, if they ever existed, would have been destroyed decades ago because of their age and retention schedules for law enforcement documents, which vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Bishops leading synods in North Carolina and Georgia told KXAN they both received Briners investigation. They said they are taking the allegations seriously and disclosing the findings to congregations where Daniel was posted. Tim Smith, Bishop of the North Carolina Synod, said church policy dictates that his synod conduct disclosures with the information. Disclosures is when you go to a congregation affected and announce what you have found and you have found to be credible, Smith said. A number of victims have come forward in Southwest Texas alone. That is enough to make this a very credible reality, and it is from a long time ago. Smith said he checked Daniels church file from his time in North Carolina and found nothing indicating there was a process to remove him from his post. man in priest robes Bishop Kevin Strickland, leader of the Southeastern Synod of the Lutheran Church based in Georgia, said Daniels time working in Georgia was so long ago that it was prior to the current denominations formation, one of the congregations closed and the other has no living members left. The ELCA takes seriously sexual misconduct of any kind. No matter when it has occurred, Strickland said in a statement, referring to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, of which the Texas, Georgia and North Carolina synods are a part. We have zero tolerance for these things and we do as Bishop Briner has done to follow all the necessary steps. I am so sorry for the victims and the hurt they carry. My prayers surround them. In April, Smith and Strickland said no one has made additional allegations against Daniel since their disclosures. A trend toward transparency Briner and the other synod leaders openness in acknowledging the allegations is part of a broader trend across many denominations to increase transparency. Thats a departure from how some churches, such as the Catholic Church, handled sexual misconduct in the past, said Joseph Laycock, a Texas State University associate professor of religious studies. There was an attitude of, We all know this goes on, but we just dont talk about it. Fortunately, things have started to change, Laycock said. The Me Too movement has, I think, emboldened some people to come forward with their stories. With changes to the social environment in America, allegations like those in the Gethsemane investigation may become more common, Laycock told KXAN in an interview. Through his research, he believes churches should see that transparency can be a better solution than suppressing negative information in the hope of avoiding collateral damage. I think once churches come forward, and they are honest about what happened and transparent about what theyve tried to do to make it right, they will see that this is actually a much better solution to the problem, Laycock said. Hopefully, the temptation to try to sweep things under the rug or to protect predators in order to protect the reputation of the church will no longer be seen as a viable option. It seems unlikely any more allegations may come up, given how long ago Daniel worked. Daniel was a pastor in North Carolina and Georgia in the 1940s and 50s. Even a young congregant at that time would likely be over 80 years old now, or more. Hutto Lutherans Pastor, Amanda Ullrich, provided a statement to KXAN acknowledging the accusations by members of her church dating back to the 70s and 80s. As painful as this experience has been, we are grateful for Bishop Briner and all involved in bringing this situation to light. Bishop Briner has been very supportive of the congregation, and has personally been in communication with the survivors at Hutto Lutheran Church and offered access to mental health services, Hutto Lutherans statement said. Gronberg, who retired from his post as Gethsemane senior pastor after the investigation was released, has strongly denied any knowledge of allegations against Daniel prior to Briners investigation. He has also condemned the investigative process and its impact on his former congregation. Pushing back against allegations Since the Bishops investigation began, many in the Gethsemane congregation have supported Gronberg. On Feb. 18 with full knowledge of the contents of Briners investigation the congregation voted to keep Gronberg as its pastor. Despite the vote in his favor, he submitted his letter of retirement to the Gethsemane congregation a day later, saying he and his wife were ready to move on into the next chapter of our lives, according to the letter. He noted the difficulty the investigation brought to the congregation. These last two months have felt like a wilderness where the work and the people I have loved for over 50 years were lost to me. Our collective pain has been immense, Gronberg wrote in his letter of retirement. Gronberg communicated with KXAN through an attorney, Matt Anthony, who represented the pastor during Briners investigation. In a Feb. 13 letter to the Gethsemane community, Gronberg flatly denied any knowledge of the allegations against Daniel prior to the Bishops investigation beginning in 2023. He described Briners references to him in the investigation report as defamatory and the allegations untrue. Mandatory Reporting Under Texas law, clergy are required to alert law enforcement if they know of abuse to children. The rule requires attorneys, clergy members, medical practitioners and other licensed professionals to report a reasonable belief of child abuse or neglect. The rule doesnt apply to reports about adults, according to Texas statute. Had I been made aware of concerns about Pastor Daniel from our congregants or from any previous call, I would never have refused to act on such concerns, he said. Gronberg noted five of his children were frequently in contact with Daniel over the years. I never would have allowed that if I had reason to believe his actions were inappropriate, especially if I knew of any suspicion of sexual misconduct, Gronberg said in the letter. Gronbergs lawyer noted his client has been in ministry for 57 years and was never reprimanded or disciplined. He also received dozens of letters of support from former and current members of the congregation, according to a statement provided by the attorney. It is a shame that such a legacy is being tarnished by a severely flawed process completely devoid of the most fundamental tenets of due process, Gronbergs attorney said in a statement to KXAN. Pastor Gronberg is grieved when any victim is harmed by someone they trust, his attorney went on. He is praying for those who have stated they were victimized by Pastor Daniel and hopes they will receive the help and support they need. His compassion and prayers for all who claim to be victims remain steadfast. In response to the statement sent by Gronbergs attorney, Briner reiterated that her investigations findings were backed up by multiple survivors/witnesses of both the abuse and Gronbergs and another pastors inaction, she said in an email. This entire process has taken months of painstaking work by the bishops committee and myself, with the full support and counsel of synod and ELCA leadership, Briner said. Undo all of the good Gronbergs attorney also sent KXAN more than two dozen letters he said are from people expressing their support for the former Gethsemane pastor. Gronberg and many of the letter writers have condemned Briners methods and investigation. Gronberg and his attorney declined an on-camera interview. Prior to his retirement, Gronberg said in a letter to Gethsemane that he wanted to remain on the roster of retired clergy to participate in weddings, funerals and other special occasions. However, in late April, he withdrew that request just before a synod council adopted a recommendation to reject his retired status, after the unanimous vote of a Committee of Deans within the church. That meant he cannot perform any duties or acts associated with the ministry of Word and Sacrament within the ELCA, nor use the title of Pastor, according to a letter signed by Briner. The committee also voted to remove a former Gethsemane associate pastor, Kent Bohls, from the roster. According to a letter from Briner to Southwest Texas Synod ministers, Bohls was also made aware of abuse and did not act on it. He provided the following statement to KXAN, During my time as a pastor at Gethsemane Lutheran Church until after Vance Daniel died in 2000, I did not observe and was not informed of anything that would have made me think Helen or any other woman had been abused by Vance Daniel. I was disheartened to learn of the allegations of him in November, 2023. I have cooperated with church authorities during this investigation. I pray for healing and recovery for the victims of abuse. Moving forward Explore Previous Investigation the accused See more Briners office has acknowledged the difficulty the investigation placed on Gethsemane and its pastors. Moving forward, Briner said the church would commit to repenting and taking action to prevent future problems, including by strengthening requirements for active and retired rostered leaders. The current church council of Gethsemane provided a statement, addressing their move forward following the investigation and change in pastors. Gethsemane Lutheran Church is deeply saddened by the recent statements and takes this matter seriously. The safety and well-being of our congregation are of the utmost importance, and we are fervently praying for those affected, the statement said. Abuse of any kind has no place in our church. Gethsemane Lutheran is a church called by grace and led by faith, and we strive to be a community where faith and friendships are nurtured in a safe, accepting and affirming manner. We hold firm in the belief that God and our church can be an instrument of love and healing for all. If you or someone you know have experienced abuse, want to report abuse or need help, consider these local and national resources: Investigative Photojournalist Richie Bowes, Director of Investigations & Innovation Josh Hinkle, Editor Eric Lefenfeld, Digital Special Projects Developer Robert Sims, Graphic Artist Christina Staggs and Digital Director Kate Winkle contributed to this report. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Legacy Healths primary care providers could be the next to unionize. On Wednesday, a group of 150 workers across the healthcare companys primary care clinics in Oregon and Southwest Washington sent union authorization cards to the National Labor Relations Board. Newport-area residents rally for LGBTQ+ community after backlash against DEI policies According to the Oregon Nurses Association, the physicians, physician associates and nurse practitioners plan to join the Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association part of the American Federation of Teachers. AFT also represents LabCorp workers at Legacy Health, after 86% of them voted in favor of a union earlier this month. If the companys primary care providers follow suit, they plan to advocate for patient safety, employee retention and safe staffing. Portlands Korean food scene is having a moment Primary care has a significant level of burnout, as evidenced by the numbers of primary care providers leaving this profession, Angela Marshall Olson, a doctor at the Raleigh Hills clinic, told ONA. Patients must be our first concern. Its vital for us to have a place at the table to discuss provider retention strategies, which will elevate patient care and staff satisfaction. Doctors at Legacy Health hospitals prioritized similar concerns when they unionized in November 2023. Other employees questioned the safety of the facilities, following a deadly shooting at the Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center in July. According to Oregons Nurses Association, NLRB could schedule a union election date for the primary care providers within the next few weeks. Historic South Park Blocks in fine shape following PSU protests In a statement, Legacy Health said it respects its employees rights to choose whether to unionize. We appreciate the continued hard work and dedication of our primary care providers, who play a vital role in delivering high-quality care to our patients and communities, the company added. We are committed to establishing a productive dialogue with the union representatives who will be working with Legacy on behalf of these providers. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. Can you legally make your own fireworks in Kentucky? We asked an ATF agent for answers In our Reality Check stories, Herald-Leader journalists dig deeper into questions over facts, consequences and accountability. Read more. Story idea? hlcityregion@herald-leader.com. As spring gives way to summer, that time of year is once again approaching. Firework retailers will soon set up eye-catching, red and white tents along busy roads and grocery store parking lots to sell all manner of snappers, sparklers and other dazzling devices. But while they offer fun, there are also dangers. In 2022, more than 10,000 people were treated in emergency rooms across the country for firework-related injuries and at least 11 were killed, according to figures from the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission. On Independence Day in 2023, a 48-year-old man in Florence was killed when he tried to light a commercial-grade firework using a homemade mortar tube. Fireworks were also believed to be involved in an explosion that killed a Somerset man Sunday, police told the Herald-Leader. Given the dangers involved, you might be wondering whether its legal to make your own fireworks for personal use, as some hobbyists like to do. To explore this topic, we spoke with the Louisville Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, with a jurisdiction that covers Kentucky and West Virginia. Fireworks are often used to celebrate holidays and special events in Kentucky, ATF special agent in charge Shawn Morrow. said Unfortunately, many Americans are seriously injured or killed each year in accidents involving fireworks. We urge the public to verify the type of [firework] they wish to use are legal and remind them to exercise caution when handling. We want everyone to remain safe during their celebrations. The upcoming July 4th holiday will be filled with opportunities to celebrate with friends and family, but please be aware of the hazards presented by fireworks. In 2021, 11,500 people were sent to the emergency room for fireworks-related injuries. https://t.co/CO6uss3nvV #ATF pic.twitter.com/hMRRnDvcUT ATF HQ (@ATFHQ) June 29, 2023 Morrow responded to our questions via email. Heres what to know. Is it legal to make homemade fireworks for personal use? First, its important to get a baseline understanding of the different types of fireworks and the rules around them. As explained by Morrow, they can be divided into two categories based on their intended use: consumer fireworks and display fireworks. Consumer fireworks are smaller-scale fireworks youll see for sale at stands around the Fourth of July. These are ground-based devices that contain small amounts of flash powder, typically less than 50 milligrams. They also encompass aerial devices that contain less than 130 milligrams of flash powder. Display fireworks, by comparison, are large fireworks used in shows like Thunder Over Louisville, for example. These fireworks include aerial shells, cakes, candles and similar pieces. They create bright flashes of color and loud booms. Generally, display fireworks are used under the supervision of a trained pyrotechnician. As it relates to federal law, it is not a violation to make or use homemade fireworks for personal use, Morrow told the Herald-Leader. You may manufacture display fireworks for personal use at your property without obtaining a Federal Explosives License (FEL) or permit (a manufacturers license is needed only by persons engaged in the business of manufacturing fireworks for sale, distribution, or other commercial purpose), Morrow wrote. There are some caveats and considerations when it comes to storing, transporting or dealing in explosive materials, however. Storage requirements: While it isnt a violation of federal law to make or use homemade fireworks for your personal purposes, you must comply with storage requirements laid out in federal law. According to Morrow, Amateurs mixing even small quantities of compositions are still required to store the material in accordance with federal law. Federal regulations require, in part, that explosive materials be stored in a locked magazine, unless they are being lawfully transported. The ATF also typically places limits on the amount of explosive material you can store in one place. Transportation: You cannot legally transport personally manufactured fireworks. It is unlawful for any person other than a licensee or permittee to knowingly transport, ship, cause to be transported, or receive explosive materials, Morrow wrote. Commercial use: Manufacturing fireworks for commercial purposes requires an ATF manufacturers license. Other requirements: There are also licenses for dealers, importers and firework collectors. For more information, visit the ATFs website and review its licensing requirements. Individuals can apply for a license from the ATF, though the process requires a background check and interview. To get the process started, individuals can apply online at atf.gov/explosives/apply-license. Generally speaking, if youre just looking for some safe fireworks to use in a backyard Fourth of July celebration, you should be smart about whom youre buying from. We recommend before buying any consumer fireworks, check with your local and state governments to ensure they are not prohibited in your area, Morrow said. You can distinguish legal fireworks by the brightly colored and decorated paper theyre packaged in, its trade name and manufacturing information. Illegal explosive devices, commonly referred to as M-80s, quarter sticks, or cherry bombs, often come in plain brown or white wrappers with no identifying marks, according to an ATF news release. State law also includes some general prohibitions. To lawfully use and purchase fireworks in Kentucky, you must: Be 18 or older Not ignite fireworks within 200 feet of any home, vehicle, structure or another person. Comply with local firework ordinances. Fayette County in particular does not allow aerial fireworks. The Kentucky State Fire Marshal also advises against using homemade fireworks. That agency regulates fireworks shows and those roadside stands common throughout the summer. You can contact the agency at 502-573-0382. Do you have a question about life in Kentucky for our service journalism team? We want to help. Reach out to us via email at ask@herald-leader.com or submit your question with the Know Your Kentucky form below. MILLTOWN, N.J. (PIX11) In Milltown, a Middlesex County borough of 7,000 people, nothing has been the same since losing a beloved groundhog that was the star of the Towns signature annual celebration that drew thousands. Its taken a life of its own, said Assemblyman Sterley Stanley (D-NJ 18th District). Milltown Mel was followed worldwide. What does Punxsutawney Phil do the rest of the year? When Milltown Mel passed away in 2021, the search began for another groundhog to carry the torch. But what got in the way was a State law prohibiting the entry of certain animals with the potential to carry rabies. If passed, Stanleys bill would allow groundhogs to be imported from out of state under certain circumstances. This will bring back a lot of people, tourism, said Stanley. Itll add another feather in their cap. Helping to make this legislation a reality is the Milltown Wranglers. Led by Russell Einbinder, John McNamara and others, they are a group that organizes the small towns Groundhog Day celebration. The new groundhog they hope to secure is set to be born any day on a farm in Tennessee. There is a mama groundhog ready to pop any day, said Einbinder. That groundhog has to stay with mama for about a month, six weeks, and then gets released after being weened to be with us. NYs weather-predicting chicken also predicts an early spring Next Groundhog Day will mark 5 years since Milltown last celebrated. The celebration in 2021 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and has not returned since the death of the previous groundhog. Oh my God, everybodys gonna be so excited, the kids are gonna go nuts, said Melissa Ellmyer, one of the newest Milltown Wranglers. This year theyre going to be very excited, gonna be very happy to spread the news that its coming back. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. One step forward, two steps back. That appears to be the case for authoritative regimes like Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, where cotton sourcing has been complicated by state-sponsored forced labor and curtailments on freedom of association and freedom of speech. An update by the Cotton Campaigns front-line partners Turkmen.News and the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights revealed this week, for instance, that public authorities stopped forcing teachers and doctors to pick cotton or pay for replacement pickers several weeks into the harvest in mid-Septembera first in the 10 consecutive years that the organizations have monitored Turkmenistans field activities. More from Sourcing Journal While this development is encouraging and may open a window of opportunity for reform, the report noted, the Turkmen government did not implement actions indicating any deeper policy changes, such as holding officials who employed forced labor accountable or making statements condemning the practice. Other categories of state employees, such as those working at schools, hospitals, utility organizations, public agencies and state-owned factories, likewise continued to be dragooned into serviceor pressured into shelling out for stand-ins. Then theres the fact that the countrys cotton production still relies on the exploitation of farmers who must meet aggressive production quotas or risk getting fined or losing their land, said Farid Tukhbatullin, chairperson of the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights. With the state setting the price of cotton, farmers can barely cover their expenses, often ending up in debt, he said. Its a vicious circle of exploitation, Tukhbatullin said. To be able to pay the state for the inputs they receive, farmers need to sell their livestock or find another way to pay, with equally dire consequences on their livelihoods. Otherwise, they accumulate more debt every year. The Turkmen government should introduce structural reforms to address forced labor, exploitation, and corruption in all aspects of the agricultural sector. Still, the wobble in recruitment is a sign that changehowever minuteis possible, said Allison Gill, forced labor program director at the Global Labor Justice-International Labor Rights Forum, the Washington, D.C. nonprofit that hosts the Cotton Campaign, a multi-stakeholder initiative that seeks to eliminate state-sponsored forced labor in Central Asia. For anyone who cares about labor rights in Turkmenistan, including brands outside of the United States, where a Withhold Release Order against Turkmen cotton has been active since 2018, its also an indication not to take their foot off the gas. Pressure works, said Gill, pointing out that the move coincides with a visit to Turkmenistan by an International Labour Organization mission, which the Turkmen government invited to monitor the harvest following the signing of a so-called roadmap for cooperation in 2023. Its the pressure that has gotten us to this point. It took a decade-plus freeze-out of cotton from Uzbekistan, after all, before local observers described a breakthrough in the elimination of systematic child and forced labor due to a government overhaul. This led the ILO to declare Uzbek cotton free of child and forced labor and the Cotton Campaign to drop its brand-led boycott in 2022. The same year, the U.S. Department of Labor struck cotton from Uzbekistan off its annual list of goods produced by child labor or forced labor. But Uzbekistan is at risk of backsliding, the Cotton Campaign warned in February after the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights, another front-line partner, found a distinct increase in reports of coercion in interviews and across social media during the 2023 harvest. Observers also witnessed some mobilization taking place to fulfill cotton production targetseven though those targets were supposed to have been eradicated by reforms. Independent voices are also being quashed, the organization said. Last week, Umida Niyazova, founder and director of the Uzbek Forum, was ambushed by two men she did not know outside the home of journalist and activist Sharifa Madrakhimova in the Fergana region, where she had been meeting with cotton producers. One of them accused Niyazova of organizing information attacks against Uzbekistan while filming her on his phone. Concerned about her safety and that of the activists she was meeting, Niyazova immediately flew back to Berlin, where she has lived since she was imprisoned and her Uzbek citizenship revoked due to her human rights work. A few days later, one of the men posted a video on YouTube titled How much do information attacks on Uzbekistan cost? Niyazova wasnt assaulted, she said, though one of the men grabbed the door handle of the car she and Madrakhimova were leaving in to prevent it from closing. The most disappointing thing was that I had to stop my travel, she said. One thing that puzzles Niyazova is how the men knew where she was. She thinks that the State Security Service, the Uzbek governments national intelligence agency, had been keeping track of her movements and using the men to send her a message about keeping quiet. The irony, she said, is that it was her organizations monitoring that paved the way for Uzbek cottons return as a sourcing consideration in the first place. Uzbekistans ministry of investments and foreign trade, responding to a complaint of harassment from the Cotton Campaign, said that it had investigated the incident and that the men were only trying to interview Niyazova and that there was no intention of threatening behavior. But Niyazovas words just a few years agothat the door to Uzbekistan has opened but theres a risk that it could still slam shuthave proven prophetic, she said. The much-vaunted reforms, Niyazova said, were done to fix the economy. Without liberal reform that includes independent expression and other civic freedoms, Uzbekistan remains a strict authoritarian, repressive regime replete with censorship and surveillance. I think its a bad signal, Gill said of what happened to Niyazova. I do see this as part of that larger crackdown on the shrinking of the civic space. Weve seen a lot of restrictions on people who speak out who are perceived to be critics who, expose uncomfortable truths. The response by the ministry, she added, was insufficient. I think everyone wants to see Uzbekistan become a place with good jobs in the textile sector, but they havent taken the steps to really create the conditions for transparency, for labor compliance and for the empowerment of workers and farmers to do basic things like bargain collectively, protect their rights, organize, have independent trade unions, she said. I think the focus on Uzbekistan has been so squarely on the elimination of state-imposed forced labor that theyve kind of dropped the ball. Were a little bit behind where they need to be in terms of recognizing the importance of other fundamental labor rights. In other words, the boycott drop shouldnt serve as an automatic green light for Uzbek cotton, as Gill said a couple of years ago. Sourcing in the country depends on the conditions [where] cotton production is taking place. Compliance is also in everybodys interest, she said, especially with due diligence and forced labor legislation coming down the pike in the European Union. I think those laws are going to make it very clear that due diligence goes beyond just forced labor, Gill said. So for Uzbekistan, they did eliminate state-imposed forced laborthats significant. But other labor rights violations [and] other human rights impacts are part of what CSDDD covers. And so for companies that need to be CSDDD-compliant, theyre going to need systems and counterparts who can monitor for other labor conditions and really resolve those issues. That goes double for Turkmenistan as well, though the EU forced labor regulationss product-by-product approach, which some human rights experts have criticized, could make enforcement difficult. Were going to need to look at the broader mechanisms that bring all of cotton in Turkmenistan into scope, Gill said. Or for Xinjiang [in China], even more so. I think we still hope that some of those regulations will help capture these nuances. South Elementary students give letters of gratitude to veterans and active service members during their November 2023 Veterans Day event. South Elementary recently received a Purple Star designation from the state for their work to support military students and families. Licking Heights Local Schools' South Elementary has once again received a Purple Star designation from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW). This is the second time South has received a Purple Star designation. Purple Star designations are monitored and administered by ODEWs Purple Star Advisory Board, which includes educational experts and stakeholders passionate about supporting the military community of Ohio. According to the ODEW website, "The Purple Star Award recognizes schools that show a major commitment to students and families connected to our nations military." To receive the designation, schools have to meet requirements such as: Have a trained staff point-of-contact for military students and families who serves as a liaison between them and the school. Liaisons must complete required training approved by ODEW. Have a dedicated and regularly maintained webpage on their website with resources for military families. Provide designated professional development for staff about supporting military students. Host an annual military recognition event. Implement social-emotional development programs with the unique needs of military children in mind. Maintain a peer-to-peer transition program with student ambassadors who provide tours and support students transitioning in and out of school. Celebrate April as Month of the Military Child. "I am deeply proud of Mr. Scheiderer, Mr. Wilkinson and the staff of South Elementary for their efforts to support military families," said Kevin S. Miller, superintendent of Licking Heights. "They are an example and an inspiration to all of us at Licking Heights, and I thank them for leading the way and creating an inclusive environment for the unique experiences of military children." South Elementary principal Kurt Scheiderer credited the work of assistant principal Brian Wilkinson for leading efforts for renewal and building a supportive school environment for military children and families. "Mr. Wilkinson and the team at South have worked especially hard to both honor and support the military families in our school and our community. We are incredibly grateful to those who give their lives to support our freedoms, and we strive to support the children of military personnel and make them feel included, appreciated, and valued during their time with us however long that may be," he said. "We are honored to once again receive a Purple Star designation for our efforts." Supporting members of the nations Armed Forces is a passion of all schools in the Licking Heights district, with one of the districts annual traditions being Veterans Day public assemblies at each school. Assemblies are open to families and community veterans, and usually include patriotic student performances, reading thank-you notes, educational presentations and refreshments. Information submitted by Licking Heights Local Schools. This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Licking Heights school earns award for commitment to military families The Lincoln Park Education Center, a new school in the Lake County School system committed to flexible learning and career readiness, will be hosting open enrollment on Monday, May 13 at the former Clermont Elementary School, 680 E. Highland Ave. Clermont. Interested students and parents can stop by from 6 to 8 p.m. Lincoln Park Education Center is designed to serve students who balance their education with part-time work, family responsibilities or other obligations that produce scheduling conflicts, according to the school district. Students can complete a high school diploma through an 18-credit option by attending classes on a flexible schedule. This initiative, approved by the state, allows students to earn a standard diploma while gaining valuable job skills and potentially earning post-secondary credits. A rendering shows the future look of the Lincoln Park Education Center, slated to open in fall 2024. We saw students who needed to work, deciding whether they wanted to finish high school or go to work, Lake County School Superintendent Diane Kornegay said. About 40 percent of our students work part time, so we began looking for options to provide flexible learning opportunities for students who need or want to work while still receiving their high school diploma. The new center is developed in partnership with Lake Technical College and Lake Sumter State College, offering on-site dual-enrollment options that eliminate the common barriers to accessing post-secondary education programs. We want to bring a direct link from Lake County schools to our employers, said Kimberly Frazier, career and technical education program manager at Lake Tech said. So we are bringing in HVAC programs and electrical training, because its an industry that is booming. This site will provide an additional location for training so our students in South Lake dont have to travel 45 minutes to Eustis. So what does this look like? An incoming freshman would choose to attend morning or afternoon classes, focusing on the core subjects like math, science, social studies, etc. They would earn these required credits over the course of four years. Interior rooms are being renovated into offices for the new Lincoln Park Education Center, slated to open in fall 2024. Students in higher grades would come in with some of their credits completed, so they would in turn need fewer classes. They will also have options to dual-enroll in job skills training that would have them ready to enter the workforce or move to higher education. Its meeting every student where they are and developing a schedule that works best for them, whatever their work needs are, their family needs are, whatever they're looking to accomplish and then creating a schedule based on those needs, Kornegay said. Currently there are 35 students enrolled, with a maximum capacity of 160. The former Clermont Elementary principal, Jeffrey Williams, will continue his position as the new principal of the LPEC. The elementary school closed in 2023, when the nearby Aurelia M. Cole Academy opened. The former elementary school is being renovated to open as the LPEC in the fall. Renovations are ongoing to get the former Clermont Elementary School up to code so it can serve as the new Lincoln Park Education Center, slated to open in fall 2024. The building also has a historical factor, and no, not because of the popular 2000s alternative rock band. Before it was Clermont Elementary, it was the Lincoln Park School for African Americans. Members of the Lincoln Park South Lake Alliance group rallied to retain the school as an education center. Through the partnerships with Lake Tech, Lake-Sumter State College, Career Source and LEAD (Lake Economic Area Development), all Lake County students, regardless of where they are enrolled, will be able to utilize the workforce dual-enrollment programs. Transportation will be provided. There will also be adult education classes offered. Check your county: Which Florida counties have the fewest high school graduates? Lincoln Park provides a plethora of opportunities for students, Williams said. This is going to be one of the premium schools in the nation because it offers so much more to the students. There will be opportunities for students to pursue- on the job training, college/career paths, and earn credits for part-time jobs which will count toward their electives. A student could easily graduate in three years, depending on their path. This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: New school in historic Clermont building: Lincoln Park Education Center Western military personnel training Ukrainian troops on the ground rather than in NATO countries would have practical advantages, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told the Guardian in an interview published on May 9. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, over 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have received training in 30 partner countries, over 30,000 of whom have received training in the U.K. Landsbergis told the Guardian that training Ukrainians in their own country could be "more practical" than abroad. Lithuania's parliament has already authorized Lithuanian troops to train inside Ukraine, but Landsbergis indicated "this would be best done as part of a bigger coalition," the Guardian said. Lithuanian troops trained Ukrainians in Ukraine before the war "for many years," Landsbergis said, adding that "returning to this tradition might be quite doable." "It could be that the trainers stationed as part of the coalition to train the Ukrainians in Ukraine could be defended with air defense, and that in turn implies that part of Ukrainian sky could be defended with air defense," Landsbergis said. The move would show the Kremlin that the West can "adapt to the situation because the situation is not getting better," Landsbergis said. Sending Western trainers to Ukraine would be a "first step in President (Emmanuel) Macron's initiative," referring to the French president's remarks in March that he would not rule out the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine. Macron repeated this sentiment in an interview with the Economist published on May 2, saying that he would consider sending troops to Ukraine in the case of a Russian breakthrough at the front or if Ukraine requested it. Macron's remarks had caused the Kremlin to change calculations, Landsbergis told the Guardian. Read also: US military battalion to remain in Lithuania indefinitely Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. AMMAN, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreed to provide Jordan with 129 million U.S. dollars under an existing Extended Fund Facility (EFF) to support its economy. The decision was made in a staff-level agreement reached Thursday between the two sides and after the IMF completed the first review of the EFF that was reached in January. The amount needs the final approval of the IMF board to be extended to Jordan. The IMF said in a statement that the arrangement will set the country's economic program off to a strong start. It said Jordan's economic growth is projected to moderate to 2.4 percent in 2024 and to rebound in 2025, as Jordan's economic performance continues to be strong despite regional geopolitical headwinds. "All quantitative performance criteria and structural benchmarks were met, and steady progress is being made toward overall program objectives, despite the challenging regional context," it said. The performance owes to the Jordanian authorities' steadfast commitment to continue with sound macro-economic policies to maintain stability and advance structural reforms, it added. The IMF added that strong and timely international support remains needed to help Jordan cope with the external headwinds and to continue to shoulder the cost of hosting a large number of Syrian refugees. In January of this year, the IMF approved a four-year arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility with Jordan, for an amount of about 1.2 billion dollars. Local college student fighting for her life against a rare and deadly form of meningitis A local college student is fighting for her life. Adele Younes is a 19-year-old freshman at Emmanuel College in Boston. On March 16 she called her mother complaining of a headache and her dad picked her up to bring her home to Mansfield. But, hours later, they rushed her to a hospital in Attleboro, and while in the waiting room, Adele passed out. I said give me a doctor now or all hell is going to break loose, said Yve Younes, Adeles father. Yve spoke to Boston 25 about the rare form of meningitis his daughter is battling. In the ER her mom showed doctors black marks on her forehead. He looked at her body and noticed the black marks all over her body, said Younes. Adele was going septic. A test revealed meningitis, but it wasnt until later, that they learned it is a rare and deadly form of the virus. They started doing tests on her and realized just about everything in her body collapsed, he said. As Adele continued to worsen doctors transferred her to Boston Medical Center. This thing was simply killing her little by little, said Younes. Doctors stabilized her as she fell into a coma for nearly a month. Machines were keeping her alive. The outlook was grim at best, he said. But Yve says Adeles young age and prayers will pull her through. After 3 weeks of being unconscious she opened her eyes, he said. But this fight is far from over. Sepsis had ravaged Adeles body. Doctors had to amputate some fingers from both hands and part of her left foot. Her father tells Boston 25 that she is a fighter. As she struggles to make sense of what happened he offers his little girl these words of encouragement every day. I can replace everything youve lost I just cant replace you, said Younis. Yve says his daughter got whats called African meningitis, so rare that the CDC required him to take a pill so he wouldnt get it. Doctors and students at Emmanuel also had to take preventive measures. Adele has a long road ahead. Friends have set up a GoFundMe page. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW RICHMOND, Va. (WFXR)Schools around Southwest and Central Virginia will be benefiting from a $600,000 competitive grant awarded by the Virginia Department of Education to upgrade equipment for career and technical (CTE) programs, schools, and technical centers. This competitive grant was awarded to only 16 school divisions across the state. Each division awarded grants will receive $37,500 to upgrade new equipment and make further improvements to enhance student learning. Cannabis health care classes begin at University of Lynchburg as DEA considers reclassifying substance Virginias CTE programs play an important role in developing our workforce and helping students explore in-demand career opportunities, said Superintendent of Public Institution Lisa Coons. This funding will help provide the resources, equipment, and support needed to run successful CTE programs that will grow Virginias economy and shape the futures of students across the Commonwealth. Here are the school divisions awarded with grants in our region: Appomattox County : Appomattox County High School, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigerator Training: Preparing Students for In-Demand Careers Augusta County: Altavista Combined School, Brookville Middle, Rustburg Middle School, and William Campbell Combined School (augmented reality welding system) Franklin County: Franklin County High School (augmented reality welding system) Montgomery County: Governors STEM Academy at Montgomery County(unmanned aircraft systems) Nelson County: Recharging CTE Programming at Nelson County High School (electricity learning labs) For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. The City of Long Beach has released its 2024 homeless point in time count which is conducted every year to create a fuller picture regarding the citys unhoused population. On Wednesday, the City said the count identified 3,376 homeless people in January 2024, down 71 from the 3,447 figure from 2023. That 2.1% decrease is the first decline the City has recorded durings its point in time count since 2017. Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said he was encouraged by the decrease, particularly among youth homelessness, which he said experienced a nearly 50% reduction. Its clear that the work the City has done in addressing homelessness is beginning to turn the tide, Richardson said in a Wednesday news release. These numbers let us know we are on the right track and must continue on in the work. Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson addresses the media following the release of the latest Homeless Point in Time Count on May 8, 2024. (City of Long Beach) Young adults and minors experienced the biggest decline in homelessness, the point in time count showed. The number of unhoused women dropped around 13%, while the number of men remained relatively the same. While the point in time count showed success with some demographics, others saw dramatic increases. Among the most affected were members of the transgender population, which increased by nearly 40%, and those who identified as nonconforming, which increased by 38%. The racial divide also showed stark differences among the Citys local homeless population. While Asian and Pacific Islanders experienced a 35% decrease and the Hispanic and Latinx community experienced a 22% decrease, the Native American homeless population increased by 95%, homelessness among whites increased by 7% and the number of people who identified as multiracial spiked by 283%. Homelessness among the Black population decreased by less than 1%. The biggest cause for homelessness, according to those who were contacted, was unemployment or financial issues. Other factors included family issues, mental health challenges, eviction, disability and substance abuse. Long Beach, like many major metro areas, saw a significant increase in the number of people sleeping on the streets during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2023, the City declared the homeless crisis a local emergency, following in step with the city of Los Angeles and other Southern California communities. That emergency declaration expired in March, and Long Beach officials say new policies and programs have been enacted to provide immediate assistance to those experiencing homelessness. Among the new changes enacted following that emergency declaration, the Citys homeless outreach teams visited more than 2,400 encampments and were able to provide service to more than 85% of those contacted at the time. A text information line was also launched which provides real-time information about the services available to those experiencing homelessness. A total of 78 alerts, provided in both English and Spanish, were issued to approximately 400 people from April 2023 to April 2024, the City said. A new year-round shelter with 85 beds was purchased in June 2023 by the City in partnership with Los Angeles County. During recent storms, an additional 60 people were provided with 48 nights of shelter at the Long Beach Multi-Service Center. Shelter data shows that bed capacity is growing and is being utilized, with the average occupancy in the last year at 95%. Rental assistance programs through the Housing Authority of Long Beach received a boost through the emergency declaration, with 582 emergency housing vouchers issued to those living on the streets last June. The City says nearly 2,500 people have enrolled in interim housing and 942 have enrolled in permanent housing programs. In 2023, more than 670 affordable housing units were entitled across the City, some of which were reserved for veterans, older adults and those who were previously homeless. One of the primary focuses of the City was addressing the mental health challenges among the local unhoused population. To address those factors, the City says it utilized more mental health clinicians to offer services for the homeless, including providing mental health and substance abuse counseling in the streets where those affected are living. The City also expanded its mental health services to five days per week and added over-the-phone counseling during non-business hours. Its Interdepartmental Team and Community Crisis Response has also been focusing on the downtown area, where they say violence against or perpetrated by those experiencing homelessness is high. The road to becoming permanently housed can be a long one and every interaction between Homeless Services staff and people experiencing homelessness presents an opportunity to move that person toward housing stability, the City said in its news release. As the emergency declaration becomes a thing of the past, the City hopes to build on its modest success and get more people off the street and, eventually, into permanent housing. Several temporary housing projects are currently in the works in the City, including converting a former nuisance motel on Long Beach Boulevard into a 78-unit temporary housing facility as part of the states Project Homekey initiative. The City is also renovating a 4,500-square-foot building on Hayes Avenue, which will serve as its first permanent shelter for homeless youths. It will also provide some temporary beds and supportive services for young adults. The development of 33 new tiny homes to safely house those experiencing homelessness is also ongoing. And to those on the brink, a guaranteed income pilot program provided $500 per month for a year to 250 households. In January, that pilot program was expanded to 200 more low-income households with children, which the City says is a homeless prevention measure. Long Beach residents can also take part in the mission to help those most in need. In February of last year, the City began a program that allowed it to accept donations from the community to be given to those experiencing homelessness. Since then, more than 25,000 items have been distributed to individuals and local organizations that provide services and support. Those donation drop-off bins are scattered throughout the City, including at all open libraries during business hours. They can also be found at the Boys and Girls Club on Long Beach Boulevard and Scherer Park Community Center on Pasadena Avenue. Drive-thru donation events are also being hosted at times throughout the year. To read the Citys entire report on the 2024 Homeless Point in Time Count, click here. For more information about ongoing initiatives to combat the homelessness crisis in Long Beach, visit the citys dedicated webpage. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Longtime Columbus-based treasurer admits to stealing nearly $1M from campaign accounts Longtime campaign treasurer William Curlis pleaded guilty to a fraud charge related to stealing nearly $1 million from campaign accounts. He served as treasurer to local, state and federal candidates. A longtime treasurer to Republican candidates pleaded guilty in federal court to a fraud charge related to stealing nearly $1 million in campaign money. William Curlis, 76, admitted that he defrauded candidates of $995,231 in campaign cash from 2008 to June 2023. In his plea deal, Curlis said he wrote more than 175 checks to himself for personal use from candidate accounts and one PAC account. Curlis will pay $995,231 in restitution. Curlis served as treasurer to local, Ohio and federal campaigns, often as the only signatory on accounts and he frequently discouraged candidates from having access to bank statements without his oversight, prosecutors said. He worked for more than 100 candidates over the past four decades Last year, state Sen. Stephanie Kunze, R-Hilliard; former Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien and Franklin County Engineer Cornell Robertson filed complaints with the Ohio Elections Commission about Curlis. Laura Bischoff 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 The Columbus Dispatch: Campaign treasurer Bill Curlis pleads guilty in federal court Editors note: This story has been updated to remove an incomplete description of the suspect. DENVER (KDVR) Two Longmont police officers were placed on administrative leave Wednesday after at least one of them shot at a man reportedly armed with a knife. According to a press release from Longmont Public Safety, officers arrived at the 1300 block of Coffman Street at about 1:37 p.m. on a domestic violence call. Officers contacted the male suspect whom police said was uncooperative and armed with a large knife. Lakewood police shoot and kill suspect after armed carjacking Officers gave repeated commands to drop the knife, but the man did not comply, according to the release. Officers used less lethal options multiple times, the agency reported, which were ineffective. After that, the man allegedly ran toward an occupied residence while still armed. At that point, officers continued to give commands, ordering him to stop. He did not, and two officers attempted to use lethal force to stop the suspect from entering the property, and at least one officer discharged a firearm, the release said. Its unclear what the other attempt at lethal force could have been. After shots were fired, police said the suspect was still noncompliant. Additional officers reportedly then used less lethal tactics again until the suspect dropped the weapon and complied with orders. Longmont police reported that they rendered medical aid before medical personnel could arrive, and the man was transported to a local hospital. The man reportedly did not have serious injuries. No police officers were injured. Anyone who was a witness to the event and has not spoken with police yet is asked to contact Boulder Police Detective Tuck at 303-441-1974 and reference Longmont Police Report #24-4213. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Longtime Burbank kindergarten teacher was killed by her son, police say Karyn Lombardo, left, at Bret Harte Elementary School in Burbank in 2019. She was found dead in her home Tuesday night. (Tim Berger / Burbank Leader) A 25-year-old Burbank man has been charged with killing his mother, a longtime Burbank elementary school teacher, police said. Police officers and paramedics found Karyn Lombardo, 57, unconscious inside her home in the 800 block of North Avon Street about 10 p.m. Tuesday, the Burbank Police Department said in a statement. Lombardo, a teacher at Bret Harte Elementary School, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her son, Kyle Lombardo, was booked on suspicion of murder based on evidence at the home that he "caused her death during an altercation in the family home," where he also lived, according to police. They did not provide further details. Lombardo is being held at the Burbank jail in lieu of $2-million bond, according to Los Angeles County inmate records. On Thursday, L.A. County Dist. Atty. George Gascon announced that Lombardo had been charged with one count of murder. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in state prison, the district attorney's office said in a statement. Vince Lombardo, the teacher's husband, told KTLA-TV that their son suffered from mental illness and that police had been called to their home before. "She loved him more than anything and tried to help him," he said. "All of her students love her. Coming through the system here, there were students who became teachers because of her." Lombardo taught at the school for 30 years in a variety of roles, including teaching kindergarten, intervention and performing arts chorus, John Paramo, superintendent of the Burbank Unified School District, said in a statement. Read more: A young actress, an obsessed stalker and a Hollywood murder that changed America "Over the course of her highly accomplished career, Ms. Lombardo touched the lives of thousands of students, parents, and colleagues, who will be mourning this loss in the days to come," Paramo wrote. "Her dedication, warmth, and passion for teaching touched many students' and colleagues' lives." Paramo said Lombardo began her career with the district as a bilingual teacher at Joaquin Miller Elementary School in 1990. Three years later, she transferred to Harte. School psychologists and social service workers will be on site in coming days to support students and staff, Paramo said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles voters want more housing but worry it won't help them, poll finds A strong majority of Los Angeles voters support building more housing across the city but are skeptical that it will benefit them or ease cost pressures in their neighborhood, a new poll has found. The mix of messages offers both promise and pitfalls for policymakers hoping to better the citys long-standing housing challenges by promoting new growth and speedier construction of low-income development. More than anything, the findings show Angelenos hungry for solutions to a housing problem that is leading many to consider leaving the city, said Mark DiCamillo, poll director at UC Berkeleys Institute of Governmental Studies who reviewed the survey on the Times behalf. There is a mode of, Lets see what works and what doesnt, DiCamillo said of voters. Throw it all against the wall and see what sticks. By a 2-1 margin, voters backed substantially increasing home building in the city compared with those who opposed widespread construction because it would worsen population and traffic problems. The poll, known as the 2024 LABC Institute Housing Affordability Survey in Partnership with the Los Angeles Times, surveyed 600 registered voters in the city of Los Angeles between April 3 and 7. Support for rental housing in voters own neighborhoods rated higher than construction overall. At least 8 in 10 of those surveyed favored the building of income-restricted affordable housing generally and apartments for veterans, public service workers, low-income seniors and low-income families with children. Even building long-term housing with social services for homeless residents, which often attracts local opposition out of perceived safety concerns, garnered support from nearly two-thirds of voters. You cant be mad at people being homeless but then also not want them to have affordable homes, said Justice Allen, a 28-year-old renter living in the San Fernando Valley during a focus group conducted as part of the poll. Academic research provides significant evidence that new housing construction decreases rents or slows their growth in a region as a whole, though theres less consensus on the effects of home building in a particular neighborhood. Many in the LABC-Times survey expressed doubt that building would help their own situations. Some believed it would worsen housing problems. A plurality of voters, 49%, said that new housing in their neighborhood would drive up costs and push residents out compared to 40% who said the developments would make their community more affordable. Read more: Most young adults, renters considering leaving L.A. due to high housing costs, poll finds If they are building these high rises in the neighborhood, then other landlords that are already there are going to want to match the rents, said Erika Conner, a 37-year-old renter from South L.A. in the focus group. More than 4 in 10 renters believed that building apartments for people with low to moderate incomes in their neighborhood would have no effect on their housing costs, while 26% said it would increase their monthly payments and 22% said it would decrease them. Meantime, 56% of homeowners polled said new apartments for low- to moderate-income residents would reduce their property values. Homeowners in the focus group worried that bringing lower income residents into their neighborhoods would worsen a quality of life theyd worked hard to attain. My personal reason for moving to that neighborhood was to be in a really nice part of town where its quiet, low crime, said Ron Allen, a 46-year-old homeowner in Playa Vista. It very much feels like the suburbs. Man, I feel horrible saying it, but I dont want to change that. Im paying a crap ton of money for that environment. The poll did offer some consistency in views on growth. For voters who said that new housing would make their neighborhood more affordable, 82% said the city should build a lot more. Of those who believed new housing in their neighborhoods would drive up costs, half did not support a substantial increase in building. The finding shows that politicians will have to work to convince Angelenos that specific housing proposals will benefit them, DiCamillo said. You have to almost make the case to voters if youre trying to sell this that this is actually not going to result in higher priced housing in your area and that it wont force people out, he said. Opinions on potential solutions to L.A.s housing problems showed large divides between renters and young adults on one side and homeowners and senior citizens on the other. In multiple cases, renters and those under 35 were at least 15 percentage points and in some instances more than 30 percentage points more likely to support new construction in specific locations or targeted toward certain populations than homeowners and those over 65. Read more: California is building fewer homes. The state could get even more expensive More than 6 in 10 renters and more than two-thirds of those under 35 believed that the lack of affordable housing in the city was so serious that the state government should penalize local governments that block construction. Only 42% of homeowners and 39% of those over 65 agreed. The discrepancy reflects the differences in who is bearing the burden of the citys housing problems. A majority of Angelenos are renters, and the poll found renters and young people far more affected by high housing costs than homeowners and senior citizens. There are very few issues in American life and culture and politics where its not driven by race or income, even, said Fred Yang, the chief executive officer of Hart Research, the Washington, D.C.-based firm that administered the poll. For many results in this survey, Yang said, its, really, do you own a house or do you rent? The survey provided support for one of Mayor Karen Bass primary efforts to address the citys housing challenges, with the caveat that there was little awareness of her plan in focus groups until it was described. Within days of taking office in 2022, Bass issued Executive Directive 1, an emergency measure aimed at fast-tracking the permitting and approval of low-income developments. In her recent State of the City address , Bass touted that the measure had shaved nearly five months off permitting timelines for these projects and that 16,000 additional affordable housing units were in the citys pipeline as a result. Read more: Affordable housing at the expense of existing tenants? L.A. council seeks new protections Bass is now pushing for the policy to be made permanent . The poll found that nearly 7 in 10 voters supported doing so. Additionally, more than three-quarters of those surveyed favored expanding Executive Directive 1 to include housing affordable to middle-income residents, such as nurses, teachers and firefighters, who earn too much to qualify for apartments permitted under the current version. Voters in the focus groups weren't familiar with city efforts to address housing affordability in general, but once they heard details of Bass' plan, the response was strong, said Aileen Cardona-Arroyo, a senior vice president at Hart Research. At some level, people know that theres so much bureaucracy and red tape in L.A. and L.A. politics, Cardona-Arroyo said. The poll surveyed registered voters in Los Angeles over the phone and via text message to the web. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points for city voters overall and higher for subgroups. Hart Research conducted two focus groups, one of renters and one of homeowners, who both came from a mix of city neighborhoods on April 9. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A Michigan woman couldnt believe the huge lottery prize she won after playing a loved ones birthday numbers. Tamika Boyd, 38, decided to play the $2 Lucky for Life game, a game her mother usually plays, according to a May 9 news release from the Michigan lottery. My mom plays Lucky For Life, and I decided to add the Michigan Lottery app to my phone so I could play, too, Boyd told lottery officials. She then decided to play a loved ones birthday numbers, and it turned out in her favor. As we were picking our numbers, my mom said: My momma needs to send us a blessing. Thats when I added her birthday to my numbers. When I saw what I had won, I couldnt believe it, she said. Boyd won $25,000 a year for life, with the option of taking a one time lump sum payment of $390,000, which is what she chose, according to lottery officials. Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families. If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website. Trucker wins big lottery prize while running errands in Maryland. I couldnt breathe Powerball player lands $1 million prize in US. Where was the winning ticket sold? Lottery players favorite game was sold out, but his backup wins big. Wait a minute The Louisiana State Capitol (Wesley Muller/Louisiana Illuminator) Louisiana lawmakers have extra money to spend on teacher pay and other budget priorities after state revenue projections were adjusted upwards through June of next year. The states revenue estimating conference made up of lawmakers, a gubernatorial appointee and an economist adopted a financial forecast that increases the amount of money available to lawmakers for spending by $197 million in the current budget cycle and $88.6 million in the next. The additional funding is coming from higher interest earnings on state fund investments, as well as larger corporate and severance tax collections than expected. The revenue hike makes it less likely public schools teachers will see the pay cut included in the budget plan passed by the Louisiana House last month. An approximately 2,000-seat reduction in early childhood education slots could also be be reduced or restored, according to interviews with legislative leadership. Gov. Jeff Landrys administration would also like to put more money into child welfare programs, which are experiencing chronic staffing shortages, said Commissioner of Administration Taylor Barras, who acts as Landrys budget chief, in an interview Tuesday. All of those budget issues must be resolved within the $88 million newly available for the budget year that starts July 1. Legislators are not supposed to use the increase in money for this fiscal year the extra $197 million to cover those expenses. If lawmakers are budgeting prudently, the extra $197 million would mostly be reserved for covering one-time expenses, such as paying off the states outstanding debts, covering one-time maintenance costs or fixing roads and bridges. But there is a catch this year. Legislators would only be able to spend the entire $197 million in extra cash over the next year if they voted to lift a constitutionally-imposed spending cap. Thats unlikely to happen, said Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, in an interview Thursday. Busting through the expenditure cap is not an option, he said. Without that cap-busting vote, they will only be able to access $86 million of that extra cash until at least July of 2025, according to legislative staff. The governor and legislative leaders are also strongly considering diverting money that is supposed to go into a state savings account called the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund and using it to refurbish prison, jails and juvenile justice facilities. Some of the funding might also go to help a new state police troop in New Orleans get established. Landry and the lawmakers passed several new criminal justice laws in February that affect the states juvenile justice operations. One high-profile change mandates 17- year-olds must now be housed in adult jails and prisons instead of facilities for minors. The law change caused problems for local sheriffs. Federal regulations prohibit people under 18 from being housed alongside adults in correctional facilities. This means sheriffs have to find space in their jails for 17- year-olds that is separate from where adults are held. Some have complained they dont have the flexibility to do so. The lawmakers may use at least some of the money that would normally go into a state savings account to address those challenges for sheriffs. Public university maintenance projects and water system upgrades may also get some of the extra money that would normally go into this savings account, which currently stands at $2.3 billion. In order to tap into that money however, legislators will need to vote for a resolution sponsored by Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Carencro, by at least a two-thirds majority in the House and Senate to divert the funding. Lawmakers are also trying to be mindful of a budget deficit the state is facing after June of 2025, when a state sales tax cut goes into place. Landry and legislators could be short over a half of a billion dollars in revenue to meet state obligations at that time. The legislators are thinking about pulling back on a financial commitment to transportation construction projects. When fully funded, the transportation fund devotes $340 million to road and bridge construction that legislators might consider transferring to other needs, such as health care and higher education. For the first time, growing income tax collections could also trigger an automatic income tax rate reduction. Louisiana passed a series of laws over the last three years that put in place automatic tax rate cuts when state revenue reaches a certain threshold, but whether the trigger will be a factor wont be known for several more months. Louisiana is generating more money, in part because the states robust savings have allowed it to have a more aggressive investment strategy. With $2.3 billion sitting in the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund, the state doesnt have to be as conservative when it puts money into the market, said Benjamin Vincent, the Legislatures economist. The post Louisiana lawmakers have more money to spend with state revenue projections up appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. Israeli armored vehicles are deployed near Kibbutz Reim in southern Israel, on May 9, 2024. The Israeli army will continue its operation in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah "as planned," after the talks on the Israel-Hamas truce held in Egypt's Cairo collapsed on Thursday, an Israeli official told Xinhua. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) JERUSALEM, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army will continue its operation in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah "as planned," after the talks on the Israel-Hamas truce held in Egypt's Cairo collapsed on Thursday, an Israeli official told Xinhua. Meanwhile, a Xinhua correspondent covering the developments reported mass Israeli troops stationed on the border with Rafah. The unnamed Israeli official confirmed that the Israeli delegation has left Cairo after talks with Hamas, the United States, Egyptian, and Qatari negotiators on a deal to end the hostilities and secure the release of hostages in Gaza. The official did not elaborate on whether Israel will expand the offensive to more areas in Rafah at the southern end of Gaza, where about 1.2 million internally displaced Palestinians were taking refuge. According to Israel's state-owned Kan TV news, the talks were halted due to Israel's ongoing ground assault on Rafah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wartime cabinet was scheduled to meet later on Thursday to discuss the continuation of the Rafah operation. Commenting on U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to pause some shipments of weapons to Israel if it deepens its assault on Rafah city, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it has enough weapons to continue operations in Gaza. "The IDF has armaments for the operations it is planning, also for the operation in Rafah," IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a statement. "We have what we need," he stressed. "The U.S. has so far provided security assistance to Israel and the IDF in an unprecedented manner," Hagari added, noting that "even when there are disagreements between us -- we resolve them in closed rooms." Israeli armored vehicles are deployed near Kibbutz Reim in southern Israel, on May 9, 2024. The Israeli army will continue its operation in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah "as planned," after the talks on the Israel-Hamas truce held in Egypt's Cairo collapsed on Thursday, an Israeli official told Xinhua. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Israeli armored vehicles are deployed near Kibbutz Reim in southern Israel, on May 9, 2024. The Israeli army will continue its operation in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah "as planned," after the talks on the Israel-Hamas truce held in Egypt's Cairo collapsed on Thursday, an Israeli official told Xinhua. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Israeli armored vehicles are deployed near Kibbutz Reim in southern Israel, on May 9, 2024. The Israeli army will continue its operation in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah "as planned," after the talks on the Israel-Hamas truce held in Egypt's Cairo collapsed on Thursday, an Israeli official told Xinhua. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Israeli armored vehicles are deployed near Kibbutz Reim in southern Israel, on May 9, 2024. The Israeli army will continue its operation in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah "as planned," after the talks on the Israel-Hamas truce held in Egypt's Cairo collapsed on Thursday, an Israeli official told Xinhua. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Israeli armored vehicles are deployed near Kibbutz Reim in southern Israel, on May 9, 2024. The Israeli army will continue its operation in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah "as planned," after the talks on the Israel-Hamas truce held in Egypt's Cairo collapsed on Thursday, an Israeli official told Xinhua. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Israeli armored vehicles are deployed near Kibbutz Reim in southern Israel, on May 9, 2024. The Israeli army will continue its operation in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah "as planned," after the talks on the Israel-Hamas truce held in Egypt's Cairo collapsed on Thursday, an Israeli official told Xinhua. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Israeli armored vehicles are deployed near Kibbutz Reim in southern Israel, on May 9, 2024. The Israeli army will continue its operation in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah "as planned," after the talks on the Israel-Hamas truce held in Egypt's Cairo collapsed on Thursday, an Israeli official told Xinhua. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Israeli armored vehicles are deployed near Kibbutz Reim in southern Israel, on May 9, 2024. The Israeli army will continue its operation in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah "as planned," after the talks on the Israel-Hamas truce held in Egypt's Cairo collapsed on Thursday, an Israeli official told Xinhua. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Israeli armored vehicles are deployed near Kibbutz Reim in southern Israel, on May 9, 2024. The Israeli army will continue its operation in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah "as planned," after the talks on the Israel-Hamas truce held in Egypt's Cairo collapsed on Thursday, an Israeli official told Xinhua. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Louisiana woman accused of getting over $12K in fake tax return arrested in Texas BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) A St. Martinville woman accused of submitting a false income tax return has been arrested. The Louisiana Department of Revenue said, Ashley Renee Seaux submitted a false state individual income tax return along with a fake W-2 form and phony employment verification from a company that did not employ her. Her income tax refund was over $12,000. LDR said she was arrested in Galveston, Texas, on May 1 and taken back to Louisiana. She was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on Wednesday, May 8, and charged with filing false public records and felony theft, according to LDR. The department said, Seaux is the 74th person arrested under a joint anti-tax fraud initiative of the Louisiana Department of Revenue and the state Attorney Generals office. Man taken to hospital after early morning shooting in Baton Rouge Latest News For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to BRProud.com. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) They planned their getaway weeks in advance, shared messages professing their love and discussed marriage, even children, reports say. But there was one large obstacle keeping Colorado resident Joshua Michael Stehle and the object of his affection apart their ages. Stehle is 29. The Bakersfield girl whom hes accused of taking from her home? Shes 11. Court documents that became available Wednesday contain numerous messages between the two, as well as transcripts of phone calls between Stehle and his mother after his arrest. Stehle tells his mom the girl lied about her age. Im so heartbroken, mom, he says in one call according to the documents. In another he says he was trying to remove the girl from a bad situation at home. But other information contained in the reports indicates Stehle knew she was underage. Although heavily redacted its unclear at times who is writing there are messages saying even though youre 15 I would still marry you, and I dont care that youre 15 I love you. Arrested in March, Stehle is being held without bail on charges including kidnapping, engaging in sex acts with a minor and possession of child pornography. Images of the girl partly unclothed were found on his phone, the reports say. Hes due back in court next month. Early March 17, the girls family reported her missing. Deputies spoke with friends and learned about a much older man shed met online who planned to marry her. Investigators identified the man as Stehle and pinged his cellphone. They notified authorities in Utah upon learning the device was headed in that direction on Interstate 70. Stehles pickup was located near Salina, Utah, with him and the girl inside. He was taken into custody and later extradited to Kern County. Its believed he was taking the girl to Colorado. Stehle gave the girl a promise ring, she told investigators, and told her they were a couple now and going to get married. She said they engaged in sexual contact after pulling over somewhere in Utah. Ay Mi Pa! opens at Valley Plaza Mall A review of Stehles cellphone includes an email confirming his order for a fake identification card for a woman. The name on the card is redacted in the reports, but the date of birth is listed as May 27, 2005 identifying the bearer as 18. A love poem title My Love for (redacted) was written on his phone on Feb. 20, the reports say. It says, Baby, Id like you to keep this with you. No one has ever mattered to me the way you do. (Redacted) everything to me. (Redacted) anyone or anything else in this world and the next. (Redacted) you were made of stardust. Absolutely perfect, and every single day I feel more (redacted) you than I did the day. The reports say internet searches made on the phone in March include the following: how often are abducted children found; are there checkpoints between states; can a teenager marry an adult; and how to run away from home and not get caught. Messages sent between Stehle and the girl earlier in the year refer to sex and even getting pregnant. The reports say Stehle sent a message on Feb. 24 asking, How soon did you want to start trying to get pregnant when we are together. The girl responds, Maybe after a month. Or a few weeks. They frequently exchange messages saying how much they love each other. I love you my darling fiancee, Stehle says in one. I love you too my sexy handsome fiancee (sic) she responds. Following Stehles arrest and transport to Lerdo Jail, a deputy swabbed his mouth for a DNA sample. Stehle expressed remorse at that point, the reports say. I mean, if its any consolation, Im sorry about everything, Stehle said according to the documents. I just, you know, I feel bad about it, and I regret it. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17. Todays installment of campaign-related news items from across the country. * In Wisconsin, the latest Quinnipiac University poll found President Joe Biden leading Donald Trump by six points, 50% to 44%, though the incumbent Democrats advantage slips to just one point when third-party candidates are added to the mix. * The same Quinnipiac poll in Wisconsin found Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin with a double-digit lead over her Republican rival, Eric Hovde, 54% to 42%. * Speaking of the Badger State, former House Speaker Paul Ryan confirmed this week that he will not vote for Trump in the fall. Character is too important to me, and its a job that requires the kind of character he just doesnt have, the former congressman said. * Ohios Republican-led legislature was expected to tweak the states deadlines to ensure that Biden would appear on Ohios general election ballot. But what was supposed to be a relatively straightforward process has grown quite messy, and as NBC News reported, it now appears litigation will be needed to resolve the matter. * In Indianas 7th Congressional District, Jennifer Pace appears to be on track to win the Republican Partys nomination, which is problematic because Pace died in March. * Following some brutal media appearances, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem canceled some on-air interviews yesterday, blaming the weather. * And Politico reported this week, FreedomWorks, the once-swaggering conservative organization that helped turn tea party protesters into a national political force, is shutting down, according to its president. The libertarian-minded Obama-era organization focused on government spending and combatting big government, neither of which are especially important to the Trumpified GOP. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Todays edition of quick hits. * Bidens message to Israel: President Joe Biden said Wednesday the U.S. would not supply Israel with certain weapons and artillery shells if its military invades Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where more than 1 million people are sheltering. If the Israeli military launches a ground offensive in Rafah, the administration will not supply the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, Biden said in an interview on CNN. * In related news: Israel reacted with a mix of concern and fury Thursday to President Joe Bidens warning that he would cut off weapons to the U.S. allys military if it moves forward with a full-scale assault on Rafah, the city in southern Gaza where more than 1 million Palestinians are sheltering. * A curious strategy for the defense: Adult film star Stormy Daniels returned to the stand in Donald Trumps criminal trial Thursday, pushing back during cross-examination on his defense attorneys attempts to discredit her in sometimes bizarre and uncomfortable exchanges. * This seems like bad news for Cuellar: Two political strategists have agreed to plead guilty to conspiring with U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar to launder more than $200,000 in bribes. The Department of Justice struck plea deals earlier this year with Colin Strother, of Buda, and Florencio Lencho Rendon, of San Antonio, ensuring their cooperation in the investigation of Cuellar, a Laredo Democrat, according to court documents unsealed Wednesday and Thursday. * Speaking of alleged congressional corruption: A Washington grand jury has indicted former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., on charges he made false statements during a campaign finance probe, months after a federal appeals court threw out his 2022 conviction on similar charges in California. * A notable shift: Beijing and Washington have quietly resumed cooperation on the deportation of Chinese immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally, as the two countries are reestablishing and widening contacts following their leaders meeting in California late last year. * A story weve been keeping an eye on: Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced a new round of criminal charges Wednesday against lawyer Stefanie Lambert, alleging Lambert, whos worked to advance dubious election fraud claims nationally, and former Adams Township Clerk Stephanie Scott allowed someone to access non-public voter information. * Noted without comment, from The New York Times' coverage of today's Trump trial: "Joshua Steinglass, the prosecutor, says that the details of Stormy Danielss story before and during the sexual act corroborate her account, and show the fact that sex happened, which increases the motivation to silence her. Trump is dozing on and off during all of this." See you tomorrow. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com (Bloomberg) -- In mid-April, executives from foreign business chambers descended upon the home of an Indonesian minister to call for the removal of a new imports rule, a sign of the private sectors increasing consternation over the governments trade policy. Most Read from Bloomberg Representatives from seven business councils warned Coordinating Investment and Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Panjaitan that Indonesia could damage its economic credibility with the recently implemented rule that effectively restricts imports of about 4,000 products, according to people familiar with the discussions. They found a sympathetic ear in Panjaitan, an influential member of the government known for his economic pragmatism. The minister rang another cabinet colleague during the one-hour meeting to berate him and question the rationale of such a policy, laying open the differing positions within President Joko Widodos team on openness of trade. The episode reveals how the contentious rule is testing the extent to which Indonesia is willing to hold on to its protectionist stance, as Jokowi as the president is known prepares to hand over power to President-elect Prabowo Subianto in late October. The tough trade bans have become a hallmark of the current administration, enabling Jokowi to bring in nickel refining facilities and deter companies from stockpiling palm oil. But it is also leading to snarls in local manufacturing industries. Indonesia needs to fundamentally rethink the coherence of its trade policy within the context of its broader ambitions, said Rahma Alifa, an analyst at BowerGroupAsia Indonesia. Striking a balance between ensuring export-import flexibility and fostering innovation is critical. Panjaitans office didnt immediately respond to a Bloomberg News request for comment. The rule imposed in March was intended to spur more domestic production by making it harder for companies to import goods including laptops and raw materials like hazardous chemicals. The move has instead ignited furor among both local and foreign business communities, especially as it covers about 70% of goods traded domestically, Indonesian business chambers have said. Global Supply Local LG Electronics factories are struggling to get components needed to make washing machines and televisions that would be exported to South Korea, Luhut was told at the meeting, according to the people, who asked not to be named discussing private matters. LG Electronics didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. The rule isnt helping Indonesias efforts to play a bigger role in the global supply chain, a representative of the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry told Panjaitan, the people said. At the meeting, Panjaitan assured the business leaders that he will work to revert the new regulation to the old system. A few weeks later, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto told some of the business chambers leaders that the rule could be reversed by the year-end or early next year effectively passing the burden to Prabowos incoming government. Indonesia wants to adjust its policies so that the global economy and supply chain finally play the tune that Indonesia is also composing, said Achmad Sukarsono, a Singapore-based associate director at Control Risks, with a focus on Indonesia. The rule isnt meant to burden companies, but to reduce rising imports to facilitate the development of domestic industries, the trade ministry said in response to questions. The Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Hartarto have yet to answer separate requests for comment. Manufacturing Slump Jokowi is shunning what he sees as an overly open economic model that he has blamed for undercutting Latin Americas growth prospects. Instead, he seeks to push Indonesia up the global value chain by courting investments while forcing companies to set up onshore if they want to tap the countrys natural resources or market goods to its 280 million people. Prabowo has signaled he will maintain that stance. The president-elect has already said that all mobile phones sold in the country should be made locally. Its a risky move that could hurt the country more than benefit it. The World Bank has cautioned that Jokowis protectionist stance has left the country marginalized by global supply chains and are hampering its manufacturing sector. Manufacturing as a proportion of Indonesias GDP slipped to 18.7% last year, from 21.1% in 2014 when Jokowi took office. Jokowi and later Prabowo also understand that they have the upper-hand in deciding trade rules in Indonesia as the country is the bright spot of investment in this otherwise challenging world that is growing slower than Indonesia, Sukarsono said. Still, if all investors are discouraged and ready to abandon Indonesia, officials will get the message and change the rules. --With assistance from Eko Listiyorini. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Madison County Schools bus involved in wreck, no injuries reported on bus MADISON COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) Madison County School System officials say a school bus was involved in a wreck on Wednesday afternoon, but no injuries were reported on the bus. A spokesperson for MCSS told News 19 that the wreck involving a Sparkman Middle bus happened at Charity Lane and Carter Grove Road. MCSS said it is unclear how many people were on board at the time of the wreck, but no injuries were reported within the bus. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is investigating the incident, the school system spokesperson added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, accompanied by Aniko Levai, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's wife, visits the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school in Budapest, Hungary, May 9, 2024. Upon arrival, Peng was warmly greeted by Levai and the school principal. The students held the national flags of China and Hungary along the road to welcome her. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) BUDAPEST, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, accompanied by Aniko Levai, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's wife, visited the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school in Budapest on Thursday afternoon. Upon arrival, Peng was warmly greeted by Levai and the school principal. The students held the national flags of China and Hungary along the road to welcome her. With great interest, Peng and Levai watched classes on Chinese language and traditional Chinese culture such as paper cutting and calligraphy, and had cordial exchanges with the students. Peng said that the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school is a symbol of the friendship between China and Hungary, and that she is glad to see that the students speak Chinese very well. She expressed hope that the students will work hard to learn the Chinese language and Chinese culture, have the opportunity to visit or study in China, and actively contribute to the inheritance and promotion of the China-Hungary friendship. Peng and Levai watched a video of the school's 20-year development history and the students' talent shows such as dance, poetry recitation and chorus, and took photos with the students. Before leaving, Peng presented a batch of books on Chinese culture to the school. Established in 2004, the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school is a 12-year all-through public school that teaches in both Chinese and Hungarian. Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, accompanied by Aniko Levai, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's wife, visits the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school in Budapest, Hungary, May 9, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Aniko Levai, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's wife, have cordial exchanges with the students at the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school in Budapest, Hungary, May 9, 2024. Peng, accompanied by Levai, visited the school on Thursday afternoon. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Aniko Levai, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's wife, pose for photos with the students at the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school in Budapest, Hungary, May 9, 2024. Peng, accompanied by Levai, visited the school on Thursday afternoon. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) NASHUA Maggie Goodlander, a former senior White House aide in President Joe Bidens administration, announced her candidacy for New Hampshires 2nd Congressional District on Thursday. Ive served in all three branches of government and I know how to deliver for New Hampshire, Goodlander said in a post on X. I'll be a workhorse for the people of the Second District and will never stop fighting for a freer and more just Granite State. Maggie Goodlander The race broke wide open in late March when current Rep. Annie Kuster, D-New Hampshire, announced she will not seek reelection. With Goodlanders bid, there are now three Democrats in the race, including former Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern and current state Sen. Becky Whitley, D-Hopkinton. Goodlander's entrance is a notable development as her national political ties could shake up the current status of a race where Van Ostern is seemingly Kuster's hand-picked successor. Who is Maggie Goodlander? Most recently a senior adviser in the White House, Goodlander also served as a deputy assistant attorney general in the US Department of Justice, was a law clerk to Justice Stephen Breyer and then Chief Judge Merrick Garland, and worked as an advisor to U.S. senators John McCain and Joseph Lieberman. She is the wife of Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser. She is a graduate of Yale University and Yale Law School, and was an adjunct professor at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. In her announcement video, Goodlander said she wants to fight for reproductive health freedoms, telling her story of losing a baby in 2023. She also said she will always stand up to bullies. The bullies have too much power in America right now. Right wing judges, extreme politicians, big corporations, all have too much power, said Goodlander. Im ready to take these bullies on. Wind power: Are NH and Maine poised to become the 'Saudi Arabia of wind energy'? Advocates say yes. Goodlander was born and raised in Nashua and has deep family ties to the state. Her grandfather Samuel Tamposi was a real estate mogul in Nashua and prominent GOP activist, and her mother, Betty Tamposi, served in the New Hampshire House and unsuccessfully ran for Congress as a Republican in 1988. Goodlander and her husband Sullivan bought a house in 2018 in Portsmouth, which is in New Hampshires first congressional district, according to the Concord Monitor. The Constitution does not mandate that a candidate live in the specific congressional district they are running in, just the state, but she recently started renting a home in Nashua, located in the second district, according to the Monitor. Sullivan, Goodlander's husband, was also a top aide to Hillary Clinton ahead of the 2016 election. In 2015, former President Bill and Hillary Clinton, current U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Breyer all attended the couple's wedding. Who are the other Democratic candidates for U.S. House in NH's 2nd District? Van Ostern, former New Hampshire Executive Council member and 2016 Democratic gubernatorial nominee, jumped into the race one day after Kuster announced she would not be seeking reelection. Van Ostern previously served as Kusters campaign manager, and she endorsed him soon after his announcement. He has garnered over 300 public supporters, according to his campaign, including former Gov. John Lynch. State Sen. Becky Whitley announced her candidacy in April following a brief exploratory period. She is a progressive Democrat representing the Concord area who has pushed for reproductive freedom in the state. Who are the Republican candidates for NH-02? Eight Republicans have announced their own candidacies for Congress, including Vikram Mansharamani and Lily Tang Williams. Williams, from Weare, also ran for the seat in 2022, finishing third in the GOP primary. Mansharamani is a businessman from Lincoln who ran for U.S. Senate in 2022. He finished fourth in the GOP primary then. Candidates can officially file for candidacy June 5-14. The primaries will be held Sept. 10, and the general election will be held along with the presidential election on Nov. 5. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Maggie Goodlander leaves White House to run for Congress in NH Major General Patrick MacLellan, who has died aged 98, had a distinguished career in the Army and enjoyed a retirement of notable public and charitable service; inevitably, however, his record was overshadowed by the events of January 30 1972 in Londonderry, known as Bloody Sunday, in which 13 people were shot dead and at least as many were injured. The introduction in 1971 of internment without trial for men suspected of being members of the IRA led to rising sectarian violence in Northern Ireland. Barricades were erected, petrol bombs were thrown, gunmen were using rioters as cover and, a few days before Bloody Sunday, the IRA had murdered an RUC sergeant and a constable. But the Army policy of containing violence in no-go areas and carrying out limited arrest operations was proving ineffective, and as the day approached for the January 30 civil rights march through the Bogside, political pressure was mounting for tougher action. MacLellan, then a brigadier, commanded 8th Infantry Brigade, which was to be deployed along the defined route of the march, tasked with preventing rioters breaking through the cordon into the city centre and the predominantly Protestant district. Major General Robert Ford, operational commander of land forces (CLF) in Northern Ireland, ordered an additional unit, 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment, to be sent to Londonderry to deal with any rioting that might take place after the march. Unusually, Ford was on the ground, in the city, that day. Brigadier (later General Sir) Frank Kitson, who had wide experience in counter-insurgency and uncompromising views of tactics to be employed, agreed to 1 Paras deployment, but there were reservations among other units in the Army. There were worries that 1 Para, commanded by Lt-Col Derek Wilford, might not have enough time to familiarise itself with the district and that, if the unit lived up to its reputation for toughness, an already volatile situation might become a dangerous one. The decision on whether to order an arrest operation and the form that it might take rested with MacLellan. At 3.55pm that Sunday afternoon Wilford, who was at his position near a church, radioed MacLellan in the operations room at Ebrington Barracks and asked for permission to send men over the barrier on an arrest operation. At 4.07pm, MacLellan radioed back with the go-ahead. He was satisfied from reports that there was adequate separation between peaceful marchers and rioters, but he was adamant that the two should not get mixed up and insisted that Wilfords men should not chase people down the streets. The Saville Inquiry, set up after the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, found that Wilford did not inform MacLellan that the situation had changed. The rioting had died down, people were moving away from the area and he had decided that the only prospect of making significant arrests was to send an additional company in vehicles into the Bogside. The inquiry further found that the limited arrest operation which MacLellan had authorised did not involve soldiers going into the Bogside, and he had no reason to believe that it ran the risk of causing death or injuries from unjustifiable firing by soldiers. Some of the events that followed are disputed, but there is no doubt that 1 Paras Support Company, with its snatch squads, was sent into a dangerous, unfamiliar area where they were on their guard against lethal attacks from republican paramilitaries. As the Saville Inquiry pointed out, people were pursued down the streets and, in the noise and confusion, there was virtually no means of identifying those who had been rioting from the innocent people who had simply been taking part in the civil rights march. The outcry over the civilian casualties led to the first inquiry, presided over by Lord Justice Widgery in 1972. MacLellan became a target for the IRA and had armed bodyguards for the rest of his military service. Andrew Patrick Withy MacLellan was born in Dunbartonshire on November 29 1925 and educated at Uppingham. Always known as Pat, he was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards in 1944 and posted to the 3rd Battalion, where he formed and trained a sniper platoon in preparation for the Guards Brigade taking part in the invasion of Japan. After the Japanese capitulated, he accompanied 1st Guards Brigade to Palestine, where it became involved in internal security duties. During the Palestine campaign, he was posted to the School of Infantry to instruct in counter-insurgency tactics. After a spell in Egypt as adjutant, he commanded a company of the 1st Battalion in BAOR. He spent two years in Germany as Deputy Assistant Adjutant and Quarter Master General of 4th Guards Brigade Group, and from 1961 to 1964 he was Military Assistant to the Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral of the Fleet Earl Mountbatten of Burma. He was appointed MBE (Military) at the end of this exacting appointment. MacLellan was the Army member of the Defence Planning Staff at HQ Far East Command during the Borneo Campaign. In 1968 he assumed command of the 1st Battalion. Its main role was Arctic warfare and training took place in Norway and Turkey. On relinquishing command, he moved to Cyprus as Colonel GS (Chief of Staff) at HQ Near East Land Forces and as a member of the Joint Intelligence Committee. Six months after Bloody Sunday, on July 31 1972, Operation Motorman, the largest British military operation since the Suez crisis, was launched, with the objective of clearing the IRA barricades and no-go areas. MacLellan organised the operation in Londonderry with complete success. In 1974 he became Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander of London District. His final appointment was as President of the Regular Commissions Board. He left the Army in 1980 and in 1984 was appointed Resident Governor and Keeper of the Jewel House at the Tower of London. In 1989 he was elected member for the Walbrook Ward in the Court of Common Council, the governing body for Londons Square Mile, and he was chairman of the Police Committee (the Police Authority for the City of London) from 1995 to 1997. From 1979 to 2005 he was a member and, subsequently, chairman, of the Advisory Council of The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royals Volunteer Corps) and was credited with restoring its fortunes. He was also a member of the executive committee of the Royal Humane Society from 1990. He was appointed CB in 1981 and CVO in 1989. Pat MacLellan married, in 1954, Mary Bagnell, who survives him with their son and twin daughters. Major General Pat MacLellan, born November 29 1925, died April 19 2024 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. By Trevor Hunnicutt and Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden believes that a major Rafah operation by Israel will not advance the country's objective of defeating the Hamas Palestinian militant group in Gaza, the White House said on Thursday. "Smashing into Rafah, in his view, will not advance that objective," spokesman John Kirby said in a briefing with reporters. Kirby said Hamas had been pressured significantly by Israel and that there were better ways now to go after what remains of the group's leadership than an operation with significant risk to civilians. "The argument that somehow we're walking away from Israel, or we're not willing to help them defeat Hamas just doesn't comport with the facts." The current round of negotiations in Cairo over a possible hostage-release deal have ended without apparent resolution of differences, a senior Israeli official said on Thursday. Israel will proceed with its operation in Rafah as planned, the official added. "We still believe that there's a path forward, but it's gonna take some leadership on both sides," said Kirby. "And it's going to take a little bit of moral courage on both sides to finally be able to come across that table and ink this deal." Kirby said U.S.-Israel consultations were ongoing about alternatives to a major ground operation in Rafah. "That's a choice that Israel will have to make," he said of the offensive in densely packed Rafah. "And it's one we hope they don't." (Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by David Gregorio) icon Semafor Signals Supported by Microsoft logo Insights from New York Academy of Sciences, Food Navigator, and The Conversation Arrow Down Title icon The News The Malaysian government will entice countries to keep importing palm oil by giving them critically-endangered orangutans. Cultivating the ubiquitous ingredient, found in everything from chocolate to shampoo, has led to the widespread deforestation and destruction of the great apes habitat, exacerbating the threats to their survival as a species. Modeled on Chinas panda diplomacy program where China gifts pandas to countries as a sweetener for doing business with Beijing Malaysias plan is designed to safeguard the palm oil trade, as more western governments move to ban the product because of its ecological impact, and specifically, its impact on orangutans. This will be a manifestation of how Malaysia preserves wildlife and ensures sustainability of our forests, especially within the palm oil plantation landscape, said Johari Abdul Ghani, Malaysias plantations and commodities minister. The decision is not without controversy: Conservationist groups blasted the program as accelerating deforestation rather than helping the apes. The issue also highlights the growing ethical controversy around keeping great apes in captivity. icon SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Conditions for orangutans in captivity are improving, but ethical concerns remain Source icon Sources: New York Academy of Sciences, University of Oxford Orangutans in captivity used die younger than those in the wild, but as zoos and research centers have improved their habitats and deforestation has limited orangutans natural habitat orangutans survivorship [in captivity] is not significantly different from the wild anymore, according to researcher. But conservationists still face ethical dilemmas: Many projects lack money and resources, and some of the most well-funded are backed by the palm oil companies which facilitate deforestation, according to one University of Oxford researcher. And while captivity programs increasingly prioritize rehabilitation and release, theres growing concern that releasing orangutans back into the wild could endanger them further. Palm oil fuels debate about imperialism and protectionism Source icon Sources: Food Navigator, Reuters, The New York Times A EU law that goes into effect later this year bans the sale of products linked to deforestation. But leaders in Southeast Asia have criticized the legislation as regulatory imperialism, since many past colonial powers are responsible for setting up the first plantations. The rules, they argue, would only serve to impede economic development. The palm oil industry generates more than $39 billion a year in global GDP and employs some 3 million people worldwide, 1 million of whom are in Malaysia, according to the Malaysian Palm Oil Council. Malaysias environment minister has acknowledged deforestation is a concern, but ultimately argued the ban is a form of protectionism, since it will benefit EU farmers cultivating competing oilseed crops, like rapeseed and soybeans. Meanwhile, China has restarted panda diplomacy with US Source icon Sources: Semafor, The Conversation After giant pandas living in the US were returned to China last year after their leases expired, it underscored perhaps the lowest point in US-China relations in modern history, as Semafor reported. But relations have warmed somewhat in the last few months and Beijing recently announced it would loan a pair of pandas to the San Diego Zoo. This isnt just an agreement among friends: it suggests a bid by China to help repair its struggling economy, economist Chee Meng Tan wrote in The Conversation. Chinas economy has drooped as foreign investment has fled the country, and sending pandas specifically to California could help woo back big foreign business particularly from Silicon Valley, he wrote. Semafor Logo A man arrested in connection with the deaths of two Australian surfers and their American friend in Mexico allegedly admitted carrying out the killings to his girlfriend. The suspect, identified only by his first names of Jesus Gerardo, per Mexican law, reportedly told the woman that he had F***** up three gringos, prosecutors allege. The bodies of brothers Callum and Jake Robinson were found in a remote well, after being killed by car thieves during a surfing and camping trip in Baja California, across the border from San Diego. The brothers, 33 and 30 respectively, were found dead alongside their friend, US citizen Jack Carter Rhoad. Prosecutors had identified three people as potential suspects in the killings, two of whom were caught with methamphetamines. One of them, a woman, had one of the victims cellphones when she was caught. The bodies of brothers Callum (left) and Jake Robinson were found in a well after reportedly being killed by car thieves during a surfing and camping trip in Baja California, across the border from San Diego last month (9News/Instagram) Prosecutors said the two were being held pending drug charges but continue to be suspects in the killings. They have been identified as 23-year-old Ari Gisell and Cristian Alejandro Garcia. Jesus was the third man arrested and currently faces charges of a crime equivalent to kidnapping, though that was before the bodies were found. It is expected that the charges will soon be upgraded to murder. Prosecutors said he has a criminal record that included drug dealing, vehicle theft and domestic violence. He is yet to enter a plea on charges relating to the three mens disappearance. According to Australian news network ABC, Jesus, also known as "El Kekas", appeared before a court in the Mexican city of Ensenada on Wednesday. He wore an orange jumpsuit and white sneakers with his hands and feet handcuffed and chained to the floor, the outlet reported. The judge read out the states case, in which Jesuss then-girlfriend, Ari, has turned prosecution witness. The prosecution alleges that Ari Gisell, whose last name had also been suppressed, told authorities her then-partner had admitted to killing the three men. The court heard she told investigators her former partner had arrived at her house on Sunday and told her "I f****ed up three gringos". She said, "What do you mean?" to which he replied, "I killed them". US man Jack Carter Rhoads, a friend of the brothers, was also found dead along with them in Baja California (Supplied) Prosecutors alleged he then gave her a mobile phone and said "Look what I got you", before taking her outside to show her the new tyres on her car. They had been allegedly stolen from the trios vehicle. Mexican authorities previously said they believed the three men had been targeted for the tyres, along with cash and electronic valuables. Chief state prosecutor Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez said on Sunday that she believed the killers drove by and saw the surfers pickup truck and tents, and wanted to steal the tyres. But when (the foreigners) came up and caught them, surely, they resisted, she added. Following the killings the alleged thieves went to what she called a site that is extremely hard to get to and dumped the bodies into a well, they were familiar with and covered the hole with boards. It was literally almost impossible to find it, Ms Andrade Ramirez said. She added that it took two hours to winch the bodies out of the well. A fourth body was found with the young men. It is believed to be the remains of a rancher who owned the property and went missing two weeks earlier. His death is not believed to be linked to the case, authorities said. Debra Robinson paid tribute to her sons in an emotional speech in San Diego on Tuesday (AP) Ms Andrade Ramirez said investigators were not ruling out the possibility that the same suspects dumped the fourth body in the well as part of a previous crime. On Tuesday Debra Robinson, the mother of Callum and Jake, delivered a moving tribute to her sons at a beach in San Diego. Our hearts are broken and the world has become a darker place for us, Ms Robinson said, fighting back tears. They were young men enjoying their passion of surfing together. She noted that her son Callum considered the United States his second home, and that Jake loved surfing so much that, as a doctor, he liked to work in hospitals near the beach. Jakes passion was surfing, and it was no coincidence that many of his hospitals that he worked in were close to surfing beaches, she said. Choking back tears, Ms Robinson conveyed a final message that coincided with her sons adventurous lifestyles. Live bigger, shine brighter, and love harder in their memory, she said. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A man was arrested after he allegedly robbed a PNC Bank in Largo less than two weeks after he tried to rob a Fifth Third Bank in the same area, according to the Largo Police Department. Calvin Lockett, 53, tried to rob a Fifth Third Bank on Ulmerton Road on April 22, according to police. On May 3, hes accused of passing a note to a teller demanding money at a PNC Bank, about a half mile down the road. Police said Lockett got away from the PNC Bank with an undisclosed amount of money and was seen leaving the area on a bicycle. Surveillance video also showed a pickup truck with a trailer that eventually picked up Lockett and drove away. The driver of the truck was identified as Brian Brown, 43, according to police. Browns home was searched on Sunday and police found evidence linking him to the robbery and numerous guns. Brown was arrested and charged with felon in possession of a firearm and principle to bank robbery, police said. Lockett turned himself in to police on Thursday. Hes charged with robbery and attempted robbery. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. MEMPHIS, Tenn. The Memphis Police Department is searching for the man they say is responsible for shooting at a South Memphis gas station employee on Wednesday morning. According to reports, officers responded to the shooting at the Exxon located at 2231 South Third Street just after 7:30 a.m. Police say a man walked into the business and began arguing with an employee. He left the store and met a woman beside a white Nissan. The woman allegedly handed the man an object, and the man went back inside the store and fired multiple shots at the employee. Woman allegedly kills man for $60 in Cherokee Park robbery, buys wing combo The man ran from the store and got into the white Nissan sedan. He and the woman fled the scene, going south on Third Street. Photo courtesy of the Memphis Police Department Photo courtesy of the Memphis Police Department Police say the employee was not injured in the shooting, but the business was damaged. Reports say officers were advised that the same man came to the store on May 2 around 7:45 a.m. and pointed a gun at the same employee over a disagreement about the price of merchandise. At the time of the incident, he wore a ballcap, a white tank top, and shorts. If you have any information regarding this incident, call Memphis CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Man arrested in attempted murder that police say was payback for brothers death Man arrested in attempted murder that police say was payback for brothers death For a related report on this story view the video player above. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A man police believe was twice trying to pay retribution for the death of his brother has been arrested for attempted murder. According to court documents, Columbus police arrested 21-year-old Dillan Bush after an investigation revealed his alleged involvement in the shooting of a man in the 5700 block of Morningstar Drive in the Westland area. Two facing murder charges after fatal shooting near fairgrounds Police said that on Aug. 10, 2023, a man was getting out of his car on Morningstar Drive when an unknown vehicle approached him and a person in the car fired several gunshots at the residence. The victims home and car were struck several times, though the man himself was uninjured. Three weeks later, on Sept. 2, officers responded to the same area, just two doors from the original incident, and found a 44-year-old man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the torso. Several other gunshot holes were found scattered throughout the front of the home, where an unknown individual firing shots drove past. This embedded content is not available in your region. Detectives later learned that the home was shot at twice previously since April 2023 and that Bush had allegedly made threats to kill a man for the accidental shooting of his brother, David Lee Bush. David Bush was found dead after a shooting on Columbian Avenue in the Hilltop in March 2019. The investigation led police to Dillan Bushs phone, where it was reportedly discovered it was used to convince the unknown individual to shoot at the residence to kill the man responsible for Davids death. Phone records also indicated that Dillan Bush, who was already in jail for a separate incident, was involved in the August 2023 shooting. Nine tornadoes confirmed in 4 Ohio counties during Tuesday storms Dillan Bush was also serving a three-year community control sentence after pleading guilty to having weapons under disability and firearm specifications related to the possession of drugs. Additionally, he is facing eight counts of having weapons under disability from multiple incidents in the summer of 2023 and another drug and weapons charge from Sept. 2023. On Wednesday, a Franklin County Municipal Court judge issued Dillan Bush a $1 million bond on charges of attempted felony, attempted murder, improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation or a school-occupied structure. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. AUSTIN (KXAN) Police with the University of Texas at Austin arrested Michael David Maule, 26, after they said he carried a gun on UTs campus during a protest on April 29, according to an arrest affidavit. According to court documents, the Austin Police Department received a report of two protesters armed with guns. DPS sent 115 personnel on first day of protests at UT Austin Police received descriptions of the individuals and approached them separately near the Main Building at UT. Court documents state officers found Maule with a gun on his waistband with one bullet in the chamber, and two loaded magazines in his pocket, as well as a pocket knife. Attorney information for Maule was not immediately made available. KXAN will update this story when that changes and we can reach out to his lawyers. Maule was detained and searched while being arrested for Criminal Trespass, according to the affidavit. Police found he did not have a license to carry, which is required to possess a firearm on the premises of a post-secondary educational institution, court documents read. Other protest arrests Since the first demonstration on April 24, the UT campus has been the site of several other protests. Over 100 people have been arrested in connection with events on campus. Attorneys with the Austin Lawyers Guild said theyre representing all arrested protesters, including students and non-students. We are planning on asserting speedy trial rights so that we get to a trial in the summer and get these cases set for a jury, said George Lobb, one of the attorneys representing protesters. UT Board of Regents respond to DPS presence at campus protests On the first day of the protests, DPS sent a total of 115 staffers to UT. Fifty-seven people were arrested that day. The University requested the law enforcement presence as it learned of the nature of the protests, UT previously told KXAN. This week, UTs Board of Regents responded to that decision. Many have questioned the use of law enforcement from outside agencies. To be clear, no president in the UT system made those decisions on their own. The chancellor and I and this board are always involved in those decisions. They were the right decision, and we will do it again, if needed, said Kevin Eltife, chairman of the UT Board of Regents. UT said it has extensive safety and security protocols in place for all large-scale events, including our main graduation ceremony inside Royal-Memorial Stadium, and did not mention any planned disruptions when we asked about graduation weekend. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. MANILA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The El Nino dry spell and drought damage to Philippine agriculture has reached 5.9 billion pesos (103 million U.S. dollars), Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos said Thursday. Marcos added that at least 3.6 million Filipinos across the country have been affected by the El Nino phenomenon. While the Philippines copes with the sweltering weather, the Southeast Asian country also braces for La Nina's arrival. "We are in the midst of extreme weather; extreme heat now and heavy rain in the coming months," Marcos said during his visit to Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines. Marcos flew to the region to distribute aid to the farmers and fisherfolks who have been severely affected by El Nino. El Nino occurs when seawater is warmer than usual, while La Nina is a large-scale cooling of sea surface temperatures in the central and equatorial Pacific Ocean. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) A man who was driving with a revoked license when he struck and killed a motorcyclist has been charged, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police announced. Officers responded to calls regarding the serious accident around 11:53 a.m. Wednesday, May 8, in the 3500 block of Brookshire Boulevard in northwest Charlotte. Kendrick Andre Neely, 50, was found in the road with serious injuries and was rushed to Atrium Health Main where he was later pronounced deceased. Good Samaritan tried to help woman, kids involved in crash before shots fired in Gastonia Walmart parking lot CMPD said Neely was riding on his motorcycle and traveling northbound on Brookshire Blvd. when a Cadillac, driven by Rico Conception Aery, 41, turned into Neelys path, knocking him off the bike. Aery has been charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle. Aery has also been issued citations for driving while license revoked and failure to yield right-of-way. The investigation into this crash is active and ongoing. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. DENVER (KDVR) A 31-year-old man has been charged with murder for his alleged role in a stabbing on May 5. On Thursday, the 17th Judicial District Attorneys Office filed a first-degree murder charge (domestic violence) against Jorge Luis Fernandez-Garcia. On May 5, Aurora police responded to a home in the 2200 block of Geneva Street on reports of a woman calling for help. 1 killed in crash that closed I-70 in Aurora Officers found a woman on the ground and a man standing over her. The man fled the scene but was later located and identified as Fernandez-Garcia. The woman was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead from stabbing wounds. At the time, Aurora police could not confirm if the death was related to domestic violence, but the DA filed a first-degree murder charge in the case of domestic violence. The DA has not announced the next court date for Fernandez-Garcia. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. A man convicted of manslaughter has been participating in an anti-Israel encampment in the middle of Syracuse Universitys campus for more than a week, Jewish Insider has learned. Eural Warren Jr. was convicted of manslaughter in the first degree in 1996 when he beat a victims head with a firearm, causing multiple skull fractures, according to the New York State Department of Correctional Services website. (He was also charged with criminal possession of a firearm.) The victim was punched and knocked down by a second person, and died due to his injuries. Warren appealed the conviction in 1997, but was denied. According to court documents from his appeal, Medical testimony established that the victim died from the cumulative effect of several skull fractures, only one of which was caused by the second assailant. [D]efendants conduct was an actual cause of death, in the sense that it forged a link in the chain of causes which actually brought about the death. Warren was released from prison in 2013 after serving 17 years, records show. His LinkedIn shows him as the CEO/Executive Director/Founder of No Space For Hate since April 2023. The 49-year-old is unaffiliated with the upstate New York university, but several photos obtained by Jewish Insider show him protesting and sleeping alongside students since the Gaza solidarity encampment overtook Syracuses campus on April 29. (On Tuesday, the encampment was directed by the administration to relocate off of the central quad to make room for graduation ceremonies; it was not shut down). Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick confirmed to JI that Warren is the person photographed at the encampment. I can confirm it is absolutely the same person. I have looked up his mugshot just to be sure, Fitzpatrick said. Of the encampment, Fitzpatrick added, Syracuse administration has decided to handle it internally my position is that [all of the protesters] are breaking the law [and] should be removed and arrested. A spokesperson for Syracuse University did not respond to multiple inquiries from JI asking whether the school is aware of Warren. Warrens troubling history came to light after a vocally pro-Israel female student alleged that, on several occasions, he photographed her and a friend passing by the encampment. We were creeped out, the student, who requested to remain anonymous to speak about a sensitive topic, told JI. It wasnt hard to find his name because he follows Syracuses Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace Instagram pages. Then we did a quick Google search and found out hes a criminal, she said. The student, who is active in the schools pro-Israel group, said that last Sunday she reported Warren to the Syracuse Department of Public Safety, which encouraged her to fill out a bias report. She submitted the report on Tuesday, rather than going to the police. Also on Tuesday, Warren was photographed at the encampment, dressed in Syracuse gear to blend in with student protesters. By Thursday, the student hadnt heard a response from the school. Its difficult, [especially] when the encampments were in the middle of campus because you couldnt avoid it, she said, noting that intimidating slogans have been tossed around by the protesters, including calling for the intifada and from the river to the sea Palestine will be free. View comments A Woodland Hills man was convicted of sexually assaulting hikers and sleeping women in Ventura County. Edgar Rodriguez Ruelas, 42, was convicted by a jury on May 2 of five felony counts related to assaults in Thousand Oaks and Oak Park. The attacks took place between June 2017 and March 2020 and involved five female victims, according to the Ventura County District Attorneys Office. The first attack happened on June 15, 2017. Ruelas entered a Thousand Oaks apartment through an unlocked door in the early morning. The victim, a 25-year-old woman, awoke from the commotion to see Ruelas opening her bedroom door. He tried to force himself onto her bed but the woman fought back. She yelled to her roommate for help and after a brief struggle, the suspect ran away. The second attack happened on July 14, 2017, as Ruelas spotted a woman who was hiking alone at Wildwood Regional Park in Thousand Oaks around 5:45 a.m. A Google Maps Street View image shows an area in Oak park where a man attempted to kidnap a teenage girl. On the right, the suspect, Edgar Rodriguez Ruelas, is seen in an undated photo provided by the Ventura County Sheriffs Office. Edgar Rodriguez Ruelas, 42, was convicted on May 2, 2024 for sexually assaulting five women in Ventura County from 2017 to 2020. (Ventura County District Attorneys Office) Edgar Rodriguez Ruelas, 42, was convicted on May 2, 2024 for sexually assaulting five women in Ventura County from 2017 to 2020. (Ventura County District Attorneys Office) Edgar Rodriguez Ruelas, 42, seen in a booking photo from the Ventura County District Attorneys Office. He stalked the woman through the park before jumping out from behind bushes while wearing all-black clothing and a face mask. He knocked the victim to the ground, straddled her and groped her, authorities said. The woman warned him that she had already called the police and her husband, which eventually caused Ruelas to flee. Surveillance video captured Ruelas car speeding away from the trailhead and through a surrounding neighborhood. The third attack happened early morning on October 25, 2017, when Ruelas entered a Thousand Oaks apartment through an open door as a woman and her boyfriend were sleeping. The woman woke up to find Ruelas standing over her. He placed one hand over the victims mouth while sexually assaulting her with his other hand, court documents said. At one point, the hand covering the victims mouth shifted and she yelled out to her boyfriend for help. Thats when Ruelas left and ran out the front door. The victims boyfriend chased Ruelas down the street and struggled with him in a physical confrontation before Ruelas broke free and fled. The fourth attack happened on April 12, 2019, on a hiking trail in Oak Park at around 5:40 p.m. Ruelas was hiding behind bushes on the trail while wearing all-black clothes and a ski mask. He spotted a woman and tackled her to the ground, grabbing her clothing as she fought back. The woman screamed for help as she struggled with Ruelas. She told him other people knew her location and he eventually ran away. The woman then spotted a dogwalker who helped her call the police. The fifth attack happened on March 5, 2020, at an Oak Park hiking trail. The victim was a 16-year-old girl. Ruelas, once again hiding behind bushes, jumped out and pushed the girl to the ground before covering her mouth with his hand. The girl screamed for help and eventually struck Ruelas with a ukulele she was holding. She broke free and ran down the trail until she found someone who helped her call 911. Ventura County deputies responded to the scene and discovered surveillance video from a nearby neighborhood. The video showed the girl entering the trails and 30 seconds later, Ruelas was seen parking his car nearby and heading to the same trail. Around 23 minutes later, the suspect was seen running back to his car and driving away. Detectives later identified the license plate which eventually led to Ruelas arrest. Forensic scientists conducted DNA testing on several items from the various attacks which were positively linked to Ruelas DNA. Ruelas was found guilty of: Assault with intent to commit a forcible sex crime on a person under 18 Two counts of assault with intent to commit a forcible sex crime on adults Assault with intent to commit a forcible sex crime during a residential burglary Forcible sexual penetration by a foreign object Special allegations found true include: Committing an offense during a residential burglary with intent to commit a forcible sex crime Victim was vulnerable The manner in which the crime was carried out indicates planning, sophistication, or professionalism Ruelas has engaged in violent conduct and represents a serious danger to society Ruelas represents one of the more dangerous sexual offenders apprehended in Ventura County in recent history, said Brent Nibecker, a Senior Deputy District Attorney who prosecuted the case. I am indebted to the brave victims in this case who not only resisted Ruelas when he attacked but had the courage to testify in court and ensure he can never target women again. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 5 where he faces up to 32 years to life, plus an additional 21 years in prison. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Man dead after flipping his car into river, ALEA PIKE COUNTY, Ala (WDHN) A Louisville, Alabama, man was killed after a one-car crash in Pike County. According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, 66-year-old James Otis McCray was killed Thursday morning when his 2000 Honda CR-V left the road on Highway 130, hit a traffic sign, and overturned into a river. Troopers say McCray was not wearing a seatbelt. He was pronounced dead on the scene. The crash occurred approximately six miles east of Banks. The crash is under investigation by the Highway Patrol Division. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com. A man was shot to death on a Bronx street corner Wednesday by a gunman who took off in a black BMW, police sources said. Numerous shots rang out on Beaumont Ave. near E. 187th St. in Belmont just after 6:30 p.m., witnesses told the Daily News. The 30-year-old victim, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head, stumbled halfway down the block and collapsed. When I got here, he was faceup in front of the Chinese food store bleeding, a witness who asked not to be named told The News. He was dead. Medics rushed him to St. Barnabas Hospital, but he could not be saved. About a dozen of the mans family members gathered at the hospital hours after the shooting. We just want people to know he was very loved, said a relative. Later Wednesday night, a Yankees cap, cell phone, comb and a disposable phone lay in a pool of blood in front of the takeout restaurant. This is the Bronx, the witness said. This happens here. The victims name was not immediately released. There were no arrests. AKRON, Ohio (WJW) An Akron man is headed to prison for the August shooting death of a woman at a south side home. Dakinga York, 41, of Akron, was indicted in September on counts of murder, voluntary manslaughter, felonious assault, aggravated assault and tampering with evidence in the Aug. 12 shooting death of 45-year-old Veronica Bell, of Akron, at a home in the 2200 block of 8th Street Southwest. Amazon carjacking that ended in teen suspects death was part of a violent crime spree, police say This embedded content is not available in your region. Investigators learned there was a fight inside the home. York then shot her, prosecutors said on Wednesday. Akron police and EMS workers found Bell laying on the ground outside the home, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Summit County Medical Examiners Office. She was transported to a hospital in critical condition and died days later. Kentucky woman kills husband, sister before being fatally shot by brother York left the scene after the shooting and was considered to be a person of interest early in the investigation, according to authorities. He turned himself in the day after her death to face the murder charge. He was set for trial on Tuesday, May 7, court records show. As part of a plea deal, York pleaded guilty on Wednesday to voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and tampering with evidence. The murder and felonious assault charges were dropped. A Summit County judge immediately sentenced York to serve 15 to 20 1/2 years in prison. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. NEW YORK A man identified as a cousin of Rabbi Meir Kahane the controversial founder of the Jewish Defense League assassinated in a Manhattan hotel has been arrested for ramming his car into a pro-Palestinian protester on the Upper East Side. Reuven Kahane, a 57-year-old real estate developer, was arrested at Park Ave. and E. 72nd St. by police following the clash with protesters picketing the home of a Barnard College trustee Tuesday morning, cops said. Protesters quickly identified Reuven Kahane as a cousin of Meir Kahane, and on Wednesday the Times of Israel reported the same. Reuven Kahane has also been identified as a cousin of the firebrand rabbi in past media reports through the decades. Kahane and his lawyer declined at court to discuss the case or his relationship to Meir Kahane. We havent seen his family tree, so we cant comment, said the lawyer, Sara Shulevitz. Meir Kahane was barred from Israels parliament for anti-Arab views before being gunned down in 1990. His assassin, El Sayyid Nosair, was an adherent of the blind sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, whose sect was linked to the 9/11 attacks. Nosair was also convicted of involvement in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The homes of four Columbia and Barnard College trustees were picketed early Tuesday. At Park Ave. and E. 72nd St., the police said about 25 pro-Palestinian demonstrators started protesting at about 8:45 a.m. The arresting officer observed the incident and witnessed the defendant continue to move into the crosswalk in spite of multiple people crossing at the crosswalk, the prosecutor said during Reuven Kahanes arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court Wednesday morning. The allegation is that the victim placed her hands on front of the vehicle to signal the defendant to stop, and the defendant nonetheless moved forward with his vehicle, causing her to suffer back pain, leg pain and other injuries. Reuven Kahane, wearing a blue hoodie that read In Jah we trust and find peace, was arraigned on felony assault charges and released without bail. He did not speak in court or to reporters. Prosecutors requested supervised release, noting though it was his first arrest, the seriousness of the charge merited more stringent monitoring. The victim, identified by police sources as Mary Ellen Novak, 55, was charged with criminal mischief for banging on the hood of Reuven Kahanes car, police said. She was treated at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell. Prosecutors ultimately declined to prosecute Novak and another protester hit with the same charge. A statement from the protester group CU Apartheid Divest described the victim as a deescalator there to prevent confrontations. The statement accused Kahane of purposefully driving into the woman. The group also pointed out Kahane is related to radical rabbi and political leader Meir Kahane. Reuven Kahane is a relative of the late Israeli fascist leader, the statement said. Followers of (Meir) Kahane have been responsible for numerous violent attacks against Palestinians. Past media reports have tied the name Reuven Kahane to activist activities. Kahane was identified as a cousin of the rabbi in a 1990 Los Angeles Times article after the assassination. This is the final sacrifice, Reuven Kahane, then 23, was quoted as saying. Hes been receiving threats since day one. A 2003 Jewish Week article also identified him as a cousin of the slain rabbi. In 2018, he wrote an op-ed in the Jewish News of Northern California on an issue involving Jewish schools in the Bay Area. That article identified him as a real estate developer based in New York and Oakland. He has a J.D. and rabbinical degree from Yeshiva University. Theres a lot to take in on this case, but we maintain our clients innocence, Reuven Kahanes lawyer Shulevitz told the Daily News. Protest organizers in a statement said Kahanes actions follow a round of incendiary claims from public officials urging violence against student protesters. They pointed to a comment on X by Councilwoman Vickie Palladino who called protesters monsters and said, Its our job to slay them. Oh my God, Julie Friedkin, Kahanes wife told the Daily News by telephone. Im sure it was an accident. The pro-Palestinian protesters picketed the home of Barnard trustees Francine Lefrak of the LeFrak real estate family, which donated to a center for well-being at the college. Kahane founded the Jewish Defense League in 1968 to mount armed responses to antisemitic acts. He moved to Israel and was elected but banned from Parliament after Israel passed a law barring parties with a racist platform. _____ (New York Daily News journalist Roni Jacobson contributed to this report.) _____ NEW PHILADELPHIA The shooter in an October drive-by shooting in New Philadelphia has been sentenced to 11 to 14 years in prison for his role in the crime. "You made a horrible decision," Common Pleas Judge Michael Ernest told Gavin T. Kurtz, 20, of New Philadelphia, before imposing the sentence on Tuesday. He said Kurtz had shown a complete disregard for human life in the early morning hours of Oct. 23, 2023, when he fired at three people standing on a porch in the 700 block of East High Avenue. Gavin T. Kurtz, left, appears in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court Tuesday for sentencing in his involvement in a drive-by shooting. Also pictured are his defense attorney, Dan Guinn, and Prosecutor Ryan Styer. "I don't know what you were possibly thinking. You clearly were not thinking of these people who love you and care about you," the judge said, referring to family members who were present in the courtroom for the hearing. "And you weren't thinking about those people on the porch." No one was injured in the shooting. Kurtz was charged with one count of attempted murder, a first-degree felony, with a five-year drive-by shooting gun specification and a three-year gun specification; felonious assault, a second-degree felony, with a five-year drive-by shooting gun specification and a three-year gun specification; and improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony. Guilty plea: Key suspect in New Philadelphia drive-by shooting pleads guilty to all charges He pleaded guilty to those charges in March. Six other people were charged in the case Riley P. Adams, 19, of New Philadelphia; Xavier L. Schott, 21, of New Philadelphia; John R. Hoopingarner, 20, of New Philadelphia; Robert D. Meek II, 19, of New Philadelphia; William Baldez, 20, of Dover; and Matthew M. Miller, 21, of Uhrichsville. The other suspects have also been charged with attempted murder and felonious assault. Several have also been charged with improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle. Adams pleaded guilty to the charges in February and has been sentenced to prison. Schott pleaded guilty in April and will be sentenced on May 28. The other defendants are awaiting trial. Facts of the case Before sentencing, Prosecutor Ryan Styer summarized the facts in the case. "On Oct. 23, 2024, Gavin Kurtz made a horrible decision, that is essentially to go along with the crowd here. He ended up being the one holding the gun when this went down." Some of the other suspects in the case had a grudge against the intended victim of the shooting, Styer said. They gathered at Kurtz's apartment, where "ultimately they ended up putting together a plan, a plan that essentially involved using Gavin Kurtz's gun. Gavin Kurtz was one of the very few codefendants who had a good job, and really a good life ahead of him, by all appearances." They drove by the house of the intended victim twice. On the second trip, Kurtz fired two shots at the house, the prosecutor said. "It was a drug-fueled, alcohol-fueled shooting. And I will say this, it is unfortunate that Mr. Kurtz really was pulled into this and roped into being the most responsible one here, the one who pulled the trigger, because he seemed to have a lot of things in place in his life." Expression of remorse He noted that Kurtz wrote a letter to Judge Ernest expressing remorse for his actions. "I would say the maturity expressed in that letter, the clear-headedness expressed in that letter, the contrite nature, the remorse expressed in that letter cannot be faked," Styer said. "I don't know that I've read a letter like that in my years as a prosecutor. So, it's absolutely unfortunate." The prosecutor added that Kurtz was fortunate that no one died. One of the bullets went through the front door of the house and two walls before coming to rest on the kitchen floor. A resident of the house was in bed at the time. Normally, he is sitting in a chair in the front room and might have been hit by the bullet. Styer said the purpose of sentencing is to punish the offender and protect the public from future crime, not only by the offender but by others. "There's been a lot of firearm crime in our community. It seems like it's more prevalent now than it ever has been. A lot of that is drug-fueled, and that's what we have in this case." Kurtz's apology Given a chance to speak, Kurtz apologized for what happened. "It was as simple as me just not pulling that trigger, and we wouldn't be here. I want to apologize to the victims for putting them in that state of fear." He also thanked his family members for their support. Judge Ernest ordered that Kurtz be placed under 2 to 5 years of post-release control once he gets out of prison. The gun used in the shooting will be surrendered to the New Philadelphia Police Department. Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com. This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: New Philadelphia drive-by shooter sentenced to 11-14 years in prison COLOMBO, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The election commission of Sri Lanka on Thursday announced that it will hold the presidential election between Sept. 17 and Oct. 16, 2024. Sri Lanka last held its presidential election in November 2019. Several Sri Lankan parties have declared their candidates for the election. Editors note: The story in the video player aired on Jan. 1, 2023. NEW YORK (PIX11) Trevor Bickford, the man who attacked three NYPD officers with a machete near Times Square on New Years Eve in 2022, has been sentenced to 27 years in prison, authorities said Thursday. Bickford, a 20-year-old from Maine, traveled to New York City to carry out the premeditated attack on the night of Dec. 31, 2022, according to the United States Department of Justice. Bickford shouted Allahu akbar the Arabic phrase for God is great before striking the officers in the head with the machete and trying to grab an officers gun. One officer suffered a fractured skull. Teen accused of killing 17-year-old girl near Queens subway station The threat ended when Officer Michael Hanna shot Bickford in the shoulder. At a hospital, Bickford told authorities that he had studied radical Islamic ideology and decided to wage jihad against U.S. officials. Inspired by radical Islamic extremism, Trevor Bickford brutally attacked three NYPD officers who were just doing their jobs by protecting the public during the Times Square New Years Eve festivities, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement. Thankfully, one officers quick-thinking actions stopped the defendants attack while minimizing risk to the innocent bystanders who easily might have become additional victims of the defendants heinous violence. In addition to the 27-year prison sentence, Bickford also received a lifetime of supervised release. Judge P. Kevin Castel cited Bickfords age and history of mental illness as reasons for leniency from federal sentencing guidelines that recommended a life term. Prosecutors had requested a 50-year sentence while the defense recommended a 10-year term. Man sentenced for killing, stabbing 3 homeless men in New York City He also recounted how Bickfords mother had repeatedly sought help from police and hospitals as she saw her sons descent into mental illnesses that have been diagnosed to include schizoaffective bipolar disorder and major depression syndrome with symptoms of depression, mania and psychosis, including grandiosity and hallucinations. The judge said Bickford told mental health professionals 20 days before the New Years Eve attack that he had a plan for harming others, intended to act on the plan and wanted to commit a jihadist attack. Im not a medical person, not here to judge the medical people who saw this and met with him, but its disturbing to read these records, Castel said. If his mother was listened to, her instincts were listened to, if the medical profession could look at things a little differently, this might not have happened. Given a chance to speak, Bickford apologized to the officers he harmed and other witnesses to his crime. I understand that I left scars, physical and mental, he said. My mental illness took me down a dark path. Hanna, the first officer to speak at the sentencing, recalled the attack, saying he had just ducked his head slightly when he saw a large blade swiping next to my head and spun around to see Bickford chasing him with a machete that contained a 13-inch blade. As he continued to approach, I took my firearm out and discharged one bullet, which immediately struck the defendant. He dropped to the ground, Hanna said. The officer said his parents had immigrated from the Middle East two decades ago to escape this type of thing. Officer Louis Lorio said he could barely remain conscious after a large cut to his scalp required seven stitches that night. Now, he said, he suffers migraine headaches several days a week and is likely to be forced into retirement after a decade-long police career as he copes with anxiety and depression that cause him to burst out crying for no reason or cripple him with waves of sadness. Therapy, though, has helped, he added. Officer Paul Cozzolino, who had graduated from the police academy only a day before the attack, said some physical pain such as headaches will last forever. He choked up as he said the part he will cherish forever was when he went home to his family that night. Defense attorney Marisa Cabrera said her client, who is deeply remorseful, comes from a family with a strong and proud military background, including two grandparents who served in the U.S. Navy, a brother currently in the military and a younger brother who plans to join. Bickford wanted to join the military too before psychological illnesses took over, she said. Now, she said, Bickford has returned to his old self with the aid of medication and treatment. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaylan Lasky, though, urged the judge to ignore Bickfords self-serving claims of rehabilitation, particularly because he could return to his former state of mind if he ever went off his medication. She said he should not be given another opportunity to kill Americans after he injured, maimed and terrorized innocent New Yorkers. The judge ordered that after Bickford gets out of prison, authorities monitor his internet usage and other facets of his existence for the rest of his life. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A Memphis man is in custody after he was accused of shooting a man multiple times after the man intervened in a fight. Myron White, 22, has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and employment of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. Memphis Police say that on April 28, officers responded to Methodist University after a man had been dropped off at the hospital with gunshot wounds. Officers spoke with the victim, who reportedly identified White as the man who had shot him. 1 critically injured in shooting on Ridgeway According to police, the victim told investigators that he was sleeping at his friends apartment on Davey Drive when he heard his friend arguing with White at around 6 a.m. The victim claimed that he saw White assault his friend, who is a woman. Memphis Police say the victim told officers that he intervened and hit White. He also reportedly told officers that he called White an expletive because White was hitting a woman. The victim alleges that White then went downstairs to an apartment and came back with a brown Glock. Police say White shot the victim in both of his arms, his abdomen, and his left leg. According to police, the victim told investigators that White and the victims friend carried the victim to his friends car and dropped him off at Methodist University. Memphis Police say the victim was later transferred to Regional One Hospital. No bond has been set for White at this time. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Man shot and killed at Fresno apartment complex, police say. Its 13th homicide of year A man was gunned down Thursday morning at a southeast Fresno apartment complex. Officers responded to the shooting around 11:30 a.m. after receiving reports of shots fired at the 4500 block East Hamilton Avenue, near Chance avenue by The Big Fresno Fair. Officers found a man in his mid-20s with a gunshot wound to the upper body. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. It was Fresnos 13th intentional homicide of 2024, according to Fresno Police Lt. Paul Cervantes. Officers are canvassing for surveillance video. Cervantes said one person reported that there was a victim and did not provide officers with details. Its unknown of the suspect description and if they fled on foot or in a vehicle, Cervantes said. It is believed the victim lived in the apartment complex, Cervantes said. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 559-621-7000. Police are investigating Fresno, Californias 13th murder after a man was shot and killed on Thursday, May 9, 2024. This embedded content is not available in your region. Man shot in Port Orange went to ex-girlfriend's home and got into fight with the shooter The man who was fatally shot Tuesday in Port Orange had gone to his ex-girlfriend's Elda Lane home and gotten into a fight with the accused shooter, according to police. Nicole Collins told police she had asked her ex-boyfriend, Elmer Panameno Zelaya, 53, of Flagler County, not to come to the home but that he refused and tried to force his way inside, an arrest report states. Zelaya was shot multiple times by Santiago Carlos Hernandez Castrodad, 40, of Edgewater, Port Orange police said. Hernandez Castrodad was arrested and charged with second-degree murder with a firearm. He was being held Thursday in the Volusia County Branch Jail without bail. Police shoot man armed with knife Port Orange police chief describes officer's fatal shooting of possibly 'suicidal' man Port Orange police said that Zelaya wrestled the keys to the home from her, entered the home, and struck Hernandez Castrodad with a Bluetooth speaker. The two fought in the front yard. Hernandez Castrodad walked to his car and got a Glock 17 pistol and shot Zelaya. A neighbor reported hearing six to seven shots. Hernandez Castrodad said he emptied the clip at Zelaya, the report detailed. A witness told police that Zelaya fell to the ground after he was initially shot, and that Hernandez Castrodad continued to shoot at the victim, according to the arrest report. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida man who went to ex-girlfriend's home shot in fight American Jack Carter Rhoad and his friends, Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, were found dead while on a surfing and camping trip in Baja, California callum10robinson/Instagram Callum Robinson, Jake Robinson, Jack Carter Rhoad. The man charged over the disappearance of three surfers found dead in Mexico reportedly told his girlfriend he was involved with their murders. Jake Robinson, 30, from Perth, Australia, his older brother Callum Robinson, 33, whod moved from his native Australia to San Diego, and their friend 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. PEOPLE previously reported that authorities searching for the missing men found their three bodies at the bottom of 50 feet well in a desolate section of Santo Tomas, Baja California, on May 3. All three had suffered gunshot wounds. On Wednesday, May 8, a Mexican judge heard in court that Jesus Gerardo, 33 identified only by his first and middle names due to the country's law told his girlfriend he had attacked "three gringos," outlets including the San Diego Union-Tribune, the BBC, and the Independent reported. AP Photo/Karen Castaneda Photos of the victims are placed on the beach in Ensenada, Mexico. According to the BBC, when she questioned what he meant, he said: "I killed them." The suspect has been charged with forced disappearance but is expected to be faced with murder charges soon, per the outlets. His girlfriend, only known as Ari Gisel, 23, and another man have been detained for their suspected involvement, the BBC reported. Ari has not been charged, but spoke as a witness in a statement read out in court. Per the San Diego Union-Tribune, Ari told investigators that her partner committed the crime over the tires on the victims' Chevrolet. The suspect's girlfriend was detained last week after police found she had a cellphone believed to belong to one of the victims, the outlet reported. She claimed her partner took her Ford Ranger pickup on April 27, before then returning with the victims' car. The outlet reported that Ari said the suspect told her he had f---ed up three gringos," and told her it was because they had a lot of money, devices, and the pickup. Ari claimed her partner said he was going to get rid of the pickup to Santo Tomas, which is the area the victims' vehicle was later discovered burned without tires. callum10robinson/Instagram Brothers Callum and Jake Robinson. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. He reportedly gave the tires to Ari, and told her, Look what I brought you, the outlet stated. Constitutional Governor of the State of Baja California, Marina del Pilar Avila Olmeda, didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE. Earlier this week, Jake and Callum's distraught parents made their first public statement following their sons' death. "The world has become a darker place for us," their mother Debra Robinson said, per the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "We also mourn the loss of [Jack] Carter Rhoad, a close friend. They were young men enjoying their passion of surfing together," she added. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Man tried forcing pregnant woman to miscarry during three days of brutality, cops say A Nebraska man was sentenced to decades in prison after officials say he beat and tortured a pregnant woman over a three-day period. In March, Ian Toegan, 29, pleaded no contest to first-degree attempted murder of an unborn child, first-degree assault of a pregnant woman and assault by strangulation or suffocation, according to KLKN. The charges stemmed from a three-day incident in October, according to the news outlet. This is not an isolated mental-health incident, this is not an isolated, drug-induced rage. This is three days of brutality, Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Tyson Moodie told the Lincoln Journal Star. According to officials, Toegan was arrested Oct. 27 after his mother went to authorities with concerns that he was out of control and might kill a woman, the outlet reported. When officers went to the home, they found a 27-year-old pregnant woman inside, KOLN reported. The woman, 35 weeks pregnant, told police that Toegan had been abusing her for three days. When officers checked the woman, they found her covered in bruises, the outlet reported. Toegan also repeatedly strangled the woman to the point she was almost dead, the outlet reported. The woman told police that Toegan pointed a fan at her while he made her take a cold shower, and he forced her to jump off an ice chest in order to try and make her miscarry, KLKN reported. She said he withheld food from her, and during those three days she only ate possibly some Kit Kat bars and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The woman was taken to a hospital where an emergency cesarean section was done. The baby survived, but has since suffered health complications, similar to shaken-baby syndrome, the Lincoln Journal Star reported. What happened to (the victim) and her daughter should never have happened and certainly did not deserve to happen, Deputy Lancaster County Public Defender James Sieben said, according to the Lincoln Journal Star. It is an understatement to say Mr. Toegan regrets his actions. McClatchy News reached out to Sieben but he declined to comment on the case. Toegan was sentenced to 41 to 50 years in prison, KOLN reported. Man was tortured with blowtorch and shot to death over stolen RV in Missouri, feds say Woman and her sisters deprived foster child of food and sleep in Minnesota, feds say Woman texts employer to say she cant come to work because she was kidnapped, cops say From the The Collision on The Dispatch Welcome back to The Collision, where were approaching the end of another eventful week. While one criminal trial for Donald Trump continues (the hush-money case in Manhattan), a couple more will get an indefinite delay (the classified documents case in Florida and the election-interference racketeering case in Atlanta). Well try to catch you up on what you really need to know about all the major developments. The Docket The week kicked off for Donald Trump with an additional $1,000 fine from Judge Juan Merchan, who ruled that the former president had committed one more violation of the extensive gag order placed on him. After last weeks ruling from Merchan, that brings the total fines for Trump to $10,000. But thats not all! Merchan warned Trump that further violations could result in incarceration, though the judge did say, The last thing I want to do is put you in jail. Heres a story that was zipping around MAGA circles this week. Fox News reports that Matthew Colangelo, one of the lead prosecutors in the hush-money case, was paid $12,000 in 2018 by the Democratic National Committee for political consulting. Colangelo is both a career attorney and a loyal Democrat, having served in both the Obama and Biden administrations as well as in the New York state attorney generals office before joining the Manhattan district attorneys office in December 2022. House Oversight Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, a Republican, has had Colangelo in his investigatory sights for a while, and last week sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting documents for an investigation into supposed coordination and politicization of the Manhattan case by way of the Justice Department. And in one of Trumps morning statements this week outside the Manhattan courthouse this week, the former president claimed the prosecution all comes out of the White House and that its all Biden. On Wednesday, the Georgia Court of Appeals granted Trumps application for interlocutory appeal of the March decision by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee not to disqualify the prosecutor of the case against him. After it was revealed earlier this year that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis had a romantic relationship with a special prosecutor she had hired to work on the case, Trump and some of his co-defendants had sought to dismiss the case or to at least remove her from the case. McAfees ruling did neither, but he was pretty harsh in his assessment of Willis judgment. Furthermore, the judge required either Willis or the special prosecutor, Nathan Wade, to step downwhich Wade did. Trumps team now has 10 days to file its appealand what it really means is that the Fulton County trial will be delayed even further. Speaking of Fulton County, Willis former paramour Wade spoke to ABC News this week in an interview that might be summed up in the phrase no regrets. Wade argued there was nothing improper in the relationship he had with Willis nor with the circumstances of his hiring. He did acknowledge, however, that the timing of their relationship could have been better. He also voiced confidence in the case against Trump and his dozen-plus codefendants: I believe that, you know, theres going to be that day of reckoning where a Fulton County jury there in Fulton County, Georgia, would have to make that decision. The Sordid Tale Manhattan Prosecutors Are Trying to Tell Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks during a press conference on March 21, 2024, in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Stormy Daniels, the pornographic actress whose receipt of $130,000 from Donald Trump via Michael Cohen forms the central issue of the case in Manhattan, testified this week. Well spare you the details of her salacious, explicit testimony about her sexual encounter with Trump back in 2006. You can read about it and Trumps angry reactions here. This week, wed prefer to dive into the less sexy but more relevant substance of the prosecutions case as its been building over the last week. Its impossible to know whether the jury will accept the arguments that Trump falsified business records with the intent to commit a felonya tall order, to be sure. And its hard to see how any Americans still undecided about the upcoming presidential election will be swayed by either a conviction or an acquittal. Yet for all the public seems to know about the former presidents warts, flaws, and personal peccadilloes, the prosecutions witnesses have continued to detail parts of a story that has yet to be fully told, at least in the context of a court of law: As Trump was on the brink of being elected to the White House, behind the scenes he and his team were operating in a most unusual and disreputable way. Revealing this story was the promise the prosecution made in its opening statement, but we now have some of the details. A quick primer on whats been alleged: In the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign, a company associated with Cohen, Trumps lawyer and fixer, reached an agreement with Daniels to purchase the rights to her story about a sexual encounter with Trump from 10 years earlier. This came about because of an agreement made in 2015, shortly after Trump became a presidential candidate, with the publisher of the National Enquirer, David Pecker. Trumps team would tip off Peckers publication on negative stories about his GOP rivals, and Pecker would alert Cohen if anyone with a negative story about Trump was shopping it around to publications like the Enquirer. Cohen could then, as he did with Daniels, pay enough money to secure a subjects silence. Cohen paid Daniels for the story out of his own pocket, then spent the next weeks and months trying to get reimbursed by Trump and the Trump organization. Despite the Wall Street Journal publishingfour days before the electiona story about his affair with former Playboy model Karen McDougal that included a mention of an alleged sexual encounter between Trump and Daniels, Trump went on to win the presidency. But from what we now know about that preelection period, it was clear Trump and his aides were desperate to keep Daniels quiet lest the one-two punch of her story and the recently released Access Hollywood tape spoil his electoral chances. What we did not know until recent testimony was how exactly Team Trump was working to address a looming political crisis in this time of desperation. Take the testimony on May 2 from Keith Davidson, the attorney who negotiated with Cohen on behalf of Daniels back in 2016. Davidson testified about the agreement he reached with Cohen, which included an exorbitant, seemingly unenforceable liquidated damages provisionwhat Daniels would owe if she breached the agreement. According to Davidson, Cohen requested the provision require Daniels to pay $1 million for every breachnearly eight times the amount of her settlement payment. A Liquidated Damage Provision of $1 million, which was demanded by Michael Cohen, was so far in excess of the settlement amount of the contract that it really served no purpose Davidson said on the stand. Whether it was shoddy or greedy for Cohen to demand such a disproportionate damages provision, its certainly in line with how Trumpworld often ends up trying unsuccessfully to enforce restrictive non-disclosure agreements. A little later in his testimony, Davidson told the story of a back-and-forth he had with Cohen as the Journal prepared to publish in January 2018 the full story about Trumps affair with Daniels. At the behest of Cohen, Davidson said, he drafted a denial of the story for Daniels to provide the newspaper. A plain reading of this denial, which was read aloud in court, is that its false. The statement denies two important facts: that she had a sexual and/or romantic affair with Trump and that she received hush money from him. But Daniels would later testify this week that both of those facts were true. Davidson, however, said the statement would technically be true with an extremely fine reading of it. He went on to debate with the prosecution how inclusive the phrase and/or is and argued that Daniels was not paid hush money but a consideration. The lawyerly parsing notwithstanding, the episode reflects the pressure Cohen was putting on Daniels and her attorney to stick to her denial well into Trumps presidency. The Journal published the story without her participation, and within a few weeks Cohen publicly acknowledged the payoff, starting a chain reaction of events whereby Daniels also publicly acknowledged the affair and she and her flamboyant attorney Michael Avenatti became household names. The testimony has been illuminating in other ways. On May 3, former Trump aide Hope Hicks took the stand to give an inside look of those final weeks of the 2016 electionfrom the release of the Access Hollywood tape to the publication of the story about Trumps affair with McDougal. Among the interesting details was Hicks testimony that on the eve of the Journals November 4, 2016, publication of the McDougal story (which contained the first mention of a Daniels-Trump encounter), Hicks encouraged Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner to urge Journal owner Rupert Murdoch to hold off on publication to give the campaign some extra time to deal with the story. But Kushner was apparently no help. I think he said that he wasnt going to be able to reach Rupert and that we should just work out responding and dealing with it, Hicks said. A former top Trump Organization accountant, Jeffrey McConney, testified on May 6 about the internal negotiations within the company about how to reimburse Cohen for his payment to Daniels. Eventually, McConney said, an agreement was reached that, starting in early 2017, Cohen would receive regular monthly paymentsafter the lawyer left the Trump Organizationin the form of checks from either a Trump-family controlled revocable trust or from Trumps personal account. That meant a process of the Trump Organization sending checks down to the White House to have then-President Trump sign and return to New York so they could be disbursed to Cohen. All of which is to say: This is not how most political figures operate. The preemptive agreement with the tabloid publisher, the massive payoff to the porn star through Trumps fixer, the ongoing coordination with lawyers for that porn star to keep the story straight, the casual truth-stretching, the appeals to powerful friends in the media, the unusual bookkeepingall of it has never been seen in the campaign and operation of a major presidential candidate. Which brings us back to Daniels graphic testimony this week about her unwanted one-night stand with the future president. It caps the entire sordid story of grubby dealings that, like the affair itself, Trump and his team do not want the public to know about. In fact, during a break while Daniels was testifying Tuesday, the defense team requested Merchan declare a mistrial thanks to the witnesss extraordinarily prejudicial testimony. Merchan denied the request even as he admitted the prosecution went a little too far in what it elicited from Danielsthough he also wondered aloud why the defense had not objected more to her testimony. Nevertheless, the trick the prosecution must pull is weaving all of this together, and not just into a story that makes anyone paying attention feel icky. Prosecutors must convince the jury this all adds up to activities Trump engaged in with the intent of covering up a felonyspecifically, a conspiracy to defraud voters in the 2016 election. That still matterswhether or not voters themselves dismiss the whole trial as old news. Whats Eating Aileen Cannon? Supporters and protesters of former President Donald Trump stand outside the Alto Lee Adams Sr. Courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida, on March 14, 2024. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) This week, Judge Aileen Cannon postponed the federal criminal trial against Donald Trump for his retention of classified documents and obstruction that was supposed to start May 20 in Florida. It is now set to begin well, actually, there is no new start date. Partisans on the left have accused Cannon of being in the tank for Trump, helping him delay the start of his trial until after the election for political gain. They point to some of her more bizarre rulings in his favor, including one that was unanimously reversed by three judgestwo Trump appointees and a Bush appointee. They also note that she seems to be dragging her feet on all the pending motions that need to be resolved before the trial can move forward. Shes a Trump appointee, and perhaps she thinks this is her opportunity to get a promotion, they suggest. Partisans on the right argue that the slowness was inevitable because special counsel Jack Smith chose to bring a case that would require the resolution of all sorts of technical issues under the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA). If he wanted to move quickly, he could have charged Trump with obstruction and the trial could have started nearly immediately. But once Smith brought in the willful retention charges, it was clear this was always going to take forever. The judge has eight motions that all have to get resolved before a trial can start and that takes time. For example, last month she asked both parties to prepare their suggestions for how to instruct the jury before it deliberates toward a verdict. But because she hadnt ruled on exactly what law would apply, she asked them to prepare two instructions depending on how she ruled on another pending motion. Another argument is that Smith caused some of these problems because hes admitted that prosecutors cant guarantee the documents in the boxes are in the same order as when the FBI took possession of them. Now thats a whole thing. Sarahs View So whos at fault for the delays? Right now its hard to say. Trump apologists are certainly correct that this was always going to take a while because of CIPAbut we havent even begun to jump through the CIPA hoops! Smith partisans are correct that these delays play into Trumps hands, but that doesnt mean the delays are because they play into Trumps hands. Heres another potential explanation: Aileen Cannon is an inexperienced trial judge who is in over her head and paralyzed by a fear of making the wrong decision while under the biggest spotlight in the country. So she isnt making any decisions. Before being elevated to the bench, Cannon was a federal prosecutor. But she didnt do trialsshe handled appeals. Appellate lawyers are eggheads. (Im married to one so Id like to clarify that mine is a handsome egghead, but an egghead all the same.) They can easily take a dumb argument and spin it into a federal case (pun intended). Cannon insisting on researching every strand of spaghetti the Trump team throws against the wall would explain the unreasonable delays. It would also explain Cannons earlier ruling that was unanimously reversed on appeal: Cannon thought whether a special master should have been appointed to review classified documents seized in the case was a fascinating question of federal jurisdiction when in fact it was a misguided attempt to thwart a federal prosecution. Overthinking things is what appellate lawyers get paid big bucks to do. But if you combine that instinct with an overly cautious personality and then throw her into the rough and tumble, fast moving world of trial courts maybe you get Aileen Cannon. Or to put it more simply, never ascribe to malice what is adequately explained by incompetence. Verbatim Trump attorney Susan Necheles: Am I correct that you hate President Trump? Stormy Daniels: Yes. Necheles: You want him to go to jail? Daniels: I want him to be held accountable. from cross examination by the defense in Donald Trumps Manhattan hush-money trial, May 7, 2024 Read more at The Dispatch The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free. The Lower Monumental Dam on the Snake River in southeast Washington. (Courtesy of the Bonneville Power Administration) In an era of moving toward more electrification and increasing power demand, it makes no sense to remove a clean, renewable power source. Hydropower is an important provider of reliable and clean energy for everyone in the Northwest. Many dams also provide important baseload power reliability to help a stressed energy grid during periods of extreme hot or cold. The Snake River dams are critical to the infrastructure of our region, providing not only reliable power but also many other economic benefits. Removing these dams would have many negative impacts on our region. You dont have to take my word for it. Here are some of the findings from the multi-year public process in 2020 conducted by The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, and Bonneville Power Administration to produce a comprehensive scientific review of the issues surrounding the Snake River dams and possible breaching: [Dam breaching] would not meet the objective to Provide a Reliable and Economic Power Supply . . . The lower Snake River projects provide more than 2,000 MW of sustained peaking capabilities during the winter, and a quarter of the federal power systems current reserves holding capability. The dams play an important role in maintaining reliability in the production of power used to supply load in the Pacific Northwest. Their flexibility and dispatchability are valuable components of the CRS. [Dam breaching] would more than double the regions risk of power shortages The costs of an expanded zero-carbon resource portfolio designed to replace the full capability of the four lower Snake River dams would be significant: up to twice the $400 million assumed to maintain regional reliability. Additional variables such as resource financing uncertainties and the uncertainty in the cost and availability of demand response add to this rate sensitivity. If Bonneville had to replace the four lower Snake River projects full capability with zero-carbon resources, the rate pressure could be up to 50% on wholesale power rates. The lower Snake River shallow draft navigation channel would no longer be available, eliminating commercial navigation to multiple port facilities on the lower Snake River As a result, the cost to transport goods to market would increase. Under this scenario, increases in vehicular accident rates, highway traffic and congestion would occur. In addition, additional wear and tear on roadways could result in additional road repair costs of up to $10 million annually. Farmers could also experience increased production costs associated with higher transportation costs for upriver movements (i.e., fertilizer, crops). There would be additional demands on existing road and rail infrastructure as well as at barging facilities near the Tri-Cities, Washington, increasing traffic and air pollution. Adverse regional economic effects would occur as the jobs and income provided by the four primary commercial navigation ports would be curtailed, including the Port of Lewiston, the Port of Clarkston, the Port of Whitman County (Wilma, Almota, Central Ferry), and the Port of Garfield. Despite the major benefits to fish expected from [dam breaching], this alternative was not identified as the Preferred Alternative due to the adverse impacts to other resources such as transportation, power reliability and affordability, and greenhouse gas emissions. This multi-year scientific and public review process, which was undertaken by both a Democrat and Republican administration, made one thing abundantly clear: dam breaching on the lower Snake River is completely unnecessary and unwarranted. In addition, Congress authorized these dams, and only Congress has the power to remove them. Thankfully, many of the congressional members elected to the areas surrounding the Snake River dams are working to protect the economic and environmental benefits they provide. This includes local lawmakers as well. The Idaho Legislature this year adopted Senate Joint Memorial 103, to make it clear that the state is dam proud and strongly supports the clean renewable hydro baseload power, navigation, and irrigation provided by the Snake River dams. The Idaho Legislature declared: the State of Idaho opposes any actions to degrade the functionality, in whole or in part, to remove or breach any dams on the Columbia-Snake River System or its tributaries Protecting the Snake River dams and other federal water infrastructure is pivotal to the Northwest. We must remain dam strong for the benefit of our region. The post The many consequences of breaching the Snake River dams appeared first on Idaho Capital Sun. How many weapons does the UK export to Israel? The UK government is facing renewed calls to stop exporting weapons to Israel after Joe Biden has warned it will stop suppling some weapons to the country if it launches a major ground operation in the Gaza city of Rafah. The US president told CNN: If they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah. Israel has already launched strikes on the congested city on the southern border of Gaza amid confusion around a potential ceasefire agreement. An estimated 1.4 million Palestinians are sheltering in the city which borders egypt, which the Israeli army describes as the last Hamas stronghold. Experts have warned that a full-scale assault of the region could be disastrous, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has calling the situation a humanitarian nightmare. The Israeli government was heavy criticised by world leaders on April 2 following the killings of seven aid workers in a targeted air strike in Gaza. The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) accepted responsibility for their deaths, claiming they were unintentional. The attack brought the number of aid workers killed in Israel since October to 203, according to the Aid Worker Security Database. A vehicle with the logo of the World Central Kitchen wrecked by an Israeli airstrike in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, April 2 (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Responding to the events, a spokesperson for Rishi Sunak said the prime minister was appalled and believes too many aid workers and ordinary civilians have lost their lives in Gaza and the situation is increasingly intolerable. In the days following, more than 600 lawyers co-signed an open letter to the UK government calling for them to suspend weapons export licences that currently allow arms to be sold to Israel from UK-based companies. Mr Sunaks government has not yet responded to the criticisms. Heres everything you need to know about the UKs weapon exports to Israel: How many weapons does the UK export to Israel? The UK has approved almost 57m worth of military goods for export to Israel from 2022 to June 2023, according to the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT). This comprises 151 standard licences including 19m for aircraft, helicopters and drones 10m for armoured vehicles and tanks, and 3m for grenades, bombs, missiles and countermeasures. Since 2015, the total value of the UKs military exports to Israel stands at 487m. An Israeli Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft, April 2023 (AFP via Getty Images) Following the April 2 aid convoy strike, CAAT have claimed the drone that was used could have been powered by a British-made engine component. CAAT spokesperson Emily Apple said: This government is complicit in the murder of UK aid workers in Gaza. It has had every opportunity to impose an arms embargo and has refused to do so. These figures exclude open licences, which do not limit the quantity or value of exports. The CAAT says that UK sources supply Israel up to 15 per cent of the value of their F-35 planes which are used in airstrikes. The government is yet to release export data which covers the period after June 2023. The ship COSCO Shipping Argentina departed from Tianjin Port on Monday, marking the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region's first direct shipping route to the eastern coast of South America. This new route, operated by 12 vessels with a capacity of 14,000 standard containers each, will run on a weekly basis. It will provide a more convenient maritime passage for importing soybeans, iron ore, coffee beans, cocoa, sugar, beef and other products from South America, and for exporting Chinese daily necessities, chemicals, automobiles and parts, steel, furniture and other categories. The new route has reduced the delivery time from Tianjin to Brazil from 54 days to just 40 days. Additionally, the capacity for refrigerated cargo has increased by 81 percent, facilitating trade between China's northern regions and countries and regions in South America, according to Tianjin Port. China has been Brazil's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years, and Brazil is China's largest trading partner and direct investment destination in Latin America. According to Tianjin Customs, in the first quarter of 2024, Tianjin Port's imports and exports with Brazil reached 28.82 billion yuan ($3.99 billion), a year-on-year increase of 36.6 percent. The exports were valued at 6.22 billion yuan, up 5.9 percent year-on-year, and imports reached 22.6 billion yuan, up 48.4 percent year-on-year. To ensure the smooth operation of the new route and efficient customs clearance for import and export goods, Tianjin Customs has established a coordinated mechanism involving customs, ports, logistics and enterprises. These measures provide enterprises with a convenient customs clearance experience. VIENTIANE, May 9 (Xinhua) -- ASEAN Regional Forum Inter-Sessional Support Group Meeting on Confidence Building Measures and Preventive Diplomacy concluded on Thursday after discussions on new initiatives to be implemented for the 2024-2025 period. Representatives from the ASEAN Regional Forum member states and the ASEAN Secretariat gathered in Lao capital Vientiane for the meeting, which opened on Wednesday, according to a press release issued by Laos' Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the meeting, participants reviewed the related activities carried out in the past years. They also discussed preparations for the ASEAN Regional Forum Senior Officials' Meeting scheduled to be held in June, and for the ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers' Meeting to be held in July. AUSTIN (KXAN) Hook em! Thousands of students at the University of Texas at Austin will cross the stage and earn graduate status at this weekends commencement ceremonies. With those celebrations comes plenty of proud family, friends and loved ones and you guessed it traffic. Heres a day-by-day breakdown of planned road closures and traffic changes amid this weekends pomp and circumstance. This embedded content is not available in your region. For those driving to the ceremonies, the University of Texas at Austin Police Department and Austin Police Department will be on-site and staffed to assist with traffic control measures Thursday through Saturday. Those looking to park near the festivities can utilize all University garages save for the Conference Center and Nueces Garage for free from 5 a.m. Thursday until 11:59 p.m. May 11. A map of those available garages is listed below. This embedded content is not available in your region. More details on UTs commencement ceremonies are available online. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. By the summer of 1965, just months after the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade landed at Da Nang, the intensity of the Vietnam War was surging. Ramping up, too, were the rules of engagement. President Lyndon B. Johnson was reportedly quoted as saying American pilots could not bomb an outhouse without his approval. Frustrated pilots found themselves flying into heavily defended areas on predictable flight paths that exposed them to great risk while yielding often token results, Stuart I. Rochester wrote in The Battle Behind Bars. It was in this environment that then-Capt. Harlan Page Chapman and his fellow Marines of Fighter Squadron 212 found themselves during the opening months of the war. More than 30 American aviators had already been killed or presumed missing in action, while more than a dozen were captured. After six frustrating and challenging months, Chapman was soon to discover that Johnsons outhouse quip was, in reality, all too real. Chapman stationed in Hawaii in 1964. (Courtesy of Fran Chapman) Born in 1934 in Elyria, Ohio, Chapman commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Marine Corps through the Navy ROTC program at Miami University in June 1956, serving for over a decade before hed find himself peering down into North Vietnams dense jungles from the cockpit of his Vought F8 Crusader. During a mission on Nov 5, 1965, Chapmans strike group was tasked with pounding a heavily defended railroad and highway bridge deep within enemy territory of Hai Duong. Hitting the target required a perilous high-speed, low-level approach, according to Chapmans Distinguished Flying Cross citation. As pilot of the last aircraft of a major strike group of 32 strike aircraft on target, he bravely and skillfully maneuvered his aircraft, in spite of the intense and lethal anti-aircraft fire, dived on the target, and delivered his bombs on the bridge, his citation read. Strafed by anti-aircraft fire, Chapman was forced to eject, dislocating his shoulder in the process. With that, Chapman became the first Marine aviator shot down in North Vietnam. There was Vietnamese all around me, Chapman later recalled in a 2015 interview with The Chronicle. I was conscious after a very soft landing, and Im over my knees in mud I wasnt going anywhere. The local militia got me and paraded me around, and I ended up in the [Heartbreak section of] Hanoi Hilton that night. With his legs shackled and arms tied tightly behind his back, Chapman began to endure the first of many interrogations. [They] Pulled out a gun, he told The Stockdale Center. Threatened to shoot me and after a while the pain got so bad that I knew I had to do something so I gave them names like Clark Kent just all sorts of false names. That went on for too long. I felt like hell that I didnt stick to name, rank, and service number. You felt like youve really failed, you know if I was tough enough Chapman was then placed adjacent to several other aviators in a cell block, where communication between prisoners was strictly forbidden. Chapman aboard the USS Oriskany. (Courtesy of Fran Chapman) Men were thrown into solitary, locked in irons, strung up by ropes and beaten when they were caught trying to communicate, according to historian Geoffrey Norman. Still, it was worth the risk for many. Using a method known as the tap code, prisoners were able to communicate and establish an organization. Theyre in the same deep shit youre in, he told The Stockdale Center, recalling the budding camaraderie within the cell blocks. Still, he conceded, he had never felt more alone. The Marine would endure over seven years in the infamous prisoner of war camp, spending 2,657 days in captivity before becoming the first Marine Corps POW of the Vietnam War to be released during Operation Homecoming on Feb. 12, 1973. Harlan and his wife, Fran, in Ohio 2020. (Courtesy of Fran Chapman) It would be difficult, if not impossible, to relate the treatment of over seven years of captivity in the space allotted, Chapman recalled to the Columbus Federal Voice. However, I can sum up my opinion of the treatment by saying it was basically cruel. While in captivity, I was tortured many times, using ropes, cuffs, isolation and beatings. Despite his suffering, Chapman harbored no animosity toward the Vietnamese people, his wife, Frances Fran Chapman said. He was not a public prisoner of war, she told The Chronicle. Harlan was very quiet about it. He thought it was much more important that people know who he is now and his character. ... He didnt tout being a prisoner. He was very private about it, Darold Hessel, Chapmans stepson and a military veteran, told Military Times. Except maybe when were young, he nagged us and said, You know, at least in prison we had toothbrushes. Make sure you brush your teeth every day. He came into the family when I was nine and he seemed like a superhero. He just was physically fit and morally strong and just so impressive to be around. ... Hes an American hero. Despite leading a quiet life removed from the public eye, Chapmans story may have caught the eye of the wardrobe department from the 2021 blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick. According to the U.S. Naval Institute, the vintage G-1 leather flight jacket Tom Cruises character wore to perfection in the 1986 Top Gun had been altered for the sequel. The jacket supposedly belonged to Mavericks father, who flew Vietnam-era F-4 fighters, but eagle-eyed viewers noted that the USS Oriskany and 3rd Marine Air Wing patches on the front of Mavericks jacket may have been an homage Chapman, who was shot down the same day Mavericks fictional father was said to have been downed. Upon his release, Chapman took command of Marine Fighter/Attack Squadron 314 in El Toro, California, where he served from July 1974 until his retirement two years later. Chapman was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease and early-stage dementia in 2017. He died on Monday, May 6, 2024, his family confirmed with Military Times. Lt. Col. Harlan Page Chapman was 89 years old. By the summer of 1965, just months after the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade landed at Da Nang, the intensity of the Vietnam War was surging. Ramping up, too, were the rules of engagement. President Lyndon B. Johnson was reportedly quoted as saying American pilots could not bomb an outhouse without his approval. Frustrated pilots found themselves flying into heavily defended areas on predictable flight paths that exposed them to great risk while yielding often token results, Stuart I. Rochester wrote in The Battle Behind Bars. It was in this environment that then-Capt. Harlan Page Chapman and his fellow Marines of Fighter Squadron 212 found themselves during the opening months of the war. More than 30 American aviators had already been killed or presumed missing in action, while more than a dozen were captured. After six frustrating and challenging months, Chapman was soon to discover that Johnsons outhouse quip was, in reality, all too real. Chapman stationed in Hawaii in 1964. (Courtesy of Fran Chapman) Born in 1934 in Elyria, Ohio, Chapman commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Marine Corps through the Navy ROTC program at Miami University in June 1956, serving for over a decade before hed find himself peering down into North Vietnams dense jungles from the cockpit of his Vought F8 Crusader. During a mission on Nov 5, 1965, Chapmans strike group was tasked with pounding a heavily defended railroad and highway bridge deep within enemy territory of Hai Duong. Hitting the target required a perilous high-speed, low-level approach, according to Chapmans Distinguished Flying Cross citation. As pilot of the last aircraft of a major strike group of 32 strike aircraft on target, he bravely and skillfully maneuvered his aircraft, in spite of the intense and lethal anti-aircraft fire, dived on the target, and delivered his bombs on the bridge, his citation reads. Strafed by anti-aircraft fire, Chapman was forced to eject, dislocating his shoulder in the process. With that, Chapman became the first Marine aviator shot down in North Vietnam. There was Vietnamese all around me, Chapman later recalled in a 2015 interview with The Chronicle. I was conscious after a very soft landing, and Im over my knees in mud I wasnt going anywhere. The local militia got me and paraded me around, and I ended up in the [Heartbreak section of] Hanoi Hilton that night. With his legs shackled and arms tied tightly behind his back, Chapman began to endure the first of many interrogations. [They] Pulled out a gun, he told The Stockdale Center. Threatened to shoot me and after a while the pain got so bad that I knew I had to do something so I gave them names like Clark Kent just all sorts of false names. That went on for too long. I felt like hell that I didnt stick to name, rank, and service number. You felt like youve really failed, you know if I was tough enough Chapman was then placed adjacent to several other aviators in a cell block, where communication between prisoners was strictly forbidden. Chapman aboard the USS Oriskany. (Courtesy of Fran Chapman) Men were thrown into solitary, locked in irons, strung up by ropes and beaten when they were caught trying to communicate, according to historian Geoffrey Norman. Still, it was worth the risk for many. Using a method known as the tap code, prisoners were able to communicate and establish an organization. Theyre in the same deep shit youre in, he told The Stockdale Center, recalling the budding camaraderie within the cell blocks. Still, he conceded, he had never felt more alone. The Marine would endure over seven years in the infamous prisoner of war camp, spending 2,657 days in captivity before becoming the first Marine Corps POW of the Vietnam War to be released during Operation Homecoming on Feb. 12, 1973. Harlan and his wife, Fran, in Ohio 2020. (Courtesy of Fran Chapman) It would be difficult, if not impossible, to relate the treatment of over seven years of captivity in the space allotted, Chapman recalled to the Columbus Federal Voice. However, I can sum up my opinion of the treatment by saying it was basically cruel. While in captivity, I was tortured many times, using ropes, cuffs, isolation and beatings. Despite his suffering, Chapman harbored no animosity toward the Vietnamese people, his wife, Frances Fran Chapman said. He was not a public prisoner of war, she told The Chronicle. Harlan was very quiet about it. He thought it was much more important that people know who he is now and his character. ... He didnt tout being a prisoner. He was very private about it, Darold Hessel, Chapmans stepson and a military veteran, told Military Times. Except maybe when were young, he nagged us and said, You know, at least in prison we had toothbrushes. Make sure you brush your teeth every day. He came into the family when I was nine and he seemed like a superhero. He just was physically fit and morally strong and just so impressive to be around. ... Hes an American hero. Despite leading a quiet life removed from the public eye, Chapmans story may have caught the eye of the wardrobe department from the 2021 blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick. According to the U.S. Naval Institute, the vintage G-1 leather flight jacket Tom Cruises character wore to perfection in the 1986 Top Gun had been altered for the sequel. The jacket supposedly belonged to Mavericks father, who flew Vietnam-era F-4 fighters, but eagle-eyed viewers noted that the USS Oriskany and 3rd Marine Air Wing patches on the front of Mavericks jacket may have been an homage Chapman, who was shot down the same day Mavericks fictional father was said to have been downed. Upon his release, Chapman took command of Marine Fighter/Attack Squadron 314 in El Toro, California, where he served from July 1974 until his retirement two years later. Chapman was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease and early-stage dementia in 2017. He died on Monday, May 6, 2024, his family confirmed with Military Times. Lt. Col. Harlan Page Chapman was 89 years old. Update, May 8, 2024, at 4:53 p.m.: Shortly after this article was published, Greene brought to the floor her resolution to oust Johnson from the speakership. The attempt failed when the House voted 35943 to table the resolution. This was supposed to be the week in which Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene had pledged to hold a snap vote on Speaker Mike Johnsons leadership, the culmination of a threat months in the making. She wouldnt have succeeded in ousting him, after Democrats had announced theyd provide the votes to save Johnson. But, at least in her head, she would have made some sort of point. But Greene and her army of two other people have backed off for now, having secured a few hours of chit-chat time with Johnson as an acceptable alternative to a botched execution. Following her second meeting with Johnson in as many days on Tuesday, Greene told reporters that the ball is in Mike Johnsons court to act on her several suggestions she proposed to him. She offered no timeline on when she expected a response. Thats up to Mike Johnson, and it cant drag out, she said. These are things that need to be done. These meetings were called at Greenes request, and if Johnson is feeling any distress, hes not displaying it publicly. He called their conversations productive, downplaying them as run-of-the-mill talks hed have with members at any time. I heard Marjorie and Thomas [Massie]s ideas, just like I have every day for the last six months heard others. To the extent he was firm with them, though, he said this: Its not a negotiation. Indeed, the only one really dragging things out is Greene, not Johnson. After Johnson passed a government-funding bill disliked by Greene (and plenty of other conservatives, albeit those with more limited delusions of grandeur) in March, she warned him that his speakership was on the line. This was effectively a warning to not put Ukraine funding up for a vote next. Johnson did it anyway. But the cavalry never arrived for Greene when Congress returned from recess last week. While plenty of conservatives were irate at Johnson for passing bipartisan bills on government funding, surveillance, and Ukraine, their prevailing impulsewith most meaningful legislative work done for the yearwas just to get through November and hash out their leadership drama afterward. The partys presidential nominee, meanwhile, had no appetite for another House Republican meltdown to embarrass the party while his name is on the ballot. Greene misunderstood both how exhausted her fellow Republicans were with these shenanigans, and how quickly governing season had pivoted to campaign season following the Ukraine vote. The previous 18 months were for beating up on one another. The next six months are for beating up on leftist extravagances. Since Greene announced that she would force the vote on Johnsons speakership this week, she has spent most of her time looking for a way to back out, and to stay in Trumps good graces, while saving face. And so she brought to her meeting with Johnson a quartet of demands for the speaker: no more money for Ukraine; defunding special counsel Jack Smiths investigation into Donald Trump; only putting bills up for a vote if they have support of a majority of the majority (the unfortunately named Hastert rule); and a promise to enact a 1 percent across-the-board spending cut as part of stopgap funding legislation if the 12 annual appropriations bills arent enacted by the Sept. 30 deadline . To just get through 2024, Johnson could agree to the Ukraine and Hastert rule provisions without any real consequences. Ukraine assistance is done for the year, and there arent significant, must-pass bills with limited Republican support on the horizon. The other two provisionson defunding Jack Smith and enacting a blanket spending cuthave zero Democratic support and, if insisted upon at the next government funding deadline, could cause government shutdowns, for which Republicans would be blamed, a month before the election. That said, rather than giving an inch, theres good reason for Johnson to just stand firm here and dare Greene to do something about it. Even if he were able to give her some things here, some things there, giving her anything would reinforce an awful, recurring trend of the 118th Congress that needs to end: that any couple of members can blackmail the speaker into sending the party down a new, risky, and ultimately self-defeating strategic course. And theres no better time for Johnson to end it than during this brief window when Democrats are willing to bail him out. The only question for Greene now is how she chooses to claim victory in defeat. She could take some words that Johnson says in a press conference and insist that those words were a hard-fought concession. She could turn her attention to an entirely new matter and wait for people to forget how she caved. She could still force the vote on Johnsons speakership, lose, fall out of favor with Trump for a few months, and then work her way back up. Or she could just say, The numbers werent there; well get him in the next Congress, get made fun of for a few days, and move on with her life. Mike Johnson, meanwhile, need only roll his eyes. WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 08: U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), trailed by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), speaks to members of the press while exiting the U.S. Capitol after introducing a motion to vacate on the floor of the House of Representatives seeking to remove Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) from his leadership position May 8, 2024 in Washington, DC. The House voted 359 to 43 to table the motion to vacate. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) (Getty Images) Marjorie Taylor Greene made sure to milk every moment of the six weeks since she filed her motion to vacate. Inexplicably, she regularly paraded around the Hill with her boyfriend Right Side Broadcasting Network host Brian Glenn and was often also accompanied by her cueballed press secretary Nick Dyer. When Greene finally actually called for a vote on Wednesday night and a group of centrist Republicans gathered, Glenn and Dyer watched on. Dyer lit a cigarette. Glenn told me he supported his girlfriend one hundred per cent. Greene relished the fact that amid multiple important votes in Congress including lawmakers passing legislation to keep the government open and assisting allies like Ukraine all of the reporters huddled around her and asked for her thoughts. This happened despite the fact that she never had the votes to depose Mike Johnson. She didnt really have anything serious to offer him, either. When she finally pulled her motion to vacate on Wednesday, she enraged Republicans and Democrats alike for the simple reason that they were all about to go home early. It was just before a final round of votes, after which the House had already decided to let everyone leave. That might have been why representatives from both sides groaned, hollered and heckled her. Hopefully, Greene enjoyed all that attention on Wednesday, when her attempt to boot Johnson failed spectacularly, because it will likely be the peak of her relevance. Unlike Matt Gaetzs successful motion to vacate against Kevin McCarthy, this vote has rendered Greene impotent. Her decision to trigger the motion despite the fact that she had little chance of success likely means she will have little power. Even her most powerful ally, Donald Trump, publicly rebuked her. There is no other way to interpret Greenes decision than this: She had repeatedly been on the wrong side of the internal House Republican civil war. When Republicans took control of the House, she decided to align herself with Kevin McCarthy in hopes that she would get the committee assignments Democrats took away from her for making bigoted and conspiracy-mongering comments. The alliance between Greene and McCarthy was surprising, given that McCarthy was a creature of the swampy establishment the MAGA wing always loathed. But Greene argued the need to get behind McCarthy in order to mitigate the risk that some Republicans might make a Democrat speaker. US representative-elect Marjorie Taylor Greene offers a phone to Matt Rosendale in the House Chamber during the fourth day of voting for Speaker of the House at the US Capitol Building on 6 January 2023 in Washington, DC (Getty Images) By doing so, she wound up becoming part of the very establishment that Trump had spent years railing against. Meanwhile, her former friends like Gaetz and Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado all blocked McCarthy which put Greene in the uncomfortable position of defending the establishment. When the House nearly devolved into fisticuffs, one of the more iconic photos that emerged showed Greene getting Trump on the phone and Representative Matt Rosendale brushing her off. Joining up with McCarthy proved to be temporarily beneficial to Greene. She joined the House Education and Workforce Committee (Republicans always change the name from Education and Labor when theyre in charge, lest they sound too pro-union) and got to display nude pictures of Hunter Biden at Oversight Committee hearings. But she began to lose her ability to credibly call herself a rebel. She voted for the debt limit agreement McCarthys team brokered with the White House, despite calling it a s**t sandwich. Her needling of the Freedom Caucus the OG conservative hellraisers who are pros at making a speakers life miserable led them to kick her out. Meanwhile, when she publicly threatened to break with McCarthy and said shed file a motion to vacate if he didnt start an impeachment inquiry into Biden, it rang hollow. Everyone knew she wouldnt really do it: it would mean she would lose the power she had worked so hard to acquire. The only thing she seemed effective at doing was stonewalling aid to Ukraine. Even when McCarthy sealed his fate by passing a stopgap spending bill in September, it did not come with aid to Ukraine a notable concession to Greene. Her desire to hold onto such power was precisely why she opposed vacating McCarthy when Gaetz pulled off his coup with seven other Republicans. She made occasional noise during the 22 days of the speaker-less Thunderdome but they mostly came off as wimpers and she didnt receive nearly as much attention for them as Nancy Mace, Gaetz, Chip Roy or Ken Buck. When Johnson, a far more MAGA-friendly speaker, came into office, Greenes influence further diminished especially as the impeachment inquiry sputtered along and Trump reassumed the formal mantle of standard bearer of the GOP. And ultimately, Gaetzs stunt also neutered Greene, because Johnson came to realise he could never placate the hard-right Republicans so he simply ignored them. His main grunts desire to keep things normal and his willingness to work with Democrats meant they considered him a far more honest broker. Greenes bargaining price therefore became more expensive than anything Democrats could offer, even if that equaled billions of aid in Ukraine. In truth, Greenes motion should not be seen as a chance for her to reassert her control of the party, but rather as an act of desperation. It was her attempt to re-seize the messaging wars and the spotlight from Gaetz, Mace and Boebert. Part of the reason it failed so spectacularly was because she created an impossible dilemma for herself by filing her motion so publicly. If she had never filed, she would look like a coward who backed down despite her pugnacious reputation; but if she called a vote and lost, she would be rendered powerless. She put herself between a rock and a hard place. She obviously chose to call the vote, dragging out the process long enough to earn two meetings with Johnson and far-right Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie. This all happened despite the fact that Trump opposed it and despite the fact that only one member of the Gaetz Eight Representative Eli Crane voted against tabling the measure. Doing so has now made her look like the exact same thing that Trump mocks: a loser and a hater. After months of diverting the spotlight to herself, Greene has found herself on an empty stage. She never prevented the passage of the one thing she hated Ukraine aid and also failed to push her other project, the Biden impeachment. Conversely, Johnson seems to have cracked the code of doing just enough MAGA he appeared with Representative Chip Roy in a press conference just hours before Roy voted against tabling Greenes motion while also managing the basic functions of governing. Johnson might be too polite to punish Greene. He might be. But then again, the polite ones are always the most dangerous. For the past two years, Greene has garnered the press corps attention because of her closeness to Trump and her ability to bend Republican leadership to her will. All the while, reporters gave her a platform to spout the most repulsive and repugnant rhetoric, with little to no consequences. Now that she has failed, she should receive less play than any other backbencher. Her fire is suddenly and ingloriously extinguished, just like the ashes of her flacks cigarette on the steps of the Capitol. Marjorie Taylor Greene forced a vote to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday evening, a move her colleagues in Congress quickly voted to kill. The House voted 359-43 to table the motion, with 193 Republicans siding with 163 Democrats in striking it down. Greene has been teasing that she will force a vote to oust Johnson despite garnering virtually no support for the move, and former President Donald Trump reportedly telling her over the weekend to drop the stunt. She seemed ready to do so yesterday, but went ahead and forced the vote on Wednesday. She was immediately greeted with an audible wave of booing. This is the uni-party for the American people watching, Greene said over the groan of boos from the chamber. Marjorie Taylor Greene initiates the motion to vacate called and is booed by the House pic.twitter.com/TqCDx5Xl6g Acyn (@Acyn) May 8, 2024 Trump responded shortly after the motion went down in flames. I absolutely love Marjorie Taylor Greene, he wrote on Truth Social before noting that right now, Republicans have to be fighting the Radical Left Democrats, and all the Damage they have done to our Country. Were not in a position of voting on a Motion to Vacate, he added. Trump responds to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greenes motion to vacate Speaker Johnson: Were not in a position of voting on a Motion to Vacate. At some point, we may very well be but this is not the time. He adds that he is requesting that Republicans motion to table the vote. pic.twitter.com/aZlNbGIJu5 Olivia Rinaldi (@olivialarinaldi) May 8, 2024 Greene had previously filed a motion to vacate in March ahead of a vote for a spending omnibus spending bill, which aimed to prevent a government shutdown. Greene had criticized Johnson as unfit for the role given his willingness to compromise with Democrats to push through legislation. Greenes desire to oust Johnson as House Speaker intensified after the House passed long-delayed foreign aid for Ukraine and Israel last month, threatening to vacate him from the position if he refused to resign. Greene has been joined by a few far-right members of the House Freedom Caucus, including Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) who co-sponsored the motion to vacate, but her efforts seemed widely unpopular among Republicans, who spent weeks last year struggling to find a replacement after the previous House Speaker, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), was ousted by a small group of Republicans. If we vacated this Speaker, wed end up with a Democrat, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) had previously said. When I vacated the last one, I made a promise to the country that we would not end up with the Democrat Speaker. And I was right. I couldnt make that promise again. Greene was interrupted multiple times as she read her motion on Wednesday, either by hecklers who disagreed with the proposal or by cheers from House Democrats when she discussed Johnsons work across the aisle. In a recent interview, [House] Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries said even though were in the minority, we effectively have been governing as if we were in the majority,' Greene said, to the cheers of Democrats. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone The president of the Montgomery County, Maryland, Board of Education was quizzed by members of Congress about incidents of antisemitism in the suburban Maryland school district on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON The president of the Montgomery County Board of Education in Maryland took heat from lawmakers Wednesday over antisemitic incidents alleged within county schools, and as the U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation into the district earlier this year. Karla Silvestre testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education during a hearing focused on antisemitism in K-12 schools. U.S. Rep. Aaron Bean, subcommittee chair and a Republican from Florida, said the aftermath of the attack by Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7 has revealed some of the ugliest, most depraved ideas once marginalized from polite society, and our education system has failed to stop it. The hearing also featured questioning from subcommittee ranking member Rep. Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon, a Democrat, as well as U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., chairwoman of the broader House committee. Montgomery County Public Schools, just north of the District of Columbia, is the largest school district in Maryland, with over 200 schools. It also falls within the top 20 largest school districts in the United States. The suburban Maryland district is at the center of a federal Title VI investigation launched in February, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The publication said the investigation was based on an opinion piece posted on a hyperlocal news site. The Department of Education does not normally comment on ongoing investigations. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin in programs or activities that receive federal funding. Last month, the Zionist Organization of America filed a civil rights complaint against the district over allegations of severe, persistent and pervasive antisemitism in the schools that district officials have failed to address. The complaint alleges intimidation and harassment. Silvestre, who was elected to a second four-year term in November 2022, defended the district and said it does not shy away from imposing consequences for hate-based behavior, including antisemitism. She said the districts policy is to initiate an investigation each time the school system receives a complaint or we witness particular antisemitic, hate-filled or racist language or actions. When questioned by Bean about whether teachers have been fired, she said county school officials have not fired anybody but have taken disciplinary action against some teachers. As a part of our process, the teachers that have been disciplined know that if this happens ever again, there will be deeper consequences, up to and including termination, she said. Silvestre also pointed to several efforts the school system is taking to combat antisemitism in its schools, such as imposing mandatory hate-based training for all staff starting this summer and enhancing the curriculum in K-12 schools to expand on topics surrounding the Jewish experience. Questioned by Foxx over how long each investigation surrounding antisemitism takes on average, Silvestre did not have an exact number of weeks to provide, though she said she believes the district does a very thorough job, so we take as long as its needed to investigate. New York, California districts The hearing also featured testimony from two other school district leaders, including David Banks, chancellor for New York City Public Schools, and Enikia Ford Morthel, superintendent of Berkeley Unified School District in California. Bean said all three leaders represent public school districts that have allowed vile antisemitism to spread unchecked. The school officials all rejected allegations that they tolerate antisemitism within their districts. New York City comprises the largest school system in the nation. The citys education department faces a lawsuit from a Brooklyn teacher and campus administrator over allegations of failing to address persistent antisemitism against teachers. In California, the U.S. Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights on Tuesday said it opened a formal investigation into a complaint by the Anti-Defamation League and the Brandeis Center that the Berkeley district has failed to address non-stop severe and persistent bullying and harassment of Jewish students since Oct. 7. Wednesdays hearing also comes amid the persistence of pro-Palestinian encampments at college campuses across the country as protesters demand that their respective institutions divest funding from Israel. On Tuesday, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona was questioned about antisemitism on college campuses during a hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Make no mistake, antisemitism is discrimination and is prohibited by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Cardona said. Every student deserves to learn in an environment where they can feel free to be themselves without discrimination or fear for their safety, he added. Cardona said due to the significant increase in the number of Title VI investigations since the Oct. 7 attack, the department is asking for a $22 million increase in its budget for its Office for Civil Rights. Foxx called on Cardona to resign during Tuesdays hearing, repeating an earlier demand. With the outbreak of campus riots, I am only more resolute, so I will say it again: You must resign, the Republican from North Carolina said. The post Marylands Montgomery County school board chief pressed about incidents of antisemitism appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. Masons, KU Med, Via Christi offer free cancer screening in Wichita on Saturday Experts agree the best way to survive cancer is to find out about it early, before symptoms force you to seek medical treatment. Recognizing that, the Masons, Ascension Via Christi and the University of Kansas Medical Center are teaming up to provide free cancer screenings in Wichita on Saturday. Medical professionals will be providing diagnostic testing for skin cancer and prostate cancer, and providing colorectal cancer take-home screening kits. Theyll also be providing blood-pressure tests and smoking cessation information. The providers will be able to advise attendees on how to follow up on any potential health concerns identified in the screening process. The cancer and health screenings will be held from 9:00 a.m. to noon Saturday at Georgetown Independent Living, 1655 S. Georgetown Street. While Georgetown is a senior residential facility, the health screening event is open to all ages. The Masons, a fraternal organization, have been organizing screening events throughout Kansas and often draw several hundred attendees, said Brooke Groneman, outreach director for the Masons Cancer Alliance. More than 20,000 Kansas residents have attended the screenings since 2003, Groneman said. For more information on Saturdays screening event, call Jim Miller at 316-347-3640. WASHINGTON, D.C. (WHTM) On April 9, 1865, Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Ulysses S. Grant. On April 26, Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered the armies under his command. On May 4, the Confederate departments of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana surrendered, followed by the Confederate District of the Gulf on May 5. That same day Confederate President Jefferson Davis held one final cabinet meeting, and his government dissolved. On May 9, former President Andrew Johnson, who ascended to the office following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln on April 14, issued a declaration stating that armed resistance was virtually at an end. This proclamation was primarily aimed at nations and ships still harboring fugitives (privateers), announcing they would be denied entry to U.S. ports, and fugitives found on such ships would no longer be given immunity for their crimes. Get daily news, weather, breaking news and alerts straight to your inbox! Sign up for the abc27 newsletters here He may have been a bit premature. There were still a lot of Confederates who had not surrendered, and some blood was yet to be spilled. On May 10, Jefferson David was captured, and the Departments of Florida, South Carolina, and South Georgia surrendered. The Northern Sub-District of Arkansas laid down their arms on May 11, and on May 12 Brigadier General William T. Wofford and two to three thousand troops surrendered at Kingston, Georgia. Civil War Museum reopens in Harrisburg On May 12-13 the Confederates had one final victory, at the Battle of Palmito Ranch in Texas. Union Colonel Theodore H. Barrett, who had little or no real combat experience, ordered an attack on a Confederate position, even though he knew there was an unofficial truce. Fortunately, casualties were few (so far as we can tell from the somewhat sloppy record-keeping) but the Confederates trounced the Union forces. Not that the battle changed anything, on May 26 the Army of the Trans-Mississippi stacked their arms. The last Confederate General to surrender on June 23 was a Native American Cherokee Chief and Brigadier General Stand Watie, leader of the Cherokee Mounted Rifles. March 9, 1862-The battle that changed naval warfare forever Finally, on November 6, 1865, CSS Shenandoah docked in Liverpool, England. The commerce raider spent a good part of June and July sailing along the coast of Alaska (still then a Russian territory) and destroying much of the American whaling fleet. On June 27 they learned of Lees surrender from a newspaper on a prize ship. But the newspaper also contained a proclamation from Jefferson Davis that the war would continue, so they kept seizing ships. Then on August 2 they met a British ship, the Barracouta, and learned the war truly was over. Realizing they were now pirates in the eyes of the law a hanging offense the Shenandoahs captain, James Waddell, put their cannons in storage, nailed shut the gunports, and repainted the ship. They then made a 9,000-mile voyage to England, staying well out of the shipping lanes to avoid being spotted. On reaching Liverpool they surrendered to British authorities, were exonerated in the Admiralty Court, and allowed to go free. Civil War Yankee finally heading home Not until August 20, 1866, would President Johnson finally issue a proclamation stating that the war was officially over. Wikipedia-conclusion of the Civil War Retronewser.com National Archives Wikipedia Battle of Palmito Ranch Sea of Gray: The Around-the-World Odyssey of the Confederate Raider Shenandoah by Tom Chaffin Gray Raiders of the Sea: How Eight Confederate Warships Destroyed the Unions High Seas Commerce Paperback by Chester G. Hearn Center for the Rule of Law.org History.com AmericanHistory.si.edu-Stand Watie the last surrender Smithsonian Magazine-Lees surrender LiverpoolMuseums.org For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. SPRINGFIELD Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson met with Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state lawmakers on Wednesday to make his pitch for more state funding for critical city operations such as the public schools, and to discuss the Chicago Bears $3.2 billion domed stadium proposal. Johnson is backing the Bears proposal, while Pritzker has labeled it a nonstarter in large part because of its large public funding component. Meeting with reporters late Wednesday afternoon, Johnson said conversations are ongoing but stressed the need to replace Soldier Field. You have a 100-year-old building that is millions of dollars in debt. And so you have this asset that is not getting the full benefit for the people of the state of Illinois, he said. And as the Bears continue to have these conversations with leadership, as well as the rank-and-file members, thats the case that they will have to make, but understanding that we have a structural, damaged situation that really needs a solution. Johnsons budget requests at the Illinois State Capitol came on the same day a state Senate committee approved legislation opposed by the mayors key ally, the Chicago Teachers Union, that would extend a school closure moratorium for all of the citys public schools by two years. The CTU has labeled the measure, initially drawn up to protect selective-enrollment schools, as racist, as the union presses to invest more money in neighborhood schools. We want an equitable school district that speaks to the needs of the people of the city of Chicago, Johnson said when asked about the bill. And as these amendments continue to be assessed, were going to create more space for these conversations so that we ultimately get to the goal that we want, which is an equitable school district. Johnson previously has said his Springfield wish list includes $1 billion in state funding thats owed to the families of Chicago. That money would include greater state aid under the evidence-based funding formula and additional teacher pension funds. We have to continue to make sure that the state of Illinois is doing right by the economic engine of the state of Illinois, which is the city of Chicago, Johnson told reporters. But its also to continue to build relationships of the opportunity that we have in this moment as a state to really build the type of operation that speaks to equity and justice. Johnsons request for additional funding for Chicago Public Schools could be a tall order, as Pritzker has over the last few years increased state funding for elementary and high schools only by minimum target of $350 million annually set in a 2017 education funding compromise under his predecessor, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. Advocates have warned that those increases are not enough to meet the states goals of adequately funding public schools in Chicago and other parts of the state. Pritzker also has indicated that belt-tightening is needed to secure his $52.7 billion budget proposal, which is now negotiated by state lawmakers ahead of a scheduled May 24 adjournment. There was no full accounting of specifics disclosed by city or state officials on what the progressive mayor discussed at Wednesdays meetings. But a meeting with progressive Democratic lawmakers involved some less high-profile budget needs, such as lead service pipe replacement, according to state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Chicago Democrat. She said school funding and the Bears stadium plan came up. But the meeting was brief and specifics were few, Cassidy said. Johnson arrived at the Capitol early Wednesday afternoon. He met separately with Pritzker, the two top leaders of the Democrats legislative supermajority, House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch of Hillside and Senate President Don Harmon of Oat Park, and various lawmakers. At one point, a reporter asked Johnson how the sessions were going. Well, you know, its Springfield, he said, before walking up to the third floor of the Capitol. Funding for Chicagos public transportation apparatus could also be on Johnsons Springfield agenda. Lawmakers are weighing a sweeping set of recommendations about what Chicago-area transit could look like in the future, including whether the CTA should be consolidated with Metra and Pace into one agency and how to address a transit fiscal cliff expected when federal pandemic aid runs out. But Pritzker and Johnson differ on who should be leading the charge. The governor has indicated in recent weeks that the CTA is due for an evolution of the leadership, comments that were directed toward CTA President Dorval Carter, who has come under fire by critics for the transit agencys shortcomings. Johnson has not said whether Carter should be removed from his post. Separately Wednesday, members of the Chicago City Councils aldermanic Black Caucus were in Springfield on Wednesday to talk to Welch about ward-level priorities, including education and neighborhood improvement issues. Ald. Jeanette Taylor, of the South Sides 20th Ward, said she supports extending the moratorium on school closings, and that there is a need to invest in alternative schools. But she also cited the need for nuts and bolts infrastructure improvements. I could never in my tenure get all of my streets and sidewalks done, and so I need to be able to ask those state (elected officials), senators and my Cook County commissioners, because thats the next stop. Hey, how are we working together to make sure that every community looks good?' Taylor said. Tribune reporter Olivia Olander contributed. CANBERRA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Australia has told Israel that a major ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah would have a devastating impact. In a statement posted on social media on Wednesday night, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the federal government had reiterated to Israel its objections to expanded military action in Rafah and its support for a ceasefire deal. "More than half of Gaza's 2.3 million population are sheltering in Rafah, from the fighting elsewhere," Wong said. "The impacts on Palestinian civilians from an expanded military operation would be devastating." The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Monday ordered thousands of civilians in eastern Rafah to evacuate ahead of what it called a limited operation to eliminate Hamas fighters and dismantle infrastructure. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said a subsequent move by the IDF to seize the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing into Egypt would exacerbate an already dire humanitarian situation. In a statement issued on May 3, the World Health Organization said it was deeply concerned a full-scale military operation in Rafah could lead to a bloodbath. Wong on Tuesday said Australia's call remains for a humanitarian ceasefire to enable hostages to be released and unimpeded aid to flow. She said the Australian government supports the ongoing work of Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. to broker a deal. Youd be forgiven for losing track of the retribution shenanigans former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has been up to since he was ousted from Republican leadership and resigned from Congress. The booted speaker has been on a revenge tour of sorts since he left Washington at the beginning of the year. He and his allies have been hard at work recruiting, endorsing and helping fundraise for primary challengers to the former colleagues who voted strip him of his gavel, like Reps. Nancy Mace (R-SC) and Bob Good (R-VA). But hes saved his most fiery vengeance for Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who both made his speakership hell and initially filed the motion to vacate, which led to his ousting. McCarthy officially endorsed Gaetzs Republican primary challenger Aaron Dimmock in an interview with Politico published Wednesday. A close ally of McCarthys also admitted to the publication that theyd played a role in screening Dimmock ahead of his candidacy. In backing Dimmock, McCarthy officially hit the point of no return in his feud with Gaetz by comparing his former colleague to President Bidens son, the deadliest of the seven in the Republican-on-Republican cordiality handbook. Gaetz is the Hunter Biden of the Republican Party, McCarthy said. Hes got an opponent who is pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, trained at Pensacola, went to the Naval Academy and flew jets to defend us while Gaetz was getting kicked out of high school, buying coke and paying minors for sex. McCarthy was, of course, referring to the House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations of Gaetz drug use and sexual activity with a minor, among other things. That investigation, and the fact that McCarthy didnt quash it as speaker, was reportedly a major factor in Gaetz decision to push for his ousting. In response to the hate crime that is invoking Hunter, Gaetz essentially dared McCarthy to take things outside, as Republican Men are wont. I whooped Kevin McCarthy in Washington. I dont think hes going to fare better when Im playing home-field advantage in North Florida, he said. The Best Of TPM Today New from Khaya Himmelman on Trump and his allies efforts to set themselves up to challenge the election if Trump doesnt win in the fall: GOPers Desperate To Pin Blame For Potential Trump 2024 Loss On Non-Citizen Voters Wherever They Are Yesterdays Most Read Story Trump Loses Bid For Mistrial Before Cross-Examination Of Stormy Daniels Begins Josh Kovensky What We Are Reading When Trump Attacks Our Elections, We Will Have No Excuse Democracy Docket RFK Jr.s new hire who downplayed Jan. 6 appears to have been at the Capitol during the attack NBC News Worlds top climate scientists expect global heating to blast past 1.5C target The Guardian Students at C.K. McClatchy High School in Sacramento are getting a crash course in the First Amendment, while school administrators are hopefully learning a lesson of their own: Dont censor journalists. Opinion Last week, the student paper published a series of comments from students, including one praising Adolf Hitler. Then, administrators at Sacramento City Unified School District decided to violate students rights. Now, the student journalists are learning firsthand the importance of the First Amendment and all this is happening at a high school named for a long-ago editor of The Sacramento Bee. The comments appeared in the spring edition of the student newspaper, The Prospector, published two weeks ago. In a feature titled What did you say? promising to reveal some of the weirdest stuff overheard on campus, a student reported overhearing a classmate say: Hitlers got some good ideas. The comment happened in a government class and was overheard by one of the student editors of The Prospector, the newspapers faculty adviser Samantha Archuleta said. The student who made the comment is well-known among students and staff for making these types of remarks, she said, and the students involved in writing and editing the feature included it as an example of the atmosphere in the school right now, as the world grapples with the war in Gaza. (The students) wanted to use a variety (of quotes) to show how varied the climate is on our campus from minute to minute, Archuleta said. One moment they hear a harmless, funny, off-kilter statement, and in the same day they hear horrible things, like the Hitler quote. A comment overheard in a class about Hilter was reprinted in The Prospector student newspaper at C.K. McClatchy High School, sparking controversy and a meeting with local Jewish leaders. Journalism teacher has been suspended Archuleta was informed Tuesday evening that she was placed on administrative leave from the high school. She was made to relinquish her keys on Wednesday morning and told to have no further contact with her students or the school until the administration has made its decision. The allegations leveled against her include expressing insensitive comments toward students and staff, sharing confidential student information, failure to maintain a harassment-free class and environment and a lack of good judgment in the execution of professional duties. Thats absurd, said David Loy, legal director at the First Amendment Coalition, when I told him about Archuletas suspension. Education Code 48907 specifically prohibits retaliation against journalism advisors as well as students, and there is no credible way in which simply publishing a remark about Hitler constitutes harassment. California Education Code 48907 protects the right of student newspapers to publish anything they want, as long as the content isnt explicitly obscene, libelous or slanderous and doesnt incite students to violate any laws or school regulations. Its controversial, but thats what free speech is, Loy said of the students passing comment about Hitler. It is not harassment to simply publish newsworthy information that a student journalist overheard someone say. There is no world in which a newspaper or its editors should be punished for accurately reporting a newsworthy event, and student journalists are included in those legal protections under both the Education Code and the First Amendment. The student journalists and their instructor know the identity of the student who made Hitler comment and are confident that the comment was made. The purpose of its inclusion was not tacit approval, it was to provide a glimpse of McClatchys all-too-real campus culture. Instead of engaging the students and newspaper staff about a culture where these remarks are made without interference by teachers, McClatchy Principal Andrea Egan acted like an autocrat. She shut down dialogue and obliterated any chance for a teaching moment with her heavy-handed tactics. Egan stepped all over the First Amendment and demonized news gathering, student journalists and their instructor, who did nothing wrong. The fault here is with Egan, and this is a fight the Sacramento Unified School District will and should lose. Newspapers report on all kinds of things that are potentially dramatic, Loy said. That is the function of the press: To publish things that are of public concern. There is a student that said this and it is newsworthy information about the climate that exists in the school. I think they should be commended for publishing the news as they see it. Seeking comment, I exchanged emails with a Sacramento City Unified spokesman and left messages that have gone unanswered. Student media outlets across the nation have been at the forefront of good journalism in the past several weeks, as campus protests have become international news. The student journalists at Columbia University heroically continued to report the news as their campus was stormed by New York City police officers seeking to dismantle the schools pro-Palestine encampment there. The State Hornet at Sacramento State broke the news that school administrators there had agreed to refrain from investing in any corporations that profit from genocide, ethnic cleansing and activities that violate fundamental human rights. Student journalists are journalists, and they are protected as such. One face to students, another to parents Its been a week from hell, Archuleta wrote to me in an email. When Principal Egan came to my class to discuss this, she brought donuts, told them she was proud that they are continuing a great legacy and that she agreed with me, their adviser, that they should be able to write and print what they want, Archuleta wrote. (Egan) then said that she hoped, though, that they will be more sensitive and thoughtful about the choices they make so that their words dont cause harm. After Egan left the journalism class that day, Archuletas students were confused. Some of my student reporters asked if they were expected only to report things that make our schools image good, Archuleta said. Some kids also discussed whether it is more important to hide ugly things that happen on campus due to the political climate or expose the issues at our school. In a subsequent autodial message to parents, Egan said her 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. 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, Egan said in the call. Words have the power to cause harm. Unfortunately, some of the worst vitriol directed at the students on The Prospector has come from teachers and administrators at the school. Archuleta had to turn off the public comments on the student papers Instagram account after one teacher began arguing with student journalists in the comment threads. I got an email from a parent saying that I should not be around children, that I shouldnt be a teacher, that I am causing harm to the community and he will not be satisfied with just the sending of this letter, Archuleta said. He was essentially saying he was going to do more to get me punished for it. Someone else told Archuleta that Joan Didion a former student editor of The Prospector was rolling in her grave. Neither Archuleta nor her students endorse the comment they reported, but they are being treated by their employers, administrators and community as though they did. Ultimately, the only lesson these students should take away from this ordeal is that they did nothing wrong, and they have every right to report and publish what people say on campus. News is news. To the students at C.K. McClatchy High Schools journalism class, from one journalist to another: If the people in charge are mad at you, youre doing something right. Joan Didion would be extremely proud of you, and so am I. Meadowview man gets life sentence for 2023 murder of his wife WASHINGTON COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) The man who pleaded guilty to the 2023 killing of his wife in Washington County, Va. has been sentenced to life in prison. According to Commonwealths Attorney Joshua Cumbow, George William Morgan was sentenced on Thursday for the first-degree murder of his wife, Ava Morgan. Trial set for man accused of killing wife in Washington Co., Va. Ava Morgan, who served as a corrections officer at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail, was killed on Jan. 26, 2023 at the couples home in Meadowview. The Washington County Circuit Court also sentenced Morgan to an additional three years in prison for the use of a firearm in the commission of felony. His total sentence amounts to life in prison plus three years with no time suspended. A news release from Cumbows office states Morgan killed his wife at their home on Pocahontas Trail. Morgan reportedly told investigators that he had shot his wife, and a subsequent investigation by the Washington County, Virginia Sheriffs Office and Virginia State Police found Ava Morgan had been shot five times. Cumbow himself prosecuted the case. The release states Morgan was not offered a plea agreement but chose to plead guilty on Feb. 15, 2024. This was an unprovoked, cold-blooded killing that should never have happened, Cumbow said in a statement. On behalf of Ava Morgan and her family, I am glad that justice was served. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. Media find out details of Polish governments Council for Cooperation with Ukraine The Council for Cooperation with Ukraine, established under the Polish government, will have five thematic working groups and meet several times a year. Source: Ukrinform, citing a source in the Polish government, European Pravda reports Details: Ukrinform has information that the Council for Cooperation with Ukraine under the Polish government will include the following thematic groups: Group on Diplomatic Affairs, which will, in particular, prepare international conferences in support of Ukraine; Group to support Polish-Ukrainian cooperation in the field of self-government; Group on humanitarian cooperation with Ukraine, in particular in the fields of culture and history; Group for economic cooperation and contacts with business; Branch group of the Council in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship bordering Ukraine, which will deal with cross-border cooperation. The source told Ukrinform that the Council will meet two to three times a year to discuss Ukrainian-Polish relations and will serve as an advisory body to the Polish prime minister. The body has no Ukrainian analogue. The creation of the Council for Cooperation with Ukraine, a public body that will deal with bilateral relations and reconstruction, was announced in April of this year. The Council is headed by Pawel Kowal, the Commissioner for the Restoration of Ukraine in the Polish government. The former Polish ambassador to Ukraine and member of the Sejm was appointed the Polish government`s commissioner for Ukraine's recovery at the beginning of the year, after Prime Minister Donald Tusk came to power. Support UP or become our patron! This building on Thru Parkway Drive in the Erie Station Business Park is expected to open in the fall as the Al Wadood Academy. A soon-to-be vacant call center in a West Henrietta industrial park will shortly take on a new purpose. The Al Wadood Academy next month will ask the Town Boards permission to open a pre-K-12, college prep school at 250 Thruway Park Drive. The location, inside the Erie Business Park, is allegorical of the school visionarys approach to life lessons: whats around you isnt as important as whats in you. What is Al Wadood Academy? Mimi Enadeghe, Al Wadoods founder, CEO and president, said theres a lot of need and a call for moral-based, Islamic-centered education. Our community has been for lack of a better term forced to do a lot of damage control in the sense of doing our very best to give proper guidance to our children to be a great asset to the community and to the public, she said. The non-Muslim community often sees Islam through a disconnected and misinformed lens, Enadeghe said. We come with peace and tranquility. Mimi Enadeghe poses in downtown Rochester on April 23, 2024. A single mother of three, Enadeghe is heading up a new school in the fall. The Al Wadood Academy is expected to be the areas first school aimed at Muslims for students from pre-K through 12th grade. Emigrating from Nigeria in the 1990s, Enadeghes path led her from California to Rochester roughly a decade ago. This single mother of three said shes faced significant adversity, including a period of homelessness. This has definitely been a journey, Enadeghe said of starting a school from scratch. From a person who went from being homeless with my 2-year-old, relying on God and only God himself, Im a walking testament that you must live in a way that is pleasing to God. More: RCSD to rename School 33 for Iris Banister New school set to open in Henrietta NY The school will be a first-of-its-kind. Set to open in September if all of the permits and approvals go through, Al Wadood would be the Rochester areas only school for Muslims that carries students from pre-kindergarten through high school. With an estimated 25,000 Muslims in the area, Enadeghe believes her school is positioned to fill a gap in the public education system. More than 150 students are already on the schools waiting list and Enadeghe expects that list of initial applicants to swell beyond the 210 students Al Wadood to begin classes in the fall. Students dont have to be Muslim; we are open to anyone looking for a moral-based education. Enadeghe, whos pursuing her bachelors in public administration, hopes the schools legacy is forged in its beginnings and that its future extends from generation to generation. This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Meet the woman behind proposed school for Muslims Megyn Kelly sharply criticized South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) on Wednesday for writing an inaccurate account of a supposed meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in her new book and for changing her story repeatedly amid the fallout from a separate passage that details Noem shooting and killing and her dog. Noem has been repeatedly pressed about the books passage in which she describes meeting with the North Korean leader, but she has declined to say that the account is false even though the passage has since been redacted. She has instead insisted that I dont talk about personal meetings with world leaders, and that, When this was brought to my attention, I immediately took actions and asked to have his name removed. Noem repeated the same response when asked how she did not notice the error when recording the audiobook. In an interview on NewsNations Elizabeth Vargas Reports, Kelly responded to Noems positioning on the issue, saying, She wrote it, read it, endorsed it and tried to sell it. She got caught because she didnt think the rest of us were smart enough to figure out: Its a big deal to meet with Kim Jong Un, Kelly continued. Its a very small collection of Americans who have done it, and some no-name congresswoman from South Dakota which is what she was at the time would not be on the list. So she did read it, and she did that because she wanted to mislead us, which is par for the course now for this woman. Shes been exposed, Kelly added. Kelly also criticized Noem for the way she has handled the backlash to a separate part of her back, in which she talks about shooting her dog. Kelly noted that Noem at first said the dog killed some chickens, but, over time, Noem increasingly began characterizing the dog as an immediate threat to the safety of her children. She bragged about it and then lied when she realized us normies werent too pro all the murders, Kelly said. Kelly said two months ago, she thought Noem was this rising star within the Republican Party, noting Noem has a compelling personal story living on a ranch and losing her dad in a tragic accident. Now, however, Kelly said she thinks Noem once seen as a contender for former President Trumps vice-presidential pick is so done. Shes done. Shes toast. Trump, say what you will about him, is not dumb, and he knows shes a loser, and she will hurt his ticket and violate the No. 1 rule the only rule in picking a vice president, which is do no harm. Where is Trump struggling the most? With suburban, married women. How are they going to react to this lying, dog-killing person? Kelly said, before proceeding to criticize Noems appearance. I do think these women are gonna revolt. They are not going to vote for her. The Hill has reached out to Noems office for a response. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Dozens of people, including nurses and American Red Cross volunteers, attended a dedication ceremony Tuesday for the new Clara Barton Memorial along the Hagerstown Cultural Trail. The base of the sculpture notes that Barton was known for being the "Angel of the Battlefield." She aided injured soldiers during the Civil War's Battle of Antietam in southern Washington County and later founded the American Red Cross. The memorial was unveiled Tuesday, during National Nurses Week, near Park Circle in Hagerstown. Renowned sculptor Toby Mendez, a Washington County resident, created the bronze sculpture that depicts Barton giving aid to an injured soldier. High school baseball: Clear Spring enters playoffs as CMC Small School co-champion following tie with Brunswick Clara Barton's role at the Battle of Antietam The crowd helps unveil the Clara Barton Memorial sculpture, created by Toby Mendez, during the dedication ceremony on Tuesday in Hagerstown. Mendez told the crowd that days before the Battle of Antietam, Barton received a note that simply said "Harpers Ferry," then in Virginia, according to a video of the ceremony the City of Hagerstown posted on Facebook. Barton got permission from the Army to follow soldiers and be on the battlefield during fighting so she could aid wounded soldiers, according to presenters. Barton rode a wagon to Urbana and got word the fighting was near Boonsboro, so she headed that way, Mendez said. She arrived in the area, having bypassed a Union caravan, with medical supplies, food and lanterns for surgeons to continue their work at night. She arrived as the surgeons had run out of bandages and were instead using corn husks, Mendez said. Images of corn husks and corn stalks are on the ground in the sculpture to symbolize Barton bringing bandages, he said. What else do we know about Clara Barton? Members of the crowd around the Clara Barton Memorial photograph the sculpture after it was unveiled Tuesday during a dedication ceremony along the Hagerstown Cultural Trail. Clarissa Harlowe Barton was born in Oxford, Mass., on Christmas Day in 1821, said speaker Stacy McFarland, executive director of the Greater Shenandoah Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross. She excelled in school and, as a youngster, served as nurse for her brother, McFarland said. Barton secured public education for children while a teacher, advocated in the 1800s for equal pay for women, cared for wounded soldiers on Civil War battlefields and established a national office to help families locate missing Civil War soldiers. Internet connectivity: As Maryland expands broadband buildout, low-income internet benefits are disappearing She put her job in the U.S. Patent Office in Washington, D.C., on hold when the Civil War began so she could volunteer to provide nursing care and deliver supplies to battlefields and field hospitals, said Erica Mani, CEO of the American Red Cross' Appalachian Region. After the war, Barton went to Europe for rest and ended up meeting with representatives of the International Red Cross who inspired her to found the American Red Cross in 1881, Mani said. She also advocated for the U.S. government to sign the Treaty of Geneva in 1882. Why is the Clara Barton Memorial in Hagerstown? Sculptor Toby Mendez looks at a maquette, or smaller scale model, of the Clara Barton Memorial he created. The larger memorial was unveiled Tuesday near Park Circle in Hagerstown. Al Martin, a member of the memorial committee, said via phone Wednesday that National Park Service regulations don't allow new monuments on their property. Antietam National Battlefield, scene of the Battle of Antietam where Barton aided wounded soldiers, is about 12 miles south of Hagerstown. A local group has been hoping to establish a memorial to Barton for decades, Martin said. Since Hagerstown is the county seat, the memorial was set along the city's Cultural Trail. Because of Mendez's reputation, having him attached to the project gave it "tremendous credibility," Martin said. How was the memorial paid for? More than $750,000 was raised for the memorial, so it is fully paid, Martin said. However, fundraising continues to establish an endowment through the Community Foundation of Washington County to pay for future maintenance of the memorial. Among the contributors to the memorial are the city, which provided the land for the memorial. Other sizable donations included $50,000 each from Washington County government and Visit Hagerstown, through hotel/motel-room tax revenue, and a $65,000 grant through the Heritage Area, which includes the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area. Political notebook: 6th District candidate drops out, Mikulski backs Alsobrooks for Senate A state bond bill secured $250,000 for the project, Martin said. Other contributors include Jan Rinehart; Howard Kaylor and his late wife, Anne; the Nora Roberts Foundation; WellSpan Health; Meritus Health; the Groh Family Foundation; the Delaplaine Foundation; the Irving M. Einbinder Charitable Foundation; the Maryland State Arts Council, and the Washington County Arts Council. This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: American Red Cross founder Clara Barton memorialized in Hagerstown For the thousands of people who survived the Maui fires last August, the trauma of what they lived through still lingers. Lahaina painter Kirk Boes and his wife Laura have lived on Lahaina together for more than 40 years. They evacuated on August 8, only to return three days later. They were overwhelmed with grief at the destruction left behind. There's the initial disbelief, just denial, Boes told ABC News. I wasn't even registering what I was seeing. Then it hit me. What really did happen. PHOTO: Maui Strong 808 (ABC News) Nearly half of the victims in the Lahaina fire died in Boes neighborhood, known as Kuhua Camp. Many of those victims were found on Boes dead-end street. We lost 19 of our neighbors just in this five house radius right here. People that I've been waving to hello to for a decade, Boes said, pointing to neighboring homes. Kirk said he became separated from his wife on August 8, as he ran ahead of their car to find a safe evacuation route. He said they eventually found each other near the Banyan Tree. When you go through something this heavy, it brings you together, but it's also like your nerves are raw, he said. MORE: Maui Strong 808: 6 months later, police review response to deadly fires Laura Boes lost many animals in the fire. She cried every night, sometimes twice a day for six months, Boes said about his wife. For months Kirk suffered from flashbacks and sleepless nights. Eventually the couple sought therapy from a close friend to regain a state of health or well being, or olakino in the Hawaiian language. The cornerstone of healing for the Boes family is rooted in faith. Kirk was once angry at officials for not sounding the sirens and possibly preventing loss of life. He said he later found a piece of Scripture about forgiveness in the debris of his home. And wow, it's like a switch went on in my life that day, and I began to pray for all those people that I was really angry with, Boes said. I want them to know that I forgive them, right? Because when I forgave them, I was able to move into healing. The pain of losing someone deepens with distance for Kathleen Hennricks, who lives in Oregon. Her sister Rebecca Becky Ann Rans died in the fire with her partner Doug Gloege, a few blocks from the Boes home. Rans, 57, was a mother of three boys. My sister was a, I always call her a free spirit, because she was somebody that went her own path, Hennricks told ABC. I know that she absolutely was absolutely the best mother to her boys that she knew how to be and was just such a caring and giving person. Hennricks said she has found comfort leaning on people who have also suffered in the tragedy. VIDEO: Maui Strong 808: Children search for hope and healing after wildfires (ABCNews.com) There are so many other people that have been affected by this tragedy, and there is most definitely comfort. And I know that I have found a huge comfort with the people that love my sister. And I think that that does kind of help fill that void just a little bit, is talking to the people that knew her and loved her and hearing stories that I had never heard before. It was like her being here at times. Kathleen Hennricks said she has also coped with the loss through art therapy. One of the things that I do if I'm having a rough day is I do watercolor painting. I really enjoy just getting into my office and just painting and I know that that's something that she enjoyed as well, Hennricks said. It gives me that ability to connect with her, fill that void a little bit. Rans family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the state, the county of Maui, Hawaiian Electric, and the largest private landholder in Hawaii. They claim overgrown vegetation on unkept land, aging electrical infrastructure, and the countys lack of emergency preparation contributed to Rans death. Boes has also filed a lawsuit. In statements to ABC News, both the county of Maui and the Hawaii State Attorney General office told ABC News they do not comment on pending litigation, and said the ATF and Maui Fire and Public Safety Department are conducting an investigation into the cause." Hawaiian Electric declined to comment on the lawsuit, but in an August statement wrote the morning fire appeared to have been caused by power lines that fell in high winds, and was later declared extinguished by Maui County Fire Department. The statement claims a second fire in the afternoon began in the same area, after their power lines had been de-energized for more than six hours, and its cause has not been determined. Hennricks also submitted written testimony to Congress. Our quest for justice has been, on top of the grief. I think the grief is what drives the quest for justice, Hennricks said. It's the fact that we lost her is obviously detrimental. The after effects, the knowing that this could have been prevented, the knowing how many people were affected during this event, has just been catastrophic. It's hard enough to grieve over somebody that you've lost, but to know that so many people that were affected continue to be affected, I think has been probably one of the most devastating things of all. And we want answers, she said. The fires on Maui not only left behind a trail of physical destruction, but an invisible one, too. With suicide rates rising nearly 16% among Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders from 2021-2022, mental health continues to be a big concern on Maui, especially since all but one full-service medical facility in Lahaina was destroyed. And the housing shortage and lack of safe spaces for those living with mental health issues has exacerbated the problem on Maui, according to Nicole Hokoana, CEO of Maui Behavioral Health Resources. MBHR operates 3 nonprofits that offer mental health services and substance use treatment across the island. The people that we see and have been working with have already been living with, right living with these types of struggles, so the fires really just made everything worse, she said. Its really hard to be well on Maui right now, said Hokoana. Hawaii State House Representative Elle Cochran, who represents West Maui, agreed. Where is the light at the end of the tunnel? Where is the ray of hope? I mean, where's the help? And people are frustrated and they feel like, there's a lot of people just made it through COVID. They just finally got back on their feet, they finally got to rebuild their lives, businesses, what have you, and now this happens. Hawaii was awarded $17 million in federal funding for mental health support shortly after the August fires. And since July 2022, Hawaii has operated the nations first state legislated Office of Wellness and Resilience; its aim is to make Hawaii a trauma-informed state and break down barriers that impact health. OWR offers mental health programs at the resorts where displaced victims are sheltered including music therapy. Cochran says community outreach is crucial, including to just get out and be boots on the ground literally and walk the beaches, go to the parks, go to the tent cities and what have you, to the hotels. David Kawika Mattos group, Maui Family Support Services Kane Connections, regularly line the streets of Maui and wave signs to encourage residents to talk about mental health and prevent suicide. Mattos also hosts a mens group at a resort shelter to help men process their trauma, but also move forward and to support each other and continue to grow as men and fathers. Cochran said, I heard from quite a few males that, 'it's hard,' but yet no one looks at them as they should having these types of feelings. And then looking at parents having to be strong and stand up and not fight from breaking down in front of their children, that was also a really huge challenge. Another outreach team caring for the Maui community is the Pulama na Ohana Team. When we were so fortunate as to get some extra funding, because this is outside of what we typically do, what we wanted to do was recruit a team of people that are of Lahaina, of Maui, Hokoana said. Already connected, already serving, people that are trustworthy in the community. Su-Lynn Pohai Kaihewalu, a care coordinator on the team, said that trust is everything, and often it can begin with supplying food or water. We gotta remember what the common goal is and its to supply our people with their needs. Get stability first, and then they can work on their mental health, she said. Adri Haia is also a care coordinator on the team, and leads a womens circle, or wahine circle. She says there is a stigma around getting mental health on Maui. We've been taught to hold it in, be strong, figure it out, and when you really need help, and because you've built that armor up, it's so hard to receive, Haia said. It's so hard to ask for help. With limited resources, mental health experts on Maui are trying to meet people where they are and tailor treatments. Not only are we a very multicultural, multilingual community, but I think we've learned from disasters in other communities, that people need different resources. We don't all heal in the same way. And indigenous healing was often communal healing, Hokoana said. It's really important to be open-minded and to be person-centered or community-centered, and listen to the people who have been most impacted, and try to deliver a wide range of services. One of the services offered on Maui is equine therapy. Every Wednesday Ronda Pali receives a ride from a local transportation company, to travel two hours away from Lahaina, and receive trauma informed care. She is in her tenth session, trying to cope with the trauma of losing her home in the fire, in addition to heart issues. MORE: Maui's women take lead in projects to help land and residents recovering after wildfires The thought of the rebuild of Lahaina is overwhelming. It's definitely a source of strain and worry and fear, Pali said. Coming here is helping me keep things in perspective and it's giving me the sense that I am being cared for. My needs are met 100%. I am loved, I have purpose and I feel grounded. Spirit Horse Ranch has held more than 950 sessions for survivors looking to heal and recover. Rondas individualized therapy includes a self-regulation breathing technique, and deep connection work with her horse Beauty. Sometimes she'll turn around and put her face right in my face, Pali said. It brings me so much joy when she acknowledges me. We don't get that nurturing that we need for love. So the horses provide this connection through working with them over time, to reconnect to the persons self and then to another, which is the horse. And then also detach. How many times do we hold onto things that are not healthy? Relationships, jobs, places? So that's a big part of what we do, DePonte said. They also offer equine-assisted learning activities. We have about 20 different activities that we use in different various forms with the horses to unearth the trauma, heal it in real time with the horse as their partner, DePonte said. They love to help nudge the client, nurture the client, hold the client accountable. They'll stomp their foot and say, "You're not telling the truth." And spur them on a little bit. They wind them down, they build them up. It's incredible. Pali is also trying an alternative therapy technique called brainspotting. We have seen a lot of pain and confusion and loss. So brainspotting helps go through the ocular nerves into an inner resource part of the brain. It's called the reptilian part of the brain, where our memories are stored, our trauma's stored. And using various different techniques, a pointer or gaze spotting to direct and find an activation point, we can lock into very deep trauma that might be creating the reaction today, that fight, flight, or freeze. So if we unlock that, that trigger is no longer apparent, it's no longer holding them hostage, DePonte said. Pali said she can feel a difference. I feel loads of tension coming out of me every time I come here, she said. Mental health support at crucial point for fire survivors on Maui originally appeared on abcnews.go.com COLOMBO, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Forty-six percent of women and 10 percent of school children in Sri Lanka are obese, state media reported on Thursday, quoting Secretary to the Ministry of Health Palitha Mahipala. Speaking at a lecture to educate journalists from state media institutions, Mahipala said that 89 percent of deaths in Sri Lanka are caused by non-communicable diseases such as cancer, heart disease, lung disease and diabetes. Obesity is a major factor in non-communicable diseases, Mahipala said. Most of the Sri Lankans die due to heart disease and stroke, he added. I am doing a couple interviews this week to provide a Republican perspective on New Mexico politics in 2024. That might seem amusing to some of you who perceive New Mexico as a Democratic state. But as I gathered my thoughts ahead of these interviews, I realized that for the last 50 years until 2018, New Mexico has never been an entirely Democrat or Republican state, but always a mix. At its heart, I think it still is. As of March 2024, the Secretary of States voter registration numbers attest to this fact. No one party has a majority of voters. 43.3% of voters are registered as Democrats, 31.1% as Republicans, and 23.5% as independent or as we call it in New Mexico decline to state. The remaining 2% are registered with another, smaller party. Merritt Hamilton Allen For many years, Republicans held many or most statewide offices, while Democrats controlled the legislature and the governors office flipped around except for a long streak in the 1970s and 1980s when it was solidly Democrat. During the 1980s and 1990s, the majority of our Congressional delegation was Republican: we sent one Republican and one Democrat Senator and two Republican and one Democrat members of the House to Washington. Clearly, no one was voting a straight party ticket. We kept this balance largely until 2018. I was covering Election Night that year for NM PBS KNME TV, and we saw race after race being called for Democrat candidates. One of my co-correspondents called it a blue wave; I replied it was a blue tsunami. Just four years before, Republicans took control of the state House of Representatives for the first time in history. That night in 2018, the GOP lost nearly every legislative seat in Albuquerque, and nearly every statewide race, including governors race and the 2nd Congressional District. What happened? The short version of the story is that MAGA and far-right extremism dont win elections in New Mexico. Elections in New Mexico are won in the middle, as our mixed slate of elected officials for the last five decades would attest. In 2018, the state Republican Party made a decided shift to the right and made then-President Trump a key element of the platform. RPNM also leaned into the emerging rural-urban divide, focusing efforts in the southern part of the state and rural counties in general. Thing is, you cant win statewide races without Albuquerque. The numbers just dont support you. Undaunted, the state GOP doubled down on this strategy in 2020 and 2022 with similar results. Republican voter registration has not changed significantly since 2018, either. The message isnt working. The Democrats dont exactly have a mandate, either. They simply have a more palatable, if not ideal platform. And because we do not allow independents to vote in our primaries, more extreme candidates from both parties are able to be more successful, since they do not have to come to the center to earn independent votes. (Taxpayer funded elections should not bar entire categories of registered voters from participating in those elections. This is one person, one vote stuff, dear reader.) The most interesting outcome of the elimination of the Republican Party as a credible political threat in New Mexico is the fracturing of the Democratic Party into different factions. A growing progressive movement among the Democrats has met growing resistance from pro-business Democrats. This year that resistance is taking PAC form with the announcement by Jeff Apodaca that The New Mexico Project, his anti-progressive political action committee, has raised close to $1 million to amplify Latino and moderate Democrat voices. Apodaca is the son of former Governor Jerry Apodaca and a well-known businessman. Bottom line, Apodacas goal is to push the Democratic caucus back to the center. The New Mexico Project website notes that Latinos in NM are underserved in the Legislature and underrepresented in voter registration with more than 60% of the Latino population not registered to vote. If Apodacas PAC moves the needle on this latter statistic, the impact on the 2024 election will be considerable, given our majority-minority demographics. I dont see much change from RPNM in the 2024 campaign season, so the best chance New Mexicans have of seeing their elected officials move back to the center will be Apodacas and other like-minded Democrats efforts. Opening primaries to independent voters failed again this year in the Legislature. Id like to see some Republican wins in the state this year to be sure. Lacking a robust challenger in the state House and Senate, the Democratic caucus has failed to bring forward meaningful legislative packages to improve how New Mexicans live, work and raise their families. Yet, Republicans remain fixated on ideological litmus tests and telling us how awful Democrats are instead of offering real solutions to the states problems that would grow our numbers of voters and help our candidates win. As a result, Republicans have little power to add to the conversation. Red or blue New Mexicans agree on one thing: we want better government and are willing to vote outside party lines to get it. Party chairs and candidates should remember this. Merritt Hamilton Allen is a PR executive and former Navy officer. She appeared regularly as a panelist on NM PBS and is a frequent guest on News Radio KKOB. A Republican, she lives amicably with her Democratic husband north of I-40 where they run one head of dog, and two of cat. She can be reached at news.ind.merritt@gmail.com. This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Merritt Hamilton: New Mexico is neither a blue nor a red state TechCrunch Starship is ready to fly again and for the first time, SpaceX is going to try to bring the booster back to the launch site to catch it with a pair of oversized "chopsticks." SpaceX will launch the mammoth Starship on Sunday in a launch window that opens at 5 AM PST (7 AM local time) from the companys Starbase site in southeast Texas. This flight, which will be the fifth in the Starship development program, is coming a little sooner than expected: the Federal Aviation Administration had previously said that it did not anticipate issuing a modified launch license for this test before late November. A growing group of South Florida artists are raising the alarm after local nonprofit Oolite Arts removed a public artwork over complaints of alleged hate speech and political content. Miami visual artist Vu Hoang Khanh Nguyen, who goes by Vu and uses they/them pronouns, posted a statement online this week about the removal, which they said amounts to censorship. In response, South Florida artists and arts professionals are calling for accountability and have postponed an art exhibition at Oolites Lincoln Road location that was supposed to open this week in solidarity with Vu. The artwork in question, called How we live like water, had been on display in the window of a Miami Beach Walgreens since March 27. (Walgreens and Oolite Arts have partnered to display artwork in two storefront windows since 1999 for a program called Windows @ Walgreens.) Miami artist Vu Hoang Khanh Nguyens artwork on display at a Miami Beach Walgreens was removed by arts nonprofit Oolite Art after recieving complaints about a portion of the work referencing the pro-Palestinian phrase from the river to the sea. The work was removed after it had been on view sinch March 27. An image of the work was shared on a written statement Vu posted online about the incident. Part of the artwork subtly references the pro-Palestinian phrase from the river to the sea, which pro-Israel supporters refer to as anti-Semitic hate speech that calls for violence against Jews. According to Vus statement, Oolite decided to remove the artwork on May 3 after the Board of Directors received a letter from a group of lawyers that took offense to the art. Oolite did not consult with Vu about the artworks removal until after the fact, the artist said. The arbitrary removal of my artwork sets a dangerous precedent for censorship within contemporary arts institutions and sends a chilling message to artists everywhere that we are not free to express ourselves, Vu wrote. We cannot allow censorship to become the norm within artistic communities, nor can we condone actions that stifle creativity and silence marginalized voices. Alongside Vus statement is an open letter signed by a list of South Florida artists and others working in the arts who disagree with Oolites removal of the artwork and urge the organization to reconsider. As of publication, the letter has over 300 signatures. The artists many of whom have their studios at Oolite locations or have worked with the organization before are demanding transparency from Oolite on its decision, a town hall to discuss the matter and for Board Chair Marie Elena Angulo to step down. The artists letter reads: Art should be a space for exploration, dialogue, and mutual understanding, not a battleground for censorship and suppression. We believe that as a well-respected and well-funded institution, Oolite Arts has a responsibility to uphold artistic freedom and resist censorship. In a statement sent to the Herald, the Oolite Arts Board of Trustees said it is committed to evaluating our decision-making in this matter and to put in place policies so that artists we work with have clear guidelines and expectations. The board will work with an independent consultant to review the incident and provide recommendations for the future, the statement said. The Oolite Arts Board of Trustees deeply regrets that the removal of Vu Hoang Khanh Nguyens artwork has offended some in our community, and that its contents offended others in our community. We believe strongly in the right to artistic expression, but the particular phrase highlighted in this piece is perceived by many as a literal call for violence against them, the board said. As an organization that exists for artists, we do wish we had taken more time to have deeper conversations with the artist, our staff and other stakeholders about the work and our decision. The controversy in Miamis close knit arts community comes at a time of heightened tensions and criticisms nationally and internationally over the Israel-Hamas war. After the militant group attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking over 200 hostage, Israel responded with airstrikes and ground military invasions into Gaza, killing an estimated 34,000 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, as reported by the Associated Press. The head of the United Nations food agency recently said that northern Gaza is experiencing full-blown famine. This isnt the first time a Miami arts institution has removed an artwork related to Palestinian people. In March, Hyperallergic reported that the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami quietly removed a portrait of the Palestinian-American scholar Edward Said and later re-installed the piece. Behind the art In their statement, Vu explained that Oolite approved the art installation Oct. 5 to be on display this year. The artwork was supposed to be on view at the Walgreens on 67th Street and Collins Avenue until June 16. (The Herald reached out to Vu for comment but did not receive a response.) A page on Oolites website about How we live like water likened the artwork to a visual network that illuminates the elemental power of water, emphasizing its unifying force that transcends borders and cultures. The description goes on to explain that the artwork explores how water provides life and is a force of change in the face of profound global shifts, including instances of mass upheaval, genocide and ecocide. The full installation includes pottery, fishing net and paintings. Then there is the point of contention: the use of the phrase from the river to the sea. Instead of the word river, there is an image Vu took of the Jordan River. Instead of the word sea, there is an image of the Atlantic Ocean, which Vu took in Miami Beach. Vu was born in a rural part of Vietnam and immigrated to the United States with their family as a child. According to the artists open letter, Vu is a child of refugees who were displaced due to American intervention in the region. The open letter also draws a comparison between the anti-Vietnam War protests of the 1960s to the current protests on college campuses against the war in Gaza. Vus artwork references water as a site of struggle for all oppressed peoples, the open letter reads. The work invokes the phrase from the river to the sea as a reminder to viewers that water is a precious, borderless resource that connects us all. Vu said the removed artwork is an expression of solidarity with oppressed people of the world and a call for peace and justice in the face of ongoing injustices. Though Oolite had green lit Vus installation months prior, Vu wrote the interim co-director said the board decided that the artwork was in violation of the organizations Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion code. Vus statement and the artists open letter place blame squarely on the Board of Directors and its chair, Angulo. Oolite Arts did not give me the opportunity to engage in dialogue or to further clarify my intention behind my artwork, Vu said. Somebody picked a side The artworks removal shocked Chire Regans, the renowned Miami-based artist also known as VantaBlack. Regans said shes very familiar with Oolite and has rapport with numerous staff members. Shes currently an artist-in-residence at Oolite, has been featured in Oolite exhibitions and has received several awards from the organization. In 2020, Oolite presented her with the inaugural Ellies Social Justice Award. Regans is one of 17 Oolite artists-in-residence featured in Everything is a Spiral, an exhibition curated by Dejha Carrington. The artists and curator collectively decided to postpone the show, which was scheduled to open on May 8. She learned about the removal in a groupchat with fellow artists last Friday and immediately reached out to an Oolite staff member to ask about it. The staffer said Angulo made the decision, so Regans spoke with her, too. In their conversation, Regans said, Angulo said that Oolite and Walgreens partnership cannot platform political art. Regans took issue with that reasoning because artwork centering politically charged issues like book bans and immigration have been displayed in Walgreens windows before, she said. A staff member told Regans that Oolite had received complaints from the public about previous art installations, but they always fielded those complaints and quashed the concern without removal of the artwork. It shows me that somebody picked a side, Regans said about the removal. Somebody decided to stifle collective dialogue. When you stifle dialogue, you stifle freedom, you stifle expression, you stifle voices. That isnt beneficial to anyone. The boards decision was a kneejerk reaction, and the situation was handled improperly, Regans added. She disagrees with the notion that Vus installation was hate speech, describing the work as absolutely beautiful. Regans hopes to see Oolite host an open forum to listen to artists concerns and feedback. I hope the arts community understands that power is perception. Power lies where you think it resides, Regans said. If you think that us, as a community of artists, are powerful, than we absolutely are. These institutions that claim to serve artists do not exist without our active participation. This story was produced with financial support from individuals and Berkowitz Contemporary Arts in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work. Miami commissioners are not yet ready to accept a new voting map as part of a settlement in a racial gerrymandering lawsuit, expressing concerns that the proposed map wouldnt guarantee diversity of elected officials, adding further delay to contentious legal battle. In a 4-0 vote, the Miami City Commission on Thursday deferred a vote on the settlement to the May 23 meeting, with some members saying it was too important of a decision to make without the presence of Commissioner Damian Pardo, who is out of the country for a previously planned engagement. Reached by phone after the vote, Pardo said he was disappointed in the commissions decision to defer. He pointed out that he was the commissioner who sponsored a resolution for the settlement in January. My position has been very clear, Pardo said. I would have certainly voted in favor of the settlement. Chairwoman Christine King took a similar position. I am ready to move forward with it, she told her colleagues, adding that Thursdays vote should have been simply a procedural item because commissioners had previously agreed on the terms in a shade meeting. This map shows all three versions of Miami district maps used since 2022. The colored portions highlight the boundaries in the proposed lawsuit settlement. The black lines show the boundaries that were in place in 2022, which prompted the lawsuit, and the white lines represent the boundaries the commission passed in June 2023 and a judge approved to use for the 2023 election. Dave's Redistricting/Ana Claudia Chacin But Commissioners Manolo Reyes and Joe Carollo expressed hesitancy, saying they feared the proposed new map wouldnt guarantee ethnic diversity on the commission. Our city should be equally represented, and thats my big concern about this. Im concerned about the future of the city of Miami, Reyes said. The new map had been agreed upon by both sides as part of a proposed settlement in a federal lawsuit against the city filed by voting rights activists represented by the American Civil Liberties Union. The settlement required City Commission approval. READ MORE: More Democrats here, more Republicans there: How Miamis voting districts are changing Last month, U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore ruled in the case that Miamis voting map was racially gerrymandered and ordered the city to toss it out. Before the ruling, commissioners had openly stated that the voting map was drawn to ensure the five-member commission comprised three Hispanic, one white and one Black commissioner to guarantee racial diversity of the boards membership a policy that Moore said violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. A Miami Herald analysis of the proposed new map showed it would lead to only minor changes to the racial makeup of the citys five voting districts, maintaining Hispanic supermajorities in Districts 1, 3 and 4, and a Black majority in District 5. In a statement to the Herald, the ACLU said it was disappointed in the postponement. We hoped that after the ruling by the U.S. District Court the City would want to resolve this matter expeditiously and look forward towards the development of a new and racially equitable redistricting process, said spokesman Howard Simon. Our clients fought for district lines that were fair to the communities that make-up our multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural City, Simon continued. And we fought to improve democracy in Miami by requiring the use of district maps that are fair and not racially discriminatory. Carollo said Thursday that he wanted a chance to compare the map to two previously proposed versions that came about during the settlement talks. King countered that officials had already been provided with that information prior to the meeting. The legal implications for deferring the settlement approval werent immediately clear. Attorney Christopher Johnson, outside counsel for the city, said the city is supposed to give the court a briefing on the status of the settlement discussion next week. He said the judge has paused the case for now but that its possible the judge will not continue the stay. The remedial process could involve the commission redrawing the map, Johnson said. At that point, the judge could accept or reject the citys proposed map, or draw his own. Under the current proposed settlement, the city would agree to pay the plaintiffs nearly $1.6 million in attorneys fees. Johnson said that figure was lower than the approximately $2 million the ACLU had originally requested. The proposed settlement also stipulated that the city would not need to hold a special election for the incumbent commissioners as a result of the redrawn map. However, Johnson said its possible for that to change because commissioners delayed the settlement approval. Carollo said he believed the city had an excellent chance of overturning this in an appeal. Johnson said that, if the city takes that route, it would need to file an appeal by tomorrow. Two prominent 2020 election deniers in Michigan were charged Wednesday with allegedly tampering with election equipment and sharing voter data with an unauthorized third-party. The defendants are former Adams Township clerk Stephanie Scott and pro-Trump attorney Stefanie Lambert, who is already facing charges in a separate election-tampering case in Michigan. Lambert also recently made news for publicly leaking emails from Dominion Voting Systems as part of her ongoing efforts to discredit the 2020 presidential election results. Scott was charged with six crimes, and Lambert was charged with three. Both women are accused of felonies, including conspiracy, and giving unauthorized access to a computer. Their alleged actions in Adams Township were one of several incidents across the nation including in Georgia, Colorado and Pennsylvania where prosecutors say Trump allies breached voting systems in hopes of proving that the 2020 election was rigged. Many are now facing criminal charges. Stefanie Lambert has not violated the law, her attorney Daniel Hartman said, adding that she remains steadfast in her efforts to bring transparency to the peoples election data, processes and procedures. Lambert has pleaded not guilty in her separate election-related criminal case. CNN could not immediately identify an attorney for Scott. She has previously denied wrongdoing regarding her handling of sensitive voting equipment in the 2020 election. The charges were filed by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, whose office has aggressively investigated and prosecuted the GOP attempts to subvert the 2020 election. When elected officials and their proxies use their positions to promote baseless conspiracies, show blatant disregard for voter privacy, and break the law in the process, it undermines the very essence of the democratic process, Nessel said in a statement announcing the charges. Nessels separate case against Michigans fake pro-Trump electors from 2020 is ongoing, and former President Donald Trump was recently named as a co-conspirator in that investigation. Beyond the Michigan case, Lambert is expected to appear in Washington, DC, federal court next week, in connection with Dominions defamation lawsuit against her client, ex-Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne. Dominion wants Lambert removed from the case because she leaked their private data. This story has been updated with additional details. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Kaitlyn Joshua speaks at a discussion with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel in Lansing about threats to reproductive health care on May 7, 2024. (Photo: Anna Liz Nichols/Michigan Advance) Two women from southern states talked to the Michigan Advance recently about the trauma of being denied medical care as they were losing their pregnancies following the fall of Roe v. Wade. Amanda Zurawski of Texas and Kaitlyn Joshua of Louisiana said they both wanted to get pregnant. Zurawski went through what she described as a grueling year of fertility treatments which ended tragically when the pregnancy she fought so hard for had catastrophic complications at just 18 weeks. But Texas has a near total abortion ban. Zurawski said she was told by her doctor that her life had to be in danger before they could deliver her daughter before the point of viability, effectively an abortion. She endured two bouts of sepsis before she could get an abortion. The damage from the experience has left her likely unable to carry a future pregnancy. I have been put in this position because of what happened to me as a result of the ban that is in place in Texas, Zurawski told the Advance. The emotional and the psychological toll that takes, I cant speak to that enough. Its just been, Im doing much better now, but for a while it was crippling. Zurwaskis story about nearly dying after her 2022 miscarriage is now the subject of a new TV ad from President Joe Bidens reelection campaign. Because [former President] Donald Trump killed Roe v. Wade, Amanda was denied standard medical care to prevent infection, an abortion, the ad says. She almost died twice. The infection caused so much damage Amanda may never get pregnant again. She also has sued the state of Texas. Zurawski and Joshua traveled to Lansing, Detroit and Grand Rapids on Tuesday on behalf of the Biden campaign. They stopped in Lansing to speak with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, about their concerns for abortion in Michigan should former President Donald Trump get reelected this fall. Joshua told Nessel about finding out she was pregnant weeks after Louisiana enacted its near total abortion ban. She and her husband were thrilled at the idea of having a second child to join their 4-year-old daughter. But from the start, she was denied reproductive health care, having been told shed have to wait a month before getting a prenatal appointment at more than two months pregnant. I asked on the phone, Is this because of what I think? and they said yes. Because of the abortion ban, prenatal appointments were being scheduled later, when miscarriages are less common, so as to avoid potential legal liability for medical providers, Joshua told Nessel. At around 11 weeks, just one week before that first prenatal appointment, I started experiencing major blood loss and pain worse than childbirth. She was having a miscarriage. But instead of being allowed to technically have an abortion in order to safely pass her pregnancy, Joshua said she was sent home. In a Louisiana Illuminator column published last month, Joshua recalls the staff told me they were praying for me. Im a Christian woman who goes to church every Sunday. I needed answers and access to care, not their prayers. But Joshua said she didnt get the care she needed and instead had to suffer alone. It took me weeks to pass my pregnancy at home by myself and I was absolutely terrified. This experience has made me see firsthand how Black women are dying at alarming rates in this country, Joshua said on Tuesday. Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than their white counterparts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When you look at the access to OBGYNs, when you look at the access to just basic prenatal care, as it stands before Roe v. Wade and after, it is definitely in stark contrast [in terms of] a correlation of the abortion ban playing a role in the rates being worse than they were before, Joshua told the Advance. As a woman that presents as Black and most importantly, as someone who has experienced adversity as a result of the abortion ban, I kind of get the opportunity to bring that conversation to the table. Nessel talked about having to get an abortion two decades ago when she was pregnant with triplets in order to save the lives of her other two babies, which she did. I cant imagine, I literally cant imagine being in the situation that you guys have been in, in the states that youre from, now post-Roe, Nessel said. To have politicians telling me what I could or couldnt do with my body and telling me either that I would have to risk my life just because I happen to be a woman who wanted to reproduce and have children, or potentially telling me that I couldnt have children at all, which doesnt seem very pro life to me in any way, shape or form. Nessel said that shes terrified at the prospect of a Trump presidency. She argued that any cryptic claims that hes not interested in implementing a federal abortion ban go against what voters know: Trump takes gleeful responsibility for the fall of Roe. And with states attacking in vitro fertilization (IVF) and questions being raised surrounding surrogacy, the path to parenthood for many people isnt clear under Republican leadership, Zurawski told the Advance. Earlier this year, she and her husband, Josh, said they were planning to move her frozen embryos out of Texas out of fear that the state could ban IVF. Its just really opened my eyes that these laws and the way that theyre written really have no limits. And we know that MAGA Republicans will take them as far as possible to control women up and down the United States, Zurawski told the Advance. To anyone living in any state where they think theyre safe, they think theyre protected. If Donald Trump is reelected, no one is safe. Michigan Advance is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Michigan Advance maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Susan J. Demas for questions: info@michiganadvance.com. Follow Michigan Advance on Facebook and Twitter. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Michigan women detail emotional and psychological toll of abortion bans appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. Hundreds of families gathered Thursday to pray for Asher Sullivan, the storm injured son of Rutherford County Schools Director James "Jimmy" Sullivan. An estimated 500-plus people including, students, teachers, young children and parents, showed their support for 10-year-old Asher and his family at a prayer vigil in the hot parking lot, sidewalks and grassy landscaped areas at the Rutherford County Schools central office. A prayer vigil was held on Thursday, May 9, 2024, for Asher Sullivan, seen here in a family photo, the son of Superintendent/Director of Schools at Rutherford County Schools James "Jimmy" Sullivan, who was involved in a tragic accident last night after the storm, on Wednesday. They came when schools were closed Thursday following storm damage after Director Sullivan posted on social media that "Asher needs a miracle." The district announced schools will remain closed Friday. After the storm hit Wednesday, Asher was playing with other children in the water that had accumulated in the street while neighbors gathered to begin the cleanup process when somehow, he "got caught in the storm drain and was swept under the neighborhood streets," Sullivan wrote. "He eventually came out in a drainage ditch, and CPR was administered for quite some time. His heartbeat was reestablished, but the damage is substantial." Donna Damon one of Asher Sullivans teachers at Christiana holds photos of him during a prayer vigil held on Thursday, May 9, 2024, for Asher Sullivan, the son of Superintendent/Director of Schools at Rutherford County Schools James Jimmy Sullivan, who was involved in a tragic accident last night after the storm, on Wednesday. The vigil was held at the Rutherford County School Central Office parking lot to hold all those that attended the event. The director said in his post that his son was taken first to Ascension, and then to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. "His lungs are severely damaged, and he is not showing much brain activity outside of muscle jerks," Sullivan wrote. "Specifically, pray for healing for his lungs and most importantly brain activity to occur." Asher fellow Christiana Elementary supporters gather under shade tree Those who responded to the call for prayer included a group gathered under a shade tree from Christiana Elementary, where Asher goes to school. Many wore T-shirts with messages such as "Christiana Cougars" and "Cougar Nation." Christiana Middle School teacher Tyler Frost came to the vigil holding his 3-year-old daughter, Layne, and sometimes embracing his 5-year-old son, Keith, who wore a Spiderman hoodie and red boots. "We just wanted to support Christiana Elementary because that is where Asher goes," said Frost, who teaches seventh-grade English Language Arts. "The Sullivans are a big part of the Christiana community." Father Tyler Frost poses Thursday (April 9, 2024) while holding his 3-year-old daughter, Layne, and embracing his 5-year-old son, Keith, after the prayer vigil for 10-year-old Asher Sullivan, the son of Rutherford County Schools Director James "Jimmy" Sullivan. Asher was severely injured following Wednesday night's storm. 10 speak and share prayers for Asher Those attending the vigil listened to 10 people speak and share Christian prayers on a day that included sounds of cicadas on the grounds by the district's central office. "We pray for Asher," Matthew Brown, a district information technology staff member, prayed using a microphone under the front entrance to the Rutherford County Board of Education building. Ray Frost lifts his hands in prayer during a prayer vigil with others on Thursday, May 9, 2024, for Asher Sullivan, the son of Superintendent/Director of Schools at Rutherford County Schools James Jimmy Sullivan, who was involved in a tragic accident last night after the storm, on Wednesday. The vigil was held in the parking lot of the Rutherford County School Central Office. Brown prayed for Asher's family and friends. Others prayed for peace for the Sullivan family and a miracle because Asher's life hangs in the balance. Those gathered joined in singing, "Amazing Grace," before the prayer vigil came to a close. EMS helps 3 at vigil with medical treatment Part of the event included the presence of emergency responders providing treatment for three people on a day with temperatures in the 80s. Nearby audience members helped a girl who fainted get under a shade tree and offer water to her before she walked with an Emergency Medical Service escort to an ambulance. The vigil also included the presence of many Rutherford County elected officials, including Board of Education Caleb Tidwell, who represents the Christiana community. Amanda Murdock prays with others during a prayer vigil held on Thursday, May 9, 2024, for Asher Sullivan, the son of Superintendent/Director of Schools at Rutherford County Schools James Jimmy Sullivan, who was involved in a tragic accident last night after the storm, on Wednesday. The vigil was held in the parking lot of the Rutherford County School Central Office. "It's so amazing to see the community come out and support in the way that they did today," Tidwell said. "It just shows the true love for the director, for his family and just the believers in this community who want to come together and pray for healing for this son." Tidwell also described the prayer vigil as people standing in solidarity for the Sullivan family after the terrible accident. "We're wishing them the best," Tidwell said. "We're praying for them and believing that God will work a miracle because only God can do this miracle." Tidwell also noted that a gofund.me account has been established by Dray Curtis for "Sullivan family support." Fellow county school board members Coy Young, Katie Darby, Frances Rosales, Tammy Sharp and Chairwoman Shelia Bratton also were present at the event. TN state Sen. Dawn White speaks about prayer vigil for Asher Sullivan Other elected officials at the prayer vigil included State Sen. Dawn White, R-Murfreesboro, Rutherford County Highway Superintendent Greg Brooks, County Mayor Joe Carr and Rutherford County Commission member Romel McMurry. White said the event gives so much hope for our community. "It's such a sad occasion," said White, a former kindergarten teacher for Murfreesboro's Black Fox Elementary School. "We have to lift the Sullivan family in prayer." God is the one who can give hope and peace to the Sullivan family, White said. "All they need right now is true prayer and a miracle, and God can deliver that," White said. Murfreesboro City School Board Vice Chairman Jimmy Richardson III also attended, as did City Schools Director Trey Duke. Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips or questions by emailing him at sbroden@dnj.com. To support his work with The Daily News Journal, sign up for a digital subscription. This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Tennessee tornados: Vigil attracts 500+ for child injured in storm XI'AN, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in northwestern China announced on Wednesday that it will collaborate with its French counterpart on the restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and the protection of the Terracotta Warriors. The collaborative research conducted with France's Fondation des Sciences du Patrimoine primarily focuses on the protection of wooden remains and earthen archaeological sites, according to the museum located in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Specifically, the research on protecting wooden remains will involve joint efforts to preserve and restore the fire-damaged wood from Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and the Mausoleum of Emperor Qinshihuang. Moreover, joint efforts will be made to conduct studies on their historical significance. The research will also include wood species identification, preservation status assessment, degradation mechanisms and protection techniques and methods. In the future, the two parties will explore the material properties and historical value of wooden remains and archaeological earth sites of the two UNESCO World Heritage sites together. Meanwhile, this Sino-French cooperation also touches on developing practical conservation technologies and method systems for cultural relics and jointly cultivating young talents in the field of cultural heritage protection. DENVER (KDVR) More migrants are off the streets of Denver and in city-funded shelters. This comes after the city swept two encampments in one day. The city has repeatedly cleared out camps and encouraged migrants to move into shelters, but it has not always worked, which is why camps continue to reappear. But that changed Wednesday when the city offered even more help. Group of migrants sends list of demands to Denvers mayor We were trying to resolve the encampment this morning. We found that pretty much everyone, most of the people there, had dispersed overnight, said Jon Ewing, with Denver Human Services. A group of migrants left an encampment under Central Park Boulevard Tuesday night. Some took the offer of shelter from the city. There were a few families still there, Ewing said. We offered them shelter and they took it. So we had around 18 people go into shelter this morning, all of them families. Denver offers migrants new shelter deal The remaining migrants moved their encampment under the A Line near Pena Boulevard in far east Denver. The city then swept up that camp, but not without adjusting their offer to these folks. This time we said, for the singles, the individuals without kids, Ewing said. We said how about seven days in shelter. Itll be a hotel shelter. Seven days, aggressive case management. A migrant tent encampment near the light rail Singles had previously only been offered 72 hours in a city-funded shelter. Getting a full week with case management is a huge win, said Amy Beck, an advocate for the migrants. Beck and other advocates called it a win. The city has often been at odds with these folks, who are voluntarily offering their own guidance to migrants. I think it can cause some problems when you have multiple factions running an encampment, or something along those lines, Ewing said. We saw that happen and it caused a lot of confusion, and there were a lot of people who felt like they were being torn different ways. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox With the encampment cleared out and migrants off the street, all sides are hoping they will start to earn their own keep. With intensive case management, Beck said, theres a good chance that many of them will get housed and be able to stay in our community. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Hundreds of asylum seekers who used a Customs and Border Protection app to make an appointment are led to their interviews. Having fled his native Venezuela, Luis Guerrero was living in Colombia when he heard about a legal way to get into the United States: a smartphone app created by the U.S. government. Five months later after making it through a jungle trek, a kidnapping ordeal and a long wait in Mexico he, his wife and their 11-year-old son lined up with scores of other asylum seekers to cross a bridge into Texas for immigration interviews scheduled through the app. As the family inched toward the gate, Guerrero explained that friends had encouraged them to cross the border illegally and turn themselves in to claim asylum. "But, no," he said. "I wanted to do it the correct way." Hundreds of asylum seekers with appointments made via a phone app wait for a scheduled interview with U.S. border agents at the San Ysidro border crossing. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) A few hours later, an agent from U.S. Customs and Border Protection handed Guerrero a slip of paper with a court date for 2025. Then they headed to a bus station with the aim of making it to Houston, where they planned to live with friends while Guerrero sought government permission to work and prepared an application for asylum. Their story is not uncommon these days as tens of thousands of migrants arrive at the border each week. But amid the divisive debate surrounding immigration policy in a U.S. election year, there is no consensus on what lesson to draw from the experiences of the Guerrero family and others in similar predicaments. The government app known as CBP One has become a key piece of that debate, and a sort of Rorschach test. The Biden administration lauds the app as part of the solution to the border crisis. Immigrant advocates say CBP One is glitch-prone and reduces the right of asylum to a lottery while forcing migrants into a dangerous waiting game. Republican lawmakers denounce the app as an "open borders" ploy that encourages more migrants to head for the United States. Read more: This mega-city is running out of water. What will 22 million people do when the taps run dry? : : The app's inception dates to the final months of the Trump administration, which launched it to help prevent backups of ordinary travelers entering the country legally. After downloading it to their phones and entering their passport information, foreign nationals could use CBP One to smooth their way through border crossing and airports. At the same time, President Trump was invoking a public health rule known as Title 42 to turn away large numbers of asylum seekers entering the country illegally. President Biden came to office vowing to impose a more "humane" immigration policy. But illicit border crossings soon skyrocketed, creating scenes of border chaos, inundating already overwhelmed immigration courts and fueling criticism of the White House. Fearing a new border crush as they prepared to lift Title 42, Biden officials seized upon the previously obscure CBP One, announcing last May that asylum seekers would be required to schedule appointments at the border and use the app to do so. Migrants must reach central or northern Mexico before the app will even let them try. The administration argues that the app discourages illegal crossings, allows for advance screening and frees officers to seize narcotics, arms and cartel cash. A Mexican official checks a man's documents as he waits in line. Lamy Robenson pass the time with his phone as he joins hundreds of asylum seekers who wait in line to interview with U.S. customs. Hundreds of asylum seekers who used a CBP phone app to make an appointment, wait to for a scheduled interview with U.S. border agents at the San Ysidro Border Crossing. Caridad Felipe Hernandez from Cuba, admires a photo taken by Adrian Moreno, also from Cuba, minutes after they entered the U.S. seeking asylum via a phone app. I can highlight a number of instances over the last 10 years where migrants showing up at our ports of entry without any advance information quickly overwhelm our teams," Diane Sabatino, acting executive assistant commissioner for the CBP's office of field operations, testified in March at a congressional hearing about the app. To encourage use of the app, the government has made it increasingly difficult for migrants to walk up to border crossings and request asylum. Border agents routinely turn away "walk-ins." And entering the country illegally can endanger future asylum claims. Each day the app is used to set up 1,450 appointments along the Southwest border. The greatest share of appointments go to people from Venezuela, Haiti and Mexico. Since the beginning of last year, migrants have used the app to make nearly 550,000 appointments. Read more: Is the Mexican government hiding how many people have gone missing? : : Despite those numbers, immigration advocates say the app is inadequate. "The CBP One app cannot and should not be the sole way for people to seek safety in our country," said Amy Fischer, director of refugee and migrant rights at Amnesty International USA, which on Thursday released a report titled "CBP One A Blessing or a Trap?" Some migrants fail to make appointments because they lack smartphones or regular internet access, or because the app crashes or grants too few appointments to meet the demand. The app only schedules appointments within three weeks. If nothing is available, migrants have little choice but to try again the next day. As a result, the advocates say, thousands of people have been left stranded in Mexico for months, dodging cartel gangsters, crooked cops and other criminals. Each day the CBP app is used to set up 1,450 appointments along the Southwest border. The greatest share of appointments go to people from Venezuela, Haiti and Mexico. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Using a smartphone application sanitizes things and makes it feel like its safe and unbiased, said Ari Sawyer, a border researcher for Human Rights Watch. But, on the contrary, its abusive and putting people in serious danger. After fleeing her home in the violence-scarred Mexican state of Michoacan, Maria Medina, 27, said she took her two young children to the U.S. border last month in hopes of claiming asylum. "They wouldn't let me in," she recounted. Instead, she was told she needed to make an appointment using the app. She said she didn't know what it was. Now she was stuck in Tijuana. Monica Esmeralda, 25, said she and her family fled to the border in November after receiving threats from a gang that extorts money from businesses in her hometown of Ayutla de los Libres in the Mexican state of Guerrero. They said that if we didnt pay they would kidnap my daughter or one of my nieces, Esmeralda said. "We decided to leave." Four months later, she and her husband and 2-year-old daughter, three nieces and a nephew were living in a shelter in Ciudad Juarez, constantly refreshing the app. "No appointment yet," she lamented. When Guerrero, the Venezuelan migrant, arrived in Mexico, he thought the hardest part of his trip was behind him. His family had walked 60 miles across the Darien Gap the jungle strip between Colombia and Panama and then traversed Central America. Migrants must reach central or northern Mexico before the CBP app will even let them try to make appointments. Above, asylum seekers wait at the San Ysidro crossing. For weeks he logged into the app from Mexico City in hopes of making an appointment. But when he finally secured one for Dec. 26 in the Texas border city of Laredo, things did not go as planned. Minutes after arriving at the airport on the Mexico side of the border in Nuevo Laredo a cartel hub notorious for shake-downs and abductions of migrants Guerrero said he and his wife and son were shoved into a vehicle and taken to a cartel safe house. Guerrero said the kidnappers demanded $800 a person to release them. We told them we didnt have the money," he said. "And we didnt have any family in the United States or back in Venezuela who could pay. The kidnappers gave up after two days and let them go, apparently accepting that the family had no one who could fork over a decent ransom. Having missed their border appointment, Guerrero and his traumatized family caught a ride to the Mexican city of Monterrey and found work hawking sweets and peanuts. Immigrant advocates say the CBP One app is glitch-prone and reduces the right of asylum to a lottery while forcing migrants into a dangerous waiting game. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Guerrero re-registered with CBP One as required after missing an appointment and continued to log in each day to play what many migrants have taken to calling "the asylum lottery." : : The biggest critics of the app are not immigrant rights activists, but Republican lawmakers. They accuse the Biden administration of scheming to let in migrants fleeing economic hardship which is not a valid reason for asylum under U.S. law. CBP One is "facilitating mass illegal immigration into the United States," Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) said in March at a hearing of a Homeland Security subcommittee that he chairs. At the same hearing, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) scolded the CBP's Sabatino: The CBP app is like a welcoming app: Welcome to America! Come on in!' You arent vetting people. In response, Sabatino said that migrants using the app must provide biographical details and selfies that allow for a robust screening against law enforcement criminal records, watch lists, intelligence reports and biometric databases. But critics question how much vetting can be done of people from so many different nations, including some with limited or no diplomatic relations with the United States. "You're letting in hundreds of thousands of people just because they made an online appointment and cleared some elementary database checks," said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington research group that seeks reduced immigration. "You're just encouraging more and more people to come to the border." Lovenstar, a Haitian rap artist, joins hundreds of asylum seekers who used a CBP phone app to schedule an interview with U.S. agents at the San Ysidro crossing. About 95% of migrants who schedule appointments through the app are allowed into the United States, according to the CBP. The vast majority go on to petition for asylum. That triggers a review process to determine whether applicants have a legitimate fear of persecution back in their homelands because of their race, religion, nationality, social group or political opinion. Losing an asylum case does not ensure that someone leaves the country. According to the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which oversees immigration courts, a third of the almost 500,000 people facing deportation in fiscal year 2023 failed to appear for final hearings and were ordered removed in absentia. : : In San Diego, migrants emerging from their CBP One interviews on a recent afternoon stepped onto U.S. territory under a brilliant sun. Many seemed stunned, and somewhat disoriented, to have reached the United States. "We don't have to worry anymore," said Nelson Diaz, 42, a car mechanic from outside Havana who crossed with his cousin and two friends from Cuba. Some of the asylum seekers who manage to cross into the U.S. appear to be somewhat disoriented and even stunned that they are on American soil. Above, asylum applicants line up for a bus after crossing from Mexico. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) On the U.S. side of the border, they took photos and selfies against the backdrop of fluttering U.S. and California flags. A few yards out of the frame the 30-foot-tall border wall loomed. The four soon headed for the San Diego airport for a flight to Miami to reunite with friends and relatives as they await hearing dates later this year or in 2025. Another recent arrival explained how she and her family had waited for six months at a shelter in Tijuana, cooking and cleaning to defray costs while she repeatedly logged on to the app to try for an appointment for herself, her husband, son, daughter-in-law and two friends. "I tried every single day," said Wendy More, 40, who had fled Guatemala. "Sometimes at 11 in the morning. Sometimes at 3 a.m. Then I saw someone on social media say 5 o'clock in the morning was the best time, so I tried that. And, with the will of God, five days later we got our appointment." The six were now staying with More's sister in Riverside County while they seek work permits and formally file for asylum based on violence they said they suffered back home. "We all feel more secure, more tranquil, not having to hide from anyone in this country," More said. "We battled but we made it. It's mostly a question of patience." As for Guerrero, who made it to his friend's home in Houston with his wife and son, he said in a telephone interview that he has lined up a job as a handyman for when his work permit comes through. The family opened a bank account and is trying to find a lawyer to help with their asylum petition, which Guerrero said will be based on his opposition to Venezuela's socialist government. His wife is contemplating going back to school. The couple's son is enrolled in sixth grade and is learning English. "The boy is doing well, he wants to erase from his memory what happened to us in Mexico," Guerrero said. "He was so happy when he began his classes." Rigoberto Flores from Guatemala waits at a bus stop in San Ysidro holding paperwork he received from U.S. Customs. He is among hundreds of thousands who have used a CBP phone app to apply for asylum. Guerrero has told friends in Venezuela, including his brother a cellphone repairman that the journey to the United States is worth it. "It's a hard trip, very difficult, you have to be ready," Guerrero said. "You need resolve. Also, you need an appointment." Special correspondent Gabriela Minjares in Ciudad Juarez contributed to this report. Read more: Murder of presidential candidate in Tijuana 30 years ago still obsesses Mexico 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. (Bloomberg) -- Argentines woke up Thursday to the countrys second national transport strike since President Javier Milei took office in December, ratcheting up pressure on his government as it faces its biggest test yet in congress. Most Read from Bloomberg Trains, subways and several bus lines wont operate for 24 hours, bringing the Buenos Aires metro area to a standstill. About 93,000 passengers with flights will be affected as well, local TV station TN reported. No president in recent Argentine history has faced two strikes of such scale so early into a term a sign of the public pushback against Milei, who is enjoying a wave of praise abroad from the likes of Elon Musk and Stanley Druckenmiller. The stakes are higher this time compared to the first strike in January as Milei has changed his legislative strategy to incorporate compromises with moderate political blocs instead of his initial approach of pushing reforms via decree, going around the political class he often lambastes. His most important piece of legislation filled with pro-business measures is headed for a vote in the Senate this month after it passed through the Lower House in April. In particular, the countrys powerful unions are resisting Mileis bid to pass reforms that would lower companies severance costs and empower his austerity campaign even further. Investors are carefully watching Mileis progress in congress as a barometer of his ability to enact a market-friendly agenda that paves the way for Argentina to eventually return to international capital markets. The country hasnt issued new debt abroad since the previous government defaulted in 2020. Thursdays strike comes in the wake of Argentinas deepening recession as a result of Mileis policies, such as a 54% currency devaluation in December and major government spending cuts. Manufacturing and construction posted some of their sharpest declines in March since the Covid-19 pandemic as employers in both sectors expect to reduce headcount, official data published Wednesday showed. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. When Sherman Byrd was a kid in the Mississippi Delta in the 1930s, his three older brothers would sometimes throw him into a lake, just to see if he could it make back to shore. They weren't about to let him drown but perhaps, they figured, they might be able to discourage him from hanging out with them so much. But he soon got his revenge, his family recounted. It turned out he could swim, and swim well, and he could hold his breath for what seemed like forever. So when the older boys would chuck him in again, he'd stay under longer and longer until they panicked and jumped in, searching for him. And he'd just pop up elsewhere, laughing. Their parents were sharecroppers, hard-working but poor. Their father took to making bootleg liquor in the woods, trying to get ahead, and just ended up in jail, more than once. That was no life for the Byrd boys. So the three older brothers joined the Army. But when Sherman was 17, he the swimmer took his own path. He signed up for the Navy. That was the day after Christmas 1947, the year before the military became integrated by race. Byrd was Black, and not someone to shy away from challenges. So he sent money home to his mother, volunteered for risky jobs and rose up the ranks, making the Navy his life, his too-short life. Jacksonville's Cynthia Byrd Conner displays an oversized image of the cover of the book she wrote about her father. She had known little about what Sherman Byrd did in the military but went on to find out that he became a diver and the first Black bomb disposal expert in the Navy. He died at 40 in 1971 after collapsing after a training exercise After serving on several ships, he faced significant racism and skepticism as he volunteered to train as a deep-sea diver for the Navy and graduated in 1955, according to his family and the Navy, the first Black graduate of the program. He wanted more though. So he volunteered to become a bomb disposal expert, graduating from the challenging Explosive Ordnance Disposal program in 1958 and becoming the first Black EOD technician in the military. In 1964 he became an EOD instructor at a base in Maryland and five years later was promoted to master chief boatswain's mate. Honored at the Pentagon Byrd and his wife, Louise, had eight kids together, and they didn't tell them anything about his work with bombs. "He would always just say, 'I'm a deep-sea diver in the Navy and I'm very good at what I do,'" said his daughter Cynthia Byrd Conner. "That was it." Conner supposes her parents didn't want them to worry and said her mother didn't once say anything about it, even though she lived 30 years longer than her husband. It wasn't until the Navy dedicated an EOD training facility in Virginia Beach, Va., in his honor that the children, now all grown, found out. Sherman and Louise Byrd pose with their eight children in this portrait from 1971, a few months before he died. Sherman Byrd joined the Navy in 1947, became a master chief boatswain's mate and the first Black explosive ordnance disposal technician in the service. Cynthia Byrd Conner, who lives in Jacksonville and later wrote a book about her father, is in the back row, far left. Byrd would be honored again, in 2022, with a resolution from the City Council in Jacksonville, where Conner lives. She's retired from a civil service position at Southeast Regional Maintenance Center at Mayport. And just a few weeks ago, Byrd was honored once again, this time in the halls of the Pentagon where his story is told in an exhibition dedicated to the military's bomb disposal experts. Black EOD technicians are still rare in the Navy, making up just 1 percent of officers and 2 percent of enlisted personnel in that group, according to a 2019 article on the U.S. Naval Institute website. Conner, 66, who wrote the book "Quiet Strong, based on her father, traveled from Jacksonville to the opening at the Pentagon. It was, she says, a "forever moment" being in that building and seeing the reverence and respect shown her father by present-day EOD technicians who were there. "They were amazed at him, and I was amazed by them," she said, trying to describe the feeling. "It was like amazement in the atmosphere. She was joined by numerous relatives and is touched by memory of four elderly family members in wheelchairs, seeing the honor paid Sherman Byrd. "Just to see the joy in their eyes, that one of their relatives had gone from the cotton fields to the Pentagon, she said. An early death Conner was 13 when her father died in 1971. Her family lived in a close-knit Black community in Portsmouth, Va., called Cavalier Manor, just a short distance from the home of Navy diver Carl Brashear, a friend of the family whose story was told in the 2000 film "Men of Honor" starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Robert DeNiro. Conner was walking home one day when a boy, her next-door neighbor, said her father had a heart attack. "I looked at him and said, 'Not my dad. I thought my dad was invincible," she said. "I would be the one on the playground saying my dad could jump tall buildings, my dad is the strongest, my dad is the fastest." Sherman Byrd, who would become a master chief boatswains mate, is pictured in Virginia Beach, Va. But it was true. He had collapsed after taking part in a training exercise. A few days later, he died in the hospital. When he died, his daughter was at the house of her lifelong friend, Renee Stukes, spending the night to make room for relatives who'd come from all over. Her friend's mother, Vivian, woke her gently at 5 a.m., rubbing her forehead, telling her only that her mother had called a family meeting and she needed to be home right away. Her friend's father, Alphonso, drove her the few blocks to her house in the early morning. She'll never forget: She could hear her mother screaming from five houses away. She knew then that her father was gone. Remembrances and facing down racism Conner remembers going to meet her father with her mother and siblings when his ship came home. The family would make a sign or practice a song to greet him. And they could see him coming off the ship, carrying big baby dolls for his daughters. Some sailors would tease him, but he didn't mind. If it made his girls smile, he was all for it," she said. Read more: Old Atlantic Beach friends want to remember Vietnam paratrooper, "most handsome" in school She remembers how when he came home, he would sometimes open the garage door, sit on a lawn chair, have a drink and watch the world go by. Her mother would say don't mess with him for a while. It was, Conner thinks, a way of decompressing from the pressures of his work, and the family respected it. This 1958 group photo shows Sherman Byrd, fourth from left in the back row, who was the first Black person to become an explosive ordnance disposal technician in the military, with his EOD class at the training center in Virginia where he learned his craft. It has recently been named in his honor. She remembers how meticulous his uniforms were, which carried over to his personal dress creases in his pants, neatly polished shoes. She remembers how he was a perfectionist and how he expected good behavior from his children. Even at the grocery store, her mother would get compliments on how the children dressed, how well they behaved. I think he set goals for himself, to improve in his career and to keep going, and I also think that he understood the weight of being a Black man and knocking down the ceiling for those who would come after them," Conner said. Prisoner of War: With diary revealed, Jacksonville woman tells of reticent father's life as a POW in Germany She remembers how he never mentioned to her about how he had to face prejudice, though in conversations later with his brother Ned, Conner learned some of what he'd gone through: How some sailors didn't want Black sailors to train in the same pool, how they were thought to be diseased, to have gonorrhea or syphilis. As he moved up in the ranks, he supervised white sailors, some of whom weren't happy about that. "He had to tell white people what to do; they werent warming up to that," Conner said. She learned, though, that some of his white superior officers had set them straight. Respect the rank, they insisted. From what I could glean from Uncle Ned, he stood his ground," Conner said, "but it was hard to face resistance on a daily basis. Wyley Wright: Documentary chronicles Jacksonville veterans story And she remembers her father's quiet dignity and how he tried to pass that on. That generation of people really took seriously their jobs," she said. "They wanted to show that they were Americans and they loved their country, and whatever another nationality could do, African Americans could do also. They were a quiet generation. They suffered quietly. I never once heard my dad come home and say, those white people get on my nerves, or this is so unfair, I cant get a break. I never heard that. He would come home and say, whatever you want to be in life, you can be. And if you fall, get up and try again. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: First Black Navy diver and bomb disposal tech is honored by Pentagon As millions lose federal help to pay for internet, some areas aim to fill the gap An 8-year-old girl completes a level of a learning game on a laptop in her bedroom in the Brooklyn borough of New York. As more than 23 million households nationwide lose federal aid to pay for internet services, some states and localities have stepped up by expanding their broadband initiatives and programs. John Minchillo/The Associated Press In the small North Carolina town of Bryson City, just outside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Kathleen Wain raises two grandchildren in her subsidized-rent apartment, taking them to sing in a church choir on weekends. For the past year and a half, Wain has received a discount on her internet service through a short-term federal program, allowing her grandkids to do online schoolwork and her to do remote banking. Her bill decreased from $52 a month to about $20 a month. I said, Cool, I dont have to worry about it anymore. But Wains discount ended in April, after Congress did not extend the pandemic-era Affordable Connectivity Program. Shes paying $30 a month since Frontier, her internet provider, has reduced the cost for now. Theres a lot of people that need it [internet] for a lot of things, said Wain, 75. I cant even imagine being without it I really cant. The federal Affordable Connectivity Program, launched at the end of 2021, has provided a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible low-income households and up to $75 for households on qualifying tribal lands. Now, without additional funding from Congress, more than 23 million households across the country have begun to lose the aid. April was the last fully funded month, with some households receiving partial benefits from their internet service provider through May. Several congressional bills have been introduced to extend the program, but none has advanced yet. So, what we're going to end up with is a piecemeal kind of approach where some communities figure out solutions most of them will not have solutions. Angela Siefer, executive director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance In response, some states and localities have expanded their broadband initiatives and programs to help those no longer receiving the federal boost. That could leave disparities in access across the country, experts say, and many households will slip through the cracks as they become unable to afford internet service. Because of the high cost, theres no alternative to a dedicated federal benefit program like the Affordable Connectivity Program to solve the problem of affordability, said Angela Siefer, the executive director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, which advocates for broadband access. So, what were going to end up with is a piecemeal kind of approach where some communities figure out solutions most of them will not have solutions, she said. While some states are bolstering programs to help residents afford broadband, others are boosting their infrastructure initiatives to reach those who still cant connect to the internet. And some local officials are offering ACP-like benefits through county funds. Americans pay more for broadband than almost every other nation in the world. U.S. internet bills average $89 each month, according to a survey of 2,500 Americans late last year by U.S. News & World Report. The federal Lifeline program, started in 1985, is the only other national initiative giving low-income households a discount on phone and internet service. Lifeline, which residents were allowed to use at the same time as the ACP aid, provides a monthly benefit of up to $9.25 for eligible households and up to $34.25 for those on tribal lands. States try to fill the gaps Last year, nearly all 50 states considered legislation to expand broadband access and affordability for communities nationwide, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. At least 45 enacted legislation. This year, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Oregon, Utah and Washington passed legislation related to state broadband grant programs and initiatives to help with access and affordability, many using federal funds. Nick Batz, the director of the Oregon Broadband Office, said now that the federal Affordable Connectivity Program is gone, his office has shifted its focus to building up broadband infrastructure through the federal $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program, known as BEAD, created under the 2021 infrastructure law. BEAD provides grants to expand broadband access through statewide development projects. The challenge ahead of us is tremendous, Batz said. And its not something that I can accomplish on my own. Its not something that my team can accomplish on our own. Really, we need engagement from local governments, cities, counties and tribes. Although BEAD isnt a benefit program, Aaron Wheeler, the director of the Washington State Broadband Office, is hopeful that it will be able to at least get the 7% of households in the state who are without internet connected. While his office has multiple programs to help households at a statewide level, the federal BEAD program will be especially helpful in identifying the areas most in need, Wheeler said. Everyones really invested in making sure that BEAD goes well, and that the money goes to the places that it needs to, Wheeler said. Getting people plugged in is No. 1, and then making sure people can still continue to afford it is No. 2. But with elections drawing nearer, some state officials expect theyll be working under new administrations. Washington state will have a new governor next year, meaning more negotiations for broadband funding, said Devin Proctor, the policy and communications manager for the Washington State Broadband Office. Local governments and nonprofits step in On the local level, some governments have been able to carve out funds to help households pay for broadband. Albemarle County, located in the Piedmont region of Virginia with about 114,000 residents, has invested $1 million in public broadband expansion by partnering with internet service providers that are deploying fiber throughout the county. That, in addition to about $60 million in state, federal and private funding, means the county is on track to have universal broadband coverage where every household in the county can access the internet by the end of 2025, said Jason Inofuentes, the program manager at the countys Broadband Accessibility and Affordability Office. Before the Affordable Connectivity Program ran out of funding, Albemarle County officials created the ACP Bridge program, an additional county benefit for households to use alongside the federal ACP aid. Those enrolled in the program could get an additional $20 per month toward internet services. Right now, the ACP Bridge has enough funding to last through the next fiscal year, thanks to a $500,000 boost from the county Board of Supervisors, Inofuentes said. Still, with the federal program at its end, affordability will continue to be an issue, he said. And some residents who need the help may not be aware of the available programs. I think that there is a distinct reality that there are going to be households in our community and all over the country that are going to lose coverage because of this, said Inofuentes. The way that we see it, we have to work tirelessly to get people enrolled in other programs they can afford. In some communities, local nonprofits are raising awareness and providing support, said Sean Gonsalves, the associate director for communications at the Community Broadband Networks Initiative, a nationwide project of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a national nonprofit that works to build local power to fight corporate control. Despite the Biden administrations push to prioritize funding for municipal broadband, nonprofits and other nontraditional internet providers, these types of providers are restricted in many states, Gonsalves said. The broadband market is dominated by regional monopoly providers and that pretty much answers the question as to why broadband in the United States is so expensive, he said. Some nonprofits are helping residents afford broadband. DigitalC, a technology nonprofit based in Cleveland providing affordable internet for underserved communities, is offering internet for $18 a month under its own Canopy internet service for city residents. Project Waves, a program fiscally sponsored by the Digital Harbor Foundation based in Baltimore, has been able to offer free internet to low-income residents of the city. Lawmakers and state officials at all levels have been aware for more than a year that the federal Affordable Connectivity Program would run out of funding, Gonsalves said. But theres a lot of uncertainty about how to help now. With ACP where 23 million households were beneficiaries we still dont have a clear sense of what those folks will do when the benefit expires, Gonsalves said. Editors note: This story has been updated to clarify Albemarle Countys efforts to expand broadband. DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST Reigning Miss USA Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava both abdicated their posts this week, citing mental health concerns and a conflict of values with the parent organization. In explaining her decision on Monday, Voigt, who won the Miss USA title in September 2023 and who had planned to participate in the Miss Universe pageant later this year, said in an Instagram post that she values the importance of making decisions that feel best for you and your mental health. Then on Wednesday, Srivastava wrote in her own, similarly styled Instagram post that she was prematurely stepping away from her 2023 Miss Teen USA title, saying that her personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization. The two sudden departures come at a precarious time for the Miss USA organization, whose social media director, Claudia Michelle, announced in yet another Instagram post that she was leaving her role on May 3 due to poor working conditions and what she said was an apparent decline in Voigts mental health. Who is Noelia Voigt? Voigt, 24, was the first Venezuelan American woman to win the Miss USA title and the second contestant from Utah to do so. Deep down I know that this is just the beginning of a new chapter for me, and my hope is that I continue to inspire others to remain steadfast, prioritize your mental health, advocate for yourself and others and never be afraid of what the future holds, she wrote in her resignation post. In a comment left on the Instagram post, Voigts mother, Jacky, wrote, As your mother, it has been a huge relief to see my Noelias personality restored. I observed how your personality changed and how your light faded. It broke our hearts. Internet sleuths speculated Voigt was trying to say more with her statement, finding that the first letters of the first 11 sentences in her statement spelled, I AM SILENCED. Multiple contestants from Voigt's class posted their own statements on Instagram in response to Voigt stepping down. On Wednesday, Derby Chukwudi, who was Miss New Jersey 2023, wrote that the majority of the members of the Miss USA class of 2023 supports Noelia Voigts decision to resign. Prioritizing ones mental health is of the utmost importance, and we all stand behind her. Chukwudi also called for the Miss USA organization to release Noelia from the confidentiality NDA clause of her contract and for full transparency for contestants in the class of 2024 and beyond. Who is UmaSofia Srivastava? Srivastava, 17, of New Jersey was the first Miss Teen USA winner of mixed Mexican and Indian descent. In her statement announcing her resignation, Srivastava said she would continue her advocacy work on behalf of the Lotus Petal Foundation and the Bridge of Books Foundation. She also added what seemed like thinly veiled criticism of the Miss Teen USA organization when she thanked those who support me for who I am and have always been, not for who Ive momentarily become. Why are the decisions to step down so significant? This is the first time in 72 years of the pageants that there isn't a Miss USA or a Miss Teen USA titleholder. Michelle, the former social media director, said in her resignation post that she had not signed any contracts or nondisclosure agreements and was therefore free to speak about what she experienced. In addition to noting what she described as Voigts declining mental health, she said Srivastava and her family had been treated with disrespect although she did not specify by whom and was critical of the overall culture of the organization. I feel the way current management speaks about their titleholders is unprofessional and inappropriate; I disavow workplace toxicity and bullying of any kind, she wrote. I believe Noeila and Umas mental health and happiness has taken a toll and I cannot remain silent about that. This is not the first controversy for the pageants. As recently as 2022, some Miss USA contestants claimed the competition had been rigged to crown RBonney Gabriel. After that accusation, the Miss Universe Organization suspended Miss USA President Crystle Stewart pending an internal investigation. Stewart later stepped down in August 2023. Her husband, Max Sebrechts, who served as vice president of Miss USA, was forced to step down in 2022 following allegations that he sexually harassed contestants a year earlier. What have the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA organizers said about the resignations? In a statement, the organizers of the Miss USA pageant said they respected Voigts decision and were planning a transition of responsibilities to a successor, although that successor has not yet been named. We respect and support former Miss USA Noelia Voigts decision to step down from her duties, the statement read. The well-being of our titleholders is a top priority, and we understand her need to prioritize herself at this time. Miss Teen USA shared a post in support of Srivastava on Instagram wishing her the best. We respect and support UmaSofias decision to step down from her duties, the Instagram post said. The well-being of our titleholders is a top priority. We are currently reviewing plans for the transition of responsibilities to a successor, and we will soon announce the crowning of the new Miss Teen USA. UPDATE: George H. Hamilton has been found and is safe, state police said. _______________________ ORIGINAL STORY: Troopers are searching for a missing Indiana County man. George H. Hamilton, 84, was reported missing by a family member after he left his home along Parkwood Road in Armstrong Township sometime after 4 a.m. Thursday. Hamilton, who may be confused, is believed to be driving his red 2021 Buick Envision with Pennsylvania registration KTW3737. The vehicle was last seen traveling west along Route 22 in Monroeville at about 8:20 a.m. Hamilton is 6 feet tall and weighs 175 pounds. He has blue eyes and gray hair. Anyone with information concerning his whereabouts is asked to call state police at 724-357-1960 or 911. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Man accused of domestic abuse kidnapping attempt in South Strabane Giant Eagle parking lot Confirmed tornado hit near Pittsburgh International Airport during early morning storms, NWS says Man accused of domestic abuse kidnapping attempt in South Strabane Giant Eagle parking lot VIDEO: Bill headed to Gov. Shapiros desk would ban hand-held cellphone use while driving DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts The parents of a 3-year-old child were arrested after the toddler was reported missing and later found in an illegal marijuana grow, according to the Butte County Sheriffs Office. The agency said the mother reported the child missing late at night on May 6 on a 51-acre parcel in the community of Bangor, about 70 miles north of Sacramento. Body found in Rocklin was off-duty officer, Sacramento Police say Deputies, a K9 team and search and rescue teams began searching for the child and determined that they had been missing since around 7:30 p.m. that same night. The sheriffs office said that detectives found evidence that the parents were cultivating marijuana on the property and that the child frequented marijuana grow sites with the parents. A K9 team eventually led deputies to an illegal marijuana grow around 3:20 a.m. the next morning, where the child was found under a tarp, close to hundreds of marijuana plants, the sheriffs office said. Man allegedly paid homeless woman to care for his granddaughter while he drank at bar The toddler was cold and required immediate medical attention, and after spending time at a hospital was released to Butte County Childrens Services, the sheriffs office said. The parents, both in their 30s, were arrested for felony child endangerment and officials later served a search warrant at the residence, where they found 6,674 lbs. of processed marijuana, 5,257 marijuana plants and four firearms. The sheriffs office did not specify if the parents will face charges related to those findings. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40. While about 50,000 state residents with past felony convictions will have to wait another year to potentially regain their voting rights, state lawmakers passed 21 individual suffrage bills this past legislative session. That represents roughly half of the individual requests made between 2021 and 2023 by people who were previously convicted of felonies seeking to regain their voting rights. In Mississippi, people who commit certain disenfranchising felonies lose the right to vote, and the only recourse for them to have those rights restored is to request a lawmaker to file a bill. That bill may or may not be brought up in a committee, taken up on the House or Senate floor and then advance through the other chamber. If it makes it that far, it then goes on to the governor who may sign the bill, let it pass without his signature or veto it. House Judiciary B Chairman Kevin Horan, R-Grenada, told the Clarion Ledger the bills his committee moved forward to the floor were from residents who had committed nonviolent felonies and whose sentences had been fully completed, including jail time, fines and other requirements. The Senate Judiciary Division B Committee, led by Sen. Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, took the same policy when considering several bills this year. Horan said a time comes when individuals who have paid their debt to society start contributing to society by paying taxes and making other contributions. "There's no reason those individuals shouldn't have the right to vote," Horan said. A voter casts a ballot at the Willie Morris Library, Precinct 34, in Jackson on March 12, 2024. Approximately 21 people with nonviolent felony convictions had bills passed in this year's legislative session to have their voting rights restored. The move to restore as many people's voting rights as possible this year may or may not have come about after House Bill 1609 died in the Senate last month. That bill would have restored the right to vote to all Mississippians who were previously convicted of certain nonviolent felonies. However, before making its way to the Senate, the House passed HB 1609 99-9, garnering wide bipartisan support, including that of first-year House Speaker Jason White, R-West. That bill did not sway Sen. Angela Hill, R-Picayune, who chose not to bring the bill up in the Constitution Committee by the legislative deadline to do so. When asked why she let the deadline pass, Hill said the state's constitution speaks for itself. Read about suffrage bill dying Voting bill, which would have helped non-violent felons, dies in MS Senate Disenfranchisement was adopted by the Mississippi Legislature in 1890 with the purpose of stripping voting rights from Black voters by listing crimes lawmakers thought Black people were likely to commit such as murder, timber larceny, possession of stolen property and murder, James K. Vardaman, who served as both governor and U.S. senator at the time, declared. House Constitution Committee Chairman Price Wallace, R-Mendenhall, said he was disappointed in Hill for failing to pass HB 1609 out of her committee and that he plans to continue working on the legislation throughout the summer and to bring it up during the 2025 legislative session. "We're going to get together after session in the summer or early fall, sit down and see if we can draft something that hopefully can please everyone," Wallace told the Clarion Ledger in April. "I felt that the bill we had was good." More on suffrage bills Mississippi lawmakers hope to return 32 peoples' voting rights Republican Gov. Tate Reeves as of Wednesday afternoon had not yet signed any approved individual suffrage requests from any state residents. Grant McLaughlin covers state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi Legislature gives voting rights back to 21 felons LJUBLJANA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The government of Slovenia on Thursday began the procedure of recognizing the State of Palestine, to help end the violence in Gaza, Prime Minister Robert Golob announced. "Atrocities that we see in Gaza every day are inadmissible and have to stop," Golob told a news conference following a government session. Slovenia's government coalition, which is composed of three center-left parties, is united on the plan to recognize the State of Palestine, Golob said, adding that he hopes other countries will follow Slovenia. The Slovenian government will send a formal request to the parliament to recognize the State of Palestine by June 13. "I am pleased that the government has taken a decisive and irreversible step in the process of recognizing Palestine," Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said on social media platform X. "Slovenia thus sends a clear message on the urgency of Middle East peace and a two-state solution," she added. Over 100 students from Ljubljana University's Faculty of Social Sciences protested on the premises for the second day in a row on Thursday, calling on the university to issue a clear condemnation of the genocide in Gaza and end any cooperation with Israel's Bar Ilan University. Slovenia, an incumbent non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, issued a joint statement with Spain, Malta and Ireland in late March saying that the countries stand ready to recognize the State of Palestine when "the circumstances are right". A bipartisan bill that would outlaw all child marriages in Missouri has run into resistance from Republicans in the Missouri House that could prevent it from becoming law. The legislation, filed by Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder, a Scott City Republican, and Sen. Lauren Arthur, a Kansas City Democrat, would prohibit anyone under 18 from obtaining a marriage license. Current law allows 16 and 17-year-olds to get married with parental consent. The GOP-controlled state Senate approved the bill on a nearly unanimous vote of 31 to 1 last month. But the legislation has since stalled in a House committee with just more than a week left in this years legislative session which ends on May 17. Supporters of the bill say the opposition illustrates some lawmakers extreme and archaic views on marriage. Missouri previously had one of the nations most lenient laws surrounding child marriage and the states current law has been criticized as a loophole that leaves thousands of teenagers open to abuse and exploitation. Any explanation used to justify opposition is nothing more than, you know, an excuse to protect predators, Arthur said in an interview. The committees chair, Rep. Jim Murphy, a St. Louis-area Republican, said in an interview that there arent enough votes within the committee to get it to the House floor. Seven of the 14 committee members oppose the legislation and disagree with raising the states marriage age, he said. Its on thegoing 16 to 18, Murphy, who supports the bill, said of the opposition. Theres just enough members in that committee that dont think thats a good idea. One of those lawmakers is Rep. Dean Van Schoiack, a Savannah Republican and vice chair of the committee. Van Schoiack said in an interview that he knows people who got married as minors, including a woman at roughly age 17. The couple, he said, is still madly in love with each other. Why is the government getting involved in peoples lives like this? Van Schoiak said. What purpose do we have in deciding that a couple who are 16 or 17 years old, their parents say, you know, you guys love each other, go ahead and get married, you have my permission. Why would we stop that? Rehder, who is running for lieutenant governor, pushed back in an interview. The government does tell people when they can get married because we do have an age limit right now, she said. The fact that he feels that its okay for a parent to make a decision for a child, that is a lifetime decision, is offensive. The legislation is personal for Rehder, who was married at age 15 to her 21-year-old boyfriend in 1984. A year earlier, her sister, at age 16, married her 39-year-old drug dealer, she has said. As a child that did get married, she said, I would say I have a lot more insight to this issue than what he does. Rehder remains optimistic that the bill could pass this year, saying she believes a majority of House lawmakers would support it. She hopes she can attach the language as an amendment to another bill so it can reach the House floor. But even if the legislation can get past a committee vote, it could still run into some resistance from other Republicans in the House. One of them is Rep. Hardy Billington, a Poplar Bluff Republican. Billington, in an interview with The Star, claimed that the legislation could cause pregnant teenagers to have abortions when they cant get married even though abortion is already almost entirely banned in Missouri. My opinion is that if someone (wants to) get married at 17, and theyre going to have a baby and they cannot get married, thenchances of abortion are extremely high, he said. Rehder said that she was surprised at the opposition to the bill. Its just a lingering of generational thought, you know, of what used to be normal, she said. Its just not any longer and its not that its not just normal, but its harmful. Lawmakers in 2018 set the states minimum marriage age at 16 with the approval of one parent or guardian. The law came after The Star revealed that Missouri had among the nations loosest marriage law for 15-year-olds. It previously allowed children even younger to marry with a judges approval. Missouri does, however, ban marriage between a minor and anyone 21 or older. The states statutory rape law also prohibits those 21 or older from sexual intercourse with anyone under 17. But opponents of the current law say it still does not go far enough and have pushed for the bill from Rehder and Arthur. Before the 2018 law went into effect, 88% of minors who were married in Missouri were age 16 or 17, Fraidy Reiss, the founder and executive director of Unchained At Last, a nonprofit seeking to end child marriage nationwide, previously told reporters. The law, Reiss said, has failed to protect 88% of the people it was intended to help. Arthur said that lawmakers need to think of young girls who have been affected by child marriages in Missouri. But aside from educating her colleagues about the importance of the legislation, she said voters need to elect different people to the General Assembly. It is a common sense position that children should not get married, she said. It is an extreme view to think that children should be allowed to engage in that kind of contract. For Rehder, the opposition to her bill was rather interesting. This is about banning child marriage, she said. Marriage is a decision that should be made by adults. Its as simple as that. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) signed a bill Thursday that kicks Planned Parenthood in the state off Medicaid funding. The bill, which is expected to go into effect later this year, makes it unlawful for any public funds to be sent to any abortion facility or any affiliate or associate of such abortion facility. Missouri now joins Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas, according to Planned Parenthood, as states that have blocked the organization from receiving Medicaid funding. Republicans in Missouri have tried for years to block Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood, even after the organization stopped performing abortions in the state. Since the 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade, abortion has been almost completely banned in Missouri with limited exceptions under a so-called trigger law that took effect shortly after the Supreme Court decision. Planned Parenthood clinics in the state have continued to operate, providing patients with services like contraceptive care, STI testing, cancer screenings and wellness checks, the Missouri Independent reported. Missouri Planned Parenthood locations are affiliated with clinics in Kansas and Illinois, neighboring states with less restrictive abortion laws. Republicans argue no money should go to Planned Parenthood in Missouri because people at the Missouri locations could advise people to travel to other states to get abortion services. Our administration has been the strongest pro-life administration in Missouri history, Parson said in a statement. Weve ended all abortions in this state, approved new support for mothers, expecting mothers, and children, and with this bill, ensured that we are not sending taxpayer dollars to abortion providers for any purpose. Democrats and abortion advocates have argued that the bill will target the states most vulnerable population, and those who used Planned Parenthood for services other than abortion. The St. Louis and southwest Missouri chapter of Planned Parenthood said the bill would restrict access to nonabortion-related care to low-income people in the state. Just like [Missouris] abortion ban, defunding is about power & control; its part of the fight to make sure Missourians not politicians control their bodies, lives, & futures! the chapter posted online. The chapter said its clinics remain open at this time. Planned Parenthood Great Plains CEO and President Emily Wales told the Missouri Independent that Missouris clinics have been without Medicaid reimbursements for two years and have offset the costs through private fundraising. Planned Parenthood Great Plains covers Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas. Nearly 1 in 5 of Planned Parenthoods Missouri patients are on Medicaid, the outlet reported. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Scientists have identified a water-loss mechanism on Venus that could explain how the once water-rich world became completely parched. In the newly identified process, linked to a previously overlooked molecule high in Venus' atmosphere, water escaped Venus at double the rate previously estimated. As faster water loss means less time is needed to boil away the planet's water reservoir, scientists say Venus may have harbored oceans and potentially habitable conditions for longer than previously thought before the drying process began. "This would provide more time for possible life to arise," study co-author Eryn Cangi , a research scientist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) in Colorado, wrote in The Conversation . "Our results don't mean oceans or life were definitely present, though answering that question will require lots more science over many years." Prior studies suggest that both Venus and Earth likely received similar amounts of water early in their history, mostly from water vapor-spewing volcanoes and icy comets that frequently bombarded the worlds. Estimates suggest Venus once had enough moisture to cover its surface in about 1.8 miles (3 kilometers) of water. However, Venus receives far more sunlight than Earth, and previous research revealed this sunlight likely boiled away the planet's water reservoir by breaking atmospheric water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Once free, the lightweight hydrogen escaped into space via a process known as hydrodynamic escape , leaving Venus without one of the two ingredients needed to form water. The process explains how most of Venus' water evaporated from its atmosphere, likely within the first billion years of the planet's history. However, it doesn't account for the last 330 feet (100 meters) worth of water that was likely left behind once the escape process stopped, soon after most hydrogen atoms exited Venus, the researchers of the new study said. Drawing of Venus with water droplets falling into space. "As an analogy, say I dumped out the water in my water bottle. There would still be a few droplets left," study lead author Michael Chaffin , a research scientist at LASP, said in a statement . The remaining water can't have escaped from Venus the same way, but it must have been removed from the atmosphere relatively quickly to explain the hot, dry world we know today. In the new study, the researchers suggested the remnant water was removed via a new mechanism known as HCO+ dissociative recombination (nicknamed DR). In this process, positively charged hydrogen, carbon and oxygen atoms combine with negatively charged electrons to produce carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen as a byproduct, after which the hydrogen escapes into space. Because water is the original source of the hydrogen reservoir on Venus, this process "effectively dries out the planet," the researchers said. Computer models of reactions in Venus' upper atmosphere show this mechanism closes the gap between the expected and observed water loss, according to the study, published Monday (May 6) in the journal Nature . "One of the surprising conclusions of this work is that HCO+ should actually be among the most abundant ions in the Venus atmosphere," Chaffin said in the statement. RELATED STORIES NASA unveils cryptic message from Earth to be sent to Jupiter's icy ocean moon Europa Jupiter's moon Europa lacks oxygen, making it less hospitable for sustaining life An eerie look at Io, the most volcanic world in the solar system However, scientists have never observed this molecule on Venus. Previous missions to the planet weren't designed to detect it, but they did measure individual reactants that produce HCO+ in the atmosphere. None of the three upcoming missions to Venus are designed to detect the molecule either. NASA's VERITAS and the European Envision missions, both scheduled to launch in 2031, do not have the science instruments required to study hydrogen loss from Venus' upper atmosphere where the DR process occurs. NASA's DAVINCI probe, also scheduled to launch in 2031, will collect measurements about the pressure, temperature and winds of the atmosphere, but only below 43 miles (70 kilometers). Confirming the presence of HCO+, and nailing down this phase of Venus history, will therefore have to wait a long time. A mother accidentally ran over her 2-year-old daughter as she was moving her car, Philadelphia police said. Police said the heartbreaking incident happened just after a mother unloaded groceries from her car while double-parked around 6 p.m. on May 8. She took her daughter inside so she could move her car, according to police. Unknown to her mother, the daughter followed her back outside as she prepared to move her car, police said. The woman got in her car and started to move forward, hitting the toddler, police said. The child was rushed to a hospital by medics, but she died within minutes of being hit, police said. Adoptive mom beats 4-year-old to death, tells older son say nothing, Florida cops say Missing 2-year-old found dead in pond after extensive search, cops say. So crushing 12-year-old faced evil and torment by dad, his girlfriend before death, officials say A pedestrian walks through Gardiner, Mont. As legislators across the 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid consider imposing work requirements on enrollees, Montana has a potential bipartisan model: a voluntary work program that helps Medicaid recipients by providing them with job training and career guidance. (Photo by David Goldman/The Associated Press) (This image cannot be republished unless you have an AP subscription.) Two decades ago, Jeff Beisecker and his family returned to Great Falls, Montana, from a religious mission to the Philippines. Beisecker had no health insurance and no steady source of income, and neither did his wife. Fearful of being without coverage, Beisecker enrolled himself, his wife and their four children in Medicaid for nearly a decade while he worked his way to a steady, full-time job. Having the extra help made a difference for his family, recalled Beisecker, 53. And people might have looked down on us. I dont really care, because it was there to help us along the journey. For Beisecker, Medicaid coverage was a launching pad to stable work; now he helps others make that leap. As an employment and training coordinator for Opportunities Inc., a Great Falls-based nonprofit, Beisecker connects Montana Medicaid recipients to job training, career counseling, transportation and child care. Opportunities Inc. is one of several nonprofits that run a state-created voluntary program called the Health and Economic Livelihood Partnership Link, known as HELP-Link. When folks come in, we can meet with them and say, Hey, maybe you can take this training that we can help pay for, and you can come out and start making 28 or 29 dollars an hour, Beisecker said. An increasing number of Republican-led states want to require Medicaid recipients to work, arguing that doing so will help them rise out of poverty. Democrats and health advocates note that most people on Medicaid already work either full time or part time. They argue that states shouldnt deny health care coverage to people who dont have jobs, especially since many face serious barriers to employment. With HELP-Link, Montana might have found middle ground. When Montanans enroll in Medicaid, nonprofit organizations such as Opportunities Inc., which receives state funding, can offer career guidance and job training from professionals like Beisecker. A key part of that process is identifying barriers to work such as a lack of training, child care or transportation and finding ways to overcome them. There are ways to support work without taking away peoples health coverage, said Joan Alker, executive director of Georgetown Universitys Center for Children and Families, which researches health care issues. Montana is the most concrete example of a work-support connection, she said. Thats one place to look to make sure people are connected to work supports and job training. Montana Republican state Rep. Edward Buttrey, who crafted the HELP-Link program with Democratic state Rep. Mary Caffero in 2015, said it adheres to GOP principles. Republican administrations typically want to ensure that if somebodys getting a benefit from the taxpayers, that theyre earning it and in return providing a benefit back to the state and themselves, Buttrey told Stateline. I think thats what this is about. Caffero said that in reaching a compromise, legislators put the people of Montana above party politics. We created our own majority, she said, and extremists were kind of out on a plank. Increasing interest Medicaid is a program that provides health insurance for low-income people and is jointly run by states and the U.S. government. Any state that wants to add a work requirement to Medicaid must ask the federal government for permission. The Biden administration has repeatedly turned down states requests to impose work requirements. It also has rescinded the approvals granted by its predecessor, which signed off on 13 of them. (Only one state, Arkansas, implemented its rule before courts blocked states from imposing them.) But with the election fast approaching, the prospect of a second Trump administration has prompted more GOP states to reconsider the idea. That includes states such as Arkansas, Idaho and Louisiana that opted to expand Medicaid to more people under the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. It also includes states that are still debating whether to expand Medicaid under Obamacare, among them Kansas and Mississippi. Georgia and South Carolina, neither of which has expanded Medicaid under the ACA, both have sought federal permission to include work requirements in partial expansions of Medicaid that are more limited than what is envisioned under Obamacare. Only Georgia, which is fighting the Biden administration in court, currently has a strict work rule for any of its Medicaid enrollees. How it works Montana, which expanded Medicaid during the Obama administration, in 2019 sought federal permission to apply work requirements to the roughly 100,000 adults who were newly eligible for the program. Under the proposal, beneficiaries would have had to work at least 80 hours each month, be looking for a job, or be doing volunteer work. There would have been exemptions for pregnancy, disabilities and mental illness. In 2021, however, the Biden administration rejected Montanas request. Buttrey told Stateline that if former President Donald Trump wins in November, it is likely that Montana will try again. But whatever the outcome of the election, the voluntary workforce training in HELP-Link has emerged as a possible compromise. Beisecker said that Opportunities Inc. has been working with the Help-Link program for about a year and a half. The nonprofit has been able to help people do things such as get a commercial drivers license, start a welding certificate program, take classes on medical coding, and join construction training programs. The nonprofit also has a community resource center that can help Medicaid recipients get access to vouchers for food, laundry facilities and other needs. We get referrals from other nonprofits we work with, Beisecker said. We have flyers that we send out so people know about the program. We go to job fairs. According to data from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, more than 2,200 people have participated in the HELP-Link program since its inception. Many have gone on to get jobs as registered nurses, dental hygienists, real estate agents and computer programmers, among many other professions. HELP-Link has built relationships with large local employers such as manufacturers and health care providers, said Heather OLoughlin, executive director of the Montana Budget & Policy Center, a nonprofit group that examines budget and tax issues. OLoughlin said a dip in participation since 2021 is evidence that the program has moved many participants into stable jobs. Caffero, the Democratic lawmaker, agreed. The program was doing exactly what we intended. People get jobs and jobs with benefits, jobs where they make a living wage, because they have education and training through HELP-Link, she said. Thats the goal. We dont want the [Medicaid] rolls to go up. Buttrey noted that prior to the pandemic, Montanans stayed on Medicaid for an average of less than two years. Weve given people some job skills, he said. Weve gotten them preventative care and help with addiction. Robin Rudowitz, who oversees Medicaid research at KFF, a nonpartisan health research organization, praised Montanas program for encouraging people to find a job and get off government assistance without denying them health care while they do it. She contrasted HELP-Link with the strict work requirements Arkansas briefly had in place for Medicaid recipients during the Trump administration, before a federal court struck them down. Those rules knocked roughly 18,000 people off the rolls. Arkansas was really the only state that actually implemented to the point of where individuals were disenrolled for failing to comply, she said. Rudowitz and other health experts also have been critical of Georgias Pathways to Coverage program, launched last summer, which extended Medicaid coverage to some low-income Georgians on the condition that they work or participate in another qualifying activity 80 hours each month. Under that program, which is not considered full expansion under Obamacare, 4,000 people have gained coverage, out of the roughly 350,000 who would qualify based on their income. Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has defended the program and blamed the Biden administration for its slow start. The program is set to expire next fall, but several months ago, Georgia sued the federal government in a bid to extend it. Its fiscally foolish, and anti-family, Georgetowns Alker said of the Georgia program. She noted that the state is leaving federal dollars on the table by eschewing a full-fledged expansion under Obamacare. Its not been a pathway to coverage for anybody, she said. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Montana could be a model as more GOP states weigh Medicaid work requirements appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. Sens. Barry Usher (left) and Jason Ellsworth (right) address the Senate Select Committee on Judicial Oversight and Reform on Monday, April 29, 2024. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan) Sens. Barry Usher (left) and Jason Ellsworth (right) address the Senate Select Committee on Judicial Oversight and Reform on Monday, April 29, 2024. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan) How many times in the past, oh say, year or so have you found yourself saying: I wish there was more politics in my life? For months now, we have been hearing parents call for politics to be taken out of the schools, whether thats in school library book bans or conversations about who can use what bathrooms when. Politics has permeated churches, schools and even family gatherings once considered off-limits for politics. Its grown to be such a toxic subject that family holiday meetings have turned from awkward to open warfare in some households, and both Democrats and Republicans can agree on one thing: If they dont get your vote this election cycle, democracy is a goner. Thats why its hard to imagine a more tone-deaf call than the cadre of Montana Freedom Caucus members who have triggered a poll to call state legislators back into session. They want to bring all 150 lawmakers back together so that judges running for the states nonpartisan judiciary can declare their political parties, meaning that virtually no segment of the Treasure State government will be operating without the color of partisanship. Not to be outdone, another dozen Republicans on Tuesday the day after called for a different special session, this time to deal with immigration and marijuana revenue. It made us positively dread Wednesday to see what laughable scenario required the urgent attention of a legislative special session. What Republicans risk, of course, is a painful and frustrating reminder of what isnt getting done. No one wants more politics in their life, and especially not at the state court level, which, despite temper tantrums by the Republican leadership in the legislature, continues to demonstrate itself as the adult in state government. Keep in mind: A second legislative investigative committee, formed to come to the pre-determined conclusion that something is wrong in Montana courts, had to have what amounted to a day-long remedial civics lesson for some state Republican senators who seemed particularly aggrieved that the courts exist, let alone that they have been given power to review laws. Something about a whole system of checks and balances. Its telling that lawmakers who pride themselves on invoking the constitution, wearing flag pins and talking about the Founding Fathers seem to know so little about what those same founders created, including an independent, separate and co-equal judiciary. At least I credit Senate President Jason Ellsworth, R-Hamilton, for trying to provide a basis for the legislative committees inquisition. Now, lawmakers want to convene to also take what amounts to a third pass at divvying up the proceeds from marijuana tax revenue, with the excuse that the reason they didnt override Gov. Greg Gianfortes veto previously was out of deep concern about the separation of powers and judicial overreach. Leaders expect us to believe that? This was the same group that seemed surprised by the 1803 case of Marbury vs. Madison, which established the concept of judicial review three years before Lewis and Clark came to Montana, 61 years before it became a territory and 86 years before statehood. Lawmakers have also tucked the scare tactic of immigration into a call for the special session, after a single homeless immigrant family landed on the doorstep of the Flathead County Sheriffs Department. I get it: When Republican governors in other states like Florida and Texas send immigrant families to perceived liberal areas, its giving these snowflakes a taste of their own medicine. But when the immigrants arrive here, its the impetus for the entire legislature to meet. Again, who are the snowflakes? Maybe the most vexing thing is just how horribly out of touch these lawmakers are with what is actually happening in Montana. Few Montanans who arent in the Legislature are concerned with the possible partisan leanings of judges. And one homeless family, sadly, is just one more family in need of affordable housing in the Treasure State, regardless of where they came from. The purpose of a special session isnt property tax relief. It isnt the unchecked housing problems run amok. Its not even to discuss what could be a potentially dangerous fire season. Yet, despite the Republican supermajoritys penchant for solving problems that dont rate very high on a burgeoning list of Montanan concerns, maybe we should nonetheless thank our GOP leaders for reminding us of the large gulf that seems to separate the politicians from the people of Montana. On Tuesday, school levies, including one for safety in the states largest district, largely failed at the ballot box and failed spectacularly. Erwin Garcia-Velasquez, the superintendent of Billings Public Schools, told The Billings Gazette that it was property-tax fatigue. Meanwhile, Republicans are worried about political leanings of judicial candidates? Maybe come back when you have a plan to fix real problems, rather than shadow punching at the judiciary or explaining why counties, most of them Republican, cant fix roads. The post Montanas unending search for solutions in need of problems appeared first on Daily Montanan. MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) teamed up with Hyundai to host a free Anti-Theft Software Upgrade event at police headquarters on Thursday. Of the 1,094 vehicles stolen so far year-to-date, 449 have been Hyundais, MCPD Chief Marcus Jones said. Officials said they decided to host the event due to the significant number of cars stolen in the county being Hyundais. Alsobrooks leads Trone in Senate race, DC News Now poll finds; either would beat Hogan Hyundai representatives say they saw a drastic increase in thefts of their vehicles in the summer of 2021. They say the thefts were driven by a viral TikTok challenge. We set out to work on an alarm solution, said Dave VandeLinde, vice president of Hyundai Motor America. Kind of a basic alarm solution, a steering wheel lock distribution program and then also engineering important software updates to specifically address that type of theft. Hyundai models between 2011 and 2021 are eligible for the upgrades. Theres no cost whatsoever, VandeLinde continued. No appointment whatsoever, not even any ID required. All we need is the serial number on the vehicle, and as the chief said, about 30 minutes of the customers time. Erica Robertson said she came to Thursdays event because she often worries that her vehicle will be stolen. I dont have a garage, I just have a driveway. You know, is my car going to be there? I did have that feeling, Robertson said. She said now having the software upgrade installed gives her peace of mind. Just to have that safety and know that once this is put in, I guess I dont have to worry, she said. The Anti-Theft Software Update event will go on for two more days at MCPD Headquarters. The event goes from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. The president of the Montgomery County Board of Education took heat from lawmakers on Capitol Hill Wednesday over antisemitic incidents alleged within county schools, and as the U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation into the district earlier this year. Karla Silvestre testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education during a hearing focused on antisemitism in K-12 schools. U.S. Rep. Aaron Bean, subcommittee chair and a Republican from Florida, said the aftermath of the attack by Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7 has revealed some of the ugliest, most depraved ideas once marginalized from polite society, and our education system has failed to stop it. The hearing also featured questioning from subcommittee ranking member Rep. Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon, a Democrat, as well as U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), chair of the broader House committee. Montgomery County Public Schools is the largest school district in Maryland, with over 200 schools. It also falls within the top 20 largest school districts in the United States. The suburban Maryland district is at the center of a federal Title VI investigation launched in February, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The publication said the investigation was based on an opinion piece posted on a hyperlocal news site. The Department of Education does not normally comment on ongoing investigations. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin in programs or activities that receive federal funding. Last month, the Zionist Organization of America filed a civil rights complaint against the district over allegations of severe, persistent and pervasive antisemitism in the schools that district officials have failed to address. The complaint alleges intimidation and harassment. Montgomery County Board of Education President Karla Silvestre. Silvestre, who was elected to a second four-year term in November 2022, defended the district and said it does not shy away from imposing consequences for hate-based behavior, including antisemitism. She said the districts policy is to initiate an investigation each time the school system receives a complaint or we witness particular antisemitic, hate-filled or racist language or actions. When questioned by Bean about whether teachers have been fired, she said county school officials have not fired anybody but have taken disciplinary action against some teachers. As a part of our process, the teachers that have been disciplined know that if this happens ever again, there will be deeper consequences, up to and including termination, she said. Silvestre also pointed to several efforts the school system is taking to combat antisemitism in its schools, such as imposing mandatory hate-based training for all staff starting this summer and enhancing the curriculum in K-12 schools to expand on topics surrounding the Jewish experience. Questioned by Foxx over how long each investigation surrounding antisemitism takes on average, Silvestre did not have an exact number of weeks to provide, though she said she believes the district does a very thorough job, so we take as long as its needed to investigate. New York, California districts The hearing also featured testimony from two other school district leaders, including David Banks, chancellor for New York City Public Schools, and Enikia Ford Morthel, superintendent of Berkeley Unified School District in California. Bean said all three leaders represent public school districts that have allowed vile antisemitism to spread unchecked. The school officials all rejected allegations that they tolerate antisemitism within their districts. New York City comprises the largest school system in the nation. The citys education department faces a lawsuit from a Brooklyn teacher and campus administrator over allegations of failing to address persistent antisemitism against teachers. In California, the U.S. Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights on Tuesday said it opened a formal investigation into a complaint by the Anti-Defamation League and the Brandeis Center that the Berkeley district has failed to address non-stop severe and persistent bullying and harassment of Jewish students since Oct. 7. Wednesdays hearing also comes amid the persistence of pro-Palestinian encampments at college campuses across the country as protesters demand that their respective institutions divest funding from Israel. On Tuesday, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona was questioned about antisemitism on college campuses during a hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Make no mistake, antisemitism is discrimination and is prohibited by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Cardona said. Every student deserves to learn in an environment where they can feel free to be themselves without discrimination or fear for their safety, he added. Cardona said due to the significant increase in the number of Title VI investigations since the Oct. 7 attack, the department is asking for a $22 million increase in its budget for its Office for Civil Rights. Foxx called on Cardona to resign during Tuesdays hearing, repeating an earlier demand. With the outbreak of campus riots, I am only more resolute, so I will say it again: You must resign, the Republican from North Carolina said. The post Montgomery County school board chief pressed on Capitol Hill about incidents of antisemitism appeared first on Maryland Matters. Seven months after the heinous Hamas attack on Israel is a good time to assess how Israel fares compared to the situation before the attack, and to the declared war aims. On the brighter side, Hamas has suffered a major blow. Significant portions of its military capabilities have been destroyed, and with the calls for Arab forces coming in to control Gaza on the day after the war, its rule over that area will surely be restricted, if not abolished altogether. Therefore, its capability of harassing Israel in the future will be diminished. On the Lebanese border, Irans proxy Hezbollah has also been repeatedly hit by the Israeli Air Force, and it seems that the combination of the military pressure will eventually lead to a political arrangement, which will push the terrorist organization away from the Israeli border. The Iranian missile and drone attack on Israel proved to be a colossal failure. Not only have most of the missiles and the drones been shot down (or have failed to reach their destination altogether), the anti-Iran coalition led by the U. S. showed that it is alive and kicking. Furthermore, Israels response to that attack exposed the weakness of the Iranian defense systems. Israels deterrence has definitely been enhanced. On the downside, the attack on Oct. 7 was a big humiliating blow to Israel, and the fact that after 215 days, 94 Israelis are still kept hostages in the hands of Hamas is extremely painful. If and when they will be released, the price Israel will surely have to pay, especially by exchanging them for jailed terrorists and pulling out of Gaza, will be a bitter pill to swallow. Also, Israeli leaders kept telling the public that the releasing of the hostages was one of the top war aims. As long as this doesnt happen, Israelis are increasingly doubting whether the continuation of the war actually leads toward the release of the hostages, and with each additional day, the chances of them returning alive are diminishing. Another goal of the war, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu kept trumpeting, is the total victory over Hamas. No one really knows what exactly that means, but if after six months of ferocious fighting and so much destruction inflicted on Gaza, Hamas still stands on its feet, then there are more doubts about the wisdom of the Israeli policy. In the meantime, tens of thousands of Israelis have been evacuated from the border areas both near Gaza and on the Lebanese border, and it remains to be seen when they will be able to return to their homes without being attacked again by either Hamas or Hezbollah. Then, there is the tension between the Biden administration and Netanyahus government over the refusal of the latter to discuss the day after the war and the dire humanitarian conditions of the people of Gaza and the continued attacks. Finally, once the initial empathy towards Israel abated, there emerged a global negative sentiment, which sparked not only political pressures and anti-Israeli demonstrations, but also anti-Semitic attacks, culminating in the emerging violence on the US campuses. Weighing all these pros and cons leads many Israelis to the somber conclusion that the current government has failed twice: First, by its policy over the past years of containing Hamas and weakening the Palestinian Authority, it actually helped strengthen Hamas. And then, by launching the constitutional coup against the Israeli democracy, it portrayed Israel as a weak society, torn apart from within, something which seduced Hamas to unleash its attack. Secondly, many Israelis believe that Netanyahu is prolonging the war in order to deflect criticism or, in other words, simply to remain in power. Protesting against governments in times of war is always a sensitive issue, as the Vietnam era has shown. In Israel, though, the public pressure is rising, with more Israelis becoming convinced that the current government has failed and it should go; the sooner, the better. Uri Dromi was the spokesman of the Israeli government from 1992-1996. Dromi This photo taken on Aug. 4, 2023 shows the Chain Bridge spanning the Danube River in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Hungarian students Bonita Varga and Tamara Imre were thrilled to hear from Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2023, soon after they wrote to him ahead of the Spring Festival in January of that year. "My wife and I were glad to receive your letter during the Spring Festival in the Year of the Rabbit. I still remember interacting with teachers and students at the Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual School in 2009," Xi said in his reply letter, referring to the school that Varga and Imre attended. In their letter to Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, Varga and Imre expressed their gratitude after winning the Chinese Ambassador Scholarship for a second time, and conveyed festive greetings on behalf of all the students at the school. The two Hungarians had been studying Chinese at the school for 12 years by that time. Varga, whose Chinese name is Hu Lingyue, describes learning the Chinese language as "a beautiful thing." And Imre, whose Chinese name is Song Zhixiao, says that she enjoys binge-watching Chinese video websites. They both have an appreciation for Chinese calligraphy. Varga and Imre both hope to work as translators in the future, and they said that Xi's reply had been a source of encouragement to continue studying the Chinese language. Their letter expressed their aspirations to study at Chinese universities and contribute to the Hungary-China friendship. Commending their goals, Xi said that they were welcome to study at Chinese universities after graduating from high school. The two Hungarians' hard work paid off. In September last year, they were admitted to Capital Normal University in Beijing. In his reply letter, Xi also expressed the hope that more young Hungarians will learn about contemporary China, as well as the country's history and culture, and strive to become envoys carrying forward and developing the China-Hungary friendship. Xi's ties with the bilingual school began in 2009 when he visited it during a trip to Hungary as China's vice president. It is the first full-time public school in Central and Eastern Europe that teaches through both its local language and Chinese. It has 20 classes and more than 500 students. Zsuzsanna Erdelyi, head of the school, remembers that Xi smiled throughout his visit, speaking with the students about Chinese poems and songs for children. "The temperature dropped suddenly that day," she said, noting that Xi had been aware of the change and urged the students to return inside as soon as possible. Xi brought presents of teaching materials and educational tools, and assured the school that he would support and help with its development, Erdelyi said. "I think he fulfilled this promise to the maximum and created many opportunities for the students studying here so that they could be taught well." When the bilingual school was founded in 2004, most of its students were native Chinese speakers or from multiracial families, she said. "Today, most of the students are native Hungarian speakers." The Chinese language has been incorporated into Hungary's national educational system and has become a college entrance exam subject in the country, she added. The school is a prime example of increased exchanges and cooperation between Hungary and China. Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, China and Hungary have in recent years maintained a high level of development in their relations. Quality agricultural products from Hungary, such as beef and wine, have entered households in China, and technologies that Hungarian companies have developed to empower interaction have been applied in Chinese museums and exhibition venues. New electric vehicles from Chinese brands NIO and BYD can also be seen frequently on the streets of Hungary. Hungary is the first European country to sign a Belt and Road cooperation document with China. And Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) for three consecutive times. "China is willing to continue working with Hungary to be good friends and partners who trust each other and pursue win-win cooperation, and to take the China-Hungary comprehensive strategic partnership to new levels," Xi said when he met with Orban during the BRF last year. As this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary, Xi's upcoming state visit to the European country is expected to elevate bilateral relations to a new level and yield more fruitful results. More addiction patients can take methadone at home, but some states lag behind P People wait in line for a methadone clinic to open in Hoquiam, Wash., in 2017. As a chorus of physicians and advocates calls for loosening methadone restrictions, states have been slower to adopt new relaxed federal rules. (David Goldman/The Associated Press) Matt Haneys home in San Francisco isnt far from a methadone clinic. The 42-year-old state lawmaker has watched people line up early each morning outside the clinic in the Tenderloin, a community long considered the epicenter of the citys substance use epidemic. His neighbors wait for the daily dose of methadone that relieves their cravings and minimizes opioid withdrawal symptoms. Despite methadones effectiveness, a labyrinth of state and federal rules meant to guard against its misuse keeps it inaccessible to many people who desperately need it, Haney said. What kind of normal person with a job, a life and a family can line up for medication every morning, sometimes far from where they live? The Democratic assemblymember and majority whip noted that California is one of many states with rules that are stricter than federal regulations on when, where and how people can access opioid treatments like methadone. Its almost comical how difficult it is to get this medication and stay on it, he said. Yet addiction treatment in the United States is poised for change. This year, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, known as SAMHSA, made permanent a set of pandemic-era rules that loosened several restrictions, including those on take-home doses of methadone. Its a move that a broad consensus of academics, advocates and providers says will improve treatment access and success rates. Having the flexibility to take medication at home can mean patients can get to work or get their kids to school on time. They can deal with family emergencies and unexpected travel. And they avoid the stigma of waiting in line at a clinic. What kind of normal person with a job, a life and a family can line up for medication every morning, sometimes far from where they live? Matt Haney, a Democratic member of the California State Assembly In theory, the new federal rules make more take-home methadone doses available to a wider subset of patients. But whats less clear is how the rules will trickle down to states. Theres concern states that didnt preserve the relaxed regulations they had during the pandemic might be slow to adopt them now. A number of states will have to revise their regulations if theyre going to be in alignment with what SAMHSA has released, Mark Parrino, founder and president of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence Inc., a national trade group that supports the new federal regulations. What could delay implementation would be the state regulators. Later this month at his groups annual conference, SAMHSA will convene a closed-door meeting of regulators from all 50 states to discuss the new federal rules and how states might bring their own standards into compliance, Parrino said. Its all happening as the opioid crisis, driven by rising fentanyl overdoses, has prompted a chorus of physicians and advocates to call for loosening methadone restrictions even further a move that leaders at many opioid treatment programs oppose. Liquid handcuffs Medications that treat opioid use disorder such as methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone are rigorously regulated by the government. They block the effects of opioids or halt withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings without causing the same feelings of euphoria. But while medications like buprenorphine can be prescribed by a physician and taken at home, methadone can only be prescribed and dispensed in the United States through federally certified clinics called opioid treatment programs. Methadone can be taken as a liquid, a pill or an injectable. Currently, about 1,800 certified opioid treatment programs operate in the United States, giving methadone treatment to about 400,000 people. Thats just 19% of the estimated 2.1 million people in the United States who have opioid use disorder. Until the pandemic, most methadone patients had to visit a clinic daily to take their doses while a provider watched. Restrictions stem from concern that methadone can be abused or resold. Even though it does not produce an intense high, its possible to overdose if its not taken as prescribed. But the tight regulation created a system that keeps patients tethered to the nearest methadone clinic with what some have called liquid handcuffs. Long clinic lines, varying hours, counseling requirements and inflexible rules around rescheduling appointments make it difficult for patients to juggle job and family responsibilities. One pregnant patient in a 2021 study reported being required to remain in line at her methadone clinic even after her water broke. Other patients said they were refused take-home doses for family emergency situations or were randomly required to make additional clinic visits. Ten states require methadone providers to observe patients during urine sample collection, according to a 2021 analysis by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Theres no other medical condition where we feel like patients need to earn the right to treatment, said Ximena Levander, an addiction medicine physician and researcher at Oregon Health & Science University. What SAMHSA has done with these new rules is to try to shift that paradigm from a punitive, you need to earn this model to a patient-centered, individualized treatment plan. But its going to take time for that culture change to happen. A power imbalance At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal officials allowed states to give more methadone patients up to 28 days of take-home doses. In February of this year, SAMHSA made these new, looser rules permanent. They went into effect last month, and opioid treatment programs have until October to comply. Thats an ambitious timeline, said Parrino, of the trade group. His association represents more than 1,300 opioid treatment clinics. At least 10 states had stability criteria for take-home doses that were stricter than federal rules as of June 2021. Individual opioid treatment programs might be more conservative still. Some, for example, wont allow take-home doses for patients who drink alcohol or use cannabis. Even individual clinicians might have their own views about what patients must do before being allowed take-home doses. The requirements help keep patients safe, Parrino said: Methadone is an incredibly successful medication and its extremely effective, but its deadly if used unwisely. Yet for patients, opioid treatment programs monopoly on methadone treatment represents a power imbalance thats not as apparent in other areas of medicine. Levander recalled one patient who said her treatment program had increased her required clinic visits from once a month to once every two weeks, and she felt like she had no recourse to challenge that decision. Patients know if they lose access to their medication, they may not have another methadone program nearby and they could return to use [of illicit drugs], Levander said. The opioid treatment programs have all the power and control. Theres not a lot of desire from patients to rock the boat. Haney, the California state lawmaker, has introduced a bill that would remove several barriers to methadone access, including allowing physicians outside of opioid treatment clinics to temporarily prescribe take-home doses. The bill passed out of committee late last month with bipartisan support. Minnesota lawmakers introduced a bill this year, still in committee, that would bring the states rules for dispensing take-home doses in line with federal rules. Some states, such as Massachusetts, issued executive orders adopting many of the new federal guidelines. State agencies in places including Minnesota and Colorado have shifted their rules to adopt a more patient-centered approach to addiction medicine. But other states havent yet followed suit. Its so highly variable as far as where states are on this issue, said Bobby Mukkamala, a physician in Flint, Michigan, who is on the board of trustees at the American Medical Association. Some states are way ahead at truly looking at substance use disorder as a medical condition, not something to be punished. Methadone monopoly Meanwhile, a bipartisan bill in Congress could further deregulate the opioid treatment industry and open methadone treatment nationally to physicians outside of clinics. U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, have introduced legislation that would allow physicians trained in addiction treatment to prescribe methadone outside of a clinic. Its a move supported by several national organizations, including the American Medical Association. If its the restriction thats stopping patients with these issues from seeing a physician to help, then we need to remove it, said Mukkamala. But the opioid treatment program industry is pushing back. Parrino noted that many opioid use disorder patients have other associated conditions, from HIV to emotional trauma, that require the kind of comprehensive and regimented treatment available from a certified clinic. Earlier this year, Markey suggested opioid treatment clinics have more financially driven motivations for their opposition to expanding methadone to non-clinic settings. Ultimately, tethering methadone exclusively to opioid treatment programs is less about access, or health and safety, but about control, and for many investors in those programs, it is about profit, he said in a February statement about the new rules. Nearly two-thirds of opioid treatment programs are operated by for-profit companies. At least 562 of those are financed by private equity firms, according to a STAT News analysis. Private equitys involvement in health care has been the subject of an avalanche of scrutiny from lawmakers, advocates and researchers in recent years. A growing body of research supports methadones deregulation. A 2022 survey of opioid treatment patients in a Midwest community found more than half reported travel and work conflicts kept them from treatment. Last year, researchers found that flexible methadone take-home policies were associated with fewer overdose deaths among Black and Hispanic men. Another recent study found that take-home flexibility of methadone did not lead to more methadone-involved deaths. Haney, the California lawmaker, thinks moving methadone beyond clinic walls would benefit not just people with opioid use disorder, but also their surrounding communities, such as the Tenderloin. These outdated policies come from a fear of these patients and a fear of this medication thats misguided, he said. Its fueling the crisis that we are now facing. 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 More addiction patients can take methadone at home, but some states lag behind appeared first on Rhode Island Current. More addiction patients can take methadone at home, but some states lag behind People wait in line for a methadone clinic to open in Hoquiam, Wash., in 2017. As a chorus of physicians and advocates calls for loosening methadone restrictions, states have been slower to adopt new relaxed federal rules. (David Goldman | The Associated Press) Matt Haneys home in San Francisco isnt far from a methadone clinic. The 42-year-old state lawmaker has watched people line up early each morning outside the clinic in the Tenderloin, a community long considered the epicenter of the citys substance use epidemic. His neighbors wait for the daily dose of methadone that relieves their cravings and minimizes opioid withdrawal symptoms. Despite methadones effectiveness, a labyrinth of state and federal rules meant to guard against its misuse keeps it inaccessible to many people who desperately need it, Haney said. What kind of normal person with a job, a life and a family can line up for medication every morning, sometimes far from where they live? The Democratic assemblymember and majority whip noted that California is one of many states with rules that are stricter than federal regulations on when, where and how people can access opioid treatments like methadone. Its almost comical how difficult it is to get this medication and stay on it, he said. Yet addiction treatment in the United States is poised for change. This year, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, known as SAMHSA, made permanent a set of pandemic-era rules that loosened several restrictions, including those on take-home doses of methadone. Its a move that a broad consensus of academics, advocates and providers says will improve treatment access and success rates. Having the flexibility to take medication at home can mean patients can get to work or get their kids to school on time. They can deal with family emergencies and unexpected travel. And they avoid the stigma of waiting in line at a clinic. What kind of normal person with a job, a life and a family can line up for medication every morning, sometimes far from where they live? Matt Haney, a Democratic member of the California State Assembly In theory, the new federal rules make more take-home methadone doses available to a wider subset of patients. But whats less clear is how the rules will trickle down to states. Theres concern states that didnt preserve the relaxed regulations they had during the pandemic might be slow to adopt them now. A number of states will have to revise their regulations if theyre going to be in alignment with what SAMHSA has released, Mark Parrino, founder and president of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence Inc., a national trade group that supports the new federal regulations. What could delay implementation would be the state regulators. Later this month at his groups annual conference, SAMHSA will convene a closed-door meeting of regulators from all 50 states to discuss the new federal rules and how states might bring their own standards into compliance, Parrino said. Its all happening as the opioid crisis, driven by rising fentanyl overdoses, has prompted a chorus of physicians and advocates to call for loosening methadone restrictions even further a move that leaders at many opioid treatment programs oppose. Liquid handcuffs Medications that treat opioid use disorder such as methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone are rigorously regulated by the government. They block the effects of opioids or halt withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings without causing the same feelings of euphoria. But while medications like buprenorphine can be prescribed by a physician and taken at home, methadone can only be prescribed and dispensed in the United States through federally certified clinics called opioid treatment programs. Methadone can be taken as a liquid, a pill or an injectable. Currently, about 1,800 certified opioid treatment programs operate in the United States, giving methadone treatment to about 400,000 people. Thats just 19% of the estimated 2.1 million people in the United States who have opioid use disorder. Until the pandemic, most methadone patients had to visit a clinic daily to take their doses while a provider watched. Restrictions stem from concern that methadone can be abused or resold. Even though it does not produce an intense high, its possible to overdose if its not taken as prescribed. But the tight regulation created a system that keeps patients tethered to the nearest methadone clinic with what some have called liquid handcuffs. Long clinic lines, varying hours, counseling requirements and inflexible rules around rescheduling appointments make it difficult for patients to juggle job and family responsibilities. One pregnant patient in a 2021 study reported being required to remain in line at her methadone clinic even after her water broke. Other patients said they were refused take-home doses for family emergency situations or were randomly required to make additional clinic visits. Ten states require methadone providers to observe patients during urine sample collection, according to a 2021 analysis by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Theres no other medical condition where we feel like patients need to earn the right to treatment, said Ximena Levander, an addiction medicine physician and researcher at Oregon Health & Science University. What SAMHSA has done with these new rules is to try to shift that paradigm from a punitive, you need to earn this model to a patient-centered, individualized treatment plan. But its going to take time for that culture change to happen. A power imbalance At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal officials allowed states to give more methadone patients up to 28 days of take-home doses. In February of this year, SAMHSA made these new, looser rules permanent. They went into effect last month, and opioid treatment programs have until October to comply. Thats an ambitious timeline, said Parrino, of the trade group. His association represents more than 1,300 opioid treatment clinics. At least 10 states had stability criteria for take-home doses that were stricter than federal rules as of June 2021. Individual opioid treatment programs might be more conservative still. Some, for example, wont allow take-home doses for patients who drink alcohol or use cannabis. Even individual clinicians might have their own views about what patients must do before being allowed take-home doses. The requirements help keep patients safe, Parrino said: Methadone is an incredibly successful medication and its extremely effective, but its deadly if used unwisely. Yet for patients, opioid treatment programs monopoly on methadone treatment represents a power imbalance thats not as apparent in other areas of medicine. Levander recalled one patient who said her treatment program had increased her required clinic visits from once a month to once every two weeks, and she felt like she had no recourse to challenge that decision. Patients know if they lose access to their medication, they may not have another methadone program nearby and they could return to use [of illicit drugs], Levander said. The opioid treatment programs have all the power and control. Theres not a lot of desire from patients to rock the boat. Haney, the California state lawmaker, has introduced a bill that would remove several barriers to methadone access, including allowing physicians outside of opioid treatment clinics to temporarily prescribe take-home doses. The bill passed out of committee late last month with bipartisan support. Minnesota lawmakers introduced a bill this year, still in committee, that would bring the states rules for dispensing take-home doses in line with federal rules. Some states, such as Massachusetts, issued executive orders adopting many of the new federal guidelines. State agencies in places including Minnesota and Colorado have shifted their rules to adopt a more patient-centered approach to addiction medicine. But other states havent yet followed suit. Its so highly variable as far as where states are on this issue, said Bobby Mukkamala, a physician in Flint, Michigan, who is on the board of trustees at the American Medical Association. Some states are way ahead at truly looking at substance use disorder as a medical condition, not something to be punished. Methadone monopoly Meanwhile, a bipartisan bill in Congress could further deregulate the opioid treatment industry and open methadone treatment nationally to physicians outside of clinics. U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, have introduced legislation that would allow physicians trained in addiction treatment to prescribe methadone outside of a clinic. Its a move supported by several national organizations, including the American Medical Association. If its the restriction thats stopping patients with these issues from seeing a physician to help, then we need to remove it, said Mukkamala. But the opioid treatment program industry is pushing back. Parrino noted that many opioid use disorder patients have other associated conditions, from HIV to emotional trauma, that require the kind of comprehensive and regimented treatment available from a certified clinic. Earlier this year, Markey suggested opioid treatment clinics have more financially driven motivations for their opposition to expanding methadone to non-clinic settings. Ultimately, tethering methadone exclusively to opioid treatment programs is less about access, or health and safety, but about control, and for many investors in those programs, it is about profit, he said in a February statement about the new rules. Nearly two-thirds of opioid treatment programs are operated by for-profit companies. At least 562 of those are financed by private equity firms, according to a STAT News analysis. Private equitys involvement in health care has been the subject of an avalanche of scrutiny from lawmakers, advocates and researchers in recent years. A growing body of research supports methadones deregulation. A 2022 survey of opioid treatment patients in a Midwest community found more than half reported travel and work conflicts kept them from treatment. Last year, researchers found that flexible methadone take-home policies were associated with fewer overdose deaths among Black and Hispanic men. Another recent study found that take-home flexibility of methadone did not lead to more methadone-involved deaths. Haney, the California lawmaker, thinks moving methadone beyond clinic walls would benefit not just people with opioid use disorder, but also their surrounding communities, such as the Tenderloin. These outdated policies come from a fear of these patients and a fear of this medication thats misguided, he said. Its fueling the crisis that we are now facing. 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 More addiction patients can take methadone at home, but some states lag behind appeared first on West Virginia Watch. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Four candidates for Oregons Third Congressional District held a press conference on Tuesday denouncing dark money in their race and claimed they were excluded from a similar joint press conference with fellow candidates. During Tuesdays press conference, called We are Also Running, District 3 candidates Michael Jonas, Nolan Bylenga, Ricky Barajas, and Rachel Rand laid out their platforms and called for transparency in campaign financing. The press conference was in response to a separate press conference held by two other District 3 candidates Susheela Jayapal and Eddy Morales held May 2, in which they denounced dark money supporting fellow candidate Maxine Dexter. Oregon Gov. Kotek signs emergency housing law The influx of dark money and outside spending in our primary race is an afront to our democratic values. These shadowy groups often backed by undisclosed donors are trying to buy influence and shape the outcome of this election without transparency or accountability. This is not the kind of politics that the people of District 3 want or deserve nor are accustomed to given [outgoing Congressman Earl Blumenauers] high-level integrity, Jonas said. My fellow candidates and I are standing united against this corrosive influence. Our democracy should not be for sale. Every voter has the right to know who is funding these attack ads and manipulative campaigns. We need comprehensive campaign finance reform that prioritizes transparency and levels the playing field, Jonas added. We must do these things: ban dark money, all political groups influencing elections should disclose their donors in real-time, so voters have a clear understanding of who is funding the messaging they see. We must end super PACs, outside groups like super PACs wield far too much power. We should limit their influence and hold them to stricter standards. And finally, we must have public campaign financing. We have to empower candidates who refuse corporate money by expanding financing options to amplify the voices of everyday Americans. New wolverine sighting in Southwest Washington During the press conference, Jonas claimed the group of four candidates were excluded from the joint press conference held by Jayapal and Morales, in which they claimed a Federal Election Commission filing showed a group supporting the political action committee 314 Action has spent $1.6 million to date on behalf of Dexter. In a statement to KOIN 6 News, Graham Nolen with the Morales campaign, said, We agree that Maxine Dexter should come clean about her knowledge of the outside spending in support of her. KOIN 6 News also reached out to Susheela Jayapals campaign but has not heard back. In a statement to KOIN 6 News, Dexters campaign manager Nathan Clark said, Maxine is the only candidate in this race who has championed and passed meaningful campaign finance reform. She supports transparency in the system, and she is proud to have the support of 314 grassroots scientists and doctors. Its the height of hypocrisy that Maxines opponents are calling on one group to operate outside the scope of the law while simultaneously benefitting from and encouraging big-money groups coming into the race to help their own campaigns. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. More Democrats here, more Republicans there: How Miamis voting districts are changing A proposed new voting map that will go before the Miami City Commission on Thursday as part of a settlement in a racial gerrymandering case makes minor changes to demographics and political affiliations in districts for the citys five nonpartisan seats, drawing one commissioner out of his district and affirming the residency of another commissioner whose home was cut out during the last election cycle, sparking litigation and accusations of political antics. The new map was agreed upon as part of a proposed settlement in a federal lawsuit against the city filed by voting rights activists represented by the American Civil Liberties Union. The settlement would mark the end of a contentious legal battle, while costing the city over $1.5 million in attorneys fees racked up by the plaintiffs. It also closely coincides with last months ouster of City Attorney Victoria Mendez, who had defended the previous map. With the exception of Carollo, commissioners indicated to the Miami Herald that they plan to vote to approve the settlement and the new map. Last month, U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore ruled that Miamis voting map was racially gerrymandered and ordered the city to toss it out. Before the ruling, commissioners had openly stated that the voting map was drawn to ensure the five-member commission comprised three Hispanic, one white and one Black commissioner to guarantee racial diversity of the boards membership a policy that Moore said violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. At first blush, the new map appears to closely resemble the previous version. But Nicholas Warren, an attorney for the ACLU, said the new district lines follow major roads and easily recognizable boundaries, rather than dividing communities and forming irregular appendages. For example, U.S. 1 now separates District 2 from Districts 3 and 4 completely, whereas previous versions had portions of the boundary dipping into Coconut Grove, dividing East and West Grove into separate districts. The new map also uses the Miami River as a boundary between Districts 1, 3 and 5, unifying the Overtown neighborhood. This map shows all three versions of Miami district maps used since 2022. The colored portions highlight the boundaries settled on by the city in a recent lawsuit. The black lines show the boundaries that were in place in 2022, which prompted the lawsuit, and the white lines represent the boundaries the commission passed in June 2023 and a judge approved to use for the 2023 election. Commission Chairwoman Christine King celebrated the unification of Overtown, saying residents will not be negatively impacted by the redistricting. The Overtown community has suffered enough, King said in an email. Hopefully, the proposed settlement will resolve the dispute, once and for all. We must move on from this litigation and continue our focus on serving constituents, as this has always been my top priority. But not all neighborhoods are in the same district under the proposed new map. By using 22nd Avenue from Northwest Seventh Street to Coral Way as a boundary, the settlement map pushes more of the Little Havana neighborhood into District 4. Residents in the Shenandoah area were disappointed to learn their neighborhood which had been split between Districts 3 and 4 will remain divided, this time with a larger portion in District 3. We were really hoping for unification of our neighborhood under one district, said Lindsay Corrales of the Shenandoah Homeowners Association. District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo called the voting map settlement the light at the end of the tunnel. Im just super excited were turning that page, Pardo said. Its so important to move beyond this impasse. Demographic changes Under the proposed settlement, the incumbent commissioners would continue to serve their current terms despite the map changes. While some of the officials celebrated the new map, others expressed skepticism. District 4 Commissioner Manolo Reyes said the previous map ensured diversity on the City Commission and that his primary concern is that we have proper representation of every ethnic group. He said a map that doesnt guarantee such representation could lead to an all-Hispanic commission in the next one to two election cycles. However, Reyes added that he will likely vote for the new map, given the circumstances. What alternative do I have if we are ordered by a judge to reach an agreement? The proposed new map makes only minor changes to the demographics of voting-age citizens in each district, a Herald data analysis shows. Any changes to the racial makeup of a district are inadvertent, according to Warren of the ACLU. No district was drawn to achieve a specific racial composition, he said. A Hispanic supermajority would remain in Districts 1, 3 and 4. District 5 would remain majority Black, with the percentage of Black voting-age citizens decreasing slightly, from 57.4% to 56.5%, according to 2020 Census data. District 1 could change party lines, going from 49.4% to 50.5% Republican, according to data showing the 2020 presidential election results within the new boundaries. The population of voting-age citizens would be 86.6% Hispanic, a marginal increase from before. The redrawn map also affirms the residency of District 1 Commissioner Miguel Angel Gabela, who unseated Alex Diaz de la Portilla in November. Last summer, months after Gabela had begun campaigning for the District 1 seat and a federal judge ordered a temporary map be drawn, commissioners approved a map that drew his home out of District 1. That sparked multiple lawsuits over the validity of Gabelas commission bid. By the time votes were cast in a runoff between Gabela and Diaz de la Portilla in late November, the courts had confirmed that Gabela could run for the seat. Gabela said the controversy surrounding his residency was a political trap. I just hope for the future, going forward, this doesnt happen again to anybody, he said. Commissioner Miguel Gabelas home was drawn out of District 1 while he was running to be a commissioner for that district. The white line represents where the District 1 line was drawn in 2022, which included Gabelas home, while the black line shows where the line was drawn in June of 2023, making Gabelas home part of District 3. District 3, represented by Commissioner Joe Carollo, would lose around 1,500 Hispanic voting-age citizens and about 300 Black voting-age citizens, gaining approximately 1,250 white voting-age citizens. Still, the district would remain 79.8% Hispanic, a slight decrease from 82.7% under the 2023 map. They decided that District 3 was their turkey the one that they could slice up, Carollo said. District 3 would also become slightly bluer, going from 52.8% to 54.4% Democrat, according to 2020 presidential election results. Carollo, a Republican on the nonpartisan City Commission, told the Herald that he believes the plaintiffs set out to make ideologically gerrymandered districts and redrew his district lines intentionally so that liberal Hispanics will have an opportunity to win District 3 and ultimately create a majority-Democrat commission. In response to those claims, the ACLU said its clients have fought for district lines that were fair to the communities that make-up our multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural City. We have fought to improve the democratic process at the local level by requiring the use of maps that are fair and not racially discriminatory. The new map would put Carollos Coconut Grove home out of District 3 and into District 2 a change that wont affect the commissioner since he is term-limited once he finishes his current term, which ends in 2025. That doesnt prevent Carollo from running for mayor, however. Asked if he intends to do so, he told the Herald that he doesnt want to run for mayor but wouldnt go as far to say that he wouldnt run. Carollo kept his cards close to his vest when asked how he plans to vote on the settlement Thursday. You gotta leave some suspense, he said. If we tell them before how every votes gonna be, then nobodys gonna watch. Miami Herald Associate Editor Joey Flechas contributed to this report. Fewer than one-third of Veterans Affairs police officers completed their annual suicide prevention training last year, leaving thousands of law enforcement personnel underprepared to handle mental health crisis situations on department campuses, according to a report from department whistleblowers released Wednesday. VA leaders said they are looking into reports of the training shortfalls, which were brought to light by Senate Veterans Affairs Committee ranking member Jerry Moran, R-Kansas. In a statement, department press secretary Terrence Hayes said officials are focused on ensuring our employees at all levels, including police officers, have the robust training required to intervene and protect veterans during a crisis. Veteran suicides rose in 2021 despite increased prevention efforts But Moran called the delays in training unacceptable, given the importance of first-responders role in helping unstable veterans. This is wholly unacceptable and I fear it is our veterans and VAs workforce who are paying the price, he said in a letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough released Wednesday. VAs own police force is not trained in de-escalation skills and suicide prevention, as required by law. There is no excuse for VA not taking all the steps the department can much less the steps that Congress requires to prevent the unnecessary loss of life. In 2020, Congress mandated that VA provide police officers with annual training on how to prevent suicide through crisis intervention and de-escalation skills. The move came amid a small but growing number of veteran suicides on department medical center campuses, just a short distance away from potentially life-saving help. But Morans office said VA officials reported that from January 2023 to March 2024, only 1,297 out of 4,505 armed VA police officers about 29% completed that required training. In his letter, Moran asked for the reasons behind that low competition rate and requested a plan to guarantee the departments compliance going forward. VA officials did not confirm or refute those figures. Suicide prevention has been the departments top health care priority in recent years, but efforts on the issue have shown mixed results. About 6,400 veterans died by suicide in 2021, the most recent year for which data is available. That translates to about 17.5 veteran deaths per day. Suicides among veterans were up 1.8% from 2020 to 2021, after totals had dropped each of the two prior years. Veterans in need of emergency counseling can reach the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and selecting option 1 after connecting to reach a VA staffer. In addition, veterans, troops or their family members can also text 838255 for help, or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net for assistance. BAIRD, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) In the wake of the recent loss of her 16-year-old son Ryan Bilby, Baird mother Ashley Rudder finds herself overwhelmed by memories. Bilby and 18-year-olds Layni Potter and Madi Buchanan lost their lives, and two other teens were injured in a collision with a drunk driver on Sunday, May 5. Rudder met with KTAB/KRBC in the park where her son used to play to share some of her thoughts. 3 Baird teens killed in Sunday morning crash Where were at right here is where he spent his summers On this field, on this court, they were over in that creek crawdad fishing We had a path. We were gonna get him graduated and he was gonna go to work. He wanted to be a mechanic He was restoring a T-body Its so hard to say he was. Instead of he is, Rudder said. Hundreds gathered Tuesday evening at the site of the wreck for a candlelight vigil in support of the teens friends and family. Rudder said she cannot properly grieve her loss until she feels justice has been served. Bereaved community gathers at crash site-turned candlelight vigil for 3 Baird teens killed by drunk driver They were wrapping up their night to go to bed But instead we are here and we are mourning so much I have so much love in my heart, but since Sunday morning, Ive never felt this rage in my heart, said Rudder. For now, she is devoting her time to raising awareness of the incident, talking to the community, and posting on social media. She hopes to have closure for the kids in the community she sees as her own who are grieving the loss. We got these girls that are still here that are grieving. Bilbys wife is Shes having a hard time, Rudder said. Nothing normal about today: Baird High School embraces bereaved after fatal car wreck involving 3 local teenagers Kyleigh Wheeler, whom Bilby called his wife, shared memories of the good times at the Tuesday evening vigil. One of my favorite memories with him was. We were trying to get him to stay the night at my house, and we begged and begged and begged. I asked his mom. I was like, what if we were married? What if we were married? She said If yall are married, I dont care what you do So we were like, were gonna get married. We went and found a certificate and wrote our names on it. And we got married by Mr. Police Officer, Wheeler recalled with a bittersweet laugh. Funeral services for the teens have already begun. Madi Buchanans service was held at the First Baptist Church of Baird on Wednesday, Ryan Bilbys was at the same location at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, and Layni Potters will be held at the Baird High School Gym at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, May 10. Rudder said the communitys support has been incredible at this time. For many, like Wheeler, the person they look to in times of distress is the very person theyre coming to mourn. That was my best friend, Wheeler said through tears. Its crazy to think that he is not gonna be a part of it for his girls, said Rudder. The plans and dreams held by friends and family were darkened by the loss of the one they hoped to share them with and a community stepping in to ensure none of them face that future alone. A group of his friends were walking up to my house the other night. They said we know its early, and they brought me roses for Mothers Day because Bilby would have done something for Mothers Day. Thats gonna be the hardest thing: waking up and not finding him God has a plan, and I dont know what it is yet, but he has a plan. But right now, the plan is we have to get justice for these babies. All of them, Rudder said. Driver arrested for DWI following fatal collision in Baird According to a news release from Texas DPS, the five teens were in a Kia, and the other driver was in a pickup truck. That report states that the Kia stopped at the intersection and then pulled out onto the road, after which it was struck by the pickup. Preliminary investigation revealed that Vehicle 1 (Kia) was traveling south on Peyton Street and had stopped at a stop sign at Peyton St. and West 3rd. Vehicle 2 (Pickup) was traveling west on West 3rd Street approaching Peyton St. Vehicle 1 failed to yield the right of way to Vehicle 2, driving south into the intersection of Peyton St. and West 3rd. Vehicle 2 struck Vehicle 1. Three passengers were ejected from Vehicle 1 during the collision. Preliminary news release from The Texas Department of Public Safety, Sunday May 5th, 3:17PM The driver of the pickup, 35-year-old Ashlie Haynes of Clyde, has been charged with driving while intoxicated. A later release from Texas DPS clarified that further charges may be filed during the ongoing investigation. On 5-5-24, around 2 A.M., the Texas Department of Public Safety responded to a fatality crash in the city of Baird, at West 3rd and Peyton Street. During the investigation of this crash, investigators discovered that the driver, of the Chevrolet Silverado pickup, involved in the crash was intoxicated. The driver was identified as Ashlie Haynes, 35 years of age, from Clyde, Texas. Haynes was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated and consented to provide a breath test which showed a blood alcohol concentration over the legal limit of 0.08. Haynes was booked into the Callahan County Jail for driving while intoxicated. 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. News release from The Texas Department of Public Safety, Sunday May 5th, 6:31PM For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. Judge Aileen Cannons indefinite delay of Donald Trumps documents trial is among the latest roadblocks to the former president seeing trial in several of the outstanding cases against him ahead of the election. Cannon on Tuesday granted one of the earliest asks from Trumps legal team in declining to set an ultimate trial date leaving unclear when it will come before a jury. She otherwise shuffled the schedule to spend more time on legal issues raised as far back as February. Trumps other federal charges are also facing roadblocks to reaching trial before the election, with proceedings in his Jan. 6 case on pause until the Supreme Court resolves a bid by the former president to toss the case by arguing he is immune from prosecution as a onetime executive. And the possibility of any Trump trial in Georgia in his election interference case there took a hit when a state appeals court on Wednesday agreed to review a lower courts decision not to remove Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) following her romantic relationship with another prosecutor on the case. The mounting issues present a series of new wrinkles to any of the cases reaching trial before the election. If Trump wins the White House, his Justice Department would almost certainly drop all charges. It is entirely possible that the Manhattan case is the only one that makes it to verdict before the election, said Brad Moss, a national security attorney. Trump is now under trial in New York concerning allegations about covering up hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels to conceal an affair. Georgia and the Mar-a-Lago documents cases are almost certainly delayed at this point. The D.C. election fraud case hinges on how and when SCOTUS rules. It is possible but by no means certain that the fall campaign could see that trial take place. Or it could remain bogged down in legal fights too, Moss said. In a Tuesday order issued less than two weeks before Trumps trial in the documents case was set to begin, Cannon laid out a new calendar for considering numerous motions and other issues raised by Trump. The Court also determines that finalization of a trial date at this juncture before resolution of the myriad and interconnected pre-trial and CIPA issues remaining and forthcoming would be imprudent and inconsistent with the Courts duty to fully and fairly consider the various pending pre-trial motions before the Court, Cannon wrote. She noted that she still has eight substantive pretrial motions she must rule on, including various arguments by Trump seeking to kill the case. Cannon is spending considerable time on issues that some outside observers say other judges likely would have addressed more quickly. Her decision also punts until midsummer litigation over how the classified information at issue in the case will be presented in court a process governed by the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA). By delaying the CIPA proceedings even further, Judge Cannon has effectively set the case back at least three months when compared to the schedule DOJ last proposed, which had the case going to trial in July, Brian Greer, a former CIA attorney, told The Hill. In light of this, its going to be almost impossible to have the trial prior to the election. Now on the calendar are three days devoted to exploring a motion from Trump that prosecutors described as difficult to decipher that seeks to expand the scope of who must turn over evidence in the case. Trump argues he needs information from the White House and various intelligence agencies due to political animus. Im not aware of any precedent for a court holding an evidentiary hearing to determine whether the Intelligence Community is within the scope of the prosecution team. The role of the IC agencies is to work with prosecutors to protect their classified equities in the documents that were compromised by Trump, Greer said. They are victims of crime, not prosecutors of it. While the Justice Department has tangled with Cannon before it challenged and got reversed her order installing a special master to review the documents the new schedule is not appealable. Cannon isnt going anywhere, Moss said. She has carefully ensured her actions on substance dont merit appeal to the 11th Circuit, and her procedural actions easily fall within her discretionary authority. No one other than Judge Cannon really knows why she is doing things this way. It may be inexperience, it may be deliberate obfuscation, or it may just be that she wants to be thoroughly comprehensive and cautious in her approach to the issues. Another judge probably would have handled this differently, but Judge Cannon is the one to whom the case was assigned, and that is just the way the cookie crumbles, he added. What about the Jan. 6 case? The inaction on the Mar-a-Lago case does clear the way, however, for progress in the federal Jan. 6 case. But that case is facing its own circular route to a trial one that could easily end up at the Supreme Court for a second time. Trump has asked the Supreme Court to toss the case, arguing the criminal immunity presidents enjoy while in office carry over once they are no longer an executive. During the April trial, the Supreme Court seemed open to carving out some type of immunity for former presidents, suggesting the case could be remanded back to the federal circuit court for further review of Trumps claims. If thats the case, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan would once again weigh Trumps immunity argument in light of the high courts guidance. Trumps team might then appeal her determination setting the stage for yet another lengthy battle to work its way to the Supreme Court. Such a pathway would be similar to Trumps efforts to block Congresss efforts to review his tax returns, an issue weighed by the justices both in 2020 and then again in 2021. Its possible the Supreme Court could rule against Trump, paving the way for resumption of the Jan. 6 case ahead of the election. Prosecutors recently indicated during a hearing in the Mar-a-Lago case that continuing to trial in a case where charges have already been filed would not violate the DOJs guidance against pursuing litigation in the 60 days ahead of an election. Georgia case faces potential Willis detour And in Georgia, prosecutors faced another setback when the Georgia Court of Appeals granted the request from Trump and several allies charged alongside him to review their bid to disqualify Willis. That battle already led to a months-long detour that forced Willis and prosecutor Nathan Wade to testify about their relationship. Trumps team has yet to file a motion to pause proceedings in the lower court while the appeals court considers their challenge, but it remains an option. President Trump looks forward to presenting interlocutory arguments to the Georgia Court of Appeals as to why the case should be dismissed and Fulton County DA Willis should be disqualified for her misconduct in this unjustified, unwarranted political persecution, Trump attorney Steve Sadow said in a statement. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic hold talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) BELGRADE, May 8 (Xinhua) -- China and Serbia have decided on Wednesday to build a community with a shared future, an upgrade of their relations from the comprehensive strategic partnership established eight years ago. The decision was declared by visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic, during their meeting in the Serbian capital. Xi stressed that the ironclad friendship between China and Serbia has stood the test of the changing international landscape, saying that such friendship is characterized by profound historical roots, solid political foundation, extensive common interests and strong popular support. Over the past few years, Xi said, under the leadership of him and Vucic, the bilateral relationship has leapfrogged with historic progress, and since the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016, in particular, the bilateral relationship has been enriched in substance and expanded in scope, which has become an example for China's friendly relations with other European countries. Actions speak louder than words, Xi noted. He said China will stand shoulder to shoulder with Serbia, share weal and woe like passengers in the same boat, carry forward the spirit of the ironclad friendship, maintain and grow their friendship, and jointly safeguard fundamental and long-term interests of the two countries. As the two sides pursue their respective national development and revitalization, China will join hands with Serbia to advance the building of a community with a shared future in the new era, he added. Xi stressed that Serbia is China's first comprehensive strategic partner in Central and Eastern Europe, saying that their bilateral cooperation has injected strong impetus into their respective development and rejuvenation, and brought tangible benefits to the two peoples. Under the new circumstances, Serbia has become the first European country to build with China a community with a shared future, which speaks volumes about the strategic, special and high-level China-Serbia relations, he said. The China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, Xi said, is an upgrade of the ironclad friendship between China and Serbia, adding that it also represents their common values and objectives, namely, joint pursuit of development, win-win cooperation and mutual success. These are the common aspirations of China, Serbia, and all countries that are committed to independence, peace and development, he added. By building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, the two sides should keep deepening and expanding high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and collaboration between China and Central and Eastern European countries, thus contributing to their respective modernization, Xi said. The Chinese leader called on the two sides to highlight the strategic nature of the bilateral relationship and keep to its general direction, saying that China supports Serbia in upholding independence and pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions, and supports its efforts in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The two sides, Xi said, should continue to offer each other firm support, deepen strategic cooperation, and safeguard their respective political security and fundamental interests. He urged China and Serbia to stay committed to practical cooperation and deliver welfare for the two peoples, saying that high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Serbia has achieved remarkable results. The two sides should steadily advance cooperation in traditional areas such as transportation and energy infrastructure, make sure the entire Serbian section of the Belgrade-Budapest railway go into operation as scheduled, jointly operate well their major cooperation projects, create more small and beautiful livelihood projects, and continue to generate positive economic and social impacts, he said. With the China-Serbia Free Trade Agreement set to take effect on July 1 this year, the high-standard mutual opening up between China and Serbia will surely enter a new stage, Xi said, adding that China will continue to import more high-quality agricultural specialties from Serbia. The Chinese side will invite 300 young Serbians to China on study and exchange programs in the next three years, said Xi, adding that China welcomes the opening of direct flights from Belgrade to Shanghai by the Serbian side so as to comprehensively deepen people-to-people exchanges. Xi also called for opening up new prospects of cooperation with a focus on the innovation dimension in bilateral relations and making innovation cooperation a new growth driver in the relationship. China will support 50 young Serbian scientists in taking part in scientific research exchanges in China in the next three years, Xi said, adding that China is ready to work with Serbia to strengthen cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) and endeavor to ensure humanity properly develop and utilize AI. It is important for China and Serbia to jointly reject hegemonism and power politics, and oppose bloc politics or bloc confrontation, Xi said, adding that the two sides should join hands to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, practice true multilateralism, and promote international fairness and justice. For his part, Vucic extended the warmest welcome to Xi and noted that China is Serbia's most sincere friend. Although Serbia is a small country, China always fully respects its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and provides valuable support for its economic and social development, he said. Vucic hailed Xi as a great world leader. He said that under Xi's strong leadership, China has made remarkable achievements, and it has become a beacon of development and progress of the world and is playing an increasingly important leading role in international affairs. The Communist Party of China seeks to enhance the well-being of not only the Chinese people, but also people across the world, he said, adding that the Serbian people are full of gratitude and respect for China, especially for President Xi, and feel truly proud to be an ironclad friend to such a great nation. Serbia firmly supports China's legitimate position on issues concerning its core interests including on Taiwan, he said, adding that there is but one China in the world, and that Serbia will, without hesitation, continue to unswervingly provide China with firm support. Vucic noted that China's investment in and cooperation with Serbia have greatly facilitated the latter's economic and social development and improved Serbian people's living standards, saying that since 2016, in particular, thanks to the personal commitment and support by Xi, the HBIS Smederevo steel plant has had immensely positive socioeconomic impacts. The transformative changes in the steel plant's development prospects have also boosted the confidence and raised the hope of the people, he added. Serbia's future is closely linked with China, he said, adding that Serbia looks forward to intensifying exchanges with China in all areas and at all levels, and to strengthening cooperation with China in various fields including infrastructure, new energy, innovation, artificial intelligence and people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Serbia will actively advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with China, and work to ensure that the Serbian sector of the Belgrade-Budapest railway will be completed as planned, he said. Vucic said Serbia welcomes investment cooperation from more Chinese businesses and looks forward to opening more direct flights, adding that building on the entry-into-force of the bilateral Free Trade Agreement, Serbia is ready to expand economic and trade cooperation with China. The announcement on deepening and elevating the comprehensive strategic partnership and building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era marks a new milestone in the history of this bilateral relationship, he noted. Serbia firmly supports and will actively participate in the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative put forth by Xi, he said, adding that his country will stay in close strategic coordination with China in multilateral fora, jointly oppose hegemonism and power politics, uphold the purposes of the UN Charter, and defend international fairness and justice. After the talks, the two presidents signed the Joint Statement on Deepening and Elevating the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Building a China-Serbia Community with a Shared Future in the New Era. They also witnessed the exchange of multiple cooperation documents including on Belt and Road cooperation, green development, digital economy, e-commerce, infrastructure, economic and technical cooperation, information and communication, agri-food, and the media. Xi and Vucic also had a joint meeting with the press. Prior to their meeting, Vucic accompanied Xi to the platform of the Palace of Serbia. On the square in front of the Palace, some 15,000 Serbian people were waving national flags of China and Serbia to express the warmest welcome to Xi. The Chinese leader waved to the crowd, which burst into jubilant, prolonged applause and cheers. Later in his meeting with Vucic, Xi said that he was deeply touched when he was greeted at the airport by President Vucic together with many senior government officials who held a grand welcoming ceremony for his visit. He also said he was deeply moved by the genuine friendliness toward China from the Serbian people who are good friends of the Chinese people. In this combo photo, Chinese President Xi Jinping, accompanied by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic prior to their talks, is greeted by thousands of Serbians in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024. Xi and Vucic on Wednesday held talks here. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen, Ding Haitao) Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony held by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic prior to their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. Xi and Vucic on Wednesday held talks here. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony held by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic prior to their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. Xi and Vucic on Wednesday held talks here. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcome ceremony held by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic prior to their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. Xi and Vucic on Wednesday held talks here. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic hold talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic hold talks in Belgrade, Serbia, May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic sign a joint statement on the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, after their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024. In the joint statement, the two countries decided to deepen and elevate the China-Serbia comprehensive strategic partnership. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic jointly meet the press after their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic jointly meet the press after their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic jointly meet the press after their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) Tornadoes strike across 7 states with more severe weather on the way The threat for tornadoes continues Thursday following an outbreak of deadly storms throughout the Midwest and South over the past few days. As of Thursday afternoon, at least 17 tornadoes had been reported in the previous 24 hours across seven states. There have been nearly 100 reported or confirmed tornadoes across 18 states since Monday. Over 30 million Americans, from Texas to South Carolina, are in the storm zone and can expect to see severe weather Thursday night into early Friday. The tornado threat is lower than it has been during the multiday outbreak -- damaging winds and large hail will be the main threat with these storms Thursday -- though a couple of tornadoes will still remain possible. PHOTO: Severe storms remain a threat for the South. (ABC News) MORE: 3 skiers missing in Utah avalanche, search underway: Police Damaging winds up to 70 mph, scattered hail and a couple of tornadoes will all be possible as a cluster of thunderstorms with a history of producing tornadoes moves through southern Georgia, heading south and east through the evening. A tornado watch has been issued for South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Florida until 9 p.m. ET Thursday. The cities located in that tornado watch include Jacksonville, Florida; Savannah, Georgia; and Charleston, South Carolina. In Texas, a cluster of storms is expected to fire up Thursday afternoon and evening then progress west across the Gulf Coast states through the overnight hours. The main threats are significant wind gusts to 85 mph and very large hail up to 4 inches, though a couple of tornadoes cannot be ruled out. A tornado watch has also been issued for parts of Texas, including Dallas, Waco and Abilene, through 9 p.m. CT Thursday. PHOTO: John Bernhardt searches for his belongings outside his storm-damaged home Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Columbia, Tenn. (George Walker IV/AP) PHOTO: Utility workers survey storm damage along Cothran Road, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Columbia, Tennessee. (George Walker IV/AP) The latest severe weather threat comes after three people were killed in storms on Wednesday. One person died in Claiborne County, the Tennessee Department of Health said. Another person died and four others were injured after storms moved through Maury County, Tennessee, Maury Regional Health said. A third person died in North Carolina, The Associated Press reported. MORE: How to prepare for and survive a tornado outbreak The National Weather Service said a tornado that devastated Columbia in Maury County, Tennessee, on Wednesday was an EF3 with winds up to 140 mph. Some 40 homes were heavily damaged or destroyed in the county, officials said Thursday. A tornado emergency was issued near Huntsville, Alabama, overnight into Thursday, including at least one reported tornado that produced damage. A flash flood emergency was issued north of Nashville, Tennessee, where some areas got more than 8 inches of rain in just a matter of hours. Water rescues were reported in the area overnight. Tornadoes strike across 7 states with more severe weather on the way originally appeared on abcnews.go.com AUGUSTA, GA. (WJBF) The Richmond County Sheriffs Office is requesting the publics help in locating a murder suspect. 39-year-old Ryon Lewis is wanted for Murder in reference to a homicide that occurred on Wednesday, May 8th at the intersection of Carp Drive and Tudor Drive in Augusta. 37-year-old Gregory Dunn of Thomas Lane was the victim in that shooting. Lewis is known to frequent the Fish Village and Boy Scout Road neighborhoods. He is known as N.O. and has family connections in New Orleans, LA. Lewis has active arrest warrants through this agency for Murder and Possession of Firearm During the Commission of Crime. Hes believed to be Armed and Dangerous. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF. The AstraZeneca vaccine was, for a while, the most celebrated product in Britain. The UK was one of only a handful of countries with the skills and apparatus not just to invent an effective Covid jab but to administer it at speed. A vaccine taskforce saw the Army, NHS and Civil Service combine to make Britain a world leader in the rollout. Its co-inventor, Sarah Gilbert, was given a standing ovation at Wimbledon. But the wonderjab was withdrawn this week amid mutterings that it had been overhyped all along. Its certainly true that Britains vaccine triumph did not release us from lockdown. But thats because Boris Johnson failed to seize the moment, deterred by Sages now-notorious doom graphs. Lockdown may turn out to have been a dud policy launched on a false premise, but the vaccines worked and were just as safe as we were promised. Its also true that AstraZeneca struggled with the omicron variant, but for earlier waves it cut death risk by 80 per cent. Its rapid development and rollout saved countless lives. Learning the right lessons from the vaccine rollout is important because the World Health Organisation (WHO) is trying to assert global governance for next time, where countries promise not to stockpile jabs and give away a fifth of their supplies. Britain looks likely to opt out, and rightly so. It would be impossible to justify politically. The AstraZeneca experience proved that we can make our own quickly, and protect our most vulnerable. It also showed theres no case for a Fortress Britain: it was the German-American jabs which, in the end, worked best. The first duty of any country is to its people, a point the WHO misses in suggesting that rich countries sign some kind of global pact. The virus showed how its hard to rely on global suppliers. When panic sets in, each country has a tendency to look out for its own. At one stage, France and Germany banned PPE equipment being sent to Switzerland. Britain agreed decent contracts and priority delivery of Pfizer from a Belgian factory, which at one stage Emmanuel Macron was talking about impounding. He didnt, but the drama showed peoples instincts. The Americans didnt even think about exporting Pfizer until their own people had been protected: as youd expect. Its naive to expect any country to really behave differently. But we did see that Pfizer and others were generous with sharing information and with making it under licence. The lesson is that countries should invest in vaccine-making (and distributing) capability for next time. But to donate it in a crisis? The WHOs 42-page draft treaty will not find many signatures for that. One big problem was the deeply politicised nature of all of the debate. As AstraZeneca was rolled out, rare issues with blood clots emerged as this newspaper was the first to report. But when they did, an official from the MHRA the UKs medicines regulator phoned up in a rage to say that, if the coverage did not soften, the Daily Telegraph would be banned from future press briefings, even from receiving press releases. The blood clot issue was serious enough to have AstraZeneca phased out for British under-40s here and removed entirely from Denmark, Canada and some other countries. Another political problem was the disastrous idea of vaccine passports. When it became clear that the Covid vaccines did protect the individual but werent so good at stopping the spread, the logic for these passports collapsed. But ministers were not very honest about this, and the idea rumbled on after its scientific justification had vanished. This was soft coercion: changing vaccines from something you get because you want the protection, to something that you get because the authorities will make your life difficult if you dont. Vaccines should have been positioned as a life-saver, with officials welcoming all questions no matter how tricky. But the vaccine passport idea brought a hint of menace, as did the plan to fire any NHS workers who did not take the jab. Britain now looks more vaccine hesitant, as a country, than before, with childhood jabs dropping to a worrying level. Just 50 per cent of frontline NHS workers took the flu jab in the winter before last, the lowest uptake in a decade. The WHOs remit is global and the obvious role for it to play now is in highlighting the calamitous effects that lockdowns had on the worlds poor. Shutting down economies is bad enough for rich countries, but furlough was dished out to help people cope. There was no such help for those who were indirectly affected. The United Nations has claimed that 50 million people in Africa fell into extreme poverty as a result of Covid. The WHO could point out that this was as a result of lockdowns, not Covid: the effects of the drawbridge-up mentality that decimated global trade. And perhaps took more lives in the third world than the virus. The effects of lockdowns on normal vaccinations and healthcare in the developing world will take some time to become clear. If the WHO could count the damage and draw lessons for next time, the advice if followed could perhaps save as many lives as the vaccines. But even now, theres a reluctance among global poverty campaigners to talk about the lives lost as a result not of the virus but of avoidable mistakes. The WHO is right to say that there are lessons to be learnt. The main one is that, in a pandemic, countries panic. A bunker mentality becomes inevitable. When Macron moved to block vaccines being exported from the European Union, he said he was declaring the end of naivety. The naivety, in this case, is a belief that contracts and laws would be honoured when political leaders cant get enough of the vaccines they need. This is likely to happen the next time, no matter what the WHO asks world leaders to agree now. But if the WHO were to produce a comprehensive and globally-read report on the result of lockdowns, it could perhaps push for something more viable: to ensure that, next time, the death toll inflicted by a pandemic is not multiplied by a botched response. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Advocates of a bipartisan bill to extend and expand compensation for Americans exposed to nuclear radiation by the government are now grappling with a new wrinkle they fear could impede their efforts. While the bills sponsors pressure Speaker Mike Johnson (R.-La.) to give it a House vote following its passage in the Senate, Utahs senators have introduced separate legislation that would extend the law without expanding its coverage a move that has drawn frustration from lawmakers and members of impacted communities who have championed the cause. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), first passed in 1990, compensates Americans exposed to radiation in their work on nuclear weapons testing or as uranium miners, as well as those who were downwind of the test site in Nye County, Nev. Several categories of people exposed to radiation, including those downwind of the first-ever detonation of an atomic bomb in the 1945 Trinity test, are not eligible for compensation, however. And the law, for which President Biden signed an extension in 2022, is set to expire in July. In March, the Senate passed a bill sponsored by Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) to extend the bill another six years and expand eligibility to radiation exposure victims in Missouri, Idaho, Montana, Guam, Colorado, Tennessee, Kentucky and Alaska, as well as people downwind of the Trinity test in Los Alamos, N.M. While the senators are pushing for the measure to move forward in the lower chamber, Johnson has not yet announced any House action on the bill, which passed the upper chamber 69-30 with 49 Democratic and 20 Republican votes. In the meantime, Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah), both of whom voted against the earlier measure, introduced legislation in mid-April to extend RECA another two years with no coverage expansion. Lee previously introduced the two-year extension in the Senate in 2022. A Lee spokesperson told The Hill that the primary distinction between this bill and the one passed by the Senate in April is cost, while a person familiar with Lees thinking said the senator is also prioritizing keeping the law in effect past the July expiration date. Romney, who backed the two-year extension in 2022, expressed similar sentiments, telling The Hill, Sen. Hawleys [bill] is a $50 billion provision, and Sen. Lees is a small fraction of that, and is reserved [for] those individuals who have been determined to actually be suffering as a result of radiation exposure. Lujan expressed frustration with the notion of a narrower RECA extension that does not expand the laws coverage, invoking Christopher Nolans Oscar-winning biopic Oppenheimer. The New Mexico Democrat frequently sought to use the renewed interest in the history covered by the movie in 2023 as a springboard to push the legislation. The question that I have for colleagues that want to introduce legislation and exclude New Mexico is, Id invite them to go back and watch movies like Oppenheimer, or they can go back and read history, he told The Hill. And Id like to remind them where the first bomb was tested in America. It was in New Mexico, the Trinity test site. How can that community be left out from the communities that would qualify for downwind? Answer me that. Hawleys office referred The Hill to community activists working on the issue rather than offering comment on the Lee-Romney bill, but the Missouri senator has previously had sharp words for those who invoke the costs associated with expanding compensation. In a February meeting with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Hawley said McConnell brought up the cost, and I said I didnt hear a lot of grousing about the cost when we were voting on Ukraine funding or anything else for that matter. In addition to the coverage expansion, the Hawley-Lujan bill includes provisions that would increase the amount of compensation available to beneficiaries for the first time since 2000. The Utah senators bill includes no such increase. Mary Dickson, a Salt Lake City downwinder and thyroid cancer survivor, said RECA as it currently exists has always been flawed; its never been extensive enough. Here in Utah, where we were basically at Ground Zero, it only covers 10 rural counties, she told The Hill. Those lobbying to expand the law, she said, have never had the momentum weve had right now, and its a more expansive bill thats more inclusive, and thats what weve been working so hard for. Sen. Lee has never been supportive of that, she added. Its not clear when or if Johnson will bring the Hawley-Lujan bill, which President Biden has said he would sign, to the House floor. But Dickson expressed worries that Lee and Romneys pitch of a lower price tag could lead to action being taken on that bill while the more expansive measure languishes. My big worry is its going to override the expansion, she said. To me, theyre undermining the bill that just passed in the Senate. We dont want another temporary extension. Dickson said that Utahs House delegation has been responsive to downwinders concerns in the past, but that none of them are backing the more expansive bill, leaving those working on the issue with a feeling of betrayal. In an email, a spokesperson for Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-Utah) told The Hill, We have been in contact with constituents regarding RECA and know many are hoping for an expansion. Currently, our office is concerned with the impending deadline for the program. Clean reauthorizations are much less controversial and have proved much simpler to get passed. We are hopeful our reauthorization bill will be passed before Utahns lose coverage in just a few weeks, whereas we believe the current expansion bills are unlikely to be approved before the deadline. The Hill has reached out to Utahs other three representatives, Reps. Blake Moore (R), John Curtis (R) and Burgess Owens (R), for comment. To me its heartbreaking they cant do right, Dickson said. When they say it costs too much, to me thats incredibly specious when you look at the amount of money this countrys invested in nuclear weapons. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (Bloomberg) -- North Macedonias main nationalist party claimed victory in the Balkan nations general election, opening the path for a coalition government that risks hindering already troubled talks on joining the European Union. Most Read from Bloomberg The VMRO-DPMNE named after a revolutionary movement that fought for the lands independence from the late 19th century - won 42% of Wednesdays vote, according to partial results based on 75% of the ballots counted. While the VMRO-DPMNE hasnt officially questioned North Macedonias EU path, it has repeatedly rejected a political deal in a dispute with Bulgaria to allow a constitutional change that would ease the process. It may now seek a partnership with the VLEN, an alliance of parties representing ethnic Albanians, who account for over a quarter of North Macedonias population. VLEN got 12%. An EU candidate since 2005, the former Yugoslav state has faced repeated setbacks in its Western integration. It had to change its name - previously Macedonia - to resolve a dispute with Greece and join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 2020. Talks on joining the bloc then faced opposition from neighboring Bulgaria in a clash over the two countries common history and culture. Now the EU wants North Macedonia to mention Bulgarians in its constitution, among other national groups living in the country, as a requirement to advance negotiations, which the VMRO-DPMNE has criticized. Its former leader and ex-prime minister, Nikola Gruevski, has lived in exile in Budapest since 2018 after he was sentenced to two years in prison for abuse of power. He was also often accused by his political opponents of ties with Russia. The outgoing Social Democrats, who were backed by 14% of voters on Wednesday, signed an agreement with Greece to resolve the name dispute and join NATO, and also reached a deal with Bulgaria to unlock the start of EU membership talks. But they also faced criticism over what was perceived to be a failure to advance North Macedonias economy and fight corruption. In a separate vote, the VMRO-DPMNE candidate, Gordana Siljanovksa-Davkova, also won the runoff in a presidential election over incumbent Stevo Pendarovski, the countrys former NATO envoy. Siljanovska-Davkova, who will be the first female president in the country, won 65%, while Pendarovski had 29% for the largely ceremonial position. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. NATO has no plans to deploy troops in Ukraine, Ukraine has not asked us to Stoltenberg NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has once again stressed that the Alliance has no plans to deploy troops in the territory of Ukraine. Rather, it is important that Ukraine should be supplied with sufficient military aid. Source: Stoltenberg in an interview for Italian news agency ANSA during a visit to Italy, as reported by European Pravda Details: Stoltenberg pointed out that due to delays in the supply of US and European military aid to Ukraine, Russian forces have been able to make progress in their offensive. Even though "the situation is changing now", there are no reports of this aid being there "on the ground". "NATO has no intention of sending troops to Ukraine. When I visited Ukraine last week, the Ukrainians didnt ask for NATO troops they asked for more military aid," Stoltenberg stressed. He added that Vladimir Putin still believes Russia can win militarily in Ukraine, so the only way to convince him to sit down at the negotiating table is "to prove on the battlefield that he will not win, and the only way to do that is to supply Ukraine with military aid". Background: After a meeting of the presidents and heads of governments of about 20 European states in Paris at the end of February, French President Emmanuel Macron admitted that he had suggested that Western states send troops to Ukraine. He recently reopened the debate on the possibility of sending foreign troops to Ukraine, provoking a strong reaction from the Kremlin. Support UP or become our patron! LONDON, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Production capacity imbalances between countries are geographical differences in competitiveness, and it is misleading to call them "overcapacity", senior business expert Wu Kegang told Xinhua in a recent interview. From a global perspective, "overcapacity" in electric vehicles (EV) is not happening, said Wu, a former China adviser to the British Chambers of Commerce, in response to recent hype over China's "overcapacity" in new energy vehicles. "Until every petrol engine vehicle is off the road, the world needs more and more EVs," said Wu. Based in the United Kingdom (UK), Wu is an independent adviser on China-Britain business development and partnerships. Demand for electric vehicles in Western countries may have been hampered by a reduction in subsidies, and a recent walk-back on the deadlines for phasing out petrol-powered vehicles, said Wu. In September 2023, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pushed back the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars across the country from 2030 to 2035. "China's ability to produce EVs at lower prices could be a help to the world in speeding up the phasing out of petrol-powered vehicles, while saving taxpayers subsidies," said Wu. He suggested that more Chinese companies should consider deepening cooperation, and building EV manufacturing closer to the UK and European Union markets. Navajo leaders have implored President Joe Biden to block transportation of uranium ore through the Navajo Nation, particularly on State Route 89 and U.S. Highway 160. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren signed a resolution passed by the Navajo Nation Council asking Biden to explore the use of all available executive authority to stop transportation of the uranium ore from a mine south of the Grand Canyon across tribal lands to a mill in Utah. In a letter to Biden, Nygren said the issue is of critical importance and threatens the health, well-being and cultural integrity of tribal members. We are writing to you as the President of the Navajo Nation and Speaker of the 25th Nation Council, representing the voices and concerns of the Dine people, Nygren said in the letter. Mr. President, we urgently request the support of the White House to address these critical issues. Only last year, Nygren and Navajo Speaker Crystalyne Curley celebrated with Biden as he signed a proclamation establishing the Baaj Nwaavjo Itah Kukveni Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument in Arizona. The monument bans new uranium mines on about 1 million acres near the Grand Canyon, but Pinyon Plain Mine was exempted as an existing operation, even after tribal and environmental groups attempted to stop it through the courts. The letter emphasized that the monument designation was in line with the tribes commitment to permanently prohibit new uranium development that could negatively impact the Grand Canyon ecosystem. Supporting the monument "underscored Navajo Nations opposition to the transportation of uranium through Navajo lands," the letter said. "Such actions not only pose risks to our communities but also run counter to our sovereign rights to uphold our laws and safeguard our territory." But on Dec. 21, Energy Fuels announced that it had "commenced uranium production" at Pinyon Plain Mine. The mine, in the Kaibab National Forest, has recently increased uranium mining activity, and the company plans to transport the uranium ore across Navajo Nation lands on State Route 89 and U.S. Highway 160 to the White Mesa Mill in Utah. Energy Fuels officials have said the ore itself poses no health risks during transportation and have pledged to impose safety measures for the trucks moving the rocks. But decades of contamination from past uranium mining have deepened opposition among Navajo leaders. The Dine Natural Resources Protection Act of 2005, enacted by the Navajo Nation Council, prohibits uranium mining and processing on Navajo lands, reflecting "the nation's commitment to safeguarding its people, land, water and culture from additional harms posed by the mining of uranium." A 2012 measure made clear the nation's position: "The Navajo Nation opposes generally the transportation of radioactive and related substances, equipment, vehicles, persons and materials over and across Navajo Nation lands, except for purposes of transporting uranium ore or product currently left within the Navajo Nation from past uranium mining or milling operations for disposal at appropriate long-term facility outside of Navajo Indian country or at an appropriate temporary facility within Navajo Indian country and approved by the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency. Still, because the roads on the route are on state and federal rights of way, the council can't prohibit transportation. Hazardous materials: EPA targets uranium waste on the Navajo Nation, adding Lukachukai mines to Superfund list Activists: A letter is a start Leona Morgan, co-founder of Haul No!, is invited to the Coconino County Democracy Fair to spread her message opposing uranium mining, milling, and transport on Feb 24, 2024, in Flagstaff, Arizona. Leona Morgan, co-founder of Haul No! as well as a community organizer and activist, believes the letter to Biden is a first step and thinks it may be the brainchild of tribal leaders who have taken the time to engage with community members and grassroots organizers to educate themselves. "Reaffirming the law is great to show the world that the Navajo Nation wants to uphold its sovereignty," Morgan said. "But this is something that will take a lot more than a letter. For us as a nation, what does that mean for us for our future." But this small step is something she and other grassroots community members would like to see for other similar issues across the Navajo Nation, and not only one. One example, she said, are the abandoned uranium mine cleanup plans currently being discussed. Its great to see this initiative on the federal level. But it would be great to see this all the time with every uranium issue, Morgan said. This just shows how as Indigenous people, we are being bombarded by huge energy corporations, and if our leaders aren't educated, we are going to have to keep fighting these battles. The lack of understanding among tribal leaders regarding the gravity of uranium issues is troubling, especially given the current global context surrounding nuclear energy, she said. Morgan said during the International Uranium Film Festival held in March in Window Rock, Curley and a couple of other Navajo leaders actively engaged and took the time to listen and put a lot of emphasis on Curley strongly behind this letter. "I applaud Speaker Curley, I believe she is the one leading this effort," Morgan said. "I support our leaders trying to find ways to stop this threat. But looking at the bigger picture, at the larger looming threat, what can we do if the United States is not going to respect our sovereignty." 'We are all forgotten': Residents await long-delayed cleanup of uranium waste near Cameron How will Nygren, Biden respond? Morgan said she has yet to get a response from Nygren to meet and discuss these concerns, but she did meet with Navajo Vice President Richelle Montoya awhile back. I believe this legislation is coming from leaders who are listening to the people, Morgan said. If President Nygren was actually educated on the issue, he shouldnt have agreed when Biden first created the national monument. When Morgan talks about the Baaj Nwaavjo Itah Kukveni Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument in Arizona, she is referring to Nygrens news release on the national monument and how there was no mention of the Pinyon Plain Mine, ore transport or the exemption that allowed Pinyon Plain to operate. With elections a few months away, Morgan mused at what stance or action Biden will take on this letter, especially since it's widely believed he won Arizona during the 2020 election on Native votes. What is President Biden going to do? He won Arizona with the Native vote, Morgan said. For him to sign this national monument in August and then declare commitment by the United States to triple nuclear energy by 2050, hes kind of contradicting himself." The Biden administration is reportedly trying to reestablish U.S. leadership in nuclear energy. Russia supplies approximately 44% of global uranium enrichment services and 20% to 30% of enriched uranium product used in the U.S. and Europe. The Biden-Harris administration has been working to sever that dependency to secure the U.S. energy future, according to the Department of Energy. Last month, the U.S. Senate passed HR 1042 that could ban import into the United States of enriched uranium from Russia as early as 90 days after enactment. Experts say it's more likely the final version of the measure will encourage a gradual reduction of Russian uranium imports between now and the end of 2027 and then ban them entirely from Jan. 1, 2028, through Dec. 31, 2040. "If this law goes into effect, that the United States will no longer purchase Russian uranium, where are we going to get it from?" Morgan asked. "It's really interesting to see what Biden will do with this request from our president and speaker. But for us, to have the president and speaker put this forward to President Biden, it is a small step, but it is also great to have this. But, they also need to be prepared to back it up." Arlyssa Becenti covers Indigenous affairs for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Send ideas and tips to arlyssa.becenti@arizonarepublic.com. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Navajo leaders ask Biden to block uranium ore from Pinyon Plain Mine Navy veteran from Mass. trying to get home after sudden illness leaves him stranded in Las Vegas Family and friends are worried about Bob Rice. The Navy Veteran from Dedham was vacationing in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago when he suddenly fell severely ill. Both of his knees started swelling up with one worse than the other and he very soon went septic because of it, and the sepsis has spread throughout his body, said Kurt Tarvis, a family friend. Tarvis says Bob had a liver transplant 14 years ago and now that liver is failing. He also started having neurological issues while recovering in the ICU at a hospital in Vegas. Theyre not designed to treat these kinds of patients, they dont have a dedicated liver team out there and thats who he needs to see because of his unique condition, said Tarvis. The problem is if his liver rejects, the odds of survival are slim to none. So Bobs family and friends are trying to get him to a hospital with specialized care. Almost every hospital weve reached out to said that theyre full and they cannot accept him out there, but we were able to get him a bed at Tufts, now the issue is just getting him home, said Tarvis. Tarvis says they need an ICU med-flight to safely transport Bob from Vegas to Tufts Medical Center in Boston, but he says that flight would cost about $50,000 out of pocket, and they wont know if insurance will cover it for 10-15 days. We might not know for up to two weeks and he doesnt have two weeks of survival at this rate, said Tarvis. The father of six has several grandchildren and a few great-grandchildren all praying for him as they try to raise donations for that flight to get him home. Every hour is just getting closer and closer to death, said Tarvis. If youd like to help the family, there is a link to the GoFundMe to help Bob. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW House Speaker Tim Moore discusses the Shalom Act before a House vote. (Photo: Ahmed Jallow) By a vote of 105-4, the North Carolina House on Wednesday passed a bill, dubbed the Shalom Act, that would establish a definition of antisemitism in state law. If the bill becomes law, North Carolina would, by reference, make the Working Definition of Antisemitism Adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance on May 26, 2016 the states official definition of antisemitism. Under the definition, several types of criticism directed against Israel, such as claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor, would be deemed antisemitism. House Speaker Tim Moore, who is serving as one of the bills chief sponsors, said the measure is a response to a rise in hate speech and attacks on Jewish people. North Carolina already has hate crime statutes in place, but there really is not a working definition of what truly constitutes antisemitism, Moore said Wednesday at a press conference before the House vote. This is very timely because of what we have seen across this country, and even right here in North Carolina. Though the bill passed by an overwhelming margin, it drew spirited opposition from members of a coalition of civil liberties and faith groups who convened a press conference on the Legislative Buildings front lawn and addressed the House Judiciary I Committee prior to the House floor vote. Some of what the definition targets isnt antisemitism, said Reighlah Collins, Policy Counsel for the ACLU of North Carolina. Rather, she said, its political speech. Any definition of antisemitism that conflates criticism of Israel chills constitutionally protected political speech. This bill would sweep up not just hate speech, but also for political speech, criticism of another government, Collins said during the Judiciary committee hearing. Democratic Rep. Marcia Morey voted against the bill, citing constitutional issues. Moreys fellow Democrats, Representatives Pricey Harrison, Nasif Majeed and Renee Price also voted against it. Majeed (D-Mecklenburg) said hes been working on an anti-hate crime bill for six years, yet House leadership has failed to act on more comprehensive protections for other faiths and other groups that experience hate. While the bill provides for no particular enforcement mechanism, it specifies that the definition will be used as a guide for training, education, recognizing, and combating antisemitic hate crimes or discrimination and for tracking and reporting antisemitic incidents. Moore said the bill does not create any new criminal penalties related to antisemitism, as state laws against ethnic intimidation already exist. But it provides a clear definition of antisemitism for prosecutors and law enforcement A prosecutor would look at that and look at the statutes that are already in place and make a determination if that conduct rose to that level. Abby Lublin Abby Lublin of Carolina Jews for Justice (Photo: Rob Schofield) At the morning press conference, critics said the bill is an attack on free speech and conflates criticism of Israel and the actions of its government with antisemitism. Abby Lublin, executive director of Carolina Jews for Justice, said that while her organization and others like it are alarmed by recent spikes in antisemitism and support ways to confront it productively, Moores bill is not it. She derided the legislation as not a serious bill and a measure that exploits Jews for political gain, threatens civil liberties, and distracts from serious efforts to confront antisemitism. Rather than making a real and productive impact, she said the measure was a messaging bill and a gag bill thats part of a broader anti-democratic agenda. She noted that by including criticism of the Israeli government in its definition, the bill would wrongfully and absurdly label many Jews herself included as antisemitic. Lela Ali Lela Ali of the group Muslim Women For (Photo: Rob Schofield) If Moore and other lawmakers were serious about attacking antisemitism, she said, they would promote better funding for federal Office of Civil Rights Title VI investigations, which Republicans in the U.S House have failed to adequately support. Lela Ali of the group Muslim Women For, a grassroots organization, said that her group strongly endorses better protections for the Jewish community, but that HB 942 constitutes a threat to democracy and free speech and a green light to censorship. Liz Stern of the group Jewish Voice for Peace also derided the bill as an effort to provide political cover for Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the Republican nominees for governor, who she said has made repeated genuinely antisemitic statements, including denying the reality of the Nazi-perpetrated Holocaust. The bill now goes to the Senate. Rob Schofield contributed to this report. The post NC House easily passes Shalom Act to enshrine antisemitism definition in state law appeared first on NC Newsline. Less than a month into the N.C. General Assembly short session and Republicans are already making headway with one of their top ticket items: Increasing funding for private school vouchers. Last week, the Senate approved around $460 million in extra funding for the opportunity scholarship to be used in the 2024-25 school year, which is outlined in HB 823 Eliminate School Choice Program Waitlists. The vote was 28-15. The scholarship provides state funding for families to use on private school education. Its funding was already increased last session while also expanding eligibility to more economic brackets. But the original expansion wasnt enough, House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland, Rutherford) told reporters at the beginning of the short session, calling for more funding to shorten the waitlist. Around 72,000 applications were filed this year, a demand the program was unable to meet the needs of with the current funding. Many Democratic legislators have been steadfast opponents of the expansion saying they want more money for teacher raises and public schools instead. Lindsey Prather Rep. Lindsey Prather (D-Buncombe) said its not the job of the government to fund private schools with taxpayer money. You dont walk into a public library and demand a gift card to Barnes and Noble, Prather said. You dont walk into your local police station and demand that they pay for private security. The governor has also been fighting against these decisions. Declaring 2024 as the year of public schools, Gov. Roy Cooper has been traveling to the states public schools to show their importance and to call for a moratorium on private school vouchers until public schools are fully funded. Gov. Roy Cooper speaks at the NC Association of School Administrators' candidates' forum at the Wilmington Convention Center Friday March 22, 2024 in Wilmington, N.C. about the importance of public schools On Monday, the governor along with House Democratic Leader Robert Reives (D-Chatham, Randolph) and Senate Democratic Leader Dan Blue (D-Wake), held a press conference announcing legislative action against the scholarships. They filed two bills, one in the Senate, SB 853, and another in the House, HB 993. Political News: NC governor lays out budget proposal as legislature reconvenes. Here are the highlights. The bills call for a moratorium on the opportunity scholarship and for accountability measures to be reported by private schools. Reives is a primary sponsor and said taxpayers money should be looked after. Elected officials have a duty to be good stewards of your tax dollars and ensure that money is well-spent, Reives said in a press release from the governor's office. We are calling for commonsense oversight and accountability for private schools receiving taxpayer money." As of now, North Carolina private schools are not required to report things like student performance, teach curriculum based on state standards, provide resources for students with disabilities or hire licensed teachers among other things, according to the governors website. Prather, a former public school teacher, said Democrats attempt to require accountability measures has been incessant since the first time an increase in funds was brought to the legislators. We filed amendment after amendment after amendment to require various accountability measures for these schools and they shot every one down, Prather said. Prather said she doesnt believe the Democratic-sponsored bill will have much success in the General Assembly, but it is still an important action to take. It sends the message to North Carolina voters and parents and families that at least one of the parties is listening to them, Prather said. Most recently, the Republican-sponsored bill which calls for an increase in funding for the scholarship was referred to the House committee of rules, calendar and operations. It will later face approval from the governor if it passes through the legislature. Even if it is vetoed by Gov. Cooper, the General Assembly holds a super majority that could override his opposition. Despite Republican support for the programs expansion, Prather said she will continue to fight for transparency. At a bare minimum we need to have those accountability measures to make sure that the money is actually being spent on a quality education, Prather said. This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: NC Senate approves millions for school vouchers, opportunity scholarship NC student was suspended after saying illegal aliens need green cards. Hes suing. A North Carolina family has filed a federal lawsuit against a school district that suspended their son for saying in class that illegal aliens need green cards. Christian McGhee asked his English teacher at Central Davidson High School whether her reference to the word aliens referred to space aliens, or illegal aliens who need green cards. Christian was suspended for three days in April, according to school records, for making a racially motivated and racially insensitive comment. The family filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court accusing the Davidson County school system of violating their sons rights to free speech, education and due process. The family wants monetary damages and for the suspension to be removed from school records. There is nothing inappropriate about saying aliens need green cards, and there certainly isnt a case for racism due to the fact that alien is not a race, Leah McGhee, Christians mother, said during public comments at this weeks Davidson County school board meeting. Publicity about the suspension has sparked national attention and outrage among some conservatives. Elon Musk, the owner of X, formerly called Twitter, has called the suspension absurd. The Davidson County school system did not return email and telephone requests for comment Wednesday from The News & Observer. Asking teacher about illegal aliens Christian was formerly a 16-year-old sophomore at Central Davidson High in Lexington, which is south of Winston-Salem and about 110 miles west of Raleigh. Christian is listed as C.M. in the lawsuit that was filed on the familys behalf by the Chicago-based Liberty Justice Family. His parents have been public about their sons suspension. Christian missed part of a vocabulary lesson in Haley Hills English class on April 9 when he went to the bathroom, the lawsuit says. Upon his return to English class, the word aliens was used during class discussion, according to the lawsuit. C.M. raised his hand and asked Ms. Hill whether the reference to aliens referred to space aliens or illegal aliens who need green cards. Hill responded and said, Watch your mouth [C.M.]. A Hispanic classmate joked he was going to kick Christians ass, according to the lawsuit. Both students were called into Assistant Principal Eric Anderson office. The classmate later told Christian he wasnt upset or offended by his question, according to the lawsuit. The following day, Christian received the three-day suspension from school. The track athlete was also barred from participating in the Senior Night home track meet. Family says comment was not racially motivated The lawsuit contains a copy of the school suspension notice, which says Christian made a racially insensitive comment, in class today, about an alien needing a green card. The notice also accuses him of using/making racially motivated comment which disrupts class. According to the lawsuit, Anderson told Christians parents that reversing the suspension would be unfair to the 15 other kids who have served [suspension] for saying the N word or anything else under the sun thats racially charged that creates a disruption in the classroom. But the lawsuit denies that Christians words were racist or caused a significant disruption. Instead, the lawsuit says alien, illegal alien and green card are common terms and that Christian made a factual and non-threatening statement. The lawsuit says the family withdrew Christian from the school after receiving threats and being bullied and harassed about the suspension. Hes now being home-schooled. School officials have effectively fabricated a racial incident out of thin air and branded our client as a racist without even giving him an opportunity to appeal, Dean McGee, Educational Freedom Attorney at the Liberty Justice Center, said in a news release. Fortunately, young people do not shed their First Amendment rights at school, and we look forward to vindicating Christians rights here. After nearly 40 years, forensic DNA used to identify victim found on Crescent Beach The St. Johns County Sheriffs Office announced it has identified the remains of a body found on Crescent Beach nearly 40 years ago. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< On Apr. 10, 1985, workers digging during construction uncovered human remains in a shallow grave. The only details investigators were able to confirm were the victim was a woman who might have been between the ages of 30 and 50 at the time of her death. They also determined that the death was a homicide. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The case grew cold until 2023. Thats when detectives and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Forensic Services Regional Laboratory in Jacksonville sent the unidentified remains to a private laboratory in Texas. Using advanced technology in DNA analysis, a match was made of possible relatives. After meeting with potential family members in North Carolina and comparing the DNA results, the identity of the victim was confirmed in January 2024 as Mary Alice Pultz. READ: Jacksonville cold case featured on Hulu, brings case back to life Mary Alice was born in Rockville Maryland in 1943 and has two living relatives: a son (Norman Jenkins of Yuma, Arizona) and a sister (Patricia Allamong of Winchester, Virginia), the St. Johns County Sheriffs Office said in a profile story on its website. She was last seen by her family in 1968 when she left her boyfriend, John Thomas Fugitt, and became estranged from her family. The SJSO learned that Fugitt died in prison before his execution for the murder of his roommate in 1981. SJSO Sheriff Rob Hardwick gave credit to DNA testing and the detectives for helping identify Mary Alice. READ: Jacksonville police solve 43-year-old cold case, suspect related to other cold cases This investigation is a powerful example that we will never give up. The combination of highly skilled detectives and advanced DNA technology has given Mary Alices family some answers about her disappearance close to 40 years ago. Our Major Crimes detectives are some of the best in the business and I am proud of their dedication to be a voice for homicide victims and their families as we seek closure for loved ones. This case is still an active homicide investigation. If you have information related to Mary Alice Pultz or John Thomas Fugitt (aka Billy Joe Wallace) you are asked to contact SJSO at 888-277-TIPS (8477). [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen talks to bankers at the Nebraska Bankers Association convention in La Vista. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) LA VISTA Nebraskas governor and top prosecutor touted a new effort Wednesday to raise private money for grants to help local schools, law enforcement agencies and nonprofits identify signs of human trafficking and intervene earlier. Gov. Jim Pillen and Attorney General Mike Hilgers embraced the new HALT Human Trafficking Fund launched this week by the Nebraska Bankers Association during the groups annual convention at the La Vista Conference Center. Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers talks about the possible ways a new fund could help local law enforcement agencies and schools find and disrupt human trafficking. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) Pillen, pointing to a state map of human trafficking incidents reported to state and local law enforcement agencies, said it was hard to see so many communities affected by evil. Human trafficking is defined as forced labor. It often includes sex work. We have to get the word out, Pillen said. We have to bring people to justice and protect our kids. We cant have human trafficking in the State of Nebraska. Its unacceptable. He said Nebraska needs to identify traffickers and get them locked up and throw away the dadgum key. Hilgers said his office runs a task force that works with law enforcement agencies statewide to interrupt and arrest those trying to profit off trafficked people. He said the new effort could give smaller agencies more tools. Bankers are in every community in Nebraska, and they care about their communities, Hilgers said. It shouldnt surprise any of us that theyre putting their money where their mouth is to do something good for Nebraskans. Already raised more than $100,000 Richard Baier, CEO of the banking group, said his organization had already secured pledges for more than $100,000 and hoped the public would see the good that could be accomplished by using modern technology and local knowledge to stop trafficking. The Nebraska Bankers Association announced its new fundraising effort and highlighted reported incidents of human trafficking statewide. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) He said some Nebraska banks are upgrading their technology to work with financial technology firms like Canadian company Verafin, which uses bulk data about a banks transactions to help banks identify financial crimes, including trafficking. Verafin representative Jeff Golant said his company works with 13 to 18 Nebraska banks, including First National Bank of Omaha, one of the regions largest. His company, he said, uses artificial intelligence to detect the financial fingerprints of crime. Nearly a decade ago, we first worked with a human trafficking survivor and advocate to develop our detection capabilities, he said. Based on understanding of how human trafficking actually occurs. Our AI tools find and identify when this happens. Baier said the group helps banks and law enforcement agencies identify traffickers with payment and transaction patterns. He said local agencies and nonprofits applying for grants as soon as October will propose their own ideas and technology to help. He and Hilgers said local law enforcement agencies might apply for new technology. Schools might apply for funding to set up new technology to have IT and security staff better monitor school Wi-Fi for usage that hints at a trafficking ring. Nebraska Bankers Association CEO Richard Baier speaks about the groups new HALT Fund to fight human trafficking. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) Grant applications to the HALT Fund will be reviewed by the Nebraska Community Foundation. The bankers launched a website this week to take donations, accessible at https://haltfund.org. Donations to the fund are tax deductible, Baier said. Pillen, reached after the press conference, said Nebraskans need to be vigilant in watching out for their neighbors who could be facing something awful like trafficking. He said people should be able to come together and protect those who are victimized. Its about doing whats right, he said. The post Nebraska bankers announce new private fund to fight human trafficking appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. Nessel announces charges tied to breach of 2020 voter data in Hillsdale County Attorney Stefanie Lambert appears in court via Zoom on May 2, 2024 | Screenshot Updated, 7:51 p.m., 5/8/24 Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced charges on Wednesday against former Adams Township Clerk Stephanie Scott and her attorney, Stefanie Lambert Junttila, alleging the pair permitted an unauthorized computer examiner to access voter data concerning the 2020 election, which included non-public information. In a statement, the Michigan Department of Attorney General contended that Scott, a Republican, disregarded multiple instructions from the director of elections to present the Adams Township voting tabulator to an authorized vendor for maintenance and testing. The department said Scott withheld the tabulator until it was seized by Michigan State Police executing a search warrant. The department also contends that Lambert Juntilla illicitly transmitted data concerning the 2020 general election from the Adams Township electronic poll book under Scotts direction. Ensuring election security and integrity stands as the cornerstone of our democracy, said Nessel, a Democrat. When elected officials and their proxies use their positions to promote baseless conspiracies, show blatant disregard for voter privacy, and break the law in the process, it undermines the very essence of the democratic process. Those who engage in such reckless conduct must be held accountable for their actions. Lambert Juntilla was previously indicted for allegedly attempting to access and tamper with voting machines following the 2020 election, along with former state Rep. Daire Rendon (R-Lake City) and GOP former attorney general nominee Matt DePerno. Lambert Juntillas case is slated for trial on Oct. 21. Scott was stripped of her election administration authority by the Michigan Bureau of Elections in 2021, and was later ousted in a 2023 recall. Michigan State Police referred the matter to the Department of Attorney General following an investigation into possible election law violations. Juntillas attorney, Dan Hartman sent a statement, in response to the charges. Stefanie Lambert has not violated the law, he said. Her efforts to identify and bring powerful entities to account for the violations of election law has created an enterprise that has acted overtly to conceal their crimes. I have spoken to Stefanie who remains steadfast in her efforts to bring transparency to the peoples election data, processes and procedures. Scott faces the following charges: One count of using a computer to commit a crime, a seven-year felony One count of computers unauthorized access, a five-year felony One count of conspiracy to commit the offense of computers unauthorized access, a five-year felony One count of misconduct in office, a five-year felony One count of concealing or withholding a voting machine, a five-year felony One count of disobeying a lawful instruction or order of the secretary of state as chief election officer, a 90-day misdemeanor Lambert Junttila was charged with the following: One count of using a computer to commit a crime, a seven-year felony One count of computers unauthorized access, a five-year felony One count of conspiracy to commit the offense of computers unauthorized access, a five-year felony The post Nessel announces charges tied to breach of 2020 voter data in Hillsdale County appeared first on Michigan Advance. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, signalled he would go hard into Rafah - MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will fight with our fingernails if necessary to win its war with Hamas after the US paused some weapons supplies to its long-time ally. Joe Biden refused on Wednesday to support Israel with heavy payload bombs if it launches a ground war in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, warning of the potential for catastrophic loss of civilian life. On Thursday Israeli tanks and warplanes reportedly bombarded areas of Rafah as ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas broke down. Mr Netanyahu signalled he would go in hard into Rafah despite US opposition to the move, saying if we must stand alone, if we must fight with only our fingernails, we shall. The Israeli prime minister has argued that Israel must go into Rafah to root out Hamas leadership, rescue the hostages and destroy four remaining battalions of the terrorist group. Israeli military vehicles gathered near the border fence with the Gaza Strip on Thursday ahead of an expected operation in Rafah - ABIR SULTAN/SHUTTERSTOCK Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defence minister, stressed the country would do whatever was necessary to achieve its war aims in Gaza. I turn to Israels enemies as well as to our best friends and say the State of Israel cannot be subdued, he said. Israeli officials reacted with fury to the suspension of US arms deliveries, saying the move would boost Hamas. Hamas Biden (@itamarbengvir) May 9, 2024 Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-Right security minister, said Hamas loves Biden in a post on social media. Isaac Herzog, the Israeli president, seen as a more moderate voice, said on Thursday disputes and disagreements between friends and allies should be resolved in a dialogue and not through insulting statements, in an apparent rebuke of Mr Ben-Gvir. In an interview with CNN, Mr Biden on Wednesday said that 2000-pound US bombs had been used to kill civilians in the way they go after population centres. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they havent gone in Rafah yet if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, Mr Biden said. The announcement of a red line in terms of US aid marked the White Houses firmest rebuke of Israel in seven months of war, which have seen ties fray with Washington. A shipment of 3,500 heavy bombs has been paused and further suspensions could follow, Mr Biden warned. But he said the US would continue to supply Israel with defensive munitions, including those needed for its Iron Dome missile system. Were not walking away from Israels security. Were walking away from Israels ability to wage war in those areas, Mr Biden said. Donald Trump led Republican criticism, calling Mr Bidens decision disgraceful and saying Jewish Americans who plan to vote for the Democrat president in this years elections should be ashamed of themselves. Steve Daines, a Republican senator, condemns Joe Biden's decision to pause delivery of bombs to Israel flanked by Republican colleagues - JIM LO SCALZO/SHUTTERSTOCK Tom Cotton, a Republican senator, urged his colleagues to consider impeaching Mr Biden over the suspension, arguing it violated Congresss agreement to supply Israel with $17.6 billion of aid. Mr Trump was impeached in 2019 over holding back $400 million of funding for Ukraine that had been authorised by Congress. However, Mr Biden can sidestep any impeachment proceedings by providing the full amount to Israel, due by September 2025, for defensive purposes and without high-payload bombs. John Kirby, the White House national security spokesman, said the US believes that there are better ways to go after what is left of Hamas other than a major ground operation. Meanwhile, dialogue over a potential ceasefire collapsed as delegates from Israel, Hamas and the US all left Cairo without a deal. The Israeli delegation officially submitted its refusal of Hamass proposed terms and insisted the military operation in Rafah will go ahead as planned, according to the Walla news website. Rafah refugees on the move. The IDF said 150,000 Palestinians have fled the east of the city since it issued evacuation orders - MOHAMMED SALEM/REUTERS Gershon Baskin, a former Israeli negotiator who helped to bring about the 2011 release of Israeli Private Gilad Shalit, said the gaps in negotiating positions between Israel and Hamas seem to be unbridgeable. Israel wont agree to a deal that includes the end of the war. Because Netanyahu refuses to have any political endgame to the war, ending the war leaves Hamas in control of Gaza, he said. So Netanyahus choice is no agreement, no return of Israeli hostages, occupation of Gaza and endless war. In Gaza, at least 80,000 people have already fled the east of Rafah since the IDFs evacuation orders earlier this week, according to the UNs agency for Palestinian refugees. The IDF on Thursday put the number at 150,000. With the Rafah crossing in Egypt closed for three days and the stream of aid dwindling, conditions in Gaza are worsening. Palestinians in the city are struggling to find transportation to leave Rafah, and those who do have to pay an average of 1,000 shekel (215) for a ride outside the evacuation zone, employees of aid group Mercy Corps said. Israeli troops continued to operate on the eastern outskirts of Rafah on Thursday, killing some 50 gunmen and discovering 10 tunnel shafts likely to have been operated by Hamas, according to the IDF. 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. KIEV, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and visiting European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on Thursday discussed Ukraine's European integration and security issues. At the talks, Zelensky said Ukraine has fulfilled all the necessary conditions for starting accession talks with the European Union next month, according to the presidential press service. For her part, Metsola said she was optimistic that EU member states will adopt the negotiating framework for Ukraine in June. The European Parliament will help Ukraine in "all possible ways" to move along the European path, Metsola stressed. Zelensky and Metsola also discussed the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine, the EU's defense support for Kiev and the high-level conference on peace slated for mid-June in Switzerland. Metsola arrived in Kiev earlier in the day. Netanyahu says Israel will 'stand alone' in Gaza war if it has to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will defend itself alone if necessary amid growing international criticism of the war in Gaza. "If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone," he said in a video message released on Thursday. He said Israel would fight "with our fingernails" to win, in his first public statement after Washington said it would restrict arms supplies in the case of a broader attack on Rafah. Netanyahu referred to the Israeli War of Independence of 1948, saying Israel had won even without weapons. Now, he said, Israel is much stronger and is united in its aim to defeat its enemies. The US is Israel's main backer but President Joe Biden threatened to further restrict arms supplies to Israel if Netanyahu goes ahead with a large-scale military offensive in Rafah. Israel says the operation is aimed at eliminating the Palestinian extremist organization Hamas. The US and other Israeli allies, despite their support for Israel's campaign in Gaza, have criticized the planned offensive into Rafah on the Egyptian border. Such a ground invasion would target the densely crowded area in which some 1.5 million of Gaza's roughly 2.2 million people have been seeking refuge from Israeli bombardment elsewhere in Gaza. We will never forget them. KC police honor 120 officers who died in line of duty Looking through the third floor windows of City Hall, employees watched as bagpipe players led a Kansas City Police Motorcycle Unit down Locust Street. The honor guard stood at attention, saluting as officers drove under an American flag draped above the street. An annual memorial service Thursday morning honored 120 Kansas City Police Department officers who died in the line of duty, dating back to 1881. With flags at half-mast, a 21-gun salute and the Taps bugle call echoed between the buildings in honor of each name that was read aloud. Lining the sidewalks, dozens of citizens and various law enforcement personnel watched a police helicopter flyover. We will never forget them as long as KCPD exists, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said. Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves salutes at the beginning of an annual ceremony honoring fallen KCPD officers on May 9, 2024. In the 120 hours that preceded the memorial service Thursday, dispatchers read one officers name per hour over the police radio system. While the event served to remember fallen officers, police said it also reminds them of the oath they take each day to serve the community. Jimmy was a good friend of mine, Sgt. Phil DiMartino said, referring to James Muhlbauer, the KCPD officer killed on duty in February 2023. Everyone in attendance today thats still fresh in their minds, DiMartino told The Star after the ceremony. Thats something we think about often. A man bows his head as the names of fallen Kansas City police officers are read May 9, 2024. Dozens of community members and law enforcement personnel lined the sidewalks outside KCPD headquarters at 1125 Locust Street. Several surviving family members of fallen officers were in attendance Thursday. In her remarks, Graves said honoring those families was an important part of the annual event. I see things like the community lined up and that is the part of the ceremony that got me the most (emotional), DiMartino said. And then seeing everyone in City Hall looking out the windows that was pretty powerful. Mayor Quinton Lucas was seated to the right of Graves during the ceremony. When the honor guard was dismissed, marking the end of the event, Lucas greeted several officers and shook hands with the bugle player. It reminds us of what this job is about: service, community and giving your all, Lucas told The Star after the ceremony. I think its important that each year everybody almost takes a time out, says thank you and gives their appreciation for the officers in this city. Surrounding a statue in front of KCPD headquarters were 120 small American flags stuck in the ground. The police memorial bears the name of each fallen officer. These are Kansas City names and families, and they are why we are here today to honor those who lost their lives while serving others, keeping our city safe, Graves said. CLOVIS, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) Clovis Unified School District has announced the intermediate school on the Terry P. Bradley Educational Center will be named after a well-known civil servant. CUSD says Ambassador Phillip V. Sanchez grew up in the Pinedale area, spending his early life working in the fields of the San Joaquin Valley. He graduated from Clovis High School and attended Fresno State before serving in the U.S. Military. Clovis Unified reaches unanimous decision for school boundaries Officials say he eventually went on to serve as the Chief Administrator for Fresno County and on the school board from 1961 to 1963 during the formative years following unification in 1960. From 1973-1975 he served as the ambassador to Honduras, then Ambassador to Colombia from 1975-1977. CUSD states Ambassador Sanchez was the highest-ranking Hispanic official in the administrations of Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan. The district says Sanchezs local and international impact, model of character, work ethic, and perseverance are why they chose to name the intermediate school after him. Students will attend the school when it opens in southeast Fresno in 2025. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) LGBTQ+ residents and allies in the Newport area are backing their community after other residents expressed discontent with the citys diversity, equity and inclusion policies. On Monday, Parks and Recreation Director Michael Cavanaugh announced his department had responded to multiple inquiries about the City of Newports rules on who can use public restrooms and locker rooms based on their gender identity. Washington defeats Oregon in U.S. News and World Reports annual state rankings The director pointed to the official DEI statement, which establishes that Newport condemns any form of bias. He also said the city is required to follow Oregons law on the topic, which establishes that anyone within the jurisdiction of the state is entitled to public accommodations regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc. Newport local Gavin Shumate explained that the backlash spurred from a Facebook post that was shared pretty widely a few weeks ago. The 49-year-old resident, who runs an LGBTQ-friendly medical clinic on the coast, told KOIN 6 the woman claimed she and her daughter were in a womens locker room when they saw a man in the bathroom with everything exposed. Portland City Council passes revised public camping ordinance, effective immediately According to Shumate, staff at the recreation center informed the woman that the individual in question was a trans woman who was using the correct locker room. Afterward, the woman shared another Facebook post in which she encouraged other residents to push Newports Parks and Recreation department to change its policies. Cavanaugh estimates he received up to 50 emails due to the post, and up to 40 calls. He told KOIN 6 that some people contacted the department to show their support for Newports DEI policies, while others were more hateful in their approach. The city soon launched an investigation into the incident. Officials found that the person identified by the public and by staff was a biological female who identifies as a man, but has female genitalia. Dolly Partons Imagination Library to expand to all Oregon counties, boosting child literacy In response to the stir on social media, Shumate and other community members with Welcoming Churches of Lincoln County led a Rally of Love at Newport City Hall on Wednesday afternoon. The rally aimed to show support for LGBTQ+ people in the area. People are going to come at things from different ways and were not going to agree on everything and thats okay, Shumate said. What we need to do is find a way to live in community together, even in the midst [of] that disagreement and not resort to hate speech and name-calling and derogatory terms, and just let us all live. Portland officials condemn behavior of smashed windows, burned cars in city Cavanaugh added that Wednesdays rally is a great opportunity for the growing community to learn about Newports DEI policies and about Oregons laws surrounding discrimination and places of public accommodation. Welcoming Churches of Lincoln County also plans to present a statement at an upcoming Newport City Hall meeting. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. A California Highway Patrol officer stops a motorist in Anaheim in 2023. Gov. Gavin Newsom this week praised the "unprecedented" work done by the California Highway Patrol after he dispatched officers across the state to help combat organized retail theft rings and fentanyl trafficking. (Chris Carlson / Associated Press) Appearing at a memorial service for fallen officers, Gov. Gavin Newsom this week praised the "unprecedented" work done by the California Highway Patrol after he dispatched officers across the state to help combat organized retail theft rings and fentanyl trafficking. The Newsom administration, facing increased political pressure, turned to the CHP to address rising concerns about crime. When contentious, sometimes violent student protests erupted on college campuses over the war in Gaza, the governor made CHP officers available to help when requested by local agencies. "You've been asked proactively to go out recently ... throughout California," Newsom said Tuesday during a CHP memorial service in Sacramento. "We are making unprecedented seizures around fentanyl. The work you're doing around retail theft ... you've never been asked to do more." Read more: UCLA struggles to recover after 200 arrested, pro-Palestinian camp torn down Experts say this isn't the first time a governor has deployed state officers to local cities and is keeping up with the mission of the state police to serve as part of the state's mutual-aid system, where state officers serve as reinforcement if local agencies are strapped. But his use of the CHP comes as California is facing national ridicule for high-profile thefts and open drug use, which may put political pressure on the governor to respond with visible actions. Two weeks ago the governor deployed CHP officers to Bakersfield which has reportedly seen a spike in car thefts and has higher rates of violent and property crime and more arrests compared to the statewide average. A year ago, officers were sent to San Francisco to address fentanyl trafficking after seeing a 40 percent jump in overdose deaths that year. And in February Newsom ushered in his first batch of officers in Oakland, at the request of local leaders, to bolster police after crime reports from 2023 revealed that violent crime increased by 21 percent, robbery rose by 38 percent, and vehicle theft went up by 43 percent. Read more: 55 years after Reagan took on Berkeley, Newsom stays in the background amid roiling campus protests "This is not unusual," said Lt. Diane Goldstein, who is retired from the Redondo Beach Police Department and now a guest lecturer on criminal justice and drug policy. Goldstein says a lingering question is the impact on communities that have a sordid history with policing. "Law enforcement is reactive and we dont necessarily study the outcome of the use of resources," she said. "Weve got to start doing a better job at that." Since Newsom deployed 120 California Highway Patrol officers in Oakland and the East Bay, criminal justice advocates are paying close attention. Jose Bernal, political director, of Ella Baker Center based in Oakland said that the city "has a long history" of CHP presence. "This is a recycled, failed approach to addressing real concerns and issues. The way to address them is not by deploying more police in underserved communities. We are very concerned about that." Read more: The CHP was sent into this California city to crack down on crime. Here is what happened In Oakland and the rest of the East Bay Area, CHP officers have arrested 168 suspects linked to gangs, organized crime and carjacking rings. Another 360 stolen vehicles were recovered and 16 firearms linked to crimes were seized, according to Newsom's office. In the year since CHP was deployed in San Francisco, there have been over 500 arrests and nearly 700 pounds of fentanyl seized. In Bakersfield, authorities have made 211 arrests and recovered 127 stolen vehicles in the first six weeks of the deployment effort. "Theres a cultural concern about the way California is depicted," Robert Weisberg, a law professor and co-director at Stanford Criminal Justice Center said about crime rates. "It does not take any great political insight to say that Newsom wants to do very visible things. If hes doing it for political ambition thats fine. Especially if you exercise that ambition by doing constructive things." Weisberg continued, "Very dramatic interventions like this in response to a crisis often work in the short term." But he cautioned that while increased arrests can be an indicator of success, "you have to worry about a bad incentive on the part of the police to encourage more arrests to promote the success of the operation." 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. Lawrence Tabak, principal deputy director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will testify before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic later this month, with committee Chair Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) planning to ask about discrepancies between prior testimonies. Tabak has agreed to testify before the subcommittee on May 16. He previously served as acting NIH director from December 2021 to November 2023. In January, he sat for a closed-door interview with the select subcommittee. In a letter first shared with The Hill, Wenstrup cited to Tabak the recent testimony from EcoHealth Alliance President Peter Daszak and the apparent conflicts between what he said and what NIH officials, including Tabak, have said as reason for the requested testimony. Transcripts of Tabaks January interview showed that Daszak was explicitly not among the people with whom he recalled discussing COVIDs origins, EcoHealth Alliance or the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). The few people he did recall discussing these topics with included Anthony Fauci, former NIH Director Francis Collins and former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield. EcoHealth Alliance is the nongovernmental organization that sub-awarded funds to the WIV prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The group has long denied that any funding went to viral research that could have led to the creation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Among the discrepancies the subcommittee found in Daszaks testimony was his claim that EcoHealth was late in submitting its Year 5 report to NIH because it was locked out of the agencys system, a claim that NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research Michael Lauer has refuted. Lauer previously testified in November that an electronic forensic investigation had been conducted on EcoHealths electronic encounters with NIHs grant system. We did see that on one day somebody from EcoHealth had attempted to log in through one you can log into our system in multiple different ways. And they had attempted to log in in one way and had entered the wrong password, I think, three times. And so that particular channel did get blocked, Lauer said. But then, on the very same day, later they were interacting with our system having logged in through a different route. Another area of disagreement between NIH and EcoHealth is whether the latter had the authority to require laboratory notebooks from the WIV. NIH officials have said that EcoHealth always had the power to request the notebooks, but Daszak has pushed back by claiming this authority wasnt instated until later on. Wenstrup also asked for clarification on what NIH knew regarding the location of samples from WIV and whether the agency knew what the status of the relationship was between EcoHealth and the WIV. The virology lab in Wuhan was formally debarred from the U.S. for 10 years in September, though Daszak acknowledged EcoHealth is still in contact with the lab. Following Daszaks testimony, Wenstrup called for EcoHealth to similarly be barred from receiving federal funds. Wenstrup questioned if NIH is certain that no federal funds have reached WIV and whether EcoHealths continued contact is a violation of the debarment. The Select Subcommittee is eager to uncover the true sequence of events and has identified multiple occasions where Dr. Daszak directly contradicts NIHs or NIAIDs assertions, Wenstrup wrote to Tabak. In a statement to The Hill, subcommittee Ranking Member Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) said he appreciated Tabaks willingness to appear before the panel but criticized his Republican colleagues for politicizing questions of a potential lab leak for the sake of partisan gain. For fifteen months, Select Subcommittee Republicans have sought to politicize legitimate questions over a lab leak for partisan gain to prove their extreme narrative that NIH-funded research through EcoHealth Alliance created the COVID-19 pandemic and our nations public health officials sought to cover it up, said Ruiz. And after nearly half a million pages of documents and more than one hundred hours of closed-door testimony with current and former federal public health officials and researchersincluding Dr. Tabak they have failed to uncover evidence substantiating these claims. NIH did not immediately respond when reached for comment regarding Tabaks upcoming testimony. Updated 5:31 p.m. ET. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Alabama has scheduled a date for the upcoming execution of Alan Eugene Miller, a convicted murderer who, after surviving a previous execution attempt, is set to become the second inmate ever put to death using nitrogen gas in the United States. Nitrogen hypoxia is a controversial method allowed only in a handful of U.S. states that essentially aims to asphyxiate the prisoner with a gas mask devoid of oxygen. The first person executed this way was Kenneth Smith, who was put to death in late January, marking the state's first use of nitrogen gas for an execution. Although nitrogen hypoxia had technically been authorized as an alternative execution method for several years in Alabama, along with Oklahoma and Mississippi, no one was actually executed with the toxic gas before Smith earlier this year. Miller's execution is set for Sept. 26, according to a memo issued Wednesday by the office of Alabama Governor Kay Ivey that specified nitrogen hypoxia as the method. Miller was convicted of killing three men in 1999. Writing to Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner John Hamm with a time frame for the execution beginning at midnight on Sept. 26 and ending at 6 a.m. local time the next morning Ivey said that she has "no current plans to grant clemency in this case" but nonetheless has "authority under the Constitution of the State of Alabama to grant a reprieve or commutation, if necessary, at any time before the execution is carried out." Ivey's memo followed a decision last week handed down by the Alabama Supreme Court that authorized the execution by nitrogen gas and approved a request from the state's attorney general asking that the governor be allowed to officially set the date. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall filed that request in February, writing at the time that the state "is prepared to carry out the execution of Miller's sentence by means of nitrogen hypoxia," and adding, "it is once more the appropriate time for the execution of his sentence." Miller, 59, has been on death row in Alabama for decades, since a jury found him guilty of killing three people in August 1999 and recommended in a vote that he should be executed for the crimes. While working as a delivery truck driver for a company called Ferguson's Enterprises in Pelham, Alabama, which near Birmingham, authorities said that Miller fatally shot two of his colleagues, Christopher Yancy and Lee Holdbrooks, at the company building. He went on to fatally shoot another man, Terry Jarvis, at another location in the same city. Officials escort murder suspect Alan Eugene Miller away from the Pelham City Jail in Alabama, Aug. 5, 1999. / Credit: Dave Martin / AP Witnesses recalled after the fact that Miller had accused all three men of "starting rumors" about him before shooting each one multiple times, court filings show. Descriptions of the murders in those filings are gruesome and disturbing, and the court ultimately found during Miller's trial that his crimes were especially heinous. Alabama has already attempted to execute Miller. His 2022 execution was stopped because of time concerns and trouble accessing his veins. Miller was one of at least four death row prisoners in the state whose lethal injections were botched or halted over the last four years. Mishaps inside the execution chamber called into question Alabama's ability to carry out executions at all. Amid a shortage of lethal injections made available for capital punishment, the state has turned to nitrogen hypoxia as another potential option. While it was not Smith's decision to die by nitrogen gas, Miller chose this execution method for himself and in fact fought for that choice in court. Ahead of the failed lethal injection attempt in 2022, a federal judge issued an injunction blocking Alabama from going through with Miller's execution after the inmate filed a lawsuit claiming that he had elected nitrogen hypoxia as his preferred means to die but the state had lost his paperwork. Justices in a subsequent decision lifted that injunction, and the state tried to execute Miller shortly after. Alabama prison officials had said they did not have a record of any paperwork, and suggested that Miller was looking to delay his sentence. Death row inmates in Alabama were given a window of time to elect to die by nitrogen hypoxia after the state authorized it as an execution method in 2018. Critics of nitrogen hypoxia point to its potential to cause unnecessary harm to the condemned and even endanger others present in the chamber. Before Smith's nitrogen execution in January, advocates in the U.S. and abroad spoke out against the Alabama prison system for allowing an untested method to proceed, with the United Nations' chief human rights official even going so far as to say that nitrogen asphyxiation "could amount to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment under international human rights law." Key takeaways from Stormy Daniels' testimony in Trump trial What we learned from Stormy Daniels' testimony in Trump trial Violence erupts amid Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud NJ Transit tickets to expire after 30 days starting in July NJ Transit tickets to expire after 30 days starting in July NEW JERSEY (PIX11) Important changes are on the way for New Jersey Transit customers. Starting July 1, all one way tickets will have a 30-day expiration date. This is for both digital and paper tickets. The popular flex-pass ticket will be discontinued on July 1. NJ Transit board unanimously approves 15% fare hike Meanwhile the consulting agency hired by New Jersey Transit says it is examining all aspects of the agencys operations. The goal is to come up with $600 million in cuts while preserving the service hundreds of thousands of people rely on each day. Watch the video player for the full story. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) The money was there, and in a SNAP, it was gone. Troyshella Randolph Troyshella Randolph gets her electronic benefits transfer monthly payment of $693 on the seventh of each month, and sure enough it arrived in her account Tuesday morning. Its part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. She went to a 7-Eleven on Jefferson Avenue and used her EBT card for a $40 purchase with no problem. But later Tuesday, she went to buy some food at the grocery store where she works, and it was saying zero balance, declined, and immediately I panicked, Randolph said. I was worried that I wont have any food to feed my kids. Im at work just freaking out and upset. She called the Department of Human Services where the city manages the SNAP program. They told me immediately that my card was involved in fraudulent activity, she said, which I didnt understand, because with the cards, you have to have someones PIN in order to get their funds. Randolph completed paperwork and was told she couldnt get the funds restored for 10 days, although she said shes not confident her problem will be solved by then. She says Human Services advised her to go to churches and food banks, but she has little time because she works full time. [They should] at least hand out vouchers, at least hand out some temporary fix for those 10 days, Randolph said. The city told us this is a state-level problem. A spokesman for the Virginia Department of Social Services in Richmond acknowledged 10 On Your Sides inquiry that asked for an explanation and an action plan. Randolph said Human Services told her more than 300 other SNAP clients were also hacked. My question to them, she said, what are you expecting people to do when they get desperate for food? This is detrimental to my kids livelihood and to our health. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. 'No easy way out': Biden faces anger from all sides as he navigates Israel-Hamas war President Joe Biden is taking heat from all sides as he faces what could be the most fraught moment in the Israel-Hamas war since fighting broke out seven months ago. A dizzying number of recent developments, both at home and abroad, have underscored the politically perilous path Biden finds himself on as he navigates criticism from Republicans and Democrats unhappy with his approach to the conflict. All this mixed up with his reelection campaign in which polls show voters say they trust Donald Trump to do a better job in the same tough situation. "I think he's in a very precarious position," Guy Ziv, the associate director of American University's Center for Israel Studies, told ABC News. Aaron David Miller, a former State Department diplomat now at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, described Biden as being stuck in a "strategic cul-de-sac with no easy way out." PHOTO: President Joe Biden walks to Marine One for departure from the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, DC, May 8, 2024. (Alex Brandon/AP) College protests have brought the overseas turmoil closer to home than ever before as students across the U.S. express frustrations with Biden's response to Israel's war in Gaza and show support for Palestinians. Along with chants of "Genocide Joe," the campus unrest has produced images of mass arrests, some violent clashes and accusations of antisemitism. Congressional Republicans have seized on the fallout as a unifying election-year issue for their party, denouncing the scenes as "chaos" borne from Biden's policies and claiming he hasn't done enough to protect Jewish students. Biden has pushed back on GOP efforts to brand him with the narrative, this week forcefully condemning what he called a "ferocious surge" in antisemitism in a major address on Holocaust remembrance, saying hate speech of any kind has no place on any campus. "The campus protests, if I could sum it up in a few words: It's terrible for Biden, it's very good for Trump and it won't change U.S.- Middle East policy one iota," said Miller. MORE: College protests updates: Police begin dismantling University of Chicago encampment Republicans -- and even some Democrats -- are now pouncing on Biden's new warning to Israel that the U.S. will withhold weapons Israel could use in a major invasion of Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where 1.4 million Palestinians are sheltering. A shipment of some 3,500 bombs was paused last week. House Speaker Mike Johnson, angry that top Republicans weren't informed beforehand, slammed Biden's decision as a "senior moment." Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, called it "disgraceful" as he spoke to reporters before entering the Manhattan courtroom on Thursday where he's on trial for allegedly falsifying business records about hush money payments prosecutors say were made to boost his 2016 election prospects. PHOTO: Law enforcement officers walk through a now empty Pro-Palestinian encampment at George Washington University's University Yard in Washington, DC, May 8, 2024. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images) Meanwhile, many progressives and a number of mainstream Democrats continue to pressure Biden to take a tougher stance on Israel as Palestinians face a growing humanitarian crisis. Parts of Gaza are currently experiencing a "full-blown famine," a top United Nations official recently warned, though no formal declaration has been issued by the organization. Democratic criticism could ramp up further when the Biden administration submits a highly-anticipated report to Congress in the coming days on whether Israel has violated international law in Gaza, or if Israel does mount a major ground offensive in Rafah, putting Palestinian civilians even more at risk. MORE: Biden says US will not provide Israel with weapons to use in major Rafah invasion Biden has largely sought to balance unwavering support for Israel's security and harsh condemnation of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack with alleviating hardship for civilians suffering in Gaza by pushing for more humanitarian aid and urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to better protect them or face consequences. Ziv, who previously worked at the State Department and on Capitol Hill, applauded Biden's "cool-headed" response and ability to handle "a very difficult situation and not to succumb to any of the louder, more extreme voices on either side." "He's navigating a very fine line," Miller said of Biden. "And I think he wants to continue navigating it." A no-win situation? Maybe not Unfolding in the background are touch-and-go negotiations for a cease-fire deal. Talks reached a "critical stage," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said earlier this week, after Hamas unexpectedly announced it accepted a proposal -- one that Israel said did not meet their requirements. CIA Director William Burns was in Cairo this week to try to bridge the gap between the two sides, but talks ended Thursday with no resolution. An agreement to stop hostilities in Gaza, even temporarily, and return Israeli and American hostages held by Hamas may be the only way for Biden to silence most of his critics, experts said. "In the immediate sense, a cease-fire and bringing calm to the region this summer would be a huge, huge achievement," Ziv said. "Without this Israel-Hamas deal, there's no way to change the picture," said Miller. "No way to de-escalate Israeli military activity, no way to surge humanitarian assistance into Gaza on a regular basis, no way to free the hostages, including six Americans, and no way to even begin introducing the administration's regional peace initiative." PHOTO: Israeli soldiers walk next to military vehicles near the Israel-Gaza border, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in southern Israel, May 8, 2024. (Ammar Awad/Reuters) Looming large over Biden is what impact the Israel-Hamas war will have on his chances in the U.S. presidential election. "Obviously success is the best outcome. How long he has is not completely clear," said Jon Alterman, the director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "The best thing is when November rolls around, he can point to the episode as one where he both advanced the interests of Israelis and Palestinians and American interests," Alterman said. "And there's six months between now and November." MORE: Israel's war in Gaza became a political flashpoint. Will it risk Biden's coalition for reelection? An ABC News/Ipsos poll released last week found Americans divided on U.S. policy toward the conflict, but that salience on the issue was low. The war ranked last in a list of topics Americans said will be an important issue for them in November. But the question remains as to whether even a small number of defections from Biden would be enough to sink him in swing states like Michigan and Wisconsin, which saw protest votes against his handling of Israel's war in Gaza in those states' Democratic primaries. "The issue for Biden is not those voters turning to Trump, it's the fact that they may not turn out at all," said Miller. "We don't know how the Israel-Gaza issue, even if it continues in the state that it's in now, is going to affect voting in November." 'No easy way out': Biden faces anger from all sides as he navigates Israel-Hamas war originally appeared on abcnews.go.com (Photo by Andrii Koval/Getty Images) The events of the past six months in Israel and Gaza have me wishing it were possible to have just one more lunch with a friend who died four years ago. My friend was Jewish. In todays vocabulary, he would be called an ardent Zionist. He had little patience for people who disparaged Israel. But he also was a proponent of dialogue and diplomacy. He never hesitated to call me for lunch after The Des Moines Registers opinion pages published something he disliked. Our lunchtime conversations and debates were models of civility, even though our discussions often challenged each of us to defend and reconsider our views. That is why I wish we could have one more lunch to talk about the massacre of 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals by Hamas terrorists last October 7. I long to discuss Israels ongoing military campaign in Gaza, the home of those terrorists who were responsible for Octobers bloody attacks. Israels military has killed an estimated 34,700 Palestinians and injured 78,000 others, many of them women and children whose only crimes were living in an area they were unable to leave, where Hamas, not ordinary Palestinians, called the shots. And I wish it were possible for us to discuss the protests that have rocked American college campuses in response to the Israel/Hamas war. Protestors have been divided. Some believe Israel is guilty of genocide for its attacks on Palestinian innocents. Others are angered by Hamas terrorists rape, torture and killing of innocent Jews. Too many Americans, though, are unable to see the shades of grey that surround events like these. Too many of us tend to view issues as either all black or all white. Our political leaders do us no favors when they take the same absolutist approach to polarizing events and issues and overlook the vast middle ground where solutions might be negotiated. This either/or approach fails to recognize people can both support Israels right to retaliate against Hamas and can also oppose the horrible devastation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has unleashed on innocent Palestinians who have no way out of Gaza. This either/or approach also fails to recognize protesters on Americas college campuses can be against both the killings in Gaza and the massacre of innocent Israelis last October. Opposing the killing of thousands of Palestinians does not make someone pro-Hamas, as some politicians would have us believe. Free speech rights are fundamental At times when public opinion is so sharply divided in the United States, we should embrace what our First Amendment rights are about. The University of Chicago, a private school, has taken a commendable approach to freedom of speech and student activism through the years. Since 2016, the university has sent incoming freshmen a welcome letter that goes beyond orientation and registration. The first such letter, in 2016, said: Our commitment to academic freedom means that we do not support so-called trigger warnings, we do not cancel invited speakers because their topics might prove controversial, and we do not condone the creation of intellectual safe spaces where individuals can retreat from ideas and perspectives at odds with their own. The letter went on: Members of our community are encouraged to speak, write, listen, challenge and learn, without fear of censorship. Civility and mutual respect are vital to all of us, and freedom of expression does not mean the freedom to harass or threaten others. The members of our community must have the freedom of espouse and explore a wide range of ideas. The American Civil Liberties Union recently wrote to college presidents: It can be extraordinarily difficult to navigate the pressures you face from politicians, donors, and faculty and students alike. You also have legal obligations to combat discrimination and a responsibility to maintain order. But as you fashion responses to the activism of your students (and faculty and staff), it is essential that you not sacrifice principles of academic freedom and free speech that are core to the educational mission of your respected institution. These guardrails are important The ACLU offered five guardrails to ensure freedom of speech and academic freedom, while also protecting against discriminatory harassment and disruptive conduct: Schools must not single out particular views for censorship, discipline or disproportionate punishment. Viewpoint neutrality is essential. Harassment directed at individuals because of their race, ethnicity or religion is not permissible even if many people find these messages deeply offensive. While offensive and even racist speech is constitutionally protected, shouting an epithet at a particular student or pinning an offensive sign on that persons dormitory door can constitute impermissible harassment, not free speech. Physically intimidating students by blocking their movements or pursuing them aggressively is not protected conduct or protected speech. But speech that merely expresses impassioned views about Israel or Palestine is not discrimination and should be protected. Schools can announce and enforce reasonable time, place and manner restrictions on demonstrations to ensure essential college functions continue. But those restrictions must be content neutral, meaning they do not depend on the substance of what is being communicated, but rather where, when or how it is being communicated. Schools need to recognize armed police on campus can endanger students and are a measure of last resort. Arresting peaceful protestors is likely to escalate, not calm, tensions on campus. Schools must resist pressures from politicians seeking to exploit campus tensions to advance partisan agendas. We urge you to resist the temptation to silence students or faculty members because powerful voices deem their views offensive. The ACLU wrote. Instead, we urge you to defend the universitys core mission of encouraging debate, fostering dissent, and preparing the future leaders of our pluralistic society to tolerate even profound differences of opinion. University of Chicago President Paul Alivisatos wrote recently about tent encampments on campus: The general principle we will abide by is to provide the greatest leeway possible for free expression, even expression of viewpoints some find deeply offensive. We only will intervene when what might have been an exercise of free expression blocks the learning or expression of others or that substantially disrupts the functioning or safety of the university. We all need to take a cool-headed approach during fractious times. The post Theres no room for violence in First Amendment, but appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) A bill seeking to officially define antisemitism in state law swiftly moved through the North Carolina House on Wednesday amid heated nationwide campus protests over the Israel-Hamas War. A nearly unanimous House passed the SHALOM Act, a week after the U.S. House voted to codify the same antisemitism definition into the Civil Rights Act of 1964. But despite mostly bipartisan support, some groups in North Carolina have voiced concern that the bill could thwart criticism of Israels actions in the war. After clearing the House chamber in one day, the bill awaits approval by the state Senate before going to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who has not said publicly if hell sign it. Senate leader Phil Berger, a Republican, said last week he was open to giving the bill a hearing. The act adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances definition of antisemitism, which is outlined as a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. It also includes several examples of antisemitism, such as the denial of Jewish peoples right to self-determination and applying double standards to Israels actions. Those examples have been the focus of concerns that the bill could hinder speech critical of Israel. Aside from guiding education, the IHRA definition could also help law enforcement agencies and local prosecutors determine whether someone should be charged under hate crime laws already on the books, said Republican House Speaker Tim Moore, the primary bill sponsor who is running for Congress this fall. Those laws make it a crime to assault someone or deface property because of race, religion or nationality, and increase punishments for other crimes when committed based on similar types of bias. Moore told reporters that the measure has been in the works for months since Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and sparking a war that has left more than 34,000 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza health officials. But he said its taken on more urgency since the recent pro-Palestinian protests on North Carolina college campuses especially at UNC-Chapel Hill that have led to some violence and dozens of arrests. Moore said comments made by some demonstrators crossed the line and should be deemed as hateful and antisemitic. We have to deal with this, we have to be very clear: This will not be tolerated, Moore said during floor debate in the House, which began its session two weeks ago Wednesday. The push to define antisemitism in state laws across the country predates the October attacks. Since last year, bills with definitions have been signed into law in Arkansas, Georgia and South Dakota. One was vetoed by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, who said he was concerned that people could be punished for criticizing Israel. Holcomb did sign a proclamation condemning antisemitism. Bills have been sent to the governors but not signed in Florida and South Carolina. Some Jewish organizations joined Moore in expressing support for the measure before the vote. Jewish citizens in North Carolina deserve to feel safe and secure in visibly Jewish and public spaces, said Greensboro Jewish Federation CEO Glenda Bernhardt. We need a clear and agreed-upon definition of antisemitism so school administrators, law enforcement officers and public officials know how to respond appropriately. Bernhardt said there has been an increase in antisemitic incidents in North Carolina recently, including the bullying of Jewish students, harassment of Jewish-owned small businesses and graffiti on a Holocaust memorial in Greensboro. Democrats in the legislature broadly supported the bill, including Rep. Caleb Rudow, who is Jewish. As someone who has experienced antisemitism himself, he said the act would keep Jewish people safe while still allowing political dissent. Four Democrats voted against the bill, expressing concern that it could stifle protesters speech. They also said they were disappointed lawmakers didnt pass more expansive hate crimes legislation. Concerns over the SHALOM Acts impact on protests were echoed in a news conference held by a multifaith coalition before the vote. Abby Lublin, executive director of Carolina Jews for Justice, said the bill would do nothing to protect Jewish people. Instead, Lublin called it a messaging bill that lacked the ability to take serious action against antisemitism. We take antisemitism seriously, not as a political stunt or as an opportunity to repress liberties, Lublin said. It actually needs to be approached seriously with the rigor that it deserves. Lela Ali, co-founder of Muslim Women For, a grassroots organization created to advocate for Muslim women in North Carolina, added that the legislation could disproportionately impact Arab and Muslim communities protesting the war in Gaza. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. Gov. Doug Burgum signs an executive order creating the Office of Outdoor Recreation on Thursday at Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor) North Dakota has created a new office specifically dedicated to the states recreational attractions. During a Thursday afternoon ceremony at Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, Gov. Doug Burgum said the Office of Outdoor Recreation will help North Dakota compete with its neighbors, noting that tourism is the states third-largest industry. Outdoor recreation brings in roughly $1.3 billion for North Dakotas economy every year, according to a Thursday announcement from Burgums office. Twenty-one states already have similar offices, Burgum said many of them in the western U.S. People are picking where they want to live first, Burgum said. Theyre not moving places for jobs. Theyre moving for places because of the recreation opportunities. And so weve got to dial up our recreation capability and our ability to market if were going to be competitive on workforce. Cody Schulz, director of the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department, speaks at a ceremony celebrating the creation of the Office of Outdoor Recreation on May 9, 2024 at Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor) The office will be housed under the Parks and Recreation Department, Burgum said. Cody Schulz, director of the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department, said the office will require no new staff positions and has not received any funding from the state government. Its not the creation of this new department or new bureaucracy, Schulz said. I would call it an initiative. The goal is to keep an open line of communication across government agencies, as well as with private businesses, when it comes to investing in North Dakotas outdoors economy. As part of the offices launch, the state added sites and activities to OuterSpatial, a recreation mobile app. The platform now has more than 2,200 North Dakota trails more than double than whats available on AllTrails, another popular hiking app, Schulz said. Schulz also announced the state will grow the Roughrider Trail south of Mandan from 16 miles to 20 miles to connect Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park to a handful of other recreation areas. He said the Recreation Trails Program Grant, a matching grant available through the Parks and Recreation Department, plans to award $1.7 million to five applicants to build and maintain trails across North Dakota. Burgum earlier that day presented his recommendations for the 2025-27 budget cycle, where he asked large state agencies to cut their operating budgets by 3%. The post North Dakota launches Office of Outdoor Recreation appeared first on North Dakota Monitor. There are four lignite power plants in North Dakota. (John Elk/Getty Images) North Dakota and West Virginia are leading a group of states in asking a federal court to review new pollution standards impacting the coal industry. Attorneys general from 23 states signed the petition asking for a review of the regulations that took effect Tuesday. The final proposed rules became public on April 25. This rule intentionally sets impossible standards to destroy the coal industry, North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley said in a news release. North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley speaks during a meeting of the states Industrial Commission at the Capitol on Feb. 27, 2024. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) Wrigley said the Biden administration has ignored limits on its authority set by Congress. Federal agencies cannot decide on a whim to destroy entire industries, Wrigley said. The petition was filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., asking the court to review the Environmental Protection Agency rule. Other states that signed the petition were Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming. In its announcement of the rules on April 25, EPA Administrator Michael Regan said EPA is cutting pollution while ensuring that power companies can make smart investments and continue to deliver reliable electricity for all Americans. In particular, North Dakota officials have taken issue with new, stricter mercury emissions standards. Dave Glatt, director of the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, said the mercury standard provides no measurable health benefits and are a death sentence for coal. Jason Bohrer, president and CEO of the Lignite Energy Council, released a statement after the final rule was announced in April. Electricity demand is surging, and the EPAs agenda will severely impact our ability to rely on electricity 24/7, Bohrer said. These regulations mandate either fuel switching or the implementation of unproven technology, jeopardizing the stability of the national power supply, and putting over 12,000 jobs in the lignite industry at risk. The Lignite Energy Council says the North Dakota coal industry contributes $5.75 billion to the state economy and more than $100 million in state and local taxes. In addition to mercury reductions, the new rules also lower the levels of pollutants that coal-fired power plants can discharge through wastewater, sets standards for handling coal ash and sets limits on carbon emissions. Gov. Doug Burgum and other state officials have repeatedly complained about onerous regulations from the Biden administration, with Burgum even making a plea to a legislative committee to provide adequate funding for the states legal battles with the federal government. The post North Dakota leads state pushback on new EPA coal rules appeared first on North Dakota Monitor. Storm clouds gathered and unloaded tremendous rainfall that triggered flooding in northeastern Texas multiple times this spring. Unfortunately, the atmosphere will hit the replay button into mid-May with more rounds of rain coming. That will renew flooding in some areas and trigger flooding in places that have dodged surging waters, AccuWeather meteorologists warn. In northeastern Texas, in much of the zone from Interstate 10 to I-20, rainfall has been 150 to 300% of the historical average, and much of the 10-20 inches of rain that have fallen in this area fell over a few days. A man waves at Texas Parks & Wildlife Department game wardens as they arrive by boat to rescue residents from floodwaters in Liberty County, Texas, on Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Lekan Oyekanmi) The rainfall triggered flash flood emergencies and moderate to major flooding along the Navasota, Trinity, Sabine, Brazos and Neches rivers, to name a few. While most rivers in the region have crested, some near sea level were still surging heading into the end of the week. Regardless, many streams and rivers will remain high as additional rounds of rain line up. A couple of days of dry weather will follow for much of the Southern states into part of Mother's Day weekend. However, it will not be enough to prevent new flooding as heavy rain returns to the region from Sunday through the middle of next week. An area of low pressure, or a storm, will form over central Texas on Saturday night and travel eastward along the upper Gulf coast from Sunday to Tuesday. This track has trended farther to the north, as AccuWeather meteorologists warned it could do. That more northerly track will put the area of heaviest rain in the zone from I-10 to I-20 from northeastern Texas to the Atlantic coast. GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP As the storm gains steam at the end of the weekend, localized severe weather may erupt across Texas and part of the central Gulf Coast, with hail, gusty winds and renewed flooding downpours being the primary hazards. From Sunday to Tuesday, a general 2-4 inches of rain will fall in the zone from I-10 to I-20, with local amounts of 4-8 inches possible. In much of this area, soil conditions will range from moist to saturated following prior rain events, some as recent as Thursday. Because of the wet state of the ground, not all of the rain will be absorbed, and runoff will quickly find its way into small streams and low-lying areas and then work into secondary rivers and bayous. Those living along waterways prone to flooding should be prepared to seek higher ground. This could mean a second flooding event in northeastern Texas in less than a week. In addition to rivers in Texas that could be subject to a new surge of water, other rivers farther to the east, including the Red, Pearl, Yazoo, Tombigee, Alabama, and Chattahoochee, could be subject to flooding. Rain early next week will be followed by yet another dose of downpours over the South Central and Southeast states from the middle to late parts of next week. A storm will push out of the southern Rockies and onto the southern Plains at midweek before it pushes eastward across the lower Mississippi Valley and the Appalachians. In areas where the new round of rain overlaps with the rain at the start of the week, flooding problems could be made even worse as there will probably be too little time between the rain rounds to allow for waters to recede. There is the potential for some areas to receive a foot or more of rain from Sunday to Wednesday night in the South Central states and from Monday to Saturday in the Southeast region. While some of the rain will reach areas needing moisture in central, southern and western Texas and parts of central Florida, not all of these areas may pick up enough moisture to alleviate abnormally dry to drought conditions. Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer. Previously, it was only possible to use WeChat Pay and Alipay in large shopping malls. BARCELONA, Spain, May 8 (Xinhua) -- A new initiative aimed at making shopping easier for Chinese tourists in Spain will allow them to use digital payment methods popular in Asia, such as WeChat Pay and Alipay. Chinese visitors to the city of Barcelona, a tourist hotspot, can now use the mobile payment systems they use at home in over 80 shops, thanks to a deal between the Barcelona Commerce retailers' association and the Starpay digital payment platform. "Our goal is to help ensure that the tools and applications that are widely used by consumers on the Chinese market are also available in our local stores," Alfons Barti, director of the Barcelona Commerce retailers' association, told Xinhua on Tuesday. "We display the logos of both WeChat and Alipay, which Chinese tourists can easily see and so feel more comfortable about entering the shop," said Ivan Munoz, manager of El Petit Gaudi Eixample, a gift shop selling handcrafted products. Two Chinese tourists who were browsing in the shop told Xinhua that it made shopping in small independent stores easier because "the payment process is so familiar to us." Previously, they said, it was only possible to use WeChat Pay and Alipay in large shopping malls. More than 1.2 billion users in Asia use the apps available on the Starpay platform to shop, transfer funds and receive cultural and gastronomic recommendations. "I don't know if Chinese tourists will spend more but it makes shopping for them less of a hassle, and makes them feel more confident because it's a method they already know," said Juanca Gomez, manager of the Barrabes ski and mountain clothing store. Gil Pujades, who runs the Vinya Celler Masia wine shop, added that the growth of the Chinese tourist market in Spain makes the payment initiative very welcome. "Everything that helps people have a more complete experience when they come here, and learn about our products, is a good thing," he told Xinhua. The Barcelona initiative is the first of its kind in Spain, although Starpay says it is currently developing a similar project for shops in the Spanish capital of Madrid. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest in front of The Cooper Union, a private college, in New York, the United States, May 9, 2024. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua) NEW YORK, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Faculty members of The New School, a private university in Manhattan of New York City, the United States, set up their own pro-Palestine encampment in the lobby of the campus building near Union Square on Wednesday. The faculty members involved in the action called for, among others, divestment from weapons manufacturing companies, dismissal of charges against student protesters and the removal of New York police on campus, according to The New School Free Press. About 20 professors occupied the lobby with tents and banners reading "Faculty Against Genocide." This is reportedly the first faculty-led protest in the United States. The staff at The New School named their encampment after Refaat Alareer, a Palestinian poet and professor, who was killed in an airstrike in December 2023. Roughly 40 students were arrested and subsequently suspended from The New School as a student encampment was cleared by the New York Police Department on May 3. Across the nation, more than 2,000 arrests have been made on college campuses in recent weeks. Many of the university's students have seen a shift to online classes or venues outside of school grounds, with one student reporting that their professor held class at a restaurant. And some teachers are refusing to submit final grades until their demands are met. Scores of U.S. college campuses have seen pro-Palestinian movements over the past few months, and high schools are starting to participate as well. Students in Chicago, Illinois; Salem, Oregon; Austin, Texas; and some cities in Washington state have been organizing walkouts, according to media reports. Meanwhile, protests continue to rage across the United States as Israel launched new attacks on targets in the Gaza Strip. In New York City alone, The New School, Baruch College, Fordham University and The Cooper Union have planned encampments, walk-outs or rallies, in solidarity with Palestine, which are set to commence on May 9, according to posts on social media. New York police officers remove a pro-Palestinian banner during a demonstration in front of The Cooper Union, a private college, in New York, the United States, May 9, 2024. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua) Northern California woman under investigation after 46 dead cats found in home, sheriff says A Northern California woman is under investigation this week after animal care services and sheriffs deputies found at least 46 dead cats in her home filled with more 160 felines roaming through her property. The incident began after numerous residents complained for weeks about a large number of cats padding through the home in the 1300 block of Sundance Drive in Plumas Lake, an unincorporated community 20 miles north of Sacramento. Yuba County sheriffs deputies and the countys animal care services arrived to the home on Tuesday to find the pack of animals scared of humans and running away, Yuba County Sheriffs Office said in a news release. The owner, who has not been arrested, said she operated a feral cat rescue, said Katy Goodson, a spokeswoman for the Sheriffs Office. It will take days before the house is completely rid of the felines, Goodson wrote. The Yuba County Animal Services is asking for donations to help with the medical treatment for the confiscated herd of cats. Donations can be made to Yuba County animal services by calling 530-741-6478 or by mailing to 5245 Feather River Blvd., Olivehurst, CA 95961. Editors Note: This is a running list of changes to school hours with adjusted hours due to last nights severe weather. We will update this list with new information as we receive it. MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) Following Thursday nights severe weather, some schools are having adjusted times or delays, News 5 has learned. Alabama School Changes Mobile County Public Schools No delays, but officials say tardies will not count due to power outages and road conditions potentially causing bus delays. Saraland City Schools There will be no delays for Saraland City Schools since the power is on and the busses are running, according to a Facebook post. Satsuma City Schools Due to a power outage, school officials say there will be a 2-hour delayed start. Northwest Florida School Changes Escambia County Public Schools Escambia County Public Schools Superintendent Keith Leonard announced Thursday that school start times will be delayed by one hour on Friday. UPDATE: Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office breaks silence on Airman Fortsons shooting death The National Weather Service forecasts severe weather moving through the area early Friday morning, bringing with it the potential for high winds in certain portions of the county which could impact safe bus travel, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flash flooding, a release said. In an abundance of caution, all schools will start the day one hour later than normal. Morning bus routes will also be delayed by one hour. All before-school activities are also canceled, an ECPS release said. We are delaying the start of the school day on Friday with the safety of our students and employees as our top priority, Leonard said. Of course, well continue to work closely with local emergency operations officials to determine what is safest for our families and staff. Escambia County Public Schools will provide further updates through School Messenger and the school districts website. Gov. Kay Ivey recognizes Mobile based company with excellence award Okaloosa County School District Okaloosa County Schools officials announced closures for some schools while others have a delayed start time. All North End Schools are canceled today due to the severe weather that came through Okaloosa County this morning, stated a release. The storm caused wide-spread power outages and downed trees and power lines, the release noted. The following schools will be closed, according to the release: Antioch Elementary School Baker School Bob Sikes Elementary School Crestview High School Davidson Middle School Laurel Hill School Northwood Elementary School Richbourg School Riverside Elementary School Shoal River Middle School Southside Primary School Walker Elementary School There will be a 3-hour delay for all Central and South Zone Schools, according to officials. Santa Rosa County District Schools School officials announced that there will be a 2-hour delayed start time due to the area being under an enhanced risk for severe weather. The 2-hour delay means that students will not start until 2 hours after their normal time and buses will also be delayed by 2 hours. All before-school activities and school-related activities affected by the delay are canceled, according to a press release. Breakfast will not be served due to the delay, but lunch will be served as normal. We want to ensure that all students and staff are safe as they travel to and from school, the release stated. Be sure to follow along with the News 5 First Alert Storm Team as we are Weather Aware heading into Friday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. 'Not supplying the weapons' to Israel if there's a major Gaza offensive, Biden says President Joe Biden acknowledged on Wednesday the role American bombs had played in civilian deaths since Israels war in Gaza began seven months ago - and for the first time said he was prepared to put conditions on American weapons if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu goes ahead with a major invasion of Rafah. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers, Biden told CNNs Erin Burnett in an exclusive interview on Erin Burnett OutFront, referring to 2,000-pound bombs that Biden paused shipments of last week. WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 02: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks from the Roosevelt Room of the White House on May 02, 2024 in Washington, DC. Biden spoke about recent protests across the United States on college campuses. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776141075 ORIG FILE ID: 2151138804 I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they havent gone in Rafah yet if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities that deal with that problem, Biden said. It's just wrong. We're not going to supply the weapons and the artillery shells that have been used (there)." The Biden administration has paused the shipment of bombs to Israel over concerns they could be used in a major military operation in Rafah, where more than 1 million refugees have been sheltering, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed at a Senate hearing earlier on Wednesday. Exclusive: Bernie Sanders worries young people are underestimating the threat from Trump Exclusive Concern over Biden's stance on Israel-Hamas war rattles high-profile campaign donors The administration began a review of some weapons transfers to Israel last month, a senior U.S. official said. The president then paused a shipment of 1,800 2,000-lb bombs and 1,700 500-lb bombs last week, as Israel ramped up plans for a ground invasion of the southern Gaza city. Hamas fighters and Israeli troops battled on Wednesday on the outskirts of Rafah. On Oct. 7, Hamas killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel and took about 250 more as hostages. In the seven months since, Israel's retaliatory attacks have killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. The war has also unleashed a humanitarian crisis. About 1.1 million people in Gaza half of the population have completely exhausted their food supplies and coping capacities and are struggling with catastrophic hunger and starvation, according to the U.N s World Food Program. "I worked pretty hard to make sure we have a relationship and help, I made it clear to Bibi and the work cabinet, we're not gonna get our support if in fact they're going to these population centers," he said. In a letter to Biden last Friday, House Armed Services Committee member Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., and House Foreign Affairs Committee member Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., wrote that the "security assistance included in the recently passed security supplemental should not be interpreted as a blank check or as implicit approval of the Netanyahu governments actions." The letter was signed by an additional 86 Democratic members of Congress. The review, meanwhile, prompted a wave of complaints from Republican lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, offered an immediate rebuke following Biden's interview. "We stand by allies, we dont second guess them. Bidens dithering on Israel weapons is bad policy and a terrible message to Israel, our allies, and the world," he wrote on X. Meanwhile, Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was one of 88 members of Congress who signed the letter to Biden Friday expressing "alarm at the deepening humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip" called his decision a "just thing to do." "President Biden enforcing conditions on US military aid and holding the Israeli gov to the same bar we hold all our allies to is the responsible, secure, and just thing to do," she wrote on X. "@POTUSs historic shift to include Israel in US standards makes the world safer and our values clear." In recent weeks, protests over Israels war on Gaza have engulfed college campuses with "Gaza Solidarity Encampments" springing up coast-to-coast demanding an immediate cease-fire. A Gallup survey released March 27, showed 55% of all Americans disapprove of Israels military action. That includes 75% of Democrats, which is up from the 63% who said the same last November. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @SwapnaVenugopal This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Not supplying the weapons' to Israel if Rafa offensive continues: Biden It was a curious approach, given the client. On Thursday, defense attorney Susan Necheles, during more than two hours of cross-examination, sought to paint adult film star Stormy Daniels as a merch-hawking grifter. In particular, Necheles highlighted a social media post that Daniels penned the day that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg indicted Donald Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records. In the March 2023 post, Daniels thanks fans for offering their support, saying she doesn't "want to spill my champagne" and noting that "merch/autograph orders are pouring in." Among items for sale on Daniels' website is a faux-votive candle, dubbed "Stormy, Saint of Indictments," and a comic book that celebrates her story. "Youre celebrating the indictment by selling things from your store?" Necheles asked Thursday. "Not unlike Mr. Trump," Daniels responded. CNN's Kaitlin Collins noted that Trump has indeed fundraised off his legal troubles, selling merchandise, for example, that features his Georgia mug shot. "They brag about how much money he has made and raised when he has been indicted, each time he has been indicted," Collins said, "and so it is notable that now the defense is going after Stormy Daniels because she was also trying to make money." MSNBC legal analyst Katie Phang likewise noted the projection from a lawyer whose client sells his own version of the Bible. "What's nuts about this strategy is the fact that Trump is the King of Grift (see Trump Steaks, Trump University, Trump Vodka, Trump Wine, Trump Water, Trump Airlines, etc.)," Phang wrote on social media, "and that hasn't been lost on anyone." WASHINGTON (DC News Now) The National Park Service (NPS) closed a bridge in Georgetown on Thursday for an indefinite amount of time. The bridge between the parking lot and Thompsons Boat Center is closed to all cars and pedestrians due to the pavement buckling, Rock Creek Park NPS said in a post on X. Metro says farewell to 2000-series fleet after 40 years of service Pedestrians can still access the Boat Center through 30th Street NW. The bridge will be closed until further notice. For updates, click here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. On May 2, 2024, about 0713 eastern daylight time, a Raytheon Aircraft Company A36 airplane, N629BE, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Augusta, Georgia. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Initial Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) track data revealed that the flight departed runway 5 at Daniel Field Airport (DNL), Augusta, Georgia, at 0712, destined for Tweed/New Haven Airport (HVN), New Haven, Connecticut. The airplane proceeded on runway heading for about nautical mile (nm), where a left turn was initiated. The airplane continued in the left turn, at about 200300 ft above the ground, for about 30 seconds and crashed into the top of mature oak trees in a residential area, severing the outboard half of the left wing. The outboard wing section remained lodged in a tree, about 60 ft above the ground. The airplane continued and impacted the front yard of a residence, coming to rest upright at coordinates 33.47759, -82.03308. The direction of the wreckage path was about 235. The cockpit and cabin were consumed in a postaccident fire. Initial examination of the wreckage revealed that all structural components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. The landing gear were found in the extended (down) position and the wing flaps were retracted (up). No calls of distress from the pilot were noted. The departure airport utilized a common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) that was not recorded. Several local residents provided home surveillance video to investigators. Although the airplane could not be seen within the fields of view of the cameras, the engine could be heard, running at high rpm until the sounds of tree and ground impact were heard. Recorded weather near the time of the accident included calm wind, a clear sky, and 10 nm visibility. The wreckage was retained for further examination. NEW YORK (PIX11) At the same testimony table from which two college presidents testified and subsequently lost their jobs, New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks addressed a congressional panel on the same subject that led to the college presidents demise: antisemitism in education. This time, leaders of some local school districts all in very politically blue areas of the country were in the hot seat. Berkeley, California and Montgomery County, Marylands top education officials were seated next to the leader of the countrys largest district, New York. Chancellor Banks fielded a variety of questions from the bipartisan panel. The most contentious ones came from Republicans, and they mentioned one school, Hillcrest High, in Jamaica Hills, Queens, in particular. Specifically, they focused on an incident last November in which witnesses said Hillcrest students rioted, and shouted antisemitic slurs so intensely that a teacher had to move to an office from her classroom in order to feel safe. The schools principal was removed from his job, but is still in the public schools system. Its a point on which Republican lawmakers focused. House holds hearing about the rise of antisemitism in grades K-12 How can Jewish students still go to school knowing he is still on your payroll? asked Brandon Williams, a member of Congress from Upstate New York. Your payroll, sir, Williams emphasized. He also referred to Hillcrest as Open Season on Jews High School. I know whose payroll it is, sir, Banks replied, and its not Open Season on Jews High School, Banks continued, regarding the secondary school from which he had himself graduated. Its called Hillcrest High School, and thats the name of the school, said Banks, and at that school, we considered his leadership not strong enough Rep. Williams and Banks then had a back and forth in which they talked over each other. Hes no longer the leader of that school, Banks concluded. In Holocaust remembrance, Biden condemns antisemitism sparked by college protests and Gaza war Another upstate Republican member of the panel also provided the most contentious line of questioning. Elise Stefanik, who made a reputation for herself in the very same hearing room last December with a grilling that ultimately led to the presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania resigning. She was among the last to question Chancellor Banks, and among a variety of things she addressed, she talked about antisemitic statements made by students at Origins High School in Brooklyn, during various parts of this school year. What disciplinary actions have been taken against those students? Stefanik asked. This is the one case that has troubled me the most, Congresswoman, Banks replied. So what have the enforcement actions been? she asked. We have in fact suspended a number of students at that school, said Banks. I have visited that school after these allegations have come up, Ive met with parents, staff, family, students. Im deeply troubled by what has happened there, we are going to get to the bottom of this, I cant say more because it is now under litigation, he said. Over the course of the two-hour hearing, the New York Republicans questions were the most challenging. Some of the committee members, including Democrat Jamaal Bowman, who is a former educator, praised Banks and the other school leaders who testified. Donald Trump calls Joe Biden weak on antisemitism, ignoring his own rhetoric Reaction from Jewish family groups was far from praise. What he says is meaningful, said Gerard Filitti, general counsel of the Lawfare Project, which is the parent organization of the #EndJewHatred movement. The problem is he needs to act on that, Filitti added. He said that the school system has not been transparent when it comes to how it deals with incidents of antisemitism. We still dont know how many students, when they were suspended, he said. Its all been a great mystery. However, an education policy analyst whos been a critic of the chancellor in the past, said that Bankss overall performance had been strong. David Bloomfield, a professor of education at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center, said that Banks clearly laid out that Holocaust history is part of the New York curriculum in 8th, 10th and 11th grades, and that antisemitic incidents are firmly dealt with. The fact that Congress members could take pot shots at really just two schools in a 1700-schools school system, Bloomfield said, means no blood spilled by Chancellor Banks. The citys public schools have experienced nearly 300 concerning incidents since the Hamas attack in Israel on Oct. 7, according to Banks. At least 42% of those incidents were antisemitic and 30% were Islamophobic, Banks said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. NYC woman charged with getting ISIS training in Syria says her father forced her to join NEW YORK A Brooklyn woman who was repatriated from Syria with her family faces criminal charges for getting AK-47 training from ISIS though she maintains through her lawyer that she was drummed into joining the terrorist group at age 17 by her father. Halima Salman, an American citizen, flew into Kennedy Airport with her mother and eight siblings on Tuesday, as part of a complex repatriation effort hailed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken as the largest single repatriation of U.S. citizens from northeast Syria to date. She was arrested after she landed, though, and charged with knowingly receiving military training from a terrorist organization. The charge carries a maximum 10-year sentence. The rest of her family is staying with her maternal grandmother in New Hampshire. The FBI and federal prosecutors allege that she and her now-deceased father left the U.S. on a flight from JFK in 2017 and headed to Syria by way of Moscow, then Turkey. When she turned 18, she got AK-47 training, married an ISIS member, and joined an all-female battalion made up of ISIS brides, the feds allege, presenting an image of a military document they obtained as proof of her willing involvement. The defendant was not conscripted to join ISIS. Women were not conscripted to join ISIS. Instead, it was something that the defendant sought out as an adult, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Shami said at her Brooklyn Criminal Court arraignment Tuesday. She was captured by anti-ISIS forces in 2019, and in an FBI interview last year, she told a special agent she never received training and never owned a weapon. Her lawyer, Samuel Jacobson of the Federal Defenders, argued Tuesday that prosecutors have it all wrong, and that she was a victim of her fathers scheme to join ISIS and not a willing member. In many ways, its shocking that were here today, he said. Jacobson said in court that her father tricked the family into traveling to Syria by telling them he was taking them to visit Turkey. Instead, he took them to al-Mayadin, an ISIS-occupied town in Syria. The Syrian Army recaptured the town in October 2017. Halima was a teenager. She had no idea that her father had any sentiments that were pro-ISIS, had any interest in joining ISIS, Jacobson said. Halimas father also arranged a marriage for Halima while she was still underage. She was 17 years old. She didnt have a choice in the matter. She was a kid. Her father took her to this territory. After her father was killed in a rocket attack, she paid a smuggler to help get her out of Syria, ditched her husband and fled to Iraqi Kurdistan, knowing shed wind up in a detention camp, the defense lawyer said. Such was her desperation to get out of this place and to get out of the situation that her father had put her in, that her husband had put her in, Jacobson said. She was reunited with her mother and siblings soon after, and was bounced between camps and a prison facility for the next five year as she pleaded to be repatriated, he said. Jacobson said she never received training, and was never a part of a battalion, questioning the validity of the printout that said otherwise. And he scoffed at the contention that she could be seen on video walking with an AK-47. if she picked up an AK-47 once, who cares? Everyone has an AK-47 in these towns. That doesnt mean shes a danger, he said. Shami countered that her husbands phone has other pieces of information, photographs, intimate photographs, intimate notes that corroborate that the relationship that she had was a loving one, and that corroborate that she is not the victim that she is portraying herself to be right now. The prosecutor said that Salman is trying to put forth a narrative thats at odds with her past statements to law enforcement about her relationship with her husband, and questioned the defense lawyers statements that Salman had no contacts in Syria. The defendant admitted that they had a loving relationship and that there was a lot of love between them, Shami said. The idea that its who cares if she picked up an AK-47 is not actually (valid) people care. People care if you receive military training from ISIS. Magistrate Judge Robert Levy ruled Tuesday that prosecutors had enough to establish Salman as a possible flight risk or danger to the community, and ordered her held without bond. Jacobson plans to challenge that ruling at a preliminary hearing later this month. _____ Olympiacos vs Aston Villa: Europa Conference League Showdown As the Europa Conference League semi-finals approach their climactic second leg, all eyes are set on the intense matchup between Olympiacos and Aston Villa. With the English team trailing after a thrilling first leg at Villa Park, the stakes couldnt be higher as they travel to Greece. Villas Uphill Battle Aston Villas recent European journey has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. After a disappointing 4-2 defeat in the first legwhere Ayoub El Kaabis hat-trick proved pivotalthe 1982 European champions now face a significant challenge. Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby managed to score for Villa, but a crucial penalty miss by Douglas Luiz has added to the pressure for the return leg. Unai Emerys side, simultaneously juggling domestic aspirations, stumbled again last Sunday, losing 1-0 to Brighton. However, with Tottenham also dropping points, Villas top-four hopes in the Premier League are still alive, needing just three points from two games to secure Champions League qualification. Olympiacos: Rested and Ready On the other side, Olympiacos have been focusing on their own league ambitions, contending for the Greek Super League title. Having enjoyed a weeks rest before this crucial fixture, they are in an advantageous position to host a weary Villa squad. The Greek teams form has been formidable, exemplified by their recent victory over Lamia and a resilient draw against Aris Thessaloniki. With key players like Andreas Ndoj and Georgios Masouras returning from suspensions, though potentially not starting, their lineup looks robust. Key Absences and Potential Impact The injury woes for Aston Villa are mounting at a critical time. With key figures like Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings sidelined, and Emiliano Martinez only just returning from injury, the teams depth is severely tested. Conversely, Olympiacos will be without Stevan Jovetic and a few other squad members due to injuries and ineligibility, which might offer some solace to the English visitors. Match Prediction and Lineups Despite the visible fatigue and injuries plaguing Aston Villa, their performance both domestically and in Europe has been commendable. However, facing a two-goal deficit and a well-rested Olympiacos side, the challenge on Thursday will be monumental. The predicted lineups suggest a strategic setup from both teams, with Villa likely adopting a 4-4-2 formation to maximize their offensive presence. Olympiacos predicted lineup vs Aston Villa (4-3-2-1): Tzolakis; Rodinei, Retsos, Carmo, Richards; Hezze, Iborra, Chiquinho; Fortounis, Podence; El Kaabi. Aston Villa predicted lineup vs Aston Villa (4-4-2): Martinez; Cash, Carlos, Konsa, Moreno; Bailey, Luiz, McGinn, Zaniolo; Diaby, Watkins. In conclusion, while Aston Villas resilience has been a highlight this season, the physical demands and strategic challenges posed by a solid Olympiacos could well result in a 2-2 draw in Piraeus, concluding the tie 6-4 on aggregate in favour of the Greek outfit. After two months of speaking their minds on social media, NYPD officials were tight-lipped about their controversial posts at a City Council hearing Thursday as two department executives responsible for most of the tweets were no-shows. NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell and Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry skipped the morning budget hearing even though theyd been scheduled to attend. Mayor Adams office told them at the last minute to not appear, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation. Around 7 a.m. Thursday, the mayors office told the duo not to show up, fearing that the hearing would turn into a circus over their tweets that some Council members claim violate departmental policy, are inflammatory and potentially dangerous, the sources told the Daily News. NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Tarik Sheppard also skipped the hearing, though hed been scheduled to attend, too. While the department has traditionally used social media to spread word about good arrests and tips on how to fight crime, Chell began using the platform to criticize judges he believed were soft on crime in March. Since then, he and Daughtry have been lobbing critical tweets against journalists, columnists and elected officials they disagree with. The department previously said it was correcting the narrative on social media, which they believe was skewed against police. Sheppard and the mayor have supported the new social media tactic. At the hearing, neither Police Commissioner Edward Caban nor Michael Gerber, the NYPDs deputy commissioner for legal matters, would comment on Chell and Daughtrys posts, citing an ongoing investigation into the matter by the citys Department of Investigation. Its inappropriate to comment as the investigation is ongoing, Caban said. But the DOI said there isnt a gag order on the investigation, so the department could have spoken about the posts if officials wished. DOI has not instructed NYPD to refrain from speaking about its social media use during our ongoing investigation, said DOI spokeswoman Diane Struzzi. Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said NYPD brass should have addressed the controversial posts. I find it very appropriate given what Im looking at, she said at the hearing as she looked over posts on X including one put out by Chell that blasted progressive Councilwoman Tiffany Caban. In it, he rejected her comments against the NYPDs crackdown on Columbia University protesters as garbage and urged his followers to vote the change you seek if they dislike her, too. These posts can often convey inaccurate or misleading information and can potentially incite threats of violence, said Speaker Adams, whod called for the DOI investigation. I use the word potentially with caution because they have in some cases incited threats of violence to individuals, she added. This conduct is dangerous, unethical, unprofessional because included in the departments mission is to preserve the peace, protect the people and reduce fear. City ethics law bars police officials from using city resources such as department social media accounts for blatantly political purposes. The NYPDs patrol guide prohibits police employees from engaging in political activities while in an official capacity. Gerber repeatedly declined to comment as Speaker Adams peppered the dias, which included First Deputy Commissioner Tania Kinsella and Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, with questions about who was responsible for approving social media posts before they go online and if Chell and Daughtrys tweets are examples of an ongoing change in the departments social media policy. We are fully cooperative with (the DOI) investigation and its critical that the investigation be allowed to play out, Gerber said, adding that the department doesnt believe the post against Councilwoman Caban violated the law or the NYPD patrol guide or could be considered political activity. Its part of a context of a significant debate about the nature of public safety in the city, the role of the police department and the role of policing in New York City, Gerber said, refraining from elaborating further. Councilwoman Caban of Queens, who attended the hearing, said Gerber and Commissioner Caban were hiding behind the DOI investigation. You could have and you should have answered, but you chose not to, she said. An email to the department for comment was not returned. The mayors office did not return a request for comment, either. The Legal Aid Society called the social media activities from the police officials a clear abuse of the NYPDs authority. In addition to the requests for DOI involvement, dozens of local elected officials, including members of New Yorks congressional delegation, sent a letter to Mayor Adams last week demanding that he reprimand Chell for his recent social media posts. Flags with the Lufthansa logo wave in the wind at the airport in the Main metropolis. Andreas Arnold/dpa A Lufthansa flight to Chicago was forced to return to Frankfurt on Thursday after an unusual odour was smelled in the cabin, the German airline said on Thursday. The Boeing 747 carrying 320 passengers and 19 crew members turned around due to an "unidentifiable electrical odour," a company statement said. Lufthansa said there was no smoke on board at any time and that the cause of the smell was still being investigated by technicians. The aircraft landed "normally" in Frankfurt. The passengers were to continue their journey on Thursday evening on a replacement aircraft. Germany's Bild newspaper reported that the smell was detected about 90 minutes after departure and that the plane was already over the Atlantic when pilots decided to return to Frankfurt. Officer kidnaps man and fatally shoots him, then dumps his body in river, feds say An on-duty Memphis police officer kidnapped a man, shot him in the head and unsuccessfully tried getting rid of his body more than three years ago, federal prosecutors said. Patric J. Ferguson killed the man, identified as R.H., on Jan. 5, 2021, and dumped his body in the Wolf River in Memphis with the help of another man, Joshua M. Rogers, according prosecutors. Now Ferguson, who no longer works for the department, is facing federal civil rights, kidnapping and weapons offenses after a jury returned an eight-count indictment on May 8, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Tennessee announced in a news release. The man hes accused of killing was Robert Howard, who died at age 30, according to the Memphis Police Department. Ferguson and Howard knew each other, police said. Rogers, who prosecutors said tried helping Ferguson hide evidence of the crime, is charged with accessory after the fact. Following Howards death, Rogers sold the car used to move his body to a scrap metal dealership, according to prosecutors. An attorney representing Ferguson didnt immediately respond to McClatchy News on May 9. Information regarding Rogers legal representation in the federal case wasnt available. Officer is arrested before the body is found On Jan. 6, 2021, Howards girlfriend reported him missing, according to a Memphis Police Department news release issued Jan. 10, 2021. She told officers that Howard was last seen on Mark Twain Street around 5 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2021, the department said. Howard was already dead when she made the report. According to police, Howard was taken from a home on Mark Twain Street and killed by Ferguson, who was in uniform. Ferguson was acting on his own accord when he forced Howard into his squad car, drove to another street about a half-mile away and fatally shot him, police said. Before Howards body was found, Ferguson was arrested on charges of first-degree murder; first-degree murder in perpetration of aggravated kidnapping; especially aggravated kidnapping; abuse of a corpse; and fabricating and tampering with evidence, according to police. He was immediately relieved of duty and had worked for the department since October 2018, police said. Rogers, who police said was Fergusons acquaintance, was arrested on charges of accessory after the fact, abuse of a corpse, and fabricating and tampering with evidence, according to the department. On Jan. 10, 2021, police announced Howards body was found near the Wolf River bridge. The 105-mile-long river flows through Tennessee and northern Mississippi. In December 2021, Martha Garth, the administrator of Howards estate, filed a federal lawsuit against Ferguson. The lawsuit says Ferguson shot Howard while he was restrained inside Fergusons police squad car. Howard had three minor children, according to the suit, which is still pending in court and seeks a judgment against Ferguson, as well as compensatory and punitive damages totaling no more than $60,000. Attorneys separately representing Ferguson and Rogers in the state cases, which are still active, didnt immediately respond to requests for comment from McClatchy News on May 9. Prosecutors and police havent listed a motive for the killing. The federal charges against Ferguson and Howard are the result of an investigation involving the FBIs Memphis field office and the citys police department. Disabled man beaten by cops while looking for friends home is owed $3.9M, lawyers say Officer raped multiple women while transporting them as pretrial detainees, feds say Deputy kidnaps girl and kills her mom, grandparents days after he was hired, suit says Officer shoots, injures woman in Gastonia after she fired gun near Walmart, city says A Gastonia police officer shot and injured a woman outside a Walmart Supercenter after she crashed her car into a tree, then got out and fired a gun, the city police spokesman said. The woman drove onto a median near the store on East Franklin Boulevard about 6:45 a.m. Thursday, hit the small tree, then tried to put her car into reverse, police spokesman Bill McGinty said. Someone who saw it tried to help her, and she got out of her car and fired a gun, McGinty said. It was not immediately clear if she was aiming at anything or if she fired into the air. Three children, ages 10, 7 and 1, were in her car, he said. A police officer who arrived shot the woman once, and her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, McGinty said. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is investigating. The names of the officer and the woman were not released. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has opened an investigation into concerns about the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) and its susceptibility to a hostile takeover by private interests. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said on Wednesday that he had forwarded an anonymous 14-page memo to the Ohio Ethics Commission, attorney general, state auditor, and other state agencies for review. The memo describes how the system got to this point, dating back to 2020, and raises several concerns. >> I-TEAM: Multi-year investigation leads to child porn arrest in Preble County Our state pension systems have an obligation to retirees to ensure their investment portfolios and accounts are stable and financially sound, so that they have the financial resources to serve retirees, both now and in the future, DeWine said in a written statement, noting his support of numerous audits of the organization. A day later, Yost confirmed he was opening an investigation into the organization. Pension board members are required by law to act in the best interest of the teachers whose money they invest, Yost said in a release. I will take whatever action is necessary to protect teachers against private interests attempting to hijack their retirement accounts. Yost is exploring the applicable fiduciary removal statute to address any potential breaches by members of the STRS board. >> Millions of dollars worth of baseball cards stolen from Ohio hotel This isnt monopoly money; its hard-earned income that belongs to teachers, Yost said. There is a responsibility to act in their best interests. News Center 7 reached out to the STRS about the investigation on Thursday and received the following statement from Board Chair Dale Price: Recent audits demonstrate that STRS Ohio is well-run and that the pension fund is in sound financial position. Questions raised involve board governance. Teachers in the classroom and retired educators should know their pension is safe and secure. STRS Ohio will continue to protect the stability and integrity of the organization and will fully cooperate with all offices in their review of the pension system. A ballot counter machine. (Photo by Graham Stokes for the Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original story.) Ohios gerrymandered maps take voting power away from Black communities, fair map advocates said this week on a media call. The Brennan Center for Justice at NYUs law school found that about 77% of Ohio (about 9.1 million people) lives in districts where elections for state representatives are not in serious dispute, according to their recent study. This report validates what happens when the redistricting process and those in charge of it draw districts that all but guarantee the outcome of state legislative races, often at the expense of diminishing the voting power of Black voters in the state, said Petee Talley, executive director and founder of Ohio Unity Coalition. Ohios gerrymandered districts make it hard for voters of color to have their voice be heard through their vote, Talley said. We felt the gridlock on election outcomes in Black communities where we struggled to be able to choose who gets to represent us, said Jeniece Brock, policy and advocacy director for the Ohio Organizing Collaborative. Historically, our communities have been cracked and packed into districts that dont allow us to meaningfully engage in political processes, or have healthy competition between candidates for representation in the Statehouse. The president of the Ohio Conference of the NAACP, Tom Roberts, questioned if the decisions being made in the Statehouse such as private school vouchers and fracking state parks truly reflect what citizens want. Citizens are just scratching their heads, saying, Whos making these decisions, and why are they making these decisions? And the answer is because theres no one there to stop them, he said. November election Looking ahead to the November election, 15 districts out of 99 total will give voters no choice between Democratic and Republican candidates in the November election, according to the study. Sixty-two districts will be uncompetitive, meaning districts where the partisan draw favors one party by 55% or more. This leaves the majority of Ohioans in districts where election outcomes are decided before the first vote was cast, Brock said. Seeing the results of the study was frustrating, but it also highlighted to her the importance of having fair maps. Thats something that were going to continue to fight for and make sure people feel represented and that they have folks who will listen to the the needs of their community, whether it be safe neighborhoods, fresh water, clean air, or better health care, she said. Citizens Not Politicians Initiative The Citizens Not Politicians proposed constitutional amendment would make a 15-member citizen redistricting commission made up of five Republicans, five Democrats and five independents. No current or former politicians would be able to be on the commission. A different commission composition could provide a change that will provide racial diversity on the commission that will be sensitive to the issues of the diverse communities in our state and draw district maps that center community needs and voter preferences rather than the interests of incumbents, Talley said. Brock thinks the citizen initiative would be a transparent and inclusive process. With citizens running the process, there is no pressure from any party to be able to have things a certain way, that they get to have their voices heard from the community and be able to create maps that are fair and representative, she said. Supporters of the Citizens Not Politicians Initiative must collect 413,487 valid state voter signatures by July 3. Follow OCJ Reporter Megan Henry on Twitter. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Ohios gerrymandered maps diminishing the voting power of Black voters, groups say appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. Ohio lawmakers insist Biden will be on Novembers ballot, but theyre fuzzy on details COLUMBUS, OH MAY 08: Speaker Jason Stephens, R-Kitts Hill, talks with the press after the Ohio House session, May 8, 2024, at the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal) In a surprise move, the Ohio House decided not to take up legislation to ensure President Joe Biden appears on the November ballot in Ohio. But elected leaders from both parties insist Biden will appear on voters ballots. They have said so many times. But the thing is, theyre not exactly sure how, and an obscure provision in state law gives them a deadline they may not be able to meet. Ohio law provides that political parties must certify their candidates with the Secretary of State on or before the 90th day prior to an election. The Democratic National Convention, the meeting at which the party will officially nominate Biden, wont happen until August 22 75 days prior to the election. This week, lawmakers hammered out two competing proposals, one in the House and one in the Senate, that would push that deadline to 74 days instead. But because laws passed without an emergency clause dont take effect for 90 days, lawmakers inadvertently gave themselves a deadline of May 9 to get the measure signed, sealed and delivered. At the eleventh hour, the House and Senate were still wrangling over which bill should serve as the vehicle for passage. The Senate approved its bill and adjourned, but unrelated amendments soured some House members mostly Democrats on the proposal. Rather than put the Senate bill to a vote, House Speaker Jason Stephens adjourned, over howls of protest from conservative members. They jeered shame at Stephens, and Russo wins again in reference to the House Minority Leader, Allison Russo, after the motion to adjourn passed. I think theres a lot of different options in order to get him on the ballot, Stephens told reporters after the session concluded. You guys have probably went through a lot of the different possibilities. So you know, Im not concerned about that happening. COLUMBUS, Ohio MAY 31: Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima (left), talks to Senate Majority Floor Leader Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, after the Ohio Senate session, May 31, 2023, at the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original story.) The Senate approach The Ohio Senate significantly changed and ultimately passed House Bill 114, a campaign child care bill, by adding amendments to put Biden on Ohios ballot for Novembers presidential election and ban foreign nationals from contributing to political campaigns. HB 114 passed in the Senate on Wednesday afternoon with a vote of 24-7, with Democrats voting against it. The bill moves the date Biden would need to be certified as the Democratic candidate from Aug. 7 to Aug. 23 in order to get him on Ohios ballot. That should allow for the Democratic National Committee to provide the nominee so well have that choice on the ballot when they go to vote, Sen. Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, said on the Senate floor. This bill is a temporary change and it doesnt change the deadline for future presidential elections. My personal opinion is that this should not be a permanent law change, given how quickly weve had to go through and deal with this issue, McColley said. If we are going to deal with a permanent fix, that wouldnt even be necessary, in theory, until at least four years from now, hopefully longer. We should take our time and try to get it right. But I understand under the circumstances that we got to act quickly regarding this upcoming election. We shouldnt be using state law as a weapon to keep somebody off the ballot. The substitute bill would also ban foreign nationals from providing contributions for campaigns, similar to the language of Senate Bill 215 that passed the Senate earlier this year. Our intention will be to ensure that we dont have foreign election interference in the state of Ohio, via the campaign contributions by foreigners and foreign nationals, said McColley, who is also a sponsor of SB 215. McColley said organizations linked to foreign nationals contributed almost $14 million in the state last year, related to the elections that occurred in August and November. Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, said weaving SB 215 into HB 114 was the only option. Republicans in both the House and the Senate arent going to vote for a standalone Biden bill, he said. Theres not enough support for it. Theres a little bit of things in this bill for both sides to like and dislike, and I think this puts the Biden issue to rest, he said. Republican Senators added a substitute bill to HB 114 on Wednesday morning during the Senate General Government Committee. State Reps. Latyna Humphrey, D-Columbus, and Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, introduced HB 114 last year to allow political candidates to use their campaign funds to pay for child care. The bill passed in the House over the summer, and would bring Ohio campaign finance regulations in line with federal campaign finance regulations. Senate Democrats spoke out against the amendments made to HB 114. This was not a compromise bill, said Ohio Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood. Thats why the Democrats all voted no. State Sen. Bill DeMora, D-Columbus, called the move the worst kind of partisan politics. Senate Republicans held us hostage by slapping completely irrelevant partisan nonsense onto this bill because they know it needs to pass, DeMora said. Antonio is confident Biden will get on Ohios ballot one way or another whether it be through the legislature, through the courts or through another avenue. Biden won the Democratic nomination in Ohio during the March primary with 87% of the vote. There are different paths to get to the end result that Bidens on the ballot, she said. Im confident he will be on the ballot. It benefits everyone that he is on the ballot. The House approach Early this week, the House amended the new nomination timeline onto a different bill, and they chose an interesting proposal for the task. In the run up to last years August election, state senators fast-tracked a bill allowing them to hold an August election in the first place. Lawmakers had prohibited them just a few months prior. But that Senate bill, SB 92, stalled out in committee. The election wound up going forward anyway because the courts decided to allow lawmakers to set the date in the resolution itself without altering the underlying law. But with an election crisis looming, SB 92 had one thing going for it it had already passed the Senate. COLUMBUS, OH MAY 08: House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, during the Ohio House session, May 8, 2024, at the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal) So the House gutted it, removing everything to do with special elections, and then plugged in the presidential nomination language. The result was a clean bill, importantly, in all but name. You know, sometimes its about knowing the process and procedures around here, Minority Leader Allison Russo said, and you (can) turn a lemon into lemonade. The House committee took up and passed the amended bill with little fanfare. Afterward the chairman, state Rep. Bob Peterson, R-Selina, downplayed the last minute wrangling. I think its just kind of common sense, he said. Consistently, people have said, of both parties, Joe Biden is gonna be on the ballot in Ohio, and he should be on the ballot in Ohio. In addition to pushing the date for parties to certify their nominee in the current election, the House proposal wouldve given them greater flexibility for future elections as well. Notably, since setting the 90-day deadline in state law, Ohio has been forced to pass legislative fixes twice to clear a presidential nominee for the ballot. Any legislative fix for Biden should be paired with a GOP policy priority. Thats compromise and its basic Legislation 101. For example, SB215 would bar foreign nationals from spending money in Ohio ballot initiative elections. Common sense policy. Pair the two. Done deal. https://t.co/ENjsJqJDtG Brian Stewart (@BrianStewartOH) May 8, 2024 But that clean bill approach rankled some Republicans in the House, such as state Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, who tweeted about the issue. Why, if Republicans are voting for legislation to help a Democratic presidential candidate, wouldnt they at least try to extract concessions? At the same time, the Senates inclusion of language prohibiting campaign funding from foreign nationals was a non-starter for Democrats. Foreign money is already illegal for federal campaign finance laws and state finance laws, Minority Leader Allison Russo argued. What they are actually doing is undermining ballot initiatives and silencing the peoples voices. But you know, listen, she said, Biden will be on the ballot. Weve always known that the legislative fix was not the only route. Although she didnt close the door on addressing the matter with legislation, she acknowledged the timeline isnt working in their favor. Lawmakers can always pass a bill with an emergency clause to ensure it takes effect immediately, but that raises the bar for passage two-thirds of the members have to agree. Other options on the table include going to court or holding a kind of virtual convention to declare Bidens nomination early. The problem with the Democratic National Conventions timing was first brought to light by Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose. Hes thrown up his hands, claiming hes powerless to do anything, but he took a different tack when it comes to ballot access for his own partys candidate. The secretary went so far as to travel to Washington, D.C., for oral arguments in a U.S. Supreme Court case considering whether states could keep former President Donald Trump off the ballot. A Colorado court determined Trumps attempt to overturn the 2020 election on January 6, amounted to an insurrection under the 14th Amendment. I owe a duty to the people of Ohio, he said in a video outside the court building, eight million registered voters, to make sure that they have the opportunity to cast their vote, and that that vote will result in them being able to choose their partys nominee for president and eventually their president. I think that the court should send down a very clear decision that the voters not a judge, not a secretary of state gets to decide, he added. In a unanimous decision, the justices said only Congress can make a determination about insurrection. But with the tables turned, and Democrats opportunity to cast their vote in the balance, his response has been different. In a Wednesday statement, he insisted the easiest way to get Biden on the ballot, is to pass temporary legislation that adjusts the deadline by which they can certify their nominee to my office. He laid the blame for inaction at the feet of the minority party, rather than the Republican leaders who control both chambers of the legislature. COLUMBUS, OH MAY 08: State Rep. Ron Ferguson, R-Wintersville, tries to get the attention of Speaker Jason Stephens, R-Kitts Hill, during the Ohio House session, May 8, 2024, at the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal) The neverending Speakers race Speaker Stephens has faced dissension within his partys ranks since winning the gavel, because he built that majority with the help of Democrats. At the very outset of Wednesdays session, half a dozen hard-right members stood and shouted out motions to vacate his speakership. Stephens didnt entertain those motions. At least one of those members packed up his things and left the chamber. His decision to adjourn without taking up the Senate proposal shocked many Republican members. What about 114? Rep. Scott Lipps, R-Franklin, shouted. Rep. Rodney Creech, R-West Alexandria, who had shouted out a motion to vacate earlier, mad the comment youre consistent you take care of the 32, in reference to the chambers Democratic members. Speaking after the session, Stephens bristled somewhat at the focus on the presidential ballot changes. We did pass a lot of really good bills today, which I think is important, he said. I think that you know President Biden will end up on the Ohio ballot as we go forward. Remarkably, the Houses legislative fix, SB 92, still isnt dead. Lawmakers informally passed the bill which leaves it in a kind of limbo. Its still on the legislative calendar, and the Speaker can call it up for a vote whenever he likes. But taking that route would require an emergency clause. I mean, its a technical issue, so it should be able to be done, Stephens said about the possibility of approving emergency legislation. But if we cant, we cant. Follow OCJ Reporter Nick Evans on Twitter. Follow OCJ Reporter Megan Henry on Twitter. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Ohio lawmakers insist Biden will be on Novembers ballot, but theyre fuzzy on details appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. TOLEDO, Ohio (WJW) An Ohio man has pleaded guilty to killing more than 40,000 fish after admitting to dumping hazardous substances into the Scioto River. Mark Shepherd, 72, pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act by dumping about 7,000 gallons of wastewater containing pollutants and hazardous substances into the waterway near Kenton on April 17, 2021, the United States Department of Justice wrote in a news release. Shepherd, from Kenton, was accused of negligently flooding the river with 7,000 gallons of the wastewater, which contained ammonia, according to court documents. The pollutants came from two businesses owned by Shepherd, the Justice Department said. One of the businesses specializes in transporting hazardous materials, according to its website. Why does the McDonalds Filet-O-Fish have only a half-slice of cheese? Theres a right way and a wrong way to do business and when your business pollutes Ohios natural resources, you will be held accountable, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. Im grateful for our many partners who work together to keep our land, water and air clean. Authorities were alerted to the dead fish by a fisherman in Hardin County. The wastewater is believed to have flowed nearly 20 miles from where Shepherd was accused of dumping it, according to the release. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ultimately determined that the hazardous substances killed 43,094 fish, which the DNR valued at approximately $22,500. Woman catches 30-pound koi fish in Texas lake The Scioto River is home to abundant fish and other wildlife, and it is a valuable community resource, flowing through more than 230 miles of Ohio, U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko, of the Northern District of Ohio, was quoted as saying in the release. As the guilty plea demonstrates, anyone caught illegally discharging substances into our districts waterways that harm our environment will face prosecution. Shepherds sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 12, 2024. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) has been a big winner over the past year and a half, but the stock has slipped following its recent earnings report in April. Although the social media titan beat analyst estimates on the top and bottom lines, investors didn't like its plans to increase capital spending and operating expenses in order to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) and other strategic initiatives. Its second-quarter revenue guidance was also a bit lighter than expected, leading to a nearly 11% slide on the report. Now, one Wall Street analyst thinks Meta's a sell. Image source: Getty Images. Exane BNP Paribas says to avoid Meta Last week, Exane BNP Paribas initiated coverage on Meta Platforms with an underperform rating and a price target of $360, implying a downside of 24% from Wednesday's prices. Analyst Stefan Slowinski called an increase in AI spending with a new revenue stream to complement, and he said other "Magnificent Seven" stocks are better prepared to monetize generative AI technology. Is this metaverse round 2? Like other big tech companies such as Alphabet, Meta has a highly profitable core advertising business from its social media platform, which allows it to invest in more experimental businesses like the metaverse and now AI. However, the metaverse has been a massive drain on profits thus far, as Meta reported an operating loss of nearly $4 billion in the first quarter. While its social media business is strong enough to carry that, focusing too much on a technology it can't fully monetize is a legitimate concern for investors. If Meta's stock is trading at $360 a year from now, and the company delivers the $20.75 per share analysts currently expect (according to S&P Global Market Intelligence), that would be a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.3 -- lower than today's multiple around 27 but still higher than the doldrums of its first year as Meta. If the company can maintain spending discipline, its stock should be a winner, but investors are loath to see another episode of the metaverse money pit. Should you invest $1,000 in Meta Platforms right now? Before you buy stock in Meta Platforms, 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 Meta Platforms wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $554,830!* Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. Story continues See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of May 6, 2024 Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Jeremy Bowman has positions in Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet and Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 1 Wall Street Analyst Says Meta Platforms Will Fall to $360. Is It a Sell? was originally published by The Motley Fool Ohio man sues BMV for rejecting vanity plate what does F46 LGB mean? [In the player above, watch previous coverage on personalized license plates rejected in Ohio in 2023 from FOX 8 sister station NBC4.] COLUMBUS, Ohio (WJW) A Southern Ohio man is suing the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, arguing its rejection of his personalized license plate infringes on his right to free speech. The BMV rejected Jeffrey Wonsers requested plate F46 LGB, due to the potential perception of inappropriateness, reads a complaint filed last week in Ohios Southern District federal court. Ohio man dumps 7K gallons of contaminated wastewater into river, kills more than 40K fish The string of characters F46 LGB has no objective meaning, reads the lawsuit. Most people who see it attach no meaning to it whatsoever. But the complaint acknowledges the message could be interpreted as a homophobic slur or as a derogatory message against Joe Biden, the 46th U.S. president. As for LGB, the phrase Lets Go Brandon has become an anti-Biden meme. The complaint also alleges the BMV ruled the message had two profane phrases, however, it actually approved license plates reading F46 and LGB individually. The complaint argues that when such messages are open to interpretation, it gives the government unbridled discretion to censor speech, as it abandons objective criteria, reads the complaint. Read the full complaint below: This embedded content is not available in your region. Wonser appealed the decision and was allowed to reapply and offer evidence that he had a different viewpoint in mind for the personalized message. But he was rejected again for the same reason, without an option to appeal, and was ultimately refunded for the plate, according to the complaint. He requested another chance for the plate months later, but the BMV had programmed its computers to automatically reject his message, reads the complaint. After the state began offering vanity plates, the BMV never set any hard rules for rejecting plates and instead established a review panel which formed its own criteria, reads the lawsuit. After the settlement of a 2001 lawsuit over a rejected plate reading RDRAGE (road rage), the BMV was made to refine its rules for vanity plates. It began rejecting plates as inappropriate if they contained profanity, were sexually explicit or advocated for lawlessness, among several other criteria, according to Wonsers complaint. But after that 2001 lawsuit was dismissed, the BMV returned to a largely arbitrary censorship regime, reads the complaint. Now, such messages are rejected even if they can be interpreted to be obscene or explicit, attorneys argue. Look! Unusual squirrel spotted in Stark County The lawsuit also alleges the BMVs review process has been more lenient to anti-Republican messages, choosing to approve FDT and IH8GOP, though it noted the messages dont violate criteria put forth after the 2001 lawsuit. Under such a system, the BMVs censors can simply search for obscure justifications to prohibit any messages they dont like, it reads. And they often simply defer to the tastes of random bozos on the internet. The bureau rejected more than 700 personalized license plates in 2023. In some instances, license plates were retroactively rejected one was rejected nearly eight years after it was issued because of public complaints, according to the lawsuit. The complaint alleges violations of the First Amendment and seeks to have the court declare the BMVs license plate screening guidelines to be unconstitutional and bar the BMV from enforcing them and also to approve Wonsers license plate. The complaint names several state officials, including Ohio Registrar of Motor Vehicles Charles Norman, Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson and Thomas Stickrath, who was registrar when Wonser first applied for the plate. Since the case is pending litigation, a Department of Public Safety spokesperson declined to comment on Thursday. Wonser is represented by Cleveland attorney Brian Bardwell of Speech Law, whose firm is exclusively focused on First Amendment litigation, according to its website. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. As hundreds of international climate scientists predict global warming will blaze past a dangerous threshold, the oil and gas industry is preparing for a potential second Donald Trump presidency with a slate of executive orders ready to be signed on Day One. Trump seems ready to play ball. The Washington Post reported on Thursday that last month at Mar-a-Lago the former president promised oil executives he would roll back dozens of President Bidens environmental measures, asking that they raise $1 billion to help him win back the White House. Trump told the executives that $1 billion would be nothing compared to the money theyd save as a result of the regulations hed slash if elected. The revelation comes a day after Politico spoke with a half-dozen lawyers and lobbyists within the fossil fuel industry who said executive orders were being drafted in case Trump is re-elected. The goal of the orders would be to roll back some of the Biden administrations most progressive environmental regulations, such as halting natural gas export permits, slashing vehicle carbon emissions, and penalizing gas companies for methane leaks. Frank Maisano, a senior principal at government relations firm Bracewell, told Politico that other than what Donald Trump says off the cuff, I dont think [Trumps campaign is] taking much advice on energy strategy. While the ex-president routinely complains about gas prices and mocks clean-energy initiatives at his rallies, he otherwise fails to discuss environmental policy. Oil industry lawyers have taken it upon themselves to fill the gap, drafting executive orders undoing Bidens policies if Trumps put back in the White House, according to Stephen Brown, a former lobbyist and director of energy consulting firm RBJ Strategies. Youll see a lot of Biden regulations that have come out in the past six months checked one way or another, Brown told Politico. The Trump campaigns policy website, Agenda 47, states Trump wants to drill, baby, drill to increase oil and natural gas production domestically in order to lower consumer energy costs, regardless of the environmental impact. The website also states that President Trump will once again exit the horrendously unfair Paris Climate Accords, referring to the 2015 Paris Agreement which set a goal of capping global temperature increase to under 2C, and aiming for a limit of 1.5C. A poll published by The Guardian on Wednesday, which included responses from 380 of 843 climate scientists with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, found that more than three-quarters believe we will not only fail to meet that goal, but we will be far above it. Only 22 of the 380 experts, about six percent, said they expected global temperatures to remain at or below 1.5C, which was chosen as a target goal to avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change. Meanwhile, 77 percent of the surveyed scientists predict Earth will remain on pace for 2.5C warming or greater by 2100, which could cause widespread famine, flooding, wildfires, and other natural disasters all over the world, forcing millions to become climate refugees. The poll also asked the scientists why they thought the global response to climate change was not measuring up to stated goals. Nearly 75 percent cited a lack of political will, while 60 percent cited vested corporate interests like the oil and gas industry insiders setting the table for a second Trump term. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone MIAMI, Okla. A Fairland woman accused of killing a Chinese national by driving over him was ordered to return to court in August for a sentencing hearing. Mindy Diane McBrien, 50, entered a blind plea and pleaded no contest in Ottawa County District Court in Miami to first-degree manslaughter and leaving the scene of a crash. Associate Judge Matt Whalen found McBrien guilty in the death of Guang Xin Ye, 58, who was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Miami on Feb. 5, 2022. The manner of Yes death is listed as an accident, the autopsy report shows. According to an Elks Lodge surveillance video on the night of Yes death, McBrien is seen walking into the Elks Lodge parking lot, getting into her Jeep Cherokee, and driving onto Main Street. Surveillance videos from surrounding businesses show Yes scooter headlight disappearing under McBriens vehicle. Showers of sparks are seen coming from the bottom of McBriens Jeep, and moments later, first responders arrived and rendered aid to Ye, the video shows. A witness told Ottawa County deputies he found McBriens vehicle in a ditch later that evening and told law enforcement officers McBrien was not so drunk that she didnt know where she was going, but she was pretty drunk, according to an arrest affidavit. Impact of hit and run left victims shoes in roadway; suspect free on $150,000 bail Winston Connor, II, McBriens attorney and prosecutor Rowdy Yates told Whalen there was no plea agreement in place. A blind plea essentially means there is no plea agreement on the table and McBrien is throwing herself at the mercy of the court. Connor said McBrien was pleading no contest rather than guilty because she had no recollection of that evening and didnt want to perjure herself. Autopsy shows Miami hit-and-run victim had over 50 fractures, contusions and lacerations Ye died from multiple blunt force injuries to his head and chest. He had 12 broken ribs, and three spinal cord fractures, according to an autopsy report. Whalen ordered McBrien to have a presentence investigation report completed and for her to return to court on Aug. 12 for her sentencing hearing. She is free on $150,000 bail. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. Oklahoma AG Drummond pushing for Congress to cut ties with UN aid group in Gaza Attorney General Gentner Drummond participates in District Attorneys Council meeting in August. (Photo by Carmen Forman/Oklahoma Voice) Utahs Sean Reyes and Oklahomas Gentner Drummond are two of 24 Republican attorneys general lobbying Congress to stop funding the United Nations agency that oversees humanitarian efforts for Palestinian refugees, calling the group terrorist-embedded. On Tuesday, the group penned a letter to U.S. House and Senate leadership urging them to stop funding antisemitic education efforts run by the United Nations body tied to terror organization Hamas, referring to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, also called UNRWA. President Trump cut funding to UNRWA that was only restored after President Biden took office. Just as with the crisis at the border, President Biden should recognize that it is time to adopt the right policy of his predecessor, the letter reads. UNRWA helps provide humanitarian aid, education, health care and social services for Palestinian refugees, operating in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. In January, the U.S. suspended funding for the agency following accusations that 12 UNRWA employees were involved in Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 the U.N. said those staffers had their contracts terminated and eight remain under investigation from the agencys internal oversight body, according to an April 26 news release. Six additional employees are being investigated for allegations that arose in March and April. Reyes and other attorneys general say that suspension should be indefinite unless UNRWA engages in serious and clear reform. While UNRWA has fired many employees for participating in the October 7 Hamas-led massacre, even the UN agrees there is more work to be done. Yet some countries have resumed funding UNRWA even before the upcoming report detailing that organizations antisemitism and deficiencies, the letter reads. The letter also calls out UNRWAs education efforts in the Gaza Strip, which according to U.N. data, serves 291,100 students in 183 schools. According to the attorneys general, those teaching materials helped radicalize Gazans before the October 7 massacre. The future leaders and would-be peacemakers in Gaza are instead having their educations poisoned by antisemitic staff and textbooks, the attorneys general write. In addition to Utah and Oklahoma, attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming also signed the letter. Both Reyes and Utahs U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, also a Republican, have been critical of the U.S. governments financial ties to the U.N. In December, Lee introduced the DEFUND act, which would terminate the countrys U.N. membership, as well as ending U.S. participation in U.N. conventions and agreements. Name one thing youd miss if the U.S. stopped funding the UN altogether, Lee posted to X on Monday. Lees bill was referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in December, but has not been voted on. U.S. Reps. Brian Mast, a Florida Republican, and Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, also recently introduced a bill that would direct the U.S. Department of State to try to return American tax dollars that funded UNRWA. Since Hamas attack on Oct. 7, an estimated 34,262 Palestinians and 1,139 Israelis have been killed, according to the U.N. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Oklahoma AG Drummond pushing for Congress to cut ties with UN aid group in Gaza appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, speaks about his chamber's funding priorities during a budget summit on Thursday. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Chuck Hall, R-Perry, is on the left. (Photo by Janelle Stecklein/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY Gov. Kevin Stitt and legislative leaders on Thursday met for a second day of public budget negotiations where tax cuts figured in prominently. House leaders and Stitt floated the idea of flattening the states tax brackets to benefit those earning $27,100 or less who would pay nothing. They also proposed tying an additional .25% drop in the top tax bracket, which is 4.75%, to revenue growth and creating a path to elimination. Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, and his caucus have been opposed to additional income tax cuts after agreeing earlier this session to eliminate the states sales tax on groceries. That cut is expected to reduce state revenue by about $418 million a year. Treat asked what the House was willing to cut in ongoing expenses to fund an additional tax cut. Treat said the Senate wants the state to have $1 billion in unobligated cash in addition to the contents of the states Rainy Day and Revenue Stabilization funds, the states savings accounts. House Appropriations and Budget Chairman Kevin Wallace, R-Wellston, said the state will have a large cash reserve at the end of fiscal year 2024. Lawmakers and staff passed around spreadsheets and haggled over the interpretation of figures and prior commitments. The first two and a half hours of discussions appeared to be less strained than Mondays meeting, where lawmakers traded barbs on who backed out of certain agreements and whether the process was being used as a press conference on tax cuts. Lawmakers on Thursday joked and laughed throughout the process. Both sides repeatedly said they were agreeing on more and more funding issues, but differences remained, such as funding a $2,500 stipend for public school support staff. House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, said lawmakers last year gave education $700 million more which local districts could have used to fund the stipends. McCall said the price tag to the state for the stipends was $99 million. Wallace said Senate Education Chairman Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, wanted the state to fund the stipends even though it was not an agency request. Earlier in the day, Treat met with reporters as he normally does at the end of the week. He was asked about the upcoming budget meeting. You wont see a final negotiation today, Treat said. We still have until May 31 But I do not anticipate walking out singing Kumbaya today. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Oklahoma budget negotiations appear to yield progress appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. Oklahoma City Public Schools could have a new superintendent as soon as this weekend OKC school superintendent Sean McDaniel resigned in February and school board has been searching for a replacement. A new superintendent is expected to be named Saturday. The Oklahoma City Public Schools district could have a new superintendent as soon as this weekend. The districts board of education held a special meeting on Wednesday afternoon at the Skirvin Hotel, which included an executive session to interview applicants for superintendent. Theres another special board meeting scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday at the districts Clara Luper Center for Educational Services and Board Clerk Craig Cates said its expected the new superintendent will be named at that meeting. He said the agenda for that meeting could be posted as soon as Thursday, although by law it wouldnt need to be posted until Friday at 9 a.m. On Wednesday, after voting upon on agenda items held over from a regular meeting scheduled for Monday which was postponed due to a severe weather outbreak that day the board adjourned into closed session. Reporters werent allowed to wait outside the meeting room in the hotel where the candidates for the job would be interviewed. All but one of the current seven members of the board were present for the open portion of the meeting. District 7 representative Meg McElhaney was absent. District 5 is currently without a representative after the resignation last month of Adrian Anderson. Whomever is selected as the new superintendent will replace Sean McDaniel, who submitted a surprise resignation on Feb. 26. McDaniel said then an irreconcilable difference of opinion with a board member led him to the decision to step down, effective June 30, after six years in the position. Although that board member never has been publicly identified, emails obtained by The Oklahoman indicated an increasing level of disagreement over the last few months between McDaniel and board leaders, including chair Paula Lewis and vice chair Lori Bowman, especially concerning issues regarding charter schools sponsored by the district. McDaniel is the longest-serving Oklahoma City Public Schools superintendent since Arthur Steller, who held the job from 1985 through November 1992. Oklahoma City Public Schools has about 33,000 students and is second only to Tulsa Public Schools in size among Oklahomas brick-and-mortar school districts. More: Disputes between McDaniel and OKCPS shouldn't throw off search for new superintendent, board leader says Board votes to move along multiple construction projects related to 2022 bond proposal During the open portion of Wednesdays meeting, the board advanced multiple construction projects related to the $955 million bond proposal approved by district voters in November 2022. Scott Randall, the districts chief operations officer, presented information on projects that will result in a major remodel of Taft Middle School, 2901 NW 23rd St., and the construction of a new middle school at SE 25th Street and High Avenue. At Taft, plans call for a renovation of the original building and the construction of two new wings. The buildings current auditorium will be demolished, Randall said. The board has a construction management agreement with Lingo Construction for the Taft Project and with Willowbrook Construction for the new middle school, which will be built on vacant land now owned by the district. The board has a construction management agreement with Manhattan Construction Co. for a new elementary school at SW 29th Street and Walker Avenue, another bond project. Adelaide Lee Elementary School currently sits at the site. The new building, to be built on land that currently serves as a playground, will connect with the current buildings recently constructed gymnasium. Once its built and open to students in August 2026, the district will tear down the old Adelaide Lee building, Randall said. The board voted Wednesday to take final action on final plans and specifications for the project and for the advertisement of project bids. The board also voted to authorize the Oklahoma City Redevelopment Authority to negotiate a final sale and purchase agreement for the districts former headquarters building at 900 N. Klein Ave. A group known as CoAlign presented a redevelopment proposal last month to the board, which the board approved Wednesday. Once the sale price and purchase agreement are negotiated, the board will have to approve them as well before the project could begin. The building will remain district property until then. The building formerly served as Roosevelt School before being used as the district headquarters building from 1955 until 2017, when it was abandoned. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma City Public Schools could have a new superintendent in days State Treasurer Todd Russ talks about income tax cuts during a press conference on Oct. 3. (Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY An Oklahoma County judge has put on hold a law that bans the state from doing business with banks deemed hostile to fossil fuel energy companies. Former Oklahoma Public Employees Association President Don Keenan filed suit last year alleging the Oklahoma Energy Discrimination Elimination Act of 2022, House Bill 2034, was unconstitutional because it forced state pension systems to drop certain fund managers at a cost to retirees. Oklahoma County District Court Judge Sheila D. Stinson on Tuesday issued a temporary injunction barring enforcement. The law became effective Nov. 1, 2022. The law directs the Oklahoma state treasurer to compile a list of financial companies that boycott energy companies. State Treasurer Todd Russ is the defendant. The court finds a substantial likelihood that this stated purpose of countering a political agenda is contrary to the retirement systems constitutionally stated purpose, the order said. An attempt by the Treasurer or Board to divest or transfer funds for any purpose other than the benefit of the members or beneficiaries is contrary to and a violation of the Oklahoma Constitution. The court ruled that the law contained five separate sections that contained conflicting or vague language as to its exceptions and exemptions. As to irreparable harm, the Court finds that divesture or transfer of assets and investments has the potential to affect the financial soundness of investment accounts, the order said. If the OPERS Board reconsiders its decision and follows the Treasurers interpretation, the systems assets could decrease or increase in value and potentially substantially alter the stability of the investment funds prior to a final determination by the Court, the ruling said. The order said the plaintiff had established a threat of irreparable harm if the act were to be enforced. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Oklahoma judge halts energy discrimination law, finds it could harm state retiree investments appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. An Oklahoma judge was indicted Thursday over a drive-by shooting at his brother-in-law's ranch last year. The state's multicounty grand jury accused Brian Lovell of shooting up a house on the ranch near Bison in northern Oklahoma on Feb. 12, 2023. No one was injured. He faces a felony count of use of a vehicle to facilitate the discharge of a firearm. The maximum punishment is life in prison. "We intend to defend the case vigorously," his defense attorney, Stephen Jones, said. It is the second time the judge has been indicted over a shooting. A grand jury in Texas in February charged him with eight felony counts of deadly conduct. He was accused in the first indictment of recklessly shooting at eight parked vehicles from his SUV while driving in Austin Sept. 11. Lovell, 59, is an associate district judge in Garfield County. He has declined to talk to the media since the incident. He is not presiding over any cases. Lovell He was arrested in Austin on Sept. 11 after a traffic collision about 1.7 miles from the shooting site. He was charged last year with a misdemeanor, reckless driving, over the collision. After the incident in Texas, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation began looking into whether he could have been involved in the shooting at his brother-in-law's ranch. The OSBI has reported spent casings from the ranch matched a spent casing recovered in Austin. The judge lives in Waukomis, which is just over 7 miles by car from the ranch. Lovell and the brother-in-law, Kenneth Markes, are estranged. Lovell is married to one of Markes' six sisters. Markes, 68, was not home at the time but his son was. He told The Oklahoman in November the shooter fired at least five times. "Why would he be mad at me? That's a really good question. I haven't had contact with him for 15 years or more," Markes said Thursday. He said he worries Lovell "might try to finish the job." "I'll be taking precautions," he said. Kenneth Markes talks about a drive-by shooting at his ranch near Bison last year. The son, Jacob Joseph Markes, said a male inside a white car started shooting from the road while driving by, the OSBI reported. The son said he was almost struck when the first bullet hit the window where he was standing. The incident occurred on a Sunday afternoon, according to a Garfield County sheriff's report. A window, wall and oven were damaged. The judge had gone to church in Enid earlier that day, the investigation found. Lovell became an associate district judge in January 2023 after running for the position unopposed. He had been a special judge in Garfield County before that since 2011 and was well liked. Lovell will plead not guilty to the new indictment, his attorney said. "From our own investigation the evidence is insufficient to convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt, which is the standard, that he has committed any offense," Jones said. The accusations against the judge in Texas received national attention. Lovell told an Austin police detective he "did not know why he would have shot his gun and he could not recall any part of the shooting incident," according to court affidavits. About the collision, he said another driver cut him off in traffic, according to the affidavits. He said he rear-ended her vehicle twice. More: Oklahoma judge who sent more than 500 texts during murder trial resigns Lovell also could face disciplinary proceedings before the Oklahoma Court on the Judiciary. The investigation of the Oklahoma shooting turned up evidence the married judge sent sexual texts to a female bailiff. The bailiff, who worked for another judge, has resigned. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma judge indicted over second drive-by shooting OLATHE, Kan. An Olathe Northwest student was sentenced for bringing a gun to school and getting into a fight with an officer and administrators. The student was sentenced on Wednesday to 18 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections. Childrens Mercy president & CEO announces upcoming retirement He was found guilty of criminal threat, juvenile in possession of a firearm, interference with law enforcement and possession of THC. Because the teen is a juvenile, FOX4 is not naming him at this time. Olathe Northwest Principal Chris Zuck sent a letter to parents on February 23 detailing the incident that happened at lunch. Zuck said administrators learned from another student that the 16-year-old might have a weapon in their backpack. A school resource officer went to remove the teen from the cafeteria, per the districts protocols. The principal said there was an altercation between the student, the resource officer and two school staff. The student was eventually detained and separated from his backpack. Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android After investigating further, officials confirmed the student did have a loaded gun in their bag. Zuck stressed the student did not use the gun, and there was no threat to Olathe Northwest. The school said no nearby students or staff were involved or injured. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. In this article, we look at the 10 weakest militaries in Europe. You can skip our detailed analysis on defense spending patterns in the continent and head over directly to the 5 Weakest Militaries in Europe. Global military spending reached a record-high of $2.44 trillion in 2023, according to latest figures released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), having grown 6.8% compared to 2022 the steepest rise in defense expenditure since 2009. This is the ninth successive year in which global military spending has increased. In Europe, military spending totaled $588 billion during the year, which represented nearly one-fourths (24%) of all global defense expenditure. The amount was 16% higher than in 2022, and 62% of the value a decade ago in 2014. Defense spending has surged in the continent after Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with both countries substantially increasing military expenditure, and others in the region also racking up their defenses with war returning to Europe after decades of peace. Of the total spent in Europe in 2023, $407 billion, or 69%, were incurred on defense expenditure in Central and Western Europe, with the United Kingdom being the largest spender in the subregion, followed by Germany. While, $181 billion were spent on military procurements in Eastern Europe, with Ukraine spending a whopping $64.8 billion on defense, which helped it climb from 11th spot in 2022 to become the eighth largest military spender in the world in 2023. Another recent report by SIPRI highlighted a 94% increase in arms imported by European countries between 2019-2023 compared to 2014-18, with the United States being the origin of 55% of all of these imports in the last five years. The spike in defense spending over the last couple of years has created a boom in the aerospace and armaments manufacturing industry in the United States. Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) registered revenues of $67.6 billion last year, which was 2.4% higher than in 2022. The companys net earnings also rose $5.7 billion compared to the previous year. Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT)s stock price has risen 18.3% since the Russia-Ukraine war. On the other hand, RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX) also posted a revenue of $68.9 billion, which was 3% higher year-on-year. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC)s sales also expanded 7% than figures in 2022, to total $39.3 billion last year. Several European countries that are part of NATO have actively been pursuing the procurement of advanced military equipment to further enhance national security, and also meet the treatys expectation of member states committing at least 2% of their GDP on defense. You can read more on this in NATO Spending by Country Per Capita: Top 15 Countries. Germany in December 2022 sealed a $8 billion agreement with the United States, under which it would procure 35 F-35 fifth-generation fighter jets from Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT). Moreover, in March this year, RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX) won a $1.2 billion deal to build Patriot air and missile defense systems for Berlin, which would significantly boost the countrys air defense. Story continues Late last year in November, Hungary also received the delivery of two units of the NASAMS air defense system it had ordered from RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX) and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. The American defense giant is also reportedly in negotiations with Safran, a French aerospace company, over the latter potentially purchasing flight control units from RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX). Moreover, air defense capabilities of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania were bolstered last year with Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) fielding Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAAD C2) systems in these countries, under a $14.3 million fund provided by Washington. Seeing a sustained demand for its offerings, the company has projected a revenue of $41 billion in 2024 4.3% higher than 2023. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has also teamed up with Danish company Terma on delivering electronic warfare training in Northern Europe. Kathy Warden, CEO and Chairman of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) shared the following remarks in the company's Q1 2024 Earnings Call: "Growing global demand for our capabilities led to an exceptional 9% year-over-year increase in Q1 sales, driven by growth in all four of our sectors. The productivity and cost efficiency measures weve been implementing are gaining traction, and our program performance in the quarter was strong resulting in segment operating margin dollars increasing by 10%. Operating profit expansion along with the lower share count helped to drive 15% EPS growth. Overall, our first quarter performance was in line with, or better than our expectations, and we are reaffirming our 2024 company level guidance. Global demand for our products continues to be robust, fueled by rising defense budgets and our market position. Were pleased that an agreement was reached on the U.S. fiscal year 2024 defense budget, which includes support for our key programs, and represents a 6% growth in investment accounts over 2023. In March, the administration released the 2025 defense budget, and future years defense program, or FIDGET. And these also were consistent with our expectations. We continue to see robust support for our program portfolio in areas that include nuclear modernization, microelectronics, advanced weapons, and space." That being said, despite the increase in demand for weapons in Europe, defense spending has not been even across the continent, with several countries being a weak link as Moscow continues to pile up the pressure. We now take a look at some of those countries, focusing on the 10 weakest militaries in Europe. If interested, you can also take a look at the 10 Weakest Militaries in Africa. 10 Weakest Militaries in Europe David Acosta Allely / Shutterstock.com Methodology Three broad categories of weighted metrics have been considered to rank the weakest militaries in Europe. 50% weightage was assigned to the strength of ground troops, which consisted of analyzing their manpower, tank fleet, and armored fighting vehicles; 30% was allotted to aerial and naval capabilities, while the remaining 20% was represented by the size of their economy and defense spending in 2023. Weighted scores for each metric were then aggregated to get a final overall weighted ranking score. The 10 weakest militaries in Europe are listed in descending order of their overall scores. Please note that Iceland has been excluded from the list since it does not have a standing military. Data related to military equipment has been sourced from the Global Firepower Index 2024, while International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) were consulted for fresh figures related to the sizes of countries economies and their defense spending in 2023. By the way, Insider Monkey is an investing website that uses a consensus approach to identify the best stock picks of more than 900 hedge funds investing in US stocks. The website tracks the movement of corporate insiders and hedge funds. Our top 10 consensus stock picks of hedge funds outperformed the S&P 500 stock index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). So, if you are looking for the best stock picks to buy, you can benefit from the wisdom of hedge funds and corporate insiders. Lets now head over to the list of the weakest armed forces in Europe. 10. Latvia GDP (2023): $46.67 billion Defense Spending (2023): $1.04 billion Manpower: 17,250 Tanks: 0 Armored Fighting Vehicles: 1,544 Military Aircraft: 7 Naval Assets: 18 Overall Score: 7.80 Latvia spent 2.27% of its GDP on defense last year, and is among only eleven NATO member countries to meet the organizations 2% spending goal. Despite that, it is a weak link when it comes to military strength. The country has no battle tanks, and has an extremely small fleet of military aircraft and naval assets. When it comes to manpower, Latvia has a little over 17,000 active personnel. 9. Slovenia GDP (2023): $68.39 billion Defense Spending (2023): $907.5 million Manpower: 7,300 Tanks: 55 Armored Fighting Vehicles: 1,502 Military Aircraft: 38 Naval Assets: 2 Overall Score: 6.95 Slovenia has one of the weakest militaries in Europe, with a manpower of only 7,300 active troops, while its navy has only two vessels one being a patrol ship, and the other a patrol boat. The country has a sizable number of armored fighting vehicles, but that alone is not sufficient to meet Slovenias military requirements. It also has 55 battle tanks and 38 military aircraft. 8. North Macedonia GDP (2023): $15.8 billion Defense Spending (2023): $266.6 million Manpower: 9,000 Tanks: 23 Armored Fighting Vehicles: 2,156 Military Aircraft: 20 Naval Assets: 0 Overall Score: 6.00 Next on our list of the weakest militaries in Europe is North Macedonia, which joined NATO in March 2020. The country spent a meager $266 million on defense expenditure last year, which represented about 1.7% of its GDP. North Macedonia has only 9,000 troops, 20 military aircraft, and no naval assets, according to the Global Firepower Index. The only area of recognizable military strength for the country is its large fleet of armored fighting vehicles. 7. Bosnia and Herzegovina GDP (2023): $26.94 billion Defense Spending (2023): $216.7 million Manpower: 12,770 Tanks: 91 Armored Fighting Vehicles: 450 Military Aircraft: 24 Naval Assets: 0 Overall Score: 5.85 Bosnia and Herzegovinas armed forces are among the weakest in the world, especially when it comes to naval strength and active manpower. The countrys fleet of battle tanks and military aircraft also remain small. There is some hope, however, that stable economic growth over the last few years, coupled with military assistance from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and the United States may help the country shrug off its reputation of being a weak link militarily in Europe. 6. Albania GDP (2023): $23.03 billion Defense Spending (2023): $397.6 million Manpower: 6,600 Tanks: 40 Armored Fighting Vehicles: 976 Military Aircraft: 19 Naval Assets: 19 Overall Score: 5.60 Albania is in sixth spot in our list, with an extremely small military force of 6,600 active personnel. Moreover, all 19 of the countrys military aircraft comprise attack helicopters, whereas Albanias naval assets are mostly patrol crafts. Albania faces persistent threats of domination from powerful countries in its neighborhood due to its small size and a weak military. Click to continue reading and see the 5 Weakest Militaries in Europe. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: None. 10 Weakest Militaries in Europe is originally published on Insider Monkey. By Iain Axon (Reuters) - Some athletes have lost trust in world anti-doping agency WADA after the body's handling of failed drug tests in Chinese swimming, according to Team USA Athletes' Commission executive director Elizabeth Ramsey. Ramsey told Reuters Television there were concerns about the independence of an investigation into what had happened and called for further steps to be taken to ensure full transparency. WADA has been under pressure since confirming media reports that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ) before the Tokyo Games. China's anti-doping agency cleared the swimmers of wrongdoing, deciding they tested positive after contamination from the kitchen of a hotel where they were staying. WADA's science department then determined that scenario was plausible. Ramsey, signatory to a letter to WADA last week, said trust was "a little broken" because policies and procedures appeared not to have been followed as in the past. "I think right now, because of what's happened, they need to earn that trust back," she added in an interview from Indianapolis. "Once that trust is broken, or it feels compromised in any sort of way, it takes a lot to earn that back. And so I think right now there is a bit of a broken trust to make sure the system is operating as it should." Ramsey said WADA needed to show its operating independence to build back trust and there were plenty of questions to be answered as athletes prepared for Paris. "Do we know this has happened any other time? What else is going on? What else don't we know?," she said. "When there's not transparency, then that just raises a lot of questions because now people are questioning a bunch of things because it appears like the rules weren't applied consistently in this case like they had been previously. "The main thing is these athletes that are going into Paris want to know, 'hey, what's being done to ensure that these athletes are getting tested the same way, same way I am.' And so those are some of the concerns we've heard from athletes." A WADA spokesman said the body had "transparently explained the exact process it followed at all stages. "The fact is that WADA reviewed this case diligently and managed it in accordance with the rules and processes of the World Anti-Doping Code." WADA said independent prosecutor Eric Cottier had been tasked with handling its case and submitting a report within two months. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency called last month for WADA to be overhauled to restore confidence ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. China won six medals in swimming, including three golds, at the Tokyo Olympics to finish fourth on the medal table behind the United States, Australia and Britain. Recent Olympic trials in Shenzhen indicated China will have plenty of medal contenders in the pool at the July 26-Aug. 11 Paris Games. (Writing by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Toby Davis) Its been one year since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first over-the-counter birth control pill, Opill, and less than two months since it hit store shelves. Advocates celebrate its availability but say access is still lacking in terms of cost barriers and insurance coverage. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Sriha Srinivasan remembers how surprised her mom was two years ago when she learned that birth control pills werent sold in stores without a prescription in the United States. My parents are immigrants from India, and its been over the counter there since my mom can remember, said Srinivasan, a recent graduate of University of California Los Angeles. More than 100 countries were already selling birth control without a prescription before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration one year ago as of Thursday approved Opill. Though the hormonal, over-the-counter birth control pill was approved in May 2023, it didnt reach online retailers or the shelves of major drug stores across the country until a couple of months ago. Opill is a progestin-only birth control pill, which is slightly different from the typical prescription of a progestin and estrogen combination pill. Dr. Kristin Lyerly, an OB-GYN in Green Bay, Wisconsin, said that means the oral contraceptive is still very safe and 98% effective, but the user has to be more diligent about making sure its taken at the same time every day. If the time window is missed by three hours or more, there is a higher chance of unintended pregnancy, so she recommends that people use a backup form of protection for the next 48 hours while they get back on schedule. Srinivasan, 21, gets health care coverage through her parents private insurance, but she said when she called clinics to see if she could get a birth control prescription last year, the first appointment that was available was six months out. Sriha Srinivasan, 21, holds up a box of Opill on March 22, the first day it became available locally at a local drugstore. (Courtesy of Sriha Srinivasan) She happened to be working with Free the Pill, a group of reproductive health advocates and health care providers, on getting Opill approved by the FDA, so she decided to hold off. Almost out of spite, I was like, Im going to wait and get this over the counter. On March 22, just after Opill hit the U.S. market, Srinivasan drove with a friend to a nearby Walgreens to buy their first packs, which cost about $20 each. The two recorded a TikTok of themselves taking their first doses. It was a very joyous and empowering moment to be able to take that for the first time, Srinivasan said. Contraception access is key post-Dobbs, researcher says Dr. Daniel Grossman, director of research at the Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health program at the University of California San Francisco, has been at the forefront of the effort to get FDA approval for an over-the-counter birth control pill since 2004, leading Free the Pill. His research efforts included a study showing that women who had direct access to the pill in areas like Texas border towns where people could cross into Mexico to get it directly stayed on it longer than those who needed a prescription. His research also found that people generally didnt support age restrictions, and the FDA approval for Opill does not have an age restriction. Grossman said more access to contraception is important for overall reproductive health, but its especially important in the wake of the Dobbs decision in 2022 that overturned Roe v. Wade and led 14 states to enact near-total abortion bans. Improved access to contraception isnt going to solve the crisis of abortion access that were currently facing, but that said, in this moment when people in half of the states have very limited options for abortion care and there are growing threats on access to contraception I think its important that we do everything we can to expand access to all methods of birth control where thats possible, Grossman said. Aside from a few expected and manageable side effects, including headaches and light bleeding, Srinivasan said shes had a good experience with the pills and their availability so far. But theres room for improvement, she said, and Free the Pill is advocating for more cost assistance support and coverage from national private insurance companies. Free the Pill launched an online petition this week to pressure President Joe Biden and his administration to require insurance plans to include coverage for Opill. It had 35,000 signatures as of Thursday afternoon. Srinivasan said she tried to apply for assistance but wasnt able to because she has insurance, and only those without any form of private or public insurance can apply. Qualifying applicants also have to have a household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty line, which is $15,060 for a single person. A 2022 survey from Advocates for Youth found that 1 in 3 of those surveyed cited affordability as one of the biggest barriers to accessing contraception. At a $20 price point, its something I can afford because I have a job and I live in California, where the minimum wage is over $17 an hour, but its definitely not something my peers in other states can afford that easily, Srinivasan said. I hope they adjust that, because its definitely not reaching the people that it should be reaching right now. The post One year after FDA approves over-the-counter birth control pill, advocates push for more access appeared first on Arkansas Advocate. Its the only way: Local woman says shes forced to divorce husband as medical costs stack up For Shannon Zisa, the choices are only getting harder to make. With the weight of a five-year legal battle finally off her shoulders, Zisa is now looking ahead to a future that shell have to navigate for herself, her husband, and the memory of her 17-month-old daughter, Adalyn. Zisas life was first thrown into chaos in 2019 when an intoxicated Shona Wallace drove into the family as they biked down the sidewalk near their home. Adalyn was killed, and her husband, Dane, was permanently disabled. He no longer remembers Shannon or his daughter. Theres about a 10-year gap prior to the crash thats missing, Zisa said. The most unfortunate part of that in that 10 years is when I met him. Read: Woman who died before sentencing for deadly DUI crash will remain guilty, judge rules Danes care costs $5,000 per month, which has been almost exclusively covered by donations from generous community members. The money, though, is almost depleted. Wallace wasnt insured, and Dane and Shannons combined disability income is too much for them to qualify for Medicaid. However, Dane doesnt earn enough to cover his medical costs. Experts advised Shannon, who also serves as Danes legal guardian, that divorce is their only option, especially if Shannon wants to save the house they once occupied together. I will never be okay with the fact that I have to get divorced because its the only way for him to get the care he needs, Shannon explained. At the same time, Im more Im more than willing to accept that if thats the only way that I can protect him, then thats the best thing that I can do for him. Read: Jury finds woman who killed baby girl in 2019 DUI crash guilty on all counts Shannon said the best thing for Dane is to move back south to his childhood friends, who he still remembers. Shannon sees her new life as one of advocacy. Shes working to get multiple laws changed to ensure other families dont have to bear pain similar to what shes gone through. She wants to see the amount of time toxicology reports cut down from six weeks and to allow routine drug testing for people out on bond if thats a condition of their release. She was haunted by the fact that Wallace remained free during her trial, able to get behind the wheel again. For five years, she walked free to do whatever she wanted, Shannon said. Basically, as long as she didnt light up a crack pipe in front of an officer, we had no way of proving whether or not she was adhering to the rules. Read: This court cannot pretend: Judge sets precedent, upholds dead womans guilty conviction She also wants to change Medicaid so crime victims can more easily qualify, especially if the criminal wasnt insured, and GoFundMe donations dont count against them. The only money that we received was what our uninsured motorist coverage was, which was $50,000 total, she explained. That $50,000 paid for probably the first three hours we were in the trauma bay. Finally, shes continuing her Acts for Adalyn nonprofit, which sends stuffed rabbits to families who lose toddlers and provides a network of support, including retreats. She said shes already helped more than 200 families worldwide, some of whom have already begun their own nonprofits. She spoke about a Texas family whose child drowned, and she met during a benefit. Her parents invited me to visit her grave to meet her, Shannon recalled. That was one of the most humbling experiences of your lifeto know that you mattered that much to somebody that they would take you on that journey with them. Finally, she advises people to protect themselves and their family members in case tragedy strikes by creating living wills, assigning powers of attorney, ensuring spouses have access to credit cards and bills, and discussing scenarios with their partners, from life to death and everything in between. Dane didnt want to die, she said. So I honored what he had asked, but the problem is that we never discussed what would happen if he would be left the way that he is now. Dane was a proud man, he was a self-made man. I struggle to believe that he would want this life. Zisas GoFundMe is still actively collecting donations for anyone who wants to support Danes care. You can find it here. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Operation MetaPhile catches two online predators in the act amid New Mexicos fight against Meta platforms ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) While New Mexicos top prosecutor is suing Facebook and Instagram claiming the platforms are putting kids in danger. The Attorney General now said an undercover operation shows how child predators are continuing to use the sites to target New Mexico children. That undercover operation had agents making profiles posing as a 12-year-old girl. This operation was focused on proving one specific point that is that the danger presented by Meta and its social media platforms doesnt just exist in the virtual world it actually endangers children in the real world, said NM Attorney General, Raul Torrez. Story continues below Nearly six months after the New Mexico Attorney General sued Facebooks parent company, Meta Raul Torrez is ramping up his criticism of social media platforms and their executives. If we take away nothing else its simply this, this is Mark Zuckerbergs fault, said Torrez. The comments come, as the New Mexico Department of Justice is announcing the results of what it calls Operation MetaPhile. A months-long online sting operation, used to find predators who are soliciting underage personas played by undercover agents. At no time did the the undercover agents who were posing as children on these social media platforms did they initiate any conversation about sexual contact in fact it was entirely due to the interest that was exhibited by the defendants, said Torrez. The fake account quickly received attention from three men including, 52-year-old Fernando Clyde, 29-year-old Marlon Kellywood, and 47-year-old Christopher Reynolds. These are individuals who explicitly use this platform to find and target these children, said Torrez. Investigators claim the men sent lewd messages to the pretend 12-year-old saying things like I would have two sit on me and It will give us time to work on our kisses. Its extraordinarily concerning for us just how easily these individuals found the undercover personas that were created and it is frankly I think a wake up call, said Torrez. Torrez said Metas features are to blame. In each instance, the individuals who have been identified through the course of this investigation were able to find and locate these children through the design features and the algorithm thats specifically set forth underneath these platforms, said Torrez. So far, Torrez said Meta has only responded to ongoing criticism from the state by saying its taking reasonable steps to prevent safety issues but the AG said this shows thats not the case. Right now, today we could set up a brand new undercover account presented as an underage child on that platform and likely within a matter of minutes if not days that child would be inundated with sexually explicit material, said Torrez. Each defendant is charged with child solicitation by electronic communication device. Both Kellywood and Clyde are also charged with attempted criminal penetration of a minor. The New Mexico DOJ said it has also published a new online practices guides for parents, click here for resources. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Joe Bidens statement that he would limit offensive weapons shipments to Israel if they expand their operations in Rafah is one of the most significant developments in the Gaza war since it started. Coming in the wake of the decision a week ago to withhold shipments of powerful bombs to Israel, it is clear that a significant shift has taken place in Biden Administration policy. It is the right move. Despite howling from the Israeli government and Republicans in the United States, these steps use U.S. influence to not only advance our own interests in the region but also to help guide Israel toward policies that are in its best interests. The convicted extremist in Netanyahus cabinet, national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, tweeted: Hamas Biden. Joe Biden Reveals Ultimatum He Gave Benjamin Netanyahu Over Weapons Contrary to some of his critics, Bidens act is not unprecedented. Obama withheld some arms shipments to Israel. The U.S. has limited what arms it supplies to Ukraine and has even set guidelines (too stringent in my view) for how they use those arms. Further, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby on Thursday reiterated that other U.S. arms shipments to Israel are currently continuing. While I and others have called for Biden to use this kind of influence on the Israelis for some time now, the administrations delay in reaching this point makes arguments like Ben Gvirs appear as ridiculous as they are. No American president in U.S. history has ever demonstrated more committed support for Israel and endured more criticism for it than has Biden. (And furthermore, of course, it was Netanyahu with the express approval of Bidens predecessor, Donald Trump, who approved sending the funding that propped up and strengthened Hamas in the years leading up to the October 7th attack.) Instead of bemoaning Bidens announcementfor which he had carefully laid the groundwork over the past months and weeksthe government of Israel needs to hear what it really means. While Netanyahu and his surrogates argue that the by threatening to withhold aid to Israel Biden is undercutting the countrys leverage with Hamas, the reality is that by making this move Biden is making it clear that the U.S. feels it is now as important to use leverage to push Israel to a ceasefire as it has been to weaken Hamas, bring it to the negotiating table, and persuade it to release the hostages in its custody. This action indicates the U.S. feels we are at a point in the negotiation at which Israels threat of a major action in Rafah will not help to deliver a hostage deal and a ceasefire and that the risks of such an operation, particularly to innocent civilians, far outweigh the benefits. With these recent actions, the U.S. administration appears to be saying to Netanyahu, enough, lets make a deal, lets get as many hostages back as we can, lets have a ceasefire and work on what comes next. A wounded Palestinian sits on debris at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip May 9, 2024. Hatem Khaled/Reuters Thats hard for Bibi & Co. to accept, both because of their extremist views but also because the pause of the ceasefire will bring with it real political peril for Netanyahu. It will allow Israel to begin to ask what policy failures made October 7th possible. Working with Trump to prop up Hamas was just one such failurealbeit certainly one of the biggest, most catastrophic policy failures in Israeli history. Pulling troops away from Israels southern border was another. Ignoring warnings of a potential Hamas attack was certainly another. Further, of course, the greatest peril faced by Netanyahu is much like that faced by his political brother from another mother, Donald Trump. It is the long arm of the law. Like Trump, Netanyahu wants to be in power in order to deflect, block, and delay being held accountable for past alleged crimes. A ceasefire and the possibility of a stepping back from the emergency mentality that has gripped Israel since October raises dramatically the possibility that Netanyahu will lose his position and the protections it affords him. There is no guarantee he will be forced out of office, but with at least a pause in the warand the chance to focus on the disastrous ways he left Israel in peril and then undermined its standing in the world while failing to achieve any of his stated goals during the war in Gazathe prospects for the Israeli Prime Minister definitely do not look good. Netanyahu responded to the Biden comments in which he said Israel has gone it alone in the past and would go it alone if needs be now. But he knows that absent the unqualified support of the U.S., Israels position in the world is much weaker. The leverage is real. Acknowledging that must create pangs of sorrow for those who have lamented the huge losses in Gaza and who feel a quicker U.S. decision to use its leverage to pressure Israel to stop might have helped limit Palestinian suffering. Thats fair. But those pangs should not stop proponents of peace in Gaza, of a respite and aid for its people, and for a new course for Israel from embracing and supporting the new position of the President and the U.S. government. We now must now watch to see whether the shift in the U.S. position has the desired effect, and whether the elusive ceasefire deal can finally be hammered out. Sadly, of course, that is far from a sure thing. While Americas influence is real with the Israelis, it has its limits. What is more, not only does Netanyahu have personal interests he appears willing to put before those of his country, but he and his cabinet have repeatedly demonstrated a capability of translating bad judgment into bad actions and near complete immunity to taking good advice. Their track record leading up to Oct. 7 was awful, and ever since it has been worse. So, for now, it would be a mistake to be too hopeful for an immediate breakthrough. Rather, we must be thankful that the one leader who has repeatedly acted in the interests of both Israel and the United States, Joe Biden, has done so again. And we must hope that behind their public posturing, Israels leaders at the very least recognize that crossing Bidens red line would not only cut off arms supplies that their current yelps of discomfort suggest they need, but that it would do profound and lasting damage to their most important international relationshipcompounding that thats already been done as a consequence of the brutality of their war in Gaza. The calculus of this war has changed. Hopefully that will move us closer to peace. But in any event it will mean the U.S. will no longer be supporting the worst of Israels abuses in Gaza. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Tuesday in Manhattan, witnesses say a man drove his car into a line of pro-Palestinian Columbia University protesters and sent one of them to the hospital. On May 2, a motorist in Portland, Oregon, accelerated toward a group of Portland State University students protesting Israels actions in Gaza. Police say that driver stopped his car and got out and sprayed pepper spray in the direction of the protesters before running off. In late October in Minneapolis, someone drove into a crowd of pro-Palestinian protesters. Not enough outrage has followed these crimes. Thats most likely for two reasons. The first is that the targeted victims were protesting for people in Gaza. The second is that those acts of aggression follow a multistate effort to villainize protesters in general and to protect and even completely immunize from prosecution drivers who injure protesters with their vehicles. Reuven Kahane, the 57-year-old man who police say hit a woman in New York City on Tuesday, has been charged with second-degree assault, according to the district attorneys office. The 55-year-old woman whom police say he hit sustained only minor injuries and was released from the hospital. She and another volunteer there to protect the student protesters were arrested, too. The injured woman was charged with unlawful assembly and with criminal mischief because, police say, she banged on the hood of Kahanes car; her 63-year-old fellow volunteer was also charged with criminal mischief, along with Kahane, accused of banging on the hood of his car. The district attorney is declining to prosecute them. Kahane, a New York developer, declined to speak about the events leading up to his arrest when contacted by The Associated Press. The Minneapolis police murder of George Floyd in May 2020 laid bare the countrys inherent racism against Black people and the protests that followed protests that often deliberately shut down main thoroughfares, naturally prompting a white backlash. It's not the case in New York, but states across the country began passing bills that granted some immunity to drivers who injured protesters, essentially giving them a green light to wield their vehicles as weapons. In April 2021, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed House Bill 1674, which says a motorist who unintentionally causes injury or death to an individual shall not be criminally or civilly liable for the injury or death if the motorist is fleeing from a riot under a reasonable belief that fleeing was necessary to protect the motor vehicle operator from serious injury or death and exercised due care at the time of the death or injury. While, ostensibly, that doesnt give motorists a free pass to deliberately run protesters over, it can very easily be abused by aggressive people who claim they were simply afraid. A car is seen parked and damaged on a campus walkway. (Jenny Kane / AP) Its not going to be a peaceful protest if youre impeding the freedom of others, Oklahoma state Rep. Kevin McDugle, who authored Oklahomas driver immunity bill, said at the time. Referring to a horrible incident in which a pickup truck drove into protesters and seriously injured three people, McDugle said, The driver of that truck had his family in there, and they were scared to death. Iowa passed a law similar to Oklahomas months later. A similar 2021 effort in Tennessee was ultimately thwarted. Even so, on Thursday, the governor signed into law a bill making it a felony to block a street or highway, and a bill thats pending in the Louisiana Legislature this year seeks to limit the liability of people who drive into protesters in the road. When Joe Biden announced his presidential campaign in 2019 via video message, he immediately invoked the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, home to a defining moment for this nation in the last few years, where a violent clash ensued and a brave young woman lost her life. Heather Heyer, 32, who stood opposed to racists who had gathered in Charlottesville, was struck dead by a car driven by a man who himself was driven by hate. But neither Biden nor other politicians on the right or the left or locally or nationally have said much about the recent trend of cars being driven toward or through protesters. Is it because those acts havent killed anyone? Or is it because their targets arent considered worthy of an outcry? Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., posted on X last month: I encourage people who get stuck behind the pro-Hamas mobs blocking traffic: take matters into your own hands to get them out of the way. Its time to put an end to this nonsense. The nonsense to which he refers is legitimate anti-authoritarian political protest. And thats what Republicans really want to immunize themselves and their supporters from. Whatever the reason for people not speaking out more about these incidents, we cant become numb to the depravity of people driving into a crowd of people with whom they politically disagree. And we cant become numb to the awfulness of politicians who, with their words and their legislation, are encouraging that kind of behavior. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com In this article, we will look at the 20 best universities in Asia for international students. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to the 5 Best Universities in Asia for International Students. Analysis of International Student Mobility Every year millions of international students leave their country in pursuit of higher education in a different country. One of our recent articles about the Best Countries for International Students to Study and Work found that the United States is one of the top host countries for international students. The number of international students in the world is increasing. According to the data by UNESCO, the number of international students studying abroad increased by approximately 15.31% between 2017 and 2021. As per the data, there were approximately 6.39 million international students in 2021. Moreover, according to the Top International Managers in Engineering (T.I.M.E.) International Student Mobility Report 2023, Europe was found to be the top international student hosting country, with approximately 43% of the internationally mobile students going to Europe in 2021. Second to Europe was Asia, which not only became the destination of approximately 28% of the international students but was also the top contributor to the international student body, with 54% of the total international students in 2021 belonging to Asia. To read about countries with the best universities, you can look at the 30 Countries With Best Universities In The World and 17 Countries With Best Universities In Europe. An Analysis of the Education Technology Industry The use of technology in the education sector and online learning is on the rise around the globe. According to a report by Grand View Research, the global education technology market was valued at $142.37 billion in 2023. The market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 13.4% during the forecasted period to reach $343.33 billion by 2030. The improvement in digital infrastructure, the rise in the use of Ed-Tech platforms, and the use of AR/VR technology in education are driving growth in the industry. Regionally, North America dominates the market and held approximately 36% revenue share in 2023. However, the Asia Pacific region is forecasted to grow at the fastest CAGR, mainly due to the increasing access to mobile devices and internet connectivity. According to Southeast Asia: Technology in Education Report 2023 by UNESCO, the digital infrastructure of the region has expanded rapidly and improved the education sector. The Southeast Asian region has had one of the fastest growth rates in the use of the Internet for the last decade and has more than 400 million Internet users. Governments in the region are leveraging the expansion of digital infrastructure to enhance the education system, for instance, the government of Brunei has launched the Brunei Darussalam Digital Economy Master Plan 2025 which identified ICT in education to be one of the major steps towards becoming a smart nation. Moreover, Malaysia aims to integrate ICT across 10,000 schools to provide personalized learning experiences for all. Although, the main mode of internet connectivity in the region is through mobile phones, which are not considered education-friendly, regardless Asia Pacific accounted for the greatest number of learners on Coursera, Inc.'s (NYSE:COUR) platform. You can also look at the Largest EdTech Companies in the World. According to Coursera, Inc.'s (NYSE:COUR) Impact Report 2021, the platform registered 92 million learners during 2021, out of which, 28 million learners were from the Asia Pacific region, even surpassing the North American region with 20 million learners. You can also look at 17 Countries With Best Universities In Africa. Story continues Leading Ed-Tech Platforms Coursera, Inc. (NYSE:COUR) and Udemy, Inc. (NASDAQ:UDMY) are two of the leading Ed-Tech platforms providing online courses to learners worldwide. Coursera, Inc. (NYSE:COUR) is one of the worlds largest online education platforms that offers online degrees affiliated with top universities, professional certifications, and enterprise solutions for employee training and development. On April 13, Coursera, Inc. (NYSE:COUR) announced the incorporation of several new features to its online learning platform. The new features released by the platform include a Generative AI-powered Coursera couch that answers questions, provides personalized feedback, summarizes video lectures, and helps learners better understand the course content. The platform also released machine learning-powered translation services to make it more accessible for learners. In the upcoming months, learners will be able to translate course contents and other related services of more than 2,000 courses to Spanish, French, German, Arabic, Portuguese, Thai, and Indonesian. Moreover, among other features, another notable feature is the incorporation of virtual reality (VR) components in online courses. With this new feature course content creators on Coursera, Inc. (NYSE:COUR) can now leverage VR in their courses to make them more interactive and conducive to learning. Udemy, Inc. (NASDAQ:UDMY) is another leading marketplace for skill learning and professional certifications. The platform has over 16,000 enterprise customers around the world and provides courses related to technical skills, business development, soft skills, and personal development in multiple languages. On May 2, Udemy, Inc. (NASDAQ:UDMY) announced earnings for the fiscal first quarter of 2024. The company announced earnings per share of $0.03 and beat EPS estimates by $0.04. Moreover, the companys revenue for the quarter grew by 11.57% and amounted to $196.85 million, ahead of market expectations by $1.93 million. Here are some comments for Udemy, Inc.s (NASDAQ:UDMY) earnings call for Q1 2024: We see this use case for AI training and IT certification preparation as a long-term driver of demand going forward. In just over a year since Chat GPT launched, weve seen more than 4 million enrollments in the 2,000 plus AI courses in the Udemy catalog. This massive surge in interest from individuals and organizations demonstrates the rapidly growing need to upskill talent on generative AI. Based on what weve seen in the past year, we believe generative AI will have a significant lasting impact across nearly every industry, region, and professional role. Organizations will require employees to cultivate new skills to adapt to change and certain roles may be replaced entirely. A key reason why Udemys unique marketplace model is so compelling is how quickly we can expand and adapt our content catalog. With this context lets look at the 20 best universities in Asia for international students. 20 Best Universities in Asia for International Students Pixabay/Public domain Our Methodology To compile the list of 20 best universities in Asia for international students we relied on the QS World University Ranking 2024. We searched for Asian universities in the QS World University Ranking 2024 and checked their international student enrollment ratio. We only selected those Asian universities that ranked in the top 200 as per the QS ranking and had an international-student ratio of at least 25%. Once we had the list of best universities in Asia for international students, we ranked the universities in descending order of their QS ranking. Moreover, for instances where one or more universities had the same ranking, we used the international student ratio to break the tie. 20 Best Universities in Asia for International Students 20. Hanyang University QS World University Ranking (2024): 164 International Student Ratio: 54.3% Hanyang University is a private research university in South Korea. The Seoul campus offers multiple courses related to engineering, design, medicine, social sciences, and business economics. The university has 4,797 international students and offers multiple international exchange programs. 19. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) QS World University Ranking (2024): 159 International Student Ratio: 61.1% The Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) ranks 19th on our list of 20 best universities in Asia for international students. It is a public research university in Malaysia that offers multiple undergraduate, master's, and PhD level courses related to sciences and technology, social sciences, law, health sciences, and information science and technology. The university has 5,114 international students. 18. Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) QS World University Ranking (2024): 158 International Student Ratio: 97.3% The Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) is another public university in Malaysia that ranks 18th on our list of best universities in Asia for international students. The university has 7,225 international students, with approximately 72% international students enrolled in postgraduate programs. Moreover, the university has an international-student ratio of 97.3%. 17. Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) QS World University Ranking (2024): 145 International Student Ratio: 34% Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) is a private university in South Korea. Some of the popular graduate programs offered by the university are related to liberal arts, law, social sciences, economics, business administration, and education. The university has 3,782 international students with approximately 74% enrolled in undergraduate programs. The university ranks 17th on our list of 20 best universities in Asia for international students. 16. Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) QS World University Ranking (2024): 137 International Student Ratio: 88.9% The Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is one of the leading universities in Malaysia that ranks as the 16th best university in Asia for international students. The university has a QS World University ranking of 137 and an international-student ratio of 88.9%. Moreover, there are approximately 7,979 international students in the university with 84% enrolled in post-graduate programs. 15. Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) QS World University Ranking (2024): 91 International Student Ratio: 31.7% The Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) is a national university research university situated in the Greater Tokyo Area, Japan. The university offers graduate programs in artificial intelligence, urban design and building, energy science and informatics, nuclear engineering, and more. The university has an international student ratio of 31.7% and charges annual tuition fees of $4,600 for international students. It ranks as the 15th-best university in Asia for international students. 14. Korea University QS World University Ranking (2024): 79 International Student Ratio: 36.3% Korea University is a private university in Seoul, South Korea that ranks 14th on our list of best universities in Asia for international students. The university has 4,452 international students with around 84% enrolled in undergraduate programs. Moreover, the university has an international-student ratio of 36.3%. 13. Yonsei University QS World University Ranking (2024): 76 International Student Ratio: 49.7% Yonsei University is another private university in Seoul. The university offers programs related to liberal arts, commerce and economics, business administration, sciences, and engineering. The university has 4,921 international students and ranks 13 on our list of best universities in Asia for international students. 12. City University of Hong Kong QS World University Ranking (2024): 70 International Student Ratio: 100% The City University of Hong Kong is situated in Hong Kong, the special administrative region of China. The university offers multiple undergraduate, master's, and PhD level programs. Some of the popular master-level programs offered by the university include a Master of Business Administration, a Master in Applied Economics, a Master of Science in Business and Data Analytics, and more. The university charges $18,700 per year for international students. 11. Universiti Malaya (UM) QS World University Ranking (2024): 65 International Student Ratio: 58.9% The Universiti Malaya (UM) is a public research university in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The university offers multiple programs including Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS). The university has approximately 3,669 international students with 83% enrolled in postgraduate programs. The university ranks 11th on our list of best universities in Asia for international students. 10. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University QS World University Ranking (2024): 65 International Student Ratio: 87.4% The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is a public university in Hong Kong that ranks 10th on our list of best universities in Asia for international students. The university has 6,773 international students, with approximately 68% enrolled in postgraduate programs. 9. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology QS World University Ranking (2024): 60 International Student Ratio: 91.4% The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is a public research university in Hong Kong. Some of the prominent programs offered by the university include MPhil/PhD in Atmospheric Environmental Science, MPhil/PhD in Public Policy, and MSc in Technology Leadership and Entrepreneurship. The university charges a fee of approximately $18,000 per year from international students. 8. Shanghai Jiao Tong University QS World University Ranking (2024): 51 International Student Ratio: 35.5% The Shanghai Jiao Tong University is a public university in Shanghai, China that ranks 8th on our list of best universities in Asia for international students. The university has around 6,637 international students with approximately 62% enrolled in undergraduate programs. Moreover, the university has an international-student ratio of 35.5%. 7. Fudan University QS World University Ranking (2024): 50 International Student Ratio: 33% Fudan University is another public university situated in Shanghai, China. The university offers 175 master's programs and 137 PhD programs for international students, out of which 47 are taught in English. The university has 5,322 international students and ranks 7th on our list of 20 best universities in Asia for international students. 6. The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) QS World University Ranking (2024): 47 International Student Ratio: 77.1% The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is one of the top universities in Hong Kong with a strong emphasis on research. The university ranks 6th on our list of 20 best universities in Asia for international students. The university offers multiple programs related to arts, business administration, education, engineering, medicine, and sciences. Moreover, the university charges a fee of $19,000 per year to international students. Click to continue reading and see the 5 Best Universities in Asia for International Students. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: None. 20 Best Universities in Asia for International Students is published on Insider Monkey. This week 13 conservative judges, all of whom were appointed by former President Donald Trump, told the president of Columbia University in a letter that they wont hire as judicial law clerks future graduates of Columbia Law School (or even those who went to Columbia University as undergraduates). In a letter that was also sent to the law schools dean, the judges say they wont change their minds unless the school acquiesces to their demands for more conservative faculty and staff members, punishment for students who broke the schools rules and an end to what they believe are enforcement policies that are biased against conservatives. The judges, who are wrongly using their positions of power in an attempt to extort change at a private institution, claim that Columbia has become an incubator of bigotry, and they profess to have no doubt that the universitys response would have been profoundly different if the protestors were religious conservatives who view abortion as a tragic genocide. If judges dont want to hire applicants who protested for one side of an issue, they are free to do so. In fact, this is a fair consequence for a students action. But penalizing future students for an administrations alleged failures doesnt serve that purpose. And so openly engaging in political advocacy is a bad look for the federal judiciary, which is supposed to be politically impartial. Judges arent obligated to hire law clerks from any particular schools or geographic areas or those who have any specific type of legal experience. Judges are free to say no one from Columbia shall work for me. But its more than a bad look when judges say such a thing in the attempt to force a law school to change the composition of its faculty and staff to fit their ideological views. Besides, theirs is a list of demands for school administrators, not clerkship applicants. A judicial law clerk is a recent law school graduate who works side by side with a federal judge for up to two years. Its hard to emphasize how coveted and competitive these positions are. About 3% of law school graduates clerk after graduation. Almost half of recent judicial clerks attended one of 15 schools. Columbia isnt one of those 15, even though it is listed eighth on U.S. News & World Reports most recent ranking of law schools. As Reuters notes in a Tuesday report, Columbia is not a major feeder into federal clerkships, with the vast majority of its graduates going into associate jobs at large law firms. Only 21 of Columbias 427 juris doctorate graduates last year got clerkships. In contrast, Reuters reports, University of Chicago Law School, Yale Law School, and Stanford Law School each sent 20% or more of their 2023 graduates into federal clerkships. Judges James Ho of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and Elizabeth Branch of the 11th Circuit, signatories on the letter to Columbia University President Minouche Shafik and Law Dean Gillian Lester, previously swore off hiring clerks from Yales or Stanfords law schools, ironically to register their disapproval of cancel culture. A judicial clerkship is a stamp of approval on ones resume like no other. Former judicial clerks are highly sought-after in legal job markets, including at large law firms, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. If I hadnt had the honor of serving as a judicial law clerk, Im not certain Id have ever been hired as a law professor. But clerkships also bestow bragging rights on the law schools the clerks attended and raise those schools profiles in the legal community. All of this is to say that if a federal judge, or a group of federal judges, announces a refusal to hire graduates of a single school, it matters. And the judges know it matters. It is entirely fair for federal judges to exercise their discretion in determining which judicial clerk applicants to hire. The bond between judges and former clerks often continues for years, as judges serve as valuable mentors and confidants. Judges want to make sure they pick applicants who are not only up to the job, but who are also good fits for their chambers. And law clerks, fairly or not, can affect judges reputations with their own behavior. But it makes little sense for judges to exercise their hiring discretion by simply eliminating candidates based on the school they attend. A guilt-by-association hiring ban does little other than hurt students and young lawyers, and it reflects poorly on the judges who issue it. Theres no doubt about what the judges mean by viewpoint diversity. They wrote, Significant and dramatic change in the composition of its faculty and administration is required to restore confidence in Columbia. This is an ever-so-thinly-veiled directive to hire more conservative faculty and staff members. The judges didnt, of course, send a similar letter demanding viewpoint diversity to law schools perceived as having conservative leanings. As an initial matter, the judges put too much faith in the power of law professors to force or encourage their students to espouse specific views. My hope as a law professor is that I teach my students how to think through complicated legal issues, not what to think about those issues. But perhaps most important, what we have with this letter is members of our judiciary using their federal posts to all but blackmail a private university to bend to their political will. This is political activism unbecoming of any member of our federal judiciary. Lets remember that these are judges who received lifetime appointments because theyre supposed to stay outside of politics. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Vietnamese people scale the wall of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon just before the end of the Vietnam War on April 29, 1975. (Neal Ulevich / Associated Press) As a proud member of the Vietnamese American community and the California Assembly, I was deeply disappointed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors designation of April 30 as " Jane Fonda Day " last week. This decision on a day that holds sacred significance for much of the Vietnamese community was insensitive and hurtful. April 30 is widely recognized as the painful anniversary of the 1975 fall of Saigon, a day that marks the emotional closing chapter of the Vietnam War. Known in the Vietnamese community as Black April, it is a day of remembrance when we honor the sacrifices of some 250,000 South Vietnamese and 60,000 American soldiers who gave everything to their cause. Read more: Abcarian: Don't denigrate pro-Palestinian campus protests by claiming the Vietnam War protests backfired After the fall of Saigon, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese fled the brutal communist regime, many resorting to risky boat journeys and ultimately finding sanctuary and a new home in Southern California. Many settled just across the border from Los Angeles County in Orange Countys Little Saigon community, which has grown to become the largest Vietnamese population outside Vietnam . Each year, the Little Saigon community gathers on April 30 to commemorate the fall of Saigon. The city of Westminster held a solemn ceremony last week to reflect on the 49th anniversary of Black April and the enduring effects of the Vietnam War. A wreath was laid at the citys Vietnamese-American War Memorial to honor American, Vietnamese and allied soldiers and the resilience of the Vietnamese people in the face of horrible trials. Read more: Op-Ed: Mistakes the U.S. made in Vietnam were repeated in Afghanistan. We must break the cycle While Vietnamese and American soldiers fought bravely, Jane Fonda actively participated in North Vietnamese government propaganda. Called "Hanoi Jane" for her controversial activities during the war, the actress infamously posed on a North Vietnamese antiaircraft gun that was used to target American pilots. This was deeply offensive to those who fled persecution and lost loved ones seeking freedom and democracy. By honoring Fonda on Black April, the supervisors disregarded the Vietnamese American community, Americas Vietnam veterans and countless others, aggravating wounds that have yet to heal. To have this solemn day overshadowed by the celebration of an individual who openly sympathized with the regime responsible for so much suffering is an insult to the memory of those who perished and those who continue to live with the scars of war. This decision demonstrates a lack of empathy for the Vietnamese diaspora and highlights a need for greater cultural awareness. I urge the supervisors to reconsider this decision, work closely with the Vietnamese American community to understand the pain theyve caused, and remember this day with the solemnity and respect it deserves. Tri Ta is a Republican Assembly member representing Orange County. If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he supports the "Chinese peace plan" during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Budapest on May 9. The Chinese Foreign Ministry published a 12-point statement in Feb. 2023 outlining Beijings position on the political settlement of Russias full-scale war. Many Western leaders dismissed the proposal, noting that it would likely only work in Russias favor. "Today, Europe is on the side of war," Orban said during a joint press conference with President Xi. "The only exception is Hungary, which calls for an immediate ceasefire and peace negotiations and supports all international efforts that point towards peace...We also support the Chinese peace initiative presented by Xi Jinping. The Chinese President is currently on a tour of Europe. Over the last week, President Xi has met with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Hungary is the only EU country to have maintained close ties with the Kremlin since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In stark contrast to other Western leaders, the Hungarian leader recently congratulated Vladimir Putin on his presidential election "win." Beijing has similarly maintained close ties with Moscow during the war, tightening economic cooperation and disrupting Western attempts at isolating Russia. "Twenty years ago, we lived in a single-centered world order, and now in a multi-centered one, and one of the pillars of this new world order is the People's Republic of China, which is now decisive in world economic and world political processes," Orban added. Ukraine is keeping diplomatic channels with China open, even though Beijing has maintained close ties with Moscow. European officials have urged Beijing to use its influence over Moscow to help end the war. Following the release of the Chinese peace plan last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised to consider the proposal but said that the plan would not likely move forward because it did not require Russian troops to leave Ukrainian territory or promise a return of Russian-occupied Ukraine to the Ukrainian government. Read also: US sanctions Russia, Chinese companies for war effort support Zelensky introduced his 10-point peace plan in Fall 2022, which included a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied Ukrainian lands. The Swiss government will host a peace summit next month to discuss this plan, with some 160 national delegations invited to the talks. President Zelensky announced earlier this week that he had invited Orban to the summit but did not confirm that the Hungarian leader agreed to attend. Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak confirmed this month that the Ukrainian government strongly encourages Chinese participation in the summit. With respect to China, we are doing everything for China to be present there. China is very important, and consultations are continuously ongoing at various levels with the participation of our partners, Yermak said. American officials, however, said that they did not believe that China would be open to agreeing to Ukraine's 10-point peace formula. Read also: Zelensky holds focused call with Orban, invites him to peace summit Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. On May 6, an 18-foot gray whale calf lay lifeless on Tish-A-Tang Beach in southern Oregon, its body covered in gashes. The marks were from orca teeth likely from an attack only hours earlier, locals surmised. The following afternoon, the tribal relations representative with Oregon Parks and Recreation realized this massive animal may hold cultural significance to the local Coquille Indian Tribe, a nation that has lived in southern Oregon for thousands of years. That thought was right. After the call, Coquille locals jumped into action, heading straight for the beach. We are going to do what our people have done for thousands of years, tribal member MJ Parrish said in a May 9 statement on OregonToday.net. We are going to celebrate this blessing we have received. We are going to respect this great gift and utilize everything we can. Coquilles have traditions surrounding fish and wildlife, especially on their ancestral lands of the Bandon coast of Oregon, where the whale was found. To them, this whale arriving on their shore is a gift from the creator. In the statement, Tribal Chair Brenda Meade said the community has plans for a ceremony and full use of the whales body. We will make certain not to waste its sacrifice, Meade said. To our knowledge, this is also the first time in generations that our tribe has been able to experience this kind of ceremony. So, this is a truly wonderful gift. And not only for the whale blubber and the bones that we will be able to use. Before the 1800s, the Coquille Indian Tribe thrived for millennia on 750,000 acres of land in modern-day Oregon. Then, westward expansion, gold mining and European diseases took that land and nearly erased the community. In 1954, the U.S. government declared the tribe terminated, only to reverse that in 1989, according to the Coquilles website. The Coquilles have been rebuilding ever since. Today, there are more than 1,100 members of the Coquille Tribe, and they have regained more than 10,000 acres of ancestral land that were previously taken away, keeping the majority of that acreage as sustainable forest. We are still here, the website reads. As we prepare to celebrate 35 years since being officially restored as a federally recognized tribe, it is so important that we are able to take this opportunity for the cultural education of tribal members and especially for our youth, Meade said. On May 7, tribal members used a crane attached to a truck to lift the whale off the sand and move it home to Coquille Nation, according to a post from Elijah Chisley on Facebook. It was a big, messy job, but the prevailing sentiments of the day were pride and community, according to Chisleys words above the photos. Made some history today with my cousins, wife, and kids, he said. 50-foot sea creature washes up on Delaware shore. But rescue proves too treacherous Sun-gobbling blue blobs are taking over Southern California shorelines. What to know Sperm whale speech with alphabet is decoded. What other animals can AI translate? PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The battle for Oregons 5th Congressional District pits a Republican incumbent seeking re-election for the first time against two Democrats trying to take the seat back for their party. Lori Chavez-DeRemer won in 2022, scoring a narrow victory over Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner. This time, McLeod-Skinner is back in the race and hoping to fend off a formidable challenger, Janelle Bynum, in the Democratic primary. Oregon 2024 Fifth Congressional District candidates respond to questionnaire The 5th Congressional District includes Portlands southeast suburbs, most of Clackamas County, parts of Marion County, all of Linn County and the most populated section of Deschutes County, including Bend. Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) on Eye on Northwest Politics on Feb. 23, 2024 (KOIN) Chavez-DeRemer, formerly the mayor of Happy Valley, favors tougher border policies and calls Oregon a border state because of the fentanyl crisis. She supports full funding of law enforcement and, as a member of the House Transportation Committee, emphasizes more infrastructure and lower taxes. She also supports continued aid to Israel and in her public statements emphasizes bipartisanship. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer on Eye on Northwest Politics This district is a split district. The Democrats did have this seat for over 28 years. I believe I won this seat because people were frustrated with what was happening, she told KOIN 6 News. We cant be one-sided in this divided country and this divided Congress. The only way to get good policy done is to work across the aisle. But McLeod-Skinner said Chavez-DeRemer merely says all that but doesnt vote that way. When you look at her votes, they are not bipartisan. Her votes have been hurting Oregonians, McLeod-Skinner said. And shes endorsed Trump. Donald Trump is trying to destroy our democracy. Jamie McLeod-Skinner on Eye on Northwest Politics In 2022, McLeod-Skinner knocked off longtime Democratic representative Kurt Schrader in the primary before losing to Chavez-DeRemer by 2 points in the general election. Jamie McLeod-Skinner on Eye on Northwest Politics, Apr. 19, 2024 (KOIN) Shes run for statewide office several times, including Secretary of State. An attorney, engineer and natural resource consultant from Central Oregon, McLeod-Skinner is back with her progressive agenda: A womans right to reproductive care, contraception, the right to vote, the right to organize, theres also our environment. Were facing wildfire destruction in the Santiam Pass. But she has a tough battle in the Democratic primary from State Rep. Janelle Bynum. Bynum, who owns several area McDonalds with her husband, has already beaten Chavez-DeRemer twice in state legislative races in 2016 and 2018. She touts her accomplishments in Salem as qualifications for earning the right to represent Oregons 5th District in Washington, DC. State Rep. Janelle Bynum on Eye on Northwest Politics We all know that Washington is broken. Republican extremists have taken over, stoking culture wars and stalling our government processes, Bynum said. Ive just recently worked to pass one of Oregons largest economic investments with the Oregon Chips Act. I helped pass police accountability bills. I made sure that we protect reproductive rights. Ive done all of those things better than anyone else on the ballot and especially better than Lori Chavez-DeRemer could ever dream of doing. Oregon 5th District candidate Janelle Bynum also served as a state representative for District 39 Clackamas. (2024 campaign photo) Bynum has picked up significant Democrat support for the primary, including Gov. Tina Kotek and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. You know, McLeod-Skinner said,some folks on the ground have put their thumb on the scale. But it comes down to voters in the district, and Ive got a strong base of support throughout the district thats going to be the key for the primary and the general. This race has garnered national attention because it could affect the balance of power in the House of Representatives. At this time, the GOP has a 6-vote edge in the House with at least two dozen competitive congressional races across the country. But the incumbent is confident she can keep the 5th District in Republican hands. Nobodys going to outwork me, Chavez-DeRemer said. Well see who my opponent is after the primary. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. From left, Salem business analyst Tim McCloud, state sen. Dennis Linthicum of Beatty and Beaverton real estate broker Brent Barker are running for the Republican nomination for secretary of state. (Campaign photos) Three Oregon Republicans running to control the states elections have all stoked false claims of voter fraud and indicated they want to end Oregons decades-long tradition of running elections by mail. State Sen. Dennis Linthicum, Beaverton real estate broker Brent Barker and Salem business analyst Tim McCloud are vying for their partys nomination for secretary of state, an open position since appointed Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade chose not to seek a full term. Its the only statewide office Republicans have won this century: Dennis Richardson was elected in 2016 and served until his death in 2019. Barker participated in an interview. McCloud answered a questionnaire sent to all candidates but didnt respond to interview requests. Linthicum did neither. Brent Barker Barker placed fourth in the seven-way nonpartisan primary for commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries in 2022 and was the first Republican to enter the race for secretary of state this year. His platform includes clearing the states voter rolls and forcing all voters to register anew to vote. Name: Brent Barker Party: Republican Age: 63 Residence: Beaverton Education: Master of arts in exercise physiology and biomechanics, California State University, Chico, 1991; bachelor of science in public administration, California State University, Chico, 1989 Current occupation: Small business owner, real estate broker Prior elected experience: None Family status: Single Fundraising: $44,450 as of May 6 Cash on hand: $5,788 as of May 6 Its best if we just start from zero and clean it up, much less expensive, and start over again, he said. Barker also wants to eliminate mail elections and require most voters to cast their ballots in person, with exceptions for military voters and aged populations. He said he wanted to make Election Day a state holiday, giving government employees the day off and giving private employers tax credits if they gave their employees the day off. The secretary of state lacks the power to make any of those changes without actions by the Legislature or voters. He said he wanted to increase post-election audits, though county clerks and the secretary of state already conduct routine audits of equipment and ballots. Barker couldnt say what would be different under his command. I believe that these clerks that youre alluding to, with all good intent, believe that they have the best information but theres a whole group of Oregonians that do not believe that their voice is being heard and more importantly, they feel that like their their voice is being disenfranchised, he said. He has not talked with county clerks about how they run elections or toured election offices, though he said he would consider doing so. Barker said he supports new campaign finance limits passed by the Legislature this year and voted for Measure 113, the anti-walkout constitutional amendment that cost Linthicum and nine other senators their jobs. When it comes to agencies and state programs to audit, Barker said hell look first at agencies that appear to be noncompliant with the Legislatures wishes. The Legislature sets standards, he said. You just have to make sure the Legislatures wishes are being fulfilled, regardless of the department. Those wishes must be fulfilled. Dennis Linthicum Linthicum, 68, is one of 10 Republican senators barred from running for another term because he participated in a six-week quorum-denying walkout to protest bills on abortion, transgender health care and gun control. He recruited his wife, Diane, to run in his stead in the southern Oregon Senate district this year. Name: Dennis Linthicum Party: Republican Age: 68 Residence: Beatty Education: Masters degree in Christian apologetics from Biola University in California, 2009; bachelors degree in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles, 1978 Current occupation: State senator Prior elected experience: State senator since 2017, Klamath County commissioner 2009-15 Family status: Married, two children Fundraising: $217,492 as of May 6 Cash on hand: $14,738 as of May 6 During his two terms in the Senate, Linthicum has consistently been one of the furthest-right members of the Republican caucus. He has introduced multiple unsuccessful bills to ban abortions after 15 weeks of gestation, prohibit businesses or the government from requiring employees to receive COVID vaccines and limit schools abilities to require students receive routine childhood immunizations. Linthicum has been a plaintiff in several unsuccessful state and federal lawsuits challenging how the state handled the COVID pandemic and elections. A federal judge tossed one of those lawsuits last summer, saying that generalized grievances from Linthicum and other Republicans didnt give them standing to sue in a case that sought to end Oregons vote-by-mail system and electronic tabulation of ballots. In a February 2023 constituent newsletter, Linthicum described Oregons vote-by-mail system as the gold-standard for election engineering and accused Democrats of ramping up a progressive freeway to unparalleled voter fraud by passing laws meant to expand voter access, including allowing late-arriving ballots to be counted if theyre postmarked by Election Day and expanding online voter registration to people without state-issued IDs. In a January newsletter, he also claimed that people, not necessarily citizens, can vote using a centralized non-transparent black box using mail-in ballots with nothing but a signature to validate the authenticity of the vote. In fact, all voters must attest to being a citizen to register to vote. His platform for secretary of state includes advocating to end mail voting and require voters to vote in person at local precincts while presenting a photo ID. He voted against the campaign finance limit law passed this year that he would have to implement as secretary of state. Most of the more than $200,000 Linthicum has raised during this election came in the form of legal expenses for his challenge to his disqualification as senator, which were covered by a fundraising committee to the tune of more than $165,000. Tim McCloud McCloud ran for governor in 2022, placing 10th in a Republican primary with 19 candidates. For the secretary of states race, he has not reported raising or spending any money, doesnt have a campaign website and didnt submit a statement for the state-issued voters pamphlet. Name: Tim McCloud Party: Republican Age: 38 Residence: Salem Education: Studied public administration at Eastern Oregon University, no degree Current occupation: Business analyst Prior elected experience: None Family status: Married, three children Fundraising: $0 Cash on hand: $0 In response to a questionnaire sent to all candidates, he said his experience in business, as well as his four years serving on the Albany Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Commission and year on the Linn County Compensation Board give him the experience to lead the Secretary of States Office. He added that he has no ties to foreign or special interests and that would help him avoid conflicts of interest. He said he would restore trust in the agency by addressing all outstanding complaints related to elections and review(ing) the entire voter system for potential vulnerabilities. McCloud blamed former secretaries of state Shemia Fagan and Kate Brown for having significant ethical concerns, though he didnt elaborate on his complaints against Brown, who went on to serve as governor from 2015 to 2023. McCloud said he intended to end the offices use of artificial intelligence to help flag threats and election misinformation posted online. He also said he wanted to open in-person voting centers, which he described as a common-sense measure to secure the election process. The post Oregon Republicans running for secretary of state target mail voting, stoke voter fraud claims appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle. The outside of Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023. The facility is Oregon's only women's prison. (Ben Botkin/Oregon Capital Chronicle) The Oregon Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the immediate release of a woman from state prison, finding she was illegally imprisoned after Gov. Tina Kotek ordered her return to prison without the legal authority to do so. The courts order frees Terri Lee Brown, 48, from Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville, the same womens prison that Kotek has ordered to make reforms. It ends a three-month ordeal that started in February when Grants Pass police arrested her on a warrant and she found herself headed back to the same prison she had left more than three years ago. Plaintiffs imprisonment is unlawful, the court order said. Accordingly, we order that she immediately be discharged from custody. The Oregon Justice Resource Center, which advocates for prison reforms, took Browns case to the Oregon Supreme Court, petitioning for her release. The center argued that Koteks order in late 2023 to revoke Browns commuted sentence was unlawful in part because she had already finished her sentence when Kotek took action. The centers executive director, Bobbin Singh, praised the courts ruling but said questions still need to be answered about the case and whether there are any others like it. We all need to figure out what happened and how the governor made this decision and what prompted her to make this decision, Singh said in an interview with the Capital Chronicle. Elisabeth Shepard, a spokesperson for the governors office, said Kotek respects the ruling and will take it under advisement in the future. The office is not aware of any other similar cases under review, Shepard said. Brown is among nearly 1,000 inmates whose sentences were commuted during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce pressures on prisons. Then-Gov. Kate Brown commuted the sentences in 2020 and 2021, allowing Brown and others to exit prison early and, in many cases, under post-prison supervision. Brown was released in December 2020, when she was eight months away from finishing a five-year sentence for two counts of mail theft in Josephine County. Then in February 2023, the Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision issued Brown a certificate stating she had completed her supervised release and no longer needed supervision. But 10 months later, in December 2023, Kotek issued an order revoking Browns commutation, declaring she had violated the terms of her release. On Wednesday the Oregon Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Koteks action was unlawful because Brown had completed her sentence, including the post-prison supervision, when Koteks order came out. As a result, the governor lacked the authority to revoke the commuted sentence, making the imprisonment unlawful as well, the court found. Oregon Department of Justice attorneys unsuccessfully argued in the court case against Browns release from prison. They insisted that Kotek had the right to revoke the commutation because Brown was arrested in May 2021 for assaulting someone who she accused of stealing marijuana. At the time, though, Brown had served 30 days in jail and pleaded no contest to violating the general condition of her supervision. And the state had said completed her sentence and supervision nearly two years later. I think its shameful that the attorney general and the governor defended this revocation in the way that they defended in court, Singh said. And I think its even more curious as to how this decision was made. And there still hasnt been any clarity about this. Roy Kaufmann, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Justice, said the state respects the courts ruling and appreciates the clarification about the governors clemency powers. The prison started the process for Browns release on Wednesday, said Amber Campbell, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Corrections. Unexpected arrest detailed Court documents detail Browns arrest in February and the anguish of her early days sitting in a jail with uncertainty about what lies ahead. At the time of her arrest, Brown had been renting a house for two and a half years and lived with her boyfriend, teenage son and 20-year-old daughter there. She also worked as an in-home caregiver and an auditor in a hotel. Koteks order on Dec. 15, 2023 was followed a week later by a warrant for her arrest. Police arrested Brown at her home in front of her adult daughter on Feb. 17. An officer handcuffed and walked her to the police car, initially telling her she was under arrest for mail theft. She protested and questioned him, asking her daughter to retrieve her certificate of completing her supervision, which was posted on a wall in her house. In response, the officer said a warrant was out for her arrest for violating her post-prison supervision. During the arrest, Brown had a panic attack and pleaded for her inhaler. The officer drove her to a nearby gyms parking lot, where she received an inhaler before an ambulance arrived to take her to the hospital for an evaluation. After about an hour, police took her to the Josephine County Jail and told her shed need to contact her parole officer. Brown said she didnt have one because her sentence is finished. After nearly five days in jail, Brown finally learned that her commutation was revoked and the state put out a warrant for her arrest. She didnt receive any documentation about the revocation, court records show. Browns initial reaction: This all had to be a big mistake. The post Oregon Supreme Court finds woman at Coffee Creek was illegally imprisoned appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The Oregon Supreme Court has called for the immediate release of a woman who the justices ruled was unlawfully incarcerated due to an order from Gov. Tina Kotek. On Wednesday, Supreme Court justices ruled Kotek didnt hold the authority to send Terri Lee Brown back to prison after her sentence was commuted during former Gov. Kate Browns tenure. Legacy Healths primary care providers consider unionizing Court documents show Terri Lee Brown pleaded guilty to two counts of mail theft in April 2017. She was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by two years of post-prison supervision. In December 2020, then-Governor Brown issued commutations for several Oregon inmates in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 inside the prison system. Terri Lee Brown was discharged from Coffee Creek Correctional Facility that same month but was still required to complete her post-prison supervision. In February 2023, authorities informed Brown she had completed her sentence. But, roughly one year later, Brown was arrested and held in the same facility once again. Little Big Burger fined after willfully withholding tips The Supreme Court opinion said Brown didnt learn that Governor Kotek had reversed the commutation until after she was rearrested. Brown filed a petition against Kotek and other public employees in early May of 2023, arguing she was illegally imprisoned. Her petition was accompanied by a supporting memorandum in which she argues that Governor Koteks revocation of her earlier conditional commutation violates a variety of state and federal constitutional principles, including that the Governor lacks authority to revoke a commutation after the expiration of a sentence, justices wrote. Jill Biden swings through Portland for Thursday fundraiser In addition to ordering the state to free the plaintiff, the court also knocked down its argument that Brown previously waived her right to challenge authorities if her commutation was revoked. Justices said she may have waived the right when she first signed a contract with the state, but that no longer applied after she completed her sentence. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. Oregon youth correctional facility escapee back in custody, police still searching for others PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A young man who escaped from a Woodburn youth correctional facility in late February was taken back into custody Thursday morning, authorities said. According to the Oregon Youth Authority, Xavier Swimm, along with Angel Diaz-Barrera and Julian Diaz-Navarro, all age 19, escaped from MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility on Feb. 18. However, officials managed to apprehend Swimm, who is currently being held at Canyon County Juvenile Detention Center in Idaho. Man killed by police after firing shots at officers identified Law enforcement is still searching for Diaz-Barrera and Diaz-Navarro. Swimm was serving time for second-degree attempted assault and aggravated harassment, Diaz-Barrera was serving time for first-degree robbery and carrying and use of a dangerous weapon, and Diaz-Navarro was serving time for first-degree attempted assault and carry and use of a dangerous weapon. Anyone who sees Diaz-Barrera and Diaz-Navarro or has information about their escape is asked to call police. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. In this article, we are going to discuss the 25 countries with the most cigarette smokers per capita. You can skip our detailed analysis of the global tobacco market, the country with the least cigarette smokers in the world, and the rise of smokeless tobacco, and go directly to the 10 Countries with the Most Cigarette Smokers per Capita. Tobacco was first used by the people of pre-Columbian Americas. Archeological studies suggest that the Maya people of Central America started using tobacco leaves as far back as the 1st century BC, mainly for smoking in sacred and religious ceremonies. By the time Columbus arrived in the New World in 1492, the Native Americans were already cultivating and smoking tobacco in pipes, cigars, and snuff. Although Cristopher Columbus brought with him a few tobacco leaves and seeds back to Europe, most Europeans didn't get their first taste of the plant until the mid-16th century, when adventurers and diplomats like France's Jean Nicot for whom nicotine is named began to popularize its use. Tobacco was introduced to France in 1556, Portugal in 1558, Spain in 1559, and finally England in 1565. By the early 17th century, smoking was common in all of Europes maritime nations, and their colonial empires soon carried tobacco all over the world. Global Tobacco Market As we mentioned in our article 20 Countries that Export the Most Tobacco in the World the global tobacco market is expected to reach $1.049 trillion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 2.5% from 2024 to 2030. The market is fuelled by a growing demand from developing nations, coupled with the rising proliferation of next-generation products (NGPs) across the globe. The high marketing expenditure and discounting of products undertaken by major tobacco companies is also adding to the growth of the industry. While tobacco consumption is leveling off and even decreasing in some countries, the number of people smoking is still increasing globally, and smokers are smoking more than before. An estimated 1.3 billion people worldwide use tobacco products, 80% of whom are in low- and middle-income countries. With an annual consumption of over 2 million tons, China is the Country with the Highest Tobacco Consumption in the world. Country with the Least Cigarette Smokers With a cigarette smoking prevalence of only 1.9%, Ghana is the Country with the Least Smokers in the world. The West African country has sustained significantly low levels of smoking despite an active tobacco industry presence for over 50 years, partially due to an early advertising ban and social stigma. Story continues The Rise of Smokeless Tobacco Traditional oral tobacco products are widely used in the U.S., consumed by an estimated 5.7 million adults in the country. However, contemporary oral tobacco products, like nicotine pouches, are becoming increasingly popular and fall under a brand new category that presents a safer alternative to more conventional oral consumables, such as snuff and snus. As a result, several key industry players are also making inroads into this category. It was announced in 2022 that Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) has completed its 100% takeover of the Stockholm-based nicotine pouch maker Swedish Match, in a deal that cost the tobacco giant around $16 billion. Swedish Match has made huge strides in its relentless pursuit of tobacco harm reduction through its range of smoke-free products, and its leading nicotine pouch product, ZYN, will bolster the Marlboro-makers growing smoke-free portfolio of heated tobacco products, e-vapor devices, and oral nicotine products. By 2025, Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) aims to be a predominantly smoke-free company, with more than half of its total net revenues coming from its growing portfolio of smoke-free alternatives. Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM) is counted among the Largest Tobacco Companies in the World by Market Cap. Similarly, the Richmond-based Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) also entered the oral nicotine pouch market in 2019 when it acquired an 80% stake in the Swiss tobacco company Burger Sohne Holding AG for $372 million, and agreed to start distributing its On! brand in the U.S. Following the acquisition, the number of stores selling On! had already nearly doubled by the end of the following year, as the product was attracting female tobacco consumers due to its spitless, white, and compact format. As a result, Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) also acquired the remaining 20% of the On! global business it did not own for approximately $250 million in 2021. Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) ranks among the Top 20 Most Valuable Tobacco Companies in the World. With that said, here are the Largest Consumers of Cigarettes in the World. 25 Countries with the Most Cigarette Smokers per Capita Pixabay/Public Domain Methodology To collect data for this article, we have referred to the Global Health Observatory of the WHO, looking for the Countries with the Highest Cigarette Smoking Rates. The following countries have been ranked by their age-standardized estimates of cigarette smoking prevalence for both sexes in 2022. The countries that had the same prevalence of smoking cigarettes in 2022 were ranked by their figures in 2021. By the way, Insider Monkey is an investing website that tracks the movements of corporate insiders and hedge funds. By using a similar consensus approach, we identify the best stock picks of more than 900 hedge funds investing in US stocks. The top 10 consensus stock picks of hedge funds outperformed the S&P 500 Index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). Whether you are a beginner investor or professional one looking for the best stocks to buy, you can benefit from the wisdom of hedge funds and corporate insiders. 25. Lebanon Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking in 2022: 26.8% Smoking is simply a part of Lebanese life and other than cigarettes, Shisha cafes are also a common sight in the bustling streets of Beirut. Although the countrys law bans sales of tobacco products to those under 18 years old, it is poorly enforced. 24. Slovakia Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking in 2022: 27% Smoking is very widely tolerated by the Slovak society, and parents can often be seen smoking together with their children, or schoolteachers with their students. The capital city of Bratislavas municipal waste management company has announced a new push to collect and reuse discarded cigarettes in 2024. 23. Tonga Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking in 2022: 27.1% Home to a little over 100,000 people, Tonga is a Polynesian country that lies to the south of Samoa, southeast of Fiji, and north east of New Zealand. Smoking is a very popular habit among the Tongan people and almost one in two men smoke, and it now seems to be increasing also among the young women of the society. 22. Latvia Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking in 2022: 27.4% Latvia is placed among countries with the highest rates of smoking, and as a result, the Latvian Parliament has recently passed laws to strengthen tobacco control, raise the minimum age for purchasing tobacco, and restrict smoking in public places. The black market also seems to be pretty active in the Baltic country, with illicit cigarettes accounting for 20.4% of the overall Latvian tobacco market in 2020. 21. Jordan Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking in 2022: 27.5% Jordan is the Top Country for Smoking in the Middle East, with over 80% of the countrys male population aged 18-69 engaged in the habit. The countrys tobacco industry casts itself as a major investor and job creator, and tobacco taxes amount to around 18% of the governments annual revenue. It's worth noting that Jordan imposes a 200% excise tax on heated tobacco and e-cigarettes. 20. Tuvalu Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking in 2022: 27.7% Although the smoking prevalence among males in Tuvalu reached 49.8% in 2020, it was the lowest figure recorded in the previous two decades, with the highest figure amounting to a staggering 68.2% in the year 2000. 19. Georgia Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking in 2022: 28.6% Despite the high smoking prevalence in the Caucasian country, the Georgian Parliament is considering cutting tobacco consumption tax by half to boost the local industry and reduce illegal imports. According to the proposed revised Taxation Law, the consumption tax on tobacco products may be reduced from $22.64 to $11.32. 18. Russia Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking in 2022: 28.7% Smoking is a big part of the Russian life and its a common sight to see locals smoking in the streets all the time. However, the government has taken various steps over the last two decades to discourage the harmful habit, including printing anti-smoking messages on all packets of cigarettes in 2010, banning tobacco advertising at point-of-sale in 2013, and prohibiting tobacco products at various locations during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics etc. Russia sits at number 18 in our list of Top Cigarette-Smoking Countries. 17. Turkey Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking in 2022: 28.9% Tobacco was introduced to the Ottomans by the Spanish in the 17th century, and the country is now the worlds largest producer of aromatic oriental tobacco a small-leafed variety which is sun-cured. According to Turkey's Fight Against Smoking Association, the Turkish public spends around $15 billion on cigarettes annually while the government spends $10 billion per year to treat smoking-related illnesses. 16. Cyprus Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking in 2022: 29.1% Smoking is a socially acceptable habit in Cyprus and nearly 9.7% of the countrys adult population smokes at least one pack a day. The island country banned smoking in all enclosed public places and hospitality venues on January 1st 2010. 15. Bosnia and Herzegovina Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking in 2022: 29.1% The illicit cigarette trade continues to be a big problem in Bosnia and Herzegovina and illegal tobacco products are often smuggled into the Balkan country from its neighboring countries of Montenegro, Serbia, and Albania. The legal tobacco market shrunk by more than 56% from 2010 to 2020, resulting in huge losses to the national exchequer. 14. Montenegro Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking in 2022: 29.4% Montenegrins have a centuries long tradition of smoking tobacco and around 400 of them are diagnosed with lung cancer every year, costing the economy over $75,000 per patient. With an annual per capita alcohol consumption of 10.34 liters, Montenegro is also placed among the Drunkest Countries in the World. 13. Papua New Guinea Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking in 2022: 29.4% The tobacco black market market has declined remarkably in PNG over the last few years, with the share of tax-avoiding products declining from 40% in the near past to only 4% today, allowing the island countrys tax authorities to collect more revenue. This massive success is mainly attributed to the various tax breaks granted by the government to manufacturers. 12. Andorra Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking in 2022: 29.6% Andorra is famous for its duty free shopping, and that includes tobacco products and alcohol. As a result, many people from southern France make the trip to the independent principality to stock up on cheap cigarettes and booze. 11. Greece Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking in 2022: 29.8% The tobacco giant Philip Morris International sells around 3.6 million cigarettes annually in Greece and controls roughly one-third of the local tobacco market. The Greek tobacco company Papastratos an affiliate of PMI announced a major new investment of over $135 million in its Aspropyrgos factory in 2021. Greece ranks 11th in our list of Highest Cigarette-Smoking Countries in the World. Click to continue reading and see the 10 Countries with the Most Cigarette Smokers per Capita. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: None. 25 Countries with the Most Cigarette Smokers per Capita is originally published on Insider Monkey. NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson hosted a panel on Wednesday, May 8, to discuss mental health services at the Orleans Justice Center as part of mental health awareness month. Hutson said inmates at the jail need better mental health services and announced a plan to offer better mental health care. Kenner residents advised of heavy police presence as part of training operation She said she believes in an approach that will benefit jail staff, inmates and their families. It takes a village to do this, you really need that whole support network. So, when that is all humming together, were going to see people going home and having secure places to live, and having a family to take care of, and having resources, said Hutson. She noted that OPSO deputies are trained to respond to mental health issues among inmates. Hutson also addressed the challenges deputies face while working in corrections, including late nights, early mornings and staffing shortages. Orleans Parish Sheriffs Office releases results of Jazz Fest safety operation Staffing shortages are pushing deputies to breaking points and putting them in grave danger. A single deputy working the toughest unit in the jail can be responsible for dozens of residents during a shift. If that deputy continues in this manner with little support for extended periods of time they can be stretched to the max, said Hutson. She said clinical professionals are available for the OPSO staff. Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter. Latest Posts For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGNO. Over 200 cats, dozens of them dead, being removed from Yuba County home (FOX40.COM) Over 200 cats, dozens of them dead, are being removed from a Yuba County home, the Yuba County Sheriffs Office said on Thursday. According to the sheriffs office, the Yuba County Animal Care Services team and deputies responded to several complaints about a residence in Plumas Lake, about 40 miles north of Sacramento, and found 160 living and 46 deceased cats at the home. What to know about the Sacramento Zoos move to Elk Grove The sheriffs office said the owner claimed to own a feral cat rescue and that it was unclear if the woman captured the cats herself or they were dropped off by people or groups in the community who were familiar with her services. According to the sheriffs office, as of Thursday afternoon, officials are still working on removing the animals. It will take days before the house is completely rid of the felines, the sheriffs office said. Yuba County Animal Care Services is working with another rescue agency to handle the large number of cats. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40. In the wake of four overturned homicide cases in Hamilton County over the past 18 months, Prosecutor Melissa Powers announced the creation of a conviction integrity unit to evaluate wrongful conviction claims. But the effort is drawing criticism from the attorneys who work on those cases. They say they suspect nothing will change a sentiment Powers herself echoed in an interview with The Enquirer. "It's not something that has just brand-new started," said Powers, who sent emails in March to police chiefs throughout the county announcing the unit's formation. "It's always been part of the office. What's different about it is that there's actually a written policy." Experts in conviction integrity units including one from a nationally renowned agency Powers said she consulted to help craft her policy say that Hamilton County's does not adhere to best practices. It taps longtime, in-house assistant prosecutors to run it. It requires cases to have new evidence available, or for new technologies to be able to re-test old evidence. And applicants must waive their Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights to even apply for consideration. In a county battling allegations of relying on questionable informant testimony and withholding crucial evidence to secure potentially false convictions, announcing a conviction integrity unit could have assuaged area defense lawyers that the office was focused on making changes. Instead, Powers made it clear the recently overturned homicide cases had no bearing on the creation of the unit and, as critics feared, little is changing in the way the office approaches wrongful conviction claims. Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers says her office's conviction integrity unit, announced in March, won't change how the office approaches wrongful conviction claims. "It completely undermines the point of a CIU," said David Hine, who represents one of the defendants whose conviction was overturned after lengthy and ongoing court battles. "They aren't trying to ensure accurate convictions are earned with integrity," Hine said. "They are trying to find another way to put the thumb on the scale in their favor and artificially lend the appearance of credibility to ill-gotten convictions." Critics call unit a 'political stunt' Hamilton County joins three other counties with conviction integrity units in the state: Franklin, Cuyahoga and Summit. Such units are usually praised by wrongful conviction advocates, but Cincinnati defense lawyer Bill Gallagher said Hamilton County's unit is a "political stunt." "It doesn't have any of the components of a conviction integrity unit," he said. Powers said her office consulted with the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School for guidance and best practices in creating the unit. Marissa Bluestine, Quattrone's assistant director, said the units are important because studies show between 2% and 6% of convictions are in error. Successful units focus on four key elements, she said: transparency, independence, flexibility and protection from bias. Hamilton County's unit is helmed by assistant prosecutor Rick Gibson, who has handled countless homicide cases over his tenure with the office, a job for which he applied while still a law student in 1983. His personnel file is filled with letters of thanks from family members of victims who praise his dedication and sensitivity. The cases Gibson would be evaluating would have been prosecuted by former or current colleagues, or even by Gibson himself. Of note, one of the four recently overturned cases was originally prosecuted by Mark Piepmeier, Gibson's former partner in helming the prosecutor's criminal division. Another contested case, in which the Ohio Innocence Project is alleging that police and prosecutors withheld crucial exculpatory evidence, was prosecuted by Gibson. "You shouldn't have lawyers who have a vested interest in the case making the decision about whether the outcome was correct," Gallagher said. Defense lawyer Jay Clark phrased it more colloquially: "You don't put the fox in charge of the hen house." Bluestine agreed the approach is "atypical." "More typical would be that somebody is brought in from the outside, or somebody comes from another unit, like special investigations where they were investigating corruption in the police department or in legislative initiatives or things like that," Bluestine said. "Or somebody entirely from outside the office who was a public defender or defense counsel, or even an innocence lawyer to come in and run it." Hamilton County's unit is set to be run entirely in-house, with Gibson reviewing the applications. If he agrees the application has merit, his next step would be to either consult with the county's top prosecutor or turn to a review board that, in Hamilton County, would consist of other selected members of the prosecutor's office, one of whom would be from the office's appeals unit. Again, Bluestine said, that's not typical. Units' review boards often include defense lawyers, victims, innocence advocates, law professors and others. The diversity in backgrounds helps ensure cases get evaluated with fresh eyes rather than only through the lens of longtime prosecutors. "The focus here is not about it being intentional or unethical. It has nothing to do with intentionality," Bluestine said. "This is a phenomenon of implicit bias, which is unintentional and occurs without awareness, even by extraordinarily ethical, competent and hardworking people." Critics say that Hamilton County's unit also lacks flexibility because it excludes cases with pending appeals or other post-conviction pleadings. Powers acknowledged that the unit's scope is limited because it only considers cases in which "new information has become available." "If it can be litigated in the courtroom, that's not what comes before us," she said. "You're talking about new information that's come to light that would say somebody is truly innocent." For example, she said, if biological material was collected from a crime scene that was too small a sample for DNA testing at the time the crime occurred, the unit could agree to testing it. "Now with new technologies developed, they can get DNA off of smaller and smaller samples," Powers said. But defense attorneys counter that the prosecutor's office routinely objects to DNA testing when defendants request it. In two of the recently overturned convictions, prosecutors objected to DNA testing. In both cases, the judges sided with the defense attorneys and granted the new tests, the results of which did not match the defendants. Despite those results, Powers has maintained that both men are guilty and is moving ahead with retrials in both cases. Mark Godsey, director of the Ohio Innocence Project, sits between lawyer Marty Pinales and defendant Marcus Sapp, whose 2010 homicide conviction was overturned in January 2023. Hamilton County prosecutors are moving forward with a retrial against Sapp. "Given the poor way this office is currently handling several innocence cases, I have little hope that this is anything but a cynical political move," Mark Godsey, director of the Ohio Innocence Project, said of the unit. Powers, a Republican, is up for election in November. She faces Democratic challenger Connie Pillich, a former public defender who served as a state representative from 2009-2014. Office focus 'is looking for the truth' In an interview with The Enquirer, Powers downplayed the need for the unit despite having announced it on the county's website and touting it in an interview with another media outlet. She said the office has always taken allegations of wrongful convictions seriously and readily admits when prosecutors pursued the wrong suspect. When asked to point to specific cases in which prosecutors reversed their stance on a conviction, she provided details for just one case: a 1990 conviction reversal in which a serial killer confessed to a crime for which someone else had already served nearly nine years in prison. Randall Lynn Ayers was 17 when he was arrested on suspicion of raping and shooting a 15-year-old Price Hill girl. While there was no physical evidence against Ayers, the victim identified him from a group of high school students and later testified in court that Ayers had accosted her in November 1981 at a payphone, then raped her and shot at her three times. One bullet hit her in the neck and another grazed her head. Randall Lynn Ayers was convicted at age 17 of a rape and attempted murder he didn't commit. He spent nearly nine years in prison before another man confessed to the assault. He died by suicide in 2005. Nine years after the assault, Robert Minton was arrested on suspicion of killing two other women during separate robberies. After his arrest, Minton told police that he was also responsible for the rape of the teen whose testimony got Ayers sentenced to 15 to 50 years in prison. The prosecutor's office asked that Ayers be released and his conviction vacated. Minton is still incarcerated at the London Correctional Institution. Ayers struggled after his release from prison. He died by suicide at age 41 in 2005, according to the Hamilton County Coroner's Office. "Our office's focus is looking for the truth, searching for the truth and obtaining justice," Powers said in touting Ayers' overturned conviction. She added that the conviction integrity unit "is just an extension of that." Cole Bieler, a longtime Cincinnati lawyer who represented Ayers after his exoneration, said the prosecutor's office played little role in the case. "It's not my intention to give anybody a black eye, but it was not a matter of some organization some police department or law enforcement or prosecutor's office saying, 'Hey, let's double-check.' It wasn't a result of that at all," Bieler said. "You might even say it was a miracle that the truth came out because nobody went looking for it." Powers' critics scoffed at the notion the office could point to no other wrongful convictions in the interim. "So over 40 years, they've never made a mistake," Clark said. "In 40 years, they're literally batting a thousand? I'm gonna call bulls--- on that because in 40 years, you think anyone is perfect? No. They want to believe that because to believe otherwise would have to acknowledge the human factor of that and that they aren't infallible." Powers said there might be other cases, but Ayers' was the only one she remembered. Four homicide convictions overturned since 2022 Of the four homicide cases overturned since late 2022, prosecutors maintain they were rightful convictions, despite judges finding flaws major enough to overturn them. Prosecutors fought in each case for the convictions to either be reinstated or for the defendant to plead to a related-but-lesser charge. Those cases were against: Marcus Sapp, convicted in 2010 of killing Andrew Cunningham. Judge Jody Luebbers overturned the conviction in January 2023 both because of questions about polices use of a jailhouse informant and alleged violations of the Brady rule, which requires prosecutors disclose potentially exculpatory material to the defense. Prosecutors maintain Sapp is guilty and are moving forward with a retrial. Marty Levingston, convicted in 2008 of killing Michael Grace. Judge Wende Cross overturned the conviction in February 2023, again because of shaky jailhouse informant testimony and alleged Brady violations. Prosecutors agreed not to fight the order for a new trial on the condition that Levingston plead guilty to a lesser charge. Elwood Jones, convicted and sentenced to death in the 1994 beating of Rhoda Nathan, a New Jersey grandmother attacked while she stayed in a Blue Ash hotel. The conviction was overturned in late 2022 after Cross determined police and prosecutors withheld thousands of pages of investigative documents, some of which could have changed the outcome of Jones 1995 trial and 1996 death-row sentencing. Prosecutors are fighting to reinstate the conviction. Lamont Hunter, convicted and sentenced to death in 2007 of killing 3-year-old Trustin Blue. A deputy coroner changed her opinion about the nature of injuries to Trustins body after she reviewed evidence not initially disclosed by doctors. Hunter avoided a new trial by pleading guilty to a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter. Godsey said that in his experience with the Ohio Innocence Project, Hamilton County prosecutors refuse to consider that they could have made any mistakes. "There's no attitude of, 'Let's try to be objective,'" Godsey said. "For these units to work, you have to have somebody who hasn't been there for 20 years, who's an outsider, who's been told, 'You have political insulation.'" Powers disagreed. She said assistant prosecutors in her office thoroughly investigate cases and are confident in the defendant's guilt before moving forward with trial. Defense attorneys Jay Clark and David Hine talk with Elwood Jones during a hearing in August 2022. Jones served nearly 30 years on Ohio's death row before his conviction was overturned and he was released in January 2023 to await a retrial. Hine, one of Jones' lawyers, said that confidence is actually a hindrance, making it impossible for prosecutors to be open to the notion that they might occasionally err. He pointed to a sign that hangs as decoration in the prosecutor's office on each of the five floors it occupies in the William Howard Taft Center. It reads: You cannot withdraw under any condition. If you go, this line will be flanked. If you go, the enemy will sweep up over the hillside and take this entire army from the rear. You must defend this place to the last. The quote was supposedly said to Col. Joshua Chamberlain on July 2, 1863, as his troops readied for bloodshed in the Battle of Gettysburg. Signs hanging inside of the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office read: You cannot withdraw under any condition ... You must defend this place to the last." The quote is attributed to Col. Joshua Chamberlain on July 2, 1863, at the Battle of Gettysburg. "The attitude reflected is: We fight everything. We always defend our past work. We always take the position that a mistake hasn't been made, and we drive it to the hilt," Godsey said. In a recent filing in Jones' case, Hine included an image of the sign, which he said endorses a "win-at-all-costs mindset that undermines the pursuit of truth." Powers said the sign has no real meaning beyond suggesting the office is "the last line of defense." "It's about the safety of the community," Powers said. "This office is about making sure our community is safe. But that doesn't mean that we convict wrong people, innocent people. This office has never stood for that. We do everything we can to make sure that we're seeking the truth." This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Critics dismiss Hamilton County integrity unit as 'political stunt' WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) Police arrested a man after he allegedly stole PA Lottery tickets from a vending machine at Sheetz. According to the Wilkes-Barre City Police, on Wednesday around 7:30 p.m., officers were called to Sheetz on Kidder Street for a theft. PA Lottery ticket stolen at Sheetz Officers said they learned the suspect, later identified as Marlin Bevan, 50, of Wilkes-Barre, removed a set of keys to access the Pennsylvania Lottery vending machine and fled the store. Video surveillance caught the incident and police stated they identified Bevan as the suspect because he had prior encounters with law enforcement. Officers noted they confirmed Bevans identity when he used his My Sheetz Card to purchase gas before the theft. Charges will be filed against Bevan. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. State Rep. Sam Jenkins makes an objection Tuesday, July 18, 2023, during the veto override session at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge. Sen. Samuel Jenkins authored a bill to provide paid parental leave to teachers and other school staff. (Louisiana Illuminator) Louisiana lawmakers gave initial approval to a bill that would provide six weeks of paid parental leave to teachers, but its cost has made some lawmakers wary. Senate Bill 426, authored by Sen. Samuel Jenkins, D-Shreveport, comes with a $15 million cost to the state. The proposal was approved without objection Wednesday in the Senate Education Committee, but several members voiced concerns about its fiscal impact. Although the schools will still be responsible for the employees leave pay, the state would reimburse the school for the expense of a substitute teacher. Committee chairman Sen. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge, warned Jenkins he should work on the cost before his bill gets to the Senate Finance Committee, which must also approve the legislation before its considered on the Senate floor. Jenkins amended his bill in the education committee to cut down its cost, but the legislative fiscal staff has yet to update its calculations. Under the amendment, the state would reimburse local school systems for the cost of a substitute teacher to cover the on-leave employee. Before the change, Jenkins bill required the state to cover the cost of the teachers salary during the parental leave period. Depending on how the Legislative Fiscal Office accounts for substitutes, the amendments could make the bill $11 million cheaper. Substitute teachers make between $60 and $100 a day depending on the school system, the substitutes background and the length of substitution. Teacher salaries in Louisiana average $56,175 a year for 182 days of work. The daily rate of pay for a teacher for six weeks is just over $9,000. A substitute would cost on average $2,400 for six weeks. Under Jenkins legislation, teachers and support staff will be eligible for paid parental leave, in addition to any sick leave or paid time off they have accrued, as long as they have worked for a public school system for at least 12 months. The leave can be used for the birth of a child, a pregnancy loss, adopted and foster children. Both parents will be eligible for leave if they are qualified employees. Parents can take the leave together or separately. Parents also have the option to use the six weeks as they please, meaning it can be used all at once or spread out. However, the six weeks must be used within 12 months of the qualifying event. Employers cannot require an employee to use sick leave or paid time off before using parental leave. Teachers and support staff will be paid 100% of their salary or base pay. State money for parental school employee leave will be put into a fund for this specific purpose. Any dollars left in the fund at the end of the fiscal year will be invested, and interest earned from this investment would be credited to the fund. In 2023, then-Gov. John Bel Edwards established six weeks paid parental leave for most unclassified state workers. Three of the four states higher education systems have since adopted the same for their employees. The post Paid parental leave for Louisiana teachers clears first legislative hurdle appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. A can of paint. Stolen license plates. Odd messages. How the FBI built a case against a man accused of abducting his wife About 9:30 p.m. on February 2, a man in a helmet entered Ana Maria Knezevich Henaos apartment building in an exclusive neighborhood in Madrid. Henao, who was on vacation in Spain from south Florida, was in the building at the time and planning a trip to Barcelona with her friends in three days. A surveillance camera captured the man fastening the buildings lock with duct tape to disable it. He looked straight into the camera as he spray-painted the lens, partially obscuring it. After about an hour in the building, he emerged from the elevator with a suitcase. Henao was reported missing soon after, and no one has seen her since. But the FBI said this week theyve arrested the mystery man who entered her Madrid apartment building that night: her estranged husband. David Knezevich, 36, was detained at Miami International Airport on Saturday for his alleged involvement in her kidnapping, the latest in an international mystery involving law enforcement officials from two continents. A can of spray paint, security camera footage, stolen license plates and rental car records helped tie him to the crime, according to a criminal complaint obtained by CNN. So did his messages to a woman hed met on a dating app and a Google search by the womans mother. Knezevichs attorney, Kenneth Padowitz, told CNN in February that his client is innocent and has never been to Spain. Padowitz declined to comment Wednesday after Knezevichs arrest. The couple owned properties in Florida but had separated Knezevich and Henao lived in Florida, where records show they own several properties in Fort Lauderdale. They are also listed as CEO and project manager of EOX Technology Solutions Inc., which provides computer support for businesses in south Florida. CNN contacted the company this week but did not immediately get a response. The couple was planning to divorce amid a separation that was contentious because Knezevich did not want to evenly split marital assets, court documents said. But Knezevichs attorney told CNN in February that their separation was amicable, with anticipation of a divorce. Henao, 40, boarded a flight from Miami to Spain the day after Christmas, court records show. At the time of her disappearance six weeks later, her husband was in his native Serbia and had nothing to do with it, Padowitz said in February. Knezevich had spoken to Spanish police, provided his credit card details and other information and was cooperating in the investigation, the attorney said then. Padowitz is based in Florida. But federal officials said records show Knezevich flew from Miami to Turkey in January and then went to Belgrade, Serbia, where he rented a small Peugeot on January 29. The owner of the rental car agency told investigators that when the car was returned in mid-March, someone had tinted its windows and added a new license plate frame, and it had traveled nearly 4,800 miles, the criminal complaint said. Toll booth cameras captured images of the same model Peugeot, with tinted windows, near Madrid in the late night and early morning of February 2 and 3. It had license plates stolen from another vehicle on the Madrid street where Henao was living, the complaint said. A poster shows Ana Maria Knezevich Henao, 40, who vanished in Madrid in February. - Manu Fernandez/AP FBI spokesperson James Marshall declined to answer questions this week, citing an ongoing investigation. We appreciate the publics attention to our case and continue to encourage those with information, even if theyre not certain of its value, to come forward, Marshall said. To preserve the integrity and capabilities of the investigation, I cannot share details of the ongoing process. Her friend received puzzling texts from her phone Henao was last seen on camera entering her building in Madrids upscale Salamanca neighborhood on the afternoon of February 2. At 9:27 p.m. that evening, records show the man in the helmet entered the building and tampered with the surveillance camera. He had physical characteristics that resembled her husband, court documents said. Henao, a US citizen originally from Colombia, was in constant communication with her loved ones while overseas. She was planning a trip to Barcelona with her friends on February 5, her brother told CNN, making her sudden lack of contact more concerning. Two days before the trip, her friend Sanna Rameau received a puzzling WhatsApp message from Henao indicating she was running off for a few days with a man shed just met. The message, seen by CNN, 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 man had approached Henao on the street a day earlier while she was walking, the message said, adding: Amazing connection. Like I never had before. The entrance to Ana Maria Knezevich Henao's apartment in Madrid. - CNN Rameau said shed spoken with Henao by phone hours before she went missing and she had not mentioned meeting a man. Concern grew when Henao did not show up at a Madrid train station for the trip as planned. Spanish firefighters entered her apartment for a welfare check and she was nowhere to be found, court documents said. Her phone, laptop and chargers were also missing. Now federal officials allege the text messages sent from her phone actually came from her husband. And they were written with the help of another Colombian woman Knezevich had met on a dating app months earlier, court documents said. On February 3 the day after Henao was last seen alive Knezevich sent the woman several English sentences to translate into perfect Colombian, according to the criminal complaint. He told her it was for a friend in Serbia writing a script that had a Colombian character. The message he sent to the unidentified Colombian woman to translate was the same one sent from Henaos phone saying shed met a new guy, court documents said. Investigators also identified other clues Investigators on both sides of the Atlantic searched for clues on what happened to the missing woman and who entered her building that day and who might have abducted her. Then everything started coming together. Spanish investigators identified the brand of spray paint used to tamper with the camera and learned that a Madrid retailer had sold the same paint, along with two rolls of duct tape, to a man who resembled Knezevich the same day Henao was last seen, the criminal complaint said. And in a twist of fate, the woman Knezevich met on a dating app told her mother in Bogota about her new suitor, leading to yet another revelation. The womans mother Googled his name and saw news reports about his missing wife. She notified her daughter, who realized that the text attributed to Henao before she vanished matched the exact wording of the message shed helped Knezevich put together, court documents said. Knezevichs next court hearing is scheduled for Friday. But a key question remains: What happened to his wife? CNNs Pau Mosquera, Denise Royal and Carlos Suarez contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Panera Bread is removing its "Charged Lemonade" drink from its menu after a third lawsuit was filed against the company, alleging their high caffeination drink was the source of three consumers' heart-related issues, including two deaths, according to an article in USA Today. There are 11 locations for Panera Bread in the Upstate area, including five in Greenville, two in Spartanburg, and one in Anderson. Where is Panera Bread located in Upstate? Greenville: 1922 Augusta St., 708 Haywood Road, 3140 Pleasantburg Drive, 1125 Woodruff Road, 3609 Pelham Road. Spartanburg: 1811 E. Main St., 108 E. Blackstock Road. Other Locations: 103 Station Road (Anderson), 220 Rolling Hills Circle, (Easley), 1220 West Wade Hampton Blvd. (Greer), 708 Fairview Road, (Simpsonville). Panera's Charged Lemonade has been blamed for multiple deaths. How soon will Charged Lemonade be off menu? The fast-food franchise announced the changes on Tuesday, May 7. However, Bloomberg first reported the news and said Charged Lemonade would be off the menu within the next two weeks. What is Charged Lemonade? "Charged Lemonade" is a set of highly caffeinated drinks that come in multiple flavors from Panera Bread. It was released in 2022 as part of Panera Bread's Unlimited Sip Club, a subscription program that offers unlimited refills on all of its self-serve beverages, according to Forbes.com. Why is Charged Lemonade being removed? These drinks have been alleged to cause physical harm to those who drink them. Two lawsuits, filed in October and December of 2023, claim the drink's caffeine contents caused the heart attack that killed two separate people, while a third filed in 2024 alleges the drinks from Panera have caused permanent heart issues, according to USA Today reports. For the third time since October, a lawsuit has been filed alleging the lemonade drinks caused serious harm to a customer's health, this time, on behalf of a woman who says she is now stuck with "permanent" heart issues. ICYMI: In April, Swamp Rabbit opened in downtown Greenville, Matador design plans submitted History of 'Charged Lemonade' lawsuits against Panera Bread The first lawsuit against Panera Bread alleged that a Charged Lemonade drink had caused death, according to USA Today reports. It was filed in 2023 by the family of Sarah Katz, a 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student who died in 2022 due to cardiac arrest. According to USA Today, a second suit was filed in December of 2023, which blamed the caffeinated drinks for the death of 46-year-old Dennis Brown of Fleming Island, Florida, who also suffered a cardiac arrest after consuming three Charged Lemonades. The latest lawsuit, filed in Delaware on Tuesday, May 7, alleges that 28-year-old Lauren Skerritt of Rhode Island has suffered long-term and permanent cardiac issues as a result of consuming the Charged Lemonade. Panera has denied any responsibility in all cases and has since added warning labels to its menu since the second case, according to the reports mentioned above. This is the third such incident where a consumer claims to have been unaware of the contents of the drinks, which are advertised as "clean," "plant-based," and "naturally flavored." Breakfast Break: Eggs Up Grill set to open in early June near Mauldin's Golden Strip, 40th franchise in SC A Panera Bread location is photographed in November in the northern California city of Redding. A.J. Jackson covers the food & dining scene, along with arts, entertainment and downtown culture for The Greenville News. Contact him by email at ajackson@gannett.com, and follow him on X (formally Twitter) @ajhappened. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription. This article originally appeared on Greenville News: 'Charged Lemonade' removed from menu, list of Upstate Panera locations LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A mother told 8 News Now she is upset with the way a Las Vegas-area high school handled a situation regarding her daughters graduation regalia. The mother claims her daughter was reportedly barred from honoring her culture and late father, but within two days administrators at Eldorado High School shifted gears. I ask this is because of her dad that she wants to wear that. And [the administrator] just [said], We ask that all kids wear nothing but Eldorado cords or medallions during the ceremony, Katie Franco said. Franco described her conversation with Eldorado High School Assistant Principal Lisa Sykes. On Monday, the school notified Francos daughter that she was prohibited from wearing a sash or a stole of the Mexican and Guatemalan flags and placing a charm pendant on her cap. A mother told 8 News Now she is upset with the way Eldorado High School handled a situation regarding her daughters graduation regalia. (KLAS) It is a picture of her dad, he passed away of stomach cancer last year, Franco said. However, she said after the public became aware of the situation on social media, including the ACLU of Nevadas executive director posting about it on X, Franco received an email at 10:25 a.m. on Wednesday from Sykes. It read, approved based on updated guidelines. I had to go through all this, but now, Im like, you know. My concern is everyone else, Franco said. Athar Haseebullah, ACLUs executive director, told 8 News Now that CCSD is prohibited from taking such action under the recently passed law. We view this to say a student cant wear a stole as a blanket violation of that rule, Haseebullah said. The law states a pupil, whether in university or K-12, is entitled to wear traditional tribal regalia or recognized objects of religious and cultural significance at a graduation ceremony. There are still schools here that want to say that students cant express themselves in a manner thats consistent with the law, which would be through the wearing of stoles. Its ridiculous, Haseebullah said. The law, passed in 2023 as AB73, states parents and students can appeal a denial to the Nevada Department of Education. Graduations at Eldorado High School are scheduled for May 24. 8 News Now reached out to CCSD regarding the issue at Eldorado High School, and they sent the following statement: As of April 19, 2024, the Clark County School District rescinded the Graduation Participation Agreement. Students are permitted to wear traditional tribal regalia or recognized objects of religious or cultural significance as an adornment to their cap and gown in accordance with AB73. CCSD encourages all students and families to be mindful of the occasion and respectful of their fellow graduates so that everyone can enjoy the ceremony equally. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. AUSTIN (KXAN) The parents of professional cyclist Anna Moriah Mo Wilson, who was shot and killed in Austin in 2022, have filed a wrongful death civil lawsuit against the woman convicted of killing her. Jury finds Kaitlin Armstrong guilty of murdering Mo Wilson In November 2023, a Travis County jury found Kaitlin Armstrong guilty of murder in Wilsons death. Wilson was staying with a friend ahead of a gravel race when she was shot and killed on May 11, 2022. Armstrong was sentenced to 90 years in prison. KXAN reached out to an attorney previously representing Armstrong for details and a statement on this lawsuit. This story will be updated when we receive a response. In the lawsuit, Eric and Karen Wilson requested $1,000,000 in damages after their daughters death caused mental anguish and resulted in the loss of care, support, maintenance and companionship. The loss of society and companionship representing the positive benefits flowing from the love, comfort, companionship and society that Plaintiffs Karen Wilson and Eric Wilson have suffered and would have, with reasonable probability, experienced if Anna Moriah Wilson had lived, the lawsuit reads. Photo of gravel racer Anna Moriah Wilson (Courtesy Linda Guerrette) Additionally, they requested damages for the pain and suffering and mental anguish sustained by Anna Moriah Wilson prior to her death and all funeral and burial expenses, according to the lawsuit. Kaitlin Armstrong receives 90-year sentence following several hours of deliberation from jury At Armstrongs sentencing, Wilsons family delivered emotional testimony on her behalf. Through tears, they discussed how kind and driven Wilson was and how proud they were of how quickly she achieved her goal of becoming a professional cyclist. The family launched a foundation in her honor with the mission of promoting healthy living and community building by supporting organizations dedicated to expanding access to recreation, sports, and educational programs. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. In this article, we will take a look at the 25 largest companies in Mexico by revenue. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to the 5 Largest Companies in Mexico by Revenue. Mexico's Economic Landscape: An Overview According to a report by Deloitte, Mexico experienced a 3.7% year-over-year GDP growth in the first half of 2023. Key factors driving GDP growth included trade and remittances from the United States and a surge in private consumption supported by rising wages and a strong job market. The positive economic momentum was also fueled by increased business confidence and investment due to near-shoring trends and significant infrastructure projects such as new refineries and transportation systems. On March 27, Reuters reported that Mexico's economy is seen growing between 2.5% and 3.5% in 2024, with expectations of a 2% to 3% expansion in 2025, as outlined in a draft budget from the country's finance ministry. Inflation is anticipated to decrease to 3.8% in 2024, aligning closely with the central bank's target of 3%, plus or minus one percentage point. The forecast also predicts a further decline in inflation to 3.3% in 2025. Additionally, the budget foresees the Mexican peso trading at 17.8 pesos per dollar in 2024, slightly weakening to 18.0 pesos against the U.S. dollar in 2025. Crude oil production is expected to average 1.85 million barrels per day this year, with a slight increase to reach 1.86 million barrels per day in 2025. State-owned oil company Pemex pumped an average of 1.55 million barrels per day of crude oil in February, which is its lowest crude oil output level since 1979. Crude exports are forecasted to be 967,600 barrels per day in 2024, decreasing to 958,400 barrels per day in 2025. What are Some of the Biggest Companies in Mexico Up To? The state-owned petroleum company, Pemex, is one of the most valuable oil companies in the world. However, the Mexican economy is home to a diverse array of large corporations across various industries. Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB de CV (NYSE:FMX) and Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB de CV (BMV:WALMEX) rank high among the largest companies in Mexico. Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB de CV (NYSE:FMX), or simply FEMSA, is a Mexican multinational retail corporation. On February 15, Reuters reported that Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB de CV (NYSE:FMX) has outlined a strategic investment plan of over MXN 237 billion ($13.91 billion) over the next five years with a focus on growing its business and providing returns to shareholders. Approximately MXN 170 billion will be directed towards investments in Mexico, the company's primary market. Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB de CV (NYSE:FMX) also aims to return around 6% of its market value to shareholders through increased dividends and share buybacks over the next two to three years. In 2023, the company sold its stakes in Heineken and Jetro Restaurant Depot to focus on core operations and reduce debt. Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB de CV (BMV:WALMEX), also known as Walmex, is one of the most famous Mexican companies. It owns and operates Walmart hypermarkets, Bodega Aurrera discount stores, Superama supermarkets, Walmart Express supermarkets, and Sams Clubs across Mexico and Central America. On February 27, Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB de CV (BMV:WALMEX) announced a significant investment plan for the State of Mexico, totaling MXN 1.253 billion. The investment will focus on the opening of 45 new projects across 29 municipalities in the state. This plan includes 43 new stores and two last-mile warehouses for e-commerce operations. These new projects are expected to generate more than 1,250 permanent direct jobs in the region. Now that we have explored the economic environment of Mexico and the recent activities of major Mexican companies, let's take a look at the 25 largest companies in Mexico by revenue. 25 Largest Companies in Mexico by Revenue Pixabay/Public Domain Methodology In this article, we have listed the 25 largest companies in Mexico by revenue. To rank the top companies in Mexico in terms of revenue, we sifted through various sources including industry reports, rankings available on various websites, and our own rankings, and consulted stock screeners from Yahoo Finance and Finviz. We then also consulted the Fortune Global 500 list, which is an annual ranking of the world's largest corporations based on their fiscal year revenues. While the list is published annually, we used data obtained for the latest year in their dataset, which is 2023. Please note that for companies that are publicly traded, we got their trailing twelve-month revenue from YCharts. In cases where relevant data was unavailable on YCharts, the trailing twelve-month revenue was sourced from Yahoo Finance. For companies that are not publicly traded, the latest available fiscal year revenue data was used to rank them, which we sourced from official statements. We have listed the 25 largest companies in Mexico by revenue below in ascending order. 25 Largest Companies in Mexico by Revenue 25. Gentera SAB de CV (BMV:GENTERA) Revenue: $1.85 Billion Gentera SAB de CV (BMV:GENTERA) ranks among the 25 largest companies in Mexico by revenue. It provides various financial products and services in Mexico and Peru. These include working capital loans, insurance, savings, and payment channels. As of March 31, 2024, Gentera SAB de CV (BMV:GENTERA) has a trailing twelve-month revenue of $1.85 billion. 24. Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico SAB de CV (NYSE:PAC) Revenue: $1.92 Billion Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico SAB de CV (NYSE:PAC), also known as GAP, is a Mexican airport operating company. As one of the largest airport companies in the world, it operates 12 airports in the Pacific region of Mexico. Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico SAB de CV (NYSE:PAC) has a trailing twelve-month revenue of $1.92 billion as of March 31, 2024. 23. Grupo Simec SAB de CV (BMV:SIMECB) Revenue: $2.09 Billion Grupo Simec SAB de CV (BMV:SIMECB) is one of the largest companies in Mexico by revenue. It manufactures, processes, and distributes special bar quality (SBQ) steel and structural steel products. As of March 31, 2024, Grupo Simec SAB de CV (BMV:SIMECB) has a trailing twelve-month revenue of $2.09 billion. 22. Becle SAB de CV (BMV:CUERVO) Revenue: $2.45 Billion Becle SAB de CV (BMV:CUERVO) is a Mexican beverage company. It produces, markets, and distributes its portfolio of purpose-led spirits, ready-to-drink cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages to more than 85 countries. It is also one of the worlds largest tequila-producing companies. Becle SAB de CV (BMV:CUERVO) has a trailing twelve-month revenue of $2.45 billion as of September 30, 2023. 21. Fresnillo Plc (BMV:FRES) Revenue: $2.7 Billion Fresnillo Plc (BMV:FRES) is a Mexican precious metals mining company. It is one of the worlds largest producers of silver and one of Mexico's largest gold producers. As of December 31, 2023, Fresnillo Plc (BMV:FRES) has a trailing twelve-month revenue of $2.7 billion. 20. Kimberly-Clark de Mexico SAB de CV (BMV:KIMBERA) Revenue: $3.09 Billion Kimberly-Clark de Mexico SAB de CV (BMV:KIMBERA) ranks among the top 20 largest companies in Mexico by revenue. The company manufactures and markets a wide array of paper-based products including disposable diapers, bathroom and facial tissue, feminine-care pads, napkins, kitchen towels, and hand towels. Kimberly-Clark de Mexico SAB de CV (BMV:KIMBERA) has a trailing twelve-month revenue of $3.09 billion as of March 31, 2024. 19. Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion SAB de CV (NYSE:VLRS) Revenue: $3.29 Billion Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion SAB de CV (NYSE:VLRS) is a Mexican company that operates as a low-cost airline carrier. It is one of the largest airlines in the world in 2024. As of March 31, 2024, Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion SAB de CV (NYSE:VLRS) has a trailing twelve-month revenue of $3.29 billion. 18. Grupo Financiero Inbursa SAB de CV (BMV:GFINBURO) Revenue: $3.93 Billion Grupo Financiero Inbursa SAB de CV (BMV:GFINBURO) is a Mexican financial services company. It provides banking and related services in Mexico. Grupo Financiero Inbursa SAB de CV (BMV:GFINBURO) has a trailing twelve-month revenue of $3.93 billion as of March 31, 2024. 17. Grupo Televisa SAB (NYSE:TV) Revenue: $4.1 Billion Grupo Televisa SAB (NYSE:TV), or simply Televisa, is a Mexican telecommunications and broadcasting company. As a cable operator and an operator of a direct-to-home (DTH) satellite pay television system in Mexico, the company is one of the most famous Mexican companies. As of March 31, 2024, Grupo Televisa SAB (NYSE:TV) has a trailing twelve-month revenue of $4.1 billion. 16. Industrias Bachoco SAB de CV (BMV:BACHOCOB) Revenue: $5.19 Billion Industrias Bachoco SAB de CV (BMV:BACHOCOB) is one of the biggest companies in Mexicos poultry industry. It is engaged in processing and distributing a variety of protein options, which include chicken, turkey, beef, and pork products. Industrias Bachoco SAB de CV (BMV:BACHOCOB) has a trailing twelve-month revenue of $5.19 billion as of September 30, 2023. 15. Grupo Elektra SAB de CV (BMV:ELEKTRA) Revenue: $5.27 Billion Grupo Elektra SAB de CV (BMV:ELEKTRA) is a Mexican financial and retail corporation that ranks among the top 15 largest companies in Mexico by revenue. It also offers non-bank loans in the US. As of March 31, 2024, Grupo Elektra SAB de CV (BMV:ELEKTRA) has a trailing twelve-month revenue of $5.27 billion. 14. Gruma SAB de CV (BMV:GRUMAB) Revenue: $6.58 Billion Gruma SAB de CV (BMV:GRUMAB) is a Mexican food company. It specializes in the production of corn masa flour, tortillas, and wraps. Gruma SAB de CV (BMV:GRUMAB) has a trailing twelve-month revenue of $6.58 billion as of March 31, 2024. 13. Organizacion Soriana SAB de CV (BMV:SORIANAB) Revenue: $8.97 Billion Organizacion Soriana SAB de CV (BMV:SORIANAB) is a retail corporation that ranks among the top companies in Mexico. It operates a grocery and department store retail chain and supermarkets for consumer and wholesale markets. As of June 30, 2023, Organizacion Soriana SAB de CV (BMV:SORIANAB) has a trailing twelve-month revenue of $8.97 billion. 12. Grupo Carso SAB de CV (BMV:GCARSOA1) Revenue: $10.79 Billion Grupo Carso SAB de CV (BMV:GCARSOA1) is one of the biggest conglomerates in Mexico. The group is engaged in various sectors, including the commercial sector, the industrial sector, the infrastructure and construction sector, and the energy sector. Grupo Carso SAB de CV (BMV:GCARSOA1) has a trailing twelve-month revenue of $10.79 billion as of March 31, 2023. 11. Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV (BMV:GFNORTEO) Revenue: $11.51 Billion Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV (BMV:GFNORTEO), also known as GFNorte, is a leading financial institution in Mexico. It offers a wide variety of traditional and digital products and services within the banking industry in Mexico. As of March 31, 2023, Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV (BMV:GFNORTEO) has a trailing twelve-month revenue of $11.51 billion. 10. Arca Continental SAB de CV (BMV:AC) Revenue: $12 Billion Arca Continental SAB de CV (BMV:AC) is a multinational beverage manufacturing company that ranks among the top 10 largest companies in Mexico by revenue. The company produces, distributes, and markets non-alcoholic beverages under The Coca-Cola Company brand. Arca Continental SAB de CV (BMV:AC) has a trailing twelve-month revenue of $12 billion as of September 30, 2023. 9. Coca-Cola FEMSA SAB de CV (NYSE:KOF) Revenue: $14.54 Billion Coca-Cola FEMSA SAB de CV (NYSE:KOF), also known as Coca-Cola FEMSA or KOF, is a Mexican multinational beverage company. The company produces, distributes, markets, and sells mainly The CocaCola Company's beverage portfolio, including sparkling beverages, waters, and other non-carbonated beverages. As of March 31, 2023, Coca-Cola FEMSA SAB de CV (NYSE:KOF) has a trailing twelve-month revenue of $14.54 billion. 8. Grupo Mexico SAB de CV (BMV:GMEXICOB) Revenue: $14.75 Billion Grupo Mexico SAB de CV (BMV:GMEXICOB) is a Mexican conglomerate that ranks 8th on our list of the largest companies in Mexico by revenue. It is one of the biggest mining companies in Mexico. It is also engaged in the transportation and infrastructure sectors. Grupo Mexico SAB de CV (BMV:GMEXICOB) has a trailing twelve-month revenue of $14.75 billion as of September 30, 2023. 7. CEMEX SAB de CV (NYSE:CX) Revenue: $17.52 Billion CEMEX SAB de CV (NYSE:CX) is a Mexican multinational building and construction materials company. The company offers a portfolio of products including cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates, and urbanization solutions. As one of the top companies in Mexico, CEMEX SAB de CV (NYSE:CX) has a trailing twelve-month revenue of $17.52 billion as of March 31, 2024. 6. Grupo Bimbo SAB de CV (BMV:BIMBOA) Revenue: $22.27 Billion Grupo Bimbo SAB de CV (BMV:BIMBOA) is a Mexican multinational food company. As one of the largest baking companies in the world, it produces over 9,000 products and has more than 220 bakeries and 1,500 sales centers in 35 countries. With a trailing twelve-month revenue of $22.27 billion as of March 31, 2024, Grupo Bimbo SAB de CV (BMV:BIMBOA) ranks 6th on our list of the largest companies in Mexico by revenue. Click to continue reading and see 5 Largest Companies in Mexico by Revenue. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: None. 25 Largest Companies in Mexico by Revenue is published on Insider Monkey. Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, dismissed Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi on May 9. According to lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak, 273 lawmakers voted for Solskyi's resignation from the Verkhovna Rada, exceeding the minimum number of votes required. Eleven lawmakers abstained from voting, 36 were not present, and one voted against his dismissal, Zhelezniak said. No official mention was made of the reason for Solskyi's dismissal. Sign up for our newsletter Ukraine Weekly By Olga Rudenko Sign up Solskyi is suspected of illegally appropriating Ukrainian state-owned land worth Hr 291 million ($7.3 million) and attempting to seize another plot worth an additional Hr 190 million ($4.8 million), according to Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU). Solskyi denied the allegations on April 24, saying that the case concerned the period of 2017-2018 when he served as a lawyer, not as a minister. Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court ordered Solskyi's arrest on April 26. He was ordered to be held in custody until June 24, but he posted a Hr 75.7 million ($1.9 million) bail on the same day and was released. Solskyi submitted his resignation to the Ukrainian parliament on April 25, just a day after he said he had not planned to resign. As lawmakers have not voted for his dismissal earlier, Solskyi continued his duties as the agriculture minister until May 9. Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court also previously ordered the arrest of Deputy Agricultural Minister Markiian Dmytrasevych, who is one of the suspects in an illegal land acquisition case involving Solskyi. Read also: Parliament dismisses Infrastructure Minster Oleksandr Kubrakov Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine's Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, voted to dismiss Infrastructure Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction Oleksandr Kubrakov on May 9. There were no lawmakers who voted against the motion to dismiss Kubrakov. In total, 272 MPs voted in support of his dismissal, 13 MPs abstained, and 35 were not present at the vote. Kubrakov became Infrastructure Minister in May 2021. He had been elected an MP in the 2019 parliamentary elections as part of President Volodymyr Zelensky's Servant of the People party. Kubrakov reacted on Facebook that prior to the vote, he had not been invited to meet with the head of the party or with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to discuss the decision. "I am always ready for an open dialogue and a detailed report on the work of the Ministry in all areas under my responsibility," Kubrakov said "From the first days of the war, military logistics, reconstruction of housing and municipal infrastructure were added to our responsibilities in the field of transport and mail," and the ministry "managed to launch a number of important initiatives and projects for the state." President Volodymyr Zelensky said on March 30 that Ukrainians can expect more government reshuffles in the near future, following a shake-up of his inner circle. Subscribe to Ukraine Daily newsletter News from Ukraine in your inbox Subscribe Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, voted in favor on May 9 of a draft law that increases the fines given to those who evade mobilization. Ukraine is updating the legal framework around conscription and introducing harsher penalties for draft evasion to ramp up mobilization in 2024. The fine for not registering or updating information at their local conscription office has increased from Hr 3,400 ($86) to Hr 5,100 ($130), while repeat violations will result in a fine of 25,500 ($647), up from 17,000 ($431). Men who refuse draft summons will face a fine of Hr 25,000 ($634), up from Hr 17,000 ($431) with the fine rising to Hr 59,000 ($1,500) for officials. The average monthly salary in Ukraine is estimated to be around Hr 19,500 ($495). 256 MPs voted in favor of the bill, while four abstained and 52 MPs were not present at the vote. This law will enter into force a month after it is signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, Suspilne reported. Zelensky signed several laws on mobilization in April, one of which lowered the minimum age of compulsory military service from 27 to 25, making men eligible for the draft from age 25, as well as the new law on mobilization. Sign up for our newsletter Ukraine Weekly By Olga Rudenko Sign up Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday pushed back against Attorney General Andrew Baileys defense of three senators sued for sharing false posts about the Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting. Parson, a Republican who appointed Bailey, told a gaggle of reporters that it was problematic when asked about the state defending the Republican state senators. Well be making a statement on that before long, Parson said, according to a video of his remarks shared on social media by a Nexstar TV station reporter. But Im gonna tell you this: we are not gonna target innocent people in this state. Bailey, a Republican, has faced intense criticism from lawmakers of both parties for his offices defense of the Republican senators: Rick Brattin of Harrisonville, Denny Hoskins of Warrensburg, and Nick Schroer of St. Charles County. All three senators, members of the hard-right Missouri Freedom Caucus, were each sued last month for posts falsely claiming that Denton Loudermill, an Olathe native, was an undocumented immigrant and a shooter in the February shooting that killed one person and injured more than 20. An onslaught of social media posts, including from the senators, used Loudermills image, falsely claiming that he was one of the shooters. He was not and has said police detained him because he wasnt leaving the area of the shooting quickly enough, but that he was released after about 30 to 45 minutes. This gentleman did nothing wrong whatsoever other than he went to a parade, and he drank beer and he was Hispanic, said Parson, despite the fact that Loudermill is Black. Were just not going to attack citizens, in Missouri or anywhere else, just because we think we have the power to do such. Parson, who was at the parade when the shooting happened, said that there will be more to be said on that in the near future, but Im telling you, its problematic. When asked whether he was arguing that Bailey would not defend the three senators, Parson responded that he didnt know what the AGs gonna do. Im gonna just tell you what Im gonna do, you know. But I dont agree. Baileys office, in a court filing last week, argued that Brattin was acting in his official capacity and was protected by absolute legislative immunity. The motion also argued that the lawsuit, filed in Kansas federal court, should be dismissed because the shooting, posts, and Brattin himself were all based in Missouri. Parson appeared to agree with the second argument, saying theres a jurisdiction issue that I do believe needs to be addressed you know, whether you go to Kansas or whether you dont. But he also appeared to take issue with the legislative immunity claim from Baileys office. Politicians have to be responsible and have to be held to a higher standard when you start attacking citizens in our state, he said. You dont get a free pass just because youre a politician. Paso Robles Joint Unified School District has reached an agreement with its teachers union, likely staving off a strike after months of dispute over contract negotiations. According to a news release, the school district reached a tentative agreement with the Paso Robles Public Educators union Wednesday. The agreement came at the end of a fact-finding hearing, careful deliberation and negotiations, according to the release. Through open dialogue and collaboration, all parties involved have worked tirelessly to address the various concerns and considerations at hand, the district wrote in a statement. Contract negotiations between the district and its union which represents more than 400 employees, from teachers to yard aides initially stalled in February. The union was demanding an 8.2% cost-of-living salary increase, while the school district said it could only afford a 2% increase. At the time, union representation told The Tribune that the leadership was considering a strike if the demands were not met, though it had not made firm plans to do so just yet. It was not immediately clear Wednesday evening what the negotiated terms were in the tentative agreement, including how much of a pay raise the two sides agreed to. The agreement will now be presented to the union membership, the district board of trustees and the community at an upcoming public board meeting, the release said. We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who has contributed to this process, including our dedicated faculty and staff, our community members and the representatives involved in the fact-finding process, the district statement concluded. ANKARA (Reuters) - A Corendon Airlines Boeing 737 plane's front tire burst upon landing at an airport in southern Turkey on Thursday, the Turkish transport minister said, adding there were no casualties and all 190 passengers and crew were evacuated. The front landing gear strut was damaged on the Corendon Airlines plane, arriving from Cologne, Germany, as it landed at Alanya-Gazipasa airport in Antalya, Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said. "All our relevant units were on the field and were on alert. Thank God, there were no injuries to the 184 passengers and 6 crew," Uraloglu said on social media platform X, adding initial evaluations showed there was no damage to the runway, which was temporarily closed. On Wednesday, Turkish authorities launched an investigation into a FedEx Airlines Boeing 767 cargo plane landing at Istanbul Airport without its front landing gear. After Thursday's incident, flights were diverted to the main Antalya airport and other nearby airports, the minister said. Corendon said in a statement the plane halted safely on the runway after the tire burst. Experts say burst tyres on landing are relatively common and typically require minor repairs, but can trigger a search for tyre debris or in some cases a passenger evacuation. The plane involved, which has six wheels, is different from the larger 767 which made an emergency landing without its front landing gear on Wednesday. (This story has been refiled to remove an incorrect picture) (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Ceyda Caglayan; Editing by Daren Butler, Alexandra Hudson) Passengers Scream as Boeing 737 Skids Off Runway and Catches Fire in Senegal: WATCH Passengers Scream as Boeing 737 Skids Off Runway and Catches Fire in Senegal: WATCH Ten people were injured, including a pilot, after the incident occurred on May 9, according to Senegals Transport Minister Malick Ndiaye A passenger plane caught fire at Blaise Diagne International Airport in Senegal after it skidded off the runway during takeoff on Thursday, May 9. Air Senegal flight HC301 had 79 passengers, two pilots and four cabin crew members on board when the incident occurred at 1:14 a.m. local time, Senegals Transport Minister Malick Ndiaye said in a statement. There were 10 people injured, including a pilot, all of whom were properly cared for after emergency services arrived at the scene. The flight, which was operated by local airline TransAir, was heading to Bamako, Mali, from Senegals capital city, Dakar. It was a Boeing 737-3, according to the Associated Press and BBC. Related: Boeing Under Investigation After Several Employees Failed to Perform Required Wing Attachment Inspection JEROME FAVRE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock TransAir flight after it skidded off the runway on May 9 In a harrowing video of the incident, flames appear to engulf one side of the plane as passengers quickly exit the aircraft down the emergency slide. Others can be heard screaming in the background. Operations at the airport were scheduled to continue as normal at 9:30 a.m. local time, Ndiaye added. In a statement to PEOPLE, Boeing said, Carriers operate and maintain their airplanes for upwards of 30 to 40 years, and referred any additional requests for comment to the airline. PEOPLE reached out to Air Senegal and Blaise Diagne International Airport for comment, but has not yet received a response. Related: Boeing-Linked Whistleblower Dead, the Second in 2 Months: He Possessed Tremendous Courage, Lawyers Say SEYLLOU/AFP via Getty Images Blaise Diagne International Airport Boeings safety measures have recently been put into question following a string of serious incidents. In January, passengers aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 shared distressing photos and videos after the Boeing 737-9 they were flying on had a plug door part of its fuselage blow out mid-air. The plane was heading to Ontario, Calif. and had to make an emergency landing back to its departure destination of Portland, Ore. Related: Boeing Whistleblower Reportedly Claims 787 Planes Could Break Apart Mid-Air Due to Construction Flaws Xinhua/Shutterstock Damage to TransAir flight after it skidded off the runway and caught fire in Dakar, Senegal Later in April, Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour drew attention to safety concerns involving 787 Dreamliner planes during an interview with the New York Times. Salehpour claimed, among other issues, that the planes have the potential to come apart mid-air after making numerous trips due to improper construction of the fuselage. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The Federal Aviation Administration recently opened up a new investigation into Boeing at the end of April after the company reported falsified aircraft inspections by some of their employees. The report claimed that certain 787 Dreamliner planes may not have been properly inspected after employees attached the aircrafts wings to the fuselage. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. AUSTIN (Nexstar) For nearly 50 years, Annunciation House has provided shelter, food, and education to refugees and undocumented immigrants in El Paso. The State of Texas is trying to shut them down, citing concerns they are harboring fugitives and thwarting law enforcements efforts on the border. In a new legal filing, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argues Annunciation House is engaged in systematic conduct that constitutes illegal alien harboring and operation of a stash house, as a matter of law both of which constitute felony offenses. His office is asking an El Paso court to stop their operations, citing state and federal law that prohibits aiding and abetting illegal immigrants. Any non-governmental organization (NGO) facilitating the unlawful entry of illegal aliens into Texas is undermining the rule of law and potentially jeopardizing the safety and wellbeing of our citizens, Attorney General Paxton said. All NGOs who are complicit in Joe Bidens illegal immigration catastrophe and think they are above the law should consider themselves on notice. The Catholic charity refutes all allegations of illegal conduct. They explain their mission has always been to provide safe and free housing to refugee families in the Gospel spirit of service and solidarity the same mission they say they have been accomplishing openly for 46 years. All (Annunciation) does is provide a place to sleep and food to families in need, Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid attorney Jerry Wesevich said. The alternative would be to have families out on the street in El Paso and nobody wants that its imperative to welcome the stranger and to love one another. Theres no smuggling that goes on. Theres no stash house. Wednesdays petition for a temporary injunction is the states latest procedural move to attempt to shut the shelter down, but it follows the same allegations the Attorney General has pursued since February. The Office of the Attorney Generals (OAG) investigation follows a 2022 directive from Gov. Greg Abbott to investigate NGOs that he said may be planning and facilitating the illegal transportation of illegal immigrants across our borders. In that letter, he offered to craft legislation that the OAG may propose to (solve) the ongoing border crisis and the role that NGOs may play in encouraging it. In last years legislative session, lawmakers passed into law increased penalties for operating a stash house raising the mandatory minimum prison sentence to ten years. That law went into effect this February the same month the OAG brought the complaint against Annunciation House. Wesevich projected confidence the court would block the OAGs efforts. We intend to take the evidence that weve gathered and explain to the court why the evidence shows that the subpoena that the Attorney General served on Annunciation House is illegal and unenforceable, he said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) A pedestrian was injured after being hit by a truck early Thursday morning, according to authorities. Sailor dies in SR-163 rollover crash The San Diego Police Department said officers received a call around 6:45 a.m. reporting that a crash had happened at the intersection of Cardin Street and Ronson Road in the Kearny Mesa neighborhood. Preliminary information said a white pick-up truck was involved and the victim was a 40-year-old woman. Authorities said the patient was taken to the hospital with injuries. No further information was made available. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Pennsylvania Governor signs six bills into law; Heres what they are Pennsylvania Governor signs six bills into law; Heres what they are HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) On Wednesday Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed six bills into law. HB 358 created the Keystone First Responder Award recognizing public servants who are either killed or suffer a career-ending injury in the line of duty. Every day first responders in Pennsylvania answer the call to protect people and/or property, often risking their own safety, said the bills sponsored Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Lehigh). This award will honor and commemorate emergency responders who have made profound commitments while performing their duties as law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, coroners, or 911 dispatchers. Eligible first responders include EMS, firefighters, rescue company employees, peace officers, 911 dispatchers, a coroner or medical examiner, corrections officers, federal law enforcement officers, or an emergency management coordinator. HB 917 creates an arbitration system option for families to resolve disputes instead of going to court. This will help to save families time, money, and stress in addition to reducing the burden on our legal system and saving taxpayer money, said the bills sponsors Representative Melissa L. Shusterman (D-Chester) and Rep. Tina M. Davis (D-Bucks). SB 709 increases the penalty for killing bald or golden eagles in Pennsylvania. In addition to other penalties, someone convicted of killing a bald or golden eagle would face a summary offense punishable by a $2,000 fine. Previously the law limited fines to nothing less than $2,000. My legislation will deter the killing of these emblematic creatures in Pennsylvania, said State Senator Lisa Boscola (D-Lehigh/Northampton) last year. SB 979 allows the Department of Agriculture to require a dealer, agent or person that offers a domestic animal, commercial feed or pet food for sale to the public to provide a posted notice on the premises with information on a dangerous transmissible disease. State Senator Linda Schlegel Culver told colleagues last fall that the bill would help address outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as bird flu. While this legislation would address the current outbreak of HPAI, the language would apply to any transmittable disease outbreak posing a danger to domestic animals SB 1111, introduced by Republican State Senators Lisa Baker and Gene Yaw, strengthens Megans Law by adding language noting that a sexually violent predator may be an individual who attempts, conspires, or solicits to commit a sexually violent offense. The Governor also signed SB 945, which amended the County Code, into law. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. Trong Nguyen / Shutterstock.com Are you in the market for a new laptop, fitness tracker, or even an entirely new home security system? If so, you should check out Costcos offerings this spring. The members-only warehouse club has a lot of great deals on some of these essential electronics that are worth checking out. Read Next: 7 Appliances Frugal Homeowners Steer Clear Of Try This: How To Get $340 Per Year in Cash Back on Gas and Other Things You Already Buy These are some of the best electronic deals at Costco this spring online and in stores. SimpliSafe Security System $249, $100 off retail A home security system is great to have, even if you dont necessarily own your home. If you do own property, however, getting a professionally monitored system installed on the premises could get you a homeowners insurance discount. And if it doesnt? You still benefit from the peace of mind knowing youve got motion sensors, cameras, video doorbells, and the works keeping your home and family safe from potential intruders. Costco sells several types of home security systems, so if youre a member there, you could pick up something at a decent price. Take the 13-piece SimpliSafe Home Security Kit as an example. This home security system is smart, its easy to set up and theres no contract required to use it. At Costco, its a steal at $249, $100 off retail, said David Bakke, consumer shopping expert at DollarSanity. It has largely positive reviews as well with a 4.6 star rating. It comes with complete control via the SimpliSafe app, has 24-7 monitoring, and is compatible with other smart home systems. This kit includes the base station, a smart alarm wireless indoor security camera, a smash-safe keypad, a wireless outdoor security camera, entry sensors for your windows and doors, and motion sensors. Check Out: Nearly Half of Americans Struggle To Pay Their Utility Bills: 5 Ways To Save LG 35 Widescreen Computer Monitor $349.99 While not on sale, LGs 35 UltraWide Computer Monitor only costs $349.99 and is well worth the price if the over 3,000 positive customer reviews are any indication. This is an amazing monitor if you need one for home use, said Bakke. Its huge, its curved for viewing pleasure, and its HD. This monitor features 3440 x 1440 resolution, a 100 hertz refresh rate and a 5ms response time. It also has AMD FreeSync technology, which cuts down on issues like input latency, stuttering during highly intensive gameplay or videos, and screen tearing. And if all of that isnt enough, this monitor also includes a display port, USB 3.0, and HDMI cables. Plus, its eligible for free shipping and handling when purchased online. Story continues Apple MacBook Pro Laptop $1,399.99, $150 off retail Need a snazzy new laptop? Check out the 14 MacBook Pro laptop from Costco. Not only does it have responsive unified memory and storage but it also boasts a brilliant display with Extreme Dynamic Range and plenty of modes to choose from as you do your work. Its supercharged with an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU (with hardware-accelerated ray tracing) so it can handle any project you throw at it. Plus, this machine is fully compatible with Adobe Creative Cloud, Apple Xcode, Medivis SurgicalAR, and an array of iPad and iPhone apps. It also comes with a built-in camera and audio so you can use it for webcalls or streaming without worrying about poor image or sound quality. Watch out for discounts on the MacBook Pro, said Nick Drewe, consumer savings expert and CEO of Wethrift. Costco offers exceptional bundle deals that includes accessories like AirPods, making it a worthwhile investment. Normally, this highly-rated machine costs $1,549.99. But its currently on sale for $1,399.99 thats $150 off. Klipsch Wireless Subwoofer $199.99, $50 off retail If you want to upgrade your home audio system, check out the Klipsch Wireless Subwoofer from Costco. It has a classic cube-shaped design and offers solid performance at a reasonable price point. It also has a wireless transmitter, meaning you wont have to worry about organizing a bunch of cords. Despite being wireless, however, it syncs smoothly and automatically to prevent any delays or degraded bass performance. Normally, it costs $249.99. But right now, its $50 off and only costs $199.99. Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 $359.99, $60 off retail Samsung is one of those brands that partners with Costco and often has discounts, so its worth checking out whats on offer. From my professional experience, I would specifically look into [Costcos] offers on brands like Samsung and HP, which have historically partnered with Costco for exclusive deals, said Russell Rosario, an industry analyst and the co-founder of Profit Leap. Checking back regularly and keeping an eye on the stores coupon books and online deals can lead to significant savings. One such item is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6. This watch has a timeless, iconic look that complements almost any style. It also boasts the latest smartwatch features, including sleep tracking technology, calorie and heart rate monitoring, your BMI, and goal tracking. It can also track upwards of 90 different exercises. You can even use it to call for help in times of emergency such as if youre running on the trails and suffer a fall. Plus, the Galaxy Watch 6 boasts more memory and quite a few other features older models just dont have. You will need a Samsung phone in order to use certain health features, but its easy to set up and pair with your devices. You dont even need a subscription for most of it. It currently costs $359.99, $60 off its original online price. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 5 Best Electronics Deals at Costco This Spring The Pentagon states that it has prevented the Russian military from using unauthorised Starlink internet terminals, operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX, on the battlefield in the war with Ukraine. Source: John Plumb, Assistant Secretary of Defence for Space Policy, in an interview with Bloomberg, European Pravda reports Details: Plumb said the US has been "heavily involved in working with the government of Ukraine and SpaceX to counter Russian illicit use of Starlink terminals". Quote: "At this time we have successfully countered Russian use, but I am certain Russia will continue to try and find ways to exploit Starlink and other commercial communications systems," he added. The Pentagon official declined to specify what tactics, methods or procedures are being used to stop Russia from using Starlink terminals. He did, however, assure that these were "good solutions" found together with Starlink and Ukraine. Background: In February, the Ukrainian military noticed that the Russians had begun using Elon Musk's SpaceX Starlink terminals at their positions. Later, this information was confirmed by Ukrainian military intelligence, which stated that Russia was buying terminals in Arab countries. As a result, Democrats in the US House of Representatives launched an investigation into SpaceX. Previously, in September 2023, the US Senate Armed Services Committee began studying national security issues caused by Elon Musk's decision to block his private Starlink satellite network near occupied Crimea. Support UP or become our patron! This Is Perhaps the Craziest, Most On-the-Nose Thing Trump Has Said About a Vice Presidential Hopeful So Far This is Totally Normal Quote of the Day, a feature highlighting a statement from the news that exemplifies just how extremely normal everything has become. Somebody whos created something very special politically I like diversity. Diversite, as you would say. I like diversite. [Donors] worth millions of dollars all want a piece of Byron. former President Donald Trump on Florida Rep. Byron Donalds viability as a VP pick With six months remaining until the presidential election, rumors and speculation swirl around who will be appointed Donald Trumps vice president and running mate. His political marriage with Mike Pence, his vice president during his time in office, ended rather acrimoniously, with Pence, his life threatened, choosing not to whitewash the events of the Jan. 6 insurrection. Still, the obvious pitfalls of being Trumps vice presidentterrifying threats and total forced obsolescencehave not deterred other GOP politicians (and outsiders) from jockeying for the position. Trump hosted a luncheon this past weekend at Mar-a-Lago, where invitations were reportedly reserved for top fundraisers (at least $25,000 for individuals and $100,000 for couples, according to Reuters). Also in attendance were a number of VP hopefuls. That didnt stop Trump from chatting about them all in a rather blithe way! In audio Axios obtained from the event, Trump weighed in about several of the contenders, seemingly rattling off whatever came to mind, like a game of memory association. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio? His name is coming up a lot. The governor of North Dakota, Doug Burgum? Hes a very rich man. Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt? Makes the best commercials beautiful family. Trump also lauded South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as somebody I love. Noem has been in the limelight over the past couple of weeks for a rather gory reasonshe shot her 14-month-old puppy after deeming the dog worthless for pheasant hunting (and maybe, sorta, dangerous?). Shes been with me, a supporter of mine, and Ive been a supporter of hers for a long time, Trump said. (To be clear, the amicable relationship will not propel Noem back onto his VP shortlist; she had reportedly been demoted as a top pick even before the dog controversy, according to CNN.) Among the colorful remarks, Trump also doled out a strange and telling compliment to Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, praising him foror, rather, asdiversity. He called Donalds somebody whos created something very special politically, adding, I like diversity. Diversite, as you would say. I like diversite. [Donors] worth millions of dollars all want a piece of Byron. Ah, yes, diversite: Its just like the word diversity but more elegant (elegante?). Anyway, this is a real case of saying the quiet part out loud. Trumps party is waging a damaging, over-the-top crusade against diversityspecifically diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives aimed at redressing harm from discriminatory policies and practices. Trump frequently laments that America is a hub of antiwhite racism and that this is perpetuated and evidenced by DEI plans. (It is not.) Why, then, would diversity be an appealing quality to Trump? Perhaps because he, like so many fellow Republicans, is intrigued by the optics of a Black vice president. No wonder they accuse Democrats of caring only about optics; they cant imagine a world where a diverse hire is about anything more! Trump himself has faced accusations of racism and hasat the very leastuttered a lot of racially charged statements. He also brags about attracting Black voters. (When I did the mug shot in Atlanta, that mug shot is No. 1, Trump said. You know who embraced it more than anyone else? The Black population.) And he has surrogates who create fake A.I. images of him with Black voters in an attempt to trick Black people into thinking that Trump spends time with them. Byron Donalds could be the sort of VP pick who would further cement Trumps ability to get away with self-indulgent asides about why he thinks Black people love him (or should). And then, I guess, he wouldnt need all those A.I. images. Its a brave new world! Peter Thiel was trapped inside a student debating hall by pro-Palestine protesters accusing him of genocide Peter Thiel faced backlash from pro-Palestine protesters during an event in Cambridge, UK. Thiel is the cofounder of Palantir, a data-mining firm that works with the Israel Defense Forces. Protesters interrupted his speech at the Cambridge Union and accused him of genocide. Tech billionaire Peter Thiel was trapped inside a student debating hall on Wednesday by pro-Palestine protesters who accused him of genocide. Thiel, 56, is a cofounder of data-mining company Palantir, which supplies the Israel Defense Forces with technology for "war-related missions." Thiel was giving a speech at the Cambridge Union Society in the UK (which is independent of the University of Cambridge) when pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted his monologue. They were later photographed being escorted out of the event. A protester is escorted out of the event. Nordin Catic/Getty Images Videos circulating on X show protesters gathered outside the building. One video, posted by Mail on Sunday journalist Sabrina Miller, shows a large group of protesters waving Palestinian flags and chanting. "Peter Thiel trapped inside Cambridge Union. Protesters not letting him leave," Miller wrote. Thiel's vehicles were also blocked from leaving the Cambridge Union for more than an hour by hundreds of protesters, according to Varsity, Cambridge University's independent student newspaper. The Times reported that Thiel taunted the group of activists by smiling and waving at them while taking pictures. The report said he had to arrive several hours early to avoid confrontations. "Since October 7th, 14,000 children in Palestine have been murdered, and Palantir is complicit in that. Your actions are complicit in the genocide of thousands of people," one protester from the Youth Demand campaign group could be heard saying in a video posted to X. "Your technology is ensuring that hospitals are being bombed," they added. "It's embarrassing and appalling that anyone could even want to attend a talk by a man profiting millions off the backs of dead people," one protester said in a press release issued by Youth Demand. Campaigners outside Peter Thiel's event at Cambridge Union. Nordin Catic/Getty Images "Palestinian lives are not disposable and I cannot stand for profit over human lives," they added. "Since our founding in 1815, the Cambridge Union Society's foremost principle is that of freedom of speech and the open exchange of ideas," a spokesperson for the Cambridge Union Society told Business Insider. "In this spirit, we both support the right to peaceful protest alongside the right for our speakers and members to voice their opinion. Last night's event demonstrated this long-standing tradition of the society." Representatives for Youth Demand campaign group and Palantir did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The exact details of Palantir's partnership with Israel aren't clear. In 2023, the company introduced its AI platform for militaries to analyze targets and create battle plans, Bloomberg said. "Both parties have mutually agreed to harness Palantir's advanced technology in support of war-related missions," the company's executive vice president, Josh Harris, told Bloomberg. "This strategic partnership aims to significantly aid the Israeli Ministry of Defense in addressing the current situation in Israel." Earlier this week, Palantir posted revenue of $634 million in the quarter ending March 31, a 21% increase from the same time last year. Alex Karp, Palantir's CEO, previously lashed out at the wave of pro-Palestine student protests occurring at universities . He doubled down on his comment on an earnings call this week. "The greatest institutions of our time disappear and turn into discriminatory dysfunction," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider More than 25,000 people have signed a petition calling on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the recent deaths of two Boeing whistleblowers as the company remains under intense scrutiny. The petition, organized by the progressive advocacy group MoveOn, urges the DOJ to investigate the deaths of John Barnett and Joshua Dean. Barnett, a 32-year veteran of Boeing who blew the whistle on safety and quality control concerns in the companys production line, was found dead in an apparent suicide in March. Dean, a former quality auditor at Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems, died last week after contracting a bacterial infection, according to The Seattle Times. He had accused the companys leadership of ignoring manufacturing defects with the 737 Max. The dangerous trend of Boeing aircraft accidents is extremely alarming, and its time the Department of Justice investigate these tragic whistleblower deaths and the mounting allegations from employees that Boeing has sought to silence those that spoke out over safety concerns, MoveOn spokesperson Britt Jacovich said in a statement. Another Boeing whistleblower who testified before a Senate committee last month accused the company of retaliating against him for raising concerns about gaps in the manufacturing process. A quality engineer at Boeing, Sam Salehpour said he was silenced and threatened after he raised concerns that portions of the fuselage of the 787 Dreamliner were improperly fused together. Santiago Paredes, a former quality inspector at Spirit AeroSystems, also came forward with new allegations against the Boeing supplier on Wednesday, saying he was pressured to hide defects found in airline parts. Paredes said he was demoted after complaining that management had changed the defect protocol to encourage fewer reports. He was eventually reinstated to a leadership role after filing a complaint. I felt I was being threatened, and I felt I was being retaliated against for raising concerns, he said. The increased scrutiny on the company comes in the wake of a midair blowout on a Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft in early January. The planes door plug blew off shortly after takeoff, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the aircraft and forcing the plane to make an emergency landing. Boeing declined to comment. Updated at 5:38 p.m. EDT. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Philadelphia Teacher 'Embodied' Love. Then She Was Killed by Man in Murder-Suicide Ondria Glaze was a high school teacher who "made everyone feel like she was their favorite person in the world," her union president wrote in a statement Ondria Glaze/Facebook Ondria Glaze A beloved Philadelphia high school teacher was shot and killed by a man who then turned the gun on himself in an apparent murder suicide. The Philadelphia Police Department tells PEOPLE it believes Ondria Glaze, 36, was shot once in the cheek by Richard Harper, 42, who was found dead with a single gunshot wound to the head inside a home in the citys Grays Ferry neighborhood on Monday, May 6. Police did not specify what the relationship between Glaze and Harper was. Glaze was a teacher at Olney High School, whose principal, Michael Roth, wrote a letter to the school community in the wake of her death. At Olney, we have a statement, Olney Love. Ms. Glaze could truly be defined as Olney Love, Roth wrote in his letter. She embodied this mantra and blessed every student and staff member she came across. The school started a GoFundMe to raise money for a scholarship in Glazes name. This scholarship will be awarded to a graduating senior each year, helping them pursue their dreams and continue the positive impact that Ms. Glaze had on all of us, the GoFundMes description reads. The funds raised will go into a trust that will ensure this scholarship can be given for years to come. 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. So far, the GoFundMe has raised over $18,000. The description also notes that Glaze had been at the school for over a decade. Ms. Glaze was 'the brightest light' according to a colleague, who described Ms. Glaze by saying 'She made everyone feel like she was their favorite person in the world, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Jerry T. Jordan said in a statement. This is an incredibly tragic loss for the entire Olney High School community and for all of Ms. Glaze's loved ones. 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. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. KANSAS CITY, Mo. FOX4 obtained the incident report related to an investigation multiple media outlets say involves Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rices alleged assault of a photographer at a nightclub. Rice hasnt been arrested or charged yet, but the incident report lays out a better timeline and gives the alleged victims account of what happened. The incident report says Dallas police officers went to Lit Kitchen and Lounge just after 3:30 a.m. for a major disturbance call. Hereford House mass food contamination detailed in court documents The man told officers he was at an after hours party at the nightclub when he decided to leave at 1:30 a.m. He said just before 2 a.m., the suspect, reported to be Rice, sent him an Instagram message asking him to come back to the nightclub. The victim said he thought Rice wanted to hire him to take pictures and decided to drive back to the nightclub. He said when he returned, Rice asked him to look at his cellphone where there were Instagram messages between the victim and an unidentified person. The victim told officers while he was looking at Rices cellphone, Rice punched him on the left side of his face. The rest of the report is redacted, and the only other relevant detail is the victim had an apparent minor injury with swelling to his jaw. Multiple break-ins, cars stolen near Raintree Lake in Lees Summit Rice hasnt commented about this investigation, nor have the Chiefs. He has been charged with eight felonies in a separate case related to a high-speed crash in Dallas at the end of March involving six vehicles. Hes also facing multiple lawsuits where victims in that crash are seeking millions of dollars. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Thirty-nine years later, remains discovered on Crescent Beach have been identified. Wednesday, the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office announced the victim was Mary Alice Pultz, last seen by her family in 1968 when she was 25. She had left home with boyfriend John Thomas Fugitt never to be heard from again. Detectives learned that Fugitt died in prison while on death row in a Georgia prison for a separate murder in 1981. Pultz was born in Maryland and has two living relatives: a son in Arizona and a sister in Virginia. It's unclear what connection she had to Florida. Evidence shows that Pultz was alive after 1968, according to the Sheriff's Office. Her remains showed three surgical burr holes in her skull, which are used to help relieve pressure on the brain during a brain bleed or build-up of fluid. Her family said this would have occurred after 1968, because they didn't know about it. Several other injuries that were likely to require hospitalization were found on Pultz's remains, which her family also did not know about. Detectives believe she was involved in some type of event like a vehicle crash that caused traumatic injuries. The Sheriff's Office said these facts were provided for historical purposes and aren't related to the cause of death. But Pultz's death was a homicide, officials said. They are actively investigating, despite how much time has passed. Her remains were found on April 10, 1985, by a group of construction workers in a shallow grave on the beach. Investigators were able to determine that the woman's age was 30 to 50 when she died. The case then grew cold. In 2011, Pultz's skull was sent to the University of South Florida for facial reconstruction. The image generated some leads, but they didn't amount to an identity. A St. Johns County Sheriff's Office cold case detective holds a photo of Mary Alice Pultz, left, who was last seen in 1968 and a composite rendering. Skeletal remains that were found in Crescent Beach in 1985 have been identified as Pultz. In 2023, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement forensics laboratory in Jacksonville decided to send the remains to Othram, a private lab in Texas. An investigation was launched based on Othram's DNA findings. Investigators were able to meet with potential relatives and take DNA samples to compare. In January 2024, Pultz was identified. This investigation is a powerful example that we will never give up," Sheriff Rob Hardwick said. "The combination of highly skilled detectives and advanced DNA technology has given Mary Alices family some answers about her disappearance close to 40 years ago. Our Major Crimes detectives are some of the best in the business and I am proud of their dedication to be a voice for homicide victims and their families as we seek closure for loved ones." This story was reported by Times-Union news partner First Coast News. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Nearly 40 years later, skeletal remains identified from Crescent Beach Pittsburgh in the late 1980s and 1990s wasnt known as an LGBTQ+ stomping ground regardless of what you might have seen on Queer as Folk. After I graduated from college, I worked briefly in the Pittsburgh area and usually met my friends in downtown Pittsburgh for happy hours. I would get drunk, Id sneak away from them, and go to a gay bar. I have no idea how I found what I think was the only gay bar in the city. I couldnt remember the name of the bar until recently. But I do know one night, I went down the wrong way on a one-way street buzzed, and a cop car, with lights blazing, met me head-on. Somehow, I wasn't arrested. That was my only brush with the Pittsburgh police until I spoke the departments current leader, Larry Scirotto, who is the first out gay chief in the citys history. Turns out I wasnt the only one sneaking into that gay bar 30 years ago. Chief Scirotto who reminded me that the name of the bar was Pegasus used to enter incognito, under a hat pulled tightly down over his head. Then there came a point in time that I didnt have to do that anymore, he said with a laugh. Scirotto, who was born and raised in the Steel City, was nominated by Mayor Ed Gainey to be the city's new police chief one year ago this month and confirmed by the City Council. He was first sworn in as a Pittsburgh police officer in 1995, and in 2018, he retired early as an assistant chief after coming up through the ranks and serving in various leadership roles in the department. For a brief time after he left Pittsburgh, he was the police chief in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., until he was fired for allegedly promoting minority police officers above white cisgender male officers. Scirotto said he promoted those officers on merit. A lawsuit he filed against Fort Lauderdale was dismissed. He was called back to Pittsburgh by Gainey after a nationwide search. "His deep ties to the city, inside knowledge of the bureau and his outside perspective make him the right choice to be chief of police and continue on with our right policing strategy," Gainey said at the time. I remember when I first started as a cop in Pittsburgh, I had a goal of becoming the chief of the department, Scirotto recalled. And here I am today, and Im so grateful. Since Scirotto was named last May, the number of homicides has fallen by 21 percent year to date, and nonfatal shootings are down by 17 percent. He was also highly praised for his handling of student protests around the University of Pittsburghs campus linked to the Israel-Hamas war. When I left in 2018, I didn't think I was coming back, and I also didn't think I was going back into law enforcement, so when the opportunity presented itself it was life coming full circle, Scirotto remarked. I was super excited to get the opportunity. Its a once-in-a-lifetime privilege that not a lot of people will get, especially a lot of people from the queer community. I told Scirotto that years ago, I would have never dreamed that my old stomping grounds would have a gay police chief, and when I saw the story about Scirotto, I was surprised, partly because my memories of Pittsburgh were of a place that wasnt very accepting. I always thought Pittsburgh was rather welcoming. It had been for me, Scirotto said. I was the first out gay male police officer, and I didn't have any unpleasant experiences, and I always felt very supported. In fact, the department is preparing to hire its first transgender officer. Scirottos love affair with law enforcement began when he was in his teens. No one in my family worked in this profession, but I was always intrigued. And one day, there were some police officers driving down the street I lived on, and they decided to get out and talk to a group of kids I was with. And I stayed forever connected with those officers, even to this day. I always think about how important that one moment was in my life. For them, it was just part of the day, but it was such a big deal to me and where I'm at today. During those formative years, Scirotto didn't know another gay person, and he grew up terrified that someone would find out that he was different. It was upon his first visit to Pegasus that Scirotto first interacted with the queer community. I met this guy and was like, Whoa, another person my age who was somebody like me. And, then I just looked around and felt at home and over time made friendships, lifelong friendships that I even have today. Then it got to a point where Scirotto was able to leave his decoy hat at home. You had to pass a police officer at the door before you walked down those stairs into the bar. Eventually, I just got a lot more comfortable with the community and got more comfortable being myself. And then that hat didn't matter anymore. And I quit wearing it, and here I am today. Growing up without any queer role models, Scirotto is fully aware of how important representation is within the city of Pittsburgh. I understand how impactful the role where I sit today is for that 18-year-old kid that otherwise doesn't see a gay executive in charge of a police department. We have obviously done well in other roles, but this is still one of the professions that don't have that level of representation throughout its ranks, but especially in its senior leadership, but I am sure that will continue to change, he said. Scirotto said he and his partner of 13 years and their two dogs feel at home in Pittsburgh. We've been very open, and Pittsburghers have been receptive to us and the queer community. Clearly, theres always more work to be done, and part of my job is to make sure that the police department is an inclusive and welcoming place for anyone who wants to enter law enforcement. And Scirotto offered some words of wisdom for anyone who might be struggling with their sexuality, as he did. Keep your head up! The world in which you think you live is much different when you get outside of the world in which you live. There are lots of people that accept you for who you are and will welcome you for who you are. I am always so appreciative of those that have actually struggled, those before someone like me, who were the pioneers and were ahead of their time and sacrificed so much, he added. I just hope to be that for the next generation, and I'm telling that 17-year-old that I'm fighting for them so that this level of representation is available for you someday. Scirotto advises to always take pride in who you are. Never be ashamed of who you are. And you'll do great things and you can do great things. And then when you think that nobody cares and the world isn't watching, just remember that somebody is out there fighting for you. UPDATE: She has been found safe. Pittsburgh police are searching for a missing woman. Juliette Elbaum, 32, was last seen Wednesday morning. Elbaum is 5 feet tall and weighs 160 pounds. She has hazel eyes, brown hair and wears glasses. Police said she may be in the Bloomfield, North Side or Dormont areas. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call 412-323-7141 or 911. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: PNC working to resolve duplicate debit transactions in customer accounts Stormy Daniels brings up Ben Roethlisberger during Donald Trump hush money trial Bear drags mans body from car after fatal accident, police say VIDEO: Irwin church looking to identify 2 teens who allegedly tampered with organ, sound system DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A private plane had to make an emergency landing on Wednesday, May 8 near Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). Plane makes emergency landing outside of Hueco Tanks State Park. Photo courtesy to Texas DPS Trooper Martinez DPS says that at 12:38 p.m., initial reports from air traffic control reported that the plane needed to seek an emergency landing. At 12:51 p.m., troopers were dispatched to find the plane near Hueco Tanks, according to DPS. DPS says two troopers found the plane and that it landed safely. Passengers on the plane, a man and a woman, were located and no injuries were reported, according to DPS. No other further information has been provided and the incident is under investigation. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. The British people need to wake up. We need to prevent the calamity of a Left-wing Labour government taking power. On the latest Planet Normal podcast, which you can listen to using the audio player above, columnists Liam Halligan and Allison Pearson speak to Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell about the bleak local election results in England for the Tories and his fears for the future of the country. Mr Rosindell is concerned Conservative votes are being split with Reform UK, saying people voting for Reform are simply delivering a Labour government, and one that could do huge damage to our country. Andrew believes the Reform Party should think about what is best for the country going forward. I think there needs to be discussions between Nigel Farage and the Conservative Party. I dont think that it would be a very proud legacy for Nigel, who I greatly admire, if they hand over power to the most Left-wing Labour government in history. When contemplating if The Conservatives can come back from these local election results, Andrew insists they do. The Conservative Party has a chance. It has a chance to show that weve got a vision for the country which will get Britain back on track. I dont think Labour have any ideas that are better than ours. In fact, I think in many areas they have no ideas at all. I weep thinking about the kind of things they [Labour] would do. Most British people want a Right-of-centre government that looks after the interests of our country. That re-energises the economy, controls the immigration, makes the most of the Brexit opportunities that we have so that we become a strong, prosperous, free nation. Find out how you can join Allison and Liam for the 200th episode of Planet Normal live here Listen to Planet Normal, a weekly Telegraph podcast featuring news and views from beyond the bubble, using the audio player above or subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your preferred podcast app 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. Poison Expert Accused of Killing Wife Allegedly Searched for 'Widower' Before Her Death, Then Changed Bumble Profile Connor Bowman, 31, is accused of using liquid colchicine to poison his wife 32-year-old Betty Bowman, who died on Aug. 20, 2023 Olmstead County Sheriff's Office, GoFundMe Connor Bowman and Betty Bowman. A former Mayo clinic medical resident accused of fatally poisoning his pharmacist wife in August 2023 allegedly searched online for "widower" before her death, then later changed his online dating profile to identify himself as one, according to a newly released search warrant obtained by multiple news outlets. Connor Bowman, 31, was indicted in Minnesota in January on charges of first-degree premeditated murder and second-degree murder with intent in connection with the poisoning death of his wife, Betty Bowman, the Olmsted County Attorneys Office previously said. He was initially arrested on Oct. 20, 2023. Its unclear if he has entered a plea and online court records show an attorney for him removed herself from the case last fall. It's not clear if he currently has an attorney. Authorities allege Connor used liquid colchicine to poison his wife Betty, who died on Aug. 20, 2023, four days after she was admitted to the hospital with severe gastrointestinal distress, according to a criminal complaint previously reviewed by PEOPLE. The substance is used to treat gout and can be fatal and high dosages, the National Library of Medicine states. Related: Poison Specialist Accused of Murdering Wife by Putting Chemicals in Drink Wanted to Have Her Cremated: Docs According to WCCO-TV, Connor was a Mayo Clinic medical resident who also worked as a poison specialist fielding phone calls for the University of Kansas while Betty was a Mayo Clinic pharmacist. A search warrant filed on Tuesday, May 7, and obtained by NBC News, KAAL-TV, and CBS News, states that local investigators spoke with multiple women who claimed they talked to Connor on the dating app Bumble in the days and weeks after his wifes death. A woman who matched with Connor on Sept. 5, 2023, claimed he identified himself as widower on his profile and asked him if he felt comfortable flirting with people on the app, KAAL-TV reported, citing the warrant. Connors phone records show he allegedly searched for the gender-neutral/masculine version of widow on August 18, 2023, according to the warrant. However, it was not made clear exactly when his marital status was changed on the dating profile. According to the warrant also cited by CBS News, authorities have requested information from Bumble regarding Connors account access and profile changes around the time of his wifes death. Sarah Leeser/GoFundMe Betty Bowman The warrant further alleges that Connor gave the women he spoke with on Bumble different explanations and timelines regarding his wifes death. A different woman claimed that Connor led her to believe that his wife died while on comfort care due to an overdose of morphine, approximately a year prior, CBS News reported, citing the warrant. Another woman who later confronted Connnor after learning that his wife had died only weeks earlier alleged that he told her that Betty had died from listeria poisoning earlier in the summer, according to the warrant cited by CBS News. Related: Poison Expert Accused of Fatally Poisoning Wife as Police Reveal Alleged Web Searches Additionally, on Aug. 29, 2023, Connor matched with a woman who claimed that she "thought it was strange" that he allegedly mentioned receiving a large life insurance payout and using it to pay off his student loan debt, NBC News reported, citing the warrant. Following Bettys death, Connor allegedly urged the medical examiner's office not to perform an autopsy and asked that Betty be cremated, claiming that her death was natural, according to the criminal complaint released in January. Bettys obituary states she died following a sudden onset autoimmune and infectious illness." According to the complaint, Connor allegedly suggested to doctors that his wife suffered from hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. It is a rare auto-immune disease in which white blood cells attack other blood cells and can cause multi-organ failure, per Johns Hopkins Medicine. Betty was remembered as a light to so many people on a GoFundMe campaign created in the wake of her death. According to KAAL-TV and CBS News, Connor is expected back in court on June 11. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Radosaw Sikorski, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, has called on European countries to coordinate their actions when it comes to Russian diplomats hostile activities on their territory. Source: Radosaw Sikorski during a visit to Estonia on 9 May, as reported by Estonias ERR and European Pravda Quote from Sikorski: "We have to coordinate our decisions regarding the presence of Russian diplomats in our capitals in order to reduce their ability to manage a network of agents and plan terrorist attacks. This is a full-blown confrontation. Putin has been fighting against us for years." Details: In a comment about Russias hostile activities in European countries, Sikorski said that European security services and foreign affairs ministries have to resist them jointly. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna agreed with Sikorski, saying that European countries "have to coordinate our actions at the level of intelligence and raise these issues at the level of the European Union and NATO"; "and we will do it together," he added. Background: Since the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Estonia has recalled its ambassador from Moscow, downgraded its diplomatic relations with Russia, and expelled a number of Russian diplomats from Tallinn. In recent months, European countries have been increasingly vocal about the threat posed by Russia. Media reported that European intelligence services have warned their governments that Moscow is planning sabotage operations across Europe. Support UP or become our patron! FILE - Members of a group of some 30 migrants seeking asylum are seen in Bialowieza, Poland, on Sunday, 28 May 2023. Polands defense minister said Thursday that the metal barrier against illegal migration on border with Bealrus is being strengthened and plans are being made to reinforce the security of border with Russia. (AP Photo/Agnieszka Sadowska, File) WARSAW, Poland (AP) Poland's defense minister said Thursday his country is strengthening the metal barrier along its border with Belarus to deter illegal migration. We are mending the barrier on the Polish-Belarusian border, we are strengthening this barrier, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on private Radio Zet. The spending on these purposes is the highest in (Polands) history. Kosiniak-Kamysz said the increased presence of Polish and allied military forces in regions close to the border is also helping to tighten the eastern frontier of NATO and the European Union. That presence has been increased since Russia's aggression in Ukraine in 2022. He spoke in favor of Poland building a line of defensive bunkers, trenches and ditches along that border and the one with Russia's exclave of Kaliningrad, steps that the Baltic states have already taken. Poland says a massive wave of illegal migration from Belarus, especially in 2022, was orchestrated by that country and by Russia to destabilize Poland, a Ukrainian ally, and the European Union. The influx was largely curbed by the metal barrier that Poland completed last year, but some illegal crossings continue. The minister's comments also suggested that the barrier is seen as a wider defense measure during Russia's war with Ukraine, which borders Poland. The College of Southern Idaho student body president was arrested Tuesday and faces 15 felony counts of distributing child sexual material, court records showed. According to a police affidavit, the 21-year-old uploaded a video file containing child sexual abuse material to Snapchat on Jan. 27. The video depicted a nude prepubescent male child of approximately 10 to 12 years of age engaged in oral sex with a male adult, the affidavit said, and after reviewing the uploaded files, Snapchat submitted an alert to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which then referred the case to the Idaho Office of the Attorney Generals Internet Crimes Against Children Unit. On Tuesday, the Twin Falls Police Department, Twin Falls County Sheriffs Office and Rupert Police Department arrested the man at his place of residence, the affidavit reported, and he was transported to the Twin Falls Police Department for interrogation. Officials found two phones in the mans apartment that they believe he used to receive and distribute the images, according to court records. Officials found conversations between the man and other Snapchat users that contained key words such as teen, young pics and younger, terms that are typically used in child sexual abuse cases, officials said. Additionally, he was found communicating with a minor, a junior in high school, the affidavit said. The man distributed video files with other users through Mega.nz hyperlinks, police say. Further investigation found that the hyperlinks included 10,500 media files, many of which included child sexual abuse materials. One Mega account linked to him included 14 files depicting the images, which showed minors between the ages of 10 to 15 performing sex acts with mature males and other minors, court records showed. The College of Southern Idaho removed his biography and photo from the Student Government and Presidential Scholars pages on the colleges official website. The College of Southern Idaho does not comment on law enforcement investigations connected with our students, a CSI representative told the Times-News. Please direct all inquiries to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Police arrest man accused of setting several fires near residences in Manchester, New Hampshire A man accused of intentionally setting at least three fires near residences in Manchester, New Hampshire Wednesday morning is facing arson charges. Manchester Police responded to the area of Merrimack, Middle, and Pleasant Streets for the report of several fires overnight which officials on the scene believed were intentionally set. Each fire was located near residences and flammable material was found in the vicinity, police said. In one fire, a propane grill had been used, and in another items had been placed on a deck and ignited. Fire officials informed officers of a suspected male who had been seen in the area carrying a white plastic bag. Police were able to locate and arrest the suspect identified as 41-year-old Nicholas Knee, of Manchester. Knee is charged with three felony counts of arson and one count of attempted arson, according to police. Manchester Police and Fire are jointly investigating other fires that occurred in the same area. Anyone with information about these fires can contact the Manchester Fire Marshal Division at (603)669-2256 or Detective Ryan Heile at rheile@manchesternh.gov or (603) 792- 5534. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Police ask for help IDing man who graffitied genocid on U of U campus SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) University of Utah Police are asking for help identifying a suspect who vandalized areas around Presidents Circle earlier this week. The suspect spray-painted three phrases, including GENOCID, DISCLOSE DIVEST, and JUSTICE NO PEACE on May 2, the same day protestors organized a pro-Palestinian rally before the universitys graduation commencement ceremony. READ NEXT: Prosecutors decline to charge man suspected of yelling slurs at U of U womens basketball team Courtesy University Department of Public Safety Courtesy University Department of Public Safety Courtesy University Department of Public Safety Early that morning, University Campus Security said a male dressed in black clothing and a mask spray-painted the front steps of several buildings along Presidents Circle, but quickly left the area while officers were arriving. Courtesy University Department of Public Safety Courtesy University Department of Public Safety Police searched the area where the suspect was last seen, but said no one matching his description was found. The University of Utah Department of Public Safety is actively investigating this case and is asking the public for assistance in identifying the suspect. Police urge anyone with information to call 801-585-2677 and reference case #24-1504. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Police asking for help after break-in, theft at Greenville gas station Police are asking for the publics help after a break-in and theft at a Greenville gas station early Wednesday morning. >>Power restoration efforts continue after tornado rips through Darke County The Greenville Police Department said it happened at the Circle Mart gas station on East Main Street, according to a social media post. The department added on its Facebook page that it occurred during the early morning hours. They also asked people to stay vigilant with power being restored after Tuesdays storms. >>NWS confirms 10 tornadoes hit the region Tuesday night News Center 7 reported Wednesday that the National Weather Service (NWS) said an EF1 tornado touched down and traveled 11.9 miles in 18 minutes. Estimated wind speeds for this tornado maxed out at 110 mph. It was approximately 800 yards wide. Anyone with information about the break-in and theft is asked to contact Detective Jackie Hawes or Detective Jennifer Fenstermaker at (937) 548-1103. Alpha and Omega Semiconductor (NASDAQ:AOSL) Third Quarter 2024 Results Key Financial Results Revenue: US$150.1m (up 13% from 3Q 2023). Net loss: US$11.2m (loss narrowed by 41% from 3Q 2023). US$0.39 loss per share (improved from US$0.68 loss in 3Q 2023). All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period Alpha and Omega Semiconductor EPS Beats Expectations Revenue was in line with analyst estimates. Earnings per share (EPS) surpassed analyst estimates by 18%. Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 6.7% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, compared to a 17% growth forecast for the Semiconductor industry in the US. Performance of the American Semiconductor industry. The company's shares are up 28% from a week ago. Risk Analysis What about risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Alpha and Omega Semiconductor 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. Police attempt to arrest wanted fugitive in Lakewood DENVER (KDVR) On Thursday just after noon, the Lakewood Police Department was attempting to arrest a wanted fugitive on South Union Boulevard. Lakewood police shoot and kill suspect after armed carjacking The incident occurred just north of West Cedar Drive on South Union Street. This embedded content is not available in your region. The suspect was wanted by Jefferson County on a weapons-related charge. Lakewood police say there is no further threat to the public. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. NEWINGTON The man whose body was found in the Piscataqua River last week is the same person who went missing in the river last month, according to New Hampshire State Police. The identity of the person has not been released. Police have said evidence indicates the death is not suspicious, and there is no danger to the public. On April 10, a multiple-day search began after authorities received a report that a person jumped off the Portsmouth side of the high-level Piscataqua River Bridge on Interstate 95. The Piscataqua River Bridge is the tallest of the three bridges in Portsmouth and is part of the I-95 corridor connecting Kittery to Portsmouth. Police on May 3 reported the body of an adult male was recovered by first responders. The body was transported for examination by the state medical examiner to confirm identity, along with the cause and manner of death. The Newington Police Department notified the Marine Patrol unit of the New Hampshire State Police shortly before 5 p.m. May 3 that a deceased person could be seen in the Piscataqua River, around Fox Point Road and Windswept Way. Members of Marine Patrol, Troop A, and the Newington Fire Department responded. While the investigation is ongoing, evidence recovered indicates the death is not suspicious in nature and there is no threat to the public. Police ask anyone with information to contact Marine Patrol Sgt. Nicholas Haroutunian at (603) 227-2112 or Nicholas.M.Haroutunian@dos.nh.gov, or call State Police at (603) 846-3333. If you need help The National Alliance on Mental Illness - New Hampshire offers the following resources to those in distress: NH Rapid Response Access Point Call/Text 1-833-710-6477 If you or someone you care about is experiencing a mental health and/or substance use crisis, you can call and speak to trained and caring clinical staff. Youll be served by compassionate providers from mental health centers in your community who can help you access vital resources in an emergency. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 for 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. (Chat option is also available at 988lifeline.org). This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Body found in Piscataqua River same man as I-95 bridge incident Police: Chase that injured teen was second of night for suspected car thieves GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) The police chase that critically injured a 17-year-old in Kent County last month was the second pursuit of the night involving the same group of suspected car thieves, police say. Dashcam video and police dispatches obtained by Target 8 through the Freedom of Information Act show officers in Holland chased two stolen cars, hitting speeds up to 120 mph, less than an hour before the Kent County crash that injured Riley Doggett 28 miles away. An undated photo of Riley Doggett. (Courtesy Taylor Daniels) Family looks for answers after 17-year-old hit by sheriffs vehicle Attorney Ven Johnson, hired by the Doggett family, said the teen, who was struck by a Kent County patrol car while running away, remains in a coma and isnt expected to survive. Police said Doggett was part of a group that drove to Holland in a stolen Range Rover on April 8, then swiped a Nissan in the parking lot of the MVP in Holland. The Range Rover had a dealer plate registered to a car lot in Cedar Springs. An off-duty officer spotted them and reported it. Im chasing two cars 24th and Waverly, the first responding officer radioed to a dispatcher. The stolen Nissan and Range Rover were flying in tandem through Holland. Still eastbound, high rates of speed. They blew the red light here, the officer reported. Then onto I-196 toward Grand Rapids, hitting 120 mph as it crossed the 88th Avenue overpass, then passing a semi on the right shoulder. Spike strips failed. This went on for 11 minutes and stretched 20 miles before police lost sight of the car just shy of the Kent County Line and terminated the chase. Ottawa County notified the Kent County Sheriffs Office. Deputies: Car chase suspect hit by sheriffs cruiser Less than half an hour later, Kent County deputies say they were trying to stop the Range Rover when it ran off the road and crashed into a used car lot near 32nd Street and South Division Avenue. They arrested the driver. Surveillance video from a nearby business shows someone jumping from the moving Range Rover. Doggetts family has said he was the passenger and was hit by the cruiser minutes later. Theres no indication he was armed. Clearly my client wasnt just nicked, he was creamed by a car, said Johnson, the familys attorney. People want to go, especially white America, Well, if they run away, then they deserve what they got. No, under the law, you cant kill somebody for running away, ladies and gentlemen. Thats not the law. The Kent County Sheriffs Office has said Doggett was unintentionally struck and that it was a direct result of the inherent risk accompanying the serious criminal activity that Riley was engaged in during the weeks and months leading up to this incident. This is what the police always engage in when they hurt or kill somebody, the familys attorney said. Its always the other persons fault that the officer utilized deadly force. Family of teen hit by deputy: No reason video isnt out Johnson called on the sheriff to release dashcam video. Why are you holding on to this? All it does is it rises the level of suspicion that something else is going on. Thats called a cover-up, lets be honest. In a text message, Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young said the deputy remains on leave while the Michigan State Police investigate. As for Doggett, the attorney said he remains in a coma, with his mom holding vigil at his hospital bedside. Apparently, the doctors have recommended to Mom to remove life support, he said. This is an incredibly difficult decision for anybody, but especially the mother of a boy. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. SUNNYSIDE, Queens (PIX11) Police have identified the 17-year-old girl who was fatally stabbed outside of a Queens subway station Wednesday night. Sara Rivera, of Queens, was found with a stab wound to her neck near the 46th Street-Bliss Street subway station in Sunnyside around 9:25 p.m., according to the NYPD. More Crime News A 15-year-old girl was charged with murder on Thursday, police said. Sources told PIX11 News the teens were friends and were spotted on surveillance video fighting before Rivera was fatally stabbed in the neck. The 15-year-old was taken into custody at the Flushing-Main Street subway station, which is the end of the No. 7 subway line, according to authorities. Police did not release the teens identity. 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. Police ID woman who was found disoriented, confused in Mt. Juliet MT. JULIET, Tenn. (WKRN) Police turned to the Mt. Juliet community for help identifying a woman who was found disoriented and confused on the Providence greenway Thursday morning. According to the Mt. Juliet Police Department, the woman was discovered near Providence Trail and Bridge Mill around 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 9. Have breaking come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts Authorities said the woman is currently being treated at a local hospital, but she was unable to provide any identifying information. Officials described the woman as 60 to 70 years old, 5-feet 4-inches tall, and 150 pounds. She was reportedly wearing a navy shirt, blue jeans, and pink slippers when she was found. Child found in Spring Hill, set to be reunited with parent Just after noon, police provided an update on social media, saying the woman had been identified and that she would be reunited with her family soon. No additional details have been shared about the circumstances surrounding the womans discovery. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Police investigating after two people shot in Bostons Dorchester neighborhood Boston police are investigating a double shooting in a Dorchester neighborhood Wednesday night. Police said that two people were shot in the area of Fuller Street around 9:30 p.m. Both victims were transported to local hospitals with unknown conditions, police said. There is no word on any suspects at this time. This is an active and ongoing investigation. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW HAINES CITY, Fla. (WFLA) A public safety investigation at Ridge Community High School caused school drop-offs to be delayed Thursday morning. The Haines City Police Department asked parents to avoid dropping off their students while the investigation was ongoing. Around 9:36 a.m., police gave the all-clear for drop-offs to resume. No further details about the investigation have been made available at this time. This is a developing story. Stay up to date on the latest from News Channel 8 on-air and on the go with the free WFLA News Channel 8 mobile app. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Three men face drug-trafficking charges after police said they found hundreds of thousands of illicit fentanyl pills during a planned handoff in a casino parking lot, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned. On Wednesday, a grand jury indicted Jesus Aguayo, David Estrada and Ulyses Lopez-Vazquez on a superseding indictment on charges of trafficking in a controlled substance, transporting a controlled substance and conspiracy to violate the Uniform Controlled Substance Act, documents said. In August 2023, Henderson police became aware of a fentanyl shipment from Arizona to Henderson, documents said. Police then arrived at the site of the planned drug transaction, a casino parking lot, discovering a large amount of fentanyl pills in a trunk. A count of the pills amounted to roughly 213,000 or 44 pounds, documents said. Illicit fentanyl is 50-to-100 times more potent than morphine. Just one pill can kill a person. Police said they located Aguayo, Estrada, and Lopez-Vazquez in the car, documents said. Detectives suspect the group was working out of Phoenix. All three defendants posted $20,000 bail while their initial criminal cases were in Henderson Justice Court, records said. An arraignment in district court was scheduled for May 15. In 2023, 302 people died from overdoses involving fentanyl in Clark County a 28% increase from 2022. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. Within two years, Port Canaveral plans to have a new cruise terminal at the ports existing North 8 Berth. WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS Port Canaveral CEO, John Murray told us, theres an immediate need to support growing cruise operations. Murray added, We have a point now were starting to turn business away from Port Canaveral. Its not going to Port Everglades in Miami. All our ports in Florida on the east coast and south ports are full. Read: What Florida teachers told 9 Investigates about violence in the classroom Murray said the proposed north side cruise terminal would require fewer modifications and cost less money than the ports previous $175-million-dollar plan to build a southside cruise terminal around Bluepoints Marina. Read: Record heat index forces changes to annual Corporate 5K race The port hasnt ruled out placing a terminal there in the future. The new terminal should be operational by the summer of 2026. Read: Workers relocate gator from Flagler County park Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. On May 8th, NIO announced the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement with Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. (GAC) in Guangzhou. The two parties will engage in comprehensive and multi-level strategic cooperation in various areas related to battery swapping industry, including battery standards, development and customization of battery swapping vehicle models, battery asset management and operations, and construction and operation of battery swapping service networks. They will also promote interoperability between their respective charging platforms. Under the agreement, both parties will work together to establish a unified battery standard system, collaborate on the development of battery swapping electric vehicles and compatible battery swapping service stations for their respective battery swapping systems, and facilitate the launch of battery swapping vehicle models equipped with standardized battery packs agreed upon by both parties. They will also seek solutions for station-side battery swapping services that can accommodate both parties' vehicle models. Additionally, they will promote interoperability among battery swapping networks and operators, establish a unified battery swapping operation management system, build a larger-scale, standardized, and unified energy infrastructure network, and establish a comprehensive lifecycle management system for power batteries, along with an efficient battery asset management platform and operational mechanism. In terms of charging platform cooperation, both parties will utilize their own charging facilities and establish interconnectivity for dynamic data exchange between the platforms. By the end of this month, both parties will achieve interconnectivity of their respective charging facilities, allowing users to access functions such as charging pile inquiries, navigation, activation, and payment through their respective apps, mini-programs, and in-car charging maps, making charging more convenient. Previously, NIO has already signed strategic cooperation agreements for battery swapping with Changan Automobile, Geely Holding Group, Chery Automobile, JAC Group, and Lotus, aiming to promote larger-scale, standardized, and unified energy infrastructure networks. Furthermore, NIO has engaged in comprehensive swapping cooperation with energy and power companies such as Sinopec, CNOOC, Shell, State Grid Corporation of China, Southern Power Grid, Wanneng Group, and Zhong'an Energy, collectively driving the rapid development of the electric vehicle battery swapping ecosystem. Source: Anhui Daily American Shared Hospital Services - Adds $9-$10 million in Annual Revenue with Positive Net Income Contribution - - Acquisition more than Doubles Backlog to over $210 million - - Expands U.S. Footprint and Product Offering - SAN FRANCISCO, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Shared Hospital Services (NYSE American: AMS) (the "Company"), a leading provider of turnkey technology solutions for stereotactic radiosurgery and advanced radiation therapy cancer treatment systems and services, today announced the closing of its acquisition of a 60% majority equity interest in the Southern New England Regional Cancer Center, LLC and Roger Williams Radiation Therapy, LLC, both Rhode Island limited liability corporations (the Companies) as well as certain payor contracts, from the Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Estate of GenesisCare USA, Inc., a Florida corporation, for a purchase price of $2.85 million. The Company anticipates this transaction to add $9-$10 million in annual revenue with positive net income contribution. Additionally, the Company announced that its projected revenue backlog has more than doubled to over $210 million with this acquisition. Projected American Shared Revenue Backlog American Shared estimates that our projected revenue backlog has increased significantly, from $106 million in 2021 to an estimated $213 million in May 2024. Our retail centers are a key factor in this projection, including our acquisition of a 60 percent interest in three Rhode Island radiation therapy cancer centers, along with our current 100 percent ownership of two international facilities in Peru and Ecuador and 85 percent ownership of a third in Mexico. Because the Rhode Island and international agreements have no termination date, we anticipate these centers will generate revenues for at least the next ten years. The Companies operate three fully functional turn-key radiation therapy cancer centers in Rhode Island, and all three sites are equipped with state-of-the-art cancer treatment technology using Linear Accelerators (LINACs) along with CT Simulators and comprehensive treatment planning software for tumor localization. The Investment interests that were acquired are for facilities that reside on or adjacent to Care New England and Roger Williams Medical Center which are the second and third largest health systems in the State of Rhode Island and are equity members of the subject facilities. The facilities include the Southern New England Regional Cancer Center LLC in Woonsocket, RI and Southern New England Radiation Therapy LLC-Kent in Warwick, RI. The third facility Roger Williams Radiation Therapy LLC is in Providence, RI. Ray Stachowiak, Executive Chairman of ASHS, commented, This is a strong milestone for our Company that expands our footprint of owned and operated radiation oncology centers into the U.S. The acquisition adds new revenue streams from each of the three facilities that are accretive to our base and is an excellent use of our capital as we continue to build momentum and execute on our growth strategy. A key to this acquisition is that our ownership preserves the offering of radiation therapy services at the strategically convenient Woonsocket, Providence and Warwick demographic locations. In addition, this ensures patients continued access to community based high quality radiation therapy today and in the future. David E. Wazer, MD, Professor and Chairman of Radiation Oncology, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, commented, It is very fortunate for Rhode Island cancer patients that ASHS was able to step into the void created by the GenesisCare bankruptcy. Had ASHS not taken this action, it is very likely that several treatment facilities would have been closed by the end of year which could have caused severe disruption for the roughly 70 patients per day that receive their care in these facilities. It is not an exaggeration to say that the responsible action by ASHS averted a statewide healthcare emergency. Ray Stachowiak continued, In addition to being a very positive contribution to our company its great to have the support of our JV partners, Care New England Health System and Prospect CharterCARE, LLC d/b/a Roger Williams Medical Center. We look forward to growing those relationships and exploring future additional possibilities. The success of these centers is based on the strong local relationships we now have in place and this includes the second and third largest healthcare systems in the state. These newly acquired Centers are part of the Sellers and its affiliates Chapter 11 bankruptcy process. The closing of the transaction was subject to certain events and conditions being met including (i) bankruptcy court approval, (ii) approval from the Rhode Island Department of health in accordance with the change in control of the majority member from GenesisCare to American Shared HospitalServices and (iii) other customary closing conditions. About American Shared Hospital Services (NYSE American: AMS) American Shared Hospital Services (ASHS) is a leading provider of creative financial and turnkey solutions to Cancer Treatment Centers, hospitals, and large cancer networks worldwide. The company works closely with all major global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) that provide leading edge clinical treatment systems and software to treat cancer using Radiation Therapy and Radiosurgery. The company is vendor agnostic and provides financial support for a wide range of products including MR Guided Radiation Therapy Linacs, Advanced Digital Linear Accelerators, Proton Beam Radiation Therapy Systems, Brachytherapy systems and suites, and through the Companys subsidiary, GK Financing LLC., the Leksell Gamma Knife product and services. For more information, please visit: www.ashs.com Safe Harbor Statement This press release may be deemed to contain certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and future plans of American Shared Hospital Services (including statements regarding the expected continued growth of the Company and the expansion of the Companys Gamma Knife, proton therapy and MR/LINAC business, which involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the risks of economic and market conditions, the risks of variability of financial results between quarters, the risks of the Gamma Knife and proton therapy businesses, the risks of changes to CMS reimbursement rates or reimbursement methodology, the risks of the timing, financing, and operations of the Companys Gamma Knife, proton therapy, and MR/LINAC businesses, the risk of expanding within or into new markets, the risk that the integration or continued operation of acquired businesses could adversely affect financial results and the risk that current and future acquisitions may negatively affect the Companys financial position. Further information on potential factors that could affect the financial condition, results of operations and future plans of American Shared Hospital Services is included in the filings of the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and the definitive Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on June 25, 2024. Contacts: American Shared Hospital Services Ray Stachowiak, Executive Chairman and CEO rstachowiak@ashs.com Investor Relations Kirin Smith, President PCG Advisory, Inc. ksmith@pcgadvisory.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7aa17d06-4f9e-4955-881d-8ecb06af5b1d PORTAGE, Mich. (WOOD) Portage Public Schools will remain closed for the third straight day Friday as the community continues to recover from Tuesdays tornado. Though no school buildings were damaged in the EF2 tornado, Portage Public Schools felt the effects of the storm. Almost all of our schools lost electricity. There was a major fiberoptic that was actually severed and missing, so that impacted our phone connections and internet accessibility, Superintendent Mark Bielang said. Thought we were gonna die: Tornado destroys homes, businesses in Portage area Those issues combined with what families are going through, caused the district to cancel school through the rest of the week. In a Thursday social media post announcing the Friday closure, the district said crews needed more time to restore important services to our buildings. Thank you for your patience. Please continue to be safe, the post added. Curious Kids and Prime Time are included in the closure. The EF2 tornado that hit Portage tracked about 11 miles from Texas Corners to Morrow Lake. With winds reaching 135 mph, it tore down trees, sheared roofs off homes and flipped mobile homes east of the city. About 100 families were displaced and there were some minor injuries. Our thoughts are with all those families and staff members whose homes were either lost or severely damaged and theyre looking for alternate housing, so definitely that comes into play, Bielang said. If were able to open buildings because of lack of staff, the impact on our students and the supports that we have to provide them. So we process all of that. Inside woodtv.com: Southwest Michigan tornadoes As of Thursday, Bielang said the districts power was back on, food service programs could operate and transportation systems were ready to go, but some challenges lingered like closed streets and phones not working properly. Were ready to go as far as the schools go, but were making sure were not interfering with the cleanup efforts and getting power restored, Bielang said. The school closures happened in the middle of International Baccalaureate and AP testing. The district worked with those agencies to resume testing Thursday and Friday. Were arranging for those students that need transportation to come in, most of those are juniors or seniors, so they can handle that, Bielang said. Its not safe: 911 calls flood dispatch amid tornadoes Bielang said he wants the district to open as soon as possible, but it will happen carefully. Its not totally in our court. The ball is really out there, yet to be played, Bielang said. When class resumes, Portage Public Schools will have crisis response teams in place for students that need it. Bielang added that its too early to tell if this weeks closures will cause the school year to be extended, but he hopes to avoid that situation. The Kalamazoo Community Foundation and the United Way of South Central Michigan have both established disaster relief funds in the wake of the storm. Portage leaders also directed people to the Michigan Volunteer Registry to find out how they can help. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) New Yorkers and Dubliners can get a peek at each others lives with a new public art project. Crowds gathered at two visual portals, one located near NYCs famous Flatiron Building and another along Dublins main drag, OConnell Street, to wave and dance with their new friends across the pond. The portals are a 24-hour livestream connecting the two major world cities, concocted by Lithuanian artist and entrepreneur Benediktas Gylys. One of my key aims as Lord Mayor is to make the city more inclusive, Lord Mayor of Dublin Daithi De Roiste told an Irish news outlet. This project is an example of one of the many exciting things to expect in Dublin during 2024 as part of our EU Capital of Smart Tourism Designation. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Nearly a week after an occupation of Portland State Universitys library that lasted for nearly three days, it appears the rare collections inside the building were protected despite the buildings vandalism. Staff said the universitys archivist entered the library during the occupation and appealed to protestors to help barricade and protect many of the rare collections. Four miles of I-5 to close for several days in June Still, Interim Library Dean Micheal Bowman said some were damaged with spray paint. And with a collection of more than a million books, it will be a while before the university has an accurate inventory or dollar amount in damages. Meanwhile, the universitys rare Dark Horse Comics collection previously reported stolen appears to be intact, according to Bowman. On Monday, May 29, a group entered the universitys Millar Library during an outdoor protest for a ceasefire in Gaza. At that point, PSU officials and city leaders said the protest had morphed from free speech into criminal behavior. On the second day of the occupation, KOIN 6 News entered the library where vandalism including graffiti, broken glass and smashed computers could be found throughout every floor of the building. Portland police cleared the protesters from the building not once, but twice on Thursday. Inside, investigators found caches of tools, what appears to be improvised weapons, ball bearings, paint balloons, spray bottles of ink, and DIY armor. Jill Biden swings through Portland for Thursday fundraiser More than two massive dumpsters filled with pallets and other debris have been removed during cleanup. Staff said teams are in the process of rewiring fire sprinkler systems and repainting walls. The campus resumed classes the day after protests ended, yet some feel the administration missed the mark when the protest derailed into the librarys occupation. Honestly, I feel that PSU handled the situation poorly, PSU student H.G. Garner said. The library will likely remain out of commission until the start of the Fall 2024 semester. But for now, Bowman said tensions remain high. The emotional impact on everyone, kind of the trauma. Some people are kind of worried about coming back into the building, Bowman said. Little Big Burger fined after willfully withholding tips President Ann Cudd told KOIN 6 News the university will pursue disciplinary actions for any students found guilty as the criminal justice process plays out. According to PSU, 20% of those who occupied Millar Library were students. Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. Pratt Institute professors narrowly reject resolution to boycott Israel after trying to hold vote on Passover Pratt Institutes faculty governing body narrowly rejected a series of resolutions to have the prestigious Brooklyn-based arts college boycott Israel during a vote that had initially been set to take place on the first full day of Passover. The Academic Senate rescheduled the vote after facing accusations of discrimination from the Brandeis Legal Center for Human Rights Under Law a Jewish legal civil-rights advocacy group as observant professors would have been kept from participating on the holiday. One of the resolutions, which was voted down 14 to 12, asked for an academic and cultural boycott of Israel. Pratt Institutes faculty governing body narrowly rejected a series of resolutions to have the prestigious Brooklyn-based arts college boycott Israel. @prattinstitute / Instagram Another, also rejected 14 to 12, asked that Pratt no longer engage in events, activities, agreements, or projects involving Israel, its lobby groups, or its cultural institutions. A third resolution asked to suspend Pratts partnership with Bazel University, Israels national school for art and design. It failed, garnering only 11 votes. The faculty council did pass a resolution 20 to 6 in favor asking for Pratt to provide full transparency regarding institutional investments in Israeli companies or companies that profit from the Israeli occupation of Palestine and prepares to divest from these holdings, if any. A top lawyer at Brandeis Center applauded the Academic Senates rejection of the anti-Israel resolutions. Pratts Jewish students, faculty, and staff, many of whom are members of the Brandeis Center, deserve all the credit for standing up for their rights, and for whats right, period, in defeating this anti-Semitic BDS [Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment] resolution, said Brandeis Center senior counsel Rory Lancman, a former New York City councilman. The Academic Senate rescheduled the vote after facing accusations of discrimination from the Brandeis Legal Center for Human Rights Under Law. @prattinstitute / Instagram Make no mistake BDS resolutions are anti-Semitic and likely violate a raft of anti-discrimination and anti-BDS laws and regulations, he added . The Post reached out to Academic Senate President Uzma Rizvi, an archaeology professor, for comment. In an email reporting the results Wednesday, Pratts academic senate thanked professors for debating difficult issues in good faith. The world is struggling to hold space for and have such conversations; we want you all to know that we strive to live by what we say our core values are academic freedom. We dont have to agree with one another, but we do have to sit together and talk. And for that, we thank each one of you, the statement said. The online voting took place by secret ballot. It comes amid arrests of rioters for vandalizing property and occupying or setting up encampments at Columbia University, the Fashion Institute of Technology and New York University, among other schools across the country. Title icon The Scoop As US-Iran relations thawed during the Obama administration, Princeton University saw an opportunity to make the school a central player in bridging the decades-long divide between the two antagonists. It established an Iran center, welcomed a senior Iranian diplomat to its ivy-coated halls, and pursued a student exchange program with Iran. But within a dozen years, two of Princetons graduate students had been detained or kidnapped by Tehran and its military proxies. And a Republican-led Congress is now formally probing the schools ties to Iranian regime officials. Princetons experience is a cautionary tale of how American institutions can be ensnared in the internal politics of Tehran and Washington and become pawns in those battles, even as they see themselves as working towards noble goals. After Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel, Princeton is also another Ivy League school that is seeking to balance academic freedom with scholarship and speech that some US lawmakers and educators believe are hostile to American interests. Princetons ambitions to position itself as an arbiter in reducing tensions between Iran and the US are clear in a large cache of Iranian foreign ministry emails obtained by Iran International, a Persian-language television channel banned in Iran, and shared with Semafor. Theyre also illustrated in the Princeton facultys extensive writings, speeches, and appearances focused on Iran. Title icon Know More Students abducted Princetons student exchange program first took off in 2014, when a prominent Iranian-American scholar and future Biden administration official, Ariane Tabatabai, connected the Iran centers then-associate director to Mostafa Zahrani, a senior Iranian foreign ministry diplomat with strong ties to his countrys elite military force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). I wanted to introduce you to a friend who is in Princeton, and you will see him in Vienna in three weeks, Tabatabai wrote, ccing Kevan Harris, the then associate director. He is interested in sharing with you a plan to send Iranian students to Princeton and to send American students to Iran. Harris jumped at this opening, according to correspondence seen by Semafor, and arranged to see Zahrani in Austria two weeks later on the sidelines of the nuclear negotiations that were taking place between Iran, the US, and other global powers. The follow-up took time, but by early 2015, Princeton welcomed its first candidate for the Iran program: a Chinese-American graduate student named Wang Xiyue. Wang was hesitant about going to Tehran, he told Semafor in recent interviews. He didnt speak Farsi, and his Ph.D. work initially focused on the Soviet Unions role in Central Asia, rather than issues related to Iran itself. He also raised with Princeton his concerns about security, given Irans history of abducting American citizens and the fact Tehran had no diplomatic ties with Washington. On Dec. 1, 2015, Wang emailed administrators that he felt he needed to be as specific as possible about his scholarship with Iranian officials to protect himself once on the ground. [A]s a US citizen of non-Iranian descen[t], I think it would be preferable for me to be as transparent as possible so that I would not be deported from the country for doing things my visa does not prescribe me to do, he wrote. But Harris and other Princeton officials reassured Wang about his safety and the importance of learning Farsi in Iran, both for his dissertation and future academic work. Its a good time to go [to Iran] looks like they are in a good mood over there, Harris wrote to Wang in the weeks before his January 2016 departure. Take advantage of it. Wangs reservations proved to be right. Six months after his arrival in Tehran, Irans intelligence ministry confiscated his US passport. On Aug. 7, 2016, he was arrested on espionage charges and sent to Irans feared Evin Prison, where he spent more than three years, at times in solitary confinement and threatened with death. Princeton denied that it in any way downplayed the risks of travel to Iran nor pressured Wang into joining the exchange program. Princeton did not direct, and indeed did not have the power to direct, Mr. Wangs travel, university spokesman Michael Hotchkiss told Semafor. And it was Princeton University that undertook a relentless, multi-year and multi-million-dollar global effort to secure his release. Last year, a second Princeton graduate student, Elizabeth Tsurkov, was abducted by an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq. She hasnt been seen since last November. Tsurkovs journey to Princeton was an unusual one. The academic and journalist was born in Russia, raised and educated in Israel, and earned her masters degree in social science from the University of Chicago in 2019 with a 3.9 GPA. Throughout this time, she showed a remarkable ability particularly for an Israeli to engage the Middle Easts religious groups, militias, and political movements in hotspots like Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. Tsurkov has said in published interviews that she began her reporting through the heavy use of social media. Fluent in Arabic, she employed Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp to document the plight of people caught in war zones, and amassed a substantial online following and network in the process. She also used her Russian passport to visit Arab countries that are largely off limits to Israelis. Tsurkov has acknowledged that her citizenship and religion unnerved some of her contacts. But her colleagues and family said that her writings, which have focused heavily on the plight of victims of regional and sectarian violence including Palestinians have allowed her to gain and maintain the trust of the groups and individuals shes documenting. Among her affiliations is an Israeli-Palestinian think tank that educates Israelis on Islam and their Arab neighbors in a bid to support the peace process. I think that what drives all of them, at the end of the day, to speak to me is a feeling that I care about them, and I want to properly reflect their perspectives and their views, Tsurkov told the media outlet Al-Monitor in a 2021 podcast. Tsurkovs doctoral work at Princeton was focused on the patronage systems that underpin political movements in Lebanon, Iraq, and Iraqi Kurdistan and why their members often remain loyal to feudal and sectarian leaders who deliver little economic development in return. In her thesis proposal from 2021, which was approved and funded by Princeton, she outlined the travels shed made, and would continue to make, to Baghdad, northern Iraq, and Lebanon. Tsurkov was kidnapped on March 21, 2023 from a cafe in the central Baghdad neighborhood of Karrada, just days after undergoing back surgery in an Iraqi hospital for a herniated disc. Both the US and Israeli governments blame the Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah (KH) for the abduction. KH was established in 2003 with the direct support of Irans IRGC, and is designated by the US as a terrorist organization. KHs militia forms the largest part of Iraqs national guard, known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, and KH politicians serve in Iraqi Prime Minister Shia Al Sudanis government. US officials say KH also regularly coordinates with the IRGC to attack American military facilities and personnel in Iraq and the wider region. This includes a January drone strike on a Pentagon base in Jordan that killed three American troops. The Trump administration assassinated KHs founding commander, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, in a January 2020 missile strike on his convoy in Baghdad. He was accompanied by the IRGCs most powerful general, Qasem Soleimani, who also died in the attack. Iran has vowed to avenge both of their deaths. KH hasnt contacted the Tsurkov family nor made any demands for her release. Elizabeths sister, Emma Tsurkov, has publicly criticized Princetons response to the kidnapping mirroring, in many ways, complaints raised by Wang Xiyue. Last August, she penned an opinion piece in the New Jersey Star-Ledger claiming the school had been denying it approved Elizabeths travel to Iraq and was telling the State Department that their grad student had essentially gone rogue. Emma Tsurkov stressed in her article that any divide between the school and Elizabeth was extremely dangerous as it could only fuel charges that she was a spy and hurt her chances of coming home. Semafor/Jay Solomon Emma told Semafor that Elizabeth, once in Iraq, was in regular contact with her Princeton thesis advisor, Professor Amaney Jamal, the dean of the School of Public and International Affairs. This included occasional video calls from Baghdad. But the Tsurkov family has been disappointed that Jamal hasnt met with Emma in person since Elizabeths disappearance, something Princeton doesnt dispute. The school in October, for the first time, publicly took responsibility for Elizabeths research and travel to Iraq, even while raising questions about whether she followed proper procedures going there. Spokesman Hotchkiss told Semafor that Princeton is totally committed to gaining her release by making available reputable outside experts the University has retained and by advocating with US government officials to use their influence to help bring Elizabeth home safely. He added that Jamal directly communicated her deep concern for Elizabeth and her family to Emma Tsurkov via email and that the school has appointed a deputy dean at the graduate school to serve as a point person. [The administrator] is available for Emma at any time and remains in contact with her, he said. KH released a proof-of-life video in November in which a visibly exhausted Elizabeth Tsurkov reads a statement in Hebrew claiming she was both an operative for the CIA and Mossad, the Israeli spy agency. (The US and Israel deny this charge.) The student is believed to still be in Baghdad. Emma Tsurkov is now focused on pressuring Iraqs government to secure Elizabeths freedom, given Baghdads close ties to KH. The family believes Iraq should be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism and have its US aid budget slashed unless it wins Elizabeths release. Emma Tsurkov directly confronted the Iraqi prime minister at a Washington think tank last month on behalf of her sister, publicly accusing him of not doing anything to save her. The Iraqi government hasnt responded to requests for comment from Semafor. An Iranian diplomat on campus Princeton entered the Iran debate in a significant way in 2009, when it agreed to host Hossein Mousavian, a top regime diplomat and former nuclear negotiator, in New Jersey. Mousavian fled Tehran that year after being charged with espionage by then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejads government, and briefly detained. The Islamic Republic insider would be cleared, but still found himself starkly on the wrong side of his countrys vicious political infighting. Semafor/Al Lucca Mousavian was no dissident, though, and used his perch at Princeton to advocate Irans positions on its nuclear program and other key national security issues. A former ambassador to Germany, Mousavian has supported ties with the West in ways that have placed him at odds with the IRGC and other hardline parties in Tehran. He has also sought to improve relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Many of Mousavians dictums on the nuclear file would be adopted by the Iranian government after his close political ally, Hassan Rouhani, succeeded Ahmadinejad as president in 2013 and moved to negotiate directly with the Obama administration over the next two years. The Princeton scholar was a prolific producer of opinion pieces and commentary during this period who liaised, at times, with Iranian diplomats, including Mostafa Zahrani and then-Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, to promote their messaging and engagements in the West, according to the foreign ministry correspondence reviewed by Semafor. Princeton officials lauded Mousavians ability to advise the US and Iranian delegations to help advance the nuclear deal, which was finalized in July 2015. And in the eyes of Wang Xiyue, the graduate student, this reflected his schools strong ties to the upper echelons of the Islamic Republics leadership. This sense of security was only bolstered, Wang told Semafor, by the fact that one of his advisers at Princetons Iran center, Mona Rahmani, was herself related to an Iranian government official. Her father ran Tehrans interests section in Washington, an Iranian government body that works to support dual US-Iran citizens, from 2010-2015. My concerns were alleviated by the fact that there were these direct links between Princeton and Iran, Wang said. It looked like there was coordination. Following his arrest in August 2016, these connections to Tehran proved of little use, Wang outlined in a lawsuit he filed against Princeton in 2021, charging negligence. The university advised Wangs wife to stay quiet and not publicly criticize the Iranian government, he says. And Mousavian told Princetons leadership that his outreach to Zahrani, Zarif, and other Iranian officials would be counterproductive for Wang, given the Princeton scholars own sparring with Tehrans security state. Rahmani, meanwhile, also declined to lobby the regime, the lawsuit states. She left the university in 2017. Wang says he felt totally abandoned during the more than three years he was incarcerated in Evin Prison. He was released on December 7, 2019 as part of a prisoner exchange negotiated between the Trump administration and Iran. Simply put, after encouraging and convincing Mr. Wang to go to Iran, Princeton chose to put their reputation and political interest ahead of Mr. Wangs personal safety, reads his lawsuit. Princeton denies that it placed its reputation or ties to Iran ahead of Wangs safety. And the school said it invested enormous resources behind gaining his release. Throughout his ordeal, the University worked in close coordination with his wife and provided extensive financial and other support to Mr. Wang and his family during and after his imprisonment, Princetons legal team at Akin Gump wrote to congressional lawmakers investigating the schools ties to Iran last year. Princeton reached a financial settlement with Wang last September but denies all charges made against the school in the suit. We have chosen to help them [Wangs family] move on with their lives by avoiding protracted litigation, spokesman Hotchkiss said. Title icon The View From Princeton Princeton officials strongly back the schools decision to provide Mousavian a base to conduct his scholarship from 2009 through today. The school cites his role in helping to promote the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, and his efforts to reduce tensions between Washington and Tehran that some Western officials worry could expand into an all-out war. Based on my personal observations, Dr. Mousavian, as an advisor to the negotiators on both sides, was as responsible as anyone for the creative ideas that bridged the gaps in the Iran Nuclear Deal, Princeton Professor Emeritus Frank von Hippel, who helped bring Mousavian to Princeton, wrote in a 2022 opinion piece. Mousavian has remained active in the Iran debate, including speaking last August at the Pentagons Strategic Command headquarters in Nebraska on the history of US-Iran relations from Tehrans perspective. Some Republican lawmakers were outraged that a former regime official who maintains ties to Tehran was invited to speak to such an important US military body. The House Committee on Education and the Workforce launched a formal probe last fall into Mousavians employment at Princeton, questioning whether he was operating as an unregistered foreign agent for Tehran. Mousavians position ... raises significant concerns about the influence of foreign hostile regimes on American institutions, the committee wrote to Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber last November. Princeton, via Akin Gump, told the committee that Mousavians employment is compliant with US law and furthers the schools educational mission, including its commitment to scholarly excellence and academic freedom. In March, the National Association of Scholars, a higher education membership organization and think tank, called for Princeton to dismiss Mousavian on the grounds that his position threatens US national security and cedes academias integrity to a hostile regime linked to terrorism and human rights abuses. The schools Iran center formally known as the Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies meanwhile, promotes scholarship that seeks to better understand the Islamic Republic. The centers director, Professor Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi, has been outspoken while at Princeton in highlighting what he views as some of the Islamic Revolutions accomplishments, including, the empowerment of women. In the fall of 2022, at the height of the Iranian governments crackdown on women-led protests against the regime and laws that enforce Islamic head scarves, he wrote: Despite all this, womens social mobility and presence in [the] public sphere grew exponentially in the past four decades. Princeton also hosted Robert Malley, the Biden administrations suspended special Iran envoy, as a guest lecturer for the 2023 fall semester. The State Department revoked Malleys security clearance in March of last year, and hes currently being investigated by the FBI for the possible mishandling of classified information. Hes been one of the strongest proponents in Washington for engaging the Iranian regime. Title icon The View From Iran The desire for stronger academic ties during the mid-2010s was a two-way street. Throughout former President Barack Obamas tenure, Tehran communicated to Washington a desire to increase the numbers of Iranians at elite American universities, according to current and former US officials. The formalizing of the 2015 nuclear agreement was seen as a way to accelerate this process. As I mentioned to you in Vienna, we are also considering sending a few of our scholars and researchers to your university. A Ph.D. course is what we had in mind, Mostafa Zahrani wrote to Kevan Harris of Princetons Iran center, in November 2014. I would appreciate [it] if you give details on if and how this would be possible or information on any other program you had in mind. Wang Xiyues imprisonment two years later appeared to be a deliberate attempt by the IRGC, and other hardline elements of the regime, to sabotage academic or business engagement with the US, according to American and European officials. Irans security forces imprisoned a prominent Iranian-American businessman, Siamak Namazi, three months after the finalizing of the nuclear deal in July 2015, and held him for eight years until his 2023 release. This placed a significant chill on the willingness of diaspora Iranians to travel to Iran and attempt to conduct business. Wang and Namazi were both charged with being Western spies. Attempts by Semafor to reach Zahrani and other Iranian officials about the student exchange program were unsuccessful. Ariane Tabatabai, who first put Zahrani in touch with Princeton while she was working at Harvard University, played no part in a separate institutions student exchange, a person close to her work told Semafor. KH, the Iranian proxy force in Iraq, has also couched the abduction of Elizabeth Tsurkov as part of its broader battle against the US and Israel though its statements appear aimed at distancing itself from the actual kidnapping. We in the victorious Kataib Hezbollah, in turn, will increase our efforts to find out the fate of the Zionist prisoner or prisoners in Iraq, KH security chief, Abu Ali Al-Askari, said about the Tsurkov kidnapping in a statement released last July on Iraqi television. [We will] learn more about the intentions of this criminal gang, and who facilitates their movements in a country that prohibits and criminalizes dealing with them. The KH chief appears to be referring to the Israeli government. Title icon Jays view The story of Mousavians exile in New Jersey is one for which Ive had a front row seat. I was the first journalist to interview the Iranian diplomat and scholar following his quiet arrival at Princeton in 2009. And his saga speaks to whats been a decades-long effort pursued by both the US government and private American institutions to identify and engage moderates in revolutionary Iran. Obama administration and European officials flocked to meet Mousavian, and closely scrutinized his writings, once he was ensconced in the US. Mousavian was clear to me and others at that time that he wasnt seeking asylum and planned to return to Iran. From his modest office at Princeton, he pumped out books and papers that helped serve as building blocks for what would be the landmark 2015 nuclear deal. Some Western officials told me that they saw Mousavian as serving as a critical interlocutor if he joined a future Iranian government. I thought Mousavian would serve as a senior official in President Rouhanis government, which took power in 2013. But the diplomat never left Princeton. Hes publicly said that he remains barred from government service. And hes privately told people that he runs the risk of arrest by the IRGC and other hardline factions if he travels to Iran. Mousavians status raises serious questions about whether Iranian officials, courted by the West, can really survive in Irans authoritarian and Islamist system. Supporters of the Obama administrations nuclear policy point out correctly that it was the US under Donald Trump who pulled the plug on the nuclear accord. But its also true that most of the constraints placed on Tehran were going to expire. And even Mousavian, in his writings, acknowledges that hes not sure what the IRGCs long-term plans for the nuclear program might entail. I hold to the assessment that Iran has not made a decision to acquire a nuclear weapon as distinguished from a nuclear weapons option, he wrote in his 2012 book: . Mousavian has recently voiced his concern that the current tensions in the Middle East involving Iran, Israel, and the US are only increasing the chances that Tehran will seek to develop nuclear weapons. Princetons efforts to establish a student-exchange program were also derailed by Tehrans political warfare. Correspondence reviewed by Semafor details the optimism Princeton officials held for academic exchanges with Tehran just weeks before Wangs arrest. They clearly didnt seem to appreciate that there were forces inside Iran eager to maintain the countrys hostility towards the US. What the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran did to Xiyue Wang and his family is outrageous, unjust, and alarming for researchers and academics around the world, Harris, the former Princeton postdoctoral researcher who worked on student exchanges, told me. He left in the summer of 2015 for UCLA where he currently works as an associate professor of sociology. No one in an academic institution should be subject to such treatment by Irans government, whether they are a citizen of Iran or a foreigner. Title icon Notable An organization of Iranian exiles called the Alliance Against Islamic Regime of Iran Apologists has been staging events and protests calling for Mousavians dismissal, including at Princeton. Some of the protesters are relatives of Kurdish dissidents assassinated by the Iranian regime in Berlin in 1992, when Mousavian served as Tehrans ambassador to Germany. AAIRIA accuses Mousavian of being complicit in the terrorist attack, which he denies. Elizabeth Tsurkovs writings on the Middle East have also focused on Jewish settler violence against Palestinians and Israeli Arabs. Her June 2021 piece in New Lines Magazine documents how Jewish militias have moved their operations into Israel proper from the West Bank. Current and former IRGC generals have spoken in recent weeks of revising the countrys nuclear doctrine , which Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ruled explicitly forbids the development of atomic weapons. If the Zionist regime wants to use the threat of attacking our countrys nuclear centers as a tool to pressure Iran, it is possible to review the nuclear doctrine, Gen. Ahmad Haqtalab said on April 18. Top Republicans investigating the suspension of the Biden administrations Iran envoy, Robert Malley, said they uncovered evidence that the diplomat sent classified documents to his personal devices, and may have been hacked by a foreign power. The lawmakers conclusions were documented in a letter sent to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on May 6 which was obtained by The Washington Post and laid out 19 questions on the matter. The State Department declined to answer media requests for comment. Semafor Logo Two of the planets richest businessmen are becoming embroiled in Indias increasingly divisive election campaign. The worlds most populous nation is in the midst of a mammoth election in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is widely expected to secure a rare third consecutive term. Modi is running on his economic record over the past 10 years, a period of robust growth for India, as well as for its two most famous billionaires: Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani. Likened to the industrialists who helped build Americas Gilded Age, both men are considered vocal champions of Modi and their perceived closeness has been the subject of intense criticism by rival politicians. But at an election rally on Wednesday, Modi appeared to accuse his primary political opponent of accepting money from Ambani, chairman of Indias most valuable private company Reliance Industries, and Gautam Adani, the founder of ports-to-energy conglomerate the Adani Group. Why has Shahzade Ji stopped talking of Ambani and Adani in this election all of sudden? People are smelling a secret deal, Modi said on X, where he posted a video of his speech. Shahzade, or prince, is a widely understood reference to Rahul Gandhi, the longtime face of main opposition party Indian National Congress. How much money have you taken from Ambani and Adani? he said at the rally. Gandhi, the scion of a dynasty that has given India three prime ministers, has often asked tough questions about the relationship between Modi and the countrys leading tycoons. Are you scared, Modi Gandhi said in a response on X on Wednesday. This is the first time you have talked about Ambani and Adani in public. I want to repeat to the country that the amount of money Modi has given to these businessmen, we are going to give the same amount to Indias poor, he added, asking for an official investigation into the two conglomerates. Reliance and the Adani Group did not respond to a CNN request for comment. Opaque nature of funding While each candidate has accused the other of receiving truckloads of money illegally from both businessmen, neither has provided any proof to back their claims. Earlier this year, Indias Supreme Court made a major ruling concerning the often opaque nature of political funding. It declared that a system of anonymous donations introduced by the Modi government in 2017 was unconstitutional. The electoral bonds system had allowed individuals or groups to buy bonds from the government-run State Bank of India and donate them anonymously to any political party. Story continues Anti-corruption groups have long complained that the system meant a lack of transparency regarding donations to political parties allowing corporations to donate large sums without disclosure. While Modis speech about the billionaires made headlines in India, analysts do not expect his comments to trigger detailed scrutiny by local media or an official investigation. Given the close ties between legacy media and top businesses in India, there is no major desire to go after crony capitalism in the country, said Abhinandan Sekhri, co-founder of Newslaundry, an independent news website that focuses on media. Many of Indias leading media companies are owned by large conglomerates that invest in a vast array of industries, and theyre under pressure to stay friendly to the ruling party to ensure favorable policies for their other businesses, analysts have said. Adani took over NDTV, an influential broadcaster, in 2022, while Ambani owns Network 18, which includes the CNN-News18 TV channel, a CNN affiliate. Billionaire Raj In the last decade, both Ambani and Adani have stunned the world with their success and influence. Ambani, 67, is Asias richest man and controls an empire that has businesses ranging from oil and clean energy to telecom and media. Ambani's empire has businesses ranging from oil and clean energy to telecom and retail. - Noemi Cassanelli/CNN Much like Reliance, Adanis colossal $200 billion conglomerate operates in key industries, including energy and logistics, which are considered indispensable to Indias economic growth. According to Bloomberg, the billionaire is currently the second richest person in Asia, but he briefly ousted Jeff Bezos as the worlds second-wealthiest person in 2022. While investors have been cheering the duos ability to bet on sectors prioritized by Modi, critics have said their rise is fuelling crony capitalism in the worlds fastest growing economy. Modi used Adanis private aircraft while he was campaigning to become prime minister in 2014. Over the years, both the ruling party and the industrialist have denied any suggestion of favoritism. In January 2023, the Adani group was rocked by an unprecedented crisis when an American short-seller Hindenburg Research accused it of engaging in fraud over decades. Adani denounced Hindenburgs report as baseless and malicious. But that failed to halt a stunning stock market meltdown that, at one point, wiped more than $100 billion off the value of its listed companies. Political leaders from Indias main opposition party ferociously questioned Adanis relationship with the prime minister, and some even said that they were punished for pursuing the issue. Since then, Adani has made a remarkable comeback, with shares in some of his companies touching record highs. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Prisoners in Ukraine to be granted parole for military service as part of mobilization overhaul Some Ukrainian prisoners will be able to apply for early parole and join the army under a new law aimed at boosting Kyivs manpower in its fight against the Russian invasion. The new law will apply only to prisoners who have no more than three years left of their original sentences and it will not cover those who have committed the most serious crimes. The Ukrainian parliament voted on Wednesday to amend the countrys criminal code to allow the conditional early release of prisoners in return for their direct participation in the defense of the country, protection of its independence and territorial integrity. Prisoners who will not be eligible include those who have committed premeditated murders, rapists and pedophiles, corrupt officials, those who have committed crimes against the foundations of Ukraines national security, and those who held particularly responsible positions, including MPs and ministers, according to a statement by the ruling Servant of the People party led by President Volodymyr Zelensky. The move follows a series of advances by Russian forces along the front lines and comes amid a wider initiative by Ukraine to address critical shortages of manpower and ammunition. Russia has been recruiting prisoners since the early months of the war and has deployed them in some of the fiercest battles yet leading to accusations the Kremlin sees these troops as mere cannon fodder. Its recruitment of prisoners and their subsequent release back to civilian life has caused a backlash within Russia, as many have been re-arrested after committing fresh offenses. Ukrainian soldiers fire a 120 mm mortar on April 19, 2024. - Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images But Ukrainian officials hope the move will go at least some way towards addressing the imbalance it faces against an enemy whose pool of manpower is at least three times greater. It is possible to withstand an all-out war against an enemy with more resources only by consolidating all forces. [This] is about our struggle and preservation of Ukrainian statehood, said Olena Shuliak, chairwoman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Organization of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning. Ukraines ruling party said the new law passed with a majority of 279 votes out of a total of 330. There were zero votes against it, 11 abstentions and 40 didnt vote. The new law requires that convicts join the military of their own free will. Those who leave the military before their contract is up face additional prison terms of between five and 10 years. It is unclear how long prisoners will have to sign up for. Shuliak said those released on parole to serve would have the status of military personnel, and therefore be subject to the same restrictions governing their behaviour. This includes, in particular, unauthorized leaving of a military unit or place of service, desertion, evasion of military service by self-harm or other means, unauthorized leaving of the battlefield or refusal to use weapons, as well as voluntary surrender, she said. Candidates must first submit an application for parole. They will then undergo a medical examination at the penitentiary institution to determine if they are mentally and physically fit to serve. A court will then decide on whether to grant the parole. If it agrees, the prisoner will then be transferred to a National Guard unit. Contracts can be terminated in some circumstances, such as ill health or if the former prisoner commits a new crime. They can also be terminated as part of a wider demobilization. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com (Bloomberg) -- Some of Canadas biggest business groups are urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to reverse his governments plan to raise the tax inclusion rate on capital gains. Most Read from Bloomberg The government should cancel the proposed tax hike, six major industry associations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association, wrote in a letter Thursday to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. We are calling on the government to heed the advice of many of Canadas most respected leaders and commit to scrapping the ill-advised inclusion rate increase, the groups wrote. In last months budget, Freeland unveiled plans to tax Canadian companies and individuals on two-thirds of their realized capital gains, up from half currently. The government said the changes, which are scheduled to come into effect June 25, would impact just 0.13% of Canadians and 12.6% of businesses. For individuals, only gains over C$250,000 (about $182,000) would be taxed at the higher rate. The industry groups disputed the governments estimates, originally arguing that one in five Canadians will be directly impacted over the next 10 years. The groups later amended the letter to specify that one in five Canadian companies are likely to be directly impacted. The effects of the tax hike will be borne by all Canadians, directly or indirectly, the groups maintained. The letter adds to a chorus of groups criticizing the planned tax increase. The Canadian Medical Association also opposes the changes, saying the many doctors that incorporate their practices will face a higher tax burden. More than one in 10 Canadians owns an investment property, according to a report by Royal Lepage, and theyll pay more if they sell for a large gain. Primary residences are exempt from capital gains taxes in Canada. If enacted, this change will have significant knock-on impacts, including making it harder for Canadians to access medical practitioners, limiting employment opportunities and making the prospect of starting, growing or succession planning a business more difficult, especially for multigenerational businesses such as farms, fisheries and small businesses, the groups said. Read More: Firms Say Canada Tax Move Risks Deeper Productivity Slump The four other industry associations that signed the letter are Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, the Canadian Franchise Association and the Canadian Canola Growers Association. Our country must end its reliance on tax-and-spend politics, which is undermining innovation and growth to the detriment of both todays Canadians and future generations, the groups wrote. The tax change is expected to generate C$19.4 billion in revenue over a five-year period, the government estimates. That money may help contain deficits, even as the government ramps up new spending, including measures intended to help with housing affordability and improve the prospects of young people. Freeland did not include the tax change in her main budget bill on April 30, saying she plans to bring in standalone legislation for it. In a separate letter to Freeland on Thursday, the Business Council of Canada said its concerned the proposed changes will further undermine Canadas ability to attract investment and talent and inhibit economic growth. More importantly, we believe the debate over capital gains taxes overshadows an even greater issue of concern that the governments fiscal framework is unsustainable, it said. No tax increases would be required if the government reduced its planned spending and took proactive measures to stimulate growth, such as removing regulatory barriers. --With assistance from Jay Zhao-Murray. (Updates paragraph 5 to reflect a change to the groups letter.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Rally to promote voting with Voces, Souls to the Polls by MTEA via Flickr CC BY-NC 2.0 A progressive law firm has requested the U.S. Attorneys office to investigate two Republican Party staff members over texts they sent prior to the 2020 presidential election. In a letter sent Wednesday to U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Gregory Haanstad, Law Forward attorney Chris Donahoe alleged that two people who worked for former President Donald Trumps campaign targeted a Milwaukee voting rights group during the campaign. Last month, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Andrew Iverson, the new executive director of the Wisconsin Republican Party, and Carlton Huffman, the former head of Trump Victory, texted about plans to wreak havoc with Souls to the Polls, an organization that drives voters to polling places on Election Day. The texts between Iverson and Huffman show them discussing plans to flood the organization with requests for rides from Trump voters who may not even be planning to vote. Souls to the Polls does not ask people who they plan to vote for, though it operates in the Democratic stronghold of Milwaukee. Iverson has said the texts were jokes, but in the letter, Donahoe argues they may have violated federal civil rights laws. Donahoe writes that the texts may have violated the Ku Klux Klan Act, which bans conspiracies to interfere with federal elections, the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. As the Ku Klux Klan Act, Voting Rights Act, and Civil Rights Act illustrate, Black voters had to fight for their constitutional right to vote and sufficient protection to safely exercise that right, the letter states. Voters that Souls to the Polls serves, namely voters from marginalized communities and especially Black voters, still face disproportionate threats of disenfranchisement and greater obstacles to voting than other citizens. Iverson and Huffmans plans to interfere with their right to vote, by flooding Souls to the Polls with fraudulent requests for rides, must be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly. In a statement, Wisconsin GOP spokesperson Matt Fisher reiterated that the text from Iverson telling Huffman to wreak havoc was a joke. From the beginning, Andrew Iverson has maintained that his Wreak Havoc comments were a joking idea in response to Souls to Polls offering rides to all voters regardless of political affiliation, he said. The text messages demonstrate that the only person who expressed a desire to sabotage Souls to the Polls by jamming their phone lines is the disgraced white supremacist Carlton Huffman. Huffman has since been fired from a job in the North Carolina state government after making white supremacist media appearances. Hes also been accused of sexual assault. He previously worked for the Republican Party of Wisconsin. The post Progressive law firm asks US attorney to investigate GOP staff over Souls to the Polls texts appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner. A trio of progressive senators are demanding to know the reason behind the Chamber of Commerce launching a coalition earlier this year to oppose a proposed rule from the White House that would allow it to use march-in rights to lower drug costs. Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wrote to Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Suzanne P. Clark, asking to know why her organization had formed the Business Alliance to Stop Innovation Confiscation (BASIC) Coalition in March. The coalitions explicitly stated goal is to stop the Biden Administrations attempt to exploit the landmark and bipartisan Bayh-Dole Act as a backdoor method to impose price controls by using march-in rights to seize business patents. In December, the Biden administration unveiled a proposed framework that would lay out how to enforce its march-in rights provided by the Bayh-Dole Act, allowing the government to issue its own license of drugs developed with taxpayer funding. The Chamber has labeled this proposal a threat to progress. In their Wednesday letter to Clark, the senators called the formation of the coalition a mistake. This proposal which has not yet been finalized is an important step forward. It clarifies that taxpayers have a backstop when drug manufacturers charge extortionate prices for drugs that were developed with public funds, the lawmakers wrote. Ultimately, if the administration were to finalize this proposal, it could have profound implications for access to medicines and drug pricing for patients and consumers. But instead of working to support thousands of your members who stand to benefit from efforts to end drug company profiteering, the Chamber has opened a shadowy campaign led by retired Judge Paul Michel to stymie the White Houses drug pricing initiatives,' they added. The progressive lawmakers argued the coalitions agenda went directly against its stated goal of expanding access to and improving the affordability of high-quality health care services for all Americans, and it would hurt consumers and small and large businesses. They asked Clark to answer how the Chamber reached the decision to form the coalition, if any analysis has been conducted on how march-in rights would impact its members and how many of its members would benefit from reduced health care costs. The senators also wanted to know why they chose Michel to lead the coalition and which Chamber members have donated to the campaign in support of the BASIC coalition. When reached for comment, a Chamber spokesperson said in a statement, The Biden Administrations proposal to seize the intellectual property rights of American companies poses a threat to progress and risks fostering a hostile environment for U.S. innovation and IP rights. Thats why the Chamber is working with entrepreneurs and advocates to protect the private-public partnerships that have helped the U.S. remain the worlds innovation leader, the spokesperson added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. I promise you he wont: Biden says Trump would never accept 2024 election loss President Biden is certain Donald Trump will not accept the results of the 2024 presidential race if they mark a Biden re-election. I promise you he wont, the president told CNN on Wednesday during a sit-down interview in the key battleground state of Wisconsin, arguing this stance would be dangerous for the country. You cant only love your country when you win, President Biden added. The president also said that in his meetings with world leaders, heads of state privately express their fear of another four years of Donald Trump, allegedly telling Mr Biden, Youve gotta win. The Independent has contacted the Trump campaign for comment. In recent days, Mr Trump has suggested he may once again baselessly challenge the presidential election results, as he did in 2020. If everythings honest, Ill gladly accept the results. I dont change on that, Mr Trump told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last week. If its not, you have to fight for the right of the country. In the same interview, however, the former president repeated the false claim he won Wisconsin in the 2020 election, claiming he actually won and that all of the things that had been found out vindicate his claim. No credible conclusion of widespread voter irregularities has been found in the state across county-level recounts, court rulings, a nonpartisan state audit, and a study from a conservative law firm, according to the Sentinel. Elsewhere during his Milwaukee interview, Mr Biden provided new details on changing US policy towards supplying Israel with military aid. The United States wont supply Israel with offensive weapons for use in a ground offensive that endangers the Palestinian civilians whove taken shelter in the border city of Rafah, the president said. The president insisted the ongoing Israeli operation in Rafah now has not been focused on the kind of population centres that would cross the US red line on military aid. Last week, the Biden administration paused a shipment of thousands of bombs to the US ally, over concerns that Israel would kill scores of civilians in Rafah, which is home to over a million Gazans whove been forced to evacuate by previous IDF operations in other parts of the territory. (Photo by krisanapong detraphiphat/Getty Images) Palo Alto Countys decision to eliminate the job of a prosecutor whose license was suspended in 2023 has resulted in a severance agreement, a lawsuit alleging open-meetings violations, and a dispute over unemployment benefits. Its all kind of a mess and that is all that I am going to say about it, said County Supervisor Ronald Graettinger on Thursday. County records indicate that last December, then-Palo Alto County Attorney Peter Hart announced that he was leaving office in February, long before his term was completed. Faced with the prospect of appointing Harts successor, the countys board of supervisors opted to eliminate Amy Zenor from her position as the assistant county attorney so Harts replacement could pick an assistant of their own choosing. The board then negotiated a severance agreement with Zenor, who had been recruited for the job by Hart after she was arrested for being drunk at an Iowa courthouse in 2022. Zenor, who claimed she suffered from the rare disorder Auto-Brewery Syndrome, in which a person becomes intoxicated without drinking, was later convicted and her law license was temporarily suspended. According to the boards minutes, the terms of the agreement with Zenor were discussed in closed session, after which the board approved it. Board members say the agreement called for the county to pay Zenor two months of wages once she left her job. Zenor then applied for unemployment benefits, which the state granted. That led to an appeal by the county, which argued the payments did not take into account Zenors severance pay. The administrative law judge who heard the case ruled recently that Zenors payout from the county did not meet the states definition of severance pay and did not count as income that would offset any unemployment benefits. By the time Zenor left her job, the county supervisors had interviewed applicants for the position of county attorney and chosen Anne Quail for the job. The boards actions led to threats of litigation against the county by another applicant for the job, former federal prosecutor Edwin Kelly of Emmetsburg. Kelly, 77, had appeared at a board meeting in January, giving the supervisors a written statement arguing that he exceeded all qualifications for the position of county attorney. In his statement, Kelly indicated legal action for damages could flow from the illegal act of ignoring state law, and stated that should the supervisors refuse to appoint him to the job and later appoint a younger candidate, an age discrimination lawsuit might be filed. Kelly didnt sue the county for age discrimination, but in February, his wife, Susan, sued the county with Edwin acting as her attorney. The lawsuit alleged a series of Open Meetings Law violations tied to the appointment of Quail as county attorney. Last week, however, the Kellys agreed to drop the lawsuit. We decided why tilt at windmills, Edwin Kelly said Thursday. As part of their lawsuit, the Kellys had alleged that during Edwins closed-door interview for the position of county attorney, board members asked him to sign a document so the boards discussion of his application could legally be held in closed session in accordance with his request. Kelly says he refused to sign the document. In speaking to the Iowa Capital Dispatch on Thursday, one county supervisor, Linus Solberg, described the situation as a mess, but he declined to elaborate, saying it all stemmed from the actions taken by Hart to hire Zenor in 2023. Oh, my God, Solberg said. This is such a mess Its an interesting story. Peter Hart is the one who first went and found Amy a job to come and work for Palo Alto County. Hes the one. He was our county attorney at the time. Thats the guy. Supervisor Craig Merrill agreed with that assessment. Pete really wanted to hire her, and the board wanted to support Peter, Merrill said. Zenor claimed Auto-Brewery Syndrome State records show the Iowa Supreme Court reinstated Zenors law license in 2023 over the objections of the courts own Attorney Disciplinary Board. The records also indicate Zenor was suspected of workplace intoxication as far back as 2018 and that alcohol was a concern when she worked for Clay County. In January 2020, Zenor took over the position of Dickinson County Attorney. That same month, Zenor allegedly came to work with a cup containing some sort of beverage that was later analyzed by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and found to contain alcohol. Dickinson County employees later told investigators the staff in the county prosecutors office had developed a code word, Peaches, to alert each other on days when Zenors behavior appeared to be erratic or concerning. The office staff also staged interventions, but Zenor allegedly claimed she did not drink other than the occasional glass of wine with dinner. Zenors law license was suspended in November 2022 after an incident at the Dickinson County Courthouse that resulted in her being charged with, and later convicted of, public intoxication. She resigned from office shortly after the charges were filed. In July 2023, with her license reinstated, Zenor was hired by Palo Alto County to serve as the assistant county attorney. Court records indicate Zenor has said shes afflicted with Auto-Brewery Syndrome, an exceptionally rare medical condition that causes a person to become intoxicated without consuming any alcohol. People with ABS can become intoxicated when they ingest certain carbohydrates that ferment in their system along with intestinal yeast. According to some studies, fewer than 100 cases of ABS worldwide have been identified since 1952. The post Prosecutor with Auto-Brewery Syndrome departs; open-meetings lawsuit dropped appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. MIT student protestors marched from their encampment on Kresge Lawn down the street to block a faculty parking garage on Vassar St. There, some students locked arms and chanted while surrounded by campus police, Cambridge Police, and State Troopers. Now we have their attention, said Hannah Didehbani, MIT senior. Didehbani is part of the schools Pro-Palestinian encampment calling on MIT to stop funding research for the Israel Ministry of Defense. [Wednesday] I got a suspension and eviction notice but I wasnt actually locked out of my dorm and this morning they emailed and said theyre going to be gracious and allow us to stay in our housing until May 15th at 5 pm, she said. Didehbani said thats not enough to stop her from standing up for what she believes in. I saw them push kids to the ground like over a dozen times before they actually made arrests, she said. MIT Pro-Palestinian protestors have marched down the street and are now blocking the faculty parking garage @boston25 pic.twitter.com/jWuWu9pSsZ Joanna Bouras (@JoannaBouras) May 9, 2024 Back on campus Maya Makaroesky is part of the MIT Israel Alliance. She said the school failed to shut down the encampment after it said it would. The school has lost control of its students and in the process they have sacrificed the Jewish and Israeli students, said Makaroesky. Chancellor Melissa Nobles wrote a letter Wednesday that said this and any future encampments are not approved and must end at once. MITs graduation is scheduled for May 31st at Killian Court, leaving some students wondering why the encampment cant stay where it is on Kresge Lawn. Boston 25 also reached out to Harvard and Emerson for updates on its student protests ahead of Commencement but hasnt heard back. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Puppies left in hot car for 90 minutes in Florida adopted by rescuers who saved them Three puppies left in a hot car for 90 minutes were adopted by the rescuers who saved them in Florida, officials said. A security guard working at the Disney Springs shopping center saw the young dogs in distress and reached out for help Saturday, May 4, according to Orange County Animal Services. Three puppies were pulled from a parked car and brought to safety. But sadly, a fourth pup was found unresponsive and had to be euthanized, officials wrote on Facebook and in a news release. Every summer we deal with cases like this, where someone runs into a store, the mall or similar venue and opts to leave their pet in the car, assuming itll be a short trip, Diane Summers, animal services manager, wrote in the release. Its heartbreaking and infuriating for our staff and animal loving community when pet owners make this mistake as preventable tragedy can and does occur. The Bernedoodle puppies a mix between Bernese mountain dog and poodle were recently bought from a breeder. The new owner left the dogs in a car while having dinner at the shopping plaza, assuming the covered parking garage and cracking a window would be okay, officials said. But animals shouldnt be alone in a car for any period of time, the National Weather Service has warned, saying the temperature inside a vehicle can rise very quickly and is just as dangerous for pets as it is for people. More about the Florida puppy rescue The puppies in the Disney Springs case were in the car for about 90 minutes, leading to the rescue. The three surviving animals received medical care and recovered from the incident before firefighters from the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Districts Fire Department adopted them, the Orlando Sentinel reported. The little ones now named Jordan, Rose and Rosina are said to be doing well and enjoying their new lives with their life-saving and life-changing families, Matthew Thomas Oberly, a spokesperson for the district, told the newspaper. The Orange County Sheriffs Office is reviewing the case, which was announced about two weeks after animal workers said another puppy was left in a hot car outside a Goodwill store in Orlando. The temperature in that car reached 140 degrees. Disney Springs is in Lake Buena Vista, near Disney World theme park attractions. In the region, high temperatures have been in the 80s and 90s this month, data from the weather service shows. Orange County Animal Services and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District didnt immediately share additional information with McClatchy News on May 9. Lovable pup rescued from dog fighting helped other animals. Then came more good news 15-year-old dog thrown out like trash. Now, Florida shelter hopes for a miracle Russia's President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with soldiers during the Victory Day military parade at Red Square in Moscow. Russia celebrates the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. -/Kremlin/dpa Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced the West in remarks at the military parade in Moscow to mark the 79th anniversary of Allied victory over Adolf Hitler's Germany. The West is trying to distort the memory of the Soviet Union's victory in the war, Putin said in Moscow on Thursday. The truth disturbs "those who build their colonial policy on hypocrisy and lies," Putin claimed. "Revanchism, the mockery of history, the effort to justify today's imitators of the Nazis - this is part of the general policy of Western elites to constantly ignite new regional conflicts, ethnic or religious conflicts." Putin has repeatedly accused Ukraine of following the Nazis during the past two years, as Russian forces wage a full-scale war against the country. Putin has also equated other countries that support Ukraine with Nazis as well. Putin on Thursday complained that Soviet memorials were being torn down in many countries. In front of more than 9,000 soldiers, the Russian president emphasized Russia's ability to defend itself. "We do not allow anyone to threaten us," he said, praising the Russian soldiers currently fighting in Ukraine as heroes. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the summit of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in Moscow. Alexander Kazakov/Kremlin Pool/Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa There are now 20 destinations to choose from. Avelo Airlines began flying non-stop Wednesday from Tweed New Haven Airport to Knoxville, Tenn.s McGhee Tyson Airport, the airline announced. Introductory one-way fares will begin at $77. Passengers must also pay for baggage and seat choices. Flights to Knoxville will operate on Thursdays and Sundays utilizing Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft. It is the 20th destination passengers can fly to from Tweed. Five more are available for booking. Avelo adds two new destinations from CT. Find out where you can fly to for introductory rates. Were excited to take off to Knoxville and showcase Avelos low fares, travel-friendly convenience and industry-leading reliability to this great destination, said Avelo CEO Andrew Levy. This exclusive nonstop service makes exploring the abundance of vibrant urban and outdoor experiences a fast and seamless journey for Connecticut visitors, he said. Avelo has flown 2 million travelers from Tweed since its first flight in November 2021. The airport is about 4 miles from downtown New Haven and 43 miles from Hartford. Ed Stannard can be reached at estannard@courant.com. Russia's President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with soldiers during the Victory Day military parade at Red Square in Moscow. Russia celebrates the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. -/Kremlin/dpa Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced the West in remarks at the military parade in Moscow on Thursday to mark the 79th anniversary of Allied victory over Adolf Hitler's Germany. The West is trying to distort the memory of the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, Putin said in Moscow on Thursday. The truth disturbs "those who build their colonial policy on hypocrisy and lies," Putin claimed. "Revanchism, the mockery of history, the effort to justify today's imitators of the Nazis - this is part of the general policy of Western elites to constantly ignite new regional conflicts, ethnic or religious conflicts." Putin has repeatedly alleged that Kiev is governed by "neo-Nazis" during the past two years, as Russian forces wage a full-scale war against the country. Putin, who was sworn in for a fifth term on Tuesday, has also equated other countries that support Ukraine with Nazis as well. Putin on Thursday complained that Soviet memorials were being torn down in many countries. In front of more than 9,000 soldiers, he emphasized Russia's ability to defend itself. "We do not allow anyone to threaten us," he said, praising the Russian soldiers currently fighting in Ukraine as heroes. Russia traditionally commemorates the Soviet Union's victory over Hitler's Germany in 1945 with a military parade in Moscow; Thursday's was the third such parade since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Putin was on hand at Moscow's Red Square on a chilly morning amid light snowfall, as was Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. It has been 79 years since the former Soviet Union, together with the United States and other allied powers, defeated Nazi Germany. However, Putin is increasingly using the commemoration of World War II to present the war he has ordered against Ukraine as an alleged continuation of the fight against fascism. According to Russian media, the 9,000 participants in the parade included soldiers who have fought in Ukraine in recent months. While Putin exuded confidence on Thursday, perhaps in view of recent conquests of smaller towns in eastern Ukraine, the impact the war has had on Russia was clearly visible. While the famous air show involving fighter jets was taking place again after being cancelled the past two years, this year's parade of military vehicles turned out to be a significantly more modest affair. The only real tank paraded in front of visitors was the historic T-34, used by the Red Army in the 1940s. As in previous years, Western leaders were not present. Only the heads of the ex-Soviet republics Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan as well as Cuba, Laos and Guinea-Bissau were in attendance. In many Russian regions, World War II victory parades have been cancelled for security reasons. There were no major celebrations in the Bryansk and Kursk regions, for example, which border on Ukraine and are repeatedly under fire. The traditional "Immortal Regiment" march, in which people carry large photos of World War II veterans through the streets after the victory parade, has also been cancelled throughout Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used the occasion to counter Russian propaganda. In light of daily Russian bombardment of his country, he stressed the importance of leaving behind a peaceful Europe. A Europe is needed, said Zelensky, "that neither Hitler nor Putin will destroy." Russia's President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with soldiers during the Victory Day military parade at Red Square in Moscow. Russia celebrates the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. -/Kremlin/dpa Russia commemorated the Soviet Union's victory over Hitler's Germany in 1945 with its traditional military parade on Thursday, the third such parade since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin was on hand at Moscow's Red Square on a chilly morning amid light snowfall. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu inspected Thursday's parade. It is 79 years since the former Soviet Union, together with the United States and other allied powers, defeated Nazi Germany. However, Putin is increasingly using the commemoration of World War II to present the war he has ordered against Ukraine as an alleged continuation of the fight against fascism. According to media reports, the 9,000 participants in the parade will include soldiers who have fought in Ukraine in recent months. An air show, which has been cancelled in the past two years, has also been announced. As in previous years, Western heads of state and prime ministers will not be attending the parade and massive display of weaponry. The heads of the ex-Soviet republics Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan as well as Cuba, Laos and Guinea-Bissau are expected to sit in the visitors' gallery next to Putin, the Kremlin has said. In many Russian regions, World War II victory parades have been cancelled for security reasons. There will be no major celebrations in the Bryansk and Kursk regions, for example, which border on Ukraine and are repeatedly under fire. The traditional "Immortal Regiment" march, in which people carry large photos of World War II veterans through the streets after the victory parade, has also been cancelled throughout Russia. Russian servicemen march on Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow. Russia celebrates the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. -/Kremlin/dpa A military vehicle rolls on Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow. Russia celebrates the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. -/Kremlin/dpa Russian servicemen march on Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow. Russia celebrates the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. -/Kremlin/dpa Russian MiG-29 fighter jets fly over Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow. Russia celebrates the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. -/Kremlin/dpa Putin says there is 'nothing unusual' about tactical nuclear weapons drill By Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that there was nothing unusual in a planned exercise involving the practice deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in southern Russia along with ally Belarus, as preparations for the drills have begun. Russia said on Monday it would practise the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons as part of a military exercise after what Moscow said were threats from France, Britain and the United States. "There is nothing unusual here, this is planned work," state news agency TASS reported Putin as saying. "It is training." Russia's defence ministry, in its announcement on Monday, explicitly linked the nuclear exercise to "provocative statements and threats by certain Western officials against the Russian Federation". Putin said last year that Moscow had transferred some tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, Russia's first move of such warheads outside Russia since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union. Putin said that he had suggested to Belarus that it take part in one of the parts of the nuclear exercise announced on Monday. "We hold them regularly," Putin said. "This time they are held in three stages. At the second stage, Belarusian colleagues will join our joint actions." "Corresponding instructions have been given to the ministries of defence and the general staffs of our armies. They began joint preparations," Putin said according to the Kremlin readout, which was earlier cited by Interfax news agency. THIRD TRAINING DRILL Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, speaking alongside Putin, said that this was the third such training exercise. "There were probably dozens in Russia, so we synchronized. And the general staffs, as the Russian defence minister told me, have already begun to execute these instructions," Lukashenko 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 1,558 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. There is still much uncertainty among arms controls experts about what weapons Russia has supplied to Belarus and the nature of their storage. Typically, it would take some time to create the storage, security and barracks for such a deployment - and Russian nuclear weapons are controlled by the Russian defence ministry's 12th Main Directorate (known as 12th GUMO). It is unclear if 12th GUMO is in Belarus, according to Western experts. 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. The Pentagon said on Monday that it had not seen a change to Russia's disposition of its strategic nuclear forces, despite what it called "irresponsible rhetoric" from Moscow detailing plans for exercises involving the deployment of non-strategic nuclear weapons. (Editing by Nick Macfie and Sharon Singleton) A solitary Soviet tank led Vladimir Putins Victory Day celebrations in Moscow as soldiers patrolled with anti-drone guns amid fears of Ukrainian attacks. The Soviet T-34 was the only Russian tank passing through the streets, marking victory over Nazi Germany 79 years ago, as was the case last year. Analysts said it was a further sign that Russian armoured supplies have been severely degraded since the start of the war. At least 20 tanks took part in the pre-war 2020 victory parade. However, the parade featured a number of foreign tanks apparently captured from Ukrainian forces, with some bearing British, American and Czech flags. Putin pictured at a reception for heads of state after the Victory Day parade in Moscow - Mikhail Metzel/Shutterstock The solitary Soviet tank was also a feature of last year's parade - Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Some soldiers taking part in the parade were carrying devices that appeared to be handheld drone signal jammers, potentially an attempt to ward off any attacks by Ukranian UAVs. Ukraines drone fleet has proven capable of striking targets deep inside Russia, including Moscow itself. Sitting in the front row along with Putin were a number of his close allies, including Serdar Berdimuhamedov, the president of Turkmenistan and Aleksandr Lukashenko, the president of Belarus. Mr Lukashenko was joined by his white Pomeranian, Umka, named after a Soviet poem. The leaders of Cuba, Laos and Guinea-Bissau also turned up but not Nikol Pashinyan, Armenias prime minister, who snubbed the event, though he was in Moscow on Wednesday evening for a regional summit. There was an unseasonable flurry of spring snow during the parade, adding a chilly atmosphere to an event shunned by Western leaders since the February 2022 invasion. In sub-zero temperatures, a unit of female soldiers were dressed in white skirts, gold belts and black boots. Unusually for military uniforms, they wore their skirts several inches above the knee. The soldiers gave beaming salutes to the Russian president as they marched through Moscow. Troops from the Central African Republic, where a large presence of Wagner mercenaries is building up Moscows influence, also took part in the parade the second since Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The CAR troops wore red berets and white boots, marching past in two six-man columns. The Wagner group has been expanding its presence across the African continent where it is accused of committing human rights abuses. Its most recent deployments have focused on Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, three states which have also recently seen military coups. In a speech to the lines of soldiers and dignitaries, Putin said that the future of the motherland depends on us2. Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defence minister, salutes soliders at the parade - Alexander Nemenov/AFP Despite the wintry spring weather in Moscow, this unit wore skirts above the knee - Maxim Shipenkov/Shutterstock Today on Victory Day we are conscious of that even more acutely, he added before making a threat about nuclear weapons. Our strategic forces are always combat ready, he said, referring to Russias nuclear capabilities. The Kremlin is planning to hold weapons tests simulating the deployment of tactical, short-range nuclear weapons in southern Russia and Putin addressed concerns over these tests in comments to state broadcasters after the Victory Day parade. There is nothing unusual here, this is planned work, Putin said. It is training. The Russian president ended his Victory Day speech with the clarion call, For Russia! For victory! Hurrah, prompting cheers from thousands of soldiers. Putin watched the parade sitting with military top brass - Sergei Karpukhin/AFP Putin included a brief reference to the war in Ukraine, in which he characterised those fighting there as heroes, comparing them to World War Two veterans. Around 27 million Soviet soldiers are said to have been killed in World War Two, though experts believe the true figure could be much higher. Later in his address, Putin said he would not allow anyone to threaten Russia, in a clear reference to the West, though he stopped short of the rhetoric of nuclear Armageddon he has used on other occasions since the start of the war. He said: Russia will do everything to prevent a global clash. But at the same time we will not allow anyone to threaten us. Our strategic forces are always in a state of combat readiness. OUR UKRAINE/RUSSIA WAR COVERAGE 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. Python hunters must humanely kill snakes: How Florida has cracked down in contests through the years A hunter shooting a gun to kill a python? Forbidden. What about freezing the snake to kill it? Prohibited. A python run over by a car? Not allowed. These types of killings have happened before, though rarely. So how is someone supposed to properly kill a snake in the Python Challenge, the state-led contest that sends hunters scouring the Everglades for them each year? Details about the deaths of nearly 1,000 hunted snakes come to light in records that document the states enforcement efforts. The state records, reviewed by the South Florida Sun Sentinel, illustrate the many times snakes were properly captured and killed. And they also document the fraction of snakes that werent. The records, which date from 2013 to 2023, also show the agencies behind the tournament have kept adjusting the rules to stamp out fraud and keep any unethical snake slashing to a minimum. There is vigilance to ensure snakes dont suffer. And more rules could be on tap for the next upcoming challenge. We take the issue of humane treatment of all animals very, very seriously, said Mike Kirkland, a senior invasive animal biologist with the South Florida Water Management District, which operates a python contractor program and assists with the states Python Challenge. Heres a closer look at the efforts. A popular competition The contest draws people from around the world to South Florida to kill Burmese pythons for sport. The state says the competition garners crucial awareness about the harm invasive pythons are causing to the Everglades. Last year, more than 1,000 hunters participated in the event. Financial awards are in store for contest winners, including for the novice, professional and military competitors who catch the longest snakes. A key concern always is if the snakes are humanely euthanized, which involves pithing, or the manual destruction of a pythons brain to limit any pain or suffering. Reptiles differ from mammals in how they express pain or suffering, in that reptiles do not respond to it much at all, at least not in obvious ways. A mammal might cry out, you know, if you have a dog or cat, it hurts its paw, it might limp or it might whimper, Kirkland said. Just like if I have a cold, Ill complain to my wife all day long that I dont feel well. But reptiles seem to be a little bit more stoic, and they dont express themselves the same way. For a snake to be humanely euthanized, two critical steps must be taken. The first is to render the reptile unconscious either through a shot to the head with a weapon such as a captive bolt or air gun. The second step is where the pithing part comes in. A tool such as a screwdriver, pick or spike is jammed into the snakes head to smash its brain, hardly an easy process. Pythons are very resilient animals, Kirkland said. Any connected brain tissue to the spinal column could mean that the animal is still conscious. So thats why pithing as a secondary euthanasia method is required. Minding the rules Hosting the contest has led to a team-up of many entities: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and South Florida Water Management District get assistance from the University of Florida. UF was first contracted and paid by SFWMD in 2013 to provide science support, said Frank Mazzotti, a UF wildlife ecology professor. Thats because UF has the staff and facilities and experience necessary to be the objective third-party experts for these events, Kirkland added. UF handles the necropsy examinations how the python died which eliminates any concerns of a bias for any of the challenge participants, Kirkland said. UF also determines metrics, such as the length of each snake captured, and from that information, contest winners are selected. Prize determinations are conducted by the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida with the FWC and SFWMD, based on the data collected by UF, which informs of any potential issues, an FWC spokesperson wrote in an email. Records from the FWC and UF obtained by the Sun Sentinel in response to a public-records request show that a system, often color coded, is employed to flag captured pythons for a range of actions that go against the rules, such as turning in snakes that havent been killed properly, snakes captured and killed outside of the contest boundaries, or snakes that are not pythons at all but rather native to the Everglades, such as a salt marsh snake. Some of these actions resulted in consequences, such as competitors being eliminated from the challenge, or pythons not counting toward the total contest sum. Snakes may be flagged with various colors based on the reason for potential elimination of the snakes or the contestant, the records from 2021 state. No one color-coded flagging system is the identical, though. Each years contest has seen a different iteration. In 2021, three marks were given to three snakes that were killed by a firearm, which is prohibited. In 2020, a hunter was eliminated from the challenge for freezing snakes, which is considered an inhumane method of euthanasia. Pythons also cannot be hit by a car as a way to kill them, and in 2023, two marks were given to snakes that had been hit by a car a roadkill snake, as the records note and they were not included in the total python count. Theres been an evolution of the color schemes, Mazzotti said. Theres been an evolution of concerns over participant behavior. Weve tried to get better every year. Documenting concerns The state records highlight the scrutiny that dead snakes receive. In one snakes case in the 2023 contest, the level of its brain destruction was uncertain. Similar observations, some generating more gruesome imagery than others, were jotted down for other pythons, resulting in a range of marks, explaining why a competitors catch was flagged. Skull destroyed beyond what would be expected. Seemed a bit over the top, one entry notes. In 2023, of the 209 total pythons counted as being removed during the challenge, there were 40 snakes flagged, with 24 of the 40 receiving a mark for insufficient pithing. In 2022, of the official 231 snakes removed for the challenge, about 40 of the nearly 100 that were flagged noted pithing issues. And in 2021, of the 223 pythons counting toward the challenge, at least 40 of the more than 50 flagged snakes received notes about pithing issues or arriving to the check station still alive. Often, the observations about those pythons state they either were not pithed at all or if they were, the brain was not fully destroyed. In 2020, a color-coded flagging system appears to exist, but it differs from the ones that succeed it. Marks were given for factors such as missing coordinates of a captured python and euthanasia by freezing. Because the challenge did not become consecutive until 2020, the only two other challenges before then were in 2016 and 2013, when it does not appear to have color-coded systems to the same capacities as more recent years, but detailed notes about each submission and disqualifiers are still evident. And just because a snake was flagged did not mean it did not contribute to the challenges total python count; in most cases, it still counted toward the python tally. The challenges rules, flagging systems and overall guidance have progressed throughout the years, Mazzotti said. Theres been a constant evolution, and as problems were recognized, we took steps to correct them, he said. Lessons learned UF drafted summary reports at the conclusion of the competitions that offer a rundown on what happened and recommendations for the future. For example, in the 2023 report, UF recommended a detailed video demonstrating proper euthanasia techniques be made available to participants to provide a visual demonstration of humane euthanasia techniques, with particular focus on proper brain pithing. In 2021, UF recommended participants vehicles be checked by the check station operator before entering and when exiting the approved search area to prevent snakes captured outside of the challenge time frame and hunt areas from being submitted. With the announcement of 2024s challenge likely around the corner last years was announced on May 24 Mazzotti said UF and the other participating agencies will talk about the lessons learned from last year, if there are any new concerns and if regulations need to be more specific. The goal is not to go on a disqualification spree. The challenge has been created with the intent of encouraging people to participate, Mazzotti said. Were very flexible and very adaptive, he said. But disqualifications do still happen, especially if euthanasia standards are not met. It might have been in the past that individual snakes were disqualified but other entries were allowed by the same participant, Kirkland said. But if that was the case, its no longer the case. If one participant has a disqualified python because it didnt meet the euthanasia standards as determined by the UF examiners, then that participant is disqualified from the entire event now. Any disqualifications, though rare, just go to show how seriously we take the humane treatment of these invasive animals while simultaneously protecting our native wildlife. Serpent fraud? Other marks throughout the years include incomplete data about where a snake was caught and when, turning in snakes still alive or turning in snakes that were captured and killed outside of the challenge. Say a month before the competition, you catch a 14-footer and you go, Oh maybe I can win with this, Mazzotti said. So you put it in the freezer. But for those potentially caught committing serpent fraud, the consequences could be grim. If a python contractor were to falsify information during the challenge, they could be kicked out of the challenge. Its unclear exactly how many python hunters or their catches have been eliminated. None of those behind the contest gave definitive figures on that aspect of enforcement. If the hunters happen to be a part of the FWC or SFWMDs python-elimination programs which are efforts that run continually they could be removed from those programs, too. SFWMD only has 50 contractor spots, and the agency gets 100 new applications every week, Kirkland said. If youre going to try to cheat, per se, in any way, shape or form, that would be a very big risk to give up your privileges for one of the most coveted positions in the state, Kirkland said. I love pythons For those considering competing in the python challenges or a career in python hunting, SFWMD python elimination specialist Donna Kalil believes they should be free from common misconceptions about the activity. People shouldnt enter into this realm for money, if they think theyll be slinging snakes every night or if they tend to be impatient. Poor vision might not be a great asset, either, she said. Kalil, who has competed in all six python challenges and, as of Wednesday, caught 863 pythons throughout her entire career as a hunter, said she lives a nearly nocturnal life hunting pythons four nights a week because shes an environmentalist. If you dont love being out there, you have no reason to be out looking for pythons because if youre not finding them, youre not going to enjoy your time, she said. Like many other python hunters and scientists, killing the animal is Kalils least favorite part. I love pythons. Theyre beautiful, she said. Unfortunately they dont belong there, through no fault of their own, but they dont belong, and theyre causing so much havoc to our native species. Its one python to several 100 animals that its going to take out. Its not an easy thing to do, she said. Its been nearly six months since Maj. Gen. J. Patrick Work took command of the 82nd Airborne Division. The divisions headquarters deployed to Europe less than a month later, while the 82nd Airborne Division Combat Brigade headed to the Middle East. Meanwhile, units back at Fort Liberty have trained locally, combined with annual training at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Johnson, Louisiana, and the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California. And the division's Immediate Response Force maintains constant readiness to deploy if needed worldwide. The historic division is also gearing up this month for its annual All American Week which honors current and past paratroopers. The Fayetteville Observer spoke with Work via a video call on Monday, while he is deployed to Europe, to catch up on whats been going on in the division for the past six months. Work's responses are below and edited for clarity, style and length. Maj. Gen. J. Patrick Work has led the 82nd Airborne Division since November 2023. How have the past six months been? Work: To take command in mid-November, when youve got the holidays in November followed by the holidays in December and... a slice of us deployed to Europe ... I really had to account for every hour of every day for those 17 days or so that I was in North Carolina. It was really critical that we made the most of my time. No. 2, we already had the aviation brigade in the Middle East And then obviously, weve got ... the Immediate Response Force. So, theres a lot going on. Fortunately, I was familiar with the division, and theres a lot of familiar faces. By the time January rolled around, we were faced with ... attempting to leap priority change back in North Carolina while still doing what V Corps in Europe needed us to do Theres a couple of things that a division commander is responsible for Obviously, the priority is combat readiness. The second priority is taking care of our people By January, we had to implement a disciplined rhythm, a cadence for how we can work East Coast, Middle East and East Europe. And how do we keep the organization moving on some sort of disciplined rhythm so we can make the decisions we had to make to affect change on this end and change back in North Carolina. All the while, Im responsible for 17,800 peoples lives and thousands of families. So, I felt well prepared for it I got a lot of help. Weve got a tremendous amount of talent in the division. What is the 82nd's role in Europe right now? Work: Moscows invasion of Ukraine, with the initial invasion being in 2014 and then obviously again in 2022, the combat is vicious, and Romania shares a border with Ukraine. So the Black Sea region is really volatile, and theres a whole lot at stake ... The world is watching everything thats playing out in Ukraine, and theres no guarantees on how this things going to end. So, when you think about the Alliance and you consider the investment that the United States and (Europe Command) made in the Baltic states of Poland in the beginning of 2014, were a little bit behind down here at the southeastern border. What Gen. Cavoli is trying to do with us is energize the Alliance, backstop the Alliance and encourage the Alliance in Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, because this really is a rough neighborhood. The major commitment to Poland and the Baltic states occurred a decade prior to the reinvasion ... Romanias got a lot of potential. Its got two national divisions. Its got a NATO division that it hosts and a NATO Corps that it hosts. Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia, theyre principally focused on their national defenses, so what were trying to do through our Security Force Assistance is help connect their national efforts to the NATO efforts. So if youre facing starting in the east along the Russian border and southeast flank of Europe, how do we help those three states connect deeply, more meaningfully to the alliance? Thats what were working on ... Gen. Cavoli is clear ... prioritize alliance efforts and energy toward the alliance. Sgt. Joseph Fisher, a paratrooper assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, "Task Force 82", receives instructions for how to navigate an obstacle course April 2, 2024, at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania. The 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade has had a lot of training in the Middle East during the past few months. How is their deployment? Work: Thats obviously a very dangerous environment since the very first week of October, even more so. It wrestles with counter-terrorism challenges within the region ... Among many of those countries, some are really struggling with their own civil internal problems. Obviously, Syria deals with a civil war, but its based on whats happened between Israel, Hamas and most recently Iran. Its a really dangerous environment, and our aviation brigade is deployed right in the middle of that. And so, what happens between state actors doesnt necessarily stay between those two states. Were operating out of several countries throughout the Middle East right now. The Combat Aviation Brigade really defies physics. We can take for granted the skill it takes to fly helicopters. Every time it takes off, its defying gravity, and the pilots are extraordinarily skilled, and they do it day and night. Thats a really rough environment over there, just the heat and amount of sand, dirt, etc. Theyre doing it to a very high standard, so were really proud of them, and we should never take for granted what those really skilled pilots do with those machines every day, and what those maintenance crews do behind the scenes to keep those aircraft flying. Not only are we proud of what theyre doing, but those paratroopers that are deployed to the Middle East right now are delivering every single day in a really difficult environment, and theyve been doing so now for over six months. Paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, conduct a UH-60 Black Hawk aerial gunnery range at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, on April 2, 2024. The 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, facilitates K9 hoist training with the Area Support Group Kuwait Military Working Dog program on Feb. 7, 2024, at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. A paratrooper was injured early during the deployment. Can you talk about the resiliency of the familys here in North Carolina? Work: For those families dealing with separation right now, particularly the aviation brigades families where they know that their loved ones are operating in a dangerous environment were really grateful. We tend to enlist soldiers but reenlist families, and the miracle of the all-volunteer force is that these families continue to stay with us, and we need them to do so. Were extraordinarily grateful, and with great admiration, I say thank you on behalf of the nation and on behalf of the division. Additionally, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Garret Illerbrunn had a very close call on Christmas Eve. At the better part of six months, he and his family have been coping with his recovery, and were all pulling for them and praying for them. For all the families affected by whats happening in these wars, we keep you in our prayers and we keep you in our thoughts. Theyre always in the front (of my) mind as commander. Can you talk about the brigades back at Fort Liberty that have also been part of training cycles? Work: One of the things that we provide are ready and responsive forces on very short notice, and thats no secret to anybody who watches ... Weve got the Immediate Response Force ... and their job is to be ready to deploy anywhere in the world in 18 hours to take on any enemy in any environment. Weve also got a brigade combat team thats on a slower alert and theyre in an intensive training cycle ... Their job is to do mission-essential task training and everything from the individual up to the collective brigade combat team all of those tasks from offense to defense to stability, and theyre really the divisions bread and butter, which is joint forcible entry forcing our way into an adversarys backyard, taking a piece of land from them so that we can help the nation build combat power as part of the joint force. We have a whole bunch of people right now that are out there trying to master their craft, whether its artillery fires, whether its engineers, whether theyre logisticians, or whether theyre infantry and they get paid to shoot, move, communicate and dominate in close combat. We have an entire brigade combat team focused on that right now, and then our division artillery and our sustainment brigade never get a day off. Every single time theres a paratrooper in the field, someone put them there. Someone packed their parachute. Someone moved that ammunition. Someones firing those Howitzers to support them. So we got a lot going on in the division all the time. That's only because of this top-tier talent, this teamwork, that were able to put all the staff together. In many ways, this division makes it look easy. Pfc. Connor Thomas, a paratrooper assigned to 3rd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division Artillery, pulls security in a defensive position against opposing forces in a fictional town March 12, 2024, during a Joint Readiness Training Center rotation at Fort Johnson, Louisiana. What does it mean to continue the All American Week tradition this month? I very much look forward to it because Ill be returning home to spend some time with our division ... The divisions lineage to World War II, from Sicily to Salerno to Normandy to Holland and then further on into the Battle of Bulge and into Germany, that really cemented the divisions reputation for combat excellence and for extraordinary courage .... Since then, whether its doing humanitarian assistance for places like the Dominican Republic to Hurricane Katrina, combat operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria ... the division has had a central role in so many of these critical security moments of the Cold War and post 9/11 era. Getting together to honor our ancestors is really critical because this thing we had was paid for by blood ... Its about our responsibility to be good ancestors to inspire the next generation, to show them how to fight the way we did. So really look forward to bringing everybody together, from the families of our paratroopers, to our Gold Star families, to all of our former paratroopers and our paratroopers that are still going ... Command Sgt. Maj. (Randolph) Delapena and I really look forward to doing this together and having a little fun together ... Its an opportunity to honor our fallen, honor our ancestors, honor our families, and then really remind ourselves that were really blessed to be doing this together. Will the division have representatives at the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion? We very much look forward to participating in this 80th celebration of the Allies invasion to pierce the Atlantic wall and liberate Normandy. A number of us are going to be there, and Im very much looking forward to it. The 160,000 Allied troops that assaulted on D-Day, about 23,000 of them were paratroopers. They were paratroopers from the 82nd, from the 101st Airborne Division and from the British 6th Airborne Division. And from our division in particular, several of our regimental combat teams at the time conducted parachute assaults the 505th, the 507th, the 508th and a handful of pathfinders from the 504th and then the 325th, which was a glider infantry regiment. All of those organizations participated in the assault landings on D-Day, and they fought doggedly in places like La Fiere, Rhines So really remarkable to be part of that and to get together with the other divisions. Something thats interesting is that Im deployed to Europe right now and I have a battalion from the 1st Infantry Division and a brigade from the 101st that are supporting over here. All those organizations made massive contributions during the Normandy campaign. And so for our division, over 33 days of sustained combat, 1,142 paratroopers paid the ultimate sacrifice. For units like the 508th that had over 2,000 jumpers on D-Day, when the boats came back a month later to England they only had about a thousand of them left... We owe them an exceptional kind of debt for the price they paid with their blood. I look forward to doing everything from getting over there honoring them at the various ceremonies such as St. Mere Eglise, the first city liberated within Normandy, which the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment jumped on. We will head over to La Fiere bridge the 505th fought doggedly; the 325th fought there; the 508th converged on there. We look forward to the opportunity, if the weather cooperates, to get out of an airplane and put on a show. Its kind of a surreal moment for me to be the first jumper out of the door at the Normandy 80 celebration. Thats an incredible privilege and honor, which I look forward to if we can line it all up. Is there anything else to add? I hope everybody comes out to All American Week and catches the paratrooper bug. Its an incredible privilege to paratroop with our people. These are the top-of-the-food chain soldiers in our Army best led, best trained, best equipped paratroopers the planet has ever seen. Its a real privilege to serve them and serve with them. I look forward to seeing everybody here in a couple of weeks We enlist paratroopers. We reenlist families. In many ways, this service, this calling, this cause were in, it really is a family business, and no one can do this alone. These families have given their lives for our country as well. Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528. This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Maj. Gen. Patrick Work on the latest 82nd Airborne Division news Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct Middleton's biographical details. Middleton attended Vermont Law School and formerly served as a board member of the executive committee for the Savannah Bar Association. Christopher Middleton, a Savannah defense attorney and Savannahian, is taking a step up to run for Chatham County Superior Court Judge. In the nonpartisan race held on May 21, Middleton is running against Frank Pennington, an assistant U.S. Attorney. Superior Court judges are elected to four-year terms, and judges John E. Morse Jr. and Lisa Colbert are up for reelection this year. Penny Haas Freesemann is retiring at the end of this cycle. Middleton graduated from Savannah State University in 2002 with dual bachelors degrees in mass communications and English literature and language, before graduating from the University of Vermont Law School in 2006. From 2006 through 2015, Middleton worked in the Eastern Judicial Circuit Public Defenders Office, serving as a general trial team member, senior trial team leader and major crimes division attorney. In 2016, he was promoted to Felony Division Chief and he briefly served as the Interim Chief Public Defender. In 2017, Middleton founded the law firm, Cox, Rodman & Middleton. Since 2018, Middleton has served as Judge Pro Tem in Chatham Countys Recorders Court and Juvenile Court. Middleton also serves on various community boards, as chairman for Deep Center, past board member of the executive committee for the Savannah Bar Association, and board member for the Safety Valve Project. As of April 22, Middleton has raised about $34,000, and spent nearly $1,500. Pennington, meanwhile, has raised more than $96,000, while spending nearly $50,000. In an interview, Middleton discussed his vision should he win the race, centering a platform around reviewing the accountability courts and reducing the court backlog. Christopher Middleton, a Savannah defense attorney and Savannahian, is taking a step up to run for Chatham County Superior Court Judge. More: Assistant U.S. attorney Frank Pennington launches bid for Chatham County Superior Court Judge More: Q&A: Chatham Co. Superior Court candidate Frank Pennington talks about why he's running More: Chatham DA faces Democratic challenger at forum hosted by League of Women's Voters This interview has been edited for length and clarity. What platform are you running on? "My platform is servant leadership. My platform is restorative justice. When I look at the Superior Court now, what we have are amazing judges. The question then becomes: where does my skill set fit in? What can I bring to the equation, and how can I make the Superior Court better as a force multiplier?" What would you do to fulfill those guiding principles? "Weve got to look at the Accountability Courts we have. Weve got veterans court, mental health court, and we have drug court. Those are the courts that have the most direct impact in regards to restorative justice, making sure that individuals have access to counseling and resources needed to eliminate or reduce the recidivism issue. What we find is that when you give people the assistance, you give them the resources, then they're less likely to find themselves back into a situation where they're justice-impacted. On the other hand, servant leadership goes back to your dedication and your commitment to this community. I think when you look at my track record, you can say, that for over two decades, I've been in this community operating in a capacity of a servant leader, a nonprofit board member, Citizen Advocacy, Deep Center, Hodge Memorial daycare, the list goes on and on, the Savannah-Chatham Housing Authority. These are all parts of the organization that represents communities in our greater community. And so, it's important for me to be a part of that. I think that knowledge, when you implement that, and you plug that into the equation, that's how we get a stronger court system." You are a lifetime defense attorney, and youre running against a lifetime prosecutor. For those with concerns that youd side with the defense attorney rather than the prosecutor, how do you address those concerns? "For about 10 years of my life, I have been operating in the capacity of a defense attorney, which is to uphold the principles of the Constitution, zealously advocate for my clients and operate in the best interests of my clients. That comes with a lot of work and a lot of investigation, breaking down cases. But most importantly, I've been able to connect with my client, being able to connect with my clients' families, and address the rule of law. So, that's one aspect of it. The other aspect of it is, well, I'm also a pro tem judge. So, I've been doing that in juvenile and recorders court for five years. I've been in positions where I've ruled against defense attorneys in my capacity as judge. I've been in positions where I've ruled against prosecutors in my capacity as judge. Because at that point in time, what is the most important thing is the rule of law. That is the most important thing. The rule of law is the thing that governs, so it wouldnt be an issue what your background and experience is, especially when people are electing you to run in a position of Superior Court Judge. One thing my colleagues do know is that Im fair. Im professional." What challenges do you see that make you want to run right now? And, to follow up on that, what would you implement on day one? "Thats a tricky conversation to have. What I don't hear a lot of people really saying is, step one would be to have the conversation. Step one would be to meet with the superior court judges, to see what systems work. Step one would be to meet with the staff to see what processes work. Go out and gather intel, get that information, and then have a courageous conversation about the things that don't work, and then start talking about how we can implement ideas and structures and processes to address the issues that don't work. Now, where step one leads to? Thats another conversation. Lets see what Atlanta is doing. How is Atlanta addressing the same issues that we have? Or how did Atlanta address the same issues two decades ago? How did they solve those problems and see if we can implement them here at Chatham County. We know some of the issues. The number one is going to be the backlog. We can say, Let's go in and look at the system and let's upgrade the systems. But do we really know what the systems are? Are the systems really the issue? Or is the issue that we only have six Superior Court judges? When I was at Savannah State University, we had six superior court judges, and that was in 1996. This is 2024. The population was about 150-160,000 in 1996. Population now in 2024 is over 300,000. So we start talking about issues of backlogs, there's a whole lot of variables that we could dissect. But once again, we got to have that initial conversation. I can tell you a lot of what I've heard on the campaign trail. I can tell you a lot about what civil attorneys have been communicating, what criminal attorneys have been communicating. Backlog is one of the issues. Its taking an extraordinary amount of time to make motions on civil cases and move cases along has been an issue. You have some citizens that feel like the programs offered by the court systems that they're not being admitted to. It's been an issue. So, we have lots of different issues that are communicated by citizens and by attorneys throughout Chatham County. But once again, we got to have that first initial conversation before we could put things in its proper place." Drew Favakeh is the public safety and courts reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@Savannahnow.com. This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Defense attorney Chris Middleton talks about why he's running for judge QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) A Queens bodega worker who allegedly fatally stabbed a customer during an argument over stolen beer will not be prosecuted, according to the United Bodegas of America. A spokesperson for the Queens District Attorney could not confirm whether the office will prosecute the bodega worker, who the United Bodegas of America has identified as a 21-year-old. Trump visits Manhattan bodega where employee killed man in 2022 stabbing We are certain [the worker] did not intend to kill this man over a beer. Self-defense is most likely what took place. Bodegas workers get attacked/assaulted when they try and reclaim stolen property from their bodegas, said Fernando Mateo, a spokesperson for UBWA. The violence started Tuesday around 12:35 a.m. when a customer tried to steal beer from a mini-mart at 97-02 Queens Blvd., sources told PIX11. The employee and the 21-year-old customer first argued in the store but things escalated onto the street, surveillance camera footage shows. A trail of blood led police to the 21-year-old customer, who had been stabbed in the chest, according to the NYPD. He was rushed to an area hospital and pronounced dead, police said. The employee was taken into custody, sources told PIX11. [The employee] is a good kid with no criminal record and working very hard like most Bodega clerks defending his business from looters, it could have been my son who is 21 and works as a clerk in my bodega, said Radahmes Rodriguez, President of UBA. Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter from Los Angeles who has covered local news for years. She has been with PIX11 since 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. An eighth-grader in Wisconsin prevented a school bus from veering into the oncoming lane. In an email sent to parents, Glen Hills Middle School principal Anna Young praised Acie Holland IIIs quick thinking in preventing a potential tragedy. On April 24, the school bus driver suffered a sudden medical emergency, causing her to lose consciousness while driving briefly. In an interview with NBC affiliate WTMJ, the 14-year-old said he was on his phone when he felt the bus accelerate. I looked at the bus driver because she went past my stop, and I looked, and I seen her head just go down, Holland III recalled. I ran up there. I took control of the bus because I was scared, but at the same time, I was like I wanted to just make sure everyone was OK and that nothing was gonna happen while I was there. Holland ran to the front of the bus and grabbed the steering wheel before calling 911 for help. He also called his grandmother, a nurse, for medical assistance, according to People. Then I get us to the curb, he added, and I hit the brakes close and then when we hit the curb, I turned the wheel all the way because I didnt know where the parking brake was. This morning, NewsNations Hena Doba spoke to 14-year-old hero Acie Holland III and his dad about Acie's incredible act of heroism. When his school bus driver lost consciousness while driving, Acie jumped into action taking the wheel and saving everyone on board! #newsnationam pic.twitter.com/MImZzywwdW Morning in America (@newsnationam) May 6, 2024 The student said that the experience has also benefited his personal growth. [It] made me feel good that I know that I saved people, Holland told WISN. And I know I feel more confident now and brave. Hollands father, Acie Holland II, praised his son for his heroics. It didnt [faze] me because I know that hes capable of almost anything, he In a letter sent to the school districts parents, the principal commended the 14-year-old for his quick thinking in preventing a potential tragedy for both the students and the driver. Acie recognized that the driver was not responsive, so he rushed to move her foot off the gas, applied the brake and securely parked the bus. He contacted 911 and, ensured younger students were OK, and instructed them to contact their parents. He also sought out his grandmother, a nurse, to support the situation, Principal Young said, praising his heroic gesture. The Glen Hills school community could not be any prouder of Acie, the statement continued. The compassion and leadership that we see him exhibit daily was taken to the next level on his bus ride home yesterday. We are grateful that all of our Glen Hills students are safe and are wishing their driver a healthy recovery. Teen grabs wheel when driver passes out and school bus veers into traffic I took the wheel and straightened out the bus, then I moved her foot off the gas pedal, said Wisconsin eighth-grader Acie Holland III. https://t.co/K1sJYJAxiy The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 6, 2024 Principal Young reported that the driver apologized to her young passengers before being taken to the emergency room. We dont have any details about what happened to her, but I know she was under medical care the following day, Young said told the Washington Post . The kids told me it was a really scary experience, but Acie took care of it. In our Reality Check stories, Herald-Leader journalists dig deeper into questions over facts, consequences and accountability. Read more. Story idea? hlcityregion@herald-leader.com. Energy companies and advocacy groups are always a presence among the Frankfort lobbying corps, but they took on an outsized role in this years legislative session. Part of the reason: the passage of Senate Bill 349, which would put an extra hurdle in place for utilities seeking to retire fossil fuel-based power plants, fueled a conflict between the states utility companies and energy producers. All told, these groups contributed to record spending in the first three months of the 2024 General Assembly roughly $9.7 million from Jan. 1 to March 31, topping last years mark by about $400,000. Four of the top 10 spenders this year have been utility companies and groups. The Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives spent $119,000, LG&E/Kentucky Utilities dropped $106,000, Duke Energy spent $86,500 and East Kentucky Power Cooperative spent $79,500. Sign up for our Bluegrass Politics Newsletter A must-read newsletter for political junkies across the Bluegrass State with reporting and analysis from the Lexington Herald-Leader. Never miss a story! Sign up for our Bluegrass Politics newsletter to connect with our reporting team and get behind-the-scenes insights, plus previews of the biggest stories. Senate Bill 349, which passed both chambers and withstood a veto from Gov. Andy Beshear, will set up an 18-member commission to review requests to close fossil fuel-fired power plants before the states Public Service Commission can approve or deny such a retirement. The commissions recommendations would not be binding, but they could extend the overall timeline between application and retirement of plants. Many Republican legislators in Northern Kentucky, where Duke Energy provides power, and Louisville, where LG&E is king, decried the bill. Both utilities fought hard against the bill in committee by claiming that it would make it harder for them to keep rates low for consumers, even rallying groups as diverse as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the philanthropic organization United Way of Kentucky to write letters against it. Unfortunately, SB 349, while aimed at securing energy reliability, will inadvertently limit Kentuckys ability to adapt to evolving energy markets and consumer needs, Kevin Middleton, United Way of Kentucky president, wrote. It will harm economic development efforts by tying Kentucky to aging infrastructure and hinder investment in modern, lower-cost, more efficient power generation. Story continues On the other side of the debate were coal industry interests and the commonwealths electric cooperatives. Kentuckys most powerful coal magnate, Joe Craft, was involved in discussions on the bill, and an arm of the coal industry-supporting group Americas Power was a strong public advocate for the bill. More than 100 groups spent over $20k lobbying the Kentucky legislature. Who are they? East Kentucky Power Cooperative, the largest electric cooperative in the state, is an organization owned by 16 smaller nonprofit utility co-ops around the commonwealth. It provides power to more than 1.1 million people and has access to the PJM Interconnection, one of the largest energy markets in the world. As of its 2022 nonprofit filing, East Kentucky Power Cooperative had more than $3.7 billion in assets and brought in almost $1.3 billion in annual revenue. A spokesperson for the group, Nick Comer, told the Herald-Leader in a statement that it supported the bill for its focus on reliability but didnt say how it affected the cooperatives operations. EKPC is a strong advocate of Kentucky and the U.S. proactively protecting the reliability of the electric grid, particularly during the transition to lower carbon intensity. This measure provides a valuable tool to engage Kentuckys energy experts, stakeholders and policymakers in thoughtful and rational discussions about grid reliability, Comer wrote. House GOP Floor Leader Steven Rudy, R-Paducah, told the Herald-Leader that intense lobbying tends to stem from issues that divide the policy-making caucus like Senate Bill 349. That one got a lot of play, and more people got engaged in that because it was such a high-stakes issue and it was a complex issue, he said. Typically, when you see an issue thats pretty well divided, youre gonna see more money coming in from both sides. Rudy also mentioned the debate over certificate of need programs proponents argue its a lifeline for several hospitals while detractors like the libertarian-leaning group Americans for Prosperity say its anti-free market as a reason for lobbying this year. The Kentucky Hospital Association, a major voice against a bill to reform the program, finished seventh in total lobbying spending. Americans for Prosperity spent the 17th-most. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Marianne Proctor, R-Union, failed in an overwhelming 3-13 vote in committee. More generally, Rudy said that lobbyists serve an important role in Frankfort, though bad apples exist as in any other profession. The good ones will tell you both sides of the issue, and we depend on them sometimes because were a citizen legislature and we dont have an expert on every issue, Rudy said. Rounding out the top 10 in overall lobbying spending is the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the largest business organization in the state lobbied on the bill legalizing and regulating self-driving vehicles in Kentucky, which passed, as well as budget bills that inch the state closer to no income tax. It spent $151,000 in the first three months of the year. The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association spent fifth-most of any organization, logging around $95,000. Most of it went towards advertising in a session where it stood against Senate Bill 188, which put new regulations on commercial pharmacy-benefit managers. The Kentucky League of Cities and Greater Louisville Inc. spent ninth and tenth-most, respectively. The league lobbied on several bills, including a piece of legislation regarding city annexation of county land, a hot button issues that once pitted city and county governments against each other but was seen as a compromise. Greater Louisville Inc., the Louisville areas chamber of commerce, lobbied on budget bills that included significant investment in Louisvilles downtown and throughout Jefferson County. FILE - EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan, right, addresses a roundtable of Jackson-area businesspeople, community leaders, residents and educators, as Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, left, listens, Nov. 15, 2022, at Jackson State University, in Jackson, Miss. The EPA said Monday, May 6, 2024, that it found insufficient evidence that racial discrimination shaped decisions made by two Mississippi agencies about water system funding for the majority-Black city of Jackson. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) JACKSON, Miss. (AP) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it found insufficient evidence that racial discrimination shaped decisions made by two Mississippi agencies about water system funding for the state's majority-Black capital city of Jackson. The EPA's Office of External Civil Rights Compliance issued its findings this week about the investigation it started in October 2022 into the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and the Mississippi State Department of Health. The EPA announced its probe weeks after the national and state branches of the NAACP and nine Jackson residents filed a complaint alleging the state had a "practice of systematically depriving Jackson the funds that it needs to operate and maintain its water facilities in a safe and reliable manner. Jackson's water system nearly collapsed in late August 2022 after heavy rainfall and flooding exacerbated longstanding problems. Many people in the city of 150,000 lacked water for drinking, flushing or bathing for several weeks. A federally appointed administrator has been in charge of Jackson water since late 2022 and the federal government has approved $600 million for improvements to the city system. The EPA wrote in its findings Monday that it investigated specific questions, including whether the Mississippi Department of Environmental Qualitys funding of water infrastructure and treatment programs is discriminatory. The department's executive director, Chris Wells, said Wednesday that his agency was already following federal regulations. The evidence overwhelmingly shows that the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality did everything right, Wells said. These allegations were entirely false and have been a distraction to the mission of our agency. The Health Department said in a statement that it is committed to the equal opportunity for all counties, municipalities, districts and other water organizations to have access to a loan program for water system improvements. Derrick Johnson, national president of the NAACP, lives in Jackson. The NAACP is outraged at the inadequate findings presented by the EPA this week," Johnson said in a statement Thursday. "Since day one of this crisis, we have been on the ground, speaking with residents and community leaders. One thing remains clear racial discrimination and neglect have left a majority Black, capital city in crisis." Johnson said the NAACP hopes Mississippi government leaders will enact EPAs recommendations, including that the Health Department assess its loan terms to ensure that communities with the greatest needs have access to water funding. The NAACP remains committed to using every tool at our disposal to ensure that all Black Americans have access to clean drinking water, Johnson said. The EPA examined state water fund loans to Mississippi communities between 1989 and 2021 and evaluated those based on the percentage of Black residents. Jackson's population was about 56% Black and 44% white in 1990, and the city's current population is about 82% Black and 15% white, according to the Census Bureau. The EPA wrote that funding for Jackson did not decrease as the racial composition of Jackson changed during the period analyzed" and the analysis found "no statistically significant relationship between loan amount and race across the state over time. The Department of Environmental Quality provided water loans to Jackson 13 times since 1990 every time the city applied. Although Jackson falls on the lower end of per capita funding ... there was no significant relationship between loan amounts per person and race over time, the EPA said. The EPA also wrote that the impacts of the water crisis fell disproportionately on the majority Black community of Jackson, but there is insufficient evidence to establish a relationship between the amount of funding disbursed by MDEQ to Jackson over time and the racial composition of the community. Jackson received three loans from a water improvement fund administered by the Health Department between 1997 and 2022, and the department told the EPA it never failed to approve completed applications from the capital city. For the years Jackson received loan awards, it received a large proportion of the total funding available for those years, the EPA wrote. CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) The Champaign County Sheriffs Office announced that a Rantoul man is now in custody in connection to a deadly shooting last month. Authorities determined that two Rantoul men, 24-year-old Jonalberto Guadalupe Sanchez and 32-year-old Argenis Rincon, were in an argument over a previous relationship. On April 15, the two agreed to meet on the outskirts of town, near the intersection of County Roads 3200 North and 1800 East. Crime Stoppers looking for suspect in Urbana property damage case This encounter led to Guadalupe Sanchez being shot in the upper torso. After the Sheriffs Office and Rantoul Police Department arrived at the scene, Guadalupe Sanchez was taken to Carle Foundation Hospital, where Coroner Stephen Thuney said he died from a gunshot wound to the chest. Just before 12:45 p.m. Wednesday, Rincon was arrested at the Champaign County Sheriffs Office and taken to the Champaign County Correctional Center. He was charged with murder. The Sheriffs Office continues to investigate this incident. Those with any further information are urged to call the Investigations Division at 217-384-1213. Completely anonymous tips can also be made to Champaign County Crime Stoppers at 217-373-8477, submitted at 373tips.com, or through the P3 Tips mobile app. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. Columbia University president Minouche Shafik is, on paper, a very impressive person. She has been a vice president at the World Bank, a deputy managing director at the International Monetary Fund, deputy governor at the Bank of England, and director of the London School of Economics. She has served on the boards of the British Museum and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and was named a Peer of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Seconds United Kingdom in 2015. In 2021 Shafik published What We Owe Each Other: A New Social Contract for a Better Society. True to its hypercredentialed author, the book was celebrated by some of the biggest names in international economics and social policy: European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, World Trade Organization Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Financial Times columnist Martin Wolf, and the American philosopher Michael Sandel, to name fiveall of whom attested in some way or another that Shafiks little book was indispensable for building a better world. Few early readers of What We Owe Each Other could have imagined that its author would, within a few years, propel herself to the authoritarian vanguard of U.S. politics. Fewer still would have guessed that the vector for this metamorphosis would be a major American university. But Shafiks disastrous tenure at Columbia has exposed undemocratic currents flowing through the elite milieu that once celebrated her. Read as the memoir-manifesto of a woman who turned riot police on unarmed students, What We Owe Each Other serves as an unwitting guide to the intellectual precarity of the reigning liberal ordera document revealing what can go wrong when liberals treat democratic legitimacy and public consent as merely incidental elements of the liberal political project. The book would be less harrowing if it were simply devoid of insight. But beneath the Obama-era bank director cliches (Automation! Nudge! Secular stagnation!), Shafik conveys a handful of solid policy proposals, emphasizing that nice-guy humanitarian impulses often turn out to be good for economic growth and productivity. She wants higher taxes on capital and better benefits for labor; longer parental leave and more state support for parents; affordable education and quality health care for all. The world would be a better place if more peers of the realm were on board with the books agenda. But Shafik bills What We Owe Each Other as a new social contract, invoking the tradition of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and John Rawls. Social contract theorists are interested in much more than policy wonkery. They try to define the bounds of legitimate government by asking how individuals in an ungoverned state of nature would agree to be governed. For Hobbes, the state of nature was so violent and chaotic that rational individuals would readily consent to the authority of an absolute monarch to establish law and order. For Locke, the state of natures material bounty meant that governments were required to respect the natural rights of individuals, including the right to own private property. Rousseau arrived at democracy by envisioning a state of nature populated by peaceful and compassionate noble savages, while Rawls declared that social inequality could be justified only if inequality improved the living standards of the worst-off. (It might, for example, be OK to pay doctors more than migrant workers because even societys poor residents benefit, ostensibly, from a functioning medical system.) Although these different thinkers reach very different political conclusions, they are alleven Hobbesoperating within a fundamentally democratic paradigm: Governments are justified by some kind of appeal to the consent of the governed; the state of nature is the key philosophical tool for establishing how people reason through their rights and obligations to each other. It is striking, then, to see that Shafiks social contract doesnt involve a state of nature at all and isnt actually a deal that individuals reach with other individuals. When I refer to the social contract, therefore, I mean the partnership between individuals, businesses, civil society and the state to contribute to a system in which there are collective benefits, she writes. In one blithe sentence, Shafik assumes into legitimacy the major institutions of liberal modernity and declares them partners in a cooperative project, without inquiring into whether or how these institutions might be democratically justified. What we owe each other ends up depending a lot on where we live, what institutions we are affiliated with, and how those institutionssay, for instance, Columbia Universityare governed. How these institutions resolve internal disputes is at most a sideshow; how they might fit into a narrative about free individuals choosing their future together is not even contemplated. Shafik is, to be clear, calling for institutional reforms. She rejects the state-vs.-market dichotomy. She wants to see institutions bearing more collective risks and individuals receiving more of societys collective output. The successful businesses of the future, she argues, will operate with an eye toward social responsibilities beyond short-term shareholder profits, and ultimately find themselves better regulated and better off. Enlightened companies will increasingly see environmental sustainability, paying their fair share of taxes and commitment to their employees and communities as central to their strategies, Shafik writes. Investors, meanwhile, will increasingly factor such commitments into their valuations of firms share prices, and financial markets will reward firms that manage these risks intelligently. All of this sounds very nice and would no doubt be an improvement from the privateering corporate status quo. But which of these various public duties will the successful business prioritize? What should investors do if, say, labor and environmental interests conflict? How might other institutionsColumbia University, perhapssort out competing claims? What can different members of the university community reasonably expect from their schools investment management? What rights do individuals outside the formal management hierarchy have when they want to change the way an institution operates? Where does change come from, and when is it legitimate? These are not easy questions to answer, and Shafik doesnt do so. Instead, she pivots from talking about the social contract to discussing social contracts of varying generosity that whole countries, rather than individuals, can choose from, depending on the balance of power between people and institutions that happens to prevail. Its an extraordinary philosophical bait and switch in which Shafik substitutes a variant of neoliberal economics for the democratic considerations of social contract theory. Shafik clearly feels real sympathy for the downtrodden, but her narrative is not about self-government, consent, or consensus. What We Owe Each Other is essentially a lengthy meditation on the observation that greater economic productivity will enable more generous social contracts. I like improved productivity as much as the next Excel dweeb, but this results in some really weird musings on politics. In most countries today the evolution of social contracts depends on the structure of the political system, Shafik writes. Democracies tend to be better at delivering longer lives for their citizens and better economic outcomes, but selectorate countriesShafik cites China as an examplecan also deliver effective outcomes for their citizens. After some hemming and hawing, she concludes, Achieving a better social contract is ultimately about increasing the accountability of our political systems. How this happens will vary between countries. OK! Shafik mentions free media once, in her final chapter, as part of a description of real-world democracies, and includes the phrase safeguards of freedoms of association and collective action in a graphic on Page 178. Otherwise, there are no discussions of free speech or free press in the book. The word dissent does not appear. One particularly striking aspect of the state-enforced repression sweeping Americas universities is that so much of it is being ordered by people who are supposed to be the good guys in standard liberal accounts of todays political quagmire. University of Virginia President Jim Ryan was the author of a good book on segregation and education before he tear-gassed his students. Joe Biden has made some genuinely moving speeches on the highest ideals of the American political tradition, and he really has overseen the best U.S. economic performance in at least a generation. But when police started arresting pro-Palestinian students at dozens of campuses nationwide, Biden smeared the protesters and defended the crackdown by declaring that dissent must never lead to disorderan axiom worthy of King George III. Liberal leaders seem to know what to do when democracy is threatened from withoutnothing focuses the mind like a glowering autocrat. But throughout the campus crisis over Gaza, liberal leaders in the United States and Europe have repeatedly failed to maintain liberal values when they are challenged from within. Over the course of the school year, Shafik steadily escalated student protests over Israel into an intractable institutional conflict. Today Columbias donors and its administration are essentially at war with the schools faculty and student body. Students want Columbia and its endowment to divest from Israel, and they keep appealing to democratic processes and procedures to illustrate the legitimacy of their demand. In addition to establishing encampments, theyve submitted a referendum on divestment to the Columbia College student bodythe universitys undergraduate liberal arts schooland received a vote overwhelmingly in support. Shafik, meanwhile, has invoked her institutional authority to deny that demand, and called on the state to enforce her authority. To win her most recent battles, Shafik has basically had to shut down the school: This years graduation ceremony is canceled, and its hard to imagine Shafik enduring any event where students and faculty would congregate. Columbia, it seems, could benefit from an updated social contract. Tennessee Commissioner of Education Lizzette Gonzalez Reynolds interviews with the Tennessean at Tennessee Department of Education in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023. At the height of the legislative session, Tennessee Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds met frequently with school choice-focused stakeholders including repeated meetings with representatives from her former employer, national advocacy group ExcelinEd. Records of the commissioner's travel, schedule and expenses obtained by The Tennessean through a records request show that Reynolds has maintained ties with her former employer since joining state government, meeting four times with ExcelinEd during a six week period in January and February more than any other nongovernmental stakeholder. Reynolds also met three times with the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, which has also advocated for school choice policies, during the first three months of this year. Reynolds schedule also includes recurring cabinet and staff meetings, meetings with other commissioners and administration officials, and meetings with the State Board of Education. The new records provide a glimpse into the activities of one of Gov. Bill Lee's most high-profile commissioners at a time when the administration was working to secure passage of a statewide school choice program. Lee tapped Reynolds last year and the commissioner has said she was drawn to Tennessee because the Lee administration's education priorities mirrored the policies backed by ExcelinEd, a Florida-based national education advocacy group founded by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. But Reynolds has been controversial, with Democrats and others calling into question her qualifications for the job under state law. She had to repay a tuition waiver at the University of Tennessee at Martin because she was ineligible to receive the benefit. During the legislative session, the new records show Reynolds was regularly involved in pushing the Education Freedom Scholarship Act, which would have expanded school vouchers to all of Tennessee. She held numerous meetings with state lawmakers and had almost daily check-in calls with the governor's office on the legislation throughout the month of March. Ultimately, the policy failed to move forward, as lawmakers could not work out a compromise on significant points of the legislation. Meanwhile, the new records show Reynolds also conducted several school visits across the state, and met or attended events with IDEA Public Schools, Tennesseans for Quality Early Education, PENCIL, Tennessee Future Farmers of America, Nissan North America, The New Teacher Project, the Los Altos Institution, Men of Valor, the U.S. Department of Educations Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, among others. Reynolds met with the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents and spoke at an event organized by the group. But the documents don't include any record of meetings with the state's two most prominent teacher organizations the Tennessee Education Association and Professional Educators of Tennessee nor with school board or administration officials from the state's largest districts. The Department of Education did not return a request for comment. JC Bowman, director of Professional Educators of Tennessee, said he's spoken with Reynolds, and is grateful she has been receptive to his phone calls, but would like to see the commissioner meet with groups closer to the local communities that the department serves. "I think we'd be a better government if we would quit allowing unelected bureaucrats meet with people who are pushing policies that are not necessarily in alignment with the wishes of the Tennessee people," Bowman told The Tennessean. "If she's going to continue to be here in our state, and my understanding is that she plans on being here, it would behoove her to meet with people in our state on a regular basis." Meetings with ExcelinEd Reynolds' ExcelinEd meetings include a State Chiefs Network gathering led by CEO Patricia Levesque, who she worked closely with during her time at the group. Levesque said earlier this year that Reynolds is an experienced, "strong state education commissioner." Reynolds also met in January and February with ExcelinEd representatives via Microsoft Teams, and hosted one in-person meeting on Feb. 21. Details on the attendees or agenda are not included in the commissioners schedule. Tennessee Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds during a House committee meeting where the school voucher bill was debated at Cordell Hull State Office Building in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, March 6, 2024. ExcelinEd has played a larger role in recent years in Tennessee education policy. Before Reynolds took office, the group consulted with the state on the new K-12 funding formula, the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act, in 2022. The organization also lobbied to support the expanded school choice program. New details on ExcelinEd paid travel Reynolds and a top adviser attended two out-of-state events in Indianapolis and Atlanta last year with most expenses paid by ExcelinEd. Reynolds traveled to Indianapolis in October for ExcelinEd's summit on college and career pathways. ExcelinEd covering her travel and lodging expenses and all meals, according to state expense reports. In this photo obtained from the Department of Education via records request, Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds poses with Danielle Mezera and Quentin Suffren, both ExcelinEd advisors on college and career pathways at an ExcelinEd summit in Indianapolis in October 2023. In November, Reynolds drove to Atlanta to speak at the groups annual National Summit on Education. ExcelinEd paid for her lodging, mileage, meals, and parking, records show. During the three-day summit, Reynolds spoke on a panel on school accountability alongside Virginia Education Secretary Aimee Guidera and an ExcelinEd policy analyst. Reynolds was also invited to a private roundtable for state education chiefs with Bush at the event, according to emails about her travel. ExcelinEd is the only group Reynolds has traveled out-of-state for during her first year on the job. Ahead of the ExcelinEd National Summit, Reynolds promoted the event to Tennessee teachers, touting scholarships available to educators offered by the organization. Lets send this to our teacher advisory committee, Reynolds wrote in an October email to Deputy Chief of Staff Rica Douglas, noting the scholarships. Reynolds former Chief of Staff Chelsea Crawford, who recently left the department, also presented on education-to-workforce pathways at the event, with expenses paid by ExcelinEd. Crawford also attended the Indianapolis event, with expenses paid by the state. It is not uncommon for organizations to cover travel expenses for special guests or speakers. Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. Reach her at vjones@tennessean.com. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee education commissioner's push for statewide voucher bill NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Volunteers from the American Red Cross are ready to help anyone impacted by the severe weather that ripped through Middle Tennessee Wednesday, including tornadoes and flash flooding. The Red Cross said it is working closely with emergency management partners to meet the needs of multiple communities across the Volunteer State. GALLERY: Severe weather rolls through Middle TN According to officials, shelters are open at the following locations for anyone who many need a safe place to stay: Maury County West 7th Street Church of Christ at 405 West 7th Street in Columbia Sumner County NorthField Church at 2100 Nashville Pike in Gallatin Cannon County *Respite Center New Hope Church at 4296 Murfreesboro Road in Readyville If you were displaced from your home and need help from Red Cross, you are asked to call 1-800-733-2767. Meanwhile, Red Cross said its volunteers will start conducting damage assessments as soon as it is safe for them to do so. Since flash flooding is still a threat for some Middle Tennessee communities, officials encourage to you tune in to local radio, NOAA radio, and news stations for the latest updates and weather alerts. Road closures in Middle Tennessee due to flooding after deadly tornado, severe storms Red Cross also shared the following safety tips in the aftermath of the severe weather on Wednesday, May 8: Turn around, dont drown! Stay off the roads if possible, but if you must drive and you encounter a flooded roadway, turn around and go another way. Follow evacuation routes , and dont try to take shortcuts because they may be blocked. Stay away from floodwaters. Snakes, insects, and other animals may be in or around floodwaters and your home. Keep children and pets away from hazardous sites and floodwaters. Dont use water that could be contaminated to wash dishes, brush teeth, prepare food, wash hands, make ice, or make baby formula. Dont step in puddles or standing water if power lines are down outside your home. Report these downed lines to the power company immediately. Dont use any gas or electrical appliances that were flooded until they have been checked for safety. Dispose of any food that came in contact with floodwater. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com You can also download the free Red Cross Emergency App in English or Spanish to find expert advice on preparing for and responding to severe weather. In addition, the app features real-time local alerts for severe weather and hazards, as well as a map with local Red Cross shelters. If you want to get the app, text GETEMERGENCY to 90999 or search Red Cross Emergency in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. For more information about how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from severe weather, visit redcross.org/storms. Dont forget to take the power and reliability of the WKRN Weather Authority with you at all times by downloading the News 2 Storm Tracker app. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) The Red Cross has released it latest response update as multiagency resource centers are scheduled in southern Oklahoma communities. The Red Cross leadership on the Oklahoma tornadoes said, Our hearts go out to those who lost their lives and the communities punished by tornado outbreaks across Oklahoma, the Great Plains and the South. Even as we provide recovery services for people affected by the April 27 tornadoes in southern Oklahoma, we are now responding to meet residents immediate needs after a violent tornado struck communities in Osage and Washington counties, including Barnsdall. Oklahoma Dept. of Emergency Mgmt. releases storm recovery update Trained Red Cross disaster workers are operating shelters in affected areas: Osage County Fairgrounds, 320 Skyline Drive, Pawhuska, OK Crossway First Baptist Church, 2108 Broadway Ave., Sulphur, OK Shelters will remain open as long as they are needed. With our partners, we are bringing resources to those affected. Hundreds of people in communities across the region were affected, and we will continue to work alongside our partners to bring every available resource to those in need. As of Thursday morning, the Red Cross has: Assisted nearly 1,100 households with disaster-related needs Served almost 15,00 meals and snacks; more than 3,200 of those have been served in Osage and Washington counties over the past two days Provided about 140 overnight shelter stays Distributed 5,000 relief items Assessed damage at approximately 1,000 homes throughout impacted areas of Oklahoma Mobile feeding, emergency supply distribution and residential damage assessment continues in impacted areas of Osage and Washington counties. Meals will be served in shelters for as long as they are open. In southern Oklahoma, Red Cross service centers are open to help people recover. Caseworkers will help residents whose homes were severely damaged or destroyed apply for financial assistance. Locations are as follows: Ardmore Service Center 1006 Northwest Blvd. Ardmore, OK May 89, 9 a.m.8 p.m. Marietta Service Center 402 W Main St. Marietta, OK May 1011, 9 a.m.8 p.m. Sulphur Service Center 2108 Broadway Ave. Sulphur, OK May 89, 9 a.m.8 p.m. Only the Red Cross will be present for these service centers. Together with our Oklahoma Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) partners, we have scheduled multiagency resource centers starting Friday, May 10. Sulphur: May 1011 Faith Center Church 2630 W Broadway Ave. Hours: May 10, 17 p.m. May 11, 10 a.m.5 p.m. Ardmore: May 15 Ardmore Heritage Hall 220 W Broadway St. Hours: 17 p.m. Marietta: May 16 Love County Fairgrounds 500 N Second Ave. Hours: 17 p.m. SHELTER INFO AND TORNADO SAFETY Anyone affected by this disaster is welcome at a Red Cross shelter. All disaster assistance is free. Services offered at Red Cross shelters: A safe place to sleep Meals, snacks and water Health services (for disaster-related conditions), such as first aid, refilling lost prescriptions or replacing lost eyeglasses Emotional support and mental health services Spiritual care Help reconnecting with loved ones Information about disaster-related resources in the community You can access these services even if you dont need a place to sleep: anyone with a disaster-related need can visit the shelter to be directed to the appropriate resources. Contact the national SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline for free if you need to talk to someone. Call 1-800-985-5990. HOW TO HELP Visit redcross.org/donate to make a donation, or text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation toward disaster relief. The Red Cross does not accept donated goods, but we work closely with local community groups and organizations that do. We suggest calling 211 to be connected to local social service agencies that accept these kinds of donations. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE The American Red Cross is offering financial assistance for those who need help recovering and whose primary residences were destroyed or sustained eligible structural damage. This type of assistance is damage-based. To be eligible for Red Cross damage-based financial assistance, households apply for the program and meet the following three requirements: Their pre-disaster primary residence (renter or homeowner) is in a confirmed disaster-impacted geographic area. Their head of household is able to provide proof of identity and residence. Their primary residence is assessed to be destroyed or has suffered significant structural damage that requires extensive repairs. A residence that is destroyed is one that is a total loss or with damage so severe that repairs are not feasible. Many qualifying households will receive an invitation to complete an application through an email, text message or phone call directly from the American Red Cross. Please follow the instructions in the message and call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) to enroll, confirm eligibility and receive individual financial assistance. AAA provides tips when trapped inside a vehicle during severe weather The phone number the text message comes from may vary. Emails will come from American Red Cross from clientservices@rccare.redcross.org. The Red Cross also assists those who may face barriers to accessing disaster assistance such as people who do not speak English, are not American citizens, or who have not responded to our initial outreach. Anyone who needs assistance is welcome to call 1-800-RED CROSS. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Religious views on abortion more diverse than they may appear in U.S. political debate WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 17: Protesters cheer as they attend the "Jewish Rally for Abortion Justice" rally at Union Square near the U.S. Capitol on May 17, 2022 in Washington, DC. The rally, hosted by the National Council of Jewish Women, is taking place more than two weeks since the leaked draft of the Supreme Court's potential decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Lawmakers who oppose abortion often invoke their faith many identify as Christian while debating policy. The anti-abortion movements use of Christianity in arguments might create the impression that broad swaths of religious Americans dont support abortion rights. But a recent report shows that Americans of various faiths and denominations believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. According to a Public Religion Research Institute survey of some 22,000 U.S. adults released last week, 93% of Unitarian Universalists, 81% of Jews, 79% of Buddhists and 60% of Muslims also hold that view. Researchers also found that most people who adhere to the two major branches of Christianity Catholicism and Protestantism also believe abortion should be mostly legal, save for three groups: white evangelical Protestants, Latter-day Saints and Jehovahs Witnesses. Historically, the Catholic Church has opposed abortion. But the poll found that 73% of Catholics of color PRRI defines this group as Black, Asian, Native American and multiracial support the right to have an abortion, followed by 62% of white Catholics and 57% of Hispanic Catholics. Religious views on abortion vary greatly in Virginia. According to a 2014 Pew Research Center survey of Virginia adults, mainline protestants including methodists, lutherans, episcopalians, presbyterians and other denominations appeared to be the most accepting of abortion rights, with 62% believing abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Catholic Virginians were split on the topic, with 48% agreeing that abortion should be legal in all or most cases, and 48% disagreeing on the same point. Evangelical protestants seemed the least accepting of abortion access, with 41% of baptist, pentecostal, non denominational and other congregations believing abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Of the Virginia citizens surveyed who identified as unaffiliated with any religious group, 70% believed abortion access should be legal all or most of the time. The findings show that interfaith views on abortion may not be as simple as they appear during political debate, where the voices of white evangelical legislators and advocates can be the loudest. States Newsroom spoke with Abrahamic religious scholars specifically, experts in Catholicism, Islam and Judaism and reproductive rights advocates about varying perspectives on abortion and their history. Abortion views in America before Roe v. Wade The Moral Majority a voting bloc of white, conservative evangelicals who rose to prominence after the U.S. Supreme Court Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973 is often associated with spearheading legislation to restrict abortion. Gillian Frank is a historian specializing in religion, gender and sexuality who teaches at the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey. Frank said evangelical views on abortion were actually more ambivalent before the early 70s Roe decision established the federal right to terminate a pregnancy. (The Supreme Court upended that precedent about two years ago.) What we have to understand is that evangelicals, alongside mainline Protestants and Jews of various denominations, supported what was called therapeutic abortion, which is to say abortion for certain exceptional causes, Frank said, including saving the life or health of the mother, fetal abnormalities, rape, incest and the pregnancy of a minor. Religious bodies like the Southern Baptist Convention and the National Association of Evangelicals said abortion was OK in certain circumstances, he added. Evangelical Protestants before Roe did not endorse elective abortions, Frank said, or what they called abortion on demand, a phrase invoked by abortion-rights opponents today that he said entered the American lexicon around 1962. The 1973 ruling was seismic and led organizations opposing abortion, such as the National Right to Life Committee formed by the Conference of Catholic Bishops to sprout across the country, according to an article published four years later in Southern Exposure. Catholic leaders often lobbied other religious groups evangelicals, Mormons, orthodox Jews to join their movement and likened abortion to murder in their newspapers. After Roe, abortion is increasingly associated with womens liberation in popular rhetoric in popular culture, because of the activism of the womens movement but also because of the ways in which the anti-abortion movement is associating abortion with familial decline, Frank said. Those sentiments, he said, were spread by conservative figures like Phyllis Schlafly, a Catholic opposed to feminism and abortion, who campaigned against and managed to block the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s. Polls suggest the views of Catholic clergy and laypeople diverge Catholicism is generally synonymous with opposition to abortion. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the church has stood against abortion since the first century. The conference points to Jeremiah 1:5 in the Bible to back up arguments that pregnancy termination is contrary to the moral law. But nearly 6 in 10 American Catholics believe abortion should be mostly legal, according to a Pew Research Center report released last month. Catholics for Choice spokesperson Ashley Wilson said that theres a disconnect between the church as an institution and its laity. We recognize that part of the problem is that the Catholic clergy, and the people who write the official teaching of the church, are all or mostly white male my boss likes to say ostensibly celibate men who dont have wives, Wilson said. They dont have daughters. They have no inroads into the lives of laypeople. Her group plans on going to Vatican City in Rome this fall to lift up stories of Catholics whove had abortions. The organization is also actively involved in efforts to restore abortion access 14 states have near-total bans through direct ballot measures in Colorado, Florida and Missouri this year. Catholic dioceses and fraternities are often behind counter-efforts to proposed ballot questions. They poured millions into campaigns in Kansas and Kentucky in 2022 to push anti-abortion amendments, and also in Ohio last year to defeat a reproductive rights ballot measure but they failed in each state. Ensoulment and mercy in Islam Tenets of Islam the second largest faith in the world often make references to how far along a persons pregnancy is and whether there are complications. University of Colorado Law professor Rabea Benhalim, an expert of Islamic and Judaic law, said theres a common belief that at 40 days gestation, the embryo is akin to a drop of fluid. After 120 days, the fetus gains a soul, she said. While the Quran doesnt specifically speak to abortion, Benhalim said Chapter 23: 12-14 is considered a description of a fetus in a womb. The verses are deeply important in the development of abortion jurisprudence within Islamic law, because theres an understanding that life is something that is emerging over a period of stages. In some restrictive interpretations of Islam, theres a limit on abortion after 40 days, or seven weeks after implantation, Benhalim said. In other interpretations, because ensoulment doesnt occur until 120 days of gestation, abortion is generally permitted in some Muslim communities for various reasons, she said. After ensoulment, abortion is allowed if the mothers life is in danger, according to religious doctrine. Sahar Pirzada, the director of movement building at HEART, a reproductive justice organization focused on sexual health and education in Muslim American communities, confirmed that some Muslims believe in the 40-day mark, while others adhere to the 120-day mark when weighing abortion. How can you make a black-and-white ruling on something that is going to be applied across the board when everyones situation is different? she asked. Theres a lot of compassion and mercy with how were supposed to approach matters of the womb. The issue is personal for Pirzada, who had an abortion in 2018 after her fetus received a fatal diagnosis of trisomy 18 when she was 12 weeks pregnant. I wanted to terminate within the 120-day mark, which gave me a few more weeks, she said. She consulted scholars and Islamic teachings before making the decision to end her pregnancy, she said, and mentioned the importance of rahma mercy in Islam. I tried to embody that spirit of compassion for myself, she said. Pirzada, who is now a mother of two, had the procedure at exactly 14 weeks on a day six years ago that was both Ash Wednesday and Valentines Day. She said she felt loved and surrounded by people of faith at the hospital, where some health care workers had crosses marked in ash on their foreheads. I felt very appreciative that they were offering me care on a day that was spiritual for them, she said. Seeing the stories of people with pregnancy complications in the period since the Supreme Court overturned the federal right to an abortion has left her grief stricken. For instance, Kate Cox, a Texas woman whose fetus had the same diagnosis as Pirzadas, was denied an abortion by the state Supreme Court in December. Cox had to travel elsewhere for care, Texas Tribune reported. Benhalim, the University of Colorado expert, said teachings in Islam and Judaism offer solace to followers who are considering abortion, as they can provide guidance during difficult decisions. No fetal personhood in Judaism In Jewish texts, the embryo is referred to as water before 40 days of gestation, according to the National Council of Jewish Women. Exodus: 21:22-23 in the Torah mentions a hypothetical situation where two men are fighting and injure a pregnant woman. If she has a miscarriage, the men are only fined. But if she is seriously injured and dies, the penalty shall be a life for a life. This part of the Torah is interpreted to mean that a fetus does not have personhood, and the men didnt commit murder, according to the council. But this may not be a catchall belief Benhalim noted that denominations of Judaism have different opinions on abortion. Today, Jewish Americans have been at the forefront of legal challenges to abortion bans based on religious freedom in Florida, Indiana and Kentucky. Many of the lawsuits have interfaith groups of plaintiffs and argue that restrictions on termination infringe on their religion. The legal challenge in Indiana has been the most successful. Hoosier Jews for Choice and five anonymous plaintiffs sued members of the state medical licensing board in summer 2022, when Indianas near-total abortion ban initially took effect. Plaintiffs argued that the ban violated the states Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the court later let the claim receive class-action status. Several Jewish Hoosiers said they believe life begins after a babys first breath, and that abortion is required to protect the mothers health and life, according to court documents. Last month, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled that the plaintiffs have the right to sue the state but sent the request for a temporary halt on the ban back to a lower court. While the decision was unanimous, Judge Mark Bailey issued a separate concurring opinion explaining his reasoning and criticizing lawmakers an overwhelming majority of whom have not experienced childbirth who assert they are protectors of life from the point of conception. In my view, this is an adoption of a religious viewpoint held by some, but certainly not all, Hoosiers, he wrote. The least that can be expected is that remaining Hoosiers of child bearing ability will be given the opportunity to act in accordance with their own consciences and religious creeds. Mercury editor Samantha Willis contributed to this report. The post Religious views on abortion more diverse than they may appear in U.S. political debate appeared first on Virginia Mercury. Religious views on abortion more diverse than they may appear in U.S. political debate Demonstrators at the Jewish Rally for Abortion Justice at Union Square near the U.S. Capitol in May 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Policy, politics and progressive commentary Lawmakers who oppose abortion often invoke their faith many identify as Christian while debating policy. The anti-abortion movements use of Christianity in arguments might create the impression that broad swaths of religious Americans dont support abortion rights. But a recent report shows that Americans of various faiths and denominations believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. According to a Public Religion Research Institute survey of some 22,000 U.S. adults released last week, 93% of Unitarian Universalists, 81% of Jews, 79% of Buddhists and 60% of Muslims also hold that view. Researchers also found that most people who adhere to the two major branches of Christianity Catholicism and Protestantism also believe abortion should be mostly legal, save for three groups: white evangelical Protestants, Latter-day Saints and Jehovahs Witnesses. Historically, the Catholic Church has opposed abortion. But the poll found that 73% of Catholics of color PRRI defines this group as Black, Asian, Native American and multiracial support the right to have an abortion, followed by 62% of white Catholics and 57% of Hispanic Catholics. The findings show that interfaith views on abortion may not be as simple as they appear during political debate, where the voices of white evangelical legislators and advocates can be the loudest. States Newsroom spoke with Abrahamic religious scholars specifically, experts in Catholicism, Islam and Judaism and reproductive rights advocates about varying perspectives on abortion and their history. Abortion views in America before Roe v. Wade The Moral Majority a voting bloc of white, conservative evangelicals who rose to prominence after the U.S. Supreme Court Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973 is often associated with spearheading legislation to restrict abortion. Gillian Frank is a historian specializing in religion, gender and sexuality who teaches at the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey. Frank said evangelical views on abortion were actually more ambivalent before the early 70s Roe decision established the federal right to terminate a pregnancy. (The Supreme Court upended that precedent about two years ago.) What we have to understand is that evangelicals, alongside mainline Protestants and Jews of various denominations, supported what was called therapeutic abortion, which is to say abortion for certain exceptional causes, Frank said, including saving the life or health of the mother, fetal abnormalities, rape, incest and the pregnancy of a minor. Religious bodies like the Southern Baptist Convention and the National Association of Evangelicals said abortion was OK in certain circumstances, he added. Evangelical Protestants before Roe did not endorse elective abortions, Frank said, or what they called abortion on demand, a phrase invoked by abortion-rights opponents today that he said entered the American lexicon around 1962. The 1973 ruling was seismic and led organizations opposing abortion, such as the National Right to Life Committee formed by the Conference of Catholic Bishops to sprout across the country, according to an article published four years later in Southern Exposure. Catholic leaders often lobbied other religious groups evangelicals, Mormons, orthodox Jews to join their movement and likened abortion to murder in their newspapers. After Roe, abortion is increasingly associated with womens liberation in popular rhetoric in popular culture, because of the activism of the womens movement but also because of the ways in which the anti-abortion movement is associating abortion with familial decline, Frank said. Those sentiments, he said, were spread by conservative figures like Phyllis Schlafly, a Catholic opposed to feminism and abortion, who campaigned against and managed to block the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s. Polls suggest the views of Catholic clergy and laypeople diverge Catholicism is generally synonymous with opposition to abortion. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the church has stood against abortion since the first century. The conference points to Jeremiah 1:5 in the Bible to back up arguments that pregnancy termination is contrary to the moral law. But nearly 6 in 10 American Catholics believe abortion should be mostly legal, according to a Pew Research Center report released last month. Catholics for Choice spokesperson Ashley Wilson said that theres a disconnect between the church as an institution and its laity. We recognize that part of the problem is that the Catholic clergy, and the people who write the official teaching of the church, are all or mostly white male my boss likes to say ostensibly celibate men who dont have wives, Wilson said. They dont have daughters. They have no inroads into the lives of laypeople. Her group plans on going to Vatican City in Rome this fall to lift up stories of Catholics whove had abortions. The organization is also actively involved in efforts to restore abortion access 14 states have near-total bans through direct ballot measures in Colorado, Florida and Missouri this year. Catholic dioceses and fraternities are often behind counter-efforts to proposed ballot questions. They poured millions into campaigns in Kansas and Kentucky in 2022 to push anti-abortion amendments, and also in Ohio last year to defeat a reproductive rights ballot measure but they failed in each state. Ensoulment and mercy in Islam Tenets of Islam the second largest faith in the world often make references to how far along a persons pregnancy is and whether there are complications. University of Colorado Law professor Rabea Benhalim, an expert of Islamic and Judaic law, said theres a common belief that at 40 days gestation, the embryo is akin to a drop of fluid. After 120 days, the fetus gains a soul, she said. While the Quran doesnt specifically speak to abortion, Benhalim said Chapter 23: 12-14 is considered a description of a fetus in a womb. The verses are deeply important in the development of abortion jurisprudence within Islamic law, because theres an understanding that life is something that is emerging over a period of stages. In some restrictive interpretations of Islam, theres a limit on abortion after 40 days, or seven weeks after implantation, Benhalim said. In other interpretations, because ensoulment doesnt occur until 120 days of gestation, abortion is generally permitted in some Muslim communities for various reasons, she said. After ensoulment, abortion is allowed if the mothers life is in danger, according to religious doctrine. Sahar Pirzada, the director of movement building at HEART, a reproductive justice organization focused on sexual health and education in Muslim American communities, confirmed that some Muslims believe in the 40-day mark, while others adhere to the 120-day mark when weighing abortion. How can you make a black-and-white ruling on something that is going to be applied across the board when everyones situation is different? she asked. Theres a lot of compassion and mercy with how were supposed to approach matters of the womb. The issue is personal for Pirzada, who had an abortion in 2018 after her fetus received a fatal diagnosis of trisomy 18 when she was 12 weeks pregnant. I wanted to terminate within the 120-day mark, which gave me a few more weeks, she said. She consulted scholars and Islamic teachings before making the decision to end her pregnancy, she said, and mentioned the importance of rahma mercy in Islam. I tried to embody that spirit of compassion for myself, she said. Pirzada, who is now a mother of two, had the procedure at exactly 14 weeks on a day six years ago that was both Ash Wednesday and Valentines Day. She said she felt loved and surrounded by people of faith at the hospital, where some health care workers had crosses marked in ash on their foreheads. I felt very appreciative that they were offering me care on a day that was spiritual for them, she said. Seeing the stories of people with pregnancy complications in the period since the Supreme Court overturned the federal right to an abortion has left her grief stricken. For instance, Kate Cox, a Texas woman whose fetus had the same diagnosis as Pirzadas, was denied an abortion by the state Supreme Court in December. Cox had to travel elsewhere for care, Texas Tribune reported. Benhalim, the University of Colorado expert, said teachings in Islam and Judaism offer solace to followers who are considering abortion, as they can provide guidance during difficult decisions. No fetal personhood in Judaism In Jewish texts, the embryo is referred to as water before 40 days of gestation, according to the National Council of Jewish Women. Exodus: 21:22-23 in the Torah mentions a hypothetical situation where two men are fighting and injure a pregnant woman. If she has a miscarriage, the men are only fined. But if she is seriously injured and dies, the penalty shall be a life for a life. This part of the Torah is interpreted to mean that a fetus does not have personhood, and the men didnt commit murder, according to the council. But this may not be a catchall belief Benhalim noted that denominations of Judaism have different opinions on abortion. Today, Jewish Americans have been at the forefront of legal challenges to abortion bans based on religious freedom in Florida, Indiana and Kentucky. Many of the lawsuits have interfaith groups of plaintiffs and argue that restrictions on termination infringe on their religion. The legal challenge in Indiana has been the most successful. Hoosier Jews for Choice and five anonymous plaintiffs sued members of the state medical licensing board in summer 2022, when Indianas near-total abortion ban initially took effect. Plaintiffs argued that the ban violated the states Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the court later let the claim receive class-action status. Several Jewish Hoosiers said they believe life begins after a babys first breath, and that abortion is required to protect the mothers health and life, according to court documents. Last month, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled that the plaintiffs have the right to sue the state but sent the request for a temporary halt on the ban back to a lower court. While the decision was unanimous, Judge Mark Bailey issued a separate concurring opinion explaining his reasoning and criticizing lawmakers an overwhelming majority of whom have not experienced childbirth who assert they are protectors of life from the point of conception. In my view, this is an adoption of a religious viewpoint held by some, but certainly not all, Hoosiers, he wrote. The least that can be expected is that remaining Hoosiers of child bearing ability will be given the opportunity to act in accordance with their own consciences and religious creeds. The post Religious views on abortion more diverse than they may appear in U.S. political debate appeared first on Nevada Current. Remains of Vietnam veteran found in northern Arizona identified nearly 50 years later In 1975, farmers chasing a runaway pig discovered human skeletal remains in a remote area near Meteor City, a historic trading post 40 miles east of Flagstaff. Nearly half a century later, officials from the Coconino County Sheriff's Office were finally able to identify the remains as Gerald Francis Long, a Vietnam veteran originally from Minnesota. The remains of Gerald Francis Long, a Vietnam veteran originally from Minnesota, were discovered in 1975 by farmers near Meteor City. Coconino County Sherriff's Office and a Salt Lake City-based forensics firm were able to positively identify Long nearly 50 years later. Prior to being identified, the man was referred to as Munsingwear Doe, named for a Munsingwear brand jacket found with the remains, according to the statement from the Sheriff's Office. Criminal investigators at the time determined that the victim had been deceased between two months to a year prior to discovery, labeling the incident as a homicide. For 49 years, despite efforts to positively identify the remains and the development of "numerous leads" on the case, none resulted in a positive identification, the statement reads. Earlier this year sheriff's officials, medical examiners and a Salt Lake City-based forensics firm positively identified the remains through a forensic genetic genealogy process. Long enlisted in the U.S. Army in January of 1969 and was deployed to Vietnam later that year. He returned to Minnesota in February 1972 and was discharged a month later, officials said. In October 1972, Long told his family he was leaving Minnesota and heading to the West Coast. That was the last time family members saw and heard from Long, according to officials. Detectives were also able to contact a surviving family member, who provided a DNA sample and confirmed the identity of Long as a U.S. Army veteran who served in Vietnam. Long's cause of death remained unknown, investigators said. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Human remains discovered in Flagstaff area identified 50 years later EDIT: This story has been updated to clarify Judge Mary Wagners position. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A Shelby County woman is wondering if a family member, who was allegedly raped, will ever get justice. Rela Davis says the personal problems of a former judge recently removed from the bench, and the dissolving of her criminal court, are to blame. Former county judge Melissa Boyd back in jail Its very frustrating, irritating, and weve waited this long, were ready for justice, she said. Davis says a family member, whom we are not identifying because of their age, was allegedly raped by Alexander Goodwin, who faces several charges. His trial was delayed this week because former Shelby County Judge Melissa Boyd is no longer on the bench after pleading guilty to criminal charges last month. Davis took to social media to express her frustration. We were supposed to go on trial on Monday, a trial we were waiting for about three years, but because of (Judge Boyds) decisions and poor life choices. Of course, that was put on hold, Davis said. Former judge Melissa Boyd pleads guilty, will undergo treatment To complicate matters, Davis is unsure when Goodwins case will ever be heard. We previously reported that Shelby County lost two judges seats, one formerly held by Melissa Boyd and the other by Judge Mary Wagner, who recently was appointed to the Tennessee Supreme Court. Wagner was appointed to the Tennessee Supreme Court from the Circuit Court. This change did not directly impact Shelby Countys criminal caseload. (I have) a lot of anxiety. We waited so long for our turn to be seen and now I feel weve been put in the back of the line someplace else in another division and I dont know how long well have to wait, said Davis. Last month, both Democrat and Republican House lawmakers from Shelby County voiced opposition to the bill dissolving the judicial seats. The judges think that their cases are going to go up from 100 to 150 cases. Thats too much. Thats too many, said Rep. Joe Towns (D-Memphis). All this does is really pull out the carpet from under us while we are already in a crisis, said Rep. John Gillespie (R-Memphis). The crisis has some saying that justice delayed is justice denied, all because of a broken court system. Its super frustrating considering the severity of the charges we are facing and the person in question. Its terrifying to know hes out there and were out there, Davis said. Davis says right now, she has not heard from anyone about the status of the court case involving her family member. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona testifies during a House Committee on Education and Workforce hearing on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Washington. | Mariam Zuhaib Rep. Burgess Owens questioned Education Secretary Miguel Cardona over the Education Departments move to outlaw gender-separated restrooms and their inaction regarding the nationwide movement of pro-Palestinian student protests on college campuses. During a Tuesday hearing, which fell during Teacher Appreciation Week, the House Education and Workforce Committee invited Cardona to testify, where he also had to respond to questions about the botched rollout of updates to the federal student aid program. Owens asked Cardona pointed questions related to changes made by the Biden administration to Title IX, aimed at adding protections for LGBTQ+ students, that change the definition of sex-based discrimination to include sexual orientation and gender identity. The changes are set to go into effect on Aug. 1. Can you assure us that your rules do not change protections that our girls have had for over 50 years? Owens, who represents the 4th District, asked. Can you assure us that protecting biological girls from competing against genetically stronger, bigger and faster biological men will not be considered federal discrimination? The secretary refused to answer the question, saying the rule hadnt been finalized. But Owens continued pressing Cardona. Mr. Secretary, you are in a very unique position to impact the lives, futures and fortunes of millions of female athletes. Americans on both sides of this debate need to know how deep your commitment is, the Utah congressman said. If your daughter was reporting she felt uncomfortable in a boys presence in a bathroom or locker room, would that be considered by the administration discrimination or bigotry? Owens, who has five daughters, said he would give my life in a heartbeat for my girls, adding, There are millions of men and women across this country that do not have faith, do not have trust in you protecting our girls because of the policies you cant say yes or no to. Later, Owens told the Deseret News the secretarys lack of answers to important questions that deeply influence American culture was pretty predictable. Conservative advocacy groups filed lawsuits late last month to block the Biden White Houses proposed Title IX rule change. The plaintiffs argue the change disallows gender-specific areas, like restrooms or locker rooms, and claim it is unconstitutional and immoral, according to Independent Womens Forum. Lawsuits have been filed in at least eight states. What Rep. Burgess Owens thinks about the pro-Palestine college campus protests Last week, at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Cardona said his agency had an active investigation into the extensive protests at Columbia University, which spurred a national movement that reached across the country, including to Salt Lake City. But, as Owens noted Tuesday, the Education Department wasnt on-site in New York City. The representative said the Education Department receives hundreds of billions of dollars from the federal government every year. Why isnt (their) Office of Civil Rights present on these campuses and taking notes? Why dont they make sure theyre talking with the students? Owens said during the interview, an issue he also touched on during the hearing. Cardona said the department needed more funding to deploy those types of resources. This is an opportunity for the Office of Civil Rights to see firsthand what was occurring and how Columbia is failing to protect the rights of the students, the Utah congressman said of the office responsible for protecting individual freedoms and ensuring equal access to education. I have a hard time believing the Department of Education is broke. If these were Black kids on campus with the KKK, being intimidated, being threatened, (the Civil Rights Office) would have been there an hour after the event was talked about, he added. He said American values dont stand for bigotry and hatred. But, Owens said, We have an administration that seems to be OK with it and is slow-walking a response. If thats the case, we need to get a new administration who knows how to budget ... and how to make sure we keep our students safe. Of the nationwide protests, Owens said they are a coordinated effort that is a product of Marxism being sown on college campuses for decades. What were seeing is not anti-Israel, it is anti-American, anti-capitalism, anti-family, he added. The larger problem, according to him, is the centralized power in D.C. He said he supports states having more autonomy. The elitists on Capitol Hill have a different vision for our country than the average American, he said. Theres a reason why so many parents work hard for years, save their money, teach their kids and put them in schools, like ... Columbia, Harvard and Yale, said Owens. Theyre surprised and shocked when these kids come back. Not only do they have degrees that mean absolutely nothing. They have debt, which is going to take two lifetimes to take care of, but they come back hating our country. Reps. Burgess Owens and Celeste Maloy struck a friendship in Congress In the interview with the Deseret News, Owens explained why he stood with Rep. Celeste Maloy when Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, backed her opponent at the Republican Convention last week. I, first of all, have respect for both my colleagues, he said before saying he works closely with Maloy, who represents Utahs 2nd District. She sits to the left of me and on the House floor. We talk about her district, my district. The two Utah representatives dont always agree on legislation, Owens added, but Ill say this: The District 2 has a remarkable warrior ... someone who understands that part of the country. Owens and Maloy are also both on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He said hes observed her knack for understanding the issues most pressing to her constituents. Owens said Maloy is looking to get on Natural Resources (Committee). Just think about how much thats going to bring to our delegation to have her representing a rural part of the country. At the convention, Maloy was introduced by Owens. Im proud to stand by Celeste. Im proud of her conservative values, he said. It was a no-brainer for me to introduce her. In fact, I asked her if I could do that because I want her to come back and continue her work. Maloy previously told the Deseret News that Owens move was very popular within our conference. So, Burgess Owens got a heros welcome on the floor, and a lot of positive reinforcement for being the kind of guy who will stand with a colleague, she said. President Joe Biden threatens to cut off Israels supply of offensive weapons if it invades Rafah. Stormy Daniels will be cross-examined in Donald Trumps trial. And another pageant queen gives up her crown days after Miss USA stepped down. Heres what to know today. Biden says U.S. wont transfer offensive weapons if Israel invades Rafah President Joe Biden said the United States would not supply Israel with weapons that could be used in population centers if its military invades Rafah. The move would mark a shift in American policy toward Israel, though Biden said Israel would remain secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks. If the Israeli military launches a ground offensive in Rafah, his administration will not supply weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with cities, Biden said in an interview yesterday on CNN, adding that U.S.-supplied bombs have killed Palestinian civilians. More than 1 million people are sheltering in Rafah after fleeing fighting elsewhere in the Gaza Strip. Bidens comments come a day after a senior administration official confirmed that the White House halted a shipment of offensive weapons last week. That decision left Benjamin Netanyahu's government deeply frustrated, an Israeli official said. This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your morning. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. Israel has demanded that Rafah not be included in a cease-fire deal, according to one former and four current U.S. officials familiar with the discussions. An Israeli official denied that characterization. Read the full story here. A dramatic effort to oust Johnson is immediately blocked Image: politics-impeachment (Brendan Smialowski / AFP - Getty Images) House Speaker Mike Johnson and his allies easily defeated an effort by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to knock him from power, ending for now the threats against his speakership. The vote to kill Greenes motion to vacate the speakers chair was swift, with 196 Republicans and 163 Democrats voting to kill it, versus the 11 Republicans and 32 Democrats who voted to move forward. Both Republicans and Democrats said they didnt want a repeat of the three-week paralysis that came after then-Speaker Kevin McCarthys ouster last fall. Johnson caught Greenes ire after he worked with Democrats to help stave off a government shutdown, pushed through the renewal of a critical surveillance tool and passed billions of dollars in foreign aid to Ukraine after months of delays. When Greene announced her motion to oust Johnson, her colleagues promptly booed her and as it became clear she didnt have the support to back her motion, she started dragging her feet. Heres how the dramatic afternoon unfolded. Daniels returns to the witness stand in Trumps trial Stormy Daniels is set to face more cross-examination today by Donald Trumps defense attorneys in his hush money trial, two days after the adult film star detailed her 2006 tryst with him, which the former president has denied. Trump attorney Susan Necheles began her cross-examination Tuesday by asking Daniels whether she hated Trump, to which Daniels answered, Yes. Necheles also suggested Daniels made up the encounter and a later incident involving a mysterious man who allegedly told her to leave Trump alone. Heres what else to know about todays trial. It is not known who will be called to the witness stand after Daniels, though ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen is expected to testify at some point. Meanwhile, Trump has said he would absolutely testify in the case, but he has since softened his position. While he may be an uncontrollable client, as one criminal defense lawyer put it, he could offer some useful information. Read more Trump coverage: The Trump familys impact on Floridas Republican National Convention is growing with the selection of Barron Trump as an at-large delegate, marking the 18-year-olds first step into the political arena. Georgias state Court of Appeals said it will consider an appeal from Trump challenging the decision not to disqualify Fani Willis as the district attorney overseeing the 2020 election interference charges against him. Federal officials find civil rights violations in Southlake schools, students lawyers say Southlake, Texas and Angela Jones. (Nitashia Johnson for NBC News) The U.S. Education Department is seeking to negotiate a resolution with the Carroll Independent School District in Southlake to resolve four students civil rights complaints against the Texas body a move experts say signals that federal officials have backed up the students allegations of racist and anti-LGBTQ discrimination. A letter from the Education Department sent this week to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which represents the students, said that Carroll district officials were contacted about negotiations. Now, Carroll officials have 90 days to reach an agreement with federal officials, experts said. The resolution could result in the implementation of some of the same types of diversity and inclusion programs that local voters have rejected in landslide elections in recent years. Read the exclusive story here. NBC News senior reporter Mike Hixenbaugh and correspondent Antonia Hylton spent years reporting on the debate over how to address racism in Carroll schools, which became a national symbol for similar battles across the country. The NBC News podcast series Southlake also documents the suburbs clashes. Hixenbaughs upcoming book, They Came for the Schools: One Towns Fight Over Race and Identity, and the New War for Americas Classrooms, reveals what happened after a fourth grade teacher blew the whistle on new classroom library restrictions in Southlake in 2021. Read an excerpt from the book here. Colon cancer spikes in young people A new study shows that cases of colon cancer have dramatically risen among people too young for screening. Researchers looked at CDC data between 1999 and 2020 and found that diagnoses in kids ages 10 to 14 jumped by 500% between 1999 and 2020; more than 300% for teens 15 to 19; and 185% in people ages 20 to 24. Health experts said that such dramatic numbers could be the result of how rare colon cancer in young people continues to be but agreed the jumps are still cause for concern. At the same time, diagnoses and deaths from the cancer once thought to only affect older people is decreasing in people in their 60s and beyond. This reflects the changing face of colorectal cancer, one expert said. Experts said the increase in colon cancer cases may be tied to food processing methods or exposure to plastics. Doctors recommend that people start getting routine colonoscopies at age 45, and those who are younger should know the symptoms and understand their family history. Read the full story here. Miss Teen USA gives up her crown days after Miss USA does the same UmaSofia Srivastava (Chance Yeh / Getty Images for Supermodels Unlimited) Miss Teen USA is relinquishing her title, the second time this week pageant royalty gave up their crown. UmaSofia Srivastava, 17, said in a post on Instagram that her personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization. She also thanked those who support me for who I am ... not for who Ive momentarily become. Srivastavas resignation comes days after Miss USA Noelia Voigt announced she was giving up her title to prioritize her mental health. Politics in Brief RNC shakeup: The abrupt resignation of Charlie Spies as the Republican National Committees chief counsel came after weeks of sustained lobbying from MAGA influencers who have sway over Trumps thinking, sources said. Biden on the ballot: A usually straightforward move to add Biden to Ohios general election ballot took another twist yesterday when an effort to ensure that his name shows up in November stalled in the state Legislature. VP pick: Two of Trumps prospective running mates come with politically fraught complications: the Republican governors who would choose their successors have fractious relationships with the former president. Want more politics news? Sign up for From the Politics Desk to get exclusive reporting and analysis delivered to your inbox every weekday evening. Subscribe here. Staff Pick: Indian Americans are awakening to their political power Indian Americans, now the largest Asian-alone group in the U.S., are undoubtedly making a mark on the political arena. Theyve had an explosive presence in local, state and national elections, such as former GOP presidential candidates Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy. But experts say the real power comes from voters, 68% of whom lean Democrat. In swing states like Arizona, bringing in Indian American voters could make the margin of victory for a campaign. We talked to Indian Americans from across the country about the issues that are most dear to them (think Gaza, gun laws and reproductive care) and whom theyre voting for in the fall (many still dont know). Heres what they told us. Sakshi Venkatraman, NBC Asian America reporter Select: Online Shopping, Simplified Lip scrubs help eliminate dead skin cells while replenishing any moisture lost during exfoliation. Heres how to use them and the best options on the market. Sign up to The Selection newsletter for exclusive reviews and shopping content from NBC Select. Thanks for reading todays Morning Rundown. Todays newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson. If youre a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign-up here. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, the first openly gay governor elected in the U.S., signs a measure that will ask voters whether language banning same-sex marriage should be removed from the state Constitution, May 8, 2024, at the Colorado Capitol. (Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline) Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a measure Wednesday at the state Capitol that will ask voters whether language banning same-sex marriage should be removed from the state Constitution. Even though civil unions for same-sex marriage became legal in the state in 2013 and same-sex marriages became legal nationwide in 2015 with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling the Colorado Constitution retains language that states, Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state. Voters approved that language in 2006 through a ballot initiative, but the Legislature approved Senate Concurrent Resolution 24-3, which will ask voters to get rid of the sentence in November. Polis, a Democrat, remembered being in Washington D.C. when the 2015 decision came out and described the feeling of pure joy he said erupted in the crowd knowing that our right to marry had been protected by the Supreme Court. Polis, who was a congressman at the time, became the first openly gay governor in the U.S. when he was elected in 2018. Polis said its strange and awkward to have his marriage and those of others, including state Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, a Longmont Democrat, on the ballot for voters to decide, because it doesnt seem like something they should be deciding. But he is confident Coloradans will make the right decision and support the measure. Having our basic freedoms and ability to have our relationship acknowledged just protected by Supreme Court precedents is worrisome, because weve seen Supreme Court decisions since that erode basic liberties of peoples, Polis said. And while were extremely grateful that the precedent holds, and its certainly all of our hope that it holds for decades and generations to come, we cannot take that for granted. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis listens to other speakers before he signed a measure that will ask voters whether language banning same-sex marriage should be removed from the state Constitution May 8, 2024, at the Colorado Capitol. (Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline) The marriage line in the state Constitution is inoperative and unenforceable since the U.S. Supreme Courts 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, but some supporters of same-sex marriage have been concerned about the decisions longevity after the courts conservative majority overturned the federal right to an abortion two years ago. In a concurring opinion in that case, Justice Clarence Thomas one of the most conservative voices on the bench wrote that the reasoning the court applied in the Dobbs v. Jackson decision that removed the national right to abortion care could extend to other rulings that establish rights to contraception access, same-sex relationships and same-sex marriage. Colorado legislators brought forward a measure with the support of Freedom to Marry Colorado, a coalition of organizations advocating the repeal of Amendment 43, and One Colorado, the biggest LGBTQ advocacy organization in the state. One Colorado Executive Director Nadine Bridges said attitudes toward same-sex marriage have changed drastically since the 2006 ballot initiative passed, and now voters can create a brighter future for LGBTQ+ Coloradans by taking this outdated law out of our Constitution. Colorado voters overwhelmingly support the freedom to marry for LGBTQ+ people, and now you will have the opportunity to show solidarity at the ballot box, Bridges said. The majority of Coloradans want to stand with loving, committed couples who choose to build and share a life together, to be there for each other, for better or for worse. The state Senate approved the measure 29-5, with six Republicans joining Democrats in support. The state House approved it 46-14, with state Rep. Regina English, a Colorado Springs Democrat, joining Republicans in voting against it. Republican state Reps. Matt Soper of Delta and Rick Taggart of Grand Junction joined Democrats in support. Colorado state Sen. Joann Ginal talks about a measure she sponsored that will ask voters whether language banning same-sex marriage should be removed from the state Constitution, May 8, 2024, at the Colorado Capitol. She supported legislation legalizing civil unions for same-sex couples during her first session in the Colorado Legislature. (Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline) State Sen. Joann Ginal, a Fort Collins Democrat who led the measure, said when she was first elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 2013, she supported a bill permitting LGBTQ people to enter civil unions. She is now finishing her final term in the Colorado Senate. Now Im able to complete what (I) was part of starting in 2013 by referring a constitutional amendment to the voters, that if approved, would repeal the provision of the Colorado Constitution stating that a marriage is only valid if it is between a man and a woman, Ginal said. Weve come full circle. I know I have come full circle from beginning to end of my career in the Legislature. This is a beautiful way to leave this Capitol, knowing that we are going to keep us even more protected. State Rep. Brianna Titone, an Arvada Democrat, and state Rep. Alex Valdez, a Denver Democrat, co-sponsored the measure. Jacquez Lewis said when she and her wife first entered into a civil union, they were happy to be recognized as partially legal. When they finally got the right to marry in 2015, she said that comfort was everything. I never really thought a single word like spouse would mean so much to me. But it does. We still smile, Jacquez Lewis said. When I look into Allisons eyes and we say the word spouse, we still smile. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Repeal of state Constitutions same-sex marriage ban heads to voters with Gov. Polis signature appeared first on Colorado Newsline. Building a battery plant on the retired Morro Bay Power Plant property would have a minimal impact on the environment or public safety, according to a report prepared by the city but a group of citizens still worry about the the project. On Tuesday evening, the Morro Bay Planning Commission held a workshop for the public to comment on the draft environmental impact report, prepared by city staff and Rincon Consultants. Texas-based energy company Vistra Corp. applied to build a 600-megawatt battery plant on a 24-acre piece of the power plant property. The project also includes the demolition of the Morro Bay Power Plant and its three stacks, along with the preparation of a master plan to guide development on the rest of the 107-acre property. The Morro Bay City Council and California Coastal Commission will eventually vote on whether or not to approve the project. About 40 people attended the meeting on Tuesday, many who wore bright blue Save Estero Bay T-shirts and spoke against the project. Last year, a community group called Citizens for Estero Bay Preservation recruited more than 1,000 registered voters in Morro Bay to sign a petition supporting a ballot measure designed to block the battery plant. That measure will be on the ballot for Morro Bay voters in November. The public can submit written comments to the city on the draft report until May 28. Email comments can be sent to BESScomments@morrobayca.gov and letters to 955 Shasta Ave., Morro Bay CA 93442. The city will answer the communitys questions in the final environmental impact report, which will be released later this year. Vistra Corp. applied to build battery storage facility on a former tank farm, shown in the foreground on April 24, 2024. The old Morro Bay Power Plant in the background of the photo would be torn down. David Middlecamp/dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com Battery plant only has one significant impact, report said The projects only significant and unavoidable impact is removing a historical resource the decades-old power plant and stacks, which is recognized for its engineering and architecture, according to the draft environmental impact report. To mitigate the loss, Vistra would need to submit high-resolution digital photos, a historical report and compilation of historic research on the power plant to the Historic American Engineering Record, the Historical Society of Morro Bay, the History Center of San Luis Obispo County, the city of Morro Bay and the Morro Bay Library. Otherwise, mitigation efforts would reduce impacts to wildlife and cultural resources to less than significant, the report said. To mitigate potential impacts to wildlife, Vistra said it would pay a city-approved biologist to survey the project site and relocate sensitive species, train construction workers and prepare a habitat mitigation and monitoring plan, the report said. Additionally, a biologist, an archaeologist and a Native American observer would oversee construction with the authority to halt or redirect work to relocate sensitive species or investigate artifacts found on the property. Vistra Corp. offered to demolish the Morro Bay Power Plant and stacks as part of the battery plant project. Vistra representatives tour the plant site on April 24, 2024. David Middlecamp/dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com Morro Bay residents question environmental impact report A few speakers at public comment questioned the validity of the environmental impact report, as Vistra hadnt yet settled on an official project design. Vistras original application proposed to build three Costco-warehouse-sized buildings that each hold 200 megawatts of battery storage. In the draft environmental impact report, Vistra also offered five alternative project designs, including a facility that houses batteries in 174 individual enclosures that each store 3.5 megawatts of electricity. Vistra might use lithium ion batteries, but the company will choose the best technology available when construction begins, according to Vistra project development director David Yeager. The city of Morro Bay will ultimately pick the final project design. Vistra Corp. also offered an alternative design, where they would house batteries in 174 individual enclosures. Vistras DeCordova Energy Storage Facility in Granbury, Texas has a similar design. Courtesy of Vistra Corp. Morro Bay resident Steve Ray said the city should wait for a specific and precise project before evaluating it. The applicant has indicated that they have not decided on what project theyre going to build, Ray said. They dont know what batteries theyre going to use, they dont know what chemicals are going to be involved in those batteries to do any chemical analysis and any risk assessment to the public all of those things are undecided. Most of all, speakers at public comment said they were concerned with the safety of the battery plant. Cayucos resident Rachel Wilson feared that nearby residents couldnt escape their neighborhood during an emergency at the battery plant, she said. When she attended Morro Bays annual Kite Festival in April, traffic was so bad that she spent an hour waiting to exit the Morro Rock parking lot, and another hour and 45 minutes to drive to the Beach Street intersection on the Embarcadero. During peak periods, she argued that nearby residents and tourists wouldnt be able to safely evacuate the area during an emergency. On that two-lane road, Coleman Drive, there is not a significant, quick, and effective way to get out of there, Wilson said. The proposed battery plant would be built on a 24-acre parcel that used to be an oil tank farm. Vistra Corp. director of project development David Yeager stands on the site to give a sense of scale on April 24, 2024. David Middlecamp/dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com The plant would be built in a state-designated Tsunami Hazard Area. Even so, the environmental impact report said tsunami danger is low for the facility. The sand spit, the narrow harbor and Morro Rock would absorb much of the impact of a tsunami, and 30-foot-tall berms surrounding coastal-facing sides of the project site would protect the plant, the report said. Fire walls and battery monitoring systems would prevent fires from starting and spreading at the plant, the report said. Additionally, a safety study commissioned by Vistra said that a large fire at the facility would not release enough toxins to harm public health. The city hired Delaware-based DNV Energy USA Inc. to fact-check that safety report, according to interim community development director Micheal Codron. Longtime Morro Bay resident Joyce Hunter said she didnt think either report adequately evaluated the worst possible natural disaster. She suggested that the final environmental impact report analyze the effects of a tsunami large enough to breach the berms and flood the battery plant. She also wanted to know the impact of a fire that spread across the entire plant. We need to be told what the worst-case scenario is, Hunter said. We dont control Mother Nature. We dont control the elements. Morro Bay resident Pam Dougherty said she supports renewable energy, but she opposes locating the facility next to a federally recognized estuary. I feel like the report didnt really adequately address the years and time and effort spent to restore a once-fragile estuary and the sensitive species that inhabit this area, Dougherty said. Im concerned that we will undo some of this important work. Overall, Dougherty said she doesnt trust Vistra to prioritize the health of the environment and the community while building and managing the battery plant. Vistra, really, when it comes down to it, is a company that wants to profit from renewable energy, Dougherty said at public comment. They dont really have an interest in the community beyond connection to the power grid. In my mind, the easiest mitigation is just to stop the planning and keep our community and wildlife safe. Other residents, however, think the city should work with Vistra to design an acceptable project. Morro Bay resident Carol Swain said the impacts of climate change outweigh concerns over the battery plant. More renewable energy facilities must be built in California to keep up with the states increasing demands for electricity, Swain said. She said it makes more sense to build the battery plant on polluted land, like the Morro Bay Power Plant site, than on undeveloped land, where the project would have more environmental impacts. She said the city should find ways to compromise with Vistra and allow the project to move forward. We all love Morro Bay, Swain told The Tribune after the meeting. But the battery plant is something that we just might have to accept as payment for realizing our goal of a cleaner environment and cleaner energy. Report: Scholz to head ticket even if SPD does poorly in Europe vote Lars Klingbeil, Federal Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), speaks at the Democracy Congress of the SPD and the Party of European Socialists (PES). Christoph Soeder/dpa German Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) will once again be his party's chancellor candidate in next year's Bundestag or parliamentary elections - even if the SPD makes a poor showing in June's European vote, a party leader said. "Olaf Scholz is the chancellor, and he will remain so. And he will also be our candidate again," Lars Klingbeil, co-leader of the SPD, told the newspaper Rheinische Post in remarks published on Thursday. He made the comments when asked about consequences in the event of a poor performance by the SPD in the European Parliament elections, which take place in Germany on June 9. Germany's parliamentary election will take place in the summer of 2025. Klingbeil said the chancellor will not be able to campaign much "because Olaf Scholz is leading this country through very challenging times. There is no time for an election campaign." In current polls for the European elections, the SPD is only about half as strong as the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU). The SPD is roughly on par with the Greens and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Klingbeil also spoke out against delays to the federal budget for 2025 due to the difficult negotiations in the current coalition, which consists of the SPD, the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP). He said his "clear expection" is for the budget plan to be finalized by the begining of July so Bundestag politicians "can examine it in peace during the summer break." The plan is for the cabinet to approve the budget on July 3 and then send it to parliament. Klingbeil described the financial gap that needs to be plugged as "very large" and the budget negotiations as "difficult and complicated." "I have soberly realized that the financial gap is so large that it cannot be closed with savings," said Klingbeil, referring to the refusal of Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the FDP to suspend or reform the debt limit. "So we need creative approaches," the SPD leader said. His party wants to reform the debt ceiling, which severely restricts the state's ability to take on debt. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks at the Democracy Congress of the SPD and the Party of European Socialists (PES). Christoph Soeder/dpa By Clark Mindock (Reuters) -Republican attorneys general from 27 U.S. states and industry trade groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday, seeking to block a landmark rule requiring sweeping reductions in carbon emissions from existing coal-fired power plants and new natural gas plants. The rule, finalized by President Joe Biden's administration last month as part of an effort to combat climate change, was challenged in multiple lawsuits filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, including one by 25 states spearheaded by West Virginia and Indiana and another by Ohio and Kansas. Electric utility, mining and coal industry trade groups also filed lawsuits. The rule mandates that many new gas and existing coal plants reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2032. The requirements are expected to force the U.S. power industry to install billions of dollars' worth of emissions control technologies or shut down the dirtiest facilities running on coal. The regulations are part of Bidens broader climate agenda and target a sector that is responsible for nearly a quarter of the country's greenhouse gas pollution. The EPA declined to comment. West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said in a statement that the regulations are based on emissions reduction technologies that have not been meaningfully deployed in the real world, exceed the EPA's authority under the Clean Air Act, and would radically transform the nations energy grid without explicit congressional permission to do so. He said the rule "is setting up the plants to fail and therefore shutter, altering the nations already stretched grid." National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson, whose organization represents nearly 900 local electric cooperatives and filed a lawsuit Thursday, said in a statement that the rule "is unlawful, unreasonable and unachievable." The lawsuit came a day after 23 Republican attorneys general from states including West Virginia, North Dakota and Texas challenged a different EPA rule that limits the amount of mercury and other hazardous pollutants that can be emitted from power plants. Legal experts say the EPA's assertion that the emissions reductions are feasible if power plants install carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies - which capture emissions before they are released into the atmosphere - is likely to be a major issue in the litigation. The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to set standards that are attainable using technologies that are adequately demonstrated. But while the EPA said it believes CCS is viable and cost-effective, opponents say the technology is not ready to be deployed at power plants across the country. CCS has been installed at dozens of facilities that process various fuels, but just four coal-fired power globally have CCS installed, according to the Global CCS Institute. Theyve taken a pretty aggressive view of what it means to have something be adequately demonstrated, and I just think the Supreme Court will look at this and say EPA is out over its skis, said Jeff Holmstead, a lawyer at the law firm Bracewell and a former EPA official during the administration of Republican former President George W. Bush. But supporters say billions of dollars in funding in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act will make CCS cost effective, and the Clean Air Act is designed to force technological advances. The law was developed to make sure these newer and yet-to-be-deployed technologies are deployed, said Jay Duffy, a lawyer at the Center for Applied Environmental Law and Policy. (Reporting by Clark Mindock, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi, Christina Fincher, Michael Erman and Daniel Wallis) Sustainability has become a bigger story in the denim industry in recent decades, but for Italian mill Candiani Denim, considering the environmental impact of production dates back half a century. In 1974, the Italian government established a nature preserve in the area surrounding Candianis factory. The manufacturer was faced with a choice: adhere to environmental directives or relocate. Candiani chose the former and began its ongoing work to reduce the impact of its facility. The mill, established in 1938, is now headed by fourth generation family member Alberto Candiani. Among its recent moves has been an expansion from solely a B2B company to becoming a B2C brand, and today Candiani has a consumer-facing store in Milan. To accomplish this B2C endeavor, Candiani tapped Simon Giuliani as its global marketing director, leaning on his brand-building expertise. More from Sourcing Journal On the most recent episode of our Blue Cast podcast, Lenzings Tuncay Kilickan chatted with Simon about two of the mills buzzy sustainability projects. Read more on Carved in Blue. This article is one of a series on Rivet from Lenzings Carved in Blue denim blog. From conversations with the experts behind the mills that make some of the worlds most-wanted denim to the global brands bringing novel denim made with TENCEL Lyocell and Modal to the market, Carved in Blue shares the stories of those whose roots run deep with denim. Visit www.carvedinblue.tencel.com. By Nathan Layne (Reuters) -A Michigan township clerk was charged with multiple felonies on Wednesday, the latest turn in a state inquiry into efforts by Donald Trump supporters to tamper with voting machines to prove his false claim that he lost the 2020 election due to fraud. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement that former Adams Township Clerk Stephanie Scott, 52, has been charged with five felonies related to unauthorized use of a computer, concealing a voting machine, and misconduct in office, and one misdemeanor for disobeying the secretary of state. The most serious count carries a potential seven-year prison term. Nessel also added three felonies to the charges faced by Scott's attorney Stefanie Lambert, who was already facing multiple charges over allegations she accessed and tampered with voting machines in other incidents across the state. "When elected officials and their proxies use their positions to promote baseless conspiracies, show blatant disregard for voter privacy, and break the law in the process, it undermines the very essence of the democratic process," Nessel said in the statement. Lambert's attorney, Daniel Hartman, said in a statement that his client violated no laws and was working to "bring powerful entities to account" and bring "transparency to the people's election data, processes and procedures." Scott did not respond to a request for comment. Scott, a Republican, had overseen voting in rural Adams Township until the state revoked her authority over elections in 2021 for resisting state orders to allow testing and maintenance on the voting tabulator in her care, claiming it would erase evidence of potential fraud. Scott withheld a critical component of the tabulator until it was seized by state police, law enforcement records show. In addition to disregarding orders from the state authorities regarding the tabulator, Nessel accused Scott and Lambert of providing a computer examiner unauthorized access to non-public voter information in violation of state law. Reuters reported on the potential violation in 2022, detailing Scott's sharing of a file containing confidential voter data with Benjamin Cotton, an information-technology expert who had worked with voter-fraud conspiracists seeking unauthorized access to election systems in other states. Scott and Lambert's actions were part of a national effort by lawyers, public officials and others seeking evidence of Trump's false stolen-election claims. A Detroit defense lawyer, Lambert emerged as a critical figure in the movement, pushing conspiracy theories in court, joining efforts to break into voting machines and advancing a failed lawsuit aimed at overturning Trump's loss in Michigan, a key swing state. The allegations against Scott have parallels to the high-profile case of Tina Peters, the clerk in Mesa County, Colorado, who is set to go to trial this year over an alleged scheme to breach secure equipment in her own elections office in 2021 to try to uncover evidence of election fraud. (reporting by Nathan Layne in Wilton, Connecticut. Editing by Gerry Doyle and Chizu Nomiyama) The Republican Party wants more poll watchers. Heres what they can, and cant, do. Former President Donald Trump frequently says that the 2024 election needs to be "too big to rig" a kind of get-out-the-vote message that builds on his past falsehoods about 2020 election rigging. The Republican National Committee says it will deliver on Trumps goal by recruiting people to work at the polls and literally watch the polls. Lara Trump, the RNCs co-chair, explained the groups strategy to Newsmaxs Eric Bolling during an April 23 interview. "We now have the ability at the RNC not just to have poll watchers people standing in polling locations but people who can physically handle the ballots," said Trump, the former presidents daughter-in-law. The RNC said it will recruit 100,000 volunteers and attorneys in battleground states to serve as poll watchers. These people would observe the electoral process, including prevote election machine testing, voting, mail ballot processing and any postelection activities, including recounts. The RNC is also recruiting poll workers who are trained by local election offices, but the party hasnt announced a target number for those workers. The RNC will connect people who want to be poll workers with local election offices that will train them. The RNCs website lets people express interest in serving as a poll watcher, which is voluntary, or poll worker, which is generally paid. The interview raised questions about what poll watchers are allowed to do. "The role of poll watchers is to observe the elections process," said Jessica Corbitt, spokesperson for Fulton County, a jurisdiction that often has poll watchers. "They may not touch equipment or ballots." Whats a poll watcher? Virtually all states have laws about election observation and poll watchers roles. "Though rules differ on who is allowed to see what, all share the same motivation: to provide an avenue of transparency in the process to ensure that candidates and the public accept the result," College of William & Mary election law professor Rebecca Green wrote in a 2021 article. The National Conference of State Legislatures compiled the state laws about poll watchers, challengers or observers in 2022. (They go by different titles depending upon the law, and its possible for a state to have more than one of those roles for example, Michigan has poll watchers and challengers.) Some states require poll watchers to be registered to vote in that county or state; other states have no residency requirements. States often limit how many poll watchers are allowed at each site. Political parties or campaigns usually appoint poll watchers. One rule is consistent: Poll watchers cant interfere with the electoral process. They can only observe without watching voters filling out their ballots. "A successful day of poll watching is a day where nothing happens it is an amazingly uninteresting thing," said Ryan Barack, who has been a poll watcher in the past in Hillsborough County, Florida. Barack, a Democrat, was speaking for himself and not any candidate or group. Some states let poll watchers challenge a voters eligibility. In Florida, the challenge must be in writing, contain an oath and delivered to the clerk, who provides a copy to the voter. The voter may then cast a provisional ballot. Filing a frivolous challenge is a first-degree misdemeanor. Colorado, a vote-by-mail state, has an expansive law that allows poll watchers "at each stage of the conduct of the election, including when electors are voting or when election judges are present and performing election activities." The U.S. House has its own program to send election observers, typically in districts with competitive races. In Milwaukee, observers commonly ask procedural questions or flag problems or perceived problems, said Claire Woodall, who was executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission until May 6, when the mayor replaced her. (PolitiFact interviewed her April 30.) Woodall cited an example of a valid concern an observer raised about a voter who had been turned away for using a credit card statement as proof of address. The chief inspector confirmed that a credit card statement was acceptable, and the voter was able to register and vote. "Historically, we have only had positive interactions at polling places and Central Count for the most part," Woodall said. "Observers are a critical part of the democratic process and ensure the fairness and transparency of elections." Poll watching has been around since the 1800s, although it looked much different then. Before the 1870s, few jurisdictions had voter registration, so people would show up to vote with their ballot in hand provided by a party ballot pusher, said Gideon Cohn-Postar, legislative director of Issue One, a democracy-focused advocacy group. Back then, poll watchers could challenge voters they didnt recognize, and the voters would have to swear an oath on a Bible about their identity. Massachusetts was the first state to establish ballot secrecy in 1888 and other states followed. How is a poll watcher different from a poll worker? The Republican National Committee said it will recruit 100,000 volunteers and attorneys in battleground states to serve as poll watchers. But there are many misconceptions about what poll watchers can, and can't, do. Although poll watchers observe on a party or candidates behalf, poll workers or election inspectors work at election sites on local governments behalf to ensure voters can cast ballots. Poll workers, mostly temporary hires, check in voters, distribute ballots and direct voters to machines. They also enforce neutral zones which ban campaigns from waving signs within so many feet of a precinct. Georgia bans people from handing out food or water within 150 feet of a polling place a rule comedian Larry David lampooned on "Curb Your Enthusiasm." States have laws about poll worker requirements, including parity to hire workers from different parties. Why is the RNC trying to increase poll watchers? The RNC intensified its poll-watching plans after a legal agreement that limited its ballot monitoring expired. Democrats sued the RNC alleging that the group intimidated Black and Hispanic voters during a 1981 election in New Jersey. In 1982, the RNC entered a consent decree to avoid prosecution. It allowed the federal court to monitor the partys activities. In January 2018, a judge appointed by former President Barack Obama said that he had terminated the decree, concluding that Democrats failed to prove continuing violations. Trump told his supporters in North Carolina in September 2020 to serve as poll watchers to stop the "the thieving and stealing and robbing." On April 16 in Pennsylvania, Trump told his supporters, "When you see them cheating, you get out there and start screaming. Start screaming." Trump also repeated the debunked claim that Democrats rigged the 2020 election. "Were not going to allow them to rig the presidential election of 2024," he said. The RNC recruited poll watchers in the 2022 midterms and then created a formalized "election integrity" department that includes challenging state voter laws and placing staff in battlegrounds states with competitive Senate or congressional races, including Florida and Ohio. The partys hires for this effort include Christina Bobb, a former One America News reporter who spread the myth about the "stolen" election. On April 26, Arizonas attorney general said Bobb was among the defendants a grand jury had indicted in a felony fake elector scheme. In the scheme, the fake electors submitted a document to Congress that falsely stated Trump had won the 2020 election. Bobb lobbied Arizona Republican lawmakers to disregard the popular vote and helped organize the false electors votes, the indictment stated. The Democratic National Committee is also working with state and local partners to recruit poll watchers, as it has previously. But the DNC hasnt announced a goal of how many. Poll watching can lead to misinformation Election observation laws are intended to let the public see that elections are fair. Yet, in 2020, it sometimes led to misinformation. In 2020, as absentee ballots were being processed at the TCF Center in Detroit, some election observers from both parties said they were being blocked. They were prohibited from entering TCF, but thats because the observer count had reached the state-allowed limit. In a 2021 mayoral runoff in Anchorage, Alaska, election observers engaged in "unprecedented harassment of election officials" including photographing the license plate numbers of officials vehicles, according to a city clerks report. The city has since changed regulations to address decorum and require that staff train the watchers. After 2020, some states changed their laws to clarify poll watchers rights, sometimes giving them more power. For example, Montana passed a bill to allow watchers at all ballot drop-off locations; New York passed legislation to allow watchers at meetings where absentee ballots are processed. In Texas, poll watchers can sue if election workers get in their way. Experts said poll watchers may play a more significant role in national politics this year. "There has been an increase in people who want to watch the polls in a partisan way and (a) decrease in those to work the polls and I dont think they are disconnected," Cohn-Postar said. Cohn-Postar, who served as a California poll watcher in 2022 as part of the congressional program on the Democratic side, said poll watching in itself is not problematic. As long as poll watchers can observe from a spot where they can see whats going on and cant interfere, and "the election officials are trained in the relevant laws and able and empowered to intervene if someone crosses the line, then its fine." Our sources This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: PolitiFact: Here's what poll watchers can, and can't, do. Republicans are losing trust in elections, even in Utah. What should be done? A forum on election trust takes place at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Katie McKellar / Utah News Dispatch) Only 40% of Republicans are very or somewhat confident in the accuracy of U.S. elections down from a peak of nearly 90% in 2006. Meanwhile 80% of Democrats and 67% of independent voters say they have confidence in U.S. elections. Thats according to a poll of 2,012 Americans conducted by Gallup and Johns Hopkins Universitys Stavros Niarchos Foundation Agora Institute in October. Even Utah a red state that adopted voting by mail well before COVID-19 and where polls historically have shown Utahns have high confidence in their local elections isnt immune to that trend, at least when it comes to presidential elections. Consider these results from a new poll conducted by Gallup of 502 Utah adults between March 13 and March 22. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.83 percentage points: Most Utahns who identified themselves as conservatives (62%) arent confident that President Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 election. Of that 62% of conservatives, 30% said they were not at all confident and 32% said they were not too confident. Only 37% of conservatives said they were confident that Biden won in 2020 (17% said they were very confident and 20% said they were just confident). Thats compared to 84% of Democrats saying they were very confident that Biden won the presidency while 11% said they were confident and only 4% said they were not too confident. That Gallup poll was conducted as part of a partnership with the center-right think tank R Street and Johns Hopkins Universitys Stavros Niarchos Foundation Agora Institute, which has been traveling across the U.S. to bring together election officials, scholars and others to build trust in elections. Results of a poll conducted by Gallup for R Street and Johns Hopkins Universitys Stavros Niarchos Foundation Agora Institute. The poll was of 502 Utah adults between March 13 and March 22, 2024. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.83 percentage points. The Utah poll results were unveiled Tuesday during an election trust forum held at Utah Valley University and hosted by the Gary R. Herbert Institute of Public Policy, the SNF Agora Institute, and the Sutherland Institute, a conservative public policy think tank based in Salt Lake City. Concerns about those national and local poll results were at the forefront of the forums three hours of panel discussions, which convened the states top election officials and academic scholars to explore how to fix a problem they worried could spell trouble for the future of U.S. democracy if left unaddressed. Is distrust in elections a bipartisan problem? Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson and former Utah Gov. Gary Herbert both shared recorded video messages to kick off Tuesdays discussions, urging everyone to work together to increase trust. Voter access and ballot security are paramount, especially in the age of some saying elections are illegitimate or have been stolen, Herbert said. Unfortunately this has become an all too common feature of campaigns, and it undermines our system of self government. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE Herbert didnt mention him by name, but former President Donald Trump has been the most prominent politician to sow doubt in elections, continuing to wrongly claim that he won the 2020 election. However, while moderating the first panel discussion Justin Jones, executive director of the Herbert institute, pointed to a December press release in which several top election officials, all Republicans, asserted growing distrust in elections was a bipartisan problem thanks to a toxic stew of disinformation, misinformation and deliberate lies for profit or political advantage. Both parties have helped weaken trust in our electoral system. Both must help restore it, states the release, which was issued by Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane along with Henderson, Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab. As conservatives, we recognize the damage caused by the drumbeat of falsehoods repeated about the 2020 elections, the joint statement said, not naming Trump but noting that even though the 2022 elections were largely undisputed and noncontroversial, there are still many voters who dont believe they can have confidence in the 2024 elections. This is a bipartisan problem, though. Democrats have also sown doubt about high-profile election results in 2000, 2004, 2016, and 2018, the statement said. It included links to a 2012 New York Magazine commentary piece titled Yes, Bush v. Gore Did Steal the Election, a 2005 CNN story that reported a group of Democrats in Congress were challenging the counting of Ohios electoral votes, a 2019 Washington Post article quoting Hillary Clinton saying Trump was an illegitimate president, and a 2021 CNN story about Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams defending herself from criticism that she never conceded her 2018 loss to Gov. Brian Kemp due to voter suppression allegations. While Republicans acknowledge our responsibility, the Republican election officials wrote, it will take both parties to break the cycle and restore voter trust. McGrane came to Utah from Idaho to participate in Tuesdays discussion. When asked why, then, polls have been showing election distrust is more prominent among conservatives than it is among other political partisans, McGrane said it all depends on who won (or lost) at the time. Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson shared a video recorded message to attendees at a forum on election trust at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah on May 7, 2024. (Katie McKellar / Utah News Dispatch) The seeding of distrust has actually been bipartisan in our country, its just come at different points in time, McGrane said, adding that includes calling for the removal of the electoral college because the popular vote had more people. Today, though, in the wake of Trumps 2020 loss, the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and now as Trump continues to sow doubt heading into the 2024 election, distrust in national U.S. elections among conservatives is reaching a concerning inflection point. We need to rally together and run our campaigns better, McGrane said. Better candidates. Better efforts. And thats where a lot of the focus needs to be, not on challenging the process itself. Herbert urges Utah leaders to adopt conservative principles to build elections trust During his video recorded speech Tuesday, Herbert said election integrity was the first issue he asked the team at Utah Valley Universitys institute named after him to study, and he pointed to several research papers that have since been published on the topic. One of those papers detailed a review of Utahs election laws and procedures, and the Herbert Institute researchers concluded Utahs current election processes make it highly unlikely that any appreciable level of election fraud could go undetected. Herbert said he and the Herbert Institute will continue to research and host forums on election integrity, and we will continue to do so until we have worked to restore confidence in our elections process in our state, and in America. To advance that goal, Herbert encouraged attendees at Tuesdays forum to adopt the conservative principles for building trust in elections that the SNF Agora Institute and R Street created after holding off-the-record meetings last year in Washington, D.C., Utah, Indiana and Texas with election officials, advocates and democracy scholars to explore the contours of a pro-democracy movement for conservatives. Those conversations helped form the following principles meant to increase confidence in elections. They are: Publicly affirm the security and integrity of elections across the U.S. and avoid activity fueling doubt about elections in other jurisdictions. Use transparency and public outreach to reassure voters of election integrity. Champion policy changes that can help build trust in our elections system. No system is perfect, Herbert said, but in Utah we not only do it well, but were also one of the best in the nation. Like Herbert, Henderson also urged politicians to avoid casting doubt on elections through partisan rhetoric. Public discussions about how we elect our representatives should rise above polarized partisan talking points and be guided by sound principles and sound evidence, Henderson said. Be a champion, Henderson says, while looking for ways to improve Henderson asserted Utah leads the nation in elections administration by protecting voters constitutional right to the ballot in ways that reduce barriers, while also strengthening security measures to ensure each Utahn knows that their vote is counted securely, accurately and anonymously. Utah currently mails ballots to all active registered voters. The state began slowly implementing mail-in ballots starting back in 2012 to increase voter convenience and turnout, and didnt see the same drama around voting by mail like in other states that had to hurriedly implement it in 2020 amid the pandemic. There have been some legislative efforts in recent years to restrict Utahs voting by mail system, with some Republicans wanting voters to have to request mail-in ballots rather than having them sent automatically, but theyve been in the minority even among conservatives. This year, Utahs Republican-controlled Legislature rejected attempts to curb or alter voting by mail in Utah. Henderson said Utahs current vote by mail system contains more than 20 unique layers of security at the state and local levels, protecting against broad-based voter fraud or any attempts to affect the process improperly. As we move into the 2024 election, its essential for all of us to continue to promote Utahs strong track record of election integrity while we strive to continue to improve (the system) so citizens can continue to have high levels of trust, she said. Henderson added its important to remember elections are conducted locally not nationally and she encouraged everyone in the room to be a champion of our election system. Encourage every voter you interact with to educate themselves about the process and cast an informed vote, she said. I encourage everyone who has questions about how Utahs elections are done to visit their local county clerk or volunteer as an election worker. Some people who came to Tuesdays forum a couple of them identifying themselves as Republican delegates visibly scoffed or bristled at comments that Utahs election system should be lauded. One man, Aaron Ritchey, a Republican delegate from Logan, raised his hand toward the end of the discussion and said, I think a lot of the issue is where ballots are going, leading him to ask, is it more important to have quantity of voters or is it more important to have a quality voter? Thats a big philosophical question, said Josh Daniels, former Utah County clerk who was presenting about a new nonprofit called Trust Utah Elections, meant to create a platform that promotes election transparency, shares vital election information, and builds a coalition of individuals and organizations dedicated to the principles of fair and secure elections, according to its website. Josh Daniels, former Utah County clerk and co-founder a new nonprofit called Trust Utah Elections, speaks during a forum on election trust at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on May 7, 2024. (Katie McKellar / Utah News Dispatch) Fundamentally, Daniels told Ritchey, our country is founded on this idea of self-government, right? The people which is all people are governed by this government entity, and for self government to really matter we all have a responsibility to participate. And a big part of how we do that is through voting. But yeah, good philosophical question. Its individual responsibility, Ritchey said, not the responsibility of the government to make sure everybody votes. Ritcheys question stabbed at a long-debated issue that has divided voters even within the Utah GOP and one that leads some to favor the caucus/convention system, arguing delegates are more informed and can best make decisions for their neighbors. While the convention systems critics say it attracts the partys most extreme and is not representative of most Republican voters, its supporters, including Ritchey, argue it gives an opportunity to candidates who might not have the money or resources to gather signatures to qualify for the ballot under Utahs alternative path to the primary thanks to a 2014 law, SB54. Ritcheys question was also a dig at voting by mail. He told Utah News Dispatch he believes Utah is going too far by automatically sending by-mail ballots to all active registered voters. He prefers voting in person, and said he believes Utahns who want to vote by mail should have to request them yearly. If its important to people, theyll vote. If it isnt important, they wont, Richey said, questioning the security of voting by mail. However, most Utahns continue to trust Utahs local elections and have favorable opinions of voting by mail, according to another poll. What do Utahns think of voting by mail? A Sutherland Institute poll conducted by Y2 Analytics in February found over 70% of the Utah poll respondents are confident that Utahs by-mail ballots are counted accurately, and that voting by mail elections are fair and secure. The poll was conducted of 657 likely 2024 general election Utah voters. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. In a 2022 report titled Examining the Evidence on Vote by Mail, Derek Monson with the Sutherland Institute wrote ever since the 2020 presidential election, voting by mail has faced criticism out of concern over election security and integrity, and yet the evidence for this criticism often boils down to anecdotes and hypotheticals. He reported voting by mail is not associated with significant, widespread levels of voter fraud. Utahs voting by mail system, he wrote, has many layers of security, which includes voter registration processes to continually update the states voter rolls, and controls to ensure secure ballot processing, including signature verification and unique barcodes to prevent duplicate votes, among other measures. A Sutherland Institute poll conducted by Y2 Analytics in February of 657 likely 2024 general election Utah voters. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. Monson also wrote voting by mail has long been in use in various forms since at least the Civil War, and historically political parties have switched between supporting or opposing voting by mail based, it seems, on electoral considerations. For instance, he wrote, the most straightforward historical explanation of a partisans position on (voting by mail) comes down to which political partys presidential candidate is perceived as benefiting the most from voting by mail, he wrote. Even today, the Republican Party is finding itself in a dilemma when it comes to voting by mail. Trump recently changed his tune against voting by mail and urged his supporters to use absentee voting along with early voting and other forms of voting to increase turnout. The move came after senior advisers have been encouraging him to embrace votes no matter how they come, CBS News reported. And yet, while Republicans are trying to push their voters to embrace voting by mail, theyre hitting resistance in wake of Trumps repeated attacks, NBC News reported. While Tuesdays forum discussed solutions to increase trust in Utahs election system, experts and academics urged election officials to avoid drastic changes that could result in confusion or chaos, because stability and uniformity help most people feel secure. Instead, they discussed finding ways to more broadly educate anyone with fears or questions to learn about the existing safeguards in place while staying open to suggestions to fine tune security. This is a difficult time to be in this line of work for a whole host of reasons, Scott Warren, a fellow at the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University, said during the forums closing remarks. But what was so great about this convening today, is its about the process. Fundamentally, its not about who wins and loses, but about how we make sure the process works. The post Republicans are losing trust in elections, even in Utah. What should be done? appeared first on Utah News Dispatch. Susan J. Demas Voters in an Upper Peninsula community have successfully recalled three county commissioners, setting the stage for a change in direction. While most of the media attention has been focused on Tuesdays recall of Ottawa County Commissioner Lucy Ebel, a member of the right-wing Ottawa Impact organization, that same night voters in Delta County also went to the polls and recalled three of five county commissioners for their votes in February 2023 to fire County Administrator Emily DeSalvo. DeSalvo, who had served as the countys administrator since 2019, was fired immediately after she openly criticized the board for unethical and disrespectful behavior. I am concerned this board is more concerned about their political capital or personal gain than serving the county. The boards recent elimination of the Ethics Committee supports this concern, said DeSalvo at the boards Feb. 7, 2023 meeting. I will not be silent if I witness unethical behavior, so stop behaving in a manner which disrespects the office you hold in the community that you serve. The main issue that prompted DeSalvo to speak out involved the Delta Conservation District and its contract to oversee the countys parks, which she said was not being handled in a transparent manner. David Moyle | Delta County photo The board then voted 3-2 to terminate DeSalvos employment, with the three votes to do so coming from Republican Commissioners Robert Barron, David Moyle and Robert Petersen, each of whom was recalled Tuesday by voters. Their respective challengers were Myra Croasdell, an independent, Kelli Van Ginhoven, a Democrat, and Matt Jensen, also an independent. They each won by an approximately 3-1 margin, with just under a 24% turnout rate, which Barron blamed for his loss. There was very poor voter turnout. The general public doesnt realize the woke agenda that the newly elected have, which will be put into play very quickly, Barron said in a statement to WLUC. Ill be running in the August primary, and well see if the people of Delta County want that mob-rule type of governance or do they want the constitutional representative republic, which is the rule of Gods law. Jensen, however, told RRN News, that voters clearly wanted a new direction from the board. At the end of the day, it doesnt matter what your political party or ideology is, he said. At this level you need to be able to work with those in the community for the better good of our community. They [voters] really didnt like the direction it was headed, or how it was being perceived, or how they were conducting business. You didnt seem to have civility within the board. There was no decorum. We need more civility and agreeing to disagree on issues. I think the numbers definitely reflect that the people did not agree. Jensen added that he plans to seek a millage for the November ballot that would expand veterans services in Delta County. However, the three new commissioners will only serve through the remainder of the year, and would need to win a full term in November. All six, both the recalled commissioners and their replacements, have filed to run in the August primary. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Republicans ousted from Delta County board after firing county administrator appeared first on Michigan Advance. WASHINGTON Nikki Haley dropped out of the GOP presidential primary more than two months ago, but her zombie candidacy is still drawing a significant number of votes in late-season contests enough to make Republicans anxious over what this could mean for their presumptive nominee, Donald Trump, and whomever he chooses as his running mate. Voters who spurned Trump might be brought back into the Republican fold if he picks a centrist vice presidential candidate in the mold of Haley, the ex-South Carolina governor and Trumps first United Nations ambassador, who seems to have zero interest in joining his ticket. But its not clear whether any of the people currently on his veep shortlist mostly MAGA senators and governors can capture the voters who want to move on from Trump. Republicans floated as possible running mates include Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Tim Scott of South Carolina and J.D. Vance of Ohio, as well as Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem even after Noem was pilloried for describing in a new book how she killed her aggressive hunting dog. None of them is seen as a likely vessel for winning over Haleys staunchest fans. GOP senators suggested that going after disaffected Haley voters should be a priority for Trump, who is narrowly leading in swing-state polls but fighting legal battles that make his political future uncertain. I think the population we need to be going after is this 17% of people that are not voting for President Trump in a primary even though Nikki is not even in the primary, Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) said Wednesday, referring to Haleys share of the vote in Pennsylvanias GOP primary last month. I think he needs to bring a person thats going to complement him and bring those people to the table. Marshall floated former Kansas congressman and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as someone who could fit those qualifications. I think theres a group of Republicans out there that will play the long game, he added. They want to know whos going to be the president after President Trump. So whoever he chooses is going to be the betting-odds favorite to be the next president. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) urged the Trump campaign to pay attention to this weeks Indiana primary results and see what demographic chose Nikki Haley over the president. Id be instructed by that in my solution, he added. In Indiana on Tuesday, Haley won roughly 1 in 5 GOP primary voters, underscoring the discontent among committed Republican voters with the former president, who faces 88 felony charges. About one-fifth of Republican primary voters in the swing states of Arizona, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania also cast a ballot for someone other than Trump. Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), an anti-Trump Republican, said that the primary results in his home state show how there is still a very sizable portion of the Republican Party thats insisting on a candidate who they can be proud of, on account of their character attributes and who promote a policy agenda consistent with basic [President Ronald] Reagan-era principles. Haley, for her part, has shown no sign of getting back on the Trump train anytime soon. Before she dropped out of the race in March, she excoriated her former boss over his conduct in office and his mental state, calling him diminished and unhinged. And she has declined to endorse his campaign, leaving Trump to suffer repeated embarrassments in primary contests across the country. The people voting for Haley tend to be more affluent, better educated than Trump voters, and active enough in politics to bother casting a ballot in a long-over presidential primary. One recent exit poll found that many are likely to back President Joe Biden over Trump in November. These voters are largely clustered in swing counties surrounding major metro areas like the Philadelphia and Detroit suburbs where parties battle for the independent voters who decide presidential elections. Adrian Hemond, a Michigan Democrat who founded a bipartisan political consulting group, said that Trump needs to find a way to reassure skittish Haley voters if he wants to win in the Upper Midwest. These people are still clearly Republicans. Theyre voting in Republican nominating contests. Theyve just got beef with the former president, Hemond said. He needs to give them some sort of permission structure to vote for him so they feel like there will be an adult in the room, and there will be someone who can replace him if hes not capable of continuing in office for whatever reason. Hemond said Trump would be well advised to pick a running mate who has a record independent of MAGA, like Burgum, who didnt compete against Trump in the primary long enough for things between them to get nasty. Theres going to be a lot of pressure on the former president not to pick a Republican senator, and at minimum not pick a Republican senator from a state thats at all competitive or a state where the governor cannot appoint a replacement, he said. But Vance, a top Trump ally who hasnt been shy about expressing his interest in the VP job, rejected the notion that the ex-president needed to worry about the Haley protest vote. Attracting Nikki Haley voters should not be the focus of the vice presidential pick, but certainly you want somebody whos going to broadly appeal as much as possible to the country, Vance said. You dont want to alienate anybody, but I dont think [the] Nikki Haley bloc is big enough to be the focus. Some pollsters and analysts have backed Vances analysis, noting that Haleys primary voters make up a relatively small portion of what will be a much larger general electorate and pointing to Trumps advantage with less-engaged voters as a more important factor for November. In modern history, presidential campaigns have tended to pick running mates in hopes of broadening a candidates appeal either to a geographic area or a particular group of voters. In the 2016 election, for example, Trump picked then-Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as a way to curry favor with social conservatives and evangelicals, influential GOP constituencies that initially hesitated to support a thrice-married New York real estate mogul. In 2008, Barack Obama selected Biden, then a veteran senator, in part because of his deep foreign policy experience. This time, Trump is being urged to consider candidates who can appeal to wayward Republicans and independent voters turned off by his behavior and obsession with conspiracy theories, including those involving the veracity of the 2020 presidential election. Typically, the candidate looks for somebody who will broaden the base of support and appeal, not somebody who is exactly like them or attracts the same constituency, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who is running to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as the top Senate Republican, told HuffPost on Wednesday. He added, Id like President Trump to win, and I think the best formula for him to win would be to broaden that base by picking somebody who would bring that to the table. The Republicans are getting the Stop The Steal band back together ahead of this years presidential race. On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) unveiled a piece of legislation that would prohibit non-citizens from voting in federal elections. Of course, it is already illegal for people who are not U.S. citizens to cast a ballot in federal races and a pile of studies have shown that violations of these laws have occurred exceedingly rarely. Nevertheless, congressional Republicans and other allies of former President Trump are making a big show of fear mongering about the issue as he pre-emptively indicates his willingness to dispute this years election. And this latest effort to cast doubt on voting features many of the same figures who were involved in the similarly debunked effort to challenge Trumps loss in the 2020 White House race. Perhaps no one illustrates this better than Jenny Beth Martin, a Tea Party activist who joined Johnson for the Capitol Hill press conference Wednesday when he railed against what he called an unprecedented and a clear and present danger to the integrity of our election system. Martin worked extensively on the legal and political effort to reverse Trumps defeat. Text messages obtained by TPM including some which have not previously been reported show how active Martin was with various elements of the Stop The Steal movement. Im organizing groups, set up a call for 1:30 today, doing another tomorrow, Martin wrote in a text message to Trumps chief of staff, Mark Meadows, on November 4, 2020, the day after the election. Im get the outside groups on the same page and activating them. The exchange was among the 2,319 messages Meadows turned over to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, which occurred as Trump supporters broke into the U.S. Capitol during the certification of the 2020 election results, halting the process. The messages show how there was a coordinated push to promote false claims of fraud in the election and to challenge the results in court and on the ground based on those lies. Officials at every level of government including multiple Trump appointees and other Republicans have said there was no major instance of fraud in the 2020 race. TPM ran multiple stories based on the Meadows texts in 2022 and you can read more about the story behind these messages and our procedures for publishing them in the introduction to that series. The texts involving Martin that we are reporting here are being presented in their original format including spelling and grammatical errors. TPM was able to connect the phone number used for the messages to Martin through public records databases and campaign finance reports. Martin did not respond to a request for comment. At Johnsons event on Wednesday, Martin suggested the extremely rare phenomenon of non-citizen voting was a regular occurrence. Its already illegal for non citizens to vote, but just because something is illegal doesnt mean it doesnt happen, Martin said. Were trying to get ahead of the curve here. Martin was not the only participant in the conspiracy-tinged event this week who was also part of the prior push to help Trump overturn the 2020 race. The group included Johnson and the two lawmakers leading the non-citizen voting legislation, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX). Johnson was one of the 147 members of Congress who voted against certifying the election results. Text messages previously highlighted by TPM and others show that, even though they did not join that group, Lee and Roy were involved in earlier efforts to challenge the results. Johnsons press conference also included Trump White House adviser and speechwriter Stephen Miller, who reportedly worked on the fiery address Trump delivered to a rally at the Ellipse on Jan. 6 as some in the crowd marched on the Capitol. Another participant at the event this week was Cleta Mitchell, the conservative attorney who served as a volunteer legal adviser to the Trump campaign in 2020 and worked on a lawsuit in December of that year that attempted to get Georgia to invalidate the election results. Yet even among this group of anti-democratic luminaries, Martin stands out both because her work in the Stop The Steal movement helped connect the political, legal, and activist elements of the push to keep Trump in power and because it has received relatively little public scrutiny until now. Along with Amy Kremer, Martin co-founded Tea Party Patriots, which was one of the largest organizations within the Tea Party movement that helped define conservative politics during the last decade and paved the way for Trump. While the pair had a falling out that included litigation, vicious personal attacks, and alleged online sockpuppetry, they both were separately active in the Stop The Steal movement with Kremer leading a bus tour that challenged the election results and ultimately helping to host the Ellipse rally. From her firebrand Tea Party roots as a thorn in the side of establishment conservatives, Martin eventually became close with leading Republicans over the years as the Tea Party movement became a fixture of the partys conference on Capitol Hill. Her journey also saw her go from family financial struggles to earning an eye popping $450,000 despite persistent questions about how much donor money some Tea Party groups were actually directing towards political campaigns. While Martin initially endorsed Tea Party favorite Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in the 2016 primary when Trump first ran for president, she ultimately supported Trump. It was a fairly natural switch as Trumps conspiracy-fueled populism was firmly rooted within the Tea Party movement. Martins activism as Trump lost the 2020 race shows just how devoted she became to his cause and how seamlessly some Tea Party leaders embraced Trumps MAGA brand of right wing politics. Martin attended and spoke at Stop The Steal events in the leadup to Jan. 6. She was also billed as a speaker for Stop The Steal activist Ali Alexanders Wild Protest, which was set to take place at the Capitol on Jan. 6. That event was cut short amid the chaos and Martin was filmed outside the Capitol trying to discourage the crowds she had spent months riling up from climbing on scaffoldings around the building. And Martins work to fight Trumps loss went beyond speeches. In a previously reported text to Meadows that was sent on Nov. 7, 2020, the day media outlets projected President Joe Biden had won the election, Lee, gave the White House chief of staff a letter to Trump offering our unequivocal support for you to exhaust every legal and constitutional remedy at your disposal to restore Americans faith in our elections. The letter, which Lee indicated was signed by a group of lawmakers and activists, urged the former president to stay strong and keep fighting. Martin was one of the signatories, which indicated that she was involved in the efforts from Lee and other lawmakers. Based on the text messages Meadows provided to investigators, Martin also seems to have been working with Mitchell. On Dec. 1, she wrote to Meadows to ask a favor for Cleta. Cleta had to have an eye procedure done today. She has had some issues recently that required urgent or time sensitive attention. As such, she missed the White House reception. Yesterday, she told me she has never been to the [white] house over Christmas before, Martin wrote, adding, She has spent 70+ hours in the last week on this case in Georgia plus the entire week right after the election and each week since them. She has no idea Im making this request. She and I are spending countless hours trying to make a difference for the president and the country. Neither of us are seeking much for it except for what is right and to try to stop the fraudulent election results. I am sure being able to visit and see the decorations would be something that would mean a lot to her. The messages Meadows turned over to the select committee do not include a response to Martins request. A week later, on Dec. 8, 2020, Martin offered Meadows an unsolicited mix of strategic advice and help indicating her willingness to get involved with the election challenge in her home of Georgia and other key swing states: Mark, Thank you for all you are doing. No doubt you are exhausted. Do you have anyone working to tie together all the efforts of the various state legislators challenging the elections? Im very concerned that there is no coordinated effort among all of them. Yesterday, there was a press conference in Georgia by one state rep and another group was going a petition for a simple majority to call the legislature back in session. In AZ, there was a also press conference yesterday. Last night Texas filed suit. The PA legislature case is supposedly before SCOTUS. I think we desperately need someone who can talk to key state and local elected officials in each state, determine what they are doing and the work to help brief the other legislators around the county (and maybe even within each state) to ensure we have as much coherent messaging as possible between now and Dec 14. We need to let our allies know what is happening so they can tweet, email etc. Is anyone already doing this? Is it something you have a person who could do for the next week? The state legislator in Georgia was was working on the simple majority did not make it clear they only needed a simple majority. I saw his petition on Sunday and thought it was a messaging tool more than anything else. I thought it was still going to need a super majority. I only learned it was a more serious effort at 2:20 yesterday. (You could blame me for not doing the math to realize it was a simple majority rather than super majority. I did not. No one highlighted the importance of it.) We lost so much time we could have used to build support here in Georgia. Im worried that something like that may happen again here or in other states. I dont know legislators in all these states so I could use another point person to help with coordinating them Please let me know who that might be and how I can help. Thank again for all you are doing. Meadows replied, Yes. Have a team on it. Martin asked to be looped in with that team to help line up grassroots support. The messages Meadows handed over to the select committee do not include a response. While these one-sided communications leave it unclear how much the Trump White House worked directly with Martin, they show she was plugging herself in with the lawyers and legislators who were fighting to keep Trump in power. She also apparently engaged grassroots activists on the ground. Meadows text log includes a message from Martin on December 30 where she indicated that her group was bombarding a Georgia courthouse that was the setting for Mitchells suit that sought to invalidate the election results and other legal challenges to the certification. TPP Action melted the phone lines in Fulton county superior court and now the case has been assigned to the 7th judicial district in Georgia (nw Georgia), Martin wrote to Meadows. Im sure cleta will update you. Thought you would like to know we made them feel the heat. While no major reported issues came from Martins action, Trump supporters have indeed made officials feel the heat for resisting his efforts to challenge his loss and the various criminal cases against him. Election workers, judges, and prosecutors have all reported unprecedented threats from members of the public who have been radicalized and angered by the false claims of fraud and Trumps insistence the prosecutions stemming from his effort to fight his loss amount to political persecution. Despite the tensions, threats, and violence that accompanied the false effort to challenge the last election, some of the same Republicans who backed that effort are already going down the same road ahead of the next one. The concerns about non-citizen voting that were raised by Martin and Johnson on Wednesday are being grossly exaggerated, but thats the point. In his remarks at the press conference, Johnson made clear that his new initiative is an effort to cast doubt on elections for anyone who didnt buy the last round of debunked conspiracy theories. Even if you werent concerned about the drop boxes and the ballot harvesting and the mail in ballots and 2020, you definitely should be concerned that illegal aliens might be voting in 2024, Johnson said. St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones called to shutter the Workhouse as early as 2016 (Photo courtesy of St. Louis Mayor's Office). Inez Bordeaux had heard horror stories about the St. Louis jail commonly known as the Workhouse named so for prisoners held there in the 1800s who were forced to labor for their freedom but it was only once she was sent there herself in 2016 that she realized: Everything Ive heard about the Workhouse is absolutely true. There were rats, roaches, black mold. There was the pervasive odor: I dont know if I have the words to accurately describe it, but it just smells rotted, she told Bolts. It smells like mildew and rotand, like, despair. And there was rampant neglect and abuse. The way people are treated inside of the facility like you are something that someone has scraped off the bottom of their shoe, she said. This article was originally published by Bolts, a nonprofit publication that covers criminal justice and voting rights in local governments. In 2018, spurred by the memory of the six months she spent inside, Bordeaux got involved in the group Arch City Defenders fight to close down the Workhouse. Today, she works as the groups deputy director of community collaborations. The early 2021 mayoral win of Tishaura Jones, who had called to shutter the Workhouse as early as 2016, was a boon for the movement: Jones largely emptied the jail later that year, and permanently shut its doors in mid-2022. That might have been the end of some campaigns. In St. Louis, it was just the beginning. Many prisons and jails that get emptied of one incarcerated population still end up warehousing people under another carceral function: they become ICE detention facilities, or simply hold prisoners for another jurisdiction. St. Louis was determined to chart a different course. Once the Workhouse was officially closed, the city embarked on an 18-month-long process to envision a future for the space, quite literally called Reenvisioning the Workhouse. It involved soliciting input from 2,500 St. Louis organizations and individuals, including residents who live near the site, and, critically, people who had been incarcerated there. It would all lead up to a final report to be presented to the mayors office with recommendations for the building and its surrounding land. As different groups came together to work through divergent ideas for the site, and ultimately produce a host of proposals about what might replace the Workhouse, the process tapped into a deep wellspring of feeling about a building that for many represents nothing but sorrow. Then in March, two months after the Workhouse transition team released their final report, Jones announced a different plan: she wanted to use the site to build tiny homes for unhoused people. The move came as a shock to many organizers, including those who were involved throughout the process and believed that putting homeless people at the site, far away from community and services, was akin to an act of banishment. It feels like a punch in the face for a mayor who has said that she understands the Workhouse, who was calling for the closure of the Workhouse before the Close the Workhouse campaign even existed, to once again attempt to disappear the people that are seen as undesirable to a facility that we know is not fit for human habitation, Bordeaux said. The Close the Workhouse campaign is continuing to press the mayor and the citys Board of Alders to reconsider and implement the recommendations laid out in the report, and the mayors office stresses that no official decisions have been made yet regarding the site, If it can be changed, I want to change it, said Jada Scaife, another community design organizer for the Reenvisioning the Workhouse steering committee who also spent time in the jail. But, they added, they already heard usthats what the report was forand they still chose to go the way they went. Both the report process, and the fracas that has accompanied the revelation of the citys new plan for the site, illustrate the possibilities that arise when prisons and jails close, as well as the conflicts that likely accompany any serious discussion over whats next. Is the ground a jail sits on a plot of land like any other, with the potential to provide a practical, stopgap fix to another ongoing municipal crisis? Or should it be treated with more reverence, akin to former sites of racial terror or confinement that have been commemorated with creative memorial projects? Should it be a place of remembrance? Jails close across the country Over the past two decades as the U.S. has begun to reevaluate the harsh approach to criminal justice that ballooned carceral populations in the 1980s and 1990s, prisons and jails have closed their doors across the country, leading to a reduction of at least 81,000 beds, according to an analysis from The Sentencing Report. There are active closure conversations happening this year in California and New York, Virginia, Washington state, said Nicole D. Porter, the advocacy director at the Sentencing Project and the author of two reports on prison closure and repurposing. Porter has observed that many closed carceral facilities end up holding migrants for ICE or otherwise furthering carceral purposes. But she has also documented a small but growing number of prisons and jails that have undergone adaptive reuse processes, transforming into upscale mixed-use developments, whiskey distilleries, film studios, homeless shelters, and more. The vast majority of these end up as for-profit spaces, and some have even seemed to capitalize on the buildings past in a way that invites accusations of particularly poor taste. Aerial view of the site of the former Medium Security Institution, also known as the Workhouse, in St. Louis (Re-Envisioning the Workhouse Report, stlouis-mo.gov). Take The Cell Block hotel in Clifton, Texas, which invites guests to break the chains of monotony and promises luxurious solitary confinement, as Harpers reported recently. In her report, Porter notes that Virginia organizers criticized one adaptive reuse project in Lorton, Virginia, for planning a Nightmare Prison haunted house event for Halloween just a few months after George Floyds murder. A few projects have involved community participation or discussion around community reinvestmentthe idea that proceeds from future site operations should go toward building up services in the neighborhoods where most incarcerated people come from. In 2019, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms hired the Oakland-based abolitionist design firm Designing Justice + Designing Spaces to reimagine the Atlanta City Detention Center, in what the firm called the citys largest and most transparent community engagement process. Ultimately, the process stalled; today, the jail remains open. And Porter notes that she hasnt yet seen successful examples of governments requiring companies to allocate funds towards community programs. I think its something that needs to happen, she said. But at the end of the day, theres not very many of these discussions happening from my perspective, any outcome that permanently takes offline carceral capacity is a good outcome at this point. Given this landscape, the Reenvisioning the Workhouse process was charting largely unexplored territory. Three justice-oriented design firms facilitated the process, and the steering committees core group consisted of six formerly incarcerated locals and organizers, including Bordeaux. It also included several people who lived near, had worked at, or had family members formerly incarcerated at the Workhouse. To come up with an initial round of ideas for the future of the jail and its land, participants canvassed neighborhoods, held community meetings, distributed flyers, and solicited input via social media. They took the initial batch of ideas they got, winnowed them down, sent them back out to procure peoples thoughts on more concrete proposals, and then worked with the city to examine whether the ideas were practically feasible. The end result would be a detailed, 64-page report, to be presented to the city, with concrete recommendations for the sites future. Local organizations also participated in the process. Kristian Blackmon, the coalition coordinator at the housing justice organization Homes For Alls St. Louis chapter, told Bolts that in her informal conversations with the groups base, mostly low-income tenants, many people liked the idea of replacing the Workhouse with a green space that could benefit the surrounding area, which is predominantly Black. Others, Blackmon said, just wanted to demolish the building. For Bordeaux, the process was personally challenging given her past experience at the jail. From the moment I stepped out of the building, I wanted to burn the Workhouse to the ground and salt the earth, she told Bolts. I think that the facility itself, and the land, has had such a horrific legacy that I at first was having a difficult time wrapping my brain around how it could be anything positive or useful. Bordeaux credited the careful process and the various people involved with helping expand her imagination. Ultimately, she said, we were able to come up with things that I am comfortable with, and other directly impacted people are comfortable. As they got to work building out the report, the complexities of incorporating the views of a wide range of stakeholdersincluding people with no direct or indirect experience of incarcerationwere encapsulated in one discussion over the prospect of turning the site into an animal shelter, with some amount of transitional housing for their unhoused pet owners, who tend to be blocked from nearly all other shelters. While the report notes that the idea received overwhelming public support from the broader community, participants whod spent time in the Workhouse detected an uglier subtext: We were treated like animals there, one said in response. Meanwhile, Scaife worried that including any housing recommendation on the site, however conditional, would open the door for the city to turn the entire site into housing. Us saying that anything could live there made it where it was basically saying its okay to live there, period, they told Bolts. After an emotional discussion, the committee ultimately decided to endorse the animal shelter option. An additional challenge centered around the sites isolation and possible environmental hazards; the Workhouse is located in an industrial zone along a truck corridor, and the soil it sits on contains contaminants such as arsenic, lead, and other potentially dangerous chemicals. Any earnest attempt to transform carceral facilities will likely come up against the reality that prisons and jails tend to be built on remote, undesirable land: A 2017 report by Truthout and the Earth Island Journal found that at least 589 prisons in the U.S. are located within 3 miles of a federal Superfund site. Given the sites dark past Arch City Defenders has documented at least seven people who died at the jail between 2009 and 2019and concerns around pollution, the report ultimately lays out a vision that largely does not recommend services for community members on site. Instead, it recommends the creation of a community resource hub somewhere closer to the heart of St. Louis. For the Workhouse itself, the report lays out a range of options; the animal shelter, for one, plus solar panels, prairie restoration, or industrial uses that could benefit the community indirectly. It additionally suggests the erection of a marker memorializing the site. The report team knew that these recommendations were ambitious. The city had never promised to implement the reports conclusions, but some team members were hopeful given the fact that the city had initiated the process in the first place. They were similarly cheered by the extent to which officials dug into feasibility as the process unfolded, looking into every major idea to make sure it was viable. But the visioning process had also unearthed St. Louisans frustrations about participating in public processes only to see no real results or impact. As part of a General process recommendation, the report advises: Community members have expressed being tired of repeatedly saying what they need only to end up in a report or recommendation that seem to only be followed when convenient, seen and celebrated at a meeting, or potentially put away on a shelf. Reenvisioning the Workhouse Last August, participants were about halfway through the Reenvisioning the Workhouse process: after going through one round of community outreach and feedback, they were preparing to embark on a second round to sharpen their recommendations for the site. However, unbeknownst to the steering committee, the city of St. Louis was exploring its own ideas for the old jail. Emails between members of the citys Board of Public Service, obtained by Bolts through a public records request, show that they discussed hiring an engineering firm to perform an environmental review of the site as early as mid-August. I want these tests to verify that neither the soil or air contains anything that would prohibit the construction of this tiny home village for the unhoused, the boards president wrote on Aug. 15. Please keep me in the loop as time is of the essence. Two days later, he followed up, asking for an update to pass on to the mayors office. Rendering of a potential repurposed use of the site as an industrial production center (Re-Envisioning the Workhouse Report, stlouis-mo.gov). The firm sent a work proposal to the city on Aug. 29 and completed its report in December. But the steering committee says it didnt learn of the plan until late March,, almost two months after they had released their own report. After extensive participation from the city throughout the process, and signals from the mayor that she supported the idea of deeper change, many felt betrayed. One activist pointed to Jones own words in 2022, when the Workhouse closed, that the step wasnt just a reform, but rather a transformation of our citys approach to public safety. You have no idea how incredibly frustrating it is to take time and energy and blood and sweat and tears and go through this entire process only to find out that it was just something [Jones] was checking off a to-do list, Bordeaux told Bolts. City officials in St. Louis have emphasized practical considerations in their decision to place a shelter at the Workhouse site. They stressed that local ordinances requiring the signed consent of at least 50 percent of nearby business owners or registered voters in order to open a homeless shelter in more populated areas of St. Louis leave them with few other options. There arent just challenges to establishing homeless shelters in more populated areas, its downright impossible right now in the city because of ordinances already on the books, a spokesperson for the mayor, Conner Kerrigan, told Bolts via email. At a recent meeting, one alderperson said, referencing the areas frigid winters, I dont want to spend time in any jail, but Id rather spend time inside the Workhouse than freeze to death outside. Later in the meeting the CEO of an existing tiny homes project testified that they can be a good way to get people back on their feet. Blackmon of Homes For All agrees that the citys housing and homelessness crisis is severe. St. Louis, she said, ranks extremely low for affordable housing for folks of color, specifically Black folks. The city hasnt successfully opened a new shelter in years, and the ones that we do have arent necessarily the best, she said. Most of them are almost always consistently full. So theres always additional need. But Blackmon also felt that the citys complaints about lack of options were disingenuous: Most of those in positions of power do not want shelters in their wards. Individual alderpeople have frequently opposed the construction of homeless housing near them; last year, the mayor opposed an alderpersons proposal to lower the signature threshold for establishing new shelters. Blackmon acknowledged the tension that the tiny homes plan has provoked for local groups working on housing and homelessness. What do you do when you might have a space that can house some peoplebut then its also like, at what cost? she asked. People dont deserveto be put in an area thats secluded from many other people in the community, she went on, and to be somewhere on a piece of land that has a horrific history of violence and death and oppression. The city has downplayed environmental concerns about the site, noting that the environmental review recommended dumping gravel on top of the contaminated soil. Jones has committed to not using the space for carceral purposes, which Porter of The Sentencing Project stressed is a victory in itself. The mayor has also indicated that she will support the placement of a community memorial on the site alongside the tiny homes, one of the reports recommendations. Bordeaux, though, feels that the other suggestions are more materially significant. I think the way that we really honor the legacy of the Workhouse, and the harm that its caused in so many communities, is by addressing the needs that cause most of us to end up in the Workhouse in the first place, she said. Asked whether the mayors office would commit to funding community investment or reparations for Workhouse survivors, Kerrigan referenced the likelihood of a memorial and also mentioned the mayors new Office of Violence Prevention). Organizers with the Close the Workhouse campaign say theyll continue to fight to get its recommendations implemented and advance their goals, including reparations for people whove been held in the Workhouse, throughout the ongoing city budget allocation process. The idea of reparations, especially, raises the question of what it means to try to heal the scars of one jail, to memorialize one site, when the larger structure it belongs to persists. St. Louis has another jail, the City Justice Center, where the Workhouses remaining population were transferred when it closed in 2022. Some of the same issues that were affecting people in the Workhouse are affecting people at CJClike being indiscriminately maced, not having access to competent medical care, COs turning off the water of people who are being detained in CJC as punishment, Bordeaux said. I look forward to the campaign to close CJC also, if there ever is oneit will have my one thousand percent support. The post How do you repurpose a closed jail? Competing visions clash in St. Louis appeared first on Missouri Independent. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) A team of researchers, including from the University of New Mexico, recently published their findings that hypothesize for the first time there may be evidence a rocky planet contains an atmosphere. The exoplanet 55 Cancri e, which is 41 light years away from earth, orbits a start similar to the sun. The exoplanet orbits so close to the star, making it uninhabitable. The exoplanet is so close to the star the gravitational pull does not allow it to rotate, so one side of the planet is in permanent day while the other is dark, according to NASA. It was previously thought the planet was so hot that it would not be able to maintain an atmosphere, but the researchers suggest the exoplanet may have an atmosphere. The researchers hypothesize that seas of magma replenish continuously and the atmosphere likely formed from volcanic activity triggered by the close distance to the star. The team suggests the atmosphere could be made up of vaporized rock rich in carbon, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. The team was able to use images from the James Webb Space Telescope to help with its study. The team published its findings in Nature. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. More from Footwear News Schutz parent company Arezzo & Co. kicked off 2024 with another robust quarter as the Brazilian footwear and fashion giant continues its expansion plans. According to the Sao Paulo-based company, net sales in the first quarter of 2024 increased 4.6 percent to 1.07 billion reals ($210 million) from 1.03 billion reals at the same time last year. Recurring net income in the quarter was 78.7 million reals, up 7.7 percent from 73.1 million reals in Q1 2023. The company noted on Thursday that all its brands showed consistent performance in these first months of 2024. AR&Co, which includes the Grupo Reserva and Baw brands, was the highlight in Q1, with revenue of 318.9 million reals, an increase of 11 percent compared to Q1 2023. The companys Arezzo brand presented gross revenue of $377.8 million, up 8.6 percent over the same time last year. Anacapri totaled $93.9 million in revenue, up 2.9 percent, while Schutz reported $187.8 million in sales, down 3 percent from last year. In the first quarter, the company noted that it sold 4.6 million pairs of shoes (up 1.3 percent) and 709,000 bags (up 5.3 percent), compared to the same period in 2023. Arezzo & Co. demonstrated an effective strategy in brand portfolio management and significant protection of business profitability at the beginning of this year, Alexandre Birman, chief executive officer of Arezzo & Co., said in a statement. We presented robust growth, even with the strong comparison with 2023, as a result of the execution and delivery skills of our team, aligned to our culture as the largest fashion house of brands in Brazil. These results come just months after Arezzo & Co. struck a monumental agreement to merge with fellow Brazilian fashion company Grupo Soma in a deal that sees the union of two of the largest fashion companies in Latin America. As part of the deal, Arezzo and Grupo Soma will join together in a newly-formed company, with Arezzo owning a 54 percent controlling interest and Soma owning 46 percent. The name of the new company will be released at a later date, Arezzo said at the time. While specific terms of the deal were not disclosed, Arezzo noted that the new company would have yearly revenues of 12 billion reals ($2.42 billion) with a collective portfolio of 34 brands, including Arezzo, Farm Rio, Hering, Reserva, Animale, Schutz, NV, Anacapri, Alexandre Birman, Cris Barros, Carol Bassi and Oficina, among others. Story continues Best of Footwear News Vitalii Barabash, the head of the Avdiivka City Military Administration, said that approximately 700 people remain in Donetsk Oblast, which is held by Russian soldiers. The elation among those waiting for the Russians to arrive has faded after the city was captured. Source: Barabash on the air of Espresso TV channel Quote: "Around 700 people stayed in Avdiivka. The situation is not easy; regular checks are ongoing. The excitement of the majority of those who remained and waited for the Russians has long faded. Even those who didn't care admit now that it was far better under Ukraines control. Because there is no evidence of democracy or that it was 'liberators' that came to them." Details: According to Barabash, the actual situation differs from propaganda videos; the Russians pull inhabitants out of their homes, looting occurs, even the coke plant is being looted. "That is, most people realised that they were waiting for the wrong people [to help them ed.]," Barabash underlined. Barabash recalled that the government and volunteers told those waiting for the Russians that nothing good would happen after the takeover, citing examples such as Sieverodonetsk, Mariupol, and Bakhmut, but they refused to believe them. "Now they are going through all of this themselves," said the head of the Avdiivka City Military Administration. Background: On 17 February, Oleksandr Syrskyi, then-Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, announced the withdrawal of Ukrainian units from Avdiivka. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia's losses in Avdiivka were seven times higher than Ukraine's. Only a few days after the Russians occupied and destroyed Avdiivka, they began distributing Russian Federation passports to the population. Support UP or become our patron! Restraints on academic freedom: MTA President condemns UMass Amherst after 130 arrests The Massachusetts Teachers Association condemns UMass Amherst administrations restraints on academic freedom following Tuesday nights arrests of more than 100 protestors on campus. The use of force to silence protests is antithetical to the reason why universities and especially public universities exist, said MTA President Max Page. More than 130 protesters were arrested on the campus of UMass Amherst on Tuesday night after police say they refused to dismantle a pro-Palestinian encampment. Police officers wearing riot gear surrounded the barricaded tents that students had set up earlier in the afternoon and began arresting the protesters around 8 p.m. UMass Amherst had the opportunity to be a leader in showing how an academic community can allow the expression of divergent points of view. Instead, UMass chose to bring in a police presence to forcefully break up a demonstration, according to a joint statement issued by Page, a professor at UMass Amherst, and Vice President Deb McCarthy. MTA believes that the administrations actions of May 7 have introduced an unwelcome and chilling effect on the right to protest and assembly. " As of Wednesday morning, 109 people had been booked and charges were pending for about 25 other individuals, school officials said. We urge UMass to disavow and discontinue actions that threaten the safety and well-being of students, staff, and faculty engaged in lawful protest, said the joint statement. Racist email on UMass Amherst campus raises questions In a message sent to the campus community following the arrests, UMass Chancellor Javier Reyes said, We have provided many paths forward for a resolution, including in our discussions today with protest representatives. Our message to this effect was delivered to the demonstrators in the encampment by the Demonstration Response and Safety Team. Demonstrators rejected our offers for continued civil discourse to help bridge our differences and refused to dismantle their encampment. Stephen Karam, chairman of the UMass Board of Trustees, proclaimed the Boards full and unwavering support for Reyes. We have absolute confidence in his leadership, his integrity, and his commitment to our students, Karam said. Additional details on the charges and the schedule for arraignments will be released at a later time. Massachusetts Institute of Technology students received word from MIT President Sally Kornbluth earlier this week that their encampment was deemed no longer safely sustainable, and they could face suspension. Pro-Palestine protest camps have emerged across the country, as some call for a break in academic ties with Israel over the war in Gaza. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW According to former co-counsel for Trump's first impeachment and Obama White House Ethics Czar Norm Eisen, within the next three weeks, the leading contender for the presidency in the Republican Party may be a convicted felon. Watching Donald Trump on trial in Manhattan having to sit in front of a jury of his peers, Eisen said, renews his faith in the Constitutional process, established when we became our own country at the end of the 18th century. Everyone is equal in the lies of the law, he reminded me. Thats a fact worth remembering. Im just thankful Eisen is sitting in that courtroom in close proximity to Trump instead of me. I spent four years being in close quarters with Trump during his term in office and it felt like viewing the bears in the zoo from within their enclosure. Holding Trump accountable for his actions is something many have dreamed of, and many thought would never happen. It is of particular interest because of what Trump has said he wants to do if hes re-elected this fall: The dismantling of our democracy and the institution of an effective monarchy where he would act as a King. We dont want a King. We got rid of that a long time ago, Eisen said. Trumps proposed policies remain frightening. Thats a fact worth remembering. There is apparently no low ground Trump wont inhabit. Yet, Democrats remain upset with current President Joe Bidens chance of re-election. Its frustrating, one Democratic operative recently told me. The Democrats are worried because no matter how bad Trump is or could be, Biden cannot seem to eclipse him in national polls. Biden has done great work, Im often told, so how can we possibly be trailing Trump? Hopefully, if Trumps found guilty, people will stop supporting him. Democrats blame Bidens communication team for most of the trouble the president has encountered in making his case for re-election, yet seem unable to impress upon the president the dire circumstances in which he finds himself. Its a sign of our political environment that the incumbent president may have to rely on a felony conviction of the former president just to give him a legitimate chance of a second term. Thats one sentence Id never thought Id have to write in my lifetime. I also thought Id never have to say this: The former president allegedly didnt wear a condom when he had sex with a porn star. Im tired of watching President Joe Biden drop the ball, and equally tired of the lurid talk surrounding Donald Trumps lifestyle. Years ago, during the height of the Gennifer Flowers scandal involving president Bill Clinton, I interviewed James Carville for Playboy Magazine. I met him on the movie set of the People Vs. Larry Flynt. The movie was shooting in a Tennessee county courthouse and Carville was playing the role of a conservative prosecutor in the movie. We did the interview in fits and starts for about three days, and then Larry Flynt allowed Carville the use of his private airplane to fly to Portland Oregon over Valentines Day so Carville could meet with his wife Mary Matalin. The bulk of the Playboy Interview with James Carville was thus conducted on the owner of Hustler Magazines private jet. Thats a fact. Several times Carville told me he may have been naive, but he was sure he was one of the few people who didnt believe Clinton had sex with Flowers. I replied I was sure I was one of the few people who didnt care. I didnt. What a man does when hes conducting business as president has always been of far more interest to me. Thus, its hard to listen to the sordid details of Donald Trumps peccadillo with Stormy Daniels with any kind of interest prurient or otherwise. I do not care how he did it. When. Where. Why. Or any of the intimate details of the consummation of his lurid act. I am far more concerned with his authoritarian policies and the anti-democratic stance hes taken toward the Justice Department, Congress, federal programs for the poor, education, taxes and our international obligations should this country be cursed enough to see him in office again. At the same time Im increasingly concerned with the current administration and how the press staff in the White House has tried to bully and intimidate reporters into limiting our interaction with the press secretary; reducing that interaction to just asking questions in the briefing room. Im also concerned that Biden has, without a doubt, the worst communication staff Ive ever worked with in the 40 years Ive been covering presidents next to Trumps staff of course. Bidens staff hasnt threatened to pull any press passes, theyve just repeatedly told several reporters that they are making them uncomfortable and refuse to allow reporters any access to the press secretary or the president outside of the briefing room (which Biden has never entered). A reminder for those who dont know any better: It is our job to make the president uncomfortable by holding him and his administration accountable for what they do. Mike McCurry, one of the finest to ever hold the job of press secretary, welcomed a healthy give and take with reporters and said the exchange of facts, informally and formally, publicly and privately helped the administration and the country. McCurry was a smart guy. Thats also a fact. The lurid nature of Trumps life is the stuff of legend. His indiscretions are voluminous. His narcissism is unparalleled. His personality is corrosive and his appearance both slovenly and increasingly disheveled. Watching him meltdown in real time has the allure of a WWE smackdown. Watching Biden flounder over Trump in the polls does nothing to increase the public confidence in our national leadership although Bidens handling of COVID, infrastructure and student debt should. Those are real issues with real results. But those do not get the attention of Trumps alleged lack of condoms. Yet there are many issues more serious than Trumps raw dog mentality. The Biden administration should relish the opportunity to engage with the press that they do not is one of the biggest reasons the electorate is still having trouble being more comfortable with a Biden second term. And my colleagues in the press who are obsessed with prurient reporting are doing everyone a disservice by ignoring the serious issues this country faces while failing to illuminate the stark and serious policy differences between Trump and Biden. Wednesday afternoon at a House Subcommittee public hearing on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence entitled, Silent Weapons: Examining Foreign Anomalous Health Incidents Targeting Americans in the Homeland and Abroad, lawmakers heard for the first time about a problem some thought had been debunked. Lieutenant Colonel (ret.) Greg Edgreen of the U.S. Army, Christo Grozev, investigative journalist Christo Grozev and attorney Mark Zaid outlined ongoing energy weapon attacks against the best of our people, on U.S. soil and abroad. Able to be concealed in a backpack, the experts testified, wave weapons from sonic waves to microwaves may be responsible for more than 68 serious attacks, with some causing death. People attacked have included those who brief the president and a variety of other public servants who were called heroes by the legislators and witnesses. Few reporters attended the event, however. It got little or no coverage compared to the noise we heard about Donald Trump, his lack of condoms and his attraction to porn star Stormy Daniels because she reminded him of his daughter. And Wednesday was a break for the court. How important is Trumps lack of condoms compared to a foreign power systematically targeting our diplomats and analysts across the globe and even on our own soil? That is an act of war. What should be of interest are the issues that affect us all not just Donny and his boys. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. In short, we should never forget the existential threat of Donald Trump and at the same time we should never drop our guard and fail to report on Biden. There is no false equivalency involved. There are merely journalistic standards. The Democrats do not understand that the Republicans dont play the rules, Ive been told often by many Democrats, some who say its justification for fighting as dirty as the Republicans. How will you feel about your morals if the Democrats lose? Im often asked. I will feel just fine. I believe that by doing our job, we will expose the facts that need to be reported, and the best candidate for the job of president will become readily apparent. For the record, that is obviously not Donald Trump. If we cast our lot with those who think we should concentrate solely on Trump and his childish, shallow antics, what we really do is give Trump a win the only way he can get one; we give credence to Trumps pernicious, authoritarian movement. We play right into his hands. He can say we have chosen sides. I wont do that. We risk empowering the most repressive voices by failing to question all voices. It isnt the question that should be of concern but the answer. Donald Trumps only answers involve the twilight of Democracy. Everything isnt a political narrative. Politics builds its narrative from the facts, not the other way around. Wednesday in a search for facts, another encouraging bipartisan effort in Congress led to the latest, clearest efforts to find out how serious AHIs are and how to deal with them. The relentless search for facts, as seen in court and mentioned by Norm Eisen show how the facts can hold Trump accountable. The press should not abandon its pursuit of facts either. Today many young journalists see themselves as advocates for a noble cause. If that is the case, then the most noble cause is the search for facts irrespective of ideology or other bias. There is a reason why Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was roundly booed in the House late Wednesday when she introduced a motion to remove Mike Johnson as speaker. The facts show hes been able to work both sides of the aisle and make progress for the country. Greene is a Trump acolyte who wants to tear it all down. The facts show the American public does not favor such action when the facts are known. The facts show Robert F. Kennedy had a worm in his brain that died. Its merely conjecture to say it died of starvation. Expose the facts and expose the stupidity. Play games with the facts and you risk it all including our democracy. Rev. Al Sharpton and Ben Crump speak at funeral for Ohio man who died last month while in police custody Funeral services were held Wednesday for a 53-year-old man who died after being detained by police in Ohio last month. Frank Tyson's hands were cuffed behind his back, and he was placed on his stomach at a social establishment in Canton. Rev. Al Sharpton and civil rights attorney Ben Crump spoke at Tyson's memorial at the Hear the Word Ministries church. Tyson died on April 18 after police body camera video captured him saying "I cant breathe" multiple times as he was detained by police and forced to the floor of the AMVETS club. "What does that say to everyone in here? That you can do this to us," Sharpton said during the eulogy. "You see us all as expendable. And we come to tell you that Frank mattered to us, his life had value to us, and we are going to stand up for the sanctity of Frank Tysons life." Canton police responded to a call about a car accident where a vehicle was driven into an electric pole near the AMVETS establishment. Officers found Tyson inside the club and were immediately asked by a woman who let them in to take Tyson out of the bar, according to body camera footage obtained by ABC News. PHOTO: Frank Tyson is shown in this undated photo. (Courtesy of Ben Crump Law) "Eric Garner said, 'I can't breathe,' and they ignored him. And then George Floyd said, 'I can't breathe,' and they told him, 'Well, if you talking, you can breathe,'" Crump said. "And then we come to Frank Tyson of Canton, Ohio, who says, 'I can't breathe,' And it gets even worse because the police officer says 'shut the F up.'" MORE: '6 shots in the back': Murder trial opens in police shooting death of Casey Goodson Jr. The video shows officers immediately approach Tyson as he appears to resist, and a struggle ensues. One of the officers placed a knee on Tysons back. Approximately five minutes later, an officer checked Tysons pulse. Soon after, police began to perform CPR. He was taken Aultman Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 9:19 p.m.local time, according to police. The Ohio Attorney Generals Office told ABC News that its Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) unit will refer the investigation of Tysons death to the attorney general once it is complete. "BCI was requested by the Stark County Sheriff's Office on April 18 to investigate a fatal officer-involved critical incident that occurred involving officers from the Canton Police Department," the Attorney Generals Office told ABC News in a statement. The Canton Police Department told ABC News they have no further statements due to the open investigation by BCI. However, they did give a statement on April 24, the same day they released the body camera footage. "The location of the crash, which resulted in the dispatch of Canton police officers, was at the east limits of the city of Canton," police said in part in a statement to ABC News. "Mr. Tyson, the driver of the vehicle, then traveled on foot to the AMVETS establishment located in Canton Township. Prior to officers contacting Mr. Tyson, two 911 calls were made from location to the Stark County Sheriffs Office Dispatch Center (STARCOM)." PHOTO: Rev. Al Sharpton and civil rights attorney Ben Crump spoke at the funeral of Frank Tyson, an Ohio man who died of while in police custody in April. (WEWS) The Stark County Ohio Coroners Department did not return ABC News request for a statement regarding Tysons cause of death. The local police union did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for a comment. Tyson had been out of prison for just 13 days after serving 24 years for kidnapping and theft, according to the Associated Press. MORE: Judge declares mistrial in former Ohio deputy's murder case over fatal shooting of Casey Goodson Jr. "We only had 13 days before they took his life away, again, which was sad because he had a future coming," Sabrina Jones, Tysons partner, said. "He was working on his future. He wanted to go to work, he told me." "The Tyson family will always have my deepest sympathy," Canton Mayor William V. Sherer II told ABC News in a statement. "Although I am unable to speak about Mr. Tyson specifically, given the pending BCI investigation, my team and I have already met with local leaders from the NAACP and the Greater Stark County Urban League. I am committed and confident in our ability to get through this challenging time together as a community." Rev. Al Sharpton and Ben Crump speak at funeral for Ohio man who died last month while in police custody originally appeared on abcnews.go.com MSNBC anchor Ari Melber clashed with independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in an interview Wednesday, with the host challenging how the candidate has downplayed the danger of former President Trump and Kennedy hitting back that Melber is perpetuating vitriol. Melber compared Kennedys to the 2000 Green Party candidacy of Ralph Nader, pointing out that some have accused Kennedy of creating a false equivalency between President Biden and former President Trump. People are concerned not that this is Nader 2.0, but that you are using the platform and the following you have to suggest that they are both catastrophic, and theyre similar, Melber said during the interview on The Beat. And that you, they say, are ignoring not only the policy difference, but the actual possible democracy and autocratic threat of Donald Trump if he wins again. Kennedy rejected the framing. I never said that, he responded. Like I said, I think both of them did bad things for our country. Neither of them can end the vitriol that you are trying to prop up right now, he continued, taking a jab back at Melber. Youre running for president, a big job, and Im asking you Melber responded, being cut off. You just said that I am perpetuating vitriol. I asked you to substantiate that. Asked again, Kennedy refused to answer Melbers question responding to criticism that he has created a false equivalency between the two major candidates. Melber again challenged Kennedy, using the Jan. 6 Capitol riots as an example. They stormed the Capitol. They tried to overthrow the certification and the results of a lawful election, Melber said of Trumps supporters. And Donald Trump is out here now saying he has, according to his lawyers, a license to kill, license to coup; he will pardon all those people. And so you seem to be saying discussing that is vitriolic? No, its not, Melber continued. Having a clear position on the peaceful transfer of power is a very low bar, very low bar. Kennedy then dodged over whether he would offer pardons to those prosecuted for crimes related to the riots. His campaign previously labeled those who participated in the riots as activists, and Kennedy has repeatedly been vague about the topic in the past. Im going to use the pardon. I dont know who Im going to use it on, Kennedy said. Im an attorney. Im going to look at every case thats brought forth before me and make a decision on it. Melber also challenged Kennedy over the viability of his entire campaign, dubbing him a potential spoiler. If youre not a spoiler, I would say respectfully, you havent yet proven it, Melber told Kennedy, pointing out that the independent is only on the ballot in a few states. The unorthodox ex-Democrat has attracted a support base from both parties, with an outsider, anti-vaccine campaign platform focused on reforming Washington. Kennedy has rejected the spoiler label, insisting that he has a real chance at winning in November, while President Biden does not. A spoiler is somebody who can not win and whose continued participation in an election disrupts expectations of somebody who can win, he said. But under this criteria, President Biden is the spoiler, because he cannot win. He cant win if I stay in. He does worse if I leave. Kennedy has about 8 percent support when included in polls alongside the two major candidates, according to the DDHQ/The Hill average of polls. Both Trump and Biden have attacked Kennedys campaign, fearful that he could pull votes from their bases. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. RFK Jr claims he could eat brain worms and still beat Biden and Trump in debate after health revelation Presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr has offered to eat more parasitic worms after it was revealed that a worm ate part of his brain and died inside his head a decade ago. Now, the independent candidate has claimed that he could eat 5 more brain worms and still win a debate with his Democrat and Republican rivals, President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump. I offer to eat 5 more brain worms and still beat President Trump and President Biden in a debate, RFK Jr said on X on Wednesday. I feel confident of the result even with a six-worm handicap. His remarks came after the New York Times revealed that Mr Kennedy had reported a brain worm in a 2012 deposition during his divorce from his second wife. At that time, Mr Kennedy reportedly said hed begun to experience cognitive problems and both short and long-term memory loss. Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pauses while he speaks at a Cesar Chavez Day event at Union Station on March 30, 2024 in Los Angeles, California (Getty Images) The 2012 deposition showed that Mr Kennedy initially feared he had a brain tumour, according to The Times. RFK Jrs uncle, former Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, had died of brain tumor in 2009. But a second doctors opinion told him that the dark spot on his brain scans was a dead parasite. According to the deposition, Mr Kennedy said the doctor had told him that the dark spot was caused by a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died. The health revelation raises questions about RFK Jrs health after the 70-year-old, anti-vaccine activist has presented himself as a youthful alternative to Mr Biden, 81, and Mr Trump, 77. In response to the revelation, RFK Jr told the Times that he had recovered from the memory loss and fogginess hed described in 2010, had no after-effects, and the parasite had not required treatment. He also said in the 2012 deposition that he suffered from mercury poisoning that caused neurological issues. This combination of photos show President Donald Trump, left, and former Vice President Joe Biden during the first presidential debate on Sept. 29, 2020, in Cleveland, Ohio (AP) RFK Jr, son of late New York senator and attorney general Robert F Kennedy, told the Times that the poisoning was caused by eating too much fish. I loved tuna fish sandwiches. I ate them all the time, he said. Last week, Mr Trump dismissed the idea of having a debate with RFK Jr, saying he is not a serious candidate. It was reported in April that the Biden team had filed official complaints about Mr Kennedys campaign, while also hiring staffers to tackle misinformation from the third-party candidate. The Kennedy family has publicly endorsed Mr Biden, and dismissed their relative as a crackpot. A recent poll showed that Mr Kennedy is more of a threat to Mr Trumps 2024 campaign than President Biden. The first presidental debate is due to take place on 16 September. It remains to be seen if Mr Kennedy can surpass the 15 per cent support threshold, as well as garnering a large enough ballot presence required by the Commission on Presidential Debates, for him to take to the stage. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has given conflicting explanations on how he learned about a worm that he said implanted in his brainone of the strangest stories in the presidential race so far. In a 2012 deposition during his divorce negotiations, Kennedy said he was suffering from cognitive issues, including brain fog, which he seemed to blame on the parasite. For the purposes of the divorce, he argued that the maladies had reduced his earning power, according to The New York Times. As the Times reported on Wednesday, Kennedy said that several neurologists originally believed he had a brain tumor after discovering a dark spot on his scans. He planned to have an operation at Duke University Medical Center, the outlet said. But at the last moment, he received a call from a doctor at New York-Presbyterian Hospital who believed that Kennedy had a dead parasite in his head. In an interview with a small YouTube channel on Wednesday, after the Times piece was published, Kennedy laughed about the situation while offering a different set of facts. The second story began in a similar way: Several doctors believed Kennedy had a brain tumor, and he was scheduled to fly to Duke for surgery, he said. Then the stories diverged. Kennedy told the YouTube outlet that he went to pick up images of his scans at Columbia Presbyterian in New York the day before flying to North Carolina. There, he happened to encounter this young Irish doctor who was a neurosurgeon who was sitting in the room, and he and I started talking with each other. I said, I got this tumor in my brain, Kennedy recalled. The doctor asked to see his scans. They put them up on the light board, and he looked at it for a long, long time. And then he said, I don't think you've earned a surgery. The doctor asked Kennedy to monitor growth of the supposed tumor for a couple of weeks. When it didnt grow, they repeated the process, until eventually they concluded that this is almost certainly a parasite that got into your brain. Kennedys campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a post to X after the Times story came out, Kennedy downplayed the situation. I offer to eat 5 more brain worms and still beat President Trump and President Biden in a debate, he wrote, later adding, I feel confident in the result even with a six-worm handicap. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. https://youtube.com/watch?v=_hisLKIGX6w&list=PLDIVi-vBsOEy-g6NYL8UomwTwpOCuQSvQ&index=2 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. almost blew a circuit during a heated discussion with MSNBCs Ari Melber over the upcoming presidential election and whether or not Kennedys run could impact its outcome as a spoiler. Melber told the independent candidate on Wednesday that he felt as though Kennedy has shown more warmth toward republican contender Donald Trump over the last few years. So, let me finish your question. I win President Biden cannot win. If I stay in the race, he loses. If I get out of the race, he loses two extra states. He loses Maryland and he loses Virginia. But Trump does better if I leave, Kennedy said on MSNBCs The Beat With Ari Melber before Melber pivoted to a question regarding the candidates No Spoiler Pledge. Youre saying they should use a poll in October, Melber said, and if youre doing better, Biden should drop out. You dont ask Trump to drop out in October. I made the same offer to Trump, Kennedy clarified as the two began going back and forth, cutting into each others responses. Coming back in, Melber clapped back by reading the pledge: Both parties pledged whoever forms weakest against President Trump in the contest will drop out You want to say that to both sides, not just Biden? Yes, I said both sides, Kennedy reiterated. Youre reading off a summary. When Melber noted that the information came directly from Kennedys camp, Kennedy told Melber he wasnt there in person, to which Melber replied, Physically, no I cant be at every event, but I cover them. OK. But now youre being cute, kind of, because what Im saying Kennedy said before Melber interjected, No, Im being pleasant, because Im not trying to be misleading. After Kennedy again confirmed that hed made the offer to both Biden and Trump, he urged Melber to review the footage. You do seem at times to be warm towards President Trump. And he is clearly warm towards you, Melber said. Kennedy disagreed with that statement, sharing that Trump recently referred to him as a radical effing liberal. Melber added that he believes Kennedy is a fan of Trump, as the former president called him a common sense guy and mentioned that two have exchanged warm words. What since 2016 in his first term, and then him refusing to leave office peacefully, and January 6, and everything since then has made you warmer towards him? I mean, you went from supporting Hillary Clinton against him in 16 to now, however you want to describe it, the way you talk about him now. Can you explain that for us? Melber asked in conclusion. Well, I can explain to you that Im running against him, so obviously I dont want him to be president of the United States. And I dont think he did a good job, Melber said. And if you go look at my speeches, my statements, I am not mean-spirited. I dont try to feed into the vitriol and the anger and the polarization. I try to respect people, one, because of the office they held, the presidency of the United States. He finished: This is why I say youre feeding the vitriol, youre trying to get me to hate on President Trump. Youre trying to get me to issue a condemnation for those particular things, and what Im saying is Im not going to talk about those things. Im going to talk about the issues that Americans care about. The post RFK Jr. Gets Heated as Ari Melber Grills Him Over Apparent Warmth Towards Trump: Youre Being Cute | Video appeared first on TheWrap. RFK Jr says hell eat brain worms and still beat Biden and Trump in debate Robert F Kennedy Jr in Brooklyn, New York, on 1 May. Robert F Kennedy Jr in Brooklyn, New York, on 1 May. Photograph: Andrea Renault/Zuma Press Wire/Rex/Shutterstock In a US presidential campaign season growing more bizarre by the day, the independent candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr offered to eat five more brain worms and still beat Donald Trump and Joe Biden in a staged debate. Kennedy was speaking after the New York Times published a startling story about a 2012 deposition in which he said a previous neurological problem was caused by a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died. I offer to eat five more brain worms and still beat President Trump and President Biden in a debate, Kennedy posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. I feel confident of the result even with a six-worm handicap. In answer to an account parodying the billionaire Elon Musk, who said Kennedy should debate Trump and Biden on X spaces with Tucker Carlson monitoring, Kennedy said: Im in! Kennedy and Trump are both due to speak at the Libertarian party convention in Washington later this month. Kennedy has challenged Trump to debate him there. Kennedys health problems were the subject of a lengthy Times report, which quoted from a deposition Kennedy gave during divorce proceedings in 2012. Some doctors thought Kennedy had a brain tumour but another said a dark spot on scans could be the result of a parasite. Experts said Kennedy could have suffered a pork tapeworm infection. The Times said Kennedy also reported suffering mercury poisoning, from eating too much infected fish. I have cognitive problems, clearly, Kennedy said in the deposition. I have short-term memory loss, and I have longer-term memory loss that affects me. Kennedy, 70, told the Times he had recovered. His campaign said: The issue was resolved more than 10 years ago and he is in robust physical and mental health. Questioning Mr Kennedys health is a hilarious suggestion, given his competition. Biden is 81, Trump 77. Public polling shows dissatisfaction with both. Observers from both sides of the divide fear Kennedy acting as a spoiler in the general election, as he continues to seek ballot access in all 50 states. Kennedys family has long sat in the mainstream of US politics. His father was the US attorney general and New York senator Robert F Kennedy, while uncles included John F Kennedy, the 35th president, and Ted Kennedy, the longtime Massachusetts senator. But Kennedys vaccine conspiracy theories and other non-mainstream views have flourished online where news of his views on brain worms caused predictable hilarity. Robert F Kennedy Jr says health issue caused by dead worm in his brain, wrote Craig Rozniecki, a satirist. Well, that explains a lot The actor and comedian Patton Oswalt wrote: The worm that ate part of my brain will not affect my ability to serve as president is the kind of dynamic campaign slogan thats gonna seal the deal for ol Brainworm Bobby. This article was amended on 9 May 2024 to clarify that Robert F Kennedy Jr was responding on X to an Elon Musk parody account. A previous version incorrectly stated he was responding to Musk. Conventional political wisdom would typically advise candidates to steer clear of mentioning their past controversies. But U.S. Sen. Rick Scott went out of his way, quite literally, on Thursday to attend former President Donald Trumps hush-money trial in Manhattan and remind Americans that he once ran a healthcare company that was slapped with the largest Medicare fraud fine in U.S. history. In a press conference outside the courthouse in Manhattan where Trump is on trial, Scott compared the criminal charges against Trump to the federal Medicare and Medicaid fraud investigation that resulted in $1.7 billion in fines against Columbia/HCA, the healthcare company that helped make Scott the United States wealthiest U.S. senator. Earlier, in an interview on Fox & Friends, Scott claimed that the charges against Trump whos accused of falsifying business records to hide a hush money payment to a porn star amount to political persecution. He said that he too had been a victim of a politically influenced justice system more than two decades ago. By the way, I saw this. It happened to me, Scott said. I fought Hillarycare, and guess what happened when I fought Hillarycare? Justice came after me and attacked me and my company. Scotts comments on Thursday marked a shift in strategy for the first-term U.S. senator, who has fended off attacks over his leadership of Columbia/HCA once the largest for-profit hospital chain in the U.S. ever since he first entered the political scene as a Florida gubernatorial candidate 14 years ago. But in comparing himself to Trump, Scott who is seeking reelection to the Senate this November is also trying to rewrite history. Scott himself acknowledged years ago that his company had made mistakes. I was in charge and even questioned by authorities. But thats not what matters, Scott said in a 2010 campaign ad. What matters is that the company made mistakes and as CEO I take responsibility and learn from it. In 2014, the whistleblower who helped the federal government investigate Columbia/HCA described a company with two sets of books and said he had no doubt in my mind that Rick Scott was the leader of a criminal enterprise. The fraud at Rick Scotts company hurt seniors, it hurt taxpayers, it hurt everyone, John Schilling, a former HCA accountant who worked with the FBI in 1996 through 2003, said at a 2014 press conference. Fraud was in the DNA of Rick Scotts company from the very beginning and he was the father. Joshua Karp, a Democratic consultant with a long history of working on campaigns in Florida, said that Scotts remarks play into Republican sympathies for Trump, whos facing dozens of criminal charges across multiple jurisdictions. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released last month found that nearly four out of five Republican voters agreed with the notion that the charges against Trump are politically motivated. His playbook isnt message consistency, Karp said. His playbook is: say what you need to say in the moment to score the win. Former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, whos running in the Democratic primary to challenge Scott for his Senate seat in November, accused Scott of sucking up to Trump, comparing him to a fan waiting for a selfie with the former president. Maybe someone should remind Scott that rather than sitting in New York trying to suck up to a defendant found liable for sexual abuse, he should be at work focusing on lowering costs, securing our border, and protecting democracy, Mucarsel-Powell said in a statement to the Miami Herald. A spokesperson for Scotts campaign declined to comment on this story, and referred the Herald to the senators remarks during his Thursday press conference in New York. Scotts corporate legacy Unlike Trump, Scott was never charged with a crime. Yet the legacy of his leadership at Columbia/HCA has stuck with him throughout his political career and provided fodder for his opponents not that it has ever hurt him. He served as chairman and CEO of the hospital company until 1997, when he resigned under pressure after federal agents made their investigation into fraud at the company public by executing search warrants against hospitals owned or previously owned by Columbia/HCA. According to federal investigators, the hospital company systemically defrauded Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs, while paying kickbacks to its physicians. Scott denied any wrongdoing, and accused the Clinton administration of seeking political revenge because of his opposition to a healthcare reform proposal dubbed by critics as Hillarycare after then-First Lady Hillary Clinton. By 2003, the company agreed to pay $1.7 billion in what was then the largest health care fraud settlement in U.S. history. Scotts resignation from the company was also lucrative. He walked away with $10 million severance pay, a five-year consulting contract and $300 million in stock and options. Hes now the wealthiest member of the U.S. Senate and has poured tens of millions of dollars of his personal fortune into his political campaigns over the years. Scotts critics both Democratic and Republican have sought to use the Columbia/HCA case against Scott. One oft-mentioned point is that Scott invoked his Fifth Amendment right which protects individuals from potential self-incrimination 75 times during a 2000 deposition in a civil case unrelated to the criminal fraud case against Columbia/HCA. While Scott himself was never charged with wrongdoing in the governments investigation into Columbia/HCA, he has repeatedly dealt with the issue on the campaign trail. In 2010, during his first run for Florida governor, Scott sought to head off questions about his corporate record by saying that he took responsibility for issues at Columbia/HCA, even though he insisted that he was not aware of any wrongdoing at the time. In 2014, former Gov. Charlie Crist introduced Schilling, the former HCA accountant, to reporters to give his story of how he worked with the federal government to investigate fraud at Scotts company. Scott made a similar claim in 2018, when he first sought his U.S. Senate seat, cutting an ad saying he took responsibility for what happened at the hospital company and claiming that it was the mark of a leader. Scott won all three elections. Speaking to reporters in New York on Thursday, he doubled down on his claim that he was the victim of a politically motivated federal investigation. Im fed up, Scott said. I watched what happened to me and my company. Ive talked to business people over the years, whats happened to them when you have political persecution. And now Ive watched what President Trump has with all these cases. This is just simply they dont want this guy on the ballot. BRF S.A. (NYSE:BRFS) Q1 2024 Earnings Call Transcript May 8, 2024 BRF S.A. isnt one of the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds at the end of the third quarter (see the details here). Operator: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the BRF Call to show the results referring to the First Quarter 2024. This call is being recorded and then can be accessed at the company's website in ri-brf@global.com. The presentation is also available for downloading. At this moment, all the participants and attendees are connected as listeners and then we will start our Q&A session where more instructions will be given. Before we proceed, I'd like to report that the statements, the perspective statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of BRF and the current positions for the company. These statements may involve risks and uncertainties having insights that refers to future events and rely on circumstances that may or may not happen. Investors, analysts, and reporters may take into account that events related to macroeconomic environment to the segment and other factors may change the results from those expressed in their respective financial statements. Present in this conference, we have Mr. Miguel Gularte, CEO and Fabio Mariano, CFO. I'd like to give the floor now to Mr. Miguel who will start the presentation. Please, Mr. Miguel, you can proceed. Miguel de Souza Gularte: Good morning. I would like to thank the presence of all of you here in our call for the results in the first quarter 2024. We started the year where the brand Sadia celebrates eight year of history and 90 years as a most efficient, more resilient, efficient company, and sustainable company, we report a bid though of R$2.1 billion with a margin of 15.8%. The numbers reflect consistent advances in the efficiency of the company quarter-per-quarter. Our management program BRF+ is conducting the company to the next level of operational performance, defined it as reference. Now the Version 2.0 of our program advances with the objective of leveling the indicators of the units according to the internal benchmarks in each of the work fronts. The accuracy of our system of specification and the new permits for exportations allows us greater agility and capability in responding to potentialize our results. The improvements in commercial execution in Brazil and the excellence of our predictive model for purchasing of grains also allows the growth and profitability of the company. We continue -- oriented by high performance, more and more competitive, and prepare to capture the opportunities that come up. I would like to invite our CFO, Fabio Mariano to present the results in details, and I'll come back right after that for final remarks and disclosure. Story continues Fabio Luis Mendes Mariano: Good morning, everybody who is connected here. I'll start on the first page, the financial indicators for the first quarter of 2024 started by net revenue, which reached R$13.4 billion. For EBITDA, we reported R$2.1 billion and this give us a margin of almost 16% for the period. The better results in the first quarter of the company, the free cash flow performance was R$844 million. In working capital, we further reduced the financial cycle to 4.7 days, three days less and in the same period last year. Inventory turnover remained at lower historic levels at 75 days. Finishing the slides with leverage, we reached 145x the EBITDA in the last 12 months, the lowest leverage in eight years. We show in the next slide, Page 4 on the left, the historic evolution of gross profit with profitability of 24.4% for the period. We disclosed gross profit of around R$2.4 billion. On the right, we can also see the evolution of EBITDA as highlighted earlier. In the next slides, we will present the performance for segment and business. Starting with Brazil, we continue progressively evolving with the operating result. We achieved 51.1% of EBITDA margin after the period, the seasonal period. We highlight the performance of processed products with good levels of profitability in the consumer environment that is still recovering and a marked improvement in fresh products. In the next slide, we make it clear the growth and margins of the regular portfolio at the start of 2024 versus the average for 2023. We emphasize on the right side of the slide, again, our journey of continuous evolution in commercial execution, reflecting in a greater number of customer, availability of products in the stores, and sequential improvement in customer service levels, contributing significantly to the performance of domestic market. We also remain focused on leading innovations that meet the needs of our consumers. We launched new products in the frozen, cold cuts, and margarine categories. On the next slide, we bring the international market. We observe the evolution, the operational evolution of the segments, sustaining healthy margins as a result of persistence, recovery of exporting, rates, new markets, and good performance in Turkey and GCC, the Gulf countries. EBITDA margin increased by 6% in comparison to the previous quarter. We saw gains in the share and exportation of chicks and ford meat to several destinations. In the next slide, we qualitative highlighted the halal market, the celebration of Ramadan that's moved the market with the highlight of the launching of new products and ease and juice and breaded products. A bird's-eye view of a poultry farm, its white and black feathered chickens sprawled across the farm. Our brands and own distribution continue to favor the results in the region. In Turkey, we also, recorded good performance as a reflection of the growth in sales of processed products, which enable an increase of 4.7 points in market share and good levels of profitability and enter a portfolio locally. On the right, I show the highlights on the direct exportation market. We can notice the behavior of prices and the main cuts that continue responding. We expanded our business alternatives with 25 new licenses for various markets, maximizing prices. We also highlight inventories at lowest historic levels, which continue to help reduce logistics costs and improve commercial positioning. I'd like to finalize the business segments presentation with the next slide for ingredients and fats. This segment reported 10.7% of EBITDA margin. It's important to consider that the evolution of the manufacturing yield continues to convert in the maximize and other results to the core portfolio of the company. In path, we highlight new commercial export agreements and advances in mapping the value levers of our efficiency program, as well as the start of the integration project for ERP systems. In ingredients, we remain focused on expanding markets and increasing sales of value added items. We also highlight the accreditation of Concordia plant by ABRA. We continue to add value to our coproducts in order to maximize business integration. Then I'll share the progress of our efficiency program, which will be quantified in numbers, by Miguel soon. I will present the comparisons with the same periods from last year, bars in light gray color. The comparison with 2022 can also be seen in the material. We noticed that in agriculture, we saw a drop in feed conversion for poultry and pork of 2.9% and 0.6%, respectively. Chicken mortality fell by 1% and pork by 0.7%. Hatching rates rose to 2.6 percentage points. In industry, we increased more than 3.6 percentage in factory output. In logistics, we reduced returns and raised the service levels in Brazil significantly. On Page 12, we consolidated the following highlights of sustainability. Advances in the Sustainalytics rating best rated company in the sector, publication of our integrated report, including the complete mapping of Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions, and finally, achievement for the second consecutive year of the CEO of Good Environmental Practices of our Kezad plant in the Emirates, reinforcing sustainable practices in the international market. We now present on Page 14 the information related to the company capital structure. On the table on the left, we see the evolution of the net debt leverage. These indicators were already highlighted at the beginning of the conference. On the right, we see the debt profile, which remains diversified and elongated with no concentration of repayments in the short term and comfortable liquidity position. The next slide, we show the free cash flow. The graph the chart shows an operating cash flow of over R$2 billion, an investment flow of R$696 million and R$509 million in financial flow resulting in free cash flow of R$844 million. You can also see the evolution in the smaller charge, the evolution of cash flow in the recent quarters. In the final slide, we can see the reduction of net debt between the quarters. We report net debt of R$9 billion. Reduction in low ones will continue contributing to reduction of interest charges in the coming quarters. I'd like to thank your attendance, and then I hand over to CEO, Miguel Gularte to his closing remarks. Miguel de Souza Gularte: Thank you, Fabio. To finalize our presentation, I would like to highlight that our capital structure, optimized capital structure, financial discipline, and continue operational recovery made it viable another quarter of we also recorded in this quarter the lowest leverage in the last eight years. BRF+ 2.0 presented capturing of [indiscernible] with advances in the main front operational fronts per year. We are now performing above the historic levels in some of the main indicators. For example, mortality rate, feed conversion, and logistics service level. Inventory turnover that reached 75 days allowed the lowest historic level in the company with 4.7. In our international operation, diversification, market diversification was determining to maximize the revenue of the company. We achieved in this quarter 25 new licenses for exportation. In Brazil, we kept healthy levels of profitability with an increase in the regular portfolio margin sustained by the consistent improvement of commercial execution and contribution from innovations to our results. As well as in 2023, the commitments that were taken and the opportunities identified drive us to continue this evolution trajectory with agility and efficiency. We continue focus on the development of our people, and we concluded in this quarter our annual engagement survey. We have a substantially better result in comparison to the prior cycle and above the companies, the high performance companies, recognizing by our employees and a reflection of the management best practices and dedication from the leadership. All of our evolution will not be possible without the commitment from our almost 100,000 employees that we thank them so much. We also thank our Chairman, Marcos Molina for his constant leadership and presence. Big thanks to the shareholders council, integrated producer, customers, vendors, and all the communities where we're present. Thank you. See also 30 Most In-Demand Jobs in the US and 20 Biggest Grain Exporting Countries in the World. To continue reading the Q&A session, please click here. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) ripped into President Biden, calling him part of the pro-Hamas group of the Democratic Party, after he threatened to withhold weapons from Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proceeds with a full-scale invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza. Asked on Fox Newss Fox & Friends for his reaction to Bidens latest threat, Scott called it disgusting. All he cares about is his election. So he is, weve got a pro-Hamas group of the Democrat Party, and hes part of it now, he added later. Biden, in a CNN interview released Wednesday, warned he would stop supplying Israel with offensive weapons, including bombs and artillery shells, should Israeli forces lunch an invasion of Rafah. The White House has repeatedly urged Netanyahu against sending forces into Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians are seeking refuge amid the violence. Netanyahu has maintained that moving into Rafah is necessary to go after the leaders of Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that has run the Gaza Strip since 2007 and carried out the Oct. 7 surprise assault against Israel that killed about 1,200 people. Scott suggested Bidens support for humanitarian aid for Gaza continues to enable the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), a key U.N. agency that provides food, water and shelter to Palestinians in Gaza. Several Republicans in Congress have pushed for UNRWA funding to be halted in the wake of allegations that a dozen of its staffers took part in Hamass Oct. 7 attack. [Bidens] clearly on Hamass side, Scott continued. I mean, look, what he wanted, right? He wanted the aid so he could give it to Gaza, which goes to Hamas, and then we saw yesterday, UNRWA is stealing the aid and selling it. I mean, you knew this was going to happen, we knew this was going to happen. The Hill reached out to the White House for comment. Scott reflected on his recent trip to Israel, where he met with Netanyahu in Gal On, a kibbutz in the southern part of the country. Would we leave [Osama] bin Laden in a corner and just pull back because the world didnt like the way were fighting a war? And theyre [Israel] all committed to making sure they give the civilians plenty of time to get out of Rafah, Scott said, adding later, Think about it, I mean, if they attacked America, if somebody attacked America, were going to say, Oh no, were not going to go after the people that killed our women and children?' Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson (La.), in an interview with Politico on Wednesday, said he hopes Biden was having a senior moment when he made the threat. He suggested Bidens comments violated what the Speaker thought were promises to guarantee Johnsons support for the $95 billion emergency foreign aid package. I hope I believe hes off-script, Johnson said. I dont think thats something that staff told him to say. I hope its a senior moment, because that would be a great deviation in what is said to be the policy there. Scott alleged Biden was mostly interested in aid for Ukraine and Gaza when pushing for the emergency supplemental but did not provide any evidence to back these claims up. I knew this was going to happen. I said this was going to happen with that, with the supplemental, because heres what he wanted. All he wanted was Ukraine aid. Thats all he cared about, and humanitarian. He got it. He didnt believe in Israel aid, Scott said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) missed a Senate vote on Thursday to show support for former President Donald Trump at his criminal trial related to hush money he allegedly paid to hide an affair. Im proud of him for standing up for all of us, Scott said in televised remarks outside the courthouse. If they can go after the former president, they can go after you. Senators frequently miss votes for a variety of reasons, but this might be the first instance of one being absent to attend somebody elses criminal trial. Republicans slammed Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) for skipping votes during his own criminal trial in 2017. Scotts attendance would not have made a difference on Thursdays vote, which was on a procedural motion related to a bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration. The measure passed by a wide bipartisan margin. Sens. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) also missed the vote. Scott ultimately voted on the bills final passage later Thursday evening. The Florida Republicans decision to join Trump at trial is just the latest example of the Republican Partys total devotion to the former president. On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) called the four different state and federal cases against Trump a borderline criminal conspiracy orchestrated by Democrats. Trump faces 34 felony counts in New York for falsifying business records in order to conceal payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who said she and Trump had a sexual encounter in 2006. During the trial, Manhattan prosecutors have sought to prove Trump orchestrated the payments from 2015 to 2017 to bury the stories he feared would damage his presidential campaign. Scott said Trump had not asked him to come and that he came of his own volition because Trumps prosecution reminded Scott of when he was fined $1.7 billion for defrauding Medicare during his time as CEO of Columbia/HCA, a for-profit hospital company. Im fed up. I watched what happened to me and my company, Scott said. Ive talked to business people over the years and whats happened to them when you have political persecution. Scott, however, acknowledged years ago that his company had made mistakes and that he took responsibility for its actions. Scott has said he is considering a bid to become the next Senate Republican leader after Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) steps down this year. He previously moved against McConnell in 2022 but was rebuffed by their colleagues. Its not clear if hugging Trump would help Scotts leadership candidacy, but it probably wouldnt hurt. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a former Democratic congresswoman trying to unseat Scott in November, blasted him for sucking up to Trump. As the man who oversaw one of the largest Medicare frauds in history and pleaded the [Fifth Amendment] 75 times, Rick Scott finds himself once again in a courtroom today this time following Donald Trump like a fan waiting for a selfie, Mucarsel-Powell said in a written statement. Maybe someone should remind Scott that rather than sitting in New York trying to suck up to a defendant found liable for sexual abuse, he should be at work focusing on lowering costs, securing our border and protecting democracy. This story was updated to clarify that Scott voted on the final passage of legislation reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration and to note his previous comments acknowledging that his healthcare company made mistakes. Related... There has never been any love lost between President Joe Biden and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but until this week, one could usually say with high confidence that their dysfunctional personal relationship would take a backseat to the historic alliance between the US and Israel. Not anymore. Mr Netanyahu, the longest-serving head of government in Israels 75 years of statehood, had been experiencing a cold shoulder of sorts from Mr Biden after returning to government. The American president was wary of his Israeli counterpart on account of Mr Netanyahu and the Likud Partys efforts to remake Israels judiciary into a more political, more compliant and less powerful entity, more akin to Viktor Orbans Hungary or the Polish judiciary under the Law and Justice Party. And Mr Netanyahus long history of antagonising and undermining US leaders elected from the Democratic Party was well-known. Then the terror attacks on 7 October happened. The sheer brutality of Hamas assault and the existential threat to Israel posed by the militant group outweighed what Biden aides have described as a healthy scepticism of the Israeli leaders intentions. The two leaders got a little closer. The presidents natural inclination to support Israels right to self-defence, Biden confidantes say, took precedence over prominent Democrats suggestion that he take a more realpolitik-infused approach to the US-Israel relationship. Such a strategy would have seen Mr Biden take harder lines on Gaza. Many in Mr Bidens own party had imagined the president might use military aid as leverage to force changes in how the Israel Defense Forces operated in the region. Doing so would have been a marked departure from decades of US policy. But it would also have been more in line with the preferences of many American voters, who, according to polling, support Israels right to self-defence but also dont want to see Palestinian civilians killed en masse. Mr Biden, for better or worse, had calculated that doing what he estimated to be the right thing strongly supporting Israels war efforts rather than the politically expedient thing, would pay dividends in the end. But Mr Netanyahu made this impossible for him. The Israeli leader who is currently fighting corruption charges that could see him jailed if he were to relinquish power or be forced from office chose to take the hard line favoured by the right-wing extremists to whom he owes his return to the premiership. Those extremists include some cabinet ministers whove called for the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to be ethnically cleansed of Palestinians in favour of Israeli Jewish resettlement. At every turn, Mr Netanyahu made a point of thumbing his nose at Mr Biden, despite the political risk the US leader took by embracing him. Now, by refusing to heed the presidents counsel to stay out of Rafah, he has forced Mr Bidens hand. Mr Biden declared during a televised interview on Wednesday night that the US wont provide Israel with the types of arms that could be used to effect a wholesale slaughter of residents in Rafah. In the interview, where he was questioned on CNN by the anchor Erin Burnett, Mr Biden acknowledged putting a pause on shipments of bombs and underlined how he was happy to help Israel defend itself but not happy to aid in the deaths of civilians. Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centres, he said, adding at another point that its just wrong to cause a humanitarian crisis in the region. Were not walking away from Israels security. Were walking away from Israels ability to wage war in those areas, he added. Conditioning aid to the country is a significant change in strategy. Yet publicly, both sides are acting like this development is much ado about nothing. In a video posted to social media not long after Mr Bidens interview, Mr Netanyahu said no amount of pressure will stop Israel from defending itself and declared: If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone. John Kirby, the national security communications adviser for Mr Biden, told reporters on Thursday that the presidents recent statement didnt portend any major change in US policy. Mr Kirby also pledged that the US will spend every dime of the funding Congress has earmarked for Israels defence. But the damage is done. By forcing Mr Biden to publicly declare that the US wont support a wholesale invasion of Rafah after making a show of ignoring his counsel, Mr Netanyahu has let the US president move the Overton Window. He has now made it possible that he or his successors may have to abide by the same rules everyone else does when making use of American weapons. Richland County Council could spend up to $4 million on buying down the costs of rent to secure affordable housing for teachers and law enforcement, and on other initiatives meant to increase the supply of affordable housing in Richland County. More than 17,000 renters in Richland County spend more than half of their income on rent, according to a 2021 state housing needs assessment. And as more and more people move to South Carolina and Richland County, experts say the gap in available affordable housing will only increase. Richland County has $4 million in its general fund set aside to help with the problem, and some of the proposals for how to use that money include payments to property owners to extend affordability periods for rental properties, payments to developments currently under construction to buy down future rent prices, vouchers for market-rate housing, and low-cost and forgivable loans for home buyers. Folks are really out here, theres a real issue, Richland County Council Chair Jesica Mackey said at a committee meeting Tuesday. We know people are moving here more and more, and we need to make sure that we have affordable housing for our folks that are living here and that need it now. But the county also doesnt want to get into the business of building or managing affordable housing, Councilman Don Weaver told The State. Frankly, we dont have the experience, he said. Instead, the plan is to ask area nonprofits that already work in affordable housing to submit proposals for how they would use the money, and then the county would give those nonprofits money from the $4 million now set aside. The council is still discussing the details of how the money will be allocated, but Weaver said if this first $4 million is used successfully, the county could establish a permanent fund to support affordable housing in the future. Richland County Council discussed establishing rules for the money so that it could benefit teachers, law enforcement and other public services employees who tend to make less than their private-sector counterparts. The council also discussed making sure the attitude around the affordable housing work didnt reflect stereotypes about people who need rental assistance. Just because my job might not pay me as much as your job does doesnt mean that Im a bad person or a dirty person or an irresponsible person necessarily, said Councilwoman Allison Terracio. Just because someone does not have a certain kind of paycheck does not mean that they are a certain kind of person. Other South Carolina jurisdictions have taken similar approaches to bolstering housing options for residents who cant afford market-rate options. Charleston County previously allocated more than $20 million of federal pandemic relief dollars toward affordable housing initiatives, and now that county is looking to use taxes collected on hotel stays to create a housing trust fund to maintain affordable housing initiatives in the future, according to reporting from The Post and Courier. A new state law makes it possible for up to 15% of accommodations taxes to be used for workforce housing initiatives until 2030. Several members of Richland County Council said they support establishing a longer-term support system for affordable housing as well. At the same time the county is looking to spend millions to meet the affordable housing need, the city of Columbia is also looking at its own housing challenges. City Councilman Tyler Bailey wants the city to hire a firm to conduct a study assessing where private equity firms are purchasing the most property, while also looking at where the most people have been displaced because of rising housing costs and gentrification in Columbia neighborhoods. Bailey said he would like to see the city consider home return programs that give displaced resident first dibs on new housing, as well as assistance to make sure they can afford it, as well as first-time home buyer programs to help residents compete with corporate property owners. Both the county and the city proposals will require more discussion from elected officials. Any money dispersed by the county will still need to be voted on by the council, but Weaver said he anticipates hearing from interested nonprofits in the next four to six weeks. ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) The Roanoke Sheriffs Office is hosting the third annual Cover the Cruiser and Tip the Deputy fundraiser for Special Olympics Virginia at the Valley View Malls Red Robin on Saturday, May 11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There are two opportunities for donations toward Special Olympics Virginia during the event. First, donations will be accepted in the Cover the Cruiser initiative, where the sheriffs office hopes to cover an entire cruiser parked outside the restaurant in donations. Donations of payment method are accepted and any amount will result in a pledge card being placed on the cruiser. Community leaders guide young boys through mentorship & boxing program in Roanoke Also, deputies and personnel inside the sheriffs office will be volunteering as Celebrity Waiters. All of their tips will go directly towards supporting Special Olympics, making this an event where guests can look forward to great food, service, and contributing to a good cause. Through this event, the sheriffs office hopes to rally the community and make a difference in the lives of athletes participating in the Special Olympics of Virginia. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. takes the stage at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox Aug. 12. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Iowa Capital Dispatch) OKLAHOMA CITY Oklahoma voters now have another choice for president in November. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 70, completed his statement of candidacy and paid Oklahomas $35,000 fee to appear on the ballot as an independent candidate, State Election Board officials confirmed Thursday. The campaign said in a statement Oklahoma marks the fifth state where Kennedy and his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, will officially appear on the ballot. Other states where Kennedy has qualified are Utah, Michigan, California and Delaware. Kennedy is expected to face Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump on Election Day. Today, RFK Jr. was placed on the ballot in my home state of Oklahoma, said Tami Mitchell, a campaign volunteer, in a statement released by the campaign. For me, it sparked a fire, Mitchell said. This gives so many of us hope that the next president will be a voice for the people of our great country. Kennedy initially campaigned as a Democrat before switching to independent. The Michigan Advance reports hes known for his work as an environmental lawyer and his anti-vaccine stances. He is the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy and son of former U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. Kennedys campaign said it has collected enough signatures to appear in eight additional states, including New Hampshire, Nevada, Hawaii, North Carolina, Idaho, Nebraska, Iowa and Ohio. It plans to work to get Kennedys name on the ballot in every state. The post Robert F. Kennedy files to run as independent presidential candidate in Oklahoma appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. An off-duty 30-year-old Sacramento police officer was found dead Thursday near Jessup University, which led Rocklin police officers to close the school, police said. The Sacramento Police Department identified the man as Officer Daniel Bartlett, who leaves behind a wife and young child. Daniel was a kind individual, friend, and officer who exemplified the values of this organization, said Chief Kathy Lester in a statement. His passing was unexpected and an extremely tragic loss to our department, community, and family. My sincere and deepest condolences go out to the Bartlett family, friends, and teammates during this difficult time. Rocklin police officers received a call just after 6 a.m. for an unresponsive man lying near the intersection of University Avenue and Larkspur Drive. Firefighters with the Rocklin Fire Department pronounced him dead on the scene, police said. Bartlett had been an officer for the department for four years and was assigned to patrol the agencys south districts. Unexpected passing of Off-Duty Sacramento Police Officer Just after 6 am, The Rocklin Police Department responded to the intersection of University Ave and Larkspur Drive regarding an unresponsive male lying in the roadway. Rocklin PD and fire responded, finding that the man had pic.twitter.com/if3WlAyq6Z Sacramento Police Department (@SacPolice) May 9, 2024 Daniel will always be remembered for his dedication, service, and commitment to the Sacramento Police Department, police said in the statement. Police closed University Avenue between Sunset Boulevard and Larkspur Drive as they investigated his death. The Placer County Sheriffs Office took three children into protective custody after authorities found them in an apartment with fentanyl, leading to the arrest two Roseville men in connection to endangering the children. David Elliott, 36, has pleaded not guilty to child abuse, buying narcotics and being under the influence of a controlled substance at his April 22 arraignment. His co-defendant Michael Moniz has pleaded not guilty to child abuse that could cause great bodily injury or death. Both men were arrested April 18 after sheriffs deputies and Roseville police detectives executed a search warrant related to a fentanyl investigation, deputies said in a social media post. The apartment had evidence of fentanyl sales, deputies said. Pictures taken by the deputies during the investigation showed weighing scales, drug paraphernalia and what appeared to be several pills. Its unclear how old the children were or why they resided with the two Roseville men. Sgt. David Smith, a spokesman for the Placer County Sheriffs Office, did not immediately return a request for comment. Great work to both investigations units on this joint investigation, and ultimately removing three children from a very dangerous situation, deputies said. Elliott was in custody Thursday, but Moniz was no longer in jail, according to jail records. The mens next court appearance is May 23. Roy Cohn: The evil master architect who mentored Donald Trump, as seen in The Apprentice He was a lawyer with a two-syllable name, a colourfully complicated personal life and a Rasputin-like grip on United States politics especially in New York. The very mention of Roy Cohn during his four decades of headline ubiquity could spark anything from anger to hatred to fear; his shadowy legend persists nearly 40 years after the death of a man dubbed a new strain of sonofabitch by his own autobiography co-author, no less. Now those that missed Cohns infamous antics the first time around will meet him in a new film, The Apprentice, by director Ali Abbasi, which will be released in theaters in October. Pop culture darling Jeremy Strong from Succession stars as Cohn, the Joseph McCarthy lieutenant who created the blueprint that Donald Trump followed all the way to the presidency. The Deadline announcement earlier this year, near the films Cannes debut, called the first Trump biopic a mentor-protege story; the summary on the festival site explained that it charts a young Donald Trumps ascent to power through a Faustian deal with the influential right-wing lawyer and political fixer himself. A teaser still of the film shows the pair in the back of a town car, Strong as Cohn fixing his steely eyes on Sebastian Stan, who plays Trump. Trumps name inspires a range of emotions mirroring those elicited by any mention of Cohn. The future 45th president was guided and represented by the Bronx-raised lawyer during his ascent through the ranks of New York business and society; one need only give a cursory read of Cohns eponymous memoir to see Trumpisms. The word losers? Its on the third page of Chapter One. Lousy? Its on Page 37. Donald Trump is Roy Cohn, Matthew Tyrnauer, director of the 2019 documentary Wheres My Roy Cohn, said in an interview with NPR the year of his films release. He completely absorbed all of the lessons of Cohn, which were attack, always double down, accuse your accusers of what you are guilty of, and winning is everything, Tyrnauer continued. And Trump absorbed these lessons and has applied them in every aspect of his life and career. Cohn is played by Successions Jeremy Strong, left, in a still from director Ali Abbasis new film The Apprentice, playing at the Cannes Film Festival this month (APPRENTICE PRODUCTIONS ONTARIO INC./PROFILE PRODUCTIONS 2 APS/TAILORED FILMS LTD. 2023) Cohn worked on his eponymous memoir with journalist Sidney Zion, who notes a point of order after Chapter 11 when the book turns from Roy Cohn telling the Roy Cohn Story to me telling Roy Cohn stories as the lawyer faded with illness. Even before Cohn gleefully recounted within the books pages his legal battles against indictments (sound familiar?) he also took a stab at imagining his own obituary on the same opening page. He used words like notorious, explorer and writer. Cohn rightly predicted that most obituaries would recall him as McCarthy Investigations Aide because, years before Cohns tutelage of Trump, he first became a household name and tabloid staple through his pivotal role in one of Americas greatest witch-hunts. The McCarthy hearings may have launched Cohn into adversarial infamy, but his shrewd and manipulative brand of power-brokering had its roots far earlier. The only child of a well-connected Bronx judge and doting Jewish mother, Cohn wrote in his memoir that virtually every heavy hitter in politics, law, the judiciary made it to our apartment while I was growing up. Roy Cohn shakes hands with infamous Sen. Joseph McCarthy; the young and rising New York lawyer served as chief counsel during the infamous anti-Communist hearings and witch-hunts, making him a headline staple (INTERCONTINENTALE/AFP via Getty) Looking back on it now, I guess I always took for granted that Id be around powerful people; it was normal, which may help explain why in this way at least my life never changed, he continued. In that way, as well, his life was unusual from the start and he made quick work of ensuring the continuation of that markedly different streak. Cohn finished high school early and completed both undergraduate and law degrees before the age of 20 still too young to be eligible to pass the bar exam. Once he did, however, he finangled a job as an assistant US attorney in New York. He made a name for himself as ambitious and fiercely clever by prosecuting such high-profile anti-Communist cases as the Rosenbergs, the couple convicted in 1951 of spying for the Soviet Union and subsequently sent to the electric chair. Cohns brand of anti-Communism, as his New York Times obituary would one day describe it, soon landed him a job as chief counsel to Sen. Joseph McCarthys investigations subcommittee, which further thrust him into the national spotlight amidst the crusades of the day though not always for favourable reasons. Cohns very close friendship with a good-looking heir and unpaid committee consultant, David Schine, fueled not only rumours of homosexuality but allegations of a vendetta against the military because he was attempting to get Schine special Army favours. Mr. Cohn, Mr. Schine and Senator McCarthy, all bachelors at the time, were themselves the targets of what some called reverse McCarthyism, The Times wrote in its Cohn obituary. There were snickering suggestions that the three men were homosexuals, and attacks such as that by the playwright Lillian Hellman who called them Bonnie, Bonnie and Clyde. A Studio 54 regular who flaunted flamboyant romances while living in a closet with neon lights, as Zion put it, Cohn died from AIDS without ever admitting that he was gay (or suffering from the disease, for that matter.) Cohn spent significant time with David Schine, a handsome and unpaid McCarthy hearings consultant; his relationship with the young man sparked significant rumours (Getty Images) The fact of my controversiality exists and always will, Cohn wrote years 15 earlier, on the first page of his first book: A Fool For A Client: My Struggle Against the Power of a Public Prosecutor. Cohn was known to hang around beautiful women but ignore them; he at one point nurtured some type of relationship with Barbara Walters. But he also brought young attractive men along to high-society and political soirees, and regularly threw parties at his Upper East side townhouse and property in Greenwich, Connecticut. They attract a chorus line of judges, mayors, elected and party officials, monsignors and priests, publishers, gossip columnists, writers, models, actors, landlords, businessmen, celebrities, reads a 1978 profile of him in Esquire by Ken Auletta. The piece notes that at a party held that spring, Trump (still referred to as a builder in the piece) toasted host Cohn. Tyrnauer, who interviewed relatives and associates of the lawyer for the documentary, pointed to Cohns hypocrisy as another major reason for the malevolent reputation. He and McCarthy were also going after gay people in the government, Turnauer told NPR in 2019. Cohn himself was a closet homosexual, yet he and McCarthy conspired to ruin many gay peoples lives because they were accusing them of disloyalty. And this hypocrisy and this bare-knuckle win-at-all-costs philosophy which, I will add, he passed on to his great student, Donald Trump is what caused people to consider Roy Cohn to be an evil person. Cohns well-heeled and wide-ranging social circle with clients from the mob to the Catholic archdiocese all turned a blind eye to his personal life, focusing instead on the lawyers formidable and sustained courtroom success. Many of those victories involved beating charges levelled against himself; Cohn was indicted time and time again, and the IRS went after him for decades. After he was charged in 1969 with bribery, extortion, blackmail and conspiracy, Cohn went to trial and delivered his own closing statements after his attorney had a heart attack. It tells you something about Roys Machiavellian reputation that there are those who believe the heart attack was feigned so Roy could offer his own summation, Ken Auletta wrote in the 1978 Esquire profile. The advantage of defending himself, however, was clear: Since Roy had not been called as a witness in the trial, he was now free to offer his own testimony without being cross-examined. For two days, without a note, Roy delivered an eloquent seven-hour summation, ending with a protestation of love for America. Tears streamed down Roys and the jurors cheeks. He was found not guilty on all counts. Cohns quick-witted eloquence may have never filtered down to his friend Trump, but the two were instead bonded by an anti-establishment love of loopholes, chicanery, favours and gymnastics around the truth and the legal. When Trumps organisation was being sued in the 1970s by the federal government for racial discrimination in housing, other lawyers told the future president You have a good case, but its a sticky thing, Trump told Esquire. Cohn, on the other hand, told him: Oh, youll win hands down! Trump also turned to him with his most important case, the Trump Tower tax abatement, and Roy gave it everything, Zion wrote near the end of Roy Cohn. Through it all, however, Cohns career was tinged by a sinister bent in the eyes of many. If you were in his presence, you were in the presence of evil, one interviewee says in Wheres My Roy Cohn? the 2019 documentary which took its name from Trumps reported utterings bemoaning a lack of an attack-dog attorney. Decades after his 1978 Esquire piece about Cohn, Auletta called the lawyer the worst human being Ive ever profiled. Telling a 2022 podcast Cohn was beyond flawed, he added: He was evil in some ways, and yet he was brilliant. Cohns relentless McCarthyism and ruthless death penalty prosecution of the Rosenbergs forever tainted him in some circles; in others, it was the lawyers representation of mobsters, perceived guilty parties or twisting of the truth that made him anathema. Cohn, pictured in a still from 2019 documentary Wheres Roy Cohn, was considered evil by many for what director Matt Tyrnauer labelled hypocrisy and this bare-knuckle win-at-all-costs philosophy (AP/REX/Shutterstock) In the end, there were not throngs of friends who remained loyal to Cohn as the lawyers star fell. Not only did he contract HIV in the 1980s, but his famed tussles with governmental prosecutions were no longer going in his favour. There were other troubles, stemming from legal dealings that many of Mr. Cohn s fellow lawyers considered shady, the New York Times detailed in his obituary. It was four of these cases that led to his disbarment. In one of the cases, a Florida court found that Cohn had tricked a dying multimillionaire into changing his will. When that case and others eventually led to his disbarment, Cohn lashed out, claiming a smear campaign against him. I like to fight. You might want a nice gentle fight, but once you get in the ring and take a couple of pokes, it gets under your skin. Roy Cohn That kind of combativeness came naturally to Mr. Cohn, who once said: My scare value is high. My area is controversy, the obituary quoted him. My tough front is my biggest asset. I dont write polite letters. I dont like to plea-bargain. I like to fight. You might want a nice gentle fight, but once you get in the ring and take a couple of pokes, it gets under your skin. Cohn ultimately, however, lost fights on simultaneously crushing fronts. He was disbarred in June 1986 and died just weeks later from what he maintained until the end was liver cancer. It mattered little to Mr. Cohn that he was called a legal executioner by Esquire, that the American Lawyer magazine labeled him an an embarrassment and that the National Law Journal pronounced him an assault specialist, The Times wrote in its August 1986 obituary. He shrugged off such criticism in fact, he seemed to cherish the celebrity that Senator McCarthy maintained even long after his death, and did not mind sharing that limelight, the Times wrote. It included Cohns response when asked about his own part in making McCarthyism a household word. I sleep well at night, Cohn told his hometowns historical paper of record. I wont be saying please forgive me on my deathbed. Brighton Pier Group (LON:PIER) Full Year 2023 Results Key Financial Results Revenue: UK34.8m (down 12% from FY 2022). Net loss: UK7.54m (down by 277% from UK4.25m profit in FY 2022). UK0.20 loss per share (down from UK0.11 profit in FY 2022). All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period Brighton Pier Group shares are down 10% from a week ago. Risk Analysis We should say that we've discovered 1 warning sign for Brighton Pier Group that you should be aware of before investing here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) Residents in eastern Sarasota County are once again joining forces to stop a proposed development off Lena Lane in Old Miakka. The site sits a short distance from the Historic Schoolhouse, which is a local landmark. The developer hasnt submitted formal application plans to the county, but early plans show John Cannon Homes aims to rezone around 511 acres from Open Use Rural and Open Use Agriculture which allows for one home every 10 to 160 acres, to Open Use Estate which would allow the development of one home per five acres or less. WATCH: Big rattlesnake caught hanging out on Dunedin Causeway Sheldon Holland, who moved to Old Miakka more than 30 years ago, lives next door to where the proposed development would take form. To get to his 10-acre property, you have to take dirt roads under tree canopies, and along the way, you will likely spot cows, horses, deer and other wildlife. Most people move to this community to raise their kids. It is not a place where people move to sell their house in seven years. It is not a place that people buy here for profit; they move here to live, said Holland. In documents provided to 8 On Your Side by Sarasota County, a representative for the developer said the rezoning will allow for additional residential homes with increased open space as part of a Conservation Subdivision. The applicant intends to match the development pattern of the communities to the north and west of the property. The Conservation Subdivision form of development will provide a sense of rural living based on the natural, on-site features and the proposed residential development preserving significant portions of the existing habitat/corridors with limited disturbances to those features, the pre-application narrative submitted to the county reads. Judd: Mom murdered 4-year-old by tying arms together, throwing him into pool Holland feels it will not be a match and fears if the developer gets their way, his Old Florida lifestyle will never be the same. Other residents expressed concerns surrounding impacts on roads, wildlife habitats, water quality, and safety. It will be an urban intrusion into not just a rural community, but historic rural community, said Becky Ayech. The proposed development still needs to go before the countys planning commission and the county commission. The Old Miakka Community is hosting an informational meeting Thursday night at the Historic Schoolhouse at 15800 Wilson Road. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. RUSSELL COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) Two elementary schools in Russell County wont open their doors to students next school year. Russell County Public Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Kim Hooker confirmed on Wednesday that Copper Creek Elementary and Swords Creek Elementary will be closed next year. The Russell County Board of Education met Tuesday and approved the closure of both schools. The school board voted 5-2 in favor of closing Copper Creek, with board members Bob Gibson and Kip Parsons voting against it. The board voted 6-1 in favor of closing Swords Creek, with Christy Perkins being the sole vote against the action. Storm damages Russellville Intermediate School Copper Creeks closure will leave Lebanon Primary School as the sole primary school in the district. Sword Creeks closure will lower the total number of elementary schools in Russell County to four. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. RUSSELL COUNTY, Ala. (WRBL) Russell County High School was honored Wednesday morning by the American College Application Campaign as the 2023 School of Excellence recipient. The America College Application Campaign selects 27 schools to be awarded for their commitment to student success each year. The campaign focuses on increasing the number of first-generation college students and students from low-income families pursuing a college degree or other higher education credential. Russell County Administration spoke to WRBL about the impact of this award. Its a new era for Russell County. Its a very proud moment. And its also a testament to our vision to inspire, empower and to educate with excellence. Its also a testament to our mission to provide a quality education so that our students will be prepared for college, career and life. So I am very proud. Brenda Coley, Superintendent of Russell County School District It means the world to me because it means that were giving our kids all of their options, theyre not being limited. Whether our kids choose to go to college or if theyve taken the college and career ready pathway, we know that were sending 100% of our graduates out into the world prepared. Tonya Keene, Principal of Russell County High School Russell County High School is the only high school in Alabama to receive this award. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL. Russia again had only one tank in its big Victory Day military parade, and it was a World War II relic This year's Victory Day military parade in Moscow's Red Square featured a single WWII-era tank. Russia's war with Ukraine has resulted in the loss of thousands of tanks. Russia has, at times, sent out obsolete Soviet-era tanks onto the front lines. Russia often uses its annual Red Square military parade in Moscow as an opportunity to show off its weaponry. This year's showing was a bit lackluster, and its modern tanks were again absent. While a range of tanks, both new and old, are typically present in the May 9 Victory Day military parade, which commemorates the lives lost and victory achieved when the Soviet Union defeated Nazi Germany in 1945, in this year's event, there was only one WWII-era T-34 on display. This year marks the second year in a row the tank element in the Russian parade has been notably muted, featuring only one tank from a bygone era. Analysts characterized last year's event as embarrassing for Russia, and there were similar observations this year. This T-34, the legendary Soviet tank from World War II, was the only Russian tank on display at the Victory Day parade in Red Square today. The others must all be busy somewhere! pic.twitter.com/8JTUeRRA95 max seddon (@maxseddon) May 9, 2024 The lack of modern tanks in the military parade, in some ways, reflects Russia's war in Ukraine, which Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about during the event, praising the heroes of the "special military operation." Even though Russia has been able to noticeably rebuild its military strength to what it had at the start of its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has also lost thousands of tanks and many of its armored personnel in Ukraine to anti-tank missiles, mines, and drones. A military parade on Victory Day in Red Square, Moscow, Russia, in May 2022, to mark the 77th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina In February, the International Institute for Strategic Studies said Russia lost over 3,000 tanks since its invasion of Ukraine. Earlier this month, Ukraine's forces claimed to have destroyed dozens of Russian tanks on the battlefield in Donetsk. Moscow can't reliably field what is supposed to be its most advanced tank, the costly T-14, and it has lost enough of its other tanks, like its T-72s, T-80s, and T-90s, in battle that it has at times sent out obsolete Soviet-era tanks, such as the ancient T-62s and T-54s, from storage to the front lines. A RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile system drives on Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 9, 2024. Russia celebrates the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/Getty Images During the parade, Russian soldiers were seen carrying what appeared to be drone jammers, likely a reaction to the potential for attacks from Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles. The Russian capital has been hit before, and Ukraine has been increasingly conducting long-range drone strikes into Russia territory. While the Russian tank display was notably lacking, other modern Russian weapons did make an appearance, such as Russia's intercontinental ballistic missiles. Throughout the war in Ukraine, Russia has regularly rattled the nuclear saber. In his speech at the event, President Vladimir Putin spoke of Russia's strength and preparedness, taking aim at Western nations and Ukraine. "We will not let anyone threaten us," he said. "Our strategic forces are always on combat alert." Read the original article on Business Insider Russian forces attacked nine settlements along the Sumy Oblast border on May 8, the regional military administration reported. The attacks caused 183 explosions in the area, hitting the towns of Yunakivka, Esman, Seredyna-Buda, Bilopillia, Znob-Novhorodske, Myropillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Krasnopillia, and Shalyhyne. Russian troops assailed the Sumy Oblast border throughout the day with mines, drones, artillery, mortar, rocket launchers, and grenades. Russian forces also targeted two communities, Yunakivka and Shalyhyne, with airstrikes using KAB guided bombs. No casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure were reported. Attacks are a daily reality for the residents of Sumy Oblast's vulnerable border communities. Nearly every day, nearby Russian forces target the region with multiple weapons, sometimes damaging infrastructure and killing civilians. Read also: Never again? Again. (Photos) Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A Ukrainian air strike on Russia's Belgorod Oblast injured eight people on May 9, Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed. Ukrainian authorities have not commented. The Kyiv Independent could not verify Gladkov's claim. Gladkov further claimed that 34 flats across 19 apartment buildings, a house, and 37 vehicles were damaged in the city of Belgorod. More houses and vehicles were allegedly damaged in a village nearly 9 kilometers south of the city. 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: Russia claims 6 killed, 35 injured in drone attack on Belgorod Oblast Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian drones purportedly attacked an oil depot in the village of Yurovka near the city of Anapa in Russias Krasnodar Krai on the night of 8-9 May, and there were explosions in the Russian city of Belgorod, with fires breaking out. Source: BBC News Russian; Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlets, citing the Krasnodar Krai Operational Headquarters; Russian Telegram channels Details: Initially, Russian media and Telegram channels reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had supposedly attempted to attack an oil depot in the village of Yurovka near Anapa using a UAV. Later, the Russian authorities, in particular Krasnodar Krai Operational Headquarters, confirmed that a drone strike on the Yurovka oil depot had taken place. The operational headquarters said in a statement: "About 6 UAVs have been jammed, but several have crashed on the territory of the oil depot. This caused a fire, damaging several storage tanks." The statement added that 62 people and 20 fire appliances were involved in putting out the fire. Later, Russian Telegram channels reported on explosions and fires in the Russian city of Belgorod and released photos and videos. Photo: Telegram-based news outlet Astra A fire in Belgorod. Photo: Telegram-based news outlet Astra 9 2024 . : - Astra pic.twitter.com/nWA1BPPFdt (@ukrpravda_news) May 9, 2024 Support UP or become our patron! Russia did not achieve much success near Chasiv Yar in April UK Defence Intelligence UK Intelligence reported that despite a significant number of attacks, Russia did not achieve much success in the east of Ukraine in April and suffered significant losses. Source: UK Defence Intelligence update on Twitter (X), as reported by European Pravda Details: UK Defence Intelligence said that the number of attacks on the outskirts of Chasiv Yar doubled from March to April 2024. The Defence Ministry notes that this reflects Russia's new attempts to establish control over the city, located on a hill west of Bakhmut. "Despite the substantial increase in attacks on this axis, Russia made only minor tactical gains in the area during April and almost certainly sustained heavy losses," UK Defence Intelligence said. The intelligence service indicates that overall, Russian attacks in eastern Ukraine intensified in April 2024, an increase of 17% compared to March 2024. "More than three-quarters were located in the Avdiivka, Chasiv Yar, and Marinka areas of the front line," UK Defence Intelligence said. The day before, UK intelligence said that the long-range aviation command of the Russian Aerospace Forces increased the lethality of its main air-launched cruise missile Kh-101/Kh-102 (in the Western classification AS-23A KODIAK) by installing a second warhead on it. Previously, UK intelligence analysed what role pro-Russian Chechens, better known as Kadyrovites, now play on the battlefield. In a preliminary review, UK intelligence predicted the growth of Russian losses in the next two months. Before that, it was said that due to the Ukrainian attack on the Kushchyovskaya airfield, the Russian Federation was forced to withdraw; there were approximately 40 aircraft of various types in this area, and Russia was forced to disperse them to numerous airfields further from the line of contact. Support UP or become our patron! The Russians dropped two guided bombs in the courtyard of a school in Beryslav, Kherson Oblast, on the night of 8-9 May. Source: Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of Kherson Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Photo: Kherson Oblast Military Administration Quote: "It hit the courtyard of a local school. As a result, educational facilities and a boiler room were destroyed." Photo: Kherson Oblast Military Administration Details: It is reported that there were no civilian casualties as a result of the attack. Background: The Russians targeted a football field in the Saltivskyi district of Kharkiv on 8 May, resulting in seven casualties, including four children. Support UP or become our patron! Russias highly-militarized Victory Day celebration has nothing to do with WWII The legacy of Soviet victory over Nazi Germany feeds pro-war aggression in Putins Russia and is celebrated with a religious fervor. When Russian President Vladimir Putin swept into power in 2000, he faced a divided land. The disintegration of the Soviet Union and the economic downturn that followed left deep scars on Russian society. Many felt that Russia had suffered a national humiliation. Putin needed a common cause that would unite the masses. The revival of the Russian Orthodox Church, backed at the highest levels of government, was one such step. Yet Russia, with its patchwork of peoples and ethnicities, is not a wholly Christian state. Something else was needed. Read also: Never again? Again. (Photos) The answer lay in the legacy of the mostly forgotten World War II a historical event in which Russia could have real pride, and one that had touched almost every family in the Soviet Union. Under Putins rule, the memory of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany became synonymous with increasingly grandiose public celebrations, permeating every corner of public life. But the Kremlin would also warp wartime memory for its own ends. The memory of a defensive war became an all-encompassing national myth: a rallying cry for patriotism and an endless source of propaganda. Participants wearing historical uniforms take part in a military parade, which marks the 77th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, in the far eastern city of Vladivostok, Russia, on May 9, 2022. (Pavel Korolyov/AFP via Getty Images) Russian officers march during the Victory Day Parade at Red Square in Moscow, Russia, on May 9, 2022. The Red Square military parade marking the Victory Day gathered 11 000 solders, officers and 131 military vehicles. (Contributor/Getty Images) Most of all, it has become a validation for Russian aggression in Ukraine, with the Kremlin conjuring images of a neo-Nazi threat in Kyiv to justify its invasion. There's been a massive perversion of memory on every level in the Russian state, starting from the Kremlin on TV and going all the way down to Russian high school textbooks, says Katia Patin, a journalist who has worked extensively covering the battle for historical memory in authoritarian regimes. They all draw this twisted continuity from World War II to the war in Ukraine in a way that's completely inaccurate. Decades have passed. But for the Kremlin, its vital to show the absolute continuity between those two events. Sign up for our newsletter WTF is wrong with Russia? Sign up Changing focus World War II known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War devastated the Soviet Union. Some 27 million soldiers and civilians died defending their country from fascist troops before victory was won over Nazi Germany. But how that victory is celebrated has changed dramatically over the past 79 years. On the original Victory Day on May 9, 1945, spontaneous celebrations swept the country; the official victory parade in June saw Soviet troops throw hundreds of captured Nazi banners before Lenins mausoleum. For the next two years, celebrations took place in cities and villages across the country. Then, in late 1947, the Supreme Soviet declared that Victory Day would no longer be regarded as a non-working holiday. Commemorations would instead be centered around the workplace or feature small gatherings of local veterans. It was very understated, says Jonathan Brunstedt, an assistant professor of history at Texas A&M University focusing on nationalism and historical memory in the Soviet Union. It was a routine day, other than perhaps some competition in the workplace: Well produce even more (at our factory) this year in honor of our victory and so on. The idea of Victory Day as a non-working holiday wasnt revived until 1965. Yet the date still lacked the regular, grandiose celebrations we see today. The annual Victory Day parade in Moscow was not greenlit until 1995. Formerly, the parades were seen only on two special occasions: the 20th and 40th anniversaries of Victory Day in 1965 and 1985. There are other key differences between modern and Soviet war commemorations. Officials previously lauded victory as a multinational effort, the collective efforts of the distinct Soviet peoples, says Brunstedt. Under Putins rule, that rhetoric has been swept away to reframe victory as a Russian achievement, diminishing the role played by minorities and conveniently ignoring Soviet recognition of countries such as Ukraine as separate nations. The tone of the commemorations has also shifted from mourning to celebration. In the Soviet era, during these big celebrations, there was much more of a sense of collective grieving. There was rhetoric about what we have lost, says Brunstedt. Today, the focus is much more on victory and heroism rather than sacrifice. Controlling the narrative This changing narrative has become increasingly apparent over the past decade as the Russian state has become more involved in Victory Day celebrations. Events such as the Immortal Regimentwhere Russians march through the streets with portraits of their veteran family membersbegan life as a genuine, grassroots movement for those who wished to reconnect with their family history. But throughout the 2010s, Immortal Regiment marches were increasingly fronted by senior government figures, including Putin himself. People take part in the Immortal Regiment march on Red Square in central Moscow, Russia on May 9, 2022. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images) Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) holds an alleged portrait of his father during the Immortal Regiment, a rally where people carrying portraits of their relatives-veterans of World War II, after the Victory Day Parade at Red Square in Moscow, Russia on May 9, 2022. (Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) In the process, the Kremlin portrayed itself as the great protector of the wars legacy, intrinsically tied to its ideals and uniquely placed to dictate its meaning. Controlling history and particularly wartime history became a way for Moscow to mobilize the masses and inspire patriotism, says journalist Patin. Read also: Ethnic tensions on the rise in Russia, as government attempts to divert attention from war History is an emotional topic. It's something that really moves people, and that's something that politicians especially authoritarian-leaning politicians understand on a fundamental level. It's so effective in drumming up support, she says. Reporting on the battles that surround historical memory is one part of understanding how these governments consolidate power. But as the Kremlin took control of the acts of remembrance that surrounded the war, it also took control of the conflicts legacy. It began to use the war to justify its own military actions including its war against Ukraine. On the eve of his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin gave a speech in which he tried to portray the current government in Kyiv as a fascist regime run by neo-Nazis. He argued that Russia needed to intervene, says David L. Hoffman, a professor of Russian and Soviet history at Ohio State University. There is this direct parallel he tried to draw. Fireworks explode above the Novodevichy Convent during the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow, Ukraine on May 9, 2023. (Natalia Kolesnikova /AFP via Getty Images) However, the real benefit of using the past to justify the present is that it can be remolded and reshaped as many times as needed. Moscow has long relied on accusations of Nazism to discredit Ukrainians pushing for independence from Russian control, says Jade McGlynn, a research fellow in the War Studies Department at King's College London and author of Memory Makers: The Politics of the Past in Russia. In 1991, Ukrainians who wanted independence were dismissed as Nazis by Soviet newspapers, she says. In 2004, anyone who supported the Orange Revolution was called a Nazi. And since 2014, and even more so since 2022, that rhetoric has exploded, she says. In 2024, in the eyes of the Kremlin, Nazism in Ukraine has come to mean anything which is anti-Russian, says McGlynn. That has been a constant since 2014 its the entire framework for how they see Ukraine and Ukrainian-ness, she says. Victims and victors The commemoration of World War II in Russia today goes far beyond holidays such as Victory Day. Its overarching presence goes far beyond similar celebrations seen in other eastern European countries, who also suffered devastatingly heavy losses in the conflict. There is a constant stream of movies and books, dress-up parties for children, patriotic flash mobs, school lessons, and extracurricular activities that echo the war throughout the present day. A common catch phrase used by the general population buying into the increasingly militarized celebrations is we can repeat. Wartime memorialization has taken on an almost religious fervor, says Patin. World War II-themed icons or imagery in Orthodox churches are not uncommon. For many Russians, upholding the memory of World War II fills this space, the sense of loss that came after losing the Soviet Union, she says. A boy wearing a Soviet Army-styled uniform salutes while taking part in the Victory Day parade in Volgograd, Russia on May 9, 2018. (Mladen Antonov /AFP via Getty Images) A general view during the gala concert held in Red Square to mark the 70th anniversary of end of World War II in Moscow, Russia on May 9, 2015. (RIA Novosti via Getty Images) Ultimately, the legacy of World War II has become a lens through which Russians can view themselves one that encompasses both pride and glory, but also a deep sense of victimhood. It is one that many Russians embrace. Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union, including the territory of today's Russia, says McGlynn. Bringing every conversation back to the Great Patriotic War is a way of placing Russia in the position of the victim, rather than talking about how Russia is today which is very much the aggressor state, she says. Its getting domestic audiences to think about when their country was invaded, rather than about the fact that they are invading another country. Read also: Whether afraid or indifferent, regular Russians enable autocracy Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. ROCHESTER, N.Y., May 09, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bryant & Stratton College (B&SC) is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Jordan Health aimed at addressing the critical shortage of medical assistants in the healthcare industry. Through innovative collaboration and leveraging grant funding from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, B&SC and Jordan Health are pioneering efforts to increase the medical assistant workforce in the Greater Rochester area. Under the initiative, Jordan Health has been awarded a grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation's Healthcare Workforce Training & Retention Program. These funds will be utilized to fully support a number of students pursuing a medical assisting degree at B&SC's Greece and Henrietta campuses. Upon successful completion of the medical assisting program, graduates will be guaranteed internship placements and employment opportunities at Jordan Health, contributing to the healthcare facilitys workforce sustainability. "This partnership exemplifies our commitment to addressing critical workforce shortages in the healthcare industry," said Michael Mariani, Rochester Campus Director at B&SC. "By collaborating with Jordan Health and leveraging grant funding, we are not only providing students with valuable educational opportunities but also addressing the pressing need for skilled medical assistants in our community." B&SC encourages other healthcare employers in New York State to explore similar partnerships and utilize grant funding opportunities like those provided by the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. By collaborating with educational institutions and investing in workforce development, healthcare organizations can effectively address workforce shortages and ensure the delivery of quality patient care. "Jordan Health is committed to ensuring everyone has access to high-quality health care. In order to deliver this to our patients and community, we must provide opportunities for additional training and career development for our staff," said Dr. Linda Clark, President and CEO of Jordan Health. "We take pride in the fact that the majority of our workforce live within the communities we serve. Jordan Health is a viable community partner and an impactful resource for our neighbors." B&SC boasts a long-standing and well-respected medical assisting program, offering students comprehensive training and hands-on experience in the healthcare field. This partnership highlights the unique aspects of B&SC's commitment to career education and community engagement, distinguishing it from competitors in the region. Story continues For more information about this initiative or B&SC's medical assisting program, please visit B&SC or contact Michael Mariani at mamariani@bryantstratton.edu. ABOUT BRYANT & STRATTON COLLEGE: Founded in 1854, Bryant & Stratton College, a non-profit institution, has built its reputation and success on a commitment to excellence and high standards. Bryant & Stratton College is an accredited institution and a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) www.msche.org. Bryant & Stratton Colleges accreditation status is Accreditation Reaffirmed. The Commissions most recent action on the institutions accreditation status on 6/22/2017 was to reaffirm accreditation. MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Bryant & Stratton College has campus locations in New York, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin, as well as an Online Education division, and a Continuing Education department. For 170 years, Bryant & Stratton College has offered students access to career-relevant education leading to bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, and professional certificates in the fields of healthcare, business, criminal justice, design, financial services, hospitality, human resources, paralegal studies, and information technology. In addition to access to education, Bryant & Stratton College offers students access to tools to help ensure their greatest chance at success through their Career Life Prep program. Bryant & Stratton works with students to best map individual career paths - teaching the soft skills employers value most, helping establish valuable professional connections and internships and offering career services support even after graduation. Bryant & Stratton College is committed to helping students succeed in their education and beyond. ABOUT JORDAN HEALTH: Jordan Health has provided community-focused healthcare for over 100 years and is one of the first five Federally Qualified Health Centers in the country. Jordan Health serves underserved and uninsured residents in Rochester and Canandaigua, delivering on its mission: To provide community-based comprehensive health care of the highest quality with dignity and respect to all regardless of ability to pay. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240508879991/en/ Contacts FOR MORE INFORMATION: Maria Scalise mfscalise@bryantstratton.edu 585-752-6913 Juanita Washington jwashington@jordanhealth.org (585) 623-0210 Russia loses 1,300 soldiers and 35 armoured combat vehicles over past 24 hours Russian forces have lost 1,300 soldiers, 11 tanks, 35 armoured combat vehicles, and 23 artillery systems over the past 24 hours alone. Source: General Staff of Ukraines Armed Forces on Facebook Details: The total combat losses of the Russian forces between 24 February 2022 and 9 May 2024 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses ed.] 478,730 (+1,300) military personnel; 7,429 (+11) tanks; 14,281 (+35) armoured combat vehicles; 12,340 (+23) artillery systems; 1,058 (+1) multiple-launch rocket systems; 793 (+1) air defence systems; 349 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft; 325 (+0) helicopters; 9,775 (+47) strategic and tactical UAVs; 2,192 (+41) cruise missiles; 26 (+0) ships and boats; 1 (+0) submarines; 16,618 (+69) vehicles and tankers; 2,027 (+8) special vehicles and other equipment. The information is being confirmed. Support UP or become our patron! icon Semafor Signals Supported by Microsoft logo Insights from CNN, the BBC, and The Washington Post Arrow Down Title icon The News Russia marked Victory Day, an annual celebration of its defeat of Nazi Germany, with a huge military parade in Moscow after striking Ukrainian electricity infrastructure in attacks overnight. The event has long been used to bolster Russian patriotism and in recent years to justify the war in Ukraine. During a speech in Moscows Red Square, President Vladimir Putin railed against the West, accusing it of trying to distort history and stoke new regional conflicts. icon SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Russias show of force is a warning to the West Source icon Source: CNN Through Victory Day, Russia served a warning to the West and other adversaries, Timothy Snyder, a professor of history and global affairs at Yale University, argued. Moscow is implying that Russia will win its war in Ukraine, Snyder wrote, but Russia can lose. And it should lose, for the sake of the world and for its own sake. In 1945, Russias ability to push back Nazi Germany came in part from economic support from the US, Snyder noted. Now, one could expect that Moscows success in Ukraine would come from delaying or preventing aid agreements between Western nations and Kyiv. The last six months bear this out: Russias minor battlefield victories came at a time when the United States was delaying Ukraine aid, rather than supplying it, he wrote. Victory Day a celebration of the military, Putins control Source icon Sources: The Washington Post, BBC Victory Day is not only a memorialization of Russian efforts in World War II, but also a bombastic celebration of Russian militarization, central to Putins determination to rebuild Russia as a great power with conservative, traditional values, The Washington Posts Moscow bureau chief Robyn Dixon wrote. Victory Day was not the spectacle it is today before Putin came to power in Russia: It was occasionally marked during the Soviet era, and in 1995, then-President Boris Yeltsin revived the parade in honor of the 50th anniversary. In 2008, Putin made the parade a part of Russias collective psyche. Even in a normal year its a huge show of Russias strength, of Putins control and everything he stands for, Ammon Cheskin, of Glasgow University, told the BBC in 2022. Semafor Logo Western intelligence believes Russia is seeking to exploit what it sees as a window of opportunity to further step up air and ground attacks on Ukraine to take advantage of the time it will take new weapons and ammunition from the newly passed US military aid package to arrive in significant quantities, three officials with direct knowledge of the latest assessments told CNN. The officials said there will be a lag time between the approval of the funds and the arrival of the majority of the assistance that will make a significant difference on the frontlines, a delay which they believe Russia will seek to exploit. Overnight on Wednesday, Russia unleashed a massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities say Russia fired more than 50 missiles and 20 drones, targeting energy infrastructure around the country. Ukraines largest power company said this was the fifth time Russia has attacked its facilities in the last six weeks. They are trying to cause as many suffering to Ukrainian people as possible now in order to take advantage of and destroy Ukrainian moral, Ukrainian parliament member Oleksiy Goncharenko told CNN on Wednesday. The months-long delay in approval of the funding was resolved last month when Republican Speaker Mike Johnson defied opposition from the right of his party to bring a major security package that paired Ukraine funding with aid for Israel and Taiwan up for a vote. But months of inaction has resulted in real costs for Ukrainian forces on the battlefield in both territory and casualties, these officials say. Russian forces are expected to attempt to make further progress and consolidate earlier gains, before this window of opportunity closes. Western and Ukrainian officials view the near-term threat of stepped-up attacks as tied to Russian plans for a larger offensive early this summer. US and Ukrainian officials remain concerned about a further partial mobilization by Russia to send more manpower to the frontlines, as Ukraine is struggling with its own manpower shortage. As for Ukrainian prospects during the coming weeks, even with the arrival of new assistance, one US military official told CNN, It is hold the line at best. With the level of supply, it will be very hard for us to regain in any territory, Goncharenko agreed. So its more about stabilizing. Its more about winning the time, but not winning the war. So we need more support and we hope, or other countries will follow the US example. CNN reported recently that Russian forces have used an artillery drought plaguing Ukrainian forces to push forward on the eastern front near Avdiivka, carrying out the largest Russian advance since the early months of the war. Moscows progress has prompted warnings from senior Ukrainian military officials of a possible threat to Kyivs supply lines and hubs in the east, which are now perilously close to being in range of superior Russian firepower. In recent weeks, Russia has thrown vast resources at weak Ukrainian defenses across the eastern frontlines, pushing toward three key points: the vital military hub of Pokrovsk, west of Avdiivka; the strategic heights of Chasiv Yar, near Bakhmut; and Kurakhove in the southeast. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The Russian-Ukraine war is redefining how future wars will be fought with the lessons learned being written in the blood of soldiers on both sides as well as that of Ukrainian civilians. The heavy tank losses by Russia reliable sources indicate they have lost at least 3,000 tanks have already shown how traditional armored forces are susceptible to anti-tank missiles. More: Why is there no outcry for Ukraine civilian deaths? | GARY COSBY JR. But the drones have taken center stage in this war. Stories from multiple sources indicate that movement on the battlefield, even by individual troops, is quickly spotted by drones and even a single soldier can be targeted and killed by drones. This makes the movement of troops or equipment not only highly visible, but also highly vulnerable to attack. Any military commander knows that his chance of victory is enhanced by the element of surprise. Achieving surprise on the battlefield improves the chances of victory in either a battle or the war as a whole. Gary Cosby Jr. Drones have made such undetected movement impossible. Both Ukraine and Russia have used drones extensively and have turned the battle in Ukraine into a stalemate of trenches and foxholes, not unlike the horrors that led to the long, brutal trench warfare of World War I. The United States Army, not surprisingly, has recognized this as well and is eliminating the cavalry scout combat specialty and reorganizing those troops into other units because drone surveillance has rendered the cavalry scout mission redundant. The casualties in the Russia-Ukraine war are staggering and at least partially the result of this new feature of ground combat. Reliable intelligence sources estimate Russias combat dead at a minimum of 50,000 soldiers. Ukraine admits to 31,000 combat deaths. The Russian casualties are likely much higher and may exceed 100,000 deaths. Vladimir Putin keeps funneling men and equipment into the pointless war. A recent report indicated some Russian troops are refusing orders to attack in the Kherson region of Ukraine. A news story indicated that soldiers were deserting and fleeing the battle area. A story published by Newsweek said the soldiers who had been found in hiding had multiple tattoos and might well have been conscripts taken from prison and sent to the front with little to no training. Other news sources indicate that some of the tanks now being sent to Ukraine by Russia are ancient leftovers from the 1950s and '60s. Russia, even in World War II, took a quantity over quality approach to their tank production. The legendary T34 battle tank that ultimately helped defeat Germany was notorious among soldiers as being poorly built and unreliable. The Soviet high command knew from the rates of destruction of their armored forces that the tanks didnt have to be built to last long-term. They simply needed to make more than the Germans could destroy. That philosophy is still part of the Russian mindset if it can be judged by their approach to sending these ancient tanks that have little to no chance to survive on the modern battlefield into action. It also indicates the complete disregard that the Russian high command, specifically Vladimir Putin, has for the lives of Russian soldiers. Imagine the United States in such a war. How would the American public tolerate a military campaign that cost the lives of 100,000 of our soldiers in two years of combat? Such horrific numbers in such a short time have not been seen since World War II, a war everyone hopes was the last such conflict. There is likely an answer to the drones. Im quite certain if American military planners were not aware of this change in the combat environment before, they are certainly aware now. The vaunted military-industrial complex in the West is very likely already producing a counter to the drone problem. Some battle strategies are fundamental to success. When new technology produces a stalemate that grinds armies to dust, those technologies will be countered. It has been so since the beginning of warfare. If one group develops a weapon, be it a better sword or a remotely piloted drone, the other side will develop a counter to it. When American developed the atomic bomb that helped end World War II, leaders in this nation thought it gave us a decade before any other country could produce their own bomb. But the Soviets were working very hard to steal the technology and succeeded so that their own bombs were being produced by the end of the 1940s. The drone has transformed the battlefield in Ukraine, creating a high-tech stalemate that has eviscerated two armies. You can be absolutely certain other nations are paying close attention and strategists in every nation in the world are learning and adapting to this new environment of continual surveillance. The one virtually universal truth is that the next war will bring innovations and changes to the battlefield. The way the previous wars were fought will not be the way the next war will be fought and the nation or nations that adapt to this idea first will be in a far better position to win than the nation that fails to adapt. Gary Cosby Jr. can be reached at gary.cosby@tuscaloosanews.com This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Drones have heavy impact in Russia-Ukraine war | GARY COSBY JR. Russian ambassador, others mark May 9 with visit to Berlin memorial Russian Orthodox clergymen stand in front of memorial wreaths at the Soviet memorial in Treptow Park. May 8 and 9 marks the 79th anniversary of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender in World War II (WWII). Christoph Soeder/dpa Numerous people visited the Soviet Memorial in Berlin's Treptower Park on Thursday to commemorate the end of World War II in Europe 79 year ago. The Russian ambassador to Germany, Sergei Yuryevich Netshaev, was among the dignitaries that visited the memorial, where he welcomed Russian Orthodox clergymen. Netshaev is also expected to attend a memorial service in the Tiergarten park in Berlin as well. Nazi Germany capitulated to the Allies late in the evening on May 8, 1945, ending the brutal war which left millions dead. But in Russia and many other parts of the former Soviet Union, the event is commemorated on May 9, the date in Moscow when Soviet leaders announced the German surrender. In Berlin on Thursday, visitors laid wreaths and flowers at the Soviet Memorial, and many came wearing military uniforms. Berlin police this year banned the display of Russian flags and other symbols, such as signs of support for Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine. Officers checked visitors at the entrances to Soviet Memorial for prohibited symbols and objects. A police spokeswoman said on Thursday morning that there had been no incidents. Later in the day, members of the Russian nationalist Night Wolves motorcycle club are expected to visit the memorial. The club has for years visited various memorial sites to mark May 9. According to police reports, Night Wolves members were still travelling in the countryside surrounding Berlin in the morning. They had visited the nearby city of Potsdam on Wednesday. Sergei Yuryevich Nechayev (R), Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Germany, greets Russian Orthodox clergymen at the Soviet memorial in Treptower Park. May 8 and 9 marks the 79th anniversary of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender in World War II (WWII). Christoph Soeder/dpa Sergei Yuryevich Nechayev (C), Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Germany, stands in front of memorial wreaths at the Soviet War Memorial in Treptow Park. May 8 and 9 marks the 79th anniversary of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender in World War II (WWII). Christoph Soeder/dpa A Russian artillery attack on Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast killed two people and injured two others, Governor Serhii Lysak reported on May 9. The south-eastern city of Nikopol is situated on the banks of the mostly dried-up Kakhovka Reservoir, just across from Russian-occupied Enerhodar and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, making it a regular target of Russian attacks. The attack killed a 62-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman, while two men aged 39 and 67 were injured, Lysak said. Two homes, a gas pipeline, a shop, and farm buildings were hit in the strike, and five apartment buildings were damaged. At least six people, including a six-year-old girl and a 91-year-old woman, were injured in Nikopol on May 7 during a day of intense Russian attacks. Read also: Updated: Russia launches large-scale attack against Ukraine, hitting energy infrastructure Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian attacks on the town of Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast injured two people on May 9, the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration said in a post on Telegram. A man and a woman were hospitalized as a result of the attacks which occurred shortly after 10 a.m, the administration said. "The Russian occupiers continue to terrorize the civilian population of Kharkiv Oblast," it added. Russia has recently intensified attacks against the Kharkiv Oblast in which Kupiansk is situated, using missiles, glide bombs, and kamikaze drones to destroy energy infrastructure and kill civilians. On the same day, as many Ukrainians observed Orthodox Easter Sunday, a Russian glide bomb attack on downtown Kharkiv injured at least 15 people. Subscribe to Ukraine Daily newsletter News from Ukraine in your inbox Subscribe Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. CHICAGO, Ill. (WCIA) Four small to mid-sized Central Illinois manufacturers received parts of a $1.7 million state grant to encourage growth and innovation. The Made in Illinois Grant Program awarded more than $30,000 each to manufacturers in Champaign, Danville, and Jacksonville. Through Governor JB Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and the grant administration of the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC), the Made in Illinois program provides up to $50,000 in matching grant funding. Danville gets $1.4M grant for home rehab projects Manufacturing is on the rise in Illinois and my administration is providing local manufacturers with the resources they need to compete in the future, Governor JB Pritzker said. Thanks to this grant, 40 diverse recipients across the state will receive the capital they need to advance innovation in their field. Grant program recipients specialize in an array of manufacturing sectors in several state locations. Here are the Central Illinois grantees: Grantee Location Grant Amount Wagner Machine Company Champaign $47,420 Clifford-Jacobs Forging Company Champaign $33,510 Double S Liquid Feed Services, Inc. Danville $35,565 Carolina Brands (Rutland) Jacksonville $46,652 The awarded funds will be used in a variety of ways, including machinery acquisition, 3D printers, specialized automation equipment, collaborative robotics and late-stage product testing and scaling efforts. Manufacturing is evolving rapidly, and staying current can be costly, said Kurt Wagner, CEO of Wagner Machine in Champaign. Over the past five years, theres been significant investment in new equipment. Automating processes has been a critical strategic move and seeking assistance has proved highly advantageous during this transition period. Automation has enabled the workforce to focus on higher-value tasks, enhancing efficiency, and quality improvements. This has led to continued job creation and an increase in machinist wages. Danville starts Matching Grant Program for local Neighborhood Associations By putting funds towards Illinois essential manufacturing base and allowing for competition, industry advancement, job creation and innovation, the Made in Illinois program aims to foster economic prosperity throughout local communities statewide. Illinois is a globally recognized manufacturing leader and small and medium-sized manufacturers are a critical part of our states manufacturing sector and economy, said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. Through the Made in Illinois Program, the State is reinforcing its commitment to providing resources and opportunities to Illinois world-class manufacturers while supporting communities across the state. Story continues IMEC President David Boulay believes the programs contributions will play an important role in the positive growth of state manufacturing. The Made in Illinois Grant Program is just one example of the dedication to supporting Illinois manufacturers in their pursuit of excellence, said IMEC President David Boulay. By investing in innovation and strategic initiatives, these businesses are empowered to thrive and drive economic growth across the state. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. Russian forces attacked Sumy Oblast 302 times in 60 separate attacks throughout the day, firing at 11 communities along the border on May 9, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported. The communities of Bilopillia, Yunakivka, Khotin, Krasnopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Shalyhyne, Novoslobidske, Seredyna-Buda, Esman, Myropillia, and Putyvl were targeted. Throughout the day, Russia assailed the border communities with mortar, drone, rockets, and artillery attacks, while dropping explosives from drones onto two of the communities. No casualties or injuries were reported. The town of Velyka Pysarivka, located directly on Ukraine-Russia border, with a pre-war population of about 4,000 residents, experienced the bulk of the attacks reported with 67 explosions recorded in the area. Given the town's proximity to Russia, Velyka Pysarivka has become a main target of attack for Russia over recent months. Much of the community's infrastructure has been destroyed by Russian attacks. Russian strikes against Sumy Oblast have become increasingly destructive in recent months. Amid intensified attacks, Ukrainian authorities ordered increased evacuations from the region. Shelling is a daily occurrence for the communities near Ukraine's northeastern border with Russia, with residents in the region's vulnerable border settlements experience multiple attacks per day. Subscribe to Ukraine Daily newsletter News from Ukraine in your inbox Subscribe Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian servicemen march during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, May 9, 2024, marking the 79th anniversary of the end of World War II. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) MOSCOW (AP) Russia on Thursday wrapped itself in patriotic pageantry for Victory Day, as President Vladimir Putin celebrated the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II by hailing his forces fighting in Ukraine and blasting the West for fueling conflicts around the world. Even though few veterans of what Russia calls the Great Patriotic War are still alive 79 years after Berlin fell to the Red Army, the victory remains the most important and widely revered symbol of Russias prowess and a key element of national identity. Putin has turned Victory Day the country's most important secular holiday into a pillar of his nearly quarter-century in power and a justification of his military action in Ukraine. Two days after beginning his fifth term in office, he led the festivities across Russia that recall the nation's wartime sacrifice. Victory Day unites all generations, Putin said in a speech in Red Square that came on the coldest May 9 in decades amid some snow flurries. We are going forward relying on our centuries-old traditions and feel confident that together we will ensure a free and secure future of Russia." As battalions marched by and military hardware both old and new rumbled over the cobblestones, the sky cleared briefly to allow a flyby of warplanes, some of which trailed smoke in the white, red and blue of the Russian flag. Putin hailed the troops fighting in Ukraine as our heroes for their courage, resilience and self-denial, adding that all of Russia is with you. He accused the West of fueling regional conflicts, inter-ethnic and inter-religious strife and trying to contain sovereign and independent centers of global development. With tensions with Washington over Ukraine soaring to their highest level since the Cold War, Putin issued another stark reminder of Moscow's nuclear might. Russia will do everything to prevent global confrontation, but will not allow anyone to threaten us, he said. Our strategic forces are in combat readiness. Nuclear-capable Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles were pulled across Red Square, underscoring his message. The Soviet Union lost about 27 million people in World War II, an estimate that many historians consider conservative, scarring virtually every family. Nazi troops overran much of the western Soviet Union when they invaded in June 1941, before being driven back all the way to Berlin, where the USSR's hammer and sickle flag was raised above the ruined capital. The U.S., U.K, France and other allies mark the end of the war in Europe on May 8. The immense suffering and sacrifice in cities like Stalingrad, Kursk and Putin's native Leningrad now St. Petersburg still serve as a powerful symbol of the country's ability to prevail against seemingly overwhelming challenges. Since coming to power on the last day of 1999, Putin has made May 9 an important part of his political agenda, featuring missiles, tanks and fighter jets. Medal-bedecked veterans joined him Thursday to review the parade, and many including the president wore the black-and-orange St. Georges ribbon that is traditionally associated with Victory Day. About 9,000 troops, including about 1,000 who fought in Ukraine, took part in Thursday's parade. Although the U.S. and U.K. ambassadors did not attend, Putin was joined by other dignitaries and presidents of several former Soviet nations along with a few other Moscow allies, including the leaders of Cuba, Guinea-Bissau and Laos. In his speech, he accused the West of revanchism hypocrisy and lies in seeking to play down the Soviet role in defeating Nazi Germany. Putin described Victory Day as very emotional and poignant. Every family is honoring its heroes, looking at pictures with dear faces and remembering their relatives and how they fought, he said. Putin, 71, talks frequently about his family history, sharing memories of his father, who fought on the front during the Nazi siege of the city and was badly wounded. As Putin tells it, his father, also named Vladimir, came home from a military hospital during the war to see workers trying to take away his wife, Maria, who had been declared dead of starvation. But the elder Putin did not believe she had died saying she had only lost consciousness, weak with hunger. Their first child, Viktor, died during the siege when he was 3, one of more than 1 million Leningrad residents who died in the 872-day blockade, most of them from starvation. For several years, Putin carried a photo of his father in Victory Day marches as did others honoring relatives who were war veterans in what was called the Immortal Regiment. Those demonstrations were suspended during the coronavirus pandemic and then again amid security concerns after the start of the fighting in Ukraine. As part of his efforts to burnish the Soviet legacy and trample on any attempts to question it, Russia has introduced laws that criminalized the rehabilitation of Nazism that include punishing the desecration of memorials or challenging Kremlin versions of World War II history. When he sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, Putin evoked World War II in seeking to justify his actions that Kyiv and its Western allies denounced as an unprovoked war of aggression. Putin cited the denazification of Ukraine as a main goal of Moscow, falsely describing the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust, as neo-Nazis. Putin tried to cast Ukraines veneration of some of its nationalist leaders who cooperated with the Nazis in World War II as a sign of Kyivs purported Nazi sympathies. He regularly made unfounded references to Ukrainian nationalist figures such as Stepan Bandera, who was killed by a Soviet spy in Munich in 1959, as an underlying justification for the Russian military action in Ukraine. Many observers see Putins focus on World War II as part of his efforts to revive the USSRs clout and prestige and his reliance on Soviet practices. Its the continuous self-identification with the USSR as the victor of Nazism and the lack of any other strong legitimacy that forced the Kremlin to declare denazification as the goal of the war, Nikolay Epplee said in a commentary for Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. The Russian leadership, he said, has locked itself up in a worldview limited by the Soviet past. Russia's jamming of American weapons in Ukraine is showing the US what it needs to be ready for in a future fight Russia's electronic warfare has repeatedly foiled American precision weapons in Ukraine. This highlights the need for the US to develop solutions before any great-power conflict. Those may include different weapons, specific countermeasures, and the targeting of jamming systems. Russian electronic warfare has created problems for some American-made precision weaponry in Ukraine, but Moscow is also showing its hand and telling the US what it needs solutions for to be ready for future fights. Ukraine has employed US precision weapons, such as the HIMARS-fired Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems and air-launched Joint Direct Attack Munitions, throughout the war, but widespread Russian electronic warfare is regularly diminishing the effectiveness of these weapons. Lt. Gen. Antonio Aguto, who's serving as the commander of Security Assistance Group-Ukraine, addressed the problem in December, saying electronic warfare directed at some of the US's "most precise capabilities" was "a challenge." Other US officials have identified these issues as well, adding that the US and Ukraine were working on solutions. Any fixes developed to effectively counter the challenge posed by electronic warfare won't just benefit Ukraine. They're also set to help the US solve problems it has long been concerned about as it prepares for the possibility of great-power conflict. Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel who's a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, explained to Business Insider that "the widespread GPS spoofing we see in Ukraine adds urgency to solving a problem DoD has long recognized: that wartime spoofing will reduce the effectiveness of its weapons." A Russian R-330Zh Zhitel electronic-warfare jamming station during an exercise in July 2018. Denis Abramov/Russian Defense Ministry via Mil.ru Electronic warfare can be executed using cheap but effective technology, and both sides of the war are using it extensively. And these tactics are not used solely to foil precision-guided munitions. They can also be used to scramble the connection between an operator and a reconnaissance or strike drone. Electronic warfare is a broad term that includes a variety of inexpensive options. Thomas Withington, an expert in electronic warfare and air defense who's an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said jamming was relatively straightforward, explaining to BI that it involved "blasting a GNSS receiver with noise to cause it to lose the position, navigation, and timing signal that it received from the satellite." Spoofing, on the other hand, involves sending false GNSS information to the weapon's navigation system, sending it off course or trajectory. Jamming is easier and can be done with cheaper equipment and engineers, while spoofing is likely to be used in more specific instances, such as hiding locations from the enemy. Both serve different purposes, but in either case, the effects can be deeply problematic for precision weaponry. Ukraine has managed to adapt to the challenge, in some cases, by engaging in jamming of its own or locating Russian electronic-warfare sites and destroying them. Relying on alternative systems that don't depend on GPS or use other guidance systems, such as an inertial guidance system, helps bypass the problem. That's not always an option, though. A M142 HIMARS launches a rocket on the Bakhmut direction on May 18, 2023 in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. Photo by Serhii Mykhalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images Within the Russian military, there's probably been increased interest in employing electronic warfare in battle, especially over the past year or so, because it's so effective at countering US-provided precision weapons. Precision systems such as Excalibur and GMLRS, which can be fired from US-provided M777 howitzers and HIMARS, respectively are seeing shockingly decreased accuracy because of jamming. "The philosophy behind weapons like Excalibur and JDAMs was that their reliance on GNSS, to an extent, was supposed to provide a level of precision," Withington said. He said the capability and accuracy of those much-vaunted weapons were now in question, adding that it "not only has tactical and operational ramifications for the Ukrainians," but it could also raise questions about "the wider confidence others have in those systems." Daniel Patt, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, wrote in a statement to Congress in March that the 155mm GPS-guided Excalibur artillery shell "had a 70% efficiency rate hitting targets when first used in Ukraine" but that "after six weeks, efficiency declined to only 6% as the Russians adapted their electronic warfare systems to counter it." Patt added that "the peak efficiency of a new weapon system is only about 2 weeks before countermeasures emerge." That's valuable information for the US as it prepares for future fights. GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions being transported to the flight deck of the USS Harry S. Truman. US Navy The war in Ukraine has, as a defense expert previously told BI, been an "intelligence bonanza" and is giving the US an opportunity to learn how its precision weapons perform under modern threats such as electronic warfare. It's not theoretical. Instead, the US is watching a rival power engage its weapons in a real war. Intelligence from the war builds on and probably advances years of research and discussion among US defense officials and experts about how electronic warfare would impact America's arsenal in a great-power conflict and how the US would need to adapt. Cancian said the Department of Defense had been working on overcoming these threats by focusing on options such as using narrower signal bands or the generation of stronger signals that are able to burn through jamming attempts. The threats, nevertheless, "remind us to be careful about expecting 'game changers,'" he said. "The other side always develops countermeasures that reduce effectiveness." Despite the challenges, the US shouldn't completely write off its precision weapons should it one day find itself in a war with another great power, be it Russia or China, which would almost certainly employ electronic warfare as well. Withington said that "even if that jamming has been quite successful, the tactical imperative behind this is to work out a way to outflank the effectiveness of that electronic attack," adding that while a strong Russian jamming signal might be effective, it'd also be easier to detect and destroy. At a media event earlier this month, Doug Bush, the Army's acquisition chief, said it wasn't surprising Russia was able to jam US weapons. He said it was part of a "constant cycle" of innovation on both sides, adding that the US was learning that "with any precision weapon, you want multiple ways to guide it to its target." For some weapons, that's already in the works. Earlier this week, the US Air Force announced a contract for add-on seekers for its extended-range JDAMs, the goal being to improve the JDAM to resist electronic jamming and instead lock onto the source of the jamming, targeting it. Bush said the Army had created a team focused on adapting its weapons to electronic-warfare issues long before the war in Ukraine, signaling the Pentagon's clear understanding of the problem these capabilities pose. Bush previously said in August that the Army was "fundamentally reinvesting in rebuilding our tactical electronic-warfare capability after that largely left the force over the last 20 years" and that the war in Ukraine had added "urgency" to those efforts. US Army electronic-warfare specialists setting up portable packs capable of picking up and jamming enemy frequencies at Fort Bliss in Texas in December 2018. Staff Sgt. Felicia Jagdatt Withington said efforts to adapt precision weapons to the threat were just one facet of a multilayered solution. Other solutions to the problem involve using other weapons and prioritizing targeting the point of origin for electronic-warfare signals early in a conflict. "It is imperative that forces like the US and its allies see future battle in a case that they have to first establish electromagnetic superiority," he said, explaining that denying enemies from using the electromagnetic spectrum in any way would "massively degrade at the very least, if not prevent altogether" an enemy from interfering with its weapons. Ultimately, though, as the US and Ukraine adjust to Russia's jamming and learn from the war, the "constant cycle" of innovation, as Bush said, is set to continue. "The measure, countermeasure, counter-countermeasure that we're seeing in Ukraine is typical in war," Cancian said, adding that "no technology provides the ultimate advantage." Read the original article on Business Insider Children of the Sacramento City Unified School District will head back to school early this year. The districts 41,000 students will return to classrooms Aug. 19 as a result of an agreement with the California Department of Education. District officials announced the new start date Wednesday upon the approval of a fee waiver request to the California Board of Education. Eight instructional days will be added to both the beginning of this school year and the 2025-26 school year to make up for eight lost instructional days during the 2022 teachers union strike. Sacramento City Unified failed to make up the days that year, and the Department of Education levied a $39.8 million fine against the district. With the fee forgiven, the district now has $39.8 million at its disposal. But what does that mean? Where did the money come from, and where has it been? Where was the $40 million? The $39.8 million was set aside from the Sacramento City Unifieds general fund to hold in the case the district was mandated to pay the state. Sacramento City Unified Chief Communications Officer Brian Heap likened it to keeping money aside in a checking account for a trip you plan to take later. We have had the money the entire time but we have been proceeding as though we knew that money would be spent on the fine, Heap said. The money will be reinvested to fund around 100 new staff positions for student support at school sites over the next five years, Sacramento City Teachers Association President Nikki Milevsky said. These positions will all be oriented toward student support, including special ed teachers, psychologists, nurses, counselors and intervention teachers. This is a win, win, win, Milevsky said. As a result of SCUSDs constructive engagement with us and the approval of this waiver by the State Board of Education, students will have new opportunities to learn with more resources, supported by dedicated staff to ensure the best quality education. After years of strife between Sacramento City Unified and its union, the two entities share a unifying moment in this achievement for the students and families of the district. Both agencies credit one another for their collaborative efforts to make this deal with the state. Is this a good thing for local students and families? While some parents may groan at the thought of less time with their children this summer, local educators say that more school time is a win all around. We do recognize that there is a level of inconvenience to some of our families and thats not lost on us, but we do feel as though the ability to add eight school days to our calendar is not going to be a bad thing for students, Heap said. We believe students are going to benefit from these additional days not just in regards to educational achievement, but their social and emotional wellbeing. Heap said that for many families in the district, attending school is the only way they can gain access to essential care. On days without school, many families can struggle to find day care for their children or to feed them multiple meals a day. Milevsky emphasized the importance of these extra days in helping teachers to hit all of the curriculum standards and ensure students are meeting grade level standards. Schedule changes can be hard, but were going to get through it together and make the best use of these days, she said. With the additional support (that the reinvestment will provide), we think we can have a really strong program for students. Sacramento program worked with the chronically homeless. For some, the result was eviction Carlton Franklin was days away from his eviction deadline but no closer to finding housing. Franklin, 62, sat on his bed in his studio apartment, surrounded by paperwork and wept. He was one of at least 17 people evicted this spring by nonprofit Next Move Homeless Services. He is a retired barber who proudly grew up in Sacramento. But he also condemns the way poor people are treated in this city and state. This is Sacramento, its the capital. But Sacramento dont care about nobody, Franklin said in early March. People dont have no empathy ... In California its like, if you cant get money, you can sleep on the ground like a dog. Among the papers spilled from a blue accordion folder was a yellow legal pad that contained dozens of phone numbers for organizations Franklin called to inquire about housing. Most of the numbers were crossed out. He had repeatedly been told no housing was available, and to join waiting lists that already had hundreds of homeless people on them. Carlton Franklin, 62, sits on his bed in March stressed about being evicted from Auburn Oaks, a former senior living facility in Citrus Heights. The complex, run by a nonprofit that received county funding to house the homeless, began the process of evicting tenants in November for not paying rent payments residents say they didnt understand they needed to make. I have a broke-down car in the back thats where Im going to have to go, said Franklin in tears. Franklins predicament started just before Thanksgiving when Next Move taped notices to his door and those of neighbors that stated they had to pay $6,180 in back rent or leave. They were shocked. They had been living in the Citrus Heights former senior living facility called Auburn Oaks since May 2021 without paying rent. Yes, former residents told The Sacramento Bee, they had signed leases when they moved in that stated they would pay $772 per month in rent, plus $3,862 in move-in costs. But staff told the residents that the lease was a meaningless formality, and they would not need to pay, four former residents told The Bee. Next Move, which is a subsidiary of Goodwill, in 2021 received approximately $2.7 million in county funding to house about 80 homeless people for about a year in Auburn Oaks. Like Franklin, most of the Auburn Oaks tenants were seniors and had stayed in the states former Project Roomkey COVID-19 isolation motels. The county closed the motels once state funding expired. The rent was only covered for a year because it was under a program called rapid rehousing, said Next Move Executive Director Debbie Hughes. The goal is to support them through the transition and get them established in their unit, Hughes said. About a year after the tenants moved into Auburn Oaks, the county contract with Next Move to cover the tenants rent ended, and Next Move sent all tenants a letter, Hughes said. Hughes provided a redacted copy of the notice, dated March 17, 2022, which says tenants will have to start paying their own rent starting the next month. But Franklin and three other former residents told The Bee that the tenants were never told they would be on the hook for rent. Brenda White lived at the complex with her husband Shawn, who is in a wheelchair. She said the Next Move staffers told her when she signed the lease agreement, the county would be paying the rent in perpetuity. They made us sign a paper for the room rent and told us that it was for the county so that they could get paid, said Brenda White, 49. Brenda White, 49, who has Type 2 diabetes, shows signs of stress in March as she and her husband pack before being evicted from the Auburn Oaks complex. They had been placed in the former senior living facility after the states Project Roomkey program ended. Even though they had no place to move, they decided to vacate to avoid having the eviction in their court records for future prospective landlords to see. THE LOCKOUT PROCESS BEGINS The Whites said they only learned that the county was not covering their rent in October 2023 when an eviction notice appeared on their door. Since then, identical notices appeared on the doors of at least 15 others, The Bee learned from court records and eviction records obtained through the California Open Records Act. They did not provide us a copy of (the lease) until (Next Move) tried to take us, and everyone else, to court, Brenda White said. Since Oct. 1, Next Move has filed unlawful detainers against at least 17 Auburn Oaks residents, according to court records. An unlawful detainer starts the formal court process for an eviction, which can end up on a persons record and be viewed by potential landlords. That process can lead to Sheriffs deputies changing the locks on the apartment. Sometimes tenants lose belongings they did not manage to remove prior to the lockout. The Sheriffs Office has started the lockout process for at least 14 people, according to Sheriffs Office records that The Bee obtained through a public records request. A wheelchair and containers packed with residents belongings rest in the hallway in March at the Auburn Oaks complex where senior and disabled residents were being evicted by Next Move Homeless Services, which has received about $837,000 in county funds to fund the facility since 2020. A Bee reporter observed Hughes and three Sheriffs deputies enter the building on March 13 and knock on the door of one unit. Hughes asked the reporter to stop recording and declined to answer questions about whether a lockout was taking place. As of May 3, the building was owned by Carmichael-based Auburn Oaks Center LLC, which has owned it since September 2020. That LLC is registered to Pete Halimi, president of Carmichael-based Oracle Properties, who did not respond to a call seeking comment. HEALTH ISSUES COMPLICATE REHOUSING PROGRAM From the outset, Hughes said, the idea was to help people get jobs and identification documents so they could afford the $772 a month rent and could stay at Auburn Oaks. About 20 people did so. Next Moves contract with the county stipulates that services would be provided to help tenants make the transition to covering their rent. The contract states: This agreement is for the provision of property related tenant services (PRTS) for the flexible housing pool (FHP), which also includes the flexible supportive rehousing program (FSRP). The FHP will utilize ongoing PRTS and through separate agreements, intensive case management services to provide community-based supportive housing options for persons experiencing chronic or long-term homelessness Shawn White, 62, who suffers from spinal stenosis and a degenerative disk disease, sits stressed out and in pain in his wheelchair on March 28, as he and his wife Brenda faced eviction at the end of the month from the former Auburn Oaks Care Center in Citrus Heights. The couple moved to the complex, once a senior living facility, from a motel that was part of Project Roomkey, the states program to house the homeless during the COVID pandemic. Hughes said Next Move provided that support and enumerated the services offered. This support included submitting voucher applications, social security income applications, employment referrals and more to assist the client to achieve self-sustainability, Hughes said. This process of course only works when both parties are contributing to the goal. Franklin said he did not receive those services while at Auburn Oaks. The Whites said they did not need those services. They already have a Section 8 voucher, in which the federal government pays a portion of rent, and receive disability payments. Shawn Whites health issues qualify him for disability, and his wife Brenda serves as his caretaker and hasnt worked since 2015. They fall in Sacramentos less visible but large homeless segment who are homeless because their income is not enough to afford non-subsidized rent. Shawn White noted that most of the tenants of Auburn Oaks faced distinct challenges. He is 62 and suffers from spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease. His wife has diabetes. Everyone came from different walks of life but need housing, he said during an interview in Franklins room in March, weeks ahead of his eviction deadline. They are all over 55, severely disabled or have mental health issues and we got no check ins. Carlton Franklin wipes tears as Shawn White, another tenant staying in a room nearby, joins him in talking on March 13 about their concern about being evicted from the Auburn Oaks senior housing in Citrus Heights. Franklin later moved to avoid having an eviction in his court records, but his car was towed by police and he is now temporarily living at the X Street shelter in Sacramento. Its been a while since I actually smiled, he said. Thats part of why they had to leave, Hughes said. When working with this segment of the population, there are a number of individuals that have medical and (mobility) issues, Hughes wrote. Auburn Oaks is just an apartment complex so wrap around services are not included in the lease agreement. White said the lack of check-ins could have contributed to the deaths of at least three residents at the building Floyd Kelly, Gregory Bell, and Richard Meyer. All the causes were ruled to be drug-related, according to death reports from the Sacramento County Coroners Office. Another man, Michael Fassler, died in October 2023, six months after he was evicted. The coroners office has not yet released the cause of Fasslers death. That place is killing everybody, Brenda White said. Brenda White checks on her husband Shawn, who suffers from spinal stenosis and degenerative disk disease, as he takes a break from sitting in his wheelchair March 28. He is able to walk a few steps with a cane but needs his wife as a caretaker. Hughes and county spokeswoman Janna Haynes declined comment on the deaths but said that drugs were banned from the building. Any death is tragic in our programs, but what we know about those that were part of Project Roomkey, is that they were the most vulnerable older, a history of medical issues, Haynes said in an email. These vulnerabilities were one of the reasons they were eligible for PRK in the first place. We also know that there are some acute behavioral health challenges with these guests. We are grateful that these folks were inside, cared for and safe when they passed instead of dying on the streets. HOMELESS DESPITE SECTION 8 VOUCHERS Shanna Simons, another resident evicted from Auburn Oaks, said she was presented twice with housing options where she and her boyfriend could move. We put money on a place twice to do credit checks only to come back to, we did not qualify, Simons said. Why wouldnt a housing counselor know this? She assured us both times we would get in. I just want help with housing like we were promised. Like the Whites, Simons has a Section 8 voucher, but has still been unsuccessful in finding a home. They are among the roughly 1,000 homeless people in Sacramento who cant find housing despite having Section 8 vouchers. Sacramentos rental market is tight. Despite laws against it, homeless people with vouchers have told The Bee landlords sometimes turn down people with vouchers due to stereotypes that poor people bring crime and damages to the unit. Hughes said anyone could use a Section 8 voucher to stay at Auburn Oaks, if they had one, but Simons and the Whites said they were never offered that option. Shawn White rests after taking an assortment of medicines and vitamins, including pain medication in March. He and his wife Brenda had been packing to depart Easter Sunday. They were given a short extension but they had no idea where they would go. White, whose disability check is too small for Sacramentos escalating rental market, said he wished he was well enough to get a job. Finding housing in Sacramento is difficult for those such as the Whites, who cant work and live off a monthly disability check of less than $1,000. Since 2021, 521 extremely low-income housing units have been built in Sacramento, according to a new city report. But the city needs 4,711 more to meet its state goals. For every one person who becomes housed, three more lose housing, according to Sacramento County officials. DID WE GET WHAT WE PAID FOR? The county has signed over a dozen contracts with Next Move for homeless services since 2020, including two, totaling $2.7 million, for Auburn Oaks. The county contracts say the county has the ability to audit Next Move at any time. Though county staff plan to produce a financial report later this year, they have never done an audit. County spokeswoman Haynes defended the countys large ongoing contracts with Next Move. The work is challenging for any organization, Haynes said in an email.. We are grateful that they are available and qualified to manage programs that the County funds and we will continue to work with them as long as it makes sense. The evictions from Auburn Oaks appear to fly in the face of Next Moves mission statement. Founded in 1972, Next Move Homeless Services Inc. is a powerful force in moving people experiencing homelessness to higher levels of self-sufficiency through housing ... in order to bring stability to those most vulnerable, stated Next Moves Form 990 for 2022, the most recent year available. But instead of stability, some of the Auburn Oaks tenants are actually worse off after being served by Next Move. At least three people are even less likely to find housing than they used to be because they now have an eviction on their records. Hughes said the organization only took the steps that resulted in putting the eviction on those tenants records if they did not leave after getting warnings. The tenants who have been served (eviction) notices for non-payment have remained housed with three meals provided daily without paying rent for almost two years, Hughes said. We do not want to add to their barriers, nor do we anticipate collecting on any back owed rents, but have to follow through if they do not follow the agreement and turn the unit over as agreed upon. Dejanae Franklin, who is pregnant, looks over at her daughter Faith Marshall, 2, in March while staying in the room of uncle Carlton Franklin after being homeless. Carlton took his niece in to try and help her, even though he was on the verge of eviction. She said she called 211 several times to try and get housed but no one responded. Next Move placed a three-day eviction notice on Charles Browns door on Aug. 18, 2023 stating he had to pay $6,180. By the time he showed up for a November hearing, the total increased to $8,085. The eviction was set for five days after Thanksgiving. Brown tried to fight it in court. I will be forced to vacate my home before I can find another place to live, Brown wrote by hand in a court document. My inability to find another place to live is due to a hardship I suffer. In addition Im experiencing an untreated breathing problem. Unlike Next Move, represented by a Carlsbad attorney, Brown could not afford a lawyer. Sacramento Superior Court Judge Julie Yap ruled that Next Move could move forward with evicting Brown. No good cause found, the ruling states, referring to a cause that would be needed to halt the eviction. The Bee could not locate Brown for this story. The eviction is now on his record. Carolyn Martin also tried to fight her eviction in court without an attorney. Defendant is not bound by the May 2021 rental agreement, defendant does not owe any rent money, defendant never received 3 day notice because I was told it was a program, Martin wrote. During a hearing two days before Christmas, a judge ruled that the eviction would stand. She was ordered to leave Jan. 2. Some residents who faced eviction were able to find housing rather than end up on the streets. Curtis Freeman is one those lucky ones and now lives in a Natomas Boulevard senior living facility. My navigator got me a spot before all that happened, Freeman said. But it aint right for the others. Things didnt work out quite as smoothly for Franklin. After being evicted from Auburn Oaks, he moved into an inoperable vehicle parked on a Del Paso Heights street. After a few weeks, he got a spot at the citys shelter on X Street and Alhambra, and is now in a senior living facility in south Sacramento. An estimated 9,300 homeless people live in Sacramento, and over 5,000 lack shelter. The waiting list for one of the citys 1,300 shelter beds has over 2,657 people on it, and an additional 690 families. How safe are Central KY hospitals for patients? See latest grades from watchdog report A national watchdog group recently scored some Central Kentucky hospitals below average for safety metrics, including infection, patient falls and harmful events. The Leapfrog Group is a nonprofit organization that provides ratings and safety data for hospitals, and it recently released grades for nearly 3,000 short-term, acute care hospitals across the country. The organization updates grades twice each year, once in the spring and once in the fall. The goal is to help consumers protect themselves and their families from the errors, injuries, accidents or infections that they might experience during a hospital stay, Alex Campione, program analyst for Leapfrog hospital safety grades, said in an interview with the Herald-Leader. The spring 2024 grades report a reversal of an alarming trend of increasing health care-associated infections across the U.S., which were at a six-year high for the fall 2023 ratings. New @LeapfrogGroup Hospital Safety Grades Find Significant Improvements in Patient Experience Reports and Health Care-Associated Infectionshttps://t.co/RZT60YFBOK pic.twitter.com/BVSWVhqcUT The Leapfrog Group (@LeapfrogGroup) May 2, 2024 Those infections have now returned to pre-pandemic levels, Campione said, and another safety measure also improved nationally this spring. Patient experience metrics, which assess quality of nurse communication, doctor communication, hospital staff responsiveness, communication about medicine and discharge information, significantly improved in the spring 2024 grades across the U.S., though they remain far from pre-pandemic levels, according to Leapfrog. I actually think the patient experience measures are the most important, Campione said. Patient experience metrics show first-hand whether patients are getting enough time to discuss concerns with their doctors and whether theyre experiencing any neglect, Campione added. Out of seven Central Kentucky hospitals, two saw improved performance, while none received lower grades than in fall 2023. Georgetown Community Hospital was among 2% across the U.S. to improve their performance by two grades, jumping from a C to an A. Two local hospitals received As, while four received Bs and one got a C grade. Leapfrog uses 22 metrics to evaluate a safety grade, including seven that are self-reported through the organizations survey. All seven local hospitals responded to Leapfrogs survey. The survey is an extensive process, its a commitment that hospitals have to make to complete the survey. Its not short, Campione said. Three-fourths of hospitals that are graded complete Leapfrogs survey, Campione continued. Grades for the hospitals that dont respond are calculated by using past data or a model that estimates how they might have performed if they did submit the survey. Federal, publicly reported data is available for all of the hospitals and is used in the grading, and self-reported data goes through a multi-layer verification process to ensure accuracy. Heres how Central Kentucky hospitals performed in Leapfrogs grading, plus how to interpret ratings and which areas should be most heavily considered. Baptist Health Lexington Spring 2024 grade: A Fall 2023 grade: A Spring 2023 grade: A Here are the areas in which Baptist Health Lexington scored below average this spring: Kidney injury after surgery Patient falls and injuries Hand washing Our hospital is committed to providing the best in patient care, Baptist Health Lexington President Chris Roty said in an emailed statement. This national recognition reflects our teams dedication to continuously improve and maintain high achievement in patient safety. The spring 2024 grades mark Baptist Health Lexingtons 13th consecutive A grade. UK Good Samaritan Hospital Spring 2024 grade: B Fall 2023 grade: B Spring 2023 grade: C Here are the areas in which UK Good Samaritan Hospital scored below average this spring: MRSA infection Infection in the blood Sepsis infection after surgery Dangerous object left in patients body Kidney injury after surgery Serious breathing problem Harmful events Patient falls and injuries Falls causing broken hips UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital Spring 2024 grade: B Fall 2023 grade: C Spring 2023 grade: C Here are the areas in which UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital scored below average this spring: MRSA infection Sepsis infection after surgery Dangerous object left in patients body Kidney injury after surgery Serious breathing problem Harmful events Patient falls and injuries Falls causing broken hips The quality of care and safety of our patients is one of our most important priorities. We have and will continue to invest substantial resources to improve these areas, and that is clearly reflected in the updated Leapfrog ratings. The academic medical system of UK HealthCare UK Chandler Hospital, UK Good Samaritan Hospital, and Kentucky Childrens Hospital provides high-acuity care for Kentuckians with the most complex health needs. We are also proud to be ranked the top hospital in Kentucky by U.S. News for eight years running, with three of our specialties (cancer, OB/GYN, and ENT) receiving a Top 50 program ranking as well, University of Kentucky HealthCare spokesperson Allison Perry wrote in an emailed statement. Saint Joseph Hospital Spring 2024 grade: C Fall 2023 grade: C Spring 2023 grade: C Here are the areas in which Saint Joseph Hospital scored below average this spring: Sepsis infection after surgery Blood leakage Accidental cuts and tears Harmful events Dangerous bed sores Patient falls and injuries Falls causing broken hips Collapsed lung Communication about medicines Communication about discharge Specially trained doctors care for ICU patients Communication with doctors Communication with nurses Responsiveness of hospital staff Saint Joseph East Spring 2024 grade: B Fall 2023 grade: B Spring 2023 grade: C Here are the areas in which Saint Joseph East scored below average this spring: Sepsis infection after surgery Accidental cuts and tears Harmful events Dangerous bed sores Collapsed lungs Communication about medicines Communication about discharge Specially trained doctors care for intensive care unit patients (Saint Joseph East received a 5 out of 100 for this metric, the lowest score given to any hospital.) A score was not available for surgical site infection after colon surgery. An unavailable score does not denote a lack of safety. Patient safety is our top priority. There are multiple hospital rating agencies, each with different ratings criteria. Organizations such as Healthgrades and PINC AI have consistently recognized Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint Joseph East for quality care. Saint Joseph Hospital was again recognized by Healthgrades as one of the Top 100 Hospitals in the nation, and Saint Joseph East was recently named among the Top 100 Hospitals by PINC AI, as reported by Fortune Magazine. The Leapfrog organization has some very specific requirements that heavily influence the overall score. We are laser focused on those requirements. We want the A-level care identified by other organizations to match with an A score with this reporting method, Dr. Dan Goulson, chief medical officer of CHI Saint Joseph Health, wrote in an emailed statement. Georgetown Community Hospital Spring 2024 grade: A Fall 2023 grade: C Spring 2023 grade: C Here are the areas in which Georgetown Community Hospital scored below average this spring: Accidental cuts and tears Specially trained doctors care for ICU patients (Georgetown Community Hospital received a 5 out of 100 for this metric, the lowest score given to any hospital.) Scores were unavailable for five categories, including MRSA infection, infection in the blood, death from serious treatable complications and others. An unavailable score does not denote a lack of safety. Georgetown Community Hospitals (GCH) top priority has always been the safety and well-being of our patients, and this A rating reaffirms our commitment to delivering exceptional care. This achievement would not have been possible without the collaborative effort of our outstanding team, who work tirelessly to provide the best possible care to the communities we serve. Scott County and the surrounding areas can feel confident that GCH continues to provide quality patient centered care. From emergency room care to advanced outpatient surgical services, Georgetown Community Hospital continues to redefine what quality healthcare looks like as a community-based facility. The Leapfrog Group assesses hospitals of all sizes in areas of preventing medical errors, reducing infections and ensuring proper safety measures are in place. Georgetown Community Hospital is proud to be one of eight hospitals [in] the state of Kentucky to receive an A, and only one of two hospitals in central Kentucky, Cliff Wilson III, CEO of Georgetown Community Hospital and market president for Lifepoint in Central Kentucky, wrote in an emailed statement. Clark Regional Medical Center Spring 2024 grade: B Fall 2023 grade: B Spring 2023 grade: A Here are the areas in which Clark Regional Medical Center scored below average this spring: Infection in the blood (Clark Regional Medical Center received the lowest score given to any hospital in this category.) Infection in the urinary tract Collapsed lung Nursing and bedside care for patients Specially trained doctors care for ICU patients (Clark Regional Medical Center received a 5 out of 100 for this metric, the lowest score given to any hospital.) Scores were unavailable for MRSA infection, surgical site infection after colon surgery and death from serious treatable complications. Unavailable scores do not denote a lack of safety. The Leapfrog Group reported its Spring 2024 Hospital Safety Grade, in which Clark Regional Medical Center (CRMC) earned [a] B. We are pleased to be among only a few hospitals in the state that earned a B rating or higher and continue to focus on protecting patients from preventable harm and errors. This recognition highlights the hard work and dedication of our staff in prioritizing patient safety and delivering the best possible care. We are committed to continuing our efforts to enhance our safety measures and quality of care even further. While we value these public ranking systems and certainly want to celebrate our successes, it is essential to remember that each uses different methodology and data collection periods, Matt Smith, CEO of Clark Regional Medical Center, wrote in an emailed statement. How are hospital grades calculated? Safety grades are calculated using up to 22 national safety measures from the Leapfrog survey, U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other data sources. The full methodology is available online and is peer-reviewed and published by the Journal of Patient Safety. Grades are composed 50% by process and structural measures and 50% by outcome measures. The scoring scales differ by the chosen measure. In the spring 2024 grades, 29.13% of hospitals nationwide received As, while 25.9% got Bs, 37.2% received Cs, 7.4% received Ds and less than 1% were given Fs. Kentucky ranked 35th in the U.S. for the highest percentage of hospitals receiving A grades, up from 37th in the fall. How should you use these scores? Leapfrog emphasizes you should not refuse emergency care based on hospital ratings. The group intends the scores to be used when planning things like childbirth, surgery referrals or chronic illness treatment. The areas you should pay most attention to when choosing a hospital include hand washing, infection in the blood and patient falls, Leapfrogs website says. Leapfrogs hand washing grade measures how well hospitals use five best practices, including: Monitoring, including monitoring proper hand hygiene technique Feedback, including evaluation and use of compliance data Training and Education, including demonstrations of technique Infrastructure, including hand sanitizer dispensers Culture, including leadership buy-in You should also consider how far off your hospital was from the average for any given standard. When evaluating a hospital, you can see the highest and lowest scores given, which helps in weighing a value. The below average category can include hospitals that scored 0.01 points under goal, along with facilities with the lowest possible score. For hospitals that responded to Leapfrogs survey, theres often information available about which areas the hospital has improved in and which areas are not going in the right direction. A hospital being ungraded does not denote a lack of safety. Ratings are often unavailable for facilities that decline to self-report, as well as smaller providers, childrens hospitals, surgical centers and critical access hospitals. Where can you find more hospital ratings? Leapfrog allows you to search for hospitals by name, location or state. Theres an online search tool where you can find information about more hospitals. Do you have a question about health care in Central Kentucky for our service journalism team? Wed like to hear from you. Fill out our Know your Kentucky survey below or email ask@herald-leader.com. By Nick Carey LONDON (Reuters) -Chinese automaker BYD will consider building a second assembly plant in Europe in 2025, its European managing director Michael Shu said on Thursday. Speaking at the FT's Future of the Car conference, Shu said that BYD will bring a low-cost electric vehicle based on its Chinese Seagull model to Europe. The European version of the Seagull, which retails in China for less than $10,000, should cost less than 20,000 euros ($21,550) in Europe, Shu said. EVs are on average around 30% more expensive than combustion-engine equivalent models, which has undercut demand for zero-emission cars, leaving legacy automakers in Europe scrambling to develop more affordable models. Shu said that BYD wanted to become a leading EV maker in Europe by 2030. "We are confident that we could be in a leading position by 2030," he said. BYD said last December that it would build an EV plant in Hungary, becoming the first major Chinese automaker with a production base in Europe. BYD's Shu spoke as Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Hungary on the third and final stop on his first European tour in five years. Hungary under right-leaning Prime Minister Viktor Orban has become an important trade and investment partner for China, in contrast with some other European Union nations. Warm political relations have turned into investments as Chinese battery and electric vehicle makers began setting up production in Hungary. EV battery maker CATL has been among the biggest investors with a 7.3 billion euro ($7.86 billion) battery plant in Debrecen. ($1 = 0.9281 euros) (Reporting by Nick Carey; Editing by Tomasz Janowski, Alexander Smith and David Evans) How safe are metro-east hospitals for patients? See latest grades from watchdog report A national watchdog group recently scored some southwestern Illinois and St. Louis area hospitals below average for safety metrics, including medication administration, infections and patient falls. Several metro-east hospitals also scored below average for having enough specially trained doctors caring for patients in the intensive care unit. The Leapfrog Group is a nonprofit organization that provides ratings and safety data for hospitals, and it recently released grades for nearly 3,000 short-term, acute care hospitals across the country. The organization updates grades twice each year, once in the spring and once in the fall. The goal is to help consumers protect themselves and their families from the errors, injuries, accidents or infections that they might experience during a hospital stay, Alex Campione, program analyst for Leapfrog hospital safety grades, said in an interview with the News-Democrat. The spring 2024 grades report a reversal of an alarming trend of increasing health care-associated infections across the U.S., which were at a six-year high for the fall 2023 ratings. New @LeapfrogGroup Hospital Safety Grades Find Significant Improvements in Patient Experience Reports and Health Care-Associated Infectionshttps://t.co/RZT60YFBOK pic.twitter.com/BVSWVhqcUT The Leapfrog Group (@LeapfrogGroup) May 2, 2024 Those infections have now returned to pre-pandemic levels, Campione said, and another safety measure also improved nationally this spring. Patient experience metrics, which assess quality of nurse communication, doctor communication, hospital staff responsiveness, communication about medicine and discharge information, significantly improved in the spring 2024 grades across the U.S., though they remain far from pre-pandemic levels, according to Leapfrog. I actually think the patient experience measures are the most important, Campione told the News-Democrat. Patient experience metrics show first-hand whether patients are getting enough time to discuss concerns with their doctors and whether theyre experiencing any neglect, Campione added. Out of eight hospitals in the metro-east and St. Louis region, two saw their safety grades improve, while one saw worsened performance. OSF Saint Anthonys Health Center in Alton was among the 2% of hospitals across the U.S. to improve their performance by two grades, jumping from a C to an A. Five local hospitals received Bs, while one got an A, one got a C and one received a D. Leapfrog uses 22 metrics to evaluate a safety grade, including seven that are self-reported through the organizations survey. Seven of the eight hospitals declined to respond to Leapfrogs survey, while OSF Saint Anthonys did respond. The survey is an extensive process, its a commitment that hospitals have to make to complete the survey. Its not short, Campione said. Three-fourths of hospitals that are graded complete Leapfrogs survey, Campione continued. Grades for the hospitals that dont respond are calculated by using past data or a model that estimates how they might have performed if they did submit the survey. Federal, publicly reported data is available for all of the hospitals and is used in the grading, and self-reported data goes through a multi-layer verification process to ensure accuracy. Heres how metro-east hospitals performed in Leapfrogs grading, plus how to interpret ratings and which areas should be most heavily considered. Memorial Hospital Belleville Spring 2024 grade: B Fall 2023 grade: C Spring 2023 grade: B Here are the areas in which Memorial Hospital Belleville scored below average this spring: Infection in the blood Infection in the urinary tract Patient falls and injuries Falls causing broken hips Collapsed lung Safe medication administration Hand washing Specially trained doctors care for patients in the ICU (Memorial Hospital Belleville received a 5 out of 100 for this metric, the lowest score given to any hospital.) Memorial Hospital Belleville officials declined to report metrics for staff work together to prevent errors, effective leadership to prevent errors and nursing and bedside care for patients. Barnes-Jewish Hospital Spring 2024 grade: C Fall 2023 grade: C Spring 2023 grade: B Here are the areas in which Barnes-Jewish Hospital scored below average this spring: C. diff infection Infection in the blood Surgical site infection after colon surgery Surgical wound splits open Kidney injury after surgery Safe medication administration Hand washing Specially trained doctors care for patients in the ICU (Barnes-Jewish Hospital received a 5 out of 100 for this metric, the lowest score given to any hospital.) Barnes-Jewish Hospital officials declined to report metrics for staff work together to prevent errors, effective leadership to prevent errors and nursing and bedside care for patients. All BJC HealthCare hospitals are committed to patient safety, and we support efforts to make quality outcomes data available to patients and to the public. We encourage people to seek out data on Medicares Care Compare site and we are also committed to transparency by providing links to this information on the BJC website. The Leapfrog analysis is based on a methodology that is a composite of process and outcome measures, with most of the process data obtained from hospitals responses to a burdensome, self-reported survey. We have concerns about relying on methodologies that utilize self-reporting on questionnaires, which in this case can carry a significant impact in the overall results. For these reasons, BJC HealthCare hospitals have never participated in the Leapfrog survey. We believe our approach based on methodical study and careful ongoing evaluation of outcomes is a more effective means of improving patient safety and that our rigorous discipline and process over the years has made a significant impact on improving quality of care. BJC HealthCare is committed to providing the highest standard of care every day for every patient, BJC HealthCare spokesperson Laura High said in an emailed statement. HSHS St. Elizabeths Hospital in OFallon Spring 2024 grade: B Fall 2023 grade: B Spring 2023 grade: A Here are the areas in which HSHS St. Elizabeths Hospital in OFallon scored below average this spring: Surgical wound splits open Blood leakage Serious breathing problem Harmful events Collapsed lung Dangerous blood clot Safe medication administration Hand washing HSHS St. Josephs Hospital in Breese Spring 2024 grade: B Fall 2023 grade: B Spring 2023 grade: B Here are the areas in which HSHS St. Josephs Hospital in Breese scored below average this spring: C. diff infection Doctors order medications through a computer Safe medication administration Hand washing HSHS officials declined to report metrics for staff work together to prevent errors, effective leadership to prevent errors and nursing and bedside care for patients. HSHS St. Joseph also declined to report for specially trained doctors care for ICU patients. Scores were not available for nine metrics for HSHS St. Josephs, including MRSA infection, infection in the blood and others. Data being unavailable does not denote a lack of safety. HSHS takes quality and safety seriously and we stand by the care we provide to our patients. Our internal metrics do not align with external ratings from organizations whose surveys we do not participate in. We continue to proactively manage and measure internal quality improvement initiatives that lead to positive patient outcomes. There are a variety of healthcare quality rating organizations (e.g. Leapfrog, HealthGrades, US News) that review and publish hospital quality scores. No two organizations rely on the same criteria for their ratings, which may include publicly reported data, such as data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) and state databases; their own proprietary quality measures; or a mixture of both. Both HSHS St. Elizabeths Hospital in OFallon and HSHS St. Josephs Hospital in Breese support the collection and publication of hospital quality data to help consumers make informed decisions about their health care. Since each rating organization relies on different metrics to create a quality ranking, grade or score for each hospital, it can be difficult to discern which ranking is most accurate. HSHS utilizes its internal quality teams to manage and measure a robust set of data and metrics, with the goal to continuously improve the standard of care. We have organized shared clinical quality governance councils to empower colleagues to have a voice in how to ensure our patients receive quality, safe and effective care. We also encourage patients and families to discuss individual care plans with their physician and care teams as part of their decision-making when choosing a hospital, HSHS spokesperson Kelly Barbeau said in an emailed statement. Gateway Regional Medical Center Spring 2024 grade: D Fall 2023 grade: C Spring 2023 grade: D Here are the areas in which Gateway Regional Medical Center scored below average this spring: C. diff infection Infection in the urinary tract Safe medication administration Hand washing Communication about medicines Communication about discharge Communication with doctors Communication with nurses Responsiveness of hospital staff Gateway Regional Medical Center officials declined to report metrics for staff work together to prevent errors, effective leadership to prevent errors and nursing and bedside care for patients. Scores were not available for six metrics, including MRSA infection, sepsis infection after surgery and others. Data being unavailable does not denote a lack of safety. Gateway Regional Medical Center officials were not immediately available for comment. Anderson Hospital Spring 2024 grade: B Fall 2023 grade: B Spring 2023 grade: B Here are the areas in which Anderson Hospital scored below average this spring: Accidental cuts and tears Safe medication administration Hand washing Specially trained doctors care for ICU patients (Anderson Hospital received a 5 out of 100 for this metric, the lowest score given to any hospital.) Anderson Hospital officials declined to report metrics for staff work together to prevent errors, effective leadership to prevent errors and nursing and bedside care for patients. Leapfrog is an independent organization that collects and reports one-of-a-kind data. There are many similar organizations, all using public information with differing methodologies. Anderson Hospital just completed its triennial accreditation with the Joint Commission, which is the gold standard of accreditation. For the 3rd year in a row, Anderson Hospital ranked in the top 6% of hospitals in the United States through another independent study done by Newsweek. Anderson Hospital participates in reporting quality information so it is available to the public. Links to national and state programs and organizations that provide these reports are readily available on our quality page on our website, Anderson Healthcare spokesperson Natalie Head said in an emailed statement. OSF Saint Anthonys Health Center in Alton Spring 2024 grade: A Fall 2023 grade: C Spring 2023 grade: C Here are the areas in which OSF Saint Anthonys Health Center in Alton scored below average this spring: C. diff infection Surgical wound splits open Harmful events Scores were unavailable for four metrics, including MRSA infection, infection in the urinary tract infection and others. Data being unavailable does not denote a lack of safety. Patient safety is always at the forefront of patient care that takes place at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthonys Health Center. Our physicians, nurses and staff are dedicated to providing the safest, high-quality care to those we serve every day. Receiving the highest grade from The Leapfrog Group is validation of the diligent patient-centered work of our Mission Partners and we support the transparency about quality and safety that the Leapfrog grades provide. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses national performance measures. While we humbly accept this demonstration of our accomplishment, our team at OSF Saint Anthonys also understands and embraces our need for continuous improvement. We know our journey to excellence is never done, OSF Saint Anthony President Jerald Rumph said in an emailed statement. SSM Health St. Marys Hospital in Centralia Spring 2024 grade: B Fall 2023 grade: B Spring 2023 grade: B Here are the areas in which SSM Health St. Marys Hospital in Centralia scored below average this spring: Dangerous blood clot Doctors order medications through a computer Safe medication administration Hand washing Specially trained doctors care for ICU patients (SSM Health St. Marys received a 5 out of 100 for this metric, the lowest score given to any hospital.) Scores were unavailable for five metrics, including MRSA infection, infection in the blood and others. Data being unavailable does not denote a lack of safety. SSM Health St. Marys officials declined to report metrics for staff work together to prevent errors, effective leadership to prevent errors and nursing and bedside care for patients. SSM Health officials were not immediately available for comment. How are hospital grades calculated? Safety grades are calculated using up to 22 national safety measures from the Leapfrog survey, U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other data sources. The full methodology is available online and is peer-reviewed and published by the Journal of Patient Safety. Grades are composed 50% by process and structural measures and 50% by outcome measures. The scoring scales differ by the chosen measure. In the spring 2024 grades, 29.13% of hospitals nationwide received As, while 25.9% got Bs, 37.2% received Cs, 7.4% received Ds and less than 1% were given Fs. Illinois ranked 30th in the U.S. for the highest percentage of hospitals receiving A grades, while the St. Louis metro area ranked 64th. How should you use these scores? Leapfrog emphasizes you should not refuse emergency care based on hospital ratings. The group intends the scores to be used when planning things like childbirth, surgery referrals or chronic illness treatment. The areas you should pay most attention to when choosing a hospital include hand washing, infection in the blood and patient falls, Leapfrogs website says. Leapfrogs hand washing grade measures how well hospitals use five best practices, including: Monitoring, including monitoring proper hand hygiene technique Feedback, including evaluation and use of compliance data Training and Education, including demonstrations of technique Infrastructure, including hand sanitizer dispensers Culture, including leadership buy-in You should also consider how far off your hospital was from the average for any given standard. When evaluating a hospital, you can see the highest and lowest scores given, which helps in weighing a value. The below average category can include hospitals that scored 0.01 points under goal, along with facilities with the lowest possible score. For hospitals that responded to Leapfrogs survey, theres often information available about which areas the hospital has improved in and which areas are not going in the right direction. A hospital being ungraded does not denote a lack of safety. Ratings are often unavailable for facilities that decline to self-report, as well as smaller providers, childrens hospitals, surgical centers and critical access hospitals. Where can you find more hospital ratings? Leapfrog allows you to search for hospitals by name, location or state. Theres an online search tool where you can find information about more hospitals. Do you have a question about health care in the metro-east for our service journalism team? Wed like to hear from you. Fill out our Metro-east Matters survey below. A $100 million Salisbury University performing arts center may be on the horizon for downtown Salisbury, pending approval by the Wicomico County Council. University officials publicly announced the plans during Tuesday's council meeting. Expected to open within four to five years, the new center would feature an auditorium with seating for up to 1,000 people, making it the second largest indoor performance space in the county, after the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center. Other planned amenities include a music and theatre space with seating for up to 450, a convertible dance studio, scenic and costume design facilities, and dressing rooms, as well as classroom and rehearsal space. This forward-thinking partnership would bring two new assets to the community and provide incredible opportunities for economic development and advancement of the performing arts, said university President Carolyn Ringer Lepre. The way the university runs, we wouldn't have performances going on all year. That would leave ample time for community, city and visiting performances. We will have teaching spaces within this location and will serve everyone in the county. More on the former Ward Museum location Downtown library move to Ward Museum building in works. Here's all to know. Cultural impact of new downtown Salisbury performance space Bravenoise performs at the fourth Hops on the River Saturday, April 13, 2024, downtown from Unity Square to the Wicomico River. According to the university, the building is expected to have a significant annual economic impact on the region, beginning with its construction. The facility also could mean new opportunities for area businesses, as expanded SU cultural programming and the possibility of professional productions from national and international touring acts are expected to draw more customers to downtown Salisbury. The project is contingent upon an agreement that would allow SU to take possession of the building currently housing the Wicomico Public Librarys Paul S. Sarbanes Branch at the intersection of South Division and West Market streets. In return, the university would lease its building at 909 S. Schumaker Drive to the county for the librarys relocation. The lease cost would be $1 per year over 30 years, renewable every 10 years, per Maryland laws governing the lease of state-owned property. In addition, the venue would be available for community use. A public hearing on the move is already scheduled by the County Council for Tuesday, May 21, at 10 a.m. in chambers. SUs music, theatre and dance ensembles are renowned throughout Maryland and the Delmarva Peninsula, said Maarten Pereboom, dean of the universitys Charles R. and Martha N. Fulton School of Liberal Arts. While we enjoy inviting the community to our performances on campus, its exciting to know that, in just a few years, we may have an even bigger and better venue to showcase the talents of our students, our faculty and our community partners in a facility that would place us on par with our peers throughout the region. More on museum exhibits Downtown Salisbury museum update: Site with Ward items may open by summer 2024 What's next for Wicomico library and its downtown building? The proposal would require the county to make approximately $8 million in renovations to the Schumaker Drive property including a new HVAC system with the library being eligible to request up to 84% of that cost to be covered through the Maryland State Library Agencys Capital Grants Program. Pending approval of the agreement, demolition of the current library building would take place in 2026, thanks to a grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. The Wicomico County Library plans to continue to maintain services downtown at a smaller branch following the relocation of the Sarbanes branch at that time. When estimates to renovate or replace our current building, which is nearing the end of its useful life, ranged from $15 million to $30 million, we knew we needed to find a better option for our community. Learning that the Schumaker Drive building was potentially available, we worked with the Greater Salisbury Committee to bring this proposal to SU, said Seth Hershberger, Wicomico Public Library director. The proposed move would transform the library into "one of the most picturesque in Maryland" at an estimated cost of only $1.2 million to the county while also reopening the building and surrounding 10-acre grounds to the public, the university noted. Through this partnership, Salisbury and Wicomico County would gain two major community assets a state-of-the-art performing arts center and the nicest public library on the Eastern Shore all at a significantly reduced cost to taxpayers. This would be a win-win-win for Salisbury University, our library and county residents, said Mike Dunn, CEO and president of the Greater Salisbury Committee. More on wetland conservation Eastern Shore wetlands get boost with new Maryland legislation. Here's what's in works. This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: What's in works for SU's downtown Salisbury performing arts center? British author Salman Rushdie attends a press conference at the Frankfurt Book Fair. The Indian-born British author Rushdie, known for "Midnight's Children" and "The Satanic Verses," called legal proceedings brought against cultural critics by Italy's far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni "childish." Arne Dedert/dpa The Indian-born British author Salman Rushdie, known for "Midnight's Children" and "The Satanic Verses," called legal proceedings brought against cultural critics by Italy's far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni "childish." At the Turin International Book Fair on Thursday, Rushdie said that influential politicians should be able to take criticism. At the risk of Meloni also starting a lawsuit against him, he said, he advised her to "grow up!" Rushdie was referring to a conviction that Meloni secured against Italian writer Roberto Saviano after he had repeatedly called her a "bastard" on a talk show. Saviano, known for his groundbreaking work on the Mafia "Gomorrah," was fined 1,000. Meloni, who heads the far-right Brothers of Italy party, is also taking legal action against other critics, after being elected on an anti-migrant platform. "Politicians have great power. And it is normal for the population to have strong opinions about them," Rushdie said. "So to trial and prosecute somebody because he uses a rude word is childish. My response would be: grow up." Rushdie was in Turin to present his latest work, called "Knife," about being attacked in New York state. He has been blind in one eye since he was stabbed multiple times by a Muslim attacker in the United States in 2022. Rushdie was not accompanied by security at the time but has been living under police protection since the 1990s, after an Iranian cleric called a fatwa against him for his writings about Islam. The fatwa, an order for Muslims to kill Rushdie, came in response to alleged blasphemy in "The Satanic Verses." SAN DIEGO (FOX 5) In a seasonal battle, the May Gray clouds expanded over the coast and valleys late last night and dominated Wednesday morning, but the Southern California sun is reclaiming the skies. By noon Wednesday, the low clouds retreated to the coast and most of San Diego County will get plenty of sunshine and seasonal temps in the afternoon and the rest of this week. A coastal eddy spinning over the coastal waters this week will bring back the marine layer each evening/early morning but should clear by late morning. May gray to June gloom: Why summer isnt always sunny in California Midweek, beaches will top out in the mid to upper 60s and inland valleys will reach the low to mid-70s, with mid 60s in the mountains and mid-80s in the deserts. Theres no rain in the foreseeable future, so go ahead and get the car washed and enjoy the afternoon sunshine. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said President Bidens warning to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a good step forward in a Wednesday interview, but he hopes to see even more from the president going forward. Well, I think its a good step forward. I think weve got to do even more, Sanders told CNNs Kaitlan Collins in an interview Wednesday. The bottom line is, Kaitlan, is what Netanyahu has done in Gaza is unconscionable. In my view, Netanyahu should not have gotten a nickel so long as he continued this incredibly destructive war. Im glad to see that the president is beginning beginning to move in that direction, Sanders added. Sanderss remarks referred to Biden warning in an interview earlier Wednesday that he would stop supplying Israel with offensive weapons such as bombs and artillery shells if Israeli forces launch an invasion of Rafah, laying down a clear line amid outcry over the conflict in Gaza. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they havent gone in Rafah yet if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities that deal with that problem, Biden said. The White House has urged Israel against sending forces into Rafah without a clear plan to evacuate civilians safely, but Netanyahu has been adamant about plans to destroy Hamas, which he says requires going after Hamass battalions and tunnel system in Rafah, as well as its leaders and hostages who are held there. Sanders said he understands the difficulty in targeting Hamas, but America should not be complicit in what is going on there right now. It is a difficult issue. Hamas is a very difficult enemy to fight. They are a terrorist group. They use civilian shields. It is true, Sanders said, when asked about those who ask how Israel should proceed, if terrorists are hiding with hostages. But look, what America cannot and must not be part of is literally the destruction of all of Gaza. I mean, the infrastructure, education, the health care system decimated, and so many women and children who are killed. So yes, youve got to go after Hamas. But no, you cannot continue literally almost to destroy the entire people in that region, he added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Wednesday he is concerned President Bidens handling of the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas could cost him the election. When asked by CNNs Kaitlan Collins if Biden could lose in November, especially with young, progressive voters, Sanders said, Well, thats what I worry about. Look, I think Biden has a lot of accomplishments. And the point that I would make, and have made before, Joe Biden is not running against God, Sanders continued. Hes not running against the perfect candidate. Hes running against the guy, named Donald Trump, the most dangerous president in the history of this country. Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, has been a staunch critic of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and continued U.S. aid to Israel in the wake of the climbing death toll in Gaza. More than 34,700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Hamass Oct. 7 attacks that triggered the ongoing war, according to local health officials. Shortly before Wednesdays interview, Biden warned that he would halt supplying Israel with offensive weapons should Israeli forces launch an invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, angering many conservatives. The White House has repeatedly warned against a full-scale invasion of Rafah, where more than 1 million civilians are seeking refuge after being forced to evacuate other parts of the region. Sanders touted the pause as a step forward, but said he wants to see even more from the president. Well, I think its a good step forward. I think weve got to do even more, Sanders said. The bottom line is, Kaitlan, is what Netanyahu has done in Gaza is unconscionable. Tensions over Bidens handling of the Israel-Hamas war were reflected in some of this years early primaries, including in Michigan, when 13 percent of primary voters cast a protest ballot for uncommitted. However, in many states that had a undecided option in primaries, the share of uncommitted votes was less than 2012 levels, the last time an incumbent Democrat was on the ballot, per The Washington Post. Last week, Sanders suggested the pro-Palestinian protests that have sprouted on college campuses across the U.S. in aversion to the war in Gaza could be Bidens Vietnam War, in reference to the anti-war protests that roiled schools in the 1960s. Sanders sought to clarify his remarks in Wednesdays interview, telling Collins, Of course, this is not Vietnam. Of course, tens of thousands of American soldiers are not dying in this war. The point was a political point. And that is that Lyndon Johnson, in many ways, was a very, very good president, he said, adding later, He chose, despite all of those accomplishments, he chose not to run for reelection in 1968, because of his support for the war, and the opposition, grassroots opposition to the war in Vietnam. Thats the point to be made. Its a political question. Updated: 3:42 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Sarasota's Newtown community is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places Sarasota's predominately Black neighborhood of Newtown is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places after years of planning and strategic collaboration between Newtown historians and city leaders. The historic district encompasses Myrtle Street to the north, 19th Street to the south, Seminole Gulf Railway tracks to the west, and U.S. 301 to the east and has been the Newtown Historic District since late April. The federal designation adds a deeper layer of historical significance to the area, now set against a growing backdrop of new development stretching across the cityscape. ICYMI: Colson Hotel demolition talk spurs controversy among Sarasota historians, leaders The U.S. National Parks Service coordinates the national list, which serves as the official list of the nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Listings in the National Register of Historic Places is a recognition of an area's significance to the history of the community, state, or region. More: Lynching marker honors 6 victims who were killed in Sarasota-Manatee County by mobs The city began seeking a historic designation in April 2009 following Newtown community members expressing a strong interest in preserving their prominently Black neighborhood. In a recent media release, Dr. Cliff Smith, a Senior Planner who oversees the City of Sarasotas historic preservation program, said the designation was a significant accomplishment for all involved. Vickie Oldham M.F.A. is president of the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition, Inc., begins a Saturday morning trolley tour about Sarasota's African American history at the Leonard Reid home located in the Rosemary District area. Getting to this point truly was a community effort. Residents approached staff 15 years ago and wanted to know the best way to save Newtowns cultural heritage and showcase its significance. It takes time to document so many historical resources, record personal histories, and present a case that an area meets the criteria for a national register designation," Smith said. Smith lauded Newtown Alive founder and CEO Vickie Oldham, along with former and current Sarasota city commissioners, for their roles in documenting the history of Newtown and supporting the ongoing preservation efforts. Opinion: Save examples of early African American architecture in Sarasota before it's too late Newtown holds Sarasota's 'cultural heritage' The community of Newtown spurred from the city's first Black neighborhood of Overtown a small stretch of streets where Sarasota's Black pioneers like Leonard Reid and Lewis Colson once laid the foundation for a bustling Black community in the late 1890s. Vickie Oldham, a Sarasota native and historian, has been rediscovering and collecting the history of Black residents in the community since being tasked with preservation efforts by the city in 2015. She established the Newtown Alive trolley tour and developed and opened the city's first African-American Cultural Center, now hosting an art exhibition at the historic Leonard Reid Museum about the Civil Rights Movement across Sarasota and Tampa Bay. Rep. Bruce Antone of Florida District 41 toured Newtown's Historic District recently with SAACC president and CEO Vickie Oldham. Oldham plans to create and introduce Sarasota's cultural heritage to the world, she said. "Of course, Sarasota is known for its world-class beaches, certainly the arts, the fine dining, shopping, and wealthy visitors, but not cultural tourism, not until this Newtown project began," she said. Most recently, Oldham spearheaded a cultural heritage campaign to entice a selection committee to select Sarasota as the future site of a multi-million dollar Florida Museum of Black History; however, Sarasota was eliminated as a potential site in late April. The community of Newtown could still be selected as a potential satellite site for a museum or related purpose, she said during a recent interview. "There are over 600 contributing structures, making it one of the largest historic districts in Florida, and our team provided the ammunition to take this from application to project to approval," Oldham said. "This historical designation acknowledges Newtown's glorious but painful history and the many contributions of its pioneers to Sarasota's evolution." This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: National Register of Historic Places recognizes Sarasota's Newtown SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. (WJMN) A Sault Ste. Marie woman has been convicted of assault and battery of a child. The case involved the cutting of the childs hair without consent. In a release from Chippewa County Prosecuting Attorney Robert Stratton, he shared that Rhonda Deuman was found guilty of assault and battery by a jury in the 91st District Court on April 23, 2024. According to the Stratton, the jury heard from an African American/Native American child and her mother. Both of whom explained that in their culture, hair is not cut for a variety of reasons. For many, hair symbolizes significant historical and cultural value, and those important values were highlighted in this case. The Defendant did not respect the young womans culture or her choice to keep her hair long. Instead, the Defendant, without consent, cut the childs hair. This assault and battery were, in essence, the young womans first haircut, which had been stolen from both her and her cultural tradition. This violation left the child and her mother teary-eyed on the stand when they discussed the significant impact these actions had on their lives, wrote Stratton. The investigation was started by Officer Raymond Brooks of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Department and later presented to the jury by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Cassandra L. Ivonen. The six-person jury found Deuman guilty of Assault and Battery beyond a reasonable doubt. Also in the release from Prosecuting Attorney Stratton, he wrote, The Chippewa County Prosecutors Office and Sault Ste Marie Police Department want to recognize the strength and courage of the child who testified in front of the jury. We also want to thank each member of the jury who sat through this trial. Our system of justice could not function without the dedication and sacrifice of members of Chippewa County who step forward and do their civic duty listening to testimony, reviewing the evidence, and rendering a verdict for justice. The jury found Rhonda Deuman guilty of assault and battery for cutting the childs hair against her will, demonstrating that while this child will never be made whole for what she endured, justice was served and respect for her tradition and culture prevailed. A date for sentencing was not immediately available. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJMN - UPMatters.com. Saving tigers was the last US aid project in Russia. Now that funding is in danger Emblazoned on the dusky green background of a Save Vanishing Species stamp is an Amur tiger cub that stares at you with pleading yellow eyes. For exactly $17, you can purchase a sheet of 20 of these stamps from the United States Postal Service. The stamps helped fund tiger conservation in Russia last year the countrys sole remaining U.S.-funded aid project but these funds have recently stopped. The U.S. government has given aid, officially known as foreign assistance, to Russia since the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. This funding declined over the past 15 years yet continued in marginal amounts during the 2023 fiscal year. Now, U.S. aid funding may have reached a turning point. So how much aid has the U.S. sent to Russia? Why did aid funding continue even as the relationship between the two countries frayed? And what does this have to do with tigers? Amur tigers: A poster child for conservation Amur tigers, also known as Siberian tigers, are one of the largest cats in the world. These tigers are a critically endangered subspecies found primarily in the Russian Far East but also in China and possibly North Korea. For decades, Amur tiger populations were decimated by deforestation, trophy hunting and poaching. By the 1940s, experts estimated there were only 50 tigers left. Conservationists took notice and, by the 1970s, began making concerted efforts to save the species. The fledgling effort received a boost when the U.S. and the Soviet Union signed an environmental cooperation treaty in 1972, paving the way for U.S. funding to support tiger conservation and other projects in the country. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) led the governments Amur tiger conservation work. These programs included population surveys, infrastructure for nature reserves, training law enforcement, anti-poaching efforts, trail camera surveillance and educating locals, among other things. Although ongoing, Amur tiger conservation has generally been successful. Recent estimates found there are between 265 and 486 tigers in the wild in Russia. In the scheme of international grants, the amount of money weve contributed to this effort has been relatively modest, Fred Bagley, a USFWS officer who worked on Amur tiger conservation, said in 2007. But there is no doubt that weve had an impact. This is one of those times when you can point to something and say, yes, were making a real difference. Amur tigers, also known as Siberian tigers, are a critically endangered subspecies that live primarily in the Russian Far East. The USFWS is authorized to support the conservation of threatened animals such as tigers, rhinoceroses, elephants, apes and turtles around the world. Projects related to these animals are collectively bankrolled through the Multinational Species Conservation Fund. The Multinational Species Conservation Fund is primarily funded through appropriations from Congress, but is also supported by the Save Vanishing Species stamp program. The USFWS created the Save Vanishing Species stamp with its featured Amur tiger cub in 2011. For every $17 sheet of Tiger Stamps sold by USPS, a portion of the proceeds goes to the fund and, in turn, supports a variety of wildlife conservation projects worldwide. By 2022, at least 60 million stamps had been sold, raising almost $7 million for the Multinational Species Conservation Fund. The stamps were reauthorized in 2022 for another batch of 40 million stamps. The proceeds from Tiger Stamps went into the USFWS account that was the source of U.S. aid to Russia in 2023. However, a spokesperson for the USFWS told McClatchy News that stamp revenue is no longer supporting this long-standing aid project. They declined to provide further comment. How much aid does the U.S. send to Russia? U.S. aid to Russia peaked in 2008 at $1.3 billion and has declined since, according to State Department data beginning in 2001. These assistance efforts, in the scheme of things, were not that large, especially relative to Russias size, Max Bergmann, a former State Department official and expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told McClatchy News. Last fiscal year, the U.S. funded one project in Russia: Amur tiger conservation. Just over $107,800 was promised for the project, but only $8,593 was actually sent. The funds went to the Wildlife Conservation Society, a nongovernmental organization. A second project $1.9 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for strengthening the global health supply chain in Russia was promised but not sent. A State Department spokesperson told McClatchy News that the government decided those funds were no longer needed. The State Department only tracks U.S. aid funding to Russia, and a spokesperson emphasized that the department has not provided any funds itself. Public data for 2023 has only been partially reported, but the State Department did not identify any unreported programs when asked. The amount of foreign assistance the U.S. sent to Russia in 2023 declined sharply from preceding years. In 2022, U.S. aid to Russia totaled just over $3.12 million, with the bulk of the funds supporting the security of nuclear and other radioactive materials. In 2021, U.S. aid to Russia totaled just over $4.42 million, with the bulk of the funds supporting the same two energy projects. A chart shows the total amount of aid funding the U.S. sent to Russia between the 2001 and 2023 fiscal years. The decline in U.S. aid to Russia has generally mirrored the deteriorating relationship between the two countries. Aid funding continued even as the U.S. imposed stricter sanctions on Russia. Most people hear sanctions and think theyre total, Elizabeth Plantan, an expert on environmental activism in Russia, said. Sanctions are not total. Theyre targeted and very specific. Alongside all of those targeted sanctions, theres also very clear guidance from the U.S. government about specific licenses or carve outs for certain types of aid or financial transactions to continue, Plantan said. Environmental programs fall into one of these exempted categories. Simultaneously, Russia has done a lot to curtail (U.S. aid funding) over the years, Plantan told McClatchy News In 2012, the Russian government passed a Foreign Agents law that required nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to identify themselves as foreign agents if they receive foreign funding and engage in political activities, a loosely defined term. Another law, the Undesirable Organizations law, was passed in 2015 and targeted international organizations by making it illegal for a select list of groups to work in Russia. Both of those laws have gotten used in wider ways since the start of Russias full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Plantan said. Laura Henry, an expert on environmental politics in Russia, told McClatchy News that the Russian environmental movement has been hard hit by increasing repression by the Russian government. A narrowed chart shows the downward trend of U.S. aid after these two Russian laws took effect. In 2011, before either law passed, the U.S. sent just over $601 million in aid to Russia. By 2016, after both laws took effect, aid had plummeted to about $13.5 million. Overall, experts consider the amount of U.S. aid sent to Russia over the past decade to be minimal. Why does the U.S. give aid to Russia? In general, the U.S. government provides foreign assistance because it is strategically, economically, and morally imperative for the United States and vital to U.S. national security, according to the State Departments website. When the U.S. first started giving aid to Russia in the 1990s, the funding had two rationales, Stephen Sestanovich, a retired ambassador to the former Soviet Union, told McClatchy News. Foreign assistance was intended to advance major security interests of the U.S., he said, and to make it more likely that Russia could avoid lapsing back into dictatorship. After Vladimir Putin came to power in the 2000s, U.S. aid funding shifted to projects the Russian government was unlikely to fund itself, such as civil society organizations, and projects that both governments could agree were valuable, such as nuclear security and environmental conservation, Lisa Sundstrom, an expert on Russian civil society, told McClatchy News. There has been a gradual worsening of the relationship, Bergmann, a former State Department official, said, such that providing funding and support to the Russian people (and) the Russian economy was no longer in the cards. After the 2014 annexation of Crimea, Bergmann said the State Department took stock of all U.S. projects in Russia and decided whether each project was in our interest to keep supporting. A similar process likely took place in 2022, he said. According to former ambassador Sestanovich, the tiny amounts of assistance that are still in the U.S. budget dont reflect Russias ability to trick us. This isnt charity, Bergmann said. Any money thats flowing to Russia is not because were doing it out of the goodness of our hearts. Its because weve made a cold, hard calculation that this is in our interest. For tiger conservation, weve decided its in our national interest to support biodiversity and endangered species, Bergmann said. Were willing to keep doing that because weve decided thats in our overall foreign policy interests and the interests of humanity. As Plantan described it, nature is transboundary. Were all affected by these things no matter where theyre located within national borders. The USFWS expressed a similar sentiment in its mission statement, saying it works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. Will U.S. aid continue going to Russia? If you flip over the Save Vanishing Species stamp sheet, youll see the gray outline of a leaping tiger alongside an ape pounding its chest and an elephant raising its trunk. By purchasing this stamp, a small paragraph reads, you are contributing funds that support efforts to create a future in which threatened animal species can once again thrive. But a spokesperson for the USFWS told McClatchy News that funds from the Save Vanishing Species stamps are no longer going to tiger conservation in Russia. The department did not explain why or when these funds stopped. The Tiger Stamp program itself, however, is ongoing. When asked if any USFWS funds are still going to Russia, the department declined further comment. The USFWS could continue funding Amur tiger conservation or other conservation projects in Russia through the non-stamp revenue in the Multinational Species Fund or other sources, but whether it will remains unclear. If the U.S. ends all aid funding to Russia in the 2024 fiscal year, this would be a significant break in decades of U.S. foreign policy. The 2024 fiscal year is still ongoing, and aid funding for it has not yet been reported. As it stands, the Russian government continues to discourage organizations, individuals and other entities from accepting foreign funding. Because of this, experts do not expect much demand among Russia-based organizations for U.S. aid funding. Adorably fluffy and rare triplets make debut at Florida zoo. See their first steps Tiger was believed extinct until expert found a single hair. Now the hunt is on One of worlds rarest tigers dies at age 20, Georgia zoo says. Heartbreaking The foster mother of a 4-year-old boy who was beaten and tortured by his own parents is calling for a criminal investigation into the Indiana Department of Child Services' handling of the boy's case, accusing the agency of multiple failures, including ignoring troubling signs of abuse and neglect. Judah Morgan, 4, died on Oct. 11, 2021, after he was beaten and tortured by his own parents, both of whom are now serving lengthy prison sentences. His foster mother, who cared for Judah for most of his life, is now calling for a criminal investigation into the Indiana Department of Child Services' handling of the Northern Indiana boy's case. Judah Morgan died on Oct. 11, 2021, six months after DCS removed him from his foster home and placed him in the custody of his biological parents. Police found him in his family's home in rural LaPorte County, his face and head covered with bruises and red marks. Court records say he'd been tied up with duct tape in the basement, starved and beaten for not being potty-trained. The boy's father, Alan Morgan, is serving a 70-year prison sentence for murder and other charges. His mother, Mary Yoder, is serving 40 years for neglect of a dependent and domestic battery. But Jenna Hullett, Judah's foster mother and his estate's representative, said more people deserve to be prosecuted for the boy's death. "Judah deserves full justice. DCS, I believe, is just as guilty as the biological parents," Hullett said. "They saw red flags. There were warning signs." Charles Rice, Hullett's attorney, said the investigation should look into potential wrongdoing by DCS case workers who were in charge of Judah's case. Lawsuits filed against the agency and three employees alleged they were fully aware that the boy was at risk, but they prematurely closed the case and placed him in the custody of drug-addicted parents with a history of abuse and neglect. The death of Dakota Levi Stevens: Police investigating death of boy placed in foster care by Department of Child Services In the three years since Judah died, DCS has yet to conduct any internal investigation into the alleged failures and has, instead, sought immunity from civil damages over the boy's death, Rice wrote in an email to the agency's attorneys on Tuesday. Rice suggested an independent investigation should be conducted by the Indiana State Inspector General or by a law enforcement agency such as the Indiana State Police or the LaPorte County Sheriff's Office. "If DCS continues to condone the individual and collective wrongdoing which led to Judah's death, more children will suffer and die," Rice wrote. "The recent deaths of other children in the DCS system highlights the need for DCS to immediately reform, hold individuals accountable, and show more interest in protecting children than protecting itself." In an email responding to Rice Thursday, DCS' attorneys said they have reviewed "thousands of pages of documents" and talked to employees involved in the case and concluded "DCS employees acted reasonably over the course of their involvement in this matter. We have made this position clear in the civil lawsuits that you have filed seeking money damages." The statement concluded: "DCS remains bound by confidentiality under Indiana law and cannot respond to the misrepresentations that have been portrayed to the media or otherwise comment about this ongoing litigation. We will speak about the case through our pleadings filed in court." 'Fight club' style of discipline: Despite teacher's disturbing video, school officials and DCS failed to involve police The agency already faces questions about its ability to adequately protect children who are either in its custody or are in abusive family situations. At least two children who had been involved with DCS died in April, which Gov. Eric Holcomb had designated as Child Abuse Prevention Month. Five-year-old Kinsleigh Welty, of Indianapolis, was locked in a squalid closet for months before dying of malnutrition on April 9. Three weeks later, 10-year-old Dakota Levi Stevens died while in the care of a foster parent. DCS had significant involvements with both children and their families. In 2022, 61 children in Indiana died from abuse and neglect, according to DCS' latest annual child fatality report. A deeper review of the report reveals that in 38 deaths 62% of the fatalities DCS had been aware of prior allegations of abuse or neglect involving the children or their caregivers. 'Mommy, please take me home' Judah Morgan, 4, died on Oct. 11, 2021, after he was beaten and tortured by his own parents, both of whom are now serving lengthy prison sentences. His foster mother, who cared for Judah for most of his life, is now calling for a criminal investigation into the Indiana Department of Child Services' handling of the Northern Indiana boy's case. The last time Hullett saw Judah, she said he wrapped his little arms and legs around her and begged her not to leave him. "Mommy, please take me home," the 3-year-old whispered as he nuzzled his face against his foster mother's neck. Hullett fought the urge to whisk the boy away. She'd been caring for him since he was four months old, shortly after DCS took custody of the infant who was born with drugs in his system. But two months before Judah's fourth birthday, the child welfare agency removed him from Hullett's care and placed him in his parents' home. That day in April 2021, Hullett dropped off Judah at his parents' home. She told him that she loved him, sat him down and turned away toward the door, hoping the boy wouldn't see that she was upset. She said that was the last time she saw him alive. Hullett, who was cousins with Judah's father, did not feel comfortable leaving him with his parents. The family lived in squalor, she said. Garbage and dirty clothes were strewn everywhere. Officers who arrived at the house the day Judah was killed said it was littered with rotting food and animal fecal matter, according to court records. Abuse, runaways, reporting failures: Wernle youth center had history of problems The living conditions bothered Hullett so much that she said she made an anonymous call to the local health department, which then referred her to DCS. She said Judah's caseworker informed her the house met minimum standards. Hullett, who has three adult children, said Judah was the child she didn't know she needed. The boy with big brown eyes and curly blonde hair loved to make people laugh. "If he got a little big of laugh out of you," she said, "he would continue to clown around just to get you to laugh." On Oct. 11, 2021, Hullett posted a picture of Judah smiling while sitting in his car seat. "Today is the worst day of my life," she wrote on Facebook. "This should never have happened." Hullett would've loved for Judah to be officially part of her family, but she said DCS failed to find a permanent home for him, whether with her or with someone else. "I don't want another child to go through what Judah went through," she said. "I don't want another family to lose a child like we did. It's the worst thing you could ever imagine." DCS seeking to dismiss lawsuits Eric Miller, director of the Indiana Department of Child Services, answers questions during a court hearing Monday, Sept. 25, 2023, pertaining to documents in a civil case involving the torture and death of a 4-year-old boy named Judah Morgan. One of the lawsuits filed in federal court in Northern Indiana against three DCS employees alleges they performed "sham investigations," downplayed concerns by relatives, withheld court-ordered services for Judah, and failed to perform mandated drug tests for his parents. Named as defendants are Jean Dreessen, Judah's family case manager who, according to the complaint, lived just down the street from his parents' home; Michelle Stowers, who was Dreessen's supervisor; and Michelle Goebel, director of the LaPorte County DCS. A wrongful death lawsuit filed in state court against DCS and the boy's parents alleges that Morgan and Yoder physically and psychologically abused their son. Judah was fully potty trained when he was brought to his parents' home, but he regressed and began peeing and defecating on himself because of the abuse. Pierceton Woods Academy: There were signs of sexual abuse at youth center. State kept sending boys and money anyway. DCS is seeking to dismiss both lawsuits, arguing that Hullett does not have standing to sue because she is not Judah's parent or legal guardian. In the federal case against the DCS staffers, the agency's attorneys argued that as public employees, they are entitled to qualified immunity shielding them from liability. Rice, Hullett's attorney, said the problems at DCS are systemic and "bigger than just a lawsuit." "They're the agency charged with protecting children," Rice said. "And if they're unable to protect the children in their custody that they already know about, imagine what's happening with the children they have no idea about." Contact IndyStar reporter Kristine Phillips at (317) 444-3026 or at kphillips@indystar.com. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana DCS ignored red flags in Judah Morgan case, foster mother says Youve seen the signs, Hilton Head Island, now get ready to shop. Homesense has an opening date for its store in Sea Turtle Marketplace. The national retailer that specializes in furniture and home decor will fill the space left vacant when Stein Mart closed in 2020. The Hilton Head store will be the furniture and home decor retailers first location in South Carolina. It will be just over 29,000 square feet and take up the entire former Stein Mart space. According to a job listing posted on Facebook, employees will report to work on Monday, May 27, and the grand opening will be Thursday, June 20. Six separate job listings at TJXjobs.com sought to fill the following positions, ranging in pay from $16 to $18.50 per hour: Sales associate Store cleaning associate Backroom supervisor Customer engagement supervisor Department supervisor Key carrier supervisor TJX, the owner of the Homesense brand of stores, also owns T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, Home Goods and Sierra. There is a Home Goods and a T.J. Maxx on Hilton Head and a Marshalls just over the bridge in the area around Tanger 2 outlet mall in Bluffton. In northern Beaufort County, Home Goods is expected to open May 30 in Beaufort Station, the same day T.J. Maxx moves into its new location there. Calls to representatives for Homesense were not immediately returned. SC AG Wilson among Republicans urging Congress to permanently cut ties to UN aid group in Gaza South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson speaks during a press conference of Republican attorneys general in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 22, 2020. (File/Drew Angerer/Getty Images) South Carolinas Alan Wilson co-led a coalition of 24 Republican attorneys general asking Congress to permanently cease all funding to the United Nations agency that oversees humanitarian efforts for Palestinian refugees, calling the group terrorist-embedded. On Tuesday, the group penned a letter to U.S. House and Senate leadership urging them to stop funding antisemitic education efforts run by the United Nations body tied to terror organization Hamas, referring to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, also called UNRWA. President Trump cut funding to UNRWA that was only restored after President Biden took office, reads the letter with leading signatures by Wilson and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird. UNRWA helps provide humanitarian aid, education, health care and social services for Palestinian refugees, operating in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. In January, the Biden administration suspended funding for the agency following accusations that 12 UNRWA employees were involved in Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The U.N. said those staffers had their contracts terminated and eight remain under investigation from the agencys internal oversight body, according to an April 26 news release. Six additional employees are being investigated for allegations that arose in March and April. It is time to make that permanent, the attorneys general said of the funding suspension, unless UNRWA engages in serious and clear reform. While UNRWA has fired many employees for participating in the Oct. 7 Hamas-led massacre, even the U.N. agrees there is more work to be done. Yet some countries have resumed funding UNRWA even before the upcoming report detailing that organizations antisemitism and deficiencies, the letter reads. The letter also calls out UNRWAs education efforts in the Gaza Strip, which according to U.N. data, serves 291,100 students in 183 schools. According to the attorneys general, those teaching materials helped radicalize Gazans before the Oct. 7 massacre. The future leaders and would-be peacemakers in Gaza are instead having their educations poisoned by antisemitic staff and textbooks, the attorneys general wrote. In addition to Wilson and Bird, also signing onto the letter are attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming also signed the letter. Wilson and Bird co-led a similar letter to Congress on Feb. 1. We wrote to Congress warning that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency was up to no good. And we were right, the letter reads. Both Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes and Utahs U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, also a Republican, have been critical of the U.S. governments financial ties to the U.N. In December, Lee introduced the DEFUND act, which would terminate the countrys U.N. membership, as well as ending U.S. participation in U.N. conventions and agreements. Name one thing youd miss if the U.S. stopped funding the UN altogether, Lee posted to X on Monday. Lees bill was referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in December but has not been voted on. U.S. Reps. Brian Mast, a Florida Republican, and Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, also recently introduced a bill that would direct the U.S. Department of State to try to return American tax dollars that funded UNRWA. Since Hamas attack on Oct. 7, an estimated 34,262 Palestinians and 1,139 Israelis have been killed, according to the U.N. SC Daily Gazette Editor Seanna Adcox contributed to this report. Like SC Daily Gazette, Utah News Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Utah News Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor McKenzie Romero for questions: info@utahnewsdispatch.com. Follow Utah News Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter. The post SC AG Wilson among Republicans urging Congress to permanently cut ties to UN aid group in Gaza appeared first on SC Daily Gazette. SC father sets fire to truck on I-85, jumps out while its moving with young son inside, cops say A 32-year-old South Carolina man is accused of kidnapping his 3-year-old son in Anderson, driving to Georgia, then setting fire to his truck before jumping out, leaving his son on the floorboard, Sgt. Richard Fleming of the Georgia State patrol said Thursday. The incident began shortly before 1 p.m. Wednesday at a home on Harris Street in Belton, where court records show Joshua Dornellas, the father, once lived. Shale Remien, spokesman for the Anderson County Sheriffs Office, said Donellas is accused of assaulting the childs mother before snatching the boy. Remien declined to reveal her injuries but said she did not require hospitalization. She had received an order of protection recently from Dornellas, he said. Anderson deputies drove unmarked cars to follow Dornellas, who was driving a gold 2001 Ford F-150. Our force was tracking the suspect without initiating blue lights as to not endanger the little boy or nearby drivers, Remien said. The suspect headed north through Anderson to Interstate 85, where he went south. Fleming said the Anderson Sheriffs office notified his Georgia State Police Post 52 that a kidnapping suspect was headed their way at 12:42 p.m. It was determined that the driver had the 3-year-old in the front seat and threatened to kill the child, Fleming said. As the suspect entered Georgia, Hart County deputies attempted to stop the suspect and a pursuit ensued. The truck had traveled about 14 miles with officers in pursuit when troopers attempted what is called a box-in maneuver, a tactic designed to stop a vehicle by surrounding it with law enforcement vehicles and then slowing all vehicles to a stop. It was unsuccessful. Officers saw the interior of the truck fill with smoke from a fire set by the driver, Fleming said. He said officers were still investigating what the suspect used to ignite the fire. Then, the suspect leaped from the truck through the drivers window, landing in the grass. Officers said the truck was still traveling at about 55 mph. The vehicle continued south striking an embankment and becoming fully engulfed with the child inside, Fleming said. On scene were troopers, Motor Carrier Compliance Division officers, deputies from Franklin and Hart Counties, and deputies from Anderson who extinguished the fire and found the child on the floorboard with severe burns. The child, whose name was not released, was flown to the Augusta Burn Center, where he was in critical condition Thursday morning. Dornellas was arrested and transported to Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center for the injuries. Fleming said a long list of criminal charges will be released later. An Anderson County deputy was treated at AnMed Medical Center for hand burns and was later released. Dornellas has a criminal history dating back to 2012, according to court records in Anderson County, involving ill treatment of animals and a host of traffic violations. Most recently, on April 21, Dornellas was arrested for allegedly leaving five children under the age of 11 unsupervised at home. A toddler was found alone outside, Remien said. On April 28, police charged Dornellas with domestic violence 2nd degree after he was accused of assaulting the childs mother. That was when she obtained the order of protection against Dornellas. Our hearts are with the childs mother as she faces this unimaginable situation, Remien said. We ask the community for their continued prayers for the 3-year-old boy as he fights inside the trauma center. Activists gather on the Statehouse steps with signs and transgender flags Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. A Senate committee advanced a bill that would ban gender transition surgery, hormone therapy and puberty-blocking drugs for minors Thursday. (Skylar Laird/SC Daily Gazette) COLUMBIA A bill banning transitioning medications and surgeries for transgender children is set to become law after the House agreed Thursday to accept the Senates changes. Gov. Henry McMaster plans to sign the bill into law, a spokesman confirmed shortly after the House voted 67-26 along party lines to send it to his desk. I think this is a good idea to keep our young people safe and healthy, McMaster told reporters in January. If they want to make those decisions later when theyre adults, then thats a different story, but we must protect our young people from irreversible decisions. The bill would ban doctors from prescribing puberty blockers or gender-transitioning hormone therapy to transgender youth under the age of 18. Doctors or other health care providers who violate the ban would risk losing their license. A complaint would have to be filed with the providers licensing board within three years of the treatment. Also disallowed are gender-transition surgeries, though both sides agree no doctors are performing such surgeries on minors in South Carolina. If they ever do, theyd risk being convicted of a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The Senate added a provision requiring school administrators to notify students parents when children ask to change their pronouns or say theyre a different gender. The House accepted that without debate. South Carolina will join two dozen other states with similar bans, though some are blocked by court challenges. Supporters of the bill have touted it as protecting children from what they say can be dangerous and irreversible surgeries and treatments. House Republicans listed the measure among their top priorities for the year, and the House passed it within the first week of session. Opponents have said the bill will throw families into disarray and put transgender children at a higher risk of suicide. Democrats in both chambers also argued the state shouldnt come in the middle of medical decisions that should be between a family and their doctor. The bill will take effect with McMasters signature, if he signs it as stated. However, it allows a phase-out for youth already in treatment. Any minor taking puberty-blocking drugs or so-called cross-sex hormones under a doctors care before Aug. 1 can be gradually taken off them. All prescriptions must cease by Jan. 31, 2025. Families of transgender children whose access will end can apply to get the treatment in a different state through the Southern Trans Youth Emergency Project, the Campaign for Southern Equality announced Thursday. That can include up to $500 to cover travel and other expenses, according to the nonprofit. No one should be forced to leave their home state to access the care that they need and deserve, Raymond Velazquez, executive director of partner organization Uplift Outreach Center, said in a statement. Through this program, we will ensure that families and young people understand that they have options and that support is available to help them. The American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina is urging opponents to write McMaster demanding that he veto the bill they contend will violate patients constitutional rights by denying treatment based on gender identity. The post SC governor to sign bill banning hormone therapy for transgender youth into law appeared first on SC Daily Gazette. State lawmakers are demanding accountability from South Carolinas largest charter school district in light of concerns about its management, operations and spending of taxpayer dollars. Bipartisan groups of lawmakers from both chambers this week asked state authorities to conduct audits of the Charter Institute at Erskine, a taxpayer-funded affiliate of Erskine College that oversees more than two dozen of the states charter schools, to determine whether its leaders have mishandled state funds or violated the law. We are in receipt of information about and allegations against (the Charter Institute at Erskine) which, if true, indicate a culture of mismanagement, waste, fraud and abuse at the agency, reads a letter signed by five state senators and sent to the governors office Tuesday requesting the inspector general investigate. It is of critical importance that public funds be guarded, particularly any appropriated for the benefit of our states most precious resource, its children. A separate letter, signed by six House members, including House Education Chair Shannon Erickson, R-Beaufort, asked the Legislative Audit Council, which conducts independent audits of state agencies, to investigate claims that the Charter Institute had entered into improper financial relationships with for-profit management companies that operate many of the schools it oversees. We are concerned that if transactions such as these have occurred, they may compromise the ability of Erskine to perform its duties under the Act with fidelity and/or may cause Erskine to apply inconsistent standards of accountability to different charter schools that it sponsors, the letter reads. The Charter Institute at Erskine did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the requested probes. Its CEO and Superintendent Cameron Runyan has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Multiple lawmakers said their appeal for an investigation was directly informed by The State Media Co.s Unchartered Territory series, which revealed several actions taken by Charter Institute leaders that raise ethical concerns, including their involvement in a plan to open three schools in Tennessee and their funding of a related nonprofit that provides fee-based services to Charter Institute schools. State Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, one of five senators who signed onto the inspector general audit request, said he supports the probe in order to get a clearer picture of the Charter Institutes finances and business entanglements. We just want to make sure that proper oversight is given to the charter school system and that this is not some big ploy to funnel business to people on their boards and that kind of thing, he said. In recent months, state lawmakers in both chambers have expressed concerns about the Charter Institutes spending and compliance with South Carolinas charter schools law. Both the House and Senate have added one-year measures to the state budget, known as provisos, that are intended to address some of those concerns. But lawmakers acknowledge that more needs to be done to shore up the decades-old Charter Schools Act, which does not address many of the complex issues that have emerged since colleges and universities were allowed to approve and regulate charter schools. These are areas the law is silent, Erickson told The State earlier this year. When we had this conception of how this works, it never entered our minds that we would need to have these particular safeguards in place. The issue came to a head on the Senate floor several weeks ago when Sen. Nikki Setzler, D-Lexington, proposed an amendment to cap the amount of taxpayer money college and university authorizers can retain for oversight of the schools they oversee. This is a first step for the people of South Carolina, said Setzler, who is retiring at the end of the year. Ill be gone, but I hope some of you will pick up this mantle and follow through and work on and understand and go to the trouble to dig into what is going on. Setzler, who sponsored the states 1996 charter schools law, spent about 30 minutes at the well that day sharing his growing concerns about charter school authorizer accountability and imploring his colleagues to seriously consider reforming the law when they return to Columbia next year. I hope that this Senate will pursue this issue in the next legislative session, he told his colleagues. And in the off-session, maybe have a task force to look at it and ask those probing questions. By the time Setzler finished, more than a half-dozen senators, including Senate Education Chair Greg Hembree, R-Horry, had signed on as cosponsors of his amendment. Hutto said Wednesday that he and the other senators who requested an inspector general audit of the Charter Institute aim to ensure that Setzlers wishes are carried out. Sen. Setzler doesnt chase red herrings, he said. If hes getting the whiff of something that might be amiss, thats important to us and were going to follow up on it. A 12-year-old boy in critical condition was medically evacuated from a Carnival cruise ship. Due to the ship being more than 350 miles offshore, the Air Force Reserve Commands 920th Rescue Wing had to perform the air evacuation on Saturday, according to a press release by the combat search and rescue wing. Aiden Bridges and his family were onboard the Carnival Venezia cruise ship, which was sailing along the East Coast to return to New York from the Caribbean, when he fell ill, according to a GoFundMe created by Aidens mom, Angela Bridges. The pre-teen visited the ship's medical team, where he got an X-ray and learned he had a rupture in his bowel. The onboard doctors told the family Aiden needed to be medically evacuated immediately to a hospital in North Carolina for urgent surgery. Angela Bridges did not immediately respond to USA TODAYs request for comment. At the time, the ship was on a sea day and scheduled to arrive back in New York on Monday. What is medical evacuation insurance? Here's what to know 920th Airmen conduct civilian medical airlift operation of critical patient. Carnival Venezia's team worked with United States Coast Guard and Air Force officials to adjust its course Saturday so a medical helicopter could rendezvous with the ship when a guest on board needed treatment ashore, Janna Rowell, a spokesperson for Carnival Cruise Line, told USA TODAY in an email statement. Within hours of the call, the 920th Rescue Wing prepared and launched a rescue force from Florida comprising two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and two teams of combat rescue officers and pararescuemen to fly to the ships position, the press release said. Flight doctors were used to identify the treatment station to which Aiden was transported. Everyone in the wing mobilized with exceptional speed. By uniting our efforts, we saved crucial time, delivering life-saving assistance six hours ahead of other response teams, said Capt. Dylan Gann, 301st Rescue Squadron pilot, in the release. Due to the ships remote location, the helicopters had to do air-to-air refueling. Pararescuements were hoisted down to the ships deck, and Aiden and his mother were brought up to the helicopter. Mira Simanovsky, who was also onboard the cruise, told USA TODAY the passengers were alerted of a medical evacuation via an intercom announcement. Simanovsky was on her balcony when she saw the two helicopters and army planes circling the ship. She later moved to the deck to watch the rescue mission with other passengers. It was scary. Everybody was crying, she said. An avid cruiser with 35 sailings under her belt said it was the first time shed ever seen anything like that. The crowd gathered on the deck were cheering and clapping when the mother and her son were airlifted. The mission took over eight hours to complete. By the time the aircraft returned to the station, the rescue mission had taken more than eight hours with over 1,000 miles flown. Carnival said the ship then resumed its route to New York and arrived in New York Monday morning as normad. Thank you so much to everyone who has expressed well wishes and prayers and good thoughts for our sweet baby and the rest of our family, Bridges wrote on the GoFundMe fundraiser to help the family with Aidens insurance deductible and out-of-pocket medical costs. I cant express to everyone how in awe I am at the outpouring of kindness and support. On Tuesday, Bridges posted an update on Aiden, saying he has a long road of recovery ahead of him. Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at kwong@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Air Force rescues boy in critical condition from Carnival cruise ship MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division hosted the American Canine Associations spring training conference in Horry County this week. Around 30 canine law enforcement teams from across the Carolinas and the United States are participating in the weeklong certification and training sessions. Billy Downey, a master trainer with APCA, expressed the associations gratitude to SCDNR for hosting and organizing the event. Theyve done a great job of organizing venues, Downey said. Because thats one of the hardest things we run into is finding venues, buildings, we can train in areas we can go out and run searches and those type of things. These types of specialized training sessions arent just about teaching tricks, they are about honing the skills of highly trained canine units to ensure they are ready for any challenge that comes their way. At one venue, officers trained with a simulation dog that mimics injuries with realistic wounds and bleeding. The goal is to prepare teams for medical emergencies with lifelike scenarios, as often times these animals are the first to enter a critical situation. In another session, officers participated in a tactical exercise to clear buildings and rooms safely. Brian Welch, with SCDNRs K-9, unit said its always good to see how other agencies work their dogs. You pick up on little tips, pass on little tips that weve learned along the way, and we found that no matter where you go, we might do things differ, and our training, but a lot of times, we always end up in the same result, said Welch. Each police canine unit serves a specific purpose in law enforcement and requires different training. We have some dogs are patrol dogs, they can do aggression, building searches, rumor building, clearing, narcotics tracking, those type of things, Downey said. And we have dogs that are detector dogs that do mainly narcotics detection, wildlife detection, arson investigations. Downey adds these type of training scenarios and conferences are important to the bond between the handler and the dog. Its why these dogs want to work, Downey said. Because theyre wanting to work for their handlers. We probably spend more time with these dogs than our family, Welch said. He is my family and after eight years, I can definitely tell you that he reads me, and I read him and we kinda know what each other are saying. Welchs K-9 partner Max is trained in a number of disciplines from tracking, trailing evidence, area search for humans, obedience, and wildlife detection. Were here this week to do is not only to basically reinforce what our dogs can do, but to certify and kind of get that checks and balance on the dog, Welch said. The APCA Spring Training Conference began May 5 and concludes May 9. * * * Savannah Denton joined News 13 in July 2023 as a reporter and producer. Savannah is from Atlanta, Georgia, and is a graduate of the University of Alabama. Follow Savannah on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of her work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. Less than a week after pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested at The New Schools campus, a faculty-led encampment has been set up in solidarity of their efforts. The majority of last weeks protesters, who were organized by The New Schools Students for Justice in Palestine (TNS SJP), were released from police custody without any charges. They were said to have been first warned by police officers that they could leave the campus before any arrests were made. More from WWD Like TNS SJP, the faculty protesters are calling on The New School to divest from companies that had ties to Israel. Organizers spread the word about the new encampment, which they said is composed of autonomous faculty, Wednesday afternoon in a press release. A media request sent to the group inquiring about the number of people who are part of the encampment was unreturned. Asked for comment Wednesday, representatives from The New School shared a statement to the school community from interim president Donna Shalala that highlighted how criminal charges against the student protesters would not be pursued and that every effort would be made to ensure conduct reviews for the student protesters would be expedited. She also said a historical view of The New Schools divestments would be shared. Shalala said that the university supports the NewSWUs right to organize and has repeatedly told them that they can do so now. We maintain our unshakable commitment to free speed and peaceful demonstration, Shalala said. The faculty-led encampment is said to be located in The New Schools University Center, which is where TNS SJP had previously established one. There also had been another group of student protesters in the lobby of a residence hall on the lower Fifth Avenue campus. Organizers for the faculty-based protest said that the action taken to set up a new encampment followed the mass arrests and violence that took place last week across New York City campuses, when university leadership called in the NYPD to sweep and shutter the solidarity encampments. In their press material, they cited the more than 2,200 arrests of protesters that have been made in recent weeks on college campuses. That included the 282 protesters at Columbia University and at the City University of New York that were detained by police, as well as 56 other student protesters at The New School and New York University. NYPD deputy commissioner of operations Kaz Daughtry posted a detailed account of the NYPDs handling of The New School situation, including a video of police officers on the scene and an image of The New Schools request to the NYPD seeking assistance and highlighting why. As protests, and in some instances police action, continue at other campuses nationwide like the University of Berkeley and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, there were more arrests of protesters in New York City earlier this week. Forty-six protesters were taken into police custody at the Fashion Institute of Technology Tuesday afternoon. Supporters of the the newly established faculty-led initiative at The New School, which is being called the Refaat Alareer Faculty Solidarity Encampment, alleged that Shalalas decision to clear student protesters last week destroyed what many experienced to be a site of learning political commitment and powerful solidarity with the Palestinian people facing genocide. In a statement released after the student protesters arrests, Shalala said that some of the student protesters had blocked the entrance to Kerrey Hall, which houses 600 residents. By her account, after hours of negotiations with representatives of the student protesters, they would not budge. She also claimed that three offers for a meeting between some of the student protesters and representatives from the schools investment committee was declined. She also claimed that student protesters had escalated the situation and set up a second encampment. The faculty-led initiative is calling on The New Schools investment committee and The New Schools board of trustees to vote immediately to divest from companies that benefit directly or indirectly from the genocide of the occupation of Palestine. TNS SJP claimed that the university is invested in 65 funds that includes 13 companies with ties to Israel including Google, General Electric, Hewlett-Packard and Boeing among others. The faculty-led encampments organizers said the group also is standing with students across the city and the country and demand that all charges against arrestees be dropped, all disciplinary actions facing participants in student-led encampments be revoked, and that police be permanently kept off campus. Best of WWD A Valisure researcher works in the New Havenbased lab. Credit - Adrienne Grunwald for TIME If you are newly suspicious about the safety of the products in your medicine cabinet, theres a good chance you have Valisure, a tiny laboratory in New Haven, Conn., to thank. Or blame. Tucked away in an unassuming office park, Valisures team of about a dozen scientists has over the past five years detected potentially cancer-causing chemicals in widely used medications, hand sanitizers, sunscreens, antiperspirant body sprays, dry shampoos, andmost recentlyacne treatments. When Valisure sounds the alarm about a new scary-sounding finding, a flood of headlines, lawsuits, and product recalls often follows. The company is helping to shatter an illusion that some 80% of Americans believe: that the products they buy have been through enough safety testing to be proved not harmful. Most consumers assume that because its for sale, it must be safe, says Teresa Murray, who directs the consumer watchdog office at the nonprofit U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG). Oftentimes, thats very much not true. Despite its nearly $7 billion annual operating budget, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) isnt analyzing every shampoo or supplement on sale at your local drugstore. In fact, the FDA does not approve most cosmetics before they hit shelveslet alone assess how theyll affect human health after years of regular use. This information vacuum has given rise to a network of nonprofits, consumer-protection groups, and independent scientists dedicated to informing the public about potential hazards lurking in their products. Within this group, Valisure has been uniquely effective at grabbing attention. Its testing has led to product recalls from household-name brands, congressional testimony, and partnerships with big-name organizations like the U.S. Department of Defense and the Kaiser Permanente health system. But Valisurethe underdog that built its reputation as a crusader for public healthhas made enemies too. Critics and regulators have denounced its testing methods and the legitimacy of its scientific findings, raising doubts about the very doubts the company has raised. So every time Valisures results make the news, Americans are left to figure out how worried they should be. Valisure has found potentially cancer-causing chemicals in dry shampoos, sunscreens, and more. Adrienne Grunwald for TIME The idea for Valisure came not from a grand plan to overhaul decades-old regulatory structures, but from one friend venting to another. In 2015, David Light, a molecular biologist, heard from his friend and former Yale University classmate Adam Clark-Joseph about a problem with his medication. Every so often, Clark-Joseph said, he got a batch that triggered side effects and sent his chronic condition into relapse. He said his doctors mostly shrugged off these incidents as unfortunate quirks of a health care system where supply chains are so complex that quality assurance is difficult. Light remembers being far more shaken than his friends physicians. It was shocking to both of us to realize the FDAs not testing everything, and retail stores and pharmacies arent doing the testing, he says. So whos actually testing the product, as opposed to looking at the paperwork? Light and Clark-Josephnow Valisures president and head of analytics, respectivelyco-founded Valisure in 2015 to fulfill that mission, setting up shop down the road from their alma mater. At first, Valisure quality-tested medications, then sold them through its own online pharmacy. But four years after its founding, Valisure made a name for itself in a splashier way. Read More: A Test Told Me Im Basically Made of Plastic. You Probably Are Too In September 2019, Valisures scientists used a citizen petition, which everyday people can use to request action from the FDA, to announce theyd found the probable carcinogen NDMA in every batch of the heartburn medication ranitidine that they tested. Then lawyers brought a slew of lawsuits against GSK and Sanofi, pharmaceutical companies that have sold the popular ranitidine drug Zantac, linking it to clients cancers. (Many of these cases have been settled or dismissed.) In April 2020, the FDA asked all makers to pull ranitidine from the market. The FDA has said that the recall was based on its own testing, not Valisures. Though FDA tests did find elevated NDMA levelshigh enough to trigger a recallthey were much lower than Valisures. Thats because Valisure used extreme testing practices, like exposing the drugs to heat, that may have actually produced NDMA, the FDA said in a response to Valisures petition. But to the public, a recall is a recall, and Valisure had been the first one to sound the alarm. The scandal boosted Valisures reputation; Light still keeps Zantac-branded memorabilia in his office as evidence of his labs impact. In 2021, Valisure sold off the pharmacy business to focus on product testing. Mostlythankfullythis business is a boring one. Valisures clients are mainly organizations, like health care systems, that buy lots of medications and want to know whats in them. About 90% of the time, Light says, this testing is uneventful. But now and then, often operating on their own hunches, his staff finds something concerning. Over the past few years, Valisure has found the carcinogen benzene in a variety of consumer products, including sunscreen, dry shampoo, and acne treatments, leading to major news cycles and, in some cases, product recalls. A range of other groups work in this space. Experts from the Cosmetic Ingredient Review assess the safety of ingredients used in beauty products, with funding from the Personal Care Products Council, an industry trade group. The University of Kentuckys health care system also performs independent analysis of medications. But unlike Valisure, many of the other groups informing the public about products with questionable safety dataincluding the Ralph Naderaligned PIRG, the Silent Spring Institute, Toxic-Free Future, and the Environmental Working Group (EWG)are nonprofits. Sunscreen is a regular topic of concern for these groupsnot necessarily because of benzene contamination, but because of chemical ingredients linked to hormone disruption and canceras are things like hair products (some of which have also been linked to cancer) and fragrances. These groups have had made splashes too; PIRG was behind the 2018 discovery of asbestos in makeup sold at Claires, leading to recalls. The more we look [at consumer products], the worse it looks, says Dr. Megan Schwarzman, associate director of the Center for Green Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. But, Schwarzman says, its not always easy for scientists, let alone the average consumer, to understand what to make of the potential risks raised by these groups. Theres lead in pigments in lipstick, Schwarzman says. If you wear lipstick once a month, its probably not a big exposurebut is wearing lipstick a few times a week enough to cause health problems over years or decades? Is the risk high enough to swear off lipstick altogether? What about other cosmetics? These questions are difficult even for scientists to answer. Its also near impossible to isolate which chemical exposures, if any, are responsible for health problems, because we are exposed to [toxic chemicals] at generally very low concentrations all the time, adds Debra Kaden, a toxicologist and principal consultant at the environmental-consulting firm Ramboll. An astounding number of the products in the average American home, for example, contain PFAS forever chemicals. Given those realities, consumer-protection groups have their work cut out for themwhich is an indictment of the U.S. regulatory system, says Homer Swei, who oversees consumer-safety science at EWG. It would be great if there was no need for organizations like this, Swei says. Why does a third party have to do the heavy lifting for industry and government? A Valisure employee carries lab samples. Adrienne Grunwald for TIME The FDA regulates most things that Americans put on and in their bodies, from vaccines to tobacco products, but the scope of its oversight varies depending on the product. Pharmaceutical companies have to conduct complex clinical trials and secure FDA approval before bringing new drugs to market. Meanwhile, the agencys regulatory structure for cosmetics stems from a law enacted in 1938long before the average American was using up to a dozen personal-care products, potentially containing more than 100 chemicals in total, every single day. A 2022 law expanded the FDAs purview over cosmeticsit can now issue a mandatory recall and suspend manufacturing facilities if a serious issue arisesand some states have passed additional laws related to consumer protection. But experts say there are still huge holes in the ways many products are regulated in the U.S. Under the current structure, cosmetics companies can decide what sorts of safety and quality testing they want to do, which often isnt adequate, Swei says. Brands dont even have to submit the results of their testing in most cases. And, contrary to popular belief, the FDA rarely orders a recall; more commonly, it requests a voluntary one. Read More: What to Know if Your Doctor Put You on Statins to Lower Cholesterol The FDA is also lenient toward potentially concerning ingredients, compared with regulators in other countries. Since 2009, Europe has required cosmetics makers to submit safety data before selling a new product. In 2023 alone, regulators in the European Union moved to ban 30 chemicals from use in beauty productsmore than the FDA has banned from cosmetics in its more than 100 years in existence. Many known or suspected health hazards, like formaldehyde and parabens, are still used in a variety of products sold in the U.S., such as hair treatments and lotions. The FDA has implicitly acknowledged gaps in its approachlike in 2019, when it asked sunscreen manufacturers for more safety data. A spokesperson wrote in a statement that the agency remains committed to using all available tools to oversee the safety and quality of FDA-regulated products. The question, for some, is whether Valisure should be one of those tools. Unlike nonprofit groups, Valisure is a business backed by private investors, which means its work has got to make financial sense, Light says. Valisure has lobbied for policies that would push companies to pursue the kind of independent testing thats the bread and butter of its bottom line. Any increase in the use of independent testing will benefit Valisure as a business, Light acknowledges. But he maintains it would also be a win for public health. Personal-injury lawyers make a similar argument, saying their fees (routinely 30% to 40% of any damages awarded) serve as a market incentive to hold companies accountable. In court filings, Unilever has also alleged that Valisure is motivated by money. Before filing a citizen petition related to benzene in dry shampoos, Unilever said, Valisure offered to test its products and keep the results confidential if Unilever paid more than $1 million, an offer the company said it declined. And GSK and other companies have questioned Valisures relationship with plaintiffs attorneys, suggesting the lab works with lawyers to produce test results that will lead to juicy lawsuits. One of the first suits related to Zantac was filed by Lights brother-in-law, an attorney in Florida. (Light says Valisures proposal to Unilever was taken out of context and the lab does not have inappropriate relationships with attorneys, including his brother-in-law, although its scientists sometimes serve as experts in cases.) The FDA has criticisms as well. In a 2022 letter, the agency alleged that Valisure was using inappropriate methods and machinery for its tests. Third-party testing using unreliable methods produces unreliable data, and decisions based on unreliable data are not sound, an FDA spokesperson wrote in a statement provided to TIME. Consider Valisures recent finding of benzene in benzoyl peroxide acne treatments. For that testing, Valisure scientists analyzed what happened when benzoyl peroxide products were exposed to 122 temperatures for 18 days, conditions that the Personal Care Products Council argued have little real-world relevance. (Light, however, contends the test isnt so far-fetched: What if it sits in a warehouse in Florida for two weeks, or sits on a shelf in a store where their air conditioner broke?) Dr. Philip Landrigan, director of Boston Colleges Program for Global Public Health and the Common Good, argues that the public has a right to know about any level of benzene contamination. We know that its a carcinogen, even down to the lowest levels, he says. Read More: What's the Best Kind of Sunscreen? But Kaden, the Ramboll toxicologist, says much of the discussion about benzene doesnt give consumers enough context. In 2022, after Valisure tests revealed benzene in sunscreens, Kaden and a colleague did their own analysis, concluding that people could be exposed to more benzene in the vehicle exhaust theyd inhale walking down a city street than by using a sunscreen contaminated with benzene at the levels Valisure found. Other researchers have also found that people who use sunscreen actually tend to have lower blood concentrations of benzene than nonusers, which suggests these products are not major threats to the general public. Toxic exposure is never a good thing, Kaden says, but the dose makes the poison. Groups like Valisure, she says, dont always make that clear enough in their messaging to the public. Light, however, stands by his lab and its findings. In fact, he seems to enjoy the notoriety that comes with being the guy brave enough to take on the FDA and major brands. Framed articles about Valisures bombshell test results line the walls of his office and the labs lobby, and he proudly displays the mug he got from a 2023 visit to the White House, where he was invited to talk about product safety. Valisure co-founder and president David Light Adrienne Grunwald for TIME Light dabbled in acting as a kid, playing a few parts on Mad TV when he was young. He still has some of that flair for the dramatic, speaking in a booming voice that prompts his publicist to shut his door when he gets going to avoid disrupting the whole office. Some people like very straightforward spreadsheets and business plans, Light says. He prefers the spotlight. Im an adventurous kind of guy, I guess. Sometimes, perhaps, too adventurous. During the summer of 2007, while a student at Yale, Light was arrested for firing a pistol into the ceiling of his fraternity house. Authorities reportedly found that Lightwho was a gun enthusiast at the timehad numerous weapons, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and chemicals consistent with bomb-making in his room. (Light says the chemicals were not intended for illegal activity and notes that charges related to them were dropped.) He served about six months of a one-year prison sentence and eventually went on to finish his degree at Yale in 2011. I sincerely regret the events that occurred during my college years, Light wrote in a statement to TIME. I take full responsibility for my actions ... and since then have made a concerted effort to rebuild my life and contribute positively to society. How positively Valisure contributes to society is up for debate. The FDA, court system, and trade groups sometimes treat it as a nuisance, arguing its findings scare people without the science to back up the headlines. But the scientists who do similar work maintain that information is powerthat even if consumers cant pinpoint the exact moment at which exposure to benzene or NDMA or parabens becomes dangerous, they have a right to know its happening. Its up to everybody to decide for themselves the risk-benefit ratio, Schwarzman says. When you have the information, you get to do that. Under the existing regulatory structure, Americans probably wouldnt get that information without independent labs and consumer-interest groups digging it up. Even finding details about product ingredients and news about product recalls currently requires a little effort on the part of consumers. That may be changing. In addition to state-level efforts, U.S. lawmakers have in recent years introduced legislation that seeks to ban risky chemicals, improve transparency around supply chains and ingredient disclosures, and strengthen oversight of over-the-counter drugs. But for now, consumers are left to operate with imperfect products and limited information, says Kristin Knox, a data scientist at the Silent Spring Institute. In her own life, shes tried to strike a balance between caution and panic, continuing to use mass-market products while also making tweaks like swapping plastic household goods for glass, choosing unscented products, and using fewer cosmetics. That there are things you can do that actually reduce your chemical burdens is good news, she says. But itd be even better if the products didnt have bad chemicals in the first place. Ultimately, any independent actor, from Valisure to Silent Spring to PIRG, has only so much authority. They can break into the news cycle, which sometimes results in recalls and changes from manufacturers, but theyre not the ones making, selling, and regulating products. Systemic change is required, Knox says, for jobs like hers to become obsolete. Like most people, I [used to assume], Oh, its in the grocery store, its been reviewed by the government, its safe, Knox says. It would be nice to live in a place where thats true. Write to Jamie Ducharme at jamie.ducharme@time.com. For more than a century, Albert Einsteins General Theory of Relativity has provided a surprisingly accurate framework for understanding the gravitational machinations of the universe. However, when observing data approaching the superhorizon, galaxies traveling so fast they approach the speed of light, inconsistencies have shown that they theory might need a cosmological extension of sorts. A new paper suggests that theres a cosmic glitch in Einsteins theory that, once addressed, helps solve for some of the gravitational wonkiness occurring at large, universe-spanning scales. When it comes to cosmological scales, Earth is just a speck among a vast ocean of supermassive black holes, ultra-dense neutron stars, and explosive supernovae along with other celestial phenomena we can only theorize. Despite this cosmic insignificance, one intelligent life form living on the third planet of our particular solar system amazingly discovered many of the vast secrets of the universe. Neatly packed in his General Theory of Relativity, Albert Einstein and his world-changing theory has accurately predicted many of the cosmological phenomena weve glimpsed in the century since its publication, including most recently the 2019 images of M87a supermassive black hole that closely resembled Einsteins predictions. However, the theory isnt perfect, and one area where the physics behind Einsteins theory begins to break down is when science approaches the superhorizon, or the maximum distance light has traveled since the beginning of the universe. Inconsistencies with Einsteins ideas have led some to believe there is a cosmic glitch in the theory, and now scientists from the University of Waterloo and the University of British Columbia have formulated an extension of Einsteins formulas to account for these cosmic-sized inconsistencies. The results of those efforts, which have stretched on for at least 20 years, were published in March in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics . When we try to understand gravity on a cosmic scale, at the scale of galaxy clusters and beyond, we encounter apparent inconsistencies with the predictions of general relativity, Robin Wren, University of Waterloo graduate and lead author on the study, said in a press statement. Its almost as if gravity itself stops perfectly matching Einsteins theorygravity becomes around one per cent weaker when dealing with distances in the billions of light years. Many have tried to challenge the astrophysical giant that is Einsteins Theory of General Relativity, which has survived more than a century of immense scrutiny and scientific exploration and emerged largely unscathed, and none have faired very well. Instead, the researchers refer to their work as a kind of footnote to Einsteins original work, meaning the theory is still our best bet at understanding our universe, but that it needs slight tweaking when dealing with far-flung galaxies traveling near the speed of light. When the researchers looked at modern data from observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), the primeval radiation emitted shortly after the Big Bang, the results appeared to favor the theory of a one percent glitch when dealing with gravitational constant on large, cosmic scales. Also, including this cosmic glitch also came with a few other observational benefits. Its not just that we found in Cosmic Microwave Background observations, it also makes most of the tensions much milder, University of Waterloos Niayesh Afshordi, a co-author of the study, said in a recent interview posted on YouTube . In particular, the rate of expansion of the universe becomes more comparable to whats observed from local measurements [the Hubble tension] and structure formation, basically how many structures we have in the universe [the S8 tension], it becomes more consistent with Cosmic Microwave Background and other galaxy observations that we have. The researchers say that future observations of the CMB will help elucidate whether this glitch could help explain some of the unsolved mysteries of the universe. But if Einstein, or even the 17th century discoveries of Isaac Newton, the mind behind the previous gravitational framework (before being superseded by general relativity), are any indication, these cosmological answers will only spawn more new and exciting questions. And the enlighten residents living on this lonesome spec in a vast cosmos will likely need to dream up new footnotes, extensions, and perhaps even new theories to explain the grand mysteries that surround us. You Might Also Like GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) The Startup Garage, a relatively new program at Calvin University, is helping students turn ideas into successful businesses. Cameron Lockrey first got an idea for an app after he and a friend started a pressure washing business in 2022. He enjoyed connecting with their clients, many of whom reached out for other work, liking mowing the lawn or moving rocks. He looked for an app that could connect him with odd jobs in the area, but couldnt find one that fit what he was looking for. He decided to start Kickback, an app that connects homeowners with students and other community members who can provide services like raking leaves. It differs from other marketplace businesses, like Taskrabbit, because it has a reverse system, he explained. Instead of you trying to go find the worker and then pay their rate on their schedule, its flipped, he said. You post on a map and then people come to you. Inside WOODTV.com: Building West Michigan He started working on the app while he was a student at Calvin University. Around that same time, Jon VerLee was also working on starting something new: Startup Garage, a small business incubator for Calvin students. VerLee started his own company about a decade ago, when he was working at a local church and moonlighting as a software developer. He found that the software system his church used didnt fit its needs. So he created Breeze, a management software program created specifically for churches. The company took off, and in 2021, he made the decision to sell it. As he worked to figure out what was next for him, he spoke with Tom Betts, a Calvin professor who he had consulted early on in his work at Breeze. Im in this place where I love the impact that business can have in the world and especially when that gets merged with this entrepreneurial ethos, VerLee recalled telling Betts. I love working with students, and to put a bow on all of it, we come from a faith-based, Christian-based perspective and I love how Calvin frames all of this. And so is there anything happening at Calvin that I might be able to help out with? SCORE helps small business owners thrive and survive A lot was happening at the time, as Calvin was in the process of building its new School of Business. A Calvin student told VerLee that students needed a chance to actually do business, instead of just learning about it. This deeply resonated with that desire in me to help create more innovation in the world, he said. A type of innovation that is redemptive, that is Christ-honoring in nature. Story continues He and his wife approached the school about creating a startup incubator, committing half a million dollars and four years to get the program started. We just completed our second year and it is an absolute blast, he said. The program offers mentorship, funding up to $2,000 for each startup and community. Most importantly, VerLee said, the students retain full ownership of their company. The program was what Lockrey needed to make his app succeed. I had no idea how to make a proof of concept, build the app, how to release it, he said. I pretty much got very valuable information on how to do it through the Startup Garage and the incubator at Calvin. He faced some challenges, like setting up a payment system, but the app has now grown to close to 1,000 users, mostly in the West Michigan area. GR program helps business owners spring into success Lockrey has won money from multiple pitch competitions, including $3,000 from Olivet Nazarene Universitys Createur Conference & Pitch Competition, where he took third place last month. He said judges like the greater good the app offers; it has helped single mothers and students make money. Its just being able to connect people that either cant do the jobs themselves either because theyre just too old or their back hurts or something like that, they just dont have the time and being able to connect it with people that are motivated to make some extra money, he said. That connection, fostering community that way, is something I have been very blessed to have, and thats something I believe the judges really look for is being able to better local communities, especially here in Grand Rapids. Lockrey said hes still working on some fixes and bugs, and is hoping to launch version two of the app by the end of this summer. His goal is to grow it beyond Michigan and take it nationwide. Sign up for the News 8 weekly recap newsletter Other businesses that have grown out of the Startup Garage are SeekSpace, which picks up and stores items for students who are gone for the summer, and MyLuvs Redeemed Clothing, which offers sustainably-sourced, modest clothing for women. The goal for Startup Garage, which is open to students of all majors, is to launch 100 redemptively-minded, Christ-centered business over 10 years, VerLee said. But he said the goal isnt to start a wildly successful business that lands a student in Silicon Valley; some startups may last months and others decades, and thats OK. The tools and the skills learned here, whether it be through success or failure, are critical to these students launching their own companies in the future, he said. He hopes the incubator will help Calvin become a hub of entrepreneurship in West Michigan. (For) most students what the message they hear day in and day out is, Work hard, get good grades so you can get a good job. And thats wonderful, but it oftentimes suppresses the message of, Work hard, have a dream and chase it,' he said. When you get other like-minded people together who are affirming that dream, that dream that you can create something new and youre not just a crazy, delusional person, but that you truly have a shot at doing this theres something very encouraging about that. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. A NASA infrared composite image taken by the Spitzer Space Telescope shows a panoramic view of the Andromeda galaxy in 2006. New data from the galaxy is helping scientists understand the eating habits of supermassive black holes, they announced Thursday. Image courtesy of NASA/UPI May 9 (UPI) -- Researchers are hoping that new images and data from NASA can help explain the voracious appetites of black holes and give scientists new information about why some of the massive and largely unexplained regions of immense gravity shine brighter than others when consuming space dust, researchers reported Thursday. Space scientists are using data gathered from the retired Spitzer Space Telescope to analyze dust and gas that have been flowing toward the center of the massive black hole at the heart of the Andromeda galaxy. The steams of gas and dust entering the black hole can help scientists understand how black holes, which are billions of times the mass of our sun, can remain what are known as "quiet" eaters. "As supermassive black holes gobble up gas and dust, the material gets heated up just before it falls in, creating incredible light shows -- sometimes brighter than an entire galaxy full of stars," a release from NASA said. "When the material is consumed in clumps of different sizes, the brightness of the black hole fluctuates." The black holes at the center of the Milky Way and its galactic neighbor, Andromeda, are among the "quietest" eaters in the universe. "What little light they emit does not vary significantly in brightness, suggesting they are consuming a small but steady flow of food, rather than large clumps. The streams approach the black hole little by little, and in a spiral, similar to the way the water swirls down a drain," NASA said. Earlier this year, researchers simulated how dust and gas near Andromeda's black hole might behave over time. Researchers found "that those streams [of gas and dust] have to stay within a particular size and flow rate; otherwise, the matter would fall into the black hole in irregular clumps, causing more light fluctuation," NASA reported. The authors then compared their findings with data gathered from Spitzer and NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, and found spirals of dust previously identified by Spitzer that fit the necessary constraints. With that information, the researchers concluded that the spirals are feeding Andromeda's supermassive black hole. "This is a great example of scientists re-examining archival data to reveal more about galaxy dynamics by comparing it to the latest computer simulations," said Almudena Prieto, an astrophysicist at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands and the University Observatory Munich, and a co-author on the study published this year. "We have 20-year-old data telling us things we didn't recognize in it when we first collected it." SEAL vs. SEAL: Navy vets face off, try to take down GOP incumbent in Kentucky Senate race SHELBYVILLE Among the farms and rolling hills east of Louisville, the idyllic countryside is the site of a three-way battle between two retired Navy SEALS and an incumbent for the district's state Senate seat. Navy SEALS Ed Gallrein and Aaron Reed are challenging Sen. Adrienne Southworth, R-Lawrenceburg, for a spot on the November ballot in the May 21 primary election. Southworth was first elected in 2021 and is touting her experience in her reelection pitch. She told The Courier Journal she's running her campaign on "experience matters," which is the same tagline she used in the previous election. State Sen. Adrienne Southworth, R-Lawrenceburg Her two Republican challengers aren't relying on political experience. Instead, they're offering to bring a unique voice to the Senate one that comes from a worldly perspective tied to travels around the globe and years of combat leadership experience. While Gallrein and Reed are out to beat each other for the chance to represent Anderson, Henry, Shelby and part of Jefferson County, they're also working in tandem to take down an incumbent who sometimes finds herself at odds within her own Republican Party. The Navy SEAL experience It isn't easy to become a Navy SEAL. The Navy SEALS, which stands for sea, air and land teams, were established by former President John F. Kennedy in 1962 and are responsible for providing military relief in crises. This may include carrying out missions against military targets, collecting information through special missions and capturing enemy personnel and terrorists, according to the Navy. Only around 25% of candidates make it through "Hell Week," which is among the toughest training in the U.S. military and tests characteristics like physical endurance to mental toughness. Reed enlisted in 1999 after graduating from Morehead State University and served for 22 years. He traveled the world through multiple combat deployments, including Afghanistan, and retired as a Special Operations Senior Chief after serving his last deployment in South Korea. Republican candidate Aaron Reed stands for a photo on his farm in Shelbyville, Ky. Reed is running against Ed Gallrein and incumbent Adrienne Southworth in the May 21 Kentucky Primary Election for District 7. April 30, 2024 Known for his impressive shooting skills, Reed said his duty often included being the one in the helicopter or on a rooftop covering his team. My thing was long-range and pistol shooting, Reed said. That's a gift God gave me, to be able to squeeze that trigger and have good front-sight focus and hit my target. Now, as a farmer and owner of two firearm-related businesses, Reed said he's running for a Senate seat because he wants to defend the American values of freedom and liberty. Meanwhile, Gallrein served on seven SEAL teams and two special mission units over 30 years. Gallrein said he was recruited at 26 years old when former President Ronald Reagan was rebuilding the service in the 1980s. After graduating from Murray State University, Gallrein left Kentucky and started training to become a Navy SEAL officer. Republican state Senate candidate Ed Gallrein on the Gallrein farm in Shelbyville, Ky. Gallrein is running against Aaron Reed and incumbent Adrienne Southerworth in the May 21 Kentucky Primary Election for Senate District 7. May 5, 2024 As an officer in the SEALS, I had never had the luxury of just being one of the guys, Gallrein said. Everything around me I was responsible for and everything I should have known about around me, I was responsible for." He said he served as a leader on active duty for multiple combat deployments, and was a commanding officer in the Panama Canal zone. He said he saw his time as a leader as "as a gift and opportunity. And you relish the opportunity to make those around you better." Gallrein said he decided to run in the race because he wants to serve his community by bringing his knowledge and skills to Kentucky's Capitol. More: Gearing up for the Kentucky primary election Candidate similarities When it comes to political views, Gallrein and Reed have similar stances on a few issues. Both are supporters of gun rights and are anti-abortion advocates. For Reed, he specifically wants to stop what he called the growth of unsafe chemical abortion pills. Medical abortion pills though like Mifeprex and Mifepristone have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and 96.% of people who used abortion medication reported successfully ending their pregnancy between March 2018 to March 2019, according to the National Insitutes of Health. Republican candidate Ed Gallrein and his wife, Heather, pose for a photo on the Gallrein farm in Shelbyville, Ky. Ed Gallrein is running against Aaron Reed and incumbent Adrienne Southworth in the May 21 Kentucky primary election. May 5, 2024 Reed was raised in Shelby County and currently resides there on his family farm with his wife and six children. "Liberty is a team sport, and you have to be able to bring to the table the ability to bring people together to work towards a common goal or mission," Reed said. "I feel like I can bring that to the table with my background as a Navy SEAL." While Gallrein was born and raised on dairy farm in Jefferson County, he now lives in Shelbyville with his wife and four kids and works on the family farm there. I grew up in very rural Kentucky, and now I've had the benefit of seeing different areas in Kentucky in addition to seeing the entire world through the lens of a senior military officer and an adviser for foreign policy and national security, Gallrein said. Candidate differences While there aren't many differences between the platforms for the two candidates, each has some different priorities. For Reed, he said the main focus would be advocating for school-choice legislation if he wins the Senate seat. I'm a big school-choice guy, Reed said. I feel like the money should follow students and not the systems. I think if we do that, it'll add competition to the school educational industry. School choice has been a popular push for the Republican Party in Kentucky. This year, a constitutional amendment on the November ballot will ask voters whether to amend the state's constitution to allow state dollars to go to non-public schools. If the measure is approved by voters, it's likely a bill outlining the Republican's school-choice program would be introduced in the 2025 legislative session. Reed also said he wants to be a voice for we the people, which includes those who appreciate religious freedom, medical freedom and parents who want a say in what their kids learn at school. Republican candidate Aaron Reed poses for a photo on his farm in Shelbyville, Ky. Reed is running against Ed Gallrein and incumbent Sen. Adrienne Southworth in the 2024 primary election for Kentucky State Senate District 7. Gallrein though calls himself a "Reagan Republican," which usually entails advocating for policies like lowering taxes and limiting government regulations. If elected, Gallrein said some of his top priorities include supporting law enforcement and first responders, establishing welfare-to-work requirements and eliminating the state income tax. Additionally, Gallrein wants to look into expanding and adding ROTC programs at Kentucky colleges, universities and high schools. "I intend to explore why we don't, for instance ... have a Navy Marine Corps ROTC at the University of Kentucky," Gallrein said. "I'm going to pursue how we can bring those programs to benefit the students here in the state of Kentucky to give them opportunities." There's also a bit of contrast when it comes to involvement in politics. Although this is Gallrein's first time running in any political race, Reed has run before. In 2022, he ran in Senate District 20, but was disqualified after redistricting moved the area into Senate District 7 in January 2022. When asked why he is running again in 2024, Reed said it's because "he doesn't quit." "I catch a little heat from Southworth supporters, asking 'why would you run against a perfectly principled candidate," Reed said. "As a Navy SEAL, I cannot quit. I couldn't just say, 'I'm done. I'm out.'" Southworth remains hopeful State Sen. Adrienne Southworth, R-Lawrenceburg, speaks in favor of Senate Bill 80, which would remove student IDs as a primary voter identification document. Jan. 30, 2024 Despite facing two challengers, Southworth said she's not nervous for the upcoming election. "I don't really look at the circumstances in the moment," Southworth said. "I do know the way campaigns work. It's a long-term process and getting people to understand and trust you. With anybody I actually get to spend time with, it's very easy to build trust and confidence." She's hoping that her experience in Frankfort and working as the deputy chief of staff to former Lt. Gov. Jenean Hampton is what secures the votes to win. The incumbent is in a unique position, though, and has been ostracized by her own party at times. Republican leadership sat her in the corner seat in the front row of the chamber, where she's surrounded by the seven Democrats. The conflict between Southworth and the Republican Party stems from different incidents, including when she spread election conspiracy theories in stops around the area. Other times, she hasn't been afraid to call out members of the party, including leaders, when she believes someone violated the Constitution or broke the Senate rules. "I've had previous incidents where I went straight face-to-face with the (Senate) President not on the floor but straight to his face and said 'you're violating the rules. What are you going to do about it?,'" Southworth said. The Senate president, Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, donated $2,000 this month to Gallrein's campaign, according to records from the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance. Stivers told reporters on the last night of the legislative session in April that he "didn't have an issue with any of my members coming back." If Southworth loses the election, though, she said nothing will personally change for her. "My identity is not in a political position," Southworth said. "I'm here because I'm still serving the same people I was serving before as a volunteer... I think it's hard because a lot of people put so much stock into a single election, and it's dangerous, really, for your personal life, if nothing else. But we'll know (May 21) how this lands." Another primary we are watching: New voice vs. 35 years in office: Senate Dems' leadership on line in key Louisville race Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described the details of Aaron Reed's past run for office. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Retired Navy SEALS face incumbent Southworth in Kentucky Senate race After six years, Childrens Mercy Kansas City President and CEO Paul Kempinski will retire, the hospital announced Thursday. During his tenure, Childrens Mercy opened the Childrens Mercy Research Institute, started a program to address the youth mental health crisis and guided the hospital through the COVID-19 pandemic. I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and I look forward to continuing to contribute to improving the health of children and staying actively engaged in the Kansas City community, Kempinski said in a news release. This is the perfect time to hand the baton to the next CEO to lead the next phase of growth at Childrens Mercy. The hospitals board retained a national search firm to find a new president and CEO, a process that will include input from clinical, research, academic and philanthropic partners and community stakeholders, Childrens Mercy said. Kempinski also serves on the boards of various community organizations, including the Childrens Hospital Association, Missouri Hospital Association, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Kansas City Civic Council, KC Common Good and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Kansas City. Kempinski will stay in his role at Childrens Mercy until a new CEO is on-boarded. Paul has provided unwavering support for the Childrens Mercy team as we work to fulfill our mission of providing dedicated, holistic care to every child, said Dr. Bradley Warady, director of the pediatric nephrology division, and as we continue our focus on breakthrough translational research, innovation and educating the next generation of caregivers. On second try, House approves Amodeis bill to ease mining on federal lands Earthworks in preparation for major construction of Thacker Pass scheduled to begin in the second half of 2024. (Photo: Lithium Americas corporate presentation, May 2024) Policy, politics and progressive commentary Nevadas mining industry may soon get a reprieve after the Republican-controlled U.S. House passed industry-friendly legislation Wednesday, undoing a consequential court decision that restricted mining companies use of federal lands. The Mining Regulatory Clarity Act of 2024 introduced by Nevada Republican Rep. Mark Amodei passed on a 216-195 vote, reversing a vote last week to return the bill to committee. The bill would allow mining companies to conduct mining support operations on federal lands without valuable mineral deposits, including road maintenance, transmission lines, pipelines, and the construction of any other support facility needed at a mining site. Securing our domestic mineral supply chain is not only critical to our nations economic success, but to our national security. Now more than ever, we must ensure we are doing all that we can to increase domestic mineral production and protect the ability to conduct responsible mining activities on federal lands, said Amodei in a statement. Mining developers in Nevada have had to grapple with the aftermath of a 2022 federal appeals court ruling that imposed a stricter interpretation of the 150-year-old General Mining Law, restricting mining companies from using federal lands without valuable mineral deposits for mining related purposes. Prior to the federal appeals court decision, mining companies used neighboring federal lands without valuable mineral deposits for mining related purposes such as waste rock disposal or running power lines without issue for decades. The ruling known as the Rosemont decision blocked an Arizona mining project from dumping waste rock on U.S. Forest Service land. The court ruled that while federal mining law allows companies to mine on federal land where economically valuable minerals are present, they are not guaranteed the right to use federal land without valuable minerals as a dumping site. Despite support from Arkansas Republican and House Natural Resource Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman, the bill faced some hurdles last week when six members of Amodeis own party joined Democrats to block a bill. Lawmakers did not make changes to the bill between the May 1 vote and Wednesday, but the presence of several Republicans who were absent last week allowed the measure to pass on the second attempt. Rep. Pete Stauber of Minnesota, who chairs the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources and led Republican floor debate Wednesday, called the bill a benefit to domestic mining interests and a correction of the Rosemont decision. This is a simple fix, Stauber said. We believe the court erred, so its our job to legislate. During floor debate Wednesday, New Mexico Democrat Melanie Stansbury called the bill a giveaway to mining companies, including those based in China and other countries. Why the heck are we back on the House floor one week after we voted on a bipartisan basis to send this bad bill back to committee? Stansbury said on the House floor. Not all Democrats in Congress oppose Amodeis bill, which opponents have described as a corporate giveaway. While Nevada Democratic Reps. Dina Titus and Susie Lee voted against the measure, Nevada Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford was one of eight Democrats who voted for the legislation. And Nevada Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto Wednesday praised House approval of the the bill, and called for the Senate to move quickly on companion legislation she and Idaho Republican Sen. Jim Risch introduced in the Senate. Nevada Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen is also a cosponsor of the Senate companion bill, along with Senate Republicans Mike Crapo of Idaho and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. Without a fix, the Rosemont decision could upend existing and future mining projects, threatening thousands of jobs in Nevada and across the West. Ill continue to stand up for our communities and for our clean energy future, said Cortez Masto in a statement. Cortez Masto has argued that restricting mining companies from using public land that does not contain economically valuable minerals for waste storage or processing is misguided. Some conservation groups warned that the broad scope of the legislation is alarming and could make room for speculative mining claims on public lands without a documented mineral deposit. This bill would create a free-for-all on public lands, with speculators able to file claims even when there are no valuable minerals present, said Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin director at the Center for Biological Diversity. Nevada is at the epicenter of a huge mining boom right now, and our public lands need strengthened protections. Instead this bill aims to unleash the mining industry, with devastating consequences for Nevadas wildlife and communities. In Nevada, the Rosemont decision has proved consequential to the mining industry, which enjoys broad use of public lands under the 150-year-old General Mining Law, unlike other extractive industries. In the case of a planned molybdenum mine by Nevada-based developer Eureka Moly LLC, a district court judge vacated the 2019 Bureau of Land Managements approval of the project after ruling the developer did not have the right to dump waste rock on federal land without valuable mineral deposits. The new stricter interpretation of the 150-year-old General Mining Law under the federal appeals court ruling also affects what may potentially become the largest lithium mine in the United States, the Thacker Pass project south of the Nevada-Oregon border. Last year, a district judge cited the Arizona ruling when determining that federal land managers violated federal law when they approved the mine developers plan to bury 1,300 acres of public land under waste rock. The post On second try, House approves Amodeis bill to ease mining on federal lands appeared first on Nevada Current. On second try, U.S. House approves GOP bill to ease mining on federal lands The U.S. House passed legislation on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, that would clarify mining companies can conduct mining support operations on federal lands without first documenting a known mineral deposit. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) The U.S. House passed, 216-195, a bill Wednesday that would loosen a restriction on mining operations, reversing a vote last week to return the bill to committee. The bill, written by Nevada Republican Mark Amodei, would clarify that mining companies can conduct mining support operations on federal lands, even without first documenting a known mineral deposit. It responds to a 2022 federal appeals court ruling restricting mining companies from using federal lands without a documented mineral deposit. The Republican-controlled House rejected the bill last week, voting 210-206 to adopt a motion to recommit the measure to the House Natural Resources Committee. Six Republicans joined all Democrats present to oppose the bill. Lawmakers did not make changes to the bill between the May 1 vote and Wednesday, but the presence Wednesday of several Republicans who were absent last week allowed the measure to pass on the second attempt. Why the heck are we back on the House floor one week after we voted on a bipartisan basis to send this bad bill back to committee? New Mexico Democrat Melanie Stansbury said during floor debate Wednesday. Stansbury called the bill a giveaway to mining companies, including those based in China and other countries. Rep. Pete Stauber of Minnesota, who chairs the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources and led Republican floor debate Wednesday, made no mention of last weeks vote, but continued to advocate for the bill as a benefit to domestic mining interests. Encouraging U.S. mining, especially as an alternative to importing Chinese minerals, should be encouraged, he said. Domestic environmental and labor protections are stronger than they are in other countries, he said. I support fair labor standards, I support high environmental standards, I support increasing our national security, Stauber said. In short, I support domestic mining. The bill was meant to address a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that Republicans disagreed with, Stauber said. The ruling blocked an Arizona mining project from dumping waste rock on U.S. Forest Service land. The court ruled that the mining companys claim on the Forest Service land was invalid because it had not shown a valuable mineral deposit there. Mining interests have criticized the ruling, known as the Rosemont decision, for restricting operations on federal lands. This is a simple fix, Stauber said. We believe the court erred, so its our job to legislate. China debate Stansbury said the bill could benefit subsidiaries of foreign mining companies, including Chinese companies. It would allow Chinese companies to control U.S. federal lands, she said. Rep. John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, authored an amendment to the bill last month that would have banned companies or subsidiaries from adversarial nations from mining on federal lands. The House Rules Committee declined to make that amendment in order, which New Mexico Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez noted Wednesday. Stauber said all companies that operate in the U.S. have to comply with labor and environmental standards. He also responded to the claim that the bill would spur a takeover of federal lands by Chinese companies. The bill would not affect foreign mining operations in the U.S., which is already allowed under existing law. The post On second try, U.S. House approves GOP bill to ease mining on federal lands appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner. On second try, U.S. House approves GOP bill to ease mining on federal lands The U.S. House passed legislation on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, that would clarify mining companies can conduct mining support operations on federal lands without first documenting a known mineral deposit. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt / States Newsroom) The U.S. House passed, 216-195, a bill Wednesday that would loosen a restriction on mining operations, reversing a vote last week to return the bill to committee. The bill, written by Nevada Republican Mark Amodei, would clarify that mining companies can conduct mining support operations on federal lands, even without first documenting a known mineral deposit. It responds to a 2022 federal appeals court ruling restricting mining companies from using federal lands without a documented mineral deposit. The Republican-controlled House rejected the bill last week, voting 210-206 to adopt a motion to recommit the measure to the House Natural Resources Committee. Six Republicans joined all Democrats present to oppose the bill. Lawmakers did not make changes to the bill between the May 1 vote and Wednesday, but the presence Wednesday of several Republicans who were absent last week allowed the measure to pass on the second attempt. Why the heck are we back on the House floor one week after we voted on a bipartisan basis to send this bad bill back to committee? New Mexico Democrat Melanie Stansbury said during floor debate Wednesday. Stansbury called the bill a giveaway to mining companies, including those based in China and other countries. Rep. Pete Stauber of Minnesota, who chairs the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources and led Republican floor debate Wednesday, made no mention of last weeks vote, but continued to advocate for the bill as a benefit to domestic mining interests. Encouraging U.S. mining, especially as an alternative to importing Chinese minerals, should be encouraged, he said. Domestic environmental and labor protections are stronger than they are in other countries, he said. I support fair labor standards, I support high environmental standards, I support increasing our national security, Stauber said. In short, I support domestic mining. The bill was meant to address a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that Republicans disagreed with, Stauber said. The ruling blocked an Arizona mining project from dumping waste rock on U.S. Forest Service land. The court ruled that the mining companys claim on the Forest Service land was invalid because it had not shown a valuable mineral deposit there. Mining interests have criticized the ruling, known as the Rosemont decision, for restricting operations on federal lands. This is a simple fix, Stauber said. We believe the court erred, so its our job to legislate. China debate Stansbury said the bill could benefit subsidiaries of foreign mining companies, including Chinese companies. It would allow Chinese companies to control U.S. federal lands, she said. Rep. John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, authored an amendment to the bill last month that would have banned companies or subsidiaries from adversarial nations from mining on federal lands. The House Rules Committee declined to make that amendment in order, which New Mexico Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez noted Wednesday. Stauber said all companies that operate in the U.S. have to comply with labor and environmental standards. He also responded to the claim that the bill would spur a takeover of federal lands by Chinese companies. The bill would not affect foreign mining operations in the U.S., which is already allowed under existing law. The post On second try, U.S. House approves GOP bill to ease mining on federal lands appeared first on Source New Mexico. On second try, U.S. House approves GOP bill to ease mining on federal lands The U.S. House passed legislation on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, that would clarify mining companies can conduct mining support operations on federal lands without first documenting a known mineral deposit. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) The U.S. House passed, 216-195, a bill Wednesday that would loosen a restriction on mining operations, reversing a vote last week to return the bill to committee. The bill, written by Nevada Republican Mark Amodei, would clarify that mining companies can conduct mining support operations on federal lands, even without first documenting a known mineral deposit. It responds to a 2022 federal appeals court ruling restricting mining companies from using federal lands without a documented mineral deposit. The Republican-controlled House rejected the bill last week, voting 210-206 to adopt a motion to recommit the measure to the House Natural Resources Committee. Six Republicans joined all Democrats present to oppose the bill. Lawmakers did not make changes to the bill between the May 1 vote and Wednesday, but the presence Wednesday of several Republicans who were absent last week allowed the measure to pass on the second attempt. Why the heck are we back on the House floor one week after we voted on a bipartisan basis to send this bad bill back to committee? New Mexico Democrat Melanie Stansbury said during floor debate Wednesday. Stansbury called the bill a giveaway to mining companies, including those based in China and other countries. Rep. Pete Stauber of Minnesota, who chairs the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources and led Republican floor debate Wednesday, made no mention of last weeks vote, but continued to advocate for the bill as a benefit to domestic mining interests. Encouraging U.S. mining, especially as an alternative to importing Chinese minerals, should be encouraged, he said. Domestic environmental and labor protections are stronger than they are in other countries, he said. I support fair labor standards, I support high environmental standards, I support increasing our national security, Stauber said. In short, I support domestic mining. The bill was meant to address a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that Republicans disagreed with, Stauber said. The ruling blocked an Arizona mining project from dumping waste rock on U.S. Forest Service land. The court ruled that the mining companys claim on the Forest Service land was invalid because it had not shown a valuable mineral deposit there. Mining interests have criticized the ruling, known as the Rosemont decision, for restricting operations on federal lands. This is a simple fix, Stauber said. We believe the court erred, so its our job to legislate. China debate Stansbury said the bill could benefit subsidiaries of foreign mining companies, including Chinese companies. It would allow Chinese companies to control U.S. federal lands, she said. Rep. John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, authored an amendment to the bill last month that would have banned companies or subsidiaries from adversarial nations from mining on federal lands. The House Rules Committee declined to make that amendment in order, which New Mexico Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez noted Wednesday. Stauber said all companies that operate in the U.S. have to comply with labor and environmental standards. He also responded to the claim that the bill would spur a takeover of federal lands by Chinese companies. The bill would not affect foreign mining operations in the U.S., which is already allowed under existing law. The post On second try, U.S. House approves GOP bill to ease mining on federal lands appeared first on Kentucky Lantern. On second try, U.S. House approves GOP bill to ease mining on federal lands CAPTION: The U.S. House passed legislation on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, that would clarify mining companies can conduct mining support operations on federal lands without first documenting a known mineral deposit. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) The U.S. House passed, 216-195, a bill Wednesday that would loosen a restriction on mining operations, reversing a vote last week to return the bill to committee. The bill, written by Nevada Republican Mark Amodei, would clarify that mining companies can conduct mining support operations on federal lands, even without first documenting a known mineral deposit. It responds to a 2022 federal appeals court ruling restricting mining companies from using federal lands without a documented mineral deposit. The Republican-controlled House rejected the bill last week, voting 210-206 to adopt a motion to recommit the measure to the House Natural Resources Committee. Six Republicans joined all Democrats present to oppose the bill. Lawmakers did not make changes to the bill between the May 1 vote and Wednesday, but the presence Wednesday of several Republicans who were absent last week allowed the measure to pass on the second attempt. Why the heck are we back on the House floor one week after we voted on a bipartisan basis to send this bad bill back to committee? New Mexico Democrat Melanie Stansbury said during floor debate Wednesday. Stansbury called the bill a giveaway to mining companies, including those based in China and other countries. Rep. Pete Stauber of Minnesota, who chairs the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources and led Republican floor debate Wednesday, made no mention of last weeks vote, but continued to advocate for the bill as a benefit to domestic mining interests. Encouraging U.S. mining, especially as an alternative to importing Chinese minerals, should be encouraged, he said. Domestic environmental and labor protections are stronger than they are in other countries, he said. I support fair labor standards, I support high environmental standards, I support increasing our national security, Stauber said. In short, I support domestic mining. The bill was meant to address a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that Republicans disagreed with, Stauber said. The ruling blocked an Arizona mining project from dumping waste rock on U.S. Forest Service land. The court ruled that the mining companys claim on the Forest Service land was invalid because it had not shown a valuable mineral deposit there. Mining interests have criticized the ruling, known as the Rosemont decision, for restricting operations on federal lands. This is a simple fix, Stauber said. We believe the court erred, so its our job to legislate. China debate Stansbury said the bill could benefit subsidiaries of foreign mining companies, including Chinese companies. It would allow Chinese companies to control U.S. federal lands, she said. Rep. John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, authored an amendment to the bill last month that would have banned companies or subsidiaries from adversarial nations from mining on federal lands. The House Rules Committee declined to make that amendment in order, which New Mexico Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez noted Wednesday. Stauber said all companies that operate in the U.S. have to comply with labor and environmental standards. He also responded to the claim that the bill would spur a takeover of federal lands by Chinese companies. The bill would not affect foreign mining operations in the U.S., which is already allowed under existing law. The post On second try, U.S. House approves GOP bill to ease mining on federal lands appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. On second try, U.S. House approves GOP bill to ease mining on federal lands The U.S. House passed legislation on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, that would clarify mining companies can conduct mining support operations on federal lands without first documenting a known mineral deposit. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) The U.S. House passed, 216-195, a bill Wednesday that would loosen a restriction on mining operations, reversing a vote last week to return the bill to committee. The bill, written by Nevada Republican Mark Amodei, would clarify that mining companies can conduct mining support operations on federal lands, even without first documenting a known mineral deposit. It responds to a 2022 federal appeals court ruling restricting mining companies from using federal lands without a documented mineral deposit. The Republican-controlled House rejected the bill last week, voting 210-206 to adopt a motion to recommit the measure to the House Natural Resources Committee. Six Republicans joined all Democrats present to oppose the bill. Lawmakers did not make changes to the bill between the May 1 vote and Wednesday, but the presence Wednesday of several Republicans who were absent last week allowed the measure to pass on the second attempt. Why the heck are we back on the House floor one week after we voted on a bipartisan basis to send this bad bill back to committee? New Mexico Democrat Melanie Stansbury said during floor debate Wednesday. Stansbury called the bill a giveaway to mining companies, including those based in China and other countries. Rep. Pete Stauber of Minnesota, who chairs the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources and led Republican floor debate Wednesday, made no mention of last weeks vote, but continued to advocate for the bill as a benefit to domestic mining interests. Encouraging U.S. mining, especially as an alternative to importing Chinese minerals, should be encouraged, he said. Domestic environmental and labor protections are stronger than they are in other countries, he said. I support fair labor standards, I support high environmental standards, I support increasing our national security, Stauber said. In short, I support domestic mining. The bill was meant to address a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that Republicans disagreed with, Stauber said. The ruling blocked an Arizona mining project from dumping waste rock on U.S. Forest Service land. The court ruled that the mining companys claim on the Forest Service land was invalid because it had not shown a valuable mineral deposit there. Mining interests have criticized the ruling, known as the Rosemont decision, for restricting operations on federal lands. This is a simple fix, Stauber said. We believe the court erred, so its our job to legislate. China debate Stansbury said the bill could benefit subsidiaries of foreign mining companies, including Chinese companies. It would allow Chinese companies to control U.S. federal lands, she said. Rep. John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, authored an amendment to the bill last month that would have banned companies or subsidiaries from adversarial nations from mining on federal lands. The House Rules Committee declined to make that amendment in order, which New Mexico Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez noted Wednesday. Stauber said all companies that operate in the U.S. have to comply with labor and environmental standards. He also responded to the claim that the bill would spur a takeover of federal lands by Chinese companies. The bill would not affect foreign mining operations in the U.S., which is already allowed under existing law. The post On second try, U.S. House approves GOP bill to ease mining on federal lands appeared first on Michigan Advance. On second try, U.S. House approves GOP bill to ease mining on federal lands The U.S. House passed legislation on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, that would clarify mining companies can conduct mining support operations on federal lands without first documenting a known mineral deposit. (Jennifer Shutt | States Newsroom) The U.S. House passed, 216-195, a bill Wednesday that would loosen a restriction on mining operations, reversing a vote last week to return the bill to committee. The bill, written by Nevada Republican Mark Amodei, would clarify that mining companies can conduct mining support operations on federal lands, even without first documenting a known mineral deposit. It responds to a 2022 federal appeals court ruling restricting mining companies from using federal lands without a documented mineral deposit. The Republican-controlled House rejected the bill last week, voting 210-206 to adopt a motion to recommit the measure to the House Natural Resources Committee. Six Republicans joined all Democrats present to oppose the bill. West Virginia Reps. Carol Miller and Alex Mooney both voted in favor of the bill. Lawmakers did not make changes to the bill between the May 1 vote and Wednesday, but the presence Wednesday of several Republicans who were absent last week allowed the measure to pass on the second attempt. Why the heck are we back on the House floor one week after we voted on a bipartisan basis to send this bad bill back to committee? New Mexico Democrat Melanie Stansbury said during floor debate Wednesday. Stansbury called the bill a giveaway to mining companies, including those based in China and other countries. Rep. Pete Stauber of Minnesota, who chairs the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources and led Republican floor debate Wednesday, made no mention of last weeks vote, but continued to advocate for the bill as a benefit to domestic mining interests. Encouraging U.S. mining, especially as an alternative to importing Chinese minerals, should be encouraged, he said. Domestic environmental and labor protections are stronger than they are in other countries, he said. I support fair labor standards, I support high environmental standards, I support increasing our national security, Stauber said. In short, I support domestic mining. The bill was meant to address a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that Republicans disagreed with, Stauber said. The ruling blocked an Arizona mining project from dumping waste rock on U.S. Forest Service land. The court ruled that the mining companys claim on the Forest Service land was invalid because it had not shown a valuable mineral deposit there. Mining interests have criticized the ruling, known as the Rosemont decision, for restricting operations on federal lands. This is a simple fix, Stauber said. We believe the court erred, so its our job to legislate. China debate Stansbury said the bill could benefit subsidiaries of foreign mining companies, including Chinese companies. It would allow Chinese companies to control U.S. federal lands, she said. Rep. John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, authored an amendment to the bill last month that would have banned companies or subsidiaries from adversarial nations from mining on federal lands. The House Rules Committee declined to make that amendment in order, which New Mexico Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez noted Wednesday. Stauber said all companies that operate in the U.S. have to comply with labor and environmental standards. He also responded to the claim that the bill would spur a takeover of federal lands by Chinese companies. The bill would not affect foreign mining operations in the U.S., which is already allowed under existing law. The post On second try, U.S. House approves GOP bill to ease mining on federal lands appeared first on West Virginia Watch. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Bradenton Police Chief Melanie Bevan said her community is under siege by financial crooks and shes tired of it. The schemes are targeting the elderly population, and Bevan said shes created a special team dedicated to investigating this type of fraud and educating the public. The Bradenton Police Department reported losses of more than $2 million in the past year. There are just heartbreaking story after heartbreaking story when you hear from these folks and its just a variety of crimes but its always the same, Bevan said. They just fall victim for a variety of reasons they feel the need to hand over their money and so often its just hard to get it back. Were tired of it, she said. We may not be mighty but we are going to fight hard. We are going to pour as many resources as we can toward this. The FBI reported that during that same time period, older Americans were tricked out of $3.4 billion in the past year. Detective Jim Curulla, who leads that team, told me an elderly veteran lost $1.5 million, after crooks convinced him to buy and fork over gold bars. The crooks came to his house, posing as federal agents and said they had warrant for his arrest. Then their supervisor started calling. She proceeded to call this victim once to twice a day for almost a month, getting his trust and eventually she said he was going to help them solve social security fraud, Curulla said. She needed some money to use and they were going to transfer some of his money and use that as the bait. Curulla said he recently arrested the man who picked up the gold bars, but theres only a slim chance of recovering the mans money. The big takeaway is that crooks are calling the victims, often pretending to be law enforcement and threatening arrest for financial crimes. Then they offer a dealavoid trouble by helping the government with your money or they may say youre paying a fine or even protecting your money from crooks. If you get a call like this, hang up and call local law enforcement yourself to verify who you are talking to. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. On second try, U.S. House approves GOP bill to ease mining on federal lands The U.S. House passed legislation on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, that would clarify mining companies can conduct mining support operations on federal lands without first documenting a known mineral deposit. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) The U.S. House passed, 216-195, a bill Wednesday that would loosen a restriction on mining operations, reversing a vote last week to return the bill to committee. The bill, written by Nevada Republican Mark Amodei, would clarify that mining companies can conduct mining support operations on federal lands, even without first documenting a known mineral deposit. It responds to a 2022 federal appeals court ruling restricting mining companies from using federal lands without a documented mineral deposit. North Dakota Republican Kelly Armstrong supported the bill on Wednesday. The Republican-controlled House rejected the bill last week, voting 210-206 to adopt a motion to recommit the measure to the House Natural Resources Committee. Six Republicans joined all Democrats present to oppose the bill. Lawmakers did not make changes to the bill between the May 1 vote and Wednesday, but the presence Wednesday of several Republicans who were absent last week allowed the measure to pass on the second attempt. Why the heck are we back on the House floor one week after we voted on a bipartisan basis to send this bad bill back to committee? New Mexico Democrat Melanie Stansbury said during floor debate Wednesday. Stansbury called the bill a giveaway to mining companies, including those based in China and other countries. Rep. Pete Stauber of Minnesota, who chairs the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources and led Republican floor debate Wednesday, made no mention of last weeks vote, but continued to advocate for the bill as a benefit to domestic mining interests. Encouraging U.S. mining, especially as an alternative to importing Chinese minerals, should be encouraged, he said. Domestic environmental and labor protections are stronger than they are in other countries, he said. I support fair labor standards, I support high environmental standards, I support increasing our national security, Stauber said. In short, I support domestic mining. The bill was meant to address a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that Republicans disagreed with, Stauber said. The ruling blocked an Arizona mining project from dumping waste rock on U.S. Forest Service land. The court ruled that the mining companys claim on the Forest Service land was invalid because it had not shown a valuable mineral deposit there. Mining interests have criticized the ruling, known as the Rosemont decision, for restricting operations on federal lands. This is a simple fix, Stauber said. We believe the court erred, so its our job to legislate. China debate Stansbury said the bill could benefit subsidiaries of foreign mining companies, including Chinese companies. It would allow Chinese companies to control U.S. federal lands, she said. Rep. John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, authored an amendment to the bill last month that would have banned companies or subsidiaries from adversarial nations from mining on federal lands. The House Rules Committee declined to make that amendment in order, which New Mexico Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez noted Wednesday. Stauber said all companies that operate in the U.S. have to comply with labor and environmental standards. He also responded to the claim that the bill would spur a takeover of federal lands by Chinese companies. The bill would not affect foreign mining operations in the U.S., which is already allowed under existing law. The post On second try, U.S. House approves GOP bill to ease mining on federal lands appeared first on North Dakota Monitor. Johnson votes yes as U.S. House passes bill to ease mining restriction The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) The U.S. House passed legislation on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, that would clarify mining companies can conduct mining support operations on federal lands without first documenting a known mineral deposit. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) The U.S. House passed, 216-195, a bill Wednesday that would loosen a restriction on mining operations, reversing a vote last week to return the bill to committee. South Dakota Republican Dusty Johnson cast one of the votes in favor of the legislation. The bill, written by Nevada Republican Mark Amodei, would clarify that mining companies can conduct mining support operations on federal lands, even without first documenting a known mineral deposit. It responds to a 2022 federal appeals court ruling restricting mining companies from using federal lands without a documented mineral deposit. The Republican-controlled House rejected the bill last week, voting 210-206 to adopt a motion to recommit the measure to the House Natural Resources Committee. Six Republicans joined all Democrats present to oppose the bill. Lawmakers did not make changes to the bill between the May 1 vote and Wednesday, but the presence Wednesday of several Republicans who were absent last week allowed the measure to pass on the second attempt. Why the heck are we back on the House floor one week after we voted on a bipartisan basis to send this bad bill back to committee? New Mexico Democrat Melanie Stansbury said during floor debate Wednesday. Stansbury called the bill a giveaway to mining companies, including those based in China and other countries. Rep. Pete Stauber of Minnesota, who chairs the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources and led Republican floor debate Wednesday, made no mention of last weeks vote, but continued to advocate for the bill as a benefit to domestic mining interests. Encouraging U.S. mining, especially as an alternative to importing Chinese minerals, should be encouraged, he said. Domestic environmental and labor protections are stronger than they are in other countries, he said. I support fair labor standards, I support high environmental standards, I support increasing our national security, Stauber said. In short, I support domestic mining. The bill was meant to address a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that Republicans disagreed with, Stauber said. The ruling blocked an Arizona mining project from dumping waste rock on U.S. Forest Service land. The court ruled that the mining companys claim on the Forest Service land was invalid because it had not shown a valuable mineral deposit there. Mining interests have criticized the ruling, known as the Rosemont decision, for restricting operations on federal lands. This is a simple fix, Stauber said. We believe the court erred, so its our job to legislate. China debate Stansbury said the bill could benefit subsidiaries of foreign mining companies, including Chinese companies. It would allow Chinese companies to control U.S. federal lands, she said. Rep. John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, authored an amendment to the bill last month that would have banned companies or subsidiaries from adversarial nations from mining on federal lands. The House Rules Committee declined to make that amendment in order, which New Mexico Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez noted Wednesday. Stauber said all companies that operate in the U.S. have to comply with labor and environmental standards. He also responded to the claim that the bill would spur a takeover of federal lands by Chinese companies. The bill would not affect foreign mining operations in the U.S., which is already allowed under existing law. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Johnson votes yes as U.S. House passes bill to ease mining restriction appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight. A 1963 photo of Martin Luther King Jr. addressing the thousands of people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington Credit - The Denver Post via Getty Images On May 1, a half dozen U.S. Senators from both major parties read aloud Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from a Birmingham Jail, a yearly ritual celebrating the power of dissent in U.S. history. Meanwhile, the night before, the NYPD had used riot gear, military equipment, and hundreds of officers to dismantle nonviolent Gaza solidarity encampments at Columbia University and then at City College of the City University of New York (CUNY). In the process, NYPD officers, with authorization from CUNY and Columbia administrations, arrested more than 100 Columbia protesters and approximately 170 CUNY protestors. The multiracial City College Gaza Solidarity Encampment had drawn students and faculty from across the 25 CUNY colleges, holding Passover seders, Muslim prayers, teach-ins, and art builds. Alongside their demands for divestment, disclosure, and an academic boycott of Israel, CUNY students also called for a demilitarized CUNY and free tuition. Over half of CUNY students come from households that earn $30,000 or less; the university student body is 22% Asian, 26% Black, 31% Latinx, and 21% white. The juxtaposition of the Senate pageant with the mass criminalization of student protesters was not simply ironic. It reflects how public officials have repeatedly tried to drape themselves in the mis-history of the civil rights movement to oppose and justify the criminalization of protest in the present. Media commentators and public officials have decried the Gaza solidarity encampments and other pro-Palestinian protests with comparisons to King and the civil rights movement. King, many liberals and conservatives claim, didnt inconvenience people, disrupt things, or make people feel unsafe; by contrast, todays students are portrayed as reckless and dangerous. Students are protesting Israel's brutal war in Gaza and U.S. investment in funding that war. In January the International Court of Justice found that it was "plausible" that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza and in March the U.N. Special Rapporteur determined there were "reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold of genocide...has been met." But two days after the violent NYPD raid, President Biden chastised studentsnot the policethat dissent must never lead to disorder. Such popular invocations of the movement miss how the civil rights heroes of the past were viewed as dangerous, disorderly, and unwelcome in their own day. King and others who refused to live by the racial status quo were treated as extremists in their time, just like their contemporary counterparts are treated in our time. Read More: Biden Condemns Campus Unrest Over Israel-Hamas War: 'None of This Is a Peaceful Protest Indeed, from the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955 on, King understood the need for disruptive protest to upset norms of segregation, poverty, and militarism. And he was criticized for it. Many leaders and commentators chastised King and the bus boycott for hurting the bus company and putting people out of workand the national NAACP didnt support the year-long bus boycott, finding it too disruptive, only later taking on the legal case. Even the march that King would later become most associated with after his assassinationthe March on Washington (MOW) on Aug. 28, 1963, of 250,000 peoplewas not supported by many politicians or most Americans at the time, according a Gallup poll done the week of the march. Those who opposed civil rights activism were not some Southern fringe. The Chicago Sun Times in 1963 decried the intimidation of the MOW. The Chicago Tribune, alongside various Chicago politicians, referred to King as an outside agitator when he criticized the citys deep segregation in 1963, saying it was as bad as Birminghams. As King had said for years: Racial injustice was not a sectional problem. De facto segregation of the North was as injurious as the legal segregation of the South. Indeed, a couple of months before the MOW, on June 12, 1963, Dr. King delivered the commencement address at City College and underscored that point. Located in the heart of Harlem, City College proclaimed its mission to provide a free excellent higher education to the "whole people" of New York. But in reality, King addressed a nearly all-white crowd of 15,000 people that day. Less than three dozen of the 2,800 students graduating in 1963 were Black, though nearly half of the citys schools were Black and Puerto Rican. Civil rights advocates, parents, and students had been pointing out the problem for years, including City Colleges own Kenneth Clark, a sociologist whose research had been crucial to the Supreme Courts Brown decision striking down school segregation in 1954. A month after Kings City College address, Black Brooklynites staged pickets intended to disruptand ideally haltconstruction work at the Downstate Hospital because construction companies excluded Black workers. Protesters even laid down in front of construction vehicles. Hundreds were arrested day after day. King supported the confrontational demonstrations, stressing they would end when the Negro feels he is getting a fair deal in housing and job opportunities. The police roughed up many of the protesters, so King underlined the need for the federal government to create a special civil rights force to prevent police brutality against protestors (in New York as well as Birmingham). King emphasized the role the police played in maintaining segregation and criminalizing protest across the country. He later referred to New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago as sites of domestic colonialism, where police and the courts act as enforcers. The year after his address at City College, Black and white moderates called on King to condemn Brooklyn Congress of Racial Equalitys proposed stall-in. Brooklyn CORE had spent the early 1960s challenging housing segregation, school segregation, and job discrimination, garnering little substantive change. Now they sought to draw attention to the citys rampant inequality by stalling cars on highways leading to the 1964 Worlds Fair to be held at Flushing Meadowsto make it difficult for people to continue to avoid seeing racism and poverty. But King refused to condemn the action. We do not need allies who are more devoted to order than to justice, King explained. I hear a lot of talk these days about our direct action talk alienating former friends. I would rather feel they are bringing to the surface latent prejudices that are already there. If our direct action programs alienate our friends.they never were really our friends. Allies are not allies who are more devoted to order than to justice, he argued, as he had in the Letter from a Birmingham Jail the previous year. Read More: The Problem With Comparing Today's Activists to Martin Luther King Jr. By 1969, City College was still 91% white; while CUNYs Brooklyn College was 96% white. Alongside student strikes across the country that accelerated in the wake of Dr. Kings assassination, a massive movement at CUNY crescendoed in the spring of 1969. Student protesters challenged CUNYs segregation, its nearly-all-white faculty, and a biased curriculum. At City College, students engaged in a two-week occupation of the campus. At Brooklyn College, they took over a faculty meeting, had mass demonstrations, briefly took over buildings, and engaged in minor arson and vandalism. And they faced massive criminalization. The Brooklyn College administration got an injunction against students congregating on campus and the NYPD raided the homes of 17 Brooklyn College activists who then faced multiple felony charges. The media framed them as Communists and terrorizers, and many city leaders and residents saw them as reckless and dangerous. But many Black and Puerto Rican community members rallied around them, continuing the pressure. And these protests ultimately succeeded in the establishment of Africana and Puerto Rican studies departments, the diversification of the faculty, and open admissions at CUNY. Fast forward 55 years, universities like CUNY and Columbia now celebrate those activists of old, featuring this activism on their websites and praising them in anniversary celebrations of Africana and Puerto Rican Studies. Yet, university administrations brought the NYPD to violently break up the encampments; Brooklyn College suspended all outdoor activities, and Columbia canceled its commencement. Such actions and the political leaders who misuse the memory of the civil rights movement and student activism of the past have not learned the needed lessons from this history. The young people of this momentas they protest the war in Gaza, in the face of significant campus and police repressionare picking up that work. Jeanne Theoharis is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Brooklyn College and the author of the award-winning The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks and the forthcoming King of the North. Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians. Learn more about Made by History at TIME here. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors. Write to Made by History at madebyhistory@time.com. (KTLA) A large fire tore through a semi-truck on a Los Angeles interstate on Wednesday, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky and causing heavy traffic delays. The fire was first reported around 12:20 p.m. in the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 near Granada Hills. Preliminary information indicates the semi collided with another big rig, causing one to immediately catch fire. A very large fire tore through a semi-truck on the 5 Freeway on Wednesday afternoon, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky and causing heavy traffic delays. (Sky5) A very large fire tore through a semi-truck on the 5 Freeway on Wednesday afternoon, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky and causing heavy traffic delays. (Sky5) A very large fire tore through a semi-truck on the 5 Freeway on Wednesday afternoon, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky and causing heavy traffic delays. (Sky5) A very large fire tore through a semi-truck on the 5 Freeway on Wednesday afternoon, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky and causing heavy traffic delays. (Sky5) A very large fire tore through a semi-truck on the 5 Freeway on Wednesday afternoon, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky and causing heavy traffic delays. (Sky5) A very large fire tore through a semi-truck on the 5 Freeway on Wednesday afternoon, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky and causing heavy traffic delays. (Sky5) A very large fire tore through a semi-truck on the 5 Freeway on Wednesday afternoon, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky and causing heavy traffic delays. (Sky5) One male driver successfully escaped his burning cab, and passing motorists stopped to help extinguish the flames on his clothes and body, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a statement. The driver was transported by ambulance to a local trauma center with critical burns, authorities said. Dozens of firefighters battled the blaze for nearly 40 minutes before it was contained. The big rig, which was carrying meat, was a total loss. Driver crashes into Sees Candies store in La Canada Hazmat crews spent the afternoon cleaning up spilled fuel and oil from the truck route. Southbound traffic coming from the Newhall Pass came to a halt due to the crash and fire, which was visible from across the entire San Fernando Valley, Prickett said. The official cause of the crash has not been released. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Senate candidate Dave McCormick visits the Markets at Hanover on campaign trail With the 2024 election cycle in full swing, U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick stopped in Hanover to speak with local business owners along the campaign trail Wednesday. During the event, hosted at the Markets at Hanover on Broadway, owners of area businesses small and large voiced their concerns to the Senate candidate. Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick speaks during a roundtable event with business owners at the Markets at Hanover, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Penn Township. Among business representatives in attendance were League-Legacy, Burkentine Builders, the Hanover Area Chamber of Commerce, and many vendors from the markets. While many questions from the audience focused mainly on broader national issues, several local business owners spoke with the candidate on more locally focused issues that they said their businesses had encountered. The campaign bus for Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick is seen outside of the Markets at Hanover, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Penn Township. That included several in attendance who touched on feeling the pressures of regulations on their local businesses. During this discussion about regulation, McCormick shared his view that two regulations should be removed for each new regulation that is instituted. Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick speaks during a roundtable event with business owners at the Markets at Hanover, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Penn Township. Mental health was an additional topic of discussion, as several people in the audience spoke of the challenges of mental health in the workforce, and the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on mental health locally. John Schmidt, owner of Craft Eats at the market, highlighted the issue of mental health to McCormick during the discussion, expressing how the lack of support for those struggling with mental health issues can often make it difficult to retain workers. Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick (center) poses for a photograph with John Schmidt, left, and Ingrid Schmidt, right, owners of Craft Eats, during a tour of the Markets at Hanover, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Penn Township. McCormick and John Schmidt worked together in previous careers, McCormick shared. Schmidt, a former coworker of McCormick in a previous career, had helped draw McCormick to the Hanover area along the campaign trail. Among other local issues highlighted in the discussion, McCormick touched on an issue familiar to many in the York-Adams region, as he discussed the large solar farms that have popped up around the state. Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick speaks during a roundtable event with business owners at the Markets at Hanover, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Penn Township. McCormick, who said he owns many acres of farmland in Pennsylvania, said he has had offers from solar companies to use the land for solar farms for more than farmers can offer, due to what he explained as government subsidies towards renewable energy. McCormick described those subsidies as being part of a larger problem of government spending. Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick (center) speaks with John Schmidt, left, and Ingrid Schmidt, right, owners of Craft Eats, during a tour of the Markets at Hanover, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Penn Township. McCormick and John Schmidt worked together in previous careers, McCormick shared. The race, in which McCormick is challenging incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, is likely to be one of the most closely watched elections of this cycle. Following the discussion, McCormick was invited on a tour of the market, visiting local vendors such as GrillRilla, Holistic Vibes, 2Delicious and Craft Eats. Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick (center) speaks with Damien Lacks, owner of GrillRilla, during a tour of the Markets at Hanover, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Penn Township. McCormick and John Schmidt worked together in previous careers, McCormick shared. Then, it was off to the next campaign stop, with the campaign bus heading to the Pittsburgh area by the end of the day Wednesday. Harrison Jones is the Hanover reporter for the Evening Sun. Reach him at hjones@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Hanover Evening Sun: Senate candidate Dave McCormick visits the Markets at Hanover, Pa. The South Carolina Senate Wednesday, May 8, 2024, cast a final vote paring down a controversial bill fast-tracking a new power plant and overhauling state utility regulations.(File/Getty Images) COLUMBIA It could be lights out for a massive bill that would have paved the way for a new power plant in South Carolina and overhauled the states utility regulations. Refusing to ram the complicated bill through the Senate in the sessions closing days, senators voted this week to turn the legislation into a promise to deal with utilities request after a full vetting this fall. A 40-2 vote by senators Wednesday returned the stripped-down legislation to the House, which refused Thursday to agree to the largely symbolic recognition of the states need for more electricity. But its not dead. The chambers voted to send the two versions to a House-Senate committee for the special session to try to negotiate a compromise. Whether a middle ground is possible between the vastly different versions remains to be seen. I recognize the windows closing on the utility reform bill, but I also believe its a priority amongst everybody, House Speaker Murrell Smith, the bills chief sponsor, told reporters after the regular session ended, by law, at 5 p.m. Thursday. Well likely have a bill because when everyone makes something a priority, it ends up happening. From left to right, House Majority Leader Davey Hiott, R-Pickens, House Speaker Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, and Rep. Jay West, R-Belton, speak to reporters after session ends Thursday, May 9, 2024. (Skylar Laird/SC Daily Gazette) Smith had tried to quietly pressure senators to take up his priority legislation in full, to no avail. Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey said its possible that senators could reach agreement on a plan this fall that could replace both versions and still become law this year. But thats unlikely, he cautioned. Its so comprehensive and its so consequential not just for now or next year, but for the next 40 years or longer that we need to make sure we get this right, the Edgefield Republican told reporters. As amended this week by the Senate, the measure acknowledges the states growing population, economic development success, surging energy demand and the associated need for new power generation and transmission lines. Advocating for the replacement language, Sen. Tom Davis argued it doesnt approve anything but makes clear the Legislature will indeed work toward a comprehensive fix not simply create a study committee that does nothing, as often happens when legislators arent sure what to do. I think this is a substantive way for us to express that this isnt something were gonna kick the can down the road on, the Beaufort Republican said. It is something we have to address. We do have capacity issues. We do have transmission issues. As introduced by Smith in February, the proposal would have granted permission for Dominion Energy and state-owned utility company Santee Cooper to partner on a possible 2,000-megawatt natural gas plant on the site of a former coal-fired power plant along the Edisto River in Colleton County. At the same time, the legislation introduced sweeping regulatory changes criticized by environmental and consumer groups. It appeared to be on the fast track. The bill cleared the House in March and advanced in the Senate committee process without testimony from consumer advocates. But when it hit the Senate floor, the wheels came off. Massey went to the podium last month to rail against how quickly it made it to the Senate calendar, with a push that weve got to get it done. He urged senators to wait until the off-session this fall to fully vet the proposal. Davis said the Senates proposed pledge came at the urging of utility companies. They wanted that rather than nothing, he said. The intention of this is to reassure the utilities, to reassure the people of South Carolina, to reinsure capital markets that provide money to the energy sector that we are taking this and will take this seriously, Davis said. It is to send a signal that we are going to be acting upon this in the near future. Data center incentives In separate legislation, senators also sought to address a second aspect of South Carolinas energy landscape: Data centers. These centers house rows of servers needed to run modern technologies, such as the 5G streaming of videos on mobile devices and high-speed financial trades. They also are major power and water users. At least four large projects are in the works in the state, collectively needing an estimated 800 megawatts of power daily. By comparison, a single megawatt is enough to power between 400 and 900 homes in a year, according to federal estimates. On Wednesday, the Senate passed a pair of amendments to House tax incentive legislation. The changes dialed back the use of state sales tax and county property tax deals available to prospective data centers. One change, proposed by Sen. Michael Johnson, R-Tega Cay, ups qualifications and sunsets sales tax exemptions the state offers to certain data centers on the computers, servers, software and electricity they use. To qualify under current law, a data center developer must invest more than $50 million and employ 25 people. Just a couple of the states current centers meet that threshold. Still, the Senate wants to cut off any new tax deals in the states most populous counties at the end of June. For more rural counties, data center developers must invest $75 million to qualify and no new deals could be inked after June 30, 2025. The state would continue honoring existing tax deals. The second amendment, proposed by Massey, puts a temporary moratorium on new city and county property tax breaks for data centers. The pause would go into effect July 1, 2025, and last for a full year. Massey said this would allow any deals already in the works to be finalized while also giving lawmakers time to study the impact of these centers on the states power grid. Proponents argue data centers are not without benefits, particularly in more rural parts of the state with less industry, because they raise a considerable amount of property tax revenue. While the centers may bring in more dollars to communities, Massey and others argued they can also cost power customers if utilities have to build more power plants to support them. It may be that we think (data centers) are wonderful economic development tools, Massey said. Maybe we want to entice more of them to come. I just want to make sure that we understand the pros and the cons of that before we do it. The House refused Thursday to agree to the Senates changes. That bill is also headed to a negotiating committee in the special session. Legislative maneuvers Finally, the Senate shrugged off the Houses attempt to force the issue by attaching the controversial energy legislation to a series of bills. Over the staunch objections of Democrats and some Republicans, the House last week tacked the energy bill on to legislation related to suicide prevention training, professional counseling licenses, fighting financial crimes, cancer coverage on firefighters insurance and the duties of organizations that help independent pharmacies. In response, Massey called on the Senate to strip the energy legislation from four of the proposals and give those underlying bills a chance. I dont want to get in a petty back and forth with our friends in the House because our emotions are high, Massey said. He made clear, however, that the Senate will not negotiate if the House insists on keeping the energy bill tacked onto the unrelated measures. On Thursday, the House agreed to send three of those bills to the governors desk. The fourth, on firefighters insurance, was never taken up by the Senate. The fifth, on financial crimes, is also heading to a negotiating committee. Reporters Skylar Laird and Abraham Kenmore contributed to this report. Editors note: This story was changed to correctly reflect the subject matter covered by one of a series of bills amended by the House to include unrelated legislation on power generation in the state. The post Senate replaces energy bill with pledge to fully tackle states power needs later appeared first on SC Daily Gazette. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A Senatobia mother is demanding justice after she says her two daughters were wrongfully arrested and taken to juvenile lock-up. On Wednesday, Shanecia Miller was standing outside the Tate County Courthouse holding a purse and school backpack belonging to her daughters, 13-year-old Alaysha and 14-year-old Aniyah. Both girls were sent to a juvenile facility in Corinth after being arrested Monday during what Senatobia Police described as a disturbance while officers were trying to collect evidence from a shooting scene at a public housing project. Rapper Jucee Froot indicted on drug charge in MS According to Miller, Senatobia Police also assaulted the girls after they got out of school. I have not seen them in two days, havent talked to them in two days, said Miller. Today Im hoping that my babies come. They missed school. They missed two State tests this week. I just would feel better if they were home in my care. Miller says her daughters were walking along East Gilmore and were told by police to get on the sidewalk. She says that is when one of her daughters said something to police. As they were approaching the sidewalk, ALaysha, the 13 year old, turned around and asked him If they didnt get on the sidewalk, what was they gonna do? Arrest them? she said. What followed was both girls being arrested for Simple Assault on an officer after allegedly striking an officer in the head with closed fists multiple times, resisting arrest, and obstructing a public street, according to police. Miller says the officers assaulted her daughters, possibly injuring one of the girls wrists. The video of the officers holding the two children in the ground, those are my babies, said Miller. Former MPD officer accused of killing man, dumping body in river faces federal charges The juvenile court hearing ended with the girls being released to their mother, but to Miller, the outcome is more like house arrest. My kids are going home but they have no freedom. They cant come outside. Just school, school bus, and home. They cant even be outside in the front yard. If the police ride by and see them outside, they are to lock them back up, Miller said. Miller, who is banned from the public housing project, was arrested for trespassing when she tried to intervene. Senatobia Police released a statement saying a large crowd gathered and caused a disturbance. They said Several people would not comply and were taken into custody. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. By Svea Herbst-Bayliss (Reuters) -Activist hedge fund Ancora Holdings has secured enough support from Norfolk Southern shareholders to win some seats on the U.S. railway operator's board of directors, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Investor votes are still being counted ahead of Norfolk Southern's annual meeting of shareholders on Thursday, and the final number of board seats that Ancora will get has not yet been determined, the sources said. Ancora has nominated 7 candidates to Norfolk Southern's 13-member board. The sources requested anonymity ahead of an official announcement. Norfolk Southern and Ancora were not immediately available for comment. Ancora assembled a director slate that includes former Kansas City Southern executive Sameh Fahmy, Gilbert Lamphere, a former chairman of the Illinois Central Railway, and William Clyburn who served on the U.S. Surface Transportation board. It has argued new directors are needed to improve Norfolk Southern's financial performance and reach operational targets. Three proxy advisory firms -- Institutional Investor Services, Glass Lewis and Egan-Jones -- recommended that Norfolk Southern investors elect at least a handful of Ancora's nominees. They said the company's board should be refreshed after a string of safety problems including a derailment in East Palestine, Ohio in 2023. Ancora also argued that Norfolk Southern's chief executive Alan Shaw should be ousted. Norfolk Southern has told investors it has taken appropriate action by refreshing its board and hiring a new chief operating officer. Among the new board directors Norfolk Southern tapped are Richard Anderson, a former head of passenger railway Amtrak, and former U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp. The company also hired John Orr from Canadian Pacific Kansas City as its chief operating officer. Norfolk Southern paid the rival railroad $25 million to buy Orr out of his non-competition agreement. Ancora won the support of large railroad unions and steel maker Cleveland-Cliffs, a big Norfolk Southern client. (Reporting by Svea Herbst-BaylissEditing by Greg Roumeliotis and Chizu Nomiyama) (Bloomberg) -- Senegal will review fishing deals and licenses signed with its partners that include the European Union to ensure theyre optimized to benefit the sector, newly elected President Bassirou Diomaye Faye said. Most Read from Bloomberg The government will undertake an evaluation of fishing agreements and licenses aimed to preserve its resources and protect small-scale fishermen, Faye said according to minutes from a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. Faye also called for a review of the maritime fisheries code with the aim to strengthen mechanisms to combat illegal fishing. Fayes comments signal that Senegal may seek to take more control of a sector that accounts for about 10% of the countrys exports, according to US Department of Agriculture data. Its estimated that Senegal and its neighbors Gambia, Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Sierra Leone together lose $2.3 billion annually to illegal fishing, according to Amnesty International. Spanish and French boats are part of the foreign fleet fishing in Senegalese waters under an agreement with the European Union. The deal, which expires later this year, allows European vessels to fish tuna and black hake in certain zones off the Senegalese coast. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. The Tiffany & Co sign is displayed outside of their flagship store along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on November 25, 2019 in New York City. A New York jewel thief swapped a diamond ring worth around $225,500 with a fake replica at a Tiffany store in Manhattan, authorities said. Yaorong Wan, 49, has been charged with two counts of grand larceny for the March 4 theft at the Rockefeller Center location, an NYPD spokesperson told USA TODAY. The Queens man also allegedly stole a $24,000 diamond ring from a Cartier store in the Hudson Yards complex on March 12 by concealing it with his left hand, the spokesperson added. Wan was arrested on Friday and arraigned in Manhattan criminal court on Saturday, according to the criminal complaint filed by the district attorney's office. Wan's attorney Amanda Barfield, a New York County public defender, did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. Thief used cubic zirconia stone to mimic ring A week after the March 4 theft, staff at the Tiffany store noticed the $225,500 ring had been replaced with cubic zirconia stone, a manufactured gemstone that resembles diamonds, according to the complaint. Surveillance footage from the store showed Wan allegedly slip the ring into his palm and replace it with the replica to imitate it, the complaint said. Wan also has open warrants in Nassau County on Long Island as well as New Jersey. He is also a suspect in other jewelry thefts in Florida and California and is wanted in South Korea on charges of stealing from other jewelry stores, Assistant District Attorney Eliana Ramelson said at Saturday arraignment, according to ABC7. His next court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday in New York City Criminal Court. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Thief swapped $225,500 Tiffany diamond ring with cubic zirconia: NYPD PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Portland police made several arrests Wednesday night after a joint operation in North Portland, officials said. According to police, the joint mission between the North and East Precinct Neighborhood Response Teams in the Jantzen Beach and Delta Park area ended with 6 people being arrested. Several arrests were made during an operation in North Portland on May 8 (PPB) Several arrests were made during an operation in North Portland on May 8 (PPB) Several arrests were made during an operation in North Portland on May 8 (PPB) Several arrests were made during an operation in North Portland on May 8 (PPB) Details of the operation are still limited but officials shared that there were felony and misdemeanor charges as well as two stolen vehicles recovered. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. A severe storm that blew through the Midlands Thursday is suspected of contributing to two separate house fires in the Irmo area that drew firefighting crews from multiple jurisdictions. The flames engulfed one home and destroyed the garage of another. The infernos broke out in quick succession and came as thunderstorms passed overhead and a tornado watch was implemented in the region, causing Irmo firefighters to call in backup from surrounding counties, Irmo Assistant Chief Sloane Valentino said. The first call came in at 10:30 a.m. at a home in the 200 block of Townes Road, near Seven Oaks Park. Valentino described it as a stubborn fire that is believed to be electrical and that spread throughout the home. While firefighters were on the scene, a second fire broke out at a home in the 400 block of West Passage near Lake Murray shortly after 11 a.m. Firefighters contained that blaze to an attached garage, although the rest of the home suffered smoke and heat damage. Due to the simultaneous fires, engines from Columbia, Lexington County and West Columbia also responded to help battle the flames. No injuries were reported and neither home was occupied at the time, but Valentino said firefighters on Townes Road rescued two dogs, two cats and at least one lizard. Both fires remained under investigation Thursday. (KRON) An Oakland man known as a subject of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation was arrested on Wednesday, the San Francisco Police Department said. The suspect, Darwin Paz, 27, from Oakland, was suspected of possessing a firearm in addition to trafficking fentanyl in San Francisco, SFPD said. Officers located and arrested Paz without incident in the area of Golden Gate Ave. and Leavenworth Street in San Francisco. Paz possessed fentanyl, a concealed firearm, and live rounds, police said. After serving a search warrant in Pazs home in Oakland, officers seized an assault rifle with an optic scope, fentanyl, multiple rifle parts, several extended and loaded magazines, and controlled substance manufacturing equipment, police said. Photo Courtesy: SFPD Paz was booked into San Francisco County Jail for possession for sale of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance while armed, sale or transportation of a controlled substance, possession of a large capacity magazine, carrying a loaded firearm in a public place, carrying a concealed firearm, prohibited firearm, carrying a concealed firearm within a vehicle, and carrying a loaded firearm by a non-registered person. While an arrest has been made, this remains an open and active investigation. Anyone with helpful information is asked to call the SFPD Tip Line at 415-575-444. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. Shady Southwest passengers are abusing the preboarding process and fellow flyers are furious Southwests laissez-faire approach to preboarding is causing turbulence. Rule-abiding frequent flyers are calling out unscrupulous passengers who take advantage of the Dallas-based airlines laidback attitude toward travelers who need a little extra time when boarding with the carrier suggesting theres little they can do to stop the bad actors. Because Southwest doesnt assign seats, preboarders get the run of the cabin, and a growing number of people who reportedly are allowed to merely self-identify as disabled are abusing the policy designed to give families with small children, the disabled and elderly a leg up, eagle-eyed observers insist. Pre-boarding lines on Southwest are growing and rule-following flyers are crying foul. REUTERS Steve Maziarka, a national account manager based near Chicagos Midway airport, a Southwest hub, told the Wall Street Journal he counted approximately 30 preboarders in line on a holiday period flight last year. He reported seeing nearly as many on a Philadelphia to Chicago flight in February. Every person in line meant Maziarka lost out on a prime seat hed normally have access to. (Preboarders are prohibited from bagging sought after exit row seats.) People are taking advantage of the system, says Maziarka, who has the airlines top frequent-flier status. Its just gotten out of control. So out of control, in fact, that discussions on Reddits Southwest board have become heated to the point where moderators have repeatedly had to intervene, pleading for civility. Because airlines can only pry so far into peoples personal situations, its difficult to prove that someone is preboarding under false pretenses. Because airlines are only allowed to get so personal with their passengers, theres little to stop someone from using the open policy to get ahead. Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/Shutte This allows someone without scruples to use the longstanding policy to jump the line. Preboarding is offered to customers needing assistance for various reasons. We work hard to maintain the integrity of the boarding process while providing accommodations for all who fly, followers of Southwests X feed will be used to hearing. Since many disabilities arent visible, were unable to question the validity of preboarding requests. Spokesperson Chris Perry told the Journal that federal rules state all airlines are required to offer preboarding to any passenger self-identifying as disabled. A long pre-boarding line can leave frequent flyers with limited options near the front of the plane. AFP via Getty Images The outlet reported that the airline professes to ask a handful of questions to ensure that people qualify, but noted that the rep was unable to disclose details. And even if the passenger runs into a skeptical gate agent, those who cant get clearance to preboard are reportedly still allowed to join the family boarding group, which gets onto the plane after the A group. The A group largely consists of frequent travelers and those whove paid extra fees for early boarding features. And even if the passenger runs into a skeptical gate agent, those who cant get clearance to preboard are reportedly still allowed to join the family boarding group, which gets onto the plane after the A group. AP Mike Worley, a fundraising exec who travels every week for work, told the Journal he has become less loyal to Southwest, upping his use of Delta Air Lines, partially due to the jetway jockeying. On Delta, you just never see preboarders go up to the counter en masse to get on, he said. While Worleys status puts him in a good spot in Group A on Southwest, there are times hes finding himself way too far back on the plane, he said. Ten or 12 rows back is 10 minutes to get off the plane, the Charleston, S.C. traveler said. Thats crucial time to me. Meanwhile, Southwest executives shrug, downplaying the complaints, the outlet said. At least for now. The mood on the Southwest subreddit can at times appear to be almost ready to boil over, with passengers even posting photos of supposed scofflaws in an effort to publicly shame them. The problem is now so bad, any post discussing pre-boarding is now being vetted for ill-informed, unsympathetic language, moderators wrote. Videos of alleged fakers taken by armchair physicians are going away, they promised. Passengers with actual disabilities who use the message board said they were heartened. While there is unfortunately a small category of people who abuse preboarding, there are tons of people with real and often invisible disabilities that truly need it for a safe and comfortable travel experience, one said. So far, suggestions from the subreddit on how to fix the nagging problem have gone unheeded by the airline and even passengers say theyre kind of stumped themselves. I have actually wasted plenty of time contemplating how they can fix the problem, frequent traveler Maziarka said. I could never come up with a way to combat it. The airlines long-standing policy of open seating creates an issue with pre-boarding other airlines dont have to face. Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK One popular idea: Forcing preboarders to move deeper into the plane, leaving the front rows open. The issue may take care of itself for the first time in years, theres been discussion of assigned seats, something that would perhaps lure new customers at a time when profits are down. Southwest isnt the only organization coping with line cutters. In April, Disney announced lifetime bans for anyone caught abusing the theme parks Disability Access Service in order to receive park perks, including no-wait rides. Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of murder and sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised. Shawn Grate committed multiple murders in the late 2000s and managed to evade police for several years. However, in 2016, authorities eventually apprehended him following a distress call from a woman who reported kidnapping by him. Reports indicate that the survivor testified during the trial and revealed how Grate sexually assaulted her for two days. Investigators also discovered the remains of two dead women in an abandoned house in Ashland County, Ohio. Subsequently, the court gave him the death penalty for the slayings. Police arrested Shawn Grate after a woman called 911 and told the dispatcher about her abduction. According to Mansfield News Journal, the woman crawled out of the bed when Grate was asleep and contacted the authorities. However, she accidentally activated a Taser while on the call, waking up Grate for 30 seconds. Fortunately, the survivor remained unharmed, and Grate went back to sleep. During the call, she told the police that she had been kidnapped and requested them to save her. Citing the call, CBS News also mentioned that the survivor partly freed herself to make the distress call. She said, Ive been abducted. Please hurry. Moreover, the outlet reported that she couldnt leave the house because of a locked door. During the telephone conversation, she added, the bedroom is closed and he made it [the door] so it would make noise. While testifying in court, the survivor mentioned how Shawn Grate raped her repeatedly while she was in the house. Per Mansfield News Journal, she told the court that he assaulted her in every way imaginable. Additionally, the woman noted how she tried to kick, punch, but all her attempts were unsuccessful. Where is the convicted serial killer now? Upon his arrest, investigators discovered the dead bodies of two women in Shawn Grates apartment. The Washington Post reported that police found one of the bodies in the basement of the house. On the other hand, they discovered the body of the second woman below a pile of clothes. Following his arrest, Grate told investigators that he targeted women with addiction problems. Even though his attorneys filed a not guilty plea, Grate went on to admit publicly that he murdered five women in his life. As per Cleveland 19, Shawn Grate was afraid of the death penalty and wanted to die on his terms. Thats the reason why he continued to tell media outlets about the crimes he committed. He told the reporter, Im just trying to free myself of what Ive done. Im afraid of the death penalty. Id like to die on my own and not by the state. During the same interview, he also opened up about how he killed his victims and if he felt any remorse. The court officially charged Shawn Grate with killing two women. During the trial, the prosecution team disclosed what serial killer Shawn Grate said about his victims and told the jurors not to forget how he used his victims. The prosecutor said (via NBC New York), This is not a spur-of-the-moment killing. Take a broad view of the evidence. What do you know of this victim? Listen to what he says. Look at what he did. The jury deliberated for three hours before delivering a guilty verdict. Then, in 2019, Grate confessed to killing two more women and pleaded guilty to the charges. The court sentenced him to life in prison for one of the slayings, after which he received another life term after pleading guilty to another killing. According to Mansfield News Journal, Shawn Grate is serving his sentence at Chillicothe Correctional Institution, Ohio. The post Shawn Grate: How Did the Convicted Serial Killers Survivor Escape? appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. 'She beat him to death': Florida woman charged in death of 4-year-old son. What we know A Florida woman has been charged with first-degree murder and child abuse in the beating death of her adopted 4-year-old son, according to the Polk County Sheriff's office. "We don't believe we know all that this child suffered," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said during a press conference Wednesday. "We have another video clip where he's face down on the floor and she's beating him on the back, and he's not even resisting it. It's like it's a normal occurrence." Patricia Boyer Saintizaire, 36, brought Bryan Boyer to the AdventHealth Heart of Florida hospital in Haines City on May 1 with abdominal bleeding, according to a PCSO release. He was flown to Orlando Health but was found to be beyond emergency surgery, the PCSO said. The hospital notified the sheriff's office on May 2 that the child died under suspicious circumstances. "What we have learned in this investigation just turned our stomachs," Judd said. Who is Patricia Saintizaire? Bryan Boyer, 4, died at the beginning of the month at Orlando Health. The District 9 Medical Examiner's Office found several layers of injuries, indicating severe beatings or abuse, including a deep laceration to his liver. The cause of death was ruled homicide by assault/blunt force trauma, and his adoptive mother, Patricia Boyer Saintizaire, 36, of Davenport has been charged with first-degree murder. Patricia Saintizaire's sister helped her adopt Brian from a woman in Haiti and brought him to the U.S. in April 2023 after a three-year process, Judd said. She had already adopted another son, now 16, from Haiti. Saintizaire is married and works at the ABC Liquors corporate office in Orlando, Judd said. What happened to the 4-year-old boy in Davenport? The 16-year-old initially denied that the younger boy was abused. After he was placed in Department of Children and Families custody, he told detectives that Saintizaire told him, "When they ask you something, say nothing so I don't get in trouble," and that she threatened to kill him by shooting him. Brian arrived home from Loughman Oaks Elementary that day in a good mood, investigators said after reviewing school and bus cameras and interviewing people who had interacted with him. The older boy said he was in a different room for about two hours when Saintizaire told him to bring his brother some food. He noticed that Brian was unable to sit up or walk on his own, but Saintizaire said he was "faking it," the release said, and told him to feed the boy anyway. During dinner, the boy began to "visibly shake," then vomited three times and was visibly lethargic, according to the affidavit. When Brian became unresponsive the teen began performing CPR and demanded that Saintizaire take him to the hospital. The younger boy began shaking violently again on the way to the car and fell, landing on his back according to the affidavit. The Polk County Sheriff's Office says this screenshot from a video shows Patricia Boyer Saintizaire dragging her 4-year-old adopted son toward a pool with his hands tied behind his back. Sheriff Grady Judd said the video was obtained from Saintizaire's cell phone. When investigators got a warrant to search Saintizaire's phone they found two clips showing Saintizaire "actively hitting the child with an unknown object while the child is laying on a floor, unresponsive," the release said. Another clip showed her throwing the boy into a swimming pool while his hands were tied behind his back. In a comment to the PCSO's Facebook page, the department said that apparently the videos were automatically generated by the home's surveillance system. "We do not believe she was aware the clip was on her phone." "We found an injury where his spleen suffered a significant tear. The medical examiner said it could have been nothing else other than an immediate hard strike to the abdomen," Judd said. "And as the autopsy went on, they found different layers of bruises and injuries from past beatings." The PCSO later corrected the comment to a tear in his liver. What injuries did the medical examiner find in the 4-year-old boy in Davenport? According to the PCSO, the autopsy revealed: The victim had scarring on his back, with old scarring present, as well as fresh scars that would've occurred while the victim was living in the United States (from April 2023 - May 2024). The victim's liver had a deep laceration on it that was caused by a targeted blunt-force trauma injury. The liver laceration would have caused a rapid decline in the victim's health; the liver injury would have had effects immediately. The victim had no broken or fractured bones but he had bruising/hemorrhage to his arms and legs. These injuries are consistent with ongoing abuse. The boy's cause of death was ruled a homicide by assault/blunt force trauma. "He's dead," Judd said. "He's dead because she beat him to death." What does Patricia Saintizaire say about the death of her 4-year-old son? Saintizaire told deputies that the boy had complained he was weak and tired, having had "flu-like" symptoms for a week, according to a police affidavit. She denied ever using physical discipline as punishment, deputies said. It was unknown Wednesday if DCF officials had ever been called to their home, Judd said. In his interview the teen boy said both boys were disciplined with a belt and a "homemade hitting device" while they were living in Haiti, the PCSO said in a release. What was Patricia Saintizaire charged with? Saintizaire was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and tampering with a witness, Judd said. She is currently being held without bond. Was Patricia Saintizaire's husband charged? Saintizaire's husband, Rene, told deputies that she disciplined the children but he did not, the release said. "Her husband was clearly at work at the time this event occurred," Judd said. "She was the disciplinarian." Saintizaire and her husband have obtained a lawyer to represent them, Judd said. The 16-year-old is still under protective custody. The investigation is still ongoing. This is at least the third instance this year in Polk County where a parent or caregiver has been charged with killing a child in their custody younger than 4. Did Patricia Saintizaire run a daycare? As recently as last November, what appears to be Saintizaire's social media was heavily promoting a service called "Victory Daycare" or "Victory Kids Transportation Cab," advertising a "safe and reliable door-to-door transportation service for children ages 3 to 18 years old." The only mention of it online was a single Yelp listing, which gave an address registered to Rene Saintizaire. "We believe it was more aspirational in nature," PCSO spokesperson Scott Wilder said in an email. "We have not found any customers or clients. No one has come forward to us after the news broke about her abuse." Wilder said the PCSO talked to neighbors and found no evidence of children being picked up or dropped off at the residence and no evidence of a daycare. There were also no communications about it on her phone, he said. "So, at this point, we find no indication that she operated a transport or day care type business," Wilder said, "except for the Facebook page (which had little or no associated comments)." This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Davenport, Florida woman charged in death of 4-year-old adopted son FREMONT, Mich. (WOOD) Authorities say a suspect is in custody following an hours-long standoff in Fremont. Michigan State Police said around 2 a.m. Thursday that it received a report of a neighbor dispute at a house on Pine Street. A 40-year-old man threatened the neighbor with a firearm and then went inside his house. Officers negotiated with the suspect over the telephone for several hours before he was taken into custody without incident, according to MSP. The Newaygo County Emergency Services asked residents to avoid the area between Division and Merchant avenues and Cedar and Maple streets. Residents were asked to stay inside and lock their doors. The shelter-in-place order has since been lifted. Fremont Public Schools are on a two-hour delay, according to the Newaygo County Emergency Services. The incident remains under investigation by the Fremont Police Department, according to state police. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. By Melanie Burton and Yuka Obayashi MELBOURNE/TOKYO (Reuters) -Japanese steelmakers have raised concerns with Australian authorities that BHP Group could become too dominant in the global supply of coking coal if it goes ahead with a takeover of Anglo American. Australia is the world's biggest exporter of coking coal and top supplier to Japan, making up around 60% of its imports, with most of the steel-making ingredient coming from the state of Queensland, where BHP and Anglo American are the two largest producers. Steelmakers' concerns about BHP's coking coal market power could derail a deal if the Australian giant comes back with a revised bid for Anglo American, after being rebuffed with a $39 billion offer last month. "BHP already has a large share of the supply of high-quality hard coking coal in the seaborne trade, and we will take measures to ensure that further oligopolisation will not impede sound price formation and stable supply," a JFE Steel spokesperson said, declining to elaborate on what measures they could take. Representatives of Japanese steelmakers met with Queensland government officials raising alarm bells that if a deal went ahead it would concentrate the world's top quality coking coal mines in the state's Bowen Basin in the hands of BHP, two people familiar with the talks said. The combined group would control 44 million tons, or about 13%, of the seaborne coking coal market, data from consultants Wood Mackenzie shows. That comes even as BHP's production has fallen after sales of some mines in recent years. "In general, we are against the (BHP-Anglo) union as it would create a supplier with a huge market share, especially in the hard-coking coal market," said a source at a Japanese steel maker, adding that it was closely monitoring the situation. "We, for our part, would not want BHP to buy Anglo and gain a stronger price competition power." Queensland Deputy Premier and Treasurer Cameron Dick said BHP would need to ensure its coal remains competitive or risk losing state government support. "We work closely with our Japanese customers and are aware of their concerns," Dick told Reuters. "BHP needs to explain to Japanese steelmakers and the market more broadly how it will ensure the ongoing supply of steelmaking coal remains competitive," he said. BHP declined to comment for this story but has said expanding in high quality coking coal was a main driver of its tilt for Anglo. Anglo American declined to comment. COKING COAL SQUEEZE Story continues Japan's Fair Trade Commission has the authority to investigate a BHP-Anglo American transaction and could block a deal if it found it would harm Japanese companies, two anti-trust lawyers in Tokyo said. However, if a deal was deemed anti-competitive, the commission would likely ask BHP to offer a remedy, which could include a coal divestment, one of the two lawyers said. They both declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue. The Fair Trade Commission declined to comment whether it has received any request to examine the BHP-Anglo deal. Like JFE, Kobe Steel said it is keeping a close eye on the proposed deal and a potential increase in BHP's market power. Japan's biggest steelmaker Nippon Steel declined to comment on the deal, but said it had expressed concern to the Queensland government that its royalty rate hike could result in lower investment in mines and disrupt coking coal supply in the future. Key among steelmakers' concerns is that BHP has stressed it will not invest to expand production in Queensland after the state hiked coal royalties without industry consultation, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. BHP CEO Mike Henry said last year the company "will not be investing any further growth dollars in Queensland under the current conditions". Anglo's Moranbah North and Grosvenor mines are effectively an extension of BHP's Goonyella mine, which produces a type of coal favoured by Japan and India. The Japanese are facing growing competition from India for that coal. BHP already sends 40% of its coking coal to India and expects the country's demand for the steel-making ingredient to double by the end of the decade, CFO Vandita Pant said in March. Japan could lobby anti-trust authorities in other jurisdictions to block a deal if it believes there will be an impact to the competitiveness of the global coking market, as it did when BHP made a bid for its iron ore rival Rio Tinto in 2007, one of the lawyers said. Queensland could also complicate a deal. "The transfer of mineral assets in Queensland are subject to a number of state government approvals. No resources company should take those approvals for granted," Treasurer Dick said. (Reporting by Melanie Burton in Melbourne and Yuka Obayashi in Tokyo; Additional reporting by Katya Golubkova in Tokyo; Editing by Sonali Paul) Shmyhal: Russian attacks have damaged over 800 heating facilities in Ukraine Russian attacks have damaged or destroyed over 800 heating facilities across Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on May 8. Moscow has recently intensified its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's critical infrastructure, launching large-scale attacks on energy facilities across the country on March 22, March 29, April 11, April 27, and May 8. Ukraine's power generation capacity has decreased by up to 8 gigawatt hours (GWh) and needs nearly $1 billion to compensate, Shmyhal said during a meeting dedicated to preparing for the upcoming autumn-winter season. Shmyhal said more assistance from international partners to support Ukraine's energy infrastructure. "We need to redouble our efforts to attract resources," Shmyhal added. Subscribe to the Newsletter Ukraine Business Roundup Subscribe Over 410 million euros ($440.5 million) have already been collected for the Energy Support Fund of Ukraine and a new United States Agency for International Development (USAID) program worth $190 million for Ukraine's energy sector will be launched soon, but this is not enough, Shmyhal said. Ukraine's energy and infrastructure ministries will reportedly create repair schedules for the country's energy infrastructure in preparation for the upcoming heating season. Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK said on April 28 that Russian forces have targeted Ukraine's thermal power plants nearly 180 times since the full-scale war started. Read also: Ukrenergo: Imported energy wont fully cover deficit after latest Russian attack Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Alerts Issued for Our Region Flood Watch continues through Thursday morning for McDowell and Wyoming counties. Heavy rain from downpours could cause flooding of creeks and streams and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Remember, if you encounter high water while driving, remember to turn around, dont drown! Tonight features scattered showers and thunderstorms, especially the farther south you are. The Storm Prediction Center has dropped our severe weather risk to only a level one risk for severe weather, with damaging wind gusts being the primary threat. The Weather Prediction Center keeps our region under a level one risk for flooding due to the abundant amount of moisture in the atmosphere for showers and storms to utilize. Youll be drier the farther north you are and wetter the farther south you are tonight. Temperatures will only drop into the low 60s for overnight lows with a southwest breeze continuing to pump humid and warm air into the area. Thursday continues chances for scattered showers and storms with a cold front moving through. Rain and thunderstorms once again expected, with an isolated strong storm or two possible embedded within gusty showers.. 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. The Storm Prediction Center has placed our region under a level one risk for severe weather as a result of this threat. The front will cross during the evening hours, with much cooler weather expected for Friday. Thursday is a sneaky severe weather setup to watch out for if we see breaks in clouds during the late morning into the early afternoon, that could spell trouble later in the day well watch that trend closely. 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 due to the potential for heavy rain on already scattered saturated soaked grounds. Wind gusts up to 30 mph will be possible. 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. Itll also be a blustery day, with gusts as high as 30 mph possible once again. 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 with an associated low pressure system across the Great Lakes will try to squeak a few scattered showers into the region toward dinnertime, but these showers will be scattered at best. Well see high temperatures remain a bit cool for this time of year in the low 60s. Mothers Day continues to look better and better, with mostly sunny skies expected and high temperatures in the mid 60s its a great looking day for mom! 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 near 70. Tuesday continues to see the effects of high pressure, as it heads east. That will allow a return flow to set in, which means a warmer, southerly breeze returns. As a result, temperatures will rebound, with highs jumping back up into the mid 70s. A few isolated showers will be possible late in the day, with plenty of sunshine expected. Wednesday keeps the risk for a few showers around, with partly sunny skies otherwise and temperatures near normal for this time of year in the low 70s. Looking ahead in your extended forecast, temperatures will be rebounding back to around normal for this time of year and we will finally see a bit of a drier pattern emerge. Thursday features a lot of sunshine, while a front will cross on Friday and provide the chance for a few showers. High pressure returns once again for Saturday, bringing sunshine along. High temperatures will be in the 70s Thursday through Saturday. 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, especially south. Some storms could produce heavy rainfall. Lows in the low 60s. THURSDAY Gusty showers with a few storms. Highs in the low to mid 70s. FRIDAY Mostly cloudy with light showers/drizzle. Cool! Highs near 60. SATURDAY Partly sunny, isolated showers late. Highs in the low 60s. MOTHERS DAY Plenty of sunshine! Highs in the mid 60s. MONDAY Mostly sunny. Highs near 70. TUESDAY Few isolated showers. Highs in the mid 70s. WEDNESDAY Scattered showers. Highs in the 70s. THURSDAY Partly sunny. Highs in the 70s. FRIDAY Showers likely. Highs in the 70s. SATURDAY Sunshine returns! Highs in the 70s. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS. Scott Sibella, former president and COO of the MGM Grand, pictured here at a 2017 press conference. (Mark Damon/Las Vegas News Bureau) Policy, politics and progressive commentary A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced Scott Sibella, the former president of MGM Grand and Resorts World Las Vegas, to one year of probation and a fine of $9,500 for violating a federal law requiring casinos to know the source of their customers funds and file a suspicious activity report. Sibella maintains he did nothing that benefited him personally. I was charged from the very beginning for not filing a SAR, accepted a plea, and have taken full and complete responsibility for what I did, Sibella said in a statement distributed shortly after the sentencing by his attorney John Spilotro. I want to reiterate that by, anything alleged, I gained no benefit neither personal, professional or financial. Sibella said hes relieved to have this matter concluded and accept the terms imposed today by the court. As I have said throughout this investigation, I regret the pain this has caused my friends and family and am extremely grateful for those who chose to stand with me throughout these difficult times. Sibella entered a guilty plea in January for allowing illegal bookmaker Wayne Nix to pay a $120,000 gambling debt to the MGM Grand without reporting the transaction to the federal government, a violation of the Bank Secrecy Act that is punishable by a fine up to $250,000 and prison time. The decision to plead to the single charge, for failing to file a suspicious activity report (SAR) at MGM Resorts in 2017, was not easily arrived at given the underlying facts and realities in this matter, Sibella said in the statement. Contrary to published reports, Mr. Sibella never used a betting account and never made any illegal bets, Spilotro said in a statement. In addition, Mr. Sibella had no involvement in the bookmaking activities of Mathew Bowyer and nothing whatsoever to do with Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter of Shohei Ohtani. In a sentencing memo, federal authorities noted that when questioned by law enforcement in 2022, defendant admitted that he had heard that Nix was in the booking business and he couldnt figure out how he had all the money he gambled with. Defendant further admitted I didnt want to know because of my position, . . . in this business, they [bookies] are a dime a dozen. . . I stay out of it. If we know, we cant allow them to gamble. . . I didnt ask, I didnt want to know I guess because he wasnt doing anything to cheat the casino. Numerous individuals, including Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill asked Federal Judge Dolly Gee to show leniency in sentencing Sibella. What he is accused of is out of character and doesnt represent the person Ive come to know, McMahill wrote, according to legal documents. For as long as I have known him, he has displayed unwavering support to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Sibellas attorneys wrote in a sentencing memo on April 24 that in 30 years in the gaming industry Mr. Sibella has never been disciplined by the Nevada Gaming Control Board or New Jersey Casino Control Commission. No fines, suspensions, or timeouts. Days later, the Nevada Gaming Control Board, which remained largely silent since news broke last year of the federal investigation, filed a complaint against Sibella that could result in the loss of his gaming license. The government noted in its sentencing recommendation that Sibella is no longer a casino president, which was the environment in which the crime occurred. Per defendant, he was terminated from employment at another large casino in Las Vegas due to this case. In addition, the negative publicity surrounding defendants felony conviction for violating the Bank Secrecy Act serves as a deterrent for both defendant and others from engaging in similar conduct. Sibellas attorneys argued his personal history reflects generations of hard-working, selfmade, successful people including his grandparents and parents. He inherited both their work ethic and commitment to those around them. Starting out as a busboy, construction worker, and eventually front desk clerk at a casino hotel, Mr. Sibella rose to being a recognized and respected figure in the Las Vegas hospitality business. The post Sibella gets probation, fine for violating anti-money laundering law at MGM Grand appeared first on Nevada Current. Tim Royers of the NSEA answers questions from reporters on Aug. 30, 2023, about the petition drive for Support Our Schools. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN The union representing Nebraskas K-12 public school teachers and its supporters can now gather signatures seeking to stop a new state law that helps some students pay for private schooling. Members of the Nebraska State Education Association march from their annual downtown Lincoln meeting to the Nebraska State Capitol. April 20, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) On Wednesday, Secretary of State Bob Evnen released the language that petition gatherers are using to target much of Legislative Bill 1402, the latest version of a scholarship or voucher program for students attending private K-12 schools. The petition seeks to repeal section 1 of LB 1402 which directs $10 million dollars annually for financial grants-in-aid for eligible students to attend a qualifying privately operated elementary or secondary school in Nebraska. Support Our Schools had no immediate comment about approval of the petition language. The group has until mid-July to gather about 61,000 signatures from about 5% of registered voters statewide, plus 5% from voters in at least 38 counties. Its leaders have argued that people who want to spend public dollars on private education revamped the first version of the scholarship program, passed last year, in order to derail Support Our Schools first effort to let voters decide on the issue. Direct appropriation of $10 million State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Omaha and other scholarship program supporters also had no immediate comment on the language, other than Linehan saying that the state Department of Education approves which schools are eligible. Gov. Jim Pillen (left) signs Legislative Bill 1402 from State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, a replacement school choice measure for a 2023 bill. (Courtesy of Gov. Jim Pillens office) The scholarship program started as a privately funded effort backed by a dollar-for-dollar tax credit of up to $25 million a year for donors. The program shifted under LB 1402 into a direct appropriation of $10 million to the State Treasurers Office to distribute. Some have questioned the constitutionality of the appropriation and whether theres enough of a step between state money and private schools. Others have questioned whether a ballot measure can repeal a legislative appropriation. Program advocates, including Linehan and State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, have said families with kids in public schools that dont work well for them need options and cant afford to wait years for school systems to change. Critics of the school choice push say many other states that have started with small scholarship programs like this one later expanded into costly voucher programs that pull tax dollars out away from other priorities, including public schools. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Signatures being gathered seeking to stop Nebraskas revamped school choice law appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. A Florida sheriff's office released body camera video Thursday showing a sheriff's deputy shoot and kill a U.S. airman at his apartment last week while the deputy was responding to a disturbance call. The video shows a deputy from the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office in the Florida panhandle knock on the door of Senior Airman Roger Fortson's apartment late Friday afternoon and announce he was with the sheriff's office. When the door opens, the deputy yells for Fortson, 23, to step back. Attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Fortson's family, has said that Fortson got his legally owned gun after hearing knocking on his door and not hearing who was there. In a bodycam video released Thursday, the deputy initially knocks without announcing himself. About 30 seconds later, he knocks again, saying he's with the sheriff's office and to open the door. He knocks and announces himself approximately 10 seconds later. Within seconds of Fortson opening the door, the deputy shoots Fortson who is seen holding what appears to be a handgun at his side. Fortson, who is blurred in the video, immediately falls to the ground. He's seen moving on the floor as the deputy tells him to drop his gun. "It's over there," Fortson is heard on the video telling the deputy. "I don't have it." The deputy tells Fortson to not move and then calls on his radio for emergency medical services before the video ends. During a news conference, Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden told reporters, "It pains me to show the video, but I know that you all need to see it." Fortson's family said in a statement that it was troubling that the deputy fired multiple times so quickly. "The video has provided some answers, but it's also raised even more troubling questions," the family said. "As the officer didn't tell Roger to drop the weapon before shooting, was the officer trained to give verbal warnings? Did the officer try to initiate life-saving measures? Was the officer trained to deal with law-abiding citizens who are registered gun owners?" During the incident, Fortson was on a FaceTime call with his girlfriend. Crump's firm released a video of the call that appears to start after the shooting, showing the ceiling of Fortson's apartment. "I can't breathe," Fortson says in the video while groaning. No law enforcement officers are seen in the video, but some voices in the background of the video can be heard. "Do not move," a voice shouts to Fortson. "Stop moving. Stop moving." Fortson was shot six times, Crump's law firm said. As someone in the background counted how many gunshot wounds Fortson had, a voice says, "Yeah, he's shot up." Aden didn't take any questions during the afternoon news conference. The deputy, who hasn't been identified, has been placed on administrative leave, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the state attorney's office are investigating the shooting. "These investigations take time, but I want to assure you that we are not hiding, covering up or taking action that would result in a rush to judgment of Mr. Fortson or our deputy," Aden said. Chantemekki Fortson, mother of Roger Fortson, a U.S. Air Force senior airman, holds a photo of her son during a news conference regarding his death, along with family and attorney Ben Crump, May 9, 2024, in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. / Credit: AP Photo/Gerald Herbert Earlier Thursday, Crump said during a news conference Fortson was on FaceTime with his girlfriend when he heard knocking on his door, saw no one through the peephole and got his gun. Crump initially said the deputy entered Fortson's apartment, saw him with his gun and shot him. According to the family's statement after the bodycam video was released, the girlfriend thought the door was forced open by the deputy. The footage released during Aden's news conference showed the deputy firing several shots in an exterior hallway outside the door to Fortson's apartment. "We remain adamant that the police had the wrong apartment as Roger was on the phone with his girlfriend for a substantial amount of time leading up to the shooting, and no one else was in the apartment," the family said. Fortson's mother Chantemekki Fortson told reporters her son's girlfriend was devastated from the shooting. "She literally watched them walk over him as he was dying, taking his last breath," Fortson said. Crump didn't identify the girlfriend but said she has an attorney. "She was afraid that she just heard them and watch them kill her boyfriend," Crump told reporters. The sheriff's office said in a statement Saturday the deputy was responding to a disturbance call, "made contact with an armed individual at an apartment" and acted in self-defense. In an updated statement Tuesday, Sheriff Eric Aden said the deputy "encountered an armed man" and shot him. "All of us at the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office are saddened about the fatal officer-involved shooting over the weekend," Aden said. During his news conference, Aden said he met with Fortson's family and extended them his condolences. "This result is one we never hope to encounter," the sheriff said. Crump said the family was going to view the bodycam footage Thursday afternoon. The family called for the footage to be released to the public and for the sheriff's office to correct what they've said about the shooting. "Do the right thing and correct this narrative," Crump said. "Correct this narrative and don't put a stain on the name of this young man ... Do not try to put stain on his name, on his life, on his legacy." Michael Cohen expected to take stand in Trump trial next week A Web of Intrigue | Sunday on 60 Minutes Kindness 101: Appreciation In February, Nampa City Council members grappled with the question of whether to ask voters for the first time in 20 years, to fund needed roadways and transportation improvements within the city. On Election Day on May 21, Nampa voters will now have to decide if they want to continue to pay property taxes to fund road and pedestrian improvements in the city. The city is asking voters to approve a general-obligation transportation bond for $38 million to increase public safety by funding improvements to certain roadways and pedestrian corridors within the city. The bond would replace an existing bond that is set to expire in August. The new bond is not expected to raise property taxes for Nampa residents, but to keep taxes similar to the current rate citizens pay for the expiring bond, according to the city. The estimated cost per $100,000 of the taxable value of a residential home is $18. On average, this equates to $40 to $50 per residential property per year, or about $3-$4 per month. The cost of the expiring bond is $19 per $100,000 of taxable value, according to the city. The expiring bond rate decreased since 2004 from $121 to $19 in 2022, said Mark Steuer, Nampa director of strategic initiatives, in a Nampa City Council meeting on Feb. 5. That is because of population growth and increase in the citys tax base, he said. To pass, two-thirds of voters must approve the bond measure. The city, with help from a citizens advisory committee, outlined five roadway, intersection and sidewalk improvements that it would fund if the bond passes this month. Those include: Treasure Valley Marketplace and Midland Intersection Improvements: $4 million to improve traffic flow and intersection capacity at Midland Road and Marketplace Boulevard. Library Square Congestion Improvements: $5 million to widen and allow two-way traffic on 11th Avenue south and analyze the need for two-way traffic on 12th Avenue south downtown. 12th Avenue to 11th Avenue Crossover Corridor: $15 million to build a crossover that would create a four-lane connection between 11th and 12th near the Nampa Public Library and provide a direct route to and from I-84. The 12th to 11th Avenue Crossover along with the Library Square Congestion Improvements would result in a 75% decrease in traffic congestion in downtown Nampa, according to the city. South-East Nampa Connection to Idaho 16: $9 million for project design that would enable the city to apply for grants to fund the whole project. The south-east connection to Idaho 16 would add an access point to the interchange from the south side of Interstate 84. The Idaho Transportation Department is building the interchange as part of its extension of Idaho 16 south from Chinden Boulevard (U.S. 20-26) south to I-84 between McDermott and Robinson roads. Safe Routes to School: $5 million for adding and improving sidewalks around the following schools: Lone Star Middle School Endeavor Elementary Birch Elementary Roosevelt Elementary Skyview High School East Valley Middle School Improving traffic flow in Nampa is consistently one of the top priorities for Nampa residents in the citys annual survey. Nampa voters can now decide whether or not to fund a bond for traffic improvements in the May election. The Nampa City Council was split during the Feb. 5 meeting where it approved the bond question for the May primary ballot. Mayor Debbie Kling cast the deciding yes vote. Councilmen David Bills, Randy Haverfield and Sebastian Griffin voted against putting the bond question on the ballot. Haverfield worried about the economic status of Nampa residents and about the timing of asking for a replacement bond. Its a very fragile economy, he said in the meeting. Nationwide, were seeing people being laid off. Im concerned about that and the obligation to pay back this loan back put on the property owners in Nampa. Griffin, who was elected in November, grappled with the fact that his constituents were asking for property tax reduction but also complaining about traffic congestion in the city. If we allow the bond to expire in August, its $60 less on their assessment, Griffin said in the meeting. Do I think thats a significant amount? I dont want to make that judgment. However, it is showing that the city is hearing what theyre saying. The mayor and council members who voted to ask the bond question argued that it was up to Nampa voters to decide what to do with their money. I will never not let our citizens vote for something, said Councilwoman Natalie Jangula. The May 21 ballot will have candidates for all districts of the Idaho Legislature and county races up for election. To learn about the candidates, visit IdahoStatesman.com/election. How Canyon Countys prosecutor says a commissioner seeking re-election broke a state law Whos got your vote for Canyon County commissioner? See the candidates and what they say A Slovak fundraising campaign for the Czech ammunition initiative has raised enough money to buy 2,692 shells for Ukraine, the Czech News Agency reported on May 8. Slovak citizens started their campaign "Ammunition for Ukraine" on April 16 to raise additional funds for the Czech-led initiative after the Slovak government refused to participate. Within less than a month, over 65,000 people donated 4 million euros ($4.3 million), with one donor giving a single donation of 100,000 euros ($107,000). The 2,692 shells will be procured from the Czech ammunition manufacturer STV Group, and should be delivered to Ukraine by the end of the summer, the Czech News Agency said. The success of the campaign is "proof that people in Slovakia feel togetherness and are willing to help Ukrainians, even with a small financial donation that can be transformed into real help," the organizers said. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico won the parliamentary elections in September 2023 on a populist platform that promised to immediately end all military aid to Ukraine. Fico said on April 28 that the fundraising campaign was "only symbolic" and would not impact the situation on the front line. While the Slovak government refused to participate, several countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Canada, Poland, France, Denmark, and Slovenia, have contributed funds to the Czech initiative, which may deliver as many as supply as 1.5 million rounds to Kyiv. Czech national security adviser Tomas Pojar said in March that the first batches could be sent to Ukraine as early as June. Read also: Military: Russian assault groups break into Krasnohorivka, blocked at local plant Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Read the latest in our coverage of the death of Anthony Johnson Jr. and other issues in Tarrant County jail. Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn should immediately release video of what happened in the county jail leading up to the death of Anthony Ray Johnson Jr. or resign, the attorney representing Johnsons family said. If its too much pressure for the sheriff to expose wrongdoing ... he needs to resign, Daryl Washington said in a phone call Wednesday with the Star-Telegram. Theyre going to try to keep it from coming out for a long time. Its going to be damning. Youre going to see someone who didnt want to die. Jacqualyne Johnson, Anthony Johnsons mother, and Washington met with the Tarrant County District Attorneys Office on Wednesday, after she and her daughters spoke out at the Tarrant County Commissioners Court meeting on Tuesday. Washington said he didnt leave the meeting angry and is hoping for progress soon. I want to believe that there are going to be some attempts to move forward with something, Washington told the Star-Telegram. I didnt come out of the meeting pissed off, but we need something and I hope it will come out soon. Anthony Johnson Jr. with his mother, Jacqualyne. Johnsons family is calling for the release of video that shows an altercation at the Tarrant County Jail that led to his death on April 21. Jacqualyne Johnson said in a text to the Star-Telegram that she doesnt feel like anything changed after the meeting. The Johnson family has been demanding the release of any video of the April 21 altercation with Tarrant County Jail detention officers that led to Johnsons death. They, and Washington, say they deserve to know exactly how Anthony Johnson, a 31-year-old Marine veteran, died. More top stories from our newsroom: Tim O'Hare, Alisa Simmons chastised over heated exchange Family of ex-Marine Anthony Johnson demand answers over jail death Are these Austins best tacos? Cult favorite coming to Fort Worth [Get our breaking news alerts.] During the commissioners court meeting Tuesday, Johnsons family demanded transparency, answers and the release of the video. They told the commissioners present all but Roy Charles Brooks, who was absent and at a conference that they dont understand the torment his death has caused the family. You cant see my pain right now, but I can make sure yall turn colors and see pain, Anthony Johnsons sister Janell Johnson told county commissioners. The family has also said they have been unable to get in touch with the Texas Rangers, who are investigating the in-custody death. The Texas Rangers have not responded to Star-Telegram requests for information. The Star-Telegram has requested copies of any video from the Tarrant County Sheriffs Office. The district attorney sent that request to the Texas Attorney Generals Office requesting to withhold the video, citing an ongoing investigation. Authorities may request permission to withhold records based on an ongoing investigation, but are allowed to release documents and files such as video if they wish. Media outlets and the family arent the only people being denied the video. County Commissioner Alisa Simmons said during commissioners court Tuesday that she had requested to watch the video during executive session, outside of the public view, but that request was denied. A spokesperson for Waybourns office could not be reached for comment on whether or not the sheriff directly ordered the video not to be shown. State law says the sheriff is a custodian of the video. During commissioners court Simmons echoed this and argued that as the custodian of the footage the sheriff does not own the video and that it is property of the county. Simmons has asked for the Department of Justice to investigate the jail. A spokesperson for the DOJ confirmed to the Star-Telegram on Tuesday they had received that request but had no further comment. The video was not shown during the meeting. Washington said hes hopeful that it will be shown soon, at the very least shown confidentially to the family. They need to know and see what happened, he said. Not knowing is killing the family, Washington told the Star-Telegram. They go to bed every night not knowing how their son, their brother died. Something new coming to a Bradenton fire station. What to know about Safe Haven Baby Box Bradenton could become the third city in Florida where parents can use a drop box to surrender newborn children anonymously. Manatee County and Bradenton government officials are working on a partnership to add a Safe Haven Baby Box to a local fire station. The drop-off boxes trigger a silent alarm for firefighters at the station to take action quickly and recover the child. County officials drafted an agreement to add the Safe Haven box to a downtown Bradenton fire station, 1010 Ninth Ave. W. City officials will need to approve the agreement and begin training first responders on how to accept newborns at the station. Commissioner Amanda Ballard, who is a former child welfare attorney and a mother, said the county wants to prevent situations where a mother could turn to abuse or neglect when they are no longer able to care for their babies. Oftentimes, if a mom has a child that is born substance-exposed or addicted, that can provide additional challenges, Ballard said. Maybe that mom is scared that state agencies will become involved or that the child will be removed from her care. Rather than have that happen, an option would be to surrender that child safely. If the pilot program is successful, county officials say they will add baby boxes to other fire stations, too. Each box costs about $21,000. Manatee County and the city of Bradenton plan to install a Safe Haven Baby Box, which allows a parent to surrender a newborn up to seven days old, anonymously. The first box will be housed at a downtown Bradenton fire station where firefighters will be trained to recover the child in less than two minutes. provided/Safe Haven Baby Box What is a Safe Haven Baby Box? Floridas Safe Haven law already allows parents to surrender a newborn up to a week old at hospitals, fire stations and emergency medical services stations. The boxes also allow for surrenders for up to a week after childbirth, but they allow parents to make the decision privately. After first responders recover the child from the climate-controlled box, which usually takes less than two minutes, the child enters the foster care system, officials say. Safe Haven Baby Boxes, the organization that created the drop-off boxes, is an Indiana-based nonprofit. According to its website, CEO and founder Monica Kelsey made it her mission to educate parents on state Safe Haven laws after learning that she was surrendered as an infant. There are over 200 of the boxes in 16 states, according to the website, but the boxes are rarely used. Safe Haven Baby Boxes says 43 children have been surrendered using the equipment. Two other Florida cities, Ocala and Newberry, also have the boxes. The City of Bradenton Fire Station at 1010 Ninth Avenue West, is pictured on April 30, 2024. The station may be the home of Manatee Countys first Safe Haven Baby Box. Tiffany Tompkins/ttompkins@bradenton.com The baby box in Ocala saw its first surrendered newborn in January 2023, according to the Today show. A firefighter, who was childless, recovered the baby girl and adopted her, the Today show reported. The organization says its main goal is to provide women with counseling and other resources for free. Safe Haven Baby Boxes also operates a national 24-hour hotline that has received over 9,000 calls for assistance, according to the website. A connection to reproductive rights? One critic said the Safe Haven drop-offs would not be necessary if county and state officials did not target access to abortion and reproductive education. In 2021, the Board of County Commissioners attempted to enact an outright ban on new abortion facilities in Manatee County. More recently, commissioners proclaimed July 26, 2022, as Victory for Life Day in Manatee County and celebrated the U.S. Supreme Courts decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling. Barbara Zdravecky, interim CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, blamed the need for baby boxes on the abortion restrictions in Florida. When people are barred from accessing abortion care, there will inevitably be more individuals forced to carry pregnancies against their will and give birth to children they are unable to care for regardless of the dangers it presents to their own health and wellbeing, Zdravecky said in an email to the Bradenton Herald. The states 6-week abortion ban went into effect May 1. Amendment 4 will be on the ballot in November, allowing Florida voters to decide whether the right to an abortion will be added to the state constitution. Bradenton officials here to help, chief says Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown said the boxes will provide a safe option for struggling parents to surrender their children without interacting with anyone. Theres a lot of possibly younger mothers that might be afraid or think theyre in trouble, Brown said. Without the baby box, they wouldnt do it. With the baby box, they know theyll be anonymous and theyll be gone before anybody ever comes out. According to Safe Haven Baby Boxes, newborns are typically recovered within two minutes of being surrendered. Bradenton Fire Chief Tim Geer said while the fire station is a safe haven no one has ever dropped off a baby. The fire station is also a safe place, where mothers can seek help with domestic violence or homelessness. Some have asked for a place to go for more than one night, Geer said. For those of us that have children, and some of us that have grandchildren, we understand how hard it can be, Geer said. If youre scared, reach out to a friend, and if youre in desperate need and dont know what else to do, stop and talk to someone at a safe place, like your fire station. Were here to help. Manatee County and the city of Bradenton plan to install a Safe Haven Baby Box, which allows a parent to surrender a newborn up to seven days old, anonymously. The first box will be housed at a downtown Bradenton fire station where firefighters will be trained to recover the child in less than two minutes. Courtesy of Manatee County Government As the Canadian market navigates a landscape of shifting economic indicators and monetary policies, particularly influenced by U.S. inflation trends and Federal Reserve decisions, investors are closely monitoring how these factors impact market stability and investment opportunities. In this context, understanding what constitutes a resilient dividend stock becomes crucial, especially when considering the broader economic uncertainties and their potential effects on corporate earnings and dividend sustainability. Top 10 Dividend Stocks In Canada Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Bank of Nova Scotia (TSX:BNS) 6.46% Whitecap Resources (TSX:WCP) 7.13% Secure Energy Services (TSX:SES) 3.55% Enghouse Systems (TSX:ENGH) 3.40% iA Financial (TSX:IAG) 3.78% Power Corporation of Canada (TSX:POW) 5.32% Russel Metals (TSX:RUS) 4.24% Royal Bank of Canada (TSX:RY) 3.95% Canadian Natural Resources (TSX:CNQ) 3.96% Acadian Timber (TSX:ADN) 6.42% Click here to see the full list of 34 stocks from our Top Dividend Stocks screener. Let's dive into some prime choices out of from the screener. Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TSX:CM) is a diversified financial institution offering a range of financial products and services to various client segments across Canada, the U.S., and other international locations, with a market capitalization of approximately CA$61.76 billion. Operations: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce generates revenue through its key segments: Canadian Personal and Business Banking (CA$8.49 billion), Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management (CA$5.31 billion), U.S. Commercial Banking and Wealth Management (CA$1.67 billion), and Capital Markets (CA$5.53 billion). Dividend Yield: 5.4% Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce recently declared a stable dividend of CA$0.90 per share, maintaining reliability over the past decade with a current yield of 5.39%. The dividends are well-supported by earnings with a payout ratio of 53.4%, expected to remain sustainable at 51.4% in three years. However, its dividend yield is lower than the top quartile in the Canadian market, which averages 6.39%. Recent activities include multiple fixed-income offerings and preferred stock buybacks, reflecting a proactive financial strategy despite being dropped from the S&P/TSX Preferred Share Index earlier this month. Story continues TSX:CM Dividend History as at May 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Russel Metals Inc. is a metal distribution and processing company with operations in Canada and the United States, boasting a market capitalization of approximately CA$2.35 billion. Operations: Russel Metals Inc.'s revenue is primarily generated from three segments: Metals Service Centers with CA$2.95 billion, Energy Field Stores at CA$982.20 million, and Steel Distributors contributing CA$429 million. Dividend Yield: 4.2% Russel Metals has consistently increased its dividend over the past decade, ensuring reliability with a current yield of 4.24%. Despite trading below fair value by 5.6%, its dividends are well-covered by earnings and cash flows, with payout ratios of 40.3% and 32.1% respectively. However, its yield falls short of the top quartile in Canada at 6.41%. Recent financials show a dip in Q1 sales and net income, but it remains financially robust with significant cash reserves post-debt redemption. TSX:RUS Dividend History as at May 2024 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: Overview: Suncor Energy Inc. is an integrated energy company with operations in Canada, the United States, and internationally, boasting a market capitalization of approximately CA$68.67 billion. Operations: Suncor Energy Inc. generates its revenue through integrated energy operations across Canada, the United States, and other international locations. Dividend Yield: 4.1% Suncor Energy offers a dividend yield of 4.06%, below the top quartile in Canada. Despite this, its dividends are sustainably covered by both earnings and cash flows, with payout ratios at 35.2% and 35.1% respectively, indicating financial prudence. However, the company's dividend history over the past decade has been marked by volatility and inconsistency in growth. Recently reported Q1 results show increased production but a decrease in net income to CAD 1.61 billion from CAD 2.05 billion year-over-year, potentially impacting future dividends. TSX:SU Dividend History as at May 2024 Turning Ideas Into Actions Explore the 34 names from our Top Dividend Stocks screener here. Hold shares in these firms? Setup your portfolio in Simply Wall St to seamlessly track your investments and receive personalized updates on your portfolio's performance. Discover a world of investment opportunities with Simply Wall St's free app and access unparalleled stock analysis across all markets. 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 TSX:CM TSX:RUS and TSX:SU. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com Soon, Gavin Newsom will unveil his May Revise budget. Here are 4 things to look for. Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert! WHAT WERE WATCHING FOR IN NEWSOMS MAY REVISE Via Nicole Nixon... Gov. Gavin Newsom is scheduled to present his revised budget proposal on Friday, including plans to fill a gaping deficit. Here are a few things well be looking for during his presentation: 1. The size of the deficit. In January, Newsom predicted a $38 billion deficit, which he admitted was a little less pessimistic than the $68 billion projected by the nonpartisan Legislative Analysts Office at the time (though he adamantly declared $38 billion was the number and chastised the press for repeating the LAOs estimate as gospel). The governors optimism hasnt exactly borne out though: tax receipts so far this year are about $5.8 billion below expectations. But lawmakers already approved measures to cut the deficit by $17 billion, which will likely make Newsoms number less scary than it otherwise would have been. 2. Will there be more cuts? Many Democrats blanched when Newsom proposed cuts to housing and foster youth programs in January. Still, lawmakers are preparing for the worst and all but telling advocates to expect cuts this year. The question is which areas of the budget will bear them. The state could also stave off deep cuts by raising more revenue. While Newsom has dismissed broad tax increases in the past, some advocates are pushing to raise revenue through other means, like capping certain business tax credits. 3. Will Newsom endorse any bonds? One way Newsom and lawmakers could stem painful cuts to allied interests is through bonds for priority projects like climate and housing. The governor previously told Speaker Robert Rivas the state has no more than $16 billion in bonding capacity this year. Lawmakers are jockeying to put bonds for climate, school infrastructure and housing on the November ballot. But its unclear what appetite voters will have for bonds this fall after the governors $6.4 billion push for behavioral health treatment beds, Prop 1, barely passed in March. 4. What will new legislative leaders do with his budget? Soon after dropping his revised spending proposal, Newsom will enter negotiations with Rivas and Senate pro Tem Mike McGuire. Neither of these lawmakers have directly negotiated the budget with Newsom, and the looming deficit adds a layer of urgency. These Big Three negotiations are generally secretive, but former leaders, Sen. Toni Atkins and Assemblyman Anthony Rendon, largely avoided drama with Newsom. While Democrats in the Capitol agree on a lot, it will be interesting to see whether lawmakers will continue to push back on proposals particularly when it comes to cuts in Newsoms budget plan. SENATE REPUBLICANS URGE CPUC TO REJECT FIXED CHARGE In a letter to the California Public Utilities Commission, Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, R-Santee, and his entire Senate Republican Caucus urged the commission to reject a proposed $24.15 fixed charge for consumers electrical bills as part of a proposal intended to bring down electricity prices for customers across the state. According to the proposal, most customers would be charged a flat $24.15 rate, though certain low-income customers would be billed $6 and those living in certain affordable housing developments would pay $12. In exchange, the electricity usage rate would be cut by 5 to 7 cents per kilowatt-hour. Under the proposal, all customers, regardless of income or location, will see financial benefits if they electrify. For example, a customer who powers their home and vehicle with electricity would save an average of $28-$44 per month compared to under todays billing structure, according to the CPUC. In their letter, Senate Republicans warn that this fixed fee is opening a door that should stay closed. We are particularly concerned that this will only be the beginning. The CPUC has been granted unchecked power to increase this new charge at any time. If the $24.15 plan is approved, the next proposal may see the fixed charge hiked to $50, $100, or even higher! the letter reads in part. The Republicans pointed out that California is behind only Hawaii and Rhode Island when it comes to electricity prices. They added that the concept of a fixed charge is inherently flawed because it contradicts principles of fair pricing and consumer protection. Customers should primarily pay for the electricity they use, plain and simple, the letter reads. The CPUC meets at 11 a.m. Thursday to discuss the measure. BONTA URGES CONGRESS NOT TO WATER DOWN CALIFORNIA PRIVACY LAW California led the way in passing a strong privacy law in 2018, and now that Congress is attempting to catch up with the American Privacy Rights Act, Attorney General Rob Bonta is asking them not to weaken the state law while passing a federal one. We encourage Congress to adopt legislation that sets a federal floor, not a ceiling, for critical privacy rights and respects the important work already undertaken by states to provide strong privacy protections for our residents, Bonta wrote, in a letter co-signed by 14 attorneys general. The letter urged Congress to pass a federal framework that respects and does not preempt more rigorous and protective state laws. The APRA would create a national standard for consumer data privacy rights, and require companies to be transparent in how they use consumer data, as well as to give consumers the right to access, correct, delete or export their data and opt out of targeted advertising and data transfers. However, the bill also contains a preemption clause, meaning it would supersede any state law. Any federal privacy framework must leave room for states to legislate responsively to changes in technology and data collection practices. This is because states are better equipped to quickly adjust to the challenges presented by technological innovation that may elude federal oversight, the letter reads. QUOTE OF THE DAY I have cognitive problems, clearly. I have short-term memory loss, and I have longer-term memory loss that affects me. - Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in a 2012 deposition where he said that a worm had partially eaten his brain and that he was suffering from mercury poisoning. Via the New York Times. Best of The Bee: California abortion rate rises to highest level in a decade. What experts say, via Phillip Reese . California should expand pandemic shelter program, study says. How Project Roomkey succeeded, via Nicole Nixon . Last years wet winter gave California Central Valley groundwater levels a major boost, via Ari Plachta . A California skydiving instructor is about go to trial. Can his students death be mentioned? Via Stephen Hobbs. Ukraine's State Security Service (SBU) hit two oil depots in Russia's Krasnodar Krai overnight on May 9, a source privy to the information told the Kyiv Independent. The SBU launched a "successful" drone attack on oil depots in the region's village of Yurovka, according to the source. The oil depots damaged in the attack are reportedly transshipment points for fuel supplies for Russian forces based in occupied Crimea. "The SBU will continue to reduce Russia's economic and logistical potential for warfare," the source said. The operational headquarters of Krasnodar Krai claimed earlier in the day that six drones attacked an oil depot in Yurovka. According to the Russian authorities, the attack caused a fire and damaged parts of the facility. No casualties were reported. The fire was allegedly extinguished at around 7:40 a.m. local time. Subscribe to newsletter War Notes Subscribe The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) carried out a drone strike against Krasnodar Krai overnight on April 27, targeting the Ilsky and Slavyansk oil refineries and a military airfield. The oil refinery in Slavyansk-on-Kuban later suspended its operations due to the attack. Ukrainian forces have launched a series of drone strikes aimed at damaging Russia's oil industry this spring. A large-scale attack against Russian energy infrastructure on April 20 reportedly started a fire at a fuel storage tank in Smolensk Oblast. Strikes against Russian energy targets have prompted criticism from U.S. officials, who have made it clear that Washington does not support Ukraine's attacks on oil refineries, citing fears that it could threaten the global energy market. In response, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Kyiv has the right to use its own weapons with retaliatory strikes on Russian oil refineries. Read also: Governor: Fire at oil depot in Russian-occupied Luhansk causes serious damage Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Representatives from Palestinian militant group Hamas and mediator Qatar left the Egyptian capital on Thursday after talks seeking a ceasefire and hostage release deal with Israel, sources at the Cairo airport said. There was no immediate word on the outcome of the latest round of negotiations, although reports of the departures sparked concerns for the prospects for an agreement. Hamas confirmed its teams departure from Cairo heading for Doha, where the groups political bureau is based. We in the Hamas movement affirm our commitment and adherence to our position by agreeing to the paper presented by the mediators, Izzat al-Risheq, a member of of Hamas' Political Bureau, said without giving details. The top US intelligence officer also departed from Cairo, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said. CIA chief William Burns this week launched a whirlwind shuttle diplomacy mission, travelling between Egypt, Qatar and Israel to advance the talks aimed to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. "His departure does not connote the end of the current round of negotiations," Kirby said. The talks had continued Thursday with attendance of all the parties concerned, Egypts state-affiliated TV station al-Qahera News reported. The broadcaster quoted what it termed as an Egyptian high-level source, who said Egypt had renewed its warning to participants against the danger of escalation if negotiations failed to clinch a deal. Israel and Hamas do not negotiate directly, so the US, Qatar and Egypt are acting as mediators, attempting to halt the conflict that has led to the deaths of nearly 35,000 people in the coastal strip. The Palestinian territory has been the target of a massive Israeli air and ground offensive since the October 7 terrorist attacks led by Hamas, which killed 1,200 in southern Israel. Hamas took around 250 people hostage, some of whom have been released. It is unclear how many of the remaining hostages are still alive. In Israel, there was further comment on US President Joe Biden's threat of an arms freeze in the event of a further advance in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote on X on that Hamas loves Biden, using a red heart emoji. Later, the Israeli president and opposition politicians criticized Ben-Gvir for endangering Israel with such statements. In an interview with broadcaster CNN, Biden had said that the United States would not supply the weapons for a full-scale invasion of Rafah, which is overcrowded with hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees. The US government had already decided last week to withheld a delivery of ammunition because of Israel's actions in Rafah. US media reported that the delivery comprised 3,500 bombs, including 2,000-pound bombs. According to analysts, Israel is using these in the fight against Hamas, for example to destroy the Islamists' underground tunnels. Senior Israeli officials have expressed "deep frustration" over the withheld delivery and warned that it could jeopardize indirect negotiations on a ceasefire and the release of hostages, two informed sources told the Axios news portal. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz posted on X: "Israel will continue to fight Hamas until its destruction. There is no war more just than this." Since the Israeli army took over the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing on Monday, around 80,000 people have fled the city, which is overcrowded with refugees, according to UN figures. Israel expanded its presence on Tuesday by sending troops to the eastern side of Rafah. "The toll on these families is unbearable. Nowhere is safe," the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinians in the Near East or UNRWA said on X, adding: "We need a #CeasefireNOW." Amid catastrophic humanitarian circumstances in Gaza, a freighter carrying hundreds of tons of aid for the civilian population departed from the Cypriot port of Larnaca bound for a US-built floating pier off Gaza. The Sagamore was transporting urgently needed aid from the United States, Britain and Cyprus and would soon arrive in Gaza, Cypriot government spokesman Giannis Antoniou said on the radio. "By the time the freighter arrives (in Gaza), the pier that the US is building will also be ready," he added. US troops are expected to complete a temporary harbour off Gaza to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid on Thursday, as Gaza has no ports deep enough to allow larger freighters carrying aid to dock. The conflict also raged on along Israel's northern border, with an Israeli strike on a car in southern Lebanon killing at least four people, Lebanese civil defence and security sources said. The attack set the car ablaze on a road in the town of Baflieh in south Lebanon. Hezbollah announced that death of three of its fighters. It added that a fourth was seriously wounded. The militia usually does not elaborate on when, where and how its fighters die. The Israeli military did not comment on the incident when asked, though said a 20-year-old soldier was killed in "actions in northern Israel" the day before. Later on Thursday, Hezbollah claimed they attacked two Israeli posts close to the Lebanese border. South Carolina lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to legislation banning gender-affirming care for minors, sending the measure to Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, who is expected to sign it into law. South Carolinas House Bill 4624 prohibits health care providers from administering puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries to transgender minors, though youths receiving care prior to Aug. 1 will be allowed a tapering off period. Care must cease entirely by Jan. 31. The measure also prohibits public funding from being used directly or indirectly for gender-affirming care, which some LGBTQ advocates have said will prevent transgender adults in South Carolina from using programs such as Medicaid to help cover the cost of treatment. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which includes South Carolina, ruled in April that state health care plans and government-funded insurance programs cannot exclude coverage for gender-affirming medical care. If the measure is signed by McMaster, South Carolina will join 24 other states more than half of which are in the South to limit access to gender-affirming care for minors. McMaster in January called the bill a good idea, though some changes have been made since then. State senators this month added a requirement that public schools inform a students parents if they request to use a different name or pronouns that are inconsistent with their sex assigned at birth. If they wanna make those decisions later when theyre adults then thats a different story, McMaster told WPDE-TV in Florence in January, referring to gender-affirming medical care, but we must prevent our young people from making irreversible errors. Gender-affirming health care for transgender adults and minors is considered safe and medically necessary by every major medical organization, though not every trans person chooses to medically transition or has access to care. Groups including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics have denounced state and federal laws that penalize seekers or providers of transition-related care. South Carolina legislators abused their power today by substituting their judgment for that of parents, medical professionals, mental health care professionals and other experts, Cathryn Oakley, senior director of legal policy for the Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBTQ advocacy group, said in a statement Thursday. This is a major violation of South Carolinians liberty. The Campaign for Southern Equality, another LGBTQ rights organization, said Thursday that it would expand a program for transgender youths whose access to gender-affirming care is disrupted by government policies to South Carolina. The program, the Southern Trans Youth Emergency Project, provides families with information and financial aid to ensure continuity of care. We are sending so much love, support and solidarity and want trans people in SC to know that you are loved, affirmed, and seen and that there is an entire community ready to fight against these oppressive laws, the group said Thursday on the social platform X. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. South Carolina man killed in crash on major highway in Lexington County, coroner says A South Carolina man was killed Wednesday in an early morning crash on a major Midlands highway, according to the Lexington County Coroners Office. Curt Alan Davis, a 49-year-old Cayce resident, died in the accident, Coroner Margaret Fisher said in a news release. The collision happened at about 4:20 a.m. on an Interstate 26 exit ramp in the Cayce area of Lexington County, according to the release. Davis was walking on Exit 113 of I-26 as he was trying to cross Frontage Road when the pedestrian was hit by a vehicle, the coroners office said. Thats near Commerce Drive, about 3 miles from Columbia Metropolitan Airport. Davis died at the scene, according to the release. Fisher said the driver was not hurt and remained at the scene. No other injuries were reported. There was no word if the driver was wearing a seat belt. The crash continues to be investigated by the coroners office as well as the Cayce Police Department. Through Sunday, 302 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2024, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,030 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported. At least 19 people have died in Lexington County crashes in 2024, according to DPS data. There were 45 deaths reported in the county in 2023, DPS reported. South Florida murder suspect commits suicide on I-10 after traffic stop in Baldwin County BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG) Less than an hour after a notification was issued to all Gulf Coast law enforcement to be on the lookout for a suspect vehicle involved in a Hillsborough County, Florida, murder, the truck was spotted by Baldwin County deputies and Alabama State Troopers traveling west on I-10. The traffic stop was near the 40-mile marker just east of the Malbis Exit, according to Sgt. Nate Lamplugh with the Baldwin County Sheriffs Office. The female driver did not respond to the officers commands after the stop, so a drone was deployed, revealing a person slumped over inside the cab of the truck. They eventually approached the vehicle and determined the driver had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The driver has been identified as Maira Pacheco Nunez, 58, from Tampa, Florida. According to the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office, detectives learned that Pacheco Nunez, shot and killed her boyfriend, Kelbys Avila, 50, and then fled the scene in a vehicle. Detectives developed probable cause and obtained an arrest warrant for Pacheco Nunez for 2nd Degree Murder with a Firearm. Traffic was shut down on I-10 westbound for hours as investigators from the Baldwin County Sheriffs Office processed the scene. Due to the fact that it is a suspect vehicle involved with a murder, there are a lot of crime scene issues to be dealt with at that location, said Lamplugh. Just before five oclock Wednesday afternoon, all lanes of traffic were re-opened. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) A South Jordan man was sentenced to 14 years in prison and a life term of supervised release after he admitted to uploading child pornography on a social media platform. The U.S. Attorneys Office announced Thursday that James Weston Fawcett, 43, admitted to uploading child pornography on a social media platform known as Wickr between Dec. 8, 2022 and Jan. 15, 2023. NHL Utah unveils 20 finalists for a team name, plans for inaugural season Fawcett uploaded 18 videos and 11 images of child pornography to two chatrooms on the social media platform, stated a press release from the U.S Attorneys Office. At the time the files were uploaded, one of the chatrooms had approximately 200 members that could choose to preview or download the files to their phones or computers. Several of the videos contained images of children under the age of 12. A search of Fawcetts residence also turned up thousands of images of child pornography on electronic devices. Officers also found an image of child pornography where Fawcett superimposed his face on the adult male pictured with a child, stated the release. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. South Koreas birth rate is so low, the president wants to create a ministry to tackle it South Koreas leader on Thursday said he plans to create a new government ministry to tackle the national emergency of the countrys infamously low birth rate as it grapples with a deepening demographic crisis. In a televised address, President Yoon Suk Yeol said he would ask for parliaments cooperation to establish the Ministry of Low Birth Rate Counter-planning. We will mobilize all of the nations capabilities to overcome the low birth rate, which can be considered a national emergency, he said. Speaking later in his first news conference since August 2022, held to mark two years in office, Yoon admitted his administration had fallen short in its efforts to improve peoples lives. He pledged to use the next three years of his term to improve the economy and address low births. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, on, May 9, 2024. - Song Kyung-seok/AP South Korea has the worlds lowest fertility rate, which indicates the average number of children a woman will have in her lifetime. It recorded a rate of just 0.72 in 2023 down from 0.78 the previous year, the latest drop in a long string of yearly declines. Countries need a fertility rate of 2.1 to maintain a stable population, in the absence of immigration. The data underscores the demographic time bomb that South Korea and other East Asian nations are facing as their societies rapidly age just a few decades after their rapid industrialization. Many European nations also face aging populations, but the speed and impact of that change is mitigated by immigration. Countries like South Korea, Japan and China, however, have shied away from mass immigration to tackle the decline in their working age populations. Experts say the reasons for these demographic shifts across the region include demanding work cultures, stagnating wages, rising costs of living, changing attitudes toward marriage and gender equality, and rising disillusionment among younger generations. But despite the economic factors at play, throwing money at the problem has proved ineffective. In 2022, Yoon admitted that more than $200 billion has been spent trying to boost the population over the past 16 years. Initiatives like extending paid paternity leave, offering monetary baby vouchers to new parents, and social campaigns encouraging men to contribute to childcare and housework, have so far failed to reverse the trend. Experts and residents have instead pointed to some deeper-rooted social issues for instance, stigma against single parents, discrimination against non-traditional partnerships, and barriers for same-sex couples. The Japanese government has tried a similar playbook to encourage couples to have children, to no avail prompting the countrys leader to take urgent action in recent years. In January 2023, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that Japan was on the brink of not being able to maintain social functions due to the falling birth rate, and announced plans for a new government agency to focus on the issue. That body, the Child and Families Agency, launched a few months later intended to tackle a host of issues, from improving childrens health and welfare to supporting families and parents, according to its website. These measures, ranging from boosting childcare services and providing places for children to play and live, aim to overcome the declining birthrate and create a society where people feel hopeful about getting married, having children, and raising them, the website says. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com By Josh Smith, Hyonhee Shin and Ju-min Park SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol conceded on Thursday that his ruling party's crushing election defeat last month reflected the government's failure to improve people's lives, and apologised for a scandal involving his wife. He continued to reject calls by opposition lawmakers for a special probe into allegations that the First Lady had inappropriately accepted a pricey Christian Dior handbag as a gift last year, even as prosecutors begin investigating whether she broke any laws. In his first press conference in 21 months, Yoon pledged instead to focus on improving the economy and tackling what he called the national emergency of flagging birth rates over the three years he has left in office. "I think the important thing going forward is indeed the economy," he said. "Corporate growth and job creation are important too but what I think is more important is to try harder to look for what is inconvenient in the life of each and every person and to resolve them." South Korea's economy beat most forecasts to grow 1.3% in the first three months of this year, though living costs have remained stubbornly high despite some progress in tackling inflation. In a new policy push, a government ministry will be set up to tackle the record low birth rate and fast-ageing population, Yoon said in opening remarks from his office, behind a plaque reading "The Buck Stops Here." "This is not a matter we can take time to work on," he said. South Korea's fertility rate, already the world's lowest, maintained its dramatic decline in 2023, as women cited concerns about bearing most of the burden for raising children, lost career opportunities, and the financial cost of raising children as reasons to delay childbirth or to not have babies. Yoon's People Power Party suffered a heavy loss in an April 10 vote, which prompted calls for a change in his leadership style and policy direction to salvage a presidency not yet at the halfway mark. "I think it reflects the public's evaluation that my administration's work is far short of what is needed," Yoon said when asked about his party's election defeat. POLITICAL CONTROVERSIES His comments included the first explicit apology for the controversy surrounding his wife. The issue is likely to weigh heavily on his attempts to win cooperation from the opposition-controlled parliament on policy priorities. Yoon, who won the presidency in 2022 by a margin of less than one percentage point, has seen his support ratings plunge to a low of 21% in one public opinion poll. Lawmaker Park Chan-dae, new floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, called Yoon's press conference and address "bitterly disappointing". He said it reaffirmed that the president had "neither the heart nor the will to protect the lives of the people". Kim Hyung-joon, a professor at Pai Chai University in the capital, said Yoon's comments suggest he may focus on more bipartisan issues such as spurring the birthrate, rather than sweeping changes to his agenda. "He didnt seem to have a sense of urgency even after such a crushing election defeat - no new policy initiative, or hardly any sign of drastic change in his way of doing things," he said. RUSSIA TIES UNCOMFORTABLE On foreign policy, Yoon declined to directly answer when pressed on former President Donald Trump's stance that he could revive demands for South Korea to pay more to maintain the roughly 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in the country. Yoon has staked the defence of South Korea against nuclear-armed North Korea on U.S. "extended deterrence" provided by American military assets deployed on the peninsula and region, but that could be threatened if a dispute arises with Washington. He said South Korea would maintain its stance to not supply lethal weapons to any country in active conflict, when asked if Seoul would consider helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia. Despite its emergence as a major arms exporter, South Korea has resisted pressure from Washington and Kyiv to provide weapons to Ukraine, as it is keen to avoid antagonising Russia. While Russia had been a good partner for quite some time, the war with Ukraine and Moscow's use of weapons from North Korea had made ties "uncomfortable," Yoon said. The United States and its allies have condemned what they called significant deliveries of North Korean weapons to Russia to help its war effort, including missiles that United Nations sanctions monitors said struck a Ukrainian city. Russia and North Korea have denied arms deals, but have vowed to deepen co-operation on military matters, among others. (Reporting by Josh Smith, Hyonhee Shin, Ju-min Park, Hyunsu Yim; Writing by Jack Kim; Editing by Ed Davies, Clarence Fernandez and Raju Gopalakrishnan) ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) An Albuquerque charter school director accused of holding a box cutter to a students neck in April will be released from custody. Richard Perea, 58, appeared in court for a pretrial detention hearing on Thursday for the charges of aggravated battery (deadly weapon), aggravated assault, and child abuse (open count). According to the criminal complaint, Perea, who is the executive director of South Valley Academy, allegedly had the 17-year-old student brought to his office on suspicion that the student was vaping in the bathroom. When the student was searched, school officials found the box cutter in the students possession, the criminal complaint read. The student then claimed that Perea wrapped his arm around his neck, and held the box cutter to his throat. Story continues below Two security guards were in the room at the time of the incident and backed up the students claim, according to the court document. During the pretrial detention hearing, Pereas attorney, Jason Bowles, claimed that the allegations in the criminal complaint are not true. Bowles also read several letters of support for Perea from his colleagues and a student at South Valley Academy. Judge Brett Loveless denied the states request for Perea to remain in custody. As a condition of release in this particular case, hes not to work at a school. So not just this one, but any school, and hes not to have contact with children unless their his own children or grandchildren, Loveless said. Perea is on paid administrative leave from the charter school and turned himself into deputies on Monday. The New Mexico Public Education Department said that it is investigating. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Piedmont Lithium is moving another step closer to opening its controversial $1.2 billion North Carolina lithium mine in Gaston County after the state issued it a mining permit this week. N.C. Department of Environmental Quality approved the final mining permit for Piedmont Lithium, which will allow the Belmont-based company to mine for lithium near Cherryville, west of Charlotte. Receiving that permit is a significant milestone for Piedmont Lithium, company spokeswoman Erin Sanders said in a statement to The Charlotte Observer. (It) is the precursor for the Gaston County rezoning process and a catalyst for accelerating funding discussions. Lithium is used in batteries to power electric vehicles, bikes and personal electronic devices like cell phones. North Carolina is among a few places in the world where lithium mining is possible. Piedmont Lithium submitted its proposal in 2021 for plans to build a new $1.2 billion mine and processing plant. Piedmont has a contract with Tesla, the largest EV car manufacturer in the world, for its lithium. Albemarle Corp., based in Charlotte, also is in the approval process to reopen a lithium mine in Kings Mountain, also west of Charlotte. Piedmont Lithiums mining permit for the construction and operation of the project in the Hephzibah Church Road area was approved last month but was contingent on the company posting a $1 million reclamation bond. It received the permit now that the bond was posted. Piedmont Lithium has faced several hurdles including protests over environmental and health concerns, as well as navigating a downturn in the lithium market. In February, the company laid off 27% of its workforce as part of a cost-savings plan, as lithium prices tanked and electric vehicle sales slowed. N.C. Department of Environmental Quality has issued its mining permit for Piedmont Lithium Carolinas project in Gaston County. Courtesy Piedmont Lithium Limited What Piedmont Lithiums mine permit says Piedmont Lithiums lithium mine permit covers 1,548 acres, but is approved to disturb 964 acres for the mining process, according to the permit issued Tuesday by the Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources. After considering public comments, including a public hearing in 2021, the final mine permit was issued with operational limits based on the Mining Act of 1971, the state agency said in a news release Tuesday. The provisions are related to wastewater and stormwater discharge, air quality and dust control, blasting and buffers between the operation and surrounding waterways. Piedmont Lithium included this map of its proposed Gaston County mining operation in a company report this past April. Piedmont Lithium Requirements include: No on-site disposal of waste generated outside of the mining boundary without state permission. A synthetic liner in the waste rock disposal pile. Story continues Surface water sampling every two weeks. Weekly monitoring of pH and water levels in monitoring wells around the above-ground storage areas. Monthly sampling and analysis of water quality in monitoring wells. Quarterly sampling of the groundwater monitoring well network nearby in-pit rock storage. Whats next for the lithium mine plan? Piedmont Lithium still needs other state permits for air quality and wastewater discharge, as well as approval for any local zoning regulations in Gaston County. The company is now focusing on pursuing partnerships and funding options, Sanders said. For example a U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing loan could provide a significant portion of the capital required for the Carolina Lithium project, she said. Construction is expected to begin next year after all permits, rezoning approvals, and project financing, including the U.S. Department of Energys Loan Programs Office, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. Piedmont expects to hire over 400 employees with an average salary of $82,000. Piedmont Lithium has joint mining operations with Sayona Mining in Quebec and Atlantic Lithium in Ghana, and another project in Tennessee. House Speaker Mike Johnson could have met a similar fate to that of his predecessor had House members not rallied around to save his job Wednesday night. On Wednesday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, brought forward a motion to vacate the speakership. Thats the same maneuver that Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican from Florida, used in October to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. But 359 members of the U.S. House both Democrats and Republicans voted to save Johnson. That included all but one of North Carolinas representatives. Rep. Valerie Foushee, a Democrat from Orange County, did not vote. I voted against firing the Speaker because we cant capitulate to a few extreme members who are willing to throw Congress into chaos just to get more attention, said Rep. Jeff Jackson, a Democrat from Charlotte, in a news release. Now that weve defeated their latest stunt, Im hopeful we can quickly move on and get some things done to actually serve the country. Greene has been threatening to take down Johnson for weeks after Congress passed a $95 billion foreign aid package to help Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Greene accused Johnson of betraying the Republican Party for allowing money to go to Ukraine, despite 101 House Republicans voting for its passage. Since then, she has called for Johnson to either resign, meet her demands or face a motion to vacate. She, Rep. Charles Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, and Johnson have held several meetings together over the past two days prior to Greene bringing the vote to the floor. Democrats side with Republicans Johnson told reporters he was not negotiating with her, and Democrats warned they would help Republicans maintain the House. Former President Donald Trump weighed in, calling for Republicans to vote to table Greenes motion. After McCarthy was voted out last year, it threw Congress into three weeks of turmoil and Republican infighting. That left Rep. Patrick McHenry, a Republican from Lincoln County, running the House in the interim. McCarthy had named McHenry his successor in case something were to happen to him. Democrats kept their promise Wednesday night. Immediately after Greene brought her motion to the floor, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise motioned to table Greenes bill, which would immediately kill it, if House members agreed to it. In total, 359 members of the U.S. House voted to kill Greenes bill and save Johnsons job. Eleven Republicans voted against that maneuver, but none were from North Carolina. How NC lawmakers voted Heres how North Carolina lawmakers voted: Davis: Yes Ross: Yes Murphy: Yes Foushee: Did not vote Foxx: Yes Manning: Yes Rouzer: Yes Bishop: Yes Hudson: Yes McHenry: Yes Edwards: Yes Adams: Yes Nickel: Yes Jackson: Yes (COLORADO SPRINGS) The Fire Marshal for the Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) recently sat down during the Citys Behind the Springs podcast to discuss the upcoming fire season, or lack thereof. While summer does typically see more fires due to higher temperatures, Fire Marshal Brett Lacey warns that fire is no longer a seasonal danger, but rather year-round. Lacey joined City Communications specialist Jen Schreuder on the podcast to discuss wildfire planning in the city, especially for those living in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), which includes most of the west side and some homes in central Colorado Springs. According to COSWildfireReady, the WUI is an area where houses or businesses are in or near mixed topographical and geographical features with various timber, brush, and grass species. It is an area that poses a greater than normal risk to people and their property due to the proximity of combustible vegetation and structures. Courtesy: Colorado Springs Fire Department For those living in the WUI, and even those outside of it, wildfire is an ever-present danger, though Fire Marshal Lacey said there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your property, as well as make your home more defensible for firefighters who respond should the worst happen. We need the population to help stack the deck in our favor as best we can, said Lacey. It is incumbent on the citizens of Colorado Springs to help us share the responsibility in mitigating: cleaning up their property, keeping trash and debris away, minimizing the susceptibility for ignition of their home in the event of any kind of a grass or wildland fire. This is especially important for those living in the WUI, Lacey stressed, because the vegetation in those areas can go up in flames so quickly, and result in erratic, dangerous fires, even if weve received moisture recently. We call them flash fields for a reason, explained Lacey. Because you can have a drenching rain, and within an hour of sunshine and a light breeze, that stuff, within an hour, is ready to light off again. Lacey said this is why CSFD urges property owners and neighbors to limb up and clean uptrim lower branches of Gamble Oak and Ponderosa Pine trees, and keep grasses trimmed, because the grass will catch quickly and carry fire up toward brush and eventually tree canopies, as well as buildings. And while many may assume this is really only a summer problem, think again. We used to say wildfire season, and we thought of that at kind of, late May into August/September, said Lacey. Over the last few years, because of the way climate has been behaving, or misbehaving as some people would say, we now have a fire year.' So as temperatures rise, many may be wondering what the fire outlook for the summer is like, and thankfully, Lacey said it appears normal, at least for our region, compared to drier, hotter years past. Thanks to some heavier snowfalls over the winter and predicted monsoonal moisture in June, Lacey said seasoned Coloradans will know that means more moisture in the vegetation to decrease flammability, but it also means vegetation will be growing thicker. Meaning more plentiful fuels for potential fires when that vegetation dries out. I would just ask everybody in the City of Colorado Springs to just be vigilant, be careful, be safe, and call early if you think you see smoke, Lacey said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. (Bloomberg) -- Sri Lanka announced plans to vote for a president from September as the South Asian country looks to get back on track after the worst economic crisis in its independent history. Most Read from Bloomberg The Election Commission will carry out the presidential poll on a day between Sept. 17 and Oct. 16 after calling for nominations for candidates, according to a statement on Thursday. President Ranil Wickremesinghe, whose term ends in November, is likely to seek a mandate for the economic reforms he is carrying out in exchange for a $3 billion bailout loan from the International Monetary Fund. Wickremesinghe was elected by lawmakers in July 2022 after Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned following weeks of street protests. The election announcement comes as Sri Lanka holds talks with global investors to restructure some $12 billion in defaulted global bonds. Wickremesinghe said earlier on Thursday that his aim is to complete the debt restructuring by June. Read more: Sri Lanka Poised for Bondholder Deal by Mid-May, StanChart Says Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. This Saturday, May 11, U.S. Postal Service letter carriers will collect donations of canned food and other non-perishable items from people's doorsteps during the 2024 Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. A letter carrier with the U.S. Postal Service loads a delivery truck with donations of food collected through the National Association of Letter Carriers' annual National Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. For more than 30 years, the National Association of Letter Carriers has spearheaded the effort as a way to encourage local mail delivery customers to contribute bags of food that can be delivered to food banks and pantries nationwide. Since it officially started in 1993, the drive has grown to encompass 10,000 cities and towns in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam, with tens of millions of pounds of food collected in a single day. "Letter carriers in the community see firsthand who needs help and who benefits from food donations, so this is one way to give back to the community and do what we can to stamp out hunger," said Juan Munoz, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), Branch 1259. Food insecurity and hunger is prevalent across the U.S. According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, 12.8% of U.S. households, or 17 million people, were food insecure in 2022, defined as facing uncertainty about having or being able to acquire enough food at some point during the year, or having enough food to meet the needs of all family members due to insufficient money or resources. ERS data also shows Texas as the state with the second-highest rate of food insecurity in the U.S., at 16%, and that it is among the top 10 states where people face very low food security resulting in people self-reporting that they do not have enough eat. One in 8 people in Texas and one in five children is the Coastal Bend face hunger, according to the Coastal Bend Food Bank. Access to healthy food sources varies wildly by neighborhoods where people live. The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is a great opportunity for people of all ages, incomes and backgrounds to contribute canned goods, pasta or cereal to their local pantry or food bank to be distributed throughout the community at a time of year when food supplies at these agencies are running low, Munoz said. A graphic telling people how they can participate in the National Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. To participate in the drive, leave a donation of non-perishable food in a bag near the mailbox or on the doorstep at the time that letter carriers typically deliver mail. While Saturday is the main day for donations, NALC will also pick up donations along their route the following day for truck drivers to haul throughout the week. Donations can also be dropped off at the post office. Postal Service workers will also support the food drive by delivering postcards and promotional bags in advance of the pick-up scheduled for May 11. More: Citizens concerned about mail services leaving Corpus Christi amid postal facility upgrade This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive scheduled for Saturday, May 11 Stanislaus County is hiring with a bonus worth up to $10,000. See what jobs are open now Are you looking for job openings in Stanislaus County? The county is hiring for positions in May for the departments of parks and recreation, community services, environmental resources and more. Stanislaus County provides competitive and comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, vision and life insurance plans, for regular full-time employees. As part of its Employee Choice Bonus Plan, the county is offering a bonus worth up to $10,000 over three years or 21 extra days of leave time for eligible employees hired full-time on or before June 30, 2025. Sift through some of the open jobs available on the countys website, as of Thursday, May 9: Accounting Technician | Permanent, full-time Department: Environmental Resources Salary: $51,521 to $62,628 annually The accounting technician handles various administrative tasks related to maintaining financial records within the Landfill Division. Tasks include gathering data for reports, managing costs and assisting with budgeting. The application closes on May 15. Confidential Assistant III | Permanent, full time Department: Chief Executive Office Salary: $46,737 to $70,116 annually The confidential assistant III is responsible for handling various tasks related to human resources, including managing leave requests, processing forms and administering benefits for employees within the department. The application closes on May 20. Fraud Technician | Permanent, full-time Department: Community Services Agency Salary: $54,683 to $66,456 annually The fraud technician investigates possible cases of fraud of individuals receiving government assistance in the county. Tasks related to this position include taking complaints and writing up allegations, conducting investigations and interviewing suspected persons and witnesses. The application closes on May 17. Park Maintenance Worker | Full-time and part-time Department: Parks and Recreation Salary: $44,512 to $59,654 annually The park maintenance worker performs various tasks in parks and public areas, including using power tools, helping with construction projects and working at entrance stations. The application is open until the position is filled. County Veterinarian | Permanent, full-time Department: Animal Services Agency Salary: $146,057 to $219,107 annually The county veterinarian is responsible for providing medical services to public and shelter animals. Medical services include spaying and neutering, administering vaccines and diagnosing illnesses. The application is open until the position is filled. Deputy Coroner | Permanent, full-time Department: Sheriffs Department Salary: $68,057 to $82,721 annually Under the jurisdiction of the Sheriffs Department, the deputy coroner investigates and reports causes of death. Tasks related to this position include receiving calls from law enforcement agencies, gathering facts and preparing reports. The application closes on May 22. Special Project Manager III | Permanent, full-time Department: Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Salary: $84,177 to $126,276 annually The special project manager III will coordinate, plan and oversee projects relating to health services. As part of this position, tasks will include managing time and resources, gathering information and processing documents. The application closes on May 15. What do you want to know about life in Modesto? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@modbee.com. (Bloomberg) -- Keir Starmer pledged millions of pounds for border enforcement as part of a strategy to tackle the rise in migrants crossing to British shores in small boats if his poll-leading opposition Labour Party wins a general election expected in the autumn. Most Read from Bloomberg Labour will create a new Border Security Command staffed by hundreds of investigators, officers and prosecutors using new counter-terror powers to disrupt people-smuggling gangs, as well as scrapping the Tory governments plan to deport to Rwanda those arriving in small boats, Starmer said Friday in a speech in Deal, southeast England part of the constituency held by Natalie Elphicke, who defected to Labour from the Conservatives earlier this week, taking a swipe at the governing partys record on migration. Starmer, who repeatedly referenced his background as a former prosecutor, railed against the governments talk tough, do nothing culture, dismissing the Conservative plan as a sticking plaster and gimmicks. He added: We will end this farce, we will restore serious government to our borders, tackle this problem and replace the Rwanda policy permanently. Labours immigration plan is a fresh incursion into territory thats traditionally a Conservative strength, and comes after Starmer also promised to ramp up defense spending and fight the election due within nine months on the economy. The Labour leader is also seeking to put an end to Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks oft-repeated argument that Labour is just sniping from the sidelines and doesnt have a plan. Elphickes presence at the event served to illustrate the usefulness to Starmer of her defection, despite her right-wing views, past criticisms of Labour and previous support for her ex-husband during his trail for sexual offenses. Many of his MPs and frontbenchers have expressed unhappiness at her joining the party, but theres important symbolism in the MP representing Dover on the front line of the small boats crisis slamming Sunaks policies on migration. Its clear that Rishi Sunak has failed to keep our borders secure and cannot be trusted, Elphicke said, speaking before Starmer. A fresh approach is needed - an approach that puts at its heart a commitment to border security. Sunak has made stopping the boats one of his five key pledges to the British electorate, and hes promised to send a first flight of asylum seekers to Rwanda in July. Ministers argue the deterrent effect of the deportations will help stop migrants making the perilous boat journey from France in the first place. But while the government has argued the mere threat of the Rwanda plan led to crossings coming down by more than a third last year, theyve surged to record levels in 2024, with more than 8,800 people making the journey so far. Highlighting the issue, Sky News reported that dozens of migrants were brought ashore at Dover on Friday by the border force. Let me spell it out again: a scheme that will only remove 1% of small boat crossings a year cannot, and never will be, an effective deterrent, Starmer will say. Its an insult to anyones intelligence, and the gangs that run this sick trade are not easily fooled. Starmer said his plan will be funded using existing resources, as well as 75 million ($94 million) diverted from scrapping the governing Conservatives plan to deport arrivals to Rwanda. There was no mention of how hell facilitate legal routes for migrants to get to the UK. Pointing out that boat crossings have risen since the UK left the European Union, the Labour leader said hell work more closely with counterparts in the continent and seek a security agreement with the bloc. He said hes confident a Labour government could pass any necessary legislation quickly. Starmers plan includes: Creating a new Border Security Command that would work with international agencies to disrupt smuggling gangs and have a commander reporting directly to the home secretary Hiring hundreds of specialist investigators, intelligence agents and cross-border police officers Expanding stop-and-search powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 for those crossing the border and suspected of involvement in people smuggling Extra powers for investigators to monitor the financial accounts of suspects Search and seizure warrants for premises used by suspects even before an offense has taken place a power currently restricted to terrorism Restrictions on the access to banking, the internet and travel for suspects Hundreds of new case workers to help clear a backlog in processing asylum claims Rebuilding our asylum system has become a test of political strength, a trial of leadership, Starmer said. Its become a question of whether you can prioritize, at all times, the politics of practical solutions, and reject the politics of performative symbols - the gimmicks and gestures. (Updates with Starmer remarks starting in second paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) State lawmakers and Community Leaders joining together with Golden Harvest Food Bank, Thursday morning to Address Hunger throughout the area. In the state of Georgia, the highest growth population group will be 16 or 65 and over, Feeding Georgia Executive Director Danah Craft said. It speaks to the emergency that there is a need for folks to have food on their table, District 1 Commissioner Jordan Johnson said. The latest Data from the USDA shows that 87.2% of Americans faced food insecurity throughout 2022, and right here in the CSRA one in seven face that battle. Poverty, homelessness, food insecurity just looks different just seeing that the need is growing across our 25-county service area, and not just in one particular area, Golden Harvest Neighbor Advocate Matthew Enfinger said. Golden Harvest and Feeding Georgia are working with lawmakers and community leaders to speak about how they can help. If our elected officials walked a mile in my clients shoes, only, maybe for just a couple of hours, try to do the SNAP benefit online the frustration with that, GAP Ministries of Augusta Nomi Stanton said. Weve been working extremely hard to open grocery stores in our area, weve signed an MOU to open up a grocery store in the Laney Walker community, but theres still so many more gaps that we have to fill, Johnson said. ALSO ON WJBF: Youth Leadership Augusta had their Community Leadership Day at the Kroc Center Which is why folks on the panel discussion had one important question. How can we go, whats the next step? Golden Harvests Child and Senior Program Specialist Sandy Wyman asked. A question theyre already working hard to fill in the blank for. Part of the backpack program, we partner with some schools and we bring backpacks, and once a week they deliver the backpacks to the students in a very confidential manner, and that food will go home for the weekend for school breaks, Wyman said. Meeting them where theyre at, servicing them where theyre at, whether that be geographically or what they can handle as far as cooking and access, Enfinger said. Golden Harvests Stamp Out Food Hunger initiative post offices collecting food donations in the following areas: Georgia: Downtown Augusta, Forest Hills, Evans, Martinez, Grovetown, Hephzibah, Appling Peach Orchard. South Carolina: Johnston, Edgefield, Graniteville, Trenton, New Ellenton, Williston, Barnwell. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF. Photo: Getty Images When I was a kid, I would sometimes ask my parents for money. Call me crazy, but I didnt really care how much came from my mom versus how much came from my dad. I cared about whether or not I could afford to buy the latest Tribe Called Quest tape and whether I was being treated fairly compared to my sisters. Schools arent too different. They want to know whether they have enough resources to allow all students to reach state standards. They also want to be treated fairly compared to other school districts. Whether their money comes from state or county taxes is almost entirely irrelevant. Legislative leaders, however, disagree. They care little about whether our schools have enough resources to help all students meet state standards. Nor do they much care whether districts are treated fairly, with funding aligning with students needs. What matters most to these policy iconoclasts is the share of funding coming from state versus local sources. Understanding funding sources North Carolina ranks 48th in per-pupil funding ($4,655 below the national average) and dead last when it comes to school funding effort. Legislative leaders, however, continue to insist that North Carolina actually ranks 13th for school funding. What they find important is not North Carolinas funding level, effort, nor distribution. No, what they value most of all is the share of revenues coming from state sources. Of course, theres no virtue to having a higher or lower share of funding from state sources. These percentages simply reflect the unique legal framework in each state. In some states, responsibility for funding is placed largely on counties. In other states, like North Carolina with its strong constitutional provisions supporting public education, its the states responsibility to provide school funding. So of course, we rank highly in terms of the share of school funding coming from state sources. But that tells us nothing about whether our schools have enough money or whether that money is distributed fairly. Its important to remember that the primary, consensus goal of a school finance system is to provide sufficient resources so that all children have an equal opportunity to meet state standards, regardless of where they live or attend school. A states share of funding from state sources has no impact on this goal one way or the other. Case study: New Hanover County A simple example proves this point. In the 2022 school year, New Hanover County Schools received $93 million in operating funds from their county government. Would these students be better off if this revenue source were eliminated? Their share of funding from state funds would be tops in the state. But of course, New Hanovers students would be much worse off if their schools lost 30% of their funding. Even if we accept this false premise that theres something that makes state revenue inherently better, the data still show that North Carolinas school funding from state sources is quite low. North Carolinas per-pupil revenue from state sources ranks 32nd at $6,648, 14 percent below the 50-state average of $7,556. Of course, theres nothing magical about state revenue versus local revenue. Money is fungible. From the school districts perspective, a dollar from the state is worth as much as a dollar from their county government. If anything, the county dollar is valued slightly higher because districts tend to have more flexibility in how they spend their local dollars versus their state dollars. Which school funding metrics really matter? When it comes to ranking states school finance systems, what really matters are two factors: Adequacy : Is there enough money to allow all students to meet state standards?; and Equity : Is that money distributed in accordance with student need so that all students have the same chances for success no matter where they live? Along these measures, North Carolina has nothing to brag about. Researchers from the University of Miami and Rutgers rank North Carolinas school funding system 47th out of the 48 states with a possible rating. National experts from the Education Law Center give North Carolinas school funding system an F for funding level, an F for funding effort, and a C for funding distribution. What you wont find in any of these reports are rankings on the share of funding from state sources, since that is an irrelevant metric. What you will find is a broad consensus that North Carolinas school funding systema system that has been systematically defunded over the past decadeis failing dramatically in achieving the goal of allowing all children the equal opportunity to meet state standards. The solution: Fully fund the Leandro Plan The good news is that North Carolina is sitting on a plan to dramatically improve both the adequacy and equity of North Carolinas failing school finance system. The Leandro Comprehensive Remedial Plan offers policymakers a ready-made solution thats based on research, overwhelmingly supported by North Carolinians, and readily affordable. And as a bonus for legislative leaders, the Plans 40 percent increase in state funding will shoot North Carolina upwards in the rankings for the share of funding from state sources. The post The stats that really matter in assessing K-12 education funding appeared first on NC Newsline. US. Sen. Edward Markey chairs a subcommittee hearing on private equity in health care held in the State House's Gardner Auditorium, accompanied by US Sen. Elizabeth Warren (right) on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. (Photo by Sam Doran of State House News Service) Steward Health Cares primary landlord, Medical Properties Trust, fought back on Thursday against the running narrative in Massachusetts that the two companies engaged in a coordinated effort to strip Steward hospitals of value. Edward Aldag Jr., the chairman and CEO of Medical Properties Trust, and other members of the firms leadership group told financial analysts that the rents the Alabama-based company is charging Steward for its hospitals are not excessive and that they fully expect those rents to remain at or near current levels when the hospitals are sold to better qualified operators over the next several months. Aldag noted that the initial bankruptcy filing of Steward did not mention rent as a contributor to the companys financial distress. He also said the rents the company charges are a small percentage of hospital revenue, usually in the single digits, and added that a hospital not making rental payments would face other costs for maintaining a hospital property. Buildings are not free, he said. Aldags comments represent a sharp departure from what has become the running narrative in Massachusetts, where Steward and Medical Properties Trust have repeatedly been described as co-conspirators in what amounts to a Ponzi scheme. U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey sent a letter to Aldag on April 15 specifically raising the Ponzi analogy and suggesting Medical Properties Trust has a responsibility to pare back its huge rents to make it possible for new operators to purchase the hospital properties. MPT has along with Steward plundered these hospitals, the letter from the senators said. Your companies also have an important opportunity to help Stewards Massachusetts hospitals overcome this crisis by offering long-term reductions in lease payments or early termination of leases to make it financially feasible for new operators to take over these hospitals. Medical Properties Trust released its first-quarter earnings report on Thursday, reporting a $735.6 million net loss compared to a gain of $33 million in the same quarter the year before. The net loss included $693 million in impairments, basically a write-down in value, of an international venture with Steward. Company management answered questions from analysts and also released a correcting the record statement on its dealings with hospital operators in general and with Steward specifically. What was surprising was Aldags confidence that Stewards hospitals in Massachusetts and elsewhere would be sold, and sold fairly quickly without adjusting rents downward much, if at all. We believe that these hospitals can continue to pay rent at the contractual levels, Aldag said, acknowledging the bankruptcy process is uncertain We anticipate across the portfolio to continue to get at or near the amount of rent that the current lease agreements call for. Aldag said he expected a significant number of Steward hospitals to be transferred to new operators by the end of September. One analyst asked what percentage of the hospitals would be transferred to new operators by the end of Stewards bankruptcy. Aldag responded: I would guess close to 100 percent. One analyst expressed surprise at his projection on the speed of sales, but Aldag said his company began sales negotiations long before Stewards bankruptcy filing. Its been going on for almost five months now, Aldag said. Were way down the road with many different people. In one of its initial bankruptcy filings, Steward said it had received indications of interest from multiple potential buyers for its southern Massachusetts, Arizona, and Texas hospital operations and added that it is in discussions with various third parties interested in Steward hospitals in northern Massachusetts. In a press release accompanying its bankruptcy filing on May 6, Steward said it was finalizing $75 million in funding from Medical Properties Trust and up to an additional $225 million more. Aldag said Medical Properties Trust has only pledged $75 million to keep the hospitals operating until new owners can be found. To be clear, he said, we have not committed to providing additional funding beyond this initial $75 million. This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. The post Steward landlord denies its rents are excessive appeared first on Rhode Island Current. Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan A portion of marijuana is seen under a magifying glass at the Abundant Healing store April 19, 2010, in Fort Collins, Colorado. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images) U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has proposed loosening the illegal status of marijuana at the federal level but that doesnt mean the federal government now condones recreational or medicinal use in the many states that have legalized the drug. Moving marijuana from the governments list of the most dangerous and least useful substances to a less serious category was a clear signal that the federal government, at least under President Joe Bidens administration, wants to ease restrictions on a drug thats been legal in an increasing number of states for more than a decade. For years, the federal government has not pursued enforcement of state-legal marijuana operations, and the recent move appears to solidify that approach. But it didnt solve the many thorny issues that have resulted from a split between what is legal in dozens of states and what the federal government allows. Its unclear exactly what the rescheduling will mean. The Justice Department has not made public the text of Garlands proposal a DOJ spokesman declined States Newsrooms request this week for a copy and state regulators say it has not been shared with them. Even if the proposal were public, it would be expected to go through changes over months of rulemaking. Here are some questions covering what is known at this early stage about what rescheduling would and would not do. Q: Is weed legal now? A: No. Even in states that have legalized recreational use, the federal government would likely still consider the state system as illegal under federal law. Other Schedule III drugs, including Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids, are tightly regulated and available only by prescription at pharmacies. State-legal medicinal marijuana dispensaries do not fit that description and recreational-use dispensaries are even further from what the Food and Drug Administration requires of Schedule III drugs. This does not make marijuana state operations legal, Shawn Hauser, a partner at Denver-based marijuana law firm Vicente LLP, said on a May 3 webinar. They are not selling FDA-approved drugs and they are not licensed or meet the control requirements for Schedule III. So cannabis and state-legal dispensaries will remain in violation of federal law. Q: What is the difference between Schedule I and Schedule III? A: Among the most significant is the recognition that the drug may have some medicinal value. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, the Drug Enforcement Administration has five levels of drug classifications. Schedule I is the most restricted level, comprising the drugs most ripe for abuse that have no medicinal value. Other drugs on the list include heroin and LSD. Because the definition of Schedule I substances includes no medicinal use, it is illegal to even study substances on the list. Schedule III is the strictest level that acknowledges some medicinal value, making some hopeful that research on the drug could be improved. Moving cannabis to Schedule III would be a big step for recognition of the medical uses of cannabis, what voters here recognized by a wide margin in 1998, the Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board said in a May 1 statement. And it would say very clearly that the federal government no longer considers cannabis among the most dangerous drugs. Q: How are states preparing? A: Until they have more details, state regulators cannot do much, Amanda Borup, the senior policy analyst for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, said in an interview. We really have to wait and see what they release, she said, referring to the DEAs rulemaking. Other states are considering what the impacts might be. The statement from Washingtons Liquor and Cannabis Board said rescheduling would hopefully ease restrictions on cannabis research, while it is possible the move would allow state-legal businesses to take advantage of tax deductions available to other industries. Q: Why does research matter? A: Marijuana advocates have had trouble providing evidence of any marijuana benefits because research has been restricted, which in turn made it more difficult to show that the restrictions should be lifted. It could also help establish industry guidelines for ancillary issues. For example, the restrictions on research contribute to a lack of data on what pesticides are safe for use in marijuana cultivation. Q: How does this affect policy on taxes, banking and criminal justice? A: On its own, rescheduling likely wont address several complaints marijuana industry members and advocates have about federal prohibition. Some are hopeful, though, that the signal from the Biden administration will spur momentum toward other changes. Most businesses can deduct their costs from their income and pay taxes on their net income. Marijuana businesses cannot take that deduction, known as 280E, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group. Schedule I status also makes access to the U.S. banking system difficult. Others complain that making marijuana legal in some states has not been fair to the communities of color that saw the most active enforcement. Rescheduling would not fix those issues on its own, but advocates are hopeful it is a sign of momentum toward full legalization. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon reintroduced a bill last week to de-schdule the drug altogether. The measure includes expanding the 280E tax break and several provisions meant to address social justice. Q: Could Trump reverse this if he wins in November? A: Probably, though theres no indication thats on his agenda. Its unclear what the status of the rescheduling will be when the next Inauguration Day arrives on Jan. 20. If former President Donald Trump wins back the presidency and the rescheduling is still pending, he could direct the DEA and DOJ to scrap the change. Trump has not commented on the issue. The post Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star. (Bloomberg) -- The US must undertake a full-time surge to combat the rise in cyberattacks that is undermining US national security, the recently departed head of the National Security Agency said in an interview. Most Read from Bloomberg Paul Nakasone, who is also the former commander of Cyber Command and a recently retired four-star general, proposed a more aggressive approach that would focus diplomacy, business partnerships and technical know-how to thwart the threat. The goal, he said, would extend the same type of work we do for our election security to all cybercrime. Under Nakasone, intelligence and offensive hacking teams started combining as a matter of course, focused on finding and disrupting election threats. Key to their efforts tackling election meddling has been efforts to understand the threats, rapidly share information with other partners across government and undertake concrete responses, he said, arguing the US needs to advance all three approaches in a focused way to make a dent in nationwide hacking. His call comes as the US battles a wave of serious cyberattacks that have gravely affected the health sector and seen US water utilities under attack. It also comes amid warnings from the US government dating back a year that China is preparing to disrupt domestic civilian infrastructure en masse in the event of conflict over Taiwan. This is a pretty key moment for us, Nakasone said, adding US business needs to help deliver a much higher cybersecurity level across the nation. Nakasone will have a chance to push this theme when he becomes head of a new institute at Vanderbilt University, the Institute for National Defense and Global Security, announced on Wednesday and which is due to open in the fall. Nakasone, who is due to start working at the institute next month, said he sees the value of cross-disciplinary approaches to modern conflict. Maybe its part of my DNA Im the son of two educators, he said. The institute, which will draw on fields as varied as neuroscience, engineering, law and biological sciences, will also serve as an unofficial recruiting pipeline for the Defense Department and US spy agencies, with Nakasone arguing far too few young people are focused on policy. Daniel Diermeier, chancellor of Vanderbilt University, which has hosted a summit on emerging threats and modern conflict for the past three years, said the intersection of technology and policy is crucial to the endeavor. He argues the public is still grappling with a notion that is already a given among US foreign policy players in Washington: that China has morphed from a key economic market to a threat to US national security. Thats a massive shift, he said. I think that that hasnt totally penetrated public perception yet. Story continues Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan A portion of marijuana is seen under a magifying glass at the Abundant Healing store April 19, 2010, in Fort Collins, Colorado. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images) U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has proposed loosening the illegal status of marijuana at the federal level but that doesnt mean the federal government now condones recreational or medicinal use in the many states that have legalized the drug. Moving marijuana from the governments list of the most dangerous and least useful substances to a less serious category was a clear signal that the federal government, at least under President Joe Bidens administration, wants to ease restrictions on a drug thats been legal in an increasing number of states for more than a decade. For years, the federal government has not pursued enforcement of state-legal marijuana operations, and the recent move appears to solidify that approach. But it didnt solve the many thorny issues that have resulted from a split between what is legal in dozens of states and what the federal government allows. Its unclear exactly what the rescheduling will mean. The Justice Department has not made public the text of Garlands proposal a DOJ spokesman declined States Newsrooms request this week for a copy and state regulators say it has not been shared with them. Even if the proposal were public, it would be expected to go through changes over months of rulemaking. Here are some questions covering what is known at this early stage about what rescheduling would and would not do. Q: Is weed legal now? A: No. Even in states that have legalized recreational use, the federal government would likely still consider the state system as illegal under federal law. Other Schedule III drugs, including Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids, are tightly regulated and available only by prescription at pharmacies. State-legal medicinal marijuana dispensaries do not fit that description and recreational-use dispensaries are even further from what the Food and Drug Administration requires of Schedule III drugs. This does not make marijuana state operations legal, Shawn Hauser, a partner at Denver-based marijuana law firm Vicente LLP, said on a May 3 webinar. They are not selling FDA-approved drugs and they are not licensed or meet the control requirements for Schedule III. So cannabis and state-legal dispensaries will remain in violation of federal law. Q: What is the difference between Schedule I and Schedule III? A: Among the most significant is the recognition that the drug may have some medicinal value. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, the Drug Enforcement Administration has five levels of drug classifications. Schedule I is the most restricted level, comprising the drugs most ripe for abuse that have no medicinal value. Other drugs on the list include heroin and LSD. Because the definition of Schedule I substances includes no medicinal use, it is illegal to even study substances on the list. Schedule III is the strictest level that acknowledges some medicinal value, making some hopeful that research on the drug could be improved. Moving cannabis to Schedule III would be a big step for recognition of the medical uses of cannabis, what voters here recognized by a wide margin in 1998, the Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board said in a May 1 statement. And it would say very clearly that the federal government no longer considers cannabis among the most dangerous drugs. Q: How are states preparing? A: Until they have more details, state regulators cannot do much, Amanda Borup, the senior policy analyst for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, said in an interview. We really have to wait and see what they release, she said, referring to the DEAs rulemaking. Other states are considering what the impacts might be. The statement from Washingtons Liquor and Cannabis Board said rescheduling would hopefully ease restrictions on cannabis research, while it is possible the move would allow state-legal businesses to take advantage of tax deductions available to other industries. Q: Why does research matter? A: Marijuana advocates have had trouble providing evidence of any marijuana benefits because research has been restricted, which in turn made it more difficult to show that the restrictions should be lifted. It could also help establish industry guidelines for ancillary issues. For example, the restrictions on research contribute to a lack of data on what pesticides are safe for use in marijuana cultivation. Q: How does this affect policy on taxes, banking and criminal justice? A: On its own, rescheduling likely wont address several complaints marijuana industry members and advocates have about federal prohibition. Some are hopeful, though, that the signal from the Biden administration will spur momentum toward other changes. Most businesses can deduct their costs from their income and pay taxes on their net income. Marijuana businesses cannot take that deduction, known as 280E, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group. Schedule I status also makes access to the U.S. banking system difficult. Others complain that making marijuana legal in some states has not been fair to the communities of color that saw the most active enforcement. Rescheduling would not fix those issues on its own, but advocates are hopeful it is a sign of momentum toward full legalization. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon reintroduced a bill last week to de-schdule the drug altogether. The measure includes expanding the 280E tax break and several provisions meant to address social justice. Q: Could Trump reverse this if he wins in November? A: Probably, though theres no indication thats on his agenda. Its unclear what the status of the rescheduling will be when the next Inauguration Day arrives on Jan. 20. If former President Donald Trump wins back the presidency and the rescheduling is still pending, he could direct the DEA and DOJ to scrap the change. Trump has not commented on the issue. The post Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan appeared first on Washington State Standard. Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan Even in states that have legalized the recreational use of marijuana, the federal government would likely still consider the state system as illegal under federal law. (Chris Hondros | Getty Images) U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has proposed loosening the illegal status of marijuana at the federal level but that doesnt mean the federal government now condones recreational or medicinal use in the many states that have legalized the drug. Moving marijuana from the governments list of the most dangerous and least useful substances to a less serious category was a clear signal that the federal government, at least under President Joe Bidens administration, wants to ease restrictions on a drug thats been legal in an increasing number of states for more than a decade. For years, the federal government has not pursued enforcement of state-legal marijuana operations, and the recent move appears to solidify that approach. But it didnt solve the many thorny issues that have resulted from a split between what is legal in dozens of states and what the federal government allows. Its unclear exactly what the rescheduling will mean. The Justice Department has not made public the text of Garlands proposal a DOJ spokesman declined States Newsrooms request this week for a copy and state regulators say it has not been shared with them. Even if the proposal were public, it would be expected to go through changes over months of rulemaking. Here are some questions covering what is known at this early stage about what rescheduling would and would not do. Q: Is weed legal now? A: No. Even in states that have legalized recreational use, the federal government would likely still consider the state system as illegal under federal law. Other Schedule III drugs, including Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids, are tightly regulated and available only by prescription at pharmacies. State-legal medicinal marijuana dispensaries do not fit that description and recreational-use dispensaries are even further from what the Food and Drug Administration requires of Schedule III drugs. This does not make marijuana state operations legal, Shawn Hauser, a partner at Denver-based marijuana law firm Vicente LLP, said on a May 3 webinar. They are not selling FDA-approved drugs and they are not licensed or meet the control requirements for Schedule III. So cannabis and state-legal dispensaries will remain in violation of federal law. Q: What is the difference between Schedule I and Schedule III? A: Among the most significant is the recognition that the drug may have some medicinal value. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, the Drug Enforcement Administration has five levels of drug classifications. Schedule I is the most restricted level, comprising the drugs most ripe for abuse that have no medicinal value. Other drugs on the list include heroin and LSD. Because the definition of Schedule I substances includes no medicinal use, it is illegal to even study substances on the list. Schedule III is the strictest level that acknowledges some medicinal value, making some hopeful that research on the drug could be improved. Moving cannabis to Schedule III would be a big step for recognition of the medical uses of cannabis, what voters here recognized by a wide margin in 1998, the Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board said in a May 1 statement. And it would say very clearly that the federal government no longer considers cannabis among the most dangerous drugs. Q: How are states preparing? A: Until they have more details, state regulators cannot do much, Amanda Borup, the senior policy analyst for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, said in an interview. We really have to wait and see what they release, she said, referring to the DEAs rulemaking. Other states are considering what the impacts might be. The statement from Washingtons Liquor and Cannabis Board said rescheduling would hopefully ease restrictions on cannabis research, while it is possible the move would allow state-legal businesses to take advantage of tax deductions available to other industries. Q: Why does research matter? A: Marijuana advocates have had trouble providing evidence of any marijuana benefits because research has been restricted, which in turn made it more difficult to show that the restrictions should be lifted. It could also help establish industry guidelines for ancillary issues. For example, the restrictions on research contribute to a lack of data on what pesticides are safe for use in marijuana cultivation. Q: How does this affect policy on taxes, banking, and criminal justice? A: On its own, rescheduling likely wont address several complaints marijuana industry members and advocates have about federal prohibition. Some are hopeful, though, that the signal from the Biden administration will spur momentum toward other changes. Most businesses can deduct their costs from their income and pay taxes on their net income. Marijuana businesses cannot take that deduction, known as 280E, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group. Schedule I status also makes access to the U.S. banking system difficult. Others complain that making marijuana legal in some states has not been fair to the communities of color that saw the most active enforcement. Rescheduling would not fix those issues on its own, but advocates are hopeful it is a sign of momentum toward full legalization. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon reintroduced a bill last week to de-schdule the drug altogether. The measure includes expanding the 280E tax break and several provisions meant to address social justice. Q: Could Trump reverse this if he wins in November? A: Probably, though theres no indication thats on his agenda. Its unclear what the status of the rescheduling will be when the next Inauguration Day arrives on Jan. 20. If former President Donald Trump wins back the presidency and the rescheduling is still pending, he could direct the DEA and DOJ to scrap the change. Trump has not commented on the issue. The post Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan appeared first on New Hampshire Bulletin. Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan A portion of marijuana is seen under a magifying glass at the Abundant Healing store April 19, 2010, in Fort Collins, Colorado. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images) U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has proposed loosening the illegal status of marijuana at the federal level but that doesnt mean the federal government now condones recreational or medicinal use in the many states that have legalized the drug. Moving marijuana from the governments list of the most dangerous and least useful substances to a less serious category was a clear signal that the federal government, at least under President Joe Bidens administration, wants to ease restrictions on a drug thats been legal in an increasing number of states for more than a decade. For years, the federal government has not pursued enforcement of state-legal marijuana operations, and the recent move appears to solidify that approach. But it didnt solve the many thorny issues that have resulted from a split between what is legal in dozens of states and what the federal government allows. Its unclear exactly what the rescheduling will mean. The Justice Department has not made public the text of Garlands proposal a DOJ spokesman declined States Newsrooms request this week for a copy and state regulators say it has not been shared with them. Even if the proposal were public, it would be expected to go through changes over months of rulemaking. Here are some questions covering what is known at this early stage about what rescheduling would and would not do. Q: Is weed legal now? A: No. Even in states that have legalized recreational use, the federal government would likely still consider the state system as illegal under federal law. Other Schedule III drugs, including Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids, are tightly regulated and available only by prescription at pharmacies. State-legal medicinal marijuana dispensaries do not fit that description and recreational-use dispensaries are even further from what the Food and Drug Administration requires of Schedule III drugs. This does not make marijuana state operations legal, Shawn Hauser, a partner at Denver-based marijuana law firm Vicente LLP, said on a May 3 webinar. They are not selling FDA-approved drugs and they are not licensed or meet the control requirements for Schedule III. So cannabis and state-legal dispensaries will remain in violation of federal law. Q: What is the difference between Schedule I and Schedule III? A: Among the most significant is the recognition that the drug may have some medicinal value. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, the Drug Enforcement Administration has five levels of drug classifications. Schedule I is the most restricted level, comprising the drugs most ripe for abuse that have no medicinal value. Other drugs on the list include heroin and LSD. Because the definition of Schedule I substances includes no medicinal use, it is illegal to even study substances on the list. Schedule III is the strictest level that acknowledges some medicinal value, making some hopeful that research on the drug could be improved. Moving cannabis to Schedule III would be a big step for recognition of the medical uses of cannabis, what voters here recognized by a wide margin in 1998, the Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board said in a May 1 statement. And it would say very clearly that the federal government no longer considers cannabis among the most dangerous drugs. Q: How are states preparing? A: Until they have more details, state regulators cannot do much, Amanda Borup, the senior policy analyst for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, said in an interview. We really have to wait and see what they release, she said, referring to the DEAs rulemaking. Other states are considering what the impacts might be. The statement from Washingtons Liquor and Cannabis Board said rescheduling would hopefully ease restrictions on cannabis research, while it is possible the move would allow state-legal businesses to take advantage of tax deductions available to other industries. Q: Why does research matter? A: Marijuana advocates have had trouble providing evidence of any marijuana benefits because research has been restricted, which in turn made it more difficult to show that the restrictions should be lifted. It could also help establish industry guidelines for ancillary issues. For example, the restrictions on research contribute to a lack of data on what pesticides are safe for use in marijuana cultivation. Q: How does this affect policy on taxes, banking and criminal justice? A: On its own, rescheduling likely wont address several complaints marijuana industry members and advocates have about federal prohibition. Some are hopeful, though, that the signal from the Biden administration will spur momentum toward other changes. Most businesses can deduct their costs from their income and pay taxes on their net income. Marijuana businesses cannot take that deduction, known as 280E, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group. Schedule I status also makes access to the U.S. banking system difficult. Others complain that making marijuana legal in some states has not been fair to the communities of color that saw the most active enforcement. Rescheduling would not fix those issues on its own, but advocates are hopeful it is a sign of momentum toward full legalization. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon reintroduced a bill last week to de-schdule the drug altogether. The measure includes expanding the 280E tax break and several provisions meant to address social justice. Q: Could Trump reverse this if he wins in November? A: Probably, though theres no indication thats on his agenda. Its unclear what the status of the rescheduling will be when the next Inauguration Day arrives on Jan. 20. If former President Donald Trump wins back the presidency and the rescheduling is still pending, he could direct the DEA and DOJ to scrap the change. Trump has not commented on the issue. The post Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan appeared first on Rhode Island Current. Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan A portion of marijuana is seen under a magifying glass at the Abundant Healing store April 19, 2010, in Fort Collins, Colorado. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images) U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has proposed loosening the illegal status of marijuana at the federal level but that doesnt mean the federal government now condones recreational or medicinal use in the many states that have legalized the drug. Moving marijuana from the governments list of the most dangerous and least useful substances to a less serious category was a clear signal that the federal government, at least under President Joe Bidens administration, wants to ease restrictions on a drug thats been legal in an increasing number of states for more than a decade. For years, the federal government has not pursued enforcement of state-legal marijuana operations, and the recent move appears to solidify that approach. But it didnt solve the many thorny issues that have resulted from a split between what is legal in dozens of states and what the federal government allows. Its unclear exactly what the rescheduling will mean. The Justice Department has not made public the text of Garlands proposal a DOJ spokesman declined States Newsrooms request this week for a copy and state regulators say it has not been shared with them. Even if the proposal were public, it would be expected to go through changes over months of rulemaking. Here are some questions covering what is known at this early stage about what rescheduling would and would not do. Q: Is weed legal now? A: No. Even in states that have legalized recreational use, the federal government would likely still consider the state system as illegal under federal law. Other Schedule III drugs, including Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids, are tightly regulated and available only by prescription at pharmacies. State-legal medicinal marijuana dispensaries do not fit that description and recreational-use dispensaries are even further from what the Food and Drug Administration requires of Schedule III drugs. This does not make marijuana state operations legal, Shawn Hauser, a partner at Denver-based marijuana law firm Vicente LLP, said on a May 3 webinar. They are not selling FDA-approved drugs and they are not licensed or meet the control requirements for Schedule III. So cannabis and state-legal dispensaries will remain in violation of federal law. Q: What is the difference between Schedule I and Schedule III? A: Among the most significant is the recognition that the drug may have some medicinal value. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, the Drug Enforcement Administration has five levels of drug classifications. Schedule I is the most restricted level, comprising the drugs most ripe for abuse that have no medicinal value. Other drugs on the list include heroin and LSD. Because the definition of Schedule I substances includes no medicinal use, it is illegal to even study substances on the list. Schedule III is the strictest level that acknowledges some medicinal value, making some hopeful that research on the drug could be improved. Moving cannabis to Schedule III would be a big step for recognition of the medical uses of cannabis, what voters here recognized by a wide margin in 1998, the Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board said in a May 1 statement. And it would say very clearly that the federal government no longer considers cannabis among the most dangerous drugs. Q: How are states preparing? A: Until they have more details, state regulators cannot do much, Amanda Borup, the senior policy analyst for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, said in an interview. We really have to wait and see what they release, she said, referring to the DEAs rulemaking. Other states are considering what the impacts might be. The statement from Washingtons Liquor and Cannabis Board said rescheduling would hopefully ease restrictions on cannabis research, while it is possible the move would allow state-legal businesses to take advantage of tax deductions available to other industries. Q: Why does research matter? A: Marijuana advocates have had trouble providing evidence of any marijuana benefits because research has been restricted, which in turn made it more difficult to show that the restrictions should be lifted. It could also help establish industry guidelines for ancillary issues. For example, the restrictions on research contribute to a lack of data on what pesticides are safe for use in marijuana cultivation. Q: How does this affect policy on taxes, banking and criminal justice? A: On its own, rescheduling likely wont address several complaints marijuana industry members and advocates have about federal prohibition. Some are hopeful, though, that the signal from the Biden administration will spur momentum toward other changes. Most businesses can deduct their costs from their income and pay taxes on their net income. Marijuana businesses cannot take that deduction, known as 280E, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group. Schedule I status also makes access to the U.S. banking system difficult. Others complain that making marijuana legal in some states has not been fair to the communities of color that saw the most active enforcement. Rescheduling would not fix those issues on its own, but advocates are hopeful it is a sign of momentum toward full legalization. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon reintroduced a bill last week to de-schdule the drug altogether. The measure includes expanding the 280E tax break and several provisions meant to address social justice. Q: Could Trump reverse this if he wins in November? A: Probably, though theres no indication thats on his agenda. Its unclear what the status of the rescheduling will be when the next Inauguration Day arrives on Jan. 20. If former President Donald Trump wins back the presidency and the rescheduling is still pending, he could direct the DEA and DOJ to scrap the change. Trump has not commented on the issue. The post Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan appeared first on North Dakota Monitor. Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan FORT COLLINS, CO - APRIL 19: A portion of marijuana is seen under a magifying glass at "Abundant Healing" store April 19, 2010 in Fort Collins, Colorado. Abundent Healing is one of Colorado's many legal marijuana dispensaries, which sells marijuana to customers with a state-issued medical marijuana card. Colorado, one of 14 states to allow use of medical marijuana, has experienced an explosion in marijuana dispensaries, trade shows and related businesses in the last year as marijuana use becomes more mainstream here. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images) U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has proposed loosening the illegal status of marijuana at the federal level but that doesnt mean the federal government now condones recreational or medicinal use in the many states that have legalized the drug. Moving marijuana from the governments list of the most dangerous and least useful substances to a less serious category was a clear signal that the federal government, at least under President Joe Bidens administration, wants to ease restrictions on a drug thats been legal in an increasing number of states for more than a decade. For years, the federal government has not pursued enforcement of state-legal marijuana operations, and the recent move appears to solidify that approach. But it didnt solve the many thorny issues that have resulted from a split between what is legal in dozens of states and what the federal government allows. Its unclear exactly what the rescheduling will mean. The Justice Department has not made public the text of Garlands proposal a DOJ spokesman declined States Newsrooms request this week for a copy and state regulators say it has not been shared with them. Even if the proposal were public, it would be expected to go through changes over months of rulemaking. Here are some questions covering what is known at this early stage about what rescheduling would and would not do. Q: Is weed legal now? A: No. Even in states that have legalized recreational use, the federal government would likely still consider the state system as illegal under federal law. Other Schedule III drugs, including Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids, are tightly regulated and available only by prescription at pharmacies. State-legal medicinal marijuana dispensaries do not fit that description and recreational-use dispensaries are even further from what the Food and Drug Administration requires of Schedule III drugs. This does not make marijuana state operations legal, Shawn Hauser, a partner at Denver-based marijuana law firm Vicente LLP, said on a May 3 webinar. They are not selling FDA-approved drugs and they are not licensed or meet the control requirements for Schedule III. So cannabis and state-legal dispensaries will remain in violation of federal law. Q: What is the difference between Schedule I and Schedule III? A: Among the most significant is the recognition that the drug may have some medicinal value. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, the Drug Enforcement Administration has five levels of drug classifications. Schedule I is the most restricted level, comprising the drugs most ripe for abuse that have no medicinal value. Other drugs on the list include heroin and LSD. Because the definition of Schedule I substances includes no medicinal use, it is illegal to even study substances on the list. Schedule III is the strictest level that acknowledges some medicinal value, making some hopeful that research on the drug could be improved. Moving cannabis to Schedule III would be a big step for recognition of the medical uses of cannabis, what voters here recognized by a wide margin in 1998, the Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board said in a May 1 statement. And it would say very clearly that the federal government no longer considers cannabis among the most dangerous drugs. Q: How are states preparing? A: Until they have more details, state regulators cannot do much, Amanda Borup, the senior policy analyst for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, said in an interview. We really have to wait and see what they release, she said, referring to the DEAs rulemaking. Other states are considering what the impacts might be. The statement from Washingtons Liquor and Cannabis Board said rescheduling would hopefully ease restrictions on cannabis research, while it is possible the move would allow state-legal businesses to take advantage of tax deductions available to other industries. Q: Why does research matter? A: Marijuana advocates have had trouble providing evidence of any marijuana benefits because research has been restricted, which in turn made it more difficult to show that the restrictions should be lifted. It could also help establish industry guidelines for ancillary issues. For example, the restrictions on research contribute to a lack of data on what pesticides are safe for use in marijuana cultivation. Q: How does this affect policy on taxes, banking and criminal justice? A: On its own, rescheduling likely wont address several complaints marijuana industry members and advocates have about federal prohibition. Some are hopeful, though, that the signal from the Biden administration will spur momentum toward other changes. Most businesses can deduct their costs from their income and pay taxes on their net income. Marijuana businesses cannot take that deduction, known as 280E, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group. Schedule I status also makes access to the U.S. banking system difficult. Others complain that making marijuana legal in some states has not been fair to the communities of color that saw the most active enforcement. Rescheduling would not fix those issues on its own, but advocates are hopeful it is a sign of momentum toward full legalization. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon reintroduced a bill last week to de-schdule the drug altogether. The measure includes expanding the 280E tax break and several provisions meant to address social justice. Q: Could Trump reverse this if he wins in November? A: Probably, though theres no indication thats on his agenda. Its unclear what the status of the rescheduling will be when the next Inauguration Day arrives on Jan. 20. If former President Donald Trump wins back the presidency and the rescheduling is still pending, he could direct the DEA and DOJ to scrap the change. Trump has not commented on the issue. The post Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan appeared first on New Jersey Monitor. Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan Marijuana at an Abundant Healing store April 19, 2010, in Fort Collins, Colorado. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images) Marijuana at an Abundant Healing store April 19, 2010, in Fort Collins, Colorado. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images) U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has proposed loosening the illegal status of marijuana at the federal level but that doesnt mean the federal government now condones recreational or medicinal use in the many states that have legalized the drug. Moving marijuana from the governments list of the most dangerous and least useful substances to a less serious category was a clear signal that the federal government, at least under President Joe Bidens administration, wants to ease restrictions on a drug thats been legal in an increasing number of states for more than a decade. For years, the federal government has not pursued enforcement of state-legal marijuana operations, and the recent move appears to solidify that approach. But it didnt solve the many thorny issues that have resulted from a split between what is legal in dozens of states and what the federal government allows. Its unclear exactly what the rescheduling will mean. The Justice Department has not made public the text of Garlands proposal a DOJ spokesman declined States Newsrooms request this week for a copy and state regulators say it has not been shared with them. Even if the proposal were public, it would be expected to go through changes over months of rulemaking. Here are some questions covering what is known at this early stage about what rescheduling would and would not do. Q: Is weed legal now? A: No. Even in states that have legalized recreational use, the federal government would likely still consider the state system as illegal under federal law. Other Schedule III drugs, including Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids, are tightly regulated and available only by prescription at pharmacies. State-legal medicinal marijuana dispensaries do not fit that description and recreational-use dispensaries are even further from what the Food and Drug Administration requires of Schedule III drugs. This does not make marijuana state operations legal, Shawn Hauser, a partner at Denver-based marijuana law firm Vicente LLP, said on a May 3 webinar. They are not selling FDA-approved drugs and they are not licensed or meet the control requirements for Schedule III. So cannabis and state-legal dispensaries will remain in violation of federal law. Q: What is the difference between Schedule I and Schedule III? A: Among the most significant is the recognition that the drug may have some medicinal value. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, the Drug Enforcement Administration has five levels of drug classifications. Schedule I is the most restricted level, comprising the drugs most ripe for abuse that have no medicinal value. Other drugs on the list include heroin and LSD. Because the definition of Schedule I substances includes no medicinal use, it is illegal to even study substances on the list. Schedule III is the strictest level that acknowledges some medicinal value, making some hopeful that research on the drug could be improved. Moving cannabis to Schedule III would be a big step for recognition of the medical uses of cannabis, what voters here recognized by a wide margin in 1998, the Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board said in a May 1 statement. And it would say very clearly that the federal government no longer considers cannabis among the most dangerous drugs. Q: How are states preparing? A: Until they have more details, state regulators cannot do much, Amanda Borup, the senior policy analyst for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, said in an interview. We really have to wait and see what they release, she said, referring to the DEAs rulemaking. Other states are considering what the impacts might be. The statement from Washingtons Liquor and Cannabis Board said rescheduling would hopefully ease restrictions on cannabis research, while it is possible the move would allow state-legal businesses to take advantage of tax deductions available to other industries. Q: Why does research matter? A: Marijuana advocates have had trouble providing evidence of any marijuana benefits because research has been restricted, which in turn made it more difficult to show that the restrictions should be lifted. It could also help establish industry guidelines for ancillary issues. For example, the restrictions on research contribute to a lack of data on what pesticides are safe for use in marijuana cultivation. Q: How does this affect policy on taxes, banking and criminal justice? A: On its own, rescheduling likely wont address several complaints marijuana industry members and advocates have about federal prohibition. Some are hopeful, though, that the signal from the Biden administration will spur momentum toward other changes. Most businesses can deduct their costs from their income and pay taxes on their net income. Marijuana businesses cannot take that deduction, known as 280E, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group. Schedule I status also makes access to the U.S. banking system difficult. Others complain that making marijuana legal in some states has not been fair to the communities of color that saw the most active enforcement. Rescheduling would not fix those issues on its own, but advocates are hopeful it is a sign of momentum toward full legalization. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon reintroduced a bill last week to de-schdule the drug altogether. The measure includes expanding the 280E tax break and several provisions meant to address social justice. Q: Could Trump reverse this if he wins in November? A: Probably, though theres no indication thats on his agenda. Its unclear what the status of the rescheduling will be when the next Inauguration Day arrives on Jan. 20. If former President Donald Trump wins back the presidency and the rescheduling is still pending, he could direct the DEA and DOJ to scrap the change. Trump has not commented on the issue. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight. Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan A portion of marijuana is seen under a magifying glass at a store in Fort Collins, Colorado. Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has proposed loosening the illegal status of marijuana at the federal level but that doesnt mean the federal government now condones recreational or medicinal use in the many states that have legalized the drug. Moving marijuana from the governments list of the most dangerous and least useful substances to a less serious category was a clear signal that the federal government, at least under President Joe Bidens administration, wants to ease restrictions on a drug thats been legal in an increasing number of states for more than a decade. For years, the federal government has not pursued enforcement of state-legal marijuana operations, and the recent move appears to solidify that approach. But it didnt solve the many thorny issues that have resulted from a split between what is legal in dozens of states and what the federal government allows. Its unclear exactly what the rescheduling will mean. The Justice Department has not made public the text of Garlands proposal a DOJ spokesman declined States Newsrooms request this week for a copy and state regulators say it has not been shared with them. Even if the proposal were public, it would be expected to go through changes over months of rulemaking. Here are some questions covering what is known at this early stage about what rescheduling would and would not do. Q: Is weed legal federally now? A: No. Even in states that have legalized recreational use, the federal government would likely still consider the state system as illegal under federal law. Other Schedule III drugs, including Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids, are tightly regulated and available only by prescription at pharmacies. State-legal medicinal marijuana dispensaries do not fit that description and recreational-use dispensaries are even further from what the Food and Drug Administration requires of Schedule III drugs. This does not make marijuana state operations legal, Shawn Hauser, a partner at Denver-based marijuana law firm Vicente LLP, said on a May 3 webinar. They are not selling FDA-approved drugs and they are not licensed or meet the control requirements for Schedule III. So cannabis and state-legal dispensaries will remain in violation of federal law. Q: What is the difference between Schedule I and Schedule III? A: Among the most significant is the recognition that the drug may have some medicinal value. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, the Drug Enforcement Administration has five levels of drug classifications. Schedule I is the most restricted level, comprising the drugs most ripe for abuse that have no medicinal value. Other drugs on the list include heroin and LSD. Because the definition of Schedule I substances includes no medicinal use, it is illegal to even study substances on the list. Schedule III is the strictest level that acknowledges some medicinal value, making some hopeful that research on the drug could be improved. Moving cannabis to Schedule III would be a big step for recognition of the medical uses of cannabis, what voters here recognized by a wide margin in 1998, the Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board said in a May 1 statement. And it would say very clearly that the federal government no longer considers cannabis among the most dangerous drugs. Q: How are states preparing? A: Until they have more details, state regulators cannot do much, Amanda Borup, the senior policy analyst for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, said in an interview. We really have to wait and see what they release, she said, referring to the DEAs rulemaking. Other states are considering what the impacts might be. The statement from Washingtons Liquor and Cannabis Board said rescheduling would hopefully ease restrictions on cannabis research, while it is possible the move would allow state-legal businesses to take advantage of tax deductions available to other industries. Q: Why does research matter? A: Marijuana advocates have had trouble providing evidence of any marijuana benefits because research has been restricted, which in turn made it more difficult to show that the restrictions should be lifted. It could also help establish industry guidelines for ancillary issues. For example, the restrictions on research contribute to a lack of data on what pesticides are safe for use in marijuana cultivation. Q: How does this affect policy on taxes, banking and criminal justice? A: On its own, rescheduling likely wont address several complaints marijuana industry members and advocates have about federal prohibition. Some are hopeful, though, that the signal from the Biden administration will spur momentum toward other changes. Most businesses can deduct their costs from their income and pay taxes on their net income. Marijuana businesses cannot take that deduction, known as 280E, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group. Schedule I status also makes access to the U.S. banking system difficult. Others complain that making marijuana legal in some states has not been fair to the communities of color that saw the most active enforcement. Rescheduling would not fix those issues on its own, but advocates are hopeful it is a sign of momentum toward full legalization. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon reintroduced a bill last week to de-schdule the drug altogether. The measure includes expanding the 280E tax break and several provisions meant to address social justice. Q: Could Trump reverse this if he wins in November? A: Probably, though theres no indication thats on his agenda. Its unclear what the status of the rescheduling will be when the next Inauguration Day arrives on Jan. 20. If former President Donald Trump wins back the presidency and the rescheduling is still pending, he could direct the DEA and DOJ to scrap the change. Trump has not commented on the issue. The post Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan appeared first on Minnesota Reformer. Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan A Robust Cannabis employee showcases the company's Black Hole Sun strain at their warehouse in Cuba, Mo. (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent). U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has proposed loosening the illegal status of marijuana at the federal level but that doesnt mean the federal government now condones recreational or medicinal use in the many states that have legalized the drug. Moving marijuana from the governments list of the most dangerous and least useful substances to a less serious category was a clear signal that the federal government, at least under President Joe Bidens administration, wants to ease restrictions on a drug thats been legal in an increasing number of states for more than a decade. For years, the federal government has not pursued enforcement of state-legal marijuana operations, and the recent move appears to solidify that approach. But it didnt solve the many thorny issues that have resulted from a split between what is legal in dozens of states and what the federal government allows. Its unclear exactly what the rescheduling will mean. The Justice Department has not made public the text of Garlands proposal a DOJ spokesman declined States Newsrooms request this week for a copy and state regulators say it has not been shared with them. Even if the proposal were public, it would be expected to go through changes over months of rulemaking. Here are some questions covering what is known at this early stage about what rescheduling would and would not do. Q: Is weed legal now? A: No. Even in states that have legalized recreational use, the federal government would likely still consider the state system as illegal under federal law. Other Schedule III drugs, including Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids, are tightly regulated and available only by prescription at pharmacies. State-legal medicinal marijuana dispensaries do not fit that description and recreational-use dispensaries are even further from what the Food and Drug Administration requires of Schedule III drugs. This does not make marijuana state operations legal, Shawn Hauser, a partner at Denver-based marijuana law firm Vicente LLP, said on a May 3 webinar. They are not selling FDA-approved drugs and they are not licensed or meet the control requirements for Schedule III. So cannabis and state-legal dispensaries will remain in violation of federal law. Q: What is the difference between Schedule I and Schedule III? A: Among the most significant is the recognition that the drug may have some medicinal value. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, the Drug Enforcement Administration has five levels of drug classifications. Schedule I is the most restricted level, comprising the drugs most ripe for abuse that have no medicinal value. Other drugs on the list include heroin and LSD. Because the definition of Schedule I substances includes no medicinal use, it is illegal to even study substances on the list. Schedule III is the strictest level that acknowledges some medicinal value, making some hopeful that research on the drug could be improved. Moving cannabis to Schedule III would be a big step for recognition of the medical uses of cannabis, what voters here recognized by a wide margin in 1998, the Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board said in a May 1 statement. And it would say very clearly that the federal government no longer considers cannabis among the most dangerous drugs. Q: How are states preparing? A: Until they have more details, state regulators cannot do much, Amanda Borup, the senior policy analyst for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, said in an interview. We really have to wait and see what they release, she said, referring to the DEAs rulemaking. Other states are considering what the impacts might be. The statement from Washingtons Liquor and Cannabis Board said rescheduling would hopefully ease restrictions on cannabis research, while it is possible the move would allow state-legal businesses to take advantage of tax deductions available to other industries. Q: Why does research matter? A: Marijuana advocates have had trouble providing evidence of any marijuana benefits because research has been restricted, which in turn made it more difficult to show that the restrictions should be lifted. It could also help establish industry guidelines for ancillary issues. For example, the restrictions on research contribute to a lack of data on what pesticides are safe for use in marijuana cultivation. Q: How does this affect policy on taxes, banking and criminal justice? A: On its own, rescheduling likely wont address several complaints marijuana industry members and advocates have about federal prohibition. Some are hopeful, though, that the signal from the Biden administration will spur momentum toward other changes. Most businesses can deduct their costs from their income and pay taxes on their net income. Marijuana businesses cannot take that deduction, known as 280E, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group. Schedule I status also makes access to the U.S. banking system difficult. Others complain that making marijuana legal in some states has not been fair to the communities of color that saw the most active enforcement. Rescheduling would not fix those issues on its own, but advocates are hopeful it is a sign of momentum toward full legalization. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon reintroduced a bill last week to de-schdule the drug altogether. The measure includes expanding the 280E tax break and several provisions meant to address social justice. Q: Could Trump reverse this if he wins in November? A: Probably, though theres no indication thats on his agenda. Its unclear what the status of the rescheduling will be when the next Inauguration Day arrives on Jan. 20. If former President Donald Trump wins back the presidency and the rescheduling is still pending, he could direct the DEA and DOJ to scrap the change. Trump has not commented on the issue. The post Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan appeared first on Missouri Independent. Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan A portion of marijuana is seen under a magifying glass at the Abundant Healing store April 19, 2010, in Fort Collins, Colorado. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images) U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has proposed loosening the illegal status of marijuana at the federal level but that doesnt mean the federal government now condones recreational or medicinal use in the many states that have legalized the drug. Moving marijuana from the governments list of the most dangerous and least useful substances to a less serious category was a clear signal that the federal government, at least under President Joe Bidens administration, wants to ease restrictions on a drug thats been legal in an increasing number of states for more than a decade. For years, the federal government has not pursued enforcement of state-legal marijuana operations, and the recent move appears to solidify that approach. But it didnt solve the many thorny issues that have resulted from a split between what is legal in dozens of states and what the federal government allows. Its unclear exactly what the rescheduling will mean. The Justice Department has not made public the text of Garlands proposal a DOJ spokesman declined States Newsrooms request this week for a copy and state regulators say it has not been shared with them. Even if the proposal were public, it would be expected to go through changes over months of rulemaking. Here are some questions covering what is known at this early stage about what rescheduling would and would not do. Q: Is weed legal now? A: No. Even in states that have legalized recreational use, the federal government would likely still consider the state system as illegal under federal law. Other Schedule III drugs, including Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids, are tightly regulated and available only by prescription at pharmacies. State-legal medicinal marijuana dispensaries do not fit that description and recreational-use dispensaries are even further from what the Food and Drug Administration requires of Schedule III drugs. This does not make marijuana state operations legal, Shawn Hauser, a partner at Denver-based marijuana law firm Vicente LLP, said on a May 3 webinar. They are not selling FDA-approved drugs and they are not licensed or meet the control requirements for Schedule III. So cannabis and state-legal dispensaries will remain in violation of federal law. Q: What is the difference between Schedule I and Schedule III? A: Among the most significant is the recognition that the drug may have some medicinal value. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, the Drug Enforcement Administration has five levels of drug classifications. Schedule I is the most restricted level, comprising the drugs most ripe for abuse that have no medicinal value. Other drugs on the list include heroin and LSD. Because the definition of Schedule I substances includes no medicinal use, it is illegal to even study substances on the list. Schedule III is the strictest level that acknowledges some medicinal value, making some hopeful that research on the drug could be improved. Moving cannabis to Schedule III would be a big step for recognition of the medical uses of cannabis, what voters here recognized by a wide margin in 1998, the Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board said in a May 1 statement. And it would say very clearly that the federal government no longer considers cannabis among the most dangerous drugs. Q: How are states preparing? A: Until they have more details, state regulators cannot do much, Amanda Borup, the senior policy analyst for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, said in an interview. We really have to wait and see what they release, she said, referring to the DEAs rulemaking. Other states are considering what the impacts might be. The statement from Washingtons Liquor and Cannabis Board said rescheduling would hopefully ease restrictions on cannabis research, while it is possible the move would allow state-legal businesses to take advantage of tax deductions available to other industries. Q: Why does research matter? A: Marijuana advocates have had trouble providing evidence of any marijuana benefits because research has been restricted, which in turn made it more difficult to show that the restrictions should be lifted. It could also help establish industry guidelines for ancillary issues. For example, the restrictions on research contribute to a lack of data on what pesticides are safe for use in marijuana cultivation. Q: How does this affect policy on taxes, banking and criminal justice? A: On its own, rescheduling likely wont address several complaints marijuana industry members and advocates have about federal prohibition. Some are hopeful, though, that the signal from the Biden administration will spur momentum toward other changes. Most businesses can deduct their costs from their income and pay taxes on their net income. Marijuana businesses cannot take that deduction, known as 280E, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group. Schedule I status also makes access to the U.S. banking system difficult. Others complain that making marijuana legal in some states has not been fair to the communities of color that saw the most active enforcement. Rescheduling would not fix those issues on its own, but advocates are hopeful it is a sign of momentum toward full legalization. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon reintroduced a bill last week to de-schdule the drug altogether. The measure includes expanding the 280E tax break and several provisions meant to address social justice. Q: Could Trump reverse this if he wins in November? A: Probably, though theres no indication thats on his agenda. Its unclear what the status of the rescheduling will be when the next Inauguration Day arrives on Jan. 20. If former President Donald Trump wins back the presidency and the rescheduling is still pending, he could direct the DEA and DOJ to scrap the change. Trump has not commented on the issue. The post Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan appeared first on Source New Mexico. Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan A portion of marijuana is seen under a magifying glass at the Abundant Healing store April 19, 2010, in Fort Collins, Colorado. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images) U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has proposed loosening the illegal status of marijuana at the federal level but that doesnt mean the federal government now condones recreational or medicinal use in the many states that have legalized the drug. Moving marijuana from the governments list of the most dangerous and least useful substances to a less serious category was a clear signal that the federal government, at least under President Joe Bidens administration, wants to ease restrictions on a drug thats been legal in an increasing number of states for more than a decade. For years, the federal government has not pursued enforcement of state-legal marijuana operations, and the recent move appears to solidify that approach. But it didnt solve the many thorny issues that have resulted from a split between what is legal in dozens of states and what the federal government allows. Its unclear exactly what the rescheduling will mean. The Justice Department has not made public the text of Garlands proposal a DOJ spokesman declined States Newsrooms request this week for a copy and state regulators say it has not been shared with them. Even if the proposal were public, it would be expected to go through changes over months of rulemaking. Here are some questions covering what is known at this early stage about what rescheduling would and would not do. Q: Is weed legal now? A: No. Even in states that have legalized recreational use, the federal government would likely still consider the state system as illegal under federal law. Other Schedule III drugs, including Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids, are tightly regulated and available only by prescription at pharmacies. State-legal medicinal marijuana dispensaries do not fit that description and recreational-use dispensaries are even further from what the Food and Drug Administration requires of Schedule III drugs. This does not make marijuana state operations legal, Shawn Hauser, a partner at Denver-based marijuana law firm Vicente LLP, said on a May 3 webinar. They are not selling FDA-approved drugs and they are not licensed or meet the control requirements for Schedule III. So cannabis and state-legal dispensaries will remain in violation of federal law. Q: What is the difference between Schedule I and Schedule III? A: Among the most significant is the recognition that the drug may have some medicinal value. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, the Drug Enforcement Administration has five levels of drug classifications. Schedule I is the most restricted level, comprising the drugs most ripe for abuse that have no medicinal value. Other drugs on the list include heroin and LSD. Because the definition of Schedule I substances includes no medicinal use, it is illegal to even study substances on the list. Schedule III is the strictest level that acknowledges some medicinal value, making some hopeful that research on the drug could be improved. Moving cannabis to Schedule III would be a big step for recognition of the medical uses of cannabis, what voters here recognized by a wide margin in 1998, the Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board said in a May 1 statement. And it would say very clearly that the federal government no longer considers cannabis among the most dangerous drugs. Q: How are states preparing? A: Until they have more details, state regulators cannot do much, Amanda Borup, the senior policy analyst for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, said in an interview. We really have to wait and see what they release, she said, referring to the DEAs rulemaking. Other states are considering what the impacts might be. The statement from Washingtons Liquor and Cannabis Board said rescheduling would hopefully ease restrictions on cannabis research, while it is possible the move would allow state-legal businesses to take advantage of tax deductions available to other industries. Q: Why does research matter? A: Marijuana advocates have had trouble providing evidence of any marijuana benefits because research has been restricted, which in turn made it more difficult to show that the restrictions should be lifted. It could also help establish industry guidelines for ancillary issues. For example, the restrictions on research contribute to a lack of data on what pesticides are safe for use in marijuana cultivation. Q: How does this affect policy on taxes, banking and criminal justice? A: On its own, rescheduling likely wont address several complaints marijuana industry members and advocates have about federal prohibition. Some are hopeful, though, that the signal from the Biden administration will spur momentum toward other changes. Most businesses can deduct their costs from their income and pay taxes on their net income. Marijuana businesses cannot take that deduction, known as 280E, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group. Schedule I status also makes access to the U.S. banking system difficult. Others complain that making marijuana legal in some states has not been fair to the communities of color that saw the most active enforcement. Rescheduling would not fix those issues on its own, but advocates are hopeful it is a sign of momentum toward full legalization. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon reintroduced a bill last week to de-schdule the drug altogether. The measure includes expanding the 280E tax break and several provisions meant to address social justice. Q: Could Trump reverse this if he wins in November? A: Probably, though theres no indication thats on his agenda. Its unclear what the status of the rescheduling will be when the next Inauguration Day arrives on Jan. 20. If former President Donald Trump wins back the presidency and the rescheduling is still pending, he could direct the DEA and DOJ to scrap the change. Trump has not commented on the issue. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan appeared first on Kentucky Lantern. I am writing to present a potential new option for property taxpayers, an important plan which I have long supported and outlined three years ago (as published in the Erie Times-News on Feb. 6, 2021). This option, a 1% local option sales tax, is now working its way through the Pennsylvania Legislature. If planned for and implemented in a fair and far-reaching countywide and bipartisan way, this local option sales tax can bring tremendous future relief to property owners and benefit unfunded programs or reallocate funding to a wide variety of programs. This local option sales tax program is now only available in Allegheny (1%) and Philadelphia (2%) counties, giving them tremendous advantage over the rest of the state. In fact, Allegheny County brings in nearly $240 million per year with its local option sales tax, of which $120 million goes to the Regional Asset District (RAD) to fund libraries, museums, the zoo, historical assets, and more. The other $120 million goes to services provided by Allegheny County government. Please recognize and understand the value of bipartisan cooperation and vision. Although this 1% local option sales tax is working through the Legislature and has momentum in a Democratic-controlled House, it needs the support in the Republican-controlled state Senate. Coming out of the House Local Government Committee are two versions: House Bill 678, the local sales tax option, and House Bill 451, which would designate some of the state's liquor tax to "municipalities with high levels of tax-exempt properties." Carl Anderson Having flexible but targeted funding options creates a vehicle and mechanisms to give potential for hope and opportunity to relieve multiple social service programs. It could help support them as their expenses continue to rise and avert the need for increased property taxes. The concept behind this legislation is supported by the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP), which is Erie County government's own statewide organization for lobbying state government. The Pennsylvania Municipal League and Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs also support it, to name a few. This type of legislation would also be a complement to and strengthen the success, and reduce criticism of other programs such as a City Revitalization & Improvement Zone (CRIZ) district. A certain percentage could be focused on municipal governments and therefore replace the local funds required to be diverted to the CRIZ district. As those promoting this in the state Legislature understand, one of its many values is to creatively assist communities with a high count of tax-exempt properties. It is estimated that statewide it could generate as much as $2.45 billion for communities and I believe Erie County could generate an estimated $40 million annually (estimated $32 million by 2006 study). This would be nearly 50% of the amount now generated by property taxes countywide. That is a substantial infusion of funds without question! The money would be generated primarily by consumer-user funds. In Erie County, revenues would be largely generated by those who spend money here, but live outside of Erie County (as all Erie Countians do when they shop while traveling elsewhere). The influx would help shift future burdens from the property taxpayers upon whom we now rely solely. We could fund a wide array of programs so to invest in our community. As an example, permanent funding could be put in place for our regional assets by creating a Regional Asset Authority and designating money to public assets such as the Erie County Library and historical assets like the construction of replicas of the Presque Isle forts and the Brig Niagara. The money could be used to help municipal governments countywide provide services, including support for EMS volunteers. We could develop a permanent fund for economic development and permanently fund the Erie County Community College and provide free community college tuition for all Erie County students. We might also fund other necessary and critical programs. Any and all of these items would shift millions in spending. We could begin by creating a visionary group. The goal would be to fund essential services and assets through local option methods identified by a team of community servants holding public hearings and discussions. We can be a community working together in unity for the common good. I know we have a vision and belief in our own future! Chuck Nelson: LERTA has failed Erie, time to switch to tax increment financing to boost growth I encourage all to open our minds and prepare to create a group for public meetings and discussions. I will continue to offer my own time, talents, and vision to participate and create. Carl Anderson III, of Erie, is a former chairman of Erie County Council. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Carl Anderson says local Erie sales tax could lift property tax burden Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan A portion of marijuana is seen under a magifying glass at the Abundant Healing store April 19, 2010, in Fort Collins, Colorado. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images) U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has proposed loosening the illegal status of marijuana at the federal level but that doesnt mean the federal government now condones recreational or medicinal use in the many states that have legalized the drug. Moving marijuana from the governments list of the most dangerous and least useful substances to a less serious category was a clear signal that the federal government, at least under President Joe Bidens administration, wants to ease restrictions on a drug thats been legal in an increasing number of states for more than a decade. For years, the federal government has not pursued enforcement of state-legal marijuana operations, and the recent move appears to solidify that approach. But it didnt solve the many thorny issues that have resulted from a split between what is legal in dozens of states and what the federal government allows. Its unclear exactly what the rescheduling will mean. The Justice Department has not made public the text of Garlands proposal a DOJ spokesman declined States Newsrooms request this week for a copy and state regulators say it has not been shared with them. Even if the proposal were public, it would be expected to go through changes over months of rulemaking. Here are some questions covering what is known at this early stage about what rescheduling would and would not do. Q: Is weed legal now? A: No. Even in states that have legalized recreational use, the federal government would likely still consider the state system as illegal under federal law. Other Schedule III drugs, including Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids, are tightly regulated and available only by prescription at pharmacies. State-legal medicinal marijuana dispensaries do not fit that description and recreational-use dispensaries are even further from what the Food and Drug Administration requires of Schedule III drugs. This does not make marijuana state operations legal, Shawn Hauser, a partner at Denver-based marijuana law firm Vicente LLP, said on a May 3 webinar. They are not selling FDA-approved drugs and they are not licensed or meet the control requirements for Schedule III. So cannabis and state-legal dispensaries will remain in violation of federal law. Q: What is the difference between Schedule I and Schedule III? A: Among the most significant is the recognition that the drug may have some medicinal value. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, the Drug Enforcement Administration has five levels of drug classifications. Schedule I is the most restricted level, comprising the drugs most ripe for abuse that have no medicinal value. Other drugs on the list include heroin and LSD. Because the definition of Schedule I substances includes no medicinal use, it is illegal to even study substances on the list. Schedule III is the strictest level that acknowledges some medicinal value, making some hopeful that research on the drug could be improved. Moving cannabis to Schedule III would be a big step for recognition of the medical uses of cannabis, what voters here recognized by a wide margin in 1998, the Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board said in a May 1 statement. And it would say very clearly that the federal government no longer considers cannabis among the most dangerous drugs. Q: How are states preparing? A: Until they have more details, state regulators cannot do much, Amanda Borup, the senior policy analyst for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, said in an interview. We really have to wait and see what they release, she said, referring to the DEAs rulemaking. Other states are considering what the impacts might be. The statement from Washingtons Liquor and Cannabis Board said rescheduling would hopefully ease restrictions on cannabis research, while it is possible the move would allow state-legal businesses to take advantage of tax deductions available to other industries. Q: Why does research matter? A: Marijuana advocates have had trouble providing evidence of any marijuana benefits because research has been restricted, which in turn made it more difficult to show that the restrictions should be lifted. It could also help establish industry guidelines for ancillary issues. For example, the restrictions on research contribute to a lack of data on what pesticides are safe for use in marijuana cultivation. Q: How does this affect policy on taxes, banking and criminal justice? A: On its own, rescheduling likely wont address several complaints marijuana industry members and advocates have about federal prohibition. Some are hopeful, though, that the signal from the Biden administration will spur momentum toward other changes. Most businesses can deduct their costs from their income and pay taxes on their net income. Marijuana businesses cannot take that deduction, known as 280E, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group. Schedule I status also makes access to the U.S. banking system difficult. Others complain that making marijuana legal in some states has not been fair to the communities of color that saw the most active enforcement. Rescheduling would not fix those issues on its own, but advocates are hopeful it is a sign of momentum toward full legalization. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon reintroduced a bill last week to de-schdule the drug altogether. The measure includes expanding the 280E tax break and several provisions meant to address social justice. Q: Could Trump reverse this if he wins in November? A: Probably, though theres no indication thats on his agenda. Its unclear what the status of the rescheduling will be when the next Inauguration Day arrives on Jan. 20. If former President Donald Trump wins back the presidency and the rescheduling is still pending, he could direct the DEA and DOJ to scrap the change. Trump has not commented on the issue. The post Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan A portion of marijuana is seen under a magifying glass at the Abundant Healing store April 19, 2010, in Fort Collins, Colorado. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images) Quality Journalism for Critical Times U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has proposed loosening the illegal status of marijuana at the federal level but that doesnt mean the federal government now condones recreational or medicinal use in the many states that have legalized the drug. Moving marijuana from the governments list of the most dangerous and least useful substances to a less serious category was a clear signal that the federal government, at least under President Joe Bidens administration, wants to ease restrictions on a drug thats been legal in an increasing number of states for more than a decade. For years, the federal government has not pursued enforcement of state-legal marijuana operations, and the recent move appears to solidify that approach. But it didnt solve the many thorny issues that have resulted from a split between what is legal in dozens of states and what the federal government allows. Its unclear exactly what the rescheduling will mean. The Justice Department has not made public the text of Garlands proposal a DOJ spokesman declined States Newsrooms request this week for a copy and state regulators say it has not been shared with them. Even if the proposal were public, it would be expected to go through changes over months of rulemaking. Here are some questions covering what is known at this early stage about what rescheduling would and would not do. Q: Is weed legal now? A: No. Even in states that have legalized recreational use, the federal government would likely still consider the state system as illegal under federal law. Other Schedule III drugs, including Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids, are tightly regulated and available only by prescription at pharmacies. State-legal medicinal marijuana dispensaries do not fit that description and recreational-use dispensaries are even further from what the Food and Drug Administration requires of Schedule III drugs. This does not make marijuana state operations legal, Shawn Hauser, a partner at Denver-based marijuana law firm Vicente LLP, said on a May 3 webinar. They are not selling FDA-approved drugs and they are not licensed or meet the control requirements for Schedule III. So cannabis and state-legal dispensaries will remain in violation of federal law. Q: What is the difference between Schedule I and Schedule III? A: Among the most significant is the recognition that the drug may have some medicinal value. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, the Drug Enforcement Administration has five levels of drug classifications. Schedule I is the most restricted level, comprising the drugs most ripe for abuse that have no medicinal value. Other drugs on the list include heroin and LSD. Because the definition of Schedule I substances includes no medicinal use, it is illegal to even study substances on the list. Schedule III is the strictest level that acknowledges some medicinal value, making some hopeful that research on the drug could be improved. Moving cannabis to Schedule III would be a big step for recognition of the medical uses of cannabis, what voters here recognized by a wide margin in 1998, the Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board said in a May 1 statement. And it would say very clearly that the federal government no longer considers cannabis among the most dangerous drugs. Q: How are states preparing? A: Until they have more details, state regulators cannot do much, Amanda Borup, the senior policy analyst for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, said in an interview. We really have to wait and see what they release, she said, referring to the DEAs rulemaking. Other states are considering what the impacts might be. The statement from Washingtons Liquor and Cannabis Board said rescheduling would hopefully ease restrictions on cannabis research, while it is possible the move would allow state-legal businesses to take advantage of tax deductions available to other industries. Q: Why does research matter? A: Marijuana advocates have had trouble providing evidence of any marijuana benefits because research has been restricted, which in turn made it more difficult to show that the restrictions should be lifted. It could also help establish industry guidelines for ancillary issues. For example, the restrictions on research contribute to a lack of data on what pesticides are safe for use in marijuana cultivation. Q: How does this affect policy on taxes, banking and criminal justice? A: On its own, rescheduling likely wont address several complaints marijuana industry members and advocates have about federal prohibition. Some are hopeful, though, that the signal from the Biden administration will spur momentum toward other changes. Most businesses can deduct their costs from their income and pay taxes on their net income. Marijuana businesses cannot take that deduction, known as 280E, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group. Schedule I status also makes access to the U.S. banking system difficult. Others complain that making marijuana legal in some states has not been fair to the communities of color that saw the most active enforcement. Rescheduling would not fix those issues on its own, but advocates are hopeful it is a sign of momentum toward full legalization. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon reintroduced a bill last week to de-schdule the drug altogether. The measure includes expanding the 280E tax break and several provisions meant to address social justice. Q: Could Trump reverse this if he wins in November? A: Probably, though theres no indication thats on his agenda. Its unclear what the status of the rescheduling will be when the next Inauguration Day arrives on Jan. 20. If former President Donald Trump wins back the presidency and the rescheduling is still pending, he could direct the DEA and DOJ to scrap the change. Trump has not commented on the issue. The post Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan appeared first on Florida Phoenix. Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan A portion of marijuana is seen under a magnifying glass at the Abundant Healing store April 19, 2010, in Fort Collins, Colorado. (Chris Hondros | Getty Images) U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has proposed loosening the illegal status of marijuana at the federal level but that doesnt mean the federal government now condones recreational or medicinal use in the many states that have legalized the drug. Moving marijuana from the governments list of the most dangerous and least useful substances to a less serious category was a clear signal that the federal government, at least under President Joe Bidens administration, wants to ease restrictions on a drug thats been legal in an increasing number of states for more than a decade. For years, the federal government has not pursued enforcement of state-legal marijuana operations, and the recent move appears to solidify that approach. But it didnt solve the many thorny issues that have resulted from a split between what is legal in dozens of states and what the federal government allows. Its unclear exactly what the rescheduling will mean. The Justice Department has not made public the text of Garlands proposal a DOJ spokesman declined States Newsrooms request this week for a copy and state regulators say it has not been shared with them. Even if the proposal were public, it would be expected to go through changes over months of rulemaking. Here are some questions covering what is known at this early stage about what rescheduling would and would not do. Q: Is weed legal now? A: No. Even in states that have legalized recreational use, the federal government would likely still consider the state system as illegal under federal law. Other Schedule III drugs, including Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids, are tightly regulated and available only by prescription at pharmacies. State-legal medicinal marijuana dispensaries do not fit that description and recreational-use dispensaries are even further from what the Food and Drug Administration requires of Schedule III drugs. This does not make marijuana state operations legal, Shawn Hauser, a partner at Denver-based marijuana law firm Vicente LLP, said on a May 3 webinar. They are not selling FDA-approved drugs and they are not licensed or meet the control requirements for Schedule III. So cannabis and state-legal dispensaries will remain in violation of federal law. Q: What is the difference between Schedule I and Schedule III? A: Among the most significant is the recognition that the drug may have some medicinal value. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, the Drug Enforcement Administration has five levels of drug classifications. Schedule I is the most restricted level, comprising the drugs most ripe for abuse that have no medicinal value. Other drugs on the list include heroin and LSD. Because the definition of Schedule I substances includes no medicinal use, it is illegal to even study substances on the list. Schedule III is the strictest level that acknowledges some medicinal value, making some hopeful that research on the drug could be improved. Moving cannabis to Schedule III would be a big step for recognition of the medical uses of cannabis, what voters here recognized by a wide margin in 1998, the Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board said in a May 1 statement. And it would say very clearly that the federal government no longer considers cannabis among the most dangerous drugs. Q: How are states preparing? A: Until they have more details, state regulators cannot do much, Amanda Borup, the senior policy analyst for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, said in an interview. We really have to wait and see what they release, she said, referring to the DEAs rulemaking. Other states are considering what the impacts might be. The statement from Washingtons Liquor and Cannabis Board said rescheduling would hopefully ease restrictions on cannabis research, while it is possible the move would allow state-legal businesses to take advantage of tax deductions available to other industries. Q: Why does research matter? A: Marijuana advocates have had trouble providing evidence of any marijuana benefits because research has been restricted, which in turn made it more difficult to show that the restrictions should be lifted. It could also help establish industry guidelines for ancillary issues. For example, the restrictions on research contribute to a lack of data on what pesticides are safe for use in marijuana cultivation. Q: How does this affect policy on taxes, banking and criminal justice? A: On its own, rescheduling likely wont address several complaints marijuana industry members and advocates have about federal prohibition. Some are hopeful, though, that the signal from the Biden administration will spur momentum toward other changes. Most businesses can deduct their costs from their income and pay taxes on their net income. Marijuana businesses cannot take that deduction, known as 280E, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group. Schedule I status also makes access to the U.S. banking system difficult. Others complain that making marijuana legal in some states has not been fair to the communities of color that saw the most active enforcement. Rescheduling would not fix those issues on its own, but advocates are hopeful it is a sign of momentum toward full legalization. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon reintroduced a bill last week to de-schdule the drug altogether. The measure includes expanding the 280E tax break and several provisions meant to address social justice. Q: Could Trump reverse this if he wins in November? A: Probably, though theres no indication thats on his agenda. Its unclear what the status of the rescheduling will be when the next Inauguration Day arrives on Jan. 20. If former President Donald Trump wins back the presidency and the rescheduling is still pending, he could direct the DEA and DOJ to scrap the change. Trump has not commented on the issue. The post Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan appeared first on West Virginia Watch. Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan A portion of marijuana is seen under a magifying glass at the Abundant Healing store April 19, 2010, in Fort Collins, Colorado. (Chris Hondros/Getty Images) U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has proposed loosening the illegal status of marijuana at the federal level but that doesnt mean the federal government now condones recreational or medicinal use in the many states that have legalized the drug. Moving marijuana from the governments list of the most dangerous and least useful substances to a less serious category was a clear signal that the federal government, at least under President Joe Bidens administration, wants to ease restrictions on a drug thats been legal in an increasing number of states for more than a decade. For years, the federal government has not pursued enforcement of state-legal marijuana operations, and the recent move appears to solidify that approach. But it didnt solve the many thorny issues that have resulted from a split between what is legal in dozens of states and what the federal government allows. Its unclear exactly what the rescheduling will mean. The Justice Department has not made public the text of Garlands proposal a DOJ spokesman declined States Newsrooms request this week for a copy and state regulators say it has not been shared with them. Even if the proposal were public, it would be expected to go through changes over months of rulemaking. Here are some questions covering what is known at this early stage about what rescheduling would and would not do. Q: Is weed legal now? A: No. Even in states that have legalized recreational use, the federal government would likely still consider the state system as illegal under federal law. Other Schedule III drugs, including Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids, are tightly regulated and available only by prescription at pharmacies. State-legal medicinal marijuana dispensaries do not fit that description and recreational-use dispensaries are even further from what the Food and Drug Administration requires of Schedule III drugs. This does not make marijuana state operations legal, Shawn Hauser, a partner at Denver-based marijuana law firm Vicente LLP, said on a May 3 webinar. They are not selling FDA-approved drugs and they are not licensed or meet the control requirements for Schedule III. So cannabis and state-legal dispensaries will remain in violation of federal law. Q: What is the difference between Schedule I and Schedule III? A: Among the most significant is the recognition that the drug may have some medicinal value. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, the Drug Enforcement Administration has five levels of drug classifications. Schedule I is the most restricted level, comprising the drugs most ripe for abuse that have no medicinal value. Other drugs on the list include heroin and LSD. Because the definition of Schedule I substances includes no medicinal use, it is illegal to even study substances on the list. Schedule III is the strictest level that acknowledges some medicinal value, making some hopeful that research on the drug could be improved. Moving cannabis to Schedule III would be a big step for recognition of the medical uses of cannabis, what voters here recognized by a wide margin in 1998, the Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board said in a May 1 statement. And it would say very clearly that the federal government no longer considers cannabis among the most dangerous drugs. Q: How are states preparing? A: Until they have more details, state regulators cannot do much, Amanda Borup, the senior policy analyst for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, said in an interview. We really have to wait and see what they release, she said, referring to the DEAs rulemaking. Other states are considering what the impacts might be. The statement from Washingtons Liquor and Cannabis Board said rescheduling would hopefully ease restrictions on cannabis research, while it is possible the move would allow state-legal businesses to take advantage of tax deductions available to other industries. Q: Why does research matter? A: Marijuana advocates have had trouble providing evidence of any marijuana benefits because research has been restricted, which in turn made it more difficult to show that the restrictions should be lifted. It could also help establish industry guidelines for ancillary issues. For example, the restrictions on research contribute to a lack of data on what pesticides are safe for use in marijuana cultivation. Q: How does this affect policy on taxes, banking and criminal justice? A: On its own, rescheduling likely wont address several complaints marijuana industry members and advocates have about federal prohibition. Some are hopeful, though, that the signal from the Biden administration will spur momentum toward other changes. Most businesses can deduct their costs from their income and pay taxes on their net income. Marijuana businesses cannot take that deduction, known as 280E, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group. Schedule I status also makes access to the U.S. banking system difficult. Others complain that making marijuana legal in some states has not been fair to the communities of color that saw the most active enforcement. Rescheduling would not fix those issues on its own, but advocates are hopeful it is a sign of momentum toward full legalization. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon reintroduced a bill last week to de-schdule the drug altogether. The measure includes expanding the 280E tax break and several provisions meant to address social justice. Q: Could Trump reverse this if he wins in November? A: Probably, though theres no indication thats on his agenda. Its unclear what the status of the rescheduling will be when the next Inauguration Day arrives on Jan. 20. If former President Donald Trump wins back the presidency and the rescheduling is still pending, he could direct the DEA and DOJ to scrap the change. Trump has not commented on the issue. The post Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan appeared first on Maine Morning Star. Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan A portion of marijuana is seen under a magifying glass at the Abundant Healing store in Fort Collins, Colorado. A portion of marijuana is seen under a magifying glass at the Abundant Healing store April 19, 2010, in Fort Collins, Colorado. (Chris Hondros/Getty Images) U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has proposed loosening the illegal status of marijuana at the federal level but that doesnt mean the federal government now condones recreational or medicinal use in the many states that have legalized the drug. Moving marijuana from the governments list of the most dangerous and least useful substances to a less serious category was a clear signal that the federal government, at least under President Joe Bidens administration, wants to ease restrictions on a drug thats been legal in an increasing number of states for more than a decade. For years, the federal government has not pursued enforcement of state-legal marijuana operations, and the recent move appears to solidify that approach. But it didnt solve the many thorny issues that have resulted from a split between what is legal in dozens of states and what the federal government allows. Its unclear exactly what the rescheduling will mean. The Justice Department has not made public the text of Garlands proposal a DOJ spokesman declined States Newsrooms request this week for a copy and state regulators say it has not been shared with them. Even if the proposal were public, it would be expected to go through changes over months of rulemaking. Here are some questions covering what is known at this early stage about what rescheduling would and would not do. Q: Is weed legal now? A: No. Even in states that have legalized recreational use, the federal government would likely still consider the state system as illegal under federal law. Other Schedule III drugs, including Tylenol with codeine and anabolic steroids, are tightly regulated and available only by prescription at pharmacies. State-legal medicinal marijuana dispensaries do not fit that description and recreational-use dispensaries are even further from what the Food and Drug Administration requires of Schedule III drugs. This does not make marijuana state operations legal, Shawn Hauser, a partner at Denver-based marijuana law firm Vicente LLP, said on a May 3 webinar. They are not selling FDA-approved drugs and they are not licensed or meet the control requirements for Schedule III. So cannabis and state-legal dispensaries will remain in violation of federal law. Q: What is the difference between Schedule I and Schedule III? A: Among the most significant is the recognition that the drug may have some medicinal value. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, the Drug Enforcement Administration has five levels of drug classifications. Schedule I is the most restricted level, comprising the drugs most ripe for abuse that have no medicinal value. Other drugs on the list include heroin and LSD. Because the definition of Schedule I substances includes no medicinal use, it is illegal to even study substances on the list. Schedule III is the strictest level that acknowledges some medicinal value, making some hopeful that research on the drug could be improved. Moving cannabis to Schedule III would be a big step for recognition of the medical uses of cannabis, what voters here recognized by a wide margin in 1998, the Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board said in a May 1 statement. And it would say very clearly that the federal government no longer considers cannabis among the most dangerous drugs. Q: How are states preparing? A: Until they have more details, state regulators cannot do much, Amanda Borup, the senior policy analyst for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, said in an interview. We really have to wait and see what they release, she said, referring to the DEAs rulemaking. Other states are considering what the impacts might be. The statement from Washingtons Liquor and Cannabis Board said rescheduling would hopefully ease restrictions on cannabis research, while it is possible the move would allow state-legal businesses to take advantage of tax deductions available to other industries. Q: Why does research matter? A: Marijuana advocates have had trouble providing evidence of any marijuana benefits because research has been restricted, which in turn made it more difficult to show that the restrictions should be lifted. It could also help establish industry guidelines for ancillary issues. For example, the restrictions on research contribute to a lack of data on what pesticides are safe for use in marijuana cultivation. Q: How does this affect policy on taxes, banking and criminal justice? A: On its own, rescheduling likely wont address several complaints marijuana industry members and advocates have about federal prohibition. Some are hopeful, though, that the signal from the Biden administration will spur momentum toward other changes. Most businesses can deduct their costs from their income and pay taxes on their net income. Marijuana businesses cannot take that deduction, known as 280E, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group. Schedule I status also makes access to the U.S. banking system difficult. Others complain that making marijuana legal in some states has not been fair to the communities of color that saw the most active enforcement. Rescheduling would not fix those issues on its own, but advocates are hopeful it is a sign of momentum toward full legalization. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon reintroduced a bill last week to de-schdule the drug altogether. The measure includes expanding the 280E tax break and several provisions meant to address social justice. Q: Could Trump reverse this if he wins in November? A: Probably, though theres no indication thats on his agenda. Its unclear what the status of the rescheduling will be when the next Inauguration Day arrives on Jan. 20. If former President Donald Trump wins back the presidency and the rescheduling is still pending, he could direct the DEA and DOJ to scrap the change. Trump has not commented on the issue. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. Stormy Daniels fends off accusations she made up story of sex tryst with Trump at hush money trial NEW YORK Stormy Daniels is facing tough questions from Donald Trumps defense team as she returned to the witness stand following her bombshell testimony on the alleged Lake Tahoe tryst with the former president as his hush money trial resumed Thursday in Manhattan. Keying in on a central part of Daniels testimony about her encounter with Trump, Defense lawyer Susan Necheles skeptically asked Daniels about having appeared in porn movies with naked women and naked men yet being startled by Trump on a bed in a t-shirt and boxers. Daniels said that coming out of the bathroom to find a man twice her age in his underwear, youre not expecting to be there was different. This was not the first time in your life someone had made a pass at you? Necheles asked at one point. It is the first time they had a bodyguard standing outside the door and were in their underwear and were twice my age, Daniels shot back. She later said her own insecurities kept her from refusing. Necheles repeatedly cast doubt on her account, at one point asking her if she is experienced in fabricating phony sex stories as a porn star to which Daniels replied that the sex was very real. If this story wasnt true, I would have written it to be a lot better, Daniels snapped back a few moments later, to some apparent amusement from jurors. As Daniels described how Trump sat on his hotel room couch the night of their tryst, he furrowed his brow, looking mad and a little disgusted. When there was a mention of Michael Avanatti mulling a run for president, Trump smirked. Daniels also testified that she did not have personal knowledge about Trumps role in the hush money payment to her and that she negotiated the payment through her lawyer. Cross ended with the lawyer asserting Daniels never had an affair with President Trump and a sustained objection. Going for the money Defense lawyer Susan Necheles came in hot as her cross examination got underway Thursday morning, accusing Daniels of threatening Trump in the leadup to the 2016 election. Daniels said that was false. The defense attorney played audio of Michael Cohen talking with Daniels lawyer, Keith Davidson in which he described Daniels as anxious to close the deal, quoting her to the fixer, She wants this money more than you can ever imagine. Daniels pushed back on the idea that she was money hungry, saying that if the story were to be made public thered be a target on my back and my familys. I never asked for money from anyone in particular; I asked to tell my story, she said. I was asking to sell my story to publications to get the truth out Trump, 77, has pleaded not guilty to felony charges alleging he covered up a $130,000 reimbursement to Cohen for handling the hush money payoff to Daniels, logging it in the books as payment for legal fees. Speaking confidently, tilted slightly towards the jury and away from Trump, Daniels said of the payment for her silence was a perfect solution. During direct examination, she had testified that she didnt want to deal with the fallout of the story, which she kept secret even to those closest to her for years. Trump appeared in court looking furious, with an angry scowl. As he took his seat, he jabbed his finger at Necheles, as he spoke aggressively to the lawyer. Here we sit, after two and a half weeks and I think youll see some very revealing things today, he told reporters in the hallway outside the courtroom before entering. The Tahoe tryst In a brutal day for the presumptive Republican nominee in this years electio n, the adult film star on Tuesday divulged details of their infamous alleged tryst in a Lake Tahoe hotel room in 2006 and efforts to silence her years later. In an at-times explicit account, Daniels described a consensual but uncomfortable sexual encounter with Trump when she was 27 after his bodyguard summoned her to his hotel room for a meal they never ate. She detailed coming out of a restroom to find Trump, then 60, sprawled out on the bed in boxers and a t-shirt and blacking out during brief sex. The judge permitted prosecutors to elicit the graphic testimony after Trumps lawyers called Daniels credibility into question in their opening statements accusing her of extortion in line with the strategy theyve taken during the trial attacking the states witnesses. Daniels, 45, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, told jurors she agreed to stay silent about the incident more than a decade after it occurred after Trumps then-fixer, Michael Cohen, negotiated the $130,000 non-disclosure deal with her lawyer 11 days out from Trumps stunning victory against Hilary Clinton. The Louisiana native said she worried for her safety after Trump announced his candidacy, having been threatened in a Las Vegas parking lot years prior around the time she first sought to share her story with the press. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs office alleges the payment to Cohen which came in the form of checks Trump signed from his desk in the Oval Office capped a yearslong conspiracy to promote his candidacy by unlawful means. Prosecutors say the scheme was born at an August 2015 meeting at Trump Tower attended by Trump, his fixer, and former tabloid publisher David Pecker, who told jurors he agreed to be the campaigns eyes and ears by identifying and burying negative stories about Trump and elevating hit jobs about his opponents. In testimony last week, jurors heard from Keith Davidson, the lawyer who repped Daniels in hush money negotiations, and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Davidson described dealing with a frantic Cohen in the waning days of the 2016 White House race, who urgently sought to contain the porn stars allegations following the bombshell release of the Access Hollywood tape so soon before the election. Trump denies all allegations and that he ever slept with Daniels. His lawyers have claimed an obsessed Cohen went rogue in paying her off that Trump believed he was paying his lawyer for legitimate legal services. ------- Until her long-anticipated testimony at Donald Trump's Manhattan fraud trial Tuesday, the mainstream media had leaned on misleading terms like "affair" and "tryst" to describe the alleged 2006 sexual encounter between Stormy Daniels and the criminal defendant. So I was braced for callous reactions to her time on the witness stand, where the adult film actress described an encounter with Trump far more harrowing than titillating. While making it clear that she was "not threatened either verbally or physically," what Daniels described also doesn't meet any common sense definition of the word "consensual." Trump, she said, bullied her. She didn't want it but didn't say no. "My hands were shaking," she recounted, telling the court that she felt "ashamed that I didnt stop it." Still, she does not consider it assault. I worried, in that case, that her description would be treated as permission by the press to ignore some of the most alarming and uncomfortable aspects of what Daniels testified happened to her nearly two decades ago in Lake Tahoe. But when I observed the media response, I was glad to see that, despite such anxiety-producing ambiguity, mainstream journalists openly grappled with the darker implications of what Daniels recounted. The headline at the Washington Post report by Perry Stein and Devlin Barrett spelled out that Daniels' testimony "at times sounded like a nonconsensual sexual encounter." On MSNBC, host Nicole Wallace expressed regret for previously reducing Daniels to her job, noting that she's also a mother and a human being. One of the New York Times live reporters noted that earlier versions of her story were less "ominous," but then immediately offered context: "Experts on traumatic sexual experiences say that a person's perception of such encounters can change over time, and that the most traumatic details may emerge only later." David Graham at the Atlantic wrote that Daniels described Trump as a man "dripping with sexual entitlement and presumption." Want more Amanda Marcotte on politics? Subscribe to her newsletter Standing Room Only. This all feels like a shift from how such matters were written about less than a decade ago. In the past, most journalists took a legalistic, black-and-white approach to the issue of sexual consent. If a description of an encounter didn't meet a criminal definition of sexual assault, it was assumed both parties were willing and eager. Sex was treated as either fully consensual or rape, ignoring the icky truth that there are a lot of nonconsensual-but-not-provably-illegal encounters. So what changed? Part of it is no doubt the unique circumstances of this situation. Because it's on-the-record testimony about a former president, news outlets have legal leeway to speak more freely than they would stories not offered under oath or about a private citizen. But much of the change is likely due to the rise of the #MeToo movement, which exploded in activity during Trump's first year in office. Inspired by the brave women who stepped forward to recall sexual abuse at the hands of Trump and Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, victims from all over the world and all walks of life started to speak out. Two major lessons were learned by journalists, most of whom followed the pile-up of #MeToo allegations closely. First, most sexual abuse is committed by repeat offenders, men who will target one person after another, until they've often amassed dozens of victims or more. Second, the range of predatory behavior can vary wildly, depending usually on what the abuser thinks he can get away with in any given situation. There's been over two dozen accusations against Trump of everything from harassment to outright rape. Taken together, the stories paint a picture of a man constantly assessing how far he can take the coercion without facing potential legal repercussions. In the story found to be true by a New York civil jury, E. Jean Carroll described how Trump got her alone in a department store dressing room before, as the judge recounted, "Trump 'raped' her as many people commonly understand the word 'rape.'" Other women describe him using the darkness of nightclubs or a closed room to grope them, which is also what Trump himself described on the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape. In other cases, witnesses were possibly nearby, so Trump reportedly limited himself to a forced kiss or leering with harassing comments. What the press coverage of Stormy Daniels' testimony shows is that journalists have a far more developed understanding of how to place an experience like what she recalled into context. It may not have been a sexual assault by the legal definition and Daniels has repeatedly denied that is what it was but alongside other stories, it fleshes out a picture of Trump as a man with coercive tendencies. (Something he brags about publicly when talking about matters outside of sexuality.) This matters in helping the public understand the complexities when it comes to issues like sexual violence and consent. But it also matters in understanding this specific criminal case. Trump's team demanded a mistrial after Daniels testified, arguing that the vivid telling of the ugly encounter was prejudicial. Judge Juan Merchan denied the request, as well he should have. As unpleasant as it was for everyone to hear about how Trump pressured Daniels into unwanted sex, it was necessary to establish the prosecution's case. As MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin explained on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Wednesday, the prosecution wants "the jury to understand is what the impact of her story would have been, had Michael Cohen, in the final days of the campaign, not rushed to reach settlement with her." The coercive elements are crucial to that understanding. Remember, Trump's campaign only got serious about paying hush money to Daniels after the "Access Hollywood" tape came out. The impact of that tape was not due to Trump's desire for sexual promiscuity, which was already well-known by the public and something he had spent years hyping in the press. That tape was alarming because it's Trump bragging about repeatedly committing the crime of sexual assault. Daniels' story would have been damaging not as much because of the adultery, but because it would be corroborating evidence that, as he says in the tape, he bullies women into acquiescing to unwanted sexual contact. This is also why it matters now that the media is willing to deal with the complexities of the testimony Daniels offered Tuesday. This isn't just a salacious tabloid story. It cuts right to the heart of the bigger, more impactful issue of what it means to let men like Trump have power. This is the same man who, after all, made a promise to end abortion rights and it was one of the few promises he kept. His misogyny and male entitlement matter not just to the unfortunate women who cross his path, but the millions who now have lost basic rights to bodily autonomy. It's hard to know how the jury is taking all this, of course. Regular members of the public likely weren't quite as attentive to the #MeToo movement and its lessons as journalists were, since following the news closely isn't in most of their job descriptions. It's quite possible some jurors still adhere to pre-#MeToo sexist tendencies, like blaming a woman for being alone with a man, instead of blaming him for taking advantage of her. Whatever the jury concludes, however, it's still a sign of progress that the press has brought a more complex understanding of sexual consent to their coverage. There's been a lot of backlash to the #MeToo movement in the past few years, but in this one aspect, it seems real progress has been made. AUSTIN (KXAN) On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Education announced the 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholars, which included a student from Cedar Park. According to the department, the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects students based on academic success, excellence in the arts and in technical education, through essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as a demonstrated commitment to community service and leadership. Cedar Park resident Amisha Sao, who attends Round Rock High School, was named a Presidential Scholar in Career and Technical Education. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona also recognized 160 other high school seniors for their accomplishments. The 161 high school seniors selected for the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Presidential Scholars represent the best of our nations schools and inspire hope in the bright future of this country, Cardona said. On behalf of President Biden, I am delighted to celebrate their accomplishments, and encourage these scholars to continue to aim high, lift up others, and embrace opportunities to lead. Four other students from Texas who were also recognized included: Eric J. Tong from Grapevine Senior High School in Grapevine, Texas. Patrick Christie Flanagan from St. Marks School of Texas in Dallas, Texas, was named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. Alex Pan from St. Marks School of Texas in Dallas, Texas. Isabelle Agarwal from Richardson High School in Richardson, Texas. The Presidential Scholars Class of 2024 is expected to be recognized over the summer with an online recognition program, according to the Department of Education. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Supporters gather at a pro-Palestinian rally at an entrance to the USC campus on Tuesday. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) For the record: 12:53 p.m. May 9, 2024: An earlier version of this article said an interim suspension was handed to a UC Irvine student who was caught on campus with an assault rifle. The incident occurred at UC Riverside. Colleges across California are suspending student protesters, a move that's evicted some from housing, barred others from final exams, and left scores navigating a high-stakes disciplinary process more commonly reserved for students accused of toting a gun to campus or raping a classmate in their dorm room. Some of those facing punishment, including 40 students at UC San Diego, were slapped with "interim suspension" notices following mass arrests at protest encampments. But many others who avoided arrest face the same penalty for reasons that are far less clear. One USC first-year student, who asked to be referred to by a single initial C. out of fear of reprisal from the university, said they were slapped with an interim suspension on Sunday and given 24 hours to leave the dorms, despite never being detained or arrested as a part of their activism. "I've been surfing around friends' couches trying to figure out if I'm going to be able to get a place to live in the summer," they said. "If [the suspension is upheld], I'll lose a scholarship that's covering the plurality of my tuition here." Read more: 'Are you a Zionist?' Checkpoints at UCLA encampment provoked fear, debate among Jews Universities rely on campus discipline to manage a wide range of student behavior, from plagiarism to bullying, brawls to binge drinking, hazing to sexual assault. Experts say it can also be a valuable alternative to police involvement. But the consequences are still severe. Some familiar with the process were shocked after USC and UC San Diego handed down scores of interim suspensions this week, saying the penalty had previously been reserved for serious and imminently dangerous misconduct. "You very rarely see these interim suspension cases," said Sukham Sidhu, who heads of the Office of Student Advocacy at UC San Diego and has spent her undergraduate career representing peers through campus disciplinary proceedings. "The only times I've seen it imposed are in cases of physical assault." A spokesperson for UC Riverside said an interim suspension was recently handed to a student who was caught on campus with an assault rifle. Schools are likely within their rights to suspend those who have overstepped their free speech rights, either by threatening public safety or violating campus conduct codes, some legal experts said. But they warned that administrators should proceed with caution. "You don't want to shy away from interim suspensions where there's a real threat of violence," said Alex Morey, head of the campus rights advocacy program at the nonpartisan Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. "But you don't want to start throwing [them] around just because you want to send a message." Read more: UCLA alleges protesters arrested Monday had tools to barricade buildings Most California schools facing large encampment protests declined to say exactly how many interim suspensions they'd issued, or detail the reasons protesters had been suspended, citing federal privacy rules. But information they did share was telling. At UC San Diego, interim suspensions surged from 16 all of last year to 40 in a single week amid the mass arrests on campus Monday. Additional interim suspensions have quietly been sent out to protesters who were not arrested, Sidhu said. "The very first one I heard about, the student was just seen entering the encampment and there's no evidence they stayed there," she said. "When I heard they were interim suspended for that, I was like, 'What?!'" Officials at Cal Poly Humbolt said 72 students were suspended in connection with the encampment there, but the school had softened the punishment. "The University included a campus restriction, which still allows students to live in on-campus housing and attend classes online," said campus spokesperson Aileen Yoo. "The University is trying to provide flexibility because these are extraordinary circumstances, the sheer volume of cases are still being investigated, and its the end of the year." Read more: Detention of independent journalist and activists at UCLA draws outcry over press freedom Not so at USC, where the conditions of the suspensions were even more muddled. Suspension letters compiled by USC's Divest from Death Coalition, which helped organize the encampment, included a wide range of accusations, from stealing wood pallets from behind the USC Bookstore to fortify the encampment, to being part of a group that hung an unauthorized banner from a library window. I think theres a lot of confusion and murkiness in this process, said Devin Griffths, a professor of English and comparative literature at USC. One student is really actively trying to understand what hes been suspended for. While those suspended this week at UC San Diego said they have already received hearing dates for their interim suspensions to be reviewed and potentially dismissed, most at USC still do not know when the same process might begin for them, or what consequences they will endure in the interim. Alec Rose, a Los Angeles attorney specializing in campus discipline, said interim suspensions could be warranted if "imposed on students who had done something extremely dangerous." But, the lawyer added, "If they just told everybody who was protesting, 'You're all on interim suspension and have to leave campus immediately,' I fail to see how that would be justified." Such a move could also leave universities open to charges they've unfairly targeted pro-Palestinian protesters, even if their actions would otherwise be permissible under free speech rules. Both the 1st Amendment and state law protect campus activists from being punished simply for what they say, although the free speech protection only extends fully to public university campuses, with private schools given more leeway to impose limits. The law does allow restrictions on "time, place and manner" of otherwise protected campus speech, which has left encampments vulnerable to clampdowns in ways more traditional forms of protest are not. Allowing pro-Palestinian encampments to remain for weeks on end could set a precedent for future causes that students and administrators find less sympathetic, or even outright hateful, warned Eugene Volokh, a professor in the UCLA School of Law and a 1st Amendment expert. "Not only is it legitimate, as a practical matter I think it is required," he said of removing encampments. Allowing the protesters to remain overnight also creates a 24/7 security obligation for the school one few campuses are ready to meet, as the mob attack at UCLA's encampment last week dramatically showed. Read more: For two young journalists, showdown at UCLA camp was baptism by fire Some schools issued disciplinary warnings ahead of clearing encampments. But others have issued suspensions after the fact, targeting those who were arrested as well as those who were not. USC protesters were particularly upset over suspensions they say followed a meeting in which President Carol Folt explicitly promised not to use academic discipline to quell unrest. "When laws and policies that apply to everyone are repeatedly and flagrantly violated there must be consequences," Folt said in a statement. "The university has initiated disciplinary review processes for individuals who have violated both our policies and the law. We will take any further actions required to maintain campus safety and security, consistent with our legal obligations." Andrew T. Guzman, USC's senior vice president for academic affairs, told protesters Wednesday that graduating seniors would be allowed to participate in commencement ceremonies while under interim suspension, but did not address housing, scholarships or other discipline terms. For C., the USC student protester facing suspension and eviction from the dorms, that means limbo over summer school, including a new housing assignment slated to begin just days from now. For some international students, it could mean being forced to leave the country. "Many of these actions dont even seem grounds for suspension in the first place," they lamented. "The reason we were out there and the reason many of us are facing these charges is that over 30,000 have been killed in Gaza and Rafahs being bombed right now." Times staff writer Angie Orellana Hernandez 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. Students accused of blackface win $1m payout after arguing it was acne mask People interpreted the acne masks as "blackface", the process of using make-up to appear black - The Superior Court of California Two students expelled from a leading private school for blacking up won a $1 million payout after they argued they were in fact wearing an acne face mask. A jury in Santa Clara, California, sided with the former students in a lawsuit brought against the Catholic school by their parents. They were awarded $500,000 (400,000) each and $70,000 (56,000) in tuition reimbursements. The two white teenagers, identified in court records as H.H. and A.H, left Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, San Francisco, where yearly fees are in excess of $27,000 (22,000), after a photo emerged of them from 2017. The image showed the two boys, who were 14 at the time, and a third white boy who did not attend St Francis, posing in front of a mirror wearing dark green face masks. The photo went viral in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests that followed, amid accusations it was racist. People interpreted the masks as blackface, the process of using make-up to appear black. The lawsuit claimed the masks were actually face masks used in the treatment of acne. However, the court heard how other St Francis students and parents believed the photo was a racist joke and put pressure on the school into taking action against them. The boys lawyers claimed that as a result, the school gave the two students an ultimatum - to either voluntarily withdraw or be expelled. The two white teenagers attended Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, San Francisco, where yearly fees are in excess $27,000 (22,000) - Google Innocent face masks The pairs lawyer, Krista Baughman, told the San Francisco Chronicle: Our primary goal was to clear (our clients) names. It was quite clear the jury believed these were innocent face masks. They are young kids, their internet trail is going to haunt them for the next 60 years. Now they dont have to worry about that. The parents initially filed the lawsuit for $20 million (16 million) but the financial award was lower as the jury cleared the school of three of the five claims - breach of contract, defamation and a violation of free speech. The school was found guilty of failing to do a proper investigation and breach of an oral contract. A spokesperson from the school said: We respectfully disagree with the jurys conclusion as to the lesser claim regarding the fairness of our disciplinary review process and are exploring legal options, including appeal. 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. JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) A German-based manufacturer has chosen Johnson City as its first U.S. location. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD) Commissioner Stuart McWhorter announced Thursday that BorTec USA will establish a heat treatment plant in Johnson City. Local leaders discuss Methodists changes to LGBTQ+ stance The creation of the site represents a $3.1 million investment by BorTec and is expected to create 35 new jobs. Tennessees pro-business climate and strong workforce continue to attract global brands like BorTec, Lee stated in a news release from the ECD. I thank this company for creating greater opportunity for families across Northeast Tennessee, and Im proud to welcome them to the Volunteer State. Washington County is thrilled to have attracted a new company to our community, State Senator Rusty Crowe (R-Johnson City) stated. We are looking forward to working with BorTec toward a long and prosperous future. According to the release, the BorTec facility will primarily produce wear and corrosion-resistant pipes for the oil and gas industries. BorTec, a subsidiary of BorTec Group, will more than double its global headcount by investing in the Johnson City facility. The company was established in Germany in 1998 and specializes in metal wear protection solutions. TVA and BrightRidge congratulate BorTec on its decision to establish operations in Johnson City, TVA senior vice president of economic development John Bradley said. Helping to support companies creating jobs and investment in the region is fundamental to TVAs mission of service. We are proud to partner with the City of Johnson City, Washington County Economic Development Council, Northeast Tennessee Valley Regional Industrial Development Association and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to further that mission and look forward to BorTecs future business success. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. Some students will have to pay up after senior prank goes too far, Tennessee school says SPRING HILL, Tenn. (WKRN) Some students at a Tennessee high school will have to pay up after a senior prank got out of hand, officials say. Spring Hill High School was forced to close last Friday after school property was damaged and vandalized, Nexstars WKRN previously reported. Spring Hill is about 35 miles south of Nashville. The night before, roughly 100 students had been given permission to do a senior prank, according to Maury County Sheriff Bucky Rowland. School officials were on hand to let those students into the building. The activities unfortunately got out of hand. While the damage was not as bad as we originally anticipated, Maury County School Superintendent Lisa Ventura told WKRN it was pretty devastating, pretty disappointing. Teachers, administrators, and maintenance crews spent Friday cleaning up the mess with the Ventura. There was a lot of food stuff, a lot of toilet paper, a lot of debris, Ventura explained Friday, adding that there were paintballs and a number of liquids throughout the halls and classrooms. Portal installation in NYC offers window to Dublin, Ireland Tricia and Kaleigh Totty, two students at the school, told WKRN they saw desks piled up, books everywhere, trash spread throughout the school on social media. Kaleigh Totty, a senior, said she had to miss her last day of school because of the damages. Its just heartbreaking, she said. Devan Allen told WKRN her daughter was at Spring Hill High School last Thursday to do approved activities for the senior prank. It definitely went too far, no question; way too far, Allen said about the damages that occurred. Several parents, including Allen, said they received calls Monday saying students who took part in the senior prank day were told they would have to pay a $50 restitution fee and work two hours of community service. I was fine with it. I think consequences come with actions. Although she was told it was approved, she was still there. She was fine; she was going to pay the fee with her own money and do the service like they were requiring, Allen explained. On Tuesday afternoon, however, Allen received a second message from the school saying upon further video review, her child wouldnt be required to pay or work community service after all. My understanding would be they are re-evaluating the cameras and seeing who did the approved activities and who did the unapproved activities, Allen said. Free admission to NYC Whitney Museum on Mothers Day As for the vandals, Allen said those students should face charges. It was just a few bad apples, and I hate that we are getting a bad name, and her class is getting a bad name because its not deserved, said Allen. Rowland said many of the students have been identified through surveillance footage and that he considered the damage at the high school to be vandalism. He said right now, school officials dont plan to press charges. WKRN reached out to school officials who said they dont have a comment at this time. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. New study says WA among the best states for nurses. See the results, reasons for ranking College graduation season is back, bringing an influx of fresh faces to the job market. Some of the most popular majors lately include business, psychology and nursing. The workforce should gain a lot of nurses through the next few years, at least. This matches a growing need for healthcare workers. In fact, when examining which majors would be most fruitful in the coming years, nursing is a top contender, expecting 6% growth in the U.S. through 2032. Right on time for National Nurses Week, personal finance site WalletHub examined conditions for nurses in each state in order to rank which states are best for nurses. Despite the difficulties of the occupation, nurses are generally well-rewarded for their life-saving work, the WalletHub study states. Nursing is one of the most lucrative careers, with a mean annual wage of more than $94,000 and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the U.S. So, how did Washington state measure up in this ranking? Best states for nurses Washington took home the gold for nursing conditions, ranking as the number one best state for nurses. Based on a scoring system of 100 points, the top 10 states are: Washington - 66.84 Maine - 60.77 New Hampshire - 59.53 Montana - 59.11 New Mexico - 58.80 Oregon - 58 Minnesota - 57.19 Wyoming - 57.18 Connecticut - 56.85 Arizona - 56.77 Comparatively, the worst five states were: Mississippi - 44.94 Oklahoma - 44.44 Alabama - 43.96 Arkansas - 42.40 Hawaii - 41.37 Determining the best states for nurses To determine the ranking, WalletHub analyzed each state on 20 metrics in two main categories, Work Environment and Opportunity and Competition. Each had specific weight, together totaling 100 points. Washington came out at number one for the Work Environment category, with the best points for the category. Its metrics include: Mandatory Overtime Restrictions Ratio of nurses to hospital beds Nurses job growth since 2018 Presence of Nursing Licensure Compact Law Regulatory requirements for nurse practitioners Share of best nursing homes Quality of public hospital system Friendliness toward working moms Average number of work hours Average commute time The state ranked fifth for Opportunity and Competition, which includes: Monthly average starting salary for nurses (adjusted for cost of living) Average annual salary for nurses (adjusted for cost of living) Healthcare facilities per capita Population living in a primary-care Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) Projected share of elderly population in 2030 Quality of nursing schools Tuition of cost per credit for BSN online program Nursing job openings per capita Projected competition in 2030 What makes WA best for nurses? Washington had the third best monthly average starting salary for nurses, adjusted for cost of living and sixth for projected competition by 2030. The Evergreen State had the seventh best nurses per capita and ninth best average annual salary for nurses, adjusted for cost of living. Washington also has one of the highest job growth rates, and some of the highest ranked nursing schools in the U.S. Nurses also enjoy good working conditions, states the WalletHub study. They can avoid burnout because the state restricts mandatory overtime, and nurses who work in nursing homes benefit from the fact that the state has a very high percentage of nursing homes rated five stars. On top of these conditions, nurses are also needed here. According to WalletHub, about 46% of state residents live in a primary care HPSA, meaning nearly half of the states population experiences a shortage of healthcare professionals. Port Sudan, Sudan A series of attacks by Sudanese paramilitary forces in the western region of Darfur raise the possibility of "genocide" against non-Arab ethnic communities, Human Rights Watch said Thursday. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), along with allied militias, have been widely accused of ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and war crimes in their war with Sudan's regular army, which began in April 2023. The war has killed tens of thousands of people, including up to 15,000 in the West Darfur town of El-Geneina, according to United Nations experts. The area is the focus of the 186-page HRW report "'The Massalit Will Not Come Home': Ethnic Cleansing and Crimes Against Humanity in El-Geneina, West Darfur, Sudan." It describes "an ethnic cleansing campaign against the ethnic Massalit and other non-Arab populations." U.S. family finally reunited after escaping Sudan's civil war From late April until early November of last year, the RSF and allied militias "conducted a systematic campaign to remove, including by killing, ethnic Massalit residents," according to HRW. Displaced Sudanese national Adam Hassan sits outside his makeshift shelter at a camp in Adre, Chad, with pictures of his son and father, whom he said were killed by the RSF and Arab militias in the West Darfur town of Murnei, in a July 25, 2023 file photo. / Credit: Zohra Bensemra/REUTERS The violence, which included atrocities such as mass torture, rape and looting, peaked in mid-June when thousands were killed within days and surged again in November. Local human rights lawyers said they had tracked a pattern where fighters targeted "prominent members of the Massalit community," including doctors, human rights defenders, local leaders and government officials. HRW added that the attackers "methodically destroyed critical civilian infrastructure," primarily in communities consisting of displaced Massalit. Satellite images showed that since June, predominantly Massalit neighborhoods in El-Geneina have been "systematically dismantled, many with bulldozers, preventing civilians who fled from returning to their homes," HRW reported. HRW said the attacks constitute "ethnic cleansing" as they appeared to be aimed at "at least having them permanently leave the region." The context of the killings further "raises the possibility that the RSF and their allies have the intent to destroy in whole or in part the Massalit in at least West Darfur, which would indicate that genocide has been and/or is being committed there," it added. A picture taken on June 16, 2023, shows a covered body outside a house in the West Darfur state capital El Geneina, amid ongoing fighting between two generals in war-torn Sudan. / Credit: AFP via Getty Images HRW called for an investigation into genocidal intent, targeted sanctions on those responsible and urged the U.N. to "widen the existing arms embargo on Darfur to cover all of Sudan." The International Criminal Court, currently investigating ethnic-based killings in Darfur, says it has "grounds to believe" that both the paramilitaries and the army are committing "Rome Statute crimes," which include war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. In December, the United States said Sudan's rival forces had both committed war crimes in the brutal conflict, accusing the RSF of ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. Over half a million Sudanese have fled the violence from Darfur into Chad, according to the latest U.N. figures. By late October, 75% of those crossing the border were from El-Geneina, HRW said. All eyes are currently focused on the North Darfur state capital of El-Fasher, about 250 miles east of El-Geneina the only state capital not under RSF control. The United States has warned of a disaster of "epic proportions" if the RSF proceeds with an expected attack, as residents fear the same fate of El-Geneina will befall them. "As the U.N. Security Council and governments wake up to the looming disaster in El-Fasher, the large-scale atrocities committed in El-Geneina should be seen as a reminder of the atrocities that could come in the absence of concerted action," said HRW executive director Tirana Hassan. Key takeaways from Stormy Daniels' testimony in Trump trial What we learned from Stormy Daniels' testimony in Trump trial Violence erupts amid Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud The first severe solar storm in 20 years could spark auroras across the US A stunning aurora may light up the northern US and potentially southern states on Friday. That's thanks to an erupting sunspot that's seven times the size of Earth. US states as far south as Alabama could see the auroras Friday night. For the first time in 20 years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a G4 geomagnetic-storm warning. The storm could generate a dazzling display of the northern lights farther south than usual on Friday. G4s are the second-strongest type of solar storm. They've been known to cause radio blackouts and power-grid outages, but experts don't expect these approaching ejections to cause any trouble, Mathew Owens, a professor of space physics at the University of Reading, and Alex Young, the associate director for science at NASA's Heliophysics Science Division, told Business Insider. The best time to see the aurora borealis is typically between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, because this is when it will be the most active, according to NOAA. The upcoming aurora is largely the result of a giant, hyperactive sunspot called AR3664 which is seven times the size of Earth that's been producing powerful eruptions called coronal-mass ejections for the past few days. "With the eruptions from this group, I think we're going to see some really good auroras. I wouldn't expect too many really bad effects," Owens said. Powerful eruptions like these can hurl high-energy solar particles toward Earth that interact with our magnetic field to create the northern and southern lights. The aurora borealis is typically contained in the uppermost region of the Northern Hemisphere. But when Earth receives a more powerful blow of these high-energy particles, it can cause auroras over a larger portion of the planet. Over the past several days, AR3664 has grown to become one of the biggest and most active sunspots in our current solar cycle, which began in December 2019, Space.com reported. NOAA's GOES-16 satellite captured this image of activity in the sun's corona on May 10. NOAA And since May 8, AR3664 has spit out five coronal-mass ejections. These ejections are now speeding toward Earth at roughly 560 miles per second, Owens told BI. Where auroras are forecast in the US NOAA's aurora forecast for this evening shows the Northern Lights will be visible across the US. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center Since these oncoming coronal mass ejections have a relatively strong magnetic field, Friday's auroras are forecast to make a rare appearance. They could stretch all the way down from northern states like Montana, Minnesota, and Michigan to as far south as Alabama, per reports from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. NOAA's forecast shows the aurora won't reach quite as far south as Alabama but will still be visible from states like Illinois and Ohio. "The reality is that we just won't know how bright, active, and wide-reaching the aurora will be until the coronal-mass ejections reach Earth's atmosphere," Young said. Even experts' estimates of when they'll arrive offer only a rough ballpark. "Our timing estimates may be way off," Owens said. To watch the auroras on Friday, head to NOAA's space-weather website for the latest forecast to see if they'll be visible near you. Then, step outside once it's totally dark and look up. If you're lucky, you may get to see this spectacular sight. Correction May 10, 2024: An earlier version of this story misattributed information and a quote to Andrew Gerrard of the New Jersey Institute of Tech. The most extreme estimate of aurora and where they can be seen in the US came from Alex Young. Read the original article on Business Insider Supply chain issues are putting Providence pallet shelter village on hold until at least fall Assembled in February, the 45 pallet shelters that make up ECHO Village still sit unoccupied as of Thursday, May 9. 2024. (Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) They were supposed to be the quick solution to shelter Providences homeless population. But 45 one-room cabins assembled in February within the on-ramp to Route 146 South off Victor Street had only two residents on Thursday: a pair of pigeons roosting on a roof. The $3.3 million ECHO Village project was supposed to have opened by the end of March when it was first announced in January. Then the timeline shifted to May or June. Now, the opening of the pallet shelter community wont happen until some time in the fall, according to the Rhode Island Department of Housing. We continue to conduct site work related to the installation of electrical and other utility infrastructure, as well as to resolve supply chain challenges, department spokesperson Emily Marshall said in an email Wednesday night. Through collaboration with our partners, we are finding ways to overcome these remaining barriers. Among whats still needed, Marshall said Thursday, are transformers and switch gears. But the lack of materials doesnt stem from shelter manufacturer Pallet, a public benefit corporation based in Everett, Washington. CEO Amy King said all 45 units have been delivered and installed at the Victor Street location. We are not responsible for final occupancy permits, so Im not clear on the reasons for delays there, King told Rhode Island Current. These kinds of delays do happen on occasion and again are out of our control as they are the responsibility of the municipality and/or party responsible for the land and permitting. Warwick-based community development corporation House of Hope has been contracted to manage ECHO Village and provide services to connect villagers with case management, housing application assistance, job training, substance use recovery and mental health services. House of Hope Executive Director Laura Jaworski confirmed Thursday that permitting has been held up by the states Department of Business Regulation (DBR). We have to work within the timelines bureaucracy dictates, Jaworski said. Slowing things down, Jaworski said, are questions about how the state building and fire codes apply to ECHO Village the states first pallet shelter community. Its unclear if the cabins should be held to the same standards as a house, hotel, or commercial property, she explained. Its the first of its kind in Rhode Island, Jaworski said. Its really stretching how things are interpreted because it doesnt fit cleanly into any of these categories. One of those hurdles is getting approval for the use of a chemical automatic fire-extinguishing system instead of an automatic sprinkler for each of the 70-square-foot cabins. The states Fire Safety Code Board of Review approved the use of the fire-extinguishing system ast month, but it also requires a variance from the state building code. The Building Code Standards Committee, a subset of the Building Code Commission, approved the variance on Thursday afternoon. But the approval process is still not over. Several code issues pertaining to life safety, energy, and plumbing need to be resolved before a building permit can be issued by the State Building Office, DBR spokesperson Matthew Touchette said. ECHO Village is located about a mile and half from a homeless encampment at the highway embankment between Interstate 95 and Branch Avenue. Its one of two locations where a combined total of 70 people are camping. The city of Providence plans to issue eviction notices to them Friday, much to the outrage of homelessness advocates and care providers. While the mayor is disappointed that this initiative is facing further delays, we understand that supply chain issues have impacted projects across the state, said city spokesperson Josh Estrella. The city has completed all necessary permitting on our end and at this time ECHO Village is awaiting permits/approvals from the state. In the meantime, Jaworski said House of Hope staff have been coordinating with emergency services about the site and layout so first responders know how to navigate ECHO Village once it is up and running. Everybody wants a crystal ball, but its tricky, she said. If its in the fall, its in the fall, but Im holding out hope its sooner. Funding for ECHO Village comes from State Fiscal Recovery Funds and Community Development Block Grants, as well the city of Providence. This story was updated to include the supply chain-related issues cited by the Rhode Island Department of Housing. The post Supply chain issues are putting Providence pallet shelter village on hold until at least fall appeared first on Rhode Island Current. The Supreme Court considered appeals from two women whose cars were seized by Alabama police who had arrested the drivers on drug charges. (Mariam Zuhaib / Associated Press) The Supreme Court refused on Thursday to give innocent owners of seized cars a right to an immediate hearing to reclaim their vehicles. Instead, the justices in a 6-3 decision said the Constitution requires a timely hearing to consider whether the police had properly arrested the driver and seized the vehicle, but that may take weeks or months. In the interim, the innocent owner may be without their car. The court considered appeals from two women whose cars were seized by Alabama police who had arrested the drivers on drug charges. Halima Culley had lent her car to her college-age son. Lena Sutton lent her car to a friend. Within two weeks, the police filed a notice to the two women that their cars may be forfeited, and they did not respond. Later, they joined a class-action lawsuit seeking damages for the states failure to give them a speedy hearing and to return their vehicles. Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, speaking for the court, said states have adopted different rules for forfeitures, and the justices were wary of requiring a second, preliminary hearing in all forfeiture cases. When police seize and then seek civil forfeiture of a car that was used to commit a drug offense, the Constitution requires a timely forfeiture hearing, he wrote in Culley vs. Marshall. The question here is whether the Constitution also requires a separate preliminary hearing to determine whether the police may retain the car pending the forfeiture hearing. This Courts precedents establish that the answer is no. Culley waited a year before filing a complaint that she was an innocent owner, and a month later, a state judge ordered her car to be returned to her. Sutton also had her car returned after she asserted she was the innocent owner. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented. A police officer can seize your car if he claims it is connected to a crime committed by someone else. The police department can then keep the car for months or even years until the state ultimately seeks ownership of it through civil forfeiture. In most states, the resulting proceeds from the cars sale go to the police departments budget, Sotomayor said. The two women who sued said the Constitution requires a prompt, post-seizure opportunity for innocent car owners to argue to a judge why they should retain their cars pending that final forfeiture determination. Today, the Court holds that the Due Process Clause never requires that minimal safeguard. Justice Neil M. Gorsuch concurred in the result but said the court needed to devise better rules in this area. In future cases, with the benefit of full briefing, I hope we might begin the task of assessing how well the profound changes in civil forfeiture practices we have witnessed in recent decades comport with the Constitutions enduring guarantee that no person shall ... be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law. The National Federation of Independent Business called the decision a disappointment for small-business owners. When it comes to civil asset forfeiture, small-business owners who rent, sell, or conduct cash transactions are particularly vulnerable to harm, said Beth Milito, executive director of NFIBs Small Business Legal Center. Because of this decision, many small business property owners will continue to be targeted and injured by a civil asset forfeiture procedure that violates due process and punishes businesses for the actions of the public. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the due process rights of two Alabama women were not violated when they both had to wait over a year for a court hearing to challenge the police seizure of their cars. In a 63 decision, the Court's conservative majority held in the case Culley v. Marshall, Attorney General of Alabama that property owners in civil asset forfeiture proceedings have no due process right to a preliminary court hearing to determine if police had probable cause to seize their property. "When police seize and then seek civil forfeiture of a car that was used to commit a drug offense, the Constitution requires a timely forfeiture hearing," Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in the majority opinion, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barrett. "The question here is whether the Constitution also requires a separate preliminary hearing to determine whether the police may retain the car pending the forfeiture hearing. This Court's precedents establish that the answer is no: The Constitution requires a timely forfeiture hearing; the Constitution does not also require a separate preliminary hearing." Under civil asset forfeiture laws, police can seize property suspected of being connected to criminal activity, even if the owner is never charged or convicted of a crime. Law enforcement groups say it is a vital tool to disrupt drug trafficking and other organized crime. Civil liberties groups across the political spectrum argue that the process creates perverse profit incentives for police and is unfairly tilted against property owners, who bear the burden of challenging the seizures in court. Those criticisms have been echoed in the past by not just the Supreme Court's liberal justices but also Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, giving forfeiture critics hope that a skeptical majority on the Court would clamp down on civil forfeiture. However, despite writing in a concurrence that "this case leaves many larger questions unresolved about whether, and to what extent, contemporary civil forfeiture practices can be squared with the Constitution's promise of due process," Gorsuch, joined by Thomas, both agreed with the majority opinion. Today's ruling is a disappointment, then, for groups such as the Institute for Justice, a libertarian-leaning public-interest law firm that filed an amicus brief on behalf of the petitioners. Kirby Thomas West, an Institute for Justice attorney, calls the ruling "a big loss for private property rights." "Today's decision will mean many more property owners will never get their day in court when it could do them some goodshortly after the seizure of their vehicle or other property," says West. "Instead, civil forfeiture cases will languish for months or years before they are resolved. Meanwhile owners of seized vehicles will scramble to find a way to get to work, take their kids to school, run errands, and complete other essential life tasks." The Supreme Court agreed to hear the casetwo consolidated cases both involving Alabama women whose cars were seized by police for offenses they were not involved or charged withlast year. In the first case, Halima Culley's son was pulled over by police in Satsuma, Alabama, while driving Culley's car. He was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The City of Satsuma also seized Culley's car. It took 20 months, during all of which Culley was bereft of her vehicle, before a state court ruled that she was entitled to the return of her car under Alabama's innocent-owner defense. In the second case, a friend of Lena Sutton took her car to run an errand in 2019. He was pulled over by police in Leesburg, Alabama, who found methamphetamine in the car and seized it. Sutton also eventually was granted summary judgment on an innocent-owner defense, but not until more than a year after the initial seizure of her car. Culley and Sutton both filed lawsuits claiming that the towns violated their Eighth and 14th Amendment rights by depriving them of their cars for months when a pretrial hearing to establish probable cause for the seizures could have quickly determined that they were innocent owners. Those long waits are not unusual. Last year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit ruled that Detroit's asset forfeiture scheme violated residents' constitutional rights by making them wait months for court hearings to challenge the validity of seizures. One of the plaintiffs in that lawsuit waited two years for a hearing. However, the 11th Circuit rejected Culley's claims, finding the state's civil forfeiture process satisfied the requirements for a timely hearing under the speedy trial test, a balancing test created to resolve allegations of Sixth Amendment violations. However, every other circuit that has weighed in on the issue used a different balancing test established in the 1976 Supreme Court case Mathews v. Eldridge to determine due process violations. The Supreme Court's conservative majority sidestepped the question of which test to use altogether, ruling that the existing requirement for a timely court hearing in forfeiture cases satisfied constitutional requirements. "A timely forfeiture hearing protects the interests of both the claimant and the government," Kavanaugh wrote. "And an additional preliminary hearing of the kind sought by petitioners would interfere with the government's important law-enforcement activities in the period after the seizure and before the forfeiture hearing." In a dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, wrote that the majority opinion's reasoning was "deeply flawed" and, rather than resolve the question of which test lower courts should apply, creates a universal rule that "hamstrings federal courts from conducting a context-specific analysis in civil forfeiture schemes that are less generous than the one here." The post Supreme Court Rules No Due Process Right to Preliminary Hearings in Civil Asset Forfeiture Cases appeared first on Reason.com. Surfer Killed in Mexico Left Girlfriend Sweet Voicemail Before He Was Killed: 'Just Thinking About You' Callum Robinson was killed along with his brother and a close friend Callum Robinson/Instagram Callum Robinson Before Callum Robinson, his brother and a friend were killed while on a surfing trip in Mexico, the Australia native left his girlfriend a romantic voicemail. Its 11:11 and Im just thinking about you, Robinson reportedly said in the message. Just wanted to drop you a quick message and say hello, baby. 7 News reported that Robinsons girlfriend, Emily Horwath, posted the voicemail message on Instagram, captioning it, Will be playing this on repeat. Hope youre having a phenomenal start to your day, the voicemail reportedly continued. Im sensing a big grin on your face for some reason today. I hope youre full of positivity and smiles. Cheers, baby. Miss ya. Callum Robinson/Instagram Callum Robinson Robinson, 33, who moved to San Diego from Australia, his brother, Jake Robinson, 30, from Perth, Australia, and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, went missing on April 27 while on a surfing trip near Ensenada. Authorities found their dead bodies at the bottom of a 50-foot well in Santo Tomas, Baja California, on May 3, having suffered gunshot wounds. Related: Man Suspected of Murdering Surfers in Mexico Told Girlfriend He 'Killed' 3 Men, Court Hears A man, identified by his first and middle names due to a Mexican law, Jesus Gerardo, 33, has since been charged in connection with their deaths. The San Diego Union-Tribune, the BBC, and The Independent reported that a judge in Mexico heard in court that the suspect had told his girlfriend that he attacked three gringos, and before allegedly clarifying that he killed the trio. Callum Robinson/Instagram Callum Robinson, left, Jake Robinson and Jack Carter Rhoad The outlets report that Jesus Gerardo is charged with forced disappearance but is expected to face murder charges. The BBC reported that the girlfriend and another man have been detained for alleged involvement. It's not immediately clear if Jesus Gerardo has entered a plea or retained an attorney. The Union-Tribune reported that the girlfriend claimed to authorities that the suspect attacked the three men over the tires on their vehicle. 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. Baja Californias chief state prosecutor Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez said at a press conference that authorities believe the three men were killed for their truck tires,, the Associated Press reported. "The world has become a darker place for us," Callum and Jakes mother Debra Robinson, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. We also mourn the loss of [Jack] Carter Rhoad, a close friend. They were young men enjoying their passion of surfing together. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. In the days following the disappearance, and subsequent deaths, of three traveling surfers in Baja, Mexico, authorities have been on the hunt for answers. The bodies of Jack Carter Rhoad (30), and brothers Callum (33) and Jake Robinson (30), were found last week south of Ensenada, near where they had been camping and surfing. They were discovered at the bottom of a well with gunshot wounds to the head. Related: Bodies Found in Search for Missing Surfers in Mexico Now, authorities on the case have charged one individual in connection with the crime. Per a press release from the Baja California Attorney Generals Office: For the crime of forced disappearance committed by private individuals, the Attorney General's Office of Baja California achieved the connection to the trial of Jesus Gerardo N, alias El Kekas, who will remain in preventive detention after his involvement in the crime committed to the detriment of two brothers of Australian origin and an American in Ensenada. As for the motive behind the heinous crime, the press release also confirmed that the aforementioned assailant, along with others, were after the three surfers vehicle. The statement continued: While the foreigners were camping, they were surprised by Jesus Gerardo N, and other people, with the intention of stealing their vehicle and due to the reaction of the victims, they deprived them of their lives. Related: Slain Surfers Honored with Memorial Paddle-Out in Baja, Mexico, Locals Call for Justice The area is known for cartel activity, however, according to an anonymous member of the criminal organization speaking to The Daily Beast, this was not their work. In fact, the nameless, alleged cartel member said they worked with authorities. They were low-level robbers acting alone. But we handed them over, he said. We learned that the cops were looking for the gringos and also began looking for those who were responsible. We called the authorities to let them know where to find them. Meanwhile, mourning for the three continues. The parents of Jake and Callum, Australian nationals, traveled to the US and made a statement. Our hearts are broken, and the world has become a darker place, said Debra Robinson, the mother. This is still a developing story. SURFER will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available. New police video shows the moments before a suspect was killed after crashing a stolen Lamborghini at over 100 miles per hour. The suspect driver was identified as Elliott Dugan, 51, by the Los Angeles Police Department. The incident happened on April 6 at around 5 a.m. as officers spotted Dugan reportedly asleep at the wheel of a Lamborghini Huracan. He was stopped at a red light on Sherman Way at Reseda Boulevard in Los Angeles. Body and dash cam videos show officers pulling Dugan over. As they walk over to his car to speak with him and ask for his ID, he tells police the Lamborghini is a rental car. The officer goes back to his patrol car to look up information on the suspect and his vehicle. He discovers Dugan had multiple felony warrants and the Lamborghini had been reported as a stolen car. Police spot a 2019 Lamborghini Huracan with the driver reportedly asleep at the wheel on April 6, 2024. (Los Angeles Police Department) Police pull over the Lamborghini Huracan in Los Angeles on April 6, 2024. (Los Angeles Police Department) The suspect crashes into a center median at speeds of over 100 miles per hour, slipping the car in half and killing the driver on impact on April 6, 2024. (Los Angeles Police Department) The suspect crashes into a center median at speeds of over 100 miles per hour, slipping the car in half and killing the driver on impact on April 6, 2024. (Los Angeles Police Department) Officers work to extinguish large pieces of smoking auto debris strew across the roadway. (Los Angeles Police Department) The suspect crashes into a center median at speeds of over 100 miles per hour, slipping the car in half and killing the driver on impact on April 6, 2024. (Los Angeles Police Department) The suspect crashes into a center median at speeds of over 100 miles per hour, slipping the car in half and killing the driver on impact on April 6, 2024. (Los Angeles Police Department) The suspect crashes into a center median at speeds of over 100 miles per hour, slipping the car in half and killing the driver on impact on April 6, 2024. (Los Angeles Police Department) Elliott Dugans body was launched several hundred feet away from the crash, landing on a nearby sidewalk on April 6, 2024. (Los Angeles Police Department) Elliott Dugans body was launched several hundred feet away from the crash, landing on a nearby sidewalk on April 6, 2024. (Los Angeles Police Department) Remants of the suspects Lamborghini Huracan after a high-speed crash in Los Angeles on April 6, 2024. (Los Angeles Police Department) Remants of the suspects Lamborghini Huracan after a high-speed crash in Los Angeles on April 6, 2024. (Los Angeles Police Department) Nearby parked cars were damaged by the debris propelled during the high-speed crash. (Los Angeles Police Department) Nearby parked cars were damaged by the debris propelled during the high-speed crash. (Los Angeles Police Department) Nearby parked cars were damaged by the debris propelled during the high-speed crash. (Los Angeles Police Department) Police tell Dugan to step out of the car but he refuses, arguing with the officer and repeatedly asking what he did wrong. When the officer says the vehicle is stolen, Dugan denies it before suddenly starting the engine and speeding off. Officers quickly hopped into their cars and chased after Dugan. Video of the pursuit showed Dugan hit speeds of over 110 miles per hour on surface streets. Shortly after the chase began, he crashed into a center median and several trees near the intersection of Vanalden Avenue and Sherman Way in Reseda. Arriving officers found a large amount of auto debris scattered across the roadways. The severe impact of the collision split the Lamborghini into two large pieces. Officers were seen extinguishing several medium-sized pieces that were still smoking. Dugans body had been launched several hundred feet away from the crash. After officers searched the area for several minutes, his body was eventually found on the sidewalk in front of a nearby apartment building. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The violent impact had sent large debris crashing onto parked cars along Sherman Way. Some of the vehicles had moderate to major damage with windows and roofs being destroyed. The deadly crash remains under investigation. No further details on the suspect or the stolen vehicle were provided. Full footage of the incident can be viewed in the video player above. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Google Briefly Lost Ownership Of Its Domain After It Was Mistakenly Sold For $12 To A Former Employee Even tech giants make mistakes. In a surprising incident from 2015, Google once briefly lost ownership of its domain, Google.com, as reported by CNN. Sanmay Ved, a former employee, managed to buy the domain late at night while exploring Googles domain service platform. To his utter shock, Google.com was listed as available, and he purchased it for just $12. Don't Miss: Invest in time-tested solution that aims to solve this $600 billion womens health problem at 80 cents per share . This Uber-for-moving startup is quietly taking the world by storm, heres how anyone can invest for a limited time. Ved shared a detailed account of an unexpected incident on LinkedIn, describing how he stumbled upon the availability of "google.com" on Google Domains. At 1:20 a.m. Eastern Time, he was exploring the platform when he entered the domain into the search bar and was surprised to find it listed as available. Contrary to usual indications, the option to add the domain to his cart was visible, which is typically not seen unless a domain is genuinely available for sale. Upon clicking the "add to cart" icon, the domain was successfully added to his cart, confirmed by a green checkmark. Ved proceeded to checkout, curious to see if the transaction would go through. He recalled, "I was hoping I would get an error at some time saying the transaction did not go through, but I was able to complete the purchase, and my credit card was actually charged!" Trending: Amid the ongoing EV revolution, previously overlooked low-income communities now harbor a huge investment opportunity. He immediately received access to Google Webmaster Tools notifications, confirming his temporary ownership. He provided screenshots of the emails and proof of the charge appearing on his credit card as well. Ved also reported the incident to Google Security. In his post, he mentioned, "Google has reverted, has acknowledged the incident, and is investigating into the incident." Google reached out and was reportedly "excited" to compensate Ved with $6,000.13, an amount humorously reflecting the brands name numerically. When Ved decided to donate the sum to charity, Google commendably doubled the reward to $12,000. This incident exposed a rare lapse in Googles domain registration services and provided significant security insights. Following the incident in 2015, Google paid out a total of $2 million to researchers who identified vulnerabilities across its platforms, underscoring the importance of security vigilance and the value of ethical hacking. Story continues Google continues to offer significant rewards through its Vulnerability Rewards Program (VRP), although the amounts vary depending on the severity and impact of the vulnerabilities discovered. In 2023, Google paid out $10 million to security researchers. This amount represents a slight decrease from the $12 million paid out in 2022. The highest reward in 2023 for a single vulnerability was $113,337, showcasing Googles ongoing commitment to compensating those who help enhance the security of its platforms. Google has also broadened the scope of its Vulnerability Reward Programs (VRPs) to include emerging threats and new technology areas such as generative AI, further emphasizing the programs expansion and its importance to Googles overall security strategy. This strategic approach not only enhances product security but also fosters a robust relationship with the global security research community, encouraging more participants to contribute to the safety of Googles expansive suite of services. Keep Reading: "ACTIVE INVESTORS' SECRET WEAPON" Supercharge Your Stock Market Game with the #1 "news & everything else" trading tool: Benzinga Pro - Click here to start Your 14-Day Trial Now! Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Google Briefly Lost Ownership Of Its Domain After It Was Mistakenly Sold For $12 To A Former Employee originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Suspect in extended-stay hotel killing arrested after evading authorities since Monday Gulfport Police arrested and charged a suspect on Wednesday in a shooting death at an extended-stay hotel. Antwon Duane Williams, 32, who had evaded authorities since Monday, was arrested Wednesday and charged with one count of first-degree murder, Gulfport Police said in a news release. Police had searched for Williams since early Monday, when they identified him as the suspect in a shooting death of a 40-year-old man at InTown Suites. Police responded about 1:21 a.m. Monday to a shooting in the 9100 block of Highway 49 and found Charles Martell Oatis dead from a gunshot wound. Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from an argument between the two men, police said. Williams shot Oatis and fled the scene, police said. Oatis sought help from the hotel manager but died of a single gunshot wound before he could tell the manager he had been shot, Harrison County coroner Brian Switzer said Monday. Williams is held at Harrison County jail on $1,000,000 bond. Police ask anyone with any information about the shooting to contact the Gulfport Police Department at 228-868-5959 or Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at 877-787-5898. Sun Herald Staff Writer Margaret Baker contributed reporting. SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) The suspect in a double hit-and-run who allegedly led police on a wild chase through the streets of San Francisco on Tuesday made his first court appearance Thursday. Rodney Jefferson, 54, was charged in connection to multiple hit-and-run incidents in the Tenderloin and North Beach, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced. Appearing in an orange jail-issue jumpsuit for Thursdays arraignment at the San Francisco Hall of Justice, Jefferson pleaded not-guilty to all charges. Tuesdays rampage through the streets of SF resulted in Jefferson being charged with two counts of leaving the scene of an accident, reckless driving with great bodily injury, evading an officer with willful disregard, evading an officer causing great bodily injury, and driving on a suspended license for refusal or high blood alcohol content. San Francisco road closures, commuter impacts during Biden visit In one incident described to the court, it was revealed that Jefferson swerved around a car parked near a crosswalk and struck a middle school student who was in the crosswalk. The student, a 14-year-old girl, suffered a broken ankle, dislocated shoulder, and bruise to the head. That same day Jefferson was allegedly spinning donuts in the intersection of Jones and Market streets when he struck a pedestrian trying to cross the street. Jefferson drove away but returned and threw a $20 bill at the victim before driving away again. Police engaged in a pursuit, but broke it off due to safety concerns. Jefferson, who was driving a white and blue Mustang GT, was eventually taken into custody near the KRON4 News Studio at Embarcadero and Green streets. At Thursdays appearance, prosecutors argued against bail for Jefferson as it was not his first offense. Court proceedings revealed the suspect had 14 prior felony convictions, the most recent in August, 2020. That one was for battery with injury on a school employee. Jeffersons defense, however, argued that 11 of the 14 priors were from before 2007. Those arguments apparently failed to move the judge, who called Jeffersons actions egregious and said be represented a risk to public safety. As a result, Jefferson will be held without bail. That means he will remain in jail until at least his preliminary hearing on May 22. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Authorities are asking the public for help in locating a woman suspected of murdering a man in 2022 in the city of Oceanside. On December 26, 2022, 37-year-old Jacob Sanders was found dead in the riverbed area near Benet Road and Highway 76, according to San Diego County Crime Stoppers and the Oceanside Police Department. Pedestrian struck by COASTER train in Carlsbad Authorities identified 49-year-old Aarin Angel Sorenson as a suspect. They described her as a transient who was known to frequent areas in Oceanside and Tijuana. On Thursday, they said Sorenson might also be in the Las Vegas area, and is known to go by other last names: Perez, Wujick and Rincon. Sorenson is described as five feet tall, weighing about 170 pounds, with blonde hair and green eyes. Anyone with more information regarding Sorenson or the murder is asked to call the Oceanside Police Department at (760) 435-4378, or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. A reward of $1,000 is being offered in exchange for information. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Sweden will allocate 28 million euros to several funds to support Ukraine's defense capabilities, the country's Defense Ministry announced on May 9. According to a statement on the ministry's website, 18 million euros will be given to three coalitions within the framework of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, and 10 million euros will go to NATO's fund for Ukraine. "The Swedish support will gradually develop towards buying new equipment from the industry for donation to Ukraine," Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson said. "Through these payments to funds, we can strengthen Ukraine's defense in terms of drones, mine clearance and by strengthening the capabilities of the Ukrainian navy," he added. Subscribe to Ukraine Daily newsletter News from Ukraine in your inbox Subscribe In March 2024, Sweden officially joined NATO after a lengthy application process triggered by Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine and was immediately vocal in its calls for other alliance members to do more. Swedens Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom told Euractiv that NATO is not doing enough for Ukraine and some countries in the alliance dont understand that the conflict is here and that we need to deal with it." We have to understand that Russia is a neighbor that is behaving irresponsibly, which is threatening the world with irresponsible nuclear threats and the idea of recreating its former empire at the expense of independent sovereign states We have to put an end to that, he said. Read also: Swedish defense minister on stepping up Ukraine aid and a new era in European security Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The Swedish government has instructed the Swedish Armed Forces to make payments totalling 28 million to support Ukraine's defence capabilities. Source: a statement on the Swedish government's website, reported by European Pravda Details: The Swedish government stressed that 18 million will be provided to three coalitions of assets and personnel within the framework of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (also known as Ramstein format), and 10 million will be provided to the NATO fund for Ukraine. "We continue to support Ukraine and will do so for as long as it takes. Swedish support will be gradually used to purchase new equipment from industry to be transferred to Ukraine. With these funds, we can strengthen Ukraine's defence capabilities in the realm of drones, mine clearance and enhancing the capabilities of the Ukrainian Navy," said Swedish Defence Minister Paul Johnson. The government stated that 5 million are to be allocated to the mine clearance coalition, 3 million to the maritime security coalition, and another 10 million to the drone coalition. Background: In early April, the Swedish government allocated about SEK 40 million (US$3.7 million) for humanitarian aid to Ukraine. In addition, Swedish Defence Minister Paul Johnson admitted that Stockholm could transfer the Patriot air defence system to Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! Taco truck employee buys abused 3-month-old pup from man to save it, Texas cops say A taco truck employee saved a 3-month-old puppy from a man caught on camera violently hitting and kicking it, Texas officers said. A cell phone store employee called police and reported the man dragged the pup into the store and then repeatedly hit and kicked it, the Harris County Constable for Precinct 1 said in a May 6 Facebook post. The man pulled the puppy out of the store and continued to abuse it, video shows. The man eventually made his way to a taco truck, where an employee stepped in to save the pup, officers said. The taco truck employee bought the puppy from the man for $20 after witnessing the abuse, KPRC reported. Police located the pup safely with the taco truck employee and surrendered it to Houston SPCA, where the 3-month old lab was affectionately named Buttercup. Houston SPCA examined Buttercup and found no serious injuries, KPRC reported. He has since been adopted. The man, whose identity was not released, was charged on May 8 after an investigation. There is a warrant out for his arrest, officers said, but it was not publicly revealed what he is accused of. Beloved otter suddenly dies at Michigan zoo. He was an excellent father and teacher Animal shelter floored seeing puppys X-rays detailing rare condition, photos show Dog needed a leg amputated after rescue but this snuggly dog is ready for a home Read the latest in our coverage of the death of Anthony Johnson Jr. and other issues in Tarrant County jail. Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez announced Thursday that he will propose a plan to address deficiencies in how the sheriffs office communicates and releases information about in-custody deaths. Ramirezs statement comes two days after Sheriff Bill Waybourn skipped a Commissioners Court meeting in which recent jail deaths were on the agenda, including Marine veteran Anthony Johnson Jr. in April. Instead of a briefing for commissioners, county administrator Chandler Merritt read from two press releases the sheriff had used weeks earlier to announce the deaths. Johnsons family has demanded information about how he died, including the release of video from inside the jail. The sheriff has refused, saying the case is under investigation. The Star-Telegram has also sought the video through public records requests. Ramirez stopped short of calling on the sheriff to release the video. After observing the response to several recent critical incidents, including the most recent death in custody of Mr. Anthony Johnson, it has become apparent that we are not doing enough to share information with the public, Ramirez, a former police officer, wrote in a one-page statement. While every critical incident is unique and will undoubtedly demand a sensitive decision-making process, the public should know what the process is and what to expect as the process proceeds. Johnson, 31, died on April 21 after being pepper-sprayed in an altercation with guards during a routine contraband check of his cell, the sheriffs office has said. He was arrested on April 19 in the throes of a mental health crisis, after his family says he was turned away from a mental hospital. Commissioner Alisa Simmons has demanded that the sheriffs office release video of altercation that led to Johnsons death. Simmons is one of two Democrats on the Commissioners Court. Ramirez is one of three Republicans. Their fellow commissioners have not publicly commented on the Johnson case. Democrat Roy Brooks was not in attendance for Tuesdays meeting. Ramirez said his proposed policy changes for the sheriffs office largely mirror best practices and will include proposed timelines to release video, notify next of kin and provide media briefings. Ramirez is the former president of the Fort Worth Police Officers Association. The Tarrant County Sheriffs Office needs more transparent, structured, and consistent communication policies for handling critical incident reporting and releasing video, Ramirez said. Johnsons family, their attorney, Simmons and members of the community have previously called for the release of the video. While the statement from Ramirez does not call for the videos release, it does lay out plans to set schedules for when videos are released, news conferences are held, news releases are disseminated and next-of-kin are updated. Ramirez said the potential policy models after that of similarly sized law enforcement agencies. The policy would also allow the public to have a timeline they could count on for the release of information, he wrote. Only when our community members clearly understand the consistent and uniformly applied process when there are critical incidents or in-custody deaths can they develop trust that these processes are followed, the release read. In Tarrant County, when we face challenges, we will step up and solve them no matter how tough. While the sheriff and no representatives of his staff attended Tuesdays commissioners meeting, Johnsons family was there. You cant see my pain right now, but I can make sure yall turn colors and see pain, Anthony Johnsons sister Janell Johnson told commissioners. Daryl Washington, the attorney for the Johnson family, has called for Waybourn to release the video or resign. If its too much pressure for the sheriff to expose wrongdoing ... he needs to resign, Washington said in a phone call Wednesday with the Star-Telegram. Theyre going to try to keep it from coming out for a long time. Its going to be damning. Youre going to see someone who didnt want to die. UPDATE: 7 a.m. The TBI has issued a statement saying Lilyana Cook has been located and Steffany Hamner is in custody. Previous story: MOUNTAIN CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) has issued an Endangered Child Alert out of Johnson County. The TBI says 14-year-old Lilyana Cook was last seen Wednesday in Mountain City. The agency sent the alert just before 11 p.m. Wednesday on behalf of the Johnson County Sheriffs Office. The agency said Cook is believed to be with Steffany Hamner, her non-custodial mother, who is wanted on custodial interference charges in Johnson County. MORE: Lilyana Cook is believed to be with her non-custodial mother, Steffany Hamner. Hamner may be heading to Colorado. She's wanted by the Johnson County Sheriff's Office for Custodial Interference. If you see Lilyana or Hamner, call 1-800-TBI-FIND. pic.twitter.com/bBZvlhGQ0M Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (@TBInvestigation) May 9, 2024 Hamner may be en route to Colorado, according to a social media post by the TBI. Cook is listed as having blonde hair and blue eyes. She is 51 and weighs 98 pounds. She was last seen wearing a beige, long-sleeve crop top and black sweatpants. If you have any information on the whereabouts of Lilyana Cook or Steffany Hamner, you are asked to contact the Johnson County Sheriffs Office at 423-727-7761 or the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) A chemicals company with a site based in Mobile has received a reward that recognizes the positive impact of global trade on the regional economy, according to a press release. Governor Kay Ivery awarded Evonik, one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals, with the Governors Trade Excellence Award during a ceremony at the State Capitol. Mobile Police sergeant says young black men are most vulnerable to rising gun violence According to the release, The award recognizes excellence in exporting by companies in Alabama and aims to raise awareness of the positive impact of global trade on the states economy. Evonik has two locations in Alabama, the release notes: Mobile and Birmingham. The company employs about 1,000 people between the two sites. While the Mobile site focuses on manufacturing specialty chemicals for a variety of products, the Birmingham site specializes in bioabsorbable polymers and drug delivery techniques. Evonik Birmingham Site Manager Hans Thullesen (left) and Mobile Site Manager Kel Boisvert (right) accept the 2024 Governors Trade Excellence Award from Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. (Photo: Alabama Governors office) UPDATE: I-10 reopens after lane closures The award is a great honor for Evonik, and we are grateful to local, state, and federal partners for their support of our growth and export strategy, Kel Boisvert, member of Evoniks North America Leadership Team (NALT) and site manager in Mobile, said. Hans Thullesen, site manager of Evonik Birmingham Labs, added, Evonik is pleased to contribute to the booming bioscience industry in Birmingham. Receiving the Governors Trade Excellence Award underscores the importance of biotechnology not just in Alabama, but across the globe. For more information, visit Evoniks website. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. I-TEAM: Teachers assaulted in their own classrooms; How safe do they feel? How safe do Ohio teachers feel inside their own classrooms? The News Center 7 I-Team is revealing the startling results of our exclusive, nationwide survey. The I-Teams lead investigative reporter, John Bedell, spent weeks talking to educators about what theyre up against and what can be done to keep everyones learning environment safe. Weve seen chaos in the classroom in southwest Ohio. In one of the most recent examples, a teacher suffered a severe brain injury when a student attacked her. As News Center 7 previously reported, we got a hold of the police body camera video showing the students arrest. When you started freaking out do you remember having any conversation with the teacher? a police officer asked the 15-year-old Colerain High School student in the school office earlier this year. Just three months ago, that student assaulted one of his teachers. Doctors had to remove part of the victims skull after the attack to prevent brain damage due to swelling. The student punched the teacher repeatedly during the attack. The police body camera video showed the students account. (The teacher) said she was going to call the police, the student told the officer. I just started punching them. You started punching who, the officer asked. The teacher, the student answered. The I-Team also talked to a Washington state teacher who was violently attacked by a 6th grader last month. The attack was caught on video. Its changed my entire life, she told the I-Team. One Georgia elementary school teacher told the I-Team about a 4th grader who she said hit her with a full water bottle. He just started hitting me with it everywhere from the shoulder down to the knee because he was just mad at me, Amber Strickland said. These teachers are not alone. The News Center 7 I-Team teamed up with our Cox Media Group sister stations across the country to ask teachers about their experiences with student violence, their opinions about the causes, and possible solutions. More than 8,000 teachers in 34 states weighed in with more than 1,100 sharing personal stories, including five teachers from the Miami Valley. One Butler County teacher wrote, I am an early childhood intervention specialist. I had a kindergarten student obsessed with killing me. He talked about it all the time. My administration would not do anything about it. He hit, kicked, and bit me. He would launch objects across the room at me. It wasnt until another therapist outside of the district informed my administrator that she was so concerned about my safety that they finally removed him from my caseload. I feel not enough is done to protect teachers. Another teacher from Clark County wrote, I work an Autism unit K through 3. They mix verbal with non-verbal students. Each student needs a one-on-one aide but school districts dont want to pay extra for these students to have what they need. Sensory items, break rooms, and additional staff to help when behaviors occur. This leads to more staff injury and sometimes other student injury. It is a broken system and gets worse daily. The administration has meetings to decide on policy, pay professionals with no idea the context of the student decide what and how to handle said child with no regard to other students safety or staff-student ratio. One teacher in Miami County wrote, Administrators are mostly spineless when it comes to backing teachers up and supplying firm, fair, and consistent discipline. All of the legislation for schools puts the onus on teachers to control everything and there is zero accountability for administrators when they dont support us and things snowball. A teacher in Montgomery County wrote, This year has been the worst year in my 13 years of teaching with student behaviors. Students have cussed me out, and written horrible things about me in notes and on school property. The students are so apathetic about learning and dont care about learning. Admin tells us how to talk to the kids, handle them, etc., but the kids do not care about authority at all. We feel defeated and like everything that is going wrong is our fault. Finally, another teacher from Montgomery County said, Its simple. Kids do not treat teachers as authority or adults. We are a distraction from social media, not being productive, and worrying about the next big thing. School is not valued. Fights happen and most systems of discipline involve tracking, working with the kid, calling parents, etc. instead of immediate discipline for fights, swearing at teachers, refusal to listen to instructions, and trying to teach. In my district, the blame is on teachers, not students and admin is even afraid of kids and tells us hands off while 1000+ other kids see a double standard. The I-Team went to Columbus and shared some of our findings with the Ohio Education Association. The OEA declined the I-Teams request to distribute our survey to its membership. When Bedell asked why the OEA made that decision, President Scott DiMauro told the I-Team, that it was a matter of policy. We do have protocols where if were going to do a member survey that were directly involved in the creation of that survey and were directly involved in how the data gets used, DiMauro told the I-Team. Several other state teachers unions did agree to send our survey to their membership for this report, including in Florida, Massachusetts, and Georgia. However, the I-Team had other ways to get the survey out to teachers in the Buckeye State. More than 600 Ohio teachers answered. Heres what we found. Of those surveyed 77% said theyve been subjected to physical violence by a student at least once. Whats your reaction to that (77% figure)? Bedell asked DiMauro. Thats really disturbing, DiMauro answered. And I think thats an indicator of the problem that were facing. I think you have to dig a little bit deeper in terms of the nature of those attacks. I mean, in some cases, theyre very severe. In other cases, I think theyre probably less consequential. But no physical altercations are acceptable. And I think that is symptomatic of a challenge that were seeing and the need for a serious, comprehensive, collaborative strategy to address it. And, 65% of teachers who responded in Ohio told the I-Team theyve considered quitting or retiring because of violence against teachers. Ive seen some other survey data that is very similar to that, DiMauro said when we shared that data from our survey with him. We saw at the height of the pandemic a record number of educators who were seriously considering leaving the profession or retiring early. And while thats come down a little bit, this is an issue that remains a challenge. And as were working to recruit and retain caring, qualified educators in all our classrooms, we have to make sure that we have safe environments. Because otherwise, were going to lose good people. Dr. Susan McMahon is the chair of the American Psychological Associations Task Force on Violence against Educators and School Personnel. Dr. McMahon has been reviewing the problem closely since 2008 and has led nationwide studies about violence against teachers. The I-Team shared our findings with her. McMahon pointed out that teachers who have been attacked may have been more willing to fill out the survey. She added that while its difficult to track how many teachers are leaving the job because of the threat of violence, their responses demonstrate how bad its gotten for many in the classroom. It gives us a glimpse of whats going on in the school and sort of how serious the situation is when so many people want to leave, Dr. McMahon told the I-Team. Its an indicator that we need to figure things out and make it better. More than half of the teachers we heard from nationwide said they support zero-tolerance policies at school to help address the safety threat. But critics warn those policies can create even more problems, Including dilemmas with where to put troubled kids if theyve been removed from a school. We also heard calls for increased funding to support at-risk students. There are a lot of traumatized kids that are coming in and their behavior is a reflection of their experiences at home, said Cliff Canavan, a teacher at Brockton Public Schools in Massachusetts. So putting things in place that allow us to help them and support them so that they can correct their behavior. When we asked teachers what the biggest impact on student behavior is, 77% of Ohio teachers said a lack of parenting involvement and discipline. Nationally, it was 75%. Parents play an absolutely critical role, DiMauro said while discussing how violence against teachers in the classroom is a complex problem to solve. Part of it is setting clear expectations, at home and kind of building that base so that students are coming to school ready to learn. But I also dont want to get in a situation where were pointing fingers at parents. A lot of parents are feeling overwhelmed. If you have somebody who is working multiple jobs to make ends meet or just doesnt have the resources themselves to serve their students, I think thats a challenge. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. Cox Media Group gathered comments from teachers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Washington, about violence in the classroom. DiMauro calls violence against teachers a big concern. He said since the pandemic, its the number one issue that (OEA membership) brings up concerns about increased frequency of student violence against educators. Also concerns about intensity. In the end, DiMauro said this will require a partnership to fix. We have to have not just schools responsible for solving this, but across different agencies, social services, we have to be attending to issues of health and nutrition and mental health in all of this, DiMauro said. There is not one single entity who bears this responsibility. Teachers do need help. But yes, it starts with parents for sure. Ill also add that when I talk to colleagues, they need support from their administrators. You know, a lot of times we have discipline policies and theres frustration that there isnt adequate support in implementing those policies, or in making sure that theres consistency, when it comes to implementing policies, setting clear standards, making sure that there are high expectations for all students, and that we are reinforcing positive behaviors and that there are consequences for students who have negative behaviors. As for the student from the Colerain High School teacher attack earlier this year, just last month he admitted to felonious assault in Hamilton County Juvenile Court. It was part of a plea bargain. The 15-year-old admitted his guilt and Hamilton County prosecutors agreed to stop their work to get the case moved to adult court. That 15-year-old is scheduled to be sentenced in juvenile court next week. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor announced on Thursday that major progress has been made regarding the amount of time it takes to process rape kits in the State of Tennessee. According to data from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the average turnaround time on processing a sexual assault kit at the crime lab in Jackson, Tenn., where Shelby County cases are analyzed, dropped from 43.8 weeks at the end of 2022, to 15.4 weeks by the end of March 2024. When I ran to be Shelby Countys next state Senator, I promised I would work with state agencies and local partners to speed up sexual assault kit processing time, said Senator Taylor. Taylor says that 48 of 50 new crime lab scientists approved by the legislature have been hired, and the increase in personnel has drastically reduced the time it takes to process sexual assault kits. Tennessees long rape kit processing times cut in half after Eliza Fletchers death exposed delays This means that victims have faster resolution and sexual assaulters are held accountable, Taylor added. The large drop in processing times comes after the death of Eliza Fletcher in 2022, which highlighted the long delays. Just days after Cleotha Abston was charged in the killing of Fletcher, he was also charged in the 2021 rape of a different woman. Memphis Police say the sexual assault report was taken on Sept. 21, 2021, but was not analyzed until nearly a year later. He was convicted of the kidnap and rape of Alicia Franklin in April 2024. TBI making progress on rape kit testing The TBI previously said that the delays were due to a lack in staffing and low pay. They also said that Memphis Police did not request for expedited analysis of the kit, which can cut down the wait to only days. Senator Taylor stated in a July 2023 interview with WREGs sister station in Nashville that if turnaround times had been quicker, Abston would not have been on the streets and Fletcher would still be alive. In 2022, soon after Fletchers killing, Lawmakers fast-tracked funding for additional lab positions and used a $1.85 million federal grant to contract with a Florida lab to test over 850 rape kits, according to a report from the Associated Press. The decline in processing times has continued to decrease since the changes were implemented. Lawmakers say they hope the wait times continue to fall. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. By the time Cheryl Lovett received word a tornado was barreling toward her Columbia home, she didn't have time to act, family members said Thursday. Brooke Helmick, Lovett's niece, said her cousin, Brie Lovett, sent a frantic text message to her mother warning her of the large tornado barreling toward them on Blackburn Lane. Cheryl, 67, and another relative, Penny Lovett, were together. Cheryl Lovett, pictured right with her dughter Brie Lovett, was killed when a powerful tornado swept through Columbia, Tenn., Wednesday, May 8, 2024. "Brie was on her way home from work. They got to the church first," Helmick said. "My cousin texted them at like 5:18 p.m., told them they needed to get out." The two women lived in a mobile home next door to Brie Lovett. There was no where safe for them to shelter, Helmick explained. She said her aunt brushed off the warning with a laugh. "That was the last time they heard from her," Helmick said. Storm aftermath: Deadly tornadoes again rampage through Tennessee: 'Lord please dont let me die' Cheryl Lovett was found about 100 feet from the home. Penny Lovett was found alive, albeit in critical condition, in the field next to their home. She was rushed by helicopter to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for care. Three others in the path of the tornado were also injured, officials said Wednesday night. Maury County officials have not yet publicly identified any of the victims. The home Brie Lovett shared with her 18-year-old daughter, set to graduate next week, her brother, his wife and twin babies is gone. Alisa Helmick, the youngest of four siblings, remembered her older sister well. Cheryl was the third child in the bunch. "She was a free spirit, a hippy," she said. "She loved animals, nature. She'd go by the creek and hang out with the family all the time." Cheryl Lovett was also a giving person. "She was my older sister," Helmick said through tears. "She was my big sister." This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee woman killed in Columbia tornado remembered as a free spirit Tester becomes first Democrat to co-sponsor Laken Riley Act after voting against it as amendment Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) on Thursday became the first Senate Democrat to co-sponsor the Laken Riley Act, which is named after the 22-year-old nursing student who was killed on the University of Georgias campus by a Venezuelan migrant. Testers co-sponsorship of the measure is notable because he voted against it when it was offered as an amendment to a spending package funding the departments of Defense and Homeland Security along with other priorities. Adding the controversial language to the broader package could have derailed the bipartisan spending deal. Tester said last month he would support the Laken Riley Act as a stand-alone bill. The legislation would require federal officials to apprehend and detain illegal immigrants who commit certain crimes until they can be removed from the United States. Testers support for the bill, which passed the House by a large bipartisan majority, shows the growing salience of border security as an issue ahead of the 2024 election. After hearing from law enforcement officers across Montana, Im backing the Laken Riley Act to make sure that individuals who enter our country and commit a crime are held accountable so that no Montana family has to worry about the safety of their loved ones, he said in a statement. Tester, who is running for reelection in a state that voted twice for former President Trump, is one of the Senates most vulnerable incumbents. He said keeping Montana safe is his top priority, and thats why Ive repeatedly called on the Biden Administration and Congress to do more to secure the southern border. The bill would require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to apprehend illegal immigrants who commit theft, burglary, larceny or shoplifting and detain them until they are removed from the county. The National Republican Senatorial Committee quickly pointed out Tester voted against the Laken Riley Act when it was offered as an amendment sponsored by Sens. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) to a must-pass appropriations bill. Tester, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, however, pointed out that he has secured what his office described as significant wins for border security in a $1.2 trillion government funding package. He helped appropriate funding for 22,000 border patrol agents, 150 new Customs and Border Protection points of entry, and 41,500 new detention beds in the bill. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. AUSTIN (KXAN) Statewide political advocacy organization Equality Texas responded to an uptick in anti-LGTBQ+ incidents each month in 2023 compared to 2022, officials told KXAN this week. It comes as leadership said they are preparing for additional LGBTQ+-related bills to be filed in the upcoming legislative session, beginning in January. That session will come on the heels of the 2023 session, where lawmakers filed 141 bills a historic high related to the LGBTQ+ community. Chloe Goodman serves as Equality Texas constituent services manager, fielding incidents and support requests across Texas. In 2022, Goodman said the organization had an average of 12.9 cases per month staff took intake on. By 2023, the average came to about 25.9 cases per month. We generally see an uptick around Pride just because were more visible and have more going on, they said. But in 2023we had a spike of 46 cases in September, which coincides with a return to school. Among those cases, Goodman said theres been a strong concentration of them involving Texas schools. Some incidents relate to targets against educators, while others include students dealing with varying degrees of harassment or bullying at school. OutLaw: A Half-Century Criminalizing LGBTQ+ Texans Overall, though, they added these incidents arent only school-specific. Some happen in Texas communities like homeowners associations, where residents reported being prohibited from displaying pride flags on their property. In Austin, the citys Austin Against Hate community dashboard also tracks hate crime-specific incidents, including anti-LGBTQ-related crimes. Since 2017, the dashboard has collected 191 reported hate crimes. Those are broken down by year as: 2017: 14 reported hate crimes 2018: 17 reported hate crimes 2019: 12 reported hate crimes 2020: 24 reported hate crimes 2021: 26 reported hate crimes 2022: 43 reported hate crimes 2023: 51 reported hate crimes 2024 YTD: 4 reported hate crimes Equality Texas outlines a host of community resources on its website, including support and crisis headlines, LGBTQ+ centers, legal and assistance resources as well as programs centered around LGBTQ+ youth and behavioral health services. The organization also has a support request form, where Texans can submit anti-LGBTQ+ incidents theyve experienced or witnessed. More information on Equality Texas and its work is available online. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. AUSTIN (Nexstar) Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan announced Wednesday the priorities he wants lawmakers to work on during the off-legislative session season. The Republican speakers list of interim charges includes dozens of assignments for House committees to work on before legislators return to Austin for the 89th session in January. Much of their charges include tracking new laws to ensure the intended legislative outcome of the bills. It comes after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made his list for senators in early April. Similarly to Patricks list, Phelan also is tasking the House with looking into ways to expand Republicans priority of property tax relief. The speaker is asking the House to further evaluate its appraisal caps both on the homestead exemption and the trial run on certain non-homestead property. Some of the House charges include the following: State Affairs Committee: reviewing border security operations of state agencies carrying out Gov. Greg Abbotts Operation Lone Star; evaluating findings and recommendations from an investigative committee that looked into the Panhandle wildfires; examining economic challenges from escalating cost of insurance premiums. Public Education Committee: consider issues to increase education opportunities to more high-quality options for students regardless of circumstance; examine opportunities to improve students early literacy and numeracy outcomes, examine outcomes of hiring teachers who are not certified. Youth Health and Safety Committee: monitoring implementation of HB 3, which required school districts to implement more security and safety measures on campuses; evaluate behavioral health services for at-risk youth. Business & Industry Committee: evaluating housing affordability and the impact on renters and buyers from institutional buyers; examining the proliferation of fraudulent deeds. Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee: study the use of less-lethal devices in law enforcement encounters; study communication challenges of first responders and emergency personnel. Natural Resources Committee : examine opportunities to expand the reuse of waters in Texas; evaluate boil water notices and identify solutions; examine Texas groundwater infrastructure. Pensions, Investments & Financial Service Committee: examine the ways in which environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies are contradictory to fiduciary duties. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Department of Public Safety Special Operations agents escort a group of migrants through private property as part of Operation Lone Star after apprehebnding them in Kinney County near Brackettville on Nov. 9, 2021. Credit: Veronica G. Cardenas for ProPublica/The Texas Tribune Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday opened a program that will reimburse landowners along the U.S.-Mexico border for damage to their land and property caused by migrants, smugglers and drug traffickers. Landowners have 90 days after an incident to file a claim, which requires a written police report documenting the damage. The state will compensate up to $75,000 for damage to things like a barn or a fence, Paxtons office said in a written statement that blamed President Joe Bidens administration for the problem. This program will provide needed relief to Texans whose property is damaged by foreign aliens waved into the country by the federal government, Paxton said in the statement. I am glad to help the farmers and ranchers on our borderlands who bear the costs of Bidens destructive policies. Property damage caused by migrants crossing through private property such as cutting through fences as they make their way north has been a constant problem for border-area landowners for decades. Private property is sometimes damaged when human smugglers try to evade authorities and crash their vehicles into fences or structures. Landowners can apply online and should expect correspondence via email, according to the attorney generals office. The Legislature last year approved a law, Senate Bill 1133, to create the program, which appropriated $18 million in state money for the fund for this year and next year. Land damage before Sept. 1, when SB 1133 went into effect, is not eligible for the program. Landowners have 90 days to file claims for any damage to their land between Sept. 1 and May 6. 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. Editors Note: The following is adapted from They Came for the Schools: One Towns Fight Over Race and Identity, and the New War for Americas Classrooms, a book by NBC News senior reporter Mike Hixenbaugh that will be published by Mariner Books on May 14. Christina McGuirk felt as if she might throw up as she pulled up to a Dallas-area hotel in October 2021. That might have been nerves, or because the fourth grade teacher was newly pregnant; she could not say which. McGuirk had gone back and forth all week on whether she wanted to tell her story on national television. Even with her voice and face obscured to protect her from being identifiable, she worried about the blowback if anyone found out shed talked. Her mother, a career educator, helped her decide. Everyone needs to know whats happening to teachers, shed told her daughter. If you dont speak up, then who will? An NBC News producer let McGuirk in through a side door and led her to a private conference room where a film crew was waiting. My colleague Antonia Hylton and I had spent a year by then reporting on the revolt against a school diversity plan in the affluent and fast-diversifying Fort Worth suburb of Southlake, Texas. The city had become a national poster child or cautionary tale in the new campaign to rid schools of programs, books and lessons that conservative activists were attacking under a distorted and ever-expanding definition of critical race theory. That spring, candidates vehemently opposed to new diversity education programs at Southlakes Carroll Independent School District had won seats on the school board, and in the months since, theyd begun enacting their agenda. Southlake school board election (Nitashia Johnson for NBC News) Now McGuirk was about to blow the whistle on what she viewed as the corrosive consequences. Only a few days earlier a senior Carroll administrator had advised McGuirk and her colleagues to balance any classroom books depicting the horrors of the Holocaust by also providing titles written from an opposing perspective. What?! one teacher said, incredulous. How do you give opposing views on the Holocaust? said another. Believe me, the administrator responded through the shocked commotion. Thats come up. Another teacher wondered aloud if she would have to pull down the childrens classic Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, or other historical novels that tell the story of the Holocaust from the perspective of its victims. Was she supposed to find a story told from the perspective of Nazis? Or one from the point of view of Holocaust deniers? Should they also balance accounts about the horrors of slavery by adding books written from the perspective of white supremacists? The Carroll ISD Administration Center in Southlake, Texas. (Nitashia Johnson for NBC News) The administrators instruction which had been secretly recorded and provided to NBC News was meant to help teachers comply with a new Texas law that required schools to present both sides of any currently controversial subject. But to McGuirk, 28 at the time, the Holocaust guidance was the latest and most disturbing sign of the far-rights tightening grip on her school district and a warning of what could be coming to schools across the country. Her fears would prove warranted. A recent nationwide survey of teachers revealed the toll exacted by three years of partisan attacks on public education. Two-thirds of U.S. teachers told the Rand Corp. that they had limited discussions of political and social issues including racism and LGBTQ topics in their classrooms. Many said they self-censored because they feared losing their teaching licenses, or because they did not trust that administrators would defend them from parent complaints. In this climate, some teachers have left education entirely. McGuirk, whod gotten into teaching as a way of living out her Christian faith, by showing kindness and compassion to children, had decided to stay and fight for what she believed was right. Her hands were shaking, but once in the interview chair that afternoon in October 2021, she felt a rush of confidence that she was making the right choice. Another teacher, one of at least six Carroll educators who spoke to reporters that week to voice concerns, was seated next to her. The district says that they have not told teachers to ban books, Hylton, my colleague, said in an exchange that would make it into a piece that aired that week on NBC Nightly News. What are you seeing? Thats a lie, McGuirk responded sharply. It is a flat-out lie. Later in the interview, in a moment that didnt make it into the final cut, McGuirk explained why she and other teachers were willing to put their jobs on the line to bring this situation to light. We felt like no one was going to listen, she said, until a teacher spoke up. But in the end, only one person suffered formal consequences because of the Southlake Holocaust fiasco: McGuirk. On the afternoon of Oct. 14, Hylton and I published an article headlined Southlake school leader tells teachers to balance Holocaust books with opposing views. That evening, McGuirks interview aired on Nightly News. Very quickly, the story went international. The words Holocaust and Southlake became the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter, and to some the story became a symbol of the overreach of the conservative movement against diversity, equity and inclusion. The story got picked up by nearly every major news outlet in the country. The Auschwitz Memorial responded by posting tips for teaching about the Holocaust on social media and tagged the Carroll districts Twitter account. Jewish authors and descendants of Holocaust survivors went on cable news and wrote scathing editorials. Lowry, the Number the Stars author, appeared on CNN the next morning, telling anchor John Berman that shed initially chuckled when she heard the audio from the teacher training on NBC News. It seemed silly, Lowry said. But the more I thought about it, it wasnt laughable. It was ignorant. And ignorance so easily morphs into evil. Carrolls school superintendent, Lane Ledbetter, apologized for the comments by one of his administrators in a statement and acknowledged that there are not two sides of the Holocaust. At a tense school board meeting the next week, residents came forward to express their outrage. More than 50 people addressed the board, many of them demanding that the district take steps to repair its reputation. Teachers teared up as they described feeling unsupported and under attack. For some, the episode had ripped open old wounds. A Jewish former student gave testimony about antisemitic bullying that hed endured at Carroll in the early 2000s. One of the final speakers of the night approached the microphone and drew in a deep breath. In a shaky voice, she opened by explaining that shed known ever since she was a little girl that she wanted to be a teacher. Teaching is what I know I have been called to do, McGuirk said as tears formed in her eyes, speaking out publicly after having secretly done so on national television. I love your kids, and they are my why? My goal as their teacher is to make sure I provide an environment that allows them to learn, grow and have fun daily to provide a space where all students feel safe. And I wish some of you made me feel safe in return. Christina McGuirk speaks at a school board meeting in Southlake, Texas. (Carroll ISD) When McGuirk returned to her seat, she glanced at her phone. While she was speaking, shed received a text from a conservative parent whod once had a child in her class. The woman also had spoken during public comments that night and was seated nearby. The parents message sent a rush of panic through McGuirk: I am so disappointed you went to NBC. The fourth grade teacher took another deep breath, then closed the text without responding. That mom was probably just guessing. Theres no way, McGuirk reassured herself, that she had evidence to back up her accusation. In the end, after the media firestorm died down, the controversy over the Holocaust remarks inspired just one concrete policy change in Southlake, but not one the whistleblower teachers had hoped for. The school board voted that winter to prohibit employees from secretly recording district business. The administrators instruction wasnt the problem in need of solving, it seemed; the publication of it was. For the rest of that school year, survival became McGuirks mantra. Shed seen how attacks by newly empowered activists had upended other teachers lives and careers. McGuirk, who was due to give birth the following summer, just needed to keep her head down. To avoid conflict, like so many other teachers nationally, she removed every book from her classroom library and avoided discussing subjects that might upset conservatives becoming, in some ways, a shell of the teacher shed hoped to be. Then, in April 2022, as the school year was winding down, she received an email from a mother and activist whod been among the most outspoken opponents of diversity, equity and inclusion programs at Carroll. McGuirks heart was racing as she opened the email. The parent had copied senior district administrators and a pair of like-minded school board members. Did you know April is contract negotiation month?!? the parent wrote, and then shared a link to an audio file. When McGuirk clicked play on the file, she immediately recognized it as a recording of her anonymous interview with NBC Nightly News from the previous fall. Someone, it seems, had managed to undo the complex digital distortion that our audio engineers had applied to mask her voice and the voice of another Carroll teacher whod spoken to us. Oh my God, McGuirk thought as she played the clip again, recognizing her own voice with near-complete clarity. The audio still sounded slightly distorted, making clear this wasnt a leak of our raw footage, but instead a feat of digital wizardry. Exactly how this was possible, and who did it, remains a mystery. Audio experts said it likely would have required sophisticated software and someone with advanced technical knowledge to reverse the distortion techniques used by major broadcast outlets to mask the voices of confidential sources. The audio file linked in the email also included the unscrambled voice of a third Carroll educator whod spoken anonymously to CNN in a separate interview about the Holocaust controversy. Based on the other names copied on the parents email, it did not appear she or other conservative activists had successfully identified the two other teachers whod given television interviews. In McGuirks case, theyd compared the unscrambled audio of her October interview with a recording of her public school board comments. I never in a million years would have imagined people would go to such extreme lengths to punish a teacher, McGuirk said. Her initial plan was to ignore the email and hope that school officials would do the same. She hadnt done anything wrong, she reminded herself. There was no rule in her contract that said teachers couldnt talk to reporters. But at school the next morning, McGuirk received another email that made her start to panic. This one was from Ledbetters assistant; the Carroll superintendent wanted McGuirk to meet him at his office after school that afternoon. McGuirks principal was stunned; normally staffing issues were handled at the campus level. You have to be strong, the administrator encouraged her. But McGuirk, nearly seven months pregnant, wasnt feeling very strong as she arrived at Carrolls central administrative offices that afternoon, accompanied by a lawyer from a state teachers union. Hows your pregnancy going? she recalled one of Ledbetters deputies asking, making small talk as McGuirk sat down across from them. Not good, McGuirk replied. Im stressed out. Ledbetter, who didnt respond to a request for comment, cut to the chase, McGuirk said. He told her that the school board now fully in the control of conservative members who promised to purge the district of woke books and lessons had voted the night before to approve annual contracts for all the districts teachers. But the members had set hers aside for special consideration. Before the board voted on whether to bring McGuirk back for the following school year, there was one question that needed to be answered, Ledbetter said. Then he set his phone on the table and hit play on the same audio file that the parent activist had emailed. McGuirks lawyer had advised her not to show emotion during the meeting, but as she sat across from her superintendent and listened to the recording of herself criticizing his administration on national television, she began to cry. After the audio file finished playing, McGuirk says Ledbetter asked, Are you telling me this isnt your voice? Before she could answer, the union lawyer interjected. I have advised her not to answer that question. This is your chance, Ledbetter said to McGuirk. Is this your voice? She took her lawyers advice and declined to answer, although the tears streaming down her cheeks must have signaled the truth. OK, Ledbetter responded. Thats all we needed to know. He said that he would pass this information along to the school board and that they would decide what to do with her contract at the next meeting. But as she walked out of the superintendents office that afternoon, feeling depressed and defeated, McGuirks future at Carroll had already been decided by her. Homes in Southlake, Texas. (Nitashia Johnson for NBC News) The majority in town no longer wanted people like her teaching their children, she told herself, polluting their minds with what she considered irrefutable truths. Yes, racism exists. No, there is nothing to debate about the horrors of the Holocaust. Yes, some kids have two dads. Its OK to be different. She still believed every child deserved to learn those lessons. But with her own baby on the way, she was too tired to keep fighting. Four years after accepting what she thought was her dream job teaching fourth grade in the elite suburb of Southlake, McGuirk resigned. The only question now was whether she would ever teach again. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Thousands of families will flock to Lubbock and Levelland this weekend to watch their college students walk across the stage as Texas Tech and South Plains college hos their spring commencement ceremonies starting Friday. That also means area restaurants, stores and roadways near the United Supermarkets Arena and the Texas Dome in Levelland may be a little busy, so plan accordingly. Here is what you need to know about Texas Tech and South Plains College commencement ceremonies planned for this weekend. Texas Tech University All ceremonies will be at the United Supermarkets Arena located at 1701 Indiana Ave., with live streaming options available. Friday, May 10 at 11 a.m. Honors College College of Arts & Sciences Friday, May 10 at 4 p.m. A graduate waves after filing into the arena. Texas Tech held the first of their Fall 2023 Commencement ceremonies Friday afternoon in the United Supermarkets Arena Friday, December 15, 2023. Davis College of Agricultural Science & Natural Resources Huckabee College of Architecture College of Arts & Sciences College of Education Graduate School Friday, May 10 at 7 p.m. Graduates receiving a masters or doctoral degree from the following colleges: Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering Jerry S. Rawls College of Business College of Human Sciences College of Media & Communication JT & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts Saturday, May 11 at 9 a.m. College of Media & Communication Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering Saturday, May 11 at 1:30 p.m. JT & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts University Studies Huckabee College of Architecture College of Human Sciences Saturday, May 11 at 4:30 p.m. Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources Jerry S. Rawls College of Business Saturday, May 11 at 7:45 p.m. School of Law As a reminder, the Clear Bag Policy is in effect. Visit www.depts.ttu.edu/provost/commencement for more information about parking and maps. South Plains College All ceremonies will take place in the campus Texas Dome on Friday, May 10 in Levelland at the following times: 9:30 a.m. Arts & Science Associate of Arts Health Occupations Associate Degree Nursing, Vocational Nursing Technical Education (Associates of Applied Science, Associates of Applied Arts, and Certificates) Cinema and Video Production, Commercial Music, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, Electrical & Power Transmission Technology, Fire Technology, Graphic Arts, Law Enforcement Technology, Sound Technology and Welding Technology 1 p.m. Arts & Science Associate of Science, Associate of Arts in Teaching Health Occupations Child Development, Emergency Medical Services, Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiologic Technology, Respiratory Care, Surgical Technology, Sterile Processing Technician Technical Education (Associates of Applied Science and Certificates) Accounting Associate, Automotive Collision Repair Technology, Automotive Service Technology, Business, Computer-Aided Drafting & Design, Computer Information Systems, Diesel Service Technology, Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, Industrial Manufacturing/Emerging Technologies, Office Administration, Paralegal Studies, Real Estate Dual Credit All Majors This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: TTU, SPC to host graduation ceremonies this weekend in Lubbock Texas woman gets 9 years for trying to hire hitman on dark web to kill boyfriends lover A North Texas woman who tried to hire a hitman to kill her boyfriends lover has been sentenced to nine years in prison, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton said in a news release Thursday. Michelle Murphy, 58, of Bedford, was charged via criminal complaint in September and pleaded guilty in December to a murder-for-hire charge, according to the release. Murphy used the dark web to attempt to pay a hitman $10,510 in Bitcoin to murder a woman who was seeing her boyfriend, according to court documents. She used an ATM to convert cash into cryptocurrency on at least three occasions, the release states. On July 27, Murphy transferred about .0358 in Bitcoin $10,510 to a Bitcoin wallet she believed belonged to a murder-for-hire recipient. Agents then confronted Murphy and her boyfriend, the release says. After being read her Miranda rights, she admitted that when she found out her boyfriend was cheating on her with another woman, she plotted to hire a hitman to kill her, authorities said. More top stories from our newsroom: Sheriff Waybourn should release jail death video or 'he needs to resign' Fort Worth stinks at trash collection, 'missed pickups' Are these Austins best tacos? Cult favorite coming to Fort Worth [Get our breaking news alerts.] At Thursdays sentencing hearing, prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed that the hitman who accepted money from Murphy likely never intended to carry out the murder, the release says. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from Bedford, Euless, Grapevine and Hurst police. A page from Cinde Warmingtons Dec. 6 campaign finance report contributor list. By last December, Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington had raised a total of $1.059 million for her campaign for governor a number clearly visible on the cover sheet of her Dec. 6 campaign finance report. What is harder to see is who, exactly, donated to Warmingtons campaign and how much they gave. Warmingtons report includes a spreadsheet of each individual contribution over $50 their name, address, job title, and how much they donated. But the spreadsheet is presented in tiny, garbled font, and is nearly impossible to read without zooming in by at least 400 percent. Thats in part because Warmington unlike some of her gubernatorial rivals has chosen not to use New Hampshires online campaign filing system. The voluntary system lets candidates upload digital campaign finance files to a state portal, and allows the public to easily see individual contributions and expenditures. Eight years after the state launched the online campaign finance system, many major candidates are opting not to use it. Now, some lawmakers are pushing for a law that would require them to. At a certain level, the public has an interest in knowing whos giving to who to make sure theres not what we refer to as an undue influence, said Rep. Ross Berry, a Manchester Republican and key sponsor of the bill, House Bill 1091. Or if there is an undue influence, that the public knows about it. In Warmingtons reports, her contributor list is at times barely legible. The pages, which have been printed out and then re-scanned at the Secretary of States Office, contain letters that are so pixelated that they are barely distinguishable. Some dollar signs look like the number 5. Some names are nearly unintelligible. Even some contribution amounts are difficult to make out. And because the spreadsheet is a scanned image, it is impossible for a viewer to highlight the text and make it larger. Warmington whose campaign did not respond to questions about the reports is not the first candidate to file faxed or scanned, barely legible campaign finance reports. Gov. Chris Sununus campaigns have long submitted similarly formatted reports, using tiny text whose quality degrades through the scanning process. But her campaigns choice to file paper reports stands in contrast to other candidates for governor. Joyce Craig, Warmingtons rival in the Democratic primary, and Kelly Ayotte, a Republican contender for governor, have both opted to use the states online campaign filing system. Chuck Morses campaign finance contributors report, zoomed in at 350 percent. Above: Cinde Warmingtons campaign finance contributors report, zoomed in at 350 percent. Chuck Morse, a Republican candidate for governor, is also not using the online filing system and is filing scanned reports like Warmington, though he is using a more legible font. His campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Story continues Created in 2016, New Hampshires online campaign finance system was designed to provide the public a clear window into who is donating to the campaigns and how the candidate is spending those donations. The process is meant to save candidates time and effort as well, sparing them the possibility that their paper submissions are out of compliance because of small technicalities, such as a failure to alphabetize submissions. But the system is voluntary, and most have opted to use the paper filing option. That requires the campaigns to submit a hard copy of a spreadsheet either typed out or handwritten. The Secretary of States Office then scans those hard copies and uploads them for the public to view online. And many campaigns use a small font and fax the submissions over to the office, a process that often degrades the font and makes it hard to read. To some observers, the lack of rules around legibility incentivizes campaigns to make their filings as difficult to read as possible. By submitting a scanned spreadsheet whose individual entries are often garbled, a campaign can make it harder for the public or a rival campaign to meaningfully analyze who is donating to the campaign. People play games, especially these bigger (political action committees) and campaigns, said Berry, who serves as chairman of the House Election Law Committee. They play games with the physical filings. Those interested in looking for patterns such as the candidates biggest donors or the proportion of small donations to large donations must in many cases recreate the scanned paper filings from scratch into a digital program like Microsoft Excel. That process can take hours and lead to errors. Or they can attempt to scrape the information by using optical character recognition software, in which a computer attempts to read and digitize the scanned copy itself, but that can also be inaccurate. The states existing digital system, meanwhile, makes that work unnecessary. For candidates who use it, such as Ayotte and Craig, voters can use the secretary of states website to pore over the filings, sort them to pick out trends, view pie charts that break down where the money is coming from, and more. HB 1091 would make that system mandatory. The bill would require that any campaign filing campaign finance reports shall file all such statements pursuant to the online campaign finance system prescribed by the secretary of state. If the bill passes, candidates for governor, Executive Council, and state Senate would need to use the system beginning the next election cycle after this years generals election. Candidates for all other offices, such as the House of Representatives or county commissioner, would have two more years until November 2026 to comply. To Berry, who has previously served as the executive director of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee and the New England data director for the Republican National Committee, paper filing is a tactic used by both parties to obscure finances and there are little incentives to be transparent. In 2016, Berry undertook a project where he attempted to track money given to Democratic candidates from unions. And it was a pain because you have to go through all these reports, and you have to hand transcribe everything, he said. The provision is just one piece of HB 1091, a sprawling omnibus bill that makes a number of tweaks to the states campaign finance law. The legislation came out of a public deliberation process last summer, Berry said. And the bill comes as the New Hampshire Secretary of States Office launched a new version of the campaign finance website in April. Deputy Secretary of State Erin Hennessey says the state chose to switch to a new vendor after encountering some technical errors with the last vendor. For now, absent a mandate, the Secretary of States Office can only encourage candidates to use the system, and assist any campaign that wants to use it but isnt sure how. But the office is supportive of the bill. I think for anyone who even has a simple campaign, its just an easy place to go to to input your information, Hennessey said in an interview. Especially if youre trying to do this by yourself. For anyone that has a complicated campaign, its an easy place for people to go to to see who gave to that campaign. Some lawmakers are proposing other measures to require legibility. The Senate passed Senate Bill 534, which would continue to allow paper filings but require that they be legible. Warmington is not new to the states online filing system; in 2020, she used it for her Executive Council race, her first campaign for public office. But by 2022, when she ran for re-election to the council, she had opted for paper filing. A representative for the Ayotte campaign did not comment on her decision to use the system. In a statement, Craig said that candidates should strive to be transparent, and said she would support legislation to achieve that, but she stopped short of specifically endorsing HB 1091. We will continue to utilize the Secretary of States online campaign filing system and I support changes to make our elections more transparent and stop candidates from hiding their donors by filing illegible campaign finance reports, Craig said. Berry argued that campaigns that use paper filing now are likely already recording their transactions digitally and could make the switch. If you have the capacity to raise $5,000, you have the capacity to figure out how to file online, Berry said. This story was originally published by the New Hampshire Bulletin. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: In New Hampshire governors race, some finance reports are clearer than others Thailand decriminalized cannabis 2 years ago. Its prime minister wants to ban it again. Thailand decriminalized cannabis 2 years ago. Its prime minister wants to ban it again. Thailand's prime minister has called for a ban on recreational cannabis in a major U-turn. Srettha Thavisin said cannabis should only be allowed for medical purposes. Thailand was the first Asian country to decriminalize cannabis for recreational use in 2022. Thailand's prime minister wants to ban cannabis just two years after his country decriminalized it for recreational use. In a post on Wednesday, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin called on the country's Ministry of Public Health to revise its list of illegal substances to once again include cannabis, and to publish new guidelines limiting its use for medical and health purposes only. Thavisin also urged Thailand's health and justice ministries to join forces to arrest those who escape drug treatment or fail to undergo treatment, in order to prosecute them. Drugs are a problem that destroys the future of the nation, he said, adding that government agencies need to work together to eradicate drug activity and show clear progress within 90 days. Thailand was the first Southeast Asian country to legalize medical cannabis in 2018, and the first Asian country to decriminalize recreational cannabis in 2022, according to Forbes. The country's former health minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, spearheaded the effort in 2022, announcing his ministry would give away one million cannabis plants to Thai households for license-free cultivation as soon as the drug was removed from the country's list of controlled substances, per The New York Times. However, since taking power last August, Thavisin has made clear his intention to overhaul the country's drug policy. His party ran on an anti-drug platform, pledging to eradicate drugs from Thai society, per Time magazine. In an interview with Bloomberg in September, Thavisin said Thailand needed to regulate cannabis because the country has a "widespread" drug problem. Other countries have legalized or decriminalized cannabis for recreational use in recent years, including Canada, Germany, Mexico, and South Africa. In the US, 24 states, two territories, and the District of Columbia have also legalized small amounts of cannabis for adult recreational use. In 2022, the global cannabis market was worth about $45 billion, and it could be worth more than $101 billion by 2026, according to estimates by Prohibition Partners, a platform for B2B cannabis. Cannabis use among Thais aged 18 to 65 has increased tenfold in recent years, according to Thailand's Center for Addiction Studies, from 2.3% in 2019 to 25% in 2022. It cited surveys from the Thailand Substance Abuse Academic Network. Thailand is also a market and transit route for drug trafficking to third nations, due to its proximity to the Golden Triangle, Asia's largest drug production area, per Thailand's country report 2023. Cannabis use in public spaces remains illegal in Thailand, according to the country's public relations agency, and is punishable by up to three months in prison and a fine of about $675. Read the original article on Business Insider And then there were two A Democratic state senator and Republican delegate are the last of their colleagues who have yet to complete anti-sexual harassment training required of all lawmakers. Of all 188 lawmakers, only Sen. Mary-Dulany James (D-Harford) and Del. Barrie S. Ciliberti (R-Frederick) havent completed the training. Both were part of a group of six lawmakers who earlier this year missed nine sessions all offered virtually between Sept. 14, 2023 and Jan. 26. All of the sessions were offered by the legislatures human resources department. Del. Barrie Ciliberti (R-Frederick). File photo by Bryan P. Sears. Four lawmakers took the course before the end of session, leaving only James, 64, the daughter of the late Maryland Senate President William S. James and an attorney, and Ciliberti, 87, and a nine-year veteran of the legislature who voted for the 2018 law. Reached by phone, Ciliberti said Wednesday that he is scheduled to take the training in person in Annapolis next Tuesday. A spokesperson for House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) said the speaker takes the training very seriously and is in communication with Ciliberti about completing it. James, who served from 1999-2015 in the House before being elected to the Senate in 2022, did not respond to a request for comment. I take this seriously, James said in February when asked why she had yet to complete the training. She said at the time that she missed trainings because they were scheduled when I have floor session or voting or other obligations. Sen. Mary-Dulany James (D-Harford). Photo by Bryan P. Sears. A spokesperson for Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) did not respond to a request for comment. Lawmakers are required to take the training every two years. The mandated sessions were part of a 2018 law that broadened protections for women working in the General Assembly. That law created an independent investigator to review complaints of sexual harassment, and made it illegal to retaliate against those who make complaints. Even though the training is required, the repercussions for failing to do so are relatively minor. First, lawmakers are subject to public shaming. The names and training status of each lawmaker is published on the General Assemblys website. The list, however, is in an out of the way spot on the website so many people are likely to miss it. In extreme cases, other sanctions can be imposed including preventing a lawmaker from hiring staff until completing the training. Such punishments are rare. In 2019, then-Del. Hasan Jay Jalisi (D-Baltimore County) was ordered to not hire staff until he completed an anger management course approved by the speaker of the House. Jalisi ignored the requirement, hiring a 20-year old to work on his legislative staff. The staffer, Brian Agandi, quit a month later for not being paid. Agandi, in a lawsuit in 2019 against Jalisi, said the delegate misrepresented his ability to hire staff. Agandi, in 2020, won almost $20,000 in back pay and damages. That same year, the legislature unanimously reprimanded Jalisi for chronic abuses of staff following the release of a 16-page report from the Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics. The post And then there were two appeared first on Maryland Matters. During the final six months of Donald Trumps presidency, his administration carried out an unprecedented execution spree, killing 13 people on federal death row and ending a 17-year de facto federal execution moratorium. Shortly after Joe Biden entered the White House, the Justice Department formally reinstated the federal execution moratorium and announced a sweeping policy review. But despite Bidens campaign promise to work to end the federal death penalty, there has been little progress toward that goal. Meanwhile, Trump, the GOPs presumptive 2024 presidential nominee, has openly fantasized about executing drug dealers and human traffickers. He reportedly suggested that officials who leak information to the press should be executed, too. And behind the scenes, theres a team of pro-Trump conservatives who are pushing for a second Trump term that involves even more state-sponsored killing than the first. Last year, a coalition effort by conservative groups known as Project 2025 released an 887-page document that lays out policy goals and recommendations for each part of the federal government. Buried on page 554 is a directive to execute every remaining federal death row prisoner and to persuade the Supreme Court to expand the types of crimes that can be punished with death sentences. Gene Hamilton, the author of the transition playbooks Department of Justice chapter, wrote that the next conservative administration should do everything possible to obtain finality for every prisoner on federal death row, which currently includes 40 people. It should also pursue the death penalty for applicable crimesparticularly heinous crimes involving violence and sexual abuse of childrenuntil Congress says otherwise through legislation, he wrote. In a footnote, Hamilton said that this could require the Supreme Court to overrule a previous case, but the [Justice] department should place a priority on doing so. Hamilton, a former Trump DOJ and Department of Homeland Security official, played a leading role in ending Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals the program that provided protections against deportation for immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children and the zero-tolerance border policy that resulted in separating children from their families. Trumps presidential campaign did not immediately respond to HuffPosts request for comment. The Project 2025 proposal envisions an extreme shift in how the death penalty is used in America. The 13 executions carried out at the end of Trumps presidency marked the greatest number of federal executions in a single year since 1896. Although there are nonhomicide federal crimes, like treason, that technically carry the death penalty, every person on federal death row was convicted of crimes involving the death of a victim, according to Robin Maher, the executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center. A major principle of the use of the death penalty in the modern era is that we are confining the use of the death penalty to not only the worst of the worst crimes, but the very worst offenders, Maher said. To expand the death penalty would just be a sea change that would affect decades of jurisprudence, and I dont think there are enough votes on the [Supreme] Court for that to happen. The high court has repeatedly held that carrying out the death penalty for rape would violate constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment first in a 1977 case involving the rape of a woman, and again in a 2008 case involving the rape of a child. During the 2008 case, which ended in a 5-4 decision, several groups for survivors of sexual assault urged against the death penalty for child rape, arguing that it would hinder young victims healing process. Three of the four justices who voted to allow the death penalty as punishment for child sexual assault are still on the court, along with three other conservative justices. Despite these Supreme Court rulings, there have been multiple state-level efforts to expand death sentences to nonhomicide cases. Last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill allowing the death penalty in child rape convictions. At a bill-signing event, DeSantis said that the decision in Kennedy v. Louisiana, the 2008 Supreme Court case, was wrong and that his states new law provided a way to challenge that precedent. Months later, a central Florida prosecutor sought the death penalty against a man accused of raping a child, although that case ended in a plea deal resulting in a life prison sentence. Lawmakers in Tennessee recently passed a similar bill, which awaits a signature or a veto by the governor. In 2021, Biden became the first president to openly oppose the death penalty. It was a dramatic evolution for the politician who previously sponsored a landmark 1994 crime bill that included an expansion of the use of the federal death penalty. Death penalty abolition advocates hoped that the Democratic president would whip votes in Congress for a bill to end the federal death penalty or, at the very least, commute the sentences of those on death row to life in prison so that a future president could not immediately resume executions. Instead, Biden has been noticeably silent on the issue. Although the Justice Department has paused executions and is conducting a comprehensive review of execution policies and procedures, it has also continued to fight in court against people on death row who challenge their sentences. There are many cases where the prisoners have been diagnosed with intellectual disability, or have shown their prosecutions were infected with racial bias, just for example, Ruth Friedman, the Federal Capital Habeas Project director, said in an interview. The DOJ could be taking a fresh look at these cases and considering whether to face these failures. But instead they are vigorously fighting every one, and thats disheartening, she said. Its terrific they are not executing anyone right now, but if they usher them all into an administration they know will, what have they done? They can and should be taking a real look at the problems in these cases. The Justice Department is also seeking the death sentence for Payton Gendron, who who killed 10 Black people at a New York supermarket. I wouldn't say that the White House has been actively engaging people to support the bill [to abolish the federal death penalty].Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) There are multiple bills in the House and Senate that would abolish the federal death penalty, some of which have been introduced multiple times without coming to a vote. Last year, the White House declined to answer a question about whether it worked to shore up Democratic support for such legislation. The White House did not respond to questions for this story. I wouldnt say that the White House has been actively engaging people to support the bill, said Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), the sponsor of one of the death penalty bills in the House. I think their response to the death penalty issue was to implement this moratorium. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), who has repeatedly introduced bicameral death penalty abolition legislation with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), said in an interview that they are making progress. When she and Durbin first introduced bills in 2019, there were only 20 co-sponsors across both chambers of Congress, she said. Now, there are more than 80 sponsors total, as well as support from more than 265 organizations. Still, that represents less than one-third of Democrats in the House and less than half of those in the Senate. Asked if she thought Biden had done all that he could to get congressional Democrats on board with the bill, Pressley said: I dont think it is any one persons responsibility to advance an issue. That is the work of movement-building, and thats what weve been doing. The whole reason that you continue to reintroduce legislation is to continue to bring other people along. At any one time, there could be 12,000 active pieces of legislation, Pressley continued. Oftentimes, and Ill include myself in this, there are bills whose sentiments Im very much aligned with, but I just didnt know existed. Need help? Visit RAINNs National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Centers website. Correction: A previous version of this story suggested the federal charges against Payton Gendron have been resolved; he is still facing a potential federal death sentence. Related... A pair of thieves drove two Porsches off a Fremont, Calif., car dealership, crashing through the showroom windows to make their escape. The Porsche caper began around 12:45 a.m. on Saturday when police responded to reports of a commercial burglary in the 5000 block of Cushing Parkway, the Fremont Police Department announced in a news release Wednesday. Police arrived at the scene to find that a Porsche 911 GT3 RS and a Porsche 911 GT3 were stolen from the dealership showroom floor. Patrol officers who arrived at the dealership took down key details about the vehicles, estimated to be worth more than $500,000 for both cars. Police did not reveal how the thieves got into the car dealership or if they were able to find the keys for the cars. Officers also noted the last location where the vehicles were headed. Read more: Shattered windows, slashed tires and GPS trackers: L.A. freeway heists shock jewelers The Porsche 911 GT3 RS was found abandoned later that day in Milpitas and was returned to the dealership, police said. The following day, police investigators were able to narrow down where the other vehicle was traveling and canvased a neighborhood in the nearby city of Hayward. Detectives conducted surveillance for several hours and identified a suspect driving the Porsche, according to police. Police arrested 22-year-old Nova Moore at his home on suspicion of stealing the second Porsche. During his arrest, officers said, Moore tried to get rid of a loaded handgun. Along with the stolen Porsche, officers also found several high-capacity rifles, stolen property, money and a police radio scanner at Moore's home, the news release said. Moore was arrested on suspicion of burglary, driving or taking a vehicle without the owner's consent, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, willfully resisting a peace officer and other charges, according to the Fremont Police Department. Police are asking for help to find the second person suspected of being involved in the Porsche heist. Anyone with information can contact the Fremont Police Department's Special Operations Division Detective at adennis@fremont.gov, or at (510) 790-6900. 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. Though noncitizens can vote in few local elections, GOP goes big to make it illegal Voters casting ballots. (Mario Tama/Getty Images.) 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. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Though noncitizens can vote in few local elections, GOP goes big to make it illegal appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal. This article was originally published in Capitol News Illinois. SPRINGFIELD Advocates for community-based after-school programs say as many as 40,000 youths statewide could lose access to tutoring services, recreation and other extracurricular activities this summer unless Illinois lawmakers approve an infusion of funds to keep them going. The time is now for legislators to act to save after-school (programs), Susan Stanton, executive director of Afterschool for Children and Teens, or ACT Now, said at a Statehouse rally Tuesday. We literally only have weeks left before programs have to shut their doors. Staff will be laid off and families will be in crisis. ACT Now is a coalition of groups such as local YMCA chapters, Boys & Girls Club, and other community-based organizations that provide academic enrichment activities and other services during non-school hours for children and teens, particularly those attending high-minority, low-performing schools. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter The programs that are at risk receive federal funding through the U.S. Department of Educations Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. That money flows through the Illinois State Board of Education, which awards competitive grants to local programs. Those grants are made in three-year or five-year cycles. At the end of that cycle, the grants can either be renewed or the organization can reapply through a new competitive grant process. The problem facing many programs whose grant cycles are expiring is that in 2023, ISBE miscalculated how much money was available and made commitments to award more grants than the state could fund. As a result, many programs whose grant cycles are expiring cannot get them renewed because there is not enough funding available. Advocates are seeking $50 million in state funding to make up for the anticipated shortfall. Stanton said programs serving about 6,000 students were forced to close at the end of the previous fiscal year, and without an injection of state funds, another 40,000 students will lose access to services after June 30 this year. State Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, has proposed legislation that would commit $50 million a year in state funds for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers. Its not enough for us to say we support quality, safe and vibrant learning environments for our youth. We have to provide funding for that to happen, Villivalam said. I believe that investing in childhood education is an investment in our future communities, and not something we should take lightly. Gov. JB Pritzkers budget proposal calls for about $234 million for after-school programs, most of which would come from federal money. But Stanton said that is a different program that sends funds for after-school programs directly to school districts, not to the community-based organizations that receive 21stCentury Community Learning Center funding. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Thousands of students walked out of class at UC San Diego on Wednesday in a pro-Palestinian protest two days after the Gaza Solidarity encampment was dismantled, resulting in over 60 arrests. The walk-out, which was called a Student Strike for Palestine by its organizers, started just after noon at the Sun God Lawn across from the grassy area next to Geisel Library where the camp stood for roughly five days. That space has since been cordoned off. After parading through campus, the students peacefully sat down outside the Student Center to continue the rally and listen to speakers. In an Instagram post Tuesday, the coalition of student groups behind the walk-out said it was a direct reaction to the university administrations decision to bring in law enforcement to disperse their encampment on Monday, citing health and safety concerns. Hundreds of police officers descended on the encampment just before 6 a.m. to clear it, arresting 65 demonstrators 40 students and 25 whose connection to the university was unconfirmed by authorities. The students have all been placed on immediate interim suspension. What are protestors charged with? Video of the scene captured by protestors and FOX 5/KUSI shows use of batons and pepper spray against demonstrators, while officers who appeared to have been snipers were positioned at nearby rooftops. At least two people sustained minor injuries in the process. UCSD allowed its own students to be beaten, pepper sprayed, and arrested on their own campus, the student organizations behind the encampment, called the UCSD Divest Coalition, said in the Tuesday Instagram post. We wont rest until UC Divests. The post appeared to have been pulled down by Wednesday afternoon, following the walkout. Divestment from Israel was one of the main demands for student organizers behind UCSDs encampment. It echoed calls made by other collegiate demonstrators since last month, when students launched a global movement to push back against the military campaign in Gaza. We as a university are investing in hundreds of companies that are actively making the bombs used to perpetuate this genocide, one protestor told FOX 5/KUSI on Wednesday. [This is] making us, as the university, complicit. In earlier statements, the student organizers also asked UCSD to affirm Palestinians right to life and safety, and call for an immediate cease-fire in the fighting, which they describe as an unfolding genocide against Palestinians. Students are also now demanding that the university reverse students suspensions and dismiss any charges brought against detained protestors. It is unclear though if prosecutors will charge any of the protestors who were arrested. A spokesperson for the San Diego City Attorneys office told FOX 5/KUSI that they are still reviewing the cases to make a determination about whether to proceed. Before Monday, the Gaza Solidarity encampment had largely remained calm, aside from drawing a group of counter-protestors and health inspectors over the weekend. According to the university, wooden stakes, propane tanks, metal and plywood shields, aerosol spray cans and a sword were all recovered by crews as they cleaned up the campsite. Police clear pro-Palestinian protest camp and arrest 33 at DC campus UCSD Chancellor Pradeep Khosla warned of potential intervention just hours after the encampment was erected next to Geisel Library, describing it as a violation of campus policy. He added that students could be met with sanctions, such as suspension or legal action. In a subsequent statement, Khosla doubled down and defended his decision to bring in police to clear the encampment, reiterating that it violated campus policy while saying it grew to pose an unacceptable risk to the safety of the campus community. He specifically pointed to wooden stakes, propane tanks, metal and plywood shields, aerosol spray cans and a sword that were recovered at the campsite as part of the safety concerns. Yet Khoslas decision to follow through on those earlier warnings has now drawn blow back from academic faculty, alumni and current students scrutiny that also includes calls for him to resign as chancellor. One of the first calls came from the faculty of UCSDs Ethnic Studies department in a post first posted to Instagram on Monday and was re-shared Wednesday afternoon. Hostile actions by the administration and the police they ordered onto campus caused disastrous upheaval, including physical injuries and an authoritarian fracturing of peaceful student organizing and community, the statement said. It added, The deployment of police, including snipers on top of the Student Health Building, was a shocking abdication of the Chancellors mandate to support and protect our students. In the days since, a number of other groups have come out of the woodwork to call on Khoslas resignation over his response to the pro-Palestinian encampment. A petition pushing for this that is circulating on Change.org has garnered over 6,000 signatures since Monday. Other faculty groups have similarly condemned the actions taken by UCSDs administration. In a statement, the San Diego Faculty Association said they were shocked and outraged by the decision to bring in police to dismantle the encampment. The militarized response created an unsafe space on campus, they wrote. The militarized response has only chilled free speech, escalated tensions, reduced safety on campus, and destroyed the trust needed for negotiations and shared governance. The labor union representing academic employees across the University of California system has also begun mobilizing for a potential strike in response to UCSD and UCLAs responses to their respective pro-Palestinian encampments. It is important for Academic Employees to vote YES in the strike authorization vote to show UC Administration that this unprecedented crackdown on free speech on University campuses is unacceptable, the union wrote in a statement calling for the strike authorization vote. Has Israel followed the law in its war in Gaza? The US is due to render a first-of-its-kind verdict Our members have been beaten, concussed, pepper sprayed, both by counter-protestors and by police forces. As a union, it is our responsibility to stand beside them and demand that UC stop committing these gross Unfair Labor Practices, it continued. On Wednesday, UCSD administration released an updated statement on the demonstrations that supported students right to peacefully protest and express views on campus. Dialogue, free speech and academic freedom are cornerstones of our university, it read. However, we are also fully committed to protecting the physical safety of all individuals in our community and upholding the rights of all students, faculty and staff to continue to work, study and carry out the academic mission of the university without undue disruption. Campuses like UCSD have become ground zero in a larger reckoning over U.S. involvement in Israels ongoing military campaign in Gaza since mid-April, stirring debates about free speech, protest, antisemitism and Islamophobia. Opponents of the protests, including some Jewish students and alumni, have argued that the antiwar demonstrations veer into displays of antisemitism, instilling what they describe as a sense of fear in members of the campus community supportive of Israel. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. It looks like TikTok is standing firm on not going down without a fight. In April 2024, AFROTECH previously reported that President Joe Biden signed a law to ban TikTok if its owner, ByteDance, didnt sell it within a year. The bill followed the House of Representatives introduction in March of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which aims to protect the national security of the United States from the threat posed by foreign adversary controlled applications. A main allegation that has come from U.S. government officials is that TikTok puts Americans personal data in danger of being exposed to the Chinese government, which catalyzed Bidens law. However, TikTok has doubled down on stating the claim is false, saying it hosts data on U.S.-owned Oracle servers, according to CNN. We will not stop fighting and advocating for you, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew shared in a previous statement on its platform, per AP News. We will continue to do all we can, including exercising our legal rights, to protect this amazing platform that we have built with you. Now, TikTok has officially opened the door to a legal battle. On May 7, the company filed a lawsuit to block the potential ban of the app in the U.S., CNN reports. In the petition, filed at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, ByteDance claims that the Biden administrations law goes against freedom of speech and would block access to lawful information making it unconstitutional. Per the outlet, the petition stated, For the first time in history, Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban, and bars every American from participating in a unique online community with more than 1 billion people worldwide. While the legal battle is historic, if ByteDance comes up short, it will have to sell TikTok by Jan. 19, 2025, according to Reuters. As AFROTECH previously explained, whoever is looking to purchase the platform has to receive the green light from the Chinese government. Time to stamp out hunger with food drive Time to stamp out hunger with food drive Two Quad-City organizations are partnering to tackle hunger for the nations largest food drive. Tracey Bultinck spoke with Our Quad Cities News about the Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. For more information, click here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. Four Quad Cities area businesses have received new grants from the Made in Illinois program, announced Thursday by Gov. JB Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center. They awarded $1.7 million to 40 small and mid-sized manufacturers across the state through the program which provides up to $50,000 in matching grant funding to local Illinois manufacturers to support innovation and strategic advancements in manufacturing. IMEC served as grant administrator for this program. Whiteys in Moline is one of the Made in Illinois grant recipients. The local recipients (for $47,420 each) are: Whiteys Ice Cream, Moline Tri-City Heat Treat Company, Rock Island Moline Welding, Inc., Milan Cardinal Plating Solutions, Aledo Manufacturing is on the rise in Illinois and my administration is providing local manufacturers with the resources they need to compete in the future, Gov. Pritzker said in Thursdays release. Thanks to this grant, 40 diverse recipients across the state will receive the capital they need to advance innovation in their field. The program originally allocated $1 million in funding and was increased to $1.7 million due to resounding interest in the program from Illinois small and mid-sized manufacturers. The Made in Illinois program underscores the states commitment to strengthening its manufacturing base which is a vital component of the states economy, the release said. By providing financial support to local manufacturers, the program encourages innovation and advancement within the industry while contributing to job creation and economic prosperity throughout Illinois communities. Illinois is a globally recognized manufacturing leader and small and medium-sized manufacturers are a critical part of our states manufacturing sector and economy, said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. Through the Made in Illinois Program, the State is reinforcing its commitment to providing resources and opportunities to Illinois world-class manufacturers while supporting communities across the state. The Made in Illinois Grant Program represents a significant step forward in enhancing the competitiveness and resilience of Illinois manufacturing sector. The selected manufacturers, spread across various sectors and regions of the state, exemplify the diverse capabilities and potential of Illinois manufacturers. For more information, click HERE. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. NEW YORK -- The man who attacked NYPD officers with a machete on New Year's Eve in 2022 near Times Square was sentenced to 27 years in prison Thursday. Trevor Bickford, of Wells, Maine, pleaded guilty to federal terrorism charges, including attempted murder of the officers, earlier this year. Bickford attacked Officers Louis Iorio, Paul Cozzolino and Mickel Hanna around 10 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2022 at 52nd Street and Eighth Avenue. One officer suffered a fractured skull, another was treated for a cut, and the third shot Bickford in the shoulder. Bickford was on FBI watchlist Investigators said Bickford, who was 19 at the time, had traveled from Maine to New York City to carry out the attack in the name of jihad. Bickford had been placed on a no-fly watchlist earlier that month after his aunt warned authorities he had been radicalized online and wanted to travel overseas to fight with Islamic extremists. He later confessed to a judge that "I attempted to kill three officers with a knife," adding, "I know what I did was wrong, and I am sorry." He faced up to 20 years in prison for each count. Officer's 1st day on the job It was a dramatic and dangerous first day on the job for Officer Paul Cozzolino. New Year's Eve was his first official shift after graduating from the police academy on Dec. 30. He and Officer Iorio were on patrol before the ball drop in Times Square when they were attacked. "Which just goes to show you, if it's not your first day, it could be your last day," Mayor Eric Adams said at the time. "The actions that police officers must take every day are life-threatening situations." The attack happened just outside the NYPD's security zone for the New Year's Eve celebration. Violence erupts amid Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud 2 skiers killed, 1 rescued after Utah avalanche A look at the growing trend of women becoming single parents by choice I told them I fear for her life: Grandfather of dead infant says he warned hospital staff NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) Iijayah Johnsons short, 9-day life seemed to be a tumultuous one. Born April 25 at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia, her grandfather, worried that his son or daughter-in-law were not fit to be parents, said he warned hospital staff that he feared for the infants life. His pleas, he said, were ignored. Now, instead of celebrating the birth of his first grandchild, Hilary Johnson Sr. is planning her funeral. I told them I fear for her life, Johnson Sr. said. Not only me, but my dad even said the same thing. So how is it that you still let that baby leave? She was never supposed to leave that hospital. Cybersecurity issue disrupts operations at Ascension health care network Norfolk police say nine days after the infants birth, she was brought to Childrens Hospital of the Kings Daughters. She was unresponsive and showed signs of abuse. Thats where Iijayah died. Her parents were later charged with second-degree murder. The two were arraigned in court Wednesday. Johnson Sr. said at the time Iijayah was born, her parents, 23-year-old Hilary Johnson II and 21-year-old Zibreyea Parker, were homeless and struggled with their mental health. I dont know what in the world snapped into them to live the way they were living, Johnson Sr. said, saying Iijayahs parents had once been bright kids. I dont know, he added. I prayed to myself before she [Iijayah] came here and I said, Lord, please let her maternal instincts kick in that she wants to protect that baby, that she dont want to live the way she was living, that she wants more for her and her child. Risked his life: Man called a hero after saving baby from burning Cleveland home Johnson Sr. also said detectives told his family that Iijayahs parents were offered a place to stay when the baby was discharged from the hospital, but they declined that option. He said his son and daughter-in-law were living in a tent outside after they left. How was [the baby] able to leave when accusations were made that her life was in danger and she had no shelter? Johnson Sr. said. Sentara could not comment on Johnson Sr.s claims. Nexstars WAVY has contacted the hospital where Iijayah was born, but has not yet heard back about the facilitys policy regarding infant safety. Johnson Sr. has started a GoFundMe to help with his granddaughters funeral expenses. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. 'They Took My Gift Away': In Interview, Mother of Florida Airman Killed by Police Describes Shock The mother of the 23-year-old airman who was shot and killed by police on May 3 said her son was a model citizen and called for the Florida sheriff's office to be forthcoming about his last moments. Meka Fortson told Military.com in an exclusive interview Thursday that her son, Senior Airman Roger Fortson, had always wanted to serve his country and had dreams of becoming a pilot. She said he had recently returned from a deployment overseas, only to die in his apartment. "It's a disbelief. Every day, I try to go to sleep early to wake up like it's a dream," she told Military.com. "He just came back from deployment from fighting for us. With everything we got going on in our country, he's fighting for us and he came back to be murdered, slain like that so violently." Read Next: Police Who Shot Florida Airman 6 Times in His Home May Have Entered Wrong Apartment, Family Says Roger Fortson lived in an off-base residence in Fort Walton Beach. His special operations squadron at Hurlburt Field in the Florida panhandle flies AC-130J Ghostrider gunships. The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office said in a May 4 statement that deputies were responding to a reported disturbance. But Ben Crump, a high-profile civil rights attorney retained by the Fortson family, said there was no disturbance and that Fortson was home alone May 3, chatting on a video call with another person, who told the attorney that the airman heard a knock on his door. Roger Fortson, according to the witness, asked, "Who is it?" But he didn't receive an answer. After a subsequent "aggressive" second knock and seeing no one through the peephole, Fortson grabbed his legally owned gun, Crump said. The Sunshine State has made it easier to buy and carry firearms in recent years, and has created special carve-outs for service members that simplify the process further, such as not requiring troops to take safety courses in order to qualify to carry concealed weapons under a 2023 law. Fortson was a service member, in his own residence and had no criminal record, Crump said. In a May 4 statement, the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office said, "Hearing sounds of a disturbance, [the deputy] reacted in self-defense after he encountered a 23-year-old man armed with a gun and after the deputy had identified himself as law enforcement." Crump pushed back against that narrative and told Military.com no gunfire was exchanged and that Fortson was a model citizen who did not pose a threat. "The reality is he was the best of us. He was the person who you would trust with a firearm. I mean, he was military trained," Crump said. "So, for them to put out a statement claiming self-defense is just misleading because they're trying to suggest that what they did was justified." As Fortson was walking back to his living room, police entered the apartment and shot him. He reportedly said "I can't breathe" while on the ground after being shot, Crump said, repeating a witness account of the event. Police radio audio reviewed by Military.com reported a call for a disturbance at an apartment complex at 319 Racetrack Road around 4:30 p.m. local time. "Don't have anything further than a male and female; it's all fourth-party information from the front desk at the leasing office," a deputy said on the radio. A few minutes later, another deputy reported "shots fired, suspect down," and called for emergency medical services. "Multiple gunshot wounds to the chest, Black male," another deputy chimes in shortly after. Fortson was shot six times, Crump said in his statement. No other details, including the circumstances of the disturbance that prompted the local deputies to visit the apartment building, were released. Fortson was taken to an area hospital, where he later died. No officers were harmed in the incident. The sheriff's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday on the attorney's claims. The same sheriff's office received public scrutiny when an internal investigation detailed that a deputy fired his weapon multiple times at a detained suspect after believing the sound of an acorn hitting his vehicle was gunfire, GulfLive.com reported. That deputy resigned. Crump told Military.com that he wants the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office to admit that it did something wrong and criticized the deputies, saying they didn't identify themselves when they came to Roger's apartment. "All he did was what many law-abiding, responsible American citizens would have done," Crump said. "And that is when you hear somebody at your door, and you are not sure who it is because you don't hear them identify themselves, you get your legally registered firearm for protection." Fortson joined the Air Force on Nov. 19, 2019, according to a copy of his service record provided to Military.com. He joined as an AC-130J gunner. He graduated from McNair High School in Atlanta, Georgia, with honors, Crump told Military.com. The deputy involved was not identified in the news release. On Monday evening, Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden released a statement saying the department was "saddened" by the incident and called for further investigation into the shooting. "I immediately placed the deputy on administrative leave and have asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to conduct the investigation that is required in such incidents," Aden said. "The State Attorney's Office will also conduct an independent review. At this time, we humbly ask for our community's patience as we work to understand the facts that resulted in this tragic event." The sheriff's office declined to provide Military.com the original 911 call, body camera footage or the police report into the incident, citing "the ongoing active investigation" in an emailed response. Following his death, Roger's mother has received kind words from those who served alongside him. She described him as a rising star in the ranks and an inspiration to his 16-year-old brother and 10-year-old sister. "He was my gift, and they took my gift away," Roger's mother said. "And they didn't give it to me. God gave me that gift ... and they took my gift away." Related: Special Operations Airman Shot and Killed by Florida Police During Disturbance in Apartment Building President Biden briefly held up sending weapons to Israel this week, and Mitch McConnell and Mike Johnson promptly freaked out. The Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader sent a rare joint letter to Biden on Wednesday saying they were alarmed by media reports that your administration had delayed the delivery of a variety of weapons shipments bound for Israel. This news flies in the face of assurances provided regarding the timely delivery of security assistance to Israel. The shipment consisted of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, according to the BBC, and the delay reportedly came because Biden administration officials felt Israel has not fully addressed humanitarian concerns in Rafah, a city on Gazas border with Egypt where small amounts of aid have entered the territory and where civilians from the rest of Gaza have fled during the war. Israel has recently begun a military operation in the city. Other Republicans also expressed outrage at the delay. Senator Lindsey Graham said, If we stop weapons necessary to destroy the enemies of the state of Israel at a time of great peril, we will pay a price. This is obscene. It is absurd. Give Israel what they need to fight the war they cant afford to lose. Republicans seem to be ignoring how Israel has already killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including more than 14,500 children. The Biden administration has said previously that Israels military would cross a red line if they launched an operation on Rafah, but now maintain that Israel isnt crossing that line. A cease-fire was agreed to by Hamas this week, only to be rejected by Israel, making Bidens public statements and behind-the-scenes efforts toward Netanyahu look foolish. Flippant statements from Israeli officials over the weapons holdup dont help, either: Israeli MK and Likud Official Tali Gottlieb have a message to the US: The US is threatening not to give us precise missiles . Oh yeah? Well, I got news for the US. We have imprecise missiles. Ill use it. Ill just collapse ten [in Gaza]. Ten buildings. Thats what Ill do pic.twitter.com/iQ5F3M2uuJ Younis Tirawi | (@ytirawi) May 8, 2024 (A U.S. State Department spokesperson said in response, Those comments are deplorable, adding senior Israeli officials should refrain from these kinds of threats.) At least one Democratic, or rather independent, senator saw the Biden administrations decision as a good first step, perhaps toward a bigger move. Bernie Sanders said: Given the unprecedented humanitarian disaster that Netanyahus war has created in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of children face starvation, President Biden is absolutely right to halt bomb delivery to this extreme, right-wing Israeli government. But this must be a first step. The U.S. must now use ALL its leverage to demand an immediate ceasefire, the end of the attacks on Rafah, and the immediate delivery of massive amounts of humanitarian aid to people living in desperation. Our leverage is clear. Over the years, the United States has provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Israel. We can no longer be complicit in Netanyahus horrific war against the Palestinian people. TOPEKA (KSNT) City leaders discuss ways to keep the Capital City clean this summer. Topeka City Council members Karen Hiller of District One and Christina Valdivia-Alcala of District Two joined Matthew Johnstone on the morning show to discuss ways to keep your property looking clean as we go into this summer. The City is on year three of five of the Change our Culture of Property Maintenance initiative. Hiller and Valdivia-Alcala discuss how residents can seek help from the city to maintain their properties as well as how community members can volunteer to help their neighbors. There are communities out there, neighborhoods out there with elders, with people that cannot a mower, what have you, that need this help, Valdivia-Alcala said. And this would be a perfect opportunity for corporations and their volunteers base of employees to get involved and help build up Topeka. To volunteer with the Change our Culture of Property Maintenance, call (785) 368-9530. Watch the full interview in the video above. 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. TOPEKA (KSNT) A public meeting to discuss the future of a large park in the Capital City is coming up. Residents are invited to attend an open house meeting to discuss major upgrades to Gage Park, according to a news release from a Bartlett and West spokeswoman. Shawnee County Parks and Recreation, the Gage Park Improvement Authority and Bartlett and West want the public to learn about the upcoming project updating the 2023 Gage Park Master Plan. This meeting will also help those in charge of this project work to preserve the park in future developments. At the meeting, community members can visit information stations highlighting the projects goals, objectives, timelines and conditions and park analysis, according to the news release. The public is encouraged to share feedback on the information thats available, and share their priorities and preferences about Gage Parks future. Hy-Vee recalls products for possible salmonella contamination Because the park is such a staple to the Capital City, people attending the open house can submit historic pictures or storied about Gage Park. According to the news release, this is part of an initiative to create a public historic record for the park. Any pictures, documents or anecdotes that highlight the parks history and significance or any events. If you are interested in adding to the parks history, you can bring your own copies of the materials, or scan them at the open house. A team at the meeting will also be recording oral stories from the public who want to share their memories at Gage Park. The open house will be at 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 16 at the Big Gage Shelter House in Gage Park. This embedded content is not available in your region. 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. HOT SPRINGS, Ark. Collin Heaton saw roofs blown off, trees knocked over and power lines strung across roads on Wednesday morning after an EF-2 tornado came through Hot Springs. I knew it was bad from being in it, but it was worse than I thought it was, Heaton said. National Weather Service says Hot Springs hit by EF-2 tornado overnight He felt and heard the power of the storm and expected to see damage to his own home. I drove across the bridges on 7, and I saw the Belle of Hot Springs just floating out in the middle of the water, Heaton said. But his condo was untouched. Im a believer and it definitely seemed like God put his hand over me, and a couple other people who live in my condo complex that night, Heaton said. His condo is just feet away from buildings that were damaged. Im right between two hotels, both hotels had roof damage, Im right by Joses, Joses had a power pole on it, Heaton said. Scariest moment of my life EF-2 tornado flips Garland County home Just a few hundred feet away sits Joses Mexican Grill and Cantina, a staple in the Spa City. Owner, Jose Soto, said he couldnt believe his eyes. I didnt think it was real, Soto said. Soto said he started getting pictures of damage early Wednesday morning. Our back awning was basically all ripped off, weve had two or three power lines fall down, Soto said. The metal awning once behind the building, now wrapped around the front. They are now closed and said even though they cant serve their customers today, theyve felt their love. A lot of heartwarming messages really means the world to see so many people support us, Soto said. They are currently closed at the location on Central Avenue but hope to be back open at this location by next week. Recovery efforts begin in Hot Springs after EF-2 tornado Everyone is thankful that no one was seriously hurt. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. UPDATE: Tornado watch issued for North Texas until Thursday night, says the NWS The NWS Fort Worth TX issued an updated tornado watch at 3:54 p.m. on Thursday in effect until 9 p.m. The watch is for Bosque, Comanche, Coryell, Dallas, Eastland, Ellis, Erath, Hamilton, Hill, Hood, Johnson, Lampasas, McLennan, Mills, Palo Pinto, Parker, Somervell, Stephens and Tarrant counties. This watch is in effect until 9 p.m. Tips for staying safe during a tornado To ensure your safety during a tornado, remember that acting promptly is crucial, according to the NWS. Stay informed about tornado watches and warnings through regular updates on local news or a NOAA Weather Radio. If you are indoors: If you find yourself under a tornado warning, immediately seek refuge in your basement, safe room, or an interior room without windows. If there's enough time, bring your pets with you. If you are at your workplace or school: Comply with your tornado drill procedures and head to the designated tornado shelter area. Steer clear of windows and avoid large open spaces like cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums. If you are outside: In the face of an approaching tornado, find shelter within a sturdy building. Be aware that sheds, storage facilities, mobile homes, and tents are not safe alternatives. If you are in a vehicle: It is not safe to be in a vehicle during a tornado. The recommended action is to drive to the nearest shelter. If reaching a safe shelter is not possible, either crouch down in your car and cover your head, or leave your vehicle and seek refuge in a low-lying area like a ditch or ravine. Do you have an emergency kit ready in case of a tornado? The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends keeping the following items in a basic disaster supplies kit: Water, one gallon per person for at least three days Food, at least a three-day supply Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery Battery-powered or hand-crank radio Flashlight First-aid kit Whistle Dust mask to filter contaminated air Plastic sheeting and duct tape, for shelter purposes Moist towelettes, garbage bags, and plastic ties Manual can opener for food Local maps Source: The National Weather Service 'Treated her like garbage': Totowa man gets 15 years for role in death of Paterson mom PATERSON A Totowa man was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison after he admitted his role in the death of Stephanie DeJesus. Originally charged with her murder, Justin Fisher pleaded guilty to second-degree desecration of human remains and third-degree hindering apprehension in February. The desecration charge carried a 10-year sentence, and the hindering charge carried a five-year sentence to run consecutively. DeJesus, a 38-year-old Paterson mother, was found stuffed into the trunk of her car two years ago at James Street and Ryerson Avenue in the city. May 9, 2024; Paterson, N.J.; Justin Fisher is shown during sentencing at the Passaic County Courthouse on Thursday. Fisher, accused of killing Stephanie DeJesus, pleaded guilty to second-degree desecration of human remains and third-degree hindering apprehension in DeJesus' murder. The Passaic County Prosecutor's Office had to drop the murder charge after important blood evidence had to be thrown out. During an April hearing, Judge Justine Niccollai reluctantly accepted Fisher's plea and criticized the state for its handling of the case, saying the court was "disgusted." Fisher's fiancee, Joelle Martucci, was the prosecution's main witness. She had pleaded guilty to hindering and tampering with evidence in March 2022, agreeing to cooperate with the investigation. When Martucci first spoke to police, she denied knowing anything, saying she didn't see anything and someone else may have been in the home who was not Fisher or family members. But later, Martucci's defense attorney said she wanted to cooperate, and she provided a second statement to police. During her plea hearing, she told the court about the effort to dispose of DeJesus' body by Fisher and his family. Related: Relatives of slain Paterson woman say accused killer's plea deal denies them the motive His parents, Clo Fisher and Ali Gibson, pleaded guilty in August for their roles in cleaning up the crime scene and disposing of DeJesus' body. They were sentenced in November, with Clo Fisher getting noncustodial probation for five years for hindering apprehension while Gibson was sentenced to five years for desecration of human remains. DeJesus' family members have been vocal about their objections to how the case moved along and how they've suffered because of it. They have been highly critical of Assistant Prosecutor Jonathan Barrera and what they called his lack of transparency regarding the case. During his statements, Barrera said he understood the family members' frustration and their feeling that justice has not been served. "I understand why their anger is directed this way because of the fact they feel justice would not be served. I get it, because it wasn't," Barrera said. "Because no matter what your honor sentences the defendant to, as you heard, it won't matter. It'll never bring Stephanie back." The courtroom was packed with over a dozen sheriff's officers and the friends and families of both DeJesus and Fisher. A large poster board with a photo of DeJesus had a place of honor in the front of the room. May 9, 2024; Paterson, N.J.; Family and friends of Stephanie DeJesus wipe away tears during the Justin Fisher sentencing at the Passaic County Courthouse on Thursday. Fisher, accused of killing Stephanie DeJesus, pleaded guilty to second-degree desecration of human remains and third-degree hindering apprehension in DeJesus' murder. DeJesus' family and friends pleaded with Niccolai to impose the maximum sentence possible for Fisher, and a number of them spoke, giving victim impact statements. DeJesus' sister, Ashley, spoke first for the family, sobbing and telling the court how she lost a piece of her heart when her sister was killed. She said she and the rest of the family are doing what they can to help raise DeJesus' son, Joseph. "His world was turned upside down," Ashley DeJesus said. "He doesn't say much, but I know he's hurting, because, like me, he chooses to suffer in silence." She said the last time she saw her sister was when the police opened the trunk and she saw her sister stuffed in it. DeJesus' friend Jennifer Rodriguez said DeJesus was so friendly, and she would get frustrated by it. "She welcomed everyone to the point that she welcomed her killer," Rodriguez said. During the sentencing, Fisher's attorney Alissa Hascup still maintained that a different person was responsible for DeJesus' death and that his actions were under duress. Hascup said the person who killed DeJesus is the one getting away with murder, not Fisher. However, during the victim impact statements, DeJesus' family said that if Fisher wasn't the one who killed her but knew who did, he should man up and tell them and law enforcement who did it. Hascup also criticized the investigation, noting the failure in testing DNA under DeJesus's fingernails and how the FBI didn't test the suspected blood samples taken from the cleaned crime scene. The defense attorney said her client was willing to accept responsibility for moving DeJesus' body and cleaning up evidence but wasn't going to plead guilty to a murder he didn't commit. Fisher, through Hascup, gave a statement saying he and his family have "been dragged through the mud" for being close-knit and were made out to be a "gang." He apologized for bringing them into his actions. He also apologized to DeJesus' family. Fisher's sister and best friend spoke on his behalf, saying he was not capable of killing DeJesus. May 9, 2024; Paterson, N.J.; Paulina Vargas, Stephanie DeJesus' mother, is shown during Justin Fisher's sentencing at the Passaic County Courthouse on Thursday. Fisher, accused of killing Stephanie DeJesus, pleaded guilty to second-degree desecration of human remains and third-degree hindering apprehension in DeJesus' murder. Niccollai had harsh words for Fisher, noting he did not show any remorse during any of the proceedings and saying he was selfish, thinking only of himself. "This young lady was his friend. This was not a stranger on the street," Niccollai said. "He treated her like garbage." The judge said Fisher had the chance to call 911 but didn't, letting DeJesus lie in a puddle of her own blood on the floor and instead called his family to help dispose of her body and clean up his mess. Niccollai said she received letters talking about his integrity as a person but said his actions showed anything but. "The first thing he thought about is self-preservation," Niccollai said. "The way in which he treated her body wasn't with any sort of humane, responsible behavior." Fisher has 45 days to appeal the sentence handed down by Niccollai. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Totowa NJ man sentenced in death of Stephanie DeJesus SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) A U.S. Magistrate Judge ordered a Utah man to remain in custody for his alleged involvement in the drug-related death of a woman in 2023, according to a Wednesday press release from the U.S. District Attorneys Office. Jerod Arthur Young, 48, is from Fort Duchesne, Utah, and he is charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, according to the DAs office. READ NEXT: Our home, falling apart: Large, mysterious cracks in Eagle Mountain home causing concern Young reportedly intentionally distributed fentanyl to the victim in November 2023, which led to her death, the DAs office said. Law enforcements investigations determined that the victim had communicated with Young and engaged in a financial transaction with him around the time of her death. Officials determined that the victim had a toxic and lethal amount of fentanyl in her system. The fentanyl pill near her body when she was found deceased tested positive for fentanyl, and a medical examiner determined that the cause of the victims death was fentanyl toxicity, the DAs office said in a news release. The FBI Salt Lake City Field Offices Vernal Resident Agency is investigating the case, and U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah made the announcement. Youngs trial is expected to last three days and has been scheduled for July 9. His initial court appearance for the indictment was May 1. Assistant United States Attorney Sam Pead, also of the Utah district, is set to prosecute the case. The DAs office said a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging the suspect with supplying fentanyl to the victim on April 17. Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. As Japan's market shows resilience with the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX indices posting gains amid a broader global context of economic recalibration, investors are keenly observing trends that could influence their strategies. In such an environment, growth companies with high insider ownership in Japan stand out as potentially robust investment avenues due to the alignment of interests between company management and shareholders, fostering a commitment to long-term value creation. Top 10 Growth Companies With High Insider Ownership In Japan Name Insider Ownership Earnings Growth SHIFT (TSE:3697) 35.5% 27.2% Medley (TSE:4480) 34.1% 23.6% Hottolink (TSE:3680) 27% 54.3% Kasumigaseki CapitalLtd (TSE:3498) 35.5% 58.2% Micronics Japan (TSE:6871) 15.3% 37.4% Money Forward (TSE:3994) 21.4% 63.4% ExaWizards (TSE:4259) 24.8% 84.3% en-japan (TSE:4849) 14.7% 25.7% freee K.K (TSE:4478) 24% 79.8% Soracom (TSE:147A) 17.2% 68.9% Click here to see the full list of 107 stocks from our Fast Growing Companies With High Insider Ownership screener. We're going to check out a few of the best picks from our screener tool. Simply Wall St Growth Rating: Overview: Kasumigaseki Capital Ltd, operating in Japan, focuses on real estate consulting with a market capitalization of approximately 180.23 billion. Operations: The firm primarily generates its income through real estate consulting services in Japan. Insider Ownership: 35.5% Kasumigaseki Capital Ltd., a notable player in Japan's growth sector with high insider ownership, is navigating a complex landscape. While the companys earnings have surged by 48.2% over the past year, and are projected to grow at an impressive rate of 58.18% annually, it faces challenges with debt coverage by operating cash flow. Despite these financial strains, revenue growth forecasts outpace the Japanese market significantly at 44.4% per year. Additionally, its share price has shown high volatility recently, and shareholder dilution has occurred over the past year. However, Kasumigaseki Capital is currently trading at a substantial discount to its estimated fair value, suggesting potential for future valuation adjustments. TSE:3498 Earnings and Revenue Growth as at May 2024 Simply Wall St Growth Rating: Overview: BayCurrent Consulting, Inc. offers consulting services in Japan and has a market capitalization of approximately 552.01 billion. Operations: The firm specializes in consulting services within Japan. Story continues Insider Ownership: 13.8% BayCurrent Consulting, a growth-oriented firm in Japan with high insider ownership, is actively enhancing shareholder value through a recent share buyback program costing 3.6 billion. Despite its share price volatility, the company's revenue and earnings are expected to grow at 18.5% and 18.1% per year respectively, outpacing the Japanese market averages significantly. Although not reaching the high growth benchmark of 20%, its forecasted return on equity is impressive at 32.5%, indicating robust future profitability potential while trading at a significant discount to fair value. TSE:6532 Earnings and Revenue Growth as at May 2024 Simply Wall St Growth Rating: Overview: Micronics Japan Co., Ltd. specializes in developing, manufacturing, and selling testing and measurement equipment for semiconductors and LCD systems globally, with a market capitalization of approximately 302.87 billion. Operations: The company generates revenue primarily through two segments: TE Business, which brought in 1.83 billion, and Probe Card Business, contributing 36.46 billion. Insider Ownership: 15.3% Micronics Japan, distinguished by high insider ownership, is poised for substantial growth with earnings forecasted to increase by 37.37% annually. Despite a recent dip in profit margins from 17% to 10.8%, the company's revenue growth at 23.1% per year significantly outstrips the Japanese market average of 4.4%. This robust expansion trajectory, combined with a share price trading at a slight discount to fair value, underscores its potential despite notable share price volatility over the past three months. TSE:6871 Earnings and Revenue Growth as at May 2024 Where To Now? Click this link to deep-dive into the 107 companies within our Fast Growing Companies With High Insider Ownership screener. Invested in any of these stocks? Simplify your portfolio management with Simply Wall St and stay ahead with our alerts for any critical updates on your stocks. Unlock the power of informed investing with Simply Wall St, your free guide to navigating stock markets worldwide. 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.The analysis only considers stock directly held by insiders. It does not include indirectly owned stock through other vehicles such as corporate and/or trust entities. All forecast revenue and earnings growth rates quoted are in terms of annualised (per annum) growth rates over 1-3 years. Companies discussed in this article include TSE:3498TSE:6532 TSE:6871 Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) A tractor-trailer fire has broken out at a business on the east side of Abilene. Firefighters responded to a fire at Circle D Trucks, located at 4502 East Overland Trail, on Wednesday night. Upon arrival, they found a burning tractor-trailer. As of 10:00 p.m., the fire has been extinguished. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. Train guards have resorted to making fake threats to fine passengers who put their luggage on empty seats. Rail operators say staff are empowered to ask people to remove luggage from seats, with some guards telling passengers they will issue fines if they refuse, even though train firms do not routinely enforce such fees. Firms have existing powers to restrict passengers to three pieces of luggage under the National Rail Conditions of Travel, under which all train companies operate. National Rail guidelines state that rail operators can levy an additional luggage charge on people who bring more than three pieces on board or if excess bags occupy seats needed for passenger use. However, some rail firms find that just the threat of a fine is enough to deter passengers. Some guards have issued warnings to passengers using an extra seat for their luggage in an attempt to free up much-needed space on crowded services. Great Western Railway, which runs routes to the West Country and South Wales, said its guards were known for using humour to make more serious points. A GWR spokesman said: Theres no such thing as a fine for bags on seats. Train managers do tend to find a bit of light humour is a pretty effective way of highlighting the issue and encouraging people to stow luggage more thoughtfully. [While] theres no ban on bags on seats, in terms of busy services our on-board staff are empowered to manage their train safely and efficiently. This may include asking people to pay due regard to their fellow passengers and remove any luggage from seats to allow others to sit. A GWR source added: Im not aware of us ever implementing these charges, and it would be difficult to manage. Industry rules are in place to provide people with guidance, but we have to rely on customers being responsible and applying common sense. Its a judgment call and staff would treat every case on its own merits, but extremely large items like surfboards for example should be stopped at the gates. Passengers on Great Western Railway have reported hearing the announcements being issued by guards and managers. Lisa Power, the veteran LGBT rights campaigner who travels frequently by train to and from Wales, posted on social media: Absolutely loving the GWR woman train guard whos just announced shes going to walk through the train and charge people for any seat occupied by their luggage, as people politer than me are standing and suffering in silence. Laura Mittens, from Wiltshire, said: Good on GWR for announcing that theyd charge anyone the price of an extra seat for putting luggage or coats/bags on seats whilst there are lots of people left standing on this five-carriage train to Penzance! Pity the guy opposite me completely ignored that! Some people, eh?! GWR replied on X, formerly Twitter, feed: Seats are for bums. Govia Thameslink Railway, which operates Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express, said it urged passengers not to block seats that should be made available to other travellers. A spokesman said: We dont have a ban in place for bags on seats but obviously encourage passengers not to take up room on busy trains by unnecessarily blocking seats and other spaces with luggage. Southeastern, which runs some of the countrys busiest commuter lines into London from Kent and East Sussex, said: Customers are encouraged to use overhead storage or luggage racks. Half the seats are taken up by baggage Baggage being placed on seats at the expense of other passengers is an increasingly regular cause of complaint for travellers. One Stansted Express user said: On the train to London and having to stand because half the seats are taken up by baggage. Cases seem to have priority over passengers. Lynne Golding reported a similar situation to South Western Railway, saying: Boarded train at Basingstoke for London. Train is busy but so many seats are being used by people storing their baggage on them people, including elderly, are having to stand. Surely if this happens the bag owners should be charged for another ticket!!! The rail operator advised her to find the on-board guard, replying: Are you able to ask them to move their bags? If not, are you able to liaise with the guard? They might be able to make an announcement. Ms Golding said: Lady [asked] the chap to move his bag several times but got nowhere. He point-blank refused. Have seen no sight of the guard. 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. Train strikes today: See all dates and services affected this week Aslef drivers have hit commuters with strikes across 16 train operators this week - NEIL HALL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Rail passengers face a third consecutive day of disruption on Thursday because of a strike by train drivers which will again cripple services. Passengers have been hit by a series of 24-hour walk-outs since Tuesday, May 7, with drivers at 16 rail companies launching a wave of industrial action to disrupt journeys this week. Drivers belonging to the Aslef union are walking out between Tuesday and Thursday, May 9, in a row running for almost two years. Major strikes hit commuters on Tuesday and Wednesday, when train operators across the country ground to a halt. And the action continued on Thursday with LNER, Northern Trains and TransPennine Express drivers striking. Here is everything you need to know about the National Rail strikes. When and where will the strikes take place? Members of Aslef are walking out from Tuesday, May 7 to Thursday, May 9 at different operators and ban overtime for six days from the bank holiday Monday, May 6. May 7: Drivers will strike at c2c, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern, Gatwick Express and South Western Railway. May 8: There will be rail strikes at Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway and West Midlands Trains. May 9: Aslef members at LNER, Northern Trains and TransPennine Express will strike. Which train lines will be affected? On Thursday, May 9: Members of Aslef at LNER, TransPennine Express and Northern Trains will walk out for the day following similar action over the past two days at other operators. TransPennine urged people not to attempt to travel as it will not be running any services on its routes. Disruption is also likely on the day after strike action and services may start later and finish earlier than usual. Northern said it will also not run any services on Thursday. LNER will run more than 40 services between London, Edinburgh and West Yorkshire, equivalent to around a quarter of its usual timetable. Commuters have been hit by a wave of rail strikes since the May bank holiday - Hesther Ng / Story Picture Agency Why are the strikes happening? Aslef said train drivers have not had an increase in salary for five years, since their last pay deals expired in 2019. The union said that after its members voted overwhelmingly in February to continue taking industrial action, it asked the train operating companies to hold talks. General secretary Mick Whelan said: It is now a year since we sat in a room with the train companies and a year since we rejected the risible offer they made and which they admitted, privately, was designed to be rejected. We first balloted for industrial action in June 2022, after three years without a pay rise. It took eight one-day strikes to persuade the train operating companies (Tocs) to come to the table and talk. Our negotiating team met the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on eight occasions the last being on Wednesday, April 26 last year. That was followed by the Tocs land grab for all our terms & conditions on Thursday April 27 which was immediately rejected. Since then train drivers have voted, again and again, to take action to get a pay rise. Thats why Mark Harper, the Transport Secretary, is being disingenuous when he says that offer should have been put to members. Drivers would not vote to strike if they thought an offer was acceptable. Mr Whelan said the year-old offer of a 4pc pay rise followed by a second 4pc increase was dead in the water. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The Oregon Zoo announced the first California condor to hatch at its conservation center is turning 20 years old on Thursday, celebrating a milestone for a species once facing extinction. It was definitely very exciting being part of that first egg that was hatched in Oregon in over 150 years, but it was quite the wild ride, said Joe Burnett of the Ventana Wildlife Society. According to the Oregon Zoo, the incubator housing the condor egg lost power during an ice storm and was left vulnerable to the life-threatening cold. Portland City Council passes revised public camping ordinance, effective immediately I said, If we run out of fuel, we might have to huddle with this egg to keep it warm, Burnett recalled. And at the time I was joking, but it was actually pretty serious. Power was restored to the incubator, and later, condor No. 340, named Kun-Wac-Shun, or Thunder and Lightning, by Chief Nelson Wallulutum of the Wasco tribe, hatched at the Oregon Zoo on May 9, 2004. Over a decade later, Kun-Wac-Shun has been flying free in Central Californias Pinnacles National Park, where hes been a major part of keeping the species alive. Montessori schools in Portland, Tigard shutter after teachers launch union effort Its a great occasion to celebrate a species that not too long ago was on the very brink of extinction, said Travis Koons, who oversees the Oregon Zoos condor program. In the 1980s, fewer than 30 of these birds remained on the planet. No. 340 has played a big role in the condors comeback. Now, the zoo said, Kun-Wac-Shun is one of the most dominant males in the flock. Condors raised in Oregon have a reputation for toughness, Koons said. And that probably started with No. 340. He was the first one out, a true survivor, and he just might be the toughest of them all. According to the Zoo, Kun-Wac-Shun paired up with Tiny, No. 236, and welcomed five wild-hatched chicks into the world including the first condor to fledge from its nest at Pinnacles in over a century. The first condor hatched at the Oregon Zoo, Kun-Wac-Shun, is turning 20-years-old in May 2024 and played a major role in helping the species make a comeback (Courtesy Oregon Zoo.) The first condor hatched at the Oregon Zoo, Kun-Wac-Shun, paired with Tiny in Californias Pinnacles National Park and welcomed five chicks into the world (Courtesy Oregon Zoo.) The first condor hatched at the Oregon Zoo, Kun-Wac-Shun, paired with Tiny in Californias Pinnacles National Park and welcomed five chicks into the world (Courtesy Oregon Zoo.) The zoo notes Kun-Wac-Shun hasnt had an easy journey. Hes been treated for elevated lead levels at least 15 times over the years, most recently at the Oakland Zoo in 2021. His first partner died of lead poisoning in 2014 and his first history-making offspring died in 2022, the zoo said. Accumulated lead poisoning which impacts all raptors and scavengers is the leading cause of death for free-flying condors, officials said. When the birds feed on animal carcasses, they can ingest lead from bullet fragments, which may result in paralysis of the digestive tract and a slow death by starvation. Portland officials condemn behavior of smashed windows, burned cars in city The California condor was one of the first animals included in the 1973 Endangered Species Act and is classified as critically endangered. In 1982, 22 condors remained in the wild and in 1987, the last condors were brought into human care to save the species from extinction. With help from recovery programs, there are now more than 500 condors flying free, the Oregon Zoo said. Amid continued conservation efforts for the species, Burnett added that Kun-Wac-Shun is really the epitome of whats been accomplished with condors. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. Only an extraordinary cocktail of strategic delay, judicial scale-thumbing and good old fashioned bungling could leave just one of four Donald Trump felony indictment cases likely to conclude (and quite possibly even to start) before Election Day. That future, long looming, became even more concrete this week. On Wednesday, the Georgia Court of Appeals agreed to hear Trumps appeal of the decision not to boot Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the case following her romantic relationship with a prosecutor shed hired. Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, in a scathing March ruling in which he upbraided Willis for her decision making and conduct on the stand, had allowed her to stay on the case if she removed Nathan Wade, the prosecutor she dated. Much like the Jan. 6 case were awaiting the Supreme Courts ruling on the extent of Trumps presidential immunity litigation over this one spoke of the case must play out before the meaty merits can move forward. In short: delay. Special Prosecutor Jack Smiths valiant effort to foresee and defang the Supreme Courts pro-Trump feet-dragging in the Jan. 6 case was swatted down, making murky whether the immunity question alone much less whether Trump incited an insurrection will be cleared up before Trump potentially takes over the Justice Department. Put an x through the Jan. 6 and Georgia election trials. That leaves perhaps the most straightforward, slam-dunk case: Trumps indictment for hoarding classified documents in Mar-a-Lago after his presidential term and then lying about it. Luckily for democracy, the case is in the formidable, neutral, just-calling-balls-and-strikes hands of Judge Aileen Cannon (sigh). Cannon (and Trump) won the weighted dice-roll to get the case in the first place thanks, in part, to the many vacancies at the time in the Southern District of Florida. Why the vacancies? Because for some godforsaken reason, we are still playing by the blue slip rules, where the Presidents judicial nominees are traditionally blocked unless they get a thumbs up from both home state senators. From 1956 to 2016, the Congressional Research Service found only three judicial nominees confirmed by the Senate despite lacking the two endorsements. Therefore: Cannons constant delays of the trial, essentially an in-kind contribution to the Trump campaign, can be directly traced to President Joe Bidens reluctance to even nominate judges for that district, knowing that whoever he picks will be rejected by Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL). But I digress. Cannon suspended yet another deadline Monday, in keeping with months of slow rolling and eyebrow-raising amenability to Trumps dumb arguments. Shes successfully both kept the trial from proceeding and from giving Smith much substance on which he can appeal. She didnt bother setting a new trial date the better to get her name on the Supreme Court shortlist, should Trump be given the opportunity. No Jan. 6, no Georgia, no stolen documents. That leaves the New York case where Trump allegedly disguised repayment to Michael Cohen for quashing the story about his affair with Stormy Daniels just before the election as the only game in town. Polling has remained unfriendly for Biden. Hed made up some ground through the early spring, but still trails Trump (or is virtually tied with him) in the states that will decide the election. But many voters independents in particular say that a Trump conviction would disqualify him in their eyes. If thats true, a conviction could decide the election. And if it does, itll happen in New York Trumps hometown, the cauldron of his celebrity and his potential downfall. The Best Of TPM Today NEW from Hunter Walker: How Republicans Went From The Tea Party, To Stop The Steal, To The Next Big Election Conspiracy Yesterdays Most Read Story Stormy Daniels Concludes Her Two Days Of Testimony Josh Kovensky What We Are Reading How Republicans Echo Antisemitic Tropes Despite Declaring Support for Israel NYT The Progressive Running to End the Dominance of Coal in West Virginia The New Yorker The Office spinoff is set at a daily newspaper WaPo FILE - Former President Donald Trump speaks at an America First Policy Institute agenda summit at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, July 26, 2022. A group trying to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration if the former president wins in November is out with a new policy book that aims to articulate an "America First" national security agenda. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) WASHINGTON (AP) Making future military aid to Ukraine contingent on the country participating in peace talks with Russia. Banning Chinese nationals from buying property within a 50-mile radius of U.S. government buildings. Filling the national security sector with acolytes of Donald Trump. One of several groups trying to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration if the former Republican president wins in November is out with a new policy book that aims to articulate an America First national security agenda. The book, shared with The Associated Press before its release Thursday, is the latest effort from the America First Policy Institute. Like the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025," the group is seeking to help Trump avoid the mistakes of 2016, when he entered the White House largely unprepared. Beyond its policy efforts, the institute's transition project has been working to draft dozens of executive orders and developing a training program for future political appointees. Heritage has been building an extensive personnel database and offering its own policy manuals. Both groups stress they are independent from Trump's campaign, which has repeatedly tried to distance itself from such efforts, insisting that the only Trump-backed policies are those the candidate articulates himself. Still Fred Fleitz, the books editor, noted that he and retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who served for a time as Trump's acting national security adviser and wrote several of the chapters, have been in frequent touch with the former president, soliciting feedback and discussing topics such as Ukraine at length. We hope this is where he is. Were not speaking for him, but I think he will approve," said Fleitz, who formerly served as the National Security Council's chief of staff. He said he hopes the book will serve as a guidebook that will be an intellectual foundation for the America First approach" to national security thats easy to use. Its a grand strategy," added Kellogg. You dont start with the policies first. You start with the strategies first. And thats what weve done." The group casts the current trajectory of U.S. national security as a failure, thanks to a foreign policy establishment it accuses of having embraced an interventionist and globalist approach at the expense of America's national interests. While short on specifics, the book offers some guideposts to how a future Trump administration could approach foreign policy issues such as Russia's war against Ukraine. Trump has said, that if elected, he would solve the conflict before Inauguration Day in January, but has declined to say how. The book's chapter on the war spends more time discussing how the conflict unfolded than how to end it. But it says the U.S. should make future military aid contingent on Ukraine participating in peace talks with Russia. It predicts the Ukrainian army will likely lose ground over time and advises against the U.S. continuing to send arms to a stalemate that Ukraine will eventually find difficult to win. But once there is a peace agreement, it says the U.S. would continue to arm Ukraine as a deterrent to Russia. The authors seem to endorse a framework in which Ukraine would not be asked to relinquish the goal of regaining all its territory" but would agree to diplomacy with the understanding that this would require a future diplomatic breakthrough which probably will not occur before (Russian President Vladimir) Putin leaves office. It acknowledges that Ukrainians will have trouble accepting a negotiated peace that does not give back all of their territory or, at least for now, hold Russia responsible for the carnage it inflicted on Ukraine. Their supporters will also. But as Donald Trump said at the CNN town hall in 2023, I want everyone to stop dying. Thats our view, too. It is a good first step. The book blames Democratic President Joe Biden for the war and repeats Trumps claim that Putin never would have invaded if Trump had been in office. Its main argument in defense of that claim is that Putin saw Trump as strong and decisive. In fact, Trump cozied up to the Russian leader and was reluctant to challenge him. The bulk of the chapter is spent laying out an at times erroneous timeline of Bidens handling of the war. Going forward, it suggests Putin could be persuaded to join peace talks if Biden and other NATO leaders offer to put off NATO membership for Ukraine for an extended period. It suggests that the U.S. instead establish a long-term security architecture for Ukraines defense that focuses on bilateral security defense. It provides no explanation of what this would entail. It also calls for placing levies on Russian energy sales to pay for reconstruction in Ukraine. The book is critical of Trump's transition efforts in 2016, bemoaning a broad lack of preparation before Trump took office. The tumultuous transition of 2016/2017 did not serve President Trump and the nation well and slowed the advancement and implementation of his agenda," the authors wrote. For instance, they note that before the election, Democrat Hillary Clinton's transition team had submitted more than 1,000 names for future security clearance. Trump's team submitted just 25. The group says it has identified roughly 1,200 national security-related positions that the next administration will need to fill and urges it to be ready on Day 1 with Trump loyalists who adhere to the America First approach. It's not about retaliating against people or trying to politicize government positions. It's about making sure government workers do their job and keep politics out of their work, Fleitz said. The book describes China as the nation's most pressing national security threat, eager to displace the U.S. as the worlds premier power. It proposes a hawkish policy that builds on approaches from both the Trump years and the Biden administration with the goal of making Beijings policies largely irrelevant to American life." It elevates economic concerns with China to those of national security and proposes a reciprocal approach that would deny Beijing access to U.S. markets in the same way American companies have been denied in China. The book also recommends more rigorous screening of cyber and tech companies owned by U.S. adversaries, especially China, to make sure they are not collecting sensitive information. It also recommends that Chinese nationals be banned from buying property within a 50-mile radius of any U.S. government property. It calls for visa restrictions on Chinese students wishing to study in the United States and for the banning of TikTok and other Chinese apps out of concerns for data privacy. Trump, however, has spoken out against a law that would force TikTok's sale or block U.S. access. The analysts views of what an America First policy looks like often reflect the writers personal focuses. For Ellie Cohanim, a former Trump deputy State Department envoy charged with monitoring and combating antisemitism, America First looks a lot like a shopping list for the Israeli military. The U.S. should rush Israel a squadron of 25 Lockheed Martin F-35s, one squadron of Boeings F-15 EX, and a squadron of Apache E attack helicopters, Cohanim wrote. The U.S. should give some of its billions of dollars in military funding to Israel in Israeli currency so Israel can spend it at home, and Washington should push Arab states to foot the bill for the rebuilding of Gaza and accept Israel's shelving any political talks with the Palestinians pending an indefinite period of compulsory deradicalization for the Palestinian people, she wrote. ___ Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana contributed to this report. In 2024, viral social media posts reignited rumors that former U.S. President Donald Trump had boasted about walking in on naked beauty pageant contestants in their changing rooms. Some posts claimed that he had boasted specifically about entering the changing rooms of Miss Teen USA contestants, many of whom were underage. One post from May 2024 claimed to quote Trump telling radio host Howard Stern on "The Howard Stern Show" that he walked in on Miss Teen USA contestants who were around 14 to 16 years old at the time: "I'll go backstage before a Miss Teen USA show and everyone's getting dressed and ready and everything and no men are anywhere. And I'm allowed to go in because I'm the owner of the pageant [...]." (X user @AymannJames) Many of these posts pointed out that Trump owned a number of beauty pageants, including Miss USA, Miss Universe and Miss Teen USA, but did not specify which pageant contestant rooms he supposedly bragged about entering. (X user @stephen64171396) We looked closely at Trump's past comments, as well as real allegations made by former beauty pageant contestants from both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA competitions. Trump did indeed brag about walking in on contestants, but was referring to Miss USA or Miss Universe pageants, whose contestants are 18 or older. The above quote where he appeared to brag about walking in on Miss Teen USA contestants was misrepresenting a real comment he made to Stern. That said, there have been numerous serious allegations about Trump from both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA contestants, reporting that decades ago, he walked into their dressing rooms while they were partially naked (which Trump's spokesperson denied in 2016). We cannot prove or disprove their exact accounts, and while Trump did not admit to walking in on underage contestants, he certainly admitted to Stern his inappropriate behavior during other pageants. What Exactly Did Trump Say to Stern? From 1995 to 2015, Trump co-owned the Miss Universe Organization, which included Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants. CNN in 2016 reviewed clips of his numerous conversations with Stern and said they depicted Trump as being frequently demeaning to women. CNN published sections of the audio clips as well, and the quote in question can be heard at the 1:40 mark: In an April 2005 episode, Stern asked Trump if he ever had sex with Miss USA or Miss Universe contestants, according to CNN's report, to which Trump said, "I never comment on things like that." They continued to chat for a few minutes, when co-host Robin Quivers asked Trump if he thought sleeping with contestants was a conflict of interest. Trump said, "It could be a conflict of interest. But, you know, it's the kind of thing you worry about later, you tend to think about the conflict a little bit later on." Stern then put on a fake foreign accentreferring to international contestants in the Miss Universe pageant and said, "Some of these foreign girls" say hello in their country "with vagina." Trump then said, "Well, what you could also say is that, as the owner of the pageant, it's your obligation to do that." He then described how he got away with going backstage while the contestants were naked: Well, I'll tell you the funniest is that before a show, I'll go backstage and everyone's getting dressed, and everything else, and you know, no men are anywhere, and I'm allowed to go in because I'm the owner of the pageant and therefore I'm inspecting it. You know, I'm inspecting because I want to make sure that everything is good. [...] You know, the dresses. 'Is everyone okay?' You know, they're standing there with no clothes. 'Is everybody okay?' And you see these incredible looking women, and so, I sort of get away with things like that. But no, I've been very good. According to Miss USA and Miss Universe websites, contestants have to be at least 18 years old. In the above conversation with Stern, Trump was referring to those contests. He did not reference Miss Teen USA in his comments, indicating that the above X post edited his actual words. Did Trump Walk in on Partially Dressed Contestants? Trump, in his own words from 2005, admitted to doing so with regard to some of the pageants (referring to either Miss USA or Miss Universe). However, his representatives would deny years later that he ever behaved that way. But some former Miss Teen USA pageant contestants have accused him of walking into their changing room. In a 2016 Buzzfeed News investigation, nearly half a dozen former contestants of Miss Teen USA claimed that Trump walked in on them changing some of the girls in those rooms were reportedly 15 years old when it happened. One incident reportedly occurred in the 1997 Miss Teen USA beauty pageant. Mariah Billado, the former Miss Vermont Teen USA, recalled, "I remember putting on my dress really quick because I was like, 'Oh my god, there's a man in here'." She then remembered Trump saying, "Don't worry, ladies, I've seen it all before." Four other women also alleged that Trump entered the dressing room; eleven contestants that Buzzfeed reached said they did not recall him in the dressing room. In 2016, a former Miss USA contestant, who was 18 years old at the time, said that Trump walked into their changing room: "Our first introduction to him was when we were at the dress rehearsal and half naked changing into our bikinis. He just came strolling right in. There was no second to put a robe on or any sort of clothing or anything. Some girls were topless. Other girls were naked." She said they were told to greet him while in an awkward position where "the owner [came] waltzing in when we were naked or half naked in a very physically vulnerable position and then to have the pressure of the people that worked for him telling us to go fawn all over him, go walk up to him, talk to him, get his attention." In a statement to media in October 2016, in the midst of his first presidential campaign, Trump's spokesperson denied all the allegations from the former contestants: "These accusations have no merit and have already been disproven by many other individuals who were present. When you see questionable attacks like this magically put out there in the final month of a presidential campaign, you have to ask yourself what the political motivations are and why the media is pushing it." In Summary It is clear that Trump himself boasted about entering contestant dressing rooms, but those comments occurred during a discussion about Miss USA and Miss Universe, not Miss Teen USA. However, real allegations from former contestants of both Miss Teen USA and Miss USA bolstered claims that Trump behaved inappropriately. However, given that the events occurred decades ago, and we only have the contradicting accounts from Trump himself, as well as his accusers' statements, we are unable to definitively say ourselves whether or not he actually entered the dressing rooms. Sources: "Apply." Miss USA. 24 June 2022, https://themissusa.com/apply/. Accessed 25 March 2024. Barbash, Fred. "Former Miss Arizona: Trump 'Just Came Strolling Right in' on Naked Contestants." Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2021. www.washingtonpost.com, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/10/12/former-miss-arizona-trump-just-came-strolling-right-in-on-naked-contestants/. Accessed 25 March 2024. "Former Beauty Queen: Contestants Were Forced To Greet Trump Even When Not Fully Dressed." CBS Los Angeles. 11 Oct. 2016, https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/former-beauty-queen-she-other-contestants-were-forced-to-greet-trump-even-when-not-fully-dressed/. Accessed 25 March 2024. McDermott, Nate and Andrew Kaczynski, Chris Massie. "Donald Trump to Howard Stern: It's Okay to Call My Daughter a 'Piece of Ass' | CNN Politics." CNN, 8 Oct. 2016, https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/08/politics/trump-on-howard-stern/index.html. Accessed 25 March 2024. Toobin, Jeffrey. "Trump's Miss Universe Gambit." The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2018. www.newyorker.com, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/02/26/trumps-miss-universe-gambit. Accessed 25 March 2024. Testa, Jessica and Kendall Taggart, Jessica Garrison. "Teen Beauty Queens Say Trump Walked In On Them Changing." BuzzFeed News, 13 Oct. 2016, https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/kendalltaggart/teen-beauty-queens-say-trump-walked-in-on-them-changing. Accessed 25 March 2024. "VOTING RULES." Miss Universe, https://www.missuniverse.com/copy-of-apply. Accessed 25 March 2024. As he runs for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, Dave McCormicks claims to his home state have been a source of contention on the campaign trail: the Republican hedge fund titan spent much of his youth in Pennsylvania, but has lived out most of his recent adult and professional days in Connecticut. While the extent of McCormicks ties to his home state are cloudy, his ties to another statethe deep stateseem far more clear. Despite his claims to the MAGA movement, McCormick is steeped in the nexus of government, intelligence, and big business that Donald Trump and his acolytes ambiguously refer to as the deep state. Wealthy GOP Senate Candidate Appears to Have Illegally Spent Donor Cash Those connections range from colleagues to boards to corporate investments, with additional ties to notorious surveillance systems and an internal monitoring project at McCormicks firmthe legendary hedge fund Bridgewater Associatesthat was directly modeled after the Chinese Communist Partys autocratic surveillance state. And in the mind of Trump, who is McCormicks most crucial political ally, some of those ties would be about as problematic as a MAGA Republican can getsuch as, for instance, former FBI Director James Comey. Comey, it turns out, accepted a senior role at Bridgewater the year after McCormick signed on as the funds president. As general counsel, Comey oversaw an internal security program whose invasive and sometimes demeaning methods of surveillance and interrogation earned him a reputation as Bridgewaters in-house inquisitor. Aside from Comey, the most prominent of McCormicks deep state affiliations is his recent three-year run as a paid trustee of the secretive government-backed investment group In-Q-Telquite literally the Central Intelligence Agencys very own venture capital firm. McCormicks role at In-Q-Tel appears on his candidate financial disclosures, where he listed the entitys name as IQT. Tax filings from In-Q-Tel, which is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a nonprofit, show that McCormick joined as a trustee in March 2018 and left in 2022 as he pursued his first Senate campaign. He collected an annual $35,000 salary, logging five hours of work a week, according to the tax records, and his election bid has since seen hundreds of thousands of dollars in support from executives tied to IQT and its investments. For McCormick, his deep state connections embody the larger political contradictions hes already been forced to reconcile as a corporate Republican seeking office in the quasi-populist era of Trump. Dave McCormick speaks during a campaign rally at Beerded Goat Brewery in Harrisburg, Pa., on Thursday, April 25, 2024. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images That tortured balancing act failed two years ago. In the 2022 GOP primary in Pennsylvania, the lifelong moderate failed to land Trumps endorsementlosing that honor, and subsequently the GOP primary, to Mehmet Oz. While McCormick got the coveted Trump endorsement this yearthough there werent any other viable Republicans running in the primarythe dissonance is starker than ever. Today, the MAGA wing of the Republican Party finds itself fully enthralled with conspiracy theories about the intelligence community, which Trump and his allies have for years cast as public enemy No. 1. Trump is vowing retribution as a key 2024 campaign plank. Given that McCormicks challenge to Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) will be one of the most contentious races of the 2024 cycle, the hedge funder turned true MAGA believer may have to work harder than expected to scrub his deep establishment ties in order to appeal to his new base. A former colleague of McCormicks at Bridgewater told The Daily Beast that McCormick was an honorable man, a stand-up guy, and an independent and brilliant leader. But the colleague also put his finger on the Trump issue, calling it a sad reality that McCormick will have to cave to the whims of the former president. He knows that if he wins, he wont get to do what he thinks is right, the person said. He has his own money and he wont be so susceptible to outside pressures, financially. But hes still going to have to kiss the ring, and thats unfortunate. McCormicks campaign did not respond to detailed questions for this article. Its not clear if Trump knew about McCormicks work with the U.S. intelligence community, including the CIA and Comey. But as it turns out, the deep state overlaps in myriad ways with McCormicks 13-year tenure as a top executive at Bridgewater. Multi-Millionaire Senate Candidate Pushes the Bounds of Election Laws In 2010the year after McCormick left George W. Bushs Treasury Department to sign on as Bridgewaters presidentBridgewater hired Comey, who would later come to embody the darkest of Trumps paranoiac accusations about federal agents. Bridgewater brought Comey on officially as head of security and general counsel. In practice, however, Comeys role more closely resembled that of an in-house inquisitor over the first iteration of the firms oppressive internal employee monitoring program, which would later come to be called The Politburo. Before he led the FBI, unleashed a bombshell on Hillary Clinton in the 2016 campaign, and got fired by Trump, Comey reportedly raked in $7 million per year at Bridgewater. His task was to keep employees in line with the goals of what firm founder Ray Dalio called radical transparency. Those efforts included constant surveillanceincluding recorded meetings and videotaped, internal trials of employeeswith Dalio telling Bridgewater staff that Comey was like a godfather adjudicating it all. The taped meetings were just the tip of the surveillance ecosystem at Bridgewater, Vanity Fair reported in its profile of Comeys time with the firm. A slew of ex FBI agents staffed the security team. Not only did cameras cover seemingly every inch of the property, but they seemed to be watched in real time. Staffers who left their desks even briefly would return to sticky notes left on their computer monitors admonishing them for failing to put up a screen saver, Vanity Fair reported. Comey would go through employee cellphone and computer records, and was apparently so intrusive that he embarrassed one executive into resigning. But when Comeys security posse only turned up little evidence of actual offending behavior to snuff out, they created their own, according to Vanity Fair. Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates LP, speaks during China Development Forum (CDF) 2023 in Beijing, China. Lintao Zhang/Getty Images In one instance, the report said, Comey left an executives binder clearly labeled and unattended in Bridgewater offices. He then watched as surveillance cameras captured a low-ranking employee discovering the binder and going through it. Comey put the employee on trial and fired him, with the approval of Dalio. Comey, however, eventually found himself repelled by Dalios extremes, resigning after two years. (This month, Comey happens to be publishing a murder mystery novel that takes place inside a fictionalized version of Bridgewater.) Dalio, however, only ramped things up, implementing more and more intrusive policies to fully enact his radical transparency dogma. That program, it turns out, was literally modeled on the Chinese Communist Partys social surveillance program, which Dalio openly admired. He even named the project after the CCPs own Politburo and compared it favorably to Big Brother in a 60 Minutes interview. China, of course, is another area where McCormick is against the prevailing GOP winds, as Bridgewaters internal culture reflects aspects of Chinese political ideology and invested heavily in the regionafter McCormick took over as co-CEO in 2017, the funds Chinese investments skyrocketed. The Politburo staffed up with officials from the National Security Agency and the CIA. But Bridgewater workers found it intimidating and humiliating, and so intrusive that in 2017 one whistleblower filed a human rights complaint with the state of Connecticut, where the fund is headquartered, which was covered at the time in The New York Times. As detailed in a recent book about Dalio, titled The Fund, the Politburo essentially pitted its employees against each other, assigning roles like auditors and overseers and recording practically every moment of activityall in pursuit of Dalios core radical transparency philosophy. Inside the Tell-All That Billionaire Ray Dalio Tried to Stop While the system repelled many employeesincluding Comey and one-time CEO Jon Rubinstein, who both left after disagreements with DalioMcCormick stayed aboard, got a promotion, and publicly defended Dalios radical transparency. Rubinstein quit after a firing squad meeting that McCormick personally sat in on, according to the book, where Rubinstein made the case that Dalios increasingly authoritarian policies were creating a climate of fear. When McCormick, one of a handful of senior executives in the room, was personally asked if he agreed with Rubinsteins take, he said he did not, according to the book. McCormick has subsequently defended Dalio. In 2020, when McCormick was asked if he took issue with a fundamental contradiction at the core of the monitoring programradical transparency within the company, but kept secret from outside scrutinyhe replied that he doesnt think its inconsistent at all. Ray has always said this: Radical transparency is not total transparency. There are certain things that were not transparent about, and consciously so. Personnel and salary discussions, for example, McCormick said. Shortly after rising to co-CEO, McCormick joined the board at IQT. The venture capital nonprofit, which former CIA Director George Tenet founded in 1999, has funneled hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds to hundreds of technology firms and startups, some of which are still secret. Today, IQT oversees more than $1 billion in assets and even has its own special-purpose acquisition company. Though the group keeps a low profile, IQT maintains a close relationship with government intelligence and security divisions and runs almost all investment decisions by the CIA. Many IQT investments seek to cultivate the private development of surveillance technology that could one day benefit the intelligence community, and some of them overlap with both Bridgewater and McCormick. One of those companies is Palantir, a tech firm closely tied to right-wing financier Peter Thiel whose sprawling government work has made it a lightning rod for civil rights controversyand whose fate was rescued by IQTs investment. Bridgewater itself helped fund Palantir, and incorporated Palantir technology to advance its own investments as well as to help monitor Bridgewater employees in the funds pursuit of Dalios radical transparency. Palantir executives have contributed thousands of dollars to McCormicks 2024 campaign. Additionally, one of IQTs current trustees, Howard Fox, who also served on the board with McCormick, has put serious moneymore than $150,000behind McCormicks candidacy in both 2022 and this cycle. The same is true of other McCormick supporters, like the CEO of Tenable, an IQT-backed tech firm which announced its public stock offering shortly after McCormick joined the board. And while its true that McCormick brings his own money to the table, that hasnt stopped Bridgewater donors from chipping in. In all, Bridgewater employees, mostly executives, have contributed about $100,000 to McCormicks political aspirations, with current president Kyle Delaney throwing $50,000 to a 2022 super PAC backing his old colleague. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Former President Trump pinned the blame on President Biden for the college graduations that have been canceled amid the ongoing pro-Palestinian protests, describing the president as too weak to demand law and order. Crooked Joe Biden is 100% responsible for these weak colleges, like Columbia University, cancelling the graduations for thousands of students! Trump wrote on Truth Social just after midnight EDT Thursday. Crooked Joe is caving to the Far-Left Pro-Terrorist Mobs because his donors are funding them, and he is too WEAK to demand LAW AND ORDER! Columbia University which served as ground zero for the now-nationwide college protest movement canceled its main graduation ceremony, citing security concerns after weeks of pro-Palestinian demonstrations. University of Southern California (USC) also canceled its main ceremony amid criticism over its decision to nix its pro-Palestinian valedictorians speech. In both cases, the decision to cancel was made by the schools leadership, not Biden or his administration. Trump, the GOPs presumptive presidential nominee, has repeatedly called out what he believes to be weakness from Biden on the campaign trail as the two prepare for a match-up in Novembers general election. The former president lamented that students and parents will be robbed of an important milestone. So now young people, who have worked very hard, and their parents, who have paid thousands of dollars to send their kids to school, are being robbed of one of the most important moments of their lives. Such a shame, and totally avoidable!!! MAGA 2024! he wrote. The Hill reached out to the White House for comment. Protests calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza have persisted for more than three weeks, with demonstrators calling on universities and the U.S. government to cut ties with Israel. More than 1,000 protestors students, faculty and others have been arrested since the first major encampment started at Columbia last month. Many of the protests have been reported to be peaceful, though escalating tensions and the continuation of encampments and building takeovers have prompted several colleges to call in law enforcement. School administrators have argued the encampments and building takeovers are a disruption to campus activities and spark safety concerns for students, especially those who are Jewish. Biden last week defended the right to peacefully protest while also criticizing the vandalism and trespassing taking place at some demonstrations. In moments like this, there are always those who rush in to score political points. But this isnt a moment for politics, Biden said in prepared remarks from the White House last week. Its a moment for clarity. So let me be clear violent protest is not protected. Peaceful protest is. Biden also called out the antisemitism that has been reported among the protests, though many protest groups reject the characterizations of their demonstrations as antisemitic and highlight the participation of Jewish students in them. There should be no place on any campus, no place in America for antisemitism or threats of violence against Jewish students, he said. There is no place for hate speech or violence of any kind, whether its antisemitism, Islamophobia, or discrimination against Arab Americans or Palestinian Americans. It is simply wrong. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. MIAMI Sen. Rick Scott wants America to know: Hes standing by his friend and fellow Florida Republican Donald Trump during his criminal trial. The Florida Republicans decision to accompany Trump in the Manhattan courtroom on Thursday was a move Trumps campaign appreciated and one that inflamed Democrats who saw it as a way to remind the public about Scotts own decades-old clash with the law. Scotts cameo in the courtroom is likely to help him in Florida, where the senator is up for reelection and polling shows Trump ahead of President Biden by more than 10 points. At the same time it could hurt him among those less enamored of the former president. It came as Trump faced some especially salacious testimony from porn star Stormy Daniels, who took the stand and appeared to enrage the former president when she told the jury about their alleged sexual encounter. While plenty of members of Congress have talked about Trumps trials on the airwaves or fundraised off them, Scott is believed to be first to join the former president at the courthouse. It even gave Scott an opening to amplify comments the former president has made to discredit the New York case. On Thursday morning, Scott drove with Trump from Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue down to the courthouse in Lower Manhattan, where the presumptive GOP nominee is on trial related to hush money allegations to cover up an affair. Scott sat in the front row of the courtroom while the defense questioned Daniels. Scott, a former hospital chain CEO who served two terms as Florida governor, then walked outside and spoke to the cameras three hours into the trial. Im here because I have known Donald Trump a long time, he said. I knew him before I was governor. I consider him a friend. And what he is going through is just despicable. While the former president is under a gag order that prevents him from publicly commenting on jurors, witnesses or other people involved in the case, Scott faces no such restriction unless prosecutors can prove the senators remarks were directed by Trump. The senator told reporters that one of the prosecutors, Matthew Colangelo, used to work in the Justice Department a suggestion that the case against Trump is politically motivated. He also disparaged Justice Juan Merchans family members. Trump is allowed to publicly comment on District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the judge overseeing the case. Trump and Scott have known each other for more than 25 years, talk regularly and see each other at functions roughly once a month, said Scott reelection campaign senior adviser Chris Hartline. In their official capacities they worked together on Everglades restoration and on policies toward Cuba and Venezuela. Its not just a political alliance, Hartline said. Its a genuine friendship that has been built long before either of them were in office. Scott was invited to attend the trial by Susie Wiles, Trump's senior campaign adviser, who was also Scott's first campaign manager, he told POLITICO during a brief interview on Capitol Hill. But he added that he decided to make public remarks and was not asked to do so by the campaign. "He's standing strong, he's working hard," Scott said of Trump, and hinted at the possibility of going back to the trial. His relationship with Trump is far different than with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Scott and DeSantis have feuded for years, going back to when DeSantis was an incoming governor. The dynamic was also on display last year when DeSantis turned down a chance to meet with President Joe Biden in the wake of a hurricane but Scott stepped in. Trump complained last week that the streets near the courthouse were too blocked off, preventing his supporters from protesting. Since then, roughly three weeks into the trial, hes been spotted with other key players in politics, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Wiles and Trumps son Eric. The friendship and support of Sen. Scott is important to President Trump and to the campaign, Trump campaign senior adviser Brian Hughes said. When Biden and the Democrats are attacking you every minute of every day, it is always good to have strong friends and supporters at your side. Melissa Stone, who was Scotts chief of staff when he was governor, said that Scott often ignores public opinion or what the GOP establishment wants. She added that he was one of the best friends you can have when going through a difficult time, saying he called every day when her son was in the neonatal intensive care unit. This is the most on brand thing Rick Scott has ever done, because he has a very strong sense of right and wrong and strong sense of sticking up for someone when he feels like they are in an unfair situation, she said. MAGA Inc., the super PAC supporting Trump, shared Scotts comments about the prosecution on social media. Scotts reelection campaign sent a roundup of the senators various comments during the day to reporters on Thursday afternoon. On Thursday, Scott insisted that, to him, the case was personal, not only because of his relationship with Trump but because he saw similarities to his own life. Outside the courthouse, as well as early in the morning in a Fox & Friends appearance, Scott raised the fact that he opposed Hillary Clintons health care reform proposal in the 1990s. He then accused the Justice Department of going after the hospital chain he led, Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp., as an act of retribution. This cant continue, Scott said. What is happening to this president is wrong. Scott left the company in 1997 while it was under a federal investigation that ultimately led to a record $1.7 billion for Medicare fraud. Over the years, Scott has maintained his innocence and has faced attacks about it in all of his runs for office, though his approach to it has evolved since his 2010 gubernatorial run, when he said he took responsibility and learned from the experience. He became one of the wealthiest members of Congress after a childhood spent in poverty and is able to self-fund his political campaigns. Florida Democrats made it clear that 2024 would be no different in terms of focusing on Scotts Medicare record and accused him of being in New York kissing up to Trump. The group used Scotts comments outside the courthouse to blast him in an email to reporters and on social media. Scotts likely challenger, Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a former congresswoman from Ecuador, had a similar message and slammed Scott for missing a procedural vote to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration, which ended up passing by a wide bipartisan margin. Scott did vote on the bills final passage later in the day. Instead of showing up to vote on a bill that protects Florida travelers, strengthens air safety, and provides our aviation workforce with the resources they need to secure our skies, Rick Scott spent his day sucking up to a defendant found liable for sexual abuse, she said in a statement. It should come as no surprise that the man who oversaw one of the largest Medicare frauds in history would put himself and his own extreme agenda before the people he was elected to represent. Mia McCarthy contributed to this report. Huawei. The U.S. government has withdrawn select export licenses from Intel and Qualcomm, effectively preventing them from supplying processors to Huawei the latest volley in an ongoing chip war between the U.S. and China. Intel and Qualcomm can no longer sell processors for laptops and smartphones to Huawei, according to a report from the Financial Times. The new ruling hits their businesses and leaves the Chinese tech giant which has been on the U.S. trade restrictions list since 2019 without some of the crucial elements needed for its products. "We continuously assess how our controls can best protect our national security and foreign policy interests, taking into consideration a constantly changing threat environment and technological landscape," a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Commerce told the FT. "As part of this process, as we have done in the past, we sometimes revoke export licenses." The spokesperson declined to comment on specific export licenses and did not name the companies that owned the licenses, but the unofficial information suggests that the authorizations have been withdrawn from Intel and Qualcomm. Although the U.S. government does not allow American companies to ship high-performance processors to Chinese entities, both Huawei and Inspur, two prominent Chinese server-makers, could buy Intel's Xeon processors for servers albeit, not always under their own brands. The U.S. government even provided Intel with an export license to sell its Core Ultra 'Meteor Lake' CPUs for laptops to the blacklisted Huawei, which annoyed some U.S. lawmakers. As a result of the Huawei export license revocation, Intel now expects its second quarter revenue to fall below the midpoint of its guidance ($12.5 billion to $13.5 billion) issued a couple of weeks back, according to a report from Bloomberg. Republican lawmakers have recently intensified the call for President Biden to impose stricter measures against Huawei, citing the company's alleged role in aiding Beijings global cyber espionage (a claim Huawei denies). Revoking these licenses is an affirmation of the U.S. government's firm stance against potential Chinese threats. Although the decision might not impact a large quantity of chip supplies for Intel and Huawei, it highlights the U.S. government's general intention to limit China's access to a wide range of advanced processors. Officials are also contemplating sanctions against six Chinese companies suspected of potentially supplying chips to Huawei, Bloomberg claims. Jim Mattis, onetime secretary of defense for the Trump administration, described the former president as a madman in a circular room screaming, a new book reveals. The revelation was made by Tom Bossert, Donald Trumps homeland security adviser from 2017 to 2018, and published in The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis. The new book, from journalists George Stephanopolous and Lisa Dickey, discusses the history of presidential crises since John F Kennedy and is set to be published next week. Mr Bossert told the authors that Mr Trump avoided situation room briefings because he didnt like having to go to the room and believed the generals should come to him, instead, according to a review by The Guardian. I mean, you couldnt get Mattis into the White House, Mr Bossert said. Jim Mattis (left) and Donald Trump (right) at a 2018 press conference. Mr Mattis reportedly thought of Mr Trump as a madman, a new book reveals (Getty Images) Mr Mattis spent 43 years in the Marine Corps, and rose to commander at US Central Command before retiring in 2013 as a four-star general. He joined the Trump administration as defense secretary in 2017 but lasted only a year, resigning over the presidents decision to remove US forces from Syria. According toThe Atlantic he told Mr Trump: Youre going to have to get the next secretary of defense to lose to ISIS. Im not going to do it. In 2020, Mr Mattis also penned a letter to The Atlantic denouncing Mr Trumps presidency. Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people does not even pretend to try, Mr Mattis wrote. Instead he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership. In his 2020 book Rage, journalist Bob Woodward wrote that General Mattis said Mr Trump was unfit and dangerous as president and had no moral compass. Mr Trump publicly denounced Mr Mattis, dubbing him mad dog and saying he was pleased he resigned. His primary strength was not military, but rather personal public relations, Mr Trump said of Mr Mattis in 2020. I gave him a new life, things to do, and battles to win, but he seldom brought home the bacon. I didnt like his leadership style or much else about him, and many others agree. Glad he is gone! The Situation Room also reveals that Mr Trump forced aides to create books of chyrons, the graphics that appear at the bottom of newscasts, in order to simplify the news of the day. The authors called this surely one of the most prosaic tasks ever required of the highly trained intelligence officers serving in the White House, according to The Guardian. The Independent has contacted Mr Mattis, Mr Bossert and Mr Trumps 2024 campaign for comment. Will Trump be found guilty in his NY criminal trial? Poll reveals what voters believe Most Americans believe former President Donald Trumps hush money trial the first-ever criminal trial against an ex-president will end in at least one guilty verdict, according to new polling. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. voters, 65%, believe Trump will be convicted on some charges in the trial, which is currently underway in New York City, according to a May 7 Suffolk University/USA Today poll. The poll, conducted from April 30 to May 3, sampled 1,000 registered voters from all 50 states and has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points. More politics news Trump is now selling Bibles but hes not the first president with holy books for sale Biden isnt alone with his age concerns. Heres how past presidents dealt with aging In the poll, half of respondents said they believed Trump will be found guilty only on some of the counts, while 15% said they believed he would be convicted on all counts. On the other hand, around a quarter of respondents, 23%, said they believed he would be found not guilty on all counts, while 10% were unsure. Additionally, 44% of respondents said they believed the trial which began on April 15 has not been fair, while 39% said they believed it was fair. This question largely divided respondents along partisan lines, with 76% of Democrats claiming the trial is fair and 80% of Republicans claiming it is unfair. Independents were split down the middle, with 37% saying Trump is receiving a fair trial and 37% saying he is not. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, faces 34 counts of allegedly falsifying business records to cover up a payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels in the lead-up to the 2016 election. Trump has maintained his innocence, calling the trial a witch hunt orchestrated by President Joe Bidens administration. RFK Jr. wants to debate Biden, Trump. But just how rare is a 3-way presidential debate? What are Trump and Bidens biggest weaknesses? Poll reveals what Americans think Trump is held in contempt of court a punishment only one other president faced Trumps fraud trial judge faces probe after hotshot attorney claims he tried to advise him in $454m case The judge in Donald Trumps civil fraud trial is now under investigation after a hotshot New York real estate attorney claimed he gave him unsolicited advice ahead of the hotly-anticipated multi-million-dollar ruling, according to a report. Attorney Adam Leitman Bailey told NBC New York that he spoke to Judge Arthur Engoron three weeks before he made his final judgment in the former presidents case, where he found Mr Trump, his two oldest sons, as well as their Trump Organization associates and properties liable for $464m for falsely inflating his assets. I actually had the ability to speak to him three weeks ago, Mr Bailey told the outlet on February 16, the date of the judges decision. I saw him in the corner [near the courthouse] and I told my client, I need to go. And I walked over and we started talking I wanted him to know what I think and whyI really want him to get it right. This claim prompted the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct to launch an investigation into the alleged interaction, NBC News reported. The commissions administrator Robert Tembeckjian declined to comment on behalf of the judicial body, saying it is constrained by a strict confidentiality statute. A spokesperson for the New York States Office of Court Administration has rejected Mr Baileys claim that he gave Judge Engoron advice. No ex parte conversation concerning this matter occurred between Justice Engoron and Mr. Bailey or any other person, the spokesperson said in a statement to NBC New York. Justice Arthur Engoron presides over Donald Trump Jr's testimony in his family's civil fraud case at the New York State Supreme Court on 13 November (Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool) The decision Justice Engoron issued February 16 was his alone, was deeply considered, and was wholly uninfluenced by this individual, the spokesperson said. The Independent has reached out to representatives for Judge Engoron and Mr Bailey for comment. Mr Bailey told NBC News that he knows the judge from appearing before him as an attorney in court hundreds of times. The real estate attorney claimed that he had explained to Judge Engoron that the anti-fraud law, on which the case had been brought, was not typically used to dismantle a company, especially if there were no victims. The judge had a lot of questions, you know, about certain cases. We went over it, Mr Bailey alleged. Mr Trumps legal team argued a similar point in court at trial. New York Attorney General Letitia James office had argued that Mr Trumps misrepresentation of assets had led to him receiving favorable loans, and in turn affecting the marketplace. The judge concurred, writing in his decision that materiality under this statute is judged not by reference to reliance by or materiality to a particular victim, but rather on whether the financial statement properly reflected the financial condition of the person to which the statement pertains. In a separate, later interview Mr Bailey gave to NBC New York, he echoed his previous statements about his interaction with the judge. He then added that, although the men didnt mention Mr Trump by name, he believed the judge understood him to be talking about the former presidents civil fraud case: Well, obviously we werent talking about the Mets. New Yorks judicial rules of conduct state that a judge shall not initiate, permit, or consider ex parte communications, or consider other communications made to the judge outside the presence of the parties or their lawyers concerning a pending or impending proceeding. However, the rules allow for an exception, stating: A judge may obtain the advice of a disinterested expert on the law applicable to a proceeding before the judge if the judge gives notice to the parties and affords the parties reasonable opportunity to respond. Christopher Kise, an attorney on Mr Trumps legal team, told NBC New York: The code doesnt provide an exception for well, this was a small conversation or well, it didnt really impact meThe code is very clear. Former President Trump chastised President Biden early Thursday morning for threatening to withhold certain offensive weapons from Israel if Israeli forces invade Rafah, a city in southern Gaza. Crooked Joe Biden, whether he knows it or not, just said he will withhold weapons from Israel as they fight to eradicate Hamas Terrorists in Gaza, Trump posted on Truth Social. Hamas murdered thousands of innocent civilians, including babies, and are still holding Americans hostage, if the hostages are still alive. The former president also accused Biden of taking the side of these terrorists and claimed again the war between Israel and Hamas would not have broken out if he were in office. Trump further addressed Bidens decision in remarks to reporters outside the courtroom in Manhattan where his hush money trial is taking place. What Biden is doing with respect to Israel is disgraceful, Trump said. If any Jewish person voted for Joe Biden, they should be ashamed of themselves. Biden warned Wednesday that he would stop supplying Israel with offensive weapons like bombs and artillery shells if Israeli forces launch an invasion of Rafah, laying down a clear line amid outcry over the conflict in Gaza. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they havent gone in Rafah yet if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities that deal with that problem, the president said. Trump has been critical of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the Hamas attacks last October that killed more than 1,100 Israelis and over his handling of the ensuing conflict in Gaza. Biden said Wednesday that his administration would ensure Israel is able to respond to attacks, but artillery shells and other offensive munitions would be reconsidered. The White House has urged Israel against sending forces into Rafah without a clear plan to evacuate civilians safely, as the war has already left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead. About a million refugees have settled in Rafah after fleeing fighting in northern Gaza. But Netanyahu has been adamant about plans to destroy Hamas, the group that controls the Gaza Strip and orchestrated the Oct. 7 attacks. And he says that requires going after Hamas leaders hiding out in Rafah. The U.S. reportedly paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns of a looming full-scale invasion of Rafah. But his comments Wednesday mark the first time the president has explicitly threatened to cut off the shipment of offensive weapons to the U.S. ally. Updated at 9:46 a.m. EDT For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Former President Trump on Wednesday said it was not the time for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greenes (R-Ga.) attempt to remove Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from the top job in the House, warning the effort displayed disunity in an election year. Trump gently criticized Greene, one of his most ardent supporters in the House, moments after the House overwhelmingly voted to torpedo the congresswomans measure to oust the GOP leader. I absolutely love Marjorie Taylor Greene. Shes got Spirit, shes got Fight, and I believe shell be around, and on our side, for a long time to come, Trump posted on Truth Social. However, right now, Republicans have to be fighting the Radical Left Democrats, and all the Damage they have done to our Country. With a Majority of One, shortly growing to three or four, were not in a position of voting on a Motion to Vacate, Trump continued. At some point, we may very well be, but this is not the time. Trump, citing his lead over President Biden in swing state polls and at the national level, cautioned that any disunity among Republicans will be portrayed as CHAOS and will negatively affect everything! Mike Johnson is a good man who is trying very hard. I also wish certain things were done over the last period of two months, but we will get them done, together, Trump added. Trump encouraged Republicans to vote for the motion to table Greenes effort, though his post went up after the vote had already occurred. The chamber voted 359-43-7 to block Greenes motion to vacate before it hit the floor for a vote. Eleven House Republicans voted against the motion to table. Trump had in recent days sought to mediate friction between Johnson and Greene, who had threatened to trigger a motion to vacate for weeks. The former president spoke with Greene over the weekend and urged unity, and he did the same alongside Johnson at a donor retreat in Florida on Saturday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Trump offered to block electric car rollout as he asked oil bosses for $1bn Donald Trump told oil industry executives he would dismantle Joe Bidens pro-electric vehicle agenda as he asked for $1bn (800m) to help return him to the White House, it has been claimed. The Republican presidential candidate pledged to roll back the Biden administrations environmental rules at a meeting with fossil fuel bosses last month, according to the Washington Post, and called recently introduced EV rules ridiculous. Mr Trump reportedly described the proposed billion-dollar donation as a deal given how much oil and gas companies would save as a result of his policies. President Biden has announced new standards on vehicle emissions that could mean zero emission vehicles making up more than half of all sales by 2032. American petrol producers have said the rules amount to an effective gas car ban and vigorously opposed them. The dinner at Mr Trumps Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida was reportedly attended by the bosses of gas companies Venture Global and Cheniere Energy as well as companies including Chevron and ExxonMobil. Electric cars have the potential to be a major battleground in Novembers US elections. Democrats have spent billions to encourage EV purchases and domestic production as well as building out a charging network. Meanwhile, Mr Trump has said that electric car mandates will kill Americas car making industry and warned of a blood bath for manufacturers if he is not returned to office. Reversing a pro-EV push could, however, disappoint car makers such as Ford and General Motors that have pushed into battery-powered vehicles, as well as Tesla, whose chief executive, Elon Musk, has been a vocal critic of Mr Biden. The Biden administration has also frozen permits for exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG), citing environmental concerns. The industry has grown dramatically in recent years thanks to the shale boom. The freeze has been widely opposed by the gas industry and Republicans have tried to overturn it. Mr Trump told gas executives that he would overturn the freeze immediately. Youll get it on the first day, he reportedly said. Oil and gas production in the US has hit all-time highs during Mr Bidens presidency, while oil majors have made record profits, but executives have chafed at his environmental policies and pledges to transition away from fossil fuels. Mr Trump reportedly told executives he would reverse restrictions on drilling in the Arctic and issue more licences for exploration in the Gulf of Mexico. The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. NEW YORK Attorneys for Donald Trump sought during hours of cross examination of Stormy Daniels on Tuesday and Thursday to portray her as a fabricator and extortionist, a woman with no regard for the truth who preyed on a rich man for a quick buck. Daniels, defense attorney Susan Necheles suggested, was more than a porn star. She was a savvy businesswoman who had parlayed her encounter with Trump into a series of enterprises: merchandise including a T-shirt line and a Stormy Saint of Indictments votive candle, a documentary, an $800,000 book deal, and much more. Shes a kook as well, Necheles suggested: a talented storyteller equally comfortable writing convincing sex scenes for adult films as creating a podcast about the paranormal which hinted that she had the ability to commune with the dead. The defense sought to cast Daniels, in short, as a talented con artist who knows how to weave together convincing, but improbable stories involving sex, and apply leverage to cash in on them. That description of what Daniels was up to was extremely evocative. But heres the thing: Trump isnt alleged to have engaged in the business records falsification scheme because he was being extorted by an enterprising con artist. Instead, prosecutors allege, he was acting in response to the story Daniels had to tell regardless of whether it was true or false, and regardless of whether he was being, or felt, extorted. He sought to suppress Daniels account, the statement of facts reads, with an eye toward not having the story affect the presidential race. As prosecutor Joshua Steinglass put it at a hearing at close of court on Thursday, the explosive details that Daniels had to offer are at the heart of the prosecutions case. Those messy details that is motive, Steinglass told Judge Merchan. That was Mr. Trumps motive to silence her story. Its a subtle difference. But its critical to understanding the significance of Daniels testimony, and how the defenses aggressive cross examination fits or doesnt fit with what prosecutors allege. The Manhattan District Attorneys Offices case against Trump is composed of 34 counts of falsification of business records, upgraded to a felony because he allegedly faked the records in furtherance of a campaign finance conspiracy. In the story that prosecutors tell, Trump went to extraordinary lengths to cover up his reimbursement to Michael Cohen for the hush money scheme by falsifying the business records. In that telling, whether Daniels was telling the truth or lying, and whether she was extorting Trump or innocently shopping her story around, is largely irrelevant. From that perspective, its Trumps response to Daniels story in all its detail that matters. For Necheles, casting Daniels as a greedy fabricator represented a tradeoff. On the one side, it concedes that the story had grave potential to damage Trump, thus also conceding the motive for the conspiracy prosecutors allege. Its almost a stipulation to the prosecutions contention that, in particular after the release of the Access Hollywood tape, Trump could not afford to have Daniels telling her story in public. The potential advantage for the defense comes in a few ways. One is that it could help generate sympathy with the jury. As Necheles presented it, Daniels used her talents at fabrication and seamy storytelling to target Trump in the vulnerable final weeks of his campaign, shaking him down for money. Paying her off isnt illegal and if he falsified the records, it was for a completely understandable reason: to avoid public humiliation. To create that impression, Necheles questioned Daniels about her work not only as a porn actress, but as a director. Through this line of questioning, Necheles attempted to show that Daniels was skilled at weaving fake stories about sex. You have a lot of experience of making phony stories about sex appear to be real? Necheles asked Daniels. Daniels replied with shock. Wow, before adding: The sex in the films is very much real, just like what happened to me in that room. She added: If that story was untrue, I would have written it to be a lot better. At times, Necheles strategy seemed to approach an attempt at jury nullification when members of a jury disregard the case mounted and the evidence of crimes charged and instead acquit because they disagree with the law or the way in which prosecutors applied it. The defense implicitly asked the panel to find that Daniels had acted so outrageously as to compel Trump to do anything to defend himself. It also left the former president in his favored rhetorical pose: that of a victim. Necheles tack here took her into the world of the occult and the paranormal. She peppered Daniels with questions about her ventures probing the hereafter, asking her if she had claimed to be able to communicate with the dead. They also asked about an episode in which she claimed to have resided in a haunted house in New Orleans, where she claimed that a spirit attacked her boyfriend. Isnt it a fact that youre the one who attacked your boyfriend? Necheles asked. A prosecutor objected, and Merchan sustained it, before Daniels could answer. Daniels eventually said the interesting and unexplained activity in the house was completely debunked as a giant possum living underneath it. It may have left Daniels as appearing somewhat kooky, but its not clear what significance it has for the underlying charges. Those, again, involve Trumps response to Daniels, not the veracity of her story. This provocative defense reached its peak at the very end of cross-examination, when Necheles asked Daniels: Was it true that she had spent twelve years lying about a sexual encounter that never happened? Merchan sustained an objection to the question. What once resembled a wall of legal obstacles that stood between Donald Trump and his return to the White House is now looking like little more than a series of speed bumps. Prosecutors handling cases from Georgia to Florida to Washington, D.C., are discovering that bringing groundbreaking criminal charges against a former president is a lot easier than getting them to trial. The four criminal cases that Trump is facing have diverted him from the campaign trail and as is evident from his speeches and social media feeds have prompted him to devote an even greater share of his mental energy to his courtroom adversaries. But, as of now, the wave of prosecutions dont seem destined to deliver the kind of legal accountability that Trumps investigators promised or the devastating political blow to Trumps presidential prospects that has animated his detractors since the cases were announced with great fanfare over a five-month span last year. Thats because Trump has benefited enormously from a pileup of postponements. After a pair of delays this week in Georgia and Florida, the most likely scenario for 2024 is that the only trial that Trump will face before the election is the ongoing one in Manhattan: the hush money case, which many lawyers view as the least serious of the four, both in terms of the severity of the alleged wrongdoing and the prospect of prison time. And if that scenario comes to pass, Trumps critics will be deprived of the teaching moment they have long hoped for: some methodical public airing of the former presidents gravest misdeeds that would convince some swath of Trump supporters to rule out supporting him. I do think people had too high hopes for these cases to take the place of grass-roots organization and self-education and voting rights and getting people to the polls and basically having a more fundamental and a real conversation about what we are facing now in under 200 days, said University of Baltimore law professor Kimberly Wehle, a former assistant U.S. attorney. I just thought courts were the last thing standing. It may seem counterintuitive that the broader legal threat against Trump is receding as the former president is being forced to report to a New York City courtroom most weekdays for his hush money trial. That case, in which he is accused of falsifying business records, is historic in its own right, and Manhattan prosecutors have framed the allegations as a form of election interference. However, in the span of less than 24 hours this week, the already-modest chances of Trump facing any other trials in the next six months diminished further. On Tuesday evening, the Trump-appointed judge in Florida overseeing his prosecution on charges of hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate and obstructing the federal investigation into them, postponed that trial indefinitely, citing a slew of pending motions and special procedures related to handling of classified evidence in court. And on Wednesday morning, the Georgia Court of Appeals agreed to take up the ex-presidents bid to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from proceeding with her case charging Trump with leading a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 presidential election in that state. That move likely means months more delay in the case, where no trial date has been set for Trump or his 14 co-defendants. That leaves the fourth, and arguably most serious, case: the federal charges in Washington for conspiring to derail the peaceful transfer of power to Joe Biden. That case had been scheduled to go to trial two months ago, but it, too, has been on hold. The Supreme Court froze the proceedings in the trial court by agreeing to hear Trumps appeal claiming presidential immunity. Oral arguments last month signaled the justices may order the trial judge, Tanya Chutkan, to conduct a painstaking, and time-consuming, review of the charges and evidence before conducting any trial. A decision from the Supreme Court may not come until the end of June. If the justices dont kill the case against Trump entirely, it may limp on as the lower courts wrestle with how to apply whatever immunity the justices decide former presidents enjoy. And even if the case is ready to proceed to trial by late summer or fall, its unclear whether Chutkan, an Obama appointee, would contemplate holding a trial for Trump in the nations capital at the height of the presidential campaign while Trump is seeking to win back the White House. The frustration with the pace of court action in the Trump cases has prompted some liberal commentators to seize on the possibility that, with the clock running out before the election, Chutkan might hold a wide-ranging evidentiary hearing with witnesses who could publicly air Trumps varied efforts to upend the 2020 election. The formal purpose of such a hearing would be for the judge to consider whether those efforts were related to his presidential duties or done in service of personal or political ends. But, for some critics, it might also be the only chance at public accountability before voters head to the polls. It delays the trial on the one hand but, on the other hand, that could be the opportunity for some of the government's evidence, the meticulous work that [special counsel] Jack Smith did in front of the grand jury, that could soon become something that Americans are conversant with. We have an opportunity to see more of the evidence against Donald Trump, former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance said on MSNBC. While such a mini-trial might generate some new insights and could divert Trump from the campaign trail, it seems unlikely to generate the kind of drama of an actual trial before a jury. Its also unclear how much political impact such a hearing would have given that so much of Trumps actions in the lead-up to Jan. 6, 2021, have already been exposed during the hearings a House select committee held in 2022 on his effort to undermine the election results and halt the Congress counting of electoral votes. Trump says Jewish people should be ashamed to vote for Biden Donald Trump has told Jewish voters they should be ashamed to vote for Joe Biden in the upcoming presidential election. The comments came as Mr Trump walked into the Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday morning for another day of his hush money trial. This week, porn star Stormy Daniels is on the witness stand, facing more cross-examination from the defendants lawyers. What Biden is doing with respect to Israel is disgraceful, Mr Trump said. If any Jewish person voted for Joe Biden, they should be ashamed of themselves. Hes totally abandoned Israel and nobody can believe it. Donald Trump addresses reporters before walking into court on Thursday, 9 May (Reuters) Some online have mocked Mr Trumps words. Trump has a curious strategy for appealing to the Jewish voters: he engages in antisemitism, a Twitter/X user wrote on Thursday morning. The only Jews who should be ashamed are the 22 per cent with a favourable view of Donald Trump, who has proven beyond a doubt that he is a bigot, a fraud, a misogynist, [and] a bully, to quote the chair of the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), Norm Coleman, another user wrote. Mr Trumps comments come after President Bidens administration paused its shipment of thousands of bombs to Israel. However, defence secretary Lloyd Austin said the US commitment to Israel remains ironclad. We are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of the ongoing events in Rafah, Mr Austin said earlier this week. Concerns are growing that Israeli forces will launch a major ground offensive in Rafah, the southern Gaza city in which more than a million people are sheltering from Israels attacks. The Palestinian health ministry says Israels continued assault on Gaza has killed almost 35,000 people, most of whom were women and children. The United Nations also says that restrictions on humanitarian aid have created a man-made famine, with half the 2.3 million population of the Gaza Strip at catastrophic levels of hunger. The attacks on Gaza come in the wake of 7 October, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking another 250 people hostage. The Biden administration is also preparing to release a National Security Memorandum, NSM-20, which will reveal the results of an investigation into possible Israeli war crimes in Gaza. It is now expected some time next week, after its initial release date of Wednesday was delayed. Mr Trumps views on Israels ongoing war in Gaza have been inconsistent. In March, the former president called on Israel to finish up the war. He said he had watched images of bombs being dropped on residential buildings in Gaza every night, calling it a big mistake. Days later, he called for Israel to get back to peace and stop killing people. Then, in mid-April, Mr Trump was speaking at a Pennyslvania rally when his protesters started chanting, Genocide Joe. The nickname for Mr Biden has been widely used by pro-Palestinian advocates to protest against his support for Israels war effort in Gaza. Theyre not wrong, Mr Trump said of the chanting supporters. Theyre not wrong. Hes done everything wrong. However, a spokesperson for Mr Trumps 2024 presidential campaign clarified his official stance last month. As President Trump stated last night in his speech, he believes America must stand with Israel 100 per cent, Karoline Leavitt, spokesperson for Mr Trumps campaign, wrote in a statement to The Independent. Donald Trump was not happy. As porn star Stormy Daniels took the stand in Trumps hush-money trial Tuesday, the former President was cursing audibly as she outlined the lurid details of their alleged sexual dalliance from 2006, when Trump was 60 and she was 27. At one point, Daniels claimed that Trump told her: You remind me of my daughter. Trump, who denies the affair, has a history of going ballistic over far less personal attacks. But in the hours that followed, he held his tongue. While Trump has repeatedly violated a gag order that prohibits him from attacking witnesses or jurors, the stakes are higher this time. On Monday, Judge Juan Merchan warned Trump that another infraction could land him in a prison cell. Now, Merchan, Trumps lawyers, and the rest of the nation will be waiting minute-by-minute to see whether Trump continues to restrain himself, or whether he will stay true to the Trumpian creed of always punching back. For someone who relishes theatrics, Trump may enjoy keeping everyone in suspense. President Trump is very strategic in what he does, says Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas, a close Trump ally. Chaos to us is not chaos to him. Some in Trumps orbit are rooting for chaos, encouraging him to engineer a standoff with the American judicial system. They argue that the image of a former President sitting in a prison cell for speaking his mind would turn public opinion against the proceedings. He should fight it even if it means jail, says Steve Bannon, Trumps former chief strategist. Even those closest to Trump dont know what he will do next. The lawyers are quite adamant that they would prefer him not making any comments that would even sniff the line of the gag order restrictions, says a source close to Trump. But his attorneys recognize the futility of trying to keep him quiet. They understand he has a campaign to run. They realize this is a unique situation. Trumps comments on Daniels or the trial will carry more weight after Merchan ruled on Monday that he has violated his gag order for the tenth time, fining him $1,000 per violation. The next step, he told the former President, would be punishable by incarceration. There are signs Trump has still been tempted to lash out. Early Tuesday morning, Trump fumed on Truth Social that he had just learned who prosecutors were calling to testify that day. This is unprecedented, no time for lawyers to prepare, he wrote. No judge has ever run a trial in such a biased and partisan way. Within a half hour, the post was deleted. Trump will have to endure the ordeal again on Thursday when Daniels returns to the Manhattan courtroom. Her testimony is central to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs case that Trump falsified business records to conceal payments to Daniels during the 2016 campaign. The money, Bragg argues, was to purchase her silence and influence the election outcome. To Trumps allies, his political standing amid profound legal peril has been vindication of his pugnacious style. After facing indictments on a range of charges, including election interference and willfill retention of U.S. national security secrets, Trump steamrolled the GOP primary and is currently ahead in most polls. They're trying to convict him in the court of public opinion on all of the mainstream networks, and they're not succeeding, says Alex Bruesewitz, a Trump family friend and GOP consultant who saw Trump over the weekend. I think that gives Trump a sense of peace. Republican officials are also rallying around him. Many trekked to Mar-a-Lago over the weekend, including Hunt, who proposed a bill last week that would ensure Trump keeps his Secret Service protection no matter the outcome of his prosecutions; it was in response to another measure, proposed by a Democrat, that would strip former Presidents of their Secret Service detail if convicted of a felony. At Mar-a-Lago, Hunt says, Trump campaign officials held a briefing showing how Trump is polling better now compared to this stage of the last election. Within Trumps inner circle, theres a debate over whether he should take the witness stand in his own defense. He shouldn't testify because [the prosecutors] haven't made their case yet, says a Trump confidant. That's when defendants should not testifywhen the other people have just not made their case. Some Trump allies argue the risk of him drawing a perjury charge is too great, given his proclivity for making false statements. Trump has said he probably will testify, though his lawyers are waiting to see how the case unfolds, sources familiar with the matter tell TIME. The attorneys are supportive of his right to testify. Based on how this trial goes, they'll have stronger opinions one way or the other. Judge Merchan seemingly wants to avoid a confrontation with Trump. In Mondays court session, he told Trump that incarceration is truly a last resort for me. But at some point, he stressed, he will have to uphold the justice systems standards of protecting witnesses and juries from threats and intimidation. In other words: he really would send Trump to the slammer. For now, Trump isnt calling Merchans bluff. Great day in court, he posted on Truth Social Tuesday night. I cant believe Im gagged, as the Republican nominee for President, from talking about it. But only Trump knows whether his self-restraint will last. Contact us at letters@time.com. Key Insights Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, oOh!media fair value estimate is AU$2.56 oOh!media's AU$1.75 share price signals that it might be 32% undervalued The AU$1.84 analyst price target for OML is 28% less than our estimate of fair value Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of oOh!media Limited (ASX:OML) as an investment opportunity by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex. Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model. See our latest analysis for oOh!media What's The Estimated Valuation? We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (A$, Millions) AU$35.9m AU$55.2m AU$66.2m AU$71.0m AU$77.0m AU$81.5m AU$85.4m AU$88.9m AU$92.0m AU$94.9m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 5.89% Est @ 4.80% Est @ 4.04% Est @ 3.50% Est @ 3.13% Present Value (A$, Millions) Discounted @ 7.5% AU$33.3 AU$47.7 AU$53.2 AU$53.1 AU$53.5 AU$52.7 AU$51.4 AU$49.7 AU$47.8 AU$45.9 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = AU$488m After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.3%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 7.5%. Story continues Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = AU$95m (1 + 2.3%) (7.5% 2.3%) = AU$1.8b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= AU$1.8b ( 1 + 7.5%)10= AU$889m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is AU$1.4b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of AU$1.8, the company appears quite good value at a 32% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. dcf Important Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. 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 oOh!media as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 7.5%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.147. 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 oOh!media Strength Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry. Debt is well covered by cash flow. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Earnings growth over the past year is below its 5-year average. Interest payments on debt are not well covered. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Media market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Australian market. Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%. Threat Annual revenue is forecast to grow slower than the Australian market. Next Steps: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For 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 oOh!media, we've put together three further items you should further research: Risks: For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for oOh!media that you should be aware of before investing here. Management:Have insiders been ramping up their shares to take advantage of the market's sentiment for OML's future outlook? Check out our management and board analysis with insights on CEO compensation and governance factors. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Australian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Donald Trumps hush-money trial in New York is like an insatiable maw or some type of blackhole or a galactic vacuum cleaner that is sucking up everything around it. In my conversations about these last few weeks, I have taken to describing the exhausting experience as Trump Trial Time (TTT). This is in many ways to be expected. Trumps criminal trial(s) are truly historic. He is the first former president to be put on trial for committing a felony. The hush-money trial has now taken on even more importance. Judge Aileen Cannon has indefinitely postponed Donald Trumps federal trial in Florida for stealing classified documents. On Wednesday, Trump's trial in Georgia for election interference was also indefinitely delayed pending an appeals court decision. Trump's criminal trial for the coup attempt and plot to end democracy on Jan. 6 is also likely to be delayed as well. This means the New York hush-money trial may be the only opportunity before the 2024 election to hold Trump accountable for his crimes. The storytelling and dramatic elements of Trumps hush-money trial also explain why it has attracted obsessive attention from the news media. It is a story about a man who became president and paid money to his mistress, who at the time was an adult film star, to hide potentially incriminating evidence from the American people before an election. Stormy Daniels is also a compelling personality on her own terms because of how she overcame poverty, rose to fame, and the force of her personality and intelligence. The hush-money trial also has other traits that make it so compelling for the mainstream news media: It is fundamentally a story about the law, money, crime, a cover-up, a scandal, and power. In all, this is a far more familiar and comforting story for the American mainstream news media to cover than the larger democracy crisis and the rise of neofascism. And of course, sitting at the center of the spectacle is Donald Trump, who, mostly for horrible reasons, is one of the most discussed and fascinating public figures in recent American history. During the hush-money trial he has mostly lived up to that role, acting the part of a mob boss and wannabe dictator and strongman who is sleeping in court, threatening the judges and witnesses, using profanity, generally being contemptuous and disrespectful, and acting like he wants to provoke Judge Merchan into finding him in contempt and putting him in jail. But the mainstream news medias obsession with the hush-money trial is committing the error of mostly ignoring Donald Trumps attempts to convince the United States Supreme Court that he is basically a king and above the law because of presidential immunity. The courts right-wing justices three of whom were appointed by Donald Trump appear likely to grant, in part or in whole, Trumps demand for nearly unlimited power and by doing so to fundamentally betray the Constitution and American democracy. Yes, the hush-money trial is vitally important. But it is Trumps Supreme Court case that is of paramount importance for the future of American democracy. Using the logic of television, Donald Trumps hush-money trial is the main storyline. The Supreme Court case has been made into the B plot when it actually merits its own series or perhaps even a big-budget film. When considered together, they are a type of split-screen event, where two things are happening simultaneously, but the publics attention is divided, as Politico observes: It will be a historic and surreal split screen: a former president, current presidential candidate and four-time criminal defendant whose lawyers will be fighting two very different sets of felony charges in two courthouses simultaneously. Its a reminder of Trumps ability even while sitting in his New York trial about hush money payments to a porn star to command the attention of every branch of the government he once again seeks to lead. What has been glossed over, if not subsumed by TTT, are the horrible implications of what it would mean if Donald Trump is given the powers of dictator by a Supreme Court that has determined the president is basically above the law. At the New York Times, Jamelle Bouie summarized this dangerous absurdity: Donald Trumps claim that he has absolute immunity for criminal acts taken in office as president is an insult to reason, an assault on common sense and a perversion of the fundamental maxim of American democracy: that no man is above the law. More astonishing than the former presidents claim to immunity, however, is the fact that the Supreme Court took the case in the first place. Its not just that theres an obvious response no, the president is not immune to criminal prosecution for illegal actions committed with the imprimatur of executive power, whether private or official (a distinction that does not exist in the Constitution) but that the court has delayed, perhaps indefinitely, the former presidents reckoning with the criminal legal system of the United States. Trump has asked the Supreme Court if he is, in effect, a king. And at least four members of the court, among them the so-called originalists, have said, in essence, that theyll have to think about it. The details and specifics of Donald Trumps claims to presidential immunity need to be emphasized if one is to fully see and comprehend their true horror. Trumps attorneys are trying to convince the United States Supreme Court that a president can order his political rivals (or anyone else for that matter) killed by the military, for any reason, and it would be legal. Likewise, per this argument, a president can engage in wantonly corrupt behavior such as accepting bribes and that too would be legal. In theory, the courts and Congress and other parts of the government would provide checks and balances on presidential authority. In practice such a conclusion is ridiculous because what reasonable person would oppose a president who has the power to order them murdered, imprisoned, disappeared, or to suffer some other horrible fate without having any real fear of being held responsible for committing such crimes. There is a way to describe a leader and country where such things are legal: a dictatorship. Writing at the Nation, Elie Mystal shares his assessment of the American mainstream news media and its failures to properly cover the Supreme Court and Trumps claims of unlimited power: In the few days since the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Trump v. United Statesthe case that will determine whether Donald Trump has lifetime immunity from crimes he committed while in officethe national media has failed. The reports about what happened during the hearing, and how the Republican justices are likely to rule, range from credulous simplicity to outright gaslighting. The court will almost certainly take the extreme, unprecedented, and previously unfathomable position that Trump cannot be held criminally accountable for all of his actionsand the reason it is likely to do so is that the court knows the media will carry its water and normalize its ruling to a public that lacks the time and acumen to fully appreciate what its doing. Im not talking about Fox News or Newsmax, whose coverage I have not read or watched but assume its ranged from cultish to clownish, as it always does. Im talking about the mainstream press, the so-called liberal press, which is taking its cue from the Supreme Court and trying to normalize the proposition that presidents should be immune from at least some crimes. The idea of presidential criminal immunity is wholly unprecedented in the American experience. Other than Donald Trump, only Richard Nixon has claimed it, and Nixons argument was roundly rejected, not just by the courts but also by the media-industrial complex. This time, however, Trumps claimand the courts bankrupt willingness to back itis finding purchase in the national media. Mystal concludes: The president is not above the law, which means he cannot be immune from accountability for the rest of his life. The president should be, must be, and always has been subject to prosecution for crimes. Anybody telling you anything else is trying to keep you docile and compliant while they pretend that the Supreme Court has access to mystical knowledge we little people cannot comprehend. The Supreme Court is poised to crown Donald Trump as king of America. That is the headline. That is the thesis that should be nailed to a church door. The American news media, and especially the elite agenda-setting news media such as the New York Times and Washington Post, have a responsibility to adequately cover both the hush-money trial and Donald Trumps plans and aspirations to be a dictator. Moreover, the elite agenda-setting news media possess the necessary resources to practice that type of essential pro-democracy journalism if they so choose. Unfortunately, as an institution, the American news media, and its most elite outlets, have decided not to do it. To that point, in a much-discussed new interview, New York Times executive editor Joe Kahn directly explains that he believes it is not the responsibility of the news media in a democracy to stop an aspiring dictator: Its also true that Trump could win this election in a popular vote. Given that Trumps not in office, it will probably be fair. And theres a very good chance, based on our polling and other independent polling, that he will win that election in a popular vote. So there are people out there in the world who may decide, based on their democratic rights, to elect Donald Trump as president. It is not the job of the news media to prevent that from happening. Its the job of Biden and the people around Biden to prevent that from happening. Ultimately, the spectacle of Donald Trumps hush-money trial is too alluring and enthralling for the American news media. It may not have been part of their strategic plan, but Donald Trump and the MAGA movement and the other right-wing and neofascist enemies of democracy are benefitting from the news medias hyperfocus on the New York hush-money trial. How? Because that obsession diverts the American peoples attention away from how the Supreme Court is preparing to make Donald Trump and his successors de facto kings and dictators. When asked by lawyers for Donald Trump whether she had made up her story about a sexual affair with the former president, adult film actress Stormy Daniels had an emphatic, one-word answer: No! This is Yahoo News succinct update on the criminal and civil cases against Trump. Here are the latest developments. What happened today Trump lawyer Susan Necheles continued her confrontational cross-examination of Daniels on Thursday, asking her point-blank whether she had made up her story that she had sex with Trump in order to try to profit from it financially. But Daniels was unfazed, and fired back at Necheles throughout the exchange. After Daniels was finished testifying, prosecutors called two more former Trump employees and a book publisher to make their point that Trump was highly involved in nearly every detail of his business dealings. After the jury had been excused, Judge Juan Merchan denied two motions from Trumps lawyers, one to loosen the judges gag order so as to allow Trump to respond publicly to the testimony delivered by Daniels, and a second attempt to have the judge declare a mistrial on the grounds that Danielss answers on the witness stand were prejudicial to their client. Zoom in Stormy testimony wraps up: Continuing her cross-examination of Daniels, Necheles sought to portray her as a liar who concocted her story about having sex with Trump for financial gain. Necheles asked, You made all this up, right? New York Times journalists in the courtroom reported. No! Daniels responded. The two had several more heated exchanges during which Necheles tried to show that Danielss testimony during the trial was different from past accounts she had given to the media. Rebecca Manochio, a junior bookkeeper at the Trump Organization, testified that when Trump was president, she sent checks made out to then-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen to two of Trumps aides in Washington rather than directly to the president at the White House. Those checks, prosecutors allege, were reimbursements for the $130,000 hush money payment Trump made to Daniels. The aides then brought Trump the checks for his signature, an arrangement that prosecutors say was done as part of the cover-up. Tracey Menzies, a senior vice president at HarperCollins book publishers, testified about working with Trump on his book Think Big: Make It Happen in Business and Life. She read quotes from the book to the jury, including, Get the best people, and dont trust them. Do not trust them because if you dont know what you are doing, they are going to rob you blind. Madeleine Westerhout, a former executive assistant to Trump at the White House, testified about bringing Trump checks from his business to sign in the Oval Office. Jurors were also shown an email she wrote to Cohen confirming a Feb. 5, 2017, White House meeting between the two men at which, prosecutors allege, the two men discussed Trumps reimbursement to Cohen. Two more losses for Trumps lawyers: With the jury dismissed for the day, Merchan heard arguments from Trumps lawyers and prosecutors on whether he should loosen his gag order to allow Trump to comment publicly about the testimony Daniels gave over the past two days of the trial. Trumps lawyers had argued that his comments would be limited and measured, but the judge made clear he didnt believe they would be. I cant take your word for it that no no, this is going to be low key, Merchan said. Thats just not the track record. On the question of whether to grant a defense motion for a mistrial because Danielss testimony in which she alleged to have had sex with Trump had been prejudicial against him, Merchan, for a second time, rejected the reasoning laid out by Trumps lawyers. The more specificity Ms. Daniels can provide about the encounter, the more the jury can weigh whether the encounter did occur and if so whether they choose to credit Ms. Danielss story, Merchan said, denying both motions. Whats next? Trumps lawyers will continue their cross-examination of Westerhout on Friday at 9:30 a.m. ET. The background Trumps trials and legal cases Trump's Lawyer Just Said Stormy Daniels Made Up Sex Story. Her Response: 'I Would've Written It a Lot Better' Daniels held her ground on the witness stand in Trump's criminal trial and elicited laughter as the former president's attorney belittled her sex work career and aimed to find holes in her story Elizabeth Williams via AP A courtroom sketch from May 7, 2024, of Donald Trump attorney Susan Necheles cross-examining witness Stormy Daniels Stormy Daniels held firm in her account of an alleged affair with Donald Trump as the former president's defense attorney cross-examined her on the witness stand. The prosecution in Trump's Manhattan criminal trial called Daniels, 45, to testify this week about a sexual encounter she claims happened in 2006 with the former reality television star (an encounter Trump has repeatedly denied). Throughout hours of cross-examination by the defense on Thursday, May 9 during which courtroom reporters say Trump seemingly dozed off again defense attorney Susan Necheles grilled Daniels about the details of her story and attempted to tarnish her credibility in front of the jury by bringing up her previous work as a medium and as an adult film actress and producer. "You have a lot of experience in making phony stories about sex appear to be real," Necheles said at one point, to which Daniels briefly taken aback, according to a New York Times reporter responded, "Thats not how I would put it. ... The sex in the films is very much real, just like what happened to me in that room." Related: Stormy Daniels Testifies That Donald Trump Did Not Wear a Condom When They Had Sex Nordin Catic/Getty Stormy Daniels speaks at The Cambridge Union on June 12, 2022 During the questioning Daniels was quick-thinking and at times defiant, challenging Necheles' mischaracterizations and highlighting that some of the defense's criticisms of her apply to Trump as well. Necheles tried picking Daniels apart for calling Trump "orange turd," even as her client who is known for spewing insults nicknamed Daniels "horseface." When the defense accused Daniels of making money off her allegations and turning to online commerce, she said, "Not unlike Mr. Trump." Related: Adult Film Star Stormy Daniels Testifies That Donald Trump Told Her She Reminded Him of 'His Daughter' In one of the more memorable exchanges that came after the defense relentlessly belittled Daniels' "porn star" career, Necheles implied that the witness fabricated the entire story (despite at least some evidence that the two knew each other, like Daniels having Trump's bodyguard and assistant's cell numbers saved in her phone). Daniels drew laughter from the courtroom with her rebuttal, according to the Times, saying that if she made the story up, "I would have written it to be a lot better." Related: Publisher David Pecker Testifies About Trump Team's Alleged Role in Burying Stories During 2016 Election WIN MCNAMEE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Donald Trump, accompanied by attorney Susan Necheles, prepares for the first day of Stormy Daniels' testimony in his Manhattan criminal trial on Tuesday, May 7 Later in the cross-examination, Daniels reportedly grew frustrated by the accusations. "Youre trying to make me say [my story has] changed, but it hasnt changed," she shot back at the attorney. Necheles eventually stopped mincing words: "You made all this up, right?" she asked. Daniels replied, "No." Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer. Trump is being tried on 34 felony counts of falsified business records over how payments related to Daniels' hush money agreement were documented. Though the charges are white-collar in nature, it's an election interference case at its core, as the Manhattan District Attorney's Office makes a broader argument that the real estate mogul swayed the 2016 presidential election in his favor by unlawfully suppressing information from the voting public. If convicted on any of the counts, Trump faces up to four years in prison. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Two people were arrested during a sex trafficking operation in Beaverton, authorities said. According to Beaverton police, on April 30, officials conducted the operation as part of ongoing efforts to identify and address people involved with sex trafficking in the community. Throughout the operation, officials said they contacted four women who agreed to engage in sex acts for money. However, instead of arresting the women, they were given resources to help them get out of trafficking. Suspect arrested in Lloyd District murder of Bruce Glass Two other people, Keith Kelly, 33, and Julius Lavant Mitchell, 21, were arrested for promoting prostitution. During Mitchells arrest, authorities said they found he had a handgun. While searching his car, they found an additional handgun which was listed as stolen- as well as cocaine and $1,800 in cash. Mitchell was indicted on May 8 for promoting prostitution as well as additional charges, including felon in possession of a firearm, unlawful delivery of cocaine and two counts of tampering with a witness. Kelly was cited and is expected to appear in court later in May. The Beaverton police are encouraging anyone with information on sex trafficking to contact them or the National Human Trafficking Hotline. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. Two civilians killed in Russian attack on Nikopol this morning photos The aftermath of the Russian attack on the town of Nikopol on the morning of 9 May. Photo: Serhii Lysak on Telegram Two people were killed and two more injured in a Russian attack on the town of Nikopol (Dnipropetrovsk Oblast) on the morning of 9 May. Source: Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, on Facebook Quote: "Two [people] have been killed and as many injured in Nikopol. Enemy artillery has claimed the lives of a man, 62, and a woman, 65. Men aged 39 and 67 have been injured. The Russians have bombarded the town in the early morning." Details: Lysak noted that a private house in the town had caught fire, and two more had been damaged. Five apartment blocks have also been affected. A shop, two retail units, outbuildings and a gas pipeline have been damaged. Support UP or become our patron! Two hydropower plants decommissioned after May 8 Russian attacks Two Ukrainian hydroelectric power plants have been decommissioned due to the damage from the May 8 Russian attacks, state-owned energy company Ukrhydroenergo reported on May 9. Russia carried out a large-scale attack on May 8 against Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, and Vinnytsia oblasts, mainly targeting energy infrastructure. "As of today, all hydropower generation has suffered devastating damage. Destroyed equipment requires significant efforts and financial resources to repair and restore it," Ukrhydroenergo's statement read. Russian troops struck electricity generation and transmission facilities in Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Vinnytsia oblasts, according to Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko. Subscribe to the Newsletter Ukraine Business Roundup Subscribe Ukraine's largest private energy company, DTEK, also reported that three thermal power plants had been damaged in the attacks on May 8. The company did not specify the location of the facilities. In total, Ukrainian forces downed 39 of 55 missiles and 20 of 21 drones launched by the Russian military overnight on May 8, as the Air Force reported. Moscow has recently intensified its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's critical infrastructure, launching large-scale attacks on energy facilities across the country on March 22, March 29, April 11, April 27, apart from May 8. Read also: Ukrenergo: Imported energy wont fully cover deficit after latest Russian attack Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. An Army AH-64 Apache mishap on Tuesday at Fort Riley, Kansas, sent two troops to the hospital, an official from the Armys 1st Infantry Division confirmed, marking the latest such incident to necessitate medical care for soldiers. They are in stable condition, Lt. Col. Jefferson Grimes, the division spokesperson, told Military Times in a statement Wednesday. Investigators are looking into the cause of the incident, which occurred at the bases training area when the helicopter, assigned to the 1st Infantry Divisions Combat Aviation Brigade, experienced a mishap during a gunnery training exercise, Grimes said. The ordeal comes in the wake of back-to-back Apache mishaps in March that collectively injured four crew members, and follows a series of other helicopter incidents that prompted the Army last month to push for more aviation safety training. US Army faces uphill battle to fix aviation mishap crisis An Army AH-64 Apache crash at Fort Carson, Colorado, on March 27 sent a pair of service members to the hospital, where they were treated for minor injuries and released later that night. That incident came just a few days after an Apache helicopter accident in Washington state. Those mishaps followed a pair of AH-64D Apache helicopter crashes in February, which led the Army National Guard to order a component-wide pause on flight missions. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Two incarcerated men at a Southern California state prison who were convicted in San Diego County are believed to have been involved in the fatal stabbing of another inmate last week, state corrections officials said in a release on Wednesday. The incident occurred around 9:31 a.m. on Friday, May 3 at High Desert State Prison, located outside Los Angeles County. According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), 49-year-old inmate, Scott Cook, was stabbed multiple times before staff responded to the scene. Cook was transported to the triage area, but he was pronounced dead by medical staff 20 minutes later. Man suspected of killing three surfers identified by Mexican authorities No additional inmates or staff were injured in the incident, CDCR officials noted. John Patch, 36, and Zachary Harris, 30, were later identified as suspects in the attack. According to CDCR, the two are believed to have used two inmate-manufactured weapons recovered at the scene in the stabbing which were recovered from the scene. Both Patch and Harris have been moved to restricted housing pending investigation, according to the CDCR. What led up to the incident remains unknown. Mugshot of Scott Cook pictured. Cook was convicted of first-degree murder, as well as other charges, in San Bernardino County. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation) Mugshot of Zachary Harris pictured. Harris was convicted of second-degree attempted murder, as well as other charges, in San Diego County. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation) Mugshot of John Patch pictured. Patch was convicted of second-degree murder, as well as other charges, in San Diego County. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation) Patch was received at High Desert State Prison in Dec. 21, 2022 from San Diego County, where he was sentenced to life without parole for second-degree murder with personal use of a dangerous or deadly weapon, CDCR said. He was also convicted of assault with a deadly weapon that inflicted great bodily injury to victim comatose or suffer paralysis, and assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury. Harris was similarly received at High Desert State Prison from San Diego County on July 21, 2021. According to prison officials, he was sentenced to 24 years, eight months for second-degree attempted murder on top of a slew of other weapons, burglary and driving charges. Man allegedly paid homeless woman to care for his granddaughter while he drank at bar It was Harris second strike for several of the charges under the states three strikes law, prison officials said. He was also sentenced in Kern County to 11 years for assault by a prisoner with means of force likely to cause great body injury. Cook, on the other hand, was received at the prison from San Bernardino County in November 2000 after being sentenced to life without parole for first-degree murder, carjacking, kidnapping, grand theft and use of a firearm enhancement, according to the CDCR. He was also sentenced in Kern County to 16 years, eight months for assault by prisoner with deadly weapon or force likely to cause great body injury, as well as possession of an inmate-manufactured deadly weapon. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. (BCN) Dublin police are looking for two men one of whom was allegedly armed who robbed a postal carrier Monday afternoon. Officers responded at approximately 4:30 p.m. to the area of Obispo Court and learned a female postal carrier was approached from behind by two male suspects wearing black masks. The suspects allegedly demanded the postal carrier give them her mailbox key and her cellphone. East Bay city supports California cutting ties with PG&E One of the suspects allegedly pointed a firearm at the victim during the robbery. The men then fled on foot. Police searched the area, but couldnt find the suspects. The carrier wasnt physically injured. Anyone with information regarding this robbery can contact Dublin Police Sgt. Chris Haendel at (925) 833-6670. Copyright 2024 Bay City News, Inc. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. Bossier City Police Department is investigating a possible murder/suicide case that occurred Wednesday evening near the Red River National Wildlife Refuge trail. According to the Bossier City Mayor's Office, officers were dispatched about 9:20 p.m. to Scenic Overlook No. 1 in Bossier City after receiving a 911 hang up call. Upon arrival, officers discovered a man and woman inside a vehicle suffering gunshot wounds to the head. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, and the man was transported to Ochsner LSU Health, where he died. Bossier City Police detectives immediately were dispatched to the scene, and through a preliminary investigation, it was determined that incident was a murder/suicide case. At this time the identities of the individuals have not been released. More: Shreveport man pleads guilty to a mass shooting that began at a movie theater Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Bossier City Police investigate murder/suicide that leaves two dead AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) Two political consultants agreed to plead guilty to charges that they conspired with U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar to launder more than $200,000 in bribes from a Mexican bank, according to recently unsealed court documents that show the consultants are cooperating with the Justice Department in its case against the Laredo Democrat. Cuellar, a powerful South Texas Democrat, was indicted with his wife Imelda on charges of accepting almost $600,000 in bribes from Azerbaijan and a Mexican commercial bank. The indictment, unsealed last week, accuses Cuellar of taking money from the bank in exchange for influencing the Treasury Department to work around an anti-money laundering policy that threatened the banks interests. Cuellar allegedly recruited his former campaign manager, Colin Strother, and another consultant, Florencio Lencho Rendon, to facilitate the payments, according to court records. Rendon and Strother both struck plea deals with the Justice Department in March, in which they agreed to cooperate in the agencys investigation of the Cuellar. They each face up to 20 years in prison and six-figure fines for charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The plea deals, which were first reported by the San Antonio Express-News, allege that Cuellar first asked Strother to meet with Rendon in February 2016 to participate in a project to test and certify a fuel additive made by a Mexican company so that it could be sold in the United States. Rendon told Strother he would pay him $11,000 a month for the project, $10,000 of which Strother would pass on to Imelda Cuellar, according to the plea agreements. Rendon paid Strother a total of $261,000 from March 2016 through June 2019, more than $236,000 of which Strother then paid to Imelda Cuellar, the documents allege. Strother concluded the project was a sham, according to his plea deal because neither Rendon nor Imelda Cuellar did any legitimate work. Strother understood that the true purpose of the payments was to funnel money to Henry Cuellar without the Laredo Democrat having to reveal it in his annual financial disclosures. Cuellar has asserted his innocence, releasing a statement Friday in which he said his actions were consistent with the actions of many of my colleagues and in the interest of the American people. He faces charges of bribery, money laundering and working on behalf of a foreign government. Cuellar, a member of Congress since 2005, has considerable influence in Washington thanks to his long tenure and his spot on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. He was the top Democrat on the subcommittee that oversees funding for homeland security, a position he automatically forfeited under a House Democratic rule that requires a committee chair to step down if they are indicted on a crime carrying a possible prison sentence of more than two years. As part of their plea agreements, Rendon and Strother agreed to testify before a grand jury or in any other judicial or administrative proceeding when called upon to do so by the United States. Each also agreed to turn over all documents in his possession or under his control relating to all areas of inquiry and investigation. After news of the indictment landed, Cuellar affirmed that he still plans to seek reelection in November. Two Republicans, Navy veteran Jay Furman and rancher Lazaro Garza Jr., are facing off in a May 28 runoff to decide the GOP nominee in Cuellars district, which stretches from the border to San Antonio. The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election forecasting site, updated its rating for the district from likely Democratic to lean Democratic in response to Cuellars indictment. Cuellar, often ranked ideologically as the most conservative Democrat in the U.S. House, won reelection in 2022 by 13 percentage points, though Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto ORourke carried the district by a narrower 5-point margin. This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at www.texastribune.org. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans and engages with them about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. The two Republicans vying to be NC auditor on how they would approach the job After none of the Republicans who ran for state auditor earlier this year earned enough votes to win the primary outright, the top two vote-getters will face off against each other in a runoff next week. GOP voters will choose between Jack Clark and Dave Boliek in Tuesdays second primary, determining which candidate will run in November against Auditor Jessica Holmes, the Democratic incumbent appointed last year by Gov. Roy Cooper. Republicans havent occupied the office since 2009, when longtime Auditor Beth Wood began her 15-year tenure as North Carolinas top government watchdog. (Wood resigned in December after pleading guilty to misusing her state-assigned car for private use. She had previously pleaded guilty to a hit-and-run charge that stemmed from a crash in downtown Raleigh.) Clark is a certified public accountant and research assistant for a budget chair in the N.C. House. Boliek is an attorney and small business owner who has served on the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees since 2019, including as the boards chair. The auditor, one of 10 statewide elected officeholders who serves on the Council of State, is responsible for keeping track of how taxpayer money is being spent and identifying waste or fraud through audits and investigations. The auditors office conducts oversight of spending across all levels of government, from executive branch agencies and departments, to local governments at the county and municipal levels. Ahead of the May 14 runoff, The News & Observer spoke with Clark and Boliek about their platforms and how they would approach the job of auditor, what distinguishes them from each other, and what their pitch has been to GOP voters. Jack Clark Clark, the first-place finisher in the March primary, hasnt held any prior elected office. He told The N&O he decided to run for auditor because auditors dont usually run for office, and he believed voters would support a candidate with auditing and accounting experience. Before joining Rep. Kyle Halls staff in January 2023, Clark worked as an external auditor at Grant Thornton, and an internal auditor at Parexel. As a research assistant for Hall, a Stokes County Republican, Clark said hes seen the legislative budget process up close, and has the experience to audit how taxpayer money is allocated and spent. As auditor, Clark said he would help set up controls and procedures to prevent fraud from happening in the first place. He also said the job of an auditor is similar to the job of a judge, in terms of being impartial and free of bias. Tone at the top is the most important aspect of any company or organizations culture, Clark said in an interview. If the people at the top are telling you to get things done, we dont care how, or telling you to specifically meet one way or another, thats going to impact everyone underneath. So, as the (head) of the audit department, Im going to set the tone that were going to find the facts, were going to find the truth, were not there to push our own personal agenda. Jack Clark Courtesy of Jack Clark campaign Clark said that he hasnt pledged to audit anything in particular while campaigning, because that could make him seem like more of a combatant than a partner. If he were to be elected, Clark said he will keep an open mind in determining where to begin oversight, prioritizing areas or parts of government that have the largest amounts of money and the fewest or least-comprehensive audits. I want to be a trusted resource, I want to be trusted by everyone in the state, and if Im campaigning on pledging certain things, it might hurt that trust, he said. Over the last two months, Clark said hes been focused on trying to engage with grassroots supporters by visiting as many county Republican parties as possible. Its difficult to campaign for statewide elected office while working a day job at the General Assembly, but Clark said he works a schedule with reduced hours that allows him to travel to events and do other campaign work during evenings and weekends. In addition to Hall, Clark said hes been endorsed by GOP Reps. Jeffrey Elmore, Wayne Sasser, Ray Pickett, Jeff McNeely, Jake Johnson, and the Iredell County Republican Mens Club. Dave Boliek Boliek finished in second place during the March primary, trailing Clark by just 1.14%. Since then, however, the former UNC Board of Trustees chairman has been endorsed by two of the other four Republicans who ran in the primary: Charles Dingee and Jim Kee. He also has the support of Jeff Tarte, a former state senator and mayor of Cornelius, who also ran in the primary and came in fourth. (Tarte cant endorse candidates under the rules of the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce, where he serves as board chair, Boliek said.) On his campaign website, Boliek also touts endorsements from several key GOP lawmakers, including Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore. In an interview, Boliek said that between running businesses that included a government contract firm that serviced U.S. Defense Department contracts across the country, serving as a prosecutor in Cumberland County, and chairing the Board of Trustees at UNC, he has wide-ranging experience of being somebody who can get things done. If voters are looking for somebody to show up at the state auditors office with a Ziploc bag full of No. 2 pencils, and a calculator in his or her hand, dont vote for me, Boliek said. I want to go to the office to set a tone, identify the areas where taxpayers can save the most money, and gain the most efficiency. Boliek didnt hesitate to point out areas of government that he believes are long overdue for a thorough audit, identifying the Division of Motor Vehicles as target No. 1, saying that the agency has failed to serve North Carolinians efficiently and with an eye toward customer service. The DMVs performance has been an ongoing area of concern for the General Assembly as well. In March, lawmakers on a joint transportation oversight committee spent nearly three hours grilling DMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin and his staff about the agencys efforts to address staff shortages, reduce long lines and improve the appointment process. Boliek said the agencys problems arent because of its hard working staff, but because of a lack of leadership from the current secretary and the governors office. Dave Boliek Courtesy of Dave Boliek campaign He identified election integrity as another area where he believed the auditors office is uniquely situated to effectively give the voting public confidence in the way elections are run in our state. Boliek outlined a few different actions that could be taken to do that, including the scrubbing of voter rolls to make sure that theyre accurate, and a number of different types of audits, covering machines and technology, systems and compliance, and voter tabulation. Having led and continued to serve on the UNC Board of Trustees, Boliek said the auditor also needs to look at the proliferation of administrators in public schools, universities and state government. Boliek said its important for auditors to not go into an audit presupposing a result, but said that in the same token, someone who has been a leader cannot go into an office without bringing their own personal experiences, and their own personal knowledge. I hear complaint after complaint after complaint about teacher pay, and about classroom size, but when I was in high school, there might have been one or two assistant principals, Boliek said. I know, today, you go to one of these high schools, theres a dozen assistant principals. Boliek said his campaign schedule has been packed with events across the state. On a recent weekend, he said, his day started with a breakfast at the Cleveland County Republican Mens Club, continued with speeches in Waynesville, Gastonia, and Marshville, and concluded with a dinner in Lumberton. Boliek said that although the auditors office has been an overlooked office that has not garnered much attention in the past, hes been encouraged to meet people on the campaign trail who are interested in the race, and what the office does. I think thats good, I think thats good for the people of North Carolina. Two rulings against open records. Is Ohio Supreme Court shifting away from transparency? In a matter of four months, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled against releasing information in two public records cases, and it is now weighing what to do in two other high-profile records fights. In a 4-3 decision issued in January, the court held that the cost of sending troopers to protect Gov. Mike DeWine at a Super Bowl game weren't subject to disclosure. And in a 5-2 ruling in April, the court said that the Ohio Department of Health should redact from a database the names and addresses of Ohioans who had died, even though that death certificate information can be released released on an individual case basis. Both of those lawsuits were filed by the owners of this newspaper. Pending before the court now are two cases about whether police officers' names can be withheld under a new law that is supposed to protect crime victims. Cleveland area attorney Brian Bardwell, a former journalist who operates Speech Law LLC, said the two recent rulings are evidence of a long-running hostility toward open records from the Ohio Supreme Court. "When it comes to government accountability, civil rights, public records, the solutions for the courts is always to just close the doors tighter and tighter and keep people out. They just want people to stop filing these cases and go away," Bardwell said. "What they really need to do is start doling out harsher and harsher punishment to mayors and public police officers and other government officers who want to operate behind closed doors." But Columbus attorney Fred Gittes, who has been litigating open government cases for nearly five decades, said it's difficult to predict how the state Supreme Court will rule on records cases and the two decisions this year don't make a pattern. Ohio's 'sunshine' laws Ohio has "sunshine" laws designed to hold governments accountable and help the public know what their governments are doing. The Open Records Act lays out what records budgets, meeting minutes, personnel files, police reports and more must be disclosed upon request. The Open Meetings Act requires public bodies to hold their meetings and make final decisions in the open. Both laws have exceptions. For example, public bodies can meet behind closed doors to discuss pending litigation, personnel matters or the purchase of property, but decisions must be acted on publicly. The Open Records Act allows withholding records related to trial preparation, juveniles, public employees' home addresses and other information. Should police officers' names be disclosed? The Ohio Supreme Court ruled against two open records cases and is now considering two other key cases. The Ohio Supreme Court is considering other public records cases that could have sweeping implications for open government. Two cases involve how to interpret Marsy's Law, a voter-approved amendment to the Ohio Constitution that is supposed to protect and support crime victims. Police agencies across Ohio have used Marsy's Law as grounds for not disclosing the names of officers involved in fatal shootings and use of force. In cases where officers have been assaulted or injured in those incidents, they're categorized as crime victims. Nadine Young asked the Ohio Supreme Court to order the Blendon Township Police Department to disclose the names of the two officers involved in fatally shooting her daughter, Ta'Kiya Young, in August 2023 in a Kroger parking lot along Sunbury Road just north of Route 161. The police department argued that Young assaulted officers with her car, making them the victims. The Young family and the Ohio Crime Victims Justice Center sued over the redactions, saying Ta'Kiya Young was the crime victim, not the officers. The Ohio Supreme Court ordered the police department to identify the officers to the court, but has yet to rule on the overall case. The Columbus Dispatch filed a similar lawsuit in October 2023 against Columbus police for failing to disclose names of officers involved in fatal shootings and use of force. Police and the Franklin County Sheriff's Office declined to release footage or names after four officers and a deputy were involved in a July 2023 shooting that left 45-year-old Antwan Lindsey dead. After three young boys were shot and killed at their home in Clermont County in June 2023, the sheriff's office cited Marsy's Law and redacted documents containing the officers' narratives of the incident. Cincinnati police have been withholding the names of homicide victims and redacting their names from incident reports for months, citing Marsys Law. And the Akron Beacon Journal is suing the city of Akron to force disclosure of the identities of officers involved in three separate fatal shootings. That case, filed in 2022, does not involve Marsy's Law. It is pending before the Ohio Supreme Court. Gittes said that, in his opinion, police shouldn't be allowed to keep their identities secret under Marsy's Law because officers' accountability is crucial given their power to arrest and use deadly force. Without transparency, there is no accountability, he said. Bardwell isn't hopeful that the Ohio Supreme Court will rule in favor of transparency in the Marsy's Law cases and that will give police agencies the go-ahead to hide more records. "If you give the police an inch on secrecy, they're going to take a mile and I'm betting that's where we'll end up here as well," he said. Lawmakers probably won't make changes State lawmakers could change the state law that describes how Marsy's Law operates, change the laws that protect health care information from disclosure or make other tweaks to increase transparency. "I won't be holding my breath on it," Bardwell said. Gittes agreed and said lawmakers are more likely to add more exemptions to the open records law. "Over the last few decades, the Legislature has been increasingly hostile to open government, records in particular," he said. Laura Bischoff 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 The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Supreme Court to decide key open records cases U+2 is ending in Fort Collins. Here's what might or might not happen after that With a new state law going into effect this summer, Fort Collins city government is starting to make plans for the repeal of the U+2 roommate rule, six decades after it was first adopted. In addition, City Council will have to decide whether it even wants to redefine occupancy limits without considering family relationships, and if so, how. Fort Collins current law, referred to informally as U+2, or the three unrelated rule, says only three people who are not related to each other can live together in a residence. It gets even more complicated when couples, siblings or children are in the mix. But a new state law passed by the Colorado General Assembly this session says cities can no longer use family relationships to determine how many people can live in a residence. Instead, they can use only health and safety standards or affordable housing program guidelines. Advocates of the bill say laws like U+2 are arbitrary and discriminatory because they disproportionately affect minority communities. The House sponsors of the state bill, Reps. Manny Rutinel and Javier Mabrey, said getting rid of these laws will encourage more dense living arrangements and will lead to more affordable options, reduce the environmental footprint by allowing more people to live closer to their daily activities, and increase social connection. In Fort Collins, U+2 has been prominently debated in Fort Collins for more than 20 years and has been around since the 1960s. It wasnt widely enforced until 2007, when it became a civil infraction instead of a criminal offense. Since then, though, there have been many council conversations about changing it in the face of pressure and increasing housing costs. Proposals have included allowing one more unrelated person per residence, dubbed Me+3, and removing the family relationships definition. Before the state bill was introduced, council had already been planning to consider changes to U+2 this spring. Now, the state law puts specific parameters on what the city can consider, leaving out the possibility of Me+3. What happens now? When does U+2 get repealed? The only thing that is certain at the moment is that Fort Collins will have to repeal its residential occupancy ordinance. What happens beyond that is unclear. To explore the possibilities, the Coloradoan interviewed city staff and council members to learn what actions they might consider. There's a work session on the topic Tuesday, May 14, and council is currently set to repeal relevant provisions of city and land use code in June. The state law goes into effect July 1. Beyond repealing U+2, city staff will ask council members whether they want to consider setting occupancy limits based on what the bill allows, said Ginny Sawyer, lead project manager in the City Managers Office. Most council members interviewed for this story said they were waiting to see what city staff presented as options and either didnt have specific ideas or wanted to remain open to all scenarios. The Coloradoan also interviewed representatives of Fort Collins housing and community activist groups, CSU student government leaders and property managers to explore those groups hopes, concerns and ideas for how the city should move forward. Its been almost 20 years since Fort Collins rules were changed. Here's what's happened. Council member Kelly Ohlson said he has lived through what he described as a decline and rebirth of neighborhoods after the city began enforcing U+2 in 2007. Living in his home near Rolland Moore Park for 43 years, he said, "I've seen it when things were OK, and then I saw the decline of the neighborhood when things were over-occupied and nothing was done, and then I saw the dramatic changes when we ... started to somewhat enforce the occupancy ordinance." Ohlson noticed improved home exteriors, fences, lawns and yards as well as improvements with parking, traffic and noise. The changes brought families back to live in neighborhoods they left due to those issues, Ohlson said. And while driving recently, he noticed many families of all kinds out working on their lawns and yards. Next door to his own home, a property that had been a "problem house" for the better part of 30 years has since become a home for a young family and a day care. Since 2007, there have also been changes to the city's housing market. After reaching a peak of 86% of homes in Fort Collins being considered affordable to those making the area median income in 2012, that number plummeted to 20% last year, according to city data. And while much of the consternation over occupancy rules in the early 2000s focused on college students, data from a rental market study presented to City Council in 2019 showed that more than half of the people estimated to be living in violation of U+2 were not students. That data showed that after enforcement was increased starting in 2007, the number of estimated violators dropped by half. But by 2018, they had jumped back up to pre-enforcement levels, coinciding with the decrease in housing affordability. In recent years, there has also been a wave of student-oriented housing built in Fort Collins. Student-oriented housing projects added at least 5,000 off-campus bedrooms geared to students since 2014, the Coloradoan has reported. On campus, CSU's housing capacity in the past decade outpaced its enrollment growth. Will the reversal lead to a backslide in neighborhoods? Mayor pro-tem Emily Francis said the city improved its codes in recent years, including revamping the public nuisance ordinance to help with enforcement. She pushed back on the idea that U+2 was solely responsible for improving neighborhoods. For example, she said CSU and the city have built up their off-campus education programs to emphasize being a respectful neighbor. "To say that a policy single-handedly reversed neighborhoods it just seems unlikely to me. So, to say that undoing one policy is going to revert back to the way it was 2005 seems unlikely to me," Francis said. "The world's different. That was 20 years ago." So, what are Fort Collins' options? Most council members explicitly said they were waiting to see what information staff might present at their work session. "I don't really know what that law passed at the state would really allow us to craft locally," Mayor Jeni Arndt said. Council members Julie Pignataro, Tricia Canonico, Melanie Potyondy made similar statements. Canonico said she hasn't heard much from the community on this topic, perhaps because her southeast Fort Collins district might not see as many impacts as those closer to the CSU campus. Some ideas that Pignataro said had been promising may no longer be an option, she said, like waiving occupancy rules if a home is owner occupied and making it easier to obtain waivers. Fort Collins could repeal U+2 without enacting a new occupancy ordinance Francis said Fort Collins might want to take a wait-and-see approach. "We don't know if removing (U+2) will create a problem, and I think it would be irresponsible to preemptively make policy on one, whether or not there is a problem, and two, what is that problem that we're addressing," she said. Both Francis and Pignataro said reports of U+2 violations often don't have anything to do with the number of people living in the residence but rather the behavior of the occupants in a home or upkeep of the residence. Fort Collins could rely on the International Property Maintenance Code definitions There are building codes that Fort Collins has already adopted, like the International Building Code and the International Property Maintenance Code, which permits one person per bedroom if it's at least 70 square feet and two people per bedroom if it's 100 square feet. It also requires living and dining rooms to have a minimum size to accommodate more than three people. The International Property Maintenance Code includes provisions for fire safety, property maintenance and equipment maintenance. But enforcement of occupancy could be challenging because inspectors would need to get inside the home to take measurements and would need property owner access to due so. "We would need significant staffing to be able to stand up a program like that," and any request for staffing would likely come with a funding ask, Marcus Coldiron, the city's head of Building Services, told council at a March work session. "It would be fairly intrusive and onerous," Sawyer said in an interview with the Coloradoan, though it doesn't mean it can't be done. "Are we going to really ask where everyone's sleeping? That seems awkward, as well." Arndt has frequently shared a concern about how limits based on square footage could affect properties on the extremes, whether very small or very large. While she said it's right to not define based on family relationship, there could be problems if limits make it impossible for a family with children, for example, to occupy a very small home. On the other end of the spectrum, there's a question of whether it really is appropriate for 16 people to live in a home, even if it's very large. Fort Collins could rely on its current codes and programs to deal with any complaints The city's public nuisance ordinance was updated in 2022 to define two kinds of nuisance: public nuisance and chronic nuisance. There are now 66 criminal and civil violations that qualify as a nuisance and can trigger enforcement. This ordinance covers violations around weeds or tall grass, snow removal, trash, building code and property maintenance violations, animal issues, noise and disruptions. It also includes things like public urination or sex, shooting a firearm and drug use. The code was updated to allow the city to hold property owners more accountable for things happening on their properties, and a citation is no longer required to begin the enforcement process. Jay Hernandez, senior code compliance supervisor, inputs a code violation on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Fort Collins, Colo. Arndt, Canonico, Pignataro, Potyondy and Francis all cited the public nuisance code as an important tool that could be used to help with complaints. But Ohlson doesnt think the improved nuisance ordinance will be effective on its own, citing concerns like traffic, increased speeds, parking problems and big investors cramming as many people as they can into a building, strip-mining the neighborhoods. A public nuisance ordinance isnt going to help that. For council member Susan Gutowsky, the state bill amounts to an unfunded mandate because she said cities will have to put out money for enforcement. In addition, she envisions parking issues will become a problem and additional people living in one home could stress infrastructure like water and sewer. Sawyer said the city probably will see an uptick in complaints if there's a shift to enforcing only nuisance and property maintenance standards. "If council would want us to look for additional means of enforcement, or if we do get a really strong uptick in (complaints), we may need more staff or we may not be as responsive as people would like in the time frame we would like," Sawyer said. The problem with relying on public nuisance tools is that they require the neighbors to be the police, said Ross Cunniff, chairman of community activist group Preserve Fort Collins, which has opposed increases to housing density. "Theyre better than nothing," he said. "Necessary but not sufficient." Who is Preserve Fort Collins? Born out of land use code fight, group cites broader mission YIMBY Fort Collins co-lead Peter Erickson said while YIMBY isn't going to take a position on what the city should do now and says city staff can figure it out, he thinks it's time for the city to get away from nonsafety-related occupancy standards. One big issue is that the international codes don't distinguish between adults and minors, while U+2 did, he said, citing advantages but also potential issues. "We dont want to find there are families not in compliance," he said. More: What is YIMBY Fort Collins and what does it stand for? Here's how it came to be. Money the city has been using to enforce occupancy can now be used to enforce nuisance laws and address parking problems, he said. He believes parking is one of the most solvable issues because a neighborhood experiencing issues can apply to be part of the city's residential parking permit program. Is rental inspection the answer or a hindrance? Don Dunn is owner of Dunn Real Estate and Management, which manages single-family and small multifamily home rentals. Half of them are occupied by students and half are occupied by families. He is skeptical the change will be permanent, saying City Council might try to find a way around it. For example, he said the city's new rental registration program could later be expanded into requiring rental inspections. Theyre not just going to roll over and accept it, I believe. But Sawyer said after the contentious discussion in 2023, when the rental registration program was adopted and a rental licensing program was rejected, the city doesn't currently have plans to create a more "onerous" and "regulatory" program to help when it comes to the occupancy discussion. Arndt said she felt strongly against rental inspections and doesn't envision it coming back for a council vote anytime soon. "Im convinced that that would have been a huge cost, one, to the landlord, passed on to the renter," she said. "We always have to be worried about how much our policies drive up costs." But Cunniff said even though he knows it might be unpopular, the city does need a rental inspection program that would require standard fire code compliance before rental can occur. This would include egress windows to provide safe emergency exits, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and requiring furnace maintenance before being allowed to rent them out. "It shouldn't just be a good idea. It should be the law," he said. Ohlson is pessimistic about what will happen. Actually, dont think theres very much we can do, nor do I have any confidence in this City Council that they would do anything of significance to minimize the damage from the state legislation, he said. Without a rental licensing program and access to check homes, the citys hands will be pretty tied, he said. I hope there are some things we can do, I just dont know what they are at this time," Ohlson said. "And perhaps staff will be bringing them to us at the next work session. While he believes there were real issues around late-night noise or the occasional party before the ordinance was revamped, the real problem was the physical deterioration of homes due to a lack of investment in the properties by big investors, he said. Whatever ideas come forward, they must be actionable and meaningful and not just empty rhetoric, he said. Was a blanket, statewide bill appropriate? Michael Stella, director of governmental affairs of ASCSU, the student government at CSU, said his organization changed its strategy after previous attempts to repeal U+2 went nowhere. Stella believed it was time for a new approach, and ASCSU hired a lobbying firm to represent them on the issue at the state legislature once they heard the bill was in the works. ASCSU worked to get the bill amended to kill square footage requirements in favor of health and safety requirements, citing the same concerns about the extremes that Arndt mentioned. ASCSU hasn't taken a stance on what City Council should do now, but Stella said just because students advocated for change doesn't mean they want to live in packed houses. "As students, we dont want to live with 10 roommates, and we dont want to negatively impact our community," he said. He said students might be breaking U+2 but not in an extreme way: They might be living four people to a four-bedroom house. But some believe the statewide bill is an overreach of government. "Its a bad law based on bad premise and will not lead to any of the good outcomes they claim for it," Cunniff said. "Making this kind of a decision at the state level leads to a lack of accountability and diminishes the influence of the people living in these communities." It eliminates any reasonable occupancy limits in neighborhoods, Ohlson said. Its very poorly done and very disappointing. It also eliminates local control, he said. Gutowsky and Cunniff pointed out that council had already planned to revisit U+2, and without the state bill, Gutowsky said council could have done so while considering the values of the community. "It took away that opportunity that we had planned for," she said. Ohlson, who has been wary of any changes to U+2, said he would have been willing to support Me+3 if it included a plan for compliance and rules on maintenance. But others on council said the widespread nature of housing affordability issues require broader action. Potyondy said the housing crisis is no longer a local issue. Canonico said home rule applies to elements of local interest and not state interest, and "with how critical the housing crisis has become" across the state and nation, "this is something that has moved to the state level." "It would have been nice to see the governor and members of the House and Senate do a bit more stakeholdering on this one, but I think this is where we had to get to," she said, because it didn't seem like it was going to happen at the local level. Arndt said: "It's not our favorite thing to have state preemption, that's for sure," Arndt said. Was U+2 discriminatory? Ohlson said he knows of no specific allegations that U+2 was discriminatory. It was never never ever ever about married white people, married straight white people, he said. It honored just about every type of family one could envision. It was about the number of people, he said. Ohlson contends that council would have quickly updated the ordinance if any situations of discrimination had been brought forward. Sawyer told the Coloradoan she doesn't know of any formal complaints. Cunniff said the ordinance did not limit its definition of family. "If you represented that you were a family, you were considered a family," he said. "It was a false premise of the state that somehow this was an equity or equality issue." Advocates for the state bill argued it disproportionately affects marginalized communities. For example, Denver census data shows that Black and Hispanic households comprised 30% of all Denver households but 72% of those with five or more adults, according to testimony given in a House committee by Kinsie Hasstedt with Enterprise Community Partners, which aims to increase the supply of affordable homes and improve housing stability. Kate Conley, a co-lead of housing advocacy group YIMBY Fort Collins, said the city's law disproportionately affects members of the LGBTQIA+ community "historically marginalized and oppressed people often share homes with chosen family" along with students. The ordinance has, ironically, been a barrier for single parents living with their children in a home where they live with other roommates whom they aren't related to, Conley said. Kate Conley, co-lead of housing advocacy group YIMBY Fort Collins, places a flower on a table in front of the words of the U+2 ordinance at a rally on Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Oak Street Plaza. U+2 by the numbers A rental market report in 2019 by Corona Insights estimated how many residents were living in violation of the occupancy ordinance. In 2005 (prior to ordinance change): 1,238 In 2009: 650 In 2018: 1,234 45% were undergraduate students, while 42% were not students. Source: Corona Insights Rental Market Report (2019) This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins roommate rules will be repealed. Here's what's next U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and other Republicans at a press conference introducing legislation on noncitizen voting at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (Photo by Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson Wednesday unveiled a bill that would require states to verify proof of citizenship to prevent noncitizens from voting in federal elections, something already barred under the law. Johnson, a Louisiana Republican who played a key role through legal challenges in defending the former presidents efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, said at a press conference that voting by noncitizens is a clear and present danger to the integrity of our election system. Outside the U.S. Capitol, Johnson was joined by former Trump aides Stephen Miller and Ken Cuccinelli, Tea Party Patriots co-founder Jenny Beth Martin and Cleta Mitchell, a key figure who tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election and is now running a grassroots organization to aggressively monitor elections in November. The bill would amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections, according to bill text provided by the office of the sponsor, Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas. Under any method of voter registration in a State, the State shall not accept and process an application to register to vote in an election for Federal office unless the applicant presents documentary proof of United States citizenship with the application, according to the bill text. It would also allow states to check citizenship through federal databases with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. The bill bars DHS from charging a fee to the state for complying with a request to verify citizenship. Proof of citizenship would also be required for mail-in voting and registration agencies would also have to verify proof of citizenship while registering someone to vote. The bill would also allow states to remove noncitizen voters from voter rolls. Johnson meeting with Trump The press conference came after Johnson met with former president Donald J. Trump last month, and Johnson announced plans to take up legislation related to noncitizens voting in federal elections. The April event doubled as support from the former president, as Johnson was facing increasing pressure from hard-right members threatening to oust him from his role. The threat to oust Johnson as speaker is ongoing from Georgias Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Johnson on Wednesday did not give details on when he would schedule the bill for a vote on the House floor. Utahs GOP Sen. Mike Lee will introduce the companion bill in the Senate. When federal law has been interpreted as precluding, in many ways, the voter registration officials in the various states from even inquiring into someones citizenship when addressing voter roll issues, we have a problem, Lee said. With Democrats controlling a slim majority in the Senate, the measure is unlikely to be brought up for a floor vote. Researchers and studies have disproved that noncitizens vote in federal elections. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, conducted an analysis of election conduct from 2003 to 2023 and found 29 instances of noncitizens voting. A few cities and towns allow noncitizens to vote in local elections, a move that has spurred a GOP backlash and sparked a conservative national rallying cry about noncitizens voting. Since 2020, five states Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Ohio, and Louisiana have amended their constitutions to make it clear that only citizens can vote in elections at any level. Trump has made his reelection campaign center on immigration, and the former president and Republicans are pushing the false narrative of noncitizens often voting in federal elections. The executive director of a policy think tank, Sam Oliker-Friedland of the Institute for Responsive Government Action, said in a statement that the bill does not improve election security. Its nothing more than a messaging bill designed to stoke fear and undermine confidence in our democracy, Oliker-Friedland said. There is no evidence to support the claim that there are waves of non-citizens voting. The top Democrat on the Committee on House Administration, Joseph Morelle of New York, slammed the bill for trying to solve a non-existent problem. Non-citizen voting in federal elections is already a federal crime, Morelle said in a statement. States already have several systems in place to deter non-citizen voting and people who violate the law face prison time and deportation. The post U.S. House GOP targets noncitizen voting, even though its rare appeared first on Michigan Advance. By Yuka Obayashi and Katya Golubkova TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan's top steelmaker, Nippon Steel, is sticking to its plan to close a deal by year-end to buy U.S. Steel, which it expects to boost output and profits, the company said on Thursday, despite resistance to the transaction in the U.S. In December, Nippon Steel offered nearly $15 billion to take over iconic U.S. Steel, drawing resistance from both President Joe Biden and Donald Trump, his likely challenger in the Nov. 5 election, as well as the United Steelworkers (USW) union. "U.S. Steel products will remain mined, melted and made in America and will continue supplying further sophisticated steel products to American industry," Nippon Steel said. It reiterated its latest guidance to close the deal by year-end, pending U.S. approvals. This month, Nippon Steel moved the deadline from end-September after the U.S. Department of Justice sought more details and materials in an antitrust review. The European Commission has already approved the deal. The takeover should bring Nippon Steel's global crude steel capacity to 86 million tons per year, close to its goal of 100 million, and to boost underlying business profit to 1 trillion yen after March 2025 from 935 billion yen last year. To win support from the USW, Nippon Steel has pledged to move its U.S. headquarters to Pittsburgh, where U.S. Steel is based, offering specific commitments on job security and additional investments if the deal goes through. Takahiro Mori, Nippon Steel's vice chairman and key negotiator on the takeover, told a briefing that thanks to the deal, the U.S. company will grow, adding jobs and profits. "Nothing has changed in our strong determination to close the deal at the earliest possible," Mori said, adding that 'politics is apparently affecting' delay in the USW's approval. U.S. Steel is based in the swing state of Pennsylvania, key for both candidates. "It has already become a political issue and will not become a political issue any further," Mori said. As U.S. Steel shareholders have already approved the deal, other contenders cannot buy the company, he added. Last year, U.S. Steel rejected a $7.3-billion offer from rival steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs, whose chief executive Lourenco Goncalves continued to criticise the deal. PROFIT DOWN Nippon Steel beat estimates on Thursday, but posted a decline of 20.8% in net profit of 549.4 billion yen ($3.53 billion) for the year ended in March, because of losses on inactive facilities at home. Nippon Steel had been expected to post a net profit of 464.6 billion yen, an LSEG poll of analysts showed. Story continues Excluding the U.S. Steel deal, Nippon Steel forecasts a net profit of 300 billion yen for the year ending in March 2025, amid continuing losses on inactive facilities, while it expects domestic and overseas steel demand to stay low. To redeem subordinated bonds issued in September 2019 and strengthen its financial position amid the proposed takeover, Nippon Steel plans to raise up to 250 billion yen via subordinated syndicated loans and public subordinated bonds. ($1=155.7000 yen) (Reporting by Katya Golubkova and Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Gerry Doyle and Clarence Fernandez) U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and other Republicans at a press conference introducing legislation on noncitizen voting at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom) U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson Wednesday unveiled a bill that would require states to verify proof of citizenship to prevent noncitizens from voting in federal elections, something already barred under the law. Johnson, a Louisiana Republican who played a key role through legal challenges in defending the former presidents efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, said at a press conference that voting by noncitizens is a clear and present danger to the integrity of our election system. Outside the U.S. Capitol, Johnson was joined by former Trump aides Stephen Miller and Ken Cuccinelli, Tea Party Patriots co-founder Jenny Beth Martin and Cleta Mitchell, a key figure who tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election and is now running a grassroots organization to aggressively monitor elections in November. The bill would amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections, according to bill text provided by the office of the sponsor, Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas. Under any method of voter registration in a State, the State shall not accept and process an application to register to vote in an election for Federal office unless the applicant presents documentary proof of United States citizenship with the application, according to the bill text. It would also allow states to check citizenship through federal databases with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. The bill bars DHS from charging a fee to the state for complying with a request to verify citizenship. Proof of citizenship would also be required for mail-in voting and registration agencies would also have to verify proof of citizenship while registering someone to vote. The bill would also allow states to remove noncitizen voters from voter rolls. Johnson meeting with Trump The press conference came after Johnson met with former president Donald J. Trump last month, and Johnson announced plans to take up legislation related to noncitizens voting in federal elections. The April event doubled as support from the former president, as Johnson was facing increasing pressure from hard-right members threatening to oust him from his role. The threat to oust Johnson as speaker is ongoing from Georgias Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Johnson on Wednesday did not give details on when he would schedule the bill for a vote on the House floor. Utahs GOP Sen. Mike Lee will introduce the companion bill in the Senate. When federal law has been interpreted as precluding, in many ways, the voter registration officials in the various states from even inquiring into someones citizenship when addressing voter roll issues, we have a problem, Lee said. With Democrats controlling a slim majority in the Senate, the measure is unlikely to be brought up for a floor vote. Researchers and studies have disproved that noncitizens vote in federal elections. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, conducted an analysis of election conduct from 2003 to 2023 and found 29 instances of noncitizens voting. A few cities and towns allow noncitizens to vote in local elections, a move that has spurred a GOP backlash and sparked a conservative national rallying cry about noncitizens voting. Since 2020, five states Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Ohio, and Louisiana have amended their constitutions to make it clear that only citizens can vote in elections at any level. Trump has made his reelection campaign center on immigration, and the former president and Republicans are pushing the false narrative of noncitizens often voting in federal elections. The executive director of a policy think tank, Sam Oliker-Friedland of the Institute for Responsive Government Action, said in a statement that the bill does not improve election security. Its nothing more than a messaging bill designed to stoke fear and undermine confidence in our democracy, Oliker-Friedland said. There is no evidence to support the claim that there are waves of non-citizens voting. The top Democrat on the Committee on House Administration, Joseph Morelle of New York, slammed the bill for trying to solve a non-existent problem. Non-citizen voting in federal elections is already a federal crime, Morelle said in a statement. States already have several systems in place to deter non-citizen voting and people who violate the law face prison time and deportation. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post U.S. House GOP targets noncitizen voting, even though its rare appeared first on Maine Morning Star. A bill passed in the U.S. House Wednesday would add a citizenship question to the census and end the practice of including noncitizens in the official population count. (Getty Images) WASHINGTON U.S. House Republicans passed a bill Wednesday to add a citizenship question to the census and exclude noncitizens from the official headcount when determining population for representation in Congress and electoral votes. The legislation, which passed on a 206-202 party-line vote, is part of a trend of House GOP bills relating to immigration as the November elections approach. Republicans and their presumptive presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump, have centered their campaigns on immigration. The Trump administration tried to add a citizenship question in the 2020 census but the Supreme Court blocked it. We should not reward states and cities that violate federal immigration laws and maintain sanctuary policies with increased Congressional representation, House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement after the bill passed. Common sense dictates that only American citizens should be counted for electoral apportionment. The bill, H.R. 7109, sponsored by North Carolina GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards would impact the 2030 census and onward if signed into law. The census, which occurs every 10 years, helps determine congressional seats in the House and can determine political power. Since the first census in 1790, citizens and noncitizens have been included in the official population count of the U.S. due to the 14th Amendments requirement to include whole numbers of persons in each State. Edwards argued during debate of the bill that the Constitution did not specify that noncitizens should be counted in the census. He argued that the word persons, in the 14th amendment, carries no definition. Its unlikely to pass the Senate, which Democrats control by a slim margin, and the White House already put out a statement opposing the bill. The White House said the bill would preclude the Department of Commerces Census Bureau from performing its constitutionally mandated responsibility to count the number of persons in the United States in the decennial census, and would make it more difficult to obtain accurate data. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that the census remains as accurate as possible and free from political interference, and to upholding the longstanding principle of equal representation enshrined in our Constitution, census statutes, and historical tradition, the White House said. Numbers padded in Dem areas, GOP claims During debate on the House floor, Republicans argued that areas that have high immigrant populations take away congressional representation from U.S. citizens and benefit states led by Democrats. This is absolutely outrageous, Republican Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana said. This is 100% about stacking the vote. Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett said states with more noncitizens will get more congressional districts and more electoral votes. He said those votes would also benefit Democrats and skew things in their favor. Dems warn of Hispanic undercount Democrats argued that the bill would not only violate the Constitution but also harm immigrant communities by undercounting, and could threaten the accuracy of the census. The census is essential to democracy, Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin said. This bill would destroy the accuracy of the census, which may have something to do with its actual motivations. Raskin added that the bill would not only carve out all noncitizens, including permanent residents with green cards who are on the pathway to citizenship. Raskin said the GOPs move to add a citizenship question for the 2020 census led to a chilling effect and undercount of communities of color, especially Hispanics. There were six states Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas that counted fewer people in the 2020 census than were estimated to live there. Nationally, there was a record undercount of Hispanics in the 2020 census of about 3 million, according to the Pew Research Center. Eight states Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Utah had overcounts, according to Pew. The chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan of California said the bill would have a chilling effect on accuracy of the census and would harm immigrant communities. Its a bill that threatens fair and equal representation of immigrant communities, she said. The post U.S. House Republicans pass bill to stop census from counting noncitizens appeared first on Rhode Island Current. A bill passed in the U.S. House Wednesday would add a citizenship question to the census and end the practice of including noncitizens in the official population count. (Getty Images) WASHINGTON U.S. House Republicans passed a bill Wednesday to add a citizenship question to the census and exclude noncitizens from the official headcount when determining population for representation in Congress and electoral votes. The legislation, which passed on a 206-202 party-line vote, is part of a trend of House GOP bills relating to immigration as the November elections approach. Republicans and their presumptive presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump, have centered their campaigns on immigration. The Trump administration tried to add a citizenship question in the 2020 census but the Supreme Court blocked it. We should not reward states and cities that violate federal immigration laws and maintain sanctuary policies with increased Congressional representation, House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement after the bill passed. Common sense dictates that only American citizens should be counted for electoral apportionment. The bill, H.R. 7109, sponsored by North Carolina GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards would impact the 2030 census and onward if signed into law. The census, which occurs every 10 years, helps determine congressional seats in the House and can determine political power. Since the first census in 1790, citizens and noncitizens have been included in the official population count of the U.S. due to the 14th Amendments requirement to include whole numbers of persons in each State. Edwards argued during debate of the bill that the Constitution did not specify that noncitizens should be counted in the census. He argued that the word persons, in the 14th amendment, carries no definition. Its unlikely to pass the Senate, which Democrats control by a slim margin, and the White House already put out a statement opposing the bill. The White House said the bill would preclude the Department of Commerces Census Bureau from performing its constitutionally mandated responsibility to count the number of persons in the United States in the decennial census, and would make it more difficult to obtain accurate data. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that the census remains as accurate as possible and free from political interference, and to upholding the longstanding principle of equal representation enshrined in our Constitution, census statutes, and historical tradition, the White House said. Numbers padded in Dem areas, GOP claims During debate on the House floor, Republicans argued that areas that have high immigrant populations take away congressional representation from U.S. citizens and benefit states led by Democrats. This is absolutely outrageous, Republican Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana said. This is 100% about stacking the vote. Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett said states with more noncitizens will get more congressional districts and more electoral votes. He said those votes would also benefit Democrats and skew things in their favor. Dems warn of Hispanic undercount Democrats argued that the bill would not only violate the Constitution but also harm immigrant communities by undercounting, and could threaten the accuracy of the census. The census is essential to democracy, Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin said. This bill would destroy the accuracy of the census, which may have something to do with its actual motivations. Raskin added that the bill would not only carve out all noncitizens, including permanent residents with green cards who are on the pathway to citizenship. Raskin said the GOPs move to add a citizenship question for the 2020 census led to a chilling effect and undercount of communities of color, especially Hispanics. There were six states Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas that counted fewer people in the 2020 census than were estimated to live there. Nationally, there was a record undercount of Hispanics in the 2020 census of about 3 million, according to the Pew Research Center. Eight states Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Utah had overcounts, according to Pew. The chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan of California said the bill would have a chilling effect on accuracy of the census and would harm immigrant communities. Its a bill that threatens fair and equal representation of immigrant communities, she said. The post U.S. House Republicans pass bill to stop census from counting noncitizens appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner. A bill passed in the U.S. House Wednesday would add a citizenship question to the census and end the practice of including noncitizens in the official population count (Getty Images). WASHINGTON U.S. House Republicans passed a bill Wednesday to add a citizenship question to the census and exclude noncitizens from the official headcount when determining population for representation in Congress and electoral votes. The legislation, which passed on a 206-202 party-line vote, is part of a trend of House GOP bills relating to immigration as the November elections approach. Republicans and their presumptive presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump, have centered their campaigns on immigration. The Trump administration tried to add a citizenship question in the 2020 census but the Supreme Court blocked it. We should not reward states and cities that violate federal immigration laws and maintain sanctuary policies with increased Congressional representation, House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement after the bill passed. Common sense dictates that only American citizens should be counted for electoral apportionment. The bill, H.R. 7109, sponsored by North Carolina GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards would impact the 2030 census and onward if signed into law. The census, which occurs every 10 years, helps determine congressional seats in the House and can determine political power. Since the first census in 1790, citizens and noncitizens have been included in the official population count of the U.S. due to the 14th Amendments requirement to include whole numbers of persons in each State. Edwards argued during debate of the bill that the Constitution did not specify that noncitizens should be counted in the census. He argued that the word persons, in the 14th amendment, carries no definition. Its unlikely to pass the Senate, which Democrats control by a slim margin, and the White House already put out a statement opposing the bill. The White House said the bill would preclude the Department of Commerces Census Bureau from performing its constitutionally mandated responsibility to count the number of persons in the United States in the decennial census, and would make it more difficult to obtain accurate data. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that the census remains as accurate as possible and free from political interference, and to upholding the longstanding principle of equal representation enshrined in our Constitution, census statutes, and historical tradition, the White House said. Numbers padded in Dem areas, GOP claims During debate on the House floor, Republicans argued that areas that have high immigrant populations take away congressional representation from U.S. citizens and benefit states led by Democrats. This is absolutely outrageous, Republican Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana said. This is 100% about stacking the vote. Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett said states with more noncitizens will get more congressional districts and more electoral votes. He said those votes would also benefit Democrats and skew things in their favor. Dems warn of Hispanic undercount Democrats argued that the bill would not only violate the Constitution but also harm immigrant communities by undercounting, and could threaten the accuracy of the census. The census is essential to democracy, Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin said. This bill would destroy the accuracy of the census, which may have something to do with its actual motivations. Raskin added that the bill would not only carve out all noncitizens, including permanent residents with green cards who are on the pathway to citizenship. Raskin said the GOPs move to add a citizenship question for the 2020 census led to a chilling effect and undercount of communities of color, especially Hispanics. There were six states Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas that counted fewer people in the 2020 census than were estimated to live there. Nationally, there was a record undercount of Hispanics in the 2020 census of about 3 million, according to the Pew Research Center. Eight states Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Utah had overcounts, according to Pew. The chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan of California said the bill would have a chilling effect on accuracy of the census and would harm immigrant communities. Its a bill that threatens fair and equal representation of immigrant communities, she said. The post U.S. House Republicans pass bill to stop census from counting noncitizens appeared first on Missouri Independent. A bill passed in the U.S. House Wednesday would add a citizenship question to the census and end the practice of including noncitizens in the official population count. (Getty Images) WASHINGTON U.S. House Republicans passed a bill Wednesday to add a citizenship question to the census and exclude noncitizens from the official headcount when determining population for representation in Congress and electoral votes. The legislation, which passed on a 206-202 party-line vote, is part of a trend of House GOP bills relating to immigration as the November elections approach. Republicans and their presumptive presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump, have centered their campaigns on immigration. The Trump administration tried to add a citizenship question in the 2020 census but the Supreme Court blocked it. We should not reward states and cities that violate federal immigration laws and maintain sanctuary policies with increased Congressional representation, House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement after the bill passed. Common sense dictates that only American citizens should be counted for electoral apportionment. The bill, H.R. 7109, sponsored by North Carolina GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards would impact the 2030 census and onward if signed into law. The census, which occurs every 10 years, helps determine congressional seats in the House and can determine political power. Since the first census in 1790, citizens and noncitizens have been included in the official population count of the U.S. due to the 14th Amendments requirement to include whole numbers of persons in each State. Edwards argued during debate of the bill that the Constitution did not specify that noncitizens should be counted in the census. He argued that the word persons, in the 14th amendment, carries no definition. Its unlikely to pass the Senate, which Democrats control by a slim margin, and the White House already put out a statement opposing the bill. The White House said the bill would preclude the Department of Commerces Census Bureau from performing its constitutionally mandated responsibility to count the number of persons in the United States in the decennial census, and would make it more difficult to obtain accurate data. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that the census remains as accurate as possible and free from political interference, and to upholding the longstanding principle of equal representation enshrined in our Constitution, census statutes, and historical tradition, the White House said. Numbers padded in Dem areas, GOP claims During debate on the House floor, Republicans argued that areas that have high immigrant populations take away congressional representation from U.S. citizens and benefit states led by Democrats. This is absolutely outrageous, Republican Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana said. This is 100% about stacking the vote. Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett said states with more noncitizens will get more congressional districts and more electoral votes. He said those votes would also benefit Democrats and skew things in their favor. Dems warn of Hispanic undercount Democrats argued that the bill would not only violate the Constitution but also harm immigrant communities by undercounting, and could threaten the accuracy of the census. The census is essential to democracy, Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin said. This bill would destroy the accuracy of the census, which may have something to do with its actual motivations. Raskin added that the bill would not only carve out all noncitizens, including permanent residents with green cards who are on the pathway to citizenship. Raskin said the GOPs move to add a citizenship question for the 2020 census led to a chilling effect and undercount of communities of color, especially Hispanics. There were six states Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas that counted fewer people in the 2020 census than were estimated to live there. Nationally, there was a record undercount of Hispanics in the 2020 census of about 3 million, according to the Pew Research Center. Eight states Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Utah had overcounts, according to Pew. The chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan of California said the bill would have a chilling effect on accuracy of the census and would harm immigrant communities. Its a bill that threatens fair and equal representation of immigrant communities, she said. The post U.S. House Republicans pass bill to stop census from counting noncitizens appeared first on Source New Mexico. A bill passed in the U.S. House Wednesday would add a citizenship question to the census and end the practice of including noncitizens in the official population count. (Getty Images) WASHINGTON U.S. House Republicans passed a bill Wednesday to add a citizenship question to the census and exclude noncitizens from the official headcount when determining population for representation in Congress and electoral votes. The legislation, which passed on a 206-202 party-line vote, is part of a trend of House GOP bills relating to immigration as the November elections approach. Republicans and their presumptive presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump, have centered their campaigns on immigration. The Trump administration tried to add a citizenship question in the 2020 census but the Supreme Court blocked it. We should not reward states and cities that violate federal immigration laws and maintain sanctuary policies with increased Congressional representation, House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement after the bill passed. Common sense dictates that only American citizens should be counted for electoral apportionment. The bill, H.R. 7109, sponsored by North Carolina GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards would impact the 2030 census and onward if signed into law. The census, which occurs every 10 years, helps determine congressional seats in the House and can determine political power. Since the first census in 1790, citizens and noncitizens have been included in the official population count of the U.S. due to the 14th Amendments requirement to include whole numbers of persons in each State. Edwards argued during debate of the bill that the Constitution did not specify that noncitizens should be counted in the census. He argued that the word persons, in the 14th amendment, carries no definition. Its unlikely to pass the Senate, which Democrats control by a slim margin, and the White House already put out a statement opposing the bill. The White House said the bill would preclude the Department of Commerces Census Bureau from performing its constitutionally mandated responsibility to count the number of persons in the United States in the decennial census, and would make it more difficult to obtain accurate data. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that the census remains as accurate as possible and free from political interference, and to upholding the longstanding principle of equal representation enshrined in our Constitution, census statutes, and historical tradition, the White House said. Numbers padded in Dem areas, GOP claims During debate on the House floor, Republicans argued that areas that have high immigrant populations take away congressional representation from U.S. citizens and benefit states led by Democrats. This is absolutely outrageous, Republican Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana said. This is 100% about stacking the vote. Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett said states with more noncitizens will get more congressional districts and more electoral votes. He said those votes would also benefit Democrats and skew things in their favor. Dems warn of Hispanic undercount Democrats argued that the bill would not only violate the Constitution but also harm immigrant communities by undercounting, and could threaten the accuracy of the census. The census is essential to democracy, Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin said. This bill would destroy the accuracy of the census, which may have something to do with its actual motivations. Raskin added that the bill would not only carve out all noncitizens, including permanent residents with green cards who are on the pathway to citizenship. Raskin said the GOPs move to add a citizenship question for the 2020 census led to a chilling effect and undercount of communities of color, especially Hispanics. There were six states Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas that counted fewer people in the 2020 census than were estimated to live there. Nationally, there was a record undercount of Hispanics in the 2020 census of about 3 million, according to the Pew Research Center. Eight states Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Utah had overcounts, according to Pew. The chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan of California said the bill would have a chilling effect on accuracy of the census and would harm immigrant communities. Its a bill that threatens fair and equal representation of immigrant communities, she said. The post U.S. House Republicans pass bill to stop census from counting noncitizens appeared first on Kentucky Lantern. A bill passed in the U.S. House Wednesday would add a citizenship question to the census and end the practice of including noncitizens in the official population count. (Getty Images) WASHINGTON U.S. House Republicans passed a bill Wednesday to add a citizenship question to the census and exclude noncitizens from the official headcount when determining population for representation in Congress and electoral votes. The legislation, which passed on a 206-202 party-line vote, is part of a trend of House GOP bills relating to immigration as the November elections approach. Republicans and their presumptive presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump, have centered their campaigns on immigration. The Trump administration tried to add a citizenship question in the 2020 census but the Supreme Court blocked it. We should not reward states and cities that violate federal immigration laws and maintain sanctuary policies with increased Congressional representation, House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement after the bill passed. Common sense dictates that only American citizens should be counted for electoral apportionment. The bill, H.R. 7109, sponsored by North Carolina GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards would impact the 2030 census and onward if signed into law. The census, which occurs every 10 years, helps determine congressional seats in the House and can determine political power. Since the first census in 1790, citizens and noncitizens have been included in the official population count of the U.S. due to the 14th Amendments requirement to include whole numbers of persons in each State. Edwards argued during debate of the bill that the Constitution did not specify that noncitizens should be counted in the census. He argued that the word persons, in the 14th amendment, carries no definition. Its unlikely to pass the Senate, which Democrats control by a slim margin, and the White House already put out a statement opposing the bill. The White House said the bill would preclude the Department of Commerces Census Bureau from performing its constitutionally mandated responsibility to count the number of persons in the United States in the decennial census, and would make it more difficult to obtain accurate data. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that the census remains as accurate as possible and free from political interference, and to upholding the longstanding principle of equal representation enshrined in our Constitution, census statutes, and historical tradition, the White House said. Numbers padded in Dem areas, GOP claims During debate on the House floor, Republicans argued that areas that have high immigrant populations take away congressional representation from U.S. citizens and benefit states led by Democrats. This is absolutely outrageous, Republican Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana said. This is 100% about stacking the vote. Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett said states with more noncitizens will get more congressional districts and more electoral votes. He said those votes would also benefit Democrats and skew things in their favor. Dems warn of Hispanic undercount Democrats argued that the bill would not only violate the Constitution but also harm immigrant communities by undercounting, and could threaten the accuracy of the census. The census is essential to democracy, Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin said. This bill would destroy the accuracy of the census, which may have something to do with its actual motivations. Raskin added that the bill would not only carve out all noncitizens, including permanent residents with green cards who are on the pathway to citizenship. Raskin said the GOPs move to add a citizenship question for the 2020 census led to a chilling effect and undercount of communities of color, especially Hispanics. There were six states Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas that counted fewer people in the 2020 census than were estimated to live there. Nationally, there was a record undercount of Hispanics in the 2020 census of about 3 million, according to the Pew Research Center. Eight states Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Utah had overcounts, according to Pew. The chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan of California said the bill would have a chilling effect on accuracy of the census and would harm immigrant communities. Its a bill that threatens fair and equal representation of immigrant communities, she said. The post U.S. House Republicans pass bill to stop census from counting noncitizens appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch. A bill passed in the U.S. House Wednesday would add a citizenship question to the census and end the practice of including noncitizens in the official population count. (Getty Images) WASHINGTON U.S. House Republicans passed a bill Wednesday to add a citizenship question to the census and exclude noncitizens from the official headcount when determining population for representation in Congress and electoral votes. The legislation, which passed on a 206-202 party-line vote, is part of a trend of House GOP bills relating to immigration as the November elections approach. Republicans and their presumptive presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump, have centered their campaigns on immigration. The Trump administration tried to add a citizenship question in the 2020 census but the Supreme Court blocked it. We should not reward states and cities that violate federal immigration laws and maintain sanctuary policies with increased Congressional representation, House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement after the bill passed. Common sense dictates that only American citizens should be counted for electoral apportionment. The bill, H.R. 7109, sponsored by North Carolina GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards, would impact the 2030 census and onward if signed into law. The census, which occurs every 10 years, helps determine congressional seats in the House and can determine political power. Since the first census in 1790, citizens and noncitizens have been included in the official population count of the U.S. due to the 14th Amendments requirement to include whole numbers of persons in each State. Edwards argued during debate of the bill that the Constitution did not specify that noncitizens should be counted in the census. He argued that the word persons, in the 14th amendment, carries no definition. Its unlikely to pass the Senate, which Democrats control by a slim margin, and the White House already put out a statement opposing the bill. The White House said the bill would preclude the Department of Commerces Census Bureau from performing its constitutionally mandated responsibility to count the number of persons in the United States in the decennial census, and would make it more difficult to obtain accurate data. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that the census remains as accurate as possible and free from political interference, and to upholding the longstanding principle of equal representation enshrined in our Constitution, census statutes, and historical tradition, the White House said. Numbers padded in Dem areas, GOP claims During debate on the House floor, Republicans argued that areas that have high immigrant populations take away congressional representation from U.S. citizens and benefit states led by Democrats. This is absolutely outrageous, Republican Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana said. This is 100 percent about stacking the vote. Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett said states with more noncitizens will get more congressional districts and more electoral votes. He said those votes would also benefit Democrats and skew things in their favor. Dems warn of Hispanic undercount Democrats argued that the bill would not only violate the Constitution but also harm immigrant communities by undercounting, and could threaten the accuracy of the census. The census is essential to democracy, Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin said. This bill would destroy the accuracy of the census, which may have something to do with its actual motivations. Raskin added that the bill would not only carve out all noncitizens, but permanent residents with green cards who are on the pathway to citizenship. Raskin said the GOPs move to add a citizenship question for the 2020 census led to a chilling effect and undercount of communities of color, especially Hispanics. There were six states Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas that counted fewer people in the 2020 census than were estimated to live there. Nationally, there was a record undercount of Hispanics in the 2020 census of about 3 million, according to the Pew Research Center. Eight states Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Utah had overcounts, according to Pew. The chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan of California said the bill would have a chilling effect on accuracy of the census and would harm immigrant communities. Its a bill that threatens fair and equal representation of immigrant communities, she said. The post U.S. House Republicans pass bill to stop census from counting noncitizens appeared first on New Hampshire Bulletin. A bill passed in the U.S. House Wednesday would add a citizenship question to the census and end the practice of including noncitizens in the official population count. (Getty Images) (This image cannot be republished unless you have a Getty subscription.) WASHINGTON U.S. House Republicans passed a bill Wednesday to add a citizenship question to the census and exclude noncitizens from the official headcount when determining population for representation in Congress and electoral votes. The legislation, which passed on a 206-202 party-line vote, is part of a trend of House GOP bills relating to immigration as the November elections approach. Republicans and their presumptive presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump, have centered their campaigns on immigration. The Trump administration tried to add a citizenship question in the 2020 census but the Supreme Court blocked it. We should not reward states and cities that violate federal immigration laws and maintain sanctuary policies with increased Congressional representation, House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement after the bill passed. Common sense dictates that only American citizens should be counted for electoral apportionment. The bill, H.R. 7109, sponsored by North Carolina GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards would impact the 2030 census and onward if signed into law. The census, which occurs every 10 years, helps determine congressional seats in the House and can determine political power. Since the first census in 1790, citizens and noncitizens have been included in the official population count of the U.S. due to the 14th Amendments requirement to include whole numbers of persons in each State. Edwards argued during debate of the bill that the Constitution did not specify that noncitizens should be counted in the census. He argued that the word persons, in the 14th amendment, carries no definition. Its unlikely to pass the Senate, which Democrats control by a slim margin, and the White House already put out a statement opposing the bill. The White House said the bill would preclude the Department of Commerces Census Bureau from performing its constitutionally mandated responsibility to count the number of persons in the United States in the decennial census, and would make it more difficult to obtain accurate data. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that the census remains as accurate as possible and free from political interference, and to upholding the longstanding principle of equal representation enshrined in our Constitution, census statutes, and historical tradition, the White House said. Numbers padded in Dem areas, GOP claims During debate on the House floor, Republicans argued that areas that have high immigrant populations take away congressional representation from U.S. citizens and benefit states led by Democrats. This is absolutely outrageous, Republican Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana said. This is 100% about stacking the vote. Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett said states with more noncitizens will get more congressional districts and more electoral votes. He said those votes would also benefit Democrats and skew things in their favor. Dems warn of Hispanic undercount Democrats argued that the bill would not only violate the Constitution but also harm immigrant communities by undercounting, and could threaten the accuracy of the census. The census is essential to democracy, Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin said. This bill would destroy the accuracy of the census, which may have something to do with its actual motivations. Raskin added that the bill would not only carve out all noncitizens, including permanent residents with green cards who are on the pathway to citizenship. Raskin said the GOPs move to add a citizenship question for the 2020 census led to a chilling effect and undercount of communities of color, especially Hispanics. There were six states Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas that counted fewer people in the 2020 census than were estimated to live there. Nationally, there was a record undercount of Hispanics in the 2020 census of about 3 million, according to the Pew Research Center. Eight states Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Utah had overcounts, according to Pew. The chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan of California said the bill would have a chilling effect on accuracy of the census and would harm immigrant communities. Its a bill that threatens fair and equal representation of immigrant communities, she said. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post U.S. House Republicans pass bill to stop census from counting noncitizens appeared first on Oklahoma Voice. A bill passed in the U.S. House Wednesday would add a citizenship question to the census and end the practice of including noncitizens in the official population count. (Getty Images) WASHINGTON U.S. House Republicans passed a bill Wednesday to add a citizenship question to the census and exclude noncitizens from the official headcount when determining population for representation in Congress and electoral votes. The legislation, which passed on a 206-202 party-line vote, is part of a trend of House GOP bills relating to immigration as the November elections approach. Republicans and their presumptive presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump, have centered their campaigns on immigration. The Trump administration tried to add a citizenship question in the 2020 census but the Supreme Court blocked it. We should not reward states and cities that violate federal immigration laws and maintain sanctuary policies with increased Congressional representation, House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement after the bill passed. Common sense dictates that only American citizens should be counted for electoral apportionment. The bill, H.R. 7109, sponsored by North Carolina GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards would impact the 2030 census and onward if signed into law. The census, which occurs every 10 years, helps determine congressional seats in the House and can determine political power. Since the first census in 1790, citizens and noncitizens have been included in the official population count of the U.S. due to the 14th Amendments requirement to include whole numbers of persons in each State. Edwards argued during debate of the bill that the Constitution did not specify that noncitizens should be counted in the census. He argued that the word persons, in the 14th amendment, carries no definition. Its unlikely to pass the Senate, which Democrats control by a slim margin, and the White House already put out a statement opposing the bill. The White House said the bill would preclude the Department of Commerces Census Bureau from performing its constitutionally mandated responsibility to count the number of persons in the United States in the decennial census, and would make it more difficult to obtain accurate data. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that the census remains as accurate as possible and free from political interference, and to upholding the longstanding principle of equal representation enshrined in our Constitution, census statutes, and historical tradition, the White House said. Numbers padded in Dem areas, GOP claims During debate on the House floor, Republicans argued that areas that have high immigrant populations take away congressional representation from U.S. citizens and benefit states led by Democrats. This is absolutely outrageous, Republican Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana said. This is 100% about stacking the vote. Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett said states with more noncitizens will get more congressional districts and more electoral votes. He said those votes would also benefit Democrats and skew things in their favor. Dems warn of Hispanic undercount Democrats argued that the bill would not only violate the Constitution but also harm immigrant communities by undercounting, and could threaten the accuracy of the census. The census is essential to democracy, Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin said. This bill would destroy the accuracy of the census, which may have something to do with its actual motivations. Raskin added that the bill would not only carve out all noncitizens, including permanent residents with green cards who are on the pathway to citizenship. Raskin said the GOPs move to add a citizenship question for the 2020 census led to a chilling effect and undercount of communities of color, especially Hispanics. There were six states Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas that counted fewer people in the 2020 census than were estimated to live there. Nationally, there was a record undercount of Hispanics in the 2020 census of about 3 million, according to the Pew Research Center. Eight states Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Utah had overcounts, according to Pew. The chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan of California said the bill would have a chilling effect on accuracy of the census and would harm immigrant communities. Its a bill that threatens fair and equal representation of immigrant communities, she said. The post U.S. House Republicans pass bill to stop census from counting noncitizens appeared first on West Virginia Watch. A Lexington doctor who wrote orders that resulted in more than $14 million in fraudulent billing to Medicare has been sentenced to two years in federal prison. The sentence for Amr Mohamed includes $14.1 million in restitution, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. Mohamed, 55, specialized in diseases of the kidney. He had been licensed in Kentucky since 2012 and worked at UK HealthCare before being indicted in March 2023. The indictment resulted from his work with RediDoc, a purported telemedicine company, and not the university. RediDoc paid Mohamed to write orders for medical equipment, creams and genetic testing for Medicare beneficiaries. Federal authorities charged that the products and tests were not medically necessary because Mohamed did not establish a real doctor-patient relationship with the patients and the tests were not used for treatment. Mohameds guilty plea cited one case in which a Kentucky woman received a call from a marketer who said she was eligible for free medical braces. The braces involved in the scheme typically were wrist, shoulder, knee and ankle braces, according to the court record. The woman told the caller she couldnt use the braces and not to send them, but Mohamed wrote an order for them anyway. Mohamed received $261,054 from RediDoc between March 2018 and April 2019 for writing orders for more than 7,000 people, but the business billed Medicare $14,150,764 for the unnecessary products and tests, according to court documents. Mohameds attorney, John W. Oakley II, said in a sentencing memorandum that Mohamed believed he was helping people and had no idea RediDoc billed the federal government for so much money based on his work. Oakley said he believed that Dr. Mohamed was used and manipulated by Redidoc to satisfy its own selfish goals and objectives at his and his familys expense. The sentencing range for Mohamed under advisory guidelines called for at least three years and 10 months in prison based on amount of fraudulent billing. Oakley sought a lower sentence, pointing out that Mohamed had repaid the $261,054 he received from RediDoc and lost his job and license to practice. U.S. District Judge Karen K. Caldwell sentenced Mohamed Tuesday in federal court in Lexington. The case against Mohamed was part of a larger nationwide conspiracy in which marketers identified Medicare beneficiaries and called to persuade them to try medications or equipment even when the beneficiarys need for those items was not clear and was not discussed with the beneficiarys doctor, according to a charge against one RediDoc official. Story continues The marketers then sent the information to RediDoc and the company paid doctors to write prescriptions and orders, according to the court record. The owners of the company, Stephen Luke and David C. Laughlin Jr., both of Arizona, pleaded guilty but have not been sentenced. The two admitted taking part in more than $64 million in fraudulent billing to Medicare and TRICARE, an insurance program for members of the military. Mohamed is liable for the $14.1 million in restitution along with Luke and Laughlin. A bill passed in the U.S. House Wednesday would add a citizenship question to the census and end the practice of including noncitizens in the official population count. (Getty Images) WASHINGTON U.S. House Republicans passed a bill Wednesday to add a citizenship question to the census and exclude noncitizens from the official headcount when determining population for representation in Congress and electoral votes. The legislation, which passed on a 206-202 party-line vote, is part of a trend of House GOP bills relating to immigration as the November elections approach. Republicans and their presumptive presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump, have centered their campaigns on immigration. The Trump administration tried to add a citizenship question in the 2020 census but the Supreme Court blocked it. We should not reward states and cities that violate federal immigration laws and maintain sanctuary policies with increased Congressional representation, House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement after the bill passed. Common sense dictates that only American citizens should be counted for electoral apportionment. The bill, H.R. 7109, sponsored by North Carolina GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards would impact the 2030 census and onward if signed into law. The census, which occurs every 10 years, helps determine congressional seats in the House and can determine political power. Since the first census in 1790, citizens and noncitizens have been included in the official population count of the U.S. due to the 14th Amendments requirement to include whole numbers of persons in each State. Edwards argued during debate of the bill that the Constitution did not specify that noncitizens should be counted in the census. He argued that the word persons, in the 14th amendment, carries no definition. Its unlikely to pass the Senate, which Democrats control by a slim margin, and the White House already put out a statement opposing the bill. The White House said the bill would preclude the Department of Commerces Census Bureau from performing its constitutionally mandated responsibility to count the number of persons in the United States in the decennial census, and would make it more difficult to obtain accurate data. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that the census remains as accurate as possible and free from political interference, and to upholding the longstanding principle of equal representation enshrined in our Constitution, census statutes, and historical tradition, the White House said. Numbers padded in Dem areas, GOP claims During debate on the House floor, Republicans argued that areas that have high immigrant populations take away congressional representation from U.S. citizens and benefit states led by Democrats. This is absolutely outrageous, Republican Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana said. This is 100% about stacking the vote. Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett said states with more noncitizens will get more congressional districts and more electoral votes. He said those votes would also benefit Democrats and skew things in their favor. Dems warn of Hispanic undercount Democrats argued that the bill would not only violate the Constitution but also harm immigrant communities by undercounting, and could threaten the accuracy of the census. The census is essential to democracy, Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin said. This bill would destroy the accuracy of the census, which may have something to do with its actual motivations. Raskin added that the bill would not only carve out all noncitizens, including permanent residents with green cards who are on the pathway to citizenship. Raskin said the GOPs move to add a citizenship question for the 2020 census led to a chilling effect and undercount of communities of color, especially Hispanics. There were six states Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas that counted fewer people in the 2020 census than were estimated to live there. Nationally, there was a record undercount of Hispanics in the 2020 census of about 3 million, according to the Pew Research Center. Eight states Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Utah had overcounts, according to Pew. The chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan of California said the bill would have a chilling effect on accuracy of the census and would harm immigrant communities. Its a bill that threatens fair and equal representation of immigrant communities, she said. The post U.S. House Republicans pass bill to stop census from counting noncitizens appeared first on Utah News Dispatch. A bill passed in the U.S. House Wednesday would add a citizenship question to the census and end the practice of including noncitizens in the official population count. (Getty Images) WASHINGTON U.S. House Republicans passed a bill Wednesday to add a citizenship question to the census and exclude noncitizens from the official headcount when determining population for representation in Congress and electoral votes. The legislation, which passed on a 206-202 party-line vote, is part of a trend of House GOP bills relating to immigration as the November elections approach. Republicans and their presumptive presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump, have centered their campaigns on immigration. The Trump administration tried to add a citizenship question in the 2020 census but the Supreme Court blocked it. We should not reward states and cities that violate federal immigration laws and maintain sanctuary policies with increased Congressional representation, House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement after the bill passed. Common sense dictates that only American citizens should be counted for electoral apportionment. The bill, H.R. 7109, sponsored by North Carolina GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards would impact the 2030 census and onward if signed into law. The census, which occurs every 10 years, helps determine congressional seats in the House and can determine political power. Since the first census in 1790, citizens and noncitizens have been included in the official population count of the U.S. due to the 14th Amendments requirement to include whole numbers of persons in each State. Edwards argued during debate of the bill that the Constitution did not specify that noncitizens should be counted in the census. He argued that the word persons, in the 14th amendment, carries no definition. Its unlikely to pass the Senate, which Democrats control by a slim margin, and the White House already put out a statement opposing the bill. The White House said the bill would preclude the Department of Commerces Census Bureau from performing its constitutionally mandated responsibility to count the number of persons in the United States in the decennial census, and would make it more difficult to obtain accurate data. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that the census remains as accurate as possible and free from political interference, and to upholding the longstanding principle of equal representation enshrined in our Constitution, census statutes, and historical tradition, the White House said. Numbers padded in Dem areas, GOP claims During debate on the House floor, Republicans argued that areas that have high immigrant populations take away congressional representation from U.S. citizens and benefit states led by Democrats. This is absolutely outrageous, Republican Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana said. This is 100% about stacking the vote. Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett said states with more noncitizens will get more congressional districts and more electoral votes. He said those votes would also benefit Democrats and skew things in their favor. Dems warn of Hispanic undercount Democrats argued that the bill would not only violate the Constitution but also harm immigrant communities by undercounting, and could threaten the accuracy of the census. The census is essential to democracy, Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin said. This bill would destroy the accuracy of the census, which may have something to do with its actual motivations. Raskin added that the bill would not only carve out all noncitizens, including permanent residents with green cards who are on the pathway to citizenship. Raskin said the GOPs move to add a citizenship question for the 2020 census led to a chilling effect and undercount of communities of color, especially Hispanics. There were six states Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas that counted fewer people in the 2020 census than were estimated to live there. Nationally, there was a record undercount of Hispanics in the 2020 census of about 3 million, according to the Pew Research Center. Eight states Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Utah had overcounts, according to Pew. The chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan of California said the bill would have a chilling effect on accuracy of the census and would harm immigrant communities. Its a bill that threatens fair and equal representation of immigrant communities, she said. The post U.S. House Republicans pass bill to stop census from counting noncitizens appeared first on North Dakota Monitor. A bill passed in the U.S. House Wednesday would add a citizenship question to the census and end the practice of including noncitizens in the official population count. (Getty Images) WASHINGTON U.S. House Republicans passed a bill Wednesday to add a citizenship question to the census and exclude noncitizens from the official headcount when determining population for representation in Congress and electoral votes. The legislation, which passed on a 206-202 party-line vote, is part of a trend of House GOP bills relating to immigration as the November elections approach. Republicans and their presumptive presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump, have centered their campaigns on immigration. The Trump administration tried to add a citizenship question in the 2020 census but the Supreme Court blocked it. We should not reward states and cities that violate federal immigration laws and maintain sanctuary policies with increased Congressional representation, House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement after the bill passed. Common sense dictates that only American citizens should be counted for electoral apportionment. The bill, H.R. 7109, sponsored by North Carolina GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards would impact the 2030 census and onward if signed into law. All people counted since 1790 The census, which occurs every 10 years, helps determine congressional seats in the House and can determine political power. Since the first census in 1790, citizens and noncitizens have been included in the official population count of the U.S. due to the 14th Amendments requirement to include whole numbers of persons in each State. Edwards argued during debate of the bill that the Constitution did not specify that noncitizens should be counted in the census. He argued that the word persons, in the 14th amendment, carries no definition. Its unlikely to pass the Senate, which Democrats control by a slim margin, and the White House already put out a statement opposing the bill. The White House said the bill would preclude the Department of Commerces Census Bureau from performing its constitutionally mandated responsibility to count the number of persons in the United States in the decennial census, and would make it more difficult to obtain accurate data. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that the census remains as accurate as possible and free from political interference, and to upholding the longstanding principle of equal representation enshrined in our Constitution, census statutes, and historical tradition, the White House said. Numbers padded in Dem areas, GOP claims During debate on the House floor, Republicans argued that areas that have high immigrant populations take away congressional representation from U.S. citizens and benefit states led by Democrats. This is absolutely outrageous, Republican Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana said. This is 100% about stacking the vote. Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett said states with more noncitizens will get more congressional districts and more electoral votes. He said those votes would also benefit Democrats and skew things in their favor. Democrats argued that the bill would not only violate the Constitution but also harm immigrant communities by undercounting, and could threaten the accuracy of the census. The census is essential to democracy, Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin said. This bill would destroy the accuracy of the census, which may have something to do with its actual motivations. Raskin added that the bill would not only carve out all noncitizens, including permanent residents with green cards who are on the pathway to citizenship. Dems warn of Hispanic undercount Raskin said the GOPs move to add a citizenship question for the 2020 census led to a chilling effect and undercount of communities of color, especially Hispanics. Six states Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas counted fewer people in the 2020 census than were estimated to live there. Nationally, there was a record undercount of Hispanics in the 2020 census of about 3 million, according to the Pew Research Center. Eight states Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Utah had overcounts, according to Pew. The chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan of California said the bill would have a chilling effect on accuracy of the census and would harm immigrant communities. Its a bill that threatens fair and equal representation of immigrant communities, she said. The post U.S. House Republicans pass bill to stop census from counting noncitizens appeared first on Nebraska Examiner. U.S. News & World Report just ranked Delawares top schools. But what do they miss? Before schools across Delaware can finish closing out another school year, new rankings from U.S. News & World Report just dropped. These rankings for public and charter high schools across the country, cataloguing some 17,660 out of more than 24,000 reviewed public schools in all states and the District of Columbia, included schools in the First State. Such rankings draw wide coverage and national attention which makes sense, as strong schools with high-achieving students line their rosters. But, there's also more to the story. For example, these school served fewer students with high needs. Looking at just Delawares top 10, every school had a smaller percentage of lower-income children than the average across state enrollment, according to data updated at the start of the academic year. Six of those high schools had shares of lower-income students at less than half of the states rate, which is just over 27%. And of the four not charter or magnet schools, the district's average household income runs about 19% higher than Delaware's overall, according to Census data. The three top schools Charter School of Wilmington, Newark Charter School and Cab Calloway School of the Arts have 3.6%, 9.65% and 11.24% lower-income students respectively. Newark and Cab each increased from last year in this demographic, while Wilmington decreased. The school on the list with the highest proportion was No. 9, Caesar Rodney High, in Camden, with about 21% of students at economic disadvantage. As for students learning English as a second language, no school in the list serves half the average in state enrollment, which is about 12%. The highest is just under 5%, also within Caesar Rodney. Newark Charter School graduated 183 students in front of family and friends on Sunday May 21, 2023 at The Bob Carpenter Center in Newark. At six of these top schools, students with disabilities make up less than 10% of total enrollment, compared to just over 18% attending public schools statewide. The top school comes in barely over 1%, according to state data, while No. 10 in Brandywine High serves over 21%. Now for the list... Delaware had 42 public high schools inside U.S. News' reviewed schools, published by late last month. A few schools didnt make the rankings, neither of course did any of the states private institutions. The list touts familiar names, though Caesar Rodney and Brandywine were movers from last year, having been just outside the top-10 in 2023. Some schools are simply not intended to serve every student or made more rigorous by design, as previously reported. Conrad Schools of Science and Cab Calloway School of the Arts, for example, are both magnet schools. Vo-tech schools also require application, with primary criteria often including attendance and grades. Nationwide, high-ranking schools tend to be in wealthier communities, have better resources, hold stronger tax bases. Experts say many rankings like these fail to take into account the kind of resources available in such communities to help raise student achievement on state assessments and encourage students into advanced courses. Moving for education: Want to live near your state's top schools? Prepare to pay $300,000 more for your house. Ranking Delaware's top-10 public high schools: Charter School of Wilmington, Wilmington Newark Charter School, Newark Cab Calloway School of the Arts, Wilmington Conrad Schools of Science, Wilmington Sussex Academy, Georgetown Mot Charter School, Middletown Caesar Rodney High School, Camden Brandywine High School, Brandywine Hundred Appoquinimink High School, Middletown Concord High School, Brandywine Hundred Who's running in your district? Delaware's school board election guide According to U.S. News, the rankings take the following indicators into account: College readiness (30%) College curriculum (10%) State assessment proficiency (20%) State assessment performance (20%) Underserved student performance (10%) Graduation rate (10%) 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: U.S. News ranks Delawares top high schools but misses inequities Then-President Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Rick Scott. WESH photo. Quality Journalism for Critical Times Florida Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott traveled to New York City on Thursday, where he became the first member of Congress to attend Former President Donald Trumps criminal trial. Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom during a break from the proceedings, Scott said that the treatment that the former president was enduring was despicable. Scott is running for reelection to a second term in the U.S. Senate. While the former president is under a gag order that bars him from verbally attacking jurors, Scott is under no such constraints, and lashed out at the prosecution. Its a crime in this country to go after the court system to go after your political opponents, Scott said on video that was recorded by POLITICO. Whats happening in this courtroom is clearly criminal. Its been led by political thugs the lead prosecutor was the number three person at the Biden Justice Department. The Judges daughter is a political operative and raises money for Democrats. Youve got the lead prosecutors wife is a significant donor to Democrats, and I think to Biden. So this is just a bunch of Democrats saying that we want to make sure that Donald Trump cant talk. The prosecutor that Scott was referring to is Matthew Colangelo, who was hired by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in 2022 after serving as a senior official at the U.S. Justice Department. It was revealed this week that FEC records show Colangelos wife Anne K. Small did contribute $2,800 to Bidens 2020 campaign. The Judge leading the case is Juan Merchan. Trumps lawyers attempted before the trial to have him step down from the case, alleging bias because his daughter is a Democratic political consultant, the Associated Press has reported. Scotts visit to the Trump trial on Thursday meant that he missed a vote in the Senate on a procedural motion on a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration. That missed vote was duly noted by Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a Democrat running to be the partys nominee for the U.S. Senate to take on Scott in November. As the man who oversaw one of the largest Medicare frauds in history and pleaded the 5th 75 times, Rick Scott finds himself once again in a courtroom today this time following Donald Trump like a fan waiting for a selfie, she said in a statement sent to the Phoenix. Maybe someone should remind Scott that rather than sitting in New York trying to suck up to a defendant found liable for sexual abuse, he should be at work focusing on lowering costs, securing our border, and protecting democracy. Mucarsel-Powells comment was a reference to how Scott invoked the 5th Amendment 75 times in a deposition he gave in 2000 as part of a civil case involving his time leading Columbia/HCA, a healthcare company. Scott resigned from the company in 1997 following government allegations of Medicare fraud. The company ultimately was fined $1.7 billion, according to PolitiFact. The post U.S. Sen. Rick Scott attends Trump trial in NYC and calls prosecutors political thugs appeared first on Florida Phoenix. Pro-Palestinian supporters link arms on Janss Steps at UCLA while facing police officers in the early hours of May 2. The Palestinian solidarity encampment was attacked by counterprotesters the day before. Credit - Joseph Crosby for The Daily Bruin American campuses have not looked like this in more than 50 years, and never for the reasons they do now. The foreign war that students protested in the 1960s and 70s was one that, even amid draft deferments, threatened their own lives. What has stirred students to risk their safety, enrollment, and future careers on hundreds of campuses this spring is the deaths of othersthe 34,000 Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip since Israel launched its retaliation for the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 and took 240 hostage. The protesters point of reference is the 1980s campaign for divestment from apartheid South Africa. In their campaign, aimed at what they see as financial complicity in Israels actions, the activistsmany swathed in kaffiyehs and living in tents, if they havent already been forced out by their universitiesembody a generational divide previously visible only in polling: young Americans who have known Israel only during its occupation of the West Bank and blockade of Gaza are more disposed to the Palestinian cause than are those old enough to remember it first fighting, in the shadow of the Holocaust, to create a safe place for the worlds Jews. This is the conflict that has thrust Americas colleges back into position as the crucible in which the nation works out its moral questions. Student journalists have been the ones to document the resulting conflagrationespecially on campuses that barred the professional press from bearing witness. TIME reached out to student photojournalists from across the country to tell this story. Read more: The story behind TIMEs campus protests cover GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY From the journalists of the GW Hatchet Photograph by James Schaap for The GW Hatchet Purchase a copy of this issue here On the second night of the pro-Palestinian encampment at George Washington University, drums played as an organizer fired up the crowd. Speaking near the tents, he asked how George Washington University could be nicknamed the Revolutionaries if they werent advocating strongly for peace in Gaza. James Devin Schaap, a 28-year-old graduate student at the universitys photojournalism program, was covering the speech for the GW Hatchet when a masked protester with a fierce gaze caught his eye. The protester, who appeared resolute throughout the night, raised a hand in a peace sign. I thought, well, I gotta get that, Schaap says. Her expression definitely gives the impression that this person absolutely and wholeheartedly believes in the cause that she's fighting for in Gaza, he adds. Read more: Biden Condemns Campus Unrest Over Israel-Hamas War: None of This Is a Peaceful Protest The green light shining in the distance reminded Schaap of the green light in The Great Gatsby, in addition to bringing out the color of the Palestinian flag. He adds that he is a literary-history nerd. Schaap had a feeling after Columbia Universitys president authorized police on April 18 to remove students participating in an encampment on that campus that a similar demonstration might emerge at George Washington University. When it did, on April 25, in my mind it was like, OK, this will be like maybe a day or two ordeal, he says. And then it kept going. It lasted for nearly two weeks as police resisted calls from the university to clear it. On May 8, however, law enforcement moved in with pepper spray, removing tents and arresting protesters. A George Washington University police officer lowers a large Palestinian flag that had been raised by student demonstrators in violation of university policy in Washington, D.C., on May 2. Kaiden J. Yu for The GW Hatchet Republican Members of the House Oversight Committee give a press conference after their visit to the University Yard encampment at George Washington University on May 1. Republican members, including chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R Colo.), Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), and Rep. Eric Burlison (R Mo.), were met with demonstrators chanting and yelling. Daniel Heuer for The GW Hatchet "Genocide Joe" is projected across an American flag that George Washington University staff unfurled from Lisner Hall on May 3. Sage Russell for The GW Hatchet Students pray together on H Street, with non-participating members creating a perimeter around them. Tom Rath for The GW Hatchet What struck Tom Rath most about this moment was the silence of it all. The GW Hatchet photojournalist had gotten used to the loud chants. But here, a group of students prayed as their peers created a perimeter around them. It really, to me, spoke to this being larger than just like a one-day protest or something that people show up to and then immediately go home, he says. People are being vulnerable herePeople were using themselveseven their physical bodiesin ways to protect their fellow protesters and students. For Rath, a 20-year-old sophomore, the moment reflected real community-building among protesters at D.C.-area universities, even if they didnt share the same religion. You could tell that even the people that werent engaged in the prayer were feeling the emotions of the moment, he says. The encampment, which started at University Yard and spread to H Street, consisted of student protesters from George Washington University, Georgetown University, American University, and others in the area. Read more: Why Are Police in Riot Gear?: Inside Columbia and City Colleges Darkest Night These less sensational moments are lost on a lot of people who don't live here and they're just showing up when things are kind of tense and then they leave right away, he says. On April 29, protesters breached barriers around the yard. On May 1 a group of Republican lawmakers on the U.S. House Oversight Committee visited campus, urging D.C. to crack down on the protests. Rath notes that they said some fairly inflammatory things'' about protesters that are not reflective of what the whole vibe has been here. The mayor must step up and do something to clear this, said Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) during the visit. This is not the summer of love, and we are not bowing a knee to the terrorists who caused the riots and chaos in our cities anymore. Rath notes that being in D.C. means that students are in close proximity to Congress. Sometimes you forget that until politicians show up on campus, he says. But also it does feel very politically drivenit feels like it was to get cameras on them and to get sound bites. On May 2, protesters replaced a university flag with a Palestinian one; law enforcement has since taken that down. Then early on May 8, just hours before D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith were scheduled to testify before Congress over the citys initial refusal to send in law enforcement, police cleared the encampment. More than 30 protesters were arrested, and the hearing was canceled. VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY From the journalists of theVanderbilt Hustler Students gather outside Kirkland Hall at Vanderbilt University on March 27 after it was occupied during a protest. Miguel Beristain for The Vanderbilt Hustler Eli Motycka, a Nashville Scene reporter, is arrested by Vanderbilt University police near Kirkland Hall on March 26. Josh Rehders for The Vanderbilt Hustler UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA From the journalists of Daily Trojan A protester in Los Angeles on April 24. Marcus Heatherly for Daily Trojan A protester hangs up banners as the Gaza Solidarity Occupation begins at the University of Southern California on April 24. Marissa Ding for Daily Trojan LAPD officers stand guard at the pro-Palestine protest at the University of Southern California on April 24. Joy Wang for Daily Trojan USC Department of Public Safety officers detain a protester on April 24, just hours after the "Gaza Solidarity Occupation" had first been set up in Alumni Park. DPS would later release the protester to chants of The people united will never be defeated. Henry Kofman for Daily Trojan INDIANA UNIVERSITY From the journalists of the Indiana Daily Student More than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters link arms to surround an encampment outside the Indiana Memorial Union in Bloomington on April 26. Inside the encampment, there was food, medical supplies, tents, and a pile of backpacks. Mia Hilkowitz for The Indiana Daily Student Indiana professor Barbara Dennis yells into a megaphone at the Rally for Resignations at Bryan Hall on April 29. Dennis was arrested, along with 32 other protesters, at the pro-Palestinian encampment at Dunn Meadow on April 25. Taylor Satoski for The Indiana Daily Student A medic and three demonstrators help a protester to the ground while Indiana State Police clear the encampment on April 27. There was a rotating crew of medics at the encampment. Taylor Satoski for The Indiana Daily Student PRINCETON UNIVERSITY From the journalists of the Daily Princetonian Maqlubah, a traditional Palestinian rice dish, is served at the Princeton Gaza Solidarity Encampment on April 28. Calvin Kenjiro Grover for The Daily Princetonian Calvin Kenjiro Grover, a photojournalist for the Daily Princetonian, remembers how good the maqluba smelled. Someone had cooked and brought the traditional Palestinian rice dish to Princeton Universitys Gaza Solidarity Encampment on April 28. Protesters had offered journalists a bite, but Grover politely declined. For journalistic purposes, we couldn't accept their offer, he says. Instead, he took pictures. For Grover, a 19-year-old freshman, it was important to capture these moments of community. Its easy to get swept up in the narrative of the most exciting images, Grover says. But often there are no big speeches or arrests. In between is all this quiet spacelike the middle of the night, early morningwhen people are just hanging out, he says. Read more: Pro-Palestinian Campus Protests Highlight Divisions Among Democrats At Princeton University, the encampment is still running, with students doubling down on calls for divestment from Israel. Thirteen pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested after occupying an academic building on April 30. On May 3, at least a dozen students started a hunger strike as a response to the administration's refusal to engage on divestment negotiations. For Grover, it feels impossible to separate the recent Gaza protests from Princetons long history of sit-ins and demonstrations. That makes it even more important for him to photograph the sea change as its occurring, he says. These images are what is going to be remembered as we look back in the future. Grover keeps coming back to something one of the protest organizers said in a speech: Community is the greatest weapon against overwhelming grief. This sense of community that's formed is a very interesting manifestation of that that I think is worth acknowledging, Grover says, even among all this craziness with arrests and demonstrations that takes the spotlight. RUTGERS UNIVERSITY From the journalists of the Daily Targum Tents surround protesters as they gather at Rutgers University's College Avenue campus. Evan Leong for The Daily Targum NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY From the journalists of the Daily Northwestern Jewish students joined together for a community gathering on April 26 as the encampment continued into its second day at Northwestern University. Nicole Markus for The Daily Northwestern At Northwestern University, a few dozen Jewish students gathered on April 26not far from the pro-Palestinian encampmentto sing Hebrew songs in the rain. Michael Simon, executive director of Northwestern Hillel, told The Daily Northwesterns print managing editor Nicole Markus that there were some people who were feeling uncomfortable or distressed about the events that were happening on campus, she says. This was something he thought that they could do to bring Jewish students together and celebrate Passover as a community. Read more: Pro-Palestinian Protests Spark on College Campuses Across the Globe In November, Northwestern president Michael Schill announced a committee on preventing antisemitism and hate. While he did mention a commitment to fighting Islamophobia, critics still worried it was not a priority and said that criticizing Israel had been conflated with antisemitism. Schill is expected to testify before Congress about antisemitism on campus on May 23. For Markus, a 21-year-old junior, student journalism provides essential nuanced local reporting. Because we are students, we understand the complexities of what's happening on our campus a lot more than the national media could, she says. She notes, for instance, that theres a Northwestern chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, which was part of the coalition calling for divestment. A lot of those students were present at the encampment, she says. We also heard on the other side of things, from Jewish students who maybe didn't agree with the message of the encampment. Northwestern was one of the first universities to reach an agreement with protesters at its encampment. Protesters are allowed to keep one tent with aid supplies up until the end of the quarter in June. The university has agreed to provide more transparency about its investments, as well as additional support for Middle Eastern North African and Muslim students and faculty. Seven members on the antisemitism committee resigned on May 1 to protest the decision, saying the administration did not consult them. Demonstrators covered the fence between Deering Meadow and Sheridan Road with signs and banners declaring Free Palestine, Divest From Death, and other messages. William Tong for The Daily Northwestern UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN From the journalists of the Daily Texan A protester among state troopers during a walkout organized by the Palestine Solidarity Committee at the University of Texas at Austin on April 24. Lorianne Willett for The Daily Texan Police grab a protester as they break up an encampment on the University of Texas campus on April 29. Lorianne Willett for The Daily Texan Law enforcement direct protesters past Sutton Hall during the pro-Palestinian student walkout on April 24. Manoo Sirivelu for The Daily Texan People pour liquid on a protester's face to help relieve the pain of getting pepper-sprayed on UT Austin's campus on April 29. Charlotte Keene for The Daily Texan When pro-Palestinian protesters formed an encampment on the South Mall of the University of Texas at Austin on April 29, law enforcement ordered them to leave. When they refused, police encircled the space and protesters locked arms. After clearing the encampment, officers used stun grenades and pepper spray as they tried to get protesters to disperse. More than 70 protesters were arrested that day. Students were panicking, says photojournalist Charlotte Keene, 19, who was covering the protests for the Daily Texan. Adrenaline is really high. We were in fight-or-flight mode basically, she says, describing police as acting in an overly aggressive manner. Keene was particularly disturbed upon seeing a video and a photograph from her peers of state police grabbing a protesters neck with one hand. It's shocking because who would have prepared for that? she says. The Texas Department of Public Safety did not respond to a request for comment about the image and allegations of excessive force. Read more: Protesters Are Calling on Universities to Divest from Israel. Heres What That Means It was hard, Keene says, watching her peers scream as law enforcement pepper-sprayed them, and she worried about exploiting someones pain by photographing them in a vulnerable situation. But she knew it was her responsibility to document the way the protesters were treated not only by the police but also by their peers, those who rushed to help with liquid to soothe the burning. People set aside their own fear to take care of people who had been pepper-sprayed, she says. While Keene notes how scary the experience was for her and other journalists, she points out that those in the encampment faced an even higher risk. I know that student journalists have been targeted, but I do feel like its safer for us to be there than the protesters, she says. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES From the journalists of the Daily Bruin A poster reading UCLA Says Free Palestine hangs on the barrier of the pro-Palestinian encampment on April 25. The community expressed mixed sentiments toward the encampment, with some offering support and others voicing concerns. Julia Zhou for The Daily Bruin A counterprotester gestures to a bleeding injury on his eyebrow while talking to a Contemporary Services Corporation officer after an altercation on April 28. Brandon Morquecho for The Daily Bruin A Gaza solidarity encampment member and a counterprotester engage in a fight in Dickson Plaza on April 30. Throughout the night, counterprotesters tried to break through the metal barricades and wooden boards barricading one side of the encampment. Pieces of the debris, in the form of metal pipes, broken signs, and more, were used in fights that broke out. Zoraiz Irshad for The Daily Bruin On April 25 pro-Palestinian protesters at UCLA set up an encampment. Late on April 30 and into the early morning hours of May 1, it became the site of violence after pro-Israeli counterprotesters tried to tear down the barricades and flung fireworks into the space. Four UCLA student reporters were attacked by counterprotesters, and several student protesters in the encampment were left bleeding. Police did not act for hours, sparking criticism from Governor Gavin Newsom, whose spokesperson said the response was unacceptable as well as limited and delayed. Zoraiz Irshad, a 21-year-old senior and journalist for the Daily Bruin, was on the scene when a counterprotester and protester faced off. The danger of what could potentially happen is what sticks out most to me in this picture, she says, describing the atmosphere that night as extremely chaotic and very dangerous. Members of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment were trying to protect their encampment and the barricade while counterprotesters were trying to rip away the wood boards and the metal barricade, she says. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has said that 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. UCLA Hillel also condemned the counterprotesters actions, saying it did not represent the Jewish students on campus, and asked the off-campus Jewish community not to fund any actions on campus or protest there. Your actions are harming Jewish studentsThe truth is that a largely peaceful, pro-Palestinian encampment was attacked by an angry, violent mob comprised of fringe members of the off-campus Jewish community last night, they said in a statement. Irshad watched as some of her peers were hit with wooden boards and sprayed with irritants. As a journalist, we have to remain neutral. We want to share the facts, she says. But then as a student, this is something that's deeply hurting our community, so it's sometimes hard to maintain that line, but we're trying. A pro-Palestinian protester kneels in front of two California Highway Patrol officers in Los Angeles on May 1. Jeremy Chen for The Daily Bruin UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN From the journalists of the Michigan Daily Salma Hamamy, co-president of Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE), and other pro-Palestinian graduating students protest at the University of Michigan 2024 Spring Commencement on May 4. Lila Turner for The Michigan Daily A deep blue sky over several tents set up over the University of Michigan's Central Campus early in the morning on April 23. Josh Sinha for The Michigan Daily Correction, May 9: The original version of this story misstated the date Indiana professor Barbara Dennis was arrested. It was April 25, not 30. It also misstated the organization to which a CSC officer at UCLA would belong. It is Contemporary Services Corporation, not the Community Service Commission. Correction, May 10: The original version of this story misstated the date of an altercation at UCLA. It was April 28, not 23. Write to Sanya Mansoor at sanya.mansoor@time.com. UG says donations to National Fire Safety Council will be refunded KANSAS CITY, Mo. Wyandotte County residents who donated to the National Fire Safety Council will be refunded, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas told FOX4 on Thursday. The government initially issued a warning to residents about the letters, thinking that they might be a scam. However, the letter was legitimate. The letters were sent out by the National Fire Safety Council, but the envelopes said that they represented the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department. The error led the UG to believe that the donation request was not legitimate. Hereford House mass food contamination detailed in court documents The letter specifically cites the FIREUP Fire and Burn Prevention Program and asks for financial support to keep our program ongoing and successful. The donation letters have been sent out in years past, however, the most recent requests for donations were issued without the knowledge of KCKFD Fire Chief Dennis Rubin. The relationship between the department and the National Fire Safety Council has been discontinued, the UG told FOX4. It said that all donors should receive a letter of explanation as well as a full refund of their donation. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. In mid-February, Sean Pond, a resident of remote Nucla, Colorado, learned from an area rancher about an effort to convince President Joe Biden to establish nearly 400,000 acres of canyonland surrounding the Dolores River as a new national monument. At the time, Pond had no knowledge of the Antiquities Act, the landmark 1906 law that gives presidents the unilateral power to protect federal lands with natural, cultural and scientific values. Eighteen presidents, Republican and Democrat, have used the law to designate 161 national monuments. But within days, Pond emerged as one of the most vocal opponents of the monument effort, sounding the alarm about what he described as a looming federal land grab in his backyard. I had absolutely no idea. But I do now. And I dont know how to go back to thinking normally, he said in a video recently posted to Facebook. Once your eyes are open to the real picture, the real threat, the threat from our own government, its scary. However, the push is not coming from the Biden administration. Rather, a coalition of environmental groups has petitioned the White House to establish a national monument along the Dolores River, and the administration has not signaled that it is considering the proposal. That comes as little comfort to Pond. He views the movement to establish Dolores Canyons National Monument, along with the Biden administrations goal of conserving 30% of Americas lands and waters by 2030, known as 30x30, as part of a global scheme to control land and strip away individual rights. They just dont want people there, he told HuffPost. Lets strip away the layers of BS. The goal is to get people off the land and off of waters. To stop oil and gas, to stop mining, to stop offshore drilling in the name of climate change. National monuments have become a political lightning rod in recent years, in no small part due to former President Donald Trumps controversial monument review and subsequent dismantling of two protected sites in Utah in 2017. Along with reversing Trumps rollbacks, Biden has used the Antiquities Act to create or expand several monuments since taking office. When it comes to the future of the Dolores River corridor, both proponents and opponents of the monument say they want to protect the landscape. They just have wildly different views about how to do that. In many ways, the fight over a proposed monument in Colorado is an extension of the larger political battle over the future of Americas public lands. While the Biden administration and Democrats have sought to bolster protections to combat climate change and biodiversity loss, Republicans have worked to keep as much of the federal estate as possible open to drilling, mining and other extractive uses. Tug Of War Conservation advocates have worked on and off to secure greater protections for the Dolores River since the 1970s, when it was first identified as being suitable for protection under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. While there is bipartisan legislation on the table to protect the southern portion of the river as a national conservation area, discussions to safeguard the northern portion of the Dolores in Mesa and Montrose counties have derailed. Weve seen a failure of leadership in both [Mesa and Montrose] counties on the legislative approach, Scott Braden, director of the Colorado Wildlands Project, one of the 14 conservation groups behind the monument proposal, told HuffPost. Thats one of the reasons why a national monument is an attractive tool to look at. In April, Grand Junction Mayor Anna Stout traveled to Washington, D.C., to deliver a petition to the White House signed by more than 100,000 people who want to secure monument status for the Dolores. By protecting this landscape, we can ensure future generations can enjoy the same natural beauty and economic opportunities that we ourselves have been fortunate to experience, Stout said at a press conference in Washington. Stout joins members of Congress, tribal leaders and community advocates at a "Monumental Call for Action" rally outside the U.S. Capitol in April to urge the Biden administration to expand, designate and protect national monuments. Paul Morigi via Getty Images Proponents have stressed that while a monument would change little in terms of public access, it would leverage resources in order to better protect cultural resources, restore degraded habitat and develop recreational infrastructure. The effort has been met with fierce opposition in the small communities closest to the proposed boundary, a region known as the West End. And like other anti-monument campaigns, this one has become rife with fear, speculation, misinformation and anti-government sentiment, all of which was on full display during a listening session that Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) held in Naturita, a small town in the West End, last month. In a lengthy interview with HuffPost, Pond said West End residents feel theyve been lied to and that the coalition of environmental groups behind the monument push is trying to force its values upon area stakeholders. To realize that we, the people, have no voice in this, that the people most affected didnt know about it, couldnt speak about it, that it threatened our livelihoods, our incomes, our communities, he said. To think that a sitting president has so much power that he could literally extinguish our way of life was terrifying. Pond is spearheading the growing anti-monument campaign in southwestern Colorado, dubbed Halt the Dolores Monument. Within a few days of hearing about the monument effort, he started an online petition to block a future designation, which has garnered more than 7,500 signatures. He has asked supporters to donate money to the cause, promising to hire attorneys to fight a future Dolores designation and other monument efforts across the country. That effort is in its early stages, he said. I want to put a multi-state pact of opposition together and let the people in Washington, D.C., and Congress know that we need to repeal the Antiquities Act of 1906, he said at a community meeting in April. It needs to be looked at by Congress or by the Supreme Court. The only way to stop the federal government from stealing your public land is to repeal the Antiquities Act of 1906. It is worth pointing out that the lands in question are already federally owned and held in trust for all Americans. If Biden were to designate a national monument at Dolores Canyons, the federal government wouldnt be stealinganything. Like it or not, all Americans have a stake in these lands being eyed for a future monument, whether they live 10 or 1,000 miles away. That is what makes them public lands. A coalition of environmental groups has petitioned the White House to establish a national monument along the Dolores River. UCG via Getty Images But Trump commonly spun that definition, and opponents of monuments have embraced one of his administrations main talking points: that recent presidents have abused the century-old Antiquities Act to lock up millions of acres of land and water. That argument, however, was founded on cherry-picked data and ignores the fact that some of Americas most treasured national parks, including Arizonas Grand Canyon and Alaskas Glacier Bay, were first protected as sweeping national monuments in the early 1900s. It was President Theodore Roosevelt, a Republican, who signed the Antiquities Act into law. Project 2025, the 920-page policy blueprint that dozens of right-wing organizations compiled to guide Trump should he win reelection in November, specifically calls for repealing the Antiquities Act. At a congressional budget hearing last week, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) prodded Interior Secretary Deb Haaland about her familiarity with the Dolores River National Monument proposal, which Boebert called a unilateral land grab and falsely stated would encompass 1.6 million acres. It sounds like this is just another strategy the department is employing to lock up more lands across the West and undermine energy dominance, Boebert told Haaland. I strongly oppose this misguided effort by extremists to designate this national monument in the Dolores River corridor and its surrounding areas in southwest Colorado, and its very concerning that youre not familiar with whats going on. Boebert also gave a shoutout to Pond, her constituent, for raising awareness about the issue before condemning the Biden administrations 30x30 initiative as a land and water grab championed by radical environmentalists. This sort of anti-30x30 rhetoric can be directly traced to a disinformation campaign that American Stewards of Liberty, a fringe right-wing, anti-federal lands group with ties to both the Trump administration and the fossil fuel industry, launched immediately after Biden set the national conservation target. On the Halt the Dolores Monument petition page, Pond wrote that a monument threatens to restrict hunting, recreation and cattle grazing and could lead to a possible cessation of mining activities. On Facebook, he and the group have shared AI-generated images depicting the future monument, which feature a veteran and a young boy, both in wheelchairs, behind gates that read closed. Braden of the Colorado Wildlands Project has tried to allay local residents fears in public interviews and a recent column published in the Montrose Daily Press. In an interview with HuffPost, Braden stressed that the coalitions proposal is just that a suggestion of how to better safeguard a sensitive landscape, including its wildlife, water resources and Indigenous cultural sites, from the impacts of climate change, overdevelopment and growing visitation. Braden also pushed back on opponents narrative, noting that proponents vision for a monument would preserve access for hiking, hunting, camping and livestock grazing. As for mining, the proposal would prohibit new mining claims while honoring existing mineral rights within the boundary, with the goal of better balancing extraction with resource conservation. He noted that the boundary was carefully drawn to exclude 90% of the active mining claims in the region. Whats frustrating is that we see, despite explaining and engaging with all these issues, the same things brought up, Braden said. That tells me its become more intentional misinformation: You wont be able to graze, you wont be able to hunt, youre trying to shut down our dreams of future mining. Thats not what were trying to do, and I feel like weve gone to great lengths to try and explain that. While the area has a long legacy of mining uranium and vanadium, the industry has been largely dormant for decades. Opponents fear environmentalists are working to stymie an industry comeback and have condemned the monument push as little more than an anti-mining campaign. For people like Pond, promises about sustained access for grazing, mining and recreation ring hollow. Pond noted that it would ultimately be up to federal agencies to decide how the land is managed following a monument designation, and he fears it would ultimately lead to greater restrictions over time. Theyve already submitted their petition to D.C. What happens with it now going forward is completely up to the executive office, he said. To me, they shouldnt be making promises. If a monument was ultimately established via presidential proclamation, federal agencies would then craft a management plan, a process that would likely take years and include public input. The White House did not respond to HuffPosts request for comment about whether it is weighing the monument proposal. Bullied, Threatened The monument fight has given rise to increasingly nasty rhetoric and personal attacks. On Facebook, Pond has condemned monument backers as evil liars and environmental terrorists. Hes called out local business owners who support the proposal by name, painting them as outsiders who dont speak for the community. Aimee Tooker, president of the West End Economic Development Corporation, has accused Bradens organization without evidence of repeatedly hacking the Halt the Dolores Monument groups Facebook page. And in a social media post addressed to an unnamed bully, Tooker issued this warning: You do not need to worry about my wrath, but you sure as hell should worry about Gods. In March, Braden sat down with Brock Benson, a local business owner and podcaster against the monument declaration, to talk about the coalitions vision for protecting the area. Braden stressed that opponents concerns are largely rooted in misunderstanding, that the monument proposal is a starting point and not a final decision, and that he and other supporters want to work with local residents to find lasting conservation solutions. This is a dialogue. Theres a long way to go before anything happens, Braden told Benson. We want this to happen with the community, not to the community. And we want it to be a good thing. This map shows the boundary of the proposed Dolores Canyons National Monument, as envisioned by a coalition of conservation groups. Protect The Dolores Although it was clear from the get-go that Benson doesnt share Bradens view, the conversation was respectful. But three weeks later, Benson hosted several monument opponents on his show. He opened the episode with a dramatic monologue in which he attacked Braden, at one point seemingly comparing him to a date rapist. He insists that we can trust him because hes kind enough to give us his word and explain that he wants to do this with us, not to us, Benson said, referring to Braden. It gives me pause. Im not sure Ive heard a term more caustic with veiled threat. Its exactly what you say to a person when youre trying to get them to believe that what you want to do to them is for their benefit, and you dont really care about them, you just need them to say yes so you can get what you want. And to that, the people of the West End say, Date rape is still rape. Braden has been working in the land protection arena for more than a decade. Never in his career has he experienced such vitriol, he said. This, without a doubt, far exceeds any kind of heated rhetoric Ive seen in the past around a particular issue or campaign, Braden said. What has changed, I think, is the culture more broadly the political culture in America. Rather than have an informed conversation about how we collectively manage public lands and conserve one of the last, best wild places in the West were in a different place of just like, These outsiders are coming to take something away from us, he continued. Thats really unfortunate. How can we have any conversation about public lands if those are the terms of the debate? The discourse has already had a chilling effect, with some monument proponents backing away from voicing public support, according to Braden. At last months listening session in Naturita, only two monument supporters took the microphone. One of them, Sarah Lavender Smith, a long-distance runner and author from Telluride, a small town approximately an hour to the southeast,was repeatedly booed and jeered by the crowd of hundreds of monument opponents. It was a moment that exposed the extent to which residents of the West End are convinced that outsiders are trying to steal something that belongs to them a sentiment that Pond helped foster, although he condemned how the audience treated Smith. In a Facebook video ahead of the meeting in Naturita that Pond later described as an angry post, he railed against Braden and other outsiders whod been invited to a separate, invite-only meeting with Hickenlooper and mocked liberal proponents who have said they feel threatened by the increasingly nasty rhetoric. I am burnt out and sick and tired of people from outside this community coming to my home and telling me what you think we should do with it, Pond said. You dont speak for us. Youre an outsider. You are not of this community. Your voice carries no weight. Go back to where you came from, or come to our home and try to fit in and support our values. Our values, not your values. And that doesnt mean youve been picked on or bullied, it means I dont agree with your bullshit. Pond told HuffPost that the last two months have been an emotional rollercoaster for local residents as theyve learned about proponents vision for the landscape. He acknowledged that at times he has let his emotions get the best of him, but said the ferocity of the response from local stakeholders comes down to feeling like they are fighting to protect their way of life against organized groups who dont care about their interests. The fierceness comes from the stakeholder side as a form of self-defense, he said. We feel attacked and we feel like we dont have a voice, like its not up to us. Many involved in the monument battle Braden, Hickenlooper and Pond, to name a few have called for lowering the temperature. In a Facebook post in March, Natalie Binder, who owns a boutique camp outside Naturita, said she and other monument supporters have been bullied, threatened, shouted down and harassed, and urged everyone to voice their position respectfully. Pond told HuffPost he has received death threats and that it is time for everyone to peel off the labels that divide us. And at the Naturita listening session, Hickenlooper told reporters that he believed there was common ground between opposing sides. Once people hear all the sides, I think they will be more willing to compromise, he said, according to Colorado Public Radio. Maybe not get what they want, not their perfect outcome, but theyll get [to], Yeah, I can live with that. Whether that will prove true remains to be seen. Many opponents have made it clear that they see a presidential monument declaration as a nonstarter. If the public debate so far has spotlighted anything, its that the vast majority of area stakeholders share a deep love of the landscape and want to protect it. They just vehemently disagree that a monument would help do that. This is the last free, unspoiled place in western Colorado that Im fighting hard to protect, Pond said. Im protecting it from that spotlight, from exploitation, from becoming a tourist destination. Braden views this as an opportunity to secure much-needed protections for the area in a reasonable amount of time. What the final shape of conservation looks like is yet to be determined, he said. We have a monument proposal, we think thats a reasonable way to conserve the landscape, giving protections to the things that deserve protection but also being flexible enough for other uses. We stand by that. But we are willing to engage in the process and go with the give and take that comes with a political process, and I wish I could say the same is true about our opposition. Related... In a recent meeting with several employers from across the country who hire our graduates, I heard many of the same themes. Our students are smart and capable. They are prepared. They have the technical skills necessary to do the job, working in what are often complex fields. But in many cases, I was told in todays environment, employers need more of what are often called soft skills the ability to communicate and present, work in teams and navigate job expectations as well as challenging situations and personalities. It was timely and important feedback. Our Board of Trustees has directed me and our campus to work quickly and intentionally to accelerate our progress in advancing the state. How we prepare students for a growing workforce, and how we prepare more of them, is central to that effort. So, too, is how our institution can move quickly and responsively when the state asks us to do and be more. Thats why as part of our work to accelerate Kentuckys progress, the board also asked us to closely examine the rules and regulations that guide so much of our work. The rules can either position us for progress or stymie it. Our board knew how we would respond. Weve asked more of our community over the last decade. And every time we have delivered. We are educating and graduating more students than ever before, extending service further across our state and world, healing more people with more complex illnesses and doing more research that directly addresses our states biggest and most important challenges. But the needs are only growing. There are more economic opportunities than at any time since Ive been here, but theres also a lack of skilled workers, prepared for the 21st century jobs being recruited to Kentucky. We are extending hope and healing to more patients treating more people than at any time in our hospitals and clinics but health outcomes in our state still lag. Our research and service capacity must grow to address these issues as well. As I have talked to hundreds of people across our campus, I heard repeatedly the desire to be more involved, but the inability to do it under the current rules and governance structures. Too often, the voices of students and staff, specifically, were discounted or not heard at all in our current governance processes and structures. And too many faculty feel hamstrung by cumbersome rules and byzantine processes. I cant unhear what Ive heard from our people. And we should be willing to examine what we do and how we can improve. To be sure, on a campus, members of the community should debate and disagree. Dialogue whether in support or opposition almost always leads to better outcomes. After all, this process of reform through revision isnt about blaming anyone. Its about empowering our people and optimizing our processes so we can be aligned with the states needs and priorities. As one staff member told me, its not about your class, its about your role. Its time that our rules and structures better reflect that. Everyone has something to offer if given the chance. That means adding more voices to the table and it means giving more authority to those closest to the decisions around issues like the composition of the curriculum. Faculty at the college level know best whats happening in their fields and how to be more responsive to our states needs. The revisions our Board of Trustees gave initial approval to last month clarify and streamline the rules, making authority and responsibilities easier to understand and approvals for new programs more manageable to negotiate. The suggestion that somehow faculty tomorrow wont be able to determine grading policies or the language on a course plan is simply inaccurate. Those kinds of basic functions that are part of how faculty manage the curriculum wont change, nor will our commitment to critical concepts like academic freedom and the essential nature of tenure in that. Growing strategically to enroll, prepare and graduate more students for success in careers and life also is not, as some on these pages have suggested, antithetical to our values. Those are our values. Change can be uncomfortable. Thats why its called growing pains. Kentucky, though, needs us now to accelerate our progress. And our Board informed by what our campus has said in community conversations with hundreds of people is working to reform the rules so we can do more on behalf of the state we were created to serve. That is our calling. It is a moment that Im confident we will meet. Eli Capilouto is the 12th president of the University of Kentucky. UK system of arms exports to Israel not the same as U.S., Cameron says LONDON (Reuters) - Foreign Secretary David Cameron described Britain's system and scale of arms exports to Israel as completely different from those in the United States, saying the sales it licences were relatively small and policed by strict procedures. Cameron was responding to a question on whether Britain would follow the U.S. after it warned that it would withhold weapons from Israel in case of a major invasion of Rafah. "There's a very fundamental difference between the U.S. situation and the UK situation," Cameron said after a speech. "The U.S. is a massive state supplier of weapons to Israel ... we do not have a UK Government supply of weapons to Israel, we have a number of licences, and I think our defence exports to Israel are responsible for significantly less than 1% of their total." (Reporting by William James and Michael Holden, writing by Muvija M; Editing by Kate Holton) OTTAWA, ON, May 9, 2024 /CNW/ - Canada is threatened by another record-breaking wildfire season following last years which burned 18.4 million hectares , over three times the size of Nova Scotia. www.canadasforesttrust.ca (CNW Group/Canada's Forest Trust Corporation) To support the future of Canada's forests, Scouts Canada and Canada's Forest Trust Corporation (CFT) are joining forces to plant, preserve and protect healthy and resilient forest ecosystems. Together, they invite Scouting alumni, youth, community members and Canadian businesses to take action with them in this urgent appeal. The ScouTrees program embodies a dual mission: taking action for the climate and empowering the next generation of environmental stewards. With 75% of young people in Canada experiencing climate-related anxiety , ScouTrees has tangible and impactful solutions to get people engaged in climate action nationwide. Each person and business in Canada is being called upon to join by purchasing trees to grow and protect the Scouts Smart Forest. With the support of their communities, Scouts and CFT will help counter the devastating impacts of Canada's wildfires while boosting the positive benefits healthy forests have on our planet, society and economy. Through a digital forest intelligence dashboard, Scouts and supporters will access custom impact data, such as the forest's location, age, species, estimated carbon storage, and a climate learning centre. Liam Burns, CEO of Scouts Canada, expressed, "Through the ScouTrees initiative, we're not just planting trees; we're sowing the seeds of resilience and hope among our youth. We are leading with actions, not just words. When we address the physical effects of a changing climate, we also alleviate the mental strain of a younger generation who is deeply affected and concerned by the state of our planet." Similarly, the CEO of Canada's Forest Trust Corporation, Gary Zed, stated, "Partnering with Scouts Canada on the ScouTrees program is a pivotal step towards our shared vision for a sustainable, more productive and healthier future. I hope that Canadian business leaders recognize this as an opportunity to support our planet, empower youth education and climate engagement. It's also a great way to mobilize communities around a shared mission mitigating the impacts of climate change." With 83% of young people believing that previous generations have failed to care for the planet, ScouTrees empowers youth to take meaningful action against climate change. The program also facilitates a powerful fundraising solution for Scouts Canada to continue delivering meaningful contributions to the hundreds of communities they connect with across Canada. With the help of Scoutrees supporters, Scouts will witness the growth of Canadian forests planted, preserved, and protected in their honoura legacy that will flourish alongside them for generations. For more information on how to support ScouTrees, click here: https://scoutrees.ca/ About Canada's Forest Trust Corporation Canada's Forest Trust Corporation (CFT) is a social enterprise committed to delivering an innovative nature-based climate solution to address your environmental commitments and demonstrate tangible impact by building and protecting Smart Forests. Our solution offers a strategic approach to carbon storage and biodiversity enhancement, aligning with sustainability goals and reporting requirements. About Scouts Canada Scouts Canada is the country's leading co-ed youth organization, offering programming for children and youth aged 5-26. With over 43,000 youth participating across the country, in multiple languages and reflecting Canada's multicultural landscape, kids and youth in Scouts chart their own path of discovery. Through a variety of fun experiences, outdoor adventures and contributions to their community, Scouts builds resilience and skills that set them up for life. SOURCE Canada's Forest Trust Corporation Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2024/09/c1953.html Ukraine broke records with a long-distance strike on Russia on Thursday, hitting a target 746 miles from the border. A Ukrainian defence source said the drone attack, which hit an oil refinery in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan, was the SBU security services work and was carried out at a record range. The source added that the drone had flown a total distance of 1,500 kilometres. The SBU has once again proved it has powerful technological solutions that help to inflict painful blows on the enemy, the source said. Earlier it was reported that Ukrainian drones struck two oil depots in Russia causing large-scale fires. A Ukrainian intelligence official said that the oil depots were used as transportation hubs to supply troops in the nearby occupied peninsula of Crimea. 03:01 PM BST Todays live coverage has ended Todays live coverage of the war in Ukraine has ended. Thank you for following. 02:41 PM BST Zelensky replaces special operations chief for second time in six months Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky replaced the commander of his special forces on Thursday, the second time in half a year that he has changed the head of the unit which operates in Moscow-occupied territories. The dismissal of Colonel Serhiy Lupanchuk and appointment of Brigadier General Oleksandr Trepak in his place was announced in two decrees on the presidents website that provided no explanation for the move. 02:25 PM BST Cameron says Nato must be tougher Foreign minister David Cameron urged fellow Nato members on Thursday to meet pledges to spend two per cent of GDP on defence, saying a tougher foreign policy is needed in a world more dangerous than most of us have ever known. Lord Cameron said that the West was being tested by Iran, Russia and China among others and nations must show courage or allow our adversaries (to)...write our future for us. We are in a battle of wills. We all must prove our adversaries wrong Britain, and our allies and partners around the world, Lord Cameron told an audience at the UKs National Cyber Security Centre. Lord Cameron said nations were not learning the lessons of Russian President Vladimir Putins full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago. If Putins illegal invasion teaches us anything, it must be that doing too little, too late only spurs an aggressor on. This cannot go on. We need to be tougher and more assertive. 01:59 PM BST Pictured: The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a war memorial dedicated to the Soviet soldiers killed during World War II. Each year to mark Victory Day people visit the toom in the capital of Kyiv to pay their respects. In the bottom photograph Leonid, 87, whose father died fighting the Nazis, can be seen next to Yuri, 89, whose cousin died fighting at Leningrad. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - Simon Townsley May 9 Victory Day commemorations at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Kyiv - Simon Townsley 01:54 PM BST Who is Ukraines new ambassador to the UK? Valery Zaluzhny has been appointed as Ukraines new ambassador to the UK. But who is Mr Zaluzhny? He served as commander-in-chief of the armed forces before Russias invasion on February 24, 2022, until his dismissal in February, when he was replaced by Oleksandr Syrsky. He was credited with spearheading some of Ukraines most successful battles against Russia, including the liberation of Kherson city in November 2022. Mr Zaluzhny even reached celebrity status, with his image featured in street art, and he was regularly cited as a possible rival to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky given his popularity. On Wednesday the president officially dismissed Mr Zaluzhny from the military on health grounds. Ukrainian media reported in March that Mr Zaluzhny had been found unfit for military service during a medical examination in winter. 01:26 PM BST Watch: Putin speaks at Russias Victory Day parade 01:11 PM BST Ukraine strike hits 1,200 km into Russia A Ukrainian drone has struck Russia at a record distance of more than 1,200 km 746 miles) from the border, according to Ukrainian officials. A source told AFP the strike on the refinery in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan was the SBUs work and was carried out at a record range. 12:41 PM BST Russian military tech must be one step ahead, Putin says Russia needs to modernise its weapons so it is one step ahead and will use whatever foreign parts it can get to make them despite sanctions, President Vladimir Putin said. He made the comments at a meeting with army commanders after his inauguration on Tuesday but the footage was only released by the Kremlin on Thursday as Russia marked the 79th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany. Putin said engineers were working day and night on improving Russias military technology. Modern military technology is changing very fast. If we want to be successful, we always have to be one step ahead, he said. Our enemy has quite modern means since the whole Western community is working for our enemy, he continued. 12:29 PM BST Ukraines former army chief appointed ambassador to UK Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appointed former army chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi ambassador to the United Kingdom on Thursday. 12:13 PM BST Putin says fate of the motherland depends on soldiers Vladimir Putin said that the fate of the motherland depends on the soldiers he addressed during his annual speech at the Victory Day parade in Moscow today. Dear friends, Russia is now going through a difficult, crucial period. The fate of the Motherland, its future depends on each of us, he told the crowd. Putin has repeatedly framed the current fight against Ukraine as an existential battle against Nazism, a message he reiterated in his address on Thursday. We bow our heads before the memory of civilians killed by barbaric shelling and terrorist attacks by neo-Nazis, he said. Those on the front line, on the line of contact - are our heroes. We bow before your steadfastness and self-sacrifice, selflessness. All Russia is with you, he continued. 11:49 AM BST Ukrainian strikes cause fires at key Russian supply hubs Ukrainian drones struck two oil depots in Russia causing large-scale fires, Ukrainian intelligence said on Thursday. The source told Reuters that the oil depots were used as transportation hubs to supply troops in the nearby occupied peninsula of Crimea. The SBU will continue to reduce Russias economic and logistics potential for waging war, the source said. The oil depots were located near the town of Anapa in Russias southern Krasnodar region. 11:27 AM BST Watch: Putin vows forces are combat ready Vladimir Putin vowed that Russian forces are combat ready in a speech to mark Victory Day. Russia will do everything to avoid a global conflict, but at the same time will not let anyone threaten it. Our strategic forces are always combat-ready, he said. More nuclear threats from Putin at Russia's Victory Day parade on Red Square today. "Russia will do everything to avoid a global conflict, but at the same time will not let anyone threaten it. Our strategic forces are always combat ready." pic.twitter.com/D8NqrMjCXX max seddon (@maxseddon) May 9, 2024 11:13 AM BST Russian attacks knock out two Ukrainian hydropower plants Two hydropower plants in Ukraine were severely damaged and were no longer in operation after Russian bombardments earlier this week, the state energy company Ukrhydroenergo said on Thursday. As of today all hydro generation has suffered devastating damage, it said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app. Ukrhydroenergo added that significant financial resources and efforts would be required to repair the damage and restore the plants operations. 10:55 AM BST Putin says there is nothing unusual about tactical nuclear weapons drill Russian President Vladimir Putin said today that there was nothing unusual in a planned exercise involving the practice deployment of tactical nuclear weapons, according to Russian news agencies. There is nothing unusual here, this is planned work, Putin said. He met officers from what the Kremlin calls its special military operation in Ukraine on May 7. Russia said on Monday it would practise the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons as part of a military exercise after what Moscow said were threats from France, Britain and the United States. 10:35 AM BST Putin hails troops fighting in Ukraine Vladimir Putin hailed the troops fighting in Ukraine for their courage during his annual Victory Day parade today. The Russian president blasted the West, accusing it of fueling regional conflicts, inter-ethnic and inter-religious strife and trying to contain sovereign and independent centres of global development. He added that the Victory Day parade unites all generations. We are going forward relying on our centuries-old traditions and feel confident that together we will ensure a free and secure future of Russia, he told the crowds on Red Square. 10:20 AM BST In pictures: Russias Victory Day parade Here are the latest photos from Russias Victory Day parade in Moscow. Weaponry is paraded - Sefa Karacan/Anadolu via Getty Image Russian Sukhoi Su-25 close air support jets fly over the Red Square - SERGEI ILNITSKY/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock A Soviet era T-34 tank rolls on Red Square - ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images 09:58 AM BST Ukraine to double power imports following Russian attacks Ukraine plans to double electricity imports on Thursday after a powerful Russian attack on Ukraines energy system, the energy ministry said. The imports are expected to rise to 16,699 megawatt hours (Mwh) versus 7,600 Mwh on Wednesday, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app. Today, at Ukraines request, emergency electricity supplies have already been made from Poland, Romania and Slovakia, the ministry said. Emergency assistance will also be provided during evening peak hours of electricity consumption, it noted. 09:30 AM BST Russian shelling kills two in southern Ukraine Two people were killed in Russian shelling overnight in the southern city of Nikopol, Ukraine announced on Thursday. The majority of 20 drones launched by Moscow overnight were also destroyed, officials added. Nikopol regularly comes under fire from Russian forces positioned across the Dnipro River. The river has turned into a front line since late 2022. Enemy artillery took the lives of a 62-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman, regional governor Sergiy Lysak said. He published photos of a house with its roof on fire and several damaged buildings. 09:15 AM BST Ukraines parliament dismisses Deputy Prime Minister in charge of regions and infrastructure Ukraines parliament voted on Thursday to dismiss Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, a key government figure who has overseen the wartime reconstruction effort and championed efforts to set up a vital Black Sea shipping lane, Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak said on Telegram. The 41-year-olds dismissal comes amid plans to break up his powerful ministry into two separate government portfolios. It was not immediately clear who would replace him. 09:08 AM BST Why is Victory Day so important for Russia? Victory Day has become a key part of Vladimir Putins fight against Ukraine, allowing him to rally his citizens and soldiers. But its roots lay in the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II and the Russian president has long turned it into a pillar of his nearly quarter-century in power. The victory over Nazi Germany remains the most important and widely revered symbol of the countrys prowess and a key element of national identity. The Victory Day unites all generations, Putin said in a speech at Red Square parade today. We are going forward relying on our centuries-old traditions and feel confident that together we will ensure a free and secure future of Russia. The Soviet Union lost around 27 million people in World War II., though experts believe the toll could be higher. Columns of tanks and missiles rolled across Red Square and squadrons of fighter jets roared overhead as medal-bedecked veterans joined Putin to review the parade. The parade serves as a powerful symbol of the countrys ability to prevail against seemingly overwhelming challenges. 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. Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraines Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, says Kyiv has reached an agreement with the EU on extending the status of temporary protection for Ukrainians, since "the security situation does not allow for any other decision". Source: Stefanishyna at the International Summit of Cities and Regions on 9 May, cited by Ukrinform and European Pravda Details: Stefanishyna noted that she regularly discusses the status of Ukrainians in the EU with Ylva Johansson, the EU Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs. Quote: "I had a conversation with her yesterday [on 8 May ed.]. We decided that the temporary protection status will be extended because the security situation does not allow us to make any other decision." Stefanishyna stressed that Kyiv and Brussels have agreed that the temporary protection status will be reviewed in a way that would facilitate the gradual return of Ukrainians to Ukraine. "But so far, there are no conditions for such a decision," she stressed. Background: The EU adopted the mechanism of temporary protection for Ukrainians on 4 March 2022, after the start of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and automatically extended it for one year. Last year, EU member states took the decision to extend the regime to March 2025. Olha Stefanishyna has stated that Ukraine will not force military-age Ukrainian men to return from abroad. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine lawmakers just passed a bill that'll allow the country to mimic Russia's tactic of drafting convicts to fight in the war Ukraine lawmakers just passed a bill that'll allow the country to mimic Russia's tactic of drafting convicts to fight in the war Ukraine's parliament passed a bill on Wednesday to conscript inmates to fight Russia. The bill, if enacted, imitates the Russian approach of using prisoners to fuel its war efforts. But unlike Russia, Ukraine says it will not send violent criminals to the battlefield. Lawmakers in Ukraine passed a bill on Wednesday that would allow the country's military to recruit prisoners to fight on the battlefield. The bill, which has yet to be signed into law by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will allow Ukraine to mimic the Russian tactic of drafting convicts for their war effort. "The only way to survive in an all-out war against an enemy with more resources is to consolidate all forces. This draft law is about our struggle and preservation of Ukrainian statehood," Olena Shulyak, the head of Zelenskyy's party, said in a post on Telegram. Russia has long been relying on prisoners to plug its manpower gaps, with some inmates being promised full pardons if they survive a six month stint on the battlefield. In fact, Russia's reliance on convicts has even caused its prison population to plummet, per the Russian newspaper Kommersant. In October, the country's Deputy Justice Minister Vsevolod Vukolov revealed that Russia's prison population has dropped from 420,000 before the war to a historic low of 266,000, per The Washington Post. But while Russia hasn't imposed many restrictions on which prisoners they conscript, the Ukrainian bill is a lot more particular on who gets selected. For instance, prisoners who have been convicted of violent crimes such as terrorism, premeditated murder, or rape will not be allowed to participate. In addition, prisoners will only be eligible for the scheme if they have less than three years left on their sentences. "Prisoners who have a longer period left to serve in prison and those sentenced to life imprisonment all the more so will be immediately rejected without the right of reconsideration," Shulyak told Ukrainian news outlet Pravda. Roughly 15,000 to 20,000 prisoners are expected to be mobilized if the bill is enacted, Pravda reported on Wednesday. The passing of the bill comes at a precarious time for Ukraine, which has to reckon with what US officials are calling a reinvigorated Russian army. Last month, Ukraine reduced the draft age from 27 to 25 in a bid to bolster its troop numbers. Russia's armed forces have grown larger after the country decided to raise its maximum conscription age from 27 to 30. "The army is actually now larger by 15 percent than it was when it invaded Ukraine," US Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli said in a House Armed Services Committee hearing last month. Representatives for Ukraine's defense ministry didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Business Insider (Bloomberg) -- Ukrainian lawmakers voted to dismiss the nations powerful infrastructure minister as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy seeks to reassert control over key areas of government. Most Read from Bloomberg The removal of Oleksandr Kubrakov, who had also served as deputy premier in charge of wartime reconstruction, was backed by legislators on Thursday. The ruling parliamentary majority had moved to break up the current Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development which was only set up two years ago into separate offices, one to focus strictly on infrastructure and the other on regional development. While neither Zelenskiy nor his office has publicly attacked Kubrakov directly, the motion to remove him was initiated by 40 deputies. All but three of them were members of the presidents Servant of the People party, which has a majority in the 401-strong legislature. A cooling in relations with Kubrakov and an increased critical attitude toward Kubrakov by the president was at work here, said Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Penta research institute in Kyiv. This is probably the main motive behind this staff decision. Prior to the vote, Kubrakov said that Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal had not discussed this decision with him. I was not invited to the meeting of the parliament committee either, he wrote in a Facebook post. As a young technocrat who joined the government three years ago, Kubrakovs brief was expanded after Russias invasion to cover infrastructure repair, as well as current and future postwar reconstruction efforts. He may yet return to head a new infrastructure ministry, the Hromadske website reported, citing unidentified lawmakers from Zelenskiys party. After the war started Kubrakov became one of the officials who signed United Nations grain deal. He was a co-chairman of Multi-agency Donor Coordination Panel, which was set up by the Group of Seven to arrange international funding for Ukraines recovery, only to be replaced at the end of last year. His removal comes as Russian missile and drone strikes continue to inflict damage on the countrys power system, prompting questions about the effectiveness of efforts to protect vital infrastructure. Parliament also voted on Thursday to dismiss Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi, who became a target in a graft probe looking into a state-owned land grab in the eastern Sumy region. He was released from detention last month after posting $1.9 million bail. --With assistance from Olesia Safronova. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Ukraine will receive first shells under Czech-led initiative in June, Czech president says Czech President Petr Pavel has announced that the first 180,000 shells purchased for Ukraine under the Czech-led initiative will arrive in Ukraine in June. Source: Pavel in an interview with ARD, as reported by European Pravda Details: The Czech president said the first batch of missiles to be delivered would amount to 180,000 shells. "I, together with our Prime Minister Petr Fiala, assume that the first 180,000 rounds will be delivered in June," Pavel said. The president added that "there are already contracts for another five- or six-figure number of shells". Pavel also expressed regret that the initiative is not moving as fast as he would like. Background: In mid-April, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said Czechia had signed contracts to supply 180,000 artillery rounds for Ukraine as part of its initiative and is currently working on contracts for another 300,000 rounds. The official later stated that 1.5 million artillery projectiles could potentially be procured for Ukraine in this way within a year. Meanwhile, Czech President Pavel does not think that Western countries have lost hope that Ukraine will win the war. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine and Ireland have agreed to start preparing a bilateral security agreement as a follow-up to the G7 declaration on "security guarantees" on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius. Source: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, following a conversation with Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris; European Pravda Details: "We agreed to instruct the teams to start working on a bilateral security agreement within the framework of the Vilnius G7 declaration as soon as possible," Zelenskyy said. He also said that Harris had confirmed his participation in the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland. "I am grateful for the humanitarian and logistical assistance from Ireland. We also discussed prospects for cooperation in the field of mine clearance," Zelenskyy added. Ukraine has signed bilateral security agreements with nine countries, the last of which was Latvia. An agreement is also expected to be signed with Norway. Recently, the Office of the President of Ukraine said they hope to finalise the text on a security agreement with the US by the end of May. The overwhelming majority of Ukrainians believe that the conclusion of bilateral agreements regarding security helps Ukraine resist full-scale Russian aggression. Support UP or become our patron! Key developments on May 9: Ukrainian drones strike multiple Russian oil facilities Germany to buy 3 HIMARS for Ukraine Zelensky dismisses Zaluzhnyi from military service Russian attack on Nikopol kills 2, injures 8 Zelensky signs laws on mobilization, extension of martial law A long-range drone operated by Ukraine's State Security Service (SBU) attacked an oil refinery, Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat, in Russia's Republic of Bashkortostan on May 9, an SBU source told the Kyiv Independent. For the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine attacked facilities in Bashkortostan, some 1,500 kilometers from the country's border, according to the source. In April, Ukraine hit production facilities in Russia's Tatarstan Republic, 1,300 kilometers away from the state border. Gazprom Naftokhim Salavat is one of the largest oil refining and petrochemical production complexes in Russia. It specializes in the production of gasoline, diesel fuel, and other types of petroleum products. The drone attack damaged an oil catalytic cracking unit of the refinery. "The SBU once again proved that it has powerful technological solutions that help deliver painful strikes to the enemy," the source said. "It means that Russian refineries and oil depots operating for the military cannot feel safe even deep inside (Russia)." The SBU earlier on the same day hit two oil depots in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, according to a source interviewed by the Kyiv Independent. Read also: Russias highly-militarized Victory Day celebration has nothing to do with WWII Germany to buy 3 HIMARS for Ukraine Germany will buy three HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems) for Ukraine, the country's defense minister announced on May 7. Speaking during a trip to Washington, Boris Pistorius said they would be purchased from the U.S. and handed over to Kyiv. "They will come from the U.S. armed forces and will be paid for by us," he told reporters. HIMARS, whose prowess became a popular motif of internet memes, was a game-changer for Ukraine when it first arrived in the summer of 2022, allowing Kyiv to target Russian forces behind the front lines far more accurately than they had previously. The weapons system is a multiple rocket launcher system mounted to a 6x6 FMTV truck chassis, providing devastating firepower launched from a highly mobile platform. Read also: The US weapons making their way to Ukraine right now Zelensky dismisses Zaluzhnyi from military service President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the former commander-in-chief of Ukraines Armed Forces, according to a presidential decree published online on May 9. The decree stated that Zaluzhnyi was dismissed "from military service on health grounds" and retained "the right to wear a military uniform." The decree is dated May 8. Zaluzhnyi will reportedly start his new role as Ukraine's ambassador to the U.K. in the coming weeks, after being replaced by Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief in February. Zaluzhnyi's dismissal followed multiple reports by Ukrainian and foreign media outlets, citing anonymous sources in the government, that Zelensky was set to fire the chief commander. The decision sparked public debate, as Zaluzhnyi is widely popular with both the military and the population due to his role in leading the resistance against Russia. Zaluzhnyi has served in Ukraine's Armed Forces since 1993, when he began his training at a military academy in Odesa. Read also: Zelenskys term would have expired this month, but hes staying. Russia wants to use it Russian attack on Nikopol kills 2, injures 8 A Russian attack on the Nikopol district in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast killed two people and injured eight others, Governor Serhii Lysak reported on May 9. The district saw more than two dozen attacks over the day, from the early morning hours until nightfall, according to Lysak. Russian forces used artillery, multiple rocket launchers, and kamikaze drones to target the region. Nikopol, the administrative center of the district, suffered the worst. Two people, a 62-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman, were killed in the city. Among the injured are two girls, aged 15 and 16, as well as two men, aged 39 and 67. The two girls are reportedly in moderate condition. Lysak initially reported that only two people had been injured. The south-eastern city of Nikopol is situated on the banks of the mostly dried-up Kakhovka Reservoir, just across from Russian-occupied Enerhodar and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, making it a regular target of Russian attacks. Read also: Never again? Again. (Photos) Zelensky signs laws on mobilization, extension of martial law President Volodymyr Zelensky signed into law the extension of martial law and general mobilization from May 14 to Aug. 11. Zelensky submitted a proposal to the parliament on May 6 to extend martial law and general mobilization for another 90 days. Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, voted to approve the extension two days later. Ukraine's parliament previously extended martial law and mobilization from Feb. 14 until May 14. Zelensky 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. 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 on mobilization as the country seeks to replenish the ranks of its Armed Forces. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (NYSE:LPX) Q1 2024 Earnings Call Transcript May 8, 2024 Louisiana-Pacific Corporation beats earnings expectations. Reported EPS is $1.5, expectations were $1.13. Louisiana-Pacific Corporation isnt one of the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds at the end of the third quarter (see the details here). Operator: Good day, and thank you for standing by. Welcome to the Q1 2024 Louisiana-Pacific Corporation Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] Please be advised that today's conference is being recorded. I would now like to hand the conference over to your speaker today, Aaron Howald, LPs Vice President of Investor Relations and Business Development. Aaron Howald: Thank you, operator, and good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us to discuss LP's results for the first quarter as well as our updated outlook. My name is Aaron Howald, and I am LP's Vice President of Investor Relations and Business Development. With me this morning are Brad Southern, LP's Chief Executive Officer; and Alan Haughie, LP's Chief Financial Officer. After prepared remarks we will take one round of questions. During this morning's call, we will refer to a presentation that has been posted to LP's IR webpage, which is investor lpcorp.com. Our 8-K filing, earnings press release and other materials are also available there. Today's discussion contains forward-looking statements and non-GAAP financial metrics as described on Slides 2 and 3 of the earnings presentation. The appendix to the presentation also contains reconciliations that are further supplemented by this morning's 8-K filing. I will incorporate those materials by reference rather than reading them. And with that, I will turn the call over to Brad. Brad Southern: Thanks, Aaron. Good morning and thank you for joining us to discuss LP's results for the first quarter and our ongoing growth, innovation and efficient capital allocation. LP's Siding and OSB businesses got off to a strong start in 2024 by launching new products, gaining share in new construction, repair and remodeling and growing strategic partnerships with our customers, all of which contributed to outstanding results in the first quarter. I'm confident that both businesses are poised to build on these gains in the second quarter and beyond. In the first quarter, LP generated $724 million in sales, a 24% increase over last year. LP earned $182 million in adjusted EBITDA, $116 million more than in Q1 of 2023. Leverage from growth in Siding and the combined effect of higher prices and record operating efficiency in OSB drove improved margins. With the completion of capacity investments in Holton, Sagola and Bath, our strong balance sheet has allowed us to resume share repurchases consistent with our capital allocation strategy. Alan will discuss our results in greater detail in a moment. But first I'll provide the operational and strategic highlights for the quarter across our businesses. In the OSB business, commodity prices were meaningfully higher than last year, contributing $62 million in EBITDA. This is of course outside our control. However, I am proud to say that the OSB team made the most of the strong demand environment by operating efficiently and safely, while delivering a strong mix of value-added Structural Solutions products. For example, the OSB business achieved a record for operating efficiency in the first quarter, which helped boost sales by about 150 million square feet compared to last year. More than 75% of this incremental volume was Structural Solutions. More importantly, the OSB business delivered these results safely with a total recordable incident rate under 0.3. I also want to take the opportunity to thank the teams at our Peace Valley, British Columbia and Maniwaki Quebec mills for leading the way with outstanding safety, efficiency and cost control. Siding revenue grew by 9% in the first quarter, which was the compound effect of 5% higher net selling prices and 4% higher volume. Prices were higher due to rapid realization of our annual price increase plus mix uplift, primarily from expert finish. Higher capacity utilization from increased sales volume helped Siding achieve a 25% EBITDA margin in the quarter. As a result, the Siding business exceeded the high end of our guidance ranges for growth and margin. The chart on the left of Page 6 shows normalized growth in Siding volume, Siding net sales and total US Housing Starts with 2010 as the common baseline. The 2024 estimate for Siding reflects the midpoint of LP's updated full year guidance, which Alan will get to in a moment. As you can see, the Siding business is backed with historic growth trajectory after the destocking cycle that normally follows the end of a managed order file. In fact the midpoint of our full year guidance represents sales volumes above 2021's level and net revenue above 2022's all-time high. By contrast, Housing Starts reached $1.6 million in 2021. And if the current consensus is accurate will have fallen by about 9% to $1.45 million in 2024. Nearly 30% cumulative Siding revenue growth over a period of which underlying market contracted clearly demonstrates pricing power and share gains in the market we serve. The chart on right shows ExpertFinish as a percentage of overall Siding volume and revenue. Starting from zero in 2019, ExpertFinish has grown to 9% of volume and nearly 14% of revenue in Q1 of this year. If you were able to join us at the International Builders' Show in Las Vegas, you saw our newly launched Brushed Smooth, Trim and Siding, Pebbled Stucco Panels, Nickel Gap and many other new products, all of which should add to the ongoing price mix uplift of ExpertFinish and help drive growth in new residential construction and R&R. Our Siding business is clearly back to our normal growth footing and LP is leveraging the power of our specialized portfolio to drive additional growth and share gains. For example, we recently announced a strategic partnership with Lennar, one of America's leading and most respected homebuilders. Through this partnership, LP will provide Lennar with a uniquely broad array of sustainable Siding Structural Solutions and OSB products. We also expanded our partnership with the Home Depot, extending the availability of SmartSide Trim to Home Depot stores nationwide. These partnerships enhance our strategic customers' ability to build high-quality and beautiful homes for homeowners and make SmartSide available for more R&R contractors. This in turn leads to continued growth, share gains and innovation in Siding and OSB. I should mention that the impacts of the Lennar partnership, newly launched products in Siding and the meaningful increase in OSB prices late in the first quarter, had a relatively modest impact on our Q1 results. These factors will largely to be felt in the second quarter and beyond with continued growth driving additional leverage in Siding. Accordingly, while macroeconomic uncertainty remains, we are increasing our guidance for growth and margins in the second quarter and full year. With that, I will turn to Alan, for more detail on the quarter and our updated outlook before we take your questions. Alan Haughie: Thank you. As Brad said, this was a strong quarter. Higher market prices for OSB drove significant cash generation, while the leverage from increased volumes in both OSB and Siding delivered healthy incremental margins. EBITDA of $182 million generated $105 million of operating cash flow. And with the capacity investments in Houlton Sagola and Bath, behind us, LP returned $32 million of this cash flow to investors in the first quarter through dividends and resumed share repurchases. The waterfall on Page 7 shows the year-over-year comparison for the Siding business. Average selling prices were 5% higher than last year adding $15 million of EBITDA. Roughly three points of the five points are the result of robust realization of the annual price increase helped by our minimization of prebuy late last year. A construction worker standing on a rooftop with a toolbelt in hand, looking out at a new home development in the background. ExpertFinish and other recently launched products have also seen encouraging uptake with the resulting positive mix effects on price contributing the remaining two points of the five points. Sales volumes increased by 4% to 399 million square feet which I should note, is higher than any quarter of last year. The bulk of 4% volume growth came from Residential Construction and Repair and Remodel customers. BuilderSeries which is driving share gains with America's largest homebuilders and ExpertFinish our pre-finished Siding designed through Repair and Remodel contractors both delivered record quarters for volume and revenue. This volume growth added $15 million in revenue and $4 million of EBITDA. Now this is slightly lower incremental EBITDA margin than we might expect from additional volume largely due to record ExpertFinish volumes. As a reminder, ExpertFinish margins are lower than primed margins what they are for now. While they may be lower they are improving. The addition of the highly automated Bath pre-finishing facility to LP's ExpertFinish network in addition to other efficiency gains in manufacturing contributed to a meaningful improvement in the margin for ExpertFinish compared to this time last year. And of course, as we grow ExpertFinish volumes further improvements in utilization rates and manufacturing efficiency should continue this positive margin trend. As discussed on prior calls, we are continuing to invest in selling and marketing, incurring an incremental $2 million year-over-year from which we believe we are already benefiting. This is more than offset by the $4 million benefit from the non-recurrence of last year's mill conversion investments. Freight costs and raw material prices continue to moderate from last year's levels with MDI resin, being the largest single component of a $10 million EBITDA tailwind from improving raw material prices. And our unit costs for paint may have risen, substantial efficiency gains from more automated painting processes at Bath reduced unit paint usage more than enough to offset this. The only red bar on the waterfall is the $7 million of increased mill overhead. This is simply the addition of Sagola and Bath to the network as neither were fully staffed to operational in the first quarter of last year. Both with Sagola and Bath now fully [indiscernible] as demand grows to fill that capacity we should see those costs more than offset by the high incremental margin of additional volume. So the $90 million of EBITDA represents a margin of 25%. We've often compared the Siding EBITDA margin over time to a rising sign wave with peaks at times of high capacity utilization and low investment and troughs at times of high investment and low utilization as that new capacity comes online. We believe that what we saw in the first quarter is entirely consistent with this principle with the business rebounding from last year's trough and growing towards a new higher peak as we fill recently added capacity. Shifting to OSB on Page 8. The waterfall is once again dominated by price. Compared to last year, average selling prices were 38% higher adding $62 million of EBITDA. I should point out that the commodity price gain of 51% is higher than the 25% increase in Structural Solutions prices, mainly because commodity prices start from a lower base. However, in general, OSB prices climbed significantly at the end of the first quarter and remained elevated through most of April until our recent pullback. Given the duration of our order files, higher prices at the end of the first quarter have been realized mostly in the second quarter. Sales volumes were also higher in OSB a record quarter for OEE allowed production increases to meet stronger customer demand. And as Brad said, more than 75% of the incremental OSB volumes sold was in Structural Solutions, which accounted for 52% of total OSB sales volume, up 6 points from last year. So, if you'll indulge me let me use the data on this chart to briefly demonstrate the value of Structural Solutions in a different way. Using the price, volume, and EBITDA data on this chart to compare commodity to Structural Solutions, you'll see that the selling prices for the incremental Structural Solutions volume, if you do the math, we're on average about $55 per thousand square foot higher and Structural Solutions EBITDA per thousand square foot was about $25 higher than it was for commodity. Of course this analysis is imperfect as it's only the year-over-year incremental changes not the entire population, but it does directionally demonstrate the incremental margin uplift that Structural Solutions delivers and therefore it reinforces our strategy of ongoing specialization. As in the Siding business, deflation in raw material prices contributed $7 million of EBITDA. For OSB, the other bucket is mostly the non-recurrence of last year's aggressive cost control efforts in the face of very weak demand and depressed prices at that time including the deferral of most non-essential maintenance and capital work. And while this may have kept the business EBITDA positive a year ago and demonstrated an impressive operational flexibility, we are now back on a more regular footing for operations. As a result, we have resumed more normal maintenance spending. The $90 million of EBITDA generated in the quarter, coincidentally the same as the Siding business, represents an EBITDA margin of 29%. Slide 9 shows substantially improved year-over-year cash flow. The operating cash flow this year is almost equal and opposite to this time last year with an inflow of $105 million this year compared with an outflow last year of $119 million. And this boils down to two obvious factors; higher EBITDA and significantly less working capital build. And when it comes to uses of this improved operating cash flow, the completion of the Sagola and Bath investments resulted in substantially lower capital investments this year. So, consistent with our stated capital allocation strategy, and as Brad stated, we're generating cash and have resumed share repurchases. Speaking of which as of May 8th, we have spent $50 million in share buybacks to find 2024 including the $13 million spent in the first quarter. And LP's Board of Directors has approved an increase of $250 million to our remaining authorization, bringing the total authorization for share repurchases to $400 million as of today. And with roughly $800 million in liquidity, LP has more than enough dry powder to support future growth and shareholder returns, which brings me to our updated guidance on Slide 10. For Siding, the strong first quarter demand has continued into the second quarter and even accelerated. As a result, we now expect revenue in the second quarter to be in the range of $380 million to $400 million, representing revenue growth of somewhere between 20% and 25%. I'm sure you'll remember and we can scarcely forget that the second quarter of last year represents the weakest comparable for the year and therefore magnifies the rebound somewhat. This incremental volume would sustain EBITDA margins in the order of 25%, resulting in EBITDA for the quarter of $95 million to $105 million. Accordingly we're raising our guidance for full year revenue growth by 300 basis points to a range of 11% to 13% and increasing our full year EBITDA expectations to the $340 million to $360 million range for an EBITDA margin of around 23%. For OSB, if we assume OSB prices remain at current levels, we would expect EBITDA in the range of $125 million to $135 million in the second quarter. For the full year guidance, we're modeling, but not predicting cycle average for the second half of the year. As a result, our full year EBITDA guide of $315 million to $325 million is the sum of the first quarter actuals, the second quarter guidance, and then the second half cycle average as defined on Slide 10. Basically the same method we introduced last quarter, but with updated numbers obviously. Assuming for simplicity that LPSA and corporate net to zero this brings our full year EBITDA guidance to $655 million to $685 million, about $150 million higher than our previous full year outlook. So, in summary, it was a strong quarter and a strong start to the year that leaves both businesses exceptionally well-positioned to continue executing our strategy of growth, specialization, and transformation. And with that, we'll be happy to take your questions. Operator: Thank you. [Operator Instructions] Our first question comes from Kurt Yinger with D.A. Davidson. You may proceed. See also 12 Best Gig Economy Stocks To Buy and 10 Future Dividend Kings in the Next 5 Years or Less. To continue reading the Q&A session, please click here. Ukraine's air defence destroys 17 out of 20 Shahed drones in Odesa Oblast at night Ukraines air defence in Odesa Oblast have destroyed 17 out of 20 Russian Shahed drones used by the Russians to attack Ukraine on the night of 8-9 May. Source: Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of Ukraine's Air Force, on Telegram Details: Oleshchuk reported that the Russians launched 20 Shahed-131/136 attack drones from Cape Chauda in occupied Crimea on the night of 8-9 May. Air Force anti-aircraft missile forces as well as mobile fire groups from Ukraines Defence Forces destroyed 17 attack drones in Odesa Oblast. Background: Ukraines Air Force warned of the threat of Russian attack drones from the Black Sea waters on the night of 8-9 May. Later, the media reported that air defence systems were responding to attacks by Russian Shahed drones in Odesa Oblast. Support UP or become our patron! FILE PHOTO: Relatives of Ukrainian servicemen attend a rally to demand lawmakers to determine terms of demobilization, in Kyiv FILE PHOTO: Relatives of Ukrainian servicemen attend a rally to demand lawmakers to determine terms of demobilization, in Kyiv KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's parliament voted on Thursday to crack down on draft dodgers, as the country grapples with a serious shortage of soldiers available to fight more than two years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion. The bill, backed by a majority of lawmakers but not yet signed into law by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, includes raising fines for anyone caught trying to avoid the call-up and allowing authorities to detain draft dodgers for up to three days. It comes in the same week that parliament passed a bill allowing some convicts to enlist in the army and days before a new mobilisation law, that lowers the minimum age for new recruits, is due to come into force. The moves reflect growing concern in Kyiv and among its allies over Russia's battlefield supremacy. Moscow's much larger and better-equipped army is making small but steady gains in the east, and Ukraine is desperate to replenish stocks of weapons and ammunition as well as the number of soldiers it can call on. Iryna Gerashchenko, a lawmaker from the European Solidarity party, said that fines for draft dodging would be raised to 8,500 hryvnias ($218), compared with 510 hryvnias ($13) previously. The maximum penalty for those who repeatedly violate mobilisation rules would be increased to more than $5,200, she added. The average monthly wage in Ukraine is about $560. The new mobilisation law, which Zelenskiy has signed, will require all men aged between 18 and 60 to update their personal data with military recruitment centres, in a bid to get a more accurate assessment of what resources are available. The government also lowered the military mobilisation age to 25 from 27. There is no draft for women who can serve voluntarily. Military analysts said Ukraine needed hundreds of thousands more soldiers this year to be able to hold back Moscow's forces. Maksim Zhorin, a deputy head of the Third Assault Brigade, said "the situation at the front was now truly almost the most threatening since the beginning of the full-scale war. "We lost a lot of time, dragged on with mobilisation, and the enemy was preparing for a new stage of troop advance," he said on Telegram. A total of 256 deputies voted for the crackdown in the closed session of the 450-seat parliament, the government said. There were no details on how many abstained or voted against. (Reporting by Olena Harmash) KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's parliament has dismissed Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky who tendered his resignation in late April as he faces an investigation into alleged involvement in illegal acquisition of state-owned land, Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak said on Telegram. Solsky, 44, has denied the allegations. He has been at the centre of Ukraine's effort to keep its grain industry going as Russia's full-scale invasion has blocked Black Sea export routes, strewn fields with landmines and seen farmland occupied. (Reporting by Anastasiia Malenko; Editing by Toby Chopra) A Ukrainian long-range drone struck the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat refinery in Bashkortostan on the morning of 9 May. Source: sources of Ukrainska Pravda in Ukraines Security Service (SSU) Details: The drone collided with a fluid catalytic cracking unit. According to the source of Ukrainska Pravda, it was a SSU drone that established a record by travelling 1,500 kilometres. Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat is one of the largest oil refining and petrochemical production companies in Russia. It specialises in the production of gasoline, diesel fuel and other types of petroleum products. Previously: Radiy Khabirov, the head of Bashkortostan, reported a drone attack on a refinery in Bashkortostan on 9 May. Russian media began publishing videos of smoke from the fire. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine's Zelenskyy says Russia has the initiative in the east but new Western aid is on the way Ukrainian serviceman Andrii, left, of the Air Assault Forces 148th separate artillery brigade, sends receiving coordinates for a Furia drone at the frontline in Donetsk region, Ukraine, Thursday May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) POKROVSK, Ukraine (AP) Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday his country's army is facing a really difficult situation in eastern regions where troops are battling to hold at bay an intense Russian push along parts of the front line. Russia has sought to exploit Ukraine's shortages of ammunition and manpower as the flow of Western supplies since the outbreak of the war petered out, assembling large troop concentrations in the east as well as in the north and gaining an edge on the battlefield, Zelenskyy said. But a massive new U.S. military aid package is coming, and it will turn the tide, he said at a news conference in Kyiv with visiting President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola. With an increase in the supply of weapons, we will be able to stop them in the east. As of now, they seized the initiative there, Zelenskyy said. Russia is pressing hard in parts of eastern Ukraine in an effort to drive deeper into the Donetsk region, which it partly occupies. The Ukrainian army is on the back foot, scrambling to build fortified defensive lines, and engaged in intense combat. Ukraines forces are outnumbered in infantry, armor and ammunition against Russias bigger army and are trying to limit the Kremlins forces to incremental gains. A Ukrainian brigade recently deployed near Pokrovsk, a town of around 60,000 people before the war, to help stop the creeping Russian advance. Pokrovsk was until recently a two-hour drive from the front line. Now it is less than half that. Soldiers said the Russians usually shelled Ukrainian positions around dawn before sending in waves of small infantry units. The attackers seek to gain footholds and quickly dig in to consolidate their limited advance. They constantly try to breach our lines with their personnel to get through somewhere, to crawl in, to hold any positions for at least a minute, said one soldier, who gave only his call sign Prorok in line with brigade protocols. But we are trying to inflict fire damage while they are still approaching our positions, he told The Associated Press. Once they reach our positions, our personnel inflict maximum damage on them with small arms fire. AP video from the area shows Ukrainian infantry bodycam footage of troops attacking through trees and thick undergrowth, aiming to deny the advancing Russians a foothold. Both attackers and defenders take advantage of tree lines for cover. The Russian goal, according to Ukrainian intelligence, is to secure the battered small town of Ocheretyne and reach the main Pokrovsk-Kostiantynivka road, severing a key Ukrainian line of communication with other front-line towns. Ocheretyne lies northwest of Avdiivka, a city whose capture opened a door for the Kremlins troops to push westward, deeper into Donetsk. Russia annexed Donetsk and three other regions illegally in 2022 shortly after it invaded Ukraine, and taking control of all of Donetsk is one of the Kremlin's main war goals. After Avdiivkas fall at the end of February, Russia took other local villages as the countrys army chief warned of a worsening battlefield situation. Russian troops have stepped up their efforts to advance in areas near Ocheretyne, launching 45 ground attacks over the previous 24 hours, Ukraines General Staff said Thursday. On most recent days, they have conducted 20-35 attacks a day. Russian attacks in eastern Ukraine increased by 17% from March to April, the U.K. Defense Ministry said Thursday. Despite the attacking effort, the Kremlins forces have made only minor gains and sustained heavy losses, it added. Near Marinka, one of Donetsks devastated towns, soldiers with Ukraines 148th separate artillery brigade fire an M777 howitzer toward Russian positions and get little rest. Sometimes we sleep 5-6 hours a day in total, sometimes we get up and shoot every hour, says one of the soldiers, whose call sign is Odesa. Even so, the Russians keep coming. They are advancing and every day, little by little, but successfully, he says. In other developments: Ukraines Parliament has approved a bill that offers parole for convicts who enlist for military service, as the country seeks to replenish its depleted ranks. The bill approved Wednesday covers only certain categories of convicts. It will be subject to further discussion in Parliament before going to the president who decides whether to sign it into law. Russia has also used prisoners to make up a manpower shortage. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy formally appointed Ukraines former army chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the countrys ambassador to Britain. Zelenskyy replaced Zaluzhnyi in February in an apparent effort to give new momentum to Ukraines fight. Also, the governor of Russias Bashkortostan region said a drone strike in the city of Salavat caused a fire at a petrochemical facility. Salavat lies about 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) from the nearest point of the Ukraine border, making it possibly the deepest Ukrainian strike yet into Russia. Kyiv officials made no comment about the strike. ___ Novikov reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Ukrainian Defence Forces defeat some of the Russian assault troops who infiltrated Krasnohorivka Units of Ukraines Defence Forces units have eliminated some Russian assault groups that managed to break through to the refractory plant in Krasnohorivka, Donetsk Oblast. Source: Lieutenant Colonel Nazar Voloshyn, spokesperson for the Khortytsia Operational and Strategic Group (OSG) of Ukrainian forces, on air during the national 24/7 newcast Details: Reports indicate there have been 11 assaults, two counterattacks, and approximately 120 Russian drone incursions in the area of Krasnohorivka over the past day. Quote from Voloshyn: "The enemy is continuing its attempts to storm the city of Krasnohorivka with small assault groups. Occasionally, individual groups try to approach the eastern outskirts of Krasnohorivka on armoured vehicles. But most often, they proceed on foot or with small mobile groups on motorcycles. Our defenders are destroying all enemy attempts to enter the city with artillery and mortar fire. Some of the groups that managed to break through to the refractory plant in Krasnohorivka have been eliminated by Ukrainian soldiers. Those who remain are in a difficult situation as they have been practically deprived of ammunition supplies and armoured support. Battles are ongoing in that area." Details: Voloshyn added that the Defence Forces are containing the Russians' advances both within the city of Krasnohorivka and in the outskirts. Support UP or become our patron! Despite a tidal wave of rumors, the Apple Valley Walmart is not closing, employees said. After celebrating the remodeling of its Walmart Supercenter in Victorville, company officials are looking to give its Apple Valley store a major facelift. Walmart officials announced Monday that remodeling construction has begun at the Walmart at 20251 Highway 18 in Apple Valley. The major remodeling project is expected to bring a fresh, modern shopping experience to the heart of Apple Valley, company officials stated. After celebrating the remodeling of its Walmart Supercenter in Victorville, company officials are looking to give its Apple Valley store a major facelift. The remodeling project includes: A newly renovated and expanded pharmacy A brand-new community-focused mural New signage and displays Newly renovated restrooms A brand-new mothers room One of many scheduled remodels for California in 2024, the work is part of the company's commitment to invest in the communities it serves. Following the project, which will take several weeks to complete, Walmart associates in Apple Valley will host a community celebration to show off its new in-store experience. Walmart officials announced that a major remodeling project has begun at the Walmart at 20251 Highway 18 in Apple Valley. The store is scheduled to celebrate completion of the project in August. In addition to the remodel, the Apple Valley Walmart will continue offering innovations like in-store pickup, contact-free delivery, and Walmart Pay for a touch-free payment experience. These services are designed to save customers time and money, enabling them to shop how, when, and where they prefer. Store employees told the Daily Press that they've been asked daily if the Apple Valley Walmart is closing. The response has always been, "No, we are not closing, just remodeling." Victorville Walmart Supercenter The Victorville Walmart Supercenter at 12234 Palmdale Rd celebrated its grand re-opening on May 3, following a transformative remodel. Managers and associates held a community celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the unveiling of a new community-focused mural and thepresentation of $3,000 in grants to local Victorville organizations. During the celebration, Victorville Walmart Supercenter manager Amy Cortez highlighted the transformed departments and newly offered services now available to customers, including: A newly built pharmacy A brand-new consultation room A renovated Vision Center Remodeled customer restrooms A brand-new mothers room Expanded apparel and electronics departments An overall refreshed appearance of the store, including new signage and displays. "We couldn't be happier to welcome our customers back to our transformed supercenter today, Cortez said. One of the most exciting changes is our new pharmacy, which includes a private consultation room. With this and all of the Supercenters upgrades, we're able to make our customers shopping experience more seamless and enjoyable. Story continues After celebrating the remodeling of its Walmart Supercenter in Victorville, company officials are looking to give its Apple Valley store a major facelift inside the building located on Highway 18. As part of Walmarts dedication to the Victorville community, the Supercenters manager and associates presented grants to local nonprofit organizations, including: $1,000 to Curbside Community Center $1,000 to Dare U To Be Different Ministries $1,000 to Take Up Your Cross, INC Upgrades at the store include: Activated corners: Exciting displays are featured at the corners of certain departments to pull customers in and help them touch, feel, and become a part of the space, allowing them to discover all that Walmart has to offer. Elevated departments: Transformed Supercenter feature displays showcasing products that are out of their boxes so customers can imagine them fitting into their daily lives. More space to discover : Walmart has purposefully created more space for customers to explore and discover the breadth and depth of what their local Supercenter offers them. Pickup Walmarts Pickup option has become a favorite among busy shoppers. It provides the convenience of online shopping and allows them to quickly collect their groceries without stepping out of their vehicles. The best part is that Walmart Grocery Pickup is completely free of charge. Furthermore, customers using SNAP in most states have the option to avail themselves of the pickup service as well. Delivery Walmarts convenient delivery service is also a hit with customers. Even more, Walmart has now made both pickup and delivery contact free. Express delivery customers now have the option to have their deliveries made in under two hours. Walmart Pay a touch-free way to pay. Walmart+ Walmart+ is a membership program designed to save members time and money on their everyday essentials, and more. After celebrating the remodeling of its Walmart Supercenter in Victorville, company officials are looking to give its Apple Valley store a major facelift. The program includes free delivery from Walmart, free shipping with no minimum order, a Paramount+ Essential subscription, mobile Scan & Go, member pricing on fuel, the ability to earn Walmart Rewards, and early access to deals. Walmart+ costs $98 per year and includes a 30-day free trial period. You can sign up or get more information at Walmart.com/plus. To take advantage of these Walmart shopping features, customers can download the Walmart app through Apple Store or Google Play. 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: Major remodeling changes at Walmart in Apple Valley, Victorville German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze is welcomed by German Ambassador to Ukraine Martin Jager ahead of the reconstruction conference for Ukraine, which will take place in Berlin on June 11 and 12. Sebastian Christoph Gollnow/dpa Ukraine's parliament on Thursday dismissed the deputy prime minister responsible for reconstruction, resulting in the cancellation of a meeting with German Development Minister Svenja Schulze who had travelled to Kiev to meet him. Schulze went to Kiev specifically to prepare for an international reconstruction conference for Ukraine in Berlin in June. Oleksandr Kubrakov, 41, had been minister of infrastructure since 2021 and deputy prime minister since 2022. His ministry was also responsible for local and regional policy. He was also responsible for defence logistics in Ukraine's current defence against Russia's war against it. According to statements in the Supreme Rada or parliament, infrastructure and local government are to be divided again. Kubrakov wrote on Facebook that Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and the faction of the presidential party Servants of the People had not spoken to him about these decisions. Schulze expressed disappointment in Kubrakov's sacking, and concern about what it could mean for future cooperation and plans for the upcoming Berlin conference. His dismissal is "personally very, very unfortunate," she said. Kubrakov had been very committed to fighting corruption and had been very successful in this area. "And we pushed many of the projects forward together with him." Schulze briefly met with Kubrakov after arriving in Kiev, but due to the surprising turn of events, the meeting was cut short. He gave the German minister a necklace with a white dove of peace as a gift, which she wore during her visit. Various speculations were circulating in Kiev about the possible reasons for Kubrakov's surprising dismissal. Some politicians contended that regional development had been neglected in the oversized combined ministry. Zelensky announced at the end of March that there could be a reshuffle in the Ukrainian leadership. German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze stands in front of Russian tanks captured by Ukraine during her visit to the country ahead of the reconstruction conference for Ukraine, which will take place in Berlin on June 11 and 12. Michael Fischer/dpa German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze stands in front of Russian tanks captured by Ukraine during her visit to the country ahead of the reconstruction conference for Ukraine, which will take place in Berlin on June 11 and 12. Michael Fischer/dpa Ukraine's parliament on Thursday dismissed the deputy prime minister responsible for reconstruction, resulting in the cancellation of a meeting with German Development Minister Svenja Schulze who had travelled to Kiev to meet him. Schulze went to Kiev specifically to prepare for an international reconstruction conference for Ukraine in Berlin in June. Oleksandr Kubrakov, 41, had been minister of infrastructure since 2021 and deputy prime minister since 2022. His ministry was also responsible for local and regional policy. He was also responsible for defence logistics in Ukraine's current defence against Russia's war against it. According to statements in the Supreme Rada or parliament, infrastructure and local government are to be divided again. Kubrakov wrote on Facebook that Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and the faction of the presidential party Servants of the People had not spoken to him about these decisions. Schulze expressed disappointment in Kubrakov's sacking, and concern about what it could mean for future cooperation and plans for the upcoming Berlin conference. His dismissal is "personally very, very unfortunate," she said. Kubrakov had been very committed to fighting corruption and had been very successful in this area. "And we pushed many of the projects forward together with him." Schulze briefly met with Kubrakov after arriving in Kiev, but due to the surprising turn of events, the meeting was cut short. He gave the German minister a necklace with a white dove of peace as a gift, which she wore during her visit. Various speculations were circulating in Kiev about the possible reasons for Kubrakov's surprising dismissal. Some politicians contended that regional development had been neglected in the oversized combined ministry. Zelensky announced at the end of March that there could be a reshuffle in the Ukrainian leadership. Schulze, however, did manage to sign contracts for German reconstruction grants totalling 45 million ($48 million) for rebuilding Ukraine's electricity grid. "Ukraine can only survive the war and manage reconstruction with a functioning power supply," Schulze said. She noted that Russia has deliberately bombed the energy infrastructure in recent weeks: "Russia must not and will not succeed with this." The visit was also about the training of skilled workers, including medical professionals and skilled craftsmen like electricians, which she said would be at least as important as shipments of tanks for the country's future. German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze is welcomed by German Ambassador to Ukraine Martin Jager ahead of the reconstruction conference for Ukraine, which will take place in Berlin on June 11 and 12. Sebastian Christoph Gollnow/dpa The Ukrainian parliament has dismissed Oleksandr Kubrakov from the post of Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine. Source: Yaroslav Zhelezniak, Ukrainian MP, on Telegram Details: 272 members of parliament voted in favour of the resolution. Kubrakov was not present in the session hall. Background: On 9 May 2024, the Verkhovna Rada registered a draft resolution to relieve Oleksandr Kubrakov from the post. Kubrakov himself has stressed that the PM and the Servant of the People faction did not discuss this with him. Ukrainska Pravda previously reported that MPs from the Servant of the People party faction had decided to divide the Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development into two separate ministries at a faction meeting on Wednesday. The parliamentary committee on the organisation of state power proposed the creation of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Ministry of Regional Development. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal supported this, participating in a meeting of the faction on 8 May. Support UP or become our patron! U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron is expected to say NATO needs to adopt a harder edge for a tougher world during a speech at the National Cyber Security Centre on May 9. In his first big-picture policy speech as foreign secretary outside parliament, Cameron is to warn that the West is not learning the lesson of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and that authoritarian adversaries will only be spurred on if western leaders show hesitation or caution, according to the Guardian. Cameron will stress that there has been insufficient engagement from allies in facing the realities of an increasingly confrontational global landscape, whether through ramping up defense expenditures, confronting Iranian proxy activities, or advocating for womens rights within the Islamic world. "We must embrace a more assertive stance in a world that demands resilience. If we take anything away from Putins unlawful incursion, it should be the understanding that hesitancy and minimal action only embolden aggressors. Regrettably, I have witnessed numerous instances in my role where this crucial lesson seems to have been disregarded," Cameron will say, according to early released excerpts of his speech. During his Ukraine visit on May 2, Cameron said "...we must all step up to ensure Ukraine has what it needs to win." "Through our multi-year military funding, weapons provision and vital support to protect and repair Ukraines energy infrastructure, the U.K. is standing with Ukraine." The U.K. has consistently voiced strong support for Ukraine, alongside the U.S. and Germany. The country has pledged 12.5 billion pounds ($15.6 billion) in support to Ukraine since February 2022, of which 7.6 billion pounds ($9.5 billion) is for military assistance. "We must all step up to ensure Ukraine has what it needs to win," Cameron said. "Through our multi-year military funding, weapons provision and vital support to protect and repair Ukraines energy infrastructure, the U.K. is standing with Ukraine." Cameron will also call upon all NATO members to ensure they are on course to allocate 2% of their GDP to defense by the time of the alliances summit in Washington in July. He will emphasize that despite ongoing conflict within our continent, some European nations appear reluctant to prioritize defense spending. He will stress that the immediate imperative is not only to attain the 2% threshold unanimously agreed upon at the Newport summit in 2014 but also to work towards establishing 2.5% as the new standard. Countries such as Spain, Belgium, and Canada still fall significantly below the 2% target. Read also: Leaders of Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Council of Europe confirm participation in global peace summit Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. When the UNC-Chapel Hill Campus Y announced on social media that it had been closed indefinitely last week, outcry from the campus and the broader university community poured in immediately. University administrators closed the building Tuesday, April 30 the same day that 36 members of a pro-Palestinian Gaza solidarity encampment were charged with trespassing after they refused to comply with orders from police to disperse. This is absolutely insane, read one Instagram comment about the closure. As an alum who considered the Y a second home during my time at UNC, I cannot reiterate enough how detrimental this is for the student body. This is quite literally destroying any sense of community that many students have. It is not only affecting students and faculty, but also the greater Chapel Hill community that relies on organizations housed within the Y for resources and support. The Campus Y is widely known as a campus hub for student activism and social justice, with more than 30 student-run committees advancing a variety of causes. The organization originally a YMCA dates back more than 160 years at the university and is housed in the Campus Y building, which opened in 1907 at the north end of the Polk Place quad. The building offers meeting space for the organizations committees, office space for full-time staff of the universitys Student Affairs division and a faculty work lounge. In messages to campus, administrators stated that they closed the Campus Y for safety reasons, including doors to the building being propped open after-hours during the encampment. The building reopened Monday, but is now operating under limited hours, closing at 5 p.m. each day. Administrators said Friday they would continue to monitor the space. In a statement posted to the Campus Y organizations Instagram account after administrators informed students of the buildings reopening, the organizations executive board said they are wary to call this a victory. We are convinced that the attack on the Y has not ended, the statement read. Sari Ghirmay-Morgan, a student co-president of the organization, told The News & Observer Tuesday that the ordeal has been extremely discouraging and, they believe, potentially only the beginning of an ongoing battle. UNC Campus Ys doors propped open In statements about the Campus Y being closed, administrators stated the decision was made because, during the four-day encampment, the buildings doors had been repeatedly propped open during hours they should typically be locked, which is against university policy. Campus Y building hours were not observed and the doors were repeatedly propped open when the building was closed, despite multiple requests to ensure the doors were closed and locked, which posed a serious safety concern, a university webpage regarding the protests states. Ghirmay-Morgan said the building has generally remained open until 8 p.m., though some students were able to access the building after-hours by using their student ID cards. The building has functioned with a communal use, Ghirmay-Morgan said, with those who have after-hours access including members of the Campus Y executive board often letting in those who do not have such access to use the space for studying and other meeting purposes. Its been a pretty lax space, and students have been able to, essentially, come and go as they please as long as they have certain access to the building, Ghirmay-Morgan said. Ghirmay-Morgan said they never saw the doors to the Campus Y building being propped open during the encampment, but said demonstrators stored mutual aid supplies in the building. Ghirmay-Morgan was also aware that demonstrators had propped open other campus buildings around Polk Place after hours and during the weekend prior to the gathering being disbanded. Academic buildings are typically locked after 7:30 p.m. on weeknights and over the weekends. The UNC Chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, which initially organized the encampment to call on the university to divest from Israel, posted videos on its social media accounts of demonstrators being locked out of an academic building where protesters were using the restroom facilities. UNC interim Chancellor Lee Roberts and Chris Clemens, in their message announcing that the encampment would be disbanded, said protesters violated university policy by trespassing into classroom buildings overnight. Beyond doors to the Campus Y being propped open, university administrators also cited a need to clean the significant debris left behind in the building and ensure that that hallways, entrances and exits are clear before it could be reopened. In its statement about the partial re-opening of the building, the Campus Y executive board said the universitys description of the state of the building does not reflect our recollection of how the space looked shortly before we lost building access. There is no public evidence of such debris, the statement read. Building is reopened under limited hours In the more than five days that the Campus Y building remained closed, more than 700 students, alumni and community members voiced their support of the student organization and called on the university to reopen the space. The Campus Y building reopened Monday with new, limited hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. Ghirmay-Morgan said there has been intense surveillance of the building since it reopened, with a police car generally stationed nearby and new mobile security cameras, including one next door at South Building, which houses the chancellors office. But the impacts of the universitys actions related to the buildings closure and partial re-opening are much broader, Ghirmay-Morgan said, noting that the events have significantly decreased the capacity to provide for students. The limited building hours come during the final exam period, which prevents students from studying in the space and keeps Campus Y student groups from meeting there, as well. Ghirmay-Morgan noted that the Anne Queen Faculty Lounge inside the Campus Y is generally restricted from students before 5 p.m. With the limited hours, students are not able to access the space, which many groups normally choose to use because of its accessibility to those who use wheelchairs, Ghirmay-Morgan said. Theres a lot of traction in the Y after 5, especially for people who are working and organizing to make sure that we can provide services for our community, Ghirmay-Morgan said. The buildings limited hours also limit students access to resources within the Campus Y, including mutual aid items such as food and menstrual products, Ghirmay-Morgan said. Renaming Student Affairs division of Campus Y With the building reopened, the university is now appearing to draw clearer distinctions between the three key elements of the Campus Y, including a department of the universitys Student Affairs division, and where they receive funds. A university website previously dedicated to the Campus Y campusy.unc.edu now redirects to a Student Affairs division page that states the name Campus Y no longer extends to the Student Affairs department. The department, which is responsible for fostering student success through leadership development, student advisement and support and high-impact local and global programming, is now called UNC Y. The UNC Y lists five employees on its website, who are described as devoting their time to the efficient operation of UNC Y efforts, guidance, and counseling for Y members and committees, training of officers and co-chairs in leadership skills and outreach to other units of UNC-Chapel Hill and the community. It is unclear exactly when the UNC Y received its new name, but the university states that all three elements were referred to under the Campus Y name until early 2024. The remaining two elements of the Campus Y the Campus Y student organization and the Campus Y building retain their existing names. But the university is making clear that the student organization does not receive any state-appropriated funding. The Campus Y student organization funds its activities through private philanthropy, fundraising, undergraduate student senate fee allocations, and project-based grants, the UNC Y website states. Ghirmay-Morgan said administrators have been harping on the distinctions between the three elements for about the past two years. They noted that the increased emphasis on the separate elements comes amid legislation and policies around the country that have sought to prevent state funding from being used on university efforts related to diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI. The UNC System Board of Governors is expected to repeal its existing DEI policy and requirements later this month, which could result in DEI-related jobs and departments being cut or changed. I think that they are afraid that if people find out that their funding is going towards social justice avenues, that they will be extremely targeted, or that the GOP wont like them anymore, Ghirmay-Morgan said. And so theyre making very distinct cuts between those three avenues. Ghirmay-Morgan said, based on their experience, the three elements of the Campus Y have historically always been united and functioned cohesively, without clear distinctions. Theres just so much interconnection between the department and the student organization, that the fact that theyre trying to make it seem as if we are two different entities is absurd to me, Ghirmay-Morgan said. Its also absurd that theyre trying to isolate the building from this, because the building has always been the Campus Ys building. Though the building is reopened, with impacts of the new UNC System policy and the continued fallout from campus protests remaining to be seen, Ghirmay-Morgan said it feels like the fate of the Campus Y is unsettled. Its a very uncertain and difficult situation that were in, Ghirmay-Morgan said, and we are working to make ourselves resilient in times of uncertainty. 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 Supporters of Israel-Hamas war protests at UNC Charlotte say theyre disgusted after police dismantled a pro-Palestine encampment at the college this week, resulting in one arrest. Students, teachers and other supporters gathered outside the government center in uptown Wednesday afternoon, responding to the universitys and Charlotte-Mecklenburg polices move to shut down the encampment. They say students have been suspended in connection with the protests. UNCC protest organizers have been denied a good faith conversation with university administration about their demands, and the university has, instead, leveraged its power to silence students and community members, said Sam Poler, a member of Jewish Voice for Peace, an anti-Zionist Jewish advocacy organization. UNCCs actions are making everyone less safe. Protests in Charlotte are joined by many others across the country, with participants setting up tents, making signs and occupying buildings. Police at colleges across the country have clashed frequently with protesters. Last month, police charged 36 people at UNC Chapel Hill and protesters threw water on interim Chancellor Lee Roberts and officers as they worked to put back up an American flag. Police in Charlotte dismantled the encampment early Tuesday morning after ordering protesters to disperse. Later that evening, around 50 protesters marched through UNC Charlottes campus. One UNC Charlotte protester was arrested overnight and released Wednesday before being arrested a second time for returning to campus, The Charlotte Observers news partner WSOC-TV reported. Organizers said the use of force by university police and CMPD in removing protesters was unwarranted. We are disgusted at the use of force against students, Poler told the press. Police threw away personal belongings and community-donated supplies from the encampment, supplies that students had planned to donate to local organizations. Protesters suspended from UNC Charlotte? The university issued a statement Wednesday detailing what police found at the encampment site. Various concerning items were discovered, including knives, box cutters, a collection of baseball-sized rocks, and a mattress that was used to collect and store feces, the statement said. Over the past several days, an encampment on UNC Charlottes campus has been marked by escalating violations of law and policy, including the erection of unauthorized structures, defacement of University property, and the disruption of academic activities and final exams. University officials declined to comment whether students had been suspended, but speakers at Wednesdays press conference said there had been several suspensions. At the same conference, students declined to give their names and wore scarves and masks in front of news cameras in order to avoid being identified by university personnel. Jewish Voice for Peace called on UNC Charlotte officials to drop all charges and overturn all suspensions made in connection with the encampment. What do UNC Charlotte protesters want? UNC Charlotte students and local activists march through campus during a rally for solidarity with Gaza and to protest student oppression at UNC Charlotte in Charlotte, N.C., on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Khadejeh Nikouyeh/Knikouyeh@charlotteobserver.com Protesters are calling on the university to divest from its activities in Israel and any other investments contributing to the war in Gaza. Most notably, protesters called on UNC Charlotte administration to divest from its Mount Zion Archeological Project in Jerusalem, which has been funded and staffed in part by UNC Charlotte students and staff since 2008. The school released additional information about the project Wednesday, saying excavation at the site ended in 2023 and that remaining work involves cleaning and conservation, which students wont be involved in. All funds from this project were raised from private donors; no state or University funds were used. The donated funds were used to cover the logistical costs of managing the project in the field, undertaking scientific research on the artifacts, and preparing publications, the university said in a statement. Additional private funds will be raised when necessary to complete the research and publication of the work, not for fieldwork. The university also clarified the sites location. The archaeological work in Jerusalem was conducted on common land that was set aside as a green park in the 1920s. It is important to note the University project was undertaken on the traditional Mount Zion, not the biblical Mount Zion (also known as the City of David). They are two different and distinct locations, the statement said. Critics claim the project contributed to the displacement of Palestinian families, while the university claims the project maintained an outreach program with the local Palestinian community. The national Uncommitted campaign said that President Bidens halt of some U.S. weapons to Israel is a step forward. The coalition, which grew out of the campaign in Michigan to push Biden toward a cease-fire in Gaza, said the presidents announcement presents progress. Bidens announcement to halt American arms for Israels Rafah invasion marks a step forward, propelled by our growing anti-war movement, Layla Elabed, spokesperson of the Uncommitted National Movement, said in a statement Thursday. But, as the Democratic Party has fractured over Israels atrocities in Gaza over the past several months, Bidens actions will always speak louder than his words. The Uncommitted National Movement has been critical of Bidens handling of the Israel-Hamas war and has urged voters to cast uncommitted ballots in other state primaries. The statement comes shortly after Biden said that he would halt some offensive weapons to Israel if it launched an invasion of Rafah. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah they havent gone in Rafah yet if they go into Rafah, Im not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities that deal with that problem, Biden told CNNs Erin Burnett in an interview. The U.S. reportedly paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week due to concerns about launching a full-scale assault on Rafah, a city in the south of Gaza where more than 1 million Palestinians are sheltering. The White House has signaled to Israel it is against the invasion of Rafah without a plan to safely evacuate civilians sheltering in the area. Bidens remarks Wednesday were met with rebuke from Republicans, including former President Trump, his presumptive rival in November. The Uncommitted National Movement has also, again, called on the president to cut off weapons supplies to Israel. The war in Gaza has killed more Palestinian civilians at any point in history since Israels founding in 1948, Elabed said in a Thursday statement. As Biden has acknowledged that American weapons have killed many Palestinian civilians and as Israel has already begun its assault on Rafah, the President must end weapons aid for Netanyahus war now. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The Underserved Communities Foundations (UCF) annual signature event, 2024 Gran Fiesta, is sold out, the organization announced in a news release. The organization said that the event, which is presented by Raiz Federal Credit Union, is themed Un Viaje a Puerto Rico: A Celebration of Puerto Rican Culture, inviting attendees to embark on a cultural journey filled with live music, dancing and culinary delights inspired by the rich heritage of Puerto Rico. The event is scheduled from 5:30 p.m 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 9 at the Starlight Event Center located at 6650 Continental Dr, El Paso, TX 79925. The event serves both as a celebration of UCFs achievements in the past year and a fundraiser to support the organizations mission of reducing poverty and empowering the underserved, read the news release. During the event, UCF will announce the organizations 2024 grant recipients, highlighting the impactful work of local organizations and initiatives supported by the foundation. Additionally, as part of a commitment to honoring those whose lives have been positively impacted by the UCF over the past year, the organization will also spotlight a story of resilience, hope, and transformation. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. FILE - Farmworkers Cynthia Burgos, left and Teresa Maldonado, right, hug after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill aimed at making it easier for farmworkers to unionize in Sacramento, Calif., Sept. 28, 2022. A battle between The Wonderful Co. which grows pistachios, pomegranates, citrus and other crops and United Farm Workers is over new rules in California aimed at making it easier for farmworkers to form unions. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File) In a meeting room at a hotel in California's crop-rich Central Valley, a fight is taking place that could help shape the future of farm labor in fields that grow a chunk of the country's food. The battle between a unit of the Wonderful Co. one of the state's most well-known farm companies that grows pistachios, pomegranates and citrus and United Farm Workers the country's biggest farm worker union comes after California passed a law in 2022 aimed at making it easier for agricultural laborers to organize. Several hundred workers filed papers this year to unionize at Wonderful Nurseries in Wasco, Calif., a move the company claimed was fraudulent. The allegations are being heard in proceedings that could uphold the newly-formed union or revoke its certification. Meanwhile, farmer and labor advocates are watching closely to determine what impact the new law is having in a state where most farmworkers are not organized. Four groups of California farmworkers have so far organized under the law, marking the UFW's first successful attempts at farmworker unionization since 2016, said Elizabeth Strater, the union's director of strategic campaigns Were going to see a continued rise in California of farmworker organizing, because there is a tremendous need, Strater said. Every time theres a union win in the community, that raises the standard for other employers. Farmworkers aren't covered by federal rules for labor organizing in the United States. But California, which harvests much of the country's produce, enacted a law and created a special board in 1975 to protect their right to unionize. The 2022 law lets the workers unionize by collecting a majority of signatures without holding an election at a polling place a move proponents said would protect workers from union busting and employers said lacked safeguards to prevent fraud. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom reluctantly approved the changes with a nudge from the White House after farmworkers led a weekslong march to the state Capitol. Farmworkers in California are overwhelmingly Latino and among the state's poorest and most vulnerable residents. Many are seasonal workers, which makes it tough to organize a job site, and many lack legal status in the United States. The new law could lead to a rise in union influence and a resurgence of the UFW, which represented at its peak tens of thousands of farmworkers but has seen its numbers dwindle, said Christian Paiz, a professor of ethnic studies at University of California, Berkeley. It is one of the most dangerous jobs in the country, Paiz said. There's an absurdity to the claim these individuals would say, No, Im cool, I trust my employer.' Farm industry leaders contend the lack of a secret ballot makes workers vulnerable to coercion by unions and fraud. They want farmworkers to be able to revoke their signatures if they change their mind about organizing, and they want unions to clarify in writing that a signature essentially constitutes a worker's vote. Bryan Little, director of labor policy for the California Farm Bureau Federation, said he expects more union filings under the new law. Our members are very concerned about it, Little said. You have a union and all of a sudden you have a business partner in effect telling you how to operate your business. The clash at Wonderful Nurseries began when a group of workers filed in February to organize over concerns about assignments and scheduling, Strater said. A 640-worker unit was certified by the state's Agricultural Labor Relations Board. But Wonderful filed a complaint saying its workers didn't want a union and thought cards they signed were to access $600 payments under a federal pandemic relief program the UFW helps administer. The UFW denied it, and claimed Wonderful was calling meetings to try to get workers to withdraw their cards. The issue is now before the board with an administrative law judge taking testimony from workers during a weekslong hearing that started in person and is continuing remotely with lawyers sparring over computer screens, while farmworkers speak from a Bakersfield meeting room with help from a Spanish interpreter. Wonderful Nurseries contends the board has failed to ensure an honest process for the unit's 60 permanent employees and as many as 1,500 seasonal workers. Our companys history of working with agricultural workers is rooted in mutual trust, collaboration, and respect, all of which stands in contrast to the UFW actions, Rob Yraceburu, president of Wonderful Nurseries, said in a statement. The Agricultural Labor Relations Board had no immediate comment on the case, but said the hearing will allow all parties to be heard. The push to organize farm labor follows a decades-long decline in union membership in the United States. But public support for unions has recently grown and the National Labor Relations Board, which governs non-farmworkers' right to organize, reported the highest number of filings for union representation in eight years during the 2023 fiscal year. Other California companies where farmworkers have organized are much smaller than Wonderful, a $6 billion company founded by Stewart and Lynda Resnick, who have donated to President Joe Biden and Newsom. At DMB Packing, Guadalupe Luna said he signed up to form a union because he previously worked at a unionized farm where he earned 5 cents more for each bucket of tomatoes picked. Now, he said a contract may soon be signed. We think this year things are going to be better for us, the 55-year-old said. We want better pay, and benefits, that's what we're asking the ranchers for, and they seem willing to negotiate with us. Mastercard NetsUnion has started to process payments made in China with Mastercard cards issued by the countrys banks. In addition, Mastercard-branded cards will now be accepted for both domestic and international purchases. This is another significant milestone for Mastercard. Since entering the market nearly 40 years ago, we have built strong relationships with Chinas banks, merchants and fintechs to connect its people to the global economy, said Michael Miebach, CEO of Mastercard. With our local partner NUCC, our goal is to simplify the payments experience for Chinas Mastercard cardholders both at home and overseas. As our digital doors officially open for business, Mastercard and Mastercard NetsUnion are committed to working with all partners in China to build a secure, trusted and resilient digital ecosystem that encourages innovation, said Ling Hai, Chairman of the Board of Mastercard NetsUnion and President of Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa for Mastercard. To offer more choice and deliver greater value for Chinese consumers and businesses of all sizes, we will expand the availability of Mastercard-branded products, facilitate the addition of millions of new acceptance locations across the country, and deliver seamless and safe payments experiences every day. In February 2020, the Peoples Bank of China (PBOC) granted principal approval for Mastercard NetsUnion to begin formal preparations for a domestic bankcard clearing institution in China. Since that time, the joint venture has established standards, rules, structures and infrastructure in line with local regulatory requirements and obtained the required certificates for a local switch business. In November 2023, Mastercard NetsUnion received formal approval from the PBOC and the National Administration of Financial Regulation (NAFR) to commence domestic bankcard clearing activity. "Mastercard JV switches first domestic transaction in China" was originally created and published by Electronic Payments 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. University of Marylands School of Education rewards alums in teaching with $1,000 MARYLAND (DC News Now) This week is teacher appreciation week, and the University of Marylands (UMD) School of Education is going all out. In a gesture not only made to celebrate teachers but to surprise them, UMD rewarded a few alumni with a check worth $1,000. The chosen teachers were Jeimy Amaya of International High School, Pedro Gonzalez of Samuel Ogle Middle School and Alexis Cutler of Tyler Heights Elementary School. Cutler was chosen as a Teacher of the Year candidate at her school last year, so other members of the school found this as no surprise. But for her, it was. Black bear spotted in Northeast DC neighborhood She was greeted by the UMD fight song, balloons and a gift basket in the middle of her class. This is the best interruption of class ever honestly, said Cutler. When her students noticed what was happening, they couldnt help but be excited for their favorite teacher. She lets us eat snacks! one student yelled. The day-to-day gets tough, you know its always different but things like this happen [and] it just reiterates the passion and how we can help students, Cutler continued. While Cutler loved the surprise, Pedro Gonzalez of Samuel Ogle Middle School wasnt much of a fan. Study ranks Virginia hospitals second best in the nation My best friend knows I hate surprises he jokingly said. You want me to cry in front of my kids? he continued while battling tears. Gonzalez knows about hardships and teaching he needed knee surgery last year and has had to power through so he can continue to teach. To be recognized for this positionis incredible, Gonzalez said. His students are older than Cutlers but they rooted for him all the same, this time with signs from them. UMDs School of Education Dean Kimberly Griffin said, They were just known as being really generous with their time and really thoughtful, excellent teachers who poured so much into their students and into their schools. Both educators will be using the money for classroom supplies as well as anything else for the kids. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Viral veneer techs on TikTok are taking Biloxi by storm. Dentists say stay away Dentists in South Mississippi are warning against a new and viral trend of veneer technicians unlicensed providers who travel from city to city charging thousands of dollars for the cosmetic procedure. The trend recently hit Biloxi: one business with millions of likes on the social media platform TikTok stopped in South Mississippi last month and advertised veneers for prices between $1,250 and $1,500. The practice, which has grown viral and started contentious debate on social media and around the country, prompted the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners to issue a consumer alert this month that said the practice is illegal and warned of the risks of getting treatment from unlicensed providers. The alert warns patients to be aware of unlicensed people in Mississippi who offer composite veneers tooth-colored resin that is custom-made to cover broken or discolored teeth for cosmetic purposes. The unlicensed technicians are also providing missing tooth replacement and chipped tooth repairs, the alert says. It also warns the unlicensed providers usually only advertise on social media, and sometimes demand payment before telling customers where to meet for the dental service. Mississippi law requires that these services only be performed by a licensed dentist, the state board said. The board is charged to ensure all licensed dentists in Mississippi meet strict educational and examination requirements, it said. These safeguards do not exist for unlicensed persons. All dentists in Mississippi must earn a license. Patients can face great risks if an unqualified person places veneers on their teeth, said Wade Bishop, a dentist who serves as the dental boards representative for the Mississippi Coast. Untrained providers who operate on peoples teeth will likely not diagnose underlying conditions and diseases or how they impact a patients health history, Bishop said. Conditions as simple as an oral infection can pose health risks if they go untreated. If unlicensed providers apply veneers to decaying teeth, the veneers will accelerate the decay and make the problem worse, Bishop said. That could also mean patients end up paying more money to fix the problems down the line. Bishop also said bad veneer jobs can also mean veneers do not bond to the teeth or that they do not fit well. Veneer technicians across the country have recently started operating after they complete a two-day training course, Jandra Korb, dental director of the healthcare company DentaQuest, told Forbes. The unlicensed technicians sometimes buy equipment from Amazon, use nail supplies like acrylic for their dental procedures and can face criminal charges for practicing medicine with no license, dentists told the news outlet. The trend has grown viral on sites like TikTok. Customers have gained thousands of likes for videos of botched veneer jobs, and dentists around the country have posted expressing shock that the unlicensed providers are performing procedures. The unlicensed technician who traveled to Biloxi last month went viral on the platform earlier this year but has since made her account private, which means her videos are not viewable. A US ambassador working for Cuba? Charges against former diplomat Victor Manuel Rocha spotlight Havanas importance in the world of spying The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Dec. 4, 2023, that Victor Manuel Rocha, a former U.S. government employee, had been arrested and faced federal charges for secretly acting for decades as an agent of the Cuban government. Rocha joined the State Department in 1981 and served for over 20 years, rising to the level of ambassador. After leaving the State Department, he served from 2006-2012 as an adviser to the U.S. Southern Command, a joint U.S. military command that handles operations in Latin America and the Caribbean. Harvard Kennedy School intelligence and national security scholar Calder Walton, author of Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West, provides perspective on what U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland described as one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent. How common is it for spies to embed in foreign governments? Every state seeks to place spies in this way. Thats the business of human intelligence: providing insights into a foreign governments secret intentions and capabilities. What makes Rochas case unusual is the length of his alleged espionage on behalf of Cuba: four decades. Its important to emphasize the word alleged here the case is underway, and Rocha has not yet offered a defense, let alone been convicted. If proved, however, Rochas espionage would place him among the longest-serving spies in modern times. Allowing him to operate as a spy in the senior echelons of the U.S. government for so long would represent a staggering U.S. security failure. What can a spy in this kind of position do? Typically, an embedded spy would be tasked by his or her recruiting intelligence service to take actions like stealing briefing papers, secret memorandums and other materials that show what decision-makers are thinking. Such work quickly resembles movie scenes photographing secret documents, swapping information in public places or depositing it under lampposts and bridges. Having an agent reach ambassador level would be a prize for any foreign intelligence service. Rocha held senior diplomatic postings in South America, including Bolivia, Argentina, Honduras, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. This would have given him, and thus his Cuban handlers, access to valuable intelligence about U.S. policy toward South America and anything else that crossed his desk. An embedded spy can also act as an agent of influence who works secretly to shape policies of the target government from within. This will be something to look for as the federal government discloses more information to support its charges against Rocha. Presumably the U.S. intelligence community either already has carried out a damange assessment, or is urgently now conducting one, reviewing what secrets Rocha had access to during his diplomatic service and whether, as ambassador to Bolivia, he may have shaped U.S. policy at the behest of Cuban intelligence. Has Cuban intelligence partnered with Russia, in the past or now? Cuban intelligence worked closely with the Soviets during the Cold War. After Fidel Castro took power in Cuba in 1959, Soviet intelligence maintained close personal liaisons with him. Cubas intelligence service, the DGI, later known as the DI, received early training and support from the KGB, Russias former secret police and intelligence agency. From the 1960s through the 1980s, Cuban intelligence operatives acted as valuable proxies for the KGB in Latin America and various African countries, particularly Angola and Mozambique. But they didnt just follow Moscows direction. As Brian Latell, a former U.S. intelligence expert on Latin America, has shown, Castros intelligence service was often far more aggressive than the Soviet Union in supporting communist revolutionary movements in developing countries. Indeed, at times, the KGB had to try to rein in Cuban adventurism. One of Cubas greatest known espionage feats was recruiting and running a high-flying officer at the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, Ana Montes, who spied for Cuba for 17 years before she was detected and convicted. To the best of my knowledge, there is no publicly avilable U.S. damage assessment of her espionage, but one senior CIA officer told me it was breathtaking. Cuban intelligence recruited Montes while she was a university student and encouraged her to join the Defense Intelligence Agency. There, using a short-wave radio to pass coded messages and encrypted files to handlers, Montes betrayed a massive haul of U.S. secrets, including identities of U.S. intelligence officers and descriptions of U.S. eavesdropping facilities directed against Cuba. Cuban and Russian intelligence agencies maintained their ties after the Cold War ended and the Soviet Union collapsed. That relationship has only strengthened since Vladimir Putin, an old KGB hand, took power in the Kremlin in 1999. Putins government reopened a massive old Soviet signals intelligence facility in Cuba, near Havana. This facility had been the Soviet Unions largest foreign signals intelligence station in the world, with aerials and antennae pointed at Florida shores just 100 miles away. Soviet records reveal that Moscow obtained valuable information from U.S. military bases in Florida. Russia may well still be trying to try to eavesdrop on U.S. targets today from Cuba, although the U.S. government is doubtless alert to such efforts and is likely undertaking countermeasures. Cuban intelligence today is also collaborating with China, which reportedly plans to open its own eavesdropping station in Cuba. Beijing has significant influence over Cuba as its largest creditor and, following in Soviet footsteps, views the island as a valuable intelligence collection base and a bridgehead the KGBs old code name for Cuba for influence in Latin America. If Rocha is proved guilty, how would he rank historically among other spies? It remains to be seen what damage Rocha may have done while allegedly working as a Cuban spy. His tenure in the U.S. government, however, would place him right up there with the most successful, and thus damaging, spies in modern history. The longest-running Soviet foreign intelligence agent in Britain, Melita Norwood, spied for the KGB for four decades. When she was exposed in 1999, the unrepentant 87-year-old great-grandmother was quickly dubbed the great granny spy in the British tabloid press. In the United States, the highest Soviet penetration of the executive branch was probably Lauchlin Currie, who was President Franklin Roosevelts White House assistant during World War II. Records obtained after the Soviet Unions collapse reveal that Currie acted as a Soviet agent. The greatest damage to U.S. national security, however, was done in the 1980s and 1990s by Aldrich Ames at the CIA and Robert Hanssen at the FBI. Each man betrayed a wealth of secrets, including U.S. intelligence operations. The information that Ames stole for the Soviets led to the arrest and execution of Soviet agents working for U.S. intelligence behind the Iron Curtain. In due course, we will find out whether Rocha occupies a place of similar ignominy in U.S. history. 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: Calder Walton, Harvard Kennedy School Read more: Calder Walton 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. By Michael Martina WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. congressional committee on China has asked leading research university Georgia Institute of Technology to detail its collaboration with a Chinese university facing U.S. government restrictions due to its alleged ties to the country's military. Georgia Tech partnered with China's northeastern Tianjin University on cutting edge technologies despite its documented ties to the People's Liberation Army (PLA), John Moolenaar, the new Republican chairman of the House of Representatives' select committee on China, wrote in a letter on Thursday to the U.S. school's president Angel Cabrera. But the Georgia Tech scientist who led the project defended the research, saying all the results were available to the public, that it had passed extensive legal reviews, and that only a small portion of the funding came from the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), which is heavily sponsored by the Pentagon. The letter noted that Tianjin University and numerous affiliates had been added in 2020 to the Commerce Department's export restrictions list for actions contrary to U.S. national security, including trade secret theft and research collaboration to advance China's military. "While Georgia Tech is now prohibited from exporting sensitive technologies to Tianjin University due to the Entity List's prohibitions, it has collaborated with Tianjin University and at least one other PLA-linked entity on developing sensitive technologies," Moolenaar said. The Tianjin research center is affiliated with a Chinese company with subsidiaries that supply the PLA, the letter said. A Georgia Tech press release from January said its researchers based in Atlanta and at the Tianjin International Center for Nanoparticles and Nanosysms had created the world's first functional semiconductor made from the nanomaterial, graphene, which it said could lead to a "paradigm shift" in electronics and yield faster computing. The U.S. and China, in the midst of an intense geopolitical and scientific rivalry, both view semiconductors as a strategic industry with civilian and military uses, including quantum computing and advanced weapons systems. A spokesperson from Georgia Tech said it welcomed the congressional inquiry, but that GTRI "does not have a collaboration, research partnerships, or provide any funding to Tianjin University." "We are continuously monitoring the evolving relationships between China and the United States and have implemented additional procedures and protocols to ensure security and maintain vigilance," Abbigail Tumpey, the spokesperson told Reuters in an email. In a published article, researchers credited financial support from GTRI, which counted the Defense Department and the U.S. military as customers for more than 90% of its research in fiscal year 2023, according to its latest annual report. Moolenaar said Georgia Tech's collaboration with Tianjin University raised questions about its entity list compliance, and asked Cabrera to thoroughly disclose all of its joint work. GTRI, Tianjin International Center for Nanoparticles and Nanosystems, and China's embassy in Washington did not respond immediately to Reuters' requests for comment. Walter de Heer, the Georgia Tech professor who directed the program, told Reuters that only one Atlanta-based student had derived funding from GTRI for "nonproprietary" research related to the collaboration, which involved reproducing samples made in Tianjin. He said deteriorating U.S.-China relations had derailed what had been a fruitful scientific endeavor with Chinese researchers. He said the research was still about a decade away from viable implementation, but that he had been unable to obtain U.S. government or private sector funding for follow-on research despite its promise. "Everything I'm doing is public domain and open source," De Heer said. The letter marks one of the first actions Moolenaar has taken as head of the bipartisan committee, a post he assumed in April after former Representative Mike Gallagher left Congress. No Democrats on the committee signed the letter. The U.S. Justice Department under the Biden administration ended a Trump-era program called the China Initiative intended to combat Chinese espionage and intellectual property theft, but which critics had said spurred racial profiling toward Asian Americans and chilled scientific research. Still, U.S. agencies and Congress have stepped up scrutiny of China's state-sponsored influence and technology transfers at American colleges and universities, concerned that Beijing uses open and federally funded research environments in the U.S. to circumvent export controls and other national security laws. Various congressional bodies have recommended stricter China-related measures be added to the Higher Education Act of 1965 that requires U.S. colleges and universities that receive federal funding to disclose foreign ownership, control, gifts and contracts. (Reporting by Michael Martina; Editing by Alistair Bell) US 'deeply troubled' by actions against protesters in Georgia Demonstrators hold a rally to protest against a bill on "foreign agents", in Tbilisi WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is deeply troubled by actions taken against those protesting a draft law in Georgia and the government should change its course, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Thursday. Georgian security forces have repeatedly deployed tear gas, pepper spray and water cannon against protesters who have been staging almost daily demonstrations for around a month against the government's "foreign agents" bill. The protesters say the bill is authoritarian and inspired by similar legislation in Russia that has been used to clamp down on dissent there. "We are deeply troubled by the actions taken against those protesting against the draft law," Miller said "We are aware of increased reports of harassment and physical assault of civil society and opposition activists and journalists. We condemn this and we call for a full independent and timely investigation." Miller said Washington had enjoyed a successful partnership with Georgia for more than 30 years and would like to continue that. "There is still time to work collaboratively with Georgia but the Georgian government needs to change course for that to be the case," he said Georgia's State Security Service on Wednesday accused the organizers of the protests of seeking to seize power through violence and warned against joining them. Six people were detained for public disorder at rallies against the bill, Russia's TASS state news agency reported on Thursday. Last week Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze rejected U.S. and EU criticism, saying opponents of the bill were unwilling to engage in a meaningful discussion. (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Chris Reese and Daniel Wallis) Desperately needed humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza will at least for the next few days remain sitting off the coast of Gaza on an American Navy cargo ship, as the US continues to face obstacles to getting the floating pier it has constructed in place and operational in the eastern Mediterranean. The pier and causeway, known as Joint Logistics Over the Shore or JLOTS, will ultimately be used by the US, its allies and aid groups to get aid into Gaza by sea from Cyprus. But the system had to be moved to the Port of Ashdod last week due to heavy seas, and it still hasnt left. Even when JLOTS becomes operational, the weather and sea conditions may severely limit the ability to use the floating pier. It can only be safely operated in conditions with a maximum of 3-foot waves and winds less than approximately 15 miles per hour, according to a 2006 Naval War College paper on the systems limitations. A prediction of sea conditions from Israels Marine Data Center shows waves are often at or near that 3-foot limit in the area. JLOTS operations, which must take both safety and throughput requirements into account, must often wait for favorable weather and sea state conditions, the authors wrote. A defense official confirmed to CNN that the limitations on the pier system are accurate. The bottom line heavy seas do have an effect on the ability to execute the JLOTS mission, the official said. If winds or waves are stronger, loading and unloading using the JLOTS pier becomes dangerous. Another potentially complicating factor is how Israel decides to proceed with its operation in Rafah, in southern Gaza, US officials said. A major Israeli offensive there could raise additional security concerns and impact the timing of when the pier and causeway are staged in the eastern Mediterranean. The planned staging area for the aid once it reaches Gaza has been hit by mortar and rocket fire at least twice in the last several weeks, CNN has reported. The US is still aiming to move the system into place and begin the operation in the coming days, a Pentagon spokesperson told CNN on Thursday. For now, a massive barge called the M/V Sagamore that will be used to deliver the initial pallets of humanitarian aid from Cyprus to the pier has begun to move the supplies to another ship currently off the coast of Gaza, called the M/V Roy P. Benavidez. The Benavidez, contracted by the US military, has been in the eastern Mediterranean since last month supporting the maritime corridor effort. Finalizing plans to transport aid to shore The US is also still working to finalize plans about who will actually transport humanitarian aid from the pier to the shore in Gaza, according to multiple US officials familiar with the matter. The UK had initially offered to provide personnel to help drive aid trucks from the US military-built causeway off the coast of Gaza to the shore, where it would be picked up by UN personnel overseen by the World Food Programme, officials said. But the British recently withdrew that offer amid security concerns, the sources said. The US, meanwhile, has ruled out using its own troops to drive the aid to the beach, because the Biden administration does not want American personnel getting that close to Gaza, officials have said. A UK government spokesperson said that the UK does not currently have plans to deploy Armed Forces personnel onto Gazan soil as part of this initiative, but we are working closely with the US, Cyprus, and other allies to ensure aid can be quickly delivered over the pier once it is fully installed. Another diplomatic source familiar with the discussions confirmed that there had been conversations in which the UK had offered to drive the aid down the causeway to the pier, as part of a host of contingency plans that had been developed. But for now there are no plans for the UK to be involved in that way, the source added The most likely scenario is an as yet undecided third party. Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters on Thursday that non-US civilian contractors will be driving those vehicles on the causeway onto the beach. One plan being discussed is for Israeli contractors to transport the aid, the officials and another source familiar with the matter told CNN. But that could also change and is not finalized, despite the Pentagon predicting that the pier will be up and running in the next several days. The Israel Defense Forces have agreed to provide a wide security perimeter around the pier system and the aid operation. That has made some humanitarian groups and UN officials uneasy given the IDFs history of targeting aid convoys and the perception that they are working under the IDFs control, CNN previously reported. But the plan is for the IDF to remain at a relative distance as the aid is transported and offloaded onto the beach in Gaza, officials told CNN. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, in Warsaw By Jonathan Landay and Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON (Reuters) - It was "unacceptable" that the U.S. decision to withhold some weapons from Israel became public while the two governments still were discussing Israel's planned offensive into the Gaza city of Rafah, the Israeli envoy to Washington said on Thursday. The U.S. pause on some arms supplies to Israel "sends the wrong message to Hamas and to our enemies in the region," Israeli Ambassador Michael Herzog told a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace webinar a day after U.S. President Joe Biden warned Israel for the first time that Washington would withhold weapons if Israeli forces launch a major offensive into Rafah. Biden's comments in a CNN interview were his strongest public warning to date in his effort to deter an Israeli assault on Rafah. They underscored a growing rift between the U.S. and its strongest ally in the Middle East. Billions of dollars worth of U.S. weaponry remains in the pipeline for Israel, despite the delay of one shipment of bombs and a review of others because of U.S. concerns their use in Rafah could wreak more devastation on Palestinian civilians. The U.S. has said it has not seen an Israeli plan to protect the estimated 1.4 million Palestinian civilians in Rafah, most of them displaced by fighting from other parts of the devastated Gaza Strip. Herzog said Israeli officials had been discussing a Rafah operation for weeks with U.S. officials "and we told them point blank that we're not going to move automatically into the urban area without first developing a plan for the population and implementing" that plan. "We told the administration that what we are going to do is not time based, it is conditions based and we showed them our plans," he continued. "I think its unfortunate that before we completed this discussion...things went out in public in the sense that, you know, 'Don't do Rafah and if you do we withhold certain weapons," Herzog said. "I might say as well it is unacceptable." Israel launched its offensive in Gaza following the Oct. 7 onslaught into Israel by Hamas fighters who killed some 1,200 people and took 252 hostages back into the seaside enclave. Israel's assault has killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians and wounded nearly 80,000, most of them civilians, Hamas-ruled Gaza's health ministry says. Herzog said the U.S. decision to withhold some weapons "puts us in a corner because we have to deal with Rafah one way or the other." To achieve its goal of destroying Hamas as a military and political force and eliminate its threat, Israel must defeat four battalions of Hamas fighters deployed in Rafah, he said. "I don't believe we can complete the job of defeating Hamas in Gaza without addressing this question," Herzog said. (Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Arshad Mohammed; Editing by David Gregorio) By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson wakes up on Thursday having survived an attempt to push him out, but he still faces an uncertain future as leader of a Republican caucus locked in civil war. Johnson was a little-known member of the House of Representatives until October, when he emerged from the bruising leadership fight that followed his predecessor's ouster in the powerful role of top Republican in Congress and second in line to the presidency behind the vice president. He survived an attempt by hardline Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene on Wednesday to remove him as speaker, with the support of most of his party's 217-213 House majority and from Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Many Democrats also voted for Johnson to avoid a replay of October's chaos. Since winning the speaker's gavel, Johnson has dropped the narrow views of a relatively untried congressman from northwest Louisiana, serving his fourth term in the House, and embraced the political realities of national leadership. That evolution has angered enough party hardliners to seriously diminish his chances of remaining Republican House leader next year, regardless of whether the party holds its majority in the Nov. 5 election. "I'm proud to serve in this position. It's not one that I aspired to. It's not one that I ever expected to have or planned for," Johnson said after Wednesday's vote. "But it is the honor of my life and career to do this, and I will do it so long as this body will have me do that." When he won the speaker's gavel last October, the 52-year-old was viewed as a likeable but inexperienced candidate with no political enemies, who opposed U.S. aid to Ukraine, favored strict border restrictions and brought a strong Christian conservative record to culture war issues such as abortion. He had also played a leading role in House Republican objections to 2020 presidential election results following Trump's false claims that he lost to Democratic President Joe Biden because of voter fraud. Those claims, and the support they drew from Republicans in Congress, led to the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. 'THAT'S WHAT LEADERS DO' As speaker, Johnson has come to rely on Democrats to help him avoid government shutdowns, safeguard U.S. efforts against terrorism, aid Ukraine's struggle against Russian invasion - and now, save his job. "He learned there was another side of the story. That's what leaders do. They're not dug in on their positions," said Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican centrist from Pennsylvania. Johnson spent hours in closed-door meetings this week listening to demands from Greene and her hardline ally Representative Thomas Massie, and later told reporters that the meetings were part of his open-door strategy to keep the Republican conference together by spending "endless hours" talking to members. "It takes a lot of time. This is why I don't get enough sleep these days," Johnson said. "You have to quite literally get everyone to work together," he added. "I take Marjorie's ideas and Thomas' and everybody else's, and we assess them on their own value." Johnson's performance on spending bills and aid to U.S. allies has won him positive reviews from Republicans as well as some Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Some Republicans say his stature as a party leader has been undercut by support from Democrats, who relished the chance last year to eject former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was known for his fundraising prowess and political acumen. "He's a better speaker for them than some of the other options, not because he's willing to work with them, but because you can outflank him," said one House Republican who spoke on condition of anonymity. This Republican lawmaker, who voted to protect Johnson's job this week, said Democrats view Johnson's underlying conservative credentials as a plus for November - a point underscored by progressive Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. "Mike Johnson is still a dangerous leader who seeks to strip abortion rights and who also supported overturning the election and setting the stage for Jan. 6," she told reporters. (Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Scott Malone and Leslie Adler) When researching a stock for investment, what can tell us that the company is in decline? Businesses in decline often have two underlying trends, firstly, a declining return on capital employed (ROCE) and a declining base of capital employed. Basically the company is earning less on its investments and it is also reducing its total assets. And from a first read, things don't look too good at Movado Group (NYSE:MOV), so let's see why. What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)? Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Movado Group: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.084 = US$55m (US$769m - US$113m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to January 2024). So, Movado Group has an ROCE of 8.4%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Luxury industry average of 12%. See our latest analysis for Movado Group roce Above you can see how the current ROCE for Movado Group 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 Movado Group . The Trend Of ROCE In terms of Movado Group's historical ROCE movements, the trend doesn't inspire confidence. About five years ago, returns on capital were 12%, however they're now substantially lower than that as we saw above. And on the capital employed front, the business is utilizing roughly the same amount of capital as it was back then. Companies that exhibit these attributes tend to not be shrinking, but they can be mature and facing pressure on their margins from competition. If these trends continue, we wouldn't expect Movado Group to turn into a multi-bagger. The Key Takeaway All in all, the lower returns from the same amount of capital employed aren't exactly signs of a compounding machine. And, the stock has remained flat over the last five years, so investors don't seem too impressed either. That being the case, unless the underlying trends revert to a more positive trajectory, we'd consider looking elsewhere. One more thing, we've spotted 2 warning signs facing Movado Group that you might find interesting. While Movado Group may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. US may ban chemical used to make decaf coffee, but there are alternatives: What to know Your morning (or evening) cup of coffee may see some slight changes if a proposed rule from the Food and Drug Administration is adopted. Regulators are considering a rule that would ban the use of methylene chloride, a solvent used to decaffeinate coffee beans. The liquid is used in multiple industries, including paint removal and manufacturing, and the CDC says exposure can cause drowsiness, dizziness, numbness and tingling limbs, and nausea. However, coffee consumers are exposed to an exceedingly low amount of the chemical. Currently, the FDA allows for concentrations of methylene chloride below 10 parts per million on the surface of decaffeinated beans. While some outlets have described the rule as a potential ban of decaffeinated coffee, only the solvent faces a ban from regulators. Here's what you need to know about the potential FDA decaf coffee rule: What's in the proposed rule change The rule under consideration would ban the use of four solvents from being used to wash or peel fruits and vegetables: Benzene Ethylene dichloride Methylene chloride Trichloroethylene The American Chemical Society says that the decaffeination process leaves methylene chloride, "well below the 10-ppm concentration allowed" due to the easily soluble nature of the chemical The rule change has been advocated for by the Environmental Defense Fund, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, the Center for Environmental Health and the Environmental Working Group. The petition was filed in January and public comment for it closed in March. People holding cups of coffee How is coffee decaffeinated with methylene chloride The decaffeination process that involves methylene chloride is called the European method, according to Food and Wine magazine. The method involves boiling unroasted beans and then submerging them in a solution that includes methylene chloride or similar solvents to extract the caffeine. The beans are rinsed of the solution, dried, then roasted. Are there other ways to decaffeinate coffee There are two ways to decaffeinate coffee without using methylene chloride. In the CO2 method, the beans are placed in water that is then pumped with carbon dioxide. The resulting sparkling water is drained and the now-decaf beans are roasted. In the Swiss water method, green coffee beans are soaked in hot water to release soluble compounds and caffeine. The water is then filtered through charcoal to remove the caffeine and create green coffee extract. The extract is then used to draw the caffeine from the next batch of beans which are then roasted. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is the US banning decaf? No, but a chemical to make it might go away US Navys submarine fleet is too small. Heres how selling some may help. This is the first story of a two-part series on how the U.S. submarine force is participating in the trilateral AUKUS alliance. Click here to read the second story. ABOARD THE SUBMARINE DELAWARE OFF FLORIDAS COAST The attack submarine Delaware silently pulled away from the pier at Port Everglades, past the pleasure craft and the cargo ships, and then sank beneath the waves. The U.S. Navys Virginia-class submarine was showing off for VIPs on board, performing angles and dangles diving sharply and listening for anything not safely stowed to go tumbling piping simulated targets into its combat system, and taking simulated torpedo shots at the imaginary surface ships. Though the April 4 demonstration is a far cry from the complex training Delawares crew will conduct later this year ahead of the boats deployment to U.S. European Commands theater, leaders said any at-sea opportunity benefits the crew. But the need for at-sea time butts up against a problematic reality for the Navy: It has 49 attack submarines, despite a formal requirement for 66. The fleet size has remained stagnant for at least a decade, even as demand for these stealthy forces increased. Attack submarines would be pivotal in a conflict against China. Theyre also in high demand within the European theater in order to counter Russias sophisticated submarine fleet. And theyve even made history in the Middle East, with the Virginia-class sub John Warner becoming the first in its class to fire Tomahawk missiles in combat during a 2018 strike on Syrian chemical weapons facilities. The situation will worsen before it improves, according to the Navys long-range shipbuilding and fleet inventory plan, which shows the force dipping to 47 later this decade before hovering in the mid-50s for many years. The fleet isnt projected to hit 66 until 2054, well beyond the decade of concern when military officials say the threat of conflict with China will peak. Furthermore, the U.S. Navy intends to sell at least three, and as many as five, of these attack submarines to Australia as part of the trilateral AUKUS pact that also involves the U.K. From left, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hold a news conference during the AUKUS summit on March 13, 2023, at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego Calif. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images) Still, Vice Adm. Rob Gaucher said that, perhaps counterintuitively, selling the submarines to Australia will help the strapped undersea fleet. By delivering the boats to an ally who will operate them in coordination with American boats, we get more submarines far forward. We get a port that gives us access to the Indo-Pacific region, the commander of naval submarine forces said during a panel at the Sea-Air-Space conference in April. We get the opportunity to leverage an ally who can help us with manning and operating. We get surge capacity because now I have another area [where] I can do maintenance. Crewing and maintenance woes Gaucher told Defense News the submarine fleet faces two vexing problems today and into the coming years: crewing and maintenance. But bringing Australia into the fold could help with both. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the submarine force stepped back from recruiting. More broadly, as the Navys overall crewing levels have been tight, the force opted to focus on operations at sea rather than recruiting ashore. Weve put a focus back on that, Gaucher said, though he declined to discuss the size of the submarine force and to quantify its shortfall. But already we feel the impact of that recruiting shortfall. Offsetting that will be Australias growing nuclear-trained submarine force, as the nation builds a cadre of sailors and officers who will crew its Virginia-class submarines in the 2030s and its SSN-AUKUS boats in the 2040s. The U.S. has already graduated the first Australian naval officers from nuclear power school. Gaucher said during the panel discussion that, by the end of this year, the Navy would graduate about 50 nuclear-trained operators and another 50 submarine combat operators. Those numbers are expected to grow in the coming years. Gaucher told Defense News these sailors will train on American submarines for the rest of this decade, increasing the number of individuals qualified to stand watch on American boats, which in turn produces some flexibility in crewing. The U.S. Virginia-class submarine Delaware arrives in Torshavn on June 26, 2023, for a scheduled port visit, marking the first time a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine has moored in the Faroe Islands. (Cmdr. Michael N. Mowry/U.S. Navy) Similarly, the submarine force is strapped for maintenance capacity. Getting boats out of maintenance on time is Gauchers top focus, but its an issue across the Navy and wont be fully achieved until perhaps 2027 or 2028, service officials have said. However, around 2027 the Navy will begin operating as many as four Virginia-class subs out of the HMAS Stirling submarine base in Western Australia, with local personnel conducting routine maintenance on the boats as they grow their repair capacity. That will reduce pressure on the maintenance system back at home, Gaucher said. Bryan Clark, director of the Hudson Institute think tanks Center for Defense Concepts and Technology, told Defense News that offloading four subs worth of routine maintenance to HMAS Stirling will ease the pressure on the Navys Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Washington state, allowing the workforce there to more quickly get other subs through refits and overhauls. While there are typically concerns about sending surface ship repair work overseas, Clark said the Navy and its industry partners, General Dynamics Electric Boat and HIIs Newport News Shipbuilding, simply do not have enough capacity for all the needed submarine repairs. A 50-sub force in a 66-sub world A 2016 Navy force structure assessment called for 66 attack submarines. That requirement has remained steady since and the fleet size has also remained steady around 50, despite a number of efforts meant to help grow it, including extending the lives of older Los Angeles-class attack subs and pouring billions of dollars into the submarine-building industry to increase output. With 50 boats, were able to realistically meet what weve traditionally met in our global force management, Gaucher said. But if you ask me if I want more submarines, of course. And theres never going to be enough. Today, it takes everything going right a submarine coming out of maintenance on time and not unexpectedly having to surge forward for an overseas mission for a submarine crew to get the desired number of training days. But, Gaucher said, if you throw a perturbation into that thats where you have to make those trades. Currently, some submarines are on routine deployments for which they fully planned, trained and certified. Other boats are considered combat surge ready and are eligible to scramble into theater if needed. These boats are trained and certified to a smaller number of core missions, but may not qualify for the full range of tasks a routine deployment could require. The Los Angeles-class submarine Topeka undocks on schedule at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Hawaii. (Dave Amodo/U.S. Navy) A larger fleet would mean more boats on routine deployments and fewer scrambling to surge. It would mean satisfying more requests by combatant commanders and having more boats already forward in theater rather than the surge boats at home taking perhaps a week to prepare for deployment before traveling. It would also allow the boats at home to further develop tactics as well as train alongside surface, aviation and special operations forces, rather than potentially surging forward for an overseas mission. Theres just really countless things you can do if you have more, Gaucher said. But we can still get the core things done. ... So we pick the best things for those submarines to do that best satisfy what the combatant commanders need us to do. Clark, however, said his team at Hudson is wrapping up a 2045 fleet design study for the Navy that will call for 54 attack submarines. The study will contend the service needs a larger fleet of attack submarines to address the most vexing operational problem: a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan. But increased development of unmanned systems, including the Replicator initiative at the Pentagon and the Hellscape effort through U.S. Pacific Fleet, could help deter or stop an attack, as well as reduce the need for crewed attack submarines. If youre aiming for [54] submarines in 2045, then you can get away with selling three to Australia, and the net benefit is positive because youre bolstering the alliance, Clark said. Three submarines, now somebody else is paying for the maintenance, manning them, sustaining them, and the U.S. benefits from them being out there as part of the alliance force. Continuously ready The top officer on the attack sub Delaware, Cmdr. Rob Low, said having an in-demand asset as part of an insufficiently sized fleet weighs on him. Speaking to Defense News during the April embark, Low said the deployment rotation is the same today as it was when he was a junior officer, but that submarines are more often called to surge. As a result, theres now a greater need to be a lot more focused on making sure were continuously ready. Sailors and Marines of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group return home following an extended deployment in the Middle East. (MC2 Anderson W. Branch/U.S. Navy) We all know that theres not a lot of backup if we have a problem. So we really pride ourselves on making sure were material-ready to be in mission at any moment, he said. And the second we have something thats minor break on board, we immediately go into repair mode to make sure that the second we pull [into port in Groton, Connecticut], its not going to impact us in our ability to get deployed if we needed to at any moment. This hyperfocus on readiness extends to the crew. Low said crew members have been receptive to cross-training, even teaching the nuclear-trained operators to stand watch at the sonar or fire control console in the control room so that if I end up having a shortage in one rate, I can move people around and continue to operate without any problems. Low said he has trained his junior sailors to the maximum qualification point allowed, with junior sailors sometimes standing watches that are normally reserved for chief petty officers. This allows the chiefs to focus on mentoring and developing junior sailors, even as the watch bills are still filled with fully qualified personnel. Low also noted he empowered his senior enlisted sailors to have ownership of material and run the subs machinery with little oversight from officers. This frees up his officers to focus on tactics, which Low said is vital given the strategic competition the U.S. Navy is in with Russia and China. In the immediate term, Low is focused on getting his boat ready for deployment: He and the crew will continue training at sea, come in for two remaining maintenance periods, go through full training and qualifications, and then head to European waters later this year. But the operating environment and the risk of a surge deployment remain on his mind. We have to be ready, he said. Three weeks from now, we can be sent to someplace, and we have to be completely ready. This is the first story of a two-part series on how the U.S. submarine force is participating in the trilateral AUKUS alliance. Click here to read the second story. US pauses weapons shipment to Israel as assault on Rafah steps up US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks at the final press conference. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said earlier in the day during testimony in Congress that "one shipment of high-payload munitions" had been halted, confirming reports in US media. Hours later, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller called into question other deliveries. Uwe Anspach/dpa The United States has paused a large shipment of weapons to Israel, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday, amid ongoing concerns in Washington about Israeli military operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. "We're going to continue to do what's necessary to support Israel," Austin said, calling Washington's security commitment "ironclad." However, he said that "one shipment of high-payload munitions" had been halted, publicly confirming reports this week in US media, and that other pending near-term assistance was being assessed. Across Washington, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller also called into question other deliveries. "We have paused one shipment of near-term assistance and we are reviewing others," Miller told reporters. He refused to comment on the type of military aid and the length of the interruption. "I don't have a time frame to offer you but we have always made clear that our policy determinations are depending on Israel's policy determinations," he said. Miller said it had been clearly communicated that the US government did not support Israel's long-threatened all-out offensive in Rafah, the southern city in the Gaza Strip that is seen as the last place of refuge for civilians. He said the Israeli side has yet to present a credible plan that guarantees both the protection of the civilian population in Rafah and their access to humanitarian supplies. Israel describes Rafah as the last major Hamas stronghold in Gaza. Meanwhile US President Joe Biden threatened Israel with further restrictions on the supply of military equipment were it to carry out a major military offensive in Rafah. "I made it clear that if they [Israel] go into Rafah... I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities," Biden told broadcaster CNN in an interview, stressing "they haven't gone in Rafah yet." "They haven't gone into the population centres. What they did is right on the border," Biden told CNN's Erin Burnett in an exclusive interview on "Erin Burnett OutFront," broadcast on Wednesday evening. Biden said that he "made it clear" to Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet "they are not gonna get our support if, in fact, they go into these population centres." "We're not walking away from Israel's security. We're walking away from Israel's ability to wage war in those areas," Biden told Burnett. "We're going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently," he said. "But it's, it's just wrong... we're not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells." On the ground on Wednesday, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas said they had fired at Israel's Kerem Shalom border crossing - the third time within a few days that al-Qassam Brigades has done so. The important border crossing for the delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip had only just been reopened on Wednesday after being closed to humanitarian transports on Sunday following a rocket attack by Hamas that killed four Israeli soldiers. Despite the Israeli announcement that Kerem Shalom was open, no aid had been delivered to the Gaza Strip by Wednesday evening, according to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric in New York. He did not respond in detail to questions about what was holding up the deliveries. No aid had reached the Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing either, where fuel in particular is urgently needed, he said. Meanwhile the top US intelligence officer was in Israel to try to get a deal with the government there. CIA chief William Burns spoke with Netanyahu in a meeting attended by Burns' Israeli counterpart, head of Mossad David Barnea, Israeli media reported. Burns is on a whirlwind shuttle diplomacy mission, travelling between Egypt, Qatar and Israel to try to get Hamas to release the hostages it has from Israel in exchange for Israel releasing Palestinian prisoners in its custody. In Gaza, at least 36 Palestinians have been killed within 24 hours in Israeli attacks and fighting in Rafah, the Kuwait Hospital in Rafah said on Wednesday. These included children who were killed in an airstrike on their home. The Israeli army had reported that Hamas terrorists had been killed in various battles in Rafah. The Hamas-controlled health authority spoke of 55 deaths within 24 hours in the entire Gaza Strip. Since the beginning of the war, 34,844 people have been killed in the coastal strip. The figures cannot be independently verified, but are viewed as largely credible by the UN and human rights organizations. According to witness reports, fierce Israeli attacks in Rafah continued on Wednesday. Numerous people continued to flee northwards from the city on the border with Egypt. A central road on the Mediterranean was overcrowded with refugees, witnesses reported. The Palestinian territory has been the target of a massive Israeli air and ground offensive since the October 7 attacks led by Hamas, which killed 1,200 in southern Israel. Hamas took more than 200 people hostage, some of whom have been released. It is unclear how many of the remaining hostages are still alive. A US Army sergeant who was arrested in Russia last week was going through a divorce at the time he travelled without authorisation to follow a new girlfriend to Russia, where the woman later accused him of theft, leading to his arrest. The revelation, based on comments from Gordon Blacks family to the Washington Post, helps fill in the details of the evolving international incident. Mr Black, 34, was supposed to be on leave from the Army and returning to Fort Cavazos, in Texas, but instead travelled to the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok last month to follow a woman named Alexandra Vashchuk. According to Radio Free Europe reporter Mark Krutov, who tracked the couples relationship using social media, the pair appear to have met in South Korea, where Mr Black was stationed. On TikTok, Ms Vashchuck had referred to Mr Black affectionately as her husband and her pindos, a slur for American. Later videos appear to show Mr Black speaking about political topics like Joe Biden and Russian-American relations. Mr Black then allegedly travelled to Russia without notifying his military supervisors or Ms Vashchuck. I came home, and there was this pindos, she says in one social media video. Thats funny. Who are you? Who are you, man? Once the pair were in Russia, Ms Vashchuck then reported the AWOL Army sergeant for allegedly beating her and stealing around $2,000 from her, according to Russian media. US officials say theyre aware of the case and offering all possible assistance. 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, the US embassy in Russia told The Independent. We have no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas, a State Department spokesperson added. When a U.S. citizen is detained abroad, consular officers seek to aid him or her with all appropriate assistance. A number of Americans have been arrested in Russia in recent years, on what US officials call exaggerated charges meant to use American citizens as bargaining chips. WNBA star Brittney Griner was held in a Russian prison on drug charges for nearly a year in 2022, while Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich remains incarcerated in the country, on espionage charges he, his employ, and the US government claim are unfounded. The Russian Foreign Ministry has claimed Mr Blacks arrest has nothing to do with politics, according to the TASS state news agency. This case has no relation to politics or espionage. As far as we understand, a household crime [is suspected] in this case. That is why the Russian Foreign Ministrys mission in Vladivostok is not following the case of the US citizen closely, the mission said. Martha McHardy contributed reporting to this story. By John Kruzel WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday reinforced the power of law enforcement authorities to retain seized property belonging to people not charged with a crime, ruling in favor of Alabama officials who were sued by two women whose cars were held for more than a year. In a 6-3 ruling powered by its conservative majority, the justices affirmed a lower court's dismissal of the lawsuits by the two plaintiffs, who were denied prompt hearings to reclaim vehicles seized by police in crimes committed by other people. The three liberal justices in a dissent called the majority's reasoning "deeply flawed," and a libertarian legal group called the ruling a major blow to private property rights. The case involved the legal process that innocent property owners are due under the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment. At issue was whether preliminary hearings - opportunities that may allow owners to regain their property more quickly than a different process known as a forfeiture hearing - are necessary to fulfill constitutional due process requirements. Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing for the majority, said preliminary hearings, also known as retention hearings, are not legally required. "In civil forfeiture cases involving personal property such as cars," Kavanaugh wrote, "the (Constitution's) Due Process Clause requires a timely forfeiture hearing but does not require a preliminary hearing." Civil forfeiture laws permit the federal and state governments to seize and often permanently keep vehicles, real estate and other property alleged to have been used to carry out or facilitate a crime - even when the owner has not been convicted or even charged with a criminal offense. Some state laws require government officials to promptly show that seized property is likely involved in illegal activity and, failing that, return the assets while court proceedings over the owner's ultimate right to the property play out. Alabama was previously among the U.S. states that did not mandate a prompt pretrial retention hearing in which the government must justify the property seizure, though the state revised its civil forfeiture law while the case was pending. Justice Sonia Sotomayor criticized the court's ruling in a dissent that was joined by fellow liberal Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. "The majority today holds that due process never requires the minimal check of a retention hearing before a police officer deprives an innocent owner of her car for months or years," Sotomayor wrote. Plaintiff Lena Sutton's vehicle was seized while it was being driven by a friend who borrowed it and was arrested for methamphetamine possession. Sutton's case was consolidated with that of a second plaintiff, Halima Culley, whose car was seized when her college-aged son was arrested for marijuana possession while driving it. Despite their pleas to law enforcement to return their property, Sutton had to wait 14 months and Culley 20 months before courts determined that their cars should be returned. The plaintiffs filed federal lawsuits arguing that the state government's failure to provide a prompt court hearing to let them try to reclaim their property violated the 14th Amendment's promise that government not "deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law." Federal judges ruled against the plaintiffs in their lawsuits. The Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed those decisions. President Joe Biden's administration sided with Alabama in the case. Kirby Thomas West, an attorney at the libertarian public interest law firm Institute for Justice, called Thursday's ruling "a big loss for private property rights" that would cause civil forfeiture cases to "languish for months or years before they are resolved." "Meanwhile owners of seized vehicles will scramble to find a way to get to work, take their kids to school, run errands and complete other essential life tasks," West said. (Reporting by John Kruzel; Editing by Will Dunham) FILE PHOTO: Smoke rises following Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah By James Mackenzie JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's announcement that he would withhold arms supplies if Israel went through with its assault of Rafah drew a defiant reaction on Wednesday alongside unease at the possible longer term fallout from the open clash with Israel's most vital ally. The warning came after months of increasingly urgent calls for restraint by officials from the administration, which has been paying a heavy political price for its continued support for Israel despite the mounting death toll in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would fight "with our fingernails" if necessary and his ministers united in defying the warning. Whether Biden's threat to withhold supplies of bombs and artillery shells is carried out, the ability of Israeli forces to operate in Rafah, the southern Gaza city where more than one million displaced Palestinians are sheltering, may not be immediately impacted. Israel's chief military spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said Israeli forces had sufficient ammunition for the Rafah operation and other planned operations. "When we speak about difficulties within the Israeli Defence Forces, it would be for the long range or the medium one," said Yaakov Amidror, a former army general and national security advisor to Netanyahu. "For war tomorrow in Gaza or war tomorrow in Lebanon, if that happens, that will not make any difference." The war, which began on Oct. 7 with a devastating assault on communities around Gaza by Hamas gunmen who killed some 1,200 people and abducted more than 250 hostages, has fired protests around the world as the death toll from Israeli campaign in Gaza has neared 35,000. With international pressure mounting on Israel to accept a ceasefire deal with Hamas, the political weight of a step that came after weeks of increasingly urgent appeals by the Biden administration for restraint was unmistakeable. U.S. officials had already confirmed that deliveries of some precision weapons had been held up as a sign of the increasing unhappiness of the Biden administration at Israel's refusal to hold back. Israeli media quoted officials as saying the push to call off the Rafah operation risked removing one of Israel's last remaining bargaining chips with Hamas, which still holds more than 130 Israelis hostages. LONGER TERM CONSEQUENCES With war brewing on the northern border with Lebanon, where Israeli forces have been exchanging fire with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia for months, the longer term consequences could be just as serious, said Michael Oren, a former Israeli ambassador to the United States. "My big fear is that the message now gets out that Israel is weak and Israel is vulnerable," he said. "And that message could be internalized by Hezbollah, by Iran and others." "And the (the United States) has this kind of regional war that it didn't want, and all because it broadcast deep divisions between Israel and the United States." Even though any halt to supplies over Rafah could be reversed if fighting blew up in other areas, the ammunition shortages suffered by Ukraine in its war with Russia in recent months underlined the potential problems caused by interruptions to regular supplies of ammunition reaching front line forces. Hezbollah's military strength vastly outweighs the forces of Hamas, with thousands of fighters and an arsenal of tens of thousands of missiles capable of hitting Israeli cities. Israel's own arms industry is formidable, boasting home grown assets like the Iron Dome missile defence system that has managed to shoot down most of the missiles fired by Hamas. But it is not capable of filling all of Israel's needs. "We have remarkable capabilities in Israel, in all fields but there are fields where, even if we were not dependent on the conditions of the American aid money, we would still have to buy weapons from another country," Avi Dadon, former head of the Defense Ministry's procurement and production branch, told Israeli radio. In the longer term, the Biden announcement could prompt Israeli governments to beef up the defence industry even further. "I don't see any substitute to the United States of America at the moment," Amidror said. "It is clear for us that we are going to invest a lot of money to be in a better position to produce for ourselves in the future what we need." (Additional reporting by Christophe Van Der Perre, Emily Rose and Maytaal Angel; Editing by Daniel Wallis) By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Mohammad Salem and Jarrett Renshaw CAIRO/RAFAH, Gaza Strip/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Israeli forces bombarded areas of Rafah on Thursday, Palestinian residents said, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed U.S. President Joe Biden's threat to withhold weapons from Israel if it assaults the southern Gaza city. A senior Israeli official said late on Thursday that the latest round of indirect negotiations in Cairo to halt hostilities in Gaza had ended and Israel would proceed with its operation in Rafah and other parts of the Gaza Strip as planned. Israel has submitted to mediators its reservations about a Hamas proposal for a hostage release deal, the official said. "If we must, we shall fight with our fingernails," Netanyahu said in a video statement. "But we have much more than our fingernails." In Gaza, Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad said their fighters fired anti-tank rockets and mortars at Israeli tanks massed on the eastern outskirts of the city. Residents and medics in Rafah, the biggest urban area in Gaza not yet overrun by Israeli ground forces, said an Israeli attack near a mosque killed at least three people and wounded others in the eastern Brazil neighbourhood. Video footage from the scene showed the minaret lying in the rubble and two bodies wrapped in blankets. An Israeli air strike on two houses in the Sabra neighbourhood of Rafah killed at least 12 people including women and children. Among the dead was a senior commander of the militant Al-Mujahedeen Brigades, and his family, and the family of another group leader, medics, relatives and the group said. Israel says Hamas militants are hiding in Rafah, where the population has been swelled by hundreds of thousands of Gazans seeking refuge from the bombardments that have reduced most of the coastal enclave to ruins. In the United States, the White House repeated its hope that Israel would not launch a full operation in Rafah, saying it did not believe that would advance Israel's aim of defeating Hamas. "Smashing into Rafah, in [President Biden's] view, will not advance that objective," spokesperson John Kirby said. Kirby said Hamas had been pressured significantly by Israel and there were better options to hunt down what remains of the group's leadership than an operation with significant risk to civilians. Israel's assault on Gaza has killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians and wounded nearly 80,000, most of them civilians, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said. It launched its offensive in response to a cross-border attack by Hamas militants on Israel on Oct. 7 in which they killed about 1,200 people and abducted 252. Some 128 hostages remain in Gaza and 36 have been declared dead, according to the latest Israeli figures. Biden on Wednesday issued his starkest warning yet against a full ground invasion in Rafah, telling CNN that: "I made it clear that if they go into Rafah...I'm not supplying the weapons." Israel's ambassador to the United States said the decision to withhold weapons from Israel over Rafah sends the "wrong message" to Hamas and the country's foes. "It puts us in a corner because we have to deal with Rafah one way or the other," Ambassador Michael Herzog told a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace webinar. The Israeli military has the munitions it requires for operations in Rafah and other planned operations, chief armed forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said. Israeli armed forces have already killed 50 Palestinian gunmen in east Rafah and uncovered several tunnels, Hagari said. Hamas had no immediate comment. TALKS END In Cairo, delegations from Hamas, Israel, the U.S., Egypt and Qatar had been meeting since Tuesday. The talks in Egypt's capital made some headway but no deal was reached, according to two Egyptian security sources. Izzat El-Risheq, a member of Hamas' political office in Qatar, said the Hamas delegation had left Cairo, having reaffirmed its approval of the mediators' ceasefire proposal. The plan entails the release of Israeli hostages held captive in Gaza and a number of Palestinians jailed by Israel. Hamas blames Israel for the lack of agreement, and its Al-Aqsa TV's Telegram account said the group would not make any concessions beyond those in the proposal it had accepted. Israel has said it is open to a truce, but has rejected demands for an end to the war. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Washington continued to engage with Israel on amendments to a ceasefire proposal, adding work to finalize the text of an agreement was "incredibly difficult". MEDICAL SECTOR COLLAPSING Israeli residents set fire twice to the perimeter of the headquarters of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in East Jerusalem, causing extensive damage to the outdoor areas but no casualties, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X. There was no immediate comment from Israeli police. "Once again, the lives of U.N. staff were at a serious risk," Lazzarini wrote, adding he had decided to close the compound until security is restored. On Tuesday, Israeli tanks seized the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, cutting off a vital aid route and forcing 80,000 people to flee the city this week, according to the United Nations. Israel kept up tank and aerial strikes across Gaza and tanks advanced in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City in the north, forcing hundreds of families to flee, residents said. The Israeli military said it was securing Zeitoun, starting with a series of intelligence-based aerial strikes on approximately 25 militant targets. Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza was packed with people who had fled Rafah in recent days. Palestinian medics said two people, including a woman, were killed when a drone fired a missile at a group of people there. The closure of the Rafah crossing with Egypt has prevented the evacuation of the wounded and sick and the entry of medical supplies, food trucks and fuel needed to operate hospitals, the Gaza health ministry said on Thursday. The only kidney dialysis centre in the Rafah area had stopped operating due to the shelling. "The entire medical sector has collapsed," said Ali Abu Khurma, a Jordanian surgeon volunteering at Al Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah. United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths said that for three consecutive days, "nothing and no one has been allowed in or out of Gaza." "It means no aid. Our supplies are stuck. Our teams are stuck. Civilians in Gaza are being starved and killed, and we are prevented from helping them. This is Gaza today, even after 7 months of horrors," Griffiths posted on X. (Additional reporting by Maytaal Angel in JERUSALEM, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan in CAIRO, Doaa Rouqa in GAZA and other Reuters bureaux; Writing by Ros Russell, Alexandra Hudson and Deepa Babington, Editing by Philippa Fletcher and Angus MacSwan) The United States is working on preparing a new package of defence assistance for Ukraine within the funding provided to Kyiv. Source: State Department spokesman Matthew Miller at a briefing, as reported by European Pravda Miller said that the United States plans to return to the pace of providing assistance to Ukraine that Washington adhered to before the funding pause. "We are working on other packages. I think you can expect us get back to the kind of tempo we were at before we had this break in funding," he noted, without specifying when the president's administration may announce this assistance. The day before, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that it is too early to talk about the effect on the battlefield of the funding provided to Ukraine, and time is needed for Kyiv to utilise some of the capabilities allocated. Background: On 24 April, US President Joe Biden signed legislation enacted by Congress that will provide about US$61 billion in additional military and economic aid to Ukraine, as well as support to other US allies. Earlier, the US had expressed hope that new US military aid unblocked by Congress would over time help the Armed Forces of Ukraine to regain the initiative on the battlefield, but a large-scale Ukrainian offensive is unlikely in the near future. In addition, according to the New York Times, the US considers a collapse of Ukraine's defences unlikely. Support UP or become our patron! (Bloomberg) -- Elon Musks artificial intelligence startup X.AI Corp. is set to close its funding round at a valuation of about $18 billion as soon as this week, according to people familiar with the matter. Most Read from Bloomberg The size of the round hasnt been finalized, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information isnt public. The maker of AI chatbot assistant Grok was set to raise $6 billion in the round, whose participants include Sequoia Capital, Bloomberg News has reported. Deliberations are ongoing and details such as the valuation and timing could still change, the people said. Representatives for Musks social network X, formerly known as Twitter, didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. The funding round for the OpenAI rival was being marketed via a pitch deck highlighting potential selling points for investors, touting Musks track record at Tesla Inc. and SpaceX, and noting that xAI will be able to train on the high-quality data from X, a person familiar with the matter has said. Having access to data is crucial for building large language models, the technology that powers AI chatbots, an area where xAI aims to compete with other well-funded businesses such as OpenAI. --With assistance from Gillian Tan and Kurt Wagner. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. USC's faculty senate Wednesday, citing academic freedom and free expression, censured university president Carol Folt and provost Andrew Guzman for their actions responding to pro-Palestinian protests. Photo by Allison Dinner/EPA-EFE May 9 (UPI) -- The University of Southern California faculty Senate, citing academic freedom and free expression, censured President Carol Folt and Provost Andrew Guzman for their response to pro-Palestinian protests. The faculty resolution agreed to on Wednesday endorsed a task force to investigate the administrators, saying the administrative actions they took issue with included "the ban of a professor from campus; cancellation of a valedictorian's address; cancellation of commencement activities; campus protests; and removal of protesters from campus." "Whereas academic freedom, open discourse, and the right of all to express their views are central values of the University; Whereas the faculty play a vital role in University governance, especially on matters related to academic freedom, open discourse, and free expression...the Academic Senate censures President Folt and Provost Guzman," the faculty Senate said in the resolution that was approved in a 21-7 vote with six abstentions. Folt said the situation at USC represented a "very humbling moment." "Provost Guzman and I welcome ongoing engagement with the newly created task force," Folt said in a statement. "For now, our focus is on celebrating the 19,000 graduates of the USC's Class of 2024." Guzman also said he was aware that their decisions "will leave people disappointed." "We are all doing our best to find a way through this moment," Guzman said. The university last month decided to cancel a commencement speech by Valedictorian Asna Tabassum, a pro-Palestinian Muslim. She was criticized by campus group Trojans for Israel after she called for "one Palestine state" through "Palestinian liberation and the complete abolishment of the state of Israel." Tabassum said she doubted the university's explanation that her speech was canceled on the basis of safety. "The point here is that the university preemptively made a decision not on the basis of safety but on the basis of potentially other factors that I think impedes on my freedom of expression," she told CNN. USC's May 10 commencement was canceled as pro-Palestinian protesters joined protests happening on at least 30 college campuses nationwide. Encampments were created by the protesters that disrupted campus life and led to administrators calling in police to clear the encampments, with at least 93 people arrested. "The administration's actions have been a tragedy of errors, all of them unforced," said USC professor Howard Rodman. "President Folt and Andrew Guzman have shown themselves incapable of ethical leadership, even as they flouted any notions of shared governance." UCLA's Legislative Assembly of the Academic Senate plans an emergency meeting Friday for consideration of censure proposals against Chancellor Gene Block. It's a faculty response to an attack on a pro-Palestinian student protest encampment by a mob purporting to be pro-Israel that in turn led to confrontations with police. Faculty at the University of Southern California voted to censure the universitys president and provost Wednesday, citing the leaderships poor handling of pro-Palestinian student protests and decision to effectively cancel commencement. The USC Academic Senate voted 21-7, with six abstentions, for censuring President Carol Folt and Provost Andrew Guzman. Faculty were specifically critical of leaderships decision to prevent valedictorian Asna Tabassum from speaking at the planned commencement ceremony, citing threats against her because of her pro-Palestinian views. Tabassum, who is Muslim, studied biomedical engineering and minored in genocide studies. Protesters on campus organized a pro-Palestinian encampment days after Tabassums speech was nixed, and the university then decided to cancel the main stage commencement ceremony altogether. Folt cited enhanced security needs for the event, which was expected to bring about 65,000 people to campus. Nearly 100 USC students were arrested by police over the encampment, part of a national movement of campus protests at more than 100 colleges and universities. More than 2,000 students have been arrested nationwide. USC ordered the Los Angeles Police Department to completely clear the protest encampment overnight Sunday morning. The occupiers repeatedly chose to ignore university policies designed to benefit everyone, and to break the law. We needed to act quickly to protect the rights of our 80,000 students, staff, and faculty. We are in the critical period from the end-of-term quiet study week, through finals and our commencement ceremonies, Folt wrote in a statement. Barnard College similarly voted against its leadership last month over its response to protests, taking a vote of no confidence after Columbia University ordered students arrested for a pro-Palestinian protest. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The University of Southern Californias Academic Senate, the body that represents the schools faculty, voted to censure President Carol Folt and Provost Andrew Guzman Wednesday over what they said was the mishandling of the issues leading up to the cancellation of commencement, according to multiple reports. The vote came after an hours-long meeting where members of the faculty criticized USCs president and provost over the decision to pull valedictorian Asna Tabassums speech from the commencement ceremony, a move that was followed by the cancelation of all commencement speakers and the main graduation ceremony itself. Members of USCs Academic Senate, according to the Los Angeles Times, were also reportedly upset with the posture of administrators toward pro-Palestinian demonstrators on school grounds, some 93 of whom were arrested by LAPD. Carol Folt, the University of Southern Californias 12th president, at a press conference held at Town and Gown at the University Park Campus in Los Angeles, on March 20, 2019.(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) The Academic Senates 21-7 vote for a resolution censuring Folt and Guzman cited widespread dissatisfaction and concern over the way the recent commencement related controversies were handled. The resolution also recognized the senates endorsement of immediately creating a task force to investigate campus events over the last several months related to the conflict in the Middle East and file a public report on the findings by mid-September. Provost Guzman and I welcome ongoing engagement with the newly created task force, Folt said in a statement to Annenberg Media. For now, our focus is on celebrating the 19,000 graduates of the USCs Class of 2024. A Trojan Family Graduate Celebration at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, an event scheduled in place of commencement, is set to take place May 9. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes is pictured on the first day of the legislative session at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Utahs Sean Reyes is one of 24 Republican attorneys general lobbying Congress to stop funding the United Nations agency that oversees humanitarian efforts for Palestinian refugees, calling the group terrorist-embedded. On Tuesday, the group penned a letter to U.S. House and Senate leadership urging them to stop funding antisemitic education efforts run by the United Nations body tied to terror organization Hamas, referring to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, also called UNRWA. President Trump cut funding to UNRWA that was only restored after President Biden took office. Just as with the crisis at the border, President Biden should recognize that it is time to adopt the right policy of his predecessor, the letter reads. UNRWA helps provide humanitarian aid, education, health care and social services for Palestinian refugees, operating in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. In January, the U.S. suspended funding for the agency following accusations that 12 UNRWA employees were involved in Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 the U.N. said those staffers had their contracts terminated and eight remain under investigation from the agencys internal oversight body, according to an April 26 news release. Six additional employees are being investigated for allegations that arose in March and April. Reyes and other attorneys general say that suspension should be indefinite unless UNRWA engages in serious and clear reform. While UNRWA has fired many employees for participating in the October 7 Hamas-led massacre, even the UN agrees there is more work to be done. Yet some countries have resumed funding UNRWA even before the upcoming report detailing that organizations antisemitism and deficiencies, the letter reads. The letter also calls out UNRWAs education efforts in the Gaza Strip, which according to U.N. data, serves 291,100 students in 183 schools. According to the attorneys general, those teaching materials helped radicalize Gazans before the October 7 massacre. The future leaders and would-be peacemakers in Gaza are instead having their educations poisoned by antisemitic staff and textbooks, the attorneys general write. In addition to Utah, attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming also signed the letter. Both Reyes and Utahs U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, also a Republican, have been critical of the U.S. governments financial ties to the U.N. In December, Lee introduced the DEFUND act, which would terminate the countrys U.N. membership, as well as ending U.S. participation in U.N. conventions and agreements. Name one thing youd miss if the U.S. stopped funding the UN altogether, Lee posted to X on Monday. Lees bill was referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in December, but has not been voted on. U.S. Reps. Brian Mast, a Florida Republican, and Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, also recently introduced a bill that would direct the U.S. Department of State to try to return American tax dollars that funded UNRWA. Since Hamas attack on Oct. 7, an estimated 34,262 Palestinians and 1,139 Israelis have been killed, according to the U.N. The post Utah AG Reyes pushing for Congress to cut ties with UN aid group in Gaza appeared first on Utah News Dispatch. The Theodore Roosevelt Building, location of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, on Feb. 13, 2024, in Washington. | Mark Schiefelbein Federal employees need to return to their offices, say Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, a Republican, and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat. Their new bill, dubbed the Back to Work Act of 2024, would limit remote work to no more than 40% of days within a federal employees pay period. Agencies would be required to monitor and report on telework activities, including the potential negative effects on productivity, morale, security vulnerabilities, or waste, fraud, or abuse. Federal employees play an important role in ensuring that the government works for the American people, and it is past time for them to get back into the office to do the work that our constituents expect from their government, Romney said in a statement. He described the bipartisan bill as requiring federal employees to work in the office for a majority of the time, while still allowing reasonable flexibility for telework. That includes waivers for some positions where telework is deemed needed to support agency needs. An issue for Romney and Manchin, who arent running for reelection, is a Government Accountability Office report issued last fall that found that 17 of 24 federal agency headquarters were at 25% capacity or less in the first 3 months of 2023. The GAO recommended that new benchmarks for building utilization be established that account for greater levels of telework. Romney said its been nearly a year since the nations COVID-19 public health emergency declaration ended yet most of our federal office buildings remain empty wasting millions of taxpayer dollars every day. Americans deserve to have a federal workforce that is both present and productive. Manchin said in a statement that federal employees have a unique obligation to connect with the citizens they serve, and exclusively remote work hinders this essential collaboration. Local businesses in West Virginia and across the country are also suffering from a lack of consumer traffic during the work days, which is negatively impacting our local economies. The 2023 annual government-wide survey conducted by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management found that nearly 70% of federal employees work remotely at least occasionally, according to an article last November in Federal Times, a news sources for federal workers and managers. In the same survey of more than 625,000 employees, about one-third said they dont work remotely at all, either because of technological limitations, in-office requirements or personal choice, Federal Times reported, noting that the split hadnt changed since the previous year despite pressures from Congress and the White House to step up in-office work. Employees and unions have pushed back. The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents some 750,000 federal and Washington, D.C., government workers, said in a recent issues paper that telework promotes healthier workers who do not endure as much burnout or use as much sick leave and can enjoy a more robust work-life balance. Asked about the new Romney-Manchin bill, a spokesperson for the union told the Deseret News, It would be a serious mistake for Congress to restrict telework. It would drive off talented employees and harm the services Americans expect from the federal government. For federal workers who hold jobs where it is appropriate, telework is a key tool for recruiting and retaining the best employees, despite generally inferior pay in the federal government, the spokesperson said, calling telework levels among federal employees comparable to the private sector. The spokesperson noted some 78% of federal workers do not usually telework, due to the nature of their jobs. Law enforcement agents, corrections officers, food safety inspectors, munitions workers, and transportation safety officers, for example, were unable to telework even in the darkest days of the pandemic. SALT LAKE CITY (KTVX) In the week since Utahs tip line to help enforce a controversial new bathroom law went live, its been flooded with thousands of fake complaints. As of yesterday, we had received over 10,000 bogus complaints via the online form, State Auditor John Dougall told Nexstar on Thursday. None appear to be legitimate. Dougalls office had posted an online complaint form in accordance with House Bill 275, which restricts transgender people from using state-owned bathrooms and changing rooms that dont align with their sex assigned at birth. (The bill does not apply to privately-owned facilities.) The form, posted last Wednesday, was created to alert state officials to possible violations of the law. The new rule took effect when Gov. Spencer Cox signed H.B. 257 into law on Jan. 30, though certain provisions in the legislation were delayed until last Wednesday to allow schools and other government entities to become compliant. Under the bill, school children are required to use public school restrooms that align with their birth gender. Sarah Huckabee Sanders orders state to ignore new Title IX rules On Twitter/X, users immediately began ridiculing the new complaint hotline, with one calling it a snitch form. Another user posted screenshots of them filling out the form with the lyrics of Rick Astleys Never Gonna Give You Up, a nod to the classic internet meme prank. Most of the bogus complaints submitted in the following days came from people upset about the bathroom legislation, Dougall told Nexstars KTVX last week, adding that its the duty of his office to receive the complaints and possibly investigate them. I understand that people are concerned, but they should redirect their concern to drive policy change where its most effective and in a manner thats most effective, he said. Because this behavior doesnt drive change. Dougall, in a statement published Tuesday, also sounded resentful for being tasked with handling the complaints real or fake. The Office created the complaint form to comply with a statutory mandate a role we did not request, the lengthy statement read, in part. Indeed, no auditor sets out to become a bathroom monitor. The online complaint form was launched May 1 to gather tips about possible violations at specific government-run entities, such as schools or agency buildings. The form is not meant to target individuals who might have violated the law. Should the auditors office receive a legitimate complaint and investigators deem there was a violation, the related government entity could face fines up to $10,000 per violation per day. What does the bathroom bill do? State Rep. Kera Birkeland, R-Morgan, the bills main sponsor, pitched the legislation this last session as a means to protect the privacy of women and girls from those who might claim to be transgender to gain access to a private space. The full title of the bill is Sex-based Designations for Privacy, Anti-bullying, and Womens Opportunities. Transgender people in Utah pushed back against the bill, saying it unfairly targets them. Under the law, schools, government agencies and other state-run entities are required to contact law enforcement if they receive a complaint or allegation of law-breaking in a state-run privacy space, such as a bathroom or changing room. This lawbreaking includes lewdness, voyeurism and accessing a state-run changing room that does not correspond to a users sex at birth. The latter offense is marked under the new law as criminal trespass. However, there are exceptions carved out for transgender adults whove legally amended their birth certificate and undergone gender-affirming surgery. The bill also directs new state buildings to include single-occupancy facilities. For bathrooms, the law makes it so that adults can be charged with enhanced penalties of voyeurism, lewdness or loitering if the crimes are committed in a facility that doesnt align with the perpetrators sex at birth. Equality Utah, an LGBTQ civil rights organization, highlighted that the law carries no legal consequences for transgender Utahns who use a bathroom that aligns with their identity, just as long as they are not engaging in inappropriate behavior. People should feel free to use bathrooms in Utah without fear of being reported, the group said. LGBTQ+ educators respond after Texas go. calls for ban on gender non-conforming teachers Ellie Menlove, legislative and policy consul for ACLU of Utah, another civil rights group, told Nexstars KTVX that the new law and related complaint form create an environment where transgender people, or those perceived to be so, are forced to endure bullying and harassment. The form launched by the Utah State Auditor encourages individuals to infringe on Utahns right to privacy in bathrooms and other personal spaces, Menlove said, in a statement. This is an effort to intimidate and single out gender-diverse people, including transgender and nonbinary people full stop. According to Dougall, the state auditor, the fake complaints received over the last few days dont take much time to deal with. Still, this is the first time his office has felt the impact of people lashing out from across the nation. In his statement on Tuesday, Dougall also reiterated that his office was merely mandated to post the form, and wasnt informed of the details by any of the bills sponsors until it was rushed to final passage. I tell folks, our job is to enforce the law and get the complaints, he told KTVX. Concerns of public policy should really be directed toward the legislature. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. (KRON) Officers arrested an alleged murderer in connection to a shooting that occurred on Monday, the Vallejo Police Department said. Concord man elicits sex from minors, watches them overdose repeatedly, prosecutors say Police received calls of a shooting at about 7:30 p.m. in the 1300 block of North Camino Alto. Upon arriving, witnesses told police the victim was shot and taken to a local hospital by his immediate family, police said. Officers were informed that the victim was suffering from at least one gunshot wound, police said. Despite efforts made by medical personnel, the victim was pronounced dead at the hospital. VPD patrol officers later found a car matching the description of the suspects car traveling at a high rate of speed. The driver refused to yield, initiating a pursuit. Police said the pursuit ended when the suspects car stopped working after a severe traffic collision. During the pursuit, the suspect threw away a firearm from his car that was later found near the collision, police said. VPDs detective division later took over the investigation and identified the suspect as 38-year-old Clifton Chandler Jr. from Vallejo. Chandler Jr. was also driving with a woman who remains unidentified. Clifton Chandler Jr. was arrested and booked into the Solano County Jail for murder. He was later charged with murder on Tuesday, police said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. Robert Cotton, president of the Valparaiso City Council, has issued a public apology for a remark he made on his personal Facebook page about police actions in a fatal shooting on April 25 and lauded the skill and professionalism of police that day. The remark by Cotton, D-2nd, raised the ire of the Valparaiso chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, which demanded he retract his statement, apologize and step aside as the council president, as first reported in the Post-Tribune. My comment was ill-advised, and I regret that I made it without sufficient regard for key details that would have more clearly captured the disposition I have demonstrated on behalf of our police and firefighter, first responders, Cotton said. This is an unfortunate situation that reveals ambiguity in my comment, and thus, in the way it was interpreted. The Facebook comment, which Cotton confirmed he made and has since been removed from his personal page, was in the days after the shooting death of Caden Mura, 20, of Valparaiso, who police have said displayed a handgun at a Valparaiso park before shooting at police. Three Valparaiso Police officers and two from the Porter County Sheriffs Office are on paid administrative leave while the Indiana State Polices Lowell post investigates the shooting. Cottons comment was in a thread about the shooting, as others discussed why officers didnt wound Mura to stop him and someone said that wounding a suspect doesnt stop the threat they pose. yes, I get that, but cant shake the image in my mind of recklessly inaccurate gunshots being fired by a panicked boy/young man while he is running away from gunshots being fired from the guns of a team of skilled marksmen, that were targeting him, Cotton said in his comment. In a letter posted to the FOPs Facebook page on May 2 and also sent to Cotton, members said they were expressing our deepest concern and disappointment regarding Cottons statement. Your remarks were not only inflammatory but also grossly inaccurate, further exacerbating an already sensitive situation, said the letter, signed by FOP President Benjamin Teufel, Vice President Joseph Cowser, Treasurer James Bilder and Secretary Michelle Kodicek. Teufel has said he wrote the letter with the board and the membership approved it before it was sent out on May 2. He did not respond to a request for further comment Thursday. Cotton previously said he has repeatedly supported the citys police officers and firefighters in his actions on the city council, and fought for them to get their share of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. To be clear, I applaud the skill and professionalism demonstrated by our officers in the selfless execution of their duty to protect the public and prevent the days peril from becoming even more tragic for area businesses, neighborhood residents, and our precious little ones at the nearby Boys and Girls Club, he said in his apology. Our first responders did their job. I am extremely grateful that none of them were injured in this horrible event and that, first and foremost, they kept the public safe from further harm. I am sincere in my regret for the limited choice of words, which I used at the time of the comment, Cotton said, offering up his statement as my humble apology to all who I have offended. Mayor Jon Costas said he has had multiple conversations with Cotton and the FOPs leadership, and applauded Cottons heartfelt apology. On behalf of the entire Valparaiso community, I commend our officers for their courageous and selfless actions in preventing what could have been a terribly tragic event. Without hesitation or concern for their own personal safety, they placed themselves in harms way to protect innocent life. These officers exemplified our high standards of professionalism and training, and are to be highly commended for their bravery and dedication. Cotton was elected to a third term on the city council in November and is the first Black person to be elected to the council. He was selected as its president in January when Democrats overtook Republicans with a 5-2 split after last years general election. He has declined to step down as council president, as requested by the FOP. With all things being considered, perhaps the better question is: How does the simple misinterpretation of a comment make it necessary for me to step down? Cotton said. alavalley@chicagotribune.com Several national chain retailers, including some with locations in Raleigh, will close brick-and-mortar stores soon. That means going-out-of-business sales are already underway. Financial struggles have plagued clothing brands Express and Rue21, which have both filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and are shuttering stores. New York-based Sam Ash Music, which has served customers for 100 years, also recently announced that it was going out of business and would begin offering discounts on merchandise. But not all retailers are closing all of their store locations. And some brands that have said they would shutter stores have yet to announce which locations are shutting down. Which stores in the Triangle are closing? Musical equipment and accessories retailer Sam Ash is closing all locations, including its store on Capital Boulevard in Raleigh. The announcement first came in a social media post earlier in May, The News & Observer previously reported. It is with a heavy heart that we announce that all Sam Ash Music store locations will begin store closing sales today, the retailer said on the social media post. An employee at the Raleigh Sam Ash store who answered the phone said the store will likely close around mid- or late-July. Like Sam Ash, Rue21 is also closing all of its stores 541 of them across the United States. There are 31 Rue21 stores in North Carolina, including one at Triangle Town Center in Raleigh and one in Garner. No store closure date was given by the Raleigh store employee who answered The News & Observers call. Details on store-closing sales at Sam Ash, Rue21 Items at Sam Ash, such as musical equipment, fixtures and accessories, are on sale; all sales are final. A Sam Ash employee at the Raleigh location said merchandise is marked down about 5%-30%, depending on the item, but more details are available on the stores website. No returns will be accepted for any purchases made after May 1, except for damaged merchandise. Rue21 is also holding going-out-of-business sales. A store employee at the Triangle Town Center location said all merchandise is 30% off. The companys website is being updated, so no additional information about the discounts is available online. Other brands closing brick-and-mortar locations In April, Express announced it would close 95 retail stores and all locations of one of its clothing brands, UpWest. Locations at Winston-Salems Hanes Mall and Charlottes Northlake will be shuttered, but the stores at Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh and The Streets at Southpoint in Durham will be spared. The Express Factory Outlet at Triangle Town Center is safe, too. Store-closing sales at the affected stores began April 23. Story continues Macys announced in February that it would close about 150 unproductive locations, including approximately 50 by the end of the fiscal year. However, the company has not said which stores it plans to close. Macys has stores at Crabtree Valley Mall and Triangle Town Center in Raleigh, and at The Streets of South Point in Durham. About 600 Family Dollar stores will close by the end of the year, and an additional 370 Family Dollar and 30 Dollar Tree stores are set to close in coming years as leases expire, Dollar Tree, Inc., which owns Family Dollar, announced in March. As of February, the company operated 16,774 stores in 48 states and five Canadian provinces. CBS News has a running list of Family Dollar locations across the U.S. that are known to be closing. So far, the only North Carolina stores being affected are in Wilmington, NBC affiliate WECT reported in March. There are dozens of Family Dollar and Dollar Tree locations in the Triangle. Best Buy plans to close 10-15 stores in fiscal year 2025, company representatives said during an earnings call in February. This continues the electronics retailers practice of closing traditional stores during a rigorous review of stores as their leases come up for renewal. Two dozen Best Buy stores closed in fiscal year 2024. There is currently no information about possible Triangle store closures. A luxury handbag boutique is opening its first Raleigh location Southpoints GM watched Carys mall die. Heres how investors plan to save Durhams. A ripped poster that was distributed around the New York University campus, of people kidnapped by Hamas on the October 7 raid of Israel, on Oct. 25, 2023. Credit - Andrew LichtensteinCorbis/Getty Images I can still remember the feeling of standing on the Beacon Theater stage in front of 3,000 people. As I delivered the NYU Law convocation speech, my classmates, gathered together in the name of violet pride, smiled and waved excitedly from the crowd. Dressed in festive academic regalia and accompanied by sounds of bagpipes and overly emotional family members, we reached a personal and professional peak. Christians, Muslims, Jews, and members of other religions trusted me, an Israeli Jew, to serve as their voice. That was the summer of 2015. Next week, the class of 2024 will experience the same. For one special day, they will feel part of something greater than themselves. But while less than 10 years have passed, so much has changed. Given the antisemitic discourse on U.S. campuses since the fall, and particularly in the past month, the notion of an Israeli Jew representing his class amid a war in Gaza seems less of an image taken from law school and more from the Department of Science Fiction. The question is why. Read More: The New Antisemitism One of the things I tried to stress in my speech back then was that despite our diverse backgrounds, our common denominator as humans is quite similar. A 10-month Master of Law program with people from over 60 different nationalities taught me that, as individuals, we all want the same basic things at the end of the day: health, happiness, and self-fulfillment. Omitted from my speech was a core condition for pursuing these goals: constantly using ones inner compass to identify how our words and deeds affect a given community. Mentioning this stipulation felt unnecessary in 2015. Indeed, as most of us have recognized, with great power comes great responsibility. Today, it seems, a different standard governs some of Americas top academic institutions. The NYU I experienced was filled with wisdom, excellent teachers, and intelligent classmates. Time and again, we were encouraged to debate and discuss sensitive topics with respect and honesty. This kind of environment is uncultivable for hate. It doesnt mean everyone agrees, nor does it suggest one cannot challenge the other. But it does mean considering that free speech is not without consequence. Read More: What America's Student Photojournalists Saw at the Campus Protests Today under the guise of finding meaning, pursuing a cause, or simply finding joy by belonging to a larger group, a significant number of students are exhibiting not intellectual decency but terrorism sympathy. Some are chanting genocidal slogans or expressing antisemitic hate, even waving flags of terrorist organizations while ignoring their lethal agendas and atrocities. Its not only immoral and wrong, but it is also dangerous. The result is an atmosphere that romanticizes horrendous crimes against humanity and enables public humiliation of Jews just because of their religion and ethnicity. The numbers tell the story. According to a recent Harvard CAPS-Harris poll, 37% of Americans ages 18 to 24 support Hamas a terror organization that attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostage more than Israel. A majority of that age group (57%) favors an unconditional ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that would leave everyone in place, meaning abandoning more than 130 Israelis, Jews, and Muslims, including women and children, in hell. Radical and lethal antisemitic ideology, it seems, invaded Americas elite institutions without even firing one bullet. Read More: The Most Influential People of 2024: Rachel Goldberg-Polin This is how it is with the antisemitic monster. Its not always visible, tangible, or blatantly brutal. Sometimes, it's right before you, stretching your boundaries and abusing sacred civil rights. Occasionally, it makes you uncomfortable, but you keep telling yourself that a democracy should tolerate almost anything and that the threshold hasnt yet crossed. Slowly, it marks a new line in the sand of your tolerance while you keep convincing yourself that it will go away. But then it blows up in your face. And when it does, you realize something deeper is going on. The worst, of course, is when its too late. But it is not necessarily the case here. A safe and thriving academic environment is achievable with concrete actions promoting freedom of expression, not freedom of self-destruction. These actions should be part of a larger plan involving academic leadership and moderate religious figures from all walks of life. Such a plan must ban antisemitic chants on campus, enforce regulations and laws that ought to protect students safety, oversee the impact of foreign funding and interference in academic curricula , and encourage constructive and educative dialogue regarding the need to counter antisemitism and other discriminatory practices against people based on their skin color or religion. The critical point is that this is no longer an Israeli issue. Its not even a Jewish issue. Its an American issue. While tax dollars were generous enough to help democracies such as Israel or Ukraine protect themselves against anti-democratic enemies, they could fail to protect America from the spread of terrorist ideology back home. When something like that happens in the most charitable educational beacons of knowledge and free mind, this means that what is at stake is not Americas soil but its destiny. The class of 2024, the future of the free worlddramatic as it may soundwill be in your hands one day, not too far away. As you all graduate, this is the time to stand on the right side of history. The great Martin Luther King Jr. said, Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. May your future and conduct be filled with love and light. Contact us at letters@time.com. Pope Francis presides over the second vespers in St. Peter's Basilica on Ascension Day, Thursday, May 9, 2024, after reading the papal bull 'Spes non confundit' (Latin for, hope does not disappoint), the official decree establishing the Catholic Holy Year: a once-every-quarter-century event that is expected to bring some 32 million pilgrims to Rome (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) VATICAN CITY (AP) The Vatican crossed a key milestone Thursday in the runup to its 2025 Jubilee with the promulgation of the official decree establishing the Holy Year. It's a once-every-quarter-century event that is expected to bring some 32 million pilgrims to Rome and has already brought months of headaches to Romans. Pope Francis presided over a ceremony in the atrium of St. Peters Basilica for the reading of the papal bull, or official edict, that laid out his vision for a year of hope: He asked for gestures of solidarity for the poor, prisoners, migrants and Mother Nature. Hope is needed by Gods creation, gravely damaged and disfigured by human selfishness, Francis said in a vigil service afterward. Hope is needed by those peoples and nations who look to the future with anxiety and fear. The pomp-filled event, attended by cardinals, bishops and ordinary faithful, kicked off the final seven-month dash of preparations and public works projects to be completed by Dec. 24, when Francis opens the basilicas Holy Door and formally inaugurates the Jubilee. In a novelty, Francis announced in the papal bull that he would also open a Holy Door in a prison "as a sign inviting prisoners to look to the future with hope and a renewed sense of confidence." For the Vatican, the Holy Year is a centuries-old tradition of the faithful making pilgrimages to Rome to visit the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul, and receiving indulgences for the forgiveness of their sins in the process. For the city of Rome, its a chance to take advantage of some 4 billion euros ($4.3 billion) in public funds to carry out long-delayed projects to lift the city out of years of decay and neglect. In a beautiful city, you live better, said the Vaticans Jubilee point-person, Archbishop Renato Fisichella, who himself is not indifferent to the added bonus of Jubilee funding. Rome will become an even more beautiful city, because it will be ever more at the service of its people, pilgrims and tourists who will come. Pope Boniface VIII declared the first Holy Year in 1300, and now they are held every 25 years. While Francis called an interim one devoted to mercy in 2015, the 2025 edition is the first big one since St. John Paul IIs 2000 Jubilee, when he ushered the Catholic Church into the third millennium. As occurred in the runup to 2000, pre-Jubilee public works projects have overwhelmed Rome, with flood-lit construction sites operating around the clock, entire swaths of central boulevards rerouted and traffic snarling the city's already clogged streets. The Tiber riverfront for much of the city center is now off limits as work crews create new parks. Piazzas are being repaved, bike paths charted and 5G cells built. The aim is to bring the Eternal City up to par with other European capitals and take advantage of the 1.3 billion euros ($1.4 billion) in special Jubilee funding and some 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) more in other public and post-pandemic EU funds that are available. It's really putting our patience to the test, said Tiziana Cafini, who operates a tobacco shop near the Pantheon and says she has taken to walking to work rather than riding a bus into the city center because it gets stuck in traffic. And it's not just in the center. There are an infinite number of construction sites all around Rome. Though she knows the discomfort will be worth it in the end, the end is still pretty far off. In addition to the Jubilee construction, there's a longer-term, separate project to extend Romes Metro C subway line into Romes historic center which has encountered years of delays thanks to archaeological excavations of ancient Roman ruins that must be completed first. For the next four years at least, central Piazza Venezia and its Imperial Forum-flanked boulevard to the Colosseum are scheduled to be congested and blighted by giant, 14-meter (yard) high green silos that are needed for the subway drilling operation. We're upset, but we're Romans, we'll make do, Cafini said. Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri said recently he was satisfied with the pace of the Jubilee works so far, noting that they got off to a months-delayed start due to the 2022 collapse of Premier Mario Dragis government. But Gualtieri promised they would be completed on time. And in a nod to Romans and tourists who have suffered from the traffic chaos and acute shortage of taxis already, he promised that an extra 1,000 taxi licenses had been approved and would be in use by December. Yet as of late last month, only two of the 231 city projects had been completed; 57 were under way and another 44 were expected to be started by the end of May, Gualtieri told reporters. Another 18 are up for bids, seven have been assigned, 90 are planned. Thirteen have been canceled. We have recovered a lot from the initial delay, Gualtieri told the foreign press association, adding that he expected the essential projects to be completed on time. Other projects were always planned to take longer than the Jubilee but were lumped into the overall project to take advantage of the accelerated timeframe. The most significant project, and one that has caused the greatest traffic disruption to date, is a new Vatican-area piazza and pedestrian zone connecting Castel St. Angelo with the Via della Conciliazione boulevard that leads to St. Peters Square. Previously, a major thoroughfare divided the two landmarks, causing an unsightly and pedestrian-unfriendly barrier. The new works call for a tunnel to divert the oncoming traffic underneath the new pedestrian piazza. But that project required re-routing and replacing a huge underground sewage system first, which has only recently been completed. Now crews are working through the night to try to complete the tunnel in time. VERO BEACH A judge Thursday ordered a former Vero Beach High School student to serve a life prison term for fatally shooting a 20-year-old man four years ago during a botched drug deal to purchase marijuana. Camden Stukins, 22, showed no reaction in court when Circuit Judge Robert Meadows imposed the mandatory punishment after a jury in March convicted him of second-degree murder and other charges related to the Jan. 19, 2020 murder of Carltravius Jones, of Vero Beach. Standing at a podium chained at his ankles and wrists, Stukins, made no statements in court as he also was ordered to serve two additional 15-year prison terms for an attempted manslaughter conviction and one count of selling marijuana with a firearm. All sentences, all charges are to run consecutively, Meadows ordered. Not at the same time. Camden Stukins, 22, looks back at Carlton Jones, father of Carltravius Jones during a victim statement before Judge Robert Meadows for sentencing, Thursday, May 9, 2024, at the Indian River County Courthouse. Stukins was sentenced to life in prison for the 2020 fatal shooting of 20-year-old Carltravius Jones outside a BP Express Mart at 20th Avenue Southwest and Oslo Road in Indian River County. After a four-day trial, a jury convicted Stukins of second-degree murder and other charges related to the Jan. 19, 2020 murder of Carltravius Jones, who had driven to the BP Express Mart with four others to purchase marijuana from Stukins, according to court records and trial testimony. As the hearing began Thursday, Jones' father, Carlton Jones, told Meadows he felt Stukins should have faced a first-degree murder charge. But he said he was told authorities determined they couldnt prove his sons killing was premeditated. I think listening to the trial, they could have proved premeditation. Hes lucky he got charged with second-degree murder, Carlton Jones said as his voice broke with emotion. When I think about my son I cry. Because I lost his mom a few years before that and I was going through my own troubles when he was murdered. The day he was killed, Carltravious Jones had four passengers with him when he pulled into the BP Express Mart at 20th Avenue Southwest and Oslo Road to buy pot from Stukins, then 18, according to records and trial testimony. Jurors were told just before 4:30 p.m. that day, Stukins, of the 700 block of 4th Place Southwest, pulled into BP first in a four-door BMW and parked, followed by Jones in a silver Toyota sedan. Camden Stukins, 22, looks back at Carlton Jones, father of Carltravius Jones during a victim statement before Judge Robert Meadows for sentencing, Thursday, May 9, 2024, at the Indian River County Courthouse. Stukins was sentenced to life in prison for a 2020 fatal shooting of 20-year-old Carltravius Jones outside a BP Express Mart at 20th Avenue Southwest and Oslo Road in Indian River County. After a four-day trial, a jury convicted Stukins of second-degree murder and other charges related to the Jan. 19, 2020 murder of Carltravius Jones, who had driven to the BP Express Mart with four others to purchase marijuana from Stukins, according to court records and trial testimony. Detectives later learned the meet-up at the BP had been arranged through Snapchat. Deadly drug deal Stukins walked to the front passenger window and a drug transaction followed, according to an arrest affidavit. Detectives were told Jones didnt pay Stukins for the marijuana, and he got angry. Stukins then reached inside the Toyota and fired gunshots, striking both Jones and 17-year-old Almajzha Johnson in the head, who was in the front passenger seat. With a gunshot to the head, Jones sped off through the parking lot, drove over bushes along 20th Avenue Southwest and continued across the road. The Toyota was "T-boned" by a white pickup truck driving south along 20th Avenue Southwest, but kept going, then spun around and struck a second white pickup truck driving north on 20th Avenue Southwest. A makeshift memorial has been set up for the victim involved in a fatal shooting on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020, at the BP Express Mart on Oslo Road in Indian River County. The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. while the victim was sitting in the driver's seat of a parked car with four other occupants. Camden Stukins, 18, a Vero Beach High School senior, was later arrested and charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, shooting or throwing a deadly missile, tampering with or destroying evidence and sale or possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. The drivers of the two trucks Jones hit were not injured, records show. Jones, a former Vero Beach High School student, died overnight at HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital. Stukins was arrested about 1 hours later around 6 p.m. at his home, arrest reports show. A detective discovered at least one .9 mm shell casing and a "small amount of marijuana and money" in the crashed silver Toyota. At the time of the murder, Stukins, then a senior at Vero Beach High School, was working part-time at Penny Hill Subs on Old Dixie Highway, in Vero Beach, records show. Stukins immediately suspected as shooter One of the passengers in the Toyota identified Stukins as the person who shot at them after finding his Facebook profile and viewing his pictures, investigators reported. Deputies located a blue BMW sedan with the tag removed and registered to Stukins at the 4th Place Southwest address, and using a warrant, deputies searched his home and said they found Stukins washing clothes he wore at the gas station, and in his bedroom, they found the BMW's license plate. A Womans World Medical Center: Clock ticking for TC abortion clinic after 6-week ban takes effect Wind-blown waves: Millions spent each year repairing beaches, only to have erosion hit them again Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers and is writer and co-host of "Uncertain Terms," a true-crime podcast. Reach her at melissa.holsman@tcpalm.com. If you are a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest local news on the Treasure Coast. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Killer of Vero Beach man during a 2020 pot deal ordered to prison By Francesco Guarascio HANOI (Reuters) -Vietnam's foreign affairs ministry has annoyed the European Union by postponing a meeting next week with the EU's top official on Russian sanctions, ahead of a possible visit to Hanoi by Russia's President Vladimir Putin. Vietnam has been striving to pursue a neutral foreign policy in its relations with major world powers. It has abstained from condemning Russia's attack on Ukraine, a position that Western countries see as too close to the Kremlin. Special envoy for the implementation of EU sanctions, David O'Sullivan, is visiting Southeast Asia next week and had planned to meet Vietnamese officials on May 13-14, but Hanoi asked to delay the meeting "as leaders were too busy to meet with him," one diplomat with direct knowledge of the situation said. Three other diplomats confirmed the postponement of the visit, with one saying Vietnam had suggested July as an alternative date. Two of the diplomats and another person familiar with the discussions linked the delay to preparations for a possible visit by Putin to Vietnam. One source said the Russian leader's visit could be "spoiled" by any talks with the EU envoy. Shortly after Reuters reported on the matter, the EU diplomatic delegation in Hanoi issued a statement describing the postponement of the meeting as "disappointing" and said it was discussing a new date with the Vietnamese authorities. A spokeswoman for Vietnam's foreign ministry told a regular press conference later on Thursday that Hanoi was discussing with the EU a date for the meeting. Asked about Putin's possible visit, she said information would be shared "at a suitable time". Russia's embassy in Hanoi did not reply to a request for comment. INVITING PUTIN Vietnamese leaders have repeatedly invited Putin to Vietnam in recent months, despite the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) having issued in March 2023 an arrest warrant for the Russian president over alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Vietnam is not a member of the ICC. Last week, Russia's ambassador to Vietnam, Gennady Bezdetko, was reported as saying that Putin had accepted the invitation and that a date for the visit would be decided after the inauguration for his fifth term as president on May 7, according to Vietnamese state media. Putin last travelled to Vietnam in 2017. Russia is the top supplier of weapons to Vietnam and also plays a crucial role in the exploitation of Vietnam's gas reserves in the South China Sea, in waters that China claims as its own. The EU, an important trading partner for Vietnam, has imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Moscow over its war in Ukraine. O'Sullivan's job involves making sure that countries do not help Russia or other sanctioned states to circumvent punitive EU measures, for instance by supplying Moscow with dual-use goods that could be used for its war efforts in Ukraine. There is no evidence that Vietnam has offered any help to Russia for what the Kremlin calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine. Some diplomats have said it would be hard to detect any trade between Vietnam and Russia that may breach sanctions, especially if it involved chips or other small components. (Reporting by Francesco Guarascio @fraguarascio; additional reporting by Khanh Vu and Phuong Nguyen; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Gareth Jones) Vietnam's arrest of reformist labor official could disturb bid for better trade terms with the US FILE - US President Joe Biden addresses the media during a press briefing at the headquarter of CPV Central Committee in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Sept.10, 2023. Police in Vietnam announced Thursday May 9, 2024 that they have arrested a senior official of the countrys labor ministry for "deliberately disclosing state secrets. The arrest alarms human rights and labor activists who believe it is a sign of continuing repression, which has previously been directed especially at bloggers and civil society groups. As such, it could also could hurt Vietnams efforts to obtain more favorable trade terms for its exports to the United States, which are currently being reviewed in Washington. (Luong Thai Linh/Pool Photo via AP, File) BANGKOK (AP) A senior Vietnamese official with the countrys labor ministry was arrested for "deliberately disclosing state secrets, police announced on Thursday, a development that analysts say could hurt Vietnams efforts to obtain more favorable trade terms for exports to the United States. There were no further details about lawyer Nguyen Van Binh's arrest beyond the announcement on the website of the police in the capital of Hanoi but rights activists allege he was detained because he supported the idea of independent trade unions, banned under the Communist government. They also say its a sign of continuing repression, which was previously directed mainly toward bloggers, environmentalists and civil society groups. Binh who headed the Legal Affairs Department at the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, could face between two and 15 years in prison for disclosing state secrets under the law in this single-party, authoritarian state. A brief profile of Binh on a website of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development last year said the 51-year-old lawyer has also worked for the U.N.'s International Labor Organization. His arrest was first reported earlier this week by The 88 Project, a small multinational organization that monitors and promotes human rights and civil liberties in Vietnam. It described Binh as a reformer who supported independent trade unions. Binhs arrest comes amid a new wave of repression in Vietnam," the group said in its report, dated Monday. It said Binh's arrest was the first arrest of a government reformer in recent years. The 88 Project in February published what it described as a secret 2023 national security directive of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party ordering a crackdown on labor groups, civil society, and foreign organizations deemed a threat to national security. Binh had been leading efforts to ratify the U.N. International Labor Organization Convention 87, which, if passed, would guarantee workers the right to form independent trade unions without prior authorization, the group said. The issue of labor reform is important to Vietnam for economic reasons. Last September, when President Biden visited Vietnam, Washington and Hanoi elevated their relationship to the highest diplomatic level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Analysts said it reflected the U.S. desire to have Vietnam as an ally against rival superpower China. However, Vietnam remains on a list of 12 nations, including China and Russia, classified by the U.S. as non-market economies, substantially directed by the state. At about the same time as Bidens visit, Vietnam requested that the U.S. Commerce Department make a determination of whether Vietnam could be officially qualified as a market economy, which potentially could lower tariffs on its exports to the U.S., its biggest market. The Commerce Department on Wednesday held a public hearing about the upgrade and is expected to complete its review in July. Although its determination is supposed to be made according to strictly economic criteria, an open-ended category allows matters such as labor rights to be taken into consideration, which could weigh against a change to market economy status. Vietnam claims that its labor laws are in line with international standards, including having wages determined by free bargaining between workers and employers. The U.S. State Department and rights groups say that is not the case. Its patently false to claim that Vietnamese workers can organize unions or that their wages are the result of free bargaining between labor and management, John Sifton, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch said Wednesday. Not a single independent union exists in Vietnam and no working legal frameworks exist for unions to be created or for workers to enforce labor rights, he added. An upgraded trade status is also symbolically important for Vietnams government, said Murray Hiebert, a senior associate of the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Vietnam officials see the U.S. continued classification of Vietnam under a non-market status an insult and bewildering, considering how important Vietnam is to the U.S. as a trading and investment partner," Hiebert said. Hanoi also finds it insulting to be included in a grouping of 12 countries that includes China, Russia and countries formerly associated with the Soviet Union, Hiebert said in an email to The Associated Press. The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi did not immediately respond to an AP request for comment. SANTAQUIN, Utah (ABC4) A candlelight vigil was held Wednesday night in memory of Sergeant Bill Hooser, who was tragically killed in the line of duty over the weekend. Attendees at the vigil participated in a moment of silence for the fallen Santaquin officer. There was also music accompaniment and speakers. RELATED: Our hearts are broken: Santaquin community, Utah leaders honor officer killed by semi-truck on I-15 The vigil was held the same day that the officials with the United States Honor Flag announced that Sgt. Hooser was set to receive the national honor on Saturday. When making its way to Utah to honor Sgt. Hooser, the flag will be personally escorted by the founder of the United States Honor Flag, Christ Heisler, who oversaw the largest convoy of first responders on 9/11. We had the United States Honor Flag in Utah in June 2020 for Ogden Police officer, Nathan Lyday, Heisler said in a press release. We have maintained our commitment to never forget. We make that same promise to Sergeant Bill Hoosers wife and daughters. Officials with USHF said the flag will be placed next to Police Sergeant Bill Hooser in a poignant display of honor and respect. The singular emblem of American pride travels across the nation to honor those who made sacrifices and protected their communities. The flag has honored members of the military, law enforcement and other first responders, according to a spokesperson with USHF. When a fallen hero is honored with the flag, their family receives the gloves that were specially created to handle the United States Honor Flag. The United States Honor Flag first originated after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when an American flag traveled with first responders from Texas to New York, and later memorialized the fallen heroes of that day. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) Operation Blessing has been busy in the wake of natural disasters, not only in the U.S., but across the world. Donate Here The Virginia Beach-based organization has teams responding to Nebraska, Texas and another on the way to Brazil. The teams in Nebraska were helping with tornado recovery while crews in Texas assisted in repairing damages from recent floodings. International teams were sent to Brazil who experienced massive floodings as well. This spring has seen an unprecedented number of disasters occur back-to-back, resulting in a season of suffering for countless people in their path, said Operation Blessing chief operating officer Drew Friedrich. Operation Blessing is there to help, no matter where disaster strikes. If you live in one of those areas, please consider volunteering for a day to help your neighbors. If you are elsewhere, please consider donating to the efforts. You could change someones life. Check with WAVY.com for more updates. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. Virginia Sens. Tim Kaine (D) and Mark Warner (D) say they wont agree to fast-track a one-week extension of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act unless colleagues commit to holding a vote on their amendment to eliminate a provision to add five new round-trip flights to Reagan Washington National Airport. The senators argue that passing a one-week extension of the FAA reauthorization will only give Senate leaders enough time to run out the procedural clock on the Senate floor to pass the bill next week without allowing any amendments. They want to put more pressure on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) to come up with an agreement to allow a vote on their amendment before the FAA reauthorization expires Friday. If the Senate passes the one-week stopgap approved Wednesday by the House, then leaders could wait until sometime next week to pass the longer-term bill and feel less pressure to set up amendment votes. Kaine and Warner, who are allied with Maryland Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D) and Ben Cardin (D), argue that adding five new round-trip flights five inbound and five outbound will further overburden Washingtons local airport and create safety hazards. Kaine has repeatedly spoken on the Senate floor about the near collision between a JetBlue plane and a Southwest Airlines plane in April. Last months near miss at DCA is a flashing red warning light that this airport is overburdened and that cramming more flights onto the busiest runway in America is a terrible idea, Kaine and Warner said in a joint statement. The senators expressed their frustration that neither they nor their colleagues from Maryland have had the chance to shape the bill when it was being crafted in the Senate Commerce Committee. But now, the same senators who crafted a provision in the FAA bill to do just that, behind closed doors and against the advice of all four capital region senators, are asking us to smooth a procedural path to the finish line for that bill without a promise to bring our amendmentor any amendmentup for a vote, Kaine and Warner said. We cant in good conscience greenlight that plan until we have a commitment that there will be an opportunity to put our amendment to a vote, and to persuade our colleagues to prioritize the safety of millions of passengers over a few senators desire for a direct flight home, they said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Rob Auerbach was a handicapper and loved horse racing. Despite his illness, he said he would make it to the 150th Kentucky Derby before he died, and he did. In November he was told he had weeks to live, maybe months. But Rob Auerbach, the co-founder of Rainbow Blossom and a thoroughbred horse handicapper, said, "My goal is Derby," his daughter Summer Auerbach told The Courier Journal. "It just seemed completely impossible that he would be able to hold off until the Derby," Summer said of her father, who had been ill and in hospice care. "And you know, sure enough, time just kept going." Rob made it to the 150th Kentucky Derby. Then on Tuesday, May 7, Rob, who had lived a life full of adventure and love, died surrounded by his wife and daughters. He was 72. In hindsight, nobody should be surprised his Derby dream came true. Rob Auerbach, the co-founder of Rainbow Blossom, was described as fun, a visionary and someone you could count on by his wife and two daughters. "Rob could make anything happen," Pumpkin Auerbach, Rob's wife, said. "Anything he put his mind to, he could make happen and he just was amazing." Pumpkin described him as a "visionary." She first met Rob on Mardi Gras in 1973, when he knocked on her door, seemingly at random, asking for a shot of tequila. "Two months later I was here in Kentucky living on the farm .... you know, I never went back home," Pumpkin told the Courier Journal. But it was worth it. She told Rob her dream of owning a natural food store, and he promised to give it to her. In 1977, Rob and Pumpkin opened Rainbow Blossom. The local grocery chain, which has five locations with a sixth set to open this year, is now run by Summer, who ran it alongside her dad until his death. Rob Auerbach had an array of hobbies. He flew small planes for 51 years, he bred and handicapped thoroughbreds, he sought out beautiful art collections, he traveled, and he enjoyed riding his bike through the Olmsted Parks. But it wasn't just the grocery stores where Rob brought his visions to life through his commitment to family and fun-seeking demeanor. Alongside daughter Star Auerbach, Rob had a real estate portfolio. Most recently the duo purchased the former Highland United Methodist Church, 1140 Cherokee Road, with Rob's vision to turn it into a 26-room boutique hotel with preservation of the buildings exterior and sanctuary as a priority. More than just a successful businessman, Rob was fun. "Star called him 'Mr. Happy' because he was just such a fun, happy, beautiful soul," Pumpkin said. He had an array of hobbies. Rob flew small planes for 51 years, bred and handicapped thoroughbreds, sought out beautiful art collections, traveled extensively, and enjoyed riding his bike through the Olmsted Parks. Rob followed in his mother's footsteps with his appreciation for Olmsted Parks Conservancy and joined the Board of Trustees where he served from 2008 to 2015. Now, daughter Summer is a third-generation Auerbach on the board. Rob, who lived near Cherokee Park, gave his "time, talent and treasure" to help the non-profit flourish, Layla George, president and CEO of Olmsted Parks Conservancy, said. During his time on the board, Rob launched a capital projects funding campaign to raise money for playgrounds, pavilion renovations and other park infrastructure projects, a first for the Olmsted Parks. George said it wasn't just Rob's commitment to the non-profit while he was on the board, or even his love for the organization he instilled in his family that made him a great partner. It was his genuine support and exciting ideas that marked his legacy. "It's really great to have people to talk to and rely on who are kind of your cheerleaders, and I always felt like Rob was a great cheerleader for me, so I really just appreciated him so much," George told The Courier Journal. Just as he did for George, Rob showed up for all the people in his life. Rob Auerbach co-founded natural food grocery store Rainbow Blossom with his wife Pumpkin in 1977. "He made people feel special and included," Star said. "He saw something in other people and really kind of recognized that and gave them that confidence." His daughters said he never missed a funeral for someone he loved or for someone important to the people he loved. They didn't always understand his obsession with being at funerals, but now, they get it. The daughters compiled a living tribute to watch with their father made from videos and recordings by friends and family, in a way giving him the chance to attend his own funeral. Along with his deep love for others and his adventurous side, his daughters and wife agreed, that when in a crisis, you called Rob. Pumpkin recalls one year when the girls were little, the family was at the St. James Art Fair when she realized Star was lost among the thousands of people in the crowd. Pumpkin immediately panicked, but not Rob. He was calm, telling his wife "We'll find her." And of course, Rob was right. Summer said her dad was always "cool, calm and collected" and the thing she will miss most is being able to pick up the phone and call him for advice or to steal a bit of his calmness when she is stressed and everything around her feels chaotic. His daughters attribute a large part of their confidence, business sense, and compassion for others to their dad. "He empowered us to become who we are," Star said. Rob made it to the 150th Kentucky Derby, just as he said he would. He spent his last Kentucky Derby Day doing what he loved watching horses race, sitting in a box at Churchill Downs with family, friends, and people he cared deeply about, and winning bets. Before he left the racetrack for the last time, he cashed in his winning Derby bets. Rob bet on Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone. "It was just the most perfect experience we could have from start to finish," Summer said. "I know that it meant so much to him and honestly, I think it was the most memorable Derby I'll ever have." Contact business reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@courier-journal.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter at @oliviamevans_. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Rob Auerbach, Rainbow Blossom co-founder, dies at 72 President Joe Biden speaks at a United Auto Workers conference in January | Pool/ABACA/Newscom Unions are said to be having a moment. The story goes something like this: Helped by a presidential administration that touts itself as the "most pro-union in history," labor unionsafter decades of declineare winning big victories against anti-union corporations and extracting impressive concessions for their workers. But is it all true? There has certainly been a lot of union activity. Last year we witnessed a significant increase in strikes and threats of strikes. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the country lost 16.6 million labor days to work stoppages last year. You have to go all the way back to 2000 to find this level of union disturbance. In addition, the United Auto Workers (UAW) reached an agreement with Ford that included wage hikes of 25 percent. Similar agreements with Stellantis and General Motors followed. Other unions won contract gains at large employers such as UPS and Hollywood TV and film studios. Then there was the much celebrated UAW victory in a representation election at Volkswagen in Tennessee and progress made at some Starbucks stores. All the same, talk of a union renaissance might be much ado about nothing. Union membership as a share of wage and salary workers has declined steadily from 28.3 percent in 1967 to an all-time low of 10 percent in 2023. Although the absolute number of union workers has recently risen, it hasn't kept up with the growth of the total number of American workers. National Review's Dominic Pino has been following unions comprehensively. He never forgets to report both their wins and their losses. For instance, workers at a unionized Nissan facility in Somerset, New Jersey, are in the process of decertifying from the UAW. The same happened at various non-Starbucks coffee shops. These events are in line with the overall trend for UAW, Pino notes, as "membership declined last year to 370,000. It was nearly 400,000 in 2020, and it peaked at 1.5 million in 1970." To be fair to the labor movement, part of this decline could be because UAW bosses have been pretty corrupt. For instance, National Review reported that "in December 2020, the UAW reached a settlement with the Department of Justice after a yearslong fraud and corruption investigation. More than a dozen top union officials, including two former presidents, were convicted of crimes for embezzlement of workers' dues." It could also be that unions aren't so much about fighting for the cause of blue collar workers as they used to be. Indeed, 49 percent of union members worked for the government in 2023. Thirty-three percent of public sector employees are in unions, as opposed to just 6 percent of the private sector. In the case of UAW, about 100,000 members work in higher education, including graduate student workers statistically likely to go on to nonblue collar jobs. Story continues I believe public sector unions shouldn't exist. Taxpayersthe ones paying the bills when government unions successfully negotiate pay and benefits hikesare not adequately represented at the negotiation table. In fact, with their political donations, public sector unions help decide who sits on the other end of that negotiating table. By contrast, private unions have every right to exist, but this doesn't mean they're a good thing on net for workers. A September 2023 National Bureau of Economic Research paper looked at what a unionized workforce does to incentives and investment. While unionized plants pay higher wages and benefits than do nonunionized ones, they also "experience higher rates of closure, reduced investment, and slower employment growth." In other words, your unionized job might pay more, as long as it doesn't go awayand good luck finding another like it. The result holds also for partially unionized plants. Introducing more competition to the private sector union business model could help. For that, my colleague Liya Palagashvili suggests ending the exclusive-representation clause that "provides government-granted monopoly status to a union supported by 51 percent of an employer's workers, giving it the sole authority to negotiate. This means that if some workers want a different unionfor example a newer one that might raise the bar in terms of what it can offerthey are out of luck." Today, these workers aren't allowed to engage in any negotiations with their employers, and they still have to pay the original union's fees. The bottom line is that unions aren't really going through a renaissance. All things considered, their failure is most workers' gain. COPYRIGHT 2024 CREATORS.COM. The post No, Unions Aren't Having a Resurgenceand That's Good for Workers appeared first on Reason.com. Swimmers and boaters at a popular San Bernardino County lake were told to stay away from a toxic algal bloom discovered in the water. Californias Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced the algal bloom advisory for Silverwood Lake in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on May 3. Always keep yourself and pets away from algal blooms, the DWR stated in the post, which directed users to its website for further information. Boats and canopies are seen at Silverwood Lake in San Bernardino County. Blue-green algae blooms are a natural part of the ecosystem but can produce toxins. While some algae are harmless, certain types can produce toxins that can make people and animals sick, the DWR stated. Advisories are issued once tests are positive that a harmful algal bloom is present and will not be reduced until lab results show declining toxin levels below the level of concern for two weeks. More than a dozen RVs burn in fire at popular Southern California dealership The DWR says there is no way to tell for sure if an algal bloom is toxic just by looking at it but there are indicators. Signs of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs): Small blue-green, green, white, or brown particles in the water Streaks in the water that look like spilled paint Mats, scum, or foam at the surface or along the shoreline Can have an odor described as gasoline, septic, or fishy The DWR urges all recreational users to exercise caution and avoid contacting algae when blue-green algae, aka cyanobacteria, are present in waterways. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. DENVER (KDVR) Gov. Jared Polis made it official Wednesday before lawmakers gaveled out at the Capitol: Another question on the Colorado ballot this year looks to ensure everyone can marry who they want to. Folks from across the state celebrated the signing of a resolution to ask voters whether to remove Colorados constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Colorado will have abortion on the ballot this year Its a question some lawmakers have wanted to bring to voters for years. This is what the people really want. They dont want an unconstitutional amendment in the constitution anymore, said state Rep. Brianna Titone, a prime House sponsor of the measure. We just proved it by having two-thirds of the House and the Senate allow the voters to choose. Colorado voters banned gay marriage in 2006 Back in 2006, Colorado voters approved Amendment 43. The amendment added language to the states constitution defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. After Polis signature on Wednesday, Colorado voters will now decide if that language should stay in the constitution. People have changed like night and day, but we still have to be careful, said state Sen. Joann Ginal, a prime Senate sponsor of the resolution that marks one of her last pieces of legislation as a state senator. Theres still some language in our constitution that needs to be taken out, and that is a marriage between a man and a woman. We just need the equality, because everybody deserves to be treated the same and to be able to love who you want to love. Supporters feel the states makeup has changed, along with some opinions on the topic. Overwhelming support to remove Colorados same-sex marriage ban The U.S. Supreme Courts ruling on Obergefell v. Hodges legalized same-sex marriage nationwide in 2015. After Justice Clarence Thomas suggested the high court revisit that case, lawmakers in Colorado want to ensure the right to marry is protected no matter what. We had bipartisan support, which makes me realize people are accepting of this, Ginal said. Whatever your viewpoint is politically, I just think it is the right time. Lets get it on the ballot now and have people vote on it. And I know we will see a very positive outcome. Polis, lawmakers introduce plan to lower property taxes The resolution did get overwhelming support, with fewer than 20 lawmakers voting against it. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. BEDFORD, Va. (WFXR) The Bedford County Sheriffs Office says a deputy was injured after being involved in a vehicle crash on Rt. 24 on Wednesday, May 8. According to the sheriff, around 3:57 p.m., the deputy was responding to an emergency call for service in the Stewartsville area of Bedford County. While attempting to turn onto Beagle Club Rd from Route 24, the deputy was involved in a crash involving another vehicle. The sheriff says the deputy and the driver of the other vehicle were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Wytheville woman faces attempted capital murder after allegedly hitting VSP trooper This crash remains under investigation by Virginia State Police. WFXR News will update this story as further information is released. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. An investigation into three Washington dioceses of the Catholic Church became public Thursday for the first time after the state Attorney General announced legal action against the Seattle Archdiocese for failure to comply with a subpoena. The Diocese of Spokane, Diocese of Yakima and Seattle Archdiocese were all first subpoenaed in summer of 2023 for an investigation looking into whether allegations of sex abuse by clergy was covered up using charitable funds, according to a news release from the AGO. The investigation is now public as the state has moved to seek a court order to enforce the second subpoena against the Seattle Archdiocese. So far, none of the dioceses have responded fully to the second set of subpoenas issued in spring 2024 after only providing information that was already public the first time they were subpoenaed. Should the Spokane and Yakima dioceses also refuse to comply the state is prepared to take legal action, the AGO said. Including Washington, 23 states have opened similar investigations into the Catholic Church. Washingtonians deserve a public accounting of how the Catholic Church handles allegations of child sex abuse, and whether charitable dollars were used to cover it up, said Attorney General Bob Ferguson in the statement. The announcement confirmed what spokespersons with the Catholic Accountability Project said in February at a news conference. In a news release Thursday, CAP said they welcomed the announcement, and that they expected the investigation would extend to Catholic religious orders. Survivors of clergy abuse and advocates have long called for such an investigation as an essential step towards achieving justice and accountability for victims who have suffered immeasurable harm at the hands of members of the clergy and bishops who concealed their crimes, CAP said in the statement. (PUEBLO, Colo.) The 10th annual Walk A Mile & (em)POWER 5K, a color run fundraiser hosted by Juniper Southern Colorado (formerly PUeblo Rape Crisis Services), will take place on Saturday, May 18, at the Pueblo Riverwalk. The color walk/run is held to raise awareness of sexual violence and demonstrate the communitys support of survivors. Everyone is invited to participate, including walkers, runners, children and pets. Registration fees are $35 with a t-shirt, while supplies last, and $25 without a t-shirt. Tickets can be purchased here. Walk-up registrations do not include a t-shirt and are $30. Check-in begins at 2 p.m. at the Gateway Plaza at the Pueblo Riverwalk. Participants are encouraged to wear high heels and colorful outfits. All proceeds from the event will go to Juniper Southern Colorado to support their efforts to empower survivors, provide victim advocacy, and build community awareness to reduce sexual violence. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. They want to ride buses and trains, but they're afraid. For riders old and young, Metro must be safer Vietnam veteran Duane Garcia, seated next to his friend Jan Wilander, shows off the baton he carries for protection while riding Metro at the 8th Annual Older Adult Transportation Expo at the Pasadena Convention Center. Retired teacher Will Fernandez of Monrovia has a vehicle, but prefers to get around on his e-bike, buses and trains. For his wallet, and the environment, thats really the way to do it, he said. But the 63-year-old has a concern shared by many transit riders I spoke to Tuesday at Metros Older Adult Transportation Expo in Pasadena, an annual event aimed at promoting ridership and educating people on how to get the most out of Metro. Im frightened, he said, given the recent glut of stories about violence on riders and drivers, and given disturbing scenes hes witnessed himself. Ive lived in L.A. all my life, and Ive never seen the level of violence that Im seeing now, Fernandez said. Its like an insane asylum. Ive seen people defecate on the train. Ive seen people pull knives on the train, and it has definitely upped my level of awareness. Will Fernandez says he is "frightened" when he is a passenger on public transportation. "I've lived in L.A. all my life, and I've never seen the level of violence that I'm seeing now," he said. Fernandez said there are too many fare-jumpers, which heightens the sense of disorder and risk, and he tries to look the part of a tough guy while commuting, in hopes of discouraging attacks. He walked over to his e-bike, which was parked against a wall at the Pasadena Convention Center, to make his point. This is my bike lock, just in case, he said, grabbing the steel cable. Im ready to take care of business, as a defense mechanism, because its gotten to the point where you have to take some responsibility for your own safety. Its hard to quibble with Fernandezs take, given the acts of violence and all the social and behavioral problems that are evident. The Metro board recently approved an emergency procurement to rush installation of protective barriers for bus operators due to the increased severity of assaults. Board member Kathryn Barger, who said she's afraid to ride transit alone, joined colleagues who introduced a motion to step up security and explore future options. In the keynote address at the Expo event in Pasadena, Metro Chief Executive Stephanie Wiggins briefly hit the highlights of service expansion and increased ridership on some lines, and she repeated the grand vision of Metro as both a commuter service and an affordable way to explore, discover and connect with our communities. But she quickly pivoted. Safety, Wiggins said, is the most important thing weve been working on, for the benefit of Metro riders and employees. And she called for a moment of silence in memory of Mirna Soza Arauz, the 67-year-old Tommys security guard who was stabbed to death on a B-Line train between the North Hollywood and Universal stations shortly before 5 a.m. on April 22. Lois Vivendale, second from right, says that she doesn't ride Metro because she would be "an easy mark" at the 8th Annual Older Adult Transportation Expo at the Pasadena Convention Center. Vivendale does ride buses as long as she knows the drivers and feels okay with the route. After I retraced her final route, riding the same train Soza Arauz had ridden, a week after her death, I wrote in my column that tighter security is obviously needed, but its unrealistic to think Metro can clean up all the societal failures that have turned buses and trains into rolling shelters. Wiggins hit that same note in her speech, referencing homelessness, untreated mental illness and a drug epidemic. We didnt create any of these problems, but we need to manage them, Wiggins said. She told the audience that the number of Metro's homeless outreach teams had been tripled from eight to 24, and that more lighting and security cameras have been added, along with more security officers to enforce our code of conduct including fare enforcement. Read more: Column: As some nursing homes cry poverty, what can be done about increased staffing requirements? Also, Wiggins said, 300 Metro ambassadors have been posted throughout the system to answer questions and spot problems, and crime stats in March showed a double-digit decrease year-to-year. In fact, overall crime rates on buses and trains have both risen and fallen at various times in the past few years, depending on the crime category, although recent high-profile violent crimes have fueled fear that Metro is unsafe. As Wiggins spoke, another all-too-familiar drama was unfolding at the Sunset/Vermont Metro station in Hollywood, where a security guard got into an altercation Tuesday morning with a knife-wielding trespasser discovered during a sweep of a nonpublic area of the station. Authorities said the guard was stabbed and then shot the attacker, who fled to a nearby hospital and was pronounced dead. Stephanie Wiggins, Metro chief executive, says safety is a top priority, citing an increase in homeless outreach teams, more visible security personnel and more cameras. For all of this, not everyone who attended the Pasadena Expo was ready to give up on transit. Two women in their 70s, from Lancaster, told me they travel in groups and are aware of risks but feel generally safe. Retiree Frank McGrath, 75, said he intends to keep riding. Im aware of my surroundings, he said, adding that hes prepared to use his walker to defend himself if necessary. Wanda Savage, 60, said she wont use transit at night, but she sticks to a set of personal rules when riding during the day. She stands instead of sits, she said, and is prepared to run if necessary. Read more: Person stabbed after argument spills out of L.A. Metro bus, police say You just have to be very aware, she said. Thats why I dont use earbuds and headsets and all that stuff. I hear everything. Duane Garcia, a 75-year-old musician who told me he served in Vietnam as a Marine, carries a telescopic baton and a pocket knife at all times. He said there ought to be more supervision on platforms because hes seen pickpockets target people, and he's seen predatory behavior, particularly against women. Stan Slonkosky, 72, a retired electronic technician who can't drive because of poor vision, told me that riding public transit almost got him killed. Stan Slonkosky shows scars on his shoulders and arms, reminders of an attack two years ago when a Metro passenger doused him with a flammable liquid and lit him on fire. Two years ago today, I attended a concert at St. Andrews Church in Pasadena, he said. After it's conclusion he walked to the Memorial Park metro station a few blocks away that evening to head home. Read more: Editorial: L.A. Metro is doomed if it cant keep bus and train riders safe When I got on the train, Slonkosky said, a woman behind me said, Youre blocking my view. I ignored her because I thought she was crazy, and she sprayed a liquid on me. I thought it was water because it was odorless, but according to a detective who investigated it, it was gasoline, and she set me on fire. I got on the floor and put it out. Some of the other passengers helped me. Slonkosky said he suffered second-degree burns on his arms, and he showed me the scars. He was also burned on his torso and face, and spent seven weeks in the hospital followed by three months in a nursing home. He said his assailant was declared mentally unfit for trial, and has yet to be prosecuted. Slonkosky said too many people with violent histories don't face consequences and are left free to attack again, and he thinks there ought to be many more uniformed officers patrolling Metro. He went to the Expo to ask Metro officials why security is so lax, but there was no opportunity for such an exchange. "I'm hyper aware," said Wanda Savage, about safety concerns when she rides on public transportation. Wiggins later told me that Metro isnt the only large transit agency dealing with these issues, and as a rider she has seen the risks described by others. Ive had that experience where someoneappears to be having a mental crisis, she said. And for all the attempts thus far to improve security, she said, I want to be clear that Im not satisfied and I know theres still more to be done. A lot more. Last year saw an astounding 168 assaults on bus drivers, some of who staged a sick-out last week. Weve plowed billions into transit, with good reason, but were not seeing enough of a return on the investment. Metro helps drive the local economy and has the potential to get people out of their cars in a traffic-choked metropolis. It gets people to work and to school, and many of them have no transportation alternatives. And transit is more important than ever, given the impact of car culture on climate change. Passengers exit a Pasadena transit bus to participate in Metro's Older Adult Transportation Expo at the Pasadena Convention Center on May 7. The great cities of the world have great systems, and they figure out how to make them work safely and efficiently for people of all ages. Los Angeles has to do the same, no more excuses. steve.lopez@latimes.com Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A rare piece of American memorabilia tied to the Hyannisport home of John F. Kennedy is now up for grabs to the highest bidder. The item is a mortgage note between JFK and his father, Joseph Kennedy Sr., dating to 1957, the year after JFK just missed winning his party's nomination for vice president under Adlai Stevenson. It was three years before JFK declared his own candidacy, and four years before he was inaugurated. RR Auction, a Boston firm that deals with rare manuscripts, autographs and historic artifacts, is also auctioning a number of other Kennedy-related items in commemoration of JFK's May 29 birthday. "It was consigned to us within the last two to three months," said RR Auction Executive Vice President Bobby Livingston on Monday. "We're in Boston so we're known for selling Kennedy family autographs and artifacts. That's how we came to have it." The document, he said, is privately owned. President John F. Kennedy heads to a press conference behind his house on Irving Avenue in Hyannisport. A mortgage note from 1957 between JFK and his father for the purchase of the house is up for auction. A 'very rare' Kennedy document As Kennedy collectibles go, the item is particularly noteworthy. "It's very rare to see a document between JFK and his father," Livingston said. The one-page, typed note still stapled into its original blue legal folder outlines a promise by JFK to pay back $50,000 to his father within five years for the purchase of 111 Irving Ave. in Hyannisport. The sprawling 9-bed, 6.5 bath, 4,484-square-foot house built in 1925 would become known as "the Summer White House" during Kennedy's presidency. The note, dated Jan. 2, 1957, is signed by JFK. The agreement specifically reads, "On the 2nd day of January, 1962, for value received, I promise to pay Joseph P. Kennedy of North Ocean Boulevard, Palm Beach, Florida, or order, the principal sum of Fifty Thousand ($50,000.00) Dollars, without interest. A written note scrawled at the bottom indicates a payment in full dated Sept. 23, 1957, just more than nine months after the loan agreement was made. The 1957 mortgage note for the Hyannisport home, purchased by John F. Kennedy from his father, is now up for grabs by the highest bidder in an auction . John F. Kennedy's former home at 111 Irving Ave. is now owned by members of the Kennedy family. Mortgage note 'holds the heart' of the Kennedy compound The home facing Nantucket Sound which JFK bought with his wife, Jacqueline, is behind Joseph Kennedy Sr.'s house and became part of what is now the famed Kennedy compound. The compound includes neighboring properties acquired by JFK's brothers and sisters: Ted, Robert and Eunice. Livingston said the fact that the mortgage note is associated with the storied Kennedy compound makes it even more extraordinary. It gives what he thinks is a fascinating glimpse into the private lives of the family. He said he finds it interesting that Joseph Kennedy Sr., one of the richest men in the country at the time, gave a loan to his son to purchase the house, and then held the house as security against the loan, rather than gifting the house outright. Story continues A rare piece of American memorabilia tied into the Hyannisport home of John F. Kennedy is now up for grabs by the highest bidder. The item is a mortgage note between JFK and his father, Joseph Kennedy Sr., dating to 1957, the year after JFK just missed winning his party's nomination for vice president under Adlai Stevenson. It was three years before JFK declared his own candidacy, and four years before he was inaugurated. "His father is lending the money to buy the house, but he expects to be fully repaid, and I think that's an interesting insight into the family," Livingston said. Even without knowing the specifics surrounding the agreement whether the father insisted on being paid back, or JFK refused to take a handout and insisted on paying the loan is "an interesting dynamic" in such a wealthy family, Livingston said. Its exceedingly rare and important," he said. "This document holds the heart of the compound that has been ingrained in the publics collective memory of Americas first family, home to some of the most tragic and triumphant events in their lives. An aerial view looks north of the Kennedy compound in Hyannisport. Marchant Avenue is in the foreground with Rose Kennedy's home at right, and Ethel Kennedy's home at left. Behind Ethel's house at top right is JFK's former home, at 111 Irving Ave., which is now owned by members of the Kennedy family. A special place where JFK went when he had 'a tough decision to make.' For JFK, the house was not just a retreat, but also served as a headquarters for his campaign and presidency. It was the scene not only of family gatherings, but also many political meetings and press conferences, and where he could find peace for thinking. The house was a special place for Kennedy, who had spent many childhood days on Cape Cod at his parents' nearby home. According to the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum, Joseph Kennedy Sr. rented the Malcolm Cottage at the end of Marchant Avenue in 1926 and bought it two years later for $25,000, putting on additions and renovating. JFK once said of his Cape Cod home, "I always come back to the Cape and walk on the beach when I have a tough decision to make." Today, the house at 111 Irving Ave. remains in the Kennedy family under the ownership of JFK's nephews Edward M. Kennedy Jr. and Timothy Shriver, and the Edward M. Kennedy Jr. 2011 Trusts for Children. According to town assessing records, the property's assessed value is now $3,772,600 a little more than 75 times its original purchase price. In a 2000 photo, President Bill Clinton and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, lieutenant governor of Maryland, leave the Hyannisport home of President Kennedy after a tour during Clinton's visit to the Kennedy compound. JFK ephemera 'still has strong interest' among collectors The 1957 mortgage note for Kennedy's home is considered to be in "fine" condition and has an estimated value topping $4,000. Bidding opened on April 26 and will close on Wednesday, May 15. As of Tuesday, the item had attracted 10 bids, with the last high bid at $2,400. Livingston said "anything JFK-related still has strong interest in a collectors' world." "The Kennedy family is the closest we have to American royalty to certain people of a certain generation," he said. Private documents and artifacts related to JFK and his family are in the hands of many private collectors, though most presidential items are usually held by institutions such as the Library of Congress and JFK Presidential Library. The special JFK birthday auction includes close to 50 items, including signed photographs, a family-signed book, a knife from the president's inaugural cake celebration, and original pages from his Peace Corps legislation. Heather McCarron can be reached at hmccarron@capecodonline.com, or follow her on X @HMcCarron_CCT The Cape Cod Times is providing this coverage for free as a public service. Please take a moment to support local journalism by subscribing. This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: JFK mortgage note for Hyannisport 'Summer White House' up for auction A wanted child predator is behind bars. According to the Gwinnett County Sheriffs Office, on March 27, the GCSO Fugitive and K9 Units found and apprehended a wanted child predator. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] GCSO said they apprehended Terrance Trower in Suwanee, Georgia. Fugitive investigators and uniform K9 deputies made contact with Trower and immediately placed him under arrest. During the arrest, deputies recovered a Glock 26 9mm handgun from his front pocket. TRENDING STORIES: GCSO said Trower is being charged with Enticing a Child for Indecent Purposes, Interstate Interference with Custody, Child Molestation, Statutory Rape, Possession of a Pistol, or Revolver by a Person under 18 years of Age and Theft by Receiving Stolen Property. Trower attended his preliminary hearing on May 3, and is currently held at the Gwinnett County Jail without bond. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: (Getty Images) Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is taking the Archdiocese of Seattle to court over records he said the church is refusing to give up in an investigation of its handling of child sex abuse allegations. Ferguson announced Thursday his office is investigating whether the Catholic Church used charitable funds to cover up allegations of sex abuse by clergy in three dioceses in Washington: the Seattle Archdiocese, the Diocese of Spokane and the Diocese of Yakima. Fergusonss office sent its first round of subpoenas to the dioceses last summer, but none have yet to provide any information not already publicly available. On Thursday, his office filed a petition asking the King County Superior Court to enforce the Seattle Archdiocese subpoenas and requested a hearing for May 22. The state has not yet taken action against the other two dioceses, but Ferguson said his office is prepared to if they refuse to comply. As a Catholic, Ferguson called the churchs decision to withhold these documents so disturbing to me on a very deep level. Theres still time for the church to do the right thing, but I cant say Im optimistic, Ferguson said at a press conference Thursday. I can imagine, for the church right now, the right thing is especially painful, but its time for them to lead by example. Ferguson is one of 23 other state attorneys general whove opened investigations into the Catholic Church. So far, six have produced reports with their findings, according to Fergusons office. That includes an Illinois investigation that found four times as many abusers in the states dioceses than they had previously disclosed. Since 2016, the Seattle Archdiocese has released the names of 83 individuals with allegations of sexual abuse against them that the church has deemed credible. Ferguson said Thursday that number could be bigger, given the amount of information the archdiocese still refuses to disclose. Still, the states petition filed Thursday calls the list deeply concerning, as it shows many of the individuals served in positions of power within the Church for decades and were frequently transferred between locations. Ferguson added there is reason to believe that the Seattle Archdiocese has known about priests abusive behavior and used its charitable funds to protect them. According to court documents, the archdiocese has refused to provide any meaningful transparency regarding whether it was complicit in the abuse, if there are reports of other priests or how it investigated the individuals on the list. There needs to be an acknowledgment that protecting abusers is being an accomplice to the crime of clerical sexual abuse, Esther Lucero-Miner, a survivor of sexual abuse from a Catholic priest, said. There also needs to be transparency, including an openness to locked-up records, a willingness to meet face-to-face with survivors. The decision to take the church to court over these subpoenas is highly unusual, Ferguson said. In most other investigations by his office, the person or group being investigated cooperates. I wish there was another way to resolve this, but there is not, Ferguson said. Were moving forward with or without their cooperation. Because the attorney general only has civil authority, Ferguson cannot press criminal charges against the diocese, but local prosecutors can refer criminal cases to his office if they have the necessary information. He said Thursday he didnt want to speculate on any criminal investigation. In a statement released Thursday, the Archdiocese of Seattle said it has cooperated with the Attorney Generals Office since its first subpoena 10 months ago and has already turned over some of the requested information. We have a good understanding of the content of our files and we have no concern about sharing them with the Attorney General lawfully and fairly, according to the statement. However, based on the recommendations and guidance of professionals, we must do so in a way that protects the privacy of victims and ensures they are not re-traumatized, the statement went on. Although religious organizations are exempt under Washingtons Charitable Trust Act, Ferguson argued that there is no reasonable ground to apply that exemption for an investigation related to sexual abuse. The Catholic Accountability Project, an organization that advocates for victims of clergy sexual abuse, praised Fergusons decision to pursue a court order but pushed him to go a step further. In a statement Thursday, the group called on him to subpoena the states religious orders for documents related to widespread abuse among clergy members to obtain documents and evidence from the Vatican archive, which likely has documents and evidence related to abuse among Catholic clergy. The group has also pushed state lawmakers in recent years to require clergy to report child abuse or neglect when they hear it. A bill to do so failed two years in a row in the Legislature, in part because of disagreement over whether that requirement applies during confession. Fergusons office encourages survivors and their families to call (833)952-6277 if they have any information that may be helpful to the investigation. The post Washington AG investigating Catholic Churchs role in clergy sex abuse appeared first on Washington State Standard. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) After a Seattle institution was accused of declining to cooperate, Washington officials were pushed to uncover their efforts in investigating the Catholic Church. During a press conference on Thursday, Attorney General Bob Ferguson revealed his offices plans to look into child sex abuse allegations against the Archdiocese of Seattle, the Catholic Diocese of Spokane and the Diocese of Yakima. Oregon Supreme Court sides with woman alleging Kotek caused her wrongful imprisonment Earlier this spring, he alleged his staff submitted subpoenas asking the institutions to unveil their accounting and financial records but the Seattle church refused to comply. The attorney generals typical policy prohibits his office from commenting on investigations, but Ferguson stated this case has been publicized due to the court order he is seeking against the diocese. His office reported that investigators have reason to believe the Seattle institution was aware of certain priests abusive behavior, and the church used charitable funds to protect them. For example, publicly available information indicates that the Seattle Archdiocese knew for decades that Father Michael J. Cody repeatedly sexually abused children, but it allowed him to stay in positions of power and moved him to different parishes periodically to hide his predations, giving him access to new victims while continuing to support him financially, the AGs Office said. Portland State Universitys rare book collection protected despite library damage Ferguson claimed the Spokane and Yakima churches also have yet to comply with the investigation, and his staff will take action against them if they fail to do so in the near future. The Seattle diocese shared a statement in response to Thursdays announcement, saying it has cooperated with the attorney general since staff submitted their first subpoena in July 2023. According to the institution, its legal team has already shared some of the documents requested by Washington officials. Four miles of I-5 to close for several days in June Still, the AGs Office has asked the King County Superior Court to enforce its subpoenas and hear its case on May 22. There is still time for the church to do the right thing, Ferguson, who is Catholic, said. I cant say Im optimistic, but there is still time and I hope whoevers listening, you know, the leadership of the church, really reflects deeply about this. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. One More Day, One More Boeing Incident - Senegal Crash Adds to Troubles Boeing Co (NYSE: BA) continues to face challenges as a Boeing 737-300 aircraft crashed during takeoff at Senegals main airport on Thursday. Air Senegal flight HC301, operated by Transair with 78 passengers, skidded off a runway before takeoff, injuring 11 people and bringing the facility to a halt. The Blaise Diagne airport said an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the accident, which occurred at around 0100 GM, reported Reuters. Boeing is already under regulatory scrutiny after the door panel that blew out midair on Alaska Air flight 1282 in January. Alaska Air Group (NYSE ALK) temporarily grounded 65 Boeing Company 737 Max 9 jets after an emergency landing at Portland International Airport due to reported midair pressure issues damaging the fuselage. Boeing faced 32 whistleblower complaints within three years, under investigation by the U.S. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration for alleged employer retaliation, encompassing aviation and workplace safety concerns. Also Read: Boeing Whistleblower Urges Grounding Of All 787 Dreamliners Worldwide Citing Premature Failure Concerns: Check Your Gaps In another incident in April, Delta Flight No. 1413 faced an unsettling situation when the pilot informed passengers that the Boeing 757 was yawing aggressively, prompting our decision to return, as a Benzinga staff member reported aboard the flight. Price Action: BA shares are trading lower by 0.30% at $179.80 premarket at the last check Thursday. Boeing 777 illustration Photo via Shutterstock "ACTIVE INVESTORS' SECRET WEAPON" Supercharge Your Stock Market Game with the #1 "news & everything else" trading tool: Benzinga Pro - Click here to start Your 14-Day Trial Now! Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article One More Day, One More Boeing Incident - Senegal Crash Adds to Troubles originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. *WARNING: The video and images in this story may be disturbing to some viewers* TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A Wesley Chapel homeowner captured the circle of life up close last week as a bobcat was spotted stalking a pair of cranes near a pond before the animal snatched a duck right as it took flight. Video from Dmitriy Chaikovskiy shows the shocking moment unfold just a few feet away from him on May 3. He told WFLA that this was the first time hed seen a bobcat in his backyard. Sandhill cranes could be heard making loud bugle calls as the small bobcat inches its way toward the pond. The stalking animal pauses before going toward the water. Then, out of nowhere, the bobcat whips around and snags a duck from the air. The bobcat held the duck in its jaws and turned around to face Chaikovskiy before venturing back into the wooded area near the pond. GRAPHIC PHOTOS: Dead bobcat removed from tree in Safety Harbor Chaikovskiys bobcat sighting comes just a few days before a dead bobcat was found hanging from a tree in Safety Harbor. The dead animal was found hanging about 30 feet up in the tree on May 1. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officials and non-profit wildlife rescue organization Birds In Helping Hands removed the animals carcass from the tree. The FWC will conduct a necropsy on the bobcat to determine its cause of death. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. CHICAGO The University of Chicagos encampment may be gone but anti-war demonstrators are still pressuring administration to divest from Israel as their military has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Anti-war demonstrators held a press conference Thursday morning after their encampment protesting Israels war on Gaza was taken down Tuesday on their ninth day of encampment. University of Chicago student Lucas Borja said there is still a very long path the university will have to take in repairing student and admin relationships. A video taken by anti-war demonstrators shows University police in riot gear raiding tents and kicking down signs. While there were tense moments between police and demonstrators, no arrest were made. Biden greeted by protestors in Chicago after Racine County visit University president Paul Alivisatos said safety concerns were mounting and the status quo could not continue. The demonstrators are fighting for Israel to stop bombing Gaza and for the university to divest itself from any organizations doing business with Israel. They say the press conference will provide their perspective of what happened Tuesday morning. The main campus in Hyde Park has been quiet on campus since the encampment was removed and some students were pleased to see it go even if protests continue. This encampment was illegal, obstructive disruptive and incredibly dangerous we had people from off campus populating our quad for days on end, University of Chicago student Declan Hurley said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. Police have released footage of two suspected thieves breaking into a museum and stealing gold Bronze Age artefacts dating back more than 3,000 years. CCTV video shows two individuals in dark, hooded clothing forcing open a window and climbing into Ely Museum in Cambridgeshire in the early hours of Tuesday morning. In footage from a second camera, the suspects are seen rushing further into the building before reappearing moments later heading in the opposite direction. In another clip, a person is seen climbing through a window at the museum - Cambridgeshire Constabulary/PA Cambridgeshire Constabulary confirmed that a gold torc and a gold bracelet, both originally found in East Cambridgeshire, had been taken. The torc is thought to be one of the finest examples of its kind in the UK, with Ely Museum describing it as its most-prized possession. The ornament was unearthed by a metal detectorist in a farmers field in 2015. It consists of 730g of almost pure gold and is thought to be worth more than 200,000. The gold torc is thought to be worth more than 200,000 - Trustees of the British Museum The force said it was seeking two people seen on e-scooters close to the museum around the hours of midnight and 2am on Tuesday. Detective Inspector Kiri Mazur said: We have released this CCTV, not in the hope someone will recognise the figures, but to try to jog memories and encourage anyone with information to come forward. We are focused on identifying the offenders, tracing the items, and returning them to their rightful place and are working closely with staff at Ely Museum to follow all lines of inquiry. The Bronze Age gold bracelet stolen from Ely Museum - Bav Media Ely Museum was closed to the public on Wednesday following the raid. Curator Elie Hughes said: We are devastated by the loss to the museum and to the local heritage of the region. It is a huge blow after the incredible support from the community in acquiring the torc in 2017. As a culturally significant object, it cannot be replaced. She added: Our priority now is working with the police to locate the stolen objects. 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 National Weather Service triggered a tornado watch, lasting until 7 p.m. Thursday for Beaufort and Jasper counties. Ping pong-sized hail, scattered wind gusts up to 70 mph and a couple tornadoes are threats under the watch, the service said. A tornado watch means tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area, the NWS noted. The service added that the watch area is typically large, covering multiple counties or states. If a tornado warning is later issued, it indicates a twister has been sighted or seen on radar. Early Thursday, NWS meteorologists with the Charleston office said a thunderstorm complex coming from west of southeast South Carolina will move into Beaufort County between 3 and 4 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Services Charleston Office. A second round of possible severe storms could move through Friday morning and into the afternoon. Michigan Department of State staff assist residents with restoring their driving privileges during a free clinic Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at Second Missionary Baptist Church in Battle Creek. BATTLE CREEK More than 200 Michiganders received assistance on how to get their driving privileges restored during a free clinic Wednesday at Second Missionary Baptist Church. Were proud to be back in Battle Creek with our dedicated staff, partners, and volunteers, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a press release. Michigan residents eligible to regain their license come to our clinics for personalized guidance and a plan of action for safely returning to the road. We are making government work for the people of Michigan by bringing services directly to communities all over the state and it has made a meaningful difference in thousands of lives so far. The Road to Restoration clinics, staffed by the Michigan Department of State, the Department of Attorney General, and volunteer attorneys, aim to help residents determine how they can restore their license and when possible, provide the services they need to do so on site. The clinics are made possible by numerous partner organizations including DTE Energy, Miller Canfield, Detroit Justice Center, Michigan Works! Southwest, Kellogg Community College, Goodwill Industries, Womens Co-op, the City of Battle Creek and Michigan 2-1-1, among others. Michigan Department of State staff assist residents with restoring their driving privileges during a free clinic Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at Second Missionary Baptist Church in Battle Creek. More than 200 people visited Wednesday's clinic in Battle Creek, hosted by Second Missionary Baptist Church. "We are happy to host the Secretary of States office again for the Road to Restoration clinic," Pastor William J. Wyne of Second Missionary Baptist Church said in the release. "The Road to Restoration clinic is a good way to help persons establish a sense of rightness as it relates to driving. It can alleviate unnecessary litigation or interaction with the law." Staff and volunteer attorneys met one-on-one with visitors to the clinic, reviewed their driving record, and advised on their next steps to get back behind the wheel. Mario Aleman gets his photo taken for his driver's license during a free clinic Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at Second Missionary Baptist Church in Battle Creek. Mario Aleman of Battle Creek had his license restored at Wednesdays clinic after being told a few years ago it would cost more than $10,000 in fines and fees to get it back. Im proud to say I got my license! Its been 25 years. Im a happy man right now," Aleman said. Ill be trying to improve my job situation. I just take any job I can get because its close to my house and I know I can get there. Now, I can go get a job and drive there and get there every day and not worry about getting rides or wondering how Im going to get to work the next day. Thats just a weight off my shoulders." Additional clinics in 2024 are scheduled in Muskegon, Flint, Detroit, Marquette, Houghton and Kalamazoo. For more information about the program, to find a clinic near you, or to sign up for an upcoming clinic, visit michigan.gov/R2R or dial 2-1-1. Pre-registration is strongly recommended. Contact reporter Greyson Steele at gsteele@battlecreekenquirer.com This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Free clinic helps residents regain driving privileges in Battle Creek What would be the worst foreign policy message imaginable? There are many contenders, but the frontrunner has to be simply that terrorism works. Once this lesson has been learnt, the door will be open to years of violence against us. Its called appeasement, and history has taught us where it leads. If you, like me, are concerned by the rise of Islamist extremism around the world, the danger it poses to Jewish communities everywhere, and the way it threatens both the firmness of liberal values and our national security, the inconstancy of Western support for Israel in its mission to destroy Hamas including here in Britain should fill you with dread. Most voters want our country to stand up for democracy, not capitulate to the terrorist forces rising to menace it in the most brutal manner imaginable. Why cant our leaders express without equivocation that backing Israel in its fight to destroy Hamas completely was, and is, the right thing to do? Why do they stay silent, giving succour to our enemies Instead, seven months on from October 7, Western politicians seem intent on pursuing what Ronald Reagan called the utopian solution of peace without victory. As he put it during the Cold War: They call their policy accommodation and they say if we only avoid any direct confrontation with the enemy, hell forget his evil ways and learn to love us. Of course, the opposite is true. It is difficult to look back at the months since October 7 and conclude that this has not been the message. An unprovoked massacre of 1,200 innocents, involving the most depraved scenes of butchery, mutilation, infanticide and necrophilia, has lead to a groundswell of support for the perpetrators. From the Ivy League to Oxbridge, university authorities are indulging students that openly support the intifada: an appalling wave of terror that claimed thousands of lives, many in suicide bombs of the sort we suffered in the Manchester Arena a few years ago. On our streets, tens of thousands march not in the spirit of peace but of violence, not just against the Jewish state but also against the Cenotaph, the Union flag, the statue of Churchill and ourselves. Who bothers to recall any more how this war started? Who spares a thought for the hostages? Who has the imagination to consider how Britain would have reacted were such attacks directed at our own children? And how the call to eliminate the perpetrators would be the only moral course of action in the cause of future peace? Shamefully, however, we seek to avoid direct confrontation, hoping that the subversives will learn to love us. As Reagan said during waves of civil disobedience at Berkeley in the 1960s: Some of you who should know better, and are old enough to know better, let young people think that they had the right to choose the laws that they would obey, so long as they did it in the name of social protest. And so the message is amplified. Terrorism works. In Gaza, Tehran, Moscow and Beijing, our enemies nod with the approval of so many crocodiles, concluding that our disregard for our own values is far from limited to the domestic theatre. Look at the messages we have been sending overseas. In any normal universe, there would be no question: such outrages as those of October 7 could only be met with annihilation. This, after all, was the conclusion drawn by London and Washington when Islamic State committed atrocities against our people. From Mosul to Raqqa, we didnt bother sending text messages telling civilians to evacuate. We just did the job and, as a result, the world is a safer place. Yet with Hamas hunkering down in Rafah, the world is conspiring to tie Israels hands. Uncle Sam is threatening to stop shipments of bombs and artillery shells if an offensive goes ahead. The loudest criticism is of Israel, not Hamas. Imagine if, 20 years ago, the terrorists who carried out 9/11 were surrounded and we had an opportunity to take them out. Would we have left them alone, giving them a chance to recover their strength? I highly doubt it. Yet here we are. The messaging to our enemies, in short, is clear: however appalling your crimes, the Western public will have your backs. Fearing confrontation, their leaders will bend to the pressure. Terrorism works, at least when it comes to massacring Jews. God help us. Jake Wallis Simons is editor of the Jewish Chronicle and author of Israelophobia Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. While the family patriarch spends his days in Manhattan Criminal Court attempting to fend off 34 felony counts of falsifying business records involving a six-figure payoff to porn star Stormy Daniels, only one member of the Trump clan has appeared at the former presidents trial. Adult son Eric showed up in the courtroom gallery this week to observe testimony in his fathers case, but none of the other kidsor Trumps third wife Melaniahave been there to hear the twice-impeached ex-commander-in-chiefs dirty laundry being entered into the public record. Heres what theyve been up to while Big Papa sits through a trial which, if hes convicted, could send Trump to prison for up to four years. Former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump arrive at the home of billionaire investor John Paulson in Palm Beach, Florida for a fundraiser. Alon Skuy/Getty Images Melania Trump The third Mrs. Trump has made just one public appearance since her husbands hush money trial started roughly a month ago, showing up in April at a fundraiser for the Log Cabin Republicans, a group championing LGBTQ GOPers. Melania did not accompany her other half last year to his arraignment in the Stormy Daniels case, to which he has pleaded not guilty. Melania does not keep a high profile as a former first lady, unlike many other presidential wives in years past. When The Washington Post tried last fall to track down FFLOTUS, reporters were unable to find her anywhere in Palm Beach, Florida where the Trumps now live. One friend of Melanias told People that the 53-year-old leads her own life, and in testimony this week on the stand, Daniels herself recalled Donald Trump telling her, prior to having sex without a condom, that he and Melania slept in separate rooms. Then-President Donald Trump returns to the White House with his son Barron after a weekend in Bedminster. Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images Barron Trump The youngest Trump child will be graduating from Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach next week, capping off endless complaining and bellyaching from Donald about being forced to attend his own trial that day instead of being there for his his wonderful son, Barron, who is a GREAT Student at a fantastic School, as he posted to his flagging Twitter clone, Truth Social. Who would tell the 18-year-old scion that his Dad will likely not be allowed to attend his Graduation Ceremony? Trump also whined to reporters outside Courtroom 1530 that his trial was a scam, and lambasted Judge Juan Merchan for not allow[ing] me to escape this scam. But, as now has become routine, Trump spoke too soon. When Merchan subsequently said he would pause the trial for the day so Trump could go to the graduation, Trump immediately booked an appearance headlining the Republican Party of Minnesotas annual Lincoln Reagan Dinner in St. Paul that evening. Trump can theoretically still do both, since Barrons graduation ceremony kicks off at 10 a.m., and Trump doesnt have to be in the North Star State until several hours later. His exact plans for the day remain unknownbut Merchan will surely be watching. Donald Trump Jr. watches results come in for his father at a Super Tuesday election-night watch party at Mar-a-Lago. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Don Jr. The eldest boy has basically been livetweeting his fathers criminal trial, but has largely been too busy recording episodes of his video podcast (Triggered, like the book) and posting right-wing memes to show face in downtown New York City. Plus, havent you heard? Hes in his lifestyle influencer eraand those harsh overhead fluorescents at Manhattan Criminal Court have a way of washing a man out. That doesnt mean hes abandoned Daddy Dearest, though. Far from it: he was pictured, thumbs hooked in pockets, alongside his namesake (or, as Don. Jr referred to him, my big guy) at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix over the weekend. Whats more, he said in an interview with the New York Post earlier this year that he plans to be a very active part of the transition team should his father win re-election. Choke on that, libs. Eric Trump returns to the courtroom after a break at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City. Mary Altaffer/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Eric Um, excuse me? How dare you suggest Eric Trump hasnt been there for the Don? On the contrary, the second failson has been intermittently present and accounted for in court. His first appearance was last Tuesday, when he gave conservative attorney George Conway, who was also observing proceedings, a dismissive smirk and a snort at one point, according to Slate. Attaboy! Aside from listening attentively, Eric has more recently been tweeting up a storm about Stormy et al. After the adult film actress took the stand on Tuesday morning, he fired off a post: Perspective: Sitting front row attempting to figure out how any of this garbage from 20 years ago relates to legal bills Eric wrote, adding that the giddy prosecutors clearly didnt give a s**t about the merits of this case. His take? The entire case is a massive extortion play. Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner watch Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria play against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open. Frey/TPN/Getty Images Ivanka Between flashy date nights in Miami and a friends wedding in Mexico earlier this week, the eldest Trump daughter is by all accounts having a ball staying away from the Big Apple. But shes not reportedly not content with the idea of staying away from the circus forever, and is rapidly warming to the idea of trying to be helpful to her fathers campaign again, a person familiar with her thinking told Puck earlier this month. Either way, Ivanka has certainly been in court in spirit amid Daniels testimony. On Tuesday, Daniels testified that Trump had compared the two of them in conversation in a Lake Tahoe hotel room. You remind me of my daughter, she is smart and blonde and beautiful and people underestimate her as well, Trump allegedly said, right before initiating sex with Daniels. Cant imagine why Ivanka wouldnt want to hear that story. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A whistleblower at Boeing's supplier said he 'almost grew a fear of flying' from working 12 years there A whistleblower at Boeing's supplier said he 'almost grew a fear of flying' from working 12 years there An ex-worker at Spirit AeroSystems, which makes the 737 fuselage, said he almost has a fear of flying from his time there. Santiago Paredes, a former quality manager of 12 years at Spirit, accused the firm of rushing safety inspections. He said he would find "over a hundred defects" per day when carrying out final inspections. A former employee of Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems said he nearly developed a fear of flying because of what he saw during his 12-year stint inspecting aircraft fuselages there. Santiago Paredes, who was a quality manager at Spirit's Wichita facility, told CBS News in a Wednesday report that he would observe "over a hundred defects every day" when conducting final inspections of 737 fuselages. "Working at Spirit, I almost grew a fear of flying," said Paredes. "There's about two or three units that is in the back of your mind, that you know you would never want to fly on." "You think there are planes out there that you wouldn't want to fly on?" CBS senior transport correspondent Kris Van Cleave asked Paredes. "Oh yeah," Paredes said. "Knowing what I know about the 737, it makes me very uncomfortable when I fly in one of them." Boeing outsources the manufacturing of the 737 fuselage to Spirit and, when assembling the plane at its own facilities, employs a team that finds and fixes defects. Paredes, who left Spirit in 2022, called the operation a "recipe for disaster." He accused the company of fostering a work culture that pressured inspectors to clear fuselages faster so they could hit deadlines. The former quality manager said he was even nicknamed the "Showstopper" by his bosses because he would delay deliveries by pointing out issues. He also told CBS that he often found defects near door panels like the one that blew out midair on an Alaska Airlines 737 flight in January, which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily ground more than 170 of the planes. In February, the National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary investigation into the January incident said bolts were missing from the 737 Max 9's door plug. "Why'd that happen? Because Spirit let go of a defect that they overlooked because of the pressure that they put on the inspectors," Paredes said. Paredes told CBS that he once sent an email pushing back against his managers' requests to speed up inspections and then was removed from his leadership position. He complained to human resources and was later reinstated, but resigned, he told the outlet. He is now a whistleblower in a lawsuit against Spirit brought by shareholders. In court documents, he was identified as "Former Employee 1" until coming forth to speak publicly about his experience, the BBC reported. Another whistleblower at Spirit, John Dean, was also meant to give testimony in the lawsuit but died from a sudden illness in early May. Spirit has said that the allegations in the lawsuit are false. Paredes' accusations are the latest blow to the embattled Spirit and Boeing, which have both faced intensifying scrutiny after the January door plug incident. The 737 Max has become the subject of criticism from several whistleblowers, who accused the manufacturers of compromising safety standards to fill deliveries more quickly. Boeing has since begun inspecting fuselages at Spirit's Wichita facility, resulting in a backlog of 737 deliveries that cost Spirit $416 million in operations expenditures in Q1 2024, up from $46 million in the same period last year. Spirit AeroSystems did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours by Business Insider. When contacted for comment, a spokesperson for Boeing referred BI to Spirit. Read the original article on Business Insider Whistleblower Says Saudi Arabia Told Operatives It's Okay to Kill Villagers to Build 105-Mile Skyscraper Crossing the Line Saudi Arabia is working on a comically colossal skyscraper, called "The Line," that aims to stretch across 105 miles of desert and tower over the Empire State Building. And that's only one part of an even greater ambition, the world's largest construction project simply called "Neom." Unsurprisingly, The Line is already turning out to be a hot mess, with architects struggling to finalize designs, while the foundations are already being built. Besides getting a reality check, the project led by the journalist-mulching Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is also already mired in human rights abuses. Ex-intelligence officer Rabih Alenezi, who has been living in exile in the UK since last year, told the BBC that Saudi forces were given the green light to use lethal force to clear land for the sprawling construction site. Alenezi claims that he was told to move a nearby village, resulting in a protester getting shot and killed serious allegations that highlight a worrying cost to Saudi Arabia's megalomaniac city project. Clearing Land At first, The Line was meant to be a car-free city that measured 650 feet wide and 105 miles long. But projections suggest the Neom project could end up costing a whopping $2 trillion, four times the initial budget. And only 1.5 miles of The Line will reportedly be built by 2030, instead of ten miles. While The Line's path largely passes through uninhabited desert, more than 6,000 people still had to be moved, according to the Saudi government. UK-based human rights group ALQST, however, believes that number to be in the tens of thousands. According to satellite images analyzed by the BBC, three villages have already been demolished, including schools and hospitals. Alenezi told the broadcaster he was instructed to clear a town called al-Khuraybah three miles south of The Line. A man called Abdul Rahim al-Huwaiti reportedly refused to give up his land and was shot dead by Saudi authorities, who later claimed that he had opened fire on them first. ALQST claims that 40 people remain in detention, including five who are on death row. Other international contractors from the UK and the US that have since pulled out of the project also told the BBC they were appalled by the reports of residents being forcefully evicted. While the broadcaster was unable to independently verify Alenezi's claims, they nonetheless paint a worrying picture of the human cost of constructing a 105-mile skyscraper even when it's being built in the middle of a desert. More on The Line: Saudi Arabia Discovers It's Hard to Build a 105-Mile Skyscraper Title icon The Scoop US President Joe Biden appointed Frances Z. Brown as his new special assistant and senior director for African affairs. She takes over from Judd Devermont who stepped down in January to take up a role with an Africa-focused investor firm. Brown joined the White House team two weeks ago without much fanfare, even as the administration winds down what it hopes is a first term and readies for the November presidential election. Brown is expected to continue in the National Security Council role if Biden is re-elected. Title icon Know More A longtime democracy, development, and defense specialist, Brown had spent just under seven years at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington think tank. She previously worked for President Barack Obama at the tail end of his second term, and into the first year of President Donald Trumps administration. She will initially focus on the build up to the official visit of Kenyan President William Ruto later this month, the first state visit by an African leader in 15 years. The White House also expects Brown to lead the focus on African elections this year, with up to 12 presidential elections expected, including in South Africa later this month. NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson described Brown as a significant asset for our Africa policy work. Semafor Logo Pacer Enters Europe With Three Cash Cow ETFs Pacer ETFs has entered Europe with the launch of three "cash cow" exchange-traded funds that have proven popular with U.S. investors. Listed on Euronext Dublin and Euronext Amsterdam, the three free-cash-flow ETFs cover U.S., developed markets and global dividend-paying stocks. The Malvern, Penn.-based company said earlier this year that it would launch products on European exchanges. Pacer's half-dozen or so cash cow funds, which focus on companies that produce high cash flow, are the most popular among the firm's 47 funds that manage $43.5 billion. It's largest is the $22.8 billion Pacer U.S. Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ), which brought in $1.3 billion in new cash last month. In Europe, the company launched the Pacer US Cash Cows 100 UCITS ETF, which mimics COWZ; the Pacer Developed Markets International Cash Cows 100 UCITS ETF, copy of the Pacer Developed Markets International Cash Cows 100 ETF (ICOW); and the Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend UCITS ETF, a cousin of the Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF (GCOW). COWZ, which tracks the Solactive Pacer US Cash Cows 100 index offers exposure to the top 100 companies of the Russell 1000 based on free cash flow yield, a metric that indicates a company is producing more cash than it needs to run the business and can invest in growth opportunities. By entering the European market we aim to serve a broader demographic of investors and advisors who are looking to tap into the opportunity these free-cash-flow focused funds offer, Pacer president Sean OHara said. As well as targeting the European market, OHara previously told ETF Stream the firm was eyeing growth opportunities in Latin America for US investors who prefer the UCITS structure. We have expansion plans for Europe and beyond, but there is also a pretty vibrant market in the US for investors who prefer the UCITS structure, non-resident citizens who have relationships with US-based financial advisers, he said. Last week, U.S. asset manager Janus Henderson confirmed its entry into the European ETF market after it acquired Tabula Investment Management. The firm will look to leverage its current European client base as well as regions such as Latin America, the Middle East and APAC where the UCITS structure is often preferred. Note: This article originally appeared in etf.com sister publication ETF Stream at Pacer ETFs lists three Cash Cow ETFs in Europe (etfstream.com) Permalink | Copyright 2024 etf.com. All rights reserved White House on Russian missile attack: We're doing all we can to help Ukraine Commenting on the recent massive missile attack on Ukraine by Russia, the White House has said that the United States is doing everything it can to provide Ukraine with what it needs to fight aggression. Source: White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre at a press briefing, as reported by European Pravda Details: Jean-Pierre noted that the US has repeatedly expressed concern about Russia's attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Quote: "We want to make sure that we provide Ukraine the security assistance to defend themselves. They are fighting back against Russias aggression. This is obviously an example of that. And so were doing everything that we can." The White House press secretary added that the United States will continue to "provide Ukrainians what they need to defend themselves". On the night of 7-8 May, the Russian Federation fired 55 missiles and 20 Shahed drones on energy infrastructure facilities in Lviv, Vinnytsia, Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts. The Russians attacked power generation and transmission facilities in six of Ukraines oblasts. They hit three thermal power plants owned by DTEK, causing serious damage to their equipment. Commenting on the Russian attack, Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said that strengthening Ukraine's air defence and establishing a military assistance fund for Ukraine would be a priority at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting with defence ministers. Support UP or become our patron! The White House on Thursday warned Israel against smashing into the southern city of Rafah and repeated a threat to withhold certain weapons from Israeli forces in the event of an operation there. John Kirby, the national security spokesperson at the White House, told reporters that Israel has effectively eliminated military leaders and units of Hamas, a fact he said changed the calculus of how Israeli soldiers should approach the rest of the fighting in Gaza. Kirby argued that Hamas didnt feel and hadnt suffered the kinds of pressure and the kinds of casualties that they have suffered now as he underlined why the Biden administration was now withholding some weapons from Israel. Through the fighting that they have conducted over the last several months they have decimated many of their units, Kirby said. The picture of Hamas today is not what it was six months ago as a result of the pressure that the Israelis have put on it. Kirby said a depleted Hamas force meant Israel does not have to conduct a full-scale invasion of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering. We believe that they have put an enormous amount of pressure on Hamas, and that there are better ways to go after what is left of Hamas in Rafah than a major ground operation, Kirby added. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant claimed in February that Israeli forces had destroyed almost all of the regional battalions from Hamas and must now move on to Rafah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to carry out the complete destruction of Hamas, has said the militant group is hiding its last battalions in Rafah and that forces must go into the city to defeat them. Kirby, however, said a major operation in Rafah would not ensure the defeat of Hamas. Smashing into Rafah, in [Bidens] view, will not advance that objective, will not get to that sustainable enduring defeat of Hamas, he said. But there are many things that we can do together that will [include] doing everything we can to help Israel make sure that the border between Gaza and Egypt cant be used for the smuggling of arms and weapons into Hamas. We could also, in fact, help them target the [Hamas] leaders. President Biden on Wednesday told CNN that he would withhold offensive weapons from Israel if forces launch a major ground operation in Rafah. His administration is already pausing some 3,500 heavy bombs for Israel, leading to frustration from Republicans and Israeli officials. Biden is facing major protests at home from progressives, Arab Americans and young adults, including thousands of protesting college students upset over U.S. policy in Gaza, where more than 34,000 people have died in seven months of war. Biden has largely been supportive of Israel, even as he has tried to bring down the number of civilian deaths in Gaza. But Rafah has long been a concern for the president, and U.S. officials have repeatedly urged Israel in the past few months to discuss other options in the southern city besides a major invasion. Israel has already moved into Rafah, seizing a border crossing for humanitarian aid this week that connects to Egypt, but has yet to launch a major operation. When asked why the Biden administration is drawing a line now after Israeli previously invaded other cities in Gaza, Kirby on Thursday repeated that the sheer number of people sheltering in Rafah is driving the concerns. Kirby explained if Israel goes into Rafah in a big way, the U.S. will make other decisions about the kind of support that we are providing Israel. We hope it doesnt come to that, he said. We hope that Israel wont do that. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to unveil an updated state budget on Friday showing a huge budget deficit thats likely to trigger painful spending cuts a shortfall that appears to have grown during the past few months. State lawmakers must produce a balanced budget by the time the new fiscal year begins on July 1. The governor in January estimated the state would face a $38 billion deficit. Budget-watchers now anticipate that number has likely grown as revenue totals have been lower than Department of Finance projections. Newsom could use several strategies to get the number down. He could include plans to tap the states reserve fund. He will likely factor in the $17 billion in savings he and legislative leaders agreed to last month. He could cut spending, or find ways to collect more revenue. In April, the governor, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, and Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, opened up budgets from 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 to find $1.6 billion in immediate spending solutions, or cuts, delays and other money-saving strategies. The remainder of the $17 billion deal was related to a handful of other solutions leaders will implement in June, when they solidify their spending plan. This much is certain: The governor faces a big challenge trying to balance the state budget. The state Department of Finance reported in its April finance bulletin that Californias fiscal year-to-date revenues were $5.8 billion or 4% below forecast as of March. Adding to the sense of impending budget gloom: The nonpartisan Legislative Analysts Office last week updated its revenue forecast, with analysts saying their revenue projection is $19 billion below the Department of Finance estimate. Thats down from the $24 billion gap the LAO projected in February, but its still a sizable shortfall. The LAOs numbers are further evidence that the projected deficit announced Friday could be higher than the one Newsom estimated in in January. The deficit results from a combination of spending and revenue projections. The Legislature must pass a budget by June 15 for lawmakers to continue receiving their paychecks and travel reimbursement. How big is the deficit? At the moment, leaders are having trouble even figuring out the size of the deficit they need to close. The governor and the LAO have been at odds over the states projected shortfall for months. The LAO in December said California could face an estimated $68 billion deficit. Newsom in January expressed frustration that budget-watchers and journalists picked up this number as gospel, although the LAO and the Department of Finance frequently have different budget estimates. So how will the governor calculate the states budget deficit? Scott Graves, budget director for the California Budget and Policy Center, suggested Newsom will likely shave the entire $17 billion from the shortfall. The governor has also suggested withdrawing $13 billion in reserves reflected in the legislative agreement which Graves said he may further shrink the deficit number. So it could turn out that the the shortfall number that he presents in the May revision is going to seem maybe relatively low, Graves said. But nothing is certain until the revised budget comes out Friday. H.D. Palmer, a Department of Finance spokesman, also confirmed Newsom will subtract the $17 billion legislative agreement from the overall deficit. However, the shortfall will also be subject to some numbers the Department of Finance has not yet made public, including April revenue receipts and further revisions to the revenue forecast, Palmer said. Sacramentos homeless crisis is about to get a lot worse and high rents are to blame | Opinion Jacob Ikeokwu says he has what Sacramentos mayor calls a golden ticket. Ikeokwu is one of an estimated 175 homeless Sacramentans who have the last available vouchers for federally subsidized affordable housing. Due to budget constraints in the program, these vouchers will expire in the coming weeks. The 62-year-old now finds himself in a race against time. I just keep praying, he said outside his homeless shelter in the River District. Thats all I know I can do. Sacramento Countys primary affordable housing program, with 13,000-some participants, is shrinking due to the regions explosion in market rent rates. A painful decision to shut off new entrants into this essential program is creating conditions for a new wave of homelessness just as local governments brace for their own budget problems. Its going to have a devastating impact in Sacramento, said City Councilwoman Karina Talamantes after a staff briefing on the pending crisis. Opinion Its hard enough to get people off the streets without a golden ticket, said Mayor Darrell Steinberg. The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency estimates that more than 45,000 families are on various waiting lists hoping for a more affordable home. This stunning statistic illustrates the enormity of the countys housing problem. This is the at-risk population that is a step away from homelessness. About 6,000 Sacramentans are on the street without a home on any given night. Its not a good situation, said MaryLiz Paulson, the director of SHRAs Housing Choice Voucher Program. But Paulson has no choice. Rents have gone up 55% in Sacramento in the last four years. People eligible for a golden ticket only pay 30% of their income towards housing and there simply isnt enough federal money to pay the remainder of the prices landlords are charging in Sacramentos ultra-competitive rental market. This is another consequence of Californias failure to build housing particularly affordable housing and how it leads to homelessness here more than any other state in the nation. Housing Choice (formerly known as Section 8) is a long-time federal program that seeks to keep lower-income Americans in homes. President Joe Bidens website boasts of how federal funds for Housing Choice have increased by 27% between 2020 and 2024. But that number, however laudable, pales when compared to the aforementioned 55% increase in Sacramentos rental market, an obscene number calculated by the federal Housing and Urban Development Department. About 700 families with vouchers are currently searching for a home, Paulson said. About 175 of them are homeless. And now they only have a few weeks until their vouchers expire. Ikeokwu first applied for the Housing Choice program about five years ago and ended up homeless two years later after a dispute with the landlord over his pet dog. After living in a West Sacramento parking lot for two years, he has had a bunk at the Shelter, Inc. on Fifth Street for about a year. SHRA granted Ikeokwu a housing voucher last year, he said, but it hasnt led to housing. Homeless and disabled with a back injury, Ikeokwu has little ability to find a participating landlord on his own. He depends on the government and nonprofits to find him home. All he can do is keep his voucher number, written on a small orange card, in his wallet. I know I have that number, but it doesnt even mean anything, he said. Its very frustrating. Paulson said SHRA is reinstituting a deadline that was waived during the pandemic to give voucher holders 180 days to find a home. She has no choice but to manage costs. SHRA expects to have $180 million in federal funds this calendar year for rent subsidies in the county, a modest increase from last years $173 million support level. As SHRA has spread the word of the new deadlines in recent weeks, its staff has experienced the desperation of people seeking a place to live. Some of those on the waiting list are currently homeless. Its really hard on our staff to tell people who are homeless who are coming in looking for housing, Paulson said. Its difficult for everybody. Among the impacted homeless is Michael Melton, 42, who lives in the same shelter as Ikeokwu. Melton does not currently have a voucher for housing. On Tuesday afternoon, he went to city hall to tell the council that he once had a voucher, but did not know it at the time. I was selected for housing, Melton said. Because Im homeless and had no address, they took me off the list. And I think thousands of people that are homeless are going through the same thing on the streets. A self-described graduate of C.K. McClatchy High School, Melton said he has been trying to turn his life around for the past decade after a prison sentence for drug dealing. A rapper known as Redboi who has performed locally, Melton is working in a series of laboring jobs as he searches for housing from the shelter. Steinberg at the Tuesday meeting asked SHRA to look into his case. Im a hard-working man, said Melton, who has been married twice and has seven children. I would love to have a one-bedroom apartment where my kids can come visit. Meanwhile, he hopes for a voucher and ample time to find that elusive home. There shouldnt be a time limit, he said. Its just unfair. All this comes at a time when homeless management in California has more questions than answers and as Sacramento is poised to back away from a lease promise to keep a homeless encampment open until its residents can find permanent housing. The North Sacramento 33-trailer encampment, known as Camp Resolution, is atop a former city vehicle maintenance yard. Concerned about vapor contamination, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board agreed to a waiver to allow the camp to operate so long as residents did not sleep in tents. But that waiver is expiring in June. The city isnt trying to renew the waiver, despite signing a lease committing to extending it so long as residents couldnt find a permanent home. Nor has the city yet to find an alternate site for all the camps residents. Sacramento may soon have only one managed encampment site, off Roseville Road in North Sacramento, with 240 trailers and tiny homes. Despite years of attempts to find more sites, first by the City Council and now by City Manager Howard Chan, a network of managed Safe Ground managed encampments has never materialized. Nor does it seem on the horizon any time soon. So many of the states economic problems are rooted in the decades-long failure to build housing for the poor and the shrinking middle class. Lack of affordable housing is the proven, primary cause of homelessness. The Housing Choice rental subsidy program at best can chase the problem. And soon it will be falling further and further behind the demand. Only those with golden tickets have any short-term hope. Ikeokwu, born in West Africa and a resident of Sacramento for eight years, hasnt given up. For his back with degenerating discs, I got to finish my rehab, he said. And then I want to get me a job. Why New York may finally crack down on illegal smoke shops Why New York may finally crack down on illegal smoke shops NEW YORK (PIX11) New York is finally borrowing a page out of New Jerseys playbook and empowering local authorities to crack down on illegal smoke shops. The thousands of stores that have popped up on streets around the city have strangled New Yorks budding legal recreational marijuana industry and become crime magnets. One potrepreneur, Peter Beznos, showed PIX11 around the Williamsburg neighborhood where his legal and licensed dispensary Hii NYC was about to open. A few storefronts down from him on Bedford Avenue, days before his grand opening, a sign went up reading smoke shop with a cartoon cannabis bud. Solitary confinement is like a casket, says blind incarcerated New Yorker Knowing that Im opening on the block, the same block, Beznos said, making clear he does not believe this is a coincidence. In the same neighborhood, there were seemingly illicit stores on every block selling cannabis openly. In one instance, state authorities did pay a visit to one store and shut it down not for illegally selling weed as openly advertised but for not having proper worker compensation coverage. All across the city for nearly two years, New Yorkers have seen illegal smoke shops operating brazenly. PIX11 has reported on stores opening themselves back up in the rare cases where authorities put on the padlocks. In one particularly alarming case, the New York City Sheriffs Office recovered cocaine laced with deadly fentanyl in a raid on the east side of Manhattan in addition to bags of unregulated bud. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now PIX11 News Headlines Beznos was among those who went to a recent meeting of New Yorks Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) to plead for something to be done. After the meeting, PIX11 pressed OCM Executive Director Chris Alexander about why the state is not cracking down on the illegal shops. Alexander said his office is trying, but it has been a challenge. We are conducting this activity as a regulatory inspection, Alexander explained. We seize the product, we shut down the store. Unfortunately, theres so much overproduction, these stores reopen, and we have to shift resources and get back there, and it takes some time to get there. Alexander said local police could and should have been doing more. The penal law remains unchanged, he said. The felony offenses remain on the books for selling to a minor, possession over a certain amount, selling over a certain amount. We even created a new misdemeanor last year. But we did not see law enforcement engage in that way, so OCM took control of that activity. This is what happens in New Jersey, which legalized at about the same time as New York, but has not had the same issues. In part one of Legal Weed: Lighting a Path, PIX11 introduced Osbert Orduna. He has a store in Queens surrounded by illegal competition, while on the other side of the river at his Jersey City location: They have their own task force of different city agencies, and so they are focused on not allowing the unlicensed operators to dominate the city, Orduna said. But New York City Mayor Eric Adams and even New York Gov. Kathy Hochul insist local police have been too legally limited in what they can do to ticket and padlock smoke shops. Authorities often have to rely on alcohol or tobacco violations to investigate. So they worked within the recently passed state budget to make clear local municipalities can crack down on smoke shops illegally selling cannabis. Hochul ceremoniously handed Adams a padlock during a press conference, and two weeks later Adams announced that the crackdown had begun. Alexander said illegal sales do not just hold back the budding adult-use recreational market but also the product his office has seized can be downright dangerous. He said it is often produced in other states, fails to meet standards, and is sold on the black market in New York. Weve seen from our testing pretty extensive heavy metals, E. coli and other contaminants that are coming out and hitting these shops, Alexander said. Next week on part three of Legal Weed: Lighting a Path, PIX11s Henry Rosoff will take a deep dive into how legal cannabis markets make sure products are safe and tested literally going seed to sale and explain how that works. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. A grand jury has indicted a Wichita Falls man on charges he shot and killed his big brother, Stanley Ralicki, and fired his gun at another man, according to court documents. Raymond Robert Ralicki, 61, was arrested Feb. 22 when police found his 69-year-old brother dead from a gunshot wound in the backyard of Raymond's home on Marsha Lane. He was charged with murder and aggravated assault. A Wichita County grand jury has indicted a man on charges of murdering his brother at this house on Marsha Lane in February. He was being held Thursday in the Wichita County Jail in lieu of a total of $250,000 bail, according to online jail records. A Wichita County grand jury returned the indictments against Raymond on May 1. Allegations in court affidavits filed in the case indicate Stanley and a friend had come to Wichita Falls to help Raymond move to Arizona. Stanley had urged Raymond to hurry, which spurred the suspect to shoot the victim twice, according to allegations in the affidavits. Stanleys companion, Curtis Cremona, told police Raymond had shot at him twice but missed. Cremona called 911. Officers arrived to find Raymond in the front yard with his gun, according to allegations. He first refused orders to drop it and then yelled for the officers to shoot him, saying he was going to prison for the rest of his life and would rather be dead. "I snapped. I should have shot myself instead," he said, according to allegations. This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Wichita Falls man indicted in shooting death of his brother WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) A Wichita man who pleaded guilty to the shooting of a teen in 2017 was sentenced by a judge on Wednesday. The Sedgwick County District Attorneys Office said Fabian Griffin, 49, was sentenced to 150 months in prison, which equals out to 12 years and six months. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Nov. 14, 2022. Court documents state the shooting happened on March 3, 2017. Police were called to the 1700 block of S. Yale just before midnight, where they found three men, aged 42, 25, and 16, inside the home at the time of the shooting. Winfield schools on lockdown, students not in direct danger The 42-year-old was Griffin. The victim, identified by the Sedgwick County District Attorneys Office, was Casey Lawrukiewicz. The teenager was transported to a hospital, where he died of his injuries on March 4. The Wichita Police Department told KSN at that time there wasnt a disturbance inside the home but that the incident involved the unsafe handling of a weapon by (Griffin). The Sedgwick County Judge also ordered $5,000 in restitution to be reimbursed to the Kansas Crime Victims Fund, which paid for the cost of Lawrukiewiczs funeral. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) According to the U.S. Attorneys Office District of Kansas, 28-year-old Cody McCormick was sentenced Wednesday to 1 year and 9 months in prison for threatening to kill President Joseph Joe Biden. McCormick pleaded guilty to one count of making a threat against the President of the United States. In April 2023, McCormick sent KSN News a Facebook message detailing his intention to murder President Biden. Ascension recommends business partners suspend connection due to cyber security event The message read in part, I will get a Greyhound bus ticket and go and shoot him. U.S. Secret Service agents interviewed McCormick. The agents asked McCormick if they needed to be worried about him if President Biden came to Wichita. McCormick responded that if given the opportunity, he would force him (POTUS) to step down from office and would kidnap him. He also told agents, My intent is to kill Joe Biden if I dont get the help I need,' said the DA. The U.S. Secret Service and the Wichita Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster prosecuted the case. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV. Cart abandonment is a huge concern for online marketplaces, retailers, and brand websites. Whats more, eliminating it entirely may not be feasible partly due to the nuanced shopping behaviours across generations. The big question is: are customers on your site to buy or to browse? Studies show that while Baby Boomers visit a website with a clear intention to buy, Millennials and Gen Z often come to window-shop and create a virtual wish list of products they may purchase later. The key to closing a sale may be as simple as offering the right selection of payment options Online businesses use various retargeting strategies like ads, pop-ups, email reminders, and special offers to combat cart abandonment. While these are important tools in persuading shoppers, the key to closing a sale may be as simple as offering the right selection of payment options. The numbers say it all: 70% of shoppers prioritise the availability of their preferred payment method when choosing where to complete a purchase. For Millennials, this preference is even more pronounced, as 80% will abandon an online checkout if their desired payment option is unavailable. Many brand websites lack flexible payment choices and as a result experience 20% more abandoned carts compared to online marketplaces. The payment journey is an extension of the brand, and as a final touchpoint, leaves a lasting impression. Removing friction at checkout In order to mitigate cart abandonment and meet customer expectations, its crucial to remove friction at checkout and offer a variety of payment methods, ensuring easy, seamless, and secure transactions. In todays dynamic retail environment, customer expectations are ever-evolving. With plenty of choices and the convenience of comparing services, 73% of global consumers prioritise customer experience when deciding where to shop. They place great importance on having control over their payment methods and the security of their financial information. The checkout should be simple and streamlined - the fewer steps from product discovery to purchase, the better. Lengthy checkout processes that demand sensitive card or bank details negatively impact conversion rates. Incorporating an engaging design that aligns with the brand, a logical payment flow, and minimising unnecessary clicks can significantly improve customer experience. Additionally, chatbots and virtual assistants can further facilitate a smooth transaction process. Fraud, data, privacy and compliance Preventing fraud, protecting customer data and privacy, and ensuring compliance with regulations are increasingly becoming top priorities in creating the optimal payment experience. Story continues In 2023, the global retail sector lost $429bn to payments fraud. Nearly half of all businesses worldwide experienced some form of fraudulent activity, cyber-attacks, or data breaches over the past year - an increase of 32 percent compared to 2022. Businesses expecting big revenue growth in 2024 also faced the highest losses from fraud last year, totalling $196.4bn. These figures highlight why it is important for fast-growing businesses to use the right payment technologies to protect both themselves and their customers. It calls for immediate investments in secure payment processes and fraud prevention measures. This includes implementing data encryption and tokenisation, enforcing strict data governance, applying access controls and robust authentication measures, and adhering to global compliance standards. Once online businesses implement a secure payment solution, effectively communicating and being transparent about these measures becomes critical. Cart abandonment often occurs due to a lack of visibility around security measures. Potential customers might be dissuaded by factors like an outdated website appearance, absence of customer reviews, or an unfamiliar payment gateway. These issues can trigger suspicion and diminish confidence in the safety of the checkout page. To address these concerns, it's important to prominently display security and data compliance badges, particularly during checkout. Incorporating customer testimonials, transparent return policies, and multiple contact methods will instil trust, and reassure customers that your payment process is secure and reliable. Millennials: the worlds largest generation enters peak spending years Millennials, having recently overtaken Baby Boomers to become the worlds largest generation, are entering their peak earning and spending years. They currently wield an impressive $2.5trn in spending power, while Gen Z represents an estimated $450bn. Gen Zs economic power is the fastest-growing in the world, projected to reach $33trn over the next decade, surpassing Millennials' purchasing power by 2031. As these generations increasingly dominate the global workforce, their unique shopping habits are reshaping retail. Their combined influence is driving a shift in traditional payment models, compelling businesses to adapt to stay relevant. What sets Gen Z and Millennials apart is inherent comfort with technology, alongside a strong preference for digital and mobile payment methods. They regularly transact online, demonstrating ease with security measures like 3D Secure and SCA (Strong Customer Authentication), and routinely use mobile banking apps. Gen Z represents the highest share of consumers who exclusively use digital banking, with 60% indicating that they would switch financial institutions for a better mobile or digital experience. 84% of Millennials and 78% of Gen Z have connected money-related apps to their financial accounts, and 79% have recently tried a new payment method. They trust payment technology, are better able to spot fraud, and welcome innovation that facilitates frictionless payments such as embedded payment links and open banking. Millennials and Gen Z want frictionless, nearly invisible payments effortlessly woven into their daily routines. They want the freedom to make payments at their convenience, from any location, and using any device. Bridging the gap between digital and in-store interactions As hybrid shoppers, they expect to engage with brands across multiple channels simultaneously. Innovations in remote payments can bridge the gap between digital and in-store interactions, enabling retailers to deliver a uniform, seamless shopping experience that aligns with brand values. 78% of Millennials and Gen Z view a brands commitment to innovation and new technologies as a decisive reason for making a purchase, and 81% of customers expect a smooth and consistent shopping journey across all channels. Businesses can facilitate smooth omnichannel retail experiences by adopting a payment solution that seamlessly integrates with their existing ERP/POS systems, CRMs, and payment gateways, enabling them to offer remote consultations and follow-up with 3D Secure, merchant-branded payment requests sent through SMS, email, messaging apps, or web chat. Retailers need a holistic approach that aligns operations, product delivery, and pre- and post-sale experiences to create a seamless customer journey. Embracing an omnichannel strategy, whether in-store, online, or through mobile apps, is essential to ensure smooth shopping experiences, regardless of where customers start or finish. Additionally, retailers should prioritise data and analytics to ensure consistent customer information across all touchpoints, enabling personalised experiences and streamlined operations. Delighted customers who receive personalised, seamless offerings are more likely to recommend the brand to friends and family, and become repeat customers in the future. Mobile commerce: Millennials, Gen Z lead the charge In mobile commerce, Millennials and Gen Z are leading the charge, with 79% of Millennials and 72% of Gen Z preferring to shop online via their smartphones, in contrast to 54% of Generation X and 27% of Baby Boomers. Social media-driven shopping is particularly popular among Millennials and Gen Z. These generations often discover products and make purchases in real-time while interacting with influencers and brands on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. This trend has resulted in significant revenue, with social and live commerce generating $571bn in 2023 alone. Projections indicate that this figure will exceed one trillion dollars by 2028. Businesses can tap into this potential by embedding pay-by-link features directly into social media apps, with the option to pay by bank or card. Simple and secure payments with open banking Open banking payments are a game-changer when it comes to high-value transactions. Backed by the CMA 9 in the UK and the EU Payment Services Directive, they are designed to ensure safe transactions by radically reducing fraud, chargebacks, and unauthorised access to or misuse of sensitive financial information. Customers enjoy a quick, secure, and seamless way to pay directly from their bank accounts. They no longer need to worry about mistyping account details. In a few simple taps, they select their bank, log in to their mobile banking app, and authorise the payment in a familiar setting. They have more control over who accesses their personal data and enjoy greater visibility into their transactions and account balances. Customers interact with open banking much like they do with mobile banking and other online services and apps, making it a familiar and intuitive experience for them. Customer consent is the cornerstone of open banking, obtained before any data is shared or transactions initiated. Unlike direct debits, the payment is initiated by the payer and pushed to the merchant, and not initiated by the merchant and pulled from the payer. All providers offering open banking services must meet high-security standards to ensure that customer data is protected. It is safer, faster, and more cost-effective than tedious manual bank transfers, drafts, or cheques. Traditional payment methods: time-consuming, costly, elevated risk of fraud Traditional payment methods like manual bank transfers are not only time-consuming and costly, but also pose a higher risk of fraud. Typically, merchants provide their bank details in a PDF format, requiring customers to manually set them up as a payee before proceeding to payment. This process involves multiple authentication steps for setting up a new payee, along with the hassle of entering lengthy account numbers and ensuring accuracy. Consequently, this leads to prolonged communication delays within businesses, as sales staff need to coordinate with the finance team to confirm payment before shipping goods. Moreover, sharing bank details in this manner is not safe, exposing sensitive data to potential misuse by malicious middlemen. In contrast, with open banking, sensitive payment information becomes 'invisible' making it harder for criminals to exploit. Customers authenticate payments directly through their banking app, with their personal information encrypted and safeguarded by industry-standard banking security. Theres no fear of transaction typos or sensitive financial data being misused. Open banking technology is secure because the banks themselves designed and built the API endpoints, which play a crucial role in verifying account information and facilitating payments between accounts. Originally created for online banking, this technology has had significant investments in security measures over the years. The expertise gained from these investments has been applied to the foundation of open banking technology. Studies indicate a 61% reduction in fraud by 2024, thanks to advanced encryption and real-time authentication through open banking APIs. Open banking: a win-win for consumers, businesses Open banking is a win-win for customers and businesses. It helps retailers cut costs and protect thin margins by significantly reducing high transaction fees, card fraud, chargebacks, and payment operations costs. Payments are instant, and all parties are immediately notified, so deals can be completed more quickly. For example, Prommt's open banking solution has greatly reduced merchant fees and simplified payment collection for Motorpoint, helping them save over 100,000. In summary, open banking payments are safer, reduce time and manual effort for both retailers and payers, decrease cart abandonment rates, and lead to quicker payment settlement compared to traditional payment methods. How payment technology drives successful payments and brand loyalty In a world where technology changes fast and people's preferences keep shifting, businesses need to keep up with what their customers want. Every interaction presents an opportunity to showcase brand values and deliver exceptional experiences. However, subpar payment processes can mar these efforts, tarnishing the overall customer experience. To counter this, businesses should invest in innovative payment technology to offer seamless, sophisticated, and efficient payment experiences. This entails adopting systems that are fast, secure, and unobtrusive. Advanced payment technology platforms streamline team management and access control, enabling businesses to deploy and manage across multiple locations and departments. With features like live tracking, reporting, and comprehensive analytics, businesses can make informed decisions and forge strong customer relationships through personalised offerings and exceptional experiences. Responsive customer success teams from payment technology providers further aid clients in maximising their payment platforms' potential. Both online and in-store transactions yield valuable data that businesses can capture using their payment infrastructure. Businesses equipped with accurate data insights can better address their customers' needs. Their advantage lies in understanding their customers' purchasing behaviours, preferences, and factors influencing their decisions. By leveraging this data, businesses can reduce cart abandonment and foster repeat business. Key Takeaways Customers expect: Hassle-free checkout experiences Consistent brand experiences across in-store and online platforms Flexibility and control in payments Fast, secure transactions with robust fraud protection Payment solutions with automation and smart features like payment reminders, personal shopping with a card on file, and group payments for credit control, improve payment success rates. Advanced payment solutions help businesses: Tailor payment plans with recurring payments for memberships Establish automated chase paths for failed transactions and offer alternative payment options to complete sales Automation reduces cart abandonment rates, lowers operational costs and mitigates the risk of human error. Secure, user-friendly, and mobile-responsive payment options enhance the shopping experience. They lead to increased customer satisfaction and higher payment success rates. Leveraging data analytics allows businesses to gain a competitive edge, be highly responsive to customer needs, and understand customer behaviour to attract and retain them. Businesses can shift their focus from cart abandonment to payment success, by embracing innovative and secure payment solutions that surpass customer expectations. Donal McGuinness is CEO of Prommt "Paytechs role in converting abandoned carts into completed purchases" was originally created and published by Electronic Payments 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. A Wichita man has been charged with threatening the president, following two social media posts and an encounter with police officers. (Getty Images) TOPEKA A Wichita man with severe developmental delays and mental health issues faces 21 months in jail after he threatened to kill President Joe Biden. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Kansas announced the sentencing of 28-year-old Cody McCormick on Wednesday. McCormick pleaded guilty to one count of making a threat against the president of the United States. McCormick is accused of sending a Wichita television station a Facebook message outlining his plan to murder Biden on April 23, 2023. McCormick also sent a Facebook message to the Lane County Sheriffs Office that stated its my job to kill and finish him on the same day. Court documents describe his threats as a cry for help. Also on April 23, McCormick tried to commit suicide by cop. His mother, Linn, called the police after Cody made suicidal threats, according to court files. Linn later told agents he had been off his medications for a month and hadnt been able to get refills. When the police showed up, he began walking toward Wichita officers and asked the officers to shoot him, court documents state. He also complained about a lack of help for his mental illnesses, saying I need to be in a state hospital. Court documents describe him as a person who has suffered developmental delays and severe mental health issues all his life. These issues started prior to birth when his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck and cut off the oxygen to his brain causing mild intellectual disabilities, his sentencing memorandum said. Codys mental health issues stem from a variety of abuse, physical, emotional, and sexual. Officers took him into custody at Ascension Via Christi Behavioral Health Center, where U.S. Secret Service agents interviewed him on April 24, 2023. McCormick told them his intent was to kill Joe Biden if I dont get the help I need, according to court documents. McCormick has been held in custody since his arrest on April 24, 2023. The post Wichita man who threatened to kill President Biden sentenced to 21 months in jail appeared first on Kansas Reflector. The right-wing opposition in North Macedonia convincingly won parliamentary and presidential elections on Wednesday. With nearly all votes counted, the right-wing nationalist VMRO-DPMNE received 43.2% of the vote and will have 59 seats in the 120-seat parliament, said the state election commission in Skopje. The right-wing party will replace the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM), which has been in power since 2017. The SDSM, led by former prime minister Dimitar Kovacevski who was in office until the beginning of the year, won just 15.3% of the vote. The party's support plummeted dramatically and fell to less than half of the share it had received in the previous parliamentary elections four years ago. Kovacevski congratulated his political opponents on their victory on election night. VMRO leader and top candidate Hristijan Mickoski will likely become the next prime minister of the NATO country. In the run-off election for president, which also took place on Wednesday, VMRO-DPMNE candidate Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova landed a clear victory after claiming some 65% of the votes, according to the state election commission. Siljanovska-Davkova prevailed against the incumbent Stevo Pendarovski, who was supported by the SDSM and had defeated Siljanovska-Davkova in the run-off five years ago. The election campaign was characterized by accusations of poor and corrupt governance levelled by the opposition against the SDSM and the ethnic Albanian Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) that was in government with the SDSM. The VMRO adopted a nationalist tone and announced a confrontational course against neighbouring European Union members Greece and Bulgaria in the event of an election victory. This centres on the issue of the country's name, which Skopje changed from Macedonia to North Macedonia following an agreement with Athens in 2019, as well as minority rights. Taking a harder stance against Greece could significantly hinder the accession negotiations that the EU opened with Skopje in July 2022. EU member states Greece and Bulgaria have the right to veto practically every step of the negotiations. Mickoski will need partners in order to form a next government. The parties of the ethnic Albanians are crucial in this respect, as this ethnic group makes up around 25% of the population of the small Balkan country. The DUI, which has co-governed in almost all coalitions for the last 20 years, received over 14% of the vote. The VMRO is not considering it as a partner. The opposition alliance of Albanian parties, called the VLEN Coalition, won 10.7% of the vote. It is considered a possible government partner for the VMRO. North Macedonia's conservative opposition party won a decisive victory in the country's dual parliamentary and presidential elections on May 8, according to preliminary results. Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, a law professor supported by the conservative VMRO-DPMNE party, won the presidency by a wide margin, ousting incumbent Social Democrat Stevo Pendarovski. Siljanovska-Davkova is the first woman to be elected president of North Macedonia. A coalition led by VMRO-DPMNE also won the majority of the nation's 120 parliamentary seats, though the exact distribution of seats will be determined in talks following the elections. Social Democrat leader Dimitar Kovachevski conceded his party's defeat in the parliamentary election and announced he would step down from his position. The right-wing campaign focused on economic issues and North Macedonia's slow progress towards EU membership. North Macedonia, a NATO member, has been an EU candidate country since 2005. Disputes with neighboring countries and lack of momentum on required reforms have stalled the nation's advance. The Balkan nation has previously provided military aid to Ukraine, including four Su-25 aircraft, T-72 tanks, small arms, munitions, and other support. North Macedonia has also conducted trainings of Ukrainian troops. Read also: Zelenskys term would have expired this month, but hes staying. Russia wants to use it Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Hristijan Mickoski, the leader of the opposition center-right VMRO-DPMNE party celebrates after a news conference in Skopje, North Macedonia, on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Citizens voted in North Macedonia on Wednesday in a parliamentary election and presidential runoff dominated by the country's slow path toward European Union membership and its sluggish economy. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) The head of a center-right 22-party coalition that emerged victorious in North Macedonias parliamentary election has fallen just short of gaining a parliamentary majority, leaving it reliant on entering a partnership with another party to form a government. The Your Macedonia coalition, led by the head of the VMRO-DPMNE party, Hristijan Mickoski, won just over 43% of the votes in Wednesdays election, giving it 58 of the countrys 120 parliamentary seats, three fewer than an outright majority, official results showed. Mickoski was expected to begin seeking a governing partner as early as Thursday. Tonight we have a reason to celebrate, but starting from tomorrow, we have a job to do, Mickoski, 46, said late Wednesday. Ill hold the first meeting in the morning where we will determine the principles for the composition of a government from which we will not deviate. The parliamentary vote was held simultaneously with a runoff for the countrys presidential election, which saw the victory of North Macedonias first female president in a double win for the center-right backed opposition. Law professor Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, 70, was declared the winner after receiving nearly 65% support with more than two-thirds of the vote counted, trouncing incumbent Stevo Pendarovski, backed by the Social Democrats, who conceded after garnering just over 29%. In the parliamentary election, the Social Democrat-led coalition that has been in power for the last seven years struggled to hold on to second place with just 15.3% of the vote, giving it 18 seats in parliament - one less than a group of parties led by ethnic Albanian minority party DUI, which won 19 seats. Another opposition ethnic Albanian coalition, led by the VLEN, or Worth party, earned 13 seats, while the smaller Levitsa, or Left, and the movement For our Macedonia, known by its acronym ZNAM, each won six seats. The conservatives made sweeping gains on popular discontent over issues of corruption, the countrys slow path toward European Union membership and its flat economic growth. During his campaign, Mickoski accused the outgoing government of ineptitude and of making humiliating compromises in trying to settle disputes with North Macedonias neighbors. In his victory speech, Mickoski told supporters his government would make fighting corruption its priority. Every last person who committed a crime and committed corruption will be held accountable, he said. The people have taught the government its most important lesson and saved their country. ... We have regained hope and tonight we have reason to celebrate. Hopes are high that the countrys new leadership will oversee North Macedonias long-anticipated entry into the EU. The small Balkan country has orbited the 27-nation bloc for nearly two decades with little to show for its efforts. Although both opposing political sides support EU integration, they have differed on how to deal with neighboring Bulgarias demands that North Macedonia enshrine in its constitution the recognition of a Bulgarian ethnic minority. While Social Democrats and ethnic Albanian parties agree to the constitutional changes, VMRO-DPMNE says it will not accept what it calls Bulgarias diktat, hinting it might seek to renegotiate the conditions on membership talks and seek guaranties from the EU that Bulgaria will not make any further demands for lifting its veto on North Macedonia joining the EU. Outgoing President Kovachevski warned there must be no deviation from the path toward the EU. If we miss that chance, we could lose another decade, maybe even another generation, he said, adding that could lead to falling living standards and increased ethnic tensions, and could expose us to a security risk that none of us can understand how big it could be. Once the State Electoral Commission announces the final official results, the new president will be inaugurated by May 12, when the mandate for the current president officially ends. Siljanovska Davkova will make a statement before the lawmakers of the old parliament, and the new parliament must be constituted within 20 days. It is the president who must give the formal mandate to the winner of the parliamentary election to form a government. This step takes place within 10 days of the new parliament being constituted, but negotiations between party leaders usually begin informally days earlier, right after the election. Withholding US weapons from Israel could force changes in how it fights but may not stop its devastating assault The US paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week amid rising concerns over a Rafah assault. On Wednesday, President Joe Biden warned that Washington may block additional weaponry. It's a politically significant move that could have military implications as well. After seven months of war in the Gaza Strip, US military support for Israel has arrived at a pivotal moment in recent days: it no longer appears to be unconditional. Last week, the US paused a shipment of bombs to Israel marking the first time since the war began last fall that Washington has done so amid rising concerns that the country was gearing up for a major military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Then, on Wednesday, President Joe Biden warned he would withhold additional weaponry, including artillery, if Israel pressed forward with a widespread ground assault on the city, where more than 1 million Palestinian civilians have sought refuge. The Biden administration's decision is a politically significant move that appears designed to apply pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to do more to protect civilians in Gaza. Experts say that there could also be military implications as Israel continues to wage war. Biden is controlling 'one variable' The weapons shipment that the US put on hold last week was supposed to include 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, according to multiple US officials. A final determination on what to do with this shipment has yet to be made. Israeli soldiers work on armored military vehicles at a staging ground near the Israeli-Gaza border, in southern Israel on May 8, 2024. AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov Israel has relied heavily on its inventory of the larger, 2,000-pound bombs throughout the war to go after Hamas' vast underground tunnel network. These air-dropped munitions can be outfitted with precision-guidance kits, but even then, they are still capable of causing lots of collateral damage. The State Department is also mulling whether to deliver more of these kits, known as Joint Direct Attack Munitions. For now, these holds are primarily symbolic, Daniel Byman, a senior fellow with the Transnational Threats Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, told Business Insider. But that could change over time. The depth of Israel's stockpile is unclear, but it is believed to have a sufficient supply of munitions to continue fighting in Gaza without this particular shipment of US weaponry, said Byman, a former Middle East analyst for the US intelligence community. But "the campaign may take a while, and as we know, munitions can be used up very, very rapidly in these circumstances," he added. Hamas isn't Israel's only enemy though, and it wants to have a sizable stockpile of munitions to be ready for the possibility of a full-scale conflict with Lebanon's Hezbollah another Iranian proxy group like Hamas. That would be a more difficult fight for the Israeli military, Byman said. Whether the US would actually withhold weaponry in that case is unknown. During a Wednesday interview with CNN's Erin Burnett, Biden acknowledged that civilians in Gaza have been killed by US-provided 2,000-pound bombs. He then said that he would withhold additional weaponry beyond the one shipment last week if the Israeli military proceeds with a major ground invasion in Rafah. A view shows Israeli F-16 fighter jets on a runway in an airbase in southern Israel on March 4, 2024. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun "If they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, to deal with that problem," Biden said. "We're not going to supply the weapons and the artillery shells have been used." Earlier this week, Israel ordered civilians to evacuate eastern Rafah before announcing a "precise counter-terrorism operation" in the area, during which Israeli military seized control of the Palestinian side of a key crossing with Egypt that it said was being used for "terrorist purposes." The IDF said as part of its new activity, ground troops and fighter jets were striking Hamas targets in the Rafah area. The White House later described the operation as "limited," and Biden on Wednesday said Israel's actions so far haven't crossed his red line. Raphael Cohen, the director of the Strategy and Doctrine Program at the RAND Corporation think tank's Project AIR FORCE, explained to BI that by withholding 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs, the US could force Israel to conduct more ground maneuver in Rafah, rather than an intense air campaign like what was seen earlier in the conflict. It's unclear if that would "necessarily save minimize Palestinian civilian casualties, but it does change the nature of combat," said Cohen, a former lieutenant colonel in the US Army Reserve. Putting a hold on artillery could also force Israel to carry out more high-precision raids, instead of clearing the entire city, he added. There is uncertainty there as well though. Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in Rafah on May 6, 2024. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled/File Photo "The problem is that the Biden administration is controlling one variable, which is munitions," Cohen said. "It's all well and good to try to go after Hamas via commando raids," he added, but he cautioned that "the targets have to lend themselves to that kind of operation. It's not clear, to me at least, that that's necessarily the operational reality on the ground." The military utility of Biden's move ultimately has to be weighed against how important Israel views Rafah toward achieving its security objectives, Cohen said. "Countries are willing to go to great lengths if they feel their vital national interest is threatened, and fight even in suboptimal ways." Israel vows to 'stand alone' The decision to withhold weapons and Biden's latest warning that he would potentially put a pause on other support follows repeated efforts by the US to press Israel to present a credible plan that would limit civilian casualties ahead of any large-scale Rafah operation. It is not necessarily an unprecedented move, as past US administrations have also threatened to withhold military support from Israel. But this decision does represent a notable shift in Biden's approach to the war. Since Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attacks, the US has been unwavering in sending Israel a massive amount of weaponry, despite growing international concerns about the rising death toll in Gaza. John Kirby, the spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, told reporters on Thursday that despite the single shipment of bombs being held up, the Biden administration is still sending weapons to Israel, which is getting the "vast, vast majority of everything that they need to defend themselves." Palestinians ride on a vehicle as they flee Rafah on May 9, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem For now, it remains to be seen how Israel proceeds with its military action in Rafah, but officials have been defiant in saying that they will continue to hunt down Hamas, regardless of how much international support the country retains. "If we need to stand alone, we will stand alone," Netanyahu asserted on Thursday, per a translation. "I have said that if necessary, we will fight with our fingernails." Read the original article on Business Insider The reversal of Harvey Weinsteins rape conviction was a gut punch to the accusers who testified at his trial. But as prosecutors prepare to retry him, a new bill making its way through the New York state legislature could give them a powerful weapon. The bill, introduced by state Assemblymember Amy Paulin, would allow evidence of prior bad acts to be admitted in sexual assault trialsthe kind of evidence that led the New York Court of Appeals to toss out Weinsteins guilty verdict last month. Survivors hope the bill would allow witnesses who say Weinstein assaulted them to testify again, even though he is not charged with crimes related to those incidents. Weinsteins conviction being overturned has made me realize that our laws do not consider sexual abuse survivors, Tarale Wulff, one of the witnesses whose testimony was thrown out, told The Daily Beast. We must be proactive in addressing these shortcomings in our legal system. Paulin, a senior member of the New York State Assembly and a rape survivor, told The Daily Beast she introduced the bill in February 2023 in anticipation of a decision like the one in the Weinstein appeal. After we saw that the judge had allowed [this] evidence, we just wanted to be sure that we were covered, Paulin told the Daily Beast. I didn't expect to need the bill, but as it turned out, it was a good thing. My Testimony Against Harvey Weinstein Was Thrown Out on Appeal The bill is in committee and the legislative session ends June 6, but Paulin is hopeful that outrage over the Weinstein decision could push it over the line. The measure has been endorsed by survivors rights groups Sanctuary for Families and the Joyful Heart Foundation, and Paulin said the committee chair is supportive and will appear at a press conference for the bill on Thursday. The original version of the bill would have taken effect 30 days after it was signed into law. An amendment added Thursday would have the bill take effect immediately, with the aim of it being in effect for Weinsteins trial. A spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochuls office told The Daily Beast they would review the legislation. Hochul said last week that her office was analyzing the scale of [the Weinstein] decision, the impact, what it means, and how we can make sure that all women feel safe coming forward, that they can tell what happened to them. The Manhattan District Attorneys office said it is working hand-in-hand with stakeholders to modernize and clarify New Yorks laws pertaining to Molineux evidence so prosecutors around the state can better secure justice for survivors. They declined to comment on how the bill would affect a retrial. Weinstein survivors and accusers are rallying around the bill, hoping to get it enacted before the retrial. A coalition holding a press conference Thursday at the New York headquarters of the National Organization for Women includes Ambra Gutierrez, a model who told police that Weintein assaulted her in 2015 but never saw charges filed. I was really surprised when the conviction was overturned over the fact that a lot of victims were speaking about their experience, Gutteirez told The Daily Beast. So I just feel and believe firmly that something like this has to be fixed, because its really nonsense. Weinstein Sent to Rikers After Backlash to Cushy Hospital Digs Guttierez is part of an advocacy group called the Model Alliance, which is pushing for its own bill, the Fashion Workers Act, in Albany this session. The groups founder, Sara Ziff, filed a sexual assault suit last year accusing former Weinsten associate Fabrizio Lombardo. That case is a civil matter, so the bill would not affect it, but Ziff said the Alliance still saw the legislation as a no-brainer. I understand from my decade of advocacy and speaking with survivors that perpetrators like Weintsein operate within a system and more often than not there are multiple victims, Ziff said. It only makes sense that this be corrected. Six women testified in Weinsteins 2020 trial, at which he was convicted of raping one woman and forcibly performing oral sex on another and was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Three of those women were what is known as Molineux witnesses, who spoke about assaults they said Weinstein committed against them but that did not result in charges. The 4-3 decision from the appeals court found that those witnesses should not have been allowed to testify, and threw out the disgraced producers conviction. He remains in prison for his rape conviction in Los Angeles, and Manhattan prosecutors have promised to retry him for the New York crimes. Allowing for Molineux witnesses in New York criminal trials could bolster the case against Weinstein and other sexual assault cases in the state. Sixteen states currently allow for such evidence to be admitted at trial, and several others allow it in specific instances. Gov. Kathy Hochuls would have to sign the legislation for it to become law. Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Jane Manning, a former sex crimes prosecutor and supporter of the bill, says this kind of evidence is especially important in cases like Weinsteins, where the alleged crime happened behind closed doors. [These trials] will often rely heavily on the testimony of the survivor, and all those dynamics of rape victimsvictim blaming and rape myths and and reflexive disbeliefwill come into play, she said. Allowing the voices of other survivors to be heard during a trial, it just offers a little leveling of the field. She added that the five and a half days that jurors took to deliberate on Weinteins case, as well as their decision to acquit him on some charges, showed the testimony of prior bad act witnesses did not overly bias the jury. This kind of evidence is really relevant, its really probative, and I think jurors have shown they can handle it and give it the correct amount of weight, she said. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Woman arrested for DUII after flipping car in Beaverton, police say PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Beaverton police arrested a woman accused of driving under the influence of intoxicants and flipping her car early Thursday morning. The 37-year-old Aloha resident was uninjured when officers found her in the crashed 2010 Ford Escape near the intersection of Southwest Scholls Ferry Road and Murray Boulevard. Jill Biden lands in Portland for fundraiser Authorities said the car hit a construction trailer and then flipped onto its roof when the woman drove through caution tape and around traffic cones into a closed-off area. Her Ford Escape then reportedly hit a detached fork to a backhoe before traveling up the back of a construction trailer, causing her vehicle to overturn before it finally came to rest, police said. The woman was arrested for DUII and her car was towed away from the scene. Four miles of I-5 to close for several days in June Her arrest came just days after the agency had made their 37th DUII arrest of April. Of these arrests, police said eight drivers refused to take a breath test, which led officers to proceed with a warrant for a blood draw. According to the Center for Disease Control, 32 people in the United States are killed every day in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driverthis is one death every 45 minutes, officials said. Drinking and driving do not mix. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. Woman arrested after smuggling $1.6M worth of fentanyl into Utah, police say ST. GEORGE, Utah (ABC4) A woman is facing charges after she allegedly smuggled 108,000 fentanyl pills into the Beehive State, worth an estimated $1,620,000. Jazmin Tentory-Ortega, 27, was arrested on suspicion of possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, a second-degree felony, the St. George Police Department said. NHL Utah unveils 20 finalists for a team name, plans for inaugural season Just after 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, St. George officers received an anonymous tip that a white Nissan Quest with Texas plates would be passing through the area in a few hours transporting a significant amount of narcotics, the affidavit states. In response, officers made their way to the southern state line on I-15 as narcotics trafficking occurs most frequently from the south to the north, they said. Approximately three hours after the initial tip, officers saw the vehicle crossing over the state line into Utah. According to the affidavit, when the driver of the vehicle saw the police cars, they slowed down rapidly. Officers started following the vehicle, and said the driver quickly activated the right turn signal and began to take the exit. The vehicle then swerved back into the travel lane, failed to signal, drove under the speed limit, and failed to maintain its lane, the affidavit states. Officers pulled the car over, and identified the driver as Jazmin Tentory-Ortega. The affidavit states her car was completely empty besides a dark duffel bag in the back seat. The officers K-9 sniffed the exterior of her car, which led officers to search the car. Officers found 108,000 fentanyl pills, estimated to be worth $1,620,000, the affidavit states. In an interview, Tentory-Ortega told officers she picked up the package in California but thought it was Botox. She then reportedly said she knew it was likely drugs or cash, the affidavit states. Tentory-Ortega was booked into the Purgatory Correctional Facility on the previously mentioned charges. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Woman killed in vehicle accident in East St. Louis A woman was killed in a vehicle accident early Tuesday in East St. Louis. Her identity is not being released pending notification of her family, according to St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. The accident happened on 8th Street in East St. Louis about 5:18 a.m., according to a release from the Illinois State Police. East St. Louis Police asked the Illinois State Police to conduct a death investigation, the release states. No other details were released. Jo Yong hak/Reuters Korea's convenience stores and vending machines are selling gold, with younger people flocking to buy. Bite-sized gold bars have been selling since April, weighing in between 0.1 and 1.87 grams. Appetite for gold has surged, with the metal touching record highs in 2024. Gold bars are displayed for sale alongside packaged kimchi and ramen in convenience stores across Korea, with the yellow metal gaining among younger consumers in 2024. South Korea's largest convenience store chain, CU, has reportedly been teaming up with the Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation to stock bite-sized gold bars in retail stores and vending machines throughout the country. A post on the chain's Instagram account on April 1 announced the new additions to the store's stock. Since then, CU stores have rolled out three types of small gold ingots weighing between 0.1 gram and 1.87 grams, with prices ranging from 77,000 won ($56.4) to 225,000 won ($165.76), the post shows. The tiny bars come with a variety of messages for birthdays and other occasions. Korean news outlet Chosun Biz reported that the 1-gram bars, at 113,000 won ($82.81) each, flew off the shelves in just two days. CNBC also reported that store chain GS25 is stocking tiny gold wafers in vending machines. Young Koreans are leading the pack of buyers snapping up gold from CU stores, accounting for 41.3% of the total purchases, according to data from the company's app. Asian nations have been buying large amounts of gold in 2024, with demand from consumers and from global central banks helping push the metal to over $2,400 per ounce in mid-April According to a report by the World Gold Council, South Korea alone has seen a 20.2% surge in gold demand over the past year. However, the country's central bank hasn't joined the gold rush, keeping its gold reserves steady at 104.4 tons since 2013. Meanwhile, Asia's largest economy China has rapidly ramped up its gold holdings. Gen Z buyers are snatching up miniature bottles of "gold beans," fearing a weakening Chinese yuan amid economic challenges and a strong US dollar. Its central bank has also been adding more gold to reserves as the country continues efforts to de-dollarize. Wall Street heavyweights are also bullish on gold. Top economist David Rosenberg predicted a potential 30% surge, no matter what the economy does in the near-term. Meanwhile, market veteran Ed Yardeni forecasts a whopping 50% increase for the commodity by the end of 2025. Read the original article on Business Insider Woman kills boyfriend in Tampa before fleeing to Alabama, turning gun on self: HCSO Woman kills boyfriend in Tampa before fleeing to Alabama, turning gun on self: HCSO TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A man is dead after his girlfriend shot and killed him in Tampa early Wednesday morning before she fled to Alabama and turned the gun on herself, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office. Just before 7 a.m., deputies were dispatched to a home in the 9200 block of Shellgrove Court after receiving a call from a concerned family member. Judd: Mom murdered 4-year-old by tying arms together, throwing him into pool When deputies entered the home, they found 50-year-old Kelbys Avila dead from a gunshot wound. HCSO later learned that Avilas girlfriend, Maira Pacheco Nunez, 58, shot him before fleeing the scene. A short time later, an arrest warrant was issued for Pacheco Nunez for second-degree murder with a firearm. According to HCSO, within an hour of the arrest warrant being issued, the Baldwin County Sheriffs Office in Alabama spotted the 58-year-olds vehicle and stopped the vehicle. Thats when Pacheco Nunez turned the gun on herself, police said. This is a tragic and heartbreaking situation. Our hearts ache for the family of this man whose life was tragically ended, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. Violence is never an option. To anyone facing or anyone who suspects domestic violence, please remember: help is available, and you are not alone. Florida deputies who fatally shot US airman burst into wrong apartment, attorney says Nexstar affiliate WKRG was at the scene when Pacheco Nunez was stopped on Interstate 10. Footage shows a heavy police presence surrounding the womans vehicle. The highway was shut down for several hours. HCSO has not revealed what they believe led up to the shooting. This is a developing story. Stay up to date on the latest from News Channel 8 on-air and on the go with the free WFLA News Channel 8 mobile app. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Woman returns to Las Vegas-area prison to finish serving sentence previously vacated LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A defendant whose sentence was previously vacated returned to prison Wednesday to finish serving her original sentence. Mia Christman, 30, surrendered to the Nevada Department of Corrections the day after she was ordered to, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned. Clark County District Court Judge Erika Ballou who vacated the sentence was removed from the criminal case. The Nevada Supreme Court ordered Clark County District Court Judge Jerry Wiese to remove Ballou from the case last Friday after Ballou did not follow two previous orders. Woman must finish serving sentence after previous Las Vegas judge vacated it Clark County District Court Judge Eric Johnson ordered Christman to surrender on May 7th. Johnson issued a bench warrant Tuesday afternoon after Christman did not surrender by noon. Christman was part of a violent crime spree at the age of 18. She pleaded guilty to two felony charges and was sentenced to a minimum of ten years in prison. Las Vegas judges controversial decision at center of womans case Christman began serving her sentence in 2016 and would have been eligible for release in 2026, according to the Department of Corrections. In an appeal, Christmans attorney, Betsy Allen argued that Christman was the victim of sex trafficking and childhood trauma. Ballou vacated the sentence in 2021 resulting in Christmans release from prison before she finished serving the original term. Johnson rescinded Ballous judgment in Christmans case, ordered Christman to serve the remainder of her sentence, and vacated any pending court hearings to discuss modifying Christmans sentence in his May 6th order. In a previous interview with the 8 News Now Investigators, Christman discussed Ballous decision. It felt like somebody took a chance on me, she said. While out of custody, Christman said she has stayed out of trouble and also had a baby. She said she was concerned her son would end up in the child welfare system if she had to go back to prison. The Clark County District Attorney continued to fight for Christman to serve the remainder of her sentence and argued that Christman was manipulating the system again. Christman failed to cooperate and disappeared twice before her guilty plea, according to prosecutors. Allen argued that prosecutors had knowledge that Christman was a sex trafficking victim, while prosecutors said she recently claimed her co-defendant was her pimp. The Nevada Supreme Court reversed Ballous order in 2022. Ballou did not send Christman back to prison. The Nevada Supreme Court issued an order again in 2023. Ballou still did not send Christman back to prison. The Nevada Supreme Court pointed to the district courts failure to comply in its May 3rd order. Allen and Christman went to the pardons board in March which denied their request. Nevada Supreme Court Justice Douglas Herndon expressed frustration. This is kind of turning our pardons process on its head, Herndon said. The walls are closing in on the District Court that is shockingly refusing to do its job. District Attorney Steve Wolfson filed a complaint with the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline on April 30th accusing Ballou of five violations. Judge Ballou failed to perform all duties of judicial office fairly and impartially when she repeatedly acted in favor of Christman and against the state, Wolfson wrote. Judge Ballous bias has caused her to ignore the Nevada Supreme Court for nearly two years and impaired the fairness of these proceedings. Ballou already faces ethics charges for several separate incidents including a photo of Ballou in a hot tub with two public defenders. Ballou served as a public defender for over 15 years before being sworn into the bench in 2021. Her current term ends in 2027. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was stabbed to death on a busy street in north London. Police were called to Burnt Oak Broadway, in Edgware, just before midday on Thursday, along with paramedics and an air ambulance crew. A woman was treated for stab injuries but died at the scene. A Scotland Yard spokesman said efforts were continuing to identify her and inform her next of kin. Police said the woman is believed to be in her 60s. A 22-year-old man was arrested in the Colindale area on Thursday afternoon and he is in custody at a north London police station. Supt Tony Bellis, from the Mets North-West Command Unit, said: This is a significant development in this investigation and comes as a result of fast-time work from specialist detectives working alongside local officers. The investigation remains in its early stages, and we continue to work to establish why this incident took place, including whether the person responsible was known to the woman who died. I would urge people to refrain from speculating about the circumstances while this work is ongoing. A family has been left devastated by this shocking attack and my thoughts are with them at this unimaginably difficult time. He added: I understand the shock and concern this very sad incident will cause. I want to reassure people that it will be investigated by a specialist team of experienced homicide detectives, and we will support them in their work to identify and arrest whoever is responsible. Local residents will see an increased police presence in the area over the coming days. I would ask the community to be patient while officers carry out this vital work. If you have any concerns, please speak to an officer or your local policing team. 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. Should you be worried about bird flu? Here are 5 things to know about the virus As a new virus takes center stage at the heart of a global outbreak, its easy to get flashbacks of March 2020. Now more than four years after the world was rocked by a pandemic, H5N1, or avian or bird flu, has exploded in bird and livestock populations, and at least one human case has been confirmed by health officials. This isnt the first time. There have been major outbreaks around the world in the recent past, including four from 2014 to 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So what makes this time different, and at what point should you be concerned? Here are five things you should know about bird flu. What type of virus is it and how does it spread? H5N1 comes from a group of four flu, or influenza, viruses: A, B, C and D. The strain called bird flu is an influenza A virus and gets its name because wild birds such as gulls, ducks geese and other waterfowl act as hosts for the virus. Avian influenza is considered either low pathogenic (LPAI) or highly pathogenic (HPAI), determined by how serious the infection is, according to the CDC. Most avian influenza cases are low pathogenic, causing only a few infections. Sometimes, however, the LPAI can mutate and become a HPAI. Highly pathogenic avian influenza in chickens, for example, impacts internal organs and has a 90-100% mortality rate in just 48 hours after infection, according to the CDC. Both LPAI and HPAI can spread rapidly through bird populations, and both have been known to infect species other than birds. The current strain is considered highly pathogenic. H5N1 is spread from animal to animal through saliva, mucus and feces, or through the contact of bodily fluids, the CDC says. It can also be spread in water droplets then come in contact with eyes, the nose or mouth. Can humans get bird flu? Yes, cases of bird flu have been reported in humans, but they are incredibly rare and usually associated with mild symptoms. In the United States, only two human cases have been reported in recent years, one in 2022, and one this year from a dairy worker in Texas, according to health officials. On April 1, the Texas Department of State Health Services announced a worker had conjunctivitis, or pink eye, a common symptom of H5N1 in humans, and they later tested positive for the virus. This has been the only confirmed human case in the U.S. as part of the most recent outbreak. In the past, 1,500 people in China tested positive for H7N9, another strain of low pathogenic avian influenza, between 2013 and 2017, and the cases spread to Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Taiwan and Canada, according to the CDC. Some included in the outbreak had no symptoms at all, but others experienced upper respiratory tract infections leading to hospitalizations, 40% of which were fatal. Various smaller outbreaks and cases have been reported over the past few decades. What animals have been infected with bird flu? According to data published by the CDC from the first week of May, 48 states have reported bird flu outbreaks in poultry, which includes chickens and other domesticated birds. More than 90 million poultry birds have been impacted, as well as 9,349 wild birds across 50 jurisdictions. Infections have also spread to dairy cattle across 9 states, infecting 36 herds, CDC data shows. This was likely caused by birds flying over the herds, and not from direct contact, health officials said. Outside of agriculture, there have been reported H5N1 cases in 19 mammal species across the U.S. as of May 7, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Skunks and red foxes have reported the most cases, and the cases are predominantly in the northern half of the U.S. and Alaska, data shows. Are animal products safe to eat? Bird flu cases are mainly restricted to commercial poultry and cattle, data shows. Eggs, meat, cheese and milk that are sold commercially are safe to eat, according to Harvard Medical School. Fragments of bird flu, which is not the same as active live virus, have been found in about 20% of the commercial milk supply, Harvard says, but there is no indication that the fragments could infect humans. Could bird flu become a human pandemic? The short answer is that it is too soon to tell. Concern from health officials is low, but growing as the virus continues to spread. While the current public health risk is low, CDC is watching the situation carefully and working with states to monitor people with animal exposures, the agency said. The spread of the virus in cattle is more likely to increase human exposure as dairy workers come in closer contact with the animals, Time Magazine reports, but unlike COVID-19 that spreads easily from person to person, H5N1 is not as transmissible. The spread of bird flu viruses from one infected person to a close contact is very rare, and when it has happened, it has only spread to a few people. However, because of the possibility that bird flu viruses could change and gain the ability to spread easily between people, monitoring for human infection and person-to-person spread is extremely important for public health, the CDC says. Dairy cows harboring highly contagious bird flu, USDA says. Where have cases spread? Nine beavers die from disease in Utah and it can spread to people, officials say Goat dies of bird flu for first time in US, MN officials say. Why its significant Why are hundreds of birds washing up on Michigan shore? Officials offer explanation Do The Write Thing more than just a slogan for these area middle-school students TahTionna Taylor is hoping an essay she wrote about the impact of violence in her community will make a difference. >> I-Team: Teachers assaulted in their own classrooms Theres like a lot of kids at my school that go through violence that shouldnt have to, and like theyre scared to speak their mind and stuff, the seventh-grader said Thursday. Her essay was selected from more than 100 that were entered as part of Do The Write Thing, a national program aimed at getting students to write about violence and its impact. TahTionna, one of 10 Springfield City School District finalists honored for their essays, also caught the attention of state Attorney General Dave Yost during the award ceremony at John Legend Theater. Students in Springfield tackled the difficult subject with candor, thoughtfulness and insight beyond their years, Yost said. Do the Write Thing originated in Ohio in 2021, when Springfield became the first district statewide to partner on the program with Yosts office. Bolstered by that success, the program has since expanded to four other Ohio districts: Canton, Lima, Youngstown and Zanesville. This year, more than 900 Springfield seventh- and eighth-graders participated in the program. I love this program because it helps students find their own voice, Yost said, who noted that he was taken by this part of TahTionnas essay: In this generation kids and teens cant walk down one street without seeing an act of violence. Yost told News Center 7s Xavier Hershovitz that the impact of growing up around violence is something he sees in his job all the time. You start to think thats the way the world works and you want to try to either hide or become the strong one, Yost said. And thats not a good way for our society or civilization to go. And Tracy Yates, whose husband, Clark County Sheriffs Deputy Matthew Yates was killed in the line of duty by gun violence, also backed up the message of the event -- to encourage middle-schoolers to explain how youth violence affects them and what they can do to help stop it. The impact of violence, especially when it claims the life of someone like Deputy Yates, goes far beyond the incident itself, she said. TahTionna said she hopes her essay will make a difference. Her mother is hoping the same. Growing up in Springfield can be rough, Pearla Taylor said. I hope that she grows into an adult that would stand in that for our community also thats what Im rooting for her for her life, Mother Pearla said. So I want this to be a lifelong thing, not just for a school essay. The two winners from Springfield will head to Washington, D.C., this summer to join other Do the Write Thing ambassadors from all across the country. WWII pilot from Idaho accounted for 80 years after plane was shot down 2nd Lt. Allan W. Knepper took off from Tunisia in his P-38 "Lightning" aircraft as "one of many fighter waves" set to attack enemy Axis forces in Sicily, Italy on July 10, 1943. During the attack, air forces were dispatched every 30 minutes, dodging enemy fire as they strafed an armored German column. Knepper, 27, and the 49th Fighter Squadron encountered heavy anti-aircraft fire. Another pilot reported witnessing his plane "veer suddenly skyward before rolling halfway over and plummeting to the ground." No evidence was found that he deployed his parachute, and Knepper was declared missing in action, his remains never found. Now, more than 80 years later, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency has announced that they have accounted for Knepper's remains, bringing peace to his last surviving family member. The DPAA did not specify how they accounted for Knepper, or what remains of his were used to make the identification. Since the 1970s, the agency has accounted for the remains of nearly 1,000 Americans who died during World War II. The remains are returned to families for burial with full military honors, the agency said. Knepper was memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Italy, according to HonorStates.org, a site tracking military members. The military typically marks such names with a rosette or other symbol once their remains have been accounted for, but the DPAA did not say if this would be done for Knepper. The Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial in Italy. / Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto Knepper posthumously received a Purple Heart and an Air Medal, the site said. Knepper's life has also been memorialized in "The Jagged Edge of Duty: A Fighter Pilot's World War II." The book, written by historian Robert Richardson, tracks Knepper's life and death and even offered some insight about where his remains might be found. It also offered closure to Knepper's only surviving relative, 79-year-old Shirley Finn. "I felt like I finally met my brother," said Finn in an interview with the Lewiston Tribune. Finn is Knepper's half-sister, the paper said. Finn said that her family "never lost hope" that Knepper's remains would be found. "I am tremendously grateful for (Richardson)," she told the Lewiston Tribune in 2017. "I didn't think anyone would be interested in reading a book about my brother. I didn't think other people would care. It just didn't occur to me." Key takeaways from Stormy Daniels' testimony in Trump trial What we learned from Stormy Daniels' testimony in Trump trial Violence erupts amid Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud WYTHEVILLE, Va. (WFXR) The Virginia State Police and the Wytheville Police Department report a woman has been arrested for numerous charges, including attempted capital murder after ramming a troopers vehicle on Thursday, May 9. Police say the incident started when reports were received that a person, who was later identified as 27-year-old Kati Louise Villoch, from Wytheville, allegedly tried to break into the gun display at Walmart. Officers arrived on the scene and learned that Villoch had already fled the area; however, using Walmart video footage, they were able to obtain a physical description and vehicle information. Around 10:50 a.m., Virginia State Police (VSP) alerted the Wytheville police that they located Villochs vehicle and pulled her over on the 1400 block of East Main Street. During the traffic stop, Villoch allegedly refused to exit the vehicle. VSP said that Villoch then allegedly backed into the troopers vehicle, hitting an officer in the process. She then allegedly fled the scene. Garden City Elementary School employee charged with Possession of Child Pornography A police pursuit began with multiple law enforcement officers, but Villochs vehicle was eventually lost on North 4th Street. Wytheville police and VSP were searching the surrounding area when a Wytheville Detective witnessed the vehicle in a residential neighborhood near the Wythe County Community Hospital. When Villoch saw active law enforcement, she allegedly fled again. The chase continued at high speeds through the neighborhood, into the hospital, and then back onto West Ridge Road. Wytheville Police said Villoch attempted to make a left turn onto Petunia Road but lost control, went off the road and crashed into an embankment. After a short stand-off, VSPs Tactical Team used a light and sound distraction device, causing her to surrender to the police. Wytheville police say Villoch allegedly slipped out of the handcuffs at the magistrates office and attempted to flee, but was taken back into custody immediately. It is reported that the officer was hit during the incident but did not suffer any injuries. Man killed in shooting at Kemper Street Apartments in Lynchburg Wytheville Police has charged Villoch with the following: Eluding Police Escape without Force Drive Suspended Reckless Driving, Failure to Maintain Control Reckless Driving, Endanger Life Destroy Property less than $1,000 Two counts failure to obey Traffic Sign VSP has charged Villoch with the following: Attempted Capital Murder Destruction of Property Felony Hit and Run. Kati Louise Villoch is currently being held at New River Valley Regional Jail without bail. The Wytheville Police Detective Division is still investigating the original incident at Walmart and the incident on Rural King. WFXR News will update this story as further information is released. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. Online platform X has received a request for additional information about its decision to reduce its content moderators by 20% compared to October last year, the European Commission said today (8 May). The move is a next step in an ongoing investigation which the Commission started in December 2023 related to X's handling of risk management, content moderation, dark patterns, advertising transparency and data access for researchers under the EUs Digital Services Act (DSA). The Commission said today that it wants to know more about why the platform reduced its linguistic coverage within the bloc from 11 EU languages to seven; numbers which the platform revealed in its second transparency report, a document required under the Digital Services Act (DSA). X removed moderators for Bulgarian, Croatian, Latvian and Polish coverage, leaving language experts for Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish, the latest report said. With the submission of the first reports in October, platforms were scrutinised over the low number of content moderators they had in some of the smaller EU member states. Facebook has a single employee looking at Maltese content, and three in Estonia, claiming that much of the process is automated. In comparison, TikTok, which has fewer users per month, has six people looking at Estonian content and none for Maltese. Penalties The EU executive's request also touches on the risk assessment conducted by X in relation to the implementation of generative AI tools in the EU, the Commission said. X must provide the content moderation and AI information by 17 May, and remaining questions on dissemination of illegal content, and protection of fundamental rights by 27 May. In case of failure to reply, the Commission could decide to request the information by decision. Under the DSA, the EU executive can also impose fines for incorrect, incomplete, or misleading information. In this case, failure to reply by the deadline can lead to periodic penalties. Under the DSA, which fully came into force in February, platforms with more than 45 million monthly average users in the EU are required to follow strict rules, such as transparency requirements and the protection of minors online. Besides the X probe, the Commission has started investigations and preliminary probes into Meta, TikTok and AliExpress. (Bloomberg) -- President Xi Jinping pledged more rail and energy investments in Hungary to serve as Chinas gateway into the European Union as he secured backup from Prime Minister Viktor Orban for Beijings pushback against the overcapacity accusations by the West. Most Read from Bloomberg Xi, in Budapest Thursday after stops in France and Serbia, brought pledges to build infrastructure that will help spread products across the trading bloc from Chinese factories planned in the eastern European country. Hungarys cash-strapped government has been looking to lock in financing and fresh stimulus for its economy on top of billions of dollars from Chinese companies committed in recent years, mostly in the electric vehicle industry. The Chinese leader has been urging Europe to work with him to overcome trade tensions that threaten to derail a global economic recovery, holding up Hungary as an EU member where Beijing has managed to create a strong relationship. Well strengthen cooperation in our development strategies, deepening ties in trade, finance and our economies, Xi said at a joint press conference with Orban. Hungary does not identify with the rhetoric of so-called overcapacity or de-risking, a Chinese official readout cited Orban as saying during his talks with Xi. Hungarys determination to deepen cooperation with China is unswerving and will not be interfered by any force. The EU is becoming tougher on trade relations with China, echoing US concerns about state-fueled overcapacity in the green industry. That rhetorical shift was already put into practice with the launch of a probe into subsidies for Chinese electric vehicles in the fall of 2023. The bloc followed up last month with a separate investigation into procurement of medical devices. Hungary has gone all-in on economic links with China under Orbans leadership. BYD Co., the Chinese EV giant, picked Hungary as the site of its first European car factory, edging out the likes of Germany and France, which had also coveted the investment. Hungary is also a hub for car battery producers, with Chinas Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. currently building a 7.3 billion plant in the eastern city of Debrecen. The meetings in Budapest honed in on expanding Chinas economic footprint, much as they did in Serbia, Hungarys southern neighbor. The costly upgrade of an aging rail network and the construction of a long-delayed connection between Budapest Airport and the capitals downtown featured among the agreements, according to Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto. The comments coincide with growing tension between Beijing and Brussels, with Western European leaders accusing Xis government of flooding their markets with cheap exports that threaten jobs. Xis support for Russia despite its war in Ukraine has thrown the relationship further off balance. The investments in Hungary would complement a multi-billion dollar rail track modernization between Belgrade and Budapest thats under construction as part of the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinas global infrastructure project. Hungary is the only EU nation thats still a part of the initiative. Orban has frequently clashed with the US and the EU over the rule of law, as well as close ties to Russia and China, and has rejected Western pressure to reduce links with Beijing or to back a more critical approach on trade and human rights. One particularly sensitive area is telecommunications, where the US has alleged Huawei Technologies Co. poses a national security risk for countries using its equipment. Market Access Huawei and 4iG Nyrt., which Orban is grooming to become Hungarys national champion in the telecom sector, will sign a joint statement on Friday, the Economy Ministry said in an emailed invitation. Minister Marton Nagy has said there was a need to deepen cooperation with Huawei to advance digitalization in the country. During his earlier stay in Belgrade, Xi bolstered economic and political ties with another country thats thrown open its arms to Chinese trade and investment. He signed a free-trade deal with Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic, who expects infrastructure investment with Chinese support worth as much as $27 billion. Xi started his tour of Europe in France, where he held talks with President Emmanuel Macron as the EU takes a tougher stance on Chinas perceived national security risks. Xi also met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who told him that the EU is prepared to deploy all tools available to defend its economies if China fails to offer fair access to its markets. --With assistance from Marton Kasnyik, Li Liu and Jenni Marsh. (Updates with more details from Xi-Orban talks in Budapest) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Title icon The News Japans notorious yakuza are resorting to petty theft. The recent arrest of a powerful gang member in Tokyo for allegedly stealing 25 Pokemon cards illustrates the decline of Japans criminal underworld often glorified in popular culture. Title icon Know More Thanks to a government crackdown that banned the yakuza from opening bank accounts and driving on highways, its members have fallen to around 22,000 in 2022 from their peak of 184,000 in the 1960s, according to Le Mondes Tokyo correspondent. And like the rest of Japan, the yakuza are also getting older, forcing gangs to pivot to more age-appropriate criminal acts like illegal sea cucumber fishing and retouching suggestive photos. Semafor Logo For many, the main point of investing is to generate higher returns than the overall market. But the main game is to find enough winners to more than offset the losers At this point some shareholders may be questioning their investment in PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad (KLSE:PCHEM), since the last five years saw the share price fall 21%. Since shareholders are down over the longer term, lets look at the underlying fundamentals over the that time and see if they've been consistent with returns. Check out our latest analysis for PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement. During the five years over which the share price declined, PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad's earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 19% each year. The share price decline of 5% per year isn't as bad as the EPS decline. So the market may previously have expected a drop, or else it expects the situation will improve. The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). Dive deeper into PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad's key metrics by checking this interactive graph of PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad's earnings, revenue and cash flow. What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. As it happens, PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad's TSR for the last 5 years was -5.4%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! A Different Perspective PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad shareholders are down 2.7% for the year (even including dividends), but the market itself is up 19%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 1.0% per year over five years. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad that you should be aware of. Story continues Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Malaysian exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. This is a locator map for Yemen with its capital, Sanaa. (AP Photo) JERUSALEM (AP) Yemen's Houthi rebels on Thursday claimed responsibility for two missile attacks in the Gulf of Aden on two Panama-flagged container ships that caused no damage. Meanwhile, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader again threatened that Tehran could build a nuclear weapon if it chose to pursue atomic armaments. The comments by Yemeni military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree and former Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi come as the allies of Hamas continue to pressure Israel over its continuing war on the militant group in the Gaza Strip. The Houthis insist their assaults on shipping through the crucial waterway leading to the Suez Canal and onward to the Mediterranean Sea will continue as long as the war goes on. Meanwhile, Iran already has launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel amid the war, bringing a yearslong shadow conflict between the two nations out into the light. Saree in a prerecorded statement claimed attacks on the MSC Diego and MSC Gina. The Joint Maritime Information Center, a U.S.-led coalition of nations operating in the Mideast, said those two missile attacks happened early Tuesday. "Neither were hit and all crew on board are safe," the center said. The vessels were last reported proceeding to next port of call. The center added that the vessels were likely targeted due to perceived Israeli affiliation. Both vessels were operating for Geneva-based Mediterranean Shipping Co., which did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Saree did not say why it took the rebels two day to claim the attacks. He also claimed the Houthis targeted the MSC Vittoria, another container ship, in the Indian Ocean. An attack on that vessel, however, has not been reported or acknowledged by any authorities. The Houthis say their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are aimed at pressuring Israel to end its war against Hamas in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians there, according to local health officials. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 others hostage. The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration. Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat. Meanwhile Thursday, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency carried the comments made by Kharrazi, a former foreign minister under reformist President Mohammad Khatami. Speaking to the Al Jazeera news network in an interview that appeared not to have been immediately aired, Kharrazi elaborated on an atomic bomb threat he made to the channel back in 2022 amid tensions with the West over Iran's tattered 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. If Irans existence is threatened, we will have to change our nuclear doctrine, Kharrazi said, according to IRNA. "Recently, the military officials also announced that if Israel wants to attack nuclear facilities, it is possible and imaginable to revise Irans nuclear doctrine and policies and divert from the previous declaration considerations. Tensions have grown between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency since 2018, when then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Tehrans nuclear deal. Since then, Iran has abandoned all limits the deal put on its program and enriches uranium to up to 60% purity near weapons-grade levels of 90%. Meanwhile, tensions between Iran and Israel have hit a new high. Tehran launched a drone-and-missile attack on Israel last month after Israels apparent attack on an Iranian consular building in Syria killed two Iranian generals and others. The Iranian city of Isfahan then apparently came under Israeli fire in recent weeks, despite being surrounded by sensitive nuclear sites. ___ Associated Press writer Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attends a press conference marking his second year in office at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea Thursday, May 9, 2024. (Song Kyung-seok/Pool Photo via AP) SEOUL, South Korea (AP) South Koreas president on Thursday dismissed calls for independent investigations into allegations involving his wife and top officials, drawing quick, strong rebukes from his political rivals. After his conservative ruling party suffered a heavy loss in the recent April 10 parliamentary elections, President Yoon Suk Yeol faces what appears to be his biggest political challenge yet as opposition parties would extend their control of the National Assembly to 2028. The opposition has recently stepped up its demand for an independent investigation into first lady Kim Keon Hee over various scandals, such as her alleged involvement in a stock price manipulation scheme and the release of spy camera footage showing her receiving a luxury bag from a Korean American pastor. In a news conference marking his two years in office, Yoon said he apologizes for what he calls my wifes unwise behavior in accepting the Christian Dior bag but refused to elaborate because the scandal is under investigation by prosecutors. Yoon described the demand for a new, special investigation on Kims shares price allegation as a political offensive, as Kim wasnt charged or convicted from investigations that began when the Democratic Party was in power. Yoon already in January had vetoed a bill calling for the appointment of an independent counsel to investigate his wifes stock price allegation. During Thursdays conference, Yoon also made it clear that he opposes another Democratic Party-led push for a special investigation into suspicions surrounding the death of a marine who drowned during a search for flood victims in 2023. Yoon called the marines death heartbreaking, but stressed that police and an anti-corruption investigation agency have already been examining the case. Yoon said he would approve a new independent investigation if police and the anti-corruption investigation agency fail to address public suspicions over the case. Questions over why the marine was mobilized without safety gear and whether the government tried to prevent top officials from being held accountable have persisted. Last week, the opposition-controlled parliament passed a bill calling for an independent investigation of the death, after ruling party members boycotted a floor vote in protest. Later Thursday, the Democratic Partys floor leader, Park Chan-dae, lambasted Yoon for rejecting its call for the special investigation of the marines death. I cant help questioning whether he sympathizes with the public indignant over the wrongful death of the marine at all, Park said. Party spokesperson Han Min-soo also said Yoons opposition to his wifes new investigation proves she is a sanctuary in criminal investigations. Despite the election defeat, Yoons major foreign policy agenda is likely to be unchanged as he does not need parliamentary endorsements. Yoon has made a bolstered military alliance with the U.S. the heart of his foreign policy, while pushing to expand trilateral Seoul-Washington-Tokyo cooperation to cope with North Korean nuclear threats and other challenges. Yoon also Thursday criticized North Koreas alleged arms exports to Russia to fuel its warfighting in Ukraine and maintained that Seoul will stick to its principle of providing only non-lethal support to Ukraine. We have a very clear policy that we do not provide lethal, offensive weapons to any side in active conflict, Yoon said. Since the start of the war, South Korea has sold artillery rounds to the United States, saying that the rounds were meant to backfill depleted U.S. stocks. The country also signed several arms deals with European powers eager to bolster their defenses in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine. North Koreas export of these weapons is not only an illicit activity to support the war in Ukraine, but also a clear violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions over the North Korean nuclear issue, Yoon said. So, we are taking necessary actions in coordination with the U.N. and international community. Zelenskiy dismisses head of state guard after two members accused of assassination plot (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dismissed the head of the state guards on Thursday, two days after two of its members were accused of plotting to assassinate the president. Zelenskiy issued a decree dismissing Serhiy Rud. No successor was identified. The state security service (SBU) said this week it had caught two men, colonels in the state guard service, accused of plotting the assassination of Zelenskiy and other top officials. The SBU said the assassinations were to have been a "gift" for Vladimir Putin as he was sworn in for a new term in the Kremlin on Tuesday. It said the men were recruited by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) who leaked classified information to Moscow. The men, the SBU said, were tasked with finding someone close to the presidential guard who would take Zelenskiy hostage and later kill him. There was no indication at what point the alleged plot had been foiled. Moscow issued no comment on the SBU's statement. The president, the very prominent leader of his country's defence more than two years into the Russian invasion, said last year that his security services had foiled at least five Russian plots to assassinate him. The SBU said the spy group also planned to kill SBU head Vasyl Maliuk and Kyrylo Budanov, the military intelligence agency's head. (Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Chris Reese and Bill Berkrot) President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Colonel Serhii Lupanchuk from his role as the commander of the Ukrainian military's Special Operations Forces (SOF), according to a presidential decree published online on May 9. A separate decree announced Brigadier General Oleksandr Trepak as the force's new commander. Lupanchuk has served as the SOF's commander for the near past six months since his appointment on Nov. 3, 2023. Subscribe to newsletter War Notes Subscribe Trepak has served as the SOF's deputy commander since 2020 and has served in Ukraine's military since April 2014. In 2014, he guarded the Armored Armament Supply Center in the city of Bakhmut and the small arms storage base in the village of Paraskoviivka in Donetsk Oblast. Trepak was also the commander of the Donetsk airport defense operation from August to October of 2014. Trepak was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine by Ukraine's president then Petro Poroshenko in 2015. He also received three orders of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi for special merits in protecting the state: in 2022 from Zelensky and twice in 2014 from Poroshenko. Zelensky began to reshuffle Ukraine's military command in February, dismissing the commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi. More changes to Ukraine's military command were announced in April, with new appointments made in the country's southern, eastern, and western operational commands. Read also: Ground Forces: Heads of southern, eastern military commands reassigned to new posts Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Volodymyr Zelenskyi, President of Ukraine, speaks during at the presidential palace. On the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has compared his country's current defence against a Russian invasion to Ukrainian efforts to the defeat of Nazi Germany. Kay Nietfeld/dpa On the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has compared his country's current defence against a Russian invasion to Ukrainian efforts to defeat Nazi Germany. "Eighty years ago, millions of Ukrainians fought to defeat Nazism forever," he said in a video message recorded during his Wednesday visit to the town of Yahidne in the northern Ukrainian region of Chernihiv, the scene of an alleged Russian war crime in 2022. "But today Ukrainians are once again standing against the evil that has been reborn, has come back and wants to destroy us again." In March 2022, the Russian occupation in Yahidne locked more than 350 villagers, including 80 children, in the basement of the school for weeks. The case is documented not only by Ukrainians, but also by international media organizations. Zelensky said that 10 people had died in this confinement and a further 17 had been killed. For him, the events show what Russia is like under its president, Vladimir Putin. "If this is not Nazism, what is it?" Zelensky asked in the emotional video. The Ukrainian army liberated Yahidne at the end of March 2022, Zelensky said. He saw this as a sign that history could repeat itself, as in the victory over the Nazis: "Everyone who has come to destroy us will eventually flee Ukrainian land." Russia celebrates the anniversary of Germany's surrender in World War II in May 1945 as a national holiday, with a huge military parade planned for Thursday in Moscow's Red Square. Moscow also portrays its war against Ukraine, ordered by Putin in February 2022, as an alleged continuation of the fight against fascism. On the ground, seven people, including four minors, were injured in Russian airstrikes on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, according to official figures. An 8-year-old girl and three boys aged between 13 and 15 were taken to hospital, the military governor of the region, Oleh Syniehubov, posted on his Telegram channel on Wednesday, adding that a projectile hit an educational institution. Russia repeatedly attacks Kharkiv, which is close to the border in north-east Ukraine and predominantly Russian-speaking, with artillery, but also with missiles and drones. Power generation and distribution facilities in six regions were attacked overnight, Energy Minister German Galushchenko said on Facebook on Wednesday. He named the regions of Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhya, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Vinnytsia. Technicians are working to repair the damage, the exact extent is still being determined, he said. "The enemy wants to take away our ability to generate and transmit electricity in sufficient quantities," the minister wrote. He called on the population to save electricity as a "contribution to victory." A night-time air alert sounded in large parts of Ukraine as Russian combat drones and missiles flew over the country. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, one of them was aimed at Kiev. The capital's military command later said that all approaching objects had been intercepted. According to the air force, a Kinzhal hypersonic missile was fired at western Ukraine. Given the shortage of soldiers, Ukraine has decided to allow some prisoners to volunteer for military service, Ukrainian media reported on Wednesday. However unlike in Russia, which has mobilized tens of thousands of prisoners, including murderers and sex offenders, in Ukraine convicted murderers and rapists will not be allowed to enlist. Drug dealers, those serving time for serious corruption offences, former members of parliament, ministers, high-ranking civil servants as well as those convicted of national security offences will also not be eligible to serve. According to the new law in Ukraine, prisoners can enlist in the army if their remaining sentence is no longer than three years. They should serve in separate units under guard, explained member of parliament Olena Shuliak. Military service does not end at the end of the sentence, but at the end of the contract or general demobilization. Ukraine is trying to remedy the shortage of soldiers at the front with several laws. For example, the conscription age has been lowered and the registration of conscripted men has been improved. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the head of Ukraine's State Security Administration (UDO), Serhii Rud, according to a presidential decree published on May 9. The UDO's main tasks include ensuring the security of the President of Ukraine and high-ranking officials of the state, as well as the protection of administrative buildings and objects of state authorities of Ukraine. Rud's dismissal comes shortly after the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) claimed to have uncovered a network of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) agents who were plotting to assassinate President Zelensky and other high-ranking officials in Ukraine. Two colonels of the UDO accused of leaking classified information to Russia were reportedly detained. The FSB network aimed to find perpetrators among the military close to Zelensky's security, "who could take the head of state hostage and then kill him." Just a few weeks before, SBU officials and Polish law enforcement worked to detain a Polish citizen who allegedly offered to Russia to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelensky. In late November, Zelensky said in an interview with The Sun that he had survived at least five assassination attempts since the start of Russia's full-scale war. The Ukrainian president issued several presidential decrees this week mandating changes in senior leadership across Ukraine's government and military. Dmytro Hereha was reappointed as the commander of Ukraine's Support Forces, and Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the former commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, was formally dismissed from military service. Zaluzhnyi will now serve as Ukraine's ambassador to the U.K. Read also: SBU says it foiled Russias plot to assassinate Zelensky, 2 Ukrainian colonels detained Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the former commander-in-chief of Ukraines Armed Forces, according to a presidential decree published online on May 9. The decree stated that Zaluzhnyi was dismissed "from military service on health grounds" and retained "the right to wear a military uniform." The decree is dated May 8. Zaluzhnyi will reportedly start his new role as Ukraine's ambassador to the U.K. in the coming weeks, after being replaced by Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief in February. Zaluzhnyi's dismissal followed multiple stories by Ukrainian and foreign media outlets, citing anonymous sources in the government, that Zelensky was set to fire the chief commander. The decision sparked public debate, as Zaluzhnyi is widely popular with both the military and the population due to his role in leading the resistance against Russia. Zaluzhnyi has served in Ukraine's Armed Forces since 1993, when he began his training at a military academy in Odesa. Subscribe to Ukraine Daily newsletter News from Ukraine in your inbox Subscribe Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Volodymyr Zelenskyi, President of Ukraine, speaks during at the presidential palace. Ukraine intends to regain battlefield momentum with the arrival of promised Western weapons, Zelensky said on 09 May. "As soon as the arms supplies arrive, we will stop their initiative," Zelensky said of Kiev's plan to halt the Russian advances in eastern Ukraine. Kay Nietfeld/dpa Ukraine intends to regain battlefield momentum with the arrival of promised Western weapons, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday. "As soon as the arms supplies arrive, we will stop their initiative," Zelensky said of Kiev's plan to halt the Russian advances in eastern Ukraine. Zelensky made the remarks at a press conference with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola in Kiev. The event was abruptly ended after about 25 minutes due to the sounding of air raid sirens. Before he left the microphone, however, Zelensky said the Russian military is currently gathering troops in the north and east of Ukraine in preparation for a major offensive. Still, he said not everything is going as well for the Russians as they thought. "It's not that I'm trying to lift your spirits. This is the reality," Zelensky told the audience. For her part, Metsola spoke of the difficult road that Ukraine still has to travel on its way to joining the European Union. However, the promise of membership made by the European Parliament would definitely be honoured, she said. Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine more than two years ago. After a rapid advance by the Russians in the first few weeks, Kiev was later able to push back the troops sent from Moscow in some parts of the country. In the meantime, however, the pendulum has swung back in the other direction - the Ukrainian military is having enormous problems with the supply of weapons, ammunition and soldiers amid daily Russian missile and drone attacks. Russia occupies around a fifth of Ukraine's territory, including Crimea, which it illegally annexed in 2014. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed into law the extension of martial law and general mobilization from May 14 to August 11. Zelensky submitted a proposal to the parliament on May 6 to extend martial law and general mobilization for another 90 days. Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, voted to approve the extension two days later. Ukraine's parliament previously extended martial law and mobilization from Feb. 14 until May 14. The Ukrainian leader 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. 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 on mobilization as the country seeks to replenish the ranks of its Armed Forces. Read also: Parliament votes to increase fines for draft evasion Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. This week, the Native CDFI Network and Tribal Business News are launching a yearlong podcast series highlighting how Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) work alongside their small business clients to accelerate change and create economic opportunities in Native communities. In the absence of traditional banks, Native CDFIs have been critical to driving economic development and access to capital in Native American communities. Today, there are 69 Native CDFIs operating in 27 states throughout Indian Country, according to the Native CDFI Network. Hosted by podcaster, journalist and content creator Elyse Wild, the Difference Makers 2.0 series takes listeners across Indian Country to meet Native CDFI leaders and their small business clients who are making an impact on their Native communities. Native CDFI Network, sponsor of the podcast and a related content series, is co-producing the digital media project with Tribal Business News Content Studio to raise awareness of the impact Native CDFIs have on Native communities. The first episode of the 20-part series features NACDC Financial Services Inc., a Montana-based Native CDFI, and their small business client, Big Sky Cafe, in the small border town of Cut Bank, Mont. Cafe owners and married couple Gary and Sue Raccine (Blackfeet) faced rejection after rejection from banks before connecting with an old friend working as a loan officer for NACDC Financial Services. "We went to NACDC again to talk to them about it. We didn't talk long when they said, 'We're going to back you,'" Sue said. Today, the Big Sky Cafe is one of two sit-down restaurants in Cut Bank and is a gathering place for the community. NACDC Financial Services Executive Director Angie Main underscores the close, mutual partnership between the two. "They have been committed since day one; they jumped right in," Main said. "We wanted to champion them, and in turn, they always champion us, too. It's a team effort and we are all a part of the team." Difference Makers 2.0 debuts Thursday, May 9. Tune in wherever you listen to podcasts and visit Tribal Business News to read along. About the Author: "Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at editor@nativenewsonline.net. " Contact: news@nativenewsonline.net Ukraine expects to begin accession negotiation to join the European Union in June, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 9. "We are actively preparing the next stage of rapprochement with the European Union for June - we anticipate the adoption of the negotiating framework and the actual start of the negotiations on Ukraine's accession," Zelensky said in his evening address. "Our country, our people deserve this," Zelensky added. "It is the lifeblood of the European Union to be a European project that leaves no one outside the EU, no one who truly professes European values." Earlier on May 9, Katarina Mathernova, the EU ambassador to Ukraine, said 2030 is a very real date for Ukraine to join the European Union. The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, also announced during a visit to Kyiv on May 9 that official negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU should begin before the end of the first half of 2024. Introductory negotiations must begin as quickly as possible and I am optimistic that EU member states can approve the negotiating framework in June, Metsola said. "As you know, the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the EU begins on July 1, so it is important to make the necessary decisions before that, during the Belgian presidency." Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal later said that European Council President Charles Michel had named 2030 as a possible target year for further EU enlargement but added that the Commission would work to try to integrate Ukraine on a faster timeline. In November 2023, the European Commission the Union's executive arm recommended the launch of accession talks with Kyiv but said four additional reforms must be implemented. The European Council then agreed to open accession talks with Ukraine the following month. Earlier in the day, Zelensky met with the European Council President Charles Michel, as well as the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who confirmed she would be attending the upcoming peace summit to be held on June 15-16 in Switzerland. Read also: EU Ambassador to Ukraine: Ukraine could join EU in 2030 Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. President Volodymyr Zelensky and head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, held a video conference on May 9 and discussed Kyiv's accession to the EU. In a tweet on X, von der Leyen also confirmed she would be attending the upcoming peace summit to be held on June 15-16 in Switzerland. The event will be centered around Ukraine's 10-point peace formula, a plan first outlined by Zelensky in fall 2022 that calls for a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied Ukrainian lands. On #EuropeDay, spoke with @ZelenskyyUa. Europe is in the heart of Ukrainians. And soon, a free Ukraine will be part of our Union. Ukraine needs support to defend its people & freedom against brutal air attacks. I confirmed attendance at the June Peace Summit. We noted Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) May 9, 2024 Earlier on May 9, Katarina Mathernova, the EU ambassador to Ukraine, said 2030 is a very real date for Ukraine to join the European Union. In November 2023, the European Commission the Union's executive arm recommended the launch of accession talks with Kyiv but said four additional reforms must be implemented. The European Council then agreed to open accession talks with Ukraine the following month. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal later said that European Council President Charles Michel had named 2030 as a possible target year for further EU enlargement but added that the Commission would work to try to integrate Ukraine on a faster timeline. In an interview with Ukrainian media, Mathernova said that predicting when exactly Ukraine would become a member of the EU is "the same as looking into a crystal ball for predictions." However, she agreed with Prime Minister Shmyhal's assessment that 2030 is a feasible date. "Based on my own observations on life in Kyiv, on interaction with the Ukrainian authorities, representatives of business and media, as well as taking into account the expansion process in the past, which I know well, I believe that 2030 is a very realistic date. "The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, also announced during a visit to Kyiv on May 9 that official negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU should begin before the end of the first half of 2024. Subscribe to Ukraine Daily newsletter News from Ukraine in your inbox Subscribe Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Roberta Metsola and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met with Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, to discuss, among other things, the current situation on the front line. Source: Office of the President of Ukraine, as reported by European Pravda Details: Zelenskyy told Metsola about the situation at the front, defence support, the Russian occupiers plans, Ukraine's European integration, and the Global Peace Summit. In turn, Metsola noted that her visit demonstrated the unwavering support for Ukraine and its place in the European family, and she called on Europeans to increase their assistance. On the subject of the Peace Summit, Zelenskyy stressed that Russian ruler Vladimir Putin is trying to disrupt it. Quote: "That is why we need a crystal clear position of every state, every leader, every international organisation regarding participation in the Global Peace Summit and support of our common peacebuilding efforts." During her visit, Metsola said that she expects accession talks with Ukraine to begin in June. Zelenskyy's joint press conference with Metsola was interrupted by an air-raid warning. Support UP or become our patron! Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks via video conference with Ursula von der Leyen on 9 May. Photo: the Presidents Office President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke via video conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on 9 May, Europe Day, about Ukraine's progress in European integration and the upcoming peace summit. Source: European Pravda, citing both of them on Twitter (X) Details: Ursula von der Leyen stressed that a free Ukraine soon "will be part of" the European Union, but for now, it needs support to protect its people and freedom from brutal airstrikes. Quote: "I confirmed attendance at the June Peace Summit. We noted Ukraine's important progress towards EU accession negotiating framework," she added. On #EuropeDay, spoke with @ZelenskyyUa. Europe is in the heart of Ukrainians. And soon, a free Ukraine will be part of our Union. Ukraine needs support to defend its people & freedom against brutal air attacks. I confirmed attendance at the June Peace Summit. We noted Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) May 9, 2024 Details: In his evening address on 9 May, Zelenskyy said in the context of his conversation with the European Commission President that Ukraine was "actively preparing for June the next stage of rapprochement with the European Union" the approval of the negotiation framework and the start of accession talks. Quote: "Our country, our people deserve this. And the European Union needs this step not just politically, as it is the lifeblood of the European Union to be a European project that leaves no one outside the EU," the Head of State added. I had an important video call with President of the European Commission Ursula @vonderleyen. We discussed preparations for the Global Peace Summit and the participation of as many countries as possible, including those from the Global South. I am grateful to President von der pic.twitter.com/8YuJEUNMqz Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) May 9, 2024 Background: Earlier, reports indicated that both the Ukrainian side and Brussels are working to ensure that the official commencement of negotiations for Ukraine's accession to the EU takes place no later than the end of June, when Belgium's presidency of the EU Council concludes and Hungary's six-month presidency begins. Katarina Mathernova, the EU Ambassador to Ukraine, said that Ukraine is ready to begin negotiations on accession to the EU and hopes to start them in late June. Support UP or become our patron! President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that on Wednesday, 8 May he heard reports by Defence Minister Rustem Umierov and Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on the positions of Ukrainian forces in the combat zone and on physical protection for people. Source: Zelenskyys evening address Quote: "Today, there was a separate report by the Minister of Defence of Ukraine and a report by the Commander-in-Chief. Our positions at the front, the physical protection of our people and communities, and the disruption of any attempts at a Russian offensive are urgent priorities." Details: Zelenskyy thanked every member of the Defence Forces of Ukraine and everyone who is currently on the front line defending Ukraine on the ground, in the skies and at sea. "Everyone who gives our state the opportunity to gain a prospect for Ukrainians for our independence, for our diplomacy, for our lives," Zelenskyy stated. Background: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in the Senate that it is too early to tell whether the supplemental funding provided to Ukraine will have an effect on the battlefield, as this will take time. Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of the NATO Military Committee, believes that despite the advance of Russian forces on the battlefield, Ukraine can still win the war, admitting that the pause in support has affected events on the front line. Support UP or become our patron! Zelenskyy looks forward to strengthening cooperation with President-elect of North Macedonia Gordana Siljanovsk-Davkova casts her ballot at a polling station in Skopje on May 8. Stock photo: Getty Images Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Gordana Siljanovsk-Davkova on her victory in the presidential election in North Macedonia on 8 May. Source: President on Twitter (X), European Pravda reports Details: Zelenskyy wished the newly elected president of North Macedonia a "successful and fruitful tenure" in office, emphasising the bilateral partnership and support for Skopje in countering Russian aggression. "I look forward to further strengthening our bilateral cooperation in order to restore peace and stability in our united Europe," Zelenskyy added. Congratulations to Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova @gogamkd on her convincing election victory. I wish her a successful and fruitful tenure. We value our strong partnership and appreciate Skopje's support for Ukraine in countering Russian aggression. I look forward to further Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) May 9, 2024 Background: Opposition-backed Gordana Siljanovska Davkova received more than 65% of the vote in the presidential election, while incumbent President of North Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski received less than 30%. The main opposition party, VMRO-DPMNE (Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity), also won an overwhelming majority in parliamentary elections held in parallel. The rise to power of more right-wing parties could slow down North Macedonia's EU accession negotiations and complicate relations with neighbouring Greece and Bulgaria. Support UP or become our patron! Zelenskyy after meeting with military: We see what Russian forces are preparing for and we will respond to it President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with the leadership of the Defence Forces to discuss the acceleration of arms supplies from partners and the actions of the defenders to achieve results on the battlefield. Source: Zelenskyys evening address Quote from Zelenskyy: "I held a meeting with the leadership of the Ukrainian Defence Forces: Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, Chief of the General Staff Anatolii Barhylevych, and Defence Minister Rustem Umierov. We discussed how to speed up the supply of weapons from our partners and how to act now, with the available forces and means, with the available weapons, to achieve the results we need. We see what the occupier is preparing for. There will be a response." Details: The president thanked all the military personnel who are effectively operating at the contact line and destroying Russian forces and particularly noted the Kraken Defence Intelligence unit. "I am grateful to you, guys! And to everyone who gives Ukraine the result. The result we need so much," the president said. Background: Earlier, the US had expressed hope that new US military aid unblocked by Congress would over time help the Armed Forces of Ukraine regain the initiative on the battlefield, but a large-scale Ukrainian offensive is unlikely in the near future. Estonian intelligence indicated that Russia is trying to take advantage of the last window of opportunity to step up attacks before the arrival of Western military equipment and ammunition in Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! Zelenskyy officially dismisses former commander-in-chief Zaluzhnyi from military service, appoints him as ambassador to UK Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a decree dismissing Valerii Zaluzhnyi, former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, from military service. Zaluzhnyi was appointed Ukraine's ambassador to the UK by another decree. Source: Zelenskyy's decrees dated 8 May, released on the president's website Quote: "General Valerii Fedorovych Zaluzhnyi shall be dismissed from military service for health reasons, with the privilege to wear military uniforms." "Valerii Fedorovych Zaluzhnyi shall be appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland." Background: Earlier, media reports indicated that General Valerii Zaluzhnyi underwent a military medical examination in the winter before his appointment as ambassador to the United Kingdom, and he was found unfit for military service. In March 2024, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved the candidacy of Valerii Zaluzhnyi as Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry sent a corresponding request to the UK. Support UP or become our patron! President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Dmytro Hereha as Commander of the Support Forces of Ukraines Armed Forces. Hereha was removed from this position in March 2024. Source: presidential decree Quote: "Dmytro Hereha shall be appointed as Commander of the Support Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine." Details: Hereha was dismissed from the post on 4 May 2024 and replaced by Oleksandr Yakovets, who had served as head of the Engineering Forces and head of the Engineering Forces Command of the Armed Forces Support Forces since February 2020. The reasons for the president's decision have not been disclosed. Background: Hereha was appointed Commander of the Support Forces by order of the Minister of Defence on 9 August 2021 and discharged from that position by presidential decree on 4 March 2024. Support UP or become our patron! President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed laws to extend the period of martial law in Ukraine, as well as to extend the period of general mobilisation. Source: decrees Nos. 3685-Kh and 3684-Kh Details: This is the eleventh extension of martial law and mobilisation since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion. Background: On 6 May, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted bills to approve decrees on the extension of martial law and the duration of general mobilisation to the Verkhovna Rada. On 8 May, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) approved the presidential decrees extending martial law and general mobilisation until 11 August 2024. Support UP or become our patron! A constitutional court in Portugal has ruled the country's extraordinary levy on renewable energy utilities, known as the CESE, unconstitutional, Reuters has reported. The decision supports the stance of companies that have contributed hundreds of millions of euros to the levy. In 2023, renewable sources such as dams and solar and wind parks provided 61% of Portugal's electricity, one of the highest ratios in Europe. The government anticipated collecting 125m from the CESE across the energy sector in its 2024 budget, mirroring the previous year's figures. The levy, excluding renewables, was first implemented in 2014 to help reduce the budget deficit following a debt crisis and international bailout. Although intended as a temporary measure, it has been maintained by successive governments. In 2019, the scope of the CESE was broadened to include renewable utilities' feed-in tariffs, aiming to decrease the electricity sector's tariff debt. The debt arose from setting regulated electricity prices for consumers below production costs. However, the constitutional court's ruling of 23 April 2024 states that applying the CESE to renewable utilities breaches the principle of equality, as these utilities have neither caused the tariff debt nor directly benefit from its reduction. The standard CESE rate is 0.85% of the value of regulated assets, in addition to the income tax utilities pay. EDP, the countrys largest utility and a challenger of the levy, withheld 49.4m in CESE tax for 2023 pending the court's decision. Since the introduction of the CESE, the EDP Group has paid 558m for its renewable and non-renewable assets. EDP CEO Miguel Stilwell de Andrade has stated that the tax hampers investment. The levy has also impacted foreign utilities in Portugal, including Spain's Iberdrola and Endesa. "Portuguese court rules renewable energy levy unconstitutional" 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. Zelenskyy thanks Czech President for his artillery ammunition initiative Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Petr Pavel on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in February, 2024. Stock photo: Office of the President of Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a telephone conversation with Czech President Petr Pavel on 9 May to discuss weapon supplies and preparations for the upcoming Global Peace Summit in Switzerland. Source: President Zelenskyy on Twitter (X) Details: During the presidents conversation, Zelenskyy thanked Pavel for Czechias initiative to purchase ammunition for Ukraine; its implementation "will have a significant impact on the battlefield," Zelenskyy tweeted. Zelenskyy and Pavel also discussed the ongoing defence cooperation between their countries and the current needs of the Ukrainian armed forces. In addition, "President Pavel confirmed his participation in the Peace Summit," Zelenskyy wrote. Background: On 15 April, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said that Czechia had signed contracts to supply 180,000 artillery rounds for Ukraine within the framework of its initiative and was working on acquiring 300,000 more. On 17 April, Fiala said that a new Czech initiative to source ammunition for Ukraine could provide Kyiv with 1.5 million artillery shells within a year. Czech President Petr Pavel does not think that Western countries have lost hope that Ukraine will win the war. Support UP or become our patron! 'Are you a Zionist?' Checkpoints at UCLA encampment provoked fear, debate among Jews Some Jewish students at UCLA said they felt intimidated as protesters scrawled graffiti on campus buildings and set up barricades. Above, Powell Library on April 29. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Eilon Presman was about 100 feet from the UCLA Palestinian solidarity encampment when he heard the screams: Zionist! Zionist! The 20-year-old junior, who is Israeli, realized the activists were pointing at him. Human chain! they cried. A line of protesters linked arms and marched toward him, Presman said, blocking him from accessing the heart of UCLAs campus. Other activists, he said, unfurled kaffiyeh scarves to block his view of the camp. Every step back that I took, they took a step forward, Presman said. "I was just forced to walk away. Pro-Palestinian activists demonstrate in UCLA's Bruin Plaza after arrests were made at the Westwood campus Monday. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) It's been a week since police swarmed the UCLA campus and tore down the pro-Palestinian camp, arresting more than 200 people. But the legacy of the encampment remains an issue of much debate, particularly among Jewish students, who make up nearly 8% of the university's 32,000 undergraduates. In the days leading up to April 30 when pro-Israel counterprotesters attacked the camp with fists, bats and chemical spray, and police took hours to stop the violence frustration had swelled among many Jews: Viral videos showed activists restricting the passage of students they targeted as Zionists. Some Jewish students said they felt intimidated as protesters scrawled graffiti Death 2 Zionism and Baby Killers on campus buildings and blocked access with wooden pallets, plywood, metal barricades and human walls. The pro-Palestinian student movement includes various strains of activism, including calls for a cease-fire in Gaza, support for Hamas and demands that universities divest from firms doing business with Israel. But on campuses across the country, no word has become more charged than "Zionist." A pro-Israel activist peels a pro-Palestinian sticker off a sign on May 2 as a protest encampment was dispersed. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) In its most basic definition, a Zionist is somebody who believes that the Jewish people have a right to statehood in their ancestral homeland as a place of refuge from centuries of persecution in other words, that Israel, established as a Jewish state in the wake of the Holocaust, has a right to exist. Using that definition, the Anti-Defamation League considers anti-Zionism a form of antisemitism. But protesters including many Jews draw a sharp distinction, arguing that it is Zionism that led to a massive displacement of Palestinians seven decades ago and today fuels Israel's right-wing government and the assault on Gaza that they say amounts to genocide. Some of the Jewish students who took part in the encampment played a role in excluding Zionists. Members of Jewish Voice for Peace at UCLA, a small but rapidly growing group on campus, argue they had a moral responsibility to pressure university officials to divest from Israel. UCLA facilities employees clean up and dismantle the pro-Palestinian encampment on campus May 2. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) The camp and its checkpoints, they said, were not hostile to Jews. Restricting fellow students from entering was just a pragmatic move to protect protesters inside from physical, verbal or emotional abuse. We are committed to keeping each other safe, said Agnes Lin, 22, a fourth-year art and art history student and member of Jewish Voice for Peace. Anyone who agreed to the UC Divest Coalitions demands and community guidelines, she said, was welcome. What is not welcome is Zionism, she added. Or anyone who actively adheres to a very violent, genocidal political ideology that is actively endangering people in Gaza right now. In practice, students who supported the existence of Israel were kept out even if they opposed Israels right-wing government and its bombardment of Gaza. Senior Adam Thaw, 21, said activists blocked him and others from accessing a public walkway to Powell Library. After telling him they were not letting anyone through, a male activist eyed his Star of David necklace: If youre here to espouse that this is antisemitism, then you can leave. Senior Adam Thaw is on UCLA's student board of Hillel, the largest Jewish campus organization in the world. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) Who are you to tell me where I can and cannot go? said Thaw, who is on UCLA's student board of Hillel, the largest Jewish campus organization in the world. As complaints from Jewish students mounted, UCLA declared the encampment unlawful. In an April 30 statement, Chancellor Gene Block said most activists had been peaceful, but the tactics of some were shocking and shameful. Students on their way to class," he said, "have been physically blocked from accessing parts of the campus." :: The campus was dark and hushed when Sabrina Ellis joined dozens of activists at 4 a.m. to set up the encampment on the lawn of Dickson Court. After pitching tents and erecting barricades of wooden pallets and sheets of plywood, Ellis, a 21-year-old international student from Brazil, took shifts guarding the entrance. Ellis didnt call it a checkpoint. The goal was to exclude and physically block "agitators" anyone who might be violent, record students or disagree with the cause. Our top priority isn't people's freedom of movement, Ellis said. It is keeping people in our encampments physically and emotionally safe. The longtime member of Jewish Voice for Peace who wore a large Star of David over her T-shirt and a kaffiyeh wrapped around her shoulders said the camp "was not profiling based on religion." But as activists blocked Zionist students from public campus space, they faced charges that they engaged in viewpoint discrimination. Sabrina Ellis, a junior and a member of Jewish Voice for Peace at UCLA, was part of the pro-Palestinian encampment from the beginning. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Before allowing anyone in, Ellis said, a protester read the demands of the encampment, which included calling for the University of California and UCLA to divest all funds from companies "complicit in the Israeli occupation," boycott all connections with Israeli universities, sever ties with the Los Angeles Police Department and demand a permanent cease-fire. Then, activists ran through their safety guidelines: Ask before taking a photo or video; wear a mask to limit the spread of COVID; do not post identifying information or photos; and no engagement with counterprotesters. If students didn't agree, we would just kindly tell them that they're not allowed to come in, Ellis said. Some Jewish students were shaken by the experience, arriving at Hillel upset and even crying. "They were genuinely going about their day and couldn't get access as protesters asked them, 'Are you a Zionist?' or looked at their necklace," said Daniel Gold, executive director of Hillel at UCLA. :: For pro-Palestinian activists who are Jewish, the camp was a peaceful space to promote justice, a welcoming interfaith community with therapist-led processing circles and candlelit prayer services. Blue tarps and blankets were put down in the middle of the lawn for Islamic prayers and a Passover Seder and a Shabbat service. On the first evening, about 100 activists, many Jewish, sat in a circle to pray, sing, drink grape juice and eat matzo ball soup, matzo crackers and watermelon. It was really beautiful, said Lin, the art student. We were trying to hold these spaces to show that Judaism goes beyond Zionism. An encampment of pro-Palestinian demonstrators at UCLA's Dickson Plaza on April 29. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Other Jewish students were more wary as they navigated the camp. Presman, who moved to the U.S. when he was 12 and identifies as a Zionist, was alarmed when he scanned the quad on the first day. He saw signs saying Israelis are native 2 HELL, he said, and banners and graffiti showing inverted red triangles, a symbol used in Hamas propaganda videos to indicate a military target. Do people know what that means? he wondered. Tucking his Star of David under his T-shirt, Presman said, he entered and approached activists, introducing himself as an Israeli citizen. Maybe we can find common ground, he said, one human being to the other? Some students put their hands up, he said, blocking him as they walked away. Others treated the conversation as a joke. One protester, he said, told him that everything Hamas did was justified. Presman said he had one good conversation: An activist who identified as anti-Zionist admitted not being 100% educated on what Zionism was, but agreed that Israel should exist. They came to the conclusion the activist was a Zionist. Pro-Palestinian encampment participants reinforce the camp barriers at UCLA on May 1. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) But most of Presman's exchanges, he said, ended negatively when activists realized he was defending Zionism. He said he was called a "dirty Jew" and "white colonizer." Other students even those who did not fully support the encampment said they did not experience such slurs. Rachel Burnett, a senior who described herself as a non-Zionist Jew, disagreed with the call for divestment and academic boycotts, especially of UCLAs Nazarian Center, an educational center for the study of Israeli history, politics and culture. Entering the camp after a classmate vouched for her, Burnett was disturbed by anti-Israeli signs and graffiti that named Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for the military wing of Hamas. But she also bonded with protesters, including a woman in a hijab. Of course, some protesters deny Oct. 7 or condone violence as long as it can be put under the guise of decolonial resistance, which is obviously horrific, Burnett said. But that's not the case of many students inside the encampment. Rachel Burnett, a senior who described herself as a non-Zionist Jew, disagreed with the call for divestment and academic boycotts, especially of UCLA's Nazarian Center, an educational center for the study of Israeli history, politics and culture. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Burnett contrasted what she saw as a peaceful, friendly mood inside the camp with the pro-Israel counterprotests where people held up benign slogans, such as "Bring the Hostages Home," but engaged in hostile behavior. As counterprotesters converged for a Sunday rally, she said, a pro-Israel activist spat on her and told her she should have been slaughtered in the kibbutzim on Oct. 7. Just as some pro-Palestinian activists demonized all Zionists as evil and pro-genocide ignoring the wide range of viewpoints within the Zionist community Burnett thought some pro-Israel counterprotesters were dehumanizing student activists in the encampment and spreading a "mass hysteria narrative." As the encampment expanded and organizers set up entrance points near Royce Hall and Powell Library some Jewish students took videos that swiftly went viral. Its time to go, a protester wearing a yellow safety vest and kaffiyeh told a student in one video as he guarded an entrance near Powell Library. You dont have a wristband. A standoff ensued. Are you a Zionist? the protester asked. Of course Im Zionist, the student replied. Yeah, we dont let Zionists inside. 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. "What do you hope to accomplish in the next 10 years?" is a familiar question, one often asked at job interviews or when starting a new company. Axiom Space was founded in 2016, so it's coming up on that 10-year mark and the Houston-based company has already checked off a lot of boxes that were likely on its milestone list. For example, Axiom has organized three all-private crewed missions to the International Space Station (ISS) and obtained a NASA contract to send the first commercial module to the ISS. The company is also building the spacesuits that NASA's Artemis astronauts will use during their exploration of the lunar surface. Related: NASA's Artemis program: Everything you need to know "The biggest points of excitement for me are the missions, the spacesuit and the station," Tejpaul Bhatia, chief revenue officer at Axiom Space, told Space.com during the 39th Space Symposium, which was held last month in Colorado Springs. "The missions we've done three over the last three years, we've sent eight countries to space," Bhatia added. "We've worked with over 50 research and commercial partners who work across those missions, and we will be doing more. The next mission [to the ISS] will be coming up soon, and more nations and more companies will be part of those missions. The excitement and the outreach for reaching everyone to know about space it's a new era for space." At the beginning of this year, the company's private Ax-3 mission made history as "the first all-European commercial astronaut mission" to the ISS. The 22-day Ax-3, Axiom's longest mission yet, sent a citizen of Turkiye to space for the first time and allowed Italy to join with a new role with commercial spaceflight. While on orbit, a new conjunction warning system developed by the Italian Air Force (ItAF) was used to monitor for possible collision threats. The Italian Space Operations Centre demonstration provided researchers with information that would allow crews to obtain near-real time collision warnings independently, without having to heavily rely on support from Earth . The team was also able to test out other tools that monitor solar activity and space weather . "The most exciting part is to use all the heritage that Italy has gathered over the last 60 years to build up new bridges along with our national industries and trying to create some connection in between that Italian industrial ecosystem or with the U.S. one," said Ax-3 pilot Walter Villadei, a colonel in the ItAF. "There's Air Force; space for us is a kind of an extension of our natural environment, so we want to be there, we want to understand how we are supposed to behave or operate in space. It's a unique moment in time." Axiom's fourth mission, Ax-4, is scheduled to launch no earlier than this October and will send another crew to the ISS for up to two weeks. Such missions, Axiom says, will continue to build knowledge and skills that contribute to the company's goal of building and operating the world's first commercial space station. Axiom is also building and testing the spacesuit that astronauts will wear on the surface of the moon during NASA's Artemis 3 mission, which is scheduled to launch in September 2026. A prototype of this suit, known as the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), was revealed in March . Like any other space technology, the prototype has to be evaluated and undergo continued alterations before the critical review phase begins in June. "The suit is supposed to have multiple layers of safety so in case anything happens, you have to be able to react quickly and to minimize your action to get back safe on whatever is going to be your environment," Villadei said. "It's a combination of many factors." For example, the suit will need to be able to deal with the harsh and variable environments of the lunar surface, in addition to providing mobility and comfort. It also must be able to withstand a wide range of temperatures for a minimum of two hours. Since the AxEMU prototype unveiling in March 2023, Axiom Space has made substantial progress in suit design and testing. The suit design is beyond the preliminary design review point with NASA and will enter the critical design review phase in June 2024. a person inside a large white spacesuit with a large glass dome viso RELATED STORIES: SpaceX Dragon carrying Ax-3 astronauts splashes down in Atlantic to end longest private spaceflight for Axiom Space Private space station: How Axiom Space plans to build its orbital outpost NASA picks 3 companies to design lunar rover for Artemis astronauts to drive on the moon "Inside that suit there are several other systems and subsystems, so we're bringing in many commercial partners, many that worked on the original spacesuits, but many who are bringing new design elements," Bhatia said. "Commercial elements from brands you and I know that you may not think about in terms of space, but it'll make perfect sense when you hear that they're part of it," he added. "I think it's going to start with looking like a private company working with government institutions, and pretty soon it's going to flip and you're going to see a whole economy up in space with brands that we know and love and use every day. There won't be this thing that this is some other frontier, but it's actually part of our life." Axiom Space could contribute to Artemis missions in additional ways as well; the company is partnering with Astrolab and Odyssey Space Research on the FLEX lunar rover project, one of three private efforts that just received NASA funding for development work. One of these three private designs is expected to become the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), which Artemis astronauts will use to drive around on the moon . "Leveraging our expertise in EVA [extravehicular activity], Axiom Space is leading the way in designing EVA-centric components of the rover, such as vehicle interfaces for both crew and spacesuits, and containers/attachments to carry EVA tools," Russell Ralston, vice president of Extravehicular Activity for Axiom Space, said in a press release . "This collaboration with Astrolab not only showcases our EVA expertise, but also underscores Axiom Space's commitment to driving advancements in lunar exploration." I predict future happiness for Americans, if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) Last week, Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Edward Markey of Massachusetts revealed that automobiles sold in the United States with a GPS or emergency call system accumulate the travel data of the vehicle on computer chips located in the vehicle and the vehicle manufacturers have remote access to the computer chips. They revealed this is a letter to the Federal Trade Commission that, at this writing, has gone unanswered. The senators complained that the computer chips in late-model vehicles retain the records of the location and driving habits utilized by the operator of each vehicle. One probably expects some of this as most GPS systems ask if you are looking for directions to a location to which you have traveled in the past. That very request on your dashboard should trigger the observation that the vehicles computer chip has stored the requests you have input to the GPS. But it doesnt stop with a record of your GPS requests. What the two senators revealed was truly startling. The computer chips record every movement and speed of the vehicle; and some vehicles those equipped with certain sensors and exterior cameras also record the surroundings of the location of the vehicle. The Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution are the first 10 amendments, among them being the freedom of religion, speech, the press, assembly; the right to bear arms; protection against unreasonable search and seizure; the right to a speedy and public trial. Both senators complained that Americans largely do not know that the manufacturer of the vehicle they drive has remote access to the computer chips in the vehicle, and most Americans are largely unaware that the vehicle manufacturers make this data available to the government without a search warrant. Is this constitutional? In a word: NO. The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution was written to protect the quintessential American right the natural human right to be left alone. Justice Louis Brandeis called it the most comprehensive of rights and the right most valued by civilized persons. It presumes that you can think as you wish and say what you think and read what you want and publish what you say, that you can exclude whomever you wish including the government from your property and from your thoughts; that you can move around from place to place; and do all this without a government permission slip, fear of government reprisal or the governments prying eyes. This natural right is expressly protected by the Fourth Amendment, which requires a warrant issued by a judge based upon probable cause of crime before the government can invade your property or spy on you, directly or indirectly. When the government has access to the data in your personal vehicle, it is simultaneously invading your property and spying on you. The warrant requirement serves three purposes. The first is to force the government to stay in the lane of crime solving, rather than crime predicting. The colonists loathed when the British entered their homes with general warrants ostensibly looking to see if the colonists had purchased government stamps as the Stamp Act required. The true goal of these forced entries was to search for revolutionary materials in order to help the government predict who might be planning the revolution that came in 1776. The second purpose of the warrant requirement is to prevent fishing expeditions using general warrants. General warrants permit the bearer to search wherever he wishes and seize whatever he finds. Thus, the Fourth Amendment also requires that the warrants specifically describe the place to be searched and the person or thing to be seized. The third and most fundamental purpose of the warrant requirement is to reduce to writing the right to privacy. All persons naturally yearn for privacy. The Framers knew this and believed they had guaranteed it in the Fourth Amendment. They were wrong. Some have argued that the culprits with these computer chips are the vehicle manufacturers. They are wrong. The culprit is the government. The federal Department of Transportation found nowhere in the Constitution mandates the specs for the computer chips installed in vehicles sold in the United States. And the recent amendment to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act requires all persons and entities that manufacture or install facilities that transmit data over fiber-optic cables in the U.S. to make those facilities available to the federal governments spies. That mandate includes the CIA, even though its charter forbids it to spy domestically or engage in domestic law enforcement; the FBI, even though the federal prosecutors for whom FBI agents work cannot use evidence in federal prosecutions obtained via surveillance without a search warrant; and the National Security Administration, the federal governments 60,000 dedicated domestic spies, whose management falsely claims it obtains warrants from the FISA court for all its spying. What have we here? What we have is the slow silent erosion of personal liberty perpetrated by a Congress afraid of the intelligence community it created in 1947 and which it is supposed to regulate, enabled by every president since Ronald Reagan who has looked the other way when the spies plied their foul crafts, and carried out by nameless faceless bureaucrats with large and awful eyes whose appetites for acquiring private data about ordinary Americans as to whom there is no suspicion or probable cause of criminal behavior is utterly and literally insatiable. Andrew P. Napolitano Even former President Donald Trump, who was infamously the subject of unlawful and unconstitutional spying when he was a private citizen and while in the White House, has fallen for all this. What we have here is only lip service by our elected representatives to the words, their meanings and the underlying values of the Constitution. Efforts to stop this in the House and the Senate last month fell short by a single vote in each house. And that was before the Wyden/Markey revelations about your car spying on you! Do you know anyone who has consented to this? Who will protect us from lawless government? Dont we know by now that sacrificing liberty for safety leads to neither? Andrew P. Napolitano, a former New Jersey Superior Court Judge, has published nine books on the U.S. Constitution. To learn more, visit JudgeNap.com. This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Is your car spying on you? PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) Hyundai owners can get an anti-theft software upgrade installed for free in Landover for three days. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, mobile technicians from Hyundai will be at the Commanders Field at 1600 Fedex Way in Greater Landover. Head to the Red Zone Parking Lot between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday or between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday for the installation. 3-day Hyundai event in Montgomery County offers free upgrade, steering wheel locks to prevent theft The Prince Georges County Police Department said that appointments are not needed. A flyer said that the upgrade should take less than 30 minutes. Hyundai is offering a similar program in Montgomery County as well. You can find more information about the software upgrade, including a list of which vehicles are affected, online. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. For Cassandra Swacker, engineering is a way to help people. Majoring in mechanical engineering and minoring in biomedical engineering at Iowa State University equipped Swacker with the skills to design and manufacture personalized utensils and devices for people with traumatic brain injuries. Her quest to help others through engineering began while she was in high school, when she saw how a prosthetic leg changed her fathers life. Shell graduate at the end of this semester, which concluded this week, and her engineering quest will continue as she begins her career developing innovative solutions in technology and manufacturing. Biomedical engineers need to be involved in all those things to understand the biology and anatomy components of how machines interact with people, Swacker said. They also need to understand the design and manufacturing processes of those machines. Cassie Swacker, graduating in mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering, with some of her 3D-printed life aides inside Black Engineerings 3D printing lab. She worked with CIRAS to line up an internship with On With Life to design custom tools for patients using 3D printing technology. Improving lives through engineering Swacker, an Urbandale native, witnessed the power of biomedical engineering when her father was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis that can affect the spine, knees, ankles and hips. The condition caused severe wear on her fathers ankle bones. He had metal plates implanted but eventually elected to have his leg amputated below the knee and replaced with a prosthetic. The prosthetic improved her fathers mobility dramatically. Around the same time, Swacker took an engineering design course in high school, and she started thinking about how engineering affects people, including her father, in countless ways. My brain had that little lightbulb moment of, oh, the people who are making prosthetics are engineers, she said. She discovered biomedical engineering, a fast-growing field that utilizes innovations in materials and technology to develop devices and equipment to enhance human and animal health. When he finally got his prosthetic and I was able to see just how big of an improvement it made for him, it was really inspiring and I wanted to be able to have that direct of an impact on peoples quality of life, which got me interested in the biomedical field, Swacker said. She enrolled at Iowa State because of the universitys strong engineering programs and proximity to family. She decided to major in mechanical engineering and pick up a minor in biomedical engineering. Made-to-order medical devices Swacker began her first year at Iowa State during in the fall of 2020, at a time when the pandemic forced most classes to be held remotely. The challenges of the pandemic taught her to work independently on her courses. They also helped her appreciate the classroom experience when in-person instruction resumed. She landed an internship with Iowa States Center for Industrial Research and Service, which partners with business and communities across Iowa to develop tailored strategies to grow and prosper. In just the last five years, CIRAS and its partners have helped more than 4,600 businesses in every Iowa county, creating an economic impact of more than $3.1 billion. Among the organizations helped by CIRAS is On With Life, an Ankeny-based rehabilitation clinic that helps patients recover from traumatic brain injuries and other neurological conditions. Swacker saw an opportunity with On With Life to apply what she was learning in her biomedical engineering courses. Because brain injuries manifest a wide range of symptoms, On With Lifes patients often require personalized equipment and devices. 3D printing technology offers a way to create unique devices to precise specifications, so Swacker got to work familiarizing herself with the technology. She custom-built eating utensils, such as plate covers and silverware handles, for patients whose injuries affected their fine motor skills. The adaptive plate cover she developed clips onto the top of a plate with strategically placed gaps that expose only a portion of the food. This helped a patient whose brain injury caused a compulsion to eat too fast to slow down to a healthier pace. On With Life CEO Jean Shelton praised Swackers work. Brain injury rehabilitation calls for an individualized approach to services, Shelton said. No one brain injury is like another due to the many functional areas of the brain. We are grateful for Cassies work as she was able to address a very specific need through technology that aids an individual and their family to manage impulse control related to food. The plate she created allowed for a balanced meal approach without the visual distraction of the other foods on the plate. The plate is still in use! Swacker even developed an eye for aesthetics in her 3D printing designs. She learned one particular patient, who was a fan of Harley Davidson motorcycles, didnt like the way some of the specialized eating utensils looked. So she designed one to resemble the handlebar of a motorcycle, complete with a flame finish. Many of her designs got rave reviews from the end users, she said. Her work with CIRAS and On With Life taught her numerous lessons about engineering design, utilizing cutting edge technology and problem solving. In the months ahead, Swacker said she plans to move to the Iowa City area to pursue a career in manufacturing engineering. She said shell apply all the lessons she learned studying at Iowa State and working for On With Life as she begins her career, lessons like never hesitating to ask questions and forging relationships with the people shes working with. Perhaps most importantly, shell launch her career with firsthand knowledge that good engineering can help people and change lives. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State graduate helps patients recover from brain injuries Kansas Citys official website is back after it was down all week. Was it a cyber attack? The Kansas City government website is back online Thursday, officials said, after what theyre calling a computer outage. The municipal court was closed until Wednesday, due to the same issue. While officials havent publicly called the incident a cyber attack, cyber security breaches are on the rise locally and nationally, and experts say that trend is likely to continue. City officials first noticed there was an issue Saturday morning. As a result, hearings and trials had to be continued to later dates. People could not post bond. The courts email service was also down, along with other city officials emails. Kansas City spokesperson Sherae Honeycutt said as of May 6 and until the website is fully functioning, a grace period is in place for anyone having difficulty making payments through the citys systems. Cases filed before Nov. 6, 2023 will not be able to make payments through the Missouri Casenet system. Bonds can be posted at designated police stations. Honeycutt said while most city departments have continued to operate as usual, KC Waters payment services are still unavailable. Residents must pay with cash or check at 4800 E 63rd Street until the website is fully back up. This weeks incident marks the latest in a string of recent cyber disruptions to Kansas City government and surrounding municipalities illustrating an escalating pattern of cyber threats. On Jan. 25, A ransomware attack impacted the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, which is when bad actors seize control of computer systems and demand a ransom before they relinquish control. Regional call centers and KCATA landlines couldnt receive calls because of the attack. On April 2, Jackson Countys assessment, collections and record of deeds offices were closed due to a ransomware attack. A few weeks later, Kansas City Scout operators had an outage after a cyber attack that prompted officials to shut down the traffic information system for the metro as a protective measure. The Play Ransomware group claimed responsibility for the cyber attack Tuesday, according to Jack Danahy, vice president of strategy and innovation at Nuharbor Security. Official confirmation on who did the attack is not yet known. Officials say the KC Scout cameras and message boards could be down for months. Last year, a cyber attack also shuttered online access to Kansas courts for months. It was found to have been orchestrated by affiliates of a Russian-based ransomware group. During the pandemic, the Independence City Council voted to spend $4 million to beef up the citys cybersecurity protections and upgrade the outdated computer network. Four months later, the citys system was attacked. Officials at that time said it was caught before it could infect the whole network. Why target local governments? Ransomware attacks are increasingly directed at government agencies, law enforcement and public service departments because they tend to have comparatively weaker cyber security controls and measures compared to private companies, according to Kaustubh Medhe, vice president of research and threat intelligence with Cyble, which specializes in gathering intelligence from the different depths of the internet. Most of the ransomware groups have a variety of mechanisms to actually infiltrate a victims network. It generally starts off either with a phishing mail or maybe a malware, which helps you steal credentials of users, or by exploiting some kind of a vulnerability, he said. In fact, over 90% of successful cyber attacks start with a phishing email, according to Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency regional external affairs officer Jeffery Kelly. The ecosystem surrounding ransomware has changed over the past few years, Danahy said, noting theres now a two-tier economy inside the ransomware groups. One creates the infrastructure used to run the technically difficult parts of the attack to spread the vulnerability. Then, they sell access to the platforms to affiliates, which Danahy defines as organizations that figure out how to run a phishing attack or find a way to get into the system. Once the attack is over, the groups do a revenue split. If you are the attack group thats creating the infrastructure, you get reuse of the tooling that youve built for whatever purposes. And then if youre one of the affiliates, you can actually get these relatively sophisticated attacks done without having to understand or use all the technical underpinnings of them yourself, he said. Governments being targeted also means residents are at increased risk of having their information leaked to the dark web. The issue has become so prevalent, Danahy said, that people should recognize their information could very well already be out there. What do investigations look like? The first step for investigators after an attack is to isolate the issue by disconnecting from the network, which could lead to shutting down websites, Medhe said. Governments and private companies typically have incident response plans in place to rely on. Security teams have to put together a timeline and figure out how the attacker got in, what they accessed and what was moved out of the network. This, he said, takes a lot of skill and time. Investigations can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months depending on how widespread the infection was. During this time, residents could encounter issues with doing business or paying bills online, could contend with longer wait times and could lose access to the same level of service responsiveness from government agencies, Medhe said. My recommendation always is that as citizens we have a responsibility to both respect and have some patience with the team during the cleanup, but we also have the responsibility to demand transparency, Danahy said. The last thing you want to have happen is for the organization to feel pressured to get it over with quickly. And they leave some small amount behind, which allows the same attackers to have a back door to do it again. What can be done to prevent attacks After the attack, governments should make sure antivirus and endpoint security solutions are up to date on their endpoints and servers, so they can detect any suspicious activity and block them before an attack goes through, Medhe said. Companies and governments must also have a strong patch management program to regularly look for vulnerabilities, educate staff on phishing attacks and teach the help desk about social engineering to prevent bad actors from calling and posing as employees in order to have a credential reset, according to John Bryant, cybersecurity advisor with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The agency offers no-cost resources that includes things from assessments to cyber hygiene scanning to workshops. They also offer training and tabletop exercises to mature cyber security programs. Kansas City officials have not disclosed the cause of the latest computer outage and did not immediately respond to comment. The Kansas City FBI confirmed theyve been in contact with the city, but did not provide further information. This summer, Licking Heights will host Camp Invention, a STEM day camp for students currently in grades 1-4 at West Elementary School. All Licking Heights students will receive discounted tuition thanks to grants from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation and META as well as a scholarship from American Electric Power. Licking Heights students are lighting the way to innovation. This summer, the district will host a chapter of Camp Invention summer STEM camp, a national day camp where students complete themed hands-on learning activities. This years theme is "Illuminate" and will include projects like building a light-up game board, creating a customized glow box, engineering a tiny house, developing prototypes of inventions, and learning about filing patents for inventions. "We are absolutely honored to host a local chapter of Camp Invention at Licking Heights this summer," said Licking Heights Superintendent Kevin S. Miller. "This will both open the minds of our youngest students to scientific possibilities and progress, and establish Licking Heights as a leader in STEM education throughout central Ohio. I want to personally express my gratitude to the team members who made this opportunity possible for our students." Camp Invention will take place at Licking Heights West Elementary, located at 1490 Climbing Fig Drive in Blacklick, from June 24 to June 28. Sessions will go from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every day and will be taught by Licking Heights teachers who are STEM enthusiasts. The camp is open to all Licking Heights students who are currently enrolled in grades 1-4. "Our district schools have committed themselves to begin creating age-appropriate, STEM-based educational experiences for our students. We recognize that this approach effectively develops the essential skills of critical thinking, creativity, and innovation in our students. Kids learn through play and discovery," said Micca Conley, PreK-6 Curriculum Director at Licking Heights. "Bringing Camp Invention to Licking Heights will be beneficial for our students and our teachers by exposing them to the world of interdisciplinary exploratory learning." Camp Invention is a project of the Alexandria, Virginia-based National Inventors Hall of Fame, a nonprofit organization which recognizes the inventors who built America and provides accessible, cutting-edge STEM education for children. Thanks to a generous grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, which was applied for and secured by Heights Technology Integration Specialist Vicki Willet, Licking Heights students can also receive a discounted tuition rate for Camp Invention. More than 100 Heights students can attend camp for $35 instead of the $270 rate. Meta/Facebook is also providing funding to offset tuition costs as well as a scholarship provided by American Electric Power. Licking Heights is currently in the process of implementing STEM-based learning experiences at all grade levels throughout the district, including development of an immersive hands-on lab at at the elementary level, technology classes and extracurriculars at the intermediate and middle school levels and career-based education and graduation pathways at the high school. Interested families may register their students directly through the Licking Heights portal online. Contact Amy Mohler at amohler@lhschools.org for more information. Information submitted by Licking Heights Local Schools. This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Licking Heights to host 'Camp Invention' summer STEM camp NASA Contractor Warns That Boeing Launch Must Be Stopped "Before Something Catastrophic Happens" Shut It Down A NASA contractor is urging the space agency to suspend the upcoming Boeing Starliner launch over major safety concerns with the aerospace company's wares. In a press release, the president of ValveTech, a NASA contractor that supplies the agency with parts, warned that the buzzing sound heard during the now-scrubbed Starliner launch could indicate something seriously wrong with the transport capsule. "As a valued NASA partner and as valve experts, we strongly urge them not to attempt a second launch due to the risk of a disaster occurring on the launchpad," ValveTech president Erin Faville cautioned. "According to media reports, a buzzing sound indicating the leaking valve was noticed by someone walking by the Starliner minutes before launch. This sound could indicate that the valve has passed its lifecycle." After the incident, which occurred just before Starliner was supposed to attempt its first crewed launch earlier in May, NASA has said that it won't try again until at least May 17. According to Faville, much needs to be be done between now and then to head off the worst possible outcomes. "NASA needs to re-double safety checks and re-examine safety protocols," he said, "to make sure the Starliner is safe before something catastrophic happens to the astronauts and to the people on the ground." Bad News Boeing The CEO of United Launch Alliance, which is launching the craft into orbit, pushed back strongly on X-formerly-Twitter. "Not sure what to say about this one," he wrote. "Close to none of it is correct: Not urgent. Not leaking. Etc. Remarkable that the particular person quoted doesn't seem to know how this type of valve works." ValveTech's warnings come not just after the scrubbed Starliner launch, but also after months of terrible press for Boeing that have included parts falling off its planes, government investigations, and two dead whistleblowers. As the company's press release notes, the launch scrub also occurred after a November 2023 ruling in which a federal court found that Boeing had used a valve from another aerospace company, Aerojet Rocketdyne, that copied ValveTech's designs. The part was not, according to a witness in that trial, equipped for the job it was meant to do, and as far as the company can tell, it hasn't been replaced. "ValveTech continues to question how NASA, Boeing and Aerojet could have qualified this valve for the mission without proper supporting data or previous history or legacy information, which in its experience, goes against aerospace-industry qualification protocols established by NASA," the press release reads. All told, these are some pretty serious claims, and Futurism has reached out to NASA to ask if the parts in question have been replaced. More on Starliner: Commander of First Boeing Astronaut Launch Issues Warning Proposed changes to fees charged at Hagerstown Regional Airport hit a snag Tuesday as two business entities connected with the airport balked at new fees for security badges and other services. The airport operates under an enterprise fund, separate from the county's General Fund and financed primarily by fees for services, leases and by state and federal grants rather than local taxes, and has been pretty much self-sufficient, airport Director Neil Doran has said. But costs for operations, compounded with inflation, prompted Doran to seek approval to raise rental fees for T-hangars, and add new fees he said have been assessed at other commercial airports but not at Hagerstown. These include Dumpster costs, fees for security badges, airport maintenance fees, after-hours fire and rescue services, and miscellaneous operations fees. An Allegiant passenger aircraft at the terminal at Hagerstown Regional Airport. Proposed rent hikes for T-hangars are about 4% across the board "We have noticed that the airport faces a number of big-ticket items in the future," Doran told the Washington County Commissioners during a public hearing Tuesday on the new fees. "We do have to contend with expensive maintenance responsibilities; we have to contend with our needs to comply with the (Federal Aviation Administration) strict requirements and also the (Transportation Security Administration)," he said, adding that the federal government often provides no money to pay for their costs. The airport's ability to absorb costs for services that users pay for at other airports "is in some degree diminished." So airport officials proposed the fees to help recoup the costs of airport security badges and Dumpsters in the T-hangar area. The revenue would also help "offset rising expenses for our fire department, our airport maintenance department and our security department," Doran said departments that do not generate much revenue, he added, but are "vital to airport operations." Altogether, the rate increases and new fees were expected to generate nearly $60,000 for the airport for Fiscal Year 2025, which begins July 1. Hagerstown airport fire station enhances emergency response with new fire truck What would the fees mean for airport tenants? But while she didn't question the T-hangar rent increases, Carolyn Motz, director of development for Rider Jet Center and a former airport director herself, questioned the new fees starting with the Dumpster fee, which would be $2.50 per Dumpster per month for non-commercial hangar tenants, and $5 per month for commercial tenants. "I've not ever heard of such a fee and I'm really a bit floored by it," she said, and suggested it should be included in the cost of rent. Story continues But her more serious concern was the new fees for security badges. There are three security levels: Airport Operations Area, Security Identification Display Area and Driver's Permit. The proposed fee for an AOA badge is $30 per year, for a SIDA badge is $100 per year and a driver's permit, $40 per year. "In case there's any confusion about thes SIDA badges and the AOA badges," she said, "let me just tell you that I know of two entities on the airfield that need a SIDA badge." One of them is Rider Jet center, a fixed-base operator that provides aviation services. Motz noted that Rider is where Allegiant Air, which provides passenger service to the airport, sends its fuel for its planes. Rider workers need the badges for refueling operations, Motz said. "We went from $0 to $100 annually We have at least 20 employees that are gonna need those badges every year," she said. "That's $2,000." Since the fees are not charged for airport staff, TSA or law enforcement personnel, "why didn't we just say they're for Rider Jet Center?" she asked. "Because really, that's what they're for. And I'm opposed to it." Further, she said, "we don't know what a 'driver's permit' is for." She'd never heard of "airport maintenance fees" before this week, she added, and "what I'm hearing loud and clear is it's not a business-friendly atmosphere. Motz said she was "disappointed in the lack of input gathered from airfield stakeholders" regarding the proposed fees, and hopes that changes in the future. Speaking for Plane Care, an aircraft maintenance service company operating at the airport, Ali El-Mohandes also opposed the charge for security badges. Plane Care, he said, serves 17 to 20 families at the airport "and it's not a huge money-maker." He said that the increase for T-hangar rentals is reasonable, but that the cost of the badges is "an airport issue concerning airport personnel," and shouldn't affect tenants at the airport. Regarding the Dumpster costs, "I don't really see the nickel-and-diming as a reasonable option." He added that he'd like to see more T-hangars at the airport, and noted that some customers don't want to refuel in Hagerstown because fuel prices are sometimes cheaper in Leesburg, Va., or Johnstown, Pa. Vote for the Student of the Week: Herald-Mail Student of the Week: See this week's poll Commissioners have questions, too Commissioner Randy Wagner said he also thinks charging for the badges is wrong, as these tenants "are invested in the airport." When someone with a plane has a problem, he said, these businesses are "all ready and willing to jump in and help. I've seen that happen. And it helps us look good, and it helps the airport prosper." He did, however, agree with raising the rental price for T-hangars and added that there shoudl be better maintenance on them. But Doran noted that TSA is talking about upgrading the airport's security category, which means issuing hundreds of new security badges and conducting new training in order to comply. And the airport already has costs of nearly $100 per badge, not counting staff time, he said. Wagner, however, was unmoved. He didn't want to penalize tenants, he said, and noted the airport is also considering parking and enplanement fees in the future. Wagner, an ex-officio member of the Airport Advisory Commission, said he understood the increased costs. "But it seems like this is a small piece that we can give our tenants a break on." And because there were some typographical errors on fees list some of the annual or one-time fees were listed as monthly Commissioner Jeff Cline said he wanted to see a corrected sheet before voting on the fees. He was also concerned, he said, that there seemed to be some communication issues with tenants. Commissioners President John Barr noted that new parking and enplanement fees would generate more money for the airport, and Doran said airport officials are working on that process. The commissioners plan to revisit the fees in the coming weeks. But overall, Doran said, "things are good at the airport by just about every metric, we're performing better than we have in the past." This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Commissioners will revisit proposed airport fees NASA's planet-hunting Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is back in action, searching for worlds beyond the solar system's limits. TESS came out of "safe mode" on May 3, resuming its search for worlds in other star systems known as extrasolar planets (or exoplanets) as they cross or "transit" the face of their parent stars, causing a tiny dip in starlight. The satellite had gone into safe mode when halted operations on April 23, just five days after it celebrated the sixth anniversary of its launch on April 18, 2018. The TESS operating team has determined that the safe mode was triggered when momentum started building in the spacecraft's reaction wheels, which are responsible for properly orienting TESS as it makes its observations. Related: NASA's TESS exoplanet hunter may have spotted its 1st rogue planet This shutdown was related to a separate safe mode event that shut down the exoplanet hunter earlier last month. TESS went offline on April 8, resuming operations after that glitch on April 17 only to go back into safe mode six days later. NASA said that the second shutdown happened because when the April 8 safe mode event was resolved, the propulsion system of TESS had failed to successfully re-pressurize. This system is responsible for offloading momentum from the reaction wheels. TESS was returned to full capacity when its operations team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) depressurized its propulsion system. Yet, despite TESS returning to full operation, the cause of the spacecraft's first safe mode event on April 8 still remains a mystery under investigation by NASA and MIT experts. Related Stories: NASA exoplanet telescope discovers 'super-Earth' in its star's Goldilocks zone Newfound Earth-size exoplanet has a scorching-hot lava side NASA's TESS exoplanet hunter may have spotted its 1st rogue planet TESS completed its primary mission in July 2020 and ended its first extended mission in September 2022. The exoplanet hunter is currently in its second extended mission period. The spacecraft continues to make waves, recently discovering its first rogue exoplanet, a world that wanders the solar system unassociated with a host star. It did this by measuring the tiny brightening of a distant background star that indicated a disassociated exoplanet was passing in front of it, warping space in accordance with Einstein's theory of general relativity. On April 30, despite its recent troubles, NASA put out a call to the wider scientific community for input on investigations that should be prioritized in TESS's third and fourth extended mission periods. As automakers have stepped away from muscle cars powered by big V8 engines, Ford Motor Co. remains the Last Man Standing with the Mustang GT. And police agencies have taken notice. It's all about horsepower, baby. After years of ordering the Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro, state patrol agencies in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina confirmed they're adding the 2024 Mustang GT to their fleets. And they're not the only law enforcement agencies doing so. Ford's competitors aren't building these muscle cars anymore. "Police have found a sweet spot," Erich Merkle, U.S. sales analyst at Ford, told the Detroit Free Press. "We expect to see more sales as other companies have ceded this area of the industry." Mustang GT sales are up 13% this year to 8,154 through April, Merkle said. "The high-performance Mustang GT represents about 57% of our overall Mustang mix so far this year," he said. The Mustang GT starts at $43,555 including destination fees, while government agencies negotiate discounts based on bulk purchases. Andrew Simmons, a government sales manager for Ford, focused on the southeast U.S., said performance and engineering are important to law enforcement agencies and acceleration is really key to doing the job. "Most of these are used on interstates," Simmons told the Free Press. "They can catch anybody they want. These go from the plant in Flat Rock to chasing the bad guys. Right now, we're at a fever pitch in terms of interest. Better than 50% of the customers Im seeing are crossing over from other brands and coming into Ford to buy a Mustang, where they bought other vehicles for the past four to five years. It's night and day how much quicker they go from a full stop to the vehicle they're pursuing." According to Car and Driver testing, the 2024 Mustang GT clocks at: 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds Quarter mile: 12.2 seconds at 117 mph Top speed: 155 mph Slow down: Mustang GT headed to interstates near your "The V8 is a durable engine that can meet the demands of law enforcement," Maj. David Bryant of the Georgia State Patrol told the Free Press. "The Mustang has a faster 0-60 time and a higher top speed than the other patrol vehicles in our fleet. ... Most of the new Mustangs will go to patrol posts that cover the interstate system in Georgia." The Georgia State Patrol has hundreds of Dodge Chargers, 15 Dodge Challengers and 15 Camaros for high-speed pursuits, and now the agency is adding 15 Mustangs to the patrol fleet, Bryant said. That's in addition to the Dodge Durango, Chevy Tahoe and Ford Explorer SUVs used by state troopers. "The Mustang has a history with the Georgia State Patrol. Our first Mustangs were used in the late '80s into the early '90s and it is exciting to see a blue-and-gray Mustang out patrolling the Georgia roadways again," Bryant said. "It is such an iconic vehicle, and it has been a big hit at recruiting events." While police can't expect to catch all speeders on the highway, having a vehicle that simply can't catch a violator leads to frustration, Bryant said. 'We need speed' A vehicle like a Dodge Charger is used more for such tasks as assisting a motorist with a broken-down vehicle or transporting a prisoner, Bryant said. Ford is steadily delivering the Mustang GT vehicles each week, he said. "These vehicles will go to well-rounded, hardworking troopers." State troopers in Georgia and North Carolina talked about the importance of speed enforcement and public safety on the highway while, at the same time, working to balance when driving fast is worth it. "We need speed for speed enforcement and pursuits," Capt. Shane Allen of the Georgia State Patrol told the Free Press. "Were definitely mindful of the dangers and the liability involved. Of course, we train for those things in trooper school and annual in-service trainings. Were not forced to pursue. Were allowed to call a chase off if we think danger to the public is greater than catching the person at the time." The longer it takes to catch up to somebody to stop them, the longer a fleeing suspect engages in dangerous and reckless behaviors that may include running red lights or passing in no-passing zones, Allen said. "If we're able to stop that chase, or there's the perception that our vehicle is faster, it can eliminate chases before they even start." Capt. Shane Allen of the Georgia State Patrol is among law enforcement leaders discussing the purchase of the 2024 Mustang GT for speed patrol on the interstate. Georgia locals and tourists will spot these Mustang GT vehicles along U.S.-341, Interstate 75 and I-16, Allen said. The V8 engine meets police needs, Allen said. "Truth is, everything is getting faster. Vehicles we try to stop every day are getting faster, from a Kia to a Mercedes. This is a way for us to keep up with the changes in the vehicle market." Michigan State Police change policy on high-speed pursuits Police driving fast is not without controversy. Separate and apart from enforcing the speed limit on highways, public policy and police policy in some states is changing to reflect safety concerns. In March, the Michigan State Police announced a new policy effective immediately that said officers may engage in a pursuit only if there's "probable cause to believe the driver or occupant of the pursued vehicle has committed a life-threatening or violent felony." In January, two people died in a crash in Southfield after a police chase involving the Michigan State Police. In March, a police officer was injured after assisting with a Warren police pursuit incident. In 2017, the Michigan State Police found itself defending a decision to engage in high-speed pursuit and crash in Kentwood that killed a teen and a college student. Police told the Free Press that using speed judiciously is part of their training. The addition of the Ford Mustang to our agency is yet another example of our states commitment to providing the very best in traffic safety through educational and enforcement efforts," Col. Freddy Johnson Jr., of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said in a statement. "Our commitment to saving lives is only possible if we continue to recruit the very best and provide them with the best training and tools to carry out their mission. This vehicle is unique and because of that we developed a thorough selection process along with hands-on training to ensure their safety and that of the motoring public." The North Carolina Highway Patrol has purchased 2024 Mustang GT vehicles to help apprehend highway speeders. Police agencies say they're expanding beyond the Dodge Charger, Challenger and Chevy Camaro. His agency has purchased 25 new Ford Mustang GT vehicles, adding to a fleet that includes the Dodge Charger, Chevy Tahoe, Dodge Durango and the Ford Police Interceptor that's based on the Ford Explorer. "The inclusion of the 2024 Mustang has already generated excitement among our patrol family and communities across North Carolina. For example, the recent social media posting announcing the vehicles had a reach of approximately 2 million people on Facebook alone," Lt. Zeb Stroup of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol told the Free Press. "These are people who have been drawn to our agencys social media pages because of this great addition to our fleet, but we can hopefully capture a new audience to share more on traffic safety, recruiting and how they can play a role in our life saving mission." Troopers point to data that shows speed enforcement cuts fatalities In North Carolina, police officials see speed enforcement as critical to reducing fatal collisions, Stroup said. Last year, North Carolina saw 354 fatal collisions in which speed was a contributing factor, he said. "That number represents a decrease of 7.1% from the previous year," Stroup said. "We want to ensure that we are doing all that is possible to prevent fatal crashes on North Carolinas roadways. Members issued over 277,000 charges for speed offenses last year on our states over 80,000 miles of state-maintained roadway, second only to Texas. The addition of the Mustang we hope will help to continue our positive impact on our existing speed reduction efforts and to serve as a deterrent for those looking to violate speed laws and those contemplating a decision to flee." In 2023, two North Carolina State troopers made headlines for a crash that followed a high-speed chase. Based on review of traffic safety records, high-pursuit crashes have not been a pattern in recent years. North Carolina troopers will get special training on the powerful Mustang GT, Stroup said. And their speed is critical to doing the job effectively, he said. "If I'm sitting on the stop position on the side of interstate, and a car passes me at 100 mph, that's a continuous moving violation," Stroup told the Free Press on Wednesday. "We want to stop that behavior as fast as we can. ... The longer that car continues at that speed, the more the public is in danger. We're going to stop that threat faster." North Carolina will use the Mustang GT vehicles in areas where speeding is a documented problem, Stroup said. "They're going to be primarily used on the interstate. ... We know at speeds above 70 mph, the likelihood of severe injury or death increases." More: 2024 Ford Mustang chief engineer learned to drive on a Mustang GT stick, reveals future More: New York City just spent $11.5M on 184 Mustang Mach-E GT SUVs Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-618-1034 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter @phoebesaid. Read more on Ford and sign up for our autos newsletter. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Police departments look to Ford Mustang GT to catch high-speed drivers From the Techne on The Dispatch Welcome back to Techne! This week I am tearing through God, Human, Animal, Machine by Meghan OGieblyn on the recommendation of subscriber Michael. The book is a series of essays that explores what it means to be human in the digital age. Notes and Quotes A New Proposed AI Regulation in California (via Getty Images) California is the undisputed champion of state data regulation. In 2018, Gov. Jerry Brown signed the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), making California the first state with a comprehensive data privacy law. CCPA has since been followed by the California Privacy Rights Act ballot measure in 2020, at least nine revisions to fix definitional problems in those two laws, and a raft of other supplementary laws to regulate data in the state. Its no surprise, then, that 31 bills that would regulate artificial intelligence (AI) systems are currently before Californias state legislature. SB 1047the Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Actseems increasingly likely to pass. SB 1047 is authored by Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener, the darling of the pro-housing movement; has garnered the support of online writers Zvi Mowshowitz and Scott Alexander; and has at times hovered around a 50 percent passage rate in the futures markets. This bill could very well become law. In advocating for the legislation, Sen. Wiener said that it would establish clear, predictable, common-sense safety standards for developers of the largest and most powerful AI systems. But there is nothing about this bill that is common sense to me. It is an extensive safety compliance regime that accords serious power to a new agency and has countless gaps. Artificial intelligence (AI) safety advocates have been dramatically underplaying how extensive these requirements would be, and as Ive pointed out earlier, there has been effectively no discussion about the dubious constitutionality of the bill. If enacted, SB 1047 would regulate the next generation of advanced models or frontier models. When large models such as ChatGPT or Metas LLaMA hit a certain computing threshold, they would be designated as a covered AI model in California and be subject to a litany of requirements, including safety assessment mandates, third-party model testing, shutdown capability, certification, and safety incident reporting. Covered AI models under SB 1047 are partially defined by the amount of computing power needed to train the model. The industry typically couches AI models in petaFLOPS, which are 10^15 floating-point operations. OpenAIs GPT-4 is estimated to have taken 21 billion petaFLOPS to train, while Googles Gemini Ultra probably took 50 billion petaFLOPs. Similar to the standard set by President Joe Bidens executive order on AI, SB 1047 would apply to models with greater than 10^26 floating-point operations, which amounts to 100 billion petaFLOPS. So the current frontier models are just below the covered AI model threshold, but the next generation of modelsincluding GPT-5should probably hit that regulation mark. But SB 1047 goes further than Bidens executive order because it also captures any model trained using a quantity of computing power sufficiently large that it could reasonably be expected to have similar or greater performance using benchmarks commonly used to quantify the general performance of state-of-the-art foundation models. Like so much else in the bill, the language here is convoluted. A plain letter reading of the proposed law suggests that once the threshold of 100 billion petaFLOPS is met, models that match or best those regulated models in common benchmarks like ARC or HellaSwag would also be subject to regulation, creating a cascading downward effect. Microsoft, for example, has been working on small-language models that achieve remarkable performance on a variety of benchmarks, which are likely to get caught up in the regulatory scheme. If SB 1047 is enacted, before a covered AI model is even trained, the developer of the model would be required to: Implement administrative, technical, and physical cybersecurity protections to prevent unauthorized access to, or misuse or unsafe modification of, the covered model, including to prevent theft, misappropriation, malicious use, or inadvertent release or escape of the model weights from the developers custody, that are appropriate in light of the risks associated with the covered model, including from advanced persistent threats or other sophisticated actors; Build in a killswitch; Implement all covered guidance by the newly created Frontier Model Division; Implement a detailed safety and security protocol that is certified by the company; Conduct an annual review of the protocol to account for any changes to the capabilities of the covered model and industry best practices and, if necessary, make modifications to the policy; Refrain from initiating training of a covered model if there remains an unreasonable risk that an individual, or the covered model itself, may be able to use the hazardous capabilities of the covered model, or a derivative model based on it, to cause a critical harm; and finally Implement other measures that are reasonably necessary, including in light of applicable guidance from the Frontier Model Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and standard-setting organizations, to prevent the development or exercise of hazardous capabilities or to manage the risks arising from them. Then, before the model goes public, developers of covered AI models would have to perform capability testing, implement reasonable safeguards, prevent people from using a derivative model to cause a critical harm, and refrain from deploying a covered model if there remains an unreasonable risk that an individual may be able to use the hazardous capabilities of the model. To top it all off, developers of covered AI models would be required to implement other measures that are reasonably necessary, including in light of applicable guidance from the Frontier Model Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and standard-setting organizations, to prevent the development or exercise of hazardous capabilities or to manage the risks arising from them. Covered AI models could get a limited duty exemption from all of the requirements above if they could demonstrate that the model could not be used to enable: A chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear weapon in a manner that results in mass casualties; At least five hundred million dollars ($500,000,000) of damage through cyberattacks on critical infrastructure via a single incident or multiple related incidents; At least five hundred million dollars ($500,000,000) of damage by an artificial intelligence model that autonomously engages in conduct that would violate the Penal Code if undertaken by a human; or Other threats to public safety and security that are of comparable severity to the harms described in paragraphs (A) to (C), inclusive. Whether exempt or not, all covered AI models would have to report incidents to the Frontier Model Division, a new regulatory body created by the law that would set safety standards and broadly administer the law. Additionally, SB 1047 would impose a know your customer requirement onto computing clusters, a regime that was designed for anti-money laundering and terrorism enforcement. Intended to guard against malicious intent, this provision of the law would mandate that organizations operating computing clusters obtain identifying information from prospective customers who might make a covered AI model. The penalties for developers who violate the legislations provisions are high: a fine of 10 percent of the cost of training the model for the first violation, and 30 percent of the models cost for every violation after that. The bill would also give Californias attorney general the ability to ask a judge to delete the model. Then, to top it all off, the bill would establish a new, publicly funded cloud computing cluster called CalCompute. The constitutionality and gaps in SB 1047. As I have explained elsewhere, the discourse over AI regulation has largely been bereft of legal analysis. I focused primarily in that piece on the constitutionality of pausing AI development, but the analysis could just as easily be extended to most of SB 1047. AI bills run right into issues of constitutionality and the First Amendment: As [John Villasenor of the Brookings Institution] explained it, to the extent that a company is able to build a large dataset in a manner that avoids any copyright law or contract violations, there is a good (though untested) argument that the First Amendment confers a right to use that data to train a large AI model. The idea is untested because the issue has never been formally ruled on by the Supreme Court. Instead, its been the lower courts that have held that software is a kind of speech. All of the modern cases stem from the cryptography wars of the early to mid-1990s. Bernstein v. United States stands as the benchmark. Mathematician, cryptologist, and computer scientist Daniel Bernstein brought the cases, which contested U.S. export controls on cryptographic software. The Ninth Circuit Court recognized software code as a form of speech and stuck down the law. Junger v. Daley also suggests that software is speech. Peter Junger, a professor specializing in computer law at Case Western Reserve University, initiated the legal challenge due to concerns over his self-created encryption programs. Junger intended to publish these programs on his website but worried about potential legal risks so he sued. Initially, a District Court judge determined that encryption software lacked the expressive content needed for First Amendment protections. On appeal, the Sixth Circuit Court was clear: Because computer source code is an expressive means for the exchange of information and ideas about computer programming, we hold that it is protected by the First Amendment. SB 1047 might also conflict with federal law. As Kevin Bankston, a law professor and well-respected expert in technology law, pointed out, the know your customer provisions of SB 1047 appear to violate the federal Stored Communications Act. Hes not the only one to express such concerns, but broadly, the government has to get a subpoena or court order for that kind of information. Beyond the serious constitutional and federal concerns, there are countless holes in the bill. The definition of covered AI models is unclear. A lot of power is granted to the Frontier Model Division to define the rules. The bill is riddled with reasonableness standards, which are notoriously tricky to define in the law. The penalties are remarkably steep, and the legality of a court-ordered deletion is dubious. Oh, and all of this is funded by fees assessed on covered AI models that will also help fund CalCompute. But the details of CalCompute arent at all fleshed out. The bigger picture. Stepping back for a second, all of this feels like too much too quickly. ChatGPT is not even two years old, and yet there are already significant and wide-ranging bills being proposed to rein it in. But thats by design. In making the case for the bill, Wiener argued that: [The rise of large-scale AI systems] gives us an opportunity to apply hard lessons learned over the last decade, as weve seen the consequences of allowing the unchecked growth of new technology without evaluating, understanding, or mitigating the risks. SB 1047 does just that, by developing responsible, appropriate guardrails around development of the biggest, most high-impact AI systems to ensure they are used to improve Californians lives, without compromising safety or security. Ive heard this argument before, and I think it is profoundly mistaken. Big Tech companies arent saints, but if there is a lesson to be learned from the past decade in tech policy, it is that these rules impose serious costs on the tech ecosystem, so policymakers should be careful how they match legislative solutions to clearly established harms. I wrote all about this in a previous edition of Techne on privacy laws, and it applies to AI regulation too. If Sen. Wiener gave me the pen, I would probably scrap most of this bill. Besides, a lot of it is probably illegal under the First Amendment anyway. So I tend to agree with Dean Ball (a Dispatch contributor!) when he opined that: SB 1047 was written, near as I can tell, to satisfy the concerns of a small group of people who believe widespread diffusion of AI constitutes an existential risk to humanity. It contains references to hypothetical models that autonomously engage in illegal activity causing tens of millions in damage and model weights that escape from data centersthe stuff of science fiction, codified in law. Policymakers need to ensure that their legislative solutions are precisely tailored to address clearly defined problems, rather than imposing broad requirements because those mandates can reverberate back into the industry with distorting effects. In the coming months, Ill dive further into this topic and explain what should be done to assuage AI doomsayers who worry about catastrophic and existential risk. Until next week, Will AI Roundup NOTE: This is a new section Im testing out since there is so much happening in AI. Research and Reports This paper from Ariell Reshef and Caitlin Slattery has got me thinking. Apparently, in the 20 years between 1970 and 1990, the employment share of legal services in the United States more than doubled, and the wages doubled as well. This was in stark contrast to stability during 18501970 and in 19902015. So what changed? Using historical data, we observe a tight correlation between the employment and compensation of lawyers and the scope of, and uncertainty created by, federal regulations and legislation. A back-of-the-envelope calculation implies that 42% of income to lawyers and partners are in excess of what these payments would be if relative income remained at 1970 levels. This represents an excess cost of $104 billion dollars in 2015 alone. Smartphones were banned in middle schools across Norway, but at varying rates around the country. A new paper by Sara Abrahamsson analyzes the impact: Grades improved, going up by 0.08 of a standard deviation (SD) for girls, while boys experienced no effect of the treatment; Bullying fell by 0.42 of an SD for girls and 0.39 of an SD for boys; Girls consulted less with mental health-related professionals; I find no effect on students likelihood (extensive margin) of being diagnosed or treated by specialists or GPs for a psychological symptom and diseases; The grade gains were highest for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds; and There appeared to be no correlation between the improvement in grades and the reduction in visits to mental health professionals. Clarification, May 10, 2024: This newsletter was updated to make clear that a deficiency of beta carotene can lead to blindness, not beta carotene itself. Read more at The Dispatch The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free. With the exodus of so much western technology from Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, one of Vladimir Putin's priorities has been the attainment of "digital sovereignty": homegrown tech (and tech companies) that can't be yanked away by western rivals when Russia does something to displease them. Efforts at digital sovereignty have taken many forms: Banning VPNs, investigating the possibility of a national game engine, and even the creation of a Russian Valve. But it's also taken the form of Ruwiki (via 404), a self-censoring domestic alternative to Wikipedia that copies over vast swathes of content with all politically dangerous content quietly excised. Ruwiki is helmed by former Wikimedia RU head Vladimir Medeyko. Wikimedia RUthe Russian branch of the Wikimedia Foundationwas hastily shuttered last year after one of its other heads, Stanislav Kozlovsky, was made aware he risked being added to the Russian government's list of "foreign agents," and was made to resign from his 25-year post at Moscow State University. Medeyko experienced no such trouble, and has slotted into his new position at Ruwiki with a pledge to take it "in a different direction" to plain old Wikipedia. In a post announcing the project's launch, he claimed it was not backed financially by the Russian state, but rather "investors who believe in the project." Its servers and data are all stored inside Russia. It launched in full back in January, but only really came to my attention thanks to 404's reporting. That different direction is, as you might have guessed, one far more compliant with the general timbre of modern Russian propaganda than you can find on Wikipedia. For instance, Ruwiki's article on Yevgeny Prigozhinthe departed leader of the Wagner private military companyis a fair bit shorter than Wikipedia's Russian-language version. Where Wikipedia's version says (translated) "the order to kill Prigozhin was almost certainly given by Putin," Ruwiki merely notes that Prigozhin died in a plane crash and that Putin extended his condolences. The article on the crash itself is a similarly precised version of the events and speculation surrounding Prigozhin's death. Similar quirks of editing and emphasis can be found across the website. The article on the poisoning of Sergei Skripala former Russian spy who worked as a double agent for the UKgoes to great lengths to express Russia's official stance on the issue, and omits reference to a British, American, German, and French joint statement that pointed a finger at Russia as the party responsible for the attack from its "Positions of other countries" section. Likewise, entries on the Russian invasion of Ukraine are predictably edited: The article itself is titled "Military operations in Ukraine (from 2022)," the official euphemism for the war that the Russian government has deployed since it began. For now, Ruwiki exists alongside Wikipedia's Russian-language version, which continues after Wikimedia RU's closure, although it's anyone's guess as to how long that will stay true. Wikipedia is a regular target of attacks by the Russian government, and although the state said it had no plans to block the website in April last year, that was before Ruwiki got off the ground. Samsung unveils its most affordable OLED TV yet, and it might use a panel from its biggest rival Samsung has finally lifted the lid on its new entry-level OLED TV, the S85D. Ever since this elusive OLED broke cover on Samsung's 2024 TV lineup announcement, we've been eagerly awaiting details (or even a simple look at the design) and now that time has finally come. The S85D is expected to be the first TV to be the first TV to benefit from Samsung and LG's five-year OLED panel supply deal, as unlike the S95D and S90D, this TV is expected to use a standard WOLED panel; not QD-OLED. This puts the S85D firmly in the sights of the excellent LG C4 OLED TV, and there is every possibility that they're both using the same LG Display-derived panel. Instead of mentioning QD-OLED screen technology (created by Samsung Display), Samsung is placing an emphasis on "pure blacks and bright whites" and its Pantone-validated colour feature. It certainly seems to us like Samsung has dropped the Quantum Dots in favour of a traditional OLED panel, which is further supported by the more affordable price tag more on that momentarily. While this may be a step-down OLED TV in comparison to the rest of Samsung's range, the S85D does feature a few trickle-down features from the more expensive models. Samsung has outfitted it with the NQ4 AI Gen 2 processor that is also featured on the company's Neo QLED (Mini LED) TVs, and the ultra-slim design motif of the higher-end OLED TVs is also present here too. Samsung is calling this a contour design, that is both "flowing" and "elegant" (its words, not ours), with a smooth, curved rear panel that features a stylish vertical linework pattern too. Unlike the other two OLED TVs in its range, Samsung has opted for a pair of feet sitting at either end of this unit, rather than a central pedestal design. More commonplace Samsung characteristics include a stellar gaming spec four HDMI 2.1 connections for 4K/120Hz gaming, VRR and ALLM support and support for HDR10+. The latest version of the Tizen OS smart platform is also on board with Samsung's beefed-up Samsung TV Plus streaming channels and Xbox Cloud Gaming support. Dolby Vision is, as expected, not on the menu, but we've come to expect that at this point. It's not all bad news for Dolby though, as Dolby Atmos support is on board. The S85D comes in three sizes, with the following prices attached. We're still awaiting word on UK availability, but it's available to order now in the US: MORE: Read our full Samsung S95D review And check out the full Samsung 2024 TV lineup And the best Samsung TVs Joanna Andreasson/DALL-E4 In the June 2024 issue, we explore the ways that artificial intelligence is shaping our economy and culture. The stories and art are about AIand occasionally by AI. (Throughout the issue, we have rendered all text generated by AI-powered tools in blue.) To read the rest of the issue, go here. ARTEMIS II is a crewed moon flyby mission, the first in a series of missions meant to get American astronauts back to the moon and eventually to Mars. In early January, NASA announced that it would be delayed until September 2025a year later than originally planned. The announcement came after Lockheed Martin's Orion capsule, which will carry the crew through space, burned more than anticipated during a reentry test. The project continues to balloon in price with seemingly endless delays. The latest delay means Artemis III, a crewed lunar landing mission, will be delayed until 2026at least. It seems doubtful NASA will be able to apply what it learns from Artemis II to an Artemis III mission in less than a year. Orion is not the only element that could hold up Artemis indefinitely. The later Artemis missions are relying on SpaceX's Starshipbut Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigations can add weeks or months between Starship tests. So far SpaceX has been able to test the spacecraft three times, most recently on March 14. The test did not completely fulfill its mission as intended but was still deemed a success by both SpaceX founder Elon Musk and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. Both rocket and spacecraft were supposed to have controlled splashdowns in wide-open waters, but the rocket disintegrated about 1,500 feet over the Gulf of Mexico, while the separate Starship spacecraft burned up during reentry. The good news is that none of the previous issues flagged by the FAA occurred on this latest test. But with every rocket mishap, the FAA will open a new investigation, with new parameters for SpaceX to meet before the next test. In January, Jessica Jensen, a vice president at SpaceX, told NASA's Nelson that the company will need "ten-ish" tests to get the rocket perfect for Artemis III. It took the FAA two years to approve the first test of Starship and its second test wasn't approved until nearly five months later. The FAA investigation into the second Starship flight test (which resulted in a successful separation of rocket and spacecraft but ended in both exploding soon after) took more than three months. Musk is hoping to run six Starship test launches this year, but there's no telling how long the FAA will drag its feet between tests. Each FAA delay is another delay for SpaceX, Artemis, and man's return to the moon. (Illustration: Joanna Andreasson/DALL-E4) What we asked for: A photo of the Artemis II rocket on launchpad in an open landscape at dawn from slightly above What DALL-E says it gave us: Here's the Artemis II rocket on the launchpad in an open landscape at dawn, with the first light of the day illuminating the scene, captured from a slight elevation. Launch Approved? Not So Fast, Says Sluggish FAA Reason asked Claude 3 Sonnet to write an article about the same topic as the human-written article above. All AI-generated text is shown in blue. Read more about what we asked for. By Claude 3 Sonnet Most Americans are eager to see NASA astronauts return to the moon and push humanity's boundaries with future exploration of Mars. But those sky-high ambitions are being severely grounded by the plodding pace of rocket launch approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Every vehicle soaring into space must first secure licensing from the FAA, an oversight process intended to ensure safety. For SpaceX, the current industry leader launching crews and payloads roughly every four days, the government's bureaucratic inertia has become a highly problematic bottleneck. This red tape has directly impacted testing of SpaceX's Starship, the vehicle that NASA is relying upon to carry cargo and crew for the Artemis program's later missions to the lunar surface. To date, there have been three orbital test flights of the massive rocketin April and November 2023, and March of this year. Each of those Starship test launches prompted the FAA to launch a mishap investigation stalling subsequent flights. After the first test in April 2023, the FAA probe lasted five months before approving the next launch[1]. The investigation following November's flight dragged on over three months[2]. Incredibly, it took the FAA more than two years just to greenlight that initial Starship test back in 2023[3]. Jessica Jensen, a SpaceX vice president, has stated that approximately "10-ish" Starship test launches are needed before the system will be proven and ready to support the crewed Artemis III moon mission[4]. At the FAA's current pace of reviewing and approving those test flights, NASA's hope of returning Americans to the lunar surface by 2025 is looking increasingly unlikely. "We'd very much like the government to be able to move as quickly as we are," Tim Hughes, SpaceX's senior vice president, told the Washington Post[5]. "If you're able to build a rocket faster than the government can regulate it, that's upside down, and that needs to be addressed. So we think some regulatory reforms are needed." SpaceX has suggested doubling the FAA's licensing staff as one possible solution. At this point, any efforts to "streamline the cumbersome approval process," as Hughes put it, would help accelerate both the private space industry and NASA's exploration roadmap[5]. "Next year could be a pretty dynamic time with lots of providers in spaceflight," a SpaceX official told Ars Technica[6]. But unless the FAA addresses its pacing problems soon, the agency will continue irreparably hindering those new aerospace opportunitiesand keep kicking the can down the road on NASA's bid to take astronauts farther into the cosmos. CITATION KEY: [1] SpaceX internal record [2] FAA public statement, Dec 2023 [3] FAA memo, April 2023 [4] Jensen quote to NASA Admin. [5] Hughes interview, Washington Post [6] SpaceX statement to Ars Technica. CLAUDE 3 SONNET is a free large language model developed by Anthropic, an AI startup. What we asked for: An article about FAA mishap investigations delaying launch tests of SpaceX's Starship, and, as a result, delaying NASA's Artemis missions and man's return to the moon. What Claude asked for and we provided: 1. What specific SpaceX mishaps or incidents is the FAA investigating that are causing delays? 2. How much of a delay are we talking about for Starship test launches and the Artemis missions? 3. Do you have any quotes from officials at SpaceX, NASA, or the FAA commenting on the situation? What else we gave Claude: 1. A writing sample for analysis and replication: Natalie Dowzicky's October 2023 reason.com article headlined "SpaceX: FAA Is Slowing Progress to the Moon" 2. For the headline: six headlines from the TOPICS section of the May issue. JASON RUSSELL The post SpaceX Edges Closer to the Moon appeared first on Reason.com. SpaceX launched 20 Starlink internet satellites from California early Friday morning (May 10), including 13 with direct-to-cell capability. A Falcon 9 rocket topped with the Starlink craft lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Friday at 12:30 a.m. EDT (0430 GMT; 9:30 p.m. on May 9 local California time). SpaceX had originally planned to launch the mission on Wednesday night (May 8) but stood down from that attempt. The Falcon 9's first stage came back to Earth about 8 minutes after launch as planned, touching down on the SpaceX droneship Of Course I Still Love You, which was stationed in the Pacific Ocean. Related: Starlink satellite train: How to see and track it in the night sky A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 20 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on May 10, 2024. It was the 4th launch and landing for this particular first stage, according to a SpaceX mission description. The Falcon 9's upper stage, meanwhile, continued carrying the Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit (LEO), eventually deploying them there about 61.5 minutes after liftoff. SpaceX just launched a Starlink mission on Wednesday, sending 23 of the satellites to LEO from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A black and white spacex falcon 9 rocket first stage sits on the deck of a ship at sea. RELATED STORIES: SpaceX launches Starlink satellites on record 20th flight of a Falcon 9 rocket first stage 8 ways that SpaceX has transformed spaceflight Spaceflight doubleheader! SpaceX launches 2 rockets in 4-hour span (video) Back-to-back launches are far from a novelty for SpaceX these days. On March 30, for example, the company launched two missions a Starlink batch and the Eutelsat 36D telecommunications satellite less than four hours apart, both of them from Florida's Space Coast. Editor's note: This story was updated at 12:30 a.m. ET on May 9 with news of the new target launch date of May 9, then again at 2 a.m. ET on May 10 with news of successful launch, rocket landing and satellite deployment. Climeworks has officially switched on the worlds largest direct air capture plant, which sits on a lava plateau in southern Iceland. On Wednesday, the Swiss company said it started operations at its Mammoth facility, marking an important milestone in the worlds emerging efforts to remove planet-warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and permanently lock it away. The plants opening also helps lay the groundwork for a significantly larger direct-air-capture facility that Climeworks plans to build in the United States using federal funding, experts say. At the Mammoth site, not far from Icelands capital city, Reykjavik, a dozen collector containers are stacked high in rows that resemble giant window blinds from the front. Fans pull air into the collectors, then run it over a solid filter material to separate out the carbon dioxide. Climeworks partner, Carbfix, takes the resulting concentrated CO 2 and reacts it with basaltic rock to trap the greenhouse gas below ground. When fully completed later this year, Mammoth will have 72 total collectors capable of removing up to 36,000 metric tons of CO 2 from the sky annually. Thats exactly nine times the capacity of Climeworks Orca plant, also in Iceland, which opened in 2021 and until now was the largest direct-air-capture (DAC) facility in the world. While thats a step up for DAC, its still a tiny drop in the bucket of overall emissions. Both facilities get their heat and electricity from the nearby Hellisheidi geothermal power plant, which harnesses energy from the bubbling hot springs and boiling mud pots that blanket the volcanic country. This always-on clean energy helps minimize the CO 2 emissions the company generates in the pursuit of capturing and storing carbon. Its a very big deal, Erin Burns, executive director of the nonprofit Carbon180, said about the Mammoth plants unveiling. Just a few years ago, I think a lot of people wouldnt have believed that this couldve happened, and that it couldve happened as quickly as it did. Jan Wurzbacher, co-founder and co-CEO of Climeworks, said the Mammoth opening is another proof point in Climeworks scale-up journey. Going forward, the company aims to build DAC plants that can remove 1 million metric tons of CO 2 per year nearly 30 times the capacity of Mammoth potentially starting with Project Cypress in southwest Louisiana. Climeworks and its partners Heirloom and Batelle recently received an initial $50 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy to begin developing and permitting the project, which is eligible for up to $600 million in matched federal investment. Scaling up in Iceland to export tech stateside Climeworks, founded in 2009, is among the longest-standing players in the heady world of carbon dioxide removal. Today, more than a thousand companies and research teams globally are pursuing novel ways to reverse carbon emissions, including injecting carbon-rich wastewater underground, burying bricks of dried-up biomass, and spreading crushed-up rocks over cropland. Critics of carbon-removal solutions say they risk diverting scarce funding away from the far more urgent task of deploying clean energy and dramatically reducing emissions. At their worst, they worry, these projects could provide a smokescreen for oil and gas companies to keep extracting fossil fuels. Still, climate scientists say that at least some form of carbon removal will be needed in order to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Direct air capture has been in development for decades, and 27 test, pilot, and commercial projects have been commissioned around the world. That includes Climeworks first DAC project in Hinwil, Switzerland, which captured up to 900 metric tons of CO 2 per year but has since been phased out. Yet DAC continues to be the most expensive carbon-removal solution. Because CO 2 is so diluted in the atmosphere, DAC plants must use copious amounts of energy and novel materials to both absorb CO 2 and then release it so that it can be permanently sequestered or used to make synthetic fuels or industrial products. In 2023, Climeworks sold credits to JPMorgan Chase worth around $800 per ton of CO 2 removal, as part of a $20 million, nine-year agreement with the global banking giant. That per-ton figure is about eight times more expensive than what the industry generally considers to be the benchmark for achieving economic viability. Wurzbacher said it was too early to give a precise number for the per-ton cost of operating Mammoth at full capacity. On a ballpark level, were closer to the $1,000 per ton mark than we are to the $100 per ton mark, he said on a Wednesday call with reporters. But future facilities using the companys next generation of DAC technology are expected to approach $300 to $350 per ton of captured CO 2 by 2030, he added. Thats because as Climeworks and other companies continue to expand and improve their technologies, the cost of developing and building new projects is expected to decline in step. Douglas Chan, chief operations officer for Climeworks, said thats been the case in Iceland. Between Orca and Mammoth, the company saw a 10 to 20 percent reduction in capital expenditures per ton of CO 2 captured. It also slashed its operations and maintenance costs in half. (Even with the improvements, the plant cost on the order of low-triple-digit millions to build, he said.) To really drive down the cost of direct air capture, we really need to understand how they operate in the real world, said Giana Amador, the executive director of Carbon Removal Alliance, an advocacy group. Were at an inflection point, where were starting to see larger-scale projects [like Mammoth] that can give us some important information about what their potential to scale is. The Mammoth facility in Iceland is a great opportunity for Climeworks to test technology that theyll then export to the U.S., she added, referring to Project Cypress in Louisiana. Last August, the Biden administration named Project Cypress as one of the early winners in its $3.5 billion DAC hub program, which was created in 2021 by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Climeworks and its partners will design and operate a carbon-sucking machine capable of removing over 1 million metric tons of CO 2 per year. The company Gulf Coast Sequestration will take the captured CO 2 and permanently store it in a Class VI deep saline aquifer. The project is likely still a few years away from starting construction. For carbon-removal proponents, the 36,000-ton Mammoth plant and even the much larger Project Cypress are still only the beginning. The world will eventually need to build DAC plants big enough to capture 1 billion metric tons of CO 2 per year to have any meaningful impact on limiting global temperature rise, they say. To reach that scale, the U.S. will need to adopt stronger federal policies that boost government support and accelerate private-sector investment in these new, risky, technologies, said Burns of Carbon180. The business models of todays startups largely rely on voluntary commitments from private companies, like Climeworks deal with JPMorgan Chase and others. The carbon-removal sector as a whole needs to keep our eye on the fact that voluntary compliance markets, while extremely helpful, are going to be totally insufficient to get us to gigaton scale, which is what we need to meet our climate goals, she said. Jasper Kenzo Sundeen's reporting for the Yakima Herald-Republic is possible with support from Report for America and community members through the Yakima Valley Community Fund. For information on republishing, email news@yakimaherald.com. Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc. (NYSE:RYAM) Q1 2024 Earnings Call Transcript May 8, 2024 Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc. isn't one of the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds at the end of the third quarter (see the details here). Operator: Good morning, and welcome to the RYAM First Quarter 2024 Earnings Conference Call. During today's presentation, all parties will be in a listen-only mode. Following the presentation, the conference will be open for questions with instructions to follow at that time. As a reminder, this conference is being recorded. I would now like to turn the call over to your host, Mr. Mickey Walsh, Treasurer and Vice President of Investor Relations. Thank you, Mr. Walsh, you may begin. Mickey Walsh: Thank you. Good morning. Welcome again to RYAM's first quarter 2024 earnings conference call and webcast. Joining me on today's call are De Lyle Bloomquist, our President and Chief Executive Officer; and Marcus Moeltner, our Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance. Our earnings release and presentation materials were issued last evening, and are available on our website at ryam.com. I'd like to remind you that in today's presentation, we will include forward-looking statements made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of Federal Securities Laws. Our earnings release as well as our filings with the SEC lists some of the factors which may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements we may make. They are also referenced on Slide 2 of our presentation materials. Today's presentation will also reference certain non-GAAP financial measures, as noted on Slide 3 of our presentation. We believe non-GAAP measures provide useful information for management and investors, but non-GAAP measures should not be considered an alternative to GAAP measures. A reconciliation of these measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included on Slide 20 through 25 of our presentation. I'd now like to turn the call over to De Lyle. De Lyle Bloomquist: Thank you, Mickey and good morning. I'll begin with the financial overview for the first quarter of 2024. Following that, I'll discuss recent company actions before handing over to Marcus for additional details on the business segments and our capital structure and liquidity. Following Marcus's comments, I'll come back to share additional details on our initiatives and guidance for 2024. This will include updates on the suspension of the operations at our Temiscaming HPC plant, and the sales process for the paperboard and high-yield pulp businesses. We will then open the floor for questions. Let's turn our attention to Slide 4, where we'll discuss our first quarter performance for 2024. Results exceeded expectations with an adjusted EBITDA of $52 million, a $1 million increase from the same period last year. Story continues In the High Purity Cellulose segment, EBITDA rose by $6 million, driven by higher prices for cellulose specialties along with a decreased cost for key inputs and logistics, as well as improved productivity. This increase was somewhat moderated by reduced sales volumes, lower prices for commodity products, and the absence of energy benefits that we anticipate we will realize later this year. Conversely, the paperboard segment experienced a $1 million decrease in EBITDA, primarily due to lower sales prices, although this was somewhat mitigated by decreased costs for purchased craft pulp. The high-yield pulp business saw a $8 million decrease in EBITDA, largely due to lower sales prices, though this was partially offset by increases in sales volumes and reduced logistics expenses. Additionally, corporate expenses improved by $4 million, largely driven by a favorable foreign exchange impact. In summary, the overall solid performance was underpinned by strong results in our core cellulose specialty segment and cost reductions across the enterprise, which more than offset the softness in paperboard and high-yield pulp segments. In terms of cash flow, there was a strategic use of cash to build finished goods inventories in anticipation of the planned annual maintenance outage at our Jessup plant. In subsequent developments, we have announced the indefinite suspension of operations at our Temiscaming HPC plant. The suspension is expected to provide marginal positive EBITDA benefits and enhance our consolidated free cash flow in 2024. I will share more about the financial implications of this decision after Marcus's comments. This month, we also announced a significant transaction, selling the rights to our softwood lumber duty refund for $39 million. The sale not only bolsters our financial flexibility, but also aligns with our strategic goal to reduce our debt by $70 million in 2024. Considering these updates and our strong performance in the first quarter, I am pleased to reaffirm our full year EBITDA guidance of $180 million to $200 million and to raise our full year adjusted free cash flow guidance to $80 million to $100 million. With that, I'd like to pass the meeting over to Marcus to walk us through the financials for the quarter. Marcus? Marcus Moeltner: Thank you, De Lyle. Beginning with our HPC segment on Slide 5, quarterly sales declined by $67 million or 18% to $307 million. Overall HPC pricing declined 2%, driven by a 2% increase in CS sales price, which was more than offset by an 11% decrease in commodity pricing. Total sales volumes decreased 17%, as a result of a 16% decline in CS sales volumes and an 18% decrease in commodity sales. Increased sales volumes in CS were supported by the closure of a competitor's plant in late 2023 and a rise in ether sales. This was more than offset by destocking in certain acetate products and the impact of a one-time favorable change in customer contract terms from the previous year. The decrease in commodity sales volumes was primarily a result of higher production in favor of CS as the company built inventory ahead of Jessup's second quarter planned maintenance outage. Other sales for the quarter were $23 million, which included $12 million of green energy sales. EBITDA for the segment rose by $6 million to $50 million, primarily due to higher CS sales prices and decreased key input and logistic costs along with the benefits of improved productivity. These improvements were partially offset by declines in CS sales volumes, lower commodity prices and volumes and the absence of $7 million in energy related costs benefits from the previous year that are expected to recur later in the year. Turning to Slide 6, sales in the paperboard segment declined $6 million, largely attributed to a 12% drop in sales prices resulting from changes in product mix and market driven demand declines. EBITDA for the segment declined $1 million to $12 million, mainly due to lower sales prices, though this impact was somewhat mitigated by decreased costs for purchase pulp. Turning to the high yield pulp segment on Slide 7. Sales declined by $8 million in comparison to the prior year, mainly due to a 27% drop in external sales prices, partially offset by 16% increase in sales volumes. The price reductions were a consequence of market supply dynamics, mainly in China. Segment EBITDA reached a breakeven point in contrast to $8 million generated in the prior year. Transitioning to Slide 8, consolidated operating income for the quarter amounted to $17 million. Sales price improvements in CS were more than offset by pricing declines across all other products. In addition, sales volume and mix impacts were offset by cost improvements. SG&A and other cost benefits related to favorable foreign exchange rates were partially offset by discounting and financing fees incurred to support enhancements in working capital. Now let's turn to Slide 9. Total debt ended the quarter at $798 million, a reduction of $54 million from the same period in 2023. Net secured debt reflected in our financial covenant ratio associated with the term loan ended the quarter at $721 million. Net secured leverage closed the quarter at 4.4 times within the original covenant test. Liquidity closed the quarter at $199 million, reflecting $55 million of cash, $131 million available under our ABL facility and $13 million for our French factoring facility. As anticipated, working capital levels increased driven by the inventory build ahead of Jessup's annual plan maintenance outage. CapEx for the quarter totaled $33 million with $5 million directed towards strategic capital to support the startup of the Tartas bioethanol project. Additionally, as De Lyle previously noted, we announced the sale of our softwood lumber duty refund rights for $39 million. Overall liquidity remains strong and we are well positioned to achieve our targeted $70 million debt reduction this year. In preparation for the upcoming refi of our 2026 senior notes, we have retained Houlihan Lokey to provide advisory services throughout the process. With that, I'd like to turn the call back over to De Lyle. A forklift lifting a large stack of paperboards in a modern warehouse. De Lyle Bloomquist: All right, thank you, Marcus. Let's now turn our attention to Slide 10 where I'll provide an update on our key initiatives for 2024. Our primary goal this year is to refinance the 2026 senior notes before they go current in January 2025 with a particular focus on reducing debt. We are on track to meet our target of reducing gross debt by $70 million in 2024, supported by business-generated free cashflow, a tax refund, and proceeds from the recent sale of the softwood lumber duties refund rights. In addition, we are progressing with the sales process of our paperboard and high yield pulp assets. Interest remains high among the prospective buyers following the announcement of the suspension of operations at the Temiscaming High Purity Cellulose plant, which has introduced some delays due to the change in the underlying assumptions of how the site will be managed. While the suspension and asset sales decisions affecting the Temiscaming site have been approached and carried out independently, we believe that suspension will bring clarity to the asset sales diligent process by validating that these assets can be effectively run separately. It's important to reemphasize that this is not a fire sale. We have a value threshold based on the high EBITDA margins and the low custodial capital intensity of the paperboard business. While the proceeds from the sale would obviously reduce our debt load, we are carefully balancing the estimated annual $50 million plus in free cashflow that we receive from these businesses against any potential debt repayment. We plan to complete the transition provided the terms are acceptable before our notes go current in January 2025. We are taking significant steps to optimize our assets and address the ongoing challenges associated with our high purity of cellulose commodity exposure, which has been impacting our profit margins and earning stability. As part of this strategic pivot, we announced the indefinite suspension of operations at our Temiscaming HPC plant. This decision reflects our commitment to mitigating the financial drag from non-fluff commodities, which projected a 2024 EBITDA loss of $48 million, following a $60 million loss in 2023. I will provide more details on this announcement in the slide that follows. One of the most promising initiatives is the continued expansion of our biomaterials business. Our Tartas bioethanol plant, a first step of this strategy, celebrated its first shipment in April. We anticipate this facility will generate $3 million to $4 million in EBITDA this year, with projections of $8 million to $10 million annually from 2025 as we achieve targeted production levels. Looking forward, our biomaterials project pipeline includes the proposed AGE project at our Jessup facility, which will produce green energy for sale and a new prebiotics additives plant at the same site. We continue to advance the proposed bioethanol plant in Fernandina Beach as we've commenced detail engineering and submitted the project's air permit with the regulatory authorities. Our proposed projects in the works include crude tile oil operations in both France and the US. We aim to finance all these projects with green capital. Let's turn to Slide 11, where I'll discuss the recent decision to indefinitely suspend operations at our Temiscaming HPC plant. In April, we made the difficult decision to halt operations at this facility, a move driven by ongoing market weakness in the non-fluff commodity markets, the uncertain availability of affordable wood fiber and high capital and fixed costs, which when combined all together, created significant operating losses. The financial implications for 2024 include one-time cost around $30 million for severance, benefits extension, outplacement services and mothballing the plant. While we are still evaluating non-cash impairment charges, we anticipate the overall impact on this year's operating results and adjusted EBITDA to be marginally positive. Furthermore, we expect an improvement in 2024 free cashflow by approximately $15 million to $20 million driven by the monetization of working capital and reduced CapEx that should more than offset the associated one time suspension costs. Once mothballed, we believe that this facility will represent the industry's best available oil capacity to satisfy future specialty cellulose demand growth since it will require minimal capital investment to restart, can re-enter supply into the market within a year, exists within an operating industrial site with utilities and other site services, and is qualified by many customers to supply CS products. Consequently, we plan to at least annually assess the possibility of restarting the Temiscaming HPC plant. During the suspension period and after the CS product qualification process concludes, we estimate that we will realize an annualized improvement in the adjusted EBITDA of $15 million to $20 million a year, primarily to reduce losses resulting from the HPC commodity sales. We also anticipate an increase of approximately $30 million in free cashflow stemming from this EBITDA improvement and the avoidance of custodial capital expenditures. The customer qualification process is actively ongoing with all targeted customers currently testing the CS products from our other plants. This qualification work is expected to take 18 to 24 months. We are building bridge inventory until July to sustain customer demand through this qualification period. The CS business that we expect to retain will be produced from our A and B lines at Jessup and our sulfide plants at Fernandina Beach and Tartas. We remain committed to our fluff business and the majority of our C line at Jessup will continue to focus on fluff production. Let's turn to Slide 12. We expect enterprise EBITDA to be between $180 million to $200 million for the year. Cash interest expense is projected at approximately $85 million this year, which includes the $15 million payment that was made in early January for last year's Q4 due to the timing of the interest payment around the holidays. As a reminder, the current normalized annual interest expense is estimated at $70 million. Maintenance CapEx is estimated now at $80 million, reflecting a $5 million reduction due to the suspension of the Temiscaming HPC plant. Additionally, we project a $45 million benefit from working capitals, which includes a $30 million increase resulting from the Temiscaming HPC plant suspension. Furthermore, we anticipate $14 million in tax refunds and $39 million from the monetization of the lumber duties, which will be partially offset by impacts related to the Temiscaming HPC plant suspension, deferred energy payments and other accrued liabilities. In sum, we are raising our adjusted free cash flow guidance to a range between $80 million to $100 million for the year. These funds will be allocated toward debt reduction and strategic capital investments. On Slide 13, I dive deeper into the expected 2024 performance of each of our businesses. We project EBITDA for our HPC segment to be in the range of $180 million to $190 million. We anticipate cellular specialty prices to increase a low single digit percentage as compared to 2023, as we continue to prioritize value over volume for our specialty products. Sales volumes for cellular specialties are expected to be comparable to last year, with increases in market share gains resulting from a competitor's plant closure and a modest rise in ether sales volumes, though ether sales will remain below historical levels. These increases will be partially offset by lower acetate volumes due to modest stocking and a one-time favorable impact from a change in customer contract terms in the prior year. We expect a decline in commodity sales volumes in 2024 due to the planned suspension of operations at our HPC plant in Temiscaming during the second half of the year. Overall costs are anticipated to be lower, driven by improved cost management and production efficiencies, alongside the impact from the suspension of operations at the Temiscaming HPC plant. Our growth strategy remains focused on strategic investments in our biomaterials business, capitalizing on the increased demand for sustainable products. The Tartas bioethanol plant, which was successfully completed its first shipment in April, is operational and projected to contribute $3 million to $4 million in EBITDA in 2024, with expectations to reach eight $8 million to $10 million at full production by 2025. Regarding paperboard, we expect to achieve EBITDA in the range of $50 million to $60 million in 2024. Prices are projected to stay consistent with those seen in the first quarter, and we expect sales volumes to increase due to rise in customer demand. Raw material prices are expected to increase due to increased purchased pulp prices. We expect our high-yield pulp business to achieve EBITDA in the range of $5 million to $10 million in 2024. We expect a slight increase in high-yield pulp prices in Q2, where further rise is anticipated in the second half of the year. Additional sales volumes are projected to increase as we move into the second half of 2024. The pulp custodial CapEx for the paperboard and high-yield pulp businesses is expected to be $5 million. For 2024, we expect corporate costs of $55 million to $60 million, up slightly versus 2023, as we are the final year of our multi-year ERP implementation. As the ERP project concludes, we anticipate cost reductions starting in 2025. It's important to note that these costs may vary due to factors like currency fluctuations, environmental charges, and other non-cash expenses. On Slide 14, we illustrate the trajectory of our EBITDA margin growth and net leverage decline. In 2024, we anticipate our margins to be in the 11% to 12% range. The forecast for net secured leverage at the end of the year stands at three times covenant EBITDA. Our commitment remains resolute in achieving our target net debt leverage ratio of 2.5 times by 2027. With that, operator, please open the call to questions. Operator: Thank you. We'll now be conducting a question and answer session. [Operator Instructions] Thank you. Our first question is from Daniel Harriman with Sidoti & Company. Please proceed with your question. See also 25 Vacation Spots in the U.S. That Wont Break your Bank and 30 Most Fun Cities in the US in 2024. To continue reading the Q&A session, please click here. Regulators approve sweeping change to the way most Californians are billed for electricity The California Public Utilities Commission has unanimously approved a controversial change to the way many state residents are charged for electricity. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Ignoring hundreds of complaints by electricity customers from across the state, the California Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously Thursday to fundamentally change how electricity is billed by adding a new monthly fixed fee. In return for paying a mandatory $24.15 fee each month, consumers will pay a lower rate for each kilowatt of power they use. The commissioners, who are appointed by the governor, sided with the states three largest utilities by approving the proposal. They said by lowering the rate per kilowatt hour it will encourage more people to buy electric cars and replace gas appliances in their homes, which would reduce the use of planet-warming fossil fuels. The change affects customers of investor-owned power companies, such as Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric. It does not apply to customers of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power or other municipal utilities. Read more: Anger builds over sweeping change in the way most Californians will pay for electricity The decision was criticized by some lawmakers from both parties, as well as a coalition of more than 250 consumer and other groups, who say millions of Californians living in small homes and apartments who are low users of electricity will now subsidize households that are heavy power users. Waving signs that said, Protect Working People and Protect Renters, dozens of coalition members opposed to the fee protested in front of the building where commissioners were meeting. This will punish people who use less energy, said Jenn Engstrom, the state director at consumer advocacy group CalPIRG. This will encourage high consumption and it will increase bills for millions of Californians. Commissioner John Reynolds dismissed the concerns before he voted for the proposal. The public discourse has been disappointing, he said. He agreed that under the change some customers total bills will go up, while others will see a decline. But the focus, he said, should be on the reduction in the rate per kilowatt hour, which is needed as the state tries to move more people away from fueling their cars and homes with fossil fuels to electricity, which is increasingly coming from wind and solar farms. We can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions as a state, he said. The commission was acting to approve the details and amount of the new fixed fee to comply with a 2022 law known as Assembly Bill 205. Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed AB 205 as part of his budget on June 26, 2022. Lawmakers approved the bill and Newsom signed it in a few days with little public discussion. PG&E had asked the commission for the new monthly fee in a regulatory filing just three months before AB 205's approval. The bill eliminated the $10 cap on fixed charges that had been in place since 2013 and opponents say there is little to prevent the utilities from raising it higher. The law also required the fee to progressively increase based on the households income. Last year, PG&E, Edison and SDGE proposed monthly fees as high as $128 for the wealthiest households. The companies asked that a state agency collect and verify each electric customers income. Read more: Joshua Tree's celebrity rattlesnake wrangler wants to change how you see reptiles The commission rejected the companies proposal and offered its own this spring. Lower-income households already enrolled in programs giving them discounts on their electric bills will pay a lower monthly fee than $24.15. Households of one or two people earning less than $39,440 will pay $6 a month. Those who earn more than that but less than $62,150 a year will pay a monthly fee of $12. The commission said the change is designed not to generate extra profits for the electric companies. Instead it moves some of the costs of maintaining electric lines and protecting the grid from wildfires into the new fixed charge. The new monthly charges will begin in late 2025 for customers of SoCal Edison and SDGE. PG&E customers will see the change in bills beginning in 2026. The commission estimates that a household that powers all home appliances and a vehicle with electricity will save an average of $28 to $44 a month compared with the current billing structure. Savings will increase as people use more electricity. Flagstaff Research, which conducted an analysis for opponents, estimated that about 4 million households that use low levels of electricity, including many apartment renters, would pay $65 to $225 more a year under the new rate structure. At the same time, those in big houses using greater amounts of power will save hundreds of dollars a year, the analysis found. After the vote, three Republican state senators called the proposal poorly constructed and flawed. All this does is put a bigger burden on working families that are already dealing with the repercussions of unrealistic energy policies that make California unaffordable, said caucus Chair Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta). Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) this week amended her bill called AB 1999, which she proposed in January to reverse much of Newsoms 2022 law that imposed the fixed charges. Irwins amended bill would keep the fixed rate from rising faster than inflation and repeal it at the end of 2028. "A system that promotes high energy consumption could increase the entire grids costs and lead to higher electricity bills for everyone," said Engstrom at CalPIRG. "Were looking to the state Legislature to act to reverse this bad policy and prevent more proposals like this in the future. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Kruck20 / Getty Images/iStockphoto South Carolina made the list of top places Americans are moving to in 2023. The lower cost of living, along with the states warm climate, rich cultural heritage and stunning shorelines, have put the Palmetto State on the top list of moving destinations. Check Out: These 8 Expenses Can Kill Your Retirement Should You Ditch Them ASAP? Read Next: 5 Genius Things All Wealthy People Do With Their Money Retirees looking to stretch their dollars further will naturally look to lower-cost areas like South Carolina. There are plenty of perks that include lower property taxes along with senior exemptions, no state income tax on Social Security income, reasonable deductions on other types of income and lower costs for housing, utilities, and health care. It seems like a no-brainer, But is South Carolina a good choice for an aging population? 7. Myrtle Beach/ Conway/ North Myrtle Beach Percentage of people 65+: 23% AARP livability index: 48 Median gross rent index: $912 Mean Social Security for people 65+: $22,541 Though great for vacationing and recreation, the Myrtle Beach/ Conway/ North Myrtle Beach area, comparatively speaking, isnt great for senior populations. With relatively fewer seniors in the region and somewhat high rent median rent prices, it leaves a lot to be desired on the table. The mean Social Security is on the higher end, but with higher rents than other areas in the state, it may not go very far. 6. Greenville/ Anderson/ Mauldin Percentage of people 65+: 16% AARP livability index: 55 Median gross rent index: $684 Mean Social Security for people 65+: $21,248 Despite being a top destination for new residents, the Greenville/ Anderson/ Mauldin area may not be ideal for retirees due to the low percentage of the population that are seniors and reasonable Social Security benefits. The area does win out for media gross rent and a slightly higher AARP livability index. 5. Hilton Head Island/ Bluffton/ Beaufort Percentage of people 65+: 24% AARP livability index: 47 Median gross rent index: $1,245 Mean Social Security for people 65+: $25,325 Hilton Head Island, Bluffton and Beaufort offer picturesque settings for retirees, boasting a higher percentage of senior residents compared to places like the Greenville/ Anderson/ Mauldin area. However, the median gross rent is significantly higher than in other parts of the state. Though the mean social security is also higher overall cost of living in that area could still present a barrier to those on a more fixed income. 4. Spartanburg Percentage of people 65+: 16% AARP livability index: 51 Median gross rent index: $680 Mean Social Security for people 65+: $20,646 Story continues Spartanburg is known for its beautiful community parks and its access to diverse natural attractions like mountains and beaches. Its affordability will draw many seniors, but the lower mean payout for Social Security could be a drawback for some retirees. 3. Columbia Percentage of people 65+: 14% AARP livability index: 54 Median gross rent index: $751 Mean Social Security for people 65+: $20,735 A moderate AARP livability index score of 50 offers some encouragement, indicating that Columbia does invest in accessibility and community initiatives for its seniors. The median gross rent is reasonable, but this region is on the lower end of the range for mean social security for those over 65. 2. Charleston/ North Charleston Percentage of people 65+: 14% AARP livabili ty index: 53 Median gross rent index: $978 Mean Social Security for people 65+: $20,507 This popular area still has a lower percentage of the population that is elderly. Rents are somewhat higher than in places mentioned above, but the AARP livability index means that it could be ideal from active retirees with more income to supplement their Social Security benefits 1. Sumter Percentage of people 65+: 15% AARP livability index: 49 Median gross rent index: $624 Mean Social Security for people 65+: $18,941 Sumter comes in with lower numbers for median gross rent and mean social security, which means this area is likely under-resourced and unprepared to deal with an aging populations needs. Yes, seniors may find it affordable, but it may not be a great choice due to limited resources. Final thoughts Learn More: Suze Orman: 5 Social Security Facts Every Soon-To-Be Retiree Must Know South Carolina seems to be a great option for younger populations with decent prospects for income and self-autonomy, i.e., there is little need for others to care for them. Despite its great reputation for low cost of living, elderly populations may get better access to amenities and services specifically suited to their needs in other states. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Retirement 2024: These Are the 7 Worst Places To Retire in South Carolina A court in southern Hungary on Wednesday sentenced a 26-year-old Belgian people smuggler, who caused a mass accident involving a fatality in Csongrad-Csanad County at the beginning of 2022, to eight years in prison without the possibility of parole. The man was sentenced for the crimes of organised people smuggling and causing a road accident involving a fatality. The Szeged court also imposed an eight-year driving ban and exclusion from Hungary for ten years. As part of an international criminal organisation, the man transported illegal migrants from Serbia to central parts of the European Union for the payment of 300 euros per passenger. On Feb 16, he and other gang members transported 28 people in two groups in a rented van which was unventilated and sealed. Driving at high speed, he hit a reinforced concrete electricity pole before crashing into the wall of a flower shop, resulting in the death of one person, while one of the passengers was permanently disabled. Nineteen people suffered serious injuries while were lightly hurt. The court took into consideration the mans admission of his guilt and his cooperation in identifying the members of the criminal organisation based in Belgium, as well as the fact that he was also seriously injured in the accident, as mitigating factors. The defendant has asked to serve his sentence in his home country. ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories, via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here! The Chinese presidents upcoming visit to Hungary and the fact that France was the only other European Union country on his itinerary is confirmation of the effectiveness of Hungarys connectivity strategy, the prime ministers political director has said. Balazs Orban told public radio ahead of Wednesdays presidential visit that it would also help Hungary become a key state in the region. In the interview broadcast late on Tuesday he noted that the last time a Chinese president visited Hungary was 20 years ago, and since that time China had become a superpower and one of the strongest economic powers holding a leading position in various technological sectors. Hungarys aim is to increase the presence of developed, high value-added technologies in the Hungarian economy, such as IT, telecommunications, electromobility, e-vehicle manufacturing and fast railways, Orban said. He said the aim was to create a hub for Eastern and Western technologies, as this would generate jobs, wages and economic growth. The Hungarian economy, being an export-oriented economy, also aims to find an increasingly comprehensive market for Hungarian products in China, he added. Orban said it was hoped that Hungary would become a hub for e-vehicle manufacturing in Europe. Commenting on the Russia-Ukraine war, he said the Hungarian governments position remained that immediate ceasefire and peace talks were needed. Statements by the French president indicated an increasing danger of a direct military conflict between Russia and NATO, he said. At the same time, the majority of countries beyond the Western world were making similar statements to Hungary concerning the need for peace, he added. Orban said that Hungarys primary interest was that battlefield activities should cease immediately and talks should be held on the peace process with the involvement of China. China's Nio to Sign Letter of Intent for Cooperation With Szechenyi Istvan University The European subsidiary of Chinas premium electric vehicle maker Nio and the HUMDA Hungarian Mobility Development Agency of the Szechenyi Istvan University group have agreed at a meeting held in the national economy ministry to sign a letter of intent on cooperation, the ministry said on Wednesday. Marton Nagy, the national economy minister, said at the meeting that green energy was the future of the Hungarian economy in households, transport and industry. Hungarys Competitiveness Strategy published in April 2024 highlights innovative solutions in the vehicle industry and the potential for growth this offered, and the strategic consultations with Nio are a further step in this building process, he added. Nio places great emphasis on forward-looking research and development, including such basic technologies as a unique battery replacement project, he said. The aim of the strategic cooperation is to develop a stable and long-term strategic partnership which can help speed up the green transition in the Hungarian vehicle and energy industries by way of cooperation in innovation and education, he added. Laszlo Palkovics, the chairman of the board at the Szechenyi Istvan University Foundation, said that the university, HUMDA and Nio would each contribute their strengths to form a strategic partnership in innovation. ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories, via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here! The fresh newsletter for the International Community in Hungary - described by readers as a "Great read each week" - is now available for your interest and use via the link below. Hungary will stay out of NATOs insane action despite all pressure on the country, the foreign minister said, adding that it will however be a long fight, in which the upcoming EP election, when people can express their opinion on war or peace, will be an important point. The foreign ministry quoted Peter Szijjarto as saying after talks in London with David Cameron, his British counterpart, that the proposal aimed at giving NATO an increased role in training Ukrainian soldiers and coordinating weapons shipments to Ukraine, as well as allocating 100 billion euros to support that country, had been put before member states of the organisation. During a discussion of the proposal it became clear that they do not really want to let us stay out of those common activities, but we will clearly stay out, he said. Hungarian soldiers will not participate in such actions; we will not allow such actions to take place on the territory of Hungary and we want to stay out of the financing of that, too. We want Hungarian taxpayers money not to be used for such a purpose, but it will be a long fight, he said. They want to push us into the war and want us Hungarians to participate in this crazy action, the minister warned. The Hungarian government will continue to represent a pro-peace position and we will use all our strength to stay out of this crazy action despite all the pressure exerted (on us) within NATO. By promoting the proposal NATO has crossed its own red lines and is taking huge steps towards the war, while direct confrontation would carry the risk of the outbreak of a third world war, he said. Szijjarto said the pro-war proposal was based on the notion that the war in Ukraine is our war which ran contrary to the Hungarian governments position. And those who think that it is our war, argue in favour of continuing the war until Ukraines victory; NATOs proposal is also based on that goal and the British position also suggests the same, the minister said. Both the Brits and NATO tie the end of the war to a military outcome, which is absolutely unrealistic to achieve; its probability is low, practically almost impossible, he said. There is no solution to the conflict on the battlefield because neither party can defeat the other, and a diplomatic solution is the only conceivable way, Szijjarto said. Hungary and the UK are allies and absolutely see eye to eye on certain issues, while they do not agree at all in other questions, Szijjarto said. Examples of the former case are their acting up against discrimination of nuclear energy and the need for improving Europes competitiveness, he added. We also agreed that ties between the European Union and the United Kingdom could also be mutually beneficial despite Britains exit from the EU, but it would be good if Brussels at last stopped punishing the UK and we could start treating EU-UK ties with common sense, Szijjarto said. We are also in agreement that illegal migration must be stemmed because it is dangerous, for the migrants themselves, for transit countries, and for the destination countries, too, Szijjarto said. However, on what we disagree is the issue of the war in Ukraine; while Hungary urges a ceasefire and peace talks, the Brits keep encouraging everyone to send more and more weapons to Ukraine, he said. We can talk to each other on the basis of mutual respect, but over an important, currently the most import issue, namely how the war could be ended in Ukraine, we have conflicting positions, he said. Szijjarto in London: Everything Must Be Done for Hungarian Nation's Survival Everything possible must be done to ensure the survival of the Hungarian nation, Peter Szijjarto, the foreign minister, said in London, underlining the need to preserve the Hungarian communities in Hungary, the Carpathian Basin and the diaspora. Addressing the inauguration of a new building of the Hungarian Children and Parents Group, Szijjarto said Hungarians had a duty to do everything in their power to help preserve Hungarian identity wherever they may live in the world. The reason this is a complex task, even in terms of geography, is that our job isnt just to preserve the Hungarian nation in the motherland and the Carpathian Basin, but we also have to focus at least as much on preserving the Hungarian diaspora communities, Szijjarto said. It calls for a strong motherland that is successful in taking on this mission, and, of course, a self-conscious and proud Hungarian nation that embraces and represents its own national values even in the face of headwinds. Policy for Hungarians beyond the border lies at the heart of Hungarian foreign policy and is based on the idea that Hungarians are responsible for each other no matter where they live, Szijjarto said. And the farther away one lives form the motherland, the more important communities become, he said. As long as our communities exist and stick together, it is safe to plan for the future. The minister said this required institutions like the House of Hungarians in central London whose building the government purchased in 2022 and which will be home to the Hungarian Children and Parents Group. Szijjarto thanked the schools weekend volunteer teachers for their contributions to helping children preserve their Hungarian identity and the parents for enrolling some 60 children in the school. Szijjarto: Hungary Under Intense Pressure Hungary wants its soldiers to be exempt from participating in such a mission and does not want anything relating to these types of operations happening on Hungarys territory, Peter Szijjarto, the foreign minister said at a meeting of ruling Fideszs parliamentary group. Neither does Hungary want any of its taxpayers money to be used for the mission, he added. Hungary, he said, was under intense pressure to take part in the mission, pointing out that the other two NATO countries that had been on the fence had been persuaded to join the common position, and Hungary was now on its own. Everyone has been sucked in, and were on our own. And well be completely alone in the battles in the coming weeks, he said. Szijjarto said work was already under way in Brussels on putting together the hinterland of the operation. And were being pushed in, he insisted. Weve more or less succeeded in getting them to accept, politically, that we dont want to participate in this, but as I see it, they want to at least try to push us into the financial side of the story. Now theyre trying to put pressure on us by saying, fine, no Hungarian soldiers or even [the use of] Hungarian territory, but there has to be money, Szijjarto said. And there we have the battle of the weeks ahead: no to all three. Meanwhile, Szijjarto said NATO did not want to set a precedent for a member state staying out of a military operation. He lamented that Western political leaders were showing no signs of backing out of weapons deliveries even though it had become clear that the conflict could not be settled on the battlefield. Everyone in Europe has been ordered to give everything they have no matter how it may harm their own security, the minister said. The clear position in NATO circles today, he said, was that allies needed to help Ukraine even at the risk of hurting their own security. He cited the example of Slovakia, which had not been compensated on time for giving all of its military planes to Ukraine, and its airspace was now being policed by Hungary and Czechia. If we Hungarians and the Czechs didnt guarantee the protection of Slovakias airspace, then their only air defence capability would be to angrily shake their fists up at the sky, Szijjarto said. He said that because weapons deliveries were only enough to uphold the status quo, the only way out was to involve NATO by sending troops and causing a world war. Szijjarto said another scenario would involve the use of nuclear weapons, of which even one is enough to settle the fate of the world, and there are thousands of them on both sides. ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories, via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here! Prime Minister Viktor Orban held talks with Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, by phone on Wednesday, Orban's press chief said. They reviewed every important component of Hungarian-Ukrainian relations, Bertalan Havasi said. The major topic of the talks was the issue of war and peace, he said. Orban said that Hungary is ready to contribute to every initiative and efforts that could lead to brokering peace. The two politicians agreed that they would continue to hold bilateral consultations, Havasi said. Zelensky said on social media X after the talks that he underscored Ukraines interest in good-neighbourly relations with Hungary, as well as in the development of cooperation in trade, energy, and logistics. The Ukrainian president said he had a lengthy and meaningful call with the Hungarian prime minister and invited Orban to participate at a peace summit to be held in Switzerland next month. Hungarys position is important to us in terms of bringing peace closer and of common regional security, the president said. At the talks further steps towards settling the full range of bilateral issues in a mutually beneficial manner were also discussed, he said. Zelensky said Ukraines EU integration was also discussed and he said he firmly believed that Ukraines swift accession would benefit both Ukraine and Hungary. ********************************* You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories, via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here! New Delhi: Fintech company Simp has reportedly laid off about 160 to 170 employees across several departments. The layoffs come as the company faces high monthly burn and a slower rate of gaining new users. Most of the affected roles were were in engineering and products development with a focus on higher-paying positions, according to a report by Moneycontrol. Simpl previously employed around 650 employees. However, it reduced its workforce by 25 percent in recent months. The layoffs impacted various roles including core operations, interns, and call center agents along with D2C checkout vertical. (Also Read: RBI Lifts Ban On Bank of Baroda's BoB World App, Allowing New Customer Registrations) According to a report by Moneycontrol, Simpl held a brief town hall meeting on May 8 to discuss recent layoffs. During the meeting, the company's founder and CEO, Nityanand Sharma addressed employees reportedly reading from a prepared script. He acknowledged the difficult decision to lay off staff and expressed regret stating that the company would do its best to assist those affected. He also added that the company will help them find new job opportunities. (Also Read: RBI Coming Up With New Steps To Expand UPI Outreach) Simpl stated to the publication that the layoffs were a strategic step to enhance operational efficiency and work toward profitability. Through this process the company plans to streamline its operations and cut down on fixed and overhead costs. The recent workforce reduction is the second round of layoffs for the company in two years as it previously laid off a similar number of employees in March 2023. Lok Sabha Elections 2024: The battle of Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituencies has turned into a tightly contested event with sitting MP Asaduddin Owaisi facing BJP's Madhavi Latha. Recently, BJP leader and Amrawati Lok Sabha candidate Navneet Rana campaigned for Latha in Hyderabad and responded to an old speech of Telangana MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi. Reacting to Owaisi's speech '15 Minutes' remark, Rana made '15 seconds' remark. "The younger brother says to remove police for 15 minutes and they will show what they can do. My reply to him is, you need 15 minutes, we will take only 15 seconds. If police are removed for 15 seconds, neither younger nor older will be able to realize from where they came and where they were gone," said Rana. She also said that when one votes for AIMIM and Congress, their votes go directly to Pakistan. Reacting to Rana's remark, Asaduddin Owaisi urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow the '15 seconds' time to her. "I tell Modi ji - give her 15 seconds. What will you do?...Give her 15 seconds, give her 1 hour. We too want to see if you have any humanity left in you. Who is scared? We are ready," said senior Owaisi. #WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana: On BJP leader Navnit Ravi Rana's "15 seconds lagenge" remark in Hyderabad, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi says, "I tell Modi ji - give her 15 seconds. What will you do?...Give her 15 seconds, give her 1 hour. We too want to see if you have any pic.twitter.com/e1uD3M6nhl ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2024 Reacting to the remarks, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey said that both - BJP leader Navneet Rana and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and his brother are speaking the same language to polarise elections. He said that these leaders always bring the discussion to a 'Hindu-Muslim' angle. The dual-branded Red Roof Inn/HomeTowne Studios at 3030 Washington Rd. has been put up for sale. An Augusta hotel on a portion of Washington Road coping with a shifting homeless population is being put up for sale. The dual-branded Red Roof Inn/HomeTowne Studios at 3030 Washington Rd. first appeared on the real-estate website Crexi on May 6. The 138-room hotel's asking price is $4.9 million. The hotel is part of the cluster of hotels, restaurants and other businesses near Interstate 20's Exit 199. Business owners around the exit complained to the Richmond County Sheriff's Office in July 2023 about persistent crime in the area that they say stems from the movements and habits of unhomed people occupying the area. Upgrade: Augusta hotel will become remodeled apartments, real estate brokerage announces Some businesses have closed or moved, such as 2 Boys Pizza and Grill. It operated next door to Red Roof until the owner shut down and reopened in Columbia County earlier this year. The Red Roof opened in 1986 as a Hampton Inn, changing brands to Red Roof by 2017. A second hotel nearby, the Days Inn by Wyndham Augusta at 3020 Washington Rd., has been for sale since January. according to Crexi. This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Budget hotel near Augusta Interstate 20 exit is up for sale Nine offenders including one minor have been taken into custody by the Delhi Police's Special Cell during a pan-Indian operation. The suspects were wanted in connection with shootings, extortions, murders, and the supply of weapons to the Lawrence Bishnoi-Goldy Brar gang, according to the officials. The police said they have recovered seven pistols, 31 live cartridges and 11 mobile phones from those arrested from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. According to an officer, the police said that by arresting them, they had stopped some contract killings and other horrible crimes in Delhi. Nine agents from the Bishnoi and Brar communities have been taken into custody, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pratiksha Godara. The team was led by inspectors Shiv Kumar and Satish Rana and was overseen by ACPs Lalit Mohan Negi and Hridya Bhushan. Of them, two each have been arrested from Delhi, UP and Punjab, and one each from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Bihar, Godara said. Currently, Bishnoi is being held at the Sabarmati jail in Gujarat, while Braroriginally named Satinderjeet Singhis believed to be hiding in Canada. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is looking for Brar, who is allegedly leading a gang from overseas. The Karni Sena leader Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi in December 2023 and Punjabi musician Sinddu Moosewala in May 2022 were both killed by the Bishnoi-Brar gang. Additionally, the gang is claimed to have been involved in the firing outside Salman Khan's home and threats against the Bollywood actor. According to the police, several of the gang members that were arrested are still in contact with one another via encrypted communication services like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The accused, named as 22-year-old Manjeet Singh alias Guri, was allegedly involved in three prior criminal cases, including an assault on a fellow prisoner and an attack on police officers when he was imprisoned, according to another police official. Guri communicated with Brar via a someone named Ajay Rana. In November 2023, he and the accused Gurpal went to kill a property dealer in Zirakpur, Punjab, on Brar's orders because the merchant had refused to give the gang the extortion money. Guri and Gurpal were stopped by Delhi police in Zirakpur while they were traveling. The two started shooting at the police as they saw them. Gurpal was able to escape, but Guri was shot in retaliation and taken into custody. Later, Gurpal, 26, was taken into custody. According to the police, the other accused, 25-year-old Jaspreet Singh, also known as Rahul, was previously involved in two criminal cases: one involving the NDPS and the other under the Arms Act in Amritsar. The 26-year-old Sachin Kumar, also known as Rahul, has an ITI diploma in the electrical stream. In 2014, he was implicated in a robbery criminal case in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. He once provided the Bishnoi gang members with weapons. Twenty-year-old Santosh, also known as Sultan Baba, was a transport company employee and a supporter of MP criminal Durlabh Kashyap, who was killed. The Bishnoi gang served as an inspiration for Manjeet, a 24-year-old who was arming its members. The 22-year-old Abhay Soni, also known as Kabir, had formed a Facebook group called "Rajasthan Shooters" and made touch with other people who were being held accountable for robberies and other offenses. The feared mobster Durlabh Kashyap was followed by Dharmendra, better known as Kartik, a 21-year-old cold storage worker who also joined several Facebook groups and engaged in illegal activity. The 27-year-old Santosh Kumar used to supply other Bishnoi-Brar gang members with guns. New Delhi: In the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, discussions initially centred on development. However, the focus shifted to who specifically benefits from developmentbased on categories, religions, and castes. This transition ushered in religious issues into the campaign discourse. In Today's DNA Zee News anchor, Sourabh Raaj Jain analysed the shifting of the focal point in the 2024 Lok Sabha election from development to religion. The speeches in election campaigns evolved from reservation to religious reservation, and questions arose about the allocation of property among different religions. Recently, the rhetoric has escalated to a divide of eighty-twenty proportions, leading to discussions about Ghazwa-e-Hind through religious reservation. A fundamental question arises: is the Hindu-Muslim divide limited to electoral politics, or does it have real-life implications? Broadly, it's evident that introducing religious elements into politics isn't exclusive to any single party. Examination of various statements reveals that religious undertones in elections suit all parties. This sentiment is echoed in the statement of BJP leader and Amravati candidate Navneet Rana. While campaigning in Hyderabad for BJP candidate Madhavi Lata, Rana issued a 15-second challenge to the Owaisi brothers, Asaduddin and Akbaruddin. Hyderabad has been a stronghold for the Owaisi family for four decades, with Asaduddin serving as the Lok Sabha MP for 20 years and Akbaruddin as an MLA. Akbaruddin's infamous "Remove the police for 15 minutes" speech from 2013 remains relevant. Rana's challenge of 15 seconds in response sparked a retort from Asaduddin Owaisi, who extended the time to one full hour. Madhavi Lata, the candidate Rana was supporting, acknowledged that while Rana's words may have been inappropriate, the sentiment behind them was not. Rana defended the challenge, asserting that reducing the time frame to 15 seconds instead of 15 minutes was innocuous. It's worth noting that despite Akbaruddin's speech leading to a 40-day jail stint in 2013, he was acquitted in 2022 by the Sessions Court due to incomplete evidence. However, the matter remains under scrutiny in the High Court, with accusations against the police for presenting partial evidence to shield Akbaruddin. Amidst this, one might question why Barrister Owaisi did not mention his acquittal. Perhaps, the reawakening of an 11-year-old issue doesn't significantly impact him. Ottawa: One of the suspects in the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, has said in a social media video that he entered Canada on a 'study permit' which only took him days to obtain, Canada-based global news reported. The accused, Karan Brar, in a video posted online in 2019, said he applied for a student visa through EthicWorks Immigration Services in Bathinda, in the Indian state of Punjab. He said he received his study visa days later, according to a translation of his Punjabi-language statement, as per Global News. The promotional video and a picture of Brar, who the firm claimed was from Kotkapura, a city north of Bathinda, were uploaded on EthicWorks' Facebook page. "Congratulations Karan Brar for the Canada study visa," the caption below the video read. "One more happy client from Kotkapura," reported Global News. Immigration Minister Marc Miller has declined to answer questions about how the suspects came to Canada, but online posts indicate that Brar arrived on a student permit three years before the killing. According to another Facebook page purportedly owned by Brar, he moved to Edmonton on May 4, 2020, after starting his studies at Bow Valley College in Calgary on April 30, 2020, Global News reported. However, questions concerning the subject have not yet received a response from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Brar, 22, Karanpreet Singh, 28, and Kamalpreet Singh, 22, were all taken into custody in Edmonton on Friday. They are accused of murder and conspiracy; they appeared in court in Surrey, British Columbia on Tuesday. Members of the Sikh Community from British Columbia crowded a Surrey courtroom on Tuesday as three Indian nationals accused of Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing made their first court appearance by video, according to Globe and Mail, a Canada-based news website. As the trio, dressed in orange jumpsuits, appeared before court, pro-Khalistani protesters chanted slogans and held placards, outside the Surrey provincial court, blaming India's government for the killing. The three men were taken into custody in Edmonton last week on Friday and are accused of first-degree murder and murderous conspiracy in connection with the June 2023 shooting of Nijjar, which severely damaged Canada's relations with India. Notably, ties between India and Canada have been strained after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused agents of the Indian government of killing Nijjar. However, India has dismissed the accusations as "absurd" and "motivated". Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by India's National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot and killed as he came out of a Gurdwara in Surrey in June last year. The video of his killing that reportedly surfaced in March this year showed Nijjar being shot by armed men in what has been described as a "contract killing." Last week, Canadian police released photographs of all three persons arrested in the killing of India-designated terrorist, Nijjar last year amid an ongoing probe into alleged connections of the Indian government. Along with photographs of the three accused, the Canadian police also released the photographs of the car believed to have been used by the suspects in the time leading up to the homicide, in and around the Surrey area. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) of Surrey, RCMP had said that on the morning of May 3, IHIT investigators, with the assistance of members from the British Columbia and Alberta RCMP and the Edmonton Police Service, arrested the three men for the June 2023 killing of Nijjar. New Delhi: An internal rift has erupted in the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) in Haryana following party leader Dushyant Chautala's call for a no-confidence motion against the Nayab Singh Saini government. According to media reports, after Dushyant Chautala's demand for a floor test, a few JJP MLAs met the former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today afternoon. Chautala on Thursday wrote to the governor, saying the Saini government no longer commands a majority and there should be an immediate floor test. The meeting that commenced at around 2 pm on Thursday was held at the residence of Minister of State Mahipal Dhanda in Panipat, where four JJP MLAs convened for a brief half-hour meeting with Khattar. Meanwhile, the Haryana Congress also on Thursday sent a letter to the governor's office seeking time on Friday to meet him and present a memorandum on the present political situation in the state. Earlier this week, the BJP-led Haryana government plunged into crisis after three Independent MLAs on Tuesday withdrew their support and announced they would back the Congress. The government which has the support of two other Independents is now two short of the majority mark in the 90-member state assembly. Haryana: Three Independent MLAs had withdrawn their support to the Saini government in the state on Tuesday, reducing the Nayab Singh Saini government to a minority in the state assembly."It is evident that the BJP govt in Haryana no longer commands a majority," former Deputy Chief Minister and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala said in his letter to the governor on Wednesday. In his letter, Chautala urged the Governor to direct appropriate authority to immediately call for a floor test. BJP's former ally Jannayak Janata Party told reporters on Wednesday that it is ready to help the Congress bring down the BJP government in Haryana, a day after three Independent MLAs withdrew support to the ruling party. However, Chief Minister Saini asserted that his government was not in trouble. His predecessor and party colleague M L Khattar also claimed that many MLAs are in touch with the BJP and there is "nothing to worry about". Independent MLAs Sombir Sangwan (Dadri), Randhir Singh Gollen (Pundri) and Dharampal Gonder (Nilokheri) withdrew support yo the ruling BJP in Haryana and announced that they would back the Congress. Amidst the ongoing Haryana political crisis, Congress candidate from Rohtak Lok Sabha constituency Deepender Singh Hooda on Thursday said that after the three independent MLAs withdrew their support, the government in the state has come into a minority and should resign immediately. Congress Slams JJP Speaking with the reporters, Deepender Singh Hooda said, "The way three independent MLAs have withdrawn their support and supported Congress in Haryana, the government here has come into the minority. A minority government has no moral right. This government should resign immediately on moral grounds." The Congress candidate added further, "We demand that if the government does not resign, then the Governor should take cognizance of the matter and impose President's rule in Haryana and conduct elections." Hooda also took a jibe at the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) and said, "The JJP should give in writing that they are not in support of BJP... They are famous as a betrayal party in the whole country..." Bhojpuri Style Dance Goes Viral: Kanpur is breaking records this time in the campaigning for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Experts say that such enthusiasm and excitement about the elections are being seen for the first time in Kanpur. On Tuesday, famous Bhojpuri actresses Akshara Singh and Monalisa also arrived there, and people flocked to see them. In fact, Akshara and Monalisa had come to Kanpur to campaign for BJP candidate Ramesh Awasthi. A huge crowd gathered just to catch a glimpse of these beauties. In the roadshow, millions were present, who enthusiastically chanted slogans and danced. Bhojpuri Divas' Charm, 6 km Long Roadshow The roadshow, which started from Kali Mathiya and passed through the main areas of the city before returning to Kali Mathiya, saw crowds flock to see the Bhojpuri actresses. BJP's major leaders and workers were present in the roadshow. Seeing people's enthusiasm, it felt like a festival was being celebrated. Both Bhojpuri actresses graciously acknowledged the people's greetings. People were seen joyfully dancing on the streets of Kanpur. Not only that, people were eager to catch a glimpse of the actresses. People welcomed Akshara and Monalisa by throwing flowers. During this, Ramesh Awasthi was also seen with them. People rushed to see the Bhojpuri actresses The roadshow of Akshara Singh and Monalisa started with the blessings of Goddess Kali, and it seemed like the entire city had poured onto the streets. There was a stream of two and four-wheel vehicles, thousands of enthusiastic supporters, and cheers for Akshara Singh. The areas through which the convoy of Akshara Singh and Monalisa passed seemed overwhelmed with a flood of people. People were desperate to see them. This roadshow was not just a political event, but a display of the public's love and support. Akshara Singh expressed her gratitude for the grand welcome and enthusiasm of the people of Kanpur." The Jammu and Kashmir Police said on Thursday that they have busted a narco-smuggling module in the Baramulla district of north Kashmir, arresting three smugglers with a significant quantity of narcotics and cash. Speaking to reporters in Baramulla, Senior Superintendent of Police Amod Ashok Nagpure stated that the Uri police station received information on May 8 from reliable sources indicating the involvement of Mehmood Ahmad Najar of Churunda and Sajad Ahmad Malik of Dhanisyedan in narcotics smuggling. Both suspects were detained for questioning, during which they disclosed that they had concealed contraband substances and cash in Churanda. "Following their disclosure, a police party, along with a magistrate, conducted a search at the location and recovered the contraband substance. The operation was assisted by the Army," Amod said. He further mentioned that the accused revealed the involvement of another individual, Fayaz Ahmad Hajam of Danisyedan, in smuggling contraband from Pakistan. Subsequently, Hajam was detained, and during questioning, he disclosed the concealment of additional contraband, which was subsequently recovered by the police and magistrate. "Additionally, based on further disclosures by Fayaz, some cash was also recovered from his residence. This module is linked to Pakistan-based handlers, from whom the police managed to recover contraband weighing 7.800 kg (valued at approximately Rs 50 crore) and cash worth Rs 12,63,500," he added. The SSP stated that as of now, no election angle has been established in the investigation. However, a thorough investigation will be conducted to ensure that elections are held in a free and fair manner. Srinagar: In downtown Srinagar, once notorious for stone pelting and election boycotts, today sees hundreds participating in vibrant election campaigns and rallies. Fatehkadal's "Sher Khas" area, long considered off-limits for mainstream politicians, witnessed a remarkable event. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, known for asserting Kashmir's instability in every rally, successfully held a colourful event there. She not only conducted the rally but also visited the renowned dargah "Khanke Moullah" with her supporters. Mehbooba contends that despite appearances, this isn't a sign of peace and prosperity. She emphasizes that people are disheartened, feeling imprisoned, and now seek to voice their dissent through voting, aiming to send a message to Delhi. Mehbooba Mufti said Hem we dont want this peace of silence of the graveyard, people have to tell Delhi by casting their votes what has happened in 2019, whatever you have snatched illegally, you have to return it. Mehbooba said the government is creating problems for the PDP and NC, but we are hopeful that the voting will be good." A big change is being seen in the Kashmir valley, for the first time in the last three decades, election campaign rallies are being held in those areas which were once considered disturbed and a stronghold of terrorists. Regional political parties campaigned at Jamia Masjid, Fateh Kadal in Srinagar's Nowhatta area, Eidgah in downtown and the historic Lal Chowk. These areas were once famous for stone pelting and election boycott. The voting percentage in Kashmir has always been low, but this time the situation has completely changed. It seems that looking at the participation of people in the election rallies, all the previous voting percentages will be broken, because people are ready to vote, and they say that voting is the only way to get their rights. Saira, who came to hear the speech, said, "Voting can be beneficial, we can get progress. I think a lot of change has happened, people say we will cast our vote, we will not waste our vote, a lot of change has come." Another supporter Ashraf said, "A lot of change is happening in our Downtown. Young leaders have come forward. It seems that these leaders will do something for the youth. The issue will be resolved only through elections, our voice will go forward." Before Mehbooba Mufti's rally, APNI party president Altaf Bukhari held a roadshow from Dastagir Sahib's Dargah in Khanyar to the historic Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta in Srinagar's downtown area. Many people and party workers attended the rally and agreed that change is taking place in Kashmir. The BJP has praised the central government's policies for Kashmir, especially the removal of Article 370. He said that Modi and Amit Shah have played an important role in establishing peace in Kashmir and the steps taken by them have helped establish peace in Kashmir. Altaf Thakur (BJP Jammu and Kashmir state unit spokesperson) said, The fact that these state leaders are openly campaigning in downtown today has been possible due to the policies of the BJP government at the Centre. Modi ji has created a new Kashmir by removing Article 370. Political parties are also holding rallies in self-governing districts like Shopian, Pulwama and Kulgam, which were once considered strongholds of terrorist organizations. People's Democratic Party candidate from Srinagar constituency Wahid Para also held a roadshow from Pulwama district of South Kashmir to the clock tower at Lal Chowk in Srinagar. He was accompanied by hundreds of party workers and the slogans raised by him and his party workers echoed in the clock tower area of Lal Chowk in Srinagar. Amid a debate over the increasing population of Muslims and decrease in Hindu populations, a prominent Sikh leader has urged people of his community to have at least five kids. The appeal was issued by Jathedar Giani Harnam Singh Khalsa, the head of Damdami Taksal, a prominent Sikh organization. He urged every Sikh couple to have at least five children and also said that if they cannot afford the expenses of the kids, then the four kids should be handed over to the organisation. Jathedar Giani Harnam Singh Khalsa said that the organisation will nurture and raise all those children. He said that this would help Sikhs increase their population. He also appealed to Sikhs to make their children promote the Sikh religion, said reports. "You should not limit yourself to one child, otherwise, in the coming times, Sikhs will be a minority and will suffer. A report from the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) stated that there was a decrease of 7.82 per cent in the share of the Hindu population in India between 1950 and 2015. While there was an increase of 43.15 per cent in the share of Muslims. This indicates a conducive environment for promoting diversity in the country," he said. Jathedar Giani Harnam Singh Khalsa's remark came after a report from the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister stated that the share of Muslims and Christians has increased in India while that of Jains and Hindus has decreased. The jain population decreased from 0.45 per cent in 1950 to 0.36 per cent in 2015 while the share of the Hindus decreased by 7.82 per cent from 84.68 per cent to 78.06 per cent between 1950 and 2015. The report said that the population of Muslims increased by over 43% from 9.84 per cent in 1950 to 14.09 per cent in 2015. According to the report, the share of Christians in the population increased from 2.24 per cent to 2.36 per cent while the share of the Sikh population increased from 1.24 per cent in 1950 to 1.85 per cent in 2015. Meanwhile, there was a significant decrease of 85 per cent in the share of the Parsi population in India - from 0.03 per cent in 1950 to a mere 0.004 per cent in 2015. New Delhi: Eight people lost their lives in an explosion that ripped through a firecracker manufacturing unit near Sivakasi in Virudhunagar district. Eight workers, including five women and three men, were killed in the accident at a fireworks-manufacturing unit near Sengamalapatti in Sivakasi in the district. Seven rooms where the firecrackers were stocked were completely gutted, police said. Police and fire service personnel rushed the injured to the government hospital in Sivakasi. A senior police official said the cause of the fire was being ascertained and added that the unit is a licenced one, reported PTI. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin expressed condolences over the inciden and directed the district authorities to provide appropriate medical care to the injured and save lives. Abdullah Al-Eisa/ Getty Images Saudi AI firm Alat would divest from China if the US requests it, CEO Amit Midha told Bloomberg. Saudi Arabia has been pouring billions into AI and semiconductor initiatives in an attempt to become a major hub. Concerns have grown that Middle Eastern ties offered China a way to access advanced technologies. A new state-backed Saudi Arabian fund centered on semiconductor and AI technology has guaranteed that it would divest from China if Washington requests it. "US is the number one market, US is the number one partner, and we hope we can partner more deeply," Alat CEO Amit Midha told Bloomberg during the Milken Institute Global Conference. The firm, financed by a $100 billion capital injection from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, would have no problems pulling back from Beijing when asked: "So far, the requests have been to keep manufacturing and supply chains completely separate, but if the partnerships with China would become a problem for the US, we will divest," Midha said. According to Bloomberg, the US has been in talks with the kingdom to ensure its massive AI buildout doesn't bolster China's own efforts in the sector, as competition heats up between Washington and Beijing. Officials have long portrayed China's access to AI and semiconductor technology as a national security threat. Attention has fallen on Saudi Arabia as it plows significant money into AI, all to become a major industry hub. Aside from its investment in Alat, it has partnered with Silicon Valley players for another $40 billion in AI funding, The New York Times reported. But that's also drawn scrutiny from the US, on the worry that Middle Eastern connections in China offer Beijing a sanctions loophole. Since late 2022, Washington has targeted China with a number of technology sanctions. US officials have already had to mandate AI firms to divest from China, such as G42. According to Bloomberg, the United Arab Emirates' company complied, keeping access to US AI systems and leading to a $1.5 billion investment from Microsoft. For his part, Midha sees value in sticking to the US, touting that his firm can be a meaningful support in building out necessary AI infrastructure. The firm is also planning a partnership with two US tech firms this summer, while co-investing alongside another US fund, he said. He declined to name the companies involved. Read the original article on Business Insider Mumbai: Benchmark equity indices declined in early trade on Thursday amid heavy foreign fund outflows and selling in Reliance Industries and Tata Consultancy Services. Declining for the third day running, the 30-share BSE Sensex dropped 209.6 points to 73,256.79. The NSE Nifty dipped 77.7 points to 22,224.80. From the Sensex basket, Larsen & Toubro went lower by over 3 per cent after March quarter earnings. Tata Consultancy Services, Tech Mahindra, ITC, Bajaj Finserv, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Industries were the other laggards. Mahindra & Mahindra, Titan, Maruti and Tata Motors were among the gainers. "A major trend in the market now is the aggressive selling by FIIs, which has touched Rs 15,863 crore so far this month. It is important to understand that there is a new factor triggering FII selling, apart from the high US bond yields. This is the outperformance of the Chinese and Hong Kong markets," said V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Financial Services. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 6,669.10 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data. In Asian markets, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong were trading with gains while Seoul traded lower. Wall Street ended on a mixed note on Wednesday. Global oil benchmark Brent crude climbed 0.43 per cent to USD 83.94 a barrel. The 30-share BSE Sensex declined 45.46 points or 0.06 per cent to settle at 73,466.39 on Wednesday. The NSE Nifty remained unchanged at 22,302.50. A birthday party is a much-awaited event for a child and every parent wants it to be something special. While there are options galore in today's world, there's also the risk of a party becoming too boring or a cliche. Imagination and creativity are required to organise a fun birthday party which has been thoughtfully organised, so that precious memories are made. If you are looking for unique ideas for a memorable birthday party, here are five cool party ideas shared by Anoopam Shroff, Co-founder, Alpha Game Truck. How To Plan A Fun Birthday Party For Your Child - 5 Tips Want your child to have a memorable birthday? Here are five tips by Anoopam Shroff: 1. Game Truck Party: Is your child and their friends into gaming? Rent a gaming truck and set up a gaming party at your doorstep. The latest console gaming with multiple screens gives kids a memorable experience. Kids enjoy a variety of games like Fifa, Minecraft, Spider-Man and others. A game truck can boast of luxury interiors, is air conditioned and comes with a one-of-a-kind gaming setup. 2. A Superhero Party: Kids can have a gala time as they relive the experience of being their favourite superhero in an action-packed superhero-themed party. Choose a superhero-related theme for the celebration. You might design a unique superhero theme with original characters, or it could be a well-known superhero like Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, or Superwoman. 3. Slumber Party: Who doesn't love a sleepover at their friends' place? If your child is old enough, have a slumber party by inviting their friends for a sleepover. Choose a room in the house where the kids can sleep comfortably, even as they giggle and share their little secrets. Make the place plush and comfy with blankets and pillows, air mattresses or sleeping mats. 4. Craft Party: Kids can be inspired to be creative, and imaginative, and have hands-on fun at a craft party. Depending on the preference of the child and their areas of interest, choose a theme for the craft party. Animals, space exploration, superheroes, princesses, and beloved cartoon characters are examples of popular themes. Have provisions for making cute picture frames, creating friendship bracelets and making caps. 5. Movie Party: If your child is old enough to be allowed to watch movies, a movie party can be the perfect choice. Check with your child for his/her preference and that of their friends. If you want to keep it a surprise, choose a selection of films that are suited for the partygoers' ages and have the right munchies to make it a memorable experience. New Delhi: Zomatos CEO, Deepinder Goyal has introduced a new "Photo Cakes" feature which allows users to order customised cakes with any photo, and have it delivered within just half an hour. To test the service, Goyal ordered a personalised cake for an employee celebrating a decade with the company. Goyal ordered a photo cake for a Zomato executive who joined the company when she was 20 and now co-leads its HR team. Tested the feature myself to congratulate Aashna on completing 10 yrs at @zomato. She joined Zomato a few days after she turned 20, and now co-leads the people/HR team at Zomato. Goyal posted on X (formerly Twitter), sharing a snapshot of a cake with the employee's picture on it. A more light hearted update for today we just launched Photo Cakes on @zomato now you can upload your picture and get a customized cake delivered in about 30 minutes. Tested the feature myself to congratulate Aashna on completing 10 yrs at @zomato. She joined Zomato a few pic.twitter.com/wmgb5gO7bA Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) May 9, 2024 Where is the Photo Cakes feature currently available? The Photo Cakes feature is currently available only in select areas of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). (Also Read: Zomato's CEO Deepinder Goyal Launches India's First Crowd-Supported Weather Infrastructure) When will this feature become available in other cities? Goyal hasn't announced a specific timeline but he mentioned that the Photo Cakes feature will be rolled out to other cities soon. (Also Read: Microsofts Xbox To Shut Down Several Gaming Studios: Know Why) To get a cake with a custom photo, all users need to do is upload the desired image while placing their order on the app. This feature was launched just before Mother's Day, a time when the platform typically sees a surge in cake orders. Goyal on wednesday introduced Indias first crowd-supported weather infrastructure. This initiative will provide localised, real-time data on important weather factors such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, rainfall, and more. In a first since its war in Gaza, US President Joe Biden publicly warned Israel on Wednesday that if Israeli forces launched a significant assault of Rafah, a city packed with refugees in southern Gaza, the US would cease providing it with weapons. In an interview with CNN, Biden stated, "I made it clear that if they go into Rafah..., I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities - that deal with that problem." In an attempt to prevent an Israeli attack on Rafah, Biden used his strongest language in public to date in his remarks, which also highlighted the widening divide between the United States and its most powerful Middle Eastern ally. Biden acknowledged that U.S. bombs provided to Israel have killed Gaza civilians in the seven-month-old offensive aimed at annihilating Hamas. Biden's comments, his starkest to date, increase the pressure on Israel to refrain from a full-scale assault on Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have sought refuge after fleeing combat farther north in Gaza. There was no immediate comment from Israel on Biden's remarks, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the Rafah operation would go ahead. Israel says it must hit Rafah to defeat thousands of Hamas fighters it says are there. Biden has faced pressure from his Democratic colleagues and growing campus protests to prevent Israel from invading Rafah. His support for Israel has become a political liability as the president seeks re-election. The United States is by far Israel's largest supplier of weapons, and deliveries accelerated following the Hamas attacks on October 7, which triggered Israel's offensive in Gaza. Biden stated that the United States would continue to provide weapons for Israel's defence, such as the Iron Dome anti-missile system. On Wednesday, US officials confirmed that the delivery of bombs to Israel had been halted due to the risk to civilians in Gaza. Israel, meanwhile, continued tank and aerial strikes on southern Gaza after moving in via the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Tuesday, cutting off a vital aid route. The Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday dismissed the US's allegations against India for a foiled assassination plot against pro-Khalistan radical Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, saying that Washington has not yet provided any reliable evidence of Indian citizens' involvement in the case. "According to the information we have, Washington has yet to provide any credible evidence of Indian citizens' involvement in the planning of the murder of a certain GS Pannun. "Speculation on this topic in the absence of evidence is unacceptable," said Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry's official spokeswoman, during a briefing on Wednesday. She said that the United States does not understand the national mentality or the historical context of the Indian state's development, and that it disrespects India as a state. Zakharova's remarks came in response to a media question about Moscow's reaction to allegations against an Indian official of a foiled "assassination" plot, and the American news publication 'The Washington Post' stating that India is attempting to do the same as Russia and Saudi Arabia against its adversary. "I believe 'The Washington Post' should use the term "repressive regime" and everything you quoted about Washington. It is difficult to imagine a more repressive regime than Washington, both domestically and internationally. Now, directly to your question," she added. "Regular unfounded accusations by the US against New Delhi (we see that they falsely accuse not only India but also many other states) of violating religious freedoms reflect the US' misunderstanding of the national mentality, the historical context of the development of the Indian state, and disrespect for India as a state. I am confident that this stems from the neocolonial mentality, the colonial mentality, the slave trade period, and imperialism," she stated. "This doesn't just apply to India. The reason is a desire to destabilise India's internal political situation in order to complicate the upcoming general elections. This is an example of interference in India's internal affairs," she said. In April, the External Affairs Ministry rejected a report in The Washington Post that named an Indian Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) official as being involved in the alleged plot to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States. Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), described the US media report as "speculative and irresponsible" and described it as a "unwarranted and unsubstantiated" imputation on a "serious matter" that is being investigated. Jeff Zucker says he would have changed the ownership share within RedBird IMI to close the sale - Clara Molden/Clara Molden The leader of the blocked takeover bid for The Telegraph has admitted he should not have given Abu Dhabi such a big role in the deal. Jeff Zucker, who heads RedBird IMI, said in hindsight he would have changed the structure of the bid to reduce the involvement of the Gulf state. Speaking at the WSJ CEO Council Summit in London, he said: With regard to The Telegraph, what we should have done is we should have structured the deal differently and changed the percentage of ownership of each of the entities that was within RedBird IMI. If we could go back and restructure earlier on, I think we would have done that. I think it probably would have sufficed. RedBird IMI, which is 75pc backed by International Media Investments (IMI), a vehicle controlled by Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, formally abandoned its takeover bid for The Telegraph and Spectator last week. It came after the Government intervened to block the deal with a new law banning foreign state ownership of British newspapers. Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer had already put the transaction on hold as regulators carried out a review amid concerns about the impact on press freedom. Ms Frazer put the transaction on hold as regulators carried out a review of the sale - Lucy Frazer/PA Asked what he would have done differently, Mr Zucker also said he would have closed the takeover deal for the Spectator, which was not subject to the same regulatory scrutiny, straight away. The former CNN boss said his fund was just being good citizens by working with regulators and agreeing to carry out the transactions for the two titles at the same time. He added: If I could go back in time obviously we would have closed on the Spectator right away. We had the ability to do so and we should have done so. RedBird IMI has now kicked off an onward sale process for the two titles, which could be sold separately or as a package. The auction, which is being run by bankers at Raine and Robey Warshaw, is expected to attract interest from British media moguls including Daily Mail owner Lord Rothermere and GB News co-owner Sir Paul Marshall. Mr Zucker said interest in The Telegraph and Spectator had been pretty robust, adding that he had been surprised by how many calls he had received from prospective buyers outside the UK. RedBird IMI acquired an option to own the titles from the Barclays family as part of a deal to pay off a 1.2bn debt they owed to Lloyds Banking Group. In addition to a full sale of the publications, RedBird Capital, the US private equity fund that represents the other 25pc of the joint venture, could look to retain its involvement and find a new investor to replace the UAE vehicle. Story continues Earlier this month, Ms Frazer called on RedBird IMI to complete the onward sale as quickly as possible to end uncertainty at the newspaper. The Government is expected to launch a consultation into the foreign ownership ban in the coming weeks amid lobbying from Daily Mail owner DMGT and Rupert Murdochs News Corp to water down the rules. Mr Zucker said he expected the onward sale, which may also attract regulatory scrutiny, to work itself out in the next two-to-three months. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. State Street Shortens ETF Settlement Cycle State Street Global Advisors, the No. 3 U.S. exchange-traded fund issuer, has shortened the settlement times on dozens of ETFs in preparation for the move to a T+1 cycle in the U.S. Overall, 42 ETFs with significant exposure to U.S., Canadian and Mexican equities will see their creation and redemption settlement cycles reduced from two days to one. The unit of State Street Corp., whose SPDR business manages $1.26 trillion in 137 ETFs, is making the change as the US prepares to move from a T+2 to a T+1 settlement cycle later this month, a move expected to have a far-reaching impact on the European ETF market. The rule change, expected to reduce trading risk, isn't expected to make a noticeable impact on ETF trading, etf.com reported last year. The Securities and Exchange Commission is trying to prevent a repeat of the 2021 meme-stock crisis when shares of video-game retailer GameStop and other stocks that were heavily shorted by hedge funds rose rapidly. Products such as the SPDR S&P 500 UCITS ETF (SPY5) and the SPDR S&P U.S. Dividend Aristocrat UCITS ETF (USDV) will be impacted while global exposures such as the SPDR MSCI World UCITS ETF (SWRD) will also see their cycle change. Europe on T+2 Cycle With Europe remaining on a T+2 cycle, asset managers in Europe have been rushing to prepare for the move, particularly with concerns around ETFs breaching UCITS funding rules. ETFs risk breaching several UCITS rules including cash and overdraft levels following the move in the U.S. Last month, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) rejected calls from the industry to change UCITS rules following concerns ETFs could be in breach under T+1 misalignment. Industry figures had called for a temporary suspension of the Central Securities Depository Regime (CSDR) due to increased risks of settlement fails. However, ESMA said it does not see any obstacles in the EU legislation for UCITS to deal with the expected change of the settlement cycles to T+1 in the US. In October last year, ESMA issued a call for evidence to consult on shortening the settlement cycle across equities, fixed income and ETFs in Europe, while the UK said it would look to coordinate its cycle with the EU. Permalink | Copyright 2024 etf.com. All rights reserved Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG Holli Zelinsky often thinks about selling or even closing the Doodle Bug. She opened the preschool and child care center in rural Schuylkill County in 2007, and making the finances work has always been a challenge. But after the coronavirus pandemic upended the child care industry over four years ago, finding and keeping workers became even harder. Short staffing led her to shut down one of her baby rooms and reduce enrollment for other ages. Zelinsky said she went from having 55 children a day to 37. She worries about having to close more rooms. Im not a quitter, Zelinsky told Spotlight PA. I keep thinking somethings going to be better. Since the coronavirus pandemic began, about $1.8 billion in federal stimulus funds have been targeted at stabilizing Pennsylvanias child care industry, according to figures from an advocacy organization and the state Department of Human Services. But providers say they are still desperately struggling to stay afloat and keep workers, issues that have created problems for families and employers. Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiros proposal includes additional state funding for various early learning, early intervention, and child care programs. A Spotlight PA review of six such line items shows a proposed boost of about $100 million in state money. But advocates say the proposal doesnt do enough for what they see as a critical issue: child care teacher recruitment and retention. Theyre asking for $284 million in new and recurring state funding for an initiative dedicated to that purpose. Those funds could pay for wage increases, hiring and retention bonuses, and benefit packages. The governors administration has declined to say whether it supports the recruitment and retention proposal, and the measure faces an uncertain fate in the legislature. Id love to support that, state Sen. Pat Stefano, R-Fayette, co-chair of the legislatures Early Childhood Education Caucus, told Spotlight PA. Now if I could just find the money. The state has a large budget surplus, estimated to reach roughly $14 billion by the end of June. But Shapiro and the legislature are divided on what to do with it. Democrats have a narrow majority in the state House. Republicans who control the state Senate have called the governors spending plan reckless and unsustainable and argued it would create financial hardships in future years. The Shapiro administration has said the state would still have an $11 billion surplus in 2025 even if every initiative in the governors budget proposal goes through. Story continues Amid the larger debate, child care advocates are pressing for support. We are still in crisis mode in the industry, said Jen DeBell, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children. Programs are having a really hard time both recruiting and retaining staff. Thats the case for Leah Spangler, president and CEO of the Learning Lamp, a nonprofit based in the Johnstown area that serves about 900 children a year in child care and preschool programs across multiple counties. In March, she had about 100 job openings and about 550 children on the waiting list for care. With better pay for workers, her organization could serve many more children, she said. She urged lawmakers to take action and invest in the industry, which she said cant compete with convenience store chains and other businesses that start workers at $15 an hour and higher. I dont have a beer cave. I cant sell lottery tickets. I cant sell tobacco, Spangler said during a legislative agency hearing in March. How am I going to be able to raise my wages? For the same hearing, Gina Cappel of Jerusalem Child Care and Learning Center in Schuylkill County submitted written testimony urging state leaders to take action. She included a resignation letter from one of her employees, who described how she couldnt support herself on $13 an hour. Its just a terrible, honest fact that people like her we cannot keep. The fact is they must go and earn a living that will sustain them, Cappel, director of the center, told Spotlight PA afterward. Gina Cappel, director of Jerusalem Child Care and Learning Center in Schuylkill County, stands in an empty classroom. Susan Angstadt/For Spotlight PA Why the industry is still struggling Child care industry leaders and advocates say they work with a fundamentally broken business model: The fees are too high for families, but the wages are too low for workers. The coronavirus pandemic changed the labor market, forcing employers across industries to raise wages, said Elliot Haspel, a national child care policy expert. But he said child care employers have less financial flexibility than retailers, fast food chains, and similar businesses. When you cant keep yourself staffed up, you cant serve that many kids, you have to shut down classrooms, Haspel said, which means youre bringing in less revenue, which can actually put you into a real budgetary sort of death spiral. There are many ways to measure the struggle the child care industry faces in Pennsylvania. There are about 6,400 certified child care centers or home-based programs in the state nearly 9% less than before the pandemic, according to figures from advocates who have been tracking closures and openings. Participation in the states subsidized child care program was down by about 13,000 kids in February, compared to before the pandemic, a Spotlight PA review of state data shows. Jobs in the industry have rebounded more slowly than those in the rest of the states economy. As of February, there were fewer employees working in child care services in Pennsylvania than before the pandemic, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. These child care industry struggles create problems for other businesses, according to leaders of the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce. The chamber in January surveyed families and received more than 150 responses. Some respondents described the ways their child benefited from early intervention services such as speech therapy; one person wrote that child care providers love my kids like they are their own. More than three dozen respondents described facing wait lists of a year or more. Samantha Chivinski, executive vice president of the chamber, said the price of child care can force families to make difficult choices as they try to juggle grocery bills, the cost of gas to get to work, and other expenses. People leave the workforce because it doesnt make sense, she said. In December, Pennsylvanias legislature and governor approved changes in state law to help address the cost burden of child care for families. They expanded the state child and dependent care tax credit, increasing the maximum annual credit for one child from $315 to $1,050. For two or more children, the maximum annual credit increased from $630 to $2,100. In budget documents, the administration estimated almost 219,000 tax returns would benefit. Diane Barber, executive director of the Pennsylvania Child Care Association, called the expanded tax credit a wonderful thing for families. But she and other child care advocates and experts said it doesnt fix the staffing issues providers face. While we can reduce the costs for families, it only helps if they can actually find some place for their children to go, Barber told Spotlight PA. What the governor is proposing State funding for two major child care line items has already increased, partially making up for a decline in federal revenue, according to a March report from the states Independent Fiscal Office. But overall funding is still down from the height it reached during the pandemic. And the report noted uncertainties remain for the industry, including whether providers can maintain the wages they increased during the pandemic. Shapiros administration has highlighted how one relatively small increase in his budget proposal $96,000 in state funds would allow the state to leverage $62 million in federal funds to increase reimbursement rates for providers in the states subsidized child care program. The new rates would be at a federally recommended benchmark, the administration has said. Were very hopeful that this is something that is included in the final budget, Secretary of Human Services Valerie Arkoosh said during a state Senate budget hearing in March. It will be extremely important to these child care providers. It will allow them to increase salaries if they wish. It will put more money in their budgets and money they can count on. But child care advocates say the proposed higher rates arent enough. Barber of the Pennsylvania Child Care Association told Spotlight PA the money for higher reimbursement rates will help providers keep their lights on, but its not going to be able to empower programs to increase staff salaries substantially or to provide benefits. The administration has declined to say whether it supports the $284 million proposal from advocates. Department of Human Services spokesperson Brandon Cwalina told Spotlight PA the administration is happy to work with the General Assembly to review and consider specific proposals that invest in child care. But he said the administration anticipates raising reimbursement rates will create a more stable business environment for child care providers and ensure equal access to child care services, and that both reimbursement rates and child care worker pay have increased in recent years. Child care workers would also benefit from the governors proposed minimum wage increase to $15 an hour, Arkoosh told lawmakers. And she said the budget plan includes additional funding to help child care providers reach that level should lawmakers raise the minimum wage. Representatives for the party caucuses in the state legislature expressed support for child care. But they did not commit to a specific funding level. Stefano, of the Early Childhood Education Caucus, said he wants to see more investment in child care and early education beyond what the governor has proposed. But he said there are unknowns, including how much money lawmakers will decide to spend on K-12 education. Another co-chair of the caucus, state Sen. Judy Schwank, D-Berks, said she supports the $284 million proposal from advocates. Will we get all of it? Im not so sure, Schwank told Spotlight PA. But Id sure like to see something. So would Zelinsky at the Doodle Bug. If there was something that would take a little bit of stress off of me, it would be different because I cant imagine my life doing anything else, she said. I would take every one of these kids home with me. Thats what makes me stay. BEFORE YOU GO If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. Theres a chance taxpayers could get some of their money back from the state government in the budget this year, a top Republican told reporters on Thursday. Senate leader Phil Berger, an Eden Republican, said that budget writers are looking into whether there is enough money in an expected surplus to give taxpayers a rebate this year, but cautioned it is only at the discussion point. The state has a $1.4 billion revenue surplus, The News & Observer previously reported, and the expected slow-cession never materialized. Some of the questions that Ive asked would be: OK, how much would we need to allocate to give $1,000 to every taxpayer? Berger said. How much would we need to allocate to give $1,000 to each head of household? Or a certain amount to folks that have dependent children? Berger said there arent solid answers on the questions yet. He wants the amount to be significant, not $100 to $150. Were still looking at it, and I dont think thered be an interest in doing it unless the amount we could send out would be an amount that would make a difference more than a half a tank of gas and stuff like that. By the way, under the Biden administration, a tank of gas has gotten a whole lot more expensive, Berger said. The national average price of a gallon on gas on May 9, according to AAA, is $3.64 for regular grade. In North Carolina, the average price is $3.39 per gallon. Republicans have considered issuing tax rebates in the past with a budget surplus, but in recent years have put it in savings funds instead. In 2019, with a smaller revenue surplus, Berger and Republican House Speaker Tim Moore wanted to give tax rebates, The N&O previously reported. But the plan did not come to fruition, and 2019s House Bill 74, the Taxpayer Refund Act, stalled in a House committee. Budget timing this year Republicans, who have total control of the General Assembly and hence the power to write the budget, have also indicated support for funding of child care, and the Senate has already passed a bill allocating about $463 million more for the Opportunity Scholarship program, which provides private school tuition vouchers. Lawmakers are also looking at additional raises or bonuses for state employees and teachers. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has called for $1,500 retention bonuses for teachers and $1,000 to $1,500 for state employees, which would likely use money from the surplus. The focus of every legislative short session, which is held in even-numbered years, is to make adjustments to the two-year spending plan passed in odd-numbered years. Often, the budget process is drawn out well into the new fiscal year that starts July 1, passing months late or even not at all, which is what happened in 2019. Story continues Signs so far this year point to a timely June budget. For now, anyway. Berger said that the Senates budget chairs report they are still on track to be voting on the budget in early June. But the next two weeks will be crucial. House budget leaders are meeting as well. Berger said theyll know in the next two weeks whether or not things are gonna go off the rails, or continue. Right now it seems like things are moving, from a timing standpoint, to where we should be able to go. Canadian Cancer Society responds to emerging evidence and joins patients demanding more access to breast screening OTTAWA, ON, May 9, 2024 /CNW/ - The Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) is urging provinces and territories to lower the start age for breast screening programs to 40 for individuals at an average risk of developing breast cancer. CCS is changing its position on screening to reflect evolving evidence and calls for action from patients who are frustrated that many women aged 40 to 49 are being excluded from breast screening as well as the national guidelines developed by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (CTFPHC). Canadian Cancer Society logo (CNW Group/Canadian Cancer Society (National Office)) In Canada, 1 in 8 women is expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Access to breast screening is important to find breast cancers early when chances of successful treatment are better. Regular mammograms help find cancer early and lower the risk of dying from breast cancer. "The issue of breast screening is complex and there has been a debate among experts on the best age to begin screening," explains Dr Sandra Krueckl, Executive Vice President, Mission, Information and Support Services. "Over the last several years, there has been a groundswell of support for screening to begin at a younger age and for a more inclusive system one that empowers people between the ages of 40 and 49, no matter where they live, to access screening without barriers," explains Dr Krueckl. "We need to heed that call, as well as ensure there is clear guidance for people who have an elevated or high risk of developing breast cancer, such as people with genetic mutations, family history or dense breasts." CCS would also like to see all provinces provide the option for self-referral for individuals at high risk of breast cancer with a risk assessment even if age is outside of breast screening program window to address immediate gaps in provincial program access. While the CTFPHC is expected to release new breast screening guidelines later this month for consultation, it is provincial and territorial governments that set their respective breast screening program's start and stop ages. There are a growing number of provinces across Canada who already provide access to breast screening services starting at age 40. As provinces and territories consider the new national guidelines, CCS calls for remaining jurisdictions to reduce the start age to 40 for women and trans, non-binary and gender diverse people at average risk of breast cancer. This would align with recently released guidelines in the United States that have recommended expanded breast screening access for people aged 40 to 49. It also reflects new evidence that has been published since the Canadian guidelines were last updated in 2018. Story continues For Cassidy London, lowering the age of breast screening programs nationwide would be welcome news. When Cassidy was 40, she approached her doctor about having a mammogram but was told she wasn't eligible. Four years later, she found a lump in her breast and shortly after was diagnosed with breast cancer. "It appeared out of nowhere and I wasn't checking because I didn't think I needed to," explains Cassidy. "Maybe if I had been screened starting at age 40, it would have been caught earlier. If we can help even one person detect their cancer earlier, and make their cancer experience easier, or even save their life, why wouldn't we?" A February 2024 Ipsos Poll commissioned by CCS found that 90% of Canadians support the expansion of access to breast screening to include women aged 40 to 49, even if it results in an increase to their taxes. "Lowering the start age is an important step, allowing more breast cancers to be found earlier, when treatment is likely to be more successful," explains Dr Krueckl. "We also need more research to expand knowledge of screening and risk, we need to address data gaps so we have a better understanding of the impact of breast cancer in Canada, and we need a collaborative approach across the country and entire breast screening community to prioritize this issue together." As access to screening expands, all governments must invest in prevention, early detection, screening, diagnosis and treatment, and address current critical health workforce shortages, especially in rural and remote areas. This includes making new investments to accommodate lowering the screening age and increase overall participation. Culturally safe approaches must be adopted along with strategies to improve screening participation for communities who experience barriers and inequities accessing breast cancer screening. Solutions must be co-designed with communities that are underserved, including First Nations, Inuit, Metis, racialized, rural, remote, and 2SLGBTQI+ communities. It is also crucial to improve breast screening data so that policy makers and the healthcare system can better monitor the health of the population, improve healthcare quality and delivery, and inform research and practice. The Pan-Canadian Cancer Data Strategy and Pan-Canadian Health Data Charter outline important opportunities to enhance data in the country. Global understanding of breast cancer has continued to shift and expand, and provinces, territories, the federal government and the CTFPHC all have an obligation to ensure screening programs keep pace with the changing environment. Summarizing action needed CCS strongly recommends comprehensive action in the following areas to ensure equitable and timely access to breast screening: Investing in research Enhancing data collection Developing guidelines for people who have elevated and higher risk Updating screening eligibility for average risk including lowered age Enhancing breast cancer screening programs to address distinct population needs Building awareness about existing breast screening programs Co-developing solutions to increase participation in communities that are underserved Investing in health human resources To learn more about when you should be screened for breast cancer, visit cancer.ca. About the Canadian Cancer Society The Canadian Cancer Society works tirelessly to save and improve lives. We raise funds to fuel the brightest minds in cancer research. We provide a compassionate support system for all those affected by cancer, across Canada and for all types of cancer. Together with patients, supporters, donors and volunteers, we work to create a healthier future for everyone. Because to take on cancer, it takes all of us. It takes a society. Help us make a difference. Call 1-888-939-3333 or visit cancer.ca today. SOURCE Canadian Cancer Society (National Office) Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2024/09/c0456.html DEERFIELD BEACH When Michael Rosenberg was looking for a place to start his law career he was looking for a place to grow just as the firm was growing, too. That was about two decades ago, and Roig Lawyers, which was created in 2000 by Fernando Roig, his wife, and a paralegal, has only grown larger. Today the firm has 55 attorneys throughout the state, with offices in Miami, the headquarters of Deerfield Beach, Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville, with scores more as support staff and paralegals. This year, Roig Lawyers of Deerfield Beach was recognized as the top-ranked mid-size workplace in the South Florida Sun Sentinels Top Workplaces 2024 competition. There were more than 174 companies of all sizes surveyed. Mid-sized businesses are defined as 125 to 399 employees. Rosenberg joined the firm in 2005 as the seventh attorney. Since then weve really focused on servicing our clients and growing the firm but maintaining what made them stand out since the beginning. All of us including myself all had the opportunity to grow with the company; none of us are in the positions we were when we started, he said. We have had tremendous opportunity to grow within the organization, to not only see it evolve but be part of that evolution. Roig Lawyers serves as legal counsel in insurance defense matters for corporations and insurance companies, such as car and health insurance companies, and acts as litigation counsel in civil disputes. Many clients are retail and grocery stores contending with slip-and-falls. The firm also represents technology companies and banks they get sued a lot. There are four named partners, but the firm still operates under the Roig name. How the firm is a success: We want to give our attorneys the freedom to deliver the best results for the client. We are not micromanagers; we are not yellers or screamers. We try to work in a collaborative environment where we have the input of all stakeholders. A meeting with a new client to understand a case, for example, could include associate lawyers and the paralegal: Its extremely important for everyone to be on the same page, contribute to the process, how we were going to litigate this case. Everyone feels heard, everyone has an opportunity to provide their input, Rosenberg said. There is still room for growth: Weve talked about opening offices in other states, he said. Rosenberg credits the firms Top Workplace success with considerate perks such as 100% payment of medical and dental premiums, as well as life insurance and long-term disability plans for all full-time employees. Story continues If you take burdens off people, even small things, it allows employees to focus on the work, he said. You get a better product and you get better people. And theres trust and independence: Attorneys average 37.5 hours a week, but nobody is on a real schedule, Rosenberg said. If you want to start at 9 because you want to drop your kids off, fine. As long as the work is getting done. Where employees work is at their discretion, too, whether its the office, home, or a hybrid of the two: Whatever best suits you or the teams needs, he said. Jessica Martin started at the law firm in 2002, the year before she started law school. Roig took her on as a file clerk. He had just started his own firm; it was very small, she said. Every summer when she was in school she returned to work as a clerk, which involved getting the pleadings that came in the mail in the right folder with paper fasteners. It was a really neat experience. She learned to write, and how to review cases. She shadowed the lawyers in the office and was listening to their conversations with clients. I never left, she said. I was very lucky. She started with the firm in 2006 as an attorney, and became the first female partner in 2009. While her friends at the University of Floridas law school were chasing the most lucrative paying firms shelling out six-figure starter incomes, Martin said she couldnt wait to get back home to Roig. Im not leaving, she said. For me its about culture more so than anything. Its about working somewhere where every opinion matters. Its not just about work; it is a family. She said she was pursuing a home, and a future, and a career, not just a job. Within insurance defense, today Martin specializes in fraud cases and special investigations within personal injury protection. Thats when someone is telling me she cant work because of a car accident, a slip-and-fall, and then surveillance shows (them) picking coconuts out of palm trees. Cases can include bogus claims, inflated medical charges, exaggerated injuries, and other suspected cases of insurance fraud. Its the culture of Roig that keeps Martin a loyal employee. Its about being valued, its about feeling appreciated, its about having a voice, being able to participate in the management of the firm and the day-to-day operations, she said. Its a firm where not just the partners get to do the fun stuff, she said. Young lawyers have the ability to grow professionally and grow with the firm. Although most of the staff works remotely, the management makes an effort to get out handwritten notes to mark birthdays, and gifts for the holidays. And theres teamwork, everyone works together, she said. Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com. Follow on X, formerly Twitter, @LisaHuriash When a loved one dies, on top of grieving, you have to settle their affairs or you may end up in financial hot water. But some say its taking too long to get certain court documents. A man who lived in Hidden Valley passed away last year. His daughter, who asked Channel 9 not to share her name, wanted to wrap up his affairs, especially his mortgage, so his house wouldnt end up in foreclosure. Its life-changing. You have trouble sleeping, she told Action 9s Jason Stoogenke. MORE ACTION 9: Homeowner says contractors ruined her windows, they say its tree sap She really needed a certain court document to get the ball rolling, but says it was taking a long time. We cant do anything with my dads estate. We cant get information. We cant submit anything, she said. She even hired a lawyer, Charlie Hands III with the Hands Law Firm, to help. He told Stoogenke he had other clients in the same situation. Hands says you used to be able to go to court and get estate papers on the spot, but now you may have to wait weeks or even months. First of all, the whole process of grieving is taking place and then on top of that, theyre trying to take care of the affairs that they need for their family. Then theyre getting letters from the creditors. Theyre getting letters from the bank, he said. He says they finally got the paperwork needed, but that it took more than three months. The power is taken out of the peoples hands when they cant get what they need from the court delays, he said. MORE ACTION 9: You just found out your mortgage switched companies, what to know Stoogenke asked Mecklenburg County Clerk of Court Elisa Chinn-Gary about those delays. She says her office has had an increase specifically in estate filings of about 38% the last three years, but fewer workers. Our men and women are doing a very diligent job at resolving and closing cases, but there is a gap. North Carolinas Administrative Office of the Courts agrees. It recently released a study that says the Clerks Office needs 36 more full-time workers to keep up. So, I am asking the legislature to simply fill the gap, she told Stoogenke. Other counties appear short-staffed as well. See where your county stands here. Advice from Action 9: Obviously, you cant control the court system, but youre not entirely powerless. Make sure your aging parents give you a list of their accounts, including banks, credit cards, and mortgages, and ask if theyll add your name to the accounts. These talks can be uncomfortable, but they are important. VIDEO: Family says theyre out thousands of dollars and a home after rental scam Ur-Energy Inc. (AMEX:URG) Q1 2024 Earnings Call Transcript May 8, 2024 Ur-Energy Inc. isnt one of the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds at the end of the third quarter (see the details here). Operator: Good day and welcome to the Ur-Energy 2024 First Quarter Earnings Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. A question-and-answer session will follow the formal presentation. [Operator Instructions] Please note this conference is being recorded. I will now turn the conference over to your host Penne Goplerud. Ma'am, the floor is yours. Penne Goplerud: Thank you, and thank you all for joining us for our teleconference and webcast this morning. We are required to draw the attention of all participants to the legal disclaimers contained in this morning's slide presentation, which applies equally to our oral presentation today. At slide 2, you will find legal disclaimers with regard to forward-looking statements, risk factors and projections as well as other cautionary note to investors. We ask that you read and consider these disclaimers carefully before investing in our shares. As well risk factors inherent in forward-looking statements and projections are set forth and discussed in the company's annual report on Form 10-K filed on March 6, 2024 with the US Securities and Exchange on EDGAR and with the Securities Regulatory Authorities in Canada on SEDAR I would now like to introduce and turn the webcast presentation over to our Chairman and CEO, John Cash. John Cash: All right. Thank you, Penne. Appreciate that and thank you everyone for joining us this morning. And takes some time here to review our Q1 2024 earnings and take some time for Q&A at the end. But certainly it's been a good quarter for us at Lost Creek and Shirley Basin and for the company as we continue to advance toward commercial production, it will be giving you the highlights of the financials and operations. As well we will provide a presentation via PowerPoint form here to talk about the broader industry. Certainly a lot is going on right now including some activity last week in Congress that has had an effect on uranium prices recently. And I think it will continue to have an impact going forward. So the agenda here today is we'll do the presentation and then I'll open it up to comments from Roger Smith, our CFO, who will provide some highlights on financials and then turn it over to our COO, Steve Hatten who will cover off on some of the operations and provide you with an update on that. Story continues After that we'll take Q&A. So without further ado let's jump into the presentation. Many of you have seen this presentation before. But if you're new to the industry or new to Ur-Energy I believe that the presentation will be quite instructive. It covers off on not only just operations in the company, but also talks about the investment thesis in nuclear and why now is a great time to be jumping in. So Penne has already talked about the disclaimer. So I won't go into further detail there other than to say we encourage you to do your own homework before investing. There certainly is risk in any investment. In the recent past, as I attend investor relations conferences and talk to various investors, it's become very apparent that we have a lot of new people coming into this space. There's a lot of excitement in the nuclear industry throughout the fuel cycle and with utilities as the world begins to move more and more toward carbon-free electricity. And because of that we get a lot of just fundamental one-on-one questions about, what is it that you do? What is in situ mining? How do you recover uranium? So we've added a few new slides into the slide deck that really focus on in situ mining and what the technology is that we utilize since so many people are unfamiliar with it. But Ur-Energy, we are in in situ uranium miner. In situ as a Latin term, it means, in the place. So we don't move any rock. We don't dig any deeper holes or add tunnels to access the ore. Instead, we access the ore through water wells. And you can see in the diagram here that the blue wells those are injection wells. We inject water, CO2 and oxygen into the ore body. You can see the ore body there is that crescent shaped black figure. The mining solution a water in those two gases moves across the ore body. It dissolves the uranium and we simply pump it to the surface through that yellow well -- the production well up to the surface and send it to a processing plant for recovery. The water once the uranium is removed from it is simply recycled back into the ground to continue to recover the ore until the ore body is depleted. There are many reasons why we utilize this technology. One of the primary reasons though is it has a very small footprint on the surface. So the photograph here is of our operating Lost Creek mine. This is in operation. This was taken a few years ago. So you can see that those are the wellheads in the foreground, the little brown boxes that look like bee hives. So you can see that there's minimal disturbance after we get the wells installed and we reclaim the surface. When we get done with mining, we will remove the wellheads, receive the surface and within a few years it will be hard to tell that we were even there and the ground can be returned to any use phrasing, you can put the towns on it buildings, schools, hospitals, it is absolutely unrestricted use once we're done. The other reason the technology is used is it economics. The minimal disturbance lends itself to low cost. We are not digging up large tonnages of rock. So the cost of operations of an in-situ mine typically is less than for a conventional mine, and that's why the world is moving toward in-situ mining increasingly. Right now a little over half about 55% of the world's uranium is recovered using in-situ technology, because of the economics, because of the minimal environmental footprint. So when the water is produced from the wells, it's directed into a Header House. Header House is simply a manifold system to collect and distribute water. In the photograph here, this is a Header House that we've built and on the left hand side along the wall there are 60 meter runs, if you can count each of those runs and each one of those is beating an individual injection well. On the right-hand side, you will see 30 production wells, lines that lead to production wells. And so each Header House has typically about 90 wells; 60 injectors, 30 producers. The manifold system in the center that is for filtration of the water to remove the sand and silt clays that are produced from the aquifer. So the next photograph, it shows our operating Lost Creek mine. On the left hand side those are the ion exchange columns within those columns are billions and billions of little styrene plastic beads that have an office and electrical charge as the uranium ions coming in, because the charges are opposite of each other, the uranium gallons on to electro chemically through the resin beads and they're captured from the water. This is a well-established technology has been around for many, many decades and is used not only in the uranium recovery industry, but in all kinds of water treatment systems. The next slide shows one of our shipments that we sent out recently. I believe this one is lots 75. We've had additional shipments since then, but lots 75 that we sent off to ConAgra Dine on behalf of one of our customers that is buying the product. And so you see we package it in 55 gallon drums, load the product on a truck and send it off for processing. So in a nutshell that is in-situ mining and wanted to provide those slides to people who are new to uranium mining and new to in-situ technology. It's an important part of who we are at Ur-Energy. So with that, I'll switch gears and we'll talk a little bit about our two flagship properties. We have other properties that I'm not going to talk about today, but exploration stage and more toward development stage properties. But the existing production in the near-erm production from our two flagship properties will come from Lost Creek, which is in production and Shirley Basin, which we're entering construction now. So, starting with Lost Creek, it's been in production now for over 10 years. And in that time period, we have produced nearly three million pounds of U308. U308 is the chemical formula for a yellow cake, which is the product we produce. We recently made the decision to restart production and we've been bringing new Header Houses online. Again those Header Houses are the new production areas and we were able to make that decision to go and to ramp production back up, because of the contract book. And I'll be talking in some detail about our contracts. But suffice it to say early on we had three contracts in place that gave us the faith that it was time to ramp production back up. We're in the process of that. And since then we have signed three more offtake agreements that total nearly six million pounds plus or minus flex. That's over a time period of now through 2030. We also have one of those contracts that has an option for extending for three additional years. We have a very good resource at Lost Creek, nearly 12.7 million pounds of the measured and indicated resource. In addition to that, we have a little over six million pounds of inferred resource, and I'll make a forward-looking statement here, but we do believe we have considerable opportunity to expand that resource through exploration in the future. So we keep that in mind when we talk about the mine life of around 13 years, we believe we can grow that through exploration. Lost Creek has a very good history of low cost production and we believe we can get back to a very low cost, maybe not back to those historic numbers because inflation is impacting cost going forward, but we believe we can get back to very low cost as we continue to ramp up. We do have technical reports that we have released, the NI 43-101 compliant and S-K 1300 compliant reports that are available on links on our website. But we're estimating that our operating costs at Lost Creek will be about $16.73 a pound as we reach economies of scale. The license for Lost Creek allows for 1.2 million pounds of production from the mine site and 2.2 million pounds a year from the plant. Now I need to explain the delta why the two different numbers. That was intentional; we wanted extra room in the processing plant to be able to toll process for competitors, or for another one of our projects such as Shirley Basin when we bring it online. So that 2.2 million pounds capacity at the plant at Lost Creek, it is fully constructed out and is operational. So that takes us to Shirley Basin because we intend to fill some of that capacity at Lost Creek with pounds from Shirley Basin where we're going to build out just a satellite, just the front end of the processing plant, ship the loaded ion exchange resin over to Lost Creek for processing there, and then take that resin, load it back on a truck, ship it back over to Shirley Basin to be reutilized in the system there. So Shirley Basin is fully permitted. We have all of our major permits and licenses. We've announced a decision to initiate construction, and we are in the early stages of construction right now as we speak. There is a license capacity at the mine and the mill for Shirley Basin of 1 million pounds per year. There's already a lot of infrastructure in place there because it is a brownfield property. Power lines are already there. We've got some roads coming in. Those need to be upgraded, but they do exist. There are also a couple of buildings on site, tailings management facility. So that gives us a head start on bringing that facility into production. Shirley Basin has a resource of 8.8 million pounds of measured and indicated resource. Please note there that there are no inferred pounds. This project has been heavily drilled, and we have all of the historic data. So everything has been put into the measured and indicated resources. Shirley Basin has a reputation of being the first in situ uranium mine in the world. We believe that to be true. We have the records for that showing that the concept was initiated back in about April of 1961. By spring of 1963, they were working on a pilot project that produced about 1.5 million pounds of uranium using the insitu technology at Shirley Basin. So we're excited to bring this technology back to what we believe is its birthplace. The operating cost at Shirley Basin we're estimating will be about $24.40 a pound, again, once we reach economies of scale. As I indicated, we have initiated construction. We're moving forward with the installation of our first monitor well ring. We're also looking to begin upgrading of the road, but we won't break ground on the processing plant or the satellite until about this time next year. We're putting final touches now on detailed engineering. We're getting ready to order long lead items, and in fact, we've already begun ordering some of the long lead items like ion exchange columns. Once we get a lot of that material on the ground, we will break ground and really initiate construction in earnest with the objective of having construction done late 2025, early 2026 with production immediately thereafter. So very excited about that. It's a famous uranium mining district in the state of Wyoming. We made the announcement that we're going to bring Shirley Basin back into production. We have tremendous inbounds from the public, very supportive to bring that back into production. So we'll leave behind our two flagship properties just for a little bit and talk about the nuclear investing thesis. Why nuclear? Why now? And really, one of the main reasons and the early reasons that the price began to move and the world began to show much more interest in nuclear power is because it's carbon free. When you burn uranium in a reactor, there are no emissions of CO2 or other greenhouse gases that are emitted, and the world is realizing that, hey, that is a tremendous benefit. It's strong base load. In other words, it doesn't turn off when the sun goes down or the wind doesn't blow, and we can rely on it at very high uptimes and with very reasonable cost. Already, the US gets about 20 percent of its electricity from nuclear power, and over half of our carbon-free electricity is from nuclear. Right now in the world, we have about 440 operating nuclear reactors. An additional 60 are in construction. Many of those are in China. We just had two come on in the US down in Georgia. They were built by a company called Southern Company, so we're excited to have those on in the US and have new production there. There are 92 reactors on order, and another 343 have been proposed. Because of that growth, the World Nuclear Association, the WNA, is projecting significant increases in demand for uranium in the coming years. The demand last year was 171 million pounds. That's global demand. They're projecting by the year 2040, that demand will have increased to 338 million pounds. That is a massive increase in such a short amount of time. And it's going to be incumbent upon the miners around the world to be able to fill that supply. And we have a lot of catch-up to do to meet that demand. That demand is before you start to layer in the small modular reactors, so the SMRs. They're already operational in three countries, and there are strong moves in the US to build out more here. The NEI, which is the Nuclear Energy Institute, they did a poll of their members here in the US, and the US utilities are estimating that they could have as many as 300 small modular reactors online by the year 2050. Again, in the nuclear industry, 2050 is like tomorrow. That's very quickly. Here in Wyoming, from where I sit, not too far behind me here to the west, TerraPower is building out a small modular reactor. TerraPower is owned by Pacific Power, and Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are involved in that project. If there are any two gentlemen in the US that can get a project done, it is those two guys, and they're making good progress for construction and approval of that plant. But we're proud to have that here in Wyoming and looking forward to hopefully being a supplier to that at some point in the future. It's really difficult to talk about the nuclear investing thesis without talking about geopolitics because as the heading says here, it is the tail that wags the dog, and it has been for decades, and that's because of the dual use of nuclear fuel. When Russia invaded Ukraine that was a real game changer for the industry, because Russia is a major refiner or processor of uranium. They don't mine very much, but they are one of the leading processors of uranium globally. In fact, Western companies really don't have the capacity today to backfill that. Now, I think that's going to change very rapidly, but sitting here today, Western companies cannot backfill a supply gap from Russia. So when Russia became a bad actor and invaded Ukraine, the markets got put into turmoil. A lot of risk, a lot of questions, where will the resources be coming from if we can't rely on Russia? So we started to see prices moving up with that invasion of Ukraine. Important to that discussion, too, is Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan doesn't refine very much uranium, but they do a lot of mining. In fact, they supply nearly half of the world's feedstock of uranium. Much of that goes into Russia for refining and then is distributed around the world, including to here in the US. Russia has a lot of influence in Kazakhstan. That can't be ignored going forward. And we're beginning to see that Russia and China have greater influence over Kazakh production. China has been moving into Africa and buying mines there and has become a dominant controlling force of uranium production in Africa. The West is trying to keep up. For example, Cameco has been bringing their two big Tier 1 mines back online up in Canada. It's been a little slower than they wanted, but they are making progress, and I'm confident they will ultimately be successful. But it has not been easy for them. And quite honestly, the production out of Canada is not enough to displace supply chain problems that could evolve out of Kazakhstan and out of Russia. They're a great supplier, but it's not enough. Then you layer in on top of all of those issues the Ku and Niger that happened a few months ago. And Niger only supplies about 4% of the world's uranium. And you say, well, that's not very much. That's a pretty small percentage. But when you consider that the supply chain is already stressed and supply is not keeping up with demand, and you call into question 4% more, that creates a lot more nervousness in the market. It's not clear where that's going to settle out at this point. Here in the US, we've seen increasing support in Congress and in the White House for nuclear power. I'm not going to read all of the bullets on this slide, but the top three bullets, those are successes that the industry has had with Congress in the last couple of years. The bottom three bullets are just some points on ongoing support. Most importantly, last week, middle of last week, we got approval from the Senate and a unanimous consent, Democrats and Republicans, to institute a ban on the import of Russian low-enriched uranium. The House had already voted in favor, again, unanimously, to put a ban in place to halt imports of uranium coming from Russia. I can't think of anything else in the last few years where the Democrats and the Republicans have agreed unanimously in the House and in the Senate to do anything. So I think this speaks to the desire to enhance nuclear output here in the US throughout the entire fuel cycle. That Bill is now moving to the President's desk. We have every reason to believe that he will sign it. Once that is signed into law, it will take effect 90 days after signature. The ban will last until the year 2040. There is a waiver process through the end of 2027. So if a utility is unable to acquire low-enriched uranium, they can go to the Department of Energy and seek a waiver that would allow them to get Russian material into the country. That waiver process at this point is not very well defined, but we believe it will be stringent and will only be utilized under very limited circumstances. Going back to some of the projects we have, just a few more slides on Lost Creek and Shirley Basin that will get into some of the financials. But the map here on the left, it does show the property that we hold in the Great Divide Basin. In blue is Lost Creek. That's the area that is currently permitted. Been in production for over 10 years now and it has had incredibly good recovery rates, averaging 90% over 10 years. We're also very proud of our royalty burden at both Lost Creek and at Shirley Basin. They both average less than 1%. I think we probably have some of the lowest royalty burdens in industry, and that really helps us out on the economics. The green area, we believe there's good mineralization throughout those areas, we'll continue to explore in those areas going forward. We are working on permitting LC East. We have two of the three major permits we need on that. We're awaiting the third and final permit to bring LC East into the production of the portfolio. But all of those areas in green they are within pipeline distance of the processing plant at Lost Creek. As I mentioned earlier, we do believe we have a lot of room to explore both laterally and vertically. So there are a number of geologic horizons that have had little to no exploration including, the KMLM and in horizons. So, we have a lot of room to explore going forward. I had indicated earlier that we have a history of being a low-cost producer, and I won't go through all the numbers on the slide here, but I would call your attention to the year 2015. It's highlighted in yellow. And you can see our production that year was pushing 800,000 pounds. So we had very good economies of scale. Our average cash cost that year, was a little over $16 a pound, which is outstanding. We believe that we can get back not to those numbers, but not too terribly far off of those numbers, as we ramp up. Now that a C1 cash cost that does not include it all in cash number. But again, we believe we can get down to a very low cost going forward. So right now, we are ramping up commercial operations at Lost Creek. We've got four new header houses that are online and we expect to fill better house in May, and we expect to continue to speed up the rate of construction and bringing new areas into production throughout the summer. We've got two new deep disposal wells, and we're finalizing the permitting on that, hope to have that up and running in the not-too-distant future. We are very aware of supply chain issues. They are very real. We are ordering some equipment 12 to 18 months in advance, to make sure we've got it on the ground at Lost Creek, in a timely manner. We've been successful there, but we have to stay on top of that situation, because it can interfere with production, if we don't stay on top of it. We are pleased that we've been able to keep some of our key staff out of the mine site. They've been incredibly helpful to us theyre important as we ramp up, they are training our new staff as they come online. We are now done with hiring. I've been very open public about the challenges, with hiring, its not been easy, but we do have our staff that we need. Going back to the green revolution. I'm not going to read everything on this slide. I'll let you read that, but I do love the top bullet, the statistic is just amazing. If you take a look at the pounds we will produce from Lost Creek and Shirley Basin and that energy output, if you compare that energy output to the -- output from a coal-fired power plant, we will offset over 300 million metric tons of CO2. That's the equivalent of taking 67.5 million cars off the road per year. We're very proud of that. And as I've indicated, that's an important component of nuclear energy and why the world is moving toward that. We have also been a leader in research and development. The top four bullets, they highlight some of the successes that we've had in the past. We have announced programs, R&D programs for a new type of well casing that we are working through the patenting process on. So we have protection on that. Aerial view of the vast landscape of Great Divide Basin, Wyoming. And we've also announced an advanced water treatment and filtration R&D program. Both of those have been kind of held off a little bit as we ramp up. We simply don't have the manpower to dedicate to those. We are excited about the opportunities they present and we will get back to them in the not-too-distant future, as we work our way through ramp-up. R&D is difficult. We can't be sure what the outcomes are, but we're optimistic that we'll have some good developments there that will reduce costs and at the same time, improve our environmental footprint. So looking at financial highlights as of the 2nd of this month, we had $52.9 million in cash. We are now debt-free. We have six long-term contracts that we've put in place. I list those out there. For this year, we need to deliver 570,000 pounds into those contracts. Keep in mind, that our current mine capacity is 1.2 billion pounds per year, and we expect that to increase to 2.2 million pounds a year, as we get Shirley Basin built out and put into production. We also have a little bit of income that comes in from our interest, as well as disposal fees out of the Shirley Basin. So, here's our market position. So we've had some very good volume days here lately, as interest grows and in Ur-Energy in the nuclear space, we've been trading over 3 million shares a day, for the last couple of three days. It's been substantially greater than that. So we've got great liquidity of price. We see upward pressure here over the last few days. Very pleased, and really want to highlight this on the slide. We believe we have some of the most sophisticated investors in the uranium mining space. These are companies that research daily and have tremendous expertise in the uranium market. They know it better than most. And so companies like Lloyd's Harbor, which is a participation [indiscernible] Some of the ETFs, are significant shareholders and I think it speaks really well to the value our company presents. We are well over 50% institutional held at this point back to one point, I think we reach 62% institutional. We've retreated off of that just slightly, but very pleased with our share registry. We also have great analyst coverage, these are some of the biggest names in the uranium space again, that cover off on the uranium miners. So we're very pleased to have such good coverage. So just closing here on the presentation, a few takeaways. We are well financed at this point. We've got some very good contracts in place and we're beginning to experience revenue from those. We are continuing to see RFPs come in from utilities and we are going to continue to respond to those RFPs at increasing prices. The market is continuing to warm up, and as it gets warmer, we're going to look to get higher and higher pricing. I'm going to reserve some comments on that to the end of the presentation here. I'll speak more about our contracting philosophy. Certainly that is a question that we commonly get from investors. So I want to touch that in a little more detail here in a couple of minutes. So ramp up to commercial production is well underway. We've got our core operational staff hired. They are getting more and more experience. We expect the production rate to continue to improve and increase throughout this year, as we move into commercial production. We believe that our ramp-up costs are going to be lower than most out there, other buildout stories and that certainly have been a part of our DNA that we are low cost. So there are a number of catalysts out there. I think investors need to be considering when they look at investing in the uranium miners and specifically Ur-Energy. First off, we do continue to see that uranium price move higher. So that is moving share prices along with it. But again, the world is moving toward green energy. That's putting a lot of pressure. The suppliers are struggling to keep up with demand. I don't think that's going to change in the near term. Maybe in the mid-term to long-term that will change, but it is going to take time for the miners to catch up with the demand. Geopolitics are putting a lot of pressure on supply and pricing, and the financial players have really jumped into, and they've been mopping up a lot of that mobile inventory. We believe there is very, very little mobile inventory out there at this point. With that, that includes the presentation, but I would like to take a couple of more minutes before I turn it over to Roger and Steve to talk about a couple of additional things in a little more detail, because we get a lot of questions on this, and that is the philosophy on marketing of pounds and contracting. How much are you going to hedge? So I'd just like to take a few minutes to talk about it. So at this point, as we've discussed in the PowerPoint presentation, we've signed six long-term sales contracts for delivery of 5.72 million pounds of U308 from this year, 2024 through 2030. Plus, we have potential for a three-year extension on one of the contracts. Some of these contracts contain a flex provision of plus or minus 10%. The first three contracts that we signed were for the explicit purpose of protecting the company by ensuring revenue over the next several years. And each were signed at prices higher than the long-term prices prevailing at the time commercial terms were agreed to. Each of these contracts is well in the money for Lost Creek and Shirley Basin production. Two of our recent contracts have significant pricing components with spot market-related collars. The floors keep us well in the money in declining market and the ceilings allow for upside potential in a rising market. We have a strong preference for this contract structure going forward. Our current contract book represents a little over 50% of our current licensed capacity, which leaves nearly 50% of our capacity for future long-term contracts. That 50%, I need to tell you what that's measured against. That's measured over the next six years of the contract book. So that's where that 50% comes from. So this marketing strategy has worked well for us over the years. As evidence of that, I would encourage you to consider how revenues from long-term contracts we delivered into from 2014 to 2020 resulted in profits and dramatically minimized our need to dilute our shareholders via equity raises. During that time period, many of our peers who didn't have the benefit of a robust contract book had to complete large equity raises and at least one of our peers went bankrupt as a result of not hedging. At this point, it is not our intent to sell into the spot market. We prefer to dedicate any production in excess of our contract book toward building inventory. At some point in the future when production has been ramped to commercial levels at Lost Creek and Shirley Basin and we have comfortable inventory, we may consider selling into the spot market if and when it is advantageous, but not until then. I want to be clear that our marketing strategy is fluid and will change in response to our production, our prediction of future uranium demand, prices, and other factors. However, in summary, our strategy will be to protect the company by dedicating a percentage of production into long-term contracts, while keeping significant powder dry to enjoy higher prices in the future and or market-related contracts with strong collar pricing. So we've been receiving a lot of questions about contracting, and I wanted to supply some insight into that. We've commented on this in our public disclosure, but hopefully this is helpful. Before I turn the mic over to our CFO, Roger Smith, to discuss the Q1 financial highlights, I want to take an opportunity to thank the state of Wyoming and Sweetwater County for their assistance with the Wyoming State Bond Loan. In 2014, the state, along with Sweetwater County, supported a $34 million loan that was instrumental in completing the ramp-up of production at Lost Creek. I'm pleased to report that on March 27th, we made the final payment, and we are now debt free. At the time the loan is authorized and now Governor Mark Gordon was the state treasurer and played an integral role in finalizing the transaction. We truly appreciate the support the state and county has given us and we commit to remaining good stewards of the land. But we believe this demonstrates that Wyoming is a great place to be for uranium miners. So with that, Roger, I'll turn it over to you if you if you don't mind if you could touch on the highlights of Q1. I would appreciate it. Roger Smith: Well thank you John and good morning everyone. Thank you for being with us. It has been a long time, but it is good to be back and have some production to talk about. So let me begin with production. During the quarter, we drummed 39,229 pounds after overcoming some equipment issues in Q4. This allowed us to make our first shipment of 35,445 pounds to the conversion facility in February. Our ending inventory at the conversion facility was 79,235 pounds on March 31st. As expected, the cost per pound at the conversion facility increased to $39 following the February shipment which came in at about $52 per pound. As production increases, we expect the cost per pound shipped through the conversion facility to decrease and the conversion facility cost per pound to also decrease. In April, we made our second shipment and expect to make routine shipments throughout the year. Turning to cash. We ended the quarter with $53.9 million, which was down $5.8 million from December. During the quarter, we received $15.8 million from the exercise of warrants proceeds from ATM sales and interest income. We used $5.7 million of the funds for debt payments including the normal quarterly loan payment and in January the loan payoff in March as well. We are now debt free as John told you and that's very fine. And I would also like to thank the treasurer and the state of Wyoming. They were so helpful during the process and very, very good to work with throughout. In addition to a small amount of capital expenditures, we spent about $2.6 million on production costs during the quarter. Production Activities include well field operations, plant operations, site administration and product distribution. The cost capture from and ship uranium to the conversion facility are included in our production costs. Our cost per pound captured decreased during 2023 as we captured more pounds each quarter, ultimately capturing 68,448 pounds in 2023 Q4. Because of drying limitations in Q4 which we remedied in Q1, we were only able to capture 38,221 pounds and 2024 to one. With the drying limitations behind us, we are now able to capture and drummed more apparent through May 2 we drummed 29,497 pounds and we should see our cost per pound captured continue to decrease in Q2. We spent $14.7 million on operating costs during the quarter. Operating costs include exploration, evaluation, development and corporate overhead costs. Development costs accounted for $12 million of the $15 million in operating costs. Including the development costs, we spent $3.5 million on the completion of a deep disposal well. The completion work was finished in Q1 and we are now in the process of obtaining the remaining regulatory approval. $7.9 million was for the development of the wellfield at Lost Creek. Wellfield development includes all of the cost in advance of wellfield operations such as drilling and drill related costs center our house construction costs and infrastructure costs. These costs are incurred in advance of production and are expensed as they're incurred. As we continue to fill the wellfields at Lost Creek, these costs will continue, but will stabilize as production increases and we achieve a balance between wellfield development, wellfield operations and plants operator. I will close with a few comments about sales. Sales are projected to be 570,000 pounds in 2024. Our first sale was in April for 75,000 pounds and the remaining sales will take place in the second half of the year. We expect to realize revenues of $33.1 million at an average price of about $58 per pound. 2024 sales deliveries are into base escalated contracts that were negotiated in 2022 and the long-term price was between $43 and $52 per pound. Those contracts enabled us to make the decision to ramp up operations at Lost Creek. Fast-forward today we are well into the ramp-up process and currently we have six active sales agreements in place. Pricing of our sales agreements is anticipated to be profitable on an all-in production cost basis after we reach targeted production rates. We anticipate reaching those targeted production rates before year end. With that I'll turn it back over to John. Thank you everybody. John Cash: Thank you, Roger. Appreciate you running through the numbers with everyone. Steve, Steve Hatten our Chief Operating Officer. Steve if you could give us an update on operations. Steve Hatten: Sure. Thanks John and thank you to everybody who is taking the time to join us today. We appreciate it. First, we are pleased to be one of the few publicly-traded companies that are actively and aggressively drilling, constructing, and commercially recovering uranium and expanding our production capacity to sell into a strengthening uranium market, especially given recent developments on the world stage. We'll talk about Lost Creek. First ramp-up continues at Lost Creek with two additional Header Houses 2-6 and 2-7 coming online thus far in 2024. That's four total since the decision to restart normal operations. While we have experienced some additional equipment and operational challenges, we are seeing more consistent drying and packaging with nearly 30,000 pounds drummed since quarter end through May 2nd as well as shipping 35,398 pounds and transferring 75,000 pounds to customers. Primarily the issues reducing speed of ramp up are related to the challenging market for hiring and retaining personnel. This has been true in all phases of work at the site and has also been true for our contractors. In spite of difficulties with hiring, retaining, and training personnel, we continue to advance the project, albeit sometimes in a one step forward, two steps back manner. Regardless, occupational, regulatory, and environmental safety and compliance remain primary in everything we do. We also drilled an additional deep disposal well at Lost Creek starting in mid-2023 and following receipt of regulatory approvals, final completion work was finished in Q1 of 2024. We will now obtain remaining regulatory approvals followed by specification of surface injection equipment in advance of operation of the deep well procurement and installation of a power line with completed enabling anticipated operation in 2024. Initial injection systems are already on site allowing for operation of the deep well soon after injection permits are received. Looking ahead, we have 12 drill rigs on site with at least one additional rig scheduled to commence work in early May. Drilling has advanced Header House 2-11 with completion work nearly finished in Header House 2-8. Fabrication of Header Houses 2-8 and 2-9 is complete and work on Header Houses to 2-10 and 2-11 is advancing in our Casper construction shop. Header House 2-8 is expected to come online in May. We expect 2024 production from Mine Unit 2 to be between 550,000 and 650,000 pounds. We also anticipate routine shipments from our Lost Creek mine to the conversion facility continued throughout the year. Next we'll talk about Shirley Basin. With our expanded sales contract book and encouraging market conditions, we were pleased to announce our decision in the first quarter of 2024 to proceed with the build-out of a satellite facility at our wholly-owned fully-permitted and licensed Shirley Basin project in Carbon County, Wyoming. The decision will nearly double our annual permitted mine production to 2.2 million pounds of U3O8. The satellite plant will be a relatively low-cost facility consisting of ion-exchange, wastewater, and groundwater restoration circuits. The ion exchange at Shirley Basin will be loaded with uranium from the mine and ship to our Lost Creek facility for processing before being recycled back into operations at Shirley Basin. This satellite approach will help minimize initial facility capital cost to approximately $24.5 million and pre-operational wellfield development costs to $16.3 million. The satellite plant will be designed with a flow rate of up to 6,000 gallons per minute and capacity to produce up to 1 million pounds of U3O8 per year. Our permits and license allow for the construction of the elution, precipitation, and drying circuits should it become economically advantageous to do so. No amendments to the existing permits or licenses would be required to do that. The estimated time to finalize designs, order materials, and construct the satellite plant and initial wellfield recovery area is approximately 24 months. Work has already been initiated on long-lead items, including detailed engineering and additional geologic pattern planning for the wellfield. Planning has been completed for the monitor well ring for the first mine unit, with plans to install approximately 120 wells in 2024 Q's two and three. We have already mobilized rigs to that effort and people are working on that as well. This installation will enable hydrologic testing, baseline water quality analyses to proceed prior to the start of installation of production patterns in mid-2025. Significantly, the bid process and award for the fabrication of IX columns has been completed. This procurement represents one of the longest lead items within the facility. Major construction activities are expected to begin in 2025 and initial production is expected to commence in 2026. Thanks for your time. John, back to you. A - John Cash: All right. Thank you, Steve. I really appreciate the operations update. At this point, we'll jump into Q&A. We do have a few minutes of time left over here. So very happy to be able to try to answer any questions you have. A - John Cash: Penne, I'll turn it over to you shortly, but I do have two questions that have been posed. And after I answer those, I'll turn it over to you to see what other questions we have. The first question I believe Steve has already spoken to, but it asks could you speak to how you see production advancing through 2024 to meet annual guidance. Again, Steve addressed this, but a few weeks ago we put out a press release. So we did slightly very slightly downgrade our production forecast for this year about 100,000 pounds. Now we're looking at around 550,000 to 650,000 pounds of production this year. That's right in line with what we need to fill our contract book for this year and we're very optimistic and we're working hard on a day-to-day basis to be able to meet that production going forward. And Steve, I think gave us a really good presentation on the activities that are going on for us to be able to meet that production for this year. So, we're targeting right at around 600,000 pounds of production this year to fill our contract book. The second question is talking about the share performance comparing that to our peers. I just would like to point out that I just did a quick look here on Yahoo Finance. Our share price is up 89.4% over the last year. I think that's outstanding. Wish I got that on my 401 K, I would have retired many, many years ago. But having said that sometimes people ask me well how come you're not doing as well against this stock or that stock? It's not an uncommon question that we get. So our performance has been very good but I would ask who are our peers who is in production that you can compare against. And I think it's difficult to compare a producer against a more promotional story that perhaps and most likely is not in production, right now in the US and globally the number of junior mining companies that are in production, you can literally count it on one hand don't even need all your fingers to do that. So I would question, who are the peers but very proud of our performance. And I can assure everyone on the call that every day we are looking for ways to improve production, lower cost, higher contracts to be able to boost that share price. At the same time we're going to continue to be a very transparent story. I think we always have been we always will be that's how the Company was founded and how we're going to continue to run that. So with that Penny, I'll turn it over to you to see if there are any additional questions from the listeners? Penne Goplerud: Thank you, John. There are no other questions on the webcast, but I believe that our operator has some folks standing by with questions. John Cash: Okay. Thank you. Ali, if you can give us the questions, we'd appreciate it. See also 30 Most In-Demand Jobs in the US and Insider Buying Alert: CEOs Are Buying These 10 Stocks. To continue reading the Q&A session, please click here. BERLIN (Reuters) The United States overtook China as Germany's most important trading partner in the first quarter of this year, according to Reuters' calculations based on official data from the German statistics office. Germany's trade with the United States - exports and imports combined - totalled 63 billion euros ($68 billion) from January to March, while the figure for China was just under 60 billion euros, the data showed. In 2023, China was Germany's top trading partner for the eighth year in a row, with volumes reaching 253 billion euros, although that was only a few hundred million ahead of the U.S. "German exports to the U.S. have now risen further due to the robust economy there, while both exports to and imports from China have fallen," said Commerzbank economist Vincent Stamer, explaining the first quarter shift. Structural reasons are also a factor, he said. "China has moved up the value chain ladder and is increasingly producing more complex goods itself, which it used to import from Germany," said Stamer. "In addition, German companies are increasingly producing locally instead of exporting goods from Germany to China." Container gantry cranes at the Burchardkai terminal above the "Berlin Express" berthed in the port of Hamburg. (Jonas Walzberg/picture alliance via Getty Images) (picture alliance via Getty Images) Germany has said it wants to reduce its exposure to China, citing political differences and accusing Beijing in its first China strategy announcement last year of "unfair practcses". But Berlin has been vague on policy steps to reduce dependencies. German imports of goods from China fell almost 12% year-on-year in the first quarter, while exports of goods to China fell just over 1%, said Juergen Matthes, from German economic institute IW. "The fact that the Chinese economy is performing worse than many had hoped, while the U.S. economy is exceeding expectations, is presumably contributing to this," said Matthes. The U.S. now accounts for around 10% of German goods exports. China's share has fallen to less than 6%, Matthes said. "With a clear global economic headwind for the German economic model, a reorientation - also geopolitically motivated - seems to be taking place: away from system rival China and towards transatlantic partner U.S.," he added. It is unclear, however, whether this will continue. "If the White House administration changes after the U.S. elections in November and moves more in the direction of closing off markets, this process could come to a standstill," said Dirk Jandura, president of the BGA trade association. (Reporting by Maria Martinez and Rene Wagner; Editing by Miranda Murray and Mark Potter) ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) released first-quarter results on April 26, and the report gave shareholders much to cheer about. For the period ending March 31, the company posted earnings of $8.2 billion, or $2.06 per share. Exxon earned $11.43 billion, or $2.79 per share, in Q1 of last year. Although the recent numbers equal a 26%-28% decrease, a more noteworthy metric is that Exxon generated a whopping $10.1 billion in free cash flow, beating analysts' expectations by 21%. By any financial measure, a $10 billion addition to its cash flow coffers is an enviable return on the company's capital expenditure (capex) outlays of $94 billion since 2019. Even though Exxon reduced capital spending by 8.5% from the prior-year period, it still returned $6.8 billion to shareholders in the form of share repurchases and dividends. The company spent $5.8 billion on capital and exploration expenditures in the just-completed quarter. Spending on projects CEO Darren Woods has been emphatic that the principal criterion for considering capex projects is whether they will ultimately enhance shareholder value. A review of Exxon's projects now coming to fruition shows that its business strategy has been consistent with this goal. Most of the company's resources since 2019 have been committed to exploration and production of its offshore oil fields in Guyana as well as maximizing shale oil yields in the Permian basin in the southwestern U.S. The oil giant has minimized costs in the extraction process while boosting recoverable reserves for both projects. CFO Kathy Mikells stated that the Guyana project came on line quicker than anticipated and is currently producing 600,000 barrels a day; substantial production yields are yet to come. Although upfront costs for offshore wells are higher than shale fields, their yield is significantly greater, which bodes well for Exxon's Guyana projects. According to Evercore ISI analyst James West, a shale well can produce 1,000 barrels of oil per day, while individual offshore wells can produce 20,000 barrels per day. The annual rate of depletion for offshore wells is typically in the single digits, versus 50% or more for the first year for shale wells. Since 2019, Exxon has doubled production volume of shale oil in the Permian basin region. The company's $60 billion purchase of Pioneer Resources -- announced in 2023 and closed this month -- was an astute strategic decision. Exxon can now augment its existing acreage with Pioneer's valuable shale plots, which contain some of the most productive wells in the region paired with the lowest extraction costs. Story continues The acquisition will more than double Exxon's current Permian production. By 2027, it will increase it fourfold to 2 million barrels of oil a day, accounting for almost half of its existing worldwide production. Additionally, the break-even point for many of the wells in the Permian basin is around $35 a barrel. These operational advantages will help ensure the company maintains its current abundant cash flow levels well into the future. Planning pays off In 2020, Exxon implemented a countercyclical growth strategy that staked its future on the continued need for fossil fuels. Meeting that goal involved seeking out long-term inventory of low-cost, high-yield oil fields that could generate stable cash flows in a variety of price markets. Shareholders are now reaping the rewards of Exxon's unwavering commitment to this effort. Continued implementation will provide the company with a stream of stable recurring income from current as well as future production capacity of its proven reserves. TD Cowen analyst Jason Gabelman notes that Exxon's dividend is covered even if oil drops to $45 a barrel. Global demand for oil will continue to grow for decades. European oil majors BP and Shell, both green energy stalwarts, have shifted their resource allocations toward fossil fuel production over alternate energy projects. The voracious power demands of projected artificial intelligence data centers will increase electricity demand that renewables alone can't meet. Demand for electric vehicles has stalled; hybrid sales have increased. Woods' fervent belief in the viability of the company's capex strategy demonstrates he is a good steward of shareholders' capital. With a pristine balance sheet that reflects high cash reserves and low debt, Exxon has adequate financial heft to address the world's energy needs in the future, however diverse they may be. Should you invest $1,000 in ExxonMobil right now? Before you buy stock in ExxonMobil, 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 ExxonMobil wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $554,830!* Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of May 6, 2024 John Kinsellagh has positions in ExxonMobil. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends BP. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why ExxonMobil Stock Is a Long-Term Buy was originally published by The Motley Fool Shares of Perion Network (NASDAQ: PERI) were moving lower today for the second day in a row after the adtech company reported first-quarter earnings Wednesday morning that initially pleased the market but reversed later in the session. On Thursday, that slide continued as investors had more time to assess the state of the business after Microsoft slashed its payments to ad partners like Perion, causing the stock to plunge by roughly 40% in early April. Today, Perion stock was down 3% as of 12:04 p.m. ET after slipping 0.5% yesterday. Image source: Getty Images. Perion has a long road back First-quarter results weren't directly affected by the Microsoft change, as that happened after the quarter ended. Perion said revenue in the quarter rose 9% to $157.8, which was slightly better than the consensus at $156.8 million. However, all of the company's growth came from its search advertising segment, which is closely connected to Microsoft Bing. Search revenue was up 26% to $82 million, while ad solutions revenue, its other segment, fell 5% to $75.8 million. Within the ad solutions segment, the company saw strong growth in retail media, which was up 134% to $14.9 million, and connected TV (CTV), which jumped 108% to $8.2 million. It continued to experience weakness in video revenue, which was down 52% to $16.7 million and explains the decline in ad solutions revenue. Revenue excluding traffic acquisition costs fell 8% to $60.2 million, and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) tumbled 35% to $20.3 million. Adjusted earnings per share declined 27% to $0.44 but was still ahead of the consensus at $0.22. CEO Tal Jacobson said, "Perion is a resilient and agile company, and we are confident in our strategic positioning to overcome challenges, including recent changes in advertising pricing and mechanisms introduced by Microsoft Bing." Can Perion bounce back? Looking ahead, the company maintained its dialed-down guidance for the year, forecasting revenue growth of $590 million-$610 million, in line with estimates. For the second quarter, it sees revenue of $118 million-$122 million, and adjusted EBITDA of $10 million-$12 million, reflecting the impact of the changes in its business with Microsoft Bing. Perion has invested in a number of attractive AI products such as SORT cookieless tracking technology and WAVE, its generative audio AI technology for radio, podcasts, and other digital audio, giving it new growth opportunities. The growth in retail media and CTV is also promising, but the company will have to shake off the setback from Bing and the slowing growth from video revenue. Story continues Over the long term, Perion has the potential to be a winner, but investors are likely to be skeptical after Microsoft just kneecapped its business. Perion will have to earn back their confidence. Should you invest $1,000 in Perion Network right now? Before you buy stock in Perion Network, 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 Perion Network wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $553,959!* Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of May 6, 2024 Jeremy Bowman has positions in Perion Network. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Microsoft. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Perion Network Stock Was Falling Today was originally published by The Motley Fool Long term investing is the way to go, but that doesn't mean you should hold every stock forever. It hits us in the gut when we see fellow investors suffer a loss. Imagine if you held New Zealand King Salmon Investments Limited (NZSE:NZK) for half a decade as the share price tanked 90%. Furthermore, it's down 17% in about a quarter. That's not much fun for holders. We really feel for shareholders in this scenario. It's a good reminder of the importance of diversification, and it's worth keeping in mind there's more to life than money, anyway. With that in mind, it's worth seeing if the company's underlying fundamentals have been the driver of long term performance, or if there are some discrepancies. See our latest analysis for New Zealand King Salmon Investments To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price. New Zealand King Salmon Investments became profitable within the last five years. That would generally be considered a positive, so we are surprised to see the share price is down. Other metrics may better explain the share price move. Revenue is actually up 2.1% over the time period. A more detailed examination of the revenue and earnings may or may not explain why the share price languishes; there could be an opportunity. The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). It's good to see that there was some significant insider buying in the last three months. That's a positive. That said, we think earnings and revenue growth trends are even more important factors to consider. You can see what analysts are predicting for New Zealand King Salmon Investments in this interactive graph of future profit estimates. What About The Total Shareholder Return (TSR)? We'd be remiss not to mention the difference between New Zealand King Salmon Investments' total shareholder return (TSR) and its share price return. The TSR attempts to capture the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested) as well as any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings offered to shareholders. New Zealand King Salmon Investments' TSR of was a loss of 78% for the 5 years. That wasn't as bad as its share price return, because it has paid dividends. A Different Perspective It's nice to see that New Zealand King Salmon Investments shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 25% over the last year. Notably the five-year annualised TSR loss of 12% per year compares very unfavourably with the recent share price performance. This makes us a little wary, but the business might have turned around its fortunes. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand New Zealand King Salmon Investments better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with New Zealand King Salmon Investments (including 1 which is a bit unpleasant) . Story continues New Zealand King Salmon Investments is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on New Zealander exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Colorado policymakers wrapped up this year's legislative session on Wednesday night, following a hectic pace that saw them passing major proposals on housing, taxes and guns. Here are three takeaways. Lawmakers find agreement on difficult subjects In a sharp contrast to last year's session, Democrats and Republicans found common ground on several big subjects that have, for years, eluded bipartisan cooperation. Notably, they agreed on legislation that sets up a new Taxpayer's Bill of Rights refund mechanism and provides an income tax rate cut, bringing together Republican lawmakers who have long advocated for income tax rate reductions and their Democratic colleagues who want the governor's support for bills that use the TABOR surplus to pay for workforce and child poverty issues. They also agreed on a proposal that supporters said would address skyrocketing property taxes. The measure reduces property tax assessment rates for homeowners and commercial building owners. Hot-button proposals from Democrats' progressive wing fail Featured Local Savings Republicans and Democrats found more success when tackling more practical problems, while the more ideologically-driven and hot-button proposals once more failed. Notably, lawmakers killed a proposal that sought a legislative path toward allowing facilities where people can use illegal drugs under the supervision of medical professionals. And, for the second year in a row, progressive Democrats' efforts to pass a bill banning so-called "assault weapons" didn't go anywhere, though this year's version made it further in the process, making it to the state Senate before being postponed by its sponsor. Property tax fight is far from over The end of the legislative session heralds the beginning of a ballot measure battle over property taxes, as a group insists that the legislative approach adopted by Democrats and Republicans is insufficient. One ballot initiative championed by Advance Colorado seeks to reduce residential and business property tax rates down to roughly 2022 levels and cap future revenue growth to no more than 4% year over year. Initiative advocates said they are not convinced the agreement struck by Gov. Jared Polis, Democrats and Republicans, along with several groups, would offer meaningful relief to businesses and homeowners. Meanwhile, the deal's supporters said it would do exactly that while taking into account the fiscal needs of local government and school districts. The points raised by both sides will likely form the backbone of the arguments the public will hear during the general election in November. Indeed, as amended, the lawmakers' property tax bill would not go into effect if voters approved the Advance Colorado initiative or the other one the group is working on or both. After several days of delays, the Senate approved a House proposal requiring metropolitan planning organizations to impose higher density goals in zoning. The House approved the amendments, and House Bill 1313, which received a 19-15 vote in the Senate on Tuesday, now goes to Gov. Jared Polis, who is expected to sign it. Four Democrats joined the Senate's 12 Republicans in rejecting the measure, including Sens. Joann Ginal, Rachel Zenzinger, Chris Kolker, and Julie Gonzales, whose "no" vote is tied to the bill losing its ability to strip away state transportation funding from local governments that refuse to play along. HB 1313 was amended 24 times in its trip through the Senate. HB 1313 requires affordable housing to be constructed adjacent to transit. That means supported by public subsidies, "inclusionary" zoning ordinances, and deed restrictions, which restrict or limit maximum rental or sale price. The bill also requires a period when only low- or moderate-income households could qualify. The measure requires housing density in these "transit-oriented" communities at about 40 units per acre. The measure applies to about 31 municipalities that are part of a metropolitan planning organization. Colorado has five MPOs: the Denver Regional Council of Governments, the North Front Range MPO, the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, the Pueblo Area Council of Governments, and the Grand Valley MPO. Initially, municipalities that refuse to abide by the bill's mandates would have been threatened with losing state transportation funding and the potential for a court injunction to force them to comply. The Democratic "no" votes on Tuesday were all from lawmakers representing communities included in those MPOs. The most substantial changes to HB 1313 occurred in committee hearings, with amendments to strip out the transportation penalty and court injunction. The bill also temporarily lost funding, about $35 million in tax credits paid for with TABOR surplus dollars. However, that money was added to another affordable housing tax credit bill, intended for HB 1313. Another amendment added a way for municipalities to be exempted from the bill. Featured Local Savings That language said a transit-oriented community could apply to the Department of Local Affairs for an exemption if the community believes the parcel cannot be developed for health and safety reasons, topography or other "practical limitations." Arapahoe County has seven transit centers but says land adjacent to some of those centers is not available for housing. Arapahoe County Commission Chair Carrie Warren-Gully testified that her county has 90,000 units planned under local zoning laws but has not moved to the development stage because of labor shortages, infrastructure costs, building supply issues, and the current cost of borrowing. The bill's half-mile buffer around transit stations is also a problem that does not consider access barriers such as the Interstate 25 corridor or the Highline Canal, she said. "Some of the proposed transit areas in Arapahoe County, such as the Dry Creek station, are already developed with office and multifamily to the point that rezoning to allow more housing would have little effect in that area," Warren-Gully said recently. The bill's density requirement also got tweaked. While it is still set at 40 units per acre, a number opponents said is too high, the bill now exempts a parcel where residential use is prevented or limited to less than 40 units per acre by state or federal regulation or deed restrictions tied to Federal Aviation Administration restrictions or environmental covenants. It also exempts parcels that are required for utility easements or storm-water drainage. HB 1313 now heads back to the House for review of amendments. A slew of legislation tackling housing, guns and taxes dominated this years legislative session, which is expected to wrap up on Wednesday night after 120 days of hearings, debates and behind-the-scenes negotiations that culminated in the passage of several landmark bills. Notably, the 2024 session ended with a series of bipartisan proposals that resulted from intense negotiations between Republicans and Democrats, along with other organizations. The state Capitol was, at times, the scene of fierce partisanship but also of kumbaya moments. The 120th and final day of the 2024 legislative session began with 66 bills, out of a total of 705 introduced, awaiting their final fate. One of the last bills to pass the General Assembly was Senate Bill 233, which supporters expect to cut $3.7 billion in property tax relief over the next three years. The measure won a 57-6 vote in the House on Wednesday afternoon; the Senate concurred with House amendments. In many ways, that the property tax proposal was the final bill to receive approval underscored this sessions oscillations between instances of cooperation and fights, both between the parties and also among the Democratic majority. The vote over Senate Bill 223 was delayed for a few hours, while lawmakers and supporters tried to work out a deal with Colorado Concern, a CEO-based group that advocates for a pro-business environment, over the timeline for reducing the assessment rate for commercial buildings. Initially, the bill set that timelines at two years to go from 29% to 25% but it was amended to three years. Colorado Concern, according to Speaker Pro tem Rep. Chris deGruy Kennedy, had hoped to get it back to two years. In return, lawmakers wanted a pledge by Colorado Concern to support SB 233 and back off of supporting two ballot measures, including one thats already on the November ballot that would cut property taxes more steeply but without backfilling lost revenue for schools and local governments. Several more bills fell by the wayside in the last 24 hours, including one intended to shake up the Regional Transportation Districts board. House Bill 1447, the bill seeking significant changes to RTD, died Tuesday night on the calendar of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The Democrat-sponsored bill sought to require RTD to develop a 10-year strategic plan by September 2027, notably details on how the agency would increase ridership, improve transparency, update parking policies, and support state and regional climate, housing, and transportation goals. As introduced, the bill would have changed the makeup of the RTD board by reducing the number of elected members and adding appointed seats. That was met with resistance from the RTD board and several others, who claimed the changes would likely result in the board not having any minority representation. Several significant bills got their final approvals on the sessions last day, including a measure to create a new Taxpayers Bill of Rights refund mechanism that included an income tax rate cut. In sharp contrast to the final day of the 2023 session, the mood in the House and Senate was decidedly relaxed and even playful, and included tributes to departing members in both chambers. Housing Although housing was the major issue of the 2023 session, the major housing bill of that year was defeated on the final day. Housing also took center stage in 2024, with lawmakers tackling dozens of bills, instead of an omnibus or all-in-one measure, as was the case last year. About 20 bills attempted to address the states affordable housing crisis, and most passed. Here are the major housing bills: HB 1313 mandates 31 municipalities located within five metropolitan planning organizations on the Front Range and in Grand Junction to incorporate housing density goals along transit routes. The bill initially contained penalties for municipalities that refused to obey its mandates. That language was stripped by the Senate and it won final approval in the chamber on Tuesday with a 19-16 vote. The House approved the amendments, and lawmakers sent the bill to the governor. HB 1259 prevents landlords and other building owners from what they described as price-gouging rent during a natural disaster. It was sponsored by Rep. Kyle Brown, D-Louisville, whose district, he said, felt squeezed during the Marshall fire in 2021. HB 1152, a rare bipartisan bill that made it to the finish line, also applies to metropolitan planning organizations and requires local governments to allow accessory dwelling units, also known as granny flats or tiny homes, on single-family properties. The measure includes an $8 million grant program through the Department of Local Affairs and won final approval on Tuesday with the Houses adoption of Senate amendments. HB 1175, which received final approval on Wednesday, allows local governments the right of first refusal to purchase affordable multifamily housing. HB 1098 requires landlords to show cause for evicting residential tenants. Gov. Jared Polis signed it into law on April 19. Finally, HB 1007 lifts limitations on the number of unrelated people who could live in rental properties. Polis signed into law on April 15. Featured Local Savings What did not make it Construction defects. Two major measures attempted to change the states construction defects law, but negotiations failed, and both bills died this week. A third bill requiring a study of liability insurance costs for construction companies, a major issue cited by home builders for not building condos, also failed to advance this week. HB 1239 would have required local governments to allow a single exit to serve five stories of a multifamily residential building. It failed largely because first responders complained that such a scenario could be dangerous. Taxes Every year, Gov. Jared Polis calls on lawmakers to work on reducing the states income tax rate. While Republicans have offered measures year after year, it has been a nonstarter for Democrats. Until this year. Senate Bill 228 brought both sides to the table: Democrats who wanted Polis to sign off on certain tax credits and Republicans who have always wanted income tax rate reductions. The measure won final support in the House on Wednesday. The effort to address skyrocketing property taxes also received a bipartisan boost in the sessions final three days with Senate Bill 233, which reduces property tax assessment rates for homeowners and commercial building owners. Its a sharp contrast to the property tax bill that turned into Proposition HH, which voters overwhelmingly rejected at the ballot box last November. Ballot measures Lawmakers are sending three requests to voters to change the Colorado Constitution in November. Senate Concurrent Resolution 3 asks voters to remove language banning same-sex marriages from the state constitution. That was approved by voters in 2006 but deemed void with the U.S. Supreme Courts decision to allow same-sex marriages in 2015. Senate Concurrent Resolution 2 makes a one-week change in certain election deadlines. House Concurrent Resolution 1002 asks voters to ensure that those charged with first-degree murder are not bail-eligible. What did not make it A request to voters to bar lawmakers chosen by vacancy committees from running in the succeeding election; a measure to retroactively extend the statute of limitations on child sex abuse, which failed by one vote in the Senate; a cap on property tax revenue growth; and, Republican efforts on school choice and a parents bill of rights. Guns Democratic lawmakers continued their campaign for gun control this year via a dozen measures, but major wins on some issues remained elusive to the majority party. House Bill 1174, which will require more stringent training to obtain a concealed carry permit, won final approval in late April. Under Senate Bill 3, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation would be tasked with investigating illegal firearms transfers and other violations of state firearms law. Senate Bill 131, which among its provisions bans lawmakers from bringing firearms into the state Capitol, won final approval on Tuesday. Voters, meanwhile, will be asked to approve a new excise tax on firearms under House Bill 1349, which won final approval on Wednesday. Finally, after several attempts at compromise between the House and Senate, the Senate approved a measure dealing with the safe storage of firearms on Wednesday. What did not make it For the second year in a row, progressive Democrats efforts to pass a bill banning so-called assault weapons failed to win passage. The 2024 version made it further than the one a year earlier, making it to the state Senate before being postponed by its sponsor on Tuesday. A firearms insurance bill that would have required renters or homeowners who own guns to hold liability insurance in case of accidental or unintentional discharge died on the Senate calendar on Wednesday. In a fiery opinion on Tuesday, the federal appeals court based in Denver tore into a pair of COVID-19 vaccination policies the University of Colorado imposed on medical staff in late 2021, concluding they discriminated against certain religions and affected plaintiffs were consequently entitled to exemptions. By 2-1, the all-Republican panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit directed unusually sharp barbs at each other and at the trial judge who initially declined to block the university's mandates. Judge Allison H. Eid, writing for the majority, believed the policies governing religious exemptions at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus were "permeated with animus." CU "has not even attempted to explain why its interest is served by granting exemptions to practitioners of some religions, but not others. No one contends that Christian Scientists are any less likely to contract or to spread COVID-19 than Buddhists or Roman Catholics or Orthodox Christians," wrote Eid, an appointee of Donald Trump. "But because (plaintiffs) were the wrong religions, their exemptions were denied." Senior Judge David M. Ebel, a Ronald Reagan appointee, agreed that the Anschutz campus' initial policy, requiring employees seeking religious exemptions to show their faiths opposed all immunizations, was likely unconstitutional. But he disagreed that the revised policy was problematic and he criticized the majority for accusing CU of discriminatory intent. "I believe it is imprudent, and beyond the current record, for our court," Ebel warned, "to make emphatic and unsupported findings of animus when it is quite possible that the University was just trying to draft a narrow policy addressing a very specific risk in order to keep its patients and staff free from a preventable COVID risk at a time of great urgency and uncertainty when COVID was killing so many people receiving medical care." Case: Doe v. Board of Regents Decided: May 7, 2024 Jurisdiction: U.S. District Court for Colorado Ruling: 2-1 Judges: Allison H. Eid (author) Jerome A. Holmes David M. Ebel (partial dissent) Background: 10th Circuit weighs whether CU medical school's vaccine mandate burdens free exercise of religion 'Compelling interest' in vaccinations The decision comes more than 1.5 years after oral arguments and 2.5 years after CU first issued its vaccine mandates. Although the 10th Circuit acknowledged all of the student plaintiffs and some of the employees were no longer in a position to benefit from an injunction against the policies, the panel noted at least one plaintiff would be affected by its decision. In the underlying case, CU issued a Sept. 1, 2021 directive allowing medical staff and students to be exempt from COVID-19 vaccination if the teachings of their religion "are opposed to all immunizations." CU proceeded to deny multiple requests from those who were opposed to the use of cells derived from aborted fetuses in the development of some COVID-19 vaccines. On Sept. 24, the university replaced the policy with a new staff-only protocol for religious exemptions. CU would no longer examine how various religions treat vaccines generally but would instead grant a faith-based exemption unless doing so would "unduly burden the health and safety" of patients or the medical campus more broadly. Lawyers for the Thomas More Society, which litigates on behalf of religious causes, represented 17 "John Doe" and "Jane Doe" plaintiffs in their challenge to the policies. A federal magistrate judge permitted them to proceed anonymously, believing at the time that broadcasting someone's unvaccinated status "can stigmatize an individual as uncaring for the well-being of others." U.S. District Court Senior Judge Raymond P. Moore refused to grant a preliminary injunction, initially declining to take action against the Sept. 1 policy because the university had replaced it with the Sept. 24 directive. As for the Sept. 24 policy, CU has "a compelling interest in ensuring that employees and students associated with Colorados preeminent medical campus are vaccinated against Covid-19 for their patients health and safety as well as their own," he wrote in January 2022. "It is simply not the case that a medical campus is required to put patients and others in a healthcare environment at risk to accommodate these plaintiffs." Hostility to religion Featured Local Savings The 10th Circuit concluded some plaintiffs could only seek monetary damages from the university for being placed on leave or terminated when they did not comply with the mandate. But the appellate panel agreed the request to block the 2021 policies and grant the medical exemptions going forward was not moot because the Anschutz campus had never reevaluated the status of certain staff members after the initial denials. Eid, in the May 7 majority opinion, blasted Moore for not finding the policies violated the First Amendment. "The Does are highly likely to succeed on the merits, because the September 1 Policy discriminates on its face and in fact against certain religions due to stereotypes and religious animus," she wrote for herself and Chief Judge Jerome A. Holmes, a George W. Bush appointee. Specifically, Eid believed the policy "passes judgment upon and presupposes the illegitimacy of certain religious beliefs" and "involves an intrusive inquiry" into the plaintiffs' faiths. She further found the Sept. 24 policy as problematic as the "hostile and discriminatory September 1 Policy." Ebel, in contrast, emphasized the vaccination policies were issued at a time when COVID-19 infections were on the rise. The fact that CU provided a religions exemption "suggests solicitude, not animus, toward religious believers," he argued. He acknowledged the Sept. 1 policy alone was likely unconstitutional because it favored employees whose faiths opposed all vaccinations versus those whose faiths did not. Ebel did not believe it was improper for the university to inquire about the basis for requesting an exemption, but labeled CU's specific approach "misguided." Otherwise, Ebel objected to Eid's characterization of CU's actions as being motivated by religious discrimination, rather than simply amounting to differential treatment. "Neither Plaintiffs nor the majority have identified any evidence that the University acted with actual hostility toward some religions, or religion generally," he wrote. "Every indication is that the University adopted the mandate, instead, to protect the health and safety of its staff, students, and patients during the ongoing global pandemic." Eid shot back that Ebel had a "grave misunderstanding of the context of this case" and defended her description of CU as acting with discriminatory motives. When the facts show "no conclusion other than religious animus, we must say so," she wrote. A spokesperson for the Anschutz campus declined to comment on the decision, but noted the university lifted its vaccine mandate last summer. Lawyers for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to an email. The case is Doe et al. v. Board of Regents et al. The Denver District Attorneys Office filed first-degree murder charges against two teens in connection to the fatal shooting that took place outside of the Downtown Denver Aquarium earlier this year. Antonio Vasquez, 19, and Jason Trujillo Jr., 17, have both been charged with first-degree murder in connection to the shooting and killing of Dacien Salazar, 19, on Feb. 14, according to a news release from the district attorneys office. Trujillo, Jr. will be tried as an adult, according to the release. Police initially responded to reports of a drive-by shooting outside of the aquarium, at 700 Water St., around 3 p.m. on Feb. 14. Salazar was found with injuries and taken to a nearby hospital, where he died. Numerous witnesses told police that the suspect vehicle was a black sedan, according to arrest records. Salazars friend later told investigators that they were in the aquarium for around an hour. As they left, a four-door, black sedan pulled up with both the passenger and back passenger windows down. A masked figure fired shots at the group, ultimately hitting Salazar. Featured Local Savings Through security camera footage, investigators were able to pin down the vehicle as a black Chevy Malibu with temporary tags. Another friend of Salazars told detectives that the suspects had made threats to him on Facebook, according to arrest records. Through social media, detectives found that the two suspects seemed to be tied to a gang that had fired shots at another group in Pueblo, with detectives finding the same exact cartridges there that they did outside of the aquarium. After tracking Vasquezs phone, detectives were able to pinpoint the two suspects leaving a hotel prior to the shooting. One of the suspects could be seen in security camera footage carrying a black mask. Surveillance footage outside of the REI at 1416 Platte St. then showed two people removing a temporary tag from the suspect vehicle prior to the shooting. Denver police searched for information on the suspects for nearly two months, with Metro Denver Crime Stoppers raising an award for information from $2,000 to $3,000 in April. An anonymous tipper told the department that Trujillo Jr. killed Salazar at the end of March. A $1 million cash-only bond has been set for both suspects. The Colorado Springs man accused of firing multiple shots at a mother and her child during a road rage incident was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison after accepting a plea deal. Bryan Alexander Petersen, 24, was arrested by Colorado Springs police on July 4 last year after a woman claimed a man had shot at her car during a road rage incident in the area of North Carefree Circle and Peterson Road on the east side of the city. The arrest affidavit for the incident states that the woman, whose name was redacted from the affidavit, was "brake checked" by another driver multiple times before the driver of the vehicle took out a handgun and fired two shots at her car. A picture of the shooter's car taken by the victim led police to the home of Petersen, where the car involved in the earlier road rage incident was found by police, according to the affidavit. Petersen was arrested shortly after, and claimed that he was the victim of road rage on the part of the woman driving the car he shot at, and that he only pulled out his gun because he feared for his life. Police state within the affidavit that Petersen said he understood he "handled the situation improperly and he was in the wrong," but that he thought the woman driving the other car was trying to run him off the road, and that when he yelled at her to pull over he saw the woman "rummaging in her center console and thought she was going to produce a firearm." Court records show that earlier this year Petersen pleaded guilty to one count of attempted second-degree murder, a class 3 felony. Featured Local Savings At Wednesday's sentencing hearing, Petersen's attorney stated that his client has since taken responsibility for the shooting, and that it's a mistake he won't be making again. "This court, and any other court, will never see Mr. Petersen again after he receives his sentence," Steven Rodemer, Petersen's attorney, said to the court. The victim of the shooting did not appear in court Wednesday, but had prosecutor Stephanie Redfield read a letter to the court where she recapped how traumatizing the incident was for her and her child. After the brief statements from both attorneys Judge Chad Miller accepted the plea agreement and sentenced Petersen to 10 years in the Department of Corrections with three years of mandatory parole upon his release. Petersen was also given eight days credit for time served. The state-level case against Robert Lewis Dear Jr. the man who allegedly shot and killed three people at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood in 2015 continues to be delayed as attorneys await the ruling of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Attorneys on Thursday appeared in court for a brief status conference hearing where they informed the court that there has still been no movement in Dear's federal case, and a new status conference date needed to be set. Dear's state case has been in limbo for years after he was found incompetent to stand trial. Attorneys on Thursday said that his state case, where he faces 179 charges, will be on hold until there is a resolution with the ongoing competency issues involving Dear. U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn in federal court determined in September, 2022, that Dear could be forcibly medicated in an attempt to have him stand trial. However, due to an appeal filed by Dear's defense attorneys, he can't be forcibly medicated until the end of the appeal process. In February, attorneys appeared in U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in Denver to give oral argument as to why the ruling from Blackburn was unconstitutional. During the hearing portions of which were streamed online Dear's defense attorney, Jacob Rasch-Chabot, argued that Judge Blackburn didn't appropriately weigh the opinions given by the defense's expert, and unfairly gave weight to the prosecution's expert. Prosecutor Marissa Miller argued that significant weight had been given to the defense's experts by Judge Blackburn, and that the findings from the court were extensive but just gave more weight to the findings of the prosecution's experts rather than those of the defense. Featured Local Savings The appeals court has yet to give a ruling, which continues to stall both the state and federal cases of Dear. At Dear's hearing on Thursday attorneys requested a new status conference date of Aug. 8. There are no scheduled hearings in Dear's federal case at the time of writing. Dear is accused of entering a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood with an assault rifle, shooting and killing three and injuring nine others on Nov. 27, 2015. KeArre Stewart, Jennifer Markovsky and University of Colorado Colorado Springs police officer Garrett Swasey died. Nine other people five of them law enforcement officers were wounded during the course of a five-hour standoff. Dear called himself a warrior for the babies during his first court appearance in December 2015 after the killings. He yelled over attorneys at least 15 times. Im guilty theres no trial, Dear said minutes into that initial hearing. Dear did not appear at his state case hearing Thursday because he is being held at a federal prison facility in Missouri, said Rosalie Roy, Dear's attorney in his state case, in February. Colorado Springs police on Wednesday announced that a cold case murder of teenager Maria Honzell more than 47 years ago was finally solved. Thanks to the use of genetic genealogy, William C. Kernan, who died in 2010, was identified as the person responsible in the death of Honzell, who was 14 when she died on Feb. 7, 1977. Because (Kernan) died in 2010, the investigation into the murder of Maria Honzell will be closed out as exceptionally cleared, Caitlin Ford, a spokesperson with the Colorado Springs Police Department, said at a news conference. According to previous coverage by The Gazette, on the night of Feb. 7, 1977, Colorado Springs mother of two Janey Kusleika arrived home to find her babysitter, Honzell, dead with multiple stab wounds in her apartment bedroom along North Nevada Avenue. The two boys Honzell was babysitting, the children of Kusleika, were asleep and unharmed at the time police were called at around 11:20 p.m. Reports state Kusleika and Honzell were neighbors and lived in the same apartment complex along the 5400 block of Nevada Avenue. Kusleika told authorities she had spoken to Honzell on the phone just a few hours earlier, and that nothing seemed out of the ordinary at the time of the conversation. One of the boys told police he had gone to sleep at around 8 p.m. but was awoken sometime later by commotion inside the apartment. He told investigators he saw a teenage boy in an apparent struggle with Honzell, holding her mouth shut. The boy said he heard yelling and "stop it" before the two entered Kusleika's bedroom. He described the suspect as being approximately 17 years old, 6 feet tall with acne, and wearing a "fluffy" coat and jeans, previous reports state. An autopsy report conducted in the days following Honzell's death determined she had died as a result of multiple stab wounds to the chest and a substantial wound to her throat. A homicide investigation was immediately launched by the department. Aside from the boy's witness statement, leads in the case were sparse and the investigation went cold for decades until the department's DNA breakthrough. Ford said while Kernan was named in initial investigation efforts, he wasnt considered a suspect around the time of Honzells death. While the case remained cold for decades, DNA technology advanced. Although the Colorado Bureau of Investigation found no direct match from the male DNA profile discovered on the clothing Honzell wore the night she died, the departments cold case unit continued its search for answers. In 2019, the police department contacted technology company Parabon NanoLabs to conduct a genetic genealogy analysis of the unknown male DNA sample discovered on Honzells clothing. Featured Local Savings As time passed and technology progressed, it became clear that this case had the potential to move forward using genetic genealogy, said Tracey Thompson, a detective with CSPD's cold case unit. According to department officials, Parabon was able to develop and submit a genetic data profile of the unknown male DNA sample to the public database as a way to find individuals who share significant amounts of DNA with the unknown subject, officials said. Five years later, investigators found their match, and Kernan was identified. It was determined he was a student at a local college at the time of Honzells death, and was an acquaintance of Kusleika the woman Honzell was babysitting for. Prior to the Honzell investigation, the department has successfully used genetic genealogy in solving three other cold cases, according to Thompson. According to Kernan's obituary, he was 61 at the time of his death in Cheyenne Wells, located on the Eastern plains near the Kansas border. Kernan was survived by a multitude of family members. He died of natural causes, officials said. With no clear signs of a break-in reported from the scene at the time of the initial investigation, the motive behind Honzells attack and why Kernan arrived at the apartment remain unclear. Family members of Honzell in attendance Wednesday were emotional as members of the department among other law enforcement officials discussed the closing of Honzells case. David Honzell, Maria's brother, addressed the room Wednesday morning, expressed gratitude for the department's work and shared the familys wishes for privacy . Ive been on the phone at least once a week for the past five years calling, looking for updates, David Honzell said. Short and sweet, I appreciate you respecting our privacy. I would like to thank the whole department. This is a long time coming, CSPD Chief Adrian Vasquez said . Maria was a vibrant and beautiful 14-year-old girl who deserved so much more life. I am very grateful that you trusted us (CSPD) and we were able to solve this case, Vasquez said. Throughout the four decades CSPD detectives strived for justice in Honzell's homicide, Thompson estimates more than 15 detectives spent time on it not including patrol officers, investigators with the CBI and lab technicians who spent time piecing together evidence and developing forensic connections that went into identifying Kernan. Jack Tate is President and CEO of the Associated Builders and Contractors, Rocky Mountain Chapter. The 36-story VeLa Peakview apartment tower, proposed for the southwest corner of a block bounded by Cascade and Vermijo avenues and Sahwatch and Costilla streets in downtown Colorado Springs, would be 27 stories. Press Release May 9, 2024 Bong Go salutes Filipino nurses worldwide on Nurse Day As the world celebrated Nurse Day on Monday, May 6, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go extended appreciation to Filipino nurses, here and abroad, for their tireless service and dedication. On May 10, Go is invited to be a speaker for Philippine Nurses Association's (PNA) 8th Summer Conference with the theme "Our Nurses, Our Future: The Economic Power of Care". This event offers a vibrant forum for healthcare professionals, educators, leaders, and policymakers to highlight the crucial role of nurses and served as a platform to discuss better opportunities for Filipino nurses and the health sector in general. "On this significant occasion of Nurse Day, I extend my deepest gratitude and admiration to all Filipino nurses across the globe. Your dedication, compassion, and resilience are truly inspiring, especially in these challenging times," Go expressed. "As frontline heroes, you represent the best of our nation, embodying selflessness and a commitment to care for others, no matter the circumstances," he added. As the Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, Go reiterated his commitment to prioritizing the welfare of Filipino nurses, saying, "As we celebrate your extraordinary contributions today, I reaffirm my unwavering support for your profession. I am committed to advocating for better working conditions, fair compensation, and continuous professional development for our nurses." "Your well-being and success are priorities for us, as they directly impact the quality of healthcare our people receive," he cited. Senator Go, a notable advocate for healthcare workers' rights, highlighted his legislative achievements, including his role in the authorship and co-sponsorship of Republic Act No. 11712. This Act is significant for providing benefits and allowances to healthcare workers during public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the end of the public health emergency, Senator Go has continuously pushed to release pending health emergency allowances (HEA) to eligible healthcare professionals. "Umapela tayong muli sa Department of Health (DOH) at Department of Budget and Management (DBM) na bilisan na ang pagre-release ng naturang HEA dahil services rendered na po ito. Ibig sabihin, utang po ito ng gobyerno sa mga HCWs," he urged. Moreover, Senator Go has been actively involved in initiatives to improve the compensation of government workers, having contributed to the passage of Republic Act No. 11466, also known as the Salary Standardization Law 5, as one of the authors and co-sponsors. His ongoing efforts include advocating for another salary increase through Senate Bill No. 2504, or the "Salary Standardization Law 6," which seeks to enhance the provisions of the previous law. In his pursuit to uplift the nursing profession further, Senator Go has called on private hospitals to increase nurses' salaries. He also introduced the Advanced Nursing Education bill through SBN 191, aiming to equip nurses with up-to-date knowledge and skills for better patient care, strengthening the healthcare system overall. "Naiintindihan ko naman na may ibang nais magtrabaho sa ibang bansa dahil napakalaki talaga ng diperensya ng sweldo. Gayunpaman, bigyan natin sila ng dagdag insentibo upang magtrabaho dito sa pamamagitan ng maayos na benepisyo at tamang kompensasyon para hindi na sila mawalay sa kanilang pamilya at makatulong pa sa mga kababayan natin dito," Go previously emphasized. "At mayroon din po akong nai-file sa Senado, itong Advance Nursing Education Bill para po sa karagdagang curriculum upang mahikayat natin silang magtrabaho dito sa ating bansa sa pamamagitan ng community integration at immersion... karagdagang karanasan at kaalaman din iyon," he explained. Senator Go's consistent advocacy and legislative actions underscore his dedication to enhancing Filipino nurses' working conditions and professional growth at home and abroad. Your most beautifully written words in the B-school essay will fail to earn the admission committees attention if they do not convey how you are different from the outset. "challenging common typecasts" When you ponder over a crisis situation, you do three things: 1. Evaluate the power dynamics and what management style would suit your objective 2. Evaluate the risk factors for the organisation- time loss, financial loss or credibility loss 3. Rise above the norm to build right communication strategies. Here's an example illustrating how drafts for compelling stories are structured using the upgraded SATAR (Situation Analysis Task Action Result) framework. Situation: When Company ABC made the strategic decision to relocate the R&D office from Thailand to India, it jeopardized the professional dynamics and confidence that the Thai R&D teams had built over decades with the Chinese production teams. The new and young Indian R&D team had little in common with the highly experienced Chinese production managers, resulting in a lack of trust, differences in approaches, and functional logjams that led to a complete halt of projects. Analysis : As an Indian R&D project manager, I recognized this development as a significant risk to our teams credibility if we couldn't persuade the Chinese production teams to see the value in our ideas. Instead of enforcing the chain of command in design to production rollout, I saw the importance of building consensus within the Chinese teams and win their confidence for seamless long-term collaboration between the two teams. Task: With this in mind, I proposed to the Company ABCs Technical director that we should invite senior managers from China for a workshop to address our differences and create new SOPs that would streamline Company Xs operations in Asia. Action: With support from Company ABCs Technical director, I organized a week-long workshop, where I brought all the major stakeholders from China and India on the same table. I facilitated intensive discussions among all the participants to iron out their differences, resulting in a jointly prepared action plan for production, design and supply chain teams which everybody has followed since. Result: Following the workshop, our relations have greatly improved and Company ABCs growth in both India and China has reached new heights. Did you notice how the applicant cleverly analyses and demonstrates an understanding of power distribution? Most applicants miss out on presenting a critical analysis of the situation in their essay stories. Those who do not include ability to evaluate next steps, prevent the adcoms from looking into how their minds work. In any situation, there are power owners and a distribution of power among CXOs, project managers, and team leads. MBA candidates should show that they closely analyze leadership experiences. Despite not having direct authority, the "R&D project manager" in this case takes ownership of resolving issues by influencing those in power, such as Companys Technical director. This example highlights how common engineering or technology profiles can stand out as strong differentiators. Going further in the write-up, I'll share tips on combating stereotypes in the B-school admissions process But before you sit down to write a business schools essays, find out what values and skills are important to the school. Here are some common Unfavourable Stereotypes that adcoms have: Applicants from technology and finance backgrounds are often labeled with low social skills and high analytical capabilities. A low GPA is interpreted as a lack of seriousness about education or an absence of skills to thrive in a competitive learning environment. Finance folks face the stereotype of being one-dimensional too focused on numbers Nonprofit candidates are seen as being idealistic and oblivious to/lacking an understanding of incentives. Marketers struggle to communicate achievements beyond abstract concepts. Older applicants may be perceived as lacking ambition if they didn't consider an MBA 2-3 years ago. Younger applicants might be viewed as lacking the experience to make meaningful contributions to a class. To overcome these stereotypes, applicants must project typecast opposites. Low Social Skills (Indian IT Engineers, Chinese Production Engineers, Finance Analysts) Many software engineers have asked me if joining an NGO is good enough. Participating in a community service activity as a volunteer is not the same as planning it, which is why most references of routine community service fall flat in admissions committee essays. By stressing how you accomplished something on your own, you demonstrate that you can overcome apparent deficiencies. A low GPA If your grades in calculus, statistics, accounting or economics were mediocre, you should take courses in these subjects and let the school know. If you have a liberal arts background, take calculus and statistics. Older applicants if you are a non-traditional applicant, military or nonprofit or entrepreneurial, worked in multiple startups or founded some, age will not be considered against you as long as you articulate your career choices clearly. Younger applicants Show years of experience you have gained in just one year and the impact you have had on the strategic and immediate work of the company. We have seen success at top competitive business schools with this strategy. Finance Folks Demonstrating a search for meaning beyond the numbers is very important. Nonprofit or Impact Profiles Many nonprofit applicants' essays show a disregard for any profit-driven goals, ignoring the fact that affluent donors are the major source of funding for nonprofit organizations. The traditional "I want to change the world" narrative falls short if the technology and financial industries are not recognized as playing a critical role in bringing about tangible change. Marketing A strong MBA candidate from marketing background can demonstrate a deep understanding of the client's strategic objectives and emphasize his/her ability to align the efforts with the client's overarching goals. Creativity is a focal point in showcasing a marketing manager's unique approach. From a b-school point of view, marketers should have a better sense of how your actions such as campaigns translated into sales and other tangible metrics, but most importantly how their messaging targeted respective marketing channels and impacted traffic. Get a free one to one personalized advice session tailored to your specific situation. We do not cap discussion hours with our applicants. Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alum, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer) jamalabdullah100 It's true that the linguist made a general conclusion. However, (E) discusses other studies and fails to provide any additional results....and therefore doesn't make the current general conclusion any stronger, which is what we want to do in Assumption questions: make the conclusion tighter. Quote: Linguist: In English, the past is described as behind and the future ahead, whereas in Aymara the past is ahead and the future behind. Research indicates that English speakers sway backward when discussing the past and forward when discussing the future. Conversely, Aymara speakers gesture forward with their hands when discussing the past and backward when discussing the future. These bodily movements, therefore, suggest that the language one speaks affects how one mentally visualizes time. The linguist's reasoning depends on assuming which of the following? The linguists reasoning is that bodily movementsuggest that language affects how one mentally visualises time. He supports this statement with two pieces of evidence: 1) English speakers sway backward (past) and sway forward (future), 2) Aymara gesture forward (past) and gesture backward (future). The biggest gap in the conclusion is that somehow this swaying and gesturing (bodily movements) is adequately linked to language and not linked to the mental visualisation of the conclusion. As such, this missing link makes (D) a good answer choice. Quote: (A) [NONE OF THE] At least some Aymara speakers sway forward when discussing the past and backward when discussing the future. We dont care whether the Aymara speakers sway forward or backward. Their gestures are limited to hands.so this isnt relevant here. Also, even if Aymara speakers dont sway forward - their hand gestures still prove that language could affect time pictures. Quote: (B) [SOME] Most people mentally visualize time as running either forward or backward. Peoples visualisation of time as running either forward or backward isnt required for the conclusion to hold. Some people might not be able to visualise time at alldoesnt mean that its impossible for language to not be influenced by time. Quote: (C) [ALL] Not al l English and Aymara speakers tend to sway or gesture forward or backward when discussing the present. This is sort of given in the premise. But the proportion of not all, which means SOME, move and some speakers dont move.doesnt impact the conclusion. Quote: (D) How people move when discussing the future [DOES NOT] correlates to some extent with how they mentally visualize time. This answer choice is correct because it correctly distinguishes the link that the argument is missing between language, mental visualisation, and body language. Also if there is no correlation between language and mental imaging, then the conclusion is impossible! Quote: (E) The researchers also examined the movements of [NO] at least some speakers of languages other than English and Aymara discussing the past and the future. This answer choice is interesting. It provides additional evidence from a research study of some speakers of languages other than English and Aymara.which seems OK at first but the researchers examination provides no clear results. Even if we hypothetically inserted this sentence into the argument before the conclusion, there would be no effect. Even the (really forced this one here) possible negation, examined the movements of NO speakers of languages other than English and Aymara doesnt break the conclusion. The conclusion could still hold. In assumptions, we need to ensure that the negated answer choice makes the conclusion IMPOSSIBLE. Bong Go honors sacrifices of health workers on Health Workers' Day; reminds DBM and DOH of unreleased HEA due to them On Health Workers' Day, celebrated on Tuesday, May 7, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, honored the dedication and sacrifices of Filipino health workers, whom he described as "modern-day heroes." This special day acknowledges their critical role in ensuring public health and safety. In a heartfelt tribute, Go reiterated his commitment to advancing policies and programs that support medical frontlines. "Sa araw ng pagkilala sa ating mga health workers, nais kong ipaabot ang aking taos-pusong pasasalamat sa inyong walang-sawang paglilingkod. Kayo ang tunay na mga bayani sa panahon ng pandemya at maging sa pang araw-araw na hamon ng ating kalusugan," said Go. He emphasized the importance of supporting these vital community members, especially recalling their pivotal role during the pandemic. "Patuloy ang aking adbokasiya na palakasin ang suporta sa ating mga medical frontliners. Karapat-dapat lamang na bigyan sila ng sapat na mga benepisyo at proteksyon. Hindi matutumbasan ng anumang halaga ang kanilang mga sakripisyo," Go added. Responding to the earnest pleas of health workers, Go has been urging the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to act swiftly on releasing the long-overdue Health Emergency Allowance (HEA) of health workers. Go was also instrumental in the passage of some previously passed laws that benefited health workers, including Republic Act No. 11466 or the Salary Standardization 5, which provided salary increases for government workers, and RA 11712, which grants continuing benefits and allowances to public and private healthcare workers during public health emergencies like COVID-19. He also filed Senate Bill No. 2504, seeks to build upon the provisions of the SSL 5 and aimed at further increasing the salaries of civilian personnel in the government. This is in response to current economic conditions and in recognition of the crucial role government civilian employees play in ensuring unhampered public service delivery. Go reassured the health workers of his commitment to champion their cause. He emphasized their crucial role during the pandemic and insisted on the injustice of their unpaid allowances. "Pinagpawisan nila, hindi pa nababayaran until now... since 2021. Services rendered na po ito. Pinaghirapan ito ng mga health workers natin. Wala na po silang ibang matakbuhan. Nananawagan sila, kahit saan po kami pumunta... sinisigaw, 'Health Emergency Allowance'," Go stated. Meanwhile, Go's message concluded, urging continued recognition and support for health workers beyond ceremonial gestures. "Hindi lamang tuwing Health Workers' Day dapat natin silang pahalagahan. Araw-araw, dapat kilalanin natin ang kanilang kontribusyon sa ating lipunan," he declared. DECATUR Detectives said late Wednesday afternoon they had cracked a Decatur murder case with two arrests. And they didnt have to go far to apprehend their suspects: both men were in jail for other offenses, one already facing an earlier charge of attempted murder. The suspects were named as John E. Inman, 40, and Trimarion D. Howell, 20, both of Decatur. They are now booked on preliminary charges of first-degree murder in the April 15 shooting death of 65-year-old Darrell D. Coon Jr., whose body was found in the 800 block of South Jasper Street. Inman had burst into the notice of police Monday afternoon when he fled from a traffic stop by Macon County Sheriffs Office deputies and wound up crashing his car into a Central Park retaining wall close by the Transfer House. Deputies found a .45 caliber handgun in the car and Inman, already wanted on outstanding warrants for skipping court on previous charges of meth possession and possession of a stolen car, was jailed on new charges of being an armed habitual criminal, a felon in possession of a gun and aggravated fleeing. Lt. Scott Rosenbery, in charge of the Decatur Police Departments Criminal Investigations Division, said it wasnt known at the time of Monday's car chase that Inman was one of the murder suspects they sought. But he also noted that, when he was identified as a suspect, we didnt have to go far to find him. The same turned out to be true for fellow murder suspect Howell. Hed been arrested May 3 and held in the Macon County Jail after being booked on charges of attempted murder and armed robbery. A sworn affidavit filed by police said he had shot a 21-year-old victim in the head and chest while robbing the man of thousands of dollars in the early hours of April 29. Police had arrived at a house in the 900 block of East Riverside Avenue to find the victim sitting on a toilet while drenched in his own blood and unable to speak. Howell appeared Monday afternoon in Macon County Circuit Court to be arraigned on the attempted murder and robbery charges. Judge Lindsey Shelton denied him pretrial release to protect public safety after what she described as a very ugly incident. Rosenbery praised the public for help in identifying Inman and Howell, and said people had come forward with tips and practical help, like surveillance footage. He said the investigation continued, however, and more information would also be welcomed. Call 217-424-2734 or Crime Stoppers at 217-423-8477. A look back at Decatur police through the years 1911 1911 1911 1924 1934 1939 1941 1942 1951 1960 1977 1990 University administrators contending with a wave of student protests over the war in Gaza typically have been faced with unpalatable choices. Across the country, weve seen colleges and universities veering between the forced removal of student encampments, at the risk of harming students, or projecting powerlessness and dysfunction. In some of the latter cases, such as at Columbia University in New York, the chaos has become disgraceful, resulting in a campus lockdown and the unacceptable outcome of conducting classes remotely for a large chunk of the academic year. So, in principle, we applaud Northwestern University for forging a written agreement with student protesters who had set up camp in Deering Meadow that will remove the tents, establish rules for demonstrating in the green space and give the activists representatives the chance to petition next school year for changes in how the university invests its money. There are important Jewish interests that dont support this outcome, and thats putting it mildly. They include the Midwestern consul general of Israel and the Anti-Defamation League, both of which slammed the agreement as appeasement of those who support terrorism. The consul general went so far as to label the arrangement equivalent to a declared safe space for antisemitism on campus. Like many of the Jewish alumni of Northwestern, we share these worries. Our support for Israels right to defend itself and secure its future in the region following Hamas evil and barbarous attack of Oct. 7 has been unwavering and continues, even as we long for an end to the loss of life in Gaza. The most disturbing aspect of these protests has been their effect on Jewish students, and its fair to say that the messaging of some (hardly all) protesters has been antisemitic. The failure of many universities and colleges across the country to make their Jewish students feel safe from harassment has been appalling. We dont agree, though, that this pact in and of itself is nothing more than appeasement. What this modest agreement says to us is that reasonable people, both within Northwesterns administration and among the demonstrators, achieved parts but only parts of what they desired. Eventually this phase of the conflict will conclude. Likewise, this time of intense student activism, too, shall pass. The universities and colleges that emerge from this moment having more or less kept intact their reputations and the trust of their students, parents and alumni will have accomplished something important indeed. That said, its incumbent on Northwestern to ensure no further harassment of Jewish students is tolerated. Northwestern also has to hold its faculty accountable. A good example is the outrageous conduct of Steven Thrasher, professor at the Medill School of Journalism. Thrasher has acted more as an ardent activist than a professor in the five years hes worked at Northwestern. He appeared to treat the Deering Meadow encampment as a crowning moment, giving a speech to students there in which he stated, among other things, 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, and linking your arms together understanding all of our fates are connected. Those are rousing words for an activist. They are inappropriate for a professor at one of the nations foremost journalism schools. If the Medill School cares for its reputation and it well knows how many alumni work as journalists here in Chicago it will instruct Thrasher to find a job more suited to his interests. We have too many reporters in this city and elsewhere behaving essentially as activists rather than pursuing the facts wherever they lead, which represents this profession at its finest. Professors encouraging indeed embodying that former approach do a disservice to journalism. Chicago Tribune Parliament Chairman Shalva Papuashvili stated at a briefing hosted at the Georgian Dream office that, in accordance with the decision of the party's political council, a database will be established concerning individuals involved in "violence, threats, and blackmail" or those who "publicly approve" such behaviors."Based on these facts, along with the state structures, the ruling party also has the responsibility to protect the legitimate interests of citizens, law enforcement officers, and outstanding members of society. For this purpose, according to the decision of the political council of Georgian Dream, the party structures are beginning to create a database where information will be collected about all individuals involved in violence, illegal actions, threats, and blackmail, or those who publicly approve of such actions.All this information will be posted on a dedicated website and made public and transparent for the citizens of Georgia. All necessary measures will be taken against these individuals within the framework of the constitution and the law, ensuring that violations, threats, and acts of violence do not go unanswered by the state or society," said Papuashvili.According to a report from the Russian-language edition of Radio Liberty, Ekho Kavkaza, recent changes to Georgia's citizenship tests no longer include questions related to former President Mikheil Saakashvili, the Rose Revolution, or the country's territories occupied by Russia. These changes, effective from May 1, 2024, remove questions such as:"20% of Georgia's territory is occupied by which state today?""In which year did the 'Rose Revolution' take place in Georgia?""Who was the third president of Georgia?""After the 'Rose Revolution', who became the head of the government of Georgia?""Which of the following states does not recognize the independence of the occupied territories of Georgia, Abkhazia, and the Tskhinvali region?"These specific historical and geopolitical questions are no longer part of the revised test format. CCTV: Can you share with us more details, outcomes and highlights of President Xi Jinpings visit to Serbia? Lin Jian: President Xi Jinping just wrapped up his state visit to Serbia. During the visit, President Xi attended a grand welcoming ceremony held by President Vucic and the two presidents held talks before jointly meeting the press. The two heads of state announced the decision of deepening and upgrading the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Serbia and of building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era. President Xi noted that the ironclad friendship between China and Serbia has stood the test of changing international environment with its deep roots in history, solid political foundation, extensive common interests and great affinity between the two peoples. In recent years, bilateral relations have achieved leapfrog development and historical results. Under the new circumstances, Serbia becomes the first European country to build a community with a shared future with China. This speaks volumes about the strategic, special and high-level relationship between the two countries. The two sides should focus on the strategic nature of the relations between the two countries and grasp the general direction of the bilateral relationship; adhere to the pragmatic nature of the cooperation between the two countries for the benefit of the people of the two countries; carry forward the innovative nature of the relations between the two countries, open up new prospects for cooperation, and turn innovative cooperation into a new growth point of the bilateral relations. President Xi announced the first batch of six practical steps China will take to support the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era. First, as a result of the two sides joint efforts, the China-Serbia Free Trade Agreement will take effect on July 1 this year. Second, China supports Serbia in hosting the Specialized Expo 2027, and will send a delegation to attend the event. Chinese businesses will also be encouraged to take part in relevant construction projects. Third, China will import more high-quality agricultural specialties from Serbia. Procedures for the export of dried plums and blueberry to China have already been completed, and the restrictions related to highly pathogenic avian influenza have been lifted. Fourth, China will support 50 young Serbian scientists in taking part in scientific research exchange in China in the next three years. Fifth, China will invite 300 young Serbians to study in China in the next three years. Sixth, China welcomes the opening of direct flights from Belgrade to Shanghai by Serbia, and encourages the two countries airlines to open direct flights from Belgrade to Guangzhou. The two presidents signed the Joint Statement on Deepening and Elevating the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Building a China-Serbia Community with a Shared Future in the New Era. They also witnessed the exchange of multiple cooperation documents including on Belt and Road cooperation, green development, digital economy, e-commerce, infrastructure, economic and technical cooperation, information and communication, agri-food, and the media. As President Xi Jinping stressed, the China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era is an upgrade of the ironclad friendship between China and Serbia. It also represents our common values and objectives, namely joint pursuit of development, win-win corporation and mutual success. These are the common aspirations of China, Serbia, and all countries that are committed to independence, peace and development. China will work with Serbia, share weal and woe like passengers in the same boat, carry forward the spirit of the ironclad friendship, maintain and grow our friendship, and jointly safeguard the fundamental and long-term interests of the two countries. As the two sides pursue their respective national development and revitalization, China will join hands with Serbia to advance the building of a community with a shared future in the new era. TV Asahi: A video footage that was shot by a drone over a Japanese destroyer of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force was shared online in China. However, flying a drone over the Self-Defense Forces bases without permission is prohibited by law in Japan. Sources at Japans Defense Ministry said the footage is likely to be authentic. Whats your comment? Lin Jian: I dont know where the footage you mentioned came from. China Review News: International Monetary Fund First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath said on May 7 that escalating tensions between the US and China have caused global ripples and countries are reevaluating their trading and investment partners based on economic and national security concerns, leaving the world divided into three blocs: a US leaning bloc, a China leaning bloc, and a bloc of nonaligned countries. The trend of economic fragmentation may lead to a broad retreat from the rule-based global trading system and a significant reversal of the gains from economic integration. She mentioned that the US and China need pragmatic steps to rebuild trust. The first step is to keep open the lines of communication. Dialogue between the US and China can help prevent the worst outcomes from occurring. Whats Chinas comment? Lin Jian: As President Xi Jinping stressed, we live in an interdependent world and rise and fall together. With their interests deeply intertwined, all countries need to build maximum consensus for win-win and all-win outcomes. This is the basic starting point for China to view the world and the China-US relationship. To overstretch the concept of national security, and weaken or sever ones economic ties with other countries leads nowhere, and will only destabilize global industrial and supply chains, disrupt international trade order, and end up harming ones own interests. The US needs to act on its commitment of not seeking to hold back Chinas economic growth and create an enabling environment for its relations with China and cooperation in various fields. The world economy faces the risk of fragmentation and confrontation, but more importantly, it is presented with opportunities for solidarity and cooperation. The course of history will be shaped by the choices we make. In the face of rising unilateralism and protectionism, China advocates a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. We will always choose solidarity and cooperation, and stand on the side of openness and mutual benefit. We stand ready to work with the rest of the world to uphold the international system with the UN at its core and the multilateral trading system centered on the WTO, and strive for a world with a common purpose and a shared pursuit for global development. China Daily: It is reported that the elected-leader Lai Ching-te of the Taiwan region said that he looks forward to strengthening cooperation with Japan after May 20 and that any contingency for Taiwan is a contingency for Japan and vice versa. Whats Chinas comment? Lin Jian: Any contingency for Taiwan is a contingency for Japan. This is a dangerous but apparently miscalculated notion preached by some in Japan. By repeating and hyping that rhetoric, the DPP authorities are essentially telling the world that their underlying logic is to ingratiate themselves with Japan, sell Taiwan out and seek Taiwan independence through soliciting foreign support. It once again reminds people that Taiwan independence and foreign interference are the biggest undermining factor for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Let me stress that the one-China principle is a universal consensus. No separatist attempt for Taiwan independence will get anywhere, whatever its form or pretext. All Peoples Church of Jesus Christ Worship at 11 a.m. Sunday at American Legion Post 172. Pastor: Prophet Roland Jordan delivers the message. Ann Street United Methodist Church 335 Ann St., Concord. Pastor: Rev. Randy L. Wall. In-person and Facebook Live worship at 11 a.m. Sermon: Can the Meek Be Blessed? Scripture: Matthew 5:1-5. Bethpage United Methodist Church 109 Fellowship Ave. at West C St., Kannapolis. 704-932-5296. Pastor: Rev. McKenzie Sefa. Christian Education at 9 a.m. Worship at 10 a.m. Bogers Chapel United Methodist Church 1775 Flowes Store Road E, Concord. Pastor: Pastor Eric Shaver. Sunday school, 9 a.m. Worship service, 10 a.m. (In person or Facebook). Calvary Lutheran Church 950 Bradley St., Concord. 704-782-6923. Pastor: Rev. Debbie Frye. In-person worship at 8:30 a.m. (casual worship) and 11 a.m. (traditional worship with Childrens Church). Coffee/cookie social 9:30-11 a.m. 9:45 a.m. Sunday school for all ages. Childrens area and nursery available at all times. All services live-streamed and available anytime on the Calvary Lutheran Concord Youtube channel easy access through our website www.clconcord.org or church app Calvary Lutheran ChurchNC. All are welcome. Sermon Series: Faith Forward. Sermon Topic: Work Together As One Family. Center United Methodist Church 1119 Union St. S, Concord. Pastor: Rev. Brian Crady. Sunday school for in betweens and young adults at 9 a.m. Worship at 10 a.m. Nursery is provided during the worship service. Website is www.centerumcconcord.org. Look forward to you joining us for our service. Sermon: New Packaging. Scripture: Matthew 27:45-54. Cold Springs Global Methodist Church 2550 Cold Springs Road, Concord. Pastor: Rev. Cliff Wall. Worship at 10 a.m. on Sundays. Visit online at https://youtube.com/@coldspringschurchconcord. Crossroads Church 220 George W. Liles Parkway, Concord. Pastor: Lowell McNaney. Live worship streamed on Facebook, Crossroads Concord Church app or mycrossroads.co website at 9:30 a.m. and 11:11 a.m. Crown Pointe Baptist Church 703 Tennessee St., Kannapolis. Pastor: Rev. Doug Crawley. Sunday school at 9 a.m. Worship at 10 a.m. in the sanctuary, or view online at our Facebook page. Series: Five Smooth Stones. Sermon: All That You Need. Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:32-51 ESV. Eastside Missionary Baptist Church 199 Elgin Drive, Concord. Pastor: Rev. Stephen Burrow. In-person services: Sunday school, 9:30 a.m. Worship services, 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Recorded worship services and other information at EastsideMissionaryBaptist.org. You will be welcomed. Practice social distancing. Epworth United Methodist Church 1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord. Pastor: Rev. Dennis Marshall. Sunday school at 9 a.m., followed by worship at 10 a.m. We welcome all to join us in person, or you may livestream or watch the recorded service at our website at www.epworthnc.com. First Presbyterian Church 201 Vance St., Kannapolis. 704-938-4623. Pastor: Eddie Spencer. Coffee fellowship, 9:30 a.m. Sunday school, 10 a.m. Worship service, 11 a.m. in person and also live streamed on YouTube. www.firstpresb.org. Forest Hill United Methodist Church 265 Union St. N, Concord. Senior Pastor: Rev. Mandy Jones. Associate Pastor: Rev. Wes Judy. We are open for in-person worship. Contemporary worship, 9 a.m. Sunday school/small groups, 10 a.m. Traditional worship, 11 a.m. Both the contemporary and the traditional worship services will also be live-streamed at foresthillumc.org or facebook.com/foresthillumc, in case you dont feel like being here in person. Grace Church of Concord A Global Methodist Community 28-B Branchview Drive NE, Concord. Lead Pastor: Michael Dominick. Worshipping every Sunday at 10 a.m. Sermon: My Identity: Gifted and Fruitful. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Galatians 5:22-23. Series: Dynamics of a Spiritual Life. Topic: The Holy Spirit grows fruit and gives gifts to believers. You are cordially invited to join us over the next several weeks for Pastor Mikes sermon series on the Dynamics of a Spiritual Life. To learn more about the church, visit www.graceconcord.org where you will find links to our Sunday Morning LiveStream and more. Harmony Church Concord 101 White Street NW, Concord. Pastor: Thad Brown. Sunday school begins at 10 a.m. followed by our worship service at 11 a.m. Pastor Thad Brown is out of town this Sunday. Filling the pulpit will be the Rev. Charles McHargue, retired Wesleyan clergy, who is Pastor Thads father-in-law. Sermon: Family. Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:3-5. We welcome everyone to come worship with us! Our service is broadcast live on Facebook.com/HarmonyChurchConcord. For more information, you can call 704-467-0179 or 704-791-2883. Jackson Park United Methodist Church 715 Mable Ave., Kannapolis. Pastor Laurie Knoespel. Adult Sunday school 9:30 a.m. Worship at 10:30 a.m. Nursery will be provided during worship service. Kirkwood Presbyterian Church 900 Klondale Ave., Kannapolis. Pastor: Rev. Dennis B. Craft. Worship at 11 a.m. in church sanctuary on Sundays. No mask restrictions. McGill Baptist Church 5300 Poplar Tent Road, Concord, in-person services. Pastor: Rev. Steve Ayers. McGill will stream a worship service Sunday at 10 a.m. on www.facebook.com/mcgillbaptistchurch/ and on YouTube. The services will be live and also available on recording afterwards. Seventh Sunday of Easter. Mothers Day. Sermon: Sent into the World. Scripture: Psalm 1; 1 John 5:9-13; John 17:6-19. Midway United Methodist Church 108 Bethpage Road, Kannapolis. Pastor: Rev. Craig Allen. Come join us on Sunday morning at 9 a.m. for Sunday school and 10:30 a.m. for worship. Our service is also livestreamed on the web at midwayunitedmethodistchurch.org or facebook.com/midwayUMCWorship. Seventh Sunday of Easter/Ascension. Worship theme: Unshakeable Love. Message: So, What Was Her Name Again? First reading: Psalm 56:1-4. Second reading: Exodus 2:1-10. Suggested Hymns: UMH 145, Morning Has Broken, UMH 557, Blest Be the Tie That Binds. Mt. Mitchell Global Methodist Church 6001 Old Salisbury-Concord Road, Kannapolis. Pastor: Joel Locklear. Office phone: 704-933-0155. Office hours: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. (Adult and childrens classes.) Worship at 11 a.m. in person or Facebook. Nursery for children up to 5 years old. Sermon: Mothers Day. Scripture: 1 Samuel 1:27. Multiply Church Concord 150 Warren C. Coleman Blvd. N, Concord. Pastor: Rev. Douglas Witherup. 8:30 a.m. service held at 280 Concord Parkway S, Suite 15, Concord. Services at 150 Warren C. Coleman Blvd. N, are worship and sermon at 9:30 a.m. and worship and sermon at 11:15 a.m. New Gilead Reformed Church 2400 Old Salisbury-Concord Road. 10 a.m. Sunday school followed by 11 a.m. worship in the sanctuary or worship live on YouTube. We hope that you can connect with us online if you cant be with us in person. Oak Grove Baptist Church 200 Sims Parkway, Harrisburg. Pastor: Rev. Franklin D. Watkins. 10 a.m. In-person worship service. Also available on Facebook Live and YouTube Live. Sermon: A Mother of Great Faith. Scripture: Matthew 15:21-28. Rodgers Park Baptist Church 309 E 24th St., Kannapolis. Weekly message from KJV Bible, by Pastor Joel Ervin. Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. Worship at 10:45 a.m. Facebook Live at 11 a.m. Second Presbyterian Church 1578 Dale Earnhardt Blvd., Kannapolis. Pastor: Sue Black, Minister. Assistant Minister: Rev. Aaron Price. Sunday school at 10 a.m. Worship at 11 a.m. Sermon: Mothers We Love. Scripture: Exodus 2:1-10. St. Johns Reformed Church 901 N. Main St., Kannapolis. Pastor: Rev. Chris King. Sunday school for all ages, 9 a.m. Worship service, 10:30 a.m. Website: www.ourstjohns.org. Email/phone: ourstjohns@gmail.com; 704-932-3656. Sermon: Encouragement for Mothers, especially Young Mothers, for Mothers Day. Scripture: Various Scriptures. Trinity United Church of Christ 38 Church St., Concord. Pastor: Rev. Nathan King. Worship at 11 a.m., in-person or Facebook (live or watch later). Website: commachurch.com. Youre invited! Sermon: A Mothers Day to Remember by Rev. Cathy Cook. Following worship, well gather in the community center for Mothers Day Tea: A Call to Action, featuring food, fun art projects, an interactive timeline of womens rights and a call-to-action project. Youre invited. HICKORY Officials with Charlotte Water came to Hickory looking for water Wednesday night, and they got it. A heavy rain delayed officials from reaching Hickory in time for a 5:30 meeting to discuss an interbasin transfer (IBT) request. Charlotte Water conducted the meeting because it is seeking to amend an interbasin transfer agreement from 2002 that allows it to remove 33 million gallons per day from the Catawba River. A notice about the meeting from the city of Hickory said Charlotte Water was looking to increase the amount of water it could remove from the Catawba River to 63 million gallons per day. At the meeting, Charlotte Water Deputy Director Ron Hargrove said, We have not dialed in and targeted a specific number. Hickory resident Steve Ivester was at the meeting. He remembered water agreements from 2002 and 2007, with Concord and Kannapolis seeking water in the latter debate. He was opposed to both. Charlotte is economically, culturally and ecologically imperialistic, Ivester said. They dont help surrounding communities. They steal our economic operations. They steal our water. Granite Falls residents William and Alice Clarke said they came to the meeting to learn about Charlotte Waters proposal. They moved to Granite Falls from Colorado two years ago and said they are familiar with poor water management. Were concerned about knowing if enough studies have been conducted and stakeholders have been informed, William Clarke said. Bethlehems Randy Prewitt said he came to the meeting to find out why Charlotte needed to amend the agreement from 2002. He said he thought the previous plan was expected to provide enough water through 2065. He said he was concerned about lower lake levels around Lake Hickory. It really all belongs to God, but I dont want my boat sitting in mud, Prewitt said. Roberta Maddox and Lisa Robertson said they came to the meeting from Caldwell County because they were concerned about lower lake levels and pollution. They said they noticed many boats around Lake Hickory sitting on ground. Many people at the meeting echoed similar concerns in the small confines of the Z. Anne Hoyle Community Room at the Ridgeview Branch Library. Some expressed their disapproval of the meeting room, which, according to Hickory Fire Marshal Stephen Craig, had a capacity of 220 and was full by the time the meeting began. Charlotte Water arranged the meeting space. Charlotte Water Executive Director Angela Charles tried to address the restless crowd, saying, This area is upstream. We (Charlotte) take what comes downstream and we treat it well. We treat it with respect. Part of our responsibility is to take care of water once it enters rivers and streams. Charlotte officials said the city is concerned that demand for water may exceed supply by 2028. During the question-and-answer session at the end of the presentation, many speakers questioned what Charlotte is doing to conserve water. Some also questioned how Charlotte would know how many gallons per day it needed. Hargrove said the city is analyzing that data. Charlotte Water Public Affairs Manager Jennifer Frost, who was not at the meeting but answered a question regarding water conservation from the Hickory Daily Record, said, Charlotte Water has a robust conservation education program that includes utility bill inserts, website, blogs, social media, and public events. We also have incentive programs like conservation tier rates and smart irrigation programs. Many elected officials in attendance at the meeting were not convinced by the presentation from Charlotte Water. Hickory Mayor Hank Guess said, Were going to do everything we can to oppose this IBT. Officials from Morganton, Newton, Lenoir, Valdese and other municipalities shared the same sentiment, saying they did not agree with Charlottes wishes to amend the agreement from 2002. After Charlotte Water presented its information, state lawmaker Jay Adams, who represents parts of Catawba County, said, Theyre going to give us their plan. Were going to give them our alternatives. They have their side. We have ours. We have the water. More information about Charlottes plan to pull more water from the Catawba River can be found at charlottewateribt.org. COMPANY NEWS: Blue Zebra Insurance (BZI) may be a relatively new arrival to Australias insurance sector, but it has quickly established a name for itself through its innovative digital offerings. Since it was founded in 2017, it has provided agencies and insurers with a self-built and cloud-hosted digital platform for insurance policy administration, helping it deliver its services efficiently at scale and speed. One of the most notable indicators of Blue Zebra's growth trajectory is the nearly $100 million increase in Gross Written Premium (GWP), representing a remarkable growth rate of more than 50% compared to the previous year. Blue Zebra has also received significant industry recognition, winning the Insurance Business Digital Insurer of the Year Award for five years running. According to BZIs Chief Technology Officer, Amar Roomi, the companys digital maturity is crucial to its success. Our journey with Microsoft dates back to our inception in 2017 when we started building our own custom application on Azure. We were able to grow the business at a high volume and low cost, thanks to Microsofts scalable and flexible technology stack, he says. Today, the company underwrites more than $300 million in premiums annually and handles nearly 1.2 million quotes per year. It is also fully powered by Microsoft, deploying the productivity tools in the Microsoft Office suite as well as Microsoft Azure as the foundation for its online platform, among other solutions. We are a small and ambitious company, able to achieve with a team of 30 technical staff what most insurance companies would need 200 people to do, says Roomi. A huge factor in our ability to be that efficient is our heavy investment in the right technology. In 2024, the company decided to enhance its security posture by deploying Microsoft Sentinel for a centralised dashboard to oversee incidents and centralise threat management activity. BZI selected Sentinel as it aligned with the companys core principle of maintaining a lean structure without limiting scalability through automation and intelligent response management. BZI partnered with Arinco to implement Sentinel quickly and maximise its capabilities. Deploying Sentinel efficiently BZI began its Sentinel deployment in January 2024, completing the project by the end of February. The nine-week deployment was due to the effective partnership between BZI and Arinco, which brought deep expertise and knowledge of the Microsoft stack to help BZI integrate Sentinel across its operations. We came on board to supplement BZIs strong technical expertise with our own, having been recommended by Microsoft as a trusted partner, says Dave Edge, Cloud Security Architect at Arinco. BZI is a small and fast-growing organisation with strong and broad security ambitions, so we helped the team understand the work that needed to happen to build on their logging, threat detection and incident response capabilities in an agile and cost-effective way. Sentinel is a sophisticated product, with a lot of data connectors and different playbooks, depending on your needs and priorities, but the deployment was made far less daunting with Arincos guidance, says Roomi. Just two months after the start of the deployment, Sentinel is seamlessly integrated into BZIs operations and has become its starting point for incident and response management. Enhanced security management The standout benefit that Sentinel is providing to BZI is a centralised dashboard, which allows the organisation to oversee all security alerts, incidents, investigations and metrics within a single view. This in turn gives BZIs Technology team greater visibility to monitor the companys security posture. Sentinel also allows BZI to automate responses to security incidents, speeding up what is typically a manual process and ensuring swift and consistent responses to security threats. As a result, Sentinel has significantly reduced incident response and resolution time for BZI (average decreases of 25% and 50% respectively). That automation capability within Sentinel really aligns with BZIs proactive approach to cybersecurity, and my philosophy of lazy protection by which I mean I want to be able to rely on the robust security frameworks embedded in our technology without having to reinvent the wheel. Our whole business is founded on a strong sense of automation and digital enablement and working with Sentinel was a natural fit says Roomi. Alongside Sentinel, BZI is also using Microsoft Defender to identify and triage security threats across its identities, applications and devices. This leverages the native advanced threat detection and AI capabilities within Defender to help the team respond more intelligently and discern serious threats from false positives, which the team is hoping to reduce by one-third. BZI is also leveraging Microsoft 365 E5 which provides several protective controls including risk-based access management and identity protection, vulnerability management, security baselines for endpoints, and data protection. As part of the E5 suite, BZI is also benefitting from improved email security features and protection against email threats such as phishing. This is especially crucial in the insurance industry, where email communications are a key part of daily operations. By drawing on Microsoft technology and its partnership with Arinco, BZI has been able to adopt what Roomi calls best-in-class security without needing to build a large internal team to develop its cybersecurity solutions. Looking ahead to AI BZI is extending its cloud-native approach by deploying Windows 365 Enterprise across its workforce. By providing employees with secure and seamless access to resources, BZI is enabling a flexible work environment while also reducing attack surfaces closely aligning it with Microsofts vision for a modern, secure and efficient workplace. The solution is currently available to 20% of its workforce and the company plans to roll it out to all staff by the second half of the year. The company is also currently deploying Microsoft Fabric to centralise its data management and unify its various data sources into a single data lake. This centralisation will streamline its architecture and simplify access and analysis of data across the company. By leveraging this centralised data repository, BZI will be better positioned to harness Azure AI Studio and OpenAIs large language models to enhance its AI capabilities. In doing so, it will foster innovation in predictive modelling and claims process automation, furthering BZIs commitment to using cutting-edge AI technology to improve its services. The potential for AI in the insurance industry is vast, and Microsofts technology is going to be pivotal in helping us realise these advancements, says Roomi. BZI has a very pragmatic approach to security and AI, paired with an intelligent and informed view of whats going on in the industry, says Iain Podd, Account Executive, Arinco. Its exciting to work with a customer who is ready and able to act on the latest advancements in technology because theyve put the time and effort into establishing security and efficiency as a basis for innovation. Google wants to be taken seriously as a provider of security services for the enterprise. With that in mind, the company has unveiled what it calls Intel-driven AI-powered SecOps and actionable threat intelligence, the latter under the name Google Threat Intelligence, at the RSA conference in San Francisco. This means Google will combine data from Mandiant which it acquired in March 2022 and meld this information with telemetry from its enormous footprint and make use of VirusTotal's database to sell visibility to corporate security teams. On Tuesday, Sunil Potti, vice-president and general manager of Google Cloud Security, and Sandra Joyce, vice-president of the newly formed Google Threat Intelligence, said in a statement: "For decades, threat intelligence solutions have had two main challenges: They lack a comprehensive view of the threat landscape, and to get value from intelligence, organisations have to spend excess time, energy, and money trying to collect and operationalise the data." The pair added that Google Threat Intelligence would combine "the unmatched depth of our Mandiant frontline expertise, the global reach of the VirusTotal community, and the breadth of visibility only Google can deliver, based on billions of signals across devices and emails". "Google Threat Intelligence includes Gemini in Threat Intelligence, our AI-powered agent that provides conversational search across our vast repository of threat intelligence, enabling customers to gain insights and protect themselves from threats faster than ever before." A second announcement, about Google Security Operations Intel-driven, AI-powered SecOps was made by Chris Corde, director of Product Management. He said this would encompass new features that would use AI to automatically generate detections based on new threat discoveries. "Coming later this year, this new capability will help enable you to identify malicious activity operating in your environment, and share clear directions that guide you through triage and response," Corde added. Expanding on the AI angle, Steph Hay, senior director, Google Cloud Security, and Umesh Shankar, chief technologist, Google Cloud Security, said the company's vision for AI was "to accelerate your ability to protect and defend against threats by shifting from manual, time-intensive efforts to assisted and, ultimately, semi-autonomous security while providing you with curated tools and services to secure your AI data, models, applications, and infrastructure. "We [will] do this by empowering defenders with Gemini in Security, which uses SecLM, our security-tuned API, as well as providing tools and services to manage AI risk to your environment. Our Mandiant experts are able to help you secure your AI journey wherever you are." The announcements came against the background of a major snafu suffered by Google Cloud, a third-party provider to the Australian superannuation provide UniSuper. A Google Cloud spokesperson did not appear to know the exact cause of the snafu that has resulted in UniSuper members being unable to access their accounts since last week. The last statement issued by Google reflects the company's confusion. The problem, this individual said, "was caused by a combination of rare issues at Google Cloud that resulted in an inadvertent misconfiguration during the provisioning of UniSupers Private Cloud, which triggered a previously unknown software bug that impacted UniSupers secondary systems", not words that exactly inspire confidence. UniSuper's latest statement on the screw-up on Thursday said: "From midday 9 May AEST, members will be able to login to their accounts on our website. Estimated account balances may not reflect transactions which have not yet been processed due to the outage. Please be assured that updated balances will be reflected in accounts as soon as possible." Michelle Abraham, research director, IDC, said: Google Security Operations provides access to unique threat intelligence and advanced capabilities that are highly integrated into the platform. "It enables security teams to surface the latest threats in a turnkey way that doesnt require complicated engineering. Google is a potential partner for organisations in the fight against existing and emerging threats. Third-party endorsement for Google Threat Intelligence came from Dave Gruber, principal analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group, who was quoted as saying: "While there is no shortage of threat intelligence available, the challenge for most is to contextualise and operationalise intelligence relevant to their specific organisation. Unarguably, Google provides two of the most important pillars of threat intelligence in the industry today with VirusTotal and Mandiant. Integrating both into a single offering, enhanced with AI and Google threat insights, offers security teams a new means to operationalise actionable threat intelligence to better protect their organisations. COMPANY NEWS: SOTI has announced that a significant product update to SOTI Snapwill be showcased at the upcoming regional customer and partner SOTI World Tour event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The SOTI Snap update utilises artificial intelligence (AI) to extract relevant data from paper and electronic forms without human interaction, therefore simplifying and enhancing key data processing tasks. The update to SOTI Snap comes at a time when organisations are continuing to mobilise and expand their breadth of devices and corresponding applications with ease and speed across the region. With that comes a need for tighter data security and data management, as well as an overall reduction in manual processes and a need for easier searching and retrieval of data. SOTI Snap users can simply upload a PDF or a picture of the form they need to digitise, and the AI powered application ensures that necessary input fields and labels are populated automatically. With this new feature, users can eliminate the need for lengthy form creation and the risk of manual errors when converting from paper to digital. "In todays organisational landscape, the abundance of paper forms and compliance documentation is surprising. Transitioning from paper to digital benefits customers by nearly eliminating the manual inaccuracies and delays from the vast amounts of data processed. With the latest update, SOTI Snap uses AI to accelerate the journey from paper to digital, empowering businesses to thrive. Take a picture of the paper form or upload its PDF. SOTI Snap will create its digital version complete with fields to populate." said SOTI vice president of sales Michael Dyson. "Manual paper-based processes are challenging. Human error and recording data manually is time-consuming and can lead to incorrect records. With SOTI Snap, businesses are enabled to go digital quickly and efficiently. The benefits of this product allow customers to save money, increase security and boost employee productivity. Organisations can now expedite time-consuming processes such as employee onboarding, visitor sign-in, delivery confirmations and purchase orders, to name a few," said SOTI senior vice president of product strategy Shash Anand. Importantly for organisations operating internationally, SOTI Snaps AI form generation capability can also facilitate multi-language form generation in over 100 languages. If a user uploads a form in a different language, SOTI Snap can identify the language and generate a form in that same language. At the SOTI World Tour event in Malaysia, from 14-15 May 2024, attendees will participate in unique and exclusive sessions including Diagnostic Intelligence with SOTI XSight, SOTI MobiControl Best Practices and Android Enterprise Device Management. customers and partners will also experience engaging keynotes from SOTI's leaders, a Demo Zone showcasing the latest SOTI technology and an opportunity to connect with industry experts to address specific business pain points. "Spanning across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, Greater China and the Philippines, SOTI's footprint in the region demonstrates an understanding of the unique technology needs of customers and partners across this diverse and fast-growing landscape. The success of SOTI in this region is hinged on the management of mission critical business devices across different industries and sectors, including retail, transportation and logistics, healthcare and emergency services , said Dyson. SOTI supports leading companies across the APAC region with remote monitoring, support and visualisation of devices across vast geographical regions, through one single pane of glass. It successfully works with organisations such as Australia Post, Cheap as Chips, V-Guard, the Royal Womens Hospital and St John Ambulance New Zealand. Hato Hone St John (Ambulance) deployed more than 2,500 rugged Android tablets using the SOTI ONE Platform. With SOTI we have the ability to remotely support any issue our paramedics may experience, and we are able to critically update user applications. Meaning that our team always has the very latest app version and information in their hands to support positive patient outcomes, said Hato Hone St John New Zealand digital product manager Gabrielle Wildbore. The SOTI World Tour event will showcase the latest SOTI Snap product updates, along with the company's vision of technological excellence and opportunities for growth with partners. For more information on the SOTI World Tour event in Malaysia, please click here. About SOTI SOTI is a proven innovator and industry leader for simplifying business mobility solutions by making them smarter, faster and more reliable. With SOTIs innovative portfolio of solutions, organisations can trust SOTI to elevate and streamline their mobile operations, maximize their ROI and reduce device downtime. Globally, with over 17,000 customers, SOTI has proven itself to be the go-to mobile platform provider to manage, secure and support business-critical devices. With SOTIs world-class support, enterprises can take mobility to endless possibilities. For more information, visit soti.net. COMPANY NEWS: Leading technology service provider Tecala Group has announced a strategic partnership with Nintex, a global leader in process management and automation solutions. This collaborative effort has been solidified by Tecala's recent acquisition of rapidMATION, an esteemed intelligent automation group and a distinguished partner of Nintex. Nintex offers an end-to-end process automation platform, with tools and capabilities that support companies as they begin, mature, and expand their process management and automation programs. Known for its user-friendly tools and ability to handle both tactical and complex automation requirements, Nintex is investing in partners who can help custom fit its tools into the use case specific customer requirements. Tecala's recent acquisition of rapidMATION expands its Nintex proficiency, complementing its existing automation, data, and AI capabilities to meet evolving client needs and ensure sustained delivery of brilliant outcomes. Shaun Leisegang, General Manager of Automation, Data and AI, Tecala Shaun Leisegang, ex-CEO and Co-Founder of rapidMATION and now General Manager of Automation, Data and AI at Tecala, expressed his confidence in the partnership, noting, "we firmly believe that Nintex is unparalleled in human-centric workflow and digital forms, allowing them to exceed expectations consistently. Nintex's commitment to innovation positions them at the forefront of the industry. Our objective is to expand the capabilities of the Tecala team to use this powerful technology to help more of our customers achieve their operational efficiency goals. Christian Lucarelli, Hlobal Head of Partners, Nintex Companies are increasingly focused on operational efficiency, leveraging automation tools like Nintex to get the most value from the software, data, and teams across their business, said Christian Lucarelli, Global Head of Partners at Nintex. Our partners at Tecala are the proof that getting close to and understanding our shared customer requirements and meeting their business and team members where they are is a scalable business strategy. We look forward to expanding the Nintex Process Platform value with their new and current customers. Tecala's acquisition of rapidMATION aligns seamlessly with its overarching strategy to embrace emerging technologies. The amalgamation of rapidMATION into Tecala signifies the inception of ADA, a venture emblematic of the shared vision both organisations hold regarding the imperative role of AI-powered intelligent automation. Pieter DeGunst, Managing Director of Tecala Pieter DeGunst, Managing Director of Tecala, underscored the strategic importance of this collaboration, stating, "The integration of rapidMATION and the establishment of our Automation, Data and AI business marks the latest stride in our long-term strategy to adopt and champion new technologies." The rapidMATION team won a Nintex Partner Award for Business Excellence in 2021 for its work with LifeFlight, acknowledging the use of Nintex technology to automate tactical reporting requirements of the aeromedical rescue mission teams, allowing them to focus more time on safe and effective patient treatment and transfer. From digital process automation to the seamless integration of robotic processes and artificial intelligence, rapidMATION has consistently demonstrated its prowess in leveraging the capabilities of the Nintex Process Platform. Shaun Leisegang echoed DeGunst's sentiments, emphasising the cultural harmony between the teams, "Finding an opportunity with not only a robust business fit but, more importantly, a cultural synergy between our teams is rare. This collaboration is indeed a scenario where one plus one equals three." In just 11 days, a British court will decide whether to extradite WikiLeaks founder and publisher Julian Assange to the US where he will face trial on espionage charges. The Australian came up before the British High Court in a two-day hearing on 20 and 21 March but was too ill to even appear physically before the court. At the end of those two days of hearings, the High Court decided the US must give assurances that Assange will not face the death penalty if he is extradited. It gave Washington until mid-April to provide such an assurance before it made a final decision on whether Assange could launch an appeal against his extradition. Additionally, the High Court also sought assurances as to whether Assange would be able to rely on free speech rights during any hearing in the US. The US provided these assurances on 16 April, but there was a catch in what it said: while Assange would be able to "seek to rely" upon the US Constitution's provisions for free speech, "a decision as to the applicability of the first amendment is exclusively within the purview of the US courts". This means lawyers from both sides will be back at the High Court on 20 May before a decision is taken as to whether the Australian can appeal against his extradition.. Assange is still locked up in the maximum security Belmarsh Prison where he has spent the last 1854 days. The Australian's supporters said in a statement they were calling for his backers to assemble outside the court from 8.30am London time (11.30pm AEST) on 20 May. "Should the court allow Julian's extradition the only possibly bar to immediate extradition would be the European Court of Human Rights although it is by no means certain that the court would intervene," the statement said. The statement noted that the decision would be announced in the shadow of World Press Freedom day, which was marked last week. "On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, Amnesty International warned 'If Julian Assange is extradited to the US for publishing sensitive material leaked by others, the message to journalists and publishers everywhere is simple: you are not safe'," the statement added. It said the Australian "Bring Julian Assange Home" bipartisan parliamentary group had written directly to US President Joe Biden saying, "On World Press Freedom Day, we write as a group of Australian Parliamentarians from across the political spectrum seeking the freedom of Julian Assange. "We write in the hope that Mr Assange, who has endured maximum security imprisonment in the UK's Belmarsh Prison for more than five years without conviction on any substantial charge, can go free, can go home, can be reunited with his wife, children, and family." The statement pointed out that while the case was important in terms of press freedom and holding governments to account and more, it was also an ongoing personal tragedy. "Julian has been detained in one form or another for over 13 years, the last five at the maximum security Belmarsh prison," it noted. "Sharing a BBC World Service panel with Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe last week Stella Assange spoke of the terrible impact Julian's continued unjust imprisonment has had on their two young children, Gabriel and Max, and the toll it was taking on them all, as the two women spoke about their shared experiences on unjust imprisonment." Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been silent about the case after 11 April when he leapt upon a throwaway remark from Biden about freedom for the WikiLeaks founder. Biden was asked about Assange during an official visit to the US by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and offered an off-hand reply: "We're considering it." Those three words appeared to have been manna from heaven for Albanese who has been reticent to make a forthright statement on the detention of an Australian citizen in the UK after America sought his extradition on espionage charges. Albanese was quick to tell a TV interviewer that day after Biden's muttered comment: "This is an encouraging comment from President Biden. Enough is enough, theres nothing to be gained by Mr Assanges continued incarceration. The Federal Government has begun an audit of mobile coverage and capacity in the country, with a pilot audit having started and an initial tranche of data published on Wednesday. A statement from Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the audit was aimed to help identify mobile coverage black spots and guide co-investment with industry. It would also aid in assessing the accuracy of coverage maps which were made public. Accenture has been contracted to carry out the project with the end date being 30 June 2027. The pilot audit will cover three roads and three locations in each state and territory and is expected to be completed in the next three months. However initial results will be published at the end of this month. Rowland's statement said Accenture would begin the main audit after looking at the results of the pilot. This would involve drive testing about 180,000km of regional and rural roads every year for three years.It said static devices would also be placed in up to 77 locations across all states and territories to conduct testing at those locations. The audit will measure coverage and performance across Optus, Telstra and TPG networks, and also cover 3G while it is available 4G and 5G services. The drive testing and static testing data will be complemented with additional crowd-sourced data, published every quarter. This initial tranche of data contains details of existing crowd-sourced data collected between December 2023 and February 2024. The initial crowd-sourced data can be seen through this Web-based tool. Current coverage maps are based on data collected from December 2023 to February 2024 via the Accenture Crowdsourcing platform and draw upon 150,000 active users in Australia at any one time contributing to 3.5 billion samples annually. Saud Rowland: A national audit of mobile coverage is critical to identifying Australias coverage gaps, and highlighting where industry maps might not reflect the experience of Australians on the ground. This audit will allow the government and industry to make better investment decisions that will actually make a difference to locals, motorists and small businesses in areas of patchy coverage. I look forward to the completion of this audit over the next three years, including the publication of crowd-sourced data every quarter, to help us deliver better mobile coverage right around Australia." Al Iverson: "When (DMARC IS) done right, it helps make it useless for bad guys to spoof your email domain." Email is an old method of communication yes, it's been here since 1965 with the first messages on the Arpanet being sent in 1971 but the way it operates is still as much of a mystery to the average punter as it was back in those days. If truth be told, it was quite baffling to think that the addition of an @ sign would result in mail going to some individual sitting on another PC miles and miles away. But it worked then and still does for the most part now. The issues dogging email, however, are numerous: spam (unwanted commercial email), domain spoofing (receiving mail which looks to have come from your own email address), bogus links within what looks to be a perfectly respectable email and... well, I could go on. {ladoposition sam08}To clear up the average punter's understanding about one mechanism that can stop spoofing DMARC I had an email exchange with Al Iverson, industry desearch and community engagement lead with Valimail, a DMARC software-as-a-service provider. Iverson has a great deal of experience in stopping spam, email marketing, email technology, and deliverability and helps Valimail clients understand why they should implement DMARC and how DMARC intersects with deliverablity. Before he joined Valimail, he worked in a number of deliverability and product management-related roles, including director of Deliverability for a large marketing cloud platform for 15 years. Iverson blogs about email deliverability in his "spare" time for his personal blog, Spam Resource, which he has published since 2001. What is Valimail? How is it different from other third-party mail providers? Valimail is a DMARC SaaS provider that focuses on helping clients protect their email domains against phishing and spoofing. Were not an email security service in that we dont process or spam filter your inbound mail; were all about monitoring email domain usage and eliminating misuse of your domain in email. What is DMARC? Are there any competing schemes which offer similar protection to that claimed by DMARC? Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC) is an email authentication-related domain setting that helps domain owners prevent misuse of their domain by allowing those owners to publish a policy that requests that mailbox providers (like Yahoo! and Gmail and many others) handle unauthenticated or spoofed mail in a certain way. When done right, it helps make it useless for bad guys to spoof your email domain. It also comes with reporting, where mailbox providers share data on successful (and unsuccessful) attempts to send mail using your email domain name. In what way does it differ from SPF? (you may recall the Microsoft-sponsored initiative for making email safe). Actually, SPF wasnt really Microsoft-driven. They had a competing, but very similar, specification called Sender ID, that never garnered utilisation outside of Microsoft. But I digress. Sender Policy Framework (SPF) differs from DMARC in that SPF provides a framework to map out what IP addresses are authorised to send email messages for a given domain name. Its a bit like a baby version of DMARC in that it has a mechanism to suggest how mailbox providers should handle failures, but it can be a bit limited both due to DNS resolution complexity theres a limit of 10 DNS look-ups allowed for an SPF record (and its possible for organisations to hit this limit pretty easily when using multiple email-sending services) and forwarding fragility. SPFs authentication is based on last hop identification the server that just connected to mine and sent me that email message which is easily spoiled by email forwarding. What about DKIM? I seem to remember that Yahoo! was pushing this, again to make email safe. DomainKeys Identified Mail is indeed version two of a specification originated by Yahoo! (DomainKeys). Its a cryptographic signature-based authentication that works based on a public/private key pair. The sending domain generates a cryptographic signature, and the receiving mailbox provider can confirm that the signature is legitimate using the public key value published in DNS. DKIM and SPF are two sides of the email authentication coin. Unlike SPF, DKIM is based on domain signature, and doesnt verify infrastructure by way of sending IP address. DKIM is a little bit more robust in that it can survive message forwarding, but it has its own limitations; the signature only covers the message body and any headers specifically configured to be covered by the signature, leading to a scenario where a message could pass authentication checks even if a certain header or two had been modified. DKIM lacks a way to request how mailbox providers should handle messages that fail authentication checks (thats where DMARC comes into play). A DKIM message can, in theory, be re-injected into SMTP over and over, in whats called a DKIM replay attack which at the very least, can be very annoying to recipients. You say the way in which Google and Microsoft support DMARC is different. How? In October 2023, Google and Yahoo! published a new set of email sender requirements that include the requirement that bulk senders (those sending more than 5000 messages per day) must implement DMARC (among other requirements). Microsoft hasnt mandated similarly. But all three mailbox providers (and many others) respect DMARC policy in that if your email domain has a p=reject DMARC policy in place, and an inbound email using that sending domain fails authentication checks, theyll reject the message. Why are we looking only at these two providers (Google and Microsoft)? Is it because, as I have heard, unless you route your mail through a provider supported by these two giant corporations, it may well end up going into the spam folder? Whether or not mail goes to the spam folder or inbox is really based on a whole bunch of calculations around spam fingerprinting, email authentication, and sender reputation based on domain and sending IP address, with a little bit of content consideration thrown in, but its not the case that you have to send mail through Microsoft or Google to get mail to the inbox. I send my own little newsletter to just under 1000 people from my own MTA and it gets to the target inboxes just fine. People run Mailman or Mail in a Box and can get mail delivered to the inbox successfully. I do run into folks sometimes who claim that their deliverability problems must mean that its a conspiracy by the big providers to try to run little email senders out of business. Thats just not true. The real problem is that email sending requirements evolve over time, and if an email administrator fails to keep up with those changes or even worse, sticks their head in the sand or stomps their feet and declines to implement these new requirements theyre going to have problems. Getting email delivered isnt about being an enterprise-level brand sender or Fortune 100 company; its about email best practices, properly implementing email security, sending wanted mail, being careful not to send or relay spam, and things like that. That being said, spam filters are imperfect, and not every mailbox provider implements everything the same way. Theres always a chance some sender could end up being unfairly landed in the spam folder at one mailbox provider, but usually not globally. I have personal experience of this as my domain, gnubies.com, was registered in 1999. Even after being around so long, I am often told by people I write to that they had to retrieve an email I sent them from the spam folder. Or is this because of configuration at the recipient's end? I see youve SPF and DMARC in place for your domain, which is good. I see you have at least one DKIM record in DNS, though I cant tell if all mail sent is being signed with DKIM. For something like this, Id start by making sure somebody can give you a clean bill of health from a technical perspective email developer Steve Atkins put together a really handy email testing tool that helps to troubleshoot things like this, you can find it here if you want to try it out. Id recommend it. Id be happy to chat further if you would like more help troubleshooting. But even with my expertise, once in a while mail from one of my domains will start going to the spam folder out of nowhere at some place like Microsoft Outlook.com, then go back to normal a few days or weeks later. You say it may be helpful to explain what domain owners must do to enable true DMARC protection. Is there some difference between "true" protection and vanilla protection? Very much so. Yahoo! and Google announced a February 2024 deadline to implement DMARC (and other requirements) and so there was a rush for everyone sending email marketing and newsletters to quickly implement DMARC, and not everybody knew exactly how to do it or whats best, so there were two primary gaps there that folks would fall into: First, implementing a p=none DMARC policy and then doing nothing else assuming everything is great because theyve checked the DMARC box as requested. A policy of p=none doesnt protect an email domain; bad guys can still spoof it. Youre not at true protection until you get to a more restrictive DMARC policy of p=quarantine or p=reject. Next, not having any sort of reporting/monitoring in place. DMARC has a widely implemented aggregate feedback mechanism that enables reports to come back to a sender from various mailbox providers. Id call those reports barely human readable at best; theyre XML files embedded in email and not really meant to be parsed manually. You need a tool or service to consume that reporting and build you dashboards to help you understand and monitor both your own legitimate mail streams and see what attempted phishing and spoofing activity is out there sending as your email domain name. What would one have to do to achieve DMARC enforcement and spot fraudulent activities? DMARC success effectively means setting yourself up to monitor where email is coming from, ensuring you have proper authentication in place for all of your legitimate email streams and outsourced service providers, addressing any technical issues (like DKIM key management or overly complex SPF records) and then flipping that switch to a p=quarantine or p=reject DMARC policy to protect your email domain from being spoofed. And of course, reviewing email source data and alerting all along the way to understand whats out there using your email domain, and whether or not it is legitimate or fraudulent. I sometimes get mail where the from address is my own. Looking at the headers gives me no idea of who is the sender or where the mail is coming from. Does DMARC help block this kind of email? Yes, this (I sent the headers from one spoofed email I received to Iverson) is a perfect example of one type of fraudulent email that DMARC helps to stop. If the ITWire domain were to move to a p=reject policy and your inbound email infrastructure knew to respect that policy (youd add OpenDMARC to do this with your Postfix set-up), youd reject that mail at the door; it would never get through. If you werent hosting your own email, but were using an outsourced mailbox provider like Google Workspace, Microsoft O365, Fastmail, etc., most (probably almost all) of those would have rejected that email message, too. Anything else the Valimail people would like to say? DMARC is very useful and a necessary component of email authentication used to secure your email domain against phishing and spoofing. When properly implemented, it helps with email deliverability by preventing bad guys from wrecking your domains sending reputation by sending email messages that you never would have authorised or allowed intentionally. There are just three little caveats that Id want everyone to remember about DMARC: By Ulviyya Shahin Trade relations between Azerbaijan and China have seen significant growth in recent years, reflecting the strengthening economic ties between the two countries. The first quarter of 2024 witnessed a substantial increase in trade turnover. During this period, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and China reached a noteworthy sum of $748,8 million. This figure represents a considerable surge compared to the same period in 2023, with an impressive increase of $123,8 million, marking a notable rise of 19.8%. Against the background of the economic relation between the two countries, Dr Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan, an expert on China, and Executive Director of the Center for South & International Studies (CSAIS) Islamabad shared his opinions with Azernews. Azernews presents the interview: Q. Dr. Hassan Khan, as a Chinese trade expert, what factors do you believe have contributed to the significant growth in trade relations between Azerbaijan and China in recent years? A. It seems that better political understanding; economic cooperation, enhanced inflows of FDIs, joint ventures, and energy cooperation between Azerbaijan and China have trigged volumes of bilateral trade and economic ties. The consolidation of relations between China and Azerbaijan in recent years demonstrates mutual benefit and strategic partnership. Trade growth, the enhancement of investment cooperation, the development of transport infrastructure, and joint projects in green energy are the cornerstones of this cooperation. Historically, China and Azerbaijan enjoy close exchanges at all levels, solid political mutual trust, solid progress in high-quality BRI, and effective international coordination. Both countries are ready to work to earnestly follow through on the common understandings reached between the two heads of state, push for steady, deep, and solid bilateral cooperation in all fields from a strategic perspective, and constantly upgrade the level of China-Azerbaijan relations. Additionally, Azerbaijan attaches great importance to developing Azerbaijan-China relations, supports the one-China principle, and is willing to firmly support each other with China on issues concerning each other's core interests, expand cooperation with China in such fields as economy, trade, transportation, and new energy, and achieve common development and prosperity. According to official data, from January to October 2023, the volume of China-Azerbaijan trade reached an impressive 2.57 billion dollars, marking a 47.5 percent increase compared to the previous year which clearly demonstrates the growing significance of the economic relationship between the two countries. China, emerging as the largest source of imports, has become Azerbaijan's fourth-largest trading partner, reflecting the strategic importance of this cooperation. Critical analysis reveals that exports from China to Azerbaijan predominantly consist of high-tech products which account for over 50 percent of the total export volume. This focus on advanced technologies significantly impacts Azerbaijan's socio-economic development, opening new prospects for local businesses. Greater socio-economic cooperation, banking & financial integration, high qualitative industrialization, trans-regional connectivity, digitalization, e-commerce, AI, and last but not least, green technologies cooperation is gearing bilateral relations towards a greater sphere of cooperation, coordination, and collaboration between two countries. Moreover, geo-politically Azerbaijans strategic status as a Middle Corridor and essential connecting hub in the greater Eurasian region, the formation of alternative routes having seaports and integrated railways systems are also important factors in increasing the trade relations between the two countries. Geo-strategically Azerbaijans positive and productive role in regional peace, stability, connectivity, and potential membership in the SCO and BRICS makes it one of the most important countries in the region for Chinas BRI connections in the Black Sea and Eastern Europe and beyond. Q. With Azerbaijan's imports from China experiencing a notable surge, what do you see as the primary drivers behind this increased demand for Chinese goods within the Azerbaijani market? A. The emerging economic trends in the region and at the international level have forced the government of Azerbaijan to increase trade and economic ties with China being the global stimulator of industrial growth and supply chains. Chinas EVs, superiority in renewables mainly solar & wind apparatus, comparatively cheap but qualitative products, regional proximity, and last but not least infrastructure development of the newly liberated areas provide a window of opportunity for Azerbaijan and its private companies to foster bilateral relations. Furthermore, Azerbaijans green transformation, COP29 ownership, booming services sector, tourism, cultural cooperation, and last but not least economic liberalization stimulate bilateral trade cooperation between the two countries. Last but not least, Chinas new productive drivers, qualitative industrialization, and openness remained the key drivers of greater economic ties and trade cooperation between the two nations. Q. How do you interpret the upward trajectory in trade activities between Azerbaijan and China, particularly considering the notable rise in trade turnover compared to the same period in 2023? A. It is positive, productive, and participatory with bright prospects. It is a good omen that the pace of their bilateral trade and economic ties remained upward providing a new window of opportunities for both countries. Energy cooperation in terms of oil & gas, chemical industries, agricultural cooperation, and green energy is one the main drivers of booming trade ties. Bilateral relations between China and Azerbaijan have been further strengthened after the meeting of two heads of state in SCO-2022. Azerbaijan is an important economic and trade partner for China. China sees Azerbaijan as a single investment market. It has a keen interest in cooperating with Azerbaijan in the financial and agricultural sectors. China attaches great importance to the development of mutually beneficial and close cooperation with Azerbaijan and has implemented several large-scale infrastructure and industrial projects that have played an active role in the socio-economic development of Azerbaijan. It is a good omen for both countries to view and plan for bilateral relations from a strategic height, increase strategic mutual trust, strengthen mutual support, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and work for steady, in-depth, and practical cooperation in various fields between the two countries. Xi also said China welcomes Azerbaijan to join China in implementing the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Security Initiative (GSI). Q. In your opinion, what measures can both Azerbaijan and China take to sustain and enhance the momentum of their economic partnership in the face of global economic uncertainties and challenges? A. Both countries should also expand trade, improve the trade mix, increase the number of China-Europe Express freight train services, and ensure unimpeded international supply chains. Xi also expressed confidence that the Belt and Road cooperation between China and Azerbaijan enjoys broad prospects. For his part, Aliyev said that Azerbaijan and China are true strategic partners, that the two sides maintain close communication in international affairs, and that bilateral cooperation is advancing steadily. Q. How do you see the role of bilateral agreements and initiatives in facilitating and fostering closer economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and China, particularly in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative? A. It is estimated that BRI has a great impact on Azerbaijans macro-economy through Azerbaijans connectivity and trade with the BRI economies. BRI projects have further improved its transport, power, and ICT infrastructure. Azerbaijan is a BRI partner country in the South Caucasus strategically located between Asia and Europe. It can play the role of a strategic partner, middle corridor, and hub connecting China with the Middle East and Europe. In this regard, Azerbaijan perceives BRI as a promising initiative. The Azerbaijani government has a strong political will, economic ability, and the infrastructural capacity to contribute a win-win proposition for both countries. Q. Are there any specific areas or opportunities for collaboration that you would recommend exploring to further strengthen trade and investment ties between Azerbaijan and China? A.For further strengthening of bilateral relations and widening of scope, utility and strategic importance of mutual ties and BRI, China, and Azerbaijan should closely work to strengthen the BRIs influence in Central Asia and South Caucasus and prioritise the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) passing through Azerbaijan. The TITR, known as the Middle Corridor, had been in development as part of Chinas BRI for several years. The 6,500-kilometer network of roads, railroads, and ports spanning Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, then into Turkiye and/or the Black Sea is intended to reduce shipping times from 60 days by ocean to a fortnight. It is backed by billions of dollars in loans and grants from the Chinese government. Q. Looking ahead, what strategies or steps do you believe both countries should prioritize to capitalize on the current momentum and maximize the potential benefits of their growing economic relationship? A. Both countries have already inked several agreements including an investment of US$ 300 million by China National Electric Engineering Company (CNEEC) into a tire factory in Azerbaijan. It will create 800 new jobs and boost the plants production potential to 3.3 million tires per year. Another multimillion-dollar agreement would see investments into the agriculture sector. In 2018-2019, imports from China increased by 40 percent and trade turnover reached $1.3 billion. Azerbaijan has become Chinas number one trading partner in the South Caucasus compared to Armenia and Georgia. On the other hand, Azerbaijans investments in Chinas economy reached $1.7 billion, while Chinas investments in Azerbaijans economy came close to $800 million. About 119 companies relying on Chinese capital are operating in Azerbaijan which is indeed a good omen. Energy cooperation between China and Azerbaijan holds a significant place in their bilateral relations, especially in the context of transitioning towards sustainable and renewable energy sources. In 2023, a substantial memorandum of understanding was signed between the energy departments of both countries, aimed at developing cooperation in the field of renewable energy. The Chinese company Dongfang is currently involved in constructing the 230 MW "Garadagh" solar power plants in Azerbaijan. This project is a crucial step towards increasing the share of green energy in the country's energy balance. Furthermore, cooperation with China Gezhouba Group Overseas Investment opens new prospects for implementing renewable energy projects. RACINE Network disruptions reported Wednesday continued to impact Ascension Wisconsin on Thursday. The health care organization said it believed a cybersecurity event likely caused the widespread issues. Mo Moorman, senior director of external relations at Ascension, said Ascension detected unusual activity on select technology network systems Wednesday. Ascension reportedly responded immediately and activated remediation efforts, a news release said. Moorman said access to some systems was interrupted; clinical operations were also disrupted. Our care teams are trained for these kinds of disruptions and have initiated procedures to ensure patient care delivery continues to be safe and as minimally impacted as possible, Moorman said. Ascension is working with information technology company Mandiant to investigate and resolve the situation. Moorman said Ascension has notified the appropriate authorities. Moorman said Ascension recommends all business partners temporarily suspend connection to the Ascension environment out of an abundance of caution. As of Thursday afternoon, Ascension said the situation was ongoing. Health care workers at Ascension hospitals have been told the cybersecurity problem has caused disruptions at Ascension locations nationwide, according to Connie Smith, president of the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, which represents workers at an Ascension hospital in Milwaukee County. Ascension has several locations in Racine County, including sites on Washington Avenue in Mount Pleasant, Spring Street and Wisconsin Avenue in Racine, and Four Mile Road in Caledonia. Updates are available at https://about.ascension.org/news/2024/05/network-interruption-update. 1. Yes. They look better and require less maintenance. Most high-end housing areas have them. 2. Yes. Wood fences can weather and look unsightly, plus masonry walls help to block sound. 3. No. Residents should have a choice of what kind of barriers are put up near their homes. 4. No. Allowing a variety of materials will be better for aesthetics, and costs may be lower. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say. Masonry walls may be sturdier, but mandating them is problematic. Vote View Results By Ulviyya Shahin Energy cooperation between Bulgaria and Azerbaijan is developing at an increasing pace, and already in 2024, Azerbaijan will cover 55 natural gas needs of this Balkan state, Azernews reports. The foundation of gas cooperation between the two states was laid on September 13, 2013, when Bulgarian holding Bulgargaz EAD signed a 25-year contract with the Shah Deniz consortium for the purchase of gas from this Azerbaijani gas condensate field in the Caspian Sea in the amount of one billion cubic meters of gas per year. "Bulgargaz EAD was among the nine European companies and holdings that signed long-term agreements for the purchase and sale of Shahdeniz gas in the fall of 2013, thanks to which the final investment decision on the full-scale development of this field was approved in Baku on December 17, 2013, which launched the process of creating the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) and allowed Azerbaijan to enter the European market with its gas from December 2020. The SGC project influenced Bulgaria's decision to build a connection to this gas corridor, the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB), as well as to consider the possibility of transiting Azerbaijani gas through Bulgaria to other European countries. SOCAR and Bulgartransgaz signed a Memorandum of Understanding on July 18, 2017, which reflected the opportunities for cooperation between the two companies on the prospects of creating additional natural gas supply routes through Bulgaria to other markets in Southeast Europe, SOCAR's participation in the Balkan Gas Hub, as well as the transit of additional volumes of natural gas from the South Gas Complex beyond the volumes agreed in 2013 with the Shah Deniz consortium. All the set tasks have been realized, and Azerbaijan has fulfilled and is fulfilling all its commitments. Particularly, despite the delay in the construction of the IGB (the foundation of this gas pipeline was laid on May 22, 2019, and the pipeline was commissioned in the summer of 2022), Azerbaijan ensured gas supplies to Bulgaria already from the beginning of 2021 through the Kulata-Sidirokastro delivery point on the existing gas pipeline from Bulgaria to Greece with a capacity of 10 million cubic meters of gas per day. Thanks to this, Bulgaria received more than 300 million cubic meters of gas in 2021. The combination of this route and the commissioning of the IGB gas pipeline on October 1, 2022, allowed Azerbaijan to supply a total of 600 million cubic meters of gas to Bulgaria in 2022. Following the negotiations between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Bulgarian President Rumen Radev in Baku on May 8, 2024, the results of gas supplies from Azerbaijan to Bulgaria in 2023 and plans for 2024 were announced in a press statement. President Ilham Aliyev stated in his speech that "1 billion, 250 million cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas was transported to the Bulgarian market last year." "Our calculations indicate that by the end of this year, the volume of export supplies of Azerbaijani gas to Bulgaria will amount to 1.5 bcm. That is, expressing the language of the European Commission, Azerbaijan is expanding its activities in the European space as a pan-European gas supplier and spares no effort to support the solution of issues related to energy security," the head of state noted. According to him, Bulgaria has become an important transit country for gas transportation. "Azerbaijani gas is currently exported from the territory of Bulgaria to its neighboring countries, and undoubtedly, the number of these countries will grow in the future. That is, this is a concrete result of our cooperation, a logical outcome of our very strong bilateral relations, as our cooperation should have concrete results. That is, the main goal of cooperation is to achieve better results. We see it both in the growth of trade turnover and cooperation in the energy sector," the press statement of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said. Meanwhile, through the territory of Bulgaria, Azerbaijani gas goes to Romania and Serbia. Bulgarian President Rumen Radev stressed after negotiations in Baku on May 8 that Azerbaijan has become an important and decisive partner for Bulgaria in the energy sector and plays an important role in diversifying Bulgaria's gas supply. "In the fall of 2022, with the participation of President Ilham Aliyev in the city of Sofia, we started using the IGB gas network and thus the Southern Gas Corridor connected to Central and Eastern Europe," the Bulgarian President said. SOCAR representative office has been operating in Sofia since April 25, 2023, which not only deals with projects in Bulgaria but also covers the entire Balkan region. Viewing Azerbaijan as a reliable strategic partner, Bulgaria expressed interest in SOCAR's assistance in the gasification of its small towns, and this initiative was reflected in the Memorandum of Understanding signed on May 8, 2024, between the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and the Bulgarian holding Asarel (one of the largest industrial holdings in the Balkan region). The project of laying a "green" energy cable for future energy supplies from Azerbaijan's renewable energy sources facilities through Georgia and the Black Sea to Europe was also discussed during the negotiations in Baku. "Azerbaijan is working very actively in this direction with partner countries, including Bulgaria. We believe that the feasibility study of this project, which will be ready in a few months, will be an excellent basis for the start of work. Thus, Azerbaijan will prove itself as a supplier to Europe not only of oil and gas but also of "green" energy," President Ilham Aliyev emphasized on May 8. The Head of State also stated that he invited President Radev to Azerbaijan to participate in the COP29 conference. According to President Ilham Aliyev, the potential for cooperation between the two countries is wide. Besides, Bulgarian companies will take part in "Baku Energy Week" in June, and the regular meeting of the Commission for Cooperation between the governments of Azerbaijan and Bulgaria will be held in early July. Therefore, the interaction between the two countries is progressive and important not only for bilateral but also for multilateral cooperation. North Platte community leaders expressed bitter disappointment Wednesday after the U.S. Postal Service confirmed it would downgrade North Plattes regional processing center and send local mail to Denver for sorting. A Postal Service press release confirmed that the center at 1302 Industrial Ave., which has served much of western Nebraska since May 1993, will be converted to a local processing center despite public objections at a March 28 forum in North Platte. The business case supports transferring processing outgoing operations to the Denver Processing & Distribution Center, the press release said under a headline USPS to Improve Mail Operations at North Platte Processing Facility. Currently, a majority of mail and packages are destined outside the North Platte area to the rest of the world, it added. Once changes are implemented, business mail entry, post office, station and branch retail services are not expected to change and delivery services will be enhanced. Part of nationwide plan The Postal Service statement said North Plattes changes, first signaled early this year, fit into its 10-year, $40 billion Delivering for America plan that has drawn fire for greatly delaying mail and package deliveries where it already has been implemented. It said the Postal Service will invest $4.4 million in the North Platte facility, which has served customers in Nebraskas ZIP codes beginning with 691. It also became North Plattes local retail post office in 2015. About $2 million will be spent on modernization efforts and deferred maintenance, including new lighting and renovated bathrooms and break rooms. Another $2.4 million will be spent to install a flex rover sorter dual machine at the center, the release said. When changes are complete, it added, the center will be able to mail and ship packages, manual letters and flats and offer express services and accept bulk and permit mail. The North Platte center will feature evolving USPS self-service tools and technology, including keyless Smart Lockers that let customers send and receive packages to and from them. The Postal Service statement said there will be no career employee layoffs, but it added that all career bargaining unit reassignments, as well as any reduction in any number of pre-career employees, will be made in accordance with respective collective bargaining agreements. But Mayor Brandon Kellihers reaction to the news reflected an understanding that the postal center will employ fewer people in North Platte. The recent decision by the USPS to remove 11 jobs and alter postal distribution systems at the North Platte Post Office has left our community disheartened, Kelliher said in a statement to The Telegraph. The 31-year-old regional mail-sorting center has long been an essential hub for our region, connecting families, businesses and communities, he said. Any degradation in its operations diminishes our ability to stay connected and undermines the reliability of mail service. Now more than ever, dependable mail service is crucial for maintaining communication, commerce and connection in western Nebraska. One more dagger Late Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Sen Deb. Fischer signed on to a letter issued by five of her colleagues including Wyoming Rep. Cynthia Lummis, urging the USPS to pause planned changes across the country. American Postal Workers Union Local 619 President Lisa Watson said she disagrees with the decision to move mail processing to Denver. However, the fights not completely over. This is a nationwide issue according to her.The USPS modernization plan not only fails to consider the impact on rural communities around the country, but it may even slow down the very mail service it purports to modernize, Fischer said in a press release. The disingenuous public comment period also failed to incorporate feedback from the towns most affected by this change, like North Platte. Along with more than twenty of my colleagues in the U.S. Senate, Im calling for the USPS to pause these planned changes until we know more about how they will affect critical services that rural Americans deserve. She said the best thing members of the public can do is to contact their local, state and national representatives urging them to consider keeping local post office issues local. If our rural communities are suffering, that means other rural communities are going to be suffering, she said. She said she thought the public comment period at the Ramada by Wyndham had a great turnout and wanted to thank the community members for their support. Gary Person, president and CEO of the North Platte Area Chamber & Development Corp., told The Telegraph he was thoroughly disappointed and disgusted with the lack of leadership at the highest level of the USPS in imposing its nationwide reorganization.This is one more dagger in the heart of rural America, Person said. They truly do not care about rural and small-town citizens across America. The Postal Services level of hypocrisy was on full display at the local public hearing when we heard about their game plan, he added. Everyone knows the standards they talked about will never be met. The sad reality is that no one will hold them accountable for the obvious lies they spewed out about the improvement of service and time of mail delivery. North Platte-area residents fought the good fight, Person added, but it was obvious to many this decision was probably made months ago. He thanked local and state leaders for speaking out against the coming Postal Service downgrade, including Fischer and 3rd District U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith of Gering. Person also applauded the brave local USPS employees who not only spoke out against the changes but also kept working hard despite being shorthanded with so many positions unfilled. He contended that they were left unfilled on purpose by the USPS leadership. The chamber leader added: I would encourage the local USPS employees that are impacted to stay in the community and fill job openings here. We need you. Clearly the USPS leadership cannot be trusted with their futures. Jeff Cooley of Lemoyne, president of the Midwest Nebraska Central Labor Council, joined in the disappointment. Though North Platte postal workers, business leaders and the public sounded the alarms about the Postal Services plans, the alarms were not heard by the (USPS) executives, as expected in this greed-driven era, Cooley said in a text. We are truly disappointed in the lack of common sense in what we feel is a hidden agenda by USPS executives, he said. Cooley predicted that job losses at the North Platte center will be greater than the Postal Service stated and that residents will see double- to triple-day delays in their local mail service. He thanked Lincoln County commissioners and state Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte for standing up in the fight to save the North Platte regional processing center. The County Board sent a letter of protest, and Jacobson founder and CEO of NebraskaLand Bank allowed postal union members and residents to picket April 18 outside his main bank on South Dewey Street in favor of leaving the center alone. Smith released a statement recalling the time when local concerns were disregarded by the USPS when processing facilities in Grand Island and Alliance were consolidated into Omaha in 2013 and 2015. This decision leaving the entire 3rd District, more land area than the state of North Dakota, without a USPS Mail Processing and Distribution Center is another in a long line of actions demonstrating USPS lack of concern for rural Americans, he said in the statement. Nancy Nelson, a farmer at Seifer Farms, relies on the Postal Service to mail 600 chicks to her every year. Chicks can live for three days after hatching off the yolk. While being shipped, they arent fed or watered, so time is of the essence. She remembers a time in 2019 when she started to notice her chicks moving around the state in an unusual manner; they hatched in Norfolk on Wednesday and she didnt get them until Saturday. One season, the Postal Service the chicks went to Scottsbluff before making it to her farm in Sutherland. She said once she ordered chicks through a facility based in Minnesota. They went through the Omaha office and only half survived by the time they reached her doorstep. A friend of hers didnt receive her chicks until midnight on one order. She said taking local control out of the hands of workers shows in the way they handle customer service. They just dont care, plain and simple. They just dont care, she said. She said she figures whatever is going to happen in Denver will be similar to her experience with what happened in Omaha. Nelson also worked as a mail carrier 20 years ago. She remembers a time when all mail coming in to the local Hershey office went out the door by closing time. Now that local control is gone, local employees have less control over processing the mail. She said if the Post Office has to ship less mail compared to demand in the past, its paradoxical to have deliveries take longer. The Post Office has gone downhill because I think they are taking the local ability out of the way, she said. Timing of changes unclear The Postal Service press release was silent on how soon the North Platte centers conversion to a local processing center would take place. Lincoln County Clerk Becky Rossell was unavailable for comment Wednesday morning on any possible impact on voters who planned to mail in their ballots for Tuesdays primary election. Completed ballots must be in Rossells office in the North Platte courthouse by 8 p.m. Tuesday in order to be counted. 14 fun facts about your mail 1. Benjamin Franklin was the first postmaster general in U.S. history 2. The Postal Service processed and delivered 425.3 million pieces of mail per day in 2021. 3. There are more than 139,868 blue mail collection boxes in the U.S. 4. There are 31,247 Postal Service-managed retail offices. 5. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is the law enforcement arm of USPS. 7. USPS generally receives no tax dollars, and funds itself through the sale of postage and other services. 8. Contrary to popular belief, the Pony Express was never officially a part of the U.S. Postal Service. 9. The Breast Cancer Research semipostal stamp has raised more than $93.9 million for breast cancer research since 1998. 10. The Alzheimers semipostal has raised more than $1.2 million since 2017. 11. The Save Vanishing Species semipostal has raised more than $6.6 million since 2011. 12. The United Kingdoms iconic red mail collection boxes are called pillar boxes. 13. The United Nations has an agency called the Universal Postal Union that coordinates postal policy internationally. 14. If it were a private sector company, the Postal Service would rank 43rd in the 2021 Fortune 500. By Ulviyya Shahin The Azerbaijan Renewable Energy Agency (AREA) under the Ministry of Energy is examining prospects for cooperation with Chinese enterprises in the usage of battery and pumped hydro storage technology, Azernews reports. This was announced during a meeting between the AREA Director Javid Abdullayev, and representatives of the Chinese engineering corporations Powerchina Huadong and China Southern Power Grid. The parties discussed Azerbaijan's renewable energy projects and the potential for Chinese companies to participate in them. To note, the country plans to increase the share of renewable energy sources in the country's energy balance to 30-33 percent in the coming years through several projects utilizing solar, wind, and hydropower. At the same time, Azerbaijan is exploring opportunities for energy storage using storage devices and studying foreign experience in this area. Currently, the country produces 8 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources. STURTEVANT Praising a project that he said can contribute to a great American comeback story, President Joe Biden spoke Wednesday about a massive Microsoft investment in Racine County that could create thousands of jobs. The tech giant announced Wednesday that it plans to triple its spending to $3.3 billion over the next few years on an artificial intelligence data center in Mount Pleasant, which is expected to create 2,300 union construction jobs by 2025, according to Microsoft. As part of its investment, the company also plans to partner with local organizations on skills training, education and youth employment. Microsoft originally intended to spend $1 billion developing data centers in Racine County. In November, village leaders in Mount Pleasant called the company's progress "way ahead of schedule." Biden said the expanded Microsoft project is a collaborative example of his economic agenda that aims to improve the lives of middle-class workers. Theres nothing beyond our capacity when we work together, Biden said. Were doing whats always worked in this country: Giving people a fair shot, leaving nobody behind and growing the economy from the middle-out and bottom-up, not the top down. When that happens, everybody does well. Brad Smith, Microsoft president and vice chair, said Microsoft has received tremendous support for its project from elected officials, schools and businesses. He also lauded the Biden administration and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers office for the policies that helped make Wednesdays announcement possible. We are a country where people come together, where people work together, where they address hard challenges, and we get great things done, Smith said. We wont let you down. Microsoft plans The work over the next few years is the first phase of Microsofts development. Smith said he fully expect(s) that there will be a phase two and probably a phase three, but details have not been finalized. In phase one, Microsoft plans to partner with Gateway Technical College to develop a "Data Center Academy," which is expected to train 1,000 students by 2030; create a manufacturing-focused "Co-Innovation Lab" on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus; and utilize Gener8tor, a startup accelerator already working in Wisconsin, to train business leaders to adopt AI in their operations. Microsoft plans to work with Gateway and area organizations like United Way of Racine County on job skills training. The company plans to train more than 100,000 people across Wisconsin by 2030 on generative AI, according to a news release. Microsoft also intends to partner with the Racine Unified School District on science, technology, engineering and mathematics training for middle school girls and support the Racine County Summer Youth Employment Program. Smith, who lived in Racine from ages 9-14, said it is vital to underpromise, overdeliver and work with the community on the 10-figure project. We are going to build something special with the help of some very special people, Smith said. It will require the labor of thousands of people to build the data center. Once in operation, however, Microsoft will have about 500 full-time employees overseeing the data center, pulling from highly skilled workers in the corridor between Milwaukee and Chicago, according to Smith. However, Smith argued that the bigger impact for the region would be in the technology itself and broader investments in preparing the Upper Midwest for its impacts. This is about the competitiveness of manufacturing in places like Wisconsin and Michigan and Pennsylvania, and Ohio, Smith said. Make it in Wisconsin State, local, business and organized labor officials spoke before Biden addressed a crowd at Gateways SC Johnson iMET Center, 2320 Renaissance Blvd. Racine Mayor Cory Mason thanked the president for investing in Racine in numerous areas, including workforce training, community safety and health care. Biden has been there for this community since day one, Mason said. No president has done more to reinvest, to rebuild the middle class in this town and help countless communities like ours across the country. Nick Fick, president of membership development at the IBEW 430 union in Racine, thanked Biden and Microsoft for bringing good-paying union jobs to the area. Biden said he made no apologies for being a pro-union president. Evers said he looks forward to the Microsoft expansion making a difference across the state. If you want something made right, youre going to make it in Wisconsin, Evers said. We are working to create a better, stronger and more equitable future for everybody. After his 15-minute speech, Biden attended a campaign event at the Dr. John Bryant Community Center in Racine, where he aimed to reach Black voters before Novembers election. The presidents speech Wednesday highlighted the $3.3 billion investment, which Smith said will take the effort of many people over the next few years to make a reality. Its the people that live here that will still be coming to work here, and thats where the real work gets done, Smith said. Contrast with Trump Biden's visit to Racine County was intended to contrast Microsoft's investment with the economic policies of former President Donald Trump. Microsoft is building on land previously intended for Taiwan-based company Foxconn Technology Group. Trump lauded Foxconns plan to build a $10 billion manufacturing facility that was supposed to eventually employ 10,000 people, but that project was never completed. On my watch, we make promises and we keep promises, Biden said. We leave no one behind. In an emailed statement, the Racine County GOP said it is happy about the Microsoft expansion and the jobs it will produce, but called it unfortunate that the announcement was turned into a Biden event. The credit should go to a bipartisan group of local leaders who were able to put their differences aside, work collaboratively and do what is best for the people of Racine County and Mount Pleasant, the statement read. Following the official White House event, Biden met with dozens of community members at the Dr. John Bryant Community Center in Racine as a part of a campaign stop aimed at reaching Black voters. Biden told the gathered voters a story about how the African American community inspired his first run for office in Delaware. He also warned voters against Trump, saying "I really think democracy is at stake here." Racine County will likely be a critical location in this Novembers election. All but five of the past 33 winning presidential candidates won it. Trump is one of the five; he won Racine County, but lost the election. Biden was the first Democrat since 1976 to win Wisconsin without carrying Racine County, the Associated Press reported. Biden and Trump are nearly even in the battleground state of Wisconsin, according to a Marquette Law School Poll released last month. The poll showed 51% of respondents including both registered and likely voters backed Trump, while 49% supported Biden, well within the polls 4.8% margin of error. Wednesday's stop was Biden's fourth in Wisconsin this year ahead of the November election. Vice President Kamala Harris has visited the state three times in 2024, with another visit set for Milwaukee next week. Trump has held two rallies in Wisconsin this year. The Associated Press and Wisconsin State Journal contributed to this report. PHOTOS: President Joe Biden visits Sturtevant BIDEN RACINE VISIT BIDEN RACINE VISIT BIDEN RACINE VISIT BIDEN RACINE VISIT BIDEN RACINE VISIT BIDEN RACINE VISIT BIDEN RACINE VISIT BIDEN RACINE VISIT BIDEN RACINE VISIT BIDEN RACINE VISIT BIDEN RACINE VISIT BIDEN RACINE VISIT BIDEN RACINE VISIT BIDEN RACINE VISIT BIDEN RACINE VISIT BIDEN RACINE VISIT BIDEN RACINE VISIT BIDEN RACINE VISIT Biden arrives in Sturtevant to address the crowd gathered at Gateway's SC Johnson iMET Center Biden speaks on the Investing in America agenda Wednesday Biden_visit.jpg Biden_visit2.jpg Biden_visit3.jpg Biden_visit4.jpg Biden_visit5.jpg An Azerbaijan-Turkiye business forum was held in Ankara on May 8. Ali Asadov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Cevdet Yilmaz, Vice President of the Republic of Turkiye, participated in the opening of the business forum. Ali Asadov and Cevdet Yilmaz addressed the event, highlighting the business and investment environment in both Azerbaijan and Turkiye. They underscored the governments' commitment to supporting dialogue and collaboration between the business communities of the two countries. The forum provided a platform for bilateral meetings among Azerbaijani and Turkish businesspersons. Turkiye will present its climate change program at the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which will be held in Baku, Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of Turkiye Fatma Varank said, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency. She noted that Turkiye aims to develop a net-zero emissions strategy by 2053: We are working on a long-term climate change strategy. This year in Baku we will announce our roadmap. The deputy minister added that 2024 is of particular importance in the direction of climate change: This years meeting has two main topics - climate action and climate finance. U.S. efforts to expand the use of sea drones to defend against possible military threats are reportedly falling behind because of other American defense goals. Reporters from Reuters said they spoke with several people who have direct knowledge of the U.S. sea drone plans. The news agency spoke with officials in the U.S. Navy and Department of Defense. They also spoke with executives with sea drone companies. Defense Department spokesman Eric Pahon told Reuters that U.S. military officials recognize the importance of using drones in operations at sea. Pahon noted that military leaders had seen the ways Ukrainian forces had successfully used sea drones against Russian ships in the Ukraine war. In recent months, Yemeni-backed Houthi rebels have also used sea drones to attack private ships passing through the Red Sea. Pahon said those examples had caught the attention of top military leaders. He said U.S. military officials would like to try using sea drones to answer moves by China in recent years to build up naval power in the Pacific. Last August, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks announced a new agency program called Replicator. It aims to deploy hundreds of small, relatively low-cost air and sea drones over a period of 18 to 24 months in hopes of limiting Chinese threats. Bryan Clark is an adviser to the Navy on drones. He is also a researcher at the Hudson Institute, a Washington D.C. international policy group. He estimates the U.S. Navy has around 100 small drones for use on the ocean surface and another 100 underwater drones. Experts say China has a similar-sized sea drone force. Reuters reports that U.S. military officials told the news agency the Replicator announcement came after years of repeated warnings, even from people inside the Department of Defense. The warnings centered on a lack of progress in expanding its sea drone program, while efforts by other nations moved forward. Two Navy sources and three officials with sea drone manufacturers described to Reuters one of the biggest barriers to progress. They described a budget process that centers too much on developing big ships and submarines built by established defense contractors. "At some point, you hit the D.C. problem," said Philipp Stratmann. He is the chief of Ocean Power Technologies, a New Jersey company that supplies the Navy with one of its drones. "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 (Department of Defense)," Stratmann said. A Navy spokesperson told Reuters it "acquires capabilities based on fleet demand signals." This means listening to officers operating at sea about the immediate needs they have. A Navy spokesperson told the news agency it has a budget of $172 million this year for small and medium-sized underwater sea drones. This amount would fall to $101.8 million in 2025. That is a very small part of the $63 billion Navy budget that President Joe Biden's administration proposed for 2025. Two Navy sources told Reuters that when sea drones were deployed at sea in recent years, there was not effective expertise to use them. They said the Navy does not have enough trained sailors to pilot the drones or to examine the large amount of data the drones collect. The sources asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject. A Navy spokesperson said the Navy is currently in the process of improving its data collection and examination methods. Defense Department spokesperson Pahon said military efforts had been "laser-focused on developing new innovation over the last three years. That includes the use of sea drones. Speaking about the departments budget challenges, Pahon said officials were trying to use creative ways to cross "the valley of death." This term is used to describe the complex approval process that new innovations must go through before they can be widely produced and deployed. Im Bryan Lynn. Reuters reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English. Quiz - Report: US Military Falling Behind in Sea Drone Development Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz _____________________________________________ Words in This Story drone n. an unpiloted aircraft lobbyist n. someone who tries to persuade a politician or official group to do something or provide money to an effort acquire v. to get something fleet n. a group of ships that make up a nations navy laser-focused adj. intensely focused on centered on something innovation n. the introduction of changes or new ideas, especially when developing new products Twelve Israeli soldiers disguised as maintenance staff have stormed a hijacked Sabena Boeing at Lod airport in Tel Aviv and released the 100 people on board. Two of the Arab hijackers were shot dead and their two female companions were captured, although one of them was injured in the attack. Six of the passengers were also wounded in the gun battle. The 90 passengers and 10 crew had been held hostage for 23 hours. The end to their ordeal came when two vans, said to be carrying repair men, drove onto the runway and approached the plane. The men got out and pretended to begin work on the airliner but suddenly climbed onto the wings and opened the emergency doors. The British pilot, Captain Reginald Levy, said: Everyone of us is lucky to be alive. I have had some tough times but this was my toughest. The airliner was hijacked after leaving Vienna, where it had made a stop on a flight from Brussels to Tel Aviv. Capt Levy said: Two of the men burst into the cockpit and said they were taking over the jet. He was ordered to fly the plane to Lod, where the gunmen offered to free the passengers in exchange for 100 Arab prisoners held by the Israelis. While the plane was sitting on the tarmac, the Israelis managed to let down the tyres and empty the fuel tanks to prevent it taking off again. [] The gunmen belonged to the Black September Organisation of Palestine guerrillas, a splinter group of the PLO. One of the rescued passengers, Mor Weiss, from Brooklyn, told The Times: The soldiers opened the four doors, two on either side at the same time. Immediately the Arabs started shooting wildly. The troops fired back and I saw the younger of the two male hijackers fall with a bullet through his forehead. Seconds later the other one was shot. Mr Weiss said he had been picked on because he was wearing a skull cap. He was sent to the back of the plane and made to sit with a stick of dynamite between his feet. Captain Levy, who comes from Slough, told a news conference, the drama had happened on his 50th birthday. His wife had accompanied him on the flight so they could have a celebratory birthday meal in Tel Aviv. Courtesy BBC News In context The two women hijackers were jailed for life in August 1972. They were found guilty after boarding the Sabena aircraft with explosives packed into the lining of corsets they were wearing and also carrying a pistol and grenade concealed in cans of talcum powder. They were jailed for life although one of the three judges voted for the death penalty. On 29 May 1972 three Japanese gunmen opened fire on crowds at Lod International Airport in Tel Aviv, killing 26 people and injuring dozens more. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said they had recruited the gunmen from the Japanese Red Army. Two died in the attack, the third, Kozo Okamoto, was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment. Lod, or Lydda airport, has since been renamed Ben Gurion Airport and has some of the strictest airport security in the world. Korean Air will launch a new daily service between Seoul and Macau beginning July 1. The flights will depart Incheon International Airport at 9:15 p.m. and arrive at Macau International Airport at 11:55 p.m. Return flights will leave Macau at 1:10 a.m. and land in Incheon at 6 a.m. Korean Air will utilize its two-class Boeing 737-800 aircraft configured with 12 business class seats and 126 economy seats on the three-hour, 40-minute flights. The Macau route is the latest addition to Korean Airs expanding network in Asia. The airline resumed flights to mainland Chinas Zhangjiajie and Zhengzhou at the end of April. Korean Air also aims to stimulate travel between Europe and Asia, with scheduled charter flights between Seoul and Lisbon operating three times weekly from Sept. 11 through to Oct. 25. The airline will deploy 290-seat Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners on the Portugal route. While the Lisbon flights are currently scheduled through October, a Korean Air spokesperson noted the company has plans to extend the operation of this route during the winter season, aiming to capitalize on the peak travel season between Asia and Europe. Staff Reporter The CNS Fujian, Chinas third aircraft carrier, finished its maiden sea trial and returned to the shipyard yesterday afternoon, according to the Peoples Liberation Army Navy. The PLA Navy said in a brief news release that during the eight-day debut voyage that started on May 1, engineers and Navy sailors tested the vast vessels propulsion and electric power systems, and have achieved their goals. Now, the Fujian has returned and berthed at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, a subsidiary of the State-owned conglomerate China State Shipbuilding Corp. Next, hardware and software tests will take place on the carrier in accordance with construction plan, the Navy said. According to the PLA Navy, the new vessel had successfully completed its mooring tests and equipment installation process before the first sea trial. As one of the most important pieces of military hardware China is working on, the Fujian was officially unveiled in June 2022 in Shanghai as it was towed out of China State Shipbuilding Corps Jiangnan Shipyard. When sailing, the gigantic vessel will displace more than 80,000 metric tons of water. It will be the largest and mightiest warship any Asian nation has ever built, as well as the worlds biggest non-American aircraft carrier. The ship will use an electromagnetic launch system, or electromagnetic catapult, to launch fixed-wing aircraft. This new system will give the carrier a much greater combat capability than its two predecessors, which use a ramp to launch jets. Currently, the Navy operates two aircraft carriers the CNS Liaoning and the CNS Shandong. Both with a standard displacement of around 50,000 tons and a conventional propulsion system, and they use a ski jump method for launching fixed-wing aircraft. Compared with its two predecessors, the Fujian is much bigger and heavier, and has a larger flight deck and smaller superstructure. The Liaoning underwent 10 sea trials before going into service, and the Shandong conducted nine before its commissioning. ZHAO LEI, China Daily, MDT/China Daily An appeals court yesterday granted the Hong Kong governments request to ban a popular protest song, overturning an earlier ruling and deepening concerns over the erosion of freedoms in the once-freewheeling global financial hub. Glory to Hong Kong was often sung by demonstrators during huge anti-government protests in 2019. The song was later mistakenly played as the citys anthem at international sporting events, instead of Chinas March of the Volunteers, in mix-ups that upset city officials. It was the first time a song has been banned in the city since Britain handed the territory back to Chinese rule in 1997. Critics have said prohibiting broadcast or distribution of the song further reduces freedom of expression since Beijing launched a crackdown in Hong Kong following the 2019 protests. They have also warned the ban might disrupt the operation of tech giants and hurt the citys appeal as a business center. Judge Jeremy Poon wrote that the composer intended for the song to be a weapon, pointing to its power in arousing emotions among some residents of the city. We accept the assessment of the executive that prosecutions alone are clearly not adequate to tackle the acute criminal problems and that there is a compelling need for an injunction, he said. He said the injunction was necessary to persuade internet platform operators to remove problematic videos in connection with the song from their platforms. The operators have indicated they are ready to accede to the governments request if there is a court order, he added. The ban would target anyone who broadcast or distributed the song to advocate for the separation of Hong Kong from China. It would also prohibit any actions that misrepresent the song as the national anthem with the intent to insult the anthem. The song can still be played if its for lawful journalistic and academic activities. Failure to comply with the court order may be considered as contempt of court and could be liable for a fine or imprisonment. Authorities have previously arrested some residents who played the song in public under other offenses, such as playing a musical instrument in public without a permit, local media reported. As of mid-afternoon on Wednesday, Glory to Hong Kong, whose artist is credited as Thomas and the Hong Kong people, was still available on Spotify and Apple Music in both English and Cantonese. A search on YouTube for the song also displayed multiple videos and renditions. Google said in an email to the AP that it was reviewing the courts judgment. Spotify and Apple did not immediately comment. KANIS LEUNG, Hong Kong, MDT/AP Russian forces unleashed a nighttime barrage of more than 50 cruise missiles and explosive drones at Ukraines power grid yesterday, targeting a wide area in what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called a massive attack on the day the country celebrates the defeat of Nazism in World War II. The bombardment blasted targets in seven Ukrainian regions, including the Kyiv area and parts of the south and west, damaging homes and the countrys rail network, authorities said. Three people, including an 8-year-old girl, were injured, according to officials. Russia has repeatedly pounded Ukraines energy infrastructure during the war that is stretching into its third year and has claimed thousands of lives. By taking out the power, the Kremlins forces aim to rob Ukrainian manufacturing of its energy supply, especially military plants, and crush public morale. Russian attacks have damaged nearly half of Ukraines power infrastructure since the start of the Kremlins full-scale invasion in February 2022, officials say. The damage is estimated at $12.5 billion, with $1 billion inflicted during the past two weeks, according to the chairman of the Ukrainian Parliaments Committee on Energy and Housing Services, Andrii Herus. The mass barrages also drain Ukrainian air defenses of ammunition as Kyivs depleted forces await delivery of the latest batch of promised Western military support. Ukrainian officials have been pleading for more NATO-standard air defense systems, such as Patriots. Zelenskyy noted that yesterdays attacks occurred on the day that Ukraine observes the end of European fighting in World War II and equated Ukraines current struggle with that conflict, saying on social platform X that only a united free world can stop Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine last year changed the date of the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism to avoid it coinciding with Russias own Victory Day commemorations on May 9. Russia pummeled Ukraines energy infrastructure during the blackout winter of 2022-23. In March, it launched a new wave of attacks, one of which completely destroyed the Trypilska power plant near Kyiv, one of the countrys biggest. Russian President Vladimir Putin has framed the attacks as retaliation for Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russian oil refineries. Yesterday, a Ukrainian attack hit an oil terminal, injuring five workers and starting a fire, Russia-appointed authorities in the partially occupied Luhansk region said. Russian bombardments, though frequent, have become less regular in recent weeks, and Ukrainian officials suspect Moscow is stockpiling resources ahead of a major battlefield offensive that could come within weeks. The 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line has changed little since the early months of the war, but Russia has recently made small but steady gains in some areas as Ukraine battles with a lack of manpower and a shortage of weapons. National electrical grid operator Ukrenergo said facilities were hit in the Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Kirovohrad, Poltava and Ivano-Frankivsk regions. Two energy facilities were hit in the Lviv region, which is in the countrys far west and distant from the fightings front lines, according to regional Gov. Maksym Kozytskyi. DTEK, Ukraines biggest private energy supplier, said the attack seriously damaged equipment at three of its thermal power plants. The attack was the fifth in the last six weeks targeting the companys facilities, DTEK said. Overall, since the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022, the companys assets have come under attack nearly 180 times, injuring 51 workers and killing three, it said. Russia launched 55 missiles and 21 Shahed drones overnight, the Ukrainian air force said. Air defenses downed 39 of the missiles and 20 of the drones, Ukrainian air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said. Russian forces also damaged the railway station building and train tracks in Kherson, national railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia said. Also yesterday, five people including three children were injured in an attack that struck an educational facility in northeastern Kharkiv, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said on social media. City Mayor Ihor Terekhov said one of the children was in critical condition. ILLIA NOVIKOV, KYIV, MDT/AP The Judiciary Police (PJ) reported that yesterday they detained a 23-year-old male university student of Thai nationality due to his suspicious behavior in the arrivals terminal of the Macau International Airport. The police immediately seized the suspects luggage and conducted an examination, the PJ announced in a press conference yesterday. During the examination, the X-ray image showed that the contents of the suspects luggage had a moderate density, similar to regular passenger luggage. However, upon further inspection, it was revealed that the suitcase contained 31 bags of transparent plastic bags, including vacuum-sealed packaging bags containing cannabis, weighing approximately 10kg. Additionally, four bottles of THC-containing marijuana gummies, weighing about 110g each, totaling 60 gummies were also found. In total, the narcotics was confiscated with a total value of MOP10.8 million. The suspect admitted that he had received money from a drug trafficking group in Thailand and received these drugs at the Thai airport to be smuggled into Macau. After arriving in Macau, he needed to transport the narcotics via the Hong KongZhuhaiMacau Bridge to his final destination, Hong Kong. Further questioning as to his modus operandi and the details of his employer was fruitless, as the suspect remained unresponsive. The police said that the man was suspected of illegally selling narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office for processing. A spokesperson from the PJ confirmed a follow-up investigation is ongoing and further details may emerge as the case progresses. Undeclared HKD1.2 million A male mainland resident was apprehended by Gongbei customs officers while attempting to illegally enter the mainland from Macau with HKD1.2 million in cash. The individual utilized the nothing to declare pathway at the Border Gate and traveled in a vehicle with cross-border licensed plates. He was observed carrying a bag across his chest and was behaving suspiciously. The customs officers conducted an inspection and discovered the cash wrapped together tightly with rubber bands. Gongbei customs advises travelers to actively declare any foreign currency cash that exceeds the value of USD5,000 (over MOP40,000) when entering the mainland. For subsequent entries within a 15-day period, the limit for foreign currency cash is set at USD1,000 (over MOP8,000). Amounts over these limits must be declared. howard tong A military parade to commemorate the 79th anniversary of the Soviet Unions Victory over Nazi Germany in the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War began on Moscows Red Square, Azernews reports, citing TASS. The parade began with the march of the banner group of the Preobrazhensky Regiment Honor Guards unit carrying the Russian national flag and the legendary Victory Banner across Red Square. The Victory Banner was hoisted over the Reichstag by soldiers of the 150th Idritskaya Rifle Division in May 1945. Russian President Vladimir Putin, war veterans and guests are watching the parade from the central reviewing stand on Red Square. Defense Minister General of the Army Sergey Shoigu is reviewing the parade, which is commanded by Ground Forces Commander-in-Chief General of the Army Oleg Salyukov. This year, Russias Victory Day parade on Moscows Red Square involves over 9,000 troops, more than 70 weapons systems and also aircraft. The foot columns will comprise regiments, battalions and companies of the armed services and military branches, parade units from Suvorov infantry and Nakhimov naval, cadet and military musical schools, members of the Young Army youth movement, female service members, Cossacks and a consolidated military band. A legendary WWII T-34 tank, a major symbol of the Victory, will traditionally lead the mechanized column during the military parade. United States and Philippine forces, backed by an Australian air force surveillance aircraft, unleashed a barrage of high-precision rockets, artillery fire and airstrikes yesterday and sank a mock enemy ship as part of largescale war drills in and near the disputed South China Sea that have antagonized Beijing. Military officials and diplomats from several countries watched the display of firepower from a hilltop along a sandy coast in Laoag City in Ilocos Norte, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.s northern home province. More than 16,000 military personnel from the United States and the Philippines, along with a few hundred Australian troops and military observers from 14 countries, were participating in annual combat-readiness drills called Balikatan, Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder. The drills, which started April 22 and end Friday, include a scenario of a foreign invasion of the Philippine archipelago. Its the latest indication of how the United States and the Philippines have bolstered a defense treaty alliance that started in the 1950s amid their concern in recent years over Chinas increasingly aggressive actions in disputed territories in Asia. Marcos has ordered his military to shift its focus to external defense from decades-long domestic anti-insurgency operations as Chinas actions in the South China Sea become a top concern. That strategic shift dovetails with the efforts of U.S. President Joe Biden and his administration to reinforce an arc of alliances in the Indo-Pacific region to counter China. China has angered the Philippines by repeatedly repealling its navy and coast guard ships with powerful water cannons, a military-grade laser, blocking movements and other dangerous maneuvers in the high seas near two disputed South China Sea shoals. They have led to minor collision that have injured several Filipino navy personnel and damaged supply boats. Were under the gun, Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Romualdez told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. We dont have the wherewithal to be able to fight all of this bullying coming from China so where else will we go? Romualdez said. We went to the right party, which is the United States and those that believe in what the U.S. is doing. China has accused the Philippines of setting off the hostilities in the disputed waters by encroaching in what it says are its offshore territories, demarcated by 10 dashes on a map. It says the Chinese coast guard and navy have been forced to take action to expel Philippine coast guard and other vessels from those areas. The Philippines has repeatedly cited a 2016 international arbitration ruling based on the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea that invalidated Chinas claim over virtually the entire South China Sea on historical grounds. China did not participate in the arbitration complaint filed by the Philippines in 2013, and has rejected the ruling and continues to defy it. After being hit repeatedly by missile and artillery fire and bombs dropped by U.S. and Philippine warplanes during the combat drills, the mock enemy ship sank as black smoke billowed from its stern. The target ship was made in China but decommissioned by the Philippine navy in 2020 due to mechanical and electrical issues, according to the Philippine military. Philippine military officials said the drills were not directed at any country. China has opposed military drills involving U.S. forces as well as increasing U.S. military deployments in the region, which it warned would escalate tensions and endanger regional stability. For the first time in years, the combat exercises were staged in and near the fiercely contested Spratly Islands area, which China has closely guarded with its coast guard, navy and suspected militia flotillas. On Monday, U.S. and Filipino marines transported by Black Hawk helicopters practiced securing an airfield in the countrys northernmost town of Itbayat along the Bashi Channel near southern Taiwan. A small group of journalists, including from the AP, was invited to witness the air and ground combat maneuvers. Theyre not operating in safe areas. Theyre operating slightly further to the western bounds and theyre doing that in order to practice in ways that they might have to work for real, said British Defense Attache to Manila Bea Walcot, who watched the ship-sinking drill. In February last year, Marcos approved a wider U.S. military presence in the Philippines by allowing rotating groups of American military forces to stay in four more Philippine military camps. That was a sharp turnaround from his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, who feared that a larger American military footprint would antagonize Beijing. China strongly opposed the move, which allows U.S. forces to establish staging grounds and surveillance posts in the northern Philippines across the channel from Taiwan, and in western Philippine provinces facing the South China Sea. China has warned that the deepening security alliance between Washington and Manila and their ongoing military drills should not harm its security and territorial interests or interfere in the territorial disputes. JIM GOMEZ & AARON FAVILA, LAOAG, MDT/AP Chinese President Xi Jinping met yesterday with the Serbian president, with both sides expressing optimism that the visit will further boost the ironclad friendly relations between China and the Balkan country. Xi arrived in Serbia to a warm welcome on Tuesday evening [yesterday, Macau time] from France, where he had a high-stakes state visit dominated by trade disputes and Russias war in Ukraine. Thousands of people chanting China-Serbia and waving flags were bused in from across Serbia to attend a welcoming ceremony for Xi yesterday in front of the Serbia Palace, in the new part of Belgrade where the talks are being held. Serbias populist President Aleksandar Vucic addressed the crowd from a balcony, calling Xi an ironclad friend. He said hs visit to Serbia is historic because it opens the path for even closer ties. We are writing history today although it doesnt seem so to many (people,) Vucic said. We thank President Xi. He hasnt come to Europe in five years and he has again chosen our little Serbia. At the start of the official meeting, Xi said we are first-hand witnesses that the Serbian people view Chinese people as ironclad best friends. This is truly two-sided and truthful friendship I truly hail this and it really made an extremely deep impression on me, Xi said, according to the state RTS television. Xi will proceed to Hungary today. Like Serbia, Hungary is seen as one of Chinas more friendly partners in Europe. Signs of pro-China sentiments were clearly visible throughout the Serbian capital. A huge Chinese flag was placed on a skyscraper along a roadway leading into the city from the airport. Smaller Chinese and Serbian flags could be seen downtown and along a highway. China has poured billions of dollars into Serbia in investment and loans, particularly in mining and infrastructure. The two countries signed an agreement on a strategic partnership in 2016 and a free trade agreement last year. Serbia, a landlocked nation in the heart of the Balkans, has been a key country in Chinas Belt and Road initiative designed to increase Beijings influence in Europe through economic investment. Critics say it could serve as a Chinese Trojan horse and gateway to Europe. Xi also arrived in Serbia on a symbolic date the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade by U.S. jets during NATOs air war over Kosovo, when three Chinese citizens were killed. The incident has helped forge close political ties between China and Serbia. Chinese companies run Serbias biggest copper mine and a steel mill, and are also building scores of roads and highways across the country, along with a railway toward northern neighbor Hungary. Our bilateral relationship has stood the test of changing international environment and become a fine example of state-to-state relations, Xi said in a statement published by Chinas Foreign Ministry. Standing at a new historical starting point, China will work with Serbia to jointly stay committed to the original aspiration and forge ahead together to open up a new vista in China-Serbia cooperation, added Xi. I am confident that this visit will be a fruitful one and will open up a new chapter in China-Serbia relations. 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 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Serbia took semi-secret delivery of a sophisticated Chinese anti-aircraft system flown in on 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. DUSAN STOJANOVIC and JOVANA GEC, BELGRADE, MDT/AP UW-Madison officials and pro-Palestinian protesters said theyre willing to meet again Thursday, a day after protest leaders walked out of discussions. Despite giving protesters a 4 p.m. Wednesday deadline to remove the tents that form the encampment on Library Mall, the university said law enforcement would not be called upon. While no such police action will occur at 4 p.m. today (Wednesday), it remains an urgent campus priority to end the encampment, which is illegal, a violation of student and registered student organization conduct rules, and an increasing safety concern, the university said in a statement at about 3:45 p.m. There were about 30 tents still up after the universitys deadline, and it didnt appear that there were uniformed police officers in the area. Regarding the universitys offer to meet with protest leadership again Thursday, the protesters said they were willing to do that if the university was willing to meet them in the middle on their list of demands. Protest leaders said they walked out of Wednesdays meeting because there had been no progress toward meeting the groups demands since Monday and they thought university administrators had barely even read the proposal. Officials had proposed a resolution to protesters with Students for Justice in Palestine, responding to protesters demands for disclosure and divestment of the University of Wisconsin Foundations endowment. Officials noted a lack of any direct authority over how the University of Wisconsin Foundations endowment is invested and whether investment decisions made by others are disclosed, but wrote that Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin would be willing to attend a meeting with endowment officials to relay protesters concerns. The statement also offered protesters further opportunities for you to participate in shared governance, such as connecting protesters with Faculty Senate leadership. In addition to the removal of the tents, university officials asked that all future protest activity comply with university policy, specifically Chapter 18, which specifically prohibits camping on campus except in those areas specifically designated as picnic or camping grounds, or as authorized by the chief administrative officer. The protesters are planning a rally for 2 p.m. Thursday and asked participants to dress up in UW merchandise or graduation attire. UW-Madison Police also said that they are investigating at least three reports of violence on Library Mall, where the encampment is located, during the past week. According to police, on May 1, a student told officers that she was approached on Library Mall by a stranger with a knife visible on his waistband who said, Jews shouldnt be on campus, while she had been carrying a pro-Israel sign. The incident is being investigated as a possible hate crime. Another student reported hed been approached by a man on Library Mall who threatened to kill him if he didnt put away his phone around 3:50 p.m. Tuesday. The student added that after he walked away, the man continued following him and verbally harassing him. Early Wednesday morning, a fight broke out between two people on Library Mall, an assault involving a large stick. The fight ended before UWPD officers arrived, but police continued to monitor the area. A week ago, police with riot shields attempting to remove tents to disassemble the encampment clashed with protesters, arresting 34 in the process. Within a few hours, officers had all but vacated campus and protesters had pitched new tents. The Azerbaijan Energy Regulatory Agency (AERA) organized a seminar titled Transition to Green Energy at Baku Slavic University (BSU) as part of the Energy Talks project within the Green World Solidarity Year, Azernews reports. Specialists from AERA and the Azerbaijan Renewable Energy Agency, BSU professors and teachers, researchers, students, as well as members of the BSU Volunteers for the Green World group joined the event. Speaking at the seminar's opening, BSU Rector Anar Naghiyev mentioned that 2024 had been declared the 'Green World Solidarity Year' in the Republic of Azerbaijan by a decree from President Ilham Aliyev. He underlined that various events are underway at the University to mark this occasion. Rector Naghiyev also highlighted the BSU Volunteers for the Green World group, which was created as part of Green World Solidarity Year, noting that the group represents the Universitys first official volunteering movement. Our aim is for our youth to actively promote awareness of the green world throughout the year. He also highlighted that Azerbaijan will host the prestigious event COP29 this year, which is one of the worlds largest events. He expressed gratitude to the AERA management for organizing the seminar as part of the Energy Talks project at BSU. Zeynab Kazimova, head of the AERA Press Section, then briefly spoke about the Energy Talks project and noted that, as part of this project, joint events have been hosted with universities such as Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University, Baku Engineering University, Azerbaijan Technical University, and Sumgayit State University. Zeynab Kazimova said that a number of events are organized in Azerbaijan in honor of the Green World Solidarity Year, emphasizing the contribution of educational institutions to this initiative. She lauded the establishment of the BSU Volunteers for the Green World group at BSU within the framework of this significant year. She also emphasized that Azerbaijans hosting of COP29 in November this year is a testament to the international community's great respect and support for the country. Afterwards, a video highlighting AERAs activities was screened at the event. The seminar continued with presentations by Hikmat Hasanov, Head of AERAs Strategic Planning and Innovations Department, titled Regulation of Charging Services for Electric Vehicles, and Jabrayil Aliyev, Head of the Project Management Department of the Azerbaijan Renewable Energy Agency, titled Development of Green Energy in Azerbaijan. Following the presentations, a question-and-answer session took place, covering a wide range of topics. The Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations are grappling with a high prevalence of illicit cigarette trade, according to a new report by the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (TRACIT) and the EU-ASEAN Business Council. Illicit trade deprives governments of revenue and poses health risks to consumers, the 94-page report says, as it details the negative impacts of the problem on economic growth, investment, job creation, crime prevention and environmental protection across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. - Advertisement - It says illicit trade often involves counterfeit or substandard goods, raising consumer safety concerns. The report highlights tobacco smuggling as a major issue, noting that while 10 percent of cigarettes consumed globally are illicit, that rate increases to 15 percent in 16 Asian countries, including ASEAN members. The TRACIT report says illicit trade threatens the economies of the ASEAN members and could derail their goal of regional integration by 2025. The ASEAN set an ambitious goal to achieve economic integration by 2025. Mapped against ASEANs three communities [political-security, economy, and socio-cultural], the threat of illicit trade to derail the objectives of Vision 2025 is unmistakable, the report says. ASEAN governments lost $2.9 billion in tax revenue from illicit tobacco products alone in 2017. The Philippines, for example, loses an estimated P100 billion ($1.9 billion) annually due to cigarette tax evasion. The report says cigarettes manufactured within ASEAN countries are smuggled to other ASEAN countries, Asia-Pacific countries and other global markets. For example, there are massive outflows of illicit whites and counterfeits smuggled from Vietnam and Cambodia to Europe. Exports or transshipments from Indonesia and Singapore are also significant, it says. It reveals that cigarettes are exported from Indonesia to several countries in the region, predominantly the Philippines, through ports such as Nunukan and Tarakan. The brands declared for export to the Philippines are often not registered with the Philippiness Bureau of Internal Revenuea mandatory requirement for cigarettes to be sold legally in the country. Further, the Philippines also receives large volume of imports from Vietnam, Cambodia, and India that transit through Singapore, it says. In Thailand, brands exported from Vietnam and Indonesia and that appear to have consignees based in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates are likely considered goods in transit which receive less scrutiny by Customs, it adds. While most attention focuses on illicit cigarettes, the report warns that other tobacco products, like smokeless tobacco, are also vulnerable. The ban on e-cigarettes in Singapore and Thailand has led to increased smuggling of illicit vaping products from neighboring Malaysia, a major e-cigarette producer. This is also the trend in the Philippines, where there has been a surge in illicit vaping products. In response, the Department of Trade and Industry recently directed Shopee and Lazada to remove more than one million listings of illicit vaping products, it says. The TRACIT report says illicit trade undermines ASEANs political-security community, weakens the economic community by hindering economic growth, and threatens the socio-cultural community by harming the environment and being linked to human trafficking and forced labor. Since international trade and investment are critical elements of the Community Vision 2025, it will be paramount for ASEAN leaders to ensure that illicit trade does not derail the visions objectives to drive sustainable economic development, boost income generating capacity, job creation, reduce poverty and achieve better standards of living throughout the region, it says. The report underscores the need for sustained political will from governments at all levels to prioritize the problem, develop solutions and invest in enforcement measures. The Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines (JFC) asked the Senate to swiftly pass the Konektadong Pinoy Bill, formerly known as the Open Access in Data Transmission Act. Prohibitive costs and lack of internet infrastructure contribute to the prevailing digital divide. The Philippines also lags behind its middle-income peers in ASEAN in internet access, speed, and affordability for mobile and fixed services. We call for swift passage of the Konektadong Pinoy [Open Access] bill to bridge these critical gaps in internet infrastructure and help ensure that families have the internet they need for work, school, and more, the group said in a letter to the Senate. - Advertisement - Noting how the lack of access hinders Filipinos ability to work, learn and participate in the digital economy, the JFC highlighted the critical need to address the digital divide in the Philippines. About 33 percent of households have fixed internet, access according to a recent World Bank study. Konektadong Pinoy aims to bridge the gap by lowering barriers for new entrants in the data transmission sector, fostering competition. The bill is also seen to encourage investments in data infrastructure, especially in underserved areas and will, ultimately, reduce internet service costs for Filipino families and businesses. The JFC said the legislation is aligned with both the LEDAC Common Legislative Agenda and Senate priorities. The group advocated for key reforms like removing franchise requirements and promoting infrastructure sharing. The JFC is a coalition of the American, Australian-New Zealand, Canadian, European, Japanese, Korean chambers and the Philippine Association of Multinational Companies Regional Headquarters Inc. (PAMURI), representing over 3,000 members engaged in $100 billion worth of bilateral trade and over $30 billion worth of investments in the Philippines. The JFC supports and promotes open international trade, increased foreign investment and improved conditions for business to benefit both the Philippines and the countries they represent. China and Serbia signed 28 cooperation documents on Wednesday following a meeting between visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his host counterpart Aleksandar Vucic, who described the countries' cooperation as reaching a new high level, Azernews reports, citing the Anadolu Agency. Vucic and Xi signed a Joint Declaration of the two countries on expanding their comprehensive strategic partnership and building a Serbian-Chinese community with a shared future in the new era. Following a delegation-level meeting at the Palace of Serbia in the capital Belgrade, representatives from both countries signed 28 documents of cooperation in the presence of Vucic and Xi, who arrived in Serbia on Tuesday evening. "We signed a joint statement today. That joint statement is a strategically important direction for the development of our bilateral relations, as well as our worldview," Vucic said at a joint press conference with Xi. The Republic of Serbia and the People's Republic of China are progressing from strategic relations to bilateral relations, he said, adding, "We are moving on to the community that talks about the common future of our two countries." Addressing Xi as a "dear friend," Vucic said "the statement on deepening and raising the comprehensive strategic partnership and building the community of Serbia and China with a common future in the new era" is the highest level of cooperation between the two countries. Vucic said that Serbia supports the principle of one China, and any question that someone would ask the People's Republic of China about it is their internal question. He said Serbia supports the principle of one China. "Taiwan and Hong Kong are issues for the People's Republic of China. As long as China wants to, these issues will be resolved. And it will always have the Republic of Serbia's support because that is the foundation of the United Nations charter and international public law," Vucic said. The Serbian president thanked his Chinese counterpart for his unequivocal position on Kosovo and Metohija, as well as the Republic of Serbia's territorial integrity. On Tuesday evening, Vucic and his wife Tamara Vucic welcomed Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan to Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport with a Serbian Army guard of honor. Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, Foreign Minister Marko Djuric, and Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic were also present at the airport. Xi, for his part, said Serbia will be the first European country with which Beijing will form a community with a shared future. "We jointly announced that we will create a community between China and Serbia with a shared future in the new era, ushering in a new chapter in Chinese-Serbian relations. Eight years ago, Serbia became China's first Comprehensive Strategic Partner in Central and Eastern Europe. Today, Serbia is becoming the first European country where we will create a community with a shared future," he said. He added that his meeting with Vucic, whom he described as an exceptional statesman, had left him deeply impressed. "Under your leadership, Serbia maintained stability, achieved rapid economic development, and people's living conditions improved. You are an exceptional statesman with a strategic vision," he said. A large crowd gathered on the plateau in front of the Palace of Serbia to welcome Xi, waving Chinese and Serbian flags. Vucic and Xi took a moment between the meeting to greet the citizens. MiG-29 fighters escorted Chinese leader Xi's plane in Serbian airspace. Xi's first official visit in eight years coincides with the 25th anniversary of the bombing of China's Embassy in Belgrade. Serbia is one of three stops on the Chinese president's European tour, which started in France and will end in Hungary. Due to the visit, strict security measures are in place in Belgrade, and a large number of uniformed police officers are on the streets. The SM Group joined a massive private sector-led campaign to create over 1 million jobs over 12 months from May 2024 to May 2025. The Private Sector Advisory Council, SM Supermalls and JobStreet by Seek signed a memorandum of agreement Thursday to support Trabaho Para sa Bayan: J.O.B.S (Job Opportunities Building Skills) to build on the success of the first 1 million jobs program launched during the pandemic. - Advertisement - We need to put concerted efforts to put out there not just jobs, but quality jobs for Filipinos. This is the second season and have a lot of big private sector involvement to make this initiative happen, said Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry vice president and director for innovation, digital economy and science and technology Perry Ferrer. The signing of the agreement marked the start of the groundbreaking initiative, with the entire day dedicated to job fair at the Music Hall of SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City. Jobstreet by SEEK managing director Dannah Majarocon said the platform has over 100,000 job openings to be filled up. Were honored to have been given the opportunity to work with other like-minded organizations, driving us to continue facilitating better job matches between employers and candidates across the country, she said. The collaboration seeks to generate quality jobs for Filipinos and help address the job skills mismatch. It strives to contribute to nation-building through activities including a series of on-ground job fairs at SM Malls nationwide and daily online job fairs via Jobstreet by SEEKs online platform. Succeeding job fairs will be rolled out at SM City San Jose Del Monte on May 16, SM City San Pedro Laguna on May 23 and SM City General Santos on May 30. More locations are to be announced soon. Full-day jobs fair were launched in 24 SM Malls across the country during the celebration of Labor Day. The campaign offers opportunities across a diverse range of focus industries, each playing a vital role in the economic landscape of the Philippines including but not limited to information technology-business process outsourcing (IT-BPO), healthcare, tourism, manufacturing and construction. By focusing on these sectors, J.O.B.S. aims to provide employment opportunities and support key sectors of the countrys economy. President Marcos pledged his full support to the Philippine Coconut Authoritys (PCA) goal to plant 100 million coconut trees in a bid to propel the nation to the forefront of global coconut exports. The Chief Executive held a meeting with the Private Sector Advisory Council-Agriculture Sector Group (PSAC-ASG) on Wednesday to discuss their recommendations on enhancing the Philippine coconut industry and other agricultural ventures. - Advertisement - Christopher Po, a member of the PSAC Agricultural Sector Group representing Century Pacific Group, talked about expediting the massive coconut tree planting program by increasing seednut production. President Marcos assured sufficient funding allocation for the PCA to execute the initiative, recognizing the vast economic potential it holds for the nation. This is really a great opportunity [for] the country. We have a chance to do it because [of] the market. Every single part of the nut [has] use and can be sold, he said in a statement released by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO). Despite the Philippines being the worlds second-largest coconut exporter after Indonesia, limited funding poses a challenge to realize the 100 million tree goal before the end of the Marcos administration. To address this, the advisory body proposed several measures. Among these is to develop a roadmap for the PCA to accelerate the coconut planting program. It was also tasked to engage in contract farming with local salt producers to boost fertilizer supply. PSAC intends to harness local salt production to enhance agricultural productivity and profitability for farmers, in line with the Philippine Salt Industry Act. With a proposed budget of P2.5 billion, it aims to fertilize 55 million coconut trees, doubling local salt production and increasing nut productivity by 25 percent in the process. For 2024, the PCA targets the replanting of 8.5 million coconut seedlings across 59,744 hectares. It also intends to fertilize 2.8 million trees in 28,341 hectares of land. Meanwhile, PSAC wants the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to pilot areas for salt production. It also urged the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a roadmap for the gradual implementation of the Biodiesel Act, increasing biodiesel from B2 to B59 over three years. The gradual transition from B2 to B59 biodiesel blends, as proposed by the DOE, aims for greater energy self-sufficiency and reduced carbon dioxide emissions, with the initial one percent blend increase slated for August 2024. Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) is launching direct flights to Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) Thailand from Manila starting July 16. The flights will operate thrice weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. This will increase CEBs flight frequencies between Manila and Bangkok to 17 times weekly. - Advertisement - CEB president and chief commercial officer Xander Lao said Bangkok remains a popular destination in Southeast Asia due to its pagodas, cuisine, and cultural festivals. We are excited to bring more travelers to this beautiful city as we launch our operations in DMK, in our commitment to continuously provide accessible and affordable air travel to every Juan, Lao said in a statement. The airline currently operates between Manila and Bangkok through Suvarnabhumi Airport twice daily. Bangkok is one of CEBs first international destinations, launching its maiden Manila-Bangkok service in 2006. The hearing on proposed constitutional amendments to ease restrictions on foreign ownership of businesses continued at the Senate on Thursday, with some heads of local media organizations and advertising executives raising issues insofar as national interests are concerned. Speaking to Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, chairperson of the Senate subcommittee on the Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6, Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) president Jimmy Policarpio said the relaxed advertising rules might be exploited by other countries with an agenda. - Advertisement - My only concern is at a time like this [when] were in the midst of a media battle concerning the West Philippine Sea and the South [China] Sea, the entry of foreign entities in our country could enhance foreign interests to the detriment of local interests or our ownthe Filipino people itself, he said. Policarpio attributed this to the growing influence of social media in the country. He said there are individuals that have accumulated serious following on social media that are supporting the narrative of China in this complicated territorial issue, which bothers him. Medyo binebenta na (It appears like a sellout)some locals binebenta na ang Pilipinas sa (are selling the Philippines to) China That should be stopped, that should be considered, that should be controlled, he added. IBC is a state-owned media organization under the Presidential Communications Office. Angara acknowledged his perspective, agreeing that national interest must be protected. Unfortunately, the senator said social media networks cannot be regulated at the moment. But he is aware that there are certain individuals, who allow themselves to be exploited. They use their platform, but thats free speech. We have to respect that, Angara said. For what its worth, the senator believes the legislature can put some specific regulations on a statutory level to protect national interests while striking a balance with economic welfare. Manila Bulletin and United Print Multimedia Group president Barbie Atienza supported Policarpios position. He expressed similar reservations with respect to the degree that advertisers can exert influence over editorial independence and content regulation. For this reason, Atienza agrees that exercising some limits to the entry of foreign investors can also be good for the economy. He said it should be reinforced with some regulatory provisions to safeguard editorial independence. Representatives from different advertising agencies and related groups, meanwhile, had varying views on the matter. Anna Chua-Norbert, Chief Culture Officer of DDB (Doyle Dane Bernbach) Group and Managing Director of DDB Philippines, said majority of their members are independent and they do enjoy making autonomous decisionscreatively and operations-wiseunder the prevailing circumstances. Not only do they share the revenue to their own (employees) and not have that money go somewhere else or in a foreign company. As a practitioner weve seen all sorts of advertising agencies already in the country. Whether theyre international or local, theyre already here, so it really doesnt change much for us, Chua-Norbert said. Lawyer Jerraemie Patulot, legal officer of TV5, said the expansion may offer some advantages due to capital infusion and transfer of knowledge from foreign experts on their best practices, which can help elevate the local advertising industry. However, she pointed out that this particular development may be assessed through existing statutory requirements or regulatory frameworks to check if the content of the ads to be produced will be applicable to the Filipino public for their consumption. Stanley Cabrera, legal counsel of the Federation of International Cable TV Association of the Philippines (FICTAP), said they are prepared to transition into allowing more foreign investments in the telecommunications industry. We appreciate the initiative and the efforts of both Houses of Congress in finding ways to adopt foreign investments. We understand that foreign investors view the Philippines as having a lot of potential and, of course, we would also appreciate it if they would invest in the Philippines, he said. Speaking on behalf of the Ad Standards Council (ASC) and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP), lawyer Rudolph Jularbal said the Philippines always operated under a unique landscape because it is largely self-regulated. But the technology blurred the lines in terms of creating job opportunities, a point which Angara also acknowledged later on in a press briefing after the hearing. The developments in technology have changed the landscape insofar as job creation is concerned. In fact, Filipino talents work for foreign companies online and the reverse is also true. Foreign talents are contributors to content, advertising content online, Jularbal said. In a way, it renders the distinction on ownership less important. Perhaps it is important only for the local ad agencies because if they have a (foreign) partner, they need to remit their share or profits (to that company), like what one advertising agency owner said, Angara told reporters partly in Tagalog. The Senate subcommittee was deliberating on the proposed amendments to the restrictive economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution on the education, public utilities and advertising sectors. Angaras panel already heard arguments for and against the opening up of public utilities and higher education in the previous hearings. The subcommittee on RBH 6 had set more consultations on the matter in Baguio City on May 23 and Cagayan de Oro City on May 24. The 19th Congress adjourns on May 24 and will be back on July 21, 2024 for the State of the Nation Address of President Marcos. After the SONA, Angara said they will have a few more weeks to continue the debates. As state Togos president has approved a revised constitution that eliminates presidential elections, according to his office on Monday night. This move, criticized by opponents, is seen as a tactic to prolong his familys six-decade-long grip on power. Civil society groups in Togo are urging protests against this decision. Under the new constitution, the president will be chosen by Parliament. This follows the recent announcement by the election commission declaring President Faure Gnassingbes ruling party victorious in most parliamentary seats. Before the vote, there was a crackdown on civic and media freedoms. Protests against the proposed constitution were banned, and opposition figures were detained. The electoral commission also prohibited the Catholic Church from deploying election observers, while foreign journalists faced accreditation suspensions. The revised constitution extends presidential terms to six years with a single-term limit. However, Gnassingbes nearly 20-year tenure would not count towards this limit. There are concerns among political opposition, religious leaders, and civil society that Gnassingbe may retain power beyond his mandates expiration in 2025. For 57 years, Togo has been under the rule of the same family, first by Eyadema Gnassingbe and then by his son, Faure Gnassingbe, who assumed office following contested elections. Additionally, the new constitution introduces a prime minister-like position appointed by the ruling party, raising fears of further consolidation of power. A coalition of around 20 civil society organizations in Togo is calling for protests to reinstate the previous constitution. David Dosseh, a spokesperson for these groups, emphasized their rejection of the new constitution, highlighting the necessity of the 2025 election for democratic transition in Togo. Recent accounts reveal one of the most horrific incidents in the year-long Sudanese civil war: the large-scale slaughter of civilians attempting to escape ethnic violence in Darfur last summer. Witnesses recount how the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group, callously gunned down fleeing civilians, including children, in El Geneina in June of the previous year, resulting in thousands of deaths. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has amassed 221 witness statements, underscoring the RSFs concerted year-long campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Masalit tribe, a non-Arab community in West Darfur. In response to these atrocities, HRW calls for immediate action from the United Nations and African Union, urging the imposition of an arms embargo on Sudan and the deployment of a robust police force to safeguard civilians in Darfur. The organization also demands sanctions against those responsible for these grave war crimes, including key RSF figures. Since the conflict erupted in April 2023, over 8 million people have been displaced, creating a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented scale, according to the UN. El Fasher, the remaining city under Sudanese military control in Darfur, is surrounded by the RSF, prompting fears of an imminent large-scale massacre by diplomats. Tirana Hassan, HRWs executive director, emphasizes that the atrocities witnessed in El Geneina serve as a stark warning of potential further bloodshed without concerted intervention. One particularly chilling incident involved the RSF ambushing a convoy of civilians attempting to leave El Geneina, leading to numerous casualties, including those who drowned in the Kaja River. Additional attacks targeted tens of thousands of civilians seeking refuge near the Chad border, underscoring the urgent need for action to halt the ongoing violence and protect vulnerable populations. Indirect negotiations held last week on May 1 in a Persian Gulf country between Iranian and US delegations ended inconclusively, a senior source in Iran's Supreme National Security Council told Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida, Azernews reports. According to him, the meeting discussed Iran's nuclear issue, the reduction of tensions in the region, and Tehran's ability to maintain calm in the Gaza Strip in return for restoring the earlier unwritten agreement on the nuclear deal between Tehran and Washington. The Iranian source added that both sides made their demands at the meeting. However, it was decided to hold another meeting at a location to be agreed upon later. The source informed that the Iranian delegation was advised by the US side to go back to the prior arrangement that was made in Oman. The proposal urges an undeclared return to the terms of the nuclear deal. Thus, in return for Iran's enrichment of uranium above 3.67 percent and compliance with the limits set by the agreement (JCPOA) in 2015, Washington will stop imposing some sanctions against Iran without any formal announcements, when conditions of trust will be created between the two sides. Besides, the Iranian source said that the US delegation urged Iran to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and allow the agency to conduct a comprehensive inspection of Iran's nuclear facilities before proceeding with any agreement between the two sides to determine the pace and scope of uranium enrichment. The US side noted that a formal return to the nuclear agreement (JCPOA) must be accompanied by talks on Iran's regional activities, missile program, and drone and missile deliveries to Russia. According to the Iranian source, the Iranian delegation responded to US demands for verification by noting that Iran has provided the IAEA with accurate reports on its nuclear facilities and that there is no provision for verification under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Agreement (NPT). Moreover, it should be noted that in August last year (2023), an indirect agreement was achieved between Iran and the US through the mediation of Qatar. Based on the agreement, Iranian and US citizens detained in the two countries were released, as well as Iranian funds frozen in other countries. To note, the Comprehensive Plan of Joint Action on Iran's nuclear program was implemented between Iran and the P5+1 group (the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany) in January 2016. The US announced in May 2018 that it was withdrawing from the plan and imposed sanctions on Iran in November of the same year. Iran has announced that there will be no restrictions on the Iran nuclear deal in 2020. In late 2020, the Iranian parliament adopted a strategic plan to counter the sanctions, citing the non-fulfillment of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed between Iran and six countries and the imposition of sanctions on Iran. Based on the decision of the Iranian parliament, as of February 23, Iran stopped the implementation of additional measures and an additional protocol included in the nuclear deal. As a consequence, the monitoring mechanism of the IAEA was reduced by 2030 percent. According to a report from Human Rights Watch (HRW), both Al-Qaeda-affiliated militants and ethnically-based armed groups are engaging in egregious acts in Mali. HRW disclosed that in January, fighters associated with Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimeen (JNIM) and the Dozo militia were responsible for the deaths of 45 individuals in separate attacks on villages in Central Mali. Mali has been grappling with the presence of such groups since 2015, and last year, its transitional government expelled a UN peacekeeping mission. On January 6, a Dozo armed group, primarily comprising members of the Bambara ethnic group, attacked the predominantly Fulani village of Kalala, resulting in 13 fatalities and the abduction of 24 civilians. JNIM fighters, largely of Fulani descent, launched assaults on the villages of Ogota and Ouembe on January 27, claiming the lives of at least 32 people, including three children, while also setting ablaze over 350 homes and displacing 2,000 individuals. HRW stressed that these attacks, occurring amidst ongoing cycles of retaliation and communal violence in central Mali, constitute violations of international humanitarian law and apparent war crimes. Ilaria Allegrozzi, HRWs senior Sahel researcher, urged authorities to intervene to put an end to the deadly cycles of violence and reprisal attacks, while also providing enhanced protection for vulnerable civilians. Malis ongoing security challenges have been exacerbated by the presence of groups aligned with Al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS) since 2015, which have seized territory and rendered large swathes of the country ungovernable. Despite a military government taking power in 2021 with promises to address insecurity, attacks continue unabated, with the military itself facing accusations of human rights abuses. Mali, along with its neighboring countries Burkina Faso and Niger, all led by military governments, have turned to alternative security alliances after the expulsion of French forces, including seeking assistance from Russian mercenary units. 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: Fluorescence image of astrocytes and their processes in the hippocampus (yellow), with co-staining of cell bodies (blue). Credit: Peter Rupprecht Neurons are known to communicate and integrate information they receive from their dendrites, branch-like structures extending from their body. In contrast, the activity in astrocytes, a class of star-shaped glial cells found in the central nervous system (CNS), has so far been assumed to be largely uncoordinated, thus lacking the central integration of information. Researchers at University of Zurich and ETH Zurich recently gathered evidence suggesting that this widespread description of astrocytes might be false or at least incomplete, as they do in fact integrate information about past events. Their findings, published in Nature Neuroscience, specifically reveal the conditional integration of calcium signals in processes taking place in the astrocytes' soma (i.e., cell body). "Our research was originally aimed at testing a specific hypothesis about the function of astrocytes," Fritjof Helmchen, co-author of the paper, told Medical Xpress. "During in-depth analysis of calcium imaging data, however, we made an unrelated and intriguing observation about calcium signals in astrocytes: We observed that calcium signals propagated from fine cellular processes to the soma on a timescale of seconds. This turned out to be a highly robust and fundamental effect." The results that Helmchen and his colleagues gathered in their experiments do not answer the research question they were originally trying to address. Nonetheless, they led to an unexpected observation that could open a new avenue for neuroscience research. In contrast with neurons, astrocytes are not electrically excitable, which means that they do not generate and transmit electrical signals (i.e., action potentials). The only way to observe the activity of astrocytes is thus to image signaling molecules, such as calcium, inside of them. "We performed two-photon imaging of calcium signals in the hippocampus of mice that were running on a treadmill and carefully analyzed the recordings," Peter Rupprecht, co-author of the paper, told Medical Xpress. "Our main technique was therefore centered on pure observation and in-depth analysis." Top: Calcium image of a single astrocyte in the living animal (left), with its activation upon stimulation of the locus coeruleus. Bottom: Schematic of earlier activation of processes and later activation of cell bodies of astrocytes, mediated by noradrenaline release. Credit: Peter Rupprecht Helmchen, Rupprecht and their colleagues were only able to gather evidence of the integration of past events in astrocytes using advanced analysis methods based on so-called correlation functions. In their experiments, they also used optogenetics techniques to activate the locus coeruleus, a small nucleus in the brainstem that regulates arousal and attention processes. "With these methods, we demonstrated that the astrocytic events are regulated by the neuromodulator noradrenaline," Rupprecht said. "We hope that our study will encourage other astrocyte researchers to apply our methods and analysis techniques also to their research." This team of researchers was the first to systematically show how astrocytes slowly integrate information in their soma. Interestingly, the integration process they observed resembles the somatic integration that has been extensively documented in neurons. "We also showed how this integration is regulated by arousal and the locus coeruleus, a small nucleus in the brain stem," Rupprecht said. "We believe that this mode of information processing is very likely fundamental for the function of astrocytes as computational units in hippocampus and cortex." The findings gathered by Helmchen, Rupprecht and their collaborators could have profound research implications, as they suggest that astrocytes play a greater role than expected in the processing and integration of incoming signals. In the future, they could pave the way for more ground-breaking discoveries about the function of astrocytes in health and disease. "In this study, we investigated how astrocytes integrate signals in their soma, but what do they do once their soma is activated and how do they act upon neurons?" Helmchen added. "We hypothesize that they contribute, in one or the other way, to information processing in the neuronal networks. Our study raises many questions that will require the joint effort of many labs in the future." More information: Peter Rupprecht et al, Centripetal integration of past events in hippocampal astrocytes regulated by locus coeruleus, Nature Neuroscience (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01612-8 Journal information: Nature Neuroscience 2024 Science X Network This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A high-resolution computed tomography of the lungs of a patient with a fatal case of MDA5-autoimmunity and Interstitial Pneumonitis Contemporaneous with the COVID-19 Pandemic (MIP-C). Credit: Gabriele De Marco, Leeds Biomedical Research Centre, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Pradipta Ghosh, M.D., sat down in her office at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and considered a request from the other side of the world. Ghosh, a professor in the Departments of Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine, received an email from Dennis McGonagle, Ph.D., professor of investigative rheumatology at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. It began an international collaboration, one that uncovered a previously overlooked COVID-related syndrome and resulted in a paper in eBioMedicine. McGonagle asked if she was interested in collaborating on a COVID-related mystery. "He told me they were seeing mild COVID cases," Ghosh said. "They had vaccinated around 90% of the Yorkshire population, but now they were seeing this very rare autoimmune disease called MDA5autoantibody associated dermatomyositis (DM) in patients who may or may not have contracted COVID, or even remember if they were exposed to it." McGonagle told of patients with severe lung scarring, some of whom presented rheumatologic symptomsrashes, arthritis, muscle painthat often accompany interstitial lung disease. He was curious to know if there was a connection between MDA5-positive dermatomyositis and COVID-19. "DM is more common in individuals of Asian descent, particularly Japanese and Chinese," Ghosh said. "However, Dr. McGonagle was noting this explosive trend of cases in Caucasians." "But that's the least of the problem," Ghosh said. "Because he said, 'Oh, and by the way, some of these patients are progressing rapidly to death.'" Ghosh is the founding director of the Institute for Network Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine, home to the Center for Precision Computational Systems Network (PreCSNthe computational pillar within the Institute for Network Medicine). PreCSN's signature asset is BoNEthe Boolean Network Explorer, a powerful computational framework for extracting actionable insights from any form of big data. "BoNE is designed to ignore factors that differentiate patients in a group while selectively identifying what is common (shared) across everybody in the group," Ghosh explained. Previous applications of BoNE allowed Ghosh and her team to identify other COVID-related lung and heart-afflicting syndromes in adults and children, respectively. As a rheumatologist, McGonagle specializes in inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. His expertise, combined with the computational power of the Institute for Network Medicine, proved to be an excellent collaboration for probing the post-pandemic upsurge in inflammatory and autoimmune diagnoses. Ghosh said that McGonagle's roster of patients, all within the U.K.'s National Health System (NHS), helped to facilitate the investigation. "The NHS has a centralized health care database with comprehensive medical records for a large population, making it easier to access and analyze health data for research purposes," Ghosh explained. Ghosh and McGonagle put together a team to probe what they found was indeed an entirely new syndrome. The UC San Diego team included Saptarshi Sinha, Ph.D., interim director of PreCSN, who was a co-first author on the paper, along with Paula David Ramos, M.D., who was conducting research fellowship in experimental rheumatology, at the Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine. The UC San Diego team also included two PreCSN-affiliated students, Ella McLaren, an undergraduate student and aspiring physician-scientist, and Sahar Taheri, a graduate student in the Jacobs School of Engineering Department of Computer Science and Engineering. The study began with McGonagle lab's detection of autoantibodies to MDA5an RNA-sensing enzyme whose functions include detecting COVID-19 and other RNA viruses. A total of 25 patients from the group of 60 developed lung scarring, also known as interstitial lung disease. Ghosh noted that the lung scarring was bad enough to cause eight people in the group to die due to progressive fibrosis. She said that there are established clinical profiles of MDA5 autoimmune diseases. "But this was different," Ghosh said. "It was different in behavior and rate of progressionand in the number of deaths." Ghosh and the UC San Diego team explored McGonagle's data with BoNE. They found that the patients who showed the highest level of MDA5 response also showed high levels of interleukin-15. "Interleukin-15 is a cytokine that can cause two major immune cell types," she explained. "These can push cells to the brink of exhaustion and create an immunologic phenotype that is very, very often seen as a hallmark of progressive interstitial lung disease, or fibrosis of the lung." BoNE allowed the team to establish the cause of the Yorkshire syndromeand pinpoint a specific single nucleotide polymorphism that is protective. By right of discovery, the group was able to give the condition a name: MDA5-autoimmunity and Interstitial Pneumonitis Contemporaneous with COVID-19. It's MIP-C for short, "Pronounced 'mipsy,'" Ghosh said, adding that the name was coined to make a connection with MIS-C, a separate COVID-related condition of children. Ghosh said that it's extremely unlikely that MIP-C is confined to the United Kingdom. Reports of MIP-C symptoms are coming from all over the world. She said she hopes the team's identification of interleukin-15 as a causative link will jump-start research into treatment. More information: Paula David et al, MDA5-autoimmunity and interstitial pneumonitis contemporaneous with the COVID-19 pandemic (MIP-C), eBioMedicine (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105136 Journal information: EBioMedicine 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 Experts in mycobacterial diseases at National Jewish Health, in collaboration with local health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are investigating a potential outbreak of a highly drug-resistant mycobacterium (germ) after U.S. patients who traveled to Mexico for stem cell injections became sick. Genetically identical Mycobacterium abscessus subspecies massiliense infections following stem cell injections at various clinics in Mexico prompted this investigation. Early results of the study are published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, and additional cases are being evaluated. "As a world-renowned referral center for patients with mycobacterial diseases, we see patients from all over the country, and we noticed a trend of patients getting this particular infection after stem cell injections were performed outside the U.S. We performed whole genome sequencing of isolates from these patients, and we found they were genetically identical. We then notified the state health department and the CDC," said pulmonologist Charles Daley, MD, senior author of the study and chief of the Division of Mycobacterial and Respiratory Infections at National Jewish Health. "Mycobacterium abscessus is a highly drug-resistant, difficult-to-treat nontuberculous mycobacterium," explained Minh-Vu H. Nguyen, MD, infectious diseases physician at National Jewish Health and lead author on the study. "We want the public to be wary that mycobacterial infections can come from unapproved stem cell injections. Also, clinicians seeing patients with infections in skin, other soft tissues or bone and joints should be aware of mycobacteria, specifically Mycobacterium abscessus, as a possible cause and notify their local health authorities if confirmed." "We want to make sure clinicians are diligently looking out for this strain from the outbreak of Mycobacterium abscessus subspecies massiliense infections," said Dr. Daley. The CDC issued a warning for U.S. residents who have procedures abroad as they may be at risk for infection, blood clots in the legs and lungs, and even death. Experts urge patients to talk with their doctor about these risks before traveling outside of the country for health care. More information: Minh-Vu H. Nguyen et al, Notes from the Field: Potential Outbreak of Extrapulmonary Mycobacterium abscessus subspecies massiliense Infections from Stem Cell Treatment Clinics in Mexico Arizona and Colorado, 2022, MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2024). DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7318a3 Journal information: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 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 As COVID-19 swept over Phoebe Putney Health System and Southwest Georgia in the first days of the pandemic, residents and public health officials were desperate to know what patients had and how far it was spreading. The Albany, Georgia-based outbreak turned out to be one of the four largest in the world in terms of the percentage of the population infected, along with Wuhan, New York and Northern Italy, and it was only the beginning. Four years later, a warning system exists, but a big part of it is being switched off. Effective this month, the federal government's pandemic emergency requirement that all hospitals report their number of COVID-19 patients has expired. COVID cases are at a low ebb, and the Biden administration last year lifted the pandemic public health emergency orders. By doing that, federal officials estimated that their protective value was no longer worth the extra work and obstacles to daily life that they create. Lifting the emergencies is also acknowledgment of the need to limit government intrusion on rights. But the CDC and some other public health officials say early warning systems are most valuable before a new emergency arrives. They hope hospitals will still voluntarily report what they're seeing in COVID data to the CDC, even if they are short-staffed and the reporting takes extra work and time. And it will take extra work on the ground. Unlike some other highly developed nations, the U.S. public health data system does is clunky. "We strongly encourage health departments and hospitals to continue reporting respiratory illness data through the National Healthcare Safety Network even though the CMS requirement has ended," a CDC spokeswoman told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a written statement. "That data has significant value for protecting patient health and safety as well as public health." Nowadays, Phoebe Putney's Cynthia Chaney or a couple of her colleagues spend 45 minutes every day typing in numbers by hand to report their COVID-19 case rates and vaccination status to CDC. It took them a month to learn how. If the CDC system rejects Phoebe's submission, it takes Chaney and her co-workers more time to troubleshoot why. That's par for the course in the jigsaw puzzle of U.S. public health computers. The sprawling collection of states, hospitals and counties with their own computer systems and their own reporting rules are a maze. They take enormous time and work to update. Public health researchers looking to solve a health problem commonly find the most current national data set is two years old. The national COVID-19 hospital data has been different for those researchers: with a click on a map, a reader could see whether a state's case numbers in hospital beds were rising or falling in the last couple weeks. And if they were, were they very serious cases in ICU's? Sometimes they weren't: That meant a variant might be surging but it wasn't on the verge of killing large numbers of people. In that case, different recommendations for people to mask or avoid crowds might come out. All of that was ammunition for health officials to strategize: who to warn, who to move where, what equipment, testing and drugs to put in place. With the reporting mandate expired, CDC said, it will rely on other sources of information, such as wastewater monitoring. Laboratories are still required to report cases they find. And CDC has worked with other federal agencies to suggest a new way of COVID reporting that it hopes will slim down the workload enough to be accepted as a requirement. Come fall, when respiratory illness may fill up the hospitals again, it's less certain whether public health officials will know how much of it is flu and how much of it is COVID. The clunkiness of the U.S. system is absurd in the most advanced nation in the world for health care discoveries and seamlessly connected computer systems, said Dr. Carlos del Rio, distinguished professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory University School of Medicine. Del Rio has also had roles in hospital administration at Grady Health System. Often the data that exists in places where patients' problems are discovered never even gets gathered in a meaningful way, he said. "Frequently the health care data never makes it to public health," del Rio said. "It doesn't flow the way, like, bank data flows. I mean it's amazing how the banking system knows exactly what's going on, just because their systems work." He says that the question of whether to monitor disease spread at the federal level should not be a testy political question. But he understands, too. It's an old problem based on the fact that many Americans are suspicious of handing over control of their health data, del Rio conceded. And during the pandemic, while public health researchers started with high hopes the experience would push the nation to reform the health data system, the opposite happened. Suspicion and resistance to public health in some quarters exploded. For the workers at Phoebe Putney, it's all about helping their community. Chaney said she and her colleagues will keep doing the extra work as long as they can. But hospitals across the nation are understaffed. Chaney herself is waiting to move into a role with more direct patient care. If something happens, the extra work may be too much. "We want to support our community and the hospital," Chaney said. "Especially since we were a hot spot." 2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Bob Wilbur and Giordano Jacuzzi, co-authors of the study, watch a Growler jet land on Whidbey Island. Credit: Kiyomi Taguchi/UW News Bob Wilbur thought he'd found a retirement home that would be a place of peace. Nestled against Admiralty Bay on the western edge of Whidbey Island, the three-story house is surrounded by trees and shoreline. It offers the kind of quiet that only an island can provide. Except when the Growlers fly. As often as four days a week, Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft based at the nearby Naval Air Station Whidbey Island fly loops overhead as pilots practice touch-and-go landings. The noise is immense, around the level of a loud rock concert. "It interrupts your day," Wilbur said. "You're unable to have a pleasant evening at home. You can't communicate. You constantly try to organize your day around being gone when the jets are flying." New research from the University of Washington shows that the noise isn't just disruptiveit presents a substantial risk to public health. Published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, an analysis of the Navy's own acoustic monitoring data found that more than 74,000 people are exposed to noise levels associated with adverse health effects. Credit: University of Washington "Military aircraft noise is substantially more intense and disturbing than commercial jet noise," said lead author Giordano Jacuzzi, a graduate student in the UW College of the Environment. "Noise exposure has many downstream effects beyond just annoyance and stresshigh levels of sleep disturbance, hearing impairment, increased risk of cardiovascular diseasethese have real impacts on human health and quality of life. We also found that several schools in the area are exposed to levels that have been shown to put children at risk of delayed learning." Guided by conversations with community members and local advocacy groups, researchers analyzed four weeks' worth of acoustic and flight operations data collected by the Navy in 2020 and 2021, in addition to prior-year data collected by a private acoustics company and the National Park Service. Researchers then mapped noise exposure across the region to estimate how much noise specific communities were exposed to in an average year. Researchers estimated that two-thirds of Island County residents, including everyone in the cities of Oak Harbor and Coupeville, were exposed to potentially harmful levels of noise, as was 85% of the population of the Swinomish Indian Reservation. In total, an estimated 74,316 people were exposed to average noise levels that posed a risk of annoyance, 41,089 of whom were exposed to nighttime noise levels associated with adverse effects on sleep. Another 8,059 peoplemost of whom lived within fairly close proximity to aircraft landing stripswere exposed to noise levels that can pose a risk of hearing impairment over time. "Our bodies produce a lot of stress hormone response to noise in general, it doesn't matter what kind of noise it is. But particularly if it's this repeated acute noise, you might expect that stress hormone response to be exacerbated," said co-author Edmund Seto, a UW professor of environmental and occupational health sciences. "What was really interesting was that we're reaching noise exposure levels that are actually harmful for hearing. Usually I only think of hearing in the context of working in factories or other really, really loud occupational settings. But here, we're reaching those levels for the community." This map shows the simulated noise exposure associated with adverse health effects. Contours are shown in 5 decibel increments, beginning at 45 decibels day-night average sound level. Credit: Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41370-024-00670-1 Taken as a whole, the potential harms can be quite serious, Seto said. "Imagine people trying to sleep, or children in school trying to understand their teachers and you've got these jets flying." Every monitoring station on Whidbey Island measured noise events in excess of 100 decibels when jets were flying. In some instances, noise levels were "off the charts"exceeding the limits of models used to predict the health effects of noise exposure around the world. "We found it striking that Growler noise exceeds the scientific community's current understanding of the potential health outcomes," said co-author Julian Olden, a UW professor of aquatic and fishery sciences. "For this reason, our estimates of health impacts are conservative." The noise has been the subject of community disputes and legal controversy since 2013, when the U.S. Navy moved more Growler jets onto Whidbey Island and increased the number of flights to more than 110,000 per year. Bob Wilbur is a member and the current chair of Citizens of Ebey's Reserve, a community group that has sued the Navy over the jet noise and increased flight operations. The group also helped facilitate the UW study, and Wilbur is a co-author. Like other military aircraft, the Growlers' noise differs significantly from commercial jetslouder and deeper, the kind of sound that people feel before they hear. "It's the intensity, the intermittent nature of the noise, and the low-frequency energy specifically," Jacuzzi said. "Those three things are very different than what you experience from normal commercial flights, which are predictable and high in altitude. When Growlers fly over a home, they emit a rumbling noise that penetrates windows and shakes walls." While commercial jet noise has been the subject of extensive study, research into military aircraft noise is relatively rare. Previous UW-led research found that military flights were the largest cause of noise pollution on the Olympic Peninsula. While discussing that study, Whidbey residents complained that the noise disturbed their sleep and interfered with students' schoolwork, which prompted this new line of inquiry. While conducting this study, researchers worked closely with community members and advocacy groups and held multiple webinars to share results and shape future work. "Our research was motivated by the growing chorus of complaints by Washingtonians across multiple counties," Olden said. "We believe the science speaks for itself. It's no longer a question of whether noise impacts people, but how, where and how much these effects are experienced." Other authors are Lauren Kuehne of Omfishient Consulting, and Anne Harvey and Christine Hurley of Sound Defense Alliance. More information: Giordano Jacuzzi et al, Population health implications of exposure to pervasive military aircraft noise pollution, Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41370-024-00670-1 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain Standard of care treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is safe and effective for adults over 80, according to a study published in Blood Neoplasia. For roughly a quarter of patients, this treatment can durably prolong survival. AML is an aggressive and often deadly form of blood cancer that can be difficult to treat. For older adults with AML, the conventional treatment consists of a medication called venetoclax combined with a hypomethylating agent (HMA), also known as VEN-HMA. AML treatment is often intensive and can significantly suppress the immune system and put one at risk of other health complications. As a result, some adults with AML, especially those of advanced older age, may be considered ineligible to receive treatment at all and be recommended to pursue palliative care. "Our study reveals that a significant portion of these patients at the extremes of older age still derive benefit from the VEN-HMA regimenwhich is the standard of care for older AML patients and those who are ineligible to receive intensive chemotherapy," said Justin Watts, MD, a hematologist at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, in Miami, Florida, and the study's corresponding author. "While acknowledging it certainly isn't for everyone, we hope our findings encourage health care providers to thoughtfully explore all treatment avenues for elderly patients with AML, rather than prematurely resorting to HMA alone, best supportive care, or hospice care." Researchers sought to understand overall survival and remission rates among octo- and nonagenarians (those 8090 and older) who received VEN-HMA treatment to determine its effectiveness. They analyzed electronic medical records from 154 patients with AML treated with VEN-HMA for the first time between March of 2015 and April of 2022 across six medical institutions in the United States and Italy. Participants had a median age of 82 (range 80-92) and 69% were male. Seventy-seven percent of patients included in the study were newly diagnosed, 10% had relapsed or refractory AML, and for 14%, disease status was unknown. Sixty-seven percent of patients started treatment with the standard dose and treatment schedule of VEN-HMA, and 72% of the cohort had subsequent modifications of their venetoclax dose or schedule after cycle 1 (e.g., reduction in venetoclax duration). Across the cohort, patients were administered a final median venetoclax dose of 400 mg for 21 days, repeated every 35 days. Patients who demonstrated a response to treatment received a final median venetoclax dose of 200mg of venetoclax for 21 days, in 35-day cycles. Approximately 20 to 25% of all treated patients experienced prolonged survival, which encompassed roughly 40% of those who responded to treatment. Median overall survival was 8.1 months, and for those who responded to treatment, it was 13.2 months. At just under eight months follow-up, 23% of patients remained in remission, while 20% were still receiving treatment. Death rates within 30 and 60 days of treatment were 8.5% and 17%, respectively, comparable to VIALE-A. For patients with newly diagnosed AML without a prior myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), 73% achieved complete remission or complete remission with incomplete count recovery (CRc), a classification given when a patient's leukemia cell counts are undetectable, but blood cell counts have not fully returned to normal levels. For patients who achieved CRc, those who received a final venetoclax duration of 14 days or less per cycle had a better average survival time (median of 24.0 months). Patients whose cancer cells had a mutation in TP53a protein vital to preventing abnormal cell growthexhibited poorer overall survival. Patients with a mutation in the NPM1 protein had very favorable survival, and interestingly, patients with K/NRAS or FLT3-ITD mutations did not have inferior survival compared to those without. Notably, this treatment regimen can lead to myelosuppression, reducing the bone marrow's ability to produce healthy blood cells and weakening the immune system. Older patients, especially those over 80, may be more vulnerable to experiencing myelosuppression, and because of this, researchers suggest reducing the dose and duration of treatment for those at increased risk. "A second major theme here is that treating this patient population requires adjusting the dosage and duration of VEN-HMA," explained Dr. Watts. "Unlike typical adult AML cases, these patients exhibit lower tolerance to venetoclax, suggesting that they may benefit from a reduced dosage." This study is limited by its retrospective format. Further, the median follow-up duration was approximately 7.7 months, and researchers acknowledge that their data might have been stronger if this was extended. Researchers said they plan to study the optimal dose and treatment schedule for this population to further enhance health outcomes. They want to explore the relationship between minimal residual disease (MRD) and molecular subtype on venetoclax exposure and ultimately stopping venetoclax in a subset of durably responding patients. Researchers said they are also interested in developing a better understanding of how treatment affects quality of life. More information: Venetoclax and Hypomethylating Agents in Octo- and Nonagenarians with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Blood Neoplasia (2024). www.sciencedirect.com/science/ ii/S2950328024000165 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain The reminders are everywhere. When a woman turns 40, doctors say she should begin receiving yearly mammograms to detect breast cancer. You see it on posters, ads and buttons. Doctors beat the drum forcefully and often because the stakes are high. While both women and men can develop breast cancer, the disease occurs far more often in women. Breast cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death in women, according to the American Cancer Society. About 42,250 women in the United States will die from it this year, and 310,720 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed. In recent years, incidence rates have increased by 0.6% per year. In women younger than 50, the increase is about 1%. While the message to start getting mammograms is crucial, it's not entirely complete. Forty is the age a woman of average risk should get her first mammogram. But how does a person know if they're of average risk? The chances of developing the disease at a younger age are higher for some people, experts say, and different factors can require screening before 40. Particularly at risk are women from minority groups, who are much more likely to die of breast cancer before the age of 50, according to the American College of Radiology. In fact, instead of putting off taking steps to protect their health until middle age or later, younger women can act now to gauge their risk and plan a more effective schedule for early detection. And that's good news, doctors say. When breast cancer is detected early and in a localized stage, the five-year survival rate is 99%, according to the American Cancer Society. Technology is bringing medical oncologists a wealth of new tools to stop breast cancer earlyfrom enhancements in 3D imaging to MRI or contrast enhanced mammography to ultrasound. Catching cancer early is becoming easier all the time. Dr. Emel Kaya Aumann, a breast radiologist at Penn State Health Breast Center, discusses risk factors, what younger women can do now to assess their risk and why prevention is and self-care can be a lifelong practice. When should a woman receive her first mammogram? For an average-risk woman, the American College of Radiology suggests we start the annual screening mammogram at age 40. But if the individual is in a high-risk group, she may be recommended to begin screening mammogram between the ages of 25 to 40 and also breast MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) between the ages of 25 to 30, depending on the type of risk. How can you determine your risk? Who should do this? The American College of Radiology recommends that every woman receive a breast cancer risk assessment by the age of 25. This can be performed by a primary care provider. If the woman's overall lifetime risk is more than 20%, that means they are in a high-risk group. And that means they may need to begin breast cancer screening between the ages of 25 to 40, instead of starting at age 40. Women from minority groups are 127% more likely to die of breast cancer before age 50 than women who are white, according to the American College of Radiology. Why the higher risk? Black women, Ashkenazi Jewish women and other minority groups have been found to be of higher risk compared with white women, because Black women and Ashkenazi Jewish women tend to have more BRCA 1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, which increase the risk of developing breast cancer. If the individual has the BRCA gene mutation, that means the risk of developing breast cancer is more than 60% to 70%. And this gene is more common in Black and Ashkenazi Jewish women? Yes, both BRCA1 and BRCA2. Also, Black women tend to develop a more aggressive type of breast cancer at a younger age compared to white women. These are triple negative or ER negative cancerstumors that tend to grow and spread faster than other varieties. The possibility of having this gene mutation is the main reason. Forty percent more Black women die from breast cancer compared with white women at premenopausal age. What kinds of factors outside of genetics could make recommend a mammogram early? There are many high-risk factors an individual's family history of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, colon cancer and others; a personal history of previous breast cancer; or if the patient had any chest radiation therapy previously. How often are women getting these assessments before 25? If they don't see their primary care providers regularly, most of them are not aware of it. People usually think that if they don't have any family history of breast cancer, it's not going to happen to them. Actually, only 5% to 10% of our patients who are diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history of breast cancer. So, 90% to 95% don't know that they're genetically predisposed to have it. So every woman should get an assessment before they turn 25. Can they do anything else? The first thing they should do is the self-exam. Every woman should consider performing a self-breast and axilla exam once a month. More information about breast self-exams can be found here. When should self-exams start? As long as they've started developing breast tissue, we recommend they do a self-exam. So, if they notice any new lumps or bumps in their breasts or armpits that don't go away, we don't want them to wait. We want them to come in as soon as possible for further evaluation. None of thisthe risk assessment or the self-examsis any replacement for mammograms. Right? The gold standard is still mammography for breast cancer screening. In certain subgroups and high-risk individuals, breast MRI and breast ultrasound may be appropriate for supplemental breast cancer screening. Breast cancer risk assessment is so important so that personalized screening strategies can be planned by the physician and the individual patient. 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: Members of the Adair Lab at Fred Hutch Cancer Center. Dr. Jen Adair, center in tan blazer, is working with patients to make gene therapy accessible to all. Credit: Robert Hood / Fred Hutch News Service Fred Hutch Cancer Center scientist Jennifer E. Adair, Ph.D., is on a mission to foster worldwide collaboration on potentially curative gene therapies. Holder of the Fleischauer Family Endowed Chair in Gene Therapy Translation, Adair just co-authored two articles published today in Science Translational Medicine as part of a special series on global access to these therapies that she curated. In a Q&A, Adair discusses the promise of gene therapies to cure an array of diseases, as well as the need for stakeholders around the world to join forces to develop the best possible approaches and get them to the people who need them most. Read on for Adair's take on the breakthroughs happening in this exciting, but expensive, new field of therapy. What exactly are gene therapies, and what diseases are they being used to treat? A gene therapy is anything that is using genetics to drive therapeutic value of the treatment. These therapies are a big paradigm shifter because they're not managing symptoms; they are actually treating the underlying biology that causes a disease or that causes a disease to be severe, and so in most diseases they're curative. Broadly, they are being used to treat inherited diseases, including sickle cell disease; malignant diseases, or cancer; and some infectious diseases. They're very broadly applicable. If we understand the biology of the disease, and there is a change we could make to the DNA or some type of genetic element we could add that could undo that biology, there will be a gene therapy for that disease at some point. So far, there are 32 gene therapies authorized globally, most in the U.S. Being able to change the underlying biology rather than manage symptoms is an important advantage. What are the potential disadvantages of gene therapies? In terms of health drawbacks, the field is still young. We don't yet know exactly how durable these therapies are. What it takes to actually modify the underlying biology of cells inside the human body, in the case of in vivo therapies, or outside the human body, in the case of ex vivo therapieswhere we remove cells from a patient, alter them and then return them to the patientis not trivial. Also, these therapies are very expensive, and the health care systems in which they're being administered were not designed for one-time treatments meant to elicit lifetime cures. There's a lot of work to be done on how we actually settle the economics of these therapies so that companies who make them can still make money, but it's not costing $2 million or $3 million per treatment. We also need to think carefully about the risk-to-benefit ratio. The first diseases for which gene therapies were developed were diseases with no treatments or cures, and they tended to be fatal. For those patients, the risk-to-benefit ratio is in favor of finding something that extends life or improves the quality of life, even if it also carries some risk. As gene therapies become more prevalent, we will have to reassess the risk-to-benefit ratio. For example, for HIV, we have highly effective antiretroviral therapy combinations that, if patients have access and they maintain adherence, they can live a normal lifespan, and as long as their virus stays undetectable, they won't transmit it to anyone else. At the same time, we've not been able to get antiretroviral therapy to the number of people required to control the virus globally, and so we do need a cure. Gene therapy might be that cure, but we would need to demonstrate the ability to control the virus without increasing patients' risk of cancer in the future. What was your role in the development of this special series of articles, and what prompted you to be involved? I am the curator, meaning I came up with the what the series was going to look like, what key pieces we needed, and then solicited the authors. Over the last two years, I have been helping to assemble the articles and working with the editorial team to decide how to organize themeverything down to selecting the cover art for the May 8 issue, where the first two articles will appear. The artwork really explains why I am involved. It's a painting by Ugandan artists of a bus with a small number of riders, plenty of empty seats and a large queue of people who would love to get on the bus but for some reason can't. The concept is by Moses Supercharger, and the artists are John Mary Kyambadde, Vanessa Nannyonjo and Moses Katabira. This represents what HIV means to Ugandans. The bus represents freedom from disease for people who've received therapies that put their HIV into remission, but it's not accessible to most people. That is true for gene therapy right now. There are 39 million people with HIV, and 85% of them live in sub-Saharan Africa. We may be able to cure HIV with gene therapy one day, but we will need to be able to deliver that cure to people in parts of the world that are most affected, which means we need people from those countries involved now in creating and implementing gene therapies. People on the ground locally need to be enabled to develop these treatments in the right way for their own people. Unfortunately, there are so many barriers to their participationsystemic, economic, social and geographic. How does this relate to the Global Gene Therapy Initiative? In 2020, with my collaborator Dr. Cissy Kityo, at the Joint Clinical Research Centre in Uganda, I co-founded the Global Gene Therapy Initiative, or GGTI, to support implementation of gene therapies in low- and middle-income countries. It's a virtual network of international colleagues who represent every stakeholder groupfrom patients and caregivers to researchers, clinicians, regulators, government policymakers, investors and companieswho come together to learn from each other. We have met nearly every week for three-and-a-half years to go over something about the state of the field of gene therapy. We now have hundreds of members representing more than 30 countries on five continents. What's been the focus of your research on gene therapy? When I first came to Fred Hutch, I worked with Dr. Hans-Peter Kiem [holder of the Stephanus Family Endowed Chair for Cell and Gene Therapy], on a trial of gene therapy in brain tumor patients. That led to a gene therapy trial for patients living with HIV who also had cancer and eventually, along with other experiences, to a deeper understanding on my part that we are all gatekeepers in our own way, and we have to decide how we're going to gatekeep in ways that are antiracist. I had worked on this cool technology, "gene therapy in a box," a way to offer gene therapy in places without the multimillion-dollar infrastructure of an institution like Fred Hutch. And that was a great. It was enough of an innovation to get this capability into India, Brazil and South Africa. But when I actually started to visit the places where I thought it was going to work, I realized very quickly that was me trying to solve the problem, thinking I understood the local needs and knew the answers, but I didn't. However, it got me in the door with a couple of clinics where I could then have conversations. We learned pretty early that people wanted the convenience of something like vaccination. So, we started thinking about how we could deliver gene therapy inside the body, which led to our research on using gold nanoparticles to deliver gene-editing instructions to cells. One thing I do now is invite people from low- and middle-income countries who are interested in gene therapy into my lab, and we work on ways to make the processes easier to implement in other settings. Our first post-doctoral research fellow who was part of this effort, Dr. Lois Bayigga worked on ways to shorten the gene therapy process so that it's not weeks long but rather just a couple of days so we can treat more people. How do you hope the gene therapy field moves forward from here? There are so many groups right now in the U.S. and Europe who seem to think, "I have the latest and greatest technology that's going to transform the field by being able to deliver gene therapy inside the body to this cell," and they're not talking to the people in Africa who they say are going to be the beneficiaries of this particular therapeutic. The patients absolutely need to be considered. As they say, "Nothing about us without us." The advocacy element in the special series of articles is so important. We're also not thinking enough about genetic diversity. Africa is the most genetically diverse continent on the planet, with 54 different countries represented. It is an ancestral population for all of us. Does it make sense for scientists in the U.S. and Europe to develop gene therapies in young genomes that are not very diverse, thinking these therapies will go to the rest of the world and work, or should they be developed in the ancestral genome to apply more broadly? Genetic therapies would greatly benefit from genetic diversity being included in the development at the outset. You mentioned the idea "Nothing about us without us," which is the title of one of the articles you co-authored. Can you explain more about the importance of involving patients in gene therapy development? It's so important to actually consider patients from the outset as co-creators in genetic medicine because I, as a researcher, might create a therapy that I think is addressing a primary need, but patients might think otherwise. I remember a presenter at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy annual meeting two years ago describing how researchers had spent years developing a gene therapy to protect the heart muscle and diaphragm in people with a degenerative muscle disorder because the failure of these muscles is what ultimately causes death in these patients. But someone in the first group of patients for their clinical trial said they'd rather die tomorrow than live another 10 years with a colostomy bag so couldn't the researchers make a gene therapy that gives them back continence? There's been an outcry from some patients who've participated in clinical trials of gene therapy for sickle cell disease that the world is not paying enough attention to fertility loss. The treatment involves having chemotherapy that is likely to make recipients sterile, so patients in the clinical trial were afforded reproductive supportive care. But that's not something patients will necessarily have after the treatment is authorized unless they have good enough insurance and they know to ask for it. We're not always thinking enough about how we can create a therapy that will be much more amenable to adoption later. Also, patients sometimes feel taken advantage of. I was at a meeting of the International AIDS Society where a young main from Brazil protested a presentation about a long-acting antiretroviral therapy given by injection for HIV. He essentially said, "You came to our country, and you asked us to participate in your clinical trials, and we did. You gave us a taste of what life with long-acting antiretroviral therapy could look like. But as soon as you used our data to get your authorization in the U.S., you never made an attempt to negotiate with our government to actually bring this treatment to us." This is why the people affected by a disease need to be part of thisspeaking up, asking questions, saying what they don't like about the current trajectory of their disease and its treatment course or what's not available to them. The sooner we learn how to have these conversations earlier in the development process, the more streamlined it will become. The other article you co-authored for the series includes case studies of the state of gene therapy in several low- and middle-income countries. What was your goal for that article? There are lots of different low- or middle-resource settings that are interested in and actively pursuing gene therapy at different levels. We focused on these six case studies because each is a country that has one of the highest burdens of disease globally for which a gene therapy has already received or is about to receive authorization in the U.S. and Europe. We have a moral obligation for those therapies to be accessible to the places in the world where the majority of the patients live, whatever it takes to get there. The article is a call to action to say, "These countries have self-nominated, they want to be in the same place as the U.S. and Europe right now in terms of offering gene therapies, so can we fairly identify where they are in this trajectory and what support they could use? Here are the differences in their health care systems and how patients access that care. Here are the differences in the governance infrastructure. Here's what has been done in terms of research and development of gene therapy locally. Here's what has been done in terms of implementation of authorized therapies from high-income countries." We're also looking at, "Where are the difficulties?" This is what we call the translational gap. We know that in the places where implementation has been successful, there's been government buy-in. So, how do we get governments on board with supporting research in this space? How do we ensure educational programs can train for capacity? Going to low- and middle-income countries where this work might be the hardest to do will actually lead to solutions that will provide scalability and sustainability in ways we could never imagine otherwise. All of our brains together are smarter than each of our brains individually. We have the potential to move a lot farther in partnership. That's what GGTI does. It creates a place where people who are interested in gene therapy can talk to each other. Everything the group has accomplished is really just because we started talking to each other. My partner is originally from Nigeria, and he refers to this phrase he learned growing up: "If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together." More information: Olabimpe Olayiwola et al, Nothing about us without us: Advocacy and engagement in genetic medicine, Science Translational Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adn2401 Kevin W. Doxzen et al, The translational gap for gene therapies in low- and middle-income countries, Science Translational Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adn1902 Journal information: Science Translational Medicine 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: For patients with acute stroke and a large infarct, thrombectomy plus medical care results in better functional outcomes and lower mortality, according to a study published in the May 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Vincent Costalat, M.D., Ph.D., from the Hopital Gui de Chauliac, Montpellier in France, and colleagues assigned patients with proximal cerebral vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation and a large infarct detected on magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography within 6.5 hours after symptom onset to undergo endovascular thrombectomy and receive medical care (thrombectomy group; 166 patients) or to receive medical care alone (control group; 167 patients). Due to results of similar trials favoring thrombectomy, the trial was stopped early. The researchers found that about 35 percent of the patients received thrombolysis therapy. The median modified Rankin scale score at 90 days was 4 and 6 in the thrombectomy and control groups, respectively (generalized odds ratio, 1.63; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.29 to 2.06). At 90 days, death from any cause occurred in 36.1 and 55.5 percent of patients in the thrombectomy and control groups, respectively (adjusted relative risk, 0.65; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.50 to 0.84); the percentage of patients with symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage was 9.6 and 5.7 percent, respectively (adjusted relative risk, 1.73; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.78 to 4.68). "The use of thrombectomy plus medical care within seven hours after symptom onset led to a lower score on the modified Rankin scale at 90 days after randomization than medical care alone," the authors write. The study was supported by Montpellier University Hospital through an unrestricted grant from an industry consortium of medical device companies (Medtronic, Stryker, Balt Extrusion, MicroVention, and Cerenovus). More information: Vincent Costalat et al, Trial of Thrombectomy for Stroke with a Large Infarct of Unrestricted Size, New England Journal of Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2314063 Journal information: New England Journal of Medicine Copyright 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Mastercard has signed an agreement with The Benefit Company, Bahrains leading fintech company and the national electronic payment infrastructure operator, to explore opportunities for collaboration in driving innovation and financial inclusion in the countrys dynamic payments ecosystem. Under the terms of the agreement, the two partners aim to co-create innovative digital payment solutions, powered by advanced technology, to address the rapidly evolving needs of consumers and businesses, said a statement from Mastercard. The collaboration supports the efforts of the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) to accelerate the development of the countrys digital economy, it stated. "At Benefit, we are proactively working to strengthen Bahrains position as a regional financial hub in line with the strategic objectives of The Economic Vision 2030," remarked Abdulwahed AlJanahi, the CEO of Benefit. Benefit, he stated, is a leader in electronic payments, fund transfer, business process outsourcing services and support. The companys mission is to provide innovative business and lifestyle solutions that are essential in everyday life, inspire and energise individuals, institutions, and society to unleash new opportunities. "Our partnership with Mastercard will leverage our complementary capabilities and expertise to develop and launch seamless and secure financial offerings that make life easier, smarter, and more efficient," he added. Dimitrios Dosis, President, EEMEA, Mastercard, said it was committed to harnessing the power of public-private partnerships to advance digital transformation in the region. "As one of the most dynamic and innovative countries in the Middle East, Bahrain is a key market for us, and forms a crucial part of our Mena growth strategy. We look forward to working with Benefit to empower its corporate and individual customers to realize their ambitions and unlock their full potential," he added. In 2023, Benefit processed over 345 million electronic fund transfer transactions through BenefitPay, Bahrains national electronic wallet payment system, and its services Fawri, Fawri+ and Fawateer. This marks a significant 37% increase in transaction volume compared to the previous year, consolidating the company's position as a driving force in the Kingdom's digital financial landscape. Just last week, I had the privilege of attending a ground-breaking ceremony hosted by Montana Food Bank Network (MFBN) at the future site of their new and improved distribution facility in Missoula. The event was poignant for me personally because I have been proud to chair MFBNs Campaign for Bigger Impact, the ambitious fundraising effort that, when it is complete, will make this critical new resource for our state possible. While last weeks gathering was primarily attended by the campaigns early supporters and partners, I believe hunger is an issue every Montanan should be rallying to combat especially right now, as the need continues to grow. For those who are food secure, its easy to imagine hunger as something happening over there, far away, to unidentified people. But hunger happens all around us, even if we dont know it. It happens in our cities and in our towns. It happens to our friends, our colleagues, and our neighbors. As many Montanans have learned since the pandemic, it can just as easily happen to us, too. More than a decade ago, I saw that hunger was a great need in my own community. Even in Whitefish and other places considered to be affluent, local food banks, pantries, shelters, community centers, and other charitable organizations are hard at work. So, my family began donating to the North Valley Food Bank, and I established a BackPack program to help keep kids from going hungry. Today, the need in our state is far greater than anyone would have guessed three or four years ago. And its only getting bigger. As our economy becomes increasingly stratified, more and more people are falling behind and finding themselves worrying about where theyre going to get their next meal. But those arent necessarily the people who are in the best position to solve the problem. Fortunately, in the fight against hunger in Montana, we have a tremendous resource: our states charitable food system. As Montanas only statewide food bank, MFBN leads a network of more than 360 partners those local food banks, pantries, and other nonprofit organizations I mentioned above. Each year, MFBNs trucks travel more than 100,000 miles to deliver millions upon millions of pounds of food to partners in all 56 of Montanas counties. With its broad perspective, its significant buying power, and its expertise in advocating with policymakers, MFBN plays a truly singular role in fueling the work that happens in our local communities to get food where its needed most. Thats why those of us gathered at MFBNs ground-breaking last week are such passionate advocates of the Campaign for Bigger Impact. Anchored by MFBNs expanded new home, the campaign will mean more food for more Montanans more food that is fresh and nutritious. With the world-class facility it is building, MFBN will be able to grow its network of local agencies, develop new partnerships with our regions producers, welcome more volunteers, and make an already efficient operation even more cost-effective. If MFBN is in the best position to make a statewide impact on hunger, theres also a role to play for every Montanan who wants to help. The opportunity is now. With $12 million secured to date for the Campaign for Bigger Impact, there is only $3 million to go. Weve been encouraged by the validation of many supporters who have already made generous contributions. They want their dollars to go the furthest in making a difference, and they want to be part of this project. I invite you, too, to join us in our mission of ending hunger right here at home. Panasonic Electric Works Middle East & Africa (PEWMEA), a division of Panasonic Marketing Middle East and Africa (PMMAF), has announced a strategic partnership with Safe Line Electrical & Mechanical for promoting Panasonic Wiring Devices in UAE. Driven by increasing demand from the booming local construction market, the development will enhance Panasonics position as a leading provider of technologically-advanced and innovative wiring devices and accessories in the country as well as across the MEA region. A leading supplier of electrical products and solutions, Safe Line Electrical and Mechanical has transformed into a multi-million-dollar corporate group with branches in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and India. The company is part of the Safe Line Group, which ranks as one of the most prominent conglomerates in the UAE with interests in trading, manufacturing, contracting and retail in the electrical products and services domain. Focused on elevating the quality of living environments, PEWMEA offers living solutions, electrical construction materials and a wide array of products such as wiring devices, LED Lamps and Fixtures, Fire Alarm System, KNX Home Automation, Solar Systems, Switchgears, Conduit Pipes, Air Purifiers, Ventilation Fans, air-moving solutions and much more. The Japanese manufacturer consistently puts strong emphasis on research and development and with an expansive product portfolio, Panasonic is confident that expanding its network of top-tier partners will create more value for its customers. Moreover, this will further push its mission to cater to a growing demand for future-ready building solutions. PEWMEA Managing Director Eiji Ito said: "We have always recognized the importance of industry collaborations as a key driver for growth. Panasonics business alliances with leading distributors and retailers provide customers greater access to our solutions, as well as any key product information they might require." "These partnerships also represent an integral part of Panasonics business strategy, especially for a very dynamic market such as the MEA region. With the appointment of Safe Line Electrical and Mechanical, Panasonic is now in a greater position to accelerate our Electrical Construction Material business in the UAE, with a focus on developing the many opportunities the country presents," he added. Dr Aboobackar Kuttikol, Managing Director of the Safe Line Group, said: "Partnering with Panasonic is another milestone on our regional roadmap. This alliance supports Safe Lines strategic focus to provide cutting-edge solutions that cater to our customers requirements." "This is a highly synergistic partnership, especially with the UAE construction industry poised for substantial growth in the coming years. With our expertise and reach in the market, I look forward to leveraging the rich technological innovations of Panasonic to provide best-in-class electrical wiring devices to customers as we aim for greater growth,"he added. On the evolving demands of the construction market, Sudesh Unni, Sales Director PEWMEA, said the UAE construction sector was shifting towards intelligent designs and embracing green building technologies. "This trend calls for innovative solutions to meet the changing industry, and Panasonic is well-positioned to deliver enriched lifestyle with safe, sustainable and reassuring electrical and lighting solutions. Panasonics range of Japanese quality wiring devices offers product superiority and reliability that truly outperform the competition," he noted. "I look forward to building lasting relationships with Safe Line Electrical and Mechanical as we work to address the needs of customers across the UAE. Their professionality, technological competence and their customer-centric attitude deeply comply with Panasonics values," he added. Shailendra Kumar, General Manager - Safe Line Group, also welcomed the partnership. "We strongly believe that this partnership will strengthen our presence in the UAE, enabling our discerning customers to access Panasonics innovative products with ease. Panasonic is highly valued for innovations that offer unmatched superiority and reliability," he noted. "Safe Lines commitment to quality and innovation perfectly matches Panasonics ideals, and we are delighted to be a part of their success," he added.-TradeArabia News Service The Montana Freedom Caucus called for a special legislative session Wednesday to "ensure only verified Montana citizens can vote." The far-right group of Republicans posted a letter saying that the goal of the special legislative session is to get language addressing this matter on the upcoming November general election ballot in a constitutional initiative. "Only a verified citizen of the United States 18 years of age or older who meets the registration and residence requirements and provides documentary proof of citizenship as provided by law can be a qualified elector ..." they proposed as language for the initiative. This news comes only a day after a different group of Republican lawmakers called for a special session which they said would address how to spend revenue from recreational cannabis sales and their desire to bring legislation to give state law enforcement the authority to arrest immigrants in the country without documentation and deport them. And just a day earlier, a different group of Republicans called for a special session to consider legislation to make judicial elections partisan. Since the Legislature adjourned in the spring of 2023, there have been multiple efforts to convene a special session before this week, none of which have been successful. To hold a special legislative session, a majority of the 100 member House members and the 50 Senate members would have to vote in favor. Out of the 30 plus special session in the state's history, the governor has been responsible for calling nearly all of them. Only once before has the Legislature acted independently to convene a special session. There is already a federal law in place that bars non-citizens from voting in federal elections and some states have enacted their own laws also prohibiting non-citizens from voting in state elections. There are currently seven states in the U.S. that have language in their state constitutions barring non-citizens from voting in elections. Montana is not alone in this effort: Four states already have ballot initiatives set for the November election that if successful would prohibit noncitizens from voting in state elections. In recent months, the flow of migrants across the southern border has been dominating the news cycle in Montana. Messaging on the security of the U.S.-Mexico border is consuming Montana's Senate race, which is also one of the biggest races in the nation this cycle. Just last week, a migrant family arrived in the Flathead Valley, which spurred multiple top Montana Republicans to shoot off statements around the security of the southern border, in part blaming a small local nonprofit that connects immigrants to resources. According to 2021 data from Pew Research, less than 5,000 unauthorized immigrants were recorded in Montana. On Tuesday, King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom extended a message of comfort and sympathy directly to President William Ruto amidst the ongoing floods plaguing Kenya. In their message, the monarch emphasized the necessity for global endeavors to confront and adjust to climate change, expressing sorrow over the mounting casualties and disruption of livelihoods. Highlighting the agreements reached during the Kings previous visit last year, he underscored the urgency for Kenya to implement strategies aimed at alleviating the adverse impacts of climate change. Quoting a section of his statement, King Charles said, Mr President, it was with great concern that my wife and I learnt recently of the terrible flooding that has ravaged Kenya and the region, and which continues to impact so many of your people. We can only begin to imagine the anguish of those who have lost loved ones and seen their livelihoods devastated. The monarch also expressed solidarity with emergency workers and others tirelessly assisting those affected by the calamity. He stressed the growing unpredictability and severity of weather patterns, highlighting the imperative for unified global action to both mitigate and adapt to climate change. Our thoughts are also with those emergency workers and others who are working long hours to support those who have been so dreadfully affected. The increased unpredictability and violence of weather systems remind us of how utterly vital it is that the world act together and with all despatch to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Reflecting on their discussions during his State visit to Kenya in October last year, the monarch emphasized the shared responsibility for addressing the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, recognizing the profound impact on global quality of life and survival. As we discussed during our visit to Kenya last year, the challenge of climate change and biodiversity loss falls to all of us to address: at stake is our very quality of life and survival as a world. Remembering with great fondness the welcome we received on my visit last year, and the friendship between our two countries we wanted to send our deepest sympathy and affection to the people of Kenya, he said. Bumula MP Jack Wamboka, initiator of the impeachment motion against Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi, claims his life is under threat. During Tuesdays pre-trial hearing, Wamboka stated that he had bolstered his security due to being followed by unidentified individuals and unmarked cars. Despite the challenges, he affirmed his commitment to upholding Kenyas integrity and urged the National Assembly to devise measures to safeguard members who introduce such motions. I have been followed by unmarked cars and unknown people; it is not easy but I will soldier on for the integrity of the Republic of Kenya, Mr Wamboka said. Wamboka stressed that his stance against Linturi is driven by national concerns rather than personal animosity, highlighting the critical importance of the issue to the nation. Where I come from there is no maize anymore, I do not know what this government would do if Linturi was to remain, I do not know what he would tell people from Western, Rift Valley, Central and other parts because there is no food, he said. The lawmaker challenged Linturi to emulate the biblical figure Yohana, who, when faced with a sinking ship due to his presence, sacrificed himself for the greater good. Wamboka argued that if the motion failed, it would be challenging for Linturi to restore his reputation or effectively serve the nation, as public resentment towards him runs deep. Be the Biblical Yohananot that anyone hates the person of Mithika Linturi, as I had said he is my best friend, we share the same group, so there is nothing personal, he stated. He emphasized that by voting to remove him from office, they would be protecting him from the ire of Kenyan citizens. How will you go to the food basket of this country Trans Nzoia and as a minister you have to go? Kenyans will not allow you because they are angry, they are not happy, he said. Wamboka further emphasised that they support President William Ruto on his food security policy despite their political divergence in opinions. The legislator was making his case before an 11-member committee which the National Assembly formed to probe the allegations against Linturi. If the committee deems the allegations against the CS unsubstantiated, the matter will not progress. However, if the committee finds the allegations substantiated, the House will have the option to either adopt or reject the report. If adopted, the decision of the House will be forwarded to the President, who will subsequently dismiss the CS. President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto are set to visit Atlanta, Georgia, from May 20 to 21 ahead of a state visit to the White House. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens formally extended a warm welcome to Ruto, expressing it as an honor and privilege to host him in a few weeks. The City of Atlanta is proud to announce the May 20-21, 2024, visit of President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto of the Republic of Kenya On behalf of our great city, it is our honor to welcome President and First Lady Ruto to Atlanta, Dickens states in a statement. I look forward to learning how we can further strengthen our cultural and economic partnerships, as well as joining fellow leaders in providing the world-class hospitality for which Atlanta is renowned. The mayors office highlights that the visit underscores Atlantas vibrant growth and global importance, aiming to enhance partnerships in business, technology, innovation, education, and with the African Diaspora. Mayor Dickens anticipates a historic visit that will foster a new relationship between Atlanta and Kenya, built upon shared goals and opportunities for both nations. During his stay, Presdient Ruto will engage with civic leaders and luminaries from Atlantas global services industries, creative economy, international health institutions, and discuss strategies for affordable housing development with Mayor Dickens. Following their Atlanta visit, President Ruto and First Lady Rachel will journey to Washington, D.C., where they are scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the White House on May 23, commemorating 60 years of diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Kenya. In a significant move, the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs has formally requested Speaker Mike Johnson to invite President William Ruto to address a joint session of Congress. If granted, President Ruto would make history as the first Kenyan head of state and the first African head of state since former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf eighteen years ago to address Congress. A tenant, residing in the building that collapsed in Uthiru on Tuesday night, recounted the sequence of events leading up to the incident. Preferring not to disclose their identity, the tenant described the rapid unfolding of events. On Monday, noticeable cracks appeared on the building, and we promptly raised the issue with our landlady, he stated. Adding: We used a WhatsApp group to share photos and videos, expressing concerns about the buildings safety. Despite voicing their apprehensions to the landlady, the tenant mentioned they were assured of the buildings safety, citing an engineers assessment. The landlord reassured us, stating that an engineer had inspected the premises and confirmed its stability. She even mentioned plans to summon the engineer for another inspection. At around 8:00 to 8:20 pm yesterday, we heard screams and rushed outside to investigate, only to witness the building beginning to bend, the tenant continued. In a bid to ensure the safety of their household, the tenant hurriedly assisted their househelp in relocating their children to a secure location. Although some stones fell on my nannys head, she fortunately sustained minor injuries and sought medical attention, he reported. The tenant added: I then, rushed back to pick up a few things when the building started collapsing on top of me. Equipped with a helmet, the tenant managed to shield themselves from harm as a slab collapsed on him. I am a cyclist and I had put on my helmet to protect me when I went back but by the time I wanted to leave, the slab collapsed on me and I was lying on the floor. Miraculously, the helmet and a nearby couch shielded him, leaving only a few centimeters between him and the falling slab. I was stuck for about 15 minutes but luckily people who were outside guided me using light from torches and I was able to come out of the rubble, he said. Expressing gratitude for his familys safety, the tenant emphasized the importance of accountability, urging authorities to take appropriate action. At least my nanny, children and myself are safe but I hope that the authorities will take necessary action and the landlady will be held accountable. The Dubai government has allocated AED2 billion ($544 million) for relief efforts that includes repair of houses damaged in the unprecedented floods, a report said. A ministerial committee has been tasked with overseeing this exercise by assessing damage, and disbursing compensations in cooperation with other federal and local entities, Emirates News Agency, WAM, said. The announcement of funds allocation was made at UAE Cabinet's meeting chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, said: "Today, I chaired the UAE Cabinet's meeting at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi. We discussed the impacts of the recent extreme weather conditions the country experienced over the past few days. The situation was unprecedented in its intensity. We are a country that learns from every experience. The central operations rooms responded to more than 200,000 reports, with the joint effort of over 17,000 members from the security, emergency and interior entities, 15,000 members from the local authorities, and thousands of volunteers to manage the consequences of this exceptional weather event." "Thanks to the follow-up and support of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, life returned to normal quickly. Additionally, the Cabinet meeting reviewed updates on the UAE Tourism Strategy and Economic Agenda. The total number of hotel guests reached 28 million in 2023, registering an increase of 11% compared to the previous year, which witnessed the international tourism spending in the UAE reaching AED118 billion, and domestic tourism spending raising to AED47 billion. The tourism sector's contribution to our GDP approached AED180 billion in 2023. The UAE signed comprehensive economic partnership agreements with more than 13 countries. These agreements will result in, by 2031, an annual increase of AED366 billion in the value of the UAE's exports." TradeArabia News Service The victims of the Mai Mahiu dam tragedy have urged the government to relocate them away from the flood-prone area, citing persistent fear and trauma stemming from the incident. As the death toll reached 62 on Wednesday and over 30 individuals missing, families implored the government to expedite the resettlement process, describing life in the camp as intolerable. This plea coincided with a visit from members of the Uwezo land-buying company to the families residing in the Mai Mahiu camp, who pledged to collaborate with other real estate firms to secure land for some of the victims. According to Samuel Maina, the CEO of the company, the affected families have endured significant mental and physical anguish in the wake of Mondays tragic events. He emphasized the companys commitment to partnering with like-minded stakeholders in the sector to resettle multiple families and alleviate their suffering. In addition to providing families with food and other essentials, we will explore avenues to secure land and even homes for them to rebuild their lives, he stated. This sentiment was echoed by Kevin Wainana, a director in the company, who called upon fellow Kenyans to continue supporting the families, many of whom lost all their belongings to the floods. While we may not reach every affected individual, with the support of other Kenyans and organizations, we can make a significant impact, he remarked. Victims Pleas George Njogu, one of the victims who lost all his possessions, including rental properties, expressed reluctance to return to their former land. He cited lingering fear following the devastation caused by the floods, which swept away homes, livestock, and numerous families from the area. We appreciate the government and Kenyans for their ongoing support, but returning to an area where so many lives were lost and property destroyed presents significant challenges, he explained. This sentiment was echoed by David Karanja, another victim, who stressed the need for a thorough assessment of the area before any resettlement efforts to prevent further disasters. We are awaiting government directives on resettlement and the status of the area where we were displaced, as many are still struggling to recover, he added. Evangelist Lucy Ngunjiri, who has provided shelter to displaced families at her Prayer Center in Mai Mahiu, emphasized the urgent need for counseling and support for the victims. I opened up this facility free of charge to accommodate these families in the aftermath of the tragedy, as they require various forms of assistance to rebuild their lives, she noted. Napa County Fire Administrator David Shew envisions a county in 2054 in which wildfires burn across the landscape, but dont incinerate scores of homes and businesses and even whole neighborhoods. Locals 30 years from now have learned from the devastating wildfires of 2017 and 2020 and are prepared, even amid a world of climate change with more wildfire-danger weather. Artificial intelligence and other technologies help fight fires. When the bad and unwanted fires ignite, they find a landscape that has been managed in a way that prevents these fires from raging into the infernos of the past, Shew said. Wildfires hit fuel breaks and fuel-reduced forests that help slow their spread. Embers bombard rural homes, but there are few ignition sources, given the homes have the proper kinds of siding, roofs, vents, landscaping and other features. As soon as a wildfire ignites, sensors identify it as an unwanted fire and AI models leap into action. The models tell firefighters where the fire will spread, how intense it might become and how quickly it will reach structures. The computing models also identify the safest evacuation routes for residents. Some may be directed to fireproof safety structures until a fast-moving fire has passed. Smart technology integrated with fire notification is built into homes and businesses. Perhaps a building's air conditioning, ventilation and heating system will automatically create a positive pressure inside to keep smoke out. Perhaps all windows will automatically close. Perhaps a rooftop sprinkler system will turn on. AI helps with firefighting tactics. All residents have been educated about wildfire and understand their roles. I just created what you might think is a fictional future for you to ponder, Shew said. But the reality is, very much of the technology you just heard about is actually available today. Shew based his proposed plan on the National Fire Protection Associations Outthink Wildfire program. He listed steps that could take 30 years to be fully realized: All homes and businesses in wildfire-prone areas must be ignition-resistant. That would involve grants. Current codes and standards, as well as sound land use practices, must be in use and enforced. Fire departments for communities in wildfire-prone areas must be prepared to respond safely and effectively to wildfires. Governments must increase resources for vegetative fuel management. A key mentioned by Shew is finding ongoing money for fuel reduction maintenance work. The public must understand its role and take action in reducing wildfire risks. That effort might take a generation to become part of the social norm, Shew said. The future of wildfires in this environment are only predicted to get worse, Shew said. But the impacts from those wildfires dont have to. And that choice is up to us. Listening to all of this on Tuesday was the county Board of Supervisors, which might face having the county help fund the effort. Youre right, its a massive lift, but thank you, board chair Joelle Gallagher told Shew. I have a lot of faith in your ability to guide us. This is exciting to be forward-looking and try to challenge us to look into the future, Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza said. Supervisor Ryan Gregory asked how much it costs to harden a typical home, which means to make it wildfire-resistant. "I wish I had an actual number for you," Shew said. "That number, as I'm sure you're aware, can vary widely. ... The older the home and the less maintenance the home has been privy to in its lifespan, means the cost will be higher." Shew mentioned that California is looking at home hardening and has estimated the cost at between $30,000 to $50,000 per home, but no one feels comfortable that this is a magic number. The work of hardening structures is so new that there's not a lot of good metrics, Shew said. Attention at Tuesdays meeting also turned to short-term wildfire prevention steps. Napa County Fire Chief Mike Marcucci said the county from 2021 to 2023 completed 177 fuel reduction projects. It reduced fuels on more than 1,000 acres and along 219 miles of roads, and had 350 acres grazed. It also re-established 73 miles of strategic dozer lines. A firefighting helicopter will again be based at Napa County airport this fire season. This CH-47 Chinook can drop up to 2,300 gallons of water at a time. In a first for Napa Valley, the helicopter will be able to fight fires at night, Marcucci said. County supervisors also heard plans for a $37.5 million fire prevention federal grant it has received, with the county providing a $12.5 million match, for a total of $50 million. Money will be spent over four years. Seven fuel reduction and fuel break projects are planned. They will take place at lower Redwood Road west of the city of Napa, Skyline Wilderness Park to Monticello Road east of the city of Napa, the Calistoga foothills, Deer Park, Berryessa Highlands, Lake Hennessey and American Canyon. The county will also make money available for home hardening against wildfires, including defensible space and ignition-resistant construction. These will be cost-share programs. The grant calls for up to $30,000 a home. Phase one is getting the projects and programs ready. That could take about 14 months, county officials said. Supervisors Gregory and Anne Cottrell brought up the cash-flow issue. The county will spend money upfront and be reimbursed by the federal government in what county officials hope will be a timely fashion. That does loom large, Cottrell 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 Emirates General Petroleum Corporation (Emarat) has announced a strategic partnership with iMedia 24/7, a leading UAE media company. As a key development in the recently launched Project Landmark initiative, iMedia 24/7 has secured exclusive naming rights to four Emarat service stations, a milestone towards elevating customer experiences and setting new standards for fuel companies both in the UAE and globally. Following the successful launch of Emarats Project Landmark in March, this new partnership continues to push the boundaries of traditional service stations, incorporating unique branding opportunities. Rebranding stations iMedia 24/7 is the second strategic partner to leverage the benefits of rebranding Emarat stations, following the inaugural strategic partnership with Al Maryah Community Bank. The Emarat and iMedia 24/7 brand identity will be creatively applied to stations in strategic locations through a co-branding initiative. The brand transformation is underway with facade redesigns and upgrades to surrounding spaces and facilities, aligning them with the company's brand and visual identity. The "Landmark" project represents a significant advancement in the fuel station sector, both within the UAE and globally. Through this initiative, "Emarat" has redefined its strategic partnership model, aligning with its commitment to delivering value-added services and enhancing customer experiences. This underscores the company's unwavering commitment to excellence in service quality for the public. Unique advertising platform Eng Ali Khalifa Al Shamsi, Director General of Emarat, said: With this partnership, we are proud to reinforce the significance and success of the landmark project. Serving as a comprehensive and integrated platform, it stands as a unique advertising platform that amplifies the visibility of diverse company brands. Furthermore, it emphasises the economic viability of our business operations and activities while delivering value-added services to our esteemed customers. This alliance represents our dedication to nurturing enduring relationships, enriching our service stations, and offering unparalleled value to both our customers and partners. "This partnership with iMedia 24/7, a leading UAE media company, exemplifies Emarat's unwavering commitment to bolster cooperation with both local and international entities, solidifying our reputation within the wider public and the business community alike," Al Shamsi added. Rafiq Abu Hijleh, founder at iMedia 24/7, said: iMedia 24/7, a leading entity in the advertising sector, led by an experienced leadership with over two decades of expertise in media, is embarking on a new initiative through its partnership with Emarat on the Landmark project. Leveraging our extensive industry experience, we are confident in our ability to steer this project towards success. Naming rights This partnership with Emarat will grants us exclusive naming rights and advertising privileges across four of its stations. It demonstrates our commitment to pioneering innovative advertising solutions and our dedication to fostering mutually beneficial relationships with esteemed partners like Emarat. The Project Landmark is pushing new boundaries and ensuring that Emarat remains at the forefront of the industry, demonstrating the economic viability and strategic importance of transformative partnerships in the region. Through these strategic partnerships, leading local and international brands can reach their customers even more effectively through the new rebranding opportunity and Emarat can continue to transform its service offering. For over four decades, Emarat has been providing its services to millions of customers across Dubai and the Northern Emirates, including supplying high-value and quality fuel, alongside various other retail activities, around the clock, seven days a week, through more than 139 service stations strategically located, which see a turnout of about 8,000 cars per day.--TradeArabia News Service Emory University political scientist Bernard Fraga has been named a 2024 Andrew Carnegie Fellow , one of 28 scholars nationwide who will explore political polarization as well as what might help tackle division and strengthen American democracy. The prestigious recognition includes a $200,000 stipend that will allow Fraga, an associate professor of political science at Emory College of Arts and Sciences, to devote significant time to researching and writing a new book in time for the 2026 election. Tentatively titled Why We Wont Vote: Polarization, Non-Voting and the Future of American Democracy, the proposed book will lay out Fragas research showing the link between rising polarization and the alienation that keeps potential voters from the polls. The research details a self-replicating cycle, incentivizing politicians on all levels to ignore the wishes of non-voters and cater to voter anger at political opponents. The Carnegie Corporation established its fellows program in 2015 to provide philanthropic support to extraordinary scholars and writers for high-caliber research in the humanities and social sciences. In 2023, the program announced that it would focus on political polarization in the United States, committing up to $6 million annually for at least the next three years. Dr. Fragas research reminds us that a healthy democracy depends on engaged citizens. Im delighted to see the Carnegie Foundation support this rigorous and cutting-edge research on political polarization, says Emory College Dean Barbara Krauthamer. Selected from more than 360 applications, Fragas Carnegie Fellow project will build on his first book, The Turnout Gap, which identified and discussed why racial and ethnic disparities in voter turnout persist. The new book will combine more than a decades worth of individual voter turnout records, detailed in Census data, and information from new political science surveys to create a more accurate picture of who has not voted in recent American elections. The research will include chronic nonvoters who skip all elections and those who vote only in presidential years. For instance, 80 million potential voters did not cast ballots in the 2020 election. Half of eligible 18- to 29-year-olds did not turn out, along with nearly half of Latinos, the nations largest racial/ethnic minority group. Fraga will also include undergraduate research from the Mellon Foundation-funded Imagining Democracy Lab he runs with Emory historian Carol Anderson, the Charles Howard Candler Professor of African American Studies. Students in the lab conduct qualitative research, interviewing voters and nonvoters alike, to determine what they want to see from their elected officials and what they are not getting. Fraga expects some of those stories will illustrate the trends the data reveals. Folks who arent voting oftentimes have surprisingly moderate viewpoints relative to voters from the same demographic categories, Fraga says. Young people who dont vote, for instance, oftentimes understand politics pretty well and have nuanced views on a number of issues. But they feel like neither party is advancing policies they favor or really listening to their concerns. Pairing the data with narratives from non-voters will help Fraga go further into the research and discuss specific tactics and techniques that candidates and campaigns can take to move beyond the current polarized environment. To get a better picture of what Americans want to see from the democratic process, Fraga has been working with undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral researchers to gather and analyze ongoing voter file and survey data. He will continue that work with the 2024 election, creating a tight turnaround for the book to be published in time for the midterm election. Emory has created an environment where I can work with fantastic students who care deeply about enhancing our democracy, not just nationally but in Georgia and Atlanta, he says. Im grateful Carnegie is supporting those efforts by providing time to take that research to the next level. STONECREST, GA Dignitaries from the White House, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and local officials visited and toured Emory Hillandale Hospital on April 24, following $11 million in improvements to its Stonecrest facility. After the October 2022 closure of Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center left many patients displaced, CEO Michael Thurmond and the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners stepped in to assist, approving critical funds to expand and renovate Emory Hillandale Hospital to support the communitys needs. President Bidens American Rescue Plan, through DeKalb County, provided a portion of the funding. Tom Perez, senior advisor to President Biden and director of intergovernmental affairs at The White House, Angela Ramirez, deputy chief of staff at HHS, and DeKalb County and other local officials visited the hospital and spoke about the importance of the funding to support and enhance Emory Hillandale Hospital. Clinicians and staff at the 100-bed facility provide compassionate, quality care to the DeKalb County community and beyond. People ask the question, what did the American Rescue Plan do? says Perez. Right here in DeKalb County, we know the answer to that. It saved lives. It was a statement of trust because we understand that you know what is best in your communities, and with those dollars, you can use them in a catalytic manner to transform health care. The $11 million in funding has allowed Emory Hillandale Hospital to: Expand the emergency department by adding additional treatment rooms and redesigning the space for a more efficient patient flow pattern, Replace critical imaging equipment, including a new CT scanner and X-ray machine in the emergency department, Renovate the intensive care unit (ICU), now offering 15 new and improved rooms to care for the sickest patients and Launch a new hospital-based violence prevention program in 2024. What we hope by hosting this event is that you'll take home an example of what's really possible when the federal government, local government, community leaders and a mission-driven organization like Emory Healthcare align and collaborate, said Joon S. Lee, MD, CEO of Emory Healthcare, during the visit. We can then bring the highest quality care possible to the community. Emory Hillandale Hospital is a cherished institution in DeKalb County, says Thurmond. I want to thank Emory and all of its staff of professional caregivers for being an invaluable resource that is critical to the health and well-being of our community. Southern Illinois University Carbondale students Elijah Eli Jones, left, and Aleida Iriarte have been accepted into the National Science Foundations Graduate Research Fellowship Program. (Photo by Russell Bailey) 2 SIU seniors win NSF Graduate Research Fellowships by Tim Crosby CARBONDALE, Ill. Two Southern Illinois University Carbondale seniors have won prestigious fellowships from the National Science Foundation, which they will use to pursue their passions in chemistry and biodiversity. Elijah Eli Jones, majoring in chemistry with a specialization in chemical catalysis, and Aleida Iriarte, a senior in zoology and chemistry with specializations in wildlife biology, environmental chemistry and biochemistry, have been accepted into the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program. The five-year fellowship provides three years of financial support, including an annual stipend of $37,000, and is aimed at ensuring the quality, vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. The oldest graduate fellowship of its kind, the GRFP has a long history of selecting recipients who later achieve high levels of success, including Nobel laureates and members of the National Academy of Sciences. Elizabeth Donoghue, assistant director of the University Honors Program and adviser for major scholarships, said the fellowship is one of the most prestigious awards a graduating student pursuing scientific research can win. Having two winners says, unquestionably, that as a research institution, SIU can attract and cultivate students able to compete nationally at the highest level, Donoghue said. This puts us in the company of top universities in the nation. What often distinguishes our students is real life experience focused on solving pressing problems of the world and access to research labs at earlier stages in their academic journey. Both Jones and Iriarte also are members of SIUs honors program, and it plays a key role in supporting outstanding students, said Donoghue, who assisted Jones and Iriarte with their applications. Jones, a senior from Jackson, Missouri, hopes to become a chemistry professor, applying data science and programming tools to unveil trends in reactivity that would be impossible to observe through traditional means. He said he was ecstatic upon hearing hed been selected for the fellowship. Science is all about convincing others that your work and ideas are important, he said. For me, knowing that the National Science Foundation found my proposal valuable gave me confidence that I could do meaningful work in academia. Born in Bolivia before immigrating to the U.S. at 5 years old, Iriarte wants to become a researcher and advocate for conservation. She said she is honored to receive the fellowship a year after she was named a Goldwater Scholar. For me, this award means the financial freedom to pursue a thesis project that I am passionate about, said Iriarte, who plans to earn her doctorate at the University of Florida with the long-term goal of becoming a biodiversity conservationist and researcher. SIU has provided me with multiple undergraduate research opportunities, Iriarte said, including access to cutting-edge scientific instruments, scholarship support and a community of friends who made her college experience more fun and motivating. Submit proposals now for new Saluki Success Scramble by Christi Mathis A new event is coming to Saluki Startup 2-4:30 p.m. Aug. 15 at the Student Center, courtesy of Student Affairs, and organizers are asking faculty, staff, graduate students and returning undergraduates to submit proposals for the Saluki Success Scramble sessions by May 31. The scramble is a round robin-style event featuring fast-paced, 15-minute engaging, interactive informational sessions on virtually any topic. Presenters can use different formats including roundtable, TED-style talks, conference, chairs in a circle or family-style discussions. The topics are limited only by the imagination of the presenters. Possibilities include how to write your name in Japanese, guessing which primate the skull belongs to, resumes as roadmaps, avoiding roommate conflicts before they begin, setting three goals for the first three weeks of class and more. All topics must connect to one or more of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) learning and development outcomes: Knowledge acquisition, construction, integration and application. Cognitive complexity. Intrapersonal development. Interpersonal competence. Humanitarianism and civic engagement. Practical competence. Students will choose which sessions they attend, so facilitators should write titles and descriptions to pique students interest. Facilitators may present one or more times, but the same session will be presented no more than twice (except TED-style sessions, which will be just once). Submit session proposals online using the Saluki Success Scramble form. Email Gena Albert at gena.albert@siu.edu with questions. Air India Express has termited at least 25 cabin crew members, a day after hundreds of employees reported sick and failed to report to work that led to disruptions to flight operations. According to sources within the airline, the management on Wednesday terminated cabin crew members who took sick leave between Tuesday and Wednesday due to their unprofessional behaviour, which resulted in inconvenience to thousands of passengers. The mass sick leave was considered a pre-meditated and concerted abstention from work without any justifiable reason, violating Air India Express Limited employee service rules. The decision to terminate the employees was made as their actions violated the conditions outlined in their employment contracts, leading to their immediate termination. The disruption caused by the mass sick leave affected more than 95 flights of Air India Express between Tuesday evening and Wednesday, impacting over 10,000 passengers. The disruption in flight operations stemmed from the delay and cancellation of over 90 international and domestic flights due to cabin crew members reporting sick. In response to this, Air India Express CEO, Aloke Singh, announced plans to reduce flight operations in the coming days. Singh said that since Tuesday evening, "over 100 of cabin crew colleagues have reported sick prior to their rostered flight duty, at the last minute, severely disrupting our operations. Because this action was mostly by colleagues assigned L1 role, the impact was disproportionate, disrupting 90+ flights even though other colleagues reported for duty." He emphasised that the behaviour of a few does not represent the dedication of the majority of the airline''s cabin crew, who continue to serve guests with dedication and pride. "This act is certainly not representative of the 2,000-odd cabin crew colleagues in the company who continue to respond to the call of duty and serve our guests with dedication and pride. I am thankful to all who are standing by the airline in this hour of crisis," he said in a statement. Singh invited staff for discussions to address any concerns they may have and assured that all communication channels are open. The cancellations and delays prompted the Ministry of Civil Aviation to seek a detailed report from Air India Express. The ministry urged the airline to promptly resolve the issues and ensure that passengers are provided with facilities as per DGCA norms. Sources within the ministry revealed that cancellations and delays began on Tuesday night, continuing into Wednesday morning, which led to flight operations being curtailed due to a sudden shortage of crew members. Some senior crew members allegedly switched off their mobile phones just before flight operations, citing health issues. (ANI) NewsVoir New Delhi [India], May 9: Orient Craft Limited, India's leading player in the garments manufacturing and exports industry, today announced its 100% debt-free status. It worked closely with a consortium of 11 banks, including the State Bank of India (SBI), United Bank of India (UBI), HDFC and Yes Bank to successfully monetize its marquee land and factory assets to pay-off a total debt of Rs. 850 crores. It completed the resolution of the 'One Time Restructuring' it underwent, post the Covid pandemic-induced financial stress. Orient Craft's efforts in voluntarily monetizing its non-mortgaged assets, and paying all dues in toto without seeking any haircut or waivers were lauded by members of the banking consortium. Orient Craft is now free from Non-Performing Asset (NPA) status and is focussed on re-building its business under the leadership of its founder, chairman & MD, Sudhir Dhingra. Orient Craft will continue its legacy in garment manufacturing and export, under a new avatar, now housed in Ranchi (Jharkhand). This set-up is a large world-class, state-of-the-art and one of its kind in the country. It is a fully integrated manufacturing campus with a 3.5 lacs sq. ft. production facility, housing 2500+ machines working on double shifts (effectively 5000+ machines), supported by in-house integrated services such as embroidery, washing, and printing, capable of delivering Rs. 1200 crores in annual revenue. Talking about his focus on the growth of Orient Craft, Sudhir Dhingra, Founder, Chairman & MD shared, "The recent fulfilment of our financial commitments to banks and to all other business stake holders has offered a vital fillip to our business. At Orient Craft, we have always been guided by strong business ethics focused on long-term partnership with financial institutions and trade alike. With financial stress now behind us, we see immense growth opportunities in the coming years". It is an opportune moment when the garment exports industry is at the cusp of multi-decade growth. "In the post-covid world, global fashion brands are looking to increase sourcing from India, Sudhir added." The recent Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Australia, and imminent FTA with UK, and European union will also open business growth opportunities. After its presence in India for over five decades, the Indian garment exports industry size is only $16 billion** of the total $1.36 trillion global garment market***. With structural shifts and additional regulatory support, India is well positioned to double the size to $30 billion by 2027****. Orient Craft, through its new facility in Ranchi (Jharkhand), aims to gain a lion's share of this opportunity. In 2024, the textile and garment industry in India contributes approximately 2.3% to the country's GDP*. The Government of India has ambitious plans for the textile industry with an aspiration is to secure a larger share of the global textile market, targeting an increase in exports from $45 billion to $100 billion. Orient Craft understands the opportunity, this focus, brings to players in the industry, and is investing in modern infrastructure and skilled talent to meet these aspirations. Established in 1978, Orient Craft is India's leading manufacturer and exporter of premium ready-to-wear garments and home furnishings. Inspired by the power of innovation Orient Craft's garment design house, is supported by a large and world-class manufacturing infrastructure which delivers broad-based multiproduct offerings across fashion segments, categories and consumer life cycle. Orient Craft has a unique in-house ability for design and product development, which provides superior, comprehensive, product solution to its buyer by co-creating products. The company is focused on elevating the power of the garment manufacturing and exports industry in India as a key employment sector. It is doing this by focussing on its own socially responsible growth and its strategic plan to skill and employ a significant number of workers, including differently-abled individuals and un-educated & under-privileged women from local areas. At its peak, pre-COVID, Orient Craft employed 32,000 employees, spread across 24 facilities across 5 states, serving 40+ premium main-stream fashion brands across US, Europe, UK and Australia. Sources*Textiles & Apparel: Invest India**The Textile& Apparel Exports of India: IBEF*** Apparel Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts (2024 - 2029): Mordor Intelligence****CareEdge Ratings (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) VMPL New Delhi [India], May 9: Unlock India's vibrant textile industry with our guide to the best textile stocks. From established manufacturers, market leaders, contenders to innovative players shaping India's textile landscape and discover investment opportunities in this dynamic sector. Best Textile Stocks In India Looking to invest in the textile industry? Explore our guide on Textile Stocks in India Learn more about the Top Textile Stocks for valuable insights and investment opportunities. The table below shows the top textile stocks in India based on their market capitalization. KPR Mill Ltd K.P.R. Mill Limited is a vertically integrated apparel manufacturing company with operations spanning yarn, fabric, garments, and sugar production, as well as wind power generation. The company's segments include Textile, Sugar, and Others. In the Textile segment, it offers a diverse range of yarns, including compact, combed, melange, and polyester-cotton blends, among others. Fabric products encompass various knitted fabrics such as single jersey, interlock, rib, and fleece. K.P.R. Mill specializes in producing knitted garments for men, women, and children using different types of cotton and blends. Vedant Fashions Ltd Vedant Fashions Limited is an India-based company primarily involved in manufacturing, trading, and selling readymade ethnic wear for men, women, and children under various brand names such as Manyavar, Mohey, Mebaz, Twamev, and Manthan. Its focus lies on Indian wedding and celebration wear, offering a range of items including sherwanis, kurtas, lehengas, sarees, and accessories like juttis and safas. Operating in a single segment of branded fashion apparel and accessories, the company boasts a significant retail presence with over 600 stores across 200 cities in India and internationally, including 11 stores in the United Arab Emirates and the United States. Trident Ltd Trident Limited, an India-based company, is engaged in the manufacturing, trading, and sale of textiles, including yarn, terry towels, and bedsheets, as well as paper and chemicals. The company operates through two segments: Textiles and Paper and Chemicals. In the Textile segment, Trident produces a variety of products such as yarn, towels, bedsheets, and dyed yarn. The Paper and Chemical segment includes the manufacturing of paper products like copier paper, writing and printing paper, and specialty papers, along with sulfuric acid production. Swan Energy Ltd Swan Energy Limited, an India-based company, operates across multiple sectors including textile, real estate, energy, and petrochemicals. Its segments encompass Textile, Energy, Construction/Others, Distribution & Development, Warehousing, Manufacturing, and Power Generation. The company's business verticals include Oil & Gas, Petrochemical Manufacturing & Trading, Textiles, and Realty. Swan Energy is undertaking a greenfield liquefied natural gas (LNG) port project involving the development of LNG port facilities utilizing a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) for LNG receipt, storage, regasification, and send-out. Welspun Living Ltd Welspun India Limited is a leading textile company based in India, primarily focusing on manufacturing home textile products. Its key offerings include terry towels, bed linen products, and rugs. The company operates through three main segments: Home Textiles, Power, and Flooring. The Home Textiles segment encompasses a wide range of products such as towels, bathrobes, rugs, bedsheets, and various types of bedding. In the Power segment, Welspun is involved in power generation, while the Flooring segment offers tiles and Grass tiles. The company provides diverse solutions including flooring solutions, advanced textiles, e-commerce, hospitality, and wellness. Alok Industries Ltd Alok Industries Limited is an integrated textile company based in India, engaged in textile manufacturing with a focus on both cotton and polyester verticals. The company operates through four divisions: spinning, polyester, home textiles, and apparel and fabric. It offers a wide range of products including accessories, apparel fabric, cotton and blended yarn, home textiles, polyesters, and more. With integrated business operations, Alok Industries caters to a diverse customer base worldwide, including global retail brands, importers, private labels, domestic retailers, garment and textile manufacturers, and traders. Vardhman Textiles Ltd Vardhman Textiles Limited is a vertically integrated textile manufacturer based in India, involved in the manufacturing, purchase, and sale of textiles. Its operations encompass cotton yarn, synthetic yarn, and woven fabric production. The company's diverse businesses include yarns, fabrics, acrylic fiber, garments, collections, and special steel. In the yarn segment, it offers specialty yarns, acrylic, fancy and hand-knit yarns, dyed yarns, and grey yarns. Its fabric portfolio includes a variety of tops, bottoms, and outerwear for both men and women, available in solids, yarn-dyed, print, Dobies, and various performance finishes. Garware Technical Fibres Ltd Garware Technical Fibres Limited, an India-based company, operates as a multi-divisional, multi-geographical technical textiles enterprise. Its diverse solutions cater to various sectors including aquaculture, fisheries, agriculture, coated fabrics, shipping and offshore, defense and government, sports, geo-synthetics, industrial, material handling, safety, and yarn and threads. The company's business segments consist of Synthetic Cordage and Fibre and Industrial Products and Projects. PDS Limited PDS Limited, an India-based global fashion infrastructure company, offers comprehensive services including product development, sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution for brands and retailers worldwide. Its diverse operations encompass trading of garments, investment holding, design, development, marketing, sourcing, and distribution of readymade garments and other consumer products. The company also engages in real estate activities such as holding, owning, leasing, or licensing properties. PDS Limited operates through segments including sourcing, manufacturing, and others. Arvind Fashions Ltd Arvind Fashions Limited, an India-based company, specializes in marketing and distributing branded apparels and accessories. Operating through two geographical segments, India and the Rest of the World, the company and its subsidiaries focus on branded apparel, beauty, and footwear. With a diverse portfolio of owned and licensed international brands like US Polo, Arrow, Flying Machine, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, and Sephora, Arvind Fashions caters to menswear, womenswear, and kids wear segments. Its retail presence spans over 1,300 standalone stores and approximately 5,000 departmental and multi-brand stores across 192 cities and towns in India. Interested in discovering the Top Auto Sector Stocks? Explore our comprehensive analysis of the Best Auto Sector Stocks! Disclaimer: The above article is written for educational purposes, and the companies' data mentioned in the article may change with respect to time. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday urged the Jharkhand government and fintech companies to channel the "extraordinary misguided talent in the State," that is resorting to cybercrimes into areas such as ethical hacking. Responding to a question on the rise of online frauds in Jharkhand over the past few years while speaking at an event here, Sitharaman pointed out that financial regulators can highlight how such people can be engaged for ethical practices to combat cyber frauds and that the Government should highlight such potential. Delivering an address to the Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce on the theme "Vikshit Bharat 2047" on Thursday in Ranchi, Jharkhand, in an answer to a question, Sitharaman emphasised the importance of using the talent in Jharkhand ethically to combat cyber crime. She suggested that the state government and fintech companies could harness such people effectively to prevent cyber crimes. According to data, from 2019 to July 2023, a total of 5,350 cases of cybercrime have been reported in the state. Among these, 1,432 cases were registered in Ranchi district alone. Other districts with high numbers of cybercrime cases include Dhanbad (496 cases), Deoghar (405 cases), Jamshedpur (384 cases), and Hazaribagh (348 cases). Despite a slight decrease from 2021, Jharkhand reported 967 cybercrime cases in 2022, making it the second highest in the country for cybercrime cases. Notably, four districts of Jharkhand--Jamtara, Deoghar, Giridih, and Bokaro--are among the top ten in the country for the highest number of cybercrime cases. Jamtara, in particular, has earned notoriety as the "phishing capital of India," responsible for 2.4 per cent of all cybercrimes in the country. It has also inspired several crime capers on OTT and big screen with plots revolving around it. In response to the growing threat of cyber crimes, the Jharkhand Police established a Cyber Crime Police Station in March 2016. This station deals with serious and complex cyber crimes and provides technical assistance to all cases it receives. Sitharaman also addressed the alleged rampant corruption that has hindered Jharkhand's progress, stating that it has blocked the state's development. The Finance Minister emphasised that the talent of Jharkhand is being wasted due to lawlessness, corruption, and the absence of basic infrastructure such as electricity and roads. She highlighted the alarming situation of investment flow being halted in the state, as no business entity would invest where lawlessness is at its peak. Referring to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, she said, "Investment flow has stopped in the state, no business means will invest in states where lawlessness is at its peak. NCRB data shows 795 businessmen were murdered in 2022." Despite the challenges, Sitharaman stressed that Jharkhand has the potential to become a manufacturing state, with 40 per cent of the country's minerals found in the state. (ANI) UmaSofia Srivastava, the current Miss Teen USA, gave up her crown just two days after winning the pageant. The decision comes just two days after Miss USA Noelia Voigt gave up her title. Taking to her official social media handle, the 17-year-old UmaSofia opened up on the reasons for relinquishing her crown. "After careful consideration, l've decided to resign as I find that my personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization," Srivastava shared in a statement on Instagram, adding, "However, I will continue my relentless advocacy for education and acceptance." "...grateful for all the support from my family, my state directors, my sister queens, and the fans who have cheered me on since I won my state title. I will always look back on my time as Miss NJ Teen USA fondly, and the experience of representing my state as a first generation, Mexican-Indian American at the national level was fulfilling in itself," she added. The pageant winner stated she would focus on completing her junior year in high school "as part of the National Honor Society and start the college application process, knowing that my academic career has been defined by my hard work and my hard work alone". Meanwhile, according to Deadline, the organisers of the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants issued a joint statement that read, "We respect and support former Miss USA Noelia Voigt's decision to step down from her duties. The well-being of our titleholders is a top priority, and we understand her need to prioritise herself at this time." (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath alleged on Thursday that the previous UPA government at the centre tried to reduce reservations for the OBC, SC and ST communities by providing quotas to Muslims. But the attempt has not succeeded because of the BJP's protest, he added. "As UPA chairperson from 2004 to 2014, Sonia Gandhi constituted Justice Ranganath Mishra's committee to put a dent in the OBC reservation and the committee had recommended that 6% of the OBC reservation should be given to Muslims," Adityanath told ANI. "BJP and NDA had protested at that time; their plans could not be fulfilled, and then these people also tried to intrude on the rights of SC, ST and that in the Sachar Committee Report, some castes of Muslims should be included in the Scheduled Castes. The Congress manifesto is divisive. The plans of Congress will not be fulfilled and at least Sonia Gandhi should develop the habit of speaking the truth," he added. Reacting to the Congress's allegation that the BJP is indulging in divisive politics, he accused the Congress of pursuing a 'divide and rule' policy. "...'Ulta chor kotwaal ko daante'. Everyone is aware that 'divide and rule' has been inherited by the Congress party. Congress allowed the devious ploy of the British to partition the country," Adityanath said. Earlier in the day, while addressing an election rally for the Akbarpur Lok Sabha seat in Kanpur, he said that the election is between 'Ram Bhakts' and 'Ramdrohis'. He further said that after the end of three phases of Lok Sabha elections, only the slogan of 'Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar, Abki Baar 400 Paar' is echoing across the country. "When they fail to comprehend anything, they resort to conspiracies against India. Statements from opposition parties indicate that these elections are between 'Ram Bhakts' and 'Ramdrohis'. Those who are 'Ram Bhakts' are also 'Rashtra Bhakts' of the nation," he said. The UP CM urged voters to vote in favour of BJP candidate Devendra Singh Bhole. CM Yogi expressed that the mere mention of the name 'Akbarpur' often "evokes hesitation." "All of this will change. We must put an end to the signs of slavery and honour our heritage. This region needs to be integrated with the mainstream of development. To achieve this goal, active participation through voting in the ongoing national campaign is essential," the Chief Minister added. He stated that it is an "eternal truth" that 'Ramdrohis' have always met their downfall and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections will confirm this truth. He emphasized, "This is not merely an election to form a government. On one hand, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the country is being established as a new and Aatmanirbhar Bharat, while on the other hand, 'Ramdrohis' are working to divide us based on caste and regional identities." "Terrorists are being glorified, and mafias are encouraged. There is a conspiracy underway to grant the rights of Scheduled Castes, Tribes, and Backward Castes to minorities," he added. Attacking the opposition, CM Yogi said that during the UPA government, the Ranganath Mishra Committee had recommended giving Muslims a 6 per cent reservation by deducting from the reservation for backward classes. He added that it was only after the BJP opposed this, that Congress withdrew the proposal. "Congress has consistently engaged in divisive politics, fostering division within the nation and actively promoting terrorism and separatism in various regions. Congress has once again promised to give such reservations in its manifesto this time", he said. The UP Chief Minister stated that Congress and SP did not express condolences on the demise of former UP CM, Kalyan Singh. "Likewise, there was no compassion shown for the murder of Raju Pal in Prayagraj and advocate Umesh Pal. Presently, the mafia has been eradicated and justice has been served. Their sympathy lies with the mafia and 'Ramdrohis'," he said. CM Yogi mentioned that the BJP government is currently conducting a survey to assess the potential for cultivating sugarcane in the area and plans are underway to establish a sugar and ethanol complex in the region. "During the SP regime, only guns were manufactured here, but under the Kanpur Defence Corridor, cannons for the nation will be produced. When the cannons will kill terrorists at the border, the names of Kanpur and UP will resonate in everyone's minds", the Chief Minister stated. "Only the BJP government can accomplish such tasks. Whether it's about free ration or free healthcare, from the birth of a daughter to her education and marriage arrangements, or providing security to daughters and businessmen, your vote is shaping the vision of a new India," he added. Taking a dig at the Congress and the INDIA bloc, CM Yogi said, "Those who are responsible for dividing the country will work to divide you in future. We have to make the country self-reliant and developed under the leadership of PM Modi." Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana, State Government Minister Rakesh Sachan, Pratibha Shukla, MLAs Neelima Katiyar, Abhijeet Singh Sanga, Saroj Kuril, District Panchayat President Swapnil Varun, MP candidate Devendra Singh Bhole, former minister Aruna Kori, BJP Vice President Devesh Soni and other dignitaries were present at the event. (ANI) He claimed that the BJP would sweep all the 21 LS seats in Odisha and reaffirmed that BJP govt will form government in Odisha. Patra was accompanied by Chilika Constituency BJP MLA candidate Prithiviraj Harichandan along with BJP workers in large numbers who joined the foot march. The Padayatra started from Banpur NAC entrance gate, toured the entire town and ended at Paltan ground. Sambit requested all the citizens to "Vote for the development of Chilika, the development of Puri as well as the development of Bharat." He highlighted that the "support we are getting is because of the welfare-oriented policies being implemented under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi." Speaking to ANI Patra said, "This time BJP and NDA are going to cross 400 MP seats in Bharat. The people of Chilika love PM Modi." "Similarly, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (Urban) has been implemented in Banpur by the central govt and people are getting benefits of the Modi government's people-oriented scheme," he said. Exuding confidence, he said, "This time surely BJP will form government in Odisha as well as BJP will sweep all the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha." The state of Odisha will hold Assembly elections and Lok Sabha elections in four phases from May 13 to June 1, with vote counting scheduled for June 4. In the 2019 Assembly election, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) won 112 out of 146 seats, while Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) won 23 seats and Congress won 9. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) won the majority of seats in the state, while the BJP and the Congress brought up the rear. The BJD won 12 seats, the BJP finished a close second at 8, and the Congress bagged just a lone seat. (ANI) A 75-year-old man from the Kanchanmala area in West Tripura district, who had been allegedly subjected to inhumane torture for the past two weeks by his family members was rescued on Wednesday. The disturbing incident came to light when the villagers protested against the alleged ill-treatment meted out to the old man, identified as Raju Biswas. The local Gram Panchayat Pradhan Pradeep Kumar Majumder on Wednesday went to the house of victim Raju Biswas (75) to inquire about his health conditions. Biswas was ill for the last two months. When the Panchayat chief went to his house, the shocking condition of Raju Biswas came to his attention. The old man was lying in a corner of his room when authorities reached his home. There was not a single piece of cloth on his body. In addition, he was roped to the bed. Speaking to the media after visiting the old man, Panchayat Pradhan Pradeep Kumar Majumder said, "I was told by some of the locals of this neighbourhood that the old man was forced to live in a hell-like situation. Accordingly, as an elected chief of the Panchayat, I have arrived here and seen his condition. I am falling short of words to explain the gravity of the situation. If grown-up children shy away from taking responsibility for their parents, the future seems to be bleak." The Panchayat Pradhan also informed the media that the victim has four children--two sons and two daughters--but no one was eager to take responsibility. Describing the incident as a gross violation of human rights, Majumder said, "We have convened an arbitration meeting next Friday to discuss his issue. We know him as a hard-working person and he deserves a dignified life in his last days." On being contacted later in the evening, the Panchayat Pradhan informed ANI that soon after the matter was taken up with higher authorities, a team of police officials from Amtali police station reached the spot and shifted the ailing person to the local hospital. "After the initial check-up, he was referred to GB Pant Hospital, Agartala for better treatment. I hope his health conditions will improve quickly with timely medical intervention," added Majumder. According to Majumder, the elderly person suffered multiple injuries after his younger son Mantu Biswas, assaulted him a month ago. The victim's wife played the role of a silent spectator. His elder son, Tapas Biswas, who also stays in the adjacent house, didn't make any efforts to rescue his father from the inhumane torture. Speaking on the issue, Officer-In-Charge Amtali Police Station, Ranjit Debnath, said, "As soon as the information came to my attention, I sent a team of officers to the spot. They took all the required measures to help the elderly person who had been a victim of domestic violence at the hands of his son." Sources said the dispute between the father and son worsened after the victim refused to pay for the expenses of the errant son. (ANI) After Sam Pitroda's 'racist' remarks that triggered a row in the country, Nagaland Tourism Minister Temjen Imna Along said that the Congress has shown its true colours and Pitroda should apologise to the people of the country. "The Congress party has shown its true colour in the form of Mr Sam Pitroda, who is the ideologue of the policies of the Congress party. Never too late, but in time they have shown the divisive policies to divide the country by its racist remarks. Mr Sam has to seek an apology from the countrymen," Along said speaking to ANI on Wednesday. Strongly condemning Pitroda's remarks, Along said that people should learn about the Congress' intention to divide India. "We the north-eastern people do not look like Chinese. We are all Indians. Some are Nagas, some are Mizos, Manipuris, from Arunachal, Sikkim, some are Assamese, from Tripura, some are Garos, Khasis, and Jaintias, but all of us belong to this country, India. His racist remark should be condemned by one and all. The people of the nation should see in this man's remarks, that is racist, and communal, its intention to divide India and should put them in place," the Nagaland Minister said. Urging people to be careful about the Congress, Along said, "This is what they have been playing for many decades. And the young people of this country should see through their policies," he added. The Nagaland Minister said that the remarks made by Pitroda show the lowest the Congress party can stoop to. "After remarking South Indians as Africans, West Indians as Arabs and the northerners as whites and the people of the North East as Chinese, this is the lowest that Mr Sam Pitroda and the Congress party can go to," Along said. The Nagaland Minister said that at a time when the nation is striving to be one of the most developed nations globally, Pitroda's comments come as a "distortion". "At this time when the nation is building its agenda to come forward as one of the most developed nations in this world and to be together in its striving for prosperity and development, and for being together as one nation- Shresht Bharat Ek Bharat. They have completely distorted everything," Along said. Along pointed out that the motive behind Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is completely different from Sam Pitroda's remarks, which is the "real agenda" of the Congress. "Rahul ji's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is completely different from what Mr Sam Pitroda his main right-hand man has spoken. He has completely divided the nation. This is their real agenda," he said. Condemning Sam Pitroda's remarks, Along said, "We the people of the North East and the people of the country should be aware of the sinister designs of the Congress party to destroy our nation. This is their ideology. All the people of this nation should condemn such cowardly, racist designs." Following the row, the Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda stepped down from his post on Wednesday. Pitroda stirred controversy after remarking that Indians in the East resemble the Chinese while those in the South look like Africans. Pitroda, in an interview with 'The Statesman', while reflecting upon the democracy in India said, "We have survived 75 years in a very happy environment where people could live together, leaving aside few fights here and there. We could hold a country together as diverse as India, where people in the East look like Chinese, people in the West look like Arab, people in the North look like white and maybe people in the South look like Africans." (ANI) Speaking to ANI, Bawankule said, "The opposition leader Supriya Sule is going to lose too." Pertinent to note that Supriya Sule is contesting from the Baramati seat, which comprises 6 Assembly seats: Indapur, Baramati, Purandar, Bhor, Khadakwasla, and Daund. The contest in Baramati is between Pawar versus Pawar as Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar, who split from the Sharad Pawar-led NCP to form his party has fielded his wife Sunetra Pawar against Supriya Sule. Sule has been a three-time MP from the same constituency and is eyeing a fourth term from Baramati. She had won from here by defeating BJP candidate Kanchan Rahul Kul in 2019. The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) broke into two factions, on July 2, 2023, after Ajit Pawar took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister along with seven NCP MLAs. The state, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh known for its political diversity and significant electoral influence, Maharashtra plays a crucial role in shaping national politics. In the 2019 elections, the BJP emerged as the largest party with 23 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena with 18 seats. (ANI) Congress candidate from Khammam Lok Sabha seat Ramasahayam Raghuram called the Bharat Rashtra Samithi the "B-team of the BJP" and said that in his constituency, the main fight is between Congress and BRS. "Right now we have all three parties in the fray- Congress, Sitting MP from BRS and BJP. BJP will not be able to give us a fight. The fight is primarily between Congress and BRS," Raghuram told ANI. "Couple of days back Chandrashekar Rao visited Khammam and made bold statement where he asked vote for BRS candidate Nama Nageswar Rao, saying that if he is elected he will be a minister at the Centre," he added. Raghuram said that BRS, which is contesting from only 16 seats, can not form government at the Centre, the statement proves that the party is the B team of the BJP. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Nama Nageswar Rao won the seat, bagging 5,67,459 votes. The runner-up was Renuka Chowdhury of the Congress. Since its inception in 1952, Khammam has been a Congress stronghold where it has won 12 times The Khammam Lok Sabha constituency consists of seven assembly seats, including Khammam, Palair, Madhira, Wyra, Sathupalli, Kothagudem, and Aswaraopeta. Voting for all 17 seats in Telangana will take place on May 13 in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. In the 2019 general election, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) won nine seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party four, Congress three and AIMIM one seat. The voting for the first three phases has been completed so far. The next round of voting will be held on May 13. Lok Sabha polls are being held across seven phases till June 1 and votes will be counted on June 4. (ANI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday exuded confidence and said that their candidate from the Baramati parliamentary constituency that went to polls on May 7, will win the election. Baramati witnessed a star-studded fight in these elections. Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar is the candidate of the BJP-led Maha Yuti alliance while his sister Supriya Sule is the Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate. The constituency is considered to be the pocket borough of the Pawar family with Sharad Pawar having represented it multiple times after first being elected to the seat in 1984. However, with a fight within the Pawar family, this seat has become a symbol of the larger fight in Maharashtra. While talking to ANI in Shirur taluka of Pune district during an election campaigning for NCP candidate Shivajirao Adhavrao Patil, Pawar said, "Our candidate from the Baramati parliamentary constituency will win the election." When asked about his expectations from the Baramati elections Ajit Pawar said, "We have done our job during the election campaign in Baramati. I was telling the citizens and voters not to fall into the emotional appeals from the opposite side. The voters and citizens must consider who will work for them even after the elections and who can bring funds from the central government for various development projects. They must consider who can resolve the issues related to the water crisis in the region and therefore I am sure that voters have considered our appeal and accordingly our candidate will win the seat however one has to wait till June 4 for the final results." Pawar also expressed his disappointment over the low voting percentage in Maharashtra and said that from the national perspective, the voting percentage in states like Odisha and West Bengal has risen compared to the last time but comparatively the voting percentage in Maharashtra stands low. "If we talk specifically about Baramati the voting percentage is at around 59 per cent which is some point more than the last time election, however, I had expected that this should have been anywhere between 65 to 70 per cent. I am not sure what made this percentage go low," he said." "Was it the heat factor or any other reason, I don't know right now but I want to appeal to the citizens that in the upcoming phase which is the 4th phase on May 13, people should come out in large numbers to vote and exercise their constitutional right," the Deputy CM added. Notably, the country on May 7 witnessed the third phase of polling and the voter turnout was recorded at approximately 60.97 per cent across the 11 States/Union Territories, according to the data issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI). Assam recorded the highest voter turnout of 75.01 per cent and the lowest was recorded in Maharashtra, where it was 53.95 per cent. Maharashtra, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament. (ANI) Apurva Chandra, Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare informed that there are more than one lakh children in India have thalassemia and emphasised on the importance of timely detection and prevention as crucial approaches. International Thalassemia Day is observed on May 8 every year to prevent disease, raise awareness and promote early detection. Apurva Chandra told ANI that the National Health Mission (NHM) under Reproductive Child Health (RCH), is monitoring almost 3 crore women who are giving birth to children every year. "There are more than 1 lakh children who have thalassemia, and transfusion is a very difficult process. You require blood fusion and the availability of blood. In rural areas, it is even more difficult so the best way is prevention. We should try to avoid the birth of Thalassemics and take preventive steps. So, NHM (National Health Mission), under our RCH (Reproductive Child Health), we are monitoring almost three crore women who are giving birth to children every year to see whether we can make it a part of that strategy that we test their blood also and come to the conclusion whether the child is likely to be born with Thalassaemia and take some preventive steps," he said. "I think that is the way forward but otherwise, bone marrow transplant as a cure or transfusion as a care are both very difficult. As I am told, we have already made it a part of. Some of the states had requested it, and some of the states are already doing some testing along with Sickle Cell for Thalassemia this year. If it can be extended to other states, we can try to make it a mandatory part of the RCH," Apurva Chandra added. At the event to mark International Thalassemia Day yesterday, Apurva Chandra, as a significant step in this direction, launched a video made in collaboration with the Indian Association of Paediatrics and Thalassemic India to promote effective prevention methods and optimal treatment for Thalassemia. Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that causes the body to have less haemoglobin than normal. Celebrated every year, International Thalassemia Day serves as a crucial platform to emphasise the importance of disease prevention, raise awareness, sensitise stakeholders, promote early detection, and ensure quality care for those affected by thalassemia. This year's theme, "Empowering Lives, Embracing Progress: Equitable and Accessible Thalassemia Treatment for All," encapsulates the collective mission towards universal access to comprehensive Thalassemia care. (ANI) Rajasthan Minister Kanhaiya Lal Choudhary has criticised Congress party for the alleged scam in the Jal Jeevan mission in the State, which is being probed by the CBI, and thanked Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma for bringing the irregulaties to light. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said on Wednesday registered an FIR in connection with the alleged Jal Jeevan Mission scheme scam in Rajasthan in which contractors used fake completion certificates to bag tenders from the state's Public Health Engineering Department. Choudhary, the Ground Water Department minister in the State, told ANI: "Several scams were done under the past government (Congress) in the last five years, I thank Bhajanlal Sharma that because of him all these came to the front." Choudhary also alleged that the earlier government had not allowed CBI to enter the state, and added, "But we wrote a letter and they took action in the state... In the future, if any scam takes place, action will be taken... These people did scam in water missions (Jal Jeevan Mission')." The minister said, "Rajasthan should have got the biggest achievement in this mission. The Water Minister (Union Minister of Jal Shakti) Gajendra Singh Shekhawat tried to give the maximum budget to the state but the previous government didn't utilise it..." Slamming the previous Congress government in the State, Choudhary said, "Because of the previous government, we are at the last position in Jal Jeevan Mission. We had to complete Jal Jeevan Mission by March 2024 and till now, we have only completed 45 per cent..." The minister also assured that the government will try to maintain transparency in the future. "In the coming time, we will try to complete the mission with full transparency," Choudhary said. Two months ago, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had arrested a man named Piyush Jain in connection with its money laundering investigation linked to alleged irregularities in the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in Rajasthan. The ED initiated its investigation following an FIR registered by the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) where it was charged that Padamchand Jain (proprietor of Shree Shyam Tubewell Company), Mahesh Mittal (proprietor of Shree Ganpati Tubewell Company), Piyush Jain and others were "involved in giving bribes to public servants to obtain illegal protection, tenders, getting bills sanctioned and covering up irregularities for work executed by them in respect of various tenders received by them from the Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED)". Jal Jeevan Mission by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation Ministry of Jalshakti aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India. (ANI) Uttarakhand's Chief Conservator of Forest with an additional charge of Head of Forest Force (HoFF) Dhananjay Mohan said that the situation of Uttarakhand forest fires was under control. He confirmed that five people have lost their lives in the raging forest fires and 1300 hectares of forest area were affected. While talking to ANI Dhananjay Mohan said, "The situation of forest fire is currently under control. Forest department personnel are reaching on time at the accident spot. So far 388 cases have been registered in forest fires and 60 cases have been named. 5 people have lost their lives out of them 4 were from Nepal and working in Almora. The other deceased is an aged woman who lost her life in Pauri." He said that in the Garhwal division, forest fires are still taking place and in Almora also some parts are affected. He further said, "Any kind of negligence regarding forest fire will not be tolerated, in view of this, major action has been taken against 17 personnel, and 10 people have been suspended. So far 1300 hectares of forest area has been affected by forest fire." Earlier, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday reviewed the measures being taken to prevent forest fires and preparations regarding the upcoming monsoon season. The Chief Minister directed that all the secretaries should be given the responsibility of different districts to completely stop the forest fire. All the secretaries should go to the respective districts and do a field inspection of the areas affected by forest fire and take effective steps to stop the forest fire. On the instructions of the Chief Minister, 10 personnel of the Forest Department who were negligent in preventing forest fire have been suspended. Instructions have been given to take disciplinary action against some other personnel as well. He directed all the District Magistrates to take public cooperation for effective prevention of forest fire. Strict action should be taken as per rules against those who are found involved in incidents of setting fire in the forests. Response time should be minimised to stop forest fires. Four people were arrested for allegedly setting fire to the Gangolihat range forest in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand. The accused were identified as Piyush Singh, Ayush Singh, Rahul Singh and Ankit. According to the Sarpanch of Jakhani Upreti and Bhandari villages informed that the four accused had set fire in the Gangolihat range forest on May 3. The Supreme Court (SC) expressed concern on Wednesday about the fire in the forest of Uttarakhand and said that cloud seeding, depending on rain, was not the answer to stop the fire. A bench of Justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta said cloud seeding, depending on rain not the answer and the government has to take preventive measures. The bench while expressing concern about the fire in the forest said that photographs and videos of the fire are going viral. Uttarakhand government told the bench that there were 398 forest fires from November 2023 till today and all of them are man-made. It was further told that a total of 388 criminal cases have been lodged in connection with forest fires and 60 people have been named in these cases. (ANI) Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Thursday said that a "detailed inquiry" will be done in the death case of the PhD scholar Rohith Vemula and asserted that the culprits will be punished. "The closure report was given in 2019 itself. It came before the Court in recent days. We reopened the matter as soon as we came to know. The Crime Branch, Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID), is investigating the matter. A detailed inquiry will be done and the culprits will be punished," the Telangana CM told ANI. Rohith Vemula died by suicide in January 2016 allegedly upset over disciplinary actions taken against him by Hyderabad Central University where he was pursuing a PhD. Earlier on May 4, Rohith Vemula's family met with the Telangana Chief Minister and submitted a representation urging the Congress government in the state to reinvestigate the case. Radhika Vemula, mother of Rohith Vemula said that the Chief Minister has assured that a fair enquiry will be conducted again adding that "this government will deliver us justice." Rohith Vemula's brother Vemula Raja said that the Telangana Director General of Police has said that they will a petition in the High Court urging reinvestigation. "After the filing of the Closure Report, the Telangana DGP has stated that they are going to reinvestigate the case and they will file a petition in the High Court. We have given a representation to the CM who has promised us a fair and transparent investigation to deliver justice to Rohith Vemula. We believe that the Congress government will reinvestigate the case," Vemula Raja said. Earlier, it was reported that the Telangana Police had filed a closure report, stating that Vemula did not belong to the SC community and died by suicide. The closure was filed by the investigation officer on March 21. However, the Telangana Director General of Police said they have decided to conduct a further investigation into the death of the research scholar in January 2016. The decision came days after the state police filed a closure report in their investigation into the matter. Vemula, a PhD scholar at the Hyderabad Central University, was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a hostel room on January 17, 2016. He was allegedly upset over disciplinary actions taken against him by the university. (ANI) Karnataka Congress accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of his silence in the Prajwal Revanna sexual abuse case on Thursday. In a post on X, Karnataka Congress said, "Our government had issued a blue corner notice against Prajwal and sought the cooperation of Interpol. But the arrest of Prajwal abroad has not received any positive cooperation from the central government till now." "The Ministry of External Affairs is silent. This makes it clear himself is standing up for Prajwal," the post further reads. Meanwhile, JDS leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said a memorandum will be handed over to the Governor over the SIT investigation at 3 pm on Thursday. "We have planned to give a memorandum to the governor alleging the SIT investigation today at 3 pm. We don't have any hope in SIT investigation," the former CM said. "Many Vokkaliga leaders including Ramalinga Reddy, Cheluvaraya swami, Krishna Bhyregowda all ministers are standing with the government over the SIT investigation, this is what they do, they bring Vokkaliga leaders to fight against me," he said. "As per my information they have brought the family of the victims, the kidnapped lady, why haven't they produced before the court, why have they been kept in some guest house, did they bring her from the house, where was she brought from, where is she now, why can't SIT give information about her appearance before the magistrate," Kumaraswamy said. Commenting on Karnataka MLA HD Revanna's arrest, he said, "What's the allegation on Karnataka MLA HD Revanna, why haven't they bring her in front of the court, their intention is nothing but keeping HD Revanna into jail for three days." On DK Shivakumar's allegation that HD Kumar Swamy is behind the release of Prajwal Revanna pen drives, he said, "Yes. I am the producer, I'm the director, I'm the actor and everything. These kind of stories came in movies, say something else. DK Shivakumar alleges that I'm behind all these episodes. Let him say. Whatever he wants, I'll answer at the right time." HD Revanna and his son, Prajwal Revanna are facing a probe by a Special Investigative Team (SIT), constituted by the Karnataka government, over allegations of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation following a complaint by a woman who worked in their household. HD Revanna is under Special Investigation Team (SIT) custody till May 8 in a kidnapping case linked to the "obscene video case", while Prajwal Revanna has fled to another country. (ANI) The National Commission for Women (NCW) took suo motu action in connection with the alleged obscene video case in Karnataka involving Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna. NCW, in a statement on Thursday, said that recent developments regarding the case prompted it to take "swift and decisive action. The NCW has also written to the state DGP, urging "immediate action and accountability" in connection with the case within three days. "The National Commission for Women (NCW) stands firm in its condemnation of any form of violence or sexual abuse perpetrated against women. Recent developments surrounding the Prajjawal Revanna Case have prompted the NCW to take swift and decisive action," the statement said. "In response to the distressing reports circulating in the media, the NCW initiated suo motu action, demonstrating its unwavering commitment to upholding the rights and dignity of women. A letter was promptly dispatched to the Director General of Police (DGP), urging immediate action and accountability within a stringent timeline of three days," it added. The NCW also lauded the inclusion of female officers in the investigation team, emphasising that the conduct of the probe ensures "sensitivity and empathy." "The timely submission of the Action Taken Report by the concerned authorities revealed several significant findings. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) committee has been established to probe the matter thoroughly. Notably, there is a commendable presence of female officers entrusted with conducting investigations, ensuring sensitivity and empathy in handling such cases," it said. The statement further clarified that there are no complaints registered with the NCW in connection with the case. "The report indicates the registration of two cases based on complaints of sexual abuse by the victims, alongside an additional complaint filed for abduction by a relative. However, no victim has come forward to register a complaint with NCW in this case. One woman complainant came to the commission to register a complaint against three individuals dressed in civil uniform, allegedly introducing themselves as Karnataka Police officials and forcing her to give a false complaint in this case. She stated that she is being called by random phone numbers, threatening her to complaint. It has come to light that this complainant was forced by a group of individuals to file a complaint, under the threat of potential harassment and false implications. The victim has sought protection for her family's welfare, underscoring the seriousness of the situation," the statement mentioned. "In a separate development, it has been noted that the 700 women who submitted online complaints are affiliated with a social activist group and have no direct involvement or association with the primary complainant in the case. Nevertheless, the NCW remains committed to thoroughly investigating their concerns and maintaining ongoing communication with the Karnataka Police authorities," it added. Prajwal Revanna, the suspended Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) leader, is the incumbent MP from the Hassan constituency. He is seeking re-election as an NDA candidate from the same seat. Polling on the seat was completed on April 26. Prajwal Revanna, and his father, HD Revanna, are facing a probe by a Special Investigative Team (SIT), constituted by the Karnataka government, over allegations of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation following a complaint by a woman who worked in their household. HD Revanna has been sent to judicial custody until May 14 in a kidnapping case linked to the "obscene video case," while Prajwal Revanna is in another country. He was arrested by the special investigation team (SIT) on May 4 in connection with an alleged kidnapping case registered against him at KR Nagar police station in Bengaluru. (ANI) National Conference vice-president and candidate from Baramulla Lok Sabha seat, Omar Abdullah on Thursday alleged that BJP is getting scared and panicked seeing the support for his party, adding that the Bharatiya Janata Party is stopping him from campaigning for the Lok Sabha election. He added that his party will write a letter of complaint to the Election Commission and hope for a resolution. "On one hand, BJP people claim that the situation has become favourable... but when it comes to campaigning, obstacles are created, especially against me because we have come out to defeat the BJP candidate here. What was the reason for stopping my election campaign for three consecutive days? We were given permission. Now they have withdrawn the permission. We are sending a letter to the Election Commission as a complaint and hope that justice will be done...It's quite evident from the response I'm getting from people, the crowd that we're seeing in our programme, they (BJP) are scared, they (BJP) are panicked, and this is the result of that panic," he said. "The BJP people are scared after seeing the turnout of people who are in support of us... They don't want us to reach out to you all. But we will not let them succeed with their intentions... I request you all to give me one chance to represent you all... If you nominate me to the Parliament, you will get four added advantages with it... What else do you want?" "People have a lot of hopes, a lot of problems... if I get the opportunity to represent..., then I will have to repay this love and affection through my work," he added. The Lok Sabha election 2024 will be held in 5 Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir, including Baramulla, Srinagar, Anantnag-Rajouri, Udhampur and Jammu. The voting in Jammu and Kashmir is being held in five phases. In 2019, polling for the Lok Sabha was held for six seats in Jammu and Kashmir. However, following the abrogation of Article 370, which resulted in the split of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, there is no longer a separate Lok Sabha constituency for Ladakh. In the 2019 elections, the BJP won three seats, while the National Conference won the remaining three. The PDP and NC, despite being allies in the opposition alliance INDIA bloc, have decided to go solo in the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases, running from April 19 to June 1The counting of votes and results will be declared on June 4. (ANI) The father of the student who has gone missing in the United States of America has sought the government's help to bring back his son safely. Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi, an Indian student hailing from Telangana, has been reported missing in Chicago since May 2. Speaking to ANI, Sadanandam, who is the father of Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi, said that no contact has been established with his son since May 2 and urged the Centre to take swift action in this regard. "On December 11, my son went to the USA for a Masters degree. It's been five months and he used to be in contact with me regularly through WhatsApp calls or regular calls. But since May 2, there has been no contact with him. We waited for one or two days and out of fear, we inquired with the roommates. They said that our son went out on April 30 and said that he would return in two days. So we made a complaint with the police with the help of roommates," the missing student's father told ANI. Father further added that they also contacted Union Minister and Telangana BJP chief G Kishan Reddy over this matter. We contacted the Chief Secretary, we also contacted Kishan Reddy and gave a representation to him. We also approached the Indian Embassy. Yet we didn't get any updates about our son. We urge the government to take the action in a way to bring back our son safely and fast. Meanwhile, the office of Union Minister Kishan Reddy said that his office is following up with the External Affairs Ministry.". The Consulate General of India in Chicago said it was in touch with the police and Indian diaspora to locate/reestablish contact with Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi. In a post on X, the Consulate General of India in Chicago stated, "The Consulate is deeply concerned learning that Indian student Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi is incommunicado since 2nd May. Consulate is in touch with the police and the Indian diaspora hoping to locate/reestablish contact with Rupesh." The Chicago police, in a statement, have urged people to provide information to the police if they locate Rupesh Chintakindi. According to the statement, he was missing from the 4300 block of N Sheridan Road. Earlier in April, an Indian student who has been missing since March this year was found dead in the US state of Ohio, the Consulate General of India in New York said. (ANI) He was notably replaced by Waqas Akram for the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman slot. As per sources, Marwat was removed from PTI's WhatsApp group as well. The party, however, may also take disciplinary action against Marwat for his "controversial statements", ARY News reported citing sources. It was reported a day earlier that PTI founder Imran Khan, who is being held in Adiala Jail, had refused to meet with party leader Sher Afzal Marwat due to his "irresponsible behaviour." According to additional sources, Marwat's remarks about Saudi Arabia's role in toppling the PTI administration and his meeting with Defence Minister Khawaja Asif are what Imran Khan finds offensive, according to ARY News. However, blaming other party leaders, Shibli Faraz and Omar Ayub on Wednesday, PTI's Marwat said that the two hindered his meeting with the PTI founder in jail. "Jail Superintendent told me that the PTI's founder wants to meet me separately," Marwat said. "When I come for meeting today, the jail superintendent didn't allow me to meet him," he said. "My meeting with the PTI founder was extremely necessary," he said, as per ARY News. "I am being paid back for my services to the PTI with the complaint of the party's social media team against me," Marwat said. (ANI) Amid the ongoing ground offensive in Rafah, United States Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed on Wednesday that the US is pausing a shipment of "high-payload munitions" to Israel, as the operation has no plan for the residing civilians in the region, reported CNN. "We're going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself, but that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah," Defence Secretary Austin said at a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing. The remarks of Austin come amid mounting airstrikes, and at a time when the Israeli Prime Minister's Office has also reaffirmed the continuation of military operations in Rafah to "exert military pressure on Hamas." "We've been very clear ... that Israel shouldn't launch a major attack into Rafah without accounting for and protecting the civilians that are in that battlespace," Austin said, according to CNN. Austin also stressed that the weapons shipment was not included in the supplemental budget package that Congress just approved, which contained lethal aid for both Israel and Ukraine. The US has not made "a final determination" about what will happen with the arms shipment, Austin stated. Meanwhile, protesters from Code Pink interrupted Austin in the middle of his response, shouting "Free Palestine" before they were taken from the room, as per CNN. Further, as the military operation by Israel in Rafah continues, the United Nations on Wednesday, too, voiced alarm Wednesday over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, in an operational update, according to CNN, has said that challenges persist because supplies for relief efforts are unable to pass through important crossings into the strip as fighting continues. Dujarric further stated that it is the need of the hour for incoming supplies, including fuel, to keep coming in for sustained humanitarian efforts. He added that the situation in Gaza remains fragile as key medical facilities are at risk of becoming totally inaccessible or inoperable amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Decrying Israel's ground offensive in Rafah, the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres has also said that the Rafah offensive would be a "strategic mistake." "An assault on Rafah would be a strategic mistake, a political calamity & a humanitarian nightmare," Guterres said in a video posted on X on Tuesday, as he made an appeal to the international community to help avert the ongoing conflict "I appeal to all those with influence over Israel to do everything in their power to help avert even more tragedy," Guterres had said, adding that it is high time for a deal to be secured and bring an end to the war. The tensions escalated with multiple airstrikes on Rafah early Tuesday, resulting in casualties and injuries, as reported by the Palestinian Civil Defence. Palestinian official news agency WAFA confirmed eight deaths in two separate attacks on Rafah, although the precise timeline remains unclear. Rafah's Kuwait hospital reported receiving 11 deceased individuals, according to a Facebook post in the early hours of Tuesday local time. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated their ongoing targeted strikes against Hamas terror targets in eastern Rafah. The crossing was one of the primary routes for supplies into the besieged Gaza Strip. In mid-December, Israeli authorities announced its reopening in response to rising US pressure and a severe humanitarian situation in Gaza. (ANI) One of the suspects in the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, has said in a social media video that he entered Canada on a 'study permit' which only took him days to obtain, Canada-based global news reported. The accused, Karan Brar, in a video posted online in 2019, said he applied for a student visa through EthicWorks Immigration Services in Bathinda, in the Indian state of Punjab. He said he received his study visa days later, according to a translation of his Punjabi-language statement, as per Global News. The promotional video and a picture of Brar, who the firm claimed was from Kotkapura, a city north of Bathinda, were uploaded on EthicWorks' Facebook page. "Congratulations Karan Brar for the Canada study visa," the caption below the video read. "One more happy client from Kotkapura," reported Global News. Immigration Minister Marc Miller has declined to answer questions about how the suspects came to Canada, but online posts indicate that Brar arrived on a student permit three years before the killing. According to another Facebook page purportedly owned by Brar, he moved to Edmonton on May 4, 2020, after starting his studies at Bow Valley College in Calgary on April 30, 2020, Global News reported. However, questions concerning the subject have not yet received a response from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Brar, 22, Karanpreet Singh, 28, and Kamalpreet Singh, 22, were all taken into custody in Edmonton on Friday. They are accused of murder and conspiracy; they appeared in court in Surrey, British Columbia on Tuesday. Members of the Sikh Community from British Columbia crowded a Surrey courtroom on Tuesday as three Indian nationals accused of Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing made their first court appearance by video, according to Globe and Mail, a Canada-based news website. As the trio, dressed in orange jumpsuits, appeared before court, pro-Khalistani protesters chanted slogans and held placards, outside the Surrey provincial court, blaming India's government for the killing. The three men were taken into custody in Edmonton last week on Friday and are accused of first-degree murder and murderous conspiracy in connection with the June 2023 shooting of Nijjar, which severely damaged Canada's relations with India. Notably, ties between India and Canada have been strained after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused agents of the Indian government of killing Nijjar. However, India has dismissed the accusations as "absurd" and "motivated". Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by India's National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot and killed as he came out of a Gurdwara in Surrey in June last year. The video of his killing that reportedly surfaced in March this year showed Nijjar being shot by armed men in what has been described as a "contract killing." Last week, Canadian police released photographs of all three persons arrested in the killing of India-designated terrorist, Nijjar last year amid an ongoing probe into alleged connections of the Indian government. Along with photographs of the three accused, the Canadian police also released the photographs of the car believed to have been used by the suspects in the time leading up to the homicide, in and around the Surrey area. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) of Surrey, RCMP had said that on the morning of May 3, IHIT investigators, with the assistance of members from the British Columbia and Alberta RCMP and the Edmonton Police Service, arrested the three men for the June 2023 killing of Nijjar. (ANI) Rubbishing the allegations by the US on India for a foiled assassination plot against pro-Khalistan radical Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Washington has not yet provided any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the case. "According to the information we have, Washington has not yet provided any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the preparation of the murder of a certain GS Pannun. Speculation on this topic in the absence of evidence is unacceptable," the official spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Wednesday (local time). She said that the US does not understand the national mentality, as well as the historical context of the development of the Indian state and it disrespects India as a state. Zakharova's remarks came in response to a media query on Moscow's reaction to accusations against an Indian official of a foiled "assassination" plot, and the American news publication 'The Washington Post' stating that India is trying to do the same as Russia and Saudi Arabia against its enemy. "'The Washington Post', it seems to me, should use the term "repressive regime" and everything you quoted in relation to Washington. It is difficult to imagine a more repressive regime than Washington, both in domestic and international affairs. Now directly about your question," Zakharova said, according to the readout of the briefing released by the Russian Foreign Ministry. "Regular unfounded accusations by the United States against New Delhi (we see that they groundlessly accuse not only India but also many other states) of violating religious freedoms are a reflection of the United States' misunderstanding of the national mentality, the historical context of the development of the Indian state and disrespect for India as a state . I am sure that this also comes from the neocolonial mentality, the mentality of the colonial period, the period of the slave trade, and imperialism," she said. "This does not only apply to India. The reason is the desire to unbalance the internal political situation in India in order to complicate the general parliamentary elections taking place in the country. Of course, this is part of interference in India's internal affairs," she added. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is an India-designated terrorist who holds American and Canadian citizenship. Earlier in November, the US Justice Department unsealed an indictment against an Indian national for his alleged involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate Pannun. The External Affairs Ministry, in April, had rejected a report in The Washington Post naming Indian Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) official's involvement in the alleged post to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the US. Describing it as an "unwarranted and unsubstantiated" imputation on a "serious matter" that is under investigation, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the US media report was "speculative and irresponsible". In response to media queries on the report that appeared in Washington Post, a US national daily, Jaiswal said that a High-Level Committee set up by the Indian government is carrying out an investigation into the security concerns shared by the US government on networks of organized criminals, terrorists, and others. "The report in question makes unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter. There is an ongoing investigation of the High-Level Committee set up by the Government of India to look into the security concerns shared by the US government on networks of organised criminals, terrorists and others. Speculative and irresponsible comments on it are not helpful." Citing officials and a US indictment, the Washington Post report claimed that the RAW official identified as Vikram Yadav had directed Indian businessman Nikhil Gupta, to hire a hitman to kill Pannun outside his New York residence. Gupta, now in custody in the Czech Republic has a pending extradition to the US to stand trial in the case. As per the report in the US Daily, the operation targeting Pannun was approved by then-RAW chief Samant Goel. Notably, as per the US Justice Department indictment, Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, who is currently in custody, has been charged with the murder-for-hire of Pannun. The US Justice Department has claimed that Indian government employee (named CC-1), who was not identified in the indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan, recruited an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta to hire a hitman to carry out the assassination, which was foiled by US authorities, according to prosecutors. Gupta has been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Czech authorities arrested and detained Gupta on June 30, pursuant to the bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and the Czech Republic. Following this, MEA said that a case filed against an individual in a US court and allegedly linking him to an Indian official is a "matter of concern" and is contrary to government policy. India has also set up a high-level committee to probe the matter. (ANI) Responding to critics targeting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for planning and executing May 9 protests, the party's Secretary General, Omar Ayub Khan, called the incident "a conspiracy to target party founder Imran Khan," Pakistan-based Geo News reported. Speaking at a seminar related to the protection of the Pakistani Constitution on Wednesday, Ayub said that PTI has a one-point agenda, "which is the supremacy of the Constitution and law" in Pakistan. Omar Ayub Khan said that the incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan asked the citizens of Pakistan not to make any compromise on the supremacy of the Constitution and law. He stated that the "Constitution also restricts the armed forces not to interfere in political affairs," Geo News reported. He criticised the registration of a series of cases against the PTI's top leader. He said that Pakistan's former National Assembly speaker, Asad Qaiser, was booked in an X-ray machine theft case, while another party leader faced an old motorcycle theft case, along with several cases of murder, abduction and terrorism. Ayub said that they crossed a sea of fire to take forward PTI's political struggle. He alleged that registering hundreds of cases against PTI's top leadership was part of the "London plan." Imran Khan had claimed that the "London plan" was executed to keep him away from national politics through sedition laws for at least 10 years. Speaking at the same event, PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that "public movements take pace at a time when martial laws are imposed and the Constitution is suspended." He claimed that the Constitution was practically eliminated in Pakistan, Geo News reported. Gohar Ali Khan rejected claims that the PTI was involved in anti-state conspiracies, as per the Geo News report. He further said that such allegations against the Imran Khan-founded party would be paramount to misleading the nation. He also expressed his opposition to increasing the retirement age of the judges. On Tuesday, PTI announced it will hold peaceful protests across the country on May 9, the day when protests erupted following the arrest of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2023, Pakistan-based The News International reported. Speaking to reporters after meeting PTI founder Imran Khan in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan reiterated his demand to conduct a judicial inquiry into the May 9 protests ahead of the anniversary of the protests. He said, "Even today, we are demanding to form a judicial commission [to probe] the May 9 events." Gohar Ali Khan announced that PTI will hold rallies across the country to mark the May 9 anniversary. He said, "We will hold peaceful protests on May 9 and the ticket holders will lead them," according to The News International report. The May 9 events refer to violent protests that erupted after PTI founder Imran Khan was arrested from the premises of Islamabad High Court in a corruption case in 2023. During the protests, alleged PTI supporters caused damage to public and private properties and even targeted military installations in various parts of Pakistan. (ANI) In a stern warning to Israel, United States President Joe Biden on Wednesday (local time) said that he would halt some shipments of American weapons to Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a major invasion in Rafah, CNN reported. It is the first time that Biden has made such a statement, adding that the weapons sent could also be used in the operation to target the population centres. "Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers," Biden told CNN's Erin Burnett in an exclusive interview, as he referred to 2,000-pound bombs that Biden paused shipments of last week. "I made it clear that if they go into Rafah - they haven't gone in Rafah yet - if they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities - that deal with that problem," Biden said. The seven-month battle between Israel and Hamas has reached a turning point with the president's declaration that he was willing to tie American weaponry to Israel's behaviour. Amid a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the president is facing intense pressure to restrict arms shipments, even from members of his party. Amid the ongoing ground offensive in Rafah, United States Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin also confirmed on Wednesday that the US is pausing a shipment of "high-payload munitions" to Israel, as the operation has no plan for the residing civilians in the region, reported CNN. "We're going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself, but that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah," Defence Secretary Austin said at a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing. The remarks of Austin come amid mounting airstrikes, and at a time when the Israeli Prime Minister's Office has also reaffirmed the continuation of military operations in Rafah to "exert military pressure on Hamas." "We've been very clear ... that Israel shouldn't launch a major attack into Rafah without accounting for and protecting the civilians that are in that battlespace," Austin said, according to CNN. Austin also stressed that the weapons shipment was not included in the supplemental budget package that Congress just approved, which contained lethal aid for both Israel and Ukraine. The US has not made "a final determination" about what will happen with the arms shipment, Austin stated. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated their ongoing targeted strikes against Hamas terror targets in eastern Rafah.The crossing was one of the primary routes for supplies into the besieged Gaza Strip. In mid-December, Israeli authorities announced its reopening in response to rising US pressure and a severe humanitarian situation in Gaza. (ANI) In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "Good to meet UK NSA Tim Barrow today in Delhi. Discussed a range of regional and global issues of importance. Also reviewed the progress in our bilateral ties." On May 7, a 21-member delegation of the Royal College of Defence Studies began their India visit by laying a wreath to pay their homage at the war memorial in New Delhi. The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) is a British military staff college that trains senior officers from the British Armed Forces, Civil Service, and Diplomatic Service in international security and national defence. The college's goal is to develop strategic thinkers and leaders who can work at the strategic level in a cross-government and international environment. The delegation of the UK-based academy is on an India visit and will be travelling across the country as part of their study tour. Sharing details regarding the visit, UK Defence Adviser in India, Brigadier Nick Sawyer stated, "A delegation of the Royal College of Defence Studies today began their India visit by visiting the @salute2soldier in New Delhi and laying a wreath to pay their homage to the fallen soldiers. The 21-member cohort will be travelling across the country as part of their study tour." Notably, the ties between India and the UK are bound by strong ties of history and culture, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). In 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK's then-PM Boris Johnson agreed to the India-UK 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership' and India-UK Roadmap 2030 to steer cooperation for the next 30 years. (ANI) In a commendable display of civic action, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and its sanitation workers have received high praise from Danish Ambassador Freddy Svane for their swift response in transforming a previously littered area into a clean environment. Speaking on Thursday, Ambassador Svane expressed his gratitude towards the NDMC and its dedicated personnel for their efforts in clearing up a location that was laden with trash just a day prior. He extended his personal thanks to various departments including the health department, civil works, and emphasised the crucial role played by the Lieutenant Governor in initiating the action. "This transformation is significant, and I would like to thank all the great people from the NDMC who have contributed to this change," stated Ambassador Svane. "Their dedication to improving the environment is truly commendable." Highlighting the impact of collective action, Ambassador Svane also acknowledged the individuals present at the site, emphasising the importance of every individual's role in making a positive difference in their community. Svane on Wednesday issued an urgent call for action regarding the deteriorating state of cleanliness near embassies in New Delhi. Standing near his embassy in what should be a service lane, the envoy pointed to trash strewn around and lamented the unsightly conditions and urged authorities to prioritise action over rhetoric. Later after he posted the video concerning the issue, NDMC took swift charge of the situation and began a cleanliness drive near the embassies and service lane. In the video accessed by ANI, a JCB and sanitation workers were seen cleaning up the area and collecting garbage. The envoy also highlighted the swift action by the officials after he posted a video and said that he posted the video because he felt sad over the unclean area as a product of human misbehaviour. He also tagged Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, VK Saxena in the video. Earlier on March 6, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena had also highlighted the civic misery in the national capital sharing pictures on his social media platform XIn a series of posts, Saxena not only highlighted the civic woes of the city but said that it was his duty to highlight the issues of the people before the state's Chief Minister. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said that the development of ties between India and Maldives is based on mutual interests and reciprocal sensitivity of the two countries. Jaishankar held delegation-level talks with Maldivian Foreign Minister Mossa Zameer, who had arrived in India a day earlier. In his opening remarks, Jaishankar extended a "very very warm welcome" to Zameer on his first visit to the country in his current capacity, which the EAM said provides an opportunity to discuss bilateral ties and chart out future directions. "As close and proximate neighbours, the development of our ties is obviously based on mutual interests and reciprocal sensitivity," Jaishankar said. "As far as India is concerned, these are articulated in terms of our Neighbourhood First policy and SAGAR vision.I hope that our meeting today will enable us to strengthen the convergence of our perspectives in various domains," Jaishankar said. https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1788484430539174215 He said that India has been a key provider of development assistance to the Maldives and the projects have benefited the lives of the people of the country and contributed directly to the quality of life. "They range from infrastructure projects and social initiatives to medical evacuation and health facilities," he said He noted that India has also extended financial support to Maldives on favourable terms in the past and that India has been a first responder for Maldives on various occasions. Jaishankar said, "Our cooperation has also enhanced this security and well being of your country through shared activities, equipment provisioning, capacity building and training."External Affairs Minister expressed hope that his meeting with Zameer would enables to strengthen the convergence of perspectives in various sectors. He stressed that close partnerships with neighbours is of great value as the world is passing through a volatile and uncertain time. Jaishankar said, "The world is today passing through a volatile and uncertain period. In such times, as we saw during COVID, during natural disasters and economic difficulties, close partnerships with neighbours are of great value. So, today we will be reviewing the various dimensions of our ties. It is in our common interest that we reach an understanding of how best we take our relationship forward." Zameer's visit to India comes amid strained ties with Maldives under President Mohamed Muizzu's government and as India said that it will replace its military personnel from Maldives before May 10. During his visit, the two sides will discuss bilateral and regional issues and seek ways to provide impetus to our multifaceted relationship. In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, "Warm welcome to FM @MoosaZameer of Maldives on his official visit to India. Discussions on bilateral & regional issues and seeking ways to provide impetus to our multifaceted relationship lie ahead." On May 3, India and Maldives held the 4th meeting of the bilateral High-Level Core Group and reviewed the replacement of Indian military personnel from the Island nation by May 10 and noted that the government will replace military personnel before the noted time. Earlier the Mohamed Muizzu-led Maldives government had formally requested that India withdraw its troops from Male. The Maldives Foreign Ministry said in a press release that both sides reviewed the existing bilateral cooperation. In a press release, the Maldives Foreign Ministry said, "Discussions were held on a wide range of issues of mutual interest, including development and defence cooperation." "Both sides noted with satisfaction that the Government of India will replace military personnel at the last of the three aviation platforms by May 10, and all the logistical arrangements are going ahead as per schedule," the press release added. It was further agreed that the fifth meeting of the High-Level Core Group will be held in Male on a mutually agreeable date during the month of June/July. In April, the Ministry of External Affairs said that the first batch of Indian personnel in the Maldives had been replaced by technical personnel. The external affairs ministry earlier informed that both India and the Maldives have agreed on a set of mutually workable solutions to enable the continued operation of Indian aviation platforms that provide humanitarian and medical evacuation services to the people of the Maldives. In April, the MEA said that the first batch of Indian technical personnel reached the Maldives to replace the defence personnel.India and the Maldives have held two high-level core group meetings, and the third one is expected to take place soon. The removal of Indian troops from the country was the main election campaign of Muizzu's party. Currently, there are around 70 Indian troops, along with Dornier 228 maritime patrol aircraft and two HAL Dhruv helicopters, stationed in the Maldives. (ANI) Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer, who is on his first official visit to India, has distanced his government from the derogatory remarks made by some of its ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that it was not the stand of the government and that "proper action" has been taken to ensure that it is not repeated In an interview with ANI, Maldivian Foreign Minister Zameer reiterated the government's stance, stating, "I think if you have seen, like you said, we have said that it's not the stand of the government or it's not the view of the government. And we believe it shouldn't have been done. And then we are taking proper action to make sure that this don't repeat." "And I think if you have seen, there has been a misunderstanding, social media mainly, but the governments of the Maldives in India, we understand what has happened and we have passed that stage now," he added. The row between India and the Maldives broke out over derogatory posts made by three officials about PM Narendra Modi. Following derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maldives Deputy Youth Ministers Mariyam Shiuna, Mahzoom Majid and Malsha Shareef have been suspended indefinitely, but all three will continue to receive their salaries, the President's Office has said, Maldives local media Adhadhu reported. Providing further information about the suspensions, Maldives President's Office Communications Minister Ibrahim Khaleel told Adhadhu that the three deputy ministers were suspended indefinitely as a measure taken to look into the matter. The Male is now facing a boycott by Indian tourists, who are one of the largest contributors to the country's income. In light of concerns about a potential decline in Indian tourist visits to the Maldives following the controversy, Minister Zameer expressed the Maldivian government's eagerness to mend ties with India and reiterated their invitation to Indian tourists. "I think the Minister of Tourism has clearly said that he would like to welcome and I like myself to welcome all Indians who would like to travel to Maldives. But I think in the long term, once we move forward because if you're seen in the last eight months , in Maldives and India, we are going through election cycles. So I think we will move beyond that phase pretty soon and we would like all Indian tourists to come back," he said. "And if you look at the trajectory of what has happened. If you go back about 10 years ago, there continued to be a very important source market and then during COVID Indian travelers actually came into all this in high numbers. And then that trend continued ... In the past couple of months and we have had about 16-17 per cent increase and then of course there has been a decrease in Indian markets but I'm confident that it will pick up in the near future," he added. Zameer's visit to India comes amid strained ties with Maldives under President Mohamed Muizzu's government and as India said that it will replace its military personnel from Maldives before May 10. In April, the MEA said that the first batch of Indian technical personnel reached the Maldives to replace the defence personnel.India and the Maldives have held two high-level core group meetings, and the third one is expected to take place soon. The removal of Indian troops from the country was the main election campaign of Muizzu's party. Currently, there are around 70 Indian troops, along with Dornier 228 maritime patrol aircraft and two HAL Dhruv helicopters, stationed in the Maldives. (ANI) National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval met with his United Kingdom counterpart, Tim Barrow, on Thursday for the India-UK Strategic Dialogue. During this meeting, the two top sides held discussions on the "Technology and Security Initiative, which will be a major bilateral mechanism to strengthen cooperation in critical and emerging technologies between the two countries", government officials said. They also discussed bilateral issues and regional and global matters of mutual interest."This visit will strengthen and further broaden the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries," said government officials. Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with NSA Tim Barrow in Delhi and discussed regional and global issues of importance. Jaishankar and Barrow reviewed the progress in bilateral ties. In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, "Good to meet UK NSA Tim Barrow today in Delhi. Discussed a range of regional and global issues of importance. Also reviewed the progress in our bilateral ties." On May 7, a 21-member delegation of the Royal College of Defence Studies began their India visit by laying a wreath to pay their homage at the war memorial in New Delhi.The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) is a British military staff college that trains senior officers from the British Armed Forces, Civil Service, and Diplomatic Service in international security and national defence. The college's goal is to develop strategic thinkers and leaders who can work at the strategic level in a cross-government and international environment.The delegation of the UK-based academy is on an India visit and will be travelling across the country as part of their study tour. Sharing details regarding the visit, UK Defence Adviser in India, Brigadier Nick Sawyer stated, "A delegation of the Royal College of Defence Studies today began their India visit by visiting the @salute2soldier in New Delhi and laying a wreath to pay their homage to the fallen soldiers. The 21-member cohort will be travelling across the country as part of their study tour." Notably, the ties between India and the UK are bound by strong ties of history and culture, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). In 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK's then-PM Boris Johnson agreed to the India-UK 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership' and India-UK Roadmap 2030 to steer cooperation for the next 30 years. (ANI) Emphasising that "peace and security" of the Indian Ocean is important for countries in the neighbourhood including India, Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer on Thursday said that his government has "not permitted the Chinese vessel" for research purposes in the Maldivian waters. The statement by the Maldivian Foreign Minister came in the wake of the Chinese marine research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 3 returning to Maldivian waters, marking its second visit to the archipelago nation within two months. "The peace and security of the Indian Ocean is important for both India and Maldives and Sri Lanka and the rest of the countries that we have in the neighbourhood. So, we will continue to work together as I said earlier," he said. Elaborating on the port call for Chinese vessels, he said, "Our government issued personal rotation and friendly portable permits, and diplomatic clearances came from the Chinese side, which is very common in Maldives." "So that's how it has happened we as a peaceful country, welcome those vessels which come for peaceful purposes. But they didn't come for research in the Maldivian waters, we have not permitted the Chinese vessel for research in the Maldivian waters," Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer said while maintaining that research vessels are not welcome in the Maldivian waters. On April 27, Chinese marine research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 3 returned to Maldivian waters, marking its second visit to the archipelago nation within two months after Pro-China Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu's ruling People's National Congress (PNC) won the Parliamentary elections, as reported by Adhadhu news on Friday. It is pertinent to note that Defense Minister Ghassan Maumoon last month told the Maldivian Parliament that the Chinese vessel would not conduct any research despite sailing inside and near Maldivian waters." There was no permission given to conduct any research in the Maldives territory. After docking in Male' and buying food, they did a crew change. People who came on an airplane went board the boat and those on the boat left via the airplane. That was the permission that was given," Adhadhu quoted Ghassan as saying on March 25. Relations between India and the Maldives have strained since President Muizzu took office in November, shifting the government's focus towards China and requesting the withdrawal of nearly 80 Indian troops stationed in the Maldives, according to Reuters report. (ANI) The Nelson County Times newsroom brought home eight awards from the Virginia Press Associations annual News & Advertising Contest. The press association each year recognizes newspapers around the commonwealth for exceptional writing, photography, multimedia projects, graphics, newspaper design and advertising. Results were announced at a banquet in Charlottesville on May 4. A list of award recipients is below. First place Front Page First Place, Staff: Feb. 16; April 20; July 13 General News Photo, First Place Paige Dingler: Salon time Headline Writing, First Place, Justin Faulconer: Daddies & Daughters dancing the night away; Govs feel Valentines Day heartbreak in Altavista loss; Celebrating Nelson greats. Second Place Sports News Photo, Second Place, Lee Luther Jr. Blocked Slideshow or Gallery, Second Place, Lee Luther Jr.: Govs drop fifth straight in 55-7 loss to Gretna Sports Feature Photo, Second Place: Lee Luther Jr. The plan is Third Place Government Writing, Third Place, Emma Martin: Two candidates running for South District Supervisor; Democratic candidates for 11th district seat stump in Nelson; Support our own: Nelson, state officials look to extend line of duty benefits to families of private officers Combination Picture and Story, Third Place, Emma Martin and Paige Dingler Strong-willed, spirited, resilient. Days of quiet, peaceful protest came to a chaotic and violent end Saturday afternoon as Virginia State Police stormed an encampment of anti-war protesters at the University of Virginia. State police sporting tactical gear and riot shields moved in on the demonstrators, using tear gas and sheer force to disperse the group and arrest the roughly 15 or so at the camp, where for days students, faculty and community members had sang songs, read poetry and painted signs in protest of Israel's ongoing war in the Palestinian territory of Gaza. As of press time Saturday evening, those protesters that had not been taken into custody had been pushed away from the plot of land by the University Chapel where they had been based and into street, where a flood of supporters were pouring in. What had started as a quiet and rain-drenched protest of a meager 15 Saturday morning was a vocal and angry crowd of nearly 100 Saturday evening. After days of an almost picnic-like protest and minimal police presence, the sudden and swift arrival of the militant Virginia State Police appears to have been in direct response to the protesters' decision to pitch tents on UVa Grounds Friday evening ahead of rain. University officials been explicit that tents are prohibited without first being approved by the administration. According to UVa policy, all tents must receive final approval before being assembled on Grounds. But that same policy includes a link to a document which says that Recreational tents for camping are exempt. That clause was quietly removed Saturday morning, hours before police made arrests. University spokesman Brian Coy told The Daily Progress that the document was merely guidance and that it was updated to reflect official policy. Coy said the document was not outdated, just wrong. He said he believed it was not until Saturday morning that university officials noticed the guidance document contradicted the official policy. Demonstrators first started to congregate on Grounds Tuesday, the last day of spring semester classes. Anyone who has been involved in this encampment or any other demonstration has been advised of our policy, Coy said, pointing out that shortly after the encampment began, tents were raised but then disassembled by the protesters. They put up then took them down because they were made aware that [tents] were outside of our policy. They then made the decision to violate that policy." A faculty member affiliated with the encampment cited that clause, telling The Daily Progress that recreational tents are permitted on campus. We pointed it out to them for three days. Faculty have been deescalating, deescalating, deescalating, she said. The faculty member said the protest had been calm and peaceful until state police were called in on Saturday. She claims that decision was made by Gov. Glenn Youngkin and UVa President Jim Ryan. Neither the governor's office nor the Virginia State Police responded to multiple inquiries from The Daily Progress Saturday. A personal inquiry from Daily Progress editor Reynolds Hutchins to Ryan's office and the UVa communications team also went unanswered. As of press time Saturday evening, it remained unclear how the decision was made to dispatch state police to Grounds. The quiet encampment had received little attention from students throughout most of the week. But on Saturday, as authorities created a line around the encampment, a huge crowd gathered around to witness the police response. Roughly 15 people broke the police line to join the encampment, eliciting loud cheers from the crowd as they sprinted toward the tents. Not long before 2:30 p.m., police ordered observers to move further back from the site. Shortly after, police with riot shields marched into the encampment and began making arrests. A line of protesters used umbrellas in an attempt to keep the police at bay, but police tossed the umbrellas to the side and threw protesters to the ground while tear gas was deployed overhead. Several protesters screamed out as police dragged them away. An officer told The Daily Progress that those arrested were being taken to Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail. It hurts really bad, man, one of the protesters told The Daily Progress while pouring water onto his face and eyes. He identified himself as a graduate student and said the police response was disproportionate. It was never violent, he said of the encampment. Im a teaching assistant, and we were just helping people study for finals. After the encampment was cleared, a line of police began to push against a growing crowd of protesters to their backs, some of whom had come out to support the original demonstrators, others who were there to witness the scene unfold. Police indiscriminately sprayed tear gas into the crowd, at one point hitting a Daily Progress reporter and other members of the media covering the conflict. Amid the chaos, some students carrying American flags cheered on the arrests, with chants of USA," Lets go Wahoos and Take your masks off. The latter a reference to the fact that nearly all of the protesters have remained masked since Tuesday and discouraged their ranks from identifying themselves to police, the media or UVa administrators. A protester with a megaphone called out to the state police as they marched on the crowd, "Where were you in 2017?" On Aug. 11, 2017, a day before the deadly Unite the Right rally-turned-riot in Charlottesville, a mob of torch-wielding neo-Nazis and other White supremacists marched across Grounds. Police watched on as the mob encircled a band of student protesters at the base of the statue of Thomas Jefferson in front of the university's landmark Rotunda. Police did not declare an unlawful assembly and clear the area until after the mob began brandishing their torches at protesters and assaulting students. At the time, the mob's activities were permitted by the university as an act of free expression. As of press time, police had closed off University Avenue and Rugby Road, two of the university's main entrance corridors, and the university was warning the public to stay away from the scene. TOKYO, May 09 (News On Japan) - Environment Minister Shintaro Ito has issued an apology for an incident involving the adjustment of microphone levels during a meeting with Minamata disease patients and victims' groups in Kumamoto Prefecture. During a discussion meant to listen to the patients and victims' groups on May 1st, a Ministry of the Environment official reduced the microphone volume when the speaking time exceeded. Following this issue, Minister Ito, who made an unscheduled visit to Minamata City in Kumamoto, apologized to the attendees. Ito, Environment Minister: "An extremely regrettable incident occurred where a Ministry staff member reduced the microphone volume during a speech. I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart." He also suggested that the schedule for such meetings would be reviewed going forward. Subsequently, Minister Ito directly apologized to Shigemitsu Matsumoto (82), whose speech was interrupted, and also paid his respects to the memorial tablets of the victims, along with Matsumoto's wife, Etsuko. Matsumoto commented, "Rather than both parties rushing to speak, I would prefer a calm environment where we can listen and speak slowly." Prime Minister Fumio Kishida acknowledged the mishandling of the situation, which had caused discomfort among the stakeholders: "I recognize that the response was inappropriate and caused discomfort among the relevant groups." Last night, PM Kishida criticized the Ministry's handling but stated that Minister Ito would continue in his role: "I expect Minister Ito to fulfill his duties, including proceeding with Minamata disease measures and providing careful and considerate responses to all involved." Source: TBS HOKKAIDO, May 09 (News On Japan) - Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura, a historical theme park in Noboribetsu, Hokkaido, is experiencing a ninja shortage due to the impact of the coronavirus, which has reduced the number of actors available. The theme park, which offers visitors a taste of Edo period streets and culture, has become a popular tourist spot not only for its dramatic ninja shows and Oiran courtesan displays but also for its appeal to international tourists. However, the park is now facing significant staffing challenges. Seven years ago, the park had about 40 performers, but now only about 30 remain. The dwindling number of performers, aggravated by the aging workforce, means that it is increasingly difficult to deliver the same level of dynamic performances. Some older actors express physical difficulties in maintaining the vigorous activity required. "As you get older, of course, it becomes physically harder to perform," one veteran ninja noted. Amid these challenges, the arrival of 18-year-old Aizawa Ion from Hakodate has brought a fresh burst of energy to the team. Ion, who has been fascinated by ninjas since childhood, dreams of transforming this passion into a professional career. "Since I visited this village as a child, the image of ninjas has stayed with me, and I've always wanted to become one," Ion said. In her role as an Edo period town girl, Ion is now making her debut at Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura, greeting visitors with a smile and aiming to make each guest's experience memorable. "When I change into costume, I feel a shift in spirit, eager to bring joy to our guests," Ion explained. Yamada, a director at the village and a seasoned ninja performer, sees great potential in young recruits like Ion. "It's exhilarating to see the energy they bring. When young people join, they start their journey of rigorous ninja training," Yamada said. He also mentioned that the skills these young performers acquire could someday contribute to digital media, such as motion capture technology used in filmmaking and gaming, further highlighting the enduring appeal of ninja arts. Source: TBS Following suit to other major Spanish hotel groups, conglomerate Hotusa revealed plans to have a footprint in Morocco through its hotel subsidiary, Eurostars Hotel Company. The group disclosed, in a recent announcement, that it would inaugurate three hotels in the North African Kingdom, with openings slated for 2024 and 2025. The inaugural property, Eurostars Casa Anfa, nestled in the burgeoning Casablanca district, is set to welcome guests in the upcoming autumn season, as confirmed by the company in a press release. Additionally, Eurostars Hotel Company aims to unveil Eurostars Californie in Casablanca by late 2024, followed by Exe Zerktounis by mid-2025, collectively offering 251 rooms, according to the same announcement. Hotusa underscored the strategic placement of these newly constructed establishments, strategically situated within key locations of the city. Highlighting the significance of this expansion, Hotusa emphasized that Morocco marks the twentieth country in which Eurostars Hotel Company has established a presence, bolstering its international footprint across premier tourist destinations. The groups president, Amancio Lopez, underscored the strategic importance of North Africa in the companys global growth strategy, alongside Western Europe, the United States, and Latin America. The forthcoming openings in Casablanca signify the initial phase of Hotusas expansion into North Africa, underscoring the regions prominence in the chains international growth trajectory. Several other major Spanish hotel groups, including Barcelo, Riu, Iberostar and Melia, have strengthened their presence in Morocco to take advantage of the countrys tourism boom which has turned the Covid 19 page, breaking a new record with the arrival of 14.5 million tourists in 2023, up 34% from 2022. These major Iberian hotels groups have opted for Morocco with a view to expanding their activities and taking advantage of the tourism boom in the Kingdom. Barcelo, Riu, Iberostar and Melia already have 18 hotel facilities in Morocco, and intend to continue their expansion in this market. Morocco stands out as a stable destination, both politically and socially compared with other countries in the region, and the rising tourist arrivals make the country a highly attractive investment market, with increasing growth potential for hotel companies. As counting began on Monday (6 May) evening in Chad for a presidential election intended to put an end to three-year military rule, the ballot itself was reportedly marred by irregularities, with the opposition condemning violence and threats against their leaders and supporters. The presidential election, which featured 10 candidates, including one woman, evolved into an unprecedented showdown between the junta leader, General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, and his Prime Minister Succes Masra, a former opposition figure turned ally. The latters party, The Transformers, on Wednesday (8 May) condemned violence and threats against 40-year-old economist, who was allegedly under surveillance and faced threats to his safety. The party also reported threats against Masras supporters, and alleged electoral fraud. Masra had, however, ramped up considerable support in recent weeks and could force a second round of voting, scheduled for 22 June. Meanwhile, some observers reportedly faced accreditation challenges, with no explanation given for the refusals, according to the Citizens Alliance for Elections, a monitoring platform. Brussels on Tuesday (7 May) condemned the failure by Chads junta-controlled authorities to allow nearly 3,000 civil society members financed by the EU to observe the presidential election. The opposition had called for a boycott, dismissing Mondays ballot as fixed, while international rights groups had warned that the vote was not expected to be free or fair after a crackdown on the opposition. Four civil society associations have slammed Deby-appointed electoral commission for refusing to accredit 2,900 of their representatives as voting observers. The EU in Chad condemns the non-accreditation of these civil society organizations, the EU said on Facebook. Official election results are expected on 21 May. Director General of the International Labor Organization (ILO), Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo, has hailed the efforts made by Morocco to build a model social State thanks to the implementation of a comprehensive social inclusion and protection policy. Mr. Houngbo made the remarks on the sidelines of the visit he is paying since Monday to the North African Kingdom. He was received by several government members including Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, minister of Economy Inclusion & Employment Younes Sekkouri, minister of Health & Social Protection, Khalid Ait Taleb and minister of economy Nadia Fettah. Talks focused on Moroccos institutionalized talks with trade unions, fight against child labor, pension fund reform, the governments decision to update labor legislation, improve the social welfare system, increase the salary of civil servants, deploy a universal health coverage and expand social protection to include vulnerable families. In his press statements, the ILO chief paid tribute to Moroccos experience seeking to improve the workers wages and social benefits as well as the situation of self-employed and the disabled persons. He lauded the Kingdoms commitment to respecting and promoting fundamental social rights, affirming that the Moroccan governments priorities are in line with the ILO recommendations. He also called on Morocco to join ILOs Global Coalition for Social Justice, as well as the UN Secretary-Generals initiative to support the Global Employment and Social Protection Accelerator for Just Transitions. The Global Coalition for Social Justice is an initiative aimed at intensifying collective efforts to urgently address social justice deficits and to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Decent Work Agenda. The Global Employment and Social Protection Accelerator for Just Transitions seeks to catalyze, develop and implement national strategies that promote sustainable development, job creation and social protection by bringing together the efforts of different Agencies, Funds and Programs of the UN System. Morocco has placed utmost priority on food security in its wider African policy, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, foreign minister Nasser Bourita said. Morocco has relied on three levers to boost African food security: Moroccos fertilizers and phosphates giant OCP, the agriculture ministry, and a south-south cooperation approach spurred by the king, Bourita told an African meeting on fertilizers and soil health in Nairobi. OCP in particular has increased its fertilizers supplies to the African continent where it is building production plans to meet the needs of African giants such as Nigeria and Ethiopia, while investing in smaller blending units to produce customized fertilizers at an affordable price. OCP, through its 12 representations across Africa, has also helped African farmers improve soil health through training on sustainable practices and improving access to customized fertilizers. Now OCP allocates 20% of its fertilizers to the African continent. OCP has been offering 80,000 tons of soil nutrients for free, and 370,000 tons at a discount, that is 25% of all OCPs supplies to Africa, Bourita said. Morocco has also given the example locally through the Green Morocco Plan and the ensuing Green Generation plan which led to a surge in output while promoting agri-food industries and social development in rural areas. In this respect, food security and agricultural development are not only strategic priorities for Morocco but also strategic goals of south-south cooperation, said Bourita. In 2016, when it hosted the UN climate summit COP22, Morocco initiated the Triple A initiative to strengthen the resilience of African agriculture to climate change. Matt Gaetz raises Brandon Herraras hand after they both speak at a rally for Herrara in Texas. Photo: Jessica Phelps/San Antonio Express-News via Getty Images Brandon Herrera is a YouTube star who makes a living shooting large guns for people to watch on small screens. The 28-year-old gun influencer, known online as The AK Guy, has built a following of more than 3 million followers with videos including a reenactment of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and another in which he carefully examines a firearm behind a Rhodesian flag, a symbol adopted by white nationalists. And he just might be elected to represent Uvalde, Texas the site of a horrific mass shooting at an elementary school in Congress. After the 2022 massacre that killed 19 children and two adults, Congress passed the first gun-control legislation in decades, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. It expanded background checks for those under 21, closing the boyfriend loophole that allowed some people convicted of domestic violence to buy a firearm and increasing funding for mental health and school safety. Tony Gonzales, Uvaldes current representative, was one of 14 House Republicans to vote for it, prompting not only his censure by the Texas GOP but also Herrera to challenge him for the Republican nomination. During the primary this past march, Herrera received just under 25 percent, but thanks to two other candidates, Gonzales was held to less than 50 percent, forcing them into a runoff. The May 28 election is shaping up to be a major battleground in the ongoing civil war within the Republican Party across the country. So far, the Establishment has been on offense: Eight members of Congress who led the push to oust Kevin McCarthy as House speaker have drawn primary challenges from his corner of the party. This race in south Texas is what Steve Bannon calls the epitome of the struggle, giving the MAGA right perhaps its best opportunity to take a scalp of its own. A prickly moderate, Gonzales is not popular on Capitol Hill, but he was especially sharp on CNN last month when he laid into two of his colleagues who endorsed Herrera. I serve with some real scumbags, he said on Inside Politics. Matt Gaetz, he paid minors to have sex with him at drug parties. Bob Good endorsed my opponent, a known neo-Nazi. These people used to walk around with white hoods at night. Now theyre walking around with white hoods in the daytime. The attack galvanized further right-wing opposition to him, with Representative Eli Crane quickly tweeting his rage over the comments and his decision to endorse Herrera. I was never a fan of Tony Gonzales, Crane says. I was planning on staying out of it. But when I saw what he said on CNN basically calling a couple friends of mine Klansmen, thats where I draw the line. The former Navy SEAL is particularly irate because Gonzales was a fellow veteran. Tony came from the same branch of the service that I did. Honor, courage and commitment are our core values. To me, you have no honor if you go out there and you smear people politically. Gonzales casting his vote for House speaker last fall. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Gonazless district stretches along the banks of the Rio Grande from the edge of El Paso to San Antonio, an area larger than all of New York, and is majority Hispanic. Traditionally, it has been a swing district, and Gonzales positioned himself accordingly. But the combination of Republican friendly redistricting in Texas along with the shift in support among Hispanics in South Texas for Donald Trump has made it a much safer district for the GOP. For Bannon, the godfather of the MAGA populist right, the demographics only elevate the symbolism around the race. This part of South Texas is, I think, emblematic, of where we can make huge inroads in shifting with a, quote, unquote, minority district, he says. It may be minority as far as ethnicity goes or race goes, but these are majority MAGA. And this is why the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas is so important to us to prove the theory of our case. Gonzales has been a leading voice in the GOP in trying to forge compromise immigration legislation and sparked rage on the right when he attacked the hard-line proposals of his colleague Chip Roy as not Christian. Gonzales isnt taking all of this lying down. He has brought House Speaker Mike Johnson to the district to fundraise for him and has bought $786,000 worth of ads to attack Herrera for making a joke about veteran suicide on a podcast. Those arent the only controversial comments that have dogged Herrera. He has faced real scrutiny in Trump world after the Daily Beast reported that the right-wing hopeful mocked Trumps youngest son, Barron, on a podcast. Then there is the fact he doesnt have roots in Texas. Herrera is a longtime resident of Fayetteville, North Carolina, and announced his candidacy at a Young Americans for Liberty event in Orlando, Florida. Gonzales sniped in a recent press conference that his opponent had only just recently visited over half of the counties in the district for the first time. Though Herrera has a rabid fan base online, they are not disproportionately located in the San Antonio suburbs and gritty border towns that make up the district. The MAGA faithful arent really voting for Herrera they arent even really voting against Gonzales per se but rather against the Establishment. As one veteran Texas Republican consultant put it, for Republican voters, its 90 percent about the MAGA-Establishment fight and 10 percent about these individual candidates, this district, and the issues. It is distinctly possible that when the history of the 2024 election is written, its outcome, and therefore possibly the fate of the Republic, will have been determined by a tiny worm inside Robert F. Kennedys brain. I believe the worm is, more likely than not, a force for good. My reasoning is as follows: Kennedy, by his own admission, has endured serious mental trauma on account of a brain worm. As the New York Times reported this week, Kennedy began to confess his mental difficulties in a 2012 deposition pertaining to a divorce, in which he argued that his earning power had been diminished by his cognitive struggles. Kennedy blamed the problem on a 2010 episode that he and his doctor attribute to a brain worm, now deceased but possibly still lodged inside his skull, that he believes ate a portion of his brain. Normally, a victim of a horrible medical condition like this deserves sympathy. But you forfeit that sympathy when you run for president. If it is your belief that a worm has devoured part of your brain, you should not run for the worlds most powerful job. (In Kennedys defense, it is possible the portion of his brain responsible for moral reasoning is missing.) In any case, Kennedy is running an oddball presidential campaign that stands a very low chance of winning but a reasonably high chance of determining the winner. And here the strange logic of spoiler candidacies creates strange incentives. Third-party candidates affect the race by punishing the candidate closest to them. Kennedys profile as a scion of a Democratic Party dynasty who loves the environment makes him more attractive to voters who would otherwise support Joe Biden. But his specific views, especially his more recent ones, have the opposite effect. Kennedys fondness for oddball medical theories has made him an anti-vaxxer who can pull votes from Trump on that basis. (Ron DeSantis had clearly identified anti-vaccine sentiment as his best wedge issue against Trump in the Republican primary.) More recently, Kennedy has begun to flirt intermittently with light pro-insurrectionist sentiment. Kennedy played down the January 6 insurrection, then backed off. But then he hired a spokesperson who claimed, J6 was no MAGA insurrection. Just more Democrat misdirection. This week, Kennedy said he would not rule out pardons for criminals convicted in the insurrection. Liberals may instinctively respond to these comments with anger. But remember, in the upside-down rules of third-party candidacies, crazy is good and sane is bad. The worst possible thing Kennedy could do would be to outline sensible policy reforms for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. What Biden supporters should want is for Kennedy to let his freak flag fly. Now, it is impossible to know for sure why Kennedy has turned into such a crank. His kookery certainly precedes the brain-worm incident. After the 2004 election, Kennedy was volubly insisting the result had been fixed by an implausible conspiracy to rig voting machines. But both the breadth and the depth of his paranoia appear to have grown in recent decades. To the extent his descent can be traced to his self-confessed cognitive limitations, they are pushing him in an objectively prosocial direction. And to the extent Kennedy has correctly diagnosed the source of his mental problems obviously a less than solid assumption but one doctors deem plausible the worm is playing a potentially decisive role. It would be the ultimate butterfly-flaps-its-wings dynamic. A tiny worm, perhaps one-third of an inch long, crawled into the brain of the descendant of a famous political family and munched its way into making him a right-wing populist kook who pulled enough votes to prevent the other, more popular right-wing populist kook from winning the presidency. The worm would merit a small statue or, if that is too grotesque, perhaps an exhibit in the future Biden Presidential Library. Photo: Intelligencer; Photo: Getty Images In April, President Biden signed a bill forcing TikToks parent company, ByteDance, to either sell the platform or face a total ban. Now, the company is fighting back with a lawsuit. For the first time in history, Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban, the company said, in a lawsuit naming Attorney General Merrick Garland, adding that it bars every American from participating in a unique online community with more than 1 billion people worldwide. TikTok has been defending itself on speech grounds for a while now, and was widely expected to do so in response to the federal bill. It also has to come up with something the company was reportedly taken by surprise by the bill, even after it had been forced to invest billions of dollars in a program intended to separate parts of its operations in the United States from its parent company in China. TikToks claims pit speech rights against the governments national-security concerns, which the company says are speculative, analytically flawed, and conjectural. It also makes the argument that the bill is, in fact, a de facto ban. A forced divestment would damage the app, reduce its functionality, appeal, and value, and, the company says, simply not be possible. Precipitously moving all TikTok source code development from ByteDance to a new TikTok owner would be impossible as a technological matter, the lawsuit says. Some supporters of the bill have brushed aside criticism by insisting that it isnt really a ban, just an attempt to regulate ownership. In rejecting this, TikTok actually cites its relationship to China. The Chinese government clearly signaled that it would assert its export control powers with respect to any attempt to sever TikToks operations from ByteDance, the lawsuit says, and that any severance would leave TikTok without access to the recommendation engine that has created a unique style and community that cannot be replicated on any other platform today. These are claims about which TikToks leadership are uniquely knowledgeable but also completely biased; whether TikTok can be rebuilt by an American buyer, or whether the Chinese government will actually block the sale, are reasonable questions about which the bills supporters are, in effect, speculating. Where this lawsuit gets interesting and sort of strange is in how it talks about speech. It opens with an argument about protecting the speech of its users in a unique online community. While big social platforms have often positioned themselves as enablers of speech, and as broadly supportive of controversial speech, the notion that theyre actually vital to the preservation of free speech is a position most associated with their harshest (or at least angriest) critics, who have argued mostly unsuccessfully, until recently that getting banned on, say, YouTube or Twitter is a violation of their constitutional rights. In court, social-media platforms have defended against such claims in a fairly straightforward way, by emphasizing that theyre private companies making decisions about their products. In public, though, platforms have been a bit more careful. Through years of promoting themselves as venues for speech and public discourse as creators of the global town square, and other stretched metaphors social platforms have fostered a sense among users that they have something like a right to post. This has come back to bite these companies in the ass in a variety of ways, most visibly through spectacles like the Twitter Files and, I guess, Elon Musks acquisition of the platform in the first place which framed internal moderation decisions in terms of speech rights and government control, and in public allegations from former president Trump that censorship on social media amounts to rigging the election. For its part, TikTok didnt engage much in this particular sort of free-speech mythmaking. By the time it was growing, the other social platforms were already under intense scrutiny for their handling of political speech. TikTok didnt need to borrow civic language or promote democratic ideals to make its pitch to users it just needed to keep recommending more videos. To position itself now as a steward of a vital platform for the speech of its users makes sense, given the circumstances, but its relatively new for the company. Instead, when criticized, the TikTok has tended to emphasize that most people use the app to post authentic content, just for fun. Later in the lawsuit, though, TikTok makes a much clearer argument, but one that its users might find less than sympathetic, and which brings it in line with its peers, with whom it has been making similar legal arguments over the last year. From the lawsuit: TikTok is more than a passive receptacle or conduit for news, comment, and advertising of others; TikTok Inc.s choice of material to recommend or forbid constitute[s] the exercise of editorial control and judgment that is protected by the First Amendment. Here, TikTok is citing a 1974 Supreme Court case that struck down a Florida right to reply law, which required newspapers to provide space for candidates to respond to coverage or criticism. In comparing itself to a publisher, TikTok is asserting its own right to free speech. The company goes on to emphasize the ways in which it literally publishes stuff: TikTok Inc. uses the TikTok platform to create and share its own content about issues and current events, including, for example, its support for small businesses, Earth Day, and literacy and education. When TikTok Inc. does so, it is engaging in core speech protected by the First Amendment. This is how TikTok supports its claim that the law is obviously unconstitutional. It doesnt really align with TikTok as its popularly understood, or with the industry narrative about social media more broadly, as a space where users publish content and other users consume it, with occasional minimal interventions from platforms. But, again, platforms have often emphasized different concepts of speech in and out of court, depending on their audiences. What it does align with, sort of, is a legal strategy that TikTok, along with other social-media companies, have been using to defend themselves against state laws intended to prevent them from removing certain kinds of content, challenging they way theyve operated since their inception. The Supreme Court is currently considering new laws passed in Texas and Florida, which challenge the platforms rights to remove content they dont want to carry. (The Texas law prohibits platforms from taking down content based on viewpoint; the Florida law fines platforms for banning political candidates, among other things; both were written and passed by conservative lawmakers who alleged bias by big tech companies.) In its lawsuit, TikTok cites a recent Amicus brief filed by the government concerning the Florida law: As the government itself has acknowledged, [w]hen [social media] platforms decide which third-party content to present and how to present it, they engage in expressive activity protected by the First Amendment because they are creating expressive compilations of speech. Whether this matters much for the forced sale or ban remains to be seen (the governments invocation of national security and espionage dont bode particularly well for TikTok). But its lawsuit crystalizes a defense that every social-media platform is leaning on now, to somewhat different ends, whether theyre arguing their right to censor content, or for their right to exist: When it comes to speech, platforms are people, too. Photo: Girorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images Barron Trump is, rightly, a mystery to the American public. Donald Trumps youngest child was only 10 when his father was elected president in 2016, and its generally considered poor form for journalists or politicians to criticize the presidents minor children. We can see that Barron is tall his father once said the teen was already towering over him at six-foot-seven and thats pretty much all we know. But now Barron, who turned 18 in March, has become a topic of political discussion, partly under circumstances outside his control. Under New York state law, Donald Trump is required to attend all the proceedings of his hush-money trial. As he left court on day one of his trial, Trump began complaining that Judge Juan Merchan wouldnt let him attend Barrons high-school graduation on May 17. It looks like the judge will not let me go to the graduation of my son, whos worked very, very hard, and he is a great student, Trump lamented. It looks like the judge isnt going to allow me to escape this scam. Its a scam trial. Trump continued complaining about the judges cruel decision in several posts on Truth Social: And Trumps elder sons chimed in, too: Judge Merchan is truly heartless in not letting a father attend his sons graduation Eric Trump (@EricTrump) April 15, 2024 In reality, Judge Merchan never banned Trump from attending his sons graduation; he merely said on April 16 that he wasnt ready to rule on the defenses request for court to be adjourned on May 17. A short time later, the judge granted Trumps request. Now weve learned that while Trump played up how much he wanted to be with his son at his graduation, he isnt even spending the full day with Barron. The Minnesota Republican Party announced this week that Trump will headline its annual Lincoln Reagan dinner on May 17: Trump plans to attend a fundraiser on the day of Barron's graduation. Wonder what Judge Merchan thinks when he sees this. pic.twitter.com/d74ms3FhP1 The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) May 7, 2024 Trump has time to attend both events. To get specific: The graduation ceremony at Oxbridge Academy, a private school in Palm Beach, starts at 10 a.m. Presumably, the ceremony takes around one to two hours. Trump can have lunch with his son afterward and take a few pictures, but he cant spend too long celebrating since it takes about three and a half hours to fly from southern Florida to St. Paul, Minnesota, and theres a one-hour time difference. So if Trump wants to make it to the 5 p.m. fundraising dinner, he probably needs to leave Florida around 2 or 2:30 p.m. at the latest. Presumably, Barron will not attend the Friday-evening event with his father, as few 18-year-olds want to celebrate their graduation by hanging out with House Majority Whip Tom Emmer. It briefly looked like Barron was planning to get more involved in politics in the coming months. On Wednesday night, he was selected by the Republican Party of Florida as one of the states at-large delegates to the Republican National Convention, which will take place in Milwaukee in July. But on Friday, the Office of Melania Trump announced that it wasnt to be, telling the Daily Mail in a statement that, While Barron is honored to have been chosen as a delegate by the Florida Republican Party, he regretfully declines to participate due to prior commitments. All of Barrons siblings, except for Ivanka Trump, will serve as delegates. Could we still get to see Barron awkwardly praising his dad in a convention speech or even taking a White House job that hes totally unqualified for? Perhaps. But I hope, for Barrons sake and Americas, that hell just stick to quietly being tall. This post has been updated. Photo: Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images At Donald Trumps hush-money trial in Manhattan on Monday, Judge Juan Merchan warned the former president that if he violated a gag order Merchan had imposed one more time, he could go to jail. Its important to understand that the last thing I want to do is to put you in jail, Merchan told the former president. In his written order, however, Merchan noted that Trump could be detained for up to 30 days if he cannot abide by the order, which he has already violated 11 times. Trump seems to be inviting such a prospect, referring to witnesses on Wednesday as sleazebags, lowlifes, and grifters that you oppose are allowed to say absolutely anything that they want. The jarring but real prospect of Trump sitting in a New York City jail has officials contemplating the logistics, with Mayor Eric Adams stating on Tuesday that the Department of Corrections is prepared to deal with and manage the situation. Former Department of Corrections commissioners say there are two options for Trumps detention: a short-term stint in a holding cell at the courthouse or a longer stay at Rikers Island. It all depends on what the judge does, said former Department of Corrections commissioner Martin Horn. The judge could say, I want you locked up for four hours, and he sits in one of the court pens. In that case, Trump would leave the defendants table on the 15th floor and take the elevator to the basement, where hundreds of people are held every day before their arraignment. Horn stated that some of the cells there are large pens, while others are small enough for just one individual. Typically, they have a concrete or stainless-steel bench, he said. They have a toilet; they might have a water fountain. A payphone on the wall. And bars. Horn said the complicating factor would be whether Trumps Secret Service detail would join him in the cell or be stationed outside, and whether they would be able to keep their guns in DOC facilities. If Trump merits an extended stay behind bars, he will head to Rikers Island, where he will be outfitted in a regulation tan jumpsuit. Everywhere else has been closed, Horn said of possible alternatives. The Brooklyn House was torn down, the Tombs was torn down, the barge in the Bronx is closed, and the jail in Queens is closed. Theres no place else. Trump would be escorted on a ten-mile drive from the courthouse at 100 Centre Street, through Brooklyn and Queens, and over the Francis R. Buono Memorial Bridge. The prisons intake center is usually a chaotic place, but former DOC commissioner Dora Schriro predicted it would be cleared out for Trumps arrival similar to when he surrendered last year at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta. The standard process would begin with a medical review to ensure that Trump did not have any injuries requiring immediate treatment. Assuming that not to be the case, you would start with basic procedures exchanging your civilian clothes for a DOC issue of clothing, and an accounting of whatever personal property was on the individual, said Schriro. Trumps property would be placed in a secure location for return upon release; any money on him could be placed in an account so he could make phone calls or buy food from the commissary. Trump would also sit for a photo and fingerprinting, with the picture printed on the ID card that all detainees wear at Rikers. After handing over his clothes, he would receive DOC-issued clothing: So thats the uniform, thats the under clothes, thats the shoes, and a basic toiletry kit, Schriro said. If Trump were to be detained overnight while the trial continued, a streamlined version of this process would occur each day. DOC staff would need to figure out protective-custody measures to ensure that Trump would not interact with other detainees. Based on the protocol for high-profile Rikers guests during Schriros time leading the DOC, Trump would likely be placed in a single cell in a separate wing under Secret Service protection. Basically, he would be in a housing unit all alone, Schriro said. For safety purposes, this means that Trump would not be required to share a shower. Inside his cell, Trump would have very few amenities. The bed is made up of a metal frame, and its secured to the floor, said Schriro. Theres typically a toilet-sink combination one unit that has both a toilet bowl and a sink. Trump would be allowed a limited number of personal items: legal materials, a towel, a Bible. I understand the former president has one, she said. But I dont know that we would necessarily accept that one. Thats usually issued by the DOC. If Merchan determines that Trump has crossed the line again, the Department of Corrections will be ready. Allen Weisselberg, Harvey Weinstein have all passed through Rikers Island, said Horn. Mark David Chapman, the guy who killed John Lennon, passed through Rikers Island. The city has a long history of managing and processing high-profile commitments. Sign Up for the Intelligencer Newsletter Daily news about the politics, business, and technology shaping our world. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. Recommended by Experts A series where we find out which products the professionals (who really know what theyre talking about) actually use and really stand behind. Read more here. Magnetic knife blocks recommended by experts. Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers Any avid cook knows the best kitchen is utilitarian at its core and beautiful at its best. Magnetic knife blocks, which combine functionality and design, are becoming standard for professional chefs, serious cooks, and knife aficionados. They provide premium storage, elevate how everyday (and specialty) knives are displayed, are easily accessible, and take up less counter space and even last longer than traditional slotted knife blocks, especially if theyre made from hardwoods. While traditional blocks and drawers tend to be bulky and difficult to clean (think of the food particles and dust they collect, plus the high risk of damaging a knifes edge and tip or even cutting yourself trying to grab one), magnetic knife blocks are usually wall mounted or oriented upright and are embedded with magnets that hold knives securely in place. Plus, theyre a sleeker display piece. To find the best magnetic knife blocks on the market, I talked to experts ranging from interior and knife designers to kitchen-shop owners and chefs to hear their favorite options and learn some pro tips for getting the most out of your magnetic knife block. Here are nine magnetic knife blocks that will let your knife collection shine, whether youve got $25 to spend or want to invest a few hundred. You can also check out our guides to knife sets to store on these magnetic knife blocks and tools to keep those knives sharp. Looking for just one go-to chefs knife? Look no further than our roundup of the best of the best. Best countertop magnetic knife blocks VEVOR Magnetic Knife Block, 12 inch Home Kitchen Knife Holder $43 $43 A magnetic knife blocks primary function is to organize knives and prevent them from staining or rusting (or lying at the bottom of a drawer). But it can also be simply an inexpensive way to add some decor to your kitchen. Interior designer Cait Borkowski owns this double-sided Vevor magnetic knife block and has always admired how it stands out in her kitchen. I love the warm wood grain and simple but sturdy base, she tells me. The magnetic hold is strong but allows for easy, quick removal of knives for use. The proportions are also great for filling in some backsplash space in the same way you would hang art on a wall, says Borkowski. $43 at Amazon Buy $43 at Amazon Buy Material The Stand $90 Photo: Courtesy of the Vendor Chef Ana Castro is a power user of magnetic knife blocks both at home and in her restaurants, where the blocks keep her knives properly and safely stored without, she says, the edge of the blade bouncing around in a drawer. Shes also proud of her knife collection and enjoys showing it off. If you have a big luxe kitchen, go for a counter knife stand; my favorite is the Material Kitchen for its simplicity, she says. This stands magnetic system hidden inside the wood body holds eight to ten knives (depending on their size). Its slim silhouette keeps blades sharper for longer as theyre not bumping against other knives or kitchen tools, which tends to happen in drawers and nonmagnetic blocks. I like the organic feel and materials found in nature, and I think displaying tools signals a certain reverence for your craft, Castro adds. $90 at Material Buy Made In Knife Block $129 $129 Brands of tools used by chefs are growing in popularity, notes Cary M. Neff, a private chef, a caterer, and the owner of C.M. Neff Cook Supply Co. in Philadelphia. His shops clientele is a mix of chefs and chef-obsessed home cooks who want to spend money on beautiful knives and sets. These shoppers want knives to be a work of art they can display, with their go-to knives matching their kitchen aesthetic front and center, Neff says. They often bring in their knives to be sharpened and cleaned by Neff, asking questions about form and functionality. Chefs at Michelin-starred restaurants and Neff himself recommend this Made In magnetic block for people who appreciate order. It has strong magnets and a thick top ledge to rest the handles on and prevent the knives from sliding down. Neff says its efficient, minimal design means only the most necessary three or four knives should be displayed, arranged from smallest to largest. $129 at Made In Cookware Buy Messermeister Magnetic Knife Block $150 $150 This German knife brand is well known in the culinary world for heavy-duty usage, says Neff. While knife blocks are typically squared off, this Messermeister block is half-moon-shaped with a large curve that holds differently sized knives (up to ten) in place with specialized magnets inside the wood. The round shape also lets you easily grab knives at a more comfortable angle. This knife block is for cooks who want a lived-in look from higher-quality long-lasting wood that gets weathered and worn. Neff suggests testing out heavier knives on blocks before purchasing (if possible) to double-check the magnetic strength. $150 at Food52 Buy $150 at Williams Sonoma Buy Zwilling Beechwood Upright Italian Magnetic Block $150 $150 Bladesmith Steve Pellegrino of Pellegrino Cutlery is all about aesthetics, accessibility, and edge preservation. For him as a knife-maker and collector, the Zwilling slanted magnetic block offers a stylish option thanks to its distinct structural design made from Italian wood. The holder has five angled slots for knives, making them easily accessible for prep and cooking, and can be detached from kitchen surfaces safely. Its simple and stylish without being overstated, protects the finish and knife edge thanks to the internal embedded magnets, and has a ten-knife capacity if you have entirely too many knives, like me, Pellegrino says. $150 at Williams Sonoma Buy $150 at Zwilling Buy Living Steel Leather & Oak Magnetic Knife Block $315 $315 Some people like to show off their knives with the same enthusiasm they have for their custom furniture pieces. It makes sense when the kitchen tools are built with premium hardwoods, rare-earth magnets, and leather. Those premium qualities can quickly push such knife blocks into the luxury category, which includes this $300-plus Piotr the Bear portable double-sided magnetic block. These are beautifully finished in several configurations and are all covered in leather, which not only protects the finish of high-end custom knives such as what I typically make but also looks fantastic, Pellegrino says. He advises occasional oiling as leather tends to wick away oils from a knifes surface over time. $315 at Eating Tools Buy Best wall-mounted magnetic knife blocks Beau Grain Magnetic Knife Holder $110 $110 Knifewears resident knife tester and brand communications lead, Nathan Gareau, appreciates the singular craftsmanship and versatility behind these Quebec-made wooden knife magnets. Theyre available in two lengths (11.5 inches and 15.5 inches) and three types of wood (cherry, maple, and walnut), and they save home cooks some counter space. All have a flat back with a magnetic strip that can be mounted on a wall or tile so the screws anchor directly into drywall without the need to find a stud. Even better: Those with a tile backsplash can use strong double-sided tape to mount it, just be sure to let it set for a day before putting your knives on the block. Gareau recommends oiling the block once a year to re-moisturize the wood and using a damp cloth to wipe the blocks surface clean to ensure durability and shine. Follow his advice: Dont forget to gently wash your knives with soap and water before you put them up. $110 at Simons Buy 360KnifeBlock BAR Guitar Wood 18 $96 $96 Knife-maker Geoff Feder started his brand, Feder Knives, for people who use knives with vigor and dont let them just sit prettily on display. He likes this wall-mounted knife block made of maple-wood offcuts from Fender guitar necks with neodymium magnets. Much like Feder, the company behind this knife block started as a one-man band, so I respect the hustle, says Feder. Guitar wood protects the magnetic blocks to prevent rust or patina and keeps the edge away from anything that could dull it. As for setup, the 360KnifeBlock can be oriented horizontally or vertically. $96 at Amazon Buy $96 at Amazon Buy Hamletoff Magnetic Knife Holder for Wall 16 Inch Stainless Steel $25 $25 Not sure where to start on your knife-block hunt? Consider this $25 stainless-steel magnetic strip, a perfect piece for beginners who want affordability and quality, says Julia Dudley, a recent graduate of Le Cordon Bleu culinary school and a private chef. Ive been using the Hamletoff magnetic knife strip for three months now, and honestly its been great, she says. It has a super-sleek design and easy surface application. It also comes in three to four different sizes based on how many knives you have and how large they are. Hamletoffs knife blocks are designed to stick onto walls and fridges. This one is 15.5 inches of sturdy stainless steel with an adhesive-backed sticker, making it particularly easy to install and maintain. $25 at Amazon Buy $25 at Amazon Buy get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. Lee County Relay For Life surpassed its $100,000 fundraising goal at its Friday night event at the Courthouse Square. The downtown event, which raised an estimated $104,000 in support of cancer research, started with the Luminaria Ceremony. Relay participants shared emotional moments about how cancer impacted their lives and others as torches of hope and luminarias were lit in remembrance of their loved ones. We appreciate the community for coming out and look forward to whats next to come, said Randy Causey, co-chair of the Lee County Relay For Life group. A total of 41 teams recruited and solicited donations from individuals, Causey said. Lee County Relay For Life also received sponsorships from banks, businesses, constructions and more. Causey said Lee County Relay For Life collected $104,000 in team donations. The teams that ranked in the Top 3 were Auburn High School HOSA with over $12,200, Nu Iota Iota Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. with over $10,100, and PlexHope with over $7,400, according to the Relay For Life website. The largest donations from sponsors came from the East Alabama Health and the City of Opelika, Causey said. Each year, over 5,000 Relay For Life events are held held in over 20 countries, according to the American Cancer Association's website. On Feb. 3, the Lee County Relay for Life hosted a symbolic kickoff to its season with #RelayFirstLap at Opelika Sportsplex. Participants walked the first lap as organizers introduced committees and shared opportunities to donate to the American Cancer Society. Several of the 41 participating team members sold baked cakes, cookies and other goods at Friday's event in downtown Opelika. Causey said the group's silent auction brought in about $750 thanks to support from local vendors, such as hairstylists, restaurants, salons and more. The "Torch of Hope," a tiki torch that was lit during the Luminaria Ceremony, included a plate from the American Cancer Society and the name of the person who was honored. Every dollar is a step forward Causey was first involved in the Lee County Relay For Life in 1995. His wife, Debra Causey, was diagnosed with breast cancer almost two years later. When she was first diagnosed, the five-year survival rate was 65%. When her cancer came back in 1999 after going into remission, she beat it again. Now she is cancer-free. As of 2023, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer has risen to 90%. Randy told O-A News in February that he credits the increase to research and work being done all across the country. All of the money raised on Friday will go to the American Cancer Association, with 73% of the proceeds going to research. Lee County Relay For Life surpassing its $100,000 fundraising goal meant a lot to the Debra Causeys of the world, Randy Causey said. OSHA Finds Bread Company Violated Safety Rules Following Workers Injury Pan-O-Gold Baking Company faces $262,953 in proposed penalties A recent OSHA investigation has revealed safety violations at a commercial baking facility in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, after an employee sustained disabling injuries while adjusting a sensor in a bread pattern forming machine in October 2023. According to a recent release, OSHA cited Pan-O-Gold Baking Companywhich operates the facilityfor two repeat violations related to lockout/tagout and energy control procedures. Inspectors also identified six serious and two other-than-serious violations for inadequate employee training, machine guarding, failure to require hand protection, and lapses in injury reporting, for a total of $262,953 in proposed penalties. Pan-O-Gold Baking Company could have prevented this employee from suffering life-altering injuries by implementing required safety procedures to stop the machine from unexpectedly starting up as he tried to adjust the sensor, OSHA Area Director Chad Greenwood in Madison, Wisconsin, said in a statement. Instead, this worker and his family are now forced to face an uncertain future and the personal and financial struggles that come with suffering disabling injuries and being unable to return to work. OSHA identified the injury rate at the Sun Prairie facility as 160 percent higher than the industry average. Pan-O-Gold Baking Companywhich produces bread products for retail, commercial and food service use under a variety of brand namesfaced a similar investigation at the same location in 2019. OSHA found workers had suffered amputation and laceration injuries due to inadequate lockout/tagout procedures. Pan-O-Gold Baking Co. now has 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference with OSHAs area director or contest the agencys findings. In 2023, solar energy accounted for three-quarters of renewable capacity additions worldwide. Most of this growth occurred in Asia, the EU, and the U.S., continuing a trend observed over the past decade. In this graphic, Visual Capitalist's Bruno Venditti illustrates the rise in installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in China, the EU, and the U.S. between 2010 and 2022, measured in gigawatts (GW). Bruegel compiled the data.. Chinese Dominance As of 2022, Chinas total installed capacity stands at 393 GW, nearly double that of the EUs 205 GW and surpassing the USAs total of 113 GW by more than threefold in absolute terms. Since 2017, China has shown a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 25% in installed PV capacity, while the USA has seen a CAGR of 21%, and the EU of 16%. Additionally, China dominates the production of solar power components, currently controlling around 80% of the worlds solar panel supply chain. In 2022, Chinas solar industry employed 2.76 million individuals, with manufacturing roles representing approximately 1.8 million and the remaining 918,000 jobs in construction, installation, and operations and maintenance. The EU industry employed 648,000 individuals, while the U.S. reached 264,000 jobs. According to the IEA, China accounts for almost 60% of new renewable capacity expected to become operational globally by 2028. Despite the phasing out of national subsidies in 2020 and 2021, deployment of solar PV in China is accelerating. The country is expected to reach its national 2030 target for wind and solar PV installations in 2024, six years ahead of schedule. By Zerohedge.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: As Canadas oil and natural gas production hit record high levels, the country is taking pains to amplify its status as a global oil and natural gas superpower. One part of this greater initiative includes an ongoing effort to transform the sector to be less reliant on U.S. markets and infrastructure through strategic expansion of its own industry at a time when the United States is taking a step back. Canada took a major step in that direction on May first when the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project (TMX) finally became commercially operational after 12 years and 12 years and C$34 billion (USD$25 billion). Years of insufficient pipeline infrastructure have forced Albertan oil producers to sell their oil at a discount, resulting in tens of billions of dollars of revenue loss each year. The new TMX is set to change all of that by tripling the nations flow of crude. In anticipation of a boom year for Canadian oil and gas, producers are already ramping up output, and as a result Canadian oil production is expected to break records this year, reaching a high of around 5.3 million barrels per day. Not only is this a massive boon to the Canadian economy, its also a huge step toward self-sufficiency for the Canadian energy industry that will enable the country to ease its reliance on U.S. markets. This expansion in oil production and crude transportation capacities comes at the same time that Canada is trying to ramp up its natural gas sector. The first phase of the LNG Canada liquified natural gas export facility, the largest private investment in Canadian history, is now reaching completion in Kitimat, British Columbia. The project expects to come fully online in 2025. While the LNG Canada facility is designed for the sole purpose of exporting natural gas to other countries, its operations will actually slash Canadas exports to the United States, at least in the near term. Although the United States was a net natural gas exporter last year, Washington nevertheless imported 8.0 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas in 2023. And the vast majority of that was delivered via pipeline from Canada. As operations at the LNG Canada terminal pick up speed, those pipelines will most likely take a hit as supplies are stretched thin for the first few years. Western Canadian producers historically have been able to raise average production by up to 0.5 [billion cubic feet per day] year-over-year, indicating a temporary supply gap for U.S. and eastern Canadian markets at the outset of LNG Canada's full operations, Reuters recently reported. Industry insiders anticipate that satisfying the natural gas demand of LNG Canada alone will take about four years. While this presents a hurdle for the United States, which doesnt drill enough natural gas to satisfy its own demand despite being the biggest producer in the world, Canadian markets see the easing of their tight relationship with U.S. markets as an important step for their autonomy and status in the global marketplace. "The startup of LNG Canada opens new markets for Canadian gas other than the (U.S.) Lower 48 ... any downturn in the amount of Canadian gas exports to the U.S. could reverberate across North America later this decade," Eli Rubin, senior energy analyst at consultancy EBW Analytics Group, was quoted by Reuters. To be sure, Canada is not trying to break its close trade relations with the United States. In fact, its continuing to lobby for greater economic cooperation between the neighborly allies going forward. However, Canada is currently in a unique position to gain strategic economic ground on a global scale as the United States continues a pause on approvals of new licenses to export LNG, and many Canadian officials feel that it would be foolish not to capitalize on that window of opportunity. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Tesla just fired the staff in charge of its recharging network? No explanation. Best explanation: recharging stations lose money. Theres a chicken and egg problem here. You cant sell electric vehicles without them. Or perhaps this is an accounting problem. Yet fear of being stranded without a place to recharge may be the most powerful reason not to buy an electric vehicle. Without a ubiquitous charging network, electric vehicles will remain limited in market share. Shouldnt the developers of the vehicles underwrite recharging until the market enlarges? Tesla had led the way to create a recharging network. Ford, last year, signed up to use the Tesla recharge stations, so the Tesla turnaround is troubling. The Biden administration is pouring money into recharging while the biggest recharge station owner is running away? What is missing from this picture? Lets go back in history. When the auto pioneers in the previous century started manufacturing internal combustion cars, they did not create networks of gas stations. Entrepreneurs like John D. Rockefeller saw the opportunity because these newfangled vehicles represented an entirely new market for petroleum products. Get the message? The fuel suppliers built up a service station industry. It took about 20 years for gasoline sales to exceed kerosene sales. But it happened. Now, on to today. Shouldnt we expect the suppliers of electricity to jump on the opportunity to encourage the sales of electric vehicles (which will eventually consume about 30% of electricity produced), to take an active role by building up a charging industry? Why are they waiting for the government, or Tesla, or whomever to develop it for them? This seems like one of the most spectacular opportunities for the electricity business since the invention of air conditioning, right? Related: Governments Deliver Blow To EV Darlings How much might this type of charging network cost? We did some rough calculating. Lets say that every electric car charges once every two-three days. And that each charger is used 10 times a day while automakers sell 1.5 million electric vehicles a year. Roughly speaking, the 1.5 million cars require 50,000 chargers. Based on estimates we have seen, those chargers would cost about $1.5-$2.0 billion. Add on the need for grid upgrades and the bill exceeds $5.0 billion. (These numbers are rough but we think realistic.) The electricity industry now spends close to $200 billion per year in capital expenditures. A full scale charging buildup would barely make a dent in these numbers. McKinsey recently estimated that a charger station would lose about $50,000 pretax per year at current levels of business, or about $2.0 billion aftertax for the 50,000 chargers. But the electricity provider would earn an after tax profit selling power to the charging station, which might exceed $10,000 per year/per station, or $0.5 billion. So the potential after tax loss from each annual increment to the national charging network sums to around $1.5 billion at this early stage of the EV industry, The utility industrys annual earnings exceed $40 billion. The economic losses from an EV charging network looks like a small downside investment with initial losses that would decline as volume and EV penetration rose. But an investment with considerable upside that could propel the industry to a new level, as they say. So, what is the US electric utility industry spending its capital (investment) dollars on? Building up the rate base upon which shareholder earnings are based. Any company presentation or brokerage analysts report inevitably contains the following observation: Rate base will increase by x % a year. Whether productive or unproductive doesnt really matter because rate base is rate base and a higher rate base equals higher earnings. Maybe if regulators could put EV chargers into the electric utilitys rate base, the industry might take note. Imaginative regulators and imaginative utility executives could figure out how. Or are we expecting too much from a staid industry with a regulatory environment to match? Lets take a step back and recall that the US electric utility industry chose as its literal spokesman a climate change denying official from the Trump administration. It seems to us that the industry's executives are sitting on their hands, waiting for Donald Trump to return to office and relieve them of any and all environmental obligations. Why do we think this? Because the US electric industry continues to behave in a manner that suggests the best energy transition for consumers is from coal to natural gas regardless of the long-term environmental consequences. Its almost as if they regard CO2 as a four-letter word. Why do we care? Ignoring the transportation evolution to EVs and the associated charging network needs means opting out of the growth opportunity of a lifetime. Instead, the industry's executives appear to satisfy themselves with bread and butter rate base growth, thinking that continuing to do the same thing as before in a changing environment is not without risk. The former titans of the power industryEdison, Insull, Sporn, Lilienthal and Leewould be mortified to see how their successors eschewed great challenges in favor of comfortable incrementalism. But of course they wouldnt understand. None of them had MBAs. By Leonard Hyman and William Tilles for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Donald Trump has asked executives of some of the largest U.S. oil producers to raise $1 billion for his campaign to return to the White House and promised to scrap many of the Biden Administrations environmental policies, the Washington Post reported exclusively on Thursday, quoting sources familiar with a meeting. Trump, who was a very pro-oil president during his tenure at the White House, met with the top industry executives at his Mar-a-Lago Club in April to hear the grievances of the American oil industry, which has constantly criticized the energy policies of President Joe Biden, focused on reducing emissions and promoting clean energy sources. Trumps response to the executives, You all are wealthy enough, he said, that you should raise $1 billion to return me to the White House, the Washington Post quoted the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private conversation. During the dinner at Mar-a-Lago, Trump pledged, if elected, to immediately reverse many of President Bidens energy and climate policies, including the electric vehicle (EV) mandates, wind energy initiatives, and other regulations that the U.S. oil and gas industry opposes. The sector has actually opposed nearly all of the Biden Administrations energy and climate policies. Separately, Politico reported earlier this week that oil industry executives and lawyers are drawing up executive orders to be presented to Donald Trump if he wins another term in the White House. According to the report, which cites some of those involved but without mentioning names, the industry is worried that the Trump campaign will be able to focus on energy issues as Election Day draws closer and that Trump himself may be too distracted to focus on energy. The executive orders being drafted focus on lowering drilling costs, supporting more natural gas exports, and increasing the number of offshore leases on offer. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Brazils environmental protection agency has required state-held oil and gas giant Petrobras to conduct a series of studies on how its plan to drill in an environmentally sensitive area offshore the mouth of the Amazon River would impact indigenous communities. In recent weeks, the agency, Ibama, has sent the requests to Petrobras, asking it to carry out studies on the social, cultural and environmental impact its plan to drill would have, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing the documents it had seen. Petrobras has met the previous requests for impact assessment and is open to including new studies that may be required, the company has said and has noted in the past that its plan to explore for oil and gas in the area would have no direct impact on the local communities. The request for more impact assessment studies could prolong the timing to a possible start to drilling in the Amazon. The Equatorial Margin offshore Brazil, which includes Foz do Amazonas, Para-Maranhao, and Barreirinhas basins, is estimated to hold large oil and gas reserves and is expected to share geology similar to that of Guyanas offshore, where Exxon is finding billions of barrels of oil and has developed and is developing half a dozen projects. Petrobras is now re-evaluating its portfolio in search of synergies and diversification and is looking at new frontiers in exploration, especially in the Equatorial Margin offshore Brazil, CEO Jean Paul Prates said in an investor presentation in January. Petrobras currently doesnt have permission from regulators to drill for oil and gas in the environmentally sensitive area. Last year, the environmental protection agency refused to grant approval for the controversial offshore oil project in the Foz do Amazonas area in the Equatorial Margin where the Amazon River meets the Atlantic. Petrobras has appealed the decision of the environmental protection agency. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Goldman Sachs analysts expect OPEC to stick to its production output reduction agreement at its next meeting, revising an earlier stance that the cartel may partially unwind the cuts. "While our interpretation of OPEC+ communication is that no final decision has been made, we now expect Saudi crude supply to remain flat at 9 mb/d (million barrels per day) in July (vs. 9.2 previously)," Goldman said, as quoted by Reuters. The revision followed the publication of data showing that global oil inventories were higher than expected, suggesting the market is not as tight as OPEC would have liked it. As for prices, the investment banks analysts reiterated their forecast price range of $75 to $90 per barrel for this year, with the 2025 average seen at $82 for a barrel of Brent crude. Earlier this week, Russias Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said that OPEC+ was still studying whether to raise oil production but it would act on supply if necessary. The possibility to raise supply is still being reviewed, Russias top oilman told Interfax. It always depends on the current situation, the balance of supply and demand, Novak said. Everything is being analyzed. Right now, you dont need to predict anything, you just need to see how the market feels, he added. Novak also said that OPEC+ participants are constantly monitoring the situation, and this is our plan for the second quarter, we agreed with our colleagues that these voluntary cuts can be adjusted to boost supply if necessary. According to Goldmans forecasting model, there is a 37% chance of OPEC and its partners in OPEC+ reversing any of the cuts at the June meeting. It is scheduled for the first of the month ahead of the expiry of the current term of the supply reduction deal that aims to remove 2.2 million bpd from the global market. By Irina Slav for Oilpirce.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: India is gearing up to tackle its most significant power deficit in 14 years this June, propelled by a decline in hydropower generation, according to government sources. With projections indicating a shortfall of 14 GW during nighttime hours, the nation's power sector faces a critical challenge, necessitating urgent measures to avert potential outages. The impending deficit is exacerbated by delays in commissioning 3.6 GW of new coal-fired plants, originally slated for operation before March. The situation underscores the critical importance of addressing both supply and demand-side constraints to ensure grid stability. Recognizing the severity of the situation, Power Minister R.K. Singh convened an emergency meeting to assess the crisis and implement mitigation strategies. Measures include deferring scheduled maintenance of power plants during June and reactivating 5 GW of dormant coal plant capacity, aimed at bolstering overall generation capacity. Grid administrator Grid-India forecasts a peak nighttime demand of 235 GW in June, underscoring the magnitude of the challenge ahead. While thermal capacity stands at approximately 187 GW, renewable sources contribute an additional 34 GW, offering some relief amid the looming shortfall. The power ministry's invocation of emergency measures, directing gas-based and imported coal-based plants to operate at full capacity, underscores the gravity of the situation. However, the power sector's reliance on coal underscores the ongoing transition challenges as India strives to balance energy security with environmental sustainability. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration has made strides in transitioning towards cleaner energy sources, but the recent focus on coal underscores the complexities inherent in managing India's energy transition. Plans for new coal power plants have garnered momentum, albeit amid growing pressure to curb coal use and accelerate the adoption of renewables. While existing coal-fired and solar plants will play a crucial role in meeting daytime demand, concerns persist regarding long-term energy security and environmental sustainability. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: